The Feeding of Sorrows

by Rob Howell

“What size?”

  “About the same as ours.”

  “Is their laser targeting any better?”

  “No, sir.” Shilrasha paused. “The Humans have launched two missiles, one at each Zuparti frei—” His ears went straight up.

  “What is it, Mar’shin?”

  “The Humans!”

  The Zuparti freighters disappeared from his viewscreen.

  “What happened, Mar’shin?”

  “The Humans are cunning. They had missiles that were coasting ahead of them when they came around the planet. I never saw them.”

  “And the Zuparti didn’t either.”

  “No, sir. They focused on the new launch, but that was a decoy. The Humans knew where the Zuparti would be, and once they drew the attention to themselves, they activated the secondary drives on terminal runs. Both of the pre-launched missiles hit, and the Zuparti couldn’t deal with the follow-ups. Those hit too.”

  “My admiration for this prey grows.”

  “Mine too.” Shilrasha’s ears went up. “Even more, now.”

  “What?”

  “They had a spread of four missiles coming in ballistically, not two. The others just destroyed our decoy.”

  “Cunning indeed. Do we have a missile-firing solution yet?”

  “It’s still a little murky. I think they’re doing what we did, holding a decoy in close.”

  “Fire two missiles.”

  “Missiles away.”

  “Two more.”

  “Missiles away.”

  “Get those tubes reloaded.”

  “Yes, Kal’shin!”

  “Give me full acceleration to here.” Tahzhent highlighted a point on the plot.

  “There?”

  “Argue not with your kal’shin.”

  “As you command.”

  The Starstrider jumped forward, almost on a collision course with the Human destroyer.

  “Program two decoys for anti-missile ECM.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The distance to the destroyer dropped swiftly.

  “Commence firing the laser.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Fire as often as you can.”

  “The destroyer isn’t accelerating much. Her shields will likely have enough power to hold.”

  “I know, but we’ll limit their choices. I want them to hold course.”

  Shilrasha blinked, but returned to his console.

  “Sir, the range to the destroyer is closing fast.”

  “I see that, Mar’shin.”

  Shilrasha hunched his shoulders. On the system plot the two icons seemed to merge.

  “Sir, they’ve launched two missiles!”

  “Return fire. Full salvo!”

  Ten missiles launched from the Starstrider. At that range, they barely had time to acquire the Human destroyer. In fact, one didn’t and it self-destructed.

  Tahzhent didn’t notice. “Decoys away.”

  One of the Human missiles chased a decoy. The other stubbornly came at the Starstrider.

  “Release the laser for point defense.”

  Tahzhent glanced at his own missile tracks. Nine accelerated toward the Humans. The destroyer’s EW systems decoyed two away. Three more hit the drone flying next to her. The remaining four missiles arrowed in on her.

  The Human point defense was excellent, but even the best point defense systems need time. The point defense lasers destroyed two of the missiles, but only two.

  “Impact warning, Kal’shin!”

  The Human missile struck the lightly armored Zuul corvette, ripping a hole in her starboard side and driving diagonally through her.

  A moment later, one of the Zuul missiles punched a hole through the Human destroyer. The second one hit her aft section. The missile’s explosives were nothing as the destroyer’s fusion plant blew. For a second, the Maquonese looked up to see another star in their sky.

  Long moments passed as Tahzhent collected his bearings.

  “Mar’shin, status!”

  Shilrasha blinked. “What?”

  “What’s our status, Shilrasha!”

  The mar’shin bent over his console. “Starboard missile rack gone. Laser not firing. I think the Humans hit its power runs.”

  “Engines?”

  “No damage reported.”

  “Good. Any Zuparti ships in-system?”

  “The Zukalakk entered the stargate about the same time as the Humans rounded the planet.”

  “So, none?”

  “Correct, Kal’shin.”

  Tahzhent bared his teeth. “Excellent. This was a glorious hunt against a worthy prey. We’ll commend the crew of the Human destroyer to the Great Hunter. However, he has assigned us a destiny. Set our course for the stargate. Let us take our blades and blood back to Tahv, where they’ll fulfill that destiny.”

  The crew of the Starstrider howled.

  * * * * *

  Chapter 42 – Rick Blaine

  ECS Cabot

  Maquon Orbitals

  The Zuparti EW systems disappeared from my system in a blink. At first, I thought it was my sweeper again.

  “Holy shit!” blurted Pelham.

  “What?” I glanced at the plot and blinked. “The Zuparti ships are gone.” I looked again. “Is that the Algonquin?”

  “Sure is. Blew the hell out of the Zuparti freighters. Did some sort of fiddle with her missiles and landed direct hits on each.”

  “The Type Two’s still there, right?”

  Pelham’s face sobered. “Yes, sir.”

  We both turned back to the plot while I started pulling up the Zuul EW files again.

  I hope I have enough time.

  Pelham and I watched.

  For almost half a second, our spirits soared when it became clear Gonzalez had hit the Type Two.

  Then the icon of the Algonquin disappeared forever from the tactical plot.

  “Shit.”

  “Yes.” I bent over my sweeper, pushing the grief and frustration away.

  “Looks like the Type Two is accelerating away from Maquon orbit.”

  I grunted.

  “What are you doing, Rick?”

  “My job.”

  “Didn’t you say your business went under?”

  “Shut up and let me work.”

  He did, for a while. I glanced at the plot a number of times. The Zuul warship seemed headed for the stargate.

  I focused on my sweeper as I tried to break through the Type Two’s security. Someone brought me food. When I looked up after the Type Two gated out twenty hours later, there were four empty energy shots beside me.

  I hid my grief in ones and zeros.

  It was fortunate I had collected so much information about Zuul security protocols over the last few months. I never did completely break through the Type Two’s defenses, but about an hour before it reached the stargate, I breached her flag registry.

  The Starstrider. Out of Tahv. That was data worth remembering.

  Once I was able to think about that day clearly, I remembered that Gonzalez and his people had done their jobs. They had cleared the orbitals for the groundpounders. That’s where the battle would really be fought.

  But, for the rest of my life, I was rarely able to think about that day clearly.

  * * * * *

  Part VII

  That a Moment Before

  Was Your Best Friend’s Face

  —Patton

  Chapter 43 – Kal’shin Tahnerif

  Forward Base Maquon

  Jeriasker Province, Maquon

  Yet again, Tahnerif prowled through the data Akuwin had provided. He had watched those videos every moment he could. He had never detected any hint they were fake.

  That means the Great Hunter mocks me.

  A cry burst out of Tahnerif’s comm, bringing him out of his reverie.

  “Kal’shin!”

  “What is it, Mar’shin Allzhen?” he snapped back.

  “Pull up the orbital feed.”

 
Tahnerif switched his pad to the orbital display. It only took him a moment to realize his orbital overwatch no longer existed. What was left of four Zuparti ships would soon be fodder for the space trash salvagers. Or they would burn up as they fell to the planet. Two other freighters vented atmosphere.

  “Mar’shin, do you have any data about how it happened?”

  “Looks like missiles, sir.”

  “Where did those missiles come from?”

  “Not sure, sir. It’s a bit confused right now. The missiles apparently coasted in ballistically.”

  “Find out for me.”

  “I’m patching into the satellite radar network.”

  “Is our Zuparti radar network having technical issues?”

  “That’s one way to put it, sir.”

  “Repeat that view on my pad as soon as you’re locked in.”

  “Yes, Kal’shin.”

  Tahnerif clicked his comm. “Rei’shin. Put the regiment on full alert. It seems the Foresters are here.”

  “Did the Zuparti detect them?”

  “In a fashion. The Foresters obviously figured out the Zuparti ship rotations. It looks like the Zuparti detected their missiles by letting them strike their freighters.”

  “May the Great Hunter grant them the gifts they deserve,” Qarsh said with a snort.

  “Indeed. I assume you’ve alerted your SAM and flak batteries to prepare for a drop?”

  “I have.”

  “Good. Akuwin, status of our aviation elements in Jeriasker?”

  “Both dropships and our CAS are moving to alert status. They can be here in a matter of moments, but I don’t want to launch them until the last moment.”

  “Good idea.” He thought for a moment and tapped a series of instructions into his pad. “I’m sending you payload instructions now.”

  “I’ve got them, sir. Are you sure?”

  “Yes. Full air-to-air complement on the missile hardpoints, two gun pods, and an EW pod. I want them to take out dropships and drop pods in the air. When they exhaust their munitions, tell them to return immediately and reload with the usual mix of air-to-air and air-to-ground.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Tahnerif switched channels. “Fahrissthan?”

  “Our squads are moving to their designated spots, Kal’shin.”

  “Excellent.”

  Tahnerif looked at his pad. It now displayed civilian radar data.

  “Sir?”

  “Yes, Allzhen.”

  “I think I have two ghosts on the orbital feed. I’m highlighting what I see.”

  Two icons appeared on Tahnerif’s screen.

  “Can you enhance?”

  “No, sir. I can’t take control of the Maquonese system. There are a number of things that could be done, but the locals would have to do them.”

  “I understand. What is the range of those ghosts?”

  “About a tenth of Maquon’s astronomical unit.”

  “So, they’re still pretty far off?”

  “Yes, sir. Assuming the blips are real.”

  “Keep track of those blips. Warn us when they get close to drop range around the planet.”

  “Yes, Kal’shin.”

  Then came the waiting.

  “Kal’shin. The contacts are now firm. I’ve locked them in on your display along with course projections.”

  “Good job.”

  The two Human ships were coming from different vectors and looked like they would meet up when they were over the base.

  He extended their current course backward. Then he noted the locations where the Zuparti ships had been.

  This Edmonds is no fledgling hunter. I knew that, but now I see it. Must remember that.

  He marked their convergence point on the screen, noting the time they would cross over the base.

  “Akuwin. Are your craft ready to repel the drop?”

  “Yes, sir. You’ll want their EW going?”

  “Yes. Hopefully, the humans won’t see them immediately and we can surprise their dropships after they’ve committed. And, I think I might give them something else to think about.”

  “Got it.”

  Tahnerif tapped a sequence on his pad. “Qarsh. I’m sending you a fire plan for your SAMs.”

  “Sir, that’ll reduce their effectiveness.”

  “That’ll reduce the effectiveness of the first salvo, however, you should be able to get them reloaded quickly, correct?”

  “My hunters will be able to, assuming they wish to have the Great Hunter recognize them someday.”

  “That’s what I thought.”

  “Those missiles will essentially be wasted.”

  “You’re right. If they hit anything it’ll be a gift from the Hunter, but they’ll serve their purpose nonetheless.”

  “Kal’shin, may I say that sometimes you’re too tricky, even for the Hunter?”

  Tahnerif’s tongue lolled out. “You may. And I’ll pound you on the training field for your presumption.”

  Qarsh howled. “Done! Consider those missiles wasted, my lord.”

  More tapping on the pad. “Fahrissthan, this is what I think will happen with the Human drop. The original deployment plan will mostly work, but I’d like to tweak it this way. If anything they drop lands long or short, it’ll likely be on these two axes. Assign a mar’shin and four squads to these two spots. When the drop pods and ships make it to the ground, they’re to follow these paths and eliminate the stragglers.”

  “As you command, Kal’shin!”

  “I still want prisoners, Rei’shin. Especially officers. There is still intelligence I need, both for our current situation and the good of the clan.”

  “As you command!”

  He got up and went to his closet. He had donned his battle harness and checked his weapons so often, he did it almost mindlessly, and his thoughts wandered.

  What if we’re helping the Slyest Prey?

  He shook the thought off and went to his command post. “Mar’shin Allzhen, have the Humans changed their approach vectors?”

  “No, sir.”

  “Are they still at the same velocity?”

  “They have slowed so they won’t take damage from the atmosphere, sir, but they’re going at what must be close to top speed for their drop capabilities.”

  “Put a count of the estimated time to drop on the screen.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Sir! Shuttles launching!”

  “I don’t see them on my screen.”

  “No, sir. From this freighter over Maqasker.”

  “Is it Human?”

  “Yes, sir. The Cabot.”

  Damn that Edmonds.

  “Now the destroyers are launching shuttles and drop pods.”

  “I see.” He calculated the time in his head. “They’ll all reach here at about the same time. Good planning.”

  Allzhen glanced at him oddly. “Yes, sir.”

  It took the shuttles and pods time to reach the extreme range of the Zuul SAMs. It was an empty, odd chunk of time when all they could do was think and wait for the maelstrom.

  Then it was upon them.

  Tahnerif heard the SAM launchers empty their racks.

  Allzhen’s screen seemed to disintegrate into a mish-mash of pixels and semi-seen objects.

  “They’re jamming us, sir, and it’s far more effective than it should be!”

  “Do what you can, Mar’shin.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Akuwin. Their jamming is more effective than we expected. Can you see anything?”

  “Dropships, shuttles, and drop pods coming from both anticipated attack axes plus the one from Maqasker. The SAMs didn’t seem to connect, but it did muddle their formations.”

  “Good. Anticipated time to landfall?”

  “Sending the marker now.”

  “Attack with your birds as you see fit, Rei’shin.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “That’ll help,” gloated Allzhen.

  Tahner
if looked at the screen. It had cleared somewhat, but was still a fuzzy hash of moving pixels.

  “They dropped a bunch of chaff, too, sir.”

  “I can see that. That makes the hunt more interesting, Mar’shin.” He tapped his comm. “Qarsh, all weapons free.”

  The Zuul quad-mounted heavy MAC emplacements began firing. Staccato bursts intermingled with the SAM launches.

  A large explosion followed by a series of smaller ones rocked his command post.

  “What was that, Allzhen?”

  “Looks like one of their shuttles got knocked off course and dove straight into the river. It set off a bunch of mines.”

  “The Slyest Prey will have his due, I suppose.”

  Another large explosion hit. More smaller ones followed.

  “And that, Mar’shin?”

  “Another shuttle, sir. Fahrissthan’s hunters are skilled.”

  “Indeed.”

  Before he could think about it, Akuwin’s voice came over the communicator. “Kal’shin, we have excellent strike profiles. We’re launching…now!”

  “Good hunting, Rei’shin.”

  The display became even more complicated as the six CAS aircraft and two dropships added to the carnage. Their first run was so aggressive, the Forester shuttles and dropships skittered out of the assault run, leaving the drop pods without escort. The Zuul aircraft ripped through the pods with air-to-air missiles. Then they went winging through them with their guns, downing uncounted squads’ worth.

  His command staff began cheering as it became clear this assault had become a swampbeast hunt.

  Yet the Humans still came.

  They’re no cowards. He wrinkled his muzzle. How many troopers did Edmonds commit to this? He can’t have that many, can he?

  “Allzhen, start running loss estimates.”

  “They’ve been running, sir.”

  “Good job. Show me the total.”

  The number was bigger than he had guessed.

  He wrinkled his muzzle again. Edmonds’ approach was brilliant. He eliminated the Zuparti like they were nothing. But now, this clumsy assault? The Slyest Prey taunts us.

  “Sir, it looks like the Forester ships have completed their run. They’re almost to the horizon, and we don’t see any more drops. Their shuttles and dropships are heading to the south.”