A Shifting Alliance (Galaxy Ascendant Book 3)

by Yakov Merkin

  The message was from an Alliance intelligence unit, with the focus of the report being enemy ship movements. Much of it was routine, but one movement in particular caught her eye. A fairly sizable enemy force was being moved to the Skyrun system, which could put that fleet in a position to threaten the Alliance forces currently massing there, and would also allow them to intercept Alliance forces as they advanced to targets for the early stages of the operation.

  This information was new, and the enemy fleet, still in transit, was less than an hour from her current position.

  Nayasar was about to contact Alliance high command, but between the slight delay of the extremely long distance communication, and the speed at which they moved, by the time she got any sort of approval, the opportunity would be lost.

  Instead, she opened a channel to the commanders of the other Alliance fleets present. A Snevan, Talvostan, Tehlman, and Irhani each appeared in front of her.

  “I am forwarding each of you a recent intelligence report,” Nayasar said immediately, “one that we must act on. A significant enemy force is moving to position from which they could seriously threaten our planned offensive. It is now still in transit, and only a short jump from our current location. We have a very small window to act in, and I mean to take it.”

  “Has high command been informed, and have they sanctioned such a diversion?” Asked the commodore in charge of the Legion Navy fleet.

  Nayasar shook her head. “There is no time. Between the delays cause by distance and security measures, and the speed—or lack thereof—at which they make decisions, the opportunity would be lost by the time we would be given approval.”

  “We should stick to the plan,” the commodore said. “Each part of it has to be properly executed if we aim to succeed, and running off like this could jeopardize all of that.”

  “It could be a trap,” said the Irhani admiral, “but even if not, taking this action could give away our position and endanger the entire operation.”

  Nayasar bristled at their weak rejections, and only just managed to restrain herself from snapping at them. “The plan could be just as endangered if this fleet reaches its destination. We would be intercepting this fleet in open space, which makes it unlikely we could be trapped, and we will always be able to jump out if it proves to be more than we can handle. Remember, a strict adherence to formations and standard procedure was not working for us; unpredictability and adaptability have been.” Nayasar hesitated. As the ranking officer here, she could order them to obey, but that would only make the resentment stronger, and what if they simply refused? What would happen then? She could not risk that, she decided.

  “Fine. Some of the fleet can stay here; we will not need everyone to carry out this attack. Who’s in?”

  “Weee aare, oof coursse,” said the Snevan immediately.

  “As are we,” added the Talvostan commander after some hesitation.

  Nayasar waited a few moments to see if the others would see sense, but they remained silent, disapproval clear on their faces.

  “Very well. Legion Navy and Irhani forces will remain here while the rest of us go. We will not be gone long; contact me if anything unexpected happens,” Nayasar said.

  “Grand Admiral, I must object—”

  Nayasar removed the Irhani and Tehlman from the communication. “Ready your forces,” she said to the others. “We leave in three minutes. Have all interdictors ready their gravity well generators for immediate use. We are going to hit them hard and fast.”

  Both commanders acknowledged, and disconnected.

  “All ships to battle stations,” Nayasar ordered as soon as she returned to the command deck, “and prepare for hyperspace jump.”

  ###

  “Interdictors… now!” Nayasar ordered as soon as her fleet dropped out of hyperspace. Scans showed that they were just where they needed to be.

  Moments later, the enemy fleet was pulled from hyperspace. It was not a pretty sight for one used to commanding fleet maneuvers. A fleet was never truly ready to be yanked out of hyperspace before their planned coordinates. They were poorly positioned, not properly aligned for combat and in no logical formation. “All ships, launch fighters and engage!” Nayasar ordered.

  The Felinar angled to fire on the Revittan fleet, much of whom had yet to raise shields, let alone power up weapons. “Engage at point blank,” Nayasar added as the Revittan fleet fell even more into disarray. The more damage they could do in a short period, the better.

  “They’re starting to fire back,” the Felinar’s Lieutenant-Commander Aleh announced a short while later. Without the entire Alliance fleet here, the numbers were more even, and despite the blasting the enemy had taken, they started to almost stabilize, at least in certain areas where groups of ships were able to cluster together.

  “Enemy fighters, coming in.”

  Nayasar had a portion of her own fighters diverted to intercept them, then took a moment to size up the situation. The tough Revittan ships were mounting a fighting retreat, aiming, no doubt, to get out of range of the interdictors, which Nayasar could only counter by moving them up and thus further endangering the key vessels.

  She opened a channel to her two allied commanders. “Commander,” she said to the Talvostan, “we are going to crack that shell. Your force and mine will jointly assault them at converging forty-five degree angles, you from above, me from below. Strike Leader,” she said to the Snevan, “I need you to hit them head-on, break them. Understood?”

  The both acknowledged, and Nayasar gave the order.

  Their forces surged forward, and there was no stopping them this time, despite a truly heroic attempt by the outmaneuvered Revittans.

  Weapons fired all around, and explosions lit up the utter blackness of interstellar space as the fleets again did battle at close range. This was what she lived for, Nayasar admitted as the Felinar shook from the blasts of a Revittan cruiser, at least for now. If she was to give this up in any sense for a family some day, she might as well make the most of it now.

  Fortunately for those under her command, the battle did not last very much longer. A handful of Revittan ships managed to get clear of the interdictors and escape, while the vast majority of the fleet was destroyed, with several ships captured.

  “See to damages, secure all prisoners and captured ships, and prepare to depart,” Nayasar ordered. This had gone quite well.

  ###

  The debriefing went far less smoothly.

  “…grossly irresponsible! You put the entire operation—which you have so heavily advocated for—at great risk. And for what? A hunch? A lust for glory? If you were not vital to the success of the upcoming operation, I would insist you be removed from the front!”

  Nayasar let the anger of the idiot Alliance officers wash over her. She waited for a moment of quiet, then jumped in. “We completely routed a Revittan fleet, which retreated in such a hurry that it is extremely unlikely they did any of the work necessary to even start figuring out where we came from. Our grand plan is not only unharmed, but now we have fewer enemies to deal with.

  “Additionally,” she added, her smile widening, “among the prisoners captured was an admiral. She is currently being questioned, and thus far she has been extremely cooperative. I don’t think she’s fully recovered from what we did to her fleet.”

  That quieted them. Nayasar had been saving that for just this purpose. “Well, that could significantly help seal some of the breaches in our intelligence structure,” one admitted. “And it couldn’t have come at a better time, operationally speaking,” said another. They sounded almost stunned. Some much for their “yell at Nayasar” party.

  “I suppose this venture was worth it, in the end, even if it was still very ill-advised. Question the admiral, but be sure she remains unharmed, and transfer her to a non-combat location as soon as possible. Even assuming we triumph, Imperial holdouts might have prisoners who they would gladly trade for an admiral.”

  Nayasar nodde
d. “Of course. Repairs are in progress, and we will not be at all slowed in proceeding to our next objective when the time comes.”

  The high command gave their begrudging assent, and after some more level-headed discussion matters were concluded.

  Nayasar returned to her command chair, smiled, and sat down. Things had gone well. A victory, and the Alliance idiots very much looked like fools, as usual. On to the next success!

  CHAPTER 41

  “We are giving your plan the go-ahead,” said Admiral Dahar. “You have proven yourself trustworthy, and we have everything we need. However, there is one caveat. As you have made clear, this will be an extremely dangerous mission, with potentially very high casualty rates. As such, this will be a strictly volunteer operation.”

  Corras nodded toward the three leaders of the rebellion. He’d expected as much. “And I would imagine I would not be telling any theoretical volunteers what exactly we are in for until they agree. I do not believe there are any Imperial spies among you, but we cannot risk it.”

  “You can make it clear just how dangerous this will be, of course,” said Chancellor Vau. Conveniently, all of the responsibility for this was being put on Corras, so any lives lost would be on his conscience and record. But that was the way of things.

  “I will take care of that,” Corras said. “Now, about our backup. What will be our timeframe? Sending any sort of transmission offworld after our landing will be too risky, so we will have to set a time. People also often work better under deadlines.” Of course, the whole radio silence rule might well end up being moot if they were discovered as rebels, which was a far greater possibility than he was prepared to admit. But there was no better option.

  “You are so uncertain that you will be able to get out undetected?” Asked General Orran, the most military-savvy of the rebel leaders.

  “I trained the security forces at Fayren,” Corras said. “They are good at their jobs, and assuming we will get out on our own would be hubris. Backup will really increase our chances, as well as provide us with the ability to transmit the plans to them if we are trapped.”

  Orran nodded. “How much time after your arrival do you think you will need?”

  “I’d say three hours, no more than four.”

  “Alright, then. We will have a fleet prepared to be there at the appointed time. Just remember, we cannot afford to get into a real battle there; their purpose will be to provide cover for your escape, as well as transport, if necessary. Imperial response time in that sector is quick, and we cannot let them know just how large our fleet is.”

  “There may be an additional benefit to this,” added Vau. “Our latest intelligence reports indicate that the Empire is aware that we plan a major attack somewhere, soon. Perhaps our presence at Fayren will fool them into thinking that was our major attack, and thus leave them more open for us to hit them on Diovar in a few weeks.”

  Corras nodded, and smiled. “Not ideal, but the best we have. I suppose that’s how it always is with rebellions.”

  Dahar smiled. “I sometimes forget you’re new to this. At least in the participatory sense.”

  “Well, I suppose that’s it?” Corras asked.

  “For now,” Vau replied. “I speak for all of us when I say I sincerely hope we see you again, Corras Revval. It has been comforting to learn that even in the highest reaches of the Empire there are some good men. We can never properly thank you for all you have done for us, but I hope that we have the opportunity to try and find a way after this mission.”

  Corras nodded. “I felt like I knew all of you when I first arrived, thanks to my past work. But I have learned that there was so much more, and even if I do not make it back, know that I will at least have made peace with myself, and know that I did the right thing when the time came.” He saluted, and left the council chamber.

  Before he could begin his search for volunteers, Corras spotted a familiar, mysterious face, and approached the woman who went by the name Arvah Saral. “I don’t suppose you’d be interested in a potential suicide mission, Captain?”

  She smirked. “As intriguing as that sounds, my duties keep me here. I have an entire ship to be responsible for. You probably shouldn’t be going either, but I imagine you are.”

  “It’s something I have to do, and I am, in a way, one of the most important keys to the facility. Though I do have to admit, it would be helpful to have a Noalii Guardian on such a mission.”

  Her reaction confirmed everything he had suspected since he heard some rumors following her mission to steal the shuttle—and which fit nicely into what he had previously known and not known about her.

  There was the brief flash of shock, followed by a mumbled, “Why would you even mention them? They’re all gone.”

  “Not quite,” Corras replied. “One Asharra Sirrad, officially an ex-Noalii, was never accounted for. Most rumors said she was dead, but I knew better. She was out there, but hiding. Perhaps in plain sight.”

  “How… how did you find out?”

  Corras smiled. “A combination of things. The lack of a past for this Arvah Saral who was heavily involved in the rebellion, this mysterious Svetoran woman who bore a remarkable resemblance to the last known photos of Sirrad, and then some rumors spread among this relatively small group.” He held up a hand. “I do not mean to pry into your life, Asharra Sirrad. I just want to say that… I am glad the Noalii are not completely gone. They were a major part of what made this Empire truly great and just once, and perhaps could be again. It doesn’t matter to me whether you still consider yourself a Noalii or not; their legacy still lives, thanks to you.”

  “I… I don’t know what to say,” she said, and Corras saw a multitude of emotions play across her face as he likely unintentionally forced her to dredge up painful memories. “I’m just a captain now.”

  “There is always the future,” Corras replied, “and some things are too important to be forgotten. But I do also have a warning.”

  “About?” She asked, though it was clear she already had an idea.

  “Lord Tavas. He is more powerful than even the rumors say. I’ve seen many Noalii in my life, and he outstrips them all. I have seen… footage… of him killing Noalii fugitives. He will come for you one day. Do not underestimate him, and better off, do not let him get near you at all. I wish I could tell you something more helpful, but there isn’t much. His suit is perhaps his only weakness, as he requires it for life support. But to even damage it is a feat few have accomplished. Just… be careful.”

  She nodded, and Corras could clearly see both the sadness and fear in her eyes. She took his hand in both of hers. “Thank you, truly, for this, for enabling my rescue. I cannot ever properly repay you for that. Good… good luck, Corras Revval. I hope I will see you again. The backup will be on time.”

  Corras smiled at her, someone as young as she was, aged before her time. He rested his free hand on her shoulder. “It will be alright,” he said, though it was as much to himself as to her.

  Asharra nodded, then released his hand and turned away quickly, but not quickly enough to fully conceal the tears forming.

  Corras resolutely made his way to the large hangar where pretty much everyone present was currently on duty, readying ships for the mission that was still largely a mystery to most of them.

  “Can I have your attention, please,” Corras said, projecting his voice as loud as he could.

  As the murmur of voices subsided, he went on. “I need volunteers for a mission of the utmost importance. One that could make the difference in the struggle you, we, have been fighting. This will be very dangerous; some might call it a suicide mission. Anyone who volunteers must understand the risk, as well as the importance of this. I need twenty volunteers, and we must leave tonight. Time is crucial.”

  The murmur of conversation and motion resumed as Corras walked to the shuttle and began to do a quick check to make sure all was in order.

  He was maybe halfway through the check when he fel
t a soft tap on his shoulder. He turned to see a young Svetoran whom he recognized. “I will go,” Reki said.

  Corras wanted to refuse, wanted to tell her that she was too young to risk herself on a mission like this, but he knew he couldn’t do that. She was competent, and driven, and deserved to make her own choices. So he smiled. “Don’t look so nervous,” he said. “You’ll scare away other volunteers.”

  She laughed, and it was as if that broke the spell. Within minutes, he had a motley team of volunteers, several of whom he knew well, between his past work and recent operations. A very strange group they would make, but they would get the job done. But at what cost?

  “Gather anything you might need, as well as everything on this list,” he said, holding the pad out to Reki. “We leave in two hours.”

  CHAPTER 42

  “All ships, keep close. Engage and neutralize the lunar defenses before we approach the planet.”

  Felivas was relaxed, hands resting on the familiar smooth, curved arms of the Swift Strike’s command chair. Despite the sounds of battle, the command deck was quieter than it had once been, thanks to recent retrofits; the good old Swift Strike, the little ship that kept on going, was still very much able to keep up with newer designs.

  “Have our wingmates cover us, then take us in fast. Let’s not waste any more time with the moon than we have to.”

  The Swift Strike streaked down toward its targets, outpacing most of the fleet. Felivas would always be, at least in part, a fighter pilot at heart, and this ship was the closest he could come to replicating that feeling while still taking a command role.

  “Boost power to shields, in rotation,” Felivas ordered, and his crew responded immediately and impeccably, routing extra power to the areas of the shield most likely to take fire as they made an attack run. Many of them had been serving on this ship as long as he had, some even longer, and Felivas was convinced that there wasn’t a finer crew in the fleet. They were like a second family, the ship the home they all knew like the back of their hand.