Ensign Spacemage (Imperium Spacemage Book 2)

  Ensign Spacemage

  By Timothy Ellis

  Imperium Spacemage, Book Two

  Copyright © 2020 by Timothy Ellis

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and events are fictional and have no relationship to any real person, place or event. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely co-incidental.

  The author is Australian and the main characters in this universe are of Australian origin. In Australia, we colour things slightly differently, so you may notice some of the spelling is different. Please don't be alarmed.

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without the written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Contents

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Fifteen

  Sixteen

  Seventeen

  Eighteen

  Nineteen

  Twenty

  Twenty One

  Twenty Two

  Twenty Three

  Twenty Four

  Twenty Five

  Twenty Six

  Twenty Seven

  Twenty Eight

  Twenty Nine

  Thirty

  Thirty One

  Thirty Two

  Thirty Three

  Thirty Four

  Thirty Five

  Thirty Six

  Thirty Seven

  Thirty Eight

  Thirty Nine

  Forty

  Forty One

  Forty Two

  Forty Three

  Forty Four

  Forty Five

  Forty Six

  Forty Seven

  Forty Eight

  Forty Nine

  Fifty

  Fifty One

  Fifty Two

  Fifty Three

  Fifty Four

  Acknowledgements

  A Message to my Readers

  Also by Timothy Ellis

  Read the series in this order

  The Hunter Legacy Timeline

  One

  “Eagle Wing, follow me.”

  Four squadrons of Excalibur mark fours started down towards the planet. Space Commodore Lacey had the lead, both of the wing, and the lead squadron. Three of them were newly formed, from a smattering of Imperium pilots now called up from Naranja and Democratic Republic squadrons. They were all experienced pilots now, but the imports were still relatively new to the Excalibur. The same as we were. Most of them had flown the Brawler the same as we had. It was a big step up for all of us, but they’d had more time to adjust than we had.

  Navy Mage Squadron One, which was our current designation, was the same team since we’d been blown out of our Brawlers, and been reequipped with Excaliburs. We were still doing simulator time to get used to them, but the other three squadrons hadn’t been able to kick our arses in simulated fights, in spite of their greater experience, and so here we were.

  Here was one of three planets being attacked by the Imperium, in what we’d been told was a test of the new offensive forces the Imperium had been gathering recently. All three planets had been overrun by the Trixone long enough ago there were no locals left to get in the way of testing units and equipment.

  Two of the armies going in were supported by titan assault carriers, but there were only two, and so the fighter component for this, the third assault force, was being provided by a jump drive equipped Excalibur wing.

  Technically, we could have launched from the Imperator’s command carrier, in orbit above us, but the space commodore was trialing new ideas, among which were squadrons of fighters capable of getting around without a carrier. While we’d done a few practice jumps, this was the first time the idea had been used in a combat situation. We’d jumped with the rest of the fleet.

  “The comnavsats are in place now,” said Lacey, who was also the Imperium CAG. “Targets being assembled. Squadron leads will be receiving a continent to sweep, and targets to hit. Standby to separate into squadrons.”

  Separate was an interesting concept in this case. Three of the squadrons were in flights of four, in the old style ‘finger four’ formations, and we were in our usual ‘mage support’ wall formation, with Woof and me in the middle. In space this formation was vertical, with all ships in the same vertical plane, while on a station, we walked the same way in a horizontal formation. Since being appointed squadron commander by seniority of about a minute more in the rank of Ensign, I’d replaced Jill as the center of the formation, and was technically on Woof’s wing, only we operated as a squadron, not pairs.

  Woof was leading the squadron as always, and Jill was still doing the same overlook role as she’d done before. This was because if I needed to do heavy magic, someone still needed to direct things while I was occupied. It wouldn’t work in a normal unit, but there was nothing at all normal about ours. Even the CAG knew that, which is why he wasn’t messing with what we already knew worked for us.

  While the team was Admiral Jane’s experiment, and she was still my ship AI and was doing all the actual flying so far, the CAG was also using us to trial new ideas he wanted to run with. Mages in squadrons hadn't been done before, and there were three of us.

  “Spacemage,” said the CAG. “You’ve got continent one. Thumper, two. Redline, three. Eagle has four.”

  Spacemage was my fighter callsign. The other two leaders were squadron leaders. Me being an ensign, the equivalent of a pilot officer, the lowest of the low flying fighters, was a definite change in the way things were done. Even as a navy squadron rather than a fighter one, we should have had at least a lieutenant commander in charge.

  Instead, we had me. Fortunately, the team was blooded, tested, and while still inexperienced and an experiment, now considered a combat unit. Very non-standard, but there were marine units being led now by non-commissioned officers. Our occasional pain in the arse drill sergeant, one BA Baracas, was now officially a new rank of Sergeant Colonel, and commanded Marine Team One. They were elsewhere today, but I knew we had similar units on the assault dropships currently behind us, and waiting for the word it was safe to go in.

  “Say the word,” said Thumper, saving me the need to say anything.

  “Go get em,” ordered the CAG, and the squadrons broke apart as the leads led them in different directions.

  Jane had shunted our destination and targets to Woof, and he changed course, with us already heading into the atmosphere. It was an interesting experience, a new first for all of us, going through the fire of entry. Our shields kept us safe, and our PC’s shifted our vision so our eyes wouldn’t be damaged.

  “Incoming,” said Serena.

  As usual, she was a few seconds before the dots appeared on the HUD. Orange ones were missiles, and the popups told us they were capital ship ones. The red dots near them were the launchers. We’d been told this planet had been in Trixone hands long enough to have fortifications, and those were our targets. Nice of them to paint themselves for us.

  The first launches didn’t get anywhere near us, taken out by mosquito fire from above, probably the cruisers designated as our heavy escort. While the Excalibur didn’t carry them, all capital ships did now, and thousands of the tiny missiles were already in space in preparation for what we expected to come from the ground. Every single one was AI
controlled, and consequently there simply were not enough coming up at us to bother us.

  In any case, I drew on the mage crystal on BigMother, the Imperator’s ship, and put a mage shield around us all. Excaliburs could protect themselves with their four point defense turrets, even take a few hits without any trouble, but why take the risk? As the range decreased, and the explosions occurred closer and closer, the shield started protecting us from shrapnel.

  “How do we want to do this?” asked Woof.

  “What are the other squadrons doing?” I asked.

  “Launching FF’s,” said Jill.

  FF’s were a new missile type for us. The fire and forget sort. You fired them off, and they sought their own target. The Excalibur had front and rear missile launchers with fifty missiles in each magazine, and carried reloads so you could have magazines of all IR, all FF, or a mixture of both according to the mission spec. One of the extra layers of complexity the larger fighter had. It made sense the other squadrons were firing them, since the only targets they would find were the launchers on the ground.

  “Woof, have your AI plot a course around the launchers at a fast clip. We’re going to mage this one. Everyone, ignore the missiles, and look for targets of opportunity, especially any heavy guns. Strafe and fire if you get the chance. Tag Trixone for your point defense, and let the turrets do as much damage as they can.”

  Unlike the Brawler which had none, the Excalibur had four point defense turrets, top and bottom, front and rear, each with four guns. The pulse was enough to destroy a missile, but not useful for much else other than shield shredding a Trixone fighter. Except shooting Trixone on the ground, as someone before us had figured out.

  “On it,” said Woof.

  I stopped paying attention to what the ships were doing, and opened a channel to just Gitte and Haynes. We’d discussed this a few times, but hadn't tried it yet.

  Marine teams had what they called team coms, where everyone could hear what anyone said while it was on, enabling very rapid communication on the battlefield. We were using a variation of the same thing.

  Except the moment we connected, something happened. I became super aware of both other mages, and my awareness of the HUD and target tracking clarified and seemed enhanced.

  “What was that?” asked Gitte, and it felt more like telepathy might sound, than actual coms.

  “Did our magic just do something to coms?” asked Haynes.

  “Apparently,” I said. “Let’s figure it out later. How about we alternate in sending missiles back to their launcher?”

  “How?” asked Gitte.

  “Flip them over?” suggested Haynes, and the nearest missile stopped heading up, and started going back down again.

  A few seconds later, there was an explosion on the ground.

  “Exactly like that,” I said, doing the same thing with the next one.

  “Oh,” said Gitte, and the next closest one to us did the same thing.

  We started alternating, and between doing mine, I watched the squadron’s progress around the continent. Woof had slowed us right down, in order the ground below not pass in a complete blur, and all the ships were now firing as we ploughed our way between Trixone concentrations.

  By the time missiles stopped launching, we’d been around the continent in different rough circles five times, and I let go of the mage connection, returning us to normal ship coms. Jane, in the meantime, had been concentrating on finding the Trixone version of electronics, and highlighted another dozen targets she thought might be command centers. Each received an FF missile, one from each ship. One by one they detonated.

  “Coms signal,” said Jane, suddenly.

  Two

  “Where?”

  “Seems to be coming from under the central mountain.”

  “You mean there are survivors down there?” asked Serena.

  “I don’t know,” said Jane. “Could be. It’s weak, and not on a Trixone channel.”

  “Where is it?” asked Woof.

  A blue dot appeared on the HUD. The squadron immediately turned towards it.

  “Spacemage to Eagle.”

  “Kinda busy here, Spacemage. What have you got?”

  “We think we have indigenous survivors.”

  There was silence for a few moments.

  “Let me run that up the flagpole. Take up a position nearby, and assess enemy concentrations.”

  “Aye, sir.”

  Woof took us on a trip around and over the mountain range, while Jane re-tasked one of the comnavsats in orbit to try and map the cave system under the mountains. They proved to be extensive, but there were no apparent entrances. She directed Woof to the most likely entrance point to where the signal was coming from.

  There were no Trixone close by, but there were several regimental sized formations not far away. The canyon where Jane thought an entrance had once been, was partially paved, but looked like a major battle had been fought there. Woof hovered the squadron over the canyon, while Jane took me down for a closer look at the entrance.

  Whatever had been there, was now gone. The cliff face was scarred from heavy weapons fire, and whatever entrance had once been there, was now obviously filled in for enough distance nothing was coming out in a hurry. Which accounted for the Trixone not being close around.

  “Movement,” said Jill.

  “How much movement?” I asked.

  “Looks like about half an army is heading this way,” said Mel.

  “Are we staying?” asked Loren.

  Metunga roared his opinion, which I interpreted as wanting to stay.

  “Any word, Eagle?” I asked on the general channel.

  “What do you have, Spacemage?”

  “Collapsed tunnel entrance to a cave system, and a com signal we can’t read coming out. Two regiments are now heading for us, with more, further away. Do we attempt entry to the caves?”

  “Will that need heavy earth moving equipment?”

  I knew we had some in orbit, but not if it’d be suitable for digging out a cave mouth.

  “Unknown, sir. But I’d like to try some magic on it.”

  “Approved. Deploy as you see fit. Marines will be coming down to support you shortly. And after them you’ll get a regiment of Lufaflufs, with American armour support. So clear some room for them to arrive.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The channel closed, and I thought for a moment.

  “Squadron will land at the mouth of the canyon. Jill, you’ll take command of everyone except Gitte, Haynes, and Serena, who’ll be with me. Clear an area big enough for the marines to come down on, then support whoever is in command. Fina and Dorm can stay with you, but I may call on them if we need some larger hands. AIs are to take the Excaliburs back up, and give covering fire from a hover mode.”

  “Aye sir. Woof, put us down, and let’s get those new guns out.”

  In short order, all twelve Excaliburs were on the ground. I released the restraints, and rose, walking back through the narrow corridor to the airlock. The original Excalibur had been designed with a full bedroom, so the pilot could be away from a station for weeks if need be. The mark four had been gutted of most of it, leaving nothing but a fresher, and a small amount of storage for food and drink, and the machine for preparing the food. The rest of the space had been used for power generation, and an additional power crystal.

  By the airlock were emergency packs, containing basic food, water, and first aid supplies. There was also a small weapons alcove, which contained a long gun, additional handguns of several variations, and an anti-Trixone gatling gun designed for someone without a combat suit. I already had my sidearm, but I took the big gun down, and put it over my shoulder. The suit created a holster for it, and moved it into the best place for balance. I wasn’t anticipating needing it, but you never knew.

  The airlock cycled me through, and I had to jump down. The suit made sure the landing was perfect, and before I was even a few meters away, Jane had the Excalibur ba
ck in the air, and was heading up to where the ships would reform into formation.

  The team gathered in front of me, all looking serious, most of them carrying their big gun. We’d trained for this, but as pilots forced to fight a ground action after being shot down. This wasn’t exactly what we’d expected, but it was something we knew we could do.

  “Move out,” I bellowed, not sure I had the right level of command in my voice yet, so going for volume in lieu of presence.

  They moved, and most of the team formed a line a short way apart from each other, and started walking towards where we could see dust rising where the nearest Trixone were coming. The rest of us turned the other way, and walked quickly towards the collapsed entrance.

  It had definitely once been a road for wheeled vehicles, but there were no signs of them now. And no vehicle would have made it far over the road, given its condition. We had to pick our way around the holes.

  At the entrance, I stopped far enough away so we were not in danger of anything falling on us, while we figured out what to do.

  “Serena, you’re on threat detection duty.”

  “Aren’t I always?” she laughed.

  We didn’t take her up on the joke.

  “Who’s better at creating?” I asked Gitte and Haynes.

  They looked at each other, and both of them shrugged.

  “Who wants to do walls? And who wants to do roofing?” I asked them.

  “Walls,” they both said at the same time.

  “I’ll do roofing,” said Haynes. “But what are you thinking of?”

  “I’m going to remove the debris from the old entrance. I’m assuming walls and roofing all came down in the collapse, so as I make a hole, we’ll need to put solid walls in place, and a roof over them, before anything else can collapse.”

  “That should work,” said Gitte. “Fine, I can do walls. You want wood or stone?”

  “Can you use the stone I pull out?”

  “Sure. Where will you put it?”

  I reached up to BigMother, and connected to the mage crystal again. Sitting out in front of the ruined entrance was a very large boulder. As I concentrated my intent on it, it vanished, and reappeared about a hundred meters away, where it wouldn’t be in anyone’s way. I quickly moved everything else loose off the remains of the road to the same place.