First Strike (Hammer's War Book 3)

by James McEwan

  Missles slammed into the station with flashes of light as they exploded. The combination of the damage from the warheads and the rapid decompression of the station acted like a hammer smashing an egg. The station tore apart and large chucks of it fell towards the planet’s surface while others spun off into outerspace.

  Down below in the club Thad was facing a pissed off armed bodyguard, “I’d put that away friend, before you do something stupid.”

  “Get out of my way or I’ll shoot you first. That bitch is gonna die,” the bodyguard said holding the pistol so tight he began to shake.

  Thad was not the least bit impressed, “Two things, first that bitch is my wife and I’m really rather fond of her, second your stance is off balance and you’re holding your weapon too tight.”

  Not sure why Thad had just told him what he was doing wrong he asked, “What?”

  Thad turned to Larry who was back on his feet now, “Sir you need to hire smarter guards.” That comment was the last straw; the bodyguard lost his temper completely and started to pull the trigger.

  Thad’s lighter carbon based bones gave him the advantage of speed. He stepped sideways towards the bodyguard and in one fluid motion placed his hand on the gun’s slide, knocking out the pin that held in the slide. He then yanked it clear leaving the lower half of the gun in the man’s hand. The bodyguard stood there pulling the tigger, but nothing happened. The look of shock on the man’s face was priceless as Thad spoke, “See, the problem with that particular model is the one pin that holds the slide in place. Knock out that pin and the slide comes right off. In fact a couple people died when that pin failed and the slide came off killing them. That’s why they stopped making them, you know. You really should rethink your choice in fire arms.”

  Thad’s comments had the opposite effect on the bodyguard, as he became even more enraged. He charged Thad like a bull charging a red flag. He barely got two steps forward before he jerked straight up and his eyes rolled back in his head. The man he had used the stun stick on was now on his feet with the high voltage weapon in his hand, pushing it deep into the bodyguard’s back.

  Larry was not going to take this insult anymore than his bodyguard was. He ran to the bar, ripped the bottle from the automated bartender, and came swinging. In his drunken stupor and mad waving of the bottle, he struck two other men and one female waitress who went down instantly. After that, the brawl was on. Glasses and fists were flying in equal measure. Bodies started to pile up as the fight raged on. Thad and the twins found themselves fighting for their lives. No one seemed to care who had started the fight, only that there was one. Club security was quickly overwhelmed by the brawl and retreated to the entrance to call the Isis Capital District Police.

  Back above the planet a gunner’s mate first class figured out how the gun platforms had been sabotaged and broadcast the fix to the remaining gunners. Within minutes they were finally in the fight. Bright lights flashed as what was left of the defense system threw everything they had at the approaching enemy. Pieces of the space station that had survived reentry streaked across the night’s sky leaving a trail of fire and smoke. The largest section of the demolished station struck far from the Capital District, on the day light side of the planet. It smashed through several buildings before coming to a rest in a massive explosion. Buildings collapsed behind a trail of destruction rent from the falling debris. Most of that district was now on fire and the plume of smoke from the burning city could be seen from space.

  As the battle raged on above, down below the battle at the club was about to come to an end. The police arrived in force and they were not playing around. They hit the club like a wave crashing over a surfer. The police flooded in firing stun weapons at anything that moved, club hopper and drunk, bouncer and bar maid. In a matter of minutes everyone on the first floor of the club was lying unconscious on the floor, either as a result of the fight or the police. Thad and the twins were no exception.

  Above things were not going so well for the defenders of Isis. There were far too many ships and far too few guns left to stop them. One by one the gun platforms were destroyed, though they refused to go down without a fight. Any ships caught in the sites of the mac guns were torn bow to stern. There were so many ships in orbit that the gunners really didn’t have to aim; they just pulled the tigger as fast as they could reload.

  The larger ships had taken up postions around the planet creating a blockade, and taking out any ships that attempted to flee. The smaller ships went about the task of hunting down and destroying all the satellites in orbit, effectively blinding the ground forces and cutting off worldwide communication.

  Down below in the Capital District, at the planetary defense command headquarters, things had suddenly gotten really busy. In the main command center Admiral John Wild, the supreme commander of all the Rep-Com forces, stood watching screens of data as what little information about the crises trickled in. “I want the fleet ordered back here at maxium speed, and I want all air space wings scrambled. Damn it, we need to get ships in the air and I need more information.”

  “I would belay that order if I were you John,” Sky Marshal Drake said as he entered the command center.

  “Excuse me?” Admiral Wild said, taken aback.

  “If you haven’t figured it out yet, the planet is going to be overrun. It looks like a regime change is underway,” Drake said casually.

  Shocked, Admiral Wild was in information overload, and unable to process everything fast enough to understand just what Drake was hinting at. “What are you talking about man? Get your ships back here right away or we’ll be over run!”

  “I will do nothing of the sort. In fact the fleet will remain on exercises, is that clear?” Drake said sternly.

  It was then that Admiral Wild started to understand that there would be no help coming from the StarGuard. “I don’t report to you Drake, and if you’re not here to help then get the hell out of my command center!” Wild barked.

  “My dear Admiral, you’ve completely misunderstood my purpose here,” Drake said as he placed his hand on the handle of his sidearm.

  “Why are you armed in my command center, and why are your men armed?” Wild had been so busy trying to organize the defense that he’d completely missed the little fact that armed men had been allowed into the command center.

  “Admiral, let’s call this a professional courtesy. You need to stand down and order your forces to follow me,” Drake said as he unholstered his weapon.

  “I will do no such thing!” He said in defiance.

  “That’s too bad,” Drake said as he shot him. The laser bolt burned a neat hole in his chest. There was little blood as the laser bolt cauterized as it passed through his flesh. As the admiral fell to the ground the two armed guards that were stationed at the entrance of the command center tried to respond, but they where gunned down by Drake’s marines before they could get off a shot.

  The shot to the chest had not killed Admiral Wild, at least not yet. Drake bent down and held out a comm for him to make a broadcast ordering the stand down. “Last chance John, make the call or I’ll kill you.”

  Admiral John Wild tried his best to straighten his uniform as he sat up, pain ripping through his chest. He coughed up a little blood and looked Drake straight in the eyes, “Go to Hell you traitorous bastard!”

  Drake sighed, “That’s too bad John. I liked you.” Drake stood up to his full height and placed the laser pistol an inch from the side of the admiral’s head, then pulled the trigger. The body of Admiral John Wild slumped over to the side and lay lifeless on the floor. “Now listen up people, if I can do that to someone I liked and respected, just think what I’ll do to you! People I don’t even know!” He paused to let the gravity of the situation sink in. “Now put me on a planetary wide broadcast with the defense forces.” No one moved. “NOW!” Drake yelled.

  Standing on the flight line of the Tenth Rep Com Defense fighter squadron was their commander, a tall man from Nova Texas.
His short red hair blazed under the lights that lit up the taxiway. Over his communicator, he heard a broadcast. He had been waiting on the go order. However, what came over the airwaves shocked him. “Attention all Rep Com and planetary forces, this is High Lord Drake of the newly formed Galactic Empire. I am now in charge of all military and civilian forces on Isis, and I am giving you all a direct order to stand down and prepare to receive our brothers in arms. That is all for now.” The transmission ended.

  The red headed commander looked at his pilots, “I don’t know who this jack ass thinks he is, but as far as I know I still get paid by the Rep Com, and until I see some other name on my paychecks I’m going to continue to carry out my mission as I was ordered to. My standing orders are to defend this world to the best of my ability. You men and women of the tenth are the best of the best. Now get out there and do what you do best, kill the enemy.” That earned him cheers. “If this world is going to fall then we’re going to make them pay for every inch of if it they take. Now go, and may whatever God or Gods you pray to be with you today.” Another cheer and then the pilots ran to their orbital fighters. In groups of two they roared down the runway before blasting off for high orbit.

  The commander stood and watched as the bright blue and orange plumes disappeared into the blackness of the predawn night. “Good luck,” he said with a tear in his eye, knowing he may never see any of them again.

  Chapter 15

  Thad woke amongst a pile of snoring bodies. Handcuffed with some cheap plastic flexible handcuffs, he was sitting with his back to the cool metal wall of the police vehicle that was transporting him. He looked around for the twins, but it appeared they had been separated because there were only men inside this vehicle. Thad wondered how many police vans, or Patty Wagons as they were sometimes still called, had been used to transport the people from the club. There were a lot of people on the first floor of the club and plenty people had joined in on the fight. Thad was still unaware of the battle taking place high above his head. He tried to contact Eve using his implant; however all he got over the comm channels was static. Thad didn’t think there was a problem with the comm, but assumed that the police vehicle he was currently riding in was somehow shielded to prevent unauthorized communication.

  His head felt like it was twice as heavy as it actually was, but he knew that was just the effects of the stunner wearing off. Oddly he seemed lucky to have been stunned a lot lately as his nano protein appeared to be building up a degree of immunity. Each time he was stunned it seemed to take less and less time for him to wake back up. Thad figured that as soon as they got to the station he could contact Eve and she would have them out of there in no time.

  Meanwhile Freya and Fiona were at least in the same vehicle, although they had somehow been deposited at different ends. Both of them were now awake, having spent time over the last year stunning one another to get used to the effects. Like Thad, they too seemed less affected than the others around them. “Freya you okay?” Fiona asked across the slumbering bodies.

  “Yeah, just a bit of a headache. I think my head hit the floor when they stunned us, the bastards,” she answered, wishing she could rub the bump that was forming on the back of her head.

  “Yeah these police don’t play nice,” Fiona said, also wishing she could rub the sore parts of her own body.

  “You’d think they’d at least have more comfortable cuffs than these damn plastic things, they’re cutting into my wrists.”

  “I don’t think they have prisoner comfort in mind,” Freya replied as she tried to adjust her own cuffs to be a little bit more comfortable.

  High above the planet’s surface the defenders were fighting a losing battle. The remaining gun platforms were greatly out numbered and were falling quickly silent, though the orbital fighters from the planet had finally joined the battle. They were giving way more than they were getting, but they really had no hope of winning. Despite their impossible odds, they were determined to give the invaders one hell of a black eye.

  As the battle raged on chunks of demolished ships, gun platforms, and fighters began to fall back towards the planet. Down below people were starting to stop what they were doing and turn their attention to the sky as what looked like a meteor shower of epic proportions was beginning to take place. It wasn’t long before people all over Isis realized this was no meteor shower, and that what was occurring was actually a battle for their own existence. Burning metal debris started to make landfall, slamming into the city. Flaming remains rained down all over Isis. Panic ensued while fires broke out. Police and fire services became incredibly busy in a very short amount of time. Most of the debris was landing on the daylight side of Isis leaving the Capital District relatively quiet, at least for the moment.

  The rest of the men from the club were awake now and sat quietly in the back of the police van. Some of them had been in trouble with the law before, and knew enough to keep their mouths shut until they met with their lawyers, while others were scared and didn’t know what to do. The trip to the police station was short, and the van stopped before reversing direction. Thad guessed that they were backing into a sally port. The enclosed port that they brought the prisoners through was basically a concrete garage in the basement of the police building.

  The back doors of the van popped open and a burly looking cop stood holding the door in one hand and a stun stick in the other. “Okay you bunch of knuckle heads. Welcome to Isis Capital Police Station number One. I expect you’ll all behave yourselves while you’re here if you want to enjoy your stay. Now exit the vehicle and line up along the brown line over there.” He pointed with his stun stick toward a large wide brown line painted on the floor.

  They started to file out of the van in the direction the officer had indicated, while he continued to speak, “During your stay with us today you will remain quiet and not speak unless you are answering a question. You will do as you are asked the first time, because we will not ask you a second time. You will be processed and booked in the order you lined up. After that you will get a chance to contact your lawyer or speak with a public defender.”

  At that point the officer was interrupted by one of the handcuffed prisoners who immediately paid for it. The officer had the stun stick turned down so it only emitted a painful electric shock. It wasn’t enough to knock him out, but it was enough to make him wish it did. “Please don’t make me repeat myself, you won’t like it.”

  Thad understood the need for order and establishing control, however he noticed that this particular cop seemed to enjoy his job a little too much. During his former life he found that it was best to stay on the good side of the cops, this however didn’t stop him from having to suppress his desire to teach the cop a lesson on how to treat people. The cop stopped talking as the last of them formed the line. He nodded his head and the loud metal clang of a large lock slamming open rung through the sally port. The metal door swung open and they were instructed to follow the line. Thad was in the middle of the line and was walking quietly when the man behind him whispered to him, “Hey buddy, do you know why the line is painted brown?”

  Thad had never been arrested before, in the past he had always been a ghost, in and out and never seen. So he hadn’t given it much thought, “No” he whispered back.

  “It’s because they want you to know you’re in a world of shit.”

  “Really,” Thad said softly, but not soft enough. The officer with the stun stick ran up to Thad and let him have a long burst of electric shock.

  “I guess I didn’t make myself clear. No talking.”

  Thad caught his breath, “Where is your supervisor? I’d like to make a complaint.”

  The cop laughed, “You’d like to make a complaint would you?” He wasn’t really asking a question, but simply mocking Thad. He then hit him with the stun stick and held it until Thad fell over. He laughed as he zapped him a few more times. “Anyone else here want to make a complaint?”

  No one moved. Two officers came
over and helped Thad back to his feet, and then they were herded into a large holding cell. At the door of the cell, an officer cut the plastic cuffs off each man’s wrists.

  Fiona and Freya received the same speech and were filed off to a holding cell that held only women. Their experience was only different in as much as the female officer they were dealing with seemed kind and though she was carrying a stun stick, she never used it on anyone. She even apologized for the tightness of the flex cuffs.

  Thad sat in the cell waiting for the tingling in his hands to stop. The nano protein in his system, although bio based, still didn’t like getting shocked and took a while to stop vibrating which was the source of the tingling feeling. He didn’t sit for long, maybe ten minutes, before the cell door opened and a different officer entered, “Mr. Hammer? Which one of you is Thaddeus Hammer?”

  Thad stood up, “I am.”

  “Come with me please. Apparently someone upstairs wants to have a chat with you.”

  Thad walked over to the officer, “That was fast. I didn’t even have a chance to contact a lawyer yet.”

  “You’re not going to see a lawyer. One of the detectives assigned to the club fight case wants a word with you.”

  “Oh,” Thad said as he followed the officer down a hallway to a secure lift. The officer placed his hand on a scanner which beeped, and the door slid open as they entered the lift. The officer spoke to the computer, asking for the detective’s floor and the lift started upwards.

  Outside the police station stood the same strange hooded man that had been in Drake’s office. He stood watching and waiting, when his comm beeped, “Yes sir,” he answered the call.

  It was Drake, “What is the status of your target?”

  “Red sir,” he replied to the question.