by David Nash
They can never learn that the creator serves the master mind below the chamber of purity
“Second Question: Where are the Sangren?”
The prisoner replied “The Sangren fight for the Kernel at Kernel Prime," the memory displayed otherwise:
Just as the Barkun that we could not fit into our ships, the weak Sangren were worth more as mass ordered into replicators than as warriors.
“No ship for you! Here comes final jeopardy! The third and final question: Give me the next three wavelengths for your Kernel carrier signal.”
Again, the display showed the Kernel arrogance as it said, Stupid human, you asked for the next three wavelengths, you will never last long enough to find the current one:
The numbers 10.1415^19, 10.6259^19, 10.78365^, and 10.9942^19
At which point the screen flashed as Admiral Aegeus got personal justice against the Kernel with his own personal energy weapon.
“Alan, I have to ask, why did you want me to ask for the last three wavelengths? What if he didn’t give you the current one?” I asked Alan that night as he, Aegeus, and I took a long-needed break in by private quarters.
“William Tell, it would not have mattered as I had already discovered the carrier wave signal, the Kernel providing it only served to verify the accuracy of the data.” Alan replied calmly and nonchalantly, it was as if he was sharing something as inconsequential as asking for the time.
“WHAT! When did you solve the carrier signal problem?” I yelled, almost falling over in my chair.
“WT, I solved it this morning, what did you think I was doing for the past 82 days?”
The normally unflappable Aegeus, snorted, as it is hard to laugh when you don’t have a nose.
“If you had the code, why did have me ask the questions?” I bellowed.
“Once I had the code, I knew you would order the kernel destroyed and the attack to begin. We had nothing to lose, but since the opportunity presented itself to both plan a rescue mission for the Sangren DNA and get some intelligence concerning the billions of missing implanted persons, I believed we needed a new way to dialog.”
“Fuck me running, Alan, remind me never to play poker with you.” I laughed
“Yes sir.”
Coordinates from the 6th BSG’s escape, AKA Foreword Edge of the Battle Area
Being this close to Kernel Prime the normal last briefing before battle was done via screen instead of in person at General Davis’s Tactical Operations Center. It was piped to the screens of the commanders of some 6229 ship commanders and their deputies. Over 5000 of these ships were fighters, but 304 of them were destroyers. All ships were loaded with nuclear penetrator rounds in their rail guns and a full complement of weapons. Using the new data to reconfigure the Kernel cloak, a single hyperspace fighter jumped into the Kernel Prime system using normal LaGrange points, it mapped out the ships in the enemy system and then jumped back out. It met with a second hyperspace capable fighter who then jumped three more times to end back up with the fleet. The first fighter was spared the battle as its orders were to return to Earth with the collected data. The second fighter would ride into battle tucked into a battle start hanger as its hyperspace engine required charge.
The data gleaned from the enemy allowed General Davis to create a simple plan. The Grand fleet would begin to jump into the system cloaked and would take position and wait for the coordinated attack time. Two Battle stars would target each of the three guardians, and a destroyer would target a Punisher, a bus and a mothership would tag team and go after each of the remaining Punishers. The fighters also picked targets. With a 4 to one disadvantage from the start Earth’s fighters stayed in two ship teams. If everything went as planned, it would not take long before they received support from the destroyers and other ships. As soon as the Guardians were dispatched the motherships were to take position at both poles and equally spread across the equator of Kernel Prime.
This was a vital part of the plan; the Biologic coalition had to gain control of the space around Kernel Prime. They had to affect a total blockade of the planet if Earth and the rest of the Republic was to survive. However, it was not the total plan.
General Davis knew that as soon as the Kernel realized they were under attack they would switch frequencies, and attempt to regain the ability to cloak themselves from Human sensors. The plan was for the Fleet to act as if they were not aware of the new carrier signal wavelength. This was because elements of the Dozers would be cloaked and using the blocking technology to attempt to attack the master mind directly and gain control of the Sangren creator so as to get a new source of DNA. Optimally, they were to snatch the creator living, but if the mission dictated, they could satisfy the requirements with a piece of the ridden being.
“Does anyone have any questions? I asked, it was not quite rhetorical, but with this many viewing the briefing questions were not desired.
You all know the plan, and you know my intent. With a fleet of this size, it is imperative you all follow the battle plan until the ambush is opened. In honor of the last ‘final’ battle the Legion fought, we will use an audio signal to initiate the battle plan. It is listed in your briefing documents as HW2, when the signal sounds, set your battle clock and jump to the battle area at the time allotted, travel to your assigned target. Once there, wait to initiate the attack until the synchronized time. Once your target is destroyed you can consider yourselves weapons free to attack targets according to the scope of your mission. You all know your duties, and I have faith that you will accomplish your piece of the mission. Standby for the go signal, May God bless you all, and bless the Republic we are fighting to defend.
I signal the technic controlling the broadcast and the screen goes blank with the familiar shimmer.
I signal Aegeus and Alan and we three head to my private briefing room just off the TOC.
There are very few battles the legion fought that I haven’t been in. It is killing me that I can’t participate in this one. No implanted legionnaire is heading to the surface, even with the ability to block the current signal we can’t take the chance they won’t use a wavelength we haven’t decrypted. I won’t even be much use in the space battle. The reality of the distances involved mean that real time coordination is nearly impossible, even if the distances allowed for real time radio communication, space battle is not in my skill set. I have Admirals that handle that better than I. For this battle, I am not much more than a spectator and I do not like the feeling.
“Aegeus, you never did tell me how you got behind that strip club all those years ago.” I say taking a puff of my pre battle cigar.
“Davis, do you think that this is the time to ask such questions?” He testily replied.
“No, not really buddy, as soon as I give the order a lot of people are going to die, and I don’t like not being in the battle, so I am procrastinating a little.”
“A lot of people have already died, and those responsible need to be punished.” Aegeus snapped.
“Yes they do, more than punish, we are here to remove them from the equation. We also need to get the creator back so your species doesn’t face extinction. All I am saying is that I don’t feel right giving the order and not putting my own boots on the ground.”
“Do you think I feel any less? Must I remind you that it was my people that the Kernel marched into extinction and used their atoms to build the ships we will destroy today.
I snuff out the Cigar, as its taste become unpalatable. “No, you do not have to remind me, but I do wish for you to be beside me as I give the order to begin the battle.”
I stand and fix a look of unshakable confidence and determination on my face. My legionnaires deserve to see their Commander looking so. I open the door and as I stride to my command chair, the Captain running my TOC leaps to attention and says “Commander on Deck”.
Immediately I parrot back “As you were.” I take my seat thinking that while my battle crew have much more important things to do on the eve
of battle, they also take unconscious comfort in the iron discipline of military protocol.
“Comms, initiate signal HW2” I order.
“Aye sir, initiating signal HW2” the Comms officer says verifying the order.
Almost instantaneously slow rhythmic guitar chords fill the air inside 6000 ships. Seconds later the command is initiated as words denote our determination to win:
The preacher man says it's the end of time
And the Mississippi River, she's a-goin' dry
The interest is up and the stock market's down
And you only get mugged if you go downtown
I live back in the woods you see
My woman and the kids and the dogs and me
I got a shotgun a rifle and a four-wheel drive
And a country boy can survive
Humanity will survive I think as ships begin to blink away into hyperspace.
Sergeant Major Provo looks around the shuttle at the hand-picked Dozer’s from the General’s personal detachment. Every legionnaire on this mission has been tested in the hot crucible of combat. A much higher ratio of original legionnaires were in this crew than anywhere else in the fleet. As a matter of fact, in the small company of legionnaires, only the 5 young members of the Smashers weren’t at the original recruiting meeting at Camp McCall North Carolina.
“Boy’s it is time to drop your cocks and grab your socks, the Commander has something he wants to say before it’s go time” yells the Sgt. Major.
“Gentlemen, in many ways when the Grand Fleet begins to battle it is only as a decoy for us. We have two essential missions. We WILL find and repatriate the alien that created the Kernel as well as plant this anti-matter bomb right up the server port of the main computer. I want to remind you failure is not an option. The fleet is giving us the time to get the job done, and every one of us is expendable if that is what it takes to complete the mission.
Hooah?”
Grunts and Barks filled the small shuttle as it snuck to its designated orbit to await the signal.
Captain Billy Gibson of the Battle Cruise RPS War Wagon, 9th Cruiser Force, 5th BSG sat in his command chair as surreptitiously stalked his assigned pray. He watched the Punishment ship from a position just behind and under the larger vessel. His crew was ready for combat as was his ship. The battle clock counted down to ambush time, as the clock neared zero the feral side of Captain Billy came closer to the surface.
Five-seconds the captain thought as he watched the countdown timer. His mind seeing his mother one more time. The last time he saw her was the day she left for a trip to visit New York City with the Ladies Auxiliary from her Church. He refuses to think about whether she was implanted or not, all he knows is that she never returned home.
Brushing the thoughts from his mind, he prepared for retribution. “Three, Two, FIRE!” He yelled, feeling as much as seeing the lights on his ship dim as all energy went to accelerating the atomic projectile down the spine of his ship and into the guts of the ship in his sights.
“Direct Hit!” yelled his weapons officer, the confirmation unnecessary at this range, as the screen clearly showed a gaping hole with a geyser of irradiated mass shooting from it.
“Fire the main rail gun again! Fire All Batteries!” the Gibson commanded, it wasn’t enough for him to just destroy this ship, he wanted it wiped from existence as the Kernel had done to his mother.
Under direct fire with no chance to neither deflect nor run, the Punisher soon broke into pieces, as were other ships throughout the system.
“Weaps find me another target. The bigger the better, but the saucers need a taste of our secondary weapons don’t you think?” He ordered, the smile on his face showing teeth, but they were the teeth of a tiger hunting prey.
“That’s our signal, Pilot take us in.” ordered Commander Scott of the ground team.
They were the only team cloaked, and they had all the known Kernel wavelengths programmed into their suits. The Smage’s playlist was running through their suits at a near inaudible level just in case. The highly skilled special operations team was loaded down with weaponry, the smashers were loaded down also, but instead of heavy cannons, they carrier the little electronic warfare pods that could, for a moment, confuse the Kernel ridden and jam their signal or allow them to pass as ridden themselves. For now, they relied on the cloak, but everyone in the team knew that they may need the technical skills of the Smashers once they got inside the planet.
None of the team had been to Kernel prime, all the humans who had went to get Kernels and as such were implanted. However, everyone on the two shuttles had watched endless recordings from those trips and had a good idea where they were going.
The shuttles landed on the surface just after a “stray” kinetic strike opened a hole near the central docking tunnel the original Legion ships used to travel deep into the bowels of Kernel Prime. The Soldiers debarked the two shuttles and hovered down into the crater created by the strike.
As they went down into the planet, Sergeant Chin planted the small signal devices. Besides working against the Kernel, the small devices acted as a repeater for the Legion wavelength of 10.8484^19.
The halls were crowded with spiders Barkun ridden, and the spooky looking cyborgs. It looked to the small team as if the Kernel was planning for an invasion. The Sergeant Major knew that the Grand Fleet had 168 assault ships and were ready to drop 11 full divisions on the planet in a single wave, but he also knew a small team of skilled soldiers could sometimes do what thousands could not.
The men went silently, careful to not bump or bang against anything that could give away their presence. As they traveled deeper into the planet, they often had to backtrack or stop altogether to let Kernel soldiers pass or to avoid checkpoints or emplaced crew served weapon stations. Anytime they found a stationary group of Kernel slaves Chin or Donatelly tried hide a repeater nearby.
The team didn’t have the luxury of thinking about the battle for space dominance, they had to focus on the hear and now, but they get some indication of the status when the Kernel shifted their command frequency. Unfortunately it happened right as the team got to the massive doors of the purity chamber. The team was carefully threading their way around the Ridden Barkun when their ability to clock against Kernel sensors failed. The visual cloak still worked, but the Kernel knew the team was present. They ordered their slaves to take the optimal approach when combating an invisible foe, they simply tightened into a tight bunch and shot in all directions. Wilkins was hit directly in his chest plate. The large crew served ion cannon disrupted his suit electronics and melting the armor on his torso. Mortally wounded, he collapsed to the ground unconscious. Seeing his best friend killed, Montega went into a berserker rage. He grabbed his sword from the back of his suit and began hacking viciously at the knot of Barkun soldiers. He was doing a great job of killing the Barkun, but in his rage forgot everything except his desire for retribution. The Kernel was able to triangulate his position by the Barkun fallen, just they targeted where he was standing, Crusher grabbed him by his right arm and jerked him toward the team.
The massive directed energy weapon that killed Wilkins fired into the space that held Montega a fraction of a second earlier. It missed his chest, but still hit him just under his left elbow.
The spike of energy melted the armor around his arm removing his forearm and leaving a cauterized mass of melted flesh.
“Chin, activate the damn device fuck stick!” yelled Crusher. Sergeant Chin looked at the Sergeant Major for confirmation before triggering the jamming signal.
The mind controlled biologics stood stunned. The interference prevented them from receiving orders and the process of enslaving them removed their free will. The same occurred with the Cyborgs, but the spiders fell to the ground. What was not impacted was the actual Kernel intelligence inhabiting the larger controlling spider bodies. Those began moving toward the purity chamber.
Donatelly and Chin frantically attempted to hack into
the huge doors while the rest of the team fought a defensive battle.
A company of experienced shock troops can do a lot of damage, but pitted against the population of a planet it doesn’t even register.
Legionaires fell like leaves in fall, the 64 original combatants turned to 40 combat effectives in the moments it took for the two techs to breach the security system holding the doors shut.
“We got it, Everybody inside!” Sergeant Chin exclaimed.
The troopers sawed the doors, pulling those fallen Legionnaires that still breathed with them. The Sergeant Major and Crusher were the last inside as they covered the retreat with the captured ion cannon.
Sergeant McGee tried to wrestle it back through the door with them, but Sergeant Major Provo yelled to forget it. Not willing to leave it for the coming horde, his last act before retreating was to place a charge against the cannon and activate the fuse.
Ass soon as Crusher and Smage crossed the threshold the rest of the team slammed the doors shut. Corporal Donatelly dabbed just enough breacher paste to weld the door shut instead of burning it down.
“You dumbass! Yelled Chin, how are we going to get out now!” after noticing how Donatelly sealed the door.
“Well Sarge it won’t be that way!” the brilliant but unthinking Corporal yelled.
“You two need to shut the fuck up! We have bigger problems than a freaking door!” Said Sergeant “Crusher” McGee.
Sergeant Major Provo was studying the room. It was clear of enemy, but also was devoid of any indication where the master mind room was located.
The Majority of those Dozers that were able to fight were alternating covering the entrance and building a fortification with pieces of tables and other debris. Those with medical training were monitoring the nanites contained in the suits as the tiny robots stabilized the Legionaries inside the suits.
