by D. J. Holmes
“Impressive,” he mumbled, mentally taking notes. The nearest side of the base was a kilometer from the edge of the forest. A large permasteel wall over ten meters high ran around its perimeter. Thanks to the fact they were over sixty meters above the forest floor, Johnston could easily see over the wall and into the base.
Right in the middle of the base there was a large flat area where five shuttles were parked. Nearby there were a number of prefab buildings. One looked like it was for servicing damaged shuttles. The others looked like offices and barracks for about a thousand troops. Near the entrance to the base that faced Liberty there was a tank depot. Ten Indian Rohini light tanks sat in formation with the access points to their turrets open. A number of mechanics were working on one of them.
The rest of the compound seemed to be equally taken up by fixed defenses and storage crates. By Johnston’s estimate, there were enough supplies in the Indian base to feed and arm ten battalions for almost half a year. It was obviously the main supply base, for it was heavily defended. At fifty meter junctions there were heavy plasma cannon emplacements along the outer wall. Each placement was backed up by four Indian soldiers in combat armor who were all milling around.
Further into the base, there were multiple rocket emplacements equipped with both SAMs and SSMs. Intriguingly, there were also two large lasers situated near the parked shuttles. Both were pointed into the sky and Johnston guessed they were for stopping any ships in orbit from bombarding the base with tungsten spears. The lasers would melt the projectiles before they hit the base. What about plasma bolts? Johnston thought to himself. What am I missing?
Conventional military wisdom said that whoever controlled a planet’s orbitals controlled the planet. It was simply too easy for a ship in orbit to bombard enemy formations. Even if the Indians thought their laser could stop physical ordnance like the British tungsten spears, ten or twenty heavy plasma cannon bolts from a warship would devastate the Indian’s defenses.
Yet if the Indians have gone to all the trouble to install the two large lasers to stop any physical ordnance, then they must have some plan for dealing with plasma bolts. But what? Johnston wondered.
The final pieces of equipment that caught Johnston’s eye were eight large artillery guns. They looked out of place within the Indian base for everything else looked state of the art. Johnston wasn’t used to seeing fixed artillery pieces alongside modern military formations. Today everything was about movement and speed. Fixed artillery pieces were a thing of the past.
What had drawn his attention to them was the frantic activity that had just begun around several of the guns. Several seconds later, five large booms reverberated around the Indian base and the surrounding forest. Caught off guard, Clare instinctively ducked when the guns erupted. Johnston barely blinked, instead, he leaned further out of the canopy to peer into the sky. With his enhanced vision, he was able to follow the five shells as they arced into the air towards Liberty.
I see, he thought.
“They have been doing that for days,” Clare said. “Initially they used the plasma cannons from their ships in orbit to support their ground troops, but once the fighting broke out in the city they set those things up.”
“They are howitzers,” Johnston explained. “Old fashioned technology but very accurate over medium ranges. They will cause a lot less collateral damage to the city but still be more than effective enough against your people.”
“From the reports I have heard I’m afraid you are right,” Clare said. “As soon as a skirmish breaks out in the city those guns are lobbing explosives at our people. I imagine they have drones up all over the city just waiting to feed new targets back to those gunners.”
“I’m sure they do,” Johnston said. “But there are ways to avoid that kind of fire.” Instead of elaborating he turned and walked back along the large branch they were both standing on.
“Right, I have seen enough,” he said. “This is just a supply base. It will be useful to take it intact when the fleet comes. Or at least to destroy it. But the battle will not be won here. It’s time to take me to the old Council Chambers.”
*
Four hours later Johnston let out a sigh of relief. They had just broken out of the forest and were about to enter the outskirts of the city. Finally, he would be able to move freely. Pushing through the thick underbrush was distinctly unpleasant.
The sight that greeted him pulled him up short. Their stealth shuttle had come through the planet’s atmosphere far to the south of the Haven capital. The last time he was on Haven he had been given a tour of the city from an aircar. He remembered a pristine city with many large, modern buildings, some forty or fifty floors in height. The sight that greeted him now was simply a mess.
Smoke rose from more than twenty different locations across the city. Even as he stood taking in the sight, a number of loud explosions could be heard from deeper within the city. By chance they had come out of the forest not far away from the apartment buildings where Johnston had pursued Chang many months ago. A large crater was still visible where he had detonated a concussion grenade. Clearly no one had tried to clear away the destroyed building. What was more startling however, was the other buildings around it. What Johnston remembered as a series of attractive looking apartment complexes were now largely burnt out buildings. Those that weren’t completely destroyed had scorch marks and holes blasted into their walls.
The damage in front of him didn’t appear to be an isolated incident. Running his eye over the city’s skyline suggested that at least two of the larger buildings were completely missing as well.
“Is it all like this?” Johnston asked Clare.
“Pretty much,” she answered. “There are some areas that have hardly been touched. But anywhere where the populace has tried to stand against the Indians, fights have broken out. As far as we can tell, the Indians are trying to keep peaceful civilian causalities to a minimum. But when they get us in their targets they don’t hold back. I think they are trying to discourage others from taking up arms.”
“Knowing your people, I’m guessing that strategy isn’t working too well,” Johnston said.
“There were many who wanted to try and appease the Indians,” Clare said. “Yet the more of us they kill, the more those on the fence flock to our side.”
“So what’s the plan now?” Johnston asked.
“First we need to find some civilian clothes to help us blend in,” Clare said. “There is a five PM curfew. Until then we will be free to move around the city, though of course a skirmish could break out at any time so it’s not exactly safe. After that we will have to find a place to hole up for the night. We have two hours until five, we won’t be able to make it to the Council Chambers by then. That sound ok?”
“Where are we going to get some civilian clothes?” Johnston asked.
“That won’t be hard these days,” Clare answered.
“You’re in charge then,” Johnston said, motioning for Clare to take the lead.
*
Half an hour later Johnston stepped out of a bedroom in one of the abandoned apartment complexes. It hadn’t taken Clare long to find an apartment with plenty of clothes left behind in it. She was already dressed in a long skirt that covered the Haven military stealth suit that Pennington had given her.
“Ready to go?” she asked him.
“I think so,” Johnston answered. “How do I look?”
“Like a homeless person,” Clare chuckled. “You couldn’t have picked something that fitted better?”
“I needed clothes baggy enough to cover my combat fatigues and side arm,” Johnston said defensively.
“It will do,” Clare said, shaking her head. “Most people aren’t exactly looking their best these days so you will probably blend in.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Johnston said.
After half an hour of carefully walking through the city Johnston decided he had to agree with Clare. There were very few people moving a
bout on the streets and there were even fewer aircars or other signs of human activity. By Johnston’s count, they had only passed three businesses that were open and each had no more than one or two customers inside. Everyone he had seen so far had kept their eyes down.
After forty more minutes of walking through the city Clare turned a corner into a small alleyway. She bent down and picked up a piece of rubble and threw it over one of the walls. A soft thud was clearly audible as the rubble hit some kind of drum that sounded like it was full of water or some other liquid.
After thirty seconds Clare stepped towards one of the doors that led into a large building and knocked out an intricate pattern on the wooden structure. Moments later the door swung open. There were no lights on within the building and the open door only revealed a black abyss.
Johnston tensed and hesitated. “Don’t worry,” Clare said, pushing him forward. “This is a safe house. We will be able to stay here for the night.”
Reluctantly, he walked in. Once the door shut several soft lights came on, illuminating the hallway they were standing in. “Welcome,” a man said from beside the closed door.
“We need a room for the night,” Clare said.
“Of course,” the man said. “Right this way. Do you have any information for me?” he asked as he lead them deeper into the building.
“No,” Clare said. “We are on a mission for Councilwoman Pennington, that is all I can share with you.”
“Very well,” the man said. He didn’t say anything more as he walked them down a number of twists and turns as they went deeper into the building. “Here you go,” he said as he opened a door identical to many of the others they had passed. “You will not be disturbed here.”
“Thank you,” Clare said as he turned and left.
“This is us then?” Johnston asked.
“Yes,” Clare said as she surveyed the room. There were six beds spread out across the room. On the only table in the room there were a number of barrels of water and a pile of army rations. “We will be safe here. There are likely other fighters staying here but everyone keeps to themselves. If they are captured they don’t want to know anything that could get someone else in trouble.”
“A good system,” Johnston said as he removed his civilian clothes and tore open one of the ration bars. “I’m guessing this will be as appetizing as one of my own military’s rations?”
“I expect so,” Clare said. “I try to avoid eating them as much as possible.”
“So finish your story,” Johnston said as Clare came over the table to get a drink. “You never told me how you ended up fighting the Indians with Pennington.”
“It’s not a very exciting story,” Clare said, moving over to sit on one of the beds.
Johnston followed her cue and took one of the beds farthest from hers. “You can tell me anyway,” he said, “maybe it will put me to sleep.”
“Ha,” Clare said, chuckling. “Well in that case let me make it as boring as possible.”
“Please do,” Johnston chuckled.
“As I said earlier,” Clare began, “I had to leave the Council Chambers in quite a hurry. I got caught recording the First Councilor’s plans to attack the Kulrean delegation’s ship. For more than two weeks I had to lay low, moving from hideout to hideout. Maximillian was furious with me and it seemed like he had tasked the entire Liberty security force with my capture. Thankfully, Councilwoman Rodriguez had given me enough credits and some emergency contacts that allowed me to stay hidden. It wasn’t easy mind you. More than once I had to make a run for it just before they found me.”
“It sounds like an exciting life,” Johnston murmured.
“Hardly,” Clare said. “The excitement began when the Indians arrived. As soon as they came the security forces forgot all about me. Then I watched Maximillian’s death. As much as I didn’t like the guy,I had to admire the way he went out. I decided there and then to do whatever I could to help the soldiers that were left fight back against the Indians. I started by helping any injured soldiers I came across hide from the Indians. After spending several weeks eluding Haven’s security forces I knew where a lot of the best places to lie low were.
“After a few weeks I picked up my first weapon. I had watched soldier after soldier leave to fight the Indians and never return and I decided that it was going to take more than just soldiers to do the fighting.
“One day I joined up with a group from Pennington’s forces. They had come into the city to hit an Indian outpost. After the battle, I fled with them and ended up back at one of their hideouts in the forest. They quickly realized I was at home in Haven’s forests and have been using me as a scout ever since.”
“Have you seen much combat before?” Clare asked Johnston when she finished her story and he didn’t say anything.
When he didn’t answer right away, she rolled over on her bed to look across the room at him. He was strewn out on his bed with his eyes closed. “Major?” she whispered. Johnston shifted in his sleep but didn’t reply. When he didn’t answer, she rolled onto her back. I guess it was pretty boring, she thought as she drifted off herself.
For his part Johnston tossed and turned for several hours as he dreamt of being chased by police and air cars across a broken city filled with smoking buildings and craters.
Chapter 17 - Pursuit
By today’s standards the genetic and physical enhancements the Earth nations were able to apply to their best military personnel are extremely crude. Nevertheless, they were effective.
-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD
29th April 2467 AD, Liberty.
The next day Johnston struggled to pull himself out of bed. It wasn’t exactly comfortable but the last three days had been long and he had barely managed to get any sleep. Now he felt more refreshed than he had in a while. When he looked around, he saw Clare was already up and out of the room.
As he was putting on his civilian clothes she pushed the door open with her bum and swiveled around to reveal a tray in her hands. “Breakfast,” she said. “I thought you might enjoy something more than rations.”
“That’s for sure,” Johnston said eagerly. Though it wasn’t the best scrambled eggs he had ever had, he didn’t complain. He was just glad that Clare had managed to scrounge up some food for them.
“How far to the Council Chambers?” Johnston asked as they finished off their food.
“At least another two hours, maybe three,” Clare answered. “The Indians are always setting up new checkpoints and we’ll have to avoid them. Plus, if any fighting breaks out we might have to lie low for a while. Usually they try to gather up anyone out in the streets if that happens in case any of us rebels try to slip away unnoticed.”
“Then let’s get going. I would like to be out of the city and on our way back to Pennington by nightfall. My men should already be on their way back by now.”
“As you wish Major,” Clare said as she stood and stretched.
*
Three hours later Johnston rounded a side street and came face to face with an Indian military checkpoint. Without flinching, he kept walking casually towards another street that led away from the checkpoint.
“This wasn’t here a few days ago,” Clare whispered.
“Just keep walking,” Johnston said. Occasionally he glanced over at the checkpoint. There was a light tank blocking the street along with a heavy plasma cannon and at least ten Indians in combat armor. Beyond them he could just make out the Council Chambers in the distance. They were more than five blocks away.
“They have extended their perimeter,” Johnston said as soon as they entered another street out of sight of the checkpoint.
“It looks like it,” Clare said. “Two weeks ago they evacuated everything out to three blocks away from the Council Chambers. I guess it is five blocks now.”
Johnston grunted an agreement as he pulled a small holo projector out of his combat suit. Activating it he opened a map of Liberty. “I still need to get
a look at the Council Chambers to see what kind of defenses they have. Where is the best place do you think?”
“Here,” Clare said, pointing to the map. “We can follow the new perimeter they have set up and see how consistent it is to here. From that street you should be able to get as good a view of the Council Chambers as you are going to get.
“Let’s keep moving then,” Johnston said.
They passed three more Indian checkpoints blocking the roads that led to the Council Chambers on their way to Liberty Avenue. When they walked out onto the avenue they were confronted by the largest concentration of Indian forces Johnston had yet seen. Liberty Avenue led from the Council Chambers through the middle of the city to the First Councilor’s residence. The central road consisted of eight lanes for ground traffic and there were wide walkways along each side of the avenue for walkers. Johnston had seen images of the avenue decorated with flowers and trees but now it looked bleak and war torn.