Desperate Measures: The Issog

by C. R. Daems

  "Where are you going, Colonel?" Stork asked. "We're doing well here. I've been told forty shuttles are on the way. They should be here within the hour to collect Captain LaFon."

  "I'm concerned the bats will no longer consider us new milking stock and might send a bomb through the windows next. I think it's time to move."

  Stork nodded reluctantly. "Gunny, send half your detail with Colonel Akar. I'll keep the other half here with the survivors until you've had a chance to find new cover."

  "Yes, sir. Sergeant Hearn, get your squad ready. We're going with the Mactans." He looked to the Mactans, most of whom were carrying chairs. "And bring chairs."

  With LaFon in the middle of the Mactans and supported by Doche, they made their way down the hallway, through the kitchen where several bodies lay stunned by the look of it, and to the rear door.

  "Clear for now, Colonel," Cemek said after checking out the door. Akar surveyed the area and then pointed to a cluster of three small buildings about forty meters across the street. At Akar’s signal, Jalus and four other Mactans trotted across, scanning as they went. When they reached the first building, three took up firing positions to support the crossing while others scouted the area. On Akar's signal, the rest started across, with the marines providing the rear guard.

  "Sir, no bats in sight," Janus said as he returned from across the street. The words had barely been spoken when two bat shuttles passed overhead, made a U-turn, and then twenty bats glided toward the party.

  Akar opened the door to the house they were clustered around and gestured them in. Moving through the rooms, he found an exit on the opposite side and went out, hoping with the help of the chairs they could not only kill half, but slow down the pursuit. A few had come around the building but they were easily dispatched. The ones in the house suffered significant losses as they couldn't glide in the small rooms and the hallways were too narrow for a mass attack. When the last marine had left through the door, Chow estimated they had killed twelve inside, the Mactans had killed three who had circled the building, and the five who made it through the door were seriously outnumbered and died quickly. The marines had lost three and the Mactans had two seriously wounded and barely operational.

  * * *

  Once outside, Akar looked around and saw no immediate threat. He pointed to a two-story building two houses down on the other side of the street. "That one," he said, and choked out a laugh. "Bring the chairs." The Mactans took off at a fast walk with the marines following and watching their rear. Halfway to the building, five bats came gliding out from between two single-story houses, firing. Three were killed before they got within ten meters, the other two were shot while impaled on chairs.

  "I think we should make these chairs marine issue for as long as we're at war with the bats," Gunny Chow said with a hearty laugh. "Have to admit, those Vamps are not only fast and tough, they aren't afraid of anything."

  "Maybe they are too used to fighting unarmed civilians," said one of the older marines.

  "Maybe they have a gunny like ours," quipped another younger marine, to general laughter.

  "Then I hope he's not with this group attacking us," said another marine to general agreement.

  Two Mactans entered the two-story building and were in there several minutes before shouting, "All clear, Colonel."

  Inside, there was a large lobby with couches, padded chairs, and polished tables of wood for people to sit and talk. Toward the rear was a wooden reception counter, and on the wall behind that were the signs Bennett & Sons and underneath Fine Furniture, printed in elaborate script.

  "I wonder if Bennett made these chairs. They are solid. If so, he has my recommendation," a marine corporal said, lifting the chair he was carrying.

  The Captain was taken behind the wooden counter, considered the safest place in the room. The Mactans and marines took up positions to guard the doors and windows. A few went upstairs to act as lookouts. They didn't see any bats, and the gunfire had quit. Gunny Chow walked to Akar when the silence dragged on.

  "What do you think, Colonel?" Chow asked, his eyes scanning the room and the windows.

  "If they noticed the fleet's combat shuttles, they might be rallying every combat trooper to meet the coming threat. Or, they may have run out of combat troopers." Akar grinned.

  "If it were us, we would be digging in for a last stand. We wouldn't run, and I have to give the blood-sucking bats their due—they aren't cowards." Chow looked toward Akar. "You don't think they would kill the civilians they captured, do you?"

  "No. You wouldn't kill the cattle you captured if you were under attack by the people you stole them from, would you?"

  "Cattle!" Chow said with a wide-eyed expression of surprise. "Oh, I see. The humans are just animals…a food source to the Issog. That's the reason a lot of the Vamps were shooting at us with stun guns when we first arrived." He shook his head like a dog out of water. "Tends to put things in perspective."

  Just then they heard the sound of combat shuttles passing above the building, and a minute later the door burst open and three marines charged in, weapons scanning the room.

  "Does anyone know where Captain LaFon…" The sergeant stopped when he saw the Mactans and spoke into a Comm unit strapped to his arm as he strode toward Colonel Akar. "This is Sergeant Alaniz. Tell Colonel Duncan I found the Mactans. Is the Captain alive, sir?"

  "Yes, Sergeant. A little beat up but alive," Akar said as Dashe lifted LaFon to a standing position.

  "Sir, I'm to take you—and the Mactans—immediately to the Heptet," he said while saluting. LaFon returned the salute, still a bit shaky on her feet. Supported by Dashe and surrounded by Mactans, they made their way to one of the ten combat shuttles sitting less than a hundred meters from their building.

  * * *

  The walk to the shuttle felt like an out of body experience. My legs moved forward but barely touched the ground as the Mactans on either side of me carried most of my weight. My vision was blurred, and I hallucinated, thinking I was on the Odin with bats storming the Bridge. The next thing I remember, I was lying on a bed and a man in a white jacket sat next to me.

  "How do you feel, Captain?" he asked quietly, while shining a light in one eye then the other.

  "Sore. Groggy. Like I got drunk and had a fight with a squad of marines."

  He gave a soft laugh. "It almost looks that way. My initial assessment says you have a concussion, a couple of fractured ribs, a broken nose, cut tongue, and multiple bruises. Considering everything…you were lucky." His voice trailed off at the end.

  "My…crew?" I asked, not sure I wanted to know, yet needing to know.

  "Sorry, Captain. I'm a doctor and don't have any news except on the Heptet." I felt his reluctance to say what he had heard. I could understand. His information would be based on hearsay, mostly rumors with some truth and a good dose of speculation.

  "Sorry, Doctor…?"

  "Seifert."

  "Sorry, Doctor Seifert. I shouldn't have asked. It wasn't a fair question. Where are you taking me?" I asked, knowing I didn't have a ship to go back to.

  "The Heptet—" He stopped as a marine lieutenant neared him.

  "Sir, we have orders to take Captain LaFon to the Sakhmet," the lieutenant said, looking apologetic like it was his fault.

  "Thank you, Lieutenant. The Captain is in no urgent need of medical attention."

  I wasn't surprised Simons wanted to know what happened sooner rather than later, even if it delayed my delivery to the Regen Unit. I didn't blame her. How did a veteran captain lose her advanced cruiser to four Vamps when she had the support of two fleets? Maybe she had canceled the Regen treatment to let me heal naturally—or send me back to New Hope. That last thought made me sweat and tremble. Not that I didn't deserve it… The thought died as the doctor mercifully injected me with something to make me sleep.

  * * *

  I woke up in bed in a room that looked like the medical unit, with its white walls, sheets, and rails in the cei
ling for curtains to enclose the bed. The Odin…the explosion. I closed my eyes while remembering the violent impact that threw me out of my chair. New Hope… I struggled to picture what had happened after that…being half carried in and out of buildings…Berlin. New Hope, I wondered. When I rotated my head, I saw a Mactan standing against the wall on each side.

  "Akar, where am I?" I asked, realizing one of the Mactans was the colonel.

  "On the Sakhmet, sir. Admiral Simons ordered that you be delivered here for treatment."

  And debriefing, I thought. "How long ago?"

  "It’s been roughly twenty hours. You were in Regen for twelve hours: concussion, fractured ribs, broken nose, bruises. You have been sleeping since then," Akar said, devoid of any emotions.

  "Thank you, Akar." I glimpsed fragmented memories of being carried through the ship and on the planet with bats repeatedly attacking us.

  "You're welcome, but we were just doing our job, Captain," he replied with a slight twitch of the lip I took to be a grin. Just then, Simons entered the room looking unhappy, which was confirmed when she spoke.

  "What happened, LaFon? You lost the Odin and are lucky to be alive." Her voice cracked like a whip and I felt like I had been struck—and deserved it. I had no excuses, so I avoided answering.

  "How many survived?" I asked instead, because I made a mistake.

  "About half of the crew." Her voice was gentle. "Zoe, we need to go on to Alexandria, and Captain Marsh will need to understand what happened. I plan to send you back to…Utopia for a new Odin. I understand they have another ready for the next captain to graduate Next Robotics."

  "Send Marsh back," I said quietly, although I wanted to scream in rage.

  "What happened, Zoe?" Simons persisted, ignoring my remark.

  "I FUCKED UP!" I shouted. "I keep telling everyone the Issog aren't stupid animals because they look like bats, and then I ignored my own advice…and my crew paid the price." My last words ripped through my heart like daggers. I felt the tears on my cheeks and tasted salt.

  "Zoe, slowly, from the beginning." Simons’s voice was soft and gentle, recognizing I wasn't in a good place, so harsh wasn't going to work. I was silent for a long time, but she didn't interrupt, giving me time to calm down.

  "I skipped to the twelve-second mark where the four Issog were positioned and fired at one. Only that one returned fire. I skipped to the thirteen-second mark and only one that hadn't fired followed. I fired on him and skipped back to the twelve-second mark and fired on one and skipped to the eleven-second mark when he returned fire. A Vamp with a full missile load followed me. I fired and skipped back to the twelve-second mark when he fired. Now I had used eight seconds of my twelve and needed four to get back to the fleet or I'd be a sitting duck. I thought to have one more go at the Vamp at the eleven mark and skipped when the Vamp at twelve fired…"

  "What happened?" she asked, sounding confused, for which I couldn't blame her. Sounded logical at the time.

  "The Vamp at eleven had anticipated my return and knew from our last encounter that he was unlikely to be able to target me before I skipped, so he dispatched his fighters." I heard Simons gasp. "I skipped right into the middle of them. Several rammed the Odin…" When she didn't say anything for a long time, I thought to answer her unasked question. "They were acting like independent captains. I can't prove it, but I conjecture that their squadron leader was on planet, so they weren't acting as a unit. That's the only conclusion I can draw from their uncharacteristic behavior."

  Simons continued to sit quietly, observing me. "Zoe, you need a rest. Captain Ma—"

  "I made a mistake that cost hundreds of lives and I deserve…to be held accountable. But Captain Marsh only has the theory. I have the experience. Your choice." I felt like burying my face in the pillow. Instead, I closed my eyes.

  I heard Simons rise. "Rest. We will talk again later. Colonel Akar, can I talk to you?"

  I heard the door close, and eventually I succumbed to a restless sleep full of unremembered nightmares.

  * * *

  Simons arranged for me to have senior-level quarters on the Sakhmet, since the Odin had been destroyed, as it was too damaged to repair. I heard the survivors had been transferred to cruisers under Admiral Perkins, so information about them was limited to rumors. Discussions at meals indicated the fleet had incurred little damage and Simons planned to invade Alexandria soon.

  I knew that some ship would have to ferry the seriously wounded and those without assignments—like me—back to New Hope. I found myself depressed on several levels and spent most of my time in my room. By the third day, I had concluded it was best that the younger generation, Marsh, carry the fight to the Issog.

  Midmorning, my ICD lit with a message from Simons:

  Zoe, join me for dinner at twenty hundred hours. Simons.

  I used the fresher and dressed in one of the two work uniforms Akar had managed to obtain for me at the naval exchange. The uniform I was injured in had been beyond repair. Ten minutes early, I stepped into the hallway to find Akar and Corporal Dashe. I don't know why I was surprised. They weren't guarding the Odin, they were guarding the Odin's captain.

  "I'm sorry, Akar, I'm afraid I've been negligent with respect to the Mactans. Do you have quarters?" I had been so concerned about the deaths caused by the destruction of the Odin and my negligence, I had hardly noticed my Mactan detail and hadn't considered their needs.

  "That isn't a problem. The Marines have been extremely helpful in providing everything we need. Having fought the Vamps on Berlin with them, we are being treated like VIPs." He laughed. I noticed he was smiling.

  "Did any of the Mactans die…saving me?" I was dreading the answer, considering the memories I had of the fighting.

  "We had several injuries, two serious, but the medical staff has restored them back to operational and our charge is alive and well. All things considered, Berlin was a very interesting experience."

  "Yes, you have a right to be proud of your team." I managed a smile before proceeding down the hallway to Simons’s dining area. He had a right to be satisfied. The Mactans had performed well, unlike the captain of the Odin.

  When I entered the room, Simons stood talking with Perkins while Captains Barker and Marsh were at the sidebar collecting drinks. I stood frozen with indecision. I would have turned and left except Perkins noticed me and said something to Simons, who waved me to the sidebar.

  "Zoe, get something to drink and join us," she said before returning her attention to Perkins.

  "How are you feeling?" Barker asked as I approached the table and stood debating what I wanted to drink.

  "Like a fifth wheel," I said, sounding flat even to myself. Marsh started to say something but took a sip of his wine instead.

  "I think the admiral wants our company." Barker began walking in their direction. Simons waved to the table, and she and Perkins sat. When everyone was seated, she began.

  "Tomorrow the fleet leaves for Alexandria, and two ships will be designated to return the seriously wounded and unassigned to New Hope. I understand a new Odin-class ship is ready for assignment, but Next Robotics won't have another Odin-qualified captain for at least two months, which is academic in the short run since I have two qualified captains and only one Odin-class cruiser." She stopped and took a drink of her wine while evaluating Marsh and me. "No comments?" Simons asked, clearly confused. Whatever she expected, it hadn't happened.

  Perkins looked to Simons and gave a small cough to get her attention. "Captain LaFon might have more campaigns than anyone else in the fleet. Not just as a member of a cruiser but as a captain—the one who makes the decisions that affect the fate of the ship. She must decide whether she is no longer fit to serve and should retire or—"

  My head snapped up and I met Perkins’s eyes. They were neutral with no sign of amusement, or pity, or disgust. I stood and left the room, with Akar and Dashe following. I wandered down to the ship's mess, fetched myself something from the serving li
ne, and found a seat at an empty table in the officers’ area.

  Perkins was right. Maybe I was no longer fit to command a cruiser. I had made a mistake that cost more than a hundred lives. This wasn't the first time I'd had a ship damaged or destroyed beyond repair. I had lost four hundred or more lives in my previous six tours. So, why was this different? The enemy had outsmarted me or just gotten lucky—or I had made a mistake. The result was the same in any case. Of course, I had often gotten lucky—or the enemy had often made mistakes—many other times, permitting me to kill many hundreds. With the Odin, I had caused the enemy to make mistakes and saved hundreds of lives, based on the experience I'd gained fighting the Issog. The Commonwealth had gambled the fate of the empire—billions of people—on me and Marsh and the Odin captains to follow. I stood abruptly and walked back to Simons’s dining room, entered, walked to my seat, and sat.

  "Admiral Simons, it's your choice, but I think you should give me the Thor and my Odin squadron for the Alexandria invasion." I took a helping of the fowl, creamed vegetables, and potatoes and began eating.

  "Marsh?" Simons asked.

  "I think I'm as prepared as a new Odin-class captain can be and ready for any assignment, but Captain LaFon has real-time experience I lack, and is therefore more likely to have a greater impact." He nodded his head at me.

  "Is retirement so repugnant?" Simons asked in a neutral tone.

  "Yes, ma'am, if the Issog or Arrith rule the Commonwealth," I said between swallows.

  "Well then, we had best be about kicking the Issog out of our space so we can get to the job of stopping the Arrith." Simons turned to Marsh. "Stand ready, Captain Marsh. As Captain LaFon has just pointed out, there will be plenty of fighting to go around before this is truly over."

  * * *

  I arrived on the Thor early the next day in Simons's private shuttle and was met by Commander Amaya, Marsh's primary XO.