HADRON Havoc

by Stephen Arseneault

  Each of the team members headed off to their designated section of the city. The Karthians were fans of hard angles and pointed shapes. The architectures would have made any porcupine comfortable with its surroundings. To Humans, it was not a friendly-looking place.

  The first building Mace approached had no first floor. Giant columns rose up from the ground for thirty meters before reaching the base of the building. Transparent floors allowed a view up through several levels before office clutter obstructed the line of sight. An open, large, moving spiral staircase was used to bring guests up to the first floor and back. A night guard sat at a transparent desk pushing some kind of meal around a plate with a utensil. His look of quiet boredom hinted that it was a normal night at the desk.

  The streets of the city were largely empty except for the occasional hover-bus or cargo hauler wisping by. The normally-moving staircase sat motionless. Mace placed a foot on the base stair. The entire unit began to move. The guard looked to the side of his chair, down at the moving stairs. Several seconds of no activity, except of the stairs themselves, saw his attention returned to his food. Seconds later the moving staircase stopped.

  Mace again touched his foot on the first stair. As the unit again moved, the security officer stood from his chair, stopping at the top, staring down. After a second stop and a third start, the guard opened a gravity-wall and rode the down staircase to the ground. After a short walk around the unit, he stepped onto the first stair. The guard slowly spiraled upward, walking back to his chair and once again eyeing his partially eaten food.

  Having followed the guard up, Mace quietly walked to the internal stairwell that led further up into the building. Twenty-five minutes of searching led him to the top floor. Plush offices looked out through floor-to-ceiling windows with views of a nearby park, a coliseum, and another set of identical looking buildings. A return journey saw the former Army Ranger again on the plaza beneath the building. A new search located a maintenance door going down into the ground beneath the plaza. The maintenance door was locked.

  The three hours that remained were spent exploring the rest of the mapped-out square. No reactors were found. A frustrated Mace Hardy returned to the shuttle landing site. When the scheduled time arrived, the rampway of the shuttle lowered. Mace bumped into another spy as he attempted to climb the ramp into the shuttle.

  Johnny chuckled. “Watch it, you oaf.”

  Mace stopped. “You cut me off.”

  Jane bumped into the back of Mace. “Move it, you idiots. We’re vulnerable here.”

  The holo-projectors were all switched off.

  As the ramp closed, Mace asked. “Anyone have any luck?”

  All heads shook except one.

  Liam said, “I found that all the reactors are located in the maintenance works underground. I believe those works cover the entire base of the city. I had to check half a dozen doors before I found one I could jimmy open. I left it largely undamaged, only having to bend a clasp back into place.”

  Mace turned to Jenny. “How long until we hit daylight?”

  Jenny replied, “Six hours. Terrex runs on thirty hour days.”

  “Any sign of bios walking about?”

  “Not at the moment. Have only seen two vehicles in the last hour. Apparently these people all sleep at the same time.”

  Mace said, “OK, I think we go back. Mr. Hobbs, if you could pass the coordinates of that door to everyone, we’ll follow you over. From that point, everyone move back to their prospective squares. If the reactors are indeed all underground, we might just bring down this whole city.”

  Johnny grinned. “Tell me we’ll at least get to stay and watch.”

  “I’m sure that can be arranged.”

  The ramp lowered and the team once again moved out. The underground works were opened and the team members entered and dispersed. Reactors were videoed and mapped. The members reassembled at the shuttle when their tasks were complete. At the end of the fourth hour, the ramp lowered and the Humans moved aboard. A jump back to the Alpha site had the information delivered to Jasper’s officers.

  “He out on another raid?” Johnny asked.

  A Targarian captain replied, “We expect him back at any time. He sent word of having to overtake an escort ship that had been sent out with the freighter. If this becomes the norm, we will have to adjust our tactics.”

  Mace frowned. “Taking down a cruiser is a lot riskier than some fleabag freighter. This news should definitely change how he’s doing these raids.”

  The captain replied, “We’re expecting at least ten vessels to be brought in this time.”

  Mace reacted. “Ten?”

  The officer nodded. “The King has been training teams. This will be our first effort to take down multiple targets. We are preparing for the day when our new dismantling dock at Hardy is ready to be placed into service. If successful, we plan to perform operations around the clock.”

  Four hours passed before the Targarian king returned. The Organ Cave parked in its normal ravine and a shuttle was taken over to the hidden underground complex.

  Jasper walked down the ramp of his shuttle with a grin, clapping his hands together. “Success! Ten freighters at once!”

  “I take it everything went smoothly?” said Mace.

  Jasper nodded. “Peaches and cream. They sent out a cruiser to escort one of the freighters. I led the team that cleared it. Was a mess getting all the crew and the few hundred Marines it carried onto shuttles and such, but we managed. Would have saved a lot of time if we had just spaced the lot of ‘em.”

  Mace shook his head slowly. “We’ve been over this. We’re better off sending crews back. They will be much more cooperative when captured if they know they will live.”

  Jasper took off his helmet. “Which is why I sent them back. Although the argument could also be made that had we spaced the occupants of the warship, their crews would be less supportive of being sent on escort duty. The more dissension we can cause in their ranks the better. Besides, spacing Karthians would give me a warm fuzzy. And I know my crew would appreciate the gesture as well.”

  “The reactors on Terrex are waiting to be rigged,” said Mace. “Your people have all the necessary info. You can work on the setup whenever you’re ready.”

  Jasper turned toward one of his aides. “Assemble the teams. We’ll get started on this at once.”

  “You just got back from a raid. No interest in taking a break? Getting some rest?”

  Jasper scowled. “The king don’t need breaks. Besides, this is the stuff that keeps me going. Also gives my people hope that we can one day wipe out this scourge.”

  With Jasper’s planning underway, the others returned to Earth. New spying was in order if the Karthians��� next move was to be determined.

  Chapter 14

  *

  The Human forces had been returned to Earth. Attempts to gather knowledge about future plans had yielded little to no results. That all changed two days after their arrival.

  Johnny said, “I heard talk of a new raid coming. They didn’t say where, only that it was in the works.”

  Mace replied, “I heard similar hints from General Flox. Word is being sent down to prepare for departure. The transports could be landing at any time.”

  Similar stories came from several of the other spy team members. Something big was in the works.

  Jeff hurried into the cave complex. “We have transports landing all over.”

  Mace nodded. “I’d say that confirms it. The Karthians have been hinting at another raid. Anyone who needs to say bye or take care of urgent business… now is the time to do it. For those who are interested in going, I’ll meet you on the Royal Fortune in half an hour. The transports should still be loading. After that maybe we can find out where they’re going.”

  Jenny piloted the Fortune up to where the Karthian fleet was gathering. When the last of the transports arrived, a massive wormhole was opened. This time, twelve hundred Human-laden tr
ansports followed fifteen hundred cruisers and assorted other warships.

  “The target is Rhombia,” said Jenny.

  Johnny winced. “Forcing us into a war with the UF? This can’t be good. After getting slaughtered last time, I wonder what made then so bold?”

  Mace replied, “We’re about to find out. Jenny, move away and jump us to a neutral location in the Rhombia system. Wish we could send word down to Geerok and Montak. They deserve to know what the target is.”

  Jane stood behind Jenny’s pilot chair. “If they attack, they put us at war with the UF.”

  Jenny replied, “Yep. And we can’t even warn them because it again puts our forces at higher risk.”

  Minutes after moving into the Rhombia system, Jenny yelled out. “Mr. Hardy! We’re getting blasted by some kind of electromagnetic storm!”

  Mace moved to the cockpit. “Our shields should be sufficient.”

  Jenny shook her head. “Not an issue for us, but a half hour from now, the Mawga capital is gonna get bombarded. I think it’s the weapon that was used against Earth. It just came out of nowhere.”

  Mace asked, “You have a direction. See if you can find a source.”

  The Royal Fortune made repeated short jumps until a massive ship came onto the sensors.

  “There’s your source.” Jenny said. “Wait, it looks like they’re shutting it down.”

  Mace said, “Take us closer. If it jumps, I want a location.”

  Humphrey Mallot leaned over the others. “That looks like a Karthian vessel.”

  Jenny said, “It’s not broadcasting an ID.”

  Mace replied, “Wouldn’t expect it to. See if you can get us close. I think we should go aboard.”

  Humphrey moved into the copilot’s seat. “This looks like what we got hit with originally. I’d say it was four of those ships that first bombarded Earth.”

  “That doesn’t make sense,” Johnny said. “Why would the Karthians have done that? They had no interaction with us.”

  Jane replied, “For the same reason the Galactic Union wanted us. We’re a powerful species when it comes to war. Those transports heading to Rhombia, that’s less than a hundred thousand men. Who would use that few to invade a whole planet? A hundred thousand Karthians being dropped down there would almost be laughed at.”

  Jenny asked, “If we’re already going in, why the EM bombardment?”

  Mace shrugged. “Could be it will weaken their defenses. Throw their military into chaos and they might not offer much of a response.”

  As the Royal Fortune approached, the mammoth ship began to turn. Seconds later, a wormhole was opening.

  Mace said, “Tell me you have the coordinates for where that’s going.”

  Jenny nodded. “Hang on. If they keep it open long enough, we might be able to slip through with them.”

  Mace grabbed her shoulder. “Wait. If you’re jumping to make that happen, don’t. We open a wormhole near them and they will know something’s up. Just get the coordinates for where they’re going.”

  “Coordinates are locked in.”

  “Pick a spot at least half an hour away, open a wormhole only long enough for a scan. If it’s clear, take us through. From there we can move in on the ship.”

  A short while later, the Royal Fortune sat within a kilometer of the massive EM ship. Three more identical ships were parked beside it, all having just returned from attacking the Rhombia system. The Human-commanded shuttle landed in a vast docking bay. Mace Hardy and Johnny Tretcher hopped down from a partially open ramp, beginning their investigation of the ship they believed had nearly wiped out Earth.

  Johnny whispered, “We go straight for the bridge? Or do we check out the weapon?”

  Mace replied, “Hand on my shoulder. We’re heading to the bridge.”

  Various Karthian techs, maintenance workers, and other assorted crewmen were passed on the way to the ship���s command center. The two Humans entered, taking an out of the way position in an empty corner.

  The captain of the ship was sitting in his command chair with his first officer standing by. “Two weeks of blast will hardly bring them to their knees. Two months would have been more adequate.”

  The first officer replied, “I completely agree. We are the ones who have experience with this. When these ships were first captured, I failed to see what a potent weapon they were. I find it troubling that our first use was on our own planet.”

  The captain replied, “Our people on Terrex were not behind a war with the Consortium. We have just conquered the Galactic Union. There are many planets to exploit. The people want to take part in the plunder before financing another war. The Consortium wasn���t belligerent, they weren’t expansionists. Our politicians saw no benefits in that fight. I’ll admit that turning this weapon on our own world was heavy handed, but the people are now solidly behind our military goals.”

  The officer frowned. “Were behind them. Now we have a new threat. And we have no idea where these Harpoonians have come from.”

  The captain scowled. “The United Front is behind this. They will soon get their just reward. When the station falls, we will control that rift. Let’s just hope they take the bait on the Rhombia raid.”

  The officer asked, “Why do we need the rift? We have an ample supply of wormhole fuel. And the UF ships now have wormholes. What is the importance?”

  The captain grinned. “Ample supply is the key word, Commander. We have it, the United Front does not. They need that rift to conserve their fuel. We take it and they are only months away from running out of gatrellium. The dozen planets they control in this sector, Rhombia, the other Mawga planets, and Canto, will be ours.”

  “What use are the Humans to us now? The Mawga, with the support of the UF, will capitulate and fall under our control.”

  “The Humans are still to be used against the UF. Were you listening to the briefing? Once we control the Canto Rift, we begin attacks on the planets of their empire. These ships will be instrumental in such a raid.”

  “What confidence do you have in the new military council?”

  The captain huffed. “Same as before. Most were just overstuffed tunics filled with ego and self-righteousness. They came to power during times of relative peace with the Galactic Union. While our final campaign against them was successful, it was costly. The whole campaign could have been conducted differently, yielding the same result. And of course we have to talk about the betrayal of Commodore Hoolbud. Those council fools were the ones who came up with the idea of letting the Humans kill him off. Many good Karthians died that day. And for what? A failed assassination scheme?”

  The lieutenant replied, “Yes, there has been much talk of that. There are many unanswered questions regarding that whole episode.”

  The captain said, “And there will never be answers. The answers died with most of the military council on Terrex. If the people should be riled up and angry, it should be because the security of our own planet was violated. These Harpoonians should be captured and eliminated.”

  The lieutenant sighed. “I wish we had access to leave. I have family I would like to see.”

  The captain shook his head. “When you accepted this position you gave up all family and friends. This crew is now your family. The existence of this weapon can never be known. Especially since it was used against our own planet.”

  The lieutenant looked around at the bridge. “I find it remarkable that a Galactic Union species was able to construct such a weapon. Had they used it against us instead of the Humans, they might have wiped us out.”

  The captain laughed. “There is no comparison between Terrex and Earth. While disruptive, our entire civilization is not based on susceptible communications. Our leaders can still give orders. As we saw with our attempt to bring our people in line with our goals, we also saw what disruptions were possible. Minor inconveniences in our case. When used against the Humans there was an almost complete collapse.”

  The lieutenant s
aid, “I still wish we had wiped out the Targarians. If they were capable of building weapons such as these, I shudder to imagine what else they may have come up with.”

  Johnny pulled on Mace’s shoulder, luring him out into a hallway.

  Johnny whispered. “The Targarians?”

  “That’s what it sounded like to me. I’m sure Jasper knew nothing about this. It sounds like they captured these ships from the Targarians after that all happened.”

  “This is huge.”

  “Doesn’t change a thing. The Targarians are now our allies… the Karthians our enemies. Our question at the moment is, do we tell the others?”

  “Why wouldn’t we?”

  “Because, as I just said, the Targarians are our allies. We need them. We let word of this get out and that relationship would potentially be ruined. That’s especially true if Stark and his people get a hold of it.”

  “I can’t keep this from Jane.”

  Mace said, “You can and you will.”

  A Karthian officer walked past on his way to the bridge.

  When the hall was again empty, Johnny said, “I can’t believe it was our friends who brought down Earth. This is messed up.”

  “They weren’t our friends at the time. And these weapons may have been used to keep us from being taken and abused by the Mawga or the Kaachi. Had either of them been successful in conquering us while we were still strong, the resulting force would have dominated the Galactic Union. We’d still be slaves.”

  Johnny growled. “This war business is for the birds. Too many secrets. Just let us all face off against each other and the winner takes all.”

  Mace said, “Remind me to never put you in charge.”

  Johnny chuckled. “Didn’t mean any of that literally. This thing just gets frustrating, that’s all. Everything is complex.”

  “Well, let’s explore this ship and then we’ll go back to discuss our options with the others.”

  Johnny said, “Please tell me you are at least planning to take these ships. We can’t leave them in the hands of the Karthians.”