Last Stand on Talos Seven

by Rodney Hartman

  Sergeant Ron cleared his throat. When he had everyone’s attention, he pointed at Anna. “You can’t defend Talos from those pirates of yours without some heavy armor and some decent space cover. The retrofit of the Donovan will help with the space cover, but that still leaves you short on cats. Janet and I think we’ve got a line on some UHAAVs. Of course, you’ll still need pilots for any cats we can get.” He smiled. “I’m a pretty good cat pilot if I don’t mind saying, and so is Charlie, but we can’t stick around to help you. You’re going to need to scrape up cat pilots from somewhere.”

  Anna felt her face heat up. “I’m not stupid. I knew we’d need mercenaries. That’s what the processed titanium’s for; to get equipment and the mercenaries to use them.”

  Sergeant Ron spread both hands. “That titanium is long gone. I had to use it to buy some of the small arms as well as the equipment for the Donovan that I couldn’t beg, borrow, or steal. A hundred thousand credits wasn’t much, and believe me, I had to do a lot of wheeling and dealing to get what we got. I told you before that you’d need half a billion to get the UHAAVs and pilots to run them.”

  “And I told you that we didn’t have that much,” Anna said, feeling her face grow even warmer. She felt a hand squeeze her shoulder. Glancing over, she saw Connor hastily pulling his arm back.

  “Maybe we should hear them out,” said Connor. “I doubt Sergeant Ron and his friends did all that work on the Donovan just to tell us they can’t help.”

  Lieutenant Commander Stevens pulled a holodisk out of her pocket and set it on the table. When she touched an icon on the disk, a hologram of a line of asteroids with a red dwarf star in the background appeared over the disk.

  “Connor’s right,” said the special operations officer. “We’re not going to leave you with your rear-end hanging out in a vacuum. I might officially be on leave, but unofficially I’ve still got a line on some intel that might help us out. As I told Sergeant Ron and the commandant, the pirates that have been harassing Talos is a splinter group of the mainstream Balorian pirates we normally deal with. My intel contacts tell me that the group strong-arming Talos doesn’t have a lot of backing from the other pirates. If we were to hit one of their more isolated bases, the odds are that they wouldn’t have the intelligence capabilities to figure out who attacked them.” She pointed at the star hologram. “This here’s the Yaldritch system. It’s in the neutral zone about fifteen light years from Talos.”

  Anna looked closer at the star map. “I don’t see how—”

  “We’re going to raid their outpost,” said Trinity. She nodded toward the special operations officer. “Janet here found out that a platoon of cats is stationed on one of the pirate asteroids circling Yaldritch. They’ve even got a transport ship there that’s large enough to carry the UHAAVs and a company of infantry. If we go in quick, Sergeant Ron and the commandant think we could get in and out without taking much in the way of losses.”

  Despite wanting to fight to defend Talos, Anna wasn’t thrilled with the prospect of the battle the wizard scout was proposing. “You just said we didn’t have enough cat pilots. Where are we going to get them? For that matter, the pirates aren’t going to just let us waltz in and take their equipment. Are you and Lieutenant Commander Stevens capable of taking on whatever security’s there on the asteroid all by yourselves?”

  Lieutenant Commander Stevens laughed and answered before Trinity got the chance. “Please call me Janet. I’m on vacation, remember. As for taking on the pirates by ourselves, Trinity’s a wizard scout, not a miracle worker. A company of infantry and a platoon of cats are too much for one wizard scout even with me helping. Sergeant Ron and Charlie can provide space cover, but we’d still be overwhelmed. We’re going to need additional help.”

  The hologram of the commandant stood up and walked around to the front of his desk. “That’s where I come in. Because it’s happening in the neutral zone, the Empire can’t be directly involved. I wish I could send you a half a dozen wizard scouts to help, but I can’t.” When Anna started to protest, the commandant raised a hand. “But...what I can do is give you a line on a few medically retired wizard scouts. They’re Trecorians, so that will draw suspicion away from the Empire in case the pirates are smarter than we think they are.”

  “I don’t care about the Empire,” Anna said. “All I care about is Talos.”

  “I’m sure you do,” said the commandant in the same even voice he’d been using all along. “I on the other hand do care about the Empire. I want to help you, but it has to be done in such a manner that it doesn’t stir up trouble. The Intergalactic Empire is already involved in a skirmish with the Norwedian Federation. The last thing we need right now is to pick a fight with the Crosioians, Trecorians, or any other race operating in the neutral zone. If the Empire’s caught intentionally breaking the neutrality of the zone, it could easily turn into a fullfledged interstellar war.”

  Connor shifted in his seat. “If these wizard scouts you’re talking about are medically retired, what good will that do us? I mean, if they’re disabled—”

  Trinity laughed. “Most medically retired wizard scouts have minor problems with their Power reserves. The missions of active-duty wizard scouts require them to be in perfect condition. Most disabled wizard scouts are still a match for a platoon of heavy infantry.”

  “More than a match,” said the commandant in a voice growing suddenly heated. “My Power reserve was damaged years ago, but I can still run circles around a dozen cadets. Why just last week—”

  “Uh-hum,” said a mechanical voice from the hologram. It took a second for Anna to realize the voice came from the battle helmet on the commandant’s desk.

  The commandant turned a little red. “Uh, quite right, Margery. I’m sure no one’s interested in ancient history.” His voice returned to normal. “In any respect, I’ve given Trinity the names of five disabled wizard scouts on Trecor. I’ll have them teleported to your location in a few hours.”

  Anna glanced over at Connor before returning her gaze to the commandant. “Teleported? No one gets teleported. It’s too expensive. Only high-level politicians can afford teleportation.”

  The commandant grinned. “Then let’s just say that I’ve got friends in high places and leave it at that. You’ll have five more wizard scouts at your location by nightfall.”

  While she appreciated the help, Anna grew suspicious. “I’m not a child. People don’t do things for free. Why are you helping us?”

  The commandant lost his grin. “No. I can see you’re not a child. You asked a direct question, so I’ll give you a direct answer. Sergeant Ron sent me a sample of your processed titanium. It has one of the highest purity concentrations on record.”

  “So?” Anna asked growing even more suspicious.

  “So,” said Sergeant Ron, “it’s no wonder the pirates took an interest in your planet. Titanium is needed to make creallium, and creallium’s the only known alloy capable of controlling phase energy. Creallium’s expensive, but it’s necessary to make phase rounds, phase rods, and a thousand other things needed to feed a war machine. The higher the purity of the titanium, the better the creallium. Understand?”

  “Sort of,” Anna said. “I guess.”

  Janet pulled a pistol from a holster at her waist and set it on the table. The special operations officer pointed at the weapon. “This is a phase pistol. I carry it because phase rounds exist in both the physical dimension and the void at the same time. Phase rounds can penetrate shields that plasma beams would bounce off of.”

  “Some wizard scouts can shift into the void between dimensions,” said Trinity. “I can’t, but some can. Plasma beams would just pass through someone in the void without doing any harm. Only phase rounds could hurt them.”

  Connor pointed at the phase pistol. “Then why bother with plasma weapons at all? Why not just use phase weapons?”

  Janet, Trinity, and Sergeant Ron burst out laughing. The commandant didn’t even grin.

 
; “It’s a reasonable question,” said the commandant with a stern look on his face.

  All laughing stopped. When it did, the commandant explained.

  “Credits. Everything depends on credits,” said the commandant. “Titanium exists almost everywhere in the galaxy, but locations with mineable ore are rare. Plus, it’s expensive to dig out and process. Turning it into creallium is even more expensive. Plasma technology is relatively cheap. That’s why most weapons are plasma based. The Empire would grow broke trying to mine enough titanium to support even a tenth of their military if every weapon had to be phase energy based.”

  Sergeant Ron cleared his throat again. When Anna and Connor turned in his direction, he said, “As the commandant mentioned, the titanium ore produced from your mine on Talos is highly concentrated. That would decrease the cost substantially. A lot of governments would be interested in acquiring mining rights on Talos if given the chance.”

  Anna rose from her seat. “So, you’re all no better than the pirates. You’re only helping us so you can get our titanium. Come on, Connor. Let’s go.”

  “Did I know about the titanium when I helped you in the bar?” asked Trinity.

  Anna had started to turn away, but the question stopped her in her tracks.

  “No, I didn’t,” said Trinity. “I didn’t know about it either when Janet and I went to bail you out of that jail cell. You might still be there if not for us.” The wizard scout waved a hand at the others sitting around the table. “We’re not your enemies, Anna. Sure, the Empire would be interested in the titanium on your planet if it turns out to be a large-scale source of ore, but from what Ryan and McAvits have told us, your vein’s running out. The Intergalactic Empire’s the one taking the risk here, not you. You need friends. Don’t walk out on the only ones you’ve got.”

  Anna glanced at Connor who’d stood when she had.

  “We should at least hear them out,” said Connor. “Besides Ryan and the other members of the Donovan’s crew, they’re the only ones who’ve offered to help.”

  “I concur,” said Ryan who’d kept silent up to this point. “I had some dealings with Sergeant Ron before getting stranded on Talos.” With a grin, Ryan added, “He’s an ornery old cuss, but I’ve never known him to lie or double cross anyone.”

  After glancing at Connor, Anna sat back down at the table and looked at Trinity. “You’re right. We do need friends. So what’s the plan?”

  Chapter 9 – Outpost

  ___________________

  The red-dwarf star burned dimly in the distance as Trinity made her way around the last of the asteroid’s black rocks that were obscuring her view of the pirates’ base camp. Once she was past the last of the head-high, razor sharp stones, Trinity went to one knee and increased the magnification of her battle helmet to ten. The camp came into clear focus. It consisted of two open-doored hangars and a large domed building two hundred meters across. A small transport ship of Yaridian design was parked on a cleared area four hundred meters from the hangars. Trinity counted a dozen maintenance workers wearing pressure suits inside the hangars. They were working on a similar number of UHAAVs. Another half dozen mechanics were busy around the transport ship. Spotlights on ten-meter-high metal stands bolted into the asteroid’s surface were arranged around the entire compound, lighting it in a way the distant red sun could never do.

  “You missed the two guards manning the plasma cannon just past the main dome,” said Jennifer.

  “I didn’t miss them. I just hadn’t gotten that far yet in my recon.”

  “If you say so, Wizard Scout.”

  “Well, I do. Are you sure there aren’t any electronic sensors or roaming guards around? I can’t believe they’ve left themselves so open.”

  “Hey, the information I gave you is based on your passive scan,” said Jennifer, sounding defensive. “If your data is deficient, then that is a lick on you, not me.”

  Trinity made another pass of the base with magnification set at ten before switching back to normal view. “Don’t get your panties in a wad, Jennifer. I’m just saying the lack of security is suspicious.”

  “Not really, Wizard Scout. They are pirates, not Empire storm troopers. Plus, this base is located in the neutral zone. They do not have to worry about government patrols coming by and ruining their rest and relaxation. I calculate a seventy-eight percent probability everything is as it seems.”

  “Yeah, but it’s the other twenty-two percent that’s got me worried.”

  With nothing to gain by remaining where she was, Trinity double-checked that her stealth shield was in place and her battle suit’s camouflage was working properly. They were.

  “Relax,” said Jennifer. “I have your back. This far from the sun, your suit is perfect for blending in with the dark surroundings. I calculate you have nothing to fear until you get closer to the lit areas of the base. That is when the fun is going to start.”

  “Yeah, some fun,” Trinity said, wondering why she’d approved of the commandant’s plan in the first place. “Now that I think about it, I’ve got a feeling Sergeant Ron’s question about ‘Why don’t we just go in with every gun on the Defiant blasting?’ has more merit than I thought.”

  “Now you know that would not work,” said Jennifer. “It would take several nukes to get through the base’s force field. That would run a thirty-seven percent chance of destroying the base and all of its equipment, not to mention the transport. We are here to capture equipment, not blow everything to pieces. You have to lower the force field before the others can come in.”

  Just because Trinity knew what she had to do didn’t mean she liked it. A wizard scout’s primary mission was to recon, not fight.

  “Well, it would’ve been nice if the other five wizard scouts had come with me to provide backup.”

  “That would not have worked either, Wizard Scout. Their Power reserves are damaged. That’s why they are medically retired. Their stealth shields have a tendency to malfunction unexpectedly. If that happened at the wrong time, the pirates would be alerted, and you would never get the force field down. I calculate sending you in alone was the best course of action.”

  Trinity didn’t agree. Her thoughts went back to the five ex-wizard scouts that had teleported in from Trecor. While they might be disabled, she knew they were full of fight and anxious to get back into action. She had a feeling if she lived long enough to ever be medically retired, she’d soon grow bored with civilian life. An image of Jerad and her growing old together flashed in her mind.

  No, she thought. Maybe being retired wouldn’t be so bad after all. There’s more to life than fighting, or so I’ve heard. Maybe it’s about time I found out first hand.

  Forcing thoughts of the man she planned to marry out of her mind, Trinity took off running the three hundred meters to where the last bit of cover lay before she’d have to enter the lighted area of the base.

  “The force field is forty meters ahead,” said Jennifer. “Get ready.”

  “Get ready how?” Trinity asked. “Either the IFF code you hacked out of the pirates’ base computer works or it doesn’t. Are you sure you got the right code?”

  Jenifer gave a canned laugh. “I calculate we will soon know. If you are still alive in five seconds, then the code is correct.”

  Despite her line of questioning, Trinity trusted her battle computer with her life.

  Heck, she thought in the part of her mind she kept private. If I didn’t trust her, I wouldn’t be running full speed toward a disintegration field like some fool idiot.

  As she approached the energy field, Trinity activated the IFF code and dove head first through the flickering wall that was the camp’s primary defense. A slight tingle made her shiver as she passed through the field, but that was all. Tucking her head down, she rolled and hit the rocky ground on her shoulder. She completed the summersault and landed back on her feet before continuing to run.

  “Well, I’m still alive,” Trinity said. “That’s a good start.�
��

  “Oh ye of little faith,” said Jennifer, giving another one of her canned laughs. “Now comes the hard part, how to get inside a building with two hundred and two life forms inside and deactivate the force field without getting discovered?”

  “Yeah,” Trinity said as she ran toward the edge of the base’s lit area. “There’s always a tricky part, isn’t there?”

  “That there is, Wizard Scout.”

  Once she reached the last of the shadows, Trinity hit the ground and slid to a stop on her belly. The tough armor of her battle suit dug a groove in the brittle rock, sending black splinters of stone in all directions.

  “That was foolish,” said Jennifer in a chastising tone. “A guard passing this way might see the damaged stone and put two and two together.”

  “I thought you told me they were just pirates, not battle-hardened storm troopers.”

  “I did not say battle hardened, but your point is well taken, Wizard Scout. Nevertheless, it might have been best to be more careful. There is always a chance one of the guards might be smarter than the average pirate.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Drawing Power from her reserve, Trinity formed an active scan, wrapped it with a stealth shield, and probed the covered dome. Data began streaming down the right side of her heads-up display as Jennifer converted the raw data into energy and life form concentrations.

  “Put it on a map overlay,” Trinity said using command voice.

  “Compliance.”

  An overlay of the camp and covered dome replaced the streaming data. Red, orange, and yellow dots were scattered across the map with most being concentrated in a long room at the rear of the dome.

  Barracks, Trinity thought as she began counting the red dots in the dome. She counted ten. Two more red dots were located in each of the hangars. A final two were positioned at the plasma cannon on the other side of the dome.

  “I’m assuming the red dots are armored guards,” Trinity said.