War Zone (Star Crusades: Mercenaries Book 5)

by Thomas, Michael G.

  Tenskwatawa moved into the middle of this ring, with his personal guard and others around him. He began to speak, and the translator activated almost immediately.

  "Louder," said Gun.

  The computerised voice missed the first few words before finishing off the short, but succinct announcement.

  "These pirates, mercenaries, and war criminals will stay here as a warning to all. Nine days they shall remain until every remaining mercenary and revolutionary surrenders their arms to the local authorities. If, on the tenth day a single rebel remains, they will be executed."

  Gun gave the signal for the audio to be cut.

  "ANS Titan can still fly, can she not?"

  Z'Kanthu answered without hesitation.

  "Yes, though she is badly damaged and incapable of either combat, or an amphibious assault."

  "But she can make it to Karnak?"

  The machine grunted in agreement.

  "Good," said Gun.

  "This Tenskwatawa, he obviously wishes to force a response. By going there you risk giving him what he wants."

  Gun shook his head.

  "I don't care what he wants. I intend on tearing Tenskwatawa's head from his shoulders. We'll negotiate after that, and not a second before. Now...what about ground forces? My numbers are low. This attack has cost us a lot."

  The machine didn't hesitate in its answer.

  "Do you object to using Biomech units in combat?"

  Gun flinched at the mention of the name. There were already rumours spreading in the distant colonies of Biomech collusion in the Alliance. Few understood the subtleties of the different creatures and machines, but he did. The sight of seeing Thegns or Biomech war machines in action could be enough to turn millions against the Alliance. Gun knew he should stay calm to maintain the peace and avoid conflict. But then the images of the CTC operatives killing his people appeared firmly in his mind. That, coupled with the footage from Karnak, was enough.

  "I want everything. Ships, war machines, synthetics, the lot."

  Gun's voice raised in volume as he rattled off everything he needed.

  "If they want war, I'll give them a war they'll never forget."

  Z'Kanthu didn't flinch at this.

  "Very well. I will mobilise our remaining war machines and ask for volunteers among the Thegns. It would appear that The Twelve are going to war."

  * * *

  16km West of Montu, Karnak

  3 Days Later

  Syala paced back and forth along the long cliff edge that looked down into the valley. There were no visible warriors from this point, but a cursory look back into the crevices and caves systems of the mountain region showed a great swathe of warriors, yet few, if any, she could call her friends. Syala's armour had seen better days. The jump unit was long gone, and part of her shoulder armour and gorget completely broken.

  "Sister, you can't bring them back. But those that remain, we can help them. Spartan, Khan, Olik, all of them."

  She looked to her right where Arana approached. To anybody else they might easily have been the same person, but in temperament they could not have been more different. Arana was sensible, calm, and careful. Syala was a firebrand, and easily capable of incredible violence, without giving it too much thought.

  "Yes, I know. That's not what worries me."

  Arana moved closer until the twin sisters were alongside each other. She reached her side and held out her military grade secpad. The device was old and had been given to her as a keepsake by Spartan.

  "What is it?"

  Syala simply waited as her sister examined the data.

  "What am I looking at? It looks like our attack plan."

  Syala nodded.

  "And we have no chance. I mean zero chance of winning this thing. What have we got exactly?"

  Arana placed both hands on her sister's shoulders.

  "Syala. We've gone over this. We have most of our Widows left, and Tanis and his unit are itching for a scrap. With our militia, we've got a tight unit."

  She nodded towards the shallow basin that cut inside the rock like a secret lake. It was the perfect place to hide an army from prying eyes so close to the capital.

  "Nakoma has almost three thousand clan warriors, all ready to fight."

  "Really?" asked Syala, "Because if you ask me, they look more interested in fighting her right now."

  Both looked inside their hiding place, and to the large numbers of angry and disappointed Spires warriors. Months earlier, these had been their archenemies. Now they were hiding in the same place and facing the same relentless foe. They had been arriving for days, some through the hidden passages and tunnels, others at night to avoid the larger numbers of patrols. The sole reason so many had made it was their proximity to the capital. Who but a fool would bring so many warriors to the best-defended place on the planet?

  "Listen," said Arana.

  The two waited as another group of Red Scars marched into to the darkened interior. The ceiling was low, but the cave easily able to accommodate thousands more if needed. Many of these warriors were asleep or resting, but one group in the middle of the formation was always on their feet. The new arrivals made directly for them, stopping just metres apart.

  "Who are they?" Syala whispered.

  "I don't know, but it looks like trouble. Come on."

  The twins walked through the crowd of warriors. One of many rough channels between groups that now served as ad hoc pathways. They were filthy dirty and had long since lost the proud look they'd once had. All were armed, but many had lost their armour and equipment, giving them the look of something closer to an unruly mob. The two women ignored the jibes and complaints and moved ever closer until they could see what was happening.

  "I don't like this," said Arana.

  They reached the other side of the group so that they were the same distance from Nakoma as the new arrivals were. The female leader of the Spires Clan was on her feet and marched back and forth before the new group. Both sides exchanged barbed words, but with each passing second, more in the massive cave moved closer to listen. While some were quiet, a good number shouted encouragement for one side or another. The words were too fast and too guttural for the tech in the sisters' armour to translate, but the intentions were clear. The sisters shared a look and both reached low for their sidearms.

  "It's a coup," Arana said quietly.

  One by one the visitors drew blades, and Nakoma did the same. Her personal guard lifted their weapons and moved into a fighting stance. Then one of them rushed towards Nakoma from the opposite direction. The figure stormed past the sisters, only for Syala to leap in front and plunge her combat blade into the clan warrior's face. The unfortunate individual crumpled to the ground, blood bubbling from his throat. That drew a cry of rage from the crowd, and the sound of metallic blades being drawn filled the space.

  "Enough of this rubbish!"

  The voice boomed through the cave, and as thousands of pairs of eyes moved, the lone shape of Tanis, still attired in his bulky Blood Pack armour appeared. He moved through the crowd, forcing them to make way for fear of being crushed under his feet. On his back he carried a large piece of electronics.

  "Uh...why is he carrying our stellar communications relay?"

  Arana shook her head with mock amusement.

  "Who knows? I didn’t get the thing working until last night."

  Nakoma and those in the centre remained where they were, and several continued to spit and swear, the obvious precursor to all-out violence. One of Nakoma's guards lifted a pistol, but another gun fired first, cutting down the warrior. A new arrival turned the smoking gun towards Nakoma. Tanis stepped between them and roared like a lion claiming his territory. The strong Red Scars warrior stepped up to Tanis with his handgun still pointing straight ahead at his chest.

  "Drop the gun, little man."

  Tanis merely swung one arm, shattering the warrior’s wrist with the impact. The pistol fell to the floor, and the Red Scar ho
wled in pain. Tanis then twisted at the waist and pulled the relay from his body, slamming it on the ground.

  "Hey!" yelled Arana, "Easy."

  Some of the Anicinàbe moved back, but not Nakoma. She looked as hard and as cruel as always. Tanis hit the button on the side, and the unit projected a short, corrupted image of a familiar face.

  "Gun!" said Syala.

  Tanis grinned at her recognition. Nakoma hissed and then spoke in her own tongue. With no people to translate for them, Syala and Arana had to wait for their internal systems to do the work.

  "He is far from here. What does he want?"

  Tanis pushed a single button, and audio emitted from the device. The image shifted a little but showed no more than a crackling, broken file.

  "...the walls. I will be there... seventeenth..."

  Once the translators had done their work, Nakoma shook her head.

  "Who will be where? And what is the seventeenth?"

  Syala and Arana looked to each other. Arana finally spoke.

  "Nakoma, Gun is coming, and he wants us ready at the walls."

  She listened intently, as did many of the other clan leaders and warriors. The mention of the walls seemed to get her interest.

  "Why? We will be in sight, and you've seen the drone footage. The enemy is entrenched and has cleared the ground around the walls. If we approach, we will be easy targets."

  Others began to shout in agreement, and the jostling between factions continued again. Tanis roared loudly, and this time every single one of them stopped speaking.

  "Gun is a legend, and he will be here in just a few days. Nine days in your reckoning on this planet. We know it by another name."

  Arana leaned in towards him and spoke quietly.

  "That makes it...the seventeenth of December, is that right?"

  Tanis nodded. "Yes."

  He then looked up to the crowd and turned slowly so that they all could see his massive, armoured bulk.

  "We will be at the walls on the seventeenth, as the sun rises and fills the mountains."

  A newcomer marched before him and spat at Tanis' feet.

  "Oops," said Syala.

  Tanis was perhaps the least diplomatic of all the Blood Pack. He might accept the odd insult here and there, but spitting to his feet was tantamount to a physical attack. He reached out, grabbed the Red Scars leader by the neck, and with a single action snapped it. As he released the flesh, the broken body dropped to the ground, lifeless.

  "With the dawn of the seventeenth, Commander Gun will arrive. He will bring such armies as you have never seen."

  He pointed up to the ceiling and tried to ignore the smiling face of Syala. She'd heard the exact same speech before just an hour earlier, when they'd been rehearsing it.

  "The sky will blacken with ships, and the city will burn from the flames of our machines."

  He pointed to each of the factions until his hand stopped in from of Nakoma, the cruel, twisted, and brilliant leader of the Spires Clan.

  "Then you will breach the walls and sack the city. You will have booty, ships, and slaves. But there is something more you will win, under Nakoma's leadership."

  Some at the back shouted, but only those nearest could be properly translated.

  "What will we win?"

  Tanis winked at Syala, and then roared the answer each of them wanted to hear.

  "Revenge!"

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  17 December 2472

  ANS Victorious, Approaching Karnak

  Gun gripped the rail in front of the mainscreen as he watched the dot slowly increase in size. His entire body warmed up with excitement at the prospect of battle once more, yet he was more than aware of the consequences of his action. He wore his full JAS armour and looked every part the General. As well as all the upgrades fitted to the armours used by his kin, he'd had his equipment embellished over time. There were extra plates fitted around the shoulders, and after previous experiences had short spikes fitted at key points, in case anybody came too close.

  "Commander, arrival in six minutes," said Captain Delatorre.

  Gun nodded towards the ship's temporary Captain without saying a word. Most of the crew had transferred over from ANS Titan for this operation. Of them all, he'd refused to accept any other senior officers other than Captain Delatorre and the Thegn, Five-Seven after their recent successes in this area.

  "The other ships, are they ready?"

  Captain Delatorre brought up one of the three central mainscreens to show their formation. There were four Confederate Class ships, plus two of the new Spartan Class heavy transports. It was a major force to be reckoned with, and Gun knew there would be trouble with High Command afterwards.

  Who cares? If they won't act, then I will.

  "Commander. All ships are fully functional. Transports are still riding the distortion Rift without issue, luckily. It looks like it worked, after all. We'll be inside their defensive perimeter before their sensors even know we're in this System. Are you sure you don't want fighter cover?"

  "We won't need it. Just get my people on the ground, fast."

  The sense of relief was palpable, especially as there had been a good chance the piggyback system would not work. Tests showed it was possible to take extra ships along with the warships, if they stayed within the expanded warp distortion. This bubble in space-time could accommodate a small taskforce, but at the risk of losing the lot if the field collapsed prematurely, or malfunctioned in some unexpected fashion.

  "Yes, Commander. Our forces are ready for the landing."

  Gun smiled as he imagined the next moments. He squeezed the grab handle in front of him, slightly bending the metal.

  "The Star Empire will cringe and cower at the very mention of this battle to come. Good luck, my friends. Next time we meet will be after our victory."

  He then looked to the left screen showing the two ships to the left, one a transport, and the other ANS Titan.

  "All crew are definitely off her, correct?"

  Captain Delatorre nodded in agreement.

  "Yes, Commander. She is under computer control only now."

  "Good. Send her last coordinates. This will be her final battle."

  He stepped away from the command deck and looked to the officers and crew. The majority were synthetic Thegns, with a smattering of Humans mixed in with them. He wanted to say something, but all he could think of was the fight to come.

  "Win this battle. Bring them home."

  He moved down the steps and made his way to the operations level. As he left the deck, Captain Delatorre looked to Five-Seven. The synthetic creature angled its head slightly and spoke in its odd accent.

  "We can win this fight."

  Captain Delatorre raised both of his eyebrows in surprise. Normally, Five-Seven was the epitome of calm and dispassionate behaviour. This was the first and only time he'd seen anything close to emotion.

  "Of course we can. We've brought the entire IAB with us, and then some."

  He turned back to the screen and spoke more quietly.

  "They will never know what's hit them."

  * * *

  Western Canyon, 1km West of Montu City, Khagi Mountains

  Syala looked up at the fortified outer wall and muttered to herself. From a distance it had looked little different to a green haze. Now they were closer she could see that only a third of the structure was actually stone or metal. Most of it consisted of flickering light from hidden generators. Never before had she seen such shielding, but it was clearly designed to stop them from entering the city. The shimmering field was translucent and blocked off at least ninety percent of perceivable light. As the sun rose, the dull orange and yellow light revealed dark outlines on the other side.

  "It's impressive. I'll give you that," said Arana.

  The sisters looked to each other and back into the canyon. Any pretence at hiding had vanished. Instead, they waited in five long columns, each holding a long white material on tall standards. T
anis stamped his foot and grumbled at what was happening.

  "This looks like craziness to me. We're sitting ducks."

  A single gunship screamed overhead, banked hard left, and hovered over them. A number of warriors looked down from the open sides. It was hard to see their faces, but they must have been stunned to see so many thousands of warriors waiting just a kilometre outside the defences. A party of clan warriors advanced past the long lines of troops, reaching what remained of the mixed band of mercenaries. At the head of the group of clan leaders was Nakoma. She wore her usual garb, resplendent with additional markings, and even armour taken from some unknown, and presumably dead foe. She moved past the twin and stopped to look at the shimmering wall.

  "So...I return to Montu. How do we breach the walls?"

  At that point, the war chief looked back at Syala, Arana, and Tanis. She opened her mouth to speak, stopping as the camouflaged shape of Uktakki The Black appeared. He must have been waiting there for hours and was only twenty or so metres away in the low rocks of the canyon.

  "They cannot be breached," said the heavily shrouded warrior. A dozen of his comrades appeared, covered from head to toe in armour and camouflage. They looked both alien and part machine in their look, but their skills in subterfuge were undeniable.

  "We've performed a full perimeter sweep. The outer wall is shielded against firearms and protected by towers and barricades for more than seven kilometres on this side."

  Nakoma snorted as she listened and turned her attention on the sisters.

  "This is your amazing plan for revenge? To assault these positions, while above us the enemy has full air superiority?"

  Uktakki ignored her complaining and continued speaking.

  "There are additional strongpoints, and another wall two hundred metres beyond before you reach the city. After that are the old Byotai land walls, and they've been well prepared for battle."

  A crackle of thunder drowned out their voices, and as they looked up, the lightning arced across the sky once more. Syala nodded happily to herself and pointed up to the cloudless sky.