Talosian Chronicles 2: Star Dancer

by Ben Winston

  “What about the Super Nova herself?” Jenny asked.

  Eischens shook his head. “We leave her strictly alone. That will keep them thinking they are the superior force here, and as long as they believe they are, they will be less likely to do something really rash like blow up the star.”

  Chief Dommer was nodding his head. “Aye, I think we can do all that, but we’ll need to draft some help from time to time. A couple of fighter techs with propulsion experience, and maybe one or two sensor techs as well as a computer tech to program the drones.”

  “I have a few pilots that are qualified, and will have little to do until the fighting starts, will they help?” Chief Harris asked.

  Chief Dommer nodded. “Yes they would. Could you send them down right after the meeting? We’ll need to get going on this right away, and I’m a bit short handed with that experimental upgrade.”

  “We have a few folks that could be of help as well, Chief. I’ll round a bunch of them up and send them to you,” Kyle said.

  “Don’t cut your own throat, lad,” Dommer replied. ”You’ve got a lot cut out for yourself as well.”

  “No Sir, I won’t,” Kyle replied, grinning.

  “Instead of them coming up here, why don’t you share the designs with them? They can stay down there and use their own equipment. That way we won’t be crowded up here?” Jenny suggested.

  Again Dommer nodded. “That could work. I’ll give Serin a call and get it set up.”

  Ian spoke up, “Chief Harris, please make sure the shuttle and centurion pilots are available to deliver these drones as they get finished.”

  John Harris nodded. “Will do, Sir.”

  “Okay folks, we have a lot of work to get done and little time to do it. Talk to each other, encourage each other, but most of all, support each other. We will do this, and the ghosts of the Caldarians will be all that is left!” Ian said.

  Talos, New Mexico

  Luke, Ty and Elias were sitting in Luke’s office, shortly after the meeting ended, generating ideas about what to do about the impending attacks.

  “I think if we installed a few more shield generators, here,” Ty touched a place on the hologram of the Talos property. “And here, we should be able to boast shield strength enough to give us an advantage against a heavy bombardment.”

  “What are we going to do about the ground attack? From what I’ve read, there are special tanks that are designed specifically for shield penetration,” Luke asked reasonably.

  “That’s why I asked Ian about the mines. During the next few nights, my teams and I will be sneaking out past our boarders and planting anti-armor mines as well as a few other surprises that should make life difficult for anyone attacking our shield. The problem is guessing which way they’ll come at us from; we don’t have enough time to cover the whole perimeter,” Ty explained.

  “What about the civilians? I mean we’ll run for the shelter at the first hint of trouble, but I don’t think running across a battlefield will be all that safe,” Elias asked.

  “No, it won’t be, especially with all the lasers and other energy weapons that are likely to be used. Tonight, I would get the drones busy building a wall around the residence and recreation areas. If they get through the main shield, it won’t last long, but it should protect your folks against an errant laser shot or stray bullet,” Ty suggested. “The main shield should protect you from the air.”

  “The shield is transparent, how does that stop a laser?” Elias asked.

  Ty shook his head. “It isn’t actually transparent. Do you notice that slight distortion in the air when the shield is up?”

  “Yeah, it’s a little wavy, but I can still see through it.” Elias said.

  “It seems that way, yes. I don’t understand all the physics behind it, but when something very intense, like a laser beam, hits the shield, it spreads some of the energy out over its surface, and some of the light gets attenuated and redirected back in such a way that it cancels out the incoming beam. The guy that explained it to me used a lot of big words, and he wasn’t talking very slowly,” Ty explained and laughed with the other two.

  “So how does the shield get breached?” Luke asked.

  Ty shrugged. “I guess there is only a certain amount of energy it can handle at a time. If you hit it with enough power in a small area, it will create a hole through the shield inversely proportional to the amount of energy applied. Also, there is the angle of incidence. In order to bring the maximum amount of energy against the shield, it has to be close to a ninety degree angle, otherwise it just bounces off.”

  “Okay, okay,” Elias said waving his hand in surrender. “I’m getting a headache. If you tell me we should be protected, then I’ll trust you. How tall do you want that wall?”

  “Better make it at least ten feet. Any shorter and you might start getting some of the higher stuff, or grenades,” Ty replied, smiling.

  “Okay, so we get everyone to the shelter, and down to the base. Do you need anything built to help you defend us?” Luke asked.

  Ty shrugged. “Fighting positions would be great, but again, we don’t know which way these assholes will be coming from, so we’re going to have to stay mobile.”

  “Maybe we can have them produce a few dozen more of those land rail dune buggies you are so fond of?” Luke suggested.

  “Yeah, you could, only make them the hovercraft version, as we can mount more weapons in it, and they move a lot faster. We’ll have to keep them under wraps for now, but I think we might have a way keep them from being easily seen,” Ty said. “We’ll build them, then bring a few of them up at night, park them in our motor pool, and simply cover them with tarps. Put a normal land rail on each end, and no one will know the difference.”

  Luke had made a note on a tablet. “Okay, can either of you think of anything else?”

  “If we’re going to get attacked from the sky, do we have enough ground to air weapons?” Elias asked. “Could you use more?”

  “Elias, I could always use more, but the more we install, the more we’ll have to rip out if we ever have to leave. Remember, Ian warned us that the Feds were on to us,” Ty replied. “After we get done with the big blue fuckers, we’re going to have the whole Smith and Jones’ families here going over everything with a fine-tooth comb! Personally, I would really like to not have to explain to them how the shield works or a ground to space missile battery.”

  “What about the kids? Will they be out fighting?” Luke asked.

  Ty shrugged. “Probably, that’s what they’ve been training for, and the reason they’re stationed here.”

  “That’s going to be a problem for some of the parents, especially of the younger ones,” Luke said.

  “Oh! No, not all the kids, Luke. No one under either fourteen or sixteen will be allowed to launch. Talosian doctrine allows for fourteen year olds to fly combat fighters, but I thought I heard Ian once say that he wouldn’t allow anyone under the age of sixteen to fly in combat. No, I think the plan is for the young ones to be placed on shuttle duty if the shit hits the fan.”

  “Okay, so how are we set for manpower? Do you have enough fighters?” Luke asked.

  “I think so. A good portion of them are still in training, but if push comes to shove, they will still be helpful. Janet and her folks recruited this batch as ex-military.” Ty took a drink of his coffee. “Even without our specific type of training, they know which end of a rifle the bullet comes out of.”

  “I’m actually kind of surprised that more people didn’t object to everyone taking a premonition seriously. We have a lot of folks that don’t believe in that sort of thing,” Elias said.

  Luke nodded. “I think Janet knew what she was doing when she selected the command staff. None of them are closed minded fools, but I do have to admit that I was surprised Chief Dommer accepted it without saying something. That man just seems entirely too... uh, focused to be that open minded.”

  Elias shrugged. “I don’t know, I never
really got a chance to get to know him. From what I can tell though, Ian thinks the world of him as the Chief Engineer, so he must be good at his job.”

  “Yeah, I don’t think Ian would keep him around if he wasn’t. But you know, Ian can be pretty focused, too,” Ty added.

  “Isn’t that the truth! But, at least his focus is our protection. I’m scared as hell that the Caldarians are coming, but I think I would be a lot worse off if it were someone other than Ian up there,” Elias said. “Something about him makes me trust him completely. I’ve known Ian longer than the two you, and he’s always had an aura of confidence about it him, but it’s really come out since Olympus found him.”

  Luke nodded. “I tend to forget how young he actually is. He seems so much older and far more mature than a man his age. He’s what, seventeen? Eighteen?”

  “About to turn nineteen, I think,” Ty replied. “Being in the military, I saw a lot of young men on their first tours or even a few just out of boot camp. Not one of them, even those that had taken their duties seriously, had the maturity I see in Ian. He is a natural commander and a good leader. Following his orders is as natural to me as it would be to follow the orders of an Admiral or a ship’s Captain.”

  “Well, since we all agree that Ian is a great leader, maybe we should get busy on getting our defenses upgraded,” Luke said grinning. “Ty, I’ll make sure the armory down-side is available to you if you want to get new armor or weapons replicated. Just ask for what you need, and we’ll get them built for you.

  “Elias, please get with the architects and get the plans for that wall hammered out and loaded into the drones. I’ll get with the community leaders and get everyone briefed on what’s about to happen so we won’t have the amount of hysteria we’d have if the attack came without warning.”

  The other two men agreed and left to get busy on their tasks. Sighing, Luke used the comm to ask Lara to call an emergency town meeting for later that day in the Community Center.

  Caldarian Super Nova

  Hyperspace Transit Vector

  Indeterminate Location

  “What is our status?” Dren answered as it entered the large bridge once again.

  The same small being that always reported to it cringed since it hadn’t heard the much larger Dren enter the room. “Master! The ground assault commander reports an increase of six percent! It conscripted new fighters from all areas of the ship that had been over strength. It reports training is going very well, and that it will be ready for whatever action you order them to undertake upon arrival in the human system.”

  Dren nodded. “Very good. Has the space to ground weaponry been made ready?”

  The underling bobbed its upper torso. “Yes Master, as per your orders.”

  “Very good. What is our arrival time to the human world?” Dren asked.

  “Just under three hundred units, Master.”

  “Call a meeting of all tactical and assault commanders in my quarters at a hundred units before arrival,” Dren said. “Until then I’ll be in my quarters.”

  “Yes Master. Do you want me to alert you before the meeting?” The smaller being asked.

  “That would be fine,” Dren said as it moved back down the hallway, leaving the Bridge.

  F.S.S. Star Dancer.

  Selene Orbit, (Earth’s moon)

  Earth, Sol Sector.

  “We have the modifications done, Commander. There is also a Wasp ready at the moon base, do we have your permission to proceed?” Brittney asked over the comm.

  “I would like to be there if I may, you are in Beta flight control?” Ian asked.

  “Of course, Sir! Yes, we are in Beta control. We’ll see you in a few moments then?” Brittney asked.

  “Yes, I’m on my way, Williams out.” Ian walked out of his ready room and winked at Jenny, now setting her watch on the bridge. “I’m heading down to Beta flight control. It looks like the Wasp is ready for a test.”

  “Oh? Who’s the pilot?” Jenny asked. “Last time I spoke to them, Kyle and Stephanie were fighting over it.”

  “I don’t actually know, Brittney called to ask if they could proceed, she didn’t say who was flying,” Ian replied.

  “Okay, I’ll tune into the channel and listen in,” Jenny said. “At least with all these projects happening, this isn’t a boring duty anymore. I’m glad I handed the missing oil thing off to Alan!”

  “Alan? Uh, never mind, I’ll ask you about it later, I got the feeling they were kinda anxious to get moving on this,” Ian said.

  “You’re the Commander, they’ll wait,” Jenny said.

  “Right, you keep telling yourself that!” Grinning, Ian left the bridge for the maglev.

  When he arrived at Beta flight control, in addition to the normal crew he found Star, Major Dommer, Brittney Benson, and John Harris standing by the large armor-glass viewport overlooking the landing area.

  “Commander on deck!” Someone called making Ian roll his eyes.

  “Carry on!’ Ian replied almost automatically. He approached the group by the viewport. “Gangs all here, should we get the show on the road? Oh, by the way, Jenny wanted to know who won the argument over flying this mission.”

  “Chief Borhiem did. He wouldn’t allow either one to fly it. He assigned a test pilot that wasn’t involved with the project so we would get a true evaluation of the equipment. He’s a smart one, I wonder where Mrs. Laskar found him?” Brittney said.

  “I don’t know. But she’s really good at finding the best people for the jobs we need them for,” Ian replied. “So, when is the launch happening?”

  John nodded to one of the people forking at the consoles. The man spoke and was heard in the speakers of the room. “Wasp X-One, this is Beta control. We are green, launch when ready.”

  “Wasp X-One, copies. Selene Control, Wasp X-One. Request launch clearance,” a woman’s voice said over the speakers.

  “Wasp X-One, test course is clear, evaluation sensors are reporting green, you are clear to launch,” the male voice of the lunar flight controller said.

  “Wasp X-One moving to launch position. Please stand-by.” The pilot replied. “Control please note that armor power levels are rising, but slowly. I think we are still good.”

  Brittney who had been watching a tablet nodded. “I agree, Wasp X-One. Please proceed.”

  “Wasp X-One is in the lane, ready, and here we go,” the pilot said.

  Looking over Brittney’s shoulder, Ian saw the power levels and performance profile of the small craft as it took off and flew.

  “Wasp X-One is space-borne. Control, I have power levels in the upper green, but stabilizing,” the pilot added.

  “Confirmed X-One, please begin phase one tests,” Brittney said.

  “Proceeding with phase one, item one. Standard maneuvering and handling,” the pilot replied.

  Ian leaded over the console and asked the tech, “Do we have a visual on her?”

  The tech looked surprised a moment, then nodded, and pointed to a large monitor mounted on the bulkhead. Ian nodded. “Thanks.”

  There wasn’t really much to see. The craft itself appeared black and against the black background of space, Ian wouldn’t have seen anything if it hadn’t been for the running lights.

  “Chief? You wanted us to sound off if anything seemed weird?” one of the controllers asked.

  John turned around. “Yeah, I did. Whatcha got?”

  “Well Sir, other than IFF and what little visual we have, I can’t get a lock on that ship,” the ensign said. “If she went dark, we’d lose her completely.”

  Both Ian and John move over to look over the ensign’s shoulder at the screen. To demonstrate what she had said, she cycled through the different scanning modes available to her.

  “You should be able to get an energy reading on her, she’s a flying battery!” John said and leaned over another console to begin typing. As Ian watched he pulled up an energy scan of the area, and saw nothing more than the random background no
ise from space.

  Brittney had followed the men. “Use the IFF lock and rescan for energy readings,” she suggested.

  “Control, phase one, test one complete. Moving on to test two” the pilot said over the speakers.

  “Hang on a minute please, Nan. Something interesting’s going on,” Brittney replied.

  The sarcasm was clear in her voice when the pilot replied. “Care to share what’s interesting with the person who’s gonna die if this bird blows up?”

  “Sorry Nan, we just discovered you’re invisible, and we’re trying to find out how and why,” Brittney said.

  Ian touched his earpiece. “Computer patch me into Wasp X-One test frequency, please.”

  “Patch complete.”

  “Nan, this is Guardian One. Do you have shields or cloaking turned on?” Ian asked.

  “No Sir, that wasn’t part of this test. Can someone explain ‘invisible’?” the pilot, Nan, replied.

  Ian grinned. “Other than IFF and a visual because of your lights, you are not registering on any of the other sensors. If you pulled the IFF and went dark, you’d be a ghost.”

  “A ghost with guns! I can’t tell this bird from a normal Hornet so far. Should I proceed with test two?”

  “I’d feel better if we had a ship close to her in case something happens,” Ian said. Knowing Talena and Cindy were off right now, and that Cindy had been cleared for duty, Ian called them. “Valkyrie flight, report to Beta Flight Ops for a mission brief on the double!” Both girls replied and said they were on their way.

  “Nan, could you hold position? I’m arranging an escort for you in case you get into trouble out there,” Ian said.

  “I appreciate it Guardian, the safer the better. But I got to tell you, I’m not getting that scary feeling you get when you ride something that’s going to bite you, you know?” Nan replied.

  “Actually, I have no idea what that feeling would be, but I think I understand what you’re saying. Still, I’d rather someone was right there to get you if needed,” Ian replied and turned to John. “New rule, no test flights of any kind without a chaser capable of performing a rescue. I think we should make it a Centurion with a medic aboard monitoring the pilot’s health.”