The Navigator (The Apollo Stone Trilogy Book 1)

by P. M. Johnson

  Longmire nodded and said, “Yes sir.”

  “I didn’t say it would be easy,” said McIntyre, his voice softening a bit. “But you’re the shield that will blunt their northern spear. Our troops in St. Louis are going to inflict as many casualties as possible when the PRA crosses the river, when they’re most vulnerable. Then the troopers will disengage and hightail it to Deep Six. When that happens, we can’t allow the PRA’s northern army to swing south unopposed and smash into our right flank. Someone’s got to stop them or at least slow them down.”

  “Understood, sir,” said Longmire. Then he asked, “What are my orders about the Sahiradin? They’ve been quiet so far, but what if they decide to support the Dellians?”

  General McIntyre nodded. “And that’s the second thing I planned to tell you. We have new intel that their big ship left our orbit and retreated to the moon. That battle we witnessed gave them a bloody nose and they pulled out.”

  “And we’re willing to trust the Lycians won’t attack us?” asked Longmire.

  “Well, your defectors seemed pretty convinced they’re here to help.”

  Longmire nodded. “How certain can we be the Sahiradin ship is really gone? Maybe it’s just below the horizon, and we’re blind without the satellites they destroyed.”

  General McIntyre said, “That’s true, but they didn’t think about the moon.”

  “We have satellites in the moon’s orbit?”

  “No, but the Chinese have had a spy telescope up there for the past five years. They shared images of the battle and the retreating Sahiradin.”

  “A spy telescope on the moon?” said Longmire, surprised. “That’s damned clever, sir.”

  “And there’s more,” said McIntyre. “Radio telescopes in the Mojave Desert have picked up more signal traffic. We believe the Sahiradin and the Lycians have more ships on the way.”

  “Any idea when they’ll arrive, sir?”

  “Not sure, but since we can’t do anything about it, our main concern right now is the PRA invasion,” said General McIntyre. “And before you can move against their Dellian cronies on the bridge, you’ll need to convince those Sahiradin camped north of you to stay out of the fight. You orders are to engage against them and either push them off that hill or pin them down. Keep them out of the main fight against the Dellians. Just remember, your main objective is to blow that bridge to hell and gone.”

  “Yes sir.”

  “That’s all I’ve got for now,” said General McIntyre. “Now swap those birds on your collar for stars and get to work, General.”

  Chapter 67

  Logan looked over the edge of the shallow trench they had dug and watched the Dellians reinforcing their position on the west side of the river near the bridgehead. They had worked through the night, and Logan was disheartened to see how much progress they had made. He watched as Dellians and PRA soldiers busily laid new track on the bridge and replaced rotted wood with metal supports. In the water below the bridge, they had divers working on the bridge’s footings as well.

  “Whatever they’re sending across that bridge will be bad news for us. Hope they pull us back soon,” said Cap as he and Lena sat down next to Logan. Lena handed Logan a cup of coffee, steam rising from the cup in the chilly morning air.

  “The word is we’re being reinforced,” said Lena, looking up and down the trench at the little groups of soldiers.

  Cap was not happy with this news and swore under his breath. “I did not sign up for this sitting in the dirt shit. I belong in the climate-controlled cabin of a fighter.”

  Logan clapped him on the back. “Don’t worry, Cap. We troopers will take care of you and your delicate flyboy hands.”

  Lieutenant Styles walked to their position and called for Dog Platoon to gather round.

  “We’ve got orders,” she said to the troopers. “A column of troopers arrived last night. We’ve been reinforced up to heavy brigade level. They’re parachuting in troops and equipment, too. Our job will be to destroy that bridge before PRA troop trains arrive from the south.”

  The troopers of Dog Patrol looked at each other, their faces clearly showing they were not happy with this change in circumstances. Then one of them raised a hand and asked, “Lieutenant Styles, what about those guys on the hill?”

  “We and some of the troops that arrived last night are going to maneuver around the hill to the north and attack those pasty Sahiradin bastards. At least keep them pinned down so they can’t cause trouble for the main assault on the bridge. And before you ask, there is limited air and artillery support, so they’ll hit the Sahiradin for a few minutes, but it’s up to us to get the job done.”

  She paused and looked at each of their faces before continuing. “As you know, the Sahiradin use swords and we believe they have shields, so sharpen your blades and check your charges.”

  “What about the Northrunners?” another soldier asked. “Whose side are they on?”

  “Unknown,” replied Styles. “But we are under orders not to engage against them if you see any.”

  She looked around and saw there were no more questions. “Okay, everyone double check your gear. And don’t forget to check your armor for damage or defects. Now’s the time to replace anything. Be ready when the order comes down to move out.”

  As the troopers dispersed, Lieutenant Styles looked at Logan. “General wants to see you and your friends.”

  “What general?” asked Cap.

  “General Longmire,” she replied. “He’s a one-star now and in charge of Operation Torchlight.”

  A few minutes later, they were standing at attention in front of General Longmire.

  “Privates, things have changed,” he said. “No doubt Lieutenant Styles has informed you of your objective. Apparently, the Sahiradin and the Lycians have decided to make Earth ground zero for the next battle in their war. We have reports that both sides have sent fleets, and we expect them to arrive here within the next couple of days. And you can bet the Sahiradin are going to focus on us because we’ve got their friends sitting on that hill to the north.”

  “Getting the Apollo Stone is their primary objective,” said Logan. “If they get it, they’ll cut the Lycians to pieces.”

  “Maybe, but we also need to assume that the Lycians would rather blow us all to hell rather than let the Sahiradin have the stone. That means we need to get it back and either destroy it so no one can have it or give it over to the Lycians so they can deal with the Sahiradin, hopefully someplace very far away. We don’t want that thing here on Earth or we’ll never get rid of these bastards.”

  “It can’t be destroyed, sir,” said Logan. “Ravenwood said the Lycians tried to destroy the other stones they’d acquired during the war but couldn’t. They ended up throwing them into a black hole.”

  “Why didn’t they just use them against the Sahiradin?” asked Longmire.

  “I don’t know,” said Logan. “I guess that’s a question for the Lycians.”

  “All right,” said Longmire as he folded his arms across his chest. “We need to focus on getting that Apollo Stone away from the Sahiradin.” Looking at Logan, he asked, “How confident are you that you can find it if we can get into the Sahiradin camp?”

  “Very confident,” answered Logan. “I know exactly where it is. Right now it’s in their command tent.”

  “How do you know?” asked Lieutenant Styles.

  “Because I hear it,” said Logan.

  “You hear it? How do we know you’re not schizoid?” asked Longmire.

  “That’s a fair question. What if I told you that right now the Sahiradin battleship is in orbit around the moon and the three Lycian ships are in Earth orbit? One of them is badly damaged and might crash to Earth.”

  “How the hell do you know that?” asked Longmire, shocked.

  “I can’t explain it sir, but I just know it. I have to assume the Apollo Stone is the source.”

  Longmire looked at him in the eye for a moment. Then he said, “W
hat you said is correct. I just learned about it last night.” He looked at all three of them. “We can’t do anything about those ships in orbit, so let’s focus on what we can do here on Earth. Your mission is to dislodge the Sahiradin from their hill or at least pin them down during the main attack against the Dellians on the bridge. But if during the fighting you can get the Apollo Stone, do it.”

  “Sir,” said a communications soldier sitting in front of an array of computer screens. “The Titans are delivering their payload now.”

  “Good. Any sign of PRA or V-wing aircraft?”

  “No sir. X-1s from Denver are escorting the Titans. A few PRA fighters approached but were driven away.”

  “So Denver finally decided to get in the game,” said Longmire with a smile. “Things are looking up.”

  Later that evening, Lieutenant Styles inspected her troops’ position after they had been shifted to the far left end of the line. An additional two thousand troops had parachuted in with the Titan super transports and were being used to fill the line to their right. The three recently arrived battalions had spent the afternoon positioning themselves along the northern edge of the little river town. Soldiers were moving the newly arrived artillery pieces onto the ridgeline, where they had a commanding view of the Dellians at the bridgehead, the Sahiradin camp, and the eastern bank of the river.

  “Get some sleep tonight,” Styles told her troopers. “Tomorrow’s going to be a busy day.”

  Chapter 68

  Kurak entered the command tent and found General Urkona standing near a table consulting with several members of his staff. When the general saw Kurak, he stepped away from the table and ushered him to the corner of the hut where there was an ornately carved desk made of a material resembling bone. Urkona sat down in a high-backed black chair behind the desk but did not offer Kurak a seat at one of the several nearby tripod chairs.

  “And what did the your crippled Alamani friend have to say?” asked General Urkona.

  Kurak smiled and took a deep breath. “The People’s Republic of America has offered to support us in our fight against the Lycians in exchange for helping them win their war against the other Alamani.”

  Urkona scoffed. “What possible use can these Alamani be in our fight?” he asked. “They are technologically backward and low minded. And, according to you, they cannot even feed themselves.”

  “All true,” replied Kurak. “But we could still use them in the coming fight. We know the Alamani across the valley are preparing to launch an attack. They have been gathering troops and artillery over the past several days.”

  “Yes. And we will slaughter them like animals,” said Urkona. “And when Dominion and the rest of our fleet come for us, the Alamani can have their little war.”

  “But what if the Separatist fleet arrives first? If they land troops, we could use the help of the PRA to defeat them.”

  “The Separatists and their fighting machines are no match for us. We have demonstrated that time and again.”

  “True,” said Kurak. “But always at the cost of Sahiradin lives. We enjoy long lives, but we can only reproduce during the queen’s cycle.”

  Kurak looked around the command tent at the Sahiradin performing various tasks. “Why are there no younger brothers?” he asked. “I have walked the length and breadth of this camp and I have not seen a single young soldier. They’re all in their fourth cycle or later.”

  “There are no twentieth-generation Sahiradin in the camp either, except for you,” said Urkona disdainfully. “They all died in battle long before they reached your venerable age.”

  A light smile touched Kurak’s lips. “What happened? Did the queen die without producing a new queen?”

  General Urkona shot Kurak a warning look with his dark eyes. “The queen lives!” he shouted emphatically as he smashed his open palm on the desk. “How dare you even suggest such a thing?”

  “Then what’s happening?” asked Kurak. “When did the queen last produce a warrior class? How many cycles have gone by without replenishing our ranks?”

  Urkona took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He looked around the hut and leaned forward. “It’s been three cycles,” he said quietly.

  “Why is there no new queen?” asked Kurak, placing his hands on the desk and leaning toward the general. “Each queen must produce a fertile female to replace her before she dies.”

  Urkona was growing angry with Kurak’s questions. He whispered in a low growl, “The queen lives, and she is not infertile.”

  Kurak stood straight and scratched his chin. “Saying she is not infertile is not the same as saying she is fertile. You’re a poor deceiver.”

  “I take that as a compliment,” said Urkona.

  “Whatever is happening, the fact remains,” said Kurak. “Our warrior population dwindles. We need the Alamani to help us win this war. You know Commodore Lansu is in favor of this arrangement. And I believe he outranks you.”

  General Urkona scoffed. “Lansu,” he said dismissively. “He’s desperate to be chosen as the next consort. Believe me, the Sahiradin of that cycle would be sadly deficient.”

  Kurak eyed the general for a moment. “Tell me, General Urkona,” he said. “Why do you oppose this alliance?”

  Urkona narrowed his eyes. “Have you forgotten how the Alamani sought to subjugate us?”

  “Of course not, but these are not the same Alamani,” replied Kurak. “They have no memory of their ancient ancestors. What’s more, they are bigger, stronger, more warlike. I’ve seen them in battle. They lack sophistication and skill, but they are aggressive and not without valor. We can equip them to fight against the Lycians and help us to conquer this planet.”

  “But they are still Alamani,” hissed Urkona.

  “So let them die for us and our just cause,” said Kurak with a shrug. “I think the Council would appreciate the irony.”

  “I am finished discussing this,” said the general. “We do not need help from these backward Alamani, and I will oppose any arrangement with them.”

  Chapter 69

  It was two hours before dawn and the troopers were already in their battle gear. Cap and Lena watched Logan’s face as he slowly regained awareness of his surroundings. His left hand stopped its repetitive twitching and his eyes no longer darted back and forth.

  “How many times has it happened this week?” asked Cap.

  Logan rubbed his face and took a deep breath. He tried to stand up, but was still too dazed to rise to his feet.

  “Two times,” he answered, avoiding Cap’s eyes.

  “Okay. Four,” he admitted after a few moments.

  “We need to get you back on your medication,” said Cap as he placed a hand on Logan’s shoulder.

  “No. I don’t want to. They can’t know about my condition,” said Logan. “And besides, it’s not just seizures. I’m seeing things. And if I take the meds, the visions will stop, too.”

  Cap shook his head. “But four seizures in a week? You’ve never had four in a week. This Apollo Stone is messing with your mind. It’s dangerous.”

  “It doesn’t feel dangerous,” replied Logan as he looked toward the Sahiradin hill. “It’s calming. And he tells me things.”

  “So you’re hearing a voice in your head when you have your seizures?” asked Cap.

  “Not really,” replied Logan. He looked back at the hill and stared for a few moments before continuing. “It’s more like impressions and thoughts that come to me. There’s intelligence in the stone, but it doesn’t scare me. It’s…welcoming.”

  “Visions? The stone is telling you things? What is going on, Logan?” asked Cap, raising his voice slightly. “And how do you know what you’re seeing or feeling is real? Maybe you’re imagining all this.”

  “It’s not my imagination,” said Logan. “General Longmire confirmed what I said about the outcome of the battle in orbit and the withdrawal of the Sahiradin ship to the moon.”

  Lena crouched down and looked into Log
an’s eyes. “Cap’s right. This is dangerous. What if you have a seizure when we’re in battle? You could be killed. Or get someone else killed.”

  “It won’t happen,” said Logan. “The Apollo Stone wants me to find it. It wouldn’t call to me if it would put me in danger.”

  “It calls to you?” asked Cap. “This is getting weirder and weirder.”

  “How does it call to you?” asked Lena.

  “It starts with a rushing sound, like wind blowing through the trees,” said Logan. “When I hear it, my hand starts to shake and I sit down. A few seconds later I’m in the universe, stars all around me.”

  “And that’s when you get these messages?” asked Cap.

  “Yes.”

  Lena asked, “Do you see anyone or anything during your seizures?”

  “No. But there’s definitely someone there. I feel him watching me, but I can’t see who he is.”

  “Him?” asked Lena.

  “I feel like it’s a man. Someone ancient,” answered Logan.

  “I’d freak out if this happened to me,” said Cap. “And you should be freaking out, too.”

  Logan was about to respond, but then he saw Lieutenant Styles and another trooper approaching. They were both wearing Provex armor.

  “Check your armor and your weapons. Be ready to move,” said Styles as the three quickly got to their feet. “And meet Lance Corporal Heath.” She pointed to a young man standing next to her. “You’ll be on his fire team.”

  Styles nodded and continued walking to the next group of soldiers down the line.

  “Privates Castell, Brandt, and Caparelli,” said Lance Corporal Heath. “I hear you defected from the PRA. I don’t have a problem with that, but you have not trained with us. You’re just as likely to get yourselves killed as kill the enemy. Even worse, you might get me killed. Therefore, your job will be to stick close to me. Do what I say and copy what I do. Execute every order I give you when I give it to you. Understood?”