by G. P. Hudson
Referring to another display, he gave a last look at his fleet’s disposition. Between the UEDF and Zeta ships, the fleet was larger this time. The size of the fleet alone was enough to take the system. But when you considered the size of the Zeta warships within it, it seemed downright unfair.
When did Zeta manage to build such a large fleet? We’ve been too distracted with the rebels to notice. Something needs to change. The Emperor needs to recognize the threat these mercenaries represent.
“Contacts,” said the Valiant’s tactical officer. “Identifying three Pallian destroyers.”
Reynolds saw the tear in space form before it was announced. His eyes were still good.
“Picking up jump gate activity,” the tactical officer continued. “The Pallian ships are moving through the gate.”
“It seems the Pallians have spotted us,” said Reynolds. “Do you think they shit their pants?
“More than likely, Sir” said Captain Travers. “They know we’re here now. They’ll warn the others.”
“It won’t save them. The question is, will their Frontier Alliance friends stay and fight, or run with their tail between their legs?”
“It would be nice of them to stick around. Would save us the trouble of coming for them in the future.”
He had to appreciate Captain Travers’s optimism, even if he didn’t share it. Their first attempt at taking back the frontier planets had turned into a disaster. He didn’t think anybody had the desire to try anything like that again. We didn’t have the Zeta fleet then. The Emperor should use them to destroy the Frontier Alliance first, then we can dispose of Zeta at our leisure.
The UEDF and Zeta warships moved into position, maneuvering through the often-frantic celestial currents. Metaspace allowed ships to travel great distances in very short periods of time, but those same qualities could make for a choppy ride at slow speeds.
“All ships are in position,” said Travers.
Reynolds double checked his displays to verify that they were indeed ready. “Initiate assault.”
“Activate jump points,” ordered Travers. Dozens of tears formed in the fabric of metaspace.
The Valiant sailed through its own jump point into the midst of what had already turned into a vicious battle. “Launch fighters,” ordered Travers. “All weapons, target nearest Pallian vessel. Fire at will.”
The Pallian, and Frontier Alliance warships tried to mount a defense, but failed. A typical defensive strategy focused on the jump gate focus. But, the Zeta fleet had thrown out the textbook. The appearance of so many warships in so many different locations proved insurmountable.
The Pallian defense fell apart almost instantly. The Frontier Alliance didn’t fare any better. The Zeta ships lashed out at the enemy with great silver beams that ripped into the Pallian hulls with ease.
“What type of weapon is that?” said Reynolds. “I don’t recognize it.”
“Preliminary analysis shows it to be a modified plasma beam.”
An upgraded plasma beam, thought Reynolds. Zeta has been very busy.
One by one the Pallian ships succumbed to their injuries, blowing apart in bright flashes before crumbling into the blackness of space.
Reynolds cringed. Those are UEDF ships the Pallians stole from us, he thought with increasing concern. While their shields wouldn’t stand up against the Valiant’s guns either, it would take some time to get through and penetrate the hull. Yet Zeta weapons accomplished this in half the time.
As several more ships blew apart, Reynolds grew more anxious. “Remind all ships that we do not want the Pallian fleet destroyed. Those ships are UEDF property, and we intend to retake them.”
“Yes, Sir. Relaying orders.”
Reynolds fumed as more Pallian ships succumbed to their injuries. “Captain? Did the Zeta ships receive our orders?”
“Yes, Sir. They have all acknowledged receipt.”
“Get me Commodore Walder.”
“Yes, Sir.”
A hard, angular face with gray hair appeared on Reynolds’s comm display, and saluted.
“Commodore Walder, why are your ships not complying with my orders?” said Reynolds.
“Forgive me, Vice Admiral. We did not expect the Pallian warships to be so fragile. We are modifying our approach.”
“Fragile? Those are UEDF warships, despite them being in the hands of the Pallians.”
“Yes, but they are not as well armored as your flagship. We are trying to recalibrate our plasma beam to be less lethal.”
“What are you playing at, Walder? You know the armor specifications of each of those ships.”
“Yes, but not against these new plasma beams.”
“How long will recalibration take?” Reynolds was skeptical, but decided to take Walder at his word for the time being.
“It is almost done. We should be transitioning momentarily.”
“See to it, Commodore. I don’t want to lose any more ships.”
“Leave it to me, Sir.” Walder blinked off the display.
Like the other Zeta commanders, Walder was not a clone. In fact, he was a career UEDF officer. He and Reynolds had crossed paths before, although never long enough to get to know the man well. Zeta was a lucrative option for many retiring UEDF officers, one that Reynolds had not entertained. He didn’t understand how people like Walder did it. Sure, there was a lot of money involved, but to Reynolds it felt like they were selling their souls. He would rather stay at the UEDF, meager salary and all. Then again, Reynolds didn’t have a family to consider.
“Several ships have been successfully disabled, Sir,” said Captain Travers.
“So Walder still remembers how to follow orders. Good.”
“Do you want to initiate boarding operations?”
“No. I want the Pallians to surrender. See if you can get me the Pallian leader.”
Several minutes passed before a well-dressed older woman appeared on Reynolds’s display. “This is President Novak. With whom am I speaking?”
“Madame President, I am Vice Admiral Reynolds, commander of the fleet that is dismantling your defenses. I wanted to speak to you about the terms of your surrender.”
“Surrender? Don’t be ridiculous. We have defeated you once, we will do so again.”
“I’m afraid not, Madame President. You caught us off guard last time. I congratulate you. But your time is up now. So why don’t you just surrender and save the bloodshed.”
“Just surrender? Is that all? Just give up our freedom?”
“Give up your freedom? What are you talking about? You’re a citizen of the Empire. That means something.”
“Not anymore it doesn’t. The Empire’s days are numbered. It is dying a slow death. You just haven’t realized it yet.”
Reynolds leaned in to the display. “Do not mistake me. You will surrender. It is just a question of how much suffering you will choose to endure before.”
“You don’t frighten me, Reynolds.”
“No? I should. Maybe you’ll change your mind after I start bombing your cities.”
President Novak stared back silently, but Reynolds saw fear mingling with the defiance. “You wouldn’t bomb a civilian population.”
“That is where you are mistaken, Madame President. The Emperor has chosen to make an example of your treasonous world. That means the occupation of your planet. Rest assured that I am authorized to take whatever action I deem necessary to accomplish my mission.”
“Fear not, Vice Admiral Reynolds. Your time will come.”
“I don’t think so. Do call back if you change your mind.” Reynolds terminated the connection and President Novak vanished from his screen.
“Do you think she’ll call your bluff?” said Travers.
“What makes you think I was bluffing?” Reynolds said icily.
“But, Sir. Civilians?”
Reynolds spun his chair around to face Captain Travers. “They are traitors, Captain. Or have you forgotten that little detail
?”
“No, Sir.”
“They have renounced their citizenship. As such, they have lost all the protection that citizenship affords them. Now, I would never dream of bombing Empire citizens. But these are not citizens anymore. Are they?”
“No, Sir.”
“I’m glad you understand, Captain. Honestly, you need to harden up a bit.”
“Yes, Sir. I apologize.”
“Just don’t freeze up on me when the time comes. You hear me?”
“Yes, Sir.”
Chapter 14
“Do you think he’ll do it?” said President Jill Novak, the Pallian leader.
“The Empire is desperate. They are drawing a line in the sand,” said James Brophy, President Novak’s Chief Security Adviser.
“Bomb a civilian population? You think the Emperor would go that far?”
“It would be a credible deterrent.”
“Deterrent? We are talking about atrocity. A war crime. You can’t just knowingly bomb civilians.”
“Do you think the Emperor is worried about prosecution for war crimes? He is concerned with one thing. Losing power. And he will do everything he can to prevent it, including the bombing of civilians.”
Novak rubbed her temples, wondering when she had last slept. She had been taking stims for days, and they were compounding her anxiety. A round of relaxants will even things out, she thought. “So you think we should surrender?”
“Our forces are outnumbered and outgunned. It is only a matter of time before they are defeated. The UEDF will dismantle our orbital defenses. They have more than enough firepower. Again, just a matter of time. Then they will have orbital supremacy. We will be solely reliant on ground based weapons, which they can easily pick off from orbit. At that point, Reynolds will be free to bomb any target on the planet, including our cities. That is reality.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“Didn’t I?”
Novak sighed. “What happens if we surrender?”
“The UEDF will confiscate the fleet, and occupy our planet. Reynolds indicated the Emperor will make an example of Pallias, so the experience won’t be pleasant. There will be a purge. All those supporting independence will be arrested, tried, and found guilty of treason.”
An icy chill ran up Novak’s spine. Treason meant execution. She understood the risks going in, though. They all did. “But our cities will remain standing,” she said quietly, almost to herself.
“Yes. Occupation will bring its own horrors. There would be no need to obliterate our cities.”
Novak thought of her granddaughter. She was starting school this year. Her whole life ahead of her. Independence was supposed to be Novak’s gift to her, and all the children of Pallias. They were supposed to grow up as free Pallians, not as members of a subjugated population. “Goddamnit, this wasn’t supposed to happen! That was why we joined the Frontier Alliance.”
“Joining the Alliance secured our victory in the first battle. That would’ve been enough. The Empire could not afford to move its other fleets. By all reason, we should’ve been left alone.”
“All reason did not take an advanced Zeta Corp fleet into account.”
“No. I’m afraid it did not,” said Brophy. The weathered veteran frowned. “Zeta had never fielded a fleet before, not to mention one this advanced. We planned for the usual contingent of Zeta contractors, but not this. Nobody could’ve predicted this. There is no intelligence on this fleet. If there was, I would have it. Zeta did an excellent job of keeping this secret. The Emperor would be wise to keep a close eye on Zeta’s activities moving forward.”
“Yes. Who knows what other surprises they have hidden away.” Novak took a deep breath. “So that’s it. I should get on with it, before we lose more men.”
Novak felt her jaw clench tight, as she sent the comm request. It was mere moments before the wretched Vice Admiral Reynolds appeared on her display. Shouldn’t the old bastard be retired by now?
“Yes, President Novak? Do you have something to offer me?” said Reynolds.
Novak cleared her throat, forcing her jaw into motion. “Yes. I am prepared to negotiate the terms of our surrender.”
“I’m sorry, Madame President, but there’s clearly been a misunderstanding. There will be no negotiation. No terms. I will only accept an unconditional surrender.”
“That’s absurd.”
Her display flickered and Reynolds was gone.
“He terminated the connection. What an arrogant son of a bitch!”
“He doesn’t feel he needs to negotiate,” said Brophy.
“What about all the lives that will be lost, while we play his stupid games?”
“Most of those lives are Pallian, and I’m sure he is not concerned with Zeta’s casualties.”
“Well I can’t just stand by while my people are slaughtered.” Novak sent another comm request.
Reynolds appeared again, the scowl still on his face. “Unconditional surrender, Madame President, or we have nothing to talk about.”
“Fine. We surrender. Without terms.”
The scowl faded slightly. “Tell your forces to stand down and prepare to be boarded. Disable your orbital defenses, and allow my troops to land.”
“I am transmitting the surrender to our forces. They have been ordered to stand down. Order your ships to cease fire.”
“We will cease fire as soon as we have confirmation of surrender from your entire fleet. You are to stay right where you are, Madame President. When my men arrive, you and all members of your cabinet will be taken into custody. Rest assured, I will let the Emperor know that you averted a prolonged battle, but the final decision with regards to the fate of you and your people will be up to him. Do you understand?”
“I do.” The words burned in her throat.
“Good. Remain in your offices. I will be in touch if I require anything else.”
Novak turned away from the display as Reynolds’s face vanished. Gazing through her tears out of the large bay window, she noted the bright blue sky. It was a beautiful day on Pallias, likely the last one her people would know for some time.
Chapter 15
“So we’re back to taking orders from the UEDF then?” said Danny. The shimmering blue planet below them filled his visor display, as their transport shuttle descended toward Pallias’s outer atmosphere.
“What did you expect, little brother?” said G325’s voice coming in through the speakers in Danny’s helmet. “Reynolds tried to kill us all last time, and they gave him a promotion. These things don’t change. You should get used to them.”
“I should get used to being cannon fodder? Is that what you’re saying?”
“No. I’m saying that the UEDF will always be in command. And if they’re not, it will be another client. This will be our fate until we die. There is no changing it.”
Our fate until we die, Danny thought. Why? His visor darkened to protect his eyes from the fiery atmospheric entry. Once through, it lit up to reveal the brilliant blue sky. Danny switched perspectives to zoom in on the lush landscape below. “This has to be one of the nicer planets we’ve visited.”
“Yes,” said G325. The people here were lucky. It’s too bad the luck has run out.”
Danny’s thoughts returned to the Pallian captain. So much for her cause. He felt an odd pang of sympathy for the people below, but couldn’t explain it. The knowledge pack downloaded into his brain ensured he had all the information he required about the planet and its people for this mission, but he felt strangely that something was missing. Nothing in the data explained the fierce resolve he had seen in the Pallian captain’s eyes. What was its source?
It was baffling, because it defied logic. Even while facing defeat, and certain death, she had refused to surrender. It made no sense, and yet to her it made all the sense in the world. ‘Your kind wouldn’t understand,’ she had said to him. My kind. Clone. Property. Is that all I am? Was she right?
He had alway
s thought of himself as human. He had been told he was human. No different than anyone else in the Empire. But he was not born. Nor had he experienced childhood. Those details alone set him apart from the rest. Throw in some genetic engineering and some augmentation, and you had a separate species. At least that is how the other humans appeared to see him.
But the Pallian captain had changed her mind in the end. ‘You might be human after all,’ she had said. Why? Was it because he offered to take her with him? Or could it have been that he defied Captain Reynolds? That he continued to struggle with these questions he didn’t understand. Why was it so important to him? Why did he need to understand?
A message flashed across his visor. Imminent missile impact warning. Someone had fired on them from the ground below. A stealth missile, or the shuttle’s sensors would have picked it up sooner. There would be no time for countermeasures. The shuttle was done for.
The jets under his seat fired, just as the missile detonated. Through his amour Danny briefly felt the intense heat of the shuttle blowing apart. He watched his suit’s integrity numbers rapidly drop. Then everything went black.
Chapter 16
“Is he alive?” said a female voice.
“No. He’s definitely dead,” said a second female voice.
“How do you know?”
“I just do. Nobody can fall from the sky like that and survive.”
“I think he’s breathing.”
“You’re imagining things. Look at how banged up he is.”
“Maybe he’s a robot?”
“No. Robots don’t look like people.”
“How do you know?”
“I just do.”
“I’m scared. We should go home and tell mom.”
“What are you afraid of. He can’t hurt you if he’s dead.”
What happened? he thought. Where am I? He tried to get his bearings, but everything hurt, most of all his head. He felt trapped. Confused. He tried to move, but couldn’t. With great effort, he opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the faces of two little girls marred by the jagged glass of his broken visor. Both screamed. His head throbbed, unable to deal with the high pitch. He groaned, closing his eyes again.