The Alienbutt Saga, Book 1. War of the Coffee Bean. Part 36.

The Federation fleet spread for miles as it moved closer to the Dagnabbit System, their ships travelling in fixed formations with the battle cruisers boxing in the lighter defences of the robot troop ships and other support vessels. Robot fighters darted between the capital ships, looking like flies swarming between giant animals. They flew through Ick space, confident of victory because of their overwhelming numbers and greater fire power.

The Fo’c’sle approached from above and behind at great speed. These were the finest fighting units in the universe, each confident of their superior skills and experience and knowing they would take down the enemy in great numbers. They may be massively outnumbered, but for them, numbers just meant more targets to blow up. The enemy fleet moved along like some giant herd, tightly packed and slow. It was time for the hunters to spring.
As the back markers of the enemy fleet started to react to the approaching Fo’c’sle, Grommit gave the order to open fire and hundreds of torpedoes were fired in wave after wave to impact on the rear of the enemy fleet before the frigates of the Fo’c’sle swung away. The torpedoes were guided by computerised guidance systems and had shield scrambling emitters so they could pass through any energy shield. They pinpointed the great battle cruisers’ weaknesses and the explosions were so intense that a shock wave raced out like an earthquake, buffeting ships and causing even more chaos and collisions amongst the tightly packed ships. The Fo’c’sle outran the worst of the effects of the shock wave but as it passed them by, slightly buffeting their ships, they slowed and turned back to the Federation fleet.
With menacing slowness they re-formed, ready to strike again.
“This is Grommit to all squadrons, prepare for another assault, then we split and choose our targets. Happy hunting and drinks are on that fat-arsed Alienbutt if I don’t end up shooting him down myself. We kill 'em all.”
Alienbutt grinned and threw an empty whiskey bottle over his shoulder before grabbing a fresh one. A calm had settled over him that he only seemed to achieve in combat, no nerves or doubt, just a clarity of thought.
While waiting for the action to start he had been nervous and his butt plugs had been tested, but now the battle had started, he didn’t need them, but just in case, he kept them in as the rest of the crew wouldn’t be much use if they were knocked out by an accidental gas leak.
The frigates formed ranks like old style cavalry, for a second charge as the Federation battle cruisers tried to break free of formation and the wreckage of burning ships to turn to meet the next attack. Over three hundred ships blazed and others were still suffering as continued explosions from the first attack ripped at them, and already the fast, agile frigates were starting their second attack run and firing a new wave of torpedoes. But this time the Federation fleet returned fire as the first of the battle cruisers moved into position to defend the fleet. The destruction this time was far less, as many of the Federation ships had prepared for the second strike, but still more ships exploded as torpedoes found their targets.
The Fo’c’sle ships this time didn’t peel off their attack run but entered the tightly packed Federation fleet’s formation, choosing targets at will. The larger Federation ships, unable to manoeuvre in such a tight formation, became sitting ducks as their engines were targeted and the ships crippled. The Federation robot fighters began to stream out of hangar bays to defend against the attack, but were no match for the flying skills of the Fo’c’sle pilots unless they could gather in more numbers and try to swarm over them. As the enemy fleet continued to advance, it was leaving a trail of damaged and destroyed ships as the Fo’c’sle vented their anger at being held back from combat, wanting to defend and avenge the people who had taken them in and given them a home. The Federation had invaded Ick space and now they would ensure that there was some payback.
Just as the robot fighters began to gather in enough numbers to cause a problem, they received the order to withdraw and grudgingly began pulling away from the Federation fleet. They raced back along the advancing fleet’s flight path, passing the hundreds of ships they had crippled and destroyed. They had caused heavy damage and their losses were light but the Federation fleet flew onwards and all knew the damage wasn’t enough to stop the enemy fleet. It was time for the second part of Snoodgrass's plan.

Snoodgrass stood on the flight deck of the command centre watching the Fo’c’sle fleet’s attack on a giant holo-screen. Ahead of the approaching fleet was the first of his surprises; millions of a new design plasma mine had been placed in the advancing fleet’s flight path. The system of Dagnabbit was home to a secret research facility for new Ick weapons and Snoodgrass had put a few of the better ideas into mass production. As the Federation ships moved into the minefield, those mines that made contact with the ships stuck magnetically to the hulls. As each one did, it sent a tiny signal so the Ick would know what percentage of them had found targets.
The first wave of ships to enter became covered with hundreds of the small mines. While the explosive force of them was relatively small, it was the number of mines attached that would do the damage. As the fleet reached a pre-arranged point, the order was sent for the Fo’c’sle to disengage. As the frigates turned and retreated, Snoodgrass ordered the mines to be detonated. The entire front ranks of the Federation fleet disappeared in a massive explosion. The shields designed to prevent phaser and torpedo attack proved useless against the small magnetic mines that blew hundreds of small holes in the ships’ hulls, causing them to crumple as the pressure of escaping air into space tore larger sections of the hull apart.
The Federation fleet stuttered as hundreds of ships were totally ripped apart, while others were badly damaged. The Ick commander smiled grimly, then sent in his next surprise. Twenty dreadnoughts had been refitted to each carry a large ion cannon. The ion cannon was the most devastating weapon ever created, sending a concentrated beam of magnetic energy that would rip apart whatever it hit. But it was unpredictable and prone to self-destruct if it didn’t have a planet to earth itself with, as with the one they had encountered in the Big Rocks System. The ships, crewed by volunteers in case of this malfunction, opened fire into the now panicking Federation fleet, each deadly blast ripping through the ships’ shields, delivering devastating damage. As the new round of carnage continued, the order for the full fleet to attack was given. Admiral Frederick led the Ick dreadnoughts and their fighters forward to attack and the Fo’c’sle fleet again swung around and started another attack run.
The Federation fleet began to break apart, as the inexperienced captains started to panic. Most of the crews were in their first real battle against an organised force and the massive damage that had suddenly happened to the forefront of their fleet formation had unnerved many. In their rush to try and avoid the advancing Ick fleet, many collisions occurred as the battle cruisers tried to manoeuvre to break free of the tight formation that they were in.
Admiral Frederick, at the head of fifty dreadnoughts, punched a hole towards the centre of the Federation fleet, seeking to destroy the troop and support ships, while the Fo’c’sle separated into their squadrons again and started to hit at any available target. When the first of the dreadnoughts with the ion cannons self-destructed, Snoodgrass ordered them to disengage and fall back. The large cannons were still in the experimental stage and being used for the first time. The damage had been done, and now the Ick fleet had engaged the enemy, targets for the cannons were more difficult to choose.

To be continued.
Thanks for rading, all images are mine.