More explosions wracked the surface, and then as quickly as it had begun, the ground defences stopped firing; then one fired, and another, but not all at once. As soon as the gunfire from the ships struck them, they fired from other positions.
“They’re trying to mask their firing positions,” said First Lieutenant Meredith, “They must be afraid of the torrent of fire we can bring down on them.”
“Perhaps.”
Then came a sound none of them wanted to hear, and right away warning symbols appeared to show additional ships in the area.
“Five more attack ships,” said Lieutenant Zimmer.
“That puts them on eight to ten ships by now, and there could be more,” said Captain Regina, “General, are you seeing this?”
“Yes. This is not good.”
“What are your orders? Do we stand and fight, or withdraw until the heavies arrive.”
The General considered that for only a few seconds,
“We cannot be chased through this system. It’s their territory, and we have no idea what to expect. And I am not chasing them without more information.”
Captain Regina nodded in agreement. It was a well-considered response and not what she expected from the General’s reputation. Two more streaks of fire reached out into space, and one of the assault carriers responded. The surface blasts were significant, but this time the same battery fired back.
“I say we establish a blockade around this planet at maximum range. We will engage their ground defences wherever we find them. All that is required is that we hold for just under six hours. Nothing comes in or out of this area. We wait until the heavies arrive, and only then do we break away to clear the system.”
Captain Regina exhaled as her attention turned back to the planet. The gunfire had still not resumed, but she was certain it would come back the moment they moved into range. Even as she looked at it, a pulse of light rushed up and came perilously close to one of the ships.
“General, I have another idea.”
“Go on.”
“We have the IAB waiting here for combat, over five hundred IAB marines, more than a hundred Novas, and thirteen hundred Grunts. Let’s get them to work.”
Gun looked at her over the videostream and grinned.
“You shame me, Captain.”
“Not at all, General. But we have the combat assets ready to go. They could be on the surface in thirty minutes and eliminate those defences.”
“What about the planet’s garrison? My techs say there are millions of life signs down there.”
She looked at him and then nodded.
“It’s the IAB. Like us, they just have to hold.”
“I like it. Yes…it will be done, and I will take them into action.”
That piece of news stunned her.
“General. The Fleet?”
He hesitated, and then grunted in frustration.
“Captain, if you are ever given the chance of promotion, do not take it. There is a lot to be said for remaining in command of a single ship or company of marines.”
She laughed at that, much to her surprise. Gun’s kind was not exactly renowned for their eloquence or humour; something she was beginning to realise was a great disservice to them. A streak of light came so close it almost struck Nautilus. It detonated three hundred metres away and destroyed a pair of Avenger drones.
* * *
Valentine waited in silence with the other Novas as the motorised platform lifted the Jackal up into position. Their usual boisterous conversation had stopped several minutes ago, to be replaced by nothing but the constant hum inside the Jackal. Another loud bang shook the ship, and then the unmistakable sound of gunfire as the ship’s weapons continued to fire.
Tex, anything outside?
All external feeds are offline.
Valentine sighed in irritation. Her ability to see outside was one of the benefits of the fully integrated system she was now part of. In theory, she could see from any camera she was authorised to use that was networked to her armour. Something else slammed into the Jackal.
“Sitrep,” said Lieutenant Fletcher, “The planet below, designated Ekati Alpha is our target. This is a planet that makes Eridani Prime seem like a holiday resort. No breathable air and a brutally toxic atmosphere. But best of all, a good chunk of this rock is solid diamond.”
Valentine could hardly believe what she was hearing.
“A diamond?” asked one.
“Yes, there’s a lot of carbon here, and at one time this planet was a lot closer to the star. All you need to know is it’s rocky, mountainous, and covered in the sharpest edges and points you will ever encounter. Land on a spike, and it will rip through your armour like it was tissue paper. This is a world for those that do not like walking.”
Sounds about right. Perfect for an avian species.
Valentine smiled at the sarcastic comment from Tex. She had missed his dulcet tones, but more importantly, he had evolved over the time they’d been together. Most of the other AIs used by the Novas were quite passive, but Valentine had pushed back and treated it like a friend. The banter was one of the things that helped keep her sane in combat and kept her focused.
You’re not wrong, Tex. Not by a long shot.
“Sir, you said Ekati Alpha. That’s the planet?” Kallias asked.
“Affirmative. The planets and astronomical objects in this system have been name for famous diamond mines on old Earth. Until we know better, that’s its designation. And as the biggest in the system, this one is called Alpha.”
His eyes burned with purpose as he continued explaining.
“There’s an entire nest of Ski’ligs on the surface, and tactical has located multiple defensive installations buried deep inside the planet. It’s a fortified world, and they’re hitting our ships hard with these weapons. Two have damaged IS drives, and that means those ships are now stuck here. So we’ve been called in to provide the welcome wagon to Ekati.”
A few nodded in agreement.
“Ekati Alpha might be well defended, but I promise you they have seen nothing like us before. Now, here are our coordinates. Moratos will go in and deploy Jackals as close as they can reach. We can go lower and faster than the big birds. Novas are going in first and right behind a barrage of torpedoes. IAB marines and support assets will follow right behind us.”
“We’re hitting the surface right now?” Sergeant Jablonsky asked, “I understood we were being held back until the fleet arrived?”
“The plan’s changed already. There are Ski’lig ships in the area, and the fleet is being pulled back to this planet to a rally position that can be defended.”
He lifted a finger to draw attention to the next point.
“But we cannot stay here while these weapons remain active. A few more hours of this, and the fleet will be a burning ruin. That means 1st Platoon is going to be right at the tip of the spear.”
The Sergeant checked the data on his visor and then shook his head.
“That’s an area the size of old Manhattan.”
“Old what?”
Valentine could hear them, but she had no idea what he was talking about either.
“1st Platoon is going in first, with Jackal fire support on the way in.”
“Yes, Sir. We’ll do it.”
They continued speaking, but Valentine’s attention was back to the other members of her unit. The eight-man lance was a small unit, but she’d seen what it could do in combat. There were three lances inside this one dropship, twenty-four battle-hardened warriors, plus their NCOs and the Lieutenant.
“You up for this?” she asked Hawkins and Kallias.
Both nodded.
“Lance Corporal. Eyes front and centre.”
She looked back to Alexis, and then to the Sergeant who was looking to the eight Novas intently. He opened his mouth, and the first few words were a blur before she could focus. The dropship was shaking violently, and she wondered if a lot of this was to take their attent
ion from the perilous descent.
“We’re dropping down into a massive trench. When I say massive, it’s more than three kilometres wide and runs for almost fifty kilometres in length, between a series of tall peaks. We can’t estimate how deep, but parts may continue down close to the core. It’s nothing like we’ve seen before. The planet has been ripped open for years.”
“What about defences?” Alexis asked.
“Good question. Along the lower level are multiple structures, towers, and smaller weapon batteries. There is good ground for landing vessels, but we can’t get close until we clear the heavier weapons.”
He cleared his voice and then tagged several key areas along the trench walls.
“It looks like diagonal shafts have been cut into the walls to house weapon positions to defend most of this area. This one area is responsible for thirty percent of the fire on our ships. Nothing can stay in orbit for long before being hit, and the trench and mountains are the perfect protection for their emplacements.”
Hawkins gave a low whistle.
“Known courses of gunfire have been tagged on your tactical maps, but our sensors cannot penetrate layers of mist or fog halfway down. So, we’ll play it all by ear.”
Oh good, thought Valentine, We’re making it all up as we go along.
“This is a high-gravity world, with an expected level of close to one and a half Earth normal.”
That got the attention of the others.
“This means the IAB are going to suffer. Everything is going to feel fifty percent heavier, and it’s going to take a toll on their bodies and their ability to fight. So we will need to do double duty.”
“What have we got coming with us?” Tsarkov asked as the dropship shook and then accelerated hard. Each of them knew they had just hit the upper atmosphere of the alien world.
“We’re going in with two platoons of IAB marines and a fireteam of Vanguards,” said Sergeant Jablonsky.
Multiple targets lit up, with several assigned specifically to Valentine’s unit.
“Priority targets are the weapon installations and any protective barriers they have. The second is to secure the ground for additional troops. It is critical that…”
Part of the internal armour began to crack, and Valentine gasped in horror as she spotted flames outside.
“Shit!” Sergeant Jablonsky snapped, “Everybody buckle up. This is gonna get rough.”
Alarms sounded as more of the armour ripped away, creating a hole a half a metre wide. Red energy bolts flashed past, and she cried out as a nearby Jackal took a direct hit and was engulfed in fire.
“We’re going down!” Hawkins yelled.
“Just means we’ll get there faster,” said Kallias with a nervous laugh.
Valentine caught the gaze of Alexis, and she could see the terror in her friend’s eye.
“Visor!” she called out just as the plating along Alexis’ armour moved into position. A loose pack of ammunition vanished through the gap in the hull, followed by a high-pitched whine.
Then another blast hit the Jackal, flooding the interior with smoke and fire, and Valentine knew they were going down.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The Trench, Ekati Alpha, The Ski’lig Territories
Valentine had heard the sound several times before, but after all her combat experience it was one she would never become used to. The Jackal felt as if it was spinning out of control, but then she heard the confident sound of Lieutenant Sterling. The gung-ho pilot was a man that exuded confidence, even in the middle of a crisis.
“I’m taking us in low and fast. Evasive manoeuvres are rough…so hold on!”
More streaks of energy blasted past the spacecraft, but by a combination of luck and judgement they continued downwards.
“How many did we lose?” Sergeant Jablonsky called out.
“5th Lance lost their Jackals and are in freefall into the trench.”
“Crap,” muttered the Sergeant.
“They’re going to use their insertion chutes and land on the higher levels…just in case.”
Sergeant Jablonsky nodded in agreement.
“Smart.”
He looked at those around him.
“This damage changes nothing. 3rd Lance, we’re going in hard, and we’re taking the installation.”
It was impossible to hear him inside the howling winds tearing through the innards of the Jackal. Thankfully, the noise cancelling features of the Nova armour let them hear his voice over the close tactical channel with reasonable clarity.
“The weapons are dug in deep and not on the surface. Latest scans show caverns cut into the side of our target shaft. That’s our first objective.”
The Jackal spun to the right, and for the first time in almost a minute finally settled down onto what seemed like a level approach. It was enough to make Valentine feel even more on edge.
“What’s happening?”
Sergeant Jablonsky shook his head while speaking with somebody over his own comms channel. Valentine couldn’t work out what he was saying, so she looked out of the gaps in the hull. To her surprise the control unit to her side moved around and into position in front of her and Hawkins. Sergeant Jablonsky turned to her and gave her a nod.
“Get on the guns. We’re going in hot.”
The seat then moved as it pushed her outwards and towards the pair of flank-mounted turrets.
“Yes, Sergeant.”
Valentine took control of the weapon station, and at once the video feed from the turret, as well as its control data transferred to her Cortex. For the first time she could see fully outside of the Jackal. She gasped at the enormity of the place.
“Wow,” said Hawkins, “You ever seen anything like this?”
Kallias heard them over their tactical channel and tried to lean forward to see through the cracks and small breaches in the dropship’s armour.
“What’s it like out there?”
Lieutenant Fletcher must have heard because he tapped his wrist.
“Novas, welcome to Ekati Alpha.”
They were all immediately granted access to the array of exterior cameras, allowing them to look all around the Jackal. Valentine did the same as she looked for signs of danger, but other than the occasional burst of ground fire, there was little to see save for the incredible scenery.
“This is like something from a dream,” she said in stunned disbelief.
They were moving through a canyon of rocky mountain, and it was as jagged as the teeth of some ancient dragon. The edges caught the light and glistened as they reflected whatever was shone upon them. There was no fixed colour, but a constantly changing shift between clear diamond and dull red, depending on the angle she looked at the mountains.
“It really is made from diamond.”
“Eleven hundred metres to the cavern,” said Lieutenant Sterling, “And we’ve got company.”
Valentine rotated her gun and swivelled it to the right as threat indicators activated. She knew they were close, but it was hard to tell in the strange world of glistening mountains, deep tunnels, and wisps of fog that hung over much of the surface.
“Got them!” Hawkins said, “Below and coming fast.”
Valentine tracked her gun into the same position and then spotted them.
“I see them. Six hostiles, looks like Ski’ligs.”
“Good eyes, Hawkins.”
“Do we fire?”
“Not yet,” said Sergeant Jablonsky, and before the Lieutenant could answer, “Our rules of engagement are clear. We can fire upon any confirmed threat.”
“Sergeant!” Lieutenant Fletcher snapped back, “Those are Ski’ligs. Open fire!”
Hawkins almost fired, but he noticed Valentine was waiting. Then something flickered in the light, followed by multiple hardened spikes that burst through the damaged skin of the spacecraft. One glanced off Valentine’s shoulder armour, leaving her cursing.
“Okay,” said Hawkins, “That looks hostile to me. Ope
ning fire!”
Unlike the standard Jackal, the upgraded AD-72 was the Special Forces variant of the venerable D-72. Though the same size, much of the internal space had been removed and replaced with thicker and more durable armour. The loading spaces had been opened for faster egress of Novas and other heavily armoured warriors. But perhaps the most noticeable change was the two blister turrets fitted one each side of the loading doors. Now the passengers could take the fight to the enemy as they headed into battle.
“Firing!” Valentine said.
The single squad barrel of the XHEC cannon swung into position as she took aim. It was the exact same weapon she fitted to her shoulder, and perfectly suited for ripping apart armoured warriors like the Ski’ligs. Streaks of green light blasted away as she fired short bursts at them.
“Yeah!” Hawkins said as one exploded in a flash of light, while a second tumbled away, “Val, on your six!”
Valentine brought her gun back just as a Ski’lig warrior tried to land on the dropship. It managed to place one hand on the hull as she opened fire. At this range the weapon exploded the creature, scattering its remains into the deep chasm of razor-sharp diamond rock.
“Hold on!” Lieutenant Sterling shouted, “We’re entering the chasm.”
The dropship pulled up and swung into what looked like a massive mouth cut into the side of the cliffs. It was so wide, Valentine couldn’t even make out the side to her right, and the entrance to the massive cavern dropped down at a steep angle.
“Wow! Where are all…”
Then a glint of colour betrayed positions on the surface. She used the weapon’s enhanced optics to get a better look, but as it zoomed in, she could see an array of tunnel entrances and people. To her surprise they didn’t all seem to be Ski’ligs, or at least not ones she recognised. But then a handful of armoured shapes moved out into the open and began firing at the dropship. She could see tunnel after tunnel with more openings by the moment. It reminded her of some great termite mound, with a limitless number of creatures hiding inside.
“Uh, there’s something going on down…”
She swung the gun around and opened fire, sending bolts of energy right at them. The diamond rock exploded like glass, sending razor-sharp spikes in all directions. Shot after shot hit home, quickly scattering those that dared to return fire. They quickly went into the chasm, and Valentine could see other Jackals now moving in with them. The nearest were the heavily armoured dropships of the Novas, and right behind them came nearly identical craft carrying entire platoons of IAB marines. Seeing them sweeping in, with their forward turrets blasting away reminded her of her early days.
Star Crusades Page 14
