“That will minimize the radiation impact into any other states,” said Major Thomas.
General Mitchell returned his attention to the viewscreens, showing widespread fires around each blast area. Sadly, Mitchell knew that a few human survivors were probably hiding in those areas. In order to destroy the five colony ships he had probably just sentenced another several thousand humans to an agonizing death.
-
Battle Commander Balforr was about to go to his quarters when alarms sounded in the Command Center. Red lights flashed and the hatch to the Command Center slid shut. He knew this was orchestrated by the ship’s computer, detecting what could be a danger to the ship. He turned around and returned to the command pedestal. “What’s the threat?” He suspected a possible missile launch from the surface against one of his battlecruisers.
Second Officer Jaltor turned away from where he stood at the ship’s sensors. He made some adjustments and one of the viewscreens zoomed in to where the five colony ships had landed. Giant red fireballs were visible and growing. “All five colony ships have been hit by nuclear weapons.”
Battle Commander Balforr felt his throat restrict and he found it hard to breathe. This couldn’t be right. The Humans had no more nuclear weapons. “Status of the colony ships?”
“All five have been destroyed as well as one battlecruiser.”
Balforr sat down, his expression showing dismay and disbelief. “This can’t be true.”
“I’ve rechecked the sensors and what is on the screen is indisputable proof. Somehow or another the Humans managed to get five nuclear warheads to the colony sites and detonate them.”
Balforr closed his eyes and shook his head. Never in the history of the Empire had a colony ship been lost; now he had lost five of them. How would he explain this to the High Command?
“Battle Commander, I have Battle Commander Jabale on the comm,” reported the Trellixian at Communications.
Balforr took a deep breath and opened his eyes. “Inform him we’re trying to determine where this attack originated from. I will contact him as soon as I have more information.” Balforr turned toward Second Officer Jaltor. “Check all our sensor scans for the last day to see where those weapons came from. Check the sensor readings on every ship if necessary. Somewhere there must be some evidence of the presence of these nuclear weapons.”
“Yes, Battle Commander,” replied Jaltor.
Balforr had to make some plans quickly. Probably both Jabale and Traven would send reports to the High Command. They would demand answers, or heads would roll; possibly his.
-
Vice President Hathaway stood at her office window looking out over the city. It was the night cycle and the buildings were lit by their own lights as well as some of the street lighting. A few electric cars were visible, probably returning their occupants to their homes. She had just been informed of the successful attack against the Trellixian colony ships.
She turned around, facing Major Cunningham who had brought the news. “What will the Trellixians do now?”
Major Cunningham shook his head. “We expect retaliation, of course. Doubtlessly they will search for the West Virginia but they don’t know she exists. They didn’t detect the Tomahawks so there’s a good chance the sub will get away clean.”
“Then we wait and see what they do.” Katelyn turned back toward the window, gazing outside. “We need to get the energy cannons and the shield to General Mitchell. See that Professor Wilkens has all the help he needs. Those must be our main priorities.”
“I will see to it,” promised Major Cunningham. “Will there be anything else?”
“No, you may go.” Katelyn didn’t turn around but heard the major leave, closing the door behind him. With a deep sigh, she went to her desk and sat down. They had just detonated five more nuclear weapons in the United States. She was greatly concerned that even if they could find a way to win this war and to drive away the Trellixians, there wouldn’t be much of a country left afterward.
Chapter Twelve
General Mitchell gazed at a viewscreen showing the destruction in Florida. The five locations of the nuclear blasts were scenes of devastation. It appeared all the Trellixian colonists as well as the troops assigned to protect them had been killed. Due to the radiation from the blasts the Trellixians were pulling most of their troops out of Florida.
“The radiation?” Mitchell hoped with the arrival of the cold front from the north most of it would be swept out to sea. It concerned him as there were probably some Americans still hiding in various areas of the state, particularly around the Everglades.
“Minimal, except for the blast areas,” reported Colonel Fields. “Our Jelnoid sensors indicate the areas within ten miles of the blasts are dangerously contaminated with radiation and in several cases the radiation extends downwind for nearly thirty miles. Once past that point it decreases rapidly.”
“The West Virginia?”
“She’s made it into deeper waters and is sitting on the bottom. She’s gone silent for now until it’s safe to move again.”
General Mitchell nodded. The West Virginia and the other Virginia Class submarine were their most powerful military assets at the moment. Some time in the near future it might be necessary to call upon one or both of them again. Mitchell hoped not. It was a horrible feeling ordering nuclear weapons to be used, particularly on the United States itself.
“We can probably expect increased Trellixian military activity,” said General Briggs. “The Trellixians will want to make a statement after losing their colony ships.”
“All commands have been ordered to seek cover,” General Mitchell replied. He fully agreed with General Briggs, there would be retaliation for destroying the colony ships. “Only a few special operations troops will still engage the enemy. We’ll wait a few weeks before reengaging in a more sustained guerilla war.”
General Briggs looked concerned. “We have a lot of people in the mountains as well as various military units. The Trellixians have to be aware of that. They’re bound to come after them shortly.”
“It’s a risk we’ll have to take. Many of those civilians have already been taken to deep shelters we’ve built. We’re taking advantage of some of the military units which managed to escape too. We’re setting up defensive lines in many areas as well as using some of those troops to defend the hidden civilian installations. If the Trellixians enter the mountains they will find heavy resistance to their intrusion.”
“I’ve seen some of those installations,” General Briggs said with a grimace. “Most are just deep tunnels dug into the side of mountains with beds lining the insides.”
“Food, water, and medical supplies are at those locations,” Mitchell replied. “They’ll survive. The Trellixians are trying to wipe us out. Every person we can save will help us to one day rebuild our civilization.”
“If we can beat the Trellixians first,” replied General Briggs, his focus back on the viewscreen.
General Mitchell took a deep breath. Vice President Hathaway was supposed to take the oath of office in the next day or two. The country needed a president and she would formally fill the role she had taken on informally already.
-
Battle Commander Balforr stared impatiently at the ship’s sensor screens searching for one of the Humans’ submarines. After checking the data from several ships they had located the five low-flying Human missiles responsible for destroying the five colony ships and the battlecruiser. He had dispatched dozens of shuttles to comb the ocean waters off Florida with their sensors attempting to locate the dangerous vessel. Dangerous because it obviously contained nuclear weapons.
“Nothing,” reported Second Officer Jaltor, shaking his head. “No sign of the underwater vessel or of nuclear weapons. I believe the ship must be using Jelnoid technology to remain undetected and that might explain why we can’t detect the radiation signatures from its nuclear warheads as well.”
“Jelnoid technology,” muttered
Balforr, his eyes glowing with anger. He struck his chest, showing his growing frustration. He suspected the missiles that had destroyed the colony ships and the battlecruiser were probably shielded by Jelnoid technology as well. “This planet worries me. Just when we make progress pacifying the planet and eliminating the Humans they attack us. It makes me wonder what other surprises they may have for us.”
Second Officer Jaltor nodded his agreement. “They have proven much more dangerous than the High Command anticipated. The presence of Jelnoid technology was not expected. This last attack seems to indicate a hidden Command Center is somewhere on the planet, perhaps more than one.”
“In the mountains in the United States or possibly Canada,” Balforr replied. He was familiar with the names of all the major countries of this world. “I suspect they are leading the resistance across the planet.”
“We know large numbers of their civilian population as well as a few military units have gone into the mountains. Perhaps it is time for us to begin sending more of our troops into these regions to see what’s actually there,” suggested Jaltor.
“Shuttles as well,” ordered Balforr. “It may also be wise to send patrols of our attack craft over these areas to seek out targets of opportunity.”
“We should hit them hard and fast,” suggested Jaltor.
“Do it,” ordered Balforr. Perhaps if he showed some rapid success on the ground Battle Commanders Traven and Jabale would not send scathing reports back to the High Command about Balforr’s failures. “Also send a couple of our battlecruisers over the ocean to search for their underwater vessel. It cannot stay underwater forever. Find it and destroy it!” Already he had ordered all Trellixian soldiers to be removed from parts of Florida where the radiation had spread from the nuclear attacks.
-
Lisa had been called back to the main base camp for a briefing by Major Dolan. All company officers and other special captains were in attendance as well, gathered in what appeared to be a mess tent under a camouflage canopy.
“What have you found out?” Brett asked as he sat down next to her. “I’ve only had one Trellixian shuttle fly over my area. I’ve been bored to death.”
“I’ve had none,” complained Brenda. “We’re just sitting out in the woods. We should have been assigned to an area where there’s more action. We can’t find out anything if we don’t have any contact with the enemy. I’ve spent most of my time helping to process some of the civilians who have come through.”
“We may all three still be alive because we haven’t encountered any Trellixians,” Lisa replied. “I’ve scanned one Trellixian shuttle, but I don’t know if my instruments really found out anything.”
As Major Dolan walked toward the waiting group, Brett looked up, then focused on Lisa again. “Lisa, you’re at the forward most skirmish line. If the Trellixians make an appearance you will be the first one to know. Don’t do anything foolish.”
Lisa had to grin at the concern in Brett’s voice. “Don’t worry. I have several guard dogs who stay around me constantly.” She pointed where Privates Peterson and Hambridge were taking time to eat a good meal since they were at the main supply base.
“May I have your attention,” said Major Dolan as he stopped before the assembled officers. “I brought all of you here to discuss recent developments. Yesterday one of our Columbia Class submarines was sent into the coastal waters off Florida to launch an attack against the Trellixians. The attack was a complete success. Five Trellixian colony ships and one of their battlecruisers were destroyed. Our submarine got away undetected.”
“Was it nuclear?” asked Brett, his eyes wide with concern. He had a few friends who lived in Florida. He had no idea if they were still alive but setting off more nuclear weapons wouldn’t help.
Major Dolan nodded. “Yes, we used five low-yield nuclear weapons to take out the targets. We could not allow the Trellixians to begin to colonize our world. We sent them a clear message. We will destroy any colony they attempt to place upon our planet.”
“Is there any danger they will retaliate with nukes themselves?” asked Brenda, worried. “A few well-placed nukes in these mountains could play hell with our plans to safeguard the civilian population.”
“We don’t believe so,” Major Dolan answered. “The Trellixians have not used any nuclear weapons since the original bombardment. We believe they don’t want to risk tipping the environment into a nuclear winter which will make our planet useless to them.”
Lisa looked up. Even now, the sky was still darker than normal from the ash and other contaminants the Trellixians’ initial bombardment had sent up into the upper atmosphere. She knew from her own studies it would be a year or two before this all dissipated. Even so the weather would be much colder when winter finally arrived. Travel in the mountains would become nearly impossible. She hoped she wasn’t still living in a tent when the bad weather arrived.
“What are the odds the aliens will hit us here in the mountains before winter sets in?” asked Captain Garcia. “We’re not seeing many civilians crossing our skirmish line anymore. Winter in these mountains will be hell.”
“It’s the same everywhere,” Major Dolan replied, shifting his attention to Captain Garcia. “It’s no longer safe to move on the highways or even the secondary roads. Trellixian shuttles and attack craft are everywhere. If they spot movement they launch an immediate attack. There are still a lot of survivors in some of the smaller cities and in the countryside. They’ve hunkered down, surviving on what they have. We’ve spread the word the best we can for no one to be out in the open.”
Captain Stockton was concerned about where this conversation was going. “So what do we do? If no more civilians are coming what are our orders?”
Major Dolan looked at the group and then responded. “We have set up two skirmish lines across this region. We’ll try to hold those lines against the Trellixians if and when they make an appearance. I’m authorizing the use of heavier weapons. We’ll add more mortars to both scrimmage lines as well as place additional claymores along the trails. We have mountains around us. If we can hold this valley and the others the Trellixians cannot get to the civilian areas behind us.”
“That’s eighteen miles we’ll be defending,” said Captain Garcia with a frown on his face. “We have three Marine companies plus one Ranger company. We’ll be spread pretty thin if they hit us with a major force.”
“I’m sending you a second Ranger company with the heavier weapons,” replied Major Dolan. “Cover the entire area in front of your defensive line with machine guns and mortars.”
Captain Garcia frowned. “That will help but after talking to Captain Morrison he says these Trellixian troops are hard to kill. Their battle armor is nearly impervious to small arms fire.”
“That’s why the machine guns will be firing armor-piercing rounds, and we’ll use high explosives in the mortars. Hit them with enough firepower and they’ll drop.”
“I hope so,” Garcia replied, his eyes showing his concern. “If not we’ll lose a lot of good men and women.”
Lisa listened to all this growing more concerned with every passing moment. It sounded like Major Dolan expected the Trellixians to move into the mountains. “What are our orders?” asked Lisa, indicating herself, Brenda, and Brett.
Major Dolan let out a deep breath. “You’re supposed to be gathering tactical data on the Trellixians. You can’t do that unless we become involved in combat. The three of you will stay with your current Ranger companies. However, if it becomes too dangerous I have orders to pull all three of you back to the civilian areas.”
“We’re not afraid to fight,” said Brett, offended. “All three of us can defend ourselves.”
“I’m sure you can,” replied Major Dolan, his eyes narrowing slightly. “But the three of you are here to gather intelligence on the Trellixians. That can’t happen if you’re dead.”
Lisa reached over, touching Brett’s arm. “He’s right. Major Lorre made it very
plain we were to gather as much information as possible if we hope to win this war.” Lisa knew Professor Wilkens had to be at an underground facility, probably with other distinguished scientists. His comment about ad astra kept her hopes alive.
“What about our second skirmish line?” asked Captain Grumman. He had his company of Rangers and two companies of regular Army units spread out along it.
“If the Trellixians break our first skirmish line, the survivors will retreat to the second.” Mark’s face took on a serious look. “We must hold that second line at all costs.”
Grumman nodded in understanding.
“I spoke to a sergeant in a National Guard unit who came through a few days ago,” Captain Garcia said, thoughtful. “Apparently another National Guard unit is in a little valley a few miles to our north. A small cabin is there with a few outbuildings. They have their families and a others with them. We may want to send someone to bring them in.”
Mark nodded. “Send a squad of your Rangers. Make sure they’re heavily armed. I’m expecting to see Trellixian troops soon. The more people we can bring in the better, particularly if they have trained soldiers with them.”
“I’ll send Sergeant Anderson as soon as I get back,” replied Garcia.
“Very well, Captain Stockton will begin sending heavier weapons to both skirmish lines.” Mark paused, his gaze sweeping across all his officers. “No heroics. We’re fighting an enemy not used to losing. They will show us no mercy. Slow them up, fight delaying actions if necessary but don’t let them reach the civilians. We’re setting up a much stronger defensive line with bunkers and heavier weapons farther back, closer to the civilian areas but we need a few more weeks yet to get everything ready. You have to buy us that time.”
-
Later, while Major Dolan met with the captains in charge of the different Ranger companies the three special captains had their own meeting.
“I haven’t heard a lot of news,” Lisa said. She wished she knew more about what was going on. The civilians and military units coming through her area were full of rumors and wild stories. It was difficult to sort out what was the truth versus fear.
Earth Fall: Invasion : (Book One) Page 17
