Pretorius focused on the approaching Leviathans as the cannon prepared to fire again. The Leviathans were moving quickly and had covered thirty thousand kilometers but had lost six of their number. Pretorius watched as the seventh was destroyed.
The Leviathan appeared to erupt from within. No beam or kinetic round seemed to impact on the surface of the Chitin warship, just fire bursting outwards, rippling along the fracture lines that ran over the surface of the Chitin ships. Then the hull began to expand outward, the spaces between the fractures pieces filled with a rolling and boiling inferno. Then Pretorius watched in amazement and wonder as the fractured pieces of the Leviathan began to collapse back in on itself.
Pretorius expanded the view to show the entire attacking armada of twelve Leviathans. The craft that had been fired upon by the planetary defense cannon were now little more than smoldering fragments of Chitin debris.
Another Leviathan erupted in fire. The remaining three slowed and came to a complete stop. As Leviathan target nine began to collapse in on itself, the remaining three Leviathans turned and began to accelerate away from the system. Another Leviathan erupted in a fire and debris as it fled. Pretorius took a moment to admire the work of the cannon and the debris field of the ten destroyed Chitin Leviathans.
Commander Chou handed Pretorius a dispatch from Fleet Command and Control Headquarters. The planetary defenses around Eros and Eras had fought off the Chitin attack. Eighteen Leviathans had been destroyed in the failed attack on the two planets. More than had been destroyed in all the years of combat across the entire system.
Jack wiped the dust away from his helmet’s face plate. The swirling dust was thin enough for him to see his way, but it adhered to his suit.
Looking up at the towering defense cannon, he watched the swirling lines of color around the cannon muzzle high above him. The lines were like knotted rainbows, twisting and writhing, turning inside and outside each other in a swirling circle.
The dispatch from Fleet Command and Control was relayed to him from the Scorpio. The attacking Chitin Leviathans had been beaten back by the massive cannon.
Jack came up to the entrance hangar of the cannon facility. He stopped and looked back to his company of Marines still making their way across the moon’s surface. Many were staring up at the massive cannon’s muzzle. He could not blame them, it had been a hypnotic and unusual sight.
“Move it, Cobra Company,” Jack spoke into his helmet’s communicator. “Stop staring and get moving. Squad Leaders, get your people moving. Move, Cobra. Move.”
Jack stepped through the huge doorway to the entrance hangar. This facility would be their home and workplace until he was told otherwise or until he was dead.
Jack stepped out of the swirling dust and into the calm of the huge, plain interior. He called up a floor plan and selected a spot for his forward command post, a small office area through a small rotating airlock door at the far end of the hangar.
The cannons had done their job. Jack might not have to do his if the cannons held off the Chitin armada, but he would be ready, just in case.
4
The planetary defense cannon was more than a single artillery piece, it was a vast piece of machinery. It was fully automated and required no permanent on-site human presence. Its operation was conducted remotely from the Fleet Command and Control Center deep underground on the planet of Eros. There were living quarters built into the facility, designed for the repair and maintenance staff who were the only regular visitors. The only visitors currently on site were Cobra Company from the Scorpio Battalion.
Jack found himself staring at the cavernous space he was standing in, large enough for a Fleet landing craft to dock. The walls of light-colored composite seemed to absorb the sound of the Marines’ footsteps as they came into the space. The main entrance to the facility was on the other side of the vast hangar-sized chamber.
Dust from the moon that had been thrown up by the cannon’s firing fell from the Marines’ meat suits as they walked into the entrance hangar. They looked like ghosts drifting out of a cloud of dust.
The march from the crash site had been long, and he could not deny that the active cannon had been a distraction. As such, it was a scattered group that straggled in. Jack ordered the Marines into parade formation as they arrived.
At last, the Marines of 6th squad came staggering in, aiding and carrying the wounded from the crash.
“Form up,” Jack called as the last group wandered in to the huge space.
The squad leaders of the twelve squads took their positions on the right hand of the front rank.
“Listen up, Cobra,” Jack said. He paced along the front of the parade formation. “The situation is this. The Chitins have been beaten back. The planetary defense cannon has done its job. For now.”
The cheer went up from the company. Jack let them have their celebration, for a moment. The noise subsided and was over the moment Jack started speaking.
“We’ve lost most of our supplies in the crash and I’ve requested a supply drop from the Scorpio. We’ll be supplied as soon as is practically possible.”
Jack walked along the front rank. He listened to the Marines. Without their supplies, they were vulnerable. Jack needed to know if this was going to affect company morale. The parade remained silent. Jack was satisfied that all his Marines were focused.
“We are here to protect this facility. I want an equipment check completed immediately. Make sure your weapon is functional. I want sidearms and auxiliary weapons checked too. If anyone has extra ammo, report it to your squad leaders. Any demolition charges, grenades, smoke grenades, I want them logged. I might want to redistribute them around the company. I don’t want one squad sitting on all our heaviest kit.”
Jack turned and walked back along the parade.
“I want a perimeter check. First Squad, that’s you. Run the perimeter. I want a defensive cover overwatch post set in the upper level of the facility. Second Squad, that’s you. I hope you have a head for heights. I want a forward observation post at one hundred meters out from the four walls of this facility. Third Squad, split into four teams and head out when you are done here.”
Jack walked back along the parade. They had a lot of work to do.
“Fourth Squad. Taku, move your squad into the facility and set up defense of the small side entrances. I can’t think of anyone better for holding the narrow corridors back there.”
When Jack had first met Taku Folau, he had been newly appointed to squad leader of 4th squad. He had killed a Chitin singlehanded in the corridors of the Scorpio and was a fearless Marine. At that time, Folau was a veteran of only a few skirmishes. After months of combat action, Folau had proven himself a great squad leader.
“Everybody else,” Jack went on, “set up a defensive formation along the opening to this entrance hangar. It’s the easiest way into the facility. I want it protected.”
Jack walked back from the parade and stood in front of the company. They were a good company of Marines. Jack had fought with them as a Marine, as a squad leader, and as a commander. He knew they would give their all.
“I’m setting up an operation center in the offices just inside the facility, at the back of the hangar. Squad leaders report to me when you have completed your tasks.” Jack looked across the parade. The company was settled. The crash had been disturbing and already some Marines had lost squad-mates, friends. None of them let it distract them from their purpose, though. They were here to follow orders, Jack’s orders.
“Questions?” Jack asked. The parade remained silent. Jack had given them their orders and they were ready to carry them out.
“Good,” Jack said. “Squad Leaders, get to work.” Jack turned to the small rotating doorway at the far end of the huge main entrance to the sounds of shouts from Cobra Company’s squad leaders as they put their squads into action.
Stepping into the rotating airlock, Jack moved into a quiet corridor that gave access to a series of offices
and rest facilities. The offices were equipped with holodesks and communication nodes for visiting maintenance and repair teams. They would now serve Jack as a base of operations. He picked the nearest office and stepped inside. He removed his helmet and dropped it on to a low chair, then stepped up to the holodesk and activated it.
The home screen for the holodesk was a rotating image of the planetary defense cannon, a single-story surface building, and the multi-story subsurface structures of the powerful weapon.
Jack began inputting the company’s location tags into the system. Soon the holoimage of the cannon’s complex was covered in a series of small green dots, indicating the location of each of Jack’s Marines.
Much of the cannon’s operational parts were buried beneath the facility. Aboveground were the muzzle and the support facility that Cobra Company was currently occupying.
The facility was massive given that it housed a single cannon. Each of the light-colored composite walls was a hundred meters long. There was the one main entrance leading to the entrance hangar. The area was designed for storage of maintenance equipment and ground vehicles. Most of Cobra Company was there now, preparing the defense.
Corridors crossed the facility that eventually led to the small personal access points on each of the other three walls. Jack studied the geometry of the facility. It was simple. A simplicity that belied the weapon’s sophisticated mechanism.
Access to the roof level was gained through a network of stairs and ladders situated along the back wall of the entrance hangar.
Access to the main working of the cannon was via a large elevator platform at one end of the main entrance for equipment, and via a stairway from the office complex for personal access. Jack was not required to move into the workings of the cannon. He was only here to defend it, but as long as the weapon was functioning, there was little danger of him having to fight off any Chits. Having seen the weapon in action, and having learned of its destructive effect, Jack began to feel he was in the safest place in the entire Eros System.
“Commander Forge. This is Squad Leader, Second Squad.”
The communicator on Jack’s helmet sounded in stereo with the communicator on the holodesk.
“Yes, Ben. Report.”
Jack had known many of the squad leaders from Cobra for a long time. He had been one of them almost a year ago. He had a compassion for them that could be dangerous for a commander. Jack tried not to let his personal feelings for these men and women overcome his professionalism, but it was almost harder for Jack not to be too distant, and too severe with them. Striking the right balance was crucial.
“Second squad deployed on overwatch duty, sir.” Ben Horan sounded relaxed. He was experienced, and this was no big deal. “I’ve got a team of three Marines at each corner.”
“Good work, Ben,” Jack said. “Let me know if you need anything.”
“Sir?” Horan asked respectfully.
“What is it, Ben?” Jack replied.
“We could use some ration blocks,” Horan said.
Jack made a note on the holodesk—2nd squad’s request for ration blocks. Jack knew it was a vital request. Horan wouldn’t have asked if he wasn’t in desperate need.
“Copy that, Ben. I’ll get on it.”
“Commander Forge. This is Squad Leader, First Squad.”
Jack stopped what he was doing and listened to the incoming communication. It was the new squad leader of 1st squad.
Jack picked up his helmet from the low chair and sat down. He hadn’t had time to get to know Will Stone. This was Stone’s first action as squad leader. Jack would need to get to know him fast.
“Go ahead, Will,” Jack said.
“I’ve completed my perimeter sweep. There are doors in the middle of each of the walls. All are sealed from the inside, sir. I couldn’t open any of them, but I don’t think they’ll hold off any determined effort to get through them. They won’t hold the Chits out, sir.”
“Alright,” Jack replied. “Anything else?”
“Clear views to the horizon on all sides of the facility. Ground is flat and firm. We covered the distance in good time.”
“Good report, Will,” Jack said. “How are you set for rations? What about ammunition?”
“Sir, I’ve got extra ration blocks. We have no grenades or demolition. We are a bit low on pulse rifle ammunition. We’ll have to rely on the electron bayonet, sir.”
“That we will,” Jack said. “Bring your squad in, Will.”
Jack went back to the holodesk and made a note that 1st was short of ammunition.
He looked at the image of the cannon facility on the north pole of Brecon. He ran his hand over the image and expanded the view. The Scorpio was holding position in geo-stationary orbit at the Brecon’s equator. The ship was a welcome sight. Jack was sure that Major Griff was putting together a supply drop even as he looked at the holoimage of the Scorpio.
He swiped his hand across the image again. It zoomed out to show the moon drifting around the planet. The Carrier Group Overlord and all its support craft were in orbit around Eros. The carrier Scepter had already deployed to Eras.
Jack wondered why the Fleet would divide its carrier force. Together, they were a match for a Leviathan. Apart, they would be lucky to survive a concerted Hydra attack, but he knew the comfort the people of the planets Eros and Eras would take from knowing the carriers were in orbit. Jack knew he took comfort from the presence of the Scorpio even though the old destroyer wouldn’t last a minute against a Leviathan.
He zoomed out to the fullest view on the small holodesk. The entirety of humankind was represented in its view. All human activity had ceased in the wider system. Now all of humanity was pressed back to the two terrestrial planets of Eros and Eras.
And just on the edge of the holoimage, Jack saw the flickering signals blinking in and out as the Chitin craft hovered on the edge of sensor range. Jack realized that humanity had not only fled to their last safe refuge, they had run into a hole that they would almost never be able to fight their way out of.
Jack knew the Chitins didn’t need to attack again. Humanity was trapped with its back against the wall. It was isolated from the rest of the system. It was reliant solely on the means that could be provided by the two planets. He realized that humanity was under siege and if they were prevented from accessing the mineral wealth of the asteroid belt and the fuel supplies of the gas giants, they would continue to shrink away until finally, when the last destroyer engines burned out and the planetary defense cannons had drained every last bit of energy from their quantum reactors, the Chitins would move in and finish off humankind for good.
It might take years, or even decades, but Jack knew that the Chitins were on the verge of victory. All the Chitins had to do was to sit and wait. But there was one thing the Chitins did not do too well, and that was wait. They were impatient and ruthless. They would not wait a decade. They would not wait one year, or likely even a week. Jack felt in his heart that the Chitins were coming sooner than that.
He tapped a communicator panel on the holodesk.
“Scorpio, this is Forge. How are we coming on that supply drop?”
5
Captain Pretorius looked at the holostage from his chair on the command deck. Eros sat at the center of the image, shrunk down to the size of a fist. The outer moon Brecon was just large enough to be seen on the scale. The Scorpio was represented by a small point of light with a holographic label moving slowly with it.
The holoimage showed the extent of sensor range around Eros, extending out for millions of kilometers. The space was empty, dark, and cold. Nothing moved in sensor range, only the remaining ships of the fleet.
A lone frigate moved away from its position in the fleet massed around Eros. Pretorius received the communication from Fleet Command and Control Headquarters that a single ship was to be sent to probe the empty space for signs of Chitin activity.
Pretorius guessed that some were hopeful that the Chitins w
ere gone. He knew that the Chitins were just hiding out of range of the planetary defenses that had repulsed their Leviathans only hours ago. They had lost more Leviathans in one attack on humanity’s home planets than they had in years of combat in open space.
The Chitins were aggressive, but they probably had the good sense not to send more of their mightiest warships to their destruction needlessly. Pretorius wondered for a moment how many Leviathans the Chitins had in their armada. If there were enough, they could overwhelm the planetary defenses. The fact the Chits were lurking out of sight suggested to Pretorius that they did not have an endless supply of the deadly Leviathans.
The point of light that represented the single probing frigate moved out from the center of the holoimage. Pretorius watched as it approached Brecon. The frigate was fast and moved past the Scorpio and out into the interplanetary space. Within moments, the frigate was feeding its sensor data back to the fleet. The new data appeared on the holostage in front of Pretorius. As the sensor range was extended by the probing frigate, the scale on the holostage was redrawn, Eros shrinking even smaller, like a fist clenched even tighter.
Pretorius watched the edge of the holostage for new sensor readings. And then like a sparkling curtain, the positions of a thousand Chitin craft appeared. An arc surrounding one side of the planet. Chitin craft holding position. Waiting.
The fact that the ships were out there was not a surprise to Pretorius. The fact that there were so many was. The data began to feed back on the types of ships. There were seventeen Leviathans in the swarm. There were more than enough Leviathans to defeat the fleet in open space but not enough to overwhelm the planetary defenses.
Along with the Leviathans, there were hundreds of Hydras. These were the ships the Chitins used to transport their soldiers to battle. They could latch on to a destroyer and infiltrate the ship, or they could land Chitin soldiers to the surface of a planet, moon, or asteroid. They were well armed with the Chitin plasma arc weapon. They were fast and had excellent maneuverability. The concentration of Hydras alone was a concern to the fleet.
Forged Under Siege (Jack Forge, Fleet Marine Book 6) Page 3