Prologue: A brief history of the Korath
As the Drengin Empire expanded across the galaxy in its early years the Korath Clan was the core of its military. They were the fiercest soldiers and pilots, and comprised the bulk of the Drengin’s shock troops. While a minority of the Drengin race, the Korath more than any other clan helped to carve out the Drengin’s dominions amongst the stars.
But over time a philosophical divide had grown between the Korath and the other Drengin. The Korath, hardened in battle as they were, grew to despise the lesser races and envisaged a future in which only the Drengin and their kin inhabited the stars. The other Drengin were appalled by this vision of the future. The Drengin Empire was built on the slavery and subjugation of the lesser races, not their extermination, and a future without slavelings was no future at all in the eyes of the average Drengin.
When the divide grew too great the Korath seceded from the Drengin Empire, and set out to realise their vision of galactic supremacy without the other Drengin. Receiving aid from the remnants of the Dread Lords the Korath were transplanted to an isolated region in the southern spiral arm of the galaxy, and established their own homeworld on the harsh planet now known as Kora. Their biology adapted quickly to their new world, with a little genetic tinkering, sundering them irrevocably from the Drengin race. The Korath rapidly amassed a small Empire near their new homeworld and with the help of the remnant Dread Lords built up a powerful fleet.
The Drengin however were not about to let their wayward kin merely abandon the Empire without a fight. Lord Kona arrogantly dispatched a fleet to crush the Korath, and assumed victory would be achieved in short order. The Korath fleet was however far larger than the Drengin had anticipated, and it mercilessly annihilated the invaders. The Korath fleet then swarmed back across the Damocles Gulf, which separates the galaxy’s southern arm from the core, and proceeded to annex a large portion of the Drengin Empire. The Drengin Civil War had begun.
Two years of brutal fighting ensued, but the Drengin were ultimately victorious. Both races were left crippled by the conflict, but the Korath were the worst off. The Drengin having won the war ultimately had the means to recover, although the conquest of the galaxy would be on hold for the time being. The Korath were beaten back to the galaxy’s southern arm and their original colonies. Abandoned by their Dread Lord allies, economically exhausted, and with a shattered military, the Korath were a civilisation ready to collapse. Then came the Krynn.
The first Krynn missionaries came to Kora in the months after the end of the Drengin Civil War, and they found a society in the process of devouring itself. Literally. Most of the slavelings on the Korath colonies had already been eaten for food, as the remaining worlds could no longer support the swollen Korath population. As a result economic activity and production rates were in freefall, and the very fabric of Korath society seemed to be teetering on the brink of total collapse.
The Krynn immediately provided aid, with a small price. In exchange for the conversion of the Korath to The Way, the Krynn would save the Korath Clan from extinction. The Krynn were true to their word. They bought in food and material aid. They sent in economists from the Korx, a race they had converted a few years before, who totally restructured and salvaged the Korath economy. They sent in billions of Akilian workers to replace the now extinct slavelings. And finally they sent in legions of priests from Kryseth, to indoctrinate the Korath in their new faith.
The seven Korath colonies were thus peacefully assimilated into the Krynn Consulate, and the Korath took to their new faith with unrivalled zeal. Freed of menial tasks by the other races in the Krynn’s great Unity the Korath could devote themselves utterly to their own calling, war. The Korath now serve the Krynn with the same vigour and ferocity they have always possessed, and are to a man loyal to the Krynn’s Jihad. They are known throughout the Consulate as the Sword of the Krynn, for they have no military equal amongst the Krynn, and now form the very backbone of the Krynn’s forces.
Chapter 1: Across the Gulf
Commander Krohl fidgeted anxiously in his command chair. He was eager for battle, and for once he had an enemy worthy of a Korath warrior. Krohl’s small Raider was tearing across the Damocles Gulf, his ship and small squad of commandos was bound for the edge of Terran space.
The Raider had been his father’s during the Drengin Civil war, and Krohl had been fortunate to save it from the scrap yard. Advanced as Krynn starships were they often lacked the sheer durability the old Korath designs had possessed. The Raider had been thoroughly refitted with modern Krynn technology so represented the best of both worlds to Krohl. Aside from the weaponry, which had been stripped out to make way for a pair of photonic torpedo launchers, the most dramatic change was the miniaturization of the ships systems. This had allowed Krohl to pack his squad of a dozen soldiers into a ship originally designed for no more than six. Although repainted into the white and orange colour scheme of the Krynn Navy, the Raider was a relic from a bygone age. Officially the Raider had a long winded numerical designation, but unofficially it had been christened the Dark Evangelist by his men.
The war had come unexpectedly to the Krynn. They had succeeded in sending waves of missionaries along the western edge of the galaxy, mainly along the trade routes of their first major converts, the Korx. They were still largely confined to the southern spiral arm of the galaxy however. They sought to spread The Way into the galactic core, and so had begun diplomatic relations with the Terrans, a major power in the southern core. Unfortunately an extremist order of the Krynn priesthood staged an attack on the Terran’s diplomatic envoy and succeeded in assassinating the Terran ambassador. The Krynn’s Inquisitors rapidly purged this extremist order, but the damage was done. The first battle of the war would be for the remote Terran world of Ares V, the site of the Krynn’s first missionary station in the core. This was the world towards which Krohl and his men were travelling.
And so Commander Krohl was fidgeting with anticipation. His ship and soldiers had been summoned several weeks ago to rendezvous with a Krynn fleet under Admiral Y’deth, across the Damocles gulf near the Terran border world Ares V. His journey was almost over, and he was glad of it. Another few days and is men would go mad with boredom. The signs of boredom were already evident. His three officers manning the Raider’s controls had abandoned military decorum to vigorously discuss the ins and outs of the latest Arena season back on Kora. Krohl remained aloof, for the Arena games had changed since his youth, and lacked something these days. The Krynn had swiftly demolished the old Arena’s and banned the original sport. The modern competition was conducted with non-lethal weapons and had to be hidden under the flimsy guise of military training. How tedious. From the rear compartment Krohl caught a whiff of Korathan brandy which meant that his old friend Virhl was drunk. Again. He could hear Virhl recounting a tale of the time his father and elder brother had led their platoon against an entire battalion of Torian marines during a border skirmish, back in the days before the secession from the Drengin Empire. Virhl certainly could spin a tall tale for the younger recruits. The old veteran was a perpetual drunk, and his sexual morals would scandalise a Torian brothel owner. But for all his faults Virhl was one of the finest soldiers Krohl had ever known.
The navigation alarm chirped and the Raider dropped out of hyperspace. “Look alive men” barked Krohl, “and assemble your gear”. Krohl’s tactical officer Lt. Jindr cut in “We’re receiving a signal from the Admiral, he commands we dock with his flagship and meet his staff for immediate briefing”. “Very well, lay in a course” intoned Krohl, “and would someone get Virhl sober on the double?”
The Admirals ship was a sight to behold. It was not a standard Krynn vessel, but an old Korath destroyer. Krohl had had no idea that any were still in service. It had evidently been extensively modified, like the Dark Evangelist, but still it set the martial juices flowing in Krohl’s blood. He felt he was going to like this Admiral.
Krohl’s men disembarked their ship wearing the gleaming armour of Korath shock troopers. They were conducted to the Admirals briefing room by an awestruck Krysethan Lieutenant. Admiral Y’deth turned out also to be a Krysethan, a member of the Arrian Hive, the old martial race of the Krynn. His purple carapace and black claws glinted under the gentle illumination. Krohl snapped a salute, “Greetings Admiral, Commander Krohl and the 81st Korathan Commando squad reporting for duty SIR!”
“Thank you for coming so promptly Commander, your reputation proceeds you” replied Y’deth, “shall we get down to business?”. “Of course Admiral” said Krohl as he and his men sat down at the briefing table.
“As you know the planet Ares V was supposed to be our first foothold in the galactic core” began Y’deth. “The local population had begun to convert to The Way, and building dissent against the Terran government was predicted to sway the planet into Krynn control within months. With the outbreak of war however we have been forced to accelerate our plans for Ares V. An invasion has been ordered to secure this world before the Terrans do, and it will not be easy. Ares V has a challenging environment, it is a class 5 ice world, and only 48% of the inhabitants are confirmed Krynn at this time”.
“Have no concerns, my men and I always relish a challenge Admiral” announced Krohl. “I’m glad” replied Y’deth, “General Qohl of the 5th Korathan Infantry division will now outline your squad’s first mission in this invasion”.
“Thank you Admiral” chimed in Qohl, “Commander, may I first convey my respects to your team for coming here, given your illustrious history my entire division is honoured to have you with us. But enough pleasantries. To prepare the way for the invasion of the surface we first need to secure the Krynn missionary station in orbit, which has fallen to the Terran loyalist faction. Your team will land and secure the upper docks so that we can begin ferrying our troops across to the station. Once my troops have boarded you will assist them in capturing the command centre in the central core of the station. My tactical officer will supply you with the remote entry codes for the auxiliary docking bay doors, as the main doors can only be opened from the inside”.
Krohl’s men exchanged eager glances at the sound of the mission. Virhl punctuated the moment by belching noisily. “That sounds like an entertaining warm-up for my squad General, we are ready to go at your command” said Krohl recovering the situation quickly. Y’deth replied “Excellent Commander, we attack in one hour, so prepare your men and may the Four Guardians be with you”. General Qohl cringed, hoping that Virhl’s inebriation had escaped the Admiral, and that he had not made a grave error by entrusting this squad with such a crucial mission.
Chapter 2: Into the breach
Krohl stared with admiration at his men standing ready in the rear compartment. They were among the finest soldiers a commander could hope for.
Six of his men carried the standard pulse rifles and equipment of Korath shock troopers. Korgh, Krindal and Lrindar were young recruits barely out of shock trooper training, but all had graduated at the tops of their respective classes, so Krohl was sure they were would perform well as part of the team. Also equipped in this fashion were Krohl’s flight crew for the Dark Evangelist, Jindr, Prihl, and Drandar.
Taking the role of demolitions was the nimble Hodar, who seemed unencumbered by his pulse carbine and seemingly bottomless sack of explosives, despite his diminutive size.
Heavy support was covered by the ever dependable Virhl, who wielded a pulse cannon that looked as if it had been hacked off a small battleship. Suffice it say as long as Virhl aimed his shoulder mounted atrocity of a weapon in the general direction of the enemy things died with alarming speed.
The team’s two snipers were the brothers Nirhl and Nidar. They came from the frigid Korath colony of Thindor IV, where they had honed their marksmanship skills on the tundra hunting Zarth. The Krynn sniper rifles they used were reckoned to have an effective range of up to 12 miles, and with those two brothers Krohl could believe it.
The teams close combat specialist was the svelte Nervr. She was an eclectic addition to the team, but was so brutally effective on the battlefield that Krohl had recruited her without hesitation. Whoever had coined the phrase “never bring a knife to a gun fight” had clearly never seen Nervr in action. It also helped that she didn’t bring a knife but a pair of razor sharp duelling swords made from industrial diamond. She was demonically fast at sprinting across open ground and could move like a dervish with her swords in hand, slicing her enemies into very small pieces indeed.
Krohl served as the final member of the team. He had an extensive body of training in small unit warfare, and was among the most renowned commandos of his generation. Generally he favoured the pulse carbine, as its lighter weight allowed quick movement, but as a rule he would carry whatever other weaponry the team needed for its current mission.
The Dark Evangelist had launched along with an escort of Krynn fighters a few minutes before. His flight crew were now at their posts and the others were ready to storm the station when they landed. The Dark Evangelist raced towards the station of The Holy Way, the Krynn Mission they had been tasked with liberating. The ragtag Terran fleet defending Ares V was being put down by the Admiral Y’deth’s flagship, the KSS Vengeance and its two supporting frigates. That left the station undefended. Or so they had thought.
When they were two miles short of the target the station launched a small gaggle of reserve fighters. Luckily they were old models, deployed to guard this fringe world at the end of their useful life spans. The Krynn escorts moved to engage, and Prihl took pride in taking out one of the ailing fighters as it tried to flank them. But ultimately the Dark Evangelist was not here to engage the air support. Jindr transmitted the remote access code to the auxiliary doors, but nothing happened. He tried again, still nothing. Krohl was anxious as they were approaching the doors at an alarming velocity, so seeing little other option he leapt forward and slammed his fist onto the weapons console. He was not disappointed by the results. A pair of photonic torpedoes lanced forwards, and punched an almighty chasm in the docking bay doors. Six Terrans could be seen exiting the maw along with a gush of air, before the atmospheric containment field kicked in. Satisfying as that was he knew his superiors would have wanted to avoid damage to the dock, and he would likely be reprimanded for this subtle entry strategy.
In a moment the Dark Evangelist was through the breach and the containment field. It put down in a corner of the landing bay. Krohl’s men were almost salivating with anticipation. Then the ship’s boarding hatch was flung open. The team poured out of the ship like banshees and adopted an echelon formation in front of the ship. Nirhl and Nidar fell into a prone position and immediately dropped a trio of Terran soldiers skulking into cover across the bay.
“MOVE OUT” boomed Krohl.
The team surged into the centre of the bay. A squad of Terrans hiding in a cluster of small cargo crates made themselves known by opening fire. The Korath returned the favour. The pinpoint accuracy of Krohl’s men soon wittled down the Terran’s numbers. The last few soldiers proved more of a challenge to dislodge though. The survivors had adjusted their tactics, staying in cover more and throwing out grenades to drive back Krohl’s men. Without knowing what was in the cargo crates it was too risky to throw their own grenades at the Terrans, and certainly too risky to have Virhl flatten the whole lot with his cannon, even now he had sobered up.
Krohl made a hand gesture to Nervr, who nodded to acknowledge the command. She began to sprint to a position behind the Terrans. She moved with a near silent grace and speed that Krohl never failed to be amazed by.
“COVERING FIRE” shouted Krohl. His men opened fire with a renewed ferocity, keeping the Terrans pinned down and in cover. Nervr signalled she was in position with a quick gesture. Krohl cut off of the avalanche of fire from his men.
The Terrans raised their heads and all looked forwards toward the Korath position. That was the moment Nervr leapt from her hiding place behind the Terrans. She decapitated their commanding officer with her first stroke.
“ADVANCE” ordered Krohl. While Nervr began to eviscerate the Terran troops the rest of the squad raced forward to penetrate the Terrans cover. The Terrans had redirected their attention to the sword wielding terror in their midst. They never saw the other 11 Korath storming down on their position. The remaining Terrans fell quickly either to sword or pulse rifle.
The bay itself was now clear. All that remained was to seize the Dock Masters Office, where any Terrans that were left in the docks would be holed up. The means to complete their mission and open the main bay doors also lay within that office.
Access to the office lay up a narrow stairwell at the rear of the bay. This would not be easy. A direct assault would likely fail as the Korath would have to go single file up what amounted to a narrow shooting alley. Krohl needed a diversion. The Dock Masters Office had a somewhat panoramic view over the bay through a large glass window. That window had to be able to survive accidental decompression of the dock, so it wouldn’t fall to mere pulse weapon fire.
Krohl caught Hodar’s eye. “Think you can breach that window with a sticky charge Corporal?” Krohl asked.
“Maybe sir, depends how well the constructor crews did their job when they built this place” replied Hodar.
“Give it a try Corporal” said Krohl.
Hodar reached into his pack and retrieved a sticky charge. He ran underneath the great window and threw the charge onto the glass. Then he ran like hell. The charge let out an almighty crack, and the glass fractured into a spider’s web pattern but somehow stayed in place. Krohl frowned.
“Care to do the honours Virhl?” Krohl asked.
Virhl shouldered his cannon and took aim. The energy impacting on the glass shattered it into thousands of shards. Shards that rained into the office. Krohl had his diversion.
“KORGH, KRINDAL, DRANDAR, STORM THE OFFICE” Krohl shouted.
Just as the three troopers charged up the stairwell all hell broke loose. Not from the direction of the office but from the entrance tunnel to the bay. That tunnel connected the docking bay to the rest of the station, and it was now starting to disgorge Terran soldiers at an alarming rate. Obviously all the racket they had created had got someone’s attention.
“LRINDAR, TAKE CHARGE HERE, HOLD THEM OFF” Krohl barked as it stormed up the stairwell after his three other men.
“Alright you tenacious cunts, lets see what you’ve got” cursed Lrindar, “OPEN FIRE”.
The squad members on the bay floor spared no quarter. Virhl let loose with his cannon, Hodar let rip with the grenades and the others sprayed down the corridor with pulse weapon fire. Any stragglers that made it through the entryway then had Nervr’s blades to contend with. Terran rail gun rounds bounced off the squads armour, the troopers staggering back from each impact. Luckily the Terrans had set their weapons to low power for fear of breaching the stations hull, probably on the order of an over-cautious enemy commander. Their mistake. It would buy the squad some time, but it would not likely allow them to hold off the Terrans for long. The Terrans would soon realise their weapons needed to be set to a higher power to penetrate the Korath’s armour.
Krohl was right behind his men into the office. The five Terrans that had been lurking in the office were all lying on the floor severely injured from the glass. Krohl’s men put them out of their misery.
“Korgh, Krindal, get back downstairs, the others need you. Drandar find a way to shut off that access tunnel, quickly” Krohl ordered swiftly.
“Right away sir” said Drandar, quickly scanning over the control panels. He brushed the glass off a console at the rear of the room, and started pushing buttons.
“Got it” Drandar announced. Sure enough the decompression bulkheads, originally designed to protect the rest of the station if the dock’s atmospheric containment breached, slid down into place cutting off the Terran advance. The squad members downstairs viciously terminated the Terrans that had been trapped on their side of the bulkheads.
“Ooh, this is interesting” said Drandar, “the atmospheric controls for the access tunnel. Decompression sound like an appropriate adjustment to you sir?”.
Krohl cackled with glee and just said “Do it”.
After opening the bay doors Krohl and Drandar walked back down the stairwell and rejoined the rest of the squad and looked around. Twelve Korath had just taken the entire upper dock. Krohl imagined the Terrans facing the hundreds of Korath that would soon pour into the rest of the station, and snorted derisively.
“Well men, it appears that this little sideshow was all the much vaunted Terrans have to offer us for the time being. Jindr, head back to the ship and signal General Qohl. Tell him he can begin landing his troops.”
The squad cheered the roof down.
Chapter 3: Storming the core
General Qohl’s men arrived rapidly. A few minutes after Jindr had signalled the success of phase 1 heavy infantry transports began touching down in the bay. The access tunnel was re-pressurised and the bulkheads lifted. The Korathan infantry advanced over a carpet of Terran dead into the tunnel.
The wide corridors of the central core made for an intriguing battle ground. There were significantly more Terrans in the central core than Krohl and his team had encountered in the docks. Fortunately Krohl’s team had several hundred members of the Korathan infantry at their sides. While not quite up to the standards of shock troopers, the infantry troopers were still a force to be reckoned with. A running battle was ensuing in the stations corridors as the Korath swept through the station. The company to which Krohl and his men were attached was pushing forwards towards the Command Centre in the heart of the station.
Terrans were falling like flies. The Korath were taking casualties to be sure but to a much lesser degree. The Korath were stronger and better trained than the Terran soldiers plain and simple. They could survive and carry on fighting having sustained injuries that would have killed a Terran outright. Despite the valiant efforts of the Terran defenders, the station would inevitably fall to the Korath troops. This was what Krohl and his men lived for.
Krohl had almost forgotten the rush that came with a good battle. It heightened the senses, activating the nascent telepathic abilities of the Korath brain. Krohl could feel the anguish and pain of his Terran enemies wash over him. It sustained him like nothing else. And with his new Krynn faith it was all for the greater good, not merely an evil pleasure. The priests told him that once the galaxy had been converted to The Way, by preaching or by conquest, the Krynn would have the power to raise all the dead of history. They could achieve this through some vaguely explained means involving dark energy. This was why the Krynn religion had such resonance with the Korath, it dovetailed so neatly with their old ambition to eliminate all other sentient life. The Krynn had taken that desire and given it a purpose beyond mere slaughter. If the dead could be raised at the end of it all, the Korath had essentially been given a carte blanche to commit genocide in the name of the Krynn.
The Terrans had soon been pushed back to the centre of the station and the Command Centre. Not that it would do them much good. Soon after the landing of Qohl’s men a group of Akilian combat engineers they had bought over had hacked into the stations command net by a pre-programmed back door designed for just this situation. No more sensory data was going in to the Command Centre and no computer commands were coming out.
In moments the Korath were at the threshold of the Command Centre, which no doubt contained a formidable number of Terrans. A Drengin would have charged straight in, they relied merely on brute force, and lacked a more refined understanding of tactics. The Korath however were more cautious, after all the extermination of the galaxy required a certain cold and cunning nature. The Korath had recognised this and cultivated it in themselves.
The Korath positioned themselves at all three major entryways into the Command Centre. The plan was to detonate explosive charges on all 3 doorways simultaneously, and storm into the room from all three directions, catching the Terrans in a crossfire and dividing their return fire.
Some of Krohl’s men, due to their shock trooper status, were to be among the first to enter the Command Centre. The command was given, and the charges were blown. The Korath surged forwards. But the Terrans inside were not going to go down without a fight. While they might have known it was futile, the remaining Terrans seemed to possess a steely determination to sell their lives dearly. Krohl could admire that much in his enemies.
The first wave into the Command Centre was hit by an almost solid wall of railgun fire. Krohl winced as Korgh was near sliced in half by heavy railgun fire. The Korath had a stoic attitude towards casualties, they were an unavoidable part of war, but Korgh would still be sorely missed by the rest of his squad. Dozens of Korath were killed in a similar fashion before the weight of troopers coming through the breached doors could turn the tide. The grenades and return fire of the Korath lacked any trace of mercy. Virhl’s cannon came into its element, destroying the enemy’s cover and frequently their person in the same blast.
After maybe a minute of intense fighting the Command Centre was secure. Dozens of Terrans lay dead, and no small number of Korath alongside them. The easy part of the Arean campaign was over. Soon the real work was to begin. Soon the Korath would be deployed to Ares V itself.
I can't understand why no one has commented this AAR... It's an extraodinarily well written story! Give us another chapter, Kommenos!
Glad your enjoying it Eidolon. I think parts of it could have been written better, the dialogue turned out a bit weak I thought.
Rest assured the next chapter is coming (next few days hopefully), its just been delayed by real-life concerns. I'm in the middle of writing my masters thesis at the moment, which is rather time consuming.
I'd love to get feedback and comments from anyone reading this AAR, especially on how anything I could do to improve it.
Interlude
After the recapture of the missionary station the stage was set for an invasion of Ares V’s surface. A full billion soldiers of the Krynn Army were deployed to the surface. They quickly put down the Terran loyalist government of the planet and set about building up a missionary infrastructure on the planet. At the time of the invasion half of the planet’s natives were converts to The Way. The Krynn occupational government hoped to increase that proportion rapidly. The Krynn held Ares V for nearly 3 months before the Terran counter-offensive came.
Six Terran frigates routed Admiral Y’deth’s orbital defence fleet. The Admiral’s flagship was able to destroy four of the Terran ships before it succumbed to the inevitable. The Korath troops amongst the occupation forces considered it a courageous testament to the durability of the old Korath destroyer. Following the rout of the Krynn fleet the Terrans deployed their own Army to the surface, deploying 2 billion troops of their own.
The Krynn had made some preparations by recruiting an additional 300 million soldiers from the Arean population. Combined with the survivors of the initial invasion the Krynn could field 937 million soldiers. Outnumbered more than two to one the Krynn occupational government quickly crumbled. The Krynn Army however was fanatical. Refusing to surrender the isolated remnants continued to fight a guerrilla campaign, hoping to hold out until Krynn reinforcements could arrive.
Chapter 4: On the back foot
Lrindar pondered the strange fortunes of war. He had come along way since leaving shock trooper training before the start of the war. Now fate had landed him in effective command of an entire Krynn resistance base on Ares V. He had hundreds of troops of the numerous races of the Krynn at his command. This command should have been Krohl’s, and had been until a week prior. Krohl had built this base and command, carving it into the cave network of a low mountain range in the southern tundra. Krohl had moulded the scattered survivors of other units into an effective resistance force in this sector of Ares V’s surface. Given Krohl’s abilities in small unit warfare he had made a natural transition from commando leader to resistance leader. And like any good Korath he had lead from the front. Unfortunately that leadership style had left him grievously wounded and barely clinging to life in the base’s makeshift medical facility. Lrindar had been the next in line, so the duty fell to him to resist the Terran counter-offensive, at least until Krohl recovered.
Fate had not been kind to Krohl’s team. There had been many casualties during the course of the war on Ares V’s surface. Krindal and Jindr had perished during the assault on the Terran capitol building. Nirhl had perished a few weeks ago when his sniping position was identified by Terran artillery. Hodar had been the unluckiest of them all. He had demonstrated that a sack of demolition supplies was absolutely the worst thing to be carrying when hit by a Terran RPG round. Supposedly a scout had found one of his teeth three miles from where he was killed, but no other trace of poor Hodar had been found.
The surviving team members had been integrated well into the resistance. Nidar and Nervr had been serving as scouts and also specialised in picking off stray Terrans quickly and quietly. Drandar had utilised his technical knowledge to become a saboteur. Virhl’s cannon had been adapted into an anti-armour weapon, and Virhl now helped pick off Terran hover-tanks. Prihl had specialised in aerial reconnaissance using a salvaged Krynn fighter. The torpedo racks were long emptied but the ship could still fly. The Dark Evangelist had also come into its own as a drop ship for resistance forces.
Lrindar was suddenly snapped back to the present by the arrival of one of his human intelligence officers. Many human converts to The Way had remained undercover in the general population, posing as loyal Terrans.
“We have a serious problem sir” said Brown, “the Terrans have found a way to identify the Krynn converts in the general population”.
“Shit. It was only a matter of time I suppose. We need to call a meeting of the command staff immediately” replied Lrindar.
*******
“Our Terran enemies have been able to begin decrypting records from the Consulate building we constructed near the capital. They are sifting the conversion records and are detaining or deporting all human converts to The Way. If they succeed in identifying all the converts our personnel base will be severely compromised, and the resistance will slowly be starved of recruits” explained Brown.
“We need to strike back, eliminate those records then” exclaimed Liang, one of the human scouts.
“We can’t just stroll into the Consulate building, the Terrans have thousands of troops guarding the place, a direct assault would surely fail” said Lrindar.
“I thought your team used to specialise in those kind of missions, or have tales of the taking of the missionary station docks or the assassination of the Terran planetary governor grown in the telling?” asked Liang, a human soldier.
“Those tales aren’t exaggerations. It’s just enemy numbers that pose the problem. There are thousands of Terran troops guarding the Consulate building, and even if they’re half-blind conscripts a few of them will get lucky and manage to shoot whoever goes in. It’s inevitable with the troop numbers the Terrans have there. The law of averages says the enemy can’t all miss” explained Lrindar.
“Is there any way we could even the odds, maybe bypass some of those troops, at least until the mission is complete?” asked Liang.
“I don’t see how. The troops are concentrated near the entry points so ... we make our own entrance. You’re a genius Liang. Brown, where exactly in the building is that data core we need to eliminate?” said Lrindar.
“Mid-way up the dome, near the edge on the south side sir” replied Brown.
“I think we ought to take a leaf out of Commander Krohl’s guide to subtle entry. We’re going to blow a hole in the side of the dome and land the Dark Evangelist near the target. Hopefully we can eliminate the data before the Terrans can bring up large numbers of troops from the entryway” said Lrindar.
“We’ll need some air cover if the Dark Evangelist is going to make it. We’re also out of torpedoes, so we’ll need help making our entrance” said Prihl.
“How many strike fighters do we have left?” Lrindar asked Grolax, the Korx supply officer.
“Five, maybe six if we’re lucky” replied Grolax.
“That’ll have to do I suppose” conceded Lrindar.
“Okay, so this is the plan. The strike fighters will escort the Dark Evangelist to the Consulate building, all of us flying at low level. The fighters will pretend to be staging an air raid on the Consulate building, and will shoot out a few sections of the dome including the section we need to land in. During the second pass the Dark Evangelist will slip into the dome, land and my team will head into the structure and eliminate the conversion records. Then if we’re still alive we’ll get the hell out of there and retreat with air cover from the fighters. Hopefully we’ll avoid most of the Terran garrison that way” explained Lrindar.
“We’ll need some additional men to fill out the squad, the squad isn’t what it used to be. This could be a one way trip though, so don’t all volunteer at once” said Lrindar.
Lrindar couldn’t sleep. Tomorrow his makeshift plan to raid the consulate would be carried out. He wished Krohl wasn’t clinging to life by the skin of his teeth. Lrindar didn’t feel he could fill Krohl’s boots. His plan wouldn’t win the war against the Terrans but at least it might give the Krynn resistance some hope of surviving until reinforcements could arrive. That was the best Lrindar felt he could do. Lrindar turned over and tried to sleep, hoping that he was up to the task. He would find out soon enough.
Chapter 5: The Consulate
Lrindar looked over Krohl’s bed with a sense of melancholy. Krohl still lay in a coma clinging to life by a thread. Lrindar had stopped by to pay his respects to his Commander, before he set off on his desperate mission to keep the Krynn resistance alive. Krohl just lay there, sleeping in the icy cave that formed the medical bay of his own resistance base. Lrindar didn’t have long before the off.
“Rest well Commander, I hope we’ll do you proud. And I hope I can fill your shoes today” Lrindar said humbly.
Lrindar looked at the small force he had assembled for the task at hand. These 18 men and women had a tough mission to accomplish. But Lrindar had picked the best of the base’s troops for the task. The resistance could spare no more troops for this mission.
There were the six Krysethan pilots who would fly the strike fighters. He didn’t know them well but Prihl assured him they were the best of the best.
The surviving members of the 81st Commando squad were all on board for the mission. The squads losses had been replaced by other members of the Krynn resistance. First there was Kolax, a Korx mercenary. Then there was Jin’deth a Krysethan sniper. There were the two human soldiers Liang and Chen. There was the Korath shock trooper Srandar who had joined from another commando unit. Finally there was Achenes, the Akilian combat engineer who the key to the whole mission. It was Achenes who would destroy the conversion data. He had spent most of the night writing a computer virus that would erase the conversion data, destroy the data cores themselves, and finally branch out and destroy any other computer systems it could infiltrate in the consulate building.
“ATTENTION. Men, we will soon be departing on the most daring mission of this war. I know we number few, but needs must. If we succeed we will keep the resistance alive so that we might fight on until reinforcements can reach us. If we fail know that we will be resurrected in the fullness of time, once the Krynn have spread The Way to all. But if we fight well today we can hasten the coming of that day. Good luck to you all.” said Lrindar.
******
Lrindar was sat on Krohl’s chair on the flight deck of the Dark Evangelist. The ship was flying under the Terran’s radar with the six Krynn strike fighters and in moments would reach the consulate building.
Lrindar thumbed the comm button. “Prepare for the first pass. Fighters 1 through 4 prepare to hit your targets on the dome. Fighters 5 and 6, make sure the perimeter guards keep their heads down. Execute.” ordered Lrindar.
The fighters and the Dark Evangelist rose towards the consulate building. The fighters opened fire immediately. The four pre-chosen sections of the dome were quickly shot out by the fighter’s pulse cannons.
As the fighters and the Dark Evangelist passed the consulate building Lrindar thumbed the comm again. “Bank left and prepare for the second pass. Fighters 1 and 2 hit the dome again. Fighters 3 through 6 target the Terrans. I want them distracted when we slip into the dome. Execute.” ordered Lrindar.
The ships banked sharply and tore back towards the consulate building. The fighters targeted the perimeter guards with unrivalled ferocity. Lrindar doubted they noticed the Dark Evangelist slip into the hole in the south side of the dome. Lrindar thumbed the comm a final time.
“Fighters, good job. Engage targets of opportunity, but go to ground if the Terrans bring out the heavy guns. You’ll hear from us soon. Either a call for an escort out of here or a mission compromised code. Either way you know what to do.” ordered Lrindar.
The squad quickly deployed from the Dark Evangelist and assembled in battle formation.
“Move out men, lets make this a quick in and out” said Lrindar.
The squad was quickly moving towards the data terminals where the conversion records were held. They met little resistance. Srandar and Liang quickly felled a two man Terran patrol as it rounded a corner. Nervr swiftly impaled another Terran who was drawn to the sound of the gunfire. If Brown’s schematic was accurate they had now reached the door of the target room. Lrindar expected Terran guards and technicians working on the records inside.
“Virhl, care to eliminate that door for us?” asked Lrindar.
“With pleasure Sir” replied Virhl.
Virhl’s cannon let out an almighty crack, completely annihilating the door and a section of the surrounding wall. The squad poured through the hole.
Inside the room were six Terran guards and three technicians hunched over the data terminals. The guards were caught completely off balance. Obviously they hadn’t anticipated having to engage the enemy without warning from the perimeter guards, and they looked shaken from the sudden breach of the door. Three of them were gunned down before the others even reacted. The remaining three flipped up their guns and fired wildly, but to no avail. The return fire was quick and brutal. One wounded survivor dived into cover and screamed down a comm link briefly before Nervr’s blades cut him off mid sentence. The technicians were dispatched with ease.
“Shit. I think we’ll have company soon. We need to work fast.” cursed Lrindar. “Cover the perimeter. Nidar, Jin’deth, cover the interior corridor, that’s were the Terrans will likely spring from. Achenes, destroy that data.”
Achenes’ small spiky form darted over to the data terminals and he inputed a small data card.
“I’m in. The virus is erasing the data, that will take several minutes.” Achenes announced in his high pitched voice.
“Lets hope we have those several minutes” replied Lrindar.
The Terrans had in fact been alerted to the squad’s presence by the wounded guard. The first indication was the sound of Nidar and Jin’deth rapidly shooting out in the corridor. A second later they rushed back into the room, Nidar clutching at a bullet wound in his left arm.
“We have a problem. The Terrans know were here and they’re sending A LOT of troops at us. “ Jin’deth hurriedly said.
Lrindar had a sinking feeling in his stomach. “DEFENSIVE POSITIONS!” he shouted.
The Terrans poured into the room like a swarm of angry insects. Luckily they had only a narrow doorway through which to enter and the squad was well entrenched in cover. Even still this would be an uphill battle.
The Terrans took heavy casualties but this did not seem to deter them. They must have recognised the importance of protecting the conversion data. Despite their high casualty rate the Terrans had started to make progress. Kolax was the first to die. Chen swiftly followed. Virhl levelled his cannon at their killers to enact retribution. In fact without Virhl’s cannon the squad would have struggled to hold this position at all.
Achenes, crouched in cover by the data terminals gave Lrindar a quick hand gesture to indicate that the virus had now entered its second phase. The conversion data had been erased. Now deep in the buildings core the virus had gone to work on the data cores that had stored that data. The virus disengaged the cores cooling systems, causing a rapid build up of heat. In a few minutes the cores would be a molten heap of slag.
Lrindar had to admit he had gained a grudging respect for the Akilian and his race. When the Akilians had first arrived on Kora they had been regarded as little better than slavelings. The industry and working ethic they had displayed, especially in this war, had deeply impressed Lrindar though. The Akilians would never be natural warriors, they were a little too small for that. Despite that they had still carved out a successful niche for themselves, even in this war. They took to industry and work with a zeal that rivalled the Korath’s devotion to battle. Lrindar could respect that kind of devotion.
Now all that remained was to hold the room until the virus had finished its task. Terran railgun rounds were ricocheting off every surface. Even the rush of anguish from each downed Terran didn’t offset the dread in Lrindar’s stomach. This battle was not going well.
The squad was barely holding its own, and the Terrans were pouring in more and more troops in a never ending cascade. Finally Achenes motioned that the virus had finished phase II. The mission was complete and the Krynn resistance had been saved.
“OBJECTIVE COMPLETE, WITHDRAW!” Lrindar shouted over the cacophony of battle.
The squad rose and targeted the Terrans with renewed vigour. They fought for what seemed an eternity. The Terrans had stopped pouring into the room all of a sudden and the squad quickly targeted the survivors in the room. One of the last Terrans managed to catch Lrindar exposed for a split second. Two railgun rounds lanced through Lrindar’s armour.
Lrindar fell to his knees wheezing. He felt weak, blood seeping from under his armour. “Drandar get the squad out of here” he ordered.
“But Sir, what about you?” replied Drandar.
“Someone has to hold off the Terrans so you all can get away. Might as well be me now.” Lrindar replied.
“Go on, get out of here. You all need to fight on.” Lrindar said wistfully.
“All right Sir” Drandar said reluctantly. “Farewell my friend and good luck”.
“Same to you old friend. Same to you all.” replied Lrindar.
The squad quickly retreated through the chasm in the rear wall Virhl had made earlier. Lrindar was all alone now. The Terrans were only coming intermittently now, their forces in this part of the dome must have been depleted. He only had to hang on a matter of seconds to let his squad get back to the Dark Evangelist. He dispatched a final Terran patrol with the last of his strength.
Lrindar slumped to the floor. His squad must have made it to the ship by now. As his last ounces of strength ebbed away Lrindar felt pride. Pride that he had completed the mission. Pride that he had saved the resistance and most of his squad. And pride that he had lived up to Krohl’s standards. In his last moments Lrindar turned his mind to his faith. He dearly hoped the Krynn were right.
Epilogue
Krynn reinforcements eventually reached Ares V and secured the planet. The Krynn annexed two more Terran border worlds before an armistice was signed. Although neither side had wanted war the Krynn had at least achieved their objective, a foothold in the galactic core. The newly converted humans quickly found a place within the Krynn’s Unity as skilled diplomats and missionaries.
Krohl eventually recovered and was promoted to the rank of General for his actions during the war. He was given command of a new Commando and Insurgency division. Krohl made Virhl his second in command and kept the Dark Evangelist as his personal shuttle.
The 81st Commando squad lived on with Drandar as its new commander. Srandar opted to stay with the squad. Drandar immediately set about replacing the squads losses. The squad was also issued with the first of a newly commissioned class of Krynn Raiders. Krohl and his division had designed the new class of ships purposefully for use by commando squads, borrowing liberally from the old Korath design of course.
Finally Lrindar was recognised as a holy martyr of the Krynn Consulate for his efforts on the consulate mission. His actions and memory were lionized by the squads surviving members, who owed him their lives.
I hope everyone has enjoyed reading this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it. It would be good to get feedback from people on what they thought of it.
I do do plan to start another serial soon, using the lessons I learned writing this one. I have a few plot ideas but suggestions are welcome.
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