Battle in the Stars (Marston Chronicles Book 4)

by D Patrick Wagner

  But sight lines look both ways. The alien frigates returned fire. Freighters began to die silent deaths. Human ships exploded into small novas. Many human ships died. Many more than alien ships.

  Captain Brewer repositioned Odin to one of the sight lines, focused the three nose X-cannons, the two top and two bottom ones. Seven invisible beams of EMP radiation and X-rays lashed out and immediately killed an alien frigate. Without being ordered, Lieutenant Robinson retargeted and fired. Another alien frigate ceased to exist.

  The battle lasted less than thirty minutes. The human fleet destroyed all of the alien fleet. Less than a quarter of the human fleet remained. The asteroids, from energy bombardment and spectacular explosions, began dispersing from the Corrinar gate. Space opened up as the debris of destroyed ships and colliding asteroids vectored away.

  “Hold the line,” Vice-Admiral Weiskoff commanded to the remaining captains. “Lieutenant Clarke will have your new firing positions shortly.”

  As he said the last, Weiskoff saw the new defensive solution appear on the screen in his command pod. He watched forty-three mid-sized freighters and twenty-nine large ones reposition under Lieutenant Clarke’s direction. He waited. He didn’t need to wait long.

  Now with open space in front of the Corrinar gate, all fifteen alien destroyers and six cruisers poured into Arium. All captains knew the drill. The clumped in groups of three and began pounding the twenty-one alien ships. Odin added to the onslaught. When she fired, a destroyer died. It took two shots to kill a cruiser. With the ten second cool-down, Odin didn’t kill enough alien ships.

  Within five minutes, seventy-two human freighters had gone up in majestic mini-novas, ending the battle for Arium. But they had destroyed a large amount of alien ships in return.

  Odin faced off against the three remaining, unscathed, alien cruisers.

  “Admiral. We don’t have the cycle time to fight all three.”

  “I know, Captain. And we haven’t seen their second super dreadnaught. How are the repairs coming along?”

  “They’re coming along. We’re still in full fighting trim.”

  “There’s nothing more we can do here, Captain. We’ve made a good showing.”

  “Yes we have, Admiral.”

  “We’ve lost a lot of good people and ships.”

  Both Captain Brewer and Lieutenant heard the pain in Vice-Admiral Weiskoff’s voice.

  “But not in vain, Admiral.”

  “I just hope that we’ve hurt those bugs enough to make it a little easier on Latinia.”

  “I’m sure we did, Admiral.”

  “Controlled withdrawal, Captain Brewer. Those cruisers seem content to hold their ground. Let’s make sure they know that to attack us is to die.”

  “Aye, aye, Admiral.”

  Sanctuary

  The hollowed-out asteroid remained cold and dead to the outside universe. Nothing on its surface indicated that a terrified population huddled inside, fearful that, at any moment, the invading aliens would discover its presence.

  “Mr. Gregor!”

  “Yes, Peter?”

  “The alien attack has started.”

  “Keep all of your people at their stations. And record everything. We need to know everything about these aliens, if we are to survive.”

  “Yes, Mr. Gregor.”

  “I will be in my suite, if you need me.”

  “Ok, Mr. Gregor.”

  The once-rich businessman left his sensor specialist to do what sensor specialists did and left the electronic heart of Sanctuary. The short ride to his suite brought him to the hatch that led to his wife, his people and what was left of his empire.

  “Hi, Dear”

  “Hi, Babe.”

  “How’s it going?”

  “The aliens have invaded,” Gregor answered as he headed for the liquor.

  “Why aren’t you in the control center?”

  “They don’t need me. Everyone is just watching. Besides, I wanted to be here, with you.”

  “I love you, Lawrence.”

  “Back at you, Babe.”

  “Let me get that. You, sit.”

  “Slave driver,” Gregor replied as he headed for the couch.

  Gloria built her husband’s drink then concocted one for herself. Taking her place on the couch, she took a swallow and put her head on his shoulder.

  “Bad times, Lawrence.”

  After taking a long swallow, he wrapped his arm around his wife, pulled her close and replied, “Yes, Babe. Bad times.”

  They sat that way, sipping drinks, just doing nothing for more than an hour. Gregor’s com pinged.

  “Yes?”

  “We might have a brewing problem, Mr. Gregor.”

  “What is it, Peter?”

  “An asteroid. During all of the chaos, one slammed into another and got its path redirected. It’s heading this way.”

  “Will it hit us?”

  “I think so, Mr. Gregor. Not straight on, but glancing.”

  “Great. Just great,” Gregor growled. “How soon before it hits us?”

  “Day in a half. Two at the most.”

  Thank you for the update. How is the battle going?”

  “It’s over. We slaughtered everything coming through. Except for three Alien ships. Fairly large ones. Almost as big as our dreadnaught.”

  “So far, so good. Get back to your screens. I will see what we can do about the asteroid.”

  “That didn’t sound good, Lawrence. Now the aliens are here.”

  “No, it didn’t. Yes, they are. Gotta see what we can do about that asteroid.”

  “I’ll be here.”

  Gregor made his way to the administration offices and into his own. Taking a seat behind his desk, he tapped an icon on his monitor and waited. A tight-beamed com signal lanced over to the shipyards and pinged Hank.

  “Yes, Boss?”

  “I have a problem.”

  “What do you need?”

  “How do we deflect an asteroid?”

  “Why? One coming this way?”

  “That’s what Peter says. Could you take a look? Check it out?”

  “Will do, Boss. I’ll get right on it.”

  “Thanks. Stay buttoned up. Stay safe.”

  “Same to you, Boss.”

  Chapter 12

  Onboard Odin

  Odin hadn’t waited to see the dreadnaught enter Arium space. Vice-Admiral Weiskoff and Captain Brewer didn’t stay and watch the alien carrier exit the gate, followed by the monstrous flagship. Vice-Admiral Weiskoff had ordered Captain Brewer to flee with all speed to and through the gate leading to Tolimar.

  Twelve days later, Odin burst into Tolimar space and vectored towards the main planet. Reaching Tolimar, Brewer put his ship into orbit, ordered everything into standby mode and expanded the repair crews. Now he sat, with Vice-Admiral Weiskoff and Lieutenant Clarke, at his ready room’s conference table, staring at the lid of his coffee cup.

  “Not as good as we hoped, but we got a lot of them.” This came from Clarke, trying to pump some life into the meeting.”

  “Not enough,” Weiskoff mumbled. “This is the end of the line, gentlemen. And I think we all know it.”

  “It was a good run, Admiral. We destroyed a lot of alien tonnage.”

  “Like I said, not enough.”

  “If we had gotten those last three cruisers, we could have taken a run at their dreadnaught.”

  “True, Jerome.”

  “Maybe we still can, Admiral.”

  “How, David?”

  “We do what the stingers did. Loop Tolimar’s star, come out of the corona and charge, with all cannons blazing. We could lay seven X-cannons on the beast during the charge, rotate the top and bottom cannons and retreat with five rear cannons firing. If that doesn’t get that monster, nothing will.”

  “I agree with the Captain, Theodore. One last run. If we live through that, we take on the cruisers.”

  “It would be a good way to leave a legacy. May
be help Tolimar survive a little longer.”

  “With no place to run, it’s the only answer.”

  “And, I’ve run enough, gentlemen. One last battle.”

  “I’ll give the news to Tolimar.”

  Shar’s Bar

  The seven member board of Tolimar sat in their familiar spots. Additionally, three more people found spaces, sitting at the end previously occupied by Lawrence Gregor. Harriet took her father’s chair, Randy Roth and Corry Rosser sitting to her sides. They all waited while Shar delivered plates of snack foods and Tommy delivered the ordered drinks. Once done, both pulled back and watched the proceedings.

  “Well, as we all know, a buoy arrived. The bugs are pushing into Arium.” Governor Kaufman began the discussion.”

  “And we’re next,” Randy Roth said.

  “But not for a while,” Corry, now FeldMarschal of the Tolimar Defense Force, stated.

  “Why you are saying that?” Randy’s father asked.

  “From Weiskoff’s intel. The bugs invade a system then settle in and start stripping the main planet. The timeframe seems be about six Olympian months. If they stay true to form, they’ll go after Latina before coming here.”

  “Where do we stand?” this question came from Richelle Brandt, owner of Brandt Minerals and Mining.

  “Mz. Gregor and Sergeant Roth can report on Trotzig. I will follow up with military readiness.”

  Gregor’s three board members just watched, content to let the Tolimarian half control the discussion.

  “Trotzig,” the Gregor daughter began.

  “The walls, gun towers and fortifications are completed. Internally, all buildings, both housing and business, are also completed. The medical and command centers are up and running. We’ve dug about three quarters into the mountain and have begun constructing living quarters for the civilians.”

  “Blast doors on the cave?” this came from the third member of the Tolimar board, Garman Burkhart.

  “They’ve been formed. As we said, Reidite. Almost as hard as diamonds. We’ll be hanging them this week.”

  “All the buildings. Lumber and Mortar?”

  “Except for the medical and control centers. Those are the same granite as the walls.”

  “Supplies?”

  “We’re filling up the secondary caves with as much as we can collect. Randy?”

  “All of the farmers and ranchers are pitching in, prepping as much foodstuffs as they can. Our processing plant is working day and night, running at capacity. We’re freeze-drying and shrink-wrapping everything that we can’t can. Fruits, vegetables, meats. We don’t anticipate a lot of refrigeration capabilities.”

  “But, the nuclear battery.”

  “It will be putting out a charge long after we are gone, Governor. It is capable of running the town, just fine. And the military requirements. But the freezers and refrigerators will draw too many amps. Same with large air conditioners.”

  “That sounds horrible. I am not looking forward to sweating all day and living on this freeze-dried stuff for the next couple of years.”

  “None of us are, Mz. Brandt. But, well, it is what it is.”

  “Yes, I know. We must do what we must. So you think we can keep the Tolimar people safe?”

  “FeldMarschal Rosser. That’s for you.”

  “Thanks, Corpsman Roth.” Corry grinned during his sarcastic response.

  Studying his personal tablet, he continued, “We have six regiments of twenty-eight thousand-eight hundred each. Just short of one hundred and eighty thousand men and women. All enhanced and loaded with combat drugs. All armed with small arms or mid-sized weaponry. Harriet, the Old Man really came through. Thanks.”

  “No problem.”

  “Gun placements? Lawrence pointed out the towers.”

  “All up and manned, Mr. Burkhart. With us pressed against the mountain, the bugs can attack from only one direction. If the aliens attack us from the air, we should give a good showing. The automatic loaders have been installed. The remote controls are all linked to the Command Center.”

  “So, if the bugs take out the Command Center, our guns go dead.”

  “First, the center is dug into the mountain and built with granite, Mr. Roth. It’s a hard nut to crack. Secondly, all of the guns can be switched over to manual control. One of First Regiment’s platoons is specifically trained for that scenario. That platoon will be stationed inside Trotzig as a defensive force. Oh, and we have another platoon from the First Regiment. Master Sergeant Stein’s platoon. Thanks to Governor Moreno, we were able to acquire a hundred chameleon suits. We have a stealth squad for random forays. The Tolimar Defense Force is ready and waiting.”

  “And X-cannons.”

  “Right, Randy. X-cannons. We were able to get seven of them. We have them pointed out towards the open grounds. That that is where the alien attack will come.”

  “Then it’s our turn,” Governor Kaufman commented. We need to start getting our people to Trotzig. Get them settled in. Have them bring what they need to get through. Who do we put in charge of that?”

  “I’ve already talked to Frank Yellen. Turns out he used to run warehousing and distribution for one of the businesses on Cencore. I think we can work together and get the job done, Governor.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Blandini. Let’s use Frank as the front man. Our people will be a little more compliant with him than you, an outsider.”

  “My thoughts, exactly, Governor.”

  “Then we all agree. We are ready”

  “As ready as we can be, Governor.” Harriet Gregor answered for her three.

  Elonia Royal Court

  King Kaporine knew the day had finally come. The final document removing him as king and replacing him with his son had been worked and reworked until the Elonian Senate had gotten everything it wished. He knew that the Senate believed that they had a young king which they could manipulate.

  Their lapdog, Commodore Lynar, would get his armed space force. For what, King Kaporine didn’t know. There was no commerce in space. There was no territorial strife in space. The only possibility of an enemy was the Human race. And they numbered in the billions. Their ships numbered in the thousands. If Humanity declared war on Elonia, Elonia would cease to exist. But his son wanted power. The senate wanted a military force. With the current king’s removal, both would get what they wanted.

  As before, the large double doors swung open and Prince Daruke marched in, this time with the arrogance of a victor. Again, the eleven Clan Senators followed. Just by looking at their demeanor, King Kaporine could see which ones supported him and which ones apposed.

  “It is time, Father.”

  “Yes, Son. It is time. The throne is yours.”

  For the last time, King Kaporine rose from the throne which he had sat in for the last thirty-some years, nodded to his son and strode out of the hall. Johi, standing at the grand doors, began to follow.

  “Johi. You have not been dismissed.”

  “I have resigned my post, King Daruke.”

  “You cannot do that!”

  “It is in my charter, King Daruke. I exercised that right this very morning. I resign my post as lead palace manager.”

  Ex-King Kaporine watched the exchange, careful to not show any enjoyment. Turning his back to his son, he resumed his regal stride as he left the throne room. Johi followed. Once both cleared the doors, Johi, for his last time, closed the massive doors, this time, and the only time in his tenure, with a loud bang.

  “Well, Lord Kaporine. I seem to be out of a job. You wouldn’t happen to know of someone who would be in need of a head house manager, would you?”

  “I think I do, Old Friend. I couldn’t tell. Have you succeeded in replacing the arm on the throne?”

  “Yes, My King, Um, My Lord. This is going to take some getting used to. As you commanded, it has been replaced. I have the original safely hidden away.”

  “Please take it to our Clan Hall. I wish to call a meeting.”r />
  “Actually, My Lord, That is where it is hidden. As Clan Leader, you have a new chair, with oversized, mostly hollow arm rests.”

  “Has Lady Naliana finished moving us out of the Royal Quarters?”

  “Yes she has. And, I must say, I didn’t know how much of a tyrant she could be.”

  “Then, I suspect, the Clan Leader quarters are ready for occupancy.”

  “Not by her standards, My Lord. I suspect they will never be.”

  “It will give her something to do. Let’s go to our new home, my old friend.”

  Onboard Heimdallr

  Heimdallr, shut down and ballistically, shot into Arium. Brooks worked his board, activated then deactivated various control thrusters and got the scout ship moving away from the giant alien ship blocking their path. Torres checked and rechecked her board, insuring that Heimdallr remained deathly silent and ghostly invisible to the alien ships now controlling Arium space.

  “Good flying, Brooksy. That’s one big mother.”

  “The only one we’ve seen, Captain. My guess is that it’s the alien’s flagship.”

  “I can go with that. They see us, Toast?”

  “No activity, Captain. I’d say, ‘no’.”

  “Real slow, Brooksy. Show me your best creep.”

  “He only shows how creepy he can be in front of the girls.”

  “Ha, ha, Toast. I’ll have you know that they like my slow, silent moves.”

  “I’ll bet,” Torres responded while still working her board.

  “Maybe you would like a demonstration,” Brooks joked back, while focusing intently on his own control console.

  “Dream on, dream on.”

  Captain Scott listened to the interplay, knowing this banter relieved everyone’s anxiety, pushed down his crew’s fear.

  “Brooksy, get us to the asteroids. But keep us away from Gregor’s shipyard.”

  “Will do, Cap.”