Har-Hi slowly put his hand on my shoulder and said. “Captain, are you sure?”
“You said you’d follow me to the gates of hell. Sounds like these moons are the next best thing.”
I then turned to the Togar and the Karthanian. “I guess we’ll stay here after all, at least until you all are no longer rebels and I think I even have an idea how we going to do that.”
The Togar said. “Whatever you need, Captain; whatever you want us to do we will do it or die trying.”
Mao’s voice interrupted us, coming from my wrist com. “Captain, there is an army marching towards the scrap field forest, at least a thousand men with tanks, battle walkers and bomber-flyers.”
Chapter 25: Thirsty Torch
The Togar glanced over my shoulder at the field screen image my PDD projected. It came from Mao, who had taken a surveillance post just five thousand meters from the regional district head-quarters which was over 500 klicks from our current position. The images relayed came from the high power optics of Mao’s battle suit and showed a force of about a thousand infantry soldiers riding on one at least hundred armored personnel carriers accompanied by fifty battle tanks and 50 Mecha walkers with missile launchers. The tech used was clearly of Karthanian origin. Above the troops hovered maybe fifty armored flyers.
The Drak army had just reached the demolished installation and we could see the soldiers dismounting their vehicles and swarming all over the place.
The Togar groaned and then said. “They know we hide in the Old Vaselkis-scrap field forests as we call this valley. It is big but they will find us with a force like this, we will fight but and then this will be the end.”
I said. “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win, as a wise Terran once said.”
Har-Hi looked at the images as well. “Don’t worry Togar, we already have enough fire power down here to defeat an army ten times that size and, judging by their primitive equipment, it won’t even be much of a fight.”
I nodded and flicked the image to map mode, expanded the scale to see a bigger picture of the situation and overlaid it with a tactical map I had the Computronic generate.
While I did that I said to him. “Defeating them is not the problem, Ninety. Doing it without them suspecting Union Involvement and going into General mobilization, that’s the goal we want to achieve; even better if we can defeat them and use the victory as a tool for our goals.”
While I was studying the map and formulating a plan in my mind I could hear the Karthanian whisper to the Togar. “Are they serious? What army did they bring to defeat that?”
I turned and grinned. “I brought my friends and fifty Marines.”
Looking back on the map, I said. “You could defeat them even without us. This Scrap field of yours is huge! Almost three hundred square miles of grass forest and ship wrecks of all sizes strewn in between; they would need serious sensor technology or a whole lot more men to find anyone in here. It is also a perfect environment for guerilla warfare. Aurelius lost legions of Roman soldiers against German barbarians because he had to fight them on their turf and that is what we’ll make them do as well.”
Ninety spread his big, golden fur covered arms. “I am trained at the War Academy for Space Combat on Togr and I don’t understand what you intend to do to defeat that force. We do don’t have enough Meghlors and Burry beetles, besides they may have shields.”
I said. “If your enemy is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. If sovereign and subject are in accord, put division between them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.”
Har-Hi added, “She is quoting Shin-Tzu again, that is an ancient Terran who wrote a book called the Art of War.”
The Karthanian flickered his black round tongue and said. “Did you say the Art of War? Music is art, paintings are art, and dancing is art but war?”
My Dai friend said, looking at them both. “I graduated from the United Stars Fleet academy not so long ago. Before I believed we Dai were the most warrior like species, then I learned about the Terrans. They have war gods, war music, war dances and yes, even though they don’t admit it, they raised war to their highest form of art
I interrupted them with a slightly annoyed tone in my voice and said. “We can compare civilizations at another time. I have a plan and we better get started.”
They all paid attention and I said. “We give them bait and lure them between the wrecks. Without their Sky stations we don’t have to hold back using real weaponry. Their tanks are next to useless in this environment and we’re going to clean their bombers and flyers out of the sky.”
I pointed at several space ship hulls. “Ninety you take the bulk of your men out there and make sure they see you, and then you retreat to here.” I pointed at a spot of the map. “We will take care of their heavy equipment and then we attack here, but before we do all this. I want you to make a broadcast. I want you three to tell them to surrender.”
Ninety opened his maw and said. “We will do what?”
“I want everyone on Itheamh hear you. I mean you, the Karthanian and the former Ithe commander. I will arrange that images of the fight are broadcast and show that you win too
The Togar said. “I’ll do whatever you say we should do, but would that not make the Drak even angrier and ask for even more Karthanian help. Thousands will go to the smelter Moons!”
I grinned. “I am counting on that
The Karthanian said. “I do not understand. We are already wanted criminals and they know us; but they are the ones who control the airwaves.”
“Not much longer. I have very talented people in that regard. We must win this war fast and decisive and in order to unite this planet we need to galvanize the masses. I told you I have a plan and it becomes clearer by the minute.”
I was wearing an Atlas type battle suit in full Infantry configuration; this unit was hand checked by Circuit and I was certain it would not malfunction. The weapons at my disposal were frightening and I was quite certain I could have stopped the enemy army all on my own. Not to mention that all my marines were deployed as well, each of them fully equipped and eager for a fight. Of course that was not part of my plan, but we were there to make sure Ninety and the Rebels would wind gloriously, with as few casualties as possible and everything in full color, high definition on every visual broadcast receiver on the planet.
My suit was fully cloaked as I hovered 300 meters over the ground of the former regional Head Quarters 3000 meters to the south.
Elfi’s symbol blinked and I activated the comm-link by looking at it. She said.” Captain, I’ve got Lt. Bergdorf. He and his team have infiltrated the enemy Command post and are reporting in.
“Patch them through.”
The Mini Terran officer said: “Captain, the enemy force is commanded by General Bruk Kning. He was holding maneuvers with his unit nearby when they more or less stumbled on the destroyed camp. He was ordered to kill every civilian in the entire district. He is very confident, and he does not yet know that he just uploaded a Trojan horse into the entire military communication network when he called his superiors.
Elfi still listening in said: “Shea and SHIP are ready to activate the broadcast at your command.”
I switched to the scrambled radio band I used to communicate with the Rebels and said, “Ninety, are you guys ready?”
“Yes Captain!”
The suit system linked with the Tigershark and in doing so I could see what every Ithe was watching.
Ninety, the Kartanian and the former Ithe Commander along with the Mountain man tribe leader appeared standing before a colorful flag and Ninety said. “Itheamh hear and see! Some of you have heard of me, I am Ninety and these are Ne
fkin Boneface, former Drak Commander Jutika and the village elder of the Oote Mountains. We are the Instigators and we are the Voice of Freedom. We speak for all Ithe, for all Drak and everyone else living on this planet. To those in power, oppressing us with an iron fist with the backing of your puppet masters the Karthanians, we say Itheamh is yours no longer! We will stand and fight and sweep you away! The time of slavery has come to an end. The Smelter Moons will no longer run on Ithe and slave blood. We hereby declare the Oote Mountains and the entire East plain district as ours. The troops currently here have one hour to leave or we will destroy them.
I snickered inside my helmet. The Drak would scramble and try to locate the source of the broadcast but all they would find was the Command Post communications equipment of the General. The magistrate was likely to think that his own General was in cahoots with the rebels, and the General would be afraid to go back as he could not explain what happened and would fear for his own life, oh what a wonderful dilemma.
To Ninety I radioed. “Now take the Bait group out so they can see you!”
From the tall grass trees and onto the dusty plain came a force of about five hundred rebels. They were riding an assortment of captured vehicles and animals. A force of fifty Gryther riders appeared as well.
The enemy General and his forces almost immediately spotted them. Yet there was confusion as the General barked orders in his Communication device, but the soldiers heard something completely different. Elfi had much fun redirecting and mixing his orders. The enemy General ordered his flyers to open fire but what they heard was, “Hold your fire and stay back.” His ground troops got the order to advance and arrest the rebels on the official channels and from the General’s voice.
I almost felt sorry for the General and wondered what he was thinking as he saw his ground forces move, while his flyers stayed inactive.
I gave my own invisible marines the order to take out the tanks as soon as they reached the forest.
Har-Hi, Mao, Krabbel and I engaged the flyers and shot them down. It was not a fight, it was slaughter. The Drak flyers had no chance. Their shields, formidable enough to deflect rocks, simple projectiles and weak laser blasts, collapsed with the first TKU blasts. My wrist cannon, in Computronic assisted targeting mode, roared and bolts of superheated plasma accelerated to near light speed ripped the enemy air force to shreds. It took no more than maybe 30 seconds and there was no flyer left.
I turned and accelerated like a projectile towards the forest. It was a rush that few experienced by flying very fast and close to the ground. I misjudged my speed and crashed like a cannon ball through several tree trunks, creating a deep furrow into the ground. Yet I felt nothing. The Suit protected me completely and was not damaged in the slightest.
My Marines were much better trained with the suits and tore through the enemy battle tanks using their chain swords and the augmented strength of their suits to tear the tanks to scrap.
The main fight however was done by the Rebels themselves, and they fought with utter determination. Now they fought on even ground. They had energy weapons and did not have to fear sudden death from the sky. They fought like demons let lose. My plan was to take prisoners and let as many of the soldiers live as possible, but there was no stopping the rebels. They had lost family members and their homes by the hands of these soldiers and they let them have it. To my surprise it was Ninety who curbed them and ordered them to show mercy.
It was over faster than expected. Of the thousand soldiers, three hundred had survived and surrendered. Among them was the enemy General.
Ninety had a hard time making them calm down. A large group of rebels had gathered inside the freighter wreck’s engineering section. The mood had changed completely. There was laughter; there were lively discussions, men telling other men about the battle and the fights.
I was back in my leather suit. Har-Hi, Shea and Narth stood next to me in the back.
The Togar leader finally managed to get them quiet enough to speak and he said. “This my friends was only one fight and I am sure many will follow before we can lay down our weapons and built a free society where no one has to live in fear or hide.” He paused then threw his arms in the air and yelled. “But we won. Hope is no longer a fools dream!”
They yelled and chanted but fell suddenly quiet as two Ithe warriors dragged the Drak General in.
One of them yelled. “This is the butcher of Uthoo, he murdered and executed thousands and send many more to the Smelter Moons to a slow death.”
The Admiral’s leather coat was ripped to shreds as was the rest of his uniform, and he showed signs of rough treatment.
Har-Hi leaned over and said to me. “It happened faster than I thought it would. While I can understand them, this world will not see peace for a long time
I wondered if he was right but I somehow had a feeling the Togar, even though he was no Ithe, would remain a leading force. As much as I hated to admit it, this Togar was as honorable as could be and had a sound set of morals guiding his actions.
It was the Togar who stepped forward. “Yes he is a butcher and deserves death, but we must not become the new Drak. We must resist going down the same road. We can only do what we need to do if Itheamh speaks with one voice and that includes the Drak
To the Draak he said. “General Kning, you know who I am. You have tortured and killed many innocents trying to locate me and this hide out. I was Ninety of the Instigators. We are the Instigators no longer, we are Ithe. I am Togar by race; I am Ithe by creed and soul. That Karthanian over there is Ithe by creed and soul and so is everyone here. We are the first voices and we won’t rest until this world speaks with one voice to outsiders, where every single person speaks with his or her own voice without fear.”
He gestured to the Ithe who held the General and it was evident that even they accepted Ninety as leader and instantly and without arguing let the Drak general go.
The general was a solider and officer I could tell, as he straightened his stance and tried to gather his shredded mantle into a more dignified appearance. “Yes I know you, and I don’t know how you did what you did, but I assume you found some kind of alien device in one of the wrecks to create havoc with our communications and disable the Sky punishers. I applaud your persistence and ingenuity. I am prepared to die; my life is worth nothing anymore.
If I would return I face a firing squad for failure, so if you kill me or not, makes little difference. The magistrate has fifty Karthanian Ognix Mechas and I am sure they are already on the way. They can’t be stopped by your communication tricks or your captured weapons. You don’t fight the Drak who for the most part are as tired of the fighting and not being masters of our own world as you are, you fight the Karthanians who use this world and won’t let go. They will come and retaliate even if you manage to flee from the Ognix and hide. Many civilians will die.”
Ninety looked into my direction and I simply nodded. Not that I had any idea what an Ognix was.
Narth’s voice explained in my mind. “Eighty meter tall robotic machines, steered by the disembodied brains of Karthanian soldiers. These machines are heavily shielded with good Karthanian force fields and are armed with four large caliber Force projectors. The machines are incapable of flight and are currently marching in this general direction.”
I turned. “Not that I think we can’t handle them but when you said steered by brains, do you mean the actual biological brains of a living being?”
“Precisely that, captain.”
“And here I am with a Narth and a Leedei with tremendous psionic powers. Wouldn’t it be a shame to waste such talents in a situation like that?”
I could feel Narth’s amusement as he responded. “You have a particularly wicked mind
The Togar in the meantime said to the General. “We do not fear your Magistrates terrors. We lived under them for so long, one more terror makes no difference, but we will no longer be the victims. We will fight, it is better to die fighting for our freedom t
han to shiver in fear and hide like a coward and live.”
The General said. “Then let me fight with you. My life is over, what does it matter if I die by the hands of a lynch mob or if I die fighting?”
“There won’t be any lynch mobs. We are not the Drak. The only ones who must die are the ones in the Magistrate tower. They are beyond mercy.”
Ninety then came over to me and said. “I do not fear whatever it is they are sending as I have seen with what ease your invisible forces have rendered battle tanks and flyers to scrap; what do we do against those things?”
I put my hand on his shoulder and had to reach up to do so.” Ninety, I don’t want to sound arrogant or ring our bell. I don’t want make light of the situation as it is as serious as can be and we are only at the beginning of what we want to do, but let me assure you there is nothing in the arsenal of the Karthanians we can’t handle. Now you may not believe me, but there is nothing in the Karthanian Arsenals that could stop you.There is little to stop a determined man with a plan and cool head. Everything can be overcome if the cause is right.”
He straightened. “You are right Captain. I’ve been a rebel so long I forgot that I was a Togar Commander and fought in many battles. I am a warrior born and your words ring with truth, strength and confidence.”
He looked over at my friends and then added. “I also know now why they follow you, Dai Than, Nul, Togar, and even a Y’All, Captain Velvet, because of that reason I too will follow you.”
Har-Hi who had his arms crossed smirked while he gave me a side glance. “Yes our captain has that effect on the strangest people; we keep collecting all sorts of strays and odd balls and haven’t even really started on our actual mission.”
Ninety spread his arms. “Come Captain and bring your friends and officers. Let us share a meal and then face what is coming.”
I said. “The approaching machines are no problem. We will deal with them and make sure they won’t be used by anyone again. So let’s eat and then get started on phase two.
Eric Olafson Series Boxed Set: Books 1 - 6 (The Galactic Chronicles Series) Page 146
