Battle for Karnak (Star Crusades: Mercenaries, Book 4)

by Thomas, Michael G.

  Syala gave her sister a knowing look, and this time Arana moved a lot closer and brushed her lips against Spartan ear.

  "Maybe the three of us can get together sometime, and we'll put that theory to the test."

  Arana leaned back and gave him a knowing look. Spartan shook his head as though trying to clear a blocked ear, but when he looked at them, the two sisters were gone. He wondered if he'd imagined the entire thing. He even started to consider what the troublesome sister had said before finally exorcising it from his mind.

  Concentrate on the job, you fool.

  A quick glance at the timer in his visor showed how much time he had left. Like any experienced soldier, he quickly dozed, using any free time to rest his body before what was to come. Spartan rested so calmly he didn't even notice when the Jackal dropped fifty metres to the canyon floor, to avoid detection by yet another mountain-based scanning station. His mind wandered but kept coming back to Spascia, and that fateful last battle in the War, a battle he could not affect then or now.

  * * *

  City of Hyndla, Southern Depression

  The warm air mixed with the smell of burning to create an unpleasant environment. Commander Knaro crept along the side street, doing his best to keep hidden in the shadows. He was a pure-blooded Byotai, and one of few of the resistance to have any formal military training. Now forty-four years old, he'd been a junior officer in the Imperial Navy before retiring from service to come to Karnak. Like so many of his idealist comrades, he came to escape the crushing class system in the Empire, and to seek riches and adventure on the frontier.

  "Keep moving."

  The militia platoon continued to advance quietly through the outer city district. The density of buildings had already fallen considerably, and with each step, the level of danger increased. They made it another block and prepared to cross the dusty street when the crackle of gunfire stopped them in their tracks. They all dropped down, desperate to avoid being spotted, and then becoming yet another dead Byotai.

  "Are you sure we should be heading to the lower city limits?" Deputy Commander Krotox asked, "We've not been this far South in over two months. This is Red Scars territory."

  Commander Knaro shook his head.

  "Yes, we must keep going. All of the South is Red Scars territory now. All that we can do is try and take it back. Keep moving. You know the plan."

  Krotox and muttered to himself even as they stepped out onto the street. Now exposed, the platoon increased their pace and crossed the open space before moving into the final city block.

  "Okay, use any cover you can find, and get to the raised highway. Then stop and dig in."

  The other two squad commanders acknowledged and then led their units of ten fighters further South. Commander Knaro moved down a shallow ridge that ran alongside a narrow road with buildings along each side. In the distance lay the raised freeway, and then off to the South the distant open space. Clouds of dust obscured the few buildings in that part of the region and beyond. Out on the horizon, and impossible to see in these conditions, were the craggy hills. They surrounded the mines and refineries that had provided the employment to so many before the discovery of the riches in the North. That was generations ago, and these great industrial sites lay abandoned, until recently.

  Commander Knaro moved underneath the raised highway and towards one of the tall towers that lifted up into the sky to support the road system. An open doorway led into a narrow staircase, and he headed up, taking just Krotox with him.

  "Everybody else spread out and stay down. Wait for my command."

  The others scattered, ducking down behind walls or the few remaining vehicles that appeared to have been deserted for decades. It took a few seconds to climb up the tower and out onto the highway. From the ground level, it had looked in reasonable condition, but now that he was on top, he found it littered with debris, abandoned vehicles, and even the odd body. Off to the East an entire section had fallen down, probably from one of the many air attacks conducted by the Red Scars.

  "This way, Commander," said Krotox.

  The two Byotai crossed the narrow roadway to the low barrier on the Southern side. From there they had the perfect view of the wasteland and the road leading off to the South. Commander Knaro pointed in that direction.

  "Eighty kilometres that way is where they are coming from."

  Krotox shook his head for what must have been the tenth time.

  "Are you sure we can trust him?"

  Commander Knaro responded immediately.

  "The Major is one of the few Humans I would ever trust. If he says he's coming, then he is."

  * * *

  With a burst of flame, the Jackals banked around a short hill and then lowered into a sunken salt lake. The early morning light cast long shadows from the East as the formation of six Jackals swept in low over the dusty surface. The craft were faster than anything else in the Alliance inventory, and only the skill of the pilots, aided by the powerful navigational computer, allowed them to cruise so low at supersonic speeds. The craft rocked and shuddered as they blasted over the tops of mountains, and then dropped down into the deep valleys below. The spacecraft shuddered once more, and this time Spartan opened his eyes.

  Okay, enough rest, we'll be there soon.

  He tensed his muscles and rolled his head, making sure his body was loose and ready. Spartan waited patiently in his cradle harness that could hold him in place in a sitting position or fully upright when near a combat zone. He glanced across to the others. Lahok was trying desperately to find the perfect breastplate from the plastic crate on the left side of the craft. Syala was there and helped him pull on the clasps to check the size.

  "You want the smallest, lightest, and tightest fitting of the armour. That other piece was designed for a brute, not you," said Syala.

  Lahok had to wait for the translators on her armour. Once he understood, he nodded politely.

  "I'm not a soldier. I went for the most armour."

  Syala laughed.

  "Neither am I. But trust me..."

  She spotted Spartan, gave him a wink, and then continued to explain.

  "With the right size, you'll be able to move correctly. The best way to survive is to move quietly and discreetly. If you don't get shot, then you need not worry about the size of the armour."

  "Listen to the lady. She's right. Not getting shot is always preferable. Armour is a backup, nothing more."

  It wasn't entirely true, but it was what Spartan wanted Lahok to believe. There were plenty of occasions when he'd made no move to avoid gunfire, and some Alliance armour was designed specifically to do that job. Lahok didn't understand that, especially when he turned his attention to her complex and over engineered armour. It looked a little older than the gear worn by Major Spartan, yet it moved without making a sound. Lahok looked over towards Spartan and found the bearded man staring right back. He had an amused look on his face. Lahok looked away but found his attention locked onto the faces of Khan and his kin.

  "Problem?" Khan asked.

  Lahok gulped and then groaned as Syala pulled another strap. This time it dug the armour in tight to his flesh.

  "Yeah, that's more like it."

  Lahok tried to speak, gasped, and then finally said what he'd meant to at the start.

  "You've not told me the mission, or what it is we will be doing."

  Spartan's smiled faded to be replaced by his usual expressionless look.

  "We've got two months maximum to kick up a lot of noise in the South. By the end of the year, we need to have Nakoma in tears. And luckily for us, I've got a Kanjana."

  Lahok's bony brow tightened in confusion.

  "A what?"

  A shape lifted from the front of the craft and came towards him. She moved silently, effortlessly, and so perfectly that she might have been a machine. Instead of her usual civilian garb, she now wore similar armour to Lahok, presumably more equipment taken from the abandoned equipment of the Helions.


  "Yes, a Kanjana," she said in accent-less Byotai, "I've been in contact with some of your regional leaders for the last week. Sergeant Tyler's scouting party confirmed that what they were saying was true."

  Lahok still looked confused.

  "You knew we were fighting, and did nothing?"

  It took a second, but when the translators finally converted the words for Spartan, he deactivated his harness and moved towards Lahok. With his right hand, he pointed directly at the alien.

  "Don't take that tone with me, boy. While you were thinking about fighting, I was in the North, on the wall, and defending your city. Your city, not mine."

  His nostrils flared for a moment until Syala placed a hand on his arm. Spartan took a breath, whispered to her, and then chuckled. He looked back at the confused Lahok and tried to appear friendly, but it didn't really work with him. So he activated the Jackal's tactical planning tools and put a map on the wall.

  "Let me know what you think about this. Kanjana obtained the latest scans from her contacts in Hyndla."

  The unit showed the massive Southern Depression and then ten small, interconnected cities that ran along the top.

  "The best way to help you win this fight is to make governing the South impossible. With just Montu left under her control, this planet would be left untenable and too costly to hold."

  Lahok looked dumbfounded.

  "I...uh...I thought we were just here to cause trouble."

  Spartan sighed.

  "The best trouble is to actually cause trouble. Now, tell me. Are you familiar with the underground transport system, sewers, and drainage?"

  He pointed to the dotted lines on the map.

  "Yes, I know them and the old surface transit system as well. Most of it has been destroyed, but parts are useable."

  Khan seemed pleased to hear this part.

  "Good, very good."

  Spartan moved his hand to the left-most city and tapped an area off to the South. A narrow transit track ran on the surface to it and then vanished into a series of craggy hills.

  "We land in the abandoned underground city complex eighty kilometres to the South of Hyndla. Do you know this site?"

  Lahok thought about it for a second.

  "The Hyndla Deep Core Mine?

  "Yeah, that's the one. Our intel says it was housing for decades before being abandoned."

  Lahok looked upwards as he searched his memories for anything of use.

  "It is true. Long ago it was one of the early prospector mines, before the real finds were made in the North. More material is harvested at Melantias than every other mine on Karnak combined."

  "Yeah," said Spartan, "that's what the file says. And this mapping information, would you say it is accurate?"

  Lahok didn't take the secpad unit and merely shook his head.

  "I've never been to the mine. It was off limits when I arrived here due to partial collapse damage." He coughed and cleared his throat.

  "The Red Scars took it early when their first settlers arrived. We didn't even know they were there until a convoy driving nearby was stopped and searched. There are rumours they’ve turned it into a base. Our people never go near the place. It is connected to the underground Maglev system and very dangerous."

  Spartan's expression turned into a barely concealed smile. Khan snorted at the mention of the word.

  "Dangerous," he repeated, "I like the sound of this place already."

  "Exactly," said Spartan, "That's why our first job will be to take it."

  Spartan tapped Lahok's helmet.

  "See the mapping information?"

  It took a second before the Byotai saw and understood what he meant. Using the local networking, it was standard to share tactical data with all connected combat units. Spartan sent him the basic details of the area, based around a rotating three-dimensional schematic of the facility.

  "I've already got contacts with your people, and they confirm the facility is being used as a garrison base for the forces attacking your cities in the North of the Depression."

  The imagery shifted back to show the entire area on the surface. It was rocky and poorly suited to ground transport.

  "The geography makes it difficult to access, other than through the Maglev network, and all of that is controlled by the Red Scars."

  Spartan nodded as he listened to Lahok.

  "That's why we're going to take it from them.

  "But how? It says here there are more than a thousand clan warriors using the base."

  Spartan laughed and looked to Khan.

  "Tell me, old friend. How do you beat a stronger person?"

  Khan laughed before answering, knowing the joke only too well.

  "In the night, with a rock."

  Both laughed, but Lahok remained silent, stunned at the attitude towards such violence. By the time they finished, his face was calm and cool, waiting for their next attempt to trivialise the situation. Instead, Spartan placed a hand on his arm.

  "Son, at times like this you need to focus on the little things. Don't worry about what you can't change. We'll take the site, and we'll do it while the braves are off fighting."

  This piqued Lahok's interest.

  "Fighting?"

  "Yes. Are you familiar with the Byotai soldiers known as Knaro and another called Uktakki the Black?"

  Lahok’s face lit up instantly at hearing the names.

  "Of course. Knaro is the name we use for our resistance leader in the Northern sector of the city."

  Spartan's mouth opened into an even wider smile.

  "Well, my friend. This Commander Knaro survived the last battle; don't ask me how? Anyway, he's mobilised the 18th Platoon of the so called Hyndla Brigade."

  "And you have contacted Uktakki? We were told he died in Nakoma's last air attack."

  Spartan shrugged.

  "I've got Knaro and his 18th platoon in position, and Uktakki and his commandos have been in position for four hours now."

  Lahok watched the mapping data as several red flashes showed areas in the outskirts of the small city. One part, at the base of a hill showed four separate flashes above the long ruined city power station.

  "Knaro will provide the distraction in the city that we need, and I've arranged for a few friends led by Uktakki to help out."

  Lahok’s attention remained focused on the targets while Khan's smile changed. He knew the details of the plan and was as intrigued as Spartan in seeing how well this secretive Byotai unit would perform alongside Knaro and his militia.

  "Those are ore silos and industrial refinery buildings. They form the most Southerly point of the city. There is nothing further South until you reach..."

  "The Deep Core Mine," finished Spartan, "Yes, we know, just under eighty kilometres further South and behind this line of hills. This entire region is the operating base for the Red Scars pacifying your city."

  Lahok rubbed his left arm nervously. The closer they made it towards their objective, the more dangerous everything seemed. When he looked up, the two were looking back at him, waiting patiently.

  "The silos. Yes, well, before we used them for arms storage. Then came the attack from the sky," he said quietly.

  "Yes," said Spartan, "and according to Knaro, they are now used by Red Scars forces as a forward facility. Looks like they are deploying resources around the city for a major offensive. Sounds to me that we've arrived at just the right moment."

  Lahok did not look happy at that part.

  "Why? They've already crushed the revolt, and they have all the heavy equipment, weapons, and machinery needed to end this. Hyndla is just one city. There are nine more in the Depression."

  Spartan shook his head slowly.

  "They won, but only in conventional battle. We will not fight them as they want to be fought. This is asymmetric warfare, my friend. We fight to our strengths, not theirs. There are other forces in hiding, and that's where you come in."

  Lahok pointed to his chest.

&nb
sp; "Me? I'm not special, and I'm not a leader. If any of the militias remain, they will not listen to me. I left them in the middle of the battle."

  "Maybe not, but you are still a member of the 33rd, and part of the Byotai resistance. I need you as the link between our two sides. If this is going to work, they have to know they can trust me once we've established a base to operate from."

  There was a short pause as Spartan checked the time, but Lahok looked as lost as he'd ever been. The Humans looked tough, and their weapons were impressive, but each time he thought it might actually work, he recalled the reality of the fighting in the city.

  What could a few hundred do now?

  "I intend on making an example of the Red Scars in your city, and with that we will light a fire in the South, through all of the cities. We will provide leadership and motivation for the fight, and by God, we'll make it happen."

  "Hell, yeah!" Khan agreed.

  Spartan laughed to himself and then looked straight at Lahok, his intense eyes almost burning a hole into them.

  "Now. As agreed, Knaro and his allies will begin their attack in ninety minutes. It will be short, violent, and then they will melt away. Your people don't have the equipment or the training to do any more."

  Lahok looked disappointed as he said this.

  "But don't worry. A victory here, and they will soon have both!"

  Spartan licked his lips as he checked the timetable in his head.

  "Thirty minutes after they withdraw, we hit the Deep Core Mine from the air. You will come inside with me and stay close behind."

  Spartan leaned in close.

  "No heroics. Keep your head down and avoid the battle. My people will keep you safe. Just stay close and don't do anything stupid. Understood?"

  Lahok found his throat tight and closed up, so just nodded in the same way as the Humans.

  "Good, very good. Once we've invested the site, our aircraft will sweep back to the North and provide air support for Knaro and his troops. I won't leave them hanging at the end of this."

  Even though they were far from the battle, Spartan was already starting to enjoy himself.