Kris pulled a sheet over and covered the boy. There were signs of a struggle everywhere. The communication equipment was smashed, obviously in an attempt to give them more time to get away. Kris asked Andreas if anything was missing. Andreas looked around.
“Yes, some food and some of my clothes that have been taken. The farm truck is missing also.”
“How long were you gone from the farm?” “About an hour and a half.”
“Okay,” said Kris, as he digested the information. They went outside to where Françoise and Andrew were examining the boot marks in the dirt. Andrew was convinced that the attackers were Kaedian.
“Right. As I see it the Kaedians will be using the truck to move faster so there will be no tracks on the ground. There is dense scrub in the woods and the truck has a maximum height of what?” he turned to Andreas; Andreas was caught off guard for a second since his thoughts were focused on the safety of his family.
“Um, four feet or so,” he blurted.
“Thank you."
Kris turned to Frulé. "Commander, I suggest we break up into teams. I believe we are looking at a force of 10 to 12 men. They are fully armed, trained and desperate, therefore dangerous and unpredictable. We will be able to track them as the truck has no shrouding capability and any personal camouflage will not be sufficient to disguise all of them. I will be able to determine a general direction from the signs in the woods left by the truck. I will take Sheriff Stein, Andrew, and Master Sergeant Campbell and two fire teams on Sharks with me to follow them at ground level. You should deploy the Jaguar at treetop level and the rest of the team in the Barque at say 500 feet. Once we determine a general direction the Barque should be able to pick them up on its search screens and guide us in. We have them outnumbered and outgunned but the safety of the women is paramount. Andrew, you know the Kaedians better than any of us. What is your assessment?”
“They are ruthless. They will use any method to survive including killing the women. Right now, the women are valuable to them and they will keep them alive as long as that remains so. If we let the Kaedians go, Andreas’ family will be treated as nothing more than slaves. If we attempt to rescue them we put them at risk but their survival chances are good if we do it right. Here is my take; we must hit them fast and hard and give them no opportunity to be doing anything other than to be defending themselves. If we can get them apart the Jaguars targeting system will be able to separate the targets and take out only the troopers. The black uniforms and weapons and the fact that they are male should give a sufficient distinction. If we give them time to think they will certainly use the women as hostages or worse. There must be no consideration to take prisoners. They will not surrender so our mind set must be to kill them all for they will certainly not hesitate to kill us.”
“Right,” said Kris. “Let’s move out. We will follow the foot prints to the edge of the forest then follow the trail of broken branches left by the truck.”
They mounted up and headed off into the forest. Andreas boarded the Barque then it and the Jaguar took off with their search screens picking up the Sharks as they moved steadily through the trees. The antigrav farm truck had left an easy to follow trail so it wasn’t long before the Barque called in the location of the truck but there were no signs of the Kaedians or the women. With both the shrouded Jaguar and Barque hovering over the location the Sharks moved in. Two hundred yards from the truck Kris and the other men dismounted and crawled stealthily forward. They reached a clearing the truck was parked next to a small cave opening.
“Barque 2 have you detected anyone in the cave?”
“No, but we are getting interference. All we see is a solid mass of some mineral that is deflecting the pulsar beams.”
Commander Frulé detailed two men to check out the entrance for foot prints but not to go in. Within seconds they were back.
“There are many boot tracks coming in and out of the cave. There are also some smaller barefoot prints going in; there are none coming out,” reported the Corporal.
Suddenly a head popped out through the entrance and saw the troops and immediately ducked back in. Loud voices could be heard coming from the inside as if they were arguing. Finally, one of the girls stood at the entrance. She was tied at the waist to prevent her from running away.
She said, “We do not speak their language but it seems that they want to talk. Can any of you
understand them? Please help us we are very scared.”
Andrew stepped out of the brush. “I can speak their language.” He switched to Kaedian. “Kaedian forces in the cave. You are surrounded by superior forces. You cannot escape. Let the women go and we will negotiate.”
“No," came a male voice from inside the cave. "We want your Bark, with the Jaguar and pilots. Once we are away from the planet we will return the women in the Jaguar. We will keep the Bark and a pilot so we can return to our homeland,” Andrew translated.
“There is no guarantee they won’t just keep both,” said Kris, getting angry with the direction this encounter was going.
“Actually, there is every reason to believe they will do just that,” said Andrew.
Andrew turned to the cave entrance and called out in Kaedian, “That is not acceptable. Let the women go first then we will talk.”
The reply came back quickly. “Give us what we want or we will enjoy the women then kill them and throw out the bodies. We are Kaedian warriors and not afraid to die but we will kill many of your men before you kill us. You must agree now or we kill the youngest one first.”
Before Andrew could reply, a Brigade Trooper appeared out of the brush alongside the cave entrance, threw three canisters into the cave, then flattened himself against the wall. From inside the cave there were three loud pops and a thick white gaseous fog began pouring out of the entrance. Frulé rushed the cave followed by his fire team, all wearing masks. Immediately several shots rang out and then utter silence.
Kris and Paul Stein ran to the cave entrance and met Frulé who came out removing his mask.
“The women are okay. Asleep, but unharmed. We had to shoot two of the Kaedians who managed to stay conscious longer than the rest. We will need a few moments to clear the air before anyone can go in.” He spoke into his communicator to bring down the Barque.
Andrew came up.
“That was unexpected,” he said to Frulé.
“You said we must hit them fast and hard. So, I did.” Frulé smiled and walked over to Andreas who was leaving the Barque.
“Damn,” said Kris, watching him go. “You just never know with that one.”
“I agree,” said Andrew. “I’m glad he is on our side.”
“Amen to that brother,” said Kris shaking his head.
Frulé had gone back into the cave to make sure the prisoners were well secured and came out a few minutes later shaking his head.
"I don't understand it; we killed only two men but there are four bodies in there."
Twenty minutes later at the farmhouse of Andreas, Kris and Andrew said their farewells to the Sheriff and the family who, although grief-stricken by the loss of their son and brother, were overwhelming with their gratitude.
The surviving Kaedians were carefully searched and firmly bound then stashed in a corner of the Barque under armed guard as each was interviewed by Andrew on the return to the base. Three of the younger men were willing to talk after Andrew informed all of them that they would not be treated as prisoners of war but as murderers and executed unless the one who shot the boy was identified.
All three of them told the same story. When they burst into the house the boy ran into the bedroom. The Gladari intended to capture the boy for his own pleasure and followed him in. The boy had found a weapon and shot the Gladari between the eyes then shot the second trooper in the stomach as he came into the room. The wound was severe but did not kill him and he shot the boy with his pulse beam weapon. They took the dead Gladari and the wounded trooper with them when they left. The wounded m
an died on the way back to the cave.
The next morning Tom and Frulé were in the Brigade Office discussing the disposition of the prisoners. Frulé suggested the squad of CB’s dismantle the metal plates on top of the berm surrounding the village and use the material for a temporary holding cell for the prisoners. The problem was what to do with them after that. Technically they were prisoners of war and as such were to be dealt with by the Hevinians.
Tom contacted Captain Jorge of the HCTS Goliath who offered to take the prisoners and deliver them to the Fleet Command Ship orbiting Earth. They were better equipped to handle them. After communicating with Sheriff Stein and the farmer Andreas, Colonel Markham placed his thumbprint on the tablet authorizing the Goliaths security team to take possession of the prisoners.
That same day, Sheriff Stein sat down with Andreas and his family and read a message from Andrew commending the bravery of their son. The young man, a child still really, had shown great courage and given his life defending his family. He left them to deal with their grief but it would be easier knowing justice had been done. With the delivery of the colonists finalized and the utilities connected to all the dwellings, the Goliath’s mission was completed and they left orbit the next day. Once outside the Altean system Captain Jorge exercised his authority and held a brief trial. The Kaedian prisoners were declared to be Krunares and were ‘released’ immediately.
The teams from the Olympus still had much work to do setting up power, water, and waste water systems for the new buildings for the village. It took just two days to complete the installation of Ray and Marcie’s house alongside the river and the morning of the third day saw them both carrying in their belongings. Kris, Anne, Jennifer, and Ron, came to help. Andrew showed up just before lunchtime hoping for some of Marcie’s home cooking. The house was exactly like the farmstead houses assigned to the colonists and as far as Marcie was concerned much more comfortable than the yurts.
33
Imperial Command Ship ArkKaedia
The Chancellor opened the massive doors and stepped into the Imperial chamber. The pure onyx floor was 500 feet long and 100 feet wide. In the center was a real time three-dimensional reflection of that part of the Galaxy that encompassed the Kaedian Empire. Within the clusters of systems were stars brighter than the others were. These were systems colonized by the Kaedians. There were hundreds of them, all in their correct positions within the Galaxy. Everything was moving constantly obeying the law of gravity. Orbits within orbits within orbits. In the center of the holographic image stood Braton Jank, the Lord Commander and absolute ruler of the Kaedian Empire.
Even after all this time, he still felt a sense of awe at what his ancestors had accomplished and the tremendous power he had inherited from them. It had all begun thousands of years ago on a Penal planet, a dumping ground for Hevinian undesirables. Convicted felons were marked for life by having their fingers cut to the length of the little finger before they were shipped out to the primitive planet. There they were supplied with food, water and building materials but otherwise left to fend for themselves. He smiled to himself as he remembered his father recounting the tale of how the great General Kaedia and one hundred of his men convicted of insurrection were sent to the Penal colony. As they came close to the planet, they managed to overpower the guards and took command of the ship. With the firepower of the captured ship and the weapons taken from the guards, the General quickly took control of the Penal colony and became its dictator. Under the strict military discipline imposed by General Kaedia his people survived and multiplied. The ritual of chopping the fingers continued as a rite of passage into adulthood. A symbol of unity, loyalty and to ensure that no Kaedian would ever forget their origin. To survive the convicts became pirates and began a campaign of terror growing larger with every success.
For twenty years, the renegades attacked and plundered any vessel they encountered then vanished. The Hevinians sent fleet after fleet to find and destroy them. The war lasted for twenty years without success bringing colonial expansion to a halt. Finally, the Hevinians cornered the renegades and even though the battle was won, the General and a large portion of his followers and families disappeared into the void and were unheard of for thousands of years. The great General did not care for the company of women so when he died he left no heir.
Braton smiled inwardly as he remembered his father regaling the story of how his ancestor, Gandas, the great General’s second in command, quickly and ruthlessly murdered his rivals and assumed the dictatorship creating a dynasty that would last thousands of years. Throwing his arms wide, a holographic image of the Galaxy expanded rapidly, causing all the stars to fly outwards leaving a twodimensional view on the walls, ceiling and floor but leaving behind one blue planet. With another hand gesture, the planet enlarged. The twenty-foot sphere hovered just inches over the image on the floor. For several moments, Jank stood and stared at the planet.
To his right stood the five Force Commanders of the Kaedian Empire, in full dress uniform. They stood at rigid attention staring straight ahead, caps under their left arms. These five men spent decades rising through the ranks. Each could trace their family pedigree back through generations of military service but each had earned their coveted status. They represented the best the Kaedian forces had to offer. Behind them were five massive Imperial Guards resplendent in their ancient Rellion armor polished to a brilliant shine. The armor was presented to his great Grandfather after the planet Rellio was ‘colonized’ in typical Kaedian style which resulted in the total annihilation of all inhabitants and the removal of all evidence of their way of life. Although modified to fit the much larger Kaedian physique twenty uniforms were all that was left to show the primitive Rellions ever existed. Without turning his head, he addressed the Chancellor waiting outside the semi-circle of men.
“Chancellor, it has come to my attention that the fleet sent to prepare Erth for colonization encountered a small fleet of primitives. Do you know what happened as a result of that encounter?”
The Commanders words echoed off the arched roof 100 feet up from the floor.
“Yes, my Lord.”
“And what happened?”
“Our fleet was decimated, my Lord.”
“Thank you, Chancellor.”
He paused then turned to the line of officers. He glared at them one by one, the anger clearly evident on his face. In the center of the line Force Commander Dager Fosch was feeling confident. Fosch was the overall Commander of that sector and therefore the
responsibility was his but he felt secure in his rank. He would pass the blame to his subordinate who, fortunately for him, died in the battle. Even so his massive ego bent inward as he felt the Lord
Commander’s anger focus on him.
“Fosch, step forward.”
The Officer took three steps forward.
“Well?”
“My Commander believed he was facing a defenseless planet. Reports from Erth sleepers indicated all conditions were right for invasion. It was unreported that the Orion had made contact and was assisting the Erthers by providing advanced Hevinian weapons and long-range command and control, Lord Com...”
“Your Commander was a fool. His overconfidence killed him and half your fleet.”
Fosch outwardly maintained a position of poised attention but inside his confidence was rapidly crumbling. He failed to notice three of the guards positioning themselves around him, one behind and one on either side. The Lord Commander turned away, took two steps, then turned back pointing his finger at Fosch, his face displaying his utter contempt.
“Fosch, your failure cost the lives of many of our valiant soldiers.”
He paused and thought, you killed my daughter.
“You have weakened the image of the Kaedian forces. You are a disgrace.”
Another nod and the guard behind him reached up and in fluid movement ripped the epaulets with his rank insignias from his shoulders. The guard carefully removed the insignia and placed
them in a small red bag on a chain around his neck. Fosch could not believe what was happening; I am a Force Commander of the Kaedian military, I am entitled to respect. His thoughts came to a halt as the guards on either side of Fosch grabbed his arms. Opening his mouth to protest no words would come as he heard a scraping sound when the guard behind him removed his blade from its sheath. Surprise was quickly followed by fear, then an intense burning pain shooting through his chest as the ancient Rellion blade was plunged through his back piercing his heart. The guard pulled out the blade causing another flash of excruciating pain.
Fosch looked down at his chest and saw the blood gushing from the wound, then looked up at his Lord Commander who smiled and said, “You will not fail me again.” Then, mercifully, everything went black. The guard contemptuously wiped the blood off his blade on the dead man’s uniform before the guards on either side dragged him off. The reaction of the other officers was one of shock. Never had they witnessed such swift and brutal punishment. The lesson was clear; failure would not be tolerated. As they struggled to regain their composure the remaining guard stepped forward smartly and handed the red bag to the Lord Commander. He then stepped back, turned, and marched away.
“Senior Fleet Commander Carkon, step forward.”
Carkon had been placed unseen behind the remaining Force Commanders, but close enough to observe and fully understand the message. He marched up and halted six feet in front of Jank. He had not been informed as to why he had been ordered to attend and now as the two guards took station on either side of him, confusion was replaced by fear. He searched his memory for any infraction.
“Senior Fleet Commander Carkon,” Jank paused, his eyes boring into Carkon’s eyes, “You are responsible for the actions of those under your command, are you not?”
“Yes, Lord Commander.” What is happening?
“Very well,” Braton Jank nodded, and the guards reached up and removed Carkon’s rank insignia and he began to fear for the worst. Jank could see the little beads of perspiration forming on Carkon’s brow. He smiled at his little joke as he removed the rank insignia from the red bag and gave them to the guards.
Altis-5: Book #2 of the Sleeper Series Page 30
