The Star Chronicles: Book 01 - Battle for Earth

by Rod Porter

  Jade had been chosen as the site where delegates from the other resistances would come to hear out the proposals of Troy Williams. He had considered holding the talks elsewhere, far away from Demoskeena, but it was important that the people of Jade see the progress that was being made first hand. This would strengthen his cause and his standing at home, further attracting recruits. Troy just hoped that he could get everyone to see eye to eye. He did not expect all the other leaders to be as wise as Ayira. But he could hope.

  The night sky was beautiful from the vantage point of the African jungle. What a wonderfully exotic land this Africa was, Troy thought as he stared up at the stars. A nearby stream created a soothing sound of flowing water that was very relaxing. He wished he could take a tour of the great African plains and savannahs that Ayira had described to him. Maybe, if this war ever ended, he told himself.

  “I heard you were out here.”

  Troy was delighted when he turned and saw Myriad.

  “Just admiring the African sky,” Troy said, standing up and facing her. He was a little embarrassed about his behavior in the plane right before they had been shot down. Myriad looked beautiful. Her full-length hair was down, as opposed to the conservative ponytail she typically wore, and her deep-set brown eyes seemed to shine in the moonlight.

  “What was it you were trying to say to me before the plane got hit?” she asked.

  “I was trying to say…that-umm-” Troy stammered. “You know what, I apologize to you for my behavior. I shouldn’t have touched you like that, that was not appropriate and-”

  Before Troy could finish his rambling thoughts, Myriad stepped forward and covered his mouth with hers. They kissed for a moment, both making it linger. Then Myriad pulled back and looked up at him with her big, dark eyes. “That’s what you were trying to say,” she said.

  Troy was dumbfounded. “How did you know I…”

  “A woman always knows,” she said grinning.

  They kissed again, going down to the soft jungle ground. Myriad and Troy spent the rest of the night together, under the African stars.

  FALCON 1

  Myriad sat in the cockpit, breathing harder than she ever had in her life. She was supremely confident in her skills as a pilot, but anxious about what she was about to do. She had wasted no time returning to the flight academy upon returning to America. What had she been thinking getting involved with General Williams? After they had been intimate, that night in the jungle, they lay in each other’s arms and talked into the early hours of the morning. They talked of their pasts, and what they perhaps wanted for their futures. There was a genuine connection between them that was more than just physical. But no matter how strong their feelings for each other may have been, he was her commanding officer, and their goodbyes upon returning to America had been awkward. A relationship between the two of them was not appropriate. For the moment, she would push Troy out of her mind.

  Sergeant Michaels had taught the cadets well in her absence. They had done several test flights and training drills since her return. Despite all the gains the cadets had made, none of them possessed the natural ability for combat aviation that Myriad had. And in just a few minutes, the first aerial combat operation ever in the history of the Unconformed would be launched. At least in theory.

  Today’s mission was a training exercise, but it was the first one using live ammunition and the first one that would simulate one hundred percent the proper procedure for a live operation. The intended target was seventy miles south of the academy. The academy had created two separate flight teams: the Hawks and the Falcons. The Hawks engaged in the traditional forms of combat. They were the muscle in the sky, taking on other planes or whatever enemy targets they could get in their sights. The Falcons were the finesse pilots, the ones who dropped bombs and engaged targets that generally had no chance to stand up to them. It would be common on most missions for the Hawks to clear the way of dangerous hostiles so the Falcons could come in behind and clean up the mess. Myriad was the only pilot classified in both Hawk and Falcon status.

  Myriad was thinking too much, something uncommon for her. She always told her cadets that it was important not to overthink in the cockpit. Too much thinking will get you killed, she always told them. Flying was all about reacting. She pushed Troy out of her mind. She was going to take out her frustrations on her target, she decided. With newfound determination, she secured her oxygen mask and checked her flight instruments, making sure everything was good to go.

  Command came over her headset.

  “Falcon One, this is command. Start the clock over.”

  “Falcon One copies. Starting the clock.” Myriad hit a button, and the clock on the instrument panel began to count down from thirty.

  She spoke into her headset. “Hawk One, this is Falcon One. Clock is ticking. We have the sky. Over.”

  Cadet Max Shillings had come a long way since pissing himself in the cockpit; he had proved to be the quickest study at the academy. He would be flying on Myriad’s wing for the exercise. As a Hawk, he would be there to provide her with cover against enemy hostiles. It was Hawk One’s job to make sure Falcon One got to drop its bomb on the target unimpeded.

  “Falcon One, Hawk One, clock is ticking, I copy,” Shillings responded. “We have the sky. Over.”

  When the clock reached zero, both Myriad and Shillings took off down the runway. They completed the training mission ten minutes ahead of schedule. Not only did Myriad destroy the primary target, but she helped Shillings destroy the enemy hostiles, which were represented by dummy targets. The mission was a huge success. The flight academy was happy to report to headquarters that aerial combat operations were ready to begin. The Unconformed officially had an air force.

  Troy sat alone in the bowels of the Unconformed headquarters in Jade. From time to time, he would visit the basement levels of the research labs to check on the progress that their scientists and researchers were making. At the moment, he was thinking of Myriad. The final night in Africa had been special to him. Troy knew that he had real feelings for her, but he was her commanding officer, and a romantic relationship with Myriad would not be appropriate. He decided to push her out of his mind for the moment and shift his attention to what was in front of him.

  Troy was staring at the incapacitated soldier alien that had been captured during the prison camp raid; he stared at it often when he visited the lower level laboratories. The roach had been in the Unconformed’s possession for almost a year now, and they still could not remove its armor. By now, they had stopped trying, and it was more a souvenir that they figured they would eventually get to when they got tools that were strong enough. Troy had always found the roach fascinating and terrifying.

  On the surface, things appeared to be going well. The Unconformed’s ranks were ballooning, they had made contacts abroad, and Myriad reported that the air force was ready to join the fight. Yet staring at the armored soldier alien reminded Troy of the strength of their enemy. There were holes where the bullets had penetrated the armor but for some reason they still could not remove the actual armor. For all the progress and momentum that the human resistance appeared to be gaining, they still could not do something as simple as remove a soldier alien’s suit of armor. Something about looking at the alien chilled Troy this particular night. He hoped that uniting the resistance into a global force would bring this war to a swift and decisive end. The representatives from the other resistances were all due to arrive in Jade within the next three days.

  Predictably, Demoskeena had been there to welcome Ayira and the other African tribesmen when they touched down. Troy welcomed this. Demoskeena was the leader of the civilian government, and it would thoroughly impress not just the Africans but all the visiting foreigners to see how legitimate the government was and to be treated to the presence of the Prime Minister. He had elected not to warn Ayira about Demoskeena. It was important that Ayira and the other foreign leaders form their own opinions of him. Troy reasoned that
it would be a losing battle to try to align everyone against Demoskeena anyway, not worth the effort. He also felt that they would appreciate him letting them form their own opinions. Most important would be that he make a strong showing at the summit that was going to take place. All of Jade would be either watching in person or listening to it live.

  All forms of government, the Quorum, War Council, and Church were supportive of Troy’s efforts to unite the globe, so he did not have to worry that they would complicate his efforts. What he was concerned about was that they would exploit his efforts for their own benefit. This was inevitable, but he would be ready for it, and would control it as much as possible. The focus had to remain on defeating the invaders and nothing else. He felt confident in his ability to see through the political smokescreens, empty promises, and warnings, but he could not do it for the other leaders. God, he wished they could get this damn soldier alien’s armor off! He wanted to see what the aliens looked like. He wanted to see them exposed and vulnerable for a change.

  “General Williams is certainly an extraordinary man,” Demoskeena relayed to Ayira through her interpreter.

  Ayira had been elected to represent the nine African tribes in all matters political before she and a small group of African aides and security had left for America. She owed this victory to her close relationship with Troy, and she was grateful, but her chief motive was the freedom of her people and homeland. It would seem that, for now, Earth was her homeland to defend, because adopting this mindset was the only way she could help rebuild Africa.

  “Anyone who can bring us all together is certainly extraordinary,” Ayira replied through the interpreter. “I am in awe of this city. You have two bodies of government, correct?”

  “That is correct,” said Demoskeena, using a glass of wine to wash down his meal. The Palace was near completion, and he had invited Ayira to a very presidential dinner to talk. “The Quorum is made up of ten elected representatives who see to it that the interests of the civilians in their respective districts are met. The War Council has the final say on military matters. And the Catholic Church,” he said, choosing his words carefully, “is there to provide spiritual guidance and support.” He could tell that Ayira was no fool. He hoped the other foreign representatives were not as intelligent.

  “Very impressive,” said Ayira. “And you were elected as Prime Minister?”

  “In a manner of sorts,” Demoskeena responded with a knowing grin. “I was in a position to make things better, and I took it. How did you come to lead your people?”

  “Elected, of course.”

  “How interesting.” It was time for Demoskeena to end this conversation. “Well, you will be staying on the third floor of the Palace. Anything you need, do not hesitate to ask. I must retire. The other nationalities will be arriving tomorrow, and then of course the summit will begin soon after.”

  “Of course,” Ayira smiled. She stood when Demoskeena excused himself. Tommy and the rest of the security detail escorted Demoskeena out as Ayira sat back down.

  “That man is a snake,” Ayira’s interpreter and advisor said in their native tongue after Demoskeena had left the room.

  “Yes, he is, but necessary,” Ayira responded in their authentic native language. Then in perfect English: “We will have to be very careful.”

  “This is a military matter,” Troy said.

  “This is a matter that directly impacts our entire city. Not to mention the future of our species.” Demoskeena was frustrated, but he maintained his cool. He had learned that the only way to deal with a man as irritatingly politically savvy and patient as Troy was to remain calm.

  “All military matters do.”

  The foreign representatives had arrived in Jade, and Demoskeena had had a chance to meet and greet them all. The meetings had gone well, and Demoskeena had recognized some potential allies. But when he found out that there was to be a planned private meeting before the official summit, he was livid.

  “I was told that the leaders would be congregating en masse for the very first time at the press conference.”

  “There’s been a change in plan. They have requested a private meeting first, behind closed doors.”

  “As the head of the government, I will be attending that meeting.”

  “This is a military matter, Prime Minister, and the leaders have asked to meet with me and me alone. Military matters are dealt with by the Council, the Quorum, and your office only in the conference chambers.”

  Both men sized each other up in silence.

  “I know we do not always see eye to eye,” Demoskeena offered, “but you cannot dispute that we make a good team. Much better than your predecessor.”

  Troy could not argue with this. Under Troy’s leadership, the Unconformed had made a complete transformation and were stronger than they had ever been. Likewise, Jade’s infrastructure, economy, and government were thriving under the Prime Minister’s direction. The citizens of Jade had never been happier and looked upon the current times as the city’s first golden age. It was prudent of Demoskeena to remind Troy of this fact, and it caught him completely off guard. They were a good team, Troy realized. Despite his distaste for Demoskeena, he was the most powerful person in Jade next to Troy himself, and Troy could not afford to take that fact lightly. In the end, Troy decided it would benefit his interests to placate the Prime Minister.

  “As Jade’s Prime Minister, you should attend.”

  CLOSED DOORS

  “I would like to thank everyone for being here tonight.” Troy addressed the foreign representatives in the private meeting as Demoskeena and Colonel Cartwright looked on. Troy felt the need to make the proceedings as formal as possible. Demoskeena had pleasantly reminded him that the representatives here were not politicians. They all represented the most powerful resistance forces in their general regions. They were soldiers, nothing more. In fact, part of the reason that they had all accepted the invitation to Jade was to see, firsthand, an actual functioning government. While they were no more than leaders of hardened fighting forces, Troy was not going to underestimate their intelligence or potential for politics. He had never dealt with any of the new arrivals before, but if they were anything like Ayira, he would not be able to manipulate them.

  Troy’s staff had come up with detailed, written profiles of all the representatives and the resistance forces they led. The Japanese resistance was represented by General Tanaka and his interpreter. Their force was known as the Lost Samurai. General Tanaka had two hundred and fifty soldiers at his disposal back in Japan. But their biggest asset was that they had collected what they assured Troy was highly sensitive intelligence on the enemy in their years of war. The Lost Samurai had elected not to share that intelligence at the moment. But they were open to uniting, and like all the other races, amazed at the American resistance’s ability to fly. They were also impressed that the Unconformed had been telling the truth about Jade and its functioning government and economy.

  The Russian resistance was represented by General Vitali Ibrogimov and his interpreter. General Ibrogimov had three hundred soldiers back in Russia. Heads of Jade’s science panel had verified that their claims to have a brilliant Russian scientist in their hands were true. The scientist’s name was Sultan Klitscko, and he had been going over theories with Jade’s scientists in the laboratories ever since they arrived. The Russian resistance was known as the Sons of Mother Russia. While they had been thorns in the aliens’ sides in parts of Russia for some time, they also claimed that Dr. Klitscko had the schematics for a thermonuclear bomb. Troy had been ready to give the green light for General Ibrogimov to attend the summit on that basis alone. It was just a bonus that the Sons were also seasoned warriors. What Russia did not have in resources and scientific facilities, Jade would hopefully be able to provide.

  General Jing Xie, the representative of the Chinese resistance, happened to be fluent in English. The Chinese resistance was known as the Ming-Han; they had an astonishing two thous
and soldiers back in their homeland. The Chinese were the largest known resistance force on the planet; they also had an abundance of natural resources at their disposal, the most important and abundant of them being coal. Troy’s advisors had been pleased to brief him that the Ming-Han had very large and lucrative underground mining operations throughout China that were the driving force behind their enormous surplus of coal and other resources that could be converted to fuel. Having an army in the thousands meant that the Ming-Han were well-equipped, well-organized, and extremely efficient.

  The Mexican resistance was represented by General Bolivar Gonzalez and his two interpreters. The Mexican resistance was known as the Shorn Ones, and they were regarded as fierce fighters throughout the Mexican region. General Gonzalez was in command of five hundred soldiers, and his forces had perfected the styles of both guerrilla and traditional warfare. Aside from the Shorn Ones’ impressive number of troops and military equipment, the Mexican resistance had vast oil reserves that they had stockpiled over the years in their Mexican homeland. Their troops and their oil would be crucial to the expansion of any kind of global resistance force, in particular with regard to the fighter jets that were going to make up the air force that the Unconformed had created.

  General Arun Alekar and his interpreter represented the Indian resistance, known as the Shiavites. The Shiavites had only two hundred soldiers in their resistance, but what they did not have in numbers and general military might they made up for in technology. The Indian resistance had technological capabilities far beyond those of the other resistance bodies, Unconformed included. While all the other resistance groups at the meeting had been focused on building their military strength, and striking back at the aliens, the Shiavites’ primary focus had been on increasing their technology with the intent of gathering intelligence and information, which could then be used to attack the enemy. The Shiavites were so advanced in technology, Troy’s briefing had reported, that they were able to access and control space satellites that had lost all connection with Earth after the nuclear wars and the subsequent alien invasion. The Shiavites had accomplished this through the reconstruction of several hidden ground transmitters that would serve as uplinks and downlinks to the satellites. In this way, they could monitor and document the aliens in a manner that the other resistance groups thought impossible. The Shiavites could provide a global resistance body with unprecedented surveillance capabilities and with communication opportunities as well. They would be the driving force behind Troy’s plans to establish a global neural network that would link all affiliated countries of the future global resistance.