Star Viking (Extinction Wars Book 3) (33 page)

We’d hurt Admiral Saris’ fleet more than she had hurt us. Unfortunately, the Lokhars still outnumbered us.

***

We accelerated through the next system. It possessed many jump gates, branching off to various stars. We raced for the gate that would take us into the Wolf 359 system.

In time, we entered Wolf 359. Advance guard Orange Tamika battle cruisers waited there, one hundred and ten altogether. We signaled them. Seven hours later, the strikers came through. Kaka Ro told Baron Visconti, who commanded the advance guard, that Admiral Saris was hot behind them.

The Starkien lord proved right. Purple Lokhar warships began to appear in the Wolf 359 system. With T-missiles, Visconti hit the entering warships, obliterating all nine enemy vessels.

Time passed as we waited for more of them. Five and a half hours after the slaughter, enemy drones slid through the gate. They exploded with thermonuclear warheads. Thirty minutes after that, more Purple Tamika drones appeared.

From three hundred thousand kilometers away, Visconti let them advance.

Finally, another group of Purple Tamika pursuit destroyers came through. Once more, the baron saturated the jump gate area with T-missiles. It was a devastating tactic. The advancing Purple drones used heavy jamming equipment, but it didn’t matter this time.

Soon, Starkien needle missiles destroyed the ECM drones.

We were doing it.

For two more days, Baron Visconti and Kaka Ro held off Admiral Saris. The Purple Lokhar commander must have feared to send the bulk of her fleet through the jump gate into the Wolf 359 system.

Then a messenger ship came through our back gate, signaling us. The messenger brought news. Using other gates and star systems, the Purple Tamika fleet had gained reinforcements from the Emperor. Using different jump gates, Saris worked her way around. It appeared she was trying to trap us in the Wolf 359 star system by coming in from behind.

We saw the danger. Every ship accelerated for the exit. As our ships left Wolf 359, the last trooper on my attack cruiser recovered from radiation poisoning. Unfortunately, some of our vessel’s weapons systems no longer worked.

I learned that the trick to this kind of jump gate battle was to funnel the enemy’s advance. If you stopped her too cold at one particular gate, she would go around a different way. Then, it became a guessing game. Our strategy called for hit and run attacks. We tried to whittle them down just enough so they took longer. We didn’t want to damage their flotilla so much that the fleet came at us from a different set of jump gates.

Maybe Visconti had miscalculated by hammering them too hard at the Wolf 359 entrance gate.

At this point, the baron played a hunch. He met with Kaka Ro. I attended the battle meeting. Visconti told us his father had once been Admiral Saris’ chief of staff. That had been many years ago. Saris used to eat at the Visconti home and discuss tactics with the young baron-to-be. After having studied a star chart, Visconti assured us Saris would try to sneak through by going around to Ross 128.

Instead of splitting off and guarding each gate with minimal force, we rushed our beef-up strike force to Ross 128. The system possessed three gates. The red dwarf star was faint to the naked eye. It had fifteen percent of the Sun’s mass, but it generated energy so slowly that it only had 0.036 percent of the Sun’s visible luminosity. Ross 128 was 10.89 light years from Earth in a straight line, but not part of the closest jump routes.

“Saris would rather travel farther for a better position than battle head-to-head,” Visconti said. “She is an artist of maneuver.”

It turned out that the baron knew his opponent. Saris entered the system a mere three hours after we did. That put us too far from each other to attack right away. Her reinforced fleet had far more warships that we did. But if Kaka Ro’s escape from the Beta Tarn asteroid belt was any indicator, the admiral’s ships likely didn’t have
masses
of T-missiles. Of course, she might have received more from supply ships.

Visconti didn’t think so. Saris used speed whenever she could. The problem was that our side only had a minimal number of T-missiles left. The baron had used most of them in the Wolf 359 system.

After gaining Kaka Ro’s agreement, Visconti decided to bluff the admiral. He teleported every T-missile he had left, sending them as far as he could. Then, the drones accelerated for Saris’ approaching fleet.

None of our T-missiles had a chance of doing damage, of course. That hadn’t been the point. Before the flock of T-missiles reached the enemy fleet, Admiral Saris’ ships maneuvered, turning hard. She wasn’t going to brake and accelerate back to the gate she’d used to enter. Instead, she headed for the third gate in order to escape us.

“Amazing,” Dmitri said. “Admiral Saris has more ships, yet she flees.”

“That is sound tactical doctrine,” N7 said. “The baron would not expend his T-missile like that unless he had a vast supply. Visconti’s strike also predicates a lack of T-missiles on the admiral’s part. Saris does not wish to sustain massive T-missile damage from us before entering beam range. Thus, she retreats until such time as she can replenish the number of her T-missiles.”

“It seems too elementary a tactic to work,” Dmitri said. “I would realize the baron was trying to bluff, close in and smash us.”

“Saris’ actions tell us that she is not Dmitri Rostov,” N7 replied. “She wishes to preserve her ships for the great battle.”

In order to seal the bluff, Visconti had us accelerate after the fleeing enemy, increasing our strike force’s velocity. Only after the last enemy warships departed the Ross 128 system did we begin braking. It was time to go back the way we had come.

Baron Visconti’s hunch had paid off. Even better, our strike force had slowed down the enemy advance to Earth. Had the other strike forces done likewise? Or was the crusading armada knocking on Earth’s door. It was time to find out.

It turned out that two taskforces fought masterful delaying actions. The third perished but gave a hard fight. Three strikers from the destroyed force raced back to give an account of the battle.

The senior captain believed the Lokhars had been surprised at Starkien ferocity. Although the way had been open for the Lokhar flotilla, they had paused and sent messenger ships back to the main armada.

“I believe the admiral wished for new instructions,” the senior striker captain told us. “One last ship remains at the farther gate. It will arrive to tell us when the Lokhars enter the star system.”

Another day passed in anxious waiting. Finally, the forward elements of the rebel fleet reached Alpha Centauri.

After that, all hell broke loose. Elements of the Emperor’s main crusading armada crashed into the rebel fleet in the Wolf 359 system.

For a day, it looked as if every ship we had needed to race there. Baba Gobo readied the Starkiens. Kaka Ro suggested a surprise rush to take the Emperor from a back system. Baron Visconti had other ideas.

Before anyone could implement one of the plans, Lokhar pride and honor changed the equation. The Emperor sent messenger ships to the rebels. Soon enough, Sant listened to the request and agreed.

The Emperor’s forward admirals backed out of Wolf 359. The rebel fleet poured through, rushing to bring everything to Alpha Centauri.

“That’s no way to run a war,” Rollo said. “The Emperor should have pushed his advantage.”

“Agreed,” N7 said. “Undecipherable Lokhar honor is one of the reasons the Jelk Corporation has successfully waged war against the Jade League for these many years.”

Only later did I learn what had happened. It came out during the grand meeting on Sant’s flagship, a gigantic mauler.

The Emperor made a deal with Sant. Felix Rex Logos would let Sant bring his entire fleet through Wolf 359, if later the seer agreed to let the crusading armada through into the Alpha Centauri star system.”

“We will wrestle our differences with honor,” the Emperor had said. “The winner will rule the Lokhar Empire.”

Sant had agreed to the deal. He brought the rebel fleet to Alpha Centauri, the massed might of Orange, Yellow and Green Tamikas, along with lesser Houses. Combined together with the last Starkien fleet in existence, it made for a vast force.

The next several days saw hurried deployments, last minute repairs and the great meeting between the leaders.

I went, taking Ella with me. The Lokhars didn’t like N7. So for once, I left him behind.

Sant had eight maulers. Orange Tamika loved giant vessels. The round ships lacked the dreadnought’s sheer mass. Nothing had ever matched the hyperspace vessels. But a mauler was five times bigger than a Jelk battlejumper. The super-ship boasted immense laser cannons, and it could deploy hundreds of star fighters.

The great meeting took place on a stage for Lokhar plays. I sat in the front row. Baba Gobo crouched nearby on a low seat.

After the seats filled up, Doctor Sant walked onto the stage. He’d changed since I’d seen him last, looking older, more weighed down with responsibility. He wore an orange toga and moved with serene authority.

I won’t bore you with the long-winded speeches. Lokhars loved to talk. They loved it even more at big meetings where everyone should have discussed strategy and tactics. Sant launched into a monolog that lasted hours, talking about ancient history, religion, customs and seemingly everything but the coming battle.

After Sant’s introduction, others talked.

Finally, Baba Gobo glanced at me. I shrugged. What could we do? The tigers blabbered endlessly. Only toward the end, as even Lokhars began to nod off, did Sant stand up again. He finally opened it up to military suggestions.

I pinched myself, waiting to hear about subtle maneuvers and clever tactics. Shockingly, most of the Lokhars talked about courage and standing at one’s post to the bitter end.

“We must trick them!” Baba Gobo shouted. “We must whittle them down with cunning.”

At the Starkien’s outburst, the auditorium grew silent.

Seer Sant stood up once more. The acolyte who had been talking sat down. “Baba Gobo,” the Lokhar said. “This is a matter of honor. Hard fighting will win the day, not sly ruses.”

“The Emperor’s forces outnumber us,” Baba Gobo said.

“Yet, we will still win,” Sant said. “This I know.”

“How will we win?” the Starkien asked.

“Through valor,” Sant said.

The Lokhars roared and pumped their fists into the air.

Baba Gobo shrank back against his chair.

In that moment, I feared the Starkiens might leave the grand fleet. I stood up and motioned to Sant.

“Commander Creed,” the Lokhar said. “Do you wish to add a word?”

“I do,” I said. “I think we must find a way to defeat the crusading armada without destroying their ships or ours.”

“How can you do this?” Sant asked. “Will you threaten to destroy the Purple Tamika articles of honor?”

The auditorium of Lokhars strained to hear my words.

“If I must,” I said.

A low groan went through the chamber.

Sant held up his hands. The noise died down. “We will fight with honor. It is to be seen if the Emperor of Purple Tamika can fight without a soul. Once Commander Creed brings the wrath of the Creator down on his head, then we of Orange, Yellow and Green Tamikas will destroy the beasts among us.”

Again, the Lokhars roared with approval.

“Who do you mean by beasts?” I asked, bristling.

“Those formerly of Purple Tamika,” Sant said, sounding surprised by my question.

“Oh,” I said. Once I destroyed the articles, Purple Tamika would lack a soul. By Lokhar logic, they would become beasts. “Yes, of course,” I said. Sitting, I leaned past Ella and whispered to Baba Gobo, “It sounds like a clever plan.”

“The Lokhars are seldom clever,” Baba Gobo whispered. “But they do like to fight.”

“Will you fight?” I asked the Starkien leader.

He stared at me with his red eyes. “Yes. I will fight.”

Sitting normally again, I thought about Sant’s overall plan. It had seemed foolish to grant the Emperor the opportunity to freely enter the Alpha Centauri system. Yet, the two Lokhars had given their word to each other. Felix had let Sant race through Wolf 359. Now Sant would let the Emperor set up here.

It reminded me of the old-time chariot lords of Ancient China. The nobility of that era had fought on their state-of-the-art, horse-drawn battle carts. Just like medieval French knights, the Chinese of that time had set great store by chivalry. In the story I’m referring to, a noble with a tactical advantage behind a river had thrown away his gain. The opposing king told him it wouldn’t be chivalrous to attack him while he forded his chariots across the river. The noble graciously allowed the king to bring his host across and deploy. They fought a righteous battle, and the honorable noble lost the fight and his life.

I hoped we weren’t making the same mistake.

Sant ended the so-called strategy session by telling everyone that in a battle for the Lokhar Empire, we had to adhere to the ancient traditions.

I could see what he was doing. Sant wanted to keep his hands clean by having me do the dirty work. He said I’d make the Creator angry for destroying Purple Tamika’s articles of honor. I hoped that was just an expression.

Even as Sant made his last, long-winded monolog, a high-ranking official raced into the auditorium.

The seer stopped talking. Every eye turned to the official.

The Lokhar said in a higher voice than normal, “The first ships of the Emperor’s armada have entered the star system.”

A combined sigh went through the chamber. Afterward, it only took Sant another hour to finish his talk.