Resolute Omnibus (The War for Terra)

by James Prosser

  “We began ferrying personnel up after we got here,” Ortiz answered. “The locals are staying, but everyone else remembers the last time the Ch’Tauk came and is bugging out as fast as we can get to them.”

  “Acknowledged,” Chang returned. “We will begin deploying the battle platforms as soon as the destroyers are in position. Mars, you can get into position near Baal and watch our flank.”

  “Commodore,” said Ortiz, looking at the two destroyers. “Where did you get the extra hardware?”

  “Your friend, Captain Pearce,” replied Chang. “He found a few new toys that should be along shortly.”

  Ortiz saw the ships begin to deploy their battle platforms. The Gettysburg class ships were equipped with several smaller platforms capable of projecting a massive amount of plasma projectiles towards any object deemed unfriendly. Austerlitz had needed many of its platforms rebuilt after the damage inflicted during the escape from the Ch’Tauk years ago, but the new ship seemed to have all of its equipment ready for deployment. Ortiz pulled up his holographic screens and looked for the transponder code of the new ship. The computer had identified the ship’s transponder code as the Culloden.

  “Sir, I am reading more incoming,” said Lellda. “It must be the rest of the fleet.”

  “The new contact is coming it at one-seventy one, declination negative fifty,” added Rowling in his succinct British accent. “I don’t think they came from the same place, Captain.”

  Ortiz pressed the keys on his chair arm and the image on the view screen swung around to behind the ship. He saw the large jump exit forming and the first few ships emerge, wrapped in their fiery cocoon. As the number of ships increased, Ortiz’ heart began to pound faster in his chest. The first ship, a vessel smaller than the Hope, lost its halo of energy and resolved into a Ch’Tauk ship. As the remainder of the ships exited the jump point, Ortiz could see that it was a large fleet of Ch’Tauk warships and fighters, accompanied by a massive dreadnought that dwarfed even Baal.

  “Get us behind the carrier,” Ortiz yelled, standing up and stepping to the edge of the bridge well. “We are right in the line of fire.”

  The image on the big view screen shifted as the former cruise liner left close orbit and made a run for the safety of cover behind Baal. Ortiz saw fighter ships launching from the carrier as his own ship moved past it. He did not bother to try to contact the big ship as he knew that Chang would have his hands full. He saw the weapons console activate and the shields power up as they moved to a safer area.

  Captain Browning had already begun moving the cruiser, Mars, closer to the sight of the jump point. The big warship had already begun to glow with hits as the Ch’Tauk fighter escorts began peppering her with plasma fire. For her part, Browning seemed to be waiting to close with the larger Ch’Tauk cruisers before opening up her own cannons. Ortiz knew that this was a good strategic move, but that it also moved Mars closer to the dreadnought and its enormous cannon.

  The Peregrine fighter squadron from Baal finally met with the Ch’Tauk attack craft. Although they had not had time to be upgraded as far as the Silver Eagle aboard Resolute, the fighters still had much more powerful shielding and were equipped with upgraded engines. The view screen began to be filled with the red-orange bolts of plasma that were being exchanged. Ortiz ordered the ship to turn around so that he could be ready in case of attack. His own ship had only the bow laser for defense and he could not fire it behind them.

  “Rowling,” Ortiz barked at his first officer. “What’s the status on our shuttles?”

  “Our pilots are still on the hangar deck, sir,” the man replied. “Flight crews have refused to open the doors. Damn rude if you ask me, I mean the enemies have knocked, you know.”

  “Not now, Godfrey,” Ortiz said, grinning at the man’s ability to joke. “Where are the destroyers?”

  “Austerlitz and Culloden have both reported fifty percent deployment, sir,” replied Lellda. “They just haven’t had the time, sir.”

  Ortiz checked his holographic display and counted twenty four Ch’Tauk capital ships as well as what seemed to be hundreds of fighters. With only Baal, Mars, the two destroyers and several support ships, he knew that they could not hold out for long. When he checked the display again, he noticed a single Ch’Tauk destroyer that had exited after the rest and was moving away from the battle. He dedicated one screen to the strange alien ship while he turned his attention back to the battle.

  Alfredo Ortiz had been a Confederate captain for most of his adult life. He had retired from the military to serve on the cruise lines, but had retained enough of his former knowledge to see that the odds were not in their favor. He had never encountered an opposing force of such strength with so few defenders to make a stand.

  A second wave of fighters from the carrier swept in to attack the dreadnought, trying to distract the large ship from attacking Baal. The Ch’Tauk warship opened fire on the tiny fighters and they were instantly annihilated in the crossfire. Ortiz felt helpless as he watched human lives being taken in the battle. Despite his dislike of weapons on his ship, he wished he could have at least one bank of plasma cannons to help the Alliance fleet.

  The two destroyers finally finished deploying the battle platforms and turned to face the alien fleet. It only took a few moments before the platforms opened fire on the nearest Ch’Tauk cruiser. The plasma bolts seemed to bounce off of the tough armor as the Ch’Tauk ship continued on its course towards Baal. Culloden broke away from its sister ship and headed straight for the larger ship. As it entered range, the powerful destroyer unleashed a barrage of red-orange flame at the alien ship. The ship’s already weakened armor gave way and a gout of fire erupted from the side. Culloden continued to fire into the larger ship until a massive tear broke one of the bands completely away from the cruiser. It ceased advancing on the carrier and tried to turn away, only to be caught in the path of Mars, which tore the ship to shreds.

  “Captain,” cried Lellda. “Several ships have broken away and are heading for the surface.”

  Ortiz checked his display again to see a smaller group of ships moving away from the main battle and begin orbiting the planet. Small icons representing landing craft broke off from one of the ships and began to head for the surface. Ortiz knew that the ground forces consisted of the Corsairs and a few personnel from Mars who had volunteered to oversee the evacuation.

  “Godfrey,” Ortiz ordered. “Get those hangar doors open and those shuttles down to the ground.”

  “Aye, sir,” replied the first officer. “Pilots report appreciation for relieving their boredom, sir.”

  “Lellda,” the captain continued. “Let Chang know we are sending our ships out and request escorts to the surface.”

  The little communications officer smiled and gave a thumb up with her stunted hoof’s opposable dew claw. Ortiz looked over the displays hovering in the air around him. He still saw the lone destroyer parked on the outer edges of the battle and wondered why it had not joined the conflict. He hoped that it did not have further surprises for the Alliance fleet.

  The captain’s attention was snapped back to the screen as a bright flash erupted from the Ch’Tauk dreadnought. Mars seemed to rock in space as the powerful plasma cannon in the nose of the big ship poured its fury into the cruiser. The Terran ship listed as its shields overloaded and flared a brilliant white. The cruiser did not erupt as other ships that had been hit with the powerful blast did; but it was obvious that the warship would not be much use in the battle. Ortiz could see the damage inflicted on the ship as it tumbled over in space.

  Baal began firing its own cannons at the incoming Ch’Tauk ships. Although the carrier was mainly used for deploying fighters and bombers, she was also equipped with hundreds of small cannons and a paired set of magnetic rail cannons that could give out as good as it got. She was a fountain of plasma as the Ch’Tauk fighters attempted to swam the ship. Many of the little insectoid ships bloomed into debris as the carrier found its marks, b
ut more soon joined the assault.

  “Captain,” announced Lellda. “More jump points opening at one-seventy two and one ninety nine.”

  Ortiz watched as the screen shifted around to see the exit points. If the Ch’Tauk had called in reinforcements, they had brought them around to pinch off the human escape routes. With the cruise ship turned around, the jump point was now behind them and near where the Baal group had exited. Ortiz watched as the ships raced from the vortex, encased in their fiery energy shell. He crossed his fingers as he watched the first massive ship lose the corona.

  “It’s Zeus!” Lellda exclaimed, standing up in her excitement. “Our mother I can’t believe it!”

  Ortiz saw the carrier shed the excess energy and slow to normal velocity. It seemed that Lee had found the entire missing fleet and that the ship had arrived just in the nick of time. Following the carrier, two more destroyers and a cruiser exited the jump exit. When that point closed, the other erupted in one of the largest warships that Ortiz had ever seen. The Hector class battle cruiser dwarfed the cruise ship and cast an actual shadow over the Terran Hope as she passed. Although slightly smaller than the Zeus class carriers, the battle cruiser was all war ship and bristled with weapons.

  “The Calvary has arrived,” said Godfrey. “I only hope in time.”

  The battle cruiser waded into the battle and opened fire. The Ch’Tauk fleet parted like waves as the big ship cleaved its way into the battle. The Ch’Tauk dreadnought began to turn its bow weapon at the Genghis Khan, but the big ship seemed to expect the move and accelerated to cover behind an alien cruiser. The new destroyer, Kabul, swept in past the disabled Mars and opened fire on the alien dreadnought.

  In his entire life, Alfredo Ortiz had never been so grateful to see plasma bolts fired from Terran cannons. He watched the battle and hoped that the people on the surface could defend themselves, because there was no way the battle in space would be over quickly.

  22

  The Gilbert’s Luck

  As Connor Jakes left the safety of the overhanging tree branches, he spotted the reason for the explosive noises that had scattered the local arboreal life. Four Ch’Tauk landers screamed in from above, shedding their re-entry heat and blasting through the sound barrier. Jakes had never seen the alien landers before but had heard about their effect when Earth was targeted.

  Each ship, shaped like a cocooned butterfly, was carrying at least two hundred Ch’Tauk soldiers, armed and vicious in battle. Jakes saw the ships spread and begin their landing procedures over the swampy landscape. There were very few clearings that could accommodate the big ships and the pirate captain knew what was coming before it happened.

  Bright orange plasma bolts were fired from hidden ports along the underside of the ships. The forest erupted in a massive fireball that began to engulf the surrounding area. As Jakes turned to retreat from the conflagration, a wave of heat and energy washed over the forest and threw the captain face-first into the muck. He felt his back burning as the firestorm continued to rage across the swamp. He dove deeper into the mud and water until the remains of his tattered shirt ceased to burn. His single lungful of air began to match the burning across his back as he waited out the explosion.

  Finally unable to cope with the lack of oxygen, Jakes pushed himself up from the swamp and looked around. The area, which had been so alive with the sounds of native reptile birds and screeching lemur-like creatures, was silent save for the sounds of the crackling fires that had cleansed all life from the surface. The water was still steaming with leftover heat and Jakes pulled his legs up from the deep mud and stood on shaky legs.

  He staggered away from the devastation as he heard the Ch’Tauk landers begin to settle down on their newly formed landing pads. Although his head was still groggy from the lack of oxygen and his back seemed to still be on fire, Jakes needed to get back to where Melaina and the others waited. He knew, at least, that they had been safe from the plasma storm and that helped motivate him to move his wobbling legs.

  Reaching the trunk of an enormous tree that had somehow escaped destruction, Connor reached out to find the release for the thick hatch that covered the opening to the Karisien bunker. It took him several tries to find the release and open the hatch. Just as he felt his own legs fall out from under him, four strong arms caught him and lowered him down the short ramp and into the shielded bunker where Tuxor laid him out on a dry mat.

  The bunker had been built after the invasion by the remaining Karisiens from the roots of the native mangrove tree. The tree roots had been grown by the natural arborists on the planet to enclose a wide area under the swamp. The Elves had used the remains of the Confederation base to line the enclosure with radiation and sensor shielding. Additional work had transformed the humid underground area into a livable habitat.

  Melaina entered from a side room where she had been trying to control the shaking that had started when she saw the damaged base. She saw Jakes and let out a small cry, rushing to his side and examining his wounds. The man barely stirred as she gingerly began to peel away the remnants of his shirt.

  “Please,” he cried silently. “Stop! you’re peelin’ my skin off.”

  “Oh stop it you big baby,” she replied, trying to tease him into not moving. “I’m only getting rid of this filthy shirt. You look like you have been rolling in the mud.”

  “Funny you should mention that, precious,” the man said, wincing in pain, but trying not to move. “I needed to get my beauty mask on and the Ch’Tauk decided to heat up the swamp to help it seep in.”

  Melaina looked up as one of the Karisien females crossed over and put a lower flipper on her shoulder. The alien had a wadded up mound of what looked like algae in her upper hands. Melaina stood and moved out of the way as the Karisien placed the greenish mass on Jakes’ back. He hissed in pain as the gelatinous mass touched his skin, but quieted down as the moist liquid from the algae began to spread across his wound. He soon seemed to drift off into unconsciousness as Melaina watched the sticky substance begin to bubble.

  “The Iraga weed seems to work wonders on human skin,” the Karisien female said, backing off and allowing Melaina back in. “Your mate should begin to heal soon.”

  Melaina decided not to correct the alien as she wandered off. The thunder of more destruction from above seemed to shake the walls and floor of the bunker with every heartbeat. Melaina did not want to imagine what was being done to the home of Tuxor’s family and friends. It all seemed so senseless to invade a planet as peaceful as Karisia on the strength of Erik’s tortured confession.

  “My dear God, Melaina,” said Heyerdahl, who had just returned from his shared quarters. What has happened to him?”

  “You did, Erik,” Melaina cried, rounding on the older man with unrestricted fury. “You did this, Erik! You were the one that told the lies about Karisia and you were the one that probably got us all killed!”

  The woman lunged at Heyerdahl, throwing her fists at him in an attempt to punch her way through his body. Heyerdahl. Not a fit man, but not a thin man either, stumbled backwards as Melaina continued to beat at his chest in anger. He had obviously not expected this kind of reaction from his former colleague.

  Tuxor swept in from behind Melaina and tried to pull her arms back. As he lifted her from the ground, she kicked out, catching Heyerdahl across the chin and knocking him from his feet. Melaina continued trying to lash out at the man, even though he was far out of reach and on the ground. Tuxor had lifted his friend completely off of the ground as she struggled to get free. She finally began to weaken, her rage dying off with the expenditure of energy.

  “You bitch!” Heyerdahl said. “How dare you hit me?”

  The sudden change in composure of the scientist startled Melaina as she looked at her former friend. He was rubbing his chin as a trickle of blood began to flow from his lips. His skin, once pale from captivity, was livid and flushed with blood. The biggest change, however, was in his demeanor. He no longer acted as if h
e had been kept prisoner for years, but more like a man who had held his temper in check for a long while. His face was contorted in anger and pain.

  “You stinking alien trash,” he said, looking around at the Karisiens. “Now that the Ch’Tauk are here, you will all be wiped clean from the galaxy. When this invasion is over, I will own this disgusting planet and you all will be my slaves.”

  The Karisiens recoiled in horror as the man stood and swept his arms around to point at them. Although the natives were much larger than the man, his fury had scared them into submission. It was only Tuxor, a veteran now of many battles and privations, who stepped forward towards the man. He had put Melaina back on her feet and the two were approaching the scientist with caution.

  “Erik,” Melaina said. “What are you saying?”

  “I am saying, you stupid cow, that when my friends get here, you and these stinking pirates will be rounded up and burned to death,” replied Heyerdahl. “And these damn frogs will become the slaves of the Ch’Tauk Empire under my command.”

  The man leapt at Tuxor, his speed surprising the big alien and making him unable to respond in time. For a large man, Heyerdahl moved with a terrifying grace. His speed and power were enough to unbalance the amphibian and push him back and onto Jakes’ still form. As he turned to face Melaina, his arm shot out and caught her on her cheek, staggering her and sending her to the floor as well. The man leapt after Tuxor, grabbing Jakes’ gun from the sleeping man and holding it to Tuxor’s temple. The other Karisiens pulled back in fear.

  “Now,” Erik said, wrapping his other arm around the thick neck of the amphibian. “I am going to go up and open the door so that my friends can come in and take care of you. If you are even a tenth as smart as you think you are, you will stay where you are and accept it.”

  “Erik,” Melaina asked. “Why? You were one of our best. Did they do something to you when you were captured?”