by Cain Hopwood
The com pod squawked again, this time Colonel Whitfield heard it clearly, but it made no difference, he still didn’t understand it.
The admiral’s eye slits flared. “I do not care that they are centarch guards. I am in command and unless they are carrying the centarch, and he orders otherwise, they put down where they are ordered to.”
Something in the admiral’s demeanor put Colonel Whitfield on edge. He’d spent a lot of time studying the Ka-Li, trying to come to grips with their mannerisms and body language. The admiral was always confident, always sure, obviously in command. But now, he was shaken. Maybe it was because he was dealing with the centarch, and that meant the Ka-Li honor debt system came into play. There was much about the honor debt system that eluded the colonel. But whatever the cause, something had the admiral rattled. And that was unusual.
Colonel Whitfield caught the eye of the captain of the guard detail surrounding the Gaudin ship. With a couple of expressions, and hand signals, he managed to get across the idea that something was amiss.
Within seconds the captain had two men taking up positions using the ship’s ramp as cover, and another two had moved into the interior. A casual glance wouldn’t have noted any major change in the disposition of the guard. But, the colonel knew they were now on high alert.
Moments later a ship appeared high above the base, still glowing red with the heat of a crash atmospheric descent. It arrowed down, disregarding the usual approach patterns that flight operations enforced. It was moving fast, but at the last possible moment it flared, landing a short distance away.
For a few seconds the ship just sat on the ground, steaming and clinking as it cooled. It wasn’t a large ship, about the size of one of the medium lift regimental transport volantors. Still, it looked like it could hold twenty or more troops.
The admiral walked towards it, outpacing his guard detail. To the colonel’s eyes he did not look to be in a good mood.
Colonel Whitfield double tapped a tooth and lowered his voice to a whisper. “All squads, possible hostile air incursion. Prepare to provide fire support to the Gaudin ship guard detail and protect the admiral. Do not, I repeat, do not break concealment or initiate an engagement until the intent of possible hostiles is confirmed. This may be a false alarm.”
The admiral was half way to the new ship when his guard caught up. They were just in time too, as the ship’s hatch swung down with a bang, and Ka-Li troops flowed out like ants.
They were dressed differently to the admiral’s soldiers. These had red shiny harnesses and the addition of a helmet, also red. The helmet looked more ceremonial than functional, but as with other Galactic technology, looks could be deceiving.
Colonel Whitfield nearly jumped when his audio implant crackled.
“Moss here, operations roof, two sharpshooters. Designating targets.”
Somebody had the sense to switch the colonel’s datatacts to combat mode, and tags started appearing above the red harnessed Ka-Li.
“Bakowski here, Northern infirmary wall, two shooters.”
Moss’s reply was quick. “Copy Bakowski, take these two, the admiral is in your line of fire.”
“Moss, Gowlett here, Gaudin ship hold. We’ll take those, we have a better angle.”
“Copy Gowlett.”
His audio implant kept up a constant stream of chatter as one by one, and in groups, his men found firing positions, and were assigned targets. As this was occurring the red harnessed Ka-Li were fanning out, their movements looked practiced and professional, not what the colonel would have expected from ceremonial troops.
The moment they’d deployed another Ka-Li appeared at the hatch. But, as it stood imperiously surveying the scene, the colonel realized that it wasn’t a Ka-Li at all. It was, as they were, reptilian, but it was shorter, much more heavyset, and with a blunter snout. It also sported an even more elaborate harness than the other guards. There was no mistaking who was in charge.
The admiral pointed at the figure. “You. Have your troops return to the ship and proceed to its designated landing area.”
“Admiral, I am a captain of the centarch’s personal guard. You cannot order me about like one of your minions.”
“I know exactly who you are. But, you are on my base, and on my base, you obey my orders.”
“I disagree admiral. The only orders I obey are those the centarch issues me.”
“And what are they?”
“I am to escort you, and the prisoners, back to the centarch’s starship.”
“Why didn’t the centarch summon me himself? Why send you?”
“I don’t question my orders. But, I have them here inside if you wish to check them.”
“I’ll no more enter your ship than put my head in a kartak’s mouth.”
The figure turned to the trooper beside him and flicked a claw in the admiral’s direction. “Then we are at an impasse. My orders are clear.”
The admiral tensed. “Your orders are not to return with me.”
The guard captain’s voice took on a slippery tone. “You are very perceptive admiral. For a Ka-Li”.
— 47 —
Jon blinked, trying to get his datatacts to realign. Targeting glyphs were drifting up and down. He really should have switched them out before going to bed, but after sleeping rough for two weeks, all he could think of when he hit the sack was how soft, flat, and horizontal his cot would be.
Jon had only had a couple of hours of blissful unconsciousness, when his implant shocked him awake. He’d grabbed his rifle and was out the door in seconds. Murdoch and Peggy Sale were close behind. He boosted them onto the operations center roof before climbing up himself, leaving Skip to organize the rest of his squad.
He’d arrived just as the new ship started disgorging Ka-Li. It was a target rich environment, and as he had the best vantage to evaluate the situation, he’d coordinated the others as they’d found positions.
But, now things seemed to be at an impasse.
“Colonel, I can’t hear what’s happening, but we are ready to respond.”
“They’re arguing. Whatever happens, support the admiral.”
“Understood. Sir, if this comes to a firefight, you’re badly exposed. We’ve got this now. You can withdraw.”
“Negative Moss. They think the admiral’s guards are the only current threat. If I attract their attention, they could look further afield.”
Jon scanned the Ka-Li spread out around the recently arrived ship. The heat from the hull was playing havoc with the IR target tracking, so he switched to visual. That would all go to hell if a firefight started, but target tracking and designation would be pointless then anyway.
His tac-link crackled. “Bakowski to Moss. Looks like you’re the ranking officer. Are you going to call the attack? What are your orders?”
“We won’t have time for that,” Jon said. He scanned the Ka-Li, then zoomed in on the captain, who was still standing at the top of the ship’s ramp. “If something happens, it will happen fast. Your orders are to engage the moment you hear any weapons fire.”
Jon logged the order in the combat system. Within seconds the order —which was still hovering low in his HUD— was tagged with a cloud of confirmation glyphs.
They were ready for a fight.
The conversation between the admiral and the guard captain didn’t last long. The captain flicked an arm forward, ordering one of his guards into action.
One of the red harnessed Ka-Li stepped forward. But the admiral’s guards closed ranks. The Ka-Li stopped, then the captain barked an order.
Weapons snapped up, and before the admiral’s guards could react, the howl of flechette rifles rent the air. In a blur the admiral dived to one side as his guard detail crumpled to the ground.
But, Jon and the colonel’s troops were just as quick. A fusillade of shots hammered into the red harnessed guards. Jon centered his rifle’s reticle on the captain at the top of the ship’s ramp, and squeezed off three rounds in quick su
ccession. His target went down, but then got up again.
“They’ve got some kind of armor, or shields. Keep hitting them, give the admiral time to get away.”
“Mine aren’t getting up,” said Murdoch next to him.
“Headshots?” Jon asked as he put another two rounds into the captain. The red harnessed guards started to retreat back into the ship.
“Yup, and fifty cal. They’ll stop a rhino.”
Jon took his eye away from the scope to see what was happening. The colonel had his sidearm out, and was covering the admiral’s retreat beneath a hail of lead coming down from Jon’s position. They were making for the nearby Gaudin ship.
Murdoch’s Barrett was leaving a trail of Ka-Li bodies, but the rest of the guards seemed immune to the lighter 7.62 mm ARX-70 rounds. They stumbled and tripped as they took fire, but they were making an orderly retreat.
“Everyone, pair up, synchronize and concentrate fire,” Jon said.
He was turning to Skip when Bakowski came over the tac-link. “I’ve got a better idea Moss. Let’s see how they deal with this.”
The unmistakable roar of an RPG launch came from Bakowski’s position. She’d fired the grenade straight into the hatch of the guard’s ship. A moment later, fire, smoke and Ka-Li bodies blew out of the hatch.
“Those fuckers aren’t going anywhere now.”
The ground around the ship was littered with red harnessed Ka-Li bodies, but that didn’t seem to discourage the remaining guards. They turned and started firing on Bakowski’s position. Fortunately for Jon, exposed on the roof, they hadn’t seemed to notice Murdoch picking away at their numbers.
“Fire at me will you.” Bakowski said, and launched another RPG.
This time her aim point was the base of the ramp. The explosion rocked the ship on its skids, spraying the nearby Ka-Li guards with shrapnel. There was only a couple of Ka-Li left now. Jon considered calling a cease fire, but the few remaining Ka-Li continued hammering Bakowski’s position with flechette fire.
It was only a matter of time before the guards fell though. First one, then another of the Ka-Li dropped, as the concentrated fire from Bakowski’s and Jon’s men, broke through their protection.
Seconds later it was all over. Smoke was pouring out of the ship’s hatch, and none of the Ka-Li on the ground were moving. The last echoes of gunfire, and the roar of hypersonic flechettes, died away.
Jon’s tac-link crackled. “Good job Moss.”
“Well sir, I’d say Bakowski did the heavy lifting.”
“At least this time she had the sense to wait until we were clear before giving in to her base instincts.”
Bakowski’s unmistakable contralto butted in. “Sir, you always taught us that if you weren’t willing to shell your own positions, you weren’t truly committed.”
Jon frowned, there was nothing visible on the landing field but bodies and smoke. “Sir, where are you? Is the admiral okay? You two retreated under a lot of fire.”
Then a familiar figure appeared at the top of the Gaudin ship’s ramp, only to be shouldered to one side by the admiral.
“He’s here Moss. And if I’m reading my Ka-Li body language correctly, he’s not happy.”
— 48 —
Jon rubbed his eyes. He’d only had a few hours sleep since arriving back at base. Then, he’d been shocked awake, and had coordinated an impromptu firefight. But the buzz from combat was wearing off, and weeks of bad sleep were catching up with him.
Still, he’d run on worse, and for longer. Then though, he’d been out in the field. Here, just sitting at the colonel’s conference table with the others, he was having a hard time staying awake.
Bakowski rapped her knuckles on the table, snapping Jon out of a near doze. “What’s he doing now?”
The colonel turned to look out the window. “He’s still in the ship. I’m sure we’ll find out shortly what this is all about. Then you can get back to whatever you were doing, and Moss can get back to his bunk.”
Jon straightened in his chair. He thought he’d been covering his fatigue. “Sorry sir.”
“Don’t be sorry Moss, you’ve got more reason than most. You’ve had a hard couple of weeks. I don’t imagine that Bakowski left much to investigate in that ship, so the admiral will be back with us shortly.”
And they didn’t have long to wait. After poking around in the centarch’s guard’s ship for only a few minutes, Admiral Katona made a beeline for the operations center.
He started talking the moment he entered the briefing room. “That is a fine job your engineer did on the ship colonel. It’s not flight worthy.”
“Thank you sir,” said Bakowski.
“I don’t think the admiral intended that as a compliment,” The colonel said.
“No. We could have used that ship. Fortunately, there is the other one. I must strike before the centarch learns what has happened to the guards he dispatched.”
“What’s the target?” Colonel Whitfield asked in a suspicious voice.
“The centarch of course, he needs to be removed from his position before he can bring further dishonor to Stetlak.”
The colonel looked around the table. “Am I to assume that he will resist?”
“He will. But, as of now he doesn’t know whether I am alive or dead, so we have the element of surprise. The ship’s communication logs were empty, so the guard captain did not get a message back to him. But, it will not be long before the centarch assumes the worst. Colonel, assemble a team.”
The colonel put two hands flat on the table, and stood slowly. “Admiral, the centarch is your commanding officer. Is what you’re planning to do a mutinous act?”
The admiral stood a little straighter. “It is. But, it is more importantly a matter of honor. My path is clear.”
“But is ours?” The colonel said. “Participating in a failed coup may well remove any hope we have of ever getting back home. But, we are also representing our entire race here. Do humans want to be considered as opportunists who will turn on allies given the chance?”
The admiral’s eye slit nostrils flared briefly. “You make a serious point. But, consider how you are currently viewed. It is apparent now that the centarch never planned to annex your planet officially. He needed troops, and you were bought. I suspect that should he need troops again, he will do the same. Whether you have been returned or not, will not weigh heavily on your political lords and masters.”
The colonel’s face darkened. “I would like to disagree with you. But you are right, what you and he did back on earth, would work again.”
“Of course colonel. But, if you help me now. On my honor, I will return you to your planet. And furthermore I and Stetlak will be heavily in debt to you. I suspect that in the long run, such a debt will be more useful to you and yours, than the occasional technological crumbs that the centarch, and those who follow him, may throw your way.”
The colonel considered this for several seconds. “You make a good case. But, how do I know the truth of what you say?”
“There is no honor in untruths,” the admiral said in a haughty tone. “Any of my commanders would jump at this chance. It would elevate their lines beyond what they could hope to achieve through a normal life of service.”
“So why not ask them? They would also be much more familiar assaulting the centarch’s starship, than my men.”
“Quite simply, time colonel. You are here, we need to strike now. By the time they’ve finished arguing amongst themselves as to which of them has the most right to help, this opportunity will have long passed.”
“But, they would all jump at the chance?”
“Of course.”
A small smile escaped the corner of the colonel’s mouth. “I’ll assemble a squad. It won’t take long. Meanwhile summon your sergeant at arms. As long as he is willing to go, I am. Also, he’s very handy with one of your carbines.”
The admiral gave a slight bow. “You are cautious, I appreciate that. Do you want to
explain the situation to the sergeant yourself?”
“If you don’t mind.”
“Good.” The admiral flicked a claw into his com pod. “Contact sergeant Yomai, have him report to the human command center immediately.”
“Bakowski, Moss, prep a squad,” The colonel said. “Gritz is still out of action, so you’ll be short on heavy hitters. But see who you can scrounge up. You’ve got until the sergeant gets here to be ready, so look lively.”
“One more thing colonel.” Admiral Katona pointed out the window. “Have your men strip the harnesses and weapons from those guards, and load them on the Gaudin ship. We are going to need them. I will be in the cockpit, trying to work out how we’ll get past the outer pickets, and into the starship.”
With that, the admiral turned, and strode out of the briefing room.
Jon and Bakowski had spent a frantic five minutes first rounding up everyone they needed, and then getting the Ka-Li bodies stripped of weapons and harnesses. Sergeant Yomai arrived, and after a short discussion with the colonel, had decamped to the hold of the Gaudin ship to instruct Jon’s troops on how to get into the harnesses, and adjust them to fit.
“No, your leg goes through there. Haven’t you ever worn climbing gear?” Skip said. He sounded on the verge of laughter.
“Sure,” said Murdoch. “There’s mountains everywhere back home.”
“Really? I thought it was all just flat desert.”
There was a lengthy pause. “You have heard of sarcasm haven’t you? Ah what the fuck, just show me how I get this damn contraption on.”
Jon finished fastening his own harness, then went to help Murdoch. He was attaching the control nubs when a yell came from the cockpit.
“Moss, get in here,” yelled the colonel.
Jon sprinted up the companionway and into the cockpit.
“What’s up?” he asked, skidding to a stop.
The admiral, reclined in the forward most flight seat, swiveled his head to transfix Jon. “What have you done to this craft? It refuses to meld with me.”
