"We should send in skirmishers to deal with the forts and Tissaphernes. They are distractions, no more than that. When they are occupied, our main forces can bypass them for a direct strike on the Emperor's own fleet. That is what I planned, and it will work. We are here for the Emperor, not to fight every ship we can find. When Tissaphernes can see us pushing past, he will either runaway or join us. I doubt he would stand and fight if he has any doubts of Artaxerxes' chances."

Cyrus pointed off to his left, but it meant nothing to Clearchus, being as he was not on the same ship.

"My brother's ship is sat right there, in the middle of his fleet. They are waiting in orbit around Cunaxa Secundus, along with most of his heavy warships. He cannot escape, and yet he hides behind his ships like a coward. He will try and avoid facing me if he can, especially after our last encounter at Khorram. Have you seen the allies he has brought with him? We must destroy his ability to fight before taking him on."

What allies? Clearchus wondered.

"Tactical, who are these allies, and where are they?"

Kybernetes Ditha Artell spotted the first though and pointed to a number of strange ships in the middle of the Median fleet, waiting at the rear.

"Strategos, there is another fleet. It has just arrived. They look like Zacynthian ships."

"Terran ships?" asked Clearchus in surprise.

The three-dimensional model of the System was now becoming more complicated. Most of the Median ships were stationed around the main planet with another large group around the defences between the two fleets. The arrival of this new force meant that Cyrus' force was outnumbered by at least two to one.

Zacynthian? Surely it can't be.

"Dukas Phalinus, it must be. That bastard Phalinus! He must be advising Artaxerxes for this battle."

Cyrus smiled.

"You see, old friend, things are not as they seem. It would appear that your people are all too keen to fight for whoever offers the most money."

"Phalinus spoke to you?"

"Some time ago, yes. He offered a small number of forces, but his main offer was his skills as a commander. I had already chosen you, though."

Clearchus nodded politely.

"A wise decision, my Lord. With this new arrival, it would be dangerous for us to attack the rearguard too quickly. We need to maintain control of this situation from the opening volleys till the end."

"I take it this Phalinus will not be a problem?" asked Cyrus with a concerned tone.

Clearchus snorted in derision.

"A Zacynthian can only frighten old women and children! He has a few Terran ships and more Median vessels. The Legion will destroy him easily. I suggest you continue with your plan to deal with the starforts. I will take the Legion, destroy these new forces, and then fall back to hit their defences from the rear. After we have reduced them to rubble, we will regroup and combine our forces for a final assault on the Emperor's rearguard."

Clearchus smiled to himself, pleased that he had managed to change the plan to almost match his original intentions. It was imperative for the Terrans to provide the backbone for the final battle, and this way Cyrus could get his glory in the opening of the battle without taking dangerous risks.

"Very well, to battle, Strategos."

The image vanished.

The walls rumbled from within as Rashnu led the assault against the Cunaxa defences. They'd been in action for more than thirty minutes now, and still the gunfire hammered into the armour and shielding of the powerful Median vessel. Much to the irritation of Xenophon, the only way he could see what was happening was by watching external feeds directly from the bridge. Roxana had helped him to jury-rig the system to one of the many maintenance consoles in the disembarkation deck. Every few minutes, it would need to be recalibrated to match the new coding, but at least they could watch as Cyrus' primary fleet circled over and around the defences. Glaucon, Roxana and Xenophon were all fully armoured in the spatharii uniforms and carrying a mixture of Laconian and Arcadian weaponry. The two hundred picked automatons of the 2nd Cilician waited patiently, each standing to attention like robots. Glaucon walked up to one and tapped it on the shoulder. There was no response.

"Nothing, not even a flinch, why not?" he asked.

Artemas looked at them and then to Glaucon.

"They are trained to follow and obey my orders only. They hear you but choose to ignore you."

Xenophon glanced away from the screen and looked at them. They were smart and well equipped, but he doubted their ability when facing violence and adversity. He'd read that they were deliberately kept low on both the physical and intelligence scales in case of revolt. That might be true, he hoped they wouldn't have to find out. The real problem he was now having was how far he could put his trust in them? Could they turn on them and if so, how many could he fight off?

"Look," suggested Roxana.

A group of automaton warriors ran past, but not one paid them any attention. They moved with speed, but it was clear that a number of them were talking and muttering as they did so. Xenophon instantly sensed their nervousness. They went past a partially disassembled transport and disappeared into one of the many corridors.

"They might be artificial in birth, but they have a pulse like us. I guarantee they can they feel just like any one of us, and that means they have all the same frailties as any Terran or Medes."

He turned to Glaucon.

"You remember that group we found back on the Tartarus Trading Post? They had rebelled and escaped. They didn't like what was happening, so they ignored their indoctrination and ran. Apart from their origins, I don't think they're so different to anybody else. Just look at them; can't you smell the fear on them? They'll run, trust me."

He looked back and at the screen. It showed the battle around the starports, as well as a large number of small vessels heading for the starforts. They looked like Median transports, and each one probably filled with automaton foot soldiers. He didn't envy them the landing they would be involved with very soon. A landing under fire was always a bloody affair, and they lacked strong armour or body shields. The losses would be horrendous.

Poor bastards!

A loud, almost booming voice echoed through the inside of the ship. None of Xenophon's group, with the exception of Artemas, could understand the words, but it instantly galvanised the automatons into running to find cover.

"What's going on?" asked Glaucon.

Artemas pulled out her pistol and nodded towards the heavily shielded landing area. It was designed so that all manner of craft could land and unload goods and people.

"Zacynthian assault dromons have launched from two of the starforts. They waited until we launched our own transports and then broke through the open shields. Two made it through the perimeter and are landing troops at the shield doors. They'll be in soon."

Amateurs! Xenophon thought. It was such a rookie mistake to make, and he could not believe that Cyrus had allowed the enemy a chance like this.

"How did they get so close?" Roxana asked with a mixture of surprise and anger.

"Yeah, I thought this was the flagship?" asked Glaucon.

Xenophon grabbed him, pulled him into cover and waved for the others to do the same. Lady Artemas stood out in the open for a second, shouting orders to her borrowed unit of two hundred automatons. With Glaucon now in cover, Xenophon explained as quickly as he could.

"This is the ship of Cyrus. Take him out, and the battle is over before it starts. If they are Zacynthian dromons, then we can probably expect Terran soldiers. They'll make mincemeat of these automatons."

The voice started again, but this time with even greater urgency. A group of a dozen soldiers ran to Artemas and positioned themselves in cover near her. Every one of them trained their rifles in the expected direction of the enemy. Xenophon surveyed the ground around their position with great speed. There were many pieces of equipment, cases and parts of ships scattered about. There was a long expanse of open space running along the outer doors so that craft could take off and land. Many small rooms were around the perimeter, but from what he had seen, they led nowhere and were simply storage spaces or workshops.

"There!" cried Roxana.

A flicker of lights at the far end of the open space was all that Xenophon needed to get him to hit the ground. He lurched forward and towards a fighter's damaged engine assembly. Just before he landed, a fusillade of bullets slammed into the metal structure behind him. Glaucon and Roxana moved with Artemas so they could dig in around a stack of spare parts. They were all large metal pieces, each at least the weight of an adult Terran, perhaps even heavier. Xenophon lifted his head slightly over the cover to scan his surroundings. The enemy had broken through the shield doors and had spread out into a front of about thirty fighters. They all wore dark armour, and from the weight of fire they were putting down, they must have been professionals. He lifted his right hand and took aim with his Asgeirr-Carbine. Though its range was limited, he was still able to hit them. Just three short bursts and he watched two of the enemy fall down, both hit in the torso by the powerful pulse rounds. Glaucon grabbed his shoulder and laughed, firing a burst from his heavy-duty pulse cannon. The noise and firepower was impressive. The rounds sent shards of debris around the attackers.

"What would you give for a good, old-fashioned Laconian body shield, right now?"

Roxana took careful shots with her Doru Mk II Rifle. Every one of the high-velocity rounds struck home with unnerving accuracy. This was in stark contrast to the gunfire now being unleashed by the large numbers of automaton soldiers. Their rate of fire was substantial, but few seemed to be taking much care with their shots. Xenophon watched as a blast from a Terran pulse cannon hit an automaton in the head. The round tore out a great chunk of flesh, scattering the rest of the shattered corpse onto the three hiding in cover. One screamed and in panic jumped out into the open.

"Stay down!" shouted Xenophon, not realising they wouldn't understand a word he said.

It didn't matter either way, as the poor soldier was cut in half by a burst of pulse fire. The rate of fire from the attackers increased, as another group arrived from the shattered blast doors and aided their comrades. These warriors activated a number of body shields, much like the lightweight models used by the Arcadians. With this kind of protection, even the firepower from Glaucon's pulse cannon was having a hard time. The group of automatons furthest away tried to fall back but were shredded by the heavy weapons fire. The rounds ripped through their armour as though they were naked, throwing their lifeless bodies against the many broken machines and pieces of equipment. Glaucon glanced over to Xenophon.

"They can't hold this place!"

Xenophon nodded in agreement and tapped Artemas' shoulder.

"Glaucon's right. We can't hold! Look at them!" cried Xenophon, and he fired another burst.

Although the defenders easily outnumbered their attackers, they were finding it next to impossible to bring them down, due to the incoming fire and the newly activated body shields. For every Terran killed or wounded, at least five automatons were killed. One of the side doors hissed open and out ran two-dozen Anusiyan guards in the colours of Cyrus. The first two were hit by gunfire, not making it to Artemas. One of them, a slightly taller Medes than the others, called out to her. She answered quickly and explained to Xenophon.

"He's been sent to seal off this part of the ship. We have to fall back."

Xenophon shook his head. "No chance, look."

She looked at the battle in front of them. Both sides were now dug in and exchanging vicious bursts of gunfire while the Terrans pushed closer, each one moving just a single pace before another pushed the mobile shield generators forward. Now that they were closer, it was possible to see they were wearing a mixture of Medes and Terran equipment. Xenophon activated the blades on his two Asgeirr-Carbines. The blades punched out, extending in front of the armoured fist. Glaucon watched with amusement at the sight of his friend preparing for close ranged combat.

"Are you serious?" he asked.

Xenophon grinned.

"They are expecting to fight automatons, and what do we know about them?"

Roxana fired another shot and leaned over to add her own thoughts.

"They break and run when engaged at close range. At least that's what we were all told back in the Academy."

"Artemas! Do they have blades?" he shouted.

The young Median noble looked to her warriors and spoke a few words. The taller of them looked to Xenophon with contempt on his face. He reached inside his robes and pulled out a curved blade. He shouted out, and instantly the survivors in his small band did the same.

"I guess we've got an answer," laughed Glaucon.

"Yeah, now all we need is a distraction."

"Gunfire," suggested Roxana. "Get the automatons to pin them down, and we'll do the rest."

Artemas nodded and called out to the scattered groups of her soldiers. Most were pinned down but upon hearing her, they lifted up their guns and fired, even if they couldn't see a target. The defensive fire was impressive, and the result was immediate. The attackers went to ground to avoid the fire. Their attack stalled, if only for a moment.

"You ready?" she asked, withdrawing her own blade.

Xenophon nodded quickly and then looked to his group.

"Keep your heads down and move fast. They can't shoot through the shields. They're using them to get close, but they won't stay down for long. It's our chance."

Artemas stood up and ran, doing her best to duck and avoid the incoming fire. The other three did the same and with a shout, the Anusiyans surged forward with the weapons lifted high above their heads.

"Let's do this!" shouted Glaucon. He jumped up and blasted away with his pulse cannon. The gunfire forced the Terrans to duck down behind equipment or to shelter behind their portable energy shields. The others followed him and rushed past, eager to finder cover as they moved closer.

Is this really my best idea? Xenophon wondered.

They moved quickly to cover the ground to the Terran attackers but still managed to lose another five automatons reaching the final set of obstacles, a series of workbenches and tools. The Anusiyans kept with them, and then they were in and amongst the surprised Terrans. Most were pinned down and reloading weapons or making their way slowly to flank the automatons. Instead a tide of attackers, all armed with close combat weapons and carbines moved into their ranks. Wild bursts of gunfire rippled about, felling some of the Anusiyans but also cutting down an equal number of Terrans.

Xenophon watched two of the loyal guards gunned down, but the others leapt over the obstacles and cut away with their weapons. Those with pistols used them with savage abandon. Then he spotted Artemas jumping in amongst the enemy, and a flicker of fear run up his spine at their numbers.

What is she doing?

Glaucon and Xenophon did their best to keep in front of Artemas, but it was almost impossible to stop her hacking away at the nearest Terran soldier. With speed that surpassed Xenophon, and power that matched Glaucon, she severed his left arm and ducked down to follow it up with a savage horizontal cut.

"Xenophon!" Roxana called out.

She'd been caught up by the careful gunfire of one of the Terrans as she arrived at the scene of the bloody hand-to-hand combat. He looked up, but the rifle was already halfway there. He twisted his body and lifted his blades, but he could only dull the impact, not stop it. It was a heavy blow and smashed him against one of the workbenches. The man tried to bring down his rifle again, but this time Roxana was able to blast him in the chest with her rifle before being struck herself. Glaucon waded into the middle of all of this, rounds embedding in his armour as he pulled off two of the Terrans. He lowered his pulse cannon and opened fire at close range. With a large capacity magazine and heavy calibre pulse rounds, it was devastating at that range. Four Terrans were cut to pieces before the first lifted up their hands in surrender. Artemas spotted their gesture and stepped back, calling out to the Anusiyans to stop the counterattack. At least two more were killed before the gunfire halted.

Royal Chamber, Median Battleship *Rashnu'

The heart of the Median battleship was filled with the elite guards of Lord Cyrus as well as three deputy commanders, each responsible for the control and defence of the ship. They waited patiently for their command to leave the command throne at the centre of the room. Unlike the other ships in the fleet, the Rashnu was designed to allow one person to command and control not just the Rashnu, but also every single Medes ship in the fleet. It shimmered and shook with energy, and from inside emerged the form they all dreaded facing, their master, Lord Cyrus. He took two steps out and faced them.

"How did they get aboard?" Cyrus roared.

His senior commanders tried to avoid his gaze, and he was forced to indicate for his guards to grab the second-in-command of the ship's defences and bring him before him.

"I asked you a question!"

The Commander knelt down before him.

"My Lord. They managed to break in while we dropped our assault craft to the stations. Only a handful made it inside and was pushed back by our forces. The ship is secure, once more."

Cyrus snorted and pulled out his beautifully detailed Terran pistol. It had been a gift from Clearchus back at the start of their campaign and was one of his most highly prized possessions. The Laconian artificers back on the Titan Valediction had modified it so that he, and only he, could use it. As his palm touched the grip, the onboard computer detected his signature and released the safety.

"I..my Lord...I must.." pleaded the man, but Cyrus was having none of it. He raised the pistol and aimed directly between the Commander's eyes.

"You didn't push them back. I have received a report that my niece and her guards led a counterattack that killed a large number of the enemy and took substantial prisoners!"

He pulled the trigger and ended the Commander's humiliation. His lifeless corpse slumped to the ground to leave just two more quaking in fear. He pointed the pistol at the taller of the two.

"You will take on his responsibilities. Get the prisoners into the interrogation rooms. I want to know what they had planned. Understood?"

The Median soldier bowed solemnly.

"Yes, my Lord."

He turned and left the Royal Chamber so fast it almost looked as if he were running. The third and final Commander waited for his own punishment.

"You were responsible for sending a unit of my personal guard to deal with the breach, were you not?"

He nodded but said no more.