The Wolf Worlds (21 page)

board, then the board was lost and Sten was quietly chewing sand and small beach creatures, then he was picking himself up in the spume and quiet of the beach and Sofia was laughing at him.

He spat a mouthful of seaweed and waded to the shore.

"Ready to try it again?" Sofia asked.

"In a moment," Sten managed. "But first let's have a taste."

And he staggered up the beach toward their picnic outfit, with Sofia behind him. With luck, wine, and a certain amount of technique, Sten felt sure he would never have to get near that killer ocean again.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

STEN AND MATHIS walked out onto the floor of the massive hangar where Sten's mercs and the Companions were assembled.

"People of the Prophet," Mathias roared, and Sten wondered where the extra set of vocal chords came from as his boyos thundered their agreement.

"Now we strike against the heart of the Jann," Mathias shouted. "Against Ingild. We shall destroy the heresy. We go forth to die for Theodomir and the True Faith of Talamein."

While Sten listened to the howl of glee from Mathias' legions, he wondered if he was riding another wave of the kind that Sofia had seen him destroyed on. He almost discarded the notion, but over the years, Sten had learned never to scrap that kind of thought. He filed it away to ponder later.

Than Mathias smiled and bowed to Sten. "Our Colonel. Our leader. The man who has led us in victory. He will now tell us how we shall destroy the falseness—the evil—of contra-Prophet thinking that is the empire of the Jann and Ingild."

"Aye, Colonel," Alex semiwhispered from behind him. "How

you plan ae bein' ae braw hero ae tha, Ae dinna ken."

Hell if Sten knew, as silence fell in the huge hangar. Hoping for inspiration, he eyed the wall-size sit chart that showed, in multicolor projections, the garrison worlds of the Jann. And then he had what might be an idea.

And slowly began composing the battle plan…

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

OTHO POURED STEN and Alex another liter of stregg, rumbled a laugh, and said, "No. I don't want to hear it the way you presented the situation to those fanatics. But since you're here, and all…" His voice gurgled off as he downed the liter. Alex followed suit.

Sten carefully ignored the mug. "Situation, Target—Urich.

The Jann shipbuilding world. The only world they've got that can produce starships."

"Och," Otho agreed.

"This is our target. We'll take out this entire complex." The plot board hummed into life and the holographic projection vibrated into existence.

"Urich," Sten continued. "Ship docks are"—he touched a control—"in green. Landing facilities, blue. AA lasers, surface-to-air missiles, and multibarrel projectile weapons in red."

Otho stood and peered down at the projection. Then belched thoughtfully. "By my mother's beard, but the black ones guard themselves well.

"Having none of your knowledge, Sten," Otho went on, "and being but a simple trader, I would have no idea of how you humanoids could capture such a place."

"We aren't. This is another smash-and-destroy run."

"You'll use nuclear hellbombs?"

"Negative."

"If I were a warrior," Otho said, "which, praise the beard of my mother, I am not, I would need a host of Bhor and several planetary cycles to destroy this Jann nest."

"We aren't going to take everything out," Sten said. "Just this."

His finger went through a huge, imposing structure in the center of the complex. One kilometer by two kilometers long by one kilometer.

"This is the engine-hull mating plant. Destroy it, and the whole port's nothing but a yacht repair yard."

Another control fingered, and the plotting board cleared, then refocused, this time with only the mating plant on the board. A brooding, dark-gray mass.

Above the projection hung a list of the plant's vital details.

Ti-ferroconcrete construction, terra-beam reinforcement. The walls were, at their base, fifty meters thick, tapering to a thickness of twenty meters at the roof curve. At either side of the structure were huge clamshell doors, with control booths centered in the midpoint of each panel.

"Environment controls, damage controls, and admin are in a long tube, running lengthwise down the plant's interior, halfway up the walls," Sten continued.

"You're a world of information about this, Sten," Otho said admiringly. "Could I wonder your sources?"

Alex preened slightly. "In th' propit light, Ah look quite dashin' ae a Jann."

Otho touched mugs with Kilgour, and they downed the contents and refilled the mugs.

"I can feel the time-winds touch me," Otho said as he gazed intently at Sten. "What will you require of the Bhor?"

"Two things. Most important, fifty planetfall lighters, with pilots."

"Which will be used for?" Otho was growling now.

"You'll land the unit. Then you and your pilots will provide supressing fire."

"No." Otho pushed his mug away and hunched, beetling face now locked in merchant/skeptic/negative expression. "Perhaps you do not understand the Bhor position," he growled.

"Admitted, we are not fond of the Jann and, when possible, find an excuse to alter their existence cycle. But we are still only minor body parasites to them.

"And while we admire your cause, Colonel, we must be… your word I believe is 'pragmatic' about the situation.

"Sometimes the cause of righteousness does not win, as I am sure you are aware. And if you lose… and by the fortune of your fathers survive, you and your soldiers will merely lick your wounds and move on to another war.

"But we—the Bhor—must remain to reap the wrath of the Jann.

"We will convoy you and your forces, Colonel, quite willingly.

We will even provide resupply. Both functions are those of a merchant. But join your war?—No."

Alex purpled and was about to say something but Sten quickly shook his head. "I understand, Otho. You do have your people to worry about."

The hulk looked puzzled, then relieved. As Otho reached out for the mug, Sten added quietly, "Your people—and your ancestors."

Otho glowered and took his hand off the mug.

"My apologies, Otho. Now if you will excuse us…" Sten stood and Otho rose also, moving slightly reluctantly toward the port.

"We have our own streggans to fight."

And before Otho could react, Sten eased him out. Came back to the plotting board.

"Ae m' gran' said, y'catchit more haggis wi' honey thae vin'gar," Alex said, with mild admiration. Sten frowned then shrugged and sat back down at the table.

Then, swinging a computer terminal down from the ceiling and eyeing the plotting table's holography, he began writing his operations order.

The port slid open and Otho loomed in the way.

"Your streggans indeed! By my father's icy buttocks!"

He stalked back to his half-finished mug, drained it, refilled it, drained it again, and then growled, "If the Bhor must take sides, then at least we must have all information," and hovered over Sten's terminal…

OPERATIONS ORDER 14

EYES ONLY. DISTRIBUTION LIMITED TO FOLLOWING

OFFICERS AND CONCERNED INDIVIDUALS. ALL

RECIPIENTS TO SIGN RECEIPT THIS ORDER. ALL

RECIPIENTS TO ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT ON

ACCEPTANCE. OFFICERS INVOLVED ARE DIRECTED TO

READ THIS ORDER IN PRESENCE OF ACCOMPANYING

GUARD. NO COPIES PERMITTED. UPON COMPLETION THIS

ORDER TO BE RETURNED TO ACCOMPANYING GUARD FOR

RETURN THIS HEADQUARTERS. Distribution: STEN, OC.

BN-2 SECTION, FFILLIPS, QIC FIRST COMPANY, VOSBERH, QIC SECOND COMPANY. Note: Eyes Only: Involved indigenous personnnel (committed Bhor tac/air personnel, Command structure, MATHIAS' COMPANIONS) will be verbally briefed by OC. This order is not to be discussed in their presence.

Situation:

Since the first operational commitment of FIRST STRIKE

FORCE, now operating in conjunction with MATHIAS'

COMPANIONS, Intelligence estimates of a high order suggest that JANNISAR command elements and hierarchic elements of INGILD's theocracy have accepted a defensive posture.

Destruction of THE CITADEL, a primary part of JANN morale, must be considered a factor, as well as this conflict, which has lasted for several generations, and now is entering an active phase.

The above have produced not only tactical inertia on the part of the JANN but a significant increase in officer suicides among JANN ranks. Four systems previously lightly garrisoned by JANN patrol wings have been abandoned as JANN elements regroup in force on main garrison worlds. Intel-estimates suggest a JANN offensive will be mounted in sixty Standard days (estimate plus-minus: four days). Such an offensive will most likely be directed either at NEBTA or SANCTUS. Such an offensive will not be allowed to occur.

The mission:

The operation against THE CITADEL was effective in partially destroying esprit among the JANN. This operation will destroy the JANN ability to physically patrol systems under their control. The target world is URICH, the center of JANN fleet activity. (See FICHE A for Planetary Details of URICH.) FIRST

STRIKE FORCE, operating with MATHIAS' COMPANIONS, will force a landing on URICH and destroy as completely as possible URICH's fleet support, ship construction, fuel, and maintenance capabilities.

EXECUTION:

This assault will be a combined operation: Initial transhipping to 4 planetary diameters off URICH will be provided by Armed Merchant shipping, to be provided by PARRAL. (Details—FICHE B). These ships will deploy assault and tac/air elements, assume an out-atmosphere orbital pattern, and, on completion of strike, will land on URICH to pick up assault and tac/air elements. Combat deployment will be provided by 50 modified Bhor planetfall lighters. Lighters will be assault armed with available medium-range weaponry (Details—FICHE C), provisioned, maintained, and manned by provided BHOR personnel (Details—FICHE D). Mentioned BHOR lighters will both land second element assault units and provide active suppression of enemy fire. (Details on strike formation and specific tac requirements—FICHE E.) The Main Strike element will be quartered on a heavily modified PRITCHARD-class freighter, ex-MS ATHERSTON (Modification details—FICHE F). This ship will be crewed by volunteers, as well as selected first-strike assault troops. In addition, Command Headquarters will be located on it. The freighter will be lead element, first wave, and will make a direct crash-assault on Target One, the Jann engine-hull mating plant. The freighter will be provided with extensive demolition capability and triggered to detonate less than one hour after strike forces land. In addition, deployed assault troops will provide demolition on selected other targets, engage ground troops, and attempt to aid Bhor tac/air in supression of enemy surface/ air launches.

COORDINATION…

And Sten shut down the terminal. "Coordination" on this cobbled-together mess, he thought. First I'm going to take a bunch of Parrel's cholesterol-heavy traders, get them to take us into the heart of the Jann empire. Then I'll manage to offload my surly thugs onto the Bhor lighters, somehow without having a grand melee between the Bhor, my mercs, and Mathias' fanatics.

If I get away with all that, then I suicide-dive the clottin'

freighter—which I still haven't seen—right into the middle of this bloody great hangar, somehow live through the crash, somehow come out shooting, and somehow hang on and be an active menance for the Jann until Parral's ships heave down to pick all of us up.

This will not work, Sten, my friend, his mind told him. Of course it won't. You got any better ideas?

Go see what Sofia's doing, his mind suggested. And, since Sten couldn't find any argument with that, he put the security

lock on the computer and headed for a grav-sled and Parrel's mansion.

Maybe I'll come up with something better after a few hours lurking in her grotto.

CHAPTER THIRTY

PARRAL SCROLLED THROUGH Sten's latest reports.

Everything was going exactly as the man had promised. The series of lightning raids had the Jann reeling. And now the young colonel was preparing for the master stroke: a daring attack to gut the Jann's resolve to continue the war itself.