by G. P. Hudson
Jon surveyed the battle from his console. Inside his belly, the symbiont growled as its bloodlust grew stronger. The creature did not trust the Dvorkans, and Jon didn’t blame it. As the defending ships lost shields, Jon considered his options.
His men could board the unshielded ships using their personal jump systems. Chaanisar and Marines could commandeer those ships and add them to the invasion force. But he would lose good men that way and would have to return those ships to Emperor Kriss. He didn’t like that option.
The Dvorkans had betrayed him once already. Emperor Kriss said they moved against the UHSF without his knowledge, but Jon had no way of knowing whether that was the truth. He was allied with Kriss and wanted him to win this war, but didn’t mind the thought of a weakened Empire, incapable of challenging the UHSF. Still, he needed to be diplomatic about it.
Jon opened a comm with Kriss, and the Emperor appeared on his screen. “Emperor, you should broadcast a message to the rebels, telling them that you will accept their surrender.”
“Why would they agree to such an offer?” Kriss said. “They are guilty of high treason. The penalty is death.”
“You could offer them terms. If they surrender now, you could waive the death penalty.”
Kriss seemed to think about the idea for a moment. “No. I will not encourage sedition. All the traitors must die.”
“I see. You do understand that without an option to surrender that we will destroy these warships,” Jon said, surprised by the Emperor’s uncompromising stance.
“I do. This is the first of several star systems we need to take. I want to set an example here. Dvorkans need to understand the consequences of their actions. We will annihilate the rebel forces here. I will show no mercy. Word of these events will travel quickly throughout the Empire, as will the knowledge of our alliance. This will sow fear into the traitors’ hearts. Then, when we enter the next star system, I will offer an option to surrender at the outset. I will warn the rebels that if they do not immediately accept my offer, that they will all die in battle. They will know to heed my words. The blood we spill here today will mean less blood spilled tomorrow.”
Jon considered the changed man he spoke to. The young Emperor he had met a decade ago had become much more ruthless. He would need to remember that. “That answers my question. Hey, it’s your empire.”
“Then you support my strategy?”
“As I said, you are the one calling the shots.”
“Thank you, Admiral.”
“Okay, let’s get back to work and finish what we started. Pike out.”
The lopsided battle went from bad to worse for the rebels. With their numbers dwindling, the odds against them only multiplied. They kept trying to retreat, but the Emperor showed no mercy. His forces joined the Diakans in following the fleeing rebels and finished them off. They then returned to help mop up the star system.
When the defending fleet was destroyed, Emperor Kriss turned his attention to the planets. One attracted his interest and Jon watched several Taymati warships move into orbit around the Dvorkan world.
“What do we know about that planet?” Jon said.
“From what the Dvorkans are telling us, there appears to be a rebel base on the surface,” Henderson said. “They believe that the regional commanders are stationed there.”
Jon watched the unfolding situation on his display. Kriss’s ships were clearly getting into position for an orbital strike. With the enemy fleet gone, his ships could fire on the planet at will without much difficulty. Jon didn’t think Kriss would go after civilian targets. Such a move would only generate hatred against his rule. The population could understand their Emperor fighting against a coup but slaughtering innocent Dvorkans would poison the population against him and potentially spark a broader rebellion.
The two warships entered the planet’s orbit and appeared to be moving into position for a strike when a white beam shot up from the surface. The beam speared one of the warships, pummeling it with a sustained burst of devastating energy. The shields turned red as they tried to absorb the beam’s force, but quickly changed color to orange, then yellow, and finally a bright white until they failed.
The white beam persisted and punched into the warship’s armored hull. The thick armor provided some resistance, but the beam’s destructive power was off the charts. The hull soon turned into molten slag, and the beam broke through, laying waste to everything in its path.
When it blasted through the other side of the hull, the ship’s fate was sealed. The warship broke into two and blew apart in a blazing explosive reaction. The other Taymati ships launched an attack on the surface, but shields protected this new weapon. The beam fired again, targeting a second Taymati warship. The results were frighteningly like the first.
The second Taymati warship was obliterated in short order, sending a potent message to the rest. Recognizing the danger they were in, the other Taymati warships jumped out of orbit to rejoin the rest of the Imperial fleet.
Jon watched the development with growing horror. The rebels possessed a secret weapon. A beam like one Jon had seen before. One used by the Antikitheri.
Chapter 36
“My Taymati will storm the rebel base and capture the weapon,” Emperor Kriss said from Jon’s comm display.
“How do you plan to land your forces?” General Tallos said, also attending the meeting through comm, along with Colonel Bast and the Reiver leader, Jonas.
“We will provide orbital support while armored shuttles ferry the troops to the surface,” Kriss said.
“Did you see what happened to your warships?” Tallos said. “Your plan is suicidal.”
“General Tallos is right,” Jon said. “That weapon will destroy your warships and your landing craft before your Taymati can get anywhere near it. I propose that you let us take the base.”
“How do you intend to do that?” Kriss said.
“We’ve made some technological advancements since the last time we met,” Jon said. “We possess technology that allows someone to create a personal jump gate. Our forces can use this technology to land soldiers on the surface without putting our ships at risk.”
“You have purposely kept this technology hidden from me,” Kriss said. “Why?”
“Security reasons, Emperor,” Jon said, wondering if Kriss really did not know about the technology. “Your forces did try to invade UHSF space before.”
“I told you that I did not sanction that attack.”
“I know what you said, Emperor.”
“Then you do not believe me.”
“I do, for the most part. I would be negligent in my duties if I were not cautious, however. To be honest, I am surprised that you did not already know about the technology. We did use it against your forces when they tried to invade.”
“It seems word of the advancement never made it back to the Empire,” Kriss said. “It is also clear that we still have a problem trusting each other.”
“You are correct,” Tallos said.
“That is an unstable foundation to build this alliance on,” Kriss said.
“But we are allies,” Jon said. “That shows a significant amount of trust, wouldn’t you say?”
“Perhaps. Or, it might be a precursor to treachery.”
“Treachery? Really? You’ve got a lot of balls to throw that accusation around, you know that? How many times have we saved your ungrateful ass? And for what? So, your forces can use our technology to invade our space?”
“Admiral I-”
“You know what I think? We should just head back to our region of the galaxy and let you deal with your rebellion by yourself. Let’s see how that works out for you.”
“Admiral, I apologize. I do appreciate your help.”
“Really? Because it sure as hell doesn’t seem that way.”
“No, I do. Please accept my apology.”
“Fine, but don’t make me regret doing this.”
“You have my word.”
“I would like to include a Taymati force in the assault,” Kriss said.
“I’m sorry, Emperor, but that would require the sharing of technology, and I’m not prepared to do that.”
“I shared our technology with you.”
“Yes, in return for an alliance. That was the deal.”
“Admiral, what will it take to win back your trust?”
“Time.”
“I understand.”
“I’ve had my people analyze and compare this weapon to the one we saw the Antikitheri use. While this one is powerful, it is nowhere near as powerful as the one used by the Antikitheri.”
“Then the Antikitheri gave this weapon to the rebels,” Kriss said.
“Yes, there’s no doubt about its origin.”
“They really do favor General Tok,” Kriss said quietly.
“All the more reason why we need to take that base and capture that weapon intact,” Jon said, knowing how important it was for his people to get their hands on the weapon first. If Kriss got it before him, he might not be inclined to share its secrets. That would be a disaster, tilting the balance of power heavily in favor of the Empire, regardless of who won the civil war.
“I will put together a Chaanisar team to storm the base immediately,” Colonel Bast said.
“Why a Chaanisar team?” Tallos said.
“Yes, I was wondering the same thing,” Jonas said.
“I do not seek to offend anyone when I say that the Chaanisar are the optimal choice for this mission,” Bast said. “You all possess fine fighters, but none are augmented like the Chaanisar.”
“Clearly you have forgotten how successful Diakans were at killing Chaanisar,” Tallos said. “Your implants did not help you much in those battles.”
“Come now, General,” Bast said. “Do we really need to rehash this old debate? We both know that the Chaanisar killed untold numbers of Diakans during the wars.”
“Yes, a crime for which none have been punished,” Tallos spat.
“I am not a party to your debate,” Jonas said. “But I will say that I will put any of my Reiver warriors against anyone in this galaxy or the next.”
“Enough,” Jon said. “We will send a combined force to the surface. Three teams, Chaanisar, Diakan, and Reiver.”
“That is agreeable,” Tallos said.
“For I as well,” Jonas said.
“We will do as ordered,” Bast said.
“Good,” Jon said. “Get your teams together and let’s go get that weapon.”
Chapter 37
“I need to go to the surface.” Jamie stood with Anki beside him inside Jon’s ready room.
Jon sat behind his desk wondering what prompted the last-minute request. “The teams have been selected. I’ve got enough people going down there.”
“No, you don’t understand,” Jamie said. “I need to go.”
“Is this another one of your urges?” Jon said. “Like when you saw the attack on the Cenobi?”
“Yes, and it is a powerful one. I don’t know why I have this feeling, but I’m sure it’s important that I go.”
“Okay, but what if you go down there and have a vision right in the middle of a battle? You’ll get yourself killed.”
“I understand the risk, but you have to trust me on this.”
Jon considered Jamie’s request. The man was a great fighter and would do fine in combat. In fact, he would be an asset to any team he was on. But these visions worried Jon. The last thing he needed was for Jamie to go into some trance and get himself killed, especially with how Anki felt about him.
But there was something to Jamie’s visions. If Jon allowed him to go down to the surface, they might learn something about the new rebel weapon. In the end, the potential intelligence might be worth the risk.
“Does proximity make a difference in your visions?” Jon said.
“I don’t know,” Jamie said. “I saw the Triad just before they were about to strike, so their proximity might have triggered that vision. Also, I didn’t see anything until I looked at the sun, then the vision came to me. Maybe that is why I need to go down to the surface. I might need to get close for the vision to appear.”
“Do you think it has something to do with that weapon down there?”
“Honestly, Admiral, I don’t know.”
Jon considered the big picture. Could he pass up the potential intelligence? They knew nothing about this weapon, but Jamie might give them some valuable insight. That potential clearly outweighed the risk. “Okay, Jamie. You can go,” Jon said.
“I’m going too,” Anki said.
“Wow, I’m already regretting my decision,” Jon said sarcastically.
“Why?” Anki retorted. “I’ve proved myself in combat.”
“Yes, Anki, you have,” Jon said with a sigh. “I suppose I should have expected that you’d ask to go too. Either way, I know better than to try and stop you. I’m assigning you both to Lieutenant Jarvi’s team. That should make you feel right at home.”
“Thank you, Jon,” Anki said.
“Now I want to join you two,” Jon said. “You think you are the only ones itching to go down there?
“You could join us,” Anki said. “Who would stop you?”
“Don’t tempt me. Now hurry up and get over to the Ronin. The teams are preparing to get underway as we speak. Dismissed.”
***
Jamie walked through his personal jump portal into a war zone. The Diakan teams had already come through and wasted no time laying siege to the Dvorkan base. The main obstacle, from what Jamie could see, was the base’s shields. Those shields didn’t just protect the base from an orbital attack, but also from a land-based one.
Enormous Diakan Mechs the size of buildings had launched a sustained assault against the base. The metal monsters coordinated their fire, focusing their heavy weapons on one area, trying to punch a hole in the Dvorkan shields. Diakan regulars in combat suits were positioned just behind their mechs, supporting them with their own firing lines.
It was an impressive display. Despite their recent setbacks, the Diakans were still masters of warfare. Jamie never liked them much and had killed too many to count in his time. Yet, when it came to combat, he had nothing but respect for them.
With the Chaanisar teams arriving, Chaanisar mechs moved into position alongside their Diakan counterparts and added their own heavy weapons to the mix. The Chaanisar mechs were gigantic but significantly smaller than the Diakan mechs. The Diakans were known for constructing oversized weapons. Jamie wondered why that was. Were the Diakans compensating for other limitations?
Dvorkan soldiers returned fire from within the base but did little damage to the shielded mechs. Even without shields, their armor could withstand a pounding and keep them in the fight.
“Do you feel anything?” Anki said over his combat suit’s speakers.
Jamie turned, and his HUD identified Anki as one of the armored Chaanisar coming through the portals. “No visions. Just the same urge, only now that I’m on the surface I feel like I need to get inside the base.”
Anki moved toward him, her combat suit whirring with each stomping step. When she drew near Jamie caught his reflection on her black visor. His suit looked identical to hers, although he could access special features with his brain implant that she couldn’t.
Each Chaanisar combat suit had been built to work in tandem with the Chaanisar brain chip. With a mere thought, a Chaanisar could cycle through weapons, or adjust any other setting in the suit. In contrast, Anki used manual input or voice commands, depending on the situation. That delay, no matter how small, left her more vulnerable than the rest.
“All units move into position.�
� Jarvi’s orders came through Jamie’s speakers.
“That’s us,” Jamie said. “Time to get to work.”
Hundreds of Chaanisar raced toward the battle and took position behind the Chaanisar mechs. Jamie kept pace with Anki until they got into position. They both dropped to their stomachs and opened fire on the base’s shields.
Tactical nukes were considered before the attack but quickly ruled out as they risked turning the population against them. The general population had not sided with the coup plotters so far, and the last thing anyone wanted was for that to change. So, they used conventional weapons against the shields. That meant that even with the mechs’ tremendous firepower, it would still take time before the shields were compromised.
The goal, however, was not to bring down the base’s shields. Instead, they just wanted to compromise one section of the defense. Once a breach was created, the mechs would charge through and overwhelm the defenders. If there was enough time for the regulars to enter before the breach was sealed, all the better.
Despite the shields, the base was far from defenseless. Turrets raked the mech positions with massive energy bolts. Armored vehicles and Dvorkan soldiers had hastily amassed behind the base’s shields and returned fire.
The defensive response started to bear fruit as several Diakan and Chaanisar mechs lost shields. Their armor continued to protect them, but they fell back nonetheless. There was no point losing a mech if you didn’t have to.
The massed assault on the shields slowly began to work. The region of the shields they focused on cycled through different colors until finally turning a blazing white.
“Get ready,” Jamie said to Anki. “We’re about to get our opening. Stay with me when we do.”
“You can count on it,” Anki said.
The mechs also understood that the defenses were about to buckle and began to advance while still pounding the shields. The mech shields took a beating with many also turning white before failing. Those mechs did not fall back this time. They poured it on instead, continuing to advance. When the shield buckled, the mechs broke into a run and charged through.
