"My job is to ensure we cause the enemy as much trouble as possible with as little collateral damage as we can manage. However, in war, there are often innocent casualties. We will make every attempt to minimize that aspect. My biggest fear is reprisals. But, we have learned to fight fire with fire. If they take our attacks out on our people, we double up to show them that revenge works two ways. That kind of action usually puts an end to those activities pretty quickly. All I can say to you to soften the pain is that it's all necessary if you want freedom. The Isesinis system is a brutal dictatorship. You may not see that yet; but, you will if they are allowed to remain here."
"I'm sorry. I did not mean to infer I was suffering second thoughts. I am one hundred percent behind you. I just wanted the facts. You will have what you need."
"There are a couple of other things you should know. First, King David is alive and well and traveling with the OFSA. Many Federation Assembly Members are also with them. They have declared a state of Marshal Law. Did you know that?"
"Yes. And, we understood why. It's not an issue with us here. We will follow their lead."
"The other thing I have to tell you is that though we will try to keep down citizen casualties, we cannot guarantee we won't mess up some of your infrastructures. As an example, there are five hundred Isesinis garrisoned near the Earth Assembly Hall; so, they can keep a constant platoon of a hundred on guard all the time. I am quite sure the Assembly Hall will be damaged when we deal with those troops. And, I'm also positive we won't be able to destroy the off-duty soldiers without harming the hotel they took over."
"Yes. Of course, there will be some destruction. I know it can't be prevented. Just make sure you keep your promise to protect our people."
"I will. My parents still live on Earth. We will deal with every situation as if they are some of the nearby residents."
"Thank you, General. I think I trust you. Please, stay for awhile. You are all welcome. Would you like to share dinner with me? I haven't eaten yet. I was about to order from Mario's."
The four enjoyed an assortment of pasta and meat dishes with fresh crusty bread and freshly grated baby parmesan. It was preceded by a lightly dressed Italian salad. Two more bottles of the elegant Gamay were emptied through the course of the meal. It was finalized by a chocolate volcano with vanilla ice cream and dark roast coffee. It was the best Sparks had eaten since leaving the Examiner. After dinner, they talked some more.
"When do you plan to execute you first raid?" Susan asked General Sparks.
"The day after tomorrow - very early in the morning. And, it's planned for the Assembly Hall; so, you have to do something that day that attracts people away from the building. That way there'll be minimum people present for us to worry about.
We will detonate light explosives in the main lobby where most of the guards are. It won't cause a lot of damage because we can direct the force inward - away from the walls. But some windows will suffer. Several operatives will be inside. They'll keep any innocents away from the assault area and keep the doors closed to incoming traffic. We have the ability to tap our devices into local communications and mask their presence; so, the charges will be detonated remotely. And, my people are efficient at ensuring every Isesinis Trooper is actually dead. We try not to leave anyone capable of taking any offensive action that might harm innocents.
We will also set a trap for incoming relief soldiers. As soon as we start our first assault, we expect the garrison to be notified and to activate support personnel. So, we will be ready. There will be secondary explosions and gunfire on the route between the two buildings. The object is to take out the entire contingent. Most of our explosives are designed to debilitate. They do not do a tremendous amount of damage; but, they render the targets useless for a long enough period to deal with them. We generally do not use the types of charges that severely damage or destroy buildings.
And, agents will be watching you, President Salizar and all the major cabinet members. If retribution is aimed at any of you, we will act; and quickly. We need you all alive. But, most importantly, I don't want to see anything happen to any of you."
The conversation turned to other matters. They spoke of the people and the conditions. Susan spoke freely of the occupation and its restrictive nature. Then, she related some rumors. According to the latest gossip, Ian Malcolm was working on a farm on Rigil.
The meeting broke up at ten o'clock.
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The pre-dawn sky was still dark the morning of the fourth when the entire contingent began to move. All in black night assault clothing, one detachment headed for the Assembly Hall while another went to the corner of Beel Street and Main. That corner was midway on the route between the Hall and the Excelsior Hotel.
The Assembly Contingent quietly took out the two soldiers guarding the door and slipped past everyone else into the Grand Foyer of the Assembly Hall.
It took only a few minutes to plant the charges against pillars. Everything was invisible in the darkness of the reduced lighting enforced in the building during off-work hours.
Meanwhile, the Beel Street contingent turned the corner into a trap for traveling soldiers. Two storm drain covers were mined. Several charges were placed in gutters along the route. Vehicles and their occupants would be caught between two concussion waves, while a third hit from underneath.
The strike would come at five hundred hours thirty minutes well before the guards' six hundred hour shift change. That would create maximum pandemonium as troops would be required to move from their billet just before they would have left to relieve their counterparts.
By 5:30 AM, the Assembly Hall Group was ready and had taken up protected positions. There was no civilian traffic; but, they watched carefully for building cleaning and maintenance personnel. The hundred man Isesinis guard platoon had gathered in the lobby in preparation for their six o'clock relief. The squad leader raised a data pad and folded down fingers on his other hand from five through none. Then, he pressed the icon on his screen, and there was a brilliant flash and a thunderous explosion. A hundred bodies flew through the air in the same instant; crashing into each other and any obstruction in their pathway. When the smoke cleared, one hundred armored enemy soldiers lay on the floor. Only a few moved. The rest were unconscious. The Special Forces Squad moved from armor to armor putting one bullet through the breastplate of each body.
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The other ten-man team waited in the darkness at Beel Street and Main. About 5:35 AM, sirens sounded off in the distance to their south on Beel and grew louder as they approached. Seven large electrically powered trucks were rolling up the street at high speed.
The Captain raised an arm. When he felt the transports were in the correct location, he dropped it. His lieutenant tapped the appropriate icon on the screen. The street lit up like midday amid an eardrum-shattering roar as trucks spiraled through the air spilling their cargo of soldiers all over the ground. The ten agents moved in and placed one shot neatly in the center of each soldier's breastplate. Then, they all quickly evaporated into the fading darkness.
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The Assembly contingent was racing toward Beel and Main when the saw the flash and were shaken by the blast's shockwave. A block from the corner they slowed and picked up the others without even stopping. They detoured around the affected corner coming out on Beel, once again - finally arriving at the Excelsior. Tumbling out of their vehicles team two headed in; each was crouched low with weapon ready.
There was literally no attempted defense. The troops at the hotel were caught completely off-guard by the twenty-person Special Forces team. One by one they fired a single bullet into the center of the
breastplate of each enemy soldier's armor. Five minutes after entering, they exited the Excelsior went around a corner into an alley and removed the blackwear. Then, they rejoined the others in their vehicles and drove slowly away.
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"Was that you, this morning?" Susan asked General Sparks as they sat drinking wine in her salon.
"Not me personally. But, they were my people, and that was my operation."
"Incredible! It was amazing. Five hundred dead without losing a civi or one of your own. I can't believe it. And just ten broken windows at the Assembly and a few loose cobblestones on Beel. Your people are great!"
"That's why we chose the time we did. People are tired from a long night shift. Few or no civilians are working or conducting business."
"The precision amazed me. I heard you were in and out in half an hour."
"That's true. That's the way Special Forces works."
"How many more raids do you plan?"
"That depends on the OFSA assault. One raid every two or three days until then."
"I found you attractive from the first time I saw you. But, there's something really sexy about a very dangerous man. Would you like to stay the night?"
"I certainly would." He murmured not showing his surprise at her sudden pass.
Chapter 23 The Road to Sol!
Saturday, May 15, 2269
"Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival." Winston Churchil
Today's a big day. Another three concealed Fleets made it to us a month ago. This brings the total to sixteen including Crux Fleet which had been saved by Marguerita Hernandez, the master of the Coalsack. She is the Captain who sent the Polyhedron blueprints last August. Most personnel were healthy but in bad psychological shape. They had experienced a hair-raising journey to reach us. But, they had gained a lot of intelligence we didn't possess in the process. We had to drag them along with us until we took 44 Boötis, but we kept them out of any action and well back of the battlefields. All those Fleets' ships were placed in the orbital shipyards for maintenance, repair, and upgrades; while their entire organizations were counseled then granted a month's leave on 44 Boötis. By the time they returned to duty, the ships were ready and resupplied, and the crews were refreshed and fit. They were combined with all the other extras to officially recreate an HQ Command.
However, Crux Fleet had no senior leadership left. Its Flag Officers had all been killed in action. And the only surviving Group Commander had been in a coma since their last scuffle. So, Marguerita had taken control of the twelve remaining vessels. She had been running Crux Fleet for several months, now.
We examined all the logs and records. Captain Hernandez had done a great job. The evidence indicated her grip on command and her tactical skills increased as time passed. We decided it was logical to give her the Fleet. She selected the two Captains who had been so supportive to be her Task Force Commanders. She would temporarily operate without Group Commanders. But, she did select officers to replace her new Rear Admirals. She was promoted to Vice Admiral on May 1 in a ceremony including the other elevations in her Chain of Command. Jumping two levels is not unheard of. But, it's more common in situations like this. War creates the needs for these kinds of elevations.
Today is the day when former Beta HQ- T2-2 Theatre Commander, Addison Blythe was elevated to level eleven and placed in charge of the entire operation. All the fanfare of a traditional promotion ceremony, cocktail luncheon and dinner/dance party were observed. Having another big splash was nice. After a three-month trial, she would be promoted to Fleet Admiral and assigned as C&C. As discussed, this contingent was assigned the task of protecting the retaken space. We are now free to continue without worrying about our rear.
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Each of our three HQ Commands jumped in-force to one of Nu Draconis, Murphid, and Arcturus, on the same day. They were all unoccupied and most unprotected; so, we would clear any enemy, call in Beta forces and move on. Our ultimate goal is to land at 72 Hercules; approaching on different vectors at the same time on May 30, 2269.
Though it is a single G-type star like ours, 72 Hercules is just a little smaller and cooler than Sol. It's fully developed system has ten planets, an asteroid belt and an outer ring of icy bodies orbiting the star. The fifth planet is inhabited by a Federation Member species. Though a valued member, this world is opposed to violence - even in defense. So, they have never contributed much to either the manpower or hardware employed by the OFSA. But, they have always added their incredible management skills to our Federation. And, they pay a slightly higher taxation rate to remain full members without joining in the military aspects. They are a very gentle species that deserves our protection from dictatorships like the Isesinis.
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SOCC and Epsilon-SF have been stretched to their limit. They conduct surveillance for pending attacks. But, they also run thorough reconnaissance missions deep into the enemy-occupied territory and covertly patrol recaptured territory in assistance of Beta Command. And, they accompany the three offensive Headquarters during their operations. Today, all this widespread activity has caused a tactical problem. When we entered the 72 Hercules system, we found it patrolled by nearly a thousand enemy ships, not the four hundred we expected. When I examined orders from both George and me over the past month, I realized we put more stress on a lot of other areas. Through no fault of their own, SOCC or Epsilon -SF had been unable to give 72 Hercules the attention it should have had. They had last observed here on May 14 and 15; so, this buildup occurred in the past two weeks. It is of little consequence to the overall outcome of the assault except OFSA losses may increase. Our attack strategy overwhelms whatever forces are there. So, losing is unlikely, unless an unexpected Base Ship also appears at a target site.
As before, Zeta ran a front and rear pincer; while Epsilon assaulted from above and Gamma from below. This time we came out of the Sol-facing side of their formation. Three thousand vessels and sixteen hundred fighters were all bombarding the Isesinis from the moment of their appearance. Twenty thousand missiles and torpedoes were seeking targets before our opponents even began adjusting their weapons to firing positions. Nearly four hundred were annihilated in that first volley.
For the next several hours we exchange fire with an ever decreasing enemy Fleet. They never have the chance to restock or resupply. We do. It becomes reminiscent of the Gamma Boötis affair. It is essentially a massacre. By the time the shooting stops, our combined force has suffered only seven deaths. We have incurred light damage to twenty-seven vessels and have lost four fighters. Only one hundred nineteen injuries are reported. Regardless, I need to talk with George about how we allocate covert forces, in the future. This could have turned out a lot worse.
Once Beta forces move in, the rest of us jump out for Xi Boötis. Xi is ten parsecs from 72 Hercules. That's a long haul for anyone. But by plotting our course correctly, we can do it in two jumps with a stopover at Zeta Hercules without increasing the distance. This system is a trinary with two stars that support humanoid Federation members. Yet, our antagonists have not occupied it; possibly because there are no OFSA installations there. A small contingent of subs has already departed for it at forty percent. We will be sure of its status before we jump there.
The two legs of our journey are thirteen and nearly nineteen light-years. The first portion will take two days eight hours. The second stretch will require three days nine hours. So we will travel, then rest a day, then go again; striking our enemy at Xi on Thursday, June 10, 2269.
Much of the debriefing for 72 Hercules is done in flight via t
he laser communications system. But, during the stop at Zeta, I ask everyone to meet aboard the Examiner. First, I discuss the Sub situation with George. Then, we join the rest of the group in the small amphitheater. The C&C Commission is all present along with the King, all Tier Two and Three Admirals including SOCC and Epsilon -SF leadership.
"Though it wasn't apparent, there was an incident at 72 Hercules of some importance to all of us. When we arrived, we found over a thousand Isesinis vessels patrolling instead of the fo... " I was cut off.
"Sir, the report you based your assault on was two weeks old. We were never asked to go back for a pre-raid reconnaissance missi.. " I cut Savign off.
"If you'd have let me finish, you'd have heard me point that out and not blame our Covert Forces at all.' I directed at her; then, continued.
'But, Savign is right. We issued orders at and incredible rate and over such a wide area that a return to 72 by SOCC or Epsilon -SF wasn't possible. George and I have discussed this, and we realize it was our mistake - not SOCC and not Epsilon -SF. But, we have an idea for preventing it.
We want the four Tier One Field Commanders to sit with both covert leaders in the lull between each group of missions. We will examine upcoming targets, defensively patrolled areas and proposed deep surveillance requirements together and allow the Tier 3 Covert Commanders to select what can and can't be handled without compromising tactical offensive operations. In effect, those two Commands will set their mission priorities themselves from those requested." I finished.
There was a considerable discussion. But, in the end, everyone agreed.
"You all know General Svesion. He is my Marine Army Commander. He has a report for us regarding things on Earth. He placed a team on the planet a short while back to organize and lead a resistance movement. Lieutenant General Christopher Sparks the ISIE Commander is on the surface leading the operation, himself. Anyway, the General will bring you up to date." I finished as I turned the podium over to him.
Righteous Reign The Series: E-version Boxed Set Edition Page 113