The Navigator (The Apollo Stone Trilogy Book 1)

by P. M. Johnson

“Re-form the line!” she yelled. “Re-form the line!”

  The remnants of the League force quickly responded and started to form a two-person-deep line where Styles stood. Logan, Lena, and Cap fell in next to L.C. Heath, Franks, Lee, and Flores. He didn’t see the rest of the fire team. Logan scanned the area but couldn’t see Colonel Ambrose or either of the two captains who had led them up the hill that morning.

  When the end of the line was anchored, Styles quickly marched along the front of the formation, giving instruction and encouragement to the troopers. When she reached the middle, she ordered the ends to curve slightly back to help avoid being enveloped by the larger Sahiradin force. Then she turned and took several steps toward the hill to face the enemy.

  The Sahiradin emerged from the shadows of the trees into the sunny field. One of them barked out a command and they formed their line. It was four-ranks deep and stretching the entire length of the field. The officer took a position next to the left end of the first row. For a few moments, everything was silent except for the breeze in the treetops and the occasional Caw! Caw! of a black crow in the blue sky over their heads.

  The Sahiradin officer gave another command and the line started walking toward the League troops. After taking five steps, the second line began its advance. The third did likewise. The fourth turned and quickly marched back up the hill.

  “They’re sending one of their ranks back up the hill,” said Lena.

  “I guess they don’t think they need them to get the job done,” said Cap.

  “Maybe,” said Logan. “But maybe Longmire’s activated the reserve units on the south side to draw off their strength.

  Logan glanced to his left and saw the faces of his brothers and sisters in arms. Some were clearly frightened, but determined. Others were angry, eager for the fight to begin anew. They’d all had their first taste of battle against a powerful new enemy on the slopes of that hill and they had lost. They’d run like rabbits as soon as the order to retreat had been given. But now they’d settled down. They knew their enemy, they knew the odds, and they were ready.

  “League!” yelled Lieutenant Styles. “Swords at the ready!”

  As one, the League troopers lifted their swords over their heads and yelled “Hoorah!” Then they turned slightly to the side, placing one foot forward, raised their guards to chest level, and pointed their blades toward the oncoming enemy.

  Logan watched the line of Sahiradin marching across the field toward them. The black-armored warriors held their swords in both hands with the back of the blades resting against their shoulders, ready for the first downward swing. The wings of their line stretched much farther than the League’s formation, and Logan had no doubt they would quickly close in around its edges to attack their flanks and rear.

  Just then, something caught Logan’s eye. “Do you see that Sahiradin?” he whispered to Cap.

  “Which one? They kind of all look alike to me. Pasty and ugly,” replied Cap, tightening his hand around the hilt of his sword.

  “I mean the one who attacked the air base. The one who took the stone. He’s standing off to the right in the trees.”

  Cap squinted and saw a Sahiradin standing just inside the tree line on the far side of the field. “Yeah, I see him. What’s your point?”

  “We have to get the Apollo Stone from him,” said Logan.

  “Maybe later,” said Cap. “First we have to kill a few thousand Sahiradin. Then we’ll get the guy.”

  “Steady,” yelled Lieutenant Styles, still standing in front of the line. “Make them pay for it.”

  Just as she spoke, Logan’s antiballistic shield began to flicker. Three seconds later it disappeared.

  Cap looked at Logan out of the corner of his eye. “This just keeps getting better and better.”

  Another League soldier’s shield flickered and disappeared. Then another and another. Cap’s flickered and disappeared, as did Lena’s.

  Logan could see the Sahiradin in the shade of the trees step forward. He seemed to be grinning as he watched shield after shield flicker and disappear.

  “Why aren’t they shooting us?” asked Lena. “Our shields are spent. You can see they have guns locked into the back of their armor. Their shields are still working and we’re sitting ducks.”

  “Maybe they like killing up close,” said Logan. “Maybe it gives them a kick to look you in the eye when you die.”

  “That’s fucked up,” said Cap. “But possible.”

  The Sahiradin formation was now about thirty meters away. The Sahiradin officer shouted an order and the front line shouted something in response. They slowly lifted their swords from their shoulders and prepared to charge the League line. When they were just twenty meters away, the Sahiradin officer lifted his face to the sky and shouted a war cry. It was a terrifying howl that reminded Logan of a wild animal closing in on its prey.

  Then Logan heard a whistling sound, and the howling stopped. Logan looked at the Sahiradin and saw an arrow had pierced his throat. The Sahiradin stumbled and pulled on the arrow shaft, but he could not remove it. He dropped to his knees, gurgling dark blood, and fell face forward into the Earth.

  The other Sahiradin were momentarily confused, but then they let out a war cry and charged forward. More arrows flew into their ranks, striking many but more frequently bouncing off their black armor or failing to penetrate far into the scaly skin. As the Sahiradin closed the gap, Logan turned his head for a split second to look for the source of the arrows. He saw a line of men and women behind him nocking arrows and firing them over the troopers’ heads at the charging Sahiradin.

  Lieutenant Styles turned and saw the same thing. She called out, “Fall back! Into the trees! Fall back!”

  The League soldiers quickly complied. As they ran, Logan could see shadowy shapes in the forest behind the line of archers. The archers formed gaps for the League soldiers to pass by, then fired one more volley into the fast-approaching Sahiradin.

  Once inside the forest, Logan saw hundreds of men and women, perhaps thousands, dressed in the green and gray uniforms of the Northrunner army. They motioned for the League soldiers to continue past them. The archers were right behind Logan and the others. As soon as the archers had passed them, the line of soldiers knelt down to the ground, but they did not move. Three heartbeats later, one of them shouted, “Now!”

  The troops lifted up long iron-tipped spears that were lying on the ground next to them. They charged out of the trees and into the Sahiradin, driving their pikes into the first and second rows. Many of the pikes slid off of the Sahiradin armor or scales, but many others tore holes in their throats, arms and legs. They fell to the ground enraged and screaming, swinging their swords but with little effect.

  Seeing that the newly arrived soldiers lacked shields, the Sahiradin in the third line quickly returned their swords to their scabbards and unlocked the short-barreled guns embedded in the back of their armor. They began firing into the ranks of the charging Northrunners.

  Lieutenant Styles ordered her troops to re-form and attack the Sahiradin. Lena and Cap joined the others and charged into the fray, but Logan saw something that made him pause. He looked to his left and there was Kane, dropping his bow and drawing his sword. And next to him was Ravenwood.

  “Ravenwood!” Logan yelled. He ran to them.

  “Ah. You’re still alive, my boy!” exclaimed Ravenwood. “Glad to see you.”

  Yes, I’m alive, but how are you alive?” asked Logan.

  “No time to explain now,” said Ravenwood. “Now we must find the Apollo Stone.”

  “I know where it is,” said Logan. “I saw the Sahiradin who took it. He’s somewhere on the field.”

  Logan looked at the battle unfolding on the field. The Sahiradin were cutting down the Northrunner and League troops at an alarming rate, but they were suffering their own heavy losses. He searched the field and saw the Sahiradin who had taken the stone charging across the open space to join the fight.

  “T
here.” He pointed at Kurak.

  “Here’s our chance,” said Ravenwood. “He’s a Sahiradin and cannot resist the need to join his kind in battle.”

  The three of them ran forward and joined the other soldiers on the right side of the line. Logan saw Kurak a few meters away and tried to shift to the left to face him. Next to Logan, Kane and Ravenwood slashed and jabbed at their Sahiradin opponents who struggled to get past the Northrunners’ spears.

  Chapter 72

  “It’s the Northrunners, sir,” said Captain Park as he looked down at the battle unfolding on the field. “They charged the Sahiradin line.”

  “What kind of support can you provide the troops?” asked General Longmire.

  “They’re fighting like hell, sir,” replied Park. “But there’s not much I can do without getting shot down in seconds. If you can neutralize their air defenses, I’ll blow the hell out of them.”

  “I’m working on a solution. Stand by.”

  Longmire raised his field sensors to his eyes and looked at the southern side of the hill leading up to the Sahiradin camp. Lieutenant Colonel Brinks’ troopers were nearly at the top. The mortar fire had taken out a number of hidden Sahiradin and the troopers took care of more. He turned his gaze toward the river and saw the Dellians were in full retreat, fleeing north in a jumbled panic.

  Longmire looked at the Sahiradin hill again. Just as Lieutenant Colonel Brinks’ force reached the top of the hill, a long line of Sahiradin emerged from the trees on the north side of the camp. They were quickly moving to reinforce the Sahiradin standing under the protection of their shield dome waiting for Brinks’ force to arrive. For the moment, Brinks’ force outnumbered the Sahiradin defenders in the camp by more than two to one, but she was going to lose that advantage as soon as the Sahiradin from the north side arrived.

  “Brinks, attack now,” said Longmire into his ICS. “Your main objective is their air defense. Go! Go! Go!”

  He watched as the troops stormed over the top of the hill. The two hundred Sahiradin defending the camp’s southern perimeter rushed forward. As they charged, the League line suddenly split into two groups. The larger one continued forward to engage the Sahiradin. The other group of about fifty troopers which included a demolition team, veered right toward the air-defense battery. The Sahiradin saw what was happening and adjusted their line of advance, but they were blocked by the first group of troopers. The Sahiradin formed into two tight rectangular formations of one hundred soldiers each and smashed into the League line, which gave ground but did not break.

  The second group of League soldiers reached the shield dome but stopped. As Longmire had feared, the troops could not pass through the shield dome because the Sahiradin had adjusted its settings to make it solid. If kept at that level for too long, the Sahiradin inside would likely suffocate, but it could be maintained long enough to repel an attack such as this. On the north side of the camp, the Sahiradin were racing toward the air-defense system.

  The demolition team struggled to force its way past the shield dome, but without success. It was as solid as glass and seemingly unbreakable. Longmire looked at the group of soldiers trying to hold back the Sahiradin and saw they were near breaking. He was about to give the order to withdraw when he heard a charge detonate. He looked to the right and saw debris flying up into the air. A second detonation followed right after the first. Then the demolition team leapt into the hole created by the explosions. They dug with shovels and bare hands where the shield met the Earth. As they had hoped, the rigidity of the shield that kept them out also prevented it from adjusting to the new contour of the ground created by their hastily dug trench. Two dozen soldiers quickly slipped through the wide but shallow trench under the dome’s edge. Three of them ran for the air-defense battery while the others drew swords and stood guard.

  The demolition team placed explosive charges on the air-defense battery and ran back toward the trench. The others quickly followed. A few Sahiradin reached their positions but did not attempt to stop them from escaping. Instead they ran toward the air-defense battery. But just as they arrived, it erupted in a ball of fire and smoke.

  “Pull back, Brinks!” yelled Longmire into his ICS. “Artillery, lay down suppression fire and cover Brinks’ withdrawal.”

  He toggled his ICS. “Air defense is down, Captain Park. Hit that north side.”

  Longmire watched as the Nightwing attack helicopters swooped in from the northwest toward the battle in the field north of the Sahiradin camp. The Nightwings fired air-to-surface missiles at the rear of the Sahiradin lines. The invaders’ shields protected them from flying shrapnel and debris but did nothing against the shockwaves. Sahiradin warriors flew in the air or were thrown against each other. Many were killed by the powerful blasts. Others suffered broken bones or were knocked unconscious.

  The League troops and Northrunners cheered as the helicopters attacked. After the second run, the Sahiradin began a swift but orderly withdrawal from the field, maintaining their formation and striking out against those who pursued.

  The League and Northrunner troops followed the retreating Sahiradin as far as the foot of the hill, but they were not eager to enter the woods. Lieutenant Styles called for a halt, as did the Northrunner commander.

  Logan turned and looked back over the field. It was littered with dead human and Sahiradin soldiers. Some lay on top of each other, sword in hand, as though still locked in combat. Above their heads and in the surrounding trees, crows and black vultures were already gathering.

  Chapter 73

  “The Dellians have failed us,” said Grand Guardian Harken to the other Guardians seated at the long table. “I just received word that they are in full retreat.”

  “It was a mistake to have entrusted such an important mission to them,” said Defense Guardian Castell. He looked at all of the Guardians’ faces but stopped when he came to Guardian Bishop. He continued. “In exchange for a thousand tons of meat and grain and two major weapons deliveries, we got a handful of undisciplined savages to protect and assist our engineers repair the bridge. I think most would agree that was a bad bargain you negotiated, Mr. Bishop.”

  Guardian Bishop’s face grew red. “Their numbers would have been more than adequate if the League had not sent four battalions against them. How did they catch wind of our plans for the bridge? Perhaps your daughter warned them.”

  Castell ignored Bishop’s allegation and looked at Guardian Hyatt. He nodded slightly.

  After a moment’s hesitation, Hyatt leaned forward and cleared her throat. “I’m concerned about the repercussions this will have on our information campaign,” she said, looking at Bishop and then Harken. “As we had planned, we’ve already announced our successful push across the Mississippi River at the bridge. People will not understand how that victory has become a defeat.”

  Bishop scoffed. “We just won’t tell them about it. This is a momentary setback; we’re going to cross the river. And since when does victory or defeat on the frontier or anywhere else affect what we tell the people?”

  “Word will leak out,” replied Hyatt. “It always seems to.”

  “Well, that’s your problem to handle,” retorted Bishop. “Don’t try and hang information leaks on me.”

  “You asked how the plan to use the bridge was leaked,” said Castell to Bishop. “I can tell you it wasn’t leaked. The League concentrated its forces at the bridge because your creature, your Sahiradin, led them there when he tried to escape in the Blackhawk. And he wouldn’t have been in the Blackhawk if you hadn’t lost control of the Apollo Stone.”

  “Which was stolen by your daughter,” snapped Bishop. He shot a quick look at Harken, who was sitting back in his chair calmly watching the exchange.

  “That’s a lie! It was stolen from under your nose by Chambers!” yelled Castell.

  “And that’s not all she stole,” said Bishop, refusing to abandon his line of argument. “My people have linked numerous leaks of highly sensitive information
, even military information, to your treasonous daughter!”

  “Lies!” yelled Castell. “Damned lies!”

  “Enough! Enough bickering!” yelled Harken. He rubbed his hands together and looked at the table. Everyone was silent, waiting for him to speak. Finally, he pressed a button on a PDD resting on the table. “Captain, please come in.”

  A moment later the door opened and a large man dressed in the uniform of the Capitol Guard entered. Behind him were four armed guards.

  “Captain, please remove Guardians Bishop and Castell. Hold them in a secure place until further notice.”

  Castell looked at Harken and then at the two guards as they approached him. “What the hell is going on? Guardian Harken. Joseph. You know this is a mistake. We’re about to launch a major offensive and you’re removing the head of your military? Think about the impact arresting me will have on our plans! What will the troops think? Be reasonable!”

  Harken did not respond to Castell. He simply stared at him, his face expressionless, as the guards pulled him from his chair. Castell struggled in vain against the strong hands pulling him up.

  In contrast to Castell’s loud protestations, Bishop said nothing. He simply looked at Harken and smiled. The guards reached for his arms, but he waved them off. Then he stood up, smoothed his tie, and buttoned his suit jacket. He held his hands out to the guards.

  “Slap on the cuffs,” he said with a grin.

  When both men had been escorted out of the room, Harken looked at Guardian Hyatt and said, “Castell and Bishop are guilty of gross incompetence and perhaps even treason. I’ll convene a tribunal to investigate further. Please prepare an appropriate statement that won’t upset the people. They must feel reassured by this little shakeup in leadership and believe that it will lead to victory and prosperity. We will begin the process of selecting new Guardians after the offensive has come to its successful conclusion. In the meantime, I will assume responsibility for both Justice and Defense. Additionally, authority over the Republican Guard and Republican Special Forces will now rest exclusively in the office of the Grand Guardian.