Solbidyum Wars Saga 9: At What Price

by Dale Musser

  As if from a great distance, I heard Lunnie shout, “Hang on, dad! Help is on the way!” Then everything turned red and faded into blackness.

  Funny things happen to me when I die – or nearly die, anyway. I seem to go somewhere else, to a beautiful, serene valley lined by trees and a colorful ribbon of meadow meandering through it. Each time I find myself there naked. It was usually Kala's sister, Luinella, who greeted me at this place. At least, that’s how it was in previous events. This time it was different. This time it was Tanden, Jenira’s brother that I saw when I opened my eyes. Like me, he was nude and hunkered down on a large rock, waiting for me to rouse from my strange slumber.

  Hi, Tibby,” he said without a smile.

  “Tanden?” I said in wonder as I slowly looked at my surroundings and realized where I was. “Am I dead?”

  “Not yet,” he said as he stood up and looked about. “But you soon could be.”

  “So I’m going to die?” I said more as a statement than a question, but Tanden answered anyway.

  “You could, but you won’t – at least not yet. You still have things to do. Ming is about to attack the Federation again and his forces are stronger than ever. If you wish to save the Federation, you must be prepared to do it at an enormous price.”

  “How do you know that? And at what price?” I asked.

  Tanden smiled softly. “I can’t explain how I know. You'll have to take my word for it. As for the price, you’ll know what it is when the time comes.” He smiled again, just as I started to hear a growing buzz that filled the air – or maybe my head. I wasn’t sure which.

  “Well, it looks like it’s time for you to return, Tibby. Tell Jenira I love her and that I’m doing great.”

  The last of his words slowly faded into the buzzing that had now become very loud. I felt like I was spinning as everything turned red again. From somewhere in the distance I heard a voice say, “Got a pulse. He’s coming around.”

  I opened my eyes to see a wide-eyed and panicked cadet observing at me on one side and Kala watching me from the other.

  “What happened?” I asked feebly. When I spoke, an unexpected intense pain shot through my chest.

  “You were shot,” said Kala emotionally, as she took my hand and squeezed it. I could see pools of tears in her eyes. “It was some sort of projectile weapon, possibly a magnetic propulsion gun. Luckily, your body armor prevented the round from piercing your chest cavity, but the impact was right over your heart.”

  “Where are we now?” I asked. Something about the room looked familiar.

  “We’re aboard a patrol ship headed for the nearest carrier. We'll use one of their launch tube Cantolla Gates to fly back to the GLOMAR ROSA as quickly and safely as possible.”

  Around me were several young people wearing JAC cadet uniforms and outside the med unit stood trooper guards in full gear and at the ready.

  “Where’s Lunnie and Reide?” I asked, as events started to sort themselves out in my mind. “Are they alright?”

  “Lunnie is flying this ship. Reide organized with other cadets and began fighting the attackers, last I saw.”

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “We were attacked just as you were getting ready to speak. It’s a good thing that Commander Ircart asked you to speak or you, Lunnie and I would be dead. The first explosion took out the entire section where we were seated.”

  “How did we get on this ship?” I asked.

  “Commander Ircart told Lunnie and the cadets surrounding you to get you out of there immediately. He had a patrol ship on standby just outside the parade grounds that was to fly him someplace after the ceremony. He told Lunnie where it was and gave her the access code to gain entry. These cadets carried you out. Two of the troopers guarding the officers at the rostrum accompanied us to provide you with protection. Your own guards were killed in the blast.”

  “How long ago…,” I coughed in pain.

  “Maybe fifteen minutes ago. Not much longer. Tib, they had snipers hidden in several locations on the parade grounds. That’s how you got shot. I think you were the intended target the whole time.”

  “Are there any reports of attacks elsewhere besides the base?” I asked, as I feared it might be the beginning of multiple attacks Federation-wide.

  “I don’t know, Tib. Everything has been happening so fast we’ve not had time to check.”

  “I’ll check, Captain Kalana,” offered one of the troopers in the corridor.

  “Thank you, Lieutenant,” replied Kala. “Confirm first that our route to the GLOMAR ROSA is secure, if Trooper Luinella has not yet done so. Report back as soon as you have details.”

  “Were our troopers able to get any of the snipers?” I asked.

  “Tib, honestly I don’t know much of anything yet. I did hear someone shout that the snipers were cloaked. There were only a few armed trooper guards present at the parade grounds and no one else was armed, as far as I could tell. I heard Commander Ircart tell Reide there was an arms locker in a building at the end of the stadium, if they could get there. That was while we were carrying you to the patrol ship, so I have no idea if they made it or not.”

  “Attention, everyone.” The announcement was from Lunnie, whose voice came over the intercom. “In a few seconds we’ll be passing through the launch tube gates on the carrier ONDA and we should arrive at the GLOMAR ROSA immediately afterward…,” and then in a low voice I heard her say, “…I hope.”

  I couldn’t help but chuckle, which of course triggered a stabbing chest pain so severe I thought it would kill me. I knew Lunnie had never flown through a gate before; and even though everything was automated for gate passage and landing, I knew Lunnie had to have been a nervous wreck.

  I looked down at my chest and saw a huge, dark bruise where I was hit. Kala saw me looking at it and said, “You have several broken ribs, Tibby. The impact of the projectile against your body armor stopped your heart. Lunnie’s quick thinking and the bravery of the cadets who surrounded you took you out of the line of fire. These cadets carried you while they performed manual resussitation until they got you here to the med unit, where the equipment took over and restored your heart rhythm.”

  “Damn,” I said. “Help me sit up.”

  “Tib, I don’t think that’s wise.”

  “Probably not, but as Rear Admiral of the Federation Military Forces, I’m not going to be carried off this ship. I need to be seen walking and looking normal – or at least functional – to convey a sense of confidence and security. If people see me on my feet and walking of my own accord, it will mean in their minds that attack was unsuccessful. If I’m carried off the ship and it’s reported in the news, people will panic. Our crews are no different that the civilians. They all need to be assured that the Federation fleet and military forces continue to operate smoothly and efficiently, in spite of a sniper attack on one of our bases… which, in itself, will be a challenge to explain to the press.

  Kala scowled and said, “Very well. Let me help you get dressed. I’m afraid your jacket doesn’t look good after the impact, but it’s still intact.”

  “That’s fine. As long as I’m able to walk and wave, it will suffice,” I said.

  “You’re starting to sound like Admiral Regeny,” said Kala. “Always thinking about how things appear.”

  I paused for a second. “Yes, I guess I am, in a way. Maybe I’m developing a new sense of appreciation for him, now that I’m walking in his shoes.”

  Putting on my jacket was an extremely painful undertaking and I feared for a minute I would need to forego wearing it, but with the slow careful assistance of Kala, we managed to get me back into my sullied whites.

  About that time, there was a brief moment where the ship lurched and then thumped into what I hoped was a landing on the GLOMAR ROSA. Kala lost her balance and bumped into me. I collapsed and nearly blacked out from the pain, but the hissing sound of the opening airlock and the inrush of troopers snapped me out of the shock.
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  “It’s alright,” I said as Kala helped me to my feet. “Lead the way and I’ll follow you. Just don’t go too fast.”

  “Yes, sir,” the lead trooper said. “Admiral Marranalis will want to know your status immediately. Do you have anything you wish me to convey to him, sir?”

  “Just tell him I’m on my way and take me to him. Slowly.”

  Lunnie came rushing into the already crowded room, pushing troopers and cadets aside to get to me. She looked at me through tear filled eyes gave me a very creative air-hug while she kissed me on the cheek.

  “Dad, I didn’t think you were going to make it!” she sobbed.

  “It’s alright, Lunnie. Thanks to you and the cadets, I’ll be fine.”

  “Tib, you really need to go to the ship's infirmary,” insisted Kala.

  “I will, but not until after I know what’s happening on Plosaxen and it’s clear that everything’s under control in the rest of the Federation. Now take me to the War Room,” I ordered the troopers.

  Word of the bombs and snipers and my evacuation to the GLOMAR ROSA must have spread very quickly. The amount of time that passed since the attack and my arrival couldn’t have been more than thirty minutes; but when I stepped outside the hatch into the launch tube hanger, there was a loud roar of cheers, where several hundred troopers and much of the ship’s crew waited to see me emerge. I smiled, waved and saluted, which still caused me a lot of pain, even though it was the left side that took the impact. If the injury had been on the right, there’s no way I could have saluted, even for a second.

  The bodyguards quickly led me through the maze of people and into a small shuttle that transported me to the War Room. Kala insisted on going with me, and I allowed it, but I insisted that Lunnie go with the cadets, all of whom were to be taken to one of the onboard lounges.

  As soon as I entered the War Room, everyone let out a cheer. “Welcome back, Admiral,” said Marranalis. “You gave us quite a scare.”

  “Thank you, Admiral, I replied. “What’s the status on Plosaxen?”

  “We’re just beginning to receive reports now. Initial intelligence gathered by Commander Ircart indicates that there have been four separate attacks on the base; one at the parade grounds, where it appears you and Admiral Windangar were the main targets; another at the main weapons depot, where the bomb failed to detonate the munitions inside; a single detonation near the base’s Cantolla Gate Station, which was damaged but will be back in operation soon; and a fourth outside the base’s War Room, which also suffered minor damage that will be repaired within a day or so. There still is some contained fighting, as the enemy combatants appear to be cloaked, but there didn't seem to be many of them. The best estimation is maybe twenty at the most.”

  “Windangar? Was he hit?”

  “No, sir, but a cadet who was shielding him was killed.”

  “How did they get on the base undetected?”

  “It’s unclear at this time, but we think they may have slipped through the Cantolla Gates one or two at a time while cloaked when guests and families began to arrive for the event. Security was focused on processing the large number of people, so it’s possible that cloaked intruders would have been able to slip past the checkpoints undetected.”

  “How did they get a bomb through the sensors and planted into the seating area?”

  “They used a body-bomber, sir. We’ve confirmed it with vid recordings, if you wish to see it. We suspect the bomber didn’t even know he was carrying a bomb inside of him. He was seated directly behind you and was acting perfectly normal until he exploded.”

  “Body-bomber! I thought the Brotherhood had stopped using them! We haven’t seen any of those in several years!” I exclaimed.

  “Well, apparently they’re back. It was also a body-bomb that damaged the Cantolla Gate Station, as was the bomb that damaged the War Room housing. We're not sure about the one at the munitions depot. There isn’t enough evidence to know for sure and there was no camera recording the area where the explosion took place.”

  “What’s happening down there now?” I asked, as I looked at the 3D holographic display of the base in the ship's War Room. As we scanned the real-time image, I could see what appeared to be clouds forming in certain areas that were slowly dispersing through the grounds and campus buildings.

  “Are they using some kind of gas?”

  “Sir,” replied one of the aides monitoring communications from Plosaxen’s surface, “Someone has issued orders for a light fog to be emitted from the on-base fog machines. Apparently the fog creates a visible corona discharge around the cloaking fields of the enemy combatants, so we can spot them quite easily.”

  “What? I’ve never heard anything about that. Have you Marranalis?” I asked.

  “No, sir. It’s new to me.”

  “Get A’Lappe on the vid,” I commanded.

  A’Lappe’s image appeared a few seconds later and Rory was standing next to him. “What can I do for you, Admiral?” he asked.

  “A’Lappe, there’s been an incident at the graduation involving cloaked attackers and our troops are using fog generators to reveal the locations of the combatants. Do you know anything about fog producing a visible corona discharge around a cloaked object?”

  A’Lappe’s blank expression told me he hadn’t thought about it. Slowly he said, “No… but it’s possible, now that you mention it.”

  Behind him, I saw an excited look on Rory’s face.

  “It works! It works! Reide, and me tested it one time here in the lab!” he said as he began to leap around.

  “What?!” I exclaimed.

  “When?” asked A’Lappe at the same time.

  “The day before Tibby took him to Alamar-4 with Lunnie,” replied Rory.

  “What did you do?” asked A’Lappe.

  “Reide wanted to see if the cloaking devices made fog invisible, but when we tested it in the lab, the whole thing lit up and turned blue and made crackling noises.”

  “Why didn’t you and Reide tell me about this?” A’Lappe asked with an excitement he rarely showed outwardly.

  “I don’t know,” Rory said sheepishly. “Reide said it wasn’t of any use, because there’s no fog in space and that you already have gravity mass detectors to reveal the locations of ships cloaked in space.”

  “Yes, but we didn’t have any way of spotting people wearing cloaking devices on the ground or inside a ship,” I said. “Rory this is a great discovery that you and Reide made!”

  Rory beamed, but added, “It was mostly Reide’s idea. But I helped!”

  “So then Reide must be the one responsible for the fog as a means of finding the snipers and other cloaked enemies,” A’Lappe said.

  “It certainly looks that way.”

  “Tibby, is Reide alright?” asked Rory as I was about to end the call.

  “I don’t know,” I said. “But as soon as I find out, I’ll let you know.”

  Over the next hour, we monitored the battle in the 3D hologram and received reports of action on the ground. Thirty-one people were killed in the explosion at the parade grounds. One cadet was killed shielding Admiral Windangar and eight more were wounded either by flying debris from the blast or wounds received in battle. Commander Ircart received a flesh wound. Seven civilians died in the stadium seating, thirteen were wounded at the base Cantolla Gate Station and, miraculously, only three people died in the area of the armory. The latest report indicated six wounded and zero deaths at the base War Room. At other locations around the base the cloaked snipers managed to kill twenty-two additional staff, officers and cadets before they were finally located and stopped. All but one of them were killed. The last was hit by an armored vehicle as he tried to flee. He was transported to the base hospital and was in critical condition.

  Although I didn’t ask him to, Marranalis checked on Reide’s status. Reide was doing fine and it was indeed Reide's doing when the fog generators were utilized to find the enemy snipers. I asked Marranalis to se
nd Rory a message on my behalf, letting him know Reide was safe.

  When it finally seemed that everything on the base was once again under control, Marranalis turned to Kala and said, “Captain Kalana, as the only person here that is able to give orders to Tibby that he is likely to follow, I respectfully request that you order him to go immediately to the infirmary.”

  Kala chuckled and then looked at me sternly. “You heard what the Admiral said. Do I need to order troopers to drag you there or will you go willingly?”

  “Alright, alright! I surrender,” I joked back. Then I turned to Marranalis and quipped, “I won’t forget this… traitor.”

  Marranalis let out a loud laugh, and I could have sworn I saw tears of relief in his eyes that I was going to be alright. I struggled to keep from groaning as Kala helped me to my feet. By now, the pain and soreness had amplified and was many times harsher than when I arrived. I would have preferred going back to the NEW ORLEANS to be treated by A’Lappe, but I knew that wasn’t going to happen; so, slowly and painfully, I leaned on Kala as we made our way to the infirmary.

  Healing broken bones in the Federation was faster and easier than it was during my days on Earth. The Federation medics used an impressed current system therapy, one far superior to the experimental versions that were being developed before I left Earth. Instead of taking more than a month to heal a fracture, only a few days were required. After electrodes were placed on the affected areas, my upper chest was wrapped in a transparent, yet still breathable plastic wrap that I was told would need to be changed in three days. In the meantime, I could shower, as the bandages were not affected by moisture and would dry the same as the rest of my body. It would take a total of six days to be completely healed. I was given medication for pain and told I needed rest, but the medic relented on the last order when I expressed the needs of the current situation. Marranalis contacted me, saying that the news services were asking for comments from me regarding the events of the day. I told him to contact Admiral Wabussie and pull together all the facts that were available so that he could provide me with a briefing in thirty minutes. Marranalis also advised that all three of the Federation Leaders, Rabadat Tonklin and numerous senators were inquiring about my status.