Koban 4: Shattered Worlds

by Stephen W Bennett

  Dillon asked, “If a thousand of them have just arrived at K1, and roughly another fifteen hundred will come from New Dublin, how many total does Tet figure will be at K1? There were ships at every clan dome I’m certain.”

  “Lebeau counted over thirteen hundred additional clanships, most on the ground, but a couple of hundred ships are constantly in orbit, which the navy says has doubled in the last two weeks. The five surviving old Malveran designed orbital weapons platforms each have a clanship or two docked there, so they are apparently being staffed by warriors during the invasion preparation, possibly to improve their slow targeting response time the navy saw from them previously, when they were remotely controlled. Each platform has multiple other clanships nearby to protect the big slow moving tubs with their giant plasma cannons. No doubt, there are more of those single ships aboard them with event horizon projectors placed in their noses. The Krall have taken precautions in advance of their fleet’s arrival, but they don’t behave as if they expect an attack. They are simply protecting their defensive assets better than before.”

  Dillon did the math. “Roughly three thousand eight hundred fifty clanships against about eleven hundred sixty of our combined forces, if I count the Shadows. They’ll have better than a three to one advantage. I suppose that gives us a target rich environment.”

  “Tet says Chatsworth will let the first wave of clanships land and load up without taking any offensive action. They’ll be slower to maneuver even if they do lift off, and she told Mauss that she’s gambling they would stay in orbit at K1 anyway. A multistep liftoff is likely, when a tarmac at domes with the largest stores of equipment becomes over crowded with clanships. They surely want the entire fleet gathered to hit their new target all together, as they have done previously. Doing it that way, the PU couldn’t start moving forces to counter staggered arrivals. They like to be established on the ground well before the army and navy can react in force.”

  “So the navy wants the Krall fleet nearly all gathered at K1, and most of them heavy loaded before they strike. Good.” Sarge grunted his trained ambusher’s approval. Yet he was incapable of fully approving anything planned by the navy.

  “However, that’s only telling us what the navy plans to do. What about our motley unwashed group, which they have so far kept separate and away from their highly organized fleet, with its spit polished boots, and well-washed butts. When the hell do we get into the act?”

  Noreen beat Maggi to the quip. “Good question, from one of the motely unwashed butts.”

  Reynolds joined in the laughter at his expense, in appreciation of her fast comeback remark. “Are we hitting Krall elements on our own?”

  “The qualified answer to that is yes, sometimes, and maybe. We might even be firing the first shots if we get caught sneaking into their party.”

  “There you go,” he responded with enthusiasm. “Tell us about the sneaky part. That’s always my favorite method with those bastards. They can be such suckers. Are we going in stealthed again?”

  Noreen winked. “You heard of a wolf in sheep’s clothing? Well something more like that.”

  “Wait,” Dillon butted in. “Who’s the sheep?”

  “We’re Kobani, knuckle head.” Maggi reminded him. “We’re the new wolves in this galaxy.”

  ****

  “He is an insect brained meat animal.” Telour snarled. “The Joint Council approved the clanship distribution plan that I proposed. There would be more efficient loading than we had at Poldark if my plan is followed. Droktor has ordered Tanga clanships to land only at their four domes for loading, disregarding how I had assigned two hundred fifty six of their clanships to land at other domes, and assigned different clans to some of Tanga’s tarmacs. Now the congestion on their tarmacs will slow the loading and launch. They will have too many ships devoted to the task for the initial loading. It would be better divided into the waves I proposed.”

  The personal insult, spoken in a small mixed assembly of sub leaders in a side chamber, at least wasn’t uttered in the more crowded central great hall. It might have prompted instant death challenges if heard by any Tanga clan sub leader. A Tor Gatrol could honorably refuse such a challenge, but doing so multiple times would cause some to question his leadership. Even a sub leader from a different clan, resentful of Telour’s ascension to Tor Gatrol, still might carry the words to the Tanga clan leader.

  The comment wasn’t as reckless as it first seemed, however, because Telour knew that all of Tanga clan’s council representatives had left the great dome. They had traveled to their home four dome cluster, to participate in the massive loading project of vital equipment, where that Great clan had used its influence for over an orbit to gather the mass of equipment on their tarmacs. However, Telour’s staff would find themselves busy today, offering expanded invasion responsibilities to other clans to keep them quiet and pacified.

  The leader of Telour’s own Graka clan was of course present, and quietly offered a word of advice to his furious and intemperate clan mate. “You indirectly caused this insolence, Telour. Gatlek Bendor, who you named to lead this invasion force, has made Dorbo clan our ally once again, after Kanpardi angered them in the past. However, Droktor wanted to lead this invasion himself.”

  Telour gave his reasons for that selection. “Clan Leader, would choosing him have made Tanga clan our ally now, after we took the honor of starting this war from them many orbits ago?”

  “No. However, another slight of their honor should have been expected to produce such a response. Most of the clanships under Tanga control could have been left for the second or third wave sent from New Dublin, with other clans filling their tarmacs and loading their stores of equipment before they even arrived. They would have had no choice but to better distribute their ships when their tarmacs were nearly empty.”

  Because he was speaking in private with Fradot, the leader of his home clan, Telour could make an admission. “I allowed Gatlek Pendor to select the clanships to send back first. I expected him to choose in a manner that benefitted me, because I selected him to lead that invasion. He may have been bribed by Tanga clan to send all of their craft first. I did not anticipate his action.”

  “In your new position, many clans will have reasons to make agreements that benefit them at an expense to your new high status and to diminish the status your promotion grants to our clan. Perhaps even your own second in command could do this, for a hoped for advancement.”

  This drew a sharp look from Telour. Is Fradot suggesting I beware the ambitions of my own staff? As Kanpardi should have been wary of me, of course.

  Fradot suspected Telour had a role in Kanpardi’s death, but didn’t know for sure. There was no way that Pendor could survive an admission he had conspired with Telour to kill Kanpardi, nor could Telour survive that revelation either. However, such interclan intrigue was no stranger to any clan leader.

  Telour paused several seconds in thought. Reflecting deep introspection for a Krall’s normal fast decision-making processes. “The nearly eight hundred Tanga ships in the first wave will have room left in many of them, even after loading the bulkier equipment such as the heavy transports. Instead of filling the transports with food and ammunition supplies as usual, I will instead send many of the warriors we are taking to New Glasgow. Some will fill the empty ships, but I will send others to ride within the detached transport segments, which now will not be packed with pallets of food and arms.” He liked this for more than one reason.

  “Tanga will have to select which of the small clan’s warriors will fill the heavy transport compartments in crowded conditions, which will not please those that are forced to travel there. Because access to toilet facilities on lower decks will be blocked by the heavy equipment, the smell in those ships will greatly enhance the experience. And they will grow hungry and resentful if Tanga does not bring them the rations I will have stored on other clanships, located well away from them.”

  Fradot snorted his humor, and join
ed in the spirit of irritating Tanga clan. “The fresh Raspani field rations that normally fill the transports can go to the clanships of the smaller clans that provided the warriors you send to Tanga. Many of their warriors can also fit inside Tanga clanships loaded with mini tanks and plasma cannons. Send all of the field rations, small arms and power packs to the small clans to carry. This is a defensible change in loading Tanga ships, which you can claim was needed because Droktor did not follow your more efficient distribution of clanships.”

  Sharing that snort of humor, Telour was relishing the vision of the crowded conditions he was about to create for Droktor, who would have to explain his decisions to the small clans. Those clans always believed that Great or Major clans treated them badly, and Tanga would find future votes from some small clans in the council going elsewhere. Unless, of course, they were a finger clan of Tanga, and owed their parent clan for their start. Telour would have his aides make certain that none of the small clans sent to fill Tanga clanships were their own offshoots, who would be unlikely to complain.

  It was good to be the Tor, he reflected.

  ****

  Mirikami was holding a briefing session with many of his captains. He started by using the briefcase size circuitry of the next generation Comtap chip, to transmit a message for them to enter a Jump hole, if able, at a specified time for a conference. They could receive that message even if they were in Normal Space. The ships he was placing under overall control of Admiral Mauss had completed their shakedown runs on simulated K1 missions to a dead planet in this uninhabited star system. It was time to pull them together.

  At the appointed time, using his currently standard Comtap, he thought of the group link address he’d created for the other hundred twelve captains, and his Mind Tap senses felt that most of them were waiting for him. Some may have been unable to Jump at the time specified, which was why he’d ask a ship to linger in a Jump Hole to relay his information to them. The new Comtap chip for long-range reach in Normal Space use couldn’t come soon enough for him. Odd how amazing new technology, like the first Comtap chips, so quickly proved to be less than what you really wanted.

  “Captains, I won’t acknowledge each of you now, but if you have questions after this briefing, I’ve asked Noreen to stay in her Jump Hole for passing this briefing on to late arrivals, and she can relay any of your questions to me afterwards. I’ll contact you individually when I can.” They were still working out the details of this method of group communication.

  “Ten of you will be receiving the new type of navy missile, the Novas which Admiral Mauss told us about, having Jump capability and a simple AI system for control. They just arrived on a navy carrier, the Ambrose, and you’ll receive them here in our training system. These are each large enough devices that one will nearly fill your main hold, so you get one apiece. I’ll specify who will receive them after you all form up around the Mark, and I’ll designate the specific five targets at K1.

  “Fifty ships will become mini space plane carriers, with Shadow fighters parked in your holds. They also arrived on the Ambrose, with our pilots fresh from the Poldark action. They’re going all the way down to K1 with some of you. If deployed on an atmospheric mission, they’ll be expected to use their stealth when finished, and sneak back into space on Normal Space drive. There they’ll be retrieved by us from high orbit.

  “You all will follow the plan Mauss laid out to us, minimizing our risk of friendly fire when the navy arrives and the mass shooting starts. We will be inside the richest target density areas of any of the fleet elements, due to close proximity with the enemy. However, our poppers should have a significant impact at four of our domes, creating considerable confusion and chaos.”

  He was using the term popper, which Thad had named the Raspani built surprises they’d left behind on their previous scouting mission to K1. Smaller than a hand, they had a destructive potential that went well beyond their small size, provided the usual Krall energy wastefulness continued. They’d know soon.

  “Our ships go in first and if detected early, then you might have to start the shooting yourselves, and then I’ll use that Comtap case I called you with earlier, and notify the navy units sitting in Normal Space to Jump in-system immediately, to initiate their attack.”

  “The ten ships receiving the Jump capable Novas will be briefed on their operation. Five of you will launch them just before the navy makes their first White Out at K1. No sooner than that, not even if our ships are in a firefight down below. When those vital primary target orbital platforms are destroyed, the second five ships will have latitude to select targets of opportunity. However, don’t risk hitting any target close to a friendly. These Novas make a hell of an explosion.

  “As discussed in our practice landing sessions over the last two days, all of you will Jump into the K1 system from the local Oort cloud, initially waiting at a safe one thousand Astronomical Unit position where Admiral Mauss recommended. Coming from the direction of New Dublin, your White Outs at K1 will appear to be part of the second influx of a thousand or so clanships coming from there.

  “The ten ships with the Novas will enter the system at the same time with the rest of you, but they will be stealthed and will remain that way in a thousand mile orbit until instructed to launch their missiles. We think that in the flurry of arrivals, those ten ships that aren’t seen will go unnoticed by the Krall. They won’t activate the new IFF systems until just before the navy ships arrive, and will have made the first five missile launches by then anyway. It’s probable the Krall will detect the IFF signals and know where you are if you activate too soon. If you start shooting, they’ll know anyway and so will the navy, so turn IFF on so the good guys won’t target you.

  “The rest of you don’t need to activate IFF until you have to lift off, either for atmospheric flight, or for reaching orbit. The Navy knows where we intend to land and won’t shoot there.”

  He paused only a few seconds. Letting their wolfbat memories perfectly absorb every word he’d said.

  “Our one hundred landers will stagger their entry into the K1 system in a ragged exit pattern, similar to what we saw happen with the first thousand clanship arrivals. You will come out unstealthed, sending the landing code for the four domes we have selected for our part of the attack, and fly right to them, wherever they happen to be as the planet rotates. Remember, we are mimicking the Krall flying techniques so you should blend right in with the milling crowd. Divide into the four sets of twenty-five ships we planned and land at your designated dome. Assuming you aren’t noticed be ready to shoot when I give the word the navy is on the verge of a White Out. That should follow within minutes after you’re down.

  “When our watchdog ship sees the Krall clanship arrivals starting, you all will be told to Jump inbound to K1. That should be spread out over about sixty seconds of arrivals, right about in the middle of when a burst of clanships should normally get there. The Mark of Koban will be that watchdog, and I’ll be there at least two hours before the best estimate of the earliest Krall arrivals from New Dublin. Your safe landings are the key for me to tell the navy to initiate their Jumps into K1 for their five fleet elements. Task Forces 1 through 5 will be stationed at five thousand AU’s.

  “I’ll send that information from my orbital location via the Comtap in-a-box, telling our people on the navy ships, to flag the AI’s to coordinate their simultaneous group Jumps. Unlike us, they won’t use that scattered seat-of-the-pants Krall flying crap, and they’ll all White Out in formation right over their target domes, shooting as they exit.”

  They already knew they would be Jumping to the K1 Oort cloud tomorrow, with a three-day travel time. The five navy task forces, two hundred ships each, were also leaving tomorrow. The large numbers of White Out gamma rays would eventually be seen at K1, coming from the Oort cloud, but not until the attack was long over. The time of travel for the gamma rays from a thousand AUs was roughly five and three quarter days for the Kobani ships, and the navy
would be even farther out than that.

  “Unless there are questions I didn’t answer for you, I won’t speak with most of you until we Jump to K1’s Oort cloud. I’ll talk with you again while we’re enroute in Tachyon Space.”

  ****

  Fleet Admiral Chatsworth was incredulous. “Golda, you really aren’t transferring to Mirikami’s ship are you? When he Jumps early, close in by K1, you’ll be leaving Lancers’ armor and firepower for what is, after all, only a clanship. You’ll be out of contact with your AI.”

  “Lela, one of Mirikami’s people is already on the Lancer as my com relay, and Mirikami can send messages to her with that prototype Comtap in-a-box to my XO, even while orbiting K1 in Normal Space. That transmission is undetectable, and the stealth we all use now, thanks to his alien allies, is invisible to Krall sensors at most frequencies. It’s as safe as you’ll be in the Sword, since you moved your flag from the Invincible. All I’d be doing on Lancer is sitting in my acceleration suit and directing the AI in strategy decisions. The Mark has some of our acceleration suits on a multi species deck, and one for me has been placed on his Bridge if we need to maneuver.

  “Besides, a battleship like Lancer, isolated from the protection of his hundred ships on the ground would be a prime target if they solve the detection problem for our new stealth. Mirikami says individual K’Tals have figured it out previously, but they didn’t live to tell others. Besides, Lancer damn well can’t Jump in to K1 with the Mark unnoticed, because of its gigantic gamma ray burst. His spectrum will look like one of theirs, and won’t attract the same attention. If I’m focusing on helping him fight his ships in an unorthodox manner, and coordinating with your fleet elements, I want to be where I know what’s going on as soon as possible.”