Nothing in the live newsnet feed of Chairman Dalton’s address was actual news to Roger Frost. He watched it anyway. This was the moment history would remember as part of the collective conscience of humanity, not the backdoor clandestine activities Frost engaged in. Besides, the entire world ceased all movement while the chairman spun on, and he didn’t want to feel left out.
Next to the chairman, the newsnet feed split to show a developing subplot. An elite team of Legion commandos were finishing up an early morning raid on the Kitright embassy. By now the new ambassador was being led out in cuffs. Its tail flapped wildly.
He, and the rest of the personnel in the CIA facility, would’ve continued to be transfixed by the historic images on the newsnet if not for the alarm that sounded inside everyone’s head.
“Intruder alert!” the monotone warning announced. “Surface structure comprised.”
“What’s the situation?” Frost asked, rushing into the command center. He caught a glimpse of the assault team on the surface before the video cut to static. “IS incursion team,” he answered his own question.
“I’ve cut the power to the elevator, sir,” a security officer said. “They should be trapped up there.”
“That should buy us some time, but they won’t be stopped that easily.” Standing straight, he ran a hand through his hair. He hated what he had to do next but it was his only option. He thought of this bunker as his home. The idea of leaving it to be desecrated by IS thugs turned his stomach. There wasn’t time to dwell on it. “Execute Jailbreak protocols. Erase everything. I’ll personally prepare the package for extraction out the escape route. Hold ‘em until we are clear.”
“Understood...wait,” the young and nervous agent said. “The elevator has been activated. They hacked its control panel. They shouldn’t be able to do that so quickly.”
Frost placed a hand on the young agent’s shoulder. “Just buy me some time.”
Bursting into Com’s room, Frost startled him and the young woman busy servicing him. Com’s altered body chemistry and brain structure limited his ability to properly experience many of the things people find enjoyable. Recreational drugs and alcohol, for example, had no effect. This was likely a design feature to help prevent easy manipulation. Nor did his security requirements make travel outside the facility an option. After an exhaustive search of trial and error, the only two things that allowed Com to know joy were fine foods and sex.
Frost had patiently feed Com a steady stream of delicacies and attractive women to slowly erode his resolve to deny requests to share the wealth of data locked away in his body. The floodgates of information were close to opening, and now Frost had to ensure that his prize survived long enough to warrant the time and effort poured into his capture and corruption.
The naked woman frantically put her clothes on.
“Why are you disrupting my pleasure?” Com thought-spoke.
“This facility is under attack by your former masters. If you wish to live, we must move to make our escape.”
Without further discussion, Com rose and prepared himself. The sounds of close-quarters combat vibrated down the hall. Frost received an update.
“We must hurry, Com. They are going to overwhelm our defenses soon.”
Boom!
The explosion shook the doorframe as the two fled. Rushing down the corridor, Frost drew his sidearm and kept a watchful eye on the corner behind them. A team of IS agents recklessly darted around it. He emptied a magazine in their direction, killing one and at least wounding another. It bought the pair enough time to cut down a different hall.
Running left, right, left they made it to the homestretch. The escape pod sat directly in front of them at the end of the last hall. The pod would carry two along a mag-track to a secure extraction point where an emergency CIA team would meet them. The sound of heavy footfalls beating against the floor echoed down the hall.
Com paused by the escape pod.
“What are you doing, Com?” Frost asked. “We don’t have time for this!”
“Mr. Frost,” Com thought-spoke with a blank expression, “does this vehicle have a data storage capability?”
“Yes, but...”
“Then I wish to transfer the contents of myself to it.”
“Now!” Frost jerked his eyes to the end of the hall. He could hear the enemy fighting its way past a hastily arranged last stand. Good men, his men, were dying so they could escape. “We can do that while we are on our way. Get in!”
“You misunderstand, Mr. Frost, Roger. I’m not coming with you.” His cold eyes changed. They now seemed sad.
Frost didn’t have time to appreciate the seminal moment in Com’s life. “You can’t stay here...”
“That is what they want, Roger. I’ve calculated their strategy. They undoubtedly have deduced that my transponder signal is being jammed by this facility. They also would expect you would be able to evacuate me from this facility no matter how fast their strike team moved. Logic depicts that they would have prearranged an expansive net of rapid response teams around the area to jump on my signal no matter where it reappeared.”
Frost could only stare back at Com, knowing he was right. He’d grown to like him and didn’t feel right abandoning him to a grim fate.
“It is all right, my … friend. I would rather die now then go back to the existence I endured before we met, and I don’t wish to see my masters’ plans fulfilled.” He reached out, offering his hand to shake. “I’ve finished downloading my data to your escape vessel. Please take it and use it as you see fit.”
“But...how will you avoid capture?”
“May I please have your weapon?”
Unable to look him in the eye, Frost stared at the floor as he handed Com his sidearm. The assault team’s charge could be heard down the final corridor.
“Please, go now, Roger. Don’t punish yourself for leaving me. You’ve shown me more than I ever imagined. You allowed me to have a small taste of what a human life should be like.”
Frost took Com’s hand like he would an old friends. He climbed into the pod and the doors slid shut when the IS agents came around the corner. He heard a single shot before speeding away.
***
Trent sat in his office aboard Earth’s Fist examining reports coming in from across the galaxy.
The losses in the Battle of Kitright Prime had been staggering. Of the two hundred capital ships that jumped into the system, only fifty-eight survived. Out of an original three-hundred and twenty-five fighters, one hundred and fifty-three remained. None of two hundred drones made it to the end, although as just machines, they hardly counted.
He’d watched the battle unfold on the bridge and sweated bullets every time the fighters threw themselves at the enemy. He knew exactly which dot signified Susan’s Avenger, and he followed it with terrified pride each time as she dealt the enemy considerable pain.
Wishing she’d play it safer, he realized it was the first time he’d experienced the helpless worry of knowing someone you cared about fought in a distant battle. Sure, he’d worried greatly about Amanda in past battles, but they were battles he was a part of and the demands of combat prevented his mind from imagining the countless ways in which death could greet his loved one.
He suddenly developed a new appreciation for those on the home front.
Beep, beep. The door chimed.
“Come in.”
He didn’t look up to greet the visitor. Their familiar soft steps carried them around to the side of the desk.
Amanda leaned down to wrap her arms around his shoulders. Her loving warmth was renewing, but it was the sensation of her firm breasts pressing into the back of his neck that got his attention.
“Hey, babe,” he finally said.
“How’s the war going? We winning yet?”
He pressed his lips together, contemplating a reply. “The Fleet and Armada hit seven other densely populated systems. As you could imagine, they weren’t as well defended as
this one. We also didn’t throw two-hundred ships at them, either.”
“How’d they do?” She dug her fingers into his tight shoulders, attempting to rub some of the tension out.
“Some good, others okay, and a couple not well at all. Two strike forces, one human and one Bearcat, were beaten back. That info is not for public consumption. Command is delaying a few ground invasions for now, to let them redeploy ships in another attempt for those systems as well as to send us a couple of battle groups to reinforce us for the push to the Kitright home world.”
Her fingers quit working. “When do we start accelerating for the invasion?”
“I’ll tell you if you keep doing that.” She started again. “Twelve hours. It will take us a month in real time to get there, so who knows what kind of fun surprises we’ll find once we arrive.”
She pulled his chair out and sat across his lap.
“Whatever they throw at us, I know we can take it.”
“I sure hope so. Spread the word that I won’t tolerant any bellyaching planetside. Those Fleet punks paid a terrible price to get us there and we owe it to them to give as well as they did.”
***
Four pyramids, one at each point on the compass around the planet, served as the Kitright home world’s planetary defense grid. Those menacing structures, however, sat alone without the aid of a fleet.
Given their lack of support and the strike force’s experience, they were more an annoyance than a threat.
A flock of reinforced Avengers emptied their two thousand round KKC magazines to soften the target from a safe distance, then they launched a storm of nukes. The volume of the strike and the base’s weakened point defenses allowed more than enough through to finish the job.
The fighters landed to rearm before taking off to dispatch the next station with ease.
***
While the Fleet did their job clearing out the sky, Trent stood around a holo display table surrounded by human generals and Bearcat high commanders. They examined a detailed rendition of the Kitright home world. The vital data came thanks to the efforts of millions of micro-nano probes that infested the atmosphere.
The planet was dominated by a massive red-tinted ocean. Algae gave it the color. The humans around the table took to calling it the Blood Sea, a reference the Bearcat officers failed to appreciate.
Besides the red ocean, the world could have been another Earth. The air and water fell within human tolerances and its total mass measured at one point one of Earth’s.
Three continents accounted for almost all of the landmass and contained ninety-nine percent of the population, estimated to be about seven billion.
The Kitright lived in communities not unlike those of their attackers. They did seem to prefer to limit their population density to no more than two million in one center. No city surveyed held significantly more than that.
“All of these cities pose a real difficulty for us,” High Commander Gondo of the 1st Order commented. The 1st Order was considered the elite unit of the Bearcat Army.
In addition to the 1st Order, the invasion included the 12th, 24th, and 25th Orders. Each Order consisted of sixty-five hundred warriors. Over the decades of the Second Contact War, their weapons and capabilities had improved just as had those of their human counterparts.
The twenty-six thousand Bearcat warriors would be joined by twenty-five thousand legionnaires of the 1st, 7th, 10th, 18th, and 29th Legions.
While command of the strike force’s naval contingent fell to a human officer, overall command of the ground forces was given to High Commander Gondo as a symbol of alliance solidarity.
“Agreed,” Trent said, swiping the globe, causing it to slowly spin. “It would be far easier to lay siege to a few major cities.” He crossed his arms, shaking his head. “These towns are so numerous and spread out over such a large area that it will be impossible to get our arms around them all.”
General Mandel of the 10th Legion spoke up. “We are also unable to determine which ones hold greater strategic value. If we attack one of them, they can easily receive support from their neighbors. We only have a little over fifty thousand troops, and we can’t afford to fight street to street across an entire world.”
Gondo gripped the edge. “Exactly, General Mandel. General Maxwell, what would you propose we do?”
A bit startled at the direct question, Trent took a moment to formulate the idea bounding around in his head. Figuring this was some kind of test, he didn’t want to disappoint. “We could probably sit up here for a year and not figure out where best to hit them. So I say we hit them where it’s convenient for us and see what we find out in the process. Look here.”
He expanded a point on the globe to bring up a 3D depiction of a valley nestled within a mountain range that broke off into two pieces before reconnecting again.
“This valley is the best place to start. We move in to secure these passes along the river that cuts west to east and place anti-aircraft batteries on the mountain peaks. That will isolate these three cities. Then we’ll move in to raid or destroy their defenses, gathering intel as we go. I believe that after the operation, we’ll have a far greater understanding of where we should strike next.”
“Would you recommend we commit our entire force to this operation?” Gondo’s question again felt more like a test than an honest inquiry on strategy.
Trent chose to ignore the challenge and treated it as a straight question. “Absolutely not,” he said, shaking his head. “I would deploy two Orders and three Legions. The rest should stay in orbit as a strategic reserve to take advantage of any targets of opportunity that may only appear after the Kitright respond to our attack.”
Gondo tipped his head. “Your reputation precedes you, General. Very well, select your force and attack.”
“Sir?”
“I approve your plan and am placing you in command of it. Select which units you wish to command and take the valley.”
“Yes, sir. If I may ask a minor favor, High Commander, I would like to include one specific Order in my force. I want the 14th Order.”
Gondo snorted. “Kenti? You wish to take Hido Kenti with you?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Why?”
“The last time the 14th rode into battle, it didn’t turn out so well. I would like the unit to gain some of its honor back.”
“You honor my people with your words.”
“Thank you, sir, but my intent was to only seek redemption for my friend.”
Gondo tossed his hand forward. “Take the 14th Order with you, and may it kill many enemies.”
“I don’t think that will be a problem.”
***
The adrenaline began dripping into his blood stream as Trent held the light infantrymen’s battle suit. He slid his legs into their slots slowly. He wanted to savor the moment before dropping onto the home world of his mortal enemy to finally exact a true measure of revenge for the wrongs committed against him.
The idea of spilling Kitright blood on their sacred soil excited him. He didn’t like that it did, but he also didn’t resist the emotion.
When he placed the chest flaps together, the nano fabric self-sealed. With boots in place, he slid the Bowie knife into its sheath. It dawned on him the blade was overkill for the new enemy. He remembered back when he’d insisted the large knife be issued to his troops because the small standard blade would do little to harm something as mighty as a Bearcat. The Kitright, on the other hand …
Slinging the MRG over the right shoulder, he grabbed his helmet and paused to take a look at himself in the mirror.
His heart raced.
Outside his quarters, he took a sharp turn toward the shuttle bay, but was surprised to find Susan waiting for him. She wore her flight suit, basically a carbon copy of the light infantrymen’s.
“Lieutenant Ross?”
“General.” She nodded.
Awkward silence drifted between them.
“I take i
t you’re part of the fighter escort,” he said, not sure what else to say. Since meeting at Alpha Base, the two estranged family members began to slowly develop a bond. They started by sharing a few forced meals together. Things still felt a little uncomfortable between them.
“We’re scrambling all of the fighters to cover the drop.”
“Glad to hear my request was approved. I prefer to not take chances when I can. I would ask you to walk with me, but we’re heading in opposite directions.”
“I know.” She shrugged. “I just wanted to see if I could catch you to say...good luck down there.” She finished the remark with a slightly nervous grin.
He smiled brightly at her concern, but resisted the temptation to put a fatherly hand on her shoulder. Inappropriate, especially given their difference in rank.
“I appreciate that, Lieutenant. I’d say the same to you. I’ve seen you fly in combat, and luck hasn’t been a major factor into your survival.”
She snorted. “Oh, trust me, it was.”
He tempered his smile, trying to project more feeling to her. “Good luck and Godspeed, Lieutenant.”
She straightened and snapped a crisp salute. “Thank you, sir.”
She turned to walk away but he stopped her. “When this is over, let’s make sure to grab dinner.”
“Will there be wine?” She smiled.
“Of course.”
“Then it’s a date. And bring your friend. I’d like to meet her.”
“I’d like that, too.”
The two smiled again and nodded before going their separate ways to war.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The Valley
One hundred fifty boxy shuttles from Earth’s Fist, Spirit of Man, and Human Endeavor plunged toward the atmosphere of Kitright Prime. A greater number of Bearcat triangular craft from their recently arrived troop transports joined the descending formation. A fleet of drones and fighters from both races encased the invaders in a protective shell.
Susan’s Avenger hit the thick air at a dangerous angle to keep her and the pair of drones under her command ahead of the vulnerable shuttles. Strong winds violently shook her inside the cockpit, pushing her body against the chair’s harness. The black tip of her craft glowed white hot in protest as it sliced through the gray clouds.
The Last Revenge (The Last Hero Trilogy Book 2) Page 20