Sword of Axia (The Arcadian Jihad) (9 page)

Anyone arrogant enough to reject the verdict of Axia or of the prophets who represent Ahura must be put to death. Such evil must be purged from the paradise that is the creation of your God.

Excerpt from the Scrolls of Axia – Part III The Word of Ahura

System Standard 2728.1272 Surface of Planet Corazon

Smetana looked up as a knock sounded on the door. The Merchant Assassin had not been idle on Planet Corazon, the plans for the forthcoming Rescom invasion were well advanced. He nodded to Max Biermann, his number two and the new leader of his personal guard. Max opened the door, his blaster in one hand and looked out cautiously. He opened the door wider and two men came in. One of them Smetana recognized, he was August Brand, master hydroponics engineer and head of the Rescom revolutionary movement on Corazon. The other man was unknown to him.

“It’s ok, Berg, this is Sinon Kallias,” Brand introduced the new man. “He’s one of us, Sinon maintains the planetary defense computer, he is attempting to locate the IFF codes.”

Smetana whistled. Identify Friend or Foe was a system that had been in use almost since man had first invented flying, at least, military flying. An incoming craft transmitted a signal to their destination or to other craft that automatically identified them as a friend. Increasing use of automated defense systems meant that planetary defenses leaned more and more heavily on them. The over-reliance on a single automated system was a chink in the Axian armor that Smetana had identified through his network of spies. Exploiting it was a different matter. Berg and Max shook hands with the new arrivals.

“That’s good news, August. Sinon, how far have you got, is there any likelihood of having the codes anytime soon?”

The native Corazonian, the slight green tinge to his skin gave away his birthplace, shook his head. “I’m still working on it, I think another week may do it. I’ve rigged up an unused backup computer to our defense system and its working through every possibility. It’s just a matter of time.”

“Time we haven’t got, my friend. Our people are anxious to attack, we’ve got a lot of territory to take and not a lot of time to do it in.”

Smetana didn’t trust the new man, he couldn’t put his finger on the reason. Perhaps it was that he couldn’t meet his eyes. Or maybe he was just mistaken, but the man would have to be watched until he’d proved his loyalty.

“What about the missionary program, August, this Vitas nonsense? Are the people responding?”

“Like food to a starving man, Berg. The average meeting size is more than five thousand people and there are meetings all over the planet, it’s taking them by storm.”

“I trust the Axians don’t suspect that Rescom is behind the missionaries?”

August thought for a few moments. “Suspicious, yes, probably. But they can’t be sure. That’s why we’re here, to take you two to a missionary meeting.”

“Now? You mean right away?” Smetana snarled. “I don’t go in for this damned nonsense, August, Max should have told you that.”

“He did, but it’s not a religion, you know that. They preach the goodness of humanity. Max also told me what you do go in for.”

“What do you mean, what did he tell you?” the Hesperian asked dangerously.

“That you’re a merchant, of course. That your belief is in goods and money, not matters of humanity and the human soul.”

“I suppose it is,” he grunted. It might be interesting to see these damned fools in action, for what it’s worth.”

An hour later nearly six thousand men, women and children were packed into the underground chamber. The missionary, Sister Julia Magnus, stood on the high dais. Her persuasive tones rang around the room. ‘These Axians have made fools of us, upset the natural order of the Systems and forced our children to face a life of slavery and your families to go hungry. We need to share in a new, non-religious reality, a belief, in equality for every man, woman and child on the planet, regardless of their status or planet of origin”. Amidst the cheering and clapping, Berg tapped Max on the shoulder and they crept away.

“It’s a powerful message, Max. Tell me, though, exactly what does it all mean?”

Max smiled. “I would guess it’s simple, really. If it’s got Axia written on it, it’s total rubbish.”

Berg nodded. “That’ll do for me. Max, I have to get away for a few hours, I’ve have some little chores to take care of.”

“Yes, I know. Anything I can do to help?”

“I don’t fully trust that Corazonian, Sinon Kallias. Anyone with access to the IFF codes will be strongly vetted by the Axians. Keep an eye on him and whatever you do, don’t give him any ideas about our invasion plans for Corazon.”

“Even I don’t know what they are, Berg. Whenever it happens, we’ll be ready, never fear, we’ve been waiting long enough for the day.”

Smetana was already slipping out of the doorway. He looked back. “Nothing is decided yet, but it’ll be soon, be patient.”

He made his way along the passage and climbed into the personal transporter. The door closed automatically and a synthetic voice said, “Where do you wish to travel to, Sir?”

“Planetary Central Power Station.”

“That is a restricted area, please type in the access code.”

Smetana leaned forward and typed the numbers and letters onto the tiny keyboard. There was a short delay, then the voice said, “Code accepted, please fasten your security bar.”

He ignored it, he hated the padded bars that clamped over your body as the tiny car hurtled along the track, besides, the chances of an accident were statistically very low. He sat in comfort, free of any restraint until the car hissed to a stop with a robotic announcement.

‘You have reached your destination, Planetary Central Power Station’.

He climbed out of the car, they were in a large underground cavern, personal transporters came and went as he walked along the access ramp towards the main doors. A guard blocked his way with a supercilious look on his face.

“You there, what do you want, don’t you know this is a secure area?”

Smetana didn’t mind the man’s expression, it was the blaster in his hand that could be a problem. He walked up to the guard and stood as close to him as he could.

“Listen, I’m security, working undercover. They’ve planted a bomb in this station, look, over there.”

“A bomb?” The man was only human, he looked across and died instantly as Smetana’s poisoned knife slipped into his throat. Berg glanced around, no one was looking his way, then he put his arm under the man’s shoulders and dragged him into the security station as if the guard was just ill. Another guard was staring into a console screen, he looked up.

“Hey, what’s up with Bran?”

“I don’t know, take a look.”

The man walked towards him and looked at the body.

“What is it?”

“Just this,” Smetana muttered as the knife went in at the precise angle. He stripped off the uniform of the first guard and changed into it. He found a storage locker and put both bodies inside, locked it and mashed the in the lock so that it couldn’t be easily opened. He checked his id badge, he was now Guard Corporal Bran Marx, he made sure to remember the name and walked inside the Power Station. He felt sorry for deceiving his old friend Max Biermann, but there’d already been a decision on when the Rescom fleet would attack. After the debacle on Dafne they’d agreed that intelligence and security had to be watertight. They needed to strike a decisive blow on the surface before they could risk sending in the valuable ships. Max would be able to lead the Corazonians in a sudden revolt once they had a trigger. It had to be something that would light a massive fire under the Axian defenders, that’s why he was here. He smiled to himself. Once he was finished the revolt could start and the Fleet would arrive in less than four hours, there was more than one way to dismantle the planetary IFF protection. That was the theory, anyway.

He reached the main reactor, it took him only half an hour and a trail of bodies, eighteen of them in all. They would have died anyway, he smiled grimly. This whole power Station was going up like a volcano and with it most of the defenses around the planet. They relied too much on automated systems. All of them had overrides to prevent firing on friendly ships if a power surge or other anomaly upset the delicate balance of their electronics. It was what he was counting on, Rescom scientists had estimated a surge of one thousand times normal when the reactor blew. The real trick for him was to be a long way away when that happened. The last door slid open and he walked into the access tunnel. A scientist in a white coat stared at him.

“Yes, what is it? Is there some kind of a problem, security personnel are not allowed in this section?”

“How many are on duty in here?” he asked, ignoring the man’s question.

“Er, let me see, four in all, that’s including myself.”

He made a slight ‘oof’, as the blade went in and Smetana lowered him gently to the ground.

“I think that would be three on duty now,” he murmured quietly.

No one was in sight as he picked up the body and carried it along the tunnel to the control center.

“Quickly, this man is ill, I think there may be a radiation leak,” he shouted.

Three men appeared in white coats. They were like clones of the first man with thinning hair and strong glasses.

“A leak? That’s impossible, why did you...”

The knife slashed three times, Smetana was like a whirling ghost as he pivoted ballet-like around the group of men and three more bodies fell to the floor. There was no need to check, he knew they were all dead. The poison on the blade made doubly certain of that.

The main reactor core lay at the end of the room, visible through a thick glass inspection port. This was the most dangerous part. Heavy, protective suits were hung on the wall, he put one on and sealed the mask over his head. Then he hit the switch on the breastplate that activated the suit’s cooling and additional protective features, the cooling air infused with anti-radiation chemicals saturated his body. A final check that everything was working and his suit integrity was confirmed. He hated radiation, he’d seen too many burns and terrible deaths. When he met his own death he wanted it to be with a blaster in his hand, facing an armed enemy.

Everything was perfect, he was ready. He taped a small charge to the inspection port and set the timer for one minute, then waited outside the control room in the access tunnel. When the charge blew he rushed back in, he needn’t have worried about noise, it sounded as if every warning alarm on Corazon had been activated at once. Even inside his suit the noise was deafening through the built-in sound system, but he couldn’t mute it, he needed to be warned of any threats. The reactor was now wide open to the control room, there was a ragged hole in the wall. His main charge was ready and he set the timer for two hours and tossed it in. Then he ran out of the control room, through the tunnel, leaving timed charges next to the doors as he went. He emerged into the tunnel that led to the transporter station. Two guards rushed towards him.

“What’s happened, is there a leak?”

He slashed twice, the more dead men in the building the less threat to his sabotage mission. He reached the entrance, there were several transporters waiting to be used and no sign of any military. He set a last charge in the access tunnel, big enough to bring down the roof and then climbed aboard a transporter. He gave it the order that would send it on its way, then started to strip off the suit, sighing with relief as the fresh air poured over him. It was time for Max to start moving his troopers into position and signal Blas that everything was ready for the fleet’s arrival.

Max waited in the tiny building that served as their living quarters, office and storeroom on Corazon. He looked up as Smetana entered.

“You look hot, my friend, have you been running?”

“Something like that.”

Biermann noticed the change in him immediately, it was nothing he hadn’t seen before. When Berg had that cold, killing look it was best not to comment on it.

“What’s the next move?”

“It’s time to get your men moving and kick-off the main attack.”

“Good, I’m bored sitting on this orbiting greenhouse. When does the attack begin?”

“In about two hours.”

“What? You’re not serious?”

“In two hours the reactor blows, Max, it’s all set up for the biggest explosion in the history of the planet. Yes, I’m deadly serious. Get the word out to all of your people, tell them that Rescom is back and this time we’re going to win.”

Max smiled broadly. “I’ll start getting the signals out immediately. I can assemble a thousand, maybe two thousand men here, it’s very short notice.”

“It’ll do, Max, once your ground assault starts I hope that many more of the Corazonians will join in.”

“What about the Fleet?”

“They’ll be here, don’t worry about them. Tell your people to stay clear of the Power Station. It’s going to be messy. Very messy.”

System Standard 2728.1272 Above Planet Corazon

“I hope you’re confident about Mr. Smetana, Admiral.”

Quentin Rusal nodded grimly. They were in the combat data center of the flagship of the new Rescom Fleet, eighty-five ships that waited out of long distance scanner range of Corazon. The flagship, the Rex Vitas, was a vast Helios Class Battlecruiser. In her hold was an armada of smaller, single seat interceptors configured for ground attack and an array of transport ships, ready to move troops into position once they were on the ground.