Final Answer, page 21
part #9 of The Descendants War Series
Bish waved at them to stop. They'd climbed several floors, enough that Kivda lost track. HUD showed two men on the other side of the door. If they were paying attention, they'd be ready to shoot the moment it opened. On the landing, they could stack up to the left, near the next set of stairs.
"This is it," Bish muttered, "we take this floor, we have the control room."
Kivda took a position behind him, waving at the others to press against the opposite wall. Clearing a room held plenty of stress but doing so with people at the ready made it scary. Bish whispered a countdown as his computer accessed the lock. At one, a light on the door panel turned green. It slid open.
And the carnage began.
Soldiers outside fired the second the door slid open. Blasts stuck the stairs, the report of the weapons echoing all around them. Bish moved, nailing one of the guards with a gut shot as Kivda did the same to the other. Both men went down, but they had plenty of allies in the area.
The room opened up with minimal cover. Bish and Kivda went in opposite directions as dozens of shots chased them. The nearest thing resembling safety came in the form of a pillar some thirty yards from the doorway. Running under those conditions, with so many weapons discharging, made the distance feel tripled.
Kivda dropped to his knees, sliding the last several feet to slam into the pillar. Using the momentum, he rolled around behind it so his back pressed against the stone. The enemy soldiers tore into his position as if they might chew through the obstruction, or just shoot through it for that matter.
"Bish, I'm in position," Kivda said, "we have to start laying into these guys if we want to take that control room." He didn't receive a response. "Bish, do you not read me? What're you doing?"
"He's gone," Orla replied. "And you've got men incoming on your position. I'm letting them get closer before I take care of them. Filoa, watch my side. I'm sure they know about us, so they'll be coming."
She can't know that he's gone. Kivda peered down the way. The HUD only showed the women in the stairwell still. Black boots at the end of the way near the other pillar took the breath from him. And there he is. Dammit! He shook his head. They must've gotten lucky... or one of them knows how to lead a shot.
"How many are closing on me?" Kivda asked.
"Six," Orla replied. "One second." A new weapon opened up, accompanying the others chewing at his cover, flying past him to blacken the wall. Screams rose above all that, adding to the chaos. "Three on that side now. Gah!" She paused. "Filoa! What are you doing? I told you to watch our side!"
"Hey! I was! That guy happened to be sneaky! What do you want from me?"
"To do your job!" Orla grumbled. "Kivda, those guys are yours. Make them pay."
Great. Here we go. Kivda dropped low. The majority of his enemy's shots seemed to be in the head range. They wanted it over fast. Well, considering what I'm about to try, they might get their wish. I can't believe I'm about to do this. He drew a breath... then threw himself out of the cover, twisting in the air.
As he came down on his left arm, he opened fire. The first target took a beam to the knee then the gut. Another to the chest. The third one fled. Someone shot him in the side of the skull. Of the two Kivda got, one of them died. The other writhed about.
Kivda's heart raced as he climbed to his feet, popping a final blast in the injured man's face. He took aim across the room, sliding over to the pillar for a little extra protection. Those who remained focused on the stairs, on Orla and Filoa as they harassed the enemy. More troops were coming from different floors.
Where the hell are our people? Kivda fired, killing one man just as a door opened behind him. Another ten security personnel spilled in. He had to take cover again. Dammit! "We're at the control room," he called, "we need some immediate support. Who is near to our position?"
No response.
"Uh... we might not be able to hold this," Filoa said.
"We can't," Orla added. "Not with that many people in here. Can you make it to a different exit? We don't have any security personnel coming from this particular shaft. So you might be in a bad way in another."
"I don't think so," Kivda said. "Listen up! All channels, we need immediate support in the control room!" A shot got his shoulder. He cried out, jerking away. He had to stand sideways to cover his whole body. This allowed him to poke his weapon around and blind fire back.
His HUD showed twenty men in total approaching. They moved slowly, no longer shooting, but they had to be trained on him. Any move and he'd basically be facing a firing squad. And with none of his people nearby, nor even responding to comms, he resigned himself to his fate.
Kivda sighed. "Orla... get Filoa out of here. Go down the stairs, back to the lobby. Our people should still hold it. They'll be sure to get you out of here. Or, if you have to, reach out to Jok. He can do a pickup."
"We're not leaving you here," Filoa said. "There's no way! Are you insane? Come on! Just... we'll think of a way, right?"
"There are too many," Orla replied. "I was with him. I thought they'd be too busy dealing with the forces trying to pinch them, but someone directed them here. Let's go. I can get us out of here if we move now."
"No." Filoa spat the word. "I'm not leaving. We came in together. We either leave that way or not at all."
"Really?" Orla asked. "When did you become a believer? When did you get a cause?"
"People change," Filoa said, "and this is the moment we prove we have a purpose. I'll kill as many of those bastards as I have to. But we're not leaving."
Kivda kept his mouth shut. He wanted to argue with her, to press the point that she shouldn't throw her life away. The approaching forces weren't quite to their door yet. When they got there, they'd be finished. Then it would be his turn. And there was nothing he could do about either one.
"We could surrender," Orla offered, "if you want to live through this. It's an option."
"They won't take prisoners," Kivda said. "That much I promise you." After everything, the security personnel had to contend with, they didn't have time to hold anyone. Not if they wanted to maintain their positions. That meant everyone who entered the building had to die regardless if they threw their hands up or not.
Ten more feet for their opponents to reach the door. A mere ten feet for Filoa and Orla to make the right choice of leaving. Even with the door to funnel the enemy, they couldn't handle them in a rush. Maybe two or three might die if they were lucky but ultimately, they'd fall to them. And it would be over.
"Filoa..." Kivda swallowed before continuing. "Please. Just go. I didn't take you out of the brig so you could die in that stairwell for our people. You can do a lot if you go now. Jok will ensure you get to safety. So... do it for me if not yourself." He chewed his lip, holding his breath in anticipation of her response.
"I..." Filoa gasped.
They waited too long. Kivda closed his eyes. I'm stepping out. Might as well get this over with rather than tremble here like vermin. Maybe I can take a few as well. A blaze of glory for failing our part. Which meant the entire operation would fail. No transmission, no communication with the fleet...
The resistance would not come out ahead.
I thought we had it too. Kivda steadied himself, straightening his shoulders. His muscles tensed as weapons discharged all around him. They came from in front as well as behind. Hundreds of beams flashing everywhere. He finally paid attention to his HUD again, noting dozens of friendlies.
"You made it!" Kivda smiled, shocked... unable to say much more. He remained in cover as the battle around him raged. Red dots blinked off of his scanner, security personnel dropped by the rush of his soldiers as they came from each of the stairwells. Their presence wrapped the fight up in a few minutes.
"Sir." One of his approached, offering a quick salute. "I'm Vulmer. This floor is now secure as are all the ones above to the landing pads. The Lord Marshal's office is locked down with some admin personnel in there. We figured they can stay there until this is all over unless you feel otherwise."
"No, that's fine." Kivda pushed away from the pillar. "Secure the floors above and below this one. No travel through the elevators or stairs without our clearance." He gestured down the hall. "Bish is down there. Have someone take care of the body. Do we have the control room proper or just the floor?"
"There's a technician in there," Vulmer replied, "we've secured him so he can't cause any troubles. Ours is standing by to do whatever it is you need them for."
"Perfect." Kivda motioned. "I'll be along in a moment. I want to grab the others." He hurried back to the stairs. Orla and Filoa stood just inside the room with a couple soldiers beside them. "I've got them. You can go about your business. Thank you and good work." Once they left, he turned to Filoa. "When you gasped--"
"These guys are sneaky," Filoa replied. "They even surprised her."
"It's true." Orla shook her head. "I'm impressed. Most of the Kahl have heavy footsteps. Anyway, we'd better get into the control room if we want to get this over with. Before something else happens to mess it all up."
"It's just over there." Kivda gestured. "We'll be along in a second."
"Oh boy." Orla walked away without another word.
Kivda pulled Filoa into a hug. "I thought you were gone."
"You too," Filoa replied, "you... know this helmet thing isn't a convenient way to be appreciative that we're still alive?"
"Doesn't come off in a combat situation, remember?"
"Yeah, yeah... but I don't know how to shut down the transmitter, so this moment is shared with Orla."
"Super thrilled," Orla said, "if you want to know."
Kivda chuckled. "I don't care. I'm glad you're both okay. Let's..." He stepped back. "Let's finish this. Once and for all, we can free my people from the Lord Marshal and the church."
"Sounds good to me." Filoa gestured in the direction Orla went. "Please lead the way. I have no idea where we're going."
Kivda chuckled. "Into the future, apparently." Maybe it'll be as bright as Zali wants. We have a chance to find out now.
***
Inda coordinated with several departments throughout the engagement. Their ship sat back from the main fight, like a commander on a hill overlooking the conflict. Zali gave orders to various ships throughout the fleet, directing them to different points all over the operating theater.
General Renz never took such a direct approach, not even during the largest scale invasions. He often let Porth do most of the work. Which meant commanders aboard the other ships tended to do their own thing. The fact they won as often as they did came down to numbers more than tactics.
A key fact she became aware of with a real leader at the helm.
The combined strength of the Prytin alliance and the resistance ships, they plowed into the defending fleet. Inda had a hard time calling them the Kahl armada. It made her think about who operated the ships, what people died when one of the ships went up. She knew some of them, went to school with several.
And I'm a part of their destruction. The personal part of it bothered her more than the overall reason behind the fight. Partially, because she knew many of her direct peers felt as she did. They were doing a job, not necessarily following an ideology. Meaning a lot of people died for no good reason.
"Inda," Zali's voice pulled her from her current task of routing power for one of the other departments, "do you have any comm traffic from the planet?"
"Uh..." Inda switched gears, turning to a different monitor. "Not at this time, ma'am."
"Reach out. See if any of our allies have finished their work."
"Yes, ma'am." Inda used the secure connection they established before the teams left the system for their assignment. She started with Haulda, the man who led the religious types against one of the military bases. His team was one of the first to put down on the surface and likely had the best chance of securing their objective.
"You're here!" Haulda shouted. He sounded joyous for a moment, then apprehensive. "Wait... you are present, right? This isn't a long-range communication?"
"We're engaged with the fleet," Inda said, "and I'm contacting you for a status update."
"The base is ours. We've managed to knock out several defensive measures though it seems the satellites have been taken by an external force. We can't override it. Our peers at the other base report they have also secured the area. Most of the infantry on the planet comes from a security force it seems."
"Yes, that's about right." Inda turned, giving Zali the news. "Would you like to speak with Haulda?"
"No, tell him to maintain the perimeter and let us know if anything changes." Zali smiled. "That's good news. And most of the armed forces have been moved to the other side of the planet without the means of getting back. I sent them on training maneuvers. When the attack came, all the ships have been too busy to bring them back."
That helps. I wondered why there wasn't more opposition.
"I'm reaching out to the others," Inda said. She thanked Haulda, giving him Zali's instructions before moving on. A report appeared on the screen, distracting her from the assignment at hand.
The Dahs warship Delgondi had been destroyed by the Kahl. Their commander, Evris Sol sacrificed the ship to defend others. Of all the other people to lose their lives that day, that one hit her harder than she expected. She had been present when some of their colonies were wiped out.
I was party to their desperation...and here they are, losing everything. Inda swallowed hard, fighting to regain her composure. I don't have time to mourn for their losses. Nor do I have the right to do so. Not after everything we've done to the galaxy. No, our tears are more of an insult than respect.
"Did you get them?" Zali asked. "Or... what's going on?"
"Just received an up-to-date report on losses, Ma'am. The Delgondi was destroyed."
Zali sighed. "Yes, I saw that. What a tragic waste." She took a moment before speaking again. "We don't have time to think of all the people out there losing their lives, though. Reach out to our allies, please."
"Yes, ma'am." Inda turned back to the comm. "Jok Peles, please come in."
"Inda, right?" Jok asked. "You and Zali get here?"
"Our ships have engaged the fleet," Inda said. "Now we need a status update from you. How are things going down there?"
"We have a lot of news. You'd better patch us through to Zali directly."
"Ma'am?" Inda turned. "They have a lot of news to convey. Shall I put them on the screen?"
"Please." Zali nodded.
"Patching you in now." Inda turned in her chair to listen as Jok's face appeared. He bounced around as if they were experiencing some serious turbulence.
"We have the data," Jok said, "and the Lord Marshal is dead."
Inda's breath caught in her throat. Her heart raced. Vertigo gripped her. She never thought she'd hear those words, let alone so casually. He didn't offer any sort of preface. Just threw it out there instantly. Zali's expression remained stoic, but the muscles in her jaw were clenched.
"Very good," Zali said, "I... must admit, I wasn't sure you could pull both off. Have you heard anything about the tower control?"
"The last time we spoke with the tower, it was still under the control of security forces. It's been dead for a few minutes now. We're hoping that's good news."
"I'll reach out to Commander Ziol shortly." Zali scrunched her nose. "Stay safe down there, Jok. You're needed." She nodded to Inda. "Go ahead and reach out to Kivda. If he's okay, then we have a chance to pull this off after all." She relaxed into her seat. "And the fighting will end soon."
Inda initiated a comm check, sending a message directly to Kivda. As she waited for it to establish, a massive warp signature filled her scanner. She frowned, looking over the data. It appeared a large force was about to arrive. The energy signature matched their fleet. Additional Kahl forces.
"General?" Inda related what she saw. "I can't even begin to guess how many ships there are."
Zali nodded. "This was something I knew might happen. By the time they arrive, we should already have control of the tower. They'll stand down."
"And if they don't?" Inda asked.
Zali smiled. "Then none of us will have anything to worry about ever again."
That's a dark way to put it. Inda returned her attention to the comm. Hurry up, Kivda! We need you!
***
Titus fought to shake off the news about Griel. He cleared his throat, looking for words. They had work to do. Fortunately, the rest of the crew knew their place. Getting the shuttle aboard after what happened to them took priority. Violet needed to get the satellites turned. After that, Trev could decide what they needed to do.
I worked closely with that man for months before we departed the system. Titus talked to him late in the night. They drank together, shared meals, worked through countless tactical dilemmas, discussed their cultures... they were friends. And he's gone. Just like that. What a surreal moment.
"Sir," Rhys whispered, "Violet's got those guns moving. The shuttle will be aboard in a moment. They..." He sighed. "They lost Martin Tiller."
Titus closed his eyes. "Understood." He shook it off. "Have we reached out to Trev? Found out what's going on out there yet?"
"Our allies," Rhys rose his voice, "are definitely winning the fight. However, we have a large group of ships incoming. Definitely Kahl. It seems this resistance group that joined us is hoping they can be told to stand down. I guess the combination of the guns pointing at the surface with whatever troops they deployed should do the trick."
"So they hope," Titus said. "Either that or we're going to be in for one hell of a fight." One we probably won't be able to win at this point. Depending on the numbers. When they initially planned to assault the Kahl homeworld, Titus thought they were there to obliterate them and their forces.
Discovering an alternative plan didn't surprise him. The idea that many of the Kahl military and civilian population didn't approve of the horrors they committed throughout the galaxy gave him some hope for the people. It depicted them as more than monsters...a civilization with good and bad.
