The Invasion Begins

by Thomas DePrima

  “We’d been searching for a while when one of the squad leaders opened a door to a room full of alert cyborgs. A brief firefight began, but we were badly outnumbered. We jumped into the transport carts and tried to bug out as the cyborgs began to pour out into the corridor. Most were carrying laser weapons. We were almost clear when one of the cyborgs fired an RPG at us. The grenade exploded on contact with the lieutenant’s chest and he was killed.”

  “Why wasn’t he wearing his armor?”

  “He was. We all were. But while the armor will absorb energy beams without a second thought and most small projectiles just bounce off, grenades and large-scale concussive-force weapons are a different issue. An RPG round that hits you just right can rip you apart because the armor isn’t a one-piece suit. That’s what happened to the L.T.”

  “So what happened?”

  “We bugged out and managed to reach our shuttles. The pilots wasted no time getting us as far away from that ship as needed. Then Space Command moved in and blew it to pieces. The tugs dragged what was left into the gravity well of a nearby sun. Eventually, the pieces would be reduced to individual atoms.”

  “Wow!”

  “Yeah. So don’t ever underestimate the cyborgs, kid. They don’t care if they get killed so they’ll just keep coming at you until they’re either dead or wounded so badly they’ve lost all mobility. Or you’re dead. When you find a wounded one, you fire your laser weapon into its brainpan until its eyes stop glowing.”

  ~ ~ ~

  “The Miami has acknowledged our message predicting our arrival in less than an hour, Captain,” XO Mollago said in a message to Christa’s CT. “Captain Caldwell has extended an invitation for you to join him for dinner at 1700 hours.”

  “Respond that I’ll be there at 1700, XO.”

  “Aye, Captain.”

  ~ ~ ~

  “Welcome aboard, Commander,” the young officer said after bracing to attention. “I’m Ensign Davis Decress. The captain is waiting in his quarters. I’ll show you the way.”

  Seven minutes later, the Marine at the entrance to the captain’s quarters braced to attention as the doors opened so Christa could enter. Bracing to attention herself after stepping into the salon, she said, “Commander Christa Carver reporting, sir.”

  “At ease, Commander. Welcome to the Miami. Let me introduce my officers.”

  After reciprocal introductions with the senior staff were complete, Christa and the Miami officer cadre took seats as the steward served non-alcoholic beverages. Christa chose coffee.

  “It’s nice to see a new face at dinner,” Captain Caldwell said. “Welcome to the end of the G.A., Commander.”

  “The end, sir?” Christa said tentatively.

  Seeing the look of misgiving on her face, Caldwell laughed. “I didn’t mean that the G.A. was ending, Commander. I was referring to the location. Perhaps I should have said, ‘Welcome to the tail-end of the G.A.’ Husteus is the last populated planet before you enter unclaimed space. The next nearest populated planet over the border, from what I’ve heard, is about two hundred light-years from here. And reportedly there are very few planets between here and there that aren’t either balls of ice or cauterized because of close proximity to their star.”

  “That’s a relief, sir,” Christa said with a grin. “I thought you meant we’re all going to our deaths tonight.”

  “No, not at all, although I suppose anything’s possible. During the weeks we’ve been in orbit around Husteus, we haven’t seen a single sign of life on the planet. I’m sure they never expected to meet their end so soon.”

  “Have you sent any landing parties down, sir?”

  “No. Absolutely not. It’s a non-aligned planet and we’re not allowed to land without either an invitation from their government or specific orders from Quesann. Command has told me to wait until the taskforce from Quesann arrives. So here we sit.”

  “I was told you destroyed three Denubbewa ships when you arrived. And none were sheathed with Dakinium.”

  “Yes. We spotted them as soon as we got within DeTect range. If they had been sheathed with Dakinium, we couldn’t have seen them until we were in visual range. The result would have been the same though because we were in a double envelope and we would have left the area and prepared for battle without having revealed ourselves.”

  “I can’t help but wonder where they came from and if there are more of them hiding in our space.”

  “Perhaps they’re just over the border somewhere. Even for the slow ships of the Denubbewa, the border is less than two days away.”

  “Perhaps, sir. If they are, we may never know. We don’t have nearly enough ships to search G.A. space so we certainly can’t begin a search of the area outside our territory. But we really have to learn where they come from so we can take the fight to them. There must be a way to find their home base.”

  ~ ~ ~

  “Admiral, the new representative from the Ruwalchu Confederacy has arrived.”

  “Yes, the new diplomat was expected to arrive at Quesann today.”

  “I mean that the representative is here in the office.”

  “Oh. Okay, give me ten minutes to wrap up the report I’m working on.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Ten minutes later Jenetta signaled her aide and told her to send the new representative in. She stood behind her desk, hoping this one wasn’t as obnoxious as the last. She was surprised when a female Ruwalchu citizen entered and walked over to the desk with a huge smile on her face. As she extended her hand, she said, “Admiral Carver, I’m so honored to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.”

  Jenetta took her hand and shook it gently, smiling politely. “And your name is?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Where are my manners? My name is Willanza Bokarra.”

  “Welcome to Quesann, Ms. Bokarra.”

  “Thank you, Admiral. I’m so happy to be here. I still can’t believe we made it all the way to Quesann in just six weeks. It would have taken us annuals in one of our fastest ships. Your technological advances are so incredible. I heartily approve of the annexation of our territories. We can learn so much from you that will improve the lives of our citizens. And we owe you so much for coming to our rescue and destroying the Denubbewa fleet that attacked us. My people have begun to return to the surface of Ruwalch. It’s so wonderful to feel the real sun on our faces again, to enjoy the fresh air with the many fragrances of nature, and to hear the sounds of the birds and animals. I didn’t realize how much I had missed all of those things until the first day I rode up to the surface and stepped out of the lift. Thank you so much for all you’ve done.”

  “You’re most welcome, Ms. Bokarra. I’m very glad we could help.”

  “Do you have any idea when the annexation will take effect?”

  “I’m afraid I don’t. That’s up to the G.A. Senate. I just represent the military.”

  “I understand. Have they begun discussing it yet?”

  “Yes, I understand they’ve discussed it at length.”

  “Can I help in any way? Is there anything I can do to help advance the process?”

  “I doubt it. As with all governmental expansions, the main issue seems to be one of funding. During the past few years, I’ve returned to the Council repeatedly with requests for more funds. They always groan when I appear. But in the end, they approve the funding because they know a strong military is the only way to protect our nation from our enemies, both foreign and domestic. Only fools believe that all other nations want only peace and that illegal enterprises don’t damage attempts to have an orderly and efficient society.”

  “You believe the main impediment with a speedy annexation of the Ruwalchu territory is funding?”

  “Yes. I’ve worked up a proposed budget to cover the costs of the additional ships, supplies, and personnel required to protect the territory, owing to the situation with the Denubbewa. The amount is substantial. It would increase our military budget by twenty-five percent
because the Ruwalchu territory is so expansive, and it will literally take years to produce all the ships we’ll need to fully protect the new Region.”

  “The Gilesset has authorized me to tell you that the Ruwalchu people will bear the full cost of the new military hardware and initial supplies. If Space Command isn’t going to be protecting us, we’d only have to fund the rebuilding of our Space Fleet. And no one believes the new fleet will be capable of surviving encounters with the Denubbewa, so we’d prefer to put the funds into expanding the Space Command fleet. Our Space Command fleet.”

  “Your Space Command fleet? What does that mean?”

  “We require that the Region Four ships— that’s how the P.M. is referring to them— be exclusively devoted to protecting the planets and people only in Region Four.”

  “I can’t promise that. Our fleet must be available to defend whatever part of the G.A. is threatened. We have to have the freedom to move our ships to wherever they’re needed whenever they’re needed there.”

  “Then I can’t agree to fund the ships. We must have some assurance of protection.”

  “If the current Ruwalchu territory is annexed, you’ll become part of the G.A., and it’s our sworn duty to protect all of our territory.”

  Ms. Bokarra said nothing, but Jenetta could see she was thinking about the declaration, so she decided to expound.

  “I can promise this,” Jenetta said. “All ships built using funds provided by the occupied planets in the present Ruwalchu territory will call bases and Fleet Harbors in Region Four their home port. They may be dispatched to handle emergency situations in other Regions, or even outside G.A. space when required, but when the emergency is over, they will return to their Region Four duties and/or home ports.”

  Ms. Bokarra smiled and said, “I can accept that. We understand that there could be times when a ship or ships must travel outside the Region, such as when the Ares and the smaller warships left Region Three to come rescue us from the Denubbewa threat. How many ships do you anticipate needing?”

  “I estimate we’ll need at least two hundred ships to adequately patrol the new territory.”

  “Two hundred? That’s far more than we estimated. Our Space Fleet only consisted of one hundred eight ships.”

  “Two hundred is the minimum. I’d like to have three hundred fifty.”

  “Oh, my. I don’t think the Gilesset would agree to that.”

  “Your Space Fleet was composed mostly of destroyer-class vessels, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes. Plus support vessels.”

  “The ships we’ve found most useful for fighting the Denubbewa are the CPS-16s. Three hundred ships of that class would cost about the same to build as about a hundred destroyers like the ones you had in your Space Fleet.”

  “You’re referring to the same class of ship as the one that brought me here?”

  “Exactly.”

  “And that ship is capable of destroying a Denubbewa warship?”

  “Yes, or even a Denubbewa mothership. In addition to those patrol ships, the Region Four fleet would need two dozen Scout-Destroyers, five Destroyers, and twenty support vessels such as Quartermaster ships, Ship Transporters, and reclamation vessels. The total cost would probably be the equivalent of replacing your previous fleet of mostly destroyers.”

  “Really? Then I have no objection. When you mentioned the number of vessels, I expected a cost three times that of replacing our Space Fleet.”

  “Then you’re willing to bear the expense of all the ships required to protect you?”

  “Yes. And we’ll also supply personnel to help man the ships, should you wish. Our former Space Fleet couldn’t compare to the Space Command fleet in technology or capability, but our people are highly capable and able to learn new technology. I know that many will welcome an opportunity to serve in Space Command.”

  “At some point in the future, we’d establish a Space Command Academy in the new region. In the meantime, your best and brightest would be welcome to take the entrance exam for one of the three existing academies. All officers in Space Command and the Space Marines must be Academy graduates. All enlisted must complete training at one of our technical or combat schools. We’ve recently created a Space Marine training center here on Quesann.”

  “I know that our people would welcome an opportunity to be trained by Space Command or the Space Marine Corps.”

  “Those promises of support might improve the chances of annexation considerably. The people in opposition would lose a lot of their arguments.”

  “We have only one other requirement.”

  Jenetta could hear the sound of the other figurative boot dropping. “And what is that requirement?”

  “That the Region Four ships be built in our territory, or at least what is presently our territory.”

  “I see. So the main reason for that requirement is because you’re hoping to learn our advanced technology.”

  “Do you blame us? Admiral, you are so far ahead of us technologically that you make us feel positively— primitive. Yes, we do want to advance our technological capability. And we feel the best way to learn is to have contact with your most able people as we help build the ships for Space Command. You get the ships and all the personnel you’ll need to patrol the new territory in the G.A. without spending a G.A. credit while we get an education that will help us become a more productive member of the G.A. Plus, many of the raw materials and supplies for the ships that we’re funding will be purchased from contractors in Region Four, so it would help our economy as well. Is there a downside?”

  “You should understand that we don’t share all of our technological advancement secrets with the citizens of the G.A. In fact, we guard some of them most zealously. It’s imperative that we maintain a definitive edge over criminals, and even more importantly, an edge over enemies such as the Denubbewa. If the Denubbewa were to learn that private citizens in our nation had access to our most advanced technological military secrets, they would do whatever was necessary to acquire those secrets. When Space Command makes a leap forward, we evaluate the potential impact to determine if the advancement can be shared without compromising the advantage we require for law enforcement and our nation’s safety. We do want our society to keep moving forward, so you would learn new technology and metallurgy to the same extent that non-military scientists and engineers in the G.A. presently enjoy. But you would not have open access to everything you wish to know or acquire. And anyone involved in the design and manufacturing of Space Command ships and equipment would have to swear an oath of allegiance to the G.A. and Space Command, and promise never to reveal top secret information. Violation of that oath would have severe consequences for all involved.”

  “I’m sure that what we would learn and were legally able to share with our people and industries would change our lives forever— and for the better. Building the ships is an investment in our futures and is appropriate because we want to be a permanent member of the G.A. And the G.A. would benefit as well.”

  * * *

  Chapter Twenty-One

  ~ November 2nd, 2292 ~

  “Captain,” the Miami’s com chief said to Caldwell, “we just received a Priority-One message.”

  “Put it into my queue,” Caldwell said as he rose from his command chair.

  “It’s there, sir.”

  “Lt. Commander Reilly, you have command in my absence.”

  “Yes, sir,” Reilly said as he stood up from his chair at the tactical station. He was seated in the command chair within seconds of Caldwell disappearing into his office.

  Caldwell leaned in for the retinal scan and then sat back to view the message. It was from Captain Rebecca Critarian of the Artemis GSC-BD382, an Ares class battleship and one of the newest in the fleet.

  “Hello, Arthur,” the image of Captain Critarian said. “This is just a heads-up that the Artemis and the other taskforce ships should reach Husteus within two hours of the time this message arrives. I hope you can
join myself and the other senior officers for dinner this evening aboard the Artemis. Please arrive by 1800 GST. If you’re unable to make it, please let us know you won’t be coming.

  “Captain Rebecca Critarian, Captain of the Battleship Artemis, end of message.”

  Although phrased as an invitation, it was actually an order to appear at her quarters by 1800 or explain why he couldn’t make it.

  Captain Caldwell shut down the open link and walked back out to the bridge where he relieved Lt. Commander Reilly.

  ~ ~ ~

  Christa was surprised by the number of ships that arrived with the Artemis. Jenetta had informed her that a taskforce was under way during their weekly vidMail but hadn’t told her there were six destroyers, a heavy cruiser, and a battleship accompanied by a Quartermaster ship and Ship Transporter. It looked like a battle fleet from earlier times. During the most recent decade, taskforces had been comprised mostly of Scout-Destroyers and CPSs. As everyone in Space Command knew, the smaller vessels had proven themselves to be superior for the kind of warfare most effective against the Denubbewa.

  Since Christa commanded a force of twelve CPS-16s, she had also been invited to the dinner aboard the Artemis. When she arrived, she learned that Captain Critarian had established a rule that all discussion about the current situation on Husteus was to be delayed until after dinner. Two of the captains at the table had to be reminded, once, during the meal.

  ~

  “Thank you for delaying discussion of the situation we’re facing until we’d completed our meal and my steward and the mess attendants had cleaned up and left these quarters. There’s a great deal to discuss, and I want to be able to speak openly without every word being repeated below decks overnight. They’ll all learn soon enough.

  “Following its arrival here, the Miami immediately destroyed three Denubbewa warships. We don’t know how long those ships had been in orbit here, but the Miami has reported that no overt signs of life have been observed on the planet below. Our task is to discover what happened down there, determine if any residents are still alive, and where other inhabitants of Husteus may have gone or been taken. The planners at Quesann have divided the planet up into eleven sectors for our investigation. Each of us will take responsibility for searching the area assigned to him or her, remaining in contact with the command center aboard the Artemis via the satellites my people are already placing in orbit.