“What do you propose we do next, Admiral Rameira?”
“From our point of view, the best thing would be for you or ourselves to withdraw from this field of battle so that we pose no further risk to you. But, politically, it would be suicide for either of us to withdraw and leave the Keswick orchidite mines under the domination of the other system, so I doubt we can disengage. Please trust me that we have taken extraordinary precautions to assure this ship cannot be turned against itself or you.”
Jesik stood and walked off screen, picked up a carafe of water and poured it slowly into a glass. He needed time to think without Rameira seeing his face. Can I believe this man? Is this some kind of trap? If so, why give us a warning and a plea to increase our own security?
“I’ll need to communicate with my superiors before reaching any decision.”
“I give you authority to convey the essence of this message on a Need-to-Know basis only. Should word of this conspiracy reach our population before our civil authorities are prepared to respond, we could see system-wide chaos. I suspect your own government is in jeopardy as well, if there is an active rebel movement there. Normal communications and reporting would be too vulnerable to rebel espionage.”
“I have no intentions of reporting the details of our conversation to Fleet until I have more solid intelligence. Until then I’ll even use caution in sharing it with my crew.”
“Understood. Frankly my politicians had better deal with this quickly or the rebels will make a public move on Alturus. Keswick is clearly a rehearsal for whatever is yet to come. Perhaps this incident will speed our preparations.”
Jesik liked Rameira. I do trust him. He’s taken a huge risk in sharing this with me, while I’ve given nothing in return.
He was about to ask Rameira about additional protection for their ground troops when Commander Brighton’s voice broke into the conversation.
“Captain, we have an emergency that requires your immediate attention.” Brighton sounded anxious.
It better be a real emergency to interrupt this conference.
“Admiral, apparently something’s happened that has prompted an interruption.”
“Yes, there’s been a nuclear explosion on the planet surface and it appears there’s an active laser and missile attack taking place in the atmosphere. Perhaps we can meet again later. Rameira out.”
It was phrased as a question, but stated as a fact. They would meet again.
By the time Jesik got to the bridge, data was streaming in to all monitors. He could see flashes illuminating the area around Keston and the orchidite mines.
“What can you tell me, Mr. Brighton?”
“There’s been a nuclear attack by rebel fighters on ground units assigned to protect Keston. While not a direct hit on our base camp near the city, I can’t imagine that there are many survivors, given the force of the blast and the likely area of destruction. We haven’t been able to establish communications with any of our troops at this time. There’s also intense fighter action some sixty kilometers to the south, along the corridor perimeter. We’ve ordered the fighters to open their communications links so we can hear what’s going on, but so far none have responded.”
Jesik settled into his seat, brought up his individual monitor and quickly replayed the events up to that point. The thing that struck him most was the perfect execution of the rebel attack that opened all along the line simultaneously. And it was clear from the bombing patterns, that the rebels had full knowledge of Alliance strongholds.
“We were suckered, gentlemen, plain and simple!”
The Bridge Officers turned to look at the Captain, who stepped lightly out of his seat. “The rebels played the Loyalist forces perfectly. They feigned being beaten back so they would draw ever-larger contingents away from the city and mines. Like fools, the ground troops fell for it and we failed to insist they not enter the trap. Now they can cut our ground forces up piecemeal.”
The Captain was fully engrossed in his analysis, which gave everyone more confidence.
Brighton stepped closer to Jesik and lowered his voice. “Is there anything we should know about a threat from the Alturians, Sir?”
“What, Mr. Brighton?” Jesik looked up from his screen as the question registered. “Ah, my conversation with Rameira. All I can tell you is that the flagship poses no immediate threat. The freighter was Alturian, but not under control of Royal Forces. I suspect there may be collusion between Alturian and Keswick rebels, so we’ll need to maintain full alert. For now, please keep it confidential.” He paused. “Now, Mr. Gentry, how can we help our troops on the ground?”
Gentry wanted, more than anything, to blast some rebel fighters out of the sky, but at this moment the melee was so thick that it was impossible to tell which ship was whose. Just as he was about to reply, a voice crackled through the intercom.
“Allegro, Allegro, this is Lieutenant Eaves. We’re under heavy assault from land and aerial assault troops. We’re holding our own, destroyed at least a dozen of their fighters. Do you read us Allegro?”
“We hear you, Mr. Eaves. I see you’re in trouble again.”
“Why, yes, Captain, we are.” You could almost hear the grin in his voice. “But I think we can handle it.”
“What you may not know, Lieutenant, is that the rebels launched a nuclear weapon against our base camp sixty kilometers from your position. We haven’t been able to establish contact to see if there were survivors. This is a well-coordinated attack along the line.”
This news was greeted by a long silence. “We knew there’d been a nuclear explosion, because we saw the blast. But, we didn’t know where. Lieutenant Magill was at that camp, wasn’t he, Sir?”
“Yes, he was.” Jesik knew Magill was Eaves’ best friend, but there was no time for that now. “What can we do to help?”
Eaves voice steadied. “We observed what appeared to be an explosion in the upper atmosphere. Does that have any bearing on us?”
Jesik switched from open microphone to a headset, where he spoke quietly so only Eaves could hear.
“The Allegro was attacked by an Alturian, disguised as a freighter. We sustained minor damage. There’s evidence of an Alturian rebel element working in concert with those on Keswick. This is confidential at this point, but you have to be extra alert to danger.”
There was the sound of a laser cannon firing and Eaves shouted orders to his other fighters. Jesik returned the conversation to full monitor so everyone on the bridge could hear.
“Oh, I can’t believe it – he hit an Alturian!”
Jesik and Brighton moved toward the monitor screen. No matter how urgent their need for intelligence, they could not break the Lieutenant’s concentration while in battle.
Finally, Eaves’ voice came over the intercom. “Captain, we’ve got a real problem. One of our fighters attempted to use an Alturian as a decoy to shoot down a rebel fighter, but the missile misread the target and took out the Alturian. Apparently his buddies thought it was an intentional attack, because two of them just killed our guy. It’s a free-for-all down here.”
“Lieutenant, get your men out! Return to the ship immediately!”
“We can’t disengage Sir—the Alturians and rebels are pursuing us, we’ve got to figure out something to untangle this mess. Eaves out!”
Brighton walked over to study the tactical board. The red, green and yellow lights that distinguished one fighter from another were so close to each other that the screen appeared brown. It was impossible to launch any kind of attack from space until they scattered a bit. Or, until they were all killed.
“What was that?” asked Lieutenant Wight. Everyone turned to look at him.
“What was what, Lieutenant?” Brighton asked with irritation.
“Sorry for the outburst, Sir. There was an unidentified blast in the middle of the fighter group and all fighters in the area are powering down.”
There was silence on the bridge as every officer did his best to figure o
ut what the new data on their display screen was trying to tell them. Wight said quietly, “If I’m not mistaken Sir, Lieutenant Eaves launched a dazzle blast. I think he’s single-handedly ended the air battle in that sector.”
“Amazing,” said Jesik, dropping his voice. “Of course he would have disabled himself as well. And naturally his communications are gone, so we won’t be able to find out what actually occurred. Well, he’s on his own for a while. Commander Gentry, where else is the attack a little more orderly so we can intervene? It feels pretty foolish for the most powerful ship in the fleet to stand idly by while all this is going on!”
5 - The Eye of the Storm
The feel of silk sheets against his skin betrayed the dream Magill was having. In his dream there was an incredible rushing sound like a wall of water engulfing him and carrying him forward in a great torrent. But, it wasn’t exactly water, since a searing blast of heat and light preceded the deafening sound. He rolled clumsily to his back and opened his eyes. What he saw was enough to disorient anyone. He was in an ornate bed, gilded in gold and platinum, with a peach covered-canopy overhead. He rubbed his eyes and looked out into the room, which was even gaudier. He recognized the furnishings as “French Provincial,” the style the architectural books he’d studied in school said was so popular among the leading families of Kalenden. Certainly no one decorated like this in the neighborhood where he grew up; all he’d ever seen of the style were in pictures.
I must still be dreaming. He rubbed his eyes again. Then a voice came from the other side of the room. “Ah, so you’ve decided to rejoin us, Lieutenant?” It was a feminine voice and somehow Magill thought he recognized it. He was almost afraid to turn and look.
But, he didn’t have to, for the owner of the voice came around the bed into his field of vision. Seeing her face brought back the memories he’d been trying to run away from in his dream. Instinctively he tried to move his feet to see if they were still there. Then he remembered the dream. “I can’t feel my feet! Have they been amputated?” Panic flooded his eyes and the girl sat down on the side of the bed.
“No, they’re still there, Lieutenant Magill. You can’t feel them because they’ve been anesthetized so you’d stop trying to kick them in your sleep. Go ahead, reach down and feel.”
He was a little embarrassed not to trust her, but he did have to know for himself, so he reached down under the covers. His calves were wrapped in some kind of bandage. Touching his feet, however, he was shocked at what seemed to be a pair of boots.
“My feet are in combat boots?”
She laughed. A most remarkable laugh that drove away his feeling of panic. “It is a bit odd, given the room you’re lounging in. Perhaps I should catch you up on what brought us here and then the boots will make sense. When I first saw your feet back at the Alturian base camp, I knew shock would overtake you in just a few moments, so I gave you a shot that quickly knocked you out. Your Major Wilkerson told us we had to hurry to avoid a rebel ambush, so we quickly dressed you in the uniform of one of our dead Alturian soldiers and made a litter for you. Our combined forces then retreated through the jungle toward the entrance to the city. About halfway there, we were able to join a Loyalist contingent that was returning to help strengthen the Royal Guard and when we told them about your condition, they agreed to let you recuperate in the palace. So, here you are.” She smiled again, which caused an instinctive smile from Magill.
“But, what about the boots?”
“Oh, yes, the boots. Ours is a rather vain society on Alturus and an enormous amount of research has gone into skin care and beauty enhancement. One of the practical discoveries from that research is a medicating gel that can protect serious burns while the individual recovers. Our medical corps figured out a way to incorporate the gel inside a membrane in our soldier’s footwear. If the foot ever becomes damaged, the soldier activates an electronic monitor that quickly dissolves the membrane so that the gel can soothe and protect the skin. Monitors can sense your level of pain and numb the affected nerves until you can bear it.
“How long will I need to wear the boots?”
“Once activated, the gel needs to stay in constant contact with your skin until you’re ready to come under the care of a physician. We could have taken the gel packet out and wrapped you in bandages, but not knowing when we’d need your help in getting you mobile, we decided to leave the boots on to support you if the need comes for you to walk before your feet have healed.”
“Thank you – for everything. I’m sorry I was a burden to anyone.”
She smiled again. “That’s what you said to me while falling unconscious. You have no reason to feel guilty for being wounded in action. You’d have helped any of us, I’m sure.”
He dropped his eyes and said, “I do feel guilty because it was my own fault that my footwear was destroyed.” He explained about putting them under his sleeping bag, but rolling off his clothing to talk to Corporal Wakely.
“That sleeping bag of yours is unbelievable. We don’t have anything like it. What an amazing material that cools you when it’s hot outside, warms when it’s cold and also manages to resist a nuclear blast. We Alturians survived the explosion because we had our night camp in the entrance to a cave on the side of a hill away from the blast. It still about cooked us, but we made it through. But, if we’d have had your sleeping bags, there would have been a lot less suffering.”
She looked at him and saw he was still distressed.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Lieutenant, any human being alive would have leaned forward to talk to someone shouting at him from the door of his tent. You did nothing wrong. Even if you had, you’ve more than suffered for it. So, get over it.”
His face flushed, but he appreciated what she said.
“Alright, I’m over it. How bad are my feet and what’s happening with the battle?”
“Your feet are badly burned, in some spots into the bone. I’m sure there’s nerve damage that, even on Alturus, would be difficult to repair. But I don’t know what your doctors’ are capable of. The medicating gel pack should have stopped any gangrene or infection, so I think you should hope for the best?”
“But can I walk?”
“I’m a military officer with only basic medical training. But, aside from being clumsy from having diminished feeling in your feet, they can certainly bear weight. The gel pack will absorb any shock and protect the skin.”
“At least that’s something. I feel so helpless here in bed.” He clenched his hands in frustration, but out of her sight.
“As to the military situation, it’s about as bad as your feet. The rebels have successfully jammed all communications with our ships in orbit and our fighters have been put out of action. The rebels managed to destroy enough Loyalist and Alliance troops during their attack that they now hold a numerical advantage which they are using to advance on Keston. No one knows if they have more than one nuclear weapon, so many people are afraid to resist them in fear of another nuclear attack. Meanwhile, the Loyalists temporarily lost the means to deliver a counter-attack using nuclear weapons. Unless they get some fighters into the air soon, it’s merely a matter of time before the rebels get here.”
“What about the orchidite mines?”
“Still under Alliance control, mostly because the miners have taken up defensive positions around the equipment. The rebels know that if the miners destroy the equipment, they lose their negotiating power and will likely face a complete planetary takeover by outside governments. So, for now they’re content to sit tight, outside the perimeter and let the situation develop. But, they could also attack at any time and overwhelm the defenders.”
Magill was thoughtful. “That means civilians must protect the Royal Family in the event of an all-out assault on the city. That will see hand-to-hand fighting in the streets, particularly if air evacuation for the royals is impossible. The greatest danger will come from rebel cells in the civilian population. It’s almost impossible for the guerillas to
have grown this strong without discontent in the general citizenry.” Tara watched Magill with growing respect. “Amazing that all this could happen because of a small crystal formation the shape and color of orchid petals.” He smiled wanly, shook his head.
“You seem quite aware of the political situation.”
“Politics is my hobby and most of my military friends think I’m foolish to get so interested in it. They say our job is to simply implement whatever policy comes our way, but I believe we have to understand the dynamics of what’s going on in a society, both our enemy’s and our own, if we hope to be effective. My ship’s captain asked me to be a political observer as well as part of the ground team.”
“Your captain? Do you mind if I ask his name?”
Magill raised an eyebrow. “Captain Jesik – Pietr Jesik. Why do you ask?”
“Because you’ve been using his name in your dreams. While the things you said were a bit muddled, it seems you have a great deal of respect for him.”
Magill nodded, aggravated that he had talked in his sleep, and even more so that he felt so emotional. “He’s a great man. Since transferring onto his ship he’s gone out of his way to help Lieutenant Eaves and me learn the ropes, so to speak, of military life. He’s really probably the best in the whole service.”
“That’s good to know. Things are pretty tense right now, so I’m glad you have someone with self-control on your flagship.” Tara paused before posing her next question. A bit nervously she started, paused, then re-started. “I understand, Lieutenant that you are from a lower-class family on Kalenden.” She was embarrassed when he looked up sharply. “Please don’t be offended, it’s just that I’d not heard your name before and asked. One man from your unit explained about your acceptance into Kalenden Arms. But, you don’t need to answer.”
“No, it’s okay. I’m not ashamed of my background. I’m a third-class guy who’s learned to get along with some first-class friends. I sometimes tell myself that it really makes no difference, but then a conversation like this comes up and I have to explain myself.”
Assault on Cambriol: The Manhattan Trials Page 10