Chapter 9

SOLMAR SYSTEM

ULU SCIMITAR

The LEONIDAS II-Class Strike Cruiser was always built to be the forward projection of Lycavorian Union power. The Nodon Shipyards were spilling them out at a rate of ten a month now and as soon as Ben and Avi got the details worked out, the Pralor Worker Drones were going to be deployed to all the major Union shipyards to increase that output by a factor of ten.

Those LEONIDAS II ships that were first produced were now in the process of being refitted to bring them up to the same standards as the SCIMITAR and others that were newer. The ship was capable of bringing an enormous amount of horrific firepower down upon on an enemy, as well as nearly two hundred of the finest fighter and fighter/bombers known to be operating within the Alpha Quadrant.

The Nodon species, officially called the Terraijiin people, were the sixth race to join the Lycavorian Union when it all began and the brain child of the LEONIDAS II class ships. For millennia they had been the primary engineering species and ship makers within the Union and they were almost fanatical in their loyalty to the Union and the royal family. They were thrilled with anything that could help them perfect their trade and when Ben told them of the Worker Drones and the potential it would allow. Avi had been able to use the engine core and research database of SPARTA’S WRATH to first copy and then build a smaller version of the Worker Drone assembly line. That line was now up and running at full capacity and the Drones were being produced very quickly. They would soon become invaluable to the Nodon shipyards and others that were major engineering points across the Union as well as the ships they would be assigned too. Ben’s only strict instruction to those who would be receiving the Drones was simple. Treat them as part of your team and not a machine. Most of the Drones produced at Ben’s order would go to the Nodon, for he knew they would treat them as Avi had said to treat them. They were machines yes, but they were valuable parts of a mechanism and needed to be treated as such. The Nodon would do just that. A few ships within the Union fleet would be receiving the drones as well, but only those ships that Ben selected.

In the hands of an experienced field Commander who knew their ship and their crew, the LEONIDAS II-Strike Cruiser, named after the King’s father, was a devastating machine of war that could strike fear into anyone.

Sa’sur was such a commander.

The crew of the SCIMITAR had been together for years and they knew their commander in what many considered a personal fashion. She had bailed more than one of them out of big trouble at one point or another in their careers and earned their lasting loyalty. She did not ask of them anything she was not prepared to do herself and all of them knew that and they knew what their ship could do. That the SCIMITAR was also Prince Androcles’s personal ship also gave them a bit of swagger wherever they went. It also meant they had to be the best there was at their jobs. And they were.

Sa’sur was coming to her feet before they had even finished their jump reversion and she was barking out orders. Exactly four point five seconds after the SCIMITAR ended her jump, all of her main forward batteries opened up at the same time. All of them targeted on a single point in space. That the Kavalian command ship under Admiral Gordna occupied that space was no small coincidence to any of them. That ship just happened to be in the way of them getting to their Prince. Thirty two Type I MK9C Alpha Series plasma batteries, powered by the advanced Hyper Matter Fusion engine core installed on the SCIMITAR, targeted the Kavalian command ship. All of them were unforgiving in their precision. Gordna’s shields were overwhelmed by the intense and concentrated firepower of the SCIMITAR’s weapons and for the second time in less than a year, the SCIMITAR claimed the first destruction in battle of the vaunted Kavalian GREAT SOUL Command cruiser. This added to her total of seven so far if you included the ships she had destroyed at Kranek. The Kavalian ship’s shields were unprepared for such a concentrated barrage of highly focused plasma beam power and the plasma turrets quickly sliced through those shields bringing them down. Once the shields came down, the Type II turrets continued the punishment by hammering the Kavalian hull in dozens of places, punching into the hull of the Kavalian ship like fists from some angry god. Internal explosions began to rock the ship and the bulkheads in half a dozen places along the hull began to buckle severely as the Type II turrets began to rip into the superstructure, blasting chunks from the hull of the ship. Then the torpedoes arrived. Seven Proton torpedoes punched into and through the outer hull of the GREAT SOUL and unleashed their killing power from within the belly of the great ship. Two struck just beneath the engine core of the Kavalian command ship, fracturing the core’s shielding and sending deadly Tri-Cobalt radiation pouring into the interior of the ship. Three more torpedoes slammed into the upper hull, spaced along one forward wing and the resulting explosion blew a massive chuck of the superstructure clean off the main part of the ship. The Kavalian cruiser lost main power with the first torpedo hits and was suddenly very helpless.

Captain Sa’sur, turned many years ago by her Lycavorian husband and mate, gave them no mercy. Every torpedo, every hit by her plasma turrets, it was retribution for the many lives the Kavalians had so callously taken and the horrid abuses they had subjected their second elven Queen to. There would be no forgiveness this day. Not from her ... not from their Prince and not from any member of her crew.

Gordna would not live to see the destruction of his fleet. The first barrage of Type II turrets had slammed into the superstructure above his bridge and the resulting explosions had sucked the air out of the entire bridge area before the upper deck collapsed onto the bridge and crushed everyone into oblivion. With that event, all command and control for the Kavalian fleet orbiting Solmar died. No more orders would come for them and they would be left to fend for themselves. A situation that most of them were unaccustomed to in any way. Essentially ... the moment Gordna’s ship died, the rout was on and every Lycavorian ship commander in the SCIMITAR’s Strike Group knew it. Like a pack of intelligent but ravenous wolves, which many of the commanders were, they bore in on their enemy without an ounce of pity or remorse. They had become the type of predators that Prefect Keleru had never experienced before. They had become unrelenting.

Sa’sur saw Gordna’s ship coming apart and she turned to her Tactical Officer. “Order Delta Wing to execute Attack Plan Gamma One Four! Charlie to commit to established orders! Tell the KINDRED SOUL she is clear to move in! Launch all fighters! Everything we have! We need to make this quick! ZMF missiles to target remaining DIATAGAs and DIMERUs! Take them out!”

“Captain! MOONLANCER Wing reports they have reloaded and are turning back into the battle!” A sensor tech barked out. “Bearing four seven eight three! Requesting targets!”

Sa’sur nodded her head. “Target rich environment!” Sa’sur barked. “Anything they can hit ... kill it! We’ll never get an opportunity like this again! The Kavalians may be fuck ups, but they’ll learn from this!” Sa’sur stabbed down on the console on the arm of her chair. “Sadi! Launch now! Follow the KINDRED SOUL in!”

Sadi’s voice was calm as she answered. “Launching now! Good luck Captain. Go with the gods!”

“And the same to you Princess.” Sa’sur spoke as she turned back to her crew. “Let’s go hunting people! Helm come to course four one seven three mark two. Weapons free! Weapons free! All fighter squadrons to pick a target and bear in! We take no prisoners today! We leave no ship operating! When we are done I want nothing but a graveyard full of Kavalian ships!”

That order would resonate to all the ships in the SCIMITAR’s Strike Group and would find its way back to several senior Kavalian officers within Kavalian space within weeks. It was a statement that would crack the armor of their minds and put the first inkling in their heads that this war of choice begun by their Prefect was not going to turn out the way they had hoped.

STRIKER ONE FIVE ONE

“Clear!” Ne’Veha barked out as her hand moved across the controls. “KINDRED SOUL turning to starboard with Bravo Wing covering!”

Sadi turned her helmeted head and nodded. “Full power SirsanGai.” She directed. “We’ll go in ten thousand meters above her!”

Ne’Veha nodded. “Strikers One Five Two, One Five Three and One Five Four turning with us!”

“One five Two?” Sadi called out in her helmet COM.

“Six degrees off your port Sadi.” Normya’s voice answered confidently.

“Diamond formation Normya!” Sadi spoke. “We’ll be going in through the KINDRED SOUL’s wake and it will get rough!”

“Understood.” Normya replied.

“Eli...” Sadi continued. “Make sure Tharua, Caydren and Cinol are secure! It will be very bumpy!”

“On it!” Eliani’s voice for the rear of the STRIKER echoed.

“ ... a Union Senator and I can go...” Sadi’s head turned as Ulana’s voice snarled behind them and her jungle green eyes grew wide as she saw Ulana push her way past Jomann into the cockpit. Ulana’s own eyes grew wide as she looked out the cockpit window and saw the dozens of much larger ships maneuvering all around them while their main guns were firing. “Oh ... oh my!” She gasped in shock at what she saw. It appeared to be total chaos ... it was anything but however, Ulana didn’t know that.

“Jomann ... what is this upaee doing on my ship?” Sadi snarled.

Jomann shrugged his broad shoulders. “I did not see her board.” He answered.

“Get her out of our cockpit!” Ne’Veha barked now.

“I have every right to be here!” Ulana hissed back glaring at Sadi with extreme distaste. “I am...” Ulana was unable to finish her sentence as her head was yanked back viciously by her long hair and Eliani stepped around her from the side and stabbed her in the neck with an injector. Ulana’s eyes rolled into the back of her head instantly and Eliani let her begin to drop to the steel deck without regard.

“A nubous pain in the mida is what you are!” Eliani snarled as Jomann caught her limp form before she cracked her head on the deck plating. Sadi looked at Eliani who smiled back at her with those bright green eyes. “Brendi saw her coming forward. Figured I make sure she stayed out of the way. I’ve wanted to do that since the day Lisi, Carina and I told her to get screwed!”

Sadi grinned. “Thank you Eli.” She said.

The STRIKER rocked slightly and Jomann reached out to grab Eliani’s arm as Brendi staggered into the cockpit now as well. Ne’Veha adjusted her instruments. “KINDRED SOUL is beginning her descent!” She barked out. “She’s extending her Drop Pod doors! She’s prepping to drop the Cataphract division!”

Sadi motioned with her head. “Get her carcass secure and then grab a seat!” She barked. “We’re going in.”

Brendi’s eyes were wide as she saw the massive bulk of the WASP-Class Assault Carrier in front of and below them. She looked at Eliani. “Eliani ... aren’t we ... aren’t we awful close to that big assed ship!” She stammered.

Eliani grinned at her. “Where’s your spirit of adventure Brendi?” She chimed in sweetly as she gripped Ulana’s arm.

“I left it back on Earth.” Brendi answered her eyes wide.

“Help me with this bitch!” Eliani spoke and waited for Brendi to move under Ulana’s other armpit. Eliani looked at Brendi’s gorgeous brown eyes and felt a flush of excitement swirl through her body at the dark red hair and full body that Brendi possessed. “You hang out with us long enough and this will become the norm.” She stated. “C’mon ... let’s get prissy pants here in a seat before she cracks her head.”

Jomann grinned at his gorgeous wife and mate as she and Brendi moved back into the rear of the STRIKER. The banter between the two of them was becoming more frequent and easy and Jomann could smell that Brendi was beginning to get very comfortable with Eliani and being around her. The desire from Brendi he could smell easily, as could Eliani, but neither of them wanted to rush her. Over the past weeks he had become more comfortable with the feeling inside him that found Brendi very enticing. Brendi would never be as completely delicious to him as his Anome, for nothing could stir him as Eliani did, but Brendi’s scent was extremely pleasant to both their senses. He knew Andro had struggled with the emotions and feelings of finding others who would share his and Sadi’s lives, and as with Sadi, Eliani seemed to have already fully accepted that. Andro told him he would only be able to resist it for so long before he knew it was time to claim her, especially if Eliani and she were to be together before he had fully accepted it. Trying to dodge or outrun fate and destiny was a losing battle, Andro had told him. Better to accept it for what it was and bask in the feelings it brought to all of them.

Jomann settled into the chair behind Sadi and Ne’Veha. “Has this ever been done before Sadi?” He asked. “Such a large ship landing on a planet?”

Sadi looked at him. “First time for everything.” She said.

“Yes ... but you only die once.” Jomann reminded her.

“You’ve been hanging around Andro way too much.” Sadi said with a smile. “Besides ... where is your spirit of adventure?”

“As with Brendi ... I think I left it on Earth.” Jomann replied. “I am just glad I am not in one of those pods. Being blasted from the belly of a ship while still in orbit does not sit well with my stomach.”

Sadi turned back to the look out the cockpit window. “I’ll agree with that.” She stated. “We’ll have to keep Andro away from that part of the ship. Knowing him ... he will want to try it.”

ULU KINDRED SOUL

“ ... Pods locking into position!” A voice shouted out over the activity on the main bridge.

“Bravo Wing moving to port and starboard to cover us!” Another voice echoed. “Two fighter squadrons shadowing!”

“Hull temperature?” George Patton barked.

“Nominal Captain!”

“Adjust course three degrees starboard and eight degrees down angle.” Patton snapped. “Let’s begin our descent! Everyone on your game folks!”

“Helm answers three degrees starboard and eight degrees down angle!” The female voice barked out.

“Give me point three on launch thrusters!” Patton ordered. “Make damn sure coordinates are programmed in. I don’t want to blast our boys and girls all over the fucking planet!”

“Coordinates locked!” The Tactical Officer answered. “All Commanders acknowledge.”

“I just love doing things no one has ever done before!” Patton exclaimed as he came to his feet. He took a deep breath. “Open Drop Doors!”

Along the belly of the KINDRED SOUL, extending for nearly a third of the ship’s 2800 meters, massive doors retracted exposing a dark interior and the bulbous shapes of hundreds upon hundreds of individual Orbital Drop Pods.

“Drop doors open and locked!’ The voice answered his command after twenty seconds.

“Shit ... here goes nothing.” Patton muttered softly. “God speed people.” He turned to his Tactical Officer. “TO?”

The man turned to look at him. “Optimal position sir! Now or never!”

Patton didn’t hesitate. “Begin Drop! Launch the ODPs! Successive order by section! Launch! Launch!”

It was a sight to see for sure, and only a few hundred of the KINDRED SOUL’s crew got to see it, but they would insure the word spread like wildfire. With the first explosive blast of decompression, the human 82^nd Cataphract Division, brainchild of Admiral Ben O’Connor, entered into active combat in force. The Orbital Drop Pods or ODPs began spitting from the interior of the belly of the KINDRED SOUL like bullets from a massive shotgun. The popping sound of explosive compression soon became a continuous roar as the first wave of three thousand ODPs were launched into the stars in the time of sixty-six seconds without a single failure of the launching mechanisms. As those three thousand pods began to drop through the atmosphere beneath them, a massive cocking system twisted the launching mechanism and dropped the next wave into place. One minute later, three thousand more ODPs were leaving the belly of the KINDRED SOUL, each carrying a living and breathing individual soldier who was becoming part of more Union history. The many crewmembers who were watching could only shake their heads in awe and wonder just who was insane enough to put their body into one of those pods and be shot from the belly of a ship in orbit.

The reputation and legend of the 82^nd Cataphract Division began even before they put boots on the ground.

Patton sat in his command chair and waited silently, saying a special prayer his mother had taught him under his breath as he let his crew do their jobs. He had very little to do during the actual drop since they were not under fire thanks to Bravo Wing and the fighters so as a good commander he stayed out of the way. The KINDRED SOUL was barely skimming the surface of the atmosphere and moving at a snail’s pace for a ship her size, but this is what she had been intended and built for and Patton couldn’t help but feel pride that she was doing exactly what she was designed for. All of their training runs had proven that they could launch every pod they had in just eight point four minutes. At the seven point three minute mark his TO looked up from his screens.

“Captain! All pods away! All ODPs away clean! No malfunctions!”

Patton smiled to himself and sat up straighter. He would have to give each and every crewmember operating a piece of machinery in the ODP Section a special gift for executing their jobs to perfection and shaving over a minute off their best time in training. Combat did make the adrenalin surge.

“Close Drop Doors!” He snapped out the order. “Helm ... prepare for full power descent! Shields at maximum! Order all stations to prep for atmospheric entry! Let’s get down there and make sure they have a command base to come back to!”

“Locking in Vertical Ventral Thrusters!” The Helm Officer barked out. “Spooling engine power to max! Lateral thrusters online! Shit! This is going to be so cool!” The woman barked out from her seat causing everyone on the bridge to laugh softly.

“Drop doors have been secured Captain!” The TO announced.

Patton nodded. “Helm! Let’s burn up the atmosphere shall we! Lieutenant Harbin...” Patton motioned with his arm. “If you would so kind Lieutenant! Smooth as you can Kelly! The ship is yours!”

The woman nodded her head. “Engaging Captain! Hold on everyone! This is going to be one hell of a ride!”

Skimming the atmosphere as they had been doing, when the KINDRED SOUL dipped her nose and began to penetrate the relatively thin upper layers, everyone on the ship felt their descent begin and they stopped what they were doing to hold on and try to find a place where they could see outside the view windows. This was going to be a sight and all of them knew it.

SOLMAR

ANDRO’S BASE

“ ... Colonel Mosont and one brigade of the Durcunusaan Division as well as the 1^st brigade of the 82^nd Cataphract under a Colonel Miller are going to moving to our location from the south! The drop has already started and the 82nd should be on the ground in three to four minutes.” Andro was speaking to everyone who stood around the Chart table in the rear of the STRIKER. “As soon as the KINDRED SOUL lands, we will drop the ground based Shroud and send the civilians to her.”

“Long eyes report that the Kavalians have every DAGGER that they got airborne and maintaining position over the northern settlement.” Dantio spoke moving his finger across the chart table. He looked at Andro. “They’re waiting ... just as you thought they might. Given their position, once we drop the Shroud, we’ll have perhaps seventeen minutes before they are all over us.”

Kelelm shook his head. “To commit to such an action?” He spoke. “They actually think killing you will end the invasion?”

Andro nodded. “It seems that way.”

“Not very bright are they?” Dorian spoke from his spot ext to Lisisa.

“Downright foolish if you ask me.” Kelelm answered him. “If these commanders are as experienced as you believe, they must know your death won’t stop it.”

“They know that...” Andro answered. “They are hoping it causes enough of a pause for them to dig in deeper and make it more or less impossible for us to reclaim the settlements without massive losses on our part.”

Lisisa looked at him. “You think they are going to believe your message Andro?” She asked.

Andro shrugged his shoulders. “We’ll know when we see who exits these DAGGERS.” He replied. “If they are full of Puma Bane troops then we’ll know that Azlenr and Byka have at least given some consideration to it. If not ... then they are fully committed and don’t believe what we sent them.”

“Wow ... over two thousand of their Puma Bane troops?” Dorian spoke softly looking at his brother. “That means they’re serious about killing you fervon.”

Andro chuckled and nodded his head. “Nice to be so well thought of isn’t it?” He said.

“It’s his sparkling personality.” Lisisa said as she poked her brother in the ribs. “Always so charming.”

“Remember what father, Medwaw Anja and Uncle Danny always say?” Andro spoke.

“It’s not just a job...” Dorian mimicked their father.

“It’s a fucking adventure!” Lisisa finished with a grin.

Everyone at the table laughed softly except for Harira. She looked at them as if they were crazy. “This ... this is insane!” She finally exclaimed. “We are going to wait here for them! You stand there and make jokes and these men are coming here to kill you! To kill us!”

Andro looked at her oddly. “Don’t worry Shaman Master Harira ... if things don’t go as I hoped, Sa’roh will take off with you and the others and get you to the SCIMITAR.”

“Leaving you to die here?” Aleatia asked.

Andro smiled. “I have no intention of dying on this rock Lady Aleatia.” Andro said. “If it breaks down, we’ll sprint for the mountains to our east and then work our way around until we link up with Union forces to the south.”

“And then?” Aleatia asked.

Andro met her eyes for a long moment. “I will not allow the Kavalians to remain here on this planet Lady Aleatia. It is too strategic a location for them to have a forward base here able to strike into Union territory.”

“What does that mean?” Harira demanded.

Andro looked first at Lisisa and then to Dorian. He turned back to them slowly. “If we are unable to hold here and we don’t get some sort of indication that one or both of these Kavalian officers are wavering, then I will give the order.”

“The order for what?” Harira asked.

“I will order the settlements and surrounding areas glassed.” Andro answered her. “An orbital bombardment that will eliminate every living thing within five kilometers of each of the remaining five settlements.”

“That would ... that would kill...” Aleatia gasped.

“Yes.” Lisisa spoke softly. “It would kill every innocent civilian within the settlements.” She answered for her brother. “And in their deaths ... others will live.”

Her words brought silence to those gathered and Sehri stepped closer to Andro, pressing up against his side firmly. “How many ... if you had to do this Andro. How many lives would be saved?”

Andro looked down into her eyes for a moment. His arm slipped around her waist with little regard for who saw and he pulled her close before looking up at Harira and Aleatia. “This colony rests within striking distance of nine major Bontawillian planets with a total population of over five hundred and ninety million souls.” He told her. “I will not allow the Kavalians to put those planets at risk by having a forward base here to strike into Union territory. Those civilians in the settlements would die yes, but they would die for the greater good and all of them know that. And every Bontawillian in those five remaining settlements would understand that it needed to be done.”

Then we must make sure we do not fail. Elynth’s voice filled the heads of everyone who could Mindvoice to include Harira, Aleatia, Ibani and Osbela. Everyone looked towards the rear of the STRIKER where Elynth rested with Ryner and Jeth. Ryner sat between the brother and sister pair, the last few hours speaking with them and learning from them. Jeth and Elynth were nearly as famous among the dragons of the Union as their father and to be able to soak up any knowledge they had was precious to him in order for Ryner to protect Dorian.

Andro nodded his head. “Well said sister.” He spoke. “When the fighting begins Lady Aleatia ... all of you will remain on the STRIKER. I will leave a detachment of Durcunusaan to secure the area around the ship and should things begin to go badly, Sa’roh already has orders to take off and escape.”

“And what do we do until then?” Aleatia asked.

“We wait.” Andro replied laconically. “We should know within a few minutes what play the Kavalians will make. Once Union troops begin hitting the surface it will get real busy.”

ODP POD 1462

COLONEL JOSIE MILLER

She adjusted the glide of her pod as she passed through the thin layer of clouds and the ground appeared before her some thirty thousand feet below.

“Activating beacon!” Her voice was calm but the excitement and nervousness was also very present. This was the first actual drop they had done outside of simulations and so far it was going better than she had hoped. “Descent angle is within parameters! Speed seven hundred and fifty! Firing course correction thrusters! Standby!”

Small thrusters on the outside of her pod fired in synchronous order, adjusting the descent of her ODP until it was lined up perfectly with her impact point. The laser in the bottom of the pod had locked onto the perfect landing point and immediately relayed this information to all the pods in her Brigade. It would allow them to come down within a thousand meters of each other as a cohesive fighting force.

“Data received!” A male voice broke in. “ODP adjusting.”

Josie could hear the many voices of her company and battalion leaders as they called out their status and the status of their people, as she had her implant set on the brigade channel. She could detect the fear and excitement in all of the voices, but also the calm and she felt pride at this knowledge.

“Colonel Miller this is Colonel Mosont!” The deep voice broke into her helmet.

“Go!” Josie popped.

“We are four minutes from breaking into the lower atmosphere! Your status?” Mosont asked.

“All pods intact and on course!” Josie answered. “We’ll be on the ground in two minutes and your LZ will be secure four minutes after that! How’s the ride?”

Josie heard Mosont chuckled softly. “If I was in my wolf form, every hair on my body would be standing on end! Though I’d much rather be here than with you! Launching your body from a perfectly good starship while in orbit does require some...”

Josie laughed. “Balls?” She quipped.

“I was going to say loose brain circuits.” Mosont answered.

“Yeah ... well maybe I was dropped too many times as a child.” Josie told him. “Gotta go now! We’ll see you in six minutes!”

“We’ll be there!” Mosont answered.

“First Battalion! Ground Imaging shows a slight rise in terrain at your LZ!” Josie called out. “Adjust your retro rockets to compensate so you don’t bury your pod half in the ground!”

“Already compensating Colonel.” The BC answered back.

“Stay on top of that Phillip! It might change more.” Josie ordered. “One minute forty seconds to touch down! All commanders form your units up and prepare for landing impact! And for fucks sake ... no one forget to hit your braking thrusters!”

Josie could hear laughter over the COM as the order was passed down and many of her people made jokes about burning into the ground and a glorious way to go it was. She shook her head at the bravery of her people and set to the task of making sure she fired her own thrusters.

It wouldn’t do for the commander to burn in.

STRIKER ONE FIVE ONE

“This is it!” Sadi called out. “All STRIKERS, prepare to execute sixty degree turn to port! This is where we break from the KINDRED SOUL!”

Ne’Veha looked at her. “Ready.”

“Normya?” Sadi barked into her helmet COM.

“On your mark!” Normya answered.

“Three! Two! One! Mark!”