All the while, the Alliance fleets that we’re able, began to form up and go on the attack out of the fixer clouds.
To make matters worse for Triax, a new Alliance fleet jumped in behind the enemy strike fleets, and also right behind the bunched up, enemy carriers.
The latter were sitting ducks, and came under instant heavy fire by the battered Joshua Tech Fleet just entering the system.
With multiple enemies at hand, Joshua Tech formed its fleet into a thin line and engaged the enemy from the direct rear. Yet its heaviest ships wisely pounded the carriers, who tried to disengage and move out to call back their fighter swarms and then jump away.
Anyone could see that Triax had squandered its initiative, and would very quickly suffer a horrendous defeat.
The rest of the battle went like something out of a text book over the next three minutes.
Triax did its best to retreat and jump away.
They still lost six of their fifteen carriers in the process, and the equivalent of one entire strike force–and by the end–nearly one half of their launched fighters.
By the time more Alliance re-enforcements poured in, the clean-up phase was already underway.
Saemar focused on keeping all of them alive.
When the fires on board The Condor went out, they were cleared to land back in their damaged, but still functioning hangar.
Their six friends from the three damaged fighters, forced to retreat, met them on deck. Naero and Tia’s tandem fell over to one side and caught fire, as soon as they zipped out of the cockpit on their gravwings.
Chaela and her trainee’s fighter looked so shot full of holes–it was a wonder it could still function and fly.
Saemar and her pilot’s Ghost Dragon came in too hot, lost power, and then flipped over, broken and smoking. The recovery team doused the damaged ship with foam fire retardant and the recovery team had to cut them out of the crushed cockpit.
Saemar and the handsome young recruit she flew with leaned on each other, staggering over to the medteks to get checked out.
Her ensign looked visibly shaken, about to go into shock.
Saemar leaned over him on his medbed, smiled, and whispered something into his ear while the medteks went over him.
His eyes got real big suddenly, and a weak grin spread across his pale face.
Naero and Tia ran up to them. Saemar took her cracked helmet off and turned to meet them.
Naero hugged her.
“Great job, Saemar. You kept everyone together throughout that terrible mess. I think the readouts said everyone’s more or less safe and sound. You sure your ensign is all right there?”
Saemar beamed, and then winked. “He’s fine. Got a little banged up, but he even managed to save our butts once or twice out there.”
She shook her curly head. The three of them began to walk toward the rest of their people.
“Don’t worry about him,” Saemar whispered. “I’ll take extra-special good care of him tonight, sweetie. You can count on that.”
Saemar also patted one of the tandems as she went by it.
“I like these two-seaters, N. Did you notice how handy it was to have the pilot fly and the co-pilot focus on offense?”
“I did. I can see why people keep forming units of them. ” She turned to Ensign Tia. “Great job–2nd Leftenant Tiali Wallace Chang. I counted twenty-six kills. That makes you an ace, many times over. Probably a few more in the battle computer that I missed. Excellent shooting.”
Tia lit up like a pulsar, as Naero knelt and pweaked her new rank up on the young woman’s flight suit, and authorized it in the fleet net via wristcom.
Tia nearly forgot to salute, but caught herself at the last instant.
“Thank you, sir. But frankly, I couldn’t have done any of that if I had to fly at the same time. I know very well that you kept us breathing out there. I’m not sure that I would have made it back from all that.”
“You’ll do well, Tia. Call me N, when we’re not around any brass. We’ve flown and fought together, now–and that makes us sisters, even though we were already cousins.”
“Thanks, N. You honor me, so much.”
Naero clapped arms with her. “The honor is mine, Tia.
Saemar stared a the ceiling of the hangar and spoke out loud.
“Seriously, I’m going to ask my Strike Fleet Captain to help me form a full wave of these tandem fighters. Like others, I think they’ll do well. A grand new option for my Alliance sweeties. I got a feeling some people will simply perform better in pairs.”
That one was just far too easy–especially coming from Saemar.
Naero ignored her chance and clapped her friend on the back. “You know me, Saemar. I’m all for what works.”
38
The cloaked microfixer clouds continued to reveal more illegal fleets from the other Corps, along the entire front line of the war. They could no longer continue to prop up Triax. Under the threat of another full-scale Spacer war–which would quickly consume one quarter of the known galaxy–the other fourteen Corps turned tail, and deserted. Wholesale.
The vast majority of the mercs jumped completely out of the war at an astonishing rate.
And they usually fled at what could only be inopportune times–for Triax. One or two fleets here and there at a time–at least several in almost every engagement at first, once they were exposed.
Triax even fired at some of their former allies, as the other Corps ships abandoned them to their fate.
The Alliance and the Clans had called the Corps’ bluff in a masterstroke.
And won big. This effort alone–would shorten the war by months, re-assure eventual, total victory, and renew the Alliance’s sure and steady advance.
Naero and Strike Fleet Six were held in reserve during the final assaults on Tarissa-1.
Prince Ellis of the Matayans and his fleets had pulled back, returning to their worlds to put down yet another inconvenient attempt by Triax, to inflame yet another Matayan civil war.
Admirals Maeris, Joshua, and Kinmal fell upon the remaining enemy fleets in good order, dismantling them like a machine. They did their best to destroy or capture even the pieces.
More intense fighting still lay ahead. Triax made that clear each day. Yet the signs were posted for all to read.
Triax was going down in flames.
Nothing could prevent now.
Further defections to former Admiral Sandusky’s shadow fleets helped pave the way to victory, and much reduced loss of life on the growing list of liberated worlds.
Spacer Intel played a heavy hand in those factors as well.
Once Tarissa-1 fell, the Alliance forces spread out to the neighboring systems to consolidate their gains and scan for any further enemy attempts at counter-attacks. They did all that they could to prevent any more use of Triaxian genocide devices or mass terrorism. Intel used their spy networks and cloaked microfixers to thwart whatever they could.
Because Tarissa-1 was so densely populated, special care had to be taken with such Capital Class Homeworlds.
No one wanted a repeat of the terrible events on Heaven-7, or some of the other worlds, where entire large cities and their peoples were murdered wholesale.
The Hevangian Homeworlds like Valkeggoth-6 that specifically chose to commit self-inflicted cosmicide en masse were, fortunately, rare and special cases.
Little could be done for an entire population that actively chose to kill itself. Reason always remained vulnerable to insanity.
Certain cities and regions on Tarissa-1 did not destroy themselves, but still made a show of defiance. Triaxian zealots and fanatics vowed to fight until the end. They threatened total mobilization and human wave, suicide tactics to punish and repel any invader.
Naero’s Strike Fleet Six was assigned to help support the pacification efforts. Several heavy Marine Divisions were being combined for the upcoming ground campaigns.
Naero took a call from Captain Hayden, communicating t
hrough their holos to each other.
“Jeremiah, my friend. Congrats on the promotion. You deserve it…Captain.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Naero waved a hand. “Let’s dispense with all that: we’re more than friends. We’ve worked very well together on several occasions.”
Hayden hesitated. “My rank equals that of a regular warship captain, only, and you’re still a strike fleet captain, sir.”
“Well, unless the brass is watching or listening, let’s be informal. That’s how I am with my people, and that’s an order.”
Jeremiah smiled “Very well, N.”
“So, what’s up?”
“Admiral Maeris has ordered my unit down to the surface with Third Division. Your security people will have to fill in for us on our ships while we’re gone.”
“Of course. My security officer Tarim is already on it. You and your people don’t need to worry about us. Just stay safe down there. Good luck, and be careful. Return to Six, as able.”
“Thanks, N. Will do.”
“What’s the current plan? I haven’t had time to read my orders fully yet, but my people are supposed to support you guys with whatever help you might need. I have several of my cruisers and destroyers refitting for close assault, and ground support mode. Numerous fighter wings stand ready to swoop in also.”
“Frankly, we’re hoping to avoid direct combat and fighting in built up areas like the gigacities. Intel will most likely have you refit a good number of your ships with our improved version of the enemy’s mass stunners.”
Naero nodded and crossed her arms. “I’ve seen them at work, firsthand. Our version is much better?”
Hayden nodded. “Covers an even wider area, and when those stunned wake up, after a few hours, the actual neural damage and pain are much less. Like that of a migraine or a very slight concussion.”
Naero crossed her arms. “But if it is used on large populations, there will still be indirect casualties. Hospitals. Vehicles crashing. People falling down. Fires or explosions ignored or neglected.”
Hayden nodded. “There is no perfect way to do this, Naero.”
“I know; I wish there was. That many people. I can’t help doing the cold math.”
“It’s still better than slugging it out against partisans and terrorists, fighting our way through the streets. That could take months, and the casualties would be staggering. Such a bloodbath would go beyond what stunning the cities by sections would cause.
Captain Hayden sighed. “Hopefully, the civilians will see very quickly that they cannot prevail, and that such resistance is unnecessary in any case. We’re not here to conquer them. We don’t want to fight them. Their world remains their own—just without Triax’s dominion or influence, and that is to their gain, not their loss. Once the realize how little they actually need the Corps–then they will accept being liberated from their tyrants, just as all the other worlds have.”
Naero laughed at him. “You don’t have to sell me on the facts on the ground, Jeremiah. Just let us know where we can assist.”
She watched the situation develop over the next several hours.
Heavy elements from six separate Spacer Marine Divisions surrounded and made contact with the six largest gigacities that still resisted. Hundreds of billions of lives remained at stake.
Thankfully, three of those gigacities chose to surrender, and accept the pacification forces and their simple demands–a new freedom from Corps rule, which cost the landers nothing.
Two still played for time, trying to delay the inevitable, by playing useless politics.
One last gigacity–and unfortunately the largest–threatened not only to fight to the last, but to set off several genocide devices if they were attacked.
Including a dozen large atomic devices.
Yet such devices were now easy to scan and go after. And from all that Intel could deduce, most of the threat was pure bluster.
There were no such devices to be found.
Intel took time to double-check, but they gave the word that all such devices had already been fully neutralized.
The Spacer Marines promptly stunned the outer ring of the city. They walked right through its first line of defense and dismantled them, without firing a shot.
This was a very clear demonstration and a warning.
Again, the Alliance informed the population well in advance as to what was going to happen, and why further inconvenience and indirect injury and loss need not be multiplied.
Once more, the city leaders made a show of defiance, and fired many weapons throughout the remaining districts into the sky.
The Alliance negotiators kept the holdouts blustering and fuming—until nightfall.
Then the Marines made their move, under the cover of darkness.
“Very well,” the chief Alliance negotiator finally announced. “You leave us no choice. Before we are forced to stun the rest of the city, we’re sending in The Spacer Marines of Bravo Command. They’ll focus on killing all of your leaders, anyone in charge–your complete command and control–including all of you. In a matter of hours, all of you will be dead. Then the people can pick new leaders and make better choices…once you are all–permanently out of the way.”
The city leaders paled, even through their holos.
Many of them shaking with outright fear and terror.
The head of the City Defense Force even exclaimed. “Not those bloody-handed devils! We heard what they did to the High Command on Semaka-6.”
“Good. Then you know exactly what to expect, and that you have little time left. They will fall upon you shortly. Good luck to you, and farewell. We will speak with your replacements after you are gone.”
The Alliance Chief Negotiator broke off the link.
In seconds, the Triaxians scrambled in panic to get the links back up and call the Alliance back.
The Alliance people let the Triaxians sweat things out for a few more long minutes.
While Bravo Command–already in place like the ghosts they were rumored to be–merely broke some windows and popped in stun and flash bombs and tear gas throughout the city–in key locations.
Just enough to terrify the city leaders, and let them know what could quickly follow.
Finally the Alliance negotiators opened the links again.
The Triaxians fell all over themselves to give up.
“Please, please call off your bloody Marines. We surrender! There’s no need for any further loss of life.”
“We give up. Our cities are yours.”
“We’ll pay you not to kill us–please, please–just let us live!”
Naero laughed out loud in her command chair and nearly fell out of it.
So much for fighting until the last drop of blood.
The Marines of Bravo Command were in fact legendary throughout the known systems. So much so, that they had an air of the supernatural around them. Which of course Bravo played up all the more, for the benefit of their enemies.
The best-of-the-best among the elite ground attack forces, Bravo Command were the absolute masters of night fighting. No one beat them in the black. They were said to be phantoms, wraiths who slipped in silently, and only left death and destruction behind.
Just the mere rumor of Bravo Command being sent in to take out all the city leadership, had broken the enemy’s will to resist.
Naero loved great showmanship when she witnessed it.
Yet she had no doubt that Bravo Command could have more than lived up to its legend.
Legends had to be backed up with force and results, if need be.
Everyone on both sides fully understood the truth of the matter.
If Triax had not surrendered–Bravo Command wasn’t bluffing.
Not a single one of those gigacity leaders would have made it through the night alive.
39
Naero slipped into her dress uniform and thought about what it meant to command people in battle. To lead a ship, an entire fle
et, during wartime.
One of the highest honors she had ever experienced.
Their duty was to fight, and fight they did, any time, any where.
But the admirals had been right. There was so much more involved in command than simply fighting on the front lines. So many greater and lesser issues, and much more in between. Maintaining a fighting force took a great deal more to keep their people ready to fight. To keep them well-trained, well-informed, well-supplied, and fit for service–both physically, mentally, and emotionally.
In effect, a good leader was not only a good planner, but also a good steward. You took care of your people and primed and groomed them for battle.
Naero pweaked up a mirror wall on the nanosurface of her quarters.
Everything in place, just the way she liked it. She looked fine, pretty good even.
So why, in the midst of all of this chaos did she still sleep alone at night? Perhaps Saemar had it right after all.
As usual, it was all her fault really.
She purposely kept herself too busy with the war to take up matters of the heart. And that was just her own excuse. More than anyone else in her private fantasies, she thought about Prince Ellis quite a lot, from time to time.
If only things had been different, but they weren’t.
She left her quarters for the ceremony, and her Marine escort of four slipped effortlessly around her, one pair in front of her, one pair in back. Two female Marines, two males.
They guarded and protected Naero in rotating shifts, but she knew all of their names. Naero was on a friendly basis with all of her guard shifts. They were in full, shining battle dress, tonight–as if for a parade.
They all proceeded quickly to the assembly hall, and Naero entered into a sea of crew, and representatives from every ship in Strike Fleet Six. Thousands cheered when they saw her enter and approach the podium.
Admiral Sleak Maeris and many officers had waited for her and others to arrive. More officers from the entire Alliance continued to pour in and queue up in their appointed places.
Name after name was read, and Spacers from all Forty-Nine Clans came forward to receive the promotions they had earned thus far, during the course of the war.
Citation Series 1: Naero's War: The Annexation War Page 26