The Lost Stars: Shattered Spear (27 page)

Kontos sucked in a sudden breath. “The enigmas. The jump point we saw that ship of theirs using is over there.”

Marphissa quickly ran some data through her display, using one hand to draw vectors through the images of planets and ships. “If the enigmas have come in at the same place you saw that one ship . . .” She shook her head. “The Syndicate battle cruisers can outrun them and jump back to Palau. The others won’t make it.”

“Are we close enough to intervene?” Iceni asked. She paused for a moment to let her words sink in before adding more. “They may be Syndicate, but they’re people like us, or like we used to be.”

Kontos nodded, smiling. “If we can hit the enigmas while they are engaging the Syndicate flotilla, we might be able to inflict enough damage to ensure victory.”

“See if we can do it,” Marphissa said.

“Kommodor?” The senior watch specialist gestured toward her display. “The Syndicate flotilla changed vector again.”

Everyone focused on their displays, waiting to see what the Syndicate flotilla had done hours before. “They’re coming back around,” Mercia said, puzzled.

“Back onto their original vectors,” Kontos confirmed. “They are heading for the planet again.”

Marphissa felt a heaviness inside. “The CEO commanding that flotilla did the math. They know the troop transports can’t get away, so
they’re going to land the ground forces on the planet to give them a chance.”

“And the battle cruisers will stay with their comrades and fight the enigmas together.” Kontos was smiling again, his enthusiasm and admiration for the Syndicate flotilla’s actions obvious. “Kommodor, we must help them.”

“They are still the enemy,” Marphissa reminded him. “As much as a quarter of the men and women aboard those units may be snakes. Remember what Syndicate mobile forces did to Kane.”

“I have not forgotten,” Kontos said, the smile and admiration disappearing from his face. “But, still, in this they are doing the right thing.”

“They are,” Marphissa conceded. “I would like to know why the snakes are permitting it. Work up a vector toward that planet. We don’t know yet where the Syndicate ships will go once they have dropped off the ground forces, so we will head for that world so we can also drop off our ground forces before proceeding into battle with the enigmas.” She would have to call Colonel Rogero and tell him that, and did not for a moment imagine that he would be thrilled by the news.

“Here is your vector, Kommodor,” Kontos said a few seconds later. “Assuming you wish to limit our velocity to point two light speed?”

She felt an urge to check with Iceni, but decided this was as good a time as any to see if the president had meant it when she granted Marphissa full control over the mobile forces. “Yes. I don’t want to go any faster until I know more about what the enigmas are doing. We should see them within a couple more hours and at least be able to tell if they were also heading straight for that planet as of several hours ago.”

Marphissa forced herself to study Kontos’s proposed vector, taking her time to look it over. The urge to act quickly, to maneuver now, was a human one, but very mistaken in space. Just because you could see the enemy did not mean that the enemy was a threat. In fact, the enemy might be days away from being able to engage your forces. But still the instincts passed down to Marphissa from primitive humans hunting
on the plains and forests and tundra of Old Earth insisted that she must act immediately against an enemy that could be seen.

“Good,” she finally said. “All units in Midway Offensive Flotilla, immediate execute, come starboard five seven degrees, down zero six degrees, accelerate to point two light speed.”

Pele
swung around under the push of her thrusters, nimble and fast, then waited as the other warships matched the movement. The HuKs and the light cruisers moved almost as quickly as the battle cruiser, the heavy cruisers were noticeably slower, the troop transports were about as agile as the heavy cruisers, and the battleship
Midway
’s thrusters brought the vast mass of that warship around with ponderous deliberation.

With everyone lined up in the right direction and main propulsion lit off on every warship,
Pele
and the other warships keeping their acceleration slow enough to match that of
Midway
, the flotilla dove into Iwa Star System, heading for the orbit of the planet where humans and enigmas would soon clash again to determine the fate of everyone in this region of space.

“MADAM
President, what can I say to the Syndicate forces?” Marphissa asked.

Iceni was sitting back, her lower face covered by one hand as she thought. Finally she answered, her eyes meeting Marphissa’s. “
I
should say this to them. I will send a broadcast to the Syndicate flotilla that we may be enemies to each other, but we can work together to defeat the enigmas. I will say that we are willing to suspend hostilities against Syndicate forces until the aliens are defeated.”

She paused, waiting for Marphissa’s reaction.

“That is . . . pragmatic,” Marphissa said. “They might accept it. I do not think they would believe any offer that did not obviously benefit both our force and their flotilla. What about the enigma base? Will you tell them of that?”

Iceni brooded over that question for several seconds more, then nodded. “Yes. Those Syndicate ground forces may be massacred before we can get there to help them, but I will not let that happen without at least trying to warn them. I’ll transmit from
Midway
, Kommodor. If I
receive any reply from the Syndicate forces, I will ensure you are aware of it.”

It took another two hours, as they watched the hours-old movements of the Syndicate flotilla toward an unseen enemy, before the light showing the enigma ships finally reached the Midway flotilla.

“There they are,” Kontos said as a new set of symbols appeared on the displays accompanied by an urgent alert sound.

“Forty-four of them,” Marphissa said. The largest of the enigma warships was larger than human heavy cruisers but significantly smaller than human battle cruisers or battleships. But there were a lot more enigma warships than there were human warships. “Seeing those numbers, I’m even more surprised that the snakes in that Syndicate flotilla haven’t ordered the battle cruisers to run and leave the rest to their fates.”

“It will be very hard for them to win,” Kontos conceded.

“Kapitan,” Marphissa said patiently, “it is impossible for the Syndicate flotilla to win. They are choosing to die here. I do not understand that. You know how the snakes think. There is nothing here that they would consider worth the sacrifice of those two battle cruisers in addition to the other warships in that flotilla.”

“They would abandon the ground forces to their fates,” Kontos agreed. “Perhaps the snakes have firm orders to stop the enigmas from taking this star system, and would face death from the Syndicate even if they escaped from Iwa.”

“That is possible,” Marphissa agreed. She was looking at her display, where the vectors from the two human flotillas and those of the alien armada were now visible and made obvious an unpleasant future. “We can’t get to them in time to help. Not if they hold to what they’re doing.”

“They won’t even know we’re here for another hour,” Kontos said. “And they won’t receive the president’s message until then, either. They don’t yet know any alternative exists.”

Marphissa pressed her back against her seat, glaring at her display.
Another hour before the Syndicate warships finally saw that the Midway flotilla had arrived, then almost another three hours before she saw what they did with that information. And about another twelve hours of travel at point two light speed after that before this flotilla neared the planet where the Syndicate ground forces were probably landing at this moment. “The enigmas were coming straight for that planet’s orbit as well, and as we guessed the Syndicate flotilla was heading to meet them.” The long, long curved tracks of the two forces met a light hour from the planet. “The enigmas and the Syndicate flotilla will engage each other while we’re still too far away to do anything but watch what happened hours earlier.”

“If the Syndicate flotilla turns back to meet us—” Kontos began.

She shook her head firmly. “They’re obviously trying to protect those troop transports and freighters. Unless they know the enigmas are going to chase them, turning away and running toward us would just leave those transports and freighters completely open to attack. Unless something else happens, I don’t see any chance of the Syndicate flotilla changing its vector.”

As if triggered by her words, a new alert sounded and new symbols appeared on her display.

Marphissa stared as the display reported that yet another flotilla had appeared in this star system, this time at the jump point from Moorea. Two more battle cruisers, three heavy cruisers, a light cruiser, and eight Hunter-Killers.

Granaile Imallye’s flotilla had arrived.

Before getting to Iwa, Marphissa had anticipated fighting a couple of two-way battles, her forces against Imallye and her forces against the enigmas. But now there were four flotillas at Iwa, and each one of those flotillas regarded the other three as hostile. “Imallye’s forces, the Syndicate forces, and the enigmas, will all attack us at the first opportunity. The only good part of that is they will also attack each other at the first chance that offers itself.”

“A four-way fight?” Kontos asked in disbelief.

The image of Kapitan Mercia appeared before Marphissa. “Well, Kommodor, we have three different enemies to choose from. Which do we attack first?”

Put that way, the answer wasn’t too difficult. “The enigmas. We’ll continue on our approach to intercept their armada.”

Mercia nodded. “I am obligated to point out that it is possible Imallye’s forces will ignore us, the Syndicate, and the enigmas, and proceed straight to the jump point for Midway while the rest of us kill each other.”

That was an ugly possibility. Marphissa remembered the implacable woman she had exchanged messages with at Moorea. “That could happen. We must give Imallye a reason to come after us.” She knew that Iceni would be listening in to this conversation, and would know what that reason would have to be, but Marphissa did not feel comfortable telling her president that it was time to broadcast her presence as bait.

President Iceni’s image appeared as well, looking both resigned to her fate and determined. “I will transmit a message to Imallye. A long message, so she can confirm that it is coming from
Midway
.”

“Thank you, Madam President,” Marphissa said. “May I suggest that you also include some recent details of events here so that Imallye will not think the message is just a recording.”

“I’ll do that.” Iceni glanced to one side, studying the situation on her own display. “What are your intentions, Kommodor?”

Marphissa took a deep breath, then spoke clearly. “I intend continuing onward to engage the enigma armada, splitting off our troop transports to land our ground forces as we pass closest to the planet. If any Syndicate warships still survive when we reach them, I will not target the Syndicate units but allow them to continue engaging the enigmas as well. Once the enigmas are destroyed, I will evaluate the state of any surviving Syndicate warships before turning to engage Imallye’s flotilla.
After destroying Imallye’s forces, I will bring our flotilla back to the planet to support our ground forces in their assault on the enigma base.”

“That’s as good a plan as any at this point,” Iceni said. “How does Colonel Rogero feel about it?”

“Colonel Rogero is . . . not happy,” Marphissa said, choosing her words carefully.

“I’m not surprised. But as bad as things may be on the surface of that planet, they will certainly be a lot better than if his soldiers stayed on those transports with that many enigma warships on the loose.” Iceni paused to rub her forehead, revealing for a moment beneath that not-quite-concealing-enough gesture the concerns she was otherwise hiding very well. “I approve of your plan of action, Kommodor. Proceed. Remember that the enigmas often try to surprise their opponents, so take nothing for granted.”

“Yes, Madam President.”

As Iceni’s image vanished, Marphissa gazed once more at the situation in Iwa. The Syndicate flotilla was still nearly three light hours distant and just to the starward side of the bows of Marphissa’s ships and slightly beneath them. The Syndicate forces should have reached the planet holding the enigma base a short time ago, and would have probably dropped off the transports and freighters while proceeding onward to meet the enigmas. Marphissa’s own flotilla was heading into the star system, aiming for that planet’s orbit as well. Two light hours beyond the Syndicate forces was the enigma armada, which was visible just to port (away from the star) of Marphissa’s flotilla and several degrees above Midway’s ships. As of five hours ago, the alien armada had been on a vector aiming to meet that of the Syndicate flotilla.

Imallye’s flotilla had arrived from Moorea a little over four hours ago, and was coming in from far to port and just aft of amidships relative to Marphissa’s force. Because of where the jump point from Moorea was located and the times the other flotillas had arrived at
Iwa, Imallye would have seen the other three groups of warships as soon as her ships left jump space.

The vector for Marphissa’s flotilla curved into the star system, aiming to intercept not just the orbit of the planet but also the Syndicate flotilla that was moving to meet the aliens. As Marphissa watched her display, the projected track of Imallye’s force shifted only slightly, aiming to swing past the stern of Midway’s flotilla. Mercia had apparently been right about Imallye deciding to hit Midway while the bulk of its forces were tied up in the fighting at Iwa. Hopefully, President Iceni would either persuade Imallye to join in the fight against the enigmas, or goad Imallye into chasing Marphissa’s force as it raced to meet the Syndicate flotilla and the enigma armada.

It was all already complicated enough. What sort of hidden strike could the enigmas also manage when their forces were clearly visible?

“Kapitan Kontos,” Marphissa said, slumping back and gesturing at her display, “if you were an enigma, how would you surprise us or anyone else in this star system?”

Kontos shrugged. “Reinforcements.”

“If more enigma warships arrive at their new jump point, we’ll have plenty of time to see them coming,” Marphissa pointed out. “And our path isn’t coming closer than twenty-three light minutes to any other planet in this star system, so even if the enigmas are hiding behind one of the planets we’ll still have time to react.”

“We will come much closer than twenty-three light minutes to our objective,” Kontos said, pointing to the world they were heading toward. “We are currently tracking to be within a few light seconds of that planet.”

Marphissa gave him a cross look. “It’s a buried installation. Deeply buried. Even if the enigmas have installed defenses on the surface we’ll be too far away for those weapons to threaten us unless we change our track and go into orbit about that planet.”

Kontos nodded, then turned a questioning look on Marphissa. “How do the enigmas supply that buried base, Kommodor?”

She looked back at him, thinking about the question. “There isn’t any landing area visible on the surface,” Marphissa said slowly. “The enigmas have to have some sort of capability to transfer bulk cargo from orbit to that base.”

Another nod from Kontos. “I would guess very large access tunnels covered with camouflaged doors of some kind. At least one, maybe more.”

“Hidden ways in and out of their base.” Marphissa smiled admiringly at Kontos. “That’s consistent with what Black Jack’s ships learned of the enigmas. They hide everything. I am impressed, Kapitan. How did you think of that?”

He actually appeared to be embarrassed by her praise. “I just thought, if there are insects underground like ants, you can always see how they get in and out. And buried human facilities as well. But we can’t see any accesses to the enigma base that we knew was being built. So . . .”

Marphissa nodded, eyeing the planet on her display. “Warships, maybe, already in deeply buried hangars, ready to leap out as human ships pass by. But if that is their plan, they won’t strike when the Syndicate gets there. They’ll wait for them to pass and plan to hit us or Imallye’s ships after the main enigma force has wiped out the Syndicate flotilla.”

“Is it that certain?” Kontos asked in a low voice. “The destruction of the Syndicate flotilla?”

“Yes,” Marphissa said without mercy. “You have seen the enigmas in combat, how fast and maneuverable their warships are, and how they attack without letup or concern for their own survival. The commanders of the Syndicate flotilla’s units do not have the benefit of having seen the enigmas in action, but even if they had it would make no difference. They know that. The Syndicate is badly outnumbered.”

“Why didn’t they run?” Kontos asked. “I respect that they turned to fight, but—”

“There must be a powerful reason. Perhaps we’ll find out what it is before the Syndicate forces are wiped out.”

*   *   *

THERE
were times when it made no sense to try to manipulate others. When the truth should be laid out plainly. When an appeal to reason was infinitely better than any mind game or play on emotion.

This was obviously not such a time.

Gwen Iceni had gone to her stateroom aboard the battleship, the sort of grandiose quarters that suited a Syndicate CEO and thus were more than adequate for a star system president. She sat back in the large, comfortable chair that dominated one corner of the suite, resting her chin on one hand as she thought. Just to one side floated a display showing the entirety of Iwa Star System and the four groups of warships vying for control of it.

It was ironic, she thought, that a star system so poor in resources that the Syndicate hadn’t bothered to defend it properly was now being fought over by four separate powers who all wanted it.

Of course, Imallye only wanted the star system because she thought that Iceni wanted it also.

The enigmas wanted it as a springboard to begin wiping out the human presence.

The Syndicate wanted it back because someone else had taken it.

And herself? Iceni didn’t want Iwa. She just wanted Iwa Star System to be in the hands of someone who did not pose a threat to Midway Star System. Unfortunately, everyone else involved was a threat to Midway.