CIC twisted and warped as she struggled against her memories. The holotank swirled with meaningless colours, affected somehow by the physics of the jump; having no data to display anyway it didn’t matter. Walder seemingly had an infinite amount of time to reassess her decisions and regret some of them, but although the jump was extended because they were performing two consecutive jumps—called a skip jump by ship drivers in the navy—the time wasn’t really infinite. The jump into foldspace using main power was quickly followed by a jump back to n-space using auxiliary power timed and executed by computer control. It was a standard tactic used by the navy with one drawback—upon arrival they would have no power available to jump back out. Recharging an Excalibur class heavy cruiser’s jump drive would take a few minutes. Those minutes were a vulnerable time for any ship, but it was a known factor and no one seriously considered it a problem.
She sagged in her couch, her brain disconnected from her body as memories flooded her mind...
“... love you, Beth.”
“I know,” she whispered back and they kissed for the last time. “I have to go.”
“Don’t.”
“Steve,” she said feeling tears threaten. “We’ve been through this. It will only be a few more months and you’ll rotate out of my command. We can get married then.”
“But not live together. I’ll be across the Alliance in another sector and you’ll be on Beaufort... I could quit the Corps. and join you.”
“Steve no! You love the Corps.”
“I love you more. I don’t have to re-up next year. I could get a job or something on Beaufort.”
She couldn’t imagine him out of uniform that way. He was Marine Corps. all the way. She stared at him trying to see him wearing an exec’s suit instead of his marine major’s tunic, but it just wouldn’t come to her. He was a marine, her marine...
Audacious arrived and her jump signature blasted away from her, encountering the jump wakes of three other ships close by. Someone wretched, but Walder was shaking off her grief yet again and reaching to remove her helmet. She was trying to place it in the rack attached to her acceleration couch when the collision alarm sounded. She jerked in surprise, fumbling the helmet, and it got away from her. She didn’t release her harness to chase it. She was busy deciphering the data appearing in the holotank.
“Merkiaari detected!” a crewman announced. “Many ships directly ahead... updating the net... hundred plus ships, correction two hundred plus... correction three hundred plus!”
Her brain gibbered in horror as her eyes darted from data point to data point in the tank, estimating the number of separate formations and their strength. Her attention was arrested by a huge ship, deep within one of the formations. It had to be one of their assault ships. She had read about them from the Merki War, but had never expected to confront one. It was a monster of a ship. What the hell was it doing here? By its position within the Merki formation, it was being used as a command ship. She looked for her scouts, but without hope. They had to be dead, they must be.
The Merkiaari incursion that the Red One had warned about had started, begun right here in a nothing system colonised by pirates. How? Why here? She didn’t know and the answers didn’t matter. They couldn’t fight this many Merki, but squadrons of them were so close that they would have no choice unless they jumped out right now! They had to charge the drive. She reached for the comm knowing the first and most important order she had to give.
“All ships! Emergency drone launch, destinations Beaufort and Sol!”
She ignored the acknowledgements, and watched as all of her ships spat drones into the deep to warn the Alliance. As soon as they entered foldspace she felt calm returning. It didn’t matter what happened here now. They lived or they died, but the news had already escaped. Now it was time to...
Audacious heaved mightily and rolled out of nuclear fire as she ploughed through the minefield they hadn’t detected. A stealthed minefield, directly in their path! She remembered reading reports of Merkiaari advances in jamming and stealth tech from the Shan campaign. Here was evidence that it was all true. The damn Merki had laid a trap for them, but how? Before she could think further on it, she knew. They had followed the destroyers in too closely. They should have jumped short or even long, but they hadn’t. They had used a standard arrival to shorten the time they thought they needed in order to come to their comrade’s rescue. The Merkiaari must have guessed what two destroyers were doing arriving on their own—scouting the way for more ships to arrive. The mines were the result.
They had to get the hell out of here, but before she could give the order, Resolute blew apart as dozens of atomic mines converged and detonated as one.
“All ships, emergency jump!” she cried in horror as Resolute was lost with all hands. “Rally point is Beaufort, rally point is Beaufort!” She watched as Crusader’s shields took hit after hit from mines homing upon her mass. She contacted the bridge. “Luke! Get us the hell out of here!”
“Trying, Commodore. There are too many mines to manoeuvre. We have to go through while we charge the drive.”
“Then plough the road!”
Luke’s eyes sparked as he understood her meaning. He nodded and cut the circuit. Moments later, all ships went to maximum rate of fire to light up the mines ahead of them. Nuclear bonfires lit the deep as mine after mine met its death from indiscriminate laser and grazer fire sweeping space ahead, but it was their own atomics that did the most work. Each ship-killing missile took out dozens of mines as they attracted their attention, but there were thousands more. Point defence missiles sleeted out in their hundreds, proximity fuses closed, and more destruction heaped itself upon the mines gathering to attack the three embattled ships.
Constellation was the first ship through, but it didn’t jump immediately, obviously waiting for Crusader and Audacious to join her. Walder snarled angrily and made it an order. Captain Foden obeyed and Constellation vanished into the safety of foldspace. Audacious and Crusader left the minefield together. Bleeding atmosphere and with hundreds of mines giving chase, both ships activated their jump drives at the same time. Audacious disappeared into foldspace, but Crusader staggered as something substantial let go in her auxiliary fusion room. Helpless and firing all weapons madly at anything within range, the mines swarmed her.
* * *
Aboard Blood Drinker, Unnamed System, Border Zone
The second Human ship broke in half and then blew up.
The brief but satisfyingly brutal battle was over, but although Valjoth was more than satisfied with the outcome, he had a hard decision to make. His entire plan depended upon secrecy and skulking about, but that was at risk now. All five of his cleansing fleets were proceeding to their objectives carefully and on a time-line he himself had set them. If he delayed here to ensure secrecy was maintained, he would be undermining his plan by arriving late at his own objective. He growled at the snickering that would cause back on Kiar. The vermin spawned High Marshalls that the Warlord surrounded himself with wouldn’t know a good plan if he painted a sign on it!
He reviewed the battle again, trying to make up his mind.
Two vermin scout class ships had entered the system and had been easily destroyed by his ships stationed near the edge of the system for that purpose. Two more vermin ships of heavier design had succumbed to his mines without a shot fired by him, and two had escaped. He wasn’t happy about the escapees, but it could work in his favour. They would take word to the rest of their vermin navy, and surely a fleet would be sent here. That was a useful distraction, and would tie up more ships in the wrong place. When they arrived ready for battle they would find him gone with no way to follow.
Those were the facts, but what had made them come here in the first place? It was inconceivable that his fleet had been detected; no technology known could track a fleet through foldspace. The vermin navy must have an interest here. What interest and did it matter to him or his plans? He thought about the possibility for
a few moments but decided it didn’t. He had studied all manner of vermin and knew more about them than most, but no Merki could possibly understand them better than other vermin.
He glanced at D’aayvee, his Human, where he stood quietly nearby watching the command team going about its duties. What was going on in that alien head? Did his pet understand what had just occurred here? Not the destruction of the Human ships, which had been obvious in the holographic display, but the consequences of the battle?
“D’aayvee,” he said pronouncing the name carefully so he didn’t bite his tongue. Really, what was it about vermin names that always tied his tongue in knots? The Human turned toward him; he had learned that lesson well. Pretending to ignore him meant pain. “What do you think of the battle?”
“I... rage... you,” Davey said carefully growling the Merkiaari words in a brave attempt to mimic his masters, but mangling them as badly as Valjoth often mangled the few Human words he used. “We... cleanse... you... all.”
Valjoth gnashed his fangs in appreciation of the effort. It really was very good. “Did you hear that, Usk?”
Usk nodded. “I think he means that he hates you, lord, and that his people will kill us all.”
“Yes, that’s what I thought.” He addressed himself to the young Human. “I hate you too.” He had made his decision. “Usk, we will not delay departure. The Human ships might be followed by more of their kind. Let us not leave anything for them to find. Send the self-destruct to the mines and call the fleet to order.”
Usk nodded, relayed his lord’s orders, and ships began to move.
* * *
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About The Author | Copyright | Other Titles By This Author
Other titles by this author
http://www.impulsebooks.co.uk
The Devan Chronicles:
The God Decrees
The Power That Binds
The Warrior Within
Dragon Dawn
Destiny’s Pawn*
The Merkiaari Wars:
Hard Duty
What Price Honour
Operation Oracle
Operation Breakout
Incursion!*
Countermeasures*
No Mercy*
The Shifter Legacies:
Way of the Wolf*
Wolf’s Revenge
Wolf’s Justice*
Rune Gate Cycle:
Rune Gate
Chosen*
* Forthcoming from Impulse Books UK
About The Author
http://www.impulsebooks.co.uk
Mark E. Cooper lives in a small town in the south of England, where he writes most mornings and evenings. His background is in mechanical engineering where he spent over thirty years working for Ford. He loves reading science fiction, epic fantasy, or urban fantasy and particularly likes strong female characters overcoming dire situations and tough obstacles. He can often be found laughing to himself as he listens to an audiobook on his iPod while typing like a fiend.
His hobbies include Shelby Cobras—he built a Dax replica of the famous car with his best friend in the early 90s—reading, and maintaining his blog. He is now the author of over ten titles written in the genres he loves to read.
Keep in contact with Mark on twitter: @mark_e_cooper, on his blog, on Facebook, or sign up to his email list.
Copyright
First published by Impulse Books UK December 2013
PUBLISHER’S NOTE:
The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental and not intended by the author.
Cover art: Panagiotis Vlamis (www.weaselpa.deviantart.com)
Cover design: Dawn Smith (www.darkdawncreations.com)
Copyright © 2013 by Mark E. Cooper
All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.
A CIP Catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN: 978-1-905380-56-5
Printed and bound in Great Britain
Impulse Books UK
Acknowledgements
Special thanks go to Dave Milne, Michael Russell-Mott, Irene Blackburn, and John Bradley for all their help in making this series better than any one person could alone.
Index
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A word on language and pronunciation
1 ~ Cops and Robbers
2 ~ Old Soldiers Bold Soldiers
3 ~ Investigations
4 ~ Betrayal
5 ~ Oracle
6 ~ Trading Places
7 ~ Consequences
Part II
8 ~ Planning Ahead
9 ~ Commodore
10 ~ Stationmaster
11 ~ Fallen
12 ~ Prodigal Son
13 ~ Rogue
14 ~ A Deadly Gift
Part III
15 ~ Bad News
16 ~ Round 2
17 ~ Cleansing
18 ~ Arrival
19 ~ Desert Planet
20 ~ Bang Means Stop
21 ~ Intervention
22 ~ Old Acquaintances
23 ~ Resolution
Part V
24 ~ Questions
25 ~ Leviathan
26 ~ Conference
27 ~ Hostile Territory
28 ~ Revelations
29 ~ Welcome to Hell
30 ~ Last Man Standing
31 ~ Incursion
Other titles by this author
About The Author
Copyright
Acknowledgements
Index
Merkiaari Wars: 04 - Operation Breakout Page 40
