“I lead a charmed life,” I said. “I’m difficult to kill.”
“I fail to see why that should be.”
“And yet, I’m here,” I said. “Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.”
From the far wall, N7 attempted to gain my attention. I ignored the android.
“You have aroused a modicum of interest,” Holgotha told me. “What is your plan?”
“I want to use you as a mobile platform,” I said, promptly. “You’ll appear inside a planet’s atmosphere. From you, the assault troopers will launch their attack. If things go badly for us, you can simply transfer back to the solar system.”
“What is this spectacle I’m supposed to see?” Holgotha asked.
“A daring Star Viking raid,” I said.
“What is that?”
“Agree to this and see,” I said. “You won’t regret it.”
Holgotha fell silent, no doubt computing. Finally, the artifact said, “I see no benefit for myself. Worse, this will interrupt my investigation. Now, you must leave. I have grown weary of your incessant chatter.”
“Wait a minute,” I said, casting about for an angle. “You said there was one like me long ago. He changed many things, including the disappearance of the First Ones. Maybe I’ll also change many things, but this time it will be for the better.”
“I find that doubtful.”
“The evidence says you’re wrong.”
“Explain this,” Holgotha said.
“We humans were instrumental at the portal planet. Our actions halted Abaddon’s invasion, which would have been a monumental event in the galaxy.”
“This is startling to me,” Holgotha said. “There is truth to what you say.”
“Maybe humanity is the component the Forerunner artifacts need to shake things up. That shaking will bring about the appearance of the Creator.”
“You spout sheer sophistry,” Holgotha said. “It is time for you to depart.”
“Wait,” I said. “Let me finish. Nothing else has worked for you artifacts, right? I’m suggesting you try something new. I bet you’ve never been part of an assault before.”
“That is true,” Holgotha said. “I have not.”
“For this trial run, you’ll play the part of a military machine. Look, we Earthers have hit rock bottom. My envisioned raid will give us the tools we need to stand up again. Consider what happened last time we had the means. I’m speaking about our assault at the portal planet. We kicked ass. You do realize that the Lokhars fear us, right? Why otherwise did they strip us of our latest weaponry? The Jelk fear us. Abaddon and his Kargs rue our existence. If we only had the means—which this single raid will give us—there is nothing we might not accomplish.”
I was stretching big time. But a sales pitch should be over the top. We needed this. Without a rich raid, I couldn’t see how we’d build up in time to face the return of Baba Gobo, for instance. Never mind what else was coming our way.
“Yours is an interesting proposal,” Holgotha said in what seemed to be a grudging manner. “There is a unique aspect to your puny race. I am curious to see what your rash mind has conceived. It is fitting that I warn you, though. If I am destroyed, your race will be blotted from existence. You are aware of that, yes?”
“I’m willing to roll the dice. Are you willing to try something new?”
“I am intrigued enough for a single venture,” Holgotha said. “Afterward, I may well depart to a place far from you inquisitive humans. I find you to be an annoying race.”
I don’t know who was more surprised at my success, N7 or me. We had a shot, and we had to make it count. That meant we’d better pick the right target. After that, we’d unleash ourselves against the galaxy.
“Okay,” I said. “You won’t regret this.” Turning to N7, I said, “Let’s go. We have a lot to do to get ready.”
-14-
With Holgotha’s provisional acceptance to try the plan, we no longer had to worry about slinking through the jump lanes in our lone vessel. We would move directly to target. That meant we could leave the cruiser in the solar system if we wanted. It was time to decide what and how to do this exactly.
“I suggest we use every trooper we have for the raid,” I told the others.
We stood in the conference room on Mars Base. A huge window showed the interior dome outside the chamber. Assault troopers jogged by in their zaguns across an asphalt running track.
Rollo, Dmitri, Ella, N7 and I debated policy. We had drinks in our hands. Rollo sipped beer, Dmitri and Ella wine, while N7 held a bubbling mixture only an android could love. I cradled a shot glass with a splash of whiskey at the bottom.
“I figure it like this,” I said, setting the glass on the table. “We have to maximize the strike. Likely, it’s the only one where we’ll have the artifact. Therefore, we should take every assault trooper, grab a horde of ships and rush back with them to Earth. Then we can think about our next target.”
“Shouldn’t we leave a few assault troopers behind to garrison Mars Base and our equipment on Ceres?” asked Ella.
Before I could answer, Dmitri said, “Since the artifact is our transport, it seems senseless to fortify Ceres. There’s nothing to guard out there anymore, at least while we’re gone.”
“Good point,” I said. “Where should we fortify?”
“The only place that matters,” Rollo said, “Earth. And that means the Moon. Take all the hardware at Ceres and set it up there. Let the Earth Council decide who runs it.”
“Do the rest of you agree?” I asked.
The others nodded or murmured their assent.
“Okay,” I said, “next order of business. What do we do with the Glorious Hope? Do we take it with us or leave it behind for the Earth Council.”
“Better to take it with us,” Dmitri said.
“Depends on where we’re hitting,” Rollo said.
“If we perish,” Ella said, “wouldn’t it be better for humanity to have at least one warship with its Moon fortress?”
“I’m inclined to agree with Ella,” I said. “What do you think, N7?”
“What happens to the androids in storage?” N7 asked. “The ones we took from the Demar Starcity.”
That was a good question. We hashed it out and decided to unpack them. They would help fortify the Moon.
We decided to hold off on making a decision about the cruiser. First, we’d have to know the target. That was going to take some thinking. Before that, we had to ready the solar system for our absence.
Work revved up after the meeting. We hauled the defensive equipment from Ceres to the Moon. Then we dismantled parts from Mars Base. During our absence, humanity would porcupine around the mother planet. It was poisoned, but it was still home.
I spoke to Diana and Murad Bey. With our coming absence, their power would increase, but so would their vulnerability. They asked questions. I supplied few answers. I wondered if the Shi-Feng had sleepers among the last survivors in the freighters.
Finally, we had to decide on the target. I secreted myself with N7, deciding to thrash it with the only person who knew more than I did about the region of space around us.
N7 had begun existence as a Jelk mining android. When the assault troopers had been under Shah Claath’s employ, the Rumpelstiltskin devil had used androids as our drill instructors. Because of that, the Nseries androids gained upgrades. N7 had proven better and more successful than his fellow machines, and he had consistently won more improvements. During the Sigma Draconis campaign, N7 decided to cast his lot with us. He helped us gain our freedom as we attacked Claath’s battlejumper.
N7’s memory cores never forgot anything. Even better, he could retrieve the memories. He did so now as we stood on Glorious Hope’s bridge.
“You ask me where we should attack,” N7 said. “That depends on your requirements.”
“That’s simple,” I said. “I want warships, better light arms for assault troopers, haulers to carry it back, anti-bio-t
erminator scrubbers and better planetary missile and ground-based beam systems.”
“One requirement makes the choice obvious at least in one regard,” N7 said.
“What would that be?” I asked.
“For anti-bio-terminator scrubbers, you will have to attack a Lokhar world. The Saurians lack such hardware, at least in any abundance.”
“So be it,” I said.
N7 observed me. “You do not mind declaring war against the Lokhars?”
“Who said anything about that? I just want to grab what I need. There’s no declaration of war.”
“The Lokhars might view it differently.”
“I’m thinking they have enough on their hands with a civil war brewing. Besides, how will they know it’s been us? If we strike deeply enough, they’ll absolutely know it couldn’t have been us humans who struck.”
N7 appeared dubious. “Eventually, the other races will learn that an artifact aided humanity.”
“I don’t see why that’s a given. We’ll have to take great care after the assault. During the Vietnam War, the NVA soldiers usually dragged away their dead after a firefight. It made it seem as if the U.S. seldom slew that many. We’ll expand upon the idea.”
N7 become thoughtful. “That would imply you don’t plan to leave any survivors to report on our attack.”
That was a good point. I mulled it over, finally saying, “The Lokhars nuked the Earth and sprayed the survivors with a bio-terminator. They started this. They can pay for it. I have no problem grabbing what we need from a Lokhar world and ensuring no tigers survive the attack. In fact, the more I think about it, the better I like it.”
I was also thinking about the Shi-Feng. They would be out there.
“Emotions are not the best guide in these matters,” N7 told me.
“You’re wrong,” I said. “The heart is everything. Without it, logic means nothing. You have to want something in order to fight for it and that desire comes from in here,” I said, tapping my chest.
“Perhaps you are right. In this area, I will not dispute you.”
“Great,” I said. “Given our requirements, do you know which system we should raid?”
N7 turned toward the viewing port. In its reflection, I saw the android’s eyelids fluttering. At last, N7 turned back to me.
“The Sanakaht star system seems ideal for your needs,” N7 said. “It possesses a small world with vast abundance. There are many mineral asteroids in the system and heavy metal moons. Sanakaht the planet is so small that many freighters land to load and unload cargo. My cores tell of surface shipyards building warships that would otherwise be constructed in space.”
“Tell me more,” I said.
N7 did.
Afterward, I pondered the information. I needed a situation where I could employ the bio-suited assault troopers. I thought hard, finding difficulties in the location. Holgotha couldn’t very well teleport onto the ground. The artifact would have to appear in the atmosphere. Getting everyone off the giant donut would be the problem. The assault troopers would have to jump, maybe use parachutes, parasails or—
I snapped my fingers and pointed at N7. “I have it. I know how we’re going to this.” I laughed as I envisioned the attack. It would be wild, wooly and maybe the most exhilarating ride of my life.
“What is your idea?” N7 asked.
“Do you remember the air-cycles we carted from the Demar Starcity?”
N7 froze a moment, before nodding. “Of course I recall. They are the DZ9 air-mobile attack cycle. The originator—”
“Yeah,” I said. “I don’t need those kinds of details. Tell me what they can do.”
“I am not familiar with them in that aspect.”
“Then it’s time to become familiar. We’ll test them on Mars.”
“How many cycles will we use” N7 asked.
“All of them,” I said.
“All?”
“Yeah. That’s right.”
***
Before I unpacked all the air-cycles, I took several to Mars. A few trial runs showed a problem. After several passes, the fine sands of the Red Planet clogged the air-intakes. This wasn’t a desert flyer.
Even so, the DZ9 air-mobile cycle was an interesting vehicle. The closest equivalent Earth craft would have been a bulked-up jet ski that was able to fly through the skies.
Taking several to Earth, I did some trial runs. They flew well enough. The trouble was scrubbing everyone afterward. Finally, I took a few air-cycles out to Titan with its molecular nitrogen atmosphere. That proved the right decision.
N7 said Titan was closer in size to our targeted world than any other planetary body in the solar system. That was good to learn, as it would solve the biggest problem: how to get four thousand assault troopers down to the surface in a hurry.
The air-cycles were big enough so troopers could double up on one. On Titan, we practiced dropping from a Demar hauler. With two troopers, their suits and equipment, that meant squeezing onto the seat. It also meant more than normal weight. With Titan’s thin atmosphere, the loaded air-cycles dropped fast.
We lost seventeen of them to crashes. Five troopers died. I hated that. For two weeks, we practiced so we could get it right against the Lokhars.
Four mingans of assault troopers were going to hit Sanakaht. Likely, that was too few. The small planet boasted big shipyards. That would mean protection, right?
“We don’t have a choice in this,” I said, bringing up a tough subject. “We’re going to have to deploy missiles from the artifact. We need to take out the areas too far to hit with our troopers.”
“If you do that,” N7 said, “you’re risking return fire.”
“I realize that.”
“What kind of warheads will we use?” Rollo asked.
Here it was: the tough choice. “Thermonuclear,” I said.
Silence reigned. Ella grew pale. “Creed—”
“Stow your complaints,” I said. “We have to use nukes. We’re too weak to play fancy.” I stared into their eyes. “Look, people, this is the big strike. We have to win huge this time. If we don’t, it could be over for our race.”
“The Lokhars will retaliate against us,” Ella said.
I snorted. “This is our retaliation for what they did to Earth.”
“The tiger Emperor has helped us since then,” Ella said.
“Has he really?” I asked. “Who do you think sanctioned the Shi-Feng attack in Wyoming?”
“All indications show they are a holy order,” Ella said.
“Holy my ass,” I said. “They’re assassins. I bet they’re tight with the Emperor. Besides, he reneged on his deal and took away our warships.” I pounded the table with a fist. “You’d better believe we’re going to use thermonuclear weapons. We’re smashing Sanakaht flat and taking its goodies.”
“Is that how old-time Vikings did it?” Dmitri asked.
“We’re Star Vikings, Earth’s last hope. Not only do we have to win, but we’d better do it so they don’t know who hit them. That means we flatten their planetary defenses, strike, grab, get back up to the artifact and disappear before the space assets arrive.”
“That isn’t going to give us much time,” Ella said.
“No, it isn’t,” I agreed.
“I’m not sure this is the best idea,” Ella said. “Perhaps we should strike another Saurian-guarded star system.”
I stood up and walked to the viewing screen. With the click of a switch, I turned it to Olympus Mons. Fiddling with the controls, I scanned up to the top cone.
“The Lokhars put their flag up there,” I said. “That’s claiming territory.”
“It may have a different purpose in Lokhar culture,” N7 said.
“I’m guessing you’re wrong about that,” I said. “My point is that they came to our star system and planted their flag on our biggest mountain. Was that a Freudian slip?”
“What does that mean?” N7 asked.
I ignored the android’s
question. Turning to the others, I said, “Look at this another way. Doctor Sant has gone on a walking tour, spouting religious rebellion. It’s frightened the Purple Tamika Emperor. He’s gathered an armada, maybe to squash the rebellion. Our strike way out at Sanakaht might aid Orange Tamika, and that could possibly aid us in the long run.”
“How do you reason this?” N7 asked.
“If we do this right,” I said, “Sant might point to Sanakaht as the judgment of the Creator. Let’s suppose a few tigers survive. They’ll talk about an artifact appearing. The Lokhars are crazy concerning the Forerunner objects. Many tigers swayed by Sant might view the attack as just deserts for the sins caused by the Purple Tamika Emperor.”
“That’s silly,” Ella said, “and it’s really reaching.”
“No,” Rollo said. “I think Creed has a point. You don’t see that, Ella, because it doesn’t mix with your world-view. The way a tiger looks at the universe, yes, the attack might help Sant’s theological rebellion.”
“If Lokhars survive on Sanakaht and report on an artifact,” N7 said, “that might give away our involvement. Surely, the others would consider us the primary culprits.”
“Yes,” Ella said. “They know Creed is unbalanced enough to attack them and would suspect him of having suborned our artifact. He knows its name, after all, which they consider vital. For that reason alone, we must pick a different target.”
We went around and around with the debate. In the end, I put it to a vote.
Ella turned her thumb down. She wanted to hit the Saurians again. “We have a proven method for dealing with the lizards,” she said. “It worked last time. It’s always best to use what has actually succeeded.”
“Nope,” Rollo said, aiming the open end of his beer bottle at her. “I say we follow Creed. We’re all free because he had the balls to try outlandish feats, beginning in Antarctica. I say we should hit Sanakaht.”
“The tigers sent assassins at Creed, blowing themselves up to get him,” Dmitri said. “I think we should blow them up with thermonuclear weapons. I say we raid Sanakaht for supplies and then stomp them flat afterward.”
Star Viking (Extinction Wars Book 3) Page 14