by G. P. Hudson
Jon moved quickly, using the same tactic on the rest of the systems the Juttari had invaded. In short order, all the Juttari gains were reversed, freeing over a thousand Chaanisar ships. Now, each member of those crews pledged allegiance to Jon, swelling his ranks. With the Juttari gains reversed, Jon’s fleet was able to link up with the Diakans, who moved to further secure the freed systems.
“Thank you, General. I’m happy to finally see your ships coming through our jump gate.”
“Your ingenuity has made the journey an effortless one, Admiral,” said Dathos. “I am sorry about the nuclear attack on your home planet. Several of my ships are equipped with the necessary equipment to help clean up the radiation. They are at your disposal.”
“Your help with the clean up is appreciated. How many more Diakan ships will be making the journey to the Sol System?”
“The rest of the Fifth Fleet will arrive over the next two days, and the Fourth Fleet is expected shortly after that, which will include a newly formed squadron of Diakan jump ships.”
Jon smiled. He had suspected that the Diakans were secretly building jump ships, and now Dathos had confirmed it. “I’m sure they will be valuable additions. Once they arrive we can discuss next steps.”
“As you wish, Admiral.”
“I’ll be in touch. Pike out,” said Jon, and the General’s face disappeared from his screen. Jon switched to the tactical display to center on the activity around the jump gate. The Diakan warships were still crossing through, each one a colossal beast, easily larger than even a Space Force battleship. The Diakans certainly didn’t like small ships. He wondered if they weren’t compensating.
“Sir, President Lewis is repeating his request for a meeting,” said the communications officer.
President Lewis, Earth’s leader, had survived the nuclear bombardment. Lewis, a few Space Force admirals, and some high ranking government officials had holed up in a secret bunker deep within the Rocky Mountains. Lewis had been asking for a meeting since he learned of Jon’s arrival in the Sol System. Jon never liked the man, and had been avoiding the request, but he knew he would have to meet with Lewis eventually. He also felt the need to travel to the surface, and see the damage for himself.
“Very well, arrange a meeting with President Lewis. Any news from Commander St. Clair?”
“He is still assisting Doctor Ellerbeck with the relief efforts.”
“Tell Commander St. Clair that I want him present at the meeting with Lewis. He can meet me at the Presidential bunker.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Chapter 5
Jon grimaced as he surveyed Earth’s scarred landscape from the shuttle. Entire cities were flattened. Billions killed. The Juttari had scorched the planet, reducing it to mere embers. But why? This was extreme, even for them. The Juttari had occupied Earth for five centuries before humanity gained its freedom. In all those years, they’d never gone this far. Was this meant to be punitive? Retribution for rebelling against Juttari rule? No. It was worse. The sheer scale of destruction indicated only one possible objective. Genocide. The Juttari intended to wipe out the human race. Why?
“I do not think Earth’s leaders will be happy to meet me,” said Colonel Bast, looking down at the devastation below.
“You didn’t nuke Earth,” said Jon.
“No, but my Chaanisar brethren did. I do not think your leaders will easily make the distinction.”
Jon shrugged. “They’re going to have to. Our fleet now consists of over a thousand warships, most of which are freed Chaanisar. The sooner they come to terms with that reality, the better.”
“Is this why you have requested my presence at this meeting?” Bast turned from the window to scrutinize Jon.
“Yeah. They need to see it with their own eyes. They need to understand that the Chaanisar can be freed. That they have been freed. That you are different from the Chaanisar still under Juttari control. Either way, it doesn’t really matter what they think. The leadership may have survived the attack, but most of the population didn’t. Space Force has been wiped out. There isn’t much left for them to govern.”
“Then why do you meet with them?”
“Good question. Despite the destruction, there is still something left here. We’ll clean up the radiation, and Earth will start over. We’ll need a government. For all their faults, they have more experience governing the planet than anyone else.”
“Perhaps. But is it the right experience?”
“What do you mean?”
“As you said, the Earth will have to start over. It is an opportunity to shape the future. These people may simply want to hold onto the past.”
“You think we should start fresh?”
“I do not know. This is for you to decide, Admiral.”
Jon frowned. He had a war to fight. The last thing he needed was to get bogged down in Earth’s politics. The reality was that Earth had a long road ahead. Someone had to oversee the relief work, and it wouldn’t be him. Jon had one goal. Retribution. The Juttari would answer for their crimes. He would see to it.
The shuttle flew over the Rocky Mountains, leaving the nuclear devastation behind. Jon gazed down at the pristine wilderness feeling nostalgic. As a child in the resistance he had grown up in these mountains. He couldn’t help but feel thankful that they were spared. To the Juttari, this was merely wilderness. And they were right, for the most part. The bulk of the population lived in the cities, where the bombs were concentrated. Why drop bombs on forests? Sadly, Jon knew that even these mountains wouldn’t be spared from the fallout that had begun to traverse the planet. He could only hope that the Diakan technology could clean up the damage in time.
The shuttle descended into a valley, and landed with a clunk in a clearing at the base of one of the mountains.
“I’m reading elevated radiation levels, Sir,” said the pilot. “Probably a good idea to lower your visors.”
“Thank you, Ensign,” said Jon, activating the helmet on his combat suit. The visor dropped down over his face, locking into place, creating a tight seal. Colonel Bast did the same. The combat suits were designed for extreme conditions, including nuclear radiation, and even the perils of open space. “We’re ready, Ensign.”
Jon and Bast got up, lumbering toward the exit as the shuttle’s hatch hissed open. Stepping out from the shuttle, Jon saw two men in combat suits waiting for them. The markings on their armor indicated that they were Space Force Marines. As he approached, the two men saluted. Jon returned the salute.
“At ease Lieutenant,” said Jon, over his combat suit’s speaker. “I assume you’re here to take us to see the President?”
“Yes, Sir,” responded the Marine.
“Has Commander St. Clair arrived yet?”
“Yes, Sir. He’s waiting inside.”
“Very well. Lead the way, Lieutenant.”
The two Marines turned and stepped up to a sheer rock wall. The Lieutenant contacted someone inside the mountain and a section of the rock wall slid open, revealing a metallic tunnel. They entered the tunnel and were soon met with another set of doors. As they swung open and the group passed through, the Lieutenant turned to Jon and raised his visor. “The air is clean now, Sir. You may prefer to retract your helmet.”
Both Jon and Bast retracted their helmets and continued following the Marines down a short passage to a waiting military vehicle.
“We’ll be driving the rest of the way, Sir,” said the Lieutenant.
The men climbed in and they sped away. As they progressed, the tunnel began to expand. Soon they came across other tunnels through which more vehicles appeared, until there was a buzz of continual activity. The tunnels seemed to descend deeper into the bowels of the mountain. They entered a massive open area, with machinery, military hardware, and hundreds of men and women busy with their duties.
“This is impressive,” said Bast. “How long has this base existed?”
“Good question,” said Jon. “I didn’t know abou
t it until today.”
Engrossed in the complexity of it all, the men barely noticed as they pulled up to a set of doors. “We’ll be taking the lift now, Sir,” said the Lieutenant, climbing out of the vehicle. Jon and Bast followed his lead. The doors opened and the four men stepped into the lift. The doors closed behind them, and they began descending at high speed. When the doors finally opened up again, Jon estimated they’d dropped well over a kilometer underground. No better place to be during a nuclear holocaust, Jon thought.
They walked down a long corridor. The Space Force emblem dominated, just as it had on the upper level. A Space Force with no spaceships. How long will it take them to rebuild? The Diakans had helped establish Space Force when they first expelled the Juttari from the Sol System. They’d likely do so again. It served Diakan interests after all. Were those interests also his now? If so, what did that make him?
The two Marines stopped motioning to the doors ahead. “Right this way, Sirs,” said the Lieutenant, and stood aside to let Jon and Bast walk through.
Jon glanced at Bast, “Might as well get this over with.” Bast nodded, and the two stepped together through the doors, as they slid open.
They had entered a large, open room. Lining the walls on both sides were armed Marines in full combat suits, roughly twenty per side. His muscles began to tighten as the creature inside him became increasingly agitated. Standing in front of them was another armed Marine, whose suit markings identified him as a Colonel.
“What’s going on here, Colonel?” said Jon. “Where’s President Lewis?”
“I’ll tell you what’s going on here, Captain,” the Colonel said sarcastically. “You are under arrest.”
“What are you talking about? Under arrest for what?”
“You, Captain Pike, are under arrest for treason. Your Chaanisar friend here is under arrest for war crimes.” On both sides the Marines pointed their weapons at Jon and Bast. “And don’t think I’m unaware of your special abilities. Your tricks won’t work against these boys, so I suggest you come along quietly. That goes for you too, Chaanisar.”
Jon sighed. “Don’t worry, Colonel. We won’t resist.”
Chapter 6
They walked side by side down a narrow corridor. The Marines had removed both their combat suits, and restrained their hands behind their backs. Half the Marines walked in front, and the other half followed behind. They’re sure not taking any chances, thought Jon. Along the right wall they passed a heavy security door every several feet. Clearly these were jail cells, and Jon fully expected to be thrown into one of them shortly.
“Colonel,” said Jon. “Is Commander St. Clair being held in one of these cells?”
“I think you’ve got more to worry about than what we’ve done with your friend,” said the Marine Colonel, without turning to look at Jon.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” said Jon.
They stopped. The security door on the right slid open to reveal a stark jail cell containing just a cot, a tiny sink, and a toilet. “You’re in here, Pike,” said the Colonel. The Marines in front had all turned to face their prisoners, weapons pointing at their heads. “Don’t try anything stupid.”
“You’re the only one doing anything stupid from what I can see, Colonel,” said Jon.
“Listen to me, you fucking traitor,” said the Colonel, taking a step toward Jon. “Either you get in that goddamn cell, or we can end this right here and now. Your choice.”
If Jon had learned anything in his career, it was not to ever question a Marine’s resolve. He knew the Colonel meant what he said, and he didn’t blame him. For some reason, they thought Jon was responsible for what happened to Earth. If they believed that, then each and every one of these Marines would gladly shoot him.
“Don’t worry, Colonel. I’m going in,” said Jon, as he walked through the door into the cell.
“Close door six,” said the Colonel, and the door shut behind Jon.
Jon sat down on the cot and stared at the metal wall. They could’ve at least removed the security restraints, he thought, his hands still bound uncomfortably behind his back. I can’t believe they think I’m responsible for this atrocity. That I would do this to my own kind.
They are no longer your kind, said the symbiont.
Who asked you, Jon replied.
As he stared at the wall, contemplating his predicament, he was surprised to see it flicker and come to life. A section of the wall transformed into a display, showing a table where President Lewis sat, flanked by Space Force Admirals. Jon broke into a fit of laughter at the absurdity of it all.
“Is there something funny, Captain?” said President Lewis.
“Yeah, there’s plenty funny, but I doubt you’d get the joke,” said Jon. “Why have you had me and my men arrested?”
“Treason is still a crime on Earth, at least what’s left of it,” said Lewis.
“What the hell are you talking about, Lewis?”
“What I’m talking about is the nuclear bombardment of Earth,” Lewis said angrily.
“I had nothing to do with that. In fact, my people are doing everything they can to help the survivors.”
“Captain Pike,” said one of the Admirals. Jon recognized him as Admiral Krasnik, Space Force Supreme Commander. “You left Sol commanding the Hermes. After being gone for some time, you return with a Juttari escort. Then, for some reason, the Juttari ships occupying the Sol System, the same ones that bombed Earth back to the stone age, do not fire on you. Why is that?”
“My escort was Chaanisar, not Juttari,” said Jon
“I don’t see a difference,” said Krasnik.
“They’ve been liberated,” said Jon. “That’s the difference. The Juttari do not control those men anymore.”
“You do realize how ridiculous that sounds, don’t you?”
“I don’t know, Admiral. I can’t imagine anything sounding more ridiculous than your accusations.”
“What happened to you, Captain? Why did you betray your own people?” said President Lewis.
Jon laughed bitterly. “Listen to the Diakan lapdog talking about betraying his own.”
“You’re out of line, Captain,” said Lewis.
“I’m an Admiral now, or has nobody told you?”
“Space Force doesn’t recognize Juttari ranks,” said Admiral Krasnik, contempt in his voice.
“Let me tell you something, Admiral,” said Jon, rising to his feet. “I’ve spent my whole life fighting the Juttari. I grew up in the resistance, like my father, and his father before him. Nobody hates the Juttari more than I do. My rank is not a Juttari rank. It is a colonial rank. I succeeded in my mission, Admiral. I found the lost colonies.”
“Did you?” said Krasnik. “Is that where you picked up your Chaanisar friends?”
“Some,” said Jon, sitting back down on the cot. “It’s a long story.”
“We’ve got plenty of time, Captain. That is, unless your friends start bombing us again.”
“That isn’t going to happen, Admiral.”
The Admiral waved his hand, dismissively. “Let’s start at the beginning. What happened to the Hermes?”
“It was destroyed,” said Jon, with a sigh.
“Destroyed? How?”
“I ordered it to self destruct.”
“There are no limits to your treachery,” said Lewis, his face red with anger. “Did you slaughter your crew too?”
“Admiral, do we need to have civilians present?” said Jon.
“How dare you?” said Lewis. “I’m the head of Earth’s government.”
“You’re a Diakan puppet, and a pompous ass.”
The President rose from his chair pointing a finger at Jon. “I’ll see to it that you hang for your crimes.”
“Please sit down, Mr. President,” said Admiral Krasnik. “This is a military investigation, not a witch hunt.”
“I won’t let this traitor speak to me that way,” said Lewis, his face nearly purple now.
&
nbsp; “Mr. President, you are here as a courtesy, but this is a military matter.”
“What are you saying, Admiral?”
“I am saying that you are free to observe the proceedings, and ask questions, but I will not tolerate anymore outbursts.”
President Lewis looked flabbergasted, but didn’t seem willing to challenge the Admiral. Krasnik turned his attention back to Jon. “You were saying, Captain.”
Jon could see why Admiral Krasnik ran Space Force. Out of respect for the Admiral, he decided to cooperate. “Why don’t I start at the beginning. When we left Sol, we were ambushed by a Juttari heavy cruiser after our first jump. The Juttari ship had jump technology, and also knew our jump path, leaving no doubt that Space Force had been compromised.”
“Or further implicating you, Captain,” said Lewis.
The Admiral glared briefly at Lewis. “Continue, Captain.”
“I planned an ambush of my own, and waited for the Juttari in a system two-hundred-and-fifty light years from Sol. While there, we discovered a previously unknown human colony, and jump gate.”
“But our data shows that the colonies are supposed to be well over a thousand light years away, not two-fifty.”
“That is correct, Admiral. These weren’t the colonies we were looking for. We don’t know how these people ended up in that system, and neither do they. We assume they probably came through the jump gate at some point, maybe originally from the main colonies themselves. Either way, these people identified themselves as Reivers.”
“Reivers?”
“Yes. They used their jump gate to cross into alien space where they would reive, which is another way of saying they raided alien space.”
“So you’re saying these people are criminals?”
“No, Sir. Not exactly. It is their way of life. They raided the territory of the Kemmar Empire. The Kemmar are an aggressive alien species previously unknown to us.”