by R J Murray
The ships unloaded the nukes at the nine, over a hundred missiles heading for the nine ships. All were destroyed before they covered half the distance and several Earth ships reported damage from the enemy rail guns great enough to force them to withdraw.
“Sir, sit down and let us fight the ships. You will get us all killed. Head for those ships, full thrust, and set evasion course seven. Signal all ships to follow accordingly.” The captain ordered. Hazer allowed it.
“You might not want to waste your missiles.” Eric suggested.
The ships on the screen made a jump and came up behind the Earth fleet, firing into the engine sections with rail guns only.
“Micro jumps. We can’t do that in such a short distance. Send to all ships. Independent action. Engage the enemy. All troop ships, return to FTL and take the planet as ordered.”
The Earth fleet splintered into groups of two or three ships each trying to chase one of the Acadians. Several collided with other Earth ships and dropped out of the fight.
“Forty operating ships left Sir. We haven’t even hit one of them yet. Perhaps we should consider retreating.”
“No. Concentrate on one ship at a time. The big ones should be slower. Go for the one with the Admiral aboard.”
“How do I know which one that is Sir?”
“That would be the ship with a demon on it I suppose. Hell Raiser, yes?”
“Yes Sir. All ships, engage target with Demon emblem.”
~~~~~~
“They are going after Phil. Wonder why?” Lee called. “I’m going to back him up. The rest could do a few sweeps around their back sides and confuse them.”
“Yeah, we will do that. Shame to do this. Those ships are so weak. Take out the last three on the left.” Eric ordered.
“Yes Sir.” Phyllis passed the orders on and the Hell Raiser opened up on the ships, rapidly taking out their engines.
“Tried not to kill anybody Sir. Shall we continue?”
The ship shuddered as they took a hit.
“No damage. Shields holding at one hundred percent.”
“Fine. Please continue Captain. To all ships, disable if possible without risking your crews.”
“Message sent and confirmed by all ships.
~~~~~~
“No effect. Nuke detonated against the hull without damage.”
“We are down to thirty ships Sir. Twenty five ships. They are targeting engines and not killing the crews. How can they do that?”
“Keep shooting. Kill something.” Hazer was starting to sweat and his bad feeling had returned with a vengeance.
~~~~~~
“Targets acquired. Troop ships on outer marker. Fire at will, disable only if possible.”
The base stations opened up with the beam weapons at long range, one hundred spurts of energy a second smashing and disintegrating the fabric of the molecules holding the metal together. The beams were slicing through the hulls just below the passenger sections. Engines cut out and in some cases were actually cut off. When the ships passed the second line, rail guns opened fire and more ships began to drift. None made it to Acadia.
On the surface, Major Bahn and Fortnard rallied the troops and moved to surround port control and the government offices first.
“Forward. I want to see the look on Juan’s face when I kick his door down and slap him in chains.” Fortnard said.
“Any limits on killing? Prisoners?” Bahn asked.
“Plenty more where they come from. Any resistance will be met with lethal force immediately.” Fortnard answered. He raised his pistol and fired at the guards outside the port compound. They fell back through the gate, but left it open.
“So easy. Move in and take control.” Bahn yelled.
They ran forward through the gates, firing as they went. In front of them, the constabulary guards fell back until they reached the first set of concrete guardrails around the buildings. Then they stopped took cover behind the concrete and opened fire. Troops began to fall around Bahn and Fortnard. When the armor and additional troops arrived five minutes later, it was a slaughter.
Behind the troops civilians opened up on them from their homes and businesses with the bolt action and lever action rifles made on Acadia. The back lines of troops returned fire as they ran toward the port, but had a hard time hitting anyone since the civilians ducked after shooting. The Earth troops were trained as riot police, quelling unarmed mobs, not assault troops. The civilians took their time and aimed, dropping a trooper with almost every shot.
Syble worked the lever on her rifle and aimed at one man, waiting for him to turn and fire again. When he did, she shot him in the throat.
“Why are you waiting so long between shots?” Franklyn asked, standing next to her.
“It doesn’t feel right to shoot them in the back.” She answered.
Franklyn nodded and waited for a trooper to turn and face him before firing again.
The gunships flew over and machine-gunned the lines of enemy troops, the meat grinders chewed them up and the heavy armored vehicles took out entire platoons with one shot. Fortnard staggered as a twenty mm round hit his chest and passed through, exploding a few meters behind him.
“It wasn’t supposed to be like this.” He said as he died. Major Bahn didn’t answer as he was already dead a few meters away.
Juan lowered his trench gun and just watched as the remaining troops died. He had enough blood and couldn’t shoot anyone else.
Chapter 22 The real Enemy
“Half the ships are down. We are damaged and most are losing atmosphere. What are your orders Sir.”
“I gave you my orders earlier. You chose to fight this your way. This is your defeat. Do as you will.”
The Captain grimaced. He turned to the com and said. “Ask for a cease fire to negotiate a surrender and pick up the survivors aboard the drifting ships.”
“Yes Sir.”
“Agreed. Fire a single shot and we start again.” Eric answered.
“All ships cease fire. Truce period while wounded are picked up. Cease fire all ships.”
Eric leaned back and stretched. He had been standing or pacing the whole fight, over two hours. It was harder to cripple a ship than kill one and they had not taken many shots due to that limitation. It would have been over in twenty minutes if they were trying to kill them all.
“Acadia control reports invasion stopped in space. Ships crippled and towed to a base for prisoner containment. Surface attack over. All enemy troops killed or wounded. Most killed as conditioning does not allow surrender. We suffered fifteen dead thirty with minor wounds. Two civilians killed when they joined the fight. Fortnard led the surface attack.”
“All killed. Earth conditioning killed them as much as we did. Ship crews seem to be more flexible.” Steve said.
“Ships need crews who can make quick decisions and actually think through problems. They use a different drug on us.” Eric answered. “Still slavery no matter what they call it. Ask if they want help.”
“They decline, but thank us for the offer.”
“Yellow alert, ready a micro jump if needed. Smoking lamp is lit.” Eric lit a cigar and leaned back against the bulkhead. He offer them to Phyllis and Steve.
“Thank you. I believe I will.”
“I also. Been a tough day.”
“Not over yet. Cease fire is not I quit. Hazer is aboard the command ship and he is a sneaky bastard. Keep your eyes peeled.”
“That really sounds nasty. Peeling an eye. Where did you come up with that phrase?” Phyllis asked.
“You and Horace are not the only ones who watch old vids. Did we kill many? Any ideas on casualties?” Eric asked.
“There were many on the Earth side. We can’t hole a ship without doing enough damage to kill some crew. Atmosphere vented in many compartments I’m sure. How many died from that depends on their damage control and training. We saw bodies floating a few times, sucked out a ruptured hull.” Steve answered. “We had a few mi
nor injuries, mostly from something stupid. One of ours fell and broke an arm when he missed the rung on the access ladder to gunnery.”
“So many things had to happen for us to get here with this equipment in order to defeat these people. If we had your old ships, we would have lost. Just what are the odds against you even finding that ship in the first place? Then all the things afterward, the computer being able to communicate with yours, the ships we found, the planets we were guided to and the bases. It must be at least billions to one against our even being alive. This entire event, from your launch to this moment is so outlandish as to be impossible.” Phyllis mused.
“You know, you are correct. It is impossible.” Eric said thoughtfully.
“Obviously not entirely impossible. We are here after all.” Steve responded. “Merely totally outlandish. Maybe even bizarre.”
“Sirs, the Earth commander is calling.”
“On speaker.”
“We need additional time. We have too many trapped between decks to get out before they run out of air. In order to save whom we can, I officially surrender the fleet.”
“We accept your surrender. Is Hazer there?”
“Eric, it is very rude to address me in that manner.” Hazer answered.
“I am Admiral Maddwell, Earth scum. Maybe even Emperor Maddwell the first. I think I have enough rank to call you pretty much anything I want.”
Hazer actually laughed. “Your Imperial Grace. How may I serve you?”
“That sounded nice. You can go home and govern Earth in my name.”
“Earth did not surrender to you.” Hazer interjected.
“No, but with the fleet you have left, it will surrender to you, won’t it?”
~~~~~~
They towed the remaining cripples to bases just outside the Acadian system and the Earth fleet was repaired and restocked. It took several weeks to finish due to the lack of parts and equipment needed for the ships, but after all the injured were treated and the crews rescued from the cripples, some of the crippled ships were finally just gutted for parts.
Hazer and the government of Acadia met almost daily during the repairs to discuss how the Earth would be governed and what was to happen first. They demanded the drugs stopped immediately until the side effects of sudden stopping were discovered. Eric had been correct in that the drugs administered to those who were deported were different that those given to the general population. Food distribution was first. It must be maintained and increased to avoid deaths. That could not be done until increased food shipments arrived since the rations were at starvation levels in many places on Earth. Until stockpiles were ready, removal of the control drugs would result in food riots almost everywhere. It was not as easy as Eric had hoped, to free the people of Earth.
Mars was to be recognized as an Independent Planet and offered a charter, as was Earth after the emancipation was completed to Imperial and Acadian satisfaction. Free elections and government of choice were among the requirements.
Two months into the meetings and repairs, another fleet was spotted heading toward Acadia.
~~~~~
“Our listening post found this.” Lee said. The plotter popped up and twenty red dots appeared inside the holographic globe.
“What is this?” Hazer asked. He and Juan were present but toward the back of the bridge on the Dragon.
“Technology. The globe is the nearby star fields and the dots are ships.” Juan answered.
“Amazing. The ships are in FTL?”
“Yes. We can pick up the wake so to speak. The computer adds in course and speed to give us an accurate position. Now be quite. I wish to hear.” Juan said.
“Catroph?” Eric asked.
“We assume so. They are still on the edge of our probes range but they are coming from further out on the arm. That means a more advanced ship and a well trained crew.” Lee answered. “Possibly more advance than any we have fought so far and probably manned only by Beaks.”
“Catroph confirmed. Engines match specs.” The crewman on the scanner said.
“We need to do some damage before they get here. How far out can we meet them?” Eric asked.
“They are still moving slow, heading toward the system here.” A yellow dot appeared, highlighting a star system six hundred light years from Acadia. “Maybe to plan an attack, waiting for reinforcements or just looking around. They may not know about our action against those other ships yet.” Horace answered. “Anywhere in this sector would be possible as an ambush site.” He outlined a volume of space between Acadia and the star system.
“What are our options? Wait, attack, or ambush? Is that it?” Eric asked.
“Mines.” Steve suggested.
“How does digging rock help us here?” Horace asked.
“Wrong kind of mines. Old vids, the one with the submarines. They were going to attack some ships and got caught in a mine field. Big ball things with spikes, held underwater by anchors and chains.” Steve answered. “If a sub touches one, the mine explodes and sinks the sub.”
“Oh. Yeah, that one. Nice move Steve. He is talking about leaving a few bombs around the path we think they will follow. Big bombs, maybe autonomous probes with some forty-megaton warheads.”
“FTL equipped missiles and then, when the enemy drops out of FTL to attack, a few other surprises from the A-P. How many do we have on hand that we can modify?” Lee asked.
“Fifteen at FB One. It will take six hours to add weapons and reprogram the A-P’s. How many do you have left on your ships?” Juan asked. He had become more involved since he was asked to run for governor, working alongside teams on the base stations and learning as much as he could about the defenses and weapons. After his part in the defense, no one questioned his loyalty.
“I have ten left.” Eric said.
“Three.” Amos answered.
“Fourteen. We got interrupted.” Horace said
“Ten.” Lee said.
“Get them to FB three and seven. That’s where we modify the A-P and weapons.” Juan said.
~~~~~~
Eric sat in his ready room, coffee and cigar at hand. He was deep in thought. All the bits and pieces of their survival and success kept playing over and over in his mind. Phyllis remark about impossibilities added to his thoughts. Eric was determined to find an answer to the anomalies.
“Betty.”
“Yes.”
“Do you still have that original battle from the Astangii?”
“Yes.”
“Play it for me. Maximum magnification.”
~~~~~~
“Watch this with me and pay close attention to the ships.” Eric said. Lee and Phil had joined him at his request. Everyone else was watching on the com.
“First battle?” Lee asked.
“Just watch very closely.” Eric said.
They watched through to the end.
“Okay. And?”
“Betty, play the vids of the others ships view of the same battle. We found these after we took the Latonia system.”
They all watched a replay from one other angle, then again and again until all views from all ships had played out.
“Still don’t see it, do you?” Eric asked.
“Sorry to say, no.” Lee said.
“I don’t either. What are we looking for?” Phil asked.
“Betty, third view of the final positions ten minutes after the battle and run it back slow. Freeze when you reach ten minutes prior to the end. Then take out the dot for each ship one by one. Make sure each dot is identified on the plot.”
When the vid stopped, the scene froze and one by one the ships disappeared until only Catroph wreckage remained.
“Now, move forward without adding the ships you just removed.”
“What good will that do?” Lee asked.
“Just watch. Half speed Betty.
They watched the debris drift for several minutes and ships blow up as though by magic. Suddenly another ship was there. No track
in or evidence of motion. It just appeared, a dead ship with battle damage.
“Show tracks of other ships.”
Yellow lines moved around the battlefield, some passing through the new ships position. They lead off into space after the battle was finished and the new ship drifted.
“Back it up to ten seconds before ship appears. Run forward at one tenth speed. No tracks but show all ships.”
They watch again, this time their faces almost touching the hologram. At first it was a smudge, but over a period of three seconds the Astangii appeared on the plot, already dead.
“They played us. The Otstrand played us from the start. They saw us coming out of the solar system and decided we would do as their surrogate slaves in this arm. They arranged the meeting with the Pathfinder. The Astangii was light years away from my course and they moved her to where I would almost run over her. We had ships disappear out here, blow up and never found. They checked us out from the beginning, deciphered our language and computers, our ship designs and weapons. Nothing was a coincidence, it was all arranged. They even added the Astangii to this battle and faked her course, drifting until we met.”
“Holy crap and little green men. The deck was stacked. It really was too good to be true.” Horace said shaking his head.
“They could have been looking for another species ever since they ran or even before. All they needed to do was identify our needs and then set us up to take the gifts they so obligingly provided. Are we really in charge now or did Betty lose to Asi? Are they still playing us?” Lee asked.
“I can’t answer that. I think we won but I thought I was brilliant in my takeover of these ships before. Now I feel like an idiot for falling for this.” Eric said.
“We all fell for it. You are the only one who saw through it. How did you find this?” Lee asked.
“I asked Martha to compare DNA. I was suspicious of the details. How could four different races suddenly appear in this arm of the galaxy who all needed the same requirements for life?
The same size ships and furniture, the same bodies more or less and the same everything. Phyllis and Steve were talking about the odds of so many coincidences, so many convenient accidents. It got me thinking. I asked Betty to find the other ships records and compare and we came up with this. There was truly only one accident or coincidence, and that was that I like long hot showers.”
