by JR Handley
Commander Mawr Bryn paused to scan the faces of the pilots under her command before she continued.
“I know we’re low on fighters, but every second we delay, the enemy insurgents get stronger, as well. With so few fighters, we can’t afford to lose any of them. I don’t want any dead heroes, but don’t think it’s because I value your lives. We need your fighters more than we need you, so don’t be dumb! Start prepping your fighters and get some sleep, because we depart at the quickest possible speed.”
— Chapter 47 —
Early Morning, Post-Revival Day 214
New Detroit City, Baylshore
Commander, Spartika’s Marine Corps
The headquarters of New Detroit City was a flurry of activity as Field Marshal Spartika stood in front of her waiting command staff. She coolly sat on a repurposed ship commander’s chair, one she’d claimed when they’d found it in a factory in the northern part of the Bayshore Continent. The chair was alien in nature, unlike what she’d seen of the White Knight Void Navy, and it created an aura of command authority. When she’d brought it back to New Detroit, she had it installed upon a dais, creating an even stronger air of control.
Spartika knew her hold on the Marines reporting to her was tenuous. There had been several revolts and botched mutinies since she kicked Nhlappo out. If that frakking oxygen thief Major Jennifer Boon had killed Nhlappo like she was supposed to, I wouldn’t be having these issues, she thought to herself. With Nhlappo alive, those loyal to her began engaging in seditious activities. Several of Nhlappo’s most loyal sergeants had to be executed to keep the treason at bay. The effect hadn’t lasted long, and more examples had to be made. After they’d acquired the food tech, they’d been able to achieve a level of self-sufficiency. Production resumed, which conveniently allowed her to send the dissenters off to Alabama Depot. Nhlappo’s lapdogs could slave away for the greater good.
Finally, sick of waiting on her staff to speak, she said, “I don’t have time to waste – I need answers! What have we learned from the intel we captured from the island?”
The officers rushed to be the first to answer, but the officer in charge of her anti-air forces was the loudest. Drawn in, Spartika let the officer tell her about the discovery.
“We’ve learned more about fighter craft construction. Combine that with what the New Order Hardits taught us, and we can take out their fighters. Abandoning their own at the Baylshore Incubation Station was a huge boon for us,” said Major Velko.
When Major Velko paused for effect, Spartika slammed her fist down on the table.
“Out with it!” she roared.
“Yes, ma’am. Sorry, ma’am,” said the flustered officer. “When the Legion slaved their fighters together to compensate for the Hardit aversion to AIs, they opened a back door into the fighters. We have data stations throughout the continent, blanketing it. Once we turn it on, you control their aircraft.”
“Excellent,” said Spartika enthusiastically. “Now how do we weaponize it?”
“We suck them into the radius of our digital shield. Use it to activate the self-destruct built into every White Knight vehicle. On your command, the net is activated. Hit the button here, and you blow their fighters.”
Waving her hand, Spartika silenced the other officers. They were still trying to fill the silence with their projects, but there were more pressing concerns now.
“Enough. There will be time for you when we are through. Major Velko, make sure the digital net is up and working. I want it ready at a moment’s notice, and those reports monitored around the clock. How thoroughly is the continent blanketed with these sensors?”
“We knew that we didn’t have enough time to train a large enough air wing to compete with theirs. We didn’t start with the trained pilots, either, so we went all in on this plan. We can cover the entire continent, except for the first ten miles of the shoreline. If I were making their tactical calls, I’d try to soften the target. I anticipated that action, and when they come for us, we’ll lure them into our web and destroy them.”
— Chapter 48 —
Early Afternoon, Post-Revival Day 214
Human Legion Ship Factory, Serendine
Commander, R&D Marine Engineering Corps, Human Legion
Exhaustion was wearing on him, but Colonel Basil Terloar fought it. He’d been carted all over the planet, jumping from one technical emergency to another. Now he was back on Serendine, at the Legion’s shipbuilding factory, to review the logistical schedule and get their forces supplied to continue the relentless war to secure the system. His weariness made him cranky, and the lines on the Digi-Sheet in front of him were starting to blur. It doesn’t help that the Spacers are acting so jumpy around me, he thought to himself.
“Frakk it!” Basil roared at the Spacer technician. “We don’t have time for mistakes!”
Basil did some quick calculations in his head as he scanned his invoice, forgetting his AI. As a former Aux who’d never been officially assigned an AI, he’d never become dependent on the sentient computer. His AI, Dante, had grown up with his best friend, Lance Scipio. Dante would often have to remind him that he was available; today was no exception.
Frakk it, mimicked Dante from the speaker on his Aimee, you could let me come out to play.
“All right. How can you help?”
Well, Dante said, pausing for effect, you need one hundred twenty-eight Stork shuttles per task force. I’ve done the calculations. You can outfit two of the three task forces’ shuttles, but not the third. Unless you delay the assault, you’ll have to rethink the troop movements. After running the calculations, I forwarded the revised schedule to the regional commanders. Now that I’ve done the work for you, you can go have some grok and leave the Spacers to do their jobs. They’ll be much quicker without you pestering them.
Basil knew his AI was right. He wearily shook his head and approved the revised schedule. Having resolved the issue, he pulled up a private communication with Commander Tizer on the holo-display at the nearby desk.
“Commander Tizer, this is Colonel Terloar of the Marine Engineering Corps. Just contacting you to give you the update you requested.”
“That request was forty days ago,” replied Commander Tizer, the surprise evident in his voice.
“Sorry about that. Had a little war. Bleeding, dying – you know, Marine business.”
Basil paused before he spoke again. Going off on the senior Legion naval officer wouldn’t help. Especially not when the officer had Field Marshal Nhlappo’s ear.
“We’re currently building the Storks to complete the planetary conquest. When the mission steps off, the Spacers will resume making parts for the interstellar fleet. When Baylshore is completely conquered, we’ll be doubling our production. There’s a second factory we’ll be adding to the mix.”
— Chapter 49 —
Late Morning, Post-Revival Day 215
New Detroit City, Baylshore
Commander, Spartika’s Marine Corps
“Field Marshal, we’ve got incoming,” reported Major Velko.
Jumping up from her table in the building serving as the officer’s mess hall, Spartika replied to her anti-air officer.
“Roger. I’m en route. Do not fire without my authorization. I repeat, do not fire without my authorization.”
“Yes, ma’am,” said Major Velko. “They’re an hour out. You’ve got time to respond, ma’am.”
Muttering to herself, Spartika sat down and quickly shoveled in her food before standing and walking to the anti-air command bunker. When she got there, she saw a flurry of activity. Pausing, she took a moment to enjoy her command. These are my people, my Marines, she thought. Frakk that bitch Nhlappo. I’ve earned this!
When they noticed her standing in the doorway, silently observing their actions, the room jumped to attention.
“Stand easy,” Spartika said. “We want to be watching the monitors, so we kill these imposter Marines.”
She received a chorus
of half-hearted hurrahs before she ordered them to stand at ease again.
“All right, back to work,” she ordered.
At her command, the technicians resumed work. Spartika strode around behind her staff, who were monitoring the status of the incoming enemy aircraft. When the leading edge of the Legion fighters was within the sensor envelope, the technicians began the activation process. Worried that they might trigger the process early, Spartika spoke up.
“Wait for it,” she said calmly.
Internally, Spartika had to fight the desire to gloat over her pending victory, but she knew there would be time for that later. The fighters kept getting closer. Spartika knew that her undermanned forces needed to kill every one of the fighters they could, if they were to stand a chance against the traitors. Anything less than total victory wouldn’t be enough to save them from Legion bombing runs. Should they fail to neutralize the atmospheric enemy fighters, they would lose their war. She didn’t have long to worry, however, as the last opponent crossed the threshold of destruction.
“Fire!” Spartika ordered, unable to keep the glee from her voice.
At first, nothing happened, prompting her to turn to Major Velko. Her steely gaze had the desired effect, and he quickly raised his hands in an automatic defensive gesture. He seemed to understand her unspoken question.
“We’re in their network. We can now initiate the self-destruct cycle on your command.”
“Was I unclear? Blow their frakking fighters,” growled Spartika.
Turning to the terminal where he was sitting, the major began furiously tapping on the screen. Within seconds, the officer turned back to Spartika and spoke again.
“They’ve begun to self-destruct, Field Marshal. Their air power is neutralized.”
— Chapter 50 —
Noon, Post-Revival Day 215
Air above Baylshore, Baylshore
Commander, 1st Heavy Hybrid Fighter Squadron, Human Legion
The flight was long, giving Lieutenant Commander Eli Zerach and the other pilots of his fighter squadron time to take a nap. They trusted their AIs to fly their fighters on autopilot, though it made Eli uncomfortable. In the end, exhaustion won out. When they were within radar range of the continent of Baylshore, they were woken up. A quick shot from their fighter’s pharmaceutical unit had him alert. Even through the fog of chemicals, Eli knew it was time to get to work.
“Listen up,” said Eli. “We should be over Baylshore momentarily. Make ready. Be on the lookout for potential enemy fighters. This should be a crèche run, but let’s not get cocky. Zerach, out.”
With the orders given, Eli began manually flying his bird. Though the AI did much of the routine work, he liked to keep his hands on the stick when his life was on the line. Out of nowhere, his alarms went off. Someone had a sensor lock on him. Scanning his flight panels, he couldn’t determine where the lock was coming from. It seemed that he was receiving several locks at once, but there was no corresponding ping on his own sensors. The system couldn’t find any enemy fighters.
Eli frantically tried to figure out how to someone could have a sensor lock on him while remaining invisible. Stealth technology was rare and costly, and couldn’t stand up to the activation of targeting sensors. If enemy fighters were locking onto his bird, the computers should see them. Instead, the onboard AI said they weren’t there. While he was trying to figure it out, the commander’s override command screen lit up. Eli lost control of his bird. Frakk me, he thought as he struggled to understand what was happening. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that his wing mate’s fighter had inexplicably exploded.
“Where are they? Does anyone see them?” he demanded over his speakers.
When he received no reply, Eli tried again, switching to the emergency frequency on the LBNet.
“I repeat, does anyone see–?”
Eli’s words caught in his throat as the air around him turned to fire.
— Chapter 51 —
Early Morning, Post-Revival Day 216
Akoni City, Serendine
Commander, 1st TAW, Human Legion
There was a somber mood in the squadron ready room. The surviving pilots of Tranquility’s Human Legion force sat in on an emergency briefing, bewildered by the extent of their defeat. Commander Mawr Bryn stood in front of her assembled pilots, far fewer than there had been mere hours before. Taking in the scene, she admired the warriors she saw before her. They were resolute, determined, and bent on revenge.
“Listen up,” Mawr said with a quiet authority. “Our AIs have reviewed the data from the moments before our remaining two fighter squadrons met their ancestors.”
Taking a moment to adjust the voice box hanging from her chest, Mawr gathered her thoughts.
“The enemy exploited a digital security breach. When we compensated for the Hardits’ lack of AI use, we made a hole in our defenses. It allowed us to slave our AIs for Hardit pilots, but we inadvertently created a weakness. The enemy walked right into the gap we made and activated the legacy self-destruct ordnance. The only birds that can still fly are our Storks. They were never retrofitted, since we could get around the issue with intra-species crews. For once, requiring three sentient beings on the flight crew was a blessing.”
When she again paused to let the severity of the situation sink in, one of her Stork pilots raised a hand. Waving both of her left paws, Mawr acknowledged the human pilot.
“Was there any good news?”
Raising both of her lower appendages in an obscure gesture, she answered the question as honestly as she could.
“We were able to determine that they don’t have any air assets. Of course, now we’re tapped out, as well. Because of this tragedy, we’ve pulled our Hardit flight crews offline and sent them on another project. The remaining Hardits who’d joined the Legion ranks are already on their bases in the system, helping bulk up our defenses and mining necessary raw materials. We’ve honored our bargain with our dead brother. The spirit of Thann would approve. Now all Stork assets will be providing shuttles to transport the Marines as they pacify Baylshore.”
The groaning of her pilots was palpable. Mawr ignored it as she began detailing the mission plan.
— Chapter 52 —
Late Morning, Post-Revival Day 216
Human Legion Ship Factory, Serendine
Commander, R&D Group, Human Legion
The tension in the air was intense, thick enough that even he couldn’t miss the target. Despite it all, Colonel Basil Terloar prepared the conference chamber for the meeting with Commander Tizer. He knew Tizer was the golden boy of Field Marshal Nhlappo, so Basil planned to tread carefully. No good would come from upsetting Tizer unnecessarily, and Basil had learned to play political games as an Aux slave. That wouldn’t stop him from standing firm when needed, but Basil hoped to have an amicable exchange.
While he was getting the meeting room arranged just so, with food waiting for all the technicians, Basil ordered his small security unit to meet Tizer at the orbital elevator. He wasn’t kept waiting long. The commander soon arrived with his own entourage in tow. He didn’t waste any time; he started talking as he walked in the room.
“I’ve been reviewing the data you mined from Cardamine Island’s digital storage banks. You’ve done a good job on the new designs for void ships. You’ve merged the Makoni and White Knight technology together nicely, but you missed the mark.”
“Missed the mark how?” demanded Basil, his voice laden with irritation and surprise.
“Relax, Colonel,” Tizer said in a calming voice. “This wasn’t meant to denigrate your work and the work of your team. You just don’t have the practical experience or years of training in naval combat that I have. The void is a harsh place. Allowances have to be made.”
Basil nodded; he was very willing to accept the limitations of his combat skill set. Thinking out loud, he said, “So how do we merge the tech? Hopefully, improve upon it in a way that considers the tactical needs of our navy?�
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“If you’ll pull up the schematics I sent ahead,” Tizer replied, “you’ll see the parameters I wrote so the AIs can merge the plans for us. Work smarter, not harder.”
— Chapter 53 —
Midmorning, Post-Revival Day 217
Outside Makoni Multi-Use Factory, Baylshore
Commander, Task Force Justice, Human Legion
The green, rolling hills around the long-abandoned Makoni Multi-Use Factory were deceptively small, at least at the height Field Marshal Nhlappo had previously viewed them from. During the planning session, they’d seen images from satellite scans, and none of the structures could be seen. She’d grown up on this continent and never seen any indication of the planet’s factories. If they hadn’t found proof of their existence when they were securing their mirror factory on Serendine, Nhlappo never would’ve believed they were here. The discovery of this hidden gem could start to tip the scales in the Legion’s favor.
Unfortunately, spies within their organization were still supplying the insurgents with vital intelligence. Their misguided loyalty to the White Knights would likely doom their species, but the spies didn’t seem to recognize that harsh reality. Instead, they’d only made things harder for the Legion. More good Marines would die, but Nhlappo was still confident that they would prevail. We have to, she thought. My sons deserve a chance to prosper. They deserve long lives, not short ones full of blood and iron.
Glancing out the open door of her Stork shuttle, Nhlappo took in the sheer majesty. It took her breath away and left her wishing she could share it with her sons. She had to remind herself that she was here to kill and conquer. Sightseeing will have to wait until my family is whole again, Nhlappo thought to herself. As the shuttle got closer, she could see overlapping and layered trenchworks. Defense in depth. It’s smart, she thought. At the height and speed at which the shuttles flew, it was impossible to judge whether the trenches were manned.