Operation Hellfire

by Michael G. Thomas

Her eyes returned to her two senior officers, both appeared equally confused. The number of people aboard the ship with knowledge of the next two waypoints was limited to her command staff. Not even Captain Cornwallis had information on their route. He didn't need to know, and neither did anybody else not directly connected with their navigation.

  "Who has access to our course information, and our Byotai guests?"

  Before they could answer she already knew, and her face twitched in irritation.

  "Captain Dreuc."

  * * *

  Prince Kratha marched into the CIC with General Honorious at his side. They moved slowly so that the still wounded General could walk unaided, even though he grunted with each step. They headed for Captain Galanos who was flanked by her most senior officers, as well as a dejected looking Captain Dreuc. They waited patiently as the young noble moved closer and then nodded politely. He spoke in thickly accented English, to the surprise of some of the crew.

  "Captain. Thank you for seeing me at such short..."

  Captain Galanos cut him off midsentence.

  "This is my ship, and a ship's captain is God. We are operating under strict radio silence until we are in friendly territory. There are no exceptions."

  She looked to Captain Dreuc but directed her question to the Prince.

  "So please explain why you have been communicating with third parties and risking the survival of me, my crew, ship, and this entire fleet!"

  The Prince glanced at the old General who gave him little more than an eye movement in response. It wasn't much, but it was clearly a signal.

  "I see," said the Prince, "We are in friendly territory, my territory."

  Captain Dreuc spoke out in his own language, and the tone was clearly a rebuke. Prince Kratha muttered something back at the old officer before lowering his head towards Captain Galanos.

  "You are, of course, correct. I ordered my technicians to send a coded message to nearby regional commands. The messages are short and can be read only by those with a matching genetic ID."

  Captain Galanos shook her head.

  "And I take it you have not heard back from them?"

  The Prince nodded.

  "Correct."

  "Anything else? For the security of my fleet, I have to know. Have you sent any other messages?"

  General Honorius leant towards the Prince and spoke quietly. Prince Kratha snapped something back, grunted, and then returned his gaze to the Captain.

  "My technicians detected a distress signal from my Eighth Quadrant regional fleet. I have called on all loyalists in this sector to escape to Alliance space. The transit point for many is at..."

  General Honorius spoke again, and this time Prince Kratha lifted his hands and muttered something that surprised all of the Byotai present.

  "The Eighth Quadrant Fleet Reserve Base."

  Captain Galanos shook her head.

  "We have two more waypoints on our way back home before we reach Helios Prime and the safety of Alliance territory. The first of these takes us past the abandoned Fleet Reserve Base."

  She then looked to Captain Dreuc.

  "Captain, you told us this was to make use of the nearby Spacebridge that will take us to the Ararrh border system, and then to the great crossroads, the area our stellar cartographers call the Four Rifts. From that one point, it will give us the ability to travel to three different star systems."

  "Indeed," said the General, now finally speaking, "And one of those is the old Helion capitol, Helios Prime, now part of your Grand Alliance. Your final destination, as agreed with your Admiral."

  She wasn't certain, but it did sound as though he used the term ‘Grand’ disparagingly. More concerning was that it sounded as though these Byotai had their own plan and were using Alliance ships to do it.

  "That is correct. The last part of our journey back to the Alliance will take us through the Four Rifts. You promised us this was the safest route, and the one least likely to make us run into Star Empire forces."

  Her eyes narrowed as she looked carefully at the Byotai.

  "Was this your plan all along? To string our fleet along to fit a different agenda, one you have been following since we picked you up?"

  Captain Dreuc opened his mouth and let out a slow breath. His eyes closed shut for nearly two seconds, and left Captain Galanos getting even angrier. His reptilian facial muscles drew taut along his cheekbones until finally, he opened his eyes.

  "No, Captain. I suggested this route because it takes us directly past known loyalist star systems. The Ararrh border system is lightly populated, but it is home to an operational Imperial facility. We are less likely to run into trouble because most, if not all have fled. If any remain, they will be loyal to the Royal Household and at that station."

  Prince Kratha took a half step closer to Captain Galanos, and to her surprise he lowered down on one knee. Several of the Byotai uttered hushed tones as they watched him in front of a human officer.

  "Please accept my apologies. My outgoing messages were vague and lacked any military intelligence, I assure you." Captain Galanos did not look impressed, so he continued, "I will of course have my officers give you copies."

  He looked to General Honorius and made a low-pitched grunting sound. The senior officer nodded politely and then moved to the rear of the group where he could talk with those outside, leaving the Prince alone. The noble looked to the vertical display where mapping information showed the nearby stars systems bordering the Eighth Quadrant, known as the Deadlands.

  "My message simply said that I am alive, and that all loyalists are to mobilise at their nearest military stations to continue the fight. If we're lucky, it might reach the odd stray ship, but only a signal via the Imperial Cortex can reach every part of the Empire. It was an impulsive gamble, and we expect little, perhaps nothing from it."

  Captain Galanos looked impassively at him.

  "Your Empire is in ruins, and you have told those still loyal to stand their ground? You have consigned them to their deaths."

  The Prince blinked, but he had nothing else he wanted to say. Captain Galanos still looked unimpressed.

  "This Fleet Reserve Base at Ararrh II, tell me about it. Do you expect to find friends or enemies there?"

  Prince Kratha shrugged, doing his best to imitate what he had seen from the humans. It was a good impression, though perhaps a little too understated.

  "Only a command ship of the Imperial Navy can access and control the Cortex at the base. Through it, information will then spread to any ships still connected to the system in this Ararrh region and beyond."

  "Yes, I understand that," said Galanos, "But tell me of this region. Is it hostile? Are we heading into a trap?"

  Prince Kratha paused.

  "I do not have the..."

  Captain Galanos did not look particularly pleased. She pointed to the vertical display and then tapped it. An image of Admiral Churchill appeared, and he looked equally annoyed.

  "Prince Kratha, I've just heard what is going on. This is not what we agreed, is it?"

  Like Captain Galanos, he did not look impressed.

  "Our mission is to get you and your people out of here safely. By contacting units in this region, you may have brought in ships that could block our route home. You have endangered this..."

  "No, Admiral. That is not correct."

  General Honorious returned at just that point and moved alongside Prince Kratha. His understanding of human language was far more limited, and he spoke in his own tongue, leaving the Prince to translate.

  "My esteemed General is saying that we have access to the live encoded data from the wide-area scanners. Using your ship's systems, and my Imperial authorisation as the new Imperator, will make it possible to see everything in this region, and a week away in every direction. We have already received a number of broken data packets. By all means look for yourself."

  Captain Galanos signalled for her science officer to take the coded data from the Prince. The
officers remained silent as he moved back to his system and launched a decryption of the data. In seconds, he had data to put up, and it showed fragmentary information for dozens of systems. Prince Kratha lowered his head again.

  "This information is already a day old, but you can clearly see what is happening. There is a massed exodus heading through the Ararrh System and onwards to the Four Rifts. These are the end days for my people, and they have no hope or strategy."

  He closed his eyes and paused for a brief moment. Both Captain Galanos and the distant Admiral Churchill could see he was about to say something important.

  "We have to stop at Ararrh II."

  "Really?" said Admiral Churchill.

  The Byotai probably couldn't tell, but the Alliance officer's voice dripped with sarcasm.

  "It is home to the only operational Imperial Communication Cortex, and it cannot be controlled remotely. But access to it would be worth our time."

  His mouth widened into a forced smile.

  "It is hardwired into the superstructure specifically to stop third parties from gaining control of the system. Believe me, gaining access to it would be beneficial to our mission."

  The Admiral shook his head.

  "I doubt that. My mission and yours appear to be very different. We will be in the area for hour at the most. I have no intention of staying inside this sector for a minute longer than I have to."

  The Prince's expression altered almost immediately.

  "Admiral. Give me thirty minutes once we arrive. That is all I need. Thirty minutes and I can send a signal to every single fleet base, shipyard, and dock in the Empire. Nothing will be able to stop the encoded data stream as it will use our hardened and secure data hierarchy

  "And to what end?"

  The Byotai opened his mouth and let out a long, slow hiss.

  "I will announce my intention to form a Byotai government in exile, and call on all loyalists to rally to my colours...as you would say, at locations that are defensible. It is my intention to lead the fightback for my people. The Empire is broken, but we are not defeated."

  He looked to his General who returned him a polite nod of agreement. The Admiral waited for several seconds, considering the young noble's words. His initial thoughts were to object, but then the words of Captain Galanos returned to him.

  I suggest we pick a small number of key locations and send units to reinforce them.

  He smiled to himself, especially when he recalled the expression of some of the other captains. Galanos was certainly one to speak her mind, and that was exactly why he'd asked her. He looked to the Prince and gave him a gentle nod of agreement.

  "Very well, you will have your thirty minutes. There is one thing, though. We will formulate the message together. It's time for a strategy, and I think we might have a few ways to help you."

  Prince Kratha signalled for his old advisor to approach. They spoke in Byotai for a few seconds before he looked back.

  "General Honorius and I would be honoured to have your input."

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Alliance Armoured Assault Ship 'ANS Relentless'

  Nate's face reflected the energy from the three-dimensional model as it glowed brightly, its effect enhanced by the low-level lighting. He'd dreamed of seeing briefings like this since he was a little kid, and now he was there, sitting amongst the brightest and the best aboard Relentless. If anyone had bothered to look at him, they would probably have laughed. He looked like a child in a candy store.

  This is a full fleet operation, and we're gonna be part of it!

  Nate was terrified and exhilarated at the same time. They'd been in action already, and their actions to reach Prince Kratha, and to rescue his retinue had hardly been a minor event. This time they were entering a system with the entire fleet, and with multiple objectives, just like the simulated missions they'd conducted before. Capital ships were tasked with interdiction missions, while the fighters had multiple objectives. It was a large, complex affair, and he couldn't wait.

  "Can you believe this?"

  Ensign Hawkins shook his head and whispered back to him.

  "It's just another mission, Nate. Knowing our luck, we'll miss all the action."

  Nate would not be dissuaded and turned his attention back to the model. It showed a map of the entire border region, the Alliance to the bottom and four major provinces of the Star Empire at the top. From the left was the Anicinàbe Province, what remained of the vast swathe of territory ruled by the disparate tribes. Now it was just part of the Greater Star Empire. To the right the occupied Ninth and Eighth Quadrants, with only the Deadlands separating them from Alliance space. To the top of the mapping data was part of The Trinity, the three rich quadrants that formed the heart of the Old Byotai Empire. Jammed between the Ninth quadrant and the Anicinàbe Province was the disputed Tenth Quadrant, an area still involved in major fighting.

  The officers of the three squadrons aboard ANS Relentless, as well as the Marine Corps officers, sat in semicircle as they listened to Captain Cornwallis. A handful of other men and women sat further back and watched in silence.

  "Since the collapse of the Imperium, this entire region has gone to hell."

  It was a simple statement of fact, yet every one could see it was true.

  "It's a complex environment with multiple factions, scores of star systems, and mercenaries on every side. At present, all that is of interest to us is what is happening here."

  The Captain pointed to the right at the bottom of the Eight Quadrant, relatively close to the Deadlands and the border to Alliance space. At the centre was a series of three planets, and near one of them a blinking indicator marking the Spacebridge they would be arriving from. The Captain tapped the model, and the Spacebridge lit up.

  "The Ararrh System is home to the most substantial military installation in this part of the Eighth Quadrant. Ararrh I is on the opposite side of the star right now, but Ararrh II and III are both within range of the Spacebridges."

  The map pulled back and shifted Ararrh to the top of the display, giving up more space for the border.

  "As you can see, we're mobilising all of the resources under Orion Command along the border. Helion ships have been reactivated from the reserve, and IAB fast response teams from Taxxu are assisting at Karnak, along with other units."

  He leaned forward and took a glass of water from the podium. The officers were captivated by what they had seen, and unlike them, he knew what was coming next. A small sip later and he highlighted their destination.

  "The Deadlands border the Alliance, and civilian and military forces loyal to the old regime are trying to escape through that desolate place. And here we are, right in the middle of it, as usual."

  He almost laughed as he said this.

  "It's a messy situation, for sure, but if we can get a team to the communications Cortex, we will be able to make secure contact with all remaining Byotai forces and put the Admiral's new strategy into action. It's risky, but it could turn this conflict upside down."

  The Captain ran his hand across his chin as though considering his next words carefully.

  "If we fail, the remnants of their military will be swallowed up in a matter of weeks, perhaps even days. And we will be left with a violent neighbour with substantially greater resources than us."

  He scanned the eyes of those around him.

  "It’s worse than that. These new militias have a hunger for the destruction of anything tainted by machinery, computers, or synthetics. They are perhaps an even greater threat than the Biomechs ever were, and are using this unholy crusade as an excuse to cleanse entire regions."

  The mention of the almost mythical Biomech enemy of the past instantly changed the mood in the group. Captain Cornwallis let that sink in further before pointing at the model once more. The Byotai station lit up with a bright flash.

  "Engineers aboard ANS Warlord have accessed the data broadcast from the networked systems aboard the Fleet Reserve Base. Using this, we now
have detailed passive scans of the System, and what they show is not good."

  Another object blinked green, marking the location of the orbital installation. Immediately after that, another series of blue lights flashed through the System, most converging in two large groups.

  "This is what we've seen in the last three hours. The number of refugees has increased substantially, and they are getting desperate. Most are escaping The Trinity, and this is one of many main arteries out of the Empire."

  The map shifted back to Ararrh.

  "This is the last Spacebridge in this quadrant, and it leads directly to the area known as the Four Rifts, or the Fiorr Veej to the Byotai. This collapsed supernova is the home to routes throughout the Empire; as well directly back to Helios Prime. It is a crossroads, and it cannot be allowed to fall into the Star Empire's hands."

  Another Spacebridge flashed on the display. This one was at the opposite end of the model and orbiting half an astronomical unit from the star.

  "But there's a problem."

  Multiple small groups of red triangles popped up, many of them mixed in amongst the hundreds of fleeing ships.

  "There are looted spacecraft from a dozen different systems, and it looks like they are being crewed by Byotai revolutionaries. What we do know is that more than half are flying the colours of the Nozu-Kuba People's Militia. They are civilians out for blood and have already attacked a number of Byotai vessels. Based on their positions, they are maintaining a partial blockade. Some ships are making it out, but just as many are being forced back."

  Nate spotted one of the bridge officers pointing towards the shape of the station.

  "Yes," said Captain Cornwallis, "That's the key to the System. At the same time as the evacuation, a group of large passenger transports moved in around the station."

  While the mapping imagery stayed the same, the model of the station increased in size to show much more detail of the vast military structure.

  "Based on the damage sustained, and the broken messages coming from the area, it's clear that this so-called Nozu-Kuba People's Militia is planning on seizing the station. It would appear there are already militia on the facility, and Prince Kratha estimates no more than a platoon of Byotai soldiers and volunteers remain on board."