Ashes of the Realm: Book 04 - The Return of the Realm (31 page)

Cassie and Trey appeared on the Robbin’s Bridge and Grace said, “We completed the installation of the Demon screen.”

“I thought Cassandra was going to install it on her ship?”

“No, she says that you will be in command and you should be the one that decides when, or if, it is to be used.”

Trey looked at Cassie and said, “Make sure the ship is ready. I need to join Tag and the Admirals in the planning session.”

Cassie kissed him and said, “Don’t be long.”

Trey smiled and put his hand on her stomach, “I won’t.”

• • •

Lt. General Colby Coronado looked out over the giant field at his three divisions. He was amazed at how fast he had been promoted, but knew the Army’s experienced Warriors were advancing quickly. He knew that Mike Pearsonne should have been in command, but he had been killed liberating another planet conquered by the Kryel. He looked over at Jink standing in front of the first Division and knew he had little to worry about there. The other two were just so inexperienced.

He wondered how many would be lost and then put it out of his mind. The hundred thousand White Warriors were going to be dropped on the capital city of the Kryel. Fleet wanted to just blast the planet into dust but there were more than thirty thousand compounds of captured species from planets that had been invaded. It was his job to handle the thousand around the capital. The planet’s heaviest defenses were also located around the capital.

He turned on his general Frequency and said, “This is the last battle against the Kryel. It is important to understand that we are not going down to ask for their surrender. We are going down to rescue the prisoners on the surface. I have just received the surveillance of the camps and I want you to see how the prisoners are being cared for by the Kreyl.”

A recording started and the assembled warriors watched as a hundred armored Kryel warriors entered one of the compounds and chose their meal. The ones selected were dragged out of the compound and the warriors then drew sharp swords and cut off the legs below the knees of their captives so they couldn’t run. Then they took a long time to cutting off pieces of the screaming prisoners as they consumed the parts. The warriors laughed at the screams of those they were killing and kept the captive alive as long as possible. The warrior’s disappointment when their captive died was obvious. One warrior collected bets from the others for making his prisoner last the longest.

Colby stopped the recording and said, “The Algeans have confirmed that this entire species revels in making their captives suffer. Imagine what it must be like to be held in those compounds knowing what was going to eventually be done to you. There will be no prisoners. DO YOU UNDERSTAND!?!”

The White Warriors screams, “Sir, yes Sir.”

Colby nodded and said, “Our job is simple. We will go in and secure the compounds. Once we have them protected with a force field, Fleet will start their bombardment. You will stop any of their forces from getting to the compounds to avoid that bombardment. Officers, make sure you keep your commands moving. You’re only in danger when you stay in one place. Fire and move; you know your training and I’m not going to be happy if you go out there and get yourself killed.”

The White Warriors smiled. They knew how much their commander insisted on being ready to avoid unnecessary loss of life. They called themselves CC’s Corps. It was a name that the Corps was proud of and the bravery of the unit was an example for all to follow.

“Alright warriors, make the Empire proud. Semper fi!”

“Semper fi, White Warriors”

Colby hit his artillery circuit and said, “General, are you ready?”

Terry Blackwell said, “The units are ready to teleport in. They have been assigned their fields of fire and secondary locations in the event one of our units is in danger of being overwhelmed.”

“Be ready to go. Fleet will arrive when we hit atmosphere.”

“Count it down, Sir.”

Colby looked at his command circuit and saw that six minutes remained before the Warriors would board their transports. “Hey C.”

Colby looked and saw his private channel had been activated, “What do you need, Jink?”

“I’ve just heard that the Queen has put the Realm on alert. An attack is anticipated by the Crown.”

Colby felt his heart go into his throat but got himself together and said, “Keep that piece of information to yourself.”

“I will, Sir. Is there a possibility of us going to assist?”

Colby sighed and said, “No, there is not. We are the Realm’s legacy to Creation. We will continue to fight even if it falls. We honor the Realm by what we do today. Let’s say a prayer that it survives.”

“Do you think it will?”

Colby started to answer but then knew that Jink deserved the truth, “I doubt it. The General Staff has been told that the Realm will probably die.”

“Who told them?”

“Trey and Tag told them and insisted that they make sure the Realm and Empire are never forgotten.”

“Semper fi, Sir.”

“Semper fi, Jink. Take care of my warriors.”

“I will.”

• • •

The Countdown reached zero and the fifty White Warrior Divisions teleported in to forty thousand feet above their targets. They set their wings and turned their teleport systems over to their combat link. The Warriors increased the range of their scanners and looked closely at the spot of land they would be responsible for clearing of all Kryel forces.

Private Willard Washington kept repeating to himself over and over, “Please don’t let me mess up, please don’t let me mess up.” As he glided to twenty five thousand feet he looked at his landing zone and saw twelve Kryel heavy weapon platforms. He was assigned with Lt. McCagg’s platoon to get in and set up the force field to protect the prisoners. He clicked his link, “Lt. I believe I will have to allow the others to set up the force field without my assistance.”

Lt. McCagg took a look at Will’s landing zone and saw he was teleporting in to big trouble. However, most of his platoon had similar problems and couldn’t come to help. “Will, Privates Dorg and Hein-gee will handle it alone. Take out those platforms.”

“Yes Sir.” Will called up his ordinance knowing that if he used hornets on those platforms as close as they were to the compound, thousands of prisoners would be killed. If he hit those platforms with a beam the same thing would happen. Suddenly every Warrior in the air heard, “We will be teleporting in to assist you in taking control around the compounds. Our armor will be the same color as yours and make sure you don’t fire on us.”

Colby thought, “Who are you?”

“We are another force that’s fighting for Creation. We will be arriving with you and we have adjusted your links to include us in your battle plan. We are here at the Emperor’s behest.”

Colby checked his link and saw that most of the heavy weapon platforms had now been assigned to whoever was coming in with his troops. “Are you sure you can handle all those platforms?”

“You are welcome to take part in their destruction, but we have determined that you will be attacked by not only the military forces on the ground but also the civilian population will be joining them. I would recommend that you focus on the huge numbers that will be rushing you.”

Colby looked at the numbers of Kryel around the camps and saw their numbers were in the millions. “Alright, listen up. As soon as you hit ground, release a full barrage of wasps and sweep the area in front with an anti-personnel beam. If the civilians are going to come at us, you must lay down a covering fire and keep it at full power until Fleet can take over. I’m sending the new assignments now.”

Colby allowed his computer to make the assignments by removing the platforms as a target. It recalculated the structure needed and included the possible mass rush of the civilian population. The computer alarmed and indicated that the possibility of casualties went up eighty percent. He hoped whoever was taking on the platforms were able to carry out their assignments. He watched the computer as it counted down and as it reached zeros the hundred thousand White Warriors teleported to the ground from five thousand feet. What Colby saw at the platforms stunned him. His warriors were also shocked but their training took over and they opened fire.

Will landed at the northern end of the weapon platforms and saw two of the largest creatures he had ever seen appear at each end of the line of platforms. They rushed toward the middle using their armored paws to slam the platforms and send them flying end over end into the ranks of the Kryel warriors stationed outside the camp. Will pulled his ring finger back and took his right arm and quickly moved it across the mass of troops directly in front of the camp. His combat link counted the Kryel and as he moved his arm back across the enemy troops that were now starting to open fire. Ten thousand wasps left his armor and flew out at the oncoming Kryel. Each of them had been assigned a single warrior and they flew into the charging mass at high speed. These wasps had a sting.

The small devices fired a high intensity laser into the Kryel’s armor and then injected a compound that was self-perpetuating. Ten thousand Kryel burned into ash. Will then raised his left arm and fired a laser across the Kryel, rushing in from behind the ones that burned and he cut the first ten ranks in half. He scanned the next line rushing at him again with his right arm and then released another cloud of wasps. The giant cats turned sideways to the oncoming mass and a beam as wide as their body swept across the entire front burning every Kryel within a hundred yards. The two huge animals disappeared and Will continued to hold his ground against a seemingly endless wave of Kryel. He heard the force field activate behind him and he knew he could die in peace now. The prisoners had been protected. He had held up his zone with the help of those giant animals. The entire planet became a scene from hell as the billions of civilian Kryel joined the military in rushing the compounds.

Colby watched his monitor and changed the view to the compounds he was charged to protect. The numbers attacking his troops was unimaginable. He knew his command would have been overrun, but the giant cats made the difference. Whenever the Kryel came close to his lines the cats would appear and run through the middle of the Kryel ranks with those two hundred foot wide lasers firing out of their sides. Every Kryel that the cat’s armor touched burned and the path it took through the charging mass left thousands burning behind it. The front of the charging Kryel would be burned out of existence for more than three hundred yards and then the cats would disappear and go to another site as the giant mass of Kryel continued their charge.

Colby knew that his warriors had absorbed more than a million wasps into their armor. He transferred his view to the probe overhead and saw massive waves of Kryel moving from the outskirts of the city. He expanded the view and saw millions moving in from outside the city to join the fight. He wondered if he had enough weapons to handle the approaching masses. Fleet had better get on the ball or he was going to lose this battle. The giant mass of approaching Kryel looked like a brown wave rapidly rolling over the landscape. He sent the view to General Blackwell and said, “You need to slow that mass down, Terry.”

Terry sent the view to his twelve thousand tanks and ordered, “Fire a salvo, in two seconds…fire.”

The cloud of slivers left the tanks, reached perigee, and turned over. The on rushing mass of Kryel running toward the city saw a dark cloud block out the sun and then the cloud fell on them. The massive explosion burned a three mile ring around the city and incinerated millions. But there were millions more arriving and the tanks continued to fire the salvos. The numbers being killed were mind numbing if one had time to consider it. The warriors only had time to fire their beams continuously and assign their hornet launches to their computers. Wasps were leaving the front lines in continuous waves and still the Kryel continued their mindless charge.

The millions of Kryel in the city rushed toward the camps in massive waves. The tanks could not launch a sliver attack against them because they were forced to try and keep the millions rushing toward the city out. The massive battle had reached a breaking point.

• • •

Will’s armor announced, “Wasps are down to thirty percent. Power is down to twenty five percent.” He knew he should reduce his output of weapons, but if he did, the platoon would be overrun. He smiled and decided that living forever wasn’t all it was made up to be. This fight excited him and awoke something inside him that brought joy and peace to his soul.

Even if he died, this was worth every minute. The huge mass in front of them moved closer and were now only a hundred yards away. The Kryel sensed that victory was within their grasp and their frenzy increased to a higher level. The surging brown wave reached fifty yards and then a blinding white beam more than four thousand yards wide hit in front of them and moved through the charging masses. The beam continued moving through the city and disintegrated everything in its path. Will smiled and sat down. Fleet had finally made an appearance. A huge cat appeared beside Will and lay down beside him. Will said, “Now was that fun or what?”

The Cat smiled and said, “I was worried about you initially, but you found your core in the fight. I don’t know if you realize this but you made the difference in this skirmish. You should be proud and I honor you.”

Will was stunned silent and then the cat disappeared. What did the cat mean by made the difference? Then his fellow warriors in his platoon were surrounding him and lifting him up on their shoulders. “What, what did I do?” He continued to wonder until he was able to view the combat recordings and he refused to believe he had done what the video showed. Only after he received the Star of the Empire Medal and was given his own company command did he start to realize what he had accomplished.

Lt. McCagg watched his platoon lift Will and smiled; another warrior to send to command school. This one was going to be special.

• • •

Colby looked at his casualty reports and let out the breath he had been holding. Less than ten percent were killed. He knew the cats had made the difference. Where did then come from? He looked around and saw that they were gone. Well, they may be gone but their actions would not be forgotten. He had also received information that many of the prisoners wanted to join the White Warriors in their fight to free enslaved civilizations. His command would no longer be dependent on the Empire for replacements. He lowered his head, giving thanks to the Creator and then prayed for the survival of the Empire and Realm.