Crimson Worlds Collection III Read online

  “What else can we do, Jim?” Barnes didn’t like it any better than Teller. But he couldn’t think of an option. “If they had any airpower at all, we’d be dead already. But they’ve still got us hemmed in. That mobility isn’t helping us anymore. They’ve got too much manpower…they can keep us bracketed and close the circle. What have we got? Five days? A week? Then they’ll have us surrounded…but we’ll be out in the open and not dug into the mountains.”

  Teller was frustrated. When he’d gotten the distress call, he figured he could back up the local army and defeat whatever force had invaded the planet. Now he was angry at himself…for recklessness, for arrogance. He’d let his pride do his thinking, confident that his Marines could best any foe. But the forces occupying Arcadia were as well trained as his people, or at least close to it. And their equipment was identical. The campaign had been like a battle against shadow Marines, but the enemy had five times the numbers. Now his people were facing total defeat, and he had nothing to show for it. The local army was nowhere to be found…Teller assumed it had already been destroyed. His people hadn’t made a bit of difference. He’d thrown away over a thousand fully trained and equipped Marines. For nothing. Erik Cain had pinned stars on his collar, and trusted him completely. Teller knew he’d let his mentor down.

  “Jim?” Barnes slapped his armored hand against Teller’s suit. “What’s it gonna be?”

  His troops were in wholesale retreat now. He was out of time. He had to decide. “The mines.” He spat out the words, his voice thick with anger. “Pull everyone back to the mines.”

  Chapter 8

  C1 Headquarters Building

  Wan Chai, Hong Kong

  Central Asian Combine, Earth

  Li An sat quietly at her desk, bourbon number three in her hand. It was late, past 2am, and the lights of Wan Chai still blazed behind her. She knew what was happening out there. The Central Asian Combine enforced a very conservative code of conduct on its residents, but for those in positions of power it was pure façade. In Wan Chai and the other wealthy playgrounds of Hong Kong, the privileged and powerful engaged in every manner of hedonism and debauchery. Indeed, exploiting the vices of various government functionaries had always been one of her favorite tools. Li An wasn’t squeamish by any means…she wouldn’t hesitate to slowly dissect a troublesome subject down in the lower level interrogation rooms to get what she needed. But why go to the trouble when sex, drugs, and blackmail could do the job so much more efficiently?

  The vast majority of the CAC’s people lived in extreme poverty, as they did in all of the Superpowers. There was a small middle class of sorts, the same as in the other nations. The engineers and scientists and other educated types a modern society required had to be given some level of privilege over the masses, but few of them could even guess at the virtually unlimited luxury the power brokers in government enjoyed.

  Li An herself was no stranger to a plush existence. The bottle of bourbon she was well on her way to polishing off cost as much as the average CAC family earned in a year. Still, by the standards of the other Committee members, her tastes had always been simple. Work had been her life, and C1 was her monument. The intelligence agency was modeled in her image. What will happen to it, she wondered, when I am gone?

  If there’s anything left at all, she thought darkly. The world was at a crossroads, and Li An was one of the few who truly understood the danger. Things were poised on the edge of a knife…they could spin out of control at any moment. The Alliance had refused to allow the CAC, or any of the Powers, to use the Commnet system to contact their units with Grand Fleet. Then, the scouting force sent to Wolf 359 to investigate what was happening in that troubled system disappeared without a trace. The ships transited, and that was the last anyone heard from them. International tensions soared further, and accusations of foul play flew back and forth between diplomatic missions.

  She looked down at the tablet on her desk. The report it displayed was good news…at least it would have been if it had come earlier. Grand Fleet had returned to Sandoval. Other than casualties incurred fighting the First Imperium, every vessel was intact. Augustus Garret had formally disbanded the fleet and thanked all the personnel for their service. Just like that…all the national contingents were back from the Rim and on their way to their bases, safe and sound and under their own commanders.

  She drained her glass and set it down, reaching for the bottle. This was exactly what she’d needed two weeks ago. It would have relieved tensions considerably. Now it was close to useless, serving only to mock her. She’d argued as hard as she could…and even hinted at some of the secrets in her file, but she hadn’t been able to convince him. Despite her efforts, Huang Wei ordered a secret mobilization of the CAC’s terrestrial armed forces, and two days later the Caliphate did as well.

  She laughed bitterly to herself as she filled her glass again. Those old fools, she thought, then laughed again, noting they were all younger than her. Li An couldn’t remember hearing anything as stupid as a secret mobilization. She hated Gavin Stark with a fiery passion, but if Huang Wei thought the Alliance’s spymaster was going to miss two Superpowers mobilizing their forces, he was an imbecile. He probably knows already, she thought, as she put the glass to her lips.

  When the new reports first arrived, she considered trying to halt the mobilizations. But that genie was already out of the bottle. She couldn’t be sure the Alliance wasn’t already responding, and she had no way to know how they would react even if the order was reversed. The CAC could easily find itself unprepared, facing an Alliance at a high state of readiness. She didn’t want a war on Earth, but it would be even worse if she interfered and the CAC was unable to defend itself against an attack. She didn’t think victory in such a conflict was going to be much of a prize, but defeat was unthinkable.

  “Minister Li?” It was her assistant on the com. C1 was a 24/7 operation, and one of her people was always on duty outside her office.

  She tapped the com panel. “Yes, Bai?” She was annoyed and surprised at being disturbed at this hour. “What is it?”

  “I have Chairman Huang on your line.”

  Now that’s a surprise, Li thought, moving her hand to the com unit. “Good evening, Mr. Chairman.” Huang was usually in a drug induced stupor and on his second or third young girl by 2am. “How can I be of assistance?”

  “Good evening, Minister Li. I am sorry to disturb you at such a late hour.”

  “Not at all, Mr. Chairman. In fact, I am still in my office.”

  “I’ve been reading the reports from the returning fleet units.” His voice was a little shaky. She couldn’t tell if it was fatigue or the effects of his evening’s earlier activities. “Obviously, I am gratified that our forces have returned without incident. We may have to revisit some of our recent strategic decisions in the coming days.”

  Damned fool, she thought…he doesn’t realize he’s taken us down a road we can’t easily escape. “Yes, sir.” She didn’t elaborate. There was no point, and now wasn’t the time anyway.

  “However, I have another concern that I wanted to address at once.” His tone was a mix of anger and suspicion.

  “What is it, Mr. Chairman?” She knew Wei was a paranoid sort, apt to see threats where there were none…and recent events had done nothing to calm his mania.

  “Have you read the individual officers’ reports?”

  She wasn’t sure where he was going. “Yes, sir. I’ve read everything.” Of course, she thought…what the hell do you think I do here all day?

  “It is my opinion that many of them are rather effusive of Admiral Garret and some of the other Alliance military personnel. Disturbingly so. Wouldn’t you agree?”

  She suppressed a laugh. Li An was used to seeing threats everywhere, but this particular insanity hadn’t even occurred to her. But she’d been around long enough to know the phrase, “wouldn’t you agree” was a trap when uttered by a paranoid superior. “Of course, Mr. Chairman. The loyaltie
s of our command staff are always of concern.” Her face was a mask of exhaustion and disdain. What a waste of time, she thought. “If you would like me to place these officers under enhanced surveillance, I would…”

  “I believe we need to move quickly and decisively on this, Minister Li. While I am relieved that our fleet units appear to have returned safely, the situation is still very fluid. I consider the possibility of Alliance perfidy to be a major concern. Indeed, if Admiral Garret has suborned the loyalty of our fleet commanders, we can derive little assurance from the return of the ships. Perhaps the Alliance believes it can control those taskforces through the defection of the commanding officers.” The stress was becoming more pronounced in his voice. “I would like you to prepare a plan to immediately remove all officers whose loyalties are suspect.” He paused. “Many of the Caliphate personnel have expressed similar disturbing sentiments with regard to Admiral Garret and his associates. I have arranged a call with the Caliph tomorrow to discuss the matter at greater length.”

  Li An had provided him the Caliphate communiqués as well as the CAC ones. C1 was a highly effective organization, and her people had easily intercepted the messages sent to New Media. The Caliphate was a CAC ally, but that didn’t mean C1 didn’t spy on them as aggressively as they did the Alliance or the PRC.

  She forced back a sigh. “May I suggest, sir, that you do not tell the Caliph that we intercepted his fleet communiqués?”

  “Of course not, Minister.” His voice had an edge. She was reminding him not to be careless, and he didn’t like it. “I will simply advise him that I have concerns about some of our officers and suggest that he take a closer look at his own.”

  “Very well, sir.” She knew the whole thing was a waste…of time and of experienced, loyal officers. More than a waste…this wasn’t going to help the morale or readiness of the armed forces, not one bit. Huang was being foolish and paranoid. It wasn’t as simple as he seemed to think for a fleet commander to lead his force over to the enemy, even if he was disposed to do so. But she could tell he wasn’t going to let it drop and, innocent or not, she knew she couldn’t just fire officers of such high rank. She’d have to bring them up on some kind of charges, at least…or simply institute a purge, accusing them all of treason and classifying the entire affair. It was going to be messy no matter how she handled it. “I will put a plan in place immediately, sir.” She’d ruthlessly sacrificed thousands over her career, and the innocence of the victims had never been a major consideration. But this time it didn’t seem the same. Maybe it was age, or simply exhaustion…but she felt something different. Was it pity for the victims? Or guilt? It didn’t matter. Li An would do what she had to, no matter what. She didn’t have to like it.

  “Thank you, Minister Li.”

  There was a wildness in Huang’s voice, she thought…this has all been too much for him…the paranoia is taking over. “I am pleased to be of any service, Mr. Chairman.”

  Huang cut the line. Li leaned back in her chair, draining her glass and setting it down on the desk. She glanced at the chronometer. It was almost 3am. If she left now she could get a couple hours of sleep and a shower before she had to leave for her shuttle.

  She had no idea what Roderick Vance wanted to discuss with her. The head of Martian Intelligence was enigmatic, to say the least. Enormously wealthy, he appeared to be utterly incorruptible as well. Despite years of trying, she’d never been able to uncover any vices or secrets she could use against him. He was just about the only man of any importance in occupied space whose C1 file was almost empty.

  He was extremely intelligent too, though she wasn’t sure he was a match for Gavin Stark. The Alliance’s master spy was like no one she’d ever encountered. She hated Stark and knew he was a monster, but she had to acknowledge the evil bastard was a genius.

  Li and Vance were unlikely compatriots. The Martian Confederation was far more closely aligned with the Alliance than the CAC, and that meant Vance was usually on the other side. But he understood, as Li An did, that Stark was his own entity. His loyalty was to himself only, and his schemes were as likely to damage the Alliance as aid it. All that was certain was they would serve Gavin Stark.

  Li and Vance worked together during the Alliance’s rebellions, and they managed to give Gavin Stark a rare and bitter defeat, shattering his plans to seize total control over the colonies. Stark had been quiet since then, disturbingly so. He was clearly up to something – something big, she suspected – but her every effort to penetrate his security had proven to be a failure. Perhaps Vance knows something, she thought hopefully.

  She stood slowly, achingly, flipping off the desk light as she did. Her legs felt weak, and the pain in her joints was getting worse. She knew her body was failing her, but there was an odd little smile on her face. Maybe, she thought to herself…maybe I will get the chance to deal Gavin Stark one last defeat before I die.

  She walked slowly to the door, wondering again what information Vance had…and looking forward to one last great battle of wits with an old enemy.

  Chapter 9

  Astria City

  Planet Armstrong

  Gamma Pavonis III

  Cain walked swiftly down the street, his aides almost jogging to keep up with him. It felt odd to be back on Armstrong…to be on any normal colony. Someplace he could just walk into a restaurant and order a sandwich or a cup of coffee. It had been years now since Cain had been somewhere like this, a civilian environment…someplace that reminded him there were people in the universe who just lived their lives normally. He found it a pleasant diversion, a reminder of what he was fighting to preserve, though he knew he was only there to change it, to save it…probably by destroying it.

  He had been on Sandoval when the population there was being evacuated. He remembered the empty cities standing like ghost towns, deserted streets and abandoned buildings silent, save for the occasional patrol passing through. Now those cities were radioactive ruins, one of the many sacrifices made to stop the First Imperium. No one would live there again for generations. The scattered refugees, the former occupants of Sandoval…they could seek some miserable scrap of solace, at least, in the thought that the battle had been a great victory, one that had turned the First Imperium back from the heart of human space. Cain shook his head imperceptibly, thinking what cold comfort that must be.

  Since the holocaust of Sandoval, he and his Marines had called the ships of the fleet home, except for the time they spent on Sigma 4, fighting another death struggle with the legions of the First Imperium. That had been an enemy world, at least, not another Alliance colony to destroy. But now he was back on friendly territory, and the situation was eerily like that preceding the Battle of Sandoval.

  Things were different on Armstrong, though. Almost all of the population had been evacuated from Sandoval, but that was impossible now. Cain didn’t have the ships or the time for anything like that. He’d have to win this fight while trying to keep over a million displaced civilians alive. Erik Cain’s way of war had always been total, but now he was thrust into a different role. If he held onto an Armstrong that had become a lifeless rock, its people buried in the ashes of their homes, could he see that as anything but utter defeat?

  His forces were different too. On Sandoval, he had a carefully assembled army, including contingents from the other Powers, but his Marines were alone on Armstrong, and they were no freshly organized expeditionary force, but the shattered remnants of the bitter fighting on Sigma 4. He had no reinforcements, no substantive refit…just the exhausted survivors of one of the most murderous battles ever fought.

  The force assigned to Sandoval had been one of the best supplied and provisioned armies humanity had ever put into the field. The Marines defending Armstrong had nothing but the remaining ammunition and equipment from the Sigma 4 campaign.

  None of that mattered to Cain. He’d gone through the strange transition that overtook him whenever he went into a fight. Normally calm and easy-going, the c
all of battle changed him somewhere deep inside. Erik Cain the combat commander was cold, focused, ruthless. He didn’t let pain and suffering affect his judgment under fire. He saw only two options in combat…total victory or utter defeat. And for Cain, defeat meant death. Anything short of that, and he would still be fighting…and he expected everyone under his command to operate in the same way.

  “Isaac, I want these people out of here now.” Cain was waving his arm around, gesturing to the buildings of Armstrong’s capital city. “What the hell is holding things up?”

  Cain had originally made Merrick his chief of staff because it was the position he felt least problematic for an intelligent and gifted officer who lacked sufficient training in powered armor for a field command. It had been somewhat of a “make do” arrangement when he conceived of it, but it turned out to be a huge success. Merrick was extremely competent with organizational tasks, and his personality meshed well with Cain’s hard-edged battlefield persona. They worked together seamlessly on Sigma 4, and now Cain couldn’t imagine trying to get by without him.

  “We’ve met some…ah…resistance from some of the civilians.” Merrick’s voice was halting. He knew this wasn’t going to go over well with Cain. “Many of them are refusing to leave their homes.”

  Cain stopped abruptly and turned to face his chief of staff. It was at times like this Merrick wished they were wearing armor, however uncomfortable he found it. At least he wouldn’t have had to see the expression on Cain’s face. He’d have sworn the temperature dropped ten degrees around the commander-in-chief.

  “I know I didn’t just hear what I thought I did, General Merrick.”

  Merrick almost tried to explain that the people were reluctant to uproot themselves and move into makeshift shelters when they didn’t even know if there was going to be an attack. No enemy force had been detected. The concern that an invasion was coming was pure conjecture. Merrick understood how the civilians felt, but he knew Cain wouldn’t…or if he did, he wouldn’t care. Not for the first time, he wondered what it was that happened to Erik Cain when he transported down to a battlefield. Was it some unfathomable pool of raw, iron will from which he drew his merciless strength? Aboard ship or in base, Merrick considered Cain one of his closest friends, a good-natured guy with an offbeat but fun sense of humor. But in the field, he felt he didn’t know the man at all. He respected him – and he would follow him against the legions of hell – but the difference was stark, almost indescribable. Fighting with Erik Cain felt like following the god of war into battle.