by PP Corcoran
“Order the fleet to advance. Let us put these heretics to the sword. No mercy!”
“No mercy!” cried the crew of the command deck.
Narath regained his seat and pulled his blood-red cloak around him like a comforting shield.
#
MESSIER 54 – 50,000 LIGHT YEARS FROM EARTH
Ai Jing had the ships of First Fleet pushing their sub-light engines to the maximum and already he had a few whose engines had failed under the strain but he pressed on regardless. Shortly after his fleet had arrived in Alona, the Others had activated some sort of dampening field which had extended not only around the two populated planets of the system but out as far as nearly eighty light minutes from the system core. That would be nearly the equivalent of the orbit of Saturn in Earth’s solar system. Not only that, but the Others had pre-placed deactivated buoys, so that as soon as the fleet managed to identify the location of one of the buoys and destroy it, another came on and began transmitting its dampening field. Ai knew that finding and destroying each buoy individually was a losing proposition and he simply didn’t have the time to waste on it, for there was only one reason he could think of that the Others would have for mounting an attack on Alona. They knew that the Commonwealth would send a fleet to defend Alona and when that fleet arrived, they activated the buoys, effectively trapping it. Ai hoped he was wrong but his tactician’s brain knew he wasn’t. The Others had trapped him here so they would have a free hand somewhere else. And that somewhere else was Earth. Well, Ai thought to himself, I’m damned if I’m going to stay trapped. I’m going to charge my ships down your throat, close with you, and kill you with grazers, plasma guns, and anything else I can throw at you! Then once I get beyond the dampening field I’ll head home and do the same to your friends there.
“Tactical. How long to weapons range?”
“One zero eight minutes, Admiral.”
Ai thought of Analisa Chavez and her depleted forces. Just hold on, Analisa, I’m coming.
#
CHARON BASE – ORBIT OF PLUTO – SOL SYSTEM
David Catney had to raise his voice to be heard over the constant rumbling of megaton missile strikes on the surface of Charon a kilometer above his head. “Are the drones away?”
“Yes, Admiral, but we’ve still received no word from either Central Command or any fleet vessel,” shouted the communications officer.
What the hell was going on? It had to be that strange energy field the surface sensors had detected further in system. Whatever it was, it didn’t look like Charon Base was going to get any help in time to save it. Charon was composed mostly of ice with a rocky core at its center and with the number of nukes impacting the surface it was only a matter of time before one successfully reached down and destroyed Survey Command.
“What about the mining and processing facilities?”
“Most of them are within the area covered by the energy field so I was forced to resort to old-style laser and radio communication to pass your message to switch off everything which might reveal their position to the enemy.” The young lieutenant shrugged her shoulders. “I’m sorry sir, it was the best I could do.”
David gave her a lopsided smile. “That’s all I could ever ask, Lieutenant. Now I think it’s time we got out of here and joined everyone else in a shuttle before our visitors decide to finish us off.”
The face of the lieutenant grinning back at him was the last thing David would ever see as a forty-megaton warhead detonated directly over the control room. The overpressure turned the reinforced concrete and steel to dust, ending his life.
#
ALGOL 3 – 92.8 LIGHT YEARS FROM EARTH
The communications drone emerged from fold space 15,000 kilometers from SurFlot One orbiting serenely around the Benii home world in the Algol 3 system as it had been for the past four months while Ambassador Schamu continued diplomatic negotiations with the leaders of the Benii Federation concerning their establishment of full trade and diplomatic relations with the Commonwealth. The drone orientated its laser and began to download its message. Christos Papadomas was in the middle of a conference with Force Leader Verus, second in command of SurFlot One, and his staff was going over the results of the survey missions to Baut and Gossol, the other systems colonized by the Benii, when his wrist comm beeped for attention.
“Papadomas.”
The urgent tone of Vusumuzi Mkhize carried through the room. “Emergency signal from Survey Command, Admiral. An enemy fleet identified as the Others consisting of at least fifty capital-sized ships and an estimated sixty-plus ships of other classes has entered the Sol system, using gravity drives and began engaging both TDF and civilian targets. Admiral Catney states that an unknown energy field with multiple point sources extending from the inner system out as far as eighty light minutes may be interfering with his communications drones, as he has been unable to establish contact with any Commonwealth ship within the eighty-light minute bubble. Attempts to alert Janus, Garunda, and Persai have also been unsuccessful…” Christos heard Vusumuzi clear his throat and when his voice came over the link again it was slightly huskier. “Admiral Catney states that Survey Command is currently under attack and he has ordered it evacuated as he believes its destruction imminent. Message ends.”
The occupants of the conference room sat in stunned silence as they all tried to digest what Vusumuzi had just said. The Others had found Earth!
Christos shook himself before he began to spit orders out in quick-fire succession. “Vusumuzi. Signal the flotilla. Prepare for immediate departure. I want all the ships that can be prepared to fold for Earth space in the next fifteen minutes. Destination will be the outer marker. It sits at ninety-two light minutes so should be outside this energy field. Get communications drones away to Janus, Garunda, and Persai stating my intentions, also send drones to SurvFlot Two and Three ordering them on my authority to rendezvous with us at the outer marker as soon as possible. Get another drone to Admiral Radford and Third Fleet with my orders and attach the message from Survey Command.” Christos took one grim look around the room. “OK, people, let’s get to it.”
As the room emptied, Christos signaled for Verus to keep her seat. As the door closed behind the last staffer, Christos slumped slightly. “As far as I am aware, no request to activate the Commonwealth common defense treaty has been issued by Earth’s government. You’ve seen the numbers, Verus. At least fifty capital ships and god knows how many smaller ones. The largest ships that my flotilla has are your Vitaros cruisers. Even if Torrance and Glandinning meet up with us at the outer marker, that still only leaves us with fifteen cruisers against an enemy force which outnumbers and outguns us at least ten to one.” A small sigh escaped Christos as he averted his eyes from the impassive Verus and began tapping his finger on the conference room table. “The Others have invaded Earth space and I intend to do my damnedest to slow them until help can arrive but it may be a futile gesture and I in good conscience cannot ask the Persai crews amongst the flotilla to follow me on what could be a suicide mission.”
The scraping of chair legs tore Christos’ gaze from the polished table. Christos looked up to find Verus standing to attention, her eyes fixed on him. “Admiral, you are an honorable man and in your time of need neither I nor any of my fellow Persai would desert you or your people. Together we will defeat these murderers of planets.”
Christos could only nod his thanks, not trusting his voice to betray his heartfelt emotions. Verus gave him a bared tooth smile and quickly left the room to return to her own ship. The clock was ticking.
#
9 CETI – 66.5 LIGHT YEARS FROM EARTH
The message that the drone from Survey Command had passed upon its arrival in 9 Ceti had the men and women of SurvFlot Three scrambling to prepare their ships for immediate departure. Gavin Glandinning issued orders for all combat vessels in orbit around the dead planet to plot a course for Earth, but the arrival of the drone with Admiral Papadomas’ orders to rendezvous at
the outer marker had given him pause. Christos had ordered all ships to gather at the outer marker because he suspected that whatever energy field was blanketing the inner system was affecting communications within that field. Specifically, it was affecting gravity drive drones. Gavin blocked out the sounds of the flag bridge as something tickled a memory in the back of his mind… One of Jeff Moore’s pet theories was the possibility of sending out a carrier wave, which would interfere with a gravity drive’s ability to generate gravity waves therefore making the drive useless. It seemed that the Others had just proved Jeff’s theory for him. Gavin wracked his brain, trying to remember the details of the briefing paper that he had read at Zarmina. Something about having to alter the bandwidth of the gravity wave generator within the gravity drive itself, which would allow a ship to bypass the effects of the interfering carrier wave. Stripping a gravity drive engine down to get access to the wave generator was not something that any chief engineer on board a ship would take upon himself lightly. It required precision tools and an intimate knowledge of the theory of gravity wave generation and preferably the assistance of a major shipyard. Gavin had no doubt his own chief engineer was capable of doing it with his limited resources but time was of the essence here. By Gavin’s best estimate, the enemy fleet would be in weapons range of Earth within eighty-four hours. What Gavin needed was a shipyard with top-notch engineers and there was only one place he knew outside the Commonwealth home worlds which had that sort of manpower and equipment. Zarmina! Gavin’s fist came crashing down on the arm of his chair, startling the bridge crew.
“Communications. Signal Force Leader Homla that with immediate effect he is to assume command of the flotilla and make his way at best speed to rendezvous with Admiral Papadomas. Navigation. I am about to send you a set of coordinates. Your nav system will attempt to reject them so you will have to enter them manually. Once they are accepted you are to fold us there immediately.”
Both officers looked at Gavin as if he had two heads but then answered with aye-ayes and carried out his orders.
Gavin sat back in his seat and considered the repercussions of the orders he had just given. Disregarding a direct order from his superior officer to make his way immediately to Earth’s space and then disclosing the coordinates of the Commonwealth’s most secret research base. Gavin gave a short chuckle as he wondered which one they would hang him for first.
Gavin was still chuckling as Triton entered fold space.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Hold the Line
TDF FURIOUS – EARTH ORBIT – SOL SYSTEM
The mood amongst Fifth Fleet was one of resigned fatalism. It had been four days since the invaders had entered the Sol system and began their steady, inexorable advance toward the birthplace of humanity. For Analisa Chavez, the days had seemed to merge into one long, unending series of operational planning meetings and constant harassing demands from her political masters, demanding to know what she was going to do to protect them from the onrushing enemy. After the second day of these messages she had gone directly to the Combined Joint Chiefs and pointed out, rather sarcastically, that she could either organize the defense of the planet or spend her time in a pointless exercise making said politicians feel important.
The terse reply from Central Command that her priority was her operational planning and that all other calls were to be redirected to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs’ office at least removed one drain on her precious time.
The entry tone on her terminal alerted her that she had a visitor. Analisa activated the intercom with one weary hand.
“Yes, Corporal Wellan.”
“Commander Malloy, ma’am.”
“Thank you, Corporal.”
As the door slid aside, the tall, gaunt figure of Patrick Malloy walked in. Analisa couldn’t help but notice that the commander’s ever-present jauntiness was missing. On closer examination, it was apparent that Malloy’s eyes were sunken into his face and his normally pristine uniform was looking unkempt. Bordering on the scruffy. Analisa indicated the comfy seat opposite her own.
“Take a load off, Patrick. You look like hell. When was the last time you slept?”
Patrick sank into the seat with a loud sigh and regarded Analisa with tired eyes. “A lifetime ago, Admiral.”
Taking one of the spare cups from the tray that was half-buried under the mountain of PADs on the desk, Analisa filled it to the brim with steaming hot coffee before passing it over to her haggard operations officer.
“Maybe some of this will pick you up. I have no idea what PO Ruiz puts in it but I assure you it does the job.”
Patrick took the cup in both hands and raised it to his nose for an appreciative sniff of its deep, burnt aroma before taking a tentative sip. As the coffee flowed down his throat his eyes closed for a second and he released a small sigh of satisfaction.
“Now that is damn good coffee. If I ever become an admiral I may have to steal Ruiz away from you.”
Analisa chuckled as she raised her own cup and took a sip. “Over my dead body.”
The moment of light heartiness passed as Analisa’s thoughts returned to their impending battle with the Others.
“What’s the latest update on the enemy’s progress?”
Patrick returned his cup to the table and tapped a few controls on the PAD he had brought with him. The holo cube sprang to life with a representation of the inner Sol system.
“The enemy fleet’s progress has remained steady. The radio transmission we picked up from Survey Command before we lost contact with it instructing the asteroid mining and industrial complexes to go dark seems to have been followed to the letter. From what take we have from the Sherlock platforms, there are no reports of any of them being attacked unless they happen to have been in the direct path of the enemy advance.”
Analisa regarded him over the rim of her cup. “No surprise there, really. No miner or manager would want to do anything that would attract the attention of an enemy warship. What of the larger settlements and bases?”
Patrick shifted uncomfortably in his seat and his face became strangely neutral. “That’s another matter entirely. The naval yards around Titan reported several large enemy units shaping a course for them before it went off the air. A similar signal was received from the Boreland habitats. The governor had begun broadcasting surrender messages to the enemy fleet commander, requesting that the colony be considered an open city.” Patrick’s knuckles turned white as his hold on the PAD tightened and his voice became taut. “Central Command has since confirmed nuclear detonations in and around the area of the colony.”
“Oh God.” The mix of anger and despair nearly overwhelmed her. It felt like a living thing ripping at her very soul. “The bastards! There was nothing of any military or strategic value there. They were only families trying to have a life…Maybe I should have sent one of the battle groups to cover them… maybe draw the enemy off them…”
Patrick was shaking his head. He desperately wanted to reassure his admiral that she had done the right thing by keeping her forces intact. “Admiral. You know the size of the enemy forces we face better than anyone. A single battle force would have been a futile gesture. Sending them out there would only have condemned them to death and right now we need every ship we can get our hands on.” Patrick looked at Analisa. His eyes pleading for her to understand that she had made the right call. Knowing that her decision to harbor her fighting strength for the battle still to come had been the right one. One look into her wretched, pain-filled eyes told him that no matter what he said, the deaths of so many colonists would haunt her for the rest of her life. Attempting to take her mind off the tens of thousands of innocents brutally murdered, Patrick hurriedly continued his brief.
“On the positive side, we now have confirmation that Admiral Radford’s Third Fleet reinforced by SurvFlot One, Two and Three have managed to close the gap between themselves and the enemy fleet. Their revised ETA is thirty-seven hours…”
It d
idn’t take Analisa long to do the math in her head. “So we can expect contact with the enemy in twenty-nine hours. That leaves us eight hours to hold against a fleet that out numbers us nearly ten to one. We have no room to maneuver as we have Earth to our back, which allows our opponents free movement around the battlefield and therefore the initiative.” A tired grin slowly covered her face. “Well, I would say we have him beaten hands down. What do you think, Patrick?”
Patrick couldn’t help but mirror his admiral’s grin. “Perhaps we should signal him to surrender now and save us all a lot of work.”
Analisa chuckled softly before returning to the subject at hand. “What of the orbital defense platforms both here and around the lunar colonies?”
A touch of the PAD and the area around Earth and lunar orbit expanded. A series of concentric overlapping circles completely covering the Earth and forming a large dome shape around the various lunar colonies. “As you can see, Admiral, the Viper missile and grazer platforms are sown pretty thickly. There isn’t a part of Earth’s orbit that isn’t covered by at least three and in some cases four Vipers. Couple that with the heavy surface-based grazers of the Planetary Defense Centers and it provides a comprehensive defense network. This will be our inner layer and will be controlled by Central Command. I have, however, identified a number of areas where the Vipers were that thickly sown that I felt that removing a single or even two platforms would have only a negligible effect on the shell’s defense fire. These spare platforms I have had boosted into a higher orbit and have used to cover the fleet’s flanks.”
