Koban: Rise of the Kobani

by Stephen W Bennett

  The other six circled Ethan and Conrad and did the group hand stack to share the common gestalt. The overall Dragon complexity was not great, and they hit on a common mental memory of the most efficient driving methods found in less than two minutes. There would be enough time to adjust the process later, after they had practical experience.

  Ethan turned back towards Carson when he and the other “Dragon riders” suddenly froze. The sound of the wheels of the other practicing cart drivers had done to them exactly what they had hoped would happen to the Krall. Their sounds covered the noise of approaching machinery.

  The “freeze” in TGs lasted all of a hundredth of a second, as the tank drivers whirled and raced to their tanks. Carson, instantly understanding something behind him was wrong, shouted to the other TGs as he whirled to look over his shoulder.

  Trundling into view was the leading part of a large gray colored metal scoop, as it passed from behind the rounded edge of the more widely sloped valley opening, almost a mile away. The operator would be able to look down the valley in a few seconds, and the Dragons and mobile cannons were not parked where they had been. In fact, a dozen cannons were in motion. That warrior would be able to report the intruders to the clanship, and that they were human.

  Carson Linked to Ethan and Conrad as they dove into their nearby Dragons. “Go after the clanship, I’ll organize against whatever is coming.” He whirled his cart about as the remaining TGs, seeing where the others had looked, or hearing the new sound as it funneled along the valley, spotted the full front half of what humans would recognize as a variation on a large front loader excavator.

  The surprise of the Krall driver, even at this distance, was comically evident. He looked casually down the valley, and suddenly leaped to his feet, unslinging a plasma rifle. Carson had beat him to the first shot by half a second, but the flash apparently forewarned the Krall, who dropped enough for the bolt to pass through the recently vacated location of its head.

  Damn! I should have aimed for the center of mass, thought Carson. I’d have a hit.

  The big machine continued forward, starting a right turn into the valley. The operator was now crouching behind the heavy lift mechanism and the scoop, out of sight.

  Carson saw several more rifle bolts from the other TGs strike the cab area, keeping the warrior’s head down with accurate fire. Not assuming the Krall would be unable to get off a return shot, he kept his own head behind the heavy shield of the plasma cannon, watching the video feed instead. He was driving in what at first glance might seem to be reverse. However, the wheels that steered the cart were on the opposite end from where the driver stood at the controls. This was to let the operator drive at his target in relative safety behind the shield, and use the electronic view screen to see in front, and to place a red circle on the target before pressing the trigger. Which Carson did just then, in his first “test” of his twin barreled plasma cannon. Everyone’s first test shot would have to be in combat.

  The double bolt, far more potent than his rifle’s bolt, slammed at a glancing angle on the side where he thought the motor compartment would be, attempting to bring it to a stop. Instead, the machine completed a hard turn and continued to roll, despite the heavily seared marks on its metal side.

  As his two plasma chambers replenished together, Carson knew he should have fired single bolts at a time to maintain a higher rate of fire. He would have at least ten seconds to wait now, a long time in a firefight with such weapons.

  Other construction equipment was rounding the end of the valley now, none of it was Dragons or cannons, but there were plasma bolts from rifles splattering off his and the other shields now. One managed to hit his video camera, surely not an accidental shot. The Krall knew how to make it more difficult for users of these carts, because they knew their design well. If he looked around the left or right shield edge to shoot, he made a target of his head.

  The other batteries were firing at the construction equipment, but as the Krall spread across the wider valley opening, the open cockpit design of the cannon carts would soon expose the operators to plasma rifle fire from the flanks if they continued to close with the enemy. Carson fired a single cannon bolt at a Krall he could see hanging from the side of his machine, avoiding fire from another direction. Without the targeting pip, he missed the warrior, but killed the machine when it suddenly stopped moving. There were frequent rifle bolts passing by his shield mere inches from the edges on the left and right, hoping to catch him looking around either side for a target. Instead, he crouched on the top of his console, quickly raised his head and rifle for a quick snap shot, and took down the warrior he’d missed a moment ago with the bigger gun.

  Now there were shots passing just over the shield top as well, so he had to try to keep his head down or face the possibility of having it shot off. He wondered how the Krall were getting off shots so fast and accurate. He was unknowingly learning of the Krall battlefield memory capability. They took one look at the scene, and kept a mental picture of where targets were. They could fire blindly and accurately a number of times before they needed to look again.

  He used a bit of that tactic, as he made a lightning fast peek around the top left shield edge, rapidly shifted rotation and elevation of his cannon, fired a single bolt, and sheared a front axle of the first tractor they had seen. The large right front wheel dropped off, and it came to a halt as it slewed to the side.

  He was so focused on his own fight that Carson was unaware that the TGs behind him were picking up cues from his efforts. They also were disabling more of the heavy equipment, and had picked off two more Krall. However, following Carson’s thoughtless example, they too were racing towards the widely spread Krall, who would soon have firing angles from the sides, at the humans who were only shielded from the front.

  The Krall drivers of the broken down machines were taking shelter behind the heavier denser parts. The lack of an enclosed shelter for the TG operators prevented the plasma cannon carts from advancing faster or closer. Clearly, this sort of frontal assault wasn’t the proper tactical use they were intended to have.

  In a few minutes, they had immobilized all of what could only be called construction machinery, and the dozen or more surviving drivers had good enough cover that all the exposed plasma batteries could do was blast away at their shelter until it was eventually reduced to scraps. The clanship was certainly alerted by now.

  Where are our Dragons? Carson wondered.

  He no more had the thought than the rapid sound of treads crushing gravel filled his ears. He had been focused on stopping the incoming Krall and equipment, while Ethan and Conrad had been Linked, sharing a plan. They used the minutes to practice a few high-speed runs and steering in their Dragons, and then they both raced over to the shelter of the three armored transports. Standing behind them for cover were four TGs that were taking pot shots at the mile distant Krall.

  Each Dragon pivoted as they skidded to a halt, and backed up to place their rear hatches behind the cover of the big machines and, opened the hatches. They shouted to the TGs to get aboard, two to each Dragon. It was only slightly cramped, and both the TG1 drivers Mind Tapped the new arrivals to brief them on tank features, and what they intended to do.

  As they roared past Carson, now motionless on the front-most battery, they were up to nearly fifty miles per hour, and picking up speed. The other six Dragons were slower to chase after the leaders because they didn’t know what they were planning. Neither did Carson.

  Carson assumed the two of them were just going to race out into view of the clanship and trade punches. They were going to be heavily outgunned with just the two of them for almost a minute, before the other tanks caught up. The clanship had larger plasma cannons that might be ready to fire by now, and heavy lasers. He looked back to see the other six Dragons starting after them, confused by the lack of coordination. The inability to Link with everyone was proving to be a severe problem.

  As the two Dragons approached the disa
bled equipment, they suddenly slowed, and swung around and between some of the tractors, one skidding right, the other left. Suddenly laser fire lanced out simultaneously from both sides and the front of each tank, taking down Krall that either had to face their withering fire, or step around the sides to face the plasma batteries and their operator’s plasma rifles. Some did both and in short order there were only two Krall still firing. One of those was the first warrior to spot the activity in the shelter of the valley, staying hidden behind the scoop of his broken excavator.

  ****

  Hortak, when he first looked at their equipment in the valley wondered why his K’Tals had parked the tanks and plasma batteries so haphazardly. It was a shock to see that there were humans standing among them and he was stunned to see that the plasma cannon batteries were in motion! The humans here were somehow stealing some of his clan’s equipment. He leaped to his feet and ripped the rifle slung over his back into firing position, just as he saw a bright pinpoint spot of light, rather than a short streak, the evidence a plasma bolt was being aimed directly at his face. He flung himself down just before the heat of the beam scorched past the side of his head.

  The infrared glow of the magnetic confinement field extended a foot or two beyond the pulse rifle barrel, which slightly preceded the plasma bolt. That was all that saved his life. If that early glow is a slight streak or smear, it isn’t aimed directly at you. A tight point of infrared light means the forming bolt is aimed at your head.

  It was a fine shot for even a Krall at that distance, with the shooter’s motion and that of the target to consider, so it was obviously pure luck for any human. He was prepared to fire at the human again from concealment, when the prey animal steering the same battery actually made it fire.

  He saw the larger infrared flash first. The impact and heat on the tractor’s side were powerful, but nothing compared to the staggering shock he felt as he realized a Krall weapon had been used by a human! It hadn’t registered a moment earlier that the carts were moving, using a motor system that a human should not be able to activate. In a flash of insight, he knew that his K’Tals had not carelessly parked the mini-tanks in the center of the valley. The humans somehow had control of those as well.

  He turned his excavator towards an immeasurably more dangerous enemy than he’d ever expected to face here. Never in the histories, not since the last of the Olt’kitapi died, had an alien been able to bypass their weapons security.

  He used his com button to warn the warriors following behind him of the danger, and ordered them to attack and destroy the humans at any cost. He contacted Tebrol, the K’Tal he left as a watch stander, and ordered her to open the laser and plasma cannon ports, and initiate the ten minutes of heating for the plasma beam chambers, and preheating the ceramic cannon barrels. He was furious to learn that the K’Tal had descended to assist warriors that were struggling to assemble an artillery defense platform and had asked for her assistance. She instantly started racing back to the ship, and up through the many decks, but there would be additional minutes of delay to produce the plasma beams that were the most serious threat he could offer to crack a Dragon’s ceramic skin. He had no missiles aboard, expecting no battle situation to require them, so he had to hold the humans pinned in this valley until the ship’s plasma weapons were ready.

  As the humans sporadically fired the cannons and advanced on his mixture of machinery, he clearly saw they were unfamiliar with the weapons, because they were using them so ineffectively. They fired both cannons together most of the time, rather than using the second barrel to follow up on a vulnerability, which the first blast might temporarily produce. The firing rate was lower as well, giving his warriors an opportunity to expose themselves more often for counter fire. Rather than line the batteries up and standoff to use massed concentrated fire, they were moving into closer range of his warrior’s plasma rifles, riding in open driving compartments. Soon they would be unable to remain hidden behind the gun shields at close range, as his forces spread across the wider valley mouth. If his warriors could kill the human operators and recapture four or five of those weapons, they would teach the humans how to use them efficiently. Even the Dragons were vulnerable to massed fire and tread breakage from these lighter cannons, if flash heated too rapidly.

  The closest battery was the first he wanted to capture, and he directed three other warriors to concentrate fire at its shield edges. He used their pressure to take careful aim where he knew the gun sight camera was placed, and turned that spot into slag. That would keep the human from seeing the approaching danger, and prevent him from firing back effectively.

  Only he was more daring then Hortak expected, and much faster. He flashed a look over the top of the shield from a height too high for even a Krall to see over. He had jumped up or stood on the control panel of the rolling machine. The accurate cannon shot that followed proved that the glimpse was enough to improve his aim. However, he foolishly continued to close the gap. He could be picked off from the sides soon, returning his weapon to Krall control. The other humans behind him appeared to follow his lead. Good! They would die too, while Hortak retained enough warriors to turn the tide of battle. He noted that he had lost at least three warriors of the sixteen that had accompanied him, but four warriors using recaptured cannons could hold the tanks here until the clanship had plasma weapons ready, and could lift.

  He saw the human’s head appear again, too briefly for his warrior’s fire to adjust. Suddenly, the weapon he wanted to recapture personally, lowered its barrels at his machine, and he moved to place his body behind the protection of the front heavy steel scoop. The blue-white flash was accompanied by a sudden wrenching of the excavator, and it dropped down in the front on one side, and slid to a twisting halt. He was flung upwards and forward by that, and had to twist in midair to land feet first behind the scoop, amid its lifting arms, pistons, and levers. At least he had additional cover here, since the machine wasn’t going to move again.

  He raised his rifle to seek a human target as the stupid cart drivers continued coming his way. That was fortunate, because now it appeared that all of the construction equipment was down, and they needed the enemy to continue to close with them. Just a little farther would be enough.

  He had noticed in the background that the mini-tanks, far from getting involved in the fighting as they should have, appeared to mill about, perhaps not firing their heavier plasma guns because of the sixteen weaving carts between them and their targets. They did not appear to know any more about using the Dragons than they did the plasma batteries. It seemed like they were doing driving practice. At least two of them were, as they raced around, and suddenly both almost collided with the big transports, in a fast sliding maneuver that backed up to two of them.

  It could have been dismissed as a coincidence, but they did that in perfect concert, and both reversed a short distance behind the front cab sections and halted. He knew there were humans in those locations, too remote and poorly placed to offer effective fire on his warriors. Perhaps they were picking them up in a rescue, as humans inexplicably often did. That could mean they were about to retreat, flee the battlefield down the valley as he knew humans also did, frequently before the outcome was fully decided. Of course, the outcome was always a Krall victory.

  Instead of running in the opposite direction, the two Dragons accelerated at maximum towards the crippled Krall machinery. It appeared they were going to run right out into the open, where the clanship should be able to fire on them!

  He alerted the K’Tal, Tebrol, to stand ready to fire. She confirmed the Plasma was not ready yet, but the lasers were on line.

  Then, unpredictable as humans always were, the Dragons flashed past his position, but were no longer accelerating. They suddenly applied braking and turned to pass behind the scattered wrecked machines, weaving among them as all eight of their combined lasers started firing. That was something no two handed creature could do, fire four individual hand operated weapons at o
nce. Suddenly, a turret plasma burst vaporized a warrior that made a run for one of the nearby batteries, apparently trying to recapture at least one. That was the reason they had stopped to pick up their clan mates, to provide more trigger fingers.

  In seconds, he knew of only one other warrior still firing. The tanks had never passed beyond the mouth of the valley, and had killed nearly all of his remaining force. There were not very many humans involved here. Even a sixteen-to-one ratio was normally too few for a human advantage. He’d seldom heard stories of human successes in battle, but he just had the dishonor of witnessing one here. He was on the verge of calling Tebrol to reluctantly report his shameful defeat, and order her, whom had left her post when he needed her instant support, to lift off and come rescue him.

  He’d almost rather die fighting. The almost was conditioned by the knowledge that a capture of one of these humans alive was vital. They needed to discover how human technology had defeated the Olt’kitapi quantum encryption, which had worked securely for over twenty-two thousand years against older and more advanced races. It was supposed to be unbreakable.

  On a general frequency that his clan used, he discovered the other bewildered survivor was an experienced warrior, a participant on many human world raids. Gentot wanted to die in a valiant charge against this enemy, rather than suffer the loss of all status points if the clanship saved them.

  Hortak was explaining why they needed to capture a human alive from this group, to report to their clan elders this dangerous new capability. He ordered Gentot to wait and join with him in trying to secure a live human, when Tebrol lifted off and attacked from the air. A live human prize could save their status when they extracted information.

  Then his fondest wish, at that particular moment anyway, was answered in the form of a shouted offer from a human.