Kryski nodded solemnly.
“Besides, I think the dark will work to our favor,” Dag said.
They marched another three hours, only occasionally losing the trail and having to backtrack, before they saw fires burning in the distance. Every instinct Dag had wanted him to stop his force and take their time, scout the enemy location and determine their disposition before they attempted anything, but time was not a luxury they had. A few minutes later, they came upon a Dominion sentry who waved them through and followed into step beside them after Dag identified himself as Lieutenant Popov, brining prisoners back from Stonewater. So far, their disguises were holding as he led the Miravallians into the small camp.
Eight tents were set up around the bonfire in the center of the camp, but there were not many soldiers lounging about. Only five soldiers appeared to be on guard duty, and Dag felt slightly relieved. This was a small supply camp, an intermediate point from wherever the Dominion force had marched from and Stonewater. In the firelight, he could see many vehicles parked to the north of the camp and the single lane road vanishing off into the woods.
“Stay here,” one of the sentries said menacingly. “I’ll get the major and he can find appropriate accommodations for your rats here.”
The sentry vanished into one of the tents, and Dag whispered to the Miravallians, “Remember, we find the radio and then we get out of here.”
“Lieutenant Popov,” a man called as he stepped out of the tent and strode across the camp. “It’s good to see you again…”
“Gods,” Dag had time to whisper as the major’s voice trailed off as he saw Dag’s face in the firelight. It was clear that he knew Popov and more importantly knew that Dag was not he.
“Guards!” the major bellowed as Dag raised his weapon and opened fire.
The major and the sentry both went down in the first blaze of fire, and the firefight itself was rather short and anticlimactic considering everything else the Miraval militia had been through. The Dominion soldiers were disorganized and those who attempted to fight back were killed in the first few seconds of the fighting. The rest, about twenty in all and mostly men who had been sleeping and unarmed at the time of the attack, offered to surrender after two minutes of heavy fire raking their tents.
Dag had them all searched and then placed on their knees in the center of the camp. Most of them looked like they were afraid they were going to be shot execution-style, but Dag was not interested in retribution. He sent Logan through the camp and the jeeps to look for a radio and they were not disappointed. The constable found one in the major’s tent and brought it over to Dag.
He was not particularly familiar with the operation of a military radio, but it was easy enough to find the right channel that Beaurigar was using and depress the transmitter. “Curio Waltz One-Eight-One, come in,” he said. After waiting for a few moments and hearing only static, he repeated the phrase. “Curio Waltz One-Eight-One, this is Delito Agave Seven-Seven,” he tried again. “The High Castle in Ruins. Repeat. The High Castle in Ruins. Do you receive?”
Static was all they received.
“The hills in the area might be messing with the signal,” Kryski suggested. “If we get to higher ground…”
“It will take too long,” Dag said as he dropped the transmitter in annoyance and stared angrily toward the Dominion prisoners.
“Now what?” Aria whispered.
“I don’t know,” Dag replied. “We could try to get across the river and join up with the Miravallian army.”
“I meant about the Crest,” she said insistently.
“This was the last idea I had,” Dag replied, his shoulders slumping.
“So, we give up on my father, on your brother,” she said, her hands firmly planted on her hips.
“You think I want to,” he countered angrily, before gently placing his hands on her shoulders. “I don’t know what else we can do.”
“Lieutenant,” Markov called from where he stood guard over the prisoners. “I know how we can get the signal higher.”
Dag and Aria both stalked over to Markov and the former said, “What do you mean?”
With a grin, Markov bent down to one of the prisoners and pointed to the eagle wings on the sleeve of the man’s uniform. “He’s in the Skyfleet,” he said. “These men came from an airship.”
Dag suddenly realized what Markov intended and he could not help the savage grin from crossing his face. “And this one is going to tell us where this airship is, isn’t he?” he asked as he stared maliciously down at the prisoner.
25
Thirty minutes later, the Miravallian force was spread across two jeeps and a large truck, heading at a breakneck speed through the woods. The lead jeep was being driven by Kryski with Markov in the front seat in the gunner position and Aria and Dag in the rear. The second jeep was given over to the Craven Bluffs militia, and the covered truck was driven by Logan and Kayleigh with all of the Dommie prisoners bound and gagged in the back. They had been stripped of their uniforms, and all of the Miravallian militiamen wore confiscated Dommie camos that were not covered in blood and bullet holes.
“You’re sure we can do this,” Dag asked Markov.
“Sure? No,” he replied as he tugged at his ill-fitting Skyfleet uniform. “Do we have another choice?”
Dag supposed they did not. The interrogation of the prisoners had gone easily once they started in on the Skyfleet personnel. They apparently were not used to violence in the same way the infantry was, and only the threat of force was required to get them talking. There were three airships that had come down from Highskye and had been left in the Godly River. All were crewed, and there was a sizeable encampment around the banks of the river, but the ships themselves were capable of being run with a minimal crew.
Markov felt confident that if they could get their way on board one of the airships that they could commandeer it and that he could pilot it. Hoping he was correct, Dag had ordered the Dominion prisoners stripped and gagged, so that they could be made to look like Miravallian prisoners. The Dominion camp was destroyed and the rest of jeeps were set on fire. Even if they failed in their endeavor, maybe their efforts would result in the Dominion supply line being disrupted, Dag had thought.
Dag tried going through the plan in his head, but fatigue pulled at him mercilessly and he eventually succumbed to sleep, resting his head on Aria’s shoulder, who had already nodded off. He awoke once in the middle of the night after Markov and Kryski had pulled over to refill the diesel tank with aura fuel and switch driving positions so Kryski could get some sleep.
“Status?” Dag managed to ask.
“Still in the woods, a few hours from sun up,” Markov said as he stifled a yawn.
“Do you want me to drive?” he followed.
“You were wounded, sir,” he replied. “You need the rest more than we do.”
Dag wanted to protest, but he fell asleep again and did not wake until the sun was in a mid-morning position and the forest had vanished from around them. The road had widened to two lanes and the Godly River was visible in the distance to their left. Aria was stirring as well as they passed through a small town that appeared to have been abandoned. Either that or all the residents were hiding, Dag thought to himself. Aria gave him a sleepy smile as she awoke, and Dag gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
“Good morning, sir,” Kryski said. He was back behind the wheel. Apparently, he had slept through another driver switch. Markov was sleeping and snoring quietly in the passenger seat.
“Morning,” Dag replied. “Any enemy contact?”
“Negative, sir,” Kryski replied. “This was the third village we’ve passed through and none of them were secured.”
“Dommies were in a hurry to get to the Crest,” Aria observed.
“If they control Highskye and Carriage Cross, they basically control everything on this side of the river,” Dag said. “Everything except the southern Crest,” he added with a tone of apprehension.
> “We’ll warn them in time, sir…” Kryski said, but his voice trailed off as the road turned toward the river and he saw several large dark gray objects bobbing in the river in the distance. “What in the name of the gods?” he demanded in awe. “Markov. Markov, wake up,” he said as he elbowed the former Dommie Skyfleet engineer.
“What the hell?” Markov demanded, but Kryski did not answer.
Dag and Aria had also been stunned into silence by what they were seeing.
“Gods, they actually did it,” Markov muttered. “I never would have thought it possible.”
The three airships sat at anchor in the river, but they were not the traditional wooden hulled aircraft kept aloft by hot air and large lifting balloons. These were steel monstrosities, gargantuan vessels that looked like colossal winged tanks, Dag thought, for lack of a better description. A dozen mortar cannons and rocket batteries stuck out from the triangular hull, underneath where the wings connected.
“How can such a thing fly?” Dag wondered aloud.
“Aura diesel powered turbines,” Markov answered. “Looks like the corvette-class prototypes I worked on. They were still just specs on a chalkboard when I left the Skyfleet…”
“You can still fly one, right?” Dag demanded as they approached a checkpoint where the Dommies had set up a defensive perimeter of sandbags and trenches around the harbor.
“In theory,” Markov answered.
“Wonderful,” Dag replied, throwing a look to Aria as he did so.
“Too late to turn back now,” she replied with a wry grin.
Their small motorcade was brought to a stop as they approached the Dominion checkpoint, and Kryski rolled down the window to greet the soldier who approached the vehicle. “Private,” the soldier acknowledged, looking down at the ranking on Kryski’s uniform. “What brings you back?”
“Transporting prisoners from Stonewater,” Kryski answered. “We’ve been ordered to transport them back to Highskye for execution.”
“That seems… irregular,” the soldier said.
Dag leaded forward between the two front seats, making sure that his officer uniform was clearly visible. “These prisoners are responsible for the destruction of Belten’s Bridge,” he said. “They are terrorists, and we’re going to make an example of them.”
The Dommie smiled slightly and said, “Very good, major.”
“We’ll be taking command of the Intrepid,” Markov added. “See to it that any non-essential personnel are evacuated from the vessel.”
“Sir?” the Dommie asked.
“Maintaining the bridgehead here is essential to keeping our troops in Stonewater supplied,” Dag said, trying to think quickly. “Highskye is well-garrisoned, and the airship can be run on a minimal crew. You’ll need more personnel here if the rats try to swim across the river or if there are any militia hiding in the area.”
“Yes, sir,” the soldier said as he saluted and signaled for his fellow guards to move the portable barricade they had placed over the road.
As Kryski depressed the accelerator and they headed into the camp, Dag could see the guard get on the radio and start speaking into it quickly. He hoped that the soldier was relaying their orders and not advising his superiors that intruders had made their way into the base. They proceeded without incident though, wending their way around a barracks that had been set up, supply tents, and other vehicles until they at last arrived at the river. Kryski parked the jeep at the far end of the bank where the Intrepid was moored. Skyfleet officers and marines were filing down the long retractable gangplank that went from the shore to the Intrepid or were roping in from drop points high on the wing that overhung the shore. Once on dry land, the men evacuating the ship headed off for the center of the camp. So far, their deceit seemed to be working, Dag thought to himself as he got out of the jeep.
The second jeep and the covered truck parked next to them and Aria joined Dag, but her eyes were affixed to the massive wing that was blocking out the sky above them. Her hair had been pulled back behind her head and tucked underneath a camouflage hat, and she was wearing a loose-fitting uniform to hide her curves. Kayleigh and Gemma, one of the Craven Bluffs militiamen, had been forced to do the same thing as the Dominion did not allow women to serve in the military.
“Amazing,” Aria whispered as she continued staring up to one of the giant turbines that made flight possible for the giant airship.
“Remember, you’ve seen one of these before,” Dag whispered. “Try not to be too awestruck.”
The Miravallians started pulling out their Dominion prisoners, still gagged and in their undershirts and shorts, and ordering them into a line at gunpoint. One of the airship’s officers was marching over toward the prisoners and several of the Dommies were attempting to speak, despite the gags in their mouth, as he approached.
“I said silence,” Logan growled as he rammed the butt of his machine gun into the groin of one of the louder gagged men. He then pulled a pistol and pointed it at the head of one of the Dommies before saying, “If another one of you so much as breathes too loudly, I’m shooting all of you, understood?”
The Skyfleet officer seemed slightly perturbed by this use of force, but he said nothing about it as he drew himself up to attention and saluted Dag. “Lieutenant Commander Petrovich, sir,” he announced.
Dag returned the salute. “Major Solitzin,” he responded as he steered the commander back toward the ship with Markov in step behind him. “I trust you’ve been briefed.”
“By the gate guard, yes,” he responded. “We’re still off-loading non-essential personnel.”
“How long?” Dag demanded.
“Ten minutes at most,” he replied.
“Very well,” Dag said as he came to a stop at the gangway, which still had Dominion forces walking out of the airship. “I want the prisoners secured immediately and the ship made ready to depart, then I need to speak to the entire crew.”
“I’ll take you to the conn as soon as you’re ready,” Petrovich said. “You can use the internal comm system to make an announcement.”
“This needs to be in person, commander,” Dag responded.
“Sir?” he asked.
Dag looked down at the commander, his eyes narrowing. “I have my orders, commander,” he said. “Are you asking me not to carry them out?”
“No, sir,” Petrovich responded nervously. “I can have the crew assemble in the troop exodus.”
“Good enough,” Dag said as he had to suppress a smile.
A military’s ability to follow orders without question was generally an admirable trait, but it also tended to make infiltration just a little bit easier. At least, that was how it worked in the movies he had seen. He watched the procession until the last of the long line of Dommies finished exiting the Intrepid and he waved forward Logan and the other militiamen. Their prisoners were shoved forward, before being led up the gangplank by Commander Petrovich, Dag and Markov.
Once they were inside the ship, Dag had to force himself not to look around in awe at what he was seeing. They had entered a long corridor that ran the length of the ship, ending in large pistons that looked like they controlled invasion doors- openings large enough for hundreds of troops to storm through. The area was full of bunks, weapons caches, exercise areas and what looked like proving grounds. The whole bottom level of the airship was a troop transport and training area. Now, they knew how the Dominion had gotten so many troops down from Highskye so quickly.
“If you’ll remain here, major, I’ll see to the prisoners,” Petrovich said as he was joined by four Skyfleet marines.
“Of course,” Dag answered. “Corporal Kovich and Private Straven will accompany you,” he added, indicating Logan and Jameson, one of the Craven Bluffs militiamen.
“I assure you that our marines our more than capable-” Petrovich began, but Dag waved away his protests.
“No one is to talk to these prisoners without clearance from me, and no one is to be in their proximi
ty,” Dag said. “They are high value prisoners and I will entrust their imprisonment to my people and my people only.”
“Very well,” Petrovich said quietly. “I will escort your men to the brig and then will advise Captain Klitchko that you wish to assemble the crew, major.”
“Proceed, commander,” Dag said.
Twenty minutes later, an angry looking red-faced man was striding across the exodus deck toward Dag, moving through the assembled Skyfleet men who were chatting with each other in low voices. He had the air of someone who was not used to being given orders on his own ship, and Dag presumed that he was the captain. He carried a rapier and a pistol on his belt, but based on his general rotundity, Dag would have guessed that it was a while since he had been in a fight.
“You are Major Solitzin?” the captain asked as he drew himself up to attention and saluted.
“I am,” Dag responded, returning the salute.
“Captain Klitchko,” he introduced curtly as he sized up Dag. Considering Dag’s youth and the subtle look of umbrage on the face of Klitchko, Dag was confident in assuming that the captain thought he was dealing with the son of a nobleman, whose connections had promoted him through the ranks faster than his merit demanded. When he spoke again, Klitchko had tossed aside any pretense of respect to his rank. “Major, I’m not accustomed to allowing upstart officers to take control of my command,” he said with a sneer. “Now, I demand to know what is going on.”
“Are all of your crew present?” Dag asked, pretending to ignore Koenig’s outrage.
“Yes…sir,” the captain managed.
“Call them into formation,” Dag said. “Then I will explain our orders.”
Nodding brusquely, the captain turned about and locked his arms behind his back. “Crew to attention,” he said in a loud, clear voice. “Fall in!”
As the crewmen of the Intrepid raced into formation, Markov strode across the deck and approached Dag. “Is the ship secure?” Dag asked him once they exchanged salutes.
Guerrilla (The Invasion of Miraval Book 2) Page 13
