Andromeda's War (Legion of the Damned Book 3) by William C. Dietz Page A
Authors: William C. Dietz
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picket ship launched a message torp, Nola-Ba would know that he had failed. At that point, they could run or wait for the Humans to arrive. And running was unthinkable.
Every minute felt like a year. Finally, after half an hour had passed, Captain Po-Ba spoke. “Since there was no launch, it seems safe to assume that the trick worked. Secure from battle stations.”
Nola-Ba gave no outward sign of the elation he felt because to do so would be to communicate the possibility of defeat. He released the harness and stood. “Very well . . . Carry on.” And with that, he left the bridge.
—
Battle Group 761 had been inside Human-dominated space for the better part of a standard week when Flight Officer Homa-Sa entered the ship’s Command Center and crashed to attention. The semicircular space was large enough to accommodate six officers although only three were present. They included Nola-Ba, Captain Po-Ba, and the battle group’s Intel officer Spear Commander Aro-Sa. All sat with their backs pressed into shallow niches intended to make them feel more secure because no Hudathan would sit with his back exposed if that could be avoided. “At ease,” Nola-Ba said. “Commander Aro-Sa tells me that you had a very successful mission. What did you see?”
“The Humans are present,” Homa-Sa said, his eyes on a point over Nola-Ba’s head. “But there is only one small settlement.”
“The Humans call it Savas Prime,” Aro-Sa said contemptuously, as aerial photographs morphed onto the screens around them. “A sty fit for animals.”
Nola-Ba had done battle with the “animals,” and Aro-Sa hadn’t. So as he eyed a dozen roofs and some poorly laid-out streets, he wasn’t so dismissive. Some of the Humans were worthy adversaries. “What sort of vehicles did you see?”
“There was a single spaceship,” Homa-Sa said. “Plus a couple of air cars and some ground vehicles.”
“And that was all?”
“Three message torpedoes and two satellites are orbiting the planet,” Homa-Sa responded. “I left them untouched.”
Nola-Ba could destroy the town, the torpedoes, and the satellites whenever he chose to. So he had given orders to leave them alone for the moment. “And the moon?”
“The moon was uninhabited. I saw no signs of activity there.”
“Good. We can use it,” Nola-Ba said.
Po-Ba frowned. “Use the moon? For what?”
“A moon base would enable us to respond quickly if Human ships arrive and to fire on the planet’s surface if that becomes necessary,” Nola-Ba replied. Po-Ba was a good navy officer, and as such, had a tendency to focus on his ship. He would learn.
Nola-Ba looked at Homa-Sa. “Was your presence detected?”
“No, Admiral. I don’t think so.”
“Good job. Thank you. Dismissed.”
Homa-Sa did an about-face and left the room. “He’s a good pilot,” Aro-Sa said thoughtfully. “We could use more like him.”
“We could use more of
everything
,” Nola-Ba said absently. “Let’s take a look at those surface images again . . . We need to establish a base, and I don’t want to put it near that town.”
—
After two standard days of preparation, the invasion of Savas began. The first step was to destroy the Human message torpedoes and the satellites that were orbiting the planet. That process took all of forty-six seconds.
Aro-Sa wanted to level Savas Prime, and that would have been easy to do, but Nola-Ba refused. Not out of a sense of compassion but because it might be instructive to interrogate the Humans before killing them.
So instead of destroying Savas Prime, Nola-Ba elected to land a couple of thousand miles away. Not in an assault boat but aboard the elderly
Head Hunter
. The ancient destroyer wasn’t designed to land on planetary surfaces, so it would be a one-way trip.
But if the plan was successful, Nola-Ba would have one of the things he needed most, and that was raw materials for the fort he had orders to build. Metal salvaged from the
Head
Every minute felt like a year. Finally, after half an hour had passed, Captain Po-Ba spoke. “Since there was no launch, it seems safe to assume that the trick worked. Secure from battle stations.”
Nola-Ba gave no outward sign of the elation he felt because to do so would be to communicate the possibility of defeat. He released the harness and stood. “Very well . . . Carry on.” And with that, he left the bridge.
—
Battle Group 761 had been inside Human-dominated space for the better part of a standard week when Flight Officer Homa-Sa entered the ship’s Command Center and crashed to attention. The semicircular space was large enough to accommodate six officers although only three were present. They included Nola-Ba, Captain Po-Ba, and the battle group’s Intel officer Spear Commander Aro-Sa. All sat with their backs pressed into shallow niches intended to make them feel more secure because no Hudathan would sit with his back exposed if that could be avoided. “At ease,” Nola-Ba said. “Commander Aro-Sa tells me that you had a very successful mission. What did you see?”
“The Humans are present,” Homa-Sa said, his eyes on a point over Nola-Ba’s head. “But there is only one small settlement.”
“The Humans call it Savas Prime,” Aro-Sa said contemptuously, as aerial photographs morphed onto the screens around them. “A sty fit for animals.”
Nola-Ba had done battle with the “animals,” and Aro-Sa hadn’t. So as he eyed a dozen roofs and some poorly laid-out streets, he wasn’t so dismissive. Some of the Humans were worthy adversaries. “What sort of vehicles did you see?”
“There was a single spaceship,” Homa-Sa said. “Plus a couple of air cars and some ground vehicles.”
“And that was all?”
“Three message torpedoes and two satellites are orbiting the planet,” Homa-Sa responded. “I left them untouched.”
Nola-Ba could destroy the town, the torpedoes, and the satellites whenever he chose to. So he had given orders to leave them alone for the moment. “And the moon?”
“The moon was uninhabited. I saw no signs of activity there.”
“Good. We can use it,” Nola-Ba said.
Po-Ba frowned. “Use the moon? For what?”
“A moon base would enable us to respond quickly if Human ships arrive and to fire on the planet’s surface if that becomes necessary,” Nola-Ba replied. Po-Ba was a good navy officer, and as such, had a tendency to focus on his ship. He would learn.
Nola-Ba looked at Homa-Sa. “Was your presence detected?”
“No, Admiral. I don’t think so.”
“Good job. Thank you. Dismissed.”
Homa-Sa did an about-face and left the room. “He’s a good pilot,” Aro-Sa said thoughtfully. “We could use more like him.”
“We could use more of
everything
,” Nola-Ba said absently. “Let’s take a look at those surface images again . . . We need to establish a base, and I don’t want to put it near that town.”
—
After two standard days of preparation, the invasion of Savas began. The first step was to destroy the Human message torpedoes and the satellites that were orbiting the planet. That process took all of forty-six seconds.
Aro-Sa wanted to level Savas Prime, and that would have been easy to do, but Nola-Ba refused. Not out of a sense of compassion but because it might be instructive to interrogate the Humans before killing them.
So instead of destroying Savas Prime, Nola-Ba elected to land a couple of thousand miles away. Not in an assault boat but aboard the elderly
Head Hunter
. The ancient destroyer wasn’t designed to land on planetary surfaces, so it would be a one-way trip.
But if the plan was successful, Nola-Ba would have one of the things he needed most, and that was raw materials for the fort he had orders to build. Metal salvaged from the
Head
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