“Sounds like you’re keeping everyone busy,” said Jane.
Jasper nodded. “And then some. Those people will work until they break down, though, so I’ve had to institute a series of manual breaks for them to take. I couldn’t be prouder if they were all Human.”
The Royal Fortune lifted away and was soon back at Earth and settling in at the cave. The ramp lowered and the Human teams made their way to their destinations. Mace and Johnny walked to Jeff’s lab and Jane and Jenny hurried of to see Zax and Fina.
Mace filled Jeff and Gnaga in on the raid: “…and we dumped Stark in Alexandria.”
Mace pulled an image of the Human leader up in a holo-image. “This is him. We at least know what he looks like now.”
Gnaga said, “He has a bulbous head.”
Johnny laughed. “If that was an attempt at humor… I like it.”
Gnaga continued: “His skin looks like an alabaster brakna.”
Johnny frowned as he shook his head. “OK. I’ve got no reference for what that is.”
“His gaze looks like that of a putta gior.”
Johnny held up a hand. “You’re gonna have to stop. You’ve gone way past funny into the nonsensical. You should have quit after the first one.”
Johnny turned toward the door. “I’m heading back to see the kids.”
As soon as he was out, Jeff said, “Well done. I told you he would only tolerate three.”
Mace chuckled. “What are you teaching this guy, Doc?”
“He’s been interested in Human humor for some time. We’re just in the experimental phase at the moment where he’s learning about tolerance. Humor, if you’ve studied it, can be very nuanced and complex.”
Mace shook his head. “Sounds like you’re taking all the fun out of it.”
“Perhaps you should enroll in my next class.”
Mace held up both hands. “I’ll stick with what I’ve got, thanks. How’s the work on the wormhole device coming?”
Jeff smiled. “Good. I believe we���re almost back to where we were on Divinia. If we can achieve that, we may be only weeks or months away from a breakthrough.”
“Let me ask you this… how much effort would it take to build another one of the small units like we have on the Royal Fortune?”
“Months, possibly. It would depend on access to components. We have a very limited supply here.”
“Could you make out a list of what you need?”
Jeff nodded. “We already have it.”
“Could the unit be produced by someone else if they had the time and materials?”
“Yes, I suppose. What’d you have in mind?”
“What I have in mind is this… the Targarians are building an underground complex on Hardy. When complete, they could begin manufacturing these smaller units for our shuttles. It would give them a weapon, especially if we can manufacture that green wave generator, and it would allow them to jump anywhere on their own.”
“I can see where that might be useful. If the time comes, ask me again and I’ll pull all the needed data together. Until that time I think it best if that information remains here with us.”
Mace nodded. “I could agree with that. I have another question to ask. The thunder glove, as Johnny calls it, what are the chances we could make more of those? It came in useful as an alternative weapon for our raid.”
Jeff turned toward his Kaachi partner. “I believe Mr. Klept has the data on that item.”
Gnaga pulled up a holo-image. “I have a complete workup on the glove. Is this an immediate need?”
Mace thought for a moment. “How long would it take you to piece together a few more gloves? Let’s say three.”
Gnaga rolled his beady eyes in thought. “If the components needed are available, three weeks I suppose.”
“Let me know if the components are available and I’ll tell you then if I want them.”
Gnaga typed away on his arm pad. “They are available.”
Mace chuckled. “OK. Then I’ll take three gloves. Do you need the glove size it will be added to? One will be for Jane.”
Gnaga nodded. “Can I assume the other two are for you and Miz Taub?”
“Yep.”
“Very well, you can expect them in about three weeks.”
Jeff said, “You do realize this may push back our work with the wormhole weapon, right?”
“I do. However, we have people on the front lines who could use this glove now���versus a weapon we can’t even make yet. I’ll take the sure thing. Now… are there any supplies you are in immediate need of? Jasper’s people are beginning to get a good stockpile of materials out there, such as mini-reactors. They nabbed a freighter with about eight thousand units aboard.”
Jeff tilted his head from one side to the other. “Have you considered turning those into the bombs like we just placed on the Consortium battlestations?”
“And what would we use them for?”
Jeff half shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe a campaign to put one on every Karthian ship out there? We now have a sufficient number. With a dozen teams from Jasper and your own, you could possibly place one on every Karthian ship you could find. We could then blow them up as you came within comm range of each one.”
Mace replied, “I’ve been mulling over that exact thing. Would take us months to outfit their ships with those units. After that we’d have to chase them all down to detonate them. And we’d have to hit their factories so they couldn’t make more. That just leaves one big hole, seeing we don’t have the ships or people needed to take control. They would eventually build themselves up and we’d have no way of stopping them from coming here.”
Jeff smiled. “I suppose there would be some additional planning involved. Hey, perhaps you could make a deal with the Consortium? They could be your enforcers. They are already at war with the Karthians.”
Mace frowned. “You know who could pull that off? Stark. Only problem is it would put him right back in the driver���s seat. I’m all for taking out the Karthians, I just don’t want Stark driving the bus when we’re done.”
“Perhaps you could find a way to use his services without relinquishing control.”
Mace sighed. “Not a game I want to play with him. That’s playing right to his strengths.”
Mace glanced over at the door. “It’s getting late and I promised Jenny I’d have dinner with her, so I need to get going.”
Gnaga nodded. “Stop back anytime. We’re always open.”
Chapter 13
*
Three days had passed since the raid on Terrex. The Karthian orders to march the Humans round and round had stayed in place. As the sun rose over Washington, D.C. on the fourth day, a new command came in from the Karthian capital. The hastily cobbled together military council on Terrex had ordered the campaign against the Consortium to begin.
Mace walked into Jeff’s lab. “What we got?”
“Sensors have shown ships lifting off for the past several hours,” said Jeff. “I believe the command to attack must have been given.”
Mace scowled. “Haven’t even had my breakfast. I guess it’s time we moved into position to take out those battlestations. Wish us luck, Doc. We’re gonna need it.”
Mace hurried back to the cave. Johnny, Jane, and Jenny were rounded up. The Royal Fortune lifted off several minutes later. A stop at the Alpha site to notify Jasper Collins again found him out on a raid. He would be notified immediately upon his return. A second jump was made to the Molingrad system.
Jenny said, “I took a scan of their departures before we jumped. I have the coordinates here they were jumping to. It’s about an hour’s flight. Two hours from there to Molingrad.”
Mace nodded. “Take us to the fleet. We won’t need to move until they do. I’m curious to see what they are bringing as far as their own ships.”
“At what point precisely do we blow those stations?” asked Johnny.
“I would say for maximum effect that would b
e right before any Karthian ships arrive. The Consortium would be scrambling to figure out how to react.”
The journey to the incoming Karthian fleet passed quickly. The Royal Fortune, invisible to the fleet, waited for the action to begin.
Jane sat next to Jenny. “That’s sixty-five transports loaded with Humans. They hold a battalion each. That’s just over fifty thousand troops. And they’re still coming in.”
Jenny replied, “Four hundred twelve Karthian cruisers. And look, here… does that look like one of Stark’s domed ships, the radica or whatever?”
Mace looked over her shoulder. “I’d say that’s exactly what that is. Another technological advantage they gained from us.”
The observations lasted for five hours before the Karthian fleet was ready for the assault. Fourteen hundred cruisers, backed by eighty new dreadnoughts, would lead the charge. The Human transports, numbering eighteen hundred twelve, would follow in close behind.
Jane said, “I wasn’t expecting them to bring that many troops. They must have loaded up a number of those second class units.”
Mace nodded as he pointed at the sensor display. “The last ships to come in have been located on the outer edges of the troop transports. I believe those to be the secondary units. Probably using them as cannon fodder while they try to get the best we have on the ground and fighting.”
Jane scowled. “Can’t say I like the thought of that.”
“They’re moving,” said Jenny.
Mace replied, “Keep up with them. And keep our distance. We should have plenty of time to set off those reactor bombs when we get within comm range.”
The grand assault fleet moved in unison for most of the two hour journey.
As the ships reached sensor range, Jane said, “We’ve got a problem.”
Johnny asked, “What is it?”
Jane gestured toward the display. “The battlestations. They’re gone.”
Jenny said, “There’s also no ship traffic. None.”
Jane replied, “You think they just up and left?”
Jenny shrugged. “Not sure, but we’ll know in about five minutes when we’re within range of the bio sensors.”
Mace said, “Might take a bit longer. Since they’re almost all machine, the bio-signatures are small.”
Johnny asked, “How do you move an entire population in that short a time? This place was bustling just a few days ago. Do we have the locations of their other colonies?”
Mace nodded. “In the starmaps. Jenny, move us away from the fleet. Let’s jump to their other colonies for a look.”
Mace held up a hand. “Hold up… I just realized what that rack room I saw was when I was planting that reactor. I don’t think those were battlestations. I think they were transports. If you took the head, with the brain, off one of those Consortium citizens, it would fit right in one of those racks. All the piping and wiring running to each rack… that would keep the head alive. The Consortium’s defense was to run. And it looks like we might have bought them just enough time to do so.”
“Good for them,” said Johnny. “What’s it mean for us now?”
Jane replied, “Means we don’t have to fight the Consortium.”
Jenny frowned. “Also means they don’t need Human troops for this conquest.”
Mace said, “That could be a problem. Although I don’t see them giving up such an asset when they have the threat of the United Front inching closer. They’re gonna want to keep us in reserve. It’s not like we’re costing them anything. We’re a self sufficient planet again.”
An hour later, Jenny made the jump to the next Consortium colony. Two additional jumps revealed worlds that had been abandoned. The species, rather than standing for a fight, had fled.
Jenny said, “If you want, I could do a pattern of wormhole openings with scans. We might just pick them up. They are sub-light. Gonna take them a while to get anywhere.”
Mace shook his head. “Not necessary. Let them go. And good luck to them. I hope they find a peaceful existence.”
Jane looked back. “Where to, Boss?”
Mace sat in a chair. “Let’s go see Mr. Collins. If he finally showed, he’s probably on his way back by now.”
A jump was made to Alpha Centauri. The Royal Fortune settled on the deck of the docking bay. The team walked down the ramp to a waiting Jasper.
“I guess you saw what we saw?” Mace said.
Jasper nodded. “Up and gone? I gotta respect them for that.”
Jane frowned. “I just remembered we have Roge back at the cave. His people have all gone. Are we going to offer him transport to wherever they’re going?”
Mace shook his head. “We don’t know where that is and I doubt he would tell us, even if he knew. Now that we’re not at war and we haven’t killed any of his people, maybe we can bring him into the fold. Maybe he can offer us help against the Karthians.”
Jane said, “Well, if we do find out where his people went, I vote we take him back.”
Mace nodded. “Absolutely. For the moment though, he isn’t a threat. So I think we bring him up to the Alpha site. That will at least get him out of Doc’s hair.”
Johnny turned to face Jasper Collins. “Your latest raid yield anything significant?”
Jasper smiled. “Yes and no. We didn’t go on a raid exactly. We paid another visit to Terrex.”
“Why would you go back there?” asked Jane. “It has to be a hotbed right now.”
“It is. We detected nearly continuous scans. And they have a team of several hundred people going over that place with a fine-tooth comb. There was a big commotion when they found the body at the bottom of the cliff. Who tossed him over?”
“Nobody,” said Jane. “He ran and jumped on his own. Mace asked him a question. He spazzed, ran to the edge, and leaped over. I guess he thought he was being patriotic by not divulging secrets. All he had to do was say no.”
Jasper chuckled. “That I would like to have seen.”
Mace asked, “What’d you learn from your trip?”
Jasper grinned. “That they still don’t have a clue as to what happened or who the Harpoonians are. We listened in on dozens of conversations, including one about Stark. They were joking that he had probably been eaten by those creatures by that time. I didn’t get any indication they suspect Humans. You all did a really clean job of the assault. All the way down to disguising the landing feet on the shuttle.”
Mace returned a confused look. “We didn’t change those.”
Johnny raised a hand. “I asked Jenny to do that.”
Jenny added. “I raised the ship up and set it back down about a dozen times so it would leave a different imprint in the grass. Johnny mentioned it on the way out. I did it while you were in the buildings.”
“Did you get a feel for who was taking over? Stark thinks if it���s the politicians it’s a bad thing.”
“That’s exactly who it is. Civilian dignitaries have been walking all over that compound, ordering the military personnel about. If the Karthians had a strong military class before, you just cut their… sorry, ladies, you neutered them, that’s for sure. The shots from here on are gonna be called by their politicians.”
Jane said, “Might be an ideal time for a similar raid on their political houses. I’m thinking maybe we do it different this time.”
Johnny grinned. “I want to hear this.”
“Doc can make us a couple explosive packs. Only this time we attach them to a reactor, or to right here on the surface. You could take out a few city blocks with one reactor and not leave enough evidence for them to determine what happened.”
Jenny nodded. “If we’re doing that, we could go in and rig up half the reactors in their capital, take out their number one city without firing a shot. That sounds like a win to me. All we have to do is make sure one of the Harpoonians is seen and we have a great cover.”
Jasper said, “If you aren’t willing to take this on, I am. I could drop in a hundred men and
be in and out in an hour.”
Mace added, “My only worry is any explosive we would use might be traced back to us. That and any electronics we use for our trigger.”
Jasper replied, “Not an issue. I have stockpiles of Karthian electronics and chemicals from our raids. I’ll have my peeps put something together for us. We even have examples and diagrams of their reactors. Bringing a whole city to its knees would be a piece of cake. I’m pretty sure the Harpoonians would want this.”
Johnny chuckled.
Mace said, “Part of me wants to stop you so we can evaluate this further. The part remaining wants this done today.”
Jasper turned to one of his aides. “Open a comm to Hardy. Tell them I want an explosive and a triggering mechanism that can be attached to a Karthian reactor, standard size or mini. And tell them all the materials used must be Karthian materials. And I want enough kits put together that would allow us to rig up a hundred units.”
The aide bowed before turning to scurry off with the commands.
Johnny said, “I have a suggestion for you while we wait.”
“Let’s hear it,” said Mace.
“We take our team, including Mr. Crawford and the rest. We drop into the target city and we scout out viable locations. When Jasper’s team is ready, we have detailed maps, observations, and instructions waiting for them.”
Jane laughed. “Where’s that Johnny been hiding? I think that’s an excellent idea.”
Mace gestured toward the shuttle. “Let’s take a ride back to Earth first. I want to know if our troops are being returned safely.”
A first jump through a wormhole showed Karthian troop transports landing on Earth. A second jump had the Royal Fortune moving into the Terrex system. Two hours later, Jenny had the shuttle hovering just above the ground in a darkened lot. Stars filled the night sky above the Karthian capital.
Mace said, “Everyone be back here in four hours. You have your coordinate squares mapped out. Identify every reactor you can find. Collect video streams if you can. Plot out security personnel and measures that will need to be bypassed. And don’t risk detection or capture. We have time. We can always come back.”
HADRON Havoc Page 12
