The Sky is Endless

by Alexander W Meurant

  "Let it be so then Xevec, but I will not order an all-out attack until we find Clovis' fleet" Harald stated as he moved his hands to clasp behind his back. There were no more words as Xevec nodded his acceptance of the prince’s orders and moved to carry them out, his shuffling steps irritating Harald's already explosive temper.

  * * *

  Clovis' eyes shot from side to side as he surveyed the mountain pass before him from his seat on the Moset's bridge. The storm had not stayed as far North West as he had predicted and now his ships lacked the cover they had had previously.

  Around him, his bridge was a hub of activity as his crew did their best to slowly navigate the pass they were using, completely fixated as they were, they completely ignored their commander as he quietly murmured to himself.

  "I had never wanted to defeat her at Kernow, only incapacitate her, too many casualties though, ships took too much damage. Guess I underestimated her, hmm, well we'll soon see if my little trick paid off. Can I outflank Pagua by sneaking through these mountains I wonder" he muttered under his breath in a manner befitting a nervous temperament.

  Clovis' aide-de-camp, Jonah Ratae stood patiently behind Clovis, taking careful notes of everything the commander said, as the commander would no doubt ask for the notes soon to review his decisions. Clovis was a wily and clever man and he always took risks on the battlefield. He always reviewed his own decisions though, seeing if anything could have been done better, and that was why he had everything he said written down, as strange as it was. His strange habits and manners had been pointed out by others as signs of insanity which he ignored on a regular basis.

  Sure enough, Clovis held his hand out, and Jonah handed him the clipboard with his notes on them, without uttering a word. As the commander looked through Jonah's immaculate and tidy notes, Jonah fell into reflection as he flexed his tired fingers behind his back.

  Clovis was a considerably young commander, at the age of twenty seven, he was the only commander of a Federation sky fleet below the age of forty. He owed this to his outstanding results on the battlefield and unique tactical ability, even if his strange habits and manners had been pointed out by others as signs of insanity.

  There were many who disliked the man as being too rash and headstrong, but they would never deny his capability. After all, he had held back a wave of imperials for months with only a token force at his command.

  As Clovis finished reading the notes, he handed the clipboard back to Jonah and ordered a communications officer to bring up a line to the ship that Princess Sarah was on. After a minute, the princess appeared on screen and actually smiled in what Clovis saw as genuine relief.

  "Oh commander, I am so glad to see you safe. We received your reports of the battle not long ago. I am sorry to hear of those we lost in battle, it is always sad" Sarah said, her smile fading somewhat as her expression changed to one of sadness.

  "That it is my dear. Such is the cost of war. We will be exiting the pass soon, then we will arrive at the northern border in approximately thirty minutes. We shall then proceed to Pagua. What is the situation there?" Clovis asked, straight to business as he brushed away Sarah's attempt at conversation. The young woman blinked in surprise and then frowned slightly before answering.

  "Well, our naval patrols were beaten, but were reinforced them from the blockade so we should be alright I guess. The battle at sea is still ongoing" Sarah stated, obviously dismayed at the lack of small talk between the two.

  Clovis furrowed his eyebrows at the evident lack of information, and Jonah's writing stopped as the conversation died. An awkward silence ensued, which was broken by Captain Kully, the commander of the ship that Sarah was on, who gently nudged Sarah out of view.

  "Sir, we suffered considerable losses at sea, and as Princess Sarah said, ships were taken from the blockade under orders of Admiral Raus. The Imperials are now attempting to retreat west, pulling our forces further away from the Paguan blockade. We believe the enemy are headed by Admiral Riley, who has bested Raus in the past" Kully said, enlightening Clovis in more detail.

  "That fool, can he win do you think?" Clovis asked as Jonah started writing once more. The commander remained slouched in his chair, coming to rest his chin on his fist as his arm lay propped on the armrest.

  "I believe so, we do outnumber the Imperials considerably with the vessels from the blockade added to our forces. It is only a matter of time. But I fear time is of the essence, of which it may take too much. Prince Harald's Sky fleet has remained above Pagua, but they have sent a small number of aircraft to harry what remains of the blockade, and they have also sent scouting craft north and east sir. I believe they are suspicious of your disappearance" Kully continued.

  "Damn, they caught on. If they are scouting, they will discover us once we cross the border. We will lose our element of surprise, and we won't win an open fight against Harald's forces. I told Raus attacking Pagua by sea was dangerous but the idiot never listens to me" Clovis hissed in anger. He shook his head in dismay and let his hand drop away from his face as he seemed to think on something.

  "Kully, once we exit the mountains, I'll head to Jamiche Island to resupply instead. Once I have done so, I will re-join you. With our fleets united will match Harald's forces and with Phidel out of commission for a while, she won't be able to aid Harald until it is too late. Tell Raus to hurry up and push back the Imperials because if things continue this way, Imperial reinforcements may arrive, and we will be forced to abandon the beaches and our marines" Clovis stated, his voice hard. He had believed from day one that this naval attack was just outrageous and ill prepared, but Admiral Raus simply outranked him.

  "Alright, I will do that Sir, though I doubt he will even entertain the idea of retreat, his career resides on the outcome of this battle after all" Kully stated and shook his head. The man was right. Raus was washed up and used outdated methods and thinking. Even the principals by which the man commanded were not even taught in military academies any more.

  "Then damn him to hell. I care more about the lives of my men then that of his career. Tell him that as well Kully" Clovis snapped irritably and scowled as he clenched his fists in anger.

  Kully simply nodded to Clovis and turned away as the screen faded out. A view of emerging plains replaced it as the end of the mountain pass appeared. Clovis looked out over the plains, noting the ocean in the distance and with a sigh, he held out his hand for Jonah, who obediently placed his clipboard into once again.

  Chapter 31

  * * *

  Harald strode onto the bridge of his own flagship, the Dorset, and looked around the area. It was a hub of activity as his crew got things organised and in order, somewhat a little chaotically. Sitting heavily in his chair, Harald could not fight the rising feeling of elation that was surging throughout his body.

  He had just received news that Clovis' sky fleet had been sighted in the north of the country, in contested territory, and was limping its way west even now, slowed as it was by its damaged airships.

  "Lord Prince, we have a communication from command headquarters. Shall I put it through?" came a query from one of the crew and Harald turned to look at him scowling.

  "It will just be that old man Xevec harassing me. But do it, put them through" Harald snapped irritably, feeling his elation slip some. He felt his ship lurch forward though, starting to pick up speed as it moved away from its position above the city, Harald’s other airships in tow. Harald's scowl turned into a light grin even as the image of the command centre came up on the video display. As Harald had guessed, Xevec stood there, a firm expression on his face.

  "My lord. Is there nothing I can do to dissuade you from this rash action? Just because we discovered Clovis' general location does not mean we know exactly where he is. We need more information" the old man exclaimed, and Harald clenched his fist in anger.

  "I will not wait! This is a golden opportunity that I have been presented! A one in a million chance. I will adjust my bearing as
more information comes in. There is nothing you can say to change my mind" Harald snapped, his anger on the tip of exploding.

  Standing up, Harald threw his arms out, encompassing the entire bridge with the wide gesture, his right hand clenching into a fist as he continued to speak.

  "A golden opportunity. A one in a million occurrence. The enemy commander is weak and trying to re-unite with his forces west of Pagua, and we stand in his way. We will intercept him and crush him" Harald shouted and held up both his hands now, clenching them to emphasise his statement even as he stared at the monitor, and the face of Xevec.

  "So full speed ahead. We shall seek no quarter, and we shall give none" he cried out, his elation showing through brilliantly and causing his crew to cheer whole heartedly. Harald sat back down and smiled to himself, his eyes never leaving Xevec for a moment. The old man just stared at Harald angrily and then finally just shook his head before closing down the link. Harald smirked, knowing the old man would run to Phidel and would no doubt tell her of her brother’s actions and words, but Harald was quite comfortable with how he had handled himself.

  As his battle fleet turned northwards, Harald sunk into himself, looking out into the cloud and smog filled sky, the airship slowly rising until it hung just below the clouds.

  * * *

  "Well, that was unexpected, for Harald to chase after us. Turn the fleet to the south west, we won’t be able to resupply as soon as I had hoped. What is the location of Kully, how far from our position is he?" Clovis enquired of his crew calmly as he slouched in his chair, an air of boredom about him.

  "Captain Kully is an hour away at the least. He is travelling as fast as he can since he received your summons" a communications officer answered his commander from his post.

  "And Harald will be on us well before that" Clovis muttered to himself as he peered into the distance. Clovis could see Harald's eight airships in the distance, and he did not like what he saw. They were all new fifth generation airships, relatively undamaged from the air battle over Pagua, and all Clovis could pit against the prince was five fourth generation craft that were heavily damaged in the fight with Phidel. If he could hold out for an hour, he would have Kully's six airships under his command, and be a match for Harald. As Harald crept closer still, Clovis snapped his fingers and made a decision.

  "Bring up all Captains, and a link to Kully" he suddenly spoke loudly. Within moments, the bridge view screen was split into five views, each with a different captain on view. Clovis stood up as he addressed the arrayed Captains.

  "Within minutes, we will be engaged with Harald's forces. It is clear to me that we cannot win in a pitched battle. So we will simply fight to run away. I intend to charge straight through. Break through Harald's formation and make haste to join up with Kully. It will take time for Harald to turn his forces to chase us, time that we need. Once our forces are joined, we will have forces sufficient enough to offer battle and grasp a resounding victory. Any questions?" Clovis asked as he looked about the screens. He stood straight with hands clasped behind his back and chest puffed out. He turned his gaze to one of the screens as one of his captains spoke up.

  "Sir, what of the particle cannon, is it still un-operational?" The man asked, causing a murmur of voices to come from the other captains.

  "That is correct. I do not have the required materials or tools on board to fix it properly, nor the required energy to operate it. We will not be able to use it in this battle, no, we cannot rely on it. Now close up our formation. We will break through Harald's centre. The Moset's shields are fully operational and will take point. You are to fire on approach and don't let up until we break through. And Kully, be ready for us" Clovis stated with a decided finality. He let himself fall into his chair again and moved his hands to clasp before his face in an odd sort of prayer. The motion was not lost on his commanders who just chuckled, recognising the gesture as one Clovis usually made before a great gamble.

  "Yes Sir, I will be ready for you and the wine that comes from our victory" Kully stated raising a hand and eliciting a round of chuckles from the other Captains. With that, Clovis chuckled himself and motioned for communications to be cut off. He then ordered the radar to be brought up on screen, showing the location of his own ships and those of Harald's.

  Harald was closing the distance fast and had positioned his own ships in a long horizontal line, no doubt aiming to outflank Clovis' own. Clovis' ships formed a tight wedge with the Moset as the point. Clovis just stared intently at the arrayed fleets, his mind blank of any thought.

  The range between the two forces finally closed and Harald's ships opened fire, his squadrons of fighters leaving his airships docking bays. Clovis did not give the order to scramble his own fighters, as the time was not right. He did however order all ships to fire at will.

  As enemy fire impacted on the shield of the Moset, Clovis gripped the arm of his chair, feeling his blood boiling as it always did when he made a gamble. The imperial fighters came onto them and with no federation fighters to oppose them, begin firing on Clovis's airships, which began firing their on board flak cannons in response. With no fear of friendly fire, the gunner crews let rip into the Imperial fighters, and more than a few were blown clean out of the sky.

  The distance shrunk and Clovis felt the clash approaching, a game of chicken, one he was determined to win. Harald's centre began to slow down whilst his flanks continued their course, intending to surround Clovis' close formation. Clovis just chuckled at the Princes obvious inexperience. This was not going to be a fight where the sky fleets just line up and shoot at each other.

  "Now, full speed" Clovis barked, his hand sweeping forward in a fast cutting motion. On cue, the Moset jerked forward as it sped up significantly.

  Harald's own flagship immediately dipped forward as the Prince no doubt realised what was happening. But it was too little too late as the Gestonian royal tried to avoid the inevitable clash by dropping altitude, leaving a gap in his formation.

  The bottom of the Moset's shields clashed with that of Harald's flagship as they passed overhead, and as they came into the enemy formation, Clovis gave the order for fighters to scramble as they passed through.

  The imperial ships on either side opened fire and Clovis's ship took damage from both sides, his ship shaking quite a bit from the impact, the shields strength dropping quite considerably.

  Within moments the Moset was through the formation and his other four ships following two abreast, therefore decreasing the damage they took. Once all the ships were through, all Federation fighters exited their docking bays and started to lay energy fire into Harald's fleet, completely unhindered by enemy fighters. The Imperial ship immediately to the left of Clovis' fleet took a significant hit and dropped altitude quite suddenly, but remained airborne. It wasn't long before all of Clovis's ship's passed through the formation completely, and he ordered all fighters to stay in the air and protect the rear as best they could.

  "What’s happening to the rear?" Clovis asked of a radar officer as he settled into his seat, quite elated at the success he had had.

  "The enemy is in disarray, their flagship has regained altitude as has the other damaged craft. They appear to be trying to turn about now" the radar officer spoke out, excitement in his voice. Clovis could not help but grin as words of congratulations and sounds of triumph passed around his crew.

  "Well, it won't be that easy, that prince will have to reorganise first. What is our damage report" asked Clovis, his query causing his crew to quieten down and get back to their duties. Another officer spoke up to answer the commander.

  "Our shields are holding at forty five percent. They took a considerable amount of damage. It will be dangerous to replace the energy source at this point in the battle however. The other craft fared much better and report minimal damage. There are also minimal casualties among the fighter craft, reporting a total loss of three percent" the woman spoke out from her position down below.

  "Good. We fared
better then I'd hoped. Let us rush to Kully, and then we will turn this victory into an all-out rout of the enemy" Clovis exclaimed, his voice loud and clear. Clovis's crew saluted him briefly and he noticed that their eyes were bright and their expressions firm. Morale was high, recovered from the low morale that had ensued after the clash with Phidel.

  Smiling, Clovis held out his hand to Jonah, who placed his clipboard into it. As he flicked through Jonah’s notes, Clovis asked his aide-de-camp a question.

  "What do you know of this Prince Harald Jonah?" came the query, Clovis' eyes still locked on his notes.

  "Well sir, not much truthfully. This is his first campaign from all accounts. He lacks any real military experience, though his force is considerable. Up until now he has been content to not participate in these wars, along with his twin brother Prince John. I can't say why he chose to come here though" Jonah stated as he watched Clovis flick through the sheaf's of paper on the clipboard.