by Kal Spriggs
“Also, I will not need your assistance for the upcoming battle, take charge of personnel recovery and salvage operations from the damaged vessels in orbit. Priority is, of course, Chxor officers. Other crew can be retrieved during salvage operations.”
***
Mason McGann had not expected to run out of guns.
Just over five thousand rebels gathered in the narrow canyon short of Flattop Mountain. They stood silent, the morning mountain mist pooling around them. Half of them bore weapons, either stolen from the Chxor, home-built from scratch, or the weapons from the Baron.
Mason wore just his gun belt with his second pistol slung on his other hip, right below his prayer beads. He had pulled on his black shirt and pants, both lined with fiber weaves designed to stop bullets or shrapnel. He hadn't worn either in years... yet they felt as comfortable as the embrace of an old friend.
Lieutenant Lauren Kelly looked over, “You look good in black.”
Mason tugged self-consciously at his black shirt, “Just something I had lying around.”
She snorted, “Well, if you did fly with Tommy King, Right? He must have taken his clothes sense from you.” She shook her head and her eyes swiveled to the sky as a series of bright flashes signaled the use of nuclear weapons dangerously near the planet. “Time to go kill some Chxor.”
He wished she didn’t sound so cheerful when she said that.
The rebels began movement. They walked silently through the brush and rocks of the canyon floor. Mason eyed the canyon walls for any signs of security sensors or sentries, “How far can we take this?”
“Locals say the canyon runs right up to the edge of the perimeter. They have a bunker that overlooks the canyon. Rebels on the inside are going to take it,” Lauren answered. “That’ll be our entrance into the tunnels.”
“We didn’t try to smuggle weapons inside, did we?” Mason asked, horrified.
“Oh, no.” Lauren waved a hand. “Chxor security is too good for that. They’ll be using their tools and some improvised explosives. The Chxor are still mining tunnels there, I imagine there’s equipment they can use.”
“Mining tools against automatic weapons?” Mason winced.
“Oh yes.” Lauren’s eyes went cold, “Mason, just so you understand the hatred here... There will be women throwing their bodies into the Chxor bullets to buy their husbands long enough time to avenge their dead children.” She paused, “That’s what I saw in my mutiny anyway.”
Mason looked away, “Hate… it isn’t good to cling to it.”
She reached out a hand and caught his chin and turned it to face her, “It’s all I have, Mason. Look into my eyes and tell me you could turn away from a hate like mine.”
He gently removed her hand from his chin and grasped her head in both his hands, “I would, and I have, and I wish you would.” He released her and continued to follow the file of rebels. “The Chxor aren’t the only horrible things out there, Lauren Kelly. Us humans can be pretty bad ourselves, trust me.”
She stood silently, watching him move further up the line. Then she wiped at her eyes. “Lieutenant, you okay?” She turned to find the rebel leader Reese stopped nearby.
“Today there are Chxor to kill, of course I’m okay.”
***
“Looks like Charlie just decided they’re coming out as well.” Lucius murmured.
“Got a lot of traffic between them and planet-side,” Lieutenant Palmer said, “Look’s like they had some visitors before they broke orbit.”
Lucius nodded, “My bet is that Commander Kleigh decided to take personal command.” He stared at the screens for a while. “Time until Strike Point Bravo?”
“Thirty minutes, sir. Captain Naevius says he’s ready, and Bravo is right where we want ‘em.” Lieutenant Palmer drawled, “Looks like Force Charlie isn’t going to reach the battle in time.”
Lucius nodded, letting out a deep breath, “Start deceleration.”
***
Planetary Governor Kleigh stared at the fuzzy images transmitted by his lead element. The enemy battleship still lay outside his sensor range. If he felt emotion, he might have felt mild regret that the Empire made no use of reconnaissance units or drones.
“Enemy vessel adjusted course, they’ve begun deceleration, Planetary Governor.”
“Acknowledged. System Defense Task Force Two adjust your course to compensate. Close and engage the enemy at optimum range.” Kleigh said, his voice bored.
“Planetary Governor, the enemy will close with our forces at the edge of that debris cloud.” Ship Commander Klun said. “Might it be possible that the humans have additional vessels concealed there?”
Kleigh turned a cold eye on the officer, notionally his second in command. “It is possible, however unlikely.” Kleigh shrugged, “Direct Defense Task Force Two to commence active scanning of that debris cloud before they enter.”
“Yes, Planetary Governor.”
***
The War Shrike lay, almost at rest, in the debris cloud.
Lucius looked over at Doko’s chuckle. “Something amusing Captain?”
The younger man shook his head, “Just find it appropriate that we’re using the debris from the last force we faced here to shield us in our next attack.
Lucius smiled, “Yes, I do find that appropriate.” He checked the flight monitor, and noted the War Shrike’s two fighter squadrons had already rearmed and launched.
The Chxor force still lay twenty-five thousand kilometers out, just outside of battery range, though well within missile range.
“Sir, they’ve gone to active sensors!” Lieutenant Palmer said.
Lucius nodded, “Our luck could only hold so long.” He opened a channel, “Captain Naevius, initiate Strike Bravo.”
As the Chxor sensors swept the debris cloud, they picked up the lurking fighter squadrons that had used it to cover their approach.
Lucius’ converted carrier carried three squadrons of six fighters. Those three squadrons, backed up by the two from the War Shrike, gave him five squadrons, thirty fighter craft.
Those thirty fighters launched ninety ship-killer Pilum missiles.
The four five-class dreadnoughts had their sixteen ten-class cruisers to screen their approach. The Chxor commander acted swiftly. He altered course and took his ships on a perpendicular course, up and away from the ambush.
Force Bravo had almost two minutes to watch the incoming fire. The dreadnoughts launched their own missiles against the War Shrike. Lucius watched as Kral directed fire against the inbound missiles.
None of the enemy missiles drew closer than two thousand kilometers.
The outbound missiles caught up to the fleeing Chxor force only seconds later. The light weapons on the cruisers shot down twelve missiles. Eighteen more impacted on the lighter cruisers. The remaining sixty fusion warheads detonated in close proximity to the Chxor dreadnoughts.
Two dreadnoughts and three cruisers emerged from that cataclysm of explosions. Those five bleeding wrecks staggered away from Lucius’ forces. The ships were broken, crews slaughtered. A wide band of debris and irradiated gas mushroomed in the area where fifteen warships once cruised.
“Force Bravo is continuing to withdraw. Acceleration at constant speed, it looks like they’re headed right where we want ‘em.” Lieutenant Palmer said. “Force Charlie went to full acceleration. Looks like they want to hit us before the fighters rearm.”
Lucius nodded sharply, “Move us to Strike Point Charlie.”
***
Something snapped in Kleigh. “Maximum acceleration. Match their course and close with them. We will destroy this threat.”
“Planetary Governor, might it not be more advantageous to withdraw to orbit above the planet? We will have the planetary defense centers to provide additional firepower, and the—“
“Commander Klun, give me your sidearm.” The Commander stared at Kleigh for a long moment. “Do so now.”
The Commander drew his pistol and ha
nded it to the Planetary Governor. Kleigh lifted it, cocked it, and fired. He blasted fragments of the Commander’s skull across the bridge. “The Chxor Empire does not accept cowardice in battle. The Chxor Empire does not accept defeat. We will close with the enemy and destroy them. We must close before they have time to rearm their fighters.”
Kleigh tossed the pistol to the deck. “Someone clean this mess.” For some reason, his breath came fast and his heart beat rapidly. Perhaps he was ill.
He noted the enemy changed course, “Where will their new course take them?” He snapped.
“Planetary Governor,” the sensor officer said, voice low, “the enemy has adjusted course to take them into the gas giant’s shadow. We will lose sensor contact briefly with our current heading, but we will regain it and close with them only three juhn afterward.”
The Planetary Governor nodded. “I see that the fighter squadrons flee ahead of the enemy warship. No doubt, the humans have panicked. Today, we prove once again, the superiority of the Chxor! For the glory of the Chxor!”
***
“Move, move, move!” Lauren shouted. A continuous rattle of gunfire came from ahead. “We fight and win... or we all die! Move!”
She staggered over a tangle of bodies, humans and Chxor. Mason caught her arm, “Watch your step.”
She jerked her arm out of his grasp, “No time to be coddled.” She turned to where a group of rebels stood. They gaped at the carnage. “Let’s go! These people died that we could avenge them and their families! Let’s go!”
She shoved them ahead of her into the tunnels. She felt Mason follow behind her.
The rattle of gunfire grew louder. Two rebels ahead of her dropped, either wounded or killed. Lauren lifted her submachine gun and fired a burst at the dimly seen Chxor who had just emerged from a side corridor. Two sprawled out, the third raised his weapon to return fire when two pistol shots from beside her put him down.
She smiled over at Mason, anger suddenly gone, “See, wasn’t that fun!”
He just shook his head. “He had a grenade launcher. If he’d fired that, we’d all be dead.”
Lauren shrugged and moved deeper into the tunnels. Total chaos ruled, as Chxor and human killed each other in dimly lit darkness. Lauren just moved toward the sounds of gunfire. She picked up more people as they moved. She chopped off bursts of fire with her weapon at any Chxor they encountered. Mason’s single pistol shots punctuated her controlled bursts.
After what seemed like hours, they broke into a main corridor. Mason tapped her on the shoulder. “Command center should be that way.”
She nodded, “This way people. You two, guard our rear. You six secure those side corridors. The rest of you, follow me.” Not until they’d reached an open area did she realize how many people followed her.
Twenty rebels moved with her down the corridor. Ahead, a group of Chxor fired from behind a barricade. Three rebels fell, the others charged. Lauren fell back, an impact knocked the breath out of her lungs. She shook her head, dazed. Mason stood over her, and fired precise shots at the Chxor. He had an almost serpent-like combination of smooth control and speed, she noticed. He moved his pistol in line with a Chxor with viper like speed, fired, and moved to the next.
Mason reached down and grabbed her by the shoulder to pull her to her feet. Lauren groaned as he quickly patted her down. “You’re okay, your weapon took the hit. Don’t scare me like that.”
She disentangled herself from the shattered gun and stooped to pick up a pistol from a dead Chxor officer. Her ribs ached, “Let’s go.”
They continued on, through the smoke and dust.
***
The fighters swept ahead of the War Shrike in an organized withdrawal to the carrier to rearm. Lucius grunted as he checked the time estimates of Force Charlie and his own forces. Things would be tight.
“Well, Lucius, are you going to pull it off?” Kandergain asked.
“I think so.” He shrugged. “At this point, we’ve destroyed or disabled half the enemy forces.” He stared at the timer, “It all comes down to this last part though. If we can beat them here…”
“Then the rest is easy.”
They watched as Force Charlie continued to accelerate. The Chxor commander seemed desperate to close and Lucius felt certain the arrogant Kleigh still retained command.
The War Shrike and the five squadrons of fighters retreated to the shelter of a gas giant planet. The positioning allowed the remaining Chxor force to cut the corner. The Chxor continued to pile on speed and Lucius half wished for a convenient accident. “Isn’t now when their acceleration dampers fail or they run into a convenient mine field?” Doko asked in a mirror to his thoughts.
“Yes, that’s how it happens in the movies.” Lucius smiled, “We should only be so lucky.”
The Chxor continued to accelerate.
Lucius frowned, he started to type up calculations, “Bring acceleration to full. Fighter squadrons as well.” He forwarded the new course corrections to navigation. “Load that into our course plot.” He looked over at Kandergain, “I did not expect them to pile on speed like that.”
The Chxor acceleration was up, at their current velocity, they’d flash past Lucius’ forces before either side could fire a shot, though Lucius would still beat them to the gas giant.
The two forces continued to close, and finally, the Chxor began to decelerate. Lucius nodded. With that deceleration, the two forces would be at a high rate of closure on intercept. Obviously the enemy believed one quick pass would be enough.
He studied the screens and noted that the remnants of Force Bravo would be pass through the Garu ambush position in minutes. On the planet, Lieutenant Kelly hopefully had control of the defense centers. No matter the outcome here, the Chxor would reel from the blow.
Lucius stroked his jaw, thinking. The absurdity of the wait never failed to irritate him. He hated the wait, the inactivity while ships converged. “Not long now.”
***
“Not long now.” Kleigh stated, “Soon we will show the superiority of the Chxor once and for all.”
No one on the bridge spoke. Kleigh frowned down at his screen as he puzzled over what the enemy had hoped to accomplish by his actions. The humans had accomplished a horrifying amount of damage. As Planetary Governor, he would have to explain the ship losses to the Benevolence Council. Still, the humans could not hope to defeat his force, not with the fighters missile racks expended. He would not give them time to reload and rearm.
“Can we see beyond the gas giant yet?” Kleigh demanded, “The enemy’s carrier must be there.”
“No, Planetary Governor, our approach angle doesn’t allow us to see. If you wish, I could alter course, take us around the other side of the planet—”
Kleigh shook his head, “No, it’s essential we catch their fighters in the carriers as they rearm. The humans might have some screening force for the carrier, tell our ships to be prepared for some additional forces there.”
“Yes, Planetary Governor.”
Kleigh stared at the screens. He frowned as a new set of icons appeared. “What are those?” The new icons rapidly approached the wounded remains of Defense Force Two.
“Planetary Governor, it appears to be a force of cruisers. They hid behind that small moon and they went active when Defense Force Two approached.” The sensor officer looked up, “They don’t match any ship-type we’ve encountered before.”
Kleigh shook his head, “Order Defense Force Two to destroy those ships.” Further waste of lives and resources. Why did the humans continue their resistance?
He turned his attention back to the forces that fled before him. They obviously saw their end approach. From what he knew of humans and their pathetic emotional ways, it would only be a matter of time before they broke and scattered.
“Uh, Planetary Governor?”
“Yes?” Kleigh turned his attention back to the sensor officer. He couldn’t remember this one’s name, but he’d already decided
to demote the Chxor.
“The cruisers have opened fire on Defense Force Two. They’re using high-power, short range weapons, more powerful than Commander Kleiss expected. Commander Kleiss is requesting assistance and doesn’t think that he will be able to escape them.”
Kleigh spoke slowly, as if to a child, “Tell Commander Kleiss he is relieved of command, and his second is to take charge and destroy the enemy.”
“Planetary Governor, Commander Kleiss’ vessel just lost power. The other ships of his force have lost engines or power or both, and some are reporting they are being boarded.”
Kleigh stared at the officer for a long moment, “Tell them to fight to the last, for the Chxor Empire.”
“Yes, Planetary Governor.”
***
A tangle of human and Chxor bodies all but blocked the doorway to the command center. A dozen men and women were dragging them out of the way. Lauren stepped inside, trying to ignore the charnel house reek. Blood and bits spattered control panels. The Chxor commander and a handful of Chxor officers might have tried to surrender, from the looks of things. She doubted any rebels had noticed, not after the carnage of the past months of Chxor rule.
“Get Lieutenant Beeson in here,” She called.
“He’s on the way.” Reese stood over a panel and frowned. “This is the fire control station. I don’t read Chxor though.”
“I do.” Lauren said. She moved over to stare down at it. “I was a tech aboard a cruiser for a time.” She frowned, “Everything is online, power plants are up, weapons are charged.”
“Where’s the communications systems? We stopped jamming as soon as we took the command center. I’d like to let the Baron know we’ve taken over down here.”
Lauren looked around, and pointed at a console, “There, that one. I can help you—”
“No, I’ll figure it out. Here’s Beeson.” Reese nodded as the breathless lieutenant hurried in. They’d told him to hang in the rear, for his knowledge of the weapons systems would be essential. Evidently, he’d disregarded those orders. A bandage wrapped the side of his head. Scorch marks and blood stained his uniform.
