The Boneyards of Nebula

by Rod Little

  My spark, a hundred times greater. I could crush my enemies with one hand.

  He squeezed the sphere hard; it shimmered.

  Outside, the Saratu wailed.

  Some of the higher ranking men in Lusus' charge used their sparks to repel the creatures, and even against the men. The combination of rifles, tanks and spark proved too much, and the Earthling men started to pull back. But the Saratu continued.

  Then came the gliders.

  Finally! Thought Lusus.

  From his tower he watched a squad of twelve gliders strafe the grounds with bullets. They took out the entire front line of creatures. More of the Earth men also fell, wounded. Others darted for the safety of the trees.

  And then a great stroke of luck for Lusus! A swarm of lizards, attracted by the noise and commotion, scrambled over the hill and plunged into the foray. They attacked the men, the Saratu, and the centipedes. They assaulted everything in sight. The Earthlings were badly outnumbered again.

  Seeing no other choice, the Earth men began to retreat.

  The gliders continued to chase after them, killing or wounding them by the dozens. The cars escaped in two directions, veering off the road and into the woods for tree cover, hiding from the gliders as best they could. Many men went on foot to obtain shelter deeper in the forest. The gliders swooped overhead. The tree branches bounced, rippled by bullets, and bits of bark sprinkled down, ricocheting off limbs until they fell to the ground below.

  Eventually, even the Saratu halted their furious blitz, now a seemingly pointless effort. They gathered as one and withdrew from the camp, then scuttled into the forest, their numbers halved. Even though their anger had been stoked more than ever, they were intelligent enough to know that they had been beaten – today, anyway. They would consult with the Earthling boy, the only who understood them. A new plan was needed.

  For now, only retreat.

  Lusus tapped a finger on this lips, as he watched. He was pleased, and managed a smile.

  “It appears we have driven them back,” Yota reported. “Your orders? Pursue them?”

  Lusus considered his next move. The lines on his face drew together. His smile became a malicious grin. Ugly, by any measure.

  “Not now. Not in the darkness. Instead, I want a wall of tanks stationed around our headquarters. And I want another glider squad parked here. This is the last time they take us by surprise. The last time, Yota. No more mistakes.”

  “I admit, I did not think Loxtan had it in him.”

  “This isn't Loxtan. That weak man couldn't take a fork from a baby. No. This is our two lost sons of Neptune. Soren Jayden's boys. They're behind this attack. This whole thing is their scheme, I know it. I can smell their fear.”

  “It does seem plausible. No coincidence this happened after their return to Earth.”

  “They have too much of this hot, wretched planet in them; a violent people.”

  “In an unusual ploy, Loxtan appears to have evacuated our civilians. He has moved them back to the passenger ships and returned to the sky. Back to Neptune, do you think?”

  “No. He's smart. He is keeping them out of harm's way. I'm sure he plans to land again after this is over. And I'll admit, that is a wise move.”

  “Lack of confidence in us. Weak. Disappointing.” Yota grimaced. He never liked the President.

  “Perhaps. But this is good for us, too. Now there's no reason to hold back. Let the bullets and rockets rain down. Tomorrow we will crush the Earthlings and end all this. This ends tomorrow. It's time to declare me as the ruler of Earth.”

  Yota did not like the sound of that, but his place was solid as the right-hand man to the lunatic who would soon be Emperor. He would have a good position in the new world.

  Best to be on the right side of victory than the left side of defeat, he keenly felt.

  Chapter 42

  News of the night's failed skirmish with the rebels reached Shane's camp by dawn. It fouled their mood, and cast doubts on the whole operation. There was no unity among the Earth men.

  Nothing has changed, thought Shane. Earth's people haven't been united for a thousand years.

  “The Saratu aren't going to be much help, if they go off on their own like this in the middle of the night,” Dexter fretted. In the lab he had concocted some explosives of his own, juiced-up molotov cocktails, and now he deposited a box of them on the table. “I'm doing my part. Get everyone else to stick to the script!”

  “The men from the west camp are just as bad,” said George. “They headed off into a fight we're not ready to win yet. Damn fools!”

  “The plan was to attack today,” Dexter repeated. “And plans need to be followed.”

  “A plan which has gotta be canceled, thanks to last night's muck-up!” Shane barked. He fed fuel into the fire of rage. No one was ready to be calm this morning. “Now that damn Lusus is ready for us. No surprises left in it. The cat is out of the bag.”

  “I know,” said Bohai. “But I have no control over the Saratu. I barely understand them myself.”

  “We're not blaming you,” said Sam. “But we need some coordination.”

  “That's not going happen, man. They have a mind of their own, and little patience with us. They want the enemy dead even more than we do. It's like they were programmed to go after the Sayans. Try telling a bee hive to stop following their queen for even a day.”

  “We'll just have to improvise,” Stu said. His was possibly the only cool head today. “We've been in worse spots before.

  George agreed. “We can do this. We already have our two convoys ready to go: the men in jeeps and cars from the east, and the...” he shivered, “spiders from the south and west. We can still trap the enemy in the middle. The important thing is to attack all four outposts at once. Don't let them reinforce each other.” He understood military strategy better than any of them.

  “That is sound advice,” Dexter said. “A core principle in military strategy consists in engaging the enemy at multiple fronts.”

  “Otherwise it'll be like playing wack-a-mole. They'll just send reinforcements to each other, if we hit them one at a time.”

  “I don't understand the reference,” Dexter said.

  “It's a game– ”

  “Never mind,” Shane said. “Let's set up a new attack for this afternoon at two. Everyone, all at one time. That gives us a few more hours to prepare, at least.”

  But time for preparation was not in the cards. The morning's peace was about to be shattered in the worst possible way. Lusus was not waiting; it quickly became clear he was going on the offensive, and he was ready now.

  The sun was barely up, but it glared off the metal gliders and blinded anyone who looked at the sky. The sea of enemy fighter ships swooped in hard and low, sending a hail of bullets down on the camp. The ships' first assault run was so fast, it created a wind that blew the humans' washed clothes off the hanging lines. Their tents billowed.

  Shane and his crew ran for cover. Piles of their unloaded rifles were knocked off tables, some damaged by the bullet storm. Many of the people screamed, fleeing into the buildings and brick structures the camp was built around. A water tank took three bullets and leaked water; it created a muddy stream at the edge of camp.

  Sam and Bohai sprinted for the Praihawk.

  Mitch stood his ground and aimed his rifle straight up. He was determined not to be bullied. He fired shells that bounced off the gliders' hulls without doing any damage. It made the man feel good, but it was pointless and risky.

  The first wave flew on, and another wave of ships spun in directly behind them. There would be no reprieve. Lusus was a smart military commander; he knew what he was doing. First demoralize your opponent, then knock his legs out. Force him to surrender. Do it hard, fast, as quickly as you can.

  He was sending a message: brutal punishment for last night's raid.

  Shane took up one of the semi-automatic rifles and fired a set of rounds into the sky. George and Stu managed to wra
ngle an RPG into place; it hit one glider straight on. The ship veered hard to port and disappeared in a far field – the pilot had succeeded in landing it without crashing. It was the closest thing to an enemy casualty so far, while their own wounded on the ground were in the hundreds. The Earthling camp was in trouble.

  A high-pitched engine sounded. The Praihawk took to the air, rose above the attacking squad, circled and swooped over them. It discharged its lasers in rapid succession, immediately taking down three gliders. All three ships crashed into the trees.

  Bohai swung the battleship around for another volley of lasers. He chased after the smaller gliders, who badly outnumbered him.

  Shane's gun ran dry, and he raced back into the main building to check on Camila and the wounded.

  Inside the steel building that made up the Earthling headquarters, Dexter grabbed Shane firmly by the arm. “We need to change our strategy,” he urged. “This won't work, the way we're doing it now. We need to flip the defensive to offensive.”

  “A little hard to do right now!” Shane yelled over the sound of ships, bullets and explosions outside. Something flew hard against one window and cracked it. “Defense is the priority.”

  “Change of plan. We don't have enough to go after all his outposts,” Dexter said. “Only one. Only go after Lusus. Call in all your people, your spiders, and all the Saratu. We go after one place: the headquarters. We crush Lusus himself.”

  “You mean...? Wait, what do you mean?”

  “Cut off the head to kill the snake. Kill Lusus and Yota, and his whole resistance falls apart. His rebels are confused and angry, but they aren't deranged like their Commander. Get rid of the top two, maybe the whole upper command, five or six, and we can force a surrender.”

  Forcing Lusus to surrender sounded like a ridiculous idea, in light of the enemy's recent victory. If anything, the Earthlings were more likely to surrender. But Dexter's words rang true – and that man knew Lusus better than anyone. His plan made sense.

  Shane pulled Jason aside. “Get on the radio. Call in everyone, and I mean everyone. We make a single push for the Lusus compound.”

  “Really?”

  “All of us. In one hour.”

  “Rock on. I'm on it.”

  Camila leaned into him. “A dozen badly shot. No one is critical yet, but this hurts. A lot of these men and women have been scavenging down here for months. They're already malnourished. And now, some of them have bullet wounds.”

  “We still have a doctor and two nurses, right?'

  “They're doing what they can.”

  “Tell them to do whatever it takes to keep the wounded bandaged and alive. This may be over soon, and they can get real care. I hope. But you need to come with me.”

  “Where are we going?'

  “To attack your friend, Lusus.”

  Ruling the sky, the Praihawk had managed to scare away the rest of the gliders, but this was clearly only the beginning. After a few circles around the camp, Bohai brought the warbird down and soft-landed on a stretch of grass five hundred feet outside camp.

  The two young pilots jogged back in.

  “Get your mojo ready, brother,” Shane said to Sam. He put one hand on his brother's shoulder and the other on Bohai's. “Juice your spark. And you, Bohai, get your spiders ready. We make one big assault. Today. In less than an hour. Throw everything at that damn Lusus and his camp.”

  “We're going after the Big Man?” Bohai asked.

  “Right you are. We have to get rid of the top, and hope... just hope the bottom falls apart.”

  Bohai nodded, his mind working fast. “I'll alert the spider armies.”

  “Any chance you can get the Saratu to make an attack on just the one place? All in, one big assault.”

  “That's already their plan, as long as the Seed is in there. They're already champing at the bit. Like I said, I can't control them, but I think this one is an easy plan to sell. They'll be united.”

  Sam lit two fingers with blue sparks. “I'm ready.”

  Jason got off the radio and ran to find Shane. “You're not gonna believe this. We got a bigger problem.”

  “What now?” Shane asked.

  “You're never gonna believe what our southern outpost saw hauled into Lusus' camp on an 18-wheeler this morning. Two MOABs. They got two damn MOAB bombs.”

  “What the hell is a MOAB?”

  George had just entered and heard the words. “MOAB is Mother of All Bombs. And it ain't pretty.”

  Sam extinguished his fingers.

  “In fact,” said Dexter, “I believe it stands for Massive Ordinance Air Blast.”

  “Same thing,” George growled. “And they can level a whole damn town, if they like. So we got ourselves a real problem. And if he's got two of them, we got even more of a problem.”

  “We got problems in spades,” said Shane. “Nothing has changed. We still attack today. We hit him before he can hit us. We just moved up our timeline to: now. Right now.”

  Chapter 43

  Guards were scattered and few, in and around the tent city, making it easy for Gena and John to slip out during the night and cross onto a suburban street two miles past the woodline. They rummaged through the closets of two houses and found an assortment of shirts, pants, sneakers – new clothes for Erakan. They didn't fit him well, a bit too large, but they would do for now. With the tensions of war firmly gripping the planet, no soldiers were paying any attention to one man's fashion sense.

  At the last house, John had also snagged a baseball cap with a beer logo on the front. He advised Erakan to wear it when the time came, bill low, and to keep his head down – avoid being recognized.

  “But you need to know, I'm going south first to fight with our men,” John told him. “Gena and I are both going. We know how to shoot a gun, and... well, we need to do our part. We need this for ourselves, too.”

  “You're leaving?”

  “It's been a rough year,” Gena said. “It'd do me a world of good to open up a shotgun on the a-holes what brung this down on us. Oh... not you, I mean... the others...”

  “I know what you mean. It's okay. But I'm not sure I like that you're going away. I don't know how to blend in.”

  “Don't worry. You'll be fine. Just hide in the woods until this all blows over. When the time comes, we'll bring you into the group. You'll blend in and get on the ship just fine. We'll see to it.”

  “You're very kind. Why is that?”

  “Why is what?”

  “Why are you helping me?”

  The question surprised Gena. “Why wouldn't we? We're not monsters. You seem generous enough in your own way. And I wouldn't wanna be stuck in this mess if I was you. Right? So, we help each other a little bit.”

  “Pretty dangerous, if you go to the front,” Erakan warned. “Be careful. My Commander... well, he's not one for mercy.”

  “Don't worry about us, sugar,” Gena gave out a half-chuckle. “This one and me, we've been through worse.”

  “I don't think you have,” said Erakan. “This could be really bad.”

  “Now you just keep your head low. We'll be back in time to help you before the ship leaves. And keep these here clothes hidden in the back of the tent, the one with the tear in the side flap. You got it?”

  “I understand.”

  “And don't take any wooden nickels,” John said. “We'll see you soon enough.”

  Wooden nickels. Erakan didn't understand that, but there was a giant bag of stuff he didn't understand about this planet. He added it to the pile and stuffed it down inside.

  Gena and John sneaked out of the tent city to join their countrymen, a ten mile hike at least. No one noticed them leave.

  Erakan went back to his guard duty. Lightning flashed in the sky, and he flinched. The weather phenomena on Earth still disconcerted him. It flashed again, but nothing came of it. A few sprinkles, and then the wind shuttled the clouds to another land. No real rain for the pre-dawn hours.

  Rain. Ano
ther oddity for his pile of things he did not understand.

  Living here would simply be too weird, he thought. I wonder if I could ever get used to it? No, I'll go away on the ship. I'm sure of it.

  He was sure of nothing.

  Chapter 44

  Fires in space led us to the cavern of Osganoo, a space lane filled with nothing but this strange gap of emptiness. But the colors! They drove us mad. Never were so many beautiful streams of hue crossed together in the middle of the stars. And here it was that we found the Ehtu and the Saratu.

  They coveted and guarded the object known as the Seed, and they watched over it like a mother Ikra watching its babies. And yet it was not the same. Worship and admiration pooled in their awful eyes. They valued this treasure above all else, but the reasons escaped us – until we realized these things had been genetically grown to follow and safeguard the strange, rare object. Wardens of its fate, they would pursue it to the ends of the galaxy, and woe to any man who held it in his hand. That man would come to know the meaning of the hunted, and death would find him at its worst.

  Sam scrolled through the journals of the Earthian Star charts. The books, including the two tomes from the Orca, had been digitized by Bem and uploaded to the ship's library. Sam read some of it aloud now to Bohai, while the two young men maneuvered the Praihawk into a region of the sky far above the battle zone.

  “What's an Ehtu?” Sam asked.

  Bohai calibrated the ship's weapons, and scanned the gauges for any anomalies. “I think they're the centipedes. Before their transformation.”

  “Creepy. But that makes sense.”

  “You gonna help me, or just read?”

  “Both.”

  “Check the sensors. Tell me if anything flies close to our zone. The alarm won't trigger until something actually crosses into it. Also, I want to know if anything heats up below us. You know... a rise in energy... the bombs.”

  The mission of the Praihawk had been altered to one of deflection. Instead of firing into the enemy compound, the ship took a position eight miles in the sky. If a MOAB was launched, the sole task of the Praihawk would be to detonate it in the sky. George said the damage from fallout might still be significant, but at least their camp and town would not be totally destroyed, and more human lives might be spared.