Black Legion: 04 - Last Stand (11 page)

 
“Well?” asked Artemas.

Roxana pointed to one of the smaller torpedo boats, the smallest ships in the Alliance fleet. The image enlarged to show the vessel and its myriad of attached weapon systems and gun ports, none of which were actually ready for battle.

“The corvus is fitted to the lightest of the Legion’s ships. They are rarely used these days, as Terran ships are too substantial in their defences for them to work. The corvus is a boarding system for getting troops onto other ships.”

This didn’t seem to help though.

“Boarding system?”

Glaucon assisted with a simple hand demonstration. He used one hand like a beak and then pecked at her pale hand. His action surprised her and made her jump, much to the amusement of the other Terrans.

“We call it a bite and hold manoeuvre. Once the corvus has made contact, the warriors on board activate the boarding unit and then storm the ship. It is violent and dangerous.”

He then looked to Xenophon and lowered his head as though impressed.

“But perfect to use against the light ships of the Medes.”

Another red light appeared, then another, and before anyone could speak the display filled with hundreds of new markers.

“By the Gods!” exclaimed Sosis, barely able to contain his shock. Only the tactical officer seemed able to maintain any degree of composure.

“I have over a hundred light and medium vessels, plus a super-battleship, it looks like the Rashnu.”

“No,” said Artemas bitterly, “It can’t be. Show me.”

With a deft flick of the wrist, the image VOB changed to move them closer to the enemy fleet. Scores of the lighter, elegant ships seemed to float about them, but it was the vast hulk of the flagship that interested them the most.

“No, that isn’t the Rashnu. It is the Sraosha.”

Sosis, Xenias, and Xenophon all said the same thing at once.

“Sraosha?”

Artemas turned to face them all.

“It is the flagship of Tissaphernes. He has brought his entire fleet to bear.”

The great shape of the super-battleship was now close enough that they could make out the detail from bow to stern. Unlike the Terran ships, the vessel was multi-coloured and garish to look upon. Though smaller than the Titans, it was still substantially bigger than the other Terran fleets and easily able to stand up to a Titan for a considerable time in a battle. More lights flashed, and another three divisions of ships jumped in behind, above and below the Legion’s forces.

“I have Ariaeus on a closed channel,” said the ship’s auletes.

“On the main screen,” Sosis snapped.

The chain of command was clearly still undetermined, but Xenias said nothing for the time being. The image of the Medes commander appeared, flanked by automatons, the artificially created soldiers of the Empire.

“I come offering my assistance to end this violence,” he said calmly.

“What? Are you insane?” Sosis started before Xenias could interrupt him. He waved him off and positioned himself in front of the display to speak.

“Ariaeus, you left us at Cunaxa. Why are you here, really?”

Ariaeus smiled that sinister look that the Terrans had become so used to.

“My friend, I was left at Cunaxa to fend for myself. My services were to the fallen Cyrus, not you. The God King has granted me this opportunity to negotiate your safe passage home back through the territories of the Most Noble Satrap Tissaphernes. We will provide an escort for your force back to the border through the Gates of Cilicia. I have even been authorised to allow you to stop and trade with our merchants along the way.”

Some of the officers muttered to each other. Nearly half appeared to like what they were hearing while the others sneered at every word coming from the hated Median’s voice.

“And Tissaphernes, why is he here?”

Again Ariaeus smiled.

“Ah, he does like to make an entrance. I am here to make the offering. He is here to offer a degree of, well...protection. You will, of course, be moving through his sovereign territory.”

The image of Chirisophus appeared alongside that of Ariaeus. The Terran commander still wore his Laconian armour and uniform, but a small cut on his forehead had started to bleed. The trickle of dark red blood ran down past his eye and to his upper lip.

“Ariaeus, you treasonous bastard. We know about the negotiations of the Medes. To hell with you all. No Laconians will ever deal with your kind again!”

His image vanished from the communication system as abruptly as it had arrived. None of those on the command deck appeared particularly surprised, least of all Xenophon who waited politely until the man had gone before speaking.

“Now we know where the Laconians stand.”

Xenias leaned towards Xenophon and whispered in his ear.

“They refuse to give ground, no matter the circumstances. That is no great shock to me. Is this part of the plan?”

Xenophon scratched his chin for a second before answering.

“Kind of.”

Xenias’ lip quivered slightly at those words, and he opened his mouth to speak but stopped himself. He trusted Xenophon; there was no doubt about that. Even so, he looked nervous. Xenophon tried to help him relax without giving away too much.

“Chirisophus is right. They will never let us leave peacefully. The only way out of here is to cripple this force first.”

He nodded to the tactical screen that showed the Legion broken up into three large divisions and the great horde of enemy ships now positioned all about them. Xenias raised his eyebrows at the image.

“Okay, I hope your plan is going to work.”

So do I,
he thought nervously.

Apart from being outnumbered, the scattered Legion was also in such a position that if any of their ships attempted withdrawal, they would be eliminated piecemeal. A large contingent of the capital ships waited in orbit, and scores of smaller craft moved as though transporting supplies from the surface to the waiting craft. To all intents and purposes, the Legion looked as if it had been caught right in the middle of a resupply operation. Sosis must have worked it out as well because he marched over to Xenias and smashed his fist down onto the nearest console.

“You fools, we have given up our position to face an ignominious defeat while we dawdle around this useless planet! The enemy’s warships are closing in around our Titans.”

His face seemed to redden as he took in more air.

“Without our Titans, we will have nothing...nothing!”

The red markers showing the Median fleets moved ever so slightly, but both Xenophon and Roxana had spotted the course changes. He looked at the group to the right, and she tilted her head and pointed at the other force with her eyebrows. Xenophon nodded.

They are closing in to attack; we have only a few minutes before they hit the Titans.

Sosis turned about to speak with the crew, but Xenias grabbed him.

“No, brother, the plan will work. We’ll rely on one thing to beat them, and it is something these Medes have demonstrated to us one time too many.”

Sosis spat on the floor to the shock of the officers on the ship.

“That is?”

Lady Artemas moved up to them both without making a sound. Her elegance and beauty were undeniable, even though her Medes ancestry should have been an anathema to the present situation.

“The Dukas is correct. Arrogance is the greatest failing of the God King. Tissaphernes commands here, and he has your ships surrounded and trapped.”

“How is that a weakness? Each of our ships faces multiple enemies,” Sosis said, shaking his head.

Xenophon placed his hand on the man’s arm.

“Terran infantry are the greatest the galaxy has ever known. We will not defeat this fleet in a ranged battle, as they would like. They have come close to finish us, but the reality is they are too close now. We will destroy them using the old ways, and that is where our smaller ships will do their work.”

Sosis’ face lightened at this piece of information.

“Wait. You mean the light ships will attack them?”

Xenophon grinned at this.

“Yes, once the heavies start their gun line battle, we will pin their other ships with our smaller vessels and send in dromons to finish the job.”

Sosis remained silent for a moment, considering what Xenophon was saying.

“This will leave us stuck here. We cannot leave this sector while our warriors are aboard their ships.”

“True,” answered Xenophon, “but out fleet is mangled and lacking supplies and spare ships. This battle will leave us stronger, better equipped, and more importantly, it will unite us.”

Xenias pointed to the scores of ships visible on the screen.

“And I intend on getting us a fourth Titan for the fleet.”

All of them looked to the shape of the Median super-battleship. It was as powerful as it was garish. Around it moved an entire squadron of the heavy Elamite battleships they had already encountered in multiple engagements. As they watched the great vessel, their awe turned to excitement at the opportunity for such a prize. Xenophon did his best to hide his smile at the complete change in the attitude of the crew of the Titan at this news.

Terrans will fight and kill each other until none remain, but nothing unites us more than a common foe,
he recalled from his teachings back home.

“May I?” asked Sosis.

Xenias nodded, and the man moved towards his Kybernetes, the ship’s second-in-command, and the man responsible for the day-today running of the Titan.

“Prepare our warriors for full frontal assault. It is time for us to expand our fleet!”

The Kybernetes’ lip moved just a fraction, but his pleasure was clear at this news. Few Terrans would fail to be excited at the prospect of the capture or defeat of such a mighty enemy force. As he walked away, Sosis lowered his head slightly to Xenias and his companions.

“Dukas, your advice is sound, and your advisors are...imaginative. You were right to return to this vessel. The enemy are all around us like vultures, but it is us that will do the killing.”

His entire face almost beamed with pleasure.

“Your plan has brought them within arm’s reach, and I look forward to this engagement. It will be glorious.”

“As do we all,” replied Xenias.

He tilted his chair a fraction before continuing.

“I assume you will accept my command, until the vote of course?”

Sosis once more bowed down a little in acknowledgement, and Xenias finally allowed a narrow smile to appear on his stern face. The tension on the ship had almost matched that of the Laconian Titan. Sosis however was more flexible than his Laconian compatriot. Xenias nodded in thanks.

“Good. I am sure the warriors on this ship will choose you as their commander once the battle is over. In the meantime, I will ensure we devastate this rabble, and I would appreciate your assistance in doing so.”

“Of course, Dukas.”

A man clearing his voice made him turn about to stare down at Xenophon and his group.

“What about us?” Glaucon asked.

He looked as excited at the prospect of battles as the rest but also a little unsure as to what their part would be in the upcoming fight. Sosis placed the back of his hand to his chin and thought for a moment. Xenias was technically in charge of the Titan, for now at least, but the Komes was best placed to deal with those still on the ship. He answered the question before Xenias had time to open his mouth.

“I have mixed contingents of Atticans, Arcadians, and Laconians on board, and they are causing all kinds of trouble. They will not obey orders from any officers outside of their own contingents, but they might listen to one of Attica’s old conservatives?”

Xenophon didn’t seem particularly convinced at this but could understand Sosis’ idea. Though he was from the pro-democracy world of Attica, his family had never really fitted in. Like many of the wealthier people upon Attica, he had favoured the more traditional political and economic ideas over what he considered to be the mob-rule mentality of the democrats.