“This is Barrett.”
“Sir, we had an Emim ship on SRN for a few seconds but then it disappeared. Now we’re getting an emergency signal from the missing Interrogator and its coming down on auto return. We’ve tried to contact the pilot but there’s no response.”
“Have the nearest fighter check it out. I’m on my way.”
“Olympus Control to Crimson Knight.”
“Go ahead, OC.”
“We have an Interrogator on auto return to HQ, but I can’t get a response from the pilot. Check it out and report.”
“We have it Control; intercepting now.”
Three minutes later Charlie and 102 were flying alongside Tyl and trying to get a response.
“Crimson Knight to Olympus, we can confirm a pilot on board, but he seems to be unconscious. The ship is dinged up but performing normally. Orders?”
Barrett looked at the screen and shook his head. “I don’t like it. A phantom Emim ship closely followed by a nonresponsive Interrogator pilot and headed straight for HQ? No, I don’t think so. Altitude?”
“Angels 90.”
“Have Charlie initiate FS at angels 60.”
“C.K., the general wants you to execute standard, Friendly - Safe Protocol at angels 60.”
“Acknowledged! FS at 60, moving into position. W.O. bring up a Sidewinder.”
A minute later the corporal sent a signal that initiated the remote ejection procedure. In 102 they watched as the canopy opened then floated away like a tumbling football. That was followed closely by the rockets of two seats kicking them into the sky but only one was occupied.
Charlie waited for the seats to fall 5,000 feet before he gave the order. “Fire!”
A few seconds later the Interrogator exploded into a million pieces as the remains fell to the desert floor. “Nice! No secondary explosion. Now, let’s recover that pilot.”
With no idea what had happened and falling fast, at 8,000 feet Tyl was about to go into a blind panic. The ground was coming up fast as she saw 102 pacing her about 100 yards away.
“Coming up on angels five, sir. There you go, chute is out! It should be a soft landing in the sand.”
Tyl began to calm down when she felt herself begin to slow as the chute fully deployed. Before long she was down and pretending to be semiconscious. Charlie was the first to reach the landing site and as he removed her helmet he was stunned.
“Captain Starr! Quickly, get her on the ship! COM, notify the base hospital to have the E.R. ready!”
In no time Tyl was being rolled into the base emergency room, but right on cue, she began to moan as the doctor on call greeted her at the door.
“Thank you, gentlemen. I’m Doctor Soto and I’ll take it from here. You may return to your duties.”
“If it’s all the same to you, Doc, we’d like to stay long enough to know if she’s going to be ok.”
“There’s no need for that. I will report to the general soon, and you can check with him. You men did a great job of getting her here, but I’m sure you have other duties. Do I need to order you to leave?”
With a great deal of grumbling, Charlie and crew reluctantly complied.
“Well, Captain Starr, it appears you have had quite a ride today. Please tell me what happened and where you are injured?”
Tyl sat up and moved her arms and legs for the doctor. “I think I’m ok. I can move everything, but my head hurts.”
“I see. Your mobility seems to be fine, but just to be on the safe side I’d like to give you a complete physical and take a few x-rays. Let’s begin with your blood pressure and temp.”
As the doctor reached for the cuff, Tyl quickly tossed the sheet to one side and sat on the side of the bed with her legs hanging off. When he turned back, her face was only inches from his and she had the sweetest smile he had ever seen. As she looked deeply into his eyes he began to smell an unknown but very pleasing fragrance, and in only a few seconds he began to feel very relaxed.
Suddenly Soto felt woozy and off balance as he fell into Tyl’s arms. “What’s happening? I feel… strange. I need to… I need to… what was I going to say?”
Tyl smirked as she took his head in her hands, then kissed him deeply. After a few seconds she smiled at the dazed man again. “You were going to say I am fine and ready to return to duty.”
“Yes… that must have been it.” Tyl gave him another long kiss, and just as with Anakim, he was now completely focused on pleasing her.
“That’s right, and it would make me very happy for you to call General Barrett and tell him all is well. You’ll do that right now, won’t you?”
“Yes…Captain, anything you desire.” After a few seconds Soto managed to make the call while Tyl stood smiling right in front of him.
“I don’t know anything of a Lieutenant Lucy, General, just that Captain Starr is ready to return to her duties. Good bye.”
Tyl helped Soto hang up the phone, then kissed him one last time, leaving him breathless and completely confused. “Was that, as you wished?”
“Yes, that was perfect. Now, I want you to go home and wait for me there.”
“I will… yes… right away. Captain… I know, this sounds crazy, but I think I love you.”
Tyl cackled like an evil witch right in his face. “Oh, I know you do. Now go, I will be there soon.” The irresistible alien smiled wickedly as she watched Soto stagger out of the E.R. and down the hall.
“This is going to be easier than I had hoped, and a lot more fun.” Tyl wasted no time getting to DSSF Tactical, but when she arrived she found the general and a large group of officers studying the Emim armada on SRN. There were so many people in the room she thought it would be easy to slip to the back unnoticed, but she underestimated Verna’s importance as well as her popularity within DSSF. Tyl had barely taken two steps into the room when someone nearby shouted.
“Captain Starr!”
Instantly all eyes were on her, and as they all began to clap she could see the general break into a huge smile. Tyl froze in her tracks, not sure how to respond, but then Barrett motioned for her to join him.
“Captain, we’re very glad to have you back, but should you be here? I was surprised when Soto released you so quickly.”
“I feel fine, and I’m ready to get back to work.”
“What happened to Second Lieutenant Lucy? Have you spoken to anyone on 107 or Commander Randall? They seem to have disappeared as well.”
“I’m not sure. I’m not even sure what happened to me. One minute I was flying along and the next, it’s two hours later and I’m on my way to the medical facility with a bump on my head. One of the men that found me said I was captured by the Emim, but they brought me back. I assume they kept the Lucy person. I do not remember.”
The general looked a little skeptical. “You mean you don’t remember Lieutenant Lucy at all? Perhaps you should see Doctor Meade for a psych eval. You may not be able to remember due to a traumatic event.”
“I don’t think so, sir. I’m fine and I’m sure commander Randall and 107 will be along soon.”
“In that case, take a look at SRN and give me your opinion.” On the screen she could see every ship from Earth to Jupiter, but to Tyl it was all a jumbled mess. Tactical analysis was not part of the plan.
“Looks like a lot of ships to me. Maybe we should surrender.” Thinking she was making a joke, several officers laughed but the general was not one of them.
“Yes… well… I need a volunteer to escort the captain to Doctor Meade’s office.”
Every hand in the room shot into the air. “I’m fine, sir, really.”
“Captain, choose an escort and be quick about it. If Meade says you can return, we’ll be here. Now choose.”
Tyl looked at all the men with their hands up and began to smile. After a moment she pointed to the biggest, most handsome man in the room. “That one!”
“Lieutenant Kersey, escort the captain to Meade’s office and get back here asap.”
“Ye
s, sir!”
Tyl walked slowly as she tried to think of a way to lose Kersey. “I appreciate your concern, Lieutenant, but I can find my way. You go on back.”
“You know I can’t do that, ma’am. General’s orders.”
“Of course, I understand. Say, if I recall correctly you’re in charge of base security, is that right?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“You certainly are a big one! How tall are you, Lieutenant?”
“Six foot eight, ma’am.”
“I’m only five four.” Suddenly Tyl had an idea and as they walked on she pretended to stumble and faint. Kersey saw she was falling and quickly scooped her into his arms.
“Ma’am? Are you ok?” Her idea had worked perfectly and with her head on his shoulder she opened her eyes and began to smile. In a matter of seconds his head was spinning as her pheromones began to overcome him.
“There must be someplace close by where we can be alone. You see, I’ve had my eye on you for a while.”
“There’s a file closet at the end of the hall.”
“Perfect!”
The lieutenant staggered in, then allowed her to stand on her own and closed the door behind him. Her effect on him was strong and before Kersey knew it he was on his knees looking up, as she bent down to kiss him. Two minutes later the lieutenant was lying on the floor deeply confused and muttering gibberish, while Tyl disappeared down the hall with his key ring.
Walking past Meade’s office, she thought to herself, “What fools! If I had enough time I could take over the entire planet by myself.”
With most of DSSF at the meeting, the hallways were deserted making it easy for Tyl to walk right into their main communications and radar center. At the door she was greeted by a lone M.P., but within two minutes he was lying at her feet while she used his own handcuffs to secure him to a desk.
“Now, Corporal, let’s play a little game called I’ve got a secret. You wait right here until I come back and do not make a sound. If anyone comes in, do not tell them anything, understand? I won’t be long.” The corporal nodded weakly as he watched her enter the main transmitter power room.
The videos provided by Anakim had been amazingly accurate. Tyl knew exactly where to go to take out main power and the backup generator. It only took her a few minutes to wire them both for a massive overload that would result in a meltdown of DSSF communications. All that remained was to set off the fireworks, but for that she needed a volunteer.
Returning to the operations center she helped the smiling corporal to his feet before kissing him again. “You’ve been such a good boy! Do you want to know the secret?”
Barely able to stand, all he could manage was another weak nod as she handed him a small metal box with a flip switch on it.
“Good! It’s so simple even you can do it. I have set the alarm on your watch to countdown two minutes. When you hear the beep just flip that switch and I promise you will get the surprise of your life. Will you do that, for me?”
The young corporal smiled and mumbled, “Any…thing.”
“That makes me so happy. Remember now, wait for the beep, then flip the switch.”
Tyl hurried down the hall and out of the building headed straight for Starr’s quarters. She had been holding Verna’s form so long she had to take a break or risk losing control. As she reached the door two rapid explosions announced her success. A few seconds later, havoc reigned as the entire base went into lock down mode. Sirens blared over one million acres of desert while men ran for their stations.
Now alone in Starr’s bedroom, Tyl laid down and relaxed completely. All she needed was fifteen minutes and she would be able to go another four hours. Normally six would be possible but Verna was so much smaller, compacting down to her size was taking a heavier toll than Tyl had anticipated. Moments later she closed her eyes and began to morph back into her own shape. Outside she could hear many voices as base personnel responded to the explosion and subsequent fire.
After a few minutes she rolled over and opened her eyes to see several photos of Verna and Randall on a nearby dresser. She studied their faces on each photo carefully and was surprised by what she saw. In every picture their expressions were relaxed and happy and their affection for each other was more than obvious. It was strange to Tyl. They looked as though they genuinely loved each other, and that caused her to think about how different her life had been to theirs. What must it be like to have someone unconditionally love you? How wonderful that must be, but mutual affection was not the Emim way. The best she could hope for was to be Thuban’s favorite slave. There would never be a chance for her to experience real love. Everything in her world was about property and ownership, and as Thuban’s slave she was both. Her only options were to serve and produce, or die.
Thuban! Suddenly Tyl realized she had forgotten to signal Thuban. Rising from the bed, Tyl pulled a small communications device from inside of her boot, then lightly touched a tiny white light for several seconds. When she moved her finger, it flashed four times then turned red. Ten minutes had passed, when finally a yellow light blinked three times, letting her know how long before the attack would begin, but nothing else.
Tyl huffed as she thought to herself. Three hours away and no mention of my extraction. Obviously Thuban has altered his plan and abandoned me! He was never coming! He is going to fight the humans himself. That was his plan all along! Why am I not surprised? After all, what am I to him? Just a slave; something to be used then tossed aside. I have faithfully performed my mission, yet he is content to leave me to my doom. I hope the humans kill him!
Back at HQ they were digging out as best they could. Miraculously no one had been killed by the blast, but many had been severely injured, and to make things worse the head of the E.R. was missing. Those who were far enough away to escape the initial destruction were now digging others out of the rubble or fighting the fire.
Corporal Stevens crawled out of the debris, dragging General Barrett behind him. Just moments before, he had been scanning SRN but now he was scanning the area for help.
“General Barrett, can you hear me?” Stevens patted the general’s face as he waved for a rescue team to come to him.
Barrett began to cough as drywall dust filled the air. “What… what happened? Stevens, were we attacked?”
“I don’t know, sir, exactly. We’ve had an explosion of some kind, maybe two.”
“Go to… CRP One.”
“I don’t think I can, sir. The building is in ruins. It looks like Tactical and Communications have been destroyed, but don’t worry about that right now. M.O. Bell and his men are here to take you to the hospital.”
“They’ll have to wait. Who’s on the flight line?”
“Sir, we’re here to evac…”
“Not just yet, Corpsman.”
“Stevens?”
“Just 202, sir. Lieutenant Andrew’s crew. It’s their first day.”
“What? Where’s SF-1? Where’s Starr and Randall?”
“Don’t you remember, sir? Commander Randall and 107 are A.W.O.L., Captain Starr is supposed to be in Medical, and you sent Captain DeArman and the rest of SF-1 to the Line. They should almost be there. SF-2 has taken over Ares Patrol and near-Earth security.”
“You need to go, sir.”
“Dear God; a bunch of rookies! Is Starr’s ship still on the flight line?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Get there… use 100’s radio to set fleet condition to CRP One and notify the president of our situation. After that, set up a command center and begin monitoring SRN. That way you can keep the fleet aware of real time conditions. And find Starr. She can help you.”
“Don’t you mean, I should help her?”
“No, she’s not thinking well enough to lead but she should be able to advise you.”
“Yes, sir, you need to go now.”
Bell looked at the general then decided he had waited long enough. “The Corporal is right, sir, and you’re leaving now.
Get the general to the E.R., stat!”
“Hold on M.O. I’m not finished. If you move me, I’ll have you court-martialed so fast it will make your head swim! Stevens, get to Starr’s ship and take charge. That’s a direct order!”
“Yes, sir!”
As the medics placed the general on the litter he began to swear and threaten them all with court martial. “General Barrett, it’s my duty to inform you that on this battlefield I am in charge of the wounded. You will allow these men to do their duty. Afterwards you may file whatever charges you deem appropriate, but you will go with us, now!”
Barrett looked at Stevens and scowled. “Stevens!”
“I’m sorry, sir. You men heard the M.O.; get him out of here!”
Bell smiled and winked at Stevens as the others carried Barrett away. “Good call, Corporal.”
“Yes, sir, but this may go down as the shortest command in DSSF history.”
“Well, look on the bright side, Corporal. We may not survive long enough to be court-martialed.”
Chapter 15
Addison had been sitting quietly by a window for some time, anxiously watching for their exit from the artificially induced corridor. The wispy fog surrounding the ship gave her an eerie feeling, almost as though she were lost at sea, and even though she knew they were crossing a vast distance in a short period of time, the trip still seemed to take forever.
“Can’t this thing go any faster? I’ll be glad when we’re home.”
Sela shook her head and nudged Randall. “Kontana is coming.”
“I trust all is well, Commander?”
“Yes, we have been quite comfortable, thank you. How much longer before we’re out?”
“Not long, Commander, and I have good news for you. We have just received a communication from one of our ships. Cheveyo is now at DSSF HQ. She is undergoing a precautionary medical evaluation and the early report indicates she is healthy.”
Randall rose from his seat and smiled for the first time in several days. “That is good news. Thank you, my friend.”
“Are we friends now?”
“Yes. I apologize for being skeptical.”
“Apology accepted, but never forget, reasonable skepticism out here is a good thing. In only a few minutes we will exit the corridor less than an hour away from your defense force. The Emim armada is almost to the Line, where I anticipate a very large and bloody confrontation. They will enjoy more than a ten to one margin, and this time Starr is not here to help.”
Rocket Babe_Reflection Page 20