Star Force: Consensus (SF43)

by Aer-ki Jyr

  I want to bust up the Skarrons too, and same goes for anyone that hits us, but we have to be smart about this and not slip into StarCraft mode, with us just throwing drone warships at them in a counterpunch mentality. We play to win or we don’t play, and we can’t beat the Skarrons because of their proximity to the V’kit’no’sat, so we have to play another game.

  Same can be said for the lizards. Defending ourselves is one thing, but to take them out entirely, as much as we would like to one day, would bring too much attention to us. I suggest we start drawing lines and developing a defensive mentality, protecting our own and establishing a sanctuary region for our allies to flee into. We all know the Alliance will fail, the lizards have their number, but we can survive if we play it smart, and in this case I think less is more. Pick our spots and hold them while the lizards run wild elsewhere. We can’t contain them at our current strength level anyway, so we should stop thinking about it.

  I want to kick the crap out of the bad guys as much as you, but we’re not operating out of a position of strength. We like to think that way, but Earth is a liability, and we need to start minimizing that sooner rather than later.

  Dakota’s words were a gut check for Randy, but he couldn’t argue the logic. His natural reaction was to go after the Skarrons, but if that revealed their existence to the V’kit’no’sat it would be game over. They’d lived under that threat for so long Jason had started to get numb to it, and that was a mistake…one that Dakota was fortunately pointing out.

  As large as Star Force’s territory was, spread over some 200 lightyears, it was a drop in the galactic bucket, which meant that it was possible to hide in plain sight if they didn’t push out any further and just became, as Dakota suggested, a safe haven against the lizards, Skarrons, and others rather than actively pushing back against them.

  Paul had already developed that mentality with Namek and establishing a border with the lizards to keep them at bay. He was hitting them across that border to weaken them, but not to take systems. Their original plan had always been to cut into the heart of lizard territory when they were ready and break the back of their enemy, but maybe Dakota was right, and turtling up was the better call. The lizards would continue to expand, and the only way to stop them would be to wipe them out entirely, which was virtually impossible given their ability to ‘grow’ new colonies from a very small technological seed, much as they’d tried to do on Corneria all those years ago.

  This was going to require a lot of careful thought, so Jason posted a few thoughts then composed a private message to Paul with a more lengthy exposition. They had a slightly different dialog between them than they shared with the others, and Jason wanted to get on the same page with him before making any suggestions to the rest of them.

  Aaron and his fleet of 198 Warship-class jumpships arrived in Protovic territory, not in the Krichjan System, which Kip had already helped their allies retake, but in another of the Skarron-invaded systems, one in which the enemy had completely conquered a Protovic planet, overrunning and eradicating their army even as the naval battles continued above.

  The Star Force fleet entered into orbit around Aranpria, one of two inhabited Protovic worlds in the system, and the one that they still possessed. The other was Vivak, now under full Skarron control. Both races had large fleets insystem, but thus far neither had been able to break through to their other’s holdings, creating an active stalemate.

  The Protovic had been recalling more of their fleets from Calavari space to halt the advance of the Skarrons across more of their systems, but the Skarrons were coming in force, with reinforcements regularly arriving, making Protovic territory a hotbed of activity. The Skarrons wanted it badly, but the Protovic weren’t pushovers, and with their sizeable fleet keeping the Skarrons from landing on any new planets, the invasion had run into a standstill, which was to the enemy’s advantage as it gave them time to digest their holdings.

  Star Force’s ability to slowly overcome their walkers had allowed the retaking of one system, but beyond that there was little hope of reclaiming the others. The Protovic were in damage control mode, unwilling to completely abandon their Calavari wards as they were still engaging Nestafar fleets coming their way.

  The warship count around Aranpria was impossible to determine given that Aaron’s fleet was coming in on a single vector, but even with the back side blind to them, the Star Force sensors tagged in excess of 12,000 Protovic warships, along with twice that number of support or civilian vessels in orbit. How many more were elsewhere in the system was unknown, but the Protovic presence was a considerable one, especially given that this was one of their smaller systems.

  Aaron’s sensors were picking up Skarron warships, but not in planetary orbit. They were clustered above Vivak in such numbers that they were visible even from interplanetary range.

  “Incoming comm,” one of the bridge crew called out.

  “Put it through here,” Aaron said from his bridge command chair.

  “If you’re here to fight,” the holographic Protovic said as soon as it appeared, “then you’ve come to the right place.”

  “That we have,” Aaron said in the trade language. “The Skarrons hit our territory as well, and we’re looking for some additional payback. Figured we’d start with the ones on your doorstep.”

  “You repelled them?”

  “Eventually, but we lost a lot of people waiting for reinforcements to arrive.”

  “As have we. The Skarrons caught us off guard. Until they invaded we knew little about them, but they were well prepared for us. My fleet outmatches theirs, ship for ship, but I don’t have enough numbers to rid Vivak of their presence and secure this world. Are you aware of the situation?”

  “Somewhat. We’re here to help however we can. I have warships and ground troops ready to deploy where applicable.”

  “How many ships?” the Protovic asked, seeing the Star Force jumpships still dribbling into planetary orbit.

  “Nearly 200 jumpships, each carrying a small fleet of their own. Our ships are smaller than the Skarrons, but I’ve got enough with me to hurt them. How many do they have at present?”

  “They have a little over 6,000 line ships, but 232 juggernauts. I assume you’re familiar with the design?”

  “We are.”

  “Those numbers continue to fluctuate, with both incoming and outgoing ships, but they’ve maintained a fleet strong enough to decimate whatever I can throw at them while they secure their surface bases. Frankly, they’re digging in, and the longer they stay there the less likely we’ll be able to retake the planet. They’ve got surface missile batteries that will engage any warship in low orbit, similar to their larger walkers, and they’re building them in great numbers.”

  “Does their fleet ever leave low orbit?”

  “Only when they’ve tried to hit us here. We both make occasional raids against one another, but the bulk of their fleet stays where it can receive ground battery support.”

  “What’s the condition of your people on the surface?”

  “Most are dead by now. We have contact with a few holdouts, but every attempt to evacuate them has failed.”

  “Missiles?”

  “Yes. When clustered together they make for a potent anti-orbital defense.”

  “What about something smaller?”

  “They have starfighters on standby to intercept anything we send down fast enough to evade the missiles. They can’t catch our Valeries, but our transports are another matter.”

  “Have you picked up anyone with the Valeries?”

  “A handful, but the Skarrons adjusted their patrols to keep starfighters close at hand so they could intercept us when we try to land. As of now, we’re completely locked out of the surface of Vivak. I know you have formidable ground troops, in so far as your ability to take down their walkers, but I don’t see how you could get them to the surface intact.”

  “Have they landed anything on Aranpria?”

  �
�They tried before I got here, but the system defense fleet shot them down. They got a single walker deployed, but it was taken down after some effort. As of now Aranpria is fully Protovic.”

  “And your shipyards?”

  The commander sighed. “The bulk of those facilities were in orbit of Vivak. They’ve been destroyed, despite our efforts to hold them. As of now we have only three battle stations in high orbit around the planet that remain ours, and what they guard is not shipyards. The Skarrons haven’t seen fit to attack them yet.”

  “What are they guarding?”

  “Habitats and warehouses. The stations are largely missile boats to accommodate a defensive perimeter around the civilian apparatus. They’ll kill quite a few Skarron ships if they want to take them down, which is why I think they haven’t bothered.”

  “Have the civilian stations been evacuated?”

  “Yes, early on.”

  “Then if you don’t mind, I think we’ll take up position there.”

  “What do you plan to do?”

  “Cause them trouble.”

  “Can you elaborate?”

  “I need time to study the situation, and if they’re reluctant to leave low orbit we’ll provide a bit of a distraction. If they come out to us they won’t have surface support. If they go after you here we can hit the planet.”

  “How do you plan to get past their surface missiles?”

  “We have orbital bombardment capability, recently tested against Skarron walkers.”

  “What type of weapons?”

  “Kinetic.”

  “Any damage you can do to the enemy will be greatly appreciated, but I would prefer if you consulted with me before launching any assault so that we can make the most of any subsidiary opportunities that arise.”

  Aaron nodded. “This is still your turf, we’re just here to help where we can.”

  “For that you have my, and our, thanks. Is the rumor true that a portion of the Calavari have joined with you?”

  “A small part, but yes.”

  “Then we find ourselves in similar circumstances. None of our other allies have responded to our requests for support, and most have abandoned the Calavari as well. We’ve begun to question whether or not the Alliance continues to exist.”

  “In this region, perhaps not, but in other areas of Calavari territory the Kvash and others are shielding some Calavari worlds, and I know there’s an Alliance fleet at their capitol, last I heard.”

  “Our connection to the relay network has been severed, so news is slow in coming to us.”

  “Several relays to the far side have been cut, but we still have a least one connection all the way through to the Bsidd. Though for how long that will last I do not know. I’ll pass along all Alliance updates my ships have onboard. And if you’ll return the gesture, I’d like to see what the Skarrons are up to across your territory.”

  “Agreed. I wish I could answer that question myself, but their overall strategy is perplexing. They are continually sending small reinforcements to bolster their fleets and resupply their armies. We have not, to my knowledge, discovered their point of origin, but given the distances involved, large blocks of reinforcements would seem to make more logistical sense. Neither I nor our analysts can ascertain a feel for the enemy, making their future actions unpredictable.”

  Aaron blew out a slow breath. “I may be able to help a bit in that regard, but you’re not going to like what I have to tell you.”

  6

  November 3, 2467

  Zanor System (Protovic territory)

  Erentia

  Kip ran through the undercity, crossing from section to section unsure of where he was going aside from a general heading on his battlemap. He was the first Star Force member into this region, thus his helmet sensors were making the battlemap as he went and transmitting it out to any close enough to receive, though how much it would transmit down in the undercity was anyone’s guess.

  His green armor clashed with the clean silver and neon yellows that predominated the subsurface architecture, but then again the dull grey armor worn by the Protovic soldiers following him was equally misplaced, but not so much as the Skarron infantry that had invaded the city.

  Kip locked onto the mind of one ahead in an offshoot of the hallway and signaled to his right with an outstretched arm as he approached, throwing a Fornax blast its way and crumpling the Hobbit to the ground. He passed it by, but the Protovic following him turned the corner and took it out with a handful of plasma blasts, then ran to catch up to the Archon.

  Kip continued forward, getting directional advice from Ren’san’do, who followed a couple of steps behind him. The Protovic had been his liaison ever since Eshwan, and had traveled with the Human across the planet and now to this Protovic system, having become a trusted friend, who in this case was keeping the trailblazer from getting lost in the claustrophobic, twisting undercity.

  Up on the surface a few kilometers from this location Star Force mechs and Protovic tanks were taking down the remaining ‘smaller’ Skarron walkers after having taken down a Type-2 inside the city. Kip had been in a voltron for that, but he trusted his fellow Archons to handle the rest of the mechs while he and a lot of the higher ranking Clan leaders had taken to the city streets in conjunction with Protovic units.

  It was a tactic they’d developed during the latter days on Eshwan, coupling the psionic capability of a single Archon with the tactical unit savvy of the Protovic’s special forces. While their regular infantry was spread out across both the surface and undercity engaging/defending against the Skarrons, the Archon lead teams were punching holes in the strongest infantry defenses, with Kip’s rifle spending most of its time on his back rack. He was acting as spotter and disabler, letting the Protovic lay down the firepower…a combination that worked well, if you had an Archon powerful enough to sustain the effort.

  There were all of four rangers in Protovic territory, meaning that acolytes had to be relied upon to lead most of these special teams. Already the Protovic had noticed a clear difference between the two, with the most elite alien commandos being assigned to Kip, not only to assist him with tearing through the Skarrons, but to protect their allied commander, who unlike the Protovic commanders preferred to be on the front lines rather than leading from midfield.

  Ren’san’do had been adamant about keeping Kip safe, which was why he’d suggested going through the undercity where the enemy couldn’t use its walkers against him. The Protovic didn’t doubt the Human’s skills, which he grew more envious of by the month, but rather he knew that for the sake of his own people he needed to keep Kip alive because of his skills, which were irreplaceable.

  That and he was also a friend, which was why Ren’san’do had insisted that he travel with Kip’s team, even though his own combat skills were nowhere near special forces level. He was acting as Kip’s guide and comm officer for when he needed to converse with the Protovic army, a relationship that they’d long ago polished to an efficient combination.

  The Protovic stood a few inches taller than Kip, but otherwise they appeared identical…in their armor anyway. Outside it they appeared very different, with Ren’san’do being the equivalent of a walking glow lamp. His eyes especially set them apart, with the Protovic’s neon purple orbs giving him a Thrawn-esk aura.

  But inside their armor he and the others appeared Human, though on average they were faster and stronger…but not as agile. They were strong and thin, but didn’t reverse direction very well, making them good in straight line attacks but ill-equipped for mixing it up at close range. Give them an opening and they’d run right over you, for their military philosophy had been predicated on maximizing their strengths, which meant that if Kip could disrupt the enemy infantry, even slightly, the Protovic behind him would finish the job in one lightning fast strike…and that kept the unit almost always on the run.

  Kip didn’t have to slow down much for them to keep pace, though he did have to make sure Ren’san’do had
enough breath to be able to give him directions. Their target destination was a primary power station for the city that the Skarrons had taken, but not destroyed, which was odd, for they usually ransacked everything. They had restricted the power flow to certain areas, all of which they already controlled. Kip’s unit had transitioned out of the dark areas and into the lit regions of the undercity a while ago, which coincided with them running into their defensive lines.

  Or expansion teams. It was hard to tell the difference with the Skarrons, for they always seemed to be on the move. The up side of that was they weren’t in the habit of establishing strongpoints…the downside was they always seemed to have units nearby to reposition and flood troops against incursions.

  And Kip was the psionic arrowhead that was going to get the Protovic through that mess of enemy infantry.

  “Down left, then sharp right,” Ren’san’do said through his comm link with Kip, then he followed the Archon down a steep ramp and around a corner into a curvy hall, seeing a hand signal from the Human that caused him and the other Protovic to slow up. There was a thick enemy group ahead and Kip was going to use his area of effect attack, meaning they had to let him get far enough ahead or their presence would limit his range.

  Kip disappeared around a curve, then Ren’san’do let the other Protovic ease in front of him just before they ran into a mess of the Skarrons’ smaller infantry…all lying on the floor, along with their weapons, which most of them had dropped as Kip ran through them and across the reception area to a set of wide doors that he was disappearing into.

  The Protovic special forces made short work of the 30+ Hobbits, with Ren’san’do never having to stop running, though he did have to hop over a couple of bodies on the way to the doors that Kip had gone out. When he got to them his comm activated, causing him to slow his pace again.