“Did you think to bring this up earlier? Any time before we entered the battle would have been good.”
“It would have changed nothing. I had my orders to release the soldiers. They are not an army of patient soldiers like you might be used to. We knew they would cut the Khalnalax numbers even with no direction by the mantis. The queen could still control some, though not as many, without the mantis guidance.”
“I want the four you have. Maybe a little red meat will help them regain some strength.”
“Benjamin, what are you planning on doing?” Taz asked.
“Going to join up with my people. Then we will work our way behind the Khalnalax camp and hit them after dark.”
“What are we going to be doing?”
“The commander will spread out his five hundred men and herd the insect soldiers toward the Khalnalax camp. Shoot the ground behind and around them.” I laughed at my next thought. “If they don’t move, shoot them in the ass. Just keep your distance if you resort to that.”
“What about me and my people? This is their planet and mine. We won’t sit by and do nothing,” Taz argued.
“Guard the camp and have one of those transports on standby, ready to go. If things get bad, you’ll need to get out of here.”
“Bullshit. We will not sit by idly—”
I jerked her along behind me and walked ten feet away from everyone. Again, I pulled her in tight, our cheeks touching. I gripped the back of her neck. Deireadh, I want this conversation kept private. Can you do that?
I can.
And he did. Covering both our heads, I felt Taz tense and start to panic.
“You are the fucking Queen of Cjittan. Now is the time to start acting like it. You have to distance yourself from this fight. There are thousands here dying in your name. But there are billions who need you. There is a ship just like mine full of Allond navy and marines who defected to come fight for you. Someone else sits on your throne and would love nothing more than for you to never return. I cannot let that happen. You have to honor those dying by living. You have to be the rock that the billions believe in. Do you understand?”
“Benjamin, what has happened? Are you still a man?”
“Tazleaha, do you understand?”
“Yes.”
I remained silent for a second then answered. “I am still a man. Deireadh will explain, but from now on a part of me will always be with you. You will do as I tell you until you are safe. Then you can do as you please.”
“Who is Deireadh? It is a strange name.”
“It is the name I gave the armor made for the last true king of Cjittan. The last king before your people split and the Khalnalax were born. He was murdered by his wife. Do you know what her name was?”
“Tazleaha,” she gasped.
“Yes, Tazleaha. So, I ask you. Will you listen to your king, if only for a short while? You can murder me later.”
“Yes. I know there is more at stake than Idaline. I’ve made mistakes I wanted to atone for. To help the planet and its remaining people. I have so much to tell you.”
“Good.” I kissed her. It had been a long time and she must have felt the same. Immediately we were lost in each other. Time stopped. Deireadh, the bastard, decided to let everyone watch, removing the hood covering us. I’m not sure how long they watched. It was Harry’s deep voice clearing his throat that got our attention. “There will be time to talk when we are away from here.”
We walked back hand in hand. In those ten steps, I revised my plan. “Commander, get your people ready. Have your pilots get all your transports ready. You will only be able to push the insects so far, then you’ll have to retreat, and it would be best to relocate away from here. We will find you.”
They looked to Tazleaha for reaffirmation. “All of you, do as he says without question,” she voiced.
“People of Idaline.” I looked at the ragged bunch Taz had put together. “You have fought hard and your queen is proud of you. It is only right that you take the next step and become her personal body guards from now until she discharges you from your duty. You are to keep your queen safe. That means you run. You only stand and fight when your back is against the wall.”
“It sounds cowardly,” one of the men said. Others nodded in agreement.
“This is the one time it isn’t. Let me explain it differently,” I said, walking toward the crowd and the man who spoke up. At a distance of six feet I threw my arm up and pointed at the man. Before he could blink, the point of the three-foot spearhead was at this throat. Silence followed.
“If you fail her, you fail me. If that happens, you better hope you die at the hands of the Khalnalax. I’ll ask again. What do you do if the enemy comes?”
“We take the queen and run,” he answered, his legs giving a nervous twitch.
“Excellent. Zora, Dela’maah. The Claymore and the Privateers are lurking out there. If it becomes too dangerous, abandon the transports, call and have Lorelei take you somewhere, another star system. In fact, recall all the ships that came with us. The Warhammer, Black Scythe, not sure what the Akelorians are doing but they are out there somewhere.”
“There are Akelorians here?” Zora asked. “We’ve not seen them in five hundred years, since before the previous queen took the throne.”
“Benjamin, what about you and the others?” Taz said.
“We will be fine. I’m not planning on staying behind. I’m still considering taking the Khalnalax headquarters. We might learn something valuable. I’m sure the Khalnalax have a ship or something I can borrow, forever. Commander, start loading after dark. Be quiet about it. Also, get a direct line to Admiral Cushda and then let Taz talk to him. No one else is to know she is here or what you’re doing.”
The commander began working up to say something. “Commander, it’s really hard breaking in new people when I’m working, getting them to just do what I tell them. So, I just break them. It tends to be a permanent solution with lasting effects. How about you gimme a ‘yes sir’ and get to work so we can avoid such unpleasantness.”
A nod of agreement was all it took.
It was time to leave. There would be time for catching up, making up, and bringing two empires to their knees. This king shit would solve a lot of problems. It was time to play the part.
Chapter Twenty
The Cjittan light cruiser pulled ahead of the Cjittan flagship. It fired no weapons, instead sending every available power stream to its shields. When the admiral called a meeting of the all the helmsmen and explained the mission, he closed the briefing by asking for volunteers. He selected ten names and ask them to remain after the others had departed. From the ten he would select four. Two primary and two backups. The primaries would have until two days before the mission took place to change their mind.
Lieutenant Doro Zen Mat sent a short message to his counterpart at the helm of the second light cruiser selected for a one-way mission. It mirrored his actions on the other side of the battle. He wished him peace and happiness in the afterlife. There was nothing more to be said. Watching the battle unfold around him, the flagship still trailed, firing mostly on the Khalnalax heavy cruiser. A Khalnalax light cruiser was trying to intercept, but he had steadily increased his speed until there was no way it would catch up or cause him to change his course.
The week prior to mission start, technicians had bypassed all safety protocols, software and mechanical. He could input coordinates for anywhere or at anything without so much as a beep to the contrary by the ship. He was proud that the fleet was doing well against the enemy, but shared the concern the others had voiced. Except for their corvettes, the enemy fleet moved very little from their positions. The Khalnalax were outnumbered, yet even when surrounded and brought to the brink of destruction, they held formation. He watched his screen. Two Cjittan corvettes and a light cruiser were making speed to intercept and tie up the Khalnalax light cruiser that was trying to cut him off. They fired on it from three sides with the purpose of dam
aging the drives and slowing it down.
The pursuing ship had purpose, and a course change, even slight, would nullify its efforts, so it took the beating the Cjittan gave. A glance rearward and the admiral was trading punishments with the enemy. His target increased in size, so much so it amazed the lone helmsman. The battleship, half again larger maybe more than the heavy cruisers, there was nothing Cjittan could bring to bear that equaled it; the old Generations ships were larger but grossly underpowered. Only the Allond had something that could trade equal punishment. Admiral Cushda must have known and formed this plan.
Opening a com to the flagship, the lieutenant was about to make his last ever report and transmit it. He pressed the button but never said a word. A Khalnalax light cruiser appeared from nowhere directly in front of him. They would meet head on. Their bows collided, shearing off plating, opening up to space. They rode each other down until his ship twisted and his bow penetrated deep into the enemy ship, impaling the ship’s drives. The explosions that followed tore both ships into scrap. Nothing would escape. In seconds, a chain reaction started and the drives went critical, incinerating everything.
****
Admiral Cushda shook his head. What had happened was unbelievable. The loss he felt doubled when he saw the same scenario play out with his other light cruiser. His plan had failed. By luck or treachery, they had figured it out. He couldn’t dwell; they still had a battle to win.
“Captain, move us out of range. Tactical, I want two sets of eyes on the board. Any ship disappearing from the grid, yell out. It seems our foe will sacrifice a ship and all of its crew and destroy any possible survivors.”
“Helm, get us out of here with all possible speed,” the captain ordered. “I input the coordinates.”
“Captain, I want an updated status report on every ship. Any ship functioning less than fifty percent needs to fall back to our location.”
“Comm, you heard the admiral. Send a fleet-wide transmission with orders to respond immediately.”
“Have our ground forces made a recent report?” Cushda asked.
“No, sir,” Captain answered.
“Get an update from the ground as well.”
“Admiral, it’s the commander via coded message. He is reporting they are pulling back.”
“On whose orders? How many Cjittan soldiers has he lost?”
“He reports losing none of his soldiers. They are leaving the horde behind. The leader of the queen’s Privateers has ordered it. Also, he says that they have succeeded in their primary mission.”
“I see. Tell him unless something changes I want hourly reports and to keep the package safe at all costs.”
“He understands and says to tell you if he fails it’s not you he is afraid of.”
“Yes.” Cushda laughed. “That is very true.”
****
Taz and her resistance fighters had bathed, eaten and slept guarded by Cjittan soldiers. I advised the commander to leave everything but weapons, food and medical supplies. He tasked teams to begin loading the transports. The Claymore was camped in the clearing Nedra had cut on our arrival. Lorelei and the crew wandered in the camp a little after dark. The Privateers, led by Binda, were camped near the Claymore but were ordered to stay away from the soldiers. Binda was integrating herself into our band of former pirates. She would gain more trust and cement her leadership by being among them versus staying with our people on the Claymore and giving them orders. Kimit and Aisling kept a watch on the battle in space above us. Kimit was upset I wouldn’t let them fight. Aisling was happy I didn’t ask them to fight. And the Akelorians sat and watched. In turn, I had Kimit and Aisling watching them like a hawk.
Zora was up before we left and greeted Lorelei and the others. She sat talking with them while I was on the com with Angel. Zuri sat next to me, her head swiveling like a laser turret watching the jungle. She listened to the camp and the jungle, ears turning toward the direction of sounds I couldn’t hear. While my people smiled at Zora and she at them, I could tell she was asking questions they refused to answer. Shawna, Buddy, Grubb and Nedra just sat whispering to each other. It didn’t matter what they said. It was clear they enjoyed being off the ship and on the ground. Even if it was just beyond a battlefield.
Lorelei making a slashing motion with her hand signaled the end to pleasantries and while both she and Zora still smiled, their smiles were painted on. I had kept my distance on purpose. As it was, there was a zone around me no one entered. The soldiers gave a wide berth as they went about their duties, which was fine by me. Zora must have decided to go to the source. She approached and, instead of speaking, walked around me like a predator circling its prey. We would see how that went.
“So you want me to tell him you love and miss him?” I asked, taking the lead.
“What? No. I have questions for you.”
“When I tell him I saw you, he will be hurt when I tell him you didn’t ask about him.”
“Genius is not so weak to be hurt by a lack of concern on my part.”
“Is that so? I know you two have been messaging each other. You expressed some feelings for him.”
“Did he tell you that? Did he show you our messages?” Zora seemed upset. I wanted her off her game.
“He didn’t have to. I know him. I’ve known him far longer than you. The way he gets excited and forgets what he’s doing at the mention of your name. It gets worse when he knows you’ll be around, where he can see you and talk to you.” Laid that on a little thick, but . . .
“He does not,” she said. “He is too focused. He would not forget what he is doing just over the mention of my name.”
“It’s clear you’ve never been in love. Leave me alone. I’m trying to coordinate our mission for tonight. If you want me to tell him anything before we go face thousands of Khalnalax, then you’ve got about five minutes to tell me. They are running silent now so there will be no com. Or you can wait and tell him if he comes back.”
“What do you mean if?”
“I don’t need to explain that to you. Come on, Zuri, let’s get the others.”
I left her standing staring into the jungle. Didn’t think that was the conversation she was planning on having. A quick jab to stun her, then run away. She was too damn smart and would figure out what I did, then try again later, but the Head of Military Intelligence lost that round.
The four surviving mantis approached, led by a Cjittan officer. The lead mantis was larger than the other three. Its head was even with mine. Hopefully the translator would allow us to communicate like I had in the past. I didn’t want any miscommunication.
I am Reaper and I need your assistance. I know you are few, but I need you to command as many of the others as will follow you and attack the camp. Its head swiveled from side to side, studying me. You will stay with me and direct the other three. Deireadh made clicking noises, repeating my thoughts. All four mantis heads studied me. They broke the single file and stood in a semi-circle around me. Zuri growled, drawing their attention.
A conversation broke out between Deireadh and the mantis, leaving me in the dark and irritating me. Deireadh?
One moment.
Now.
While they can communicate with you, the use of their own language is faster and clearer. They understand much more at this point and are ready for your orders.
The big one stays with us while the other three collect as many ant soldiers as they can. I want a fast-moving attack force and the ants fit the bill. Bring them into the jungle and follow our trail without being discovered. They will wait for my order to attack. There will be more orders once we are closer to our objective.
I let him explain then waited while the larger one replied. The three smaller mantis sped off into the dark. I headed into the jungle without a word. The team’s recon indicated the Khalnalax weren’t expecting any trouble. Typical rotation of guards around the camp, some electronic surveillance, everything doable with the only kink being the Etash patrol
s. I could kill them no problem, but we wanted to get in and out quietly. Harry and Mira were right behind me. Once out of earshot, Mira had questions.
“What did you say to Zora? We were watching; she seemed confused. You didn’t tell her about your armor, did you?”
“Hell no. That is one big can of worms. I’m sure it will catch up to me in the future and be added to my long list of crimes against the Empire.”
“Like you care.”
“Not in the slightest. I’ll just pardon myself of all charges when I’m king.”
“What did you say?”
“He said he would pardon himself when he is king,” Harry answered for me.
“I heard him, Four Arms. What does it mean?”
“It means my armor was made for the last true king of Cjittan. Not one of those overpaid escorts who compete for the job. The ones who haven’t been doing so well against the competition lately,” I said and laughed. “Deireadh would not have accepted me if I didn’t already have the nanites of the king.”
“I don’t think your idea and Tazleaha’s idea of her king are the same.”
“Even I know they are stars apart,” Harry bragged. His second contribution to the conversation. He must be warming up to Mira.
“We will see. First, we win this war for them. Then we make sure all of Cjittan knows we won the war for them. If Taz will agree and we tie the knot, it will be easier to accomplish. I’ll work it from the inside.”
“Benjamin, she is more stubborn and headstrong and less forgiving than you. While you show no quarter at times, you forgive those you know if it’s possible.”
“Are you referring to yourself, Mira? Are you sure? I’ve come close to killing you a number of times. Don’t confuse tolerance with forgiveness.”
“Whatever you say, Boss. I still believe you will not kill me.”
“When you are king I would be governor of my home planet. I’d like to take Nedra there and make it better,” Harry said solemnly. His people had been victims of illegal slavery. While it was currently not the case, it didn’t help that Harry had lost everything.
The Chronicles of Benjamin Jaminson: Empires At War (Book 5 Part Two) Page 28