Athena Lee Chronicles 10: War to the Knife

by T S Paul

  “Sir, the order came from Miguel 009 himself. We are to assume the Earth ships are hostile and act accordingly.” The comms officer cringed as he said it. The Major didn’t react to bad news well.

  Major Frederick Benteen just glared at his officer. “Get them back on! I want to hear those orders myself.”

  The comms officer was still trying to get command back on the line when Command Sergeant Major Velasquez spotted the attack craft. Her quick thinking saved half the regiment. She grabbed the Major and jerked him back toward his seat and snatched the comm system link out of the bewildered officer’s grasp.

  “This is Velasquez: scatter! I repeat: scatter! Bombers inbound!” The comm link was snatched out of her hands by an outraged Major Benteen.

  “How dare you! I will see you up on charges for this! Corporal, arrest her.” Corporal Furse had no idea what to do. She had an irate Major screaming at her on one side and her boss on the other. The decision was taken from her as the truck's driver spotted the bombers and jerked the airtruck out of formation and crashed into one of the houses beside the street.

  ~~~~

  Block leader Spencer Pierson was eating his lunch and gazing out at his tiny kingdom when his son Finn ran up and broke him from his revelry. “Dad! What kind of ships are those?”

  He son was pointing in the direction of the landing field. Large dark shapes were appearing out of the clouds and beginning to land. “I don’t know. They aren’t Imperial designs. They might be the Earth Fleet. Go check the vid.”

  Finn hit the vid button, and the screen was nothing but fuzz. “Dad! The vid’s broken or something!”

  Spencer barely heard his son. All of his concentration was on the small craft the big ships were launching. They were forming up. Their altitude and behavior rang a tiny bell in his brain. They reminded him of something. Before he was the Block leader, Spencer had served in the Imperial Fleet with distinction. His loyalty and perseverance is what got him this house and responsibilities. Even though he had been a quartermaster, he knew the basics. What they were doing came to him just as the bombs began to fall.

  “Finn! Get down!”

  Finn was still fiddling with the vid controls when he felt, rather than heard, his father as he was tackled him to the ground. The entire house shook as very loud explosions sounded outside. Pushing his son down and telling him to stay put, Spencer crawled to the window and looked out through the broken panes.

  The neighborhood he stood watch over was in flames. The attacking fighter bombers were dropping incendiary bombs everywhere. He watched in horror as a ground-force column trying to dodge the falling bombs crashed through several houses. The fighters began to strafe the fleeing civilians and Imperial troops alike. Crawling to a different window he could see smoke rising from Fort Jardine.

  “Dad! What’s going on? Is the League attacking us?”

  Looking around Spencer had no answer for his son. The floor of his beautiful home was littered with broken glass. He could trace bullet holes on the walls. Who still used projectile weapons?

  “Dad, everything is on fire! Should we call the fire department?”

  “Finn! Get away from that window!” Dragging his son to the floor, he pushed him towards the stairs. His house was made from double-reinforced-plastcrete to withstand the occasional earthquake. It should serve as a good bomb shelter, but up here on the hill it made a good target too. Maybe he could protect his son in the garage...

  ~~~~

  The first bomb hit the lead vehicle dead center. Major Benteen stared in horror as the airtruck exploded in a ball of flame. It appeared that no one got out. Corporal Furse pushed past him and cleared the vehicle. She was followed by CSM Velasquez and the rest of the command staff. They ran for the nearest cover which was a culvert between two houses.

  “Do we go back for him?” The corporal gazed at the airtruck. Major Benteen was still inside screaming into the comm system.

  “He’s an idiot, but he is still in charge. I’ll get him.” The Command Sergeant Major hadn’t gotten ten feet when a second barrage of bombs eliminated the problem for her. She hit the ground hard, and half crawled back to the others.

  “Julie, if that accident on the road had not delayed us…” The CSM had jerked up at the use of her name by the corporal. She nodded. They had left the Fort Jardine on time but were delayed by an aircar accident involving injuries. Despite the Major’s yelling she had instructed the convoy to wait and aid the victims, per procedure. If they had been on schedule, the entire column would have been wiped out at the airfield. She wondered if that was the plan all along.

  “Break out the short range comms and see what we have left. We need to contact higher authority for orders. Dale, see if you can contact any of the officers. We will need orders to keep this legal.” The corporal nodded her head and crawled toward one of the trucks that had penetrated a house.

  “By the Gods! What a cluster fuck!” Julie looked at the command staff and told them to follow her. The house to the right of the culvert looked sturdy enough.

  ~~~~

  Alpha 222 gazed down at the cloud covered ball. Somewhere down there his men were capturing an Empire. He sensed rather than felt someone at his back. “Do we have the preliminary reports back yet?”

  Zeta 069 answered immediately. “No, Sir. Not all of them. What we do have suggests that the ruse worked. We were able to take the station easily. When we jammed the communication system, we crippled their fleet. It was a complete surprise to the Naval ships. Only one managed to regain power, but we stopped it before it could jump. The Gamma and Epsilon teams are on their way now. They will start copying the technology and put it toward our uses.”

  The Alpha didn’t even look at the interrogator. Technology transfer was the primary mission of the fleet. It was one of the main reasons they had attacked the Cabal forces in the first place. Gen Mods were smart. They could not be allowed on board the ships. They would have noticed the antiquated systems and mechanics. Earth had lost too much ground in the intervening years. “Good. Have we heard anything from the ground?”

  “The fighter bombers were a huge help, Sir. They took out most of the larger units and according to reports are mopping up the resistance. Ground forces are landing now.”

  “Make sure they know to capture any Gen Mods they run across. We need intel. Are the rest of the Zetas ready?”

  Zeta 069 smiled. “Yes, Sir. They are very excited. It has been almost a century since we have set up extermination camps. Do you wish us to interrogate people first?”

  Alpha 222 appeared to think for a moment. “Go ahead. I would suggest only with the higher ranking civilian or military leaders. I leave it up to your judgment. Tell your people to not take too much time. We have a great many planets to bring into the fold. They can have their fun later when it is all over.”

  “That is true, Sir. I will pass the message along. How many would you like us to leave?”

  “Tell them to separate out the strongest, we will need them to rebuild. Be sure to leave some breeding stock too. Get rid of the rest.”

  The Zeta left the bridge to commence the obliteration of a people. The Alpha could only smile. So it had begun.

  ~~~~

  All that was left of the Seventh Regiment’s officers were a small handful of lieutenants. The rest had died along with their men in the first attack. About a quarter of the regiment was gone. Fortunately they had weapons and plenty of sergeants to go around.

  “Lieutenant Jenkins, what are your orders?” CSM Velasquez looked at the confused young officer.

  “Are you sure that none of the higher officers made it?”

  “It’s confirmed, Sir. They all died in the first wave. Captain Union is still alive, but she was hit by incendiary rounds and has burns over ninety percent of her body. She’s in no condition to give any orders. The doc says she won’t last the day. Of the surviving lieutenants, you are the most senior.”

  “Damn. What’s our status?” The li
eutenant straightened up and tried to appear in charge.

  “For the moment we are under cover and spread out in a one-block radius. Most of our men have weapons. The supply truck wasn’t hit and has been moved to a secure civilian garage.”

  The lieutenant pulled up a map of the area on his tablet. “This is the main road between the airfield and the city. We need to prevent troops from reaching the city.” Pointing at several locations he stated. “Set up ambush sites here, here, and here. Tell the men to take out any vehicles first. The more wreckage, the better the road will be blocked. They can still do an end-run around us but not with heavy vehicles or tanks. Those have to come down this road. Are we in contact with higher authority?”

  Command Sergeant Major Velazquez winced. “Sort of, Sir. We got through on the short range comm. The Earth ships pulled a real fast one on command. All our troops were lined up in the open just waiting to be slaughtered when they attacked. It was a complete rout. Very few have reported in. Command is very chaotic right now. The Earth ships hold the orbitals; that we know for sure. They jammed the comm frequencies and took control of the station first. Those Navy boys didn’t have a chance.”

  “This just gets worse and worse... OK, until we hear different, set up the ambush.” He looked around at the neighborhood houses. “Up there. Send some spotters up to that house. It’s perfect for an observation point.”

  ~~~~

  The large troopships settled into place on the landing field. The three enormous ships were of a new design for Earth. Special ramps and exits would allow the four Delta Divisions on each to unload at breakneck speeds. Armored vehicles and tanks began rolling down the ramps.

  Delta 2955 watched as his troops marched down the ramp and secured the area. Shots began to ring out as the recon teams encountered survivors of the attack or civilian workers.

  “Sir, we need some of those humans!”

  The Delta commander gave the Zeta a funny look. “Our sensors show several hundred million of the vermin here on the planet. There will be some left for you. Don’t worry. My men have had a long trip and need to blow off some steam.”

  “Sir, my orders from the Alpha are to begin setting up the first of the extermination camps. Can your men clear us an area for that?”

  Checking the map he pointed to a spot next to the main terminal. “Here. Will this suffice?”

  The Zeta looked at the map and smiled. “Yes, Sir. It is close to the main terminal and there is nothing but concrete. Little chance for escape. How soon can it be cleared?”

  “We will hunt down the vermin for you. Yes, yes, we will save some for you to play with. Moving the aircars and debris is your job not mine.”

  “Understood. I will draft some of the Gamma’s for that. They need to check for new tech, anyway.”

  The Delta nodded his consent. He, like many in his command, might not like the Zeta’s, but they were very practical. More and more armored vehicles rolled off the big ships. This was their planet now, and they intended to stay.

  Chapter 3

  Present Day…

  A loud explosion shook the house. The Earth ships had returned for another bombing run. Lieutenant Jenkins and what was left of the Seventh Regiment were dug in around the house on the hill. Previously the residence of Block Leader Spencer Pierson, the house was a perfect observation post. From the second floor snipers could cover the a large portion of the only road from the airfield to the Capital. The surrounding area was once a quiet neighborhood of stylish homes. Now it was a smoking and burnt out wasteland filled with rubble. Going off-road was out of the question for vehicles.

  “Lieutenant Jenkins, do you think they’ll attack us directly?” Jenkins looked up from his battle map at Corporal Reno.

  “From the way they are bombing us I think that’s fairly likely, Marcus. That last wave took out our last airtruck and the main med station. Either they got lucky or they have thermal sensors in those ships. This is the only road to the Capital. The last communication I received from command stated that they were under attack. Commando troops took out the main power grid and were assaulting the command center itself. We were ordered to hold to the last man.”

  “Can we? Sir, don’t get angry! I’m not advocating desertion. But half the regiment is dead, and all we have to fight with are small arms and a few large guns. If CSM Velasquez hadn’t put those on the truck, we would already be screwed!”

  The lieutenant turned away for a moment before answering quietly. “Marcus, we will hold. If we have to, we will strip weapons from the dead and from our enemies. Command has promised us reinforcements. This is for the sake of our world. Remember how this started? These Earth troops were our allies! They want something. We need to prevent them from getting it. Whatever it is. Now, get back to your position!”

  The corporal turned and left the main house. Trenches had been dug surrounding the house and garage. The two main guns were bunkered into positions that covered the main road. This was going to get nasty...

  Inside the garage Block Leader Spencer Pierson checked the bandage on the soldier in front of him. His personal aircar had been used by one of the regiment’s scouts to try to contact command. The once pristine plascrete floor was covered in wounded and dying men and women. His son Finn was helping out by providing water to those that needed it. This sort of thing was not what he had wanted for his son. The former quartermaster had not allowed Finn to join the military. That part of his life was over. Earth was an ally not an enemy! From the corner of his eye he spotted one of the officers in charge. Spencer stood and stepping carefully walked over to him.

  “Lieutenant Kent? Can I speak to you?” The young officer looked up with weary eyes and nodded.

  “What can I do for you, Block Leader?”

  “Lieutenant, my son should not be exposed to this! When are you being relieved? I want my house back.”

  Lieutenant Kent looked at the self-important man and began to laugh. The Block Leader glared at him and he laughed some more. Still chuckling, he addressed the now fuming political appointee. “Relieved? Let me show you something.” He grabbed the man by his arm and dragged him up the stairs into his home.

  It was the first time Spencer had been upstairs since the he and Finn entered the garage. His once finely decorated living space was blackened and burnt. Broken glass and bits of furniture covered his imported mohair carpet. Soldiers crouched behind his antique furniture piled underneath the windows. The lieutenant continued to drag him up the stairs to the second level. Spencer felt a tear leave his eye and roll down his cheek. His late wife had installed the stained-glass windows personally. They were now shattered and broken. Lieutenant Jenkins glanced their way and then looked back outside.

  Lieutenant Kent pointed to the outside deck, and the now broken windows. “Go ahead and look!” Spencer hesitated; he didn’t trust these people. “Do it!”

  Stepping forward Spencer looked out the window. The once very expensive neighborhood with its fine houses and gates was gone. In its place was nothing but ruin.

  “That is reality. You want to leave? Leave. Take your chances out there like your neighbors did. The Earthies shot them down like they will you.”

  Spencer looked away from the scene and could see both Lieutenants looking at him with disdain. “What have I done to either of you?”

  The older of the two, Lieutenant Jenkins held up his hand. “It’s not you specifically. You’re a politician. You and those like you created this mess. No one has even seen an Earth ship in over a hundred years except for the Martians. I know you saw those reports from last year’s battle. The newsies downplayed it but we in the military payed attention. Why would a planet that no one has heard from in a century make an alliance with us? We know about the Cabal and how you have been working toward a better galaxy. Blah blah blah. Why? Why is Earth doing this to us? Didn’t we invite them in?”

  The politician in Spencer wanted to refute everything this warmonger was saying, but his evidence was
outside his own house. “My family have been members of the Cabal since the beginning. Our goal has always been to unite the galaxy under a common rule, Earth. I don’t have an answer. We were taught that they would come and save us from the confusion and lawlessness.”

  Both officers just looked at each other. “Confusion? Lawlessness? Before the recent ‘revolution’ the Empire spanned ten galaxies and had over thirty planetary members. How is that lawlessness?”

  “It’s what we are taught.” Spencer turned and walked back downstairs.

  “Well, that explains a lot. Our leaders are a bunch of brainwashed idiots.”

  “That’s a bit harsh Clark, but ultimately I agree with you. But don’t you come from a Cabal family too?”