Granger
"They're not activating the Jump Pad but they're putting too much power out of the Space Port Reactors." I radioed to Lil and Mary aboard Lil's ship in a lower orbit.
Lil came back, "We see that. A lot of the power is going to a Hospital complex."
"Absolute nonsense, that's a decade's consumption. Use disintegrator drones, indirect targeting, cut all power lines, on all Space Ports except for the lines going directly to the Jump Pads, now."
A slight pause ensued and then Lil radioed, "Drones away. Communication interference working: targets relayed to Marly, nine minutes ETA, Mother Ship, relocate to your vicinity as planned."
"Acknowledged. Drop anti-personnel missiles locked on Hybrid signatures near Space Ports, now. In two minutes drop a blanket swarm of Anti-Personnel-Mine-Seekers."
"Acknowledged."
"Marly here. Too many geothermal vents under the mountains. Possible backup space cannons. Surrounding peaks targeted for first fighter ejection."
"Acknowledged."
Time to see about our Ranger friends, I pushed out the new Worker scanning gear. There they were, under Invis, around the planet like a husk on a fruit, a far distance off. But distance meant little to Ranger ships.
I keyed their frequency, "Testing."
"Tested," a syrupy sweet, slow, perfectly modulated female voice said. "We need to discuss scanning capabilities."
"New Tech, first use by us, meet me at Intel HQ and we'll cover it; after this dance is over."
"It's a date. We got your assessment burst. We're concerned about the ANNU KI locations on the Moons. I have only small craft here with us."
"They're targeted, and will be burnt back through time to their arrival here. Send observers back down the time line with our ships."
"Ordered that. Long range. We show no approaches, Negative, or Positive space, no side traffic within two days."
"Acknowledged, thank you, see you at I-HQ."
"Roger, I'll bring most of my swarm."
Six minutes to arrival. What have I forgotten? The cutting of wires out of the Space Port reactors resulted in a jump in energy under the mountains, capacitor banks were filling; Marly got the same data. I tried to see changes in the Ocean depth readouts. None had changed. Did the enemy use under water installations. Betty should have reached some semi end in her debriefing of the swamp dweller on Moneslakia.
I HAVE. THEY DON'T USUALLY. NO DATA ON THOUGHT PATTERNS OF NEW HYBRID AVAILABLE. TEND TO BUSINESS AT HAND.
Three minutes. I stood told; and waited.
Our A K Mother Ship burst out into my world fifty miles up from the highest Moon exactly on time. My screen showed Marly's decision; four hundred saucers attacked planet-ward, and four hundred each to attacked the two ANNU KI installations on each Moon. I concentrated on the Moon installation nearest to me. Cone attack formation, maximum firepower on target, missiles away, full load, all four Disintegrator Cannon per craft aimed forward. A hole grew in the moons surface. Then, as one, the whole fighter formation went away, out of my present time. From here on out I would receive only information drones. As long as I received them regularly, I'd assume the attack remained successful.
I turned my attention to mountaintops. They were firing back. Electron blips on my screen went away. Mountain tops went dead at a slightly greater rate. Fighter pilots became human guided missiles when their ships were damaged. Four reactors on their damaged ships blowing at once make believers out of everyone.
The individual pilot's brothers got a bar on their chest for that sacrifice. Paula issued the bars for 'no brothers survived' situations. And I had to write a special letter, were they idiots, or heroes?
I switched my attention to the far side of the planet. Same story essentially, except for the fact that I still saw Hybrid targets.
"Why am I seeing Hybrid targets, anyone?"
"More are being activated. The Seeker missiles get there and do their job, but it takes time."
"Hold your positions, dump out a double sized load of missiles."
I switched to overall view. The other two thousand fighters were out and concentrating on mountaintops along with the Mother Ship.
A thought came to me.
"Marly, peel off a hundred fighters from your cover, fifty North Pole, fifty South Pole, have them feed their observations to me.
It happened. The feeds came in, nothing unusual, good. I recommend four Command and Control Saucers for future operations. A thought came back from my self on the Mother Ship, 'altered on our order, so changed.'
I watched the fighters zip through the canyons looking for targets. I should be there in the lead ship. Who saddled me with the cares of planets and galaxies? I didn't have a mirror to look into.
A question for later would be, why the enemy had armed this world? Were they shipping food stuffs direct to their HQ from here? What did they do for food, synthesize it, or hydro farms? We needed to know that data to pick out meaningful targets.
There were no more hybrid reads on my screen. They'd quit activating, or they were all dead. How did you scan for the inactive implant? More questions than answers were coming from this raid.
'Sweet Voice' came to me, "We're getting queries over the Comm equipment we preplaced. Would we please make you go away? They haven't met our price yet."
"Make it high. Any reports from your back time observers?"
"Your attackers are doing the job, but you've lost half your fighters already."
"Excuse me, business."
"Of course."
I checked for drones coming out of time. One had come back, sixty three fighters lost.
"Marly, send four hundred more fighters down each Moon attack line. Eject another thousand if you think you'll need them."
"Fighters sent. More not needed now. Backing up six deep on pilots. Resets activated for fighter craft replacement."
"Acknowledged."
My mind went back to last night and her sisters. They had kept me until the last moment. Odd how the rejuv chamber had created two copies which weren't copies, Gelot with her brazenness, compared to Marly's conservative nature, and Prele, we'd named her, a very young woman with no thought of anything but this moment. Whose side did the chamber work on? Or did it have a plan of its own? More questions.
"Marly, send an Infantry Company down to each Space Port; these people are going to put a meal on for us."
"Complying."
I watched as she broke the Mother Ship off from the last firing position into the mountains, and zipped to each of the five Space Ports. No slowing, the Landing Craft ejected and were on the ground unloading before she got to the next. The crafts sides became door/ramps and the soldiers exited as a whole. One Company had to wait four minutes before someone came out of a building to greet them.
I switched to that Company Commanders frequency.
"Do you speak for the managers of this Port?"
"Yes."
"I need tables, here, and food for my soldiers. If you do not resist, provide us food, and drink, with no tricks, we will spare your lives."
"Yes, yes, of course, but we have no chairs for giants."
"I didn't ask for chairs. Go now."
I zoomed in and watched it unfold. A restaurant, Hirtenhead Wines, brought out tables. Then three more restaurants around the complex started to bring out platters of food, plates and silverware. I couldn't see if the best appeared, or not. Personally, I wouldn't have held the good silver back. I glanced at the other Ports. Similar scenes played out. The soldiers went, a platoon at a time, and ate.
Carts drove madly to storage buildings to bring more food.
The Company Commander stood with the first individual and shared with him from a small table.
Nothing on the planet resisted anymore, especially the mountain tops, they were being leveled by our Combat Engineers, which would take perhaps another half hour.
Back at the Company Commander, he asked, in the planet's language, which had bee
n part of the data send, "What will be the cost of this meal?"
"The meal, three thousand Rinhla, the damage, I can't imagine how much."
"You live still, be happy for that. That can change any time. Take this gold bar. Keep the change for yourself."
The beep from the Ranger channel brought me back to my ship.
"Yes." I answered.
"They now want to give us the planet, if we will allow them to live on it after we chase you away. That. 'Giants at the Ports' had the genius touch. Where did you get new giants?"
"Let that be your second surprise when we meet."
"Can't wait. Two hours be enough time?"
"Yes, we'll be gone by then. See you at HQ."
"Marly, pack it in, we got two hours to clear out. We'll be going down the planets back track."
"Acknowledged, it will take an hour fifteen minutes."
"Make sure everybody remembers we're being chased away. Try to look hurried. Maybe do without the second dessert."
"I'll pass the word along."
They didn't pass on the second dessert. They asked for cartons to go after the Commander got the call. I thought I saw a few obscene gestures toward the skies after the Infantry left. I zoomed in and picked those individuals up and into storage. When they got done tramping over Torken's hills they wouldn't be so spirited.
Of course we met the deadline. I docked last, after my brother, and the Lil and Mary ships. After slipping down the pole I approached the others and said, "Let's send a team of us to each sub-command center involved in the Moon pursuits, and take charge. If we're still getting heavy resistance drop an Erasure in each hole and have the fighters pace that backward."
A shuffle took place and I had a Lil and a Mary standing with me by Marly who'd had no relief yet. I banged on the counter and motioned that she should step out.
"I couldn't have done it half as good myself. You were the whole operation. Why don't you and your sisters have a fifteen minute stand down?"
She saluted, didn't say a word, they walked off, probably too dry to speak. Thinking of dry, I took a long drink before I mounted the 'throne'.
I sat and didn't do anything. The positions had standing orders and their actions depended on the mission requirements. I looked at the planetary losses. Two people hadn't known the difference between zig and zag. Down time stood to be another story. I kept my silence. I would know soon enough what I'd done, just watch the dials.
Ten minutes later two blue-brown indicators said that four dangerous weapons had been removed from the secure weapons storage, but were in friendly hands. I tracked the progress on a pop-up screen. They went here and there, and onto a fighter, and out an open airlock. The ANNU KI didn't use doors in combat mode, all force fields, another bit of data which would lead to understanding them. I felt sure when we did, the battle would become easier.
I touched a screen, "Comm, message to Ranger resupply office: please send six of the latest Ranger Patrol Craft to Intel HQ. Will send two back, with new scanning equipment installed. Thank you, Captain Granger, get an answer back please."
"Second Officer Grishor, report on pilot status please."
"We've lost six hundred and seventy eight so far."
"Acknowledged, please get me an estimate on wrap-up time."
Twenty minutes later he came back, "The starting times of the four time tracks of the ANNU KI ships are staggered. The last should be destroyed forty seven minutes from now."
"The last ship is going to be at least three miles in diameter, be warned."
"We know. There are multiple enemies. Evidently some slept along the track at intervals, exact data later."
"Carry on."
"Maria"
YES, I'VE FOUND THE PLANET YOU'RE LOOKING FOR. A REFUGE FOR YOUR GIANTS.
"Thank you. Send the coordinates my eyes only, attention Third Officer Orislo. We'll be two extra days underway. Ask Torkens to find more valleys please, for Infantry field exercises."
I WILL DO THAT.
Second Officer Grishor came back to me an hour later, "It's done. We lost sixty seven more fighters. The Erasures are destroyed. All fighters are secured, pilots are being debriefed."
"They know they've done well. Tell them, I know that too. Tell them I have a pleasant surprise for all of you along the journey."
Marly, Lil and Marly returned. I said, "It's over. Would you like the helm, Marly?"
"Yes. I'm refreshed--can handle it, housekeeping things to do. We'll get together later. Here's a string to tie on your finger. Just so that I know you're you."
"I'll wear it proudly. We'll be in our quarters. Send our brothers and sisters there too, when they report back."
Putting the swinging counter down after she entered she said, "Families grow, we'll sort ours out."
Then she sat, and became the ship again.
In our quarters I put in a call to TO Orisolo. When she came on I asked, "Do you have a message for me?"
"It just came to me."
"Bring it to my quarters with a Nav person."
Mary and Lil looked at me with questions in their eyes.
"Listen when she's here, saves repeating myself. It's been a tiring time."
They both burst out laughing and were starting to close in on me when our other selves arrived. They desisted, with mental promises for later.
Our three groups of three sat and I began, "I am going to remain at Intel HQ, or somewhere in that area of space. You two will be going to Mars to shepherd more ships out to Intel HQ. Because; when Paula runs out of Mars mission people to make crews of, she will start using people from Home. Four Ranger Patrol ships will be waiting at HQ. We arrive, you depart. Are there any questions?"
Before anyone could speak someone knocked, "Come in." I said.
TO Orisolo and another woman with Navigation insignia entered.
"Take seats here at the Comm console." I commanded, moving in that direction myself. When they were sitting I told Orisolo to open the message. On it were coordinates. I told the Nav person, "Locate these in relation to our route."
She did. A side trip there would add only one additional day to our run if we went a bit faster. I motioned to my closest self and team.
"Our eyes only, for the moment. Go with her to a larger console. Use the Conference room. Prepare a detailed route plan, time on target, three hours. When you're done take the plan to Marly and execute it. Remain by her to make sure that no other traffic tries to follow our new route. Go now."
They left.
"Orisolo", I said. "This planet is going to be yours. No don't stand, you'll just fall. You're the weapons person. You're going to lead a scouting mission onto this planet. I'm only told it will be ideal for you, by somebody who knows you. You'll have an Infantry Battalion, an Engineers Battalion, A Med Bay ship, and fifty fighters. You can't expect resupply for a month minimum. What else do you need to know?"
"Lots of details, about the planet, which you probably don't know. No? I thought so. So I'll have to go the over-kill route. From the course I saw I have eighteen hours to pull it together. I can do it."
I said to my remaining self and team, "Go with her to her office. Kick everyone else out but her clerks. Help her. Keep it close to you four, plus the Battalion Commanders. The motto is over-over-kill. Go now."
They left.
Lil commented, "You have been busy. What can we do?"
"Tell me what I've overlooked."
Mary cautioned, "Don't assume Paula shares your agenda, to start."
"I haven't. I will talk with Betty as soon as we get back. But this ship is so much better than the Mother Ships Tel has. But to be fair, the smaller, three mile ships are the same caliber as this one, and he has quite a few. We don't want to destroy Home, just show up with so much firepower that it's evident we can."
Lil added, "Maybe by the time it's doable, half the population of Home will be in this Galaxy anyway."
I agreed, "There's always that thought. Maybe half a loaf in
hand would be better than to chance losing the whole loaf. I'm not blind to that possibility."
We fell silent, each keeping to their own thoughts. After a while I said, "I'm going to get flat. Wake me up if we run into anything." That got smiles at least.
Some one shook me. I opened an eye, Marly, with her clothes on. I sat on the edge of the bed. She sat beside me.
I asked groggily, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, you've been asleep nine hours. Something is about to happen. Your other selves refer me to you. Are you displeased with me?"
"Oh, no, I'm happy. Here's what's about to happen."
I told her in detail. She cried when I finished. "What are you crying about?"
"I'm happy."
"I don't want to see you sad."
She wiped her eyes, "I'll be collected in a moment. I know you did this because I occupied myself with the ship so much. But you haven't considered one thing. Orisolo knows nothing about geology."
"Maybe she put a person on the mission who does. I don't know. If you want one of your selves to lead I'm agreeable."
"I think Gelot should go over her plans, at least."
"Do it."
"She's on it. We'll both come to you with Orisolo in one hour."
"That's totally agreeable with me. I better get up."
"He who flies high, crawls low, my father said."
"He didn't know me."
I slid down to the floor on hands and knees, and sprang back up onto the bed.
"Maybe, but save your strength. You'll need it for more important things, lover boy."
She left. I hadn't just been talking with Prele, had I, oh webby web.
I went through the fresher, into a new uniform and had a ration pack half done when two of Marly returned with Orisolo.
Orisolo started, "I couldn't find anyone with Marly's knowledge, so if she wants to lead the scouting mission that's better than I alone could have said, "We'll sort it out."
"I want to be involved only enough to make an announcement during the first orbit. After that it's all your show, unless maybe someone wants to put my name on a secluded cave."
Both Marly's looked like they wanted to harm me. Then they realized I had made a joke. They wagged their fingers at me and left. The last person out the door, TO Orisolo, looked back at me and threw up her arms; in a friendly way.
Greener Green III: Let Light Reign Page 19