Behind the Lines: Ganog Wars Book 1

by Chris Fox

  "I am T'kan, of the Azi clan," the creature rumbled. "I saw you activate your stealth tech. I've been following you since you entered the market."

  "Why? And how do you speak our language?" Nolan asked. He heard gravel crunch, the only sign that Hannan had entered the room.

  "Because we have a common enemy. I can take you to one of your fellow warriors, if you're willing to trust me. As for how I speak your tongue, you're likely more able to explain that than I. I spent a few minutes with your companion, and was suddenly able to understand her."

  T'kon's explanation made sense. Clearly he'd been exposed to the viral agent.

  Hannan's voice came from the shadows at the back of the room. "Sir, we can't trust this guy,"

  Nolan glanced through the doorway at the reptiles. They'd nearly finished their meal. He turned back to Hannan. "Right now, we don't have any other choice. He might have found someone from Alpha Company, and we need to link up with any survivors. If he wanted to screw us over, he could have just alerted our friends out there."

  "True," Hannan allowed. "Your call, sir."

  "Do we not need local intelligence?" Lena added. "Well, now we have it. Let's be away from here quickly. I've already seen too much for my taste."

  "All right, T'kon. You've got our trust for now. Lead us to whatever bolthole you've got set up, and we'll see if we can find some common ground."

  Chapter 16- Reunited

  Nolan followed the hulking alien through the remains of the building, slipping through a hole in the far wall. T'kon led them through a series of narrow alleys, quickly moving away from the area with the Saurians. He didn't speak, or even glance in their direction--just hurried along, ignoring the few aliens they passed. Those aliens carefully avoided looking at them, and Nolan sensed that they recognized their guide, or at least the type of armor he wore. They were just a little too interested in anything but T'kon.

  They finally entered the narrowest alley yet, barely a meter across. T'kon squeezed his bulk down the alley, stopping in front of a bent metal panel. He picked it up with both hands, sliding it down a few feet, then waved Nolan forward.

  "Inside. Quickly."

  Nolan didn't hesitate, ducking through the newly created opening. He emerged into a small workshop, with a bedroll laid out along one wall. A box of empty shells sat on the corner of the workbench. The shells were incredibly similar to a .45 round. They were longer and a little fatter, and the metal was more silvery than lead--but those were bullets, he was sure of it.

  Lena followed him into the room, then Hannan brought up the rear. She still had her weapon drawn; while it wasn't aimed directly at T'kon, it wasn't very far from it.

  T'kon ducked inside the opening, then reached through to move the panel back into place. He cocked his head as if listening. "I don't believe we were followed. We should be safe here, for the time being."

  Nolan scanned the room again, noting the doorway on the far side. It stood open, revealing a corridor beyond. That corridor was lined with blue and green cloth, matching some that he'd seen while they were in the market. This must be the back area for one of the merchant stalls.

  "Who's that?" Nolan demanded, pointing through the doorway. Two figures were silhouetted against the cloth walls, moving in their direction.

  "Friends." T'kon reached up to the neck of his armor, popping it off with a hiss, and set the helmet down. Leaning into the light, he said, "Aluki is the Whalorian who runs this shop, and the other is one of your people."

  Nolan took a moment to study the alien. He was the same species as the giant armored apes, though closer examination showed that the resemblance to primates wasn't a perfect comparison. His long fur was light brown, covering its entire body. A ridged forehead, somewhat similar to a Neanderthal, overshadowed a pair of very human eyes. Below those eyes the creature had four nostrils, breathing in a different cadence.

  T'kon was larger than a human, and more heavily muscled, too. In a straight physical confrontation, Nolan doubted even Fizgig would be able to take him.

  "Nolan!" a familiar voice called from the doorway. Annie rushed into the room, giving him a fierce hug. Her armor was coated in red dust, and she had deep bags under her eyes, but she was alive. "I'd thought you guys had gotten cooked by that dino-mountain looking thing. I'm so glad to see you still breathing."

  Nolan returned the hug, just as fiercely. "Damned good to see you too, Annie." He stepped aside, allowing Hannan to slip in for a hug of her own. Lena was too proper to show physical affection, but he could tell from the way her tail swished that she, too, was pleased.

  "So how'd you end up here?" Hannan, wearing a broad smile, stepped away from Annie.

  Annie nodded toward the quiet little alien still standing in the doorway. Nolan realized instantly why the translator had given the name of her race as Whalorian. She looked like a little grey whale with short stubby arms and stocky legs. Aluki breathed through a blowhole, and her broad grin exposed rough baleen instead of teeth. The fluid in her suit was probably salt-water, or whatever her kind swam in back on her world.

  "Well, I woke up in a busted mech to find Aluki here sniffing around the cockpit. She escorted me back here, and told me that her and her big friend there were going to try to find other soldiers. Apparently, they've got a hate on for what they call the Ganog Imperium. That's who bushwhacked Alpha Company. T'kon has been looking for you since yesterday."

  Nolan thought that might have been the most Annie had ever said without swearing in one sitting.

  "I'm grateful that he found us," he said. He leaned against the wall, relaxing a hair for the first time since they'd broken atmosphere. "The question is, why was he looking in the first place?"

  "A valid question." T'kon rumbled. "My species is called the Ganog. Are you familiar with my race?" The way he asked the question suggested he expected a yes.

  "No," Nolan admitted. "This is only our second encounter with yours. The first was just a week ago, when one of our fleets was wiped out in a system about a dozen light years from here. We still have no idea why the fleet was attacked in the first place. We approached peacefully."

  "Mmm, the Ganog Imperium would have seen that as weakness," the short, stocky alien explained. She blinked large, childlike eyes. "The clan that controls this sector is called the Vkash, and they are led by Takkar. T'kon's clan, the Azi, are blood enemies."

  "That explains why he might be willing to help us. What about you?" Nolan asked.

  "The Imperium conquered my world, and many worlds like it. Mmm, we have been forced to become labor-slaves. We are worked until we die, with no hope of freedom. You fought back against them, and I've heard that your fleet damaged a dreadnought."

  "Do you know what happened to our fleet?" Nolan demanded, more harshly than he'd intended.

  "I'm afraid not," T'kon interjected smoothly. The alien had a cultured sophistication that belied his rugged exterior. His battered armor simply didn't fit the way he spoke. "Rumors say that some escaped, but we don't know how many, or even if the rumors are true. I tend to believe them, judging by the clan leader's response. He's offered a bounty for any human or Tigris found on this world. The holocriers that are passed out at every market contain images of both your races. That bounty states that you are to be taken alive. Very unusual." T'kon folded massive arms, and his fur darkened from blond to deep brown-black. "Takkar has dispatched Krekon to find you. Krekon is a Ganog melter with the ability to pry secrets from minds. He is an implacable hunter, feared not just across Vkash space, but the whole of the Imperium. Krekon has never met failure, and if more of your people are out there he will find them."

  "We don't even know if our people are alive." Hannan's tone was cool, and she was still aiming her weapon roughly in T'kon's direction. "Assuming you're telling the truth about helping us, how do you plan to find our people before this Krekon?"

  "And what about this 'melter' business?" Lena asked. "I'd like to know more about that. How does he pry secrets from the
mind? Is there a device involved?" She'd taken on the dogged expression she wore whenever she ran across something she didn't know.

  "I will answer each question in turn. Melters can tear apart your mind, taking your memories as you unravel. This ability is rare among Ganog, and requires years of intense study to master. It is a branch of a science we call metabiology." T'kon's fur darkened further, to deep black. "Krekon is the most ruthless of melters, and will kill dozens of ka'tok to learn where you are. Given enough time, he will find someone who saw one of your people. He will use that information to track your friends."

  T'kon's lower nostrils flared, and he took a series of slow, deep breaths. His fur returned to a soft brown.

  "As for how I know your people are alive, there was a disturbance in the market a few hours ago. Two bipeds with unfamiliar weaponry robbed a stall, taking food and some spare electronics."

  "That could definitely be our people," Nolan admitted. "You think you can find them?"

  "I found you," the Ganog pointed out. "I cannot make promises, but like Krekon, I am also a hunter. I will do what I can to locate your companions, provided you are willing to help me in return."

  "Here it comes," Hannan muttered.

  Annie elbowed her in the side, giving her a pointed look.

  "Help you do what?" Nolan asked.

  "I want to destroy Takkar's planetstriders."

  Annie spoke up. "That's the big dino-mech looking things that blew up our forces, right?"

  "Indeed. Planetstriders are the Ganog's most potent weapon, even more so than our dreadnoughts. Remove even one of them, and we weaken Takkar significantly. The embarrassment will jeopardize his position with the Empress."

  Nolan's comm unit began to vibrate. He pulled it from his suit pocket. "The camera we left at the ship just went online."

  "Some sort of communication device?" the Ganog asked.

  "Here, I'll show you." Nolan tapped the screen, and the comm broadcast a small hologram. It showed several mech-sized Ganog, weapons at the ready. A swarm of smaller reptilian figures followed, and began surrounding the Peregrine. "What are they doing?"

  "Mmm, they're stripping your vessel," Aluki explained. "They will take most of the valuable components. Once they leave, scavengers will take the rest. If I weren't here with you I'd be in line to get what I could. New technology is rare."

  Lena gave a heavy, defeated sigh. "Well, that confirms that we need another way home."

  "We'll find one," Nolan said. It pained him physically to see the Peregrine being torn apart by the enemy, but the time for payback was coming.

  Chapter 17- Mounds

  "Nolan, wake up. I think you should see this."

  Nolan tensed, reaching instinctively for his sidearm. T'kon loomed above him, wearing the battered armor he never seemed to remove.

  "I'm up, just give me a sec," Nolan muttered. He rolled from his bedroll, stretching as he stood. Sleeping in his armor had left him sore. "What is it?"

  "Sir, we moving out?" Hannan asked, sitting up in her bedroll. She blinked past a yawn, brushing her hair from her face.

  "Sounds like it. Wake Annie, and let her know she'll be staying here with Lena." Nolan took a sip from the water hose clipped to his shoulder, then turned to T'Kon. "All right, what is it you wanted to show me?"

  "They're rebuilding the mounds. It's something your leaders will wish to know about." The Ganog lifted the panel, exposing the alleyway. T'kon slid through, and Nolan followed. He scooped up his helmet on the way out, snapping it into place as he exited.

  T'kon led him out of the alley, and began climbing the jagged edge of a shattered building. Nolan had little trouble navigating the uneven bricks, quickly following T'kon to the third level. The Ganog had stopped, and was staring into the distance.

  Nolan followed his gaze, freezing as he understood why T'kon had brought him. "My god. What are they doing?"

  Stones, rusted vehicles, and parts of buildings levitated into the air. Thousands of tons of material began slowly moving toward one of the planetstriders. The debris began assembling itself, filling in the gaps that had been created in the mound when the planetstriders had first revealed themselves.

  "They are repairing the mounds," T'kon said, walking carefully to the building's edge. The floor ended abruptly, and Nolan made sure to stay a couple meters back. "It is done after every battle. The technology is only used by the planetstriders, so far as we know. The techsmiths guard the secret jealously, and even when I was a clan leader I was not privy to it."

  Hannan emerged from below, picking a careful path to Nolan's side. "You remember the first time we saw a Void Wraith harvester taking off?" she said, after watching for a few moments. "I'm getting that same feeling. Those things are absolutely terrifying. What do they use as a power source?"

  "We don't know," T'kon admitted. "My society is different than yours, which is part of why I approached you. We are divided into castes. The leadership caste--Takkar's caste--commands us in battle. In theory, the seekers come next. They are our religious caste, and hear the whispers of the Nameless Ones--but most clan leaders hold them in low esteem, and in practice their power is limited. Below them stands the warrior caste, the largest caste in the Imperium. Below the warriors are the techsmiths. They maintain the planetstriders and the dreadnoughts. I do not know what your techsmiths are like, but ours are tight-lipped with their secrets. They tell us nothing, shrouding their science in mysticism. They are more similar to seekers than to any other caste."

  Nolan was still distracted by the formation of the mound, which had to require an incredible amount of energy. The last piece finally settled into place, hiding the planetstrider from view. The newly assembled mound probably protected it from planetary scans. No wonder they'd walked into a trap.

  "We don't have a caste system," Nolan explained, "not like you do. Our techs are free with their information, and many of our warriors also possess technical skills. Annie does a lot of our repairs. I'm curious to hear more about your castes, particularly these seekers. And what are the Nameless Ones?"

  "They are dark gods," T'kon said, his voice lowering to reverence. "All but the most foolish seek to avoid their terrible gaze. Ages past, that gaze fell upon the Ganog and we were forced to enact the will of the Nameless Ones. The galaxy became a funerary pyre, lit to celebrate the Nameless Ones. Then those dark beings departed, and our people hid all knowledge about them lest we draw their eye once more."

  Nolan had an uneasy sense of recognition. These myths, if they were anything like ancient Primo myth, might point back to the Gorthians. These Nameless Ones sounded like exactly the kind of con they might try to run.

  "Sir," Hannan said, her voice barely audible over the wind. "We need to get this information back to the admiral, ASAP. She needs to see this footage."

  "I agree. T'kon, we've got mechs stashed a few clicks away. Can you escort us safely there?" Nolan asked.

  "In all likeliness, yes," T'kon said. "You can use these mechs to communicate with your fleet?"

  "In theory. They use quantum entanglement to send information over vast distances. Lena can probably explain the science, if you're interested."

  "We also possess this technology." T'kon turned from the mound, his expression hidden behind his helmet. "If you use it, Krekon will almost certainly detect the signal. He is no doubt waiting for just such a lapse, eager to send out packs of Saurians to run you down."

  "Then let's hope that if our people are out there, they don't try to transmit," Nolan said grimly. He gave the mound one last look, then turned to climb down.

  Chapter 18- Burke

  Burke peered through the crack in the warehouse wall. Had that been a flash of movement? He stared, unblinking, for long seconds. Nothing. Probably just the wind blowing rust around.

  "What's the ETA, Nuchik?" He called softly over his shoulder. "You said we got everything you needed."

  "We did," she snapped, pointing a soldering iron sternly in his direction. "T
his radio was designed to be mounted in a mech, not affixed to a naked circuit board on the middle of a pile of debris. It's going to take a minute, sir." The last word tottered under the sarcasm. She heaved a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Burke. It's just...what if we're all that's left? I saw Reval's mech go down. He was surrounded."

  "Doesn't mean he's dead," Burke countered, though he knew that it did, in fact, almost certainly mean that his commanding officer--a man he'd idolized, part mentor and part father--was dead.

  He took one last look through the crack, then moved to squat next to Nuchik. "Look, we get the radio up and broadcast our intel, then we'll start searching for other survivors. It's possible Reval got away, or someone else might have. We did. Others probably did too. We're the 1st, not the fragging 14th."

  Nuchik didn't reply. She paused to tie her red hair into a ponytail, then bent back to her work. She deftly soldered a lead onto the circuit board, a tiny streamer of smoke rising from where the iron touched the board.

  She was good with this stuff, and could probably have had a career doing it. Instead, she'd become the finest sniper in the 1st--the best of the best.

  The radio's digital display surged reluctantly to life, and the holo showed the Connecting... icon.

  Nuchik eyed him soberly. "Don't get excited yet. We don't know if this thing can reach the Quantum Network. There's no relay in this system, and it doesn't have much juice. It probably won't reach the sun."

  "If there are any Fleet ships in system, we can reach them," Burke pointed out. "And any survivors from Alpha Company will probably pick up the signal." He gave a reluctant sigh. He hated not having the tools to do his job. "You're right about the sun, though. We'll probably need more power to reach the Helios Gate."

  "What do you plan to do if our signal draws them to us?" Nuchik asked, once again focused on the exposed circuit board.

  "We have to assume that it will. As soon as we're done broadcasting, we'll move the radio and find another bolthole."