by Richard Sosa
“Give me an ETA to that closest CS. It appears to be committed to an entry. Ping the location of any satellite platforms we have working and get those Raptors back with us.”
“Aye, Aye. Captain.” The co-pilot typed her new computer screens and admired the rapid response. “Sir, I have the Chariots on COM do you want them to correct their orbit and come across the bastards bow? Instrumentation indicates that our CS is eighty percent in its entry. We can still give it hell.”
“That would make my day. Give the order, I don’t have an attack routine. Just tell them to go in close.”
“Roger that.”
“Chariots in group 469,” Robec-3 ordered, “Orb descending to Aoife with no backup on our side. Everyone, move to transition orbit at 4829 by 4789 then hold at a level flight for two gaml-ites on our mark.”
Robec-3 monitored the Flyer systems and counted down as the attack force lined up, “O.K. on three, initiate in one, two, three.” The only sound was the continuous hum of Rik’s new sleek Flyer moving at 101,000 rad-piaks per and they easily came upon the invading ship.
“This is Commander Nolander-tel from Seven-Six,” a voice came over COM, “we’re lining up behind you now.”
“Raptors and Chariots, we are it up here,” Rik shouted, “let’s get this one before it transitions to the surface. Payback time.”
“Anticipate a rough ride as we arc our orbit close to the exosphere,” Robec-3 reported, “Flyers, monitor your arc calculations carefully.”
Rik set his wrist unit cryometer. “On my mark, I will take the led shot. Make the shot on the Orb even if I am in the way. We have to do everything we can to kill it.”
Rik adjusted his cannon sighting program to auto. “You ready back there? Watch out for us, don’t bounce us into the atmosphere. I don’t want to burn up.”
Robec-3 was typing on her system. “No, I am taking a nap. What do you think?” Robec-3 was instantly serious again. “Sir, we are coming within the pocket of the CS orbit get ready. I am putting the ship on program Alpha Johnson Aara 51, that’s AJA51. In case we pass out or something.”
“Pilot, do you expect us to be passing out?”
“It’s a possibility, especially with the upside-down maneuver you continue to execute. Maybe you can ease back on that one, there’s no one up here left to be impressed.”
Rik concentrated on his screens. The chariots arced in their flight and rose in their orbit to see the Capital Ship bathing in fire and halfway into Aoife’s exosphere with white flames forming and dancing like a blast furnace around it. Rik calculated his approach. “Ro back me up on my figures. I hope this works. Here are my run calculations. Ro? Are the numbers O.K.” Rik checked them again, “Ro if we don’t get it right, we will burn up.”
She quickly reviewed the math on her screen, “Good to go.”
They immediately dived directly into the CS as lasers began to come at them. A laser blast cut in space above the ship as Rik pushed his Flyer even faster. Robec-3 controlled the firing sequence and monitored her autopilot and the Flyer adjusted and rocked as their orbit moved closer to the surface. She counted down and said. “Seven Six, coming up on the target in five, maintaining attitude, increasing speed, here we go, four, three, two, one.”
Rik pressed his cannon and held the automated cannon trigger down. A pathway of destruction ripped across the Capital Ship’s surface and finally, one-shot made an entry and resulted in a large explosion.
“That’s the—”
The ship was rocked by thousands of raptor lasers passing around them and striking the primary Orb. Rik screamed. “Punch it, Punch it.” The Flyer rocketed to the side and arced away from the CS. The Flyer rattled and bumped from the explosions on the Capital Ship’s surface directly below them.
Robec-3 frowned at her monitors. “We have venting from both wings.”
“Not interested. Get around for another attack.”
The CS stalled as the Raptor lasers and cannon shot tore deep into its center. The Raptors passed in front of the chariots and started to collide before pilots realized the danger and banked away in multiple disorganized directions. Chariots too close to the Capital Ship’s surface dived into the atmosphere at an unadjusted orbit and burned up before they could exit. The surviving Flyers scattered everywhere moving away from the CS. The invading ship began to rise and attempted to reverse its descent, lifting itself laboriously upward and into a new trajectory toward deep space. Its thrusters were damaged and then its gravity and altitude control units exploded causing a cascading explosion in their coolant and weapons center. Two sections of the Orb near the top blew out into space where a large venting occurred like a soundless bubble. The Orb rolled loop-sided like a guttered bowling ball in space and Aoife gravity along with its acceleration tore at the crippled CS to pull it apart. The large ship imploded and as flame reached oxygen the fires inside of it turn into an inferno. Its larger pieces separated and appeared to bounce and skip as if skimming over water then descended toward the planet and began to break apart turning into melted roman candle-like blobs of white metal streaking across the sky above Aoife.
Rik’s Flyer along with other Raptors passed close to the exploding Capital Ship’s wake and his ship began to buck and rock. The other Flyers broke off and scattered above him. The continuous rattling threatened to break his Flyer into pieces “Ro get this damn thing under control.” Rik shouted.
“I can’t we don’t have grid references, preparing to fire reverse rockets.”
The Flyers reverse rockets ignited, and the ship fought against a strong pull that crossed their path behind the dying ship like a towline. The Engines whined emitting massive vapor pushing them out at an extended arc away from the Capital Ship’s last position, but they were still being pulled along behind the Orb. “Break off and rendezvous to sector 489,” Rik ordered on Com, he looked back at Robec-3, “What the hell?” Suddenly the Flyers systems were dead. The Flyer shuttered one last time.
Robec-3 tapped her controls and frowned, “I’ve lost my navigation.”
Rik tested his controls as well, “Ro turn on our beacon, I think we are doing dead,” a sinking feeling overcame Rik, “maybe this Flyer wasn’t ready for service.”
A Raptor squad leader watched Rik’s Flyer slide sideways and tumble in space in a gentle motion and then move away rapidly as if carried away by a wave of water. He reported on COM. “Can’t see any propulsion from Rik’s Flyer. Captain Onanes, looks like you lost your power signature give me a coordinate to track you. Get your beacon on.”
There was silence as the distressed Flyer moved faster away but with no apparent propulsion. The squad leaders on COM to all said, “Raptors put eyes on Rik’s Flyer at 489 by 78 moving into grid Eight and give chase, we have to—” Rik’s Flyer exploded with a bright flash as it made a final tumble as if going underwater and blinked off their monitors.
The Raptor squad leader shouted, “Gods. Who has eyes on the Captain’s Flyer? Report your tracking sequences and scan for debris.” The Raptors flew over the area grid in space where Rik’s Flyer was an instant ago.
Chapter Forty-three
At the Mobile Field Command Ground Force forty-three command center, Dask monitoring his troop units and spoke on COM. “All forces intercept and engage the enemy at Troy Sector 89. Repeat TS 89. Move both armed infantry and cannons it looks like they are landing there.” His IARI had a message that caught his eye immediately and as he read it quickly, his face hardened his jaw tightened as he bit his lower lip. He called on his COM and Iris appeared on the screen. “JaensAt, I need you to report to the HQ barrier by Rand Park.”
Iris saluted not so perfectly this time. “Aye, Sir.”
Iris worked her way through soldiers and material handlers going in the opposite direction. As she came closer to the Forward Operating Post Command Group Seven and saw the barrier protecting the command post network, she heard Flyers overhead racing toward the horizon and activity everywhere. Once inside a Command
Tent, she didn’t see anyone only a table with a bank of computers and flimsy plastic chairs.
Dask stepped in and looked at her with a stern face. “I have news. It’s not good.” Iris backed up from him as if that will keep her shielded from the news. Dask said matter-of-factly. “RECON operations reported Rik is MIA now. Other Flyers reported his Flyer exploded.”
“No way, no god damn way.” Iris teared up, her hand on her mouth and fell back on the chair.
“That’s what RECOM sent and the report only reads, ‘his Flyer exploded and disappeared’. They are scanning for debris and possible survivors but it’s not hopeful. It never is.”
Dask held his hands behind him and kept his face hard and professional. Iris sat alone and cried with her shoulders shaking and she laced her fingers together. Dask thought, how delicate she is and at the same time, he’s never served with a tougher marine. He said harshly, “I am not giving up hope and…well, because, as you know, there are many variables in space. Until I have valid confirmation from the teams out there let’s keep hope.”
Iris sniffled and looked up at Dask with eyes red and tear-stricken face and said softly. “I think that’s the only man I ever came close to falling in love with.” Dask came over and sat with her then placed an arm over her shoulder. They sat together silent. He noticed that her frame was slight and his arm, like some giant, easily wraps around her back but under her shirt was a taunt strong body. Dask said softly. “He kind of grows on you but whatever the case may be this thing is not over,” his tone changed, “and we are losing people all over the place. Can you report to your station? I can re-assign you.”
“I am going back. I can manage,” Iris said.
Dask looked at her directly. “Soldier don’t do anything stupid. Do your job but no heroics. We’re going to lose too many good people on the line before this war is over. Do you understand? That’s an order.”
Iris wiped her nose and began to compose herself. “I guess it’s all pointless now.”
Dask looked at her a bit sterner than before. “Rik wanted us to fight and survive and my father wanted the same. These men have given their lives for us to survive and there are people in space and on the ground dying right now. We must honor them by surviving. Survive god damn it. Fight to live.”
Dask turned and walked out of the shelter. Iris sat by herself crying silently. Dask made his way to the corner station then entered the bathroom and locked the door. He placed both hands on the sink and stared at himself in the mirror. His face contorted, he grimaced to fight back emotions and a tear dropped out of his eye. He bent down to look at his large hands and remembered the blood on them. He turned them over as if he could see it. Dask remembered her, Terin. After all these years, Iris reminds him of her. He remembered his hand on Terin’s back as she took her last gasping breaths with panic in her eyes looking at him as she realized she was dying. A large hole in her side bleeding out. He vowed he would kill them all. All zealots of any stripe in the Grizath Provence. Maybe this moment was not appropriate to think of her with every emergency occurring around him and Rik dead, but he didn’t give a damn anymore. Dask lifted his face to the mirror, clamped his teeth together as if purging the memory and readied himself for the challenges outside. He hardened his face and braced himself to continue the war without Rik or his father. Before he left the bathroom, he punched the mirror. The clear reflective polymer didn’t break.
Chapter Forty-four
Hundreds of troop transports were hovering and monitoring their tracking systems to deposit troopers in multiple defense locations. They received updated data on the invasion point, confirming the invasion trajectory and sped toward their anticipated landing. A hoover pilot shouted at the troops piling into the open ship, “anchor in. We have confirmation. Load up.” The Troop transports moved in waves toward the defense lines and descended to deposit soldiers who left the ship and raced to the trenches.
Near Troy Sector 89, as evening approached, Aoife troops were looking up at the sky and watching thousands of black dots descending. Suddenly alarms and alerts rang out as computer systems began tracking and locking targeting data on the invasion ships. The troops, many resting, got up and prepared their weapons. Hundreds of invading Strikers dipped to the surface and leveled out. They were an organized swarm with Flyers close behind, all exchanging laser fire. The Troops dropped into the trenches as lasers chirred and zipped overhead. One CS broke through the heavens descending so fast that the clouds rippled away from it like a stage curtain. The Flyers chasing the SS’s broke off their attack banked away as cannons began shooting at the invaders.
Many Flyers were falling out of the sky as rolling and twisting fireballs while the invading ships easily dropped toward the surface and leveled out approaching the defenders. Flyers chased the invaders but there weren’t enough of them to make a difference and some Flyers struggled to stay in control during their steep dive to the surface. They hit the ground and tumbled in fireballs that rolled into black rolling plumes of smoke that punctuated their last defeat. Pulse cannon fire increased and filled the sky with blinding tracers. The cannon tracers quickly arced closer to the horizon following the invading ships until the Pills disappeared below the horizon. The ground forces began preparing.
Soldiers ran through the trenches with gravity containers of munitions and materials while others prepared their pulse rifles. Troop transports lined themselves defensively in front of mirrored hardened steel barriers. Aoife defense troops leaped out of the transports and raced to the cover of the trenches. They braced themselves against the walls peering through virtual sight holes. Futuristic tanks with turrets and multiple guns rolled off the transport ships and began revving their engines and moving out in front of the trenches.
Commander Riard-wienj of 41st Engineers Tank Battalion keyed in his controls and the massive machine came to life. He spoke to all tanks on COM, “Let’s roll. Move out in AR Four patterns. I need a flanking cover. Load ‘em’ and get ready.” He looked at his driver, “Private Paul-ten, move us to point.”
“Aye Sir.”
The machine moved over the uneven ground and its radar and targeting systems blinked and chimed as they came online. The tank gunner called out, “We have ground positioning and getting targeting range at 458 by 32 directly north.”
“Roger that.” Commander Riard-wienj said and ordered to all on COM, “Keep it steady. Prepare to execute AD Bravo Seven on my mark.” He adjusted his gun sight in his scope and shouted to his driver, “Four degrees left and line up. Keep moving forward.” The twenty heavy tanks moved northwards away from the trench barriers to be the first ground forces to meet the invasion. Like large flat bugs they ‘crawled’ through the muddy surface and the tail end of the machines shook as they fought for traction through a muddy rye field. Riard-wienj aligned the range on his computer with navigation from the satellite. “Bring up the primary guns and mark on my command.”
The tanks had rail cannons and smaller turrets that slide around the tank body and set themselves to engage. The large turret orientated toward the target.
Chapter Forty-five
Thousands of Strikers instantly stopped in mid-flight and hovered feet above the ground in a long line as the planet’s Flyers circled above them. The dust on the ground billowed around the strange ships. Tripod machines began to spill out of small pores followed by Spipeculas. The tripod machines spewed out on the ground like a black liquid then morphed to a black tangle of worms then spiders that quickly detangled themselves and began moving forward. Their quick-moving six legs allowed the creatures and their machines to scamper on the ground, like ants. The Spipeculas large sensing organs were vibrating and long quills covered their ‘face’. They already identified the lines of defense in front of them. Riard-wienj saw the droids and Spipeculas organizing and a feeling of dread rush over him, they’re not interested in the tanks, he thought, Riard-wienj ordered, “Load us up,” he watched his outside sighting scope reading the distance an
d targeting numbers that were uploading his guns, “target that black material moving out of the ships.” The tangled mass of legs and hard shells spreading out like a pool of thick oil.
“Sir, target acquired. Initiate AF 40?”
Riard-wienk re-checked his range reading and compared it with the data from the other tanks, he was a careful man. “All fire. Make me proud people.”
The tank rail guns spit out streams of lasers and the large turret cannons bucked with a recoil as explosive rounds streaked across the field to explode on the pools of droids and Spipeculas. The cannon explosions blew them apart and the lasers cut into the tangled mass of metal and organic bodies. Alien body parts blew apart and Spipeculas leaped in the air as if to avoid the shots with their hardened outer body shell clicking and chirping like crickets. They leaped high like jumping spiders and in the dimmed light became a difficult target as they scampered in different directions. The droids sorted themselves out and began returning fire. The tanks were covered in laser shots that pinged and bounced on the hardened ceramic steel. The row of tanks fired again in unison at the Pills striking them with a force that shatters their outer shell sending up a shower of metal and smoke into the air. The droids in front of the ships advanced. Some Spipeculas scattered toward their ships.
Commander Riard-wienj’s tank shuttered when the first volley of lasers began to strike the haul and they popped off and bounced on the ground or ricocheted back into the air. He checked his readouts. “Keep advancing we are closing our target kill distance in 3 gaml-ites. Keep firing,” he said and heard the muffled sound of Flyers roaring overhead but saw them on his radar long before they became visible. Lasers exchanged between the Flyers and the Pills in front of them. The last large CS had arrived and sat behind the smaller ships. It dominated the horizon and towered over everything near it. Its presence cast an eerie shadow over the battlefield. The war was now on the surface.
