The Mighty Airship Kaede. (The Mighty Airships of Earth. Book 1)

by Gary W. Feather

  CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

  Seige of Detroit.

  Captain Parsons found Lieutenant Commander Brice working on his Augmentation Machine. The man is turning and pulling on things for reasons that I can’t figure, Captain Parsons thought. I guess he knows what he is doing.

  “I’m about to get it in now, sir,” Brice pointed at the screen. With a hum and image appeared.

  Well look at that!

  Colonel George Armstrong Custer was running his fingers along his waxed mustache. He’s in another fancy uniform. Different from the one he wore when we met. He looks a bit of a dandy, but has the eye of a killer.

  On Custer’s right side sat his second in command, Major Dodger. Along with several of his officers and few mounted enlisted men. He sent Captain Collins to move the infantry into position and sent a messenger to tell Captain Goncalvez to immediately get his artillery pieces and crews into place.

  “Captain Jacobson, you will lead the first cavalry charge.”

  “Thank you for the honor, sir,” Captain Jacobson didn’t sound so honored to Parsons.

  Lieutenant Bathurst sat atop his horse holding his Martian MAM. “Colonel, I think they are able to see us on Kaede.”

  “Thank you, Lieutenant,” Colonel Custer waved his hat around as if at a parade. It quickly got boring as Custer inspected the trenches his soldiers had dug, he strode along the line of men who were about to fight for him.

  Captain Parsons noticed that a lot of his men were females in men's clothes, but he needed all the soldiers he could get. Where does the man get them from? How many has lost? Would I be able to lead and fight after losing that many soldiers? How many made it all the way through the Civil War only to die with the loss of the fort? It must have taken a while to recruit and train another round of officers and soldiers? All ready to fight for him and to fight for a dream. They were a mixed lot both-gender and race-wise. Whites, Negroes, Indian Half-breeds, and even some Malaysian pirates. Could I inspire such courage?

  Colonel Custer waved several messengers forward. "Tell Captain Goncalvez I want him to begin his barrage." The messenger runner saluted and ran off.

  "Tell Captain Collins I want him to order his men to fire, but stay in the trenches," Custer said. "This is just the opening of our attack. There will be plenty of time to climb the walls."

  The second messenger saluted and took off running in Captain Collins' direction. Four other messengers waited nearby for their turn.

  Custer looked at Captain Jacobson. "Your turn will be later."

  "Of course, sir. I understand." Captain Jacobson said.

  Parsons could see Captain Jacobson’s cavalry was some paces behind them and partly hidden in the forest. Captain Parsons peered over Lieutenant Commander Brice's shoulder as they watched the AM screen.

  “Can you show me what is going on inside Fort Detroit?” Captain Parsons said.

  “Yes, Captain.” Brice turned some dials on his AM and the screen changed to a different location inside the Fort. The image on the screen moved around until it focused on a middle-aged man running out of a building while trying to get a boot on.

  "I think that's Colonel James Hardin Younger," Captain Parsons said. "General James's second in command.”

  “Getting closer,” Brice said. “Now we have the sound.”

  The Colonel Younger on the screen was trying to get his boot on as a corporal raced up to him.

  "What the hell is going on?" Younger pointed with sword.

  The corporal saluted.

  "Report, Corporal.”

  "Colonel! We're under attack!" the corporal shouted.

  "I can hear that, Corporal." Colonel Young calmly picked up his gun and sword belt to fumble it on. "Get me my jac— Oh never mind. Where are Major Brooks, Captain Dabney, and Lieutenant Schmidt?"

  "Major Brooks is waiting for you, sir. Captain Dabney is setting up his artillery platoon. This way, sir."

  "Thank you."

  Parsons told Brice to change the screen's image back to show Colonel Custer and Major Dodger.

  "Do you think Captain Goncalvez should concentrate his artillery--fire at the east wall, Colonel?" Major Dodger said while looking through his binoculars.

  "Jerry, that might work, but what good would it do if they've completely repaired it?" Colonel Custer said.

  <<<<>>>>

  CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

  President Jackson.

  "Where in the name of all that is holy is my daughter!" The old man shouting those words at Doctor Hoffman was none other than President Thomas ‘Stonewall’ Jackson of the Confederate States of America.

  Hoffman cringed inside the corridor of the hospital as the President hollered over and over at him. Behind the President were two younger men—one looked like a secretary and the beefy one was probably a bodyguard.

  Doctor Hoffman noticed that he had wet himself and feared he might soon fill his pants with something more solid.

  "Ah! There you are, Mr. President," Doctor Hans Olsen said. "I can't think of any way to tell you how horrified I was to hear your daughter left the hospital without a doctor's approval. It was quite a surprise."

  Luckily for him, the hospital's head surgeon, Doctor Olsen, had showed up to deal with the angry old man. Right now Doctor Hoffman didn't envy his boss for the president terrified him. Unlike his boss, Doctor Hoffman had never served in the army during the war and had served in Nashville, Tennessee. The Union troops had never reached Nashville, though they did get close once in 1863. But after General Grant was shot off his horse, the mid-western Union army seemed to lose their spirit. Of course, around that time Martian wealth started pouring into the Confederacy and the Union really found themselves on the run. Sometimes he wondered if President Davis hadn't sold all their souls to the Devil when he signed a treaty with the aliens from Mars.

  #

  President Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson stroked his long white beard and thought about what his most ambitious and resourceful daughter could be up to. He was sitting in front of Doctor Olsen's desk in his office with a bottle of French red wine on the middle of the table. His glass sat on the table near his hand. Doctor Olsen sipped from his glass.

  You know where she is, old man, Thomas thought. Jesse James had sent a report of capturing Doctor Sakusa and the messenger told you about it. If a man cut your hand off in a duel, what would I do? I'd hunt the varmint down. Oh, Ellie. Have I been too soft with you because you were the youngest of my daughters? I never discouraged like your mama did your love for weapons, army, and women. Was I wrong? So many things have changed since the war ended. President Davis and General Lee both dead of old age. Even that old fart Lincoln finally died in Canada. Then I get myself in politics, of all things. Me? A politician? One of my daughters is a colonel and a lover of women. God help me!

  Thomas started a coughing fit, which stopped Doctor Olsen from speaking. "Sorry, Doctor Olsen."

  "How long have you had that terrible cough, Mr. President?" Doctor Olsen said.

  "Oh, not long. My doctor said it wasn't consumption and I've never coughed up blood. Hopefully it's nothing bad."

  "Yes. I could examine you if you wanted me to."

  "No, I'm fine, Doctor," Thomas said.

  The truth is, I hate hospitals as much as Ellie does. Maybe more. Something stronger like whiskey would be better, but Mama doesn't like me drinking hard liquor.

  Thomas took a drink of the wine and thought of mother, his dear wife back home in the CSA white house. How would she take the news?

  "I should just go back," Thomas said to Doctor Olsen. "There's no point in looking for her. I've already sent word to General James about the matter. He'll handle it. He's a good man and officer. Sometime I just feel so goddamn old, Doctor."

  CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

  Horse Trading.

  Ellie Jackson pulled her limping horse into the unfamiliar town in the afternoon sun. She estimated that she had just gotten out of the western part of Virginia, which for several yea
rs during the Civil War was known as West Virginia. After the war, it had been properly returned to its parent state. Ellie stopped and removed some old jerky from her mouth.

  "Stop your complaining, you dumb horse! I'll soon have you traded for something better," Ellie said to the mare that had pretty much been a problem since Ellie left Bartie and Mary-lou's home.

  "Soon you won't have to put up with me. Why the hell am I talking to a dumb horse?" Ellie shook her head and the mare snapped at her. Ellie jerked the reins. "Stop that!"

  "That horse doesn't like you, mister," a boy said. "I mean ma'am."

  The boy looked to be in his early teens or maybe twelve, she wasn't sure. Bowl-cut blond hair, dirty face, and hazel eyes. He was dressed in blue overalls and barefoot.

  "That's okay. I don't like her either," Ellie said.

  "Oh."

  "I'm looking to trade her for another horse. Possibly a gelding."

  "Mr. Johnston has horses out on his farm," the boy said.

  "Any in town?"

  "Yup."

  "Thanks," Ellie said. "Where do folks gather around in town to talk?"

  "Mr. Johnston's store."

  "The same one who owns the farm?"

  "No silly," the boy said. "His brother Tom. There's a new sign."

  "Thanks."

  "Bye!" The boy wandered off.

  Ellie smiled and she hadn't for many days. She took a drink from her water canteen and put the jerky in a pocket. She started forward and then had to yank on the mare's reins.

  "Come on! Are you sure you aren't a damn mule?" The horse's head came up and smacked her leg like it was a flea. Ellie yelled at the mare again and the mare ignored her again.

  Ellie found Tom Johnston at his store with three other men and asked for a fresh horse since hers was lame. One named Paul Johnston offered to trade horses.

  "Tim's a fine horse from good stock," Paul said. "So you got a lame mare, huh?"

  "Thank you, Mr. Johnston," Ellie said. "Is this Ohio or Virginia?"

  "You're right at the border, ma'am," Paul said.

  "Yup." Tom pointed. "The Ohio river is just a little ways down there."

  "How far is Cleveland from here?" Ellie said.

  "Cleveland?" Tom thought out loud.

  "Hundreds of godless miles or so--"

  "Shut up, old man," Tom said. "Should take you a couple of days to get there. What was your name again, miss…Jackson? Like the president?"

  "Yes. I'm Ellie Jackson. One of his daughters."

  "Really?" Tom said. "I voted for him."

  "I thought you voted for the other guy," Paul said.

  "A lady shouldn't be out riding on her own," the old man said. "Not right. Nothing is right these days. Everything is strange and—"

  "Shut up, Mick!" Tom said.

  Paul and the others seemed to want to talk, but Ellie complained that she needed to get going. Paul agreed if she paid a little extra for the horse. She looked over both horses then she handed him a couple of Confederate dollars for the gelding. She quickly switched tack from one equine to the other. All the while the other men watched and laughed quietly. She checked everything to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything.

  "Thanks, Paul." Ellie took off on the gelding, wishing she could run the horse to death get there quicker, but she kept herself from doing that. She needed to catch a fast airship in Cleveland. Many commercial passenger airships kept a slow steady speed for their passenger's comfort, but the merchant cargo, CSA Mail, and military airships went fairly fast at 80 miles an hour. If she could find one of them, maybe she could get a ride.

  CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

  Strike the Fort.

  Brice’s AM screen showed Colonel Custer and his officers. Brice was ready to inform the bridge if anything unusual happened.

  Colonel Custer held his hand in front of his face as dirt and metal shrapnel burst towards him. A soldier holding the US flag fell off his horse after being hit by a large piece of metal.

  Major Dodger grabbed the United States flag before it hit the ground. "That was a bit close, Colonel."

  "True." Custer twirled his mustache. "How are you holding up, Lieutenant Bathurst?"

  Corporal Winters, the bugler, accepted the flag from Major Dodger.

  "F-fine, sir." Lieutenant Bathurst was trying to sound brave.

  Custer thought back to his own first time on the battlefield and remembered the fear and the desire to run. He pushed that cowardly thought out of his mind. Just then Captain Jacobson rode back after another charge of his cavalry. Unfortunately, by not their numbers were smaller than he started with.

  "Very good charge, Captain," Custer said.

  "Thank you, Colonel," Jacobson said. "They almost got over the wall before Captain Collins had to retreat."

  "I won't have you charge again, Captain," Custer said. "The sun is about gone and then we can bring in that airship to destroy their artillery once and for all. We probably should slow the right of fire about now so they think we’re going to quit for the night."

  "Yes, sir," Captain Jacobson said.

  Major Dodger gestured for one of the messengers to come forward and relayed to him the colonel's orders. The messenger took off running. Later the messenger returned to inform them that Captain Collins was dead from a gunshot to the back of the head. Lieutenant Taylor was in command of the infantry.

  "A pity." Colonel Custer slowly shook his head.

  #

  In the darkness HMS Kaede came down from the sky with its lights off. On this night the moon wasn't out so there was no light for Captain Younger and his men in the fort, though their Confederate flag--with some holes--still flew high.

  "Our altitude is currently 24,735 feet, Captain," Lieutenant Commander Brice reported from the navigation room. "First planned descent will be to 9,000 feet."

  "Understood, Mr. Brice." Captain Parsons turned. "Mr. McKeon, put me on the speaker to the gunnery deck.”

  "You're ready, Captain," Lieutenant McKeon had already gotten things set up earlier.

  "Thank you, Mr. McKeon." Captain Parsons cleared his throat. "This is the captain speaking. We are about to descend to 9,000 feet and fire upon a heavily defended fort, currently under the ownership of the Confederate States of America. I know the CSA is not at war with the Imperial Union or our official allies. We must do this to get help from Colonel Custer and his Army in order to free our Doctor Sakusa. I trust all of you fine men will do your duty for Queens and Country. God be with you or whatever you gods you believe in. Now! Open those gun ports! Both cannons and Gatling guns-be ready to fire! That is all!"

  "Repeating..." Captain Parsons repeated the command twice.

  Each rifled cannon, Howitzer, and Gatling gun crews had a crew that had been given an AMA by Lieutenant McKeon. Each one was patched into the satellites and the AM of the Kaede.

  The Kaede quietly descended to point-blank range of the inside of the fort. Neither Colonel Younger nor his men seemed to notice. Everyone was completely focused on the outside forces of Colonel Custer's men and artillery. They were the proverbial 'sitting duck' as the Kaede's cannons and two Gatling guns opened fire upon them.

  Cannons, howitzers, and shells exploded. The CSA Gatling gun sitting on top of the north wall was blasted into the air along with part of the wall and the men nearby. A scene of horror full of smoke, fire, dust, blood and gore. Even aboard Kaede, the screams were so loud that even some of the crew could hear them.

  Unbeknownst to Captain Parsons and his crew aboard the Kaede, someone else was watching—a Martian attack-shuttle that hovered above the airship in the dark sky. It also had no lights shining to give it away, but it did nothing.

  As HMS Kaede descended, it was no longer able to hide so well in the dark. Kaede's lights came on, the large stable door came open and its ramp dropped to the ground.

  Major Cooper led several marines out. Rifle-fire opened upon Major Cooper's marines and the airship. Then the strangest of creatures ran out of the Kae
de's stables with a Nez Perce warrior on its back. The creature was a Venusian animal known to humans as the Rhino-bee.

  The Nez Perce warrior flew his Rhino-bee towards the fort's door and ordered the animal to spit on it. A spray of deadly acid shot out of the creature’s mouth and spread across the wooden doors. The acid burned through giving Colonel Custer's men a way in. Seeing all was lost, Colonel Younger saw no reason to get any more of his men killed, so he surrendered.

  CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

  Message from Detroit.

  "Master, a messenger has just arrived from Fort Detroit," Teddy said.

  After a charming supper with his guests, both the old and new, General James and the menfolk went to his library to talk and smoke cigars. The women remained in the parlor with Mrs. James.

  "I wonder what that is about." General James laid his cigar in an ashtray and looked at the other gentlemen in the room. "I hope that y'all don't mind. Do you?"

  "No, General," Jeremiah said. "Not at all."

  "Nor I," Furagus said.

  "Good. Send him in, Teddy," General James said.

  "Yessum, master," Teddy said and left.

  Minutes later, the general's top slave returned with a tired looking private in a Confederate uniform. The private stood at attention facing the general with a salute held above his eyebrows. General James stood up and returned the salute; the private put his arm down.

  "At ease, Private. I'm General James," he said. "What does Colonel Younger have to say to me?"

  "Sir! Colonel Younger sent me to inform you that the fort is under attack." The private handed a letter to the general. "This is from the colonel, sir."

  "Thank you, Private." General James noticed poorly wrapped bandages around the private's arm and neck. "Have you been wounded, Private?"