After seeing a few of the namesake’s movies and comic books Shrift understood the similarities.
He got over the missile exit point, a laser or a group had melted the rock around the hole and covered it.
Sometimes you just have to embrace the suck. He dialed in radius, the cutter opening its diamond grinders out as arms expanded, thumping into the rocks surface and securing the cutter in-place.
He started it up and pushed it into the ground, hearing the vibrations through the cutter and his armor.
A message pinged on his HUD, he couldn’t help but grin at the sender’s identification. He rather liked the quick short messages from Empress. They were one of the few ways he relaxed.
So in the tradition of many soldiers before him, as weapons fire criss-crossed around him he hunkered down and read the message that transported him to another place if only briefly.
It took nearly an hour to remove the melted materials and clear the sides of debris that might impede any exiting missiles.
“Let’s get the hell out of here,” Shrift said, dumping his cutter on the back of the maintenance craft, he sent a report to the engineering command center to log the job as done and the area clear of people.
He fired up the thrusters, released the clamps and headed back to the airlock.
“Fuck they don’t wait long,” One said as light illuminated the area behind them. Missiles the size of the craft they were travelling in accelerated out of the newly cleared tubes, their rocket engines blazing blue tilting toward their targets.
Shrift looked back to his to-do list, a laser cannon was having focusing issues. The gunners were good at their job of keeping their guns going, but sometimes they needed an engineer for some finess.
The airlock opened and Shrift cast another glance at the tracers, shield impacts and destruction that War-station and its attached ships projected.
***
He wasn’t the only one watching that weapons fire and the pounding the massive vessel was taking on it’s shields.
Whorst’s view was a bit different, his dealt with numbers instead of the raw visual effects.
He had another six hours to hurt the Kalu as badly as possible.
“Is that thrust plan complete Peck?” Whorst asked.
“We’re good to go, cables were checked and we shouldn’t have any lift off,” Peck answered, sounding nervous.
I guess that’s sensible seeing as my plan is on the wrong side of insane, Whorst shook his head, he would have never thought of this kind of idea before, but when needs must a commander had to find a way.
“Increase our thrust to bring us into the rear of those bastards, warn our people about the high gravity maneuvers. Make sure all weapon systems are ready to go and get the fighters back in our hangars. Might as well give them a ride onto their target,” Whorst said. People ran with the information pulling what they needed from his quick bullet points.
Alerts rang through the vessel with Arfo’s voice warning them about upcoming high gravity maneuvers.
Peck looked back to Whorst for confirmation.
“Let’s go get us some Kalu,” Whorst said.
***
Orshpa was just a day from Earth when Daskil and the other controllers started twitching with agitation, shock and then anger.
“What is it?” Orshpa said, expecting another bout of the transformed ships. They hadn’t been jumping forward of his formation for a number of hours now, but rather harrying his rear and weakened ships.
Thankfully as they were slowing down to enter Earth’s atmosphere they were facing the converted star-destroyers with their bows and catching them with their own beams.
They were killing a good number of the Free Fleet ships, but they still followed. Obviously they didn’t want Orshpa settling on the planet.
Orshpa’s forward screen showed a blurry image that was resolving with every second.
“It appears that the large maneuvering station is closing on the forces headed to the other planet,” Daskil said.
Orshpa’s claws casually cut through a railing, dragging them through the deck. If he ever got his hands on the clan leader that ordered the other fleet to slow in order to engage the Free Fleet’s massive station he would not live for long. The Free Fleet had bled them, good and hard, worse than Orshpa had thought.
“Play it,” Orshpa growled. Kalu turned into rocks, not moving or making a sound lest they drew their war-leader’s attention. Daskil pressed a button. The station was closing with the braking Kalu fleet. Orshpa took off another section of the railing.
Blue flashes across the station flared to life and the station slowly accelerated harder, harder than something it’s size had any warrant to do.
“How?” Orshpa asked, he had given up on outright outrage, the Free Fleet’s trickery knew no bounds.
“The ships attached to the station fired their main engines, adding their propulsion to the Stations. It wasn’t much at the start but now they are closing with the Kalu fleet, they have already brought their projectile weapons online,” Daskil reported faithfully.
“They have wasted their forces trying to fight the Free Fleet in the space between war grounds,” Orshpa shook his bulk.
“We will close with the home of their leader and we will remove his clans home from the stars. When the Free Fleet comes to the ground, then we will have our battle. Soon the other victors from other battlegrounds will claim their land and come to us with great stories of victory. We are Kalu, we are mighty, we are many and we will write our stories in our enemy’s blood!” Orshpa said with a crazed glint to his eyes, bloodlust rolled off of him. The controllers and his primes with him shook their bulks, Orshpa heard a fight break out, Kalu warriors stuck within their ships had broiled with bloodlust, the close quarters and lack of freedom boiled over.
Growls from below told of a victor, Orshpa bared his fangs and sharpened his claws, staring at the green, blue and brown sphere.
The bloodlust boiled over and fights broke out over the Kalu ships, morale raised as blood was spilt to give tribute to the coming battle.
Sixty thousand of them remained, and they would have blood. Earth was where they would make their stand and dare anyone to fight them. They were Kalu, they needn’t fear any enemy!
***
Falhu was not as confident with his landing, the Free Fleet and the planet had shocked him with their ferocity.
They’re supposed to be feeble non warriors, nothing more than brood mothers without care for bloodshed! He thought angrily, looking at the arcing fire of the base he and his Kalu charged and attacked with abandon.
There were fourteen of the bases strewn across the planet, usually close to the cities. All of them were hidden in hills, or the ground. The enemy Commandos manned holes in the ground, hiding in them and waiting for the Kalu to charge. They would rise and cut into the Kalu, the Kalu’s lasers finding it hard to target them.
He had found out the name of the Commandos quickly after arriving. He had come across a poster on a wall, his computer translating it.
It was a name he now associated with death.
They moved in armor similar to the Kalu’s but fired projectiles like their ships. There were much larger versions, HAPA’s, even thinking of the machines made Falhu bare his teeth in anger.
They fired missiles that ripped through Kalu formations, making a pyre to their deaths. They had two large projectile guns which took but a few rounds to punch through a Kalu’s armor, then exploded inside, the first Kalu had charged them with their helmets open, in defiance of their enemy.
They had been slaughtered within minutes and the Kalu rejoiced to take on a true enemy. Falhu felt the bloodlust in his veins, begging him to rush with his battle brothers and come down on their enemy. He had fought the Free Fleet too long, he knew that pure will would carry them. He had to do as his war-leader taught him, he had planned.
Kalu fighters moved in a massive swarm towards the Commandos positions. Pyres erupted
in the skies, thundering noises pushing Kalu nearby to the ground, fighters were thrown across the skies.
“Close with them, take their refuge and write the stories!” Falhu said, he had pulled Kalu from afar, now they rushed towards the defenses, they were strong they were proud and they were invincible.
Raining death shattered Kalu but others rushed over their fallen to close with the enemy.
Falhu was battered to one side, catching the edge of a pyre, he skidded across the ground but kept going. The Commandos fire increased in intensity.
“They panic with our might, take them, scour their troughs in the cold!” Falhu raced on, letting the bloodlust take him.
They made it to the lines in the ground. Kalu leapt on their prey, blue-green long claws met them, cutting armor and Kalu apart where they touched.
Claws, both Kalu and the odd Commandos came together in a clash. Projectiles still fired and pyres still erupted but Falhu was at the lines.
He jumped over them, rushing past the engaged Kalu, looking for a prey. He jumped on one that was messing with their weapon.
He dug his claws into their side.
“Oh you mother fucking,” The creature hammered on Falhu’s side, falling and trapping Falhu’s limbs under their armored body.
Falhu tried to get free his claws digging and scraping, the Commando cried out but kept punching. Falhu could feel his armor caving in.
The pounding stopped for a second, a green-blue flash materialized, Falhu scrambled more, remembering what those claws had done to others. The claw sunk into his side, making him howl in pain.
There was a gurgling noise and the pain diminished.
Another Kalu had driven their claws into the Commando’s chest, killing it. Falhu’s movements had unseated the claw in his side and it now fizzled and spat on the ground.
The Kalu continued on. Falhu felt such anger, he had almost died to these weak creatures.
He freed himself, much easier when not in a panicked frenzy, scratching his claws through the Commando’s chest plate. He bashed the dead Commando to the side, he ran on, he would make these Commandos pay for their wounds on him.
***
“We just lost outpost nine,” Narvu said, confirming what everyone knew was going to happen.
There was anger, hatred and sadness in his voice. Narvu leaned over the table, sighing.
Bregend choose to grind his jaw instead, there was fourteen million civilians in outpost nine. They didn’t have many guns, all the Commandos were dead or dying and there wasn’t a fucking thing that he could do.
The Kalu would get in and Bregend’s mind could only concoct images of horror.
Thankfully it was one of the smaller outposts, not that was going to do much for the nightmares that waited for him in his sleep. It was his job to stand in the way of the Kalu, to protect the people, the innocent, that was the purpose of the Free Fleet and he had failed them and his mission.
Nothing to do but suck it the fuck up and keep on going, he closed his eyes, locking his shit down, he needed to be in there here and now.
“Someone is organizing them, and doing it well, they coordinated fire support from the fighters, getting them to create a screen while they drove forces they’d gathered around the area to strike all sides. They’re going to do it again,” Bregend said, his eyes turning to the map on the table in front of Narvu and a number of higher commanders.
“What makes you think they would?” Narvu asked, his voice hot.
“If it worked once, then they’ll try it again. If they do it will also confirm that someone’s fucking thinking over there. If someone with power is thinking and starting to create tactics a little more rounded than ‘charge it till it breaks’. I don’t need to tell you how bad that is,” Bregend said.
“You’re right and even if they don’t have a leader then we at least have a plan ready,” Narvu said the wind going out of his sails. “Sorry, just can’t...” Narvu made a motion close to his head.
“I know, I want to grieve for them too, but there isn’t any time. The Kalu will ride this victory like a drug to their next battle. We need a plan and we need it yesterday,” Bregend said.
“Bombers?” One of the Commanders asked.
“Not going to work in atmosphere,” Bregend said, dismissing the idea.
“What if they just dipped through it, cut through the uppers, dropped their payloads and fucked off?” The Commander asked.
Bregend frowned in thought, he opened a channel to Dal.
“Kyle can you get me Zoka?” Bregend asked as soon as the channel was picked up.
“Nice to talk to you too boss, transferring,” Kyle said. Even with everything Kyle’s words made a flicker of a smile appear at the corner of his lips.
“Boss?” Zoka asked opening the channel.
“Would a bomber be able to skirt through the planet’s atmosphere, drop a payload and fuck off without too much issue?” Bregend asked.
“Sometimes I wonder if you ever heard of an idea inside a box,” Zoka said under her breath.
“What was that Wing Commander?” Bregend asked.
“I think sub commander Gerouz was passing wind,” Zoka said, without pause.
Who the hell did I leave in charge of my carrier? Bregend complained internally.
“It’s going to be a near thing, but yeah we can do it. They’ll have fifteen seconds to shoot but they’ll have a drop window. I’ve got two wings moving to the launch platform,” Zoka said. “Mills wants to talk to you.”
“Rotate the wings, we may need them sooner rather than later. Pass me over.” Bregend heard the line pause.
“I saw what happened with outpost nine. I know there’s not much we can do up here, but we can still send a KEW down there, it’ll end their suffering and get some payback,” Mills said.
Bregend looked to Narvu, the conversation being broadcast through the table.
“Do it,” he said, locking eyes with Bregend for a second and then turning away.
“Put the impact zones around the outpost entrance not on it. low yield, clear the Kalu off and harass them,” Bregend said.
“Will do,” Mills said, not taking any pleasure out of his duty.
There weren’t many gunners left on Dal but five minutes later they were hammering the ground around the outpost carving great smoking craters into the ground, throwing dust into the sky and evaporating any trace of Kalu on their impact areas. Kalu nearby were tossed by the impact.
A good number of them didn’t get up.
Bregend looked at the table’s image for a few more moments before pressing a key, the map changing to the one around the outpost they stood in and the small raised hill the outpost was cut into. Trenches encircled the position, weapons of every variety fired, heavier fire in some areas, less in others. The Kalu were probing their lines again, looking for an approach.
The Free Fleet and Daestramus forces were holding, but for how long Bregend didn’t know. They needed reinforcements yesterday.
Chapter Endgame
The destroyer converts had run dry of missiles a long time ago, and their fighters were only using their rail guns and plasma rounds.
The converts still had their laser cannons and rail cannons. They were closing with the Kalu as they decelerated violently. Easing their way into Earth’s drive way from astronomical distances.
Kalu ships were holed, destroyed and torn apart, but there were three hundred ships and while they could do a lot of damage, the Kalu were closing together using those lagging behind as cover.
They also had a hell of a lot of ships. They could take a few losses, there were forty-nine thousand ships still mobile.
Orshpa’s ship flipped, aiming into Earth’s atmosphere, other ships doing the same so that they weren’t ripped apart by atmosphere pulling at their engines.
His ship shook and shuddered, they were heading to the world’s largest land mass, indicators showed billions of people on the planet.
Orshpa hel
d onto his seat as his craft was buffeted by the quick descent, then it was gone.
“A few were destroyed in re-entry, five minutes until we’re on the ground,” Daskil said, pawing the ground in earnest, sharpening his claws, others were also doing the same.
Five minutes couldn’t move slower, then the ship came to a stop and the bow whined, opening. The world was cold but it was finally a world, not the prison of a ship.
Orshpa bashed his way through his people, swiping any that dared get in his way, he stepped out into the atmosphere his helmet and armor at it’s lowest coverage.
He shook his body, feeling alive. This was where he was supposed to be, not on a craft.
“Let the hunt begin! Find me the largest grouping of these creatures Daskil!” Orshpa demanded. Daskil gestured into the distance. There was a large grouping of tall square shapes, they looked like the Independents homes.
“Look at this weakness, they live like our independents yet don’t even wear armor. Maybe they sound good with a claw in them,” Orshpa said, his paws moving riding the bloodlust, the feeling of freedom and invincibility, star-warriors disgorged Kalu that flowed behind their war-leader, the ground filling with thunder at their footfalls.
Overhead Star-Destroyers headed towards the tall building area, Kalu fighters moved out of their berths their lasers smashing into the tall buildings, cutting through them. The buildings crashed down and fires started.
Orshpa’s armor closed around him as he heard the first screams and yells of his prey. He clawed through a tallish one and a small one about their knee height tall. Their screams died as dark red colored his claws and armor.
Thunder cracked from above, fireballs racing down towards the planet. They struck Kalu ships which sagged and fell uncontrollably and continued into the landing areas of the Kalu.
Orshpa shook his mane in victory. He had spread his landing areas out, learning from the Free Fleet’s bombardments.
Not all of his people would make it to battle, but a good number would.
War's Reward (Free Fleet Book 6) Page 9