War of the Exiles

by Michael G. Thomas

  "It's time to turn the heat up on our clan friends. Get yourselves ready. We leave within the hour."

  Spartan and Kanjana left in the same direction as Khan, leaving the sisters on their own. Arana sighed and both looked back out of the window and into space.

  "So, not quite the reunion you were hoping for?"

  Syala laughed.

  "Well, not entirely true. I assumed my pulse would be racing, just not quite for these reasons. Now it would appear we are to lead an army of Exiles into battle. What could possibly go wrong, sister?"

  Arana's face twitched at the last question. She reached out and put her arm around here twin.

  "Sister. There is always something that can go wrong."

  CHAPTER SIX

  The Siege of Titan was the first military action in which the 6th Marine Regiment took part. Many famous names emerged in that action, from the redoubtable Admiral Jarvis through to General Rivers, a man who even today shapes military strategy and policy. Of the many individuals that took part, one would continue to rise through the ranks to become one of humanity's most controversial figures; this man was known simply as Spartan.

  Back at the dawn of the Uprising, the Naval Station had been overrun, and many warships seized by the growing success of the militant zealotry. The battle, like so many in that was proved to be a bloodbath, with hundreds of dead on both sides. What should have been a precision strike turned into a full frontal assault, when the foot soldiers of both sides resorted to the most primitive weapons to win. Spartan earned a reputation on that moon, and since then the list of battles and casualties continues to grow.

  Battles of the 6th Marine Regiment

  Fortress of Montu, Karnak, Tenth Quadrant

  Ogimà Nakoma lifted her head and sniffed the air. She could smell the subtle burning that came after the near pass of a civilian trade ship. Apart from the shrill whine of its engines as it sat on the landing pad, there was not a single sound. It looked as though all of Montu had been silenced for the arrival of this one vessel. Even its escort stayed high and above the range of the short-ranged Byotai missile systems. The air was still, with little sound other than the groan of a gentle breeze against the dusty ground. Darkness was starting to fade, and the long black shadows slowly softening as the sun rose off in the East. It was still little more than a yellow glimmer, but it was enough to increase the ambient light to show the crevices and valleys that littered the surface of the mineral rich planet.

  This should have been over months ago.

  Nakoma had seen the latest report from the battle at Medamud and still she could not believe it. The day before all she had heard were messages of glee at having finally drawn the infamous General Makos away from Karnak. The enemy leader had proven troublesome since his arrival, and not once had his ships been outmanoeuvred to give the larger number of Anicinàbe ships an opportunity to end the war. What made matters worse was that the Byotai had never been known as a race of pilots, their only real skills the grinding slog of siege warfare. Not once in the history of the two people had there been any record of a naval battle of this magnitude.

  Now Tarak has ruined me.

  Just an hour after General Makos moved into the Medamud System, all contact with the clan ships was lost. At first Ogimà Nakoma assumed it was part of a communications blackout, all to ensure total victory. There were still four more transports due to arrive, one of which carried the replacements for her aircraft, known as Hornets in the Alliance, and as Abn’dak to the Spires Clan. All of their aircraft took the names of hunting animals, the Abn’dak synonymous with the crow. The chance of a reversal had not occurred to her. Senior Centurion Siwili, her senior commander, leaned in and spoke quietly.

  "It is confirmed, Ogimà. The Byotai have broken our defences at Medamud, and our strategic fleet has been shattered. Tarak is missing, and the forward base is gone. There is still no contact with the clan ships."

  Ogimà Nakoma felt a shudder through her body, and her chest hurt, a consequence of the stresses she was now under on Karnak. All of her people were now here, and with the ships gone she was stuck. The planet no longer felt like a prize to her, but instead a great prison upon which four clans were trapped.

  "I still do not believe this. We were promised security on the shipping lanes. How can we fight, if we are starved of the resources of war? This must be propaganda from the Byotai. It has to be."

  Siwili looked off to his side and then lowered his head, speaking even more quietly.

  "Ogimà."

  The female leader of the Spires Clan snapped out of her trance and looked in the direction of his gaze. It was a Ma'heen, a special type of heavily armoured Anicinàbe transport ship, and a large craft of similar size to the Maulers used by the Alliance. Where the Human craft were rough and violent looking, this was long, smooth, and aesthetically beautiful. The body consisted of a single, self-lifting wing. The engines were hidden inside its ample body. Markings from the thirteen border clans adorned its exterior, reminding Nakoma of its supposed neutrality in the affairs of the clans.

  Neutrality, more like dictatorship under one man. If he has his way, the clans will vanish and fight under one banner...his. I will never relinquish control of the Spires.

  The shrill whine of the craft's engines died down just as the ramp lowered. This was not the heavy slam from a landing craft, but the slow, smooth movement of something closer to a diplomatic ship. It was easy to assume the vessel was not suited to combat, but Nakoma could see the subtle markings that betrayed the position of weapon hatches and missile bays. In seconds this peaceful looking ship could turn into a deadly gunship, and its hold could carry an entire century of armoured clan warriors.

  "With me."

  Ogimà Nakoma stepped towards the craft, flanked by her four senior commanders. Off behind her lay the long ranks of Spires warriors resplendent in their clan armour and sand cloaks flowing gently with the light breeze. In the past they had looked more like a rag-tag band of raiders, but since Tahkeome sent the call to arms, their look had changed. Now he required something much more than the disorganisation of the past. Nakoma looked back at her people and grimaced.

  He would have us organised by legion, and building cities high to the sky like the Helions. This is not our way. It never was.

  Footsteps marked the passage of a group down the ramp, and then she saw him. They had spoken many times before, but always the video communication had been distorted in some way. Now, as he came down the ramp, she could see his entire body was covered in dark clothing that hid every part of his form. The limbs and torso were shielded behind armour, but just as she was convinced at what she had seen, the dark robes would shift and change the form once more, giving him a sinister and mysterious appearance.

  "Ogimà Nakoma," he said with a smooth, almost musical tone.

  He stopped and waited as his escort continued down the ramp, and before them were six Byotai, each battered and bloody. One in particular was an Elder, and his arm covered in a rough looking sling.

  "I noticed a column of Byotai on the way to the city. My escort bombarded them and then assaulted them before they could escape."

  He pointed at them, barely lifting his arm from his side.

  "Use them as you wish, but I suggest they might be useful to break the will of those that remain."

  He walked to the oldest looking warrior and placed a covered hand on his hand.

  "This one is Kras, commander of the Caldos Enclave. One I believe you have been hunting for some time."

  Nakoma looked at the Byotai and felt an incredible urge to strike him down where he stood. Only the regal figure of Tahkeome and his entourage put her off, and so she gave a polite nod.

  "This is indeed a kingly gift. My forces were in position to ambush them closer to our defensive positions. But I thank you..."

  She paused, considering how conciliatory she should be. Something primal inside her wanted to play the part of the savage; perhaps even to be offended at
what had taken place. Launching a small-scale assault in her sector, and so close to Montu, was certainly cause for her removal.

  He seems polite, almost happy at what he has done. Maybe he is weaker than I expected. Or he is trying to test my resolve or humility in a time of crisis?

  Tahkeome, like his guards was dressed in such a way that his armour and robes disrupted his shape.

  "There is always the chance for a mistake or a misjudgement. This will give me a bargaining token to use against the cold-bloods, or a means of punishment."

  Ogimà Nakoma looked to her own warriors and gave Siwili a signal. He passed it on, and in a matter of seconds a group of ten warriors approached the ramp. They moved quickly, their feet almost in time. The unit stopped upon reaching their war chief. Nakoma stretched out her arm and pointed at Kras.

  "Take the prisoners to the Citadel."

  The ten dispersed to seize the prisoners and then dragged them off. A single Byotai refused and was struck hard in the back. He staggered and dropped to one knee. One of the soldiers tried to lift him and was rewarded with a powerful head butt that sent him flying. Ogimà Nakoma moved from her position and blocked the Byotai warrior’s path. In one fluid motion she whipped out a curved blade and slashed it across his throat. The movement was so fast the blade drew a dark line across the flesh that was impossible to perceive. To anybody unfamiliar with the Ogimà, it could have been a failed attack, but not with her. She turned and walked away just as the reptilian warrior dropped to his knees. The guards stayed well away as he shuddered, and in a just a few seconds he was unconscious and dying before them. Tahkeome looked back to Nakoma. She nodded towards his soldiers.

  "I see your warriors have adopted the ways of the ancients."

  Tahkeome tilted his head in a polite, conciliatory gesture.

  "There was a time, well before either of us was born, a time back before the clans and our scattering to the stars. In those days, we knew it was our destiny to shape the future of the galaxy. Our people marched into battle as foot soldiers, led by centurions and travelling vast distances in all directions. We conquered worlds and placed our standards in every corner of the galaxy, bringing light to its darkest parts, using nothing more than simple weapons and our own strength."

  While still cloaked and hidden, he looked up and took in the warm air of Karnak.

  "The Humans think they will provide leadership, and in doing so have embraced machines and technology, as did those at Taxxu. All that align themselves with the machines have failed. The Trusska vanished because of their reliance upon intelligent machines to save them, and their foolish attempts to create perfection. The Helions and T'Kari are a shadow of their former selves, races barely worthy of mentioning. What does that leave?"

  Nakoma opened her mouth to answer, but Tahkeome gave her no chance to speak.

  "Just the dry husks of the Khreenk and Klithi. The Khreenk are a broken society of bandits, mercenaries, and pirates, a people worthy of no more than cheap cannon fodder for the others. And the Klithi."

  He shook his head and laughed, a strange noise that sent a shiver down Nakoma's back.

  "They are slow, fat, and useless creatures, interested only in furthering their self-centred minds while they leave the hard labour to machines."

  He walked closer to her, still sniffing the air as though he had never once stood upon a world such as this one.

  "Above all, the old races believe that intelligence machines and biological experimentation will bring them to perfection. That somehow these creations can make their lives better and easier."

  "It will not?"

  "That is correct, Ogimà Nakoma. All that is required for success is loyalty. Machines, equipment, and technology are a distraction and one that will see every species succumb. We will stand above them by refusing this. It is my intention to shake us from our machine shackles, and to seek enlightenment through our own flesh and bones."

  He gazed out into the distance towards the mountains and the pale clouds of dust that always seemed to fill the planet.

  "Ah...it has been a long, long time since I stepped on my old homeworld."

  Tahkeome then turned his attention to the lines of warriors again, and without making a sound, he lowered to one knee and grasped a handful of the sand like dust. As he lifted it up, the grains fell through his fingers. He lingered there, clearly enjoying the moment, even as short as it was. Tahkeome rose to his full height and let the last few grains blow away in the gentle breeze.

  "For too long the Anicinàbe have been scattered, nothing more than wandering clans, each spending as much time scavenging for anything of value as they do fighting each other."

  He then looked up to the sky.

  "We have a destiny, Ogimà Nakoma. A destiny all of us have a part to play in. I want you to be at my side as the Anicinàbe transition from a collection of bickering clans to a power that will bring riches beyond our wildest dreams."

  Nakoma bowed down just as Tahkeome threw off his cloak to reveal a tall, athletic body. Like all the Anicinàbe, he was graceful and lithe in build, yet compared to the others he was a little taller and much more strongly built.

  "I do not talk of coin or the accumulation of wealth. Instead, I speak of the dream, one long held by our people of the Star Empire. All people equal and united in the cause of the common good."

  He took a few more steps closer before she could see something was off. His upper body was much broader than any Anicinàbe she'd seen before. The bones of his face were more pronounced, and his skin had lost the pale whiteness of her people. It was coloured by a subtle hints of viridian.

  A half-breed! What treachery is this?

  She turned her attention to the honour guard of warriors that marched down alongside him. Each was attired in enough protection to put most Alliance warriors to shame. The armour was intricately carved in bone white, a stark reminder of the ancestry. There was a great discrepancy in their body shapes, some looking little different to her, and others closer to a Byotai in overall stature.

  "It is good to finally meet the leader of our clans on Karnak, Ogimà Nakoma of the Spires Clan."

  Ogimà Nakoma felt a twitch in her cheek at those words. She'd expected harshness or anger, especially with her continued failure to take control of the planet. He came closer until she could smell an intoxicating aura that emanated out from his ship. It was unfamiliar, yet reminded her of some of the trade convoys they had raided in the past.

  "Tell me, Ogimà Nakoma. How close are General Makos and his Byotai to claiming victory on this world? How is it that Kras and his rebels were able to come so near to your capital? Should I be concerned?"

  Nakoma was speechless. The pleasant words from Tahkeome continued, and the tone had not altered. Yet the implication to her was one of defeat and failure. She had fought hard on Karnak, perhaps harder than any of the other clan leaders. Her face darkened, and she forced herself to wait, taking in multiple slow breaths. The pause was not for long even though it felt like an eternity.

  "My Lord, this will never happen. Makos may have won a victory in space, but he has failed here. We have numbers, control of the sky, and more important, I have full control of Montu, Caldos, and the Khagi District is all but mine."

  Tahkeome gave her a polite nod but said nothing, so Nakoma continued.

  "The Red Scars leadership was crippled in their uncoordinated assault against the mercenaries. Instead of striking alongside me, their fool of an Ogimà wasted lives."

  Nakoma tried to gauge Tahkeome's mood, but he was as difficult to read as when he had arrived at the spaceport.

  Is he here to usurp my position, or does he really want me at his side?

  A moment of doubt forced her to hesitate, but deep down she knew that whatever her master had decided to do, it would be out of her control.

  Better to stand tall and fight if I have to. The Spires bow to none.

  "Tahkeome, the Red Scars should have been wiped out for their insanity. Instead,
I have made use of their remaining number. They are little more than slaves, but under my command, I have given them new life as units for the war. I sent the majority to continue the fight in the South. The constant uprisings in the Depression have cost many lives."

  She smiled, imagining the losses the Red Scars had sustained.

  "As penance for their foolishness, the Red Scars now suffer in my stead."

  Tahkeome appeared intrigued at this new information.

  "I see, curious, and the Stone Teeth? Are the Byotai still entrenched around their mountain fortresses?"

  Ogimà Nakoma nodded.

  "Yes, my Lord. The Byotai remain, but not for long. I have sent the Zuni and Kolchan clans to complete the siege lines at the Stone Teeth. The fighting has gone on for weeks with little change. That is why a large portion of the Red Scars have been relocated to the Northern front."

  "To what end?"

  This time Ogimà Nakoma was unable to hide her feelings. The Red Scars had proven a great dishonour to her and the Spires, but with their defeat she had been proven correct. That one event had strengthened her position, even if that of her people had been weakened overall.

  "Cannon fodder for the assault. They seem keen to engage in fruitless attacks, so their interest has a new home. The Zuni and Kolchan clans are using them to probe the Byotai lines, and to send in as a forlorn hope. I understand they have been unsuccessful, so far."

  He looked at her with eyes that seemed to pierce deeply to her soul. It was as entrancing as it was uncomfortable.

  "I see. It would appear you have a firm grip on the war here. Your forces control the critical central district, and you have substantial forces on your two fronts. What exactly are you mobilising your clan for?"

  He looked out at the large numbers of vessels all lined up in the spaceport. A good number were designed for combat, but there were also plenty of transports now redundant.

  "As soon as the defences are breached, I will send reinforcements. Until then, my forces will continue preparing for the final battle. I have the numbers and firepower at my disposal to annihilate my enemies."