Mace smiled. “At least you get to spend some time with Jane.”
Johnny huffed. “That woman has been in here doting all over me like I’m a sick puppy. I’m not sick. I just can’t move. She got mad when I asked her if she could just bring me a beer.”
Mace laughed. “I’m sure that made her feel loved.”
Johnny half smiled. “I guess it was a little insensitive. And it didn’t get me the beer I was hoping for. Neither did calling her a ditsy blonde.”
Mace said, “Just so you know, the mission was a success. We have seven transports loaded with highly-refined gatrellium parked near Hardy. We can now cover all the ships and suits we need, and fly wherever we want for at least fifty years… or more. Plus, one of the UF logs revealed the UF has an extreme shortage of the stuff. Might be why they are still sitting at Earth.”
“So what’s our next move?”
“We go after the UF production facilities. After that we’re thinking of the fleet parked back at their colonies. If we can hit them hard enough, they might actually pull back and abandon Earth.”
Johnny cringed, the pain of doing so making him cringe further. “Ooh. That is unpleasant. Sorry. If they do decide to pull back, you’ll want to consider the possible consequences. We might just become that toy they don’t want any other kids to play with. They could take people back with them or they could just as easily wipe us all out. You know they don’t want the Karthians to have us again.”
Mace nodded. “Hadn’t really thought of that. We’ll have to take that into account before attacking their ships.”
Johnny chuckled and winced. “Now… if you do go after their ship factories, just remember… we probably own 24 percent of whatever we’re destroying.”
Mace sat back. “For some reason I don’t think we’ll ever be collecting on that asset. So I guess shutting them down won’t hurt.”
Johnny grimaced as he tried to laugh. “Thinking about it is hurting me right now.”
Chapter 25
*
The next four days passed with little to no activity. On the fifth, Mace, Jasper and the others were preparing to strike a death blow to the United Front shipyards. Plans changed as two thirds of the remaining ships from Earth jumped through a dozen wormholes. Terrex was now under assault.
Jenny piloted the Royal Fortune. “Jumping in three… two… one.”
Mace laughed. “Did we really need a countdown for that?”
Jenny replied, “Hey, I’ve been nothing but a glorified bus driver of late. Cut me some slack.”
A multitude of ships showed on the nav display. “Whoa. The Karthians brought everything they have.”
Jenny winced. “And then some. Last count we had there were only two of those massive stations. I’m seeing four.”
Mace added, “And that’s way more than fifteen hundred ships. Double at least.”
Jenny nodded. “Thirty-two seventy-six. Somebody just pulled the rabbit out of the hat. You think maybe they had those other ships off chasing the Consortium?”
“It’s possible,” Mace replied. “Also possible we don’t have a full accounting of their empire. Do those stations look different to you?”
Jenny agreed. “Yeah. Slightly bigger. And those aren’t laser weapons. Energy readings indicate some sort of mass being emitted at just below the speed of light. Those Vendetta dreadnoughts are dishing it out too, but they���re taking a pounding. I’m getting indications of hull penetrations from both sides.”
Mace and Jenny watched for most of twenty minutes.
Mace said, “This fight isn’t gonna last long for either side. I’m seeing each down about 20 percent. That tells me the UF ships are a bit better.”
A comm came in from the Alpha base. “Mr. Hardy. We have an incoming comm from Malcolm Stark. He has an urgent request to speak with you.”
The comm opened. “Mr. Hardy, I don’t suppose you know where the Karthian gatrellium went, do you?”
“The Karthians don’t keep us informed of their business. Last time we took it, they had it at a number of storage sites. If you remember, you gave it back to them.”
Stark half smiled. “It seems to have gone missing. And there are a number of disabled vessels and a lot of debris is floating about. It looks as if this was a recent conflict. If I make a trip to Alpha Centauri, I’m not going to find piles of gatrellium again, am I?”
Mace shook his head. “You won’t find it there because I don’t have it. The Karthians have other enemies, you know.”
Stark frowned. “Yes, but, you see��� we did a scan of the debris and noticed there was no sign of foreign material. Now, how is it possible for invaders to slip in unnoticed and destroy so many defenses without taking casualties?”
Mace shrugged. “Sorry, Stark. I can’t help you. Was this gatrellium something you were in need of? Maybe something the United Front was in need of? And I’m guessing the extra ships the Karthians just committed to the fight was a surprise too. No?”
Stark sighed. “With the acquisition of that gatrellium, the United Front would have given me the ships and materials needed to wipe out the Karthian Empire. Much of the spoils would have been returned to Earth. Now we are exactly where we were before. At a standoff. A full-on invasion of the Karthian Empire is now viewed as too costly. Instead… Humans will fester under the control of the United Front.”
Mace replied, “Sounds like poor planning on your part.”
Stark scowled. “Yes, well, keep in mind that your actions have consequences. I just hope this event doesn’t lead to the Karthians attacking Earth, risking the lives of us all. Whether you realize it or not, I’ve worked extremely hard to ensure that the fighting that takes place between these species does not happen at home. That notion doesn’t seem to bother you.”
Mace smirked. “It’s a fast paced galaxy out there, Stark. Racing to the finish line is the name of the game. Somebody has to finish second. And it looks like that’s once again you.”
Stark leaned in toward the comm camera. “The race is not over, Mr. Hardy. It might have only just begun. Oh, and just so you know, I’ve taken your doctor Moskowitz and his team into custody. It’s for their own protection, of course. And for ours. We can’t have that technology falling into the wrong hands.”
Mace leaned in as well. “You harm any of them in any way and I’ll do you in personally.”
Stark laughed. “Harm? Mr. Hardy, these people are valuable assets. They are our future. The moving wormhole research… it’s fascinating. I can’t wait to see it in action. You know, with a device like that, even a small team could rule the galaxy. You could attack anyone from anywhere at any time, without consequence!”
Mace froze the comm link and banged a fist on the console. “I knew leaving them was a bad idea.”
The comm remained open to the Alpha site. “Mr. Hardy, we also received a message from Mr. Moskowitz just before Mr. Stark. It was text only and included a data chunk. The text reads: If you are receiving this, our camp has been overrun. The data contains my work in its completest form. Our issue with the device has still not been resolved. And don’t worry, none on the team will solve it for them. And as a last effort to frustrate the process, I inserted a number of faults in the local data store that should keep them scratching their heads for years.”
Mace released the comm. “Stark, as I said, you harm them in any way and I’m coming for you.”
Stark replied, “And as I said, I have no intention of harming anyone. I have leverage. I have the good doctor’s wife, and the spouses and children of several others. Only the suggestion of a potential threat is needed here. They will all cooperate… eventually. Just as you would if I had Miss Taub currently under my care. No one need be harmed if we all only cooperate. Now, if you would kindly excuse me, I have a planet to conquer.”
The comm closed.
Jenny said, “He plays dirty. Too bad he’s using that against us.”
Mace pointed at the nav display.
“More ships are coming through. Those are transports.”
Jenny scowled. “Probably our people with Stark.”
Another set of wormholes opened. United Front warships streamed through.
“That has to be half their fleet,” Mace said.
Jenny replied, “This has to be their all-out push against the Karthians. Look… those transports are circling around behind the fighting. This is a ground assault. Those have to be our people.”
Mace said, “See if you can find a command ship among them. If so, I bet Stark is on it.”
Jenny looked over. “You thinking of taking him out?”
Mace nodded. “If we can find him.”
Jenny frowned. “Is that a good idea given current circumstances? They have control of Earth… and our people. You take out Stark and the UF will use our people as cannon fodder. At least with Stark we know they have the best chance of survival.”
Mace sat silent for several seconds. “You defending Stark now?”
Jenny shook her head. “No more than you have been all along. I think we need to keep him in place until the outer threats are removed. After that, there should be plenty of time to bring him to justice.”
Mace let out a long sigh. “Again, we just sit back and watch.”
“Actually, now might be the opportune time to take out the UF shipyards. Their focus is here. Might make our efforts a little easier.”
Mace stared at the former chopper pilot for a brief moment, before a smile emerged on his face. “Now would be a good time for that. I think I like you more every day. You just kept me from going off the deep end.”
Jenny returned a smile. “You’d have come to your senses. You’re hardly one to be unstable. Lashing out is not in your personality. And that’s one of the things I like more about you every day.”
Mace nodded. “Well, what say we get this love-fest on the road? Take us back to Alpha and let’s finish what we were about to start this morning. It’s time to bring the UF ship production to a halt.”
The Royal Fortune set down in the docking bay on Alpha Centauri. Mace followed Jasper into the conference room. Johnny was sitting behind Zax as he flipped through the data Jeff Moskowitz had sent.
Mace asked, “What’s going on here? Shouldn’t you be in the infirmary still?”
“I could sit in there or sit out here,” said Johnny. “This graft doesn’t care. Check it out. I think the kid actually understands what Jeff was working on.”
Zax turned. “This is fascinating, but I have to wonder what he was trying to do with this combining circuit. It doesn’t make sense.”
Mace nodded. “Sorry to interrupt your study session, but we need this room. We’re hitting the UF shipyards shortly. Have some last minute planning that needs doing.”
Zax frowned as he turned to face Johnny. “Is there another display of this size?”
Johnny nodded. “Come on, in the infirmary. Your mom and I are the only ones in there at the moment. I’m sure the techs won’t mind.”
Johnny slowly stood as the display closed. “Kid was ripping through this stuff. I seriously think he could have helped Doc with whatever his issue was. Crazy smart, this one.”
The planning for the raid was completed shortly after. Jenny would again pilot the Royal Fortune; six teams of Humans would go aboard the shipyard orbiting Gaila III. The planet was in the heart of the UF colonies and heavily guarded by microwave cannon stations and Vendetta dreadnoughts.
The shuttle settled in an empty docking bay.
Mace said, “You all have your missions. If the reactors are standard type, rig the explosives as usual. If we find the new type, just report back to here. We’ll need to carry our own reactor bombs in. We only have four, so we’ll have to place them for maximum damage. You have thirty-two minutes to complete your tasks and return. If you miss connecting with us, try again every twenty minutes.”
The ramp door began to open as the holo-projectors and signal-shielding of their battlesuits came to life. The six teams exited and hurried off toward their targets. The ramp door closed and the shuttle was piloted out into free space.
Eighteen minutes into the effort, a UF shuttle landed in the same docking bay. The ramp lowered and a group of dignitaries emerged. Frado Knuttin was among them.
Frado gestured to the others. “Gentleman, welcome to Gaila Station, the most modern shipyard in all the colonies. From this one structure we take refined ores, build micro and macro assemblies, piece them together, and then slap them into the strongest structural subframe in the galaxy. We do the complete construction and assembly of the new Vendetta class warships all within the confines of this structure. Best of all, we can manufacture a complete warship in a day.
Frado waved a hand. “Now, I’ll admit to bragging a little. The ships actually take six weeks to assemble, but with multiple lines running we are averaging a newly commissioned ship every day. The two structures you saw on the way in are new assembly yards. Your investments will assist in speeding those to completion. No other builder can boast the output and quality we are delivering here.”
Mace stood in disbelief. Of all the places in the UF his friend could be, he wondered why it was here. His shuttle was now blocking the very bay the assault team needed for their escape.
Jenny whispered, “Come on. We can’t let his visit stop us.”
Mace replied, “What are you doing here? Who’s piloting the Fortune?”
Jenny pulled on his shoulder. “I passed that off to one of Crawford’s boys and traded around for your team. Was hoping to keep it a surprise all the way through until we returned. Guess that no longer matters. Let’s go. We have work to do.”
Mace led as they moved out of the docking bay and down a long hallway. The corridor was wide, making it easy to maneuver in and around the hundreds of UF workers who were scampering about performing their daily duties. A ten minute walk and the two slipped out of the hall and into a reactor room.
Mace stopped and whispered. “Crap. The new type.”
Before them sat a large round ball, metallic and covered with circuits, hovering in a gravity well almost a full meter off the deck. Conduits coming out of the top moved plasma energy from the reactor core out to the local storage well.
Jenny pulled back on Mace’s shoulder. “Hey, you’re starting to show. I’m detecting a glow coming off your suit. My sensors are telling me the magnetic field that thing is emanating is intense. It’s affecting your holo-projector.”
Mace turned. “Yours too. We have to be three meters from that thing right here. The one I ran into on-ship only had this effect for the first meter.”
Jenny pulled him back to the doorway. “Yeah, well, looks like we’re visible to some degree no matter where we are in this room. We might want to rethink our strategy.”
The group of investors turned the corner into the hall behind them, cutting off their escape. Jenny pushed forward and then pulled Mace back against a wall.
“When they come in, we’ll slide out behind them. Just follow my lead.”
Mace replied, “Got it.”
As the group entered the room, Frado Knuttin walked them closer to the reactor. “Here it is, the heart of our power operation. We call this reactor “the knot,” because of its obvious shape.”
Jenny held Mace in place as an assistant blocked the doorway. His attention was soon turned to the faint glow coming from just in front of the wall to his right. He turned a nervous glance toward the group, hoping they wouldn’t see the anomaly floating before him.
Frado finished his spiel and turned to the others for questions.
“How does the output compare to a standard reactor?”
Frado smiled. “Over a 400 percent increase. This one reactor is doing the work of four. And its efficiency is even higher. It does require the gravity lift for stability, but those are relatively inexpensive and virtually maintenance free. This reactor, so long as it’s fed a constant supply of hydrogen, will be producing energy for
us for the next hundred standard years.”
Frado glanced back, taking note of the anomaly and the nervous stare of his aide. The investors��� attention was diverted to the opposite wall as Frado guided them back to and through the open doorway.
Frado gestured with his hand. “Mr. Klonic, please escort our guests to the executive cafeteria for a beverage. I’m sorry gentlemen, I have a pressing issue that requires my momentary attention. I’ll catch up to you again in the cafeteria.”
The aide gleefully guided the four investors down the hall as the owner of the Knuttin Corporation stepped back into the reactor room. His attention was fixed on the slight glows coming from only a meter in front of him. He reached out with his hand in an attempt to make contact with the anomaly. His facial expression changed as his fingers came into contact with something solid.
His arm was grabbed at the wrist, freezing his stare as a holo-image of a Wrathian serpent appeared before him. “You will be silent.”
Frado nodded as he looked down at his wrist as it disappeared into the large hand of the Wrathian. “Outstanding! A projection!”
Mace sighed as he switched the holo-projector off. “Hello, Frado.”
The Kohamian looked up in surprise. “Mr. Hardy? What are you doing here?”
“I’m about to blow up your shipyard.”
Frado looked down for several seconds before looking back at his business partner. “Excellent! The profits from this single facility have yet to come. The military is slow-rolling its payments. That has left the corporation low on cash. You saw the gentlemen I was showing around… investors. Sharks is more like it. Their investment terms are horrendous, but I’m left with little choice.
“However… should this facility blow up… well, let’s just say we are well insured. And those policies are held by the gentlemen who are here to invest. With the advent of the Karthian war, they forced a triple coverage policy on me. Should you destroy this structure, the corporation will have the funds to build the three units I desire. Yes… please do your best… or worst. I can provide you with key locations for bomb placement if needed.”
HADRON Havoc Page 24