The Eternal Fortress (Star Legions Book 6)
Page 21
“But not your life, I see.”
Bijan’s eye flickered once at that question.
“I have lost all of my capital ships, plus the payment you made to us to fight the Terrans.”
“And Ramin, is that also true?”
Now the mercenary could not contain his anger. He turned away just as a triple blast lit up his head. The explosions were several kilometres away, but still enough to remind them that a battle on ongoing. He looked back, but his face was contorted with bitterness and pain.
“He was cut down in cold blood by one of the Terran officers, a man they called Xenophon.”
Ariaeus smiled as he listened.
“Yes, I have heard of this man.”
A symbol flashed on his map, and with a single press, a shaky video image of a Terran appeared. Ariaeus’ smile faded, and he examined the image more carefully.
“Timasion,” he said quietly, “What are you doing here?”
The image shook, and it was almost impossible to make out the shape of the man. He began to speak, but now his voice had broken into a crackling noise. The image then vanished, leaving him looking both surprised and more than a little confused.
Bijan looked intrigued.
“What are you doing, speaking with the Terran?”
Ariaeus ignored him and indicated towards his commanders.
“Prepare them for battle. I suspect we will have company soon.”
The Taochian officer saluted and then left. Several of the mercenaries did the same, and a deafening air raid warning quickly followed them. Ariaeus looked up and shook his head with indignation at the sight coming for them. Streaks of flame and smoke were falling down like a meteor shower, but he had never considered the fact there could be craft coming down from orbit.
“The destruction in orbit, it was more than just a diversion; it is a cover for an assault!”
As if to emphasise his words, a trio of armoured dromons emerged from the cloud of debris and began strafing the ground just two kilometres away. Gunfire rose up to meet them, but the Terran craft dodged the fire and unleashed rockets and missiles at the defenders. Ariaeus laughed as he watched the small, but concerted assault just outside the shield wall. The odd stray shot or piece of wreckage struck between the shield wall and the pyramid, and the shield absorbed every one with white flashes.
“The automatons, they really have no place on the frontline.”
More dromons broke out from the debris even as chunks of metal continued to crash into the ground. He counted at least a dozen, and every one of them opened fire at any target they could find. A handful of planetary monitors moved in to pursue, but they were too high and too far away to do much of use. Ariaeus turned from the battle and to Bijan.
“What did you bring me?”
“Thirty warriors, and my expertise.”
Ariaeus might have continued laughing, but at that same moment, one of the towers of the bastion vanished. The entire fortified sector then disappeared under a vast cloud of smoke and dust. At the same time, a crackle of energy licked across the shield wall that was projected right above them. One of the mercenaries appeared briefly in the dust, and then an avalanche of broken rock collapsed down onto him and cast the warrior off into the unknown. Ariaeus lost his balance, but Bijan was there to stop him from falling.
“It is the Terrans. They are here!”
* * *
Raider ‘Night Scythe’, The Eternal Fortress, Shattered Systems
Xenophon watched the battle going on around him and began to wonder why it was that of all the people in this assault; he was the one flying the broken ship. It should not have been much of a surprise to him. If anybody was going to get the dangerous job, it invariably seemed to be him. Even so, he couldn’t help smiling as he spotted a pair of dromons whistle past underneath and then form on his flanks, watching him as his raider continued to lose height.
“Got you.”
One of the engines had managed to activate in air breathing mode and spluttered away, giving the craft at least some measure of control. That, coupled with the hydraulic backup control, left him with the faint chance he could bring her down near the wall. He used the attached dynamo system to bring back some of the computers online. The gunnery, shielding, and landing system were gone, but communications were partially active.
“This is Dukas Xenophon. To all units in the area, confirm target alpha. Commence your attacks.”
There were no replies at first, but then came a voice he was all too familiar with.
“Dukas, Timasion here. My forces are establishing a landing area one point five kilometres north of the inner wall. I have two pempas on the ground and in combat already.”
“Excellent work. Send me your coordinates. We will join you shortly.”
The data came in, and Xenophon bounced it back to all of his squad leaders. They might be scattered and confused, but the Terrans would respond quickly once on the ground.
Finally, some good luck!
He regretted thinking it the second the thought actually popped into his mind. It started with an audible warning, and then the remaining engine tore itself apart. Part of the air breathing fan assembly tore off and embedded itself in the side of the raider. Even worse, burning fuel now trailed from the damaged mount and along the flank of the craft. He reached for his communications node, took a breath, and then gave his final order aboard the craft.
“Jump, jump, jump!”
Xenophon shouted the order but didn’t bother to check how many were making for the doors on each side of the far cargo hold. He released the controls, and for a brief moment, the raider began to tip over, instantly forcing him to grab onto the controls once more.
“Damn this raider. Maybe stop fighting me for five minutes?”
He looked out through the broken windows and lined up the nose with the pyramid structure. Immediately below it was the inner wall, and that was where he took aim. Fires were already burning where the fuel had struck to the hull, and a long trail of black smoke ran behind them.
It’s time to get out of here.
Xenophon made one final adjustment and tied the strap from the pilot’s seat to the control column. It wasn’t perfect, but at least the wild rolling had now abated to a slow spin, one that he could work with. He turned his attention to the micro-atomics. The control pad was simple enough, and just a few key presses set off the proximity system. He left the timer mode active as well, a useful failsafe in case there was any issue with the proximity detonation. He left the seat at the point where it had rotated back into its normal position. Xenophon even made it to the doorway when a screaming sound filled the raider. Part of the cockpit crumpled apart like it was made of tin. He felt air pulling him about, and then he was on his side.
That’s not fair, not at all.
Something grabbed his arm, and then he was in the passenger compartment and being dragged along the floor. He couldn’t even see the person’s face as they approached the gaping hole in the side of the craft, but the figure turned to face him.
“You ready?”
It was Glaucon, and there couldn’t have been a better time for his friend to be there.
“Let’s go.” It was the best he could manage.
A brief tug on his arm was all it took; both were out and in free fall.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Raider ‘Night Scythe’, The Eternal Fortress, Shattered Systems
The journey to the surface of the planet was the most terrifying experience of Xenophon’s life. All around him were fighters, dromons, debris, and falling soldiers. He spotted dozens of parachutes well below, as well as the continuous gunfire of hundreds, perhaps thousands of troops below them. The few remaining dromons in the air swept in and attacked the gun towers that circled the Fortress. One of the tower structures to the east exploded, sending a bright blue flash around the pyramid. The flashes changed colour and then settled down before vanishing.
The Pyramid is shielded?
How much further?
Xenophon looked down at the target and found the battle raged in every direction. One area in particular seemed to be drawing the most attention. All around the pyramid was the thick armoured wall, topped with towers and defended by many warriors. And heading right for it was Night Scythe. The crippled vessel had already begun to tip over, and rather than heading for the structures around the pyramid, it was clear she was going to land short. He looked out to the wide wall surrounding the pyramid and began to trace its outline.
So that wall is not just a physical defence. It is the emitter for the entire shield.
He looked for Glaucon and then realised the weapons he needed were still inside the raider.
Dammit, the atomics could have fixed this for us.
He activated his communication node with a quick tap.
“This is Dukas Xenophon. The inner defence wall is a shield emitter complex. Do not land inside the walls.”
Xenophon extended his arms out to try and help control his descent. It allowed only a few subtle course corrections, but at least he could now see the inner wall more clearly. Hundreds of pinpoints of light marked where soldiers on the walls were firing up at them. A quick glance to the gauges on his suit showed him just fifteen hundred metres above the ground. Indicator lights flashed to tell him to activate the parachute. He reached for the button and then spotted another spatharios being shot at. Multiple holes opened in his parachute, and his landing direction changed towards the side of the invisible shield. The man’s body pulsed, fizzled, and then disappeared completely. The poor soul had his parachute opened and was an easy shot for the guns.
Hold the cord, open late.
Every part of his body told him to open it, but his mind knew otherwise. Glaucon was closer now, and like him had not deployed his ‘chute. He checked again, and they had dropped another two hundred metres. A few more seconds and they were well below the height of the pyramid and even closer to the battle. Movement to his right forced him to watch as the last few moments of the captured raider were played out to him in slow motion. The craft seemed to right itself at the last moment, and then it struck the large tower complex with an almighty flash.
Come on! Bring that shield down.
The vessel broke into three pieces and vanished from view in a bright explosion and cloud of dust.
That’s a good impact.
Xenophon watched, but the expected micro-atomic blast didn’t follow. Unlike the full-scale atomics used on large missile cruisers, these were designed for cracking open armour or fortified sections of buildings. They could blast holes a hundred metres wide in almost any material. Instead nothing more happened than the expected secondary explosions. Bitterly disappointed, he waved to Glaucon who answered back with a single hand signal.
“Now!”
With a great crump sound the ‘chute deployed behind him and still he fell. The ground came nearer and nearer, and for a moment he wondered if the parachute was even there. Xenophon looked up, checked the material was above him, and then looked down to see he was heading straight for the wall. There were people on the ground, but at the height and speed he was travelling, there was no way to tell who they were.
Brace.
His feet hit the ground, then his legs buckled, and he was rolling on the ground. Xenophon struggled to release the ‘chute, but there were already hands pulling at him. He pushed away, but the outer layer of the drop suit was off, and he could see they were fellow Terrans. A rocket struck the ground nearby, scattering rocks and debris over them. One spatharios stepped in the path of the debris and deflected the fragments with a body shield. The figure looked back and nodded.
“Desma?” Xenophon said, as much surprised as she was.
More rockets struck the ground, and several Terrans were cut apart by the explosive charges.
* * *
The Eternal Fortress, Shattered Systems
Ariaeus staggered inside the lowest level of the bastion and followed the direction of Bijan and the Taochian soldiers. The structure was the best-fortified part of the Northern sector of the shield wall, and though the battle was raging nearby, he doubted any enemy forces could have breached the moated defences and made it to the keep. This was the central defensive point in the entire complex and housed Ariaeus’ best troops and store of weapons. Even so, he barely knew what was happening as they moved him to the largest and best-protected part of the facility. It seemed to take forever, but after what seemed an age, they were there. Waiting for him were more than two-dozen mercenaries, as well as a pair of Taochi soldiers. One of them stepped forward and struck its right hand against its chest.
“My Lord. Terrans are outside the shield wall and attacking in large numbers.”
Part of the bastion wall to their right shuddered, and a chunk as big as a man appeared. A figure entered and one of the Taochi swung a large mace and embedded the heavy metal weapon into the chest. The mortally wounded automaton fell to the ground, shuddered, and then was still. The creature muttered something, and his comrades started to laugh. He shook his head and pointed to the breach.
“What about this sector? Is this part of the wall secure? Tell me the Terrans are not through the wall!”
The Taochi commander shook his head. Ariaeus still imagined groups of the enemy spatharii infiltrating sections of the wall. They were masters of sneak attacks, and he could already see them in his imagination, each working towards the base of the pyramid and attempting to disable the massive weapon.
If they eliminate the weapon, we can expect the entire Legion to arrive! We must protect the pyramid from the ground troops.
Until now he had been confident, perhaps a little too confident that the Fortress would be his crowning glory. Now, as he listened to the sound of Terrans in combat, he realised his life rested on the skill of people like Arteshban Qarz, and that was enough to almost make him vomit. He wiped at his face, doing his best to banish his personal doubts, and to focus on the task before him.
You have to succeed here. There is no escape from this world if the Black Legion arrives.
Another of the mercenaries, one of the officers he had paid good money for, approached. Ariaeus tried but could not remember his name, no matter how hard he tried.
“Lord Ariaeus, one of their craft was hit on the way down and crashed into the outer tower. That was the explosion that damaged this keep. The impact opened up a major breach in the outer bastion wall where the tower collapsed, but the site is still secure. Even if they entered at this point, they will still have to work past the knife rocks before they hit this keep. Only by smashing their way past us, will they be able to breach the defences and reach the pyramid.”
He took a quick breath.
“Luckily, the Terrans are too far away to exploit it...yet. But they’ve landed over a kilometre away from the bulk of Arteshban Qarz’s infantry. Either they had one hell of a plan, or they were very lucky.”
One of his comrades looked through a small vision slit in the keep wall. He watched for a second and then looked back.
“I don’t see them, well, apart from a few hundred stragglers outside the walls. Where the hell are Arteshban Qarz’s troops?”
Bijan laughed.
“I’ll tell you where. They are stationed in fortified bases, trenches, and the expected landing sites. I saw them at the docks and landing platforms when I arrived. They are well-placed for a full-scale assault, assuming the Terrans seize landing sites further away.”
Ariaeus was not amused.
“But this isn’t a full-scale assault, is it? This is a few hundred Terrans on a raid, and they’ve la
nded right up against the shield wall. Why are the wall turrets not firing on them?”
Another of the mercenaries moved to the doorway and opened it a fraction to look out. As he did so, a single round struck just where he had been. He looked to the others with a sheepish expression on his face.
“Nice shooting.”
He then turned to Ariaeus.
“The turrets can depress maybe ten degrees at best.”
He shook his head in horror.
“Whoever built them assumed the enemy would assault across open ground. The walls have to be manned by infantry to hold them off. The guns just can’t hit them at this range.”
Ariaeus had already worked out that it was probably the case. More rockets were landing nearby, and he knew a decision had to be made, any decision.
“The Terrans must be contained and eliminated before they can cause major damage. They cannot be allowed to hit the weapon platform.”
He pointed to the small window slit.
“Arteshban Qarz’s troops can mop up, but the fate of this world will be decided by us alone, and in the next hour. Only we can stop them penetrating inside the shield wall.”
Ariaeus looked up at the ceiling as though he could actually see the sky.
“And the shield itself? Is the planetary defence weapon still operational?”
A dull howl announced the firing of the massive weapon, and Ariaeus felt a moment of relief, knowing it would be vaporising yet another ship or large fragment that was falling through the atmosphere.
“It is active, but two of the control towers have been damaged in the air attack. The shield is up and running on the backup control units.”
Ariaeus looked about and was frustrated to find no computers or tactical units so that he could manage the battle. Bijan could see his frustration and extended his left arm out to him. A panel slid open and exposed three small displays, each one half the size of a hand. Ariaeus looked at the colour dots that represented different units. He pointed to the large number of yellow dots around the inner wall.