Wrath of the Shaitans

by Sudipto Majumdar

  I think that these two places are far more precious to the enemy than we would have thought earlier. Why would these places be precious to them? We have done analysis on their moon, and as far as we can make out, it is not an easy place for the enemy to live. The 4th planet is only slightly more suitable than the moon.

  If habitability was the concern of the enemy, then they would also protect the moon of the 6th planet where they fought a battle with our beings in the last expedition. If you notice they have welcomed us to take that moon. In fact we can confirm the departure of the enemy vessel from that moon, presumably evacuating the moon.

  It is possible that these two places hold some religious significance for the enemy. There is however a much more sinister possibility. I wish I had the benefit of access to our archives, but unfortunately this vessel does not carry those records. I am thus recollecting from memory.

  My suspicion was aroused when we analyzed the drive signature of their ion plasma drive. As you know our entire planning for this campaign was predicated on the assumption that the enemy only has primitive chemical rockets that we had observed before. We had accordingly chosen our rendezvous point with the fleet from Home world 11 at such a distance, which could not be traversed by a chemical rocket.

  You recollect our surprise when we discovered that the enemy was heading towards the rendezvous point in void vessels powered by ion plasma engines. I have taken the time since then to perform detailed analysis on the drive signature of the enemy’s ion plasma engines.

  Initially I had suspected that they may have captured our scout vessel or the previous migration vessel 12-09, and reverse engineered the ion plasma engine from one of those vessels. Even with reverse engineering, it should not be possible for a species to have developed such advanced engineering in just two thousand cycles since vessel 12-09 came here, or four thousand cycles since our scout vessel came here, but one never knows with these enemies.

  That possibility was ruled out due to detailed analysis of the ion plasma engine of the enemy. It operates on similar principles as ours, but uses a different technology. So they definitely didn’t steal the technology from us. The signature of the ion plasma drive however kept mentally tugging at me.

  Unfortunately our security protocol forbids us from carrying any library or technical specifications onboard a vessel which embarks on a campaign into enemy territory. This is a basic precaution to prevent the enemy from getting hold of any of our technologies. This also means I cannot refer back to our curious caste libraries to check where I have seen this signature of an ion plasma drive before.

  Then as we approached nearer to the heart of the Kalshuk system, I saw the 4th planet of the system in detail, and the connection fell into place!

  The last war with a spawn of Ka – the Ka-let, was fought at the other end of the settled worlds of our beings. I am sure Warmaster that you would have studied that war. What you may not have studied in detail, which I did, was the technology of the Ka-lets. I realized that I had most probably seen this drive signature in the archives as the Ka-let drive signature.

  I cannot be 64 out of 64 sure about his fact without the benefit of referring to the library, but I am as sure as one can be from memory. I also wanted to refer to the archives for the exact size and composition of the home planet of the Ka-lets that we had exterminated.

  Since I don’t have the benefit of the archives, I am going by my memory. If my memory serves me right, then the 4th planet is almost an exact replica of the Ka-let home planet.

  Now suppose for a moment that the Ka-lets were not completely exterminated as we believe. If some of them had managed to escape to try and find a new home. What planet or moon would they choose to make as their new home? Why, a planet that is an exact mirror image of their original home world of course!

  If some Ka-lets have managed to make a home on the 4th planet and these new spawns of Ka are trying to hide the fact and protect them, then what does that prove Warmaster?”

  “It would prove that the two species are in alliance! It would mean that this primitive looking species has access to technologies of the Ka-let. From my studies of that war seer Mystery, I believe that those spawns of Ka were far more advanced.

  As I recollect from the warrior discourse, that was a reasonably difficult war for our beings to win. It would immediately explain seer Mystery how this primitive looking species is being able to resist so effectively, the might of our being’s superior technology!”

  “Exactly my thoughts Warmaster. The Ka-let were one of the most advanced spawns of Ka our beings have ever encountered. Their technology was at par with ours, and some aspects even surpassed us. We learnt a few things from their technology. The primary reason the Ka-let were defeated was that they were poor warriors.

  I have a further speculation to make. I think the advanced species who have taken refuge in the 4th planet have not shared all their technology with these primitive species. If that were the case, we would have seen all of their technologies in action before, and this current spawns of Ka would have displayed far more void capability.

  I think the advanced species only shares as much technology with the primitive species as is necessary to keep our beings at bay. I can guess the reason for that. Perhaps the advanced species does not trust the primitive species completely.

  The advanced species thus would want to keep some of the most powerful technologies with itself, just in case the primitive species were to ever turn on them. At the same time the primitive species serves a very useful purpose for the advanced species, acting as their warriors. Thus the advanced species can protect their own beings who may be small in numbers having escaped extermination, without putting any of them at risk. It would be very similar in strategy to our beings spawning warriors in times of a war.”

  “If what you say turns out to be true seer Mystery, then the 4th planet might be an even more important target for us than the 3rd planet. We must investigate this issue.”

  “Yes Warmaster, this was the investigation I was referring to at the beginning of our conversation. There is an added advantage to this strategy. I am no warrior, but from the tasting records I think that the 4th planet and the moon of their home planet has very little or no defense at all. We should be able to approach these places with little or no resistance.

  As far as I can see Warmaster, to investigate the matter, we would most probably have to land warriors and then curious caste on the 4th planet, although that would be your decision. If we control the 4th planet, then it will cut off the source of advanced technologies for the primitive spawns of Ka, in case the advanced species exists out there. Even if they don’t exist, the fact that they have shown so much concern about the 4th planet would mean, that they will be restrained in their response. This should make our task relatively easy and risk free.”

  “There is an even bigger advantage and a solution to my current problems in that strategy seer Mystery. You are not aware of the problem since it concerns the warriors, but let me tell you. As you are aware, our plan was to have a coordinated attack on the third planet just after the Ka-ma-khya event.

  In fact our exact plan is to meet up with the other half of the fleet at the rendezvous point, wait there and then start accelerating towards the 3rd planet, timing ourselves such that we would reach the planet between one and two cycles after the Ka-ma-khya event.

  To this effect we had chosen a rendezvous point such that defending vessels from the 3rd planet cannot reach the rendezvous point before we do. This would ensure that our timing of departure is not hastened or any way disturbed by having to engage with defending vessels.

  We would most probably still have to engage the defending vessels on our way to the 3rd planet, but that is expected and factored into the timing. That is why there is a window of between one and two cycles to reach the third planet. It is easier to bypass defending vessels while each of the opposing forces are accelerating in the opposite direction anyway, compared to vessels nea
r orbit defending the planet.

  That was our original plan. We had done the calculation of the rendezvous point and the vector of our vessels according to the demonstrated speed capabilities of the enemy vessels from our last encounter. The current enemy defending vessels which are approaching us have surprised us by demonstrating far higher speed than what had been observed in our last encounter.

  The enemy is using ion plasma engines this time! We had based our calculations based on the enemy using primitive chemical rocket propulsion. That was the technology they had demonstrated in our last encounter. We thought they were too primitive to possess ion plasma engine technology.

  It is impossible to develop the technology in the last two odd thousand cycles since our last encounter. Even our beings had taken over a hundred thousand cycles to develop the ion plasma technology. That is one of the reasons I subscribe to your hypothesis that the enemy is getting help from a more advanced species.

  The enemy has been able to sense our rendezvous point from the vector of our two converging fleet. The problem we face is that the enemy will reach the rendezvous point before any of us will reach there. If the enemy manages to reach that point before both of our fleet, then the enemy has managed to split our forces into half, while it will be at full strength.

  The enemy fleet will be able to fight each of the halves one after the other by simply advancing towards one of our fleets and meeting up with it. This will put both halves of our fleet at a considerable disadvantage. The enemy will have the advantage of numbers.”

  “I fail to see the problem Warmaster, we could simply push the rendezvous point further away, so that the enemy takes more time to reach that point.”

  “Normally, that is what a warrior would have done seer Mystery. However we have to time our operations with the Ka-ma-khya event, which is on a fixed schedule that cannot be altered. If we move back too much, then we would reach the 3rd planet far later than our plan.

  That in itself may not have been a big issue. The problem is the two halves of our fleet are approaching from almost exactly opposite directions. If we want to move our rendezvous point backwards, then our vessels will have to move laterally right now at 90° to our current line of approach.

  Our vessels are right now using up almost their entire thrust in the line of approach to slow down. We have very little thrust left to spare that can be used to move at a 90° angle. What little we have to spare would not make much of a difference.

  If we were to divert our thrust to the 90° angle to move the rendezvous point backwards, then we will not be able to slow down. Our fleets may reach a much further rendezvous point, but we will just pass each other without being able to stop and regroup.”

  “Ah… I see your dilemma Warmaster. It is a sublime issue, it would not have been very apparent to us non-warriors. It is however a problem of physics, ordained by divine laws, those laws cannot be violated. We seem to have been put into disadvantage once again due to our underestimation of the capabilities of the enemy. However I fail to see how exploring the 4th planet can help in this matter?”

  “You see seer Mystery, our objective is to avoid an engagement with the enemy till the two halves of our fleet meet up and be able to fight together. We also want to meet up at a point, which will not throw our attack schedule off kilter. If we cannot prevent the enemy from cutting us off from each other, then maybe we can convince them to back off from an engagement, while the two halves of our fleets meet up.

  If our fleets were heading straight for the 3rd planet, then there would be nothing we can threaten the enemy with, which would convince them to back off. They would have to protect their home world at any cost. However we are not heading towards their home planet, or any planet for that matter.

  We are simply heading towards a random point in space. The only reason the enemy is also rushing towards that same point in space is to gain a tactical advantage by cutting each half of the fleet from the other. If we were to threaten something precious enough to them, and ask them to back off while the two fleets meet up, they might think it was worthwhile to give up their tactical advantage to protect that which is precious to them.”

  “I see where you are coming from Warmaster, but if my knowledge of the situation is correct, then wouldn’t the enemy fleet cut us off even if we headed for the 4th planet. They would be able to engage us even before we can reach the 4th planet and threaten them to back off.”

  “Ordinarily you would be correct seer Mystery. Here is however where the warrior tactics come into play. Our half of the fleet consists of three war vessels and one migration vessel. The other half of the fleet also has the same composition.

  The migration vessel are in the fleet because they are nominally war capable, although they are not very good at it. They are here because they were the only other vessels available to us at the time of our departure. We are using them more as support vessels than for offensive maneuvers.

  I would have preferred if there had been another war vessel instead. However we work with what we have. In a straight out fight a migration vessel can quickly become a liability from an asset, if the war vessels have to concentrate on protecting it. If the enemy Warmaster is capable, and till now the enemy has demonstrated that capability, then they would first concentrate on the migration vessels due to its weaker defense and offense capability.

  I am trying to solve two problems with one solution. Each half of the fleet will separate from their respective migration vessel. One migration vessel will be tasked to reach the 4th planet, while the other will be tasked to reach the moon of their home world.

  Now the enemy defense fleet rushing towards the rendezvous point will have two options. First will be to rush towards any of the migration vessels, abandoning their tryst with the rendezvous point. Whichever migration vessel the enemy fleet turns towards will be in trouble.

  That migration ship will have to run for its life but will end up leading the enemy fleet on a merry chase. It may even end up being destroyed, but the sacrifice would be worth it. The rest of the fleet would be able to meet up as planned and proceed with the attack as planned.

  If the enemy fleet does not alter its course and continues towards the rendezvous point, then as long as we can make sure that the migration vessels reach the 4th planet before the two halves have reached the rendezvous point, then we can get leverage on the enemy and ask them to back off.

  The migration vessels are ahead of us in any case, having started their journey ahead of the war vessels. All they have to do is change their vector slightly, and ease off a bit on the brakes right now, and then brake harder when they reach closer to their destination.”

  Thus was formulated a change of plan by the Shaitan Warmaster and communicated to the other half of the fleet almost half a light day away on the other side of the solar system, approaching from the opposite direction. This change in plan would alter the course of both Shaitan and Human histories.

  Chapter 10

  Buffalo and the Dogs

  USC Orbital HQ, Earth Orbit

  August 2083

  Admiral Daniel Cloutier was looking at a tactical nightmare. He however did not want to make a strategic blunder to address his tactical situation. He would have to make choices, he knew that. That was the cruelest burden of command, when you had to make a choice between who lived and who died.

  As the military head of the United Space Command, his was the heaviest burden to carry. He longed for the days back in his career when he commanded a ship or even the time when he commanded the first unified fleet. He was still making life and death decisions then, but most of the time his own life was also on the line.

  He rarely felt guilt when taking those decisions. He had the force of duty and honor backing him up, and his own life on the line to prove it. It is so much harder taking decisions when you are safely in Earth orbit, sending ships and fleets out to battle. It gets even worse when you have to make a choice about letting a few humans die to save a large
r number of humans.

  This was the choice Daniel had to make about Mars. Whatever decision he took would affect 222 military and 35 civilians currently on Mars. The problem was that they were not just statistics, Daniel had faces to put on many of those numbers.

  Two of his closest and lifelong friends were there. The friendship forged in the trial and tribulations of survival on Titan over two decades ago. Dr. Yusuke Matsumoto was now the Director of Planetary Studies at NASA. He had been overseeing not just the research of Mars surface, but also what was hoped would the first permanent structure and habitat on Mars.

  Humans had been continuously occupying Mars for almost a decade now. However it had always been a rotating occupancy, in temporary or at best semi-permanent habitats. The duration of every human’s stint on Mars would be typically between one and two years. They would stay in habitats which were essentially the same design first pioneered by ESA-ISRO space program for thirty odd years.

  Yusuke was overseeing the first of a new generation habitats, and the first serious attempt by the US to develop planetary technologies, after concentrating for so many years on space ship designs. These structure would be made mostly out of local material. The only things that were being brought from earth was construction machinery.

  If these structures were a success, it would mean that there would be no limits to how much or how large you can construct on Mars in theory. One day hopefully even the construction machinery could be made on Mars. Even if they had to import the machinery, the transportation costs had come down so much that it was no big deal. You would be able to import ship loads of construction machinery in a few years.

  If the habitats were to succeed one could see hundreds if not thousands of such habitats in a generation. With bio-cycle almost self-sustainable now that power issues had been solved, it is not inconceivable that one may have the first Martians, human immigrants who lived permanently on Mars within a decade.