by T S Paul
“What! Say that again!” The portly Senator stood up from his chair and stomped over to his now cowering aide. He grabbed the little pest and dragged him out to his workstation. “Show me! I need to see it for myself!”
His aide called up the message on the screen. There it was, plain as day, orders to disrupt the conference and arrest or kill the leaders under any circumstances. His name and that of his office was in the authorization. By Gods and the Sacred Seal! This was a disaster. That Idiot! If Julius wasn’t dead he would kill him again! This could mean both war and doom for the Cabal. There was zero reason that the inner circle would not believe that he did not do this! He turned to the his new aide. “Quick find out whatever you can about Task Force 25. All I know is that Commodore Vakulinchuk is the commander. Find out! NOW!”
The Senator sat behind his desk with his face in his hands. How? How can one man screw everything up so badly? Maybe his family had a small chance to survive. He pulled out a hidden communicator from inside a locked drawer in his desk. He called his wife of 25 years. “Hi, honey. No this is not my comm unit. I needed to ‘borrow’ one. We were talking about that trip you wanted to take the other day.” She started to ask what trip, he cut her off. “You remember the one, you said that you wanted to go and visit those cousins of yours on ‘Mars.’ I was wrong when I said not to go. Why don’t you take the kids and go this weekend. I bought you new luggage as a surprise. If you look in the storage room you will see them, they are blue. Honey, I love you. I need to get back to work. Yes, we will talk later. Bye.”
Hopefully they would be gone when and if he got home tonight. He had left careful instructions inside the new luggage, along with as much hard currency he could come up with. It was one of his many contingency plans.
Chapter 12
Moments seem like hours in the middle of a battle. At least that’s what Major Minerva Lee was feeling at this moment. Her planetary fighters were still engaging the enemy. Most of the Imperial fighters had been destroyed, but their destroyer force was now joining the battle. Those ships were configured to kill fighters, and she ordered her fighters out of there. That crazy Rus bastard was up to something, she just knew it.
“Communications, have you heard anything from Commander Mulligan yet?” Min was beginning to get worried for the cocky flight commander.
“No, Ma’am. He is overdue for contacting us.”
“Let me know the minute he makes contact.”
Min studied her battle plot. Those carriers were near useless without pilots or fighters. Why had the enemy left them on his front line? His frigates had more of a punch battle-wise than those destroyers. There WAS something the enemy wanted hidden. Until the James Cook got here she didn’t have much in the way of offensive weaponry. Maybe she needed to ‘poke the bear’ some more and make him angry.
“George, activate the Alpha freighter, have them act as if they are fleeing the battle zone. Let’s see what the Imperials do. Tell the Alpha’s Captain that he is to start deploying mines as soon as he makes contact with the enemy fleet. I want five and ten minute delayed intervals on those mines.”
“Excellent Ma’am. I will get right on it.” She watched her XO walk off. He would make a good ship commander, he just needed to loosen up a little. Now she just needed to hear from her old friend. Where are you Skinny Mulligan?
___
Commander Mulligan was freaking out! The destroyer he had landed on had continued its patrol after searching for his ship. Skinny had watched from his powered down fighter as the destroyer traveled around the two large carriers and into the space behind them. Over a dozen space tugs were gathered there. They had been pulling in small asteroids and rogue meteors. It looked like they intended to target the planet with kinetic strikes! He had to get word of this back to Command. But if he powered up now, he was dead, they would lock on to him for sure. He watched through his view screens as the destroyer started to loop back around to the front of the formation. He would have one chance to get away. This was not a Vid, the ships did not just dump their trash to let him hide in the debris, not in real life. Taking a chance he slowly powered up his communication system and sent a message.
___
“Ma’am, we just received an emergency alert message from Commander Mulligan!”
Min’s head jerked up from the report she was reading. She spun around, “Put it on screen!”
The squadron commander sounded a bit stressed. He was wearing his flight helmet so his features were obscured a bit. “Command this is Commander Mulligan. I need to be quick, they may detect this transmission. Min, they are collecting asteroids. I think they intend to hit the planet with kinetic weapons. Here look for yourself,” he could be seen leaning down. A short vid began to play, tugs could be seen towing the large hunks of rock. “I hope this helps. I have one chance to get off this thing before they spot me. When this destroyer I’m on passes close to the Paney, I’m going to go for it. Warn them for me. Wish me luck. Skinny, out.”
“Warn the Paney that they may have some targets soon. Get me the planet command center! Priority one!” Kinetic strikes! What sort of monster was in command over there! She turned back to her battle plot. That changed everything. Looking at her assets, she didn’t have anything that would stop the massive asteroid the Imperials had towed in. Maybe her father had some ideas.
“Ma’am, we have Colonel Lee on communication line one.”
“Put it up on my private channel. Thank you Ensign.”
“Father, did you see the intel?”
“Kinetic strikes! Has the Imperial Government gone insane? No government has done that since the beginning of the last war. They will be breaking half a dozen treaties! We do have some ground defense batteries that never got destroyed. We have set those up around the Capitol buildings and the Spaceport. They may be able to stop one of the smaller rocks. But that big one? Nothing we have can scratch it. Contact the visiting warships, ask if they can guard the planet. That should help a little. Have you asked your sister? Athena may know a way to stop that big rock. If you need help with our ‘allies’ let me know. Lee, out.”
So not helping, dad! “Communications? Contact the allied ships, inform them of the situation and ask if they can help guard the planet. Also, contact my sister. Have her report to command.”
Min ran her fingers through her hair, it was a nervous habit but it made her feel a bit better. Could this day get any longer?
“Ma’am, Captain Wang on the Paney says that they have acquired Commander Mulligan’s signal and they are preparing to break cover and support his evacuation of that destroyer he’s on.”
“Understood! Tactical, put it up on the screen. Order the Silver Valkyries to fly cover for the Paney. When the Imperials realize it’s not a derelict they may attempt to destroy it.”
___
Now was the time. He had been trickling power to his engines so a cold start would not take too long. He could see the Paney on his screens. The Imperial ship he was attached to was ignoring it. They must believe that the it was a derelict with all the battle damage it had sustained. Skinny checked the seals on his skinsuit. If he had to bail out, it would keep him alive for only a few minutes, but that might be all he would need. Bracing himself, he brought his fighter up to full power. He could just imagine the reaction of the destroyers crew when they realized that they had a stowaway on board. He released the magnetic clamps and rocketed away at full power.
The destroyer crew was surprised when an unknown power source suddenly popped up on their scans. Sensors showed that it was located just aft of the main laser turret. The bridge crew gave cries of surprise when a small enemy fighter, launched from their own ship! “Lock on to that fighter! Shoot it down!”
With a flurry of “Aye, Sirs” the weapons officers on board the destroyer began firing at the now evasive fighter. The destroyer left its patrol course and pursued the enemy craft. Suddenly, alarms began to blare on the bridge.
“What is that racket?
Turn it off! Silence those alarms!”
“Sir, we are taking fire from that derelict ship! There are at least three anti-ship missiles inbound sir!”
“What? Repeat that!”
At that moment the three anti-matter missiles struck simultaneously breaking the destroyer in half in a bright flash of light.
Chapter 13
I received the message to report to the bridge as I was crawling out of the main fusion drive hatch on the station’s engines. After all this time with little or no maintenance I was impressed. These things should start right up, no problem. I assumed I was not being called to a sedate diplomacy meeting and ran for the lifts. I was in my work jumpsuit, and took the time in the lift to slip on my skinsuit, orders were orders. Arriving at the Command deck I nodded to the Marine guards. Normally they checked everyone’s ID, and I mean everyone. Me, they let pass. All the Marines on board the station knew me. Quite a few had wrestled me to the floor. Three times a week I worked out in ‘Marine Country’ while my sweetie Marine Lieutenant Dar Zakaszewski, trained me in various forms of unarmed combat. A girl had to find a way to stay fit!
I entered the bridge just in time to see Commander Mulligan’s dramatic escape and the destruction of the enemy destroyer. Nice to see that those antimatter missiles work. Not that I doubted Chief Tad’s work. Everyone was watching the battle and missed my entrance. Minerva had her back to me so I stood behind her and tapped her on her shoulder. Not expecting me she jumped in surprise!
“Athena! Not funny sister, you about scared the crap out of me! Thanks for coming so quickly.” She reviewed the intelligence that Skinny had reported.
“Holy flaming meatballs Min! Are they crazy over there?” I had to think for a minute. Did we have anything that could stop a huge kinetic attack like that?
“Min, that big rock is a planet killer! If it hits the planet everything is gone. All of it. If anyone survives down there, they will be in a ‘nuclear winter.’ We have to stop them before they kill our world!”
Minerva looked at the firebrand that her little sister had become. She approved. “That’s why I had you come up here, Athena. I need your advice. Do we have anything that can stop the bombardment? Anything at all?”
Athena asked Wilson. “Wilson have you been following the conversation? Do we have anything that will do it? How about in the FLEA warehouse?”
“I’m sorry Athena, but that is no. The FLEA scientists never built anything like that. Planetary kinetic strikes are illegal, they never considered it. As for us, we do have one thing. But it might not work.”
“What is it? Can I fix it? We have to try.”
Wilson just loved his friends enthusiasm for fixing things. “You already fixed it Athena, not an hour ago.”
“What! Crap..I didn’t think of that. That may classify as a last resort measure. Thanks buddy!”
Min just stared at her sister. It was really irritating not being able to hear the whole conversation. It sounded like she had a solution or maybe not, it was hard to tell. “Athena I only heard your half of that conversation what did he say? Do we have something that can stop it?”
I smiled at my sister grimly then bowed my head. I really didn’t want to tell her, but the survival of our world was at stake. “Min the only thing that we have with enough impetus to deflect that big rock is us, this station. We can ram the rock with the station.”
“That’s crazy! Can we even do that? What about all the people on here, what about us?”
“The station’s orbital engines engines looked as though they would start. That is what I was doing before I came up here, making sure they would work. We will take damage, a lot of damage but I think if we hit it just right we can change the rock’s orbit. That is if, they throw it at us. As for the people they have to take their chances. If we evacuate, the imperials may figure out what we are doing and try to stop us.”
“Can you start the engines up?”
“I will issue orders to my people. I will suggest that we move most of the non-essential personnel to interior sections of the station. The rest will just have to take their chances.” I pursed my lips as I considered all of our options. “Min, we could load the civilians and others in the escape pods and then launch them at the last minute, just before impact.”
“That would help, thanks Athena.” She turned to her staff and began issuing orders.
I stepped over to the console and issued orders of my own. You have to love the ‘Chief’s’ network on this station. My crew was already hard at work getting the engines ready for start up.
Chapter 14
“Captain Van der Decken? What is the status of the space tugs?” There was silence on the bridge. “Captain! Are your listening to me? Report, and give me that status report dammit!”
A young ensign, the sacrificial lamb, was pushed forward by the other bridge officers. “Excuse me, Sir?”
The Commodore swung his gaze around from the battle map to young Ensign Bob Al. “Did you say something to me?”
“Sir, you had the Captain hauled off by the Marines. Sir.” The ensign was shaking so badly he looked like he might pass out.
The commodore turned to his Marine protectors. “What ‘did’ happen to Captain Van der Decken, Sergeant Niers?”
“Sir, the Captain is doing a Flying Dutchman. He went for a walk outside without his space suit on.”
“Ensign AL is it,” The frightened ensign nodded to the Commodore. “Do you know the status of the space tugs?”
Before the ensign could answer the communications officer answered for him. “Sir, the tugs say that they have towed in the ten medium sized rocks that you asked for and that the large one is ready also.”
Commodore Vakulinchuk made a shooing motion with his hand and the young ensign ran for cover. Turning toward the officer the Commodore said “excellent work! Tell them they can stop bringing in new rocks. It’s time to get rid of the older ones.” He looked at his pet Marine sergeant. “Bring up a few more men would you Peter.”
“Yes, Sir. I was thinking that myself, sir.” Sergeant Peter Niers was a member of the Cabal like the Commodore. He was the officer’s primary protection. He had a history of making things disappear for Vakulinchuk.
Soon, there were a half dozen more armed and armored Marines lining the walls of the bridge.
“Communications, get that bitch on the screen again! We need to finish this.”
The large forward view screen lit up, it now showed a view of the Legation Station Bridge area. Major Lee was standing and glaring at the screen.
“Major Lee, this is your last chance to surrender the station to us and give us the leader of your so called rebellion.”
“Us, surrender to you?” She snickered. “Not going to happen. Not today, not ever. Just take your little fleet and go home.”
The woman was laughing at him. She was laughing. At. HIM! How dare this harridan speak to him this way! The commodores face got hot and his eyes were blazing with anger. He looked to his communication’s officer and made a head slicing motion with his hand. “Cut communications!”
He would show her, he would show the whole galaxy! The Cabal ruled all, everyone will bow! “Weapons Officer, give the order to fire, I want that station destroyed!”
Grigory sat in the Captain’s chair and giggled to himself. This would show them. He watched as the fleet came about and began firing their meager supply of missiles at the station. Counter-battery fire began immediately as the station activated its defense grid. Those weapons did not look at all like the ones that were reported to him!
“Commander Patterson, did you or did you not inform us during your briefing that, THAT station had not been upgraded? How is it that they are firing at us then?”
“Sir, the rebels must have done it. According to my figures, there is no easy way that they could have done it, Sir.”
“Easy? Wrong answer, Commander Patterson, … Georgia. Lets call you Georgia, I think you told us those numbers just to mak
e ME look bad. That’s what is happening isn’t it? Your little form of mutiny, make your Commanding Officer look stupid!”
‘No, Sir! Just doing my job, Sir.”
The Commodore waved at the Marine guard.
“I tell you what, Georgia, why don’t you go and give Captain Van der Decken the same briefing. Take her out of here!” His Marine guard carried the now kicking and screaming Commander off the bridge.
The rest of the bridge crew kept their heads down so not to draw the attention of the crazy man in charge.
Up on the screen the Station continued to hit and destroy the oncoming missiles. Bright flashes of light surrounded the station. It was almost pretty, like a sparkling holiday display.