Crimson Fire (The Kurgan War Book 8) Read online

  “Damn you, you old man,” cursed Kordus, smashing his communicator to pieces with his hand. “How dare you threaten me with assassination when you’ve got one foot in the grave already? I’ll be the emperor within a year whether you die of natural causes or not. As for my brother, it’s high time one of his many mistresses was paid to lose her temper and kill him.”

  There was a buzz at the closed door.

  “Come,” snapped Kordus.

  The door opened. A Kurgan captain stood at attention in the doorway. “Sir, Admiral Kaar is requesting to know why his shuttle had to make an emergency jump from Prince Kobak’s ship.”

  “Kaar!” yelled Kordus. “Kaar wants to know what happened?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “That traitor has got some nerve.”

  “Sir?”

  “Nothing. Tell the admiral we have no idea why it jumped away. Oh, before you go, find my reconnaissance company commander and have him report to me right away.”

  The captain bowed and closed the door.

  “So, Kaar, you’re playing me for a fool, are you?” said Kordus. “Just you wait, you’ll soon get what’s coming to you, and I’ll be the one to send you and your entire family into the afterlife.”

  Chapter 9

  Robert Sheridan placed his hands behind his back and began to pace. It had been close to an hour since he had last heard any news. He was starting to worry that something had gone wrong. A button lit up on his desk. Robert walked over and pressed it.

  “Sir, Admiral Kaar is on your secure line,” reported Killam.

  “Thank you,” said Robert, opening his laptop. Kaar’s image appeared on the screen. Robert cut to the chase. “How did things go?”

  “They’re away safe and sound,” replied Kaar.

  “Casualties?”

  “Colonel Keyl and most of his protection detail are dead. My contact on the Kazuma has informed me that all of your people, along with Prince Kobak and Princess Katin, boarded my shuttle before it jumped away.”

  Robert let out a breath. “I’m sorry for the loss of your men.”

  “They died doing their duty. An honorable death for so many brave warriors.”

  “Do you have any idea where they will come out of their jump? I’d like to have some people on standby to assist in case help is needed.”

  “That is the problem, Robert. Keyl was the Prince Regent’s handpicked agent. Keyl never told me where he was going to take the royal siblings for safe keeping.”

  “Damn. You must have some indication where they were heading?”

  Kaar nodded. “It looks like they jumped further into Kurgan space.”

  “Why the hell would they do that?”

  “I’m sorry, I wish I knew the answer.”

  Robert ran a hand over his chin. “If they went deeper into your territory, there has to be a good reason for it.”

  “I have a couple of ideas, but nothing is certain. Robert, how long would it take you to assemble and dispatch a carrier group deep inside Kurgan territory?”

  “Assuming that we need to maintain a balance of forces between your fleet and mine, I’d need to pull in a carrier from elsewhere. Why?”

  “It’s just a thought.”

  “Admiral, we have known each other for over a year now. You don’t just have mere ‘thoughts.’ What exactly are you thinking?”

  “Robert, if they’ve gone where I think they have, it will be up to you to save them. I can assist to a point, but your people will have to take the risks involved in mounting a rescue far from the support of your fleet.”

  “Before we even go down that road, what can you tell me about the coup? Is the Prince Regent still alive?”

  “The information flowing out of the capital is sporadic and unclear. Some reports state that the Regent and his wife are dead, while others have them alive but in hiding. The one thing we know for certain is that there is heavy fighting between the Regent’s and Kordus’ forces all over the capital.”

  “What of the other families’ troops; what are they doing?”

  “So far, two of the families have formally declared their neutrality. Only one, General Krotz, the commander of the Old Guard, is teetering on the fence. It’s expected that if the Regent’s body is found, he will declare his support for Kordus so he can keep his rank and position. However, if the Prince Regent is found alive, Krotz will unleash his veteran soldiers on Kordus’ forces to regain favor with the Regent, and that will effectively end the coup.”

  “Someone must really like the perks that come with their job.”

  “Krotz disgraced himself at the state dinner. His future and that of his family are in the hands of whomever he decides to support.”

  Robert shook his head. “And I thought politics was boring.”

  “I praise the Lord Kurgan every day that I’m a humble admiral and not a bureaucrat involved in the affairs of government.”

  “I hear you.”

  “Robert, please think about what I said. The fate of the empire may rest on your ability to locate and rescue the heir to the throne.”

  “I will. Sheridan, out.” With that, the computer screen went dark.

  Sheridan stood and began to pace. His son and the heir to the Kurgan Empire were missing. Kordus undoubtedly had people looking for them. Robert stopped his pacing and pressed a button on his comms console. “Captain Killam, please report to my quarters.”

  Less than a minute later, Killam buzzed the door before entering. “You wanted to see me, sir?”

  “Yes, Captain, I’ll need a force projection plan built around a lightning-fast rescue mission for half a dozen people trapped deep inside Kurgan space for me to review in the morning,” said the admiral.

  “Will there be opposition this force may have to deal with?”

  “It would be wise to assume that a Kurgan Task Force will be operating in the same area as the rescue team.”

  Killam glanced at the time. “When would you like the briefing, sir?”

  “How does 0800 hours sound?”

  “0900?”

  Robert nodded.

  Killam came to attention and rushed off to round up his planning team. There would be no sleep for any of them tonight.

  Admiral Sheridan placed his hands behind his back, turned from the door, and started to pace once more.

  Chapter 10

  “Coming out of our jump in three-two-one,” announced Wendy.

  The impenetrable blackness of the ship’s jump bubble disappeared. A green and blue gas giant filled the shuttle’s view screen.

  “Scanners online,” said Tarina. “This system appears to be made up of eight planets. Two are too close to this system’s sun to be habitable. Two others are gas giants, one is a frozen ball of rock and ice, leaving us with three in the Goldilocks zone.”

  Sheridan looked over Tarina’s shoulder at the information coming in. “Are there any satellites or ships in orbit above the habitable planets?”

  Tarina shook her head. “None. In fact, I’m not detecting any signs of life. There’s extensive radiation in the atmosphere and on the surface of all three planets. If there were any Kurgans down there, they’re long since dead.”

  “There has to be life here somewhere,” said Katin, reading the data on the screens. “My ancestors came back here to live in peace, not to kill one another.”

  “Perhaps we’re too far away from the planets to get a good picture of what’s down there?” suggested Sheridan.

  “Folks, the sensor suite on this shuttle is state of the art,” said Tarina. “Trust me when I say those three planets are completely devoid of life.”

  “Well, ain’t this is a bit of a kick in the pants,” said Cole. “One thing’s for sure, we can’t stay out here forever. We’ve got to find a place to land and fast.”

  “Wait one,” said Wendy. “I think I may have found something.”

  “Where?” asked Sheridan.

  “I’ve picked up life signs on a large moon or
biting one of the dead planets.”

  “Could we land there?”

  “My instruments say the atmosphere is breathable and the gravity is almost identical to that of Earth’s. There’s plenty of water and extensive vegetation covering the moon’s surface, so survival shouldn’t be an issue.”

  “Cities?” asked Katin.

  “I’m not reading any signs of technology,” relied Wendy. “There’s a lot of life, most of which seems to be clustered in hundreds of communities spread out on the surface of the moon. But judging by these readings, I doubt they’re very far advanced.”

  Sheridan drummed his fingers on the console for a few seconds. “Like Alan said, we can’t sit here and do nothing. Wendy, please select a suitable landing site away from any of the inhabited settlements, and let’s see what’s down there.”

  “Okay, from our current position and traveling at sub-light speed, it’s going to take us just under three hours to reach the moon, leaving us less than three percent of our original fuel for landing,” explained Wendy.

  “Is that a problem?” asked Sheridan.

  “It’s shaving things a little close for my liking, but we should be okay.”

  “All right, then let’s get moving.”

  Tarina and Wendy settled back into their seats to input the new flight plan into the ship’s computers.

  “How’s Prince Kobak?” Sheridan asked Katin.

  “He’s sleeping right now,” she replied. “It’s going to take him a couple of days to work through his anger and his grief.”

  “We don’t know for sure that your parents are dead. There’s always hope to cling to.”

  Katin shook her head. “My heart tells me they are no longer with us. The future of my family’s name and the stability of the empire rests on my brother staying alive long enough to let our people know he is ready to assume the throne. The longer we stay hidden out here, the greater the chance Kordus will cement his hold on the empire.”

  “The instant we land, we’ll activate the distress beacon. Hopefully, we’ll be rescued and on our way home in a couple days’ time.”

  Katin stepped in close and lowered her voice. “Major, I want you to be totally honest with me. What are our chances of being rescued?”

  “Your Highness, if my people or Admiral Kaar’s detect the distress signal before Kordus’, I’d say our chances were good. However, if Kordus’ people are the first to arrive, I’d give us one in ten chances of coming out of this alive.”

  “Although you are not a Kurgan and an unbeliever, I sense that I can trust you and your friends to do what is best for my brother and me. For that, I thank you.”

  “Princess, when we land it would be wise for both you and your brother to drop your titles and hide any insignia which might let people know who you are. There are spare flight suits onboard the ship. I suggest that you both change into them right away.”

  “What if they don’t fit?”

  Sheridan drew a knife from his belt. “Borrow this and make them fit.”

  The lush green moon stood in stark contrast to the blackened and scarred surface of the dead planet it orbited. With their fuel almost expended, the moon was a welcome port to hide in from the storm engulfing the Kurgan Empire.

  Sheridan buckled himself into his seat and looked over at the royal siblings. Katin’s coveralls were a bit long in the legs, but overall the disguise worked. Kobak’s, on the other hand, hung off him. The guard, Krier, tried to help the young prince, but there was little they could do other than roll up the sleeves and pant legs and hope for the best.

  “It looks like we’re going to be landing sometime just after sunrise,” said Cole. “What do you want to do, boss?”

  “First off, we need to get our distress beacon up and running, after that, I say we look around to see if there’s a good hiding spot we can use until help arrives,” responded Sheridan.

  “Sounds like a plan. You and I can and secure the landing site while Tarina gets the transmitter set up.”

  “What about Krier? Do you think we can use him?”

  Cole glanced over at the young warrior. “Only as a bodyguard. From here on out, Mike, he has one job and one job only: keep the prince alive.”

  “Hang on back there,” said Tarina. “We’re entering the atmosphere, so it’s going to be a bit bumpy for the next few minutes.”

  “Wonderful,” said Sheridan under his breath, wishing he had thought to bring his mouth guard with him.

  The descent through the atmosphere was far from the worst one Sheridan had ever experienced. Kobak, however, sat hunched over with a bag covering his mouth. Whether it was the fear pent up in his body or Tarina’s nap-of-the-earth flying, the young prince was as sick as a dog.

  “I’ve got an open field up ahead,” announced Tarina. “I’m going to put us down there.”

  Sheridan and Cole unbuckled their harnesses, grabbed their rifles, and took up positions on either side of the shuttle’s side door.

  The craft slowed as it came in for a landing.

  “Anything on the sensors?” asked Sheridan.

  “There’s a lot of animal life out there in the jungle, but not a single whiff of any electronic signatures,” replied Wendy. “If there’s another ship within ten thousand kilometers of us, it’s switched off all of its power.”

  The second the landing struts touched down, Wendy flipped a switch, opening the side door. Sheridan and Cole leaped out with their weapons at the ready and scanned the thick jungle surrounding the clearing. Both men felt the effects of the stifling heat and humidity. Within seconds their uniforms clung to their sweating bodies. The only sound in the air was the buzz of insects and the loud croaking of animals hidden somewhere inside the dense, green foliage.

  “My side’s clear,” reported Cole from the other side of the shuttle.

  “Mine too,” said Sheridan.

  Cole dropped to one knee to act as a sentry while the rest of the team sorted themselves out.

  “Wendy, put the ship’s cannons on auto for the next hour or two,” said Sheridan into his comms device. “If there’s something out here, I’d prefer that we get the first shot off.”

  “Can do, but our backup batteries will only last for another twelve hours, after that we’re powerless,” she replied. “We may need them to communicate with anyone looking for us once they arrive in orbit.”

  “Got it, make it only an hour then.”

  Tarina stepped out onto the grass. In a backpack was the distress beacon. She placed the bag on the ground, pulled out the transmitter, and made sure it was set to transmit before activating it.

  “What kind of a battery life does the beacon have?” asked Sheridan.

  “I’m not familiar with this specific Kurgan device, but it’s got a fully charged gel battery, so it should last a good week or more before dying,” she replied.

  “Let’s hope we’re long gone by then.”

  “The cannons are on auto, and everything else is powered down,” said Wendy as she joined her friends.

  “Come on, Big Red, let’s sweep the perimeter,” said Cole.

  Wendy unslung her weapon and made sure the safety was off. She walked to Cole’s side and said, “After you.”

  Katin popped her head out of the shuttle. “Is it safe to come outside?”

  “Not yet,” said Sheridan. “Give us a few minutes to ensure we’re not being watched.”

  “You don’t think somebody’s here, do you?”

  “It’s always better to be safe than sorry. Ask Krier to cover us from the door.”

  Krier heard his name and propped himself up in the open doorway. He nodded when Sheridan indicated with his hand for the young soldier to watch the jungle.

  “How long do you think it will take for someone to pick up our distress call?” Sheridan asked Tarina.

  “The Kurgans have an extensive network of communication satellites spread out among their various star systems. You know, it’s almost surreal to think that I use
d to fly missions deep into their territory to destroy them when the war was still on. If there’s a functioning satellite nearby, I’d say it’ll be no more than a day or two at the most before someone detects our signal.”

  Sheridan looked up at the azure sky. “Come on, Kaar, don’t let us down.”

  “The perimeter looks quiet,” reported Cole.

  “What I wouldn’t give right now for a Marine rifle company with all its people and integral weapons systems,” said Sheridan.

  “Well, you don’t. It’s just us four and our Kurgan comrades against the world.” Cole looked over at Wendy. “Please nip inside and do a quick scan of the local area and see if there are any caves or hills nearby that we could use to our advantage.”

  “I’m on it,” she replied.

  “Is it okay now?” asked Katin halfway out the door.

  “Yes, but stay close to the ship,” cautioned Sheridan.

  With Krier leading, the siblings walked out of the shuttle.

  “Do you think any of my ancestors could be living here on this moon?” Katin asked Sheridan.

  “We didn’t detect any signs of an advanced civilization from orbit, so I’d have to say the chances aren’t very good,” replied Sheridan. “I’m sorry.”

  “I don’t understand. Why would they come back home to live in peace only to obliterate themselves in a nuclear war?”

  “They could have had a civil war of their own or were attacked by another warlike species,” said Cole. “Unfortunately, you may never learn the fate of your ancestors. At least not on this trip.”

  “Major, my sister says that our chances of survival are not good,” said Kobak to Sheridan. “Is this correct?”

  “Yes, your Highness,” replied Sheridan. “Whoever gets here first will determine all our fates.”

  “What are we going to do? I don’t want to die.”

  “None of us do.” Sheridan looked down at Kobak. “My friends and I are well-trained and know our jobs. We’ll do all we can to keep all of us alive. Now it may be hard for you and your sister to get used to it, but from here on out, you’re no longer royalty but merely humble citizens of the empire.”