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Ceani Valley, Karnak, Byotai- Anicinàbe Border
Karnak was no great prize to either the Byotai or the Anicinàbe. If anything it was a barren wilderness that few sane people would choose for a new life. The atmosphere was dry, and most of its surface consisted of a single massive landmass, punctuated by lakes and rivers that frequently ran dry. A hundred years earlier it would have been ignored, but with every planet of the Byotai now overcrowded, there was a growing movement among some of its population to look elsewhere. Retired soldiers looked to a new, more exciting life and joined the generation that were keen to explore and were bold in their enterprise of settling the wasteland between the two domains.
The route to the large Ceani Settlement was barren, dusty, and flanked on the one side by a tall cliff. The eight armoured vehicles travelled with a good space between them to stop the dust from blocking their view. Above them, at a height of two hundred metres, moved a single hexrotor drone. It traversed a figure-of-eight pattern to keep a careful watch on the convoy. Behind them were another eight heavy transports, carrying containers filled with food, body armour, and most important, military grade weaponry for the citizen soldiers.
“How much longer?” General Daniels asked.
He was jammed down inside the cramped interior of the four-wheeled transport vehicle. His clothing was thickly padded and beige in colour, much like the terrain outside. He wore a thin scarf around his neck and a pair of driving goggles pushed up onto his forehead. At his side was a cut down Khreenk blaster with a Helion short-range scope fitted. Three Alliance mercenaries sat next to him, dressed in Khreenk armour and carrying an assortment of alien weaponry, including Helion rifles and thermal shotguns. One of them pointed ahead.
“I don’t know, Sir. This place looks the same from every angle.”
They all avoided using his rank; a senior General was a big risk out here.
“Tell me about it,” he replied, “Still, there are Byotai settlements throughout this entire area. I cannot believe the Anicinàbe settlers would raise their arms against the Byotai. They are more likely to side with them against pirates than fight each other.”
He said the words, but he’d seen the briefings back on Terra Nova. The entire border was a problem, but Karnak was, as always, the focus. The world had captured the public’s imagination back home, as well as throughout the Byotai territories. Byotai and Anicinàbe settlers had worked together with Alliance forces to remove the threat of criminals. Now he suspected the planet would become a pawn between ambitious individuals on both sides.
We have to keep control of this situation.
He looked back through the observation slit, ever on the alert. For a moment he thought he was back inside an Alliance armoured column, but the voices of the Byotai removed any chance of that. The majority were citizens that had volunteered to help defend the settlements, but there were also soldiers that had taken leave for weeks or months at a time to help them out here.
The armoured vehicle looked similar to the Bulldogs used by the Alliance military, but its purpose was very different. These heavy machines were designed for industrial use rather than combat. Its sides were high and the wheels as big as a Vanguard marine. The hull was fully enclosed with just the tinniest of slits for the crew to see out.
“Three kilometres,” said Turi, “There are reports of Anicinàbe civilian aircraft attacking one of our refineries.”
He rubbed his brow.
“It is on fire.”
General Daniels closed his eyes in a moment of frustration.
“Casualties?”
Turi opened his mouth and breathed several times before answering. The Byotai soldier was much broader than the humans, as was common for his people. His additional body armour bulked him out so that he looked much like a smaller version of the Jötnar.
“Three wounded.”
Then he smiled.
“Our militiamen brought down one of their aircraft. The others have fled.”
General Daniels seemed pleased with that part.
“Good, so the air defence systems are working, then.”
He heard the group of Byotai volunteers speaking behind him and turned to look at them. They spoke to each other in their own alien tongue, and the only words he could identify were locations names and a few individuals. Turi watched them for a few seconds.
“The Khreenk anti-air systems have proven very effective. It is as well we have brought more with us.”
“What about the defence systems at the settlement, are they active yet?”
Turi spoke with one of the volunteers before answering.
“Yes. The perimeter sentry guns are installed and operational. We have protection on the ground. The air defence systems we are bringing will guarantee our safety.”
He pointed behind them to the column of heavy transport haulers busy creating a vast trail of dust.
“Our soldiers need weapons and ammunition to fight if it comes to a battle. But the Anicinàbe make heavy use of aircraft. If we cannot bring them down, they will have the advantage. He looked to the back of the vehicle and indicated with a movement of his head.
“There are sixty Byotai at the Ceani settlement, but enough weapons for only six of them. There are three smaller Anicinàbe settlements across the wasteland. They set up three months ago and have started digging a mine complex. It’s about a hundred and forty kilometres away.”
Turi looked angry as he spoke.
“They are using the removal of our military forces to strengthen their positions.”
Another of his comrades began chattering excitedly and then removed an earpiece from his head. The Byotai sighed and said something strange.
“What?” asked the General.
“Message from the scouts at the front, it’s from Gun. He keeps saying he doesn’t like the ground ahead.”
The Byotai chatted over the communications system and was cut off as the vehicle felt weightless for a moment and then shuddered as they hit the bottom of a shallow trench. The powerful engines roared and pulled them out with a howling sound, not dissimilar to a jet engine.
“He’s sending teams to investigate, so we need to slow down for a moment.”
Turi opened his mouth to cool down and closed his eyes. General Daniels had learnt days before that this was a sign of stress with his kind. He finally opened them, blinked again, and spoke.
“We have news from homeland. General Makos has resigned from the high command and has blockaded himself in the main military spaceport.”
“Makos, why?”
Turi seemed angry at the news and took in multiple quick breaths.
“He demanded the military be given authority to send in an intervention force. He says Tahkeome is encouraging the Anicinàbe here on Karnak to turn on us. Makos knows the truth, but our politicians will sell us out for peace.”
Daniels could already see where this was going, and he knew people like Turi would not back down. He even suspected this was part of the plan. Deaths on either side would make a larger conflict more likely.
“If Tahkeome can cause this much trouble, just think what will happen when he gets closer. He’s already blocking ships trying to bring in food and medical supplies.”
He shook his head.
“Your people will fight, and they will fight hard. But the Anicinàbe have numbers you can never match. War has to be avoided, and your settlements must endure.”
Turi muttered and then nodded in agreement.
“The Senate refused the General’s request, so he has resigned. He can be relied on, but not our politicians.”
Daniels sighed.
“I know the man. The Alliance has put a lot of faith in the General. This will be a big problem. With the General gone, there will be even less stomach for a fight. Tahkeome could just wait and starve your people out.”
The vehicle bumped again and skidded to a halt. The changed in velocity was so great that the driver had been forc
ed to skid, and they slalomed for a few seconds.
“What’s happening?”
The column of armoured vehicles stopped for the fifth time in the last hour. The doors opened at the rear, and two of the Byotai stepped out to investigate. At the same time, militiamen from the other vehicles did the same. Turi watched them leave and then twisted back.
“Contact from Gun, he’s spotted incoming aircraft. We need to get off the...”
His voice was blotted out by the sound of a massive explosion. Dust blasted in through the open door, as well as the mangled form of one of the Byotai. The unfortunate soul staggered and fell to the ground with blood oozing from a dozen wounds.
Ambush!
General Daniels slid to the side of the vehicle and looked up. He could just about make out the trail from a rocket launcher. A yellow streak marked its path, and then it slammed into one of the transports just behind them. The sky lit up with gunfire from masked figures along the ridge.
“It’s an ambush! Move!”
He moved to the hatch leading into the front of the vehicle. It was unlocked, and as he entered the driver’s compartment was stunned to find the bullet-ridden corpse of another Byotai; multiple rounds had shattered the reinforced glass. There were even holes in the doors. Turi climbed in, pushed the body to one side, and took the driver’s position.
“What now?”
“Drive!”
Turi was a soldier, one of the elite Sixth Battalion, the rarely seen Byotai commando unit. He was out of uniform, and to all intents and purposes a civilian, but he responded the way his training had taught him, to react and to obey. He didn’t hesitate.
“Understood.”
Turi pushed his foot down, and the vehicle accelerated out from the scene of the battle. The vehicle was moving faster and hit one of the damaged transports with a mighty crash. At the same time, another rocket flew down and hit where they had been just moments before. One of the Khreenk leaned inside and spoke through his translator unit.
“Drone is down. Three vehicles destroyed. They are Anicinàbe guerrillas!”
Turi had to go back ten metres and then drove as fast as he could. The bulky vehicle was slow to accelerate, and when they hit their target, they were lucky to push past. More shots hit around the armoured body, and a good number penetrated inside.
“Get us out of here!”
They bumped over several bodies, and then they were back on the trail. It was wide enough for two similar vehicles, but in a poor state and filled with holes and light debris. The large wheels made short work of the obstruction, and two surviving heavy haulers did their best to follow. The Khreenk mercenary spoke slowly and precisely into his communication gear. After each message, he looked more and more concerned.
“General,” said Turi, “I need you on the gun.”
There was no need to say more. Daniels pulled on the lever, the hatch above the driver section opened up, and he lifted up to the gun position. It was a reinforced cupola, with a light rotating mount to support a pair of Byotai cannons. Half of his body extended above the driver area and gave him a good view all around. He could see two civilian trucks at the top of the ridge, and perhaps two-dozen cloaked figures with rifles and rocket launchers.
“Civilians, my ass, those are Anicinàbe foot soldiers!”
He took aim and pulled the trigger. Rounds struck along the top of the ridge, and they were immediately forced to seek shelter. There was no way to tell if he’d hit any targets, but it was enough to allow a few more of the Byotai transports move away from the battle. Lights to his right forced him to swing the gun mount around, and he found a pair of small buggies in pursuit.
“Can’t you go faster?”
Something exploded nearby, and chunks of the right access hatch ripped off. The flickering lights of guns were visible through the gaps. Turi shook his head and pulled on the wheel to avoid more fire.
“This is not local militia. These are professionals.”
The Khreenk soldier kicked the damaged door from the right of the compartment and leaned out. He blasted away with his personal weapons to good effect. General Daniels pointed the pair of cannons at the second buggy and put a burst through the side. It swerved and crashed into the cliff on the side of the trail. The vehicle spun about and flipped upside down.
“Good shot,” said the Khreenk.
More flashes erupted around them, and three rockets rushed down from hidden positions ahead. Two missed, but the third struck the rear of the vehicle and tore a hole as big as a man. Flames spread around the rear and were quickly extinguished by the internal fire suppressors.
“Behind us!” Turi yelled.
He swung around and spotted it, a squat-looking flying machine. It was hard to make out the configuration, but the nose and wing-mounted weapons were firing almost continually.
Got you.
The cannons were not the most powerful weapons he’d come across, but their rate of fire was good and appeared accurate at this range. The first burst went low, and he quickly adjusted fire before shooting again. This time the longer burst raked along the nose and started a series of small flashes.
Come on, you can do better than that.
He pulled the trigger again and was rewarded by several flames to the side of the flyer. The craft spun about on its axis and then lifted up to move out of range. Blue flames vented downwards as it accelerated away. Another Byotai yelled something, and then everything changed. Before he could see what was happening, they were on their side and sliding along the ground. They made it just a few metres before striking the cliff wall. The General was cast out of the cupola and landed on the ground ten metres from the side of the vehicle. He hit the ground hard and rolled over until he was face down. Bullets clattered about him.
“Get up.”
He moved to his feet and found himself staring at the ogre like shape of Gun. He wore the crude armour built in some of the new workshops on Hyperion, and looked like a warrior from an apocalyptic scenario. In his hands he held a vehicle-mounted automatic cannon; to him it looked no more than a battle rifle.
“Daniels?” Turi called out.
The alien soldier ran from around the side of the driver’s section with a thermal shotgun in his hands. It was civilian issue, the kind of gear anybody in the Alliance and possibly Helios might carry. He spotted Gun and the General and looked up. The gun moved to his shoulder and then blasted. The gunshot was followed by a cry, and then he was closer.
“We have to move. There are Anicinàbe soldiers on the ridge.”
A volley of rounds clattered about them as if to emphasise the point. Turi pulled him to his feet and led him towards an approaching vehicle. This one was a commercial tractor unit. It was unarmoured but well made and offered a strongly protected crew area. It came closer but split in half as a thermite missile exploded right in its middle. The super-heated metal burnt a three-metre diameter hole and sent shards of metal in all directions.
“I have them,” said Gun.
A squad of eight Anicinàbe, each covered in desert robes, ran down the embankment and into his line of fire. The automatic cannon roared as he blasted one after the other. Only two made it back to the ridge, and as they reached the crest, Turi shot them both in the back.
“Not bad,” muttered Gun.
“Get down!” yelled one of the human mercenaries.
The man jumped into the path of the fire and took the brunt of the blast. The unfortunate man was killed instantly and crashed into the General. Both collapsed to the ground as the flyer returned and hovered just fifty metres away. Even though he was under the body of the dead man, General Daniels could see the craft was pointed right at the few survivors. A voice boomed out across the wasteland. The languages continued to change until it reached one that was familiar.
“Lower your weapons. The liberators of Karnak are evicting all Byotai illegals.”
The voice changed again, and Turi translated.
“They are giving
us ten seconds to comply. We obey, or we die.”
General Daniels pushed the body away and rose to his feet. Another two of his men closed up, along with the Khreenk soldier and Turi. Gun stepped in front of all of them and took aim with his own weapon and opened fire. Sparks flashed along its nose, but another two aircraft moved up alongside it and fired two bursts, cutting down the remaining mercenaries. As the guns stopped, Turi shook his head and lifted his hands.
“We cannot defeat them, not now. Drop your weapons.”
Daniels lowered his hand to his thigh and rested his fingers around the hilt of his pistol. It wouldn’t bring down the flyer, but it was reassuring. The small aircraft shook about at it remained hovering. A pair of additional gun pods dropped down below its stubby wings. The other two aircraft began circling around the three of them, and the voice returned in what sounded like the Byotai language.
“Five, four, three...”
Turi dropped his weapon to the ground, and General Daniels followed suit. No sooner were the weapons down when the Anicinàbe arrived. Three buggies climbed over the dunes and rushed down to meet them. Soldiers covered in layers of banded cloth and carrying improvised weapons leapt out to search the vehicles. At the same time, the flyer lowered and rested on the rough track. It sent out a cloud of dust as the squeal of its engines faded away.
“Stand your ground,” said Turi.
The five waited patiently as a group of dark figures approached. They came through the dust cloud and were impossible to see properly until just a few metres away. They stopped and looked at their prisoners. The shortest of the group wore combat armour that carefully followed the muscles of his body. His head was completely bald and his skin lightly sweaty. To General Daniels’ surprise, he spoke flawless English.
“Humans, Khreenk, and Byotai, all together as one happy family.”
He then lifted a pistol and pointed his weapon at them.
“You are prisoners of the Anicinàbe freedom fighters.”
One of the other Anicinàbe militiamen ran back from behind a captured transport. He shouted loudly to his comrades, and the mood quickly shifted from triumphalism to anger. The short, bald Anicinàbe soldier moved along the group and stopped in front of the humans. He lifted his handgun, pointed it to the temple of the first, and fired. The man was dead as soon as the round punched through his skull, and he collapsed to the ground.
Lords of War (Star Crusades: Mercenaries, Book 1) Page 5