Solbidyum Wars Saga 9: At What Price

by Dale Musser

  “I’ve been thinking about the body-bombers at Bothex and realized that it’s the home planet of the traitor, Rinncal Haf-joab. Do you think that has anything to do with the bombings?”

  “It might,” said Wabussie. “Since the Federation has released most of the war prisoners from the Lunar Prison Colony that are no longer believed to be a threat, it’s possible Rinncal has been released. Let me check.” Wabussie paused to check the database. “Yes. Rinncal was released from the Lunar Prison six months ago. He’s been residing on Bothex ever since. His estate was attacked and destroyed just three days ago. Rinncal wasn’t there at the time. He was believed to be in hiding somewhere else on the planet, likely because he had been expecting Ming’s wrath. So yes, it’s possible the attack on Bothex may have had more to do with Rinncal than anything else. You know how Ming rewards those who disappoint him and I’m sure Rinncal meets his twisted criteria for failure. Knocking out the Cantolla Gates would be a means of keeping Rinncal on the planet. If he tried to leave on a ship, they could certainly intercept by way of a cloaked ship that they staged in orbit. What I don’t know is what they would have gained by knocking out the solbidyum power station.”

  “I think we need to find Rinncal before Ming does. He may have something useful to tell us,” I said.

  “I’ll put some agents on it immediately. He may not be easy to find, assuming he’s still on Bothex at all. If Ming is after him, I’m sure he’s holed up somewhere very secure.”

  I was sitting in my office sometime later, mulling over the data we were getting from the various attack sites, when Marranalis called me on my desk com.

  “Admiral, we’re arriving at Efferatus-6. Shall I give the order to Captain Hanges to begin firing the PLABE on the asteroids?”

  “Yes. I’ll be in the War Room shortly. Call up the local scene so we can observe what’s happening,” I replied.

  When I stood up, my stomach objected with a growl. “Damn it,” I muttered to myself, realizing that I hadn’t eaten. It was bad enough that I was running on insufficient sleep; I didn’t need to be malnourished as well. I activated my wrist com on my way out the door. “Pieamar, will you prepare something simple for me to eat and send it to the War Room?”

  “Certainly, sir. Is this a meal for one or will there be others dining with you?”

  “Just for one, Pieamar. Thank you.”

  When I reached the War Room, the 3D hologram already displayed the scene of the GLOMAR ROSA as it approached the first asteroid. Destruction of the projectile was swift and complete with the power of the PLABE. If only we had possessed more of these amazing weapons. A’Lappe had been searching the universe for the past two years for another source of rundadite, but he had not been able to find a single grain of it anywhere. We were limited to just three PLABEs when we were in need of hundreds.

  “Admiral, do you think this may have been some sort of test by the Brotherhood to see how we would handle this situation?” asked Marranalis. “I mean, they could have a cloaked ship staged in the area that’s watching to see how we deal with this kind of attack.”

  “I hadn’t thought of that, but it would make sense. See if the sensors have picked up anything unusual and send out patrol ships to scan the area,” I replied.

  “Yes, sir.”

  Pieamar showed up with a food cart moments later, though why he bothered to bring this particular meal on a cart I didn’t understand, as it was a simple sandwich that didn’t require a tray or eating utensils. Sandwiches weren’t uncommon in the Federation, but their shapes and ingredients were somewhat unusual when compared to Earth-style sandwiches. The particular one Pieamar served looked like it had been made using a hollowed out piece of French bread stuffed with slivers of seasoned meats and fresh vegetables. Once all the ingredients were placed inside the bread, the entire sandwich was placed under a press of sorts and flattened to the thickness of an Old Earth peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Strange as that may sound, it was actually quite delicious.

  I ate my lunch quickly with two cups of foccee while observing the demolition of the remaining asteroids on the holographic display. I dusted the last few crumbs from my uniform as the final asteroid was vaporized. Within minutes every remaining trace of the threat had been eliminated, along with my tell-tale crumbs, and Marranalis and I began to reassess the status of the fleet’s deployment.

  “Well, it looks like the GLOMAR ROSA is no longer needed in this sector. Order Captain Hanges to set a course for the assembly point for our offensive against the Brotherhood asteroid-ship fabrication site.”

  “Sir, don’t you intend to wait until you hear the results of the regional scan for possible cloaked Brotherhood ships?” asked Marranalis.

  “No, I don’t think that’s necessary. If they find any spy ships, tell the local defenses to destroy them. Ming will have already received word of what we did here, but I want him to also know we found and destroyed his spies.”

  “Admiral, are you feeling OK?” asked Marranalis quietly, so no one else would hear.

  “Yes, I think so. A bit tired, but otherwise I think I’m alright. Why do you ask?”

  “Well, it’s just that you look like you're about to drop any minute and fall asleep,” Marranalis said.

  “What day is it? I mean, how long has it been since my last treatment?” I asked.

  “Four days, sir. You still have three days before your next treatment.”

  “Four days! That’s all? It feels like it was weeks ago!”

  “Sir, I don’t think you’ve slept more than eighteen hours in the past hundred or more. May I suggest strongly, sir, that you get some sleep before we go into the next battle.”

  “Yes, I guess you’re right. I need to stay sharp and I’ve passed my peak performance level since the last treatment. As much as I hate to admit it, I’m already on the downhill side until the next one. Send a message to the fleet officers involved in the upcoming attack advising that we will move through the stellar gates and begin the attack in eight hours. I’m heading to my quarters. Send someone to wake me in six hours,” I said as I headed toward the door. With each step it seemed my legs became heavier, but I made it back to my cabin and was asleep within seconds after arriving.

  “Wake up, sir! It’s time for you to wake up!” I heard a voice saying as my shoulder was rattled.

  “Ehgo… lemme sleep,” I mumbled.

  “Sir, you must wake up. Admiral Marranalis said you specifically asked to be awakened at this time.” I was now alert enough to recognize the voice as belonging to Pieamar.

  “Uh… yeah… gimme a minun… minute,” I muttered as I tried to force myself awake.

  “Sir, would you like me to bring you some foccee or would you prefer a cup of your Old Earth coffee?”

  “Earth coffee?” I said as I jarred myself awake. “We have Earth coffee?”

  “Yes, sir. The supply is limited, of course, but Cantolla has been growing the plants and producing the roasted beans at your estate for some time now. Piebar says it’s all the rage there at the moment and that it is excellent for waking one up.”

  “Yes, yes, it is. I’ll have some hot coffee and some of those Lepedeen pastries. No, forget the pastries, I need something more substantial if I’m going to be dealing with battle plans today. Make it a two-Iboc-egg omelet,” I said as I swung out of bed and headed for the shower.

  Iboc eggs and coffee, I thought; now that would be a meal. Iboc eggs were just slightly larger than Earth chicken eggs. The first time I tried them I thought I was eating real Earth chicken eggs cooked in bacon fat, because that’s exactly how they tasted. I was already beginning to salivate just thinking about them as I showered, groomed and dressed. By the time I had completed my morning routine, Pieamar had my meal ready for me in the dining area.

  “Is there anything else you wish sir?” he asked as he finished pouring a cup of coffee.

  “Thank you, but no. This is excellent, Pieamar.”

  I wasted no time reaching for
the coffee. The rich scent and flavor stimulated momentary flashbacks of Old Earth. I could almost see my grandmother and grandfather sitting around the kitchen table in their small house in the Louisiana swamplands – Grandpa reading the paper, telling Grandma what was going wrong in the world and how it was the Damned-o-crats faults. Grandma would say uh-huh, like she was agreeing, but she didn’t. She once laughed and told me how she always voted as a liberal with the Democratic Party, while George, my Grandfather, always voted as a conservative with the Republican Party. This was after he died, of course, that she told me. As I enjoyed my eggs, I wondered what they would have thought about the Federation’s system of government. I sighed and finished my last fork of food and put away old memories as I finished my coffee. It was time to focus on this pivotal battle, but I felt compelled to first make a quick vid call to Kala to see how she was doing.

  “Tib, I miss you,” she said. “I know you’ve only been away a couple of days, but it feels like weeks.”

  “I miss you, too,” I said. It’s been terribly busy on this end. Marranalis made me get some sleep. I’ve only had a fraction of the rest I should be getting and I guess it was showing.”

  “Yes, I heard. I called to talk to you earlier and he told me that he practically had to force you to retire before the next campaign. Tib you can’t keep pushing yourself like that.”

  “I know. How about you go tell that to Ming, so he holds back while I get some rest?” I said jokingly.

  “Have you eaten?” she asked.

  “Yes. Pieamar made me some Iboc eggs and coffee. I thought for a minute I was back on Earth. How are the twins?” I asked.

  “They’re gone… back on duty now. I told them goodbye for you. They were disappointed you weren’t here to see them off, but they have a better sense of appreciation now for why you weren’t here than they did in the past. Lunnie made a quick trip down to Earth before she went back to Megelleon. It must be your blood in her, Tib, because she really loves that planet.”

  “I hope we can end this war one day soon, so she can spend as much time there as she wishes. But I’m worried, Kala. Things are escalating, not improving. The Federation is twenty-two percent smaller than it was when I arrived here twenty years ago, and that’s after adding Goo’Waddle to the Federation. Ming’s new attack techniques will stretch our resources to the maximum and the fleet will be speeding around the galaxy to put out fires as he wears us down. I’ve got to find him and stop him once and for all.”

  “Just remember, Tibby, you’re not going to be able to stop him if you kill yourself in the process,” Kala said.

  I sighed and rubbed my brow. “I know. Anyway, I’ll be busy for a while, but as soon as I have an opportunity, I’ll be back to see you. I do miss you.”

  “I miss you, too. Now go get Ming so you can come home,” she added before quickly disconnecting. I could see the tears beginning to well in her eyes before the screen blacked out.

  Things needed to move rapidly, if we were going to make this next campaign count. The GLOMAR ROSA arrived at the assembly point with the rest of forces. The armada was divided into four fleets, one for each stellar Cantolla Gate, and staged at their respective gates. The strategy was to launch the attack simultaneously on all four fronts.

  Normally, I wasn’t nervous about going into battle, but on this occasion I was. Ever since Regeny’s death I had been feeling mounting pressure when entering into battles and more fear about the possibility of a trap or unforeseen risks that would result in the loss of lives and ships. Destroying Glomar Rosa to save the fleet and give the rest of the Federation a fighting chance still plagued me, even though I knew it was the only solution. I feared that I might have to face another such dilemma, and I didn’t know if I would ever be able to make such an unbearably painful decision again.

  “Admiral, everything is in place and we’re awaiting your orders,” said Marranalis.

  “Very well. Order the gates to be opened and let’s get this show on the road,” I said. Actually, what I said was, “Order the gates to be opened and let's push the carts down the road,” which was a colloquialism in Federation language that meant the same thing as its Old Earth counterpart.

  Moments later, we found ourselves in another part of the galaxy. The holographic display in the War Room showed the asteroid cluster and I could see our ships appearing in the four coordinates where they were supposed to be. What I wasn’t seeing was the hive of Brotherhood ships.”

  “What happened?! Did the Brotherhood get word of our arrival and flee?” I asked.

  “Pardon me, sir,” said one of the specialists manning a console. Blips lit up all over the display almost instantly. “The sensors identifying the Brotherhood ships were inadvertently turned off. Sir, it looks like they’ve detected our arrival. Fighters are headed in our direction.”

  “Marranalis, order the attack to commence as planned,” I said. “See if you can locate Ming’s, old starship. When you find it, the GLOMAR ROSA will lead the attack against it.”

  “Sir, I’m not picking up any large starships on our scanners,” said Marranalis.

  “Keep looking. I just hope he hasn’t moved to some other location.”

  “Sir, it looks like the asteroid-ships are maneuvering deeper into the asteroid cluster where they’re disappearing,” reported the trooper at the console.

  “Damn, they must have a stellar gate nested in there. Head for that location at maximum speed and focus the PLABE on the location where they’re departing. If we’re lucky, we may be able to knock out that gate. If we do, we’ll be able to mop up the ships left behind and maybe gain some future advantage. How many asteroid-ships are you detecting?” I asked tentatively.

  “Two hundred and eleven at this moment, but they’re disappearing fast. Our PLABE is hitting some that are trying to make it through the gate though.”

  It was nearly twenty minutes later when he announced, “Sir, the asteroid-ships appear to have stopped disappearing. I believe we may have disabled their gate.”

  “I hope so, but it’s just as possible that Ming closed it from the other side to prevent us from getting through ourselves to pursue him. If that’s the case, he may just as well be prepared to reopen this gate or other gates to send his asteroid-ships back into the battle,” I said. “Warn our ships to be on alert for a potential counterattack from any direction.”

  With this inner gate closed the asteroid-ships were trapped, so it was easy pickings for the GLOMAR ROSA’s PLABE. Meanwhile, the rest of the Federation armada was taking out fighters and any other Brotherhood ships still in the vicinity.

  “How many Brotherhood ships have we taken out so far?” I asked.

  “Ninety-seven, sir,” Marranalis reported.

  “Good! How many escaped through the gates before it closed?”

  “More than seventy, but we don't know the exact number, sir.”

  “Excellent, let's finish off what’s left. How are our fleets doing? What are our losses?”

  “We’ve lost more than two hundred fighters so far and two carriers, but otherwise we’re holding strong.”

  “How many of their fighters have we taken out?” I asked.

  “Nearly seven hundred, sir.”

  “Good, let’s clean them all up. I’m hoping we’ve done some serious damage to Ming’s forces here today.”

  “I’m sure he won’t be happy about it,” replied Marranalis.

  “I just wonder where he is. He’s the head on this damned snake and if we can cut the head off, the rest of the snake will die. I’m sure of that. Ming doesn’t trust anyone to retain a level of power that’s anywhere even close to his. Since Roritat was eliminated, more and more of the top-ranking Brotherhood have continued to vanish, leaving only Ming to call the shots. We get him and it’s all over.”

  “So where do you think he might be?” asked Marranalis, as if he thought I had any idea.

  “I don’t know. Honestly, I haven’t any clues at all,” I replied with a he
avy sigh. In spite of the successful attack, I couldn’t shake the growing heaviness in my chest – whether it be doubt or instinct – that told me we were far from grasping the scope of Ming’s malevolent scheme and understanding what was already unfolding before us.

  The clean-up battles lasted the rest of the day, but none involved counterattacks or re-entry of Ming’s forces through other Cantolla Gates. I had anticipated that the operation would have required much more time, but then I didn’t predict that so many asteroid-ships would escape through a Cantolla Gate in the middle of the asteroid field.

  “Do you think Ming has other fabrication sites producing asteroid-ships like this place?” asked Marranalis as we neared the end of the last battle.

  “I’m sure he does. What might help us find them are the characteristics that make this asteroid field uniquely suitable for creating these ships. The odds are any site he uses will be similar to this one. If we can compile the details of this field and feed them into the galactic mapping system, it may be able to predict where Ming sought to build others. Contact A’Lappe with the relevant data as soon as it’s compiled and see if he can identify any similar sites.”

  “Sir, not a single frigate, corvette or starship was found here. Do you think Ming has given up on conventional warships in favor of strictly asteroid-ships and fighters?”

  “I doubt it. However, it’s faster and cheaper for him to build asteroid-ships and they hold up better under fire than a standard frigate or starship. Beyond that, Ming staffs them with a minimal crew and gives no concern for their comforts when it comes to finishing the interior of the ships. Fighters are quick and maneuverable and carry a lot of firepower, plus they too are inexpensive and require only the pilot for operation. Maintaining this type of armament, Ming is able to spread his resources across a massive fleet quickly and cheaply, creating a considerable space force that can effectively combat our more expensive ships.”

  “Maybe we should be looking at using asteroid-ships,” said Marranalis.