Suddenly, green dots flashed across the fading light of the tactical screen and a hundred or more new explosions appeared on the Hexidine’s flank and then came another thirty.
“Those missiles came from the Langinstol and the Incendus, sir,” said Burner.
Yet more of the enemy ship’s armour was ripped out and Recker knew it was finished. The only unanswered question was how much damage it could inflict to the allied ships on the way down.
On this occasion, the outcome was more positive than Recker could have hoped. The Hexidine launched a few dozen missiles, most of which were shot down by the Aeklu’s gauss repeaters. Larson fired dozens more in response, while the Vengeance and the Daklan warships added the weight of their own firepower.
“The Hexidine is about to crash,” said Burner.
“So are we, Lieutenant,” said Recker, doing his best to keep the Aeklu underside down.
The ocean filled many of the sensor feeds with an angry blue-grey and white foam spat from the tops of enormous waves.
“It’s five klicks to the bottom,” said Burner. “Deep, but we won’t go under.”
Recker wasn’t sure if fate had a hand – as if it were trying to send him a message he was unable to comprehend - or if the simultaneous crash landings of the Aeklu and Hexidine were nothing more than coincidence.
Both Laws of Ancidium struck the ocean, with the Hexidine only just visible over the planet’s curvature. Keeping his focus on his own warship, Recker watched as a fountain of displaced water was thrown upwards and forwards by the Aeklu’s nose. The rest of the hull crashed into the surface a moment later displacing so much water that the ocean bed was revealed briefly, before the complex interactions of currents brought the water flooding back.
The moment those waters contacted the burning alloys of the stern, they frothed violently, creating a billowing cloud of rapidly expanding superhot steam. Having landed at a modest speed, the Aeklu’s forward momentum was soon spent, though not before it had gouged an immense furrow in the ocean floor and created a tsunami of calamitous proportions.
The last of the Aeklu’s main power ran out, but the lights remained on and Recker was glad to see that the backups were online to power the internal doors and lifts. Those backups also powered basic comms functionality, as well as allowing the sensors to provide a low-resolution feed. Far away, the horizon was lit up by plasma fire, created by missiles from the three active allied warships.
For a moment, Recker sat and stared at the blank screens before him, feeling a combination of so many emotions he didn’t know which one was overriding. He stood.
“Well, folks, we’re down. Now let’s get the hell off this ship.”
Recker picked up his rifle and headed for the door. At that moment, he had a thought which gave him pause. He slowed and stopped.
“Sergeant Vance, Sergeant Shadar, take your squads to the upper plating and bring these technicians,” he said. “LT Roy, pass on the order to your other teams – make sure they go up and not down. If they’re not topside in time, they’ll have to wait for rescue.”
“Yes, sir.”
“What about you and the crew, sir?” asked Sergeant Vance.
“We’ll catch up.” Recker smiled grimly. “First, we’ve got something to do.”
Vance looked mystified but he didn’t ask any questions and simply followed the already-evacuating soldiers from the bridge.
Recker didn’t return to his seat and instead he placed himself at Lieutenant Burner’s shoulder.
“What’s the plan, sir?”
“I might know a way to trap a fly,” said Recker.
Chapter Twenty
“Are we still on the Laws of Ancidium battle network?” asked Recker. “If we aren’t, then my idea is going to be a non-starter.”
“Yes, sir, we’re on the battle network,” said Burner. “I only put a temporary hold on our transmissions.” He brought up some lines of text on a screen and peered at them. “I haven’t checked these for a few minutes, what with everything that was going on, but looking here, we’ve received several additional comms packets from both the Gorgadar and the Ixidar.”
“Where are they?”
“The Ixidar has left Excon-1 and…oh shit…it’s not far from one of the Daklan systems.”
“What about the Gorgadar?”
“Same as before, sir.” Burner furrowed his brow. “It hasn’t moved at all.”
It struck Recker as peculiar that the prime ship amongst the Laws of Ancidium would be idle for so long and he wondered briefly at the cause. “We’ll check it out later if we can,” he said. “Right now I want to know if there’s any way we can modify the Aeklu’s outbound data packets.”
“I don’t see why not,” said Burner, using one hand to call up a menu on a separate screen. “Why do we need to do that?”
“What if the Gorgadar and Ixidar thought we were heading to Tronstal?”
Burner’s expression twisted in concentration. “If the Lavorix were made to think the planet was populated by eighty billion people, but well-defended, maybe they’d want to pay it a visit, to help the Aeklu extract all that juicy life energy.”
“And even if they’re aware the HPA is in control of the Aeklu, those other Laws of Ancidium would still want to head over to Tronstal in order to get their ship back. Or destroy it,” said Recker.
“We’ve got to modify the battle network data in a way that doesn’t allow the Lavorix to guess that we know they’re tracking us,” said Burner peering closely at his screen.
Recker nodded. “If we could insert data that indicates we’ve begun a conventional lightspeed journey to the RETI-11 system, arriving a short time after the expected installation of the shield breaker, the Ixidar and Gorgadar might show up and we can test out their shields with our new weapon.”
“Permission to highlight the obvious flaw in the plan, sir?” asked Eastwood.
“Go ahead, Lieutenant.”
“Even without their shields, the Laws of Ancidium are not exactly vulnerable. If the Ixidar and Gorgadar turned up and assuming the shield breaker works, we’d require a massive fleet of warships to take them down. We’d be committing to an all-or-nothing venture where the odds are completely uncertain.”
“I accept everything you’ve said, Lieutenant. However, I think you’re underestimating the importance of knowing where those enemy ships might be and when. Given their Gateway hardware and enormous lightspeed multipliers, they can turn up anywhere of their choosing, without us having a chance to respond. The best medium-term outcome for the HPA and the Daklan is a slow death in which our fleets are taken out piecemeal by an enemy that can initiate combat at any time and escape just as easily.”
Eastwood shrugged. “I’m glad I’m not the one making the call, sir.”
“I’m not making the call either, Lieutenant,” said Recker. “Get me Fleet Admiral Telar on the comms.”
Telar didn’t keep them waiting and he entered the channel immediately.
“Give me the details, Captain Recker,” he said at once.
Recker obliged and without embellishment. When he was done, Telar went silent as he considered what was a possibly the most vital decision the HPA military would ever make.
“I agree,” he said at last, without sounding happy about it. “However, I can only agree for the HPA. I will require a similar commitment from my Daklan opposite number.”
“Will that be a problem, sir?”
“No. I would like you to send the modified battle network packets to the Gorgadar and the Ixidar, then board the Vengeance and head to the RETI-11 system. I’ll do you the courtesy of confirming if the mission is a go before you enter lightspeed. From the sounds of it, you require a few minutes to escape the Aeklu.”
“Yes, sir. Do you have any advance orders?”
“I’ll let you know if I think of any. The Vengeance is equipped with a unique weapon – I’ll ensure you are under nobody’s command but your own and therefore free to d
ecide if the Fracture is used, without the encumbrance of competing orders.”
It was a statement of great confidence in Recker’s ability. “I’ll do the best I can.”
“As always. Now go. If you don’t hear from me soon, your destination is Tronstal.”
The channel went dead and Recker urged his crew from their seats. He dashed for the – still unfixed – blast door with the others following. As he led the way to the airlifts, Recker spoke to Aston on the comms and received confirmation that the Hexidine was completely out of action.
“Their hull power output is at near-zero, sir. The Langinstol and the Incendus are maintaining their bombardment, but I’ve withdrawn the Vengeance. It seems wise to keep some ammunition spare.”
“We’re going to need it, Commander,” said Recker, repeating what he’d discussed with Telar. He entered the airlift which would take him to the topside hatch and touched the access panel to close the door behind him.
“Sounds like it’s about to get messy,” Aston said once he’d finished talking.
“That it is,” he confirmed. “I’m trying not to think about it just yet. Land the Vengeance on the Aeklu’s hull and be ready to pick up some passengers.”
“Yes, sir, on my way.”
The airlift ascended and, shortly after, Recker and his crew joined the platoon and the technicians on the upper plating. This area of the Aeklu had avoided missile damage, though the clouds of blistering steam, the faraway crashing of the ocean and the indistinct shapes of the external armaments made Recker feel as if he was standing in a strange and threatening landscape.
A hundred and fifty metres closer to the Aeklu’s nose, the Vengeance was setting down, its forward boarding ramp open and the light from its airlock diffuse like that of a beacon on a fog-shrouded coastline. Running hard, Recker felt relief when he arrived at the steps and he climbed rapidly, pausing once to check that his crew were with him.
“We’re inside,” he said on the comms when everyone was onboard.
“Copy that,” said Aston. “I’m closing the ramp.”
The ramp motors groaned beneath the airlock floor and Recker didn’t hang around. He sprinted into the tight passages of the Vengeance, glad that none of the soldiers were lingering to block his way. Vance and Shadar kept things tight even outside of combat and Recker had a free run to the bridge.
Arriving with his breathing deep and his heart thumping in his chest, Recker made his way to the command console.
“Excellent work, Commander Aston, but I’m afraid I’ll have to relieve you.”
“No problem, sir,” said Aston. She was clearly invigorated by the recent experience and she offered Recker a broad smile.
He dropped into his seat and performed a cursory check of the instrumentation. “You’re relieved as well, Corporal Montero. Time to return to the platoon.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you for the opportunity.”
Recker glanced in Aston’s direction and raised an eyebrow questioningly. She nodded, the words unspoken.
Corporal Montero came through for us.
“Thank you for making the most of it, Corporal,” said Recker. “I’m sure you’ll have another chance in the future.”
“I hope so, sir,” said Montero, as she exited the bridge.
Recker turned to ensure his crew were at their stations. Everyone was looking his way.
“Lieutenant Burner, I know Fleet Admiral Telar said he’d speak to us if the mission was a non-starter, but I’d like you to open a channel and ask politely if we’re wasting our time going to lightspeed.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Lieutenant Larson, contact Captains Vazox and Vakh. Tell them of my admiration for their performance in the recent engagement with the Hexidine and ensure they understand how vital their military’s lightspeed missiles have been in our joint success.”
“Yes, sir. Should I give them details of the next mission?”
“Corporal Montero has already done so,” said Aston. “I don’t believe either the Langinstol or the Incendus is equipped for another engagement - their magazines are depleted and their hulls are full of holes. The best place for them is the shipyard. Whether they’re ordered back to base or not is another matter.”
“They’ve more than done, their duty,” said Recker. “I hope their commanding officer does not commit them to this mission.”
“Sir, I have obtained confirmation from Fleet Admiral Telar that the mission is to go ahead. We’re to make fastest speed for an area of empty space on the fringes of the RETI-11 system. There, we will rendezvous with the other members of our fleet and we will receive updated orders.”
“Nothing complicated or convoluted,” said Recker. “Just how I like it.”
The Vengeance was ready to fly and he grabbed the control bars. While the Aeklu had been a warship without peer amongst the allied fleets, it had been tainted by its origins and Recker had not entirely enjoyed commanding the vessel. The Vengeance was something else and when he heard the familiar engine note and felt the usual vibration through his palms, he wanted to smile despite everything that had happened and everything that was to come.
Climbing vertically, the spaceship emerged from the undiminished clouds of steam and the sensors offered him a sight of the Aeklu, half-submerged and beaten ineffectually by the ocean’s waves, its rear five thousand metres ragged and still burning with the heat of plasma explosions. Aside from its stern, the warship was hardly damaged, and Recker was sure that Telar would soon order the salvage crews onboard to find out if it could be recovered.
Higher the Vengeance climbed and the Hexidine became visible on the horizon. The enemy ship was ablaze from the intense bombardment it had suffered and dark smoke mingled with steam to produce a veil across the sky which extended fifty kilometres north to south. There were times Recker was left dumbfounded by the destructive potential of technology and this was one of those moments.
“We beat them,” said Aston, watching his expression from the corner of her eye. “Don’t forget that.”
“Yes, we did, Commander. I’m trying my hardest not to think of it as a partial victory.”
“Four out of six Laws of Ancidium are gone,” said Eastwood. “If I were top dog in the Lavorix hierarchy I’d be mighty pissed about the situation.”
“Those six warships were probably the only things keeping them in the game against the Kilvar,” said Larson. She laughed unsympathetically. “Not anymore.”
“None of it will matter if we can’t finish the job,” said Recker. “The Gorgadar and Ixidar will not be easy opponents.”
Recker hated his growing inability to see the positives. He joked with himself that he was getting old, but at only thirty-eight, he knew he was making excuses for his changing outlook. Maybe it was a natural reaction to living on the edge for long – each time he beat the odds, he had to do it again and again. Eventually he’d stop beating them and he was fearful of the inevitability.
Same as always, he locked those fears into a far corner of his mind and returned himself to the present. The Vengeance’s ascent had taken it through the clouds and towards the upper edges of the atmosphere. Way below, the Laws of Ancidium were grey shapes against the water, and the smoke from the Hexidine was a slow-spreading charcoal smear.
More worrying were the huge ripples on the ocean’s surface, caused by the spaceships coming down into the water. Soon those ripples would hit land and when that happened, they’d make the tsunami that washed through Oracon-1 look like a pebble splash in comparison.
Recker diverted his eyes and concentrated on the minutiae of piloting the Vengeance. Once it was free of the thin atmosphere, he gave the warship maximum acceleration and it tore through space. Switching the propulsion into overstress brought the usual note of serenity, which Recker let wash through him like it could cleanse his soul.
“We probably don’t need to fly to the usual distance from Lustre before we fire up the lightspeed drive, sir,” said Eastwood. “I’ve e
ntered the coordinates and I’m ready to press go.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant. The Vengeance has a higher lightspeed multiplier than everything else in the HPA and Daklan fleets. We’ve got some leeway.”
“Yes, sir.” Eastwood sucked in an audible breath. “It would be nice to get away from the planet. Before the waves hit the shores.”
“I understand, Lieutenant – I think we’re too late for that.”
“Yeah.”
Even so, Recker brought the Vengeance to a standstill. “Warm up the ternium drive, Lieutenant. Take us to RETI-11.”
“Ternium drive warming up,” Eastwood confirmed. “Six minutes and we’re out of here. ETA is thirty-seven hours. We’ll have time to watch the deployment crews taking the shield breaker down to Tronstal.”
Recker fidgeted his way through the first two minutes, his mind turning. He was sure the Laws of Ancidium were granted a great deal of autonomy and could act more or less as their commanding officers decided. Maybe the Ixidar would head to Tronstal early, late or maybe it would receive a contradictory order from the Ancidium and go somewhere else entirely.
“Lieutenant Burner, can you link to the Aeklu’s comms system?”
“Yes, sir. Of course.”
“What about the battle network comms packets? Can you view the contents?”
“I’ll tell you in one moment, sir.” Burner went quiet, but not for long. “Yes, sir. Those data packets are accessible from here.”
“Give me the updates.”
“The Ixidar has moved from its last reported position but is still near the same Daklan system.”
“That can’t be good,” said Aston.
“It never is with the Lavorix, Commander,” said Recker. The enemy ship hadn’t set off for Tronstal yet and he hoped that was a good thing – the Laws of Ancidium had no trouble crossing vast distances, so it wasn’t like this one had to get an early start. If the Ixidar arrived first, that would throw a spanner in the works. “What about the Gorgadar? Where is that?”
“Same place as last time, sir. It hasn’t moved.”
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