The Landfall Campaign (The Nameless War) (10 page)

“
This is definitely not a drill,
”
Eulenburg said quietly before tapping the screen over the dead engines.
“
That explains the discrepancy in the engine profile.
”

“
Sir, do you still want the fighters launched?
”
Gillum asked.

“
Yes, that ship is either a threat
…
or it can tell us what happened out there,
”
Eulenburg replied.
“
Order the strike leader to attempt to make contact.
”

“
And if there is no response?
”

“
We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. They’re badly hit, their radios could be out,
”
Eulenburg said in reply.

Another staff officer tapped him on the shoulder.

“
Sir, the British Representative has left the conference call. She’s now en route to us with an advance party. They should arrive in about an hour, sir,
”
the officer said.

Eulenburg sighed,
“
Can you inform the rest that I will contact them again and ask them stay close to their holos.
”

With orders given, there wasn’t much he could do for most of the next hour. The Raven space fighters took off within the twenty minutes. He could only watch as the twenty-four blips climbed out of Landfall’s gravity well and vectored onto
Valkyrie
. On the surface there were also developments. Four laser clusters were being brought up from storage and transported to prepared positions at the four corners of the plateau, which would mean the base
’
s anti-missile screen would be operational within a couple of hours. Meanwhile the marines were taking up positions that formed a loose ring halfway down the mountain slope. That was a lot of perimeter and not many marines. Governor Reynolds landed along with a mixture of evacuees, military personnel and administrators. She’d just arrived in Four C, when the strike group approaching
Valkyrie
started signalling.

“
Admiral, signal from Squadron Commander Bussell.
”

Eulenburg immediately hurried over from where he had been greeting Reynolds.

“
Captain Gillum, put her on the main display.
”

The Commander’s face appeared. With the cockpit camera situated low on the instrument panel, the angle was awkward and combined with the helmet visor, her face was barely visible.

“
Commander, what have you to report?
”
Eulenburg asked.

“
Sir, as soon as we got within ten thousand K of
Valkyrie
, we got pinged by one of their coms lasers. Their radio transmitters are all fried but her captain wants to speak with you urgently.
”

“
Understood, Commander. Captain Gillum, put the connection through to the conference room. We all need to hear this.
”

The Representatives had done as he asked and stayed close to their communications suites. All sixteen holograms flickered into life as Eulenburg and Reynolds sat down. In the centre of the conference table, an extra hologram came showing a person in a Captain
’
s survival suit. When she raised the suit visor, the woman inside looked both shocked and exhausted.

“
This is Captain Valerie Singer of the
Valkyrie
. Are you receiving me Douglas Base?
”
she said.

“
Confirmed
Valkyrie
. We are receiving.
”

Singer looked over at someone on her bridge out of view.

“
I’m only getting your audio signal, likely damage at this end,
”
she said.

“
In that case, be advised, you are speaking to Commander Ground Base Douglas and colonial representatives,
”
Eulenburg replied.
“
Apprise us of the situation Captain.
”

There was a pause as the signal travelled to the cruiser.

“
The situation, sir, is that we just got hammered. A fleet of Nameless ships made real space re-entry
inside
Baden’s mass shadow. There was no communication before they opened fire.
”

“
What!
”
Eulenburg exclaimed.
“
Valkyrie
, repeat that, they appeared inside the mass shadow? That’s impossible!
”

“
Two hours ago, sir, I would have agreed with you, but we just got the snot slapped out of us by people who did just that,
”
she replied in an uncompromising tone.

“
My god,
”
he murmured, but the Captain hadn’t finished speaking.

“
Sir, Baden’s FTL transmitter was destroyed without them getting that information away. I need you to forward that information to Headquarters.
”

Eulenburg was filled with admiration for Captain Singer. Her ship battered, orders in hand to run for her life and yet, she’d detoured to Landfall to put out the warning. He was about to say they would, then memory kicked in and he groaned. A scheduled overhaul of the system, had started just two days previously, just long enough for the transmitter to now be in pieces.

“
That
’
s a negative
Valkyrie
. Our FTL transmitter is down for major maintenance. We’ll put the information onto a courier but that’s as fast as we can achieve.
”

Captain Singer’s expression became even grimmer.

“
Understood Douglas Base, we’re downloading our logs now.
”

“
Once your done Captain, get your ship away. Our fighters will cover you to the Red Line.
”

“
Thank you sir.
”

“
Hold on a moment,
”
Reynolds objected.
“
You’re sending them away? That ship needs to stay here and defend the surface of the planet!
”

“
No it doesn’t,
”
Eulenburg replied before redirecting his attention back to Captain Singer.
“
Captain, get back to Earth as fast as you can. Good luck.
”

“
Admiral, I must insist that ship remain. The security of these colonies n
…”

Eulenburg brought the flat of his hand down hard on the desk.

“
This is not open to debate! I am
allowing
you all to listen to this as a courtesy. You have no operational authority over any Battle Fleet ship or installation. Captain Gillum, have we received the download from
Valkyrie
?
”

“
Yes Admiral,
”
Gillum called into the suite.

“
Captain Singer, stay safe. Ground Base Douglas out.
”

Eulenburg was out of his seat before the hologram of Singer disappeared. The Representatives were left speaking among themselves.

Reynolds caught up with Eulenburg back inside the main chamber of Four C. On the main holo the dot representing
Valkyrie
had changed course and was now moving away from the planet with the base’s fighters formed up behind. Eulenburg was speaking to Captain Gillum.

“
Singer was right sir. There was no warning and they definitely jumped in. It wasn’t some kind of super stealth,
”
the staff captain was saying. Reynolds reached them and started to speak, but the Admiral held up a premonitory finger.

“
What ships have we got in orbit at the moment?
”

“
Right now, sir, our two station J class couriers, one fast and three slow personnel transports, three bulk haulers plus a dozen or so in-system ships. There are another six ships that must have got news and have already broken orbit and are heading for the Red Line.
”

“
No L class couriers?
”

“
No, sir. There was supposed to be one here today - via Baden.
”

“
Either already running for Earth or lost. We have to assume the worst. I want
Valkyrie’s
logs uploaded to all ships currently in orbit.
”

“
Even the civilian vessels, sir? Even damaged,
Valkyrie
is faster than the bulk haulers.
”

“
Yes, we need to make sure the information gets to Earth. Those transports can’t stay here anyway. Order the two couriers to travel separately but to take the most direct route to Earth. Get there as fast as they possibly can. We can’t order all the civilians, but contact all the ones in radio range, advise them to get to Earth and stay off the commercial routes.
”

“
Yes sir.
”

“
Once you’ve done that Captain, I need people that can tell

me about jump drives - ship engineers, civilian experts - whoever we have.
”

“
Yes sir,
”
Gillum said throwing a quick salute, before hurrying away.

Reynolds had been visibly holding her temper as Eulenburg issued orders, but as the Captain hurried away she now snapped.

“
Admiral Eulenburg, I expect an explanation of what the hell you think you are doing!
”
she burst out.

Eulenburg regarded her for a moment.

“
Come with me Madam Governor,
”
he said finally.

Reynolds followed him to a comparatively quiet corner of Four C.

“
Governor Reynolds. You do not seem to understand the seriousness of the situation. I will explain it to you. Once.
”
When Reynolds made no comment, he continued,
“
If the Nameless, or whoever they are, can make real space re-entry regardless of a planet’s mass shadow, then our situation may already be untenable. If a starship can make a jump in, in orbit above us, then our missile batteries will have at most only seconds to respond before we start receiving fire from nuclear or kinetic strike weapons. And since our missiles will have to climb out Landfall’s gravity, we cannot count on landing hits before they have had a chance to release their ordnance.
”

“
But we’re underground, Admiral. The whole point of the shelters is that they protect us from orbital strikes!
”

“
As long as they themselves are protected, Governor. The missile silos, the fighters and their runways are all on or near the surface. If they are destroyed by a first strike, then an orbiting starship will be able to bombard us at their leisure. Any sort of protracted bombardment will bury us all alive down here.
”

The way Reynolds’ usually ruddy face went white, convinced Eulenburg that he was getting through to her.

“
What can we do?
”
she exclaimed.

“
Keep the missiles ready, keep fighters over the base and get people underground as fast as possible.
”

“
Is it even worth bringing people here Admiral? Would we not be putting all our eggs in one basket? What about evacuating some people by ship?
”

“
They are even more exposed in the separate colonies, since they would have no missile protection at all. A single weapon strike, would wipe any colonial settlement off the map. As for evacuating the planet, the ships up there now could only carry a few hundred and even those few would take days to load. If those ships leave right now, they stand some chance of avoiding interception. The longer they stay the less the chance. There may also be subtleties here, which we aren’t yet appreciating.
”

“
Like what?
”

“
My knowledge of jump theory isn’t strong enough to answer that. I need to speak to experts.
”

“
But
…”

“
Governor, I cannot give you more time. Not now. The best you can do is start organising the evacuation.
”
Eulenburg hurried off before she could offer any reply.