Sapphire by I G Roberts

Author:I G Roberts [Roberts, I G]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: I. G. Roberts
Published: 2020-01-04T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Corvin’s military began emptying their bases when the Empire arrived. Nobody expected their Navy to do more than delay the invaders. Although they fought hard, the Nankonese fleet split into two groups, one to press the now depleted Nalrin fleet and the other to occupy Corvin. This reduced Corvin’s ground force’s preparation time. The Generals knew resistance must end in defeat while the enemy controlled the orbitals and hid their troops in plain sight. They could take the offensive later. Soldiers loaded weapons and ammunition first, ready to hide these in remote places until the right time. Everybody expected the King’s return and wanted their gear safely hidden.

Individual commanders took responsibility for their unit’s gear. Only a few soldiers remained active once the bases emptied, the rest removed their uniforms and blended into the community. The active soldiers took to the wilds to hide and keep the equipment ready for the day they rose to defeat the invaders. Nobody doubted that day must come.

Military bases continued to empty as permanent Government employees disbursed assets. Whatever equipment they couldn’t move or hide, they destroyed. Burning trucks and armor littered several sites, and great palls of black smoke rose into the sky. Nobody on Corvin wanted to leave anything for the invaders.

SIS suspected that Nankonese spies sabotaged the King's efforts to strengthen the Navy and looked for the perpetrators. They knew the Empire had turned several senior figures in the Government, but not who. SIS operatives noted who welcomed the enemy soldiers with open arms and marked those traitors for later attention. Hackers inserted code to destroy databases, and people raced to obliterate information that might show the Federation’s defensive measures. Sinbad and the warships carried snippets of data, enough for a Government in exile to continue the fight.

Everybody saw the blaze of light from the dying Station. Most assumed the Nankonese Navy caused its demise and must bear responsibility. Those on the ground who knew Trish Crabb thought she’d died with the Station. Only a small central cadre understood who destroyed it and how.

The Nankonese detachment entered orbit 36 hours after they arrived in Corvin System. The Nalrin Navy survivors were leaving Corvin then, unable to stop the invading juggernaut.

Nothing happened for six hours, then the enemy took control of Corvin’s orbitals, which caused panic among the civilian population. Thousands fled the cities, expecting an attack that didn’t come to take a heavy toll.

Radio receivers across Corvin emitted static as the orbiting ships blanketed the communications infrastructure and sent their demands.

The voice made a simple demand when it said, “Surrender. The Nankonese Empire controls Corvin, you cannot win if you fight us. We’ll treat you as Nankonese citizens once we set up a new Government but will impose martial law in the interim. This means we will enforce a curfew, and our troops will keep order. Make no mistake, we shall use deadly force against anyone who resists our rule. You have one day to respond to our demands.”

Prime Minister Craig Sloan listened to his advisers, but they couldn’t agree on what to do.

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