Insurrection (The Kurgan War Book 6)

by Richard Turner

  Tarina chortled. “That’ll be the day. We’re not married yet. Come on, Wendy, let’s get changed by ourselves.”

  “Shot down again,” said Cole. “I guess I had best make sure that you come through this in one piece, or I’ll never hear the end of it.”

  Chapter 20

  Time seemed to drag on forever. Sheridan looked at his watch and stifled a cry. They had been cooped up in a cramped storage room onboard a Kurgan transport ship for nearly three days. He was close to losing his mind when the door finally slid open.

  “So, what’s the word?” Sheridan asked Kabar the instant he walked into the room.

  “Your friends are onboard a Kurgan resupply ship which I have been informed will be well back from the fighting,” replied Kabar. “Admiral Kaar has had them confined to their ship to avoid any unnecessary questions.”

  “That should work. I’m sick and tired of hiding. What about us? When do we go in?”

  “Nothing has changed. The regiment we are traveling with is still scheduled to go in with the second wave of the assault forces.”

  “I’d rather we went in with the first wave, but I guess this will have to do.”

  Kabar took a seat. He let out a deep sigh and let his shoulders droop. “Be thankful we weren’t with the first wave.”

  “Just what the hell is that supposed to mean?” said Cole.

  “I just spoke with the ship’s operations officer, and the word isn’t good. It looks like things haven’t gone as expected.”

  “What exactly do you mean not as expected?”

  “The insurgent forces waited until the landing ships were being dispatched down to the planet’s surface before attacking Admiral Kaar’s ships with everything they had. Our forces were victorious, but we have suffered substantial casualties.”

  “How bad is it?” said Sheridan.

  “The ground forces flew into a heavy anti-ship missile barrage and lost eighty percent of their men and material during the landing. What forces survived the landing are pinned down on their landing sites and being mercilessly pummeled by the enemy. The fleet is battered but is firmly in control of the space around Kattarak. The biggest problem facing our forces is a powerful shield protecting the rebel fortress. It is preventing our missile cruisers from bombarding it from space.”

  “I thought the whole planet was a fortress,” said Cole.

  “It technically is, but the rebels have massed all of their combat power in a near-impenetrable stronghold on the southern continent.”

  “Show me,” said Sheridan.

  Kabar placed a small computer on a box and activated it. A couple of seconds later, the holographic image of a massive stone and steel fortress built into the side of a mountain appeared. “This is the Fortress Kahlin, named after General Kahlin who was a highly decorated hero from the last Terran-Kurgan war.”

  “I hate the place already,” wisecracked Cole.

  Kabar continued. “The fort is powered by geothermal energy from a volcano deep beneath the surface. Therefore, targeting their power supply to disable the shield is probably a waste of time and ammunition. There are numerous belts of anti-armor and anti-personnel mines laid in the open ground in front of the fortress. Also, there is an anti-armor ditch which runs the entire length of the fortification. The stronghold itself is designed to withstand almost anything we can throw at it. Our only hope lies in forcing a breach somewhere along the fortress’ outer wall and storming the city through that opening.”

  “Good luck with that,” said Cole. “Why not land some soldiers behind the city in the mountains and try to find a way in through there?”

  “It would take too long. Besides, the mountains are littered with anti-personnel mines and hunter-killer robots. Drones also patrol the skies behind the fortress. The Chosen regiment we are following down to the surface has never been in combat. I doubt they could make their way through mine-infested mountains without alerting the rebels to our presence.”

  “They might not be able to, but I bet the three of us could,” said Sheridan.

  “How would we get down there undetected?” asked Kabar.

  “This ship has to have a shuttlecraft. We could borrow it. As for as going in undetected, we’d follow the second wave landing ships through the atmosphere and take our chances as we approached the mountains.”

  “Anything is preferable to landing on a hot LZ,” added Cole.

  Kabar stood up. “I’ll speak with my superiors and see what can be done.”

  “Make sure they understand what is at stake here,” stressed Sheridan.

  “I’ll try my best.”

  “Make sure you do,” said Cole.

  Kabar bowed his head at Sheridan and turned to walk out of the room. He stopped in mid-stride and looked back.

  “Is there something else?” asked Sheridan.

  “Yes. I almost forgot to pass on that the Kurgan Imperial Intelligence Services believes that Komada and Mister Williams may have met in the past.”

  Sheridan lost his balance and almost fell off the box he was sitting on. “When?”

  “Before Williams was sent back across the border, he spoke several times at the training academy where Komada was learning to act like a Terran soldier. A security camera recorded Komada approaching Williams after one of his lectures. As there are no cameras in the sleeping quarters, it is impossible to tell if they met later to discuss anything, but the likelihood they did is deemed to be quite high.”

  “Now, that’s a cheery thought,” said Cole. “Two psychopaths working together.”

  “I think you meant to say two genius psychopaths working together,” said Sheridan. “I find this new piece of information hard to believe, but it would explain a lot.”

  “Such as?” asked Kabar.

  “Why Harry hasn’t unleashed the virus and why Komada was in such a hurry to get back to your side of the border.”

  “Say, did they ever find Komada’s remains on Kandara-Minor?” asked Cole.

  “To the best of my knowledge, no,” replied Kabar.

  “Then there’s a good chance he’s still alive.” Cole shook his head. “What do you want to bet that he’s on Kattarak with Mister Williams? This has to be part of some elaborate plot those two have been cooking up for quite some time.”

  “I wouldn’t take that bet because I think you’re right,” said Sheridan.

  “Shall I still see about a shuttle?” said Kabar to Sheridan.

  “Yes, and please hurry.”

  Kabar bowed and left the room.

  “What do you think?” said Cole. “Does he have the parts to get his bosses to agree to this?”

  Sheridan shook his head. “Not a chance. When he gets back here, I say we make him take us for a walk and steal a ship.”

  “Sounds good.” Cole picked up a Kurgan ration pack and offered it to his friend. “Feel like a bit of nosh before we land?”

  Sheridan shook his head. “How can you eat that stuff? It’s bland and looks like it was all made in a food processor.”

  “I’ve grown fond of the food, and I’m of the opinion that you should eat when you can because you never know when you’ll get another chance to.”

  “Alright, give it to me.”

  They ate in silence. Both men kept an eye on the clock. What little time they had was running out. Their ship would soon end its jump and begin preparations to land its three battalions of Chosen soldiers on the planet’s surface.

  A voice came over the ship’s speaker system. “This is the captain speaking. All troops must proceed to their landing ships immediately. I say again, all troops to their ships.”

  Cole checked his watch. “Damn. I thought we had a little more time before we reached Kattarak.”

  “So did I,” said Sheridan. “I guess Kabar’s initial estimation on how long the flight would take us was off by thirty minutes or so.”

  The door opened, and Kabar walked in.

  Sheridan wasn’t an expert when it came to Kurgan f
acial expressions, but the look in Kabar’s eyes was one of pure fear. “What’s wrong?”

  “The troop transport ship, Kyrhan, just exploded,” replied Kabar.

  “I hate to say it, but it was inevitable. There are probably hundreds, if not thousands, of sympathizers spread out among the government and rebel forces.”

  “What did your boss say when you asked about borrowing a shuttle?” said Cole.

  “I never got an answer,” replied Kabar. “As soon as the Kyrhan exploded no one had time for my request.”

  “That’s great,” said Cole, slapping Kabar on the back. “At least they didn’t say no.”

  “Come on, let’s grab our gear and take a walk on the flight deck and see what there is we could use,” said Sheridan.

  “Sir, do you know how to fly a shuttle?” asked Kabar.

  “No. Can you?”

  Kabar shook his head. “I couldn’t even tell you how to start one.”

  “Aren’t we a great bunch,” said Cole. “We’re so used to having the ladies with us that we never thought to ask who was going to fly the bloody thing.”

  “Okay, so we’ll have to borrow a pilot too,” said Sheridan as he picked up his assault rifle, threw his pack on his back, and opened the door to the hallway.

  A computerized voice bellowed throughout the ship. “Jump ending in three-two-one.”

  All of a sudden an alarm sounded.

  “Now what?” said Cole looking down the corridor.

  The ship’s computerized voice announced, “Warning: there is a debris field identified in our path. All hands brace for impact.”

  Sheridan and Cole reached for the nearest thing to hold onto. Kabar was knocked off his feet when the transport ship collided with a large section of a destroyed Kurgan ship. The noise made by the twisted metal rubbing against the hull as it moved down the length of the craft sounded like a banshee’s shriek.

  “On your feet,” said Cole to Kabar. “We’ve got to get onto a ship before this ship hits something sharper and punctures a hole in the hull.”

  “What about the shuttle?” asked Kabar.

  “Right now any ship will do,” said Sheridan. “We need to get off this ship, now!”

  While Cole dragged Kabar by the arm, Sheridan sprinted for the launch bay. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a body float past a portside window. His heart raced as he imagined the horrible fate that awaited them if the hull ruptured.

  “There, that ship!” yelled Cole, pointing at company-sized drop ship with its ramp still down.

  Sheridan turned on his heel and ran for the landing craft. All around him people ran in panic for the safety of the drop ships or an escape pod. Sheridan pushed a Chosen sergeant out of the way and helped his comrades board the craft.

  “Take a seat,” ordered a Kurgan officer.

  The ship was only half full. As soon as they sat down, the ramp was raised and locked in place.

  “Strap yourselves in,” said the officer.

  Sheridan fumbled with his seat harness. A hand reached over and pulled his harness tight.

  “Wouldn’t want you to fall out of your seat, now would we?” said Cole.

  “Thanks,” mouthed Sheridan.

  “Hang on!” hollered the Kurgan officer.

  A split second later, the door beneath the drop ship opened. The pilot engaged the engines and flew out into space.

  Sheridan looked at a monitor on the wall in front of him. The view was from a camera mounted underneath the cockpit. They had come out of their jump into the shattered remains of several transport ships. There were bodies and wreckage from the first wave’s ships everywhere. As best he could, the pilot flew through the debris field. Every few seconds something bumped off the side of the ship. Sheridan could see the fear in the eyes of the teenage Chosen soldiers sitting strapped to their seats.

  “What did we hit?” asked Kabar.

  “The first wave,” replied Cole, dryly.

  The Kurgan officer turned the camera off and brought up the tactical display on the screen. Dozens of small red icons appeared on the monitor. Each one indicated a group of landing ships.

  “Here comes the suck,” said Cole as a series of blips rose from the surface of the planet and streaked toward the landing craft.

  The dropship hit the atmosphere and began to shudder as it flew downward.

  Sheridan clenched his jaw tight and said a silent prayer as he watched the incoming missile barrage racing toward the helpless landing craft. On the screen, the supporting Kurgan vessels unleashed a wave of interceptor missiles. Both waves of missiles sped toward one another. Sandwiched in between were the tens of thousands of men of the second assault wave.

  A teenage soldier cried out, “Lord, protect us!”

  “I never thought I’d be rooting for a Kurgan weapon to work, but come on, you sons of bitches, lock onto those missiles,” said Cole, not bothering to speak in Kurgan. With the thunderous noise of the ship shaking during re-entry, only Sheridan heard him.

  The interceptor missiles flew through the cloud of drop ships and exploded in front of the rebel barrage, destroying most of the incoming warheads. A cheer erupted inside the landing craft when the young soldiers saw the missiles vanish. The euphoria was short-lived when a handful of missiles locked onto some of the landing craft and streaked toward them.

  Sheridan turned his head and looked out of the window just as one of the warheads hit a drop ship. The explosion tore the craft to pieces. He knew there was no way anyone could have survived the blast. Sheridan’s gut flipped as the pilot dove straight for the ground.

  “Ten seconds,” called out the Kurgan officer.

  A terrified Chosen warrior sitting across from Sheridan turned white just before projectile vomiting the contents of his stomach on the floor of the ship.

  “Hang on,” said the officer as the ship came into land. The pilot fired his landing thrusters and brought his craft down safely. Right away, the back ramp began to lower. Damp, cold air rushed inside. Everyone scrambled to get out of their harnesses.

  Sheridan stood, grabbed his rifle, and flipped the safety off. He helped Kabar to his feet and pointed at the ramp. Cole helped unbuckle a Chosen warrior, whose hands were shaking like a leaf, from his seat before joining his comrades.

  “Let’s get out of here,” said Sheridan.

  The Kurgan officer saw Sheridan tell Kabar what to do and stepped in front of him. “Who are you, and what are you doing here?”

  “Out of my way,” said Sheridan.

  “You’re wearing a corporal’s insignia on your collar; you’ll call me sir,” said the officer.

  Without warning, Cole butt-stroked the Kurgan in the head. “Oy, he said move,” said Cole as the officer dropped to the floor.

  “Come on,” said Sheridan as he ran outside into the pouring rain. He took one look around and selected a shell crater off to his left as the safest place to be. With Cole and Kabar close behind him, Sheridan ran past a group of Chosen warriors who stood still as if they were all paralyzed. Without their officer to guide them, they did not know what to do. Sheridan and his comrades slid into the water-filled hole just as rebel shells began to drop onto the crowded landing site.

  Everywhere ships raised their ramps and hurried to take off. Most made it up into the air. A couple further down the line were struck taking off and crashed back down on the ground. The resulting hellish blasts killed scores of Chosen soldiers trapped out in the open.

  “Where the hell are we?” asked Cole.

  “My GPS says we’re about two kilometers from the fortress,” said Sheridan.

  “We might as well be a thousand kilometers away. It’s going to take a miracle to make it that far across this terrain.”

  Sheridan opened a pouch and brought out his binoculars. He turned his head toward the fort and studied the ground. Cole was right; there was barely any cover between them and the ten-meter-high wall surrounding the city.

  A row of shells hit the ground wher
e their ship had been less than a minute ago. The earth shook as the highly explosive projectiles detonated on impact, sending tall plumes of sand, rocks, and shattered bodies up into the air.

  Sheridan dropped as low as he could in the crater and covered his head with his arms as the debris began to fall back to the sandy ground.

  “Shouldn’t we move?” said Kabar.

  “No,” replied Cole. “We’re perfectly fine where we are. Shells rarely land in the same place twice. Besides, where do you suggest we go?”

  “Captain, bring up your force’s disposition on your computer,” said Sheridan. “I want to know where we are and who is around us.”

  Kabar nodded and switched on a small computer strapped to his wrist. He raised his head and looked around as the information filled the screen of his computer. “Sir, we’ve landed in what was designated as the Thirty-Third Chosen Infantry Division’s landing site. The soldiers scattered all around us are from the First Battalion, Ninth Chosen Infantry Regiment.”

  Sheridan popped his head up to take a look but ducked down almost right away as a shell hit the ground in front of their crater, showering them with dirt. He looked at Kabar. “Which units are in front of us?”

  “It looks like the remnants of the Fortieth Kurgan Heavy Armored Division is about three hundred meters directly ahead of us,” replied Kabar.

  “What’s their reported strength?” asked Cole.

  “According to my computer, they’re down to about twelve percent effective strength,” said Kabar.

  “What about reinforcements?” asked Sheridan.

  “There’s a third wave of Old Guard troops scheduled to arrive tomorrow morning.”

  “Are they any good?” said Cole.

  Kabar nodded. “They are all twenty-year veterans and are fiercely loyal to the emperor. Two full divisions will be coming to help crush the rebellion. Unlike the traitorous Young Guard, these warriors would rather die fighting than support the insurgents.”

  Sheridan checked his watch. It was nearly five in the afternoon. He recalled that the planet had a daily cycle close to Earth’s. As it was late fall, the sun would be setting in the next hour or so.