Winged Hussars (The Revelations Cycle Book 3)

by Mark Wandrey

  “Message file available,” Drone Control reported. Alexis glanced down at the slate built into the arm of her command chair and touched the icon representing the message and the CIC PA so everyone could hear it.

  “Commander Cromwell, I know it must be you and Pegasus, even though we dare not use active sensors. However, considering we picked up a ship emergence more than a light hour away from the emergence point says it all. This is Captain Kowalczy aboard Alicorn. Authentication follows.” There was a series of encrypted keys which Edwards confirmed with a thumbs-up. “I knew you’d come, but wish you hadn’t. While I can’t say without a doubt this was a trap, the fact that they didn’t just outright annihilate us and let a message drone through the stargate suggests a trap is exactly what this is.

  “I don’t know why this happened, but I can say the radioactive element extraction plant we were hired to take was not here and never was. There is an overwhelming force in the system prepared to destroy us once they find our hiding place. Data on our location and disposition is enclosed in the courier drone’s secure bay, just in case.”

  Alexis looked up to find a crewman wearing the colors of a hangar tech at the door to the CIC, just visible to the camera looking outside. Per procedure, the CIC was sealed during Condition One. The tech saluted and put a computer chip in the pass-thru. While Kowalczy continued, Paka retrieved the chip and brought it to her.

  “Commander, that’s our situation. While I strongly advise you to take advantage of Pegasus’ abilities and withdraw from the system, I also stand prepared to carry out your orders. Regards, Captain Kowalczy, EMS Alicorn.”

  Alexis inserted the chip into her command slate and examined the data. As she’d been told, Task Force Two was in the asteroid field, and almost directly ahead on their current course. Kowalczy had proved once again to be an outstanding officer; he was using a pair of M-type, high-nickel asteroids to conceal his task force and had only lost a single frigate in a diversionary action that allowed him to retreat. He had, however, sacrificed most of the drones on his carrier, Chimera. The carrier could make more, but he’d elected to avoid the energy signature of the carrier’s manufactory. They’d started a few hundred drive units, but only finished a couple dozen.

  Alexis fed the task force details and location to Chug, and he calculated their intercept. If they flipped and began breaking, they would come abreast of the task force in a little under four hours. Their fusion torch would lead the enemy right to them.

  Also included with the task force’s data was the intelligence they’d gathered on the enemy. Three fleet elements were present in the system, one each from the HecSha, Bakulu, and Izlian. The breath hissed out between her teeth at the last. The Izlian were not a merc race, at least not by the book. They were an ancient race which had been designing and building starships since the First Republic. Within recent history (thousands of years), they had not been seen in active combat. Yet, here they were, facing her. Another validation of her fears.

  “Total enemy disposition, Edwards?” she asked.

  “Ma’am,” the small man said, showing her the data. “Three battleships, twelve battlecruisers, 20 cruisers, 40 frigates, both regular and various escort types, and three carriers. Data indicates the possibility of three fleet logistics vessels, as well.” The silence on the bridge was deafening. They all knew that Task Force Two was composed of the battlecruiser Alicorn, cruisers War Admiral and American Pharaoh, drone carrier Chimera, and five surviving escort frigates. Even with the addition of Pegasus, those were devastating odds.

  “No one has seen a fleet like that in a century,” Glick burbled.

  “Or more,” Alexis nodded gravely, “and the Izlian have come out of their hole to hunt us.”

  “What do we do?” Paka asked.

  “We are the Winged Hussars,” Alexis snarled, balling her hands into fists, “we are no one’s prey!” None on the senior staff disagreed. The Hussars didn’t leave their own to die.

  “Hoot, use the coordinates provided by Captain Kowalczy,” Alexis said, “establish laser comms. We’re getting out of here. All of us.”

  * * * * *

  Chapter 32

  Bakulu Merc Cruiser Yushispa

  Grkata System

  Hyperspace Emergence Point

  “Report,” Captain Geshakooka ordered as soon as the distortion of emergence had passed.

  “Location confirmed,” the helmsman reported.

  “There are no ships in our threat box,” SitCom reported.

  “There is a combined fleet operations communication and sensor drone transmitting a correct IFF transponder code signal,” comms said. The IFF, identification friend or foe, was a long-used way for friendly forces to avoid fratricide in combat situations. When mercs could be allies one day and enemies the next, they were essential in identifying who was who. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a perfect system and could be counterfeited.

  “Respond code in kind,” the captain ordered, “and request a situation report.” He turned to his TacCom. “Launch seekers, get eyes in the black. If that entropy-cursed Human ship is anywhere in our vicinity, I want to know about it before I lose any more of my command.”

  Captain Geshakooka knew right away that this operation, like the carefully planned blockade of Sulaadar, had somehow resulted in a cracked shell. There should have been an interdiction fleet watching the emergence point, which likely meant the Human ship had shot its way through it. “Humans,” he muttered to himself. He scanned the near-space sensor data and didn’t find what he’d expected to find—blown-apart and burning ships.

  “Launch the escorts,” he ordered, and a moment later the three remaining escort frigates detached from Yushispa’s hull and maneuvered a short distance away. They’d come through hyperspace with very little residual delta V, the result of overshooting, then having to stop and come back to the stargate in Karma after Yushispa was damaged in the brief engagement there. His ship was once again combat ready and some payback sounded just fine to him.

  “Transmission from the Izlian command ship,” comms reported.

  “On my personal channel,” Geshakooka ordered. A moment later, he was listening to the high frequency screeches and pops of the Izlian language overlayed with his own, much more sensible bubbles and pops, courtesy of the comms’ automatic translation system.

  “This is Admiral Omega,” the Izlian said. It was difficult enough for translators to handle the basic concepts of that race’s language; names were all but impossible. To make dealing with the outside world more practical, most ranking Izlian adopted a moniker that translated easily enough. Geshakooka’s eyestalks opened wider at the name. “Quigg du Snoo, it is a full cycle beyond your agreed upon arrival time.”

  “We attempted to disable the Human ship in Karma,” Geshakooka told the aloof-sounding Izlian. “I lost a frigate, and my cruiser was heavily damaged.” He didn’t like Izlians, truth be told, despite the notoriety of this one. Like most of the races known as exotics, the non-carbon-based lifeforms often had motivations that were not fathomable by more rational beings like himself. While he often found himself at odds with non-aquatic races, they both breathed air and ate biologically similar food.

  The Izlian resembled an analogous squid from his own home world, but that was where the similarities ended. The Izlian were composed primarily of silicon and had evolved in the dense atmospheres of a gas giant. They could tolerate inconceivable amounts of atmospheric pressure and very high G acceleration as long as it wasn’t sudden. They communicated by emitting harmful radiation; you never met face-to-face with an Izlian.

  “It is obvious you failed,” Admiral Omega said.

  “Just as you failed to ambush the Human ship here at the emergence point.” Silence. He enjoyed a moment of pleasure knowing he’d struck a blow against the egotistical Izlian admiral.

  “We do not know how they got through the sensor net,” Admiral Omega admitted. “Their ship is a very old design; it is possible it has a cloaking
field.”

  “The Winged Hussar ship is a battlecruiser over six hundred feet long,” Geshakooka said; “even the Dusman never cloaked a ship that large.”

  “Move to the stargate and take highguard,” Admiral Omega ordered.

  “Our contract was to hunt the Humans,” Geshakooka complained.

  “They are deep in the outer asteroid belt. We finally detected them, and they are likely near their other fellows who have been hiding there for weeks. By the time you arrive, there will be nothing left for you to hunt.” Geshakooka considered telling the overconfident old admiral about the Humans’ battlecruiser being equipped with hyperspace shunts. But after being dismissed so casually, he wasn’t inclined to be forthcoming.

  “Very well,” Geshakooka said, and ordered his helm to set course for the stargate. Still, he wasn’t willing to place a large bet the Izlian’s plans would go as they intended; in fact, he had a feeling he’d have another shot at the Humans all too soon.

  * * * * *

  Chapter 33

  EMS Pegasus

  Grkata System

  Outer Asteroid Belt

  “It’s good to see Pegasus again,” Captain Kowalczy said over the short-range laser communications relay. They were impossible to intercept, and you had to be practically on top of the source to know one was in use. Alexis had used her ship’s ion drives for the last few hours of braking to present a lower signature, thus denying the enemy an exact fix on their location. Thus far, there was no indication they’d been located.

  “Good to see you too, Captain,” Alexis said. She’d known Kowalczy since she was a young girl. The man had come up in the company academy just a few years behind her. In fact, in the strange inheritance system used by the company, he was third in line for company command. And, since Alexis had no children, that was a pretty good place to be.

  Pegasus was only a couple thousand miles away and the high-resolution cameras were giving her images of the Task Force. The ships in Kowalczy’s command all showed signs of battle, with his command ship, the battlecruiser Alicorn, being the worst off. Like any good commander, he put his own safety below that of his subordinates. “Are all your ships fit for combat?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said, “but there is no way we can blast our way out of here. They’ll all swing around to the stargate as soon as we boost toward it.” On the screen, Task Force Two was getting steadily closer as Pegasus continued to slow her approach.

  “I don’t plan on that just yet,” Alexis said, “I think we’ll just sit here for a while.”

  “They’ll keep looking for us,” he said, “and your arrival pretty much guarantees they’ll find us.”

  “Based on the data we have, they won’t be here for at least ten hours. I have the Geek Squad aboard,” she said, “and they have a rather novel plan. Prepare to send over all the new drone drives and components your manufactory has recently produced.”

  “Certainly,” he said with a curious expression on his face.

  “We have a surprise for the bastards. Hunting the Winged Hussars was a bad career move.”

  * * *

  Once Pegasus had come abreast of the hidden task force, the space around the ships became a flurry of activity. Shuttles, drones, and suited crew raced between the ships and nearby asteroids. Everyone worked as hard as they could, knowing the clock was running. They were finally detected nine hours later.

  “I have an enemy seeker drone in our threat box!” Flipper called out. Alexis floated in from her wardroom where she’d been napping. The senior command staff had been given time to rest. The next few hours were going to be hectic.

  “Burn it!” she barked. On the Tri-V one of their own drones changed course and a laser lanced out. The enemy drone was destroyed. “How much did they get?”

  “Enough,” Flipper said. “I’m sure it detected us and Alicorn. I don’t think they saw the Geek Squad’s project.”

  “Set Condition One,” she ordered. The klaxon sounded, the CIC sealed, and the lights changed. “Comms, raise Alicorn.”

  “Go ahead,” Hoot told her.

  “Kowalczy, how are you doing?”

  “It’s a little early, but I think we’re good.”

  “Very well, we’re going to begin.”

  “I’d like it on record that I disagree with this tactic,” the other captain said; “you are taking an unnecessary risk.”

  “Noted, Captain. Follow the plan, and good luck.”

  “To you as well. See you in New Warsaw.”

  “Count on it,” Alexis said, and signed off.

  * * *

  Geshakooka watched from his CIC as the operation to ambush and destroy the Humans slowly developed. No one alive remembered the last time the Izlian were involved in a combat action; however, all the races who had space navies had studied the enigmatic exotic’s tactical doctrines. Designers of many of the ships used in the galaxy, and innovators of strategies the ships’ owners employed, the Izlian were legends. They were also predictable and out of practice.

  “Observe,” he said to the TacCom, pointing with a pseudopod at the Tri-V. “They waited until all the elements were in their exact positions before beginning an advance toward the asteroids.”

  “Is that not wise?” asked the TacCom. “Overwhelming force is the best way to ensure victory.”

  “Right out of the Izlian tactical manual,” Geshakooka said, realizing something the TacCom didn’t; the quote was written by the same Admiral who commanded the fleet. The TacCom swiveled two of his three eyes to observe the captain, his remaining eye maintaining a watch on the tactical screen. “However, the Humans don’t follow that manual.”

  “Then they are fools,” the TacCom said.

  “We shall see,” Geshakooka said.

  As the fleets advanced, seeker bots were sent out in force. Unlike the solitary drone which discovered the Human’s approximate location, there would be far too many to easily destroy this time. Still, the always cautious Izlian once again followed their own tenants and kept the drones far enough back to avoid them being easily picked off. It reduced sensory resolution, though.

  The Tri-V tank was updated with the remotely broadcast data, and Geshakooka saw the Human force details appear. As he’d been told, nine ships had survived from the original group trapped in the Grkata system. The tenth reading must be his quarry, Pegasus. The sensor readings indicated the power sources of 10 ships of various sizes. The readings fluctuated because the sensory resolution was incomplete, but there were 10 fusion-powered ships, all at station-keeping power around a pair of large asteroids. Geshakooka admitted it was a good tactic. In the short term, the asteroid would mask their ship’s presence if they kept their emissions carefully controlled. But they hadn’t, and now the Izlian controlled fleets were closing in for the kill.

  The friendly ships approached their targets, slowly coming within range of their seeker drones’ sensors. Any time now they would have better data with which to decide on target selection. Within moments of reaching that range, all 10 targets began to accelerate with incredible speed.

  “Give me an estimate on that,” the captain told his SitCom.

  “At least 20 gravities.”

  Geshakooka had been watching his own tactical screen with one eye to keep track of the squadron under his command. Now all three eyes swiveled to the main Tri-V to watch the Human ships accelerate far faster than they should have been able to tolerate.

  “Update,” SitCom said. “Twenty-two point two gravities.”

  Something is wrong, Geshakooka thought, and he considered sending a message to the Izlian commander. The Humans cannot approach that acceleration. Almost no race could! “The enemy ships are aiming for a course to pass within 100 miles of the Izlian fleet.”

  “Are they drones?” he asked the sensor tech who was interpreting the data.

  “No,” the answer came immediately, “their fusion torches are far too powerful, and they have formidable shields.”

  The three
fleets had been deployed in the usual Izlian two-point strategy. Space combat involved thrust vectors, and it was hard for large ships to change course easily. The Izlian fleet was following the course directly along the line the Humans would follow if they had entered the asteroid field and then continued out the other side. Their role was called Ram. In the opposite direction, closing from behind, was the Maki fleet. Their job was often referred to as Chase. The HecSha ships, generally lighter and faster than those of the other two races, was split into two formations and flanking to either side in the role of Hedge. All 10 targets were heading toward the Izlian fleet. Geshakooka watched with interest, curious to see how the cocky gas bags dealt with this threat.

  Once again following their own book, the Izlian advanced with nine escort frigates in a ring formation directly ahead of their battleship. Three battlecruisers were arrayed around the battleship to provide overlapping defensive fields, and the six cruisers stood one before and one behind each of the battlecruisers. It looked like a Tri-V out of the Izlian training manual. As soon as they could lock onto the ships hurtling toward them, the escorts began to fire.

  The Izlian used frigates as missile screens and vanguards to weaken enemy defenses. As such, their frigates used primarily lasers and sported only a solitary missile launcher. Geshakooka could see the computer image of the Izlian frigates raining laser fire. The image was constructed of battlespace data beamed by the three attacking fleets and was an abstract that lacked real world detail. Ship damage would appear as discoloration; critical damage would have flashing markers. The 10 advancing enemy ships were not yet identified and showed no indication of damage. Little flashes of light on the targets indicated weapons hits, so the Izlian gunners were hitting their targets, however it seemed most of the shots were missing.