Shadow Fall (The Shadow Saga) (5 page)

“They’re gearing up for battle,” 301 motioned to the gun turrets lined up and down the sides of the flagship, each manned by at least two gunners. “Looks like they might also have an invasion force.”

“Assuming Sullivan is behind this, he is smarter than I gave him credit for,” Derek said. “This is a genius move. If they fail, they have still proven to the World System that they are a force to be reckoned with. If they succeed, Alexandria will fall today.”

“Then we need to do this quickly,” 301 said. “After this squad passes we’ll have a clear shot at the aft cabin. From there we can find our way to the cargo hold.”

Derek turned his attention to the squad, who at that moment passed right by them. They completed their survey of the aft deck and then continued on toward the front of the ship.

“Go!” At 301’s command the Specters leapt over the railing and onto
Infallible
, leaving their magnetic disks stuck to the hull behind them. They ran quickly and quietly toward the aft cabin, the white light of their Spectral Gladii igniting just as 301 kicked open the door and rushed inside. Two soldiers guarded the entrance, but
Calumnior
fell upon them in a fury. By the time Derek shut the door both hostiles were dead.

Derek looked down at the two lifeless soldiers, “A disguise might be a good idea, Captain. We’re bound to pass more soldiers on our way to the cargo hold, and we can’t just kill them all.”

“Agreed,” 301 nodded. They set about removing the white overcoats from their former owners and put them on. While examining a slash that 301’s blade had made in the coat he was to wear, Derek went on, “I don’t see how they plan to fight in these things. Good for show, not for battle.”

“The Premier and the other chief advisors are politicians,” 301 replied, straightening his cuffs. “Are you really surprised?”

“No,” Derek smiled. “I suppose not.”

“Let’s get going. Every minute lost is a minute closer to Alexandria’s defeat.”

-X-

“Chief Aurora,” the captain of
Infallible
called from the other side of the bridge. “You had better come look at this.”

Liz walked over and stood with the captain at the tactical screen, “What is it?”

“Surveillance is still active outside the jamming radius, and we’ve picked up a group of vessels headed this way,” he circled the few red dots that had appeared, and the screen zoomed in. “Readings indicate the squadron to be composed of seven battleships, five destroyers, and one System-class flagship, the
MWRS Detriment
.”

“It’s the World System’s patrol guard,” Liz shook her head. “You’re sure there’s no chance they can detect us?”

“The Blackout device jams every known form of technological surveillance,” the officer replied. “But a soldier with a sharp eye will be able to spot us in just under a couple of minutes. So far I don’t think any Halos have escaped our guns to get back and warn the System that we are at the door, but when the patrol guard sees us that will undoubtedly change.”

“Does a squadron of that size pose a significant threat to the
Infallible
?”

“
Detriment
has roughly sixty percent of
Infallible
’s firepower, but those destroyers tip the balance in their favor. Even with no targeting equipment, we may not be able to make it to shore without sustaining heavier casualties than initially anticipated. Once we’re spotted, every second we wait to turn around increases the chance that the road to the Atlantic will be blocked. If the System’s Atlantic fleet can trap us in the Chesapeake, we’re through.”

“But as long as the Blackout stays operational, we have the advantage.”

“Until they adapt, yes. However…there is another way. The
Infallible
is equipped with long-range Tetra-torpedoes.”

Liz nodded, “If we attack them now we could cripple the patrol fleet, but that would also alert the System to our presence. The other option is to hold out for the possibility that they won’t see us, but that could end with us facing the patrol fleet
and
the shore defenses.”

The captain shrugged. “We take a risk either way.”

“I hate wait-and-see tactics, Captain,” Liz said fiercely. “Open torpedo bay doors. Prepare coordinates for three launches, all aimed at the
Detriment
. Once it is crippled, you may move on to the destroyers. Do
not
slow our approach.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

At that moment the ship’s XO entered the bridge, an anxious look on his face, “Chief Aurora, we have a problem. Two soldiers were just found dead in the aft cabin, stripped of their overcoats. Their wounds are a combination of melee slashes and burns.”

Liz closed her eyes, feeling certain doom pronounced with those words. So, Specter was there after all. She took a deep breath and raised her voice to address the bridge, “Everyone, listen up! An unknown number of Specters have infiltrated the
Infallible
and are currently disguised as Imperial soldiers. They most certainly know of the Blackout device by now, and their objective will be to sabotage our attack by destroying our advantage. What floor is the device on?”

“It’s in the cargo hold,” an officer replied.

Liz unclipped
Ignis
from her side, and the sight of the red Gladius caused all in the vicinity to shrink from her. “Alert the ship of possible hostiles on board, and have three squads of your best men meet me at the aft cabin. The Blackout device must remain active, gentlemen, or this ship and every man on it may very well end this day on the bottom of the sea.

“Captain, you have the bridge. Fire the torpedoes when ready.”

-X-

“We’re nearing the center of the ship,” Derek whispered as he and 301 crept across the cargo hold, trying their best to remain inconspicuous as they passed several men in white uniforms going about their duties. “The jamming equipment should be close, if we chose the right place.”

Through the deepening darkness of the deck 301 saw flashes of a familiar blue light at the end of the hallway, “Why do you think it’s so dark this way?”

“Not sure,” Derek replied. “Maybe the power consumed by the jamming equipment is sucking juice from the area around here as well. To be honest, creating a jamming field this strong would take a power source the magnitude of which I’ve never—”

Derek fell silent as the two of them rounded a corner, his attention totally diverted to the incredible sight that lay before them. His mouth hung open in horrified astonishment as they slowly advanced to the center of the deck, the low fluorescent light giving way to an eerie blue.

It was not something 301 had never seen before, yet it was the very last thing he expected to find on board this ship. On top of a white stone pedestal, held by a three-pronged device composed of a special titanium alloy, was a fiery blue sphere. As they got closer 301 thought it looked like a miniature version of the sun, aside from the static electricity that cycled around it continually. The three-pronged device absorbed some of this current and sent it in various directions, giving power to the entire ship. It was the same kind of orb beside which Jacob Sawyer had met his death: a Fusiosphere.

“They did it,” Derek said breathlessly. “They mastered Solithium fusion.”

301 remembered his encounter with the head of research and development just before the battle at the Weapons Manufacturing Facility. When questioned about the glowing blue ball, Doctor Ryder had told them that the Fusiosphere was a long way from being put to practical use, as the fusion reaction could not be contained more than a couple of days. But here it was, operating in perfect stasis.

He knew this would have far-reaching implications for the System’s strategy in the war, but he turned his attention to the more immediate crisis, “So how do we destroy it?”

“I don’t know,” Derek shook his head. “But whatever we do, we need to move fast. There might not be any personnel stationed here, but I’m sure a patrol will come by eventually.”

“Somehow I doubt a Spectral Gladius is going to be much use,” 301 looked around and saw that only one computer console was still in operation. He rushed to it and let his fingers fly over the controls, searching for anything that might help them. After a few seconds the word
Fusiosphere
caught his eye, and he selected it. Schematics detailing the sphere and the design of its pedestal appeared on the screen, and his first thought was to level the playing field. He turned to his partner, “We need to copy these files and get them back to the System. If we can’t duplicate this technology it will only be a matter of time before they’re able to do something like this again.”

Derek’s attention, however, was no longer on the sphere. His eyes had shifted in the direction from which they had come, wide with a look 301 knew all too well. “I seriously doubt we have time for that.” 301 followed his gaze.

The rifle-mounted lights of fifty assault weapons crisscrossed in the corridor, headed straight for them.

-X-

“Torpedoes away. Impact in two minutes.”

“Shift your lock to the three destroyers flanking the
Detriment
,”
Infallible
’s captain ordered. Then fire another volley.”

“Yes, sir,” the tactical officer replied. “Shifting coordinates. First volley still on target, impact in one minute, forty-five seconds.”

“XO, draw up contingency plans for a full invasion of Division One. Going up the Potomac may no longer be an option.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Second volley away,” the tactical officer announced. “Enemy squadron is maintaining course. They do not seem to have picked up the first volley of torpedoes, even though they have passed outside the jamming radius.”

The bridge was silent for several seconds as the XO studied the alternate invasion plans laid out by
Infallible
’s computer. Once his eyes stopped scanning, he looked up and said grimly, “Captain, initial tactical calculations indicate there are no contingencies that will end in the successful siege of Alexandria. All avenues aside from the Potomac will fail to break through Division One’s defense, even with the jamming equipment still active.”

Cursing, the captain walked over to the screen to see the calculations for himself. Hundreds of different landing sites were listed, all with the glaring words
Projected Failure
off to the side.

“Ten seconds until first volley impact. Nine, eight, seven…”

5

“G
RAND
A
DMIRAL, THE
H
ALO
-4 you requested is ready to take you up to investigate the blackout zone. Still no word from our fleet of Halos that went in just a few minutes ago.”

“Keep trying,” Donalson ordered. “Take command of the
Detriment
while I am in the air, Admiral Fox, and contact me if you see anything.” He left the command bridge and descended to the flagship’s deck where the Halo-4 waited. He stepped inside and motioned for the pilot to take off, and the vessel lifted into the air with relatively little turbulence. Donalson looked out over the sea through the open hatch of the hovercraft, squinting at three very thin strands racing through the water straight toward the
Detriment
. It took him a moment to realize what he was seeing, but once he did his first reaction was self-preservation, “Pull up!”

The pilot of the Halo looked back at him in confusion, “Sir?”

“
Pull up
!” Donalson screamed. “Get us into the sky!”

The Halo ascended rapidly as the three strands drew nearer to the bow of the
Detriment
. Then all three torpedoes slammed into the vessel with crushing force, and the mere sound of it hurt the grand admiral’s ears. Several seconds passed without the expected explosion, and Donalson mustered up the courage to gaze out the door beneath them.

All three torpedoes detonated simultaneously, and the force of their explosion ripped the
Detriment
to shreds. Grand Admiral Donalson could feel the heat on his face as the fiery cloud of the flagship’s destruction launched itself into the sky. Debris collided with the adjacent battleship, and scattered fires broke out all over the deck. The battleship lurched in the water from the shockwave of the blast, and Donalson could tell from his position above that the vessel had begun to take on water.

He looked up at the horizon to see three more torpedoes racing toward the patrol fleet, more spread out than the first volley. He pressed a finger to his earphone and shouted, “Three more torpedoes approaching from the south! All vessels, take evasive maneuvers!”

But it was too late. Each of the three torpedoes hit a destroyer at the head of the fleet in like fashion, delaying explosion until they had penetrated through the hull. One torpedo was enough to make quick work of the smaller ships.

Donalson tore his eyes from the charred and sinking ruin of the patrol fleet, and looked out the Halo’s forward window, “What’s going on? Who has this kind of firepower?”

“I’ve got nothing on radar,” the pilot replied. “But only a Tetra-class ship can wreak this kind of destruction.”

“There’s only one Tetra-class ship in the world, and she belongs to us,” Donalson spat.