“Not as yet, Friend Denver. It did not go into orbit but is headed toward the planet. We were unable to deploy the men.”
“What!” Denver’s mind raced. They’re trying to catch the Greys on the ground!
“Admiral, you’ve got to get out of there now!”
“Captain, we are almost through loading. What’s the matter?”
“The Reptilians are not going into orbit, but are headed toward the planet. I think they are trying to catch the Grey jump ship on the ground.”
“How much time do we have?” asked La Force.
“We don’t. How many tracks are still out?”
“Three and some infantry.”
“Colonel, do you think we can delay the incoming?” demanded Smith.
“Possibly, but you’ll have to get those men out of the cargo bay. What do you want to do, buzz them.”
“Yes, or if necessary, ram it.” He could not believe the hollowness of those words, and there was no time to contemplate it.
“TC, let’s get these men out of the cargo bay and secured.”
“Right, come on Tim,” he said.
“I’m okay,” Tim said. “Just got blasted pretty hard when that transport blew up. Guess I got him.”
“You sure as hell did,” said TC helping the former fifty cal gunner to his feet.
Once they were out of the cargo bay, Denver sealed the hatch. “Okay guys, hang on.”
Smith raced forward and took the right seat. “Have you found them yet Colonel?”
“Not yet, let’s get some altitude,” replied Blackstone.
“Cee, are you keeping the Reptilian battleship in sight?”
“Yes, we are following it.”
“Has it entered the atmosphere yet?”
“No, not yet,” answered Cee.
“Is it over the horizon from our position yet?”
“I understand, you are trying to find out how much time the evacuating ship has left.”
“Yes.”
“One moment, Friend Denver, I will have an answer for you.”
“Colonel, any chance of getting that thing to follow us?”
“Don’t know; capturing either of our ships would be a major victory for them.”
“Friend Denver, the Reptilian ship is beyond your horizon. What are you thinking?” asked Cee.
“That means they might not even know about the Grey’s ship, but surely they will spot it as they come over the horizon,” said Denver.
“Yes, that is reasonable,” added Cee.
“Do you know if they are aware of your position?”
“We do not think so. We very deliberately came from behind so that their in-system drive would mask our presence.”
“You are getting good at this, Cee.”
“Thank you; you have been an excellent teacher.”
“Give yourself some credit; you are pretty sharp.”
“You are very kind. Now as to our situation, how do you plan to proceed?”
“Stand by.”
Blackstone glanced over at Smith, “You’ve got that look you get when you are on the … I don’t know what to call it …when you are on the brain-phone to the Greys.”
“I don’t know what to call it either; it just works. You are correct; I have been in contact with Cee. The incoming ship is still over the horizon, which may mean they don’t know about the Grey’s jump ship yet. What we need to do is get away from the evacuation site and do it in such a manner that they will see us first and not the Grey’s jump ship.”
“Well, we will not be able to get around the planet fast enough to get behind them, and even if we did, what good would it do? If we take off to orbit, they will pass over the Greys and might decide to go after a bigger target. I know, why don’t we scream off toward them in the atmosphere? That way they will see us and with any luck, they will take off after us. The turn will cost them time,” suggested Blackstone.
“That sounds like a plan. Do we have time to land and close up the ramp?” asked Smith.
“No way, it would take far too long. We’ve got to go now.”
“Okay, let’s do it,” said Smith. “I’ll let the Admiral and Cee know what we are doing.”
“Here we go.” Blackstone climbed up high, ten thousand meters and shot off in the direction of the oncoming enemy.
“Admiral, we are going to attempt to draw the enemy away from you. Maybe we can buy you some time.”
“Thank you, Captain. We’re having some trouble getting the last of the tracks aboard.”
“Sir, those can be left behind.”
“I know, but I had rather not. Let me know if you can buy us some time. The Command Committee here is getting antsy. If I have to, I’ll leave the tracks on the surface.”
“I bet they are. I’m getting a little nervous myself,” replied Smith.
“You?”
“Yes sir, me.”
His next call was to Cee. “Cee, we are trying to draw off the Reptilian jump ship.”
“Yes, I have been following your communication. It is a desperate plan, but it might work. I am also aware of your intentions if nothing works.”
It only took a few short minutes till the Reptilian ship showed up on the instruments.
“There they are,” said Blackstone, “almost dead ahead.”
“How will you know they’ve spotted us?”
“When they start shooting.”
“Ouch; do they have anything they can use inside the atmosphere?”
“Don’t know,” replied Blackstone.
An alarm sounded.
“Uh oh,” said Blackstone, who then reached up and silenced the alarm.
“Uh oh, what means uh oh?”
“I can’t maintain cabin pressure. You’ve got to get the people in back on oxygen.”
“On my way,” replied Smith.
He was soon back in his seat and put on his own oxygen mask.
“Colonel, do you think if we head off at an angle to them, they will give chase?”
“Might, let’s try it.” Blackstone rolled this ship sharply to port and increased speed. The big Reptilian ship slowly rolled and headed after them.
“This should be interesting,” said Smith.
“Interesting is not the word I would use,” responded Blackstone.
“Admiral, it looks like they are buying it. We might have bought you the time you need,” offered Smith.
“Yes, but they also want the in-system ship you have. Don’t let them get you.”
Blackstone broke in, “Don’t worry sir; they’ll never get this ship.”
The giant Reptilian ship came at them at tremendous speed. Blackstone countered by climbing as though he was on a trajectory to escape. He allowed them to be overtaken. The giant ship settled on the tiny craft. Blackstone made several feeble attempts to escape.
Without warning, a small missile shot out from the Reptilian and struck Blackstone’s ship, but there was no explosion. The ship shook and began to lose speed and control as electrical systems failed.
“Are we in trouble?” asked Smith.
“We’re in trouble. I need to shut down all electrics and try a reset. It’s going to be pretty dicey.”
“Hang on you guys,” Smith called on the intercom. “It’s going to get a little rough.”
“You mean it gets worse,” said TC.
Blackstone raised the switch guard and jammed down on the button it hid. The ship shuddered and rolled to starboard. Then it began to tumble. Without the field drive, there was nothing to counteract the centrifugal force. Everyone was flung about wildly.
He released the button and struggled to reach the start button. The ship began to right itself, but something was wrong. There was a tremendous vibration. Suddenly it stopped as a
portion of the ramp came off.
Blackstone rolled up on a knife-edge and let it corkscrew toward the planet. The enemy fired again. This time the missile exploded near enough to shake the fleeing spacecraft. Still, the pilot let the craft fall toward the deck.
“Cee, what are they doing?”
“They are still loading the jump ship. What are you doing?”
“I mean, what is the Reptilian ship doing?”
“They have broken into a wide circle and appear to be trying to get below you, but there is a problem.”
“What kind of problem?”
“One does not think this ship was designed for these speeds in an atmosphere. Much of the structure has come off, and they appear to be burning.”
“Hello,” said Smith.
“Hello? What means ‘hello’?” asked Blackstone.
“The Reptilian was not meant to fly like this in an atmosphere. They’re trying to get below us, but are burning the ship up in the process.”
“Looks like they will stop at nothing to get us.”
“It would be a feather in their Captain’s cap if we were captured.”
“A what?” asked Blackstone.
“He would be able to write his own ticket.”
“Damn it, speak English!” snarled Blackstone.
“They want to get us badly and will even wreck their ship in order to do it.”
“Why didn’t you say so?”
“I did say so.”
“They’re firing at us again.” Blackstone swung the ship around from its crazy spiral and shot off toward the surface. He pulled up at the last moment and the missile impacted the ground.
Blackstone rolled and headed straight for the oncoming Reptilian. “Colonel, what are you doing?”
“Don’t distract me, I’m concentrating,” responded Blackstone.
The ships came together at terrifying speed, and when it looked as though they would collide, Blackstone pushed over. They passed so close that the other ship shook them.
Blackstone shot off for open space as the lumbering giant turned to renew the pursuit. However, instead of screaming out of the atmosphere, they began losing speed.
“Something is wrong. We’re not going to make it,” offered Blackstone.
“What’s wrong?”
“Don’t know, but we are losing power. I might be able to get it on the ground, but you know I can’t do that.”
“Yes, we can’t just hand over this technology to the enemy. It would be disastrous,” replied Smith.
Without warning, they were engulfed and slammed into something that slowed the ship violently. It bounced three times before colliding with some sort of net, and the field generator went dead.
Once the ship settled down, the only thing they could hear was their breathing.
“Are we captured?” asked Blackstone.
“Don’t know,” said Smith.
“Smith, are you there?” asked La Force.
“Admiral, uh, we’re somewhere. I just don’t know where.”
“Relax Captain, you’re safe.”
“Safe?”
“Commander Fitzpatrick managed to convince the Command Committee that saving the ship was necessary to the war effort.”
“Okay … great,” said Denver.
“Nice to know we matter,” added Blackstone.
“It is, isn’t it?”
“I’m on my way down, gentlemen,” said La Force.
Suddenly serious, Smith asked, “Admiral, did everyone get out?”
“Yes, and we even got the tracks loaded.”
“Sir, I’ll need a medical team.”
“A medical team is on its way.”
“Cee where are you?”
“We are preparing to land in one other bays,” answered Cee.
Smith unbuckled got shakily to his feet.
“Well, that was fun,” he said as he stumbled out. The men in back were pretty shaken up, but none the worse for the ride.
“Sir, what the hell was that about?” asked TC.
“We’ve been picked up by the Greys, scooped up in midair. We’re okay now, relax.”
He opened the hatch and dropped down to the deck. He turned to look at the spacecraft.
What a bloody mess.
Chapter 36 - Home Again
“Where are they taking us?” asked Captain Smith as they walked to the meeting area.
“That is what this meeting is supposed to decide, I think,” responded Admiral La Force.
The Greys had jumped out of the system with the Legion on three ships. Smith knew this operation must have gone pretty far up the Grey chain of command.
“Do you think the navy or your government is wise to what has happened?”
“I doubt it,” said La Force. “They don’t trust our people. Never did really, but now that they are convinced that one of our own people killed the Prime Minister, then we fed the Legion to the Reptilians, they will never trust us.
“Now along comes a chance to rescue the Legion and quite possibly win the war, they may have decided that they might not really need us.”
“Us sir?”
“Oh yes, which ‘us’ am I talking about. The Separatists I mean. I don’t suppose the four of us can go back either.”
“No sir, probably not,” said Smith. “That is unless you solve the assignation and get a new government.”
“I suppose that possibility exists, but I don’t know.”
The Admiral seemed thoughtful and in his own space now, so Smith let the conversation drop. They were nearing the place where the meetings between the Greys and the Admiral’s men had taken place.
Smith’s uniform had been a filthy mess, so after a shower, he donned a brown set of coveralls for the meeting. Clean uniforms would have to wait. For now, where was the Legion being taken? There were only so many choices. He thought he might have some influence, but it would not be his decision.
As they entered, Smith was surprised to see Commander Fitzpatrick and Cee along with two others, sitting at the table facing them.
Which side was Fitz on anyway, he thought?
“Where is the Supreme Chairman?” asked La Force.
“Please sit gentlemen,” began Fitz, who stood beside Cee and two other ship’s officers, probably an expert in human guile and someone to keep an eye on Cee.
Admiral La Force sat, followed by Blackstone and Smith. Rank probably did not matter much anymore as all had crossed a line that cannot be taken back. However, they were all reasonably comfortable with the pecking order, at least for now.
“The Supreme Chairman is in some sort of high-level meeting and can’t join us at the moment,” said Fitz.
“Pardon me, but where are we being taken?” asked Smith.
“For right now to a part of space that is safe from the Reptilians and our people, the Separatists that is. I suppose we will stay in space until they reach some sort of decision.”
“Well, at least we are off that planet,” said Smith.
“Yes, there is that,” replied Fitz.
Without warning, Cee and the other Greys jerked and sat up straight. Were it possible, Cee’s eyes widened.
“What is it?” asked Fitz.
At that moment the Supreme Chairman entered followed by several members of his staff. Everyone rose. The Supreme Chairman did not even offer tea nor did he sit down. He turned to Cee.
Cee stood straighter than Denver had ever seen him. Then he spoke. “I have been instructed to inform you of the decision. You are being taken back to the training world.”
Smith said, “I had hoped we would land back on Earth. It will take time before the Legion is ready for a fight, and the navy will not be happy to see us.”
“There is more, friends,” added Cee. “
You cannot go back to Earth. The Reptilians have attacked the Separatists’ base on Earth’s Moon.”
The End
Other novels by William C. Seigler:
Hell Fighters From Earth: Book One
Free’s World
World War III - Home Front
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Barbara Terry, Beth Stifflemire, and DanielleVann of Waldorf Publishing for their many kindnesses without whose assistance, this book might never have been published. I would also like to thank Elizabeth Pennella, and Charles Lammers for their proofreading expertise, and Marc Isaac for the book cover. I would like to thank Thomas Brooks for his editorial contribution.
Any mistakes or errors in this volume are my own. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is merely coincidental.
Author Bio
Born in Anderson, South Carolina, William discovered early on, a desire to see the world. While in the Army, he lived on the economy in Germany and worked on his German while making friends with the locals.
He backpacked the Black Forest, visited the World War II concentration camp at Buchenwald, drank excellent beer at Oktoberfest in Munich, day hiked in the Swiss Alps, met a beautiful girl in Paris, consumed fish and chips in London, and stood on the Acropolis in Athens.
Later, William traveled by ship to Antarctica on a magazine assignment, flew cargo jets, and traveled in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
He received his MS in geology from the University of Texas at El Paso and now teaches geology at Weatherford College in Texas when not bow hunting, kayak fishing, or writing.
He somehow managed to marry the prettiest Mexican girl and best cook west of the Pecos. He and Maria have a son. All these experiences and the people met are woven into his tales. These stories often deal with men and women struggling to live their lives free of statists-collectivists.
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