The Eternal Fortress (Star Legions Book 6)

by Michael G. Thomas

  “And you are unable to contact the other ships?”

  The Kentarchos shook his head

  “No. They might be operating as paid for scouts, but they answer only to Kallinos. It’s something we need to consider if she does not...”

  “Contact!” said the tactical officer.

  Another shape slid into view, and as it slowed, the details quickly became clear. The dark red ship was venting in a hundred places, and dozens of deep wounds along her lower hull marked where she had taken a significant strike from a volley of gunfire. A dull flicker of blue was visible in the middle of one of the deep gashes, as the internal shielding tried to counteract the effect of the major external breaches.

  “That is not good,” said Glaucon.

  Roxana sighed.

  “You’re not wrong. They’ve taken hits to the hull, gun ports, engines, and solar arrays. Whoever they ran into knew exactly where to hit them.”

  Small clouds of dust drifted behind the ship, as well as tiny chunks of debris and small broken pieces of metal. Then came a single flash, and light from nearly half of the ship went dark.

  “That’s their power gone,” Roxana said.

  Two Terran officers further inside the ship spoke quickly before the auletes called over to them.

  “Contact from Kallinos,” said Auletes Alexandros.

  Kentarchos Cadmus smiled, although it came off as more of a grimace.

  “On screen.”

  It didn’t take long for the video feed to appear, but the quality was much worse than it should have been. The decay soon changed as a positive lock was found on the source. The image of Kallinos was now perfectly clear, as was the smoke filling the interior of her ship. People rushed about in the background as they worked to fix whatever had gone wrong.

  “Kallinos, are you hurt?” Xenophon asked.

  Kallinos bowed slightly.

  “No, but thank you for your concern. My ships have taking a beating, but we completed our mission with no serious losses. I have spoken with the Strategos. He said I should speak with you.”

  Xenophon had already noted one of the twelve ships had yet to return.

  “We were forced to abandon a single raider, but all of the crew was evacuated first. When they board her, they will find themselves in a...well, an interesting position.”

  As Xenophon considered her words, the Auletes signalled that Dukas Xenias had made contact.

  “Xenophon, what is going on?”

  He shook his head in amusement.

  “No idea, I am in the middle of debriefing Kallinos.”

  “I see, please continue.”

  Unlike Kallinos and Xenophon, Dukas Xenias was only connected via the audio system, so he was unable to see what they were doing. He could hear both, though, and listened quietly and patiently for news. Kallinos stepped away from the camera unit, and after repeated calls, Xenophon looked away. Lady Artemas was just two metres away and moved up to the VOB system to get a better view.

  “Those hits, they are not from our ships.”

  Xenophon was confused, not quite understanding whose ships she was referring to.

  Ours? Does she mean Terran or Median?

  He followed her gaze and stopped upon finding the damage on the starboard side of the corsair’s hull. Energy rippled about the damage, but it was the three large metal lances she was pointing at. Each was the size of a Terran fighter and embedded deep into the ship. Kallinos continued talking, but Xenophon found himself in awe at what he could see.

  “I’ve never come across something like that before. You say they are not Median in design?”

  Lady Artemas shook her head.

  “Definitely not Imperial Navy. That must be from something local.”

  “It is,” said Kallinos.

  The mercenary commander winced as something flashed behind her, and two of her crew ran past. Shouting followed another flash, but she ignored it and pressed a number of buttons out of view. Still imagery began to arrive on the secondary displays inside the Terran ship that showed a binary star system and the fleet of corsairs.

  “We arrived at the third waypoint to scout for sign of enemy reconnaissance. Instead we ran into our friends from the shattered systems.”

  Xenophon looked to Lady Artemas for guidance.

  “Shattered?”

  Artemas smiled at his confusion. It was a name rarely used in the Empire, and presumably completely unknown elsewhere. For her, as a member of the Imperial elite, it was expected that you would know such things.

  “It is the name used by some of the provinces to describe the ancient territories once controlled by the Taochi. They rivalled the Medes in worlds and warriors. But that was a long time ago.”

  “What happened?” Glaucon asked.

  It was neither Xenophon nor Artemas that answered his question. Instead it came down to Kallinos who sounded less than impressed.

  “Perhaps you can discuss this another time? Right now I have thirty casualties and three damaged ships.”

  Dukas Xenias cleared his throat.

  “I agree. We need your ships cleared and ready for what comes next. Just tell us, Kallinos, what happened out there? What did you find?”

  Xenophon, Glaucon, Roxana, and Artemas all looked to the face of the mercenary commander. She was calm, yet the serenity of her expression was at odds with the confusion on her bridge. She leaned in and spoke slowly, making sure she was understood.

  “There is a fleet stationed in orbit around a desolate rock, the first and only major planet in the system. It was not on our charts, but it looks like they are using one of its moons as a forward supply base.”

  Xenophon nodded to himself as she spoke.

  “We were at extreme range, and near the primary star, when we ran directly into the path of a small Taochian patrol. Four assault ships hit us before we had time to change course.”

  Xenophon shook his head as he listened. The Taochi were something almost mythological amongst the Terrans. They had run into them several times now, with large numbers seen at Cunaxa. The very thought of Taochian warships was not something that had occurred to him before.

  “Four ships, against your twelve corsairs. How the hell did you get out of that?”

  Kallinos scowled.

  “That does not matter, apart from the fact that we took the four of their ships with us before jumping out. The Taochian ships are tough, but they are no naval experts. Our ships are faster and our crews more experienced.”

  She sounded cocky and clearly impressed with herself at winning such a fight. He also suspected she was making a fuss to ensure that they received a more substantial reward than they had already been promised.

  “I ensured their signals were jammed, but we were forced to split up. That is when we lost one ship.”

  She pointed at something and another series of images appeared, showing the ships both before and after the fight. None of them had seen these before, but from their size and configuration, they looked very similar to the Terran torpedo boats. The single major difference was the large armoured prow that protected a substantial transport area.

  “You did well,” said Dukas Xenias, “Keeping the enemy away from the Legion is our number one priority.”

  Kallinos bowed politely even though he could only hear her words.

  “You paid up the talents and ships, just as promised. You have done your part; it is our turn to do ours. The price was a ship and thirty men. I suspect that the loss of their ships will have costs them upwards of two hundred. My database shows the assault ships carry around twenty to thirty warriors, perhaps a little more, plus crew, of course. The reward for our reconnaissance was something much, much greater, though.”

  More images flooded in, including a videostream from a soldier’s helmet. The quality was extremely good and showed a small squad entering the crippled interior of the nearest ship. The corridors were shattered, and there were signs of gunfire damage at every point.

  “Her
e you can see where we boarded the ship. If we move on further, you will see what I mean.”

  The videostream shuffled about until reaching the heart of the ship. Bodies floated about in zero gravity, and globules of blood marked the floor, walls, and ceiling. In the middle of the room was a holographic model of a region of space. The image froze as it pointed at the model and Kallinos explained.

  “This is a map of the border with Carduchia, and it shows the Hayastani are suffering. The information is fragmentary, but it looks like they have a build-up of forces just across the Sea of Fire, and directly inside Carduchian space.”

  Glaucon let out a long sigh.

  “So we let the Hayastani walk through into Carduchia and start a war. They are going to love us.”

  Roxana was now busily examining the information on the Hayastani forward base. This one was clearly different from the other sites they’d visited. There were no shipyards, habitation areas, or any reasonable signs of colonisation. Instead there were some mooring platforms and lots of ships. Without the fleet, the place might easily have been overlooked. Ever the pragmatist, she pointed at the model.

  “Wait. Look here. I think this could help us, and potentially the Carduchians as well.”

  The initial imagery showed a small number of ships, but as the view shifted and zoomed in, it was clear much more was going on. Finally, she stopped, paused the stream, and enlarged on a particular image. It drew a stunned silence from everybody on the command deck.

  “Incredible,” said Xenophon.

  Roxana swallowed twice before speaking.

  “That’s not a base, not really. It’s a mobilisation point for an entire satrapy military force. There must be at least forty heavy transport ships, plus escorts...and those things.”

  She pointed at the grand, gothic-looking vessels, some of which they had seen before.

  “Bactrians,” hissed Roxana.

  Xenophon looked back to Kallinos.

  “I am impressed, Kallinos. You stumbled across their reserves in a place they obviously think is secure. This must be the entire remaining Hayastani fleet, and somehow they were unable to track you. How?”

  The mercenary appeared almost flattered at his question.

  “That is simple. We have the most advanced technology outside of the Core Worlds. We used our tractor beams to send the four ships on a terminal course with the primary star. Not that it will matter, no ship will travel anywhere near them.”

  Xenophon looked to Roxana.

  “Look at them. Those ships are weeks away from being ready for battle.”

  Xenophon was busily looking at one ship in particular, though, and upon recognising it, he felt a surge of irritation start to build up inside him. He looked back to Lady Artemas and then nodded back at the ship.

  “Look familiar?”

  Lady Artemas, ever the graceful and stoic noblewoman almost choked. The ship was big, easily the size of an Elamite, and alongside it were two much smaller cruisers. Huge engines ran down the flanks, and its stubby wings looked like those of a bird of prey.

  “Tirbazus.”

  Kallinos gave an amused laugh at hearing the name.

  “I thought so, at first. The ship in the middle is the same class as the Zaal, but I suspect it is merely a command ship for this fleet. It bares the marks of a lower ranked commander, not one I am familiar with.”

  She moved her hands out to encompass all around there.

  “The Carduchians and the Hayastani are now at war, and Tirbazus is busy trying to keep what he has just stolen. From the ground he’s taken, it cannot be going well for the Carduchians.”

  Xenophon nodded in agreement, and Roxana moved close to him. She gave the map one last look before speaking.

  “So, this is the reserve, a secondary fleet that is readying itself to make the decisive strike in winning this conflict. Neither of them is on our side, so what business is this of ours? We can keep moving and leave them be.”

  Xenophon shook his head.

  “Ariaeus and Tirbazus have come to an agreement, and together they have the entire resources of the Imperial purse and Hayastani to put up against us. I have an idea, and if it works, we can increase our chances of getting out of here, make a few friends with the Carduchians…”

  He looked to Kallinos.

  “And make all of us a lot more money.”

  Kallinos could not have looked happier.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Scythian class battleship ‘Mithra’, approaching the Sea of Fire

  Ariaeus stepped past the body of the Sarvan. It was something he’d wanted to do for days, and as he passed the fallen figure, he felt something akin to relief. His pleasure was quickly dampened at seeing his handmade boots were bloodied. It wasn’t much, but as he stepped away, the blood left a pattern on the floor of his battleship. He stopped, looked down at the fallen officer, and spat next to his face. The fluid struck just short of the Sarvan's face, much to his annoyance.

  “Now look what you have done. First you betray me, then you attempt to bypass my authority and run this ship as your own.”

  He lifted his head up so that his back was straight, and then sighed.

  This is why the Terrans continue to evade destruction, all because of the plotters and schemers behind me.

  Movement caught his eye, and he looked back. Both sides of the large hall looked much like an ancient galleon, but not slave rowers these were automatons. Their freedoms were little changed from their ancient kin, but on these ships they were chained to their computer systems rather than actual oars. One of them might have moved, but as his eyes scanned the vessel, he noted the only thing moving was the metal monster, Tir.

  “Problem?” he asked.

  The machine twisted about around its waist so that its body performed an impossible one hundred and eighty degree turn.

  “No, my Lord. There is no problem. My ships await your command, as well as the rest of the mercenaries.”

  Ariaeus hissed through his teeth and glanced back to the black obsidian command unit. He could already see the small fleet in the back of his mind, and the more he recalled the battle between his supposed allies, the angrier he became. Instead of two hundred plus ships, he was reduced to the ships of the Robotic Domains and the Hooshang Brothers. He had already taken a step inside the system so recently occupied by the Sarvan.

  “Boubak, where is she?”

  The machine didn’t move but locked itself down in such a way that he might have simply been a statue in the middle of the ship. His voice continued echoing through the great openness of the long deck.

  “Boubak has joined the remaining Bactrian warships and is bringing up the rear. The scout ships of the Hooshang Brothers are scouting ahead.”

  “Good,” said Ariaeus, “It’s time we left this forsaken place and continued our pursuit of the Terrans. The route through the Sea of Fire had better be correct, or Tirbazus will have more to face than just the Carduchians.”

  He stepped inside the obsidian clad system and activated the unit. From inside the module, he could see the space around the battleship as though he was actually outside the ship, drifting about on his own. For a second he almost vomited, the sensation being so real to him.

  Incredible.

  His awe was quickly dampened by consequences of the disaster at the Sea of Fire. Carduchian ships lay shattered and burned throughout its approach. At one point, three ships from different factions had struck each other, and now they lay burnt and abandoned, each intertwined into the next. He looked from left to right until he’d lost count of the number of regional heavy fighters. If any of his crew could have seen his face, they might have been surprised.

  The fools. My orders were clear, and now Tirbazus has brought himself the war he always wanted. This conflict is fuelled through nothing but short-term greed. Still, it gives me a free hand to continue.

  There were plenty of active ships in Carduchian space, but relatively few actually guarding the border. He
pressed a button and used his eyes to move back over time to see the scene on the battle at Bijar Prime. There were large numbers of ships, each a veteran of the Hayastani fleet. Dozens of troop ships waited around the ruined structures of the Carduchian capital, and a single battleship waited just twenty kilometres away, in case anything untoward happened.

  The Terrans played this one well, even better than me. They lost some ships, but they kept both sides busy here. It changes nothing, though.

  With the movement of his eyes, he came back to the present where his own fleet was entering the Sea of Fire. The course was carefully laid in and followed the estimated route used by the Terrans. Although longer to travel, it also allowed him to avoid the large numbers of Hayastani ships he expected to find on their side of the border.

  No sense in running into their ships. They are as likely to fire on me as they are to help.

  The most powerful Bactrian ships were closer to his vessel and travelled at high-speed with their gun ports closed, but their shields at full strength. In the middle of the group sat the squat shape of the Boubak.

  Another predator sniffing the blood of the wounded prey.

  His lower lip curled a little with the thought of satisfaction rumbling through his chest. He could see the Terran ships burning, and each one destroyed would bring him that much closer to redemption. A shape flashed inside the unit, and then the face of one of his unnamed officers appeared.

  “An urgent message from Babylon Prime, my Lord.”

  The fool didn’t even check to see if he wanted to see it. The connection was activated, and an image of the Emperor himself appeared. Ariaeus lowered his head and almost vomited of the sight of his supreme commander.

  “Ariaeus, tell of your progress.”

  “My Lord. I have persuaded the Terrans out of Carduchia and on into the Hayastani Satrapy. I am in the...”

  “I see,” Artaxerxes interrupted, “And what of Lord Ruhollah? I have not seen his reports for some time.”

  Ariaeus’ mind was rushing ahead, but the God King could see right through him, even from this vast distance.

  “I am busy conducting a war against Amyrtaeus of Sais, so do not waste my time with nonsensical trivia. Now tell me, where is Lord Ruhollah?”