The Landfall Campaign (The Nameless War) (82 page)

“
Do you believe we can win such a clash Admiral,
”
the British Prime Minister Michael Layland asked quietly.

“
It is win or become extinct, sir,
”
Lewis replied.

“
And Landfall?
”
Layland asked.
“
What of Landfall?
”

_____________________

Four C was now almost completely deserted. Just a few last individuals remained, most of them going through the motions. The personnel who had run the command centre had one at a time been sent down through the backdoor, each leading a party of civilians. Admiral Eulenburg sat at the desk he
’
d had set up in the middle of Four C, so he could see the work stations that no longer had anyone to operate them. On the plateau the Nameless reigned almost completely supreme. Only the small parcel of land around the missile launchers remained in human hands. The Nameless had broken into the upper galleries, which now echoed with gunfire. With victory in sight they were pressing every advantage now, regardless of the casualties.

Chevalier came in to Four C with Reynolds. His expression grim and her eyes red and puffy.

“
Brigadier, Governor.
”

Chevalier set down a reading pad on the desk,
“
Sir, it
’
s a report from the scouts.
”

“
They
’
ve found the back door.
”

“
Not quite, but they
’
ve identified the rough area its in. The scouts report they
’
ve set up a perimeter. It
’
s not very strong but it doesn
’
t have to be.
”

“
I see.
”
He
’
d known this day was coming and now that it had arrived, Eulenburg felt hollow inside. The back door had done far, far better than he had dared hope. Very nearly two thirds of the one point four million people sheltering in Douglas had poured out through it and on into the wilderness. Some, in all probability many, had been caught in the open and butchered. But more, most he hoped, had got clear. Now instead of one big target, the Nameless had hundreds of small ones to deal with.

“
Do you believe the point we spoke about has been reached?
”
he asked.

“
Yes sir, I do,
”
Chevalier replied.

“
Governor Reynolds. Do you have anything to say?
”

“
Is there anything we could do? Even a few more days would save thousands,
”
she begged.

“
I don
’
t believe so. We lost the upper magazine a few hours ago. Small arms ammunition will be gone within two days. The end has been reached.
”

Reynolds wiped her eyes and nodded.

“
Governor, you know my offer.
”

When he
’
d first made it, she angrily refused, but now there was hesitation. Some of the governors had used their positions to get themselves onto early parties out of Douglas. Most though had sent their own families away but grimly remained at their posts.

“
There isn
’
t anything more you can do, but the decision is yours. You have an hour.
”

Reynolds started to reply, but then let out a sob, turned and ran from Four C. The two officers watched her go without comment. Eulenburg turned and slowly walked up the steps to the command platform.

“
Ladies and gentlemen,
”
he announced. There were less than ten people left in Four C and they all turned to listen. He paused, wondering whether he should say some last words that might be remembered by history. No that was for triumph not for this.

“
You are all relieved of duty. Goodbye and good luck to you all.
”

There was a ragged salute then one by one they left in silence and soon only Eulenburg and Chevalier were left. The two friends stood awkwardly for a moment, then the Brigadier offered his maimed hand.

“
At least we
’
ll make them pay, sir,
”
he said as they shook.
“
I
’
ll go make the arrangements.
”

“
Will you be coming back here?
”

“
No. No, I intend to get up to the missiles if I can. See the sky.
”

“
Then we
’
ll see each other on the other side. Goodbye Sebastian.
”

Eulenburg sat alone in Four C waiting for the appointed time. An hour after Chevalier left his watch beeped. Eulenburg climbed to his feet and at the main hatch into Four C, he paused and looked back at the empty chamber. When the Nameless took the planet of the Centaurs, they had herded millions of sentient beings into camps, to be methodically murdered. Eulenburg had decided he would spare those who couldn
’
t escape from that fate and in doing so, strike back one last time. Right now above him, the troops who had grimly contested every square centimetre of ground were falling back. Most didn
’
t know why but the Nameless would be pouring troops into this apparent breach, rushing into the heart of Douglas.

Eulenburg stopped at an even more strongly built hatch than the one into Four C. He entered his code and put his eye to the scanner. The hatch ground open to reveal the great fusion reactor that was at the heart of Douglas. Demolition charges had been fixed to the reactor
’
s inner casing. The officers tasked with performing this had then immediately been sent away before they could tell anyone. A last few thousand made up of a battalion of troops and the final selection of civilians, which if they decided to go would include the last of the governors, would by now be heading for the back door. They would hopefully ride out the explosion that would gut Douglas, killing instantly and painlessly everyone left behind - and those who would have killed them.

Eulenburg picked up the detonator switch and checked the command line. He then ran the reactor up to one hundred percent power and checked his watch. The time had come.

He picked up the detonator and rested his thumb on the button.

“
From hell
’
s heart,
”
he murmured and pushed down.

THE END

“We did not seek this conflict and everything we have learned of the Nameless has told us one thing. There was no way by which we might have avoided this ordeal; had we gone down upon bended knee and begged them to allow us to live in peace, not one shred of mercy would have been shown. From the moment they first became aware of us, the Nameless have desired only to wipe our species from the universe. Our race now stands on the edge of destruction but we have been granted one last chance to step back from oblivion. On our journey to this time, this place, we have left behind comrades and friends. We have known few victories and many defeats. In a few moments we will begin humanity’s last charge and I wish for you all to understand, that once this begins, there will be no retreat, no surrender, not one step back will be taken. If we are to return to our homes and families, it can only be as victors.”

The men and women of Battle Fleet will return in the concluding part of the Nameless War:

The Last Charge

Glossary

Aèllr:
Carbon based oxygen breathing mammalian life form. First intelligent alien life form encountered by humanity.

Aèllr Confederacy:
Located approximately coreward of human space, a political union of the eight major and six minor planets occupied by the Aèllr race. Population: 32 billion (approx.), Government type - democracy.

Battleship:
Large gun armed ship, carrying heavier armour and guns than any other category of vessel. In human service this vessels frequently serve as fleet flagships.

Centaurs:
Pre-interstellar spaceflight species now considered  extinct. Believed to have been destroyed by the Nameless.

Chaff:
Standard passive counter measure, aluminium strips  which give false returns or swamps radar systems. Chaff bursts are usually deployed by rocket.

Coms (Communication) Laser:
Low powered lasers used for communications at short range (up to 70,000 kilometres). Standard feature of all human starships, coms lasers transmission can not be jammed.

Contact War, The:
Humanities first interstellar conflict, fought against the Aèllr Confederacy. Largely fought with Earth’s solar system the conflict ended inconclusively with the Treaty of Mars. Battle Fleet was founded during the early stages of the conflict.

Cruiser:
A category of vessel that can be loosely defined as the largest ships to be built in significant numbers. This classification is given to the workhorse of every fleet.

Dryad System:
Human controlled solar system close to Mhar Union and several of the Tample Star Nations. Dryad Two is borderline habitable and has large Zillithium deposits.

EMD, Emergency Message Drone:
Missile sized drone equipped with a one use jump drive and a small transmitter. EMD
’
s are for the vast majority of ships the only means of communicating across interstellar distances.

Fire Control:
A ship’s weapon control systems.

Governing Council:
Political leadership of Battlefleet. The council is composed of rotating eight members, two from each continental block.

IFF, Identify Friend or Foe:
Identification system designed for command and control. It enables military and civilian- interrogation systems to identify aircraft, vehicles or forces as friendly and to determine their bearing and range from the interrogator.

Landfall System / Planet:
Human controlled system. Initially called Fortune, the system is now largely known by the name of its principal planet. A Earth-like body, Landfall is being colonized by several nations. The Battle Fleet base Baden orbits at the edge of the system.

Lazarus Systems:
Collection of systems which automatically reroute power and command signals around damaged connections, allowing human warships to remain functional with even severe damage.

Light Speed:
299,792,458 metres per second.

Local Control:
Targeting systems built directly onto each gun mount. These systems are a back up measure should a ship’s main Fire Control be knocked out. They lack both the sensitivity and accuracy of main fire control.

Mass Shadow:
The 3 dimensional area surrounding a planet or large spatial body that prevents a vessel from making transit into or out of Jump Space. The size or
‘
depth
’
of a mass shadow is proportional to the mass of the spatial body generating the shadow.

Mhar:
Carbon based oxygen breathing mammalian life form. Third sentient race to be encountered by humanity. Technologically inferior to humans in most respects. Relations between Humanity and the Mhar are friendly. Government type: centrally planned democracy.

Plasma Cannon:
Standard anti ship weapon used by Battlefleet and the Aèllr Defence Fleet. Light plasma cannons as carried by destroyers are effective out to 60,000 kilometres, cruiser scale weapons to 100,000 kilometres. Heavy plasma cannons as carried by battleships ships are effective out to 130,000 kilometres. Plasma Cannons will not function in atmosphere.

PO, Petty Officer:
Non-Commission Officer.

Point Defence Guns:
Active defensive system designed to protect a ship from fighters, missiles and small astronomical hazards. Standard feature in both military and civilian vessels, although military vessels will carry significantly more point defence guns.

Railguns:
Projectile thrower which uses two charged super conductor rails to accelerate metal projectiles. Used principally as secondary armament on Battle Fleet battleships and cruisers.

Rating:
Lowest rank of fleet personnel, equivalent to an army private.

Real Space:
Conventional Newtonian space.