Julie found me deep in thought sitting on a fallen log along the path from the hillside. “Jack, is everything okay?” She asked me.
“Oh, hi, yeah I’m fine, just deep in thought I guess. I’m working on my message to Oakdale in my head and I feel like I’m missing something.”
She sat beside me and put her arm around me. “You’ll remember what it is before you send the message in the morning. You always do.”
“I know, but it’s still bugging me,” I responded.
“Let me walk you up to the hilltop and I’ll wait with you for the shuttle.” Julie stood and took my hand tugging me to my feet.
I took the co-pilot’s seat next to Tony. From the window, I could see Julie waving. Off to her side, Kenny stood with Butch. They were waving too. I knew I'd be back down in a couple days or Julie would be up to visit, but it still made me sad to be separated from her like this.
Tony spent his day running back and forth from Lola to the hilltop. The trip had become routine and he flew it like an airport shuttle bus driver zipping in and out making his rounds on time. He greased the landing on Lola’s landing deck and taxied into the hangar. Once secured, he dropped the loading ramp. Four troopers disembarked, I followed them.
Carrying my small duffle bag with my dirty clothes, I made my way forward. I stopped in the sickbay to check on Larry Stacey. I found him sitting up in his bed reading something on his pad. He looked up as I approached. “Hi Skipper, how was Chico 7?” He asked.
“Very nice. Everyone sends their regards. How are you feeling?”
“The pain meds work well, and the Doctor says I’m mending faster than he expected. I’m hoping to make a trip down to the surface before we leave for Oakdale. I’d like to meet these Trolls. I’ve been studying my signing.” He showed me his pad which was still open to the signing tutorial.
“I'll talk to the doctor and see what he says. I know some people who could help make that happen.” I said.
After the sick bay, I stopped by my cabin and dropped my dirty clothes in the laundry processor. The cabin still smelled of Julie and made me miss her even more.
On the way to the bridge, I stopped in the galley and made myself a go cup of Nicky’s special brew. I don’t know where he got his beans, but they were the best. Cup in hand, I entered the bridge and found the crew deep in concentration focused on the sensor readings. They didn’t notice my entry.
“Hi, what’s going on?” I asked.
Al Hogan looked up, startled to see me. “There is something on the sensors at the outer boundary of the system. It doesn’t seem to be coming any closer, it loiters at the edge. We have been trying to get a solid fix on it for ten minutes. I was about to call you.”
“Have our two satellites been able to pick up anything?” I asked.
Al responded. “We’ve tried to maneuver them, but the asteroid belt is blocking any good returns.”
“Is this the only bogey out there?”
Iwona answered, “So far that's all we can find. I’ve been scanning the rest of the system. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t something more out there beyond our sensor range. There could be a fleet.”
I put on my headset and immediately radioed Chris on the planet. “We have a bogey loitering on the edge of the system. I’m calling the shuttle back as well as one of the fighters. We’ll keep one on the hilltop and the others on Lola. I need a full fighting compliment here on Lola, but the rest should stay with you in case they bandits make a landing. You better hunker down.”
Chris agreed and signed off. I made an announcement through the ship’s PA. “Attention all hands. There is a bogey spotted on the fringe of the system. We don’t know the intentions yet. Please secure all areas and prepare for a general quarters alarm. Hangar, prepare for the return of the shuttle and one fighter. I want them all armed and ready to go at a moment’s notice.”
I heard commotion in the corridor as people rushed to prepare. The bridge hatch opened, two people stepped in taking their positions at the weapons and navigation stations. Lola was preparing for war.
On Chico 7, Chris began shouting orders to everyone concerned. Tony Nicosta and Matt Kripman ran to their respective spacecraft and started them up. The fighter was the first to launch and took up station in a protective orbit for the shuttle. The shuttle had to wait until all the returning troopers were aboard. Once the last man came onboard, the hatch closed while the ship was gaining altitude. Tony made a beeline for Lola. Only once the shuttle was aboard, did the fighter leave orbit and return to the ship.
Twenty-five minutes after I contacted Chris, Tony entered the bridge and asked where I wanted him. I asked him to walk the ship and make sure everything was ready. I also wanted him to make sure the fighters and shuttles were all armed and set for ready five condition. He rushed out of the hatch to make it happen.
Chapter 18
Chris and Nicky prepared the compound for an attack. They had plenty of time since there were no ships in the immediate area. The compound would be well protected and hidden. The Trolls would shelter in the tunnels and take the scientists and non-combatants with them. The hilltop landing area was still protected, and the Genus troops had beefed up its defenses.
Chris knew the bandit’s best bet was to land elsewhere and travel overland toward the hilltop. He had Nicky prepare drones that would launch when a bandit incursion was imminent. Every trooper was busy preparing fighting positions. Using the new power suits with the exoskeleton made this easy work. Any attackers would find the hilltop close to impenetrable.
Chris and Nicky were setting up a layered defense. Each fighting position led to a fallback position and so on. Each position is set to provide overlapping fields of fire with its neighbor. Each was well camouflaged. To supplement these positions, they’d set booby traps and automated defensive weapons. It would be suicide to approach. Chris knew all defensive positions are defeatable with enough time. The scientists moved their computers as well as their personal supplies inside the tunnels. The Trolls promised to keep them safe.
Goorow had his clan prepare several tunnels and openings to evacuate the troopers from the hillside in case of an aerial bombing. They’d hide below the surface and return to their positions when it was clear. It was the same as the Japanese had done on Iwo Jima in the Second World War on Earth. Tons of explosives had rained down on the Japanese island defenders who hid until the bombardment let up and the US troops began to advance. Sure, the US troops had won the battle but not without a high death toll. It could have gone the other way.
Chris hoped it wouldn’t come to this. He knew Jack had sent a message to Oakdale and Genus Headquarters. It requested more troopers as well as their original supply requests. Jack also sent a message to General Mauer to apprise him of what was happening. He didn’t know if the General could send any help, but it would be nice if he did.
Chris and Nick had set up a well-concealed command bunker on the side of the hill. From there they could slip into a small tunnel dug for them. At least one of them would be there until the threat was gone. They had video communications with all the troopers as well as the scientists below and the bridge on Lola.
Chico 7 was ready for the bandits, but where were the bandits?
I hadn't taken a second to leave the bridge since we spotted the mysterious ship. The bogey sat out there, waiting. We couldn’t pick up any transmissions, but a tightly focused-directional antenna could explain that. It had been almost twenty hours. We had to rotate personnel to keep them fresh. I needed to keep myself fresh too. I excused myself for a break. “I’ll be in my cabin taking a nap if you need me. Don’t hesitate to call. Al, you’re in command. Don’t break my Lola.”
I was confident I had a few hours to rest up. Even with hyperdrives it still took time to travel the vast distances in space and even more to slow to a stop. I needed to rest and freshen up for whatever lay ahead.
I wasn’t very tired, so I thought it best to take a shower and change into a fre
sh flight suit. Once done, I laid down on my bed on top of the covers instructing my alarm clock to wake me in twenty minutes. As a police officer, I learned to grab naps whenever possible. I dropped off and twenty short minutes later I woke somewhat refreshed. I grabbed my pad and left the cabin heading towards the skipper’s galley.
There's something about taking random ingredients and combining them to create a delightful meal. They say God is in the details, well I agree. An onion, diced and grilled, bacon crisped to perfection, and eggs made into a well-folded omelet made me sure there was a God. Today I decided I would make an omelet, some bacon on the side, buttered toast and then wash it down with some of a special coffee I had hidden, even from Nicky C.
It was two hours after I had left the bridge that I returned. I sat down in my command seat. “What is the status of the bogey?” I asked.
Iwona answered. “It’s still loitering at the outer edge of the system. No signals from it. I haven’t seen anything else either.”
“All right people, I have a puzzle for you to figure out. Is there a way a spacecraft could have approached Chico 7 without us spotting it, using other planets or space debris to shield it from our sensors? If there is, how close and where would they be now?”
Both Al and Iwona responded, “Yes sir.”
Five minutes later Iwona had an answer. “Skipper, a ship could be approaching the far side of the planet now.”
I punched the intercom to the flight hangar. “Launch one ready-five fighter, immediately. There may be a bandit ship approaching from the other side of the planet.”
I heard the klaxon alerting deck crew and pilot. I watched the clock and a short three minutes later I heard and felt the fighter leave our flight deck. I was impressed with their readiness.
Matt Kripman’s voice came over the radio. “Arrow One has launched. I’m going over the pole to the far side. I’ll keep you advised.”
I noticed that Arrow two was now in ready-five status. I was sure the pilot and deck crew would try to beat Arrow One’s launch time if I called upon them.
“Al, switch over to weapons, I’ll take the conn. I want you ready for action if I need you.”
Al acknowledged. “Skipper, is this a hunch or do you have something to go on?” He asked.
“For now, it’s a hunch,” I answered. “It’s what I would do if I were them.”
“We should have an idea in less than twenty minutes,” Iwona said.
The clock seemed to slow to a stop. Arrow One’s location updated on the large display at the front of the bridge.
I contacted Chris in the command bunker on Chico 7. I let him know about my hunch and what actions we were taking. He immediately had all noncombat personnel take cover in the cavern and tunnels. Nicky C was moving from fighting position to fighting position, making sure everyone was ready and well camouflaged.
Goorow moved all his clan and the noncombatants to some of the lowest levels of tunnels. He then had a couple of the other Trolls collapse the tunnel behind them. At first, this frightened the humans. Goorow explained through Dora they could tunnel out any time. It's what they do. The lichen that provided the dim light that barely lit the tunnels also produced enough oxygen and absorbed the carbon dioxide in the air. No one would find them down in their warren unless he wanted them to find them. At this depth, they were safe from all but the most powerful weapons.
Matt Kripman’s fighter soon approached the planet’s north pole. He descended to a lower altitude to better blend in with the planet’s surface. As he crested the top of the planet he leaned forward, scanning the heavens with his eyes even though his sensors were better suited for the job. Neither eyes nor sensors found anything at first. As he continued to fly to a lower latitude, his sensors came alive. He still couldn’t make anything out with his eyes, but the display in his cockpit indicated several spacecraft. As he flew even farther south he saw what they were facing.
Sitting in geostationary orbit was a large troop transport. Ships like this carried four dropships which would transport men to the surface. Each could carry fifty men in full battle rattle with their battle supplies. Matt could now see two of the dropship bays were empty.
He wanted to get closer, but he needed to get back to the pole and relay the information to Lola’s bridge. He began to turn about when two bandit fighters dropped in on him. He didn’t notice them until his left-wing shuddered from photon cannon strikes. He looked out and saw three dinner plate sized holes in the wing. He did a fast roll and took evasive action. He needed to get far enough north for his message to make it to Lola. Pointed north, he jinked to avoid the bandit's cannon fire. He felt one more strike to the rear of his craft.
Nothing seemed to be failing, still, he worried the damage might overstress the ship causing it to break apart. He was nearing the top of the planet when he saw a fighter come over the horizon. If he was facing two bandits on his tail and another head on he didn’t have much hope of surviving this encounter. As the new bandit approached he realized it was Arrow Two from Lola.
“Arrow One, on my mark dive down towards the planet.” Came over Matt’s helmet speakers.
“Now!” Matt pushed the pilot's control forward. The nose thrusters fired and Arrow One dropped five thousand feet in the blink of an eye. At the same time, Arrow Two fired his photon cannons. The bandits chasing Matt caught the blast head-on. Their canopies and forward sections disintegrated in a brilliant flash. The ships fuselages aft of the cockpit began to tumble and break apart.
Arrow Two did a quick turn and joined up with Arrow One. “Arrow One, you have some of your back end missing. Did you know that?” He asked.
“Arrow Two you should see my starboard wing. It is now a decorative lacey ornament. I’m happy not to be doing any atmospheric flying today.”
Matt radioed Lola’s bridge. “Your hunch was good. They’ve landed at least two drop ships. It’s a sizable force. They have fighters that will operate in the atmosphere. Of course, Arrow Two eliminated two of them. Not sure how much more they have. It got too hot to stick around.” Matt said.
I thanked him and let the hangar know to expect a banged-up fighter. They needed to get that ship repaired as soon as possible. It looked like we’d need it.
I let Chris know what we found. He cut it short, he had work to do.
I left the bridge and went to the hangar deck at a run. I wanted to be there when the fighters returned. Tony Nicosta was in the hangar and I needed to talk to him.
Tony was in his power suit and helmet helping to load underwing missiles to the shuttle. I called to him. “Tony, over here,” and I waved.
He saw me gesture and he trotted over to me. “What’s up skipper?” He asked.
“I know our drones have the ability to take carry some heavy weapons. My question is, how autonomous are they?” I asked. “I mean, can they go north over the pole while we go south? Will they still function and perform their tasks after they lose all contact with us?”
“They should, but I want to check on that before I commit myself to it,” Tony answered. “Are you thinking of going after the bandits from two directions?”
“It might be the best way. Can the drones handle it? Or how about they come in along the equator while Lola goes around from the south pole and the fighter and shuttle attack from the north pole? That should overwhelm them, I would think.” I suggested.
Tony nodded in deep thought. “We have four drones. Send two drones to the east and two to the west at the equator. Lola goes south, and the shuttle and fighter come in from the north pole. We attack from all four compass points at the same time. If we attack with missiles and photon cannons all at the same time we can kick their ass.”
“Tony, I agree, only let the drones fire first. They’ll get spotted first. It’ll help draw the bandit’s attention away from our approach from the north and south. Let the drones come around the tactical horizon before we do. The bandits might miss us that way, allowing us to shoot and scoot.”
> “Okay Tony, that’s what we'll do. Get the drones set up. As soon as the fighters are ready and you’re ready, we’ll go for it. I’ll have Iwona work out the navigation for everyone. She can download it to each craft. Fire your best shots and get out of there. Lola will do the same thing. I don’t want to get into a slugging match with that big a ship. We should be able to cripple it and scare it away with shooting at it from four points of the compass. Remember, we’re not carrying enough armor to go toe to toe with a large troop transport.” I said.
Tony nodded his head. “It’ll work, but don’t you think it might be a good idea to give General Mauer a call?”
“I have been sending him updates all along. I’m making an official request for help with my next message. Don’t do anything expecting the military to rescue you. They’re pretty far away from us.” I said.
Rapparee_The Regeneration Page 11
