The Empire's Corps: Book 04 - Semper Fi

by Christopher Nuttall

  ***

  Jasmine threw a grenade into the next room, waited for it to detonate, then ran forward into the blast. Several guards were dead or badly injured; the remainder trying desperately to organise a resistance before she shot them down. Blake and Carl moved past her, weapons at the ready, then jumped into the next room. The floor shook again as their grenades cleared out another nest of guards. And suddenly the gunfire died away.

  “Upwards,” Jasmine snapped, knowing that they had to keep moving. It hadn't been difficult to deduce Admiral Singh’s escape plan, not when an Imperial Navy officer would be happier in space than on the ground. She had a shuttle and a way to reach it; the Marines had to cut her off before she made it out into space. “Hurry!”

  The stairwell wasn't booby-trapped, an odd oversight. If Jasmine had been commanding the Admiral’s bodyguard, she would have made sure to leave some booby-traps behind, just to slow up the pursuit. But then, all the signs were that the Admiral had been taken by surprise and there hadn't been time to organise a proper resistance. The Marines moved up the stairs as fast as they dared, keeping a careful eye out for unpleasant surprises. Admiral Singh’s bodyguards might just have decided to lay traps at the end of their flight.

  She heard the sound of the shuttle powering up in the distance and threw caution to the winds, running up the stairs as fast as she could. Blake and Carl followed her, frantically waving to the others to stay back. If there was a trap, there was no point in sending the entire platoon into it. She kept running until she ran right into the shuttlebay ... and swore out loud as she saw the shuttle lifting off the ground and heading upwards.

  “Hellfire,” Blake said. “We need an HVM ...”

  Jasmine lifted her rifle, switched to rapid-fire and sprayed the shuttle with bullets. It was a gamble; it was unlikely that an assault shuttle would even be slowed by such an attack. She cursed as she realised that the attack had failed; Admiral Singh, not even bothering to avenge herself by firing on the Governor’s Mansion, was heading up into orbit. And once she was there ...

  “Call the HVM teams,” Blake snapped. “There has to be someone in position!”

  “There isn't,” Jasmine said, grimly. They should have carried the weapons – they would have, if they’d had the luxury of proper tools – but they’d only had a few of them. She’d issued the ones they did have to the teams attacking the Admiral’s air bases. “Call Mandy – tell her ... tell her that she has to shoot the Admiral down.”

  But she already knew that it would be futile. Defence Station II was not in a position to hit the shuttle, unless Admiral Singh altered course radically. And she wouldn't, not if she realised that the Defence Station was under enemy control. She’d just head out towards her fleet and join up with the battleships. And then ...

  Jasmine glared up after the shuttle, knowing that they’d failed. Admiral Singh had escaped.

  And the only card they had left to play was left was a single desperate gamble.

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Lacking any kind of legitimacy, she was forced to resort to darker means to keep control. Her senior officers were forced to surrender hostages to ensure their loyalty; her junior officers and civilians were kept in line through fear. It was the rule of the Strong in its purest form.

  -Professor Leo Caesius, Authority, Power and the Post-Imperial Era

  “Log into the orbital datanet,” Rani ordered. “Show me who’s in command.”

  She scowled as the display updated. Two of the Defence Stations seemed to have fallen out of the datanet, which meant ... what? Were they disloyal or had their COs realised that the datanet was compromised? There were brief reports of fighting on the orbital industrial nodes, enough for her to realise that she was facing a very determined opponent. They’d taken the planet, at least one of the defence stations and most of the industrial nodes. The ones they hadn't taken would be under the guns of the automated weapons platforms, once they were secured. They would have no choice, but to surrender.

  Other reports kept coming in, each one speaking of disaster. The five battleships she’d left in orbit were consumed with mutiny as her officers turned on each other, while some of the smaller ships were already fleeing – as if they expected there to be safety in deep space. Her main strike fleet was still loyal, but confused, uncertain of what to do. They needed leadership. Rani would provide.

  “Tell them to isolate themselves from the datanet,” she ordered. “And then shape our course towards their position.”

  She hesitated, then smiled darkly. “And then crash the network completely,” she added. “They will no longer be able to coordinate themselves against me.”

  ***

  Mandy cursed under her breath as the invisible electronic war for control of the defences raged on. One Defence Station under her control, one seemingly split in two ... and one still loyal to Admiral Singh. Each station controlled its own satellite network of automated weapons platforms, but there were – in theory – overrides that would allow one of the stations to take over platforms belonging to the others. Unfortunately, the loyalist station had realised the danger and was fighting back. So far, the fight hadn’t turned physical, but Mandy suspected that it would soon.

  She watched the shuttle carrying Admiral Singh, cursing the Admiral’s luck – or skill. The shuttle wouldn't have lasted a second if she’d turned an automated platform on it, but there was no platform within range to hit the shuttle. One of the warships could have done it, if she’d trusted them enough to let them try. As it was, she’d broadcast warnings to the remaining ships in orbit that they would be fired upon if they brought up their drives. It had been enough to stop others joining the flight to deep space.

  The display showing the datanet flickered and died.

  “What happened?” Trevor Chambers demanded. “We’ve lost the datanet!”

  “They crashed it,” Mandy said, bluntly. She wasn't too surprised. Admiral Singh knew that some of her stations were disloyal, so she’d made it much harder for the rebels to coordinate their operations. They’d have to use radios rather than the datanet. “Bring up the laser communicators and use them to reassure the warship crews that we’re still in command.”

  She glowered at the orbital display, which was rapidly reformatting itself. When the datanet was active, the display showed the live feed from every sensor linked into the datanet, putting together a composite picture that was far greater than the sum of its parts. Now, they had to rely on the station's sensors alone – and radio communications for signals from elsewhere. The defenders of the planet might not be able to hold against Admiral Singh’s loyalist fleet.

  It was a powerful force, she had to admit. Four battleships, thirty smaller ships ... and nearly a hundred freighters, serving as part of a fleet train. Mandy had been intimately involved with building the Commonwealth Navy and she still found Admiral Singh’s formation intimidating as hell. The Commonwealth might have made a few breakthroughs that had improved both weapons and starship designs, but they would still be dangerously outgunned. It was quite likely that Admiral Singh would blow through the navy and then range in on Avalon ...

  But was it enough to regain control of Corinthian?

  If all three Defence Stations had been active, linked into a single datanet, Mandy knew that they would have given the Admiral a fight. The stations possessed more firepower and armour than the battleships, even though they were effectively sitting ducks compared to the more mobile fleet units. Now, however, with one station still loyal and the other two forced out of the datanet, it would be tricky. Admiral Singh could just sit at the edge of missile range and keep firing until the stations were taken out, then advance on the planet itself.

  And then the threat of orbital bombardment would bring the rebels back into line.

  “Send the signal to Captain Delacroix,” she ordered, grimly. “It’s time for Sleight-of-Hand.”

  ***

  Despite her show of confidence, Rani hadn't been entir
ely sure what sort of greeting awaited her on the battleship Matterhorn. Captain Lustrum was a true supporter of her – like Rani himself, his advancement in the Imperial Navy had been blocked by his superiors – but with chaos and anarchy breaking out on the planet’s surface, he might have thought better of supporting her any further. He might even have considered replacing her. As it was, he greeted her with a salute and escorted her to the CIC personally.

  “The fleet’s datanet is still up and running,” he assured her, as Rani sat down in the command chair. “We’re ready to advance on the planet as soon as you issue the command.”

  Rani nodded. The remaining warships in planetary orbit wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight, certainly not if they believed that she was about to return and rip her foes to shreds. She wouldn't be able to talk the orbital battlestations into surrendering – their crews would know what she had in mind for them – but the warships should remain on the sidelines. And even if they didn't, she had enough firepower to cow them into submission.

  “Good,” she said, studying the display. The analysts had done their best to deduce which stations and ships remained loyal – and which were under mutineer control – but it was difficult to be sure. She’d broadcast orders for loyalists to stand down after she began her advance. That should separate the sheep from the goats. “Begin the advance.”

  She settled back in her command chair as the warships turned and started advancing towards the planet, slipping into the formation the Imperial Navy had dubbed the Hammer of God. There was nothing subtle about it, not even slightly. The formation was intended to give the impression of a ponderous mass advancing towards a truly fragile target that wouldn't stand up to the hammer blow that was about to come down on its head.

  And if the rebels put up a fight, she promised herself, they would suffer in a way that would make Horn blanch.

  ***

  “It's confirmed,” Blake reported, grimly. “Admiral Singh’s fleet is heading towards the planet.”

  Jasmine cursed. They’d swept the Governor’s Mansion and broadcast faked surrender instructions that claimed to be from the Admiral herself, but with the Admiral herself still on the loose anything could happen. Most of the city was under their control, yet that wouldn't last. A handful of KEWs from orbit and Landing City would suddenly remember how loyal it was to Admiral Singh.

  “Order the forces in the countryside to disperse,” she ordered. Admiral Singh wouldn't hesitate to hammer the farmers back into submission, even if it did mean that there would be food shortages. Hell, she could just start growing algae and processing it into ration bars. It wasn't as if it was technically difficult. People would protest, of course, but after the insurgency had run its course they’d have little energy left to complain. “And then ...”

  She shook her head. Everything depended on Captain Delacroix now.

  ***

  “We’re in position, Captain,” Jones reported. “The drones are ready to move.”

  Layla nodded. This was easily the most dangerous part of the operation. If Admiral Singh called their bluff, the entire mission was doomed. Lieutenant Yamane’s contingency plan included destroying the Admiral’s industrial base, crippling her ability to supply her forces, but it wouldn't be enough to save the Commonwealth. Admiral Singh would still have a major advantage over the Commonwealth Navy.

  “Very good,” she said, concealing her doubts. “Power up the drones on my mark ...”

  She looked at the display, timing it as carefully as she could. Only a fool – or an Imperial Navy senior officer – would try to coordinate an operation across light years. Admiral Singh would have to believe that was what they were trying to do – and if realised what was actually going on, they were dead.

  “Mark,” she ordered. “And then play the message”

  ***

  “Admiral,” the sensor officer said, alarm in her voice. “There are three whole squadrons of battleships on Corinthian approach vector!”

  Rani whirled around in her command chair as new red icons sparkled into life on the display. Those ships weren't real, they couldn't be real. And yet they were there, advancing towards the planet as if they knew there was nothing the planet’s defences could do to stop them. She gritted her teeth as the display updated again, revealing nearly a hundred smaller ships escorting twenty-seven battleships.

  “We’re picking up a message,” the communications officer said. “It’s broadcast on all channels.”

  “Put it on,” Rani snarled.

  A new face appeared in the display. “This is Admiral Hawking, Imperial Navy,” a stiff voice said. The accent was certainly right for Imperial City, on Earth. “You are ordered to stand down and prepare to be boarded. The Corinthian System will be returned to Imperial jurisdiction; the rebel, Rani Singh, and her men will be taken into custody. Those who stand down and surrender to our forces on the planet will be treated leniently.”

  Rani stared. That couldn't be right. She’d surveyed all of the star systems for a hundred light years past her borders and there had been no trace of the Empire, let alone of a sizable fleet deployment. And yet ... sending in a stealth mission to sabotage the defence grid was exactly what the Empire preferred to do, rather than see its battleships scratched by duelling with the orbital defence stations. What if ... what if she’d been wrong?

  Cold ice congealed in her chest. She’d been so certain that the Empire was gone, that there would be no retribution for her power grab. There had certainly been no sign of the Empire ever since she had taken power. But then, the Empire had always been patient. If it had taken two years to gather the force necessary to smash Rani’s empire and return it to Imperial control, they would have taken the time – and sent in agents to ensure that Corinthian fell like a rotten apple into their hands.

  The enemy battleships altered course, heading right towards her ships.

  “Enemy ships will enter weapons range in thirty minutes,” the sensor officer reported.

  Rani barely heard him. The timing wasn't quite right – but then, it never was when one was trying to coordinate an operation across several light years. And trying was exactly what she would have expected from an Imperial Navy officer. This time, it seemed to have succeeded.

  Briefly, she considered surrender – and then dismissed the thought. The Imperial Navy would show her no mercy, nor would the inhabitants of Corinthian. Perhaps she could make a deal ... no, she would sooner fight and die than make a deal with the loyalists, even if she trusted them to keep their side of the bargain. And she didn’t ...

  “Bring us around,” she ordered, savagely. “I want a least-time course to the phase limit, now!”

  Captain Lustrum blinked in surprise. “We’re running away?”

  “Tactical withdrawal,” Rani said. There were a handful of hidden supply dumps scattered through her territory – and, of course, she had the fleet train. That would be enough to keep her fleet going while she gathered intelligence and plotted her return to power. “We will be back.”

  She leaned back in the command chair and watched the enemy battleships make a brief attempt at pursuit, before falling back to secure the planet. Corinthian was the true prize, she thought bitterly, not a handful of starships. Given time, they no doubt expected her to run out of supplies and either turn pirate or just give up. Or maybe they assumed that her senior officers would assassinate her in the hopes that the Empire would reward them.

  Rani smiled, although there was no humour in the expression. She would be back.

  ***

  “They bought it!”

  “Quiet,” Mandy snapped. “You’ll jinx it.”

  The battleships weren't real, she knew – and if Admiral Singh had kept her nerve, she would soon have realised the truth. They were nothing more than a handful of ECM drones, launched from Harrington – and Admiral Hawking was nothing more than a computer composite. But Admiral Singh had seen Corinthian fall to a coordinated insurgency, witnessed the loss of two of her
orbital defence stations ... and fallen for the bluff. By the time she realised the truth, it would be far too late.

  “Get the shuttles up and running,” Mandy ordered, as the remaining warships and the loyalist station began to signal their surrender. “I want at least one team, armed with a nuke, on each of the ships and the station. Any backsliding once they realised that they’ve been fooled and we’ll take the entire ship out.”

  She shook her head tiredly. Now that the orbital defence network was largely under their control, even without the datanet, the remaining garrisons on the planet could surrender – or die, when she dropped KEWs on their heads. She hoped they’d surrender; there would be a desperate need for manpower as Corinthian slowly recovered from the nightmare. And the provisional government might need the troops too. It was too much to hope that the planet would simply return to normal. One way or another, the old reality – the Empire ruling the sector – would no longer hold.

  “And get some additional shuttles down to the planet,” she added. “I want more troops up here, ASAP!”

  Four hours later, just as the final warships were being secured, Admiral Singh’s fleet crossed the phase limit and vanished.

  ***

  “I think we won,” Blake said. He slapped Jasmine hard on the back. “Congratulations, Lieutenant!”

  Jasmine shook her head. Admiral Singh might have fled rather than face the ghost fleet, but there was far too much else to do. “Get our datanet up and running,” she ordered, grimly. “And then broadcast a message to the population. Everyone – and I mean everyone, apart from our soldiers and medical crews – has to go back to their homes and stay there.”

  “That might be difficult to enforce,” Blake pointed out. “There are a dozen parties going on ... and rioters are searching for the Admiral’s loyalists.”