Systems In Chaos: Dissention

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

* * * 9 am, Kalorin Standard Time * * *

They could hear it all around them, from every direction. First came the loud resounding boom as the imperials fired one of their high charged particle cannons, aimed right at the royalists.  Next, came the deep breath which felt as if the world itself feared what was approaching on the wind. The population could only take in new air after the sounds of crashing and explosions rung throughout the city and the sides of buildings turned into raining steel as they were blown to bits. After that the noises were replaced by the huge straining groan as the weight of the buildings caused the frames to bend and snap.

The Forward Command Post was situated near the palace, close to the center of all the action. Teran, Rogan and Vrik could see everything go up in smoke and fire from where they stood. All the zeuti had gone to one of the defence points each, except for Teran and Vrik whom Rogan wanted to stay back in case somewhere needed and extra hand. With the communications knocked out, it was best to have someone on hand for Rogan to send out to reinforce the others. Once the battle had started it didn’t take long for the wounded to start streaming back to the palace for medical treatment. They came from everywhere; The Compendium, the Hart Estate, the City Park and the Antique Bridge. The injured and bloodied were everywhere. But it soon became clear where the main imperial push was coming from. It was the strongest and most heavily defended node, but that hadn’t stopped the Hadi from attacking it. Most of the wounded were staggering in from the Red Falls, Karem’s post. Karem had chosen to defend it along with Hart Company and Commander Cressan.

“I don’t understand... why is their cannon fire getting past our automatic AA guns and auto turrets?” Rogan said to himself as he listened once more to the deafening boom and crash as another shell blew away part of the Krax Hotel.

He received his answer soon enough when one of the men from the Red Falls pushed his way through the steady line of wounded to get at the small command post that Rogan had set up. With half of their communications systems down from that EMP wave, it was pointless to stay in the Command Centre inside the palace. The minute it was clear to Rogan that he wouldn’t be able to talk to his men from there he moved himself outside, so that messengers wouldn’t have to go into the palace and try and find their way to the bunker.

“Sir, Sir!” the corporal called to him. The man was holding his left arm which was bloodied from a piece of building shrapnel. He was bleeding from a small gash above his left eye as well.

Rogan quickly stepped down off the platform he was on and strode over to the man. As much as he would have liked to run, it would look to his men as if he was starting to get frantic and was getting desperate. They were thoughts which he did not want his men to be having while in the middle of a battle. “What is it, soldier?” the High-General asked as he reached him.

The corporal was breathing hard, and his eyes were flickering everywhere. He was very frightened. “Sir, Red Falls needs aid. The... the Imperials have pushed us hard, we won’t be able to hold them,” he wheezed as he tried to suck in breath but it didn’t help him too much, he was panting too heavily. “The automated guns... they... they failed. They shut off after only a few minutes of firing! We can’t stop the enemy.” Rogan took hold of the soldier’s shoulders and shook him.

He was looking straight into the man’s eyes, “Do not give in. We can beat them, we will beat them. What I need you to do is get a handful of men, who can still run, to get to all the Commanders and tell them to retreat. Go!” Rogan urged. Fire lit up in the corporal’s eyes and he nodded and left to search for a few men still able to carry out their duty. Rogan stared down at the ground, how could they fail? Did something go wrong when I moved them from the palace to the front lines? Without those guns... the Hadi will be able to tear through our men like they were nothing. A third of our fire power wiped away in an instant... Surely not all of them could have been faulty. Something must have gone... they all run off the same network. Perhaps when they scrambled out communications... perhaps that blast affected other systems too.