Suresh looked around him at the other Bronkaw.
“We thought we were all powerful, all knowledgeable,” Suresh continued. “We have been protected and sheltered for too long. The Pral have seen this problem, which is why we allow violence and war, but now we see that is not enough. Life is a fight for survival and when we forget that, a predator will strike.”
Slowly Vakasa nodded.
“So the Tal and Topa are all but dead,” Vakasa said.
“Yes,” Suresh replied without hesitation. “We are scattered to the distant corners. Perhaps in time we may influence the Conglomerate but not now.”
“Then why are you here?” Vakasa asked Suresh.
“Because the ancient enemy that destroyed the Conglomerate is not finished with us yet,” Suresh said.
Vakasa remained silent. Luke and many of the surrounding Bronkaw watched him think.
“Why does this matter to you?” Vakasa asked.
“Because the Pral were wrong,” Suresh said. “We wanted peace. The Battle Singers want war.”
“So?” Vakasa said.
“The choice should be yours,” Suresh said. “The Topa and Tal no longer have the resources to keep you from choosing, but the Battle Singers do.”
“And once the Battle Singers are destroyed you will leave us alone?” Vakasa asked.
“No,” Suresh said. “We still believe in peace, but we cannot force it upon you anymore. We will not be going anywhere but I suspect the culture of the Pral will shatter. We will continue to hold together the Conglomerate but I know we will fail more often than not. We no longer have the strength to keep the new empires from making their own choices, but we have the wisdom to help them. We still have control of the banking, the interstellar communication network and the technologies. However, we cannot keep others from replacing us anymore.”
Vakasa turned his gaze to Luke.
“Why are you here?” Vakasa asked Luke.
“I am here to finish your enemies, and mine,” Luke said. “The Vress are destroyed. Their home world is a glowing cinder. The survivors fleeing to the darkest holes they can find, but the ones that led them, that aimed them at the Bronkaw are still out there, still gathering armies.”
“What do you want?” Vakasa asked.
“As many ships as you have,” Luke said looking around him. “I know where the enemy is and where they will strike next. Sever the head and the body dies. I aim to sever the head.”
“You would leave the Bronkaw home world undefended?” Vakasa asked.
“Undefended?” Luke asked. “No. Lightly defended yes. If we do not stop the enemy now, they will escape, they will wait a thousand years, ten thousand years, and when they attack again, they may be unstoppable.”
“You can defeat them?” Vakasa asked.
“I had better,” Luke said. “I will lead the attack.”
Then Vakasa’s eyes fell upon Bruce.
“Another hero,” the Grand Marshal said. “You have also saved the Bronkaw people. You have given our warriors honor.”
Luke saw Bruce stand straighter.
“Many died following your orders,” the Grand Marshal said.
“They died with honor, defending the Dominance,” Bruce said. “They proved how brave and capable the Bronkaw are.” The proved the strength of their lineage.
“I studied the battle,” the Grand Marshal said. His voice unreadable. “Two of my children were among the dead.”
Bruce remained silent and Luke tried to figure out a good response. Bruce was under his command so he was responsible for anything Bruce had done.
“They died with honor,” Bruce said.
“Why did you survive, and they did not?” Vakasa asked.
Bruce was silent as Luke prepared to move. Why hadn’t he brought Musashi? He would have to move fast. The honor guard could not be trusted, but yet he could not kill them first.
“We all did our duty,” Bruce said.
“You sacrificed them,” Vakasa said.
“And I would do it again if I had to,” Bruce said. “It was necessary.”
The Grand Marshal remained silent as he looked between Bruce and Luke. It would have been better if Bruce had said something different.
Vakasa turned to a nearby admiral.
“Assemble the fleet,” the Grand Marshal said. “We go with honor.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
Battle for Ceres begins
“Ceres defense grid is coming back on line,” Goodwin reported, pulling Sonya’s attention away from an evaluation on how the Jupiter Marines were being deployed around Ceres.
“Who owns it?” Sonya asked, suspecting the answer based on the way the Jupe Marines were fighting.
“Looks like the Jupes,” Goodwin said. Sonya wasn’t sure if she was glad or not. One drone had made it into a Cerean facility that had been a death camp for dissidents and what Sonya had seen would haunt her. It had guaranteed she would have no sympathy for Yang who was on the run deep inside the crust of Ceres, hiding in one of his many secret shelters. The worst despots were excellent at hiding. Paranoid bastards.
“Most of it anyway,” Goodwin said. “I would say about eighty percent. Looks like they are trying to put up a wall of flak for the Caliphate juggernauts. I wouldn’t rule out the Cereans helping now they see what is coming.”
“The Caliphate forces will be at extreme range tomorrow,” Fry said. “The juggernauts are decelerating but even they have enough maneuverability to make it hard for the Cereans.”
Sonya stared at the plot full of orange enemy markers. None were red yet indicating a threat to Cincinnatus but that could change at any moment. Watching the plot was like watching a choreographed dance. You knew what the moves were likely to be, but everything could change and then the entire tone would turn into something very different. Any changes would start out small and cascade throughout the plot. The challenge was finding that first change that started the avalanche. Would the Jupiter 5th Fleet use Ceres as a shield or would they push out at an angle so they could flank the juggernauts? The huge mass drivers on the juggernauts were not directional and Sonya doubted the Jupes would risk getting in front of them.
“Impact,” Fry said and a flash of blue appeared on Ceres.
“What?” Sonya asked staring at the plot as more data appeared. Another blue flash.
“Looks like fire from the juggernauts,” Fry said. “Those impacts are in the two-kiloton range.”
Sonya winced and another blue flash. The impacts came in at a steady rate now. She was glad she wasn’t down there.
“Are they shooting at anything specific,” Sonya asked. The plot was not showing anything close to the impacts, but that just meant there was nothing of significant military value there.
“Negative,” Fry said. “Looks like the juggernauts are just looking to cause terror right now. They will target specific facilities as they get closer.
“The Caliphate force is calling on the Cereans to surrender and to join them in the peace of Islam,” Harris said. “They are also calling on the Jupes to surrender to Islam.”
“Any response?” Sonya asked glancing at Harris.
Her XO smirked.
“Ceres and the Jupes are responding,” Harris said amused. “I won’t repeat their response in polite company but in brief, they are both saying no.”
Sonya nodded and leaned back in her chair. The soft blue lights and white walls made everything seem distant and peaceful.
“Looks like the Jupes will launch long range drone strikes,” Harris reported and Sonya nodded. They had nothing to lose but drones and there would be several missile carrying drones in the mix.
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
JAS attacks the Caliphate
“Our drones are outnumbered about ten to one,” Captain Chavez said.
Admiral Page could hear it in Chavez’s tone of voice he wanted to pull the drones back.
“Use them to suicide strike on the mass drivers,” Page said, not
caring what Chavez thought. “Don’t worry about the drones. We will use the Cerean’s point defenses to protect the fleet. Right now, the biggest danger is those mass drivers. Hopefully, we will have control of the Cerean drones shortly.”
“Aye, aye Admiral,” Chavez said.
“And take us into the shadow of Ceres,” Page said. “No need to risk anything the Caliphate forces send our way.”
“Aye, aye Admiral,” Chavez said. “Admiral Snider is requesting a private channel.”
Admiral Page scowled but then wiped it from his face before anyone could see.
“I will take it in my ready room,” Page said, which was his small office next to the flag bridge.
Sitting down at his chair Page took a deep breath and activated the link.
A wait icon appeared and Page took another deep breath. Several minutes later Admiral Snider deigned to join the call.
Admiral Snider was a picture-perfect admiral, he maintained his age at around thirty to appear mature and capable but still young and handsome. He was wearing a blue beret, one of the elite, inner guard and Page knew he had favored status within the Jupiter Socialist Party. Snider’s mustache was trimmed and regulation. The dead eyes of a snake held more warmth than Snider’s.
“Admiral!” Snider said pleasantly with what could only be a good acting.
“Admiral,” Page said, not willing to play the game.
Snider nodded, understanding the situation.
“I noticed you plan on expending the fighters to cripple the Caliphate’s mass drivers,” Snider said and Page nodded.
“While there is merit to the plan,” Snider continued and Page bit his lip to conceal his emotions and keep his face blank. “I think we should take the attack to the enemy.”
“Those juggernauts have a lot more mass,” Page said. “We have most of the Cerean defense grid under our control. If we can cripple the mass drivers and get them closer, we can crack them like nuts.”
Snider nodded sagely.
“A good plan and I have no doubt it will work,” Snider said. “However, I think we can do more than that.”
Page raised an eyebrow, knowing he would not like it.
“Do not expend the fighters,” Snider said. “I think we should use them to protect our assault shuttles when we attack.”
“Assault shuttles?” Page asked. “You want to place our Marines on board those juggernauts with how many tens of thousands of Janissaries that are trained and primed to invade Ceres?”
“That is the beauty of it,” Snider said. “They would never expect it. They might even allow it.”
Page stared at Snider wondering if his fellow admiral was insane.
“Trust me,” Snider said with a smile. “My Defender commandos will rip them apart. In close quarters one of my commandos is worth a hundred of their finest Janissaries.”
Page wanted to argue, but he knew nothing about Snider’s new commandos or what they were capable of. Rumor had it they were cybernetically enhanced. But could they make that much of a difference?
“The Caliphate has seen nothing like this before. It is our chance to field test our new troops, to catch the enemy by surprise and steal their weapons away from them,” Snider said. “You don’t know these new Defenders like I do. They will be unstoppable.”
Page didn’t know what to say. He wanted to know but they couldn’t be that capable, could they?
Snider must have seen the indecision.
“I’ll tell you what,” Snider said. “We should have a real test. You commit all of your combat forces against the target four. It seems to be lagging behind, it might not be finished and doesn’t seem to have the power signature of the first three. I will commit my defenders against the first three. I will also maintain a reserve of Defender commandos in case your Marines run into trouble.”
Page didn’t like it. All of his Marines on a single one of those juggernauts could be outnumbered a thousand to one, easily.
“Shall I make it an order?” Snider asked and Page saw is out.
“That might be best,” Page said. He didn’t want all the lives lost on his head, although he was sure Snider could weasel out of it, there might be a chance Page could escape a trial.
Snider smiled again and nodded.
“The orders are in your inbox,” Snider said and Page realized he was being outmaneuvered. Were the Defenders and the commandos really that good? Admiral Snider would give the orders and be hailed as the hero if things went right. If they didn’t? Page decided he didn’t want to think about that.
“Looks like the Jupes are changing their plan,” Harris said.
Sonya’s eyes fell on the main plot. The Jupiter Alliance drone fighter squadrons were returning and the rest of the Jupiter fleet was moving out of Ceres’s orbit and boosting for deep space. They would flank then, leaving Ceres to suffer an extended bombardment. The rotation of Ceres was a little over 9 hours and Sonya estimated the Caliphate ships could plaster the entire planetoid at least three times before they entered orbit. That was a lot of suffering.
“Change course to shadow them,” Sonya said. The Jupes had a plan and Sonya wanted to be close enough to see it.
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
Lt Gray's insertion to a Juggernaut
Everyone was strapped in and secure. Everything was green on Sarah heads-up-display. Her platoon was ready with everyone and their bots were strapped in and charging. Things were going well, like clockwork and that made Sarah nervous.
She glanced at her new platoon sergeant, Sergeant Gail Jackson. Sergeant Amanda Jones from the CRP was taking over the squad from Sergeant Jackson, which didn’t make Sarah happy. Moving one of the team leaders up would have been better.
Jones was also a member of the Jupiter Socialist Party. It smelled like a political appointment and Amanda, like Gail, was trusted by Major Hansen. Except for her political affiliation Jones seemed okay. A short stocky woman who was unusually quiet, she still set off alarm bells in Sarah’s head. Having her former platoon sergeant defect to the enemy put her under a great deal of suspicion, but so far, the Major could not prove anything and upcoming combat operations moved the politics to a lower priority for the moment. The Major needed as many competent officers as he could get. Sarah knew that the Major expected combat to sort out of some of his problems.
A quick glance at the platoon display showed her most of her Marines were nervous. This was combat, not a training mission, and they would fly into the teeth of some of the largest warships mankind had ever built to attack a numerically superior force. Senior officers thought this was an excellent opportunity since the juggernauts were not very maneuverable and they felt confident they could strip most of the external defenses from the surface of the asteroid turned warships. Sarah hoped her officers were paying attention. She could think of so many things wrong with that plan, but 5th fleet was making a major commitment, sending in all the Marines they could muster at one juggernaut.
The red light flashed, and the shuttle dropped away from the JAS Rudra, named after the battle for the Rudra asteroid about thirty years ago. It hadn’t been the most comfortable troop transport and Sarah wondered if she would see it again.
Gail was doing a decent job as acting platoon sergeant and was familiar enough with the platoon but her heart rate was up. Something seemed to bothering her.
“Just like a training mission Sergeant,” Sarah said on a private channel to Gail. Long ago Sarah had found it easier to help other deal with their problems than to deal with her own, especially when her own involved too much time to think about what could go wrong.
“Yes ma’am,” Gail said as Sarah watched her platoon sergeant’s heart rate.
“We will get through it,” Sarah said. “I have faith in Fleet Command, they wouldn’t sacrifice us and I will do my best to make sure everyone gets back alive.”
“Yes ma’am,” Gail said but Sarah noticed the Sergeant’s heart rate go up a little more. Probably the wrong approach. She
wasn’t calming Gail down.
“Are you okay?” Sarah asked.
“Yes ma’am,” Gail said but Sarah thought she could hear the lie there.
“Is it something I can help with?” Sarah asked, revealing she knew Gail was lying.
“No ma’am,” Gail said.
“You are my platoon sergeant,” Sarah said. “A critical part of this platoon. If something is bothering you, let me help.”
“I’m fine ma’am,” Gail said, sounding almost miserable, which made little sense to Sarah. “I’ll be fine. Just keep your head down Lieutenant.”
“If I can help let me know,” Sarah said. ‘Keep her head down?’ What did Gail mean by that?
“Will do Lieutenant,” Gail said and Sarah closed the channel. Something didn’t feel right.
A harsh blue light lit the bay. Operating under stealth protocols, the fleet of Jupiter Marine assault shuttles would try to sneak up on the juggernauts. Meanwhile the ships of the 5th Fleet and the newly commissioned 8th fleet would engage the supporting cruisers and fighters.
The plan seemed simple enough. The main fleet would drop off the shuttles in the path of the juggernauts and maneuver to attack the Caliphate forces from another angle, working to strip off the point defenses that could endanger the Marines. Maneuvering fleets would encourage the enemy to concentrate their attention elsewhere. When the JA shuttles were close enough, they would power up and launch their attack.
It seemed so simple and Sarah wondered how bad it would go. They would have to sit quietly for close to six hours before they would know if 5th and 8th fleets had been successful.
Six hours. That was a lot of time to sit and wait. Orders came down though and she put everyone to sleep for five hours. When she woke up things would move fast. Sarah tried to relax as the drugs took hold and she slipped into a deep, restful sleep, but Gail’s comments about ‘keeping her head down’ haunted her as she slipped into a drug induced rest.
Sarah stared at her two warbots, curled up and strapped down at her feet as her eyes got heavy. All she had to worry about was accomplishing the mission and saving as many of her people as she could. In that order. Everything else was secondary.
New Empires: Conglomerate Series Book 3 Page 26