“Are there any questions? If not, I need to meet with Mr. Stabroth, Mr. Miller and Captain Starr at this time.”
As the other officers proceeded to their respective meetings, Verna followed the men into the general’s office and closed the door. As she turned around Rollie grinned and quickly put out his arms. Without hesitation she smiled back and hugged him tightly.
“It’s good to see you, Rollie!”
“It’s good to be seen! I’m in the lab so much now, I’m beginning to feel like a mole. How are you?”
“I’m fine, except Randall has Guardian stuck in his craw.”
“Well, we can’t be too surprised about that, can we? You and I knew he would come to it eventually. Does he know?”
“Not everything, but it’s only a matter of time.”
“I thought you just reprogrammed Guardian’s orbit, so he couldn’t find it.”
“I did, and it should make it much more difficult for him, but he has an uncanny ability to track or find anything. When he was only seven years old he could put a thousand-piece jig saw puzzle together in less than five minutes. He was even faster than me!”
Suddenly the general looked horrified. “My god, what a terrifying thought!”
“What’s that, sir?”
“The idea of having your intellect in Commander Randall’s head! Just imagine the colossal pandemonium! No offense.”
“None taken, sir, but I think it’s already there, it just hasn’t been fully activated.”
Over Rollie’s shoulder Verna could see the general and David waiting patiently to begin.
“I’m sorry, sir, Mr. Mill… I mean, Dave. Let’s get started.”
Dave nodded. “That’s quite alright. Rollie has shared many things about your relationship over the years and how he became part of your family. In fact, we had dinner with your mom and dad just last week.”
Verna noticed the general’s right eye starting to twitch and quickly decided to turn the conversation over to him. “Well, I know the general is busy…”
“Indeed, I am, Captain. Mr. Stabroth, if you will.”
“Yes, sir. As everyone knows, we are always working to develop and improve our capabilities and resources. Over the last few months much of our energy has been devoted to increasing our numbers and the availability of equipment. We have doubled the number of Interrogators this year and I am happy to report that along with the Carl Jackson, in just a few days our second squadron of Cestris fighters and pilots will begin service. The general has chosen the name Reapers for SF-2. They will complete their training next week and report for duty the following day.
“We have now completed the autonomous upgrades to SF-1’s fighters. They all have the latest equipment for real time alien identification and communications, thus eliminating the umbilical cord to CVERS!”
Rollie winked at Verna. “Of course, I have a little something I’ve been working on just for you, a Rocket Babe extra!”
Verna smiled. “That’s great news, especially with the Emim already here.”
The general nodded. “We thought you’d like that, but there’s more. We may soon be fighting again on several fronts and this Emim incursion could not have come at a worse time. Now that the Satellite Radar Network is almost back to full strength we have been picking up some disturbing chatter.
“With the intel you obtained from Kontana, your algorithms and a great deal of work by Ahiga, he and CVERS have broken the Nephilim code encryptions.”
“Fantastic! That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”
“Of course, but what we know so far is not good at all. While they may have not done so in the past, it now appears Anakim and the Emim are massing a strike force just beyond the asteroid belt.”
“How many ships?”
“It is by no means all they have, but for this package, as best we can tell, Nephilim ships 27, Emim 55, but if you count the Greys, more than 100.”
Verna’s eyes widened as a look of surprise flashed across her face and it was quickly followed by one of recognition. “There’s more going on here than meets the eye.”
The men glanced at each other in confusion. “What?”
“For the second time in dealing with Anakim I’m reminded of Sun Tzu’s advice: ‘Know your enemy and know yourself.’
“I know the history of both groups and regardless of what it looks like, it is not as simple as it seems. While they are a threat to us, the greater threat is to the Nephilim. The Emim are treacherous and the two factions cannot get along for any length of time. That’s why the Emim left the system. Leopards cannot change their spots. Anakim may think the Emim leader is with him but he is not.
“Look at the ship numbers. The Emim already have more than double the forces of Anakim. They know Anakim’s engagements with DSSF have left his forces weak. I believe the Emim mean to use the Nephilim as fodder to further deplete Anakim’s ranks and ours. They will lie back until Anakim’s forces and ours are reduced then turn on Anakim in an effort to gain the entire solar system.”
Barrett smiled as he shook his head in agreement. “Interesting observation, Captain, but you sound a little like a conspiracy theorist. What you say makes sense, but either way we are greatly outnumbered now, with additional ships adding to their numbers almost daily.”
“I’m married to one of the best conspiracy theorists of all time. Perhaps he’s rubbing off on me but even without his influence, I’m convinced I am correct.”
Dave looked at Verna and smiled. “I’m convinced. Rollie?”
“Absolutely! Never bet against her. You will lose.”
Barrett laughed. “It’s unanimous. I just hate to think Commander Randall is having any influence on you.”
Fight it as she might, Verna’s head cocked to one side as her tone of voice became more official. “Can we tell where the Emim ships are coming from?”
For the moment Barrett was glad he outranked her, as he pretended not to notice a change in body language and inflection. “Yes, that we know. They seem to be arriving close to the asteroid belt via a worm hole. They just pop out of nowhere, but we initially detect them each time very near the same area. I’m just glad they are visible on SRN, but at roughly 60 million miles away, it would still take them some time to get here.”
Verna’s official voice continued. “Anakim yes, the Emim no. Many of their ships can cruise near light speed and their weapons are comparable to those of the Rigelians. If they are already at the belt, top speed puts them approximately six hours away, sooner if they can induce a limited wormhole to simply jump near Earth. But if I’m right, they won’t do that. They’ll come with Anakim.”
“In that case, Captain, we’ll need to prepare. I just wish there was some way to remove the threat of them using a wormhole.”
Stabroth smiled as he looked at Barrett. “There’s more than one way to skin a cat, Herr General.”
Rollie’s demeanor at the moment was a flashing red light to Verna, and it caused her to face him with an inquisitive look. Clearly, he had been working on a plan.
David shifted in his chair. “At the risk of sounding optimistic, how do we know they will even come here?”
“That’s easy. They are like their father. The only reason either one exists is to steal, kill and destroy, but they don’t all have to come. It may be in limited power and numbers and, as we know, some of them are already here. Just ask the Russians.”
The general crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. “I have some good news on that front. Pinnick has already had some success with them. We lost an Interrogator yesterday but shot down four of the smaller Emim ships. The initial engagement has gone as planned and allowed the Russians to get 40 fighters into the air. They will keep fighters up on a rotating basis with space support from our Interrogators. Meanwhile, a search is underway to find the Interrogator pilot that ejected, and I may enlist some help in that regard from SF-1 if he isn’t found soon.”
Suddenly Verna seemed to forget she
was peeved. “What was all that about a mission to rescue humans from the Nephilim?”
“If you haven’t heard, Captain, you’re the only one. Losing his ship hasn’t been easy for Pinnick and he desperately wants to redeem himself. For the last six months he has been driving me crazy about some plan of his to lead a small group of volunteers into the heart of the Nephilim Empire to do recon. He wants to try and extract any humans who may still be there.”
Verna shook her head. “Not right now; not with everything we may be facing. Proper recon is right and that would be extremely difficult under the best of circumstances. Besides, we’d probably have to kidnap most of them. Surely some, if not all, would suffer from Stockholm syndrome. They might resist leaving, especially if we’re talking about women who have children there. Even though Rebecca came with me willingly when I escaped, I could see doubt and hesitation in her eyes. I think the only reason she came at all was to protect her children. They may be half Nephilim but they’re still her kids.”
The general stood up to dismiss the meeting. “If it turns out things are not as dire as they seem, at some point in the future we may consider a little recon, if we’re still around. Now, if there’s nothing more to discuss, I have another meeting. Dismissed.”
“It was nice to see you, Dave.”
“Good to see you too, Verna.”
“Rollie, can I talk to you for a moment?”
“Always, what’s on your mind?”
“Do you know a way to prevent a wormhole from opening?”
“Not currently, but I don’t know if that is the answer anyway. Obviously, none of us have any experience with such things, much less with the technology required to utilize that kind of travel, but there are always options. I’m sure you could come up with a few options of your own.”
“I could but all of them would be expensive and time consuming. We could send fighters to patrol the areas close to where their ships first appear and try to destroy anything coming through before they can react. Or, we could send an Eradicator into one as they leave. What did you have in mind?”
Rollie smiled as he began. “I have adapted the technology that allows your ship to change colors to a standard nuclear proximity mine. When constructed from composite materials with deflecting surfaces, such a mine would be nearly impossible to detect and if planted near the opening of the wormhole enemy ships would most likely strike a few before they knew what hit them.”
“I like that idea, and it wouldn’t be too difficult to execute.”
The general reappeared as Starr finished speaking and gave her a look she knew well.
“Oh, look at the time, I have to get to my office. I’ve got a lot of paperwork to do. We’ll talk more about your mining idea soon, Rollie.”
“Yes, very soon.” Verna saluted before heading down the hall.
Barrett waited a few seconds then eased over to the door and poked his head out. After looking both ways just to make sure she was gone, he closed it before turning back to Stabroth.
“Is something wrong, General?”
“No, it’s just that Randall has taught her how to walk so quietly. You never really know where either one of them are at any given moment and I wanted to make sure she was gone before I ask you a question.”
“I see. What’s your question?”
“Doctor Stabroth, this is completely off the record, understood?”
“Certainly General. How many I help you?”
“Well, I have always wondered but can’t quite figure it out.”
“About…?”
“Tell me again, how on God’s green earth did Randall ever become a test pilot for Sirius?”
Rollie grinned as he tried not to laugh. “It’s a long story so let me try to give you the short version. After I met Verna’s dad during World War II, he helped me come to the states as a scientist and soon I was working for David Miller at Sirius. With no family of my own, Marvin and Kathryn, Verna’s parents, made me part of their family.”
“Yes, I’m aware of that.”
“Well, years later when Verna was starting school, she and Randall met in sixth grade and were soon inseparable.
“By then I had become like an uncle to her and when it became obvious she was a special child, I began a series of intelligence and aptitude tests on her. In time the tests revealed many talents and among them was an exceptional flying ability. Verna loved to fly and after each set of tests I allowed her to spend as much time as she wanted in various flight simulators; a reward for her willing participation.
“When she was 14 and ready to begin flying lessons, Randall was allowed to tag along after one such dinner visit, and of course he wanted to try flying as well. I gave him a few minutes in a simulator and by the time he left that evening I discovered his skills were off the charts. So, I asked David Miller for permission to begin their training together, with the idea they would both someday come to work for Sirius. Of course, at that time I had no idea there would ever be a DSSF.
“It took a few years, but when all was said and done, it was clear that they were both exceptional pilots, but as different as night and day. Verna loved structure and is the most disciplined individual I have ever known, so I knew she would be better suited to the life of a military pilot.
“Randall’s skills were a perfect match to Verna’s, but in his case, what would eventually make him a unique and excellent test pilot for Sirius, were his nerves. No matter the scenario I threw at him, he was never rattled, but as the tests and training progressed it became obvious that for him to be at his best and most effective, he had to be allowed to work through any scenario in his own way. I soon learned that if I gave him a mission and a wide latitude, he would come through every assignment most efficiently and many times by way of a unique solution.
“Obviously General, he’s not your typical military pilot, commander or whatever, but I can tell you this: when you are up to your backside in reptiles or Nephilim or whatever, and the feces hits the fan… he’ll be standing in front of you when it really gets thick and he’ll bring you home. Oh, you might smell really bad when you get back… but, you will get back. He always comes back.”
Barrett nodded slightly then locked eyes with Stabroth. “So far, Doc… so far.”
Chapter 10
“Corporal Stevens, contact Captain Starr over at A.E. and have her meet me in Tactical in ten minutes.”
“Yes, sir.”
Not long after, Verna found the general watching a video of an air battle over Russia from three days before. A Soviet patrol had engaged three Emim scout ships but was forced to request assistance from the nearest Interrogator.
“Good morning, Captain. As you can see, things were pretty hairy over there in the latest engagement. Those involved in this little skirmish downed the Emim ships, but we lost an Interrogator.”
“Have they located the pilot?”
“No, not yet, but we know he’s alive. We’ve been receiving intermittent beacon signals from him. He’s been on the move so often satellite recon has been unable to get an exact fix on his location. We believe he’s running from the Emim. The Russians have been searching for several days but the terrain is as rough as it gets. The aliens are also all over the area in ships and on the ground. His emergency rations and time are running out. That’s why we’ve decided to send in a search team of our own. I want you to lead Commander Randall and his crew on a rescue mission. It’s time to put Commander Randall’s reputation to the test and see if he really can track anyone, anywhere.”
Verna smiled. “He’ll find him, sir. All he needs is the intel we have here and the latest satellite image of the area.”
“Excellent! How soon can you leave?”
“Within the hour, but we may need some logistical help on the fly.”
“You’ll have whatever you need. Just have your COM contact Corporal Stevens. He’ll supply whatever, wherever you need it. Is there anything I can do?”
“Yes, sir. Have Stevens
contact 107’s crew and tell them to report to my ship ASAP.”
“Done! Good luck, Captain.”
Exiting DSSF HQ Verna stepped out into the bright sunshine of a cloudless sky. Across the taxiway she could see three women running toward her fighter, but they lacked the usual long blonde hair flowing behind. In a few moments she joined them as Randall scrambled up the ladder behind her.
Verna glanced over her shoulder at him before quietly whispering a warning. “Not one word!”
“About what?”
“You know what. Every time you follow me up the ladder I hear, ‘Gotta be jelly, ‘cause jam don’t shake like that,’ or ‘Let me stand next to your fire,’ or some such comment.”
“Ok, since you said them for me, I won’t say either of those.”
Verna scowled at him then turned her attention to the lieutenants. Now that they were all onboard and face to face, the hair mystery was solved. After a moment she looked around and began to grin.
“You all look amazing. I love braids!”
“Thank you, ma’am. We did it ourselves.”
“Everyone looks so good and it will be much easier to handle in space. Sela, yours is so long and thick it looks like a golden rope! We may have to change your call sign to Rapunzel. Ok, please take your stations. Addison, you’ll be pilot on this mission.”
Addison nodded and held her breath as she moved forward to the cockpit without saying a word, but her face was lit up like she had just won the lottery. Randall grinned at her before quietly asking, “You can’t say anything, can you?”
Addison shook her head side to side. “Because if you open your mouth you’ll squeal, won’t you?” Still holding her breath, she nodded yes. Randall winked at her, “Just remember to breathe.”
As the others took their seats Randall started toward Starr’s command chair and placed his hand on the back, but when he saw her head begin to tilt and an eyebrow go up he turned the chair toward Verna as though he was holding it for her. Once she was seated he gently turned the chair toward the main viewer and locked it in place.
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