“I’m hand-shaking with the Third Fleet,” said COMOP. “Transponders verified.”
“Sound general quarters, and get Shard Caden up here immediately,” Thande said. “Signal Stoic Actual; find out where he wants us.”
“Already receiving a data packet from the Third’s flagship, Captain. Deployment details have been sent to the helm station, and objectives with contingencies have been sent to Tactical and yourself.”
“No time to talk then?” Thande murmured. “Fair enough. Let’s take a look.”
She tapped the data package that had appeared on her holo, and skimmed through the contents.
Tactical was already updating the central battle map. “Viskr ships are holding position, Captain. They’re in defensive formations, blockading the planet. Looks like your classic stand-off.”
“Noted. Anyone talking to us from the surface, COMOP?”
“No, Ma’am. Most frequencies are being jammed. I’m just getting static on the traffic control, defence, and governmental channels.”
“It says here that the Viskr were deploying ships to the surface when the Third Fleet arrived. What can you tell me about that, Tactical?”
Tactical returned to her station. “We have direct line of sight to six cities. I’m reading enemy landers and gunships in and around five of them, and at least seven of their destroyers have gone atmospheric.”
“That’s all we need,” Thande said. “This is going to have to be quick, or it’ll turn into a hostage situation.”
“More enemy ships arriving.” There was a note of alarm clearly audible in Tactical’s voice. “They’re shoring up their lines.”
“Let them come,” said Thande. “We just have a few more minutes to wait until we make our opening gambit.”
“What’s Stoic got planned, Captain?” COMOP asked.
“You’ll know it when you see it.”
Thande looked across to Tactical, who had received the same data packet as her, and they shared a knowing smile.
“Captain, Shard Caden has arrived at the command deck,” said the XO.
“Well then, Commander Yuellen; you may let him in.”
Heavy security hatches isolating the command deck from the rest of the ship rumbled aside, and Caden stepped onto the bridge. Before they had even reached their stops, the thick metal blast doors began to close after him.
“Welcome to the command deck, Shard Caden,” said Thande. “I thought you might want to see a naval operation being executed properly.”
“Interesting. I would have thought you’d want Captain Santani up here, given your words of advice to her.”
Thande leaned sideways in her chair, conspiratorially. “She was less than cooperative when I suggested it to her earlier.”
“How odd.”
Thande could not decide if the Shard was simply being dry, or making some kind of sardonic comment at her expense.
“Sarcasm?”
“It hardly matters. You didn’t bring me to the command deck to gain my approval, did you. What have we got?”
Thande waved her hand lazily at the holographic layers of the main battle map.
“It seems the Viskr were able to get boots on the ground before the Third Fleet arrived, after all. Given the number of vehicles we can see from up here, the probable strength of arms and armour they have on the surface suggests a full-on occupation of the planet.”
“Then this border conflict has been formalised as a true war at last.”
“Indeed. Now we’re here to assist the Third, our combined fleets are evenly matched with the Viskr… more or less.”
“What’s the play?”
“I’m glad you asked.” Thande smiled. “We’re going to try to pull off the old ‘metal rain’ routine while we get boots of our own down there.”
“Risky,” said Caden, and he grimaced.
“It’s better than trying to duke it out in high orbit. By the time we were to rout their fleets, their ground forces could have levelled a few cities. We have to get down there and physically kick them off the planet, and we can’t do that without enforcing orbital cover.”
“Speaking of which, please don’t crash Disputer into the planet while I’m down there.”
Thande opened her mouth to reply, uncertain whether the remark was intended to be amusing or insulting, but she was interrupted before she could think what to say.
“Micro-wormhole detected, Captain,” said COMOP. “It’s forwarding a coded signal. I’m told additional assets have arrived at the system periphery. Receiving their final destination co-ordinates now.”
“It’s about to begin,” Thande said, half to Caden and half to the command deck at large. “Expect to take heavy fire for a short period, but if all goes well we will gain a shooting advantage very quickly.”
“That sounds like my cue to disappear,” said Caden.
“Wait a moment,” Thande said. “You’ll want to see this. Don’t worry; you’ll have time to get ready.”
She pointed towards the battle map, switched in the visible sensor feed, and a panoramic view of Mibes appeared as an inlay in the holographic volume. The view point was close enough to the planet that the texture of the cloud systems was just starting to become apparent.
“Be ready to drop our orbit rapidly, Helm.”
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, almost simultaneously, dozens of wormholes began to form. Shimmering in the highest reaches of the atmosphere they appeared as discs; dark, starry wells that reached away to depths unknown.
And then they evicted their travellers.
“What a sight!” Thande said.
Guardian Shields arose from the dark pools one by one, already oriented with their crudely curved dishes facing the Viskr fleet. Dangling towards Mibes, slender drive stems pushing constantly against the pull of the planet’s mass, they drifted slowly away from one another, forming islands of refuge.
Tactical broke the awed silence that had fallen across the bridge. “The Viskr lines are opening fire. Massive incoming. Looks like they’ve guessed what we’re going to do.”
The XO issued orders in rapid succession, standing near the centre of the command deck, hands clasped behind his back.
“Turrets and lasers, Tactical. You know the drill. Helm, take us down to the nearest Guardian’s flak shadow. Don’t stop for anything.”
“Yes, Sir!” Helm sounded for all the worlds as though she were excited.
“You’ve seen the good bit,” Thande told Caden. “If the ship is destroyed before you can get yourself ready for your part, you’ll know this operation went straight to hell.”
“Don’t hit the planet,” Caden warned her again.
He turned on his heel. COMOP opened the hatch for him to leave, before Thande could find an answer.
• • •
Throam and Eilentes were waiting for Caden when he reached the flight deck, already dressed for battle. Eilentes stayed silent, but Throam gave him a knowing smile and flicked his eyes downwards. Caden followed the counterpart’s gaze down to his forearm, and saw he was wearing the gauntlet that matched the compact mini-gun he was so proud of owning.
“Oh boy,” Caden said. “I said ‘low key’. Why is nobody getting this?”
Throam’s smile became a wicked grin.
“Better to have it and not need it…”
“Fine, whatever. Just don’t take your own legs off. Or mine.”
Caden swept his gaze across the flight deck while he clipped his armour over his base layers. Across the cavernous space, he could see dozens of landers being prepared hurriedly by a mixture of MAGA troopers and navy flight staff.
“Did Volkas say anything about who we’re dropping with?” Eilentes asked, addressing Caden. He noticed her arms were folded, and wondered why she looked so put out.
“We’ll be going in with Sergeant Chun again,” said Caden. “I doubt Volkas will have much to say about that.”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I got the impres
sion he thinks we’re a bad influence on Daxon and his mates.”
“Yeah, well… we are.”
“They were already fuck-ups when we met them,” Throam said.
Eilentes gave him no response, and Caden felt the overwhelming urge to fill the silence.
“Actually, I meant he’s going to be pretty upset about the rest of their battalion being killed. The Stiletto went down.”
“Shit,” Eilentes said. “When did you find that out?”
“Couple of hours ago.”
“That’ll be why Norskine was off her aim on the range.”
“I’d guess so.”
“She didn’t say a word about it.”
Caden finished dressing and took the rifle Throam offered him. He slung it over his shoulder and heard the familiar shunk of a mag-tag locking the weapon in place.
The deck juddered, and far above them he heard the sounds of glancing impacts booming through the upper compartments.
“We’re taking fire,” Eilentes said. “That’s going to mean a rough descent.”
“We won’t launch until we’re in the shadow of a Guardian Shield,” said Caden.
“Even so, the lower we drop the less cover we’ll have. And we’ll be dropping real fast.”
“The cruisers that stay up here will be providing a flak barrier. Anyway, MAGA are deploying an entire expeditionary force to this fight. The Viskr can’t possibly shoot down that many landers.”
“I’m pretty sure this drop will still come at a high price.”
“That’s why you’ll be flying our lander,” said Caden. “Try not to break this one.”
“You think I didn’t try last time?”
“I’m kidding, Eilentes.”
“I know, just… well you haven’t exactly complimented me yet, have you?”
Caden glanced up from the zadaqtan blades he was pushing into his webbing, and caught the tail end of an expression that flickered across Throam’s face. It was a look that said ‘Really? Now?’ He looked across to Eilentes, confused.
“What’s that?” He asked.
“You stuck me with looking after the shuttle on Herros, and left me out of the loop entirely at Fort Kosling. I feel like I’m not getting the opportunity to do anything really useful.”
“You’re a pilot and a sharp-shooter. You’ve dropped us safely to Echo, Aldava, and Woe Tantalum, and you did a bang-up job of covering us from up high on that last trip.”
“Not really what you’d call massive contributions though, hey? I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but I’m really not feeling part of the team here. Tell him, Rendir.”
“Oh man, don’t get me involved in this.”
“Clearly you are involved,” Caden said to him. “Tell me what?”
“I’m not ‘involved’,” Throam said, “I’m just the one who gets to hear the complaints.”
“Hey!” Eilentes placed her hands on her hips, and stuck out her chin. “It wouldn’t fucking kill you to support me once in a while. Caden, it’s this simple: I can do more and I want to do more.”
“Fine.” Caden sighed inwardly. “Whatever you want. Be a big mother-fucking heavy hitter. Pull a crazy stunt and get shot. Wouldn’t want you to get bored doing your job, would we?”
Eilentes was running down the deck towards one of the landers before he had finished talking. “Knew you’d see it my way!”
“That’s not how she screamed it before,” Throam said, as he and Caden set off after the pilot.
“Screamed it?”
“Screamed, yelled. Same thing.”
“When did all this happen?”
“The minute we arrived on Disputer. Euryce doesn’t keep her opinions to herself. Not for long, anyway.”
“How come you didn’t tell me about this sooner?”
“Didn’t get the chance. You’ve been off playing counsellor to Captain Santani and trying to find the humanity in that Thande creature. Anyway, kind of got distracted by all the other shit.”
“What other shit? I feel like I’ve missed out on something here.”
“She kept trying to dig up Ephisia and Gendin.”
“Oh, right. How you feeling about that?”
“Well in the end I just told her the story. It was easier that way.”
“So what’s the problem?”
“She’s got a malfunction going about our relationship as well. It’s doing my head in. I’m not in the right place to talk about that at the moment.”
“Okay, well I hope you’re in the right place for a fight. You do have your head in this game, don’t you?”
“Course I do, Caden. Do you?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re still off, and we still need to have that talk. Before one of us gets hurt.”
Caden stopped and held Throam’s gaze for a moment, wanting to put his counterpart in his place. But he knew that if he did, he might say something he would always regret.
“I’ll be fine,” he said. “We’ll both be fine. Don’t worry, Tiny.”
• • •
It was fortunate that Disputer was such a large and hardy ship. As swiftly as she plummeted towards the safety of the nearest Guardian Shield, the incessant rain of metal and fire from the Viskr lines moved many times faster.
“We’re closing on cover,” Helm said.
“Ma’am, Requiem is abaft of us. She’s taking heavy hits. I don’t think she’s moving under her own power any more.”
“Show me,” Thande said.
Requiem appeared on the battle map, racing towards the flak shadow of the same Guardian Shield that Disputer was headed for. The two ships followed the same heading, but even as Thande watched Requiem following them in, the burning aft end of the light battleship began to swing out to port. Slowly, dreadfully, Requiem was entering a spin.
There was a moment of tense silence on the command deck, the clatter of impacting decoy flechettes seeming to fade away to nothing. On the battle map, the handful of life boats that Requiem managed to launch were flung away violently from her tumbling frame. The battleship was spinning around her own centre of mass, pushed by enemy munitions and surface explosions into a roll she was unable to correct. The momentum her engines had provided before they failed her now carried her fatefully onwards.
Still firing, her C-MADS turrets were twitching fitfully as they tried to differentiate between incoming fire and hull debris. Her entire length was peppered by shots from the Viskr gauss guns even as she lost altitude, slowly and inexorably sinking below the Guardians and continuing on past their fields of cover.
“She’s sent out a distress call,” COMOP said quietly.
“There’s nothing we can do for them,” the XO said, just as quietly.
“We’re in the flak shadow, Captain.”
Thande snapped out of her morbid trance and forced her head to clear.
“Identify best-fit solutions for flak barriers.”
“Already on it,” Tactical said. “I’m seeing a number of trajectories we can cover. Locking in the most useful ones now.”
“Whenever you’re ready.”
Tactical punched in the commands, and Disputer re-purposed her defences. Sheltering beneath the vast metal and stone umbrella of a Guardian Shield, she was now able to direct her interception fire out at an angle, protecting other ships and Guardians from the continuous stream of enemy ordnance.
“Their cruisers are launching missiles already,” she said. “Reading multiple spikes. They must be sick of trying to chip away at us with rail guns.”
“Well then; have our turrets prioritise missile targets.”
“Ma’am.”
Thande watched the battle map intently, noting the names of the few ships which, like Requiem, had not made it to safety. It was regrettable that there had been several losses, but the gambit appeared so far to be paying off. The Viskr fleet was now stuck in high orbit, with their forces on the ground cut off from any support. As long as the Guardians held out, the e
nemy fleet would not be able to get any more drop ships through to the surface.
Or, for that matter, their nukes.
“Stoic and his battle group are firing into the atmosphere,” COMOP said. “Looks like they’re going after those destroyers the Viskr sent down there.”
“Excellent,” Thande said. “That should make life much easier for our ground teams.”
“Captain,” Tactical said, “I’ve been analysing the Viskr fleet. There are one or two newer ships, but the bulk of their forces are really old models. The kind of medium-frame rigs we’d have been fighting at Chion over two decades ago. In fact it looks like their only capital ship is the Nakrikhul Srabir, which I believe actually was in that battle.”
“Seriously?
“Yes Ma’am. Unless it’s been decked out with new offensive systems during the past twenty Solars, it’s not much of an opponent.”
Commander Yuellen stepped up to the tactical station, and bent down to look at the holos. “Have they got anything up there that does present a serious threat?”
“As I said, a few ships which appear new. Classes we haven’t seen before. If they were considerably more powerful than the rest of the Viskr ships though I suspect we’d know it by now. No, I think the only real threat comes from their numbers and their position up the gravity well. The ships themselves are relics.”
“They’re… desperate?” Thande asked the question under her breath.
“Flight decks one through four all report drop-ready, Captain.”
“Send them a go, COMOP,” said Thande. “And let’s hope they all reach the surface alive.”
• • •
Eilentes fought with the controls, fought for stabilisation, fought for deceleration, fought for evasion, but mostly she fought for sanity.
The lander screamed through the atmosphere, nose almost straight down, hurtling and rolling and shaking in the midst of a loose wing of identical craft, and shadowed by decoy drones. It was threatened occasionally by the few enemy shots that managed to penetrate the cover provided by the fleets sheltering high above. Kilometres away from them, in every direction, other groups of landers were making the same terrifyingly rapid descent from their parent ships.
Books One to Three Omnibus (Armada Wars) Page 38