The Phoenix Reckoning (The Phoenix Conspiracy Series Book 6) (8 page)

Raidan went to the command position, but remained standing. “Mr. Frederickson, I want you to monitor our shields, double-strength forward.”

“Aye, sir.”

“Mr. Demir, arm all weapons and confirm with each gunnery crew that they are ready at their stations.”

“Yes, sir,” said the defense chief.

“Mr. Gates,” said Raidan, looking at the comms chief. “Send a warning to those starbases and orbital platforms; let them know that I am willing to accept their surrender. If they refuse, then I must, rather unfortunately, destroy them.”

“Aye, aye, sir.”

“And Mr. Watson, bring us nice and close to those starbases so they can get a good, long look at us. Once we’re close enough, then hold position. Mr. Gates, have one of your lieutenants relay that command to the entire battlegroup.”

“Yes, sir,” both men acknowledged.

Raidan looked at the 3D display and watched as it adjusted, zooming in on Capital World’s defense structures. They were not something to be meddled with lightly, they had the force of several battleships and were crewed by professionals. But Raidan also could not allow them to stand in his way. And if he showed restraint now, then no one on the surface would take his threat seriously. And they needed to. They
really
needed to. So this damned war would finally end.

“Mr. Ivanov, has the rest of the battlegroup arrived yet?”

“Yes, sir. The final ship is just descending from alteredspace now, sir.”

“Mr. Gates, command the entire battlegroup to follow this ship, but order them to disperse more, so we’re not all one big fat target.” He looked at the formation of his ships on the tactical 3D display, compared it to the starbases visible on the main 3D display, and determined that a dispersed formation would be best to minimize casualties on his end.

“Mr. Ivanov, what other ships are out there?”

“When we first arrived, sir, there was a heavy amount of civilian traffic, as well as the presence of several sentry and destroyer class warships.”

“And now?” asked Raidan.

“The civilians have been ordered to take close orbit around the planet or else to jump into alteredspace. As for the warships, they’ve been escorting the civilian vessels into orbit. They should be on our scopes again any moment.”

Only a few moments after he said the words, several tiny vessels could be seen on the main 3D display, apparently taking up a defensive position within the safety of the starbases’ shields.

“If they think that will save them, they’re wrong,” said Raidan. Then he looked to Mr. Gates. “Any reply from the starbases?”

“They reject our demands and order us to heave-to and surrender our vessels, in the name of the king.”

“In the name of the king…” muttered Raidan, scornfully. “Honestly, I can’t think of a person less kingly than Caerwyn Martel.”

“You’ve got that right, sir,” said Commander Mason.

“Very well then, if it’s our teeth they want, it’s our teeth they shall have,” said Raidan. “Mr. Watson, give us some velocity and then yaw hard to starboard.”

“Aye, sir.”

“Mr. Demir, order all portside guns to fire on Starbase One. Mr. Gates, give the same order to the battlegroup, but inform them the starbase is to be crippled only, not destroyed.”

Both men acknowledged. And, after a few seconds, Raidan could see their beam weapons crashing against the starbase’s shields, while many tiny missiles lit up the tactical 3D display, and flashes of gunfire could be seen.

“They are returning fire, sir,” reported Mr. Frederickson.

“Of course they are,” said Raidan. “Frederickson, you keep those shields double front; Demir, have your crews prioritize enemy missiles—especially those not aimed at this ship—Ivanov, siphon as much power as you can and redirect it to the shields.”

All men acknowledged, and began giving orders to their crews and stations. Blinding flashes of light appeared as the starbase’s many beam weapons slammed into the
Harbinger’s
shields. The second starbase joined in the fight, it too targeting the
Harbinger
with its weapons.

“Shields down to fifty-five percent,” reported Mr. Frederickson.

“Steady,” said Raidan. “Any moment now.”

Then it happened. Starbase One went dark, seeming to go completely offline. It stopped firing its weapons, its shields were gone, and extensive battle damage could be seen on its exterior.

“Order the battlegroup to cease fire.”

“Aye, sir,” acknowledged Mr. Gates; he sent the order and the firing ceased. Except for the weapons fire coming from Starbase Two.

“Order all ships that took fire, except this one, to rotate behind the others in the battlegroup,” said Raidan. “I want fresh ships attacking Starbase Two.”

“Aye, sir, relaying order.”

“Mr. Watson, hard to port, if you don’t mind. Let’s give our port shields a chance to recover and our starboard gunners a chance at some target practice.”

“Aye, aye, sir.”

The view changed out the window as the ship twisted. It seemed that the stars themselves were moving, until the planet came into view. It seemed roughly the size of a bottle cap from this distance, but even so small it glinted like a blue-white diamond.

“General order to all ships, and to our gunners, commence firing on Starbase Two. Fire upon it until it is similarly crippled, then cease fire.”

“Aye, sir, relaying message,” said Mr. Gates.

At that moment, the enemy warships charged away from the starbase, all of them apparently aimed at the
Harbinger
. Once they were close enough, they opened fire.

“Well, what have we here?” said Raidan, watching the tactical display. Then, to Mr. Demir, “Prioritize fire on those ships.”

“Try to cripple them?”

“No. Destroy them.”

“Aye, sir.”

“Mr. Gates, tell the battlegroup to help eliminate those ships, then resume fire on Starbase Two.”

“Aye, sir. Relaying order.”

Several ships in the battlegroup changed their positions, most of them moving closer so they could try to draw away some of the flak the
Harbinger
was taking. Raidan didn’t want that; he knew the
Harbinger
could take the punishment, much more so than any other ship in the battlegroup, and he wanted to protect them all. But since sentry ships and destroyers, even working in harmony, were no match for his battlegroup, the point quickly became irrelevant. Within minutes, the battlegroup was back to firing on Starbase Two, although Raidan had had to order the
Harbinger
to face the starbase head on, rather than broadside, in order to give his port and starboard shields a chance to recover.

Starbase Two put up more of a fight than Starbase One; it took another five minutes before its guns went offline, and another ten before the entire station went dark. At that point, true to Raidan’s orders, every ship in the Organization, his battlegroup, ceased fire.

“Stand down to condition two,” said Raidan. There remained some static defenses that would present pockets of resistance once he moved the battlegroup close to the planet; they may even have to intercept missiles fired at them from the surface, but whatever was coming, his battlegroup could handle it. So long as the Assembly’s fleet remained far afield, Capital System was entirely at his mercy.

“Mr. Gates, tell Starbases One and Two that they have thirty minutes to evacuate. If any souls remain aboard those stations, or if any repair attempts are made, they will be destroyed.”

“Aye, sir. Although I cannot say if they have the capacity to receive our messages anymore.”

“Be that as it may,” said Raidan, folding his arms.

The next thirty minutes were spent watching a horde of tiny craft, most of them landing shuttles, depart the starbases and defense stations and descend toward the surface of Capital World. Raidan didn’t know if his message had gotten through, or if they were simply evacuating because it was no longer safe to remain aboard those stations; either way, they were doing what he wanted.

As the minutes passed, Raidan relayed several instructions to the battlegroup, mostly forming them up into proper position for the maneuver into orbit around Capital System and briefing them on readiness in case any surface-to-space missiles were fired, which he believed to be likely.

Some of the commanders questioned his decision to let the shuttles escape the starbases, and wondered why he wanted to keep the starbases as intact as possible. The reason, of course, should have been obvious. He didn’t come here to slaughter military personnel, or civilians for that matter, and he knew the personnel and the starbases would be needed again soon, once the Empire was properly reunited under Queen Kalila’s banner. Continued war with the Rotham remained a distinct possibility, and largely depended on the outcome of the Battle of Thetican System, of which he had heard no word yet.

Another threat, though more rumored than immediate, was that the Dread Fleet was on the move. If it was, and the Polarian High Prelain had called for a Reckoning, it promised to be a bloody enterprise that would undoubtedly include a major attack on Capital World. Contrary to Raidan’s threats, he wished to keep Capital World as intact as possible, so it could be ready for those other dangers.

“Thirty minutes are up,” announced Commander Mason.

Raidan nodded. “Move us into orbit around the planet.”

“Aye, sir,” said Mr. Watson.

“Mr. Gates, relay that same order to the battlegroup. Then, once the battlegroup is in position, I want to broadcast a message to all of Capital World.”

“Aye, sir.”

Raidan watched the various 3D displays and, true to his expectations, several missiles were fired at the
Harbinger
from the surface of the planet as soon as they entered orbit. The gun crews had been on standby and it was a simple matter to eliminate and destroy each and every missile until the defenders on the ground stopped firing. Shortly after that, the rest of the battlegroup had maneuvered into orbit around Capital World.

“I am now ready to broadcast your message to the planet,” said Mr. Gates.

“Signal me once I’m live,” said Raidan. A few seconds later, Mr. Gates gave him a thumbs up. “Citizens of Capital World, this is Asari Raidan. Your planet is now defenseless and your fleets remain far away. No one is left who can protect you. I have entered orbit around your planet and I represent the firepower of forty-one vessels of war! We are now preparing to bomb you into oblivion, unless you deliver to me Caerwyn Martel. You have four hours. Use them wisely.” He motioned for Mr. Gates to end the transmission.

“Do you think they’ll do it?” asked Commander Mason, once he’d returned to Raidan’s side.

“They’d damn well better,” said Raidan. “Or else all of this was for naught.”

“What do we do if they don’t give in?” asked Mr. Mason.

Raidan considered it for a moment. “Then we show them what happens to those who defy us.” Equal parts anxious and irritated, Raidan swept away. On his way out, he ordered Mr. Gates to command the battlegroup to lock onto their predetermined targets, but to hold fire.
For now
.

***

“To all the citizens of this fair Empire, my people, my subjects, I come before you now to bring news of the darkest kind,” said Kalila.

It had taken some time and some effort for her to recapture her regal composure, after what had happened in Thetican System, but now she felt like herself again. Except angrier, and more motivated than ever before. This was someone’s fault and she would have that person named and brought to swift justice. Because if she didn’t, and if it wasn’t someone else’s fault, that meant it was her fault. Her fault for not being vigilant enough. Her fault for the deals she’d made. Deals that had been broken. And her fault because a monarch must defend her people and she failed.

“During the Battle of Thetican System, where I led a fleet against an invading Rotham fleet, the parent star of Thetican System was destroyed. The resulting shockwave from its super collapse led to the complete destruction of the planet. There are no survivors. Let us all now take a moment of silence to grieve,” she bowed her head. After a full minute, she lifted her head and continued speaking, “the destruction of an entire star by a super weapon is warfare unlike anything the galaxy has ever seen. That deed was the foulest, most evil, and vilest deed that has ever been done. I now apologize to you, my people, my subjects, my brothers and sisters, that I failed to protect Thetican System from its terrible fate.

But I swear to you, those of us who have lost loved ones because of this atrocity, we shall have our justice! Every measure will be taken to discover the perpetrator and bring them to swift justice and a merciless end.”

Kalila had thought to crucify the Rotham by pinning the blame upon them; after all, they had attacked and they had probably been behind it, but since she couldn’t be sure it was them, and the evidence available seemed to suggest that it wasn’t them, she didn’t want to jump to any conclusions. A crime this severe deserved special retribution, and she would have it exacted upon the real perpetrator. Not some scapegoat. She wanted names.