Stand or Fall (The Omega War Book 4) Read online

  Above Dresden

  Aldrin System

  Colonel Chee tightened the straps securing her frame to the console. She glanced over her Tri-V screens as Major General Drehnayl entered the command bridge. The larger female radiated power as she climbed past the collected MinSha officers and mounted her station. She glanced around at the crew and raised a foreclaw.

  “Report, Colonel Nyalla.”

  The operations officer replied immediately. “Nominal orbit achieved. There are five Human settlements on the planet. I have dispatched the Flulear to the southern hemisphere and the two settlements there. I expect little resistance from those colonies and their 450 combined residents. There are three settlements in the northern hemisphere, of which only one is a concern. Dresden City is a forward operating base for several mercenary companies who’ve pooled their resources to establish a protected perimeter. There are 5,000 Humans in the settlement and an unknown complement of weapons. There is no evidence of nuclear weapon use on this planet.”

  Drehnayl nodded. “We will center our attack on Dresden City. What are the companies involved?”

  Nyalla consulted her console for a moment. “There are elements of Gray’s Goblins, Lee’s Reapers, and a unit I believe is officially defunct—Lemieux’s Marauders. I estimate between these three elements, there are less than eight hundred combat soldiers present, General.”

  Drehnayl looked at Chee. “Prepare all landing forces.”

  Chee tapped her console. “Orders generated. Landing force will be ready to deploy in fifteen minutes.”

  “Excellent.” Drehnayl turned her attention to a collection of advisors clustered around her command console. Chee looked at the Tri-V screens in front of her and watched the combat force icons appear on their dropships and slowly check in with their load and troop status.

  Bing!

  Chee saw a private window open on her console, below the upper edge, where only she could see it. She tapped the window to open it.

  //This is a mistake.//

  Chee cocked her head sideways for a moment and tried not to look up in surprise. She keyed her communications console and tapped slowly. //What is a mistake?//

  //We do not have munitions for a sustained attack.//

  Nyalla.

  Chee looked across the consoles and saw the operations officer glance up at her, then back down at her console. A second later, more text appeared in the window.

  //Should the Humans mount an adequate defense, our forces will retreat.//

  Chee tapped a message. //And she knows this?//

  //Yes.//

  Then why would Drehnayl continue the attack? Chee sighed and tapped her screen again. //She has a different plan?//

  //I believe so, but it has not been shared.//

  The group of advisors clustered around Drehnayl laughed. Of the group, the smaller males representing the political officers of their home region laughed the loudest. Chee swallowed her discontent and looked at the status of the gathering combat forces. As she scrolled through the information, Chee noted Nyalla was correct in her assessment. Unless the first wave succeeded spectacularly, any Human defense would stall the attack. Attrition favored the Humans. Without ammunition, it was anyone’s guess how Drehnayl would continue the attack. It did not appear the general was worried. Relaxed at her console, Drehnayl didn’t appear concerned about the situation. She seemed to be looking beyond the coming conflict. Even the dullest male drones of the species knew short-sightedness of such caliber spelled disaster.

  Chee wiped away the private communication and keyed a message request to Drehnayl. The general glanced at her console and stared holes through Chee. “What is it, Chee?”

  “General, we are seventy-five percent combat loaded. I am concerned several dropships are fuel deficient and ammunition stores from ground forces appear to be just above minimums for attack.”

  Drehnayl waved a foreclaw. “I am aware of this, Chee. Continue preparations for attack.”

  “But, General,” Chee blurted and an overwhelming silence fell around her. “Should the Humans put up a defense, which their very location and structures indicate they will, our forces could stall. Attrition isn’t our friend.”

  Drehnayl leaned on one arm of her console and stared at Chee. “I do not care about attrition, Colonel. We are to remove humanity from the rim worlds. I will use every soldier and weapon in our stores to do so.”

  “If we—”

  “Enough!” Drehnayl screeched. “Are our forces staged and ready, Colonel Nyalla?”

  Nyalla looked up from her console. “They are, General.”

  “Commit them,” Drehnayl ordered. “Our attack will not fail.”

  “Launching forces. Time to assault is twenty-one minutes and forty seconds,” Nyalla replied. She looked up and met Chee’s eyes, then looked down at her console. “Reconnaissance elements are on station. Relays are in place and visual feeds are online.”

  “Command windows open.”

  On all the Tri-V consoles, a large central window opened and relayed a view of the surface. Dresden appeared to be everything New Persia was not. Instead of the wide-open desert of their last conquest, Dresden sat in a bowl between craggy, snow-covered peaks. On one side of the settlement lay a starport with two active pads and a large multi-hangar complex. The rest of the settlement was separated from the starport by a blue lake of a color unlike any Chee had ever seen. Around the entire settlement were concrete walls with the twisted wire Humans called concertina atop it. There appeared to be weapons pylons built into the fencing at two-hundred-meter intervals. The pylons were inactive and ballistic shields remained in place. Whatever munitions the Humans fielded were unknown. Chee focused on the feed for several minutes trying to gain additional intelligence about Dresden.

  The multi-hangar complex drew her eyes, and what she saw seemed to confirm her worst fears. At least twenty Human tanks sat in a line with their gun tubes covered and prepared for transport. There was nothing to suggest the vehicles weren’t ready for operations. Across from them, stored in combat racks, were sixteen Combat Assault Suit, Personal mechs which also appeared ready to operate. Behind those racks, however, were more than a hundred mechs in various stages of repair. Whatever rested inside the hangars, if anything, scared Chee.

  Nyalla must have had the same thought. “Moving the imagery to multi-spectral. We need more information on those buildings.”

  Chee nodded at the communications officer who transmitted the message. A few seconds later, the image changed, and Chee gasped. The hangars appeared to be full of CASPers and tanks surrounded by technicians and soldiers. “We have to assume they will mount a considerable defense, General.”

  Drehnayl appeared to be paying attention to the situation at last. “Main assault force at the starport. Dispatch the Flulear and bombard from altitude. It worked well on New Persia.”

  Someone else did so with nuclear weapons, but you haven’t given that a second thought.

  Chee shook off the thought as Nyalla relayed the orders to the committed forces. On her screen, Chee watched the descending dropships cross the horizon. The quiet base below the reconnaissance team came to life almost instantly. Before Chee’s eyes, they manned the tanks and rolled toward the landing ships on the starport’s perimeter. CASPers rose up and ran into the fray. Out of the hangars, ducted fan flying machines raced into the daylight.

  “Forward units taking fire!” Chee saw Nyalla press her face closer to the Tri-V display. “All units engaged!”

  Chee watched her status displays change quickly. The Humans on Dresden were not putting up a structured defense. They were on the attack and casualties would be catastrophic. “Counterattack reported at two locations. Human tanks are cutting a swath through our forward lines.”

  Static filled the consoles as the reconnaissance feed ended abruptly.

  “Contact lost with recon team,” Nyalla said.

  Drehnayl snarled. “Recall all forces to the dropships immediately.
As soon as they are clear of the objective, boost the Shendil-ya toward the gate. Our cruisers will eliminate the Human threat from orbit.”

  Chee stiffened. “General, that’s illegal under the—”

  “It is, Colonel Chee, but our mission is also illegal under those same regulations. Those rules do not apply to Humans. They are a pestilence on this union, and we will eliminate them.” Drehnayl looked in the direction of the navigation section. “Contact the gate and set our course for Chitaa. We require provisions and additional soldiers. Colonel Nyalla? I want a new target list on my slate within the hour. We will only use ground forces in situations where the numerical and technological advantage is ours. In all others, we will smite them from the sky.”

  Nyalla acknowledged the order but Chee remained silent. Drehnayl looked her way with an ominous stare.

  “Colonel Chee?”

  Oh gods. Chee nodded, “Yes, General?”

  “Your assessment was wise, and our soldiers have you to thank for their survival,” Drehnayl’s antennae stood rigid on her head. “But, for the sake of your miserable life, do not ever disagree with me publicly again. Is that clear?”

  Chee touched a claw to her carapace in salute. “I meant no disrespect, General.”

  “What you meant, Colonel, is abundantly clear to me. Undermining my plans for your own personal gain is ill advised.”

  Chee took a slow breath. “I meant no disrespect, General,” she repeated.

  “Very well,” Drehnayl replied, but Chee knew better than to assume the matter was closed. A half second later, a new private window appeared on her console.

  //We must talk.//

  * * *

  Zeha

  Ares Minor System

  The yacht settled to the tarmac effortlessly, allowing Jessica the luxury of standing at the door and watching through the head-sized porthole. Zeha seemed like any other planet, but as the ship slowed for landing, her first thought was the pilots were landing in a large crater. As far as she could see, there was a clear rim of higher ground towering above thick deciduous forests, not entirely unlike Weqq. Jessica unconsciously flexed her previously-injured leg as her mind flashed through the events of the previous mission. Barely six weeks had passed, and while some of the memories were as fresh as ten minutes before, others seemed to be years in the past. Leaning against the door like a child staring at their first snowfall, Jessica wondered if life as a Peacemaker would continue to follow the same pattern. Running missions where her life was in the balance, surrounded by new and life-long friends who understood and shared the same experiences, followed by periods of doubt and an almost paralyzing return to the normal world, almost seemed too much to bear. Yet, it was precisely what she expected of the Peacemaker life. She wasn’t much more than a mercenary taking missions for credits, but she’d been drawn to the ideals of justice and truth, despite their constantly placing her in harm’s way.

  With a rush of warm, humid air, the outer hatch slid upward. The planet smelled like loam, rich and earthy, and there was the distinctive smell of petrichor as rain threatened from heavy gray clouds overhead. After spending most of two weeks aboard a spacecraft in hyperspace, it was a welcome smell. Jessica climbed down the yacht’s integrated ladder to the damp tarmac and breathed the smells in deeply. There was a little less oxygen content to the air than on Earth, but it was in the breathable range for a Human, and she wouldn’t be on the planet long enough, she hoped, to develop any side effects. A delegation of MinSha emerged from a building she instantly considered to be Base Operations. As they formed a group of politicians and leader castes, Jessica spotted a familiar face in the crowd, something she’d never thought possible given the insectoid characteristics of the MinSha. Yet, she recognized the face of a friend who had all too recently been in combat by her side.

  Jessica walked quickly toward the hesitant group, her eyes on the familiar face. The MinSha looked up and met her eyes. With his antennae waggling in excitement, the young male broke from the slow-moving pack and bounded toward her. Jessica grinned and waved, “Tirr!”

  They met and embraced in a strange, wonderful celebration of their friendship which caught every MinSha by complete and horrified surprise. MinSha did not embrace each other except in the death throes of a fertile male drone, and while it was commonplace for Humans to display affection in such a manner, a MinSha officer doing so with a Human caused a murmur of disbelief to ripple through the crowd.

  Jessica stepped back. “Aren’t you supposed to be on Weqq? What are you doing here?”

  “I could ask you the same thing,” Tirr’s antennae bounced happily. “After Weqq, I was recognized for gallantry and sent here to command Queen Taal’s guard.”

  She noticed the rank pinned to his chiton on the left side of his chest and a white ribbon holding a blue diamond pendant on the other side. “Lieutenant Colonel? And, the Queen’s Crown? I can’t say I’m surprised. Congratulations, Tirr.”

  “And you, Lieutenant Francis.” Tirr bowed his head theatrically. “There is a delegation of political aides who would like to meet you. When they’ve bored you with pleasantries, I am to take you to the queen.”

  Jessica frowned. “You know I’m not fond of politicians, regardless of their species.”

  “I believe the Human phrase is something along the lines of ‘duty calls,’ isn’t it?”

  She snorted and smiled at her friend. “There is that.”

  Jessica put a hand on Tirr’s upper left arm as she stepped around him to greet the seven-member political delegation. There were three males and four much larger females, all wearing the political directorate’s brooch on their chiton. Jessica walked toward them and stopped two paces away. She bowed her chin solemnly and looked up at them as they returned the gesture. One of the females, the elder statesman of the group, opened her mouth to speak, but Jessica beat her to the punch.

  “Honored Delegates,” she said. “I am Lieutenant Jessica Francis of the Peacemaker Guild. Thank you for your official welcome. As much as I wish we could take time to entertain the intricacies and requirements of such a visit, regretfully I must refrain. I am in the conduct of an investigation, and I have need of information critical to the punishment of a crime.”

  “Peacemaker Francis, this is highly irregular,” the older MinSha stammered in her shock. “A Peacemaker conducting an investigation on a MinSha regional capital world is—”

  “Protected under Article 12, Section 201 of the Peacemaker Code and ratified by the Galactic Code in the same section and article. That provision has been in place for more than two thousand and twelve years.” Jessica smiled politely. “I will ensure Guild Master Rsach learns of your hospitality and good faith toward my mission. Given the circumstances, I would imagine he would entertain an official visit soon.”

  The politicians chittered happily. Jessica heard Lucille chime in her ear. <>

  Of course, he’s monitoring the situation. He’s the commander of the Queen’s Guard, and I’m a Human. Never mind that I’m a Peacemaker. A Human on a MinSha capital planet may have only happened a few times in history.

  No pressure, Jess.

  Tirr stepped forward. “If you’ll excuse the Peacemaker? Her presence is required in the queen’s chambers immediately.”

  The collected group of delegates bowed their long necks and Jessica returned the formal bow with a nod of her head. A Peacemaker bowed to no one, but they respected all species until they became a threat. As much as she disliked politicians, there was nothing about their demeanor or posture suggesting a threat, but Jessica kept her eyes open throughout the gesture. Within a few seconds, the delegates moved away as one and left her and Tirr standing alone on the tarmac.

  Jessica turned to Tirr. “You have a weapons team watching me?�
��

  Tirr laughed. “Hello, Lucille.”

  <>

  “She says hello,” Jessica replied. “Was it your idea?”

  “Yes,” Tirr said. “While I do not believe you are a threat, the vast majority of MinSha remain distrustful of Humans, despite what you did on Weqq.”

  Tirr began walking, and Jessica fell into step beside him. “You’re aware the Mercenary Guild has positioned a fleet above Earth?” Tirr asked.

  Jessica nodded. “I scanned the intelligence packets we downloaded from gate control once we emerged. Peepo has made a catastrophic mistake, Tirr.”

  “I am inclined to agree, Jessica; however, our queens have decided to support the Mercenary Guild. You’re well aware our females control the guild and our branches of government. Several of them are directly related to Chinayl and her clutch-sister Drehnayl, whom I believe you are trying to find?”

  Jessica looked down at the hardscrabble surface under their feet as she kept pace. “Did you know or was it an educated guess?”

  “MinSha don’t guess,” Tirr said. “Our hive knows your guild dispatched you to investigate Drehnayl. We are also aware nuclear weapons were used on New Persia. I imagine your guild made it seem like there was considerable secrecy about your mission?”

  “They did.” Jessica nodded. “But they wanted the MinSha to know I was coming.”

  “Because of Weqq,” Tirr said. “As I said before, the MinSha are leery of Humans, but you are a curiosity to them, Jessica. A Human who risked everything, including personal harm, to save MinSha? And a Human who brought the TriRusk back into the Union? You’ve done more in their eyes than any Human ever, and Queen Taal wants to meet you.”

  “But her alliance is with the Mercenary Guild?”

  Tirr nodded, and there was a glint in his eyes she hadn’t seen before. “For now. If there’s anyone who can change that equation, it’s you, Jessica. There are already over a hundred MinSha in the galaxy who sing your praises. Certainly, you out of all Humans can impress a queen.”