Black Legion: 03 - Warlords of Cunaxa (18 page)

He turned around with a surprised expression on his face.

“What is it?” demanded Clearchus.

Komes Lantos shook his head in confusion.

“I...don’t understand it. The Medes, they are abandoning the defences and retreating back to Cunaxa. ”

“I thought you said they were holding?”

Meno shrugged, much to the annoyance of Clearchus. He didn’t trust the man, but the only thing he did know was that the Terran Dukas hated the Medes even more than him. He wouldn’t betray the Legion, but he might let Cyrus burn.

“Most of the ships have broken free and are moving fast. Yes, the defences have fallen.”

Clearchus looked to his own crew. Kleandridas stood only a short distance away and was monitoring the battle on the tactical display. After a short pause, he pointed to the withdrawing ships.

“Classic Medes tactics, my Lord. Cyrus must wait for us to destroy the
Zacynthian
s. Only then can we move on the planetary fleet.”

Clearchus nodded, glad that it wasn’t just him.

“Yes, a feigned retreat. The want to break up Cyrus’ forces for the final battle.”

“Strategos, the
Zacynthian
commander wishes to speak with you,” called out the Auletes.

Clearchus glanced back to Meno once more.

“Stand your ground and wait for my orders. Under no circumstances are you to engage enemy forces unless they come to you. I need the reserve available and ready for the critical stage of the battle. Understood?”

Meno nodded and then cut the signal. It was rude, but Clearchus didn’t have time. Instead, he turned to the Auletes and nodded for her to connect to the enemy commander. The face of the
Zacynthian
appeared, along with a dozen armed warriors.

“Dukas Clearchus, welcome to Cunaxa,” said the man with a smile.

Clearchus looked at the Terran with great care, as any hunter would size up his prey before even considering moving in for the kill. The man wore
Zacynthian
style body armour of an almost archaic style, as well as a traditional Terran helmet known as the Corinthian style back home on Laconia. The rest of the man’s uniform was evidently Median with the iconography of Artaxerxes and the Imperial Army displayed prominently.

“A
Zacynthian
in the pay of Artaxerxes. I might have known. Who are you?”

The man smiled grimly.

“My name is not important. I have a message from the Emperor of the Median Empire, the God King and the one that will smite your armada in a matter of hours.”

“Really?” replied Clearchus with an equally grim expression.

He looked at his tactical display, specifically the broken defences that Cyrus had assaulted. He looked back to the
Zacynthian
.

“Even the Medes forces have broken through your outer defences. What do you think will happen when I unleash the Black Legion against your God King?”

The
Zacynthian
laughed at his jibe.

“Dukas Clearchus. That is no defence, just a test to see what your forces are capable of. The Emperor has two more fleets, each more massive than your combined forces. With a flick of his hand, you will be surrounded.”

He leaned in close to the camera.

“I have a message from him. He will hire your Legion to send against his enemies on the low border, far from your lands. The price your paymaster Cyrus has paid is pathetic. The God King will provide you with all the wealth you desire, as well as making you Satrap to the Ionian territories. You are familiar with this area, I think?”

Clearchus watched him, interested only in what he could learn about the man’s motivations. The prize offered meant nothing to him. He had already been hired and paid by Cyrus. There was nothing outside of victory or death that would now break that contract.

“The worlds have been apart for some time, and they need discipline that only a Laconian could offer. You would be the richest Terran and an important Satrap in the Empire, directly on the border between Median and Terran space. Can you think of a more powerful position?”

Clearchus breathed in slowly, keeping himself calm and collected.

“
Zacynthian
, like all your people, you have no honour. Stand down or face the consequences! Your forces are already in full scale rout.”

Dukas Phalinus
laughed as he lifted his right hand in signal to his men. Clearchus looked to Kleandridas who was beckoning for him to look at a large number of red icons appearing behind the Legion, blocking his path back to Cyrus. The laughter of
Phalinus
caught his attention.

“I told you we had more. Did you really think the God King would be stupid enough to leave all of his forces here for you to attack piecemeal? You may either leave now or face being surrounded and destroyed. Clearchus checked his tactical display once more. Though Cyrus had forced back the enemy from their defences, they were clearly falling back in good order to the main planet. His scans showed it surrounded by platforms, orbital defences and all manner of military warships. Worse though was that these newly arrived Median ships had now trapped him almost an hour from Cyrus, outnumbering him two to one.

“All you have to do is stand down, Clearchus. Not one of your brave band needs to suffer. The Emperor is more than capable of stopping Cyrus on his own. Just give us one hour. If you move from this position, I will consider it an act of war and turn on your forces with everything I have.”

The signal cut and once more Clearchus was left with his command crew on board his Titan. From his central position, he had a perfect view of the battleships, cruisers and the Titan Herakles. Combined with his Titan it was a mighty force, but against the numbers he now faced, he knew it could take hours to decide the battle.

“Strategos, I’m picking up movement from Cyrus. The Rashnu is leading a column of ships from the outer defences and setting course for Cunaxa Secundus.”

“What?” Clearchus barked.

He’d expressly forbidden Cyrus from moving away from the defences until the fleet could be combined.

This is exactly what they want, to separate his fleet from mine, so he can be dealt with.

“Kleandridas, contact Cyrus and find out what the hell he and Ariaeus are up to?”

His deputy nodded and moved to one of the computer systems. Clearchus walked to
Kentarchos Broge Monsimm
, Commander of the Titan.

“Kentarchos, make sure you’re ready. We will have only seconds to act.”

“Yes, Strategos.”

He walked back to his position near the tactical map. It showed a complex and messy situation, with ships of different factions manoeuvring in space. Only the Legion and the forces of the
Zacynthian
seemed static.

“Auletes, put me on with the Legion.”

She nodded and quickly connected him to the rest of the Legion.

“Men and women, warriors of the Legion. The Medes have tried to bribe me to turn on Cyrus, and to renege on our contract to remove Artaxerxes from his perch. Ready your weapons and prepare for battle. Our battle is about to begin!”

Kleandridas waved over to Clearchus.

“Strategos, the information from Ariaeus is that they have spotted the arrival of civilian transports at Cunaxa Secundas. Cyrus thinks the Emperor is trying to escape.”

“So what is he doing?”

Kleandridas inhaled, tense as the news he had just heard about.

“Strategos, he has ordered his entire force into a full-scale frontal assault on the planet. Dukas Meno has joined him, and they are moving at maximum speed. They will be in range in less than twenty-two minutes.”

That is it, then.
He thought with finality.

“Very well. Kentarchos, plot a course for the Terran battleships in the middle of this
Zacynthian
fleet. I want them burning, and fast!”

“Yes, Strategos.”

Kleandridas
walked the short distance to his commander and nodded.

“My Lord, what of Cyrus?”

“Oh, don’t worry about him. I do not intend on wasting any more time than is necessary on these Zacynthian barbarians. We will bloody their noses and then punch a hole through their shattered hulks to ride in and save the neck of Cyrus.”

He smiled, almost gently to Kleandridas.

“This is the time, my old friend. It will be as it was in the old days when we crushed all beneath our armoured fists.”

Kleandridas grinned with a look of pleasure that Clearchus hadn’t seen since his exile from Laconia.

Yes, this will be a battle, a great battle.

* * *

The first part of the space battle took place between the ten battleships of the Legion and the seven Elamite and three Terran battleships of the Zacynthians. Both sides were well matched. All the ships were equipped with thick shielding, heavy armour and powerful weapons. The Terran ships were optimised for close range battle, sustaining a full ten minutes of long-range gunfire from the Medes Elamite Battleships before being able to bring their own weapons to bear.

The lead battleship, the aged Arcadian warship known as the Hood,
accelerated forward, leading the column of warships directly at the heart of the enemy formation of eighty-three ships. Though a dangerous position, it was also one of great honour. Multiple rounds of laser and rocket fire slammed into her thick armour, but incredibly she kept on and closed the distance. From deep inside the Titan Valediction, Clearchus watched with a mixture of worry and pride as the ships moved ever closer.
A freak
volley from one of the Elamites slipped between two overlapping shield layers and
struck the Black Legion battleship Hood
. Clearchus watched in fear as a number of dull blue flashes indicated something serious had happened.

Gods, no!

 
Incredibly, the powerful beams cut directly into
her plasma generator, setting off a series of internal explosions that tore
the great ship
into five massive chunks.
That was the only fatality before the remaining nineteen ships reached close range. Now each vessel blasted away with every weapon in their arsenal, trying to destroy the nearest foe. Clearchus watched the movement of the ships and sent signals to the commanders of each ship via his communication node fitted to his head. He avoided using it most of the time, but occasions such as this required the speed that only this system offered. He could bypass entire chains of command and contact the commanders of each ship in an instant.

Now it is time to destroy them, ship by ship.

He connected to the leaders of each division of ships and gave them the go ahead to commence the second stage of the battle. With all the main ships engaged, the remaining forty-six ships of the Legion formed up into two long lines and proceeded to target a single enemy ship at a time. It was a plan devised by Clearchus after wargaming potential encounters during their long journey to Cunaxa. The effect was devastating, especially when the Titans Valediction and Herakles added their own massive volleys of laser fire. A dozen cruisers from the
Zacynthian
fleet were quickly destroyed, and the remaining seventy-one ships broken formation and scattered.

I knew they’d run.
Zacynthian
cowards!

The Legion reformed their positions around the damaged but still functional battleships, and with great disciplined performed a full one hundred and eighty degree change of direction. The fleet now aimed like an arrow towards Cunaxa Secundus and the second force of
Zacynthian
warships.

“Tactical, what are their numbers?”

Jeane Coxand
, the tactical officer examined the enemy formation in great detail, as well as comparing the visual information with the radar scans of the area. It was common for ships to project ghosts of themselves electronically, or to use other decoys to sow confusion in battle. Once satisfied she had the correct information, she updated the tactical display used by Clearchus.

“Strategos, I count a larger force. The frontline includes four Elamites with over seventy unknown warships in support. They are roughly cruiser class, and their signatures match the cruisers we encountered at Khorram. Some are carrying heavy lasers with a few using plasma weapons.”

Clearchus raised an eyebrow at the news. Over seventy ships was an impressive number, but nothing he felt particularly concerned about.