The Icarian Legacy Collected Edition: Brave Souls - First Strike (Volume 3)

by Kocho Trajchevski

  He knew that most would be destroyed long before as they would be the first targeted. In fact the four closest pickets consisting of seventeen ships were already targeted and projectiles were already headed their way.

  By the time they detect them it would be to late.

  He had the faster ships of the fleet and their job was to finish off the stragglers.

  Levin watched as the ships arranged in formation.

  Each ship had a target. They would each fire three times at the enemy fleet. Then at everything else in system, every base, station…

  The marines they carried were ready to storm the stations in the asteroid belt. And then the fleets under his and Simonson’s command would finish the ones that survived.

  He looked at his crew.

  “Open a fleet wide link.”

  As she nodded that the link is up he exhaled.

  “You all know why we are here. We all know our duty. For our families back home, for the ones that died, for the people on this world that are even now fighting, for them and for us as well it’s time we clear the pestilence that is called a Dacarian from this system. They had their shot. They failed. Now it’s our turn. Execute.”

  A moment later two hundred and thirty five ships started firing.

  The Hyperion was a battleship. The first battleship the humans built. It had four MAC guns two on the ventral hull and two on the sides and twenty primary kinetic energy weapons and eighty six rail guns placed all over the hull.

  The MAC guns fired twenty five and fifty ton projectiles at speeds of four hundred miles per second.

  And they all fired their projectiles at the enemy positions. Or better said at where the enemies will be in nine hours when the projectiles reached them.

  There would be no warning, none at all.

  But the real danger didn’t come from his or even from the Carrier’s or the Cruisers. It came from the two Alteran Cruisers and from the thirteen ships called B-30 fortress.

  They didn’t fire when all the other ships did. They fired an hour later but their projectiles would reach first, and would deliver hell.

  They were a bomber class. A rail gun platform basically.

  More were being built back at home but these would do.

  They were eight hundred meters long heavily armoured but with little of point defence. That job was for the ships surrounding them

  Each ship fired a one ton rod every ten seconds, and hurling it at the enemy at speeds of 8000km/s. The fastest rail gun humanity built.

  Plans were made for installing the same system once it was perfected for larger projectiles on every heavier class.

  And as they started firing he knew that the enemy would be sorry he met them.

  While all the others fired just few times the thirteen ships fired for twenty minutes. And their projectiles would reach first.

  It was not a simultaneous attack.

  But it was perfectly planned and executed.

  As they stopped firing every ship started moving.

  The attack on Arcadia started.

  Kobark watched as the other representatives of the clans sat. Everyone who knew about the attack on Earth was here. The human home world was most probably in their hands now. In the next few weeks they would receive the first reports from the fleet and this meeting was about planning the next steps.

  “You seem to have your hands full here my friend.”

  He turned and saw Ilhunka.

  He represented the Du Mas clan one of the most powerful clans in the empire. A clan that he knew had even higher aspirations.

  And Ilhunka wanted the clan leadership for start.

  They contributed the biggest number of ships for the invasion forces.

  Hs and the Al Kadush were the minor participants.

  Four more clans were involved.

  “I do Ilhunka. My predecesor it seems didn’t take his responsibility seriously. He reported a few rebel cells and I found a groth’s nest. But it will be over soon. I believe that by the time we celebrate our victory the rebellion will be crushed.”

  “As we all Kobark…The humans eluded us long enough. Once they are gone…”

  “We’ll have to move slowly with our plans my friend. Remember what happened to my clan. And we never wanted the throne like you do.”

  Ilhunka looked at Soran.

  The Al Kadush clan leader was old. His skin was gray a clear sign of old age in their race. The strands of hair on his head where white, even if all went well he wouldn’t live more then a few cycles.

  That was one of the reasons he was here. He was making sure that in case they were discovered no one else will take the blame. The Al Kadush was a minor clan. They were former allies of the Al Kadash the clan that was punished for hiding the humans and making an alliance with the Zerg.

  Since then both clans fell from grace and now controlled just several planetary systems. The Al Mach was the same with the difference that it never was a clan with too big possessions. They had almost a hundred systems under their control but those were the same systems they controlled since the old days.

  His clan was a clan of soldiers. They were the clan that the emperors always called when the wars started.

  He sighed. At least they did so in the past.

  He agreed to this plan in order to make sure the Al Mach didn’t lose any more of its possessions and position. There was no way the humans could win. He feared at the beginning but after the first few surveys there was no doubt. He was sure that there will be heavy fighting on the planet it self but they couldn’t resist in space and he knew that Ristarion and V’las will take no risk. If by any chance the mission failed humanity would end on Earth. They would glass the planet.

  It was not something the empire did often but it was something they were able to do. It would take a lot of time, a lot of plasma and kinetic strikes but a planet could be destroyed.

  And they would do it if the humans somehow surprised them.

  “We will introduce the captured slaves to the empire and we will establish a new base of operations there. It is an empty space with no powerful races to resist us at least in the closest thirty light years of their home world. Then we will inform the emperor of the destruction of the humans. That will win us his support and will give my clan a chance to rise even more.”

  Kobark looked at him.

  “My clan will not support you if you try to take the throne.”

  “I know that my friend. But when that happens neither of us will be there. It will be a fight our grandsons will fight, if they choose to.”

  Kobark nodded.

  He knew that one day the Du Mas will try to take the throne. And he knew that his clan will stand against them.

  But that was a battle for a future time.

  He nodded and turned to the other things on their agenda.

  Ormak watched the ensign manning the sensors and communications. He looked worried and as he was about to ask the ensign turned.

  “Sir we’ve lost the drones in grids five to ten.”

  “How do you mean lost?”

  “We lose drones in those sectors regularly because of the warp point but never so much as today sir.”

  “Are they lost or we just lost communications?”

  “We lost communications almost three hours ago.”

  “And it took you three hours to report?”

  “I just received the information my self sir.”

  Ormak felt his anger rising.

  The personal on the outer system was still not replaced and the same officers that served the previous governor were stationed there. And they were sloppy.

  But then again it was normal to lose some of the sensor drones in that region. It was a region close to the hidden warp point and if the warp point had fluctuations the drones were often damaged by the released radiation.

  And it was even harder because they didn’t know where it was exactly. Even after all this time. This system had two hidden warp points. One l
ed to the most important system in this region the system that held the Drukat Five Star base.

  The other was still a mystery. They knew it existed but they still couldn’t find it. It was somewhere in the outer system and it caused them constant troubles. Kobark set it as a priority but after the disaster with the slaves the search was postponed.

  “Do we have increased fluctuations in the sector?”

  “Yes sir. There was a large spike several hours ago. The outer system base believes that it caused an EMP that fried the drones. They will launch new ones soon and a ship to investigate the phenomenon.”

  He nodded.

  “And send one destroyer to check the region out. Send the Gerava. Kal Sak is a good and experienced commander. Tell him to contact me directly.”

  “Yes my lord.”

  “And send the information to Grang.”

  He stayed on the bridge for few more minutes and then retreated to his cabin.

  Lukhma noticed the Gerava moving out. The heavy destroyer was headed towards the outer system. She agreed with Admiral Ormak’s decision. There was a small chance that something other then the fluctuations could be the reason for the drones silence but it was always good to be careful.

  She knew that he would also contact her husband.

  “Inform the Marakash that we are also moving to the outer system. We will conduct our exercise there.”

  A moment later the officer turned.

  “They are asking if we’ll take the whole squadron my lady.”

  “Tell them yes. It will be good to conduct our exercise in the outer system.”

  Several minutes later twenty one ship separated and accelerated towards the outer system. It was a small but powerful formation whose movement was registered at once by the human fleet that was racing towards the inner system.

  Moments later a new wave of projectiles was sent towards it.

  Davis watched as the others spread out inside the perimeter of the base. They managed to scout and record all they could in the last two days as they prepared for the invasion. Now the three teams took their positions hidden from sight and started the long wait.

  It was hard to find a good location considering the number of enemy troops. By guess he was sure that they have at least a whole legion inside.

  They found several access points where they could have plugged the chip containing Aria but he wanted to minimize the risk of discovery. That could wait a few more hours.

  He knew that the other teams were also taking shelter. And so were the rebels. At least those that were in the enemy rear. This planet was about to be shot to hell from space and it was a bad thing to be out in the open.

  He looked at the clock.

  One more hour till nightfall…

  He and the other teams would move then and infiltrate the base. They knew their mission.

  Egert looked at the forward positions.

  The dacarians were almost inside the city. The fighting was heavy. Every moment hundreds of his people were losing their lives.

  The city shook as the last kinetic strikes from orbit hit the shield. The shield was almost done. Its power was down to ten percent.

  The protection it offered was the main reason they still resisted.

  He knew that the worse was yet to come. The humans promised that help will come. Two days ago even that hope started fading. The shield would fail any moment. And once it did the dacarians and the argara would be inside the city.

  They were already having trouble holding the two legions that penetrated the outer defenses.

  “Activate the forward shielding. Concentrate most of the power on it.”

  “Sir that will leave us opened to orbital bombardment.”

  “The city and the mountain will protect us from that in the next few days. We have to stop those units that broke through our perimeter. Or we will lose everything.”

  The young officer nodded.

  A moment later the shaking intensified as the forward shield facing the advancing legions activated and the shield protecting the mountain and the city from above was cut down to just two percent.

  He knew that the mountain and the upper levels of the fortress would soon be on fire.

  But he had no choice.

  Salazar saw the shield going active.

  He saw that his men noticed too.

  He turned towards the people he knew would follow him to the death.

  “Now those two legions are trapped. Their only way is forward. Kill the bastards.”

  He had only two brigades left from his entire force. The rest died in the outskirts of the city and in the jungles as they retreated before the legions. But they bought enough time. The city was fortified and it held.

  The humans promised help. It was pass the day they said it will come but he still held hope. And so did his two human officers.

  He looked at Varo and Marius as they advanced on the dacarians that ran to meet them. Their men went with them. The humans were fighting without remorse like lions. They chanted his name and the name of their home world a clear sign of the hope they all had.

  The two forces clashed.

  Thirty thousand legionaries and twice their number of rebels intermingled.

  The rifles were used as clubs, were a rifle broke knives were taken out.

  The legionaries were better trained, much better equipped but numbers still showed. For every one of theirs they killed three, four rebels but in the end they were overwhelmed.

  Varo watched as the few that survived retreated to their positions. The shield was weakening and it could fail any moment.

  He saw Marius limping. He had a nasty wound on his leg.

  He waved and his former commander waved back.

  He saw the shield shimmering and he was sure that it will fail soon.

  “Take your positions. We’ll have more work soon.”

  He looked at Marius as his men started deploying in the fortified positions once again.

  “Take your men and retreat in the inner city. We’ll hold here as long as we can.”

  “Always taking the bigger risk Varo, it became a habit.”

  “My men and me are used to it Marius. While you and your men are always there to hold the line as we retreat and help us.”

  Marius nodded and clasped his hand.

  “No letter this time?”

  Varo smiled.

  “No, I plan to come back and I plan to watch the bastard’s burn once our friends come.”

  “May the gods hear you dear friend.”

  “You know our friends say there is but one god.”

  Marius smiled.

  “Even one is enough.”

  Then he turned and joined his men.

  Egert watched as the troops took positions on the screen. He could see the shield grow weaker on places and the dacarian legionaries exploiting the gaps and advancing on the inner city again.

  There were six more legions as well as five divisions of the Argara outside, just waiting for the shield and Salazar and his men to fail.

  “We are out of time. Soon they will be inside.”

  Maukar nodded.

  “They will my friend. Our time is at an end.”

  “What ever happens now the humans will finish them. We have to make sure the civilians survive and see that day.”

  Maukar nodded.

  “I already told my men on the outside to give the coordinates of the Alliance to major Rivers.”

  “Good now go and join your men. I will come shortly.”

  Maukar turned and headed towards the exit. Just before he reached the door he heard Egert gasp. He turned and saw his friend look at him.

  “What?”

  Egert showed him the screen.

  “They are here.”

  The MAC rounds moved slowly when compared with the weapons the dacarians used. That is why most of them weren’t aimed at the ships. They targeted the huge defense space stations and the dacarian defense satellites, as well as aster
oid basses and the ships that were closer.

  Meanwhile the rounds that the B30 fortresses fired, thousands of them targeting each dacarian ship in the system.

  They were impossible to detect considering that no one knew they were coming.

  Akra watched as the ship slowly moved through the Asteroid field. He looked at the envoy on his ship. He never asked for his name or for his mission. When the orders came from the Governor of the system there was no need.

  He wandered about the Carreran prisoner in the brig but considering what happened recently it was possible that the spy was right.

  “Set course for Kholas 123. Its time we find the ones responsible for all that happened. And contact the legionaries on the base to disarm the Carrerans.”

  The order came from Savario. The spy had the authority and the commander of the destroyer acknowledged it.

  The ship started turning when the frigate next to it exploded.

  “What was…?”

  But Akra never finished his sentence.

  Moments later the other rounds the ones the Excelsior fired reached.

  The destroyer rocked as the rail gun rounds impacted its hull. The outer hull exploded not able to contain the released kinetic energy. Debris and members of the crew flew outward from the damaged sections. The damage was great but survivable. At least until the MAC rounds hit. The first round struck the frigate, and the far smaller ship exploded with no survivors. The next two hit the destroyer and gutted it. The last frigate survived for several more seconds.

  Long enough to send a warning that reached too late.

  Lukhma saw the explosion on the sensors.

  It took just seconds to guess what caused it as the warning from the frigate came.

  “Military trust at once!!!”

  But even as the ships in her small squadron started to move she saw the first rounds hit. Her ships were targeted by hundreds of the one ton rounds each moving at 8000 km/s.

  Alone they were not strong enough to destroy her ship, but they hit ships with no shields and even if they had them they couldn’t survive the hundreds projectiles that hit them.