“Someone also sent the same advert through the entire system. I'm finding the point of origin. Seems there's some video footage. I'll see if I can..,”
Gogs stopped, looking away as Min Hae watched four different screens of people being tortured. There were slim wands being pressed against their flesh but Min Hae knew that something didn't have to be large to elicit pain. He looked away as he remembered his pain implant. The wands left bloody welts wherever they passed and most of the tables his people were strapped to had a container underneath them that caught the creatures’ equivalents of blood.
“Run it through face recognition. I want to know where our people are,” Min Hae said and Gogs did so, putting it in the background so he didn't have to see the pain people were being submitted to.
***
I breathed heavily,’ having forgotten there was any other way to breathe. KaaOrv Sevrare was walking around, waiting to use her Orv whenever I wasn't paying attention for maximum shock and to make me feel completely vulnerable.
“I used to hate this thing,” she said, waving her Orv. “I used to be a good person. I was told so by my father before I tortured my mother in front of him. You see, for you it is an instrument of pain, for me its freedom. I don't feel anything unless I use my Orv on flesh. Not being able to feel anything is worse than any pain imaginable. I don't really know who I am, or care about anything other than bringing others pain. The more pain I elicit the more I can feel.
“Once I'm done inflicting pain I don't feel anything anymore. It makes me wonder if the reason I don't continue is because I hate the emotions I feel, or if my feelings contain some of the goodness my father talked about,”
She looked into my eyes. “Everything is better from the other side,” she said, jabbing my stomach as it felt as if I'd been impaled.
***
“We have someone transmitting to the fleet in orbit,” someone said in the command centre. Jelum didn't have time to remember people's names.
“I want it traced. Have the detail nearest the transmission bring them in.”
No one said anything as the signal was traced back.
“It's coming from the city of Jak... Governor's personal communication system,”
“City Governor Roshvi sent the message?” Jelum asked.
“Yes sir,”
“Bring him in. See if Overseer Marhtu is available,” Jelum said as he stood at parade rest.
It was several minutes later when Overseer Marhtu graced Jelum with his transmission.
Marhtu raised an eyebrow in question.
“City Governor Roshvi sent a message to the Free Fleet. I have a team bringing him to your KaaOrv,” Jelum said as Marhtu's scales reflected his anger.
Jelum saw someone trying to get his attention. He dared not turn and look to the person, lest it be taken as an insult by Marhtu.
“See that he is not allowed to die before getting there. I want him to adorn my floor,” Marhtu said and Jelum bowed.
“It will be done my Overseer,” Marhtu waved his hand, the channel closing as Jelum looked to the person trying to get his attention.
“WHAT?” He asked, his voice threatening what would happen if the person hadn't nearly interrupted the Overseer for some very good reason.
“The Free Fleet is moving. The Dreadnought is descending,” the message said in a rush as the entire room seemed to look to Jelum, all of them in shock.
“Scramble the fighters, get the defences up. I want the Free Fleet personnel moved!” Jelum said. “I want a plot on the main screen!”
He leaned on the railing in front of him. He was a nobody Marhtu had picked for his loyalty. He wasn't trained for this sort of thing. He wasn't a general.
“We have visual!” someone said, and the screen changed to the Dreadnought as it sunk through atmosphere, the massive ship blowing as it's armor was heated by entry. Two Corvette's trailed behind it as the rest of the fleet waited in atmosphere. It was one thing to see it as a designated target on a screen, another to see it sinking through atmosphere like Death's own judgement. “It looks like they know where the prisoners are.” Nervousness was showing in people's voices. The room suddenly felt too cold and Jelum shivered slightly.
“What the hell is going on, Jelum!” Marhtu said, his face replacing the image of Resilient. His scales were a mess of anger.
“They've got ships descending,” Jelum said, shock filling him.
“I can see that! I want them off of my planet! Tell me when it's done, or I will replace you!” Marhtu said, cutting his channel and leaving Jelum to stare at Resilient as if the ship had some kind of answer.
“Fighters are in the air,”
“Pound those ships!” Jelum yelled as he remembered the planets defences. “Shoot them with everything we've got!”
Jelum felt strength come back into his body. He could still win this!
“We have multiple launches from the ships in orbit, it looks like they're carriers!”
We should've told the informant which ships. We don't know what they have other than Resilient,
“We know what Resilient's defences are. Hammer that first, then the other ships,”
“Resilient is flaring thrusters. It's opening shuttle bays!” Jelum's panic rose again but he fought it down. If he didn't win he wouldn't survive, or worse he'd become one of Marhtu's slaves.
***
In Sook was wearing the cap of Ship Commander instead of Combined Arms Commander when the information on where Salchar and the rest of the Free Fleet were being held came in.
“Confirm that information and prep for drop,” she said, opening a channel to Rick.
“In Sook?” He sounded confused.
“We know where they are,” she said.
“Follow the plan and drop us right on them,” Rick told her.
“Readiness level red,” she said as the fleet powered up fully, not caring who saw.
Helm moved the ship so it was ready for entry. They switched off with Milra as she took over. Rick jogged into the room as In Sook got into her command station, making sure that all of the Commandos as well as fighters were ready to go. Heston and Santos were giving her a green light. Bok Soo was staying with the Fleet in orbit in case they needed reinforcements, or the rescue force was killed. He was next in line for command after Rick, something that he'd been very vocal about being against. He didn't want his Commandos on a battlefield he wasn't on.
“We got the message a few minutes ago, the location as well as plans for the entire underground base of the Daestramus secret military,” In Sook reported to Rick.
“We are planned for entry into the atmosphere. All ships report readiness,” In Sook said, adrenaline making her nervous she'd forgotten something.
“Thank you, In Sook. Now it's about time we got our people back,” Rick said as there were nods, grunts and various movements associated with the individual races way of agreement.
“Brace yourselves. I haven't done this in a hundred and twenty years,” Resilient said, not making In Sook feel any safer.
Resilient shook like all hell as she descended.
“Corvettes are following,” Walf said, “The other ships are moving so they will be in overhead position over the co-ordinates,” He continued.
“Braking!” Milra said as the massive ship applied thrusters to the ground, stopping its continued falling and jerking everyone slightly in their seats as the inertia compensators took bare seconds to adjust.
“They're launching fighters!” Walf said.
“Vort, have Heston's fighters give us support. In Sook, get our troops on the ground. Marleen, give them cover,” Rick said in a rush.
In Sook looked to her job, barely registering Heston and Xing's fighters as they interposed themselves between Resilient and the defensive fighters, which were having to fight their way out of the planet's gravity well.
The Corvettes might not be the strongest ships in a space battle, but in atmosphere they were one of the few that coul
d bring the majority of their weapons to bear. As they opened up with their rail batteries and lasers, Resilient's PDS came online, their massive rounds smashing into the oncoming fighters.
“Impacts!” Krat said.
“Calm down, Shields,” Rick said as the shields chief looked practically apoplectic without his protection.
“Get the Corvettes to take cover behind us,” Rick said.
In Sook kept checking that everything was running well, casualty reports coming in, as well as major issues.
“Daisy skimmer has got limited maneuverability,” she said, immersed in the information stream of goings on.
“Understood,” Rick said, acknowledging details, even as he devoted his concentration to the bigger picture.
“Assault shuttles are away. Sealing the bay,” In Sook said.
“Protective fire for the shuttles. The fighter's priority is to get them to the surface,” Rick said as Vort parsed out the orders.
In Sook had to fight the want to communicate with the CAG's on Pandora and FengFang. Shuttles and defensive fighters came together and Resilient mowed through them like the Dreadnought she was.
Chapter - Devil's Express
Santos dropped to the planet amongst semi-organized chaos. Shuttles disgorged Commandos as they secured the immediate area. Squads that came down after the first couple moved to the area where Bok Soo had laid a marker on everyone's maps, but it looked no different than the rest of the scarred and frozen world.
“Bok Soo, I'm not seeing any entrances,” Santos sing-songed.
Craters appeared in the ground as Resilent's railguns bellowed.
“That should do it,” Bok Soo said, sounding all too pleased with himself.
Santos grunted as he changed channels. While Bok Soo wanted to be on the ground Rick had put an end to that plan.
“Move it, Commandos!” Santos said as he tagged the holes, using the finger-balls in his mecha to designate units to each breach as he moved.
Weapon systems sprouted from Daestramus' frozen ground and troops came out to meet the Commando's charge.
“Pepper potting!” Santos called out as squads covered one another, pinning the enemy down as they advanced each half at a time.
The defensive troops were getting steam rolled. They might be organized and trained, but they had been used as bully boys their entire time in the military. They were used to going up against opponents weaker and without support. None of them had been in a fight with organized forces other than in a simulation. Now they were up against the veteran Commandos and their lack of training and ability showed.
Bok Soo was acting as Combined Arms. He organized support for the Commando's fighters, his gunners raked the trenches and embedded positions with their railgun rounds. Felix's penetrators worked with devastating results. Fires sprouted from the frozen ground as Santos jumped into a ditch, covering his team member as they joined him. Santos checked his map and found that the breaches opened into the living quarters and armories of the Daestramus military. Anyone that had been in there was dead, or dying.
“Dreckt, I want you and yours to secure our people. You'll be moving into territory without support.”
“Understood,” Dreckt said, pride in his voice and the tone promising that he would get them back or die trying.
Santos looked over the ditch, and saw some of his Commandos get cut down by a late rising turret. He swore under his breath.
“Sir we're in the compound,” a squad commander said as Santos considered if he should race through the fire to support them. No.
“Secure it and clear out the bastards shooting at us. Send scans to Resilient and Eddie. They can tell us which power lines to cut. We need those turrets off,” Santos said, cutting the channel.
He kept the location of where the Free Fleet personnel were being held to himself. Dreckt and his brother Kreum would be enough. Santos didn't want his people racing through the compound and not clearing it completely in their hurry to get to their buddies. Kreum and Dreckt had made their people experts in close quarters fighting. Santos just hoped it was enough.
“Moving!” Santos said to his team member, who laid down fire as he dashed to the next piece of cover.
It's going to be a long day, he thought as he put two rounds into a rising turret, the thing blowing out in sparks and plasma. He checked the advance of the Commandos. The shuttles were providing area support from their landing zones, as four thousand Commandos were spread across a two kilometer long frontage.
Not one Commando faltered as they charged towards the enemy.
No one who took the Free Fleet's own should expect to survive.
***
Min Hae watched as Resilient broke atmosphere, Corvette's and fighters covering her as she covered the forces on the ground. The ships in orbit lay waiting for whatever Rick decided he had use for. Min Hae had done his job but he could see on the faces of his crew that they, like him, still felt bad as they fled the system as the other traders were doing. Min Hae used his station to shut down the main screen showing the battle.
There was a small outcry and Min Hae looked to them.
“I know you want to be there, helping your friends to get back at the bastards. But this is our job. To get the information that can save their lives, then disappear again. We don't take credit or thanks. We work in the shadows to protect the Fleet and those we care about.” They all knew what their job entailed, though he doubted any of them had thought it would be this hard to swallow the reality of what it would feel like doing it.
“All of you have done an outstanding job. We've created contacts, and started to bring changes to the Daestramus government. We've brought hope to these people that the Free Fleet is a group that they can trust, not just another band of pirates. Hell, look around us, we're in a convoy of traders going to Parnmal!”
That made a few of them nod and make grudging displays of agreement.
“The more we know, the better prepared the Fleet can be when we come to these planets again,” Gogs said, surprising a few in the room, even Min Hae.
“It'll take time but we've seen how much people need the Free Fleet,” Gogs went on "we just have to vet them to make sure the Free Fleet can trust them. Here we failed, but we built up contacts that will be here when we, or one of the other Q-ships returns. Lady Fairgate has pushed the planets away, not caring what happens on them, she’s blinded herself from what happens in the shadows.”
Determination filled Min Hae's crew as they listened. It would be slow and arduous work, but he and his growing group of Q-ships, informants, contacts and operators would be the eyes and ears of the Fleet. It was as daunting as it was exciting to Min Hae.
“I want full reports from everyone before we exit the system,” he told them. “Also a check of all goods and trades so we can pass that on to further crews.
***
I felt explosions as my chains swayed me.
Savrare applied her KaaOrv to my legs, eliciting screams from me as guards rushed into the room.
One, a Slevaran, looked at me, his body color telling me he was disgusted and nauseous at the sight of what Savrare had done to me. They quickly looked at a wall, as the one behind them threw up outside.
“What?” Savrare said, her voice calm but threatening.
“The Free Fleet has their forces moving into the compound. We're to remove him and his people to another facility.”
Hope bloomed in my chest just as Savrare's kaaOrv stabbed into my ear.
Pain, unlike anything I had ever experienced lanced through my body, it blurred through my vision as nothingness slowly embraced me. Cold fierce pain ran through my body as my throat tried to scream, but my voice was long gone.
My thoughts returned to the days of pain and frustration of being recruited. They won't let me die. They'll just bring me back like they did with the ones who couldn't take the pain implants.
The first guard had excreted their version of bile onto their scales, a natural defens
ive measure against predators. The smell barely affected me as I hung on my chains, each of them pulling my body in painful ways.
“Gather him, we will depart immediately!” Savrare said. Anger seemed to radiate off of her as the guards moved to me and she stormed out of the room as the guards released my chains.
I fell to the floor. My muscles were weak and atrophied, and any type of movement sent lancing pain through me. Guards tried to beat me into movement, clearly panicked. It was nothing compared to what Savrare had done.
“Carry him. We need to link-up with the seven others and get the hell out of here,” the first guard said.
The others wrestled me onto a table, they didn't bother to tie me down as I sprawled on it, as weak as a newborn.
Seven, I thought, hiding a small smile’ before it could cross my face. At least some of my people had survived. Now I had to figure out a way to get ourselves free of our captors and into the hands of my people. I moved my hands and feet slightly, feeling the weakness in them. It felt as if I was disconnected from my body. I opened my eyes, my face hurting from the movement as I looked at the guards around me. They were decently armed with a mixture of weaponry and armor. None of it was powered, but it would stop anything but a direct hit.
I remembered the video of Janice, thinking of the guards that she had taken down and the one's that had captured her. They had made one mistake, they had shown me their tactics and way in which they operated. Something that I had learned long ago to turn on my enemies. I could feel the impacts of heavy weaponry hitting the compound, but the guards looked confident. They knew they were getting out of here, and they were relaxed. They knew the battle wouldn't come to them. They'd be long gone by the time it got into this area. That illogical confidence would make them slower to react. Fear was always a great motivator, but confidence was an immobilizer.
I moved my hands and feet erratically again.
“Fucking Orv's always leave them fucked up. I don't know why they don't just kill them,” One Guard said as I continued my antics. It hurt like damned hell, but I could take stock of my injuries and mobility.
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