by Dean Sault
“Sorry.”
Everyone sighed in relief as the velocity of their space ship reduced noticeably.
Another hour passed with no further close escapes as images of passing rocks became routine. Shilgar and Kelly talked with Dr. Boroski about ancient Earth and human history while Kerl-Ga rolled up in a ball on the floor in front of her chair. Simon participated in the questions through his intercom without ever moving from his prone position in the command module.
“And, that is why humans are so hated by Heptari.” The hologram paused his history lesson. “Simon, we’re approaching the end of the first asteroid field. Prepare to accelerate across the void between the belts. We will repeat this process four more times before we reach deep space. Maintain this same pace in the next field, but the third belt is denser than the rest. You’ll have to slow down when we get there.”
“Yes, sir.”
Simon’s respect for Dr. Boroski had grown to the point where he no longer thought of the computer program as only a hologram.
“We’re clear,” he narrated for his passengers. “Here we go. Accelerating to . . . what?”
“Simon, stop!”
“Yeah, Doc. I see it. What is it?”
“I’m not sure. Slip back into the asteroid belt. I don’t think they’ve seen us yet. Shilgar, Kelly, strap into your seats. Kerl-Ga, too,” Dr. Boroski said with unusual urgency.
“What’s wrong?” Kelly asked.
Shilgar watched the forward monitor and sensed danger. Kelly searched for a connection to Simon’s subconscious but found only a cold void. In some way, he sealed his mind.
Three enormous space ships emerged into the void between the asteroid fields. These ships dwarfed warships they had seen near Tanarac. They were so large they could not maneuver around obstructions. Their shields and hull plating simply shoved rocks to one side, many larger than the quarry’s main human building. Countless small vessels accompanied each of the three massive ships.
“They’re Heptari,” Shilgar stated the obvious.
Simon asked, “Doc, are you sure we can get past those ships?”
“I’m not worried about their energy weapons, but just in case, I think it would serve us best to stay out of sight until they pass completely into the last asteroid belt.”
“Doc, they’re headed for Tanarac. We gotta let the General know they’re coming.”
“That knowledge will not help,” Doctor Boroski said. “Those ships will probably swing the balance of power beyond anyone’s control.”
Silence followed the hologram’s observation.
Heptari ships did not seem in a hurry to join the battle at Tanarac. They waited patiently in the void as the rest of their fleet emerged from the second asteroid belt.
“Dr. Boroski, if they defeat Tanarac, they’ll kill our people, won’t they?” Shilgar voiced the question that was troubling all of them.
“You already know the answer to your question,” the hologram’s voice betrayed his personal distress about the probable outcome. “What would you have us do, Shilgar?”
“I don’t know. There must be some way we can help.” He refused to accept the hologram’s passive view of an inevitable fate. “Maybe if we get word to our people, they can move into the deepest hides. We avoided detection by Tanarac scanners for over two hundred years. My people can hide from the Heptaris. We need to let Benjamin know. Can we send them a message?”
“No. Tanarac relay satellites in this asteroid field have been destroyed. There is no way for us to send a message from here. If we return through the asteroid field to send a message, we jeopardize the people aboard this ship. It is best for survival of humanity if we remain hidden until we can continue our mission. Besides, warning them will not alter the outcome.”
“Kelly. Simon. What do you think?” Shilgar asked.
He spent his life in a democracy, the only form of governance he had ever known. Naturally, he put the question to his peers.
“I don’t know.” Kelly struggled between the doctor’s logic and Shilgar’s passion.
Without further discussion, the human space ship began retracing its path back through the asteroid field. Simon made a unilateral decision. His voice filled the control room.
“Sorry, but we don’t have time for debate. We’re going back. I’ll send a warning as soon as we exit the field, and, then, I’m flying us outta here, right past that fleet. Hang on. I’m not going slow this time.”
Simon piloted his spacecraft at breathtaking speed. Space rocks loomed directly ahead, only to whiz by, frighteningly close.
Kelly tried to link with him, but all she saw was a flurry of images as he concentrated on his present task.
The return trip took a fraction of the time, and as soon as they cleared the field of tumbling rocks, Simon contacted Tanarac with a warning on multiple frequencies. His transmission was quickly routed to General Tragge.
“Tragge, here. We already heard about those big ships coming this way. Tell me everything you can about that fleet.”
Simon described the enemy ships as best he could and told the general about its casual pace of travel.
“I’m not sure what more we can do, but I appreciate the advantage of knowing what’s coming.” General Tragge thanked Simon.
“Sir, can you patch me through to Dr. Hadje?”
When the connection was complete, Simon offered Shilgar the opportunity to pass on the same warning to Benjamin.
“It does not look good for Tanarac.” Shilgar completed his report.
“Thank you. There is nothing more you can do here. We may need that new home world sooner than we hoped. One day, we shall walk together in the sun, my friend.”
The call ended.
No one spoke.
Kelly and Shilgar stared at the distant blue-green planet as their vessel sat motionless.
Dr. Boroski attempted to nudge everyone back on track. He spoke gently, but with a sense of urgency.
“We must go. I know this is difficult for all of you, but we have a responsibility to humanity. It is time we must find that new home for our people.”
Simon turned the ship. No one objected.
Chapter 54
“Prime Skah Rotaga, we intercepted a transmission from that strange ship to the Tanarac planet. Will you hear the report?”
“Speak.”
“The transmission was in human dialect. It said—”
“Human dialect?”
“Yes, Prime Skah. It came from the same ship we tried to intercept near the sun. They warned that we have a large fleet entering the last asteroid field. They told the humans on the planet to enter some kind of hiding. Sir, I did not know we have another fleet in this area.”
Rotaga clenched his fist. Again, drops of blood fell to the floor as sharp claws broke through scales of his palms.
“That fleet is the Codae. We must defeat Tanarac before they arrive.”
“What about the human ship, Prime Skah?”
“We don’t have time to deal with them. I’ll hunt them down after Tanarac becomes my possession. Begin the final attack sequence.”
“But, Prime Skah, the planetary shields are not yet down.”
“My flagship will have to absorb some damage passing through the shields. As soon as our shields are back up, we can destroy their defenses and our numeric advantage assures success. Begin the final sequence. Instruct our capital ships to draw Tanarac heavy ships away from my flagship’s entry point.”
Rotaga’s aide was confused by the extreme risk his commander was taking with the flagship. He hesitated implementing the orders, hoping his leader might reconsider.
“Now!” Rotaga left no doubt about his decision.
Chapter 55
The Head Tasker caught up with Dr. Hadje and Benjamin.
“Doctor, you have a priority comm link from the general’s War Room. He wants to speak to the human.”
He handed the headset directly to a surprised Benjamin.
; “Hello? I thought you were gone.”
Benjamin listened carefully to his friend. His brow furrowed deeply as he received Shilgar’s warning. After the conversation, he turned to look at the dark silhouette of Mount Vaal. It had been his home, his sanctuary, for his entire life. He hoped his people were safely hidden deep within. Benjamin handed the headset back to the Head Tasker.
“What’s wrong? Can I help?” Dr. Hadje asked.
Benjamin explained the situation.
The doctor said, “I appreciate everything you and your friends have done. If your men need to go into deep hiding, my Taskers will defend this quarry.”
“No, Rosh. This is our battle, as much as yours. We fight side by side. The rest of our people are in deep hides. There is nothing more we can do for them. I will speak with my scouts. They deserve to know the truth.”
Benjamin left right away to inform his scouts.
The moon had dropped below the horizon leaving the quarry in absolute darkness. It didn’t slow the skilled old scout. As he found his way through the quarry, he thought how normal it felt to be back in the field. He approached the first of many defense posts and made the two low-pitched chirps of a Night Tog mating call. The sound was mimicked nearby.
“Good to see you, sir.” The greeting came out of the dark just ahead.
A small lantern turned on, bathing the previously unseen scout camp in faint blue light. Benjamin walked into the area but it was empty. As soon as he was fully visible, three Taskers and one human emerged from concealment in nearby rocks.
“I am pleased. You hide well. Where is Orn-Ga?” He was a little surprised to see the scout without his companion hicay.
“You must be getting deaf.” The young scout laughed and pointed over the older man’s shoulder.
Benjamin turned to see a hicay seated only a few strides behind him. He was pleased by her exceptional stealth. He walked back to her and scratched behind her ears.
“She’s been tracking you,” said the scout, “since she caught your scent at the recon mark.”
The big animal crossed over to her scout companion and nuzzled him warmly. Tanaracs on the scout team marveled at the relationship between hicays and humans.
Benjamin shared his news and waited for the human scout’s decision before offering a few words of caution to his team and moving on to the next guard post.
One by one, the human leader visited each of his teams and offered every scout the choice to stay or leave. None chose to leave.
Back at the compound, a large black shape passed slowly over the Tasker quarters, headed out into the quarry. As it passed, a deep hum vibrated the air so powerfully that Dr. Hadje could feel it pounding inside his chest.
Atmospheric fighters swooped down at the vessel, firing weapons on every pass. As the ship returned fire, one unfortunate fighter burst into flames and spiraled somewhere into the distant jungle. A flash of light on the horizon marked its end.
The doctor ordered the compound lights turned off and everyone watched as the sinister black shape landed on the far side of the quarry’s primary mining field.
Benjamin and one of his scout teams hid behind tailings, studying the Heptari ship as it settled. Despite numerous hits by fighters, the large ship did not suffer obvious damage. Every member of the scout team knew they were about to meet their first Heptari soldiers.
A bright sliver of light opened along the lower edge of the ship and a ramp extended to the ground. Three large groups of enemy soldiers, bathed by light from inside the ship, stood in formations on the ramp until it touched down. They systematically moved out into the darkness.
The experienced scout struggled to study their tactics in the dim illumination from the ship’s interior. They followed a repeated sequence. A single squad moved at a time, covered by support units. The tactic repeated exactly the same each time, with squads moving forward according to a logical sequence. Their progress was slow, but he saw no weaknesses to be exploited.
Enemy soldiers in full combat gear advanced into the heart of the quarry, but not toward the compound’s buildings as expected. Instead, they moved toward the planetary shield projection array located just west of the quarry. Heptari squads held to a perfectly straight line of travel toward that target.
Benjamin sent his scout team ahead to warn the others and consolidate their forces while he remained behind to track enemy progress. Long morning shadows extended across the quarry as the rising Tanarac minor sun began to light the horizon behind Mount Vaal. Defender teams had detailed plans for this very event. They would be closing on the enemy right now, although even his sharp scout vision could not detect patrols as they slipped past rocks and crevices below his vantage point.
A Tanarac fighter jet streaked low across the quarry, strafing enemy ground troops. Several Heptari soldiers fell, wounded or killed by the cannon fire. The craft pulled up directly over Benjamin’s head and banked hard to attack the transport.
Multiple weapons from the troopship opened fire at the fighter. It burst into flames and tumbled in the air, before crashing into mining rubble near the base of the ramp.
The senior human slid silently down from his reconnaissance position as his scout team returned from alerting their peers. He pointed out the advancing Heptari force was entering one of the deepest depressions in the entire quarry, a perfect place for an ambush.
“It’s time to spring the trap,” he whispered.
“Do you want us to stay with you, sir?”
“I’ll be fine. You will be needed to deal with those Heptari soldiers.”
The scout team left their leader, heading for their assigned ambush place. Benjamin waited for them to be positioned before initiating the attack. When all seemed right, the senior free-human inflated his chest as much as possible, cupped his hands to each side of his mouth, and began the familiar attack cry of a hunting hicay. Numerous return calls echoed across the quarry. His people were ready.
Heptari soldiers heard the strange calls, too. They came to a stop. Many individual squads merged simultaneously to create a single, five-pointed star formation. The bulk of their warriors were concentrated in the center of the star and the arm at the top of the star pointed directly at the distant shield facility. Side and rear arms provided flanking and trailing protection.
After the reorganization, the enemy resumed their steady march forward, watching carefully for signs of ambush.
From his elevation, Benjamin spotted two Tanarac/human scout teams moving fluidly from rock to rock as they closed on the leading arm of the new Heptari formation. Half a dozen more teams slid silently into his view, each getting within throwing range for Tanarac stun cords.
The enemy soldiers continued their advance, oblivious to dozens of resistance fighters hiding in boulders only a few yards on either side of them.
Responding to some unheard signal, the scout teams rose simultaneously and charged the enemy ranks in the leading arm of the star formation.
Stun cords rained down on surprised enemy soldiers. Tanarac weapons found their marks, wrapping around throats of unfortunate lizard warriors. Taskers and humans charged into enemy ranks, engaging in hand-to-hand combat with those who survived the initial stun cord attack.
A line of humans formed across the base of the forward star-arm, creating a barrier between the leading arm and Heptari reinforcements. Scouts unleashed a hail of arrows, spears and heavy rock projectiles into the center group of enemy soldiers.
Human weapons proved ineffective. A few Heptaris suffered non-lethal wounds to hands and other exposed flesh, but most of the projectiles bounced harmlessly off body armor or exposed scales of the well-prepared enemy soldiers.
One particularly large Heptari soldier at the center of the main formation began shouting orders. Under his direction, two outer arms of the star formation rotated forward to flank the combatants in the leading arm.
Benjamin could see the trap develop but had no way to warn his people. Heptari adjustments stopped
short of joining the physical combat. Instead, they dropped to one knee, took aim into the mass of combatants and fired a blistering barrage of energy beams.
Humans, Tanaracs, and even their own Heptari comrades, fell in equal numbers. Benjamin was shocked to see the enemy’s disregard for the lives of their own soldiers. In that instant, he knew he underestimated this enemy.
Rising from concealment, he intentionally exposed himself. With hands at the sides of his mouth, he let out the loudest hicay scream he could manage. Instead of the usual long wailing cry, his voice pulsed in a strange cadence, echoing across the quarry.
Surprised Heptari combatants stopped firing for a moment as they looked to see where the strange sound came from. The distraction allowed surviving humans and Taskers to dash for cover.
Enemy gunners opened fire at the scout, driving him down from his perch. Several squads of lizard soldiers rushed up the slope toward his position.
In the distance, Dr. Hadje and his Head Tasker came to the same conclusion as Benjamin about the enemy’s objective.
“Rase, troops guarding the barracks aren’t needed anymore. They’re are not after humans. They want the shield generator. Take the rest of your men and report to Benjamin.”
The Head Tasker called out to nearby squads. Within seconds, the rest of the compound’s defenders entered the quarry at a full run, stun cords glowing brightly in their hands.
“Doc, where’d you put my scout glider?”
The voice came from behind the doctor.
“What are you doing up. Kob? You should be resting.”
“No time. Where’s my SG?” He repeated his question with some urgency.
“It’s in the field shed, over there.”
“Come with me. I need your help.”
Kob took off running at a pace the old scientist could not match. The young Tanarac officer disappeared into the field shed, well ahead of Dr. Hadje. When the scientist arrived, the main shed door swung open, and the scout ship was coming out.
“Get in!” Kob shouted through the open cabin door.
The doctor tumbled headlong into the craft.