Capítulo 52: Naval Combat
A few standard hours later, Athena casually strolled across the command bridge of the P-34 starcruiser, walking past empty seats and computer terminals that served key functions across the vessel. The bridge, embedded well within the core of the ship, was one of the safest locations on the ship. If the vessel was to be destroyed by incoming fire, the bridge was designed to be one of the last places to go down.
After her Terrans scanned them for potential threats during the initial battle, Athena had taken the time to personally explore the two starships that now belonged to her. Unfortunately, neither she nor her units were able to unlock any Terran structures while in contact with the ships. It seemed like these two modified civilian spacecraft were simply insufficient. If she wanted the starport and the units it offered, she needed to come into contact with more advanced ships.
"Commander, all data from the navigation terminals have been downloaded." The mechanical voice of the adjutant appeared in her head.
"Very well." Athena nodded before sitting down in the captain's chair in the middle of the bridge. This ship's captain was still Viktor, mainly because he knew the vessel the best, but that didn't stop Athena from hogging his seat whenever she wanted. She closed her eyes and gave the adjutant an instruction. "Adjutant, by now you have collected plenty of information on ships in this universe, correct? Give me a brief comparison between ships in this universe and Terran vessels."
Athena knew some basic information about starships in this world, but this knowledge was on the surface level. They were sufficient for an infantry trooper interested in how starships worked, but not for an aspiring faction leader who was planning on rapidly taking over other pirate factions, a process that would involve a lot of fleet engagements.
"As you wish, commander."
"The starships in this galaxy are divided into a multitude of classifications, with the main ones being corvettes, frigates, light cruisers, heavy cruisers, battlecruisers, dreadnoughts, and carriers. Each category of ship serves a different purpose. A standard fleet usually includes a mix of these ships and is often centered around a handful of heavier ships. Most ships are capable of FTL travel via built-in Callisto Engines."
"In comparison, Terran vessels are fewer in categories but more versatile in use. For instance, a Terran battlecruiser fulfills the roles of a battlecruiser, a dreadnought, and a carrier in an Imperial fleet. A Terran liberator can take up anti-fighter roles as well as serve as a fire support unit against ground targets. A viking would usually be classified as a bomber in an Imperial fleet, but it can take up roles of fighter and ground armor much better than a bomber can."
"Good to know." Athena nodded. "So what do fleet battles in this universe usually look like?"
"Warships in this galaxy are all designed to survive as much damage as possible. Most ships have one or more layers of particle shields designed to deflect material projectiles by scattering kinetic energy and rendering the projectiles harmless."
"Material projectiles? So these shields don't work against laser batteries? Or basically anything the Protoss have?"
"That is correct according to my data, Commander. Most weapons in this galaxy are kinetic weapons, such as railguns, missiles, and torpedoes. Some ships have equipped plasma cannons designed to bypass shields, but these cannons are infamous for being extremely energy-intensive to use. Of course, if presented with a sufficient threat, the powers in the galaxy will race to design shields useful against energy weapons."
"So I will have a brief advantage, but this advantage like won't last too long after I begin using it. Makes sense." Athena nodded. "Go on."
"In addition to the shields, warships tend to have layers of armor to protect their hardware and personnel. Some of the key components on a ship are the bridge, the shield generators, the Callisto and sub-light engines, the reaction cores, and the hangars. The bridge and the reaction cores are often hidden deep within the vessel. The generators, the engines, and the hangars are relatively exposed due to technological restraints and are often easier targets."
"Traditional naval battles in this galaxy often last for days, if not weeks. Both fleets will exchange railgun fire and torpedoes while launching fighters and interceptors, both to defend their own capital ships and gain fighter supremacy over hostile fighters. Once it is relatively safe, bombers and heavy strike fighters will then be deployed. The objective is to overload the shields of enemy vessels and, while the shields are temporarily down, disable the ship's mobility."
"Most naval battles often involve ships from both fleets constantly moving to dodge projectiles and reposition as needed. For instance, a ship with its shield overloaded and recharging will usually seek cover behind other ships with intact shields. A ship with its engine destroyed is a sitting duck and will often be forced to surrender or face annihilation."
"That is…impressive." Athena tapped her chin thoughtfully. Even though she knew it was unrealistic, a part of her always thought of naval combat as what it was like in Star Wars, where two fleets would just sit there and shoot at each other until one side gets defeated. What could she say? She just loved Star Wars.
"Estimations suggest the best way to neutralize enemy warships will simply be doing what is common in this universe and focus all firepower on their engines. Yamato cannons from battlecruisers and Lanzer torpedoes from vikings will be especially effective against single armored targets. Liberators and Ravens will aid with fending off enemy bombers and fighters. Terran vessels also have superior mobility, allowing them to easily assault enemy fuel and supply stations that are critical to the operations of any fleet."
Athena nodded. So far her Terran forces didn't seem to need to be resupplied, but she wasn't sure how Terran vessels would work. She also didn't know how many Terran ships she would be able to produce. If she had to rely on fleets from this galaxy, she would also need to pay attention to the issue of logistics. Even the strongest fleet would be useless without fuel or ammunition.
"How about boarding actions?" Athena asked curiously.
"Boarding actions are rare, commander. The process of sending in boarding parties during an active fleet battle is extremely risky. The few times boarding actions take place are when a ship carrying important cargo or information is surrounded and disabled but still refuses to yield. That would require infantry squads to be deployed. In that case, one of their main targets will be securing the reactor cores and preventing them from being overloaded in a suicide attack."
"I know," Athena nodded. "But remember, Adjutant, the Terrans aren't my only forces. For instance, how would the crew of a starship fare against half a dozen Protoss zealots?"
Sending in transports during a battle would be suicide, but the Protoss had the ability to teleport units into battle as long as there was a power field. Athena had yet to unlock the associated units like warp prisms, but that didn't stop her from seeing the potential.
"Ship-based infantry forces, such as Republic marines or Imperial naval commandos, often lack heavy weapons." The adjutant agreed. "If they face Protoss zealots, the result will be…devastating."
A small smile climbed onto Athena's face.
"Good to know."
By the time Athena stepped back into the landing terminal, she discovered Viktor was already waiting for her there.
"My Queen." He lowered his head before handing Athena a PEI. "I have the detailed list of assets from my ship here, as you requested earlier."
"Good." Athena took the device and took a few steps before realizing Viktor was still looking at her. "What is it?"
"My Queen," Viktor hesitated briefly. "I was wondering if you have considered the plan I proposed earlier. With your permission, I can…"
"I have considered the plan." Athena interrupted him with a cold, quiet tone. "Are you aware that your understanding of how pirates operate is…incomplete?"
"I…" The confident tone in Viktor's voice disappeared. "I am not sure what you are talking about, my Queen."
"You were so confident in your sources, Viktor, that you didn't even bother considering the possibility that they may not be entirely accurate. If you did, you would have looked through the past experience of the White Tigress, as I have. You would have realized that the White Tigress had fought against other pirates over multiple different colonies, as I have. You would have looked into the details of what happened, as I have. And finally, as I have, you would have realized that your understanding, and therefore your plan, was flawed. Most pirates don't just leave a colony alone whenever it's not time for them to collect their credits. Just because the White Tigress only has one ship doesn't mean all pirates are as broke. A more common strategy for pirates is to put an interstellar capable ship in orbit over a colony under their thumb. If the colony tries to run or if other pirates try to take the colony for themselves, that pirate ship will either fight or run and call for help."
"In other words," Athena continued as Viktor froze there in shock. "If we did what you suggested and jumped in there with the intention of setting up an ambush, we would have likely run into an enemy warship. In the best-case scenario, we would have to improvise a daring plan to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. In the worse case, everyone on the ship would be killed."
"Orlan…" Viktor's brows darkened. Did he underestimate the pirate leader? "He withheld information from me on purpose! He lied!"
"Forget about Orlan! He didn't lie. He told everyone what he and his people did. It doesn't mean that's what everyone else did. He didn't think to tell us about his experience fighting other pirates, not because he meant me harm, which he is incapable of, but because he forgot or didn't think it would be important. I had to ask him details about his encounter with other pirates explicitly after the meeting to get him to tell me that information!"
Athena snapped in frustration, and she was not only frustrated by Viktor. Neither Viktor nor Orlan could actively betray her, but that didn't mean the neural parasites made them any smarter. Compared to the former pirate leader, Viktor was actually not that bad.
"Forget about Orlan. We are talking about you." She repeated. "Your plan of using the colonies to get to the other pirates is fine, but you rushed things without bothering to consider the risks and dangers. You may be smart, Viktor, but you are not as smart as you think."
Athena had always been as cautious as she could be. This was why her roaches were used as scouts far more than they were used as combat units. Back on Sierra Prime, she chose her fights carefully and fled the scene immediately after every battle, often changing her name immediately. This was how she avoided capture for so long. She knew all too well that this was a dangerous world, and failure was often something she couldn't afford. Rushing into a fight with all the confidence in the world could very well mean rushing into an early grave.
In this case, while Viktor was eager to carry out his plan and likely elevate himself into one of her trusted lieutenants in the process, Athena was as careful as always. She calculated the resources she had at her disposal before going through any and all information she had, and it paid off.
Unfortunately, it was a lesson Viktor had yet to learn. He had gotten so used to having everything taken care of as a captain in Epsilon-9 that he had grown cocky in his behaviors. It was something his defeat and capture not long ago failed to change.
"Plans are still in motion. They simply don't involve you." Athena finally stated.
"I…my apologies, my Queen. I only wish to serve you." As Athena explained to him his mistakes, Viktor quickly realized he was in a terrible situation. In the worst case, he might be relegated to the same group as Orlan: a simple minion who would be discarded as soon as he was no longer needed.
"I know," Athena replied. "I also know you're trying to impress me. You are an ambitious person, Viktor, and I suppose I can respect that. That is why I am willing to give you another opportunity. When we act, we will need you and your ship. Serve well, and you may yet receive another chance at leadership. Just make sure not to let your ambitions blind you again. If you do…"
She glanced at Viktor's neck where the neural parasite was. "No one is irreplaceable. Especially not you. You want a place in the Swarm? You have to earn it."
Viktor kept his head low as Athena exited the landing terminal with her PEI in hand.
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