Knights of the Chosen (Spirit of Empire, Book Two)

by Lawrence P White

  “Well, this is pretty extreme, twelve against one.”

  Krys held up a hand. “Gentlemen, there’s more.” All eyes turned to her, but she focused on O’Brien. “My visions are sometimes accompanied by words. The words are always in the form of a riddle. I received only one word this time.

  ‘Encircle’

  “Encircle? Do I have more ships?” O’Brien asked.

  “I don’t believe so.”

  “Well, then, I rest my case. I can’t encircle the eight remaining ships by myself.”

  “Sir, it’s a riddle,” Tarn said angrily. “Don’t be so ready to discount it. We’ll be on that ship with you, and our lives depend on you doing the right thing. Some visions are warnings, and some carry instructions. This one seems to be the latter. Let’s talk about it.”

  “Okay,” O’Brien said, standing up and putting his hands in his pockets. “I’m up against eight ships, and I can’t demonstrate our fast ship capabilities if I can avoid it. We believe our weapons and shields are measurably stronger than those of our opponents, though we’re not certain when it comes to the Chessori military. Let’s say they are. I’m fighting eight enemy ships. How do I encircle them?”

  Tarn considered. “Let’s back up to before your shields started failing, before you’ve come under attack. You have a healthy ship, and you cannot avoid engaging the Chessori for some reason. Maybe the solution is to let them encircle you, sir.”

  “What! I let them surround me? You must be joking.”

  M’Sada’s mandibles started clicking. All eyes turned to him, and he started preening his antennae. “Hmm,” he grumbled. Suddenly the preening stopped. He turned to Krys. “A masterful solution, My Lady!”

  “What is it, my friend?”

  He turned to Stven, then O’Brien. “The key is that your shields are failing on one side of the ship. Why?”

  “Because that’s where they’re hitting me . . .” O’Brien trailed off, then shuddered. “It doesn’t feel right. Let them surround me? It’s against every tactic in the books.”

  “Agreed, but consider, sir,” M’Sada demanded. “If you let them encircle you while all your shields are healthy, they would be spreading their fire out among all of your shields, and you could sustain many more hits. All your gunners could select targets with their more powerful weapons, and your chances of success would be improved. We should examine this in the simulator. If our weapons and shields are, indeed, stronger than theirs, it might be a new method of fighting. Admiral Chandrajuski might even be able to use it. Come on! Let’s check it out.”

  Led by M’Sada scurrying on his many hands, everyone trooped out of the room except Krys, Stven, Tarn, and Borg.

  Krys looked at Stven, bemused. “Not the greatest tempering, Captain.”

  “It’s a start, My Lady. They’ll come around. You’ll see.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Resolve’s first stop was Sembik, one of over one hundred district headquarters in Orion sector. Stven fast-shipped Resolve to within a week of the planet with their beacon off, then reverted to normal speed and activated the beacon with a completely fictitious code. Ground controllers contacted them immediately, wanting to know where they’d come from. Stven questioned their procedures, asking them if they’d been asleep at their screens. An argument ensued, and Stven finally agreed that his beacon transmitter might be weak. They were cleared in.

  The visit there was completely uneventful, both coming and going. Krys’ message was given and well received, and they left. Stven and M’Sada congratulated themselves – the change of ship had worked. No one knew who they were.

  They visited three more districts with similar results, though Chessori traders followed them from the last two, which meant they could not fast ship out of the system. Krys fretted with the wasted extra weeks, but there was nothing to be done about it.

  Their next stop was Krandt. When they came out of hyper a week from the planet, Stven counted six Chessori ships within the system, and George, the AI, informed him that these were Chessori military ships. Stven again claimed a weak transmitter on his beacon and was cleared in. As Resolve neared the planet, he discovered four more Chessori ships at the port, but these were traders, not military ships.

  He had no problems logging his arrival with port operations, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

  Two teams of Protectors left the ship to examine the route they would take to Dgoffs’ headquarters. Escorted by Tarn, Washburn, and Borg, Krys entered the building, all dressed as civilians. Borg’s presence opened doors, and they had no difficulty reaching the admiral. Dgoffs answers to certain questions were acceptable, and without further word, Krys laid one of her Knights pins on his desk.

  He stared at the pin with narrowed eyes. He glanced over to Borg, then reached a hand out and picked up the pin. He attempted to open the pin, but he could not. He returned it, saying, “Complete the process if you can.”

  Krys turned the pin to face Dgoffs, then passed a hand over it. The pin opened, and Dgoffs stared at the hologram of Ellie.

  “You have a Queen, Admiral. I carry a message from her.”

  He came out from behind his desk and went to one knee, his lips in a thin line but trembling. “Your presence here honors me, My Lady. I just heard from a visiting Imperial Senator that we have a Queen. What is her wish?”

  “She commends your loyalty through, what I am certain, have been difficult times, Admiral. Know that the Queen is in command, and her resources are growing. Her message to you is to hold your district for as long as you possibly can. If holding becomes untenable, you are to retreat with as many forces as you can muster. I’ll give you a rendezvous location, but I beg you to hold. I don’t think it will be overlong.”

  He stood up. “The sector governor tried to replace me once already. I sent my replacement packing, and his response has been to send a new district governor. The new governor is not taking no for an answer. I am at the end of my holding game.”

  “What about the old district governor?”

  “He refused to give up his position, saying he did not accept the authority of the new governor. He was arrested a month ago, along with two Imperial Senators.”

  “Senators!”

  “Yes, My Lady. One was the visitor who carried the message that we have a Queen. They were both meeting with the governor when they were arrested.”

  “They’re still alive?” Tarn asked, a little surprised.

  “They are. I spoke with the governor last night. His days are numbered, just as mine are. I’ve already set a plan in place. It includes retreat, and it includes taking him and the two senators with us. Now you tell me there’s a specific place to which I can go. I’m pleased that I will be able to continue working for the Queen, but I’m sorry to say that she has lost this district.”

  “How many forces do you command?” Tarn asked.

  “Six squadrons, each with a support base.”

  “Sir, you say the governor is new,” Tarn said thoughtfully. “How well ensconced is he?”

  “I don’t understand your question, young man.”

  “We observed a number of Chessori military ships on our way in, and four traders at the port. What’s their purpose here?”

  “The military ships came with the governor. The purpose of the traders seems obvious.”

  “Are individual Chessori with the governor?”

  “I haven’t seen him without several by his side, and there are twenty military types waiting for me to train.”

  “You’ve allowed them onto your ships?” Krys asked in alarm.

  “No, My Lady. The request has been made a number of times, but I haven’t found any of them up to our standards yet, and I won’t. I don’t know what they’re up to, but I don’t trust them.”

  “Hmm,” Tarn mumbled. He stared at Washburn and Borg for a time, then turned away deep in thought.

  “I would hold if I could, but I want to deny the new governor access to my squadrons. I’
m certain the Queen will put us to good use.”

  Krys looked at Tarn’s back with a raised eyebrow. “The Chessori are in league with the Rebels, Admiral. Your distrust is well-placed.”

  Tarn turned back to the group. “The district’s first priority is to hold, but our larger purpose here in Orion Sector is to help Korban hold. I wonder if we can create a noticeable distraction here?”

  “What did you have in mind, Sire?” Borg asked. Dgoffs blinked at the Great Cat’s use of the title. He had not known that Tarn, too, was a Knight.

  “The governor here is fairly new. He’s probably not well-established. I wonder if we could remove him from office and reinstate the real governor? Equally important, I’d like to rescue the two senators. The day is coming when the Queen will need every senator she can get on her side.”

  Dgoff’s rubbed his chin. His eyes narrowed when he said, “Their rescue is already in the works, Sire. Leave it to me.”

  Borg spoke. “How will you deal with the Chessori?”

  “They’re the least of my concerns. They’re weak, almost fragile.”

  “Not so, Admiral. They are your enemy, and you have underestimated their capabilities. Your plan will fail.”

  Dgoffs stared at the Great Cat with disbelieving eyes.

  Borg returned his stare. “You’re not the first, Admiral. Your efforts to hold here are admirable, and with a little help from us, you might be able to stay.”

  He turned to Krys. “Your assignment is to spread a message. Mine is to protect you. This is outside the boundaries of the assignment given us, but what Sir Tarn proposes is right, the right thing for the Queen.”

  Krys studied the Great Cat for a time, then turned to Dgoffs. “Sit down, Admiral. We have some talking to do.”

  * * * * *

  The ground operation was planned, then they adjourned to the lounge on Resolve to discuss the space-born part of the operation.

  Stven spoke thoughtfully. “We can take out the four traders here at the port, especially if we catch them by surprise. We’ve done it before with smaller numbers, and Resolve is much more capable than our last ship. The six military ships out in the system are a bigger problem. We haven’t gone up against the Chessori military, and we don’t know their capabilities. We can expect more skilled fighters, stronger weapons, and harder shields. It looks to me like they’re just loitering. I think their purpose here is to support the new governor while he gets settled. If we could use all of Resolve’s capabilities, we could deal with them one or two at a time, but we can’t. When we make our move here on the ground, they’re going to band together, then come in to find out what’s happened.”

  His head swung toward Dgoffs. “We’ll have to borrow a ship from one of your squadrons.” Looking at Borg, he said, “Your brothers did it once before with a frigate. Resolve and a frigate should be able to do the job.”

  Borg shook his head. “There can be no uncertainty when it comes to Lady Krys or Sir Tarn. We will not risk them or Resolve.”

  M’Sada’s whiskers had been getting a thorough preening while they talked, but now his hands stopped.

  “There is an alternative.”

  Everyone’s eyes shifted to him. “Go ahead,” Stven demanded.

  “All the Terrans take a cruiser. With nine batteries manned, it will be impregnable. The cats can stay nearby in Resolve, but in a reserve status. Why make them suffer the scree needlessly? Krys and Tarn can board a different cruiser that is prepared to retreat if we fail.”

  O’Brien’s face lit up. “You’re right, and I’d love to get back on a cruiser, even if it’s only for one battle.”

  Stven’s long neck swayed from side to side as he considered. When he spoke, it was to M’Sada. “It’s a good plan, my friend, but I see a couple of problems. If you were a Chessori, even if you believe the scree will disable both ships, would you take on a cruiser? What would you do with it? It would take days to destroy it, all to no gain. Their purpose here is to guard the governor and his complement of Chessori. They’ll want to land as quickly as possible, hoping to restore them. They would give the cruiser a wide berth, maybe leaving one ship behind using the scree to keep it disabled. We don’t want them reaching the planet with a single ship. Our resources will be out of position if they do.”

  “How about using two frigates?” M’Sada countered. “They would do the job.”

  Stven turned to Krys. “He’s right, My Lady. It’s a good plan, maybe the best plan. I’m hesitant to see you anywhere but on Resolve. Our ship is capable of jumping away if things go poorly, but it is the only one in the system with that capability. Your place is here.”

  “Who will fly the frigates? Tom has to stay with me. The same applies to our Terran Protectors. We have a highly capable ship, fully crewed and ready for battle. I see no reason to break up the crew. Base your plan on that, Captain.”

  Stven turned to Dgoffs. “Suppose we’re successful and take them all out. The Chessori have an interstellar communicator. More will come when they find out what’s happened. What then?”

  Dgoffs rubbed his chin as he considered. “Maybe they will, and maybe they won’t. It strikes me as unlikely that they’d choose to take a major stand here. We’re just a district, and from what you tell me, they’re going to have their hands full at sector headquarters soon. If Korban loses Orion III, holding Krandt will become untenable, but if he wins, the Rebels won’t care about this district. It would be too difficult to take it back without a political and physical base here on the ground.

  “Posturing can be dangerous, but sometimes it works, and this situation is perfect for it. I was planning to leave anyway, so there’s nothing to lose, but there’s everything to gain. After you leave, I’ll keep three squadrons close to the planet for a while. Anyone coming to investigate will think it was my ships and my men that took out the Chessori, and they’ll think twice about taking on three squadrons. If they send a massive force, we’ll abandon the planet and join your other forces wherever they are. If they send just a ship or two, we’ll consider what to do then.”

  Tarn cautioned him. “One Chessori ship would be enough. You’d be helpless against it. In time, we might be able to send some Great Cats. That won’t be our call, but I think it’s a price Chandrajuski would be willing to pay to keep the district for the Queen.”

  “There could be terrible retribution if this fails,” Krys said, clearly troubled.

  Dgoffs nodded. “There could, and we’re counting heavily on you. In a worst case scenario, my squadrons will be prepared to flee. At least the Queen will have a few additional forces, and I’ll spend the two or three days between the ground fighting and the space battle stuffing those ships full of people. Anyone I can’t bring with me can head for the hills.”

  He looked solemnly at each of them. “I’d really like to hold this district. I’ll deal with any Rebels here if you’ll deal with the Chessori. I say let’s go for it.”

  Stven looked to O’Brien. “Are you up to it, my friend?”

  “Yes, sir. So are Major Washburn and his gunners. And what a grand idea: rescue a district, and rescue two senators while we’re at it.”

  “The First Knight informed us that some of the Chessori traders might not be our enemy. Is it necessary to take out all the traders here in the port?” Tarn asked.

  “The risk of being wrong is too great,” Dgoffs said. “I want my district cleansed of Chessori.”

  Stven’s long neck swayed back and forth as he considered. “I share the sentiment, but historically, the Empire has gone to great lengths to prevent retribution against the innocent. I would caution against a change in that policy. We will one day have to take this war to the Chessori, and it would be to our advantage to have allies among them when we do.”

  “But we’re just one ship,” Washburn said. “We can’t afford mistakes. I want to be one of those carrying the war to the Chessori. And consider: there is a certain planet out there that is going to play a big part in taking t
hat war to the Chessori. They’re outnumbered by, probably, a million to one. We’re not in a position to be the nice guy. Those traders are armed. My vote is to take them out. If we don’t, our decision could come back to haunt us, and quickly.”

  Stven and Washburn stared at each other for a time, then Stven turned his long neck toward Dgoffs. “Do you know the status of these traders, Admiral? Are they traders, or are they additional protection for the new governor?”

  “I don’t know, but my staff can take a look at it.”

  “Please do so before we make our decision,” Tarn ordered. “We will err on the side of taking them out, but if we determine they’re truly innocent traders, we will consider alternatives. It will be O’Brien’s fight, and the final decision will be his.”

  Dgoffs’ staff determined that one of the traders had, indeed, made a delivery, and it would be taking on outbound trade goods during the next few days. It was decided that O’Brien would have to make the call as he saw fit at the time.

  Dgoffs prepared his Imperial Marines for their part in the operation, and two standard protection teams consisting of three Great Cats and three Terrans studied the layouts of the buildings they would infiltrate. One team focused on the governor’s mansion while the other focused on rescuing the two Imperial Senators. There were only two Chessori guarding them, but there were a lot of other guards within the prison.

  Dgoffs admonished the teams to kill as few of his men as possible. Some were, undoubtedly, Rebels, but most were not. He would take it upon himself to sort them out after the Chessori were dead.

  When everyone was ready, Dgoffs requested a meeting with the new governor, a meeting at which he would offer to reconsider and perhaps allow a few Chessori aboard his ships. All Chessori candidates were to attend for interviews.

  Since the presence of Great Cats would give away their plan, the three cats assigned to that team stationed themselves near the front entrance of the mansion but out of sight. Dgoffs marched with Washburn and two other team members to the governor’s office, all three Protectors dressed in the uniform of a fleet captain. Twenty Chessori candidates waited outside the office as instructed.