Chapter 58

“News from Crnnch,” Arwen announced a couple of days later. “The attack will be, as we were told, by four hordes with two held in reserve to reinforce any breakthroughs.”

“Will he be involved?” Roxanne asked.

“Yes, he’s been put in overall command of a horde,” Arwen replied, pointing out on the screens the horde aimed straight at the largest grouping of adelshaut and ghosin.

“Ah, he’s been given the role of the suicide decoy,” I nodded.

“Looks that way,” Roxanne agreed. “Now, can we help him?”

“We can launch disruptor mortar rounds from on top of this partially ruined tower block,” I pointed. “Also use sniper fire from there too. Only problem I see is it will be obvious where we are and might leave us open to attacks from the Orcs or sled fire.”

“We can support from here and here,” Heimdor pointed out two other locations. “Still going to be rough for them, but will allow them to make a fighting retreat when the other attacks fail.”

“Aye, there’s no real way for them to win, even with their shield disrupting spears,” Roxanne sighed.

“They may surprise us...” Róisín began.

“You saw what a single adelshaut did to John and trust me he’s no pushover with a sword,” Roxanne broke in. “Even with energy weapons there are just too many damned Vultoqi for a single horde to overcome, particularly if they close with them ... and they will.”

“True, but the Orcs will be shielded too,” I added.

“Aye, but if we can breach an Orc shield, and we can, the Vultoqi will be able to as well,” Roxanne explained.

“Agreed, but we can at least help Crnnch. Athena wants him looked after,” I nodded, seeing the truth of Roxanne’s statement.

“And we will, even if it gets costly. What I want you to do is destroy the stairwells of that block to prevent any ground forces getting up to you. Take out any sleds that approach and be on the lookout for orbital strikes, though I doubt that they’ll go for them as the Vultoqi are easily capable of dealing with them.”

“Yes, Mage Roxanne.”

“You’ll then lay down a Null route to the edge of the Vultoqi domain and as far into it as you can. Other than that, do your best to keep Crnnch’s command group as safe as possible when the Vultoqi counter the Orc attack,” Roxanne expanded on her thinking. “Heimdor, Naimh, Alice, I want you to set up your squads along the route they’ll have to take and deal with any scouts the Vultoqi have out, including the ghosin situated here, here and here. Co-ordinate along with John from the top of the building.”

“Yes, Mage Roxanne,” we all replied.

“Try to avoid getting into trouble, but, also expect it too. A million Orcs are going to be damned hard to stay out of the way of, never mind the Vultoqi.”

Crnnch looked at his orders in disbelief; the plan was simple and also suicidal. Basically, charge in a straight line at the centre of the most active Vultoqi zone and kill them all, using the Orcs with spears to break the Vultoqi mental shielding.

“Seeker, this is ... this is madness,” Adept Kurl finally stated.

“Yes, you’ll notice the other three hordes have been given routes which keep them under cover and are aimed at zones of suspected Vultoqi weakness,” he hissed in reply. “One would almost think we’ve upset the high theocrats of the Beoghra.”

“Can’t think how,” Adept Slaarg chuckled morbidly.

“Is there no way to ameliorate these orders into something ... workable?” Kurl asked.

“No. They’re very explicit and will brook no deviations,” Crnnch replied, sitting back in his seat, his red cloak/shield not giving away his expression.

“Damn them!” Slaarg sighed.

“I am going to ask the new enemy if they can help,” Crnnch finally announced.

“Seeker!” Kurl gasped, whilst the rest of his Adept group looked shocked, then hopeful.

“Assuming they would, can you contact them?” Slaarg asked carefully.

“Yes,” Crnnch nodded. “I believe so, via that statue of their goddess,” he added by way of explanation and diversion.

Crnnch stood and led the way to the large storage area discreetly placed under his headquarters. It appeared on no map and was not discussed by his staff in any public area where they worked. The door itself recognised them and slid aside silently to permit them entry to the large room where all the evidence they did not wish the Beoghra to view and/or destroy was kept.

Despite a layer of dust covering many of the artefacts, the path to the statue was clean and well swept. The statue itself, in pristine condition, stood on a small plinth which Crnnch knew for a fact had been specially made for it.

“We would speak to you, goddess,” Crnnch intoned politely.

“Seeker Crnnch, what is it you desire?” the statue stated in beautifully melodious Yr’chan.

“It spoke!” Fumel stated the obvious.

“My name is Athena and of course I can speak through this object,” the statue replied with a hint of laughter.

“But why didn’t you say anything before?”

“Well, you never specifically asked me to, now did you?”

“Er...”

“Ar-Thenna, we have been tasked to attack the Vultoqi, but the plan itself simply means our death. We were wondering if your followers or allies could assist us?” Crnnch asked, playing to the gallery somewhat.

“Do you all accept me as your goddess?”

“Yes,” came a number of stumbling replies as the Adepts finally spoke aloud what they’d all been thinking.

“My allies will assist as best they can, but, this will be most dangerous for you. I suggest you retreat as soon as the other hordes are defeated ... as they will be. Take these,” A glowing semi-transparent limb indicated a mysteriously appearing pile of weapons. “They are adapted for you, my followers. The handguns fire a bullet that will breach Vultoqi armour and the blade weapons will penetrate Vultoqi hide if the red jewel is pressed when in combat. Stay safe and we will talk again soon.”

“How did you know she would answer, Seeker?” Slaarg asked once the statue had ceased contact.

“I didn’t, but it was worth a try as I’m not enamoured at the thought of death along with the rest of you,” Crnnch replied.

“Yes, Seeker. This plan is madness,” Kurl agreed.

“It is indeed, though our survival will be up to our own means and will no doubt bring further scrutiny of us if we do,” Crnnch replied thoughtfully.

“Yes, Seeker,” they all agreed.

“Is all ready?” the Most High asked Brnnt during the Council meeting that would authorise the attack.

“It is, Most High. Though I still object to using one of the hordes as a sacrificial diversion. It is not as if it will gain us much, if anything.”

“The Seeker leading it is favoured by Beog. I believe Beog will protect him and the horde he will lead,” the Most High replied disdainfully.

“Has Beog been informed of the attack?” Karkol asked disingenuously.

“He is all seeing, all knowing.”

“This he has told us, yet I desire to know if he has given it his blessing.”

“His command is to slay all in the path to his domination!” the Most High snarled. “This automatically means it has his blessing!”

“And if we fail?” There was a stunned silence as Karkol voiced the greatest fear of many in the Council.

“We will not fail! We have new weapons and a method to breach the psionic shields of the Vultoqi,” the Most High sneered. “One could almost suspect you were hoping such so as to replace me,” he finished ominously.

“I have no desire to see the hordes fail. I was merely enquiring as to the consequences of failure as we have not had any great success against the Vultoqi, past or present. Have we plans for the worst as well as the best?”

“Do not be ridiculous! Archimandrite Karkol consider yourself under arrest for questioning my judgement!”

Karkol simply shrugged and walked towards the two guards at the entrance as they looked confused at the order from the Most High.

“Most High, arresting a Council member for simply questioning your judgement is simply ... unprecedented,” Takkas stated.

“It is treason!”

“Respectfully it is not,” Frust interjected. “His question was relevant. If we fail, how will we explain it to Beog?”

“We. Will. Not. Fail!”

“And when we do?” Karkol asked.

“Get out! This meeting is over. Archimandrite Brnnt order the attack. NOW!”

Four massive portals opened on Vultoq and the hordes streamed through, linking up with the various Adepts and their staff who were to guide them to where they were to begin the attack. Three were laden down with the new equipment the TechnoYr’ch had designed to increase the hitting and penetration power of a standard Yr’ch weapon, the fourth simply had a few Yr’ch with the adapted shield-breaker spears and a distinct lack of shields as well as competent support staff. It was a horde that was intended as a diversionary sacrifice for the other hordes and its members knew it.

“The route is marked?” the nervous Adept leading the horde asked Crnnch and his staff.

“It is. Form up behind me and my staff and let us lead the way,” Crnnch replied in the hissing tones a Seeker was supposed to use amongst the ordinary Yr’ch.

Setting the armoured carriers in a vee formation ahead of the horde, Crnnch and his staff led the way, targeting the route past the wrecked tower blocks where Ar-Thenna had told him her allies were lying in wait to help. Behind him, more and more Yr’ch were emerging to head at a jog towards the designated route that he had been ordered to follow without deviating until the enemy were engaged.

“Narrow your front,” the Adept ordered his Land-bosses as it was fairly obvious that advancing in the standard thousand Yr’ch wide pattern would be broken up by the buildings.

“Ready weapons!” Crnnch ordered Tenklar as they approached the tower block where he was sure the Vultoqi would be concealing themselves.

“Yes, Seeker!”

“Drop the Null shells on their projected route!” I ordered the various mortar teams we had positioned on top of the building

There was a series of loud bangs as the teams expertly dropped the shells onto the waiting Vultoqi formations, exposing them to the Orcs, who immediately opened up at extreme range with their beam weapons. The surprised Vultoqi broke into a sprint at once to try and close down the gap or get out of the Null zones. On seeing them however the Orc horde simply gave a massive bellow and charged directly at the Vultoqi.

“Sniper teams, fire at will,” I ordered as the front ranks of the horde opened up with their sub-standard weapons ineffectively at the Vultoqi who were drawing their physical blades to engage them.

‘More Vultoqi approaching,” Róisín pointed out.