by JD Clarke
“Thank you, Commander. I feel fine. I was in constant contact with my processor unit when my android body was destroyed, and so I have no memory lapse. I am functioning at 100 percent.”
“Good, then you can take Sasha’s place at escort duty. Sybil will fill you in as you get the Cyclone ready.” I gave Sasha a look. “I’ve got something else you can do for me, Sasha.”
It was almost another twenty-four hours before we heard from Captain Stevens again. Jackson and Noomi were in their warships. Mako was sealing up the forward section of the Defiant to prevent ingress there. Legion, Sybil, and I were in the temporary bridge, looking over a 3-D display of the Defiant and the Earth fleet, which now numbered eleven ships. Sasha was taking care of the errand I had put her on.
“I am sorry, Commander Hauptman. The council did not accept your proposal. They insist on taking procession of the Defiant and all her warships. You will be given a posting in the Atlantic Union’s fleet befitting your rank.” He looked as if he were standing at attention on the display screen.
“And if I refuse, Captain? What then?” I asked the obvious.
“The Asian Alliance has voiced an aggressive stance on the issue. Half of the Earth fleet consists of ships under their control. I cannot answer as to what their reaction might be,” he reported in a very serious tone. “You understand it would not be what I wanted. I believe you to be a reasonable man, Commander Hauptman, with Earth’s best interest at heart.”
“Jason, the Earth ships are moving around in a different formation. Four ships are now in front of the Defiant, and the rest have taken up a station aft of us,” Sybil told me confidentially.
“Captain Stevens, I must warn you that any attempt to take this ship by force will be met with a swift and overwhelming reply. I am under no allegiance to any existing Earth government, and I will not have terms dictated to me. I am sure we can work out a solution that will be beneficial to everyone. But make no mistake, we will not be coerced,” I told him while staring him in the eyes. There was a long silence between us. “Be advised also that our warships are manned and ready in the hangar bay. The warship patrolling outside the Defiant has orders to destroy the entire Earth fleet if the Defiant is boarded.”
Again, there was a long pause as we each measured the other. The fact that we had anticipated the Earth fleet’s plan to try and commandeer the Defiant must have given him much to consider. He made a gesture with his hand to someone beyond our screens display.
“The Earth fleet is returning to a semicircle formation off our port side again, Commander,” Sybil reported as she watched another 3-D display.
“Captain, I suggest a cooling-off period. Tell your council of my reply. Let’s renew our discussions in another forty-eight hours,” I told the captain, who immediately gave me a suspicious look. “Or whenever you like. I think we can come to terms in a civilized manner. I want to avoid any human bloodshed. There’s been enough of that since we’ve been gone.”
Captain Stevens was still wary, but he conceded. “Very well, forty-eight hours because I believe you do want a peaceful resolution to this matter.”
“I believe you do too, Captain. Until then.” I closed the communication link.
“Noomi, stay sharp out there. Advise me of any suspicious activity.”
“Of course, Commander.”
“Is there anything we’ve overlooked?” I asked, looking around the room.
Thirty-six hours later, the Earth fleet consisted of fourteen ships. They had been joined by another group of vessels bearing Asian Alliance insignia. They still kept their distance. But rather than maintaining a fixed formation, they were constantly moving about, changing positions. I was getting a little nervous now, and my hopes of coming to a reasonable compromise were beginning to fade.
“Sasha, how are you doing with your assignment?”
“I have been able to continue repairs to the Defiant with only a 50 percent reduction in efficiency. Production of new androids is going well, Jason.”
“How many do you have completed?”
“I have sixty androids equipped in heavy armor and 120 in light armor. We had a lot of heavy armor in storage that I used, and I selected the light armor because it was quicker to manufacture. They’re fully functional and ready for service. I have them all standing at attention waiting for orders. It’s kinda cool.”
I could just picture Sasha having all the androids saluting her as she reviewed them. Sasha always enjoyed a spotlight. “Deploy twenty heavy-armored troops and seventy-five light-armored troops to the hangar bay. Send the rest to the forward section to defend the main corridor. Mako will take command of the forward troops.”
“I could take command of the forward troops, Jason. It’s getting a little boring down here now. Everything is running smoothly, and it can continue on automatic, pumping out more of these androids without me.”
“I want you to meet Sybil at the Fourth Ring. Help her with her recruits. You and Sybil may have to take direct control of them. Let Sybil direct hers toward the forward section, and you bring two to the hangar bay to reinforce the androids there.”
“OK, but those things give me the creeps.”
“And, Sasha, I want you and Sybil in heavy armor.”
“It’s so bulky. It slows me down. Besides, it’s ugly.”
“Just do it, Sasha. You may be glad for the extra protection.”
“OK, Jason. I’m on my way.”
Legion was waiting in the hangar bay. “Android troops are en route to meet you, Legion. Place them inside the air locks out of sight of the hangar bay. Then you can take up position inside one of the warships and direct them from there.”
I remained in the control room above the hangar bay with the three female Warriors. They weren’t trained to fight, and they weren’t trained to operate any of the Defiant’s equipment. I made a mental note to make better use of them in the future. In another twelve hours, I would have an army of four hundred androids, a formidable force.
Then I got a message from Captain Stevens. “Commander Hauptman, I know we had agreed to forty-eight hours, but Admiral Lochi has arrived from Earth with a message for you.”
A very stern older man stepped in front of the view screen. “I am Admiral Lochi. The Earth Councils have unanimously decided that the space vessels were acquired while you were under military orders and acting as an agent of Earth governments. The vessels and all of their contents are therefore property of the Earth governments and will be shared by the Asian Alliance and the Atlantic Union. The space vessel known as the Defiant will be escorted to Earth and landed at a research facility on the Australian continent. Earth forces under my command will board the Defiant, and I will personally take command. You and your crew may stay on board to facilitate the Defiant’s delivery.”
“That’s very generous of you, Admiral, seeing as how your people cannot pilot the Defiant or any of her warships.” I paused for a moment, waiting for a response. There was none, and he kept his poker face. It was then that I noticed the ships surrounding the Defiant were changing positions.
“Commander, we have movement of the Earth ships. They are taking up positions fore and aft of the Defiant,” Noomi reported.
“I know, Noomi. Take whatever defensive actions you deem necessary to protect yourself and the Defiant. I believe they are about to attempt to board the Defiant.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Admiral, I must advise you against using force to settle this situation. We are more than capable of defending ourselves.”
“It is I who hope you will be reasonable and see the position you and your eight companions—three of which, I understand, are the alien equivalent of children—are in, Commander. You cannot hope to repel the entire forces of Earth. Cooperate peacefully and you will be honored. Resist and you will be treated as traitors to Earth.”
I watched the displays as the Earth ships took up aggressive positions around the Defiant. “I urge you to stand down, Admiral, bef
ore this situation gets out of control. I have no desire to cause injury to any of you.”
“Will you open your hangar doors and allow my people aboard, Commander?”
“No, sir, I will not.”
Noomi’s thoughts swept into my mind. “Jason, I am under fire from the Earth ships just off the bow of the Defiant. Concentrated laser fire, but it is doing little damage to my ship. Shields are holding.”
“Return fire with your lasers only. Try to disable them without loss of life, Noomi.”
“Firing lasers.” I held my breath as I awaited her report. “Laser ineffective, Commander. They seem to have some type of electromagnetic force field around their ships. Firing particle cannon. Also ineffective. The field appears to be causing the energy of my weapons to dissipate across the surface of their force field.”
I watched on the 3-D display as the Earth ships continued their attack on Noomi. One ship broke off and began an approach to the Defiant’s nose. At the same time, one of the ships stationed aft of the Defiant began a collision course aimed at the Defiant’s hangar bay doors.
“Powering up plasma cannon,” Noomi reported to me as I watched the displays. “Firing, negative effect also. I believe all energy beam weapons will be ineffective against their force fields protecting their ships, Commander. Switching to pulse cannons.”
The entire control room trembled around me as the Earth ship collided with the Defiant’s hangar bay below me, its pointed nose penetrating the junction of the hangar doors and then forcing them open. Fully half of the ship was now lodged inside our hangar bay. Hatches along the side of the ship opened, and one hundred Earth marines flooded into the hangar bay. They were at least six foot six and devoid of plate armor. Instead, they wore a poncho-style cloak. It appeared to be a thick and heavy fabric of multicolor design and covered all but their feet and head. On their heads, they wore a full helmet covering their face. The helmet had two flexible tubes projecting out of the back of the helmet and under the paunch, an oxygen supply, I surmised. They were armed with a heavier rifle than we had seen before.
As the Earth marines deployed, the internal air locks opened, and Legion’s android troops filed into the hangar bay, making two defensive lines. The two forces hesitated for a moment, sizing each other up. It had to be a surprise to the Earth troops that only expected to find nine crew members aboard the Defiant. Then three marines shouldered what appeared to be like a rocket launcher, dropped to one knee, and fired at each of the three warships in the hangar bay. A warhead spiraled toward each target, slamming into the warship’s nose and then deploying a web of hooks that latched firmly on to the warship. A bluish glow flared and then enveloped each warship.
“What was that, Legion?”
“No damage done to the ship, Jason, all weapons functional. Give the order, and I will fry these weaklings,” Legion reported to me.
“Jason, I don’t believe it was meant to destroy the warships. I think it may be some type of energy field to contain us,” Jackson told me.
“I agree, Jackson. Try your laser. Target their ship, but only a short burst.”
“Firing laser. As I feared, Jason, the laser cannot penetrate the field surrounding my warship.”
“Shall I try my plasma canon, Jason?” Legion was eager to join battle.
“No, you might damage the warship you’re in. Use your troops, Legion.”
Noomi broke in, “Solid projectiles from my pulse cannon are deflected away from the ships by the force field as well, Commander. Pulse cannon is ineffective when fired directly at oncoming Earth ships. I will try to maneuver for a shot at their sides. Perhaps a projectile striking at right angles to their protective field will penetrate.”
“That must be why they are wedge shaped, Noomi. It only gives an enemy an angled shot at them as long as their ship is pointed directly at the enemy threat. Are you suffering any damage?”
“Negligible damage, Commander.”
In the hangar bay, the androids began firing on the Earth marines. The cloaks of the marines jerked with each shot scored against them by the androids’ pulse rifles, but the bullets exploded harmlessly against the fabric. Some were knocked off their feet by the impact of multiple hits, but they got up and continued firing back.
“Jason, I believe the marines’ rifles are some type of rail gun. I can detect energy surges, and the projectiles exhibit an extreme velocity,” Jackson told me.
The androids were taking hits. The ones in light armor were beginning to fall after taking several impacts to their torso. The marines began a slow advance. Not a single marine had been put out of action.
“Jason, we’ve lost 20 percent of our androids in light armor and one android in heavy armor,” Jackson reported.
“I cannot sit here any longer!” Legion’s voice virtually screamed in my head. As I watched the rear hatch to his warship open and Legion running out of the back, he seemed to slow, and sparks flew as he penetrated the force field surrounding his ship, and then he was free of it, charging headlong at the marines.
“Jason, we have a breach in the forward section,” Mako excitedly reported. “The Earth marines are flooding in through several holes they blasted in our bulkhead. We’re outnumbered here.”
“Jason, we’ve lost more than half our androids. My warship is unresponsive to controls. Something is interfering with the engines,” Jackson told me. “What do you want to do?”
I watched from above the hangar deck as several marines turned their fire on Legion. He fell from the impact, rolled, and sprung to his feet again, firing with his pulse rifle only to be knocked down again. His heavy armor saving him from serious injury, so far.
“Sybil, Sasha, we could use some help,” I called to them. “Where are you?”
“On our way, Commander. I am just outside the air lock now. Sasha is headed forward. It will take her a little longer to arrive.”
The display to my left lit up with Admiral Lochi’s image. “Surrender now, Commander Hauptman, and I will not arrest your crew. Continue this resistance, and they may all perish. You will be held responsible before the High Court.”
The three Warrior females had been nervous and fidgety during the battle; now they were in a fit. They rushed out of the control room. “We must fight. We must help Legion.” They left unarmed.
Only the twenty androids in heavy armor were still standing in the hangar bay below me. Legion had made it to the marine lines and was now fighting hand to hand with an overpowering number of marines. Jackson sprang from the rear of his warship and began sprinting across the hangar bay toward the far wall. The line of androids was now encircled on three sides by the marines, and they were taking heavy damage to their suits. They could not hold out much longer.
“It is no disgrace to surrender to a superior force, Commander Hauptman. End this now while you still can,” Admiral Lochi continued.
Then Sybil burst onto the hangar deck from the oversized doors at the rear of the bay. She was dressed in heavy armor and held a large shield before her. Behind her, two metal monsters from the Third Ring rushed in and joined the battle. They stepped over the androids and into the center of the marines. Massive jaws snapped up two marines at a time, crushing them and then flinging them through the air. The monsters spun around and swept the marines with their long tails, sending their shocked adversaries scattering like bowling pins. More marines were trampled and pinned under the monster’s feet as the metallic creatures advanced through the marine ranks, crushing and pinning them underfoot. The marines fell back and tried to reorganize, but both creatures dropped their heads to just above the floor and opened fire with their jaw-mounted chain guns blazing. Again, the marines were swept off their feet, and fewer rose to fight again.
Legion was still fighting off to the side; his sword drawn, he fought with a dozen marines. Four were lying at his feet, but his armor was pitted and cracked as it continued to take a beating from their heavy rifle fire. A runabout suddenly darted into view from the side
of the hangar. It smashed directly into the marines surrounding Legion, knocking them off their feet and speeding on, turning about and making another pass, colliding into more marines.
Legion fought with renewed energy, his sword crashing down on arms and legs. It failed to penetrate the defensive fabric, but two marines lay on the floor with broken legs; others had their helmets dented in and skulls crushed.
Most of the marines had now been forced to retreat. Their backs were against the far wall of the hangar, and they were being devastated by the metal monsters. The remaining androids had advanced and were keeping up a steady fire on the marines.
“Two Earth spaceships destroyed, Commander,” Noomi reported. “Their shields cannot prevent penetration when struck by our pulse cannon projectiles at right angles. I apologize for the delay in gaining an advantage. The Earth ships are very agile, and their pilots are very skilled. It required a great deal of maneuvering before I could get into position to deliver an effective burst of cannon fire. I am continuing to engage the enemy ships. I will be able to prevent them from delivering any more troops to invade the Defiant.”
