by Chris Fox
"Meb!" Khar roared. The empress turned in time to see Meb crash to the grass, smoke rising from a wound in his chest.
Her forces flung a few more pulse grenades, but the fire didn't slacken. One by one they were picking off her people, and any warrior who charged the enemy position was cut down.
She moved behind the pillar, using it as cover. Khar and Yulo moved to neighboring pillars.
She turned to Yulo. "Master, what do we do? I see no way forward."
"I have no advice, little one. If we flee, it will be into the arms of more of these Void Wraith. If we attack, they will cut us down," Yulo called. His fur was still white, and she was surprised to find that so was hers.
"Then we will await death," she called, in a high, clear voice. "When it comes we will stab it in the eye, even as it drags us into the gaze of the Nameless Ones."
39
Not Amused
Takkar was not amused. He paced back and forth across his dais, alone on his command island excepting the single techsmith.
High above, the battle played out before him. His forces were finishing off the last few of the ineffectual blue ships, venting their collective rage. The real threat--Fizgig and her fleets--were safely hidden behind their cowardly cloaking.
That left the factory floating in high orbit unprotected. If he attacked it, it would force Fizgig to respond. Yet he doubted it would be that simple. She had at least one more trap, probably several more.
"Move into firing range on that factory," he ordered. Once again, the only way to deal with the trap was to spring it.
The techsmith's temple pulsed, and he relayed it to the techsmiths on the other vessels. Moments later, the fleet began drifting toward the factory.
They hadn't made it far when a massive object decloaked near the factory. It was unlike the other technology the Coalition had thus far used, an orbital defense platform forged from a bronze-colored alloy.
Cannons bristled across the surface, and those cannons launched a massive salvo at the Azi command ship on his left flank. Most of the cannon shots appeared to be some sort of primitive projectile weapon.
Not all of them, though. Half a dozen of the human's new theta cannons were nestled amidst the others. They sliced through the Azi shields, blasting massive chunks of the hull into space. White clouds of atmosphere puffed through the breaches as the vessel struggled to maintain shields.
"Focus all fire on the platform. Everything we have. All cannons, all fighters," Takkar roared.
A wave of fighters broke off from the fleet, streaking toward the platform in high orbit. He turned to the tech priest. "Magnify the target."
The view above zoomed suddenly forward, now fixed on the orbital defense platform. It wasn't the first Takkar had encountered, though it was certainly the largest. The technology was simple, yet effective. The projectiles from the smaller cannons stabbed into his fleet, detonating fighters. Over and over they fired, with a four-micron gap between each salvo.
"Our dreadnoughts are in range, Clan Leader," the techsmith murmured.
"Fire." Takkar folded his arms, smiling grimly.
Bolts of scarlet shot from every dreadnought, burning into the defense platform. Every shot destroyed a cluster of turrets, and when the volley ended the factory had lost over two-thirds of its armaments. Fire and debris sprayed out around the platform like a sea of shimmering jewels.
The remaining cannons continued to fire at the wave of approaching fighters, still inflicting significant losses.
"Finish them." Takkar paced back and forth, carefully studying his fleet's position.
He suspected Fizgig would come for him soon. She preferred wounded prey, and that meant the Azi dreadnought was her most likely target. They'd managed to stabilize their shields, but rather than retreat to the rear, Ro'kan was pressing the assault on the factory.
"Give me that Azi fool. Now!" Takkar roared.
A multi-legged holoprojector rose from beside a pillar and walked toward him. It broadcast a shimmering energy field, coalescing into a view of the Azi bridge.
"Ro'kan, what are you doing?" Takkar demanded.
Ro'kan's holographic form turned to face Takkar, eyes narrowing. Behind him stood two black-robed figures. One rushed forward to whisper in his ear.
"What you are too cowardly to do, apparently," Ro'kan taunted. "That station has damaged my flagship. I will exact a toll in blood."
"And this course was recommended to you by the seekers?" Takkar asked. He didn't bother ordering the Azi to abandon his course. He knew the fool wouldn't listen.
"What does it matter, Takkar?" Ro'kan demanded, his tone softening to resignation.
"Die well, Azi." Takkar gestured at the techsmith, and the hologram winked out. He turned to the Saurian. "How many of my clan guard stand ready?"
The techsmith's answer was instant. "Seventeen, Clan Leader."
"Have them warped to the Azi command island. Kill Ro'kan, the seekers, and anyone else who resists. They are to assume direct command. Have the dreadnought pull back to the center of our ranks."
Takkar's fury grew as the Azi dreadnought continued to fire on the orbital defense platform. They'd moved to an angle the surviving guns couldn't reach, and Ro'kan no doubt foolishly assumed that made him safe.
Takkar knew better. Fizgig would pounce soon, and the Azi dreadnought was the most likely target.
"Clan Leader, enemy vessels de-cloaking," the techsmith said, all in a rush.
Takkar scanned the space around the fleet. The enemy vessels were instantly tagged with red triangles -- they were attacking the rear of his fleet with the full might of the enemy. Over two dozen vessels had decloaked and launched a withering barrage at his forces.
They weren't aiming for the Azi. They weren't even aiming for a dreadnought. Clusters of enemy ships focused on cruisers and destroyers, easily overcoming the smaller vessels. After their skirmishes with the Void Wraith, many were weakened, easy prey.
"Continue the barrage on the defense platform." Takkar scowled up at the battle. He could order his fleet to engage, but if he did Fizgig would melt away. "Have the Yog forces break off to deal with the enemy fleet."
The Yog dreadnoughts pulled away from the doomed orbital defense platform, aiming their cannons at Fizgig's fleet. As expected, her vessels broke off immediately. They scattered, easily dodging the Yog cannons.
Takkar turned back to the platform and smiled. Its flaming wreckage rained down over the planet -- hunks of metal large enough to destroy cities.
"Clan Leader, the clan guard has reported. They've secured the Azi bridge, and have placed one of the Azi in command." The techsmith bowed, disappearing into her robes.
Takkar glanced upward, watching as the wounded dreadnought retreated into their ranks. Why had the seekers counseled Ro'kan to such reckless action? They cared nothing for glory, and that was the only reason for the risk. It was as if they didn't care if their Azi allies were eliminated--
He went cold. "Perhaps they don't care. Perhaps that is exactly what they are seeking."
40
Great Day
"Just take a quick peek over the hillside, Rex," Edwards instructed. Rex obligingly poked its reptilian head over the hillside, giving Edwards an excellent vantage of the combat below. If it could be called a proper combat.
Six planetstriders were laying into the factory they were here to 'protect'. Edwards wasn't too worried about the fate of some mostly empty buildings, but that didn't mean he could afford to relax. He'd been ordered to do as much damage as possible. Besides, if he could bag two more striders Juliard might actually come down for a visit.
He raised the cannon arm, poking it over the hill. None of the planetstriders were turned in their direction, so Edwards took his sweet time lining up the shot. He planted it square in the back of another strider with the missile batteries, and was delighted when it went up like a pack of firecrackers.
The thick billowing smoke began to clear, exposing a scaly leg
. The planetstrider strode from the smoke, missing an arm. The control unit had been severely damaged, but the creature was still functional.
Edwards shot him again--this time, right in the face. The planetstrider stumbled back into the smoke, then crashed heavily to the earth. The force of its fall extinguished the fire, and the smoke quickly dissipated.
"That's two. Hope you're listenin' up there, Lieutenant." Edwards nudged Rex. "Get us back behind cover."
Just in time. The other planetstriders where moving in his direction.
"Looks like you pissed them off, Edwards," came a familiar voice over the comm. "I'm not sure that's a good thing."
"Burke, that you?" Edwards asked. "Uh, I mean Captain."
"Yeah, you bet your ass it is. Here's the deal, Sergeant. You knock 'em down, we keep 'em down. If you see them start swarming Alpha Company's position, see if you can convince them to back off."
"Can do, sir. All right, Rex. You heard the man. Charge, buddy." Rex lumbered up over the hill, right into a flurry of enemy cannon shots. Scarlet beams tore into the mountainside, and Edwards instinctively raised the claw arm to shield Rex's face.
After a moment he lowered it. "Wait, that was it? You pansies can't shoot for shit."
A scarlet beam hit Rex in the chest, knocking him onto his back. He slid down the mountainside, pulverizing millions of tons of rock.
"I stand corrected."
Rex waggled on his back like a turtle, crushing more rock until he was finally able to flip over.
"Okay, Rex. New plan. Head around to the other side of the mountain. We'll pop off a couple shots, then retreat back into cover."
Rex lumbered into motion, obediently circling the mountain. Edwards knew this was a basic tactic, one the enemy would probably anticipate. He couldn't think of anything better though, so what the hell? It took Rex a full minute to make the trip.
"Slow down a bit, bud. Peek up over that ridge there," Edwards ordered. He waited patiently as Rex carried them to the vantage he'd selected. "Wow."
The planetstriders were laying into the city around them, firing wildly. They swatted with robotic claws, trying in vain to smash the cloud of mechs irritating them. The nimble booster mechs easily avoided the ungainly behemoths. Edwards knew exactly how the poor striders felt. He'd hated sparring against Alpha Company, because he could never catch any of them.
Edwards took aim with his cannon, focusing on the closest planetstrider. This time, he aimed for the leg. The cannon began its familiar subsonic whine, then belched a beam of scarlet brilliance. The beam hit the back of the knee, melting bone and flesh. The strider was suddenly legless, and its fall crushed the last few buildings in that sector. The strider struggled to rise from the debris, flailing pitifully.
"Well done, Sergeant," Burke's voice came over the comm. "Just keep knocking them down, and we'll invade the control units."
"Hey, Juliard, you watching this?" Edwards asked. He didn't bother to disguise the pride in his voice.
"Yup, great work Edwards. Looks like I owe you a date."
"Just let me tidy up a bit down here first, then Rex and I would be happy to take you for a little drive." Edwards took another planetstrider at the knee, knocking it to the ground. Mechs swarmed it, zipping past flailing limbs as they converged on the control unit.
It was shaping up to be a great day.
41
Yippee Ki Yay
Khar flipped back to his feet, parrying another slash from the Judicator in front of him. Four more clustered behind it, all attempting to maneuver their way closer. He risked a brief glance behind him, relieved to see that both Yulo and Zakanna were holding their own.
They fought back to back, surrounded by endless foes. It was the kind of end every Tigris dreamed of--a legendary stand against an implacable enemy.
Sparks flew as his plasma dagger met his foe's, but this time Khar knocked the Judicator's arm aside. His blade rocketed forward, plunging into the Judicator's heart. Khar swept the Judicator's legs, knocking it to the ground. The blow had been enough to trigger the self-destruct.
He seized one of the Judicator's legs, slamming it into three of its companions. They went down in a tangle, then detonated. Robotic limbs and orange liquid were flung in all directions, coating Khar.
"Ugg, this goop is disgusting," Zakanna called. Khar turned in time to see her leap a meter into the air. Her foot blurred, slamming into the side of a Judicator's head with so much force that the blue metallic head crumpled.
The momentum carried the body into another Judicator, tripping it. Zakanna leapt on her foe, ripping off an arm with a tremendous yell. She raised the arm like a club, bringing it down on the Judicator's head. It went down, just as the first detonated.
Zakanna was knocked backwards by the explosion, but somehow rolled to her feet next to Khar. Her robes were stained, her fur singed, but her expression remained resolute.
"The Alphas have finished off the last of your warriors. They'll be coming for us next," Khar called, parrying a blow from the next Judicator. He fell back a pace, his back bumping into Yulo.
"We're out of room to maneuver," Yulo said. He darted forward, smashing two Judicator heads together with a sickening crunch, then darted back, his back once again nearly touching Khar's. "We cannot maintain this position."
Something rumbled above. Khar glanced up to see stone raining down. The uneven chunks fell from a hole in the spire itself, hundreds of tons of rock raining down on the far side of the island. Dozens of Judicators were crushed, and the resulting detonations killed dozens more.
A shadow appeared over the hole above, then the high-pitched whine of engines drowned out the sporadic weapons fire. The vessel descended through the hole, above the trio of Harvesters. The grounded vessels were easy targets. The cruiser opened up with a hail of Ganog plasma fire, tearing into the first Void Wraith vessel.
"Allies of yours?" Khar called over his shoulder.
"I do not recognize the vessel," she called back, deflecting another blow from a Judicator.
"Nor I," Yulo called. He head-butted a Judicator, then dropped another with a low kick. "At least they are not more of these twisted blue Nameless Spawn."
The second and third vessels were beginning to lift off. The cruiser spun, dipping its rear toward the Void Wraith. A ramp lowered, exposing the ship's cargo bay. Dozens of missiles streaked out, peppering the engines on both Void Wraith vessels.
The shots unerringly targeted the most vulnerable parts of those engines, the welds where they met. Those engines detonated, and both Harvesters crashed back down to the Island. One landed near the edge, tottering for a long instant, then plummeted over the side with a screech of metal on metal.
Khar ducked under a wicked swipe from a Judicator, momentarily losing sight of the cruiser. Something punched into his back, and he staggered to one knee. Red warning indicators flared in his lower back. He roared, lunged backwards with an elbow. It knocked the Judicator back a step, but another stepped into its place.
Zakanna stepped behind it, sweeping its legs, then finishing it with a blow to the head. She flung the body into the cluster of Judicators behind her; the resulting explosion filled the area with smoke and flame.
Khar took advantage of the momentary reprieve to stand up and move back into position with the others.
Explosions sounded from the far side of the island, growing closer. Then Khar heard a sound that drew a fanged smile: the whirring of hydraulic limbs. "These are allies. I recognize that sound. Those are Coalition mechs--our Linebacker class. I do not know how, but my people have landed a strike team."
The whine of engines grew louder, and the hot rush of thrusters blasted away the remaining smoke. The cruiser hovered twenty meters above them. A single figure with a rifle stood at the edge of the ramp, and she aimed the rifle in his direction.
The weapon discharged, and a harpoon sank into the ground at Khar's feet. The cable at the end snapped taut, leading back into the ship. The soldier
clamped the other end to a bracket just inside the ship, then turned back in his direction. "Get in. Move, soldier!"
"Zakanna," Khar roared, kicking a Judicator from his path. "You first. Go. Now."
She opened her mouth to say something, but Yulo darted forward. He seized Zakanna, hurling her into the air. She sailed toward the ship, grabbing the cable just a few feet below the ramp.
"You next, Yulo." Khar gestured at the cable, snapping a kick behind to knock away another Judicator.
"Oh, please." Yulo looked at him as one would a kit who'd just stated something ridiculous. Yulo leaped, easily grabbing the base of the ramp. He flipped inside, disappearing out of site.
Khar grabbed the cable, climbing hand over hand toward the ramp. A Judicator leapt toward him, slashing into his leg with a plasma blade. He grunted reflexively, even though there was no pain, and climbed faster, finally getting a hand on the ramp.
An armored figure stepped into view offering a hand. It was the human who'd fired the grappling hook.
"Nolan?" Khar accepted the hand, and the human pulled him into the ship.
"Nope, he's down there wrecking shop in one of the mechs," a female voice said. Khar didn't recognize her. "Why don't you and your, uh, guests settle in while I go back to work?"
The woman picked up a particle rifle large enough to be mounted on a mech, then quickly set up the bipod.
Khar turned to look down at the island. Three mechs and a single Ganog warrior had engaged the Void Wraith. One of those mechs moved with a prescient grace. It was as if the pilot knew where his enemy was going to be, before the enemy moved.
Every missile found its target. His particle cannon ended Alpha after Alpha.
