From the Black (Free Fleet Book 4)

by Michael Chatfield

  She was going to do the exact same thing she had done to the Union to this rebellious Free Fleet. These zealots never seemed to learn.

  “I was hoping that one would survive for longer,” she said, as if commenting on a horse race while one of the corvette's crew died, it seemed permanent by the way the Kaaorv was moving.

  “Some species are weaker than others, it makes their song rarer and I find their music all the more sweet as these races cling to their lives. They screamed from the kaaorv's tender touches,” Marhtu said, stroking the cushions that decorated his craft and floating pads.

  “I do want to sample all the voices of the corridor. You shall have to train more Kaaorv's, maybe some from their own planets. I think I would like that, an orchestra from every planet to show my rule,” Fairgate said, thinking of the screams of entire populations, not just a handful.

  “Of course my lady,” Marhtu said, his eyes glinting in pleasure, his body tinting to reflect his feelings.

  “First we will watch these Free Fleet fools ground themselves against the Kalu, then we will remove them from their weakened states. I hope that soon we can release some of our fleet to start pirating the trade routes the Free Fleet has set up,” Fairgate said, dragging her fingers over one of Marhtu's slaves, it didn't even quiver.

  Maybe I should get Marhtu to run the recruiting drive when this is all over, the Kalu went well, but we had to exterminate the Sarenmenti's when the planet revolted. The human's started an uprising and got all of the races in action.

  Lifendi came into the room, bowing deeply to Fairgate.

  “My Lady, planetary governor Marhtu. I am sorry to interrupt. It seems that the Kuruvian Empire is not under our control,” he said. “It seems that they are trading with the Free Fleet,” he said, his eyes flicking slightly in nervousness.

  Fairgate hissed in displeasure.

  “Then I will have the new Captain Lord Drvja teach them what happens when they try to interact with the Free Fleet,” her eyes flashing with new anger.

  “I will see to it my Lady,” Lifendi bowed again, exiting the room.

  “These ones are getting quiet, see what you can do about making them sing louder,” she said as she fell into her throne, shifting her clothes over herself as a slave presented food.

  “I agree about the shorter singers, their screams are sweeter. Shall we see what happens when we make some of these longer singers have a shorter life as well?” Lady Fairgate said.

  “Your words are my command my Lady,” Marhtu said as screams filled Fairgate's mind.

  ***

  Screams were filling Min Hae's ears, but they were the kind which alerted him to incoming ships.

  “It's a confirmed Star-warrior,” Gog said.

  “Sound readiness, I think it's time we showed what was really under Verslva's skin,” Min Hae said, Ashota was now far in unknown space, above the line and away from Kalu and known space.

  “It looks like Ashota has seen them,” Gogs said as Ashota was slowing.

  Either Ashota was back stabbing them, or he didn't know what was going on. Either way Min Hae didn't want to be in the middle of it. He had enough information that needed to be passed on back to the fleet.

  “Unlimber all weapons, fire at Ashota's vessel and get us the hell out of here, full power,” Min Hae said.

  ***

  Ashota listened to the message from the star-warrior, they had come with an update on how the Kalu forces were doing, they were still holding in the system Ashota had left them when the star-warrior left.

  Ashota looked up as sirens blared. His seers hadn't known why the panels of the freighter were opening until the weapons appeared.

  Ashota had told them, but still they took things on face value. Kalu only looked at the surface of things for a threat by what it displayed. It was one of the reasons that Ashota had been able to push Edvasho to the top. To them he was useless, to Edvasho he was essential for getting him to power.

  “Fire on it,” Ashota said, the Kalu looking in wonder but not reacting.

  They were slow as the freighter fired, missiles spewed from its side's, rail and plasma cannons fired. Ashota's vessel bucked with the incoming weaponry, a number of missiles hit home, taking chunks out of the ship's armor.

  The shields came up, stopping some of the missiles. It hadn't been modulated and spotted in places.

  Rail-cannon rounds passed through weakened or non-existent armor, decks flashed red on the main screen as they were exposed to space. The shields snapped back, severely weakened but working, they took a number of rounds before the plasma hit. Plasma was slow moving but it was a hell of a lot of energy.

  Shields spotted again after a few rounds, some were stopped, others got through, and they hit armor or outlying debris. The balls of plasma were useless in long-range combat, but this close the superheated mass hit Ashota's hull, burrowing its way through everything in its path. A power-plant ejected to stop itself from overloading. Decks and atmosphere bled from his ship.

  The freighter hadn't been just sitting there either, it was accelerating for all it was worth for the nearest jump limit.

  Missiles sprouted from Ashota's vessel chasing after the freighter. PDS systems sent hundreds of thousands of projectiles into the air, only one missile buffeted the freighter's shields.

  Ashota's craft was too weak to do much more damage as it drifted, shields out of action and power being rerouted across the ship. Thankfully Ashota's people were more likely to try and get their ship working than abandon it, unlike the majority of Kalu.

  I will get you.

  “Get that Star Warrior to pick us up, we're going back to the fleet, set the ship to destroy itself after we leave,” Ashota said.

  Chapter Heija

  It had taken five days to get most of the defences up. Bok Soo had ordered his people to detox and sleep. Thankfully with the detox it sent most of the Commandos into a dreamless sleep.

  Bok Soo woke from own sleep, disorientated and confused as to where he was.

  The Kalu had taken four days just to gather themselves together and then press towards the planet. It had taken them a day to brake for Heija. They were slowly surrounding the planet, none of them were using their bomb-pumped acceleration. Maybe they're out of bombs, maybe they just want you to dread their coming even more, Bok Soo thought it was the latter.

  He saw the familiar outline of the squad pod and sunk back down onto his bed. He laid there hoping for sleep but too awake to get anymore. With a sigh he got up and walked to the showers, he put the water to hot but it still couldn't get out all the kinks and aches of his body.

  He stretched, using the drying station and getting into a new battle suit.

  He checked his data pad as he walked to the powered armor storage in the squad pod.

  Foshunti reported that his people had been concentrating on the weapons, sensor, and shields for their respective ships. With the new systems the repairs were well ahead of schedule. It would be another day but most systems would be operational on every ship.

  Bok Soo yawned, putting his hand to the scanner, his implants communicating with the racks as his powered armor rotated down. It had burns, scars and dents covering it, even places he could see through it.

  “Time that you got a check-up in the armory,” Bok Soo said to it as it opened up. He got into it, his nerve ports lining up as the powered suit's systems came online and the armor sealed around him and then tightened to fit his body. His armored feet thumped on the ground as he got out of the harness, his servos whining lightly as he exited the squad pod and headed to the armory.

  Bok Soo had moved from Talhalla to Floater since it was closer to the front lines and had the ability to co-ordinate air and ground forces. Ravasham would be handling the air side of things and Bok Soo would control the ground.

  Foshunti had denied Bok Soo going any further, something that Yasu and the majority of commanders agreed on. He was the CAMC and the Commander of the free fleet on this rock, los
ing him from charging off would do more harm than good. Someone needed to keep them together for as long as possible.

  Then I can have my own turn. There was no part of Bok Soo that tried to shy away from the fact that his mission would end in his death.

  Bok Soo hummed as he took off his powered armor, rested it on a rack and started working on it.

  That's not to say I'm going to sell myself short, his humming taking on a darker note.

  He was halfway through using a nanite based epoxy, a kind of hellfire for armor when the armories opened.

  “Hey Bok Soo,” Yasu said as she strode in.

  “Yasu, how you feeling?” Bok Soo asked, genuine concern in his voice, he knew how close she and James were, and being apart must be hurting her a lot.

  “Definitely not good, but I have a job to do and people to keep alive. Hopefully I'll have time to deal with it later,” she said with a sad smile.

  Or we could be dead, Bok Soo mentally added, it wasn't death that scared him much, he had plenty of friends in the light now. Yet he had a duty to the men and women around him to keep them alive, and to do that he had to be alive so he wouldn't make anyone else shoulder the burden he had taken from Henry. He wondered for a moment if the stalwart man ever had the same thoughts.

  “Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?” He asked, changing the subject to something less daunting.

  “Only got a few hours after detox. Aren't you supposed to be too?” She asked, her tone teasing.

  “Couldn't sleep after detox either,” he said, shrugging her attempts to goad him away. He thought he saw something flash from her armor, he looked, seeing battle suit poking through in a few places.

  “Your armor nearly looks as bad as James' suit did when it was pinned to Resilient's armory,” he said, admiring the damage.

  “Thanks,” She drawled.

  “They do say that husbands and wives are pretty similar,” Bok Soo got a huff of a laugh from Yasu as she got out of her powered armor and put it on another work bench.

  Bok Soo set to work, both of them in their own world, yet sharing in a companionable silence. They relaxed as they just worked on one thing, forgetting their worldly anxieties as they focused on getting replacement parts, or putting sealant in holes. Making sure everything worked perfectly took over their focus.

  The alarm for battle stations rung out as Bok Soo and Yasu looked at one another, no longer joking or light. They're here. Both of them communicated the same thing without words as they prepped their powered armor and climbed into them. PDS could be heard, added to the sounds of people getting into powered armor and checking their weapons through the halls. The battle for Heija had started.

  ***

  Edvasho was with the first Star Warriors to descend into the planet's atmosphere. His ship would be going for the staging area, others were flying over the enemy’s position to show them their might.

  “They have air defences, the Star Warriors passing over their position are being pulled from the air,” a seer said, excited for its chance to get to battle. Those who died during battle earned great honour amongst the war leaders that led the silent clans.

  “Have more ships come down and replace their numbers, we will wait till our proper guard is here, so that we might do battle honourably,” Edvasho said, being jostled by the effects of entering atmosphere.

  He saw as multiple Star Warriors entered the atmosphere with shields, the bombardment of atmosphere overloaded their shields and sent a power surge through the ships. Some were okay, whereas others exploded. The surge affected the power-plants stability making others lost control, some plunging into the ground.

  “Our brethren give us great honour with their sacrifice this day,” Edvasho bellowed, everyone on his Star Warrior rustling with pride. To have so many die in battle against these creature's fleet, and then on their first day of planetary battle showed that this battle and war would be a great one, talked about for many generations.

  Star Warrior's kept passing over the ship's against the mountain range. Some survived, many did not.

  Edvasho's warrior touched down, the front end opening as Kalu flooded out of the ship. Edvasho went down the ramp in the middle of the bridge, leading into the belly of the craft and out the front of the Star Warrior. His armor wasn't fully sealed, he smelt the disgusting air that would be lethal to most creatures.

  “It is a good day to die my warriors!” He bellowed, his helmet clamping closed, sealing to his still mobile lower jaw.

  Star Warriors flashed in the sky, some burning up, others pulling out of their dive and joining the growing grouping of those gathering on the ground.

  A message beeped in Edvasho's helmet, he used his smaller limbs under his body to open it.

  “Ashota!” He growled in pleasure, his battle brother had made it in time to see him triumph in ground combat.

  “Battle brother Edvasho,” Ashota said, not as excited as Edvasho.

  “Will you not come and join me to watch the conquering of this planet?” Edvasho asked.

  “I will if you do not join in the battle but lead your people through command, these creatures are sly and good at battle. I do not wish that you fall, with that the fall of the united clans,” Ashota said.

  Edvasho didn't want to sit on the sidelines, he wanted to roam with his clan and rush the defences of these creatures, destroying them with the might of his clans.

  “I have stayed back as you have asked me, now I will go forward, the Kalu are united and I will survive,” Edvasho said. It was an honour to die in battle, but Edvasho would deny himself that honour at the request of this battle brother.

  “Thank you battle brother, you do me great honour,” Ashota said, his voice humble.

  “Now I will see to this battle. I will talk to you of what you have learned after the battle,” Edvasho said.

  “Of course brother,” Ashota said, Edvasho cut the channel. His brother had been the first to charge into battle with him before the accident where he saved Edvasho's life. Instead of being given the honour of dying, he remained alive, he had a strong spirit, especially to come back from something like that and find new purpose.

  Though maybe in his new state he was rotting in his brain, becoming less Kalu and becoming one of the outcasts that lived for peace instead of war. They had their own planet. It was not attacked for the simple reason that attacking such creatures was beneath a warrior.

  Even these other creatures had proven themselves enough to deserve being attacked.

  Sub-leader's Xentar and Orshpa had both made comments on Ashota's manner and ways. They led the second and third fleets of Kalu's clans. They had proven themselves in battle and with their warriors.

  If Ashota continued acting as he was then Edvasho would have to lay him down with the silent clans.

  He shook his head clearing it of such dark thoughts.

  Growls and the sounds of hundreds of shifting armor plates against the noise of Star Warriors landing took Edvasho back to a time when he had landed on these planets so many generations ago.

  Now it is time that we taught these fools the might of the Kalu. He pressed a button, putting him into every helmet.

  “Today the second teaching war starts, we will show these creatures why the Union should have destroyed us. We will destroy them and all that follow them so that nothing but our own stories will show they existed. Are you with me my battle brothers?” Kalu let lose their war cries, shaking the Star Warriors. Edvasho felt battle hormones course through his veins, this is what he had lived for, all he had toiled for, bringing the clans together and forging them into an army of single purpose. To win against those that had thought them defeated.

  “Send them to the silent clans!” Edvasho yelled, leaping forward, taking the front as every Kalu raced after him.

  “Edvasho, Edvasho, Edvasho!” They cried.

  The younger primes grouped around him, the rest of the army doing all they could to gain the privilege of being the first in combat
.

  Edvasho felt free of his body, joy racing through him as he moved faster and faster. The primes bayed, honoured to be around a clan leader as able as he. The remainder of the clan's raced faster than Edvasho had ever seen any Clan before. He felt the pounding of their feet, shivers of excitement running through his body as they took a rise, coming into site of the enemy.

  Edvasho's hands flew under his chest, dual lasers rose above his shoulders. He fired, raking the front lines of the enemy. The lasers were weak at this distance, but soon that would change.

  The whines, whizzes, clacks and thumps of rail guns, beader, plasma, and rail cannons started, the leading units catching the heaviest of the fire.

  “Take the cover, use it to advance and take them with our jaws!” Edvasho barked, new bloodlust growls filled the air.

  Star Warriors were still skirting the enemy position, the enemy raked them as they descended. Making it to the ground was like passing through an initiation rite. Star Warriors landed a few kilometres away from the enemy, the same forward areas that had opened into the Free Fleet's ships now released Kalu on to the surface of Heija.

  Edvasho leapt sideways, skidding in the muck of the planet, a plasma bolt missing him as plasma that had split from the main bolt hit his armor, melting it.

  The weapons fire increased as he took cover behind a hill. A cannon raking against others that tried to get to the hill.

  “I will draw it off,” he said, running for another hill. Rounds hit his armor, making him more angry than scared.

  The cannon stayed focused on the last hill, he found the hill he ran to had another cannon covering it. He ran faster, trying to beat the rounds, he caught one in his back right leg. He skidded his working legs pushing on the ground and somehow getting him into cover. His suit went to repairing itself and the wound.

  “Come my brothers let us end these creatures! Bring more, we shall not stop until this planet is taken. This is indeed a great battle, bring down another Lord's worth!” Edvasho said, seeing that Clan lords were now vying for who would join the battle on the planet. A sneaky one dropped into the atmosphere before even his other people. Edvasho would reward them for their cunning and willingness to lead the charge.