Lance considered the armada of Dominion Armed Forces ships berthed at the newly constructed dry dock outside the observation room. “A thousand fires, you say?”
“We won’t know for certain until the weapon’s used in the field, but that’s what the tests show.”
“Not too bad.”
Not too bad…. Dashiel glared at the heavens above them, but bit his tongue and didn’t retort. Personality-driven spats did nothing to help them keep the Rasu at bay, and this was the goal he and Palmer were both fighting to achieve. “I’ll let you know once I have the results of the field test. If all goes well, we can start cycling in active frigates for a retrofit. It should only take about 2 hours per ship. We’ll also add the weapon to the new construction process.”
Dozens of vessels began sliding out of their berths, engaging their engines and accelerating away. Dashiel motioned toward them. “Where are they off to? Concord?”
“Concord has not yet requested our assistance with their battles. Until they do, seeing as we now have a proper fleet that doesn’t melt like butter under Rasu fire, we’re going to go stir up a few battles of our own.”
19
* * *
ADJUNCT SAN
ADV #SV86
Asterion Dominion
A flock of Rasu—they genuinely did look like birds, if of the ravenous vulture variety—banked across the charred forest dead ahead, provoking Lieutenant Kiernan Phillips to grit his teeth until his jaw ached.
He’d been wondering for a while now when Commander Palmer was going to get around to punishing him properly for getting his ass dragged through the stronghold wormhole, crashing his ship and handing the coordinates to Namino to the Rasu. Clearly, that time was today, and this assignment was it.
The vultures passed by a hundred meters from him without detecting his presence and continued on toward what had once been the primary settlement on Adjunct San. He sucked in fortifying air and followed.
Kiernan was cocooned in a tiny reconnaissance vessel coated in an extra layer of kyoseil to protect it and him from the effects of the quantum block the Rasu had installed on Adjunct San. Even with the protective coating, though, all the quantum-based ship systems were shut off, which meant flying the thing was like trying to drag a dune buggy through meter-deep beach sand. It couldn’t turn for shit; if a Rasu did spot him and open fire, he’d never outmaneuver the barrage.
But they weren’t going to spot him, because this flying tin can was also enveloped in a new-model, non-quantum Taiyok cloaking shield. So this was all just fine….
The devastated skyline of the settlement grew to overtake the horizon. Kiernan told himself it hadn’t been much of a skyline to begin with, since Adjunct settlements tended to be more ‘frontier towns’ than proper cities. Regardless, what it was now was a wholly-owned and operated Rasu encampment. The few buildings that remained standing appeared to be encased in Rasu. Floating haulers moved scrap metal and timber around while bands of mechs patrolled the streets, though they were empty. Truly empty—in a mercy, he didn’t see a single Asterion body.
Yes, yes, he realized this wasn’t actually a good sign, for it meant every inhabitant had been carted off for torture and experimentation. But he wasn’t in a mood to see corpses.
Focus, Kiernan. The faster you complete your mission, the faster you can get out of this forsaken hellscape.
He tracked one of the haulers as it proceeded northeast toward the outskirts of the encampment, where a yet more foreboding garrison spread out across the land. The reports from Namino had described a Rasu site almost identical to this one, with concentric rings for storage and processing of raw materials and, at its center, a tower. His target.
The nature of the quantum block rendered its generator undetectable from farther than a few hundred meters away. The power source now burned brightly on his thermal scan, but it, too, faded away after a kilometer or so, which meant they could not determine the location of the quantum block from space. Hence why he and his tin can ship were here.
He held his breath as he stuttered between two cargo Rasu headed in opposite directions. Gods bless the Taiyoks and their clever stealth trickery. He made a note to comm Toshke’phein the instant he got back to Mirai and make that lunch date he’d been meaning to arrange for weeks.
When the shadows of the passing Rasu had moved on, he concentrated on his sensor readings. If the coordinates were off by more than a few meters, the mission would be a failure. So he had to get closer. A little closer….
The ghetto, non-quantum radar locked on to the tower and spit out a set of coordinates running out to four decimal places.
He halted his burgeoning sigh of relief in his throat, though, because the mission was only half over. Since comms were also a bust inside the quantum block, he still had to escape the planet and relay the coordinates to the Dauntless.
He put some muscle into the flight controls and eked the ship into a hard turn to port, then zig-zagged his way up through the patrolling Rasu.
He’d reached nine kilometers altitude when a particularly sinister-looking Rasu seemed to veer toward him. His heart pounded away in his chest as he became certain it had both spotted him and was readying to swallow him whole. This little ship didn’t have enough firepower to shoot its way through a Rasu cocoon, and he couldn’t comm for help. The Rasu wouldn’t be able to penetrate his hull, but neither would he be able to penetrate theirs, and that was not a stalemate he wanted to suffer through for hours before suffocating.
He aimed his ship straight up, toward the stars and freedom, and accelerated away from the enemy vessel until engine alarms began ringing in the cockpit…the Rasu did not follow.
A couple of deep inhales later, while the ship vibrated its way through the atmospheric traversal, he conceded to himself that he might have imagined the entire encounter. But if so, it was between him and himself.
Abruptly the sweet, sweet sight of comm chatter erupted on his right-side pane. He’d made it!
Lieutenant Phillips (ADV #SV86): “Recon run was successful. Transmitting target data now.”
Commander Palmer (ADV Dauntless): “Roger that, Lieutenant. Good work.”
ADV Dauntless
Thanks to the information Lieutenant Phillips had relayed, the location of the quantum block now glowed in blazing crimson on the tactical map displayed in front of Lance Palmer. The Rasu weren’t even trying to hide its existence here. They probably assumed the Asterions had given up and ceded the sparsely inhabited planet to them. In light of events up until now, it was a reasonable assumption for their enemy to make.
But they were wrong.
The Dauntless drifted in geosynchronous orbit, cloaked, three megameters above Adjunct San. On the bridge, Lance checked the coordinates from Phillips a final time and input them in the targeting system, then adjusted the parameters slightly to ensure the trajectory was correct. Didn’t want the delivery system to get waylaid by the nearby forest.
Satisfied everything was in order, he turned to the Dauntless’ Weapons Officer. “Is the payload ready to deploy?”
“It’s ready, sir.”
“Then let’s not waste any more time. Fire.”
The custom-designed bomb dropped out of the Dauntless’ cargo bay, engaged its small engine, and dove for the surface. Much like the unique ship that Phillips flew, the bomb was hidden by a Taiyok-derived cloaking field and wrapped in a solid envelope of kyoseil to allow it to penetrate the quantum block surrounding the planet. Inside its casing, the bomb held a dense cluster of Rima Grenades modified to detonate on impact.
A minimal guidance system locked on to the coordinates and made a beeline for the stronghold the Rasu had constructed on the outskirts of Adjunct San’s single city. The stronghold’s defenses didn’t detect its approach, and one hundred eighty seconds after departing the Dauntless, the bomb crashed into the tower supporting the quantum block.
The long-range sensors showed only an enormous plume of smoke and metal a
nd darkness. Oh, how Lance wished he had eyes on the destruction that resulted. But he would soon enough.
“Quantum block is down, sir.”
Commander Palmer (ADV Dauntless)(San Mission Channel): “All ships, Operation Kyushu is a go.”
The largest fleet of Asterion ships ever assembled exited superluminal above Adjunct San. Twenty percent of them took up orbital defensive positions, and the rest entered the atmosphere en masse.
Commander Palmer (ADV Dauntless)(San Mission Channel): “Reconnaissance Squadron Kyr, I want eyes on the Rasu stronghold ASAP.”
Scant seconds later, the first visuals came in. What had formerly been the Rasu’s base of operations here was now an empty crater spanning almost a kilometer in width. The Rima Grenades might have taken out a few nearby city buildings as well. Perhaps the bomb’s payload had represented a bit of overkill on his part, but only in hindsight. He’d needed to guarantee it got the job done. And it most certainly had.
Commander Palmer (ADV Dauntless)(San Mission Channel): “Confirmed we are clear for all combat operations. If you see a Rasu, shoot it. If you don’t see one, find one, then shoot it.” He smiled to himself. “May the gods favor the bold and the free.”
Blood rushed through his veins with anticipation of the battle to come. The Dauntless was the flagship of the Dominion fleet, but it wasn’t a bulky, oversized dreadnought like the ones Concord fielded. Asterions had no need for massive, unwieldy, overstaffed ships.
“Helmsman, take us in.”
20
* * *
ADJUNCT SAN
Nika Kirumase stepped through the Sukasu Gate wormhole at the DAF Military Services Center and straight into the warzone. She’d come prepared, though; she wore a full set of protective tactical gear and defensive shielding, a Rima Grenade launcher strapped to her back and two archine blades sheathed at her hips.
Dust rained down from the sky as concussive explosions screamed against her eardrums. A brief scan of the tactical feed and a glance with her own two eyes told her the fighters in the air and troops on the ground were already tearing into the Rasu with overwhelming force and speed. There might not be many Rasu left for her to kill.
Which was…fine. Trained military troops could do a better, more efficient job of it than she’d manage, anyway, and she only intended to call upon the weapons she’d brought with her as a last resort if she found herself under direct attack.
So, technically, she wasn’t here to kill Rasu, as such. But she was definitely here to watch them die.
She stepped to the side to allow a new squad of ground forces to arrive through the wormhole, fan out and move into the city. To the extent any of them noticed her, she imagined they shook their heads and thought something to the effect of, whacked Advisors.
Oh, this reminded her. She sent Joaquim a quick ping.
Adjunct San is now open for Rasu cleansing, if you can get to the DAF Military Services Center soon.
Are you kidding? On my way.
The small but once vibrant city had been thoroughly gutted by the Rasu in the weeks they’d been left alone to have their way. In truth, nothing remained here worth saving—nothing but pride. Today, they were salvaging the indomitable Asterion spirit. Picking it up from off the ground, dusting it off and giving it a reassuring pat on the back plus a fresh coat of paint. Metaphorically.
She strode forward and into the fray.
Today was only made possible due to the tireless, damn-near herculean efforts of broad segments of Asterion society. The Industry Division, from Conceptual Research to Manufacturing. DAF recruitment and training. Enthusiastic diversification on the part of their soldiers. Dedicated ceraffin pushing past the limits of technology, physics and engineering.
The result of all those efforts was a fleet that no longer needed to hide in fear—one wielding new, more powerful and precise weapons designed specifically to destroy this enemy. It meant they fielded a fighting force of ground troops that was well-protected with cutting-edge gear and even more well-armed. It meant the fleet and troops were directed and supported by an Advisor Council that refused to cower as the Guides before them had. They had a plan to retake their worlds and not let them slip away again, and they now wielded the firepower to make it happen.
She’d collected a lot of reasons to be proud of her people in the last year. NOIR stopping the virutox and helping to bring down the Guides was near the top of the list, along with the destruction of the Rasu stellar fortress in the Gennisi galaxy. Their putting aside of ancient animosities to ally with Concord, including the Anadens among the coalition, was another, plus their application of prodigious Asterion ingenuity to retake Namino and help protect their Taiyok allies’ homeworld. Today, Toki’taku was free of the Rasu scourge and guarded zealously from further incursions by a joint Taiyok/Asterion fleet, with a warehouse full of Rima Grenades at the ready.
But today might well be her proudest moment yet. When the Rasu had attacked, the Advisors had sacrificed this world because they’d had no choice, but they refused to let it stay sacrificed—
An explosion rocked a Rasu-encased building less than a hundred meters ahead of her, and she leapt back to avoid molten Rasu raining down upon the street.
Okay, enough with the waxing philosophical while standing exposed in the middle of an active combat operation. She checked her tactical pane again to see where the fighting was concentrated, then struck out to the southeast.
A shadow encroached above her as she reached the next intersection, and she peered up to see a frigate-sized Rasu vessel fleeing the attacks consuming the city center. Hmm.
She slung the launcher off her back, loaded a Rima Grenade, hefted the weapon onto her shoulder, sighted in on the ship and pressed the trigger.
The Rasu blinked out of existence.
She smiled.
MIRAI
DAF Military Services Center
Nika stumbled back through the Sukasu Gate and into the bustling warmth of the troop staging room.
“There you are!” Dashiel’s voice broke above the noisy din of the large room, and she spun to see him motioning away an officer and jogging over to her. “What were you…you’re covered in soot and dirt. I think I see some blood, too.”
“Yep.” A supply sergeant came up to them and stared at her expectantly until she lifted the launcher up over her head and handed it to him. Then she glanced at the Sukasu Gate, but no one else came through. Joaquim had insisted on staying for ‘five more minutes,’ which likely meant until the fighting was done. “I was just doing my little part to help rid Adjunct San of its Rasu infestation.”
Dashiel shook his head wryly. “Did you have fun?”
“Oh, yes.” She breathed in deeply; she was winded and shaky and most of her muscles ached, but she was also pumped full of adrenaline and righteous satisfaction. Despite her initial intention to leave the fighting to the trained military troops, she’d accidentally-on-purpose managed to take out half a dozen ships and almost forty bipedals over the course of…she checked the time. Four hours? “You were looking for me?”
“I’m always looking for you, aren’t I?”
The unexpectedly sentimental statement took her by surprise, and her lips parted. “Dashiel….”
He grasped her hand and guided her out of the main thoroughfare. “Yes, I was looking for you. I wanted to share something with you, and I didn’t want to wait until tonight.”
He seemed to be brimming with anticipation, bordering on genuine excitement, and the adrenaline still coursing through her pathways fed on his demeanor to recharge. She did, however, nudge them into a minor detour to grab a cup of water from the hydration station in the corner. “Ooh, do tell.”
“I figured out how to make it work.”
Her face screwed up. “There are at least two dozen things to which you can be referring. Care to be more specific?”
“Right. Of course. A renewable negative energy weapon, suitable for rigging onto our warships. It should
deliver close to a thousand fires at a go.”
She embraced him as forcefully as she was able to with her utterly exhausted muscles. “Dashiel, that’s amazing!”
“Well, when I say ‘I,’ I mean ‘I and a minimum of two hundred other people.’ ”
“You’re too modest. Those other people may have helped work out the details, but not one of them could do what you do.” She kissed him full on the mouth, and he returned the kiss with a fervor powerful enough to send a shiver down her spine. The adrenaline, the rush of battle and his own energy all amplified one another in a positive feedback loop.
As his hands tightened around her waist with renewed urgency, she grinned against his lips. “You know this compound better than I do. Is there somewhere private we can go?”
21
* * *
MIRAI
Mirai One
Joaquim Lacese rolled over to see stratus clouds drifting past the crescent moon hanging high outside his window. It had been raining when he’d returned from Adjunct San earlier this evening. He’d let the rain wash most of the grime, blood and debris off of him as he’d made a beeline for the nearest burger joint. Then a beer, then home for a shower. He smiled wickedly…then Selene.
She lay naked across his chest, and the dance of the moon and clouds cast an intricate pattern of shadows and light across her bare skin. He was already getting devious ideas when she abruptly grabbed his right arm, flipped it over and scowled at the long, red welt running up his forearm. “What did you get into this time?”
All Our Tomorrows Page 12
