by John Walker
This wasn’t supposed to be a combat zone. The thought came unbidden. After the battle where his mentor died, alliance high command summoned him immediately. He figured they were going to demote him or at the very least offer a reprimand. Some part of him thought he might even be to blame for the loss of all those alliance personnel.
When they promoted him and gave him command of the Crystal Font, he thought he must be dreaming. The blood of his friend was barely cold and he took his place. He made it sound cold in his head but he knew the old Anthar would’ve approved. Kale worked toward this goal his entire life…he just wished he’d achieved it differently.
Many captains would’ve been offended by the assignment to visit Earth but Kale welcomed a little peace. Stretching into the role of Anthar without having to fire a weapon appealed to him. As they entered Sol, he longed for the days his father talked about, those of exploration and discovery. That was his calling…he just happened to be good at conflict.
Arriving in the combat zone above the research facility shocked him but he didn’t let it slow his resolve. He continued to struggle with a hint of anxiety, worry that he might not be up to the task. Employing every ounce of discipline he possessed allowed him to press on. Those around him probably had no idea he felt genuine fear at being in another major battle.
Even if it seemed like they were doing well.
He’d seen the enemy perform a sacrifice before and made his report on it. The fact his own military didn’t react quickly to it surprised him. The next time he sent information to command, he’d emphasize it dramatically in bold with underlines and excessive punctuation if necessary. Even if they saved sixty percent of the people, many died who did not have to.
“Captain,” Vinthari Du’Zha spoke up, his pilot and gunner. “The enemy is attempting to fall back toward the natural satellite of the planet. Shall I give chase?”
Kale squinted at the screen, rubbing his chin. Where do you think you’re going? They rarely fled but occasionally, the enemy liked to regroup or draw impatient opponents into a trap. “What’s the other one doing?”
“They appear to be on the same trajectory.”
Kale nodded. “Is the Behemoth giving pursuit?”
“Negative, sir.”
“Wena, put the humans on speaker again.” Kale stood.
“They are live, sir.”
“Behemoth,” Kale began, “it appears our enemies are off to regroup. Do you have anything on your scanners at this time?”
“One moment,” Captain Atwell replied. “We’re checking.”
Kale turned to his own tech officer, Deva Thi’Noch. “Do you detect anything?”
“They are moving toward a large energy reading,” Deva replied. “Certainly large enough to be another ship.”
“So their reserve did not leave the system after all…they must not have had to in order to send their message for help.” Kale nodded. “That puts us back to three to one.”
“With one injured,” Deva replied. “I do not recommend getting too close to the Behemoth. The enemy may take us as a target of opportunity for another sacrifice.”
“We won’t be letting them do that again today.” Kale spoke again to the Behemoth. “Did you get the readings?”
“Affirmative,” Captain Atwell replied. “Looks like we’re back up to an unfair fight.”
“More than you know. The new vessel has not been damaged at all and should be at full resources.” Kale tapped his leg. “This works to our advantage for now. Our pilots can operate without worry about capital ship involvement. They will need to destroy the enemy fighters before trying to transport people back to our vessels.”
“Agreed.” Captain Atwell paused a moment. “Our bombers didn’t have a chance to do much against the ship we threw down with earlier. They’re currently redeployed to assist with the debris. Have your pilots coordinate with them to gain access to parts they wouldn’t otherwise be able to reach.”
“Thank you, Captain.” Kale motioned to Wena. “Broadcast that message.”
“I trust we’re going to be heading into another fight with these guys,” Captain Atwell said. “This time away from the planet.”
“Yes,” Kale agreed. “Keep your distance from us so they don’t blow up…wait a moment…” Kale grinned. “I think I may have an idea but it’s not risk free. Captain, I’m going to put you onto a private channel with me to discuss it. Should only take a moment but I recommend you step off your bridge.”
“Alright…” Captain Atwell agreed. “Give me just a moment.”
Kale turned to Du’Zha. “You have the con. I’ll be right back.” He headed into the antechamber of his ready room, closing the door to initiate the com. This may well be your most insane idea yet…but they won’t expect it. Here’s to hoping we can pull it off.
***
Gray turned to Adam. “Hold the bridge, do not engage until I get back. I’ll be in the hall for just a moment.”
“Captain…”
Gray held up his finger and gave the other man a stern look. “I’ll be back.”
In the hallway, he patched through to Kale’s private com. “What’s going on?”
“Captain, I apologize for the secrecy. As you know, there’s a traitor somewhere in our midst. I don’t believe they are with your crew but mine…well, where there’s one, there may be more.”
“Understood.” Gray frowned. “So what did you want to discuss?”
“A gamble, one which may win us a keen advantage but it’s going to be quite dangerous.” Kale paused a moment. “As you know, the enemy has proven themselves quite willing to sacrifice their people and their ships. They do so when the opportunity presents itself to cause massive amounts of damage.”
“Yes, they definitely take a lack of self preservation to new and horrible places.”
“Precisely. The Behemoth and Crystal Font are all that stand in the way of them taking over this system. They have three vessels…one would be more than enough to mop up here and get them home. Therefore, if they see a chance to take us out…”
“They’ll happily throw a ship away,” Gray completed the sentence. “Okay, so what do you propose? We lure them in?”
“Exactly. It’s my understanding that in your last engagement, you performed a hyper jump to save your ship from a self destruct.”
“Yes, it was a narrow escape though. I’m not sure I want to tempt fate again.”
“My technical crew can show you how to perform a micro jump, one which is designed for quick evasive maneuvers providing you have good coordinates. Our brethren who were destroyed clearly did not anticipate needing a contingency plan or they could’ve escaped. We’ll set our ships for jump in opposite directions, different sides of the planet to keep us apart…and let them commit suicide all alone.”
Gray contemplated the situation for a long moment. The plan seemed sound but only if his people pulled off the jump as described. If they made a mistake, they wouldn’t get a second chance. Olly was good but could he do it? He’d have to ask him. “I assume you’ve done this before then.”
“In practice,” Kale said. “War games but this is no different.”
“How do you know our engine is capable of pulling it off? I mean, we had to warm up before.”
“The beauty of a micro jump is that it doesn’t require full power,” Kale replied. “The countdown is soft, meaning you can just hit the button when you’re ready. Essentially, we wait until the enemy has already overloaded their power core then we’re out of there.”
Gray nodded. “Okay, I need to speak to my bridge crew to gauge their confidence level. I’ll get back to you shortly.”
“Keep the comments about this to private coms when contacting The Font, Captain. I do not want to risk a leak.”
“You’ve got it, Anthar. I’ll talk to you soon.”
Gray returned to the bridge and leaned against his seat. He contemplated the view screen and the situation at hand. Kale’s bold plan made sen
se, it was the kind of thing he would employ himself. Providing his people could do it, they very well might be able to even the odds again.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Gray said. “I have a proposition for you and it’ll take all your skills. Pay attention for a moment and let me tell you what we’re going to try. It’s a little crazy but then again, we’re kind of famous for that.”
Chapter 10
Clea leaned against a tree, resting alongside the marines trying to catch their breath. The terrain itself proved far more difficult than anticipated and the traps they encountered along the way made movement slow. After an hour, they were still a couple miles from the facility but at least they didn’t encounter any enemy soldiers.
Human armor proved to be highly effective during their romp. One of the men was hit by a trap, a whipping vine pulled tight and held by a trip wire. It lashed him across his chest, tossing him back several feet. Other than a little soreness from the surprise, he came away unscathed.
Another man was set upon by an indigenous insect swarm that covered his body. In order to get them off, he had to jump into a body of water and submerge for a good minute. No one else was bothered by them and Clea discovered he gave off a specific pheromone which attracted the creatures.
Bad luck for him but after cleaning them off, he seemed to be okay.
The humidity was bad enough to cover them in a fine film of moisture. The environmental portion of their armor came into great use, granting them some comfort in the misery of the place. Once they reached the facility, it would be totally controlled with air conditioners and filtration systems but until then, they were stuck trudging through the thick, oppressive atmosphere.
Just before they rested and rehydrated, they were beset upon by one of the local wildlife. Clea caught it on scan a good half minute before it arrived. As the quadruped leaped onto the path, one of the marines fired two shots, both connecting with its head. The beast collapsed to the ground unmoving, and they got a better look at it.
Grayish-green fur covered a muscular body. All four legs ended in fierce claws, which the computer speculated must be for climbing. The fangs were nearly six inches long and the beady eyes were deep set in the head. They passed by, hurrying for the next clearing just in case another such beast might be out in the bush waiting for a chance to strike.
Clea widened her scans and honed them in to get a greater warning if such an animal found them again. Her legs ached as she peered into nothing. She tried to take slow, even breaths, willing her limbs to stop trembling. Daily exercise did not prepare her for this type of activity but she took a moment to be grateful for the discipline to have kept it up.
Without her morning runs, she might’ve passed out already.
The marines, on the other hand, seemed perfectly fine with their activities. None of them complained nor even lounged during their brief respite. Most of them remained alert, talking quietly amongst themselves. She envied their endurance. These were the true professional soldiers. All the tactics and strategy she learned, all the bureaucratic red tape couldn’t compare to the fighting spirit of that unit.
“Listen up!” Hoffner kept his voice down but it still felt like a shout. “Let’s get moving, people. Those people are waiting on us.” He turned to Clea. “I hope you know how to get in there like you said. We’re rapidly approaching their defenses.”
Clea nodded. “Once we’ve got visual on the base, I can send a coded, tight beamed signal. The enemy won’t be able to break it. That’s our in.”
“You’re just going to knock?” Jenks asked. “Seems simple enough.”
“Can it,” Hoffner said. “Okay, let’s get there so we can make this phone call. Alsted and McKinney, you’re on point to the finish line. Go for it.”
Two marines stepped out onto the path and started moving. Clea took up the rear with Hoffner, donating half her attention to the scanner and the other on the path. Nothing came up in their immediate surroundings, no animals to speak of at least but the dense trees around them still garbled some of her readings.
When one of the marines cried out, Clea clenched her fist and rushed forward but Hoffner grabbed her arm, holding her tightly.
“Halt.” Hoffner stepped in front of her. “Report!” A gunshot replied. “God damn it!”
“Stop shooting!” Someone yelled. “Christ, you’re not that good!”
Hoffner let Clea go and they approached the others. Alsted hung from a vine wrapped around his leg. He writhed around, trying to free himself but it seemed to be moving, countering his motions just as surely as he struggled.
“That’s not a trap!” Clea shouted. She squinted, then gestured. A bulb roughly the size of a cargo container undulated and split open, tiny thorns lining the inside. “Shoot that! Right there!”
Hoffner nodded. “You heard the lady, fire!”
Rifles barked, stoccato muzzle flashes erupting in the area. Smelly green goo splattered everywhere, steaming when it hit the ground and trees. Alsted shouted, bending at the waist and hacking at the vine. He gripped his ankle for leverage and began sawing. A high pitch screech burst from the bulb, loud enough to make Clea’s ears ring.
“Concentrate your fire!” Hoffner shouted. “Keep it consistent and tear that thing apart!”
The vine began moving Alsted toward the bulb but just before he reached the center, his blade got through. Clea watched him fall and he disappeared into the foliage. Something crunched as he plunged through half a dozen branches and less volatile vines. She winced when the sounds stopped.
A dozen vines floundered in every direction, thrashing violently. “Fall back!” Hoffner shouted, rushing forward. “I’ll get Alsted!”
Clea tried to catch him but he slipped her grip, disappearing into the brush. She stood still, unsure whether to fallback or go after the captain. Someone grabbed her and dragged her backwards, moving a safe distance from the vines. “We can’t leave them!”
“Trust me,” it was Walsh who spoke. “The captain’s got this.”
She watched, eyes wide as a form paced out of the brush. Captain Hoffner dragged Alsted into the clearing, letting him go as they came close. Some of the green gunk covered his arms and chest. Alsted crouched, catching his breath. “You okay?” Hoffner asked.
“Yes, sir. I’ll be fine.”
“Good.” Hoffner looked at the others. “If you guys are done playing with the local flora, let’s get where we’re going.”
“You were right,” Clea muttered. “He…he really did have it.”
“Told you,” Walsh said. “He’s just that kind of guy.”
“Yes…” Clea nodded. “He really is…”
***
The defenses loomed ahead, abruptly ending the jungle. The trees gave way to a cleared field, roughly three hundred meters of open ground between the tree line and the high tech facility right in the middle. Clea stepped up to the border, observing the area. Her scanner began beeping.
“I’ve got the frequency,” she said. “I’m reaching out to their control tower.”
“Let’s make it quick,” Hoffner said. “We’re looking at a lot of open ground to cover.”
Clea programmed her scanner, sending the tight beam to the facility. “This is Vinthari Clea An’Tufal calling Alliance Base, please come in.”
“Vinthari?” A female voice crackled in her ear. “Where are you?”
“I’m at the southwestern perimeter near your outer defenses. I’m with a contingency of Earth marines. We’re here to extract your researchers and data, over.”
The person sighed in relief. “Thank the Gods, Vinthari! Please send your challenge code.”
“Incoming.” Clea sent her personal authorization to them and turned to Hoffner. “We’ll just be another minute.”
“By all means, take your time.” Hoffner paced away.
“Vinthari, I have verified your identity. Defenses are lowering. Make it quick…we’re under pretty heavy assault on the northern border. We might not ho
ld the line for much longer.”
“We have a ship ready for departure,” Clea replied. “It can get us all out of here um…Listen, my sister is a part of your staff. Vora. Is she…is she okay?”
“Yes, ma’am. Vora An’Tufal is present and uninjured. Please make your way to the facility ASAP. Security will meet you at the door.”
Clea nodded. Something popped then hummed for a moment. All at once, electricity filled the air then seemed to suck up into the sky. Silence fell over the area as the defenses dropped. “We’re ready to go,” she said. “Let’s do it, Captain.”
“You heard her,” Hoffner said. “Double time to the facility. Faster we get there, the faster we can get back to the ship and home. Fall out.”
Clea hustled after them, feeling adrenaline rush through her body. She heard explosions not too far off, gunfire echoing through the clearing. The trees and jungle covered it all up before but now, as they drew closer to the real action, she heard the sounds of war in all their terrible glory.
My people are dying out there.
The thought hit her heart like a bullet and she felt sick to her stomach. Those men and women would not die in vain, not while she still drew breath.
Their point men reached the facility first, standing beside the door with their weapons raised. The rest of them drew up and stood to either side while Hoffner advanced close. Before he got within a dozen paces, the door opened and a slight, purple haired girl peeked out, waving them in.
“Quick! We have to seal this up!”
The men filed in and Clea looked around. Her vision adjusted quickly to the low light and her scans picked up over a dozen lifeforms in the base. Power seemed to be at eighty-percent and dropping. Not a good sign. The defenses were responsible for the drain. Her computer suggested they had just over three hours before the entire place would simply shut down.
“Please take us to whoever’s in charge,” Clea said. “We have a lot of work to do.”
“That would be Vora An’Tufal,” the girl said. “Please, follow me.”
