The Navigator (The Apollo Stone Trilogy Book 1)

by P. M. Johnson

  Logan blocked two of her strikes, but she was far too fast for him. He failed to block a third attack as it whistled through the air toward his exposed neck. Just then, Lena stepped forward and blocked the Karazan’s strike with her own black blade. Then she slipped to the side and attacked the Karazan’s flank. The queen’s elite warrior deftly blocked Lena’s assault and countered with a series of thrusts and slices, but Lena deflected them with surprising ease. There was a momentary pause as the Karazan evaluated her new opponent, but Lena was not interested in waiting. She launched a deadly combination of lunges, feints, and strikes which Logan had never before witnessed. The Karazan blocked the attacks, but only with great difficulty. Then she took several steps back and looked with anger at the wound to her right arm that Lena had dealt her.

  Logan prepared to attack the Karazan, but before he could move she screamed and threw herself at Lena, who repelled the whirlwind assault and countered with a sudden thrust into the Karazan’s neck. Lena removed her sword, and the queen’s guard dropped to the floor clutching her bloody throat.

  A Sahiradin leapt over the dying Karazan and swung for Logan’s head, narrowly missing it. As Logan countered with a thrust, there was a deep booming sound that echoed throughout the landing bay. A second deep boom was so powerful that Logan felt the shockwave flow through his legs and up to his chest. He looked at the bay’s massive blast door that separated them from the expanse beyond and saw a huge burning red circle suddenly appear. In seconds, the metal inside the red ring vaporized in a cloud of red mist.

  Logan was overjoyed with what he saw next. Emerging through the great hole in the blast door was Kane, flanked by dozens of Rahani and Grensch. They poured through the opening and tore into the Sahiradin, smashing, shooting, and cutting them in a mad frenzy. Mech warriors followed and attacked the Sahiradin flanks as the Lycians battled them head on.

  Surprised by the arrival of enemy reinforcements, the Sahiradin fell back and tried to form a defensive line. But with the Lycian and mech warriors on their heels, they could not maintain their formation and chaos reigned.

  Logan and the others ran to where Kane was fighting two Sahiradin. Kane sidestepped the thrust of a black blade and drove his dagger into the surprised Sahiradin’s side, then swung his sword to slice the throat of the other.

  “I’m glad you got here when you did,” yelled Logan as he watched pockets of Sahiradin desperately trying to hold off the Lycian advance. “We weren’t going to last much longer.”

  “Happy to be here,” said Kane. “But let’s not celebrate too soon.” He pointed with his dagger at a door behind the crumbling Sahiradin line.

  Logan looked in the direction Kane was pointing and saw another cohort of twenty Karazan entering the landing bay. They created a wedge-shaped formation and charged into the heart of the Lycians, cutting down everything in their path. The first Karazan cohort also formed a wedge and charged from the other side, killing Rahani and Grensch with terrifying efficiency. The Karazan counterassault had given the male Sahiradin a moment to re-form their line, and with order and confidence restored, they charged ahead with renewed strength, pushing the Lycians back.

  The Lycians and a few remaining League troopers fell back toward the hole in the bay’s blast door, desperately fending off the rapidly advancing Karazan and Sahiradin warriors. But the situation had become desperate. The Sahiradin and Karazan warriors waded through the Lycians at such an alarming rate that escape once again seemed impossible.

  Logan and the others fell back, but their escape route had been cut off by a group of Sahiradin. They were boxed in, unable to maneuver. Everyone continued to fight with all their strength, slashing and stabbing at any enemy within an arm’s length. But then Logan saw something that made him think there was no point in carrying on. The five remaining Grensch had stopped fighting. They looked at each other as if to say goodbye and then locked arms at the elbow.

  At first, Logan expected them to simply wait for the Karazan or Sahiradin to strike them down, but then something extraordinary happened. The Grensch took deep breaths and bellowed with all their might, each voice sounding a different note. Together the voices created a powerful sonic wave that rattled Logan’s body down to the bones. The flat walls of the landing bay echoed the soundwaves all around, making it seem like the room would explode. Logan’s head began to vibrate, causing him excruciating pain. Soon the pain was so great he could not bear it any longer and he collapsed to the ground. He tried to stand up but couldn’t get his feet under him. Then everything went black.

  When he came to his senses, Logan saw he was strapped into a seat inside some kind of ship. He looked around and saw there was a row of seats filled with troopers and Rahani along both sides of the interior, and running down the middle was a row of large bucket seats built low to the floor. Troopers and Rahani were buckled into the seats and a wounded Grensch sat in one of the big middle seats. Other Grensch were hastily pulling unconscious and wounded Rahani and troopers in through the large round hatch that connected them to the Sahiradin ship’s blast doors while Rahani strapped them into their seats.

  Logan looked through the hatch and the hole in the landing bay’s blast door. He glimpsed dozens of Sahiradin and Karazan on the floor of the landing bay. Some of them were slowly rising to their knees just as the Grensch brought the last of the wounded on board. Then a blue shimmering force field sealed the Lycian hatch and the assault ship pulled away from Dominion. As it pulled away, air from inside the Sahiradin landing bay rushed into the vacuum of space, pulling everything and everyone through the massive opening the Lycians had created.

  The metal rear hatch of the Lycian ship began to close, but just before it sealed shut Logan saw the Blackhawk explode in a ball of fire and black smoke. Debris flew through the breached Sahiradin hull and into space. Surprised by the gunship’s explosion, Logan looked at Cap, who was sitting to his left. Logan looked at his friend’s hand and saw he was holding a small black box, his thumb resting on a button.

  “Remember how we rigged the Blackhawk for detonation when Crew Chief McKinney was trying to repair her?” he asked with a grin.

  Though his head still hurt from the Grensch’s bellowing, Logan nodded and smiled. It seemed like a lifetime ago when they landed in that abandoned river town. He looked past Cap through the ship’s cockpit window. Sahiradin and Lycian fighters were locked in a swirling dogfight as V-wings sought to destroy Logan and the others in the fleeing assault craft, but their Lycian fighter escort kept the Sahiradin at bay.

  As the Lycian ship banked right toward Earth’s surface, Logan caught a glimpse of Dominion. Sahiradin V-wings had created a protective screen all around the battleship to ensure no more Lycian assault teams reached her while the flagship pulled out of Earth’s orbit as quickly as it could with only maneuvering thrusters. Balls of red and orange fire periodically erupted from her main engines as she slowly backed away.

  Logan looked at the people in the seats across from him. He saw Kane and Lena but continued to scan the faces of all the troopers in the Lycian craft. Finally he saw Styles and released the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. Their eyes locked for a moment and she gave him the hint of a smile before returning her attention to the wounded trooper sitting next to her.

  Ravenwood entered the compartment from the cockpit and sat down in the empty chair to Logan’s right. “You will be happy to know the Sahiradin fleet has disengaged from its battle with the Lycians and is racing to provide Dominion protection and assistance,” he said as he strapped himself into the seat. He smiled and slipped something into Logan’s palm and closed his hand around it. Logan looked down and opened his hand. It was the medallion they had taken from Kurak. “A souvenir,” said Ravenwood with a wink.

  Logan looked at the medallion with its image of the Sahiradin Sacred Mountain. Seeing this artifact of their culture in his hand, Logan wondered who the Sahiradin really were. Clearly, they were an aggressive warrior species who gloried in clos
e-quarters combat, but did they have religion, music, poetry? How was their society organized? How did they govern themselves? And who were the Lycians, for that matter? They had allied themselves with the League out of necessity, but did they truly share common goals with humanity? Or would they seek to dominate their much weaker partner if and when the Sahiradin threat abated?

  Since the arrival of the Sahiradin and Lycians, there had been no time to ask such questions much less answer them. But they would need answers if humanity was to have any hope of carving out a place in this suddenly expanded universe of rival species and interplanetary conflict. By far the weakest technologically, Logan knew humans would be hard pressed just to maintain their independence. He breathed in and felt the Apollo Stone in his breast pocket press against the inside of his Provex armor. But humanity might have an ace in the hole, he thought.

  Logan tucked the Sahiradin medallion into a cargo pocket on the side of his leg. He looked at Kane and asked, “How did you find us?”

  Kane laughed. “It really wasn’t that hard. We knew you had to be in the Blackhawk when it vanished. Then, about twenty minutes later, the Lycian fleet reported they were detecting a series of explosions from inside Dominion’s power plant. We figured it was you.”

  “So you all jumped aboard a Lycian assault ship and came to the rescue,” said Lena with a smile.

  Kane looked at her and said, “That’s about right.”

  What’s the situation on the ground?” asked Logan, the smile fading from his face. “When we took off in the Blackhawk we saw the army was in full retreat.”

  “Our forces did have to fall back,” said Kane grimly. “We are going to reunite with them now.”

  A few minutes later, the Lycian assault ship touched down behind the newly formed League-Lycian line. Lena, Cap and others still able to fight exited the ship and found an opening in the line. Logan stepped onto the ground, followed by Ravenwood. Logan looked to the north and saw the long dark line of the rapidly approaching PRA and Sahiradin forces, a great dust cloud rising behind them. Fifty meters to their right was the hastily erected command tent.

  “We have to report to General Longmire. Tell him what happened on Dominion,” said Logan.

  Ravenwood nodded his head and pointed toward the command tent with an open hand. “After you.”

  When they entered the tent, Logan saw there were representatives of the Northrunners, Rahani, Grensch and Brevians standing around a table where a holographic map of the surrounding terrain showed the positions of allied and enemy forces. Logan and Ravenwood approached the table. Logan saluted and said, “General Longmire, sir. We have an update on the fleet battle.”

  “I thought you got yourself killed,” said Longmire without looking up, an unlit cigar clenched between his teeth.

  “No sir,” said Logan. “Thanks to our Lycian friends, a few of us were able to get back in one piece. Thank you for sending the extraction force, sir.”

  “Don’t thank me,” said Longmire. He pointed to the almond-eyed Brevian next to him. “Thank this guy. He’s the one who organized the rescue operation.”

  Logan looked at the fair haired Brevian and said in a slow, measured tone, “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” said the Brevian.

  Logan was shocked to hear the alien speaking in his language. He stammered, “How did you…”

  Longmire looked at him and smiled. “It’s the damndest thing I ever saw,” he said. “This guy has been hanging around and listening to us talk without saying a peep for three days. Then all of the sudden he starts speaking like he’s lived here his whole life.”

  Ravenwood leaned close to Logan’s ear and said, “The Brevians have a natural talent for languages and diplomacy.”

  “So I gathered,” said Logan with a raised eyebrow.

  “Back to business,” said General Longmire. “How the hell did you end up on a Sahiradin ship in need of rescue?”

  “Once onboard the Blackhawk, we used the Apollo Stone to shift space and attack the Sahiradin flag ship, Dominion,” answered Logan. “We were able to get inside and sufficiently damage her engines to convince the Sahiradin fleet to disengage from their battle with the Lycians. They’re pulling out of orbit.”

  “Hot damn!” yelled Longmire, slapping his hand on the table. “That’s the best news I’ve heard in a month of Sundays. What about the Apollo Stone?”

  “Lost, sir,” said Logan. “It was on board the Blackhawk when the gunship exploded inside one of Dominion’s landing bays. The debris, including the stone, was blown into space through the hull breach the Lycian assault ship created.”

  Longmire pulled the cigar out of his mouth. “You sure about that?”

  Logan nodded. “Yes sir.”

  “So it could be halfway to the moon or buried in the sands of the Sahara Desert,” said Longmire with a sigh. “You realize that we won’t be rid of the Sahiradin until that thing is found.”

  “Yes sir,” replied Logan.

  Longmire stared at the young man for a few seconds, flicking this thumb over the chewed end of his cigar. Finally he said, “Get a fresh shield and go find a place in the line. The Northrunner barges managed to destroy those bridges and split the PRA army in half, and although we’re still outnumbered, you’ll see we’ve got a fighting chance now.”

  Logan saluted and Ravenwood acknowledged the order with a nod of his head. They turned and walked toward the door. As they left, Logan saw the Sahiradin metal sphere resting on a table. He slipped it into his pocket while passing by, glancing at Ravenwood as he did so. But the old man gave no indication that he had noticed the sleight of hand.

  When Logan and Ravenwood joined Styles, Cap, and Lena, they were busily loading heavy metal boxes onto the back of a flatbed truck.

  “What’s all this?” he asked.

  Styles pointed down the line that ran to the west as far as the eye could see. Logan saw artillery pieces, rocket launchers, heavy machine guns, mounted pulse guns, mortars, and a few unusual looking weapons that must have come from the Lycians.

  “General Longmire had all this pre-positioned by Second Corp as it came north to join us on the hill,” said Styles, grinning. “Now that half the PRA army is stuck on the east side of the Mississippi, we’ve evened the odds.”

  Just then Logan heard the loud boom of artillery and the roar of rocket launchers as they began firing into the advancing PRA-Sahiradin army. Logan smiled at Styles and grabbed the other handle of the ammunition box she was trying to lift onto the truck. They loaded several more boxes until the truck was full then dashed forward to a gap in the line as the truck sped away. Logan watched as the ground in the distance erupted in plumes of dirt and smoke as round after round of artillery shells impacted the earth. Anti-armor rockets raced over the flat terrain, seeking out and destroying armored personnel carriers and tanks. Blue light, crackling with energy, lanced out from the Lycian weapons, cutting a swath of destruction through the Sahiradin troops.

  Yet, even with the destruction they rained down on the enemy, the relentless invaders never slowed their advance. They pressed on through the flying shrapnel, dirt, and explosions until they were a hundred meters from the League-Lycian position. Logan and the others fired their K-45s from behind hastily erected barriers but it was immediately clear that the Red Legs, who led the attack, still had charged shields. The defenders slid their guns into the bottoms of their battle packs, engaged their shields, and drew their swords.

  Logan looked at Styles, who was kneeling next to him. She returned the look, and for a split second her eyes betrayed her fear.

  “Don’t die,” she said.

  “I won’t,” he replied. “You either.”

  She smiled and nodded her head.

  Then the order to prepare to attack came down the line and all the troopers stood. On the left end of the line, the Grensch and Rahani did the same. They waited for what seemed like an eternity but was only a few seconds before hearing the call to attack. Witho
ut hesitation, they launched themselves in a great surge toward the onrushing enemy.

  Chapter 89

  Logan and Styles stood on an outcropping high in the circular mountain range called the Deep Six, so named because the meteor crater around which the mountains ran was six kilometers across and nearly one kilometer deep. Due to its strategic position in the heart of its territory, the League had built the crater and the surrounding high ground into a powerful fortress that could hold out for months against a much larger force. Inside the ring of mountains was a large military installation, including an airbase big enough to accommodate fighters and intermediate range bombers. Inside the heart of the mountainous ring were two hundred kilometers of tunnels and hundreds of fixed gun and anti-aircraft emplacements. Several wells tapped into a massive natural aquifer deep below the fortress, supplying the troops with an unlimited supply of fresh water. Numerous small hidden entrances made it possible to launch surprise attacks against a besieging army, something the League had done with great success during the preceding four months.

  Logan watched from their high perch as the PRA troops marched on the plains below Deep Six. Two columns of weary regular infantry and Red Legs retraced the path of their invasion back toward St. Louis. They still greatly outnumbered the League’s forces inside Deep Six, but numerous failed assaults on the mountain fortress had demonstrated the futility of their long siege. With ammunition, fuel, and food running low, Guardian Harken had decided the time had come to consolidate his gains. He ordered his generals to fall back to St. Louis and to fortify the city and surrounding territory.

  Logan looked at Styles and smiled. “Looks like we did it,” he said.

  Styles took his hand in hers and smiled. “Yes, we did,” she said. “But they’ll be back.”

  Although the League had survived the attack on its territory, Logan agreed with Styles. The enemy would be back. He knew that they had been lucky. The main League army defending St. Louis had nearly been overtaken as it withdrew from the city and retreated to Deep Six. Had the PRA army’s northern wing been able to swing south and cut off the League’s retreat, the defenders would have been annihilated.