The same officer as before called out to the two of them in his native language. Luckily for the Captain, his translator was able to catch most of it.
“We cannot do this. The Klithi have scouts near their side of the border, and they can come through to assist if we ask for aid,” he said firmly, but the translator was unable to add the intonation.
The Admiral didn’t seem keen at this suggestion, and Campbell could only assume it was down to some past or ongoing rivalry between the two peoples. He didn’t know a great deal of the Klithi other than that they were the pacifists, evolutionarily advanced, and equipped with sophisticated ships. Though their craft were potentially the most impressive he’d heard of, it was rumored the Klithi only used civilian ships. He was dubious that a few of their scouts could be of much use.
“What are their ships like?” he asked.
The officer said something untranslatable and then turned away, leaving the Alliance officer with the Admiral.
“The Klithi ships are unlike anything you have ever come across, Captain. They have access to surface shielding, a technology that surpasses even the T’Kari, yet they refuse to build ships of war.”
“So they cannot fight?”
The Admiral shook his head at the question.
“Oh, no, their ships are a match to ours; even their civilian transports. If they were to ever build something for war, we would all pay the price.”
He smiled in a way that reminded him of somebody about to do something very bad. The ship shuddered slightly, and some of the officers’ voices increased in volume as they did their best to manage the gun crews and defensive systems. The battle was a long-ranged affair, but every now and then a small group of fighters would make it inside the protective cordon of the escorts and inflict damage on one or more vessels.
We need decisive action here. This is too damned slow.
Campbell was in direct communication with the captains of the three other ships, and tactical data was being sent directly to his datapad regarding attackers, vectors, and damage assessments right from the tactical officers of each of the three frigates. He pointed at the large formation of ships that was clearly visible through the glass.
“Our ships are keeping the fighters away, but we have to make it through the Rift. If we decelerate, our ships will be scattered by the Biomechs.”
The Admiral looked confused.
“I don’t understand your plan,” he said, and this time the translator seemed to convert the words almost in real-time. Campbell noticed the Admiral was speaking more slowly to give the technology time to do its work.
“Can you close the Rift behind us if we get through?”
The Admiral smiled in that strange way again in response to his question.
“I see. No, few races have that technology. Trust me, we fought a war over this long ago. The T’Kari would never share it and neither would the Helions. It is the reason the Black Rift is still sealed.”
Captain Campbell pointed at the shape of the vast Biomech warship that was moving toward the Rift in space.
“What about them?”
The Khreenk Admiral took in a lungful of air before answering, and it gave Captain Campbell more time to examine the alien. He had tried to work out where the metal and flesh were fused, but the work was impressive. It was as though the metal plates and augmentations had been melded together. Even though the metal sections were colored the same as flesh, the end result was something more akin to Frankenstein’s monster than the synthetic warriors he knew as the Jötnar. The Admiral must have noticed the attention and he raised an eyebrow, an oddly human characteristic.
“You wonder about our…improvements?”
Campbell nodded, not sure it was wise to try and hide his curiosity.
“The Khreenk are a proud people, but we are not as advanced as the others. The Klithi are millennia ahead of us genetically. They live longer, and their mental capacity exceeds even our greatest scientists. The Byoti are stronger and capable of living in places that would kill us. The T’Kari and Helions both possess technology they refuse to share with us. All of this left us vulnerable many centuries ago.”
“So you augment yourselves to rectify that?”
The alien looked uncomfortable with that question.
“We fix and repair problems with our bodies and try to improve what we can. Synthetic limbs and body parts help us to live longer. Warriors are fitted with stronger implants to improve strength and agility. It has allowed us to keep what is ours…for now.”
He pointed to his temple.
“But so far we have failed to improve the mind, and in time this will be our downfall.”
One of his officers shouted out something, and he looked at a computer screen before returning to face Captain Campbell.”
“The Klithi are ready and waiting behind the Rift for us. They have mobilized five traveler ships. What do you suggest?”
The young Captain was listening to every word as he made notes. No sooner had the Admiral finished, and he was already on his secpad and speaking with Captain Hampel. It didn’t take long before he looked back at the Khreenk commander.
“My commander wishes to speak with you,” he said and then handed the device to the alien, saying no more.
“This is Captain Hampel, ANS Spearfish. Can you give me the capabilities of these Klithi ships? What are their armaments?”
The Admiral was now forced to wait, and for a moment, Captain Campbell thought there might be a problem. Then he realized he would need to wait while his own translator system did its work. Even so, he couldn’t see anything on the alien’s ear that might do the job.
The implants, of course.
“Captain, the Klithi ships are passive. They are heavily shielded; they are not designed for open warfare. They are not a people accustomed to war; with their technology they have never been threatened.”
Captain Campbell lifted his hand to get the alien’s attention.
“They must have some weapons on board, something to protect against pirates or Raiders?”
The Admiral’s eyes lit up at the mention of pirates.
“Yes, all Klithi ships have territorial blockers. They use them to disable ships that stray past their patrols.”
There was silence inside the ship, and the Khreenk Admiral waited for the next question. Instead, Campbell simply tilted his head in a questioning manner. It still took the Admiral a few more seconds before he really understood what the Captain wanted.
“Yes, of course, their weapons. The Klithi use self-targeting charges that approach ships and discharge electromagnetic attacks through their armor. They can leave swarms of thousands of them; each is no bigger than my hand.”
He extended his hand to demonstrate.
“Mines?”
“Perfect,” came a dulled voice from the secpad.
The Admiral leaned in closer as he listened to the suggestions from the Captain. They spoke for nearly half a minute, and he passed the device back.
“Your commander wishes to speak with you,” he said.
Captain Hampel’s face waited patiently. As before there were people moving about in the background, and he could easily tell that the frigate’s crew had their hands full, trying to keep the almost inexhaustible supply of fighters from the rear of the column.
“The plan is simple. The Admiral is going to contact the Klithi and get them to mine the Rift on the other side. They will then come through and wait on this side of the Rift as bait.”
Captain Campbell was confused at his suggestion.
“I don’t understand, Sir.”
“It’s simple,” came back the curt reply. “Just make sure the rest of the fleet uses this set of coordinates and maintains their acceleration. When we reach the target, we have to be traveling as fast as possible.”
Captain Campbell looked at the figures, and a narrow smile began to form across his face. The plan was simple, incredibly simple. He just hoped the rest of the fle
et would do as ordered. There was just one part he wasn’t sure of.
“Sir, what about the enemy ship and its fighters?”
“Yes, that is what the bombardment corridor is for. Every single ship, apart from our three frigates and the Helions escorts, will open fire on my target vector. We will create a ten kilometer wide path to break through.”
Will they be able to navigate a vector that small?
It was as though the commander of the frigate could sense his apprehension.
“I know it’s a tall order, but if we do it, we’ll come out of this in one piece. Double-check on the details with the Admiral, and make sure he understands the plan. The bombardment is on a fixed vector. Any deviation will destroy the mines and risk damaging the waiting Klithi ships.”
“What about the Klithi?” he asked.
“Don’t worry about them. I’ve already spoken with them. When the time is right, they will travel back through and scatter on the emergency route I have mapped out. Understood?”
He saluted smartly.
“Sir.”
“Good luck, Campbell. It’s going to be close.”
* * *
Admiral Anderson tapped the display to show the video streams from the Alliance frigates once more. As was now standard, the ship’s logs and video feeds were combined to give a detailed picture of what was happening inside the ship as well as outside during such an encounter. He sat alone in his office, his long wooden table looking out of place with the modern materials elsewhere. He’d appropriated the model of the old Crusader to place on the right-hand side, and a number of plaques and images hung on the walls.
This is insanity, he thought. The smile on his face implied otherwise.
The large group of ships was the Narau fleet, commanded by Admiral Lanthua of the Khreenk. He counted the ships and noted a good number were missing from the force that had been sent on a scouting operation. The current sequence showed the escorts, led by the Alliance Captain Hampel, fighting off Biomech fighter waves. The automated turrets were especially effective, and he found it hard to hide his smile.
Good work, Captain. At least somebody out there knows what they’re doing.
He rotated the three-dimensional model of the battle about on his monitoring system while the ships continued to move. In one direction was the Rift into Klithi space, as was a small formation of their civilian ships. His intercom beeped, and the face of his secretary popped up.
“Admiral Lewis for you, Sir.”
He nodded in response. “Send him in.”
The door opened, and in walked the smartly dressed Admiral. There was barely a decade between their ages, yet Anderson seemed to have aged far more quickly than the slightly younger man. While Admiral Anderson was the perfect example of discretion and caution, Rear Admiral Lewis was something of a loose cannon. In the days prior to the Uprising, men like him would have been demoted or kicked out. Things had changed though, and commanders that were quick on their feet were extremely important to the military. Once their greetings were over, he sat down and found it impossible to not look at the battle.
“The Klithi – Anicinàbe incident?”
Anderson nodded.
“I still cannot believe the Narau Fleet was so unprepared and unable to defend itself against such a pitifully small force. Have you read the ship assessments?”
Admiral Lewis nodded.
“Yes, it looks similar in capabilities to the ship that tried to break past Helios and on to the Black Rift. You remember how many ships it took to stop that thing?”
Anderson could remember only too well. The small task force of the latest Crusader class ships had managed to keep it busy, but it took Helion reinforcements and an assault by ground troops to finally win the day.
“Oh, yes, but this one is different. According to the reports from the Khreenk, it was entirely automated, as opposed to the other ships we’ve met. I have run the data through my labs here and at the Prometheus research station. They all came back with the same. It’s a fast battleship type vessel, something designed for long-range interdiction.”
The two officers looked at the model of Admiral Jarvis’ old ship, one that Anderson had been the executive officer of back at the start of the Uprising. Crusader was the first and only ship of her type to have been constructed, and with her now gone, there was nothing quite like her in the Navy’s inventory.
“So, the Biomechs have constructed their own Crusader. Why?”
Anderson shrugged.
“We built her to respond to situations quickly. CCS Crusader was a pioneer, a battleship with the speed and armor of a new generation cruiser. These ships would allow them to intercept our fleets and convoys before we can bring in warships to assist.”
He turned and nodded at the display and the space battle.
“Have you seen Captain Hampel’s plan? It was a stroke of genius.”
Admiral Lewis shook his head.
“No, I read the report, but the video feeds hadn’t arrived. I’ve already put him and his officers up for a commendation. They are responsible for saving the entire Narau fleet.”
“Quite,” replied Anderson before restarting the stream.
The Narau forces moved at massive speeds toward the Rift while the Biomech warships chased after them with all their guns blazing. Many of the projectiles were able to strike the ships, but the return fire managed to keep most of them away. The scores of turrets quickly dispatched any fighters that managed to reach the capital ships. By the time the fleet was within a thousand kilometers of the Rift, the larger Biomech vessels were amongst the fleet and firing their weapons into the heart of the force with powerful broadsides. A single Khreenk warship ripped apart from the gunfire before they struck the Rift. With a flicker, the Biomechs and the crippled Khreenk ship vanished while the rest of the Narau fleet continued past it, missing the entrance to the Spacebridge by just a few hundred kilometers and rushing on into space.
Anderson banged his fist down hard on his desk and paused the footage.
“Do you know what was waiting on the other aside for them?”
Admiral Lewis smiled grimly. He would have probably turned the fleet on the Biomechs, but the solution advocated by Captain Hampel had surprised even him. He did his best to not look a little jealous at the solution selected by the young escort Captain.
“Klithi anti-ship mines, if I’m not mistaken.”
“Exactly. Apparently, the Biomech warships crashed into the mines with such force the debris alone tore them to pieces. The remnants were finished off by the waiting Klithi re-entering the Rift to deal with them, and even better, the wrecked ship is being brought here for us to study.”
He pressed the button and the display turned black.
“Interesting, I’m surprised they would give up the wreck quite so easily.”
Admiral Anderson took a sip from the glass on his desk before answering.
“The Khreenk are grateful. Actually, that is one of the biggest understatements I think you’ll ever find. The Narau fleet would have been annihilated. Because of our forces most of them lived, and we have received the credit for that, as well as the Khreenk Admiral. How would it have looked if we had been refused?”
There wasn’t time to a response as he continued almost immediately.
“There was more than one ship anyway, and we’re just getting part of the wreck. It’s a win-win situation. Anyway, that isn’t why I called you in here. Have you seen the latest from the Alliance News Network?”
Admiral Lewis leaned forward slightly.
“About the rebels on Helios?”
Anderson’s expression turned grim, and he nodded slowly.
“Yes, the attacks throughout the colonies of the Helions are becoming a major concern. Government forces have lost control and are resorting to gas attacks and wide area munitions. High Command has requested a full strategic summary of the situation, especially with regards to these new sightings of the Biomech warships. We are in
a position where the entire Helios System could fall apart, just as the Biomechs return. If Helios falls, then so does the Nexus of all the other Powers. Some of them have linking Rifts, but most need the ones to Helios to reach the others. I do not find this a coincidence.”
Admiral Lewis appeared confused at the last part concerning the ships.
“Warships? I understood there was just the one incident, on the Klithi–Anicinàbe border. Have there been more?”
Anderson tapped his secpad and transferred a new report to him.
“When you have a chance, read through this. It’s going to be useful for your operation.”
Admiral Lewis raised one eyebrow.
“Operation? We aren’t set to leave for another three weeks.”
Clearly from the expression on Anderson’s face, something had changed. He knew the fact that a number of Anicinàbe tribes had sided with a Biomech force was a concern, but the last report he’d read said there were over a thousand separate factions among the Anicinàbe.
How serious could it really be?
“The situation is very fluid on the ground. The Helion government has been weakened. A large number of government hardliners were killed with the failed attack on the capital two weeks ago. Those left have been trying to negotiate peace terms with the Zathee and as might be expected, the minority Irkerk, Yuulen, and the Sh'Dori ethnic groups are not happy with this. They want to retain control.”
Admiral Lewis took all the information in but still wasn’t exactly sure why any of this mattered to him.
“How exactly does this affect my orders?”
Anderson grinned ever so slightly. The man’s disinterest in politics reminded him of a time when he’d been nothing more than the executive officer on a Confederate Battlecruiser. It had seemed much simpler back then he seemed to remember.
“It is like this. The Helion government has requested Narau assistance to provide humanitarian relief and support while they try to stop the fighting.”
“Okay?”
Anderson lifted his hand to show he hadn’t quite finished.
“That is rubbish though.”
The Great Betrayal Page 7
