Star Crusader: Siege of Kalar

By Michael G. Thomas

Nate and his friends in Ironclad Squadron are returning to the fleet when they detect a mysterious signal. Sensing a trap, Colonel Gun sends Nate out alone in his captured fighter to scout the source. The signal is emitting from inside the heart of the abandoned Kalar Anchorage. This massive facility was once the Byotai Empire’s greatest shipyard, but now it lies cold and lifeless. Or does it? Upon arrival Nate runs headlong into the centre of a fierce battle. On one side are the numerous forces of the insidious Orion Interstellar Empire. On the other, the powerful attack cruisers of the Byotai outlaw, Warlord Katanga.

Kalar Anchorage has become a refuge for the lost and the damned. The former facility is populated by displaced people and wounded soldiers that have fought, and lost against Star Empire incursions. As well as the exhausted crews of a number of ships. Yet the forces of Katanga, though weakened by the fighting, still wish vengeance upon those that seek their utter annihilation. Katanga’s desire for further violence may come earlier than expected. An entire fleet along with numerous ground forces has entered the system, and they will not leave until every defender is dead or captured. With no time to fully abandon the station, the preliminary skirmishes erupt into a major battle. The last stronghold that stands between the Orion Interstellar Empire and the hastily mobilised fleets of the Alliance. The Siege of Kalar has begun.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Swordworks Books
• Release date: Dec 2, 2016
• ISBN: 9781911092346

Michael G. Thomas

Michael G. Thomas, is a writer, martial artist and military historian. He has written books on European martial arts and military history as well as Zombie Survival books and fiction. He is the co-founder of the prestigious Academy of Historical Fencing that teaches traditional armed and unarmed European martial arts. His specialist subject areas are teaching the use of the medieval two handed longsword and the German long knife in both the UK and other parts of Europe.He academic background is as varied as his writing with degrees in Computing, Classical Studies and Machine Learning. In recent years he has undertaken substantial research in the fields of machine learning and artificial intelligence as well as Ancient Greek and Byzantine military history.Michael is currently completing his Champions of the Apocalypse Series and Star Crusades science fiction series.

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STAR CRUSADER

SIEGE OF KALAR

By Michael G. Thomas

Part of the STAR CRUSADES universe

First Edition

Copyright © 2016 Michael G. Thomas

Published by Swordworks Books

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

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CHAPTER ONE

Alliance Assault Carrier 'ANS Victorious'

Approaching Kalar Anchorage, 9th Quadrant

January 8th 2473

Nate pulled on the controls and rolled the state-of-the-art fighter to the left, avoiding the wreckage of yet another ship. Though big and heavy, the stolen spacecraft moved with the speed and grace of something vastly smaller. It put a smile on his face as the two pursuing X1 drone fighters struggled to keep up. With little more than a tap, the pair of powerful engines increased thrust and pushed him away faster than any craft he’d ever used, even in simulation. This was a reconnaissance mission, yet they wouldn’t have stopped their journey back to the assembled fleet without good reason. They were not here just to scan the area; General Honorius and the others must have suspected they’d find something, and that could only be one two things.

For all Nate’s adventures in the skirmishes with the Star Empire, his chest still ached with nerves being this far inside enemy territory. Even worse he was out here on his own, with no squadron to support him. This was not the kind of mission he particularly enjoyed.

Either the enemy is here for resupply, and we plan to hit them, or we’re looking for friends and allies for the fight that’s coming. I kind of hope it’s the second option.

The Kalar System was a strange system situated deep inside the Deadlands, noteworthy only for its massive shipyard and construction facility that dwarfed the size of many moons. The Anchorage was one of many orbital shipyards they’d come across in the last weeks, but this was by far the biggest and orbited the rogue planet known as Kalar Sopitam. It was a massive planet that millennia ago had escaped its own star, and now drifted alone in space. What it lacked in warmth and habitability, it apparently gained in great mineral wealth.

That is one weird planet.

Valdis, his reptilian friend and pilot in the now defunct Byotai military, nodded in agreement.

Yes, it is an orphan planet. Tradition says it was cast away when its star was destroyed by the ancient Biomechs.

And now?

Valdis shrugged in the way she’d learnt from the Humans. Her visor was open, and he could see her leathery skin, with the darkly pigmented marks at her cheeks.

It is mined by machines and workers in suits. It was, anyway, before the revolt. Now I suspect it is inhabited by machines only.

The irony. After all the propaganda I’ve heard recently, the idea of a world inhabited by machines seems impossible.

Maybe the Technos will pay the place a visit.

Valdis laughed.

Good luck to them. Kalar Sopitam is an ice cube.

She fell silent as though a switch had been flicked off, and Nate knew he’d struck a nerve. The old Byotai Empire was gone, and there was no point in pretending otherwise. But they remained, and he knew Valdis would not stop until she could bring it back, or at the very least obtain a measure of vengeance against their common foe.

Okay. Let’s do an area scan again.

Valdis reached for the controls and checked the indicators. As expected, there was nothing different, but it did take attention away from their conversation. A normal fleet would have bypassed the system, but the unusual signals were strange enough to warrant further investigation. Using the advanced engines onboard the six vessels, it was possible to stop at multiple locations on their way back to the fleet, but so far they’d been greeted by nothing but hostility. Nate hoped this one would be different. But as before his hopes were dashed at seeing the telltale signs of terrible violence. Ships from multiple factions lay shattered and ruined, the majority utterly torn apart. He constantly scanned left and right, up and down for any signs of danger. The large amounts of cover and debris provided the perfect spot from which to ambush.

Is this the place? I’m not seeing signs of life. Are you sure the data is right?

The young Byotai pilot appeared ever impatient; something even Nate found amusing right now. For all her experience and skill, she seemed to like nothing more than being in the middle of a desperate firefight, with little to no chance of victory. Patrol and reconnaissance were often the most boring of their missions, but Nate could think of nothing better than flying this craft. He glanced down at the displays and checked the diagrams. The planetary and regional data was easy to understand, but the Byotai runes and text was still a jumble of shapes to him. Without Valdis or another Byotai on board, he’d find operating the fighter almost impossible.

Yeah, the beacon is two hundred and thirty kilometres that way. And according to the computer, it’s still active and right in the middle of the Anchorage. Somebody activated it, and the codes are valid, according to the General.

Valdis sniffed the air and then made an odd groaning sound.

I don’t like it, Nate, I don’t like it at all. If we picked up the signal, so could our enemies. We should get back to the fleet, and fast. The fighting could start at any moment.

She hesitated and then spun around as though she’d just realised something critically important.

What if this is just an automated message? Somebody else could have taken the station and restarted the signal to lure us in.

Nate shrugged.

Maybe. I guess that’s why we’re going in first. Better to risk us than the entire fleet.

Great, Valdis grumbled, We should have kept on going. Kratha needs us back with the combined fleet. War is coming, Nate, and when it does, we need to be there.

He glanced backwards but could see no sign of their ships.

You could be right. But you’ve seen the numbers, Valdis. The mathematics are just not on our side. We need every single ship we can find if we want to hold them back, or even think about a victory.

Valdis snorted.

We can beat them, Nate, easily. We have Honorius, Makos, and your Admirals.

That didn’t stop the collapse of your people, Valdis. What if the Star Empire manages to locate more ships? We have to persuade every captain to stay away from them at the very least, and even better to get them on our side.

He nodded to the computer system.

Come on, Valdis. We’ve already run the simulations how many times? Most times we lose, and that’s with no surprises.

As he looked back to the nose of the fighter, he lowered the volume of his voice to a whisper, And there are always surprises.

The journey had taken the best part of a day, but at least this way it left the six ships of the fleet safe and undetected. They could be there in seconds, if needed. Though he hoped that would not be necessary. Instead, he was out here, travelling through hundreds of pieces of wreckage, with just one captured fighter and a pair of small remote drones. If anything went wrong, he’d be in a lot of trouble.

Wait...I can see something, said Valdis.

For a second, Nate’s eyes lingered on her. She still looked unusual to him, but her attitude more than her semi-reptilian look captivated him. She wouldn’t think twice about throwing herself into a fight she could never win, yet could spend hours gazing over old technology and spacecraft. She was an enigma, and unlike any woman he’d met before.

There.

Nate looked directly ahead as they cleared more wreckage, and the target came into view. It was exactly as Nate had expected it to be, a great sprawling mess of multiple components, with scores of long jetties extending far out into space. This type of Anchorage was not designed for the construction of ships or fighters, but the resupply and refitting of ships undertaking long voyages out of the quadrant and to other far-flung parts of the Empire. At least, that had been the way the way until the violent uprising destroyed everything and led to the birth of the dreaded Star Empire.

It should be clear about…

Nate stopped speaking, leaving his mouth wide open.

Uh…is that what I think it is?

The two almost froze as they looked ahead. They’d expected to come across a damaged station, perhaps with a number of Byotai refugees on board. That was the most likely explanation for the activation of the Byotai beacon system in this area.

It can’t be.

She looked to Nate and reached over to grab his arm, but Nate’s eyes were transfixed on the line of identical warships. He knew what they were already, from his thousands of hours in the Star Crusader simulator.

I know those ships, he said under his breath, Cohort Class attack cruisers. Over two thousand crew, fighters, shuttles, and very heavy weapons, that is enough ships to…

Valdis nodded as she listened.

Cause a lot of trouble. I know. And those colours, I recognise them.

They continued forward, with the two drones inching closer to their flanks. Neither was currently controlled from the ships, but programmed to operate as slave craft, each following at a pre-set distance. It reduced their ability to respond to danger, but conversely made them perfect as decoys.

Ironclad Two, report. Are my eyes deceiving me, or are those Byotai ships?

Nate relaxed upon hearing the voice of Commander Higgins over the communications array. He was much more to the young pilots than just the temporary CAG of the Alliance warship ANS Victorious. He was a veteran fighter pilot, and a mentor to them all since their violent escape deep inside the collapsing Byotai Empire. Now they were back, but this time in an advanced ship, and with a specific goal. To return to the fleet and prepare for the battle that was to come.

Victorious. We have confirmation on the Anchorage facility. It appears at least partially active, and there are eight, I repeat, eight Byotai ships in residence. We confirm they are Cohort Class and carrying Byotai colours.

He glanced back to Valdis.

You’re certain.

Of course. Everybody knows of the Kalar Corsairs. They were one of the first units to defect from the fleet to join the rebels fighting at Karnak. They remain loyal to my people and their leader Warlord Katanga.

Nate gulped at hearing that. The Byotai names were all rather odd to him, but this was the first one he’d heard with the epithet Warlord, and that unnerved him.

We hope.

Okay. This is gonna be interesting.

He looked to Valdis and was surprised to see a smile on her face. She actually looked excited at the prospect of entering the station. She noticed he was looking at her and winked, before nodding back to the nose of the fighter.

You’d be excited, too, if you knew his reputation.

His?

Valdis laughed.

Yes, he is a legend among my people. You’ll see.

Nate wanted to know more, but they were getting closer to the fight. He tapped the communications controls to speak with the fleet.

We’re moving in for a closer look.

Understood, Ironclad Two.

Nate reached forward and placed his hand on the engine controls. With a gentle push, the engines flared, boosting his acceleration by fifty percent. The feeling of power was incredible and pushed him back into his seat. He loved every minute he spent inside the captured fighter, and this was no different. It was by far the most impressive thing he’d been allowed to pilot so far, and even now it continued to surprise him. From the outside, it had a lot in common with the shape of Byotai capital ships, but shrunk down to thirty-five metres. It carried two low-slung heavy engines, with four slat type wings surrounding the rear hull. The cockpit was long and rounded with two seats side by side. It was known in the Star Empire as the T1 Nimkii heavy fighter, and apparently, that translated roughly as Thunder. Those in the Alliance fleet had dubbed it the Phantom, and the name had stuck.

What’s that?

Valdis glanced at him, following his hand as he pointed to a spray of white light to their right. A tap of the controls pulled them around, and both could see it was merely another odd reaction to the heat and vapour coming out of the rear of the fighters. A long trail extended out behind him, a consequence of the unusual blue nebula that filled every square metre around him with a fine spray of dust and gas.

Yes, that’s the nebula. It plays with the engines and guns in this region. There are great works of art from here. Kalar is rooted deep inside all Byotai as a place of wonder and intrigue.

Her voice faded away as they were greeted by a perfectly clear view of the facility. There was no debris this close to the station, and the fine dust must have cleared to give a crystal clear panorama.

That is one nice sight, said Cassandra.

Yeah, Nate agreed, Looks like rumours of the Byotai defeat were exaggerated, don’t you think?

The communications system crackled to life, and Valdis nodded at the display.

Byotai traffic. Open channel, military coding.

She tapped the button and spoke in her own tongue. Nate smiled as he listened to the sounds of her voice. Her accent shifted when speaking with her own kind, and she also dropped many words to keep the message short and easily understood. She’d explained it was a formal military version of their basic dialects, but he suspected it was more than just that. Finally, she stopped and looked to him.

It’s them all right.

Nate spotted something off to the right, and his eyes widened in surprise.

No!

Valdis did the same, and then hit the controls to bring up long-range information. It showed as a cloud of dots rapidly increasing in size. Several flickered, and a number of the broken ships tore apart as the new arrivals battered their way through. The passive sensors on board the Phantom easily identified the craft in classification, as well as heading and speed.

Star Empire ships!

Nate automatically hit the transit button on his system and connected back to the hidden formation of Alliance ships.

Victorious. We have inbound vessels.

Understood. Move to the new waypoint. Do not stray under any circumstances.

Sir.

Nate pressed the screen and confirmed the waypoint. It then popped up on his visor in the middle of the open space between the station and the approaching enemy vessels.

Wait, said Valdis, Are they insane? That’s in front of both sides!

Yeah. I think I know what he plans. Hold on!

Nate pulled on the stick and hit the boosters one last time. They raced away at maximum speed, leaving the long, slightly curved trail behind them.

"Nate. It’s the station. They say to fall back. Their ships are preparing to leave.

No chance. It will take them forever. They should have been ready for this.

He checked the clock and turned his attention to the old Byotai military base. It had changed hands multiple times over the last months, but somehow this group of loyalists had managed to retake it. He just wished their defensive measures had been better thought out. It took them three minutes to reach the waypoint; a location equidistance between the point of arrival for the enemy and the station, except now the enemy was halfway to them.

That’s a lot of ships, said Valdis.

They looked out of the front cockpit towards the ships. It was a strange mixture of vessels, most of the old Anicinàbe Wildfire and Lancer cruisers and light cruisers design. Mixed in were as many civilian ships, plus scores and scores of old fashioned, wedge-shaped heavy fighters, confusingly called Mantis, the same name as the Byotai interceptors.

Tell me about it, said Nate.

He ran through a number of status screens and then activated the weapon systems on the Phantom. At the same time, the first two Byotai ships detached from the station and headed towards them from behind.

You’re planning on fighting them?

Nate nodded.

Of course.

Warnings activated as new contacts appeared in front and behind, but Nate remained surprisingly calm. He opened the unencrypted channel and switched on the translator circuit. It had only been fitted over the last two days, and this was his first attempt at using it.

This is Nathaniel Lewis of the Alliance Navy. We are here to provide humanitarian support to the Kalar System. Please close your gun ports and state your business.

Valdis laughed out loud, now unable to contain herself.

Nate, you’re mad, I tell you, mad.

There was no contact, except for occasional radio chatter coming from the station as the panicked Byotai tried to launch. The new arrivals advanced in silence, until finally they launched their missiles. Unlike the Alliance or the Byotai, the Anicinàbe relied upon fast ships and agile missiles rather than heavy guns and armour.

I see, said Valdis, Looks like negotiations are over.

Nate tapped his helmet, and the black visor slid down to completely shield his face.

Did they ever begin?

He pulled on the stick and brought the nose up a fraction. The approaching fleet was not massive, but it was well timed, and based on his own quick calculations, would hit the Byotai before they could get more than three ships away from the station. It would be another massacre to add to the long list of massacres.

Lock all turrets forward, and arm the guns. It’s time.

That was the moment all six ships of the Victorious Battle Group appeared directly behind them. They’d been reinforced with a third Spartan Class armoured transport that had been en route to Karnak before the fighting ended. It was a welcome boost to the small force, but hardly a major one. There was no sign of movement, just a flash, and they materialised as though they’d been there from the start. Hundreds of turrets opened fired, unleashing a torrent of hardened slugs into the formation. Taken completely by surprise, the newly arrived and overly confident formation split apart and scattered past the Alliance ships.

All fighters launch and attack. Ironclad Two, take the lead, said Commander Higgins.

Nate looked quickly to Valdis who nodded as she reached for the controls. They were both itching for a fight, and Nate spun to the left and activated his gunnery systems.

It’s shooting time.

CHAPTER TWO

Kalar Anchorage, 9th Quadrant

January 11th 2473

The opening battle of Kalar started with the warships unleashing a veritable arsenal at each other. The rapid arrival of the Alliance fleet brought them much closer to each other than normally expected for a space battle. The consequence it was almost impossible to hit each other with conventional gunnery. Both sides opened fire with every weapon system that could be mustered. Multiple volleys of heavy guns blasted out into space, spitting solid slugs and explosive shells into the hulls of their enemies.

Wow, said Nate, That is insane.

He had seen this on multiple occasions now, but he found the bizarre mixture of lights and shapes mesmerising. The mass drivers and railguns left long streaks through the dust and gas, but the particle beams were the most incredible thing to observe. Each time they fired, a line appeared instantaneously in space. The weapons operated at the speed of light and smashed the energy into the target, exploding it with ease. Some gamers had called them cutters, due to the way they looked like hot wires burning into ships. Now seeing them at first hand, the description was completely wrong. The beams might look like hot wires in this area of gas and dust, but the targets did not burn. They exploded as though hit by a bombardment of missiles.

Valdis glanced ahead and then back to her computer.

We have troubles of our own, Nate. Fighters, coming our way, a lot of fighters.

Red indicators flashed ahead, but Nate quickly relaxed as two more Alliance Phantoms moved in alongside them. Days earlier he might have been worried, but these craft already bore the insignia of the Alliance. Nate might not be a military man, but he felt his confidence boosted by having his friends nearby. All of his experience came from the Star Crusader videogame simulation and his greatest successes when working alongside people he knew and trusted implicitly.

Star Crusader, nice to see you.

Nate instantly recognised the sound of his best friend, Billy Mitchell. They’d worked together since the beginning, and though he was far from the greatest pilot, he was an excellent team player. If Nate needed a pilot he could trust, there were few others he would choose over Billy.

Billy!

Nate completely forgot about call signs, something he still found hard to get used to. In the games it was always first names, though his joking nickname of Star Crusader seemed to have stuck. Not that he was complaining. There were much worse things to be called.

Cut the chatter, Ironclads.

Nate’s eyes shifted to the right where the third fighter moved to join him. It looked little different to Billy’s craft, apart from the small text running alongside the canopy. More important, the helmet display showed the Lieutenant Commander’s name as an icon over her craft.

Yes, Sir, said Nate.

To his surprise, his commanding officer remained at his flank.

You’ve got this. Lead the Squadron in.

For a second Nate was confused. There was no reason he should be leading the formation into battle, but the more he thought about it, the clearer it became. He might have nowhere near the experience she had, but did have more than triple the flight time on the Phantom. More than that, he had experience of flying similar