by Gregg Vann
“I know your government doesn’t support taking any action against the Udek occupation, and that they’ve directed the rebels to stand down—in no uncertain terms. So why involve yourself in this fight, Kuv? Why go against the wishes of your own leaders, and without any material support from them or the Iriq military?”
“The government would have us sit back and wait the Udek out. They think that they’ll eventually be forced to withdraw, and any action we take against them now only invites unnecessary reprisal.”
“They’re probably right,” Tien replied. “The Udek are trying to annex several systems into the Confederation through coercion alone, without any enticements. Most were left weakened by the war and are unable to defend themselves. But the problem is that my people pushed too far, too fast, trying to seize the opportunities before they were lost. So it’s possible the Udek won’t be able to maintain this occupation long enough to force your government to capitulate—to willingly, even if under duress, join the Confederation.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. But if we can get rid of that base, and then open up even a tiny hole in the Udek blockade, our ships can return home from the outlying Iriq worlds. Now that would be a definitive result, and one that could lead to victory. What remained of our fleet was still coming back from the Brenin War when the blockade first went up, so they had to detour to our colonies for repair and rearmament. By the time they were ready to fight the Udek, the blockade had been reinforced into a nearly impenetrable barrier. But there is a weakness. The ground facility sits at the apex of the Udek command structure, and all orders regarding fleet deployment are dispatched directly from there. If we take it out, there will be chaos in the blockade. And with any luck, our attack will prompt a few of the Udek ships to abandon their positions and move in closer to assist, creating openings our own vessels can then exploit to reach the planet.”
“And if you can get your ships through,” Tien said. “What then?”
Kuv smiled. “Then we will establish our own protective blockade, backed by an orbital defense network. The government has been constructing armored attack satellites ever since this occupation began—to make sure the planet is never left defenseless again in the future. If they tried to launch them now, the Udek would just shoot the weapons down long before they reached orbit. But if we control the skies, at least long enough to get our own fleet in position and launch the defensive constellation, the Udek won’t be able to return. Not without a total engagement—a real war—and the massive losses that come with it.”
Tien watched the Iriq leader as he spoke, trying to gain an accurate measure of the man. He noted the fierce determination on Kuv’s face; he believed in what he was trying to accomplish, without question. But Tien felt that under the present circumstances, the Iriq’s grand aspirations were little more than fantasy.
“Do you really think the Udek will just abandon this planet?” Tien asked.
“No,” Kuv replied somberly. “Not willingly. But I don’t believe they want an all-out war, either. As you pointed out, the Udek are somewhat hobbled at the moment. They’re overextended, and struggling to get by with limited resources. I don’t think they can afford an active front right now, especially if we make it a costly one. And trust me, Tien, we will do just that.”
“It’s a reasonable assumption,” Tien admitted. “The Udek might withdraw under those conditions. But it’s not a certainty, not by a long shot. And if you’re wrong, and the Udek do fully commit themselves to a war for Polit, it will be the end of your people.”
Kuv nodded. “Now you see why my government is so reluctant to help our cause. And in a few instances, even directed our own military to fight against us, trying to stop my group from antagonizing the Udek and pushing this into a wider conflict. I don’t agree with the government’s position, but I do understand it. The consequences they fear are real, but so are our chances of success.”
Tien processed this new intelligence as they broke through the dense foliage and into another clearing. But unlike the semi-exposed landing site, where the rebels had been forced to cover Maxal’s ship with camouflaged netting, this peaceful glade was capped by a solid canopy of leaves and thick branches overhead, blocking the campsite from aerial view.
By Tien’s reckoning, they’d traveled approximately half a kilometer from where Maxal landed the ship. And as the Iriq filtered into the simple base camp they immediately spread out, setting off to different locations within the mishmashed collection of tents and crudely built wood huts. Tien watched Maxal disappear into one of the tents with Ayel, and he knew exactly what they were up to. You didn’t need to understand the Iriq’s complicated sign language to deduce what those two had in mind. Unfortunately for him, Tien’s next actions would be far less enjoyable.
“What have you learned about the defenses at the Udek base?” he asked Kuv.
The rebel leader replied as he started up a narrow wooden ramp on the outskirts of the camp. “Follow me,” Kuv said. “And then we’ll talk.”
The rough-sawn walkway had been crudely installed around the circumference of a large tree, and rose incrementally higher at a gentle angle—one that made walking up the slope not only safe, but also quite comfortable. Each trip around the trunk took them higher above the camp.
Tien glanced up as they ascended and spied their destination—a small hut constructed atop a solid platform, hard-mounted to the side of the tree. The simple dwelling rested approximately nine meters above the ground, and was largely concealed within the lower branches of the tree.
The short journey to the hut went quickly.
“The minefield is our biggest problem,” Kuv said, stepping inside the sparsely furnished, one-room structure. “The Udek deployed a large field of them, all around the base, and they used the mobile variety. I’m sure you’re familiar with the type. They burrow underground and tuck into their assigned stations on a comprehensive grid, and then continually scan for any movement inside their designated area. If you get close enough to trip one, they burst from the ground and come straight at you—and they’re fast, too. By the time you see it, it’s already too late. Boom…” Kuv shrugged and took in a deep breath. “If we could get past the minefield, we’d be able to breach the outer walls with explosives and storm in. But it’s impossible. There’s no way around or through it, and we can’t shut the damn thing down. But even if we could, there are still the guard towers on the walls to deal with, and the commandos garrisoned at the base. I’m loath to commend the Udek for anything, Tien, I really am. But their defenses are extremely well-designed.”
“How solid is your information,” Tien asked.
“Rock solid, and from a reliable source who spent time inside the facility. I can’t reveal the man’s identity for security reasons, so you’ll just have to trust me.”
Kuv sat down in one of three empty chairs placed around a lopsided table. Other than a thinly padded bed pushed off into one of the corners, it was the only furniture in the room. Tien drifted over to an open window, peering through the trees and into the distance. Then he glanced down into the camp, sizing up the strength and armaments of his potential allies.
“And an aerial assault is not an option because…”
“Because we can’t get our hands on any aircraft, thanks to the uncooperative disposition of my government. We’re also unwilling to attack one of our own bases to steal them, even though the Iriq military has shown no such compunction when acting against us. But most importantly, because the Udek have a laser defense system in place. If you fly within a kilometer of the base—from any direction—you get vaporized. Manned, unmanned, it doesn’t matter. If it flies, it dies.”
“So if both air and ground assaults are impossible, what does that leave us?”
“Not much, I’m afraid. That’s why we’re so thrilled that Maxal pledged you to our cause; we’re all out of ideas. And if we continue to run unsuccessful operations against that Udek base, we’ll soon be all out of fighters as well. I�
�m hoping that as an Udek soldier yourself, you have insights and information that we lack. Maybe you can see some way forward that we can’t. But whatever you devise, any plan has to make minimizing casualties a priority, whenever possible. Among the Iriq, I mean. There just aren’t that many of us left in this rebellion.”
“Don’t kid yourself, Kuv. There are no guarantees in a situation like this. It’s likely to be a bloodbath, no matter what I come up with. And there will be casualties, on both sides.”
“I’m not a fool,” the Iriq replied testily. “I know exactly what we’re walking into. But if you really are an Udek spy, you must have some information that can help us. Use it.”
While it was true that Tien possessed a superior, almost encyclopedic knowledge of Udek armaments, standing orders, and troop capabilities, none of that mattered at the moment, and he lamented the fact that all of his expertise was practically useless in this situation. The Udek on Polit were entrenched, and they had adopted a siege mentality. These soldiers were dug in hard in hostile territory, with no immediate hope of reprieve. If the base were functioning normally—if the facility was open and active—it would present countless opportunities for infiltration, ones Tien could easily exploit. But as things were… Tien wondered if he might be able to come up with a workable solution after a more thorough assessment of the base. Maybe a scouting mission would reveal options that he wasn’t seeing now. But Tien didn’t think so. His initial conclusions were much the same as Kuv’s—this was hopeless. A loud rumbling noise, accompanied by slight vibrations felt throughout the tree, shook Tien away from his fatalistic thoughts.
“What is that?” he asked Kuv.
“Ah. It’s only the Hont. The beasts are easily startled, by even the tiniest noises. I’ve seen them trample down fully grown trees when panicked. It’s quite a sight.”
“The Hont?” Tien repeated. “Yes, we saw some of them on our way in.”
“They are fearsome creatures when agitated,” Kuv said. “If a bit addle-brained. Thankfully, they aren’t very aggressive. Not usually.”
Tien didn’t know what caused the bizarre thought to coalesce in his mind, what strange chemistry had bridged the gap between problem and solution in his neural pathways. No, not chemistry, he reminded himself. There was nothing organic about him now. Tien was all machinery and wires—circuitry, and electrical impulses. But some unfathomable process had provided him with an idea, one that might actually work.
“I know how we can breach the Udek defenses,” he stated confidently.
Kuv slid back in his chair, sitting up straight and alert. “I mean no disrespect,” the rebel leader said. “But you’ve only just gotten here, and you haven’t even seen the base yet. How could you possibly have devised a plan already?”
Tien smirked, but the expression was lost beneath his android form—the reflexive motion little more than a shadow of thought, swimming deep within his cognitive data streams. “As a Special Corp operative I possess an unusual skill-set, and it allows me to see things differently than others might. It also helps that my morality tends to be more flexible than most.”
“That doesn’t seem like something one should boast about,” Kuv replied.
“It’s no boast. Just a simple statement of fact.”
“That you think it a simple statement of fact is even more troubling.” Kuv slouched down in the chair again and rested both hands on the table. “But these are troubling times, and we’ve all learned to become rather flexible in our beliefs, particularly those regarding what’s right and wrong.” The Iriq let out a heavy sigh. “So tell me, what’s your plan?”
“I want to herd a large group of Hont toward the Udek base, and then stampede them directly into the minefield. The animals will exhaust the mines as they plow their way through the Udek outer defenses, possibly even taking out some of the guards and other deployed weaponry—if they react as violently as you say they do. During the confusion and explosions we can launch a massive ground assault, with everything you have, using paths cleared by the Hont to reach the walls of the base.”
Kuv was aghast. “The Hont are peaceful, living creatures. You would just throw their lives away like that? I never noted much respect for life among the Udek before, certainly not concerning my own people, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. But this…”
“I value life in a sort of fluctuating, hierarchical structure,” Tien explained. “The position of individual people on that chart may change, depending on which side I’m on during a conflict. But animals always fall below sentient beings, every single time. Their deaths will serve a purpose, Kuv. What more can any of us ask than that? This will work; I’m sure of it. The mines will swarm over the Hont when they cross the perimeter, and once they’ve all detonated, we’ll have an open path, straight to the defensive wall. We can then breach and take the base.”
Kuv didn’t approve of Tien’s plan—not in the least. But he did recognize its merits. And measured against the barbarity of his own actions during this conflict, Kuv knew that any outrage he professed would be the absolute height of hypocrisy.
“You said this would be a bloodbath, Tien. I suppose I should be grateful that it’s not our blood we’re discussing. Not until we reach the base, anyway. It will still be one hell of a fight to clear out the Udek forces inside, but this could work.”
“Then get everyone together,” Tien told him. “And let’s go, now. The sooner I get off this planet, the better.”
Kuv gestured rapidly with his fingers—spinning out complex shapes in a whirling blur, embellished by mesmeric flashes of black and white. He remembered his audience and switched to speech.
“Easy, Tien…easy. The Hont are diurnal, and the sun will be setting soon. They’ll all be asleep before we can assemble our forces. Not all of the rebels are here, and I’ll need to gather up every person I can muster for this.” Kuv pushed himself up from the chair. “I’ll go inform the others of our plan to attack the base in the morning, and instruct them to prepare their gear and get what rest they can. We may as well strike in daylight, because the night doesn’t provide any protection from Udek sensors.” The Iriq grinned. “On the off chance that we’re successful, and actually survive this mission, I’m also going to contact our colonies and recommend that they stage our fleet just beyond the blockade, out of Udek scanning range. I’m sure most of our ships can make it here by morning under maximum burn. The bigger problem I’ll have is getting the captains to act against the wishes of my government. They’re soldiers though, just as I used to be—like many of us in the rebellion—and I think they’ll see the importance of this opportunity.”
As Kuv stepped through the door Tien turned back to the window again, spotting Brother Ryll propped up against a tree on the other side of the camp. His head was tilted down, intently reading something on a dataslate that he’d brought with him. And though thoroughly engrossed in the material, Tien noticed that the young monk’s expression was the same he’d worn since the day they first met, back in the interrogation room on Obas—an equal mixture of worry, fear, and confusion.
Confusion was universal, especially in situations like this, but Tien couldn’t identify with Ryll’s fear. He would never allow himself that weakness except in small, calculated doses, meant to heighten his sense of caution when necessary. The worry, though… Worry was fear’s close cousin, and an all-to-familiar sensation, especially now. Tien was on an alien planet. Once again, trapped inside a body that wasn’t his. And he had just agreed to fight against his own people, choosing the losing side in a merciless conflict—one in which he didn’t care who was the eventual victor. That decision had been made out of pure expedience though, and tailored to suit Tien’s own needs. But the best part of this madness was his solution to the large force of war-tested and battle-hardened Udek commandos, hunkered down inside a heavily armed, fortified outpost. Tien was going to send a pack of wild and ungainly creatures to their violent deaths, in a crazed attempt to breach the base’s o
uter defenses. Then he planned to follow them in, to his own probable demise.
No, the monk wasn’t alone in his uneasy feelings; Tien had cultivated his own impressive set of worries. And if Brother Ryll understood them, or had any real inkling of what they would be facing in the morning, he’d probably go screaming off into the forest.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Tien leaned out from his position behind a large tree and scanned the Udek base for surprises. At first glance, everything appeared exactly as he expected.
He noted the usual trio of manned turrets set atop the towering walls, just on the other side of the minefield marking the base’s perimeter. Tien also saw the cameras and sensor pods mounted along the surface of the eight-meter-high barrier. They were installed in tight clusters spaced every fifteen meters around the circumference of the wall, to monitor the surrounding landscape for potential threats. Tien knew the actual base was hidden just beyond that perfect circle of hardened metal alloy, as in every other Udek outpost he’d seen. In fact, the entire layout of the facility pointed to a textbook forward installation, devoid of any trace of creativity or individualization.
Even the turrets were placed in the standard configuration, poised equidistant from one another on top of the dull-gray ramparts. If everything else on the base was arranged the same, and Tien had no reason to believe otherwise, the small grouping of buildings on the other side of the barrier would include barracks for the personnel, two maintenance and facilities structures, a small landing pad, and the command center. The good news was that all of those buildings would be lightly armored, and equipped with minimal defenses, because the Udek were quite confident in the efficacy of their outer security zone.
And rightfully so.
The base had been constructed in the center of a large clearing, giving the Udek a perfect view of their surroundings in every direction. There would be no sneaking up on them; it was impossible, by design. So a blunt and overt frontal attack, with everything the rebels could bring to bear, was the only real option they had. It wasn’t a very good option—of that, Tien was certain—but it was the only option.
