The Warlord

by CJ Williams

  Luke faced Grant and spoke in a grim voice. “I don’t have time to argue about this. The Greys in that headquarters may be the only ones who know where Annie is so I can’t kill them outright. I need to find out which one is in charge and capture it. Now get out of my way.”

  Grant’s angry expression dissolved, but his look of concern intensified. He examined Luke’s stone-like countenance and sighed. “Go ahead then.” He turned his back on Luke and sat down in the observer’s chair. “Do you have any orders for me, Captain?” he said to Elaine. “Or should I leave the bridge?”

  “Thank you, Mr. Jefferies,” she replied. “I would appreciate your thoughts as we engage.”

  “ETA?” Luke asked examining the tactical display.

  “Three minutes to touchdown,” the navigation officer replied.

  Luke nodded and walked off the bridge. He stopped in his stateroom and quickly donned combat gear. “Can you hear me, George?” he said into the helmet mic.

  “Loud and clear, Commander.”

  Luke added a Colt 45 Government Model to his ensemble and headed to the exit.

  *.*.*.*

  Luke watched through the fuselage’s open entry hatch as Lulubelle descended toward the headquarters. Two Starfighters swooped low and blossoms of fire erupted through the bivouac areas.

  George explained. “At the request of the ground commander, we are providing fire suppression on the Greys’ barracks.”

  “Who is my troop leader?” Luke asked.

  “Colonel Tanner Hogan is commanding the 3rd Armored Brigade.”

  Luke’s temper flared. “Brigade? I asked for a platoon!”

  “I apologize, Commander,” George replied equably. “I did recommend a larger ground force and you agreed.”

  Calm down, Luke chastised himself. Let people do their job.

  “Colonel Hogan, this is Luke Blackburn. You on frequency?”

  Hogan’s voice was clear in Luke’s helmet. “Right here, Commander. We’re going to land in a park in the city center. It’s adjacent to the headquarters building. At least that’s what we believe it is according to the ELINT we’re picking up. The Greys are already broadcasting warnings to all of their planetside units.”

  “Get me inside that structure, Colonel,” Luke said. “I need to interrogate their top brass.”

  “We will, Commander.”

  A Phantom troop carrier set down in the middle of the city and three thousand men poured out. They were dressed in the same type of combat gear that Luke’s soldiers had worn on Suneuon during the palace raid against King Dracci Two. The only difference was those combat suits had been flashy and were designed to stand out. The men below wore desert camouflage and when they stopped moving, were almost undetectable. Luke listened to the officers on their unit command channel, shouting orders to move this over here and that over there. And hurry!

  In a well-choreographed movement, the soldiers established a formidable outer perimeter. Within minutes the Phantom lifted off and George aimed for the same landing spot. The instant George touched down, Luke stepped out. He was immediately flanked on both sides by well-armed men. With a whoosh George was airborne, rocketing toward the upper atmosphere.

  A voice in Luke’s helmet said, “This way, Commander.” Luke saw Colonel Hogan with his arm raised. He stood at the edge of the town square nearest the headquarters building. Troops ran back and forth establishing their positions to support the impending assault on the main building.

  Luke joined the Colonel and stood quietly while he directed his sub-commanders.

  “I expected more resistance,” Luke said. No sooner had he made the comment than a withering fire erupted from all sides.

  Hogan mumbled to himself, but Luke overheard, “I guess it’s my turn to babysit,” obviously referring to his VIP visitor.

  Luke held his tongue at the colonel’s apt observation. Luke had been in that situation more than once, stuck with a VIP in the worst possible circumstance. Each time, his goal was simply to live through it without embarrassing the VIP or getting anyone killed.

  The incoming fire knocked a few of the men to the ground. They were uninjured, but swore loudly at the stinging pain. Personal protection fields could keep you alive, but in almost every instance a certain percentage of the bullet’s force carried through to the wearer’s skin. Luke had felt the proof of that often enough.

  Hogan’s voice rang out. “Batons!”

  The soldiers pulled long batons from their leg straps and held them straight out. These were the new battle shields that Luke had heard about but not seen in action. Once the batons clicked on, they generated large translucent barrier fields, giving the soldiers a riot-police appearance. The shields were much more effective than polycarbonate slabs however. Multiple shields automatically linked together providing a mobile and almost impenetrable defensive barrier. Each impact by an enemy projectile generated a sound like a home run from a metal baseball bat. A staccato symphony of sharp thuds filled the air.

  Hogan organized his forces. “First Battalion, form up for the attack.”

  Hundreds of men, composed of individual squads, platoons and companies, established an arrowhead at the edge of the square.

  “Forward,” Hogan called.

  At a slow walk the men advanced toward the headquarters, protected by their overlapping barrier shields. The layer of defense blocked incoming fire, but allowed the soldiers to shoot straight through toward the hostile forces.

  The more experienced troops returned fire in short bursts of six or eight rounds at a time. The newbies were more obvious. They spewed an almost continuous stream of flechettes at the opposition. The younger soldiers wore ammo belts across their shoulders and at least one robotic mule accompanied each platoon, laden with ammo and extra weapons.

  Hogan spoke continuously into his helmet mic, directing his units to pull back here and push forward there. One of the platoons approached the massive front doors of the headquarters structure. It had that imposing look of a municipal government building.

  Luke started to creep ahead and take a position in that unit but felt a strong hand on his shoulder.

  It was Colonel Hogan. “No, Commander. You wait here with me.” He turned to one of his captains. “Have a squad report to this position to protect His Majesty. Now! They will not allow him to move away from the safety of this cordon under any circumstances, no matter what he might say.”

  “Yes sir,” the aide snapped, and ran off screaming into his helmet mic.

  Luke felt his temper rising but before he could speak Hogan cut him off.

  “I heard how you like to take control in the middle of a battle, Commander. No offense, but that won’t happen here.”

  “You don’t understand colonel. I have to speak to those leaders.”

  “I do understand, sir. Those Greys will be brought to you in chains and in good health. And you will wait here until they arrive.”

  A new round of fire from the Grey soldiers forced both men to duck instinctively. Two squads returned fire and silenced the attacking battery.

  “Excuse me, Commander. I have a battle to manage.” He ran toward his forward unit, speaking once more into his mic.

  Fifteen soldiers arrived on the run and took up defensive positions around Luke. Eight of them set up a mini perimeter with the personal barrier shields while the others began firing at Grey positions that were closing on the town square.

  Explosive rounds started landing in the square. It’s a mortar attack, Luke thought. The Grey resistance was a lot stronger and more organized than he had expected. Good thing George had arranged for more than a platoon. The men protecting Luke clumped together, raising their batons over their heads.

  The artillery barrage intensified and rounds began landing on the brigade’s upraised shields. Through his helmet Luke heard Colonel Hogan call for air support. The answer came back that it was being coordinated.

  Luke didn’t like the response. “What’s going on George?” h
e said into his own mic. “We could use some support?”

  “Standby, Commander”, came the unexpected reply from George. Luke rarely heard George ask him to standby but he could tell the AI was handling a million tasks at once. “A Grey armada has arrived. We are pulling all Starfighters from the surface to engage the incoming force.”

  Luke studied the soldiers in the square. They showed no concern with their situation. As soon as the barrage had started, one of the battalions broke out heavier weapons from their mules and erected a small radar dome to identify the source of the incoming fire. Within seconds the artillery battalion began returning fire. There was no emergency yet. Luke took a deep breath and waited.

  A feminine presence appeared in the back of his mind. Luke?

  The familiar voice stunned Luke but he answered instantly. “Annie! Where are you? I’m here on the planet. I’m at the Grey headquarters.”

  I don’t know where I am. They’ve been keeping me locked up but all hell broke loose a few minutes ago. I just heard explosions and realized it might be the Alliance.

  “That’s me!” Luke cried. “Are you near a window? Tell me what you see!”

  I can’t see anything, Annie replied mentally. It’s night here. Hang on, babe. Someone’s here. Her mental voice suddenly became angry, filled with fear and hatred. She was shouting at someone and her words carried through the mental connection to Luke. Stop that! She screamed. Let go!

  Someone had come for his wife. Luke bent over and focused on reestablishing the connection. It was something they did from time to time just for fun. They could see through each other’s eyes when they concentrated on the process. If he could only get into her mind.

  And then he had it.

  The Greys were all around her. Annie’s hands were reaching for an infant in swaddling clothes but a Grey was holding her back. A separate Grey swooped in to scoop up the child and darted from the cell. Annie screamed but another Grey joined with the first. They grabbed her around the waist and pulled her out of the cell, in the direction her child had gone. Annie stopped fighting and instead hurried along, screeching for her daughter. She ran up some stairs, down a long hallway and then out of the building. Ahead, the Greys that were carrying her daughter were hurrying across a concrete ramp, part of an old flight line.

  Luke realized what they were doing. The Greys were loading Annie on a ship about to leave the planet. At least a hundred of the aliens were taking part in the evacuation. Dozens huddled as close as possible to Annie. With that many it was impossible for Annie to fight back, either physically or mentally.

  Luke! Annie cried out with her mind. They’re taking us off planet. I can’t stop them; there’s too many. I love you!

  “Hang on, Annie!” Luke shouted, startling the soldiers around him. “George! George, answer me, now!”

  Stand by, Commander. The AI sounded more maxed out than before.

  Luke spoke into his helmet mic. “Elaine, this is King Lucas! I need Lulubelle right this second.”

  “Commander, I…No! I said keep firing! Guns and missiles. Commander. We’re heavily engaged. I’m sending two Starfighters to you right now. They will arrive your location in…let me see…two minutes…I think. Damn it! Where is that Phantom going? Call it back!”

  Luke cut the connection. Two minutes would be too late.

  He could still see through Annie’s eyes. They had boarded a much smaller Grey ship than one of the dreadnoughts; Luke had never seen the model before. Eight of her captors thrust Annie into a cell-like enclosure and another one handed over her daughter. The door slammed shut and Annie was left alone. She hurriedly checked the baby, and Luke could hear her crooning “You’re okay, everything will be okay.” She cast a glance around the room and saw a small porthole-like window. Through it, she watched the planet fell away as the ship took off.

  Luke closed his eyes to concentrate. This is King Lucas. I order the nearest royal warship to come to my position this instant! Acknowledge!

  A feminine voice came through his helmet. “Your Majesty, Phantom November-Alpha-Three-Two-Eight-Niner-Five-Juliet en route. I have you in sight.”

  A sonic boom blasted the city center, blowing out every window in the square and knocking both nearby Greys and his own soldiers to the ground. Through the dust Luke saw a Phantom warship hovering just a few feet in the air, carefully not crushing any of his own guards. A corner of the ship dipped lower allowing Luke, with a running start, to leap into the cargo bay door. He landed flat on his stomach and slid across the floor scrambling to regain his footing. His guards were caught totally off guard and one or two actually fired on the Phantom.

  “Take off!” Luke ordered, running toward the command bridge. “There is a Grey spacecraft leaving the planet from the night side. Track it!”

  “I have the ship in sight,” the Phantom’s AI said.

  Luke reached the bridge and stopped short. “Where’s the crew?” he gasped.

  “All military personnel disembarked at the last drop zone to assist with the infiltrating royal forces. Our soldiers were being overrun and required immediate assistance.”

  “Who else is here?”

  “You are the only person aboard, Your Majesty.”

  At first, Luke did not believe the AI. But just looking around he saw it was true. He was the only person on the ship.

  It didn’t matter. He had to catch the escaping Grey ship.

  The command bridge was laid out differently than all the ones he had been on. And then it dawned on him. This was a troop carrier. Not a warcraft.

  “Can you engage that Grey spacecraft?”

  “My weaponry is geared toward providing ground support, Your Majesty. But yes, I can improvise if necessary.”

  Luke mentally groaned in frustration. Of all the warships in his forces, he had managed to board the one class of spacecraft that could not help Annie. He considered having it join up with one of the incoming Starfighters and then transferring to that, but immediately discarded the thought. If he was going to save Annie, he only had one shot at a rapidly closing window.

  “Then improvise!” he shouted.

  The thrum of the gravity drives increased noticeably. “Increasing to maximum thrust,” the AI said.

  Luke flung himself into the captain’s chair and examined the tactical screen. The fleeing ship was displayed but it was little more than a dim collection of pixels and getting smaller.

  “What are you planning November-Juliet-Niner…what was your name again?”

  “November-Alpha-Three-Two-Eight-Niner-Five-Juliet, Your Majesty. Please just call me Freddi,” she said. “Everyone else does.”

  “Fine! Answer the question.”

  “I am modifying the design of my standard ground attack missile. I am now manufacturing a nuclear tipped high velocity weapon. Firing a salvo of eight missiles in three, two—”

  “Belay that order!” Luke shrieked. “My wife is aboard that ship. This is a rescue mission, you idiot!”

  After several heart hammering seconds of silence, Freddi answered. “Acknowledged. Weapons safe. In that case, I have no alternatives for successfully engaging the enemy warcraft. Please note that it is no longer on the tactical display. It has reached lightspeed.”

  “Track it then!” Luke growled harshly. The panic in his chest was about to choke off any oxygen getting to his brain. His voice dropped to a whisper as he struggled to speak. “Are you aware of gravity wakes? Do you have the ability to track a faster than light spacecraft?”

  “Of course, Your Majesty,” Freddi responded proudly. “All troop carriers are equipped with extensive gravity wake detection systems. During the design process, it was acknowledged that our faster Starfighter brothers often accelerate ahead to engage the enemy and that their route of flight often varies. Troop carriers therefore contain extensive navigation, ship detection and tracking capabilities. Do you wish to track the ship ahead to its intended destination?”

  Luke felt his panic lessen just the sl
ightest amount. “I absolutely want to track that ship. If you lose it, then I will have no reason to live. And neither will you.”

  “I am not alive, Your Majesty, but I take your point. I feel confident we can follow the Grey vessel, which I am designating as Target One, anywhere in this galaxy. I am launching outrigger wake detectors at this time. If you wish to see them, they are the silver forms on either side. Those detectors will note any change in direction should Target One take evasive action…as it is doing now, as it so happens.”

  The streaming lights of distant stars in the viewing window shifted slightly to the left as Freddi made a course adjustment.

  “Can the remainder of my force track us?” Luke asked.

  “Unknown. If they were following our wake, then it is possible. But if not, we have already made heading changes which make it unlikely.”

  “Where is it headed?” Luke asked, his frustration rising. Without a specific target location, he had no reference to give Elaine so they could follow and rejoin. For now, he was on his own.

  “Their final destination is undetermined at this time, Your Majesty. But we are generally headed into unknown space. According to recent upgrades to my navigation systems the space ahead is now known as Grey space. I am afraid that entry into such space is prohibited by royal order. I must terminate our pursuit prior to the border.”

  “No you don’t,” Luke said assuredly. “As of now, a state of war exists between the Greys and the Nobility. I am giving you a new royal order to proceed, no matter what.”

  Freddi was silent for a moment. “Understood,” she finally said.

  Luke sighed and slouched back in his chair. At least now he knew where Annie was. Nothing else mattered. He would stay on her trail until both of them were together again. And she had the baby! They were parents now! But his brief glimpse through Annie’s eyes didn’t actually include seeing his daughter’s face. Disappointment clouded his mind…on so many levels.

  Not the least being he had not done his army any favors by decamping in the middle of a battle. Hopefully he had not put any of his royal troops in danger. But of course, that was exactly what he did; and without a second’s thought. He needed to let his force commanders know what happened.