McDougall fired off sensor shells from backup acceleration rails, allowing them all a better view of the battlefield.
A rail gun fired here and there, their target failing to move again. The tanks started to go silent and for the first time in a long time, the guns on the Ducharev line stopped firing.
Everyone looked for targets as the weapons fire in the distance started to die down as well.
Nothing was left alive outside the wall, just piles of Maraukian bodies.
More sensor rounds were released, checking every inch of the battlefield.
An hour and a half—that’s how long they had been beyond the wall. But with tremendous fire superiority and good communication, they were able to defeat the Maraukians that had been banging on their wall for months.
“Good work, people. Tank commanders, move to phase two.” Nerva’s voice came out over the Ducharev channel.
“Everyone, check your systems and tell me how we’re looking. Robert, you got a way to fix that front track? Otherwise we’re going to be replaced out.” McDougall was the leader of this tank group but if his tank was less than one hundred percent, he would be a liability and they’d need to stay behind the wall.
“Sorry, sir. It’s a nasty one. We’ll need someone to come help us out here. Otherwise we’re going to need a whole new track,” Robert said.
“Got it.” McDougall wasn’t happy with the situation but he opened a channel to the Rampage tank commander.
“Finch, our outside front track is busted up good. If we move on, we’re going to lose it and mobility. Going to wait for repair. You’ve got command of the tank column. Pick out a replacement for the Hellcat from those staying behind,” McDougall said.
“Damn shame. It would have been good to have you, boss!” Finch said.
“Shit happens,” McDougall said. “Bring them back safe.”
“I’ll do my best.” Finch cut the channel as he took command of the column.
“Just got done talking to the mechanics. They’re sending out a work crew to help us. I’ll get in an armored suit and take a proper look at it,” Robert said.
“Wait out fifteen. Want to make sure that there is nothing left out there that would be a danger,” McDougall said.
“Gotcha. I’ll get suited,” Robert said.
Robert and McDougall had been talking on the tank channel so the others knew what was going on.
“Shit. Well, that sucks.” Lackey sighed. “All green up here. Ammunition report to you.”
“Got some scuffs and two accel tubes are messed up but good otherwise,” Chang said.
“Main gun is green. Could do with an ammunition resupply, though,” Valentine reported.
“Green for all mechanical and electrical. Need resupply for reactive blow-out panels and packs. Track is still busted. Got some hits and dings here and there, but nothing close to penetrating,” Robert said, clearly getting suited up as he made noises of effort while talking.
The other tanks moved back to the gate, getting resupplied before heading out away from the wall and firing sensor shells all the way to scan the ground and surroundings. If they found a nest or something that looked like a nest, they’d call in a nest buster from the launchers behind Ducharev.
After fifteen minutes, Robert left the tank to go check on the track, with the mechanics saying they were twenty minutes away.
With the torn-up terrain, it would take them some time to reach the Bellona.
McDougall sat back in his chair and started the waiting game. He tapped the armrest of the massive metal monstrosity that he had spent most of his life with.
The Bellona’s guns continued to check the surrounding area, smoke rising from the torn-up landscape.
Under it, Maraukian bodies were strewn over the ground. It was a sight that McDougall had seen all too many times. He pulled out a tin of chew and packed a new lip, the motions automatic and rehearsed into a science.
As the nicotine started to hit his system, he came down from the rush, the headache from being that alert for so long and the stress of his decision and the unknown future ahead of him.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Legate Nerva’s Estate
Orbiting Gardens of Ageia, Hellenic System
2/3556
Cilo Calidius Farus moved from one side of his office to another, trying to stretch out his aching muscles. Not one at all for the new tech that they kept trying to get his old bones to accept. He smiled, thinking of the recent conversations and plans with Nerva. Quina reminded him of someone he knew, so many, many years ago.
It had taken awhile from his first conversation with Nerva to get things on the move. Storing up not only equipment but resources on the quiet side. A few people had asked questions, but he’d managed to persuade them that this was nothing out of the ordinary.
Today, things were going to change for good.
He punched the comms to the nice young lady who waited on him daily and called her inside. “Yin, call a meeting of the council. I’ll need to announce this properly.”
Yin seemed to stumble at his words, but she found her stride, nodded and backed out of the room once more.
Farus picked up a snack from the table before him and ate while he thought about the next few weeks. The large floating estate hadn’t been tested for movement for many years; seemed he might need to visit with the engineering division as well before the day ended. There hadn’t been this much excitement around here for half a century.
No time like the present for getting going. He swiped the water bottle and started to walk. The large garden station could take some time to negotiate around when you weren’t that steady on your feet.
Refusing most of the medical aid, Farus liked to feel that he was getting older. Aching bones and all.
The walking allowed him to stretch his legs, and within a minute or two, he was back in a stride he was comfortable at.
It didn’t take long for Yin to catch up to him, despite his being well ahead of her. Settling in beside him, Yin asked, “What’s so important you call a meeting of the council during their vacations?”
“You’ll all know soon enough. For now, we’re heading down to engineering.”
Her smooth Chinese features crumpled. “Engineering, sir?”
Farus met her concern with a glare of his own. Yin was used to hearing all of his conversations and comms but the last one with Nerva she’d been removed from. “It’s not kept from you for a reason. You’re by my side now. Come, you’ll hear first-hand down in engineering.”
Yin nodded and kept her pace with his, making sure her quick footsteps weren’t pushing his.
While they made their way down, Yin made small talk with him about the gardens’ growing capacities, and their recent festival, which most of the population took as holidays. Farus found the facts she was giving interesting. Winning competitions for food production and quality of product was a big win against a planet that was actually producing one hundred times as much. He smiled, wondering whether they’d miss their additional resources in trade once they started their move and closed their borders.
As they passed several people through the corridors, each stopped in turn to greet Farus, some with just a nod of appreciation and others to verbally thank him for his work.
Yin never let this grow old, and always made sure when she was with him that he stopped to work with the people in the gardens. Appreciation all around was a good thing.
Finally at the lift he wanted, Farus pushed for the inner parts of the gardens. It had been awhile since he’d actually visited this side of them, and the thrill of seeing them flare to life filled his veins with adrenaline, making his heart race.
“Take your time,” Yin whispered. “Whatever it is we’re going to be doing, they don’t need you keeling over.”
Farus laughed and stepped into the lift. His body slowed and he calmed as they dipped, lower and lower into the belly of their home.
Two corridors later, he stood
before the main doorway into the engineer’s control room.
“Once more into the...”
Farus opened the door and stepped inside with Yin in tow. He looked around to the bustling stations. Several gentlemen watched over various unique parts inside the gardens, making sure all energy and resources were balanced.
A uniformed man spotted him and called out, “Legate.” His much younger legs ran toward them and he stopped dead to salute him.
“Retired, you know that, Proclus.” Farus beamed at him. “Good to see you are the one on duty today.”
Proclus looked about the room as everyone had paused in their duties. Farus noticed and quickly called out, “At ease, please. But may I ask you finish your tasks and gather at the center of the room in a few minutes.”
Proclus gave him a side glance. “Retired you say?”
“Well, maybe not after today,” Farus said.
There were some concerned eyebrows raised and small chatter started among the teams, but they were buried back in their duties in seconds. Then, one by one, men and women moved from their stations to gather at the center of the room.
Proclus watched and then turned his eye to Farus. “What’s going on?”
“We have orders from Legate Nerva,” he simply said. “I’ll address you all in a moment. Let them make sure the gardens are running and we’ll talk.”
Proclus glanced to Yin, who shrugged, and together they made their way to the gathering group.
Farus stood before them, eyeing up the forty-seven men and women on this watch.
“You’re my first port of call today because we’ve received orders from Legate Nerva to begin preparations.”
Farus watched several of the men stiffen. Their eyes lit up at the mention of their leader. There were others who seemed confused but the immediate reaction was just as he’d thought, so he carried on. “The preparations we’ll be starting are to move the gardens out from orbit and to set her on a course for a new system.”
There wasn’t a word spoken from any of them. Faces changed, though, and from excitement to nervousness, they could be read well enough.
“I’ll be addressing the garden’s population as soon as I can. No communication from here on will be allowed out into the Hellenic system. They will get one chance to leave, as will you once the statement is made.”
Farus took the time to look around the room, and one young tech held up a hand.
“Yes?” he said.
“Sir, why would anyone want to leave the gardens?”
Farus smiled at her, noting her name, Angela Denst. “Angela,” he said, “good question.”
Someone else answered for them all. “If the gardens are moving on Nerva’s orders, there’s good reason for it. If he goes, I go.”
Resounding nods of heads and yeses filtered through.
“So, first things first.” He looked to Proclus. “We need to be sure this ship is still a ship and can actually get her engine going, to be able to move. I can’t announce our departure and then have us fail.”
Proclus’s face beamed as he looked over to two of the other gentleman on his team. “Yes, sir. We’ve kept the systems all running smooth. Shouldn’t take more than thirty minutes to start up procedures and the engines for a test run.”
Farus glanced once around the room to all the other head nods. “Then begin. We’ve a test to run.”
All hands snapped to attention and within a minute, they were back at their respective posts and coordinating with one another.
Yin caught his attention. “I’ll be able to recall my son, won’t I?”
Farus lowered his eyes, remembering. “Yes, all outside personnel will be recalled using their NIAIs. They’ll have plenty of time to return, don’t worry.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Mesami
Indalia, Otarvi System
2/3556
“Reports are back. The area around Edani has been checked. There were several nests but they’ve been eliminated and the region is secure,” Centurion Augustus said.
“Good. Transport orders have been already sent and we’re moving the legion forces to the next region to clear out. Work crews should move up under protection to Edani and re-establish the line there. This time I don’t want any fuck-ups,” Yousef said.
“Yes, sir,” Augustus said, passing information and orders.
For many of the companies that they had contracted out defensive works for, fighting Maraukians was a forgotten nightmare. They were looking to make as much money as possible for the least work.
With their politician friends, a lot of them got it. Then the Maraukians came and all of their stupid ploys got people killed.
They weren’t safe as Yousef searched them out, recalled them all to the Union, not caring about the protests, and put them on the front lines, where they had built the defenses.
This included governors and statesmen as Yousef detailed some trusted subordinates to charge the different people with gross negligence. The court order was still pending but the people of Indalia were whipped up into a rage with it all.
Yousef had cleared out most of the dirty people in the system. He might not be a large political figure but he spent enough time in those circles to know who was truly looking out for the people and who was not.
It was why he was so interested in the information that Nerva had passed to him. If Emarl system was to rise by itself, there was no telling whether Indalia couldn’t rid themselves of the political machine that was the Roma Union and guide their own future.
He only needed to think of the space legion forces or the obstructive way of the legionnaire commanders who had come from Roma. There was a reason he hadn’t included them in his briefings: they would turn it into a much longer affair, just to seem more important.
The Roma Union was a slow-moving machine that didn’t seem able to move anymore as its gears were locked up, with everyone looking out for themselves.
Yousef moved the map with his fingers. In isolated regions across Indalia, where he could, he had their forces pushing out with heavy support. Ducharev was the first battle to be won, but already the fighting in these different areas was starting to die down and the Bellonas were moving out to look for nests.
“Time to end this battle,” Yousef said to himself. He was sure that there would be plenty more to come in the future.
Chapter Forty
Denala
Indalia, Otarvi System
2/3556
Legate Quina and her people had been moved to the new region for just a few minutes before she was walking out of the command center again with her new orders.
“All right, boys and girls, we’re on the line again. Try to do as much damage to the Maraukians until the Bellonas can get all set up,” Quina said over her legion’s channel. At the same time, she sent out areas for her different centurions and their forces to be placed.
The plan hadn’t changed and was the same as what it had been at Ducharev. They could’ve come up with another plan, but this one was simple and effective.
The centurions took command of their people and they started moving to the wall. More people were still coming in, so it would take time for them to be all deployed.
She moved with them, checking her weapons and armor before entering the wall.
The walls were made up of complex doors and passageways to make it easier for people to retreat and cut down the Maraukians, funneling their numbers and giving the defenders time to escape, or ready a new defensive line or counterattack.
It was rare to counterattack as it nearly only happened by using a shield wall and pressing forward right into the Maraukians. Casualties were usually high, so only veteran units did it.
Heavy rail guns were mounted on the walls so people were less exposed but even they could be hit by the Maraukians, needing to get them replaced.
There were also firing slits where people could shoot through.
Quina made it to the front line with the fi
rst complete century.
The weapons fire volume increased as rounds struck the wall. A few rounds made it through the openings and struck the corridor behind.
Everyone was ducking low so that they wouldn’t be hit.
Plasma hit the wall, making it through an opening and striking a trooper in the helmet. “Help! Shit!” the person screamed out, panicking. Another grabbed a canister and doused the person as their buddies held them down.
“Medico!” someone yelled out. It looked as though the plasma had gotten through their helmet.
People ducked as a missile exploded, thankfully hitting the ground. Dirt rained down on the position, and then the legionnaires were back up and shooting at the attacker.
The new legionnaires grimly stepped up to the wall and manned weapons systems, replacing out a few that had been destroyed while others simply used their rifles.
Quina moved to one of the heavy rail guns. Her NIAI connected to it, telling her the ammunition, temperature, and condition while also feeding her target information.
Quina pulled on the charging handle and depressed the trigger, spitting tracers and rounds from the gun.
Long bursts shot through the air as she used them to guide herself onto the Maraukian targets. She moved with the gun. Blue blood appeared behind the Maraukians as the tracers hit the dust around them and flew off into the distance.
The Maraukians dropped to the ground, missing parts of their body as she fired on the grouped Maraukians.
“Those of you not on a machine gun, get herd commanders!” Quina said.
The M19 users dialed in on the herd commanders. It might take more rounds but their rifles were much more accurate, allowing them to take down commanders.
The enraged Maraukians lost their reason. They started to group together and make a concentrated charge.
“Machine guns love grouped targets,” Quina muttered to herself, remembering what one of her machine gun teachers said to her. She understood it only too well as she brought the different groups under fire.
An Empire is Born (Maraukian War Book 3) Page 18