Audacity (Warner's World Book 5)

by Dave O'Connor

  “I thought he was Chinese” said Harry and they both laughed.

  Twenty minutes later Harry was working his way around the fallen. He had half a dozen wounded tagged for evac, two of which were rogan. One of these was blabbing something in rogan but the translation protocol couldn’t decipher it. He gave the fellow a shot that knocked him out.

  Ginty hailed him “Better hurry Harry we’re out of here in five.” Kong was moving around on top now martialling his marines for the return flight. Ginty had the demolition control. A couple of Bel’s team were helping move the wounded. What was left of Bravo team was guarding a dozen prisoners, mostly captured down below.

  Ginty came up to Julian as he was about to board his droid pod. “Plenty of space on the return leg I see” she said to him. Julian nodded. “Could you take some of these prisoners? I can supply two guards.

  Julian cast an eye over the many empty seats. “Sure” he said almost despondently.

  Ginty could see he looked a little depressed. “You did all right for a rookie.” She gave him a big smile.

  “Thanks” said Julian. After a moment pause he asked “How do you cope with all this.”

  “It’s bad, isn’t it? But you get used to it.”

  “Mmm…not sure if I want to.”

  “Some of us don’t have much of a choice. Oh, got to go” she said and she switched channels “Roger Whiskey 1 we’re ready. Come on in.”

  As the warthogs came in Ginty turned north to look over the site. Across the bay the night sky was pierced with sporadic tracer and the odd explosion. The Resistance were obviously still trying to wrestle control from the Imperialist but it was a desultory affair. ‘If only you knew what’s coming’ thought Ginty.

  She climbed aboard Whiskey 1 and came forward to sit behind the pilot. She tapped Parinya on the shoulder. Parinya turned her head, saw the demo controller in Ginty’s hand. “On my command” Parinya said. Ginty nodded.

  Julian’s pod was already away. After the pilots of the other warthogs confirmed, Parinya engaged the thrusters and arced skyward.

  “Can we have a look see?” asked Ginty.

  Parinya understood. She focussed her rear cameras onto the site and displayed the image on her screen. Ginty smiled “Ready when you are.” Parinya checked her altitude and nodded. With the swipe of her finger the screen filled with a giant flash. It would have been more spectacular down below but Ginty was quite content. She turned to give the thumbs up to the rest of her troops in the cabin. “Number one brings home the bacon again” she said with a big grin.

  “Yey!” yelled out Jock loudly. It had been his handy work with the explosives.

  His loud yell was followed by some loud laughing. Everyone turned to its source. Commander Charles Chen was lying strapped in to a stretcher on the floor. He was deliriously happy. Some would say he appeared ecstatic but all agreed they had never heard him laugh like that before.

  Chapter 12. Rollinium 2330, 14 August

  Twenty minutes since the inhabitants of Rollinium had witnessed the biggest explosion that most of them had seen, they were treated to an even more awesome spectacle.

  The bombardment from the Resolute lasted only a few minutes. The fighter base five kilometres west of the space port bore the brunt with 20 missiles demolishing everything above the ground and a lot below it as well. A huge series of secondary explosions followed as fuel and missiles and ammunition went up as well.

  Almost simultaneously the target known as Victor 1 was hit by twenty missiles. This was where the enemy AFVs had been detected. But it was also where the Imperial Rogan Army’s 41st Independent Bn had its HQ. It was in an area of the city not 2kms north of the spaceport. It had been a transport hub. It was now the epicentre for a huge fire that was being fanned westward by the easterly winds.

  The destruction of most of the AFVs was a blessing for the Resistance fighters, not to mention the destruction of the HQ but the fire blazing from building to building towards their front lines was anything but.

  It was debatable as to which of the two combatants was most affected by the bombardment. The surviving warriors of the 41st Bn were now headless, toothless and unsupported. Those on the western side of the spaceport were fleeing the fires south to the coast and then hopefully back east to the spaceport.

  Those in the north had suffered the most. Everywhere there were destroyed buildings and bodies. For all intent and purpose the force there had ceased to exit.

  The only really coherent unit was the 3rd Coy occupying the business sector that lay east of the spaceport. Immediately east of the spaceport was a small bay that cut into the coastline of the city like a great big bite. A wetland ran north along the streams that drained to the bay. This had been zoned a no go area for development and created a three kilometre buffer between the spaceport and the city itself, traversed only by a raised freeway and an underground hover train tunnel.

  The 3rd Coy occupied positions within the city’s business district. Its high-rise buildings dominated the cityscape with views east across the bay, south to the great southern ocean and west to the spaceport across the wetlands. The mid-town residential hi rises that completely covered the high ground to the north were in the hands of the Resistance. Long range sniping duels between the warring parties stopped when the bombardment hit. The commander of the 3rd Coy was trying in vain to make contact with his Bn commander. Command paralysis would mean this force would remain ineffective for some time to come.

  The Resistance was not neatly organised like the Imperialist. It was an organisation marked more by the personalities and allegiances of its composite commanders than by some theoretical and regular structure. Group Mekshino, named after its commander a self-appointed Colonel Arorio Mekshino, was over 300 strong and it controlled the mid-town residential district. It had gotten off lightly from the bombardment and was in the best state to exploit the gap that now presented itself north of the spaceport.

  This area had nominally been the responsibility of Group Diodin, led by the unassuming and some would say ineffective Teedros Diodin. But he and his 200 strong outfit had borne the brunt of the Victor 1 strike. Chaos reigned and casualties were everywhere. The good thing though was that, whereas before there had only been dozens of metres between them and the Imperialist, now there was a good 3kms of unoccupied ground between them and the spaceport.

  But by far the most disrupted was Force Kaant. Its leader Colonel Rentra Kaant, a former Army reservist, had had the strongest force of over 500 soldiers. They were the ones responsible for most of the noise heard by Ginty from Portuscu Headland. They were conducting an assault from the western sector eastwards towards the spaceport when the onrushing firestorm caused all in its way to flee. Kaant’s force was now split and disrupted to the point that she was no longer able to exercise effective command. There was no superior commander as such that she could turn to, only the other Colonels. Diodin group was not responding to her calls. The duty officer at Group Mekshino advised her that their leader was busy. She was tempted to seek guidance from the political council but thought better of it.

  Her first reaction had been to curse whoever had done this but she was by far the most resourceful and certainly the quickest of mind of the military leaders within the city. She had already tasked her staff to ascertain the status of her troops. She soon knew that over half had fled south. She ordered them to head east as soon as they could do so. She estimated she had only 200 effectives at her disposal in the north.

  ‘Where there is great calamity there is great opportunity’ she reminded herself. Her next priority was to find out what has happened to the enemy in the northern sector, the area that was ground zero for the bombardment. She despatched three of her command team to find out.

  ‘Now who has done this?’ she said to herself. She already knew about the destruction of the Imperialist ships. She knew about the destruction of the missile battery on Portuscu Headland and now she knew there was a ship capable of delivering this type of
bombardment. It had appeared briefly on their passive sensors but was now gone again.

  There was obviously a third force. ‘Who has this capability? Who can operate so brazenly within rogan space?’ she asked herself.

  The hallmark of the Resistance to date was that it was mounted on a shoestring. The Imperialists had so ruthlessly crushed all opposition before them that there was no faction, with interstellar combat ships, able to stand and fight, let alone defeat the Imperial Rogan Fleet.

  Most of the successes of the Resistance to date had come through using asymmetric warfare. Sure there had been some spectacular successes recently in the distant sectors where the other races had drawn on overwhelming local opposition to the Imperialist to reclaim their home worlds. But within the original rogan home worlds, nothing. Within the extended territories such as Qwantum, the Resistance was making ground. Q2 had been in the vanguard. Victory had appeared within their reach until the anomaly. They had been hard pressed ever since, even though more flocked to their cause.

  “Who are you?” she said out loud. Members of her staff, all crowded into the basement of a manufacturing plant, looked to her but then went about their business. They were used to her ‘thinking out loud’.

  “Hanza” she called out. This time her deputy Hanza Beglitus responded with a simple “Yes”. “Hanza we must make contact with them.”

  “Who?” asked Hanza.

  “Whoever is up there in that ship” she said.

  “Is that wise?”

  “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

  “Maybe…maybe an even bigger monster.”

  “So optimistic Hanza.”

  “I do my best” he said and shrugged his shoulders.

  “Do it. Do it now.”

  Hanza gave a weary nod.

  Unbeknown to Rentra or anyone else in Rollinium for that matter, four fighters of Charlie flight were providing top cover for the main ground force, being transported in five warthogs carrying marines, 4 Hippos carrying the Trojan battlewagons and seven droid pods. All craft were cloaked and heading straight for the spaceport

  Chapter 13. Resolute over Q2, 2350, 14 August

  “We’re being hailed on an open channel by someone from a Group Kaant or something that sounds like that” said Jasmin.

  “Find out what they want Jasmin” said Dave.

  “That will de-cloak us Sir” she warned. Dave nodded. A minute later she advised “Their commander wants to speak to you. They have requested a video feed.”

  “Have they indeed” said Dave. “OK but make it tight, just on me. No need to show them anything more. Put them up on the main screen please.”

  Dave rubbed his tired eyes. He didn’t want to appear as tired as he felt. The video feed came through with a female rogan face dominating the screen. It was a more mature face compared to Evie observed Dave. He was relieved to see that she looked tired too.

  The female face began talking in rogan, which was immediately translated and dubbed over the image “I am Colonel Rentra Kaant of the Histonian Resistance currently in the city you have just bombarded. Who are you, where are you from and what do you want?”

  ‘To the point’ thought Dave. “I am Captain Dave Warner of the Federation Fleet Ship Resolute. We are from the Human system of Polaris. We have destroyed the Imperial Rogan Fleet ships above your planet and now intend to secure the spaceport in your city of Rollinium.”

  “Why?” interjected Rentra.

  “If you let me finish I will get to that” said Dave with a serious demeanour. Rentra nodded with an equally serious demeanour. Dave continued. “The gravitational anomaly affecting the fourth planet from your sun is going to make life in this system very difficult if not impossible. We want to ensure that the inhabitants have access to a spaceport so they can evacuate if they so wish.”

  “Really?” asked a surprised Rentra. “Do you come as conquerors?”

  “No we come as liberators. We will not be staying. I aim to destroy the imperialist forces at or near the spaceport, handover to local authorities and then move on.”

  “Why should you do this?”

  “The Human Federation is at war with the Imperialists, not the rogan people. We seek to support those that fight against the Imperialist and hopefully to remove them from power so that rogan can govern themselves without the need for conquering and controlling others.”

  “Noble words but why should we trust you?”

  “I thought the enemy of your enemy would be your friend.”

  “Hmm…” said Rentra adding “provided he is not an even bigger monster.”

  “We are not monsters. We come in good faith. We do not have territorial ambitions on rogan space.” A moment of doubt crossed Dave’s mind as he uttered those words and he prayed it was not conveyed in his facial expression.

  “For now anyway” said the wary rogan.

  “We are offering you tangible assistance. It is being freely given and we are risking our lives to do so. Isn’t that enough?”

  “It is a good start” replied Rentra. “Can we meet face to face? Alas it would have to be down here as we lack the means to come to you.”

  “I could send a shuttle to pick you up.”

  “Of course you could. But I have a battle to command down here. I cannot leave my forces at the moment.”

  “I too am commanding a battle. Our forces are about to land at the spaceport. I have an officer with them Lieutenant Commander Art Simons. He can serve as my representative. Provide a location and I will direct him to meet with you there.”

  “Fair enough. I will have my staff provide that shortly. Right now though, we have forces south west of the spaceport advancing to it. Please do not attack them. I will have my staff provide you their coordinates. I do this as a sign of my trust.”

  “It is appreciated. In return I will have my staff provide you with the coordinates of our assault forces. I would also advise on the need to coordinate all offensive actions in advance. Commander Simons can stay with you to assist in that.”

  “Very well Captain. I must go.”

  “Thank you” said Dave and the feed was cut at their end. “Well that didn’t go too bad” said Dave to his staff in the command centre.

  “What didn’t?” asked Val as she entered to take over the watch.

  Chapter 14. Rollinium 0040, 15 August

  “Thanks Jim” hailed Ivan from his new digs on the third floor overlooking the open concourse of the main terminal building. There was a good 20m drop down to the floor of the concourse. He found the guard rail he was leaning against too short for his liking. As he didn’t fancy a fall, he let go and stepped back.

  He turned to 1st Lt Tammy Jahir, the XO of 30th Coy. She had setup the company’s HQ here and Ivan, without a staff to speak of, was piggy backing off her resources. Jim was out checking on the deployment of his two platoons.

  They had met virtually no resistance. In fact the whole place was deserted. A few disorganised rogan warriors had started to dribble in from the west. Only a couple had opted to fight and they met a swift end. There was now a room full of prisoners being guarded on the level below.

  “Any news from Sue?” Ivan asked.

  “Yeah she’s still deploying alpha company. Ditto for Chief Shavez. The support droids are all deployed and standing to.”

  “And the patrols?”

  “Nothing yet and the same goes for commander Simons” she gave him a smile. “You know Sir, you might as well get some rest. I’ll be manning the fort for the next couple of hours. I’ll call you if anything happens.”

  “Oh!” said Ivan somewhat surprised at the suggestion of resting. He had been wound up like a spring and now there was nothing for him to really do. But part of him drove him to do something. “I might go check on the troops downstairs.”

  “The boss, I mean commander Bucknell has just done that.”

  “Right then.”

  “My advice Sir is to grab what shut eye you can when you can.”
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  “Good advice” said Ivan. “Thanks. I’ll be just in that room then.” Tammy nodded. He moved into what had been an office. His pack was leaning against the inner wall. He took out his toiletries bag and went looking for a bathroom, anything with some water.

  He could not decipher the signage so he just opened the doors as he came to them and ducked his head in to see. Finally he found what he assumed was a kitchenette. It had what he thought was a microwave oven and a food replicator. Most of all it had a tub of sorts and what he was sure would turn out to be a water tap.

  He waved his hand over the sensor and a stream of light blue water came out. The colour struck him. He put his hand under the stream. It felt like water. He cupped his hand and filled it with the liquid. Took a sip. ‘Mmm…tastes great’ he said to himself and pulled out his toothbrush and cleaned his teeth. He washed his face as best he could, dried it with a small towel he was carrying and then began looking for a toilet.

  He found the toilets but was confounded by how low they were and how small they were. ‘Being a tall bugger has its challenges’ he said to himself. ‘Oh well here goes.’ After lowering himself down he relieved himself but was then struck by the absence of any paper. He waved his hand over another sensor on the wall next to him and went into mild shock as his bottom was flushed, lathered, brushed, rinsed and dried all in double quick time. “What the!” he said out loud. He didn’t dare move lest he injured something more valuable than his pride.

  “Are you all right?” asked Tammy when he arrived back.

  “Have you used the toilets?”

  Tammy laughed. “Oh yeah! Did you like it?”

  “No, not really” said Ivan shyly.

  “Mmm…each to their own” and she gave him a shimmy with her hips.

  “It’s all right for you. You don’t have your crown jewels exposed.”

  “No I suppose not” she said trying to suppress a grin. “Oh well you’re good and dusted now. Good night Sir!”

  Four kilometres north west Art and Cpl Kali Chada, who he shanghaied from 30th Coy to be his bodyguard, were making their way tentatively through the rubble. The strong smell of things burning hung in the air. Thankfully the winds had died down but Art would have preferred them to this pungency.