by Mike Luoma
BC pinches the bridge of his nose trying to quell the vertigo and avoid a headache.
“Give me a look at Dragama’s ship’s tactical screen!” BC orders the monitor. He wants to see how the battle is proceeding at the asteroid base. The outside view disappears from his viewscreen, replaced by a calmer, yet no less complex, tactical display from Dragama’s flagship.
“I want audio, too,” BC commands.
“Should I get Dragama on the line for you?” Chang asks.
“No! No, don’t disturb him now,” BC warns off Chang. “You should be paying attention, too!”
he admonishes him. “Just let me hear what they’re saying.”
“…coming around. SAIF Four, you’re straying, watch for friendly fire!”
“Roger that, SAIF One. We just took another hit, unfriendly.”
“Damage, four?”
“Negative, one. Nothing significant. I’m gonna kiss me a scientist when this is all done. Nice toys they’ve made us!”
“Girl scientist or boy scientist?”
“I don’t care, SAIF Three! I’ll kiss ‘em all! These shields, the new beam cannons, I love ‘em!”
“Watch it, three, you’ve got butter coming up on your left flank!”
“Roger that, two. I see ‘em.”
“Where’s five?”
“Got no sign of SAIF Five, one.”
“I think she might have bought it on a rock, right after we lead that first wave through the base’s kill zone. Saw a flash, anyway.”
“Roger that, three.”
BC tries to picture the scene in his mind, going over the battle plans. The SAIF ships start from a tight orbit around the asteroid base, and then work their way outward in concentric orbits creating globes of engagement around the base, all the while firing the base-bound energy beam cannons, creating kill zones.
Dragama’s ships aren’t concentrating on taking out Eldred targets so much as they’re harrying and herding the Eldred ships into the corridors of energy fire being carved out by the asteroid base’s artillery. A separate fire control team on the flagship mans the remote fired cannons. The Transpace Nullifier is installed on the asteroid base. When Dragama’s ships get out beyond the five kilometers the field can cover, they’ll try to force as many of the Eldred ships inside the nullifier field’s range as they can, and then trigger the nullifier.
With the Eldred unable to use their Transpace drives, Dragama will execute the final part of the plan. Just before the SAIF ships jump away, they’ll trigger the five second countdown for the packages BC sent over with Krish and the nullifier, two large scale thermonuclear weapons now hidden on the asteroid base. The resulting explosion should destroy the rest of the Eldred ships within the nullifier’s field around the base.
“This is SAIF Four, we’re outside. We’ll keep chasing them in.”
There’s one of our ships out of the nullifier’s range, ready to jump to safety. Four…
probably three more to go… if SAIF Five is gone.
“Roger that, SAIF Four. Hold beyond the perimeter and continue harrying the Eldred from there,” Dragama orders.
“SAIF Three in the safe zone!”
“Roger, SAIF Three, hold and harry! Wing up with SAIF Four! Keep slicing and dicing… get as many of them inside as you can!”
“Will do, One.”
“Prime Representative?” Chang interrupts BC’s listening.
“What is it, Chang?”
“Some of the ships here are leaving.”
What?
“Ships? Leaving?”
“Some of the Eldred ships, sir. They just blinked away into Transpace.”
I bet I know where they’re going…
“Get me Dragama,” BC orders Chang.
“You’re already patched in, sir,” Chang points out.
“Sorry, Chang,” BC apologizes. “Dragama?”
“Dragama here, PR.”
“PR?” BC wonders aloud. “Oh, Prime Representative, I get it. The only initials I usually go by are ‘BC’!”
“PR BC, then, whatever. Busy here,” Dragama says.
“May be getting busier. Some of the Eldred ships have left here, blinked into Transpace minutes ago. I’m betting they’re on the way there to see you.”
“Sounds like a safe bet,” Dragama agrees. “We’ll keep our eyes open. But there are so many anyway… ain’t really gonna notice, you know?”
“Understood,” BC acknowledges.
“We’ve got more sheep on the way, SAIF squadrons,” Dragama announces to his ships, trying to make it sound as if there are more there than his elite squad. “Let’s be aware. Keep your eyes open. More herding for us, wolfhounds!”
“Wolfhounds, sir?”
“Heh,” Dragama laughs, “Thought it sounded good, SAIF Two, didn’t you? Eyes open, people!”
“Three. New company coming in,” SAIF Three reports. “Moving to engage.”
“Roger Three. Four, move and support Three.”
BC watches his feed of Dragama’s strategy screen as he listens to the ship-to-ship banter. A new wash of small blue blips is suddenly picked up by the scanners feeding the strategy screen: New Eldred ships arriving. Some of the new Eldred ships arriving break off to engage SAIF Three and Four, but most of the new group head in straight for the asteroid base itself.
“Let ‘em through to try to attack. The base’s energy beam defenses are still at eighty percent!
Let the Eldred past to get ground up in that… but don’t let them back out!”
“Roger,” SAIF Four responds.
“Trying!” SAIF Three checks in. “Roger, that.”
“Gotcha. SAIF Two out.”
BC imagines the SAIF ships firing into the oncoming Eldred as he notes their positions on the strategy screen. SAIF Three and Four continue moving through the “safe” zone beyond the reach of the Transpace Nullifier firing at both new arrivals and earlier stragglers. The Nullifier’s effective zone is marked with a thin red line that circles the asteroid base. SAIF One and Two are both still close in to the base, and well inside the field dampening reach of the Nullifier. Too close yet to effectively trigger the device and get away.
Come on, one and two, let’s get going!
BC watches blue blips disappear from the screen as they close in to the base. The Eldred are wiped out in waves by the base’s energy beam fire, directed by the fire control onboard SAIF One. BC
asks the strategy screen to zoom out for a look at the bigger picture. Some groups of Eldred, tiny swarms of blue blips, are hanging back.
Reinforcements, maybe? Reserves? More cannon fodder? What are they waiting for? Well, they’re on Dragama’s display, so he knows about ‘em. No need to bug the man now!
Let’s see… anyone else we know lurking on the sidelines?
BC scans the edges of the display for any sign of Dolomay and his ships. Nothing yet. Hope he holds to his plan. Oh, no!
SAIF Two just blipped off the screen.
“We just lost Two,” Dragama says sadly. “Time to get One out beyond the dampener limit! Let’s go, now! Oh shit…” There is a zap of interference on the com.
“SAIF One, you want backup?”
“Negative, Three, stay back there,” Dragama orders. The com sounds a little distorted. “Stay up, stay out, stay back.”
“We’ve got a visual on you, your ship is damaged…”
“Stay back beyond the zone, that’s an order, Three. You too, Takachi, keep Four back, too. Have your fire team take control of the base’s energy fire, SAIF Four. You’ve got the emergency protocols Takachi, use them!”
“Roger that, Dragama. Will do.”
“Good. Just need one more thing… good, here they come. There were some Eldred hanging back, but they’re on their way in towards the base, now… keep firing, SAIF Four! Keep the base firing!
As soon as they start to get into range… Good! I’ve just triggered the Transpace Nullifier!” Dragama announces.
&nb
sp; SAIF One is well inside the dampening field’s reach, Dragama’s ship’s own Transpace Drive is rendered as worthless as the drives of the Eldred ships surrounding his ship and the asteroid base.
“What about you?” Takachi protests from SAIF Four.
“Never mind us,” Dragama says. “We’re going to take care of this. After you two are gone. I’m going to draw the Eldred in towards the base. Now, go! That’s an order! Head to the shipyards, both of you! Go! Now!”
“Three. More sheep arriving out here.”
“Roger that, Three. Send them our way!” Dragama says. “Drive them in here as you go!”
Chang interrupts with a report.
“Earth and Mars report their Eldred ships are leaving,” Chang tells BC.
“Leaving?” BC asks. Chang nods. “Great… send a squad from Earth out to the asteroid base to aid Dragama’s squad.
“Dragama!”
“Who’s that? Busy here!”
“Dragama, this is the Prime Representative… get out of there! No need for dumb heroics! Get your ship out of there!”
“Sorry, PR. This ship’s not going anywhere,” Dragama says, “whether we’d like to or not. We’re hit, shields are failing, we’ve expelled the last of our defenses. All we’re good for now is… bait!
I’m going to land on the base, draw them in, or die trying. Get them to bring as many ships as they can in close before we let the main charge go off.”
“SAIF One, this is SAIF Three,” the captain of SAIF Three interrupts. “We’ve got a lot more company all of a sudden!”
The feed for the strategy screen blinks off momentarily. When it returns, BC notices his feed is no longer coming from Dragama’s ship, but from SAIF Four.
Dragama’s feed must have grown too weak.
“SAIF Three and Four, this is command,” BC says over the com. “The sheep are drawing in their forces from throughout the system. That’s your new company. Let them in past you best you can, herd and harry them like wolfhounds, like Dragama says. Get ‘em in past our invisible fence, but be sure you stay outside it yourselves! I want you ready to jump into Transpace at my signal, soon as that thing goes!”
“Gotcha, command,” SAIF Three answers.
“We’ve got more hounds on the way, coming to help you out,” BC tells them.
“Too late to help Dragama,” SAIF Four says bitterly.
BC sees SAIF One blip off the screen next to the base.
Did he do it? Did he land? Crazy bastard!
“SAIF Three? Four? Report!” BC orders.
“SAIF One just crashed into the asteroid base as they attempted a landing. Sir.”
Damn.
“Keep the base’s energy beams firing, SAIF Four. We want them to move in towards the base, but don’t let them land! SAIF Three, open the emergency protocols for triggering the main defensive operation now.”
“Roger. Opening emergency protocols now,” SAIF Three reports. “Welcoming new company, too… good company this time. Glad to see you guys!”
Our reinforcements have arrived!
“SAIF Squadron designation ‘Gold’ one through five on site and entering the arena,” Gold Squadron leader announces.
“Gold Squadron leader, this is Prime Representative Campion on Command,” BC calls over the com to get the woman’s attention. “Objective remains ‘herding’ the ‘sheep’ inside our ‘invisible fence’
for the next five minutes.”
“Five whole minutes, huh? No time for talking, then. Gold One out.”
“SAIF Four, maintain the base’s beam fire, keep them busy!”
With Dragama gone, they might need the encouragement. Or maybe I’m trying too hard…
“Gold squadron, keep your ships outside of the limit!” BC orders when he sees the new gold blips drawing in too close to the asteroid base and the dampening field. “Chase the sheep in, but don’t follow them!”
“Gold Two. Command, aren’t they going to wonder why we’re breaking off?”
“Make it look good, Two! Dodge some rocks!” Gold One answers.
“Emergency protocols are in place, Command,” SAIF Three calls out. “We’re at full power! The nullifier is at full strength. The warheads are fully armed and ready!”
“We’re at go then, all ships break and go into Transpace on my mark. SAIF Three, trigger the detonator on my mark. Okay, Mark!”
BC watches most of Gold Squadron blip off the screen as he waits for the explosion. There is no explosion.
BC looks across the strategy screen. SAIF Three and Four and Gold One are still there, waiting. Hoping to document the mission’s success, they instead face disappointment at its apparent failure.
“SAIF Three, what happened?”
“Nothing happened! The remote trigger is somehow damaged!”
“SAIF Four, attempt detonation!” BC orders.
“I’ve been trying, command, seemed like the thing to do,” SAIF Four responds. “No response. We’re continuing the energy beam fire from the base for now.”
“Yes! Excellent! Good thinking, SAIF Four!”
As BC watches, the blip for SAIF Three darts across the screen followed by Gold One, both ships diving in towards the asteroid base through a swarming sea of blue blips, the Eldred ships.
“SAIF Three! Gold One? What are you doing? Get out of there!” BC commands.
“Negative, command. We’re going to fix this thing and save the mission. Got to be done. Feel like I owe Dragama that, can’t let him die in vain, right?”
“Gold One providing cover for SAIF Three,” she responds. “Gold One out.”
“You won’t be able to get out of there!” BC warns them, helpless to stop them.
“Prime Representative?” Chang interrupts.
“What?” BC snaps. “Sorry, Chang. What is it?”
“The Eldred have now completely left Mars, Earth and Lunar space and orbits. They seem to be concentrating their forces, gathering them near and around the asteroid base, but also close enough to our shipyards as to be a threat to them as well.
“And the shipyards report the Eldred there have begun attacking, targeting the assembly line. We’re holding them at bay for now, but they have requested reinforcements.”
As the Domo indicated they would. Pretty solid info, as it turns out. I know more than they know that I know… Makes my head hurt!
Do we dare to move forces away from Earth and Mars? This could be a feint…
“Send one squadron of Stingers from Mars and one from Lunar Prime out to bolster our forces at the shipyard,” BC orders, deciding to shift a few of the SAIF Stinger Ships. Have the remaining squadrons on Earth, in orbit, on the Moon and on Mars stand at ready. The Eldred may try to pull something after they think they’ve focused our attention elsewhere. Let’s not let them get us while we’re distracted.”
“Got it.”
“Gold One?” BC calls over the com. He watches the blips for Gold One and SAIF Three on his strategy screen as they approach the asteroid base.
“Gold One. Busy, sir!” comes the quick call back over the com.
“Understood. Can you give me a quick sitrep?”
“SAIF Three is setting down inside the base! Both ships have taken heavy fire, our shields are low, sir! Thick in here, sir! Busy! Gold one out in the briarpatch!” the com cuts off.
“Briarpatch?” BC asks, but no one responds at first. Chang finally chimes in.
“It’s an old expression, like ‘hornet’s nest’. Briars were prickly things. Stuck in a patch of those, you’d get stuck by the briars, pricked all over. Pretty much impossible to get out of…” Chang trails off. BC watches as SAIF Three’s blip ‘hovers’ over the base and Gold One’s blip flies by. The blue blips surround them, forming a growing, three-dimensional, cloudy mass of light blue blips around the asteroid base on the strategy screen.
“Like a swarm of angry blue bees,” BC observes under his breath.
“And we’re swatting them pretty good,�
� Chang interjects.
“We’re doing okay,” BC grants.
“Okay?” Chang says, in disbelief. “With all due respect, Mister Prime Representative, they outnumber us like, five hundred to one or something like that? And we’ve got the upper hand!”
“Hey chatterboxes!” Gold One’s voice comes bursting out of the com. “You wanna debate theory, turn your com off! We’re hip deep in practical applications right now out here, trying to concentrate!”
“Sorry, Gold One,” BC apologizes. “Chang?”
“Sorry,” Chang says. “I thought I was muting our channel as we spoke. My mistake. We’re, uh, we’re quiet, now.”
“Good!”
“SAIF Three. We’re down! Deboarding now to see a man about a remote trigger. Will maintain com through suit unit.”
“Roger,” BC replies. He looks at the swarming globe of blue dots concentrating in front of him like bees around a hive, the hive a red smudge representing the asteroid base at the center. SAIF Three is on top of the red smudge. Gold One’s golden blip bobs and weaves its way around the red smudge, blue blips blinking out of its path as it moves. A funnel shaped group of blue blips follow it, trying to catch up and engage Gold One. Further back from the ships, an equidistant, thin red-lined circle surrounds the red smudge, the limit of the Transpace Nullifier’s dampening field. SAIF Four is represented by a green blip that continues flying a jagged, evasive course around the edges of the red line on the screen, just beyond the dampening field. A small group of blue blips continue to pursue and fire upon SAIF Four.
A group of blue blips near the red smudge disappear.
Good to see the energy beams are still firing. At least their remote control was working!
“SAIF Three. Bad news here, I’m afraid. This remote unit is shot. The warheads are fine, they’re armed, ready… but the remote trigger looks like it melted down or something.”
“Is there a backup?” BC asks.
“Not that I can see, command. I might be able to rig something up… but I don’t think we have the time!”
“What are you saying, SAIF Three?!”
“Gold One, get out of here, now!” SAIF Three shouts over the com. “Tell my mom I love her, okay? Tell her to be prow…”