Black Legion: 04 - Last Stand (27 page)

* * *

Evacuation deck, Median Battleship ‘Sraosha’, Larissa System

The interior of the mighty warship had filled with smoke and sparks as she moved to her death throes. Continuous bombardment by dozens of ships had done their work, and with the shields finally gone, there was nothing to do but wait for the ship’s inevitable demise. The inside of the ship was another matter, however, as the crew and warriors of both sides ignored their previous struggle and ran for the nearest hangars, dromons, or evacuation decks. Xenophon was the last of the Terrans from the command deck to reach the lifeboat. There were similar decks, but this particular one was fitted along the flanks for the lower levels where most of the automatons worked.

Run you fool!

Glaucon and Artemas watched from the narrow doorway, waving at him to join them. They had already made it. Xenophon and a handful of other spatharii had checked the lower deck one last time for wounded or lost Terrans while the others carried what wounded they had to the lifeboat.

“Come on, Tissaphernes is right behind us!”

As if to emphasise the point, a long series of explosions ripped through the innards of the ship. The small numbers of unarmoured automatons remaining suffered when hit by debris and flashes of heat from the scores of impacts. Xenophon ducked past one unfortunate soul who’d just seen his right arm torn off from the shoulder. He grabbed the wounded soul and dragged him behind and towards the waiting lifeboat.

“You’re coming with me!”

The young looking female automaton didn’t argue and did her best to keep up while blood poured from the open wound. It wasn’t the first automaton he’d ever met, but it was the first he’d helped after being so terribly wounded. Contrary to what most people thought, they were flesh and blood just like all of the Terrans. Another projectile ripped the walkway apart to his right with a mighty crash. It was followed by a number of secondary explosions and equipment tore itself apart, sending fragments towards him. He slid down low to avoid it and found himself on his side and rolling along the floor.

The damned artificial gravity well is failing!

The automaton was too slow. She lost her footing and was then thrown across the walkway. He tried to grab her, but it all happened too fast. She crashed into a heap of bodies and then vanished over the edge with a scream.

“Leave her!” shouted Tamara.

The teenager was only a few metres ahead and running as fast as she could with her arm wrapped around a wounded stratiotes warrior. A mixture of heavily armed spatharii and the lightly equipped stratiotes moved behind her to get away from the crippled ship, and Xenophon almost crashed into them as he kept on.

I should get her.

He knew he shouldn’t, but something deep inside wouldn’t let him leave somebody that vulnerable behind. Even as the last few Terrans surged past, he slowed and moved to the edge of the walkway. The gravity had shifted so much now that the section felt angled at nearly thirty degrees and increasing. In less than a minute, he suspected the gravity would in effect be reversed, or much more likely, it would tear the ship apart from within. He looked over the edge and into the vast chasm that had once been a series of bulkheads. Instead of metal, he found a completely sheared off section and a drop of almost fifteen, perhaps even twenty decks right down.

Poor thing, she will never survive that.

He wiped the bead of sweat dripping from his chin and then spotted her, just a metre away and hanging from a jagged piece of shredded metal. Her struggling body looked like a fish dangling from a fishing line right over the edge. The terrified automaton screamed in terror. Xenophon shook his head, looking back at the waiting lifeboat where his friend waited.

“Glaucon, over here!”

His friend wasn’t keen, but somebody inside pushed him and he stumbled out. He looked back at them and then ran towards Xenophon and the shattered walkway. He slid alongside him and almost stumbled, but Xenophon grabbed him to keep his friend upright.

“Easy now,” he said, holding on to him.

“You crazy fool, we don’t have the time. This ship is going to blow.”

Xenophon looked over the ledge and at the poor automaton hanging over the ledge. Two more explosions ripped a section thirty metres away, sending it deep into the rear of the command deck.

“Okay, let’s get this done!”

Xenophon dropped to his knees and then lay on his stomach to spread out his weight. He moved the edge and waited while Glaucon braced himself and grabbed onto his legs.

“Don’t go too far now.”

Xenophon moved further until his stomach was pressed into the edge and looking down at the automaton. She was now within arm’s reach, and he extended one arm out but could only brush his fingers against her tunic.

“Swing towards me,” he said firmly.

She looked at him but clearly had no idea what to do. No matter how hard he shouted she would not do anything other than wait for the inevitable moment where an explosion rocked her off the shattered metal section and down to the lower levels, and her death.

“Swing, damn you!”

Xenophon pushed forwards a little further and heard Glaucon call out.

“No more, I can barely hold you like this.”

The ship shuddered from either another bombardment or yet more explosions. It was almost impossible to tell them apart now as the ship began ripping itself apart. Xenophon grabbed her tunic and tugged, but the shift in gravity began to pull her away in the opposite direction.

Damn, this isn’t going to work.

He looked up and to his side to speak with Glaucon and found Artemas staring back at him. She tried to smile and then bent down to help Glaucon hold him.

“Tell her to swing,” he said, grimacing as the ledge bit into his stomach.

Artemas didn’t hesitate and gave quick, decisive orders to the automaton. The response was instant, and in seconds she was rocking from left to right. Xenophon watched her move and waited for the third swing before releasing his hands and taking a wide grab. His left arm struck her first and then he had her around the waist.

“Now!” called Tamara. She had also arrived to help.

All three pulled on Xenophon’s legs and finally he was back on the shattered walkway, and with the bloodied, battered but still living automaton. Glaucon lifted him to his feet and bashed his fist against the side of his friend’s helmet.

“Maybe now we can leave?”

Words were unnecessary, and the entire group ran the short distance to the lifeboat and made it inside as yet another series of explosions tore a large chunk out of the flooring. The gravity shifted again and began to increase in intensity. The door hissed shut behind him, and Glaucon had to manhandle his friend into the nearest seat and hit the coupling button to activate the straps. The lifeboat shook and then everything became still as they pushed away from the massive ship. The windows were tiny, not much bigger than a head, yet they provided a sombre view. Once they’d made it fifty metres from the hull, the main engine activated, and they blasted away at full power towards the escaping fleet.

“Well, that was...interesting,” said Artemas with a wry look.

Xenophon looked at her and then to his friends. None of them seemed terribly impressed with what he had just done. He looked to his right, and there sat the automaton as well as three other Terrans, all of whom were being tended by a spatharii medic. He looked back at them, especially Artemas.

“Hey, we took the ship.”

Glaucon looked back as the mighty vessel broke into a dozen smaller chunks.

“Yeah, we took her all right.”

* * *

Imperial Palace, Babylon Prime, Core Worlds

Ariaeus knelt before Mitra. As usual he was stripped to the waist and carrying his massive glaive. Ariaeus then dropped down to the floor, face down on the spotless surface. His clothing was ripped, and a number of cuts ran down his exposed flesh. The muscled warrior looked back at the form of his Emperor who gave him a simple nod. He looked back at the prostrate figure.

“Up!” demanded the Emperor’s Justice.

Ariaeus was in a great deal of pain, but he still lifted himself onto his feet and waited as the tall figure of Artaxerxes approached. He bowed as smoothly as he could, but his bruised ribs slowed him down.

“Now, tell me again how my loyal subject Tissaphernes abandoned the Core Worlds, and has returned to the border with all of my regional forces?”

He took another step and then stopped just a metre in front of Ariaeus.

“Where are the Terran mercenaries?”

The mention of Tissaphernes was the single subject that was able to put fire into his heart. His back straightened as remembered his last view of the Satrap leaving the Core Worlds.

“My Lord,” he started, “Tissaphernes said nothing. He gathered up all the remaining Carian and Lelegian ships and left for his own domain.”

Artaxerxes remained expressionless and waited.

“As for the Terrans, they escaped our forces before we could catch them. They took a number of our ships with them as well.”

“You must have an idea where they are going?”

Ariaeus closed his eyes as the pain in his ribs tore through his body. He opened them again to reveal bloodshot eyes.

“My agents detected them leaving the Core Worlds and heading in the opposite direction they came from. Their course will take them through the Carduchian Pass and eventually on to our border worlds at Trebizond.”

The Emperor seemed satisfied with this news.

“Good. You have been a loyal, if unsuccessful commander, Lord Ariaeus. I understand a number of the Terrans offered you the chance to claim my throne. Why did you not take it?”

Ariaeus sensed a trap, but his mind and body were too shattered to give it more thought.

“It is not mine to take. I am yours to command.”

Artaxerxes considered his words carefully before speaking.

“I have other, more pressing concerns at this moment than worrying about a band of homeless Terrans wandering through my Empire. Now that you have shaken them from the Core Worlds, they are no more of a threat to me.”

He turned away and walked back up the steps where his entourage of generals and commanders waited. Ariaeus counted at least a dozen of them, including his newly promoted generals. He recognised few of them and none seemed particularly interested in him.

“The rebel Amyrtaeus of Sais is the only threat to the Empire that concerns me. This trifling matter with the Terrans is now over. They can wander home in their own time."

Ariaeus watched as he moved, noting with terror that the Emperor’s Justice had taken two more steps towards him. He sensed his life was coming to an end.

“My Great Lord. Let me punish these Terrans.”

Artaxerxes turned back and smiled.

“Why? They have been savaged and now they retreat like a wounded animal. Every time I have sent one of my generals to fight them, they have been bested by their own petty ambition. The Terrans are a violent race, and we will deal with them, but they are not to be underestimated.”

He tried to hide his feelings, recalling the moment where Cyrus had come ever so close to deposing him on Cunaxa. It was a risk he would never take again.

"Tissaphernes has wronged you greatly by letting them cause countless damage to our worlds and fleets. The citizens of the Empire deserve to see your will carried out."

He bowed and dropped to both knees.

"I will not destroy them in one battle as Tissaphernes or Phalinus tried, Great King."

It was an odd statement and seemed to get the interest of all of those watching. One laughed without thinking and received a curt glance from the Emperor's Justice. Artaxerxes waited and then moved back down the steps to stop in front of the battered, prostrate Ariaeus.

"Tell me, noble Lord Ariaeus. What would you do differently?"

Ariaeus knew it was his only chance. He had to appeal to the character of Artaxerxes, the Median who had almost lost everything to these Terrans, but no longer had the time or resources to concentrate on their elimination because of the new revolt under the command of Amyrtaeus.

"Just give me a single ship, My Lord."