Steel Reign (Kirov Series Book 23)

by John Schettler

  “You mean all that talk of a grand finality.”

  “That’s exactly what I mean.”

  “Well that makes three… then there are four more missing keys?”

  “We know about one of those—the Watch knew. It was supposedly assigned to an agent for a special mission. Often times the right hand knows not what the left hand is doing in this secret little group. I knew it existed, but that’s all I can say about it. As for the other three… We received information as to the location of yet another key—don’t ask me how. Thinking we had it safely in hand, we were soon very disappointed. It was supposedly in the British museum as well.”

  “The British Museum?”

  “Quite so. Just as the key on Rodney was embedded in the Selene Horse, so this one was supposed to be hidden with another artifact there in the museum.”

  “Pray tell…”

  “I suppose you ought to know… It was the Rosetta Stone.”

  “Interesting… And might it be associated with a location?”

  “Possibly, but we’ve never laid eyes on it.”

  “I don’t understand. You mean you’ve left it there in the stone?”

  “Something a little more complicated. As you may know, that stone was recovered damaged. A good chunk of the top was missing. That still left enough of the engraved text for it to be deciphered, but we now believe the key may be hidden within the piece that is missing.”

  Tovey tapped his fingers on the table, thinking. “My dear woman… I’m rather fond of that museum. In fact I last visited just before the war and saw the Rosetta Stone at that time. It was in very good condition, perfectly intact—oh a little chip here or there, but no major damage to speak of.”

  Now it was Elena’s turn to be taken by unexpected news. “Undamaged? The top third was intact?”

  Tovey nodded. Watching her eyes move back and forth as though following her wild inner thoughts. He could see that this was a complete revelation to her, something entirely unexpected.

  “Of course!” she said, her breath coming quickly. “This is an altered reality—a different Meridian as Dorland would put it. The Rosetta Stone we had access to after learning about this was in our time.”

  “I’m not quite sure I follow you.”

  “Well then,” she said. “In the history I know, your favorite battleship, HMS Invincible, was never built. The Germans never took Gibraltar, there was no battle for the Canary Islands, Russia was never fragmented as it is here, Moscow never fell to the Germans, and there was no Orenburg Federation. Furthermore, Krakatoa never erupted in 1942, that occurred several decades earlier. Don’t you see? From my perspective, this world is an alternate time line.” The realization was a glow on her face now. “Why, it never occurred to me that the Rosetta Stone would be in any way different from the one I could look at in my time. But here you say it’s complete and whole? That means we might have yet another key, safe and sound, right there in the museum!”

  “My,” said Tovey. “This is getting darker and more mysterious every time we discuss it, and more frightening every time I contemplate what doors these keys might open, and where they might lead. There’s a real darkness there, real uncertainty. Don’t you feel it?”

  “Of course. Though I don’t fear them because the keys might open them. No. I think these keys were men to keep them sealed shut, locked and well hidden. Because once we do open one, there’s no guarantee that we can close it again.”

  “Pandora’s box,” said Tovey. “Someone engineered these keys, knowing full well the locations of these cracks in the mirror, and where they might lead. They obviously knew enough to lead you here with that one around your neck, and to think I was somehow involved in that is rather unsettling. Then they hid these others in artifacts that all seemed to find their way to the British Museum—at least two of them. I wonder why?”

  “Three. The other key I mentioned, the one given to another agent of the Watch, is also associated with a location, and it was in the British Museum library, hidden in the cover of the Lindisfarne Gospels.”

  “How very interesting. Where does it lead us?”

  “That I do not know. I wish they had told me everything.”

  “Well, might we now assume that the remaining keys are also hidden in artifacts within that museum?” Tovey walked to the end of the hall in that drafty corridor of thought.

  “We might assume that, but confiscating and inspecting everything in that museum would be difficult. Now that I know the Rosetta Stone is there intact, it’s imperative I get to that key somehow. It looks like that box brought my ship here for more than one good reason.”

  “I understand,” said Tovey. “Here we have two keys in hand, and we know of two more—one in the hand of an unknown agent of the Watch, whoever that may be, and one possibly still in the British Museum, in the Rosetta Stone. That leaves three more completely unaccounted for. How, may I ask, are you certain there were only seven?”

  Elena smiled. “Remember that box I told you and the professor about in our last meeting?”

  “Ah yes, the box that contained a scroll with my name on it—a little message, just for you.”

  “Yes, the box we found at Delphi. The box that brought this ship here to the 1940s, ostensibly to find keys that could only be located on this time line…. Well… I went over it with a fine toothed comb, and a good magnifying glass. Come to find out—it has a hidden drawer. She got up, and to Tovey’s amazement, revealed the hidden compartment behind the moveable bulkhead, where the Red Phone was safely installed. There, sitting beside the telephone, was the box, and touching it she shortly revealed a small hidden drawer.

  “Have a look for yourself,” said Elena, a gleam in her eye.

  “My,” said Tovey. “One for each key…” He was looking at a series of small imprints in the material making up the base of that drawer. There were seven, each depression in the shape of a key.

  “My key fits very nicely here,” Elena pointed to the second recessed area. “I thought it might be in the number one position, but it only fits here, in the number two spot. I suspect all the others have a place here as well.”

  “Why not see where our newest arrival fits in,” Tovey suggested.

  Elena smiled. “Yes, why not?”

  Part XI

  Presentiment

  “Presentiment is that long shadow on the lawn

  Indicative that suns go down;

  The notice to the startled grass

  That darkness is about to pass.”

  ― Emily Dickenson

  Chapter 31

  Admiral Kurita had every reason to believe he would soon be returning to the South Pacific. After all, the Siberians had no navy to speak of, and surely all these rumors about a demon ship, Mizuchi, were exaggerated. Yet, when Yamamoto had selected him for command here, the senior Admiral had given him a foreboding warning.

  “What I will tell you now is known only to a very few,” he said. “Hiryu was not sunk as a result of damage sustained in the Pearl Harbor attack. It was sunk by the Siberians.”

  “The Siberians? How is that possible? They have no navy. Was it a submarine?”

  “A rocket attack—fired from a ship we have yet to set eyes upon. This is the same ship that damaged Mutsu and Chikuma, and when you get to the Home Islands, I order you to personally inspect the damage put on those ships.”

  “I do not understand. A rocket attack? Then the rumors flying about the fleet are true? Mizuchi is real?”

  “Very true, and very real, though I do not encourage fear mongering. We do not know how they came to possess such a ship, but the fact that it exists is enough.” Yamamoto would, of course, never reveal the whole truth concerning the existence of that ship, for he could still scarcely believe it himself. “Its primary weaponry is rocketry, and they are fast, lethal, and have a very long range. They can strike your ships from well beyond the range of your battleships’ biggest guns, and well over the horizon—and from what we have seen, t
hese rockets have deadly accuracy—they never miss their targets.”

  That was very sobering talk, particularly when coming from the Fleet Admiral, and Kurita took a moment to let it settle. Then he set his jaw, determined. “What are my orders?” he asked.

  “First do as I have instructed. See the damage on Mutsu. You are being promoted from 7th Cruiser Division to commander of the 1st Battleship Division. That division will now be composed of our two newest ships, Satsuma and Hiraga. They are presently at Urajio, but will move to Sapporo as the heart of the close escort force for the 7th Division troop transports. Those troops are going to Karafuto to deal with the Siberians that have landed on the northern end of that island. Adequate cruisers and destroyers will be added to support this mission.”

  “It should pose no difficulties.”

  “Unless Mizuchi appears. You must be very diligent. Scout well, and to aid that effort, I am attaching a very special ship to your task force, the cruiser Takami.”

  Kurita inclined his head. “I know most every cruiser in the fleet, Admiral, but I have not yet heard of this one.”

  “That is because it is a very secret ship, something entirely new. Do not think that the Siberians and Russians are the only ones who have developed this new rocket technology….”

  “I see. This Takami also has such weapons?”

  “It does, though it was designed as a fleet defense ship. Most of its rockets are meant to be used against enemy aircraft, or against the rocket weapons this Mizuchi flings against your ships.”

  “Ah! Then it can shoot down the enemy rockets?”

  “This is what we hope. But Kurita, this is very secret. It will be the first time Takami enters combat, the first real test of its capabilities. Nothing is to be said about this ship. Understand? It will operate well ahead of your fleet, beyond your forward horizon. Keep it there, and do not interfere with its operations. You will receive encrypted communication via the special radio set that has been transported to your flagship. A member of Takami’s crew will operate that equipment, and report directly to you. Coordinate carefully with Takami. It is commanded by a Captain Harada, and I ask you to heed his experience and judgment. He is specially trained in the use of these new weapons.”

  “Another secret project,” said Kurita. “A pity this ship was not with you in the Koro Sea…” Kurita realized he probably should not have said that, but Yamamoto raised a hand, as if to say all was well.

  “That was my responsibility—my fault. Hara fought well, but we should not be surprised that the American Navy fares better than its Army did on the Philippines. There they were taken by complete surprise, yet they endured four months, unlike the British in Hong Kong and Singapore, or the hapless Dutch colonies. Do not underestimate the Americans—they will be our fiercest and most capable opponent in this war, and each and every battle holds the possibility that we will lose good men, planes, and even ships. Last December, when we sailed for Pearl Harbor, we had six fleet carriers, six more light carriers, and the two scout carriers. We lost both of those in the Gilberts, and now we have lost half our fleet carriers and a third of our light carriers. This is war, but thankfully, we have also done much harm to the enemy. We destroyed their battleships at Pearl Harbor, for what they were worth, and we have also sunk at least four of their best fleet carriers.”

  “Speaking of that,” said Kurita, “will I have naval air cover for this mission, or rely on our land based aircraft?”

  “Both. Admiral Kakuta is being given command of the 2nd Carrier Division—Kaga and Tosa. Between those two you will have 150 naval aircraft, and at least three more squadrons operating from airfields on Hokkaido. Think of this Mizuchi as if it were an enemy aircraft carrier, not a battleship. Consider its rocket weapons as determined pilots—so dedicated to bringing harm to their enemies that they would pilot their planes directly into your ship to be certain they scored a hit. That is what you will be facing. Hopefully, our new fleet defense cruiser Takami will prove its worth, but you must also be prepared to strike the enemy in any way you can.”

  “I promise you I will find this demon, and slay it.”

  “I would never doubt your skill or heart for battle, but be cautious, Kurita, be very cautious. You must allow Takami to take a position in the vanguard of your fleet. It has advanced radar systems that can find the enemy for you, and scout aircraft as well. I have also spoken to Vice Admiral Kakuta and ordered him to keep his carriers well behind your main covering force with the cruisers and battleships. That is your second mission—protect those two carriers! The loss of Zuikaku and Shokaku dealt us a very hard blow. We must preserve all the fleet carriers that remain, and thankfully, Tosa is now ready for operations with Kaga. Remember what I have told you. Hiryu was struck by just one of these deadly enemy rockets, and it set off all the ready ammo, fuel, and combat loaded planes in the hanger deck. The fires were terrible. Remember that.”

  “Do not worry, Admiral, our pilots are every bit as capable as those rockets may be.”

  “That may be so, but this Mizuchi also has smaller rockets designed to shoot down our aircraft. That was why there was no air cover over Kazantochi when the Siberians surprised us there. Again, all of this is my fault. I was so preoccupied with our operations in the south that I overlooked the threat in the north. That will not happen again, which is why I now send you, our most promising and dedicated Admiral. Fight well, Kurita, but use your head.”

  “You can rely on me, Admiral.”

  “Good… One thing I have told Kakuta is that he must disperse his strike wave into individual Shotai. No more than three planes must be in close formation, and even they are to disperse at the first sign of enemy rocket fire.” This was something Lieutenant Commander Fukada had tried to impress upon Yamamoto, and he passed the lesson on. “Another thing,” Yamamoto continued. “Takami must first do all it can to stop the enemy rocket attacks aimed at your fleet. That is why it stands in the vanguard. Kakuta’s carriers should only strike after the signal to do so is received from Takami.”

  “And what if we were to lose that ship?”

  “Then you must use your best judgment in deciding how to proceed, but do as I have ordered and walk the decks of Mutsu. Preserve those fleet carriers, and also realize that, while you will command our two newest battleships, Mutsu did not suffer that damage simply because it was old. After considering that, if you can kill this demon, you will do the Emperor, and your nation, a very great service.”

  Kurita bowed, a gleam in his eye, and was soon on his way.

  * * *

  DDG-180 embarked on the long voyage north with Kurita’s cruiser squadron, while the outcome of Operation FS was being decided in that hot carrier duel in the south. Fukada had been restless the whole time. He had been unhappy with Yamamoto’s decision to send the ship north. In spite of the fact that the history was already quite different, the battle in the south, was one he could at least grasp and easily understand. While Operation FS had actually been planned before it was eventually cancelled in the history he knew, the situation in the north was entirely different. It was a history that had never happened, and there was no safe harbor for his thinking and planning, no way to understand what was really going on—at least not in terms of the Second World War.

  “Face it,” said Harada. “We have to look at this situation as if it were happening in our own time now. We’ve drilled maneuvers in the Sea of Japan for decades. The Bear was always our presumed adversary, along with China. So this is going to be a simple fleet defense operation. That’s the only way we can look at it.”

  “It’s going to be dangerous,” said Fukada. “We’ve gamed out maneuvers against the Red Banner Pacific Fleet, but that was when their toughest capital ship was an old Slava class cruiser—and we always had the American 7th Fleet watching our backs.”

  “Having a few regrets now about the side we picked in this fight?” asked Harada. Sure, it was always reassuring to know the US fleet was out there with us, but
not this time. We’ve got to internalize this another way. Assume it’s 2021. The 7th Fleet is mustering near Guam and intending to intervene in the Taiwan thing. We’re left up here and get word the Russians have crossed the demarcation line on Sakhalin. Takami is ordered north to accompany a couple of our helo carriers and show the flag. We’ve converted them to light strike capable carriers with the F-35s aboard, again, thanks to our old American friends.”

  “Don’t rub it in,” said Fukada. “Alright, the one common denominator in both situations is the incontrovertible fact that Russia is our adversary. This time they mean business, and there’s a Kirov class battlecruiser in the Sea of Okhotsk supporting their Air/Sea reinforcement of Sakhalin. We’re to support Kurita’s task force, which will include two carriers, and assure the transport of two regiments to Sakhalin.”

  “That’s job one,” said Harada. “And I think we can handle that easily enough, unless Kirov intervenes directly. Then we’ve got a real fight on our hands. My advice is that we ask Kurita to play a defensive role here, but suppose he decides to get more offensive minded?”

  Fukada shrugged. “Those two carriers won’t have much real offensive punch against a ship like Kirov,” he said. “If they could get through their SAM defenses, then yes, they could deliver 250 KG bombs that would hurt that ship easily enough. But they won’t get through. You and I both know that.”

  “And we haven’t the SSM inventory to put any real pressure on Kirov’s SAM umbrella. Our eight Type 12 Anti-Ship Missiles would all have to be fired in a big salvo to have any chance of even one getting through, and that is a slim chance at best. Could we time a salvo like that to coincide with a strike from those two carriers?”

  “We might, but remember, Kirov is packing S-300s. They can engage any formation of carrier aircraft well before they ever have a chance to close on the target. Those men won’t know what hit them. I stressed this with Yamamoto, and asked him to order the pilots to fly widely dispersed patterns on approach.”