They had received a signal from Jack Cole after the first day. He had mobilized the larger population of his installation and the two armies were moving steadily across the ground towards each other. Cole had a massive infantry force. They were quick and well-trained and moved faster than Henry’s mounted cavalry despite the tanks’ mobility.
In an area once named for a river, the two armies saw each other across a long, low gap between the mountains. Cole’s forces had moved into the town, razing the Ch’Tauk foundries and destroying the outlying alien encampments. Henry’s mounted cavalry sped into the town’s remains, blasting structures which had already been cleared of human refugees. As the infantry moved from building to building, they gathered the survivors and gave them arms. Sickly and nearly starved, the gray ash-covered humans were like berserkers when they cornered the enemy. Even Henry, who had seen so much war in his life, was horrified at the scenes of savagery when they came across the remains of the alien invaders. Cole’s forces gained control over the refugees and gave them food and water from the transport skimmers.
Across the globe, similar scenes of destruction and uprising were taking place. The children of Terra were taking back their home, and the invading forces seemed powerless to move. Henry had assumed by now that some of the stations would have been eliminated from orbit. The dreadnought fire, however, did not come. Not wanting to call down the devil, Henry contacted Cole and rallied the troops to move on.
The rising army finally stalled near the center of an old nature preserve. The pristine wilderness had died back to only a few sick trees and some undergrowth not yet killed by the constant fall of ash and snow. Henry’s command vehicle was destroyed as four Ch’Tauk fighters converged on the army, pinning them down and pushing the infantry back to cover. Henry and Emma escaped by setting the vehicle on automatic and running it into the open plain, where the fighters swooped in. The maneuver allowed a troop of infantry to escape bombing and certain death from above.
Jack Cole joined the army mid-battle, riding an old mare provided by Ev Pearce. The old man had taken the children deep into the mountain to wait out the battle. Cantankerous and argumentative with adults, Pearce had proven one of the best bodyguards for the children. Cole had ridden in with a stolen plasma rifle, firing into the sky at the fighters and inspiring others to rush into the battle.
Once, as they travelled east across the state, Henry had spotted one of the larger Ch’Tauk ships hovering over a ridge in the distance. The army had found shelter in a ravine under stone cut by an ancient river. The entire time, Henry scanned the skies for signs of the Alliance fleet. Jack Cole sat next to him at night, trying to convince him not to put too much faith in saviors from overhead.
“The Ch’Tauk have this place surrounded,” Cole said one night. “Even if your fleet could get through, they wouldn’t stand a chance against those dreadnoughts.”
“I’ve seen one of those ships on fire in space, Jack,” Henry replied. “They aren’t indestructible.”
“Ships don’t burn in space, Henry,” Cole replied with an arrogant smirk. “No oxygen for the fire.”
Henry left the safety of the camp that night with Emma in tow. They climbed to the top of the cliff and stared out at the gray horizon. Somewhere, he knew, rescue was coming. Until that time, he would continue driving the Ch’Tauk across the continent and into the sea if he could. Emma drew close to him, trying to provide warmth against the constant chill. He pressed away from her though, wanting to be alone. It took nearly an hour of standing in the cold, shivering, before he stepped back and wrapped his strong arms around her thin frame.
“Don’t let Cole get to you,” Emma whispered in his ear. “He used to work for intelligence, so he doesn’t have any.”
“The problem isn’t Cole, Em,” Henry replied. “It’s me. I’m beginning to believe they ain’t coming.”
“Henry Moore, you old fool!” Emma shouted, slapping him away and stepping back. “How dare you lose faith. This whole army is riding on your back and you better be able to support it.”
“I’m not that man, Emma,” Henry pleaded, stepping closer. “I’m just a security guard on a cruise ship.”
Emma slapped him hard across the face. Henry looked into her eyes, stunned at the ferocity of her anger. He rubbed his cheek even as she stepped in closer and raised her hand. He shrunk back, waiting for the blow, but it never came. Instead, she reached out and put her hand on his face. Her other hand joined on the other side and she pulled him closer. He could feel her breath against his skin as she drew close.
“You are what these people need, Henry,” Emma said. “If you are just a security guard, then so be it. Be security for the cruise ship we call Earth. These people need you, dammit. I need you. If your shoulders aren’t strong enough, I will carry you. Either way, I am here and you are here and this whole place can go to hell if it has to. You are a man, Henry. It will be men and women who take this planet back, even if it’s with their lives and their blood.”
Henry looked into her dark eyes and felt a tear freeze on his cheek. He pulled her close and the two kissed. The kiss grew longer as the light from the setting sun died in the sky. There were no stars for them to make love under, only a dark gray fog. The heat of their bodies as they consummated their love kept them warm even as the light snow dusted their backs. His skin was pale in the dim light against her dark. In the end, they were left covered in their coats, sweating and holding each other.
“Emma,” Henry said, rolling over to look at her face. “When did it happen?”
“What’s that, dear?” Emma said, stretching her arms above her head and wrapping them around his neck.
“When did I become important?” he asked.
“You old fool,” Emma replied, kissing him deeply one more time. “You became important right after you met me.”
That was when the sky exploded.
26
Alliance Carrier Baal
The first phase of the counter-invasion involved the arrival of Baal and Zeus with an expanded battle group over the major hemispheres of Earth. The battle groups translated from M-space inside the orbit of Luna to maximize surprise. Fighter escorts were launched as soon as the energy coronas bled off into space. It would only take a few minutes before the Ch’Tauk realized what they were up against and sent the four dreadnoughts into the area.
In the early days of the Confederate fleet, assumptions were made about carriers based on Earth naval warfare. Carriers were equipped with light defensive weaponry and relied on escort ships to keep them safe. Disastrous engagements against less powerful but more experienced enemies finally convinced ship engineers to increase the offensive capabilities of the carrier itself. In the three-dimensional arena of space combat, carriers were enormous targets that became the center of enemy weapons fire. The Zeus class carriers were fortresses capable of blanketing space with plasma fire, as well as belching forth hundreds of powerful fighters.
The two battle groups had the usual complement of destroyers, escorts and cruisers, with the added firepower of ancient ships gathered from the Al-Amein depot. Vintage cruisers spread out from the main battle group to provide cover fire. Some of the ships were flocked to newer frigates that could control the ships from a safe distance. The carrier groups were under the direct command of Admiral Chang.
Chang had stayed in the war room office, scanning the holographic projections for signs of the enemy. He had cut off the areas of his mind that thought about anything but the plan. For the briefest moment, he looked out at the main projection at the front of the bridge. Earth was revolving slowly under a hazy gray blanket. Baal had come out of space above the North American continent, hoping to connect with the source of the go-ahead signal. Zeus was orbiting on the other side. He wanted to switch displays and get a look at Asia. There was a small part of his mind that still hoped his family had survived the invasion. His parents were supposed to have been in the mountains near Kuala Lumpur when the invasion happened
. He shoved that thought down, concentrating only on this mission and this moment. One last flash of memory assaulted him as the image of his little brother, happy as he took his first training flight, was superimposed over the image of Peter’s face lying on a slab in the morgue.
Chang spotted the nearest dreadnought, advancing from the northern pole. It also had a battle group surrounding its massive bulk. Chang double-checked the ship’s shields. The elves had upgraded the shield system to withstand the super-weapon that made the dreadnoughts so powerful. They could withstand several hits from the enemy without major damage, now, but Chang had no intention of standing still that long. He tapped keys on the panel to open communications lines.
“Chang to Dalton,” the admiral called. “We’ve got incoming from zero degrees by zero. Status report.”
“Check your screens, Admiral,” the commodore replied over the staticky comm line. “It shows zero and one-eighty. One for you and one for me.”
“Acknowledged,” Chang replied. “Right on schedule. Spread out and give them nothing to shoot at. Phase two begins in thirty seconds.”
“Aye.”
The display showed the Baal group already spreading away from their entry point. They were trying to present as wide a target as possible so the dreadnought would focus fire on only one ship at a time. Baal was moving fast and erratic over the outer atmosphere. The fighter escorts were already heading towards the incoming Ch’Tauk fighters. In moments, the hot war would be underway and Chang would be under control.
The first shot was probably fired by one of the fighters. Chang thought he saw an alert indicating plasma discharge from a Ch’Tauk ship just before his board lit up. It might have been an illusion, though. It was a way from his mind to justify the resulting slaughter to say the enemy fired first. In any case, the sky above Earth bloomed into battlefield and Baal shuddered under the first hit from the enemy. Shields flared as the plasma discharges were absorbed and redirected. Baal opened up the powerful forward guns towards the incoming Ch’Tauk destroyer analogs. Fire rippled along the outer hull of the nearest as plasma ripped into the ship.
Two of Baal’s destroyer escorts swung around the carrier and aimed themselves directly at the dreadnought. Streams of plasma fire battered the Ch’Tauk fleet, clearing a path to the massive ship. In their wake, the two destroyers were dropping battle platforms, designed to auto-target anything not transmitting an Alliance transponder. Ch’Tauk fighters began to burst as the platforms threw energy into their hulls. Chang watched the display as more ships entered the battle-zone, eager to destroy their enemy. One of his ancient cruisers began to list as the flocking software failed. The smaller frigate directing the ship was under attack by an entire squadron of Ch’Tauk fighters. Chang directed two of Baal’s Devil squadrons to aid the frigate.
“Incoming ship, sir,” Lellda’s voice echoed into the wardroom. “Ch’Tauk destroyer on intercept course.”
Chang pulled up the local area map. The destroyer had been hiding behind the Earth’s moon and was now speeding into battle, directly at Baal. It moved through the battle lines of the enemy without stopping. Chang directed a cruiser to move into the fray, distracting the destroyer. The Ch’Tauk ship dived hard, avoiding the plane of battle and blasting into the cruiser’s shields. Crackles of blue-purple energy cascaded over the cruiser as the red plasma matched the blue shielding. A squadron of fighters, led by one of Baal’s best pilots, disappeared in a flash of energy. The admiral redirected his attention back to the dreadnought as the massive ship began to choose targets.
Two vintage cruisers positioned themselves between the carrier and the dreadnought. The ships were unmanned and following pre-programmed orders to defend the carrier. Chang watched as the nearest cruiser burst and disintegrated under the massive blast of energy. He knew the ship was unmanned, but it still hurt to see a ship destroyed.
“Sir,” Lellda interrupted his thoughts. “That destroyer is moving ahead of the dreadnought. She is coming straight in.”
“Direct forward batteries to fire on my mark,” Chang ordered. “Twenty percent power.”
“Sir?” the porcine ensign asked. “Did you say twenty percent?”
“Those were my orders,” Chang replied. “I’m sending fire control coordinates. Fire now.”
Instead of responding, Chang saw a lance of plasma fire strike the nose of the oncoming destroyer. There was a flash of purple energy as the fire from Baal was redirected across the armored hull of the Ch’Tauk ship.
“Sir!” Lellda shouted. “That ship has shields!”
“Turn up the power to full and split the beams, Ensign,” Chang ordered, tapping keys on his console. “Shoot around that ship.”
Two pulses of red-orange energy fired from the forward batteries of the carrier. As they passed the ship, the Ch’Tauk destroyer pivoted in space. As it turned, still moving towards Baal, it unleashed barrages of energy from its own forward guns. The dreadnought had not stopped moving forward and was now within the carrier’s fire zone. Three beams of plasma energy struck the cannon embedded in the nose of the ship. Two came from the carrier and one from the destroyer. The shielded Ch’Tauk ship finally halted its progress towards the carrier and began to move towards the dreadnought. Chang had been holding this ship in reserve. Captured during the raid that had killed his brother, the enemy vessel was equipped with Alliance shields and an Alliance crew. It had been renamed Uprising in honor of the overthrow of the Ch’Tauk crew by the prisoners.
Uprising began to hammer the big cannon on the dreadnought. Baal spread its firing arc wider, clearing the space ahead of the captured ship of smaller fighters. Uprising moved swiftly towards the big ship, keeping a steady stream of plasma blocking the barrel of the cannon. Chang could see crackling energy spreading over the nose of the dreadnought as the ship tried to fire its guns. In a blitz of energy and power, the destroyer flew nearly into the nose of the bigger ship. The holographic display dimmed as the resultant energy discharge overwhelmed the imaging systems. Chang could see the dreadnought burst as it tried to release the energy. Yellow and orange bubbles erupted along the hull of the ship as Uprising pulled up sharply. The dreadnought seemed to melt in space as the cannon back-fired into itself. The admiral had never seen a ship disintegrate from within.
From the other side of the war room door, Chang could hear a faint cheer. His crews had been monitoring the battle and were celebrating the death of the biggest enemy ship. The celebration, however, was short lived, as the bridge shuddered under another blast. Ch’Tauk ships were now swarming over the carrier. The frigates were struggling to get signals out over static from the Ch’Tauk ships. Fighters flying in unusual formations were trying to batter the shuttered hangar bay doors. Chang had never seen enemy forces fly in quite that manner before, but it did not matter. Baal could handle itself in battle against fighters. It was the destroyer analogs and enemy frigates that were worrying him.
Nearly a dozen more had entered the battle from the surface. He scanned the deployment reports and saw over one hundred ships rushing into the battle zone. Chang checked the chronometer on the display, praying for the next phase to begin soon. The destroyer was the second phase. If all went well, reinforcements for the Ch’Tauk would arrive at nearly the same time as his own. There was another shudder as one of the Ch’Tauk frigates swung in close to Baal’s hull. Fire from the dorsal cannons ruptured the hull of the ship even as it passed by, sending tumbling debris out in a spray behind the carrier.
It was in these moments that Chang felt the most focused. He could see the entire battle laid out on his projection and understand the intricacies of the situation far better than most. His vision narrowed and he saw the battle beginning to turn towards the enemy. Dalton’s ship was under attack by the dreadnought from the south. There were still two more of the massive ships waiting to join the battle. His automated fleet was being systematically destroyed by the Ch’Tauk occupying fleet. Earth was going to remain in the hands of the enemy an
d the remaining humans would die, having given their best to the battle.
“Incoming vortex,” Lellda’s voice once again interrupted his reverie. “Scratch that, vortices. I show dozens of ships translating in from outside.”
Chang pulled his display up again and opened the resolution to maximum. He magnified the image to show one of the incoming ships, surrounded by a fiery corona of energy. As the energy bled into space, the ship was revealed as the heavy assault cruiser Mars.
“Admiral Chang,” Browning’s voice came over the comm. “Sorry if we’re late. Did we miss anything?”
27
Alliance Carrier Zeus
Shield relays blew out on the lower command deck, showering two lieutenants with flickering orange sparks. Commodore Dalton held tight to his command chair as the ship rocked under another barrage from the dreadnought. Holographic images projected from the base of the chair showed the arrival of Browning’s assault fleet, but not the Vadne reinforcements. Dalton tapped commands into his chair to call up repair teams as he surveyed the damage to his bridge.
“Damage report!” Dalton called.
“Shields are holding, but we’re losing relays all over the ship,” Commander Diana Bach replied. “Port thruster array is at seventy percent. We’re compensating with reactionless thrust from the mains, but it’s gonna be a bumpy ride.”
Resolute Victory (The War for Terra) Page 21