Wolf's Bane (The Empire's Corps Book 14)

by Christopher Nuttall

  “They would if Wolfbane itself took a blow,” Colonel Stalker said.

  He adjusted the display, focusing on two stars. “According to our last intelligence analysis, the Wolves have been running military reinforcements and supply convoys through Titlark,” he said. “They built the system up pretty heavily before the start of the war, then used it as the launching point for their first major offenses. Five worlds were invaded directly from Titlark during the opening hours of the war.”

  “I remember,” Jasmine muttered. She’d been on Thule, in command of the CEF, when it had fallen. The Wolves hadn't treated their POWs that badly - she’d been taught to expect worse from terrorists and insurgents - but it had still been humiliating. “Do you think we can take the system?”

  “I believe we can devastate the orbital defences and smash their supply depots,” Colonel Stalker said. “If nothing else, that will force them to rethink their deployments and concentrate on protecting their rear areas. We might even have a chance to take a shot at a number of convoys when they come into the system, all fat and happy. However, this is merely the first step in my plan.”

  He altered the display again, focusing on a second star. Jasmine caught her breath as she realised he was pointing at Wolfbane itself.

  “We have a brief window of opportunity,” Colonel Stalker said. “I mean to strike directly at Wolfbane before they can react.”

  General Mathis coughed. “I was under the impression that such deep-strike operations were inherently dangerous.”

  “They are,” Mandy confirmed. “However, if we were careful, we would be able to withdraw without being trapped and destroyed.”

  “We might also spark off an uprising,” Colonel Stalker said. “If Admiral Singh is an unpopular ruler, she might be unseated if we offer reasonable peace terms. Even if she wasn't removed from office, we could do a great deal of damage to the system’s industrial base and cripple the Wolves. They might drive us out of the system and still lose the war.”

  Jasmine considered it for a long moment. She was no expert on naval warfare, but she understood the basics. The sheer audacity of the operation would work in its favour - Admiral Singh, a classically-trained naval officer, wouldn't expect Colonel Stalker to gamble everything on one roll of the dice. And yet, they would be gambling everything. There was no way to avoid the simple fact that losing so many ships would be disastrous, particularly if the Wolves retained most of their mobile forces. Admiral Singh would have no choice, but to launch an immediate counterattack. It might win them the war.

  “It would be risky,” Kitty said. “But it would also bring home to the corporations just how dangerous the universe has become.”

  “Perhaps,” Jasmine said. She saw the logic. The giant corporations were disconnected from the real world. Governor Brown had slanted the odds in their favour. Hell, the Grand Senate had slanted the odds in their favour. Giving their leaders a shock - enemy warships materialising in their system - might bring them to the discussion table. “It might also convince them that they have to fight to the death.”

  “Not if it was unprofitable,” Kitty countered.

  “We will plan two separate operations,” Colonel Stalker said. “Operation Counter Punch will be officially aimed at Thule. If anything leaks out ... well, Thule is a logical target. We did promise to return, after all. Unofficially, we'll be bypassing Thule and heading straight for Titlark. We’ll punch out the defences, then - officially - fade back into the Commonwealth.

  “Operation Home Run will take us all the way to Wolfbane,” he added. “If ... if we lose too many ships during Counter Punch, we’ll cancel that part of the operation and raid a number of smaller enemy targets instead. If not ... then we’ll go all the way.

  “I shouldn't have to remind you that it is of the utmost importance that our true targets remain classified. The enemy must not have any warning of our intended destinations. We will be using our double-agents to try to convince them of our planned targets, but after Corinthian they may not believe our agents are actually on their side.”

  Jasmine had to smile, despite her concerns. She disliked intelligence operations, although she’d handled them a couple of times. It was a shadowy world, where treachery and betrayal was as commonplace as hot air. No one would believe a double-agent who’d misled them, even if it was an accident. The Wolves would be wise to assume that their agents had been compromised from the beginning. Admiral Singh would certainly refuse to listen to anyone who told her the truth.

  And our plans are chancy, she thought, grimly. She was no stranger to the torrent of information that flowed into listening ears, ranging from certain truths to absurd rumours and utter nonsense. Admiral Singh might dismiss any reports on those grounds alone.

  Mathis coughed. “Am I to assume that the decision has already been taken?”

  “It has,” Colonel Stalker said. His voice was very calm. “The War Cabinet met last night.”

  Jasmine glanced at Emmanuel. He looked as surprised as she felt. The War Cabinet normally took longer, much longer, to come to a decision. Avalon and the Commonwealth was generally better at keeping secrets than the Grand Senate - it helped that most of the representatives had seen war themselves - but there had been leaks. She wondered, suddenly, if the colonel had told them the full story. The representatives might not have been told about Home Run.

  And if the colonel didn't tell them, she thought, do they have a right to know?

  “We will plan the operation over the next few days,” Colonel Stalker said. “Tomorrow, we’ll break into planning teams to focus on individual sections of the offensive. In particular, we’ll be looking for ways to maximise our advantages and offset the enemy’s superior numbers.”

  “Like an operation on the ground,” Jasmine said. “Something designed to give them more than one threat at a time.”

  “Correct,” Colonel Stalker said. He smiled, humourlessly. “We’ll be discussing that afterwards.”

  He looked around the room. “We cannot afford to go into this half-cocked,” he said. “This operation - both operations - are risky. We could lose everything.”

  His voice hardened. “But we are still on the verge of losing the war. We have to take the offensive now, before it’s too late. Singh will not make the same mistakes twice. She will rebuild her forces, then use her superiority to steamroll us into the ground. And that will be the end.”

  Jasmine nodded. The colonel was right.

  “Grab some coffee,” Colonel Stalker added. “It’s going to be a long day.”

  Chapter Four

  It was a nice prison, General Mark Haverford considered. But it was a prison all the same.

  The Commonwealth hadn’t treated him badly. He had a small apartment to himself and a reasonable semblance of privacy, something he hadn't expected when he’d surrendered and offered to defect. The Empire had rarely rewarded defectors, even when they had saved thousands of lives. But he’d also been questioned extensively by trained interrogators, men and women who had gone over every last detail of his testimony in the hopes of catching him in a lie. It was unpleasant and painful and - even though he knew it needed to be done - humiliating.

  But it could be worse, he thought. I could be in a camp.

  He snorted at the thought. Most of the POWs would have gone into camps, either on Corinthian or somewhere deeper into the Commonwealth. The former would have an uncomfortable time of it, after the planet had been devastated by the fighting. He had no doubt the locals would do everything in their power to make the POWs miserable. The Commonwealth might have promised to treat the POWs well, but Corinthian hadn't made any such promises. Mark doubted the Commonwealth could make them see reason.

  And if they get liberated, they won't be blamed for being captured, he reminded himself. I won’t be so lucky if Admiral Singh catches me after I defected.

  He looked up from his chair as the door opened, revealing Colonel Stalker and Brigadier Jasmine Yamane. He vaguely recalled me
eting Jasmine once, after the Fall of Thule; she’d never made any attempt to defect, even though she’d had the chance. Instead, she’d gone straight into a POW camp and escaped through grit, determination and a certain amount of luck. She was impressive, Mark had to admit. Just looking at her made him think of a tiger on the prowl.

  “General,” Colonel Stalker said. “We need to talk to you.”

  “Of course,” Mark said, welcomingly. It wasn't as if he was in any position to avoid the conversation. He’d been warned, more than once, that his position depended on being completely open with his interrogators. “Please, take a seat. Tea or coffee?”

  “Neither, please,” Colonel Stalker said. “I trust that the accommodations are to your liking?”

  “They could be worse,” Mark said. He watched them sit, noting the way they moved. Their training shone through, no matter how much they might try to hide it. There wasn't a single wasted movement. “They could be better too, but ...”

  He shrugged. “You’re not the usual interrogators,” he said, as he leaned back into his comfortable chair. “Am I to assume that certain decisions about the future have been made?”

  Colonel Stalker met his eyes. “The last time we met, you told me that Admiral Singh had to be stopped,” he said. “You’ve repeated that statement again and again, every time you were interrogated. Is that still true?”

  “Yes,” Mark said, flatly.

  “I see,” Colonel Stalker said. “You also told me that there was a very good chance of a civil war breaking out on Wolfbane.”

  “I did,” Mark confirmed. There was no point in trying to hide it. The interrogators had wrung him dry, asking question after question until they had a fairly solid grip on everything he knew. “Has one broken out?”

  “If it has, we don’t know about it,” Colonel Stalker said.

  Mark nodded. It would take two months, at least, for a starship to travel from Wolfbane to Avalon. Longer, perhaps, if the starship didn't follow a direct course. The Commonwealth’s awareness of what was happening on Wolfbane was painfully out of date. Admiral Singh might have fought and won - or lost - a civil war by now. Mark had no way to know. None of them did.

  “I believe that it is only a matter of time,” Mark said. “There are factions who will fight against her, now that she has suffered a defeat.”

  “So you said,” Colonel Stalker reminded him. “I read your debriefing notes very carefully, General. You talked about industrialists and corporate leaders who might turn on her, as well as military officers. Do you believe they might have already moved against her?”

  Mark took a moment to formulate his thoughts. “Governor Brown convinced them to back his government,” he said. “Admiral Singh merely took over a structure he’d created. But ... the prospect of losing everything will certainly concentrate a few minds. They may consider that there is more to be gained by turning on her.”

  “I see,” Colonel Stalker said. “And how might we convince them of that?”

  “You offer to respect their current positions,” Mark told him. He allowed himself a tight smile. “If they believe, rightly or wrongly, that you are going to break the corporations apart, they’ll remain united behind Admiral Singh. Better the devil you know and all that jazz, Colonel. They would sooner put up with kissing her ass than being brutally slaughtered.”

  Jasmine leaned forward. “You think they’d switch sides?”

  “I think they’ll do whatever they consider to be in their own best interests,” Mark said. He wondered, absently, why Jasmine was there. Good cop, bad cop? Or was something else going on here? “On one hand, Admiral Singh has promised to back them - and she controls much of the military. On the other hand, if Admiral Singh looks like a loser, they’ll switch sides just to preserve what they’ve built.”

  “Which won’t be easy, because Admiral Singh still controls most of the military,” Colonel Stalker commented. “Or do you believe that has changed?”

  “I believe that most of the bigger corporations will have their own agents in place, within the military and planetary defences,” Mark said. His lips thinned. “Promoting officers because of powerful connections rather than competence was a problem even before Governor Brown met an untimely end. I imagine Admiral Singh is currently doing everything in her power to limit their influence before it is too late.”

  He leaned back in his chair. “I don’t think you came here to tell me this personally,” he said, flatly. “Everything I just told you could have been taken from the interrogation reports. Why did you come here, now?”

  Colonel Stalker studied him for a long moment, his eyes cold and hard. Mark tried to look back at him, reminding himself - sharply - that Colonel Stalker had a long and distinguished record even before the Empire had collapsed. He was no fool, nor was he inclined to tolerate someone playing games. There were limits to how far Colonel Stalker could be pushed, Mark knew, before he decided to push back.

  “We are dispatching a team to Wolfbane,” Colonel Stalker said, finally. “Do you have any contacts who might be of service?”

  Mark felt his heart leap. “Some,” he said, carefully. He didn’t want to overplay his hand. “I believe, however, that it would be better if I came along.”

  Colonel Stalker sounded oddly amused. “You are aware of the risks?”

  “Yes,” Mark said, flatly. Admiral Singh might not know he had defected - he rather hoped she thought he was trapped in a POW camp somewhere - but she would not be pleased if her forces caught him on Wolfbane. Merely passing through a basic checkpoint might turn into a nightmare if his DNA set off alarms. “I understand the dangers.”

  “And you’re prepared to help make contact with potential rebels?” Jasmine asked. “To betray your former leader?”

  “Admiral Singh is mad,” Mark reminded her. “She has to be removed.”

  “And you’d be in position to carve out a place for yourself,” Colonel Stalker said. “Do you think we would trust you with it?”

  Mark looked back at him. “I have never made any secret of my ambitions,” he reminded them. “I will always regret never having risen to the highest ranks. But I would settle for a peaceful life, one that doesn't include the risk of being executed for treason or any other charges that can be ginned up against me.”

  It was true enough, he knew. There was no chance he’d be allowed to build up a power base of his own, not on Wolfbane. The industrialists might work with him - and the Commonwealth - but they wouldn't want to take the chance of creating another military dictator. And the Commonwealth would certainly not allow it either. He’d be happy enough if he had a place to live, somewhere where no one knew who he was. Or who he had been.

  Jasmine cocked her head. “You think you could convince the factions to support you?”

  “You’d have to make them a good offer,” Mark said. “But yeah ... it could be done.”

  “Perhaps,” Jasmine said. “How would you advise us to get to Wolfbane?”

  Mark considered it for a long moment. Wolfbane was nowhere nearly as overpopulated as Earth had been, but there were still enough people within the system for constant monitoring to be almost impossible. A skilled team could move around for quite some time without being detected. And yet, passing through any of the bottlenecks - if they wanted to get down to the surface - would not be easy. DNA recombination techniques had their limits.

  “Freighter crews are closely monitored, when they hit the surface,” he said, after a long moment. “We’d probably want to pose as immigrants, men who have technical skills the corporations can use. Anyone with a certified qualification would be worth their weight in gold. Once you get down to the surface, you’d just need to find someone who could hack the computers and get you an ID chip and everything else you need.”

  He paused. “Ideally, you’d want a paper trail they could follow, just in case,” he added. “If you appeared to have come out of nowhere, you’d definitely raise a few eyebrows.”

  It wasn't
entirely true, he admitted privately. A skilled technician - one with formal training and genuine experience - would be snapped up quickly, once he entered the job market. The corporations were so desperate for trained manpower that they probably wouldn't look twice at anyone they needed. But it should remind them - again - that they needed him. His black market contacts were probably still there, unless they'd been picked up by the security forces and arrested. But he was fairly sure they'd simply bribed their way out of trouble.

  “So we might be dropped off on one world and take passage to Wolfbane from there,” Jasmine mused. “We’ll be going over that in great detail.”

  “Calomel, perhaps,” Mark said. “They have quite a collection of freighters coming and going - and they’re not particularly supervised.”

  “A curious oversight,” Colonel Stalker commented.

  “It's the old problem,” Mark said. “At what point do you start killing the goose that lays the golden eggs?”