Prologue

20th June 2467 AD. ISRS Kali, in orbit above the New Delhi Colony

As Vice Admiral Khan walked forward, the sliding doors opened to admit him into Kali’s large briefing room. Upon entering, the thirty or so Captains and ranking officers seated around the long oval table jumped to their feet.

“Sit down,” Khan said as he waved his hand. “I want this to be an informal briefing.”

Once everyone was comfortable he continued, “You all know why I have called you here. I have just received our latest orders from Earth. I wanted to let you know what they said in person.”

Khan took a deep breath and rested his hands on the pedestal he was standing behind. “Exactly twenty-three days ago the British Star Kingdom declared war on us. They are demanding we remove our troops from Haven and until we do so, hostilities will continue. Both Prime Minister Devgan and Admiral Kapoor believe the British will be dispatching a fleet to try and liberate Haven. It may already be on its way.”

As soon as he stopped for another breath, murmurs broke out among the assembled officers. “I know you are all concerned,” Khan said as he raised his hands in a conciliatory fashion. “But we have been preparing for this eventuality for months. The British fleet is powerful; they have already proven themselves against the Chinese. Yet they are not invincible.”

“But what about the attacks on our warships in the Haven territories?” one of Khan’s senior Captains asked. “One British ship destroyed a light cruiser and several destroyers. How will we defeat an entire British fleet if they decide to come right through our positions?”

“A good question,” Khan replied. “That is what I would like us to discuss. My latest orders are to block the British at Aror if they try to get to Haven. I have dispatched a messenger corvette to Haven with orders for Admiral Kumar to send more ships to us. There will also be another flotilla of ships from Home Fleet in the Sol system. However, until they get here, we are responsible for preventing the British getting to Haven. So, what are your thoughts?”

“Why Aror?” Sai Chambal, Khan’s Flag Captain asked. “That is leaving us a little hamstrung, isn’t it?”

“How so?” Khan queried. He already had a fair idea what Chambal meant, but he wanted the rest of the officers to come to the same decision he had on their own.

“Aror has few defenses, and so we couldn’t rely on them to help us out in a battle. Worse, Aror has one of the largest bubbles of dark matter, by my memory it is over fifteen light hours in diameter. If we wait for the British there, they could very easily slip past us and head for Haven if they wanted.”

“Why would that be bad for us Captain Batra?” Khan asked the youngest Captain in the briefing room.

“Well,” Batra said after clearing her throat to give herself a moment to think. She commanded a lowly frigate and hadn’t been expecting to say anything at this briefing.

“Apart from the fact that the British could slip past us. If we want to stand a chance of intercepting them in the Aror system, we will have to spread our forces thinly, in the hope that a part of our fleet can engage whatever ships the British send against us long enough for the rest of the fleet to get into range. Yet if we do that, we would be giving the British the chance to defeat our fleet piece by piece.”

“Exactly,” Khan said. “I believe that whoever wrote our orders doesn’t want to get the blame if the British decide to attack Aror. If we leave it undefended, I imagine that is exactly what the British will do. It won’t look good in the news broadcasts back in India if the Indian Star Republic Navy left a colony defenseless and unguarded.

“However, I have to think about the defense of all our colonies,” Khan continued. “If we try to meet the British fleet at Aror, they could slip past us and hit New Delhi. Or they could try and destroy our fleet. Therefore, for the purposes of this briefing I want you all to assume our orders are simply to stop the British. Let’s see what ideas we can come up with.”

“How sure are we that the British haven’t found another way to the Haven colony?” one of Khan’s Captains asked. “That British stealth ship sure gave Admiral Kumar the run around. Is it possible the Havenites have discovered more shift passages we don’t know about? They may have revealed them to the British.”

“It’s possible,” Khan said. “Kumar already has orders to try and root any secrets out of the prisoners she has taken. Her latest orders advise her to have her fleet ready to withdraw from the Haven system at a moment’s notice. If the British have found another way to Haven, she isn’t to risk her ships.

“Yet, that is beyond our control. As far as we know, the only way the British can get to Haven is through our colonial space. Our job is to stop them. That is all we have to worry about. If things change, then we will just have to deal with it.”

“If we are going to go beyond our orders,” Captain Chadha of the Athavar said. “Why don’t we go on the offensive? We have enough ships at New Delhi to blast our way through Cook’s defenses and charge on into the heart of the British colonies.”

“That might be exceeding our orders a touch,” Khan said. “And it would be too great a risk. We would lose ships taking on their battlestations and the defending fleets which would leave us vulnerable to their main fleet. If our fleet is destroyed, then there will be nothing stopping the British from rampaging through our colonies and driving our industries and economy into the ground.”

“Then our best option must be to stay in the New Delhi system and meet the British when they come here, as they must,” another Captain said. “It will be easier to stop the British from slipping past us here, we can use the colony’s fortifications to protect our backs and give our fleet a safe place to retreat too if the battle goes against us. If the British want a real fleet engagement, perhaps we can even lure them into range of the orbital battlestations. And if they don’t, well at least we can engage the British fleet together rather than having to split as we would in the Aror system.”

“Fair points,” Khan said. “What other options does anyone see?”

A couple more suggestions were thrown around as Khan remained silent. None of them were very attractive and the conversation quickly turned back to preparing the fleet to meet the British in New Delhi.

When it seemed like almost everyone was on board with the approach, Chambal, Khan’s Flag Captain, smiled at him across the briefing room. Khan gave a slight nod in reply. They both knew each other well enough to know that was what Khan had been planning all along. Technically, he should be following the orders he received from Earth. Yet if it was the consensus of every Captain in the fleet to meet the British at New Delhi, then he had to listen to them. They were the ones one the ground after all. Of course, that had been what Khan had wanted all along, he just needed an excuse to reinterpret his orders.

“I think you have all come to a decision,” said Khan. “My operations officers will draw up various scenarios and we will begin running battle simulations tomorrow. I want this fleet to be as prepared as it can be to meet the British. They may think getting to Haven will be easy, it is our job to dissuade them of such a notion.”

Chapter 1 – Off to War

When Haven was first rediscovered its significance was passed over on Earth as all eyes were focused on the Void War. That changed once the Vestarians and Kulreans were discovered. All of a sudden, Haven became the center of attention for the Earth nations.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

10th June 2467 AD, HMS Endeavour, Sol System.

“We’re approaching Mars now,” Sub Lieutenant Malik said over the COM to James, as he sat in his office adjacent to Endeavour’s bridge.

“I’ll be there momentarily,” James replied.

Instead of jumping up, he continued to watch the holo recording he had been reviewing. While he had been taking Endeavour to Haven, and then embroiled in the court martial Shadow Defense Secretary Reynolds had thrust upon him, Admiral Cunningham and Rear Admiral Rooke had been running war games over Mars. They had been simulating a ground invasion of a hostile planet. Elements of Home Fleet under Admiral Cunningham had played the defenders while Rear Admiral Rooke’s beefed up Fast Reaction Fleet had played the aggressors.

Just hours ago, his uncle, the First Space Lord, had assigned him to Rooke’s fleet and he wanted to be up to speed on their preparations for the coming war with India. The first-time James had watched the replay of the mock battle, he had simply been mesmerized by the ship formations. Even in the Void War there hadn’t been so many British ships concentrated in one area. The Royal Space Navy was a sight to behold. At least at the beginning of the engagement. The holo recording showed the simulated damage both fleets suffered as the battle ensued. Whilst Cunningham had been outnumbered, he and his ships had still given a good account of themselves. Before Cunningham had been forced to retreat and abandon the planet, he had damaged or destroyed a third of Rooke’s fleet.

The simulation had been a worst-case scenario. With luck, the Indian defenses around Haven wouldn’t be nearly so strong. Still, he knew it was better to be prepared. After the tough exercise Rooke’s fleet had been through, they knew just how costly the coming battles could be if they made any mistakes.

After the simulated fleet battle finished, James paused the recording. The marine transport ship HMS Albion was just about to move into position over Mars to disgorge her landing shuttles. From Major Johnston’s report, James knew this was where the real battle would be. He didn’t have time to review that part of the simulation now; he would have to come back to it.

Satisfied he was fully up to date on the status of Rooke’s fleet, he stood and strode out of his office towards the bridge. When he arrived, First Lieutenant Mallory already had the main holo display showing visuals of the RSN ships in orbit around Mars.

“It’s an impressive fleet, Sir,” Mallory said as James took his seat.

“Indeed it is,” James agreed.

Cunningham had taken the elements of Home Fleet engaged in the exercise back to Earth a few days previously, leaving Rooke’s fleet by itself. Nevertheless, the ships in orbit around Mars were still impressive. Rooke’s flagship, HMS Hood, was the pride of the navy’s engineers. Boasting a broadside of twenty-two missiles, she was the most powerful ship in the British Navy. She would be over taken by the new battleships that were under construction but these were still at least a year away from beginning their space trials. The second battlecruiser in the fleet, HMS Justice, was slightly smaller than Hood but still just as impressive. Around the two large warships, twenty-five cruisers, fifteen destroyers and twenty-five frigates and corvettes held station. The fleet was ready for war.

“Will it be enough?” Lieutenant Becket asked from her station at the tactical console.

“I sure hope so,” Mallory answered. “If it isn’t, then we’re all going to be in a spot of trouble. What do you think Captain?”

“I think we are going to have to be smart if we are going to win,” James said.

Having been present at some of the early planning stages of the invasion of Haven, he already knew the attack with Rooke’s fleet was a ruse. As far as he knew though, Rooke and his immediate juniors were the only ones in the fleet aware of the full plan.

“You may have noticed that the Indian Home Fleet was missing a few heavy cruisers when we left Earth,” James said. “We also know the Indians have three battlecruisers in their colonies. If they can concentrate them against Rooke’s fleet, then a fleet engagement could go either way. I don’t think that is something Rooke will want to risk.”

“Our technology will see us through,” Sub Lieutenant Malik said as he squared his shoulders and pushed out his chest.

“I wouldn’t bet on that,” James responded. “As soon as battle is joined anything can happen. It’s true, in one on one fights, the ship with the better technology usually wins. But in fleet engagements it’s all about tactics. One well timed missile salvo can devastate a fleet and turn certain victory into disaster.”

“Then why is the Admiralty not sending more ships from Home Fleet?” Becket asked. “The Chinese are no longer a threat and the Sol Treaty means that even though we are officially at war, there should be no fighting in the Sol system itself. The Admiralty could send Home Fleet with Rooke and destroy the Indian fleet in one battle.”

Perceptive, James thought. Becket had already identified a key element in his uncle’s plan. Still, there were good reasons for the Indians to assume his uncle would keep Home Fleet at Earth

“They could, but I imagine they aren’t for the very reasons I just outlined. If the Admiralty sent Home Fleet, it would be our four battlecruisers against their three. We would have the advantage. But then we would be risking four out of our five operational battlecruisers. If we brought the Indians to battle and lost, we would lose our entire empire. Whatever Indian ships survived would be able to run riot in our colonies and the Argentinians would likely join the party. The risks are simply too great. Haven is important, but from our Government’s and the Admiralty’s perspective, it’s not worth risking everything we have spent centuries building. I suspect Home Fleet will stay in the Sol system as a warning to the Indians and the other space nations not to mess with our colonies.”

“I see,” Becket, said lapsing into silence as she pondered James’ words.

“We are receiving a signal from the flagship,” Sub Lieutenant King reported from the COM station. “It’s a text message, it says ‘Welcome to the fleet. Take station astern of the flag.’”

“That’s all?” James asked, slightly taken aback at the brief communication.

“Yes sir,” King answered. “There are coordinates for us to move to, but that is it.”

“Jennings, take us to our assigned position,” James ordered.

“Aye Sir,” the navigation officer said.

All of a sudden, the conversations of the bridge died down. Everyone was wondering what was going on.

“I guess Rooke is a man of few words,” James said to ease the tension on the bridge.

It was customary for an Admiral to greet a newly arrived Captain to their fleet face to face. Either by requesting the Captain report on board the flagship or over a COM channel. A simple text message was very close to an insult. “He’s probably busy getting the fleet ready to depart,” James added.

“Do you think this will be our position in the fleet going forward?” Mallory asked.

On the main holo display he had the fleet formation up with Endeavour’s assigned position highlighted. Endeavour had been ordered to join the flagship’s flotilla. Along with a light cruiser, two destroyers and three corvettes, Endeavour’s position indicated her role would be to protect the flagship in any upcoming fleet engagements.

“Endeavour was designed to operate on her own, not babysit the flagship,” Mallory explained.

“I don’t know,” James replied, eyeing the formation with concern. “It may be Rooke has just assigned us there for now until he decides how best to use his raiding ships.”

“Let’s hope so,” Mallory said. “Or else this war is about to get very boring for us.”

“A boring war isn’t the end of the world,” James said with as much positivity as he could. Deep down he knew he didn’t believe his own words, being assigned to the flagship’s flotilla would be a disaster.

“I’m getting another text message,” King said. “It’s from HMS Discovery. It says they would like to welcome the second finest ship in the fleet to the war.”

“The second finest?” James said, feigning insult. “Who would dare say such a thing?” he continued in the same tone. “Focus our visual sensors on Discovery.”

When the ship appeared, James had to contain his surprise. Discovery was the spitting image of Endeavour. The last he had heard the first of Endeavour’s sister ships wasn’t scheduled for completion for another couple of months. The Admiralty must have rushed another one to completion. He wasn’t surprised, the ships were made for operating behind enemy lines, exactly what his uncle’s plan called for. As he watched the ship waggled, tilting her port side down towards Mars as a sign of respect.

“Mimic their maneuver,” James said to Jennings.

“Who commands Discovery?” Mallory asked.

James guessed before anyone on the bridge was able to look up the information. “Captain Gupta if I’m not mistaken. No one else would be so cheeky. Send this back, ‘When Discovery’s battle honors are as long as Endeavour’s, then maybe she can claim that title. Until then, you will have to settle for prettiest. You do have a fresher coat of paint after all.”

James’ message elicited a few chuckles from his bridge crew and he couldn’t help smiling when he saw Gupta’s reply.

Touché.

“Discovery’s Captain is requesting a secure COM link Captain,” King said.

“I’ll take it in my office,” James said as he stood up and walked out of the bridge.

*

“Welcome to the fleet Captain,” Gupta said with a warm smile as soon as her face appeared on the holo display.

“It’s good to see you again,” James replied. “You have certainly done well for yourself. Discovery looks to be a fine ship.”

“She is,” Gupta said. “And her crew are working hard to get her ready for war. We just finished our space trials a month ago.”

“I’m sure you will have them well trained when the time comes,” James assured her.

“I plan too; it helps that we have such a legacy to live up to. You almost singlehandedly destroyed an entire alien fleet with your exploration cruiser. My people plan on matching your crew’s accomplishments.”

“Just don’t get yourselves killed in the process,” James warned. “Our success has been as much down to luck as skill, I don’t want you taking any unnecessary risks just to best me.”

“Ha,” Gupta laughed, “you are forgetting that I know how you operate Captain. Luck may play a part, but your skill has been what has made your luck. You are far too humble, but I guess that is what I should expect from the People’s Hero,” Gupta finished with a smirk.

“Oh shut up,” James groaned. “I heard enough about the People’s Hero when I was on Earth. I don’t want to hear anything more about court martials or news broadcasts.”

“Good luck with that,” Gupta chuckled. “Everyone in the fleet is going to want to talk to you about it.”

“Well we don’t have to,” James said. “I’d rather be congratulating you on your new command. Your family must be proud.”

“They are,” Gupta said with a genuine smile. “They can’t believe it to be honest. Not that they don’t think I deserve it, but when they think about where our family has come from, it’s hard to imagine one of us would get to where I am now.”

“And what do they think about the war?” James asked.

Gupta’s grandparents had been colonists on the Indian colony of New Delhi. Being members of a low caste, they had been limited to holding menial jobs and had been generally looked down upon by most of the New Delhi population. After years of scraping up enough savings, they had purchased a one-way ticket to Earth and the British Star Kingdom. After applying for and receiving citizenship they had thrived, allowing their children to make a life for themselves, which, in turn, allowed Gupta to make it to the fleet academy.

“They are concerned,” Gupta said. “We still have family back in the Indian colonies. They also know how determined the Indian government can be. We all fear this war could escalate and become a war to the death rather than just one to liberate Haven.”

“They may be right,” James said. “The Indian government has hated and feared us for nearly a century. I don’t think they will just sit back and let us beat them.

“How are your parents doing?” James asked. “I heard some anti-Indian sentiment in London.”

“They are ok,” Gupta responded. “Keeping to themselves mainly. The last thing they want is to get into any trouble and so they are staying indoors as much as possible.”

“I’m sorry they have to go through that,” James said, genuinely upset. He was worried Suzanna’s and his actions had played a part in stirring up such sentiment.

“Don’t worry about it,” Gupta said. “They think it is a small price to pay for the freedoms they enjoy. We all grew up hearing the horror stories of my grandparents. A few overzealous nationals are nothing to us.”

“Good,” James said. “Next time I have a few days on Earth I will have to pay them a visit. I still owe them a meal.”

“I’m sure they would love to see you,” Gupta said. “But enough about my family. Tell me, how is married life treating you Captain?”

“Well,” James said, unable to hide his smile. “Despite everything that has happened. I can truly say it is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I can hardly remember what unmarried life is like.”

“Excellent,” Gupta said, genuinely happy for the man who had once been her Captain. “After everything you went through when we were on Drake together I am glad you have found some happiness.”

“As am I,” James said. “You will have to meet Suzanna once this war is over. I know you will both hit it off.”

“And I’m sure she will want to know all the embarrassing stories I have to tell about you,” Gupta said.

“No doubt,” James agreed. “But don’t forget, I have a few of my own for when the time comes. Speaking of which, is there anyone I should know about?”

“Ha, not a chance,” Gupta said. “My parents have suggested a couple of men. But I have been far too busy getting Discovery space worthy to be thinking about such things.”

“I’m sure,” James said. “Well then tell me this,” James continued as a thought occurred to him. “Have you been assigned a Science Officer?”

“I sure have,” Gupta said. “He was on board before I was given command. I don’t think I got as lucky as you. I don’t know what I’m going to do with mine.”

“What do you mean?” James asked.

“I mean, you seem to have got more than a science officer,” Gupta said. “In fact, she is on board Discovery right now showing my officer the ropes.”

“Science Officer Scott is on board Discovery?” James asked. “What is she doing there?”

“It’s Sub Lieutenant now,” Gupta explained.

“She changed to the command track?” James asked, perplexed.

“Yes,” Gupta answered. “I thought you knew, she is meant to transfer to Endeavour as soon as you reach orbit.”

“I guess she has some explaining to do,” James said.

“I’ll let her fill you in then,” Gupta replied. “It’s safe to say that my Science Officer won’t be going on away missions any time soon. I think he likes working at his computer a little too much.”

“Give him a chance,” James said. “You might be surprised, when Scott came to me I didn’t have a clue what I was going to do with her, but she ended up being vital on our mission to hunt down Chang. I’m looking forward to seeing her. How is she?”

“She seems reserved,” Gupta said. “But competent. I didn’t know her before the accident so I can’t really say.”

“Well the fact that she’s back on duty, and in the command track speaks volumes,” James said. “She has had a long and difficult road to recovery.”

“Sounds like you’re a fan,” Gupta replied.

“I like to think I have a knack for spotting good officers,” James said. “I did recommend you for command after all.”

“That you did,” Gupta said smiling, “I suppose you might know what you’re doing.”

“So, tell me about the fleet?” James asked changing the subject. “Are you ready for war?”

“We sure are,” Gupta said. “We have been drilling for months, we are as ready as we’re going to get.”

“Do you know what your role is going to be?”

“Discovery will be working alongside the other scout ships when we’re with the main fleet,” Gupta answered. “From some of the simulations Rooke has had us run, I think we may be operating independently and carrying out some raiding missions as well. Just how much do you know about our mission?”

“Enough,” James said evasively. “I expected to be assigned to the patrol ships, not the flagship’s flotilla. Do you know what’s going on there?”

“Not exactly,” Gupta replied. “Rooke wasn’t the happiest man in the fleet when the reports of the last day of your court martial reached us. I don’t know if he has something against you, or your uncle, or the Prime Minister or what. But reading between the lines, I don’t think he’s happy to have you under his command.”

“Great,” James said. “Just what I need, another senior officer who’s out to get me.”

“Do you know why he might not like you?” Gupta asked.

“No clue,” James answered. “I guess I’m going to have to try and figure out what his problem is. I don’t want to spend the rest of this war babysitting the flagship. Setting aside whatever differences he thinks we have, what is Rooke like as a commanding officer?”

“He’s good,” Gupta answered. “If you have reviewed the invasion simulations we carried out you’ll know he beat Admiral Cunningham both times. That said, he has given me the impression that he can be a little overcautious. But that’s not always a bad thing in a senior commander.”

“It’s not,” James agreed, his mind going back to his own recklessness just a few weeks ago.

“Captain,” the voice of Sub Lieutenant Malik cut into their conversation. “We have just received orders from the flagship, the fleet is to prepare to break orbit.”

“We just got the same orders,” Gupta said as she turned back from looking at something out of James’ view of her office.

“Very well,” James responded. “It was nice talking with you again Captain, hopefully we’ll get to put both ships to good use, it will be good to fight with you at my side once again.”

“And it will be a pleasure to have you on this mission,” Gupta responded. “We’ll talk again soon James,” she added as she cut the transmission.

Before James went to the bridge, he opened a file on his datapad and began to write. He needed to get to the bottom of why Rooke wasn’t happy with him. His uncle would never break the chain of command but there was someone else who could get to the bottom of things quickly. When the message was done, he transmitted it back to Earth. With nothing more he could do, he made his way to the bridge.

“It looks like we’re heading to war,” First Lieutenant Mallory said as James sat down in his command chair.

“Indeed we are,” James said. “You have the bridge, take us out with the flagship,” he ordered.

*

Several hours later as the fleet was nearing the edge of the Sol system’s mass shadow, two COM messages arrived for James from Earth. The first was from Suzanna. James saved it for later to read in the privacy of his quarters. The second was from Andréa Clements. She was an old friend and his accountant. More importantly, she had a range of contacts who could usually get her what she wanted.

After a brief survey of how his finances were going, her message got to the information James wanted.

I’m afraid I couldn’t find much about Rear Admiral Rooke. He seems to have led a distinguished career so far. There’s only one piece of information that might explain his actions. When he was a Sub Lieutenant, he served under the then Captain Blackwood for three years. Then, as a First Lieutenant, he served under Blackwood for another four years. I imagine they grew pretty close during those times. He may not have liked the way your defense counsel and King Edward treated Blackwood during the court-martial.

I bet he didn’t, James thought to himself. Let’s hope that is all it is. We should be able to put our personal differences aside. We are at war after all.

Quickly James wrote a brief response to Andréa, then he sat back and waited for the fleet to jump into shift space.

Chapter 2 – The Sub Lieutenant

One of the gravest mistakes the Earth nations made was the failure to recognize the hand of the Karacknids in events that led up to the War of Doom. If they had, Earth would have been far better prepared for what was to come.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

24th June 2467 AD, New France System

Two weeks after leaving the Sol system Endeavour and the rest of the Fast Reaction Fleet jumped into the New France system. After acknowledging the government of New France and the large coalition fleet stationed there to ward off any Russian aggression, the British fleet boosted towards the shift passage that led further into the French colonies and on to Indian space. Three British cruisers and another five smaller ships broke off from the coalition fleet and joined the British fleet before they all jumped out.

An hour later James retired to his office and sent for Sub Lieutenant Scott to meet him. “Sit down Sub Lieutenant,” James said when Scott appeared. “I was delighted to see you back aboard Endeavour.”

As she made her way into his office, James was taken aback by her appearance. He had already met her a couple of times going about her duties but her appearance was still shocking.

He could easily remember the first day he had met her. She had come aboard as Endeavour’s Science Officer. Tall, blonde, with blue eyes, she had been stunning. Despite being the Captain, James had been a little nervous in her presence. Now, things were different. Having known her before, James could still see traces of the beauty she had. Yet, since her ordeal on Vestar and the months of regenerative surgery she had gone through, someone seeing her for the first time would struggle to see past her scars.

She walked with a limp. Even though the new legs that had been grown for her were identical to the ones she had lost, the long delay before she had received her new limbs had left her with neurological damage which prevented her from fully using them. The limp, combined with the scar tissue that ran along her face and into a bare patch on her scalp, made it clear to anyone who looked that she had been through serious trauma.

“It is good to be back and doing something again,” Scott said. “I was going crazy back at my parents’ house.”

“I can imagine,” James said. “When were you discharged from the hospital?”

“About three months ago Sir,” Scott answered. “Since then I have been working on my rehabilitation, progress is still slow but as soon as I passed all my physical and psych evaluations I wanted to get straight back to duty.”

“I’m sorry I haven’t had the chance to speak to you sooner, things have been hectic the last few weeks.”

“That’s alright Sir, I know you’ve been busy. I’m just happy you allowed me back on board Endeavour as a Sub Lieutenant,” Scott said.

“That’s why I asked you here,” James said. “Just how did you manage to switch to the command track? Not that I’m complaining, but as I said when I first met you, it was always going to be a longshot.”

“Well,” Scott said as a coy smile appeared on her face. A smile James remembered well from their first meeting. She had used it to convince him to allow her to run tactical simulations with the Sub Lieutenants. “After my injuries, I was interviewed by the head of the navy’s Science Foundation alongside a Rear Admiral from the Admiralty. They offered me an honorable discharge. I told them I wanted to stay in the navy. I still have my research to finish after all.”

“Then why didn’t you just come back as Endeavour’s Science Officer?” James asked.

“I was offered the position, or any other that I wanted.” Scott replied. “But you know what I really want, some day to command a survey ship of my own. So I took a chance. I knew when they mentioned any other position I wanted they meant within the Science Foundation, but I intentionally misunderstood them. I asked to be assigned to Endeavour as a Sub Lieutenant.”

“What did they say?” James asked.

“Initially they thought I was joking, but I convinced them I was serious,” Scott explained. “I told them all about the training you allowed me to take. I didn’t tell anyone at the time, but during our first cruise I studied to take the final academy exams. I had never taken them before, as I transferred to the Science Foundation after my first two years at the academy. After I got out of hospital, I sat and passed them.”

“That doesn’t surprise me,” James responded.

“It did surprise them, but it still wasn’t enough, I could see they were going to say no. Then I showed them the letter of recommendation you wrote for me. I think that pushed them over the edge. I owe you a great deal Captain, you are the one who has set me on this path.”

“I am happy I was able to help,” James said, genuinely pleased. “I watched you closely when you started participating in the war simulations with the Sub Lieutenants. You showed yourself to be a fast learner. No doubt there will still be more hurdles in your way. Some in the navy will always class you as just a Science Officer. But I am sure you can overcome them. If you work hard, a ship of your own someday may just be on the cards.”

“I hope so Sir,” Scott said. “And I know I couldn’t have a better teacher to prepare me for that than you.”

“I don’t know if that’s true,” James said. “But I hope I can teach you a thing or too. Now, let’s get to the second question I wanted to ask you. When you were speaking with the Admiralty, did you talk to them about the alien ship you saw?”

Scott’s face relaxed and a look of tension passed from her eyes. More than ever James could see the woman he had first met. He had thought it had just been her injuries hiding her beauty, now it was clear there was something else.

“So you believe me?” Scott almost pleaded.

“Yes,” James said. “Of course, I do. I trust you. I take it no one else has?”

“I tried to convince them,” Scott said. “But they would not listen. I was laughed out of the navy’s Science Foundation buildings and I almost didn’t pass my psych evaluations because I refused to accept what I saw could have been hallucinations as a result of my injuries.”

“That’s absurd,” James responded. “The Overlord had to get his advanced technologies from somewhere. We sure as hell know the Kulreans didn’t give them any. They have no weapons technologies.”

“I know,” Scott agreed. “But my superiors told me the Vestarians turned the Overlord’s mountain complex upside down and couldn’t find any trace of a ship. Whatever exploded down there didn’t leave a trace of itself.”

“But Jil’lal was there, she saw the ship,” James said. “Can’t she back you up?”

“No,” Scott replied. “I wish she could, but whatever the ship hit her with to knock her out wiped her memory. She has no memory of the attack on the complex at all.”

“Damn,” James said. “So you are the only survivor who saw the alien ship. That still doesn’t explain why they don’t believe you.”

“I think it is just too far-fetched. The ship I talked with claimed to be an artificial intelligence. We abandoned such technologies centuries ago. After the Concordant Incident, any research into AI was made illegal. I think the Science Foundation believes other alien species would have come to the same conclusion. The Kulreans certainly did, there is no sign of any AI’s in their civilization.”

“That doesn’t mean other species may not try it, especially if they are a civilization who goes around giving advanced weapons to pre-space flight species. No one with friendly intentions would do such a thing. We need to know who this third species is. It should be of vital importance.”

Scott couldn’t help but smile.

“What is it?” James asked.

“I’m just happy to have someone who agrees with me,” Scott explained. “I felt alone for months as I tried to convince people. I even tried talking to the head of Royal Space Naval Intelligence. He listened to me, but I’m not sure he thought anything more about me after I left.”

“He must have taken you somewhat seriously if he gave you an appointment,” James said.

“He didn’t,” Scott replied. “I ambushed him when he was having a private lunch to himself.”

“Oh,” James said, “Well then I’m surprised he gave you any time at all.”

“What do we do about it now?” Scott asked, not eager to relive her failed attempts to reach out to the Admiralty.

“I’m not sure,” James said. “Right now we have the Indians to worry about. Our focus has to be there. But once we get back to Earth, we are going to try to get more people on our side. I can get my uncle to listen to your story. And we can contact Jil’lal on Vestar. Maybe she can look into things for us. If there really was an alien ship on Vestar giving the Overlord advanced weapons technologies, then we need to know who put it there.”

“That’s for sure,” Scott said. “Though I think we will have a hard time convincing anyone. The working theory is that the Overlords managed to get their hands on some Kulrean technology and reverse engineer new weapons from there.”

“I suppose it is possible,” James said reluctantly. “But I believe you, and if there really is another alien race out there, we need to be preparing to meet them. However, for now we need to focus on Endeavour.” The Admiralty’s slowness to accept Scott’s story was troubling but there was nothing he could do.

“Tell me about my acting Science Officer?” James asked. “Your second in command, Ensign Dugan, has been filling in for you since your injuries. Yet he is hardly experienced enough to take over full time. I thought the Admiralty would have assigned me a replacement months ago.”

“They’re having trouble finding volunteers after my experience, one look at me and most of the naval researchers run a mile,” Scott said.

“That’s not hard to believe,” James replied. “Actually, if it’s not too personal, can I ask, why didn’t you allow the naval doctors to completely remove the scar tissue from your face? If it was down to cost, I would be more than willing to handle your medical bills.”

“That’s not it at all,” Scott said. She made to say something further and then lapsed into silence.

“It’s ok if you don’t want to tell me,” James said. “We can move on.”

“No, I do,” Scott said, still looking at the ground. “It’s just not something I like to talk about.”

She lapsed into another silence, not wanting to force her, James gave her a few moments. “You see,” Scott said slowly. “Ever since I was a young girl my father wanted me to be a scientist. I wanted to travel the stars, but he wanted me to be his pretty scientist who would get married and live on Earth for the rest of my life. When I was young I followed my father’s guidance. But deep down I knew what I wanted. The Science Officer posting gave me the chance to change that and I embraced it with open arms. You then gave me the opportunity to grow into something more than a scientist.

“I am proud of my scars,” Scott continued, finally raising her head. “They are a reminder of who I can be, of what I can do. My father hated them and insisted that he would pay for more advanced surgery to undo all the damage. I refused. I knew that if I went back to the way I looked before, he would only see me as a scientist again, that everyone would. My scars show that I am something different. This is how I want to be viewed.”

“I see,” James said, not entirely sure that he did. If there was one thing his marriage was teaching him, it was that women were complicated beings.

“Well, I just want you to know the offer is there. You don’t need scars to remind me that you are far more than just a scientist who can only sit at her research desk.”

“Thank you Captain, I appreciate that.”

“I have one last question,” James said. “Do you know why I assigned you to assist Lieutenant Becket at the tactical console?”

“Because of my inexperience,” Scott answered. “I do not yet have the experience to be responsible for a department on my own. I know that.”

“That is partly it,” James acknowledged. “But, she is one of the best tacticians I have commanded, you can learn a lot from her. If you are going to command a warship of your own one day, then Becket can get you started on the skills you will need to take a King’s ship into battle.”

“A warship?” Scott questioned. “I only hope to command an exploration frigate one day.”

“Well then you need to aim higher,” James said. “I have been busy over the last few weeks, but that is not the only reason I waited until now to meet with you privately. I wanted to see how you managed as a Sub Lieutenant. I was in half a mind to promote you back to your previous role as Science Officer.

“Don’t worry,” James said quickly, raising his hands to ward off the protest that was forming on Scott’s lips. “I am smart enough to realize that would be a mistake.

“What I’m trying to say is, I have been impressed over the last two weeks. I think you are right where you are meant to be. Make the best of the opportunities you have, but don’t throw away your past accomplishments. You have skills and knowledge that will set you apart from other naval officers. You just need to find a way to use them.”

“Thank you, Sir,” Scott said. “Your words are very encouraging; I just hope I can live up to your expectations.”

“I expect you to,” James said, fully aware that his uncle had said the very same things to him more than once. I guess you are rubbing off on me uncle, he thought with a smile.

“Captain,” a new voice said from the COM unit. “We have just dropped out of shift space as scheduled. The Flagship has sent a message to the fleet, all Captains and First Lieutenants are to report on board forthwith.”

“Acknowledge the message,” James said, “Then tell Chief Driscoll to prep the shuttle for launch.”

“Aye Sir,” the bridge officer said.

“Well, I guess that concludes our meeting,” James said. “Don’t ever feel like you are alone Sub Lieutenant, if you remember anything more from the Overlord’s Mountain complex, or you are having any other difficulties, you can come to me.”

“Thank you, Captain,” Scott said as she stood. “That means a lot to me.”

After Scott walked out of his office, James called for his steward, Liam Fox, to come and assist him into his dress uniform. Rear Admiral Rooke would no doubt be expecting his Captains to come dressed for the occasion.

As he donned his best uniform, he thought over what Scott had told him months ago about what had happened in the Overlord’s mountain complex, before the whole Indian situation had boiled over. There is another threat out there, there has to be, it’s the best explanation for how the Vestarians got their hands on advanced weapons technologies, James thought. Knowing it was one thing, knowing what to do with it when no one else believed it was another thing entirely.

Chapter 3 – HMS Hood

There has always been a HMS Hood in the Empire’s navy. The name is a holdover from the British navy. Once HM stood for the British king, now our Emperor is the only human who takes such an honorific for himself.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

24th June 2467 AD. HMS Hood, near the New France System

“She’s beautiful,” Mallory said as he stared out the shuttle’s view port at HMS Hood.

“I can’t disagree with that,” James replied. He had asked the pilot to fly them around the battlecruiser before they entered its hanger bay to land.

“I hear the new battleships won’t look nearly as streamlined,” Mallory commented. “But then, I imagine they will look impressive in their own way.”

“I believe that when you are commanding a vessel with a broadside of thirty missiles you’ll not be too worried about how your ship looks,” James responded.

“Would you like to command one someday?” Mallory asked.

“A battleship?” James said. “I don’t know; I haven’t thought about it. To be honest, I have never thought that far in the future. Five or ten years from now we are likely to have as many as ten battleships in service. Even so, I don’t see myself being picked to Captain one of them.”

“But what if it was offered to you?” Mallory pushed, not entirely in agreement with James’ pessimistic view of his career prospects.

“I don’t know,” James repeated. “A battleship command would mean being assigned to one of the large fleets. That’s ok in times of war as it guarantees you will see action. But normally, you’d be stuck patrolling the same system over and over again. I like commanding Endeavour, things are always different.

“What about you?” James asked. “What kind of ship do you dream of commanding one day?”

“I’m not sure,” Mallory said, suddenly embarrassed. “I’ll just be happy to get a command.”

“Nonsense,” James laughed. “If you do well on this mission, you could put yourself to the front of the queue of young officers ready to take command of a frigate or a corvette.”

“Maybe,” Mallory said. “Why do you think Rooke wants us all on his ship?”

“I imagine he plans to fill us in on our real mission,” James said. “And to assign us to our flotillas.”

“What do you mean?” Mallory asked. “Aren’t we going to fight our way through to Haven?”

“Come now Lieutenant,” James said. “The rest of the fleet may not know about the Gift, but you do. If we were going to hit Haven, don’t you think we would be taking the quickest way?”

“I just thought that Rooke wanted to defeat the Indian fleet in their colonies before we proceeded to Haven,” Mallory said.

“That’s one strategy we could employ,” James said. “But it would be risky. A defeat now would put an end to any attempt to free Haven.”

“So we’re not going to Haven right away?” Mallory said.

“No, not right away, as to what we are doing. I only know because the Prime Minister included me in a few COBRA meetings before we left for our scouting mission to Haven. If the general plan has stayed the same, we will be taking a few detours. Exactly what they will be, we will have to wait for Rooke to tell us.”

“I see,” Mallory said, not entirely sure what James was getting at. Something else James had said had caught his interest. “Do you think that we will be reassigned to a new flotilla then?”

“I hope so,” James replied, careful to keep his tone neutral. He didn’t want Mallory to start to worry that there was a rift between his Captain and the fleet’s Admiral. “If we are going to be doing some of the types of missions I think we will be doing, then Endeavour should be operating alone, or as part of a small specialized fleet with ships like Captain Gupta’s Discovery.”

“Well that is something to look forward to,” Mallory said with a grin. “Now that we’re at war there can be no reason for anyone to complain about us sneaking up and saying hello to a few Indian warships.”

“I would hope not,” James said. “But let’s just wait and see what happens,” he added, not wanting to get Mallory’s hopes up. The fact that Rooke had assigned Endeavour to the flagship’s flotilla suggested the Rear Admiral didn’t envision Endeavour carrying out independent missions any time soon.

“I guess we’ll find out soon enough,” Mallory said as a jolt reverberated through the shuttle, letting them know it had just touched down on Hood’s hanger floor.

As both men walked down the shuttle’s ramp they were greeted by a Captain with a large, welcoming smile on her face. As she approached, James pulled her into a hug. “It’s good to see you in the flesh Captain,” he said.

“You too James,” Gupta responded as they broke apart. “This is my First Lieutenant,” she continued as she stepped back to allow James to see who was standing beside her. “I think you both know each other already.”

“Lieutenant Romanov,” James said as he clasped the man’s hand. “You are looking well, congratulations on your promotion.”

“Thank you, Sir,” Romanov said. “I believe the Admiralty thought my time serving as your Second Lieutenant aboard Ghost qualified me to serve on Discovery.”

“Ha,” Gupta said as she elbowed Romanov in the side. “I think it was more down to the fact I requested Romanov as my First Lieutenant when I took command. If it wasn’t for me, he would be back at Admiralty House pushing paper.”

“I find that hard to believe,” James responded. “Romanov always was the quicker learner out of the two of you.”

Gupta faked a look of shocked disbelief before she turned to Malloy and held out her hand. “It’s a pleasure to see you again Lieutenant,” she said. “I guess I will have to do the honor of introducing you as your Captain seems to be too busy insulting me. Lieutenant Romanov, this is Lieutenant Mallory.”

“Good to meet you,” Mallory said as he shook Romanov’s hand.

“And I you,” Romanov said just as formally.

“Now, we better get a move on,” Gupta said to James. “You were one of the last Captains to land, we don’t want to be late.”

“That we don’t,” James said. “Have you been on Hood before?”

“A couple of times for fleet briefings,” Gupta answered.

“Then lead on,” James responded as he motioned for her to take the lead.

*

Five minutes later James, Mallory, Gupta and Romanov all shuffled their way into Hood’s large briefing room. Even though the flagship had been specifically designed for such circumstances, the room was packed to overflowing with Captains and Lieutenants tightly squeezed together.

“Welcome everyone,” Rear Admiral Rooke said as he stood up from his seat at the front of the room. “Now that the elements from the New France Fleet have joined us, we are up to our full number. In total, we have two battlecruisers, five heavy, seven medium and ten light cruisers, along with fourteen destroyers, sixteen frigates, twenty corvettes and of course, our two exploration cruisers. Our mission is to retake Haven from the Indian fleet and ground forces that invaded the system four months ago. However, it is not our immediate mission.”

Anywhere else James would have expected a low rumble of surprised whispers to interrupt Rooke’s speech but the navy personnel were too disciplined. Or, James thought as he gazed around the room, they are just too eager to hear what the real mission is.

“The First Space Lord Admiral Somerville and Prime Minister Fairfax have a plan that they believe will end this war without risking a major fleet battle. While such a prospect may be a disappointment to you, let me remind you, the Indian fleet, whilst not our equal, is still impressive. If we are forced to go toe to toe with them we will lose a lot of ships and crew members. Our fleet is still rebuilding after the war with the Chinese. If we can avoid any unnecessary losses, I believe it is right to do so.

“That said, it doesn’t mean we aren’t going to take this opportunity by the horns. Rather than going straight for Haven, as the Indians are expecting. Our immediate mission is to break into the rear of the Indian colonies. We are to avoid a major fleet action, but we are going to hit the Indian’s infrastructure and orbital industries as hard as we can. And, if the opportunity arises, we will engage the Indian fleet if and only if, the odds are highly stacked in our favor. After we have devastated the Indian economy, we will turn our attention to Haven. That way, when this war is over, India will no longer be a threat to us. Now, let me go into the finer details of what I propose.”

As Rear Admiral Rooke continued to outline his plans James listened intently. A lot of what Rooke had in mind depended on where the Indian fleet chose to confront the British. As the Fast Reaction Fleet had left the Sol system, a number of Indian messenger corvettes had been spotted leaving as well. No doubt bringing news to Vice Admiral Khan of the approaching British Fleet. Khan could choose to oppose the British in the Aror System, it was the only way the British could enter the Indian colonies after all, yet such a scenario was unlikely.

From Aror there were a number of minor systems that the British fleet could attack, but if they wanted to get deeper into the Indian colonies, they would have to go through the New Delhi system. As the capital of the Indian colonies it was heavily defended and so the colony itself wasn’t a viable target for the fleet. Even if there were no Indian warships in the system, Rooke’s fleet would be hard pressed to break through the battlestation in orbit. New Delhi was therefore the most likely place the Indians would choose to make their stand. Though nothing was certain and so the British fleet had to be ready for anything, a point Rooke was making strongly.

Even so, as James listened, he grew concerned. As he looked around the room, he recognized a number of Captains who had fought in the final battle with the Chinese fleet in the V17 system. That fleet battle had been the largest the British fleet had ever fought in. Though it wasn’t larger than the one that was likely to occur if the British and Indian’s fleets met, there were many things the British fleet should have learnt from it. From James’ memory, the battle had quickly descended into a mess of ships fighting for survival. What Rooke seemed to be proposing was a good idea on paper, but once the missiles began to be thrown about, it could quickly disintegrate. Rooke’s plan seemed to rely on his ships being able to carry out a series of complicated maneuvers while under fire. One wrong move and it could all fall apart.

Despite his concerns, he kept silent. There were other far more senior Captains in the room and if they weren’t going to say anything, he knew he wasn’t. They had all served with Rooke for many months and no doubt knew more than a few things he didn’t. Perhaps there was more going on that James didn’t know yet.

“And that is what we are about,” Rooke said. “I requested you all here so you could hear for yourselves what I plan to do. I don’t want there to be any miscommunication once we get into the thick of it. You have each been assigned to separate flotillas, we are going to break now so you can meet with your flotilla commanders and run through the specific roles I expect of each of you. Thank you for your time.”

Before James could open his datapad to see where Endeavour had been placed, Mallory had already beaten him to it. “Damn,” he whispered. “We are still assigned to the Flagship’s flotilla. And look, Discovery is a part of the raiding squadron that will be commanded by acting Commodore Lightfoot.”

“Lightfoot?” James queried.

“Yes, he has been given a field promotion to acting Commodore. Once the fleet breaks past the Indians he will lead his ships deeper into their colonies. That is the squadron we should be in.”

“Perhaps,” James said, knowing there was no ‘perhaps’ about it. “But we have our orders, come on, let’s go to our briefing.”

As James walked out of the main briefing room he bumped into Gupta and Lightfoot. “Captain Somerville,” Lightfoot said holding out his hand. “It is good to see you under somewhat better circumstances.”

“Yes,” James agreed. “It’s nice not to be on trial.”

“I must apologize for my part in that,” Lightfoot said. “It was a disgrace.”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” James replied. “You were just carrying out your duty.”

“Still, the whole experience left me feeling dirty. None of us are perfect. But you didn’t deserve to be treated the way you were,” Lightfoot said.

“I’m just happy I am back on Endeavour,” James said. “It’s a pity I won’t be joining your squadron.

“Indeed,” Lightfoot said. “I could have used you, you have already proven you can handle Endeavour behind enemy lines.”

“It’s absurd,” Gupta cut in. “You should be with us. With Endeavour, we would be able to do far more damage to the Indians.”

“I plan to speak to Rooke,” James said. “Hopefully, he will reassign Endeavour.”

“Well good luck Captain,” Lightfoot said. “We best be going.”

As Gupta turned to walk away, Lightfoot caught James’ arm. “Be careful James,” he said in a low voice no one else could hear. “I don’t know what is going on between you and the Rear Admiral, but it’s obvious he doesn’t like you. Watch what you say to him.”

“I’ll be careful,” James said, “thanks for the advice.”

“Just make sure you look after yourself,” Lightfoot replied.

“You too,” James said as Lightfoot turned to walk away.

“What was that about?” Mallory asked. He had been straining to hear what Lightfoot had whispered to James but had been unable to make anything out.

“Nothing you need to worry about,” James said. “Let’s find out what our role in all this is going to be.”

“Ok,” Mallory responded.

When they got to the smaller briefing room assigned to the flagship’s flotilla, James was disappointed to see Rooke wasn’t there. His Flag Captain was taking the briefing instead.

“Thank you all for coming promptly,” she began. “My name is Captain Sarah Valance. Most of us know each other very well by now so let’s skip past the introductions, except of course, we can welcome Captain Somerville into our midst. Welcome Captain,” Valance said as she peered at James.

“Thank you,” James said, not sure what else was expected of him. “This is my First Lieutenant, Seamus Mallory,” he added to fill the silence.

“Well I’m sure I speak for the rest of us when I say we are looking forward to working with you Captain,” Valance said.

“And I you,” James replied.

“Very well then,” Valance continued, “let’s get down to business. Your main job throughout our time in Indian space will be to protect the flagship. We will be fighting as a single unit and we need to understand one another. While Rooke will be commanding the rest of the fleet, I will be responsible for Hood and her flotilla. You will answer directly to me and I to the Rear Admiral. Most of us have already spent the last few months drilling together. Since we left the Sol system we have run a few drills but from now until we get to Indian space we’re going to intensify our drills. We need to be able to operate as a single unit. Endeavour is going to have to fit in to the tactics we have already worked out. I see from your file you’ve served as an escort ship before Captain Somerville?” Valance asked.

“Yes,” James answered. “Though it was only for a brief time, I’m used to operating on my own. That’s what Endeavour was designed for.”

“Hopefully you’ll be able to remember what captaining an escort ship entails,” Valance said. “Rear Admiral Rooke has decided that Endeavour will join Hood’s flotilla, it’s our duty to make sure we work together to the best of our ability.”

“Endeavour will do her best,” James said.

“I’m sure she will,” Valance replied. “Now, let’s run over a few formations together shall we?”

For more than an hour James and Mallory sat in almost silence as Valance talked through a number of formations and tactics that the flotilla had already worked out together. Occasionally James asked a clarifying question, but captaining a ship assigned to escort a larger capital ship largely involved simply being told what to do.

When the briefing came to an end, James leaned over and whispered to Mallory, “Still want your own command?”

“I think so,” Mallory said, his tone of voice indicating that he was just as disappointed as James that Endeavour wouldn’t be being used to her full potential.

“You go back to the shuttle,” James said to Mallory. “I want to have a word with Captain Valance, I will be right behind you.”

“Okay,” Mallory said not needing to guess what James wanted to talk to the Flag Captain about.

After the room cleared Valance looked up to see James standing in front of her, “Yes Captain?” she asked.

“I am willing to do my duty,” James said, “no matter what that looks like. If Endeavour is going to escort the flagship, then she’ll be the best escort in the fleet. However, I have to ask, why isn’t Endeavour in the raiding squadron? That’s where she can do the most good, my crew have already shown their ability to fight independently.”

“That’s not for me to say,” Valance replied. “I simply carry out Rear Admiral Rooke’s orders. If you have a problem with your assignment I suggest you talk to him. I for one am looking forward to working with you Captain. Your past exploits are impressive and I’m sure you have a thing or two to say about our tactics. If we had more time, I would have liked to invite you to dinner on Hood so I could pick your brains, but alas, Rooke will want the fleet to jump into shift space soon. We will just have to talk via COM link.”

“That we will,” James said. He had more he wanted to ask Valance, but if his time was short, he wanted to try and find Rooke. “I will take my leave then.”

“Good bye Captain,” Valance said as he turned to go.

Once out in one of Hood’s main walkways he pulled out his datapad and queried it to find out where Rear Admiral Rooke’s offices were. Following the path his datapad gave him, he arrived outside five minutes later. As he approached the doors they automatically slid open. Admiral Rooke’s flag officer was sitting behind a desk.

“Captain Somerville, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” the flag officer said as he jumped to his feet. “I have been following your exploits since the Void War, I hope one day if I get a command of my own I will prove to be half the captain you are.”

“Thank you,” James said, not sure how else to reply. “I’m glad I can be an inspiration.”

“Is there anything I can help you with Sir?” the flag officer asked.

“Yes,” James replied, “is the Rear Admiral available? I would like to speak with him briefly.”

“Let me check,” the flag officer said. Looking down at his terminal he tapped a few buttons. Moments later he looked up, “The Rear Admiral says he will see you now Captain, you can go on through.”

“Thank you,” James replied as he headed towards the door the officer pointed at.

“Ahh, Captain Somerville, I thought you might be paying me a visit,” Rear Admiral Rooke said from his desk. “I presume you wish to discuss your posting.”

James had expected some kind of greeting, but if Rear Admiral Rooke was going to do away with formalities, he guessed he should come straight to the point. “Yes,” he said. “You know that Endeavour was designed for the kind of mission you’re sending Lightfoot’s squadron on. Discovery is in his squadron; I would like to request that Endeavour be assigned to Lightfoot’s command as well. It is where we can best serve the fleet.”

“I will be the judge of where you can best serve the fleet,” Rooke replied standing to his feet. “And I will tell you what I know. You were only found not guilty in your court martial because the King and the Prime Minister intervened on your behalf. And in doing so they made a fool of Admiral Blackwood. Who I might add, I believe was right. Your past actions smack of an insubordinate Captain who doesn’t know how to follow orders. That you are here now only confirms my suspicions.

“I accepted you into my fleet because I respect your uncle and though I think he is biased in this case, I’m willing to respect his judgement. However, that doesn’t mean I’m going to risk my fleet and my orders. As far as I’m concerned, you’re going to sit out the rest of this war right under my nose where I can keep an eye on you.”

As James made to protest Rooke raised his hand. “We are tens of light years away from your uncle now. My mind is made up, there’s nothing he can do to help you and there’s nothing you can say to change it. If you really want to do your duty and love the Navy as you claim to, then accept my orders, go back to your ship, and carry out the role I have given you.”

James was stunned. He didn’t know what to say. He had expected Rooke to be difficult, but not openly hostile. For a second he paused to collect his thoughts. What can I say? he asked himself. When no answer was forthcoming he decided that discretion was the better part of valor.

“I understand Sir,” he said. “If that’s what you want, then you’re right, there’s nothing I can do about it, I will take my leave then.”

“Good,” Rooke said. “And remember, I will be watching you.”

Struggling to contain his anger, James strode out of Rooke’s office, he didn’t want the Rear Admiral to think he had got to him. He didn’t even notice the flag officer and the stunned expression on his face that James was returning so quickly.

When he got back to the shuttle, Mallory knew immediately something was wrong from the way James threw himself into one of the shuttle’s seats. Just as he was about to ask what happened, the look in James’ eyes stopped him dead in his tracks.

James’ tone confirmed he had made the right decision. “Take us back to Endeavour,” James practically shouted at the shuttle’s pilot.

The rest of the trip was spent in silence. Whatever happened, Mallory thought, it didn’t go well. I guess Endeavour won’t be joining Discovery anytime soon.

Chapter 4 – Raid on Aror

The Empire spans thousands of systems and hundreds of inhabitable worlds. Economically, the loss of a world’s orbital industry would mean nothing to the Empire. Even the destruction of a Second-Tier colony would barely cause a ripple. Politically, things are very different. An attack on even one human is seen as an attack on all of mankind. Our enemies have learnt this the hard way.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

3rd July 2467 AD, HMS Discovery, edge of the Aror System

Gupta closed her eyes as she felt the slight tremor run through Discovery as her ship exited shift space. On more than one occasion she had been mocked for her custom, it was a habit she formed when she first went into space. Exiting shift space just felt unnatural to her and while everyone else kept their eyes open she always had an irresistible urge to shut them.

As soon as she was sure her ship was out of shift space, her eyes shot open and went to the holo projector at the center of Discovery’s bridge. Within seconds it updated as Discovery’s finely tuned sensors picked up stray emissions of electromagnetic energy.

“The gravimetric plot is clear,” her Sensor Officer called. “I’m getting readings from the fourth planet where the Indian colony is. Apart from that, there doesn’t seem to be any sign of life in the system.”

“It’s almost too quiet,” Gupta said. “Take us forward and launch a spread of recon probes.”

Forty minutes later, Discovery crossed over the mass shadow created by Aror’s sun. If the Indians had a significant number of warships in the system, they would either stay in orbit over the colony or right here, guarding the shift passage exit.

“Still not picking up anything on sensors,” the Sensor Officer said.

“Bring us to a halt,” Gupta commanded. “We’ll give it another twenty minutes and then we’ll signal the fleet.”

As her self-imposed deadline approached, Gupta became a lot more confident. It was possible the Indians were hiding some warships along Aror’s mass shadow to ambush the British fleet. But her ship and the drones she had launched had been scanning the area intensively. If there were any ships out there, there could be no more than one or two, the rest of the fleet could easily handle them.

“Bring us to heading five four point seven, then give me maximum burn on our impulse engines for exactly ten seconds,” she ordered.

“Aye Sir,” the Navigation officer said.

*

HMS Endeavour, edge of the Aror System

James turned his neck from side to side to work out some of the tension that had crept into his body. Endeavour was keeping station with the flagship and the rest of the fleet six light hours from the edge of the Aror system. Gupta and Discovery had jumped away from the fleet more than forty minutes ago and, as yet, there was no word from her.

“Do you think something has happened?” Sub Lieutenant Scott asked. “Shouldn’t we have heard from Discovery by now?”

“Not necessarily,” James said. “Gupta needs to be sure the Indians haven’t laid a trap; it will take as long as it takes. And if something does happen, I’m sure we would detect it, there’s no way the Indians would be able to take her without Gupta letting us know about it.”

“I can’t stand this waiting,” Mallory said.

“I know,” James agreed. “I would like to be able to say that it gets easier with experience, but it doesn’t”

As if Gupta had heard the frustration in Mallory’s voice, the gravimetric plot beeped, drawing everyone’s attention to it. “New contact,” Sub Lieutenant Malik called. “I’m picking up a single ship rapidly accelerating along heading five four point seven.”

“Has she been detected?” Mallory asked with concern.

“No,” James answered. “I don’t think so,” he continued after checking the heading the new contact was exiting along. “It’s a signal, Rooke worked out a signaling system with Gupta. I believe that is the signal for the all clear. Get the ship ready to jump into shift space.”

“Orders are coming in from the flagship,” Sub Lieutenant King announced. “We’re to jump into shift space in forty-five seconds, I’m transferring the coordinates to Sub Lieutenant Jennings.”

“Coordinates locked in,” Jennings said a moment later.

“Jump us with the fleet,” James ordered.

When the fleet exited shift space, James eagerly studied Endeavour’s sensor readings along with everyone else on the bridge. There was no sign of any ships other than Discovery but that didn’t mean the fleet was in the clear yet.

“New orders from the flag,” King announced. “We are to go active with our sensors.”

“Do it,” James ordered.

“Aye Sir,” Malik responded.

The space around the British fleet was flooded with terawatts of electromagnetic energy as every ship in the fleet turned on their main search radars. The tension in James’ shoulders lasted for another couple of minutes, but when no new contacts appeared on the sensor plot he relaxed. “There really are no Indian ships about,” he said to the bridge. “Either they have something special planned for us over the colony, or they’re waiting for us at New Delhi.”

“My money is on New Delhi,” Lieutenant Becket said from the tactical console.

“As it is mine,” James said. “But maybe that’s exactly what they want us to think to lure us into a false sense of security before they spring whatever trap they have planned. So, let’s stay focused.”

“More orders coming in from the Rear Admiral,” King said. “The fleet is to advance towards Aror.”

Very well,” James said. “Jennings let’s follow the flagship in.”

*

James gave the order for Endeavour to launch a drone towards the quickly approaching colony. More than ten other drones shot from other ships in the British fleet. Rooke wasn’t taking any chances. Royal Space Naval Intelligence data suggested the Indians had two small battlestations in orbit above the colony. James guessed that the trick the Havenites had played on the Indian fleet over Haven was in Rear Admiral Rooke’s mind. He was carrying out an extensive scan of the rest of the orbital infrastructure around the colony to make sure there were no hidden battlestations or weapons platforms.

“As far as I can tell, the rest of the infrastructure around the colony looks commercial,” Sub Lieutenant Malik reported.

“Thank you, Sub Lieutenant,” James said. “I suspect the Rear Admiral will want his own officers to analyze the data before we make our next move. Becket, prepare the port side missile tubes, target the nearest battlestation.”

“Aye Sir,” Becket answered.

The order to target the battlestations came less than a minute later. Hood and her flotilla would target the nearest one, while HMS Justice, the second battlecruiser in the fleet, and her flotilla would target the second.

“Fire,” James ordered as the order came down from the flagship.

Endeavour’s eight missiles shot into space, accelerated to 0.2c by their missile tubes. As soon as they cleared the warship, their impulse engines kicked in, accelerating them at over four hundred gravities towards their target. They were joined by another eighty-eight British missiles.

The two Indian battlestations fired off salvos of forty missiles each before the British wave of destruction reached them. Then tens of escape pods were launched from the station. At the same time their automated computers frantically fired the stations point defense weapons. Small plasma bolts and AM missiles reached out to intercept the British missiles. Thirty were destroyed, but the rest rained down on the two battlestations. Almost every missile scored a direct hit and the two battlestations simply disappeared in the resulting explosion.

As the Indian missiles approached the British fleet, flak cannons, point defense plasma cannons and AM missiles took them out before they got close enough to become any kind of threat.

“Captain,” Sub Lieutenant King said. “I’m picking up a new message from the flagship, it’s got visuals and audio and it’s being broadcast in the open without any encryption.”

“Let’s hear it,” James responded.

When King transferred the COM message to the main holo display, Rooke’s face appeared. “People of Aror,” he began. “My name is Rear Admiral Rooke. On the 4thJune the Parliament of the British Star Kingdom declared war on the Indian Star Republic as a result of your government’s illegal occupation of Haven and its territories. The British people do not wish to be at war with the people of India. However, we will not sit by and idly watch your nation invade another. What we are about today is a direct consequence of your government’s illegal actions, remember that.”

“That’s it,” King said. “Wait, there is another transmission. This one is just text. It’s a list of both orbital and ground targets, the message is warning the Indian people to evacuate these areas. It says they have thirty minutes.”

“Beckett,” James said as a new COM message came in for him. “I’ve just received our targets from the flagship. Prepare the heavy plasma cannons, we’re going to take out as many orbital stations as we can as we pass the colony.”

“Aye Sir,” Becket responded.

As the fleet continued to approach the colony, James took a moment to review the list of targets Rooke had sent to the Indians. The surface targets were all military targets, either military barracks or supply depots. In orbit, the fleet was going to take out every orbital station that looked like it had anything to do with either Indian fleet operations or the industrial output of the colony. Their economy will still be intact, more or less, James thought to himself, but Aror won’t be supplying any raw materials to the Indian shipyards any time soon.

When the British fleet came into range of the colony, a hail of plasma bolts descended on their targets. Due to the close proximity of many of the ground targets to population centers, tungsten spears were out of the question. Some of the bolts burst through the colony’s atmosphere to hit ground targets but the majority were focused on the orbital stations. The first two volleys of bolts destroyed almost two thirds of Aror’s orbital industry. The third and fourth volleys were targeted at the debris. Systematically, the British ships destroyed every piece of wreckage big enough to cause any damage to the surface before it entered Aror’s atmosphere.

Once Rear Admiral Rooke was satisfied that all the targets his orders allowed him to attack were destroyed, he gave the order for the fleet to turn towards the shift passage to New Delhi. If the Indians weren’t waiting for him here, he knew they would be there.

*

Captain Bedi waited at the edge of the shift passage to New Delhi for a couple of hours after the British attack on Aror. From the colony, intelligence operatives transmitted a full report on the British fleet and the damage it had caused. As soon as he received it, he ordered his small corvette to jump out of the system. He was on his way to Admiral Khan and he had one message for him. The British were coming.

*

8th July 2467 AD, ISRS Kali, New Delhi system.

“Damnation,” Khan swore as he threw the datapad he had been reading across his office to smash into one of his flagship’s bulkheads. “They destroyed almost everything in orbit. The cost to rebuild will be trillions of credits.”

“It was a risk we decided we had to take,” his Flag Captain said. “And judging by the size of the British fleet. I think we made the right choice. We would have been defeated if we tried to stop them at Aror.”

“I know that,” Khan said. “But I was hoping they would leave the colony alone. Now even if we beat them here, I will have to answer for the damage to Aror. The Prime Minister won’t be pleased.”

“I suppose not,” Khan’s Flag Captain said, happy he didn’t have to answer to the Prime Minister.

“It’s done now,” Khan said as he calmed himself down. “At least we know how many ships the British have. It’s time to make our final preparations. They will be here within the day.”

*

8th July 2467 AD, HMS Endeavour, edge of the New Delhi System.

Unbeknown to Khan, the British fleet was already approaching the New Delhi System under stealth. James was sitting in his command chair on Endeavour’s bridge watching the sensor plot of the system in front of him. Instead of sending in a ship like Discovery to scout the Indian patrol ships, Rooke had jumped the fleet out of shift space five light hours away from the system’s mass shadow. The entire fleet was in stealth, cruising towards the mass shadow at 0.25c. As New Delhi was the capital of the Indian colonies, there was no doubt the system would be heavily patrolled. Any ship that jumped into the system near the mass shadow would have been detected. This way the Indian ships patrolling the outer system wouldn’t have a clue what the British fleet was doing until it was too late.

“Our electromagnetic sensors have detected two more ships, along with the three the gravimetric sensors have picked up that makes five patrol ships,” Sub Lieutenant Malik reported. “I’m also picking up traces of what I suspect is a sixth but the data is inconclusive as yet.”

“Good,” James said. “Get ready everyone, if we are detecting their ships, they will soon detect us as well.”

“Captain,” King shouted, “the flagship has just sent a signal to the fleet, ‘commence plan alpha two.’”

“Follow the flagship,” James ordered. “Becket, follow Captain Valance’s instructions. Fire on her order.”

After giving the order, James sat back in his command chair. As Endeavour was part of the flagship’s flotilla, there wasn’t much else for him to do. Valance had command of the ships in the flotilla, she would pick their targets and would give the order to fire.

James focused on the Indian contacts Endeavour’s sensors had picked up. As soon as the British fleet came out of stealth and accelerated towards their targets, the holo plot came alive with Indian ships.

They were still more than twenty light minutes away from the British ships as they patrolled along the edge of the system’s mass shadow. However, the British ships were charging straight for them and the Indian ships only had a small timeframe in which to act before there would be no hope of escape.

Almost as one, the patrolling ships turned towards the inner system and arrested their momentum so they could boost towards safety. One ship caught James’ attention and he focused on the small holo display on his command chair. Whoever was commanding the destroyer was good, he had reacted far quicker than any of the other captains. It looked like he might escape, however, it was clear that the rest of the ships didn’t stand a chance.

“I just received targeting data from Captain Valance,” Becket said minutes before the first Indian ships came into missile range.

“Fire when she gives the order,” James responded.

It almost looked like Rear Admiral Rooke was overplaying his hand. There was a constant stream of signals being sent out from the flagship to every one of the ships in the fleet. It would be obvious for anyone watching the fleet that Hood was the flagship. The problem was it might seem like Hood was trying to advertise her presence too overtly. Still, James thought with a shrug, who am I to question a Rear Admiral?

“Launching missiles,” Becket called once she received orders from Captain Valance.

More than one hundred and ten missiles reached towards five of the six Indian ships fleeing the coming onslaught. The Indian ships tried to shoot down the missiles but only one was successful, the other four took direct hits. The ship that survived was a small frigate. In a pathetic act of defiance, it fired two missiles back at the British fleet. They were effortlessly brushed aside. In response, Hood fired another eight missiles at the frigate, alone it was unable to defend itself against so many missiles and so was quickly dispatched.

On orders from Rear Admiral Rooke, the heavy cruiser HMS Dragon fired twelve missiles at the remaining Indian ship. Technically out of range, Dragon’s twelve missiles accelerated to their maximum speed and went ballistic. As soon as they did, the Indian destroyer altered course to get away from them. In response, Dragon’s tactical officer sent new targeting data to her missiles. As a result, every two minutes they fired up their engines to alter course towards the destroyer before going ballistic again.

Despite her best efforts, she only managed to get eight of her missiles into range of the Indian ship. As soon as they were able, they switched on their seeker heads, powered their engines up one final time and accelerated to their attack velocity.

“Missile launch,” Sub Lieutenant Malik shouted.

James didn’t need the Sub Lieutenant to tell him what was happening. When the distance between the two sets of missiles was less than two light seconds the Indian missiles exploded. In that instant, the Indian Captain put his ship into stealth and disappeared off the holo plot. Five seconds later, it reappeared heading on a very different angle away from its original trajectory.

“There’s no way a destroyer can make that kind of turn,” Malik said.

“That’s not the destroyer,” James responded. “It must be a drone; the destroyer is still in stealth.”

Whilst James anticipated what the Indian Captain had done, the seeker heads on the British missiles could not. After being momentarily blinded by the thermonuclear explosions from the two Indian missiles, they tried to renew their target lock. All but one of them locked onto the first target that became available and dived after the drone that was putting out enough electromagnetic radiation to mimic the destroyer’s sensor profile.

The final British missile must have sensed something from the Indian destroyer for it continued towards its target. As soon as the rest of the missiles were far enough away from the destroyer that its Captain wasn’t concerned by them, the destroyer came out of stealth. It powered up its point defenses and shot down the missile that was threatening it.

“That’s one lucky destroyer,” Lieutenant Julius said over the open COM channel from the axillary bridge.

“Luck only had a small part to play in that,” James said. “Don’t forget, just because the Indians are our enemy, it doesn’t mean they don’t have good officers on their side as well. Let’s hope this Admiral Khan isn’t one of them.”

“Signal from the flagship Captain,” King announced, “the fleet is to switch to formation gamma five three.”

“Follow our orders,” James commanded. The escaping Indian destroyer wasn’t important anymore, it was time to make their feint towards Haven.

Chapter 5 – Rooke’s Feint

In our age of faster than light communication and god-like sensors, war is like a game of chess. Your opponent can see everything you are doing. It was not always so. In the centuries before and just after the formation of the Empire, war was a game of cloak and daggers.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

8th July 2467 AD, HMS Endeavour, New Delhi System.

The British fleet thrust into the New Delhi system as fast as they could. Kerala was the next system the British fleet would have to pass through if it wanted to get to Haven through Indian space. The shift passage to Kerala was almost exactly at the opposite end of the system from the passage back to Aror and the fastest way to it was to head right into the system.

As soon as it was clear what the British fleet intended to do, the Indian fleet made its appearance. Indian warships in orbit around New Delhi boosted out of orbit and formed up in an aggressive formation. They accelerated to an attack speed that would allow them to intercept the British fleet.

The tight formation of the Indian fleet made it hard for the gravimetric sensors to identify just how many ships there were but, as the two fleets converged, the rest of Endeavour’s sensors got a clearer picture.

“I think that is all of them,” Sub Lieutenant Malik said as he projected the final numbers of the Indian fleet.

“Impressive,” Mallory said, “they must have almost every ship they own that isn’t in the Haven or Sol systems here.”

“This is a make or break battle for them,” James said. “And they know that. If we can defeat their fleet, then we can do what we did at Aror to all their colonies.”

“Do you think we could beat them if Rooke tried to take them on?” Mallory followed up.

James didn’t reply immediately. Instead he surveyed the latest estimates Malik had produced on the Indian fleet. Like the British Fast Reaction Fleet, they had two battlecruisers. Yet in every other ship class they outnumbered the British. Especially when it came to frigates and corvettes. The majority of the British Star Kingdom’s smaller ships were tasked with guarding small colonies and mining outposts. The Indians had recalled most of theirs. While the Indians had twenty-nine cruisers to Rooke’s twenty-three, they had forty frigates and corvettes compared to the twenty-five that were in the British fleet.

“It would be close,” James replied. “Very close. Our flak cannons give any one of our ships a significant point defense advantage over their Indian counterparts. But their abundance of smaller ships more than makes up for it. If we won, it would be a pyrrhic victory, we wouldn’t have enough ships left to retake Haven.”

“That’s what’s the Indians are counting on,” Mallory said. “It’s a good thing Rooke doesn’t plan on engaging them openly.”

“Indeed,” James said. “Let’s just hope that what he does have planned succeeds. I don’t want to be facing that Indian fleet without any back up.”

“No,” Mallory said with a thoughtful expression. He was contemplating just how badly things could go if Rooke’s plan didn’t work. “Let’s hope,” he said a little more subdued a few seconds later.

“Signal from the flag,” Sub Lieutenant King called several minutes later. “The Hood flotilla is to unfurl their gaseous shields.”

“Acknowledge the order,” James responded. “Jennings, make sure you match the flagship’s new velocity.”

“Aye Sir,” she responded from the navigation console.

James was still sore about Rooke’s decision to keep him in Hood’s flotilla. He clearly had an enemy there, even if it wasn’t one of his own making. He knew the rest of Endeavour’s crew took it as an insult and he wouldn’t be surprised if more than one of them blamed their Captain’s court martial for their reduced role. However, Endeavour’s position in Hood’s flotilla did make sense for this part of Rooke’s plan. Every ship in the flotilla was less than five years old and they were the fastest ships in the fleet. They were also accompanied by two heavy cruisers, although they were masking their signals to lure the Indian’s into making the move Rooke wanted them too.

*

ISRS Kali, Indian fleet.

“The forward section of their fleet is accelerating Admiral,” one of Khan’s officers shouted.

Khan swung around to look at the main holo display in the command room. The officer was right. The first British battlecruiser, its escorts, and the two as yet unidentified ships were accelerating. The rest of the British fleet slowed down and angled towards his fleet.

“What are they doing?” Khan’s flag officer asked.

“Forcing us to choose,” Khan answered. “Or that is what they want us to think they are doing.”

Instead of elaborating, Khan thought about what the British could be up to. On the face of it, it seemed reckless. Before the course change, his fleet had been closing with the British at their best possible speed. Their projections indicated the British fleet would have been within missile range for thirty minutes before it could jump out of the system. He had been worried they might escape. From the reports of the British war with the Chinese, he knew their flak cannons were very effective at fending off incoming missiles.

Yet now, he could bring the larger part of the British fleet under his guns for more than fifty minutes. That would be more than long enough to wipe them out. The British were offering him a very appealing target. Too appealing.

“Give me everything you have on those two unidentified ships,” Khan requested. “Quickly.”

One of the ships appeared to be the British marine transport Albion. However, the sensor data didn’t match up exactly. The other ship seemed to be its sister and yet, the British were only supposed to have one marine transport.

If they are both marine transports then there could be thirty thousand marines on those ships, Khan thought. There is no way Admiral Kumar could defeat them. I can’t let them get past me. Still, defeating a large section of the British fleet is an opportunity I may never have again.

But it could be a ruse, he reminded himself. Dismissing the sensor data of the troop ship from the display on his command chair, he brought up the vectors of the two British fleets. If I slow to engage the second section, then the first will escape for sure. And if I do slow, the second section could veer away and refuse to engage me. It would turn into a long stern chase, but they would likely escape.

“What are the chances the British have a second troop transport ship?” he asked his intelligence officer.

“It’s unlikely Admiral, but not impossible,” she replied. “The British did keep their flak cannons a secret from the Chinese and us, they could have built another troop transport and kept it hidden.”

And the change in sensor profile could be because they had some hidden technology on their transports that they are only now using, Khan added. Very well, the British fleet will have to wait.

“We’re going to intercept the lead elements of the British fleet,” Khan ordered. “Order every ship that can match our maximum velocity to follow the flagship. Start working out new flotilla arrangements. Once we get into missile range we are going to hammer them. The rest of the fleet will hang back where it is safe. We can decide what to do with the rest of the British fleet after we crush their transport ships.”

*

“It’s working,” Mallory shouted as soon as the Indian fleet broke apart. “They are coming after us.”

“Yes,” James said, “though I don’t think that is something you should be so excited about.”

Over the next five minutes the Indian fleet split into two sections. More than three quarters of the fleet increased their acceleration and altered course to head off Rooke’s flotilla. The smaller destroyers, frigates and corvettes fitted in around the larger ships, taking up stations to help protect them.

For another fifteen minutes both Rooke’s flotilla and the Indian fleet continued on their new courses. This was one of the riskiest parts of Rooke’s plan. It had been impossible to predict how many ships Vice Admiral Khan would take to pursue Rooke and what their top speed would be. James let out a sigh of relief when Malik finally spoke the words everyone on the bridge had been waiting for.

“The Indian ships have stopped accelerating. I think they have reached their maximum velocity,” he called. “Their new velocity is 0.29c.”

Good, James thought, just within the safety margins the battle simulations had called for.

James brought up a counter on his command chair’s holo display. Rooke needed to lure the larger part of the Indian fleet towards the shift passage to Kerala for a while yet. As soon as they reached the point of no return, he would put his plan into motion. James estimated they would have to wait another twenty minutes.

Almost the second James’ counter reached zero, King broke the silence. “New orders coming in from the flagship. ‘Fleet will break with the flag,’” she read.

“Make it so Jennings,” James ordered.

Now things will get exciting, he thought, the Indians will know what we are up to soon enough.

*

“The British forward fleet is reversing course!” one of Khan’s sensor officers called.

“What?” Khan shouted.

“They are decelerating and turning away from us at two hundred and sixty gravities,” the officer reported.

As Khan surveyed the fleet positions it suddenly hit him what the British were up to. “No,” he involuntary shouted as he smashed his fists down onto his command chair. The British Admiral must have put all his newest ships in the forward flotilla to have deceleration rates of over two hundred and sixty gravities.

“Sir?” his flag officer asked in concern.

“They are not going to Haven,” Khan replied, followed by a number of expletives. “Look at their rear fleet. It is already braking and turning. They are heading for Magali. There is no way we can stop them.”

“Damn,” the flag officer said. “We have been played.”

“Shut up,” Khan shouted. He didn’t need to hear how he had been out maneuvered from his subordinates. Instead he tried to think of a way to salvage the situation.

“We’re splitting the fleet again,” he said. “Any ships that can maintain a deceleration of two hundred and fifty gravities are to follow us. We are going to give the forward British fleet a single broadside before they get past us.”

“Aye Sir,” the flag officer acknowledged. “And after that?”

“After that, we are going to have a chase on our hands. If we can’t stop the British doing too much damage to our inner colonies, then I’m afraid my career will be over,” Khan answered.

His words sent his subordinates back to work in silence. It took them a minute to work out the new fleet dispositions but as soon as they did two thirds of the ships with Kali broke with her and turned after the forward British fleet.

As his new squadron formed up and closed with the British again, their fleet increased their deceleration slightly. They were clearly desperate to escape without having to engage with Khan’s ships. You may have beaten me today, Khan said to himself. But I’m not going to let you get away unscathed. The forward British fleet was made up of one battlecruiser, a light cruiser, a destroyer and two frigates. His sensor officer hadn’t been sure what the last ship in the fleet was but with its most recent maneuvers they had been able to get a better read on it. They were estimating it was the same ship that had attacked Admiral Kumar’s ships in Haven. Earlier analysis of the British fleet had identified the battlecruiser as the British fleet’s flagship. If the battlecruiser hadn’t been such an important target, Khan would have ordered more missiles aimed at the damned ship that had attacked Haven. He knew the British First Space Lord’s nephew commanded the ship, he had already proved himself to be more than a nuisance.

Due to the two fleets change in direction, the British fleet was accelerating into missile range of his fleet, albeit, they would quickly pass beyond his reach. It meant that Khan didn’t have to wait long to get the satisfaction of shouting, “Fire.” Let’s see how you get out of this, Khan said in his head.

One hundred and forty missiles shot from the other battlecruiser, eight cruisers, four destroyers and eight frigates that were still with Kali.

“Multiple missile launches detected,” Khan’s sensor officer called.

“From the squadron with the British flagship?” Khan asked when his officer didn’t immediately identify the source of the missiles.

“Yes, but not just them,” she replied. “The rest of the British fleet has fired as well.”

They can’t hit us at this range, he thought as he swung to check the range to the rest of the British fleet. His momentarily alarm passed as he saw the missiles weren’t aimed at his ships. What trick is the British Admiral playing now?

When the new missiles came up on the holo display, a feral smile crept across his face. Not this time my friend, he thought. You British have tried that trick one too many times.

*

HMS Endeavour

“All eight missiles away and on target,” Becket announced.

“The main part of our fleet has also fired their missiles,” Malik called. “They should be in position in twenty minutes.”

“Now we wait,” James said after he nodded his head to acknowledge Malik’s information.

As James had come to expect, waiting was all they could do as they watched the three groups of missiles tear across space. The Indian fleet pursuing them had fired one hundred and forty missiles at Hood and her flotilla, in return they had fired seventy-nine missiles right back at them. The rest of the British fleet had added another two hundred missiles into the maelstrom of contacts that the holo display was trying to track.

“The Indian’s aren’t responding to the rest of the fleet’s missiles,” Becket called out. “Surely they would have sent orders to split up their missiles if they knew what we were up to. Do you think they have missed what Rooke plans?”

“Perhaps,” James said. “But they can’t be that slow, prepare to launch a number of recon drones, program them to emit their own ECM jamming. We may need a little extra protection.”

Silence descended as everyone watched the missiles from the main part of the British fleet close in on the Indian salvo. As the two groups of icons on the holo display got closer and closer it was impossible to miss what Rooke intended to do. James had used the same tactic himself. As the two groups of missiles converged, everyone held their breath. For about ten seconds the holo display of the area froze as the two hundred British thermonuclear missiles exploded, blinding Endeavour’s sensors.

Malik was the first to see what had happened from his sensor station “It didn’t work!” he called, with more than a hint of fear in his voice. “They are still coming.”

“How many?” James demanded.

“I’m detecting over one hundred and twenty,” Malik answered.

“We’re going to need more than a little protection,” Mallory said looking over to James.

When James nodded he got up and approached Becket at the tactical station. “Launch your drones now, and then let’s see how many we can get ready before they hit us.”

“Any orders from the flag?” James asked Sub Lieutenant King.

“Nothing yet Sir,” she replied.

“Get ready to fire another salvo of missiles at those incoming Indian ones. Maybe we can take out a few more where our main fleet failed,” James ordered. He could think of nothing else to do.

“The Indians must have built some extra radiation protection into their missiles,” Malik reported. “I’m not sure firing more missiles at them will work.”

“What makes you say that?” James asked.

“The sensor data from before and after our missiles exploded among them,” Malik responded. “The only missiles we destroyed were ones that got directly caught in a thermonuclear explosion. The rest of the Indian missiles flew right through the waves of intense radiation without being affected.

“Very well, belay that last order,” James said. “We are going to have to rely on our point defenses.”

Damn, he then said to himself. Rooke’s entire plan hinged on that working. He has endangered us all.

“Open a ship wide COM,” James requested.

“It’s open Sir,” King said moments later.

“Crew of Endeavour,” James began. “By now most of you know that over one hundred Indian missiles are homing in on us. You know we have scrapped through worse situations before. Yet you also know this is going to be close. I need every one of you to give of your best in the next ten minutes. Don’t let me down.”

“COM channel is closed Sir,” King said once he finished. “We are getting new orders from the flagship.”

“Ok,” James said as he reviewed them. Coward, he thought when he saw the new formation Rooke had sent to the ships escorting Hood. It was Rooke’s mistake that had put them in this position, yet he was putting every ship he had available between himself and the incoming Indian missiles. Their new position called for a more defensive formation, yet Rooke had chosen one that kept him as far away from harm as possible. Hood’s point defenses would be sorely needed, yet her position meant they would not be nearly as effective as they could be when it came to protecting other ships in the formation.

“Jennings,” James said in as even a tone as he could. “Take us to our new position in the fleet.”

“Aye Sir,” she acknowledged.

By the time they were in place, they only had a couple of minutes to wait before the Indian missiles came into range of their flak cannons. Before James knew it, the familiar sound of Endeavour’s two flak cannons firing their rounds could be heard from the bridge.

Whilst not all the British ships were equipped with flak cannons, most of them were and the area of space directly in front of the Indian salvo was filled with exploding shrapnel. As the Indian salvo flew through the cloud of flak their numbers began to thin.

“Not enough,” James cursed as the Indian salvo ploughed through and continued to come at their targets.

“I think we destroyed forty-two of them,” Malik reported.

“Firing again,” Becket called from the tactical station.

“We got twenty-eight with our second round,” Malik said a few seconds later.

As soon as Malik finished speaking, the space around Hood and her escorts erupted in a dazzling light display. Hundreds of green plasma bolts and anti-missile missiles reached out from the British ships to intercept the fifty Indian missiles that were accelerating straight at them.

In moments fifteen, then twenty-five Indian missiles exploded. A brief lull fell as the AM launchers automatically reloaded themselves. Then more explosions continued to thin out the Indian missiles.

“Another signal from the flag,” King shouted over the commotion on the bridge. “Flotilla is to hold formation.”

Damn him, James cursed. “Jennings, prepare an evasive maneuver pattern,” he ordered anyway.

“On it,” the Sub Lieutenant replied.

“How long until the flak cannons are reloaded?” James asked.

“Thirty seconds,” Becket answered.

“Hold formation Jennings,” James ordered as he counted down the seconds. When he got to ten, time seemed to slow down. The Indian missiles had been reduced to eighteen. There were still more than enough to devastate Rooke’s flotilla of ships. Three of them seemed to be homing in on Endeavour, they were less than eighteen seconds away from hitting his ship.

In the few seconds he had left, James took direct control of Endeavour’s navigation console and flak cannons with his command chair. The timing was too critical for him to give out any orders verbally and he didn’t have time to explain what he had in mind.

As soon as the flak canons showed they were ready, James fired. He waited two seconds for them to get off as many rounds as they could before he hit a second button to engage Jennings’s evasive maneuvers. Endeavour was thrown into a sharp nose dive and roll as the ship tried to break away from the three missiles intent on its destruction. Meanwhile, the flak canon rounds flew past the three nearest Indian missiles and exploded right in front of Hood, throwing up one last wall of defense for the flagship.

James didn’t have time to see whether they helped the flagship survive the coming onslaught or not. His focus was elsewhere. He gripped his hands into a fist as the first Indian missile targeted at his ship overshot its target. Before he could celebrate, the next two exploded as they sensed they wouldn’t get a direct hit. Two waves of thermonuclear energy washed over Endeavour, sending shockwaves through the ship.

James gritted his teeth and held on tight to his command chair as his command shook violently. While the shaking seemed to last for an eternity in reality it only lasted about a second. As soon as it stopped, alarms rang out from a number of consoles on the bridge.

“Shut those things off,” James shouted. He had survived enough proximity hits to know his command was more or less in one piece. His main concerns were the engines.

“Julius, I want a damage report on our critical systems ASAP,” he ordered over the COM channel.

“On it,” she replied.

Everyone was working as fast as they could to find out just how much damage Endeavour had taken. With nothing else to do, James forced himself to look at the holo display of the flotilla of ships around Hood to see what the damage was.

What he saw didn’t surprise him. Two ships were completely missing, the frigate Trust and the destroyer Hawthorn. One of the heavy battlecruisers was also badly out of formation and even as James watched, it continued to fall behind. Hood looked to be intact but when James switched the display to a visual of the flagship he knew she had problems.

There were two gaping openings right in the middle of her port side missile tubes. Debris and equipment were still flowing out of them into the cold of space and it looked like three or even five of her tubes had been destroyed. Hood’s port broadside had almost been cut by a quarter.

The only positive thing the holo display showed was that the flotilla was now out of missile range. However, the main part of the Indian fleet was still braking hard as they arrested their momentum and turned to pursue what was left of Hood and her consorts.

“The flag is requesting a damage report,” Sub Lieutenant King informed him.

“Tell them we will send it once we have collated one,” James ordered.

James then set himself to wait patiently for his officers to do their jobs. Eventually Julius contacted him over the COM.

“I have an initial report ready for you Captain,” she said.

“Give me the highlights,” James responded.

“We took two proximity hits,” Julius began. “Both were more than three hundred meters off our starboard amidships. We have lost sensor blisters and three point defense plasma cannons, but the rest of the damage to the hull is superficial. Reactor three went into an emergency shutdown because of the shockwave that hit the ship, but Chief Driscoll is already working on getting it up and running. Our impulse engines are still working at one hundred percent efficiency.”

“Good work,” James said. “No serious injuries then?”

“None,” Julius answered. “A few bumps and scrapes but nothing to worry about.”

James was more than a little relieved but he didn’t have time to dwell on it, the battle was not yet over. “Have you got the damage reports on the rest of the flotilla?” he asked Sub Lieutenant King.

“On every ship but the flagship,” she responded. “Wrath is badly damaged, she took a direct hit and two proximity ones. She lost one of her impulse engines and there are at least thirty dead. The rest of the flotilla is in good shape though, only a couple of proximity hits among them.”

“And what about the Indians?” James asked.

“The main Indian fleet has turned, they are following the squadron that is pursuing us, albeit at a slower pace,” Malik said.

“More orders from the flagship coming in,” King announced before James could give any more orders himself. “The fleet is to increase speed to 0.31c on the heading of five thirty-four point six. Wrath is being scuttled, all shuttles are to rendezvous with the heavy cruiser to take as many of the crew off as we can.”

“We’re abandoning her?” Mallory asked in shock.

James was shocked too but as he put his emotions aside he knew there was no other option. Wrath could never outrun the Indian fleet and any ship that tried to stay with her would just be destroyed or captured as well.

“Go,” James said to Mallory. “Take command of both shuttles, get as many of her crew as you can. If we have to leave anyone behind, we could be consigning them to months or even years in a prison camp.”

“Aye Aye Sir,” Mallory said, a fresh look of determination on his face.

For the next thirty minutes, shuttles zipped back and forth from the stricken cruiser to the rest of the flotilla. Rooke’s new course for the fleet stopped the Indians from gaining on them, but it meant Wrath was being slowly left astern.

“This is the last run,” James said to the bridge as they watched the visual feed from Endeavour’s second shuttle as she docked with Wrath for the third time. “How many crew have we taken off so far?”

“Nearly five hundred have been ferried to the flotilla so far,” Becket answered. “The final two shuttles are docking now. They should be able to pick up another sixty.”

“That still leaves almost two hundred and forty,” Sub Lieutenant Scott said from beside Becket at the tactical station. Can’t we go back for more?”

“Your numbers assume no crew were killed when Wrath was hit,” James said softly. “Her damage report says there are more than seventy dead.”

“But there are still more crew alive on her,” Scott followed up.

“Yes, but if her Captain doesn’t scuttle her now the Indians will be able to fire on her. If they hit her with a missile or two they might damage the self-destruct mechanisms. We can’t leave a partially intact Vanguard class heavy cruiser in Indian hands. It’s our latest design, full of technology they would love to get a hold of.”

“I see,” Scott said, though she still looked like she wanted to protest leaving so many people behind. James understood her feelings, but sometimes there were things more important than lives in times of war.

“Mallory is signaling to say he is detaching from Wrath,” Malik reported.

“Very well,” James said.

Less than a minute after Mallory’s shuttle pulled away, twenty escape pods shot from the ship. The self-destruct count down gave them enough time to clear the blast radius and then the once proud warship tore itself apart as its reactors imploded.

“It’s finished,” James said, unable to hide the sadness in his voice.

Rooke’s plan had worked. He had managed to get his fleet around the Indian fleet. Soon Hood’s flotilla would rejoin the rest of the British ships. Having pulled the Indian fleet out of position the door was open for the British to burst their way into the undefended Indian rear colonies. Yet the price had been high.

On the sensor display there was no sign of Discovery, Lightfoot’s light cruiser Retribution and the two destroyers making up Lightfoot’s squadron. They had obviously managed to slip away unnoticed in the commotion.

To all intents and purposes, Rooke had accomplished what he had set out to do. However, the cost had been far higher than they had planned for. Worse, the Indians now had the smell of blood in their noses. Even as the different elements of the British fleet converged into a single formation and turned towards the shift passage to Magali, the Indians doggedly followed them. They would no doubt shadow the British fleet until they could bring them to action. Avoiding them was going to be a lot harder with a damaged flagship holding the rest of the British fleet back. However, they were committed now, there was no way back to friendly space except through the Indian fleet behind them. They had to press on with their mission.

Chapter 6 - Ambush

From the time of Sun Tzu one proverb of war has always remained true, he who picks the battlefield wins.

Excerpt from Empire Rising 3002 AD

8th July, 2467 AD, Haven.

Major Johnston peered out through the thick Haven forest into the open ground in front of him. Not for the first time, he wished he was still in his combat armor to make use of its enhanced optics. He had used up the last power cell for the armor three weeks ago and since then, he and his squad of special forces marines had been forced to carry on fighting the Indian invaders on foot. Whilst his eyesight was able to focus on distances with far greater detail than the average human, it was still a poor substitute for the zoom on his combat armor’s HUD. The Havenite resistance fighters had their own handheld optics but they did little to boost his already enhanced vision.

Currently he was crouched just within the cover of the forest at the edge of the large clearing that led from the Indian army’s main supply depot to Liberty, the capital city of Haven. For the past twelve weeks, he and his men had been fighting alongside the resistance fighters in their efforts to kick the Indians off Haven.

Initially, things had gone well. With Johnston’s help they had changed some of the Havenite tactics and had begun to hit the Indians even harder than they had before. Then reinforcements had arrived. More troops had allowed the Indians to double the strength of their patrols while at the same time launching a new offensive to root the resistance fighters out of Liberty.

It had been three weeks since the Indian reinforcements had arrived, now, finally, Johnston was about to hit back. He had gathered the largest group of resistance fighters to work together since the first Indian landings. They were just waiting for their targets to arrive.

Moments later a shrill bird sound caught Johnston’s attention. It was so faint he wasn’t sure if he had heard it or it had just been his imagination. When the sound was taken up again by a source much closer, and then again by an even closer source, he knew the action was about to begin.

“Sounds like the fun is about to begin,” Clare Edwards said from where she was crouched to Johnston’s right. She had served as his guide when he had first set foot on the planet and since then, they had helped each other out of more than one scrape. When he had first met her she hadn’t carried a gun. Now she held a plasma pistol they had liberated from an Indian soldier.

“Not just yet,” Johnston said. “We need to let them get as close as they will come. Does everyone know their escape vectors?” he asked.

He was more than a little anxious about this attack. The majority of the operations he had planned had included his squad of marines and a small contingent of locals. Now there were over forty Havenites hiding in the forest beside him. Even if the ambush worked, they would all have to disappear fast.

“Yes,” Clare answered. “They know what is expected of them. You just need to worry about making sure we hit the Indians hard. Let them worry about escaping.”

“Then I guess you better get ready, because in a couple of minutes we are up,” Johnston replied.

“Any last commands?” Clare asked.

“Yes,” Johnston replied. “Tell everyone to hold fire until I say so.”

“As you wish,” Clare responded. Lifting her hands to her mouth she whistled a series of sounds that mimicked a local flying reptile. In moments, the call was taken up and repeated down the line of attackers.

“Here they come,” Johnston said as he saw the supply convoy appear from behind a large mound that dominated the center of the clearing. They were still over three kilometers away but as the long line of hover trucks and their escorts snaked out from behind the mound, Johnston carefully numbered their enemy. Alongside the twenty supply trucks, there were two light tanks and fifty soldiers in combat armor spread out amongst the convoy. Four of the trucks looked like they were packed with Indian soldiers rather than supplies and so Johnston estimated there were another one hundred Indian foot soldiers they would have to deal with.

Satisfied he knew what they were up against, he took a step back from his vantage point at the edge of the forest and sought out the two runners he had requested. “Tell Sergeant Briar he is to take out the leading tank, then focus his fire on the soldiers in combat armor,” he said to the first runner. “Lieutenant Moony is to take out the tank at the rear of the column, and then switch to the soldiers in combat armor too,” he said to the second runner. “Is that clear?” he asked them both.

“Yes Major,” they both replied.

“Then go,” Johnston said.

Once they were out of sight, Johnston turned back to peer through the thick Havenite foliage. He waited and watched the convoy come closer and closer. Patiently, he allowed the leading elements of the convoy to pass him by. When the first truck full of Indian soldiers came level with him, he raised the missile launcher he had removed from his combat armor. He took aim and let out his breath. With a squeeze of the launcher’s trigger, he sent a hyper velocity missile straight into the truck’s energy capacitor.

The explosion fractured the tranquil silence and sent the front half of the truck shooting into the sky. Men and equipment were thrown in all directions and pandemonium broke out within the Indian ranks.

Before they could even apprehend what they were facing two more missiles shot out of the forest. Both Indian tanks were engulfed in fireballs of their own as hypervelocity missiles penetrated their armor and exploded. Sparing a glance at the nearest tank, Johnston saw that Sergeant Briar had hit the tank’s sweet spot and blown its turret off. It was out of the fight.

Plasma bolts and gauss cannon rounds shot from the forest and tore into the Indian soldiers. They were well disciplined though and it didn’t take long for the return fire to overwhelm the attackers.

Sensing they had the advantage, the Indian commander ordered his troops in combat armor to advance on the tree line, safe in the knowledge the attackers wouldn’t have any combat armor. This was the moment Johnston was waiting for, as soon as the remaining Indian troops in combat armor charged he fired on a supply truck.

His second missile was the signal for his first surprise to join the fight. From fifteen meters back in the forest, the powerful lasers of two Havenite walkers opened up on the advancing Indians. Cutting through the foliage with ease, the lasers swept over the Indian lines, cutting down more than ten soldiers. The rest, obviously aware of how deadly the walkers were, dove to the ground for cover.

They were more afraid than they needed to be. Johnston had sent a small contingent of Havenite engineers to the area to prepare two surprises for this ambush. One had been the walkers. They were wrecks from the Havenite attack on the initial Indian landing. The engineers had repaired their main weapon and positioned them for the ambush. Yet, they were largely immobile and, apart from their lasers, nothing else was working.

With no more immediate targets, both walkers fired a couple of bursts at the supply convoy, destroying three more trucks, while Johnston’s team fired plasma bolts and gauss cannon rounds at any soldiers that tried to peek out from behind cover.

A massive explosion erupted deeper in the forest which threw him to the ground.

“That second tank isn’t out of the battle yet,” Clare shouted as she pointed him towards the danger. Whilst a large burning hole was clearly visible in its armor, the tank’s main gun was working and it swiveled around to aim at the second walker, having already dispatched the first.

“Call a retreat,” Johnston said. “We are falling back.” With no more hyper velocity missiles there was no way they could stop the tank ripping them apart.

Clare sent out another series of loud whistles. As soon as she was done, she was on her feet and running back to the defenses.

The fire from the ambushers slackened considerably as those who were left fled deeper into the forest. The Indian commander acted fast. As soon as his remaining tank took out the last walker, he ordered his men to charge.

Plasma rifle in hand, Johnston downed two of the Indians. The rest of his marines took out another ten. Yet there were more than twenty-five Indians in combat armor charging them and at least fifty more in normal battle suits. Within seconds it seemed like there was a wall of plasma bolts approaching the forest.

Johnston didn’t wait around to see what sort of damage that would do. He sprinted as fast as his enhanced limbs would allow to the fall back line.

“Pick up the pace Clare,” he shouted as he passed her and hurdled the defenses just before she got to them.

“Not fair,” she replied as she elbowed him in the ribs after hurdling the defenses.

Johnston spared a second to smile at her and then turned back to the approaching Indians. Whilst the Havenite forests were nearly impossible to traverse, they provided next to no cover from plasma bolts. As a result, the charging Indians had no cover to hide behind.

Johnston and his team on the other hand were safely crouched behind durasteel reinforced firing positions. The engineers Johnston had sent ahead had prepared them for just this situation. As soon as they were in place, plasma bolts and gauss cannon rounds cut down the leading Indian soldiers.

The source of the fire was obvious and the Indians poured a hail of bolts at the defenses as they charged. They expected the enemy fire to wither and allow them to close the range to the point where the superior speed and agility of their combat armor would allow them to finish the Havenites.

Instead, the Havenite fire continued and as the Indian soldiers got closer they became easier targets. Then, before the Indian soldiers realized what was going on, Johnston hit the button in his hand.

Starting just in front of the Havenite defensive line, a wave of explosions marched their way back through the forest towards the point where the ambush had begun.

Three of the Indian soldiers in combat armor were killed when explosions went off right under their feet. The others were thrown about by the concussive forces but their armor protected them from any other damage. The forty or so Indian soldiers in battle suits weren’t so lucky. More than twenty of them were killed or badly hurt.

Johnston had insisted the bombs include an incendiary liquid and instead of dissipating as the force of the explosions subsided, fire clung to the foliage and tree trunks, filling the forest with flames and smoke. Having received careful instructions, the ambushers poured more rounds into the inferno from the safety of their defenses.

*

The Indian commander, despite having done everything by the book, knew he had been defeated. His HUD indicated more than two thirds of his forces had been killed or wounded and as he looked at the blazing forest which created a barrier between what remained of his forces and the Havenites who had attacked him, he knew there was nothing he could do. His soldiers in combat armor could push through the flames, but the rest of his forces could not.

“Fall back,” he ordered over the COM channel to his men. Reinforcements were on the way and he had just sent off fire orders to the howitzers based in the supply depot he had come from. There was nothing more he could do but protect the remaining supply trucks and ensure no more harm came to them. After that, he knew he would be facing a very angry commander, this would probably end up being his last command. There was no doubt in his mind that he had just faced the British marine who had first been spotted in Liberty over three months ago. Since then the resistance attacks had been getting more effective and more daring. Whoever his opponent was though, he doubted his commander would cut him any slack.

*

As soon as the first Indian soldier broke from cover and ran back through the flames to safety Johnston knew what it meant. “Fall back,” he said through his COM unit, then, raising his voice as loud as he could, he repeated the order for those without any COM systems.

Using his COM unit would give the Indian howitzers an exact location to target, but if he guessed right, they were preparing to fire on their positions anyway. “Come on,” he said as he pulled Clare to her feet. She had continued to fire plasma bolts after the retreating Indians. “There is no time for that anymore.”

Johnston’s words and his firm hand on her arm shook Clare out of her battle lust. “Ok,” she said after taking a moment to clear her head. “Follow me.”

Clare had given each fire team their own escape route. The rest of his special forces marines had their own route to take back to the cave hideout Councilwoman Pennington had turned into her base. Their enhancements would allow them to get back hours before the rest of the resistance fighters.

For those without enhancements, escaping a battle was always dangerous business. The Indians had ships in orbit, drones operating overhead and shuttles that could hunt down any sightings or source of movement. Clare had split the fighters up into eight groups, each of which would head off in different directions to confuse the Indians and make sure they weren’t followed before returning to the cave hideout. Johnston had insisted he be part of her escape group. He wanted to make sure she got out of the ambush alive.

Clare and Johnston sprinted through the forest, the now familiar sounds of howitzer rounds exploding behind them. When they got to the tree Clare had marked as the rendezvous point for their group, there was no one else there.

“We’ll wait for sixty seconds,” Johnston said. “If they haven’t arrived by then, they aren’t going to.”

Clare didn’t answer, instead she turned and peered into the forest they had just run through and started counting, silently willing the others to appear. When just thirty seconds were up Johnston stood and peered into the thick upper canopy of the forest.

“Shuttles,” he said. “They are nearby, but they are heading north, I think they are tracking another group.”

As if to confirm his words, a fresh round of explosions rippled through the forest to their north causing Clare to duck. She had already come closer than she ever wanted to the exploding shells of the howitzers. She still had nightmares from last time.

When her counting reached fifty she turned and looked Johnston in the eye. “They’re not coming are they?”

“No,” Johnston said. “And if we don’t move now we won’t make it out of here either.” Without waiting for Clare to reply, he took her by the hand and led her through the forest at a fast jog.

With every second the sounds of battle drifted further and further away. Suddenly, Johnston ground to a halt, causing Clare to run into him. She let out a grunt as she bounced off his unyielding frame.

“There are more shuttles ahead, at least three of them,” he said.

“Three,” Clare said in amazement. “How many do they have out here after us?”

“I counted at least four before, these must be new ones,” Johnston answered. “These three seem to be patrolling the area in front of us. We will have to go around them.”

“You’re the one with the super hearing, you’d better be my guide,” Clare said as she waved Johnston forward.

They carefully made their way through the forest, keeping a careful eye and ear out for Indian patrols or shuttles.

When everything went quiet around them, Clare grabbed Johnston and tried to drag him to a halt. “Stop, can’t you hear that?” she whispered.

“What?” Johnston said.

Instead of answering, Clare signaled for him to listen. When he did, he immediately knew what she was talking about. “Ground drones,” he whispered to her.

“Yes,” she said. “The Indians must be desperate to find whoever attacked the supply convoy. They must have sent drones into the forest.”

“They are trying to track us, to find our base,” Johnston guessed. “If they know we split up they are probably hoping to follow as many groups as they can in the hope someone will give away Pennington’s hideout. “

“So what do we do?” Clare asked.

“We need to hide, lay low for a while.” Johnston said after a moment. “There are just too many eyes out there. We can’t take the risk of being spotted, there are too many innocent lives in the cave. If we can find somewhere to lie low for a day or so we can sneak back once the commotion dies down. Hopefully the other groups will do the same. Those that managed to get away.”

“I think I know just the place,” Clare said. “It’s only a kilometer away.”

“Then let’s go,” Johnston replied. He trusted her enough not to ask anything more.

Moving slowly to spot any drones that came near, it took them forty minutes to carefully stalk through the kilometer of forest to the place Clare was leading them to.

When she paused in front of a very large tree Johnston guessed they were there. “Where to now?” he asked.

“On your hands and knees,” Clare said with a smile.

“What?”

“Do you trust me?” she asked, the same smile on her face.

“Yes, but..” Johnston began to ask.

“If you do,” Clare broke in, “then down on your knees. We don’t have time to mess about.”

Rolling his eyes, Johnston wanted to say that their entire conversation seemed like messing about. Instead he did as he was told. As soon as he hit the ground, Clare pulled away a large piece of bark. In its place an opening appeared that went deeper into the tree’s trunk. Knowing what Clare expected, Johnston crawled in.

“What is this place?” he asked Clare once she had followed him in and replaced the bark.

“A sanctuary,” Clare explained. “I have been building them throughout the forest during my reconnaissance missions. I thought they would come in handy. Here,” she said as she reached behind her and pulled out a ration pack. “I have stocked them with some essentials, we should be able to stay here for a day or two if we need to.”

“Impressive,” Johnston said. “This place is actually quite cozy.”

“It is,” Clare said with a pleased smile on her face as she pulled a blanket around herself from another shelf she snuggled into it.

“It sounds like I have been giving you too much free time. I’ll have to schedule some more missions for you when we get back,” Johnston said.

“Just try it,” Clare said. “And if you don’t want any of my supplies, I’m sure I can enjoy them.”

“I’m just pulling your chain,” Johnston chuckled. “You have done a good job. In fact, you deserve a reward. I’ll take the first watch. Get some sleep. You have earned it.”

“Why thank you Major,” Clare said. “You are such a gentleman.”

“I try,” Johnston said as he turned to face the hole they had used to get into the hollow tree trunk.

Five hours later, Johnston poked Clare awake. Without waiting for her to say anything he rolled over and shut his eyes. The adrenalin from the battle had worn off hours ago and he had been struggling to stay awake.

*

When he opened his eyes again he found Clare staring at him, she had a ration bag open and was munching away at something.

“Sleep well?” she asked him

“I guess,” he answered.

“Can I ask you something?” Clare followed up.

“What?” Johnston replied.

“Why did you assign yourself to my escape group? You could be safely back at the hideout with your marines planning your next attack,” she asked.

“Well,” Johnston said, a little taken aback. “I guess, if I’m honest, I’m kind of fond of you. I wanted to make sure you were safe.”

“You mean you wanted to keep me safe?” Clare said as she put her ration pack down.

“Yeah, I guess,” Johnston replied. “What are you doing?” he asked as she moved closer.

“I was watching you as you slept,” she replied as she leaned in, “and I’ve decided, I’m rather fond of you too.”

A moment of panic ran through Johnston when he realized what she intended. An image of his wife flashed through his mind but he forced it down. It’s been two years, he told himself as her lips approached his. And you are fond of her. Moments later any other thoughts were gone as he was lost in the smell and taste of her lips.

Chapter 7 – Enemy at the Gates

War does strange things to the human heart. I can speak of this personally. When your life could end at any moment suddenly things take on a very different focus.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

10th July, 2467 AD, Haven.

Two days later Johnston carefully removed the carved piece of bark and peered out into the forest. When there was no sign of any movement, he slowly crawled out and got to his feet. Again, he paused and looked for movement.

“It’s all clear,” he said once he was satisfied.

“Finally,” Clare replied as she crawled out. As soon as she was able, she got to her feet and reached her hands up into the air to stretch.

“As much as I enjoyed our romantic break, it’s nice to be able to stand up fully,” she said.

“You’re telling me,” Johnston replied as he too moved his arms from side to side to work out some of the knots in his shoulders.

Despite their newly discovered feelings, they had both wanted to leave the day before. However, the occasional sound of shuttles overhead had signaled the Indians were still searching the area. On two occasions the tell-tale silence from the indigenous wildlife gave away the presence of an Indian ground drone which gave them a further reason to stay put.

“At least we are well rested,” Clare said. “We should be able to make good progress back to the cave hideout.”

“Let’s just hope everyone made it back okay,” Johnston said. Thoughts of the rest of his team had been plaguing him for the last two days. Intellectually, he knew that with their enhancements his special forces marines should have been able to make it back to the base without any difficulties, but sitting around with Clare while they were possibly still on the run hadn’t been easy.

“What route should we take back to the cave?” Clare asked.

“I think we can take the quickest route at the moment,” Johnston replied. “If we come across any Indian patrols we can rethink things, but right now I want to get back and see what condition our forces are in.”

“Right, follow me then,” Clare said.

For the five hours of sunlight left, they carefully made their way through the thick Haven forest. As usual Johnston had to make an effort to stop himself from staring at all the strange plants they came across. Though he had spent weeks trekking through the multicolored forest, there were always new things to see. While the large trees provided a think canopy that cut out most of the sunlight, nevertheless there was a multitude of colorful plants carpeting the forest floor. As the sun set they picked up the pace, gaining confidence from the cover of darkness. When Johnston reckoned they were no more than an hour away from the cave, movement caught his attention.

He froze. Behind him Clare followed suit, having spent days traversing through the forest with the Major, she knew what his every movement meant.

“A drone?” she whispered.

Instead of answering, Johnston signaled with his hands for Clare to crouch. “Worse,” he said, once he too crouched. “Indian soldiers in combat armor, lots of them. They are heading straight for the cave.”

“We have to warn them,” Clare said in alarm.

Johnston was already ahead of her, he had his radio COM out and was fiddling with a couple of buttons. “It’s not working. The Indians must be using some kind of jamming.”

“Shouldn’t Pennington have sentries in the forest?” Clare asked. “They should be able to warn everyone to flee.”

Johnston didn’t answer, instead he ducked deeper into the underbush and signaled for Clare to do the same. Less than fifteen meters away a dark shape appeared, pushing the leaves and branches out of its way. Claire didn’t need Johnston to tell her what it was, an Indian soldier, but not just any soldier. The markings on his combat armor made it clear that he was from the elite Indian Ranger battalion which had landed on the planet with the latest reinforcements. Since their arrival, any resistance attacks that came up against the Rangers had suffered heavy casualties.

It had taken Clare years of traversing the forests with her father for her to hone the skills that allowed her to run rings around the regular Indian army. The rangers had appeared right at home in the thick Haven forests from the first day they had landed. If they have rangers, then the sentries could be dead and Pennington wouldn’t even know about it, Clare thought.

Johnston was of the same mind. As soon as the dark figure disappeared, he turned to Clare, “We need haste more than dignity tonight. We will be able to move quicker if I carry you.”

“All right,” Clare agreed. “But no one needs to hear of this.”

“Of course not,” Johnston said. “Just make sure you keep your hands to yourself.”

Clare made to thump him but Johnston’s lightening quick reflexes allowed him to catch her wrist almost before it started to move. “There’s no time for that,” he said as he turned his back to her. “Jump on.”

Promising herself that if they got out of this she would pay him back, Clare did as she was told. As soon as she locked her legs around Johnston’s midriff, he was off. Just like last time he had carried her through the forest, the trees, branches and thick leaves zipped by her face faster than she could make them out.

He was taking a huge risk, going so fast they could easily run into an Indian ranger before they knew it. He must be worried, Clare thought. Deep in the pit of her stomach she felt a tight knot form. In the past, Clare would have let that knot of fear grow and cloud her thinking. Her friends were in danger. Despite her own concerns, she slowed her breathing and forced herself to stay calm. With every movement, she could feel Johnston’s enhanced body flex underneath her. She had seen him pull her and others out of tens of scrapes in the past. Consciously, she knew the resistance base was in trouble, but she trusted Johnston. He would see them through.

Or he will die trying, a voice said to her. Immediately, she recognized it as the truth. All at once a new fear threatened to overwhelm her, they had just found their feelings for each other. She couldn’t stand the thought of anything happening to him.

It may, Clare said to the voice in her head to control her feelings. But at least we had a couple of days together. And one thing is for sure, if he dies, it will be because I am already dead from protecting his back.

Unaware of the conflicting emotions swirling around just above him, Johnston’s mind was focused on the task at hand. Guilt drove him on, if he had returned to the base earlier, he might have foreseen the Indian attack. Now it was almost too late.

When they reached the spot he was aiming for without running into any Indian scouts or rangers he said a silent prayer of thanks. They were no more than twenty meters away from the cave entrance. He let Clare down. “Wait here,” he said. “I’m going on ahead. I will signal if it is safe to follow.”

“Ok,” Clare said. Almost before she finished replying, Johnston turned and moved into the forest.

As soon as the cave entrance came into view Johnston swore. Slumped against the wall of the cave were two bloody figures. Both of them were resistance fighters he recognized. Peering up the dim tunnel that led further into the cave, he could just about make out three dark figures sneaking their way into the base looking for more sentries.

Whipping out his nano-carbon knife, Johnston stalked up the tunnel. He moved as quickly as he could without making a noise, but, as he watched events unfold, he knew he wasn’t moving quickly enough. There was one final guard station cut into the cave wall. It was about forty meters down the cave from the entrance and thirty meters before the reinforced permasteel vault door that Pennington had put in place.

As he watched, the three dark forms reached the guard station. Johnston heard a couple of grunts but that was the only sign that a struggle had broken out. Almost before it began, the three shapes reappeared and continued on down the cave. Now all the Indian rangers had to do was get to the permasteel door and take out the guards there. No doubt they would immediately destroy the door’s power generator to stop anyone from closing it. The entire Indian army would be charging down the cave’s entrance seconds after that.

Their brief pause had allowed Johnston to make up nearly half the distance between him and his targets. Throwing caution to the wind, Johnston stooped and picked up a rock. He hurled it past the Indian soldiers so that it cracked off a wall in front of them. They froze. Johnston was already accelerating to his full speed and when they paused he leapt into the air to cover the last few meters. Some sound must have alerted the Indians for they were already turning when he came crashing into them.

With lightning speed, he stabbed out with his knife. Its nano thin blade easily pierced his target’s armor and sunk deep into his heart. Without pausing to make sure the soldier was out of the fight, Johnston pushed himself off the falling man’s body and lashed out with his knife at the next soldier.

As the knife cut through his armor and deep into his thigh the Indian let out a startled gasp. Johnston didn’t have time to follow up the attack though. An armored fist swung through the air for his head. Ducking, he jumped out of range of the last Indian soldier.

Johnston’s attacker was the largest of the three and as Johnston backed up, he stepped forward. In an effort to lure him in, Johnston casually threw his knife back and forth between his hands. The Indian soldier let out a laugh and reached for something from his utility belt. A second later a large green blade ignited from the handle he was holding. A plasma lance. The Indian soldier obviously wanted to take him on in hand to hand combat.

“You fool,” Johnston said as he flicked his wrist, sending his knife sailing through the air faster than either remaining Indian soldiers could see. With a crunch, it embedded itself in the throat of the soldier who was clutching his damaged thigh.

For a split second the last Indian soldier turned his head to see what had happened to his friend. When he looked back, he found a plasma pistol aimed at him.

“It looks like you brought a sword to a gun fight,” Johnston said.

With a growl the Indian soldier tried to charge close enough to swing his weapon. Johnston didn’t give him the opportunity. He jumped back whilst firing a torrent of plasma bolts. The Indian ranger swung the plasma lance back and forth in a vain attempt to block the plasma bolts like some mythical hero from a science fiction novel. His efforts were useless, and within seconds he was on the ground, a number of holes brunt through his armor and body.

“Sound the alarm,” Johnston shouted down the cave tunnel. “The Indians have found the hideout. There is more than a battalion outside right now. Sound the alarm.”

“Major?” a voice shouted. “Is that you?”

“Yes,” Johnston replied. “Now sound the alarm.”

“We have,” the voice shouted back. “As soon as we heard your scuffle. What now? Should we close the vault door?”

“Not yet,” Johnston replied. “Give me a minute. If I’m not back shut it and get ready to hold off the Indians for as long as you can.”

“Yes Sir,” a voice shouted in reply.

Johnston sprinted back to the cave entrance. Lifting his hands to his mouth he did his best imitation of one of Clare’s whistles. Come on, come on, he thought.

Relief flooded through him when he heard the beginning of another whistle. It quickly turned to concern when it continued into a tune he wasn’t familiar with. The rangers, he thought. They probably had scouts watching the cave entrance. They were waiting for the all clear to advance. They are using their own whistling system. Whatever jamming equipment they are using must be blocking their COM units.

With growing apprehension, Johnston waited for Claire to appear. If there were Indian rangers out there, they may have already found her. Johnston was torn, if he went to look for her he would be putting the entire base in jeopardy. Slowly, he counted to thirty, if she didn’t appear he was going to go back and order the vault door closed, and then look for her.

Just when he was about to hit thirty, someone broke from the clearing in the forest right in front of the cave. Johnston immediately recognized Clare. As soon as she appeared the ranger’s whistles began again. Whoever it was wanted to know what was going on. Johnston didn’t bother trying to whistle back something that they might accept. Instead, he lifted his plasma pistol and sent a flurry of bolts in the direction of the whistling as he jumped out of the cave’s entrance to grab Clare and pull her in.

Almost as soon as he opened fire, plasma bolts erupted from the surrounding forest and descended on the cave. Johnston got Clare inside in the nick of time. Together they ran towards the vault door.

“Sorry,” she said when she saw the look on his face. “One of those rangers walked right past where I was hiding, I had to wait for him to move.”

“You’re here at least,” Johnston said. “Though I don’t know what is going to happen next. We are all stuck like rats in a barrel.”

“Pennington will have a plan,” Clare said between gasps of air.

“Let’s hope so,” Johnston said. Then, he shouted to the guards to begin shutting the vault door.

Moments later the mechanical sounds of the vault door creaking closed started.

With just seconds to spare, Johnston bundled Clare through and jumped passed the closing door himself. On the other side, he was greeted by ten Havenite resistance fighters armed with gauss cannons.

“Fall back at least thirty meters,” Johnston ordered. “The Indians will try to blow the door open, you don’t want to be too close to it when they do.”

“Should we blow the charges we have set around the cave entrance?” one of the soldiers asked.

“Not yet,” Johnston answered. “Wait until they blow the vault door, that will be when the

most soldiers will be trying to get into the cave. Hit them with the explosives then, it should buy us some more time.”

“Aye Sir,” the soldier replied. “Will you be fighting with us?”

“Yes,” Johnston answered. “But I have to see Councilwoman Pennington first, you will need to hold until I return. Can you do that?”

“Hell yeah,” the fighters answered as one.

Johnston saluted them and pulled Clare after him as he headed deeper into the cave. The view that greeted them as they walked into the main cavern was one of pandemonium. Women and children were running about, frantically trying to gather their belongings. Everyone who could hold a gun was being formed into groups by the more senior resistance fighters. The rest moving to the back of the cavern as fear gripped them.

“There,” Clare said, she pointed to one side of the cavern.

Johnston followed her arm and saw what she was pointing at. Pennington had set up a makeshift desk and was giving out orders to a group of fighters.

“Come on,” Johnston said as he took Clare by the hand.

All but one of his special forces marines were there and Lieutenant Moony already had them fully equipped in their battle suits and all the munitions they had left. Recognizing their commanding officer, they jumped to attention as he approached. When Pennington saw who was distracting her soldiers, relief washed across her face. She made to greet Johnston but Moony beat him to it.

Breaking from his rigid stance he pulled Johnston into a hug. “It’s good to see you Major,” he shouted in Johnston’s ear, almost deafening him with his exuberance.

“When you didn’t return from the ambush on the supply convoy we thought we had lost you along with Harte. Though I see you were maybe just taking a few days to relax and unwind,” Moony added with a grin as he eyed Johnston and Clare holding hands.

“Harte is dead?” Johnston asked, Moony’s sarcasm already forgotten.

“Yes,” Sergeant Briar answered, a look of guilt on his face. Harte had been partnered with Briar for the ambush.

“How did it happen?” Johnston asked the Sergeant.

“When that damned Indian tank fired on our positions it caught us off guard. Harte was out in the open. He was killed in the blast,” Briar explained.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here to mourn his death with you all,” Johnston said.

“Don’t worry about it Major,” Moony said. “We are just happy to have you back, we weren’t sure if we should be mourning you as well. Though knowing you as we all do, we had a sneaking suspicion you would show up sooner or later.”

“That’s enough of a reunion,” Pennington broke in. “If any of us survive this we can get reacquainted later. It is good to see you Major, but do you have any intel that can help us?”

Chapter 8 – Delaying Action

Humanity has been forced to fight for its place in the galaxy. Those wars have seen thousands of battles rage across planetary surfaces. Of all the accounts I have read, none have seemed more terrifying than the battle for the Antarian cave planet of Orfus. Those marines spent days and weeks in total darkness, constantly coming under attack from those arachnids.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

10th July, 2467 AD, Haven.

“We came across the Indians on our way back,” Johnston explained. “They have some sort of jamming equipment so we couldn’t use our COM units to warn you. They are already at the vault door. I stopped a trio of rangers from capturing it, but there are one, maybe two battalions of Indians behind them. We will be able to hold them off for a time, but their numbers will begin to tell pretty quickly. What are your plans so far?”

“We are trying to organize the non-combatants and the children for evacuation,” Pennington explained. We currently have one small cave system that leads to the other side of the mountain range. We can get about four hundred people through it every half hour. I’ve already sent the first group of one hundred away, each group will have five armed escorts.”

“How many people are in the cave?” Johnston asked. He had never bothered to ask before because the number was constantly fluctuating as new fighters and refugees came in every day.

“Over three thousand,” Pennington answered.

“We’ll never get them all out,” Johnson said, there was no way he could hold back the Indians for four hours.

“I have men working on another option,” Pennington said.

Before Johnston could ask her to elaborate a boom blasted into the cavern. Most of the lights mounted on the caverns walls flickered and went out and dust and small rocks fell from the ceiling. At the sound of the blast the commotion within the cavern died down as everyone threw themselves to the ground. As soon as it became clear no one was in immediate danger, chaos broke out as hysteria threatened to take over.

Pennington forced herself to ignore what was going on around her. She had to trust her subordinates to take care of the people. “The vault door I presume?” she said to Johnston once she got back on her feet.

“The charges that were set along the cave entrance would be my guess. The Indians wouldn’t need such a large explosion to blow open the vault door,” Johnston answered. “I ordered them blown once the Indians breached the vault door. It will hold them up for a few minutes while they clear the rubble. Hopefully we got a few of them in the blast as well. But they will be upon us soon enough. What is your other option?”

“Oh yes,” Pennington said. “We knew that our one escape tunnel wouldn’t be enough. We have been working on digging an artificial one. It was still weeks away from being dug out by hand but I have sent men to try and blast their way through the last two hundred meters of rock. The Indians will detect the explosions but hopefully we can get everyone out before they move a force to block us. I was going to give my men another ten minutes and then start sending groups of civilians their way. I want people moving out as soon as they open up a way out.”

“Good,” Johnston said. “That gives us a chance. Where are you sending those that get out?”

“We have four evacuation sites, Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta,” Pennington answered. “I had them set up more than a month ago. There are some limited supplies there, hopefully they will be safe places to regroup before we move on. I fear that even if we get out of this, the Indians won’t let us stay in one place for long.”

“No,” Johnston agreed, “but that is a problem for another time. It sounds like you have things under control here. With your permission, I will take over leading the soldiers, we will buy you as much time as we can.”

“Permission granted, and good luck Major.”

“You too,” Johnston replied.

Still holding Clare’s hand, he pulled her off to one side, “Here,” he said as he pulled out the two remaining ration bags from the stash Clare had hidden within the tree trunk. “You’re going to need these.”

“What do you mean?” Care said, determination creeping into her voice. “I am staying here to fight.”

“No, you’re not,” Johnston said. “Your place is with the groups heading into the forest. If the Indians know about the cave, they will be expecting us to have escape tunnels. There will be patrols everywhere. You are one of the best trackers and guides here. The evacuation groups need you.”

“No!” Clare protested.

“Yes,” Johnston insisted. Instead of allowing her to argue he pulled her into a kiss. “Do it for me,” he said as their lips broke. “I can’t fight whilst I am constantly worrying about you. You have your skills and I have mine. Please don’t get in the way of me doing what I must.”

“Ok,” Clare acquiesced, hating the logic in his words. She pulled out her datapad and scanned the map Pennington had sent everyone with the Evac locations marked on it. “I’m going to Gamma. If you don’t meet me there I will never forgive you.”

“I’ll be there,” Johnston promised, even though they both knew he was probably lying.

Before he could leave Clare pulled him into another kiss. “See that you do,” she said as they broke apart.

Johnston could see tears rolling down her cheek but he knew that if he stayed any longer he might never leave. Instead of reaching out to mop them up he spun on his heels and moved to where his marines were waiting for him. For a moment he expected Moony or one of the others to make a joke but they kept silent.

“Where do you want us?” Mooney asked.

“Right here,” Johnston said. “Our enhancements will give us an edge in this more open environment. I’m going to order Pennington to move the civilians further into the cave system towards the escape tunnels. We’ll try and delay the Indians from reaching this cavern but when they do, I want you to make them sorry they ever tried to get in here. We’ll turn this cavern into a killing ground. Are you all with me?”

“To the end,” Moony said. The others nodded.

“Ok,” Johnston said as he nodded too. “Then let’s be about it.”

After passing his plans to Pennington, Johnston strode to where the majority of the resistance fighters waited for orders.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Johnston almost shouted to be heard over the commotion in the cavern. “You have been fighting the Indians for more than four months. You have hurt them badly. But we always knew they were likely to find us here. Councilwoman Pennington is working to get everyone out safely. But she needs us to buy her some time. I need twenty fighters to come with me and join the guards further up the entrance tunnel. We need to give the Indian’s a bloody nose. The chances of us coming back are slim, so I am asking for volunteers.”

More than forty fighters stepped forward. Johnston wasn’t surprised. Ever since the first Indian soldiers had landed on their planet, the fiercely independent people of Haven had been more than willing to sacrifice their lives to kick the Indians out.

After picking twenty volunteers he walked to Moony. Johnston gave him some final instructions. “Split the rest of them in half. Send one group with Pennington, they are to be the last defense if they get past us here. Use the rest to set up three firing lines in the cavern.”

“Aye Sir,” Moony said. “What about you?”

“I’ll do my best to get back to you,” Johnston said. “Just don’t shoot me by accident.”

“We’ll try not to Sir,” Moony said with a grin.

“With me,” Johnston said, raising his voice again so that the volunteers could hear him.

Satisfied that they were going to follow him, Johnston broke into a jog back up the tunnel that lead to the entrance. On his way he passed two guard stations and he deposited five extra fighters at each.

Before he even got to where the vault door had been, the sounds of fighting could be heard echoing down the tunnel. When a short sharp explosion erupted from what sounded like less than forty meters further up the tunnel just around the next bend, Johnston knew the defenders were in trouble. If the Indians were close enough to be using flash bangs, they were about to overrun the defenders.

He sprinted to the edge of the turn and signaled for the resistance fighters to stop. Taking a quick peak around the corner he got a snapshot of what was happening. It looked like there were only three guards left. They were crouched behind two large boulders as they fired their gauss cannons further up the tunnel. All Johnson was able to make out of the Indians was a wall of combat armor rolling down the cave.

“On the count of three we’re going to give those guys some covering fire to fall back,” Johnston ordered. Without waiting for a reply he started counting. “One, two…”

Instead of finishing his count, he moved. As soon as he rounded the corner he tracked in on the closest Indian soldier with his plasma rifle. Three quick shots and the soldier was down. In less than a couple of heartbeats, Johnston shifted his aim and sent three bolts into another soldier. Only then did the rest of his men catch up with him. As tens of gauss cannon rounds tore into the unsuspecting Indians, Johnston called out to the last two defenders to fall back. The third was already on the ground, a smoking hole in his chest.

The defenders didn’t need to be told twice, they got to their feet and ran past Johnston and his men. As soon as they were safely around the bend in the tunnel, Johnston turned and ran after them. “Let’s go,” he called. “Back to the next bend. We’ll try and hold there.”

As the other men turned to follow him, a flurry of plasma bolts cut down one of them. Johnston didn’t have time to stop and check if he was still alive. Instead he waited for the rest of his men to pass him before pulling a grenade from is belt and throwing it around the corner. He turned and ran after his men. The explosion that echoed around the cave moments later sounded muffled, suggesting Indian soldiers had absorbed a lot of the blast.

Forty seconds, Johnston said to himself. That was how much time he had bought Pennington and Clare so far.

It seemed that barely a handful of seconds passed from when his men got into position around the next bend, to when Indian soldiers came barreling into sight. Plasma bolts and gauss cannon rounds cut the first two Indians down. The others quickly backed up out of sight. Almost as soon as they did, several round spheres bounced down the tunnel towards them.

“Eyes” was all Johnston had time to shout before he covered his ears with his hands and buried his head under his armpit. The explosions from the flashbangs were deafening and Johnston cursed himself for not picking up some ear buds from the supplies deeper in the cave. He had lost his own pair in the Havenite forest after the ambush.

When he felt his vision clearing he opened his eyes. The first thing that greeted him was one of his fighters standing up clutching at his eyes. Johnston couldn’t hear anything but from the movements of the man’s lips it was obvious he was crying out. Johnston tried to reach the man to pull him back into cover but a plasma bolt from an unseen Indian soldier ended his misery.

As if the fighter’s death was a signal to the rest of the Indian soldiers, a wave of plasma bolts rained down on Johnston and his men. Occasionally they tried to pop their heads out of cover to return fire but the volume of plasma bolts was just too much. Another fighter caught two bolts in his head the second he peeked around the boulder he was behind. Then, when Johnston tried to lift his rifle to fire blindly, a bolt hit his rifle and sent it spinning deeper into the cave. Johnston was acutely aware that the incessant rain of fire was slowly burning away the boulder he was crouched behind. Soon it would be gone and he would be a sitting duck.

“They’re advancing,” one of the five remaining fighters shouted, somehow he had managed to get a look up the tunnel without being hit.

“I have one more grenade, as soon as it goes off we’re going to make a run for it,” Johnston said. “Don’t stop until you get to the guard station.”

“You don’t need to tell us,” another fighter said.

Without looking, Johnston armed and hurled the grenade as far as he could up the tunnel. As soon as he heard the explosion he jumped to his feet and ran, only stopping to scoop up a gauss cannon from where its now dead owner had dropped it. As plasma bolts zipped past him he fired blindly back up the tunnel.

“Hold your fire, hold your fire,” one of the fighters running alongside Johnston shouted as they rounded a slight bend in the tunnel and came into view of the next guard station. Thankfully, the guards weren’t too trigger happy and Johnston and the three remaining fighters made it safely behind the permasteel barriers.

“Get ready,” Johnston said to the men and women around him. “They are right behind us.”

“Don’t worry Major,” one of the soldiers said. “I’ve been saving this for just the right time.”

Johnston couldn’t help but grin. Slung over the soldier’s back was a small SAM, it would certainly do the job. “Good work soldier,” he said. “But make sure you save it until we are about to fall back. Let’s draw in as many of them as we can.”

“Aye Sir, I’ll do that,” the soldier responded.

Looking around at the two permasteel barriers that blocked half the cave, Johnston found an unused firing slot. He poked his gauss cannon out the hole and prepared to fire.

Three minutes, he said to himself.

As he expected, the first Indian soldiers came into view almost immediately. This time they were exercising a lot more caution. One soldier poked his head around the bend in the tunnel. He snapped it back again as gauss cannon rounds shot towards him.

“They will try and rush us,” Johnston said, “they’ll throw flashbangs first.”

Several round balls came flying around the bend in the tunnel. Johnston covered his eyes and ears the best he could. Both his eyesight and hearing had been augmented as part of the physical and genetic enhancements he had undergone to join the special forces marines. To give him some protection from flashbangs and other explosions, his eyelids had been reinforced, so as long as he got his eyes closed in time, the flashbang’s effect would be limited. His hearing had no such protection and so even with his hands over his ears and the protection provided by the permasteel barrier, Johnston felt disorientated and deafened from the blasts that rang out all around him.

Thankfully he didn’t need to be at his best to fight in the tunnel. Seconds after the flashbangs went off, he picked up his cannon and fired blindly up the tunnel. As soon as he felt able, he opened his eyes and tracked in on his targets. There were ten Indians charging down the tunnel. An eleventh was on the ground and Johnston guessed he must have fallen to one of his blind shots.

Using his lightening quick reflexes, he took out one, two and then three of the Indian soldiers, all with head shots. Plasma bolts exploded against the permasteel barrier but it held. As Johnston sighted his cannon on the next Indian soldier, the combat armored woman fell to the ground, two gauss cannon rounds having ripped the armor’s chest open. The rest of the resistance fighters were back in the fight.

From the safety of the permasteel barrier they made quick work of the Indian assault, dispatching all the charging soldiers before they made it to the barrier. One or two resistance fighters let out a cheer but Johnston wasn’t about to call this a victory. Making use of the brief silence, he stood and inspected the other side of the permasteel barrier. It had originally been over forty centimeters thick, the Indian plasma rifle fire had burnt more than half of it away, and some spots had been hit a number of times and looked like the plasma had almost burnt all the way through.

“This isn’t going to hold much longer,” Johnston said as he pointed at the worst spot on the barrier. “Get ready to fire that missile.”

“Yes Sir,” the solider said, setting down his gauss cannon and picking up the SAM launcher.

“Wait for my orders,” Johnston said.

They didn’t get any more time to converse for a noise from further up the cave drew everyone’s attention. Johnston ducked behind the barrier, but not before he got a glance at what was coming at them. He wasn’t sure exactly what it was, but it looked metallic. From the way it was moving, it seemed like the Indian soldiers were carrying it. It’s an oversized riot shield, he thought.

Heads and weapons poked out from all around the metallic object and plasma bolts rained down on the permasteel barrier. They have a barrier of their own, Johnston thought, one that can advance.

He tried to fire a couple of gauss rounds at the barrier but they ricocheted off. Giving up on that, he zeroed in on the small section of a soldier’s head armor that was poking around the barrier and squeezed his trigger.

See how you like that, he thought when the Indian soldier fell to the ground.

The defenders felled two more Indians and for a moment the advance of the metallic object stalled. However, they lost one of their own when a plasma bolt bored through a weakened spot in the barrier and hit the fighter hiding behind it.

Before the resistance fighter hit the ground, Johnston felt a searing heat hit him just under his left armpit. He screamed as the plasma burned through his battle suit and skin and into his rib cage. The force of the bolt and the pain threw him to the ground. Before he was fully aware of what was going on, one of the resistance fighters was at his side. She held something to his neck and Johnston felt the hypo-injector shooting chemicals into his body.

The pain lessened enough that he was able to think clearly. “Thank you,” he said. “My body can take it from here.”

The woman gave him a strange look but she shrugged and turned to pick her weapon up. The resistance fighters didn’t know what made Johnston and his team so different from them, but they had seen them do enough superhuman feats that they expected the unexpected.

Johnston waited for his enhancements to kick in. Slowly at first, the remaining pain lessened, then it was gone all together. When he looked down at the large wound in his side he saw that the bleeding had stopped. It still looked ugly and was potentially fatal, but his enhancements allowed his body to shut down the pain receptors in damaged areas so that he could function. He did have enhanced healing too, but it wasn’t miraculous, if he survived the night, it would still take weeks for his body to fully heal.

Satisfied the pain was gone, Johnston pushed himself back into a sitting position to see what was going on. The Indians had given up on pouring fire into the defenders. Instead they had reorganized themselves and the barrier was moving closer to the guard position.

“They’re working to get close enough to lob flashbangs over our barrier and charge us again,” Johnston shouted. “Time for that missile. Hit the cave ceiling right above them.”

“With pleasure,” the soldier holding the SAM said. Without waiting for any further orders, he stood up and aimed the SAM where Johnston had instructed him.

Johnston and the rest of the fighters ducked behind the barrier for cover. A grin of satisfaction spread across the fighter’s face as he fired the SAM up the tunnel. The explosion caused shockwaves that rumbled under Johnston’s feet and debris pummeled the barrier and shot past it to fly deeper into the cave.

In his jubilation, the resistance fighter who fired the SAM had stayed standing to see the effect of his weapon. As Johnston looked on, a fist sized boulder bounced off his head bashing in his skull. Johnston shook his head, the fighter had been brave, but foolish.

“Let’s get out of here,” Johnston called as soon as the debris stopped falling. One look told him that the Indian advance had been slowed. But it wouldn’t take them long to clear the fallen rocks and swarm their position.

Chapter 9 – Defeat

It has been said for centuries and every new conflict it proves itself true again; war always takes the best of our young men and women.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

10th July, 2467 AD, Haven.

It took them just over a minute to sprint down the cave to the next defense position. When they got there, Johnston assessed the situation. Like the last defense position there was a permasteel barrier in place to help the defenders. That wouldn’t do them any good, as soon as the Indians got their portable barrier working they would quickly break through the Havenite defenses. They would have to do something different this time.

Looking back up the tunnel, Johnston scanned the cave wall until he found what he was looking for. “Listen up lads,” he said to the defenders. “Those of you who just fell back with me can head back to the main cavern and join the defenders there. You’ve done enough for now.”

“Are you sure Sir?” One of the defenders asked. “We are ready to have another go at those Indians.”

“You’ll get your chance,” Johnston said. “But this is going to be a bloody business. Let’s make sure everyone gets a taste of the action.”

They seemed to take Johnson at his word; they turned and trotted down the tunnel. Johnston was happy they listened to him, he hadn’t been exaggerating, the night’s fighting was going to cost the resistance dearly.

As Johnston surveyed the remaining Havenite defenders he frowned, the woman who had helped him up after he was hit with the plasma bolt was still with them. He walked over to her, “Aren’t you going to go back with the rest of them?” he asked quietly.

“No,” she replied. “You’re injured, I have medical training, you may need me. Superhuman you may be, but you’re not indestructible. Clare and I used to work together in the Council Chambers. I saw the way you two were holding hands when you came in together, if something happens to you she won’t forgive me. So if you’re staying, I’m staying.”

Johnston felt like shoving the woman back down the tunnel to safety, but he didn’t have the time. “Fine,” he whispered to her, “just don’t get in my way, and try not to get killed, if you are a close friend I don’t want your death on my conscience.”

“Okay, it’s down to the rest of us then,” Johnston said, raising his voice to address the defenders. “The Indians have some kind of portable barrier, they used it as cover to advance on the last permasteel barrier and lob flashbangs at us. I have a plan, but it’s going to be risky. You’re going to have to let the Indians advance on your position, don’t take any risks but keep firing on them as they advance. We don’t want them thinking you’re just hiding here waiting. I’m going to lay an ambush for them, when I spring it, you are to charge to my position, we will take over their barrier and use it against them.”

“You mean you’re going back up the tunnel on your own?” One of the soldiers asked.

“I would ask for volunteers to join me,” Johnston said. “But I know you would all want to come, and I need you to stay here and convince the Indians that this is just another barrier they have to overcome. Besides,” Johnston added with a smile, “you know I like to keep all the glory for myself.”

The defenders didn’t respond other than cracking a few smiles and elbowing one another. By now all the resistance fighters knew just how cocky British special forces marines were. Happy they weren’t going to follow him, Johnston jogged back up the tunnel. When he reached the position he wanted, he waved to the defenders to let them know where he was. Then, after taking a deep breath, he forced himself into a crevice in the cave wall. With luck, the Indians wouldn’t notice him until it was too late. One way or another he was about to find out, as the sound of armored feet pounding against the tunnel floor echoed all around him.

The steep angle at which the tunnel descended into the mountain meant the feet of the Indian soldiers were the first thing that came into view as they advanced. Despite Johnston’s command, the defenders were overeager. As soon as the armored feet were visible they fired gauss cannon rounds at their enemies. The Indians, alerted to the presence of another defensive position, fell back.

Johnston cursed as everything went quiet. He knew what the Indians were waiting for. Sure enough, when the noise of the Indians advancing picked up again, the portable barrier came into view. The Havenite defenders resumed fire and vainly tried to hit the Indian soldiers.

The Indians knew exactly what they were doing. Instead of returning fire, they resolutely advanced towards the Havenite position. They would save their fire for when the Havenites had been incapacitated by the flash bangs they were getting ready to throw. They weren’t counting on Johnston however.

As soon as the portable barrier passed the crevice Johnston was hiding in, he jumped out behind the Indians. He sighted his gauss cannon on the first Indian soldier. Two bolts blew their way through the soldier’s armor and he fell to the ground in a heap. Before the Indians knew what was happening, Johnston downed two more of them. Whoever was in charge of the squad carrying the barrier must have realized what was going on; as one, the rest of the soldiers dropped the barrier and spun.

With no other choice, Johnston advanced on them. Outnumbered four to one he had only one chance, they couldn’t fire on him if he was in the middle of them. With no other hand to hand weapon he used his gauss cannon as a club. Swinging wildly, he hit the nearest Indian soldier over the head, sending him reeling to the ground. As another soldier advanced on him, raising her plasma rifle, Johnston rushed forward. Tackling the soldier under her rib cage he hoisted her into the air. A gasp of surprise escaped her lips as Johnston threw her and her armored combat suit over the barrier. With nothing to protect her from the defenders, three gauss cannon rounds quickly burst through her armor, killing her.

Johnston turned to face the last two Indian soldiers. One already had his plasma rifle tracking towards Johnston. Instinctively, he moved to put the last Indian soldier between him and the deadly plasma bolt that was about to come his way. He reached out with his right hand and snapped the plasma rifle out of the hand of the last soldier. Before he could do anything else, the searing pain in his side flared into a bright sun. Looking down, Johnston saw the armored fist of the last soldier buried in the wound the plasma bolt had burnt into his side just minutes ago. As the pain rushed through his abdomen he fell to his knees and let out a loud groan.

“Not so fast are you now?” the Indian soldier who was standing over him said. “Don’t think I don’t know who you are, you British scum. Well, you’ve launched your last ambush,” he said as he raised his armored fist above Johnston’s head.

Johnston saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head ever so slightly, he tried to see what was happening. Seeing his prey’s eyes flicker, the Indian soldier turned. It was too late, gauss cannon rounds peppered the Indian soldier, blasting him away from Johnston. More rounds tore into the other Indian soldier, killing her before she could return fire.

Before Johnston was fully aware of what was going on, the female resistance fighter was at his side. “I told you, you weren’t indestructible,” she said. “He got you in the exact same spot,” she continued as she examined the wound in Johnston’s side. “It looks like he broke a number of your ribs, I didn’t think that was possible.”

“I’ll be okay,” Johnston said, as his enhancements lessened the pain from his side. “We need to use the barrier.”

“Don’t worry Major,” one of the other fighters said, “we figured out your plan. As soon as we saw that Indian soldier hurled over the barrier we knew what you wanted. We can take it from here.”

Even as Johnston struggled back to his feet, the Havenites picked up the Indian barrier and turned it around to face the next wave of Indian attackers.

“You’ve done enough for now Major,” the female fighter said as she helped steady Johnston on his feet. “I need to get you back to the main cavern, there will be some more medication we can use there. If you keep trying to fight, you’re only get yourself killed. Let our medics look at you and patch you up a little bit before you get back to the fight.”

Johnston wanted to disagree, but as he took in a deep breath to speak, a new wave of pain washed over him. “All right,” was all he managed to say. Taking another breath, he tried again, “If you’re going to give me orders, you better tell me your name.”

“It’s Rebecca,” the female resistance fighter said. “I was a receptionist in the Council chamber before the Indian invasion, my father was a medic, he died ten years ago, but he made sure I knew how to look after myself. I have had to learn a lot more since the Indians arrived.”

“Let’s hope your skills will not be needed too much more tonight,” Johnston said, trying to make light of the situation.

With his newly acquired personal physician’s help, he hobbled back down to the main cavern. He tried to figure out how long he had held the Indians off for but he had lost all sense of time. The sound of intense fighting echoed down the tunnel towards them and they picked up their pace. If the Indians were assaulting the defenders they had just left behind, they would soon be coming down the tunnel behind them.

When he got to the main cavern Johnston was relieved to see that Pennington had already cleared it of civilians. The cave system beyond the cavern was a maze of smaller tunnels that crisscrossed under the mountain. Pennington had obviously got all her people into them. Johnston just hoped no one would get lost. Though getting lost was likely to be the least of anyone’s worries tonight.

When Lieutenant Moony saw Johnston hobble into the cavern he rushed to his commander’s side. “Are you okay Sir?” he asked as he helped Rebecca support Johnston.

“I’ll be fine,” Johnston replied. “How long has it been?”

“Just over fifteen minutes,” Moony replied.

“Is that all?” Johnston said through gritted teeth. “It seemed like longer.”

“I think your injury is effecting you more than you know,” Rebecca said. “I need to get him to one of the medical stations,” she added for Moony’s sake.

“They have been evacuated,” Moony replied. “We have set up a triage station just beyond the cavern in the south-east tunnel. You can take him there. Reynolds,” Moony called out. “Get over here,” he ordered. “Help this lady get the Major to the triage station, then get your ass back here asap.”

“Aye Sir,” Reynolds responded as he jogged up. “I’ll take care of the Major.”

“Hold on,” Johnston struggled to say.

“Don’t worry,” Moony said over him. “I’ll hold things down until you get back. You just get yourself patched up, we’re going to need you in no time if my guess is right.”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Johnston said through gritted teeth. The pain was really spreading now. Each breath was a struggle.

Sensing his pain was increasing, Rebecca turned Johnston towards the south-east corner of the cavern and moved towards the triage station. Reynolds followed her lead.

*

“Listen up,” Moony shouted to be heard by the Havenite defenders. “Conserve your ammunition, this is going to be a bloody fight, we need to make every shot count. And be prepared, the Indians are going to break into the cavern, there is little chance we can stop them. But we don’t need to stop them, we just need to slow them and make them bleed. And you all know how to do that. So get ready, and no one falls back until I give the order. Your friends, your family, the civilians who took shelter here are counting on us.”

He picked up his plasma rifle and trotted to the first line of defense he had the Havenites set up. As ordered, he had set up three lines of defense to allow the Havenites to fall back as the Indians burst into the cavern. There was no way they could stop the Indians getting in, but with an orderly fallback, they could slow their advance. In total, the large cavern covered almost a square kilometer. At its widest, the gap from the floor to the ceiling was over sixty meters. It truly was massive, but with all the equipment, personal items, and living structures that Pennington had set up it looked a lot smaller than it actually was. It certainly left little room for any kind of tactics. The fighting would be hand-to-hand, up close and personal. Though this would give the Indians in their combat armor a decisive edge, it would also help the Havenites, for their gauss cannons could only penetrate the Indian soldier’s armor at close range.

Any thoughts of alternative tactics vanished when two Havenite fighters ran out of the tunnel. “They are right behind us,” one shouted. The other appeared to have taken a plasma bolt to the leg; from the look on his face, he wasn’t in the mood to be saying anything.

Moony raised his weapon and aimed at the cavern entrance. Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself as he felt the familiar feeling of adrenaline rushing through his body. When there was no sign of the Indians sixty seconds after the Havenite fighters appeared, Moony relaxed slightly. What are they up to? he asked himself.

Before he could answer his own question, the Indians acted. More than twenty quadcopter drones surged through the small tunnel and zoomed over the defenders. “Shoot them down,” Moony shouted.

He needn’t have bothered, the Havenite fighters acted on instinct and poured fire into the air to hit the drones. The Indian quadcopter technology was ancient, but it was perfectly suited to the small confines of the cave system. They darted back and forth, dodging fire as they rushed the defenders.

“Take cover,” Moony shouted. The drones were almost impossible to hit.

The first drone exploded. Carrying a single high explosive shell, the drone detonated directly above a large crate two Havenite fighters were using as cover. The explosion sent a wave of fire and shrapnel biting into the two fighters, killing one and maiming the other. All across the first Havenite defensive line, explosions ripped into the defenders. Alongside high explosive shells, some of the drones were carrying flash bangs, disorientating the men and woman trying to fight off the Indians.

As soon as the explosion subsided Moony looked up, already expecting what he saw. More than fifty Indian soldiers in combat armor were rushing through the tunnel into the cavern. They sent a hail of plasma bolts into the makeshift defenses, keeping the defenders pinned down.

Moony gunned down the closest Indian soldier, then, at last, more and more plasma bolts and gauss cannon rounds crashed into the Indian soldiers. Sparing a glance along the defensive line, Moony was relieved to see that three of his secret weapons had survived the drone onslaught.

The plasma cannons the Indian soldiers in combat armor carried were too bulky for ordinary men or women to use. Yet the Havenite fighters had still lifted them off dead Indians in the hope they could find a use for them. Moony had. In each line of defense he had six of them mounted behind heavy permasteel armored struts. The explosions from the drones had taken out three in the first defensive line. Yet the other three poured a relentless stream of bolts into the attackers, cutting down Indian soldier after Indian soldier. With the added weight of the plasma fire from the rest of the special forces marines, the first wave of Indian attackers faltered.

That was all the defenders needed. Moony had ordered the space between the tunnel’s entrance into the cavern and the first line of defense cleared of anything that the attackers could use as cover. With nowhere to hide, the thirty or so Indian soldiers who were still standing quickly found themselves overwhelmed. With no hope of retreating back to the tunnel without being hit, they ducked behind their fallen comrades and returned fire as best they could. Havenite defenders all along the first defensive line fell to their more accurate fire.

After the last Indian still firing was hit, a loud cheer erupted from the defenders. “We did it,” the nearest Havenite fighter said to Moony as he slapped him on the back. “We held them off.”

Moony wanted to order the Havenite fighters to shut up, they clearly had no idea what they were in for. Yet, before he could, the Indians showed them. Another wave of twenty drones surged through the tunnel and fanned out, spreading across the main cavern seeking targets. It took the defenders a couple of seconds to calm down, but when they did, to a man they fired into the air, trying to shoot down the drones before they got into range to explode. Another wave of Indian soldiers charged into the cavern. Finding more than half of the Havenite defenders on their feet trying to shoot into the air, the Indians cut many of them down with their first plasma bolts.

Even as the Havenite defenders realized was happening and brought their weapons to bear on the Indian soldiers, the drones exploded. This time every drone carried a high explosive shell and shrapnel tore into the first line of defenders.

A familiar voice cried out in agony to Moony’s right. Glancing over, he saw Private Samuels lying on the ground. A pool of blood was spreading across the cave floor from the end of her leg where her foot used to be. The foot itself was a couple of meters away from Samuels and looked like a torn and tattered mess. One of the drones must have exploded right next to her.

Moony knew that the Indians had defeated them. It was time to fall back and if he didn’t act now then Samuels would be left behind. Jumping to his feet, Moony sprinted towards Samuels, firing his plasma rifle from his hip as he ran. When he got to her side he skidded to his knees, throwing his plasma rifle over his back. In one swift movement, he put his hands under Samuels, rose to his feet and charged towards the second defensive line calling out, “Fall back,” to the rest of the defenders.

*

Sergeant Briar had been organizing the second line of defenses. He too had heard Samuels cry out in pain. As he watched Lieutenant Moony race to her side he raised his plasma rifle and sighted on two Indian soldiers as they hurdled the first defensive line right beside Moony. His first bolt hit the first soldier right in the chest. Not having time for a follow up shot he switched his aim. His second bolt tore through the second soldier’s face armor, knocking him to the ground dead.

Briar swore as he glanced at the first soldier and turned his plasma rifle back to fire another bolt. The soldier’s armor must have deflected his first shot for he was bringing his weapon to bear on Moony. Just before Briar squeezed his trigger a stream of bolts leaped out of the Indian’s rifle.

*

Moony heard rather than felt the two bolts impact his back. His legs gave out. He could feel himself falling and he knew he only had a few more seconds to live. With one last effort, he summoned all the strength he could and hurled Samuels towards the second line of defenses.

*

As Moony fell, Briar was already pumping three more plasma bolts into the Indian soldier, sending him toppling back over the first line of defenses. Then, to his amazement, he saw Samuels flying through the air towards him. Dropping his plasma rifle, he stood and caught her as she came plummeting over the second line of defenses.

“Here,” he said to the nearest Havenite defender. “Help her up, get her out of here, make sure she gets out of the caves. Her enhancements will stop the bleeding soon enough; you just make sure she gets out of here.”

“But I’m here to fight,” the Havenite protested.

“You’re here to do what I say, now get going before I feed you a plasma bolt myself,” Briar shouted, his anger at Moony’s death and Samuels’ injury giving strength to his voice.

In a much gentler voice he turned to Samuels, “I think you’ve given enough today private, but don’t think I’m going to let something as small as a missing foot keep you from active duty. Once you are healed up I expect you to fight alongside the rest of us.”

“Aye Sir,” Samuels managed to say. It looked like she wanted to say more but no more words came out.

“Get going,” Briar ordered the Havenite, knowing the chances he would see Samuels again were slim.

As soon as the fighter had Samuels on the move, he picked up his plasma rifle and prepared to face whatever the Indians had planned next. With Moony dead, he was in charge of the defenses. He was under no illusions; the second line of defenders would soon fall, just like the first.

Chapter 10 – Left for Dead

There has been more than one famous General Johnston in human history. Perhaps none have won more personal glory than General Johnston of the Battle of Lesthutu. In many ways it was the beginning of the end of the War of Doom.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

11th July, 2467 AD, Haven

As a pang of intense pain rippled through his side, Johnston woke with a start. Sitting up in bed, both his hands went to his side. As soon as he touched the burnt flesh and gaping wound he let out a loud cry. Then the noise of plasma bolts, explosions and gauss cannons brought his mind back to what was going on.

The last thing he remembered was one of the medics at the triage station applying some kind of cream to his burnt flesh. The pain must have knocked him out. As he looked around the triage station he could see no one. It must have been evacuated, he told himself. That means the Indians have breached the cavern. Thankfully, whoever had left his helpless body had at least left him a plasma rifle. With a groan, he picked himself up, grabbed his rifle and then paused. The system of caves that went deeper into the mountain after the large cavern was a maze of winding twisting passages. Some of them weren’t even wide enough for a man to walk through.

As Johnston looked at the three tunnels that led out from the triage area, he realized he didn’t know where any of them led. He had spent most of his time on Haven in the forests or the city of Liberty fighting the Indians. He hadn’t spent time learning the maze that was the layout of the caves beyond the large cavern.

The sound of fighting seemed to be coming loudest from the middle of the three passageways. That’s where Johnston headed. As he progressed along the passageway he came across bodies, most of them Havenite, but he was happy to see a couple of Indian soldiers in combat armor lying dead. With an effort, he picked up his pace, the sound of fighting ahead of him was getting quieter. Whatever was happening, it was moving away from him.

The tunnel Johnston was in opened up into another small cavern slightly larger than the one used as the triage station. Somehow, despite all the fighting, at least one of the main power generators must have been operating for three of the lights in the small cavern were working.

As Johnston poked his head into the cavern he saw four Indian soldiers in combat armor crouched behind a number of crates and other pieces of equipment. They were hiding from a hail of gauss cannon rounds coming from someone deeper in the cavern who was crouched behind a large machine. It looked like some kind of ore processing unit. All around the machine were bodies, some of them looked like bodies of women and children. The Indian soldiers had seemingly trapped a group of civilians in this cavern before they managed to escape. There was only one survivor still fighting.

Just to his right, Johnston saw another passageway leading out of the cavern, one he could duck down to avoid having to engage the Indian soldiers.

As she raised her head above the machine, there was no mistaking Councilwoman Pennington. She was dirty and bruised but the fierce look of anger in her eyes was unmistakable.

I could just leave her here, Johnston thought, though a wave of shame almost forced him to open fire on the Indian soldiers immediately. Over the past two months he had witnessed Pennington’s leadership skills in action. She was the one who was holding the Havenites together. He knew that if and when the British forces arrived and tried to set up Haven as a British protectorate, she could prove to be a big problem. If she chose to oppose British rule, she could turn the population against Duchess Somerville and the whole idea of a British protectorate.

On the other hand, he knew that after today’s fiasco, the resistance would need her. She would provide the figurehead for the remnants of the resistance to rally around. There were still plenty of other groups out there who were ready to continue the fight against the Indians. If they heard Pennington had been killed or captured, their resolve would wane.

Cursing himself for even thinking of leaving someone behind, he sprang into action. With their backs to him, the four Indian soldiers were easy targets and they quickly fell to his plasma rifle before the last one even had time to turn around.

“Come on,” Johnston shouted to Pennington as she stood up. “There’s no time to wait.”

Pennington looked down at the bodies scattered around her feet. The rage in her eyes drained. With a sob, she dropped her gauss cannon.

“Come on,” Johnston shouted again.

When Pennington didn’t even look like she had heard, he let out a sigh of frustration. He had put enough stubborn women over his shoulders for one day. Here he was with a large hole burnt into his side, no doubt he had multiple broken ribs as well, and yet it looked like he was about to have to drag Pennington to safety.

In six quick strides, he approached her. As he got close, she made a move to grab her gauss cannon off the ground and bring it to bear on him. Sensing that she wasn’t really aware of what she was doing, Johnston acted fast. He snapped the weapon out of her hand. With his other hand, he scoped her up and put her over his shoulder in a fireman’s hold. Before she could protest, he sprinted down a tunnel in the general direction he thought they should be going in.

He struggled to carry her deeper into the cave systems. Twice he came to forks in the tunnel and, not knowing which way to go, he simply chose at random. As he came to the third, he began to worry. He was losing all sense of direction. Setting Pennington down he gave her a firm shake.

“Snap out of it,” he almost shouted at her. “Your people still need you, and I need you to get us out of here. Come on, snap out of it.” he said again as he gently slapped her in the face.

“What?” Pennington asked distantly.

“I said, I need your help.”

“How did you get me out of there?” Pennington responded.

“Never mind that for now,” Johnston answered. “We have more pressing issues, the Indians have made it into the rear passageways. If you can’t get us out of here, we’re going to run across more of them sooner or later. Do you know where we are?”

Pennington took a few moments to look around, in the near dark of the passageways it was almost impossible to know just where they were. Yet as she peered intently towards the one or two lights that were still working in the distance, she rose to her feet. “I, I think so,” she said. “If we keep going down this passage it will bring us to another small cavern, from there we can head towards the passage I had my engineers working on. If they managed to get the last sections blown in time, there should be a way out for us.”

“Then you had better lead on,” Johnston said. “There’s no time to waste.”

“This is it,” Pennington said when they got to the new cavern. “I’m sure I know where we are now,” she added with a smile.

“You’re sure now?” Johnston said. “You mean to say, you weren’t sure before?”

“I was pretty sure,” Pennington replied. “But I didn’t quite have my bearings, now I do.” Striding confidently into the cavern she made her way straight to the second of three passageways that branched off from the cavern. “Those other two lead to dead ends,” she said, pointing to the other two passages. “This is the one we need.”

“Well at least there aren’t any signs of fighting in this cavern,” Johnston said as he looked around. There were no signs of any plasma scorch marks or bodies. “Hopefully that means most of the civilians made it out.”

“And that the Indians are lost in the passageways behind us,” Pennington finished.

*

An hour later Johnston finally saw daylight. Spurred on, he picked up his pace. For the last thirty meters he had been crawling on his knees. They were in the new section of tunnel Pennington’s engineers had blown, obviously they hadn’t been able to make it high enough to walk down. When he got to the point where he was finally able to stand, despite the pain throbbing from his side, he half sprinted into the daylight. As soon as he was out of the cave he looked around to make sure that there were no threats in the forest. Satisfied, he paused to take a deep breath of fresh air. It tasted truly wonderful.

“I never thought I’d be glad to see your forests again,” Johnston said after gulping down another refreshing mouthful of air. “They are a nightmare to try and travel through, but I’ll take them every single day compared to crawling through that dark damp cave.”

“I think I know what you mean,” Pennington agreed. “But if the Indians have got lost in the caves, you can bet they know their way around the forest. I imagine they have patrols searching all around the mountain in case there is another way out.”

“I’m sure they do,” Johnston said. “But there’s nothing else for it, we have to press on. We have to get to the Gamma site. Clare should be there; I need to make sure she got out okay.”

After becoming confident they weren’t being followed in the caves, Johnston’s mind had turned to Clare. He had worried about her constantly. Not knowing whether she made it out, whether her body was lying somewhere back in the caves, or even if she had been captured by the Indians was driving him mad. He needed to see her and if she had escaped she would be at the Gamma rendezvous site.

“I sent my staff to the Gamma site as well,” Pennington said. “So I guess we’re traveling together. I guess I’ll let you lead, seeing as you seem to be more at home in the forest.”

For the next several hours Johnston slowly and carefully led them away from the mountain under which the resistance had been located. Once or twice they heard the tell-tale sound of a shuttle off in the distance. There was also the distant rumbling from howitzer shells exploding in the forest. They sounded more than ten kilometers away by Johnston’s reckoning, yet it was a bad sign. When they both heard it Johnston and Pennington shared a glance. They knew what it meant. The Indians had found at least one of the groups trying to flee the resistance hideout. There was nothing they could do for them now though, so they pressed on, hoping to find someone at the Gamma site.

Once Johnston was satisfied they were far enough away from the mountain that they were less likely to run into any Indian patrols, he picked up the pace. Given his injuries, he tried to not overdo it, but his desire to get to Gamma to see if Clare was there was too strong. More than once Pennington had to grab him by the arm and make him sit down and take a break.

“I’m amazed you’re still alive,” Pennington said to him during one of their stops. She was eyeing the wound in his side with a look of concern. “It looks like you took a full plasma bolt just above your hip, how are you still walking?”

“I’m not too sure myself,” Johnston answered. “I guess the Royal Marines built me to keep going, it hurts like hell though.”

“It looks like hell too,” Pennington said as she moved closer to stare at the wound. Johnston’s battle suit had been burnt away from the area above his hip along with his skin. His flesh underneath was charred and black and though his body had allowed a layer of blood to scab over much of the wound, pus and blood were still slowly seeping down over Johnston’s hip and leg.

“I have no idea what your government did to you to make you this way,” Pennington said. “It truly is amazing, but right now it seems rather cruel.”

“It’s better than being dead,” Johnston replied.

“It is that I suppose,” Pennington said. “And probably, so too would a lot of my people. I’ve never really thanked you and your marines for all they have done to help us. I want you to know, we owe you a great deal.”

“Nonsense,” Johnston said. “We are just happy to have the opportunity to take a shot at these Indians. We’ve had to listen to the bragging from their ranger forces for decades. It’s nice to finally get a chance to go up against them. But, if you really do appreciate our help, then you can show your thanks when Duchess Somerville arrives along with the rest of our Navy and Army.”

“We’ll see about that,” Pennington said, not wanting to be drawn into any political discussions while they were still trying to make their escape.

“We will,” Johnston said. “From what I’ve seen of you so far, you’re a formidable woman. But then so is Duchess Somerville. And I can guarantee you this, our Prime Minister is a determined man. I’d recommend you go along with their plan, especially if British forces are involved in the liberation of Haven. As much as my government likes to think of itself as being willing to stand up for the downtrodden. They never do something for free.”

“Like I said,” Pennington replied. “We’ll see, for now though, let’s just worry about getting back to our people and finding out what’s left of the resistance.”

*

They tramped through the thick Haven forest, taking more and more breaks as Johnston’s energy reserves gave out. Then, just as Johnston thought he could go no further, Pennington spoke the words he had been waiting for.

“We are here,” she said with more than a hint of relief of her own. Lifting her hands to her mouth, she gave a series of short whistles.

A similar sounding series of notes came back to them through the forest and before they knew it, seven Havenite fighters appeared, all carrying gauss cannons. “Councilwoman,” the female who seemed to be in charge of the squad said as she ran over to Pennington. “You’re alive, thank goodness. We thought we lost you. The last survivors came in over two hours ago.”

“Well we’re here,” Pennington said with a smile as she patted the woman on her back. “Now,” Pennington continued as a more serious look came over her face. “How many of us are there?”

“Over two hundred and ninety,” the female resistance fighter said. “Three full evacuation groups made it here. A forth also made it. But they were attacked along the way. An Indian patrol ran across them. Only about one third of them made it.”

“Which groups made it?” Johnston asked. “Did the one led by Clare Edwards get here?”

“Yes Major,” the woman replied. “As I understand it, her group was the first one here. They made it without any losses.”

“Thank you,” Pennington said to the woman. “You’ve made this old soldier happy. Now lead us to whoever is in charge, we need to find out what’s going on. We can’t stay here for long, the Indians will be scouring the forest for us.”

“How many of my men made it back?” Johnston asked the woman as she led them towards the temporary headquarters of the gamma site.

“There are four marines here,” the woman answered. “One of them is pretty badly injured. The rest seem to be fine.”

“Four,” Johnston said sadly. That meant three of his marines were unaccounted for. Perhaps one of the marines had been forced to flee to one of the other rendezvous sites. “And how many fighters made it back?”

“Along with the fighters assigned to guard the four groups that are here, another twenty trickled in.” The woman replied. “Most of them are injured or extremely fatigued. There is no way we can launch a new operation any time soon.”

“No,” Johnston agreed. “Even if we got lucky and there’s as many survivors at the other three evacuation sites. The Indians have won this round; I think we are out of the fight for now.”

“Never,” Pennington said as she balled her hands into fists. “We’re never going to stop fighting the Indians. They have come to our home, our planet. Even if it costs us everything. We’re going to keep hitting them. They have to know that as long as one Havenite lives, they do not own this planet.”

Quite a few of the evacuees had gathered around to see Pennington and Johnston as they marched towards the temporary headquarters. As he looked around at the bewildered, broken faces that came to greet them, Johnston saw the glimmers of a new fire being ignited as they listened to Pennington’s words. He didn’t know if she was speaking from her heart or if she knew everyone was listening to her, but he had no doubt those words would be repeated again and again by the survivors. Maybe the resistance isn’t out of this fight yet, he thought.

Any other thoughts of the future were knocked out of him as Clare came running up and crashed into him, knocking the wind out of him. “Careful there lass,” Johnston said as he tried to suppress a groan of pain as she brushed up against his wound.

“I thought I had lost you,” Clare said as she squeezed him harder. “Rebecca said she left you in one of the triage caverns. Then she never saw you again.”

This time Johnston couldn’t suppress it, “Urrgghh,” he grunted as she squeezed him.

“You need to let him go,” Pennington said as she tried to prize Clare away from Johnston. “He’s been injured; it’s amazing he has lasted this long. We need to get him seen to right away.”

“What?” Clare said as she jumped back from Johnston. Her eyes went to the gaping wound in his side. “I’m so sorry,” she said, tears welling up. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, here quickly, come with me, we have a medical station set up for the injured that are coming in. We need to get someone to look at that right away.”

As Pennington made her way to meet with whoever was currently in charge of Gamma site, Clare led Johnston to the medical station. Johnston wasn’t surprised to see Rebecca was helping out. To his relief, there seemed to be an actual doctor in charge.

“I’m so sorry I left you,” Rebecca said as she approached, looking guilty. “When the Indians breached the main cavern and began to fight down the back passageways we were ordered to evacuate. No one was able to lift you and we only had a few seconds. I injected you with a hypospray that would have slowed your heart rate right down. I was hoping the Indians would think you were dead and leave you alone. I’ve been worried sick ever since.”

“I don’t know if it worked or not,” Johnston said. “But I’m here now and at the least, I owe you my life for helping me when I was shot. So there’s no need to feel so bad. But I hope you won’t be insulted if I want to see someone with a little bit more expertise.”

“Of course not,” Rebecca said earnestly as she stepped out of Johnston and Clare’s way. “This way,” she said. “I’ll get Dr. Phillips to see you immediately.”

As Johnston lay down on a medical bed his mind wandered. He knew exhaustion was about to overtake him. Clare and Dr. Phillips were fussing over him, both with very serious looks on their faces, but he was happy. Clare was safe and most of his marines had survived the attack on the cave. Things could have been a lot worse. As he felt himself drift off, the sight of Sergeant Briar and two marines coming towards him forced him to fight for a few more seconds of consciousness.

“He’s not ready to talk to anyone,” Clare said as Briar approached.

“We’ll leave him be in a moment,” Briar said. “There’s something I need to tell him first.”

“What is it?” Johnston croaked, his energy fading. The sight of Briar approaching him told him more than he needed to know. The marine missing was obviously Moony. If he hadn’t made it back yet, it meant he was probably dead.

“We found it,” Briar said. “We bumped into one of our scouts who was trying to get away from the Indians as we fled the mountain. He had just been coming back from searching sector thirty-seven B when he ran into the Indians as they launched their assault on the hideout.”

Briar’s news gave Johnston a new burst of energy. He had been searching for an Indian base rumored to be under construction for over a month. Briar could be talking about nothing else. “You need to go there yourself,” Johnston said. “Do a recon of the site with your own eyes, then get back to me. I need to know as much about what they’re doing as possible.”

“Aye Sir,” Briar answered. “You just rest Sir; I’ll go see what the Indians are up to. Then, once you’re better we can go hit them hard. It will be a fitting payback for Lieutenant Moony.”

Johnston didn’t have the strength to agree, instead he lay back and closed his eyes. Finally, he could rest. But now he had something to make a quick recovery for. The Indians might think their attack on the cave had beaten the resistance. But they were soon going to find out Johnston was still alive.

Chapter 11 – Missed Opportunities

The first lesson drummed into every cadet is this, strike first and once you do, don’t stop striking until your enemy is defeated. The Empire will not tolerate any threat to its existence.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

14th July 2467AD, HMS Endeavour, Magali System

“Targets are locked in Sir,” Lieutenant Becket reported. “We’re just waiting for the command to fire.”

“Very good Lieutenant,” James replied.

Currently Endeavour was cruising into the Magali system along with the rest of the British Fast Reaction fleet. After somewhat successfully avoiding the Indian fleet in New Delhi, they were now about to begin the real reason they had come into Indian space. They were going to raid as many of the main Indian colonial systems as they could.

Despite the damage Hood had taken in the battle at New Delhi, she was leading the fleet towards the colony of Magali. James guessed Rear Admiral Rooke was more than a little upset at the damage his flagship had taken. She was missing almost a quarter of her port side missile tubes, and despite the crew’s best efforts in the eleven days it had taken to get to the Magali system, by James’ estimation, she was still missing almost twenty percent of her point defenses. If the British fleet got into another large-scale engagement, Hood would be vulnerable.

Nevertheless, Rooke and his flagship were leading the British fleet from the front. No doubt he wanted to make sure that everyone knew he was still prepared to lead the way, despite the setbacks they had incurred at New Delhi. A quick and easy victory over the defenders of Magali would help improve the fleet’s morale. James knew confidence among his own crew had taken a hit. He was sure it was the same among the other ships of the fleet.

“Any update on what the defenders are doing?” James asked his sensor officer.

“Not yet,” Sub Lieutenant Malik replied. “Any warships that are in the system are in low orbit around the colony. It is almost impossible to detect them among all the other stations and freighters in orbit.”

“Whoever is in charge of the defenders is certainly keeping his cards close to his chest,” Mallory said.

“With an entire British fleet bearing down on you, I imagine you might want to be taking things one step at a time as well,” James said. “As long as we can’t detect his fleet, we can’t target all our missiles on Magali’s orbital industry. If nothing else, staying hidden will buy him some time.”

And that was why the British fleet was here. Besides New Delhi, the Indians had three major industrialized colonies, Nicobar, Cachin and Magali. By tricking the Indian fleet at New Delhi into allowing the British to head for Magali, Rooke had opened the way for the British fleet to attack two of India’s four most important colonies. After they dealt with Magali, Cachin was just six days away.

“Or maybe he is waiting for us to get close before he pounces.” Mallory suggested. “The main Indian fleet can’t be too far behind us. If the commander of the forces at Magali can hold us off long enough, he could allow Admiral Khan to catch us.”

“If that’s what he’s trying to do, it has to be a bluff,” James said. “The Indian fleet at New Delhi was significantly larger than our Intel suggested. There is only one way the Indians could have put together such a large fleet. They had to have stripped their colonies bare.”

“Still,” Mallory said, “if the defenders do have a few powerful ships, it’s going to be risky to engage them. Any ships they can damage now will have to be left behind. The defenders don’t have to beat us, they just have to cripple us and we will be stranded in Indian space.”

“Well,” James said, “there’s nothing we can do to help the rest of the fleet, but if that isn’t incentive enough for all of us to be at our best, then I don’t know what is.” As he spoke he looked at each of the bridge crew. Most of them already knew the stakes at play, but it wouldn’t hurt to remind them every now and again. Endeavour’s damage from the engagement at New Delhi was slight, but it had been a warning. Having to leave the heavy cruiser Wrath behind had been a blow to morale. And every one of the crew now knew that was a fate likely to happen to any ship that was damaged. The British fleet couldn’t afford to be caught in a long engagement, not when they still had to get to Haven and liberate the colony there.

“I’ve got movement on the gravitational sensors,” Malik shouted.

“Where?” James asked.

“Towards the edge of the outer system, near the shift passage that leads back to New Delhi,” Malik said. “It must be one of the lookouts Rear Admiral Rooke left behind to watch for the Indian fleet. Whoever it is, they are charging straight for us under full military acceleration.”

“I guess that’s the signal that the Indian fleet has arrived,” Mallory said.

“I imagine so,” James agreed. “If they are here, we’ll find out soon enough.”

Despite his confidence that they could handle whatever Indian naval forces were stationed at Magali, James knew the British fleet faced a serious threat. Khan’s competence was giving Rooke a dilemma. The Indian Admiral had done a masterful job of reorganizing his fleet at New Delhi and was coming after the British with all haste. By the time the British fleet had reached the shift passage to Magali and jumped out of the New Delhi system, Khan and his fleet were less than six hours behind them.

For the last eleven days Rear Admiral Rooke had driven his fleet hard. He knew Admiral Khan would be doing everything he could to catch up with the British fleet and bring them to battle. As a result, Rooke had been doing whatever he could to increase the speed of his fleet. The main problem was that while many of the British Navy’s newest and fastest ships were in the Fast Reaction Fleet, many of the ships that had joined to bolster its strength were older designs. They had inferior acceleration rates, top speeds and took longer to charge their shift capacitors.

The only saving grace was that everyone knew the Indian fleet consisted of just as many or more older warships. If Admiral Khan wanted to catch them, he would have to pull off some daring tactical move, or he would have to detach his slower ships and significantly weaken his fleet.

“Here they come,” Malik announced as ninety new contacts appeared on the gravimetric sensors.

Silence descended as everyone’s attention shifted from Magali to the Indian fleet. “It looks like they are all there,” Malik said after a minute. It had taken the ship’s computer that long to distinguish all the different gravimetric anomalies produced by the accelerating Indian warships.

“Let’s get back to the matter at hand,” James said. “There’s nothing Admiral Khan can do to us right now. Let’s make sure we hit Magali hard.”

The crew settled back in to watching the colony. RSNI intel suggested that the colony had four large Rakesh battlestations in orbit. They were the largest and most powerful battlestations the Indian naval engineers constructed. Each one had the equivalent firepower of a battlecruiser. So far, the British fleet had identified three of them, however the fourth was proving to be elusive. The main problem was there were hundreds of medium and large sized stations in orbit around Magali. Many of them were commercial or industrial nodes, yet there was likely to be a number of smaller battlestations as well as point defense stations placed around the colony to shoot down any missiles that tried to damage the orbital infrastructure. As a result, it was proving hard to identify the fourth battlestation, never mind identifying which orbital stations were military ones and which were civilians.

“Captain,” Malik said in concern. “I’m picking up multiple new electromagnetic sources coming from the colony. It looks like at least three more heavy battlestations have just come online. The energy readings suggest they are powering up their main reactors.”

“Impossible,” James said. “There is no way the Indians have built two more Rakesh battlestations without RSNI finding out about it. It must be a bluff.”

“There’s more,” Malik continued as if his Captain hadn’t spoken. “I’m detecting two heavy cruisers along with at least five other cruisers coming out of orbit, it looks like they’re taking up station beside one of the Rakesh battlestations.”

“It has to be a bluff,” Mallory said. “This explains why the defenders didn’t react immediately, I bet whoever is in charge of the Indian defenses over Magali has been using his time to alter industrial stations and civilian ships to give out military grade sensor readings. They’re are trying to scare us off.”

“I think you’re right,” James agreed. “But what is Rear Admiral Rooke going to think?”

They didn’t have to wait long for an answer. “We’re getting new orders from the flagship,” Sub Lieutenant King said from the COM station.

When James saw the orders he shook his head slightly. Rooke had fallen for the ruse, or at least, he didn’t want to take any chances with his fleet. “We going to fire one missile salvo at extreme range and then alter course,” he informed the bridge. His tone said he was less than happy with the orders he was reading out. “Lieutenant Becket, new fire orders will be coming in momentarily. We’re not going to target any of the Indian naval forces. We’re going to hit their industrial nodes as hard as possible instead. Then we’re bugging out of here and onto the next target system.”

No one on the bridge responded, they all knew from James’ tone that he wasn’t on board with the new orders. Yet they were all professionals, and they would do as their superior commanded.

At least we won’t have to risk our ships, James thought. They were unlikely to do much damage to the industrial stations in orbit around Magali. With the battlestations, and whatever warships were actually in orbit, the colony would be able to put up a lot of point defense fire against the single British missile salvo they would have to face.

“Living to fight another day isn’t always the worst choice,” James said to try and take their minds off the fact that such an inviting target would be passing them by. It was one thing for him to think that, it was another for his crew to join him. If they really started to lose confidence in their Admiral then no matter how much they trusted James, he knew their performance and morale would be affected.

“I just received our new fire orders,” Becket announced. “We are going to be launching in five minutes.”

James didn’t say anything, instead he watched the timer count down. As the British fleet was cruising towards Magali at their top speed, they had a significant advantage in missile range over the defenders. Their advantage would allow them to fire and then turn away from the colony before the battlestations and warships in orbit could fire back.

“Firing,” Becket said when the counter hit zero.

Almost two hundred missiles shot out of their acceleration tubes from the British fleet. As soon as they cleared their motherships, their engines kicked in and boosted them towards Magali. Less than a minute after the missiles had been fired, the British ships angled up and away from the colony along the system’s ecliptic.

The missiles themselves accelerated up to their top speed and then continued for twenty minutes towards the colony. As soon as they came into range of the point defenses, plasma bolts and AM missiles reached up from the colony to try and knock out as many missiles as possible. The almost two hundred missiles were reduced to less than a hundred within the first thirty seconds of entering range of the Indian point defenses. Then very quickly there was less than fifty left, then twenty. However, by then the remaining missiles had reached the orbital industries. Without any point defenses of their own, they were helpless. An hour ago Rear Admiral Rooke had sent a message to the people of the Magali colony warning them to evacuate their orbital industries. As a result, as each missile ploughed into an orbital station and exploded with megatons of thermonuclear force, no civilians were killed. On the other hand, all twenty industrial stations that were targeted by the missiles were destroyed. Two of the targets the missiles had hit had been large freighter docking stations and along with the station itself, six large freighters and their cargo were destroyed.

From the safety of Endeavour’s bridge, James watched the wave of destruction that passed over the colony’s orbital infrastructure. With gritted teeth, he couldn’t help shaking his head slightly. The destruction was impressive, but it counted for less than a couple of percentage points of the total industrial capacity of the Magali colony. If Rooke had summoned the courage to press on towards the colony, they could have quickly dealt with the battlestations and laid waste to the entire orbital industry. It would have set the Indian colony back at least a decade and would have been a significant step towards winning the war with the Indians. Now it was just an opportunity missed. At least we will hit them hard when we get to Cachin, James consoled himself. After New Delhi and Magali, it was the most important Indian colony.

*

Endeavour, along with the rest of the British fleet, cruised through the Magali system towards the shift passages that led to Cachin and Cauvery. Rear Admiral Rooke had the British fleet flying directly towards the edge of the Magali system that was equally distant from both shift passages. James guessed he was hoping to bluff Admiral Khan into thinking the British fleet might jump to Cauvery. Cauvery itself was a small Indian colony with little real importance. Yet jumping to Cauvery would allow the British fleet to jump to Kharo and then back to New Delhi. In theory this would allow the British fleet to get back to New Delhi before the Indians. If the British fleet did manage to do that, then they would have at least a few hours free range over New Delhi to pound the orbital industries.

It didn’t seem like Admiral Khan was falling for the bluff, for his fleet was heading straight for the shift passage to Cachin. At the current rates, if Rooke did change course towards Cachin, it would allow the Indian fleet to catch them by over an hour. It’s not working, James thought as he tried to put himself in Rear Admiral Rooke’s position. It’s time to go back to the original plan.

When a new message came in from the flagship, he guessed Rooke had come to the same conclusion. “The Admiral has requested a conference,” James said to the bridge crew. “Becket, you have the bridge, I’m retiring to my office.” Before he stood he sent a message for First Lieutenant Mallory to join him for the conference.

“I have the bridge,” Becket said as James rose to his feet.

Nodding to her, James made his way to his adjoining office.

“What do you think this is about?” Mallory asked as he walked into James’ office less than a minute later.

“I’m not sure,” James said. “Hopefully Rooke has a plan or two that will allow us to hit Cachin a lot harder than Magali.”

“Here’s hoping,” Mallory said. “But I’m sure you’ll not blame me if I don’t hold my breath.”

James wanted to warn Mallory about being so blasé about showing disrespect for a senior officer. Yet he bit his tongue, he could hardly blame Mallory for following the example he had set on the bridge. Instead, he silently reprimanded himself as he waited for the holo conference to begin. It was one thing to have your own doubts about the senior officer, it was another thing to make them public. Despite everything that had happened with his court martial and how Rooke had been treating him, he knew he needed to act more professionally in front of his subordinates.

As the holo display switched on and projected a large conference table, James saw each of the Captains from the British fleet projected around him. Almost all the faces were familiar to him, yet they belonged to strangers who he had heard about or read about but who he didn’t know personally. One or two of them nodded to him as he got there and he guessed they at least recognized him.

“Welcome all,” Rear Admiral Rooke said as his face appeared at the holo conference table. “I want to discuss the next plan of action. Our setback at the New Delhi system, and the proficiency with which the Indian Admiral has pursued us, has forced me to re-evaluate our mission. New Delhi showed us that Hood and the rest of our fleet, despite the technical advantages we have over the Indians, are not invulnerable. Whilst raiding the Indian industrial systems is why we are here, we mustn’t forget our main goal, the liberation of Haven. If the fleet takes many losses, we may not have the capacity to get to Haven. What many of you don’t know and what I can finally reveal, is that we discovered a new way to get to Haven. One that doesn’t pass through the Indian systems. My orders are to retreat to British space as soon as we finished doing as much damage to the Indian colonies as we can. In fact, my orders specifically say we are to make it look like a retreat as we leave the Indian systems.

“The Admiralty wants the Indians to think they’ve beaten us and managed to drive us out of their colonies. They hope this will put the Indians into a false sense of security. So that when we do take Haven, it will shock them into coming to a quick peace. To that end, I plan to take the fleet to Cauvery, then Kharo and back to New Delhi. We can raid the minor systems without risking our fleet, and, if the opportunity arises, we can hit New Delhi before the Indian fleet catches us. In fact, if we go to Cauvery first, Admiral Khan might think we plan to double back towards Cachin. It may buy us some time and breathing space from his fleet. I’ve called you all here to let you know of my plans and to see what you think. You are all experienced Captains and I want to make an informed decision, any thoughts or suggestions you have are welcome.”

Despite his concerns, James forced himself to keep quiet. Rear Admiral Rooke had made it clear that he didn’t like James. Rooke was hardly going to listen to him now. James had to hope that someone else would speak up.

The senior Captains asked some questions about Rooke’s plans. To James’ frustration, their questions largely dealt with operational matters regarding the new course of action. Finally, someone asked the question James had been waiting for.

“Our full orders certainly change our strategic options,” Captain Daniel Hargreaves said. James recognized him as the Captain of the heavy cruiser Behemoth. “But we shouldn’t rule out an attack on Cachin so quickly. This is likely to be the best chance we’re ever going to get to attack one of the most important Indian colonies. If we can strike at Cachin now, then in the long term, no matter what happens with Haven, the Indians will be much less of a threat to our Kingdom. We have already seen the number of warships Admiral Khan has managed to gather into his fleet. Whatever defenses they still have at Cachin, we should be able to handle them. Then after that, we can make it look like the Indians have driven us off.”

“And yet look at the extra defenses the Indians managed to gather here in Magali,” Rear Admiral Rooke countered. “If they have similar defenses at Cachin, we could find ourselves trapped between heavy battlestations and Admiral Khan’s fleet. That’s a risk I won’t take.”

James waited for Hargreaves or someone else to counter Rooke’s opinion. There were a number of different strategies and tactics they could try that would allow them to attack Cachin without risking the fleet unduly. Yet no one spoke up.

James couldn’t help himself, as the silence lengthened he had to speak his mind. “I think Hargreaves is right,” he began. “We need to hit Cachin. We have missed a great opportunity to hit the Indians hard here in Magali. If we don’t take this chance to strike at Cachin, then this mission could end in failure. We’re here to hurt the Indians, that’s what all those who died in the New Delhi system died for. We can’t pass up such an opportunity just because we are afraid of what the Indians may or may not do. We have to take the initiative.”

“Are you suggesting I am a coward?” Rear Admiral Rooke said far too calmly as he swiveled to rest his gaze on James.

“No Sir,” James said, startled that the Rear Admiral would take his words personally. “I’m simply suggesting that there may be other tactical options open to us. We don’t necessarily need to run away from an attack on Cachin so quickly.”

“Run away?” Rooke said, his voice rising.

James regretted his choice of words but before he could say anything to remedy the situation Rooke continued. “That’s it Captain, I have had enough from you. You directly disobeyed an order in the New Delhi system. I ordered Endeavour to hold formation and you chose to ignore my order, leaving the flagship vulnerable. It’s your fault my ship took two missile hits. I was going to leave the situation until we got out of enemy territory for the sake of stability, but no more. Effective immediately I am relieving you of command Captain. Your First Officer will take over command of Endeavour and you will place yourself under arrest and be housed in the brig until we return to British space.”

“But Rear Admiral,” James tried to say.

Rooke didn’t let him complete his sentence. “I just gave you a direct order Captain. Are you about to disobey a senior flag officer?” He said calmly with a smile on his face.

James knew he was stuck, there was nothing he could do now but obey. With the eyes of every Captain of the fleet on him, no matter how unjust Rooke’s sentence may be, if he disobeyed a direct order he would find himself facing another court martial. One his uncle or Prime Minister Fairfax couldn’t get him out of. For a moment, he considered telling the other Captains about the Gift and his uncle’s full plan. If they knew all that James knew, they might be more willing to try and persuade Rooke to take some more risks. Yet he knew he couldn’t, if one of them was captured by the Indians his country’s one strategic advantage could be lost.

“I will inform my First Lieutenant,” James said. “And then I will report to the brig.” Without waiting for Rear Admiral Rooke to respond, James switched off the holo display.

“He can’t do that,” Mallory almost shouted as soon his was sure Rooke and the other Captains wouldn’t be able to hear him. “You’re voicing serious concerns. You were right, we are here to destroy the Indians. We can’t just run back home.”

“You’re wrong,” James said, surprised at how calmly he was able to speak. “Rear Admiral Rooke is in charge of the fleet, he can do anything that he commands us to do. I’m officially relieving myself of command and handing over to you First Lieutenant Mallory.”

“I won’t accept,” Mallory said. “You are Endeavour’s captain.”

“You will,” James replied. “If you don’t, you’ll find yourself in the brig with me. And I won’t have that. If I can’t command Endeavour, then you’re going to. Rooke may want to take the safe route home, but we are not out of danger yet. You need to be in command.”

Without giving Mallory a chance to say anything, James jumped to his feet and made his way back out onto the bridge. Mallory jumped up and followed him, not sure what he was about to do.

Before either of them could say anything, Malik made an announcement. “I just received new orders from the flagship,” he said. “It’s a new course, I’m sending it to Sub Lieutenant Jennings now.”

Jennings looked from the navigation console to James and Mallory. When James didn’t say anything Mallory spoke up. “Take us on the new course as soon as the flagship begins the maneuver,” he ordered.

“Aye Sir,” Jennings responded.

James waited for the fleet to complete its maneuver before he made his announcement. The British fleet turned towards the shift passage to Cauvery and the Indian fleet rapidly changed direction. Admiral Khan’s decision to go straight for the shift passage to Cachin had cost him. The British fleet had gained a slight advantage. Hopefully Rooke will use that to achieve something, James thought.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed ahead with what he had come to do. “Listen up everyone, I have something to say.” As his bridge crew stopped what they were doing and turned to him, James tried to keep his face devoid of any emotion. “I have been relieved of command by Rear Admiral Rooke. He feels my order to take evasive action during the battle over New Delhi directly led to the damage Hood sustained. He has relieved me of command and placed First Lieutenant Mallory in charge. You will look to him now as your Captain, treat him with the respect and obedience that he deserves. It has been a pleasure serving with each of you, and I hope that once this is cleared up, I will be your Captain again. For now, I am confident you are safe in Mallory’s hands.”

Not willing or able to face the questions his crew had, James turned and walked out of the bridge. “Hold on Captain,” Mallory called, he caught up with James and grabbed his arm to turn him round. “I’m not going to let you go to the brig. My first act as Acting Captain is to confine you to your quarters. That’s the least I can do for you.”

“You can’t do that,” James said. “If Rooke finds out, he will only direct his anger at you.”

“He can’t,” Mallory replied. “He was the one who made me Acting Captain, he can’t overrule my first command. If he does, then he will have to relieve me of command as well. How is that going to look to the fleet?”

“I won’t let you do it,” James said. “You’re not getting into trouble on my behalf. I’m going to the brig.”

“No you’re not,” Mallory responded, putting a hint of severity into his command. “I am now the Acting Captain of the ship, unless you want me to write you up for disobeying a direct order you will confine yourself to your quarters. Or do you want the crew to think I don’t have any authority?”

“Fine,” James said, exasperated. “You win, but don’t blame me if this comes back to bite you.” In a much friendlier note he continued as he placed his hand on Mallory’s shoulder, “I appreciate what you’re doing, but it’s not going to help the fact I just lost my command.”

“I know James,” Mallory said. “But it’s the least I can do, we are friends after all. Besides, if you are confined to your quarters you can monitor everything that is happening on the bridge. If I need a second opinion you will be no more than ten steps away. I fully expect to be making regular visits to your office, so make sure you have lots of advice for me.”

“Thank you,” James said. “Now get back to the ship.”

As Mallory turned back to the bridge, James stepped through the sliding doors into his office. Alone, the full weight of what just happened hit him like a maglev train. What was he, if not the Captain of a warship? I’m a fool, James said to himself. Why couldn’t I just keep my mouth shut?

Chapter 12 – On the Run

The Royal Space Navy was to experience its fair share of disastrous campaigns before the formation of the Empire.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

19th July 2467AD, HMS Endeavour, Cauvery System

Acting Captain Seamus Mallory sat on the Captain’s chair of HMS Endeavour, shocked at what he was witnessing. After traveling down the Cauvery shift passage, the British fleet had exited shift space and charged straight for the colony. The three Indian frigates protecting the colony had fled as soon as they saw the British warships approaching. After ordering the workers to abandon the orbital stations, Rear Admiral Rooke had fired a small salvo of missiles, destroying everything in orbit above Cauvery.

Yet, no tungsten spears or plasma bolts were launched at the mining operation on the planet. Nor were shuttles of marines sent down to the planet with demolition charges to destroy vital infrastructure nodes. Cauvery was a mining colony, specifically, it had two strategically important valstronium mines. They were critical targets that should have been attacked. And yet, instead of slowing down to make sure of their destruction, Rooke had the British fleet charging past the colony at their maximum speed. Sure, the destruction of the colony’s orbital infrastructure would hamper any short-term efforts to make use of the valstronium the colony mined. However, in the long term, the Indians would hardly feel the impact of the British attack.

The source of Rooke’s haste was plain. Somehow, Admiral Khan had closed with the British fleet by an hour during the five days both fleets had spent travelling to Cauvery. That fact alone didn’t excuse Rooke’s actions in Mallory’s mind. Khan’s fleet was still more than four hours behind the British. They could have altered course slightly to pass close enough to Cauvery to use their ground attack weapons. At worst the detour would have cost the fleet an hour. That left plenty of distance to the Indian fleet.

What’s done is done, Mallory thought as he watched another chance to hurt the Indians slip away from the raiding British fleet. He had too many problems trying to step into the Captain’s shoes to dwell on his disappointment for long. He couldn’t help but feel that their failure to hurt the Indians would come back to bite them one day though.

*

Mallory stepped into James’ office. Rear Admiral Rooke had called another holo conference with his Captains. “Shall I leave?” James asked. He had been sitting at his desk reviewing the sensor data from the attack on Cauvery.

“No,” Mallory answered. “You can listen in. Maybe this time though, you can try a little bit more self-control,” he added with a smile.

“I’m glad you can joke about this,” James said. “Of course, it’s not your career on the line.”

The pair of them had spent many hours in James’ quarters during the trip from Magali to Cauvery. As well as discussing the running of Endeavour, they had played out a number of scenarios of what might happen when the fleet got back to British space. Both of them hoped that James would be reinstated. They had run a number of simulations of the battle over New Delhi, and no matter how they worked it out, they both agreed James had made the right decision. He had held Endeavour in her formation until the last second, risking his ship to fire one last salvo of flak cannon rounds at the Indian missiles targeting the flagship. Then, and only then, had he ordered Endeavour’s evasive maneuvers.

Still, they both knew from James’ court martial that the truth didn’t always matter. James and his uncle had enemies in the Navy and it was possible they could use this against him. Worse, though Mallory hadn’t said it to James, it was possible that Rooke had planned to do something like this to James all along. It had been clear from the outset that Rooke didn’t like James.

“Let’s just see what the Rear Admiral has to say,” Mallory replied. With a touch of a button, the holo projector started and Mallory and James were surrounded by the projection of a conference table with all the other Captains.

“I’m glad to see you could join us Acting Captain,” Rear Admiral Rooke said as soon as Mallory’s face appeared. “It’s not advisable for the most junior Captain in the fleet to keep us waiting.”

“My apologies Rear Admiral, Captains,” Mallory said as he looked around the table.

“I hope your new duties aren’t proving too much for you?” Rooke said with a hint of disdain in his voice.

“No Sir,” Mallory answered, “I just lost track of time, my apologies again.”

“Well, see that it doesn’t happen again,” Rooke said. “Or I will make sure it’s the last mistake you make as Acting Captain.”

“Now, let’s get down to business,” he continued as he changed his tone and turned to address the rest of the Captains. “You all know our next target, the Kharo colony. It’s a small colony with a population of less than ten million. Their GDP hardly provides anything to the Indian economy. Therefore, I propose we use it to get us a bit more distance from the Indian fleet. Khan will exit shift space heading for Kharo, we are going to head straight for the shift passage that leads to New Delhi. We can use the extra time it will take Khan to alter course to give us more breathing space in New Delhi to launch whatever attacks we wish as we pass through the system.”

As Rooke outlined his plans for the Kharo system, Mallory listened on silently. Inwardly, he wished one of the Captains would at least suggest that a small detachment of fast ships be sent to hit Kharo as they passed it. It would cost the fleet nothing to send the ships, and though the damage to the Indian economy would be small, it would be something. Yet, none of the Captains spoke up. Mallory was beginning to expect that these Captain’s conferences were more of a formality where Rooke could make sure that his subordinates understood his thinking rather than an opportunity for different perspectives to be aired and their merits discussed.

When Rooke was done, he thanked everyone for coming and disconnected himself from the conference. “Well that’s that,” Mallory said to James. “I guess Kharo is going to escape falling under our guns.”

“Yes, and how many other systems?” James asked.

“Maybe we can talk to the Flag Captain,” Mallory suggested. “She is the most senior captain in the fleet, maybe we can convince her and the other Captains to speak up in the next conference. If we present a unified front maybe Rooke will listen to us. If he won’t, perhaps we can convince the Captains to relieve Rooke of command. He is potentially costing us this war.”

“Have you discussed this with anyone else?” James asked quickly.

“No,” Mallory answered. “Of course not.”

“Good,” James replied. “See that you don’t, it will get you into trouble. Don’t you see how the rest of the Captains defer to Rooke? They respect him too much, or they fear him, but there is no way they will go against him. Many of them have served with him in the Fast Reaction Fleet for years. There’s nothing we can do; we just have to let things play out.”

“But we have to try something,” Mallory said. “Surely it’s our duty to try. If Rooke isn’t carrying out the orders he was given to the full extent of his capabilities, then we have to do something.”

“No we don’t,” James almost shouted. “What do you think I’ve been doing for the last five days? There’s nothing we can do that I haven’t already gone over again and again. Nothing will work. We just have to do what we’ve been told to do. You’re the Captain now, you have to see to the ship. That’s the end of your responsibilities, leave the fleet to Rooke.”

Mallory was taken aback at James’ anger, though as he thought about it, he wasn’t surprised. How else was someone supposed to react in his situation? As much as he wanted to comfort his friend, he couldn’t think of anything to do. Instead, he got to his feet and saluted James. “If that’s all then Captain, I will get back to the ship.”

James looked momentarily hurt by Mallory’s abruptness. But the look quickly passed, “That will be all,” he said gruffly.

Turning and walking out of the office, Mallory hoped he would be able to find a way to cheer James up. But sitting here with him, allowing him to project his anger onto one of his friends wasn’t one of them. He would come back when the Captain had calmed down.

*

As Mallory left the briefing room, James sighed. He hadn’t meant to call Rooke a coward at the last Captains’ briefing. Yet the more he saw of the Rear Admiral, the more he thought the description fit. If Rooke went ahead with his plans, it would be the third time the Rear Admiral had avoided combat with the enemy. Though he said he was going to attack New Delhi, the chances were, as soon as they got there he would change his mind on that too.

Lifting the data pad he had been studying before Mallory arrived, he flung it against the office bulkhead. He could hardly bear it, target after target passing them by. While all the time, he was cooped up in his quarters, unable to see or talk to anyone unless they came to visit him. He knew his frustration was quickly turning into depression. He hadn’t felt like this since he received the news that Christine was going to marry Na. Worse, he knew it would be at least another month, or maybe two, before the fleet got back to British space. He had no hope of regaining his command.

Mallory tried to keep him in the loop and to involve him in the decision-making but there was only so much the First Lieutenant could do. He hadn’t meant to snap at his closest friend, but he wasn’t in the mood to apologize.

“Get me another coffee,” he growled loud enough that he knew his steward, Fox, would be able to hear him in the next room.

“Aye Sir,” Fox replied tentatively.

When he appeared with the drink, Fox didn’t meet his Captain’s eyes. He knew the last few days had been hard on his Captain, and he didn’t want to provoke him.

When James saw the fear in Fox’s actions he felt momentarily ashamed, but then his anger welled up again. It wasn’t his fault he was like this. This was Rooke’s fault. Without acknowledging his steward, he grabbed the coffee and turned his back to Fox and lost himself in his thoughts.

*

24th July 2467AD, HMS Endeavour, Kharo system

As Endeavour exited shift space into the Kharo system, Mallory felt nervous. He couldn’t put his finger on why, Rooke’s latest plan almost guaranteed they wouldn’t see any combat. He planned to bypass the colony on the system’s second planet. His only targets were two small gas mining stations that orbited the eighth planet. Though they were important to the local economy, they kept the large freighters that moved around these parts of the Indian colonies supplied with fuel, they were all but irrelevant. Nevertheless, Mallory was not sitting comfortably.

“Put us back in our allotted position in the formation,” Mallory ordered Sub Lieutenant Jennings. Like all journeys through shift space, the fleet’s formation had been slightly disrupted by the reversion to real space.

“I’m already maneuvering us back into formation,” Jennings said.

“Signal from the flagship,” Sub Lieutenant King announced.

“New orders?” Mallory asked, when she did not tell Mallory what the communication said.

“I’ve sent the message to your command chair Captain,” King answered.

When Mallory read the message he understood King’s silence. Rear Admiral Rooke was demanding that Endeavour get back into formation immediately. Can’t he see that is exactly what we’re doing? Mallory thought. “Acknowledge the command,” he said to King.

Mallory had to grit his teeth to prevent his irritation finding a more verbal expression. This wasn’t the first message Rooke had sent to Endeavour demanding she speed up. It wasn’t even the second or third. During the five day journey from Cauvery to Kharo the fleet had to make eight course changes as it travelled through the twisting shift passage linking the two systems. Each time the fleet had come out of shift space to change direction, it had been necessary to form up again before jumping. It seemed as if Rooke was taking every opportunity he got to chasten the exploration cruiser and her crew. For all Mallory knew, he was sending the same message to every other ship in the fleet. Whilst that thought made him feel slightly better, upon reflection, it wasn’t much comfort. If Rooke was treating the whole fleet like this, then he was really letting the situation get the best of him.

“We’re in position,” Jennings reported.

“Good work Sub Lieutenant,” Mallory replied. “Keep station with the flagship. We should be heading towards the only gas giant in the system. Prepare to lay in a course.”

“Aye Sir,” Jennings replied.

Less than a minute after the fleet was fully formed up, the order came to accelerate towards the gas giant. As luck would have it, the gas giant lay almost directly between the shift passage the fleet had just exited and the shift passage to New Delhi.

*

Four hours later, right on cue, Endeavour’s gravimetric sensors lit up like a Christmas tree. “New contacts, the Sub Lieutenant who was on duty at the sensor station called out. “It’s the Indian fleet.”

Mallory sat forward in the command chair as the contacts appeared on the main holo-display. “They’re not heading towards the colony,” he said. “What vector are they accelerating along?”

“It looks like at least two thirds of the fleet is accelerating straight for the shift passage back towards New Delhi,” the Sub Lieutenant reported. “Though there are some ships that seem to be on a different trajectory.”

As Mallory watched, the plot from the gravimetric sensors gained more clarity and it was obvious why Admiral Khan had split his fleet. The fastest two thirds of his fleet were speeding straight for the shift passage to New Delhi. Either he was planning to jump ahead of the British fleet and wait for them at New Delhi, or he wanted to intercept the British fleet before they could jump out of the system. The other third of his fleet had come out of shift space angled towards the colony. As soon as they detected the British fleet was not heading towards the colony they had altered course.

“Captain,” Sub Lieutenant King said, “we just received a new message from the flagship. Rear Admiral Rooke is calling for another Captains’ conference. He wants to see his captains immediately.”

“Acknowledge the order,” Mallory said. This should be interesting, he thought as he stood and walked out of the bridge.

As he stepped into James’ office, Mallory saw that James was already there. “You know everything that is going on I presume?”

“Yes,” James replied. “It’s time to see if my guess is correct.”

“For all our sakes, I hope you’re wrong,” Mallory said. “Though, I’m not entirely sure I remember the last time you were in fact wrong.”

“I hope I’m wrong too,” James said. “Otherwise today may go very badly.”

Despite his isolation, James had been trying to find something useful to do. One of the things he had devoted himself to doing was trying to understand Rear Admiral Rooke better. He had spent hours reading over every report from Admiral Rooke’s early career. One thing had stood out, the Rear Admiral had never actually commanded a fleet in battle. Though he had scored very highly in all the tactical simulations he had taken part in, even during his time as a Captain he had never seen real combat.

James knew that Rooke’s plan at New Delhi had been bold and audacious, and if it had paid off, it would have looked like a tactical triumph. Yet it hadn’t, and though James was coming to loath Rooke he had a little sympathy for the Rear Admiral. If James’ first experience of combat had been as an Admiral in charge of such a large fleet, and his plans and actions had led to the destruction of a heavy cruiser and the loss of so many lives, he would have begun to doubt himself and possibly even act the way Rooke was acting now.

Yet, that didn’t change things. And so, as Mallory came into his office to take part in the conference, he grabbed Mallory’s hand as the First Lieutenant was about to switch on the holo projector. “If no one else says anything, then you need to. This is a perfect opportunity. Rooke could turn the fleet and engage the slower Indian ships. We would be able to take them before Admiral Khan could get back to support them. Heck, even if Rooke just dispatched our slowest ships back towards Cauvery, they could go on some raiding missions on their own. That would free our fastest ships to speed to the New Delhi shift passage, we would easily make it ahead of the Indian fleet. From there we could attack New Delhi, or head back to British space to join the main attack force going to liberate Haven”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Mallory said once James was finished. “Though you know Rooke just as well as I do. But I’ll try. I promise.”

Satisfied, James let go of Mallory’s hand and switched on the holo projector before slipping to the back of the room so that no one else would see him.

“We don’t have much time,” Rear Admiral Rooke said once every Captain had joined the conference. “We need to act fast, if we don’t Admiral Khan’s fast fleet will catch us. We may be able to beat it but they will hammer us hard and the chances of us escaping Indian colonial space will be slim. I can’t have that on my conscience. So I need suggestions now, what can we do to get ourselves out of this situation?”

“We shouldn’t dismiss engaging the Indian fleet so quickly,” Captain Blyth of the medium cruiser Ferocious said. “The Indians are presenting us with an opportunity we might not get again. If you just go by missile numbers, the Indian fast fleet is a match for ours. However, we all know our missile technology and point defenses are superior to the Indians. We could take them; we just have to commit to it.”

“I said we are not engaging the Indians,” Rooke said sternly. “I’m not repeating myself again, my orders are to get this fleet back to British space intact. Running away from the Indians is exactly what the Admiralty wants me to do, they are to think they’ve beaten us.”

“We could increase our maximum speed,” Captain Ramirez said. “The slower ships in the fleet are currently slowing us down. If my Hawk was able to go at her full speed, we could easily beat the Indians to the shift passage to New Delhi.”

“That will be inviting disaster,” Rooke’s Flight Captain Sarah Valance said. “If we force the slower ships to exceed the maximum velocity we’ll be putting them all at risk.”

“They can deploy their gaseous shields, that should give them plenty of protection,” Ramirez responded.

“It’s still too risky,” Valance said. “We need to come up with another plan.”

When no one else looked like they were going to speak up, James reached over and nudged Mallory’s shoulder. “We could copy Khan’s tactics,” Mallory said reluctantly. It wasn’t that he disagreed with James’ idea, he just didn’t want to be the one that had to speak up in front of all the Captains.

“If we split off the slower ships now, they should be able to turn back towards Cauvery,” he continued. “With a bit of luck they could outmaneuver the slower Indian fleet and head back into the Indian colonies on a raiding mission. Our fastest ships could then beat the Indians to the shift passage to New Delhi. From there we can attack the colony and then make it back to British space safely. Khan will be forced to follow us, leaving our slower ships to wreak havoc among the Indian colonies.”

“Unacceptable,” Rooke said. “You have no way of guaranteeing that Admiral Khan will follow us. He may very well turn around and engage the ships we detach from our fleet. I’m not going back to the Admiralty to tell them that I lost a full third of the fleet they gave me.”

“Are there any other serious suggestions?” Rooke said with a hint of desperation in his voice. “We need to act fast.”

No one else seemed willing to speak up. Mallory wanted to put forward his suggestion again, but he knew that there was no way Rooke was going to listen to anything he had to say.

“Then it settled,” Rooke said, “we’re going to try and beat Khan’s fast fleet to New Delhi. If we get a chance, we will strike at the colony when we get there. If not, at least we will get the fleet home in one piece. We can be reinforced by the Home Fleet and then accomplish our real mission, liberating Haven. You are all dismissed, I’ll be issuing orders to the fleet almost immediately.” With that, the image of Rooke disappeared.

For a moment, nobody else moved. Mallory glanced at the other Captains, it looked like one or two of them wanted to object. Without saying a word, Captain Valance held up her hands in a conciliatory fashion. Mallory knew just what she meant, she was going to try and talk to Rooke. Understanding her actions, one by one, the other Captains disappeared.

“Unbelievable,” James said as Mallory disconnected from the conference. “He’s so scared of being defeated by the Indians that he is going to risk some of our ships being destroyed by stray cosmic particles.”

“I don’t think he’s thinking straight,” Mallory said.

“No,” James replied. “But he is the ranking officer, and no one else was willing to stand up to him, nor even suggest another course of action. You did all you could. Thank you. I know it might come back to hurt you if Rooke stays in command of the fleet.”

“I was just doing my duty,” Mallory said.

“Well you have a lot more to do yet, I suggest you go back to the bridge. New orders may be coming in any moment now,” James said. “Let’s just hope Valance is able to talk some sense into Rooke.”

As Mallory stood to leave he wasn’t sure who doubted the possibility more, himself or James.

Chapter 13 – Rear Guard

To leave an Imperial warship behind to fall into enemy hands is almost unthinkable.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

24th July 2467AD, HMS Endeavour, Kharo system

Instead of orders coming in immediately, there was almost a five minute delay. Mallory hoped that Captain Valance had managed to talk some sense into Rooke. His hopes were dashed when the orders finally arrived. “The fleet is to accelerate to new velocity of 0.32c and turn towards the New Delhi shift passage,” King reported.

“Match the flagship’s velocity,” Mallory said to Sub Lieutenant Jennings.

“Captain,” Julius protested over the open COM channel to the auxiliary bridge. “That’s beyond the safety limits for almost a third of our fleet.”

“Any one of those ships could be destroyed by a stray cosmic particle, and the radiation alone could kill their crews,” Becket added from the tactical console on the bridge. “I can’t believe it,” she continued after looking at her console, “the ships at risk include one of the heavy and three medium cruisers, if there is a cosmic particle strike, one of them could be destroyed.

“Even if they are just damaged, they will fall back into reach of the Indians. I know what our orders mean Lieutenants,” Mallory said. “My orders stand however.”

Since Mallory’s unwanted promotion, Julius and Becket had taken a step up the ladder as well. He had been encouraging both of them to be more involved in his decision-making process as he wanted to make sure he had considered every point of view before he made any decisions. Now was not the time for consulting with them though.

“Rear Admiral Rooke has already made up his mind, this is how it’s going to be,” he continued. “We need to do everything we can to help the fleet. At least, with this new velocity we will be able to out run the Indian fleet back to New Delhi. And the slower ships will be unfurling their gaseous shields. Hopefully, that will provide them with some protection.”

Mallory had been looking at Becket as he spoke, it looked like she wanted to say more but Mallory shook his head to cut her off. The bridge was not the place to air their concerns about the Rear Admiral.

It looked like Rooke’s decision was going to pay off. The fleet accelerated to its new velocity, and the projections Endeavour’s computer showed on the holo display suggested that the fleet would get to the shift passage to New Delhi about an hour and a half ahead of the Indian fleet.

Then, as everyone feared, reports came in from some of the ships in the fleet. At least three of them were reporting dangerous levels of radiation. A warship’s valstronium armor provided protection from the radiation they encountered traveling at significant velocities and the remote chance that a ship would cross the path of a cosmic particle. Though space was largely empty, it wasn’t a complete void. Traveling at a significant percentage of the speed of light, even being struck by a small particle could be disastrous as the energies involved were immense.

“We are receiving a fleet wide communication from the flagship,” Sub Lieutenant King announced. “The fleet will continue at its current velocity; all ships’ doctors are hereby ordered to take whatever means they deem necessary to protect their crews from higher than normal levels of radiation.”

“Forward the message to Dr. Anderson,” Mallory said. “Though I doubt we will have to worry about such things.”

For the next twenty minutes the bridge was largely quiet as each of the officers contemplated their counterparts who found themselves on ships that didn’t enjoy the latest technologies Endeavour was equipped with. She was able to maintain speeds of up to 0.38c; the current velocity of the fleet was well within her operational limits.

“The frigate Kittyhawk is spinning out of formation,” the sensor officer shouted. “She is on a collision course with us.”

“Emergency maneuvers now!” Mallory shouted to Jennings.

Everyone was pushed back into their chairs as the inertial compensators took a millisecond to catch up with the new forces Jennings demanded from Endeavour’s engines.

Almost as soon as the sensor officer announced Kittyhawk’s problem, the holo display shifted to show the frigate. For a few tense moments it looked like Jennings had chosen the wrong course correction. Then, at the last moment, Jennings carried out her final turn, banking away from danger. With a sigh, Mallory sat back in his command chair, he hadn’t realized that he’d jumped to his feet after the initial burst of acceleration. They had just scraped by the stricken frigate.

“What happened to her?” he demanded.

“The flagship has just sent a COM message to Kittyhawk requesting a status update,” King said. “We should be getting a response any time now.”

When the response came in, Mallory wasn’t surprised in the least. Kittyhawk had suffered a cosmic particle strike. The particle had blasted its way through the frigate’s valstronium armor and punctured one of the power conduits between her reactors and one of her impulse engines. The engine had cut out, throwing the frigate into a spin.

“Kittyhawk has stabilized herself,” the sensor officer on duty reported. “She’s turning though, looks like she is heading back into the system, towards the gas mining stations orbiting the seventh planet.”

“So that is to be the fate of any ship that falls behind,” Becket said to the bridge.

Mallory knew he should reprimand her, it wasn’t her place to make such comments. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

“Where is she going?” Sub Lieutenant Scott asked from her position at the tactical console assisting Becket.

“She’s going to attack the gas mining stations,” Mallory explained. “With the damage she sustained, she’ll never be able to keep up with the fleet. At least this way, her destruction will accomplish something.”

“A light cruiser is breaking off from the second Indian fleet. Its heading on an intercept course for the Kittyhawk,” the sensor officer reported.

“It looks like the Kittyhawk is going to make it to the gas mining station before the light cruiser catches it,” Becket said as the course and acceleration of each ship updated.

“At least she will get to do some damage to the Indians before her Captain scuttles her,” Mallory replied, not sure what else he could say.

The British fleet raced through the Kharo system, with the smaller Indian fleet behind them, and the larger Indian fleet led by Admiral Khan on a converging course. On the holo plot it looked like the British fleet formed the forward point of a slowly contracting triangle. Despite the potential danger, every eye on Endeavour’s bridge, and no doubt in the rest of the British fleet, was on the Kittyhawk.

She fired two broadsides of missiles, quickly destroying the gas mining stations. Then, as everyone expected, she disgorged escape pods. It looked like Kittyhawk’s Captain had ordered his crew to abandon ship. What happened next took Mallory by surprise. Braking hard, Kittyhawk turned into the gas giant’s atmosphere. Using the gravity from the giant planet, Kittyhawk’s Captain, who obviously hadn’t abandoned his ship, swung Kittyhawk around the stellar body and put it on a direct intercept course for the light cruiser that had been trying to catch her.

Kittyhawk fired off two salvos of missiles before the Indian light cruiser got into range with her own missiles. The light cruiser easily swatted off each of the British warship’s puny two missile salvos. In return, it fired eight missiles. Though the Captain of Kittyhawk fought his ship well and destroyed five of the incoming Indian missiles, he couldn’t stop them all. Groans escaped the officers on Endeavour’s bridge as one Indian missile exploded less than twenty meters off the frigate’s port. In the blink of an eye, another missile impacted the frigate, bored through her valstronium armor and exploded within the warship. Seconds later there was nothing left of the frigate but an expanding ball of debris.

“It was a valiant effort,” Mallory said. Though foolhardy, he thought. The chances of scoring a hit on that cruiser were very slim.

A shockwave washed over Endeavour, jerking everyone around in their harnesses and a number of alarms went off.

“What was that?” Mallory demanded as his eyes spun from one sensor display to another.

“The light cruiser Bear has gone,” the sensor officer said, the shock in his voice plain.

“What do you mean gone?” Julius demanded over the COM channel.

“She’s not there anymore,” the sensor officer reported. “She exploded, there is nothing left.”

“Are there any new commands coming in from the flagship?” Mallory asked.

“No,” King responded.

“What do we do?” Lieutenant Becket asked.

“There’s nothing we can do,” Mallory responded. “A cosmic particle must have struck one of her reactors causing an immediate overload. No one can do anything to prevent that. All we can do is pray the fleet gets to the New Delhi shift passage without any more incidents.”

Mallory didn’t say anything more; he didn’t trust himself to. Bear had been a similar size to Endeavour, the ship had had a crew of almost three hundred. They were all gone, for nothing.

Nerves on the bridge increased as everyone watched the holo plot of the British fleet with hawk like intensity. It was like waiting for an old-fashioned jack in the box to go off, no one knew which, if any, of the British ships, was going to take a cosmic particle hit next. Mallory did his best to present an air of unflappability to the bridge crew. Yet deep down he was dazed by what he was watching. On more than one occasion Captain Somerville had ordered Endeavour to exceed her maximum velocity. The first time the Captain had done so, he had been scared of a cosmic particle strike. As the Captain had managed to successfully get away with taking such risks again and again, he had begun to think that all the warnings cadets received at the naval Academy had been overplayed. Now he was seeing firsthand that they had been right. Somerville had just been lucky.

Despite the tension on Endeavour’s bridge, their worst fears didn’t materialize. Another two ships reported cosmic particle strikes, but neither suffered any serious damage. Thankfully they were able to keep up with the fleet.

“New navigational orders from the flagship,” King reported, bringing Mallory’s mind back from where it had been wandering. Over an hour had passed since the destruction of Bear. He had been so focused on watching the rest of the British fleet he hadn’t noticed that the edge of the system’s mass shadow was approaching.

“The fleet is to slow to shift speed velocities,” King continued.

Thank goodness, Mallory thought, it’s over. For now, at least. He wasn’t sure if Rooke had thought through what his decision to race the fleet to the shift passage to New Delhi meant. Khan might wait for his slower ships to catch up with his fast fleet before he continued the pursuit. However, if he didn’t, he could chase the British fleet all the way to New Delhi. There were two systems between Kharo and New Delhi. Neither of them had any colonies or any other infrastructure except a few asteroid mining installations. Yet, the British fleet would still have to pass through each system to get to the shift passage at the other side. If the Indians wanted to, they could pursue the British at the velocity that they had been tearing through the Kharo system with. It would force Rear Admiral Rooke to turn and engage the Indian fleet, or continue to force his fleet to go faster than their valstronium armor allowed.

If Mallory was in Admiral Khan’s position he knew what he would do. Rear Admiral Rooke had already shown an unwillingness to engage the Indian fleet, even if he had a slight advantage. If Mallory was Khan, he would continue to pursue the British with the faster elements of his fleet. It would force the British to travel through the next two systems the same way they had been forced to travel through the Kharo system, and the British fleet could be in tatters by the time they got to New Delhi.

*

2nd August 2467AD, HMS Endeavour, Nag Tiba system

Mallory was amazed the British fleet was still intact. Khan had done exactly what he had expected. Three hours after the British fleet had emerged into the Trisul system, the reduced Indian fleet arrived. They had accelerated to their maximum velocity of 0.32c and chased the British fleet through the system. Rooke had decided to continue to try to outrun the Indians. Another four ships had reported cosmic particle strikes, all but one of them had managed to weather the impacts. The frigate Banshee had not been so lucky; she had been destroyed in a catastrophic explosion similar to the one that destroyed Bear. After Banshee’s destruction, the British fleet made it safely to the other side of the Trisul system and escaped into shift space.

That had been three days ago. Now Mallory was sitting in Endeavour’s command chair as the British fleet accelerated through the Nag Tiba system. They had been in the Nag Tiba system for three hours and it would take them another eight to make it to the shift passage to New Delhi. Mallory was just waiting for the Indians to make an appearance.

“New contacts on the gravitational plot,” Sub Lieutenant Malik shouted. “I think the Indian fleet is arriving.”

“They’re early,” Mallory said as he sat up in his chair.

As more and more ships revealed their presence by accelerating towards the British fleet, there was no doubt that the Indians had arrived. Somehow, Admiral Khan had managed to narrow the gap with the British fleet by over an hour. Mallory guessed the Indians had found a way to improve their shift drive technology without RSNI finding out about it. It was the only explanation that accounted for the Indian’s constant ability to close the gap to the British fleet.

For thirty minutes the Indian fleet continue to accelerate up to their velocity of 0.32c, then, when everyone in the British fleet expected the Indians to cut their engines, they accelerated to 0.33c, then 0.34c, and then 0.35c.

“Their acceleration is beginning to level off,” Sub Lieutenant Malik reported. “I think 0.35c will be their new velocity.”

“They’re going to get into missile range two hours before we get to the mass shadow and the shift passage to New Delhi,” Lieutenant Becket reported.

“They’re taking a risk,” Mallory said. “Some, if not all, of their ships are going to be susceptible to cosmic particle strike now too.”

“It’s a risk I would be willing to pay,” Julius said over the COM channel. “If Khan can damage even a few of our ships with his missiles, they will fall back into his clutches. There is no way Rear Admiral Rooke will slow the fleet to protect them. The ships at the back of the fleet are going to be running an even bigger risk now.”

Indeed, they are, Mallory thought. Rear Admiral Rooke had rearranged the fleet to put the slowest ships at the back. They were the ones running the risk of striking cosmic particles and, if they did encounter any problems, they were less likely to cause a collision with other ships in the fleet. Now they were going to have to contend with the Indians firing missile salvo after missile salvo at them. The only saving grace was that the Indians would be pursuing the British fleet from directly astern and would only be able to bring their forward missile tubes to bear on the British ships.

“New orders from the flagship,” Sub Lieutenant King reported. “Rear Admiral Rooke is ordering the fleet to accelerate to 0.34c.”

“That is madness,” Lieutenant Becket complained as she lifted her hands into the air. “Rooke is going to do more damage to this fleet than the Indians.”

“Lieutenant,” Mallory snapped, “that is enough. One more outburst from you and you’ll be spending the rest of this day confined to your quarters.”

The look of hurt that crossed Beckett’s face was almost enough to make Mallory say something conciliatory. Yet the thought of what was about to happen firmed his resolve, the fleet was in enough trouble without his Lieutenants undermining the morale of Endeavour’s crew. Becket may not see it that way at the moment, but he knew she would understand later. For now, she would just have to deal with her bruised ego.

“Captain, several of the ships at the rear of the fleet are sending COM messages to the flagship asking for confirmation of the latest command,” Sub Lieutenant King reported.

Mallory tried to think fast. Rear Admiral Rooke’s command had been crystal clear, the Captains were obviously trying to get him to reconsider. If he joined them, it would put more pressure on Rooke to reconsider. Yet it could bring a very quick end to his short career as Acting Captain. Nevertheless, lives were in the balance. Despite her outburst, Becket had been right. “Copy the message from the other ships and send it to the flagship as well,” Mallory ordered.

Everyone on the bridge turned to look at him but Mallory kept his gaze fixed on the main holo display as it projected the Indian and British fleets. In silence, he waited to hear Rear Admiral Rooke’s response. Nine ships had sent a query to the Rear Admiral. Mallory ground his teeth together as he looked at the ships that had sent the request. Of all the more modern ships in the fleet, Endeavour was the only one to send such a message.

“The flagship is responding,” King announced. It had seemed like an eternity to Mallory but it had been just over a minute. “It’s simply a repeat of the order for the fleet to increase its velocity.”

“So be it,” Mallory said. “Sub Lieutenant Jennings, you may follow the orders from the flag.”

“We are receiving a personal message from the flagship,” King said softly, so softly Mallory didn’t quite make her out.

“What was that Sub Lieutenant?” Mallory asked.

King took a second to clear her throat, but when she spoke, her voice still betrayed the emotion she was feeling. “Endeavour is receiving personal orders from the Rear Admiral, we are being assigned a new position in the fleet. We are to join the second heavy cruiser flotilla as one of their escorts.”

Mallory didn’t respond, he didn’t trust himself to. The second heavy cruiser flotilla was at the back of the British fleet. Both of the heavy cruisers in the flotilla were of an older design and unable to maintain the speeds Rooke was demanding of them. Already one of the heavy cruisers had reported a cosmic particle strike, though thankfully it hadn’t damaged any crucial sections.

It’s punishment, Mallory thought. And everyone in the fleet, and on board Endeavour will know it. Rooke is putting us in harm’s way simply because I wanted to clarify his orders.

You didn’t just want to clarify them, he snapped at himself. You were openly questioning them, and you know it. Now you’ve put your whole crew at risk.

A wave of shame threatened to wash over Mallory. He had been a Captain for less than a month and he had already failed his crew. A beep from his command chair drew his attention to a message he had just received. When he read it, it threw a bucket of cold water on his self-recrimination just as it threatened to overtake him.

You did the right thing; Endeavour’s point defenses are among the most sophisticated in the fleet. If there is going to be a stern chase Endeavour is right where she needs to be. So don’t waste your energy worrying about how she got there. Just make sure you fight my ship to the best of her capabilities. James.

Mallory knew James was right, now wasn’t the time for his emotions to get the best of him. He would have the rest of his life to deal with the consequences of what he had just done. For the next few hours he had more important things to worry about. He forced himself to focus on his duties.

“Take us to our new position in the fleet,” he ordered, sounding a lot more confident than he felt. “We have proven the effectiveness of our point defenses against the Vestarians and the Havenite fleet that was going to attack the Kulrean envoy ship. Now it’s time for us to show these Indians just what Endeavour can do. Pass the word to the rest of the crew, tell them, ‘Endeavour is going to prove her mettle once again.’”

“Aye Aye Sir,” Sub Lieutenant King said with a lot more gusto than she had shown just a few moments ago.

“Hold on a second Sub Lieutenant,” Becket said. “Send the crew a recording of everything that Mallory said.”

“That was my plan,” King responded with a smirk.

Mallory shook his head; he didn’t have time to argue with them. “Just send it, then order the crew to battlestations.”

Endeavour carefully made her way through the British fleet to take up position. Then the bridge crew had nothing else to do but wait and watch as the Indian fleet slowly gained on them. The new velocity Rear Admiral Rooke had ordered meant the Indian ships would only get into missile range for an hour before they could jump out of the system. They just had to hold on.

The wait was made harder as reports came in from the ships around them about dangerous levels of radiation. Whilst increasing their maximum speed wouldn’t increase the risk of a cosmic particle strike, faster velocities meant the crew of the older ships would be exposed to more dangerous levels of radiation. It was starting to have an effect. The oldest ship in the fleet, the light cruiser Prometheus, was reporting that almost ten percent of her crew had serious radiation poisoning. They had been forced to evacuate almost a third of the ship as it was becoming too heavily radiated.

Alarms went off on Endeavour’s bridge as the destroyer Cook pivoted out of formation. Before any of the nearby ships could react, she turned directly into the path of the Corvette Wasp. Both ships disappeared in a blinding flash as the momentum from the impact released more energy than several battlecruiser sized thermonuclear missiles.

No one on the bridge spoke, they didn’t have to. Everyone knew what had just happened. Cook had suffered a cosmic particle strike, one that must have done critical damage to her engines or fusion reactors.

“There’s nothing we can do for them now, they are already dead,” Mallory said as the silence dragged on. “We can remember them later. For now, we need to make sure the Indians don’t add any more names to the list of British lives lost in this damned system.” He knew he was being harsh, but his bridge crew needed something to pull them out of their shock. The fleet’s losses were mounting. Never before in the history of the RSN had so many ships been destroyed without at least firing back at the enemy. This was a situation none of them had been trained to face.

Despite his words, Mallory sensed that some of the bridge crew were still in shock. There was nothing more he could do though, if they hadn’t already pulled out of their own thoughts, the Indians were about to do it for them.

“Missile launch,” Sub Lieutenant Malik announced. “I’m tracking over ninety missiles headed our way.”

Having fired from their maximum range, it would take the Indian missiles almost twenty minutes to reach the British fleet. Even before their first missiles came into range of the British ships’ point defenses, the Indians fired another salvo and there was likely to be a third fired at any moment. Just before he gave the order for the point defenses to open fire, Mallory checked the timer he had set up. It would be another forty minutes before the British fleet could jump to shift space and safety. In that time, he reckoned the Indians would be able to get off another four volleys. Things were about to get very dicey for the British ships at the back of the fleet.

At least the Indians won’t have it all their own way, Mallory consoled himself. The British fleet was finally able to open fire with their stern missiles tubes and two salvos of their own were on their way towards the Indians.

“Open fire with the flak cannons,” Mallory ordered as soon as the Indian missiles came into range.

Lieutenant Becket already had their fire pattern locked in and, with the touch of a button, Endeavour’s two flak cannons spewed out explosive shells. When they got ten light seconds from the ship they exploded, creating a wall of shrapnel for the incoming Indian missiles to penetrate.

In conjunction with Becket’s fire plan, twelve other flak cannons from the rear ships filled space with shrapnel. Luck was on the Indian missiles’ side though, for of the ninety missiles, sixty made it through the first wall of shrapnel. Hastily, Becket and the other tactical officers redirected their fire. The second round of flak cannon shells covered the area with the densest collection of Indian missiles and took out another twenty. Then it was time for the point defense plasma cannons and the AM missiles. Every British ship that could bring their weapons to bear on the Indian missiles fired.

Space became awash in color. Green plasma bolts and fiery explosions rippled across the wave of Indian missiles. The remaining forty missiles were quickly reduced to thirty and then twenty. Then, a last-ditch effort from the British gunners shot down nine more in quick succession. That still left eleven. Each of which homed in on their targets with deadly intent.

As the explosions cleared, Mallory searched the holo plot to see what damage they had caused. Thankfully none had been targeted on Endeavour. The other British ships hadn’t been so lucky. The frigate Thunderer was missing. Then reports came in from the other ships, two destroyers and a light cruiser had suffered proximity hits that had caused some light damage. The medium cruiser Minotaur had also taken a direct hit, yet miraculously the damage hadn’t been enough to slow her down. She was still able to keep up with the fleet. The rest of the Indian missiles had failed to cause any real damage.

“Fire orders are coming in from the flagship,” King reported. “All ships are to target the Indian warships identified as beta one to ten.”

“Becket, pick your target, fire with the fleet,” Mallory ordered. Seconds later the third British salvo leaped towards their targets.

Having analyzed the attack patterns of the Indian missiles, the second, third and fourth wave of missiles were handled more effectively. No ships were lost, though a number took proximity hits. As each new salvo of Indian missiles came in Mallory became more and more nervous, they couldn’t keep beating the odds.

His worst fears were realized when twelve missiles from the fifth Indian salvo broke through the British point defenses. Six of them were targeted at two medium cruisers. Despite the best efforts of the cruisers’ navigators, neither cruiser dodged all of the incoming missiles. One cruiser took two direct hits which ripped gaping holes in her sides. The other medium cruiser avoided a direct hit, but as all four missiles targeted at it exploded less than two hundred meters away from the ship, a shockwave tore into the ship, causing severe damage.

“Both the Ajax and Sandstorm have been hit,” Sub Lieutenant Malik shouted as soon as the sensor data was clear enough to tell him what damage the Indian missiles had done. “They are falling out of formation.”

“Then they are done for,” Mallory said sadly.

As he expected, no new orders came from the flagship as both cruisers fell behind. With no orders coming in, the two Captains took it upon themselves to act. The bridge crew on Endeavour watched in silence as both cruisers turned towards the Indian fleet, presenting their full broadsides. Together they launched twenty missiles at the lead Indian ships. Then, before the next wave of Indian missiles came, they launched another twenty and then another. They were firing as fast as they could instead of taking time to target their missiles accurately.

“More than half of the last wave of Indian missiles are targeting those cruisers,” Malik reported. “I don’t think they want Ajax and Sandstorm to continue to pepper them with so many missiles.

“They have bought us the time we need to escape,” Mallory said as he checked the countdown to shift space. He paused, trying to think of what James would want him to say. “I want you all to watch their sacrifice, remember this day. There is going to come a day when we get a chance to repay the Indians for this. When it comes, I want the ships we have lost here today to be our inspiration.”

The British cruisers fired a fourth salvo of missiles just before more than forty-five Indian missiles exploded all around them. When the sensor data cleared, there was no sign of either ship, they were both gone.

With only forty missiles in the final Indian salvo targeting the British fleet, they were easily dealt with. Then, as the British fleet crossed the system’s mass shadow, the order came from the flagship to jump to shift space. Being at the back of the fleet, Endeavour was one of the last ships to jump out. We made it, Mallory thought as the ship transitioned into shift space. But at what cost? They had already lost a number of key warships, and who knew how many crew members had been impacted by the radiation Rooke’s command to increase velocity had caused. The fleet was going to make it back to New Delhi, but it would be in no condition to fight.

Chapter 14 – Surprise Attack

Nothing can be more frustrating to a defender than a small group of independent ships operating without a base of operations. With nothing to defend they are free to strike wherever they wish.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

14th July 2467 AD, HMS Retribution, Kerala System.

Acting Commodore Lightfoot was sitting in the command chair of the light cruiser Retribution surveying the sensor data for the Kerala system. It had taken him just over six days to bring his squadron from New Delhi to Kerala. With Retribution, he had the exploration cruiser Discovery and two modern destroyers, Flame and Fang. Discovery was by far the stealthiest ship in the squadron, but the others would still be able to cause the Indians a lot of trouble.

Kerala was a mid-level Indian colony. It had a population of over a hundred million and an extensive space industry, both in orbit around the colony and on a number of other planets and larger asteroids in the system. Lightfoot had a plethora of targets to choose from. He had his small squadron cruising towards the mass shadow of the system. They had jumped out of shift space five light hours away from the mass shadow and, as they had drawn closer, they had been carefully mapping out every electromagnetic source they could detect with their passive sensors. With the picture Lightfoot’s team had built up, it looked like the Indians had stripped the system bare of most of its defending ships. As far as Lightfoot could tell, there were only three warships in the system.

As the squadron crossed the mass shadow created by Kerala’s star, Lightfoot finally settled on a plan of attack. Carefully, he composed a series of orders and sent them out to his other Captains. Then he sat back in his command chair. Retribution was already on a direct course for the Indian colony, that’s where he was going to make his attack.

*

14th July 2467 AD, HMS Discovery, Kerala System

“Lightfoot has just sent us our orders,” Discovery’s COM officer reported.

“Send them to my command chair,” Captain Gupta responded.

As she read the orders she couldn’t help but grin. Lightfoot was using Discovery to her full potential. With luck, her ship was about to get its first combat kill. “Take us on our new trajectory,” she ordered the navigation officer. “Then send the crew to get a warm meal in shifts, we’re going to be at battlestations for a while once the action heats up.”

After changing course slightly, Discovery cruised into the system for another three hours. Then, she slowly decelerated, being careful not to produce any gravimetric anomalies from her impulse drives other ships in the system would detect. With her heatsink activated and her waste vents projecting any stray electromagnetic energy back into deep space Discovery was almost impossible to detect.

“Target locked in,” Gupta’s tactical officer reported as he looked over to his Captain, awaiting her orders.

Gupta couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for the crew of the ship less than ten light seconds off Discovery’s port bow. Discovery’s sensors had easily identified the ship as an Elephant class frigate. They had been the workhorse of the Indian Navy around thirty years ago, but now they were hopelessly out of date. It hardly mattered though, the frigate could have been newly completed yesterday. Its defenses still wouldn’t stand up to the firepower Discovery was about to bring against it.

“Fire,” Gupta ordered as she nodded at her waiting Lieutenant.

With the touch of a button, six heavy plasma bolts shot out of Discovery’s three twin plasma cannons. They covered the distance to the unsuspecting frigate in less than fourteen seconds. As one they struck the frigate, burnt through her valstronium armor and penetrated deep into the small ship’s hull. Two of the bolts hit her reactors, a second later the frigate exploded, killing all eighty crew members on board.

“Send the pre-recorded message,” Gupta ordered her COM officer as soon as the frigate’s destruction was confirmed.

“Message sent Captain,” the officer replied.

Gupta was sure pandemonium was breaking out on the asteroid mining station the frigate had been guarding. Their one line of defense against attack had vanished in the blink of an eye. Now there was a large, hostile warship bearing down on them. As Gupta waited for a reply from the station she contemplated what had just happened.

In the Void War, and in her limited role in Captain Somerville’s mission to Haven, she had been involved in the destruction of many enemy warships, and the inevitable death that came with such acts. Yet, she had never been the Captain. Now the buck stopped with her, every life Discovery took was taken at her hands. It was sobering, yet, it was exactly what she had spent the last twenty years training for. The next few weeks with Commodore Lightfoot would show whether or not she was truly ready for command.

“We’re getting a response from someone claiming to be the Chief Engineer on the mining station,” Gupta’s sensor officer announced. “He says they are beginning their evacuation. He predicts it will take ten minutes, he requests we hold fire until then.”

“Tell him we will do as he asks, but, if we detect any sign of weapons powering up on the station we won’t hesitate to fire,” Gupta ordered.

“Aye Captain,” the officer replied.

For the next ten minutes Gupta twiddled her thumbs and watched the holo plot of the rest of the Kerala system. Despite what she had just done, the rest of the system looked peaceful. It would take over three hours for the electromagnetic radiation produced from the frigate’s destruction to reach the Kerala colony and, at the moment, everyone else in the system was oblivious to what had just happened. All that was about to change.

“Send them a sixty second warning,” Gupta ordered after the ten minutes were up. Her sensor officer had detected forty small ships and escape shuttles that had already taken off from the station. If there were any more, they needed to take off immediately. “We need to move onto our next target, I’m not waiting any longer.”

Almost as soon as the warning was sent, three more shuttles took off from the station and space around the large asteroid base went quiet. “Fire,” Gupta ordered once she had counted to sixty.

From Discovery’s port missile tubes, four thermonuclear missiles shot out, accelerated to 0.1c by the tubes’ electromagnets. The missiles engaged their own engines and rapidly accelerated towards their target. It took them just over a minute to reach the asteroid and as they impacted the large structure, four miniature suns erupted on its surface. The resultant explosion from the nuclear detonations ripped the asteroid apart, shattering it into hundreds of fragments.

The hollowed out asteroid had been the center of a large mining operation in one of the asteroid belts on the edge of the system. It might only take the Indians a couple of years to rebuild a similar station to oversee and process all the minerals they were mining in the asteroid field, but it would be a costly project.

“Take us to the next target,” Gupta ordered.

As she sat back in her command chair and watched her subordinates carry out her orders, she kept one eye on the holo plot of the system. As soon as her four missiles ignited their impulse engines everyone in the Kerala system would have known something was wrong. The gravimetric disturbances created by the accelerating missiles would alert every ship in the system with a gravimetric sensor that someone had just fired upon the asteroid mining station. Word of the British fleet’s actions had likely reached the Kerala system before Lightfoot’s squadron had arrived. Gupta was sure the ranking Indian naval officer in the system would know full well what the launch of four missiles meant. The British had come to pay a visit.

*

Captain Natalie Price, of the destroyer HMS Fang, was eagerly awaiting her first chance to fire the weapons of her ship in anger. She had captained Fang for the last four years but had been stationed in the Chester system when war had broken out with the Chinese. Frustratingly, she had been forced to sit out the entire war, only able to read about and watch the holo videos of the action she had trained all her life for. Now she was finally getting the chance to test her warship outside a simulation. The four missiles that had appeared on her ship’s gravimetric sensors were the signal she been waiting for. “Do it,” she ordered.

In response, her subordinates took Fang out of stealth and powered up every system on the ship. At the same time, a similar message to the one Gupta had sent to the asteroid mining station was sent to the gas mining stations Fang was accelerating towards.

Alongside the habitable planet within the system the other thing that had attracted the Indians to Kerala was the smaller of the system’s two gas giants. It was rich in the He3 needed by the fusion reactors that were a staple of human society. Alongside the two gas mining stations Fang had firmly locked her missiles onto, there were seven large freighters that Price wanted to make sure wouldn’t escape.

“Captain, one of the freighters is powering up, it’s trying to burst away from the gas mining station,” her sensor officer called.

“You know what to do,” Price said as she looked over to the tactical officer.

With a nod, the officer launched a single missile at the freighter. Instead of accelerating at its maximum acceleration, the missile slowly boosted after the freighter. “It should take ten minutes for the missile to reach its target,” the tactical officer reported.

“Good,” Price said, “that will give them plenty of time to evacuate. Open up a general COM channel.”

“Channel is open Captain,” the COM officer announced a few moments later.

“Indian ships, we are here to destroy the gas mining station and your freighters. We can do it with or without your crews on the ships. The choice is yours. I will not be so lenient to the next freighter that tries to escape. I’ve already sent evacuation orders to the gas mining station, as we pass it, it will be destroyed, along with all the freighters in orbit. You have been warned.”

With a move of her hand across her throat Price ordered her COM officer to cut the channel.

“No movement from any of the other ships,” the sensor officer reported. “Wait, I’m picking up evacuation pods launching from a number of the freighters and the gas mining stations.”

“Very good,” Price said. “It looks like our first action is going to go according to plan.” The Indians continued to evacuate their stations and ships. Once she was confident there were no more civilians on board any of her targets, Price ordered her tactical officer to fire missiles at the two stations and the six remaining freighters. The seventh had already been destroyed by the first missile that Fang fired, its crew having wisely abandoned ship as the missile approached.

“Take us towards the rendezvous point,” Price ordered once her targets were destroyed.

*

HMS Retribution, along with her consort the destroyer Flame, were traveling on a course that would bring them within missile range of the Kerala colony at their maximum speed of 0.36c. In orbit, the defenders had already been warned that something was afoot. The missile launches from the asteroid mining station and around the system’s second gas giant would be all any competent commander would need to know that his system was under attack.

The two Gwalior battlestations that were in orbit around the planet had switched on all their active sensors and were filling space with electromagnetic energy as they tried to detect any threats to the planet. The light cruiser and frigate that were in orbit had also powered up their active sensors and each ship had taken station alongside one of the battlestations.

Lightfoot knew if he combined his squadron, his ships could take on one of the battlestations and take it out. However, it would be risky. He had another plan. His job wasn’t to risk any of his ships so early in his mission. Therefore, he intended to fly by the planet at maximum speed, this would allow him to fire off two broadsides at the colony’s orbital industry. The nearest battlestation would get to fire one missile salvo in response, but at the speed Retribution and Flame were traveling at, he was confident their point defenses could deal with the Indian missiles.

“Fire,” Lightfoot ordered as soon as his two ships entered missile range.

Seconds after his order, eighteen missiles were launched by the two warships and boosted towards the colony. Five minutes later, thirty-two missiles erupted from the Indian battlestation and the frigate assisting it as they sought to repay Retribution and Flame for their attack on the colony.

As the British missiles left their warships with a velocity of 0.46c towards the Indian colony, they reached their targets first. They had been aimed at key industrial nodes spread across the colony’s orbit to make it difficult for the battlestation and frigate to intercept them. Lightfoot cursed as a number of the larger industrial stations opened up with their own point defenses. He had hoped the only point defenses would be on the battlestations and the warships. Still, the Indian point defense fire wasn’t enough to hit every missile. Four thermonuclear explosions erupted in orbit around Kerala and, seconds later, the remains of four large stations tumbled towards Kerala’s atmosphere. The Indian defenders only had six minutes to regroup before the second wave of British missiles arrived. They failed to do any better at protecting their new targets and five more orbital installations were destroyed or severely damaged.

As soon as they fired their second salvo, the two British warships turned away from Kerala and towards safety. The Indian missiles managed to reach a relative velocity of 0.62c by the time they got into range of the British warship’s point defenses. It had taken them over thirty-six minutes to catch up with the British ships. As Retribution and Flame had continued on past Kerala at 0.34c, it meant that the Indian missiles’ closing velocity was only 0.28c. Designed to engage missiles with much greater closing velocities, the British ships swatted the Indian missiles away with little fuss. It helped that the Indian missiles had used most of their fuel trying to catch the British ships and had only been able to carry out limited evasive maneuvers.

The two British warships continued on the same trajectory and then they decelerated. An hour later, they met up with the other two ships of the squadron. Both Discovery and Fang had reached the rendezvous point ahead of them.

“Discovery and Fang are reporting their ships are fully combat ready,” Lightfoot’s COM officer reported. “Both Captains have sent across their action reports.”

“Acknowledge that we have received them, I will look over them later,” Lightfoot said.

“Captain, one of the Indian ships is breaking orbit,” Retribution’s sensor officer shouted. “They’re accelerating pretty hard towards the shift passage back to New Delhi.”

“I’m not surprised,” Lightfoot said. “The system commander is bound to know the colony is at our mercy, at least until he can get some reinforcements here.”

“What should we do?” Lightfoot’s First Lieutenant asked.

“We’re going to show him that he’s right,” Lightfoot replied with a feral grin. “We are here to cause as much damage as we can.”

His squadron formed up into one unit and turned back towards Kerala. Together they made three more passes at the colony, each time firing thirty two missiles at the orbital infrastructure. With the combined point defenses of all four ships they easily dealt with any Indian counter fire. It was only when Lightfoot decided they had used up enough missiles that he turn his squadron away from the colony. He was sure the Indian system commander would have expected him to take his fleet to the Nicobar system. It was by far the most well developed colony on this side of Indian space. Instead he turned his squadron towards the shift passage that led to the Agra system and several other systems the Indian Star Republic claimed. They were less important targets, but they would provide the perfect opportunity for Lightfoot to throw off whatever warships were sure to be sent from New Delhi to pursue him.

Chapter 15 – Scorched Earth

Since mankind settled its first colony there have only been five scattered decades of complete peace. For the rest of the time, humanity has been involved in one armed conflict or another. The establishment of the Empire largely put an end to the wars fought within our species. For the majority of the Empire’s population it has ushered in an era of unimagined peace and prosperity. Yet we owe it all to the Empire’s Navy and Marines, while others have rested they fought to protect the borders.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

19th July 2467 AD, HMS Retribution, Agra system.

The Agra system was rich in a number of the key minerals any modern industrial society hungered after. A small Indian colony had been formed on the fifth planet in the system. It was a rocky planet only about one third the size of Earth. With almost no atmosphere, the colony had been built entirely underground. As the light cruiser approached, the only structures visible to Retribution’s visual sensors were the ore refineries and large storage facilities above ground. Scattered around the rest of the system were numerous small mining stations harvesting the precious ore from the asteroid fields which dotted the outer system.

When Lightfoot’s squadron jumped into the system there had been more than a hundred small vessels traveling back and forth from the outer asteroid to the mining colony, bringing ore for processing. For a few hours the ships continued about their business, obviously assuming the newly arrived warships were friendly. However, when the British ships failed to respond to the hails the colony had sent them, the Indian mining ships scattered. With no armor and very small engines, they were sitting ducks to the British warships and their Captains were trying to get them out of harm’s way.

The mining ships would be easy to replace however, as would the small mining stations scattered around the system. Lightfoot’s main target was the refineries on the surface of the fifth planet, without them, the Indians could do nothing with any ore they mined in the system. Even so, he dispatched the two destroyers to cruise along either edge of the outer system to take out as many of the small mining stations and ships as they could while Retribution and Discovery cruised towards the colony.

With no more than a hundred thousand residents, the colony itself was of no interest to Lightfoot. He had already sent them a message warning them to evacuate the refining facilities on the planet’s surface. He would be satisfied with destroying them and then moving on.

“Send a message to Discovery, tell Captain Gupta we will brake, enter orbit and use our plasma cannons to destroy the refining facilities,” Lightfoot ordered. “We’ll save our heavier ordnance for another day.”

“Aye Sir,” his COM officer replied.

Being such a small colony, there had only been one frigate in orbit as they had jumped in. As soon as Lightfoot accelerated towards the colony, the frigate’s Captain had realized the danger she was in. The frigate had broken orbit and accelerated towards the shift passage to Gujarat. Its commander obviously wanted to warn the colony of the British squadron’s presence. Unless it wanted to fight its way past the British warships, there was no way it could get back to New Delhi.

“I guess prudence is the better part of valor in this case,” Lightfoot’s First Lieutenant commented as the frigate jumped out of the system.

“I think so,” Lightfoot replied. “With luck, that frigate and whatever ships are defending the Gujarat system may try to put up a fight when we get there. At least then we may get to add a kill to our name.”

With nothing else to do until his ship entered orbit around the target, Lightfoot satisfied himself by watching his two destroyers sweep around the edge of the system. As they got into range of the mining ships and stations they vaporized them with their plasma cannons. Taking out such easy targets wasn’t exactly what their crews had signed up for, but every plasma bolt put another dent in the Indian economy. Lightfoot was all too aware that almost every war in history had shown the winner was the side whose economy and logistical capabilities out produced their rivals. In space, combat almost always gave the advantage to the attacker, for it was very difficult to protect an industrial base spread out over several systems. It might not seem like much, but the actions of his ships were significant steps towards defeating the Indians.

As Retribution and Discovery entered orbit over Agra’s fifth planet, their plasma cannon gunners took out the stationary ground facilities just as easily as the gunners of the two destroyers had their targets. As the four ships met up and proceeded towards the shift passage to Gujarat, more than one gunner was thinking the endless drills they had been doing were proving to be much more challenging than real life.

*

23rd July 2467 AD, HMS Discovery Gujarat system

Captain Gupta was in her briefing room studying Discovery’s sensor data. Technically, her watch had ended two hours ago, but she had been too focused on her mission to sleep. Lightfoot had sent Discovery ahead of the squadron to scout the Gujarat system. Given whatever warships were in the system had received ample time to prepare for the squadron’s arrival, Lightfoot had thought it wise for Discovery to sneak in ahead of the rest of the British warships.

Discovery was cruising up to the edge of Gujarat’s mass shadow. If there were any Indian warships in the system planning to ambush the British ships, that’s where they would be. It was another three hours until Lightfoot and the rest of the ships were due to make an appearance. Knowing it was too little time for her to get any real sleep, Gupta watched the sensor data as her analysts searched for any sign of nearby Indian warships. Before she knew it, a beep from her COM unit let her know there were just thirty minutes until Retribution was due to appear. With a stretch, she stood and rolled her shoulders, trying to loosen their tension. She took a moment to check her uniform in the mirror she had installed in the briefing room before walking onto the bridge.

“Still no sign of any ships out there?” Gupta asked First Lieutenant Romanov.

“None yet Ma’am,” he replied. “It all looks quiet, but that’s what we’d expect if the Indians were planning something wouldn’t we?”

“We would,” Gupta responded. “At least if the Indians are in any way proficient at what they’re doing.”

As she sat down in her command chair, Gupta manipulated the main holo display with the touch of a few buttons. “This is where Retribution is expected to arrive,” she said. If the Indians are waiting near the mass shadow they’re hopefully going to have to change course to intercept. I want our sensors focused in this area,” she ordered as she touched a few more buttons to highlight the most likely locations for any warships waiting in ambush. “We may only get a few seconds to detect any course change, so everyone needs to be at their best.”

In the Void War Gupta had learnt that despite the intensity of interstellar warfare, the vast majority of a naval officer’s time, even when in hostile territory, was spent waiting for the action to begin. Today proved to be no different for as soon as she finished speaking, she found herself with nothing to do but watch the sensor data as it came in, just as she had been doing in her briefing room.

Right on cue, alarms went off on Discovery’s bridge. “I’m detecting a huge gravitational anomaly just over a light hour away,” the sensor officer reported. “It doesn’t look like the normal signature for a ship exiting shift space, this is far larger.” After pausing for a couple of seconds the sensor officer spoke rapidly. “Now there’s two more anomalies, wait, they’re not shift space anomalies, they are acceleration profiles from impulse engines. Now all three have disappeared.”

“It looks like everything went to plan,” Romanov said.

“Let’s just hope the Indians see what we want them to see,” Gupta said. “Keep your focus on the mass shadow.”

Lightfoot’s plan had been smart, but there was no way to predict just what the Indians would think of what their sensors had just told them. The best explanation was a ship had malfunctioned exiting shift space, causing a far greater anomaly than usual. The two brief moments of acceleration from two other sources would look like two other ships had tried to avoid a collision with the first ship.

Discovery was less than two light minutes away from the area of space Gupta reckoned the Indian warships were hiding in. As the time approached when any electromagnetic signals from that area would reach Discovery, the bridge got exceptionally quiet. As the silence continued, the tension grew. If the Indians were lying in wait there was no way they would use their impulse engines at a level where they would produce a gravimetric anomaly. Instead, they would slowly change their course. Detecting such a course change relying solely on picking up the electromagnetic radiation given off by the warships’ engines operating at very low levels of acceleration was difficult. If the Indian ships were there and Discovery missed them, then Retribution and the two British destroyers could be in a lot of trouble. As time dragged on, it became increasingly likely that either Discovery had missed the Indian warships, or they hadn’t been there in the first place.

“I think I’ve got something,” the sensor officer said. Gupta relaxed her shoulders as a weight of stress lifted off her. The deathly silence on the bridge made it sound like he was shouting as he continued, “I’m picking up two very brief electromagnetic sources, right where you said they would be Captain.”

“Did the drone capture anything?” Gupta asked.

“I’m analyzing the drone’s data now,” the sensor officer replied. “Hold on. Yes, it was very faint, but the drone got something as well. I’m triangulating the data now. Here,” he said after a few more moments as he sent his data to the main holo projector.

“It looks like there are two ships here,” he said, pointing. “I can’t get an exact fix on their new trajectory, but they turned towards the general direction of Retribution.”

“That’s good enough,” Gupta said. “Send it to Retribution,” she ordered her COM officer. “That should be all they need, there’s no doubt where the Indian warships are headed. As long as Retribution knows what direction they are coming from, she should be able to handle them.”

Gupta sat back in her command chair, knowing that once more she could only wait and watch. Discovery couldn’t alter her course for fear the Indian ships would pick up her course correction and give the plan away. She was out of the fight; all she could do was hope the British warships managed to get a lock on the Indians first. Otherwise the next thing Discovery would detect would be Retribution’s reactors exploding under a hail of plasma bolts from the Indian warships that were setting out to ambush her.

“No sign of any COM message from Retribution,” the COM officer reported ten minutes after they had sent the targeting data to the British warship.

“And nor will there be,” Romanov said. “They will not do anything that will risk giving away their position. We won’t hear anything now until it’s over.”

The bridge crew on Discovery waited with trepidation to find out what would happen. In her head, Gupta played out the scenario as if she was Captain Lightfoot. Given the angle at which the British warships would have exited shift space and the trajectory from which they knew the Indians were approaching, she would have taken her ship upward and to starboard of her enemies. It would be the place the Indians would least expect them to be.

The worst natural course for the British warships to take would be to head straight for the mining station in orbit around the second planet in the Gujarat system. That was where the Indians would be expecting the British ships. If Lightfoot had done what Gupta suspected, and he managed to detect the Indian ships that were in stealth before the Indians detected his ships, then Gupta estimated the action would begin right about now.

“Two ships just lit off their impulse drives,” Discovery’s sensor officer shouted in excitement.

“They’ve given away their positions,” Gupta said. “It will be over quickly.”

“All signatures just cut off,” the sensor officer reported almost before Gupta had finished speaking. “There is no sign that it was an intentional reduction in engine output. I think those ships were just hit.”

Gupta didn’t respond, instead she waited for confirmation that Lightfoot had destroyed his targets. She got it less than a minute later when three new contacts appeared on the gravimetric plot. Her sensor officer quickly identified them as Retribution and the two other destroyers in the squadron. All three were accelerating towards the sole orbital mining station in the system.

“Light up our drives,” Gupta ordered. “Navigation, lay in a course towards the mining station, make it so that we converge with the squadron as we approach.”

“I don’t understand Captain,” the Sub Lieutenant manning the sensor station said. “Why did those Indian warships suddenly accelerate? They gave away their position to the plasma cannon gunners on Retribution and the two destroyers.”

“I think that’s something you’re going to have to ask Acting Commodore Lightfoot,” Gupta responded. “But if I had to guess, I’d imagine Lightfoot ordered one of his destroyers to fire their plasma cannons in the general vicinity of where they expected Indian ships to be. The Indian Captains, fearing they had already been detected, panicked and began evasive maneuvers. As soon as they lit off their impulse drives they gave Lightfoot’s gunners a clear target.”

“I see,” the Sub Lieutenant replied and turned back to her console. The look on her face told Gupta that she was thinking deeply about Lightfoot’s tactics. Gupta had no doubt that she and the other Sub Lieutenants would learn a lot on this mission.

*

The squadron decelerated as it approached Gujarat’s mass shadow. The sole mining station that had been in orbit around the system’s fourth planet had been destroyed hours ago. For anyone in the system with a working gravitational sensor, it looked like the squadron was heading towards the shift passage for Dunagiri. As the squadron passed the system’s mass shadow, they jumped into shift space and disappeared.

Less than five seconds after entering shift space, the squadron reverted back to real space. Slowly, relying only on their maneuvering thrusters, each ship turned and began a slow acceleration burn back into the Gujarat system under stealth. If New Delhi had sent any warships after them, they would get to the Gujarat system and the survivors from the mining station would point the pursuing ships towards Dunagiri. With luck, it would allow Lightfoot’s squadron to get to Nicobar without any additional Indian warships pursuing them.

*

“New contacts,” Discovery’s sensor officer shouted four hours after the British squadron had returned to the Gujarat system. “I’m picking up five ships accelerating into the system from the shift passage that leads back towards Agra.”

“What can you tell me about them?” Romanov asked.

“Nothing much yet,” the sensor officer reported. “The computer is still analyzing the acceleration profiles, though at this stage I don’t think there is anything larger than a destroyer.”

“Very well,” Romanov responded. “Let me know as soon as you get a firm fix on the identity of the ships.” With a few touches to the input panel on his command chair he sent the message to his Captain, alerting her to the development.

Three minutes later Gupta walked onto the bridge. “What have we got?” she asked.

“Three Indian destroyers and two frigates accelerating into the system,” Romanov reported. “It looks like they’re headed towards the wreckage of the mining station.”

“They’ll be looking for survivors to find out what we did and where we went,” Gupta said. “Are they actively scanning?”

“Yes,” Discovery’s Third Lieutenant said from the tactical console. “The levels of electromagnetic radiation are well below what our stealth coating can handle. Based on our current trajectories, the Indian ships will pass closest to our squadron in another two hours, even then, our stealth coating should keep us from being detected.”

“Then we have nothing to worry about,” Gupta responded. Nevertheless, she remained on the bridge to watch the Indian ships approach. As they passed by the closest point to the British squadron she let out a small breath. She was confident that Retribution, Discovery and the two destroyers could take on the Indian warships, but they wouldn’t have been able to destroy them without taking damage themselves.

“I’m going to retire to my quarters,” Gupta said to Romanov. “I’ll return before we jump out of the system, until then you have the bridge.”

“Aye Ma’am,” Romanov replied.

Chapter 16 – Reinforcements

With the widespread use of tachyon FTL communication it’s almost impossible for us to imagine life without such technology. Yet in the not so distant past battles and wars were won or lost simply because it took a day too long for a vital piece of intel to arrive.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

1st August 2467 AD, HMS Discovery, Nicobar system.

“New orders from the flagship, ‘prepare to fire on my Mark,’” Discovery’s COM officer reported.

Here we go, Gupta thought. Discovery’s tactical console was tied into Retribution’s by a direct laser COM and the order to fire came directly to Discovery’s tactical officer.

A few seconds after the flagship sent the fire order, twenty-eight missiles shot from the four British warships towards the second moon orbiting Nicobar’s single gas giant, announcing the presence of the British ships to everyone in the system.

“I’m detecting a number of ships lighting off their drives in orbit around the moon,” Discovery’s sensor officer reported. “Three of them look like they have military grade engines, the rest are freighters and transports.”

Gupta didn’t reply, instead she waited and watched the holo display. It quickly became clear which ships were which. The freighters and transports scattered, trying to flee the colony and escape the incoming missiles. Two of the contacts on the holo display turned towards the incoming missiles once they broke orbit, clearly intent on intercepting them.

“The computer is estimating contact sierra one and sierra two to be a frigate and a destroyer,” the sensor officer informed the rest of the bridge crew.

“Prepare to fire a second salvo on those two warships,” Gupta ordered her tactical officer.

“Captain, I’m detecting a number of new drives powering up from orbit around Nicobar,” the sensor officer warned. “At least one of them looks large enough to be a light cruiser.”

“Keep an eye on them,” Gupta said. “But let’s not get distracted, it will take any ships at Nicobar at least an hour to get to us, that leaves us plenty of time to have some fun.”

The plan was to make one pass on Nicobar II. They would do as much damage as they could and then head into the outer system. There was a large asteroid mining industry within the system, doubtless it had grown over the decades as the demand for raw materials from both colonies had steadily risen. It was Lightfoot’s plan to raid as much of the mining industry as he could.

“New firing orders coming in,” the COM officer announced. “We are to target the frigate designated sierra two.”

“I’m getting a firing solution and countdown from the flagship now,” Discovery’s tactical officer reported.

“Very well,” Gupta said, “fire as ordered.”

“Firing,” the tactical officer reported five minutes later.

By the time the first salvo of British missiles was approaching Nicobar II, Lightfoot had already sent orders for the two British destroyers to divert their missiles towards the Indian warships. The group of British missiles broke into two. Twelve of them angling towards the two Indian warships while the rest continued on towards Nicobar II.

Without any flak cannons, the first sign the Indian ships were trying to defend themselves was when a hail of green plasma bolts began to shoot towards the British missiles. Of the twelve that were approaching the Indian warships, three were destroyed within seconds. Almost as soon as the third British missile exploded, new, smaller explosions erupted around the British missiles as Indian AM missiles joined the fight.

All but one of the British missiles aimed at the two warships were destroyed. The Indian destroyer, free from having to defend itself, turned its fire on the second group of British missiles. The frigate on the other hand was still desperately trying to avoid the remaining missile aimed at it. A last-ditch evasive maneuver allowed it to avoid a direct impact but the missile, sensing that it would overshoot its target, detonated, sending a wave of electromagnetic energy into the frigate’s stern.

“We got it,” Discovery’s tactical officer shouted. “That was one of our missiles.”

“How much damage did it cause?” Gupta asked.

“I’m not sure yet,” the sensor officer replied. “But the frigate is falling out of formation with the destroyer. On the visual playback it looks like the explosion hit the frigate’s main engines. They may not be out of the fight yet, but their engines are wrecked. They won’t be making any significant course alterations.”

“They are done for,” Gupta said. “Our second salvo will finish them off. Show me a replay of the rest of our missiles as they reached Nicobar II.”

“Aye Ma’am,” Romanov responded as he manipulated the controls of the holo display on his command chair.

The holo display altered to show ten missiles approaching the Indian colony. As the missiles closed on some of the orbital stations, green plasma bolts tried to destroy the British ordinance. Discovery’s full scans of the colony hadn’t detected any battlestations but it seemed the Indians had outfitted a number of the stations with at least some point defenses. The ten British missiles were reduced to four as they approached their targets, but four was enough to do some damage to the orbital stations.

A series of calculations appeared on the holo display, estimating the percentage of orbital infrastructure that had been destroyed. It came to less than two percent of Nicobar II’s orbital industry. It wasn’t much, but it was still billions of credits worth of damage they had caused, and the squadron would have time for at least two more salvos before they passed out of range.

“Captain, the second salvo of missiles is approaching the Indian warships,” Gupta’s tactical officer alerted her.

“Switch the holo display back to the live feed,” Gupta ordered.

As the British missiles approached the Indian warships, the second salvo, like the first, split into two groups. Only three of the British missiles were aimed at the frigate. Without its main engines, it was unable to carry out any evasive maneuvers. Despite destroying two of the British missiles, the third turned the frigate into an expanding ball of debris. The destroyer did a much better job and managed to take out eight of the missiles aimed at it. That still left three more, and try as it might to avoid them, the destroyer likewise exploded as two missiles penetrated its armor and detonated within its hull.

The second group of fourteen British missiles continued towards Nicobar II. This time five made it through the point defense fire coming from the moon’s orbit. Each one of them took out another station, raining debris down into the moon’s atmosphere.

“Captain, we have two salvos of eight missiles approaching us. The first will be in point defense range in another four minutes,” Discovery’s tactical officer reported.

“I see them,” Gupta acknowledged. Although they were now dead, the crew of the two destroyed Indian warships would have a chance to hit back at their killers. Gupta wasn’t concerned, the combined point defense fire of the four British warships could easily handle eight missiles. “I’m trusting you know what to do about them.”

“Aye Captain,” the officer replied with a smile.

Trusting her subordinate to handle Discovery’s defenses, Gupta focused on causing as much damage to the Indian infrastructure she could. “Sensors, give me a rundown of those Indian ships breaking orbit from Nicobar, then focus on Nicobar II. I want you to identify as many of the key industrial orbital stations as you can. Send your data to tactical. We’re going to have time for two more salvos before we get out of range, let’s make sure we do as much damage as possible.”

“Aye ma’am,” the sensor officer replied. “It looks like there are five ships coming after us from Nicobar. The flagship has designated them as targets Bravo one through five. Bravo one is a light cruiser, Bravo two and three are both destroyers, four and five are frigates.”

“So they are an even match for us,” Gupta said. “If Lightfoot can help it, I’m sure we will give them a wide berth.”

As the British ships didn’t have to worry about any more Indian warships intercepting their missiles, the third and fourth volley caused a lot more damage to the orbital infrastructure around Nicobar II. Gupta smiled as she watched three of the targets she had selected break apart as a result of missiles fired from Discovery. After the last salvo exploded, her sensor officer estimated that over twenty percent of the colony’s orbital installations had been destroyed. Twenty percent didn’t sound like much, but it had taken a hundred years to construct everything that had been in orbit, it would take at least a decade to rebuild what they had destroyed

“I’m getting a course change from the flagship,” the navigation officer reported. “Lightfoot wants to take the squadron towards the asteroid field near the shift passage to Andaman.”

“Acknowledge the order and keep station with the flagship,” Gupta ordered.

Gupta sat on the bridge as the British squadron accelerated towards the outer reaches of the Nicobar system. The Andaman system was where she and Captain Somerville had attacked an Indian mining station and located evidence that the Indians had been helping Chang escape prosecution for war crimes. Beyond Andaman, there was a shift passage that led eventually to Haven. The course Lightfoot was taking his squadron on made it look like that was their eventual destination. Though they were going to pay a little visit to some of the mining operations in the large asteroid field near the shift passage first.

“We have an incoming communication from the flagship,” the COM officer announced. “It’s for your eyes only Captain, I’m sending it to your command chair now.”

When the file had been transferred, Gupta picked up her datapad from where it had been connected to her command chair. She read through the orders Lightfoot had sent. He wanted to split the four ships to allow each ship to take a slightly different course through the asteroid field to maximize the amount of damage they could do to the mining operations there. It was risky, if the Indians had a defense station in the asteroid field one of the British ships could find herself isolated and potentially in trouble. Yet, the risk would allow them to almost completely destroy the mining operations. As this was the system’s largest asteroid field, they might be able to take out as much as thirty percent of the ore harvesting operations in the system.

After she read through the orders twice, Gupta wrote out a reply informing Lightfoot that she was in favor of the plan. She then sent the message to her COM officer to relay to the flagship. A couple of minutes later the reply came back, ‘proceed with plan alpha one.’

“Okay folks listen up,” Gupta said. “The squadron is going to split as we pass through the asteroid field, we have been given responsibility for the section of the asteroid field designated the South-East Quadrant. We’re going to fly in and take out anything we encounter. I want a full sensor sweep of the quadrant so we are ready before we reach the asteroid field. Also, alert the point defense gunners. We can use AM missiles and our point defense plasma cannons on targets that we get close enough to. We are going to take out everything that gets into range of our weapons. Understood?”

The bridge crew replied with a chorus of ‘Yes Ma’am’ before they turned back to their stations and eagerly got to work.

Twenty minutes after her short speech, Gupta gave the order for Discovery to break away from the squadron and head towards their targets. The asteroid field wasn’t particularly dense and Discovery’s sensor officer had had little difficulty in plotting out a course through the asteroids. Not long after Discovery’s course change, the other three British ships made slight alterations to their headings to bring them to their assigned quadrants.

“It doesn’t look like the pursuing Indian squadron is changing course,” Romanov commented. “They’re still pursuing Retribution.”

“They’re going after the biggest prize,” Gupta replied. “Let’s hope they don’t find a way to get into missile range.”

“I’m ready to fire, Captain,” Discovery’s tactical officer reported.

“Fire away,” Gupta ordered.

Three missiles shot from the exploration cruiser and accelerated towards the three largest mining stations in their quadrant. All three were built into larger asteroids at the edge of the field. They appeared to serve as storage and transfer depots for freighters to bring the processed ore back to the colonies. The British missiles took twenty minutes to accelerate towards their targets, giving the crews of those stations plenty of time to evacuate.

When the missiles got there, the stations vanished as three miniature suns momentarily blinded Discovery’s sensors. As the sensor feeds returned, Discovery’s tactical officer opened up on several large chunks of debris with her ship’s heavy plasma cannon. They had been tumbling towards the course the warship would take through the asteroid field. As soon as Discovery’s path was clear, the heavy plasma cannons turned and systematically took out anything remotely resembling a man-made object within the asteroid field. Soon the heavy plasma cannons were joined by AM missiles and the warship’s small point defense plasma cannons as Discovery nosed her way into the asteroid field.

Having slowed down to less than 0.1c to be able to maneuver within the asteroid field, it took almost twenty minutes for Discovery to make a sweep of her quadrant. By the time she was done there was nothing but broken asteroids and expanding balls of debris where the Indian mining operations had been.

“Accelerating now,” Discovery’s navigation officer announced as soon as the warship broke through the asteroid belt. “We’ll reach the edge of the mass shadow in another hour and a half.”

“The pursuing Indian fleet will get into missile range in another hour and fifteen,” the sensor officer added.

“Lightfoot timed it well then,” Gupta commented. “They can fire on us if they want to, but we will be able to jump out before the missiles reach us. Form us up with the rest of the squadron as soon as you can”

“Aye Captain,” the navigation officer replied.

Less than a minute after Discovery broke through the asteroid field, the other British warships emerged and converged on Retribution as they headed for the system’s mass shadow. The pursuing Indian squadron elected not to slow down and enter the asteroid field, instead, they angled up and over the obstacle, allowing them to keep their maximum speed. As a result, they closed the distance between the two groups of ships significantly, but, not enough to stop the British ships jumping to shift space.

“If we were to go to the Andaman system those ships would be right on our tail once we exited shift space,” Romanov said.

“It’s a good thing were not going there, isn’t it?” Gupta commented.

Before she could say anything more, a series of alarms from the sensor officer’s console interrupted her. “New contacts,” the officer shouted. “A number of ships have just exited shift space at the edge of the system’s mass shadow, right in front of us.”

“How many?” Gupta demanded.

“I’m detecting thirteen shift space anomalies,” the sensor officer replied.

“It’s either a battle fleet, or a large convoy that at most has an escort or two. Either way, I doubt Lightfoot wants to tangle with it. Prepare for emergency acceleration, send the order around the ship,” Gupta commanded.

Seconds later, a similar command came across the COM channel from the flagship. Then, less than thirty seconds later a new command came from the flagship. By then Discovery’s sensor officer had identified the new contacts as Indian warships, including a heavy cruiser. Gupta scanned Lightfoot’s orders and then stood to address the bridge crew. “We are reversing course, as soon as this new Indian fleet detects us they will be after us in a flash. Our only way out of here is back past the Indian squadron pursuing us. We’re going to have to fight our way out.”

Lightfoot transmitted the order to begin the deceleration burn. Everyone strapped themselves into their command chairs as Discovery’s navigation officer began the maneuver.

As soon as the Indian commander of the pursuing squadron saw that his prey was changing course he began to decelerate too. “He’s going to keep us in range for as long as possible,” Romanov said.

“Wouldn’t you?” Gupta replied. “All he has to do is damage us enough that we can’t escape the larger Indian fleet. Even if his ships are heavily damaged, or destroyed, I’m sure the Indians would easily trade their squadron for ours. Especially after all the mayhem we’ve caused over the last couple of weeks.”

The British ships were obviously a lot newer, with more modern engine technology, for they stopped their forward momentum far more quickly than the pursuing Indian ships. The British squadron turned and accelerated towards the small Indian squadron long before the Indians were able to come to rest relative to their original trajectory. The new Indian fleet accelerated into the Nicobar system on a direct intercept course with the British squadron. On the holo plot, it looked like the British squadron was about to be enveloped by the Indian warships.

“New course coming in from the flagship, it’s taking us up and over the asteroid field,” the navigation officer reported.

“Very well,” Gupta acknowledged. As she checked the new course as it was projected on the holo plot, she saw what Lightfoot was doing. The Indian squadron’s slower ships meant that the British could dance around them using the asteroid field as cover. The Indians wouldn’t be able to fire around the asteroid field and if they wanted to keep the British in missile range for as long as possible, they would have to angle away from the asteroid field. This would allow the Indians to fire two or maybe three full broadsides from their port missile tubes, but after that they would find themselves directly behind the British ships and only able to use their forward missile tubes.

“We’ll be in missile range in five minutes,” Discovery’s tactical officer reported.

“Fire with the flagship,” Gupta ordered.

Lightfoot sent targeting data to his ships and as soon as the British squadron entered range of their new targets, they opened fire. The twenty eight British missiles were all targeted at the light cruiser that was no doubt the Indian squadron’s flagship. Before they reached their target, the Indians replied with a salvo of twenty four of their own anti-ship missiles.

With four penetrator missiles in the British salvo, just before their missiles reached the point defense envelope of the Indian ships, the twenty-eight missiles suddenly became forty-eight. Desperately, the Indian destroyers moved into position to block some of the missiles aimed at the light cruiser. With the combined point defense fire, forty-eight missiles quickly became twenty, then ten, then four more were destroyed. The remaining six were too much for the light cruiser to avoid and three struck the Indian warship. The massive explosion that resulted suggested at least one of the cruiser’s reactors had overloaded. As the sensor feed cleared, there was no sign of even any debris from the warship.

The Indian missiles had been targeted evenly between the four British ships. Gupta found herself directing her point defense gunners against the six missiles targeting her command. The flak cannons took out three of them at maximum range and the other three were easily swatted away by AM missiles. “Cover Fang,” Gupta shouted as soon as the threat to her ship was dealt with.

The destroyer had taken out two of the missiles targeted at her, but four more were still accelerating into attack range. As Gupta watched, an AM missile from the destroyer took out another Indian missile and this was quickly followed by a volley of point defense plasma cannon fire that destroyed two more. Then a wave of plasma bolts from her ship took out one more missile. The final one managed to avoid all the fire both ships were throwing towards it. With a final acceleration boost from its engine, it dived in towards the destroyer. As Fang’s navigation officer threw her warship into a series of evasive maneuvers the missile overshot its target by less than a handful of meters. Sensing it had missed, the missile detonated, sending a wave of explosive force towards the destroyer.

“Focus our sensors on Fang, I want to see how much damage she took,” Gupta ordered.

As the visual sensors zoomed in, Gupta let out a sigh of relief. Fang was missing a number of point defense emplacements and her valstronium armor looked like it had been severely weakened. However, there was no sign of a hull breach and she could still keep up with the squadron.

“Firing,” Discovery’s tactical officer announced.

Fang’s missile crews had obviously been shaken by the impact for she was only able to fire three of her six missiles. Nevertheless, the Indian Captains must have known their fates were sealed, the two destroyers and two frigates left would struggle to fend off twenty-five British missiles. Before they had to worry about defending themselves though, they fired their own salvo of sixteen missiles back at the British. As the Indian missiles approached their targets it was clear they were all aimed at Fang.

“Captain, Lightfoot is requesting to speak with each ship in the squadron,” the COM officer reported.

“Put him on the main holo display,” Gupta ordered.

Moments later Lightfoot’s face appeared in front of them. “It looks like the Indians have given up on their attempt to damage all of us, they are going to try and make sure that Fang doesn’t get home. I’m not leaving anyone behind, we’re going to shield her and make sure we get out of this together.”

A new formation was transmitted to each ship in the squadron. “Take us into our assigned position,” Gupta ordered the navigation officer.

By moving the other ships into position around Fang, Lightfoot was opening them up to the possibility of being hit by one of the Indian missiles. If any of the British ships took serious damage, there would be no way that Lightfoot could stop them from being captured by the much larger Indian fleet that was now coming after them. Yet, if the British ships didn’t help Fang, she was sure to be destroyed or disabled.

Before they had to worry about themselves, Discovery’s bridge crew focused on watching their own missiles approach the Indian warships. A hail of point defense fire lashed out at the British missiles, destroying many of them, but four made it through the Indian fire and after they exploded among the Indian squadron only one destroyer and one frigate remained.

“They’re decelerating,” Discovery’s sensor officer shouted as he pumped his fist. “They’re breaking off.”

“A wise choice,” Gupta said. “Let’s make sure Fang doesn’t join the fate of those Indian ships.”

As the Indian missiles approached, the British warships set up a wall of shrapnel with the flak cannons. Ten of the Indian missiles were destroyed. Then AM missiles and small plasma cannons enveloped the Indian missiles. Somehow, one of the Indian missiles managed to avoid everything that was thrown at it. As the missile reached attack range, it gave one final burst of acceleration from its impulse engine. The sudden increase in speed caught Flame’s navigation officer by surprise and before he was able to throw the destroyer into evasive maneuvers, the missile struck the destroyer, exploding on impact.

“Shit,” Romanov shouted as the destroyer disappeared from the holo plot. It took several seconds for the exploration cruiser’s sensors to penetrate the wave of electromagnetic energy the explosion gave off. When they did the destroyer reappeared.

“She’s still alive,” Discovery’s sensor officer shouted. “But she’s falling out of formation.”

The bridge crew watched Flame slowly fall behind as they waited to hear something from the destroyer. Finally, the flagship updated them about the situation. Once again Lightfoot’s face appeared on the main holo display.

“I’m sending you back to New Delhi,” Lightfoot said to Gupta. “My sensor officer estimates that the large Indian battle fleet consists of one heavy cruiser, three other cruisers, two destroyers and two frigates. If this fleet gets back to New Delhi and joins up with whatever ships are still stationed there, they will be able to intercept our main fleet when it gets back to New Delhi. If Admiral Khan is still chasing Rooke, then Rooke will find himself trapped between two fleets when he returns to New Delhi. You need to get there ahead of this fleet and warn him. If there is no sign of the British fleet when you get to New Delhi, head up the shift passage to Magali and find them.”

“What about you?” Gupta asked.

“Flame has taken some heavy damage to her port amidships, but her reactors and engines are still intact. I don’t think she can exceed 0.32c, but we should be able to get her home. Retribution and Fang are going to escort her back to New Delhi. Hopefully we won’t be too far behind you and we will be able to join the rest of the fleet when they get there,” Lightfoot explained.

“But what about the pursuing Indian battle fleet? They’re bound to have some ships that can catch you,” Gupta protested

“We’ll just have to avoid them won’t we,” Lightfoot said with a smile, then his face hardened, “I’m not leaving any ships behind, especially after I ordered Flame into harm’s way. Now, get going, I want you to make New Delhi at your best possible speed. You are not going to wait around here with us.”

Gupta wanted to protest Lightfoot’s order, the squadron would have a much better chance of getting back to New Delhi if Discovery and her two flak cannons stayed with them. However, she didn’t want to appear insubordinate, and the look on Lightfoot’s face suggested he wasn’t open to discussing his orders.

“We will warn the fleet,” Gupta said instead. “Just make sure you get yourself back in one piece.”

“I will,” Lightfoot replied. “Now get going,” he added as he cut the COM channel.

“You heard our orders,” Gupta said to her bridge crew. “Leaving our friends behind isn’t any more pleasant to me than to you, but we need to warn the fleet. Set course for the shift passage back to Kerala, full speed.”

*

Seven hours later, Discovery crossed Nicobar’s mass shadow and prepared to jump into shift space. Gupta looked at the holo plot of the Nicobar system, she calculated the rest of the British ships were about an hour behind. Whoever was commanding the Indian fleet had sent his fastest ships forward and, as Gupta watched, they fired six missiles at the British ships from their forward missile tubes. For the last hour she had been forced to watch her comrades fend off missile attack after missile attack. They had defended themselves admirably, but it would only take one lucky hit to cause a British ship to fall back into the clutches of the Indians. Worse, Gupta knew that Lightfoot’s squadron would face the same threat all the way back to New Delhi.

She typed a COM message to be transmitted to the other British warships. May God be with you, she sent to her friends before she gave the order to jump to shift space.

Chapter 17 – The Enemy Awaits

My home planet of Avalon was colonized just over two hundred years ago. Even so, the population has now reached two billion. There are several Gomez class heavy battlestations in orbit and naval construction yards that can build warships as large as battlecruisers. Despite all this Avalon is a grain of sand in what is the Empire. For those who have never set foot off their planet of birth, the size of the Empire is unimaginable.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

12th August, 2467 AD, HMS Endeavour, space between New Delhi and Nag Tiba.

Startled, James sat up in his bed. For a second he looked around blankly, wondering what had woken him. A loud buzzing sound reverberated around his quarters. My COM unit, he realized. With one hand he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, while he used the other to switch off the COM unit built into the wall. He had set the unit to alert him if any new orders were sent to Endeavour from the flagship.

A part of him just wanted to roll over and go back to bed. Whatever the orders were, Mallory would be the one responsible for carrying them out. The last few weeks had been a living nightmare, a part of him didn’t want to hear anything more about it. Yet, curiosity got the better of him. With a groan, he spun round and planted his feet on the floor. Then he got up and donned his captain’s uniform.

As he walked into his office, he switched on the holo display in the middle of the room. It showed the British fleet arrayed around the flagship Hood. The fleet was more than ninety percent along the shift passage back to New Delhi. Every ship was in normal space charging its shift drive capacitors as they prepared for the final jump to the New Delhi system.

What grabbed James’ attention was the single ship heading towards the fleet. It’s position clearly implied it hadn’t exited shift space with the other British ships. It must have been waiting here for us, James thought. As the sensor data firmed up, James recognized the ship easily. Discovery, I wonder what news Gupta has for us. It can’t be good if she’s been waiting here for us to pass by.

With the flick of a switch, James opened a COM channel to the bridge. When no one answered, he clenched his right hand into a fist and almost slammed it on the desk before his self-control took over. No doubt everyone was too busy doing their duty to pay attention to a COM request from the Captain’s office. Still, he wanted to know what was going on.

*

“Just what are you doing here Captain?” Rear Admiral Rooke said to Captain Gupta over the COM channel he had opened up with her ship. “We have no time to spare, as soon as my ships have charged their capacitors, we are jumping to New Delhi.”

“That’s why I’m here, Admiral,” Gupta responded. “Acting Commodore Lightfoot sent me ahead of his squadron. We encountered an Indian squadron in the Nicobar system. We think they came from Haven. In total there were thirteen ships in the squadron, one of which was a heavy cruiser. By my best estimate, they will be arriving in the New Delhi system in eight to ten hours. If they can join the ships already at New Delhi they could cause you problems. Lightfoot wanted me to warn you.”

Instead of responding, Rear Admiral Rooke surprised Gupta by hanging his head. “Okay,” he replied in a tone that didn’t inspire confidence. “This leaves me only one option then. Thank you, Captain. Are your shift drive capacitors fully charged?”

“Yes Admiral,” Gupta replied. “We’ve been waiting here for almost fifteen hours, Discovery can jump out with the fleet.”

“Good,” Rooke said. “You will receive new orders momentarily.”

Gupta was left with many questions but didn’t know where to begin. The British fleet was clearly missing a number of ships, and many of those present looked as if they had taken damage. She hoped this meant the British fleet had defeated Admiral Khan. Yet, Rooke’s tone suggested otherwise. Either way, she didn’t get the feeling Rooke would appreciate her questions.

“Aye, Aye, Admiral,” Gupta said. “Discovery is eager to re-join the fleet.”

Instead of acknowledging her enthusiasm, Rooke simply reached over and cut the COM channel. In silence, Gupta looked around at her senior officers on Discovery’s bridge. None of them met her eye, they had all sensed something was wrong.

*

Just when James felt he was about to explode in frustration a text message appeared from Acting Captain Mallory.

Sorry Captain, the flagship is keeping me too busy to speak to you right now. Here are our most recent orders.

James wasn’t surprised to see what Rear Admiral Rooke was planning. The new ships Discovery had come to tell them about were a serious threat. But alone, Rooke’s fleet could easily deal with them. Nevertheless, Rooke’s latest orders showed he meant to run home with his tail between his legs. Instead of jumping along the final section of the shift passage to New Delhi in a way that would allow the British fleet to exit shift space on a vector towards the colony, they were now going to jump so as to enter the New Delhi system already traveling towards the shift passage to Aror and back towards Earth.

This is going from bad to worse, James thought. Even if they tried to run away, Admiral Khan and his fleet were not going to be far behind. If these new Indian ships could join with Khan, then Rooke’s retreat could very quickly turn into a rout.

*

13th August 2467 AD, ISF Centaur, New Delhi System

Admiral Kapoor, head of the Indian Space Fleet, sat in the auxiliary bridge of his new flagship the ISF Centaur. Centaur was the oldest battlecruiser in the Indian Navy. Just over a month ago her shift drive had been in such a state of disrepair she hadn’t even been able to leave the Sol system. Now she had a brand-new drive, along with as many of the latest technologies as the Indian engineers could fit into her in the time they had been given. Along with Centaur, Kapoor had brought the rest of the Indian Navy stationed in the Sol system. He had been sent by the Indian Prime Minister to ensure the British fleet invading his government’s colonies would not make it home.

For the last three hours, his squadron had been cruising into the New Delhi system towards the New Delhi colony. He had received reports from the system commander on everything that had happened over the last few weeks. He was disappointed Khan had allowed the British to break away from his fleet and escape further into the colonies. The potential destruction the British fleet could do was unimaginable. Yet, the news Khan had been able to send back from his pursuit of the British, though more than a couple of weeks out of date, suggested he was doing a good job of limiting the damage the British fleet was doing. The reports he had received from the colonies of Kerala and Agra had him in a rage. Whoever was commanding the smaller British squadron was running rings round the ships defending those colonies. It was unacceptable.

Dismissing them for the moment, he turned his attention to the matter at hand. Sooner or later the small squadron of British ships would be dealt with. He had to decide what to do now. In the next day or two he was expecting more reinforcements to arrive from Haven. Those ships, combined with the defensive fleet in orbit around New Delhi, would give him a powerful force. He just had to decide how to use it. He wanted the British fleet. Khan’s failure to defeat them meant they were still a serious threat. He knew if he could defeat them where Khan had failed, he would solidify his position as the Prime Minister’s favored Admiral. The tricky part was figuring out just where and how he could catch the British fleet and trap them between his fleet and Khan’s.

A beeping noise from one of the command consoles on the auxiliary bridge distracted him from his thoughts. “What’s that?” he asked irritably. “Kindly shut it off, I’m trying to think,” he said with anything but a kindly tone.

“It’s the gravimetric sensors,” one of his subordinates informed him. “We are picking up a ship accelerating from the Magali shift passage. It’s heading on vector seven seven five point three.”

“Just one ship?” Kapoor asked as he racked his brain. Something about the ship’s vector caught his attention.

“Yes Admiral,” the junior officer replied. “It looks like it’s one of the system patrol ships that was picketing the shift passage.”

As the junior officer had been speaking, it struck Kapoor why the ship had caught his attention. One of the system commander’s reports he had read had laid out a series of signals Khan had prearranged with the system pickets. He opened the file and scanned through to the point he was looking for.

“What did you say the vector of that ship was?” He asked as soon as he found the point in the file he wanted.

“Seven seven five point three,” the officer repeated.

“Open up a COM channel to the fleet in orbit around New Delhi,” Kapoor ordered. “Order them to break orbit and form up with Centaur. The British fleet is returning.”

They have made my decision for me, Kapoor thought with a smile as his junior officers burst into a hive of frantic activity.

*

A deep sense of foreboding settled on James as he surveyed the gravimetric sensor data. The British fleet had exited shift space right on the edge of New Delhi’s mass shadow. As soon as each ship jumped out of shift space they accelerated towards the Aror shift passage. As the passage home was on the other side of the system’s sun, it would take more than twenty-two hours to get to it. What James saw suggested they might not make it there at all.

There was no mistaking the large ship in the middle of the Indian fleet forming up in the inner system. It was an Indian battlecruiser. Either more ships had arrived from Haven than Discovery had initially detected or that battlecruiser was from the Sol system. It didn’t matter. There was a formidable Indian force directly between the British fleet and safety. If any other British Admiral was in charge of the fleet, James would have had some hope. Even though many of their ships were damaged and morale was low, he knew their fleet could fight its way past the Indian ships in front of them. James doubted Rooke would try to fight. He was sure the Rear Admiral would try to run, yet, the sensor data in front of James told him that doing so would never work. The main Indian fleet under Admiral Khan would only be an hour or two behind them. As soon as they appeared, they would continue their pursuit of the British fleet. If Rooke tried to run for the Aror shift passage, then the new Indian battlecruiser and the fleet forming up around it could shadow them all the way there. They could remain at extreme missile range and pepper the British ships, causing them to slow down as they evaded incoming missiles. Slowly but surely, Admiral Khan would catch them and then it would all be over.

It was as clear as day to James what they had to do. If they fought their way past this new Indian battlecruiser they could destroy a significant portion of the Indian fleet. The bulk of the British ships would survive and break for the Aror shift passage. Though the losses wouldn’t be insignificant, at least the fleet would escape and deal a deadly blow to the Indians. But, he feared Rooke was already blind to any action that involved a direct confrontation.

Forty minutes later, James’ sense of foreboding increased as Admiral Khan and his fleet announced their presence in the system. Hedging his bets, Khan had jumped his fleet into the New Delhi system directly between the optimal points to travel to either the New Delhi colony or the Aror shift passage. As soon as his fleet detected the accelerating British ships, they turned and pursued.

Going for Aror straight away bought us some time, James thought. But not enough. He figured it would take the Indian fleet two hours to close to missile range with Rooke’s ships. That was, assuming Khan didn’t order his ships to go faster than he had done in the previous systems. Rooke in turn could order his fleet to go further beyond their maximum safe velocity, but to do so all the way through the New Delhi system would be inviting disaster.

As Khan’s fleet continued to close with the British, James focused his attention on the Indian fleet now designated on his sensor display as the New Delhi fleet. Instead of coming straight for the British, the single battlecruiser and the other twenty ships in its fleet slowly edged away from the New Delhi colony and moved towards a blocking position in front of the British fleet. Their intention was clear, instead of charging straight in, they were going to wait for Admiral Khan’s fleet to harass the British all the way across the New Delhi system. Then, just before the British fleet would be able to jump out of the system, the New Delhi fleet would crash into them and force them into a close engagement. James had no doubt that whatever was left of the British fleet by then would be able to give a good account of itself. Even so, any ship that took even a small amount of damage would fall back into the clutches of Admiral Khan. Between Khan’s fleet and the New Delhi fleet, the majority of the British warships under Rooke’s command would be ground down to nothing but space debris.

James hung his head over the desk he was sitting at and ran his hand through his hair. What can I do? Seeing what was about to happen was useless if he couldn’t do anything to stop it. Yet what can I do? He asked himself again, no one is going to listen to me, and no one is going to stand up to Rooke. We’re all going to die because he’s too scared to risk his fleet.

Just before despair really threatened to overtake him, a beep on his office desk’s COM unit pulled James out of his thoughts. It was Captain Gupta from Discovery, she was requesting a COM channel with him. Guessing Gupta didn’t realize he had been removed from command, he nevertheless accepted the COM channel, thankful for the distraction.

“Captain,” James said as he forced a smile, “I hear you had a pretty exciting couple of weeks.”

“I think that could be said of us all,” Gupta responded. “Why aren’t you on your bridge?”

“That’s a long story,” James answered. “Let’s just say that the Rear Admiral and I had one too many fallings out. I have been relieved of command. Mallory is Acting Captain now.”

“What?” Gupta almost shouted, her surprise evident. “What did you do?”

“What I thought was my duty,” James said. “Our fleet was passing up a golden opportunity to attack an Indian colony and I pointed this out to Rooke, he didn’t take my suggestions kindly.”

“So, he relieved you of command?” Gupta responded. “There must be more to it than that.”

“You already saw he doesn’t like me, he blames me for what happened to Hood in the first battle in New Delhi,” James replied. “I’m sure there’s more to it, but we don’t have time now. Admiral Khan’s fleet will be in missile range with their forward tubes in less than twenty minutes. What do you want to speak about?”

“Right,” Gupta said nodding. “I had a couple of things I wanted to discuss, I will have to speak to Mallory I guess. But first, I wanted to know what’s going on here. Why aren’t we making to engage with that Indian battlecruiser? If we don’t take it out before Khan can get to grips with us, it will be able to move in and block our escape when we get to the Aror shift passage.”

“That,” James replied, his despair rising, “is a question I cannot answer. Time and time again Rooke has refused opportunities to engage the Indians. I think the battle over New Delhi broke him, but that’s just a guess. If he can manage it, I think Rooke still hopes to escape New Delhi without engaging either Indian fleet.”

“But that’s impossible,” Gupta almost shouted. “If we don’t engage one fleet now, they will be able to combine and take us on together.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” James responded. “But what exactly do you want me to do? I don’t even command my own ship anymore.”

James almost switched off the holo projector when he saw the look of compassion in Gupta’s face. He didn’t want anyone feeling sorry for him.

“I see,” Gupta said. “I hadn’t thought about it from your perspective. I can’t imagine how difficult it is to be watching everything happen and not even have command of your own ship.”

“Well, I’ve had plenty of time to get used to it. So unless you have some suggestion for how we can save the fleet, you can get in contact with Mallory,” James said gruffly.

“I’m not sure I have many ideas,” Gupta said, taken aback by the fact that James had seemingly accepted their fate. “The other thing I was contacting you about, was that I’ve been reassigned to Endeavour’s flotilla. Discovery is to help protect the two heavy cruisers you are escorting. I was contacting you to see how best we can use our ships together. We’re going to have to fend off a lot of Indian missiles. It’s okay though, I’ll contact Mallory and discuss things with him.”

As Gupta leaned forward to switch off her holo projector a wave of guilt washed over James. “Wait,” he said. “I’m sorry, I haven’t given up yet. I just don’t know what to do. I’ve already tried getting the other Captains to stand up to Rooke, but none of them will receive a COM message from me. They have all served with him for a long time, they won’t usurp his authority. I will keep thinking though.”

“Good,” Gupta replied. “I’m glad to see the Captain I look up to so much hasn’t got lost in his own doubts. If you have any ideas you want to discuss with me, then you can contact me immediately.”

“Thank you,” James said. “Now, go talk to Mallory. He has fought Endeavour well since taking command, but he is going to need all the help he can get. Working together, Discovery and Endeavour should be able to keep our two heavy cruisers alive, at least until the Indian fleets close in. You are now the senior captain, I have full confidence in you.”

“And I you,” Gupta responded. “You’ve got us out of more difficult scrapes than this before. Forget about the last few weeks. Focus on today, I know you have an idea up your sleeve that could yet help us get out of this.”

“I’ll try,” James responded, trying to put as much confidence into his voice as he could for Gupta’s sake. If she was going to die today, he at least wanted her to give her best. “Now go and get ready, the Indians will be opening fire soon.”

“Aye, Aye Captain,” Gupta said with a salute before she cut the COM channel.

Chapter 18 – A Call of Duty

The Second Battle of New Delhi proved costlier to the British than the First.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

13th August 2467 AD, HMS Endeavour, New Delhi.

Admiral Khan’s fleet opened fire with their forward missile tubes less than twenty minutes after Gupta’s face disappeared. Stuck in his office with nothing to do, James could only watch as wave after wave of Indian missiles approached the British fleet. Each time the Indian missiles targeted at their flotilla were swatted away, James’ pride in his ship and his First Lieutenant grew.

It looks like they don’t need me at all, James thought. His crew was like a well-oiled machine, every time the Indians launched more missiles they tracked them, prioritizing the ones targeted at the heavy cruisers. As soon as they got into range, flak cannon rounds exploded among the Indian missiles and AM missiles and plasma bolts tore into them.

For an hour, the British fleet endured the Indian assault with only the occasional missile breaking through the point defenses. Rear Admiral Rooke had sent almost all of the smaller ships in the British fleet to the rear so their point defenses could help protect the slowest ships. The tactic was working. Even so, James knew it was just a matter of time. Either a cosmic particle strike would damage one of the British ships, causing it to fall back, or an Indian missile would get through the British defenses.

Both of James’ fears were realized. Just over an hour after the first Indian missiles were launched, disaster struck. When the seventh Indian missile salvo was about to enter the point defense range of the British ships, an explosion rocked the British fleet. One moment the light cruiser Centurion was leading her flotilla of point defense ships into a new position in the fleet to take on the latest Indian salvo. The next, she was spinning out of formation, the front third of the cruiser having been ripped from the rest of the ship. Nothing but a large cosmic particle could have caused such damage. Centurion had been coordinating the fire of a destroyer and two frigates. With her sudden destruction, the ships in her flotilla failed to fire their flak cannons with the rest of the British ships.

The Captains tried to correct the problem but their fire was just not as efficient. Three Indian missiles broke through the British fleet’s point defensive fire. One struck the destroyer Phoenix. The missile blasted a hole through the warship’s valstronium armor and destroyed two of its missile ports. Crucially, it caused a power surge throughout the ship. As fail safes kicked in, all of Phoenix’s reactors began their emergency shutdown procedures. Without power, Phoenix’s maneuvering thrusters were unable to compensate for the momentum imparted to it by the Indian missile. The destroyer broke away from the British fleet at a tangent, her momentum carrying her further and further from her sister ships.

“Come on, come on,” James said as he watched events unfold. Let us go protect her, he urged Rear Admiral Rooke. James knew no orders were going to come. With a curse, he smashed his fist into his office table. Without support, Phoenix was lost. For eight minutes, she steadily drifted further and further from the British fleet. For James, the seconds trickled by ever so slowly. If Phoenix could get her reactors back on line she still had a chance to make it back to the fleet.

When a message came in from the stricken destroyer James’ shoulders dropped. Her Captain estimated that it would take another twenty minutes to regain power. Phoenix just didn’t have that much time. Sure enough, almost half of the sixty missiles in the Indians next salvo targeted the destroyer. Unwilling to watch the destruction of another British ship, James turned the holo projector’s visuals onto the British fleet.

Damn him, James thought. Rooke could have ordered the fleet to alter course to protect Phoenix. It would have only cost us a couple of minutes. Not knowing what else to do, he cursed Rooke again. Then, he forced himself to watch the onslaught his colleagues were trying to endure.

James’ focus was torn from the continuous barrage of Indian missiles to several new contacts appearing on the gravimetric plot. Three ships had suddenly accelerated from the far edge of the New Delhi system. They had just exited shift space from the Kerala shift passage.

Lightfoot, James thought. He didn’t need to wait for the ship’s computer to analyze the acceleration profile of the ships. But if Lightfoot is only arriving now, then the ships Gupta spotted are likely to be right behind him. As the full significance of what Lightfoot’s arrival meant dawned on him, James felt his last shreds of hope fade.

If the Indian fleet currently shadowing Rooke’s ships did not include the ships Lightfoot and Gupta had detected, then they must have come from the Sol system. That meant there was one more heavy cruiser and its escorts about to jump into the New Delhi system. They would be perfectly placed to join the New Delhi fleet and, once reinforced, James had no doubt that whoever was leading that fleet would close with Rooke. With Khan behind them constantly firing his forward missile tubes, and an entirely new Indian fleet able to bring their broadsides to bear, the British ships would be reduced to debris.

James knew there was nothing Rooke could do. The circumstances were against him now. Even if he saw the danger and turned to engage the New Delhi fleet before it was reinforced, the commander of the New Delhi fleet could simply veer away, drawing Rooke deeper into the New Delhi system. All the Indians had to do was wait and gather their forces.

An hour after Lightfoot’s ships appeared, eight new contacts appeared on the gravimetric plot at the exact point Lightfoot’s ships had first appeared. They accelerated after Lightfoot’s small flotilla, then, as their commander recognized what was going on in the system, the eight Indian ships turned onto an intercept course with the New Delhi fleet.

James projected the new course of this third Indian fleet, he estimated it would combine with the New Delhi fleet in five hours. As soon as the ships met, he had no doubt they would close with the British fleet. Another British frigate had been destroyed by Khan. By the time the New Delhi fleet combined with these newcomers, James could only guess at how many more ships would be lost.

Desperately, he tried to think of something the British fleet could do. Putting himself in Rear Admiral Rooke’s position he used his computer to simulate a number of potential tactics. Each one proved fruitless, the Indians just had too many ships. It didn’t help that the British fleet had now lost fifteen of the warships it had left Earth with.

Then it struck him, there was something the British fleet could do, but it wasn’t something any Admiral would be able to order. He ran a simulation to confirm his idea. Once it was finished he took a second and bowed his head, thinking through what he was about to do. There’s no other way, he said to himself. With a renewed sense of purpose, he stood and strode out of his office, a grim look of determination on his face.

“Captain,” Acting Second Lieutenant Becket said from Endeavour’s tactical station to alert everyone else to James’ presence as he strode onto the bridge.

As every face turned to look at him, James caught various expressions of hope, surprise and concern from his subordinates. Pausing, he took a deep breath. “I’m assuming command,” he announced.

For a second everyone froze and silence descended on the bridge. James had just announced he was effectively carrying out a mutiny. No one seemed to know what to do.

Eventually Mallory broke the silence. “Of course,” he said as he jumped out of the Captain’s chair, a little too eagerly for someone who should have tried to stop James. A wide grin was on his face. “It’s about time.”

“I have a plan,” James said as he moved to stand beside his chair. “It won’t get us out of here, but I think it will give the fleet a chance. Too many lives have already been lost today. What I’m going to propose will all but guarantee that ours are added to that list. But I know all of you are capable of reading the sensor data, if we don’t act now, I believe the entire fleet will be lost. If you follow me, I believe we can save some of the fleet. Are you with me?”

“I am Captain,” Becket said as she brought a hand up into a salute.

“As am I,” Mallory said as he came to stand beside James, also saluting his Captain. Seconds later, every member of the bridge crew had raised their hand in salute.

“Very well,” James said, struggling to suppress a smile. “Open a COM channel to Discovery, I want to talk to Gupta. Then get ready to broadcast a message to the slower ships in the fleet.”

“Aye, aye Captain,” Sub Lieutenant King replied.

“And send a message around the rest of the crew,” Mallory added. “Let them know that Captain Somerville has taken command again.”

James forced himself to look away from his crew as hope reappeared on more than one face. There was no hope for what he had planned for them, but at least it would give the rest of the fleet a chance.

“I see you’re living up to your reputation,” Captain Gupta said, smiling as soon as her face appeared on the small holo display on James’ command chair. “I think re-assuming command after being relieved by a senior Admiral counts as insubordination.”

“I guess it’s in situations like these that you find out who you really are,” James said with a grin. “There is no way I was going to live out my last few hours skulking in a back office.”

“Can I assume you have a plan to get us out of this mess then?” Gupta asked.

“I do, but it’s not one you are going to like. I have something to ask of you old friend, it’s not something I have the right to ask, but I need to ask it anyway,” James said solemnly.

Gupta guessed what he had in mind. “You want us to turn and face the New Delhi fleet, don’t you?” she asked.

“Yes,” James replied. “It’s our only option, Rooke could never order half of his ships to certain destruction. But, if we don’t do this, then none of the fleet will survive.”

“Okay,” Gupta said after several seconds of silence. “I’m with you, but you know what this means don’t you?”

“I know,” James replied. “We were both there when Jennings took on Admiral Zheng’s battleship. I can think of no better example for us to follow.”

“You’re right,” Gupta said as she slowly nodded. “I will inform my crew, and give them a chance to compose any messages they want to send with the rest of the fleet. How will you persuade the other ships to follow you?”

“I have an idea,” James replied. “We’ll have to force their hand, you follow my lead and I’ll see what I can do.”

“It will be my pleasure,” Gupta said. “If we have to go down fighting, I can think of no one else I’d rather be fighting alongside.”

“Neither can I Captain,” James said in return. “Now get going, I have to think about how I’m going to persuade the rest of the Captains.”

“Good luck,” Gupta said as she switched off the COM channel.

“Open a COM channel to the entire ship,” James ordered.

When Sub Lieutenant King signaled that the COM channel was open, James took another deep breath to steady himself. “Crew men and women of his Majesty’s Ship Endeavour,” he began. “It’s a pleasure for me to be leading you into battle one more time. You have fought bravely for me many times before, and every time, you have exceeded my expectations. Over these last few weeks as I have watched each of you carry out your duty from afar, my appreciation of your skills has only increased.

“I have re-taken command of Endeavour with Acting Captain Mallory’s permission. I do so because the situation we find ourselves in now is worse than anything we have faced before. There are currently three Indian fleets bearing down on us. As things stand, there is no way our fleet will make it out of the system. For this reason, I’m going to propose that Endeavour, Discovery and the rest of the slower ships in the fleet turn to engage one of the Indian fleets. I will be honest with you, it will be a sacrifice. Even if we can defeat this one Indian fleet, the other two will quickly close and destroy us. When we do this, there will be no coming back.

“However, we all signed up to serve our King and our country. Each one of you knows what it is to carry out your duty. Today, our duty is calling us to make the ultimate sacrifice. For in giving our lives, we will be saving the lives of the rest of the fleet and ensuring that our nation and our colonies do not fall to the mercy of the Indian Star Republic. I want you all to know what we are about, we may not live to see tomorrow, but let’s make sure we go down with a fight. Knowing that we fight and die for something; for our friends and colleagues who will live to fight another day, for our families back home and for the honor of the Royal Space Navy. We have taken a beating these last few weeks. It’s time to show the Indians what we are made of!” James concluded, his heart heavier than his words betrayed. He wished he was able to find better words for the situation.

James’ head shot up as cheering suddenly filled the bridge. “Where is that coming from?” he demanded.

“It’s an open Com channel from the ship,” King answered.

“What section?” James followed up.

“Every section,” King replied. “It’s the entire ship.”

James closed his eyes as a wave of emotion washed over him.

“I thank you for your fighting spirit,” James said to his crew over the COM channel once the cheering died down. “I know you will all do me proud. I’m giving orders to make sure that each of you has ten minutes to send any messages to the flagship you want transmitted back to Earth,” he added.” Good luck, and may God be with each one of us.”

Mallory clapped James on the back. “The crew deserved to know what we are about. They’d follow you into hell itself now,” Mallory said. “I’m not going to pretend I like what you’re proposing, but I’d rather die trying to accomplish something than getting caught in a trap as we try to run away. The rest of the crew will think the same, each of us will give their best for you.”

“Thank you,” James replied, placing his hand on Mallory’s. “I’m sorry you won’t get a full command of your own one day.”

“How can anything else compare to Endeavour?” Mallory said. “These last few weeks haven’t been ideal, but if today’s the day we go out, then at least I have had the opportunity to command the best ship in the British fleet.”

“That you have,” James said with a grin. “Now, go see to the crew. Let’s make sure we’re as ready as we can be to show the Indians just how good Endeavour is.”

“Aye Sir,” Mallory said as he saluted James for a second time.

James raised his voice, “King, prepare to record another message. I want it sent to every ship in the fleet that has the maximum safe velocity of 0.29c and below.”

“I’m ready when you are Captain,” King replied a few moments later.

“My fellow Captains, given the circumstances I have re-taken command of Endeavour. No doubt Rear Admiral Rooke will take issue with my actions, but, with the arrival of these latest Indian warships, whatever Rear Admiral Rooke wants to do after today will be irrelevant. If we continue on the same trajectory the new Indian fleet will combine with the New Delhi fleet, and together they will engage us. When they do, Khan’s fleet will have the opportunity it needs to catch us. Between the New Delhi fleet and Khan’s fleet, we will be crushed. I don’t see any way out of this for us, and I don’t blame Rooke, there’s nothing that he can do.

“However, there is something we can do. Rooke could never go back to Earth having ordered half of his fleet to certain destruction. Rightly, he could never live with the shame. However, we can make the decision he can’t. It’s my intention to turn Endeavour towards the New Delhi fleet. If you will follow me, together we can either drive the New Delhi fleet away, or force them to engage us. Either way, it will allow the rest of our ships to accelerate to their maximum velocities and escape. Either we all die here today, or some of us give our lives so that the rest can escape. I know which way I would rather go out. I’m asking all of you to follow me. I will give you five minutes to think over what I’ve said after I transmit this message, but then I will turn Endeavour towards the enemy. I hope you will be with me. Endeavour out.”

“Message has been sent,” King reported.

“Thank you, Sub Lieutenant,” James replied. “Now go take a few moments to compose any messages you want sent to the flagship, once we turn the action will begin pretty quickly.”

Chapter 19 – The Brave Few

Having studied the rise of the Empire the conclusion that things could have been otherwise is inescapable. At more than one point in our history everything could have changed with just one decision made differently or just one stubborn man failing to see sense.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

“Make the turn,” James ordered.

“Aye Captain,” Sub Lieutenant Jennings responded.

With a touch of a button, Jennings gave the order for Endeavour’s maneuvering thrusters to pivot the warship out of formation and away from the rest of the British fleet. Seconds later, Discovery engaged her maneuvering thrusters and turned to match Endeavour’s new trajectory.

A deathly silence descended on the bridge as everyone waited and watched to see if any of the other British ships would follow them. When nothing happened for several seconds, James felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. It’s now or never, James thought.

“Goliath is turning,” Sub Lieutenant Malik shouted as he stood up in excitement. “She’s turning to follow us,” he added needlessly.

James let out a breath, Goliath was one of the two heavy cruisers Endeavour had been protecting. Her commanding officer, Captain Foley, was the senior Captain of the battlecruiser division. If he was coming, then he was likely to bring many of the other British warships with him.

“More are turning,” Malik continued to shout, “Zealous is turning as well, and now Audacious, Minotaur, Defiance, Majestic, they are all turning to follow us. You did it Captain, they are all following you now.”

“I appreciate your enthusiasm Sub Lieutenant,” James said. “But you can sit down and restrain yourself. They are not following me, they are following their conscience. Each one of those ships is turning to its own destruction. Let’s not forget that.”

“There doesn’t appear to be any communication from the flagship,” Mallory stated, clearly asking a question.

“Nor do I expect there to be,” James said. “Rooke knows full well what we’re doing. He won’t order us back, but I doubt he will send us any encouragement either.”

Almost as a response to James’ words, the British warships that hadn’t turned to follow Endeavour lit off their main engines and accelerated. The ships left in the British fleet were rated for a safe velocity of 0.33c. Some were still risking a cosmic particle strike, but now they would easily outrun Khan’s fleet to safety. With James and the slower British warships about to engage the New Delhi fleet, the way would be clear for Rooke to make his escape.

“Goliath is requesting a COM channel with you Captain,” Sub Lieutenant King reported.

“I’ll take it at my command chair,” James replied.

Captain Foley’s face appeared at James’ elbow as it was projected by James’ command chair. “Captain Somerville,” Foley began. “You certainly like to take on impossible odds, I give you that.”

“I’m just happy you chose to follow me Captain,” James replied. “As much as I like it when the odds are against me, I’m no fool. My plan wouldn’t have worked without you. You have my thanks.”

“We can thank each other another time,” Foley said. “It seems we have more important things to do. Before we go down fighting, I want to take as many of these Indians with me as I can. With your permission, I’d like to take command of our new squadron. I have a few ideas about how we can make sure the Admiralty and the rest of our fleet won’t have to worry about these Indian ships in front of us.”

James was momentarily surprised, “You don’t have to ask my permission,” he replied. “You are the senior Captain, you are in command, it was simply my idea to turn, you executed it. I will happily defer to you.”

“It’s settled then,” Foley said. “I’ll send orders to our squadron now, I have a new formation in mind and a few other tricks we’re going to try. I’m glad you forced us into this Captain, good luck.”

“And good luck to you to Captain,” James said as Foley’s face disappeared.

“What do you think Foley has in mind?” Mallory asked from his command chair.

“I have no idea,” James said. “But whatever it is, our course is set. There’s no turning back now.”

When Foley’s orders came in it was clear that he did have a number of tricks up his sleeve. Exactly when they would get to use them however, was up to the Indians. Within minutes of Foley’s new orders coming in, the New Delhi fleet reacted to James’ move. Copying the course change of the British ships, the New Delhi fleet veered away from its original course so as to keep the distance open to the British ships.

“It looks like they don’t want to engage us,” Lieutenant Becket commented as the Indians made their move.

“No,” James said, quietly disappointed. It would have been a long shot, but whoever was in charge of the New Delhi fleet could have tried to take them on immediately. Both sides would have suffered heavy losses, but the New Delhi fleet had a superior weight of numbers. If they had been able to blast their way through the British ships that had followed James, then they still might have had a chance to corner Rooke. The New Delhi fleet commander obviously didn’t want to take the risk. He was going to wait for the third Indian fleet from Haven to reinforce him before he engaged Foley and his squadron. Whilst that guaranteed Rooke’s escape, it also meant that when the warships arrayed around Endeavour engaged the Indians, they would be even more heavily outnumbered.

The smaller British force chased the New Delhi fleet across the system. At the same time, Admiral Khan’s fleet chased Rooke towards the shift passage leading back to Earth, clearly Khan wanted to make sure that Rooke didn’t turn back to help James and Foley. That or he didn’t want to risk his fleet against a British squadron clearly intent on fighting to the death. As action wasn’t imminent, James took ten minutes to retire to his quarters to write a message to Suzanna.

Now sitting in his command chair he reviewed it, not for the first time.

My dearest Suzanna,

A battle is about to begin that I do not think I will live through. The Indians have our fleet cornered and if the fleet is to escape I must lead Endeavour to certain death. I know this is my duty, this is what I have trained for all my life. It was Rear Admiral Jensen who opened my eyes to what it really means to be a RSN officer and I can do nothing but follow her example. I am so sorry it has come to this. I want you to know that I love you and it breaks my heart to think of the future we won’t ever have together.

My only comfort is that if we can help the fleet escape today then Haven may yet be liberated. I have already ensured everything I have will pass to you when I die. Andrea has all the details. You may use it all as you wish, hopefully it will help you rebuild your planet from the ravages of war. I know this letter will break your heart just as it breaks mine to write it. Nevertheless, you need to be strong. This war is for something far bigger than both of us. Please don’t let my memory be one of sadness. We go to fight for your future and the future of your people. I pray you will have many more years to enjoy that future, may you make it a happy one for you and your people.

I must return to the bridge now. I know you will feel alone on Earth without me, trust my uncle. He will look after you. He is a man of his word. He will see what we have begun is finished.

You will be in my heart right up until the end.

James

“The New Delhi fleet is turning,” Mallory reported, dragging James away from rereading his letter.

Glancing up, James saw the reinforcements from Haven join the New Delhi fleet. They quickly formed into a new formation as they turned towards Foley’s squadron. Tapping a couple of buttons, James transmitted the message for Suzanna to Hood. Then, he forced every thought of Suzanna out of his mind. He needed to be completely focused on the task at hand. Thinking about what he was about to lose, or how Suzanna would respond to his death, would only be a distraction.

“Is everything set up as Foley has instructed?” James asked Endeavour’s chief engineer over a COM channel.

“Aye Captain,” Chief Driscoll answered. “We’re all ready to go on our end.”

“Thank you chief, we’ll find out just how well it’s going to work soon,” James replied.

Having a slight range advantage over the Indians, Foley’s squadron of warships opened fire first. Alongside the two heavy cruisers and Endeavour and Discovery, Foley’s squadron consisted of a further two medium and two light cruisers, along with three destroyers, four frigates and a corvette. Together they unleashed one hundred and eleven missiles towards the reinforced New Delhi fleet.

As soon as the last missile was away, Foley sent new orders to his fleet as he turned his formation to increase the rate at which both fleets were converging upon one another. No doubt the Indian Admiral intended to close and batter the British ships into submission and James was sure he would welcome Foley’s maneuver. Little does he know we’ll be getting a lot closer than that, James thought.

“The Indians have opened fire,” Sub Lieutenant Malik reported when the British missiles had covered one third of the distance to their targets. The reinforced New Delhi fleet consisted of one battlecruiser, two heavy, six medium and seven light cruisers, fourteen destroyers and a further fifteen frigates. In total, they had fifty-two ships against the sixteen British. The only factor in favor of the British was that their fewer ships were on average larger than the Indian warships. Nevertheless, the New Delhi fleet was able to launch two hundred and fourteen missiles towards Foley’s squadron.

“That’s a heck of a lot of missiles,” Mallory commented as soon as the gravimetric plot identified just how many were accelerating towards Endeavour and her consorts.

“Indeed it is,” James said. “Let’s hope Foley’s plan works.”

“Targeting orders are coming in,” Lieutenant Becket said. “I’ll be opening fire with the flak cannon in forty seconds.”

“Very well,” James said.

The flak cannon had an optimal range just slightly longer than the point defense plasma cannons and AM missiles Endeavour used to shoot down incoming missiles. Technically it could be fired at further ranges, but the exploding shrapnel would spread out so quickly making it difficult to accurately target Indian missiles. Foley’s first tactic had every flak cannon in the fleet firing continuously as the Indian missiles approached. The first round of shells were accelerated to very low speeds by the cannons. The second wave of shells were accelerated to a slightly higher velocity, and the third, fourth and fifth to even greater velocities. This resulted in a massive wave of flak cannon shells approaching the Indian missiles about five minutes before they would enter the normal point defense envelope of the British warships. Thus, before the Indian missiles could spread out to limit the effect of flak cannon fire, the waves of flak cannon rounds coalesced into one as the fastest rounds caught up with the slowest. At that instant, every round exploded, creating a dense wall of shrapnel right in front of the Indian missiles.

Predicting exactly where the Indian missiles would be, and timing the flak cannon rounds to precision was all but impossible. Even so, Foley placed a wall of shrapnel in front of over a third of the Indian missiles. Of the eighty Indian missiles that flew through the shrapnel, sixty were destroyed.

“It worked,” Malik announced from the sensor station. “I’m only detecting one hundred and fifty-four Indian missiles approaching us.”

“Track the ones approaching our side of the squadron,” James ordered. “One hundred and fifty-four are still plenty for us to worry about.”

As the Indian missiles approached the British point defenses, another round of flak cannons destroyed fifty-three more missiles, then it was the turn of the point defense plasma cannons and AM missiles. The remaining eighty-one Indian missiles were reduced to twenty before they exploded among the British squadron. When it became clear none of the missiles were directly targeting Endeavour, James altered course to bring the exploration cruiser closer to Goliath in the hope Endeavour’s electronic countermeasures would protect the heavy cruiser.

Whether it was due to James’ actions or the last minute evasive maneuvers from Goliath’s navigation officer, two of the three Indian missiles closing with the heavy cruiser overshot their target and exploded harmlessly. The third however struck a glancing blow with the heavy cruiser, for some reason the nuclear warhead failed to explode on impact, instead it exploded less than a millisecond later. The delay made all the difference in the world, for in that millisecond the missile was deflected by Goliath’s valstronium armor. Its explosive force still washed over the heavy cruiser, but it failed to penetrate into the hull of the ship.

Several other ships within the British squadron weren’t so lucky. The medium cruiser Bastion took two direct hits and though the warship was still intact, it lost all power and fell out of formation. A frigate and destroyer were also hit and there was no sign of either ship other than expanding balls of debris.

Endeavors’ crew had no time to mourn such losses. Foley sent orders to reform the British squadron. Just a couple of minutes later, the British launched their second salvo towards the Indians.

While the first salvo had been aimed at the Indian fleet, this salvo of missiles had another target. As the Indians fired their second salvo, the British missiles received updated targeting information. Just over a month ago Rooke had tried the same trick against Admiral Khan’s fleet. James knew this time, Foley was banking on the fact the fleet they were now facing consisted of ships from three different sectors. The battlecruiser and some of its escorts had clearly come from the Sol system, while the latest additions to this New Delhi fleet had come from Haven. Alongside those two groups of ships, there were doubtless ships that had been part of the fleet assigned to protect the colony of New Delhi. With such a wide mix of ships, Foley was hoping at least some of the missiles fired by the Indian fleet were not protected against the harmful radiation thermonuclear explosions pumped into space.

As the two groups of missiles passed through one another all ninety British missiles exploded in an attempt to knock out their Indian counterparts. Foley’s guess had been correct. Four Indian missiles were destroyed as British missiles exploded nearby, the explosive force alone destroying them. Another twenty were knocked out as their targeting sensors were fried by the electromagnetic radiation. The other one hundred and eighty six were either immune to such bursts of electromagnetic radiation, or passed through the exploding British missiles unscathed.

“Here they come,” Malik shouted as the British fleet opened fire on the Indian missiles. Flak cannon rounds, AM missiles and plasma cannon bolts reached out to pluck the missiles out of existence before they got close enough to damage the British ships.

Indian missiles exploded around the British ships. Endeavour’s navigation officer threw the exploration cruiser out of the way of one incoming missile but it still managed a proximity hit which damaged several point defense plasma cannons and burnt off a lot of Endeavour’s stern port armor. The damage and concussion wave set off a series of alarms around the bridge. When Endeavour’s sensors were able to peer through the waves of electromagnetic energy given off by the nuclear explosions, a light cruiser, a destroyer and a frigate were missing from the British fleet. Several other ships were also reporting damage from proximity hits.

“We’re still in the battle,” James said. “Send Foley’s orders to our drones and shuttles, get them to close the distance to the fleet.”

“Aye Sir,” Lieutenant Becket replied.

“Captain, getting orders from Foley,” Sub Lieutenant King reported. “He’s requesting all ships hold fire until the Indians fire their third volley.”

“He is going to try the same trick again,” James said. “Acknowledge the order, let’s hope it works.”

When the Indians fired their third volley, their warships began to brake to keep the British ships at the optimal range for a missile duel. As soon as Foley identified the trajectory of the Indian missiles he ordered his ships to launch their volley. Then he sent another order.

“Follow the flagship,” James said to his navigation officer. “Match her trajectory and velocity.”

As Goliath turned towards the Indian ships, she lit off her drive, forcing as much power into her engines as her reactors would allow. The rest of the British ships were only a split second behind the heavy cruiser and together they turned and dove towards the Indian fleet. As they had already been traveling at their maximum safe velocity of 0.29c, they quickly surpassed it. However, by now everyone in the British fleet was used to facing the risk of a cosmic particle strike, and they had all taken as many precautions as they could to protect themselves against the increased levels of radiation that would be penetrating their ships. Not that it mattered much. They knew what their fate would be.

*

“What are they doing?” Admiral Kapoor demanded as soon as the British ships accelerated. “Their ships can’t go faster than that, can they?”

Without waiting for an answer, he sprang into action. “Send a general order to the fleet, I want full deceleration now.”

As his ships responded, Kapoor punched his command console. The British ships just kept accelerating, 0.33c, 0.36c. 0.38c, 0.41c. His ships couldn’t brake fast enough. If those British ships survived his third missile salvo they would get into plasma cannon range. If they did, he knew Kali would be their main target. Everything now depended on the two hundred and ten missiles he had targeted at the British squadron.

Chapter 20 – Ultimate Sacrifice

Dying for the Empire is seen as the ultimate expression of one’s duty. Dying for one’s friends the ultimate expression of one’s love.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

“We got then this time,” Malik reported after the third salvo of British missiles exploded right in front of the incoming Indian missiles.

“At least it’s something,” James said as he tried to lift the spirits of his bridge crew. “Foley’s plan is good, it may just work. Remember why we’re doing this, in another eight hours Rooke will be able to jump to safety, whether or not we get into plasma cannon range of these Indian ships.”

Before James could think of anything more to say, King spoke up, “Captain, Foley’s requesting a COM channel be opened with you and Captain Gupta.”

“Okay,” James said. “Send it to my command chair.”

As King sent the COM transmission to his command chair, both Captain Foley and Captain Gupta’s faces appeared from the Holo projector. “We don’t have much time,” Foley began. “I have new orders for both of you, and you’re going to do what I command. I’m not here to listen to arguments.”

James didn’t know where Foley was going with this, but he wasn’t about to accept something blindly. “Just what are you talking about?” he asked.

“This is an order Captain Somerville, Captain Gupta,” Foley said looking both Captains in the eye. “When our fleet goes into stealth, both of you are going to keep your ships in stealth until you pass through the Indian fleet. I know your ships’ plasma cannons have capacitors that allow them to fire from stealth. It might be a small chance, but it’s better than no chance at all. If both of your ships stay in stealth, you may be able to make it through the plasma cannon fire fight unscathed. If you can, then you may have a chance to escape. I’m ordering you to take it.”

“Not a chance,” James said. “This suicide mission was my idea, I led you all to this point. I’m not about to turn tail and run now, especially when no one else has a chance to escape.”

“I said this was an order Captain Somerville,” Foley said. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re like, I saw the court martial back on Earth. You may have been found not guilty, but you risked your career and your mission unnecessarily. And if you don’t follow my order now, you’ll be doing exactly the same thing. You have a chance to get your crew home. It may be a slim one but you’re going to take it. End of discussion.”

Before James could say anything more, Foley cut the transmission. James was left staring in anger at Gupta. He went to open his mouth to complain to her, but she beat him to the punch. “He’s right you know,” she said. “Why exactly are you going to disobey his order? Because of your pride? Or because of your sense of shame? The others will die because of your idea, nothing can change that now. I don’t like Foley’s order any better than you, but I know I am responsible for my crew. If I can get them out of this alive then I’m going to do it. You should too Captain.”

“I…” James began to say, but as the sound came out of his mouth he couldn’t think of what he wanted to follow it up with. What am I complaining about? he asked himself. If we go into stealth we can still fire our plasma cannons at the Indians. You want to go down in a blaze of glory, the answer came. Foley and the rest of the squadron are going to go down in history, you want to join them.

His own thoughts stung him, but James knew there was an element of truth to them. He wanted to be remembered as the one who had saved the British fleet at New Delhi. Not as the one who let others die while he snuck home safe and sound. With the thought of home, images of Suzanna popped into his head. Throughout the battle he had intentionally suppressed any temptation to think of her. Now, as he remembered the last moments they had spent together and the tears in her eyes at their parting, he realized how foolish he was being. Every one of his crew had loved ones or family members who were waiting for them to get home. If he could get them home, then he would happily live with whatever personal shame he might have to endure.

“Okay,” James said to Gupta. “I’ll do it, it probably won’t work anyway, but if it does I’ll see you on the other side. It’s been a privilege to serve with you Captain.”

“The feeling’s mutual James,” Gupta said as she saluted. James saluted back and switched off the COM unit.

“Listen up everyone,” James said, raising his voice. “Once we’re in stealth, we’re going to remain in stealth and see if we can pass through the Indian fleet undetected. As we pass, we’re going to take out one of the Indian ships with our heavy plasma cannons. Mallory, I want you and Malik to go over the Indian fleet formation, see if you can find us a hole that we can pass through undetected.”

“Aye Captain,” Mallory said with a wide grin on his face. “I reckon we can find just the spot.”

Around the bridge other smiles broke out and optimism reappeared among the officers. They were all thinking the same thing, where moments before they had been prepared for certain death, now there was hope.

We still have to survive this last missile salvo, James thought. He held back from expressing his thought as he wanted his crew to enjoy a few moments with their own thoughts before the action heated up again.

Just before it was time to put Foley’s last plan into action, Mallory came back with a suggested course for Endeavour to take through the Indian fleet. James took a couple of seconds to review it before sending it on to Sub Lieutenant Jennings at the navigation console. “As soon as we go into stealth, take us onto this new heading Sub Lieutenant,” he ordered.

Before Jennings could respond, Malik reported a new communication from Goliath. “The fleet is to enter stealth in one minute forty-five seconds,” he reported.

“Acknowledge the order,” James commanded.

“I hope this works,” Mallory said from his command chair beside James.

“As do I,” James said. “We’ll find out soon enough.”

The bridge came alive as the Indian missile salvo entered point defense range of the British ships. The Indian missiles were met with a cloud of flak cannon fire and then wave after wave of point defense plasma cannon fire and AM missiles. The two hundred enemy missiles were reduced to fifty. Nevertheless, as those fifty missiles dove towards their final targets it looked like the British fleet was done for.

Then, every remaining ship in the British squadron disappeared. Following Foley’s instructions, they had gone into stealth mode. Simultaneously, over two hundred drones and shuttles positioned less than a hundredth of a light second behind the fleet came alive. Each drone and shuttle had been programmed to emit electromagnetic radiation that mimicked one of the ships in the British squadron. The targeting computers on each Indian missile had less than a split second to analyze all the new sensor data and make final targeting decisions. Five of the missiles still managed to get a strong enough reflection from their own radar arrays to lock onto the British warships. The other forty-five flew past the British squadron and exploded among the drones and shuttles following just behind the British ships.

“It looks like we’re still in one piece,” Mallory said with more than a hint of relief in his voice. Endeavour, along with her sister ship Discovery, were equipped with the latest state-of-the-art stealth technologies. Even so, they weren’t designed to hide a warship from a hostile missile making its final attack run.

“What is the damage to the fleet?” James asked, he knew other warships wouldn’t have been so lucky.

“It looks like the heavy cruiser Dragon has taken two direct hits, she is spinning out of formation. Both Swiftsure and Audacious are reporting proximity hits, but they seem to be intact,” Sub Lieutenant Malik reported.

“Project Dragon’s new trajectory on the holo display,” James requested.

Seconds later a new line appeared on the plot showing the likely trajectory that Dragon’s spin would take her on. “She’ll still get into plasma cannon range of the Indian fleet, assuming her plasma cannons are still working.” James said. “Good, we’re going to hurt them.”

The rest of the British ships clearly received a new order from Foley, for, as one, they reappeared on the holo plot. As if coming out of stealth opened up the destroyer to being targeted by some new Indian weapon, Spartan exploded.

“A cosmic particle strike,” Mallory said, “what damn luck.”

James didn’t say anything, the fleet had been accelerating far beyond its maximum safe velocity for more than ten minutes now, they were lucky things weren’t any worse. As soon as Endeavour had gone into stealth he had ordered his ship to decelerate to 0.38c so as to avoid a similar fate. The rest of the British ships didn’t have such a luxury, if they were going to close to plasma cannon range they had to keep going as fast as they could.

The British squadron accelerated towards the Indian fleet. More out of anger than a hope to achieve anything, the Indian fleet fired a fourth salvo of over two hundred missiles at the British. Before the missiles got into range, all hell broke out on the holo plot.

Plasma cannon technology was at an almost identical stage of development across all the major space faring powers. As a result, both fleets opened up with the heavy plasma cannons at almost the exact same moment. Designed to deflect and reduce the expanding energy of a thermonuclear explosion, valstronium armor could do little to hold back a heavy plasma bolt as it tried to burn its way into the inner hull of a warship. As more than a hundred heavy plasma bolts crisscrossed space, both fleets erupted in a mass of explosions.

Goliath, along with the remaining medium and light cruisers had targeted their plasma bolts on the Indian battlecruiser. Within seconds of firing, twelve explosions rippled across its hull. Four of them hit weakened areas and burst right through the ship and exploded out its other side. The rest did almost as much damage as they broke in and destroyed whole sections of the warship. Two bolts punched through the thick valstronium armor protecting her reactors, as they came into contact they vaporized three of the cruiser’s four fusion reactors. A massive wave of energy was released and a third of the battlecruiser exploded in a giant fireball. The force ripped what remained of the ship into three sections, and each spun off into space.

The other six ships in the British fleet had each targeted another Indian ship and all of them managed to get a kill. The returning Indian fire was just as deadly. Not one British warship remained.

“They’re all gone,” Sub Lieutenant Scott said in disbelief.

“They are,” James said, hardening his voice. “But now is not the time to dwell on that. Focus on your responsibilities.”

“Yes Sir,” Scott replied, chastened.

“Becket, hold your fire until we pass through their formation,” James ordered. “Target the heavy cruiser identified as alpha two. We’ll fire right at the edge of our maximum range.”

It took Endeavour almost two and a half minutes to pass through the Indian formation. The missiles the Indian fleet had launched were no threat to them, for their course change to pass through the Indian formation took them away from the area targeted by the missiles. Instead they harmlessly exploded among the wreckage that had once been Foley’s squadron.

For their part, the Indians looked in disarray. Losing their battlecruiser along with whatever Admiral had been commanding the fleet had shocked the rest of the Indian ships. If James had been worried about being detected while still in stealth, he realized he needn’t have bothered. It seemed like each Indian ship thought the battle was over, they were all focusing their sensors on what remained of their flagship as shuttles launched and looked for survivors.

“Fire,” James ordered just before Endeavour passed out of range of the Indian fleet.

Becket released six heavy plasma bolts that shot towards the Indian heavy cruiser. From another point in space six more heavy plasma bolts shot towards a medium cruiser. As each plasma bolt hit its target, two more explosions erupted in the midst of the Indian fleet. Remaining in stealth, both Endeavour and Discovery continued on their new trajectories as they headed away from the Indian fleet and towards open space.

Suddenly aware of another threat around them, every remaining Indian ship actively scanned in all directions. A number of the warships got a hint of one of the two British warships and launched several missiles at the targets they could detect. James and Gupta had already worked out the best trajectory to take after engaging the Indian fleet, and they were heading away from the Indian fleet at a tangent that only allowed the Indians to target them with their stern missile tubes. As a result, the Indian ships that detected them only fired ten missiles.

Endeavour and Discovery came out of stealth and moved into a tight formation. Combining their flak cannons and point defense fire, they easily dispatched the Indian missiles before making a course change and returning to stealth mode.

*

Half way across the New Delhi system, Acting Commodore Lightfoot felt his chest swell with pride as he watched so many British ships sacrifice their lives to allow their comrades to get home safely.

“They actually did it,” his First Lieutenant said, amazed at what he had just seen. “They managed to take out the battlecruiser.”

“Yes,” Lightfoot acknowledged. “We paid a heavy price today to see Admiral Rooke and his ships get home. But at least the action of those brave captains made sure that it wasn’t all for nothing. The Indians will count this battle as a victory. But it’s a pyrrhic one at best. The war is far from over.

“What do we do now?” Retribution’s First Lieutenant asked. “I don’t think Admiral Khan’s fleet is going to let us cruise up to the shift passage to Aror and head home.”

“No,” Lightfoot chuckled. “I expect he is going to be rather pissed. We’re going to have to take the long way home, we can continue to head to the edge of the New Delhi system. We’ll then cut a path through the dark matter towards the shift passage to Aror. We’ll have to spend two or three days flying through normal space before we get to the shift passage, but when we do, we should be able to enter the shift passage a long way from any patrolling Indian ships. Then we can head on to Aror. We will still have to be careful. Admiral Khan will no doubt dispatch ships to Aror to try and catch any British stragglers. Even so, I’m sure we can avoid them.”

“What was that?” One of Retribution’s bridge officers shouted as two more ships disappeared off the gravimetric plot. “Are there more British warships out there?”

Lightfoot didn’t answer, instead he stared intently at Retribution’s sensors. There’s someone out there, he thought as several of the Indian ships launched missiles into space. His suspicions were confirmed when two more ships suddenly appeared on the gravimetric plot and maneuvered into a close formation.

“It’s Discovery and Endeavour,” Lightfoot informed his crew. “There’s no other ships that could sneak right through the middle of an Indian fleet. They must have remained in stealth while the rest of the British ships attacked the Indians with their plasma cannons.”

As everyone watched, the two British warships easily dealt with the Indian missiles launched in their direction. Then they turned onto a new trajectory that put them on an intercept course with Lightfoot and his squadron.

“It looks like we’re going to have some company on our long voyage home,” Lightfoot said.

Chapter 21 - Unbroken

The Empire’s marines have a saying, ‘strike back ability.’ It’s meaning is clear. The real strength of a combat force isn’t seen when the enemy hands you a defeat. It is seen in how you strike back. For the marines, every defeat is followed by a decisive victory, they know of nothing else.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

15th August 2467 AD, Haven

Spotting the tree that marked three hundred meters to his finishing line, Major Johnston picked up the pace for a sprint finish. As he passed his target, he dug his feet into the black Haven soil and skidded to a halt. Pausing for a few seconds, he took five deep breaths and then allowed his breathing to return to normal. Pulling out his COM unit, he checked the time it had taken him to complete the ten kilometer run.

It had been over a month since he had escaped with Councilwoman Pennington. The first week he had spent on his back as the camp’s doctor looked after him. Two of his special forces marines even had to carry him on a stretcher when the resistance fighters had relocated their camp to a more secure position. After what seemed like an eternity, he had finally been able to get back on his feet and move around slowly. It was only in this last week he had been able to begin to train and exercise again. Today’s run had been sixty seconds slower than his personal best, he wasn’t quite back to being fully fighting fit, but he was well enough to re-join the fight. He was eager to put his latest plan into action.

As he walked over to the resistance camp hidden about fifty kilometers from Haven’s capital, Liberty, Clare appeared to greet him. “How was your run?” she asked.

“I could have been a little quicker,” Johnston replied as he raised his arms to shoulder height and rotated them to loosen up his muscles. “But it felt good, almost back to normal. This four-day hike will be good exercise for me. After that, I’ll be ready for combat.”

Claire eyed him wearily but held her tongue. This was an argument they had already had. Ever since Johnston had set his mind on attacking the Indian installation, she had feared for his life. Waiting to see if he had managed to escape from the cave hideout had been among the most difficult times of her life. She had tried to convince Johnston to hold off on the attack until he was fully recovered, or to send someone else to lead in his stead. Neither argument had worked, and she had accepted the inevitable.

“Councilwoman Pennington has ordered a large breakfast prepared for all the troops heading out on the raid. She has requested you and I join her in her tent to eat together,” Clare informed Johnston.

“Sounds good to me,” Johnston said as he rubbed his belly. “All this exercise is making my appetite come back.”

Pennington was already sitting at the large table she typically used for briefings. Three large steaming plates were arranged on the table.

“Major, Clare,” Pennington said by way of welcome. “Come in and sit down, I want to pick your brain one last time before you leave Major.”

Johnston wasn’t surprised. He had hardly seen her in the last month, she had been extremely busy reorganizing what was left of the resistance and re-establishing communication with the other resistance groups spread around Liberty. He, on the other hand, had been focusing on recovering from his injuries and getting fit again. Now he was about to go off on a mission that would see him gone for at least a couple of weeks.

“This looks scrumptious,” Clare said as she sat down and picked up her knife and fork, eager to get stuck in.

“I took the liberty of ordering our cooks to use our best supplies for this morning’s breakfast. Your team has a long trek and a difficult fight ahead of it, I want to send you off with a full stomach,” Pennington explained.

“I’m certainly not going to complain,” Johnston said as he picked up his utensils. “So, what is it you want to discuss?” he asked after stuffing a slice of sausage into his mouth.

“It’s been over four months since you landed on Haven,” Pennington began. “Whilst your help has been invaluable, it is becoming clearer and clearer to me that without your fleet and a proper army, the resistance will struggle to last another four months. How long do you think it will be before help arrives?”

“Honestly,” Johnston answered, “I’m not sure. I thought the fleet would have been here by now. Using the Gift, Endeavour should have made it back to the Sol system months ago. There’s been more than enough time for the Admiralty to analyze the intelligence Captain Somerville gathered and formulate a plan of attack. The Gift makes it easy for a fleet to get here unmolested. That they haven’t arrived by now, suggests the Admiralty is up to something else. Just what that is, I can only guess.”

“Well, your guess is the best answer I’m going to get so if you care to share it with me, I’m sure I would find it useful,” Pennington said.

Johnston took a few moments to reply as he worked on another mouthful of food. He wasn’t sure just how much he wanted to draw Pennington into his confidence. Maybe being open with her will help her to see herself as one of us. It couldn’t hurt, he thought as he shrugged, swallowing his mouthful of food.

“The Indians have been a fierce rival of ours for the last one hundred and fifty years. As we share a colonial border, there’s been constant competition to discover new systems first, and to box in the other with new discoveries. It’s never boiled over into open hostilities before, but, as I’m sure you know, whoever controls Haven and the trade routes to Vestar and Kulthar will become the dominant colonial power in this region of space. If, as I know our Prime Minister wants to do, Parliament declares a formal war against India because of their illegal occupation of your colony, then the war will be bigger than just a fight for Haven. If our fleet can destroy the Indian fleet, or knock out their military industrial complex, then India will be crushed as a rival. It’s possible if war has broken out then the fleet’s focus is elsewhere. I’m sure they will come to liberate Haven eventually. In fact, I thought they would do that first, from here they could launch a surprise attack into the rear of the Indian colonies. However, that doesn’t appear to be the strategy the Admiralty has embarked upon. It’s been months now as you said. If war was declared, then I suspect the British fleet has already moved into the Indian colonies via French space. They will only come for Haven once they have won victory there. It may be a month or two yet before we see any sign of the fleet in the Haven system.”

“So while your fleet uses Haven as a pretext to attack one of its oldest enemies, my people are forced to fight and die alone here?” Pennington said passionately. “And if your fleet is beaten in the Indian colonies, then no help will be coming for us. Is that correct?”

“Yes,” Johnston was forced to admit. “But, if Haven is to become a British protectorate, then India will become a permanent enemy, and a constant threat. If the fleet can deal with India now, then your colony’s safety will be guaranteed not just for a month or year or a decade but hopefully decades to come.”

“That’s a big if Major,” Pennington said. “If the British fleet doesn’t come soon, there may not be much of Haven left to become anyone’s protectorate.”

“But Councilwoman,” Clare said as she joined the conversation. “We can’t expect the British to spend money and lives to liberate us and then get nothing out of it. Don’t forget what we did to them, we committed piracy against them, and attacked the Kulrean envoy. As much as it may be hurting our people right now, we can’t expect the British not to put their own interests first. The very fact they’re willing to let us keep our independence is more than we’re going to get from any other Earth power.”

Johnston nodded at Clare’s words. Over the past month they had spent long hours in deep conversation about these matters. Clare was as fiercely independent as any of the Haven colonists. Their parents, grandparents and great grandparents had instilled in the current generation a strong animosity towards Earth and its nations. Captain Somerville and Endeavour had demonstrated to the people of Haven that not all the Earth powers were as selfish as the founders of Haven had made out. Johnston also knew he and his special forces marines were helping to change the opinions of many of the Havenite resistance fighters. For her part, Clare was becoming more and more of a supporter of the idea of Haven becoming a British protectorate, the fact they were sharing a tent in the new resistance base was no doubt helping to break down her inbuilt resistance to any outside influences.

“That’s true,” Pennington said. “But I don’t want my people dying for nothing. If help doesn’t come soon, then the Indians will fortify this planet so heavily it will be impossible to dislodge them.”

“And that’s all the more reason to fight,” Johnston said. “I’m not a politician, nor a fleet Admiral, I’m just a marine. I’m here to do my duty for my country, but also, for your people. If we can take out this target, then it will make it much easier for whatever ground forces the fleet brings with it to land and secure Haven. I can’t speak for our government, but I hope the actions of my men and I, and the sacrifice some of them have already made for your planet, are at least showing you in some small way that we as a people can be trusted.”

“Don’t get me wrong,” Pennington said. “I appreciate what you and your squad of marines have done for us more than I could ever say. I hope you know that by now. But, I’m concerned your fleet is taking too long, and as you know, swapping one foreign power for another is never going to sit comfortably with me.”

“That I know all too well,” Johnston said with a chuckle to try and relieve some of the tension around the table. “Those are issues I am never going to be able to solve for you. We’ll all just have to wait and see what happens after the Indians are defeated. I hope you will become a strong ally of my country and not just my friend, but that will be up to you.”

“I guess time will tell,” Pennington said. “Now, let’s talk about something else and enjoy this breakfast before you head off. Tell me, just how serious are the two of you?” she said with a smile as both Johnston and Clare blushed.

Twenty minutes later, Clare and Johnston stepped out of Pennington’s tent. As they approached the clearing in the middle of the camp they found Johnston’s team was already formed up. “Is everyone accounted for?” Johnston asked.

“All present and correct,” Sergeant Briar replied. Since Moony’s death, he had taken over as Johnston’s second in command. “We have twenty of the best resistance fighters alongside our marines. I’ve been giving each of them some additional training over the last week.

“Good, I’m sure they have all benefited from it. Send Beckworth and Fisher ahead to scout our path, then you may take point,” Johnston ordered.

“Yes Sir,” Briar replied and turned to find Beckworth and Fisher.

“I guess this is it,” Johnston said as he turned to Clare and pulled her into a tight embrace. “Be careful,” he added as he pulled away.

Clare pulled Johnston back into a passionate kiss. “I will,” she replied. “If there is any sign of Indian forces we will return immediately. You are the one who has to be careful.”

“I’ll do my best,” Johnston said. Secretly he was glad Clare wasn’t joining him on his mission. Pennington has requested she lead a small group of fighters back to the cave hideout to see if any useful supplies could be scavenged from the wreckage. It would be risky, but not nearly as risky as the attack he was planning.

“I’ll see you in a couple of weeks,” Clare said as she squeezed his hand. With a quick spin, she turned her back to him and strode towards the center of the resistance camp.

“Aye,” Johnston whispered, already sad to see her go. They had agreed the night before they would say their goodbyes quickly. Neither knew if they would outlive the war with the Indians but they were both realizing just how much they cared for each other.

As the group set out on their long hike, Johnston fell into step beside Briar. For the rest of the day they hiked through the thick forest. They stopped for lunch and the occasional comfort break but they had a long way to go and they pressed on late into the night. Only once darkness had set in did they stop and set up camp. For the next two days, the pattern was the same and by the evening of the third night since leaving the resistance camp, it was clear to Johnston the rest of the resistance fighters were becoming weary from their long, drawn out march. For his part, he was feeling stronger and stronger each day, the hike was refreshing and it was rejuvenating his energy levels.

Anticipating the resistance soldiers would be drained from the long cross-country hike, Johnston had planned to stop by lunchtime on the fourth day. When they got to the site that would be their forward operating base, they found another group of resistance fighters already there.

“Maguire,” Johnston said as he recognized the leader of the other resistance group when he stepped out of the forest to greet them. “It’s good to see you,” he said as he smiled and reached out to shake Maguire’s hand.

“And I you,” Maguire said. “I was happy to hear you had escaped from the cave attack. I have twenty-five men and women with me.”

“Good,” Johnston said. “We’re going to need every one of them. Now, if you care to show us where you have set up, our men can get settled in around you, I’m sure they’re eager to take a break and get some food in their bellies.”

After being shown around and setting up his tent, Johnston went and found Maguire. Together they waited on the edge of the camp to greet the rest of the resistance as they came in. Over the next three hours a further four teams arrived. By evening, Johnston’s force numbered one hundred and thirty-six fighters. After the evening meal, Johnston called a council of war and invited each of the leaders and their second in command to meet with him to discuss the next day’s operation.

Once everyone was settled, Johnston turned on the portable holo projector he had brought with him. “This is what we’re going after,” he said to the resistance leaders as he played the video he had prepared for them.

The images were from the Haven Defense Forces’ attempt to intercept the first wave of Indian landing shuttles. Johnston had managed to obtain the recordings and sent them back to Earth as part of his intelligence package. As the leaders watched, the visual showed a wing of Haven Defense Force fighters attempt to attack a group of shuttles and destroy them before they landed their troops on Haven. Suddenly, a large group of Indian Hal Tejas swooped out of the clouds above the Haven fighters and launched a spread of missiles followed by a hail of plasma bolts. Within seconds, more than half of the Haven force had been destroyed and the rest scattered under the withering fire.

Once the visuals were complete, the holo projector automatically switched itself off. “As you can see,” Johnston began, “these fighters are effective. The Indians call them Hal Tejas, they are designed for atmospheric and space flight. They can fulfill an air superiority role, as you just observed, with great effectiveness. But their main purpose is to lurk on the outer edge of a planet’s atmosphere in stealth awaiting an invasion force. As enemy landing craft pass through the planet’s atmosphere, the Hal Tejas power up and swoop on any landing shuttles and quickly take them out, just as they to those Haven fighters that tried to intercept the Indian shuttles.

“I don’t have any more recent Intel from my government, nor the British Admiralty, but if I had to guess, I think the fleet, along with an invasion army designed to drive the Indians from your planet should arrive in the next few months. However, the British fleet doesn’t have anything that can compete with the Hal Tejas. If they try to force a landing with Hal Tejas opposing them, it could turn into a bloodbath. Thankfully, we know where the Hal Tejas are operating from. They were flying out of the Indian warships in orbit, but they’ve been moved to Haven’s surface. I suspect the Indians fear a British fleet may drive away their ships and they have gone to great efforts to provide the Hal Tejas with a ground base. That way, if the Indian fleet is driven off, they will still be able to operate and oppose any landing the British fleet may attempt. A month ago scouts located their base, now we are ready to hit it, that’s why I have gathered you. If we can pull this off, this will be the greatest victory the resistance has yet won.”

Satisfied he had piqued the resistance leaders’ interests, Johnston explained his plan of attack. The leaders and their men had gathered without being told their objective and they had a lot of questions as they tried to take in the plan for the first time. As Johnston listened and answered the questions he couldn’t help but smile. The resistance leaders were clearly excited, they wanted to make a few tweaks to his tactics, but they were all on board. Good, Johnston thought. It’s time we repaid the Indians for the attack on our cave hideout. The various resistance groups had been very quiet over the last month as they had been reeling from the attack on their main base. The Indians must have begun to think that they had struck a decisive blow. They were about to learn otherwise.

Chapter 22 – The Facility

One would think that in the inter-species wars that have dominated our recent history collaboration would have become a thing of the past. When we fought each other it was understandable. Yet to work against your own species, surly that is unthinkable? Sadly, finding out we are not alone in the galaxy didn’t change human nature.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

19th August 2467 AD, Haven.

As Jonas Maguire surveyed the scene in front of him, he ground his teeth in anger. He was over thirty meters up one of Haven’s massive trees as he looked over a small clearing in the thick Haven forest. Where once hundreds of Haven trees had grown, there was now a large collection of mining and mineral extraction equipment. Indian soldiers and military engineers were overseeing the excavation of a deep cavern. According to Major Johnston, it was over two hundred meters deep underneath the forest floor.

The Hal Tejas were able to take off and land vertically, so once the mining equipment was removed, the only sign of the base being constructed deep beneath his feet would be the small opening in the middle of the clearing he was looking at. By his eye it measured no more than twenty meters by twenty meters and would be hard to spot from space. Luckily Johnston’s scouts had stumbled across the operation before it was finished. The entire area was swarming with men and machines who were extracting more and more material from the hole as construction continued on the base far below.

What had Maguire so angry wasn’t the Indian soldiers, nor the mining equipment they had stolen from Haven construction companies. It was the hundreds of Havenite citizens who were cooperating with the Indians and appeared to be working as hard as they could to get the military base completed as soon as possible. Perhaps the Indians had taken their families hostage, or found some other kind of leverage to force them to work. Even so, Maguire thought, they made their choice, they are collaborators now and have forfeited the right to any mercy.

Moments later, a series of whistles spread through the trees as they were taken up and repeated by Havenite fighters positioned along the edge of the clearing. Recognizing the whistle as confirmation the final squad was in place, Maguire carefully lifted his gauss cannon and sighted it on the head of a nearby Indian soldier. Letting out half his breath, he paused before squeezing the trigger. The force of the round leaving his gauss cannon bucked the weapon back into his shoulder. Before he had absorbed all of the recoil, the round had traversed the one hundred meters to his target and slammed into the Indian soldier. Indian combat armor was unbelievably strong and the gauss cannon round failed to penetrate it, yet, the force of the impact was enough to stun the soldier and his combat armor fell to the floor.

All around the forest, the one hundred resistance fighters who were strategically positioned took Maguire’s shot as the signal to open fire. Within seconds, hundreds of gauss cannon rounds were raining down on the Indian soldiers, military engineers and Havenite civilians. By the time Maguire had fired his fourth shot, the Indian soldiers appeared to be getting over their initial shock. Most of those who had survived the first wave of gauss cannon rounds took cover and returned fire. Their plasma cannons were far better suited to medium and long range engagements and hundreds of plasma bolts burnt through the thick Havenite forest, taking out resistance fighters.

The resistance fighters continued to send a wave of gauss cannon rounds into the clearing. At Maguire’s command, the first wave of resistance fighters advanced, charging towards the mining equipment for cover. From somewhere underground, a deep booming siren began to reverberate out of the opening and echo around the forest. Good, Maguire thought with a smile, everyone should know we’re here by now.

As the wave of Havenite fighters reached the mining equipment, their fire forced what was left of the Indian forces back towards the large opening in the ground. Confident their attack was going to plan, Maguire ordered the second wave of fighters forward. The fighting intensified as both waves of Havenite fighters slowly moved through the mining equipment, pressing the Indians further back towards the opening leading to the Indian base.

Even though he was expecting it, when one of the larger excavation tractors exploded, Maguire flinched. Several more explosions rang out in quick succession. A number of his men had been sent forward with explosives. As the resistance fighters pushed the Indians back, they were detonating any piece of mining equipment not being used as cover.

As a large platform ascended up out of the hole in the clearing Maguire knew their attack was about to falter. On the platform, over fifty Indian soldiers in combat armor shot at his forces once they came into view. Even before the platform halted, they jumped off it and charged towards their comrades to aid in the base’s defense.

The fighting ground to a standstill as the Indian reinforcements halted the advance of the Havenite fighters. Then, the more accurate Indian fire began to tell. Slowly at first, and then with greater speed, the Indians advanced, pushing the Havenite fighters back towards the tree line. Several more explosions rang out amidst the fighting as more mining equipment was destroyed. However, the men sent forward with the explosive charges were soon forced to worry more about their own safety than planting charges.

Two minutes after the first wave of Indian reinforcements arrived, the large platform reappeared. Another fifty Indian soldiers in combat armor jumped off it and moved to join the fighting. Maguire lifted his hands to his mouth and shouted the command to fall back.

The call to fall back was taken up and repeated as other Havenite fighters echoed Maguire’s command. At first, the Havenite fighters began an orderly retreat, moving carefully between the mining equipment, stopping occasionally to fire back at the Indian soldiers. However, the Indian soldiers sensing they were getting the upper hand, moved to take advantage. Rising from their cover, they charged the Havenite fighters. In seconds the Havenite retreat turned into a rout as those who were still alive turned and fled, desperate to get back to the tree line.

Maguire waited until he saw the platform appear once again before he turned and grabbed the zipline he had set up before the attack. Jumping off the branch he had been watching the battle from, he descended to the forest floor. Without looking back, he sprinted deeper into the forest and jumped over a makeshift barrier his men had set up. Anticipating his forces would be quickly routed, he had copied a tactic he had seen Johnston use in the past. Having held back a reserve force from the main engagement, they had set up a firing line deeper in the forest. As the Havenite fighters who had survived the attack fled through the forest, they hurdled the defensive line and ran for their lives.

Not expecting to find any more organized resistance, the first wave of Indian soldiers fell to a hail of fire from Maguire and his reserve force. Those behind the first wave ground to a halt and dived for cover. “Fall back,” Maguire shouted to his men. “Regroup at the rendezvous points.”

After issuing his last command, Maguire stood and sprinted into the forest, not bothering to look back to see what the Indians were doing. He had no doubt they would attempt to pursue the Havenite fighters to capture and kill as many of them as they could. Five rendezvous points had been set up and as the Havenite fighters raced deeper into the forest they split up as each made their way to their allotted destination. Well, Maguire thought to Major Johnston, you have your diversionary attack. You better get the job done.

*

Two kilometers south of where Maguire and his men were fighting for their lives, Johnston, his special forces marines and twenty Havenite fighters were crouched behind a number of large boulders. As the siren boomed out of the cave in front of them, they took it as the sign they had been waiting for. They rose to their feet and charged towards the cave’s opening.

The cave was where Johnston’s scouts had first come across evidence of the Indian base. They had been looking for a new site for the Haven resistance base. However, as they had ventured up the cave they came across signs that someone else occupied it. Retreating back down the cave entrance they had waited and watched. To their shock, instead of a group of Indian soldiers or engineers, the first sign of whoever was occupying the cave had been when a Hal Tejas fighter burst out of the cave and rapidly accelerated into the atmosphere. After figuring out what the Indians were using the cave for, the scouts had surveyed the area and located the clearing and the second opening the Indian engineers were working on.

From the scout’s report, Johnston had guessed that the Indians had already enlarged the cave to house a number of their fighters. He reckoned the second opening would provide a second egress point, so the Indians could house all their fighters in the base and sortie them in the event of a British attack.

As they raced down the cave, the special forces marines broke out in front. They were holding themselves back to allow the Havenites to keep up, but in their eagerness they began to pull away. Whilst his focus was firmly fixed on the distant light growing ever larger, Johnston couldn’t help but notice the signs of human activity on the cave walls. The cave was just too perfect of a circle, it had clearly been widened to allow the Indian fighters to sortie out of the cave.

Johnston and his marines burst out of the cave into a large well-lit cavern. For almost as far as the eye could see, the cavern stretched into the distance. Immediately in front of them, row upon row of Hal Tejas fighters sat ready for action. Around the entrance to the cavern were several Indian soldiers in combat armor milling around. Before any of them knew what was happening, the Marines had trained their plasma rifles on them and dispatched them. As the sound of their heavy metal armor banging on the metallic floor echoed around the cavern, a number of startled technicians looked up from the fighter they had been servicing.

Johnston advanced on them menacingly and ordered them to raise their hands and surrender. However, a burst of gauss cannon fire knocked more than half of the technicians down. The rest turned and fled. Johnston cursed the Havenites’ bloodlust, then raised his plasma rifle and took out the two remaining technicians. He couldn’t have anyone getting away to raise the alarm.

He turned to face the Havenite fighters who were desperately trying to catch their breath, he wanted to shout at them for killing unarmed combatants but he knew it was useless. To the Havenites, every Indian who stepped foot on the planet was an enemy to kill.

“Spread out,” he ordered. “Start planting charges on these fighters, we won’t have long before they start sending troops this way.”

Leaving the Havenite fighters to plant the charges, Johnston motioned for his marines to follow him. Breaking into a full sprint, he headed down the cavern in the direction the technicians had tried to flee. They had known where the nearest exit out of the cavern and deeper into the Indian base was. As he rounded one of the last fighters, a large opening sealed by a blast door came into sight. About forty meters above the door, protruding into the cavern, was a massive glass cylinder. As Johnston broke out from behind one of the fighters he skidded to a halt and looked up at it. Sitting behind a number of computer terminals were more than twenty Indian technicians. As Johnston looked up at them, a number of them looked down at him in shock.

“Damn,” he shouted as he realized their cover was blown.

As a hive of activity erupted within the glass control room, Johnston raised his plasma rifle and poured fire up towards the technicians. At the same time, he charged the blast door. Just as he expected, it descended as someone in the control room gave the order to close it.

Following his lead, the other marines poured fire into the control room. The plasma bolts burnt through the reinforced glass and peppered the technicians. With the sudden realization their lives were in jeopardy, the technicians scattered. Satisfied they couldn’t do anything more to hamper his men, Johnston stopped firing and threw himself to his knees as he skidded the last few meters under the closing blast door.

He looked around to see two of his marines had made it under the blast door with him. “Briar, stay here and open the door so we can get out. Fisher, you’re with me. We’re going to plant charges in the control room. I want it destroyed to prevent the Indians from using this space for a while, even if they bring in more fighters,” he shouted.

Charging forward with Fisher at his side, Johnston came to a T-junction. He saw no sign of life so he continued down the right-hand corridor; there was a set of stairs less than twenty meters down the passageway. As he neared the end of the passageway, several technicians came into view frantically descending the stairs. Looking up, one of them saw the two British marines charging towards them and shrieked in fear. The others froze, acutely aware there was no way they could outrun their attackers.

“Hands above your head,” Johnston shouted, glad there were no Havenites with him. “Do as I say and you won’t be hurt.”

The technicians raised their hands. Efficiently and methodically, Johnston and Fisher went from technician to technician, binding their hands together and latching them onto the stair railing.

“Don’t go anywhere now,” Johnston couldn’t help saying with a chuckle as he and Fisher left the technicians and headed up the stairs. When they got to the top, they were met with another blast door that hadn’t been closed, beyond it was the control room. Reaching into his backpack, Johnston removed a number of charges. Tossing a couple to Fisher, he attached them to the various control terminals.

Once he was done, he stood and looked through the broken glass onto the hangar floor. It looked like the Havenite soldiers were planting the last charges on the Hal Tejas fighters. Doing a quick count, he reckoned there were over twenty fighters in the hangar. He knew there were more fighters somewhere, possibly still based on a ship in space. Twenty will have to do, he thought. It is certainly going to make a dent in their defenses. Someone is going to be pissed.

Movement at the back of the hangar caught his eye and he cursed. Indian soldiers in combat armor were pouring into the hangar. Without waiting to see what was going on, they charged towards the cave entrance and cut off their line of escape.

Glancing down at the blast door he had skidded under, Johnston let out another curse. Briar still hadn’t got it open. “Fisher, see if you can find the control panel for that blast door below us. We need to get it open. The Indians have cut off our escape.” He raised his hands to his lips and shouted down to the rest of his men, “Watch your backs, the Indians have sent soldiers towards the cave entrance. Fall back to the blast door.”

Johnston frantically went from control terminal to control terminal as he sought the blast door override switch. Just as he spotted the terminal he needed, a hail of plasma bolts crashed through what was left of the control room’s glass walls and exploded among the control terminals. Johnston dived towards the terminal he needed and, with one hand, reached up to hit the switch he thought would open the blast door. Lying on the glass floor, he looked down in relief to see it rise out of the way. As soon as it did, the rest of his Marines and the Havenite fighters who had rushed to the door bolted through into safety. Behind them, a number of other Havenite fighters were gunned down as the Indians, now aware there were intruders within the hangar, turned and engaged the Havenite fighters.

“Let’s move,” Johnston shouted as he pushed himself to his feet and ran out of the control room. As he and Fisher sprinted downstairs, Johnston paused to cut one of the technicians loose.

“There has to be another way out of here,” Johnston said to the woman as he dragged her with him. “If you want to see your bed tonight, you’re going to show us. Got it?” He threatened in as scary a voice as he could manage.

Not waiting for a reply, Johnston forced the woman back to the T-junction with him. He was pleased to see that Sergeant Briar had already closed the blast door. Alongside his marines, the Sergeant had formed up the remaining twelve Havenite fighters into two squads of six.

“Listen up,” Johnston said to the gathered men and women. “Our escape route is blocked, this technician here is going to lead us to another way out. I’m going to take point with the rest of the marines, I’m designating you as squads alpha and beta. Alpha you will follow behind us but leave a ten meter gap, beta you stay another ten meters behind alpha. You are responsible for covering the rear, make sure you keep the gap. If you do get hit from behind, your job is to hold them off, if you need backup we’ll turn around to support you. Understood?”

“Yes Major,” the Havenite fighters who took charge of alpha and beta squads replied.

“Right, which way?” Johnston said as he turned the technician around to face him. “I have no time to waste, so if you mess me about, or try to slow us down I’ll shoot you and capture someone else who will get us out of here.”

“Th… this way,” the female technician stammered as she raised her hand and pointed down the corridor that led away from the stairs.

“You’re in front with me,” Johnston said as he turned her and led the fighters deeper into the Indian base. “If you lead us into a trap, you’re the first one who is going to be hit by a plasma bolt.”

The group jogged down the corridor until they came to a wider section of passageway with two turbolifts along each wall. “In here,” the woman said pointing to one of the turbolifts on the right-hand side. “This will take you up to the fourth level. From there you can take the anti-grav platform to the surface. We have another hangar under construction on the fourth level, and there’s a shaft that has been excavated all the way to the surface.”

Pressing a button to open the turbolift, Johnston stood back to allow his marines and the two squads of Havenite soldiers to press themselves into the lift. Then, continuing to hold onto the technician, he stepped in and turned to face the closing doors. “Are there going to be any soldiers on the fourth level when we get there?” Johnston asked after hitting the button.

“Yes, I’m sure there will be,” the technician answered meekly. “Most of the soldiers based in the hangar were sent to the fourth level to head to the surface to fight off an attack made against the mining equipment we have stationed there.”

“Get ready,” Johnston said. They had all heard the technician’s answer, they didn’t need any more encouragement than that.

For a moment, Johnston thumbed the detonation switch in his pocket. Blowing the charges they had set in the lower hangar would cause one hell of a distraction. Yet detonating them now could cripple the base. If they were going to use some sort of anti-grav platform to get to the surface, then they would need the base’s power supply to be operational. They had planted enough charges around the Hal Tejas to bring down almost the entire base. He suspected that for a facility this large the Indians had installed a fusion reactor, if it detonated it would take everyone with it. Removing his hands from his pocket he took a number of deep breaths to calm himself as he waited for the turbolift to reach its destination.

As the turbolift doors opened, Johnston and his marines sprinted towards the first pieces of cover that came into view. The Havenite fighters were only steps behind them. The turbolift had deposited them in a large hangar almost identical to the one below. Except, where Hal Tejas had taken up the majority of the hangar floor, this hangar was full of construction machines, crates of supplies and other materials. Work on the hangar was obviously still ongoing. Off to one side of the hangar, again about forty meters above the hangar floor, was another control room. This one didn’t yet have its protective reinforced glass.

In the middle of the hangar there was a large open space. About sixty meters above the hangar floor a circular platform with a diameter of about twenty meters was slowly descending. The roof of the hangar itself was about one hundred meters above them, yet above the platform there was a shaft that led through the hangar roof and, Johnston guessed, to the planet’s surface.

Shouts of alarm drew Johnston’s attention back to the hangar floor. There were engineers and technicians milling around the construction equipment and a platoon of twenty Indian soldiers in combat armor at the bottom of the anti-grav platform, waiting for it to descend.

As one of the engineers spotting Johnston and his men shouted in alarm, the Indian soldiers reacted almost at once. Spinning round, they raised their plasma rifles and advanced towards the commotion.

“That platform has to be operated from the control room,” Sergeant Briar shouted to Johnston. “Even if we find a way onto the platform, the Indians will never raise it for us. Someone will have to take the control room and hold it long enough to get the rest of us out of here. I’d like to volunteer.”

“Not a chance,” Johnston shouted back. He’d already lost enough of his marines on this planet, he wasn’t going to lose any more. Raising his plasma rifle, he fired a few bolts at the advancing Indians. Then, he ducked behind cover and started to think as the rest of his men engaged the Indian soldiers. There’s bound to be a control terminal on the platform itself, he thought. But there will be an override in the control room. Maybe we can take some hostages? No, the Indians will have figured out it’s marines who are attacking them, they would willingly sacrifice a few technicians to get rid of us.

“We’ve got this,” the Havenite fighter who’d been put in charge of beta squad shouted. Before Johnston could countermand his declaration, he and his five fighters were already on their feet, charging towards the blast door that no doubt led to the control room.

Johnston wanted to swear, but he had no time. “To the platform,” he shouted. If the Havenites took the control room, they wouldn’t be able to hold it for long.

Hurdling the cover he had been hiding behind, he surprised two Indian soldiers trying to flank him. With lightening quick reflexes, he poured plasma bolts into each soldier before charging past them. His men had dispatched eight of the Indian soldiers, leaving only ten. As his men charged, the Indians cut down three of the remaining six Havenite fighters, try as they might, they failed to hit any of Johnston’s marines as their augmented speed caught the Indians by surprise. Closing to hand-to-hand range, Johnston shot another soldier point blank in the face. As a second soldier turned to fire on him, Johnston reached out and ripped the soldier’s plasma rifle from his hands. He ducked into a crouch as an armored fist swung towards him. As the soldier swung wide he was thrown off balance. Seizing the opening, Johnston dropped his plasma rifle and, with two hands, slammed the soldier’s own plasma rifle into his knee, forcing him back. As he rose from his crouch, he whipped his nano carbon knife out of its sheath and shoved it through the soldier’s power armor and into his neck.

He pulled the blade out and returned to a crouch to pick up his plasma rifle. Just as he ducked, two plasma bolts tore through the space his head had been in. Before he could spin round and return fire, Sergeant Briar appeared behind the Indian soldier, his own nano carbon blade protruding from the soldier’s frontal armor.

“That was the last of them,” Briar announced as he shoved the dead soldier to the ground and pulled out his knife.

“Everyone onto the platform,” Johnston shouted as he pushed himself back onto his feet, plasma rifle in hand.

As he stepped onto the platform, Johnston was pleased to see a control terminal. He pushed a few buttons and the anti-grav platform ascended. Plasma bolts zipped past Johnston and instinctively he, along with the rest of his men, went prone. New Indian soldiers had arrived in the hangar and were firing at the platform as it ascended. Leaving his men to return fire, Johnston switched his attention to the control room. The Havenite squad was visible as they blasted the technicians who hadn’t fled. One of the Havenite fighters shut the blast door leading to the control room. Then they took up positions to attack anyone who tried to force their way through the blast door. As the anti-grav platform was about to ascend beyond the point where Johnston could see into the control room, the leader of the Havenite squad turned and gave Johnston a thumbs up. Johnston saluted, then he was out of sight.

“What do you think is going to be waiting for us on the surface?” One of the two remaining Havenite fighters asked Johnston.

“I’m not sure,” Johnston replied. “If they have radioed ahead then there could be two full platoons of Indian soldiers waiting for us. We’ll have no choice but to surrender. Hopefully all the Indian soldiers on the surface are off chasing Maguire and his men. Either way, we’re about to find out.”

It took the anti-grav platform nearly a minute to ascend to the surface. To Johnston, it seemed like an eternity as every possible scenario ran through his head. As the seconds ticked by, he got more and more nervous, the longer it took, the more likely whatever forces were nearby would be ready and waiting for them.

Finally, the multicolored Havenite trees came into sight. Johnston and the marines used their enhanced strength to jump the last five meters. As he leapt into the air, Johnston caught sight of several Indian soldiers milling around nearby. Evidently no one had warned them; they were paying more attention to the tree line than the platform. He poured a hail of plasma bolts into one of the soldiers. The other marines did likewise and within seconds the area was clear. Looking over his shoulder to make sure the three Havenite fighters had got off the platform, Johnston reached into his pocket and hit the detonator. For a moment nothing happened, then a deep rumbling came out of the shaft the platform had ascended through and the ground trembled.

“Let’s get out of here,” Johnston shouted as he ran towards the tree line. From the signs of fighting and the destroyed construction equipment, it was clear Maguire’s attack had at least been partially successful. Leading his marines and the three Havenite fighters in the opposite direction to the destruction, Johnston hoped they wouldn’t run into any Indian patrols.

“That should put a dent in their plans to fend off an invasion,” Briar shouted as he ran alongside Johnston, a large grin on his face. “What a story we’re going to have to tell. I was sure for a moment there we were never getting out of that facility.”

“You and me both,” Johnston replied as they reached the tree line and apparent safety. He couldn’t help the large grin that had spread across his face. It was invigorating to suddenly realize you weren’t going to die. All in all, their attack had lasted less than twenty minutes. It had seemed like an eternity.

Chapter 23 – From the Grave

Despite all the advancements in medical science, the average human lifespan is still just under two hundred years. As yet, no one has found a way to overcome death.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

4th October 2467 AD, HMS Vulcan.

“A fleet has just jumped into the system Admiral,” one of Somerville’s aids informed him over the COM unit in his office.

“Finally,” Somerville replied. “We’re going to get some news.” Since Rooke’s fleet had left Earth nothing had been heard from them. “Send me all the details you have on the fleet so far.”

A couple of minutes later when the full readings from Vulcan’s gravimetric sensors were sent to his office Somerville couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of foreboding. Nearly a third of the fleet he had sent to New Delhi hadn’t returned. Either Rooke had won a decisive victory and the doorway to Haven was now wide open. Or his invasion fleet had just suffered a severe beating.

It took eight hours for Rooke’s mission report to reach Earth and during that time Somerville couldn’t help himself from fretting over just what had happened. The fact Endeavour wasn’t among Rooke’s fleet only made things worse.

When the mission report did arrive, Somerville’s worst fears were realized. The fleet had been decisively defeated. Worse, from even a cursory reading of Rooke’s actions it was clear he had caused the defeat.

“This is unacceptable!” Somerville shouted as he slammed a fist down on his mahogany desk.

“You coward,” he said after reading Rooke’s justification for his actions. Taking a breath Somerville calmed his thoughts. If you think you are going to hide behind my orders you are mistaken, he promised Rooke. Keeping the fleet safe is one thing, running away is another entirely. You cost my nephew his life, I’m going to make you regret that for the rest of yours.

Thoughts of just how he would ensure Rooke’s naval career ended swiftly were banished by another file that caught his attention. It was addresses to Lady Somerville but his name was flagged as well. When he opened it just a couple of sentences greeted him.

Uncle, by now you know of the losses we suffered in the Indian colonies. I can only apologize for letting you down. I hope my actions at the end make up for my failings. Please, can you deliver the news to Suzanna. She has no one else on Earth.

James.

Within the file he had just opened there was another addressed to Suzanna. Using his access codes he overrode the encryption on the file and scanned it. Once he was finished he stood and opened a COM channel to his assistant.

“Forward Rooke’s mission report to Fairfax and King Edward,” he ordered. “Then prep a shuttle for me, I’m taking a trip to Earth.”

“Admiral?” his aide enquired. “Rear Admirals Jackson and Vickers have already requested a meeting.”

Both Admirals were a part of his strategic planning committee, they would be wanting to discuss the next step in the war with the Indians. Fairfax and Edward would be demanding to see him within the hour as well. “Tell them they will have to wait,” Somerville responded. “We can’t do anything with Rooke until he gets to Earth. For now I have something else to do.”

Somerville strode out of his office and made his way to one of Vulcan’s shuttle bays. As he flew down to Earth’s surface he remembered all the times he had briefed his nephew on Vulcan. When James had been given his first command he had been angry and openly insubordinate. Having watched his nephew rise through the junior ranks of the RSN, Somerville had hoped James would mature into a good officer. After he had been assigned to Drake he had developed serious doubts. James had acted like a petulant brat. Yet, the next time he had seen James, his nephew had been transformed. From there he had only improved, both as a leader and a tactician.

I was proud of you, Somerville thought as Badminton House came into view.

By the time the shuttle landed and he had walked up to the large oak doors at the front of the stately house, Suzanna had already opened them and was waiting for him. The look on her face suggested she guessed why he was here unannounced.

“The fleet has returned hasn’t it?” Suzanna asked. “There are rumors on the news broadcasts.”

“It has,” Somerville answered.

“And James?” Suzanna said as her voice cracked.

Instead of answering, Somerville handed her the datapad with James’ message on it. As she read it she began to sob. Finished, she dropped the datapad and looked up at Somerville with bloodshot eyes.

“I’m so sorry,” was all he could say as he drew her into a hug.

*

11th October 2467 AD, HMS Vulcan.

“Are you sure you want to go through with this?” Admiral of the Red, Jonathan Somerville asked his Prime Minister. “If you give me another month or two, I can rearrange our fleet dispositions and further reinforce the Fast Reaction Fleet.”

“Is that really what you are advising?” Fairfax asked. “Have you got scared now that your Rear Admiral has let the fleet down?”

“No,” Somerville replied firmly. “You know me well enough by now, I recommend that we press on. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t let you know that there are still other options. When we put our plan in motion, we didn’t count on losing so many ships in Indian space.”

“Indeed we didn’t,” Fairfax said. “But each of us knew the risks. Rear Admiral Rooke may have handed us a defeat, but the war is not over. I still think your original plan is our best bet. But if it’s going to work, it needs to be put into motion immediately. What do you say?” Fairfax asked as he turned to look at the third man in the meeting.

“I say you are both putting your careers and reputations on the line,” King Edward answered. “I know you intended Rooke’s actions in the Indian colonies to look like a defeat, however, with the losses he took it didn’t just look like a defeat, it was a defeat. Worse, the news reports are right, it was a rout. We’re lucky any of our ships made it back. If it wasn’t for your nephew and the rest of our Captains’ sacrifice, none of the ships would be here. And, as you are both well aware, the public has been fully informed of our failure.”

For a moment Somerville thought Fairfax was about to swear. Rooke’s fleet had made it back to the Sol system less than a week ago. Yet, within a day of the fleet’s arrival, Rooke’s entire mission report had been leaked to the press. Somerville suspected the leak had come from within the RSN, probably from one of Rooke’s subordinates who felt the Rear Admiral had let the fleet down and wanted everyone to know it. The thought that one of the Captains had betrayed Rooke made Somerville angry. Not that he didn’t feel Rooke deserved it, but that their willingness to sell out Rooke was too little too late. Where were they when Rooke was running away from every opportunity to attack the Indians, Somerville thought. What made it worse was that he knew Fairfax blamed the RSN for the leak and, as public opinion turned against Fairfax, their relationship was becoming strained.

The plan had been to lull the Indians into a false sense of security. Yet neither Somerville nor Fairfax had counted on having to watch their backs as they pursued the war with the Indian Star Republic. There were elements within the RSN and the British Parliament that wanted to see Somerville and Fairfax gone. For the last week, their opponents had been doing everything they could to see their desires turn into reality, using the naval disaster in the Indian colonies as ammunition.

“My career can be damned for all I care,” Fairfax answered the British King. “This war with India will impact the future of our Kingdom for decades to come, that’s far more important than my legacy. If I have to, I’ll fight dirtier than any of my rivals to hold onto power. We all know that if someone manages to oust me, they will give in to the Indians. We cannot allow that to happen.

“We must pursue the war, and we need to act fast, this is a risk we need to take. If we can’t retake Haven soon, then the Indians will be so well dug in we will never take the colony. If this is our best bet at defeating the Indians, then I’m willing to bet my career on it.” He turned to Somerville.

“This is our best bet,” Somerville said. “And you both know as well as I do that I may not be able to hold onto my position as the First Space Lord for much longer. There may be other options open to us, and I want you to be aware of them, but my recommendation is we move forward immediately.”

“Then it is settled,” King Edward said. “If you are both prepared to continue with your plan, then I will back you. Though, if we can’t win at Haven, you’ll be on your own. I’ll have a far bigger mess on my hands than your careers. The Indians will be baying for blood if they can defeat our fleet a second time, and the Argentinians and others will not be far behind them.”

“Cunningham knows what’s at stake,” Somerville said. “He’s our best commander and with Home Fleet combined with what’s left of the Fast Reaction Fleet, he should be able to deal with whatever ships the Indians still have at Haven. As long as the Indians haven’t found out about the Gift, he should be able to easily beat Admiral Kumar. With most of the Indian ships at New Delhi with Admirals Khan and Kapoor, Haven should be practically undefended.”

“We are agreed then,” Fairfax said. He let out a long breath and allowed his shoulders to relax. “Send your orders to Cunningham. The sooner he moves, the sooner we will be able to present a victory to the people.”

Reaching over to his desk, Somerville opened a COM channel to his secretary. “The dispatch I have waiting to be sent to Admiral Cunningham, transmit it immediately.” After his secretary acknowledged his command, he shut off the COM unit.

“Would either of you like a drink?” Somerville asked as he reached down to the lower desk drawer and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. “It’s from 1984 and I dare say, it has aged well.”

“I think that would do us all some good,” Edward said. After Somerville poured three half glasses, he reached over and took two, handing one to Fairfax.

“To victory,” he said as he raised the glass to his lips.

“And fallen comrades,” Somerville added as he drank.

For more than a minute they sat in silence as they contemplated the events they had set in motion. Already many thousands of British lives had been lost and, no doubt, many more were to follow. All for a system more than a hundred light years away from Earth. It was no surprise public opinion was turning against the war.

Somerville’s thoughts were elsewhere. Rooke and his fleet had jumped out of the New Delhi system just after Captain Foley and his heavy cruisers had closed to plasma cannon range with the New Delhi fleet. The sensor data from the engagement had been far from complete, however, it had been clear that every single British warship that had engaged the Indians had been destroyed. A small part of him still held out hope for his nephew, after all, hasn’t he pulled himself out of more than one scrape in the past? Yet, the rational part of him knew the truth. There was no way any British ship could escape going gun to gun at point blank range with such a large Indian fleet.

“I’m sorry about your nephew,” King Edward said. “He was a promising young officer. It’s not hard to understand why so many Captains chose to follow him. If I had my way, I would award him the Victoria Cross. His sacrifice deserves it.”

“No,” Somerville replied. “Even if Rear Admiral Rooke’s actions were foolish, and cowardly, they were not contrary to his orders nor treasonous. As the letter of the naval code goes, James had no right to take command of his ship, nor to contact the other ships in the British fleet. Even if the board of inquiry finds Rooke’s actions unbecoming of a naval officer, it would not be right to reward my nephew, even if his actions did save the fleet.”

“Then at least we can recognize the sacrifice of those ships that followed your nephew,” Fairfax said. “If you will draw up the recommendations that the Captains of each ship lost be awarded the Victoria Cross, and their crews a medal worthy of their sacrifice, my office will be quick to approve it.”

“I already have the necessary paperwork in order,” Somerville replied. “I had been holding off in the hope that some more ships might make it back to Earth. I had thought Acting Commodore Lightfoot may have evaded the Indian ships. Alas, I think his squadron has been lost as well.”

“We are all prone to holding onto hope even in the face of overwhelming odds when it comes to people we love or are responsible for,” Edward said. “Don’t think it so foolish Admiral.”

Another moment of silence ensued as neither Fairfax nor Edward knew what to say to the grieving Admiral. Finally, Fairfax changed the topic. “How do you think the board of enquiry will find for Rear Admiral Rooke?”

Somerville set the glass he was holding down and took a second to consider his answer. Before he could speak, Edward jumped in. “I know you wanted the board of enquiry to keep our operational concerns a secret Admiral, but if I had my way, it would be a full-blown court martial. Rooke damn near lost us our fleet, and he ran away from multiple opportunities to take on the Indian fleet. Hell, if I had been in command, even I could have done more damage to the Indians than him.”

“You may be right,” Somerville said carefully. “But a court martial would be far too public, especially given the last one we had. It would have turned into another spectacle, except this time, our political opponents would be using it against us.” Taking another pause to think before he went on, Somerville answered Fairfax’s question, “I think the board of enquiry will find Rooke guilty of actions unbecoming of a naval officer. As to the other charges, he will have my orders to cover his ass with.

“Technically, my orders made it clear that Rooke’s main objective was to keep his fleet intact,” Somerville explained, “and to get home from the Indian colonies in a way that would make the Indians think they had beaten us. It’s true, he refused to engage a number of Indian targets my secondary orders should have led him to engage. However, he will always be able to point to my primary orders in his defense. Even when he ordered the fleet to exceed its maximum safe velocity, he was doing so to preserve it. I don’t think he’ll be seeing any prison time, nor will the enquiry give him a dishonorable discharge. However, with a verdict of ‘Actions Unbecoming of a Naval Officer’ in his record, he will never command a desk position in the Admiralty again, never mind a fleet command. Even if the board of enquiry doesn’t find against him, I would make sure of that.”

Rear Admiral Russell burst into the room. “Jonathan,” he shouted in excitement. As soon as Russell realized that Admiral Somerville wasn’t alone, he pulled himself up short. “Ah, excuse m…” He began to say. Then Russell realized who was with his old friend.

He bowed, “Your Majesty, Mr. Prime Minister, please accept my sincerest apologies. It completely slipped my mind you were meeting with the First Space Lord. I’m terribly sorry.”

Despite his sour mood, Somerville couldn’t help but chuckle at his friend’s misfortune. Russell was the head of the Royal Space Navy Intelligence division. They went way back, having served together as ensigns in the same ship after graduating from naval college. “Never mind the interruption,” Somerville said. “You obviously have something on your mind, care to share it with all three of us, or should you go back out to my secretary and schedule yourself an appropriate time to speak with me alone?”

“You will all want to hear this,” Russell said. “It’s Acting Commodore Lightfoot; his squadron has returned. They made it out of New Delhi after all.”

“They have?” Somerville asked, almost too scared to hope for the answer he wanted to his next question.

Having already guessed Somerville’s next question Russel went straight to it, “Yes, and both Endeavour and Discovery are with Lightfoot. The ships entered the Sol system several hours ago and their mission report reached Vulcan. Endeavour’s mission report identifies James as the Captain.”

Somerville didn’t say anything, instead he sat back in his chair as a wave of relief washed over him. Reaching into his desk drawer again, he pulled out the whiskey and another glass. He quickly poured everyone in the room a drink. “You better get a seat Russell, you may as well fill us in on the mission report.” A smile crept onto his lips as he picked up his whiskey. “That sneaky son of a gun, how does he always manage to get himself home?” Somerville chuckled as everyone in the room raised a glass.

“To Captain Somerville,” Fairfax said before taking a sip, “I think we owe him another debt of gratitude.” As everyone else savored the whiskey, Fairfax’s mind was already working on how he could turn Captain Somerville’s survival to their benefit.

Ten minutes later Admiral Somerville stood to shake each man’s hand as they left his office. Once he was on his own, he broke into a wide grin as he thought about his nephew’s survival. It will be good to have you home, he thought. But I’m afraid that’s not going to happen just yet. All too aware his nephew’s new wife wouldn’t be at all pleased at the COM message he was about to transmit, Admiral Somerville opened up his COM unit and began new orders for Acting Commodore Lightfoot.

*

HMS Endeavour, Sol system.

James had never felt more eager to return to Earth. Lightfoot’s plan to escape from the New Delhi system had been cautious but it had ensured they got home without encountering any more Indian ships. The downside had been they had spent a lot of time cruising at sub light velocities deep in the outer extremities of the New Delhi and Aror systems.

Having faced certain death, all James could think about, once he was sure his ship and his crew were safe, was Suzanna. Every night he had dreamed of being reunited with her. Now Endeavour was less than five hours away from entering Earth orbit. James didn’t know what story Rear Admiral Rooke had told, nor if anyone on Earth expected Endeavour, Discovery or Acting Commodore Lightfoot’s ships to return. For all he knew, Suzanna thought him dead. He was eager to get home and assure her he was safe and sound.

“Captain,” Sub Lieutenant Malik called. “I’m detecting a large number of ships lighting off their drives around Vulcan. The numbers are rising rapidly.”

“What are the battlecruisers doing?” Mallory asked.

“Two of them are among the ships breaking orbit,” Malik answered.

“The Home Fleet has been combined with the Fast Reaction Fleet,” James surmised. “They are about to make their move on Haven. The Indians will suspect our fleet is going to make another attempt at breaking through their colonies to Haven. Admiral Cunningham will use the Gift to get there faster than the Indians expect and drive off whatever defenses the Indians have left in orbit around Haven. That has been my uncle’s plan all along, I imagine the fleet is only leaving now as some of the ships from Rear Admiral Rooke’s fleet needed critical repairs.”

“Do you think we will be ordered to join the fleet?” Mallory asked.

The question hit James like an electric shock. The possibility hadn’t entered his mind. Yet, it was the only logical order his uncle could give. Assuming Discovery and Endeavour were battle ready, both ships would prove indispensable to Admiral Cunningham and whatever plan he had put together to attack Haven.

“I expect so,” James said. The disappointment in his voice was clear for everyone on the bridge to hear. “I guess we are not going home to see our loved ones just yet.”

“I guess not,” Mallory replied. “But we have unfinished business with the Indians. I don’t think it would feel right for us to return to Earth just as Admiral Cunningham heads off to Haven.”

“You’re right,” James said, forcing the disappointment from his voice. “Endeavour started this war, it’s only right we be there when our fleet ends it. Pass the word to the crew, we will be joining the fleet and heading to Haven within the next few hours. All those who want to send messages to Earth may take some time off their duties to prepare them. Sub Lieutenant Scott, I’m putting you in charge of organizing a rota, make sure every crew member on watch is given at least twenty minutes to return to their quarters and compose a message if they so wish.”

“Aye Captain,” Scott replied.

“You have the watch,” James said to Mallory as he stood. “I’m going to retire to my quarters and compose a letter to Suzanna, I’ll return within the hour to relieve you.”

“Okay Captain,” Mallory said. “Make sure you tell Suzanna we all hope she’s doing well.”

“I will,” James said with a smile before he turned and walked out of the bridge.

When he got to his quarters he wrote a COM message to be sent to Suzanna. When he was halfway through what he wanted to say, his COM unit beeped to alert him that Sub Lieutenant King wanted his attention. “What is it Sub Lieutenant?” James asked.

“I have a message from Acting Commodore Lightfoot for you,” King responded.

“Send it to my datapad in my quarters,” James responded.

A moment of panic came over James as he thought about why Lightfoot would be sending a message to him personally. His mission report made it crystal clear he had disobeyed Rooke’s order that had relieved him of command. If Lightfoot had received new orders from the Admiralty, there was a chance they would include a command to remove him from Endeavour. The Sol system was a beehive of activity and it wouldn’t be hard for Mallory to find a freighter or some other ship heading towards Earth he could shuttle James across to.

For a second he actually hoped he might be ordered back to Earth. He would return covered in shame, but he would get to see Suzanna. Angrily, he pushed the thought aside. As much as he wanted to get back to Earth, if Endeavour was going into battle once again, he was going to be the one in command.

Hoping Lightfoot wanted to speak to him about some other personal matter, he began to read. A sense of relief flooded through him. Lightfoot had received orders from the Admiralty to join Admiral Cunningham’s fleet as it prepared to leave the Sol system. Lightfoot didn’t elaborate on where Admiral Cunningham was going with his fleet, but James knew there was only one option. As he read on, James saw why Lightfoot had chosen to inform James of their new orders in private.

In my mission report I recommended in no uncertain terms you be allowed to retain command of Endeavour. As my orders from the Admiralty make no specific mention of you nor your ship, I’m going to assume Endeavour has been assigned to my squadron. I’m glad someone at the Admiralty is able to see sense. My rank of Acting Commodore has been made permanent. It will be a pleasure to have you in my command Captain. Commodore Lightfoot.

James couldn’t help but smile, he knew there were some in the Admiralty who were out to get him. With his uncle as the First Space Lord his position was relatively safe, all the same, it was good to know he had a few other friends. With the touch of a couple of buttons on his COM unit he opened up a COM channel to Mallory on the bridge. “That last message from Lightfoot was to inform us of new orders from the Admiralty, as we guessed, we will be joining Admiral Cunningham’s fleet. Lightfoot plans to decelerate his squadron in ten minutes. We will loop around Venus and link up with Cunningham’s fleet as it heads towards the shift passage to the Alpha system. I’ll be out presently to let you compose your own message to be sent back to Earth, until then follow Lightfoot’s instructions.”

“Will do Captain,” Mallory responded, placing more emphasis on the word Captain than he needed to. James could just imagine the First Lieutenant grinning as he sat on the bridge.

Switching off the COM channel, he quickly composed a message congratulating Lightfoot on his promotion and then went back to his letter to Suzanna. When he was finally happy with it, he uploaded it to the ship’s computer to be sent to Earth along with every other message his crew wanted to send to their loved ones. Once the computer signaled the message was ready to be transmitted, he stood and headed back to the bridge to relieve Mallory.

*

Ten Downing Street, London.

“Prime Minister,” one of Fairfax’s aides said as she entered his office. “You wanted to be alerted if there was anything in the communication dispatches sent from Commodore Lightfoot’s squadron?”

“Yes, what do you have for me?” Fairfax asked.

His aide handed him a datapad. Curious, Fairfax began to read.

My dearest Suzanna,

I cannot tell you how much I have missed you and long to hold you in my arms. I’m sure you have spent the last weeks thinking I was dead. I am so sorry for the pain I have made you feel. I really thought I wouldn’t see you again. When the Indians almost trapped our fleet in New Delhi I saw no other option but to turn and engage them. I had to buy the rest of our fleet the chance they needed to escape. I know I put us and the future we hope to have together in jeopardy. My darling, I hope you will forgive me but I saw no other way. Even then, I had to push every thought of you aside. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have been able to do what the situation called for as I couldn’t stand the thought of losing you.

Thankfully, Captain Foley and the British ships that were most at risk from the Indians followed me. They sacrificed their lives so the rest of the fleet could escape and, one day soon, Haven may be free. Gupta and I only survived because Captain Foley ordered us to stay in stealth as we closed with the enemy. It has been hard to live knowing it was my decision to turn that lead to all their deaths. I will never forget each and every one who gave their lives that day. I’m sure the Admiralty will honor them, but if you could, it would mean a great deal to me and to the families of the Captains who gave their lives if you could visit them and explain just what their sacrifice means.

I want you to know how much I love you and long to get home to see you. As you know better than me, the path of duty is a difficult one. It breaks my heart to know that we will not be reunited yet. Already I, Lightfoot and Gupta have been ordered to join Admiral Cunningham’s fleet. We both know its ultimate destination. I expect the fighting will be intense once again.

I hope you’re keeping well, and if you can, I would love to hear from you. If you’re quick, a message from Earth should reach Endeavour before we jump out of the system. I am sorry for what I have put you through. I hope you can forgive me.

You are utmost in my affections,

Your loving husband,

James

“This is perfect,” Fairfax said. Technically his office wasn’t supposed to have access to the private messages of navy personnel. However, Fairfax had requested MI6 supply his staff with messages from the naval ships involved in the attack in the Indian colonies. The British Star Kingdom’s premier intelligence agency had managed to get Fairfax the information he wanted without the RSNI finding out.

Since the messages had started coming in forty minutes ago, Fairfax had assigned a number of his trusted aides to look for items they could leak to the public to help turn public opinion back in favor of the war. “I want it leaked to The Times and the Herald this afternoon. They should be able to have it on the Datanet by the time people are clocking off work. Captain Somerville is already a hero for making it back to Earth. This will be the icing on the cake.”

He had already leaked parts of the mission report Lightfoot and the other Captains in his squadron had sent to the Admiralty. With his discovery of Haven, Vestar and Kulthar, and his recent court martial, Captain Somerville had been in the center of the public eye for the last several months. When Rear Admiral Rooke had returned with his ships the public had mourned the loss of Captain Somerville. As the news had broken earlier in the day that Somerville was actually alive, the public had been ecstatic. This is just what I need, Fairfax thought, this will silence our critics.

Chapter 24 – Stealth Cruise

A fleet is only as good as its scouts.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

29th October, 2467, HMS Endeavour, edge of the Haven system.

Eight hours after jumping into the Haven system, James was still on Endeavour’s bridge watching the sensor display like a hawk. In stealth, both Endeavour and Discovery had cruised past the Indian picket ships patrolling the shift passage from Independence. Now they were approaching Haven itself in preparation for Admiral Cunningham’s arrival.

Though months had passed since James had last been in the system, it looked almost as if nothing had changed. Admiral Kumar’s battlecruiser was still in orbit around Haven accompanied by a small group of warships and troop transports. Quite a few of Haven’s orbital stations looked like they were still powered down. The Havenites had abandoned them when the Indian invasion fleet had arrived. It looked like Kumar hadn’t been able to convince any of the workers to return. There were several small space stations under construction. An analysis of the visual sensors suggested they were defense stations. Individually, each one looked like it might be powerful enough to dissuade a ship of Endeavour’s size from approaching the planet when they were completed. However, the combined British fleet would have nothing to fear.

Endeavour and Discovery’s first job was to survey the Indian fleet dispositions and warn Cunningham if there were any nasty surprises waiting. So far everything was as expected. The Indians had pulled a few of their warships out of Haven to reinforce their fleets at New Delhi. As it looked like Cunningham would have no problem dealing with the Indian ships, James and Gupta had continued into the system to be in position to carry out their part of Cunningham’s plan.

Though James couldn’t see Discovery on Endeavour’s sensors, he and Gupta were keeping in close contact through a laser COM link that had been set up between the two ships. Discovery was less than a light second off Endeavour’s port bow and they were able to talk in real time.

“Captain, I’m picking up a few strange readings from the optical sensors. I’m not sure what to make of them,” Sub Lieutenant Scott said from the sensor terminal. James had been impressed with how quickly she had advanced under Becket’s watchful eye. When they had left the Sol system he had taken her out from under Becket’s supervision and put her in charge of the sensor department during the second watch.

“Let’s see what you have got,” James responded.

Taking his question as permission to take over the main holo display, Scott projected her strange readings for everyone to see. “The computer alerted me to the fact the optical sensors were picking up some objects that are blocking starlight.”

“That’s not entirely unusual,” James said. Endeavour was covered in optical sensors that scanned the starscape around her. They were looking for objects that passed between Endeavour and the light from distant stars. Often the only way to passively detect a warship in stealth was to ‘see’ it as it passed in front of distant stars and cut off their light for fractions of a second. That Scott wasn’t alerting him to the possibility of a new contact suggested the computer had detected something else.

“No, especially in a system that has seen a lot of fighting,” Scott replied. “The computer usually classes such things as space debris. However, in this case, the anomalies appear to be too regular to be debris.”

“So I see,” James said after he had studied the optical data. “What do our other sensors say is out there?”

“That’s just the thing,” Scott replied. “If there were space debris out there, we would expect our passive electromagnetic sensors to pick up something. To all intents and purposes that area of space looks empty on every other sensor we have.”

“Maybe the Indians are deploying some kind of detection grid around Haven. They could be small stealth satellites designed to pick up a ship in stealth as it passed between them,” Mallory suggested.

“In that case we might already have been detected,” Becket said.

“Not if we haven’t passed through the grid yet,” James answered. “If it is a grid, it will be set up to detect ships coming from the shift passage to the Indian colonies, not back to Independence. Plot all the anomalies you have detected on the main holo projector,” James requested.

“It doesn’t look like a sensor gird,” Becket said as the plot updated to show all of Scott’s anomalies. Whilst there appeared to be some order to them, it was not nearly uniform enough. “Some of them appear to be too close together to be sensors. It would make no sense to have them operating in such close proximity to each other.”

“Perhaps it is a trial run, or they are being stored there until they can be deployed to more appropriate locations,” Mallory suggested.

“Show me all the ships we have detected in the system, backtrack their movements as far as the computer can estimate them. Let’s see if any ships have visited the area,” James ordered.

Scott obeyed James’ request and a maze of new contacts appeared on the main holo projector. “I’ll focus in on the area of space we are interested in,” Scott said.

As the holo plot zoomed in on a small area of the system, everyone on the bridge who didn’t have any pressing duties scrutinized the display.

“There,” James said. “That ship, contact 0034, it was heading back to Haven when we jumped into the system but it could have been coming from our series of anomalies. It looks like some kind of freighter. I’d say you may be right Mallory, the Indian’s are depositing something out there. But what I wonder? If it is a sensor grid, it is a strange one.”

“Should we alter course to investigate?” Scott asked.

“What do you think Sub Lieutenant?” James responded.

Scott screwed up her face as she thought. “No, it would be too risky,” she answered. “If it is a sensor grid, it might detect us before we can figure out what is going on. We should be able to risk a stealth drone though, we could send it through one of the larger gaps in the grid. Unless the Indians have some advanced detection capabilities we don’t know about, they shouldn’t detect a stealth drone.”

“Very good,” James said. “You may prepare a stealth recon drone.”

As Scott busied herself preparing the drone, James composed a short text message and sent it to Gupta informing her what they were up to. It was possible Discovery’s sensors had detected more of the anomalies.

“Ready to launch the stealth drone,” Scott announced a couple of minutes later.

“Proceed,” James ordered.

After he watched to make sure the drone got away without incident, James read Gupta’s reply. After querying her ship’s sensors, she had identified a couple more anomalies Discovery hadn’t picked up, but the additional data didn’t shed any light on the situation.

Twenty minutes later, the recon drone passed through the cluster of anomalies. “We should be getting the first burst transmission from the drone any time now,” Scott informed the bridge crew. “Ah, here it is,” she added.

“Well,” James prompted nearly thirty seconds later; Scott hadn’t said anything more.

“I don’t know what to make of it. Whatever is there is covered in some kind of stealth coating,” she replied. “The optical sensors on the stealth drone couldn’t see anything. It is impervious to optical detection. We can only spot them when they block out the light from distant stars.”

“They sound more and more like some kind of stealth sensors,” Mallory said.

“I’m starting to agree with you,” James responded. “I don’t know what else the Indians would be doing way out here. We are still more than a couple of light hours away from Haven.

“No matter,” James said after a moment’s pause as he made up his mind. “We have more pressing concerns, once we drive the Indian fleet out of the system we can return and actively scan the area. For now, let’s get back to our main objective. Scott, keep a track of any more anomalies we detect but I want your focus on the Indian fleet.”

“Aye Sir,” Scott said.

*

Endeavour and Discovery were in position thirty light minutes from Haven. They were far enough away from the planet that they were relatively safe from being detected by the patrolling ships. Yet they were close enough to act when the time came.

“Make sure everyone gets a hot meal over the next half an hour. Have it sent to those who can’t leave their stations,” James ordered once Endeavour came to rest relative to Haven. “I’m going to take a short nap in my quarters. Alert me if there is even a hint of a problem.”

“Yes Sir,” Second Lieutenant Julius said as James stood. She had taken over from Mallory to allow him to get some rest an hour ago.

When he got to his quarters James set his COM unit to wake him in forty five minutes. He longed to get more rest but Cunningham was scheduled to arrive in system in just over an hour. He wanted to be back to the bridge by then. As soon as his head hit the pillow he drifted into a fitful sleep.

A groan escaped his lips as his COM unit woke him up. It seemed like he had just closed his eyes. Shaking himself, he jumped out of bed. Even if it hadn’t been the most satisfying sleep, he knew he would appreciate it later. The coming battle was likely to last the rest of the day and even after the Indians had been driven off, there was still the ground invasion to participate in.

Smiling to himself, he thought back to his first experience of real combat. When he had taken Drake into the V17 system and dodged past a number of Chinese patrol ships he had been on the bridge for almost twenty four hours straight. The young, inexperienced and nervous James had been unable to sleep at all. At least now he was able to switch his mind off for short periods.

As he stepped out onto the bridge it looked like nothing had changed. A quick glance at the main holo projector showed none of the Indian patrol ships had come any closer to Endeavour and Discovery.

“Anything to report Lieutenant?” James asked Julius.

“No Captain,” she replied. “Everything has been quiet.”

“Good,” James said as he sat down into his command chair. “You can call the crew to battle stations, things are about to get a lot livelier soon.”

“Aye Sir,” Julius said as she turned to punch a few of the buttons on her command chair, ordering the crew to their battle stations. “I’ll take my position on the auxiliary bridge.”

“Very well,” James said. “Let’s hope you won’t have too much damage to have to deal with.”

“Indeed,” Julius said as she walked out of the bridge.

Ten minutes after Julius had left the bridge, exactly when James had expected them, several alarms blared as the gravimetric sensors detected a whole host of new contacts.

“Admiral Cunningham has arrived,” James said as soon as it became clear the new contacts had all appeared at the edge of the shift passage to Independence.

For the next five minutes Endeavour’s bridge crew watched as the fleet formed up and accelerated towards Haven. “New contacts,” Malik shouted from the sensor terminal, having taken over from Scott. “There are three new ships accelerating away from Cunningham’s fleet.”

“Patrol ships lying in stealth to ambush any stray Havenite ships that tried to return to Haven from Independence,” James guessed. “I can’t imagine they were prepared to have an entire fleet bearing down on them.”

“It doesn’t look like they are going to make it,” Mallory said as he studied their acceleration profiles. “Cunningham has already built up too much speed.”

The accelerating British fleet made it into missile range of the fleeing Indian patrols. Sixty-four missiles shot from Cunningham’s ships and closed with the Indians. From their acceleration profiles Malik had identified the three ships as one destroyer and two frigates. Spread out as they were, they were unable to support each other. As Cunningham’s missiles caught up with them, they disappeared off the plot.

That’s a start, James thought as the last ship exploded. We still have a long way to go to pay the Indians back for New Delhi.

“The main Indian fleet is making a move,” Malik called, drawing everyone’s attention to the sensor feed of Haven.

Malik was right. The Indian battlecruiser, which they now knew was the Shiva, had broken orbit and was accelerating away from Haven. Slowly at first, but with growing coordination, almost every ship in orbit around Haven or patrolling the approaches to the planet accelerated after the Indian flagship.

“They are fleeing,” Becket said.

“Wouldn’t you?” Mallory commented. “Cunningham outnumbers them almost four to one. There is no hope they could survive a direct confrontation.”

“What are those ships that aren’t moving doing?” James asked, his interest focused on the planet. The fleeing Indian ships were Cunningham’s concern.

“Hold on,” Malik said as he studied the sensor data more closely. “It appears a number of shuttles took off from those three freighters. They headed down to the surface.”

“They are likely unloading more supplies for the Indian soldiers,” Becket guessed. “Those freighters look pretty new, they can probably catch up with the rest of the fleet once they have finished.”

“It’s the warships that seem to be their escorts I am concerned about,” James said. A light cruiser and two destroyers were still in orbit around Haven near to the three freighters. “If they don’t depart soon, we will have to rethink our role in this fight.”

No one responded, they all knew the presence of the Indian warships might throw a spanner into their plans. Just what to do about them however, was up to their Captain. All too aware of this himself, James composed a quick message and sent it to Gupta by the laser COM link.

Cunningham’s plan required them to be close to Haven. Once the Indians fled the colony, he wanted Endeavour and Discovery to dash into orbit and bombard any Indian defensive positions. James had no doubt that even as he considered his options, the Indians were evacuating many of their bases. They would know anything that could be targeted from orbit would be destroyed immediately. Whatever Indian forces were on the ground would likely be making for Liberty, the colony’s capital, so as to dig in surrounded by the safety of the Haven civilian population.

When Gupta’s reply came back James came to a decision. “The ground targets are important,” he began. “But if we try to engage that light cruiser alongside the two destroyers we could lose both Endeavour and Discovery. It’s not a risk I’m willing to take just yet, we’ll wait and see what happens. The small squadron may boost out of orbit any moment and head after the rest of the Indian fleet.”

No one responded, instead they watched the Indian warships as they sat in orbit around Haven, giving no indication they intended to leave any time soon.

Fifteen minutes later James realized he had been drumming his fingers on his command chair in frustration. He clenched his hand into a fist. It wouldn’t be good for his crew to think he wasn’t perfectly calm and in control. Yet, every second they waited gave the Indian troops on the ground more time to evacuate vital supplies and munitions from their bases and get them to safety. As they watched, the shuttles that had gone down to Haven’s surface had returned to the freighters. Just when James and his crew had thought the small Indian squadron was about to break orbit, the shuttles had launched again. No doubt delivering more supplies to the Indian ground forces.

James knew that just a number of months ago he would have launched an attack on the Indian squadron, the odds be dammed. However, his recent experiences had given him a new perspective. Endeavour and Discovery were two of the newest warships in the British fleet. The risk of losing them far outweighed any benefit that might come from destroying some Indian supplies. Destroying the supplies would likely make it easier for the British marines to retake the planet, but not so much so that it was worth spending two exploration cruisers to accomplish it. As much as he wanted to jump into action, he forced himself to sit still and wait.

“Captain,” Lieutenant Becket called. “Look at the trajectory of the main Indian fleet. It’s been changing ever so slightly over the last five minutes, they’re angling closer and closer to that series of sensor satellites that we detected. If they keep altering course, they will reach the satellites in another two hours. What do you think they’re doing? Their course corrections are bringing them closer to Cunningham’s fleet.”

James dragged his attention away from the Indian squadron holding up his desire to attack his ground targets. Cunningham’s main fleet was still more than eight hours away from reaching the colony, nevertheless it was charging into the system as fast as it could. Rather than fleeing straight for the shift passage back to Indian colonial space, the Indian fleet looked like they wanted to fire off at least one broadside of missiles at the approaching British ships.

James supposed it made some kind of sense. The Indian Admiral wouldn’t want to abandon the system without at least putting up a token resistance. Because the British fleet was accelerating into the system towards the Indian ships, the Indian ships would be able to open fire with their missiles before the British could return fire. It would be a tight maneuver, but the Indian Admiral could bring her ships to a halt relative to the charging British fleet, fire a broadside, and then turn and accelerate out of the path of the British ships. At best Cunningham and his ships would only be able to return fire with their forward missile tubes. Yet why go towards the satellites? James asked. Doing so only makes such a maneuver trickier.

“Open a COM channel to Cunningham,” James almost shouted as it hit him.

“But Captain,” Mallory said, “if we send any kind of COM message to Cunningham the Indian ships in orbit will detect it.”

“I know,” James replied. “Send a message to Gupta over the laser COM link, let her know what I’m doing. Tell her were going with plan theta. Is that COM channel open?” James asked, turning away from Mallory towards Sub Lieutenant King.

“Channel is open Sir,” the Sub Lieutenant replied a few seconds later.

“Admiral, on our way into the system we detected a series of anomalies in the outer system. I’m sending you the data now. We thought they were some kind of sensor satellites. I now think they are missiles. I believe the Indians are trying to repeat the trick the Havenites used against them when they invaded the system. The Havenites had deployed hundreds of missiles in orbit around the colony. Then they fired them as one salvo at the Indian fleet. I think the Indian Admiral has a quantity of missiles located at the coordinates I’m sending you, she is bringing her fleet to those missiles so that together her ships and the missiles hidden in stealth can fire an oversized broadside. I don’t know for certain Admiral, but I think that is what she’s up to. Captain Somerville out.”

“King, send all the sensor data we have on those anomalies we detected along with my message,” James ordered.

“Aye Captain,” Sub Lieutenant King responded.

“The Indian warships in orbit have detected us Captain,” Sub Lieutenant Malik said almost as soon as James had finished sending his message. “They’re breaking orbit and coming towards us.”

Chapter 25 – A Short Sharp Action

The War of Doom was the first interstellar war that saw multiple major battles fought across more than fifty systems. That it gave birth to the Empire’s Navy was fitting for it set the stage for what was to come.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

HMS Endeavour, Haven System

“Helm, take us onto a new heading of one four seven point eight, full thrusters,” James ordered as soon as the Indian ships began to move. “Let’s see if we can get out of missile range before they can do any serious damage to us,”

“Aye Captain,” Sub Lieutenant Jennings replied. Her tone of voice suggested she wasn’t entirely convinced that Endeavour could outrun the Indian ships.

As Endeavour accelerated away from Haven, the Indian ships gave chase. “Discovery is not following us?” Mallory said with a raised eyebrow as he looked at his captain.

“No,” James replied innocently. “It looks like she isn’t.”

A feral smile crept across Mallory’s face. “I see,” he said.

“Missile launch,” Malik shouted. “The three Indian warships have fired their forward missile tubes. We have eight missiles incoming. It looks like those three Indian freighters are also breaking orbit, they’re heading is putting them on a direct course for the shift passage back to Indian colonial space.”

“I bet they’re getting out of here before any more British ships spontaneously show up,” Mallory said.

“Keep tracking those missiles,” James said. “As the Indian warships pass by Discovery, Gupta is going to open fire with her plasma cannons. As soon as she does we are going to turn and engage them with our port missile tubes. I want two penetrator missiles loaded as we wait.”

With orders to follow, time passed quickly for the rest of the bridge crew. For James, it ticked by ever so slowly as he watched the Indian missiles gain on his ship. “Fire our stern missile tubes at the lead Indian destroyer,” he ordered. They’ll swat our missiles away easily, he thought. But at least it will keep their attention on us.

“Missiles away,” Becket reported. “We’ll engage the Indian missiles in sixty seconds.”

James had full confidence in his Third Lieutenant. Becket had proven herself time and time again when it came to handling Endeavour’s point defenses. Eight missiles were a lot for her rear point defenses to engage, but with the aid of the flak cannons they shouldn’t pose too much of a threat. “Prepare to throw the ship into evasive maneuvers,” James said to Sub Lieutenant Jennings all the same.

“Opening fire with the flak cannon,” Becket reported seconds before both of Endeavour’s cannons hurled explosive rounds into space.

The eight Indian missiles were reduced to five as they passed through the first wave of shrapnel. The second wave took out another two. Point defense plasma cannon bolts and AM missiles reached out to take out the remaining three missiles. Two of them were quickly destroyed, but the third proved to be elusive. As it jinked around to avoid Becket’s fire, it got closer and closer to the exploration cruiser.

“Evasive maneuvers,” James shouted seconds before the missile got close enough to detonate.

“Got it,” Becket shouted just before Jennings could engage the maneuver she had set up. One of the last AM missiles Becket launched scored a grazing hit on the Indian missile, throwing it off course and causing it to detonate. The missile had been close enough to send a slight tremor through Endeavour as some of the explosive force washed over the ship.

A number of alarms on the bridge went off as sensors on the outer hull detected the heat and intense electromagnetic radiation that washed over the ship. Quickly the bridge crew silenced the alarms as they began to query the sensor readings to ascertain how much damage the cruiser had taken.

“It looks like we’re in the clear,” Second Lieutenant Julius said over the COM channel from the auxiliary bridge. “A couple of our point defense plasma cannons are reporting malfunctions. I suspect some of their circuity has been fried. Apart from that, I’m not receiving any significant damage reports.”

“Very good Lieutenant,” James responded. “Send repair teams to look at those point defenses, I suspect we are going to need every plasma cannon operational before the end of the day.”

“I’ve already sent the orders Captain, I will update you on their progress,” Julius replied.

“More missile launches,” Malik said. “The Indians have launched another eight missiles at us.”

“It should only be a couple more minutes until the Indian warships get into range of Discovery’s heavy plasma cannons,” Mallory said.

“She won’t open fire as soon as they get into range,” James informed everyone on the bridge. “Gupta will wait until the Indian warships pass her before she engages. That way, the Indian ships won’t have time to return fire. Prepare to turn the ship. As soon as Gupta opens fire I want to bring all our point defenses to bear on this next Indian salvo. With a full complement of point defense plasma cannons and AM missiles, we should be able to dispatch eight more Indian missiles with ease.”

James didn’t have to say what everyone else was thinking, if they had to try and shoot down another eight Indian missiles with just the rear facing point defenses, it might get a little dicey.

As the Indian missiles closed on Endeavour, James had to grip his fingers together to stop himself from drumming on his command chair. He silently willed Discovery to open fire. The longer the delay, the closer the Indian warships got to entering engagement range with Endeavour. He wanted to turn his ship to be able to engage them with all his point defenses, but he knew if he did, it would alert the Indians that something was going on. There was no way one exploration cruiser would stand up to an Indian light cruiser and two destroyers on its own.

“Turn the ship,” James shouted as soon as he saw an explosion rip through one of the Indian destroyers. “Engage those Indian missiles with everything we’ve got.”

Eight new contacts appeared on the holo plot as Discovery followed up her heavy plasma bolts with eight missiles directed at the second Indian destroyer. The first was already spinning out of formation and her acceleration profile was radically decreasing, suggesting that either her engines or her reactors had been destroyed by the heavy plasma bolts bursting through the warship.

Discovery’s attack had come just in the nick of time, as Endeavour turned to face the eight missiles approaching her Becket opened fire with the flak cannons. James suddenly found his attention split between the defense of his ship and the battle Gupta was fighting.

His flak cannons reduced the incoming Indian missiles to four. Then space around the remaining Indian missiles was filled with green plasma bolts and fiery explosions as Becket hurled plasma cannon fire and AM missiles at her targets. Meanwhile, the eight missiles Gupta had launched rapidly closed the short distance to the Indian destroyer. Caught by surprise, the Indian light cruiser was unable to re-orientate itself to bring its point defenses to bear on the British missiles to help its smaller consort. Left almost entirely on its own, the destroyer struggled to take out Gupta’s missiles. Two of them came diving in towards the destroyer. Only a last-minute evasive maneuver caused both missiles to overshoot their target. Both missiles exploded less than fifty meters away from the destroyer. As the twin thermonuclear explosions bathed the destroyer in a wave of destructive force it was tossed about like a ragdoll.

“That was the last one,” Becket announced, drawing James’ attention back to his own ship. A series of plasma bolts had struck the last Indian missile, causing it to explode harmlessly out of range of his ship.

“Good shooting,” James commended. “Now open fire on that light cruiser. We need to take it out before she hammers Discovery.”

Taking advantage of the brief lull in the fighting, James replayed the visual feed from Gupta’s initial attack on the Indian ships. Studying it closely, he saw that four of Discovery’s heavy plasma cannon bolts had been targeted at the destroyer that was now tumbling back towards Haven. The other two warships had each been hit by one bolt. Gupta had obviously been hoping to score a lucky hit. Perhaps the one bolt that had hit the second Indian destroyer had allowed her follow-up missile salvo to so easily break through its point defenses.

A series of beeps from his command chair alerted him to a group of new contacts on the gravimetric plot. “It looks like that light cruiser is still very much in one piece,” Mallory said. He too had been reviewing the optical feed of Gupta’s attack.

Seconds later four more contacts appeared on the gravimetric plot to join the twelve that were already accelerating towards Discovery. “That second destroyer is not out of the fight yet either,” James said.

“Firing,” Becket announced over the sound of the sensors.

“We’re too far away,” James said in irritation after the missiles were launched and their flight time appeared on the holo plot. It would take his missiles more than twelve minutes to reach the Indian light cruiser. By that time both the light cruiser and the destroyer would be able to fire another salvo at Discovery. You’re going to have to hold on old friend, James thought to Gupta.

*

On Discovery’s bridge, Gupta was thinking the exact same thing. Her crew had watched the exchange of fire between the Indian ships and Endeavour with frustration. They had wanted to fight alongside their sister ship. Now that the time to play their part in James’ plan had come, they realized that they had received the short end of the stick. With both the light cruiser and the second Indian destroyer operational they were heavily outnumbered.

“We have twelve missiles from the light cruiser, and four from the destroyer incoming,” Discovery’s tactical officer reported, sounding calmer than Gupta thought he should be. “The light cruiser’s missiles will enter our engagement range forty seconds before the missiles from the destroyer.”

“Focus the flak cannons on the light cruiser’s missiles, we need to destroy them before we switch our attention to the destroyer’s missiles,” Gupta ordered.

“Understood Captain,” the tactical officer replied.

As the Indian missiles approached, Gupta instinctively rhymed off a number of prayers her grandmother had taught her. The irony of her actions wasn’t lost on her. There was a good chance at least one Indian aboard the opposing light cruiser was going through the same Hindu prayers seeking the destruction of her vessel. Apparently her prayers weren’t having much of an effect. Though the flak cannons destroyed six of the Indian missiles, it was taking her tactical officer too long to take out the rest of the first wave. When the destroyer’s four missiles were less than fifty seconds out from hitting Discovery, the tactical officer finally destroyed the light cruiser’s missiles and switched his fire. In quick succession two of the missiles were destroyed but the final two managed to dodge a last-ditch volley of point defense plasma cannon fire and dove towards Discovery.

Without waiting for orders, Discovery’s navigation officer threw the exploration cruiser into a series of twists and turns. Gupta upped the cruiser’s ECM to maximum and launched two drones, their engines and active sensors operating at full capacity to try and attract one of the Indian missiles. Whether it was the ECM, the drones or the evasive maneuvers, one of the Indian missiles miscalculated its approach vector and missed Discovery by a wide margin. The second missile was momentarily confused, though sensing it was close enough to the cruiser to score a proximity hit, it detonated. Everyone on the bridge was thrown around in their seats and Gupta knew her ship had suffered a serious hit.

“Status report,” she demanded as soon as the shaking stopped. “I want a full report from every department immediately.”

“All missile tubes are reporting full functionality,” her tactical officer replied. We’ll be ready to fire another broadside in two minutes.

“We lost a number of sensor blisters from our port amidships,” her sensor officer reported. “Everything else is working within operational norms.

“We’ve lost three point defense nodes along port amidships as well,” Discovery’s Second Lieutenant added from the auxiliary bridge. “It looks like we took a proximity hit directly adjacent to levels two and three. The valstronium armor held, however, there appears to be a lot of damage to the outer hull. Our ability to defend ourselves has been compromised.”

“We’ll just have to make do as is,” Gupta said. “Tactical, fire as soon as you are ready.”

“Yes ma’am,” her tactical officer replied. “Endeavour’s missiles are three minutes out from the Indian ships. It looks like Captain Somerville targeted the damaged destroyer. The light cruiser is maneuvering to try and provide cover for it.”

“Then target the light cruiser, let’s hope Somerville’s missiles finish off the destroyer,” Gupta ordered.

“Launching,” the tactical officer said. Eight new contacts appeared on the gravimetric plot.

Less than a minute later more contacts appeared as the light cruiser and destroyer fired a second volley of their own.

“The Indians are engaging Endeavour’s missiles,” the tactical officer announced.

Gupta nodded as she watched James’ missiles jink about to avoid the Indian point defense fire. Less than ten seconds after they entered the Indian’s field of fire, the sensor displays showed the British missiles multiplying from eight to eighteen.

“Penetrator missiles,” Discovery’s sensor officer shouted as if no one else on the bridge was able to figure out what was going on. “Endeavour must have fired two of them.”

The impact of so many more targets suddenly appearing caused the Indian point defense fire to falter. As both targeting computers and gunners paused to select new targets, the British missiles charged closer to the Indian ships. The advantage only lasted a couple of seconds, far too quickly for Gupta’s liking, the Indian point defense fire strengthened. The eighteen sensor profiles quickly dwindled. Soon it was only four missiles charging towards the damaged destroyer.

In an effort to give one last chance for her smaller consort to survive, the light cruiser dove between the destroyer and the incoming British missiles, firing all of its point defense weapons as it went. Three of the missiles switched targets to lock onto the light cruiser and two of them were destroyed. The third managed to get close enough for a proximity hit. Her armor appeared to shrug off the explosive force with little difficulty.

The fourth British missile refused to lock onto the light cruiser, instead it veered around the light cruiser. Momentarily blinded by the light cruiser’s maneuver, the point defense gunners on the destroyer didn’t see the final British missile until it was too late. With its armored nose, the missile penetrated the thin valstronium armor and burst through four decks before it exploded. Already weakened from two proximity hits and a heavy plasma bolt that had burnt its way deep into the hull, the explosive force of the British missile ripped the destroyer in two. As both parts of the stricken warship tore away from each other, debris and bodies spilled out into the cold vacuum of space.

“Yes,” Gupta heard her Second Lieutenant shout over the open COM channel from the auxiliary bridge. She felt like shouting herself, but with an effort she restrained herself.

“Ready to fire,” her tactical officer called among the excitement on the bridge.

“Fire away,” Gupta ordered. The light cruiser’s point defenses were likely able to handle the eight missiles she was about to throw at it. However, Endeavour would be adding her own eight missiles soon. The Indian commander had to know that any damage his ship suffered now would likely mean he would fall into the hands of the approaching British fleet. Come on, come on, Gupta said to herself as she willed the Indian Captain to turn and run. The odds favored the British warships, but a fight to the death could easily mean the destruction of either Endeavour or Discovery. A prospect Gupta didn’t want to see become reality.

“She’s turning,” the sensor officer shouted in excitement. “The light cruiser is turning, she is running away. She’s going to full military acceleration.”

“We’ll worry about her as soon as we deal with this volley of missiles,” Gupta said.

With sixteen more missiles rapidly closing in on Discovery, Gupta’s focus was firmly set on her ship. The flak cannons took out five missiles and the rest of the point defenses slowly whittled them down until just three remained. At the last moment, Discovery’s tactical officer managed to get the flak cannons reloaded to fire at almost point blank range. Two of the Indian missiles disappeared but the third dove towards Discovery.

“Evasive maneuvers,” Gupta shouted.

Discovery twisted and wove to avoid the Indian missile. The missile’s seeker head wasn’t fooled and it corkscrewed around Discovery and impacted the exploration cruiser’s amidships.

The shock of the impact reverberated around the ship and as Gupta felt the vibrations travel up her command chair she braced herself for the explosion. When nothing happened, she opened her eyes and looked around. Stunned expressions looked back at her from her bridge crew.

“We were hit,” her tactical officer shouted. “But I don’t think it detonated. I’m not getting any sign of an explosion from any of our internal sensors.”

“Did the missile breach our outer hull?” Gupta demanded. From the strength of the impact she couldn’t imagine that it hadn’t.

“It did Captain,” Discovery’s Second Lieutenant said. “The missile impacted deck seven between missile tubes four and five. It tore through four sections before hitting a reinforced bulkhead. As far as I can tell its main warhead failed to detonate. I’m sending a repair crew along with a missile expert to the missile now to check on it.”

“Tell them to be careful,” Gupta ordered. “We don’t want them setting it off. If they can’t make the warhead safe I want them to dislodge it and shove it back out into space. They can use the hole it tore into Discovery to expel it.”

“I’ll let them know,” the Second Lieutenant replied.

“Should we pursue the light cruiser?” Romanov asked eagerly now that they were out of immediate danger. “If we send a COM message to Captain Somerville, we can coordinate fire. We could run her down easily before she gets out of the system.”

“No,” Gupta said. Raising her voice slightly she continued, “turn us towards Haven. We have a mission to complete. We may see that light cruiser again, but for now we need to take out as many of the Indian ground soldiers as we can. You did well everyone, let’s see this mission completed.”

*

As soon as the Indian light cruiser turned away from Discovery, James gave the same order. “Prepare to send a COM message to the surface,” he ordered as soon as Endeavour had turned towards the colony. “I don’t want it encrypted, I want anyone with a working COM unit to hear this. Then contact Discovery, I want a full damage report as soon as they have one.”

“COM channel is open,” Sub Lieutenant King reported moments later.

“People of Haven, this is Captain James Somerville of HMS Endeavour. My ship is about to enter orbit around your planet. I am part of an advance force detached from the British Home Fleet. We are here to help you throw off the Indian invaders. Momentarily, I will begin bombarding Indian military positions and installations around your planet. I advise you to seek shelter and safety in your own homes. The rest of our fleet is just hours away from the planet. They will be settling into orbit soon and then we will be landing a ground army to drive the Indians from your planet. I would ask you all do nothing to hinder our operations.” James signaled to King he had finished.

“The targeting computer has already identified fifteen sites that look like potential targets for tungsten spears,” Becket reported. “They are located around Liberty, they appear to be some form of fortification, probably used to patrol the edge of the city. One of them is particularly large. I think it’s the supply depot that Major Johnston’s intel spoke of.”

“Target it first,” James ordered. “Right as we speak the Indians are likely to be clearing it out. Let’s give them a nasty surprise.”

“Captain, we are being bombarded by COM messages from the surface. Most of them I can’t make head or tails of, but one of them has a fleet intel marker coded into the message,” Sub Lieutenant King informed James. “It’s an old marker no longer in use, but it is authentic.”

“Let me see it,” James said. “It could be from Major Johnston. His COM gear might have been damaged.” As James opened up the COM message he saw it was just a text file. The first words made it crystal clear who it was from.

It’s about time you got here Somerville, we haven’t exactly been having a picnic in the woods you know. Here’s a list of all the targets we’ve managed to recon. They are in order of priority.

As James surveyed the list of targets he was impressed. Major Johnston had managed to identify over one hundred Indian installations that were far enough away from civilian populations that they could be safely bombarded from space. He sent the information to the tactical console. “Here’s a new list of targets for you Becket, let’s make these Indians hurt. King, send the list to Discovery, assign Captain Gupta every other target in the list. Order her to work her way down the list in descending order.”

“Aye Captain,” King responded.

“We’re coming up on the first of those partially completed defense stations,” Mallory reminded James.

“Take it out with a missile,” James ordered. “It may not be complete yet but they could have a working plasma cannon. Let’s not take the risk.”

Chapter 26 – Mopping Up

Emperor Augustus II has now sat on the throne for seventy years. While many historians now believe his actions were a significant factor in igniting the second Human-Antarian War, it cannot be denied that he brokered a peace that should last generations.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

HMS Endeavour, Haven orbit.

As Endeavour settled into orbit over Liberty, James eagerly watched the visual sensor feed of the large Indian supply depot directly below his ship. It had been at the top of Johnston’s list, though he had put an asterisk beside the target. His notes didn’t say very much, but they suggested the Indians had some kind of defensive batteries protecting the supply depot. James wasn’t entirely sure what could stop a tungsten spear or a volley of plasma bolts from tearing up the depot, but they were about to find out. “Fire a tungsten spear first,” James ordered.

“Firing,” Becket announced.

On the visual feed, the tungsten spear pierced the planet’s atmosphere. It glowed bright orange as its outer layer was burnt off by the friction. As the spear approached the supply depot it became almost invisible again as it shed its superheated outer layer. Then it lit up far brighter than before. In front of James’ eyes, it disintegrated into thousands of smaller bits of burning metal.

“What happened?” Mallory asked in surprise.

“Our thermal sensors show a massive heat bloom from the tungsten spear just milliseconds before it disintegrated,” Sub Lieutenant Malik reported.

“Some kind of powerful laser?” Mallory suggested.

“Perhaps,” James said as he brought up Major Johnston’s notes. “Johnston reported seeing some kind of new weaponry at the supply depot. Perhaps the Indians have managed to improve their laser technology based on some preliminary Vestarian designs they got hold of.”

“Shall we use the heavy plasma cannons on them?” Becket asked.

“Yes,” James said. “Fire one volley for now, let’s see what happens.”

As Becket input the targeting data, James turned back to the visual feed. Six green bolts rapidly descended on the supply depot. In reply, six red bolts shot from the depot. Each bolt hit one of Endeavour’s plasma bolts and in a blinding flash they disappeared.

“Switch targets,” James said angrily. “Work your way down our list of priority targets near Liberty. If any other Indian facilities manage to resist our orbital bombardment move on. We need to do as much damage as we can.”

He had no idea what the Indians had just done to his plasma bolts but clearly they had designed some sort of weapon system able to target a bolt mid-flight. Passing through the atmosphere of a planet significantly reduced the speed of a plasma bolt, even so, he had never heard of such a weapon.

“Captain,” Sub Lieutenant Scott said over the COM channel from the auxiliary bridge where she was stationed as the auxiliary sensor officer.

“Yes?” James said, suddenly remembering that of anyone on the ship, she was the most likely to have an idea of what had just happened.

“I can’t say for sure, but from scanning the visual feed it looks like the Indians have developed a working anti-plasma cannon,” Scott explained.

“An anti-plasma cannon?” Mallory asked. “I’ve never seen any technical briefings on such a thing.”

“As far as I understood,” Scott replied, “such a weapon was just theoretical. I don’t think anyone back at the Science Directorate has developed a working prototype. It seems the Indians have beat us to it. Basically, the anti-plasma cannon fires a stream of polarized particles designed to disrupt the containment field of a plasma bolt. If an anti-plasma bolt can come into contact with a plasma bolt then it would break down the containment field and neutralize the superheated plasma within. It’s always been theoretical because calculating such a shot in space has been deemed all but impossible.”

“And the friction from passing through the planet’s atmosphere slowed the bolts down enough to allow the Indians to target it,” James said, finishing Scott’s thought.

“Yes Sir, that is my theory,” Scott replied. “Even with that making things easier, it’s still an impressive bit of technology.”

“How likely is it the Indians have managed to mount similar weapons on their warships?” James followed up. That the British fleet hadn’t encountered such weapons yet suggested they hadn’t managed such a feat. However, if they did, it would be a game changer. Indian warships could close to plasma cannon range with their opponents without fear of being torn to shreds themselves.

“As I remember, the projected power demands from an anti-plasma cannon were significantly higher than a plasma cannon,” Scott explained. “However, if the Indians have several working anti-plasma cannons on Haven, then it wouldn’t be impossible for them to mount similar weapons on their larger warships. The problem would be getting a clear lock on incoming plasma bolts. Computing the targeting data and firing before the plasma bolt hit the ship would be an almost impossible shot.”

“Yes,” James agreed. “And more often than not when a ship is attacked by enemy plasma cannons they don’t even know they’re under attack until it’s too late. Still, it’s something to think about. Good work Sub Lieutenant.”

“Captain,” Mallory said. “We can still attack the supply depot with valstronium tipped ground attack missiles. I have analyzed the heat signature from the tungsten spear. Whatever lasers they have based on the supply depot, I don’t think they would be powerful enough to burn through a valstronium missile before it impacted the surface.”

“And what about collateral damage?” James asked. Ground attack valstronium missiles were essentially kinetic weapons. They used the colossal speed a missile obtained on entering a planet’s atmosphere, boosted by the missile’s impulse drive, to cause a massive explosion on the surface of a planet. They were called city busters, as one missile could take out an entire city. UN law forbade the use of nuclear weapons on a planet’s surface, but a valstronium ground attack missile had the same effect without the downside of having to deal with large amounts of radiation.

“We don’t have the most accurate data on Havenite construction processes,” Mallory answered. “The force from the impact would likely send shockwaves into Liberty. Quite a few buildings could be damaged or even destroyed, certainly those on the edge of the city near the supply depot. We could order an evacuation. Give the locals half an hour to evacuate the buildings closest to the depot. There is no way the Indians could move out enough supplies in that time to empty the depot.”

“No,” James said after a couple of seconds. “We need to be seen as liberators. If we begin the ground battle with the Indians by accidentally destroying a third of Haven’s capital, the populace will never warm to us. Besides, if we can take that supply depot intact, we may get our hands on one of these anti-plasma cannons. I suspect our Science Directorate would be very interested in taking a look at them. We’ll leave the supply depot to the marines.”

Having to ignore the supply depot, James turned his attention back to Becket and her orbital bombardment. She had already destroyed six Indian facilities strung out around Liberty. Gupta and Discovery had taken out another ten. It wouldn’t be long before the Indians would be reduced to whatever mobile forces had managed to flee into the Havenite forest, or dig in to Liberty itself.

*

HMS Churchill, Haven System

For the final time, Admiral Cunningham looked over the sensor data Captain Somerville had sent him. His sensor experts had analyzed the data, though their inferences had been far from conclusive. Based on the limited readings Endeavour and Discovery had been able to obtain of whatever the Indian fleet was approaching, it was impossible to say for sure what was out there. Nevertheless, his gut agreed with Somerville. It made no sense for the Indians to be so willing to come into missile range when they were so heavily outnumbered. The Indian Admiral might be trying to get off a single broadside at his fleet before fleeing, but she seemed determined to reach the point in space were Somerville had detected the anomalies. Seeing nothing to change his mind, Cunningham gave the order. “Fire,” he said.

Forty minutes ago he had split his fleet. Taking three quarters of his warships, he had turned Churchill away from Haven towards the intercept course with the fleeing Indian fleet. The two marine transport ships and the rest of his warships were continuing on to Haven. They would be enough to secure Haven’s orbitals and cover the initial stages of the invasion.

Over two hundred missiles shot out of their missile tubes and ignited their impulse engines as they accelerated towards the Indian fleet. For ten minutes they accelerated until, as one, every missile cut its engine and flew through space on momentum alone. Cunningham knew to the Indian Admiral it would look like he had tried to fire a missile salvo at extreme range. Such a thing was easy to attempt, but very difficult to pull off.

As expected, the Indian fleet turned onto a slightly new trajectory as soon as his missiles cut their engines. Going on momentum alone, the missiles would no longer be able to alter course to target the evading Indian fleet. It was possible for the attacking force to anticipate their opponents course change and factor that into the targeting data of the missiles. However, in practice it was all but impossible to predict where a fleet would go in three-dimensional space.

Thankfully, Cunningham’s real targets couldn’t maneuver away from his missiles as easily as the Indian fleet. Ten minutes after cutting their engines, the British missiles reappeared on the gravimetric plot as their impulse engines kicked in once again. Following the targeting data they had received before launching, they turned towards the anomalies.

Now we’ll see if they really are missiles, Cunningham thought. His salvo of missiles would take less than five minutes to get into the area of space where the anomalies were. The Indian fleet commander, Admiral Kumar, may have been outwitted once or twice by the Havenite defenders. But, assuming she was still in charge, Cunningham knew she wasn’t a fool. She would know exactly what he had planned. If she acted fast, she should be able to save many of her missiles.

Despite his estimation of Admiral Kumar, for three minutes the gravimetric display was silent. Then it came alive as a swarm of new contacts appeared. “Multiple missile ignitions detected,” the sensor officer near Cunningham shouted. “Over fifty missiles detected, no wait, there are more igniting every second.”

“What is their velocity?” Cunningham asked.

“It looks like they haven’t been fired out of any kind of acceleration tube,” the sensor officer answered. “They are beginning with a velocity close to zero in relation to the system’s sun. I’m now detecting over one hundred missiles coming our way.”

Cunningham took a couple of seconds to survey the pattern of the incoming missiles then he turned to his Flag Lieutenant. “Order the fleet to change to formation alpha foxtrot three,” he requested.

As the British fleet prepared to fend off incoming Indian missiles, their missiles exploded among the Indian anomalies. “It looks like we hit multiple targets,” the sensor officer reported. “I’m detecting multiple secondary explosions around our missiles after they detonated.”

“I’m sure the Indians had more missiles than just the one hundred and forty coming towards us,” Churchill’s Captain said over the open COM channel from his command bridge. “If they were planning to try and overwhelm an invading fleet, they probably had three or four hundred missiles prepared to fire. If not more. I think we all owe Captain Somerville a drink when this is all over.”

“I imagine you are right,” Cunningham said. “We can thank him later, for now though, let’s see if we can’t give these Indians a bloody nose before they turn tail and run.”

“Sounds good to me,” Captain Hughes replied.

As Hughes went back to his duties, Cunningham sat back in his command chair and stretched out his arms to remove some of the tension from his body. The sensors predicted the flight time on the Indian missiles would be twenty minutes. His fleet would have plenty of time to track each one individually and prepare to engage it. With Churchill, he had the battlecruiser Sovereign, five heavy, ten medium and fourteen light cruisers, along with twenty destroyers, fifteen frigates and eighteen corvettes. One hundred and forty missiles might cause some damage if they were unlucky, but they weren’t a serious threat.

As the missiles entered engagement range, the combined fire from more than forty flak cannons wore them down to less than sixty. On the visual feed, it quickly became impossible to make out what was happening as thousands of plasma bolts and hundreds and hundreds of AM missiles tore through space towards the Indian missiles, causing explosions all around them. Cunningham switched to watching the gravimetric plot. The Indian missiles were crystal clear on it for the gravimetric sensors couldn’t detect the plasma bolts and the AM missiles looked like flies compared to the acceleration profile of the heavier Indian missiles.

The sixty missiles were reduced to thirty, and then ten. Only two made it past the point defense fire. One exploded sixty meters off the port bow of a light cruiser, causing minimal damage. The second also only managed to score a proximity hit, however it exploded less than thirty meters away from a point defense corvette. The small ship was almost torn in two by the explosive force. Cunningham ordered one of the frigates to decelerate and search for survivors. He didn’t hold out much hope, but if anyone was still alive he wanted to make sure they weren’t left behind.

Enraged, Cunningham balled his hands into fists. The Corvette was the first ship he had lost since the war with the Chinese. The losses the British fleet had suffered under Rear Admiral Rooke in the Indian colonies had been almost as bad as the losses suffered during the entire Chinese war. Nevertheless, they hadn’t been his ships, now it was his ships the Indians were destroying. With a renewed desire to crush his enemies, Cunningham turned away from the damage report from the light cruiser to the main sensor display and the Indian fleet.

“Missile launches,” Cunningham’s sensor officer announced. “The Indian fleet has opened fire. I’m detecting one hundred and thirty missiles angling towards us.”

“There will be more,” Cunningham said. He was sure his missile salvo hadn’t destroyed all the missiles the Indians had lying dormant in space. Almost as soon as the Indian fleet fired, another one hundred contacts appeared on the gravimetric plot from the anomalies Somerville had identified. They rapidly accelerated towards Cunningham’s fleet. It quickly became apparent both groups of missiles had been timed to converge less than five minutes before they would reach Cunningham’s fleet.

We all owe Somerville our thanks, Cunningham thought. If the Indians had managed to pull off the ruse they would have been able to hit us with a significant missile salvo.

“The Indian fleet is turning,” the sensor officer reported less than thirty seconds after reporting the second Indian salvo. “It looks like they’re going to make a run for the shift passage back to Indian colonial space. I don’t think we’ll be able to get into range with our forward tubes before they reach the mass shadow and jump out.”

“Inform the fleet we will give chase nevertheless,” Cunningham ordered his Flag Lieutenant. “We’ll shift to formation delta seven as soon as we deal with this Indian salvo. If we can, we’ll pick off a few stragglers, and if nothing else, we will make sure the Indians actually do jump out of the system.”

“Aye Sir,” Cunningham’s Flag Lieutenant said with a smile towards his Admiral. Not everyone on the flagship knew Endeavour and Discovery weren’t the only ships Cunningham had sent into the system ahead of the main fleet, but he did.

*

HMS Retribution, outer Haven system.

An hour later Commodore Lightfoot’s anticipation was growing to a point where he almost couldn’t bear it. Today’s battle wasn’t the first time he had been forced to watch others fight while he hid in stealth and it never got any easier. Watching the second Indian missile salvo crash into Cunningham’s fleet had been difficult. Though it looked like only one small ship had been destroyed, British lives had been lost. A light cruiser and a destroyer had both fallen out of formation and were slowly making their way towards Haven. It was likely both had suffered significant damage.

Not long now, he said to himself as he forcibly calmed his nerves.

“The Indian fleet has just passed the point where it was closest to us,” Retribution’s sensor officer reported. “Still no sign their active scanners have penetrated our stealth coating.

“Very good,” Lightfoot said.

For another ten minutes Lightfoot watched the Indian fleet cross the bow of his ship in silence. “Fire,” he ordered just before the Indian fleet moved out of plasma cannon range.

From Retribution and the two destroyers with her, ten heavy plasma bolts shot towards the Indian fleet. Three bolts each targeted the two medium cruisers, while the remaining four targeted a heavy cruiser. All ten found their marks and the three Indian ships rippled as explosions erupted from their engine compartments.

“All three targets are falling out of formation,” his tactical officer reported.

“Good shooting,” Lightfoot said. “Navigation, time to get us out of here.”

As quickly as he could, Retribution’s navigation officer turned the light cruiser away from the Indian fleet and accelerated out of plasma cannon range. The two destroyers accompanying Retribution followed suit.

Lightfoot guessed the Indian Admiral had been surprised by his attack for it took more than a minute for the Indian fleet to fire its first missiles at his fleeing ships. As he was directly astern of them, they were only able to use their stern missile tubes. The fire was also haphazard, first six missiles were launched after his ships, then another eight, then twenty more left their missile tubes more than four minutes after the first group.

“We’ll have to deal with the first two groups of missiles on our own,” Retribution’s tactical officer reported. “The fleet should be in range to assist us with the final twenty.”

Lightfoot smiled. His input into today’s fighting had been limited, yet it would ensure the British would come out on top. He had lined up his ship so they were already heading back into the inner system as the Indian fleet passed them. He had fired on the Indians just before they passed out of range of his plasma cannons. The gap between the Indian fleet and his squadron was rapidly widening as both groups of ships accelerated away from each other. Admiral Cunningham was coming up fast behind the Indian fleet and it wouldn’t be long before Retribution and Lightfoot’s other two destroyers would pass through the middle of the British fleet.

His three ships easily dispatched the first six Indian missiles. The next salvo of eight missiles was just as easily dealt with. As his ships passed by the flagship she waggled her starboard missile tubes as a sign of respect. Lightfoot grinned with the rest of his bridge crew at the honor that Admiral Cunningham had given them.

More than one of the bridge crew let out a cheer as the sensor officer reported all three Indian warships they had damaged had struck their colors. They had surrendered rather than face being destroyed by the British fleet.

“Send a message to our squadron,” Lightfoot ordered. “Tell them, ‘Well done.’”

“Aye Captain,” the COM officer responded with a look of pride.

“You have the bridge First Lieutenant,” Lightfoot said as he stood. He had been on the bridge for the last twelve hours, it was time to retire to his quarters. No doubt Admiral Cunningham would have new orders for the fleet but he was confident his First Lieutenant could handle whatever the Admiral had planned.

*

As the Indian fleet reached Haven’s mass shadow and disappeared off his flagship’s sensor screen, Cunningham gave orders to rearrange the fleet. He intended to leave more than two thirds of his fleet on the edge of the system’s mass shadow. It was likely Admiral Kumar would run all the way back to New Delhi, but on the off chance she tried to sneak back into the system to harass his attempts to retake the colony, he wanted to be ready to fight her off. Once he was happy the ships he was leaving behind knew what they were to do, he ordered his flagship to reverse course and head towards Haven. The system is ours, Cunningham thought as his flagship and a few escorts left the fleet and began their maneuver. However, I’m afraid the bloodletting is just about to begin.

*

ISF Shiva, shift space.

“Damn it,” Admiral Kumar screamed as the door to her personal quarters shut behind her. She lashed out at a picture she had on the desk from her graduation day. Every one of her friends would now be laughing at her. It was bad enough the British Captain had managed to slip past her fleet and attack the troop transport she had been in charge of escorting. Now, the British had managed to thwart her surprise attack and capture three of her warships. She swore to herself that if she managed to keep command of Shiva she would get revenge. We’ll be back, she said to herself as she looked out the artificial porthole in her cabin. The display was still showing the planet of Haven below her ship. No one had thought to change it since they had broken out of orbit to flee from the British fleet.

Chapter 27 – Ground Offensive

The Marine training world of Valhalla is almost entirely artificial. It has been made to recreate every environment known to man. Marine cadets spend three years in training on Valhalla before they graduate and are sent to their various units. At any one time there are over fifty million marines in training on the planet.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

29th October, Haven

As he got to the point in the forest he had been aiming for, Johnston ground to a halt and raised his fist into the air to signal those behind him to stop as well. After receiving Captain Somerville’s message, he had ordered the evacuation of the resistance camp he and his men had set up. Then, taking one of the last working COM units, he had sent his pre-prepared message to Endeavour. Within a minute of sending the message a number of howitzer shells had rained down on the resistance camp, destroying anything that hadn’t already been evacuated.

As he ran to avoid the Indian fire, he sent an encrypted message to the rest of the resistance camps. Every man and woman who was able to, was to rendezvous with him near the main Indian supply depot. While Councilwoman Pennington led many of the refugees and wounded away from the city to safety, he and what was left of the resistance were going to make sure they were in the forefront of the battles that would finally signal the defeat of the Indian invasion force.

“No sign of a landing yet?” Sergeant Briar asked as he came to stand beside Johnston. All the resistance fighters but the British special forces marines had thrown themselves to the ground in complete exhaustion. Johnston had run them hard for the last three hours. If they were to be in position to help the British landing, they had to get to the supply depot quickly. For the first two hours of their journey the sky had been lit up like a Christmas tree as tungsten spears and hundreds of heavy plasma bolts rained down all across the terrain. Johnston and the resistance had meticulously mapped out as many of the Indian bases, weapons installations and anti-air emplacements as they could. He had no doubt they had missed some, but the vast majority of them would now be nothing but smoldering rubble.

“None that I’ve seen,” Johnston replied. He had stopped his group of resistance fighters just before a small clearing in the Havenite forest. Through the clearing, Johnston was able to look into the sky to see what was going on. The distant shapes of a number of large naval vessels in high orbit were clearly visible, yet there was no sign of any shuttles approaching the planet.

“What are they waiting for?” Briar asked. “They stopped their orbital bombardment more than an hour ago, the longer they wait, the more time the Indians have to prepare.”

“I’m thinking Endeavour, being as stealthy as she is, was sent in ahead of the fleet to hit the Indians before they knew what was happening,” Johnston explained. “It may have taken the rest of the fleet a few hours to get into orbit. It looks like they are here now though,” he pointed up through the clearing.

“I see,” Briar replied. “Well I’m not complaining too much; the delay gave us time to get here. I’m sure the men would appreciate a few more minutes rest before the action kicks off.”

“I’m sure,” Johnston said.

“So,” Briar probed. “How do you see this playing out? What is our role going to be?”

“As soon as the shuttles begin to land we’ll contact the British forces and let them know we’re here,” Johnston explained. “The marines will have plenty of weaponry to cover whatever forces they land from those damned Indian howitzers. Until then, we’ll have to keep our heads down. Once the men get a little rest, we will move up slowly and take positions near the edge of the main clearing in front of the supply depot.

*

On the command bridge of the marine assault transport HMS Albion, Lieutenant General Hawker stood looking down on the 3D map of Liberty and the surrounding countryside. An entire section of Hawker’s command bridge was taken up by a large holo projector on the floor. It allowed Hawker to stand over a 3D map of the battlefield. His focus was on two points of interest. First, there was the Indian supply depot several kilometers beyond the edge of the city in a large clearing. Then there was his main goal, the Havenite Council Chambers. From the overhead images his ships were able to capture, it was clear the Indians had heavily fortified the Chambers and there were hundreds, if not thousands of ground troops spread throughout the city holding key locations. Only once the Indians had been driven out of the city could he say that Haven had been liberated.

However, the supply depot was a thorn in his side. If he didn’t neutralize it first then the Indians could launch sorties from the depot into his flank. Despite repeated efforts to bombard it from space, even with the addition of more ships to aid Captain Somerville, the Indian base had repulsed every attempt. That left only one option, it would have to be stormed from the ground. The clearing itself was also vital to secure as it would allow Albion and her sister ship to land on Haven and disgorge the main bulk of the British invasion force.

“Begin the landings,” Hawker ordered.

His subordinates sprang into action. From both assault transport ships, Albion and Bulwark, sixteen shuttles full of marines took off. A further twenty shuttles took off from the other British warships in orbit. In total, Hawker’s first wave of troops would number seven hundred. As soon as he could, he would have another seven hundred on the ground backing them up. The first wave would land several kilometers away from the Indian supply depot and storm the Indian defenses. Hawker planned for his second and third waves to land around the edge of Liberty and secure the perimeter of the city. As much as he didn’t want to get his men involved in what would likely be a vicious and deadly street to street and house-to-house battle for the city, he didn’t want large formations of Indian soldiers to escape into the Havenite forest and cause him trouble further down the line.

“We’re detecting a number of radar emitters coming online, and other heat sources are powering up from within the Havenite forest,” one of his subordinates reported.

“Take them out,” Hawker ordered. “Don’t wait for target confirmation, if anything looks threatening, destroy it.”

Tens of heavy plasma bolts rained down onto the planet, destroying numerous hidden Indian anti-air installations. Even so, as the British shuttles entered Haven’s atmosphere a number of plasma bolts raced up to greet them. Almost as soon as any one Indian weapon opened fire, plasma bolts descended from orbit to destroy it. Nevertheless, two British shuttles were destroyed in the attack. Another one took enough damage that it had to break off and accelerate back towards the safety of space.

“Air superiority fighters,” Hawker’s subordinate announced. “The satellites we seeded in orbit are detecting six of them approaching from the south, they’re closing at two thousand kilometers an hour.”

“Only six?” Hawker asked. He had been expecting far more, in fact he had been expecting them to hit his shuttles as soon as they entered Haven’s atmosphere.

“I’m not detecting any more as yet,” his subordinate answered. “They could be hiding somewhere using their stealth capabilities.”

“Engage them as soon as they come into range of our missile pods,” Hawker ordered.

Since he had received Johnston’s intelligence report, and the details of the Indian’s new Hal Tejas fighters, he had been seeking a way to neutralize the threat. The fleet’s R&D department had come up with a number of solutions and Hawker had finally settled on the missile pod idea. Coupled with very expensive satellites that had been placed in orbit around Haven to detect the stealth fighters, the simulations suggested that the missile pods should be able to deal with many more than six of the Indian fighters.

“Engaging in thirty seconds,” one of the weapons officers on Albion’s bridge informed Hawker. “Engaging now,” he said when the time came.

*

The six Hal Tejas pilots had almost no warning of the attack. The missile pods were coated in the same stealth coating as Endeavour and Discovery. Sitting just above Haven’s atmosphere, they were in prime position to launch a number of air to air missiles at the six Indian fighters. As soon as the fighters came into range, the missile pods spewed out twelve missiles, two for each of the Indian fighters. The weapons officer on board Albion had waited until the Hal Tejas were almost directly below the missile pods. With a closing time of only five seconds, the Indian pilots barely had time to register the threat warning before the missiles exploded among them. Five of the six fighters were destroyed. The sixth managed to pull off an impressive evasive maneuver and dodged both missiles aimed at it.

Realizing if the British secured the planet she would have nowhere to go, Ananya Saanvi, the final Indian pilot, continued towards the descending British shuttles. As soon as she came into range she fired all six air to air missiles her fighter was carrying. Then, she threw caution to the wind and accelerated her fighter to its maximum airspeed. No longer using her stealth capabilities, she was trusting in speed alone to get into range of her opponents.

Before Saanvi realized how close she was to the British shuttles, the air around her filled with green plasma bolts as the shuttle’s point defenses tried to shoot down her missiles and fighter. She jinked and dove randomly to avoid their fire. She cursed as three of her missiles were blown up by plasma cannon fire. Two more missiles evaporated in explosions and then the final one was intercepted before it could do any damage.

Yet, she had managed to get her fighter just close enough. “Eat lead,” she shouted as she pushed the trigger of her joystick. The phrase was a holdover from an earlier era for as she watched, a string of small plasma bolts shot from her fighter and traced their way along one of the British shuttles. It disappeared as the plasma bolts burnt through its almost non-existent armor and exploded its fuel supply. Switching targets, Ananya took out another shuttle before an AM missile finally got close enough to her fighter. It blew off a wing and one of her engines, sending her into a steep nosedive as her ship spun round and round, out of control.

At the last moment, Ananya overcame the g-forces pushing her into the seat and pulled her ejection lever. She felt weightless as she flew through the air, then a sudden jerking pulled her towards the sky as her parachute deployed. As her vision stopped spinning she twisted to look over her shoulder. In the distance she managed to make out the squadron of British shuttles as they flew low over the Havenite forest looking for a secure landing spot. I’ve done all I can, Ananya said to herself. It’s up to the rest of you now, she thought to her comrades.

*

“Perimeter secure,” Lieutenant Stromboli reported as he jogged over to his Colonel. “We are two and a half kilometers away from the supply depot. Within easy striking distance.”

“Have we unloaded and set up all our anti-air weaponry?” Colonel Sanders asked. “The Indians have howitzers and who knows what else ready to strike us as soon as the shuttles take off.”

“They’re ready to go Sir,” Stromboli replied. “Unless the Indian fleet returns to bombard us from orbit, we should have no problems from the air.”

“Very good, signal the squadron pilots and let them know they can head back to pick up General Hawker’s next wave,” Saunders ordered.

Just before Sanders could turn and survey the disposition of his men as they took up defensive positions, an alert on his combat armor’s HUD drew his attention. “Yes, what is it?” he asked the signals officer of his marine brigade.

“I’m getting a COM message from someone claiming to be Major Johnston,” the officer reported. “He says he’s one kilometer from the Indian supply depot with a group of Havenite fighters ready to join the fight. He wasn’t able to provide any active recognition codes however, what do you want me to say to him?”

“Put him through to me,” Sanders ordered with a grin. “I’ll check his identity.”

As Major Johnston’s face appeared in a corner of his HUD Sanders grin widened. “Johnston you old dog, I’m glad to see you’re still alive.”

“I don’t have time for niceties Colonel,” Johnston said hastily. “You need to order your anti-air gunners to cover my position. As soon as the Indians pick up this transmission they will target it for bombardment with the howitzers.”

Realizing the danger, Sanders switched COM channels to his gunners. Checking the coordinates from which Johnston was contacting him from, he sent them to the gunners and ordered them to cover that area of the Havenite forest from any howitzer fire.

“Done,” Sanders said after switching back to the channel Johnston was using. “Now, I need to check you are the real Major Johnston. Tell me, what happened on my first run through the Argyll simulation?”

Sanders knew he was talking to the real Major Johnston as soon as the weather-beaten soldier’s face cracked a grin. “The Argyll simulation?” Johnston repeated with a chuckle. “That was the first training simulation I had you run as a Lieutenant. If I recall correctly, you tripped and ended up shooting yourself in the leg with the simulated plasma cannon. One of your sergeants had to carry you off the battlefield before you even managed to engage the opposing force. The other instructors and I had a good laugh at your expense that day boyo.”

“I guess that’s good enough,” Sanders laughed. “Now, care to tell me what you’re doing so close to my target? From the rumors I’ve heard back on Earth, you’ve gone rogue, thrown yourself in with these Havenite resistance fighters. From the look of you, you’d give old Che Guevara a run for his money when it comes to looking like the stereotypical rebel.”

“Che Guevara has nothing on what we’ve done here over the past several months,” Johnston replied. “We’ve made the Indians bleed. They’ve been ruthlessly dealing with any resistance here. Thousands, maybe even tens of thousands, of civilians and non-combatants have been killed. Their actions have given me little choice, I’ve been fighting them as best I could since Endeavour left the system.”

“Well,” Sanders said. “I have no doubt you’ve been giving them hell. I have almost seven hundred marines in my battalion ready to advance on the supply depot. Lieutenant General Hawker is in charge of the invasion force. He wants me to secure the depot before he can land the assault transports. Then we’re going to make a push on Liberty. You know the Indians better than anyone else, you have any advice for me?”

“Make sure you secure your flanks,” Johnston said. “This forest is so thick and dense, it’s easy to hide a large number of troops. The Indians could have several small forces hidden in the forest ready to strike at you as soon as you launch your frontal attack.”

“Thank you,” Sanders said. “I’ll take that under consideration. Now, pray tell, just what role do you expect to play in the coming battle?”

“I have more than sixty fighters with me,” Johnston said. “And more are coming in every minute. We don’t have combat armor, but we are used to fighting the Indians without any. We’ve never tried to hit the supply depot before because their defenses would tear us apart. However, once you begin your assault, I’ve no doubt the Indians will be focused on you. If we can, were going to strike at the depot as well. We may not be much help, but at least we will be a distraction. Either way, there’s no way you’re stopping these Havenites getting stuck in. They’ve been fighting and dying for months now. They’re not going to sit back and let you guys finish the job on your own.”

“Okay,” Sanders said as he thought through Johnston’s words. “We will proceed with our attack as planned. If you manage to break through the Indian’s first line of defenses, find some good cover and lie low. Either the Indians will try to repulse you, or my men will have already broken through their defenses. I don’t want your fighters getting killed in the crossfire. We’ll secure the main sections of the depot. And whatever you do, make sure you stay clear of the north side of the depot, we have something special planned there.”

“That sounds just fine to me,” Johnston said. “Good luck Colonel, I’m sure we’ll get a chance to see each other face-to-face soon enough.”

“Good luck to you to Major,” Sanders said as he switched back to his brigade’s COM channel. “Lieutenant Richards, I want you to take two platoons and spread out deeper into the Havenite forest. Do a sweep through the forest along our angle of advance and further back along our flanks. Make sure there is no sign of any Indian troops getting ready to ambush us.”

“Yes Colonel,” Richards said. “I’ll take platoons four and five, they haven’t yet been assigned positions in the advance.”

“Good,” Sanders said. “Get to it Lieutenant.”

Sanders had chosen to land his forces just over two kilometers away from the Indian supply depot. Crucially, they had landed around a bend in the clearing, this meant that most of the two kilometers between his force and the supply depot consisted of thick forest. His troops would be able to advance under cover, avoiding any direct fire until the time came to launch the attack.

“Lieutenant Stromboli,” Sanders said over his COM channel. “Prepare your men to advance. Your platoon is going to take point. Keep at least fifty meters from the edge of the forest when you get to the supply depot, but send forward scouts to see what the Indian defenders are up to.”

“Aye Colonel,” Stromboli replied. “We’ll move out momentarily.”

Chapter 28 – Contact

Whilst the various land armies of the human nations forming the Empire weren’t prepared for the War of Doom, what the Karacknids had that passed for ground troops were in a far worse state. Nevertheless, the Karacknids had one advantage over us, being predators on their home planet, everyone of their species could fight when called to.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

Marine Lieutenant Jason Stromboli strode through the Havenite forest. Though his senses were on the lookout for an ambush, he couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the alien plant life. Having grown up on the British Mars colony, he loved spending all the free time he could get on Earth exploring what remained of its diverse ecosystems. Until the war with the Indians he had never left the Sol system, now, after more than five years in the Marines, he was finally setting foot on an alien planet.

Too bad I can’t stop and take a few samples, Stromboli thought. Shaking himself, he forced thoughts of the strange plant life all around him out of his mind. He had more than twenty marines ahead of him scouting out the forest but even so, he needed to have his wits about him.

“Any sign of trouble up ahead?” he asked Sergeant Larson over the platoon COM channel.

“Nothing but these overgrown leaves and forest shrubbery,” Larson replied. “Though there could be an Indian soldier standing ten meters from me and I wouldn’t see him.”

“Well, keep on the lookout anyway,” Stromboli ordered.

“I think we’ve reached the clearing,” Larson announced over the COM channel five minutes later.

“Don’t get any closer,” Stromboli ordered. “Wait till I get there.”

Stromboli caught up to where Larson and three of his scouts were crouched. Traversing through the Havenite forest reminded Stromboli of being on Earth and going on hikes on the full moon. Though some sunlight penetrated the thick foliage, it wasn’t nearly enough to properly illuminate the forest. Now that he was at the edge of the forest, it once again looked like day time.

“What can you see?” Stromboli asked Larson.

“The supply depot is definitely out there,” Larson said pointing at an angle beyond the edge of the forest line. “So far, we haven’t come across any sign of Indian troops, nor even scouts or sensors.”

“The Indians already know we’re here,” Stromboli said. “They’ll have expected us to advance roughly along this route. They may be conserving their scouts, or they’ll spread them out to watch some of the other approaches to the depot. They may think we are planning a surprise attack from another direction.”

“Either way,” Sergeant Larson said, “I’m not complaining.”

“I’m going to take a closer look,” Stromboli said. “Take your men and fall back twenty meters. Set up a defensive line. If we have to fall back I want to be ready. When the rest of the platoon gets here tell them to take a rest. We’ll be making our attack soon.”

Stromboli made his way towards the edge of the tree line. Making sure not to poke his head or any other body part beyond the last strands of the Havenite foliage, he peered towards the supply depot. The depot was built in a slight hollow and even from his position at ground level, he was able to look down at the depot and see over the first line of defenses. As the briefing intel had told him, there were two walls running around the depot. The inner wall had a series of large, reinforced guard towers with heavy plasma cannons placed on them. The outer wall was smaller, but it looked like it had many slots for soldiers to shoot from. The large guard towers would be the primary targets when the assault began. However, the small outer wall would make things very difficult. Stromboli knew Sanders didn’t have enough firepower to take out all of the outer wall. The open ground from the tree line to the depot was going to become a killing field.

Running his eye around the perimeter of the supply depot, Stromboli did a quick count of the defenders. He could see almost a hundred Indian soldiers in combat armor standing in plain view. He guessed there could be another hundred taking cover behind the outer defensive wall. Within the depot itself, there could be another couple of hundred or even more. Though he would bet on one of his marines against any Indian soldier, he knew the Indians weren’t to be taken lightly. I guess this is what I signed up for, he thought as he contemplated the coming prospect of his first real experience of combat.

Satisfied the Indians hadn’t erected any more defenses than the fleet intel had shown, Stromboli made his way back to the defensive line his platoon was setting up. Shortly after making sure everything was in order, he received a COM message to report to Colonel Sanders.

“Yes Sir?” Stromboli said as he approached Colonel Sanders. The Colonel was watching the squad of military engineers who had accompanied their regiment as part of the first wave of troops.

“You have laid eyes on the supply depot?” Sanders asked.

“Yes Colonel,” Stromboli replied.

“What did you make of their defenses?” Sanders asked. “No nasty surprises waiting for us?”

“Not that I could see,” Stromboli answered. “The defenses are formidable without the Indians needing any surprises.”

“So you don’t recommend any changes to our plan of attack?” Sanders asked.

“No,” Stromboli replied. “If the engineers can cover our advance, we should be able to breach the first line of defenses. Once we reach them, at worst we can use them as cover to clear the second wall of defenders before we advance further.”

“Very good,” Sanders said. “We will begin our assault once the military engineers have their toys set up. I’m holding seventh platoon in reserve, they lost more than two thirds of their strength when those two shuttles were destroyed. They will be ready to react if the Indians launch any kind of counter-attack. God speed Lieutenant.”

“Thank you, we’ll do you proud Colonel,” Stromboli said as he saluted and turned to head back to his platoon.

*

“It’s about to begin,” Johnston said to Clare as she stood beside him.

“How can you tell?” She asked.

“I can sense it, it’s the quiet before the storm,” he answered. “It’s time for you to head back, this is going to be ugly.”

“All right,” Clare said. “Just make sure you don’t take any unnecessary risks. This nightmare is about to be over, I don’t want to lose you at the final hurdle.”

“I won’t, I promise,” Johnston assured her.

“And I hope you know I know what you did,” Clare said as she shook her finger at Johnston. “I’m going to hold you to that promise.”

“Stay safe,” Johnston said to Clare as she turned to leave.

His team of resistance fighters had brought as many supplies as they could carry with them on their trek from the resistance camp. Johnston had known the attack on the supply depot would only be the beginning. His men needed enough supplies and ammunition for at least several days of fighting. Driving the Indians out of Liberty was likely to take that long if not longer. The resistance fighters who had survived the past several months of guerrilla warfare would be vital to the British forces when it came to fighting their way through Liberty. They knew every nook and cranny of the city and where every good hiding spot or ambush site was. As a result, he had ordered more than half of his force to remain behind to protect the supplies. There had been a few complaints, but after he explained just how many battles were likely to still be ahead, the complaints had died down.

Putting Clare in charge of the fighters he was leaving behind had been the most logical solution, she wasn’t a fighter and most of her activities for the resistance had been as a scout or as a leader overseeing one of the different resistance camps. Of course, Johnston had also put her in charge so she wouldn’t be involved in the coming battle. He wanted to keep her as safe as possible.

“When do we attack?” Maguire asked. After the attack on the Indian hanger, Maguire had escaped the Indian forces who had pursued his fighters and disappeared for several weeks as the survivors from his resistance group mourned their losses. Johnston hadn’t been sure Maguire would respond to his call to action. Yet, less than half an hour ago, he had turned up with another twenty men and women ready for the attack.

“Not until the marines advance,” Johnston answered. “We want the Indians’ full attention to be on them. If we advance and the Indians are ready for us, they will cut us to pieces. Our job is just to cause a diversion. To make the Indians look over their shoulders so the marines can get among them. If your people are taking too many casualties fall back to the tree line and pour fire into the base. Even that will help the marines.”

“Okay,” Maguire said. “I’ll go and speak to my fighters before we charge.”

“Very well,” Johnston said. “Thanks for coming,” he added. “I know you suffered a lot of losses the last time we fought together. But,” Johnston said as he placed his hand on Maguire’s shoulder and turned him to face the supply depot, “there will be a lot more marines alive today because of our actions.”

“Just so long as they get the Indians out of here,” Maguire said. “A lot of Havenite blood has been spilt to get us to this point. I just hope we still have our freedom after your fleet, your marines and your government has set itself up here.”

Johnston had heard this more than once, alongside Councilwoman Pennington, Maguire was one of the most vocal voices when it came to articulating concern over what the British had planned for Haven. “You’ll see we are different from the Indians,” Johnston said, not for the first time. “If our forces’ willingness to fight and die for your colony today doesn’t show that to you, then I don’t know what will convince you.”

“Time will tell,” Maguire said. “For now we’re allies, so let’s get this done.”

“Agreed,” Johnston said.

“He’s a touchy fellow,” Sergeant Briar said after Maguire had disappeared into the forest towards where his group of fighters were awaiting the command to charge.

“He’s not the only one,” Johnston replied. “Our government’s going to have their hands full dealing with them once the Indians are defeated. This Indian occupation has only served to strengthen the Havenites’ pride and sense of independence.”

“Worrying about that is way above my pay grade,” Sergeant Briar said. “I’m just looking forward to a nice warm shower on one of those warships up in orbit. Never thought I would be looking forward to getting back on board one of his Majesty’s ships. After so many months out in this forest it’s going to seem extremely small, however, for a wash and some freshly cooked steaks, I’m sure I could get used to it again.”

“Let’s just make sure we survive today so we get to enjoy such things again,” Johnston replied. “Our squad has lost enough soldiers already.”

Briar could only nod in agreement. Of their initial nine special forces marines, four were still able to continue the fight. Lieutenant Moony and Privates Harte, Reynolds and McFarland had been killed while Samuels had lost her leg and was with Councilwoman Pennington and the other injured resistance fighters.

The silence of the forest was disrupted as green bolts shot from the sky and tens of explosions erupted all around the west side of the supply depot. Instinctively, Briar ducked for cover. “What’s going on?” he asked when it became clear the explosions weren’t targeting their position.

“The ships in orbit,” Johnston said. “They’re tearing up the ground around the supply depot. All those craters will provide extra cover for the marines as they advance. Smart thinking.”

“It’s a pity they didn’t think of us,” Briar shouted over the din of the explosions.

Almost as if someone up in orbit had heard Briars’ complaint, the stream of heavy plasma bolts pouring out of the sky spread out and moved around the supply depot. Someone in the Indian base must have recognized what the British were doing for their anti-plasma cannons began to intercept many of the plasma bolts coming down from orbit. Even so, less than sixty seconds after the first bolts descended, they disappeared, leaving behind a ring of craters surrounding the supply depot.

“Well,” Briar said, “that should make life a little easier. I guess this means the attack is about to commence.”

Johnston didn’t reply, instead he looked over the top of the supply depot towards the opposite tree line. With his enhanced vision, he could clearly see movement. The British marines were about to attack.

*

“Thirty seconds,” Stromboli said over his platoon’s COM channel.

Six shells burst through the Haven forest and arced into the air towards the supply depot. The supply depot’s automatic defenses detected the incoming ordnance but, calculating that the shells would fall a hundred meters short of the base, none of the depot’s point defenses engaged them. As each shell hit the ground, a small cloud of dust erupted from the impact, but there was no explosion.

Half a kilometer back into the forest, the lead military engineer looked over to Colonel Sanders. “The ordinances are in position,” he said.

“Bring them online,” Sanders ordered.

A rear hatch in each of the shells spun open and a large cylinder shot into the air. It exploded, giving off a huge amount of electromagnetic radiation. The intense light momentarily blinded the Indian soldiers who had been peering in the expected direction of the British attack. Specifically designed to overload the optical sensors used by the Indian soldiers’ combat armor, almost every Indian soldier’s hands flew to take off his helmet as the light caused his HUD to shut down. At the same time, the thermal and other electromagnetic wavelengths of energy released by the devices overwhelmed the targeting sensors of many of the Indian weapon emplacements.

Having been warned to keep their heads down, the British marines were unaffected. Within seconds, they were on their feet and charging across the open ground towards the Indian base.

Stromboli knew the gizmos the military engineers had brought with them would only blind the defenders for several seconds. As he charged out of the forest, he picked a large crater almost two hundred meters in front of him. Designating it with his HUD so that the rest of his platoon would know their target, he tore towards the crater and the protection it would give from the Indian fire that was about to crash down on them.

As he ran, time seemed to slow down. Keeping his focus between the crater he was charging towards, and the Indian base, first he saw one, then two Indian soldiers poke their head above the inner defensive wall. They raised plasma cannons to their shoulders and fired. Within a matter of seconds the incoming fire went from one or two plasma bolts to hundreds as more and more of the Indian soldiers regained their wits and fired on the attackers.

Stromboli fired his plasma rifle as he ran. All along the British line, hundreds more plasma bolts shot towards the Indian defenders. Despite their training, it was impossible to be as accurate on the run as the Indian soldiers sheltering behind their defenses and marines began to fall.

Diving into the crater for cover, Stromboli looked up just in time to see several hyper velocity rockets arc out from the forest line. They struck the large guard towers, taking out their heavy plasma cannons. Looking around to make sure his platoon was still with him, Stromboli crawled to the edge of the crater and poked his plasma rifle over its lip.

He sighted on a number of Indian soldiers stretched over the inner defensive wall firing down at the British attackers. Squeezing the trigger, he sent out a flurry of plasma bolts. The first two hit their target, killing an Indian soldier. The rest of the soldiers ducked to escape his fire. Switching targets, Stromboli sighted in on the smaller defensive wall. Though he couldn’t see any of the Indian soldiers hiding behind it, there was a constant stream of plasma bolts coming out of the slots on the wall. Without bothering to aim, he sent another burst of plasma bolts at the wall. Tracking left and right Stromboli made sure to fire at as many of the slots as he could. He knew there was very little chance he would be able to hit the soldier taking cover behind the wall, instead he hoped his fire would distract the Indian soldiers enough to disrupt their aim.

“Get ready,” Stromboli ordered. By now most of the marines had advanced to craters roughly in line with his own. It was time for the engineers to play their second hand.

Crawling back from the lip of the crater, Stromboli rose to his feet. Overhead, hundreds of plasma bolts crisscrossed the open land between the depot and the forest. Sanders’ second wave of marines had taken up position along the forest’s edge and were pouring fire towards the supply depot. As the first wave of attackers ceased fire and prepared for another charge, the Indian soldiers redirected their fire towards the forest line.

Several massive explosions erupted less than three hundred meters above his head. Howitzer shells, Stromboli thought. He could just make out the faint smoke trail of the counter missiles the engineers had launched to intercept the shells.

“It’s unreal,” one of the marines beside Stromboli said as he looked up at the maze of plasma bolts shooting back and forth under the light from the expanding fireballs.

“Focus,” Stromboli ordered as he reached over and turned the marine to face the supply depot.

“Advance,” Colonel Sanders commanded over the regiment’s platoon COM channel.

“Go, go, go,” Stromboli added as he charged out of the crater, leading his platoon.

As three hundred British marines charged towards their objective, the hail of Indian fire passed over their heads toward targets at the forest line. Very quickly though, the Indian fire descended upon them. Several marines fell near Stromboli as plasma bolts and hyper velocity missiles exploded among their ranks. Then a series of massive explosions erupted right in front of the Indian base. The six shells the military engineers had fired had contained one last surprise.

As six massive fireballs shot flames more than one hundred meters into the sky the Indian fire died out as neither the Indian soldiers nor their defensive weapons could identify any targets through the burning inferno. Stromboli and the other British marines used the precious time to cover another three hundred meters towards the outer wall of the depot.

Burning as intensely as they did, the fireballs quickly dispersed, allowing the Indians to once again see their opponents. Diving into the nearest crater, Stromboli just managed to throw himself out of the firing line as the full weight of Indian fire once again crashed into the charging marines. Reaching behind his back, he pulled two grenades off his utility belt and prepared to hurl them. He was close enough that he should be able to hurl them over the depot’s outer wall. Pausing, he took a couple of seconds to catch his breath. We just need one more distraction, Stromboli thought.

*

“Now,” Johnston ordered as he threw himself through the last remnants of the Haven forest and into the open ground surrounding the supply depot. As he ran he fired almost blindly towards the depot. More than a hundred Havenite resistance fighters joined him, firing as they charged.

For the first several seconds the Indians hardly managed any counter fire. Three heavy plasma cannons that hadn’t been engaging the marines were the only weapons that immediately opened up on the Havenite fighters. Each bolt killed one or two of Johnston’s force. Even so, the resistance fighters quickly advanced towards the first line of craters. Then, jumping from crater to crater, they continued their advance.

Johnston knew their luck had run out when the Indian fire intensified. A squad of Indian soldiers had been dispatched to take up positions along the outer defensive wall.

“Alpha and beta squad, take cover in the craters, give us covering fire as we advance,” Johnston shouted to be heard over the din of battle.

As he charged, the Indian fire intensified. Around him, several resistance fighters fell to the ground, either severely injured or dead. Diving into the nearest crater to avoid being hit, Johnston paused to assess the situation. “This is as far as we are going to get,” he shouted to the fighters around him. “Use the craters as cover, we need to distract the Indians.”

Chapter 29 – Taking Ground

One proverb is true in both naval and ground war: ‘If you can, attack your opponent from every side.’

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

“Major Johnston has launched his attack,” Colonel Sanders reported over the regiment’s COM channel. “First wave, continue your advance; second wave, follow them in. Let’s take this damned depot,” Sanders ordered.

“Grenades away,” Stromboli shouted as he hurled first one, then two high explosive grenades towards the Indians’ outer defensive wall. The marines who had been taking cover in the same crater added their own grenades. As Stromboli charged out of the crater he was greeted by a wall of explosions as the grenades went off all around the first defensive wall. They silenced any fire that had been coming from the Indian soldiers stationed there.

The fire from the defenders manning the second wall was still fierce and, as Stromboli charged, several marines from his platoon were cut down. As he reached the outer wall he threw his back against the durasteel fortification to take cover from the Indian fire. Then, without looking, he unhooked another high explosive grenade and threw it through the nearest slit in the wall. He didn’t know if there were any surviving Indian soldiers on the other side but he wasn’t going to take any chances.

As soon as the explosion cleared Stromboli turned and peered through the firing slit to see if any Indian soldiers remained alive. Making sure to keep his plasma rifle aimed through the slit, he carefully looked from side to side. Not seeing any immediate danger, he turned to lean against the wall. Letting out a deep breath, he looked around. Tens of British marines had reached the outer defensive wall. Some were lobbing grenades over the wall or through firing slits, others had their plasma rifles shoved through the firing slits and were firing at the defenders within, still others were firing over the top of the wall towards the defenders who were manning the inner wall that protected the supplies and equipment housed in the depot.

Seeing there was little return fire from the Indians on the second wall, Stromboli risked poking his head above the outer wall to survey what was left of the Indian defenses. Almost all the guard towers were smoldering wrecks. Even as he watched, one of the last exploded as a hyper velocity missile shot from the forest line.

Ducking down, Stromboli opened a COM channel directly to Colonel Sanders. “We have them on the run Colonel,” he said. “One more push and we should be able to take the inner wall.”

“You’re doing well,” Sanders replied. “Wait until the second wave reaches you, then lead your men over the outer wall. The engineers have no more tricks to protect you so you will have to storm the inner wall as quickly as possible. Once you have your men inside don’t try to take the entire depot. Find cover and set up defensive positions. Unless the Indian commander is a fool, he will have a reserve force. As soon as his perimeter is breached he should commit them to repulsing you. Stick to the plan Lieutenant and we should win the day. You’ve already accomplished the hardest part.”

“Yes Sir,” Stromboli replied. “My men know what to do. We will continue our attack as soon as possible.”

Keying off the COM channel, Stromboli looked back towards the forest line. The second wave of marines had already made it about two thirds of the way towards the supply depot. With the Indian defenders so focused on repulsing the first wave, they were making much easier going of it. Leaving his men to engage the Indian defenders, Stromboli opened another COM channel to the Lieutenants and Captain leading the second wave of attackers. “Most of our men are out of grenades,” he began. “If you order your men to launch a grenade or two at the inner wall we should be able to charge as soon as your forces reach us,” he suggested.

“Roger,” the Captain leading the second wave of attackers said. “We’ll follow your suggestion Lieutenant,” he added.

“We’re going over the top as soon as the second wave reaches us,” Stromboli informed the rest of his platoon over their own COM channel. “As soon as they get here, they will lob grenades at the inner wall, that’s all the cover we’re going to get.”

“We’ve come this far. We may as well see what’s on the other side, eh boys?” one of his sergeants responded, eliciting a few shouts of encouragement from the other marines.

Stromboli didn’t laugh, on his HUD he could see the status of his platoon. He had lost six marines and there would be more before the depot was secure. Instead, he gritted his teeth and prepared to jump over the outer defensive wall. As the second wave of marines charged out of the last line of craters, almost all of them pulled grenades off their utility belts and hurled them over the outer defensive wall towards the inner wall. Before the grenades exploded Stromboli gave the order for his own men to charge. Putting action to words, he hurdled the outer wall using the impressive strength his combat armor gave him. As his feet hit the ground he launched into a sprint towards his new target, firing his plasma cannon at anything that moved on top of the inner wall.

To his horror, as he ran towards the much larger durasteel wall he saw a number of slits at ground level open up. As soon as they opened, plasma rifles were pushed through and opened up on the charging marines. They were just waiting for us, Stromboli cursed. With nothing else to do, he switched his fire from the top of the inner wall onto the slits. Recognizing the danger they were in, almost all of the marines followed his example and hundreds of plasma bolts slapped into the durasteel wall around the opened slits.

Stromboli had planned to pause his attack when his platoon got to the durasteel wall to give them a chance to catch their breath. Now it would spell death for his men. He pulled his grappling hook out of his combat armor’s utility belt and hurled it up and over the inner wall. When he was fifteen meters from the wall he launched himself into the air and crashed into the wall. Grabbing the nano carbon wire attached to his grappling hook he pulled himself up the wall. As soon as he got to the top he threw himself over the fortifications and landed on the walls’ battlements.

Two Indian soldiers in combat armor looked around, startled at the sudden appearance of the British marine between them. Stromboli didn’t have time to fire on both so he dispatched one with his plasma rifle while he shoulder charged the second. Still caught off guard, the second soldier didn’t have enough time to dodge and Stromboli’s shoulder charge knocked him off the battlements and into the supply depot. The fall would hardly cause the soldier any real damage, his combat armor would protect him, yet he was out of the fight for now.

Stromboli sighted his plasma rifle on a number of Indian soldiers who were looking over the top of the durasteel wall, firing down on the marines. He fired bolt after bolt into the defenders, dispatching them before they realized the danger they were in. Before he finished taking out his targets, the Sergeant who had cracked the joke just a few seconds before landed beside him and opened up with his plasma rifle. Soon more than six marines from his platoon were alongside him, pouring fire into the flanks of the Indian defenders.

“We’re sitting ducks up here,” Stromboli said as one and then another marine fell to fire from deeper within the supply depot. “I think we’ve done enough, everyone get off this wall now,” he ordered

Stromboli saw other marines launch themselves over the inner wall and engage what was left of the Indian defenders. “Push on,” he ordered his platoon as they formed up around him and spread out to set up a perimeter. “We need to find a defensive position and get set up to receive a counter attack. The Indians won’t want us in their depot, they’ll try to push us out and retake the inner wall if they can.”

As his men pushed forward, engaging any Indian soldiers they came across, Stromboli surveyed the section of the depot they had jumped into. It seemed to be taken up by large crates that, from the look of them, contained water and other essential rations. The wooden crates would provide next to no cover from an Indian plasma bolt. Further ahead he could see a section of the depot that looked like a parking lot for supply trucks. “Get to those supply trucks in the north-east,” he ordered over the COM channel. “We’ll dig in there.”

Stromboli knew the marines would have a far better chance of holding off any Indian counter attack if each of the platoons worked together. However, with haphazard and uncoordinated fighting still going on outside the inner wall, on the battlements and within the depot itself, it was every platoon for themselves.

*

“I think this is as far as we’re going to get,” Johnston said to Sergeant Briar. They were taking cover in a large crater about one hundred and fifty meters from the outer wall. Johnston reckoned more than thirty of his resistance fighters had been killed by Indian fire. Even so, they had done their task. What initially looked like a squad of Indian soldiers had turned into a platoon. He instinctively ducked as plasma bolts hit the lip of the crater, sending dirt and rocks tumbling down on top of Briar and himself. “There’s no way we are getting any closer with such a weight of fire coming at us,” he explained.

“You said it boss,” Briar said. “Each of those Indians over there firing at us is one less trying to repulse the marines’ attack. I think we’ve done our job.”

Johnston was about to reply but an all-too-familiar sound cut him short. The one thing Johnston and the other resistance fighters lived in fear of was the sound of an Indian shuttle approaching. Everyone knew it meant the Indians were aware they were operating in the vicinity and were out looking for them. Yet Johnston knew operating a shuttle with so many warships in orbit would be all but suicidal. A plasma bolt from even a frigate could easily destroy a slow moving shuttle.

Guessing where the sound of the shuttle was coming from, Johnston risked peering over the crater to see what was going on. Far to the south of the depot eight shuttles suddenly appeared, rocketing over the top of the Havenite forest. As soon as they came into view they launched multiple rockets from their weapon nodes and a stream of heavy plasma bolts tore into the nearest defensive towers.

As two of the shuttles fired missiles and plasma bolts into the supply depot and its defenders, the other six shuttles landed less than one hundred meters from the outer Indian wall. Each shuttle deposited twenty marines before lifting off and firing more plasma bolts at anything moving on the inner defensive wall.

“Well that’s bound to do it,” Briar said. “Between fending off the first attack and our charge, the Indians can’t have any reserves left to counter a third attack.”

“I guess you’re right,” Johnston said as the fire from the Indian defenders visibly slackened.

“You know,” Briar began in a thoughtful tone. “It seems a pity those marines are going to be the ones that take the depot. We are the ones who have put in all the hard work these last few months.”

“Wait a minute,” Johnston said in exasperation. “Just a minute ago you were happy to hunker down here and draw the Indians’ fire while the marines finished off the base.”

“Aye,” Briar said with a smile. “That’s when I thought I would get my head blown off, now I reckon we could get to that outer wall no sweat. What do you think? We can’t let the standard issue marines think they’re better than the special forces, can we?”

As Johnston looked at Fisher and Beckworth, who were crouched in the same crater as he and Briar, he almost groaned. Though he couldn’t see their faces through their combat armor, their body language told him exactly what they were thinking. Both of them wanted to see the mission completed. From the day they had come to Liberty, the supply depot had been one of their primary targets. The Indians had recognized this and heavily fortified it to prevent the resistance ever launching a successful strike. Now was their chance to take it out.

“Fine,” Johnston said. “Pass the word to the rest of the resistance fighters, tell them to lay down covering fire for us.”

Fisher and Briar turned and shouted to the resistance fighters in the next crater, passing on his instructions. Johnston could only shake his head, he knew he would be in trouble when Clare found out about this. Even so, he knew Briar had a point. After all they’d been through, he couldn’t let some marine Lieutenant or Captain be the one who captured the supply depot.

“Let’s do this,” he said as he tugged his plasma rifle tight to his shoulder. As soon as he heard the increase in weapons’ fire from the resistance fighter’s gauss cannons, he roared and charged over the crater.

Using all his enhanced speed and agility, he wove from side to side as he sprinted towards the first defensive wall. A few plasma bolts shot at him from a couple of slits in the wall but gauss cannon fire quickly put an end to them. In less than ten seconds he covered the hundred and fifty meters to the outer wall and, without pausing, launched himself over it. As he came crashing back down to the ground he allowed himself to fall to his knees and skid to a halt. Spinning round onto his belly, he fired a stream of plasma bolts at the Indian defenders who were crouched behind the outer wall.

Without pausing to see if there were any more soldiers around, Johnston sprang back to his feet and charged towards the second wall. The wall was easily twenty meters high. Johnston guessed the marines in their combat armor had needed to use grappling hooks to make it up the last few meters of the wall. With a grin, Johnston flicked the switch on his specially adapted plasma rifle and fired three nano carbon spikes into the wall about five meters below its battlements. Still not breaking his stride, he launched himself into the air towards the wall. With an outstretched hand he grabbed onto the higher of the three spikes. The other two spikes were perfectly placed for his feet to rest on. Pausing only to take a deep breath, Johnston launched himself up the last part of the wall and onto the battlements.

Before he landed, his plasma rifle barked out as plasma bolts shot towards two Indian soldiers who were further along the top of the wall to his left. Landing in a crouch, Johnston spun to check his right. The smiling face of Sergeant Briar greeted him. In one hand the Sergeant had his plasma rifle, while in the other he held his nano carbon knife, it was protruding from the chest of an Indian soldier who would have shot Johnston as he had turned.

“You’re getting slow in your old age,” Briar chuckled.

Before Johnston could reply, Fisher and Beckworth jumped over the battlements and landed between them. Nodding to each in turn, Johnston turned and surveyed the depot. To the east, the depot seemed to be engulfed in a massive firefight. At least two hundred marines were trying to hold off more than three hundred Indian soldiers who were intent on driving them out of the depot. To the south, it looked like the marines who had landed from the shuttles had breached the outer wall and were clearing the inner wall of soldiers. More than eighty Indian soldiers who had formed up in the middle of the depot turned and sprinted towards the second British incursion.

“I guess everyone has forgotten about us,” Briar said.

“Look at us,” Johnston replied. “Who’s going to think a group of ruffians like us would pose any threat?”

Briar looked insulted but Johnston knew he was only putting it on. After spending months in the Havenite forests and caves Briar knew none of them looked entirely human.

“There,” Johnston said. Almost right in the middle of the supply depot was a large structure with multiple antenna and other communication equipment protruding from its roof. “That looks like the base’s headquarters. Let’s go cut the head off the snake.”

Jumping off the inner wall into the depot itself, Johnston sprinted in the direction of the headquarters. The entire base was a mess of confusion and he was trusting to speed to get him to his target. Twice as he, Briar and the other two special forces marines burst into a wider opening a couple of startled Indian soldiers tried to engage them. Each time the superior reflexes of Johnston and his men ensured it was the Indian soldiers who received a face full of plasma bolts.

As they approached the depot’s headquarters, they came across less and less Indian soldiers or other personnel. Johnston wasn’t surprised, it was likely anyone who could hold a weapon had been ordered to try and fend off the two British attacks.

“This is too easy,” Briar said as they came to a halt outside what looked like the main door into the depot’s headquarters.

“Let’s give them a chance to surrender,” Johnston said. “Some of the prisoners might have valuable intel.”

“You’re the boss,” Briar said.

Johnston nodded, he was glad there was no resistance fighters with him. From day one he had been struggling to stop the resistance fighters from simply killing every Indian they encountered.

“Hands in the air,” Johnston shouted as he burst through the headquarters’ doors.

Tens of startled faces looked up from computer terminals at Johnston and the other three special forces marines. In the center of the large room, a man sat on a raised dais overlooking a large holo projection of the depot and the surrounding countryside.

“Resistance fighters,” the man spat with the unmistakable tone of fear.

Johnston recognized the man’s uniform as that of the Brigadier General in the Indian army. He opened his mouth to let the man know that he was a British marine. However, before he could say anything, the Brigadier General’s words sent a wave of terror throughout his subordinates. They all knew what the resistance would do to them if they were captured. The command staff reached for their holstered weapons. With no other choice, Johnston opened fire, he would be damned if he was going to let a bunch of fools end his life.

*

Stromboli popped out from behind the wheel of the truck he had been hiding behind and fired two plasma bolts at an Indian soldier charging his platoon’s position. He ducked back into cover as a series of bolts crashed into the truck, burning large holes into its side. For the last several minutes the Indians had been trying to drive his marines out of the base.

“This is getting close,” one of his Sergeants said over the platoon COM channel.

Stromboli didn’t have time to coddle his subordinate’s feelings. “Keep fighting,” he ordered. Just as he was about to pop his head out and fire another few plasma bolts at the Indian defenders, the distant but unmistakable sound of landing shuttles made him pause. Finally, he thought.

Whether the Indians paused expecting their own reinforcement, or if they were just caught off guard by the new wave of British attackers, their advance halted. Then, as the shuttles rained destruction on the supply depot, the firefight intensified once again.

“They’re trying to drive us off before theta company can engage them,” Stromboli shouted to his men over the COM channel. “Hold the line. They will break as soon as theta company hits them in the rear.”

Matching action to words, Stromboli ducked out from behind cover and fired as fast as he could at any Indian soldier who appeared. The Indians made one final charge to try and overrun the first wave of British attackers. From their strong positions behind the transportation and maintenance trucks, Stromboli and what was left of his platoon fended them off. As the Indian soldiers broke into the open they made easy targets. Not all of the British platoons had been so successful. Stromboli could see at least two groups of British marines were involved in a desperate hand-to-hand fight with Indians who had reached their lines.

Stromboli hefted his plasma rifle and tried to aim at one of the nearest Indian soldiers. However, he couldn’t get a clear shot. Swearing, he spun away from the soldiers trying to kill each other. “Follow me,” he said to the rest of his platoon.

After peeking out from his cover and seeing the Indians had pulled back, he charged towards the defensive positions they had taken up. Advancing from cover to cover, his platoon spread out around him. Looking over his shoulder at the inner wall, Stromboli tried to get his bearings and remember where the depot’s headquarters were. If he could take the headquarters, then the Indian defense would fall apart.

One of his Sergeants reported engaging a squad of Indian soldiers. With no other Indian forces in sight, Stromboli sent two of his squads to flank the Indians. In less than a minute they had all been killed or driven off. Stromboli set off with his men towards the headquarters. He was surprised by how little resistance the Indians were putting up.

“Daniels,” Stromboli ordered over the COM channel as soon as they got close to the headquarters. “Take your squad forward and secure the building. We’ll cover you from out here.”

“Lieutenant,” Daniels said over the COM channel less than twenty seconds after entering the building. “I think you’re going to want to see this.”

As Stromboli walked through the sliding doors into the headquarters he was sickened by the sight that greeted him. The bodies of Indian technicians and soldiers were strewn all over the large, open room. Standing in the middle of the room, looking at the holo projection of the depot were four dirty, tattered and exhausted looking armed individuals.

“Did you do this?” Stromboli demanded. “We could have gathered valuable intel from them.”

“Alas,” Johnston replied as he took a few steps towards Stromboli, he stopped when a number of the marines in combat armor raised their plasma rifles towards him. “Alas,” he said again, coming to a halt and raising his empty hands to waist height, “we did give the Indians the opportunity to surrender. But I think they mistook us for resistance fighters. The Havenite resistance isn’t known for its willingness to accept prisoners of war. The Brigadier General’s staff chose death rather than what the resistance might have done to them.”

“If you’re not with the resistance, then who are you?” Stromboli demanded.

“Major Samuel Johnston of his Majesty’s special forces marines at your service,” Johnston said, snapping to attention. “And just who are you?” he asked as he lowered his hand.

Though they were in the middle of a battlefield, Stromboli hastily snapped to attention in response to Johnston’s question. “Lieutenant first-class Jason Stromboli, commanding officer of the Yorkshire Fusiliers, alpha platoon.”

Before he could say anything more Colonel Sanders’ voice came over the COM channel. “Lieutenant,” Colonel Sanders’ demanded. “What’s going on? Have you secured the depot’s headquarters? It looks like the Indian forces are beginning to rout”

“Eh, yes Sir,” Stromboli replied. “My men have secured the objective.”

Stromboli figured Major Johnston had guessed who he was talking to and what he had just said, for the special forces marine raised a quizzical eyebrow.

“Eh, that is, I should say, Major Johnston and his squad of special forces marines have secured the headquarters. It seems they beat us to it,” Stromboli explained as he wilted under the stare of the half mad looking British Major.

Back at his vantage point in the tree line Sanders could only chuckle. Even as an instructor you could never let us beat you could you old friend? he thought.

Chapter 30 - Diversion

The Earth Agreement has been signed by almost every civilized species in the explored galaxy. As a result, no planet has been bombarded from space in any of our recent wars. Yet that doesn’t mean it never happens. When it does it is truly a fearful thing to behold.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

31st October, 2467 AD, Haven

As the shuttle landed, Admiral Cunningham peered out one of its viewing ports to survey the battlefield. It had been two days since General Hawker’s men had captured the supply depot. Even so, he could still see a number of human forms in combat armor piled up just outside the supply depot’s outer wall. From the limited briefings General Hawker had sent him, Cunningham knew a small detail of marines had been assigned to collecting the Indian dead and burying them. With so much going on, and a near constant stream of skirmishes with the Indian soldiers within Liberty, no more marines could be spared.

Cunningham switched his attention to the supply depot itself. Along the battlements of the inner wall groups of marines patrolled back and forth. The defenses looked heavily damaged, though there were signs someone was trying to repair them. Within the center of the depot a large space had been cleared for shuttles to land. The captured Indian supplies had been sorted and anything useless discarded. Beyond the supply depot, in the opposite direction to Liberty, Cunningham could clearly make out the two marine assault transports. Both ships were almost as large as his flagship, the battlecruiser Churchill. Whilst his ship would never touch the atmosphere of a planet, both marine assault ships had been designed to land on a planetary surface.

The sight of both ships sitting on their landing struts, towering over the forest around them was unnatural. Even so, the sight of long lines of marines and heavy tanks snaking their way from both transport ships across the clearing towards the supply depot was reassuring. By all estimates, even once both transports were fully unloaded, the Indian forces on Haven would still outnumber the soldiers under Lieutenant General Hawker’s command. That’s why I’m here, Cunningham said to himself. For the last two days he had been getting constant updates from General Hawker as the General set about securing his landing zone and preparing to move on Liberty. The operation was planned to begin today and Cunningham wanted to get a final briefing from the General in person.

Once the shuttle landed in the depot, Cunningham walked down the rear ramp as it descended. A full squad of marines in combat armor and a Colonel awaited him. “This way Admiral,” the Colonel said. “Lieutenant General Hawker is waiting for you.”

“Lead on,” Cunningham said as he fell in behind the Colonel and proceeded through the supply depot. As he walked he couldn’t help but notice signs of the fighting. Almost every building or piece of machinery that looked like it was Indian in design had multiple scorch marks from being hit by stray plasma rifle bolts.

“Were you involved in the fighting for the depot?” Cunningham asked the Colonel escorting him.

“Yes Admiral, I’m Colonel Sanders. My men were the ones who stormed the depot,” Sanders explained.

“I’ve read the battle reports,” Cunningham said. “Your men fought bravely. You can tell them that they far exceeded my expectations.”

“I’m sure they’ll be pleased to hear that,” Sanders replied.

Cunningham hoped so. Technically, the marines were outside of his command structure and historically there had always been competition between the marines and the navy. Even so, since the outbreak of war with the Indians, Cunningham had been working closely with Lieutenant General Hawker and his forces. He hoped his praise would be taken seriously.

“Right through here Admiral,” Sanders said as they approached one of the largest buildings in the supply depot.

As Sanders stepped to one side, Cunningham walked through the sliding doors that opened as he approached. He was greeted by a spacious room with a number of computer terminals spread all around its walls. In the middle, a large holo projector was running and a quick glance told Cunningham it was displaying Liberty and the surrounding countryside.

“Admiral Cunningham,” Lieutenant General Hawker said as he saw who had entered his headquarters. “Welcome, you’re just in time. I have half an hour before the final briefing with my commanders. If you want, I can walk you through our plans.”

“Thank you,” Cunningham said. “That is why I requested to see you in person.”

“Well, as you can see,” Hawker began as he walked Cunningham over to the large holo-display. “We have Liberty all but surrounded. These red dots around the city are our forward operating bases. In total we have eight of them encircling the city. Between each base we have both aerial and ground drones operating, as well as regular patrols. As yet, there’s been no sign any Indian forces have tried to break out of the city. I think they believe their best bet is to dig in and hold us off as long as possible. I assume they’re hoping their fleet will return to drive us away or their government will negotiate a ceasefire.”

“We haven’t made any attempts to enter the city yet?” Cunningham asked.

“We have made a few small pushes into the outer suburbs,” Hawker answered. “We’ve been testing the Indians’ outer defenses. We believe the vast majority of their forces are concentrated in the inner city but they have left enough soldiers scattered throughout the city to impede any attempt we might make to move a major force directly towards the Council Chambers.”

“This is where they have set up their headquarters?” Cunningham followed up.

“Yes,” Hawker replied. “They have more of their air and ground based lasers and anti-plasma cannons protecting the government buildings. My analysts are taking that as evidence they have their headquarters within the Council Chambers itself.”

“How many soldiers do you reckon the Indians have within the city?” Cunningham asked.

“Working from the hybrid estimate of my own analysts and figures from the resistance, I believe there to be upwards of fifteen thousand soldiers,” Hawker answered. “Alongside the soldiers themselves, there are at least a hundred heavy combat tanks within the city. Our aerial drones have located more than eighty of them and we believe we can take out many of them as soon as we make our first move. However, it will be difficult to destroy them without doing significant damage to the surrounding civilian buildings.”

“I know your men will do their best,” Cunningham said. “But if it comes down to it, make sure they know their own lives come first. We’ve been broadcasting constantly from orbit warning all the civilians in Liberty to take shelter as far away from any Indian forces as they can. We’re not going to go about needlessly destroying buildings, but this is a war, things are going to get destroyed.”

“I know,” Hawker said. “My men are fully briefed on their orders. They know they can do what they need to do to win. Even so, I can’t help thinking that every building we destroy will give the resistance fighters and the rest of the Havenite population one more reason to turn on us once the Indians are beaten. You haven’t had to deal with the resistance, they are a prickly bunch.”

“So I’ve heard,” Cunningham said. “I’m scheduled to meet Councilwoman Pennington later this afternoon so I’m sure I’ll get the full experience myself soon enough. How are they working out for you? I know Major Johnston advised attaching at least one or two fighters to each platoon. Have you followed his advice?”

“There’s no doubt they are useful,” Hawker answered. “I have indeed followed Major Johnston’s suggestion. So far the resistance fighters have proved invaluable in each of the minor pushes we’ve made into the city. Most of them know the city like the back of their hands. There can be no doubting their fighting spirit either. That’s what worries me though, if the resistance decides they want to fight us after we’ve driven off the Indians, I’m not sure we could ever defeat them. We would end up having to fight a guerrilla war indefinitely.”

“Don’t worry,” Cunningham said in a reassuring manner. “I’m sure it won’t come to that. Hopefully my meeting with Pennington later today will be the start of a fruitful relationship. After everything they’ve been through, they would be insane not to take the help our government is offering them.”

“We’ll see,” Hawker said. “I’ve received reports of uprisings in four of Haven’s five other large cities. By our estimates, there are no more than a thousand Indian soldiers garrisoning each city. Even so, a thousand men in combat armor is a significant force. From what I hear many of the uprisings are turning into bloodbaths. I’ve dispatched half a battalion to each city to aid the resistance, however, four hundred marines won’t be enough to liberate each city. I fear some of the resistance may blame us for not coming to their aid quick enough.”

“You’ve done all you can,” Cunningham said. “I’ll assure Councilwoman Pennington of that later. She has to know Liberty is the priority. If we can force the Indians to surrender here, then the rest of their troops should give up.”

“Let’s hope she sees reason,” Hawker said as he turned to look at the holo display. “Now, let me fill you in on what we’ll be doing later. I plan to make a strike straight for the Council Chambers. However, we’ll have to throw in a few distractions first.”

As Cunningham listened to Hawker outline his plan in detail, he couldn’t help thinking of the visuals of the fighting at the supply depot he had watched two days before. Once the Marines had breached the outer defenses the fighting over the supply depot had turned to deadly close combat, even resulting in marines and Indian soldiers taking each other on hand-to-hand. As Hawker outlined his plan of attack, Cunningham could see the coming battle was going to be even more deadly; Hawker’s marines would have to fight building to building to drive the Indians back.

*

“You know you don’t have to be here,” Lieutenant Stromboli said to Sergeant Briar who was crouched beside him. They were on the fourth floor of a tall apartment building, looking out one of its windows towards their objective. More than three and a half kilometers of dense housing and commercial buildings lay between the apartment complex and Liberty’s main power plant. The six fusion reactors housed within the structure provided enough energy to feed more than two thirds of the city.

“I’ve come this far,” Briar replied. “I can wait a couple more days for a good shower.”

“In that case,” Stromboli said. “What is our best plan of attack?”

“Do you see that tall building to the right of our objective?” Briar said. Without waiting for Stromboli to answer he continued, “that’s a sniper’s dream location. It overlooks the large open area between the end of this street and the power plant. Its lower floors are a death trap. I suggest we swing out west of it and avoid it altogether.”

A sudden explosion not five feet from the window they were looking out caused both men to dive onto their bellies. “Goodness sake,” Briar said after he let out a couple of expletives. “When will the Indians learn enough is enough?”

Stromboli could only nod as he pulled his friend back on his feet. Since the supply depot had been captured two days ago an intense aerial battle had broken out over the city. Not one involving air superiority fighters or landing shuttles, but one between the hundreds, even thousands of drones both the Indians and the British were putting into the air. Both sides were seeking to obtain visual coverage of the battlefield and were trying to keep a constant fleet of aerial drones over the city. Stromboli knew that almost all the drones were less than the size of his fingernail and he never bothered to look out for them. However, as both sides were also deploying hunter killer drones designed to find and destroy enemy reconnaissance drones, there was an incessant series of explosions all over the city as drone destroyed drone. From the intensity of the battle Briar would have thought the Indians should have been trying to conserve what drones they had left. However, they seemed intent on forcing the British to use up almost all the drones they brought with them.

“Let’s get back to Colonel Sanders,” Stromboli said. “He’ll be eager to get going.”

Both men reported back to the building Colonel Sanders had set up as the temporary HQ for his battalion and Sanders came straight over to them. “Did you get a good look at the lay of the land?” he asked.

“Yes Sir,” Briar replied. “I think I’ve picked out a good route for us. I’ve travelled this way a couple of times. There are a few large squares directly between us and the objective. I suggest we loop around to the west to avoid them and a large building I’m sure the Indians have fortified.”

“Our orders are to flank the target,” Sanders replied. “I guess we may as well take the long route. I’ll report back to Lieutenant General Hawker and let him know we are ready to go. You may re-join your platoon, you’ll be taking point.”

Stromboli saluted as Sanders turned to consult with one of his COM officers.

“Let’s go,” Stromboli said to Briar.

When they got to Stromboli’s squad there was a message from Colonel Sanders instructing them to push forward immediately. “Alright lads, let’s get ready to move,” Stromboli said over the platoon’s COM channel. “The other battalions will be pushing directly towards the power plant or fighting round to the east. Our job is to flank to the West and engage any Indian forces we come across. You know this is only a diversionary attack but we need to make it look real so no holding back. Sergeant Briar will take point with Privates Quaker and Jackson. He will be our guide.”

Briar saluted and jogged towards the front of the platoon. “Move out,” Stromboli ordered as soon as Briar was in position.

As the platoon advanced Stromboli couldn’t help but notice how many marines were missing. Before the invasion his platoon had consisted of five squads of eight marines totaling forty men and women. Now he had been reduced to three squads. Not all of the others had been killed, more than half of them were back aboard one of the marine assault ships in sickbay. Even so, their losses in the attack on the supply depot had been significant. I wonder how many are going to be lost today, Stromboli asked himself.

*

Briar was amazed they hadn’t encountered any Indians yet. The attack on the city’s main fusion reactors was being launched from a small pocket of the city the marines had already cleared. Briar had expected the Indians to have set up a defensive line around the pocket to resist any further advance.

“It seems a little too quiet,” Private Quaker said as she poked her head around the side of the building to look up a dark alleyway. Seeing there was no sign of life, she moved across the alleyway to the next building, making sure to stay tight to any cover available.

“They’re out there,” Briar said. “Stay sharp.”

Briar instinctively ducked as a plasma bolt exploded less than five centimeters away from where his head had been. He retreated back around the corner of the building they had been walking past. “Thank God for combat armor,” he said. The marine assault ships hadn’t carried any extra special forces combat armor, but even the regular marine combat armor was a welcome change from having to fight in his bare skin. “Did anyone see where that shot came from?” he demanded.

“Two buildings on up the street, I think it was from the fourth floor. I didn’t see what window though,” Quaker said.

Briar was leading the platoon along a reasonably wide street that led in the general direction of the power plant. Traversing such an open street was risky, but no riskier than getting ambushed in a tight alleyway.

“We need some covering fire,” Briar said on the platoon COM channel. “Second building on the right ahead of our position, the one with the red sign on the ground floor.” He added after poking his head out to get a better look at the target.

“Come on,” Briar said to the two marines beside him. “That sniper will have relocated, but he’ll still be in that building. We are going to pay him a visit.”

“We are in position,” Stromboli said. “Second and third squads will give you covering fire on your mark.”

“Fire,” Briar ordered.

As tens of plasma bolts shot from behind their position and peppered the building the sniper was in, Briar, Quaker and Jackson jumped to their feet. In a sprint, Briar crossed the side street to get to the next building between him and the sniper’s building. When no Indian fire came his way, he sprinted to his target. Rather than searching for a door, he jumped and, with an outstretched arm, burst his way through a ground floor window.

With Quaker and Jackson right behind him, they quickly searched the ground floor. “Clear,” Briar said as he searched the last room.

“Moving up to the next level,” Jackson said.

“I’ll take level two,” Quaker replied.

“I’ve got three then,” Briar said.

“Your sniper is still in there,” Stromboli said over the COM channel. “Private Daniels just took a plasma bolt to the leg. We didn’t see what floor the shot came from though.”

“Roger,” Briar said as he made his way up what appeared to be the building’s only flight of stairs.

As he got to the third level he carefully looked left and right down the corridor. Closing his eyes for a second he pictured the structure of the building and tried to figure out where the sniper was likely to be. Southside, he thought. Methodically, he made his way from room to room. He froze as the familiar sound of a plasma rifle firing echoed from the next room. Taking a step back from the door he had been about to burst through, Briar pulled out his nano carbon combat knife.

The door slowly opened. As the nose of a plasma rifle poked out, Briar reached out and grabbed it. Yanking the rifle out of the room, Briar wasn’t surprised to see the sniper in combat armor come with it. A soldier’s instinct was always to hold onto his weapon. As the sniper looked around in surprise, he missed the real danger. With his other hand Briar drove his combat knife through the sniper’s chest, piercing his armor and his heart. As soon as Briar felt the sniper’s grip on his rifle weaken he knew his opponent was done for. As the sniper fell to the ground Briar dropped his rifle beside him. “I’ve found the sniper,” he said over the platoon COM channel. “He won’t be bothering us anymore.”

Several minutes later Briar was back at the head of the platoon, leading them towards their objective. For the next ten minutes, they carefully picked their way across Liberty’s outer suburbs. Twice they came across a single squad of Indian soldiers holed up in a building or manning a barricade. Both times Stromboli sent a squad forward to engage them while directing his other two squads to flank the Indians. One of the Indian squads fought to the death while the other fled as soon as they spotted the flanking forces.

“We should be less than half a kilometer away,” Briar said as he passed one of the buildings he was using as a reference point. “If we turn northwest we should come up on the left flank of whatever Indians are defending the reactors.”

“You’re our guide,” Stromboli said over the COM channel. “Just make sure you keep your eyes open. The Indians are bound to know we’re on our way and I’m sure they have an outer perimeter around the power station.”

“Look,” Quaker said after they covered another hundred meters towards their target. “There’s a barricade right across the street around this next corner.”

Briar came up beside the private and poked his head around the corner. Just as she had said, there was a makeshift barrier of aircars and other large vehicles placed across the street. There was no sign of any Indian soldiers manning the barricade but Briar guessed they weren’t too far away.

“Wait here,” Briar ordered. Then, taking a few steps back from the edge of the building he had peeked around, he launched himself into a sprint. In less than four seconds he crossed the street in full sight of the barricade.

Just after he got to cover behind a building, four plasma bolts tore down the street in a vain effort to hit the augmented marine. “I guess there’s someone awake down there after all,” Briar said.

Without waiting for a response from the marines, he continued along the building until he got to its end and the beginning of the next street. Carefully, he peeked his head around the buildings’ edge to look down the street towards the power station. There was a similar barricade across the street and the soldiers manning it were obviously alerted to Briar’s presence for a stream of plasma bolts shot towards him.

“I think this is as far as we get,” Briar said over the COM channel as he turned and sprinted back towards Stromboli’s platoon. By the time he got to the street holding the first barricade he was at full speed and easily crossed the open ground before any of the Indian soldiers could hit him.

“That is some speed,” Quaker said as Briar came to a halt beside her.

“It does have its advantages,” Briar said with a grin. He knew the private couldn’t see his face but she was likely to hear the grin in his tone of voice.

“What are we facing?” Stromboli asked as he came up to speak to Briar.

“There’s barriers across this street and the next,” Briar said. “I imagine it’s the perimeter you were expecting. They’ve probably set up barricades all the way around the power station. I imagine each of the buildings in between are also fortified.”

A large explosion erupted no more than a kilometer away. As soon as the deafening sound of the explosion faded, the quieter signs of other explosions and heavy plasma cannon fire reached the marines’ ears.

“It sounds like the rest of the battalion has reached the Indian line,” Stromboli said over the COM to the rest of his platoon. “This may be a diversion, but we need to make it look real. If we can break through the defensive line here, it will threaten the rest of the line. First squad, you’re going to break into this building and get up to the third and fourth floors. Find good spots from which to lay down covering fire. I’m going to take second and third squad through the ground floor of each building. We’ll break into the building that is a part of the defensive line and take out any Indian soldiers within it. From there we can flank the barricades and drive the Indians off.”

As the first squad used its power armor to break through the outer wall of the building they had gathered around, the second and third squad waited for Stromboli’s signal. “Where do you want me?” Briar asked.

“You can stick with me,” Stromboli said. “I’m sure your fast reflexes will come in handy.

“Let’s move out,” he said to the rest of his marines.

Second squad quickly took point, following Stromboli’s orders. After clearing the ground floor of the building first squad had entered, they used their combat armor to break several holes in the permacrete wall of the building. After two marines poked their heads out to see if there were any Indian soldiers in sight, they sprinted across the small alleyway to the next building that ran parallel to the street the barricade was on. Again, they burst through the building’s walls and cleared its ground floor. As they got to the far end of the building they paused and waited for third squad to catch up with them.

“Time for some covering fire,” Stromboli ordered over the COM channel.

At the sounds of plasma rifles firing and explosions erupting, both among the Indian defenders and his own men, Stromboli gave the order to attack.

The Marines from the second and third squads punched their way through the permacrete wall of the building they were in. Without waiting to see if there were any Indian defenders nearby, they charged across the alleyway and burst through the walls of the next building. Two marines fell as plasma bolts from the barricade, now less than ten meters away, cut them down. The rest of the marines made it into the safety of the next building before any more Indian soldiers could fire on them.

The three Indian soldiers on the ground floor of the building the marines burst into, being unprepared for two squads of British marines appearing on top of them, were quickly dispatched. “Second squad head up and clear this building. Third squad with me,” Stromboli ordered.

Stromboli charged towards the front doors of the building they were in. As they got to the doors, six Indian soldiers were already coming into the building in an effort to find out where the British marines had gone. A firefight erupted. One marine was killed while three Indian soldiers fell to the ground. The other three fell back under heavy fire.

“Let’s flank them,” Stromboli shouted.

The Indians manning the barricade were still focused on engaging the first squad. There were at least twelve Indian soldiers in sight using the barricade as cover as they fired into the building. The three who had fled from Stromboli’s attack were frantically trying to get their attention. Without waiting for an order, the marines of third squad charged down the steps into the street behind the barricade and opened fire on the Indian soldiers. Five of them were killed before they knew what was happening. Just as the rest began to turn and return fire, more plasma bolts rained down on them from second squad who were now above them, firing out of the building they had just cleared.

The Indian fire withered as their numbers were reduced to five soldiers. As if each of them realized at the same instance their position was overrun, all five jumped over the barricade and ran towards the next street and the second barricade Briar had spotted. As fire poured down on them from first squad, one soldier fell dead before the other four ran out of sight.

Stromboli charged across the street and into the next building that ran parallel to the barricade. Briar wasn’t sure if Stromboli had gone battle crazy or had a plan of action. As Stromboli charged up the first flight of stairs he came across, Briar decided it was the latter.

“We need to keep pushing them back,” Stromboli shouted as he sprinted up to the third floor. “Let’s take them,” he added once he had led third squad to the windows overlooking the next barricade.

The Indian soldiers obviously knew their comrades had been attacked for they were looking towards the building Stromboli and third squad were occupying. However, they weren’t expecting an attack so soon and most weren’t behind any cover that could protect them from the marines’ angle of attack. The first spread of plasma bolts from Stromboli’s men cut down four of the Indian soldiers. Within five seconds three more had been killed. The rest quickly fled into the surrounding buildings.

“That should get the attention of whoever is commanding the Indian forces around the power station,” Briar shouted excitedly. He was enjoying seeing the Indians on the run for a change.

“We will hold position here,” Stromboli said to his men. “First and second squads man the barricades. First squad take the east barricade, make sure you put some men in the building we used to advance and watch your flank. I’ll hold the building I’m in now with third squad. The defenders may try to counter attack us if they regain their courage or they may receive reinforcements, either way we need to be ready.”

As Stromboli’s platoon deployed, a small firefight broke out between third squad and Indian soldiers who had taken up a position in a number of buildings across the street. It quickly turned into a stalemate as both groups of soldiers managed to find good cover. With neither group willing to advance on the other, they exchanged fire from a distance.

Ten minutes after breaking through the Indian’s defenses Stromboli was alerted to a COM message coming from the marine headquarters in the supply depot. “Yes, what is it?” He asked the Lieutenant who had contacted him.

“Several of our recon drones have picked up Indian formations moving towards the power station,” the Lieutenant informed him. “Colonel Sanders has been ordered to hold his position for as long as he can. We’ve detected at least a company of soldiers trying to flank your position however. Lieutenant General Hawker has requested you fall back towards Sanders and watch your flank.”

“I understand,” Stromboli replied.

Switching COM channels, he barked out orders. “Second and third squad, fall back to the East behind first squad. We have Indian soldiers trying to flank us from the West, first squad, switch your positions and prepare to engage them. We’re going to fall back towards Colonel Sanders, though we’re not going to give up the ground we’ve taken easily. If the Indians want to drive us back, let’s make it costly.”

Chapter 31 – The Main Event

A ground war fought over an inhabited city or planet must be avoided at all cost.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

“Good work,” Johnston said, though no one could hear him. He was watching a holo projection of Colonel Sanders’ attack on the power station. Specifically, he was focused on the platoon Sergeant Briar was serving as a guide for. Some of the aerial drones had detected a company of Indian soldiers moving up a street parallel to the one Briar and the marines were defending. For a few seconds, it looked like the marine platoon would be encircled. Then, at the last moment, the marines had pulled back, laying down heavy covering fire as they went.

“The Lieutenant General requests your presence in his command tank,” a marine private said to Johnston as he poked his head into the tent Johnston had been waiting in.

“I guess the attack is about to begin,” Johnston said to the marine as he got up and followed him out of the tent.

For the last hour, more than three thousand marines in combat armor and almost all of the fifty British Viscount heavy battle tanks Hawker had under his command had been assembling in the thick Haven forest adjacent to the outskirts of Liberty. They were now ready to launch a strike deep into the heart of the city.

Johnston wasn’t sure he wanted to ride out the entire battle in such a behemoth. The tank was equipped with a thin layer of valstronium armor and contained multiple defensive systems. Even so, such a large vehicle would attract the attention of every Indian soldier who spotted it. I guess I don’t have a choice, Johnston thought. Hawker had requested Johnston ride with him so any intel Johnston had would be right at hand.

Stepping into the command tank, he was surprised by how spacious it was. The tank still had its main heavy plasma cannon turret at the top of the vehicle. However, the tank’s mortar system and ammunition racks had been removed to allow more room for Hawker and his staff. In total, there were eight marines crammed into the vehicle. Two of them were operating the tank and its weapons. The other six, including Hawker, sat round a holo display and a number of command terminals.

“Where do you want me?” Johnston asked.

“Over here,” Hawker said. “From here, you can keep abreast of the situation as the division advances. A second pair of eyes will be helpful. Plus, I want you nearby in case I need any intel.”

Johnston nodded and stepped over beside the Lieutenant General to sit down. As his arm brushed up against Hawker he felt a little uncomfortable at being so close to his superior. A quick glance at Hawker suggested he was unperturbed. Internally Johnston shrugged, I guess tankers are used to such cramped conditions, he thought.

Looking down at the holo display, Johnston surveyed each unit. Hawker’s division consisted of two heavy tank battalions, a light tank battalion and three regiments of marines in combat armor. Further away from the city were ten shuttles hovering over the forest. Each was loaded with twenty more marines ready to provide immediate air support or ground-based reinforcements.

The part of the holo display mapping out Liberty contained a multitude of additional Indian unit markers. Though Hawker’s aerial drones were still unable to get a detailed picture of the Indian forces, it seemed his intelligence personnel had managed to get a rough estimate of the Indian forces and had their positions marked out. Alongside and almost surrounded by the different Indian units, the red markers designating the units involved in the three British feints were heavily outnumbered.

“The Indians have moved a lot of their troops towards the power station,” Johnston commented.

“And towards the other two diversionary attacks,” Hawker explained. “We reckon they’ve moved at least two thousand troops out of the inner city to oppose our three probing attacks.”

“Will they be able to recall them when they realize where the main attack is coming from?” Johnston asked.

“Unlikely,” Hawker answered. “Each of our commanders leading the feint attacks have orders to engage and distract any forces sent to resist them. Hopefully they can keep the Indians bogged down long enough for us to storm the capital buildings.”

Johnston nodded and went back to looking at the holo display. He suspected he had far more actual combat experience than the Lieutenant General. After all, the battle for the supply depot and the battles going on today were the largest battles any British land units had fought in for more than a century. Even so, Johnston knew he wasn’t qualified to fully appreciate what was going on around him. Commanding a squad of special forces marines was very different to commanding entire army formations.

“Inform Admiral Cunningham he may begin his bombardment,” Hawker said to one of his aides.

Part of the holo display altered to show the ships in orbit. From more than twenty of Admiral Cunningham’s ships, large plasma bolts shot through the planet’s atmosphere and exploded among any exposed Indian ground forces. A number of the plasma bolts obviously targeted buildings the Indian soldiers occupied as well, for a number of Havenite structures disappeared as heavy plasma bolts blew them into rubble.

As much as Johnston had come to hate the Indian soldiers, he couldn’t help but feel a tinge of sorrow for them. Any soldiers Hawker’s drones and the sensors of the ships in orbit were able to detect were likely to meet a grim end. Here and there red bolts shot out of the city to intercept some of the plasma bolts from the British ships. The Indians had a number of their anti-plasma cannons still operational, however, there was nowhere near enough of them to stop an entire fleet worth of heavy plasma cannons.

Johnston had been present several hours ago when Councilwoman Pennington had met with Admiral Cunningham. The meeting had gone as well as Johnston had hoped. Pennington had been very welcoming to Cunningham and had thanked him for bringing his fleet and his soldiers to the aid of her planet. Johnston guessed Pennington was waiting to see how the battle for Liberty went before she began to try and secure as much independence for her people as she could. One thing that had surprised Johnston had been her willingness to allow the orbital bombardment.

It had been clear from his tone of voice that Cunningham had been eager to get her approval. Without it, the damage he was now doing to Liberty would have fueled the populace’s animosity towards the British. With Pennington’s permission, there was likely to be very little backlash from the collateral damage that the city was now suffering. She was probably very happy with the prospect of vaporizing Indian soldiers from space, Johnston thought as he remembered the speed at which Pennington had agreed to the orbital bombardment. Even so, she had insisted only areas of the city that had been abandoned by the civilian population could be targeted. Cunningham had been happy to agree.

“Send the order to the division,” Hawker said. “The lead elements are to commence their attack.”

Johnston watched as the attack began. Then Hawker’s command tank slowly rolled forward, the way into the city cleared by the lead elements of the attack. He had to force himself not to fidget. For every meter the command tank advanced, Johnston was forced to watch marines being killed and other tanks destroyed as Hawker’s men fought their way through the city, street by street and building by building.

“Look,” Hawker said as he nudged Johnston. “The Indians are beginning to react. Their commander has realized our true target.”

“So I see,” Johnston said with a new respect for General Malhorta, the Indian officer commanding their ground forces. During the last several months he had come to hate Malhorta. The Indian general had been employing increasingly ruthless tactics to weed out the Haven resistance. Johnston had thought it had been because Malhorta had exhausted his tactical abilities trying to deal with the resistance. Now, as he saw the speed and efficiency at which the Indian general was maneuvering his forces despite a constant orbital bombardment, he had to acknowledge the General knew what he was doing.

“Our lead elements only turned towards the capital buildings a couple of minutes ago,” Johnston said. “That was fast.”

“A good general can sense danger before it appears,” Hawker said. “Malhorta would have had a suspicion that two if not three of our attacks were just ploys. I think he now knows our real target. We’re about to see just how much strength he has held in reserve.”

Johnston didn’t reply. From the number of units the holo-display suggested the Indian commander already had engaging different British attacks, he struggled to see how there could be any more troops left to commit. A quick glance at one of the secondary displays showed the marine analysts who were collating all the sensor data estimated there to be over fifteen thousand Indian troops either currently engaged, or already killed in the fighting. That number already surpassed the estimates Johnston and the resistance had made of how many troops the Indians had stationed in Liberty. He couldn’t see where any more would come from.

As the battle continued to unfold he realized he had badly underestimated Malhorta. Less than five minutes after the lead elements of Hawker’s main attack turned towards the capital buildings, the Indian resistance stiffened considerably. Casualties were quickly mounting. Of the three thousand marines in Hawker’s attack, almost three hundred were casualties. Five of the Viscount heavy tanks and a further three light tanks were also smoldering wrecks.

“One of the drones just obtained a glimpse of an Indian heavy tank to our northwest,” a technician in the command tank reported.

“That’s the sector were the Indian drones are putting up the most resistance, isn’t it?” Hawker asked.

“Yes General,” the technician replied. “We’ve got less than fifteen percent coverage of that area. So far none of the drones we have sent there have lasted more than a couple of minutes.”

“They’re preparing a counter-attack,” Hawker surmised. “Order Colonel Hazzard’s regiment to halt its advance. Tell Hazzard I want him to detach two battalions to fortify his western flank. Detach one of our battalions from our reserves and put them under his command. Tell him he must hold the line.”

But general,” one of his officers said. “If Malhorta manages to break into our rear, we will have no way to retreat.”

“That will be the least of our worries,” Hawker said with a wave of his hand. “We’ve committed almost all the forces we have to this attack. If it fails, it may take us months to liberate the city. If Malhorta does break heavy tanks into our rear, the rest of our reserves will just have to fight a delaying action while we push on to the capital buildings. One way or another, we are going to be knocking on Malhorta’s headquarters within the hour.”

“General,” Johnston said, concerned about the danger. “Perhaps I could go and aid Colonel Hazzard. I’ve done more than enough fighting in the city, I’m sure I could help him set up a few surprises for whatever counter-attack Malhorta is planning.”

“No,” Hawker responded. “You can open up a COM channel to Hazzard and share some of your ideas with him if you like, but I want you here. The Indians may have more surprises waiting for us. I want your focus on our main attack and lead elements.”

“Yes General,” Johnston said meekly, though he was desperate to get into the action.

After contacting Hazzard, Johnston silently watched the Colonel’s men prepare to fend off the Indian counter attack on the holo display. As the Indian forces announced their presence with a withering salvo of heavy plasma cannon bolts from the tanks, Hazzard’s first line of defense crumbled and fell back. In a rush to make the most of their advantage, the Indian forces pursued them. Unprepared, they almost ran straight into the much stronger second line of defense, just as Hazzard planned. Hyper velocity missiles shot out, destroying a number of heavy tanks, and the first wave of Indian soldiers were easily gunned down by concealed marines.

Before the Indian attackers knew what was happening, Hazzard ordered a charge. The overhead drones estimated there were at least four more Indian tanks and more than five hundred soldiers. Even so, as they went from what they thought was a successful counter-attack to having to defend themselves, Hazzard’s four hundred marines drove them back. The counter-attack turned into a rout and the marines captured or killed many of the Indian soldiers who tried to fight. The only soldiers who escaped were those who turned and fled. Even the final tank succumbed to a hyper velocity missile just before it moved out of range.

Hawker wasn’t even watching Hazzard’s defense of his flank. “They’re pulling back,” Johnston commented as he took in the Indian forces being engaged by the lead element of Hawker’s formation.

“Yes,” Hawker responded.

Scanning along the route towards the Council Chambers, Johnston saw what he thought was Malhorta’s plan. “They’re going to try and hold the river. It’s far deeper than it looks. The Havenites have cut a deep channel into the river, the far side of its bank is a sheer permacrete wall. Our tanks will struggle to cross.”

“I’ve already sent three squads ahead to secure one of the bridges before the Indians can dig in,” Hawker replied.

“There,” Johnston said, pointing to a block of buildings just in front of the river. “Those two buildings were abandoned months ago, but they both have large sub basements. I hid a whole resistance attack force in there once. The Indians might be using it to launch an ambush. They could have a couple of platoons hidden there waiting to catch us unawares.”

Hawker sent orders to Admiral Cunningham and the marine commanding the squads currently moving towards the river. A hail of heavy plasma bolts shot from orbit and pounded the two buildings. It didn’t take long for the drones to spot Indian soldiers fleeing them. One of the marine squads was already in position across the street from the building. From their visual feed, Johnston watched as the marines gunned down the Indians who had been waiting to surprise them.

“Good work,” Hawker commented as the engagement came to an end and the squads advanced.

“Damn,” he swore. So far his technicians hadn’t been able to get any drones to the river, but as the first marines got there, they saw one of the bridges explode and crumble into the river.

“Contact Lieutenants Jackson and Phillips,” Hawker snapped to one of his subordinates. “I want them taking a platoon east and west along the riverbank, they need to capture the next bridges they come into contact with.”

“Are any of those buildings on the opposite bank of the river occupied?” Hawker asked Johnston.

“I think so,” Johnston replied as he looked more closely. “The area of the city from the far bank of the river to the Council Chambers saw little fighting during the occupation. Most of the residents are still in their homes.”

“And I imagine they are still there,” Hawker said. “The Indian forces will be using them as human shields from aerial bombardment.”

“Our marines should be able to get into the river and cross to the permacrete wall at the other side,” Johnston said. “The river’s deep, but it’s very slow moving. Our troops will be protected from plasma fire by the water and they can scale most of the permacrete unmolested. We’ll have to give them plenty of covering fire, but they should be able to push the Indians back, they can’t have too many soldiers left over there.”

“It would be a bloodbath,” Hawker said. “If we can capture another bridge, we will move our forces across the river there and then continue our advance. If not, we have to attack here. Let’s give Jackson and Phillips a chance to find us another bridge.”

Johnston nodded and forced himself to wait patiently. As Jackson and Phillips moved east and west along the riverbank, the rest of Hawker’s force moved towards the river and dug in. A heavy firefight broke out as marines and Viscount heavy tanks dueled with the Indian soldiers who were dug in on the other side of the river.

For more than five minutes the command crew in the tanks sat in silence. The only noise came from Hawker as he tapped his finger on the holo projector screen in front of him. When Lieutenant Jackson’s platoon came across a third destroyed bridge, his tapping stopped.

“We can’t delay any longer,” he snapped. “Malhorta is no doubt using every minute we give him to pull more troops back towards the Council Chambers. Order Colonel Humphrey’s regiment to prepare to advance into the river. Move every other tank we have to the riverbank. We’re going to give them as much covering fire as we can.”

“What about our tank?” the driver of the command tank asked as the rest of the crew followed Hawker’s orders.

“Move us up as well,” Hawker answered.

As the tanks rumbled forward Johnston fidgeted, he wanted out of the tank. It felt unnatural to be going into combat relying on the defenses of the heavy tank. He trusted his own two feet far more.

“You can man the secondary plasma gun,” Hawker said as he placed a hand on Johnston shoulder. “But I still want you with me.”

“Gladly,” Johnston said as he stood up and shuffled around Hawker to take the vacant gunner’s seat. At least I can be involved in my own defense, he thought.

As the tank rounded a large building and the river came into view Johnston was surprised at how intense the firefight was. Despite the fact both armies had been hammering each other with plasma bolts for more than five minutes, both sides were still very much in the fight. From buildings, makeshift barricades and craters on both sides of the river, Indian soldiers and British marines kept up an incessant wave of fire.

Nevertheless, the Indians were at a serious disadvantage. Along the British side of the river, there were eight Viscount heavy tanks and a further six light tanks maneuvering into position. The massive explosions erupting among the buildings and streets being used as cover by the Indian soldiers had to have been costing the Indians a heavy price. With a sudden vigor, Johnston focused on using his smaller plasma cannon to add to the carnage.

“Two of Colonel Humphrey’s battalions are advancing,” one of Hawker’s technicians reported less than a minute later.

Johnston didn’t hear Hawker’s reply, but he saw Humphrey’s marines as they charged past their comrades and jumped into the river, quickly disappearing. A marine’s combat armor gave them great advantages in terms of strength and speed over normal soldiers. However, due to their weight, they were very unwieldy in water. In this instance though, it wouldn’t matter. The marines wanted to sink to the bottom of the river so they could walk across the riverbed and rappel up the permacrete bank at the other side.

More than twenty marines were gunned down as they charged towards the river, but the sudden appearance of nearly a thousand more targets had caught the Indians by surprise. Almost all of Humphrey’s men and women made it into the water safely. From some of the higher buildings at the other side of the river, Indian soldiers tried to fire into the water at the marines as they sank. Their fire quickly slackened as they realized their plasma bolts simply exploded as soon as they hit the water, causing clouds of steam to burst into the air.

“I have an idea,” Johnston said, he turned away from his gun to look towards Hawker. “The wind is blowing towards the Indian positions. If we redirect the fire of our tanks’ plasma cannons onto the river we can create a cloud of steam that will cover our men as they advance.”

“Good think…” Hawker began. His words were cut short by a sudden explosion. The eruption of noise wracked Johnston’s ears. A sudden force picked him up and flung him across the central area of the command tank. As he hit the deck a groan escaped his lips. The force of the impact driving the air from his lungs. His world continued to spin as the force of the explosion lifted the tank onto its side and rolled it over, crashing down on top of its own plasma cannon.

Shaking his head, Johnston slowly opened his eyes. He found himself staring up at the seat he had been sitting in. Looking around to get his bearings, he moved onto his knees and reached over to hit the button to open the tank’s rear door. As light flooded in, the carnage around him became clear. Two of the technicians were lying at awkward angles suggesting they were both dead. The other three didn’t look much better. Johnston dismissed them from his mind, Hawker was his priority.

The Lieutenant General was lying in the middle of the tank, having smashed through the holo display. Thankfully, he began to move as Johnston made his way towards him. The Lieutenant General’s combat armor had obviously protected him from any serious harm.

“We need to get out of here,” Johnston shouted as he grabbed Hawker and dragged him out of the tank. As they were descending the ramp, another explosion tore into the command tank. A wave of flames engulfed Johnston and Hawker before the full force of the explosion hit them and flung them into the air.

Chapter 32 – Taking Command

Field promotions are a way of life in the Navy and the Marines.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

Groggily, Johnston opened his eyes. Not entirely aware of what had just happened, he rolled onto his side and looked back towards the command tank. Just as he did, a third hyper velocity missile shot across the river and destroyed what was left of it. They recognized Hawker’s tank, Johnston thought.

Johnston pushed himself onto his knees and looked round for Hawker. When he saw him, he swore. A large slither of the command tank’s nano carbon structure had pierced the general’s back and was protruding out of his chest. The projectile had cut through the General’s combat armor as if it had been made of cloth. Johnston rushed over to the general’s side.

“General,” Johnston said as he shook his senior commander. “Are you able to hear me?”

When Hawker didn’t respond, Johnston reached down and flicked the emergency release button on his combat armor’s helmet. As Hawker’s facial armor slid back Johnston cursed again. A trickle of blood was flowing out of the General’s mouth and down his chin. Shaking his head, Johnston turned away from Hawker’s lifeless body. He didn’t need to check the general’s combat armor’s medical readout to know the General was dead.

He switched his COM channel from the command tank’s channel to the commanding officer’s channel. “This is Major Johnston, I was with Lieutenant General Hawker in his command tank. We were just hit by a series of hyper velocity missiles, I’m afraid the Lieutenant General is dead.”

“Dead? Are you sure?” Colonel Wellington, the commander of the third regiment of marines involved in the attack asked.

“Yes,” Johnston said. “I’m standing beside his body now.”

“We will have to mourn Hawker later. We need to keep attacking,” Colonel Humphrey said over the COM channel. “My men are in position to attack out of the river. Can your men give me covering fire?”

“Give us thirty seconds and my final battalion will be in position,” Colonel Hazzard said. “I’m the senior regimental commander, I will assume command of our forces. I’ll give the order to advance momentarily.”

“Understood,” Colonel Humphrey said

“Agreed,” Colonel Wellington added. “I still have two battalions guarding our rear, but I’m coming up to the river with my third battalion now.”

“Good,” Hazzard said. “We’ll need fresh troops once we cross the river.

“Major Johnston,” Hazzard continued. “My third battalion took a lot of casualties fending off that Indian counter attack. They lost their Captain. I want you to take command of them. I’m sending you their location now. They’re dug in along the northern section of the river, ready to add to the covering fire for Humphrey’s attack.”

“I’m on my way,” Johnston said.

After taking one last look back at Hawker’s body, he turned and sprinted north along a street running parallel to the river. As soon as he came to the section where Hazzard had indicated his battalion was located, he grabbed the nearest marine and asked where the battalion’s senior officer was. He was guided into a nearby building where two Lieutenants stood side-by-side discussing something.

“We don’t have time for introductions,” Johnston said over the battalion’s command COM channel, startling both Lieutenants. “Hazzard has put me in command. I want you to go and see to your men, we’re going to be engaging the Indians any moment now.”

As both Lieutenants turned and moved in opposite directions to check on their men, Johnston looked at the marines who were within eyeshot to make sure they were ready to join the battle. Satisfied they all looked like they knew what they were doing, he switched COM channels back to the divisional command channel. “This is Major Johnston again,” he began. “Before he died, Hawker and I were talking about using our tanks’ heavy plasma cannons to create a cloud of steam to provide cover for Humphrey’s marines. It should give us an edge.”

“Good thinking Major,” Hazzard replied after several seconds of silence. “I’ll see to it, now get back to your marines.”

“Yes Sir,” Johnston responded as he switched COM channels again, this time so he could speak to the marines now under his command.

“This is Major Johnston of the special forces marines,” he said. “I’ve been put in command of your battalion by Colonel Hazzard. We’re going to open up on the Indian forces on the other side of the river in twenty seconds. Just follow my lead. As soon as Humphrey’s marines secure the first line of buildings on the other side of the river we’re going after them, so get ready.”

“Begin the attack,” Colonel Hazzard ordered.

“Fire,” Johnston commanded over the battalion COM channel.

To any onlookers, the ongoing battle between the British and Indian forces would have looked as if a hailstorm of fire was being exchanged across the river. As more than six hundred British marines opened up from their hiding positions, the weight of fire from the British side of the river quadrupled. The hailstorm became a deluge. Within seconds, hundreds of Indian soldiers abandoned their efforts to return fire and ducked behind cover in a desperate attempt to stay alive.

As soon as the heads of Humphrey’s marines appeared out of the river, all along the British line, tanks fired heavy plasma bolts into the middle of the river. Clouds of steam burst into the air that were swept over the marines’ heads by the wind and towards the Indians. Despite losing sight of their targets, the British marines laying down covering fire continued to fire blindly through the steam.

Within seconds of appearing, more than three hundred marines pulled themselves out of the river and charged across the open ground towards the Indian line of defense. Moments later, another three hundred appeared and charged behind their comrades. For more than ten seconds Johnston fired blindly through the steam, making sure to aim well above head height to avoid any friendly fire.

“We’ve reached the buildings,” Colonel Humphrey reported over the command COM channel.

“Let’s go,” Johnston said to his battalion. “It’s our turn to cross the river.”

Jumping out of the second story window he had been firing from, Johnston landed on the ground and set off at a run, confident his men were behind him. He launched himself into the air and landed about half way across the river. As he hit the water his vision was momentarily blinded as water splashed around him but he quickly sank. When his feet hit the river bed, he charged towards the permacrete wall that was the far bank.

When he got to the wall, Johnston turned to look for the rest of his battalion. The nearest marines were about ten meters behind him. He waited for them to catch up. As they gathered around him at the base of the wall, he nodded to the nearest marine before reaching up and grabbing the nano carbon rope one of Humphrey’s marines had used to scale the wall. Using all the strength his combat armor gave him, he hauled himself up the wall and out of the river.

The scene greeting him was pure mayhem. There were about twenty meters of open space between the river’s bank and the line of buildings the Indians were defending. Scattered here and there were broken bodies of marines, their combat armor blown into chunks of scrap metal. At the base of the buildings, marines and Indian soldiers were blasting away at each other with their plasma rifles. Higher up, other Indian soldiers were leaning out of windows and holes blown in the buildings as they fired down on Humphrey’s regiment.

Screaming a battle cry over his battalion’s COM channel, Johnston charged towards the melee. Raising his plasma rifle, he poured fire into the upper floors of the building in front of him, killing one Indian before he even realized a new threat was approaching. As soon as Johnston got close enough, he launched himself into the air. He burst through a hardened glass window on the second floor of the building. As he rolled and jumped back to his feet he spun round and came face to face with two startled Indian soldiers. Before either of them could raise their plasma rifles, Johnston used his enhanced reflexes to gun both of them down.

As another form burst into the room through the open window Johnston reached down and helped the marine to his feet. “Clear the upper floors of these buildings,” he ordered his battalion.

More marines flung themselves into the second floor of the building and cleared the floor of Indian soldiers. Satisfied he had won the respect of his men by leading the charge, Johnston remained stationary. He used his HUD to monitor his Lieutenants and Sergeants, giving them directions as they cleared the three buildings his battalion had assaulted.

“Our section of the Indian defense has been cleared,” Johnston reported over the command channel as soon as the last Indian soldiers had been killed.

“Good work,” Hazzard replied. “I’m sending new orders for your battalion now. We’re going to keep pushing, the Indians know our target is the Council Chambers. Our only chance to surprise them is with the rapid advance.”

“Understood,” Johnston replied.

Johnston reviewed the orders as they appeared on his HUD. Colonel Hazzard was sending his battalion and a battalion from Colonel Humphrey’s regiment to the northwest to flank the Haven Council Chambers. Hazzard clearly didn’t want general Malhorta to escape. Once he scanned the orders twice, Johnston sent them to his three Lieutenants. “Alpha company will take point, beta will watch our northern flank and I’ll hold gamma in reserve,” he ordered. “Get ready to move out, we will be continuing the attack as soon as possible.”

As his marines descended the buildings they had cleared and gathered on the ground floor ready to advance, Johnston made his way to where gamma company was assembling. As much as he wanted to join the attack, he knew his position was further back giving orders.

Johnston’s battalion moved out with the efficiency he expected from any group of marines. As alpha company charged across the street towards the next line of buildings, beta and gamma laid down covering fire on the handful of Indians who shot at his marines.

As his battalion repeated the same maneuver time and time again, they quickly advanced towards the Council Chambers, though their assigned route had them gradually sweeping behind the Chambers.

Johnston took a moment to check the battalion statistics. Initially, the three companies had numbered three hundred Marines. After fending off the Indian counter attack they had been reduced to two hundred and fifty. Since Johnston had taken command they lost another thirty-five, twenty of them from alpha company.

“Hold your positions alpha company,” Johnston ordered after they cleared another series of buildings. They were now less than a kilometer from the Council Chambers. “Gamma company will take point; alpha company will become our reserve force.”

Five minutes later, Johnston stood on the third floor of an apartment building overlooking the gardens surrounding the Council Chambers. He stood beside gamma company’s Lieutenant who had just cleared the building. “It’s beginning,” the Lieutenant said as he pointed towards the southern end of the Council Chambers. Having taken a direct route to the Chambers, the lead elements of Colonel Hazzard’s division were already engaging the Indian defenses.

Viscount heavy tanks burst through the steel fence lining the Council Chambers’ gardens and advanced. Squads of marines took cover behind them as they charged. From within the Council Chambers an intense wave of plasma bolts reached out and struck the marines and heavy tanks. Several hyper velocity missiles also fired, destroying two tanks. In response, hundreds more plasma bolts shot from the buildings surrounding the Council Chambers as British marines tried to lay down covering fire for their comrades.

“All other forces are to join the attack,” Colonel Hazzard ordered over the command COM channel.

“Beta and gamma companies will advance on the chamber,” Johnston ordered. “Alpha company will lay down covering fire from here. Good luck everyone, let’s put an end to this war.”

As soon as the Lieutenants of beta and gamma companies reported the men were ready, Johnston gave the order to attack. Within moments of the marines appearing out of the buildings they had been hiding in, fire erupted from the section of the Council Chambers they were facing. In response, Johnston and the other marines from alpha company opened up on the Council Chambers.

Assisted by their combat armor, the marines from the beta and gamma companies crossed the large open gardens of the Council chamber in thirty seconds. Even so, with next to no cover, the charge was a bloodbath. Of the one hundred and fifty-eight marines who charged, just over a hundred made it to the Council Chambers. As they burst through external doors and windows, they joined more than eight hundred other marines who had already made it to the Council Chambers as they fought their way deeper into the buildings.

One of his Lieutenants signaled they had cleared the Indian soldiers out of their firing positions. With a command, Johnston prepared alpha company to advance.

An intel update from one of the drones circling overhead caught his attention. A small formation of Indian forces had been spotted breaking out of the Council Chambers and heading west, away from the battle with the British forces. It has to be Malhorta, Johnston thought. There must be at least ten thousand Indian soldiers in Liberty, and who knows how many others scattered around the planet. He’s not going to let himself get caught.

Switching his COM channel to the command channel, Johnston tried to get hold of Colonel Hazzard. When the Colonel didn’t respond, Johnston brought up a map of the Council Chambers on his HUD. If the drone’s data was correct, the column fleeing the Council Chambers was less than half a kilometer from his current position. There were no other marine units any closer. Making a snap decision he switched his COM channel back to his battalion. “Beta and gamma companies, continue the attack on the Council Chambers. Alpha company with me.”

Johnston turned and ran out of the building after Malhorta. Coming to an intersection, he paused to look both ways along the street in front of him to make sure there were no Indian soldiers present. As the rest of alpha company caught up to him, alpha company’s Lieutenant rested a hand on Johnston shoulder. “You should let my men take point Major,” the Lieutenant said. “That’s what we are here for.”

“Yes,” Johnston replied, nodding. “You’re right of course. We need to get ahead of this Indian column. I think they are moving along this route.” He transferred the drone’s data and his estimate of the Indian column’s position to the Lieutenant’s HUD. “We need to set up an ambush. There is no time to be careful about this. Put one of your squads on point and let’s keep moving.”

Johnston fell in beside the Lieutenant as the rest of the company sprinted across the intersection and along the street. Twice plasma bolts shot out of nearby buildings, gunning down a couple of marines. The rest of the company didn’t slow their charge, they simply fired a hail of plasma bolts back at the Indian soldier until their target was left behind.

“Echo squad is reporting a large Indian tank and at least a company of soldiers ahead moving along the street parallel to ours,” the Lieutenant reported.

“That’s them,” Johnston said. “I’m going to take two squads with me, we’re going to sprint ahead of their column. As we do, I want you to attack the rear with the rest of your men. Hopefully your attack will slow them down and draw most of the soldiers away from the tank. It has to be Malhorta’s command tank.

“Understood,” the Lieutenant replied before assigning two squads to accompany Johnston.

Without waiting to see who was with him, Johnston broke into a sprint, throwing caution to the wind. The sounds of fighting could be heard over the COM channel as his men engaged the Indians from the rear. When Johnston got to the next intersection, he took a sharp left and slowed. He crept along the edge of the building and peeked his head down the next street. A large Indian heavy tank was trundling straight towards him. Looking beyond the tank, Johnston could see clear signs of a firefight.

“This is it,” he said to the two squads who were taking up position behind him. “First squad, break through this building’s wall and get into the second and third floors. As soon as you are in position open fire on the column, use your hyper velocity missiles on the tank. However, aim for its tracks. If we can, we’re going to capture Malhorta alive. Fourth squad, once they open fire we’re going to charge. We need to clear the Indian soldiers away from the tank. If Malhorta is in there, we are going to get him out. Understood?”

After acknowledging the new commands, first squad used their power armor to break through the building’s permacrete wall and found the building’s staircase. “We are in position,” first squad’s Sergeant said over the COM channel.

“Open fire,” Johnston ordered.

Peeking his head around the edge of the building, Johnston saw the first hyper velocity missile hit the tank. It blew its forward tracks into pieces, causing the tank to grind to a halt. A wave of plasma bolts descended on the Indian soldiers who were around the tank. Just as the Indian soldiers who survived the initial attack lifted their rifles to fire back at first squad, Johnston charged around the building.

Tossing two grenades as he ran, he fired at the nearest Indian soldier. As he gunned down one, a second and then a third Indian soldier, time seemed to slow down. Plasma bolts zipped past his shoulders. Some tore into the Indians in front of him, while others gunned down marines from fourth squad as they charged. Then the two grenades he had thrown exploded among the Indian soldiers.

It took Johnston less than ten seconds to reach the disabled tank. Throwing himself to the ground, he skidded around the front of the tank. At its far side, four Indian soldiers were taking cover from the fire coming from first squad in the building above them. Not expecting a British marine to come skidding into them, they all jumped. Johnston dispatched two of them with his plasma rifle. As the third and fourth were swinging their rifles to avenge their comrades, fire from first squad killed them.

Jumping back onto his feet, Johnston surveyed the Indian tank. Its heavy plasma turret swung round and unleashed a bolt of plasma into the building first squad was in. Johnston instinctively ducked as the plasma cannon fired, even though he knew it wasn’t aimed at him. Glancing at the devastated building, he cringed as he realized most of first squad had been caught in the blast. Turning back to the tank, Johnston moved around it, searching for the access hatch. Despite the firefight around him, his focus was fixed on getting into the tank.

Coming to the rear of the tank, Johnston smiled. It had a large access hatch just like the one General Hawker’s command tank had. He pulled a special grenade from his utility belt. Placing it on the door, he set the timer for five seconds. He ducked round to the side of the tank to take cover. As the grenade exploded, its force buckled the tank’s door, sending a large section of the access hatch tumbling into the tank.

Johnston pushed his way past the broken access hatch into the tank. With his plasma rifle raised he shot the first Indian soldier who charged him. The part of the access hatch that had been blown into the tank had killed three of the Indian soldiers manning the large holo display in the center of the tank. Of the remaining three Indian men in the tank, only one of them had combat armor on, though he wasn’t wearing a helmet.

“Nobody move,” Johnston ordered. “Surrender or I will kill you.”

When none of the three men tried to get up from where they had fallen, Johnston made his way towards the one in combat armor. He flipped the Indian soldier over so that he could see his face. “General Malhotra I presume?” Johnston said.

“Yes,” Malhotra responded as he pushed himself into a sitting position. There was a large dent in his combat armor where a part of the access hatch must have collided with it.

“Do you surrender?” Johnston demanded, he almost shouted point blank into the Indian’s face. His anger after spending months watching Havenites die at the hands of this man was threatening to get the better of him.

A look of defiance flashed across Malhorta’s face but as he sensed Johnston’s rage it was replaced by fear. Before he could answer, Johnston grabbed Malhorta and pulled him to his feet with one hand. With his other he shoved his plasma rifle into Malhorta’s face. “I’m not messing about here General. Answer me!”

“Alright, alright,” Malhorta answered feebly as he eyed the muzzle of Johnston’s plasma rifle. “I know when I’m beaten, we surrender,” Malhorta said. As soon as Johnston let him go he slumped back into a sitting position.

“How’s it going out there?” Johnston asked his Lieutenant while he kept a wary eye on Malhotra.

“I think we’ve beaten them off,” the Lieutenant replied. “The Indian soldiers have retreated into a couple of nearby buildings. They are still firing at us but they’re not making any attempt to rescue Malhotra. Was he in the tank?”

“Yes,” Johnston replied. “I’m looking at him right now. Keep an eye on those Indians, if they try to make it back to the tank gun, them down.”

“With pleasure,” the Lieutenant replied.

“Now,” Johnston said as he reached up and hit the release button for his combat armor’s faceplate. “You are going to order the surrender of all your troops on Haven General. You and your men have fought bravely, but it’s over.”

“You must be joking,” Malhotra said with a laugh, determination appearing on his face. “Even if you take the Council Chambers my men can fight on. This has been a bloody day for us, but for you as well. Our fleet will be back.”

“I think you misunderstand the offer I’m giving you,” Johnston replied. “Your fleet may be back, but your army will have been defeated by then. Do you recognize me?” Johnston asked as he moved closer to the Indian General.

“You,” Malhotra peered into Johnston’s face for several seconds before he jumped back to his feet, anger contorting his face. “You’re that damned British marine who has been fighting with the resistance. You’ve killed hundreds of my men.”

“Yes,” Johnston said with as wicked a grin as he could muster. “And so, you know you can trust me when I tell you, if you don’t order your men to surrender right now, right across Haven, then I promise you that every one of them will die. Either we will root them out and kill them one by one, or even those who surrender will be executed. And that includes you.”

“You can’t do that,” Malhorta shouted. “You are a British marine, you’re supposed to hold to the Geneva Convention.”

“I am,” Johnston replied. “But the Haven Council has never signed the Geneva Convention. As far as they’re concerned, you and your men are invaders and pirates. To me and you this is a colonial war between two star nations. But to them, this has always been a war of extinction. To them, you’ve been trying to destroy everything they and their ancestors stand for. I’m giving you one chance. If you surrender all of your men to me now, then I give you my word, they will all be treated as prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention. But, if you refuse, if you force the people of Haven to endure days and even weeks more fighting, then I guarantee you every Indian soldier that we capture. Every injured Indian soldier who is lying out there on the streets of Haven right now. Every single one of them will be executed by the Haven Council. And let me tell you, they will do it with gladness. I have fought alongside the resistance for months. There will be celebrations in the streets for every Indian soldier who is put to death. Look at my face, I am not lying to you.”

Johnston saw the seriousness of what he was saying dawn on the Indian General. With the arrival of the British fleet and the marines, Malhorta may have thought he was fighting an honorable battle between two armies. Yet this had never been how the resistance had seen things. The Indians were now sworn enemies, every one of them was to be killed on sight. In fact, that’s exactly how the resistance had been fighting.

“Your superiors would never let the Havenites treat prisoners of war like that,” Malhotra said, though Johnston saw he had doubts.

“When the Havenites pour out onto the streets and begin to tear your men limb from limb, do you really think my superiors are going to order British marines to engage the Havenite people? We can let them do what they want with you and simply say we couldn’t stop them. After the rest of the earth nations see just what you’ve done here, do you think anyone’s going to make a fuss? Surrender all your forces now and I give you my word we will protect you. We can transport your men into orbit where they will be safe. If you continue to fight, you’re only going to cause more needless bloodshed. Your army cannot hold this planet any longer.”

A long pause ensued as Malhorta considered his options. “Okay,” he said as he lowered his eyes and his shoulders slumped. “Your Lieutenant General Hawker has beaten me.”

“He has,” Johnston said, happy to let the architect of the day’s battle receive credit for the victory he was no longer alive to see. “Now, can you send a message to your troops from here?”

“No,” Malhotra answered. “The tank was damaged in the firefight. If I’m going to contact all my troops, you need to take me back to the Council Chambers.”

“Right, on your feet then,” Johnston said as he reached down and hefted Malhorta to his feet. “Let’s go,” he said as he pushed the Indian General out of the command tank and into the street.

They marched down the street the command tank had tried to flee along. It sounded like most of the fighting had stopped. Marines were milling around, guarding one of the large doors into the Council Chambers. As Johnston and his men approached, they cheered when they recognized the prisoner being escorted. Following the directions the marines gave him, Johnston led Malhotra into a large reception room that had been turned into a command and control center by the Indians. Colonels Hazzard and Humphrey were both looking through the Indian data they had managed to capture intact.

“I’ve brought someone who wants to speak to you,” Johnston said as he walked into the room.

“I’ll be damned,” Colonel Humphrey said as he recognized who Johnston had standing beside him.

“Why am I not surprised?” Hazzard said, shaking his head. “When I saw you leading a company of marines away from the Council Chambers I knew you were up to something. But I didn’t imagine this.”

“There’s more,” Johnston said. “Malhorta is here to order to the rest of his army to surrender.”

“Only,” Malhorta almost shouted. “If you can promise me that my men will be treated fairly under the Geneva Convention. I’m not going to leave them in the hands of these Havenite primitives.”

“You have my word,” Hazzard said as he reached over and guided Malhorta past him towards one of the COM terminals. As he did he looked at Johnston, puzzled.

Johnston simply smiled and winked at Hazzard. “I’ll leave you to it,” he said as he turned and walked out of the command and control room. The battle for Haven was over and he wanted a few moments to himself.

He eventually came across a series of stairs. Taking them to the roof, Johnston was shocked as he stepped out into the fresh air and beheld the city. He slowly turned, taking in a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view of Liberty. In every direction smoke billowed into the sky and there was hardly a single building in sight that didn’t have some scorch marks or damage. Many were simply smoldering piles of rubble.

It had been more than a hundred years since two human armies had fought for control of a planetary surface. Even though Johnston had watched ancient visuals of the aftermath of ground combat, he was shocked by the sheer scale of the damage before his eyes. Even though he expected it to be bad, as he brought up the statistics on his battalion, his shock deepened. Of the three hundred men who had begun the day in the third battalion of Hazard’s regiment, one hundred and sixty-four were officially registered as casualties. More than a hundred of them were confirmed dead. Alpha company, the one that had helped him capture Malhorta, was down from one hundred to just forty battle worthy marines.

As he surveyed data from the other regiments involved in the battle, Johnston fell to his knees. In total, more than two thousand marines had been killed, and another thousand were injured. Almost one third of the British invasion force had been lost in a single day. What sent him over the edge was one of the dead. Sergeant Briar had been killed as the company he had fought with had delayed the Indian reinforcements coming to support the defense of the Council Chambers. It hardly seemed fair, Johnston thought as he ground his teeth in anger. Briar had managed to survive months of guerrilla warfare and now here he was, dead at the last hurdle. His name was just one more to add to the list of marines who weren’t coming home from Johnston’s mission.

Johnston became lost in his memories of Briar, Moony and all the others who had died fighting with him over the last several months. A hand rested on his shoulder and startled him out of his thoughts. Spinning, he was surprised to see Councilwoman Pennington and Clare standing beside him.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

“We came to find you,” Pennington answered. “We heard about what you did, how you captured Malhotra. I wanted to thank you.”

“And we heard about Sergeant Briar,” Clare said as she came to stand at his side. “We wanted to make sure you are all right,” she added as she reached out and placed her hand on Johnston’s head, running her fingers through his hair.

“I will be all right,” Johnston said as he pushed himself to his feet. “A lot of good men and women died today.”

“Yes,” Pennington said. “I have seen the casualty statistics. Your marines have been as good as your word. They fought bravely, and bled for my people today. I know they have paid a heavy price to free my city.”

“They have,” Johnston agreed. “The price of liberty is one that’s always been paid in blood.”

Chapter 33 – Reunion

The Empire was formed in the fires of the War of Doom. The wars with the Antarians caused us to solidify our borders. Now we have peace, military spending is being cut back. Our history tells us that we have only survived so long in a hostile galaxy thanks to our fleet. One wonders what the future holds.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

30th November 2467 AD, Haven.

As James stepped out of the landing shuttle onto Haven’s surface for the first time in over a year, an overwhelming sense of relief and accomplishment washed over him. It had been thirty days since the Indian army had surrendered. Even so, Liberty still looked like a battleground, and there was smoke rising into the atmosphere from fires that continued to burn in the forests surrounding the city. Despite the state of Haven’s capital, James smiled as he took in the scene all around him. From the designated landing area beside the Council Chambers he could look down three streets that led into the capital. On all three streets, Haven citizens were going about their daily business. They are free, James thought as he studied them, and they know it. The Havenite citizens walked with their heads and shoulders held high and a brisk step to their gait.

“You promised them you would be back,” a familiar voice called out to him. “And you promised me you would stay safe. It looks like you’re a man of your word Captain Somerville,” Suzanna said as she threw herself into James’ arms.

“Suzanna,” James said as he spun just in time to catch her. Blinking back tears, he pulled her into a deep hug. “I can’t tell you how happy I was to see your name among the passengers on HMS Longbow. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to see you when I returned to Earth.”

“Don’t be silly,” Suzanna said without letting go. “I knew you had orders. I was just happy to know you were alive. We had been planning your funeral you know. I had been crying for days.”

“I’m sorry,” James said into Suzanna’s hair as she sobbed into his chest. Not knowing what else to say, he pulled her closer and stroked her hair.

“I’m here now at least,” James said as Suzanna took half a step back to wipe her eyes. “And the Indians are beaten, Haven is free. Maybe now we can enjoy married life together.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Suzanna said as she smiled up at him. “We just have to get this damned referendum over with.”

“Indeed,” James said. “I wasn’t sure you were going to be here when the referendum took place. Pennington and Cunningham haven’t set a date yet but I assumed it would be soon.”

“There was no way I was going to miss it,” Suzanna said. “When I heard Fairfax intended to come along with the supply squadron, I insisted he allow me to accompany him.”

“Fairfax is here as well?” James asked, surprised. “I didn’t see his name listed as a passenger in any of the ships.”

“He is,” Suzanna said. “But enough about politics. We’ll have plenty of time to talk about that. I came here to greet my husband.” Instead of explaining any further, Suzanna reached around James’ shoulder and pulled him into a deep, passionate kiss.

It was more than a minute later when she finally pulled her lips back from James’. “That’s more like it,” she said with a grin. “Now, if you care to escort me into the Council Chambers, Admiral Cunningham and Brigadier General Heinz are awaiting us,” Suzanna said as she turned and raised her arm, offering it to James.

“It would be my pleasure Lady Somerville,” James said as he grinned down at his wife.

“How was the journey here?” he asked as they strode through the Council Chambers’ gardens towards the main building. “You can’t have been planet side more than a couple of hours.”

James had been alerted to the arrival of the supply squadron by alarms going off on Endeavour’s bridge, alerting him and his crew to the sudden appearance of fifteen new gravimetric anomalies. Endeavour had been stationed on the edge of the shift passage leading back towards Indian space along with the majority of the British fleet. They had been waiting to pounce on any Indian ships trying to return to Haven. Several hours after the supply squadron had arrived, Cunningham had sent new orders recalling the fleet to Haven. James wasn’t entirely sure why every ship had been recalled. When he had seen who was listed as a passenger in the supply squadron, he quickly forgot about wondering what Cunningham was up to. All he had been able to think about had been seeing his wife again.

“Uneventful,” Suzanna replied. “Fairfax insisted I travel on his personal frigate. It was very luxurious, though I didn’t get to enjoy much of it. Fairfax spent most of the journey grilling me about Haven, and its history and people.”

“I’m sure he did,” James said with a chuckle. “I don’t think that man ever sleeps. Have you talked to many of your people yet?” he asked.

“No,” Suzanna said with a hint of frustration in a voice. “Fairfax and Cunningham have been keeping me out of sight. They want me to make a speech that will be broadcast around the planet later this evening. Until then, I haven’t been allowed out of the Council Chambers.”

“I’m sorry about all the damage,” James said. The buildings were covered in scorch marks from plasma rifle fire. Several holes had been blown into the buildings that penetrated at least two or three rooms.

“Stop apologizing,” Suzanna said, almost sounding irritated. “None of this has been your fault. Nor even the fault of Admiral Cunningham, or the marines. Fairfax shared with me all the battle reports from the fight with the Indians. I know your people did what they could to protect the city and its population. I also know how bravely you fought. Your people owe me no apologies. It is I who owes a great deal to you and your fleet. So no more apologies, okay?” Suzanna demanded as she poked her elbow into James’ side.

“Okay, okay, no more,” James agreed. “I just hope your people come to see things the same way.”

“I suspect that’s why you’re here,” Suzanna said. “You are the hero who saved my people from the Vestarians. And now you are the one who led the British fleet here to liberate us from the Indians. I imagine when I make my speech later this evening Fairfax intends for you to be at my side.”

“I guess I’m never going to escape from all this political wrangling,” James said, feigning exasperation.

“Not when you’re married to a Haven Councilor, and hopefully the future governor of the Haven Protectorate,” Suzanna said with a chuckle. “I’m afraid this is your life now Captain Somerville, hero of the British fleet.”

“If I’m not allowed to apologize any more, then you’re not allowed to call me a hero,” James said. “I get enough of that already.”

“That’s not fair,” Suzanna said as she looked up at him and batted are her eyelids. “Can’t a wife call her husband a hero?”

“Not if she wants him to spend time with her,” James said, “and don’t think your wiles will work on me,” he added with a grin.

“Fine,” Suzanna said as she stuck out her lower lip. “I guess fair is fair. If I can’t call you my hero then you will just have to be my knight in shining armor. That’ll do me just fine,” she said as she returned James’ grin and stuck her tongue out at him.

Two marines in captain’s uniforms turned a corner and walked down the corridor James and Suzanna were in. Both of them gave James and Suzanna a strange look. Catching their glances, James reigned in the look of disgust he had been shooting Suzanna.

“We can discuss this in private,” he said. “Why were there UN ships with the resupply squadron? What are they doing here?”

Sensing James’ embarrassment, Suzanna put on a more serious face. “Almost as soon as news reached Earth of Cunningham’s victory, Fairfax announced he was going to Haven to be present for the vote. The next day, before the resupply squadron left, the UN Interplanetary Committee passed a resolution requiring UN inspectors be present at all planetary elections intended to determine the sovereignty of a planet or system. The UN ships are full of inspectors from Brazil, Argentina, Japan and America. Those were the four space faring nations chosen to act as impartial inspectors. If we want the planetary referendum to be legally recognized by the UN, the inspectors will have to be given free rein on the planet during the day of the vote.”

“I bet the Indians loved that,” James said.

“They were furious,” Suzanna replied. “I couldn’t get Fairfax to admit he planned the whole thing. Whether he did or not though, he intends to use it to his advantage. As long as the inspectors don’t find any suspicious activity going on, it will be very hard for the Indians to oppose the outcome of the vote. That is, of course, if it goes our way.”

“Well,” James said, “You’re going to have a few weeks to convince your people. If anyone can do it I’m sure you can.”

Suzanna had to look away from the smile on James’ face. He was overflowing with confidence in her. During the trip from Earth, Suzanna’s doubts had been growing. She wasn’t sure she was the woman to lead her people into such a close political union with the British Star Kingdom. As she saw the unquestionable belief James had on his face, it was hard not to pull him down to her lips for another passionate kiss.

“Here we are,” Suzanna said, she pushed open two large double doors to admit James into the meeting room and distract him from her reddening cheeks.

*

“Ah, Major Johnston. It’s good to finally meet you in person,” Prime Minister Fairfax said as Johnston strode into the meeting room.

“Sorry I’m late Mr. Prime Minister,” Johnston replied. “I was visiting Private Samuels in Albion’s sickbay and got held up.”

“No problem Major,” Fairfax said. “You’re only a couple of minutes late. It gave the rest of us time to get reacquainted.”

“It’s good to see you again Major,” James said as he shook Johnston’s hand. “From what I’ve read, it seems your presence on Haven revolutionized the resistance.”

“On behalf of my people, I would like to thank you and your men for their sacrifices,” Suzanna added before she too shook Johnston’s hand. “I’m sorry about your losses,” she continued, “I know it won’t alleviate the pain to you and their families, but I want you to know they won’t be forgotten.”

“Thank you, My Lady,” Johnston replied. “That does mean something. I know each of my men came to love your planet and its people in their own way.”

“Let’s get down to business,” Admiral Cunningham said after he saluted Major Johnston. “If you will each take your assigned seat around the conference table.”

James was happy to see he was beside Suzanna. The rest of the group were spaced out to take up half of the circular conference table. James guessed the second half of the table was reserved for the Haven delegation.

“By now I hope you’ve all had a chance to read through Lady Somerville’s proposed speech for this evening,” Fairfax began.

James hadn’t known about any speech prior to meeting Suzanna at the landing pad but as he picked up the datapad on the table in front of him he saw Suzanna’s speech. Keeping an ear on the conversation, he skimmed through it.

“If any of you have any suggestions for her,” Fairfax continued. “You can send them to me. I will review them later and then send them on to Lady Somerville. For now, my main concern is Councilwoman Pennington and the other resistance leaders. I want them to be at Lady Somerville’s side during her speech this evening. It’s vital we present a unified front between the resistance and ourselves. I have decided to schedule the vote on Haven’s future for three weeks from today. It doesn’t give us much time to win the hearts and minds of the populace. On the other hand, if we can win the vote and get it ratified by the UN then the Indians will be left up the creek without a paddle. The coming negotiations are vital. If we don’t have Pennington and the resistance on our side then we will be facing an impossible task. We’re scheduled to meet with them in two hours. You are all here to prepare Lady Somerville and I for that meeting. So, let’s begin.”

“Do we really need the resistance that badly?” Brigadier General John Heinz asked. He was the commander of the two regiments of marines that had come with the resupply squadron to reinforce Lieutenant General Hawker’s command. Due to Hawker’s death he was the senior marine commander in the system and had found himself in charge of all British forces on Haven. “The entire planetary population has suffered under the hands of the Indians. Surely they don’t want to risk going back to that?”

“If I may,” Johnston said as he looked at Fairfax. When Fairfax gave him a nod he continued, “About forty percent of Haven’s population lived in Liberty before the Indian occupation. Since then many have fled or been killed. It’s true the Indians sent occupying forces to almost all of the other major population centers. However, the vast majority of the fighting occurred in and around Liberty. Many of the planet’s population haven’t seen firsthand the worst of what the Indians brought here.

“On the other hand, they have all heard about the sacrifices of the resistance and their many battles. There is no doubt that all but those who collaborated with the Indians have no desire to see them back. However, if the resistance leaders refuse to become a British Protectorate, many Havenites will follow them. As hard as it is to believe, to some, accepting our offer will seem like embracing an occupation no different to that of the Indians. If the general populace comes to think that becoming a British protectorate goes in the face of everything the resistance fighters gave their lives to accomplish, then the vote will be dead in the water.”

“It may be hard to imagine General,” Fairfax said, “to us it’s clear who the bad guys are here. Yet we have to deal with the situation as it is. So,” he said as he turned to look at those assembled around the conference table. “Each of you brings a unique perspective on the resistance leaders. How should we approach this coming meeting?”

“We have already discussed this, Prime Minister,” Suzanna said. “I believe it is imperative we offer the people of Haven as much freedom and independence as we can. Haven is not the Bradford colony. Even if my people vote to become a protectorate like Bradford, things will have to be different. The colonists on Bradford left Earth as British citizens. They always believed they were going to set up a British colony. Though their ancestors had been separated from Britain for nearly two hundred years, they still thought of themselves as British. That’s simply not the case here. We are Havenites. That’s who we are. If the population feels becoming a protectorate will rob them of their identity, or worse the resistance leaders feel it will rob them of our planet’s sovereignty, then there will be opposition.”

“We have discussed this at length,” Fairfax agreed. “And you know Parliament has given me a lot of leeway in the exact nature of any agreement between our two nations. Nevertheless, there are things I cannot compromise on. Haven will have to be open to free trade and free investment from the British Star Kingdom. And, your laws regarding citizens’ rights will have to come into line with our own. I know we are all agreed on such things already, but some changes will have to be made. Major Johnston, Admiral Cunningham, Captain Somerville, I have already heard from Lady Somerville concerning the issues she thinks may pose a problem in this regard. You all have far more experience of Haven than me. How do you see their culture comparing to ours?”

“The people of Liberty are hurting,” Cunningham began. “Councilwoman Pennington and the other resistance leaders are proud and stubborn. They don’t like to show weakness, over the last several months they have become accustomed to the hard conditions of guerrilla warfare. However, the rest of the population, at least those in Liberty, are shell-shocked. The Indian occupation was bad enough, but the battle for Liberty cost many civilian lives and destroyed many homes and workplaces. I can’t tell if Councilwoman Pennington and the other resistance leaders just don’t want to admit how bad things really are, or they don’t see just how much the general population is suffering. Either way, things are worse than they seem. I think that if we can show the population of Haven that we’re not just here as a victorious army but as partners and friends, then we will win more votes.”

“Is there anything more we can do at the present?” Fairfax asked. “Especially over the next three weeks up until the vote?”

Suzanna jumped forward. “Don’t worry,” Fairfax said before Suzanna could protest. “I’m not suggesting we trick your people into thinking we are going to do more than we can. If Cunningham is correct, then I will be sending orders in my next dispatch back to Earth to increase the amount of aid our next supply convoy will be carrying. However, I’m not above using the aid we have now to win us some political leverage.”

Everyone in the room waited to see what Suzanna would say, when she simply nodded to Fairfax and sat back in her chair, Cunningham answered the Prime Minister’s question. “I already have my analysts going over the supplies that came in with your convoy. Once we have a good idea of the kind of supplies we will be able to spare, I’m sure we can work out an accelerated dispersal program to try and get as much aid to as many people as possible. Don’t worry My Lady,” Cunningham said turning to Suzanna. “I’ll make sure we hold enough in reserve so no one who comes to rely on our aid will starve after the vote.”

“I guess that will be acceptable,” Suzanna said. “If I know Pennington, she will already have plans in place to import food from the nearby farming communities. Perhaps Admiral, you could offer her a number of your shuttles to help with the transportation. If she has been hesitant to admit how difficult things are, then I wouldn’t make the offer public, you could send her a memo or something less formal, she may take that better.”

“A good idea My Lady,” Fairfax said. “That’s one issue resolved. Now, does anyone have any other suggestions?”

“You need to be ready to negotiate,” Johnston said. “There hasn’t been one resistance operation I brought before Councilwoman Pennington for her approval that she didn’t want to have her say in. When she is in charge, she always wants to leave her fingerprints behind. I’m not saying she was meddling, she certainly brings a lot to the table. Yet it seems to be a personality trait of hers, she needs to have a hand in making the cake. I suggest you don’t go into any negotiations showing all your cards at once. Even if she thinks it’s an amazing deal, she will still want to wrangle something else out of you.”

“Noted,” Fairfax responded. “As I’ve already said, Parliament has given me a lot of leeway in these negotiations. If the vote passes, then whatever agreement we come to will still have to be passed in both houses. However, I doubt Parliament will prove to be a problem. If the people of Haven vote to become a protectorate we can hardly turn them down. That said, my career will be on the line. If I give too much away I may not be Prime Minister for much longer. So on that note you don’t have to worry, I have come fully prepared for an intense round of bargaining.

“You know the Councilwoman and the other resistance leaders better than Lady Somerville Major; do you have any more advice for me?” Fairfax asked.

“I’m not sure,” Johnston replied and paused to think for a moment. “I guess my main advice would be to be upfront and honest. The resistance leaders, especially Hamish Maguire, have been very suspicious of our motives right from the start. Even after all my men and I have given for them, many of them still do not trust you, Prime Minister, or our government. I’m sure every one of them would take a plasma bolt for me, just as I would for them. Yet this hasn’t transferred onto you and our politicians. You need to win their trust, and the only way you’ll win it quickly is by being honest. We have presented ourselves as Haven’s heroes, the protectors of the weak. That’s true, but that’s not the only reason why we are here. They know this, but they don’t know just how much we plan to take from them. From childhood they have been brought up to distrust our nations and the politics of Earth. The horror stories their grandparents and great grandparents told them about the corruption and exploitation of the weak by governments in our history has many of the resistance fighters concerned. They suspect everything we’ve done to help them so far has just been a show to trick them into giving up their sovereignty and future.

“They know we are not here out of the kindness of our hearts. Haven is a pristine habitable world and, with the discovery of the Vestarians and the Kulreans, they know the importance of this system as a trade node. I think you need to be honest with them about our intentions. Only if you can appease their fears of being suppressed will they support you.

“I will take it under consideration, thank you Major,” Fairfax responded.

For the next hour, James sat silently as he listened to the others in the group go back and forth. Many policies and ideas that could reassure the resistance leaders of the British Star Kingdom’s good intentions were discussed. Being a British Protectorate meant Haven citizens would gain dual citizenship with the British Star Kingdom. In turn this meant Havenite laws had to reflect British laws. Further, the colony would have to pay tax to the British Star Kingdom to compensate Britain for the orbital defenses and fleet units that would be stationed in the system. Fairfax was prepared to split the trade fees Britain would collect from any freighters that sought to traverse the Haven system on their way to Vestar or Kulthar. If trade with both alien races exploded the way most analysts expected, such income would more than pay for the taxes Fairfax was proposing. All in all, it seemed to James like Haven was getting as good a deal as anyone could expect. Essentially, they were being given the freedom to rebuild their colony exactly as it was before the Vestarian and Indian fleets attacked them.

“What about their fleet?” James asked as an idea came to him. “The Bradford colony isn’t allowed to build anything larger than a space shuttle for customs inspections. Haven already has a naval tradition. We could offer to allow them to continue to build their own warships. They could produce their own defensive fleet. In the long run, it would mean we wouldn’t have to station as many warships here. We could even allow Havenite construction yards to produce ships for the Royal Space Navy. That would be sure to attract a lot of investment from British companies and boost the recovery of Haven’s economy. Plus, I’m sure the Havenites would feel a lot more independent if they had their own fleet with their own Captains and Admirals.”

“An interesting idea Captain,” Fairfax commented. “What are your initial impressions Admiral?”

“I think we would need to consider any such proposal very carefully,” Cunningham answered. “I can see two problems right away. First, if we allow the Havenites to produce their own warships, just how many will they be allowed? If trade through the system picks up then the Havenites could have a very healthy cash flow in the next decade or two. Before the Indian invasion they were producing ships as large as medium cruisers, I’m sure given the chance, they would happily build a fleet of such ships. Then the question becomes, what if they want their independence? Do we really want to invest so much time and credits into building up this colony only to find ourselves facing a well-equipped and well-armed hostile fleet? Second, there’s the matter of national security. If Havenite shipyards are allowed to build Royal Space Navy ships, then they will have full access to all of our latest technologies. If they wanted to, they could sell them to the highest bidder.”

“I’m not sure your second problem is something we need to worry about right now,” Fairfax said. “If there were construction yards built in orbit around Haven capable of building RSN ships, then they would have to win such contracts like any other shipyard and pass the same security checks. I don’t think there’s any harm in at least offering the possibility for Havenite shipyards to compete for such contracts. Your other concern worries me far more. Lady Somerville, you know how fiercely independent your people are better than any of us. Do you think this is something we should be concerned about? Are your people likely to accept becoming a British protectorate for the short-term benefits, while scheming to find a way to free themselves from us?”

“Honestly,” Suzanna answered, “I don’t know. I’ve been trying to put myself in the shoes of some of the resistance fighters. None of them have had the experience of Earth or the British Star Kingdom I have. Obviously at this point I’m very biased,” she said as she reached over and squeezed James’ hand. “I think, if I had experienced the Indian occupation without having met James I would still have many doubts about your people. It wouldn’t surprise me if there are some among the resistance who secretly hope to find a way to cast off any outside interference, whether that be from your Kingdom, or the Indians, or anyone else. However, I think the more important question is, what will the general population think of the British Star Kingdom in a decade or two? That, I cannot answer. Our society has been undergoing some dramatic changes in the last five years, ever since we rediscovered Earth and your colonial empires, not to mention everything that happened with the Vestarians and Indians. It’s possible my people will become more insular and it’s just as likely that given time they will come to see themselves as being as much a part of the British Star Kingdom as any other of your colonies. If that proves to be the case, then even if a few hold out hopes of disentangling Haven from your Kingdom, the chances of ever doing so would be very slim. At this stage, your guess as to what way things will go is as good as mine. And I imagine it will depend a lot on how your government treats the citizens of Haven if we agree to become a British Protectorate.”

“Perhaps you could just offer to allow the Havenites to build smaller warships. We could limit them to producing frigate class ships,” James suggested, not wanting to see his idea shot down. “You could enter negotiations with Haven’s governing body in the future about building anything larger once they have the capabilities to do so. But for now, the offer to build even small warships might be taken as a positive gesture.”

“That may be a suitable compromise,” Fairfax responded. “I imagine a handful of frigates wouldn’t cause you too much worry Admiral?”

“No,” Cunningham answered. “Unless they were to build hundreds of them, a few frigates wouldn’t be enough to lead a rebellion.”

“I’ll take it under consideration then,” Fairfax said. “Besides, once free trade is opened between our two nations, I expect Haven to be more tightly bound to us than the Bradford colony. There will just be too many British companies and citizens coming to Haven to exploit trade with the Vestarians and the Kulreans for Haven to stay Haven much longer.

“Now,” Fairfax continued as he opened a folder that had been sitting in front of him. “I have a number of ideas I want to run by you all before Pennington gets here.”

Chapter 34 – Negotiations

We have encountered many alien races over the years. Almost all of them have been able to communicate with us. Those that haven’t have almost always caused a problem. Without communication, suspicion and fear quickly grow. The Antarians are the prime example of this, though in their case fear turned out to be an appropriate response.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

When a buzzer on the conference table sounded, Fairfax answered it and was informed Councilwoman Pennington and the other resistance leaders had arrived. Checking the time, James was surprised at how quickly their meeting had flown. He thought they had been brainstorming for less than an hour, not two. If James was in Fairfax’s position he knew he would have felt less than fully prepared. Though, having come to know the Prime Minister a little better over the last couple of years, James suspected nothing could be further from the truth.

Fairfax moved around the circular conference table and opened the large double doors. As Pennington and the resistance leaders came through the door Fairfax held out his hand to the Councilwoman. “Welcome Councilwoman Pennington,” he said as he bowed slightly. “I’m sure you need no introduction to this room, it is yours after all.”

“Indeed it is,” Pennington replied as she shook Fairfax’s hand. “I must say, it gives me a lot more satisfaction to know you are using it rather than some Indian General.”

“I’m happy to hear that,” Fairfax said. “If your delegation will join us at the conference table we can begin our discussions.”

After everyone sat around the circular table Fairfax introduced each member of his delegation, Pennington then did the same. Once everyone was acquainted, Fairfax picked up a folder sitting in front of him. He took a deep breath, looking as if he was about to launch into his opening statement. Before he did however, Pennington beat him to it.

“Before we begin,” she said, “if you don’t mind Prime Minister, I would like to hear from Councilwoman Rodriguez. My delegation and I are not oblivious to the fact that she sits on your half of this conference table.”

A wave of irritation washed over Fairfax’s face. However, he flattened his features so quickly James wasn’t sure anyone else had caught it. Pennington and Fairfax sat opposite each other around the circular conference table. Technically, Suzanna was sitting on the British half of the table, though Fairfax had placed her so she was sitting beside one of the resistance leaders, a woman who had been introduced as Clare Edwards. James thought her name was familiar, though he couldn’t remember where he had heard it. With a nod towards Suzanna, Fairfax signaled to her to explain her position.

“It would be my pleasure,” Suzanna said. “As you know Councilwoman, when First Councilor Maximillian set in place his plan to attack the Kulrean envoy he sent a military frigate towards my family’s gas mining station to apprehend me. I think I’m not the only Havenite around this table who disapproved of the First Councilor’s actions.”

As she spoke, Suzanna darted a quick glance towards Clare. Catching her subtle hint, James figured out where he had heard her name before. She had been Suzanna’s informant inside the Council Chambers, the one who had alerted her to the First Councilor’s plan to attack the Kulreans.

“As soon as I knew why the frigate was approaching my station,” Suzanna continued, “I fled the Haven system. I went in search of Captain Somerville. I knew he would listen to my warning. I feared if Maximilian went through with his plan, he would bring the full wrath of the Earth nations upon us. Captain Somerville saved the Kulreans from Maximillian and Admiral Harris. However, the Indians were able to figure out who had launched the attack. They used Maximillian’s actions as a pretext for their invasion.

“The Indians had a fleet and army in motion towards Haven before anyone on Earth, including the British, could do anything to stop them. Stranded, I felt I could best serve my planet by remaining on Earth and lobbying the Earth nations to come to our aid. The only nation that would help us was the British Star Kingdom. The United Colonies of America and the German Federation were sympathetic, but their fleets where too far away to help. Fairfax and the British government agreed to help drive off the Indians on the condition that Haven would become a British protectorate. They knew I had no authority to agree to such a political union. However, I felt this was the best chance our people had at freedom. Since then I have been working with the British government to help make this a reality. I am fully aware you and the resistance leaders do not know the British like I do. I have come to trust them, they have their own motives of course, but they are honorable. I feel the best hope our people have of a continued future is with the British. That is why I am here with Prime Minister Fairfax. I am still a Havenite, I still want to represent my people. However, to do that I think we must work with the British.”

“And you have already aligned yourself with the British government,” Pennington said with a hint of disdain in her voice. “You are now a Duchess, are you not?”

“Yes,” Suzanna said, sharpening her voice. “Captain Somerville and I are in love and we are married. Yet it is also true our union has benefits for our people as well. Being a part of the British nobility means the British government trusts me. I can stand in the gap between our people and theirs.”

“I’m not sure that our people will count you as one of their own anymore,” Pennington replied.

“That would be a mistake,” Fairfax jumped in with more emotion than James expected. “I can guarantee you that the only reason why we are at this table is Lady Somerville. She turned the hearts of the British people towards Haven. If she hadn’t swayed public opinion, Parliament never would have voted on the proposal to offer protectorate status to Haven. It’s true, our fleet may have still come to drive off the Indians. But we wouldn’t be coming here as liberators. We would be coming to you offering you very different terms than the ones we are about to discuss. I have brought the recordings of every public address Lady Somerville made whilst on Earth. I intend to release them to your populace this evening. All I ask for now is that you reserve your judgement on Councilwoman Rodriguez until you can examine her conduct for yourself.”

“We worked together in the past,” Suzanna said to Pennington once Fairfax had finished speaking. “I hope we can work together again in the future. You may not approve of my actions but I ask you to seriously consider one question. If you had been in my shoes, what would you have done? I was cut off from my planet, from my people. I knew no matter how hard you fought, alone you could never drive the Indians from Haven. I did what I thought was best and I stand by my actions.”

Pennington took a moment to consider her response. “If what Prime Minister Fairfax says is true, then I may be willing to reconsider my opinion of you Councilwoman. For now I’m happy to reserve judgement so we can continue with these discussions. I believe you wanted to make a statement Mr. Prime Minister, you may proceed, I know I and my delegation are keen to hear what the British government has to say to us.”

“Thank you Councilwoman Pennington,” Fairfax said in a much more formal tone than his previous outburst. “First, I would like to bring you the warm greetings of the British Star Kingdom and specifically his Majesty King Edward XI. We are sorry for the suffering your people have endured and for the position you find yourselves in. I know from Lady Somerville that despite the actions of your previous First Councilor, your people have no desire to get tangled in the politics of Earth. Though my government has a number of reasons to look on Haven with disfavor, we are willing to let bygones be bygones. Instead we would like to offer you the hand of friendship. Your people and ours are not too dissimilar. In the last hours I have been reading reports from Major Johnston and other military commanders on the resistance your people gave to the Indians. The spirit of your people is truly inspiring, and though you have suffered heavy losses, it is clear you and your people are unbroken. For that, you have mine and my peoples’ respect.

“It is my sincerest hope the actions of my government, our fleet and our marines have shown to you the genuineness of the friendship we offer you. However, honesty dictates that I must be open with you. I’ve already said even if we hadn’t been convinced by Lady Somerville to offer Haven protectorate status, our fleet and our marines may still have been here engaging the Indians. The fact of the matter is that Haven and its strategic location, dominating the only known shift passage to Vestar and Kulthar, means we simply cannot allow the Indians sole control over the system. This is now a fact of reality, neither you, nor your people, nor my government can change that.

“However, this doesn’t mean we cannot be friends. The proposal I bring to you now and that I wish to bring to your people as a whole, can ensure the interests of the British government are aligned with the interests of you and your people. The Indians may have been defeated, but if we leave, they will come back, Haven is just too valuable a prize to pass over. If the Indians are going to be kept from this system, then a permanent solution is required. We hope we can come to an agreement that guarantees the safety and the freedom of your people, while ensuring the British Star Kingdom’s interests are satisfied.”

“And so you want us to become a protectorate.” Pennington stated.

“Yes,” Fairfax answered. “I believe it is the best solution to both of our dilemmas.”

“Then I guess you had better outline just what it is you have in mind Prime Minister,” Pennington responded.

“Certainly,” Fairfax replied. “As you know, both houses of the British Parliament voted to offer protectorate status to the colony of Haven. We already have one colony, the colony of Bradford, that holds protectorate status. The idea is that Haven will enter into a similar political union with the British Star Kingdom. If your populace votes to accept such an offer, then sovereignty of the Haven system and your colony will pass into the hands of his Majesty King Edward XI. Parliament will then govern the system on his behalf. In turn, Haven and Independence will be allowed to elect their own MPs who will travel to London to take their seats in the British Parliament alongside MPs from Britain and our colonies.

“Though full sovereignty of your system will be handed to the Crown, Parliament is willing to recognize all private property rights currently held by Havenite citizens. Further, Parliament will devolve the governance of the planet and its orbitals to a Governor whom Parliament will appoint. In turn, the Governor will leave all legislative powers in the hands of Havenite courts and what we hope will be a duly elected Haven Council. In this way, in international terms, Haven and its system will be deemed to be part of the British Star Kingdom. Parliament will therefore take final responsibility for the protection of the system. However, your people will be free to elect their own leaders who will be free to determine their own policies and governance.

“There are a couple of non-negotiables though. First, we will require a tax of four percent of Haven’s yearly gross domestic product. This will be to cover the costs of the defense battlestations we will build in orbit around the colony and the fleet units we will station in Haven for the colony’s protection. Second, the first Bills passed by the newly established Haven Council must affirm and implement the human rights and civil laws the British Parliament has already made mandatory for all its colonies. Beyond this, as long as your Council is elected under democratic lines, and it doesn’t pass any Bills interfering with the free movement of British citizens and commerce to Haven, your people will be able to determine their own way of life. I have been granted a large amount of leeway when it comes to negotiating the finer points of this political union by Parliament. However, these are the minimum requirements my government has. In essence, we will take you under our wings in exchange for free use of your system for trade, and compensation in lieu of the financial burden of protecting Haven from the Indians or any other Earth nation that would try to conquer you.

“Later today I plan to announce a planet wide referendum on this issue for three weeks from today. Lady Somerville will be making the announcement this evening. In one week, I plan to release the full details of the proposed alliance. However, I have yet to determine the final arrangements of such a union. That is why I have requested your delegation join me today and hopefully every day this week. Ultimately, as British Prime Minister, I will have the final say on the details of this proposed union. However, I want to make the protectorate as attractive to you and your people as possible and I hope that together we can come to an agreement that will benefit both our nations for generations to come.”

“I have already reviewed the human rights and civil laws you would require us to embrace,” Pennington replied after taking several seconds to consider all that Fairfax had said. “I see little problem in implementing such laws on Haven. We already have many similar laws. However, prior to the Indian invasion we collected yearly taxes approximately equivalent to sixteen percent of our GDP. By demanding four percent of our GDP you’re effectively slashing the budget of every Council department by a quarter. Before the Indian invasion such a demand would be hard to accept, now, with literally decades of rebuilding ahead of us I do not believe that is something I could ever agree to.”

As Pennington spoke a number of Havenite resistance leaders nodded. Maguire voiced their concerns, “We have seen thousands of resistance fighters killed in our war with the Indians and even more civilians needlessly murdered. With your help we have won our freedom back and for that we are eternally grateful. But we cannot exchange one form of enslavement for another. If our people are going to be able to enjoy their freedom, we must be able to rebuild.”

“Let me assure you,” Fairfax said, “I am well aware of the difficult task you have before you. It is not our intention to turn you into our slaves. We want you to be equal partners.”

Standing up, Fairfax reached behind him to pick up a series of folders which he slid along the table to the Haven delegation. “Before I left Earth I instructed my finance minister to set aside several trillion credits in our next budget to form a redevelopment fund for Haven in the event your people vote to accept becoming a protectorate. Half of the funds will be used to repair damage to critical buildings and the transportation infrastructure. The second half of the funds will be made available to the newly elected Haven Council as interest-free loans they can use to their discretion in rebuilding. Further, I’m willing to offer to split all trade tariffs collected from the Haven system fifty-fifty with the Haven Council. Once peace has been restored to this area of space it won’t take long for a massive influx of trade ships to pass through Haven on the way to Vestar and Kulthar. The tariffs collected from such trade will likely more than make up for the four percent of the GDP that my government requires. In the short term, the aid package I have prepared should help your colony get back on its feet. In the long term, trade will catapult your colony to new heights. Haven is likely to become a key trade node and this will bring massive investment from a number of the larger trade organizations.

“In addition, the orbital battlestations and the ground defenses our fleet will be installing will require huge amounts of natural resources which will give a large boost to your economy. I fully expect Haven and the surrounding unexplored space will become a hive of activity as Britain and other nations seek to discover new systems and new habitable worlds. If such discoveries are made there is no doubt that Haven will become a central base from which these systems are developed. All in all, I think four percent is a small amount compared to the possibilities becoming a British protectorate opens up for you. I want you to realize that we are trying to help you. I could simply demand that my government take all the tariffs that come from trade through the system and leave you and your colony to itself. Demanding four percent means my government will always have a vested interest in seeing your economy grow. This measure is meant to tie our two nations together.”

“And what if we want to go our own way?” Pennington asked. “With such great opportunities before us perhaps my people will think they can go it on their own. How exactly does your government intend to respond if we reject protectorate status?”

Chapter 35 – Compromises

The Empire may span thousands of settled systems. Yet it is possible those that she has gathered under her wings inhabit even more. There is a plethora of alien races who have all been given associate status with the Empire. In exchange for access to their space and a limitation on their ability to colonize new worlds, they are given protection from the more hostile races that inhabit our galaxy. Some races have been confined to a single system others hold control of hundreds.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

“That is a tricky question, and to be honest, I’m not entirely sure I know the answer,” Fairfax said. “Let me be frank. Neither I, nor my government will stand for the Indians having control of this system. If that means we have to keep a permanent garrison on the planet and ships in orbit then we will do so, even if the UN tries to pass some kind of resolution to stop us. However, that is a very remote possibility. It’s as Lady Somerville has said, there are a number of Earth nations sympathetic to your plight. Yet, all of them are our closest allies. Moreover, I do not believe there is the political will within the UN to come to your aid. Your people have carried out acts of piracy against many of the Earth nations and the attack on the Kulrean envoy’s ship stirred up a great deal of anger. Our relationship with the Kulreans is likely to have a massive impact on humanity. That your first Councilor would jeopardize this for selfish ambitions did not go down well. If your people want to try and go it on their own, our fleet’s presence might give you the security to try. Even so, you would have no guarantees. Your system could become a battleground for decades and I could make no promises that in the future my government wouldn’t see some military or political benefit from just forcibly annexing your colony.”

“That sounds like a threat,” Maguire snapped.

“It wasn’t meant as one,” Fairfax answered. “From the aid package I have already put forward, I hope you can see that I and our parliament wants to work with you. More than that, we want to become partners. Yet if you refuse, all I am saying is that neither we nor the Indians will simply go away.”

“In that case,” Pennington replied, “let’s assume for the moment we are willing to consider the prospect of becoming a protectorate. There are a number of issues I and my delegation will want clarified before we could ever agree on such a union.”

“Then let’s negotiate,” Fairfax said with a smile. “Where would you like to begin?”

“Let’s begin with the solar system,” Pennington replied. “Haven is not just this planet, it is the entire system. Our ancestors have devoted themselves to industrializing the system. The Vestarian attack and the Indian’s invasion may have damaged much of our orbital and system wide industries. Nevertheless, we would wish to have jurisdiction over the entire solar system and be given the opportunity to rebuild what has been destroyed. Just what control over the system will the Haven Council have?

“The terms I have in mind will allow all system wide industrial endeavors to remain in the hands of the Havenite citizens or companies that currently own them. This would be backdated to stations and installations which existed prior to the Vestarian invasion. However, if the system comes under the rule of Parliament, then British companies would be free to invest in and develop new gas or asteroid mining operations.”

“That will not be acceptable,” Pennington stated. “The Haven system must be left in the hands of the Haven people. I do not believe I could give my approval to anything less.”

“Redeveloping the system’s industries will be essential in order to provide the raw materials needed to rebuild Haven and to build the new orbital battlestations the fleet intends to construct,” Fairfax explained. “If British companies are not allowed to invest in the system, how will these industries be rejuvenated so as to help with the redevelopment of Haven?”

“If you are serious about the interest free loans, then any newly elected Haven Council can make such funds available to Haven citizens to rebuild much of our system wide industries,” Pennington answered. “Further, if as you suggest, Haven is likely to become such a vital trade node then it shouldn’t be too hard for our existing mining companies to attract investment from British companies. That way our system wide real estate will stay in Havenite hands while British companies will still be able to invest. Take Councilwoman Rodriguez for example. She owns one of the few remaining gas mining stations in the system. Luckily for her, the Indians didn’t destroy it. I’m sure she will be able to attract British investment to expand her station to meet any rise in demand for He3.”

“She is right,” Suzanna said as Fairfax looked to her. “While I was on Earth a number of large British corporations approached me with development agreements that would allow them to mine helium in the Haven system.”

“I will take your suggestions under consideration,” Fairfax said. “I’ll get my analysts to look at how quickly your people would be able to get the asteroid and gas mining industries back online with just the aid of British investment. If they think it’s achievable in a way that will not compromise the fleet’s intentions to make Haven impenetrable to Indian attack, then it is an area I would be willing to compromise on. What is the next topic you wish to discuss?”

“Exploration and trade,” Pennington replied. “We can get into the finer details about just how much freedom the Haven Council will actually have tomorrow. For today, this is the second major issue I feel we need to agree upon before finer details can be discussed.”

“What do you have in mind?” Fairfax asked.

“First, Independence,” Pennington said. “What are your intentions towards our colony?”

“Independence will remain under the jurisdiction of the Haven Council,” Fairfax answered. “It is your colony. You discovered it, you settled it and I think it fair that it remain under your control. There are two caveats though, one, the colony should be just as open to British citizens settling there as Havenite citizens. Two, once the population of the colony reaches one million there will need to be a vote on the colony’s future. The population will be given the option of either remaining under the control of the Haven Council or of becoming a British colony in their own right.”

“So you plan to send as many colonists to Independence as you can so as to turn the colony British and steal it away from us,” Maguire protested.

“No,” Fairfax answered. “You’re still not thinking of the bigger picture. It will take at least half a century for Independence’s population to reach one million, even if my government was to subsidize new colonists. If Haven becomes a British protectorate you won’t be able to stop the free flow of British citizens to your own planet, never mind Independence. It is my intention that in fifty years from now the lines will be so blurred between who is Havenite and who is British that it will no longer matter. In such a case, the people of Independence may be just as likely to vote to stay under the jurisdiction of Haven. They may prefer being ruled by a Haven Council less than ten light-years away, than a British Parliament based on Earth more than one hundred light-years away. I cannot predict what the future holds.”

“Your terms are fairer than I expected,” Pennington said as she placed a hand on Maguire’s arm. “It doesn’t mean that I’m not alarmed by your vision of the future of our colony.”

“I’m not surprised,” Fairfax responded. “Yet Pandora’s box has been opened. Your ancestors may have left Earth to escape our politics. That is no longer an option for you and your people. One way or another, Haven is going to change.”

“Then let’s discuss another concern,” Pennington said. “If we are to remain a free people we wish to have the right to construct our own exploration ships and to continue to explore the space around our system. If we were to discover any new systems they would therefore become part of Haven. Nominally we would recognize they would become part of the British Star Kingdom. However, we would wish to hold jurisdiction over such systems and have authority over their colonization and development. Moreover, we would wish to be able to construct our own transport freighters and to compete with earth-based shipping companies.”

“That I can compromise on,” Fairfax said. “To a certain degree anyway. I believe it will be acceptable to allow your Council to hold jurisdiction over any systems it discovers, provided they do not contain a habitable planet. However, all discoveries of habitable planets must be reported to the United Nation’s Interplanetary Committee. It may be if your exploration ships do discover a habitable planet we will have to offer it to the UN so that another Earth nation can colonize it. Therefore, any habitable planets Haven exploration ships discover will immediately come under the control of Parliament. That will include the entire system the planet is found in. That is non-negotiable.

“As to your other concern, I see no reason why Haven should not be allowed to develop its own orbital industries, including shipping companies. However, whatever import tariffs you choose to place on foreign shipping companies cannot be applied to British companies. In turn, any shipping companies that are formed on Haven will be allowed to freely trade with all other British colonies and, under our current agreement with the People’s Republic of China, with all Chinese planets as well.

“There’s one more concession in this area that I would be happy to make,” Fairfax continued. “Our only other protectorate, the colony of Bradford, is only permitted to build shuttle sized ships they use for customs control. Given Haven’s naval tradition, I would be willing to allow your Council to construct its own military construction yards and to build ships as large as destroyers. That way your council would be able to have a say in its own defense.”

Admiral Cunningham stirred. His movements didn’t go unnoticed.

“That’s ok Admiral, it is my decision,” Fairfax said. When Pennington raised a quizzical eyebrow Fairfax went on. “Cunningham suggested we restrict the size of ship you are allowed to build to the frigate class. With the possibility of expanding being renegotiated further down the line. I think, as a sign of good will, we can allow you to build destroyers. Once your people have the construction yards up and operating there would be nothing stopping them from presenting bids to the Admiralty to construct ships for the British fleet as well. There will be a lot of new technologies your engineers will have to get to grips with, but I’m told your people are good.”

“You would share weapons technologies with us?” Maguire asked, sounding slightly shocked.

“Of course,” Fairfax said. “Provided your people pass the same vetting our own have to, I don’t see why not. If you are to become a British protectorate then your colony will have access to all our technologies in time, military and civilian.”

“We will take your offers under consideration,” Pennington replied. “They must be discussed among ourselves before we would be willing to agree to any such proposals. Your offer of tariff free trade for any of our shipping companies is generous. And allowing us to rebuild our fleet despite what it has been used for in the past is a welcome sign that your government would trust us going forward.”

“I’m glad you are able to see our offers in the light they have been put forward,” Fairfax responded.

“There is one more pressing concern I feel we must discuss in this preliminary meeting,” Pennington said. “Just what would be the role of this Governor in relation to the Haven Council?”

“Are you familiar with the old American constitution? From before America’s second civil war?” Fairfax asked.

“Vaguely,” Pennington answered. “All Havenite children are taught Earth’s history and I studied most of Earth’s democratic forms of government before entering the Council.”

“Well in the old United States, a president was elected every four years. The president had veto powers over all legislation brought before him by the US Congress. To override the veto, a two thirds majority in Congress was needed. On Bradford the Governor there has the same powers. Any laws passed by Bradford’s Parliament must be signed into effect by the colony’s Governor. The Governor is appointed by Parliament and is there to look after British interests. If the Governor deems a law does not take into account both the good of the British Star Kingdom and the people of Bradford, he may then veto it. After this the Bill can only be passed into law if it receives two thirds of the vote within the Bradford Parliament. Even then Parliament in London can still rescind the law, though this has never happened to date. It is my intention the Governor of Haven would have identical responsibilities.”

“And just who would this Governor be?” Pennington followed up.

“You already know her,” Fairfax answered. “If the people of Haven vote to become a British Protectorate, then I will be appointing Lady Somerville as the British Star Kingdom’s first Governor of Haven. She is in a unique position to oversee both the interests of my government and your people.”

Pennington turned around in her chair to stare at Suzanna. “I don’t know what you did while you were on Earth Councilwoman, but you seem to have won the trust of these people.”

“They have won my trust Councilwoman,” Suzanna replied. “Like us they are not perfect, they have their own Maximillians, but I think our future lies with them. If I become governor you can rest assured I will not sacrifice our own people just to keep the favor of the British.” Turning away from Pennington and towards Fairfax, Suzanna continued. “Just as you already know Prime Minister, I will not seek to use my position to wrestle Haven out of British hands.”

As preliminary discussions wound down, James realized he didn’t envy his wife one bit. If she did become the Governor of Haven she was going to find her loyalties divided. Worse, there was no doubt that time and time again she would have to play peacemaker between the British government and whatever Council the Haven people elected. And I thought being a naval Captain was hard, James thought. I’ll take it any day.

Once the meeting came to a close, Councilwoman Pennington walked around the table to shake Fairfax’s hand. Then she led her delegation away with the promise they would return tomorrow for more in-depth negotiations. Fairfax whisked his delegation into another room where he had already arranged for dinner to be served. As they ate, Fairfax grilled each of his advisers on their opinion of how the meeting went. With little expertise on the matter, James was able to enjoy his meal in relative peace.

His hopes to spend some time with Suzanna before her public address were squashed as Fairfax took her off on her own to go over the final draft of her speech. Left to himself, James decided to go for a stroll around the Council Chambers’ gardens. A couple of hours later his COM unit beeped, requesting he return to the main Council chamber. It was time for Suzanna’s speech.

When he got there he was surprised to see Councilwoman Pennington and a few of the resistance leaders standing off to one side. “They came?” he asked Suzanna as he nodded towards Pennington.

“Pennington agreed to make an appearance if she was allowed to make a few concluding remarks.” Suzanna explained. “Fairfax thought it would be risky seeing as she won’t tell us what she intends to say. However, the fact she is willing to appear publicly with me will hopefully do more good than harm so I insisted she be allowed to speak.”

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” James said.

“I hope so too,” Suzanna said as she reached out to squeeze James’ hand. “I’m glad you’re going to be standing beside me up there.”

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else,” James replied. “I’ve read your speech, you’re going to do just fine. After this, there is something I want to show you by the way.”

“Oh really Captain?” Suzanna asked with a mischievous grin. “Now is hardly the time for such talk. You’ll distract me from my speech.”

James’ cheeks reddened a little, which only caused Suzanna’s grin to widen. “I didn’t mean that,” he replied with a slight shake of his head and a small smile of his own. “I’ll show you what I mean later.”

“I look forward to it,” Suzanna said with the same grin on her face which caused James to shake his head again. “Now, take yourself over to the make-up artist,” Suzanna continued. “She‘ll want to make sure you are presentable for a planet wide broadcast.”

“Yes boss,” James said as he turned to look towards the area Suzanna was pointing to.

“Now get going,” Suzanna said as she saw Pennington approach her.

As James sat down in the chair the make-up artist directed him towards, he looked over and saw Suzanna and Pennington engaged in conversation. It looked intense but cordial. James hoped this was a sign of positive things to come.

When it was time for Suzanna’s speech James took his place beside her and put on as warm a face as he could. Suzanna’s speech focused on explaining her actions after she had fled Haven and the reasons supporting her decision to seek protectorate status from the British Star Kingdom. Fairfax planned to release all of Suzanna’s speeches from earth. His hope was as the people of Haven saw how valiantly Suzanna had argued for the protection of her planet, they would come to realize how important becoming a British Protectorate was. Pennington and the resistance leaders had been given an advance copy of Suzanna’s speech and the recordings of her previous speeches. With luck, Pennington may have something positive to say, James thought as he and Suzanna stepped aside to allow Pennington to address Haven for a few short moments.

“Men and women of Haven. You all know me, and I know you,” Pennington began, words not dissimilar to how Suzanna had begun her speech. “I know the cost we have all paid to remove the Indian invaders. Yet, despite everything we have paid, we have to recognize we owe a great debt to the British. Without their fleet and their soldiers, our brothers and sisters would still be bleeding and dying for our freedom. For that I think we owe them the opportunity to make this proposal to us.

“I have had some preliminary discussions with the British Prime Minister. He has come to Haven to negotiate the possibility of Haven becoming a British Protectorate. Negotiations will be ongoing for the next week between the Prime Minister and leading resistance members. For now, I intend to hold my judgement on this issue. It may be that once negotiations have concluded and we have a clear idea of just what this proposal will entail, I will lend my support to it. Despite all the success the resistance has had, it may be that becoming a British Protectorate is the only viable way Haven can remain free as a colony for Havenites led by Havenites.

“However, I understand for many of you hearing this tonight, perhaps for the first time, such a suggestion will sound like another way for a foreign nation to enslave us. Believe me when I say, I understand those feelings, I share them myself. That is why I cannot give my approval to any such idea at this stage. But for those of you who feel this way, I ask that, as a sign of respect for what the British have done for us, you reserve judgement until the final details of the proposal are released. Once they are released, you have my assurances I will make my opinion on the matter clear to you. I hope I have won your trust to help guide us through this new situation we face as a people. If I have, then let us wait and see what the British propose. Until then you have my word that I, and the other resistance leaders, will be negotiating as best we can on your behalf. Good evening to you all.”

Her speech over, Pennington turned away from the podium and walked out of the Council chamber, the resistance leaders with her followed close behind. As she passed where Fairfax was standing watching the proceedings, she gave him a slight nod.

“I think that went well,” James said to Suzanna, not entirely convinced.

“It certainly did,” Suzanna said with a lot more enthusiasm. “Havenites are stubborn. The very fact Pennington is advising the populace to reserve judgement until the negotiations are completed was very positive. Now all we have to do is convince her that becoming a British protectorate is in Haven’s best interests. Reading between the lines, it sounds like at least a part of her wants to be convinced.”

“Well you do know her better than me,” James said. “What she said didn’t exactly sound like a ringing endorsement of the idea.”

“Even if she does give her approval to the final proposal, I don’t think she’s ever going to become a pro-British supporter,” Suzanna said as she put her arm through James’. “It took marrying a dashing, handsome, heroic and self-sacrificing British naval officer to sway me. Unless there’s another one of you kicking about Captain Somerville, I think we will have to settle for convincing Pennington her interests at least lie along the same path as those of the British.”

“There are far better Captains out there than me,” James replied still embarrassed by his wife’s praise. “Even so, I don’t think that’s a tactic we could use to convince all of Haven to join us.”

“No,” Suzanna agreed. “But I think it may be a tactic that will win us one more convert. Did you notice how Clare Edwards and Major Johnston were looking at each other throughout the negotiations?”

“Clare? She was your informant in the Council Chambers when all this began wasn’t she?” James asked. “Her and Major Johnston?”

“Yes and I think so,” Suzanna replied. “I haven’t read all of Major Johnston’s mission reports from his time fighting with the resistance. Yet Clare appears more than once in the ones I have read. I know you are usually oblivious to these kinds of things my dear but next time you see them together try and pay a little bit more attention,” Suzanna finished as she playfully poked James in the ribs.

After fighting off her offending finger, James turned Suzanna towards the door out of the large chamber. “Do you think Fairfax will want to speak to you anymore this evening?” He asked.

“I expect so,” Suzanna replied. “He’ll just have to make do without me though, let’s make an escape.”

“That sounds good to me,” James said as he picked up his pace.

“So what is it you want to show me?” Suzanna asked once they were out of sight of anyone who could call them back.

“It’s this way,” James said as he led her through the maze of corridors that crisscrossed the Council Chambers.

When they got outside, James took her on a long stroll through the Council Chambers’ gardens. It was late in the evening and the sun was just above the horizon, casting its final light on many of the flowers and fountains that had survived the battle between the British and Indian ground forces.

“Look,” James said as they rounded a stand of bushes and a large section of the garden came into view.

“I don’t understand,” Suzanna said as she looked at the damage and a large hole that had been blown into the side of the nearest wall of the Council Chambers.

“I know you haven’t had the chance to get out and see Liberty or the rest of the planet yet,” James explained. “And I doubt you’re going to get much of a chance for the next few days while these negotiations continue. Yet I wanted you to see this. Look at what these workmen are doing. They’re rebuilding the damaged gardens. They’re replanting plants and trees. Soon this damage will be a thing of memories and the Council Chambers’ gardens will be pristine once again.

“And look at the damage to the Council Chambers. Can you see where the workmen have begun to close the large hole blasted into the wall there? You may not recognize it, but through that hole is the reception room where we first met. Soon it will be restored to the way it was before the Indians arrived. I wanted you to take a moment to appreciate everything you’ve done. We wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t come to warn me about Maximilian. The British fleet, all the marines out patrolling the city, none of us would be here. Pennington and the others would still be fighting the Indians on their own if it wasn’t for you. I know you’re going to be busy over the next weeks but I wanted you to take a moment to enjoy being home, to enjoy being free.”

Suzanna couldn’t reply as she looked at her surroundings with fresh eyes. After blinking back a few tears she turned to James and pulled him into a deep kiss. “Thank you,” she whispered as their lips parted. “Thank you,” she said again a little bit louder. “This is just what I needed.”

“You’re welcome,” James said. “I know your city is still reeling from all the damage and the loss of life, but with Fairfax’s help you should be able to put things right. Maybe in the future you can hold a celebration ball in that large reception room and this time I can dance with you. I still remember the red dress you wore the first time we met.”

“Do you?” Suzanna asked, her mischievous grin from earlier returning. “I don’t know where that red dress went in all the commotion. However,” she continued as her grin widened, “there are a few pieces of lingerie I brought from London which are just that shade of red. Maybe the honorable Captain would like to see me in those instead?”

“I think I can give my approval to that suggestion,” James said with a grin of his own. “Lead on My Lady,” he said as he turned Suzanna back towards the Council Chambers. “You have been assigned rooms in the Council Chambers haven’t you?”

“Indeed I have Captain,” Suzanna replied with a wink. “How convenient.”

*

HMS Discovery, Andaman system

Twenty light-years away, as James’ eyes closed and he drifted off to sleep with Suzanna in his arms, Gupta’s shot open. An emergency COM message from the bridge blared across her quarters, dragging her out of a blissful sleep.

“What is it?” she demanded over the COM channel.

“Lots of new contacts Captain,” Discovery’s second Lieutenant responded. “You better get up here, it doesn’t look good.”

Throwing on her uniform, Gupta ran out of her quarters and onto the bridge. “The Indian fleet?” She asked.

“There can be no doubt,” the Second Lieutenant responded. “It looks like the Indians have brought every ship they own.”

Gupta gawked at the numerous contacts on the gravimetric plot. “Turn us around,” she ordered after shaking herself. “Take us to the shift passage back to Haven. We have to warn the fleet as soon as possible.”

Chapter 36 – Enemy in Sight

Today, with the refinements made to the shift drive it is almost impossible to detect an invasion fleet before it arrives. Unless, of course, it attempts to launch an attack through a Sun Gate. In the past, the shift drive could only take ships along predefined shift passages. By picketing such passages, fleets could get advanced warnings of approaching enemies.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

21st December, 2467 AD, 8:00 am, Harrison, Haven

“And that is why I urge you to vote in favor of becoming a British Protectorate. Not just because I believe it is what is best for our people, and not just for ourselves either. But for our children and grandchildren and all the subsequent generations of Havenites. Space is a dangerous place. We have come to learn this the hard way. With the British we will be united in strength.

“I hope you will consider my words carefully. Thank you for listening to me and thank you for resisting the Indian invaders. We have only been able to reach this day thanks to your efforts. And let us never forget those who made the ultimate sacrifice for us,” Suzanna said, bringing her second speech of the day to a close. Without further ado, she stepped off the platform that had been set up in Harrison’s town square.

A round of applause followed her as she descended to where James was waiting with a smile. When Suzanna first announced her return to Haven, public opinion had been very mixed. Many rumors had been circulating that Suzanna had abandoned Haven when she had realized the Indians were planning to invade the colony. The speeches Fairfax had released had put an end to those. Many of the population were still wary of her, yet others had warmed to her quickly and as James had spent the last week traveling around Haven with her, they had been greeted by largely appreciative crowds.

“Where to now?” James asked as he took Suzanna’s hand and they strolled towards the shuttle waiting to take Suzanna to her next engagement.

“Duluth,” Suzanna answered. “It’s the third largest city on Haven. I have two speeches to make there.”

“I can’t tell you how glad I will be when all this is over,” James responded. “This isn’t exactly what I thought I was signing up for when I joined the navy.”

“I’m sure you didn’t,” Suzanna said with a chuckle. “But you did when you married me. So you will just have to learn to like it. When this vote is over I’m sure you can go back to Endeavour. But don’t think this is the last time I will need you at my side. You are too handsome to leave hidden away in space. Your smile alone should win us a few hundred votes today.”

“And here I thought you wanted me at your side because of what I have done for Haven,” James quipped.

“There is that,” Suzanna answered. “But people forget the past quickly, your good looks are as useful as your achievements. You’re just lucky you are so handsome or I might have had to trade you in for a better model.”

“Ha,” James shot back. “I think Fairfax would have something to say about that.”

“I suppose he would,” Suzanna responded as she walked up the ramp into the shuttle. “I guess I will have to keep you for now.”

“That’s right,” James said with a smile. While he hadn’t enjoyed the last two weeks of speeches, he had certainly enjoyed the amount of time he had been able to spend with Suzanna. Between the week of negotiations and two weeks of speeches, it had been the longest they had spent together since they had been married.

“Do you know where we are going pilot?” Suzanna asked once she had sat down and donned her flight helmet.

“Yes My Lady,” the pilot answered. “I have already been in contact with Duluth flight control. They are expecting us in twenty minutes.”

“Very good, you may take off when you’re ready,” Suzanna replied.

Suzanna turned away from the pilot and opened up her datapad. Whilst the main sections of her speeches for today would all be the same, she had insisted on including parts relevant to each town or city she was speaking in. Each had a slightly different history and they had all fought the Indians in their own way. Suzanna wanted to make sure all the people she spoke to knew she cared for them.

James watched the Haven forests whizz by the viewing port of the shuttle. It’s hard to believe the day of the vote is here already, he thought. The negotiations with the resistance leaders had been tough. They had refused to settle for anything Fairfax initially offered them. Instead they insisted on haggling until they were able to get Fairfax to give them better terms. Overall though, James was confident Fairfax had achieved all he had set out to do. As far as the British government was concerned, as long as they were recognized as the official owners of Haven and thus had free access to the system and the shift passages to Vestar and Kulthar, the Havenite people could do what they wanted. The final terms settled on with Pennington clearly stipulated Haven would become part of the British Star Kingdom. All that was left now was one final day of campaigning.

In the long term, Fairfax recognized it would be better for the British Star Kingdom if the Havenites came to see themselves as British. It would take at least two or three generations, yet it would prevent future unrest or rebellion. Beyond Haven becoming a part of the British Star Kingdom, all the elements he had fought with Pennington over had been aimed at producing better integration between Britain and Haven. For the most part, Pennington’s demands had done little to hamper Fairfax’s long term goals and he had been happy to give her many of the things she wanted. The final document outlining just how both nations would proceed if the people voted to become a protectorate didn’t entirely satisfy either side. Yet to James’ surprise Pennington had given it her approval, and she had done so publicly. Not all the resistance leaders had followed her stance, but many had.

Chief among those who had walked away from the negotiations had been Jonas Maguire. James knew he was even now touring around Haven giving speeches urging Haven to vote against becoming a protectorate. The outcome of the vote was therefore very much in doubt. Due to the widespread damage to the planet’s infrastructure and the huge effort that had gone in to preparing for the vote, not many polls had been taken. Those that had gave varying estimates. Some suggested the vote was on a knife edge. Others that it would pass, but just barely. Either way, James knew even though he didn’t particularly enjoy it, what he and Suzanna were doing was important.

“Have we changed direction?” James asked the pilot as he stopped thinking about the vote and paid more attention to the landscape around him. “We’re approaching Liberty aren’t we?”

“Yes,” the pilot responded. “I received a priority message a couple of minutes ago. I have been ordered to get you both to the Council Chambers immediately. I thought you had heard it over the COM channel.”

“I was daydreaming,” James explained. “Did the message say why?”

“No,” the pilot answered. “It just said I was to get you there ASAP.”

“Very well,” James said. He reached over to Suzanna to touch her shoulder and draw her out of her thoughts. “You may not need your speech just yet. It seems we have been called back to Liberty. I think Fairfax wants to speak with us.”

“What’s happening?” Suzanna asked. “Has there been some unrest?”

James’ COM unit beeped, alerting him to a message from Endeavour. It was only text.

Discovery has just returned. She has sent a signal using her acceleration profile; Enemy Approaches. Mallory.

“It’s the Indians,” James said once he read the message. “They have sent a fleet to Haven. Discovery has just jumped into the system. The Indians can’t be far behind.”

“The Indians,” Suzanna said in alarm. “Our scouts didn’t find any sign of the Indians preparing for an attack. Why have they come back?”

“Our scouts didn’t find any ships massing in the Andaman system,” James corrected. “There was always a risk they were still planning an attack. If they are back, then it means they have decided they can’t afford to lose this war. It also means they will be coming with nearly every ship in their fleet. If there is going to be a battle then it is going to be a bloody one.”

“It means we have to make sure this vote is successful,” Suzanna said. “The people of Haven’s decision needs to be sent to the UN before the Indians occupy the planet again.”

“I suspect that is what Fairfax wants to discuss,” James said as he reached out and took his wife’s hand. As he squeezed it, she squeezed back. They spent the rest of the flight in silence as they contemplated what the next few hours would bring.

*

12:30 pm Liberty, Haven

James and Suzanna were sitting in the conference room where the negotiations with Pennington and her delegation had taken place. Pennington and Clare Edwards were there along with Fairfax, Admiral Cunningham and Brigadier General Heinz.

“The first message from Discovery should arrive any second now,” Cunningham said.

They had agreed the vote should continue. Fairfax, Suzanna and Pennington had sent a planet wide broadcast informing Haven about the approaching threat. Some of the opponents to the protectorate were claiming the threat was made up. They would soon change their minds. The shift passage leading to Indian space was four light hours from Haven. Whatever COM messages Captain Gupta had sent to Haven upon her arrival into the system would be reaching them imminently.

“Here we go,” Cunningham said as his analysts sent Discovery’s COM message to his datapad. In turn, he forwarded the visuals to the room’s holo projector.

“So many ships,” Pennington said.

“Yes,” Cunningham replied. “These visuals are from the Andaman system where Discovery was on patrol. Captain Gupta stayed in the system just long enough to obtain these visuals before she jumped out and high tailed it back here.”

“She estimates the Indian fleet could be anything from six to twelve hours behind her,” James said as he skimmed through Gupta’s assessment of the situation.

“What are those ships?” Brigadier General Heinz asked.

James looked up at the holo display. “Troop transports,” he said. Having come close enough to engage two of them with his plasma cannons in the past, James knew exactly what they looked like. “I’m counting nine of them. Each one can probably hold five to six thousand troops.”

“That’s a lot of men,” Heinz responded. “They obviously think they are coming to stay.”

“Indeed they do,” Cunningham said. “Based on our estimates of the Indian prewar fleet, it looks like the Indians have brought almost every ship they have left. We’re going to be outnumbered, they look to have about half as many more ships than we do.”

James came to the same conclusion. There were currently two British battlecruisers, four heavy, nine medium and twelve light cruisers along with sixteen destroyers, twenty frigates and twenty three corvettes in the Haven system. It looked like the Indians had three battlecruisers, six heavy, fourteen medium and nineteen light cruisers along with twenty three destroyers, twenty eight frigates and twenty corvettes. On top of that, there was another cruiser and several smaller warships escorting the squadron of troop transports.

“What do you make of the situation Admiral?” Fairfax asked. “Can you beat them?”

Silence descended as everyone waited for Cunningham’s answer. None more so than Pennington, she knew exactly what it would mean if the Indians managed to land a new army on her planet.

“Possibly,” Cunningham finally answered. “We have been preparing for this eventuality. Discovery’s early warning has already allowed me to put some plans into motion. Even so, it will be a fierce fight. Unless you are prepared to lose the entire fleet, I may be forced to withdraw. If we do have to go down fighting, I guarantee we will leave the Indians in no better state.”

“No,” Fairfax said. “We cannot afford to lose more ships unless it results in a victory. If you have to withdraw then I know you will return with more ships. If you have to, you can strip ships from our colonies and return to drive off the Indians once and for all.”

“Hopefully it won’t come to that,” Cunningham said. “But just in case, you should find a safe place to hide. If they capture you Mr. Prime Minister, Parliament may be convinced to sue for peace in exchange for your return.”

“I’m sure I’ll be in good hands with Heinz, won’t I?” Fairfax asked.

“That much I can promise you,” Heinz replied. “If the Indians drive the fleet off and attempt to land they will find it a lot harder than last time. We have had a month to prepare for such an eventuality. Nine troop transports might not be enough.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Fairfax responded. “And I’m sure the resistance leaders can prepare the general populace for another invasion?” he asked Pennington.

“Yes,” Pennington answered. “I have already sent warnings to all the leaders. We are relying on your fleet to protect us, but in the event Admiral Cunningham is unable to hold the orbitals we will be ready to meet the Indians again. What about the vote, will it mean anything if the Indians manage to retake Haven?”

“It depends on what your people decide,” Fairfax responded. “Even if they chose to reject our offer, we will not be content to leave Haven in Indian hands. However, I suspect Cunningham won’t be rushing back. Parliament will only let him return when he can guarantee victory.”

“Then the vote must pass,” Pennington said. “I intend to make another planet wide broadcast to warn my people again. Can we release these visuals of the approaching danger?”

“Yes,” Fairfax answered. “I think that would be appropriate.”

“Then I will take my leave,” Pennington said as she stood. “Good luck to all of you. I hope we will all see each other again. Preferably when this battle is over rather than in several months. I would rather not have to fight another guerrilla war.”

“Captain Somerville and I should get to our ships,” Cunningham said. “We want the Indians to think they have caught us unawares. But I’m itching to get back on board Churchill and I’m sure Somerville is the same.”

“Indeed,” James said.

“Fight well,” Fairfax said as he shook Cunningham and James’ hands. “I know you have both given a lot for our nation already.

“We’ll do our duty,” Cunningham said as he saluted Fairfax, James followed suit.

As James turned to walk out of the conference room, Suzanna grabbed his hand. She clearly intended to walk him to his shuttle, just as he had expected.

As they rounded the first corridor after exiting the conference room James wasn’t surprised to see Major Johnston waiting. Johnston had resumed his role as the senior officer in charge of Endeavour’s marines since Haven had been liberated. However, he had also been liaising with Brigadier General Heinz and a number of his colonels and spending a considerable time on Haven’s surface. When Clare Edwards, who was just ahead of James and Suzanna, walked over to him, they whispered quickly to each other. When he and Suzanna approached, they broke apart and Johnston saluted James.

“Captain,” Johnston said as he lowered his hand. “I would like to request permission to remain on Haven when Endeavour breaks orbit. If the Indians manage to land troops, then I wish to be here to fight with the resistance.”

“You know you could be stranded here again,” James replied. “If the Indians land troops it means they will have driven off the fleet. It could be months before we gather enough ships to come back.”

“I know,” Johnston said. “I have come to think of Haven as a second home. If the people have to fight the Indians again, I would like to be here to fight alongside them.”

“Then you have my permission,” James said. “I’m sure we will manage without you, and, if it comes to it, I know you’ll make this fresh Indian army regret ever coming to this system.”

“Thank you, Sir,” Johnston said with another salute. As he turned, he took Clare’s hand and led her away.

“You see,” Suzanna whispered as soon as they were out of ear shoot. “I told you something was going on with them.”

“I’m glad,” James said. “Johnston deserves some happiness after everything he has been through.”

“As do we,” Suzanna said. “It’s not fair. These last three weeks have been bliss. Despite everything that has been on the line, I have loved every minute with you.”

“So have I,” James said as they stopped walking and Suzanna looked into his eyes.

“I can’t stand the thought of you going into another battle,” Suzanna complained as she blinked back tears. “I’ve hardly been able to think of anything else these last four hours. Sooner or later your luck is going to run out. I already thought I had lost you once. I don’t know if I could go through that again.”

“I know,” James said. He had been dreading this moment since they had heard about the Indian fleet. “But I must do my duty. This fleet comes to invade my wife’s home. I intend to see that they don’t succeed. I love you, I hope you know that.” As he spoke he leaned in to kiss Suzanna.

“I know you do and I love you too,” she replied moments later.

“Let’s say our goodbyes here,” James suggested. “You should go back to Fairfax and stay close to him. He will make sure nothing happens to you.”

“But I want to walk you to your shuttle,” Suzanna protested.

“I know,” James said with a smile. “But it wouldn’t do for all the navy personnel to see the fearless Captain Somerville all soppy and emotional. This will be easier for me.”

“Ok,” Suzanna said as she pulled him into another kiss. “I understand.”

“Here,” she said when they broke apart. “I brought you something.”

“What is it?” James asked as he opened up the ornately carved wooden box Suzanna handed him.

“A locket,” Suzanna answered. “Something of both our worlds for you to hold close to your heart.”

As James opened the locket he had to swallow and blink several times to control his emotions. “It is the rose you gave to Christine,” Suzanna explained. “And on the other side is a Onopordum acanthium, a Haven thistle. It is the Haven flower my family adopted as their insignia when they settled on Haven. I know Christine and Britain will always be your first love. But I hope I have come to take a place in your heart equal to what you once felt for her. The rose is to remind you of everything you have fought for and the Onopordum acanthium to remind you of what you have waiting at home for you.”

“You have,” James said. “I already love you more than I ever thought I would love someone. Thank you. I will always treasure this. It will give me courage.” As he spoke he lifted the locket and placed its chain over his head. “The rose of Britain and the thistle of Haven. There could be nothing more fitting to carry into battle.”

“Then go my husband, do your duty one more time,” Suzanna said as the tears began to flow freely down her cheeks.

“I will,” James said. He leaned in and kissed her one last time before spinning around and walking away as quickly as he could. He didn’t trust himself to stay any longer.

Chapter 37 – Final Showdown

In naval wars, years of ship design and construction, months of preparation, drilling and strategizing and weeks of maneuvering boil down to a few short hours. For one side or the other, everything that they have done usually comes to nothing.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

5:00pm ISF Lakshmi, outer edge of the Haven system.

“All ships accounted for Admiral,” one of Admiral Kapoor’s flag officers reported.

“Take us in, full military acceleration,” Kapoor ordered.

He had jumped his fleet out of shift space just two light hours from Haven’s mass shadow. It had been risky, if the British had stationed their fleet at the edge of the mass shadow they could have been in a position to ambush him. However, his intel suggested the British weren’t expecting an attack. They thought they had us beat, Kapoor thought as he surveyed the holo-projector’s display of the system. Not yet they don’t. They’ll realize soon enough. In just a few minutes every ship in the Haven system would detect the accelerating Indian fleet on their gravimetric sensors.

As Kapoor sat back in his command chair it still felt odd. Having personally overseen Centaur’s refit, he had installed his own command chair. It had been lost along with the rest of the battlecruiser when the British fleet closed to plasma cannon range. Having seen the writing on the wall, Kapoor had abandoned Centaur just before the plasma bolts had started flying. Now he had transferred his flag to Lakshmi, the second battlecruiser that had been under Admiral Khan’s command.

Though Lakshmi was newer and more advanced than Centaur, Kapoor missed his old command. We’ll see who is missing their ships after today, he thought as he stared at the British warships on the holo plot.

“What is this group of ships here?” Kapoor asked. From their initial sensor readings, it looked like the majority of the British warships were in orbit around Haven. However, a small squadron of ships was accelerating into the system towards the colony. It looked like they were coming from the shift passage to Independence.

“We are still analyzing their gravitational signatures,” one of his aides replied. “It looks like a light cruiser and several smaller warships along with a number of freighters. A few of the other ships are proving harder to identify.”

“Designate them targets tango two, keep me updated on their progress,” Kapoor ordered. The British squadron consisted of almost twenty ships. If they were reinforcements coming from the British colonies, he didn’t want them joining the main British fleet.

“Tango two is accelerating,” Kapoor’s aid informed him a minute later. “No doubt they have detected our fleet.”

“No doubt,” Kapoor replied. All over the system ships were coming alive and reacting to the fact his fleet had so boldly announced its presence. Kapoor’s main concern was the British fleet marked as tango one. They were in disarray as various warships boosted out of orbit and tried to form up to confront his fleet.

“We’re getting a better read on those ships in tango two we couldn’t identify,” one of Kapoor’s flag officers reported. “We’re still not getting a hundred percent match; however, they appear to be four medium cruisers. Their gravimetric signatures are very similar to those produced by the British Navy’s latest class of medium cruiser, the Protector class.”

“They must be reinforcements,” Kapoor surmised. “Run the numbers, can we intercept them before they rendezvous with the main fleet?”

Lines from his fleet and tango two appeared on the holo projector, plotting out a potential intercept course. As one of his aides ran the simulation, it became clear Kapoor’s fleet was in a prime position. Unless the British medium cruisers abandoned the freighters they were escorting, Kapoor could intercept tango two just before the British fleet could come to their aid. With luck, they could smash the smaller British squadron and then turn and smash their fleet in quick succession. Four medium cruisers wouldn’t turn the tide of battle. Even so, if they and their smaller escorts managed to combine with tango one, the British fleet would be a much tougher nut to crack.

“Send the course change to the fleet, we’re going after tango two,” Kapoor ordered.

Kapoor was surprised the British didn’t react to his maneuver. Yes, the British fleet changed course to keep themselves between his fleet and Haven. Yet, tango two didn’t make any course correction. For an hour, Kapoor and his fleet charged into the Haven system unopposed.

*

6:04pm HMS Discovery

“Fire,” Gupta ordered.

Six plasma cannon bolts shot from her exploration cruiser. “Get us out of here, stay in stealth,” she followed up before she even knew if her attack had been successful.

“Maneuvering now,” Discovery’s navigation officer announced.

“Multiple hits,” a junior Lieutenant shouted from the sensor console.

Gupta didn’t need to look at the data to see what damage her shots had done. As the Indian fleet passed by her small ship the visual display said it all. The medium cruiser they had targeted erupted in a series of fire balls as its fission reactors overloaded.

“Now for our real mission,” Gupta ordered. “Let’s make sure we don’t miss anything.”

*

6:04 pm ISF Lakshmi

“What was that?” Kapoor demanded as a small shockwave washed over his flagship, sending a tremor through his command chair.

“Nehru is gone,” the sensor officer on Lakshmi’s auxiliary bridge reported. “Our sensors detected a series of plasma bolts just before they hit her.”

“Those damned British stealth ships,” Kapoor swore. “Increase our active sensors’ output. Launch a spread of drones around the fleet and ahead of our current course. Did you get a lock on where those plasma bolts came from?”

“Not a firm one,” the officer replied. “Though we did manage to get a good estimate of their trajectory.”

“Fire a spread of ten missiles down that trajectory,” Kapoor ordered. “Let’s see if we can’t flush them out of stealth.”

Damn them, Kapoor thought. Intel suggested the British only had two of their stealth cruisers, even so, they had done a great deal of harm to the Indian fleet. It was likely the ship that had just destroyed the medium cruiser Nehru was already getting as far away from their firing position as possible. It was also more than likely to be heading in exactly the opposite direction to his fleet, making it very difficult for his sensors to get a lock.

“Patel and Bose are firing their stern missile tubes now,” Lakshmi’s auxiliary tactical officer reported.

Kapoor didn’t respond, he didn’t have much hope they would hit anything. He was more concerned about any other ships that might be lying in stealth ahead of his fleet. Maybe that’s why tango two hasn’t maneuvered, they want me to head straight for them.

*

6:05 pm HMS Discovery

“Missile launch,” Discovery’s sensor officer reported. “I’m tracking ten missiles approaching from the Indian fleet.”

A tense few seconds passed on Discovery’s bridge, but when the ship’s computer estimated the course of the missiles, everyone let out a sigh of relief.

“Were our stealth recon drones successful?” Romanov asked.

“I think so,” the sensor officer replied. “There are still a few segments of data I’m analyzing but we got an eighty percent hit. After our attack the electromagnetic output of the second battlecruiser in the Indian line increased by nearly two hundred percent, double that of any of the other ships in the Indian fleet. I think we can designate it as their flagship.

“Good work,” Gupta commended. “We’ll send Cunningham this intel as soon as we get far enough from the Indian fleet. We don’t want them firing a spread of a hundred missiles at us. Good work all of you,” she repeated. “We may be out of the fight already, but hopefully our contribution will count for something by the time this day is over.”

*

6:12 pm ISF Lakshmi

“None of our missiles locked onto anything,” a flag officer reported.

“Very well,” Kapoor acknowledged. “Keep launching new recon drones around the fleet. I don’t want another ship getting that close to us until we close with the British fleet. Understood?”

“Yes Sir,” the flag officer responded.

Kapoor sat in almost complete silence as his subordinates focused on scanning space ahead of, around and behind his fleet. Whilst he was still concerned about another ship lying in stealth, his concern was turning more and more towards what the British Admiral was doing. Kapoor knew Admiral Cunningham was in charge of the British ships and Cunningham was no fool. So what are you doing? Kapoor asked his adversary, not for the first time.

Cunningham still had his fleet shadowing Kapoor’s, making sure Kapoor didn’t dash towards Haven and either bombard the planet’s surface or land the troop ships. Yet, Cunningham’s actions meant he was effectively sacrificing the smaller British squadron. It doesn’t make sense.

“Tango two is accelerating,” one of his subordinates announced, almost as if Cunningham was answering his unspoken question.

As the plot updated to show tango two’s new course, Kapoor smiled. So that’s it, he thought. If each fleet held to its current course and speed, Kapoor’s fleet would get into missile range of both tango two and tango one at the same time. His fleet, though numerically superior to the British, would be caught in a crossfire and have to divide its point defenses to take on missiles coming from both tango one and tango two. It’s risky, Kapoor thought as he looked at the acceleration profile of the ships in tango two more closely. The latest British medium cruisers could no doubt sustain their velocity, however, many of the freighters and smaller warships were risking a cosmic particle strike. It’s a good plan, Kapoor thought. His fleet was already travelling at their maximum safe velocity. If he didn’t want to get caught in a crossfire he would have to either slow or alter course. Either action would allow tango one and two to combine. It’s a good thing I have Admiral Kumar where I do isn’t it? Kapoor thought.

“Do you have any new orders for the fleet?” One of Kapoor’s flag officers asked.

“Not yet,” Kapoor responded. “If the British want to risk their ships to a particle strike, we’ll let them do it for a little while longer.”

Kapoor watched as events unfolded just as he expected. His fleet was three hours away from the point where he would be forced to engage both tango one and tango two. “Time to act,” he said to the auxiliary bridge. “Send orders to Admiral Kumar, tell her to take her squadron ahead of the fleet and destroy tango two. Then she is to wait for us to catch up and we’ll take on tango one together.”

“Kumar has acknowledged,” one of his flag officers announced several seconds later.

*

7:17pm ISF Shiva

“Bring us to our maximum velocity,” Admiral Kumar ordered with a feral grin. “Keep us on an intercept course with tango two.”

Alongside Kumar’s flagship Shiva, one heavy, four medium, and seven light cruisers and a number of smaller escorting ships shot forward. They were the newest ships in the Indian fleet. Kapoor had assigned them all to Kumar’s squadron. At first, she had been surprised her superior had given her command of so many ships. She had expected Khan to be given the place of honor in the fleet. Then she had remembered there had been bad blood between Kapoor and Khan’s fathers’ when they had both been Captains in the Indian Space Fleet. I hope that’s why Kapoor gave me this command, Kumar thought as she watched her ships break out ahead of the rest of the Indian ships and close with tango two. They would easily be able to intercept the smaller British squadron before the British fleet could interfere. He could have put me in charge of the lead elements as a ready scapegoat.

Try as she might she couldn’t dismiss such a thought. Given the mistakes she made when capturing Haven, and her failure to hold the colony, she would be a very easy scapegoat if Kapoor was looking for one. Thoughts of the British fleet driving her away from Haven kindled her anger. Ever since that day it had never been far away. I’ll show the British, and Kapoor, Kumar promised herself as she watched tango two get closer. Once they’re under my guns everyone will forget about the past. Destroying tango two wasn’t going to win the day but it would tip the scales more firmly in the Indian fleet’s favor.

Dwelling on her anger made the next two hours pass very quickly as the object of her desire came closer. When one of the British freighters exploded, no doubt due to a cosmic particle strike, she was unable to hide the smile that spread across her face. Glancing at the counter on the holo plot, Kumar saw the British fleet was just five minutes away from missile range.

“Shouldn’t the British have opened fire by now?” Shiva’s Captain asked over a private COM channel. “Their escort should have a range advantage over us.”

“You’re right,” Kumar responded.

Before she could give any orders, one of Shiva’s sensor officers spoke. “Those British warships are doing something strange, it almost looks like they are launching escape pods.”

“Show me close up visuals of those ships,” Kumar demanded.

When the visuals came up on the main holo display something looked odd. Taking charge of the holo display, Kumar zoomed in on a section of one of the medium cruisers. When it dawned on her what she was looking at she let out a tirade of curses.

“What’s wrong?” Shiva’s Captain asked over the COM channel.

“Look at those four British medium cruisers, they are not medium cruisers at all. Look, why didn’t we see it sooner! They’re just freighters with additional hull attachments to make them look like warships. Worse, they have Havenite missile pods attached to them. They are the same missile pods we used to try and ambush the British fleet when they came to Haven.”

Kumar switched the visual display to look at one of the British freighters. She swore again. There were a series of Havenite missile pods attached to the outer hull of the freighter, just as there were to the freighters designed to look like warships. “It’s a trap,” she shouted. “Send orders to our squadron, full deceleration now. Angle us up and away from tango two, keep us clear of their missiles.”

*

8:40 pm HMS Mule

Acting Commander Stephanie Julius stood on the bridge of her ship, watching the lead elements of the Indian fleet approach. It was almost time. “Have the other warships been evacuated yet?” she asked one of the two officers who were on board Mule’s bridge with her.

“The last escape pods launched fifteen seconds ago,” Sub Lieutenant Scott answered. She had volunteered alongside Julius for this mission.

“Contact the engineers overseeing the missile pods, tell them we will be launching shortly. They are to pack up their equipment and get ready to head to the shuttle bay,” Julius ordered.

“Will do,” Scott replied.

“Bastion has just signaled, we are to fire in ten seconds,” the second Sub Lieutenant on board Mule reported.

“Acknowledge the order and prepare to fire,” Julius replied. “Fire,” she ordered when the time came.

When Admiral Cunningham had asked for volunteers to command a number of experimental ships, Julius had jumped at the chance. The opportunity for an independent command was the dream of every Lieutenant. She hadn’t expected to be put in command of a commandeered Haven freighter. Even so, over the last three weeks as fleet engineers had worked on Mule, she had begun to take on the appearance of a warship, at least from a distance. The advanced ECM units that had been installed on the freighter also meant she would look like one to anything but an intense sensor sweep. More importantly, she had the armaments of a warship. From the twelve missile pods that had been attached to her hull, twenty-four Havenite missiles shot into space. As Mule’s seven sister ships added their own missiles to the salvo, one hundred and ninety-two missiles accelerated towards the Indian squadron trying to intercept them.

That’s what you get for trying to be sneaky, Julius thought.

The Havenites had been stockpiling missiles for at least the last year in an effort to defend themselves. The Indians had managed to capture many of them when they took the planet and reports from the resistance indicated they had forced the missile engineers to continue to build more missiles under threat of death. When Cunningham had appeared in the Haven system, the Indians hadn’t been able to deploy all of the Havenite missiles. Having liberated them from the Indians, Cunningham had put them to good use. Now the missiles were about to accomplish the very purpose they had originally been built for, fending off an invading fleet.

Once she was satisfied all the missiles had cleared their missile pods, Julius opened a COM channel to Mule’s meagre crew. “Our mission is done, the missiles are away, everyone to the escape shuttle now,” she ordered. The missile pods were a one-time deal. Mule was now a death trap for anyone who tried to stay on her.

“The Indians have just fired more than one hundred and fifty missiles. Bastian and our escorts are firing as well,” Scott reported before she stood to leave her station.

“Good, that will be an extra surprise for the Indians,” Julius said as she followed Scott towards the exit from the bridge. Bastion’s Captain had ordered every British warship to fire at least two penetrator missiles in their first salvo. The British warships would get a chance to fire a second salvo but after that it was unlikely any of them would survive. The crews had already evacuated and the few officers who had remained behind to fire the first salvo were likely heading towards their own escape pods. The ships’ computers could fire their final salvo.

Just before she stepped out of the bridge, a sudden force flung Julius into a reinforced bulkhead. As her body slammed into the unrelenting bulkhead she blacked out. Coming to a couple of seconds later, Julius had the strange sensation that she was slithering across the floor. Opening her eyes, she saw the world around her was indeed moving. She soon realized it was her who was moving. As she struggled to take a breath it became apparent that the atmosphere on the bridge was being sucked away. As the air was being sucked into space it was pulling her body along the ground. There must have been a cosmic particle strike, Julius thought as she struggled to stay conscious. She grabbed the base of the nearest command chair and clung on to stop herself being sucked towards the microscopic hole in Mule’s hull.

As if from a great distance she heard Sub Lieutenant Scott’s voice, “Lieutenant Julius, are you okay? Quickly, you need to get out of the bridge.”

Turning her head, she saw Scott was standing at the other end of the access hatch leading out of the bridge. She was clinging to something with one hand while motioning for Julius with the other.

Julius tried to push herself onto her knees. A scream escaped her lips as her weight moved onto her legs and the pain made her collapse. Looking down, she saw her right leg was bent at a very bad angle.

Struggling to take another breath in the thinning atmosphere, Julius looked back towards Scott. The distance was just too far, there was no way she could drag herself across the floor that far before she lost consciousness. “Get out of here,” she shouted as loud as she could. After taking a deep breath that felt as if she barely got any oxygen she shouted again, “that’s an order.”

“No,” Scott shouted back. “I’m not leaving you.”

As blackness closed around her peripheral vision, Julius knew she didn’t have time to argue with the Sub Lieutenant. Mustering her strength, she pushed herself back onto her knees. The pain alone almost made her blackout. Before it did, she reached up to the command chair she had been clinging onto. With her vision quickly closing she made one final effort to reach out and hit one of the emergency buttons. With a whoosh, the hatch Scott had been looking through sealed itself to prevent the hull breach from causing the entire ship to depressurize.

Falling back to the ground, Julius moved her head to take one last look at the closed access hatch. Sub Lieutenant Scott had her hand pressed against the glass of the hatch as she looked towards her commanding officer. Scott was the last thing Julius saw before her vision blacked out and she lost consciousness.

When Julius’ head hit the deck, Scott let out a sob. Then she turned and fled towards the freighter’s shuttle bay where the rest of Mule’s crew were getting ready to evacuate the doomed ship.

*

8:58 pm ISF Shiva

“We’re ready to fire a second salvo,” one of Admiral Kumar’s aids reported.

“Fire,” Kumar ordered.

She had made peace with what was about to happen. The British missile salvo numbered more than two hundred missiles. Her ships were going to take a beating. However, with the two missile salvos she had racing towards tango two, nothing would be left of the British ships.

And Shiva should be okay, she thought. She had rearranged her squadron’s formation to make sure her flagship would not be too threatened by the missiles coming towards her.

“The British missiles will be entering our point defenses in ten seconds,” an officer on Shiva’s auxiliary bridge announced.

Just before Shiva and the other Indian ships opened fire, the two hundred British missiles multiplied to more than three hundred. “What?” the same bridge officer asked.

“Penetrator missiles,” Kumar spat through gritted teeth. “Almost every missile fired from those escorts must have been a penetrator.”

The effectiveness of the British penetrator missiles quickly became apparent as Kumar’s squadron threw everything they had at the incoming British missiles. Three hundred quickly fell to two hundred and fifty, then less than two hundred. Despite their best efforts more than sixty missiles were still coming towards the Indian ships as they entered attack range of their targets. Of those sixty, twenty-five were illusions created by the remaining penetrator missiles. Another fifteen were shot down by last-ditch efforts from the Indian point defense gunners. The rest exploded among Kumar’s ships.

Just as she thought her command had escaped any damage, twin explosions rocked Shiva’s nose. The shock waves rippled through the ship, causing numerous malfunctions in equipment and many minor injuries to Shiva’s crew.

For a couple of seconds Kumar clung to her command chair for dear life, not sure if a secondary explosion would tear her ship apart. “Damage report,” she demanded after the shockwave passed.

“It looks like we took two proximity hits almost right on top of one another,” one of Shiva’s Lieutenants reported from the command bridge. “We’re getting heavy damage reports from our nose section, however our engines and reactors are still functioning.”

“What about the rest of the squadron?” Kumar asked, turning to one of her Flag Lieutenants who was on the auxiliary bridge with her.

“Pradesh is gone,” the Lieutenant reported. “Medium cruisers Bihar and Haryana have both suffered direct hits, they are reporting heavy damage. We have also lost the light cruiser Odisha, and two other light cruisers have suffered proximity hits. None of our smaller escorts were destroyed, it looks like the British targeted our capital ships.”

Kumar tightened her hands into fists. Pradesh was the only heavy cruiser under her command, and the damaged medium cruisers would be next to useless for the rest of the fighting. In one missile salvo she had lost almost half of her force of heavy ships. As everyone around her dealt with the damage to her squadron, Kumar focused on the two missile salvos she had launched. She had already put her fleet on a course to rendezvous with Admiral Kapoor. Likely, he would relieve her of command, or at least relegate her to a place of insignificance. All she had left now was her own missiles and revenge on the British who had just hammered in the final nail on the coffin of her career.

As the first wave of missiles crashed into the British squadron, all eight of the freighters were destroyed along with the smaller escorting warships. Only the light cruiser survived. With more than a hundred missiles in the second salvo, the light cruiser stood no chance. More than ten missiles struck the cruiser at once. She was vaporized into millions of atomic particles. Kumar let the image of the light cruiser exploding burn itself into her memory. She knew it might be the only satisfaction she would get for a long time to come.

*

Several light minutes away from where the British light cruiser Bastion met her fate, Sub Lieutenant Scott watched the final Indian missile detonate after it could find no more targets in range. “We made it,” she said over the shuttle’s COM to the rest of the crew who had been on board Mule. Almost half of them had been taken from Endeavour. “Second Lieutenant Julius will be missed,” she added.

Julius and the crew who had been lost when one of the freighters had been destroyed by a cosmic particle strike were the only casualties from the squadron. Though she didn’t know Admiral Kumar’s thoughts, she couldn’t help but think that whoever was in charge of the Indian squadron would be furious to find out they had only managed to kill a handful of British spacefarers.

Chapter 38 – A Clash of Titans

As the First Interstellar Expansion Era came to a close and the War of Doom approached, the battles between the different human nations intensified. Even without Dreadnaughts and Superdreadnoughts, the human fleets were able to hurl hundreds and hundreds of missiles at each other. In one sense, it was a real waste of ships and their crews. In another, it was perfect preparation for what was to come.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

9:20 pm HMS Churchill

“We’ve just received Bastion’s report,” an officer on Churchill’s auxiliary bridge reported to Cunningham. “It looks like her squadron only lost one officer in addition to the crew of the first freighter that was destroyed before engaging the Indians.”

“Send him my congratulations on a successful mission,” Cunningham ordered.

Bastion’s squadron had been put in place to surprise the Indians from the start. At worst, Cunningham had hoped to use the squadron to catch the Indians in a crossfire. That they would walk right into the trap hook, line and sinker was more than he had hoped for. The Indian battle fleet still outgunned his own, however, now the odds were a lot closer. Still, Cunningham thought as he looked at the approaching Indian fleet, this is going to be a bloody affair.

“We’re getting another COM message, this one is from the Prime Minister,” the same officer reported.

“Send it to my command chair,” Cunningham ordered.

As he read Fairfax’s message, Cunningham felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe the Indians won’t fight.

“Prepare to record a COM message to the Indian Admiral,” he requested. “Don’t put any encryption on it, I want every ship in the Indian fleet to hear me.”

“I presume I am speaking to Admiral Kapoor of the Indian Space Fleet,” he began when one of the bridge officers let him know they were ready to record. “My name is Admiral Thomas Cunningham. I’ve been tasked with protecting the colony of Haven. Included in the message I am sending you now are the results of a general referendum held on Haven today. The polls closed seven minutes ago. As you no doubt know, the British Star Kingdom voted to offer protectorate status to Haven. Today, under supervision from UN inspectors, the people of Haven voted with an overwhelming majority to join the British Star Kingdom and become our protectorate. In fact, eighty-four percent of the population voted to join us. The UN ships in orbit are preparing to return to Earth with this news. I urge you to turn your fleet around, the war is over. Even if you beat us today, the UN will accept the will of the Haven people, freely expressed in this referendum. Turn your fleet around, there is no need for any more loss of life.”

Turning to nod to let his subordinate know he had finished speaking, Cunningham caught a few smiles on some of his flag officers. Everyone had been tense about the Haven referendum. If the Havenites had voted not to join the British, Cunningham knew morale in his fleet would have plunged. If the Indians refused to turn around, he planned to let the entire fleet know the outcome of the vote. When it came to informing Churchill, he knew he didn’t need to bother, likely the news would spread around every crew member on the battlecruiser within the next ten minutes.

*

9:32 pm ISF Lakshmi

Kapoor sat in his command chair considering his options. His fleet had received Admiral Cunningham’s message several minutes ago. Though it could be a ruse, Kapoor was sure the Admiral was telling the truth. The question was, did it change anything? His voice had been the one that had pushed Indian Prime Minister Devgan towards war. Kapoor hadn’t been expecting Devgan to send him to take personal charge of the Indian fleet. Nevertheless, this was where he found himself. If he returned home now both he and Devgan would lose their positions and perhaps even find themselves imprisoned by whoever seized power in India. The odds are still in our favor, Kapoor thought. If we can crush this British fleet, the British Star Kingdom will be forced to retreat into the borders of their own colonies. It will take them a decade or more to rebuild.

An alert on his command chair informed him that Admiral Khan was requesting a private COM channel. “Do you have a suggestion?” Kapoor asked after granting the request.

“I don’t believe Admiral Cunningham is bluffing,” Khan said. “I know we can still beat the British, but any battle today is going to be costly and, in the long term, the UN might make any victory useless. We can still turn around if you want. Admiral Kumar’s failure is the perfect excuse. She has thrown away our numerical advantage. No one would blame you for refusing to fight.”

“Thank you for your honesty,” Kapoor said to Khan. “I know we have rarely seen eye to eye. However, if we don’t fight today and the British keep Haven, then our colonial empire will dwindle. We need to take Haven to keep pace with the British over the coming decades. You’re an excellent commander Admiral. Today I’m going to need your best.”

“So be it,” Khan replied. “We fight for our future,” he said before ending the COM channel.

“Send a general message to the fleet,” Kapoor ordered. “Tell them, ‘steady ahead.’”

*

9:50 pm HMS Churchill

“It doesn’t look like the Indians are backing down,” Cunningham said to his officers. “I guess we’re going to have a fight after all. Open a COM channel to our fleet,” he ordered

“British fleet, this is Admiral Cunningham. I want to inform you voting has finished on Haven and we have the results. The people of Haven voted overwhelmingly to become a British Protectorate. Parliament will have to recognize the vote, however, to all intents and purposes, the planet of Haven and the people of Haven are now as much a part of the British Star Kingdom as you or I. I have already informed the Indian fleet of the outcome of the referendum. As you can see, they are still approaching the colony, spoiling for a fight. You can all do the math, despite our successes so far this day, they have an advantage over us in terms of numbers.

“Nevertheless, past battles with the Indians have shown we have the technological advantage and I believe we will prove an equal match to them. More importantly, we have something more powerful driving us, honor. Many of you are only here today because of the sacrifice of Captain Foley and the other ships that gave their lives in the New Delhi system so you could escape. Today is the day we honor their sacrifice; today is the day we show the Indians exactly what it means to come up against the British Royal Navy. I intend to give the Indians everything I’ve got and ask you all to do the same. Cunningham out.”

“Transmission sent,” one of the auxiliary bridge’s COM officers reported.

“Very well,” Cunningham replied. “Send our new course to the fleet, it’s time to stop beating around the bush.”

*

9:52 pm HMS Endeavour

James closed his eyes as he relived those deadly moments when Goliath and the other ships that had followed him at New Delhi were destroyed. Gritting his teeth, he felt a new wave of determination wash over him. This is for you Foley, he thought.

“New orders coming in from the flagship,” Sub Lieutenant Jennings reported from the navigation console.

“We’re finally going to join the fight,” James said as Jennings projected the fleet’s new trajectory onto the holo plot. “Follow the flagship as she makes her turn.”

Endeavour had been assigned a position among the forward elements of Cunningham’s fleet. She, along with a destroyer and two frigates, were playing escort to the heavy cruiser Benbow. Endeavour would be in the thickest of the fighting, yet James would have it no other way. For her size, Endeavour had the best point defenses in the fleet.

After the fleet finished its maneuver, a large countdown appeared on the holo projector. The Indian fleet would come into missile range in forty-five minutes. “I’m going to take a quick tour of the ship,” James announced. “Lieutenant Becket, you have the bridge.”

“Aye Sir,” Becket replied. “I have the bridge.”

As James went from department to department, speaking to as many of his crew as he could, he was surprised by just how many faces he had come to know well. Most of his crew had spent the better part of the last two years with him. They had become like family. Knowing them so well, it was easy to bring smiles to their faces or to elicit chuckles with a few short sentences. James wasn’t sure his presence would do much to boost morale but he wanted his crew to see he was relaxed going into such a momentous battle.

Stepping into the auxiliary bridge, James was momentarily taken aback when Lieutenant Mallory stood up to shake his hand. He knew Julius had been assigned to Cunningham’s diversionary fleet yet his subconscious had still expected to see her at her battle station.

“We are all ready to go here,” Mallory reported.

“I expected nothing less,” James replied. “I know you will all do your duty,” he said a little louder for all of the auxiliary bridge crew to hear him. “I know you’re used to taking orders from Lieutenant Julius, and I know Lieutenant Mallory doesn’t quite have the same charm or looks, but you will all just have to make do.”

“And I thought the Captain and I were friends,” Mallory said with a grin as he looked around the smiling faces on the auxiliary bridge.

Stepping closer to Mallory, James lowered his voice to a whisper, “If anything happens to me, keep fighting the ship. Don’t fall out of formation unless you’re given a direct order. Cunningham is going to need every point defense weapon the fleet has if we’re going to get through this.”

“I understand Sir,” Mallory whispered back with a much more serious expression on his face. “I won’t let you down.”

“That I would bet on,” James said as he smiled and slapped Mallory on the back. Their relationship had started off badly. James had carried serious misgivings about Mallory. Yet in the end he had come good. “There’s no one I would trust more with Endeavour. Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that.”

“Let’s hope,” Mallory said, trying to sound more upbeat, though a serious look still dominated his face. Mallory could read the situation as well as he. They had both fought in enough battles to know the British and Indian fleets were about to take a battering.

“I’ll return to the bridge,” James said as he nodded to Mallory and turned to take his leave.

When he got to the bridge the counter on the main holo display had dropped to ten minutes. “Any updates from the flagship?” he asked Lieutenant Becket after taking her place on the Captain’s command chair.

“We have received our targeting data for the first three missile salvos,” Becket reported. “Our first salvo will be targeting their smaller point defense warships, then we will be focusing on their capital ships. Captain Gupta has managed to identify the Indian flagship. Both Churchill and Justice will be targeting it with their second and third volleys.”

“Very good,” James commented. Churchill and Justice were both battlecruisers. They carried the largest anti-ship missiles. If they managed to get two or three direct hits on the Indian flagship they should be able to put it out of the fight.

James watched the timer count down. When it reached zero he nodded to Becket. With the touch of a button she fired Endeavour’s first broadside of missiles. In total, four hundred and forty-six missiles were launched towards the Indian fleet. Given their range advantage over the Indians, James knew Cunningham’s fleet would get a second volley of missiles off before the Indians could launch their own missiles.

Before the British ships were ready to fire again, one hundred new missiles shot towards the Indian fleet. Cunningham’s last surprise, James thought as he watched them go. The British Admiral had attached the last Havenite missile pods to his capital ships. When the British fleet fired a second salvo, their faster missiles would catch up with the Havenite missiles and a massive volley of five hundred and fifty missiles would come crashing in on the Indian capital ships.

“Firing second salvo in ten seconds,” Becket announced once Endeavour’s gunners had reloaded her eight missile tubes.

The Indians launched their first missile salvo at almost exactly the same time the British launched their second. The gravimetric plot was almost overwhelmed as over a thousand new contacts appeared.

“I’m tracking five hundred and sixty-two Indian missiles approaching us,” Sub Lieutenant Malik said from the sensor console after taking several seconds to analyze the new contacts.

“Acknowledged,” James responded.

As both fleets continued on their converging courses, they fired another salvo at each other. In total, James estimated there were over two thousand eight hundred missiles accelerating across the gap between both fleets. Having fired first, the British ships would get to watch the impact of their first salvo before they would have to defend themselves in earnest.

From the engagements in the New Delhi system, James knew some of the Indians warships had flak cannons. It was no surprise when the first British missile salvo began to thin out before it entered point defense plasma cannon range of the Indian ships. Nevertheless, four hundred missiles made it through the shrapnel clouds and carried out evasive maneuvers as thousands of plasma bolts and AM missiles shot from the Indian warships to intercept them.

Four hundred were quickly reduced to two hundred and fifty, then one hundred and fifty and then less than fifty British missiles remained as they tried to dodge and duck their way towards their targets. Recognizing they were the targets of the remaining missiles, the smaller Indian escort ships began evasive maneuvers while still trying to shoot down their attackers.

Just twenty British missiles got close enough to their targets to detonate. Endeavour’s sensors were momentarily blinded by the huge amounts of electromagnetic energy the thermonuclear explosions gave off. As it cleared, it became clear many of the missiles had hit their targets. “At least one destroyer, six frigates and five corvettes have disappeared from the Indian fleet,” Malik reported. “There is another destroyer and several frigates falling out of formation, clearly damaged.”

It’s a start, James thought. Destroying so many small ships wouldn’t have much of an impact on the weight of missiles the Indians would be able to fire at them. Nevertheless, it would make the larger Indian warships more vulnerable to the subsequent volleys of missiles.

The British second salvo and the Indian’s first salvo reached their targets at almost exactly the same time. As a result, on Endeavour’s bridge no one was paying attention to the progress of their own missiles. Instead they focused on coordinating their flak cannon fire with the rest of the British fleet. Then Becket shifted her focus to the point defense plasma cannons and Endeavour’s AM missiles.

With an efficiency James had come to expect, he watched her shoot down missile after missile targeted at Benbow. When the Indian missiles were less than thirty seconds away from exploding among the British fleet, James spotted one that was clearly targeting Endeavour. “Focus on missile S-76,” James shouted to Becket. “Evasive maneuvers Jennings if she can’t take it out.”

Becket had been concentrating on two of the missiles that were tracking Benbow. Not wanting to waste the time she had already spent targeting them, she launched a volley of AM missiles towards them before switching targets. Desperately she tried to use Endeavour’s point defense plasma cannons to shoot down the missile that was threatening her ship. Despite her best efforts, the missile spun and twisted away from every plasma bolt that shot at it. “I can’t get it,” she shouted with desperation when the missile was less than eight seconds away from hitting Endeavour.

Without waiting for orders from James, Jennings responded. With a touch of her command console she threw Endeavour into a series of twists and turns as she tried to save her ship. The Indian missile wasn’t so easily fooled. Though it failed to score a direct hit, it exploded just thirty meters away from Endeavour’s hull. As the energy from the proximity hit washed over Endeavour everyone on the bridge was shaken in their command chairs.

“Damage report,” James demanded.

“We are all right,” Mallory replied after taking a few moments to scan the reports coming in from all over the ship. “We’ve lost a number of point defense nodes on our starboard side. So far everything else seems to be reporting full functionality. I’ve already dispatched repair teams to assess the area and see if any of the point defenses can be brought back online.”

“Good work, keep me updated,” James responded.

Before he could ask Malik about the status of the rest of the British ships, new orders came in from Churchill. Cunningham had already assessed their losses and was rearranging his fleet’s formation to present the most effective point defense fire towards the next salvo of Indian missiles. It took more than two minutes for James to be happy that he had Endeavour where Cunningham wanted her. Finally satisfied, he took a moment to check the status of both fleets.

A quick glance told him that one British light cruiser and several frigates had disappeared, presumably destroyed. Several other medium and light cruisers were also reporting damage from proximity hits or a direct missile impact. The Indian fleet looked like they had suffered losses as well. James couldn’t tell exactly how many ships were missing but at least two of their medium cruisers looked like they were falling out of formation having suffered some kind of damage.

“Engaging the Indian second salvo in forty seconds,” Becket announced. Her words tore James’ attention away from the Indian fleet before he could determine if any other ships had been destroyed.

As Endeavour’s flak cannons and other point defenses engaged the Indian’s second salvo, it became apparent no missiles were directly targeting her. The same couldn’t be said for Benbow. As six Indian missiles closed with the heavy cruiser James ordered Endeavour out of formation. Putting her directly alongside the heavy cruiser allowed Becket to fire one last volley of AM missiles. The Captain of the destroyer Jackal, who was also protecting Benbow, had the same thought. The concentrated fire from all three ships destroyed four of the missiles. One lost lock on Benbow and dove in towards Jackal instead.

The destroyer didn’t have time to evade. The missile struck Jackal right on the nose and penetrated into her forward sections before it detonated, turning the forward fifth of the destroyer’s nose into space debris. As Jackal tumbled out of formation, several ships in the British fleet had to take action to avoid a collision. The second Indian missile overshot its target but still managed to score a proximity hit on Benbow. Being so close to the heavy cruiser, some of the explosive force impacted Endeavour as well.

“I think we’re all right,” Mallory announced several seconds later. “The valstronium armor held, I’m not getting any serious damage reports.”

“Keep an eye on things,” James ordered. “I don’t want any malfunctions surprising us.”

“Admiral Cunningham wants us to fire again in two minutes,” Becket reported.

“Will our gunners have our missile tubes reloaded in time?” James asked. Endeavour’s evasive maneuvers and the shockwaves from proximity hits could cause significant delays for the technicians who oversaw the reloading of the missile tubes.

“We should be fine,” Becket replied.

“Fire when Cunningham gives the order,” James commanded.

Checking the gravimetric plot, James thought more Indian ships had been destroyed by their third salvo. However, it was difficult to tell. The battle was overwhelming his senses. As both fleets converged, the time it took for missiles to close with their targets was decreasing. The gravimetric plot indicated the Indians’ third salvo would be entering point defense range in just five minutes. “What is the status of the Indian fleet Sub Lieutenant Malik?” James asked. As the sensor officer he would have a better idea of how the British missiles were faring against the Indian’s point defenses.

“At least two medium cruisers have been destroyed,” Malik replied. “I have detected multiple hits on some of their other capital ships, but so far they are all still in the fight.”

“And their smaller escort ships?” James queried.

“After our first volley, I have only detected two or three of their smaller ships that have been destroyed,” Malik answered.

Checking his own fleet’s status James saw the battle was proving indecisive. A number of British ships had reported taking serious damage yet only one medium cruiser had been destroyed.

This won’t continue for much longer, James thought as another four hundred missiles tore away from the British fleet, intent on destroying the Indian capital ships. Sooner or later one fleet would get a couple of lucky hits and take out a heavy cruiser or a battlecruiser. Losing even just one of the larger warships would turn the tide of the battle.

“Here comes the third salvo,” Becket announced before she opened fire with the flak cannons.

As the missiles came closer, it became apparent that the Indians had concentrated their fire on the forward sections of the British fleet. More than sixty missiles were targeting Benbow alone.

Within seconds, new orders streamed out from Admiral Cunningham. Benbow, Endeavour and the heavy cruiser’s other escorts decelerated. Other escort ships further back in the fleet accelerated to close with the heavy cruiser. In less than ten seconds the space around Benbow became a dazzling light show as plasma bolts, AM missiles and flak cannon rounds reached into space. Watching the visual sensors, James was certain he had never seen the like before.

Even so, he wasn’t sure it was going to be enough. Moving Endeavour alongside Benbow was almost certainly going to be suicidal James concluded. Instead he ordered Endeavour to move away from the heavy cruiser. Gaining some distance would allow his point defense gunners to fire at a larger cross-section of the Indian missiles as they made their final approach.

By the time his gunners got a chance at their final shot, eight missiles were still tracking towards Benbow. Last ditch fire from Endeavour, Benbow and several of the smaller ships that had accelerated up to the heavy cruiser took out five of them. The remaining three dived in towards the heavy cruiser. Being far larger than Endeavour the evasive maneuvers Benbow’s navigation officer attempted to pull off had limited effect. One Indian missile was tricked into overshooting the heavy cruiser but it still exploded just ten meters away from Benbow’s hull. The explosive force washed over the ship. Yet it was almost immediately surpassed as the other two Indian missiles scored direct hits. Neither of them penetrated Benbow’s thick valstronium armor. Nevertheless, as they detonated, the explosive forces tore their way into the ship.

“Let me know as soon as Benbow transmits a status update,” James demanded. He was watching the stricken heavy cruiser. The momentum imparted to her by the two Indian missiles had forced her into a roll and it looked like her maneuvering thrusters had failed.

“We’re getting more orders from Admiral Cunningham,” Sub Lieutenant King reported. “Benbow and her escorts are being ordered to the rear of the fleet.”

Before James could ask King to send the orders to his command chair she began speaking again. “Benbow has just acknowledged,” she said with a raised voice. “She must still be operational.”

James smiled at Sub Lieutenant King and nodded. On the visual display he was watching, a number of maneuvering thrusters had come to life as Benbow’s navigation officer worked to stop the heavy cruiser’s roll and take her out of formation.

“Stay with Benbow,” James ordered Sub Lieutenant Jennings. “Make sure you give her plenty of room, her maneuvering thrusters could fail at any moment. We still don’t know how much damage she took.”

James cautiously oversaw Sub Lieutenant Jennings as she maneuvered Endeavour through the British fleet and to the rear where Benbow, Endeavour and the two remaining frigates escorting her took up position.

By the time they were safely in their allotted position, the next wave of Indian missiles was upon them. Thankfully, less than five had locked onto any of the ships in Benbow’s flotilla. They were all easily destroyed. Other British ships were not so lucky. A light cruiser and a destroyer were obliterated by direct impacts. Churchill was also reporting that she had suffered two proximity hits.

“Look,” Malik shouted above the noise of the bridge. “The Indians are changing direction.”

James spun to look at the gravitational plot. Just as he did, the Indians opened fire and just under five hundred more markers appeared as Endeavour’s computer tried to track all the new contacts. When the sensors were able to make out what was happening it was clear Malik was right. The Indian fleet had altered course and was heading away from Haven.

For a moment, James thought the Indians had blinked and were trying to run. Then, a whole new series of contacts appeared on the holo plot heading directly for Haven. Their troop ships, James thought. They’re still trying to land their army! As the new Indian squadron cleared their main fleet they fired fifty missiles of their own.

Checking the updated trajectories of both Indian fleets James realized Kapoor had given Cunningham a dilemma. It was almost exactly the same dilemma Cunningham had forced upon Kapoor earlier in the day. Cunningham could reverse his course and intercept the smaller Indian fleet. Yet if he did he would be caught in a savage crossfire from the main Indian forces. On the other hand, if Cunningham decided to ignore the Indian troop transport squadron they could land tens of thousands more Indian soldiers on Haven. On top of that they could pour missiles down Cunningham’s flank.

“New orders from the flagship,” King announced. “We are closing with the Indians.”

On some of the other British warships James imagined some of the bridge crew may have cheered at such an order. His crew had already seen enough action to know what the order meant. Cunningham was going to roll the dice. It would be victory or death for their fleet.

“Every ship is to target the Indian flagship and her escorts,” King added.

James nodded. It was another gamble. Targeting so many missiles at one point in the Indian fleet would allow the rest of the Indian ships to target them without having to worry about defending themselves. Yet, if the Indian flagship could be taken out of the fight it might cause disarray in the Indian’s formation.

“Firing,” Becket announced as three hundred and eighty missiles left the British fleet targeted on six Indian warships.

“New orders,” King announced. “They are addressed to you personally Captain.”

“Send them to my command chair,” James requested. “Move us onto heading 573.46,” he commanded after scanning Cunningham’s orders.

“What’s going on Captain?” Mallory asked over the COM channel from the auxiliary bridge.

“We’re going after the Indian’s second squadron. I’ve been ordered to harass their landings and destroy as many of those troop transport ships as we can,” James answered.

“What about the fleet?” Mallory queried.

“Cunningham knows what he’s doing,” James answered. “We’ve been assigned a destroyer, three frigates and two corvettes. He should be able to make do without them. We can’t have another Indian army landing on Haven. Even if our marines could defeat them all, the destruction they would do to the planet would be immense.”

“I understand,” Mallory said.

As Endeavour broke away from the main fleet the six ships assigned to James’ command followed suit. “Open a COM channel to our flotilla,” James ordered.

When Sub Lieutenant King motioned to let him know the COM channel was open, James spoke, “Our mission is clear. We need to stop those Indian transports landing troops on Haven, whatever the cost. That medium cruiser is going to cause us a headache but we’ll just have to deal with it. We’re going to form a tight formation and drive our way into the middle of the Indian squadron. Those troop transports will be slow, we should be able to easily get alongside them. If they won’t surrender we’ll blast them into smithereens with our plasma cannons.”

With a hand signal James ordered King to cut the transmission. He worked out the formation he had in mind and transmitted it to the other Captains. As he sat back in his command chair he watched the other six ships take up position around Endeavour. Being so close together they would present an ideal target to the Indian warships, yet the point defenses of each ship would be able to cover the rest of the flotilla.

As the Indian troop transport fleet had just broken away from the main Indian fleet it didn’t take Endeavour and her flotilla long to get into missile range. “Fire,” James ordered as soon as they did. Twenty-two missiles shot towards the Indian squadron. Alongside the Indian medium cruiser, three destroyers and four frigates were escorting the nine troop transports. James had targeted all his missiles at the destroyers.

Chapter 39 – Cunningham’s Gamble

The Battle of Fissure is studied by every cadet in every naval academy across the Empire. It is the prime example of what can go wrong when an Admiral tries to win a battle with a single risky maneuver. After the battle, the Antarian’s invasion fleet conquered twelve colonies before it could be stopped. Even so, many battles have been won by similarly risky tactics.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

10:38 pm. HMS Churchill

As Cunningham watched Endeavour and the six ships he had assigned to Captain Somerville turn away from his fleet he wished Somerville luck. If anyone could stop the Indian squadron he knew Somerville could. Dismissing them from his mind, he turned his attention to the Indian fleet. So far the exchange of fire had proved indecisive. The Indians’ superior weight of numbers had been counteracted by the British superior point defenses. Things were about to change however. His fleet was about to have to deal with two salvos of missiles coming in from differing angles. On the other hand, the Indian flagship was about to find itself in a whole new world of hurt.

Cunningham ordered a handful of smaller warships to the flank of his fleet to engage the forty missiles fired at him by the Indian troop ship squadron. With only a medium cruiser in that squadron, the missiles they had fired would be far less dangerous than the ones coming from the main Indian fleet. He made sure the rest of his warships were focused on the Indian salvo of four hundred and seventy missiles about to enter point defense range.

Soon the space around his fleet was filled with point defense fire and explosions, though Cunningham ignored it all. Instead he watched the progress of the missile salvo he had targeted at Kapoor’s flagship. They had been spread out to mask their final target. Just before they entered point defense range of the Indian fleet more than half of the British missiles altered course and turned towards the flagship and her flotilla of escorting ships. The other half were already closing in on the battlecruiser.

It only took Kapoor a few seconds to realize the danger he was in. On the gravimetric plot Cunningham saw more than twenty Indian ships break formation and close on the flagship. Tens of British missiles disappeared off the gravimetric plot as the Indians opened fire. Still, the extra penetrator missiles Cunningham had ordered into this salvo did their job. It looked like almost twenty-five missiles reached attack range. They disappeared so close to the Indian ships it was impossible to tell on the gravimetric plot if they had been destroyed or if they had detonated after hitting their targets.

When one, then two and then four Indian ships disappeared Cunningham knew it was the latter. Yes, Cunningham almost shouted as he pumped his fist. He switched the display in his command chair to the visual sensors. As visuals came in from the Indian fleet he made out a series of explosions erupting from around the battlecruiser. At such a range he couldn’t tell if they had been direct hits or proximity hits but either way Kapoor’s flagship had been damaged. She is still in the fight though, Cunningham thought as the battlecruiser righted herself and held formation with the rest of the Indian fleet.

“Quickly,” Cunningham ordered his subordinates. “Send new targeting data to our next wave of missiles. I want them all targeted at Kapoor’s flagship.

Sending new targeting data to missiles already in transit would reduce their accuracy and likelihood of scoring a direct hit. Even so, a number of the escorting ships around Kapoor’s battlecruiser had been destroyed and his ship must have taken some heavy damage. Her point defenses would be weakened, if not crippled.

Before Cunningham could see the effects of his latest orders, his fleet had to fend off another salvo of Indian missiles. Cunningham forced himself to ignore what was going on with his fleet. His subordinates could handle any changes to their formation that were needed. Instead he focused on the Indian fleet. “Target all of our next salvo at the lead Indian battlecruiser and the capital ships in its flotilla,” Cunningham ordered. If they could destroy Kapoor’s flagship then the forward third of the Indian fleet would be isolated and vulnerable. Many of their escorts had been pulled away to protect Kapoor’s battlecruiser.

“The fleet is firing Admiral,” one of his subordinates reported.

“Keep targeting the forward elements of the Indian fleet. We’re going to smash them,” Cunningham commanded.

A massive wrenching echoed through Churchill’s auxiliary bridge. Time seemed to stop as Cunningham recognized the sound. An Indian missile had just torn through the ship’s hull and penetrated several reinforced bulkheads. Cunningham tightened his grasp on his command chair and shut his eyes. Before he completed either action, the missile exploded and a massive shockwave wrenched Churchill. Cunningham was sure the vibrations he felt ripple under his feet and through his command chair would tear his flagship apart. Yet seconds later he took a deep breath and realized he was still alive. He opened his eyes to see everything looked in one piece.

“What was that?” he demanded.

“We took a direct hit amidships,” Churchill’s Captain said over the COM channel from his command bridge. “We’ve lost several missile tubes but don’t worry Admiral, we’re still in the fight.”

“We did it,” one of Cunningham’s flag officers reported before Cunningham could respond.

“Did what?” Cunningham asked.

“Look at the gravimetric plot,” the officer shouted as he pointed Cunningham towards the display. “Kapoor’s flagship is gone. We destroyed it.”

Hoping his subordinate wasn’t mistaken, Cunningham’s eyes flew to the gravimetric plot. The battlecruiser in the middle of the Indian formation was gone. There was no sign of it. Either it had been destroyed outright, or its engines had been taken out and it was no longer accelerating. Switching to the visual sensors Cunningham saw the battlecruiser was still intact but it was no longer a threat. It was spinning out of control and several large holes were clearly visible. Debris and bodies were spilling out into space.

“Keep firing,” Cunningham ordered. “We need to press our advantage.”

*

10:46 pm HMS Endeavour

“We can’t take much more of this,” Mallory said over the COM channel.

“I don’t want to hear it,” James replied. “Just keep my ship together.”

For the last twenty minutes he had driven his flotilla straight towards the Indian troop transport squadron. They had already lost a frigate and a corvette. In return they had destroyed one of the Indian destroyers and caused a frigate to fall out of formation. Endeavour herself had taken two more proximity hits.

“Focus half of our next salvo on the Indian troop transports and the rest on that medium cruiser,” James ordered the Captains under his command. “We need to get it out of the way before we enter plasma cannon range.”

As the British missiles shot towards their targets, the Indian escorts reacted. The remaining destroyers and frigates moved away from the medium cruiser. As James had guessed, the Indian naval officer commanding the troop transport squadron was willing to risk his flagship rather than the troop transports. Each transport carried up to ten thousand Indian soldiers. A direct hit could destroy the entire ship.

“More missile launches,” Malik reported.

“Where?” James asked in alarm.

Both his ships and the Indians had just fired, there shouldn’t have been any other ships in the vicinity. Unless the troop transport squadron had more warships coming to their aid.

“They were fired from behind the Indian squadron,” Malik answered. “I think they are tracking in on the Indian medium cruiser. Yes, they are. But who fired them?”

It only took James a couple of seconds to figure it out. Gupta, he thought with a smile. She must have been working her ship around behind the Indian troop transport squadron for the last several hours. She had timed her surprise attack to perfection. The ten from James’ flotilla and her eight would reach the Indian medium cruiser at exactly the same moment. As he watched, James’ smile widened. Just before they entered point defense range Gupta’s eight missiles multiplied into sixteen. She had included two penetrator missiles in her salvo.

Each British warship carried only enough penetrator missiles for one in each of their first three or four salvos. By now Endeavour had expended all of hers’ and James suspected the rest of the British fleet had done the same. Yet Discovery was fresh and clearly jumping at the bit for a fight.

As the eighteen missiles descended on the medium cruiser her point defenses tried valiantly to take them out. Nevertheless, with the penetrator missiles she was overwhelmed. Four missiles made it into attack range and three of them exploded near the Indian warship. In the visuals it looked like none of them obtained direct hits but even so, taking three proximity hits within a couple of seconds would have severely damaged the medium cruiser.

“Focus all fire on those two Indian destroyers. We can leave what’s left of that medium cruiser to Discovery,” James ordered his flotilla. “Keep in formation,” he added.

Moments later thirty Indian missiles descended on his five remaining ships. The British flak cannons destroyed fourteen of them, point defense fire another eight. James willed his gunners to take out the last four. When two were destroyed in quick succession he thought they would prove successful. Yet the final two eluded every attempt to shoot them down. One struck a corvette and the small warship was obliterated. The second targeted Endeavour. Jennings tried to carry out a series of evasive maneuvers but with the other ships in the flotilla so close, her options were limited. The Indian missile easily compensated for her maneuvers and scored a direct hit.

By chance the missile impacted Endeavour right on her third starboard missile tube. Though her missile port was closed and the valstronium armor was in place, the missile port wasn’t as strong as the rest of the ship’s hull. The missile’s momentum and valstronium tipped nose allowed it to burst through the missile tube and penetrate several decks of the exploration cruiser. Sensing it had struck its target, the missile detonated less than half a second later. The thermonuclear explosion blasted its way through several bulkheads, ripping apart more than fifty meters of the Endeavour’s internal structure in every direction.

It felt like a tsunami had hit. The g-forces from the explosive force slammed James’ head back into his command chair and threatened to make him black out. Within seconds, the bridge was filled with a wave of noise as alarms went off from almost every section of the ship.

“Damage report,” James requested over the COM channel to the auxiliary bridge. “Mallory, what’s going on? Where did that missile hit us?” James demanded when Mallory didn’t reply.

“The missile hit us amidships,” Becket reported. “It penetrated four reinforced bulkheads before exploding. I’m afraid it reached the auxiliary bridge. I’m not getting any readings from that section of the ship. From the size of the explosion I fear the auxiliary bridge is gone.”

Becket’s last words echoed in James’ ears. Gone? James thought, not Mallory?

For a moment the situation almost overwhelmed him. Then, as the alarms from Endeavour’s bridge penetrated his mind, he pulled himself back to reality. “Send damage control teams to that section of the ship,” James ordered. “Sub Lieutenant King, take over damage control from your station. We still have a battle to win.”

“Aye Captain,” King responded with a deadly serious look on her face.

“Shut those alarms off,” James ordered. “I can hardly hear myself think.”

James focused on the holo plot. Discovery had taken care of the Indian medium cruiser and was now hammering the two frigates nearest her. James’ last salvo had taken out one of the Indian destroyers. The final Indian destroyer and the frigate keeping station to it were the only ships between him and the nine troop transports. A flashing graphic on the holo display told him that his flotilla was just fifty seconds away from entering plasma cannon range.

Sensing the danger, James quickly opened a COM message to the four ships that were left of his flotilla. “We’re going to fire all our plasma cannons at that destroyer in thirty seconds,” he ordered. “We’ll just be outside maximum effective range, but if we all fire hopefully some of our bolts will penetrate the destroyer’s armor. If we wait until they can fire on us, there is likely to be nothing left of us to engage the troop transports,” he concluded.

James didn’t wait for the Captains to respond, each of their ships had taken proximity hits and even one or two plasma bolts would put an end to their commands. Instead he looked over to Becket. “What’s the status of our plasma cannons?”

“Two are still operational,” Becket answered. “As far as I can tell the third is not damaged but we’ve lost power to it.”

Not bothering to reply, James took control of the two operational plasma cannons and fed them new targeting data. When the time came, he pressed the button and shouted, “fire,” over the COM channel to the other ships in his command. From Endeavour, the destroyer and the three frigates still operational, eleven plasma bolts shot towards the Indian destroyer. On the visual feed, it looked like most of them struck their target. Initially nothing happened and when James zoomed in a number of deep scorch marks were clearly visible on the destroyer’s hull, though none of them penetrated its armor. Panning out, James spotted two holes that went deeper into the destroyer. As he watched, a fireball erupted from one and the entire destroyer disappeared in a massive explosion.

Zooming out, James focused on the remaining Indian frigate. It was likely to have at least one functioning plasma cannon. It would only take one shot to destroy what was left of his command. Gritting his teeth, James waited for the inevitable as his ships entered effective plasma cannon range.

James stared at the visual display not comprehending what was going on. Instead of firing, the Indian frigate was turning away from his flotilla. She was presenting her vulnerable stern to his command. Seconds later all nine of the Indian troop transports did the same.

“They’re surrendering,” Sub Lieutenant Malik cried out. “They struck their colors. That Indian frigate is squawking like a magpie over the COM channel demanding we don’t fire.”

“Tell them we accept their surrender,” James said after shaking himself. “Order all the Indian ships to power down and stay away from Haven. Let them know we will be sending over marine boarding parties momentarily.”

“Look,” Malik shouted as he stood and pointed at the main holo display. “One of the Indian battlecruisers has struck its colors as well. The other warships around her are doing the same. It looks like the rest of the Indian fleet is pulling back. They are running for it.”

Malik’s analysis was correct. The Indian fleet was a shambles. Many of the forward elements were surrendering. Others were adrift in space, clearly damaged. Those still under power were in disarray as they fled. The battle was over, the Indians had lost. Glancing at a clock on his command chair he saw the time was 11:05pm. The Indians had arrived in system just six hours ago. James let out a deep breath, his body felt like it had been more than a week.

He flung himself into coordinating with the other Captains under his command as they prepared to take charge of the surrendered Indian ships in front on him.

When he was finally happy things were under control, he gave the order he had been dreading. “Send me our casualty report,” he asked as he prepared himself for what he knew would be a very difficult read

*

11:02 am. ISF Shiva

“Some of Khan’s ships are pulling back Admiral,” one of Kumar’s aides informed her.

“What?” she almost screamed. Since Lakshmi had been knocked out of the fight and Admiral Kapoor had been killed the Indian fleet had been coming apart at the seams. She had just managed to get her forward elements under control and working together again. The British had hammered her ships with two focused volleys of missiles. She needed Khan’s ships to get closer to her and provide support. “Show me,” she demanded as fury seeped into her bones.

As the movements of Khan’s warships were projected onto the main holo display of Shiva’s auxiliary bridge Kumar let out a string of expletives. “That bastard is abandoning us,” she finished.

Before she could give any orders, another volley of British missiles exploded. Two proximity hits struck Shiva, throwing Kumar about in her command chair. As the sensors cleared to show that she had lost another two warships, Kumar let out another expletive. I’m not dying for you pigs, Kumar thought as she stared at Khan’s flagship. He would make sure she got the blame for this defeat. Kapoor would go down as an Indian hero, killed in the line of duty. All the culpability would be placed on her.

“Send a message to the British fleet,” Kumar said as she ground her teeth together in anger. “Tell them,” she began to say. “Tell them we surrender,” she forced herself to finish despite the bitter taste those words left in her mouth.

“Admiral?” one of her subordinates asked, looking at Kumar with horror in her eyes.

“Can’t you read the tactical display?” Kumar shouted at the junior officer. “We’ve been betrayed, the British are going to destroy us if we don’t surrender now. Do it, do what I order.”

As her subordinate turned and frantically obeyed her Admiral’s last order, Kumar slumped into her command chair. Her career was finished. She knew she could never return to Indian space. If Prime Minister Devgan managed to hold onto power after the fiasco Haven had turned into, he would probably have her executed. If he failed to stay in power, whoever succeeded him would throw her into prison to be forgotten about.

Kumar struggled to hold back the tears that threatened to overwhelm her. Thousands of good men and women had died under her command today and their deaths would now count for nothing. Just as bad, her anger towards the British had not found a release. Yet they were now her only hope. She would have to throw herself on their mercy and seek asylum in exchange for whatever military secrets she could offer them.

“Admiral?” the same subordinate said to get Kumar’s attention. “What should we do now?”

“Now?” Kumar said. “That’s no longer up to me. Do whatever the British tell you,” she said quietly. No longer able to handle the looks her bridge officers were giving her, she stood and stormed out of Shiva’s auxiliary bridge. Her career was over.

*

11:02 am. HMS Churchill

“The lead Indian battlecruiser is signaling us on an open COM channel,” one of Cunningham’s officers said. “They’re offering to surrender.”

“What about the warships around it?” Cunningham asked.

“They’re doing the same, all of them are surrendering,” the subordinate answered.

“Quickly,” Cunningham ordered. “Send an order to our last broadside of missiles. Redirect them towards the rear half of the Indian fleet. It looks like they’re abandoning their comrades.”

“We have another salvo ready to fire in a couple of minutes Admiral,” another bridge officer reported. “Shall we target it at the fleeing Indian warships as well?”

“Yes,” Cunningham ordered. “If they haven’t surrendered they’re not having any mercy from me.”

For a moment Cunningham entertained the idea of pursuing the Indian fleet. A cursory glance at his own fleet dissuaded him. Churchill had suffered a direct hit and a further four proximity detonations. His other battlecruiser, Justice was in worse condition. In total, of his remaining three heavy, four medium and seven light cruisers, only two light cruisers hadn’t suffered any damage. There was no way his fleet could continue the battle.

“Once we fire our final salvo,” Cunningham said, “see to the rest of our fleet. Let’s make sure we don’t lose any more ships to secondary explosions or malfunctions. Launch every shuttle we have. There are survivors out there, let’s get our people home. Send a message to the Indian ships that have surrendered. Tell them we will send boarding parties once we’ve rescued our people. Let them know they can launch shuttles to rescue as many of their own as they can.”

With a couple of touches to his command chair, Cunningham altered his personal holo display to show Captain Somerville’s flotilla. Somerville hadn’t disappointed him. What was left of the Indian troop transport squadron had surrendered to him. It looked like Somerville had lost almost half the ships assigned to him, yet Cunningham was sure the young Captain had done what he thought best.

Overjoyed at the fact the battle was over and that more than half of his fleet was still intact Cunningham stood and turned to walk out of the auxiliary bridge. “Where are you going Admiral?” one of his flag officers asked.

“I’m going to speak with the Prime Minister,” Cunningham said, turning to address his questioner. “He will want to hear from me straightaway.” As he went to head out of the bridge, Cunningham pulled himself up short. With everything that had been going on he had lost himself in his own thoughts. It took a couple of seconds for the real reason behind his subordinate’s question to register. The battle was over and he hadn’t addressed his fleet.

“Open a COM channel to the fleet,” he said.

“It’s over,” he began as he addressed his fleet. “Nearly half of the remaining Indian warships have struck their colors. We have battered them into submission. I want you all to know you have done me proud. You have more than lived up to my expectations. What’s more, I’m sure Captain Foley and everyone who lost their life in the New Delhi system would be proud of your actions today. We have beaten the Indians and secured Haven’s freedom. The price has been high but victory is never cheap. See to your ships and your wounded but remember this day. I know I will never forget it. You all have my thanks. Admiral Cunningham out.”

“If you have any questions send them to my Flag Captain,” Cunningham said to his bridge officers. “You’ll be in good hands.” With that he turned and left to tell his Prime Minister of their victory.

Epilogue

The Fourth Battle of Haven: A British fleet of two battlecruisers, four heavy, nine medium and twelve light cruisers engaged an Indian fleet of three battlecruisers, six heavy, thirteen medium and sixteen light cruisers. The British fleet drove away the attacking Indians. They lost one heavy, five medium and five light cruisers. The Indian fleet lost two heavy, four medium and five light. A further two battlecruisers, four medium and three light cruisers, were captured. In the end, it was a resounding victory for the British and spelled the end of the Indian government’s ambition to dominate their area of explored space.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising 3002 AD

22nd January 2468 AD, Haven.

James squeezed Suzanna’s hand as Clare stepped up beside Major Johnston. Suzanna squeezed back. Though Haven, the British marines and the navy were still mourning the losses they had suffered in the last several months of fighting, everyone had been looking forward to this day. It was a sign of the new beginning everyone hoped was in store for Haven.

Though their surroundings were very different, James’ mind couldn’t help returning to his own wedding. It seemed impossible to believe it had only been ten months ago. He and Suzanna were in a large open section of the gardens surrounding the Havenite Council Chambers. Over five hundred guests sat in two makeshift aisles. Everyone was looking towards the gazebo where Major Johnston stood in his finest military uniform. Clare was wearing a beautiful white wedding dress. The seamstress who made the dress by hand had lost her shop as the British marines fought to drive the Indians out of Liberty. Nevertheless, when she heard about Johnston and Clare’s intention to marry, she had insisted on working non-stop to produce a new dress for the occasion.

As the Minister said a few words, James’ mind drifted to the beautiful gardens around them. The Council Chamber gardeners had almost finished putting the gardens back to the way they had been before the war. They have certainly done a good job. Fixing the rest of the city wouldn’t be so easy though, he thought as his eyes drifted beyond the gardens to the hundreds of buildings in view behind them. Some buildings had survived the months of guerrilla warfare and the final cataclysmic battle between the Indian soldiers and the British marines. Yet they were few and far between. The vast majority of buildings in Liberty, at least those that weren’t rubble, carried scars from plasma bolts and missile detonations. Estimates suggested it would take at least five years to rebuild the city. Even then, sections would likely remain abandoned until Haven’s economy picked up enough to attract new investment in the city.

Movement in front of him drew James’ attention back to the wedding. Johnston and Clare were exchanging their vows. As James looked at the wedding party he couldn’t help thinking of his own wedding again. Lieutenants Mallory and Julius had both been a part of his and Suzanna’s wedding. Yet now both of them were gone. Endeavour had lost fifty-two crew members in the battle with the Indian fleet. Every one of them were faces James had come to know well. Yet, he knew he would mourn Mallory and Julius far more than the others, Mallory especially. More than once in the last month he had found himself opening a COM channel and beginning to ask Mallory for an update on his ship’s repairs.

Acting First Lieutenant Becket stepped up beside Johnston to hand him his ring, James was grateful she had survived the battle. He didn’t know what he would have done without her help over the last month. The wedding would have had a very different atmosphere without her. She and Johnston were very close. If she had been unable to be here today it would have cast a shadow over Johnston’s mood.

With a smile and a wink, Johnston took the ring from Becket and turned to place it on Clare’s finger. She in turn took her ring from Councilwoman Pennington before placing it on Johnston’s finger. The vows and rings exchanged, the Minister pronounced Johnston and Clare husband and wife. As they kissed, cheers erupted from the crowd.

Though James’ and Suzanna’s wedding was the first union between a British and Haven citizen, Clare and Johnston’s wedding was just as significant. Almost all the Havenites who were present knew Johnston. They had seen him fight alongside them for months on end. In many ways they looked on him as one of their own. That he was marrying another hero of the resistance only enhanced the importance of this day. In one-stroke, the wedding was a symbol of the new relationship that was budding between the British Star Kingdom and Haven, and a sign of new beginnings. Out of the destruction and ashes of the Indian occupation, Haven was rebuilding and looking to the future.

Looking at his wife, James suspected she was filled with the same thoughts as tears ran down her cheeks. As James squeezed her hand again she looked at him. “We did it,” she said. “All the sacrifices have been worth it, just so we could see this day.”

“Yes,” James said as his mind went to Mallory, Julius and his other lost crew members. “Now it’s our job to make sure our two nations make the most of the opportunity they have given us.”

“It is,” Suzanna said with a determined look. It was a look James had come to know well.

Neither Fairfax nor Admiral Cunningham were present at the wedding. Fairfax had returned to Earth just two days after the battle. He had wanted to bring the result of the Havenite referendum before Parliament to be ratified. Cunningham had left two weeks later when a reinforcement squadron under Rear Admiral Hayes had arrived. Taking his flagship, many of the less seriously damaged British warships and the captured Indian ships, Cunningham had left Hayes in charge of Haven’s defenses. Cunningham had also left orders for the rest of the British ships needing time in a repair yard to follow as soon as they were able.

The rebuilding process had been going quickly. Suzanna and Councilwoman Pennington had assumed control of the colony and they were working tirelessly to put things right. James was supremely confident that once Suzanna was officially appointed as Haven’s governor, and once Pennington was elected to the new Haven Council, as she no doubt would be, both of them would use their new positions and powers to even greater effect. Haven’s long-term future was still a mystery to most, but in the short-term James had no doubt that the people of Haven couldn’t be in better hands.

*

As darkness closed in around the Council Chambers’ gardens more tears streamed down Suzanna’s face as she and James stood together. Throughout the day they had hardly left each other’s side. They had enjoyed a meal with Johnston and Clare and the rest of the wedding guests and the evening had been spent dancing and visiting with other guests. Now James led Suzanna outside so he could speak with her alone. In the background a shuttle was waiting to take James back to Endeavour. Lieutenant Becket was already in the shuttle waiting for her Captain.

“Can’t you just stay one more night?” Suzanna pleaded.

“You know I can’t,” James replied. “I have already delayed our departure so Becket and I could attend the wedding. The Admiralty will be expecting Endeavour back in the Sol system as soon as possible.”

“I know,” Suzanna sobbed. “But I can’t stand the thought of not knowing when I’ll see you again. It could take months to repair Endeavour. And then who knows where you’ll be assigned. I’m not sure I can do this without you.”

“Of course you can,” James said as he placed both his hands on Suzanna’s cheeks. “If anyone can lead Haven it’s you.” Before she could protest any more, James leaned in and kissed her passionately.

“I love you,” he said as their lips parted. “More than I imagined I ever would. I’ll write to you daily and keep you up to date on everything that is happening on Earth and with Endeavour. Goodbye my darling,” he said as he leaned in and gently kissed Suzanna.

“Goodbye my love,” Suzanna said through her tears.

He stepped back and turned away from her. He strode purposefully towards the waiting shuttle, not allowing himself to turn. It wasn’t hard to imagine the fresh tears that were running down Suzanna’s cheeks. If he actually saw them he might not be able to get onto the shuttle.

As he stepped onto the shuttle Lieutenant Becket saluted him. Recognizing it must be difficult to leave, she didn’t say anything as she waited for him to make the first move.

“Well Lieutenant, did you have a good evening?” James asked to distract himself as the shuttle took off.

“Yes,” Becket replied enthusiastically. “I never thought I’d see Johnston this happy again. Despite everything he’s been through and everything Haven has been through, it’s amazing to see just how happy he and Clare are.”

“And are you confident Endeavour will make it through the Gift?” James queried, talking of Johnston and Clare’s happiness was too much of a raw subject for him.

“I’m as confident as I can be,” Becket replied. “I guess we won’t know until we try it.”

“I guess not,” James responded. The missile that had exploded deep within Endeavour’s hull had seriously compromised her structural integrity. The g-forces Endeavour had endured the last two times she passed through the Gift would have torn his damaged command apart if they had not undertaken a significant number of repairs.

“What do you think will be waiting for us on Earth?” Becket asked.

“Months in a repair yard I imagine,” James answered. “After that your guess is as good as mine. If the Indians refuse to come to terms then the war will continue. I expect Endeavour will be used to raid the Indian colonies and shipping lines. Whatever happens, she is going to need a new permanent First Lieutenant. If I have my way, the Admiralty will recognize that you’re the woman for the job. You’ll have some big shoes to step into if you’re going to follow Mallory but I have full confidence in you.”

“Thank you,” Becket replied. “I’d love to remain on board Endeavour, she has become a second home after everything we’ve been through.”

“I know what you mean,” James said as his command came into view through the shuttle’s main viewport. “She’s the finest ship I’ve ever commanded.”

*

22nd January 2458 AD, Buckingham Palace, London, Earth.

“I bring good news,” Fairfax said to the two men who were waiting for him in one of the palace’s reception rooms as he walked in. “Prime Minister Devgan has fallen,” he announced. “The Indian Parliament called a snap no confidence vote in Devgan an hour ago. He was ousted as prime minister within thirty minutes.”

“You did say he wouldn’t last long after rejecting our last peace settlement offer,” King Edward XI replied. “I guess you haven’t lost any of your political shrewdness. You have only been back a week and already you’ve toppled a foreign government.”

“Sometimes I surprise myself,” Fairfax said as he shot a grin towards his sovereign. “More importantly, a coalition of Indian representatives from their Parliament has contacted us. They have offered us terms for a peace negotiation.”

“And?” Admiral Somerville, the third man in the room prompted.

“They want to return to a pre-war status,” Fairfax elaborated. “They won’t lose any colonial territory. In return, they will agree to recognize the Haven vote and accept the British Star Kingdom now controls Haven and its surrounding systems.”

“That’s everything we wanted,” Somerville said. “Their economy must be hurting more than we suspected.”

“That’s not too hard to believe,” King Edward responded. “Despite our losses in the New Delhi colony your warships still inflicted a lot of damage when they raided Indian space. My question is,” Edward continued as he turned to face Fairfax, “should we push for more? We have the Indians at a disadvantage. We could force terms on them that will ensure they could never threaten us again.”

“No,” Somerville answered instead of Fairfax. “The fleet is in no position to back up any threats we make. We have new ships coming out of the yards every month now. Yet they were ships laid down after the Chinese war. They were meant to replace the losses we suffered in the Void. Now, because of this war with the Indians, nearly half of our fleet has either been destroyed or is laid up in a repair yard. We need time to rebuild and repair.”

“Yet their fleet can’t be any better off,” Edward replied. “Surly we can still find a way to put more pressure on them.”

“Their fleet has been crippled,” Admiral Somerville replied. “But their stationary defenses around their colonies are still intact. We don’t have enough warships left to continue to defend our own colonies and put together a fleet that could take on an Indian battle station. If the Indians have any sense they will know that. At best, all we could put together is a small raiding squadron. They could be sent to raid Indian shipping. But even then we would be risking them.”

“More importantly,” Fairfax said, “the longer this war drags on the more harm it is doing to our economy. Trade is down all across our colonies. Foreign shipping companies are avoiding our quadrant of the Human Sphere more and more. We have a lot of ships to repair and if we are going to be able to afford to recommission the captured Indian warships and expand the fleet then we need to restore confidence. Peace is the only way to do that.”

“If you are in agreement with Somerville then I am more than happy to see an end to the fighting,” Edward replied.

“I am,” Fairfax responded. “There is just one more demand I’m going to insist upon. The Indians are going to pay reparations to Haven to help rebuild Liberty. Much of the city was destroyed in the fighting. I’ve seen as much firsthand. I won’t accept any peace that doesn’t recognize the Indians have some responsibility for rebuilding what they destroyed.”

“I can agree to that,” Edward replied.

“Good,” Fairfax said. “In that case I need to take my leave for a few minutes. I need to speak to a few subordinates to get the ball rolling on these negotiations. The sooner we can agree to terms, the sooner the markets will stabilize. I’ll return momentarily.”

“We will not go too far,” Edward responded. “I’ve been wanting to speak to Admiral Somerville in any case. I think after these two wars and the sudden appearance of two alien races we need to rethink the fleet size. Our fleet has fought bravely time and time again despite almost always being outnumbered. It’s time we started giving Somerville’s captains the ships they need to even out the playing field. Who knows what we’re going to have to face in the future.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Fairfax said. “You two can play around with some numbers and we can discuss this at a later date.”

“With pleasure,” Somerville said. He had been pushing for more money to be invested in the fleet for years. He didn’t know what the future held but he suspected just replacing the losses the fleet had incurred over the last two years wouldn’t be enough. Maybe I’m about to get my way, he thought.

*

11th February 2458 AD, HMS Vulcan, Earth orbit.

James stepped into his uncle’s office. His uncle was already standing, waiting for him. After saluting, James shook his uncle’s outstretched hand.

“You did it again boy,” Somerville said. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised after these last four years. I thought the odds had finally caught up to you. You know you nearly broke my heart when you didn’t come back from New Delhi. You truly have come a long way since I assigned you to Drake. Jensen would have been proud.”

“Thank you uncle,” James said, taken aback at such praise. “I couldn’t help but think of Admiral Jensen when we were in New Delhi. Following her example was the only option I thought we had to save the fleet. I’m just sorry no one else was able to make it through the Indians’ plasma cannon fire.”

“They knew what they were doing when they turned to follow you,” Somerville said. “You don’t need to feel any guilt. Each of those Captains and their crews have a place of pride and honor in our history. They won’t be forgotten.”

“Now,” Somerville continued as he moved around his desk to take a seat. “I don’t have much time for you today. We can catch up more later. For now, I need to cut right to the chase. I’m giving you the Titan. She’s a heavy cruiser, but nearly thirty years old. She was due for a refit but I’ve had to call all our older ships back into full service. With the losses we suffered at Haven and in the Indian colonies, we can’t afford to have any more ships undergoing repairs or refits than strictly necessary. She is currently in orbit around Mars awaiting her new Captain. I’m going to give you a couple of days leave on Earth, but I want you to take command by the end of the week.”

His uncle’s words sent James’ head into a tailspin. “You mean I won’t be keeping Endeavour?” he asked with a deep sense of loss.

“No,” Somerville replied. “You’ve already proven yourself as an expert small ship fighter. It’s time for a new challenge. Command of a heavy cruiser and her flotilla of escorts is the first step towards flag rank. You may never have thought that far ahead, but I have. Your actions in the Indian colonies and in the final battle against the Indians at Haven have shown you have potential. I intend to harness that. You will hand Endeavour over to Acting First Lieutenant Becket when you return to her. She can oversee the repairs until I find a new Captain to take over the exploration cruiser.”

“And Becket?” James asked. “She will be able to remain as First Lieutenant won’t she?”

“I think that’s a decision for the First Space Lord,” Somerville said with a chuckle, “not a Captain.”

“Yes,” James said, concerned he had overstepped the mark.

“Don’t worry,” Somerville said, “I’m teasing you. It’s good to see a Captain so concerned about his subordinates. I’ve taken your recommendation into consideration. Overseeing Endeavour’s repairs will be a final test for Becket. If she can handle the responsibility then she will remain Endeavour’s First Lieutenant.

“Thank you,” James replied. “I know she was a Sub Lieutenant just four years ago but she is a fine officer.”

“She’s had the best of examples,” Somerville said. “Now, get back to Endeavour and take a final tour of the ship, I’m sure you’ll want to say your goodbyes.”

“Yes uncle,” James said as he stood. His head still spinning, he turned to walk out of the office. Then another question came to mind; the first thing he should have inquired about. “Where is Titan to be assigned?” he asked as he paused almost out of the office’s door.

“I thought you were never going to ask,” Somerville replied with a smile. “Haven. We’re going to need a permanent fleet there and I thought you wouldn’t have any objections to being stationed under Rear Admiral Hayes. It won’t be the most glamorous station, nor the most active. Even so, I’m sure you can find something to entertain yourself with.”

“No,” James said as a large smile spread across his face and he reached up to fondle the locket that hung around his chest. “I have no objections at all. Thank you, uncle.”

The End.

You can follow James, Gupta and all the others in the next book in the Empire Rising Book 5, coming soon!

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