“You finish that statement,” Bethany Anne told the guard trying to announce her arrival, “and I’ll toss your ass into space.”
Lance turned to see that Bethany Anne had a hand on the lady’s shoulder. Her head was nodding in sync with Bethany Anne’s as the Queen finished, “I don’t want to hear that every time I go someplace for the next century. We’re going to leave it for the main room and any large meetings I attend. If that happens every time I walk in here?” Bethany Anne allowed the silence to grow for a couple of seconds. “It could get ugly.”
Bethany Anne gave the shoulder a gentle squeeze and continued in. Lance noticed Scott smile and wink at the guard Bethany Anne reprimanded.
No hard feelings, he seemed to say, and the woman blushed and sat down.
“Always making an entrance, Bethany Anne,” he said to his daughter as she sat in the middle seat, the one that could best view everything in the room.
“You know me, General.”
He observed that she was taking in all of the screens and that her eyes seemed to be reviewing screens in front of people around the room. “Always looking to be announced, right?”
“Ah, no.” He shook his head and stepped over to his chair, sitting at her left hand. “Usually you like to slink into places and let your shoes do the talking.”
Bethany Anne looked down at her armored feet. “Maybe that’s why I’m always on edge?”
“What, no shoe therapy lately?” Lance asked. He noticed many of those in the operations room were listening in on their chat.
“Yeah, It’s a shame no designers came along for the ride. Although,” Bethany Anne looked up, “ADAM is working with a promising young woman. Maybe I can see if Jean would let her inside the R&D room for a few days after this field exercise.” She waved up at the screens as she settled back in her chair and spoke louder.
“We are about to cross,” she called out, catching everyone’s attention, “the Annex Gate the Yollin King placed in our solar system years ago. We aren’t going through that gate announcing our intent to change their world. Rather, we are going through that gate with the intent to move through their space and head out to find our Kurtherian enemies.”
Admiral Thomas, who had just entered, asked her as he sat down, “You think that the King will allow us safe passage through his space?”
Bethany Anne turned to the admiral. “Not an ice cube’s chance in hell.” She smiled. “But seeing how he wanted to subjugate Earth first? I’m not too upset with delivering a set of Yollin revolutionaries.” She went back to looking around the room. “We can’t have frenemies at our backs, working to figure out how to take us down. So, we’re going to meet this King, kick his backstabbing ass and then beat him in battle. According to Captain Kael-ven, I’ll have to meet him in one on one combat and defeat him—which means kill him—to win the allegiance of the Yollin people.”
Bethany Anne reached for her waiting Coke. “Remember, I didn’t write the rules, folks.” She raised her drink. “But I’ll abide by them.” She winked and took a drink as the group cheered.
“Let’s cross that fucking gate, I’m getting impatient!”
The human’s ships, dedicated Puck Destroyers, multiple Sphaea class attack vessels, Puck containers for setting traps, shipping containers and Black Eagles hit the Annex Gate in a synchronized dance that had the G’laxix Sphaea hit the gate last, disappearing behind the green, yellow, blue and orange waves as ships hit the colored screen.
Then the gate exploded on the human side, throwing parts to the four corners of the solar system.
It was completely destroyed.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE
Planet Yoll, King’s Palace, Throne Room
The Yollin King turned his massive head, looked down at his Minister of Defense in annoyance. “What do you mean, we have an attack force arriving through Annex Gate Three One Four?”
The four-legged Yollin looked up at his king. “Your Majesty, Gate Three One Four was opened almost two solar years ago, and we have been receiving updated reports confirming the survey was proceeding as planned and continued to show promise. Two hours ago, a fleet of foreign military vessels and an...” Minister of Defense E’Kolorn looked down at this tablet and then back to the King, “asteroid came through the Annex Gate. In addition to these new ships, the modified survey vessel G’laxix Sphaea arrived last and the number of ships overwhelmed the gate, destroying it.”
“And you say they are making requests?” the King continued to stare down at the defense minister.
“Yes, they claim they are merely moving through our space in an effort to fight the Kurtherians.”
At this pronouncement, the Yollin King stared at his highest-ranking military commander and then started slapping his couch cushion loudly. His chittering laughter could be heard throughout the throne room. “Did you,” he tried to stop laughing, but failed. Finally the King got himself under control. “Did you say they are seeking a fight with the Kurtherians?” he rasped out.
“Yes, Your Majesty.” E’Kolorn confirmed. “That is what they are saying, in our language I might add.”
“So, they have taken our people as slaves?” The King sought confirmation.
“And our ship, yes.”
The King’s eye’s narrowed. “What are we going to do about this, E’Kolorn?”
“We are going to confirm they have our permission pass through our space to seek out the Kurtherians, Your Highness.” E’Kolorn answered.
“And then, Minister of Defense?” he pressed.
“Then we are going to ambush their ships, destroy their pitiful fleet, rebuild a gate in three years once we figure out where the G’laxix Sphaea went—unfortunately, the information was lost with the gate—and then raid their system for resources and slaves.”
“Very good, E’Kolorn. Make sure I have the head of their leader for my wall of honor,” he told the Chancellor as his hand swept towards multiple heads preserved with a plaque underneath stating the race, their solar system coordinates and the method of their death.
E’Kolorn bowed his head. “As you wish, my King.”
QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Military Operations
Bethany Anne put down her empty drink container. “So, Admiral Thomas.”
The admiral was flipping screens and spoke without looking at his Queen. “Yes, my ever patient and loving Queen?” he replied, trying to help control the anxiety, both inside this operations room, and across the fleet. Something he knew would be happening as people considered their own mortality.
Bethany Anne stared at him, then smiled, then started laughing. “Am I that bad?”
“YES!” both ranking military men on each side of her responded, in stereo.
Bethany Anne leaned back in her chair and looked around the room. “God, I’m bored!”
“It’s just a game at the moment, Bethany Anne,” Admiral Thomas told her. He hit a couple of buttons and pulled up the vast hologram that showed her fleet, the location of the now destroyed Annex Gate, and the Yollin planet with its two moons, three different base stations around the planet, as well as the incredible amount of space traffic between the moons, the base stations and the planet.
Plus, little bitty purple dots in their wake.
“You’re really expecting them to come up behind us?” Bethany Anne leaned forward. “Is this because Kael-ven said they would?”
“Yes, and no,” Admiral Thomas said. “Yes, to the part that Kael-ven led us to study this, but the no part is we studied Kael-ven and his substantial weakness to physical attacks from the rear due to his body structure. So, we’re assuming their strategist might have attributed a natural weakness they suffer to us as well.”
“Attacking Kael-ven that way became too easy, although he’s much better now,” Bethany Anne remarked. “I attack him from the rear during sparring sessions.”
“Good teaching,” Admiral Thomas agreed before he looked at the radar and smirked. “Gotcha!”
Bethany
Anne slid forward in her seat when the new dots appeared. “They really are coming from the rear, pretty quickly, too.”
“Hard to accomplish a sneak attack if the other side sees you coming.” The admiral was sending commands to his ships, and Bethany Anne watched as the purple dots following behind her ships were designated Yollin 01 through Yollin 39.
“Hmmm.” Admiral Thomas picked up his tablet. “Send in Coach’s Revenge, target designation Yollin 21.”
On the screen, the ship labeled Yollin 21 grew in size.
Yollin Ship 21
“Pay attention to where the G’laxix Sphaea is at all times!” Captain G’yrlen said to his seek and destroy team. “That is the only ship we fear. What we can see, we can kill!”
Captain G’yrlen viewed his screen, trying to gauge the best time to help the fleet by cloaking it. His ship alone had the power to accomplish the feat, and that power wasn’t infinite. Because of the difficulty of matching speeds with their targets, it was a dance to figure out the proper distance. Cloak too early? Risk coming out of cloak too far away when power dies. Too late and his people would be seen before they cloaked.
Coach’s Revenge
Captain Max Wagner smiled. “Revenge, tell our support that Coach has a fight he would like to pick with those Yollin pieces of shit behind us. Cloak us all, we’re going in.”
Four Sphaea class ships that had hugged the Meredith Reynolds slowly faded from view, and dropped back from the main group as they lost momentum, braking just a bit.
Revenge allowed the EIs on the other ships to help keep the four ships in proximity to each other as it worked on figuring out how to best track Yollin 21 should it cloak. Soon, the human fleet was far in front, and the Yollin fleet was fast approaching. Their formation started picking up speed so that the Yollins wouldn’t pass them by.
The Revenge’s group had twenty-one seconds to do a final match of speed and direction when the Yollin Fleet disappeared off their radar systems.
“Well, crap.” Captain Wagner said. “Tell me you got them, Revenge.”
“Captain Wagner, I know exactly where Yollin 21 is and it will take approximately an extra two minutes and twenty-one seconds using visual clues before we are ready to board.”
Max touched a button on his tablet. “Marines? Get ready, you arrive in three minutes.”
—
Shun heard the captain of the ship declare they had three minutes before they would be attacking an alien ship, while hurtling through space, in a solar system so far away from where he was born that he had a hard time comprehending the distance.
All because of some stupid ass, species interfering, alien know-it-alls. He needed something to ground him in this chaotic mess.
He smirked, glancing over at Zhu.
“Heeeyyyyy, SEXY lady.” Shun started singing, a maniacal smile growing on his face.
Zhu looked over at his friend. “That’s Korean,” he said.
Jian grinned. “Shut up, you like it, too.” Then Jian bumped Shun’s shoulder.
Seconds later, the two men started dancing. “HEYYYY SEXY LADY!” they sang.
Three of the Guardian Marines jumped up and started mimicking the moves from the two Chinese men. Soon, Zhu cursed and joined his team. “I really hate you guys,” he yelled at them as he faked riding a horse and twirling a lasso.
Up on the ship’s bridge, five crewmembers stared at the video feed. “Holy shit,” Max smiled. “Send that video to the engine room. Fuck it,” he said. “Revenge, send that video to the whole Gott Verdammt fleet!”
QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Military Operations
One of the screens on the massive wall changed and Bethany Anne’s eyes flicked up to it, down, then back up as Captain Wagner’s text came across the bottom, “This is how we take it to the Yollins!”
Bethany Anne stared at the screen. “Are they dancing Gangnam Style?” she asked, before she burst out laughing and joined in singing, “Heeyyyy Sexy Lady!”
Yollin Ship 21
Captain G’yrlen received the reports on his screen that his fleet was now cloaked. His four legs grasped his couch as the fingers on his right hand clicked through different commands he sent to the rest of the fleet. As Over-Captain of this operation, as simple as it would be, his own status would be boosted.
“We will strike in…” he started to say when he was knocked violently sideways as his ship was hit from four directions, the cloak dropping as the energy was pulled into the shields.
“What hit us!” he demanded as people scrambled back into their seats, most of them clicking their belts to keep them in place. No one had expected to be in any danger and failed to belt in properly.
“Sir, we can see one ship, but calculate three more we cannot,” ship’s defense called out.
“WHERE is the G’laxix Sphaea?” G’yrlen shouted.
“Still where we show her, sir,” the response came back.
He slammed his fist on the seat’s arm. “These people have figured out cloaking,” he spit out before they were rocked a second time.
“Sir!” Defense turned around. “They are getting through our shields!”
Coach’s Revenge
“That’s right,” Captain Wagner said to himself. “Welcome to the species that learns new technology, deconstructs it, and figures how to fuck it up.”
“Sir,” Revenge interrupted Wagner’s thoughts. “We have attained a large enough disturbance in their shield, we can send the Marines at your command.”
Wagner hit the button. “All right you dancing sons-a-bitches, time to get our own back!”
QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Military Operations
“Our first strikes are starting,” Admiral Thomas announced. “Everyone brace, it might get a little ugly from here.” He looked over to comms. “Tell Commander Jameson to release the Queen’s Ace’s, we got tiny ships coming! It’s time they earn their wings.”
“Yes sir!” comms replied and started subvocalizing the Admiral’s commands.
Admiral Thomas looked over at Bethany Anne, who was busy watching the three dimensional hologram of the fight. He could see her eyes flicking too fast for him to keep up, so she was probably studying the whole thing in real time.
He wished he could do that.
“Did Paul give you any grief at taking over the fighter squadrons?” he asked her.
She shook her head. “No,” she turned to look at the Admiral. “He was pretty damned excited to get back to fighters. Once Bobcat made sure he agreed with Paul on the safety stuff, he gave Paul the blessing and went back to some of their other challenges. Paul has been bugging Team BMW for upgrades. I imagine after this battle, Paul will have more information on how to upgrade the ships.”
Admiral Thomas nodded. There was only so much you could do in mocked up fights.
It was always the real fights that uncovered your deficiencies.
Coach’s Revenge
The Marines stopped dancing and dropped into position. Their front line became Werewolves and one Werecat. Behind them, the Queen’s Guardian Marines, armored in ship metal grey. Everyone started wrapping their Weres in armor to protect them, with a final specially fitted mask built for each form’s face.
A video popped up with both leaders of the Guardian Marines on screen. Todd had his helmet in his hand, Peter was staring at them, his yellow eyes piecing them as he growled, “Weee are thee Queeen’s Guarrrdians, We NEVERrrr SUBMITTttt, WEEeee NEEVERRrr SURRrennDeerr!”
Todd added from beside his taller friend in a voice any drill sergeant would be proud to own, “But we do bring the universe’s biggest can of whoop-ass! Now, do your job, kill that ship’s power. We will take the front, you got the rear. See you in the center, first group to get there gets their beer paid for.”
Peter looked into the video camera. “IIiii cannn driinnkk a loottt off beeerr inn thiss formmm, heh heh heh.”
One last violent slam rocked the ship as they connected to the Yollin target. Max grabbed the mic
rophone. “This is the Captain speaking, I hope you enjoyed your flight. Now please get the fuck off my ship and do what we came to do.”
The Guardian Marines smiled. They were aliens, sure, but the group with Peter and Todd attacking the bridge were going to surprise the shit out of that captain over there.
Yollin Ship 21
“We’ve been breached!” defense yelled.
Captain G’yrlen clicked his mandibles in frustration. This was not going according to plan. He stabbed the alarm override so he could speak. “All ship, prepare to kill boarders, all ship, kill boarders!”
The Kurtherian Gambit Omnibus 05 - The Fans Version: My Ride is a Bitch - Don't Cross This Line - Never Submit Page 78