The Ninth: Invasion

by Benjamin Schramm

  “I’m not about to give up without a fight. Do what you can.”

  “Excuse me,” Tyra shouted.

  Alden and his assistant stared at her in surprise.

  “We’ve got twenty troopers ready and able. You get us some working weapons, and we’ll hold them off,” Ronald said confidently.

  “We’re not dead yet,” Alden shouted in excitement. “Get those troopers to the front lines!”

  “At once, but the docking hub is too far. I’m afraid they’ll arrive too late to be of any assistance.” His assistant didn’t share his excitement.

  “Container,” Mahoney said.

  “Excuse me?” the assistant asked.

  “Mahoney, you are brilliant!” Cain shouted. “Dad, you get the weapons to the docking hub; we’ll worry about getting there in time.”

  Cain was already running out of the room as Alden raised an eyebrow. The rest of the troopers kept pace as they followed Cain. In no time, they reached the container network. Several dockworkers eyed the troopers carefully as Cain searched for a working communications link to the transit bureau.

  “Not you again!” the man on the monitor whined.

  “No time for pleasantries; get us to the docking hub,” Cain said to the man.

  “I can’t do that. I haven’t even been paid for the last trip yet.”

  “Forget about lining your pocket for once and listen. Fifteen Union ships have penetrated the nebula.”

  “No way. Impossible.”

  “If you don’t believe me, check for yourself. I bet every PSF on the planet is scrambling to get to the docking hub.”

  The monitor went silent as the man disappeared. A moment later, the man reappeared in a dead panic.

  “Don’t just stand there, get inside a container!” the man shouted.

  As soon as the last trooper set foot inside the container, the door sealed and the container rushed off. Brent was certain the container was moving much faster than it had been before. The troopers were pressed against the sides with every turn as the container bolted along. Several troopers went flying against the far wall as the container slammed to a halt.

  “I think we just set a record for shortest travel time,” Cain moaned as he rubbed his side.

  “Whine later!” the man on the monitor shouted. “Don’t let those Union dogs put a foot on our world!”

  Nodding to the monitor, Cain led the troopers out of the container. Everyone was a little woozy from the trip. It took a few minutes to get their bearings. The trade ship that had brought them was long gone. The docking hub was completely empty; small groups of soldiers of the PSF were constructing a crude barricade. As the troopers neared, the soldiers froze. Tyra let out a sigh as she recognized them as the same group they’d fought.

  “Sergeant Romani!” Cain called ahead.

  A single man with his back turned stiffened. Turning slowly, the sergeant turned white when he recognized Brent.

  “As if the Union wasn’t enough,” Romani said while gesturing for the other soldiers to get back to work on the barricade.

  “We come in peace this time,” Tyra said. “We heard fifteen ships are about to land and you could use the help.”

  “As much as I hate to admit it, we could use all the help we can get.” Sergeant Romani sighed.

  “How long until we get some reinforcements?” Ronald asked.

  “Too long. By the time they get here all fifteen ships will have docked.”

  “Sergeant!” a soldier said, saluting.

  “What is it?” Romani asked.

  “We’ve just received a container filled with weapons, but they aren’t coded to us.”

  “Those would be for us,” Cain said.

  “Well, don’t stand there bragging; get them and start helping us out!” Romani shouted.

  The troopers quickly armed themselves and did their best to secure the barricade. A loud roar could be heard overhead. The first of the fifteen ships was starting to land. The soldiers and troopers aimed their weapons carefully. Even the most powerful of the rifles wouldn’t be able to damage the hull, so they had to wait until the ship opened up. The automatic docking clamps locked onto the ship. Gently the ship was lowered into position. A loud hiss erupted from the ship as the hatch pressurized. The soldiers trained their weapons on the hatch. Beads of sweat snaked down their foreheads as they waited.

  As the hatch swung open, the soldiers and troopers pulled the triggers on their rifles. Pulses of energy lashed and burned the interior of the ship. Brent noticed Rhea hadn’t hesitated. After a few moments it was apparent they were shooting at nothing. The docking hatch had opened to a deserted room. As the group held their fire, they stared in confusion at the deserted interior. A single pulse of energy flashed from Sanderson’s rifle. It hit its mark, singeing a hole in the center of the target. The others squinted to make out exactly what he’d hit. It was a white shirt tied to a long stick. It started waving emphatically.

  “Is that supposed to be a white flag?” Brent asked.

  “A what?” Penny asked in surprise.

  “They surrender, already?” Romani asked in confusion.

  “It’s not a trick. They are scared pretty badly,” Angela said. “They don’t seem hostile at all.”

  “Don’t hurt yourself,” Cain said quickly.

  “I’m just listening. This much doesn’t hurt.”

  “Come out with your hands where we can see them,” Romani shouted. “Leave all weapons on the ship. We won’t hesitate to open fire if we see a single side arm.”

  A tall man exited the ship with his hands held high above his head. He was wearing an outfit Brent had never seen before. It wasn’t a military uniform but had a formal look. His face was well groomed without a single hair out of place. His movements and expression were as slick as his hair.

  “Rufas?” Kindra shouted in surprise.

  The soldiers stared in awe as Kindra leaped over the barricade and ran toward the man. Tyra looked at Sanderson, who could only shrug in confusion. As Kindra reached the man, she tried to slug him. The man barely dodged the blow.

  “You’ve gotten better,” Rufas said with a grin. “But you still have a ways to go before you can beat your older brother.”

  “Her brother? ” Romani was completely dumbfounded. “The orders didn’t say anything about there being two people with ties to the Union.”

  “Don’t be an idiot,” Sanderson said, eyeing Rufas. “Kindra isn’t a part of the ITU . . . at least I don’t think she is.”

  “Then how do you explain her brother being on a Union ship?” Romani asked.

  “That’s my fault,” Rufas shouted to the soldiers behind the barricade while dodging another of his sister’s attacks.

  Rufas made his way around the barricade as he kept an eye on Kindra. Sanderson held Kindra’s fist when she threw another punch.

  “Explain,” Mahoney said.

  “Rufas Linwood, diplomat of the Commonwealth, at your service.”

  “Is that what you call it these days?” Kindra asked, clearly irritated. “We always stuck with playboy.”

  “I’ve gone up in the world, little sister. But that’s a tale for another day,” Rufas said as a soldier pointed a rifle at him. “The ships in orbit belong to the Commonwealth. We had to switch out a few things to make it look like we were ITU ships. Was the only way we could escape the patrols.”

  “That doesn’t explain how you made it safely through the nebula.” Romani eyed Rufas suspiciously.

  “In my extensive diplomatic services to the Commonwealth, I’ve made some . . . contacts within Core Industries.”

  “Contacts?” Kindra scoffed. “Don’t you mean desperate, middle aged girls?”

  “One of my contacts,” Rufas winked at Kindra, “happened to be a captain. She was gracious enough to guide us here.”

  “How many bottles of wine did it take to persuade her?” Kindra asked.

  “Persuasion through intoxication is so amateurish. I though
t you had more faith in your older brother.”

  “Wait a minute,” Cain said. “Let me get this straight. That isn’t a Union invasion fleet in orbit, but a convoy of Commonwealth ships made to look like a Union invasion fleet?”

  “That pretty much sums it up, although, if you want to be technical, it’s fourteen Commonwealth ships and one CI ship.”

  “Just what we need, more refugees.” Romani sighed.

  “I didn’t say that. Those are thirteen warships in orbit. The last survivors of the Navy.”

  The troopers and soldiers all stared at Rufas in shock.

  “What do you mean the last survivors?” Kindra asked again.

  Rufas had been quiet ever since the official CI escort had shown up to take him and the others back to Alden at Control. The other ships had docked without further incident. The crews stayed aboard as their captains answered the summons of Alden.

  “I’m glad to see you’ve managed to stay safe,” Rufas said as they reached Control.

  “Answer my question!” Kindra shouted.

  Sanderson restrained her arm as Kindra tried to throw another punch. The other troopers silently followed as the captains and Rufas entered Control.

  “You must be Mr. Stuffed Shirt,” Rufas said with a grin.

  Sanderson stared at him with a bewildered look on his face.

  “Kindra has told me all about you.”

  “Really?” he asked hesitantly.

  “She writes to me a couple of times a month. I thought she was making it up, but here you are before my eyes. Not a button out of place or a wrinkle to be seen.”

  “It’s hard to think of Kindra as the type who’d write letters home,” Humphrey mumbled.

  “It’s true! I’ve heard all about her time in the academy. All the people she works with. But mostly I hear about Sanderson. Do you still torment the poor guy?” Rufas asked Kindra.

  “You’re one to talk! How many girls have you tormented since last I heard from you?” Kindra asked angrily.

  “They never seem to mind,” Rufas said with a grin. “They knew what they were getting into, and I’ve yet to get a complaint.”

  “You’ve also managed to keep them from meeting one another,” a short man with a messy beard said.

  “I’d hate to be in your shoes if they ever find out exactly how many other ladies you’ve spent time with,” a captain said, chuckling.

  “Exactly how bad is your brother?” Penny asked.

  “Rumor has it he joined the diplomatic core because he ran out of women to seduce on his homeworld,” the short man answered.

  “Sounds about right,” Kindra grumbled.

  “Let’s just hope Janet never finds out,” a captain said with a shudder.

  “What exactly is it you hope Janet doesn’t find out?” a feminine voice asked.

  Standing in the doorway ahead was a woman with a long grin on her face. Her thin lips gave her smile the appearance of a sharp blade. From the reactions of the captains, she had to be Janet. She was on the tall side with a slender body. She moved with a feminine grace Brent had never seen before. Her hips swayed seductively with every step she took. She was obviously female, but her curves were subtle. Everything about her was alluring, but with a sharp edge. As Janet approached Rufas, her hands drifted over him. He stiffened slightly as her hands came to rest in the small of his back. One of the captains coughed as she passionately kissed Rufas.

  “So you’re the one who got them through the nebula.” Brent said after she ended her kiss.

  Janet eyed him.

  “We’ve had quite an exciting day so far,” Alden said with a smile, “but let’s not discuss things out here in the hallway. The chefs have prepared a lovely meal for all of us.”

  Alden quickly ushered the captains and troopers into the dining room. The half eaten meals of the troopers were still resting under the decorative hoods. New meals had been set out for the captains. With a large smile on his face, Alden retook his seat and waited for the others. The captains stared at the food in front of them without eating.

  “It’s not poisoned, if that’s what you are worried about,” Alden said, taking a bite. “I know Core Industries and the military haven’t always seen eye to eye, but I think you can all agree we have more pressing concerns at the minute.”

  The captains all stared at the short man with the messy beard. Slowly the short man took a bite out of his meal and chewed it deliberately.

  “It’s too sweet for my tastes,” the man said through his unkempt facial hair, “but that’s just personal preference.”

  The others started working on their own meals.

  “Now that we’ve settled that,” Alden said, eyeing the captains, “I think it’s high time for introductions.”

  “Relax, Alden,” Janet said soothingly. “You know I wouldn’t have guided them here if we couldn’t trust them.”

  “Trust is a rare commodity in times of war,” Brent said, eyeing Alden.

  Janet instantly locked her gaze on the Weaver. Several of the captains raised an eyebrow or two as they continued eating. Humphrey was the first to get Brent’s meaning and scooted his chair closer to Rhea. Alden started laughing.

  “Well spoken. We were interrupted with such poor timing,” Alden said reassuringly. “You have nothing to fear; I have no further plans against your friend. I did give the initial order, but Cartier was the one who ordered the PSF to ignore my son’s protests.”

  “I have to agree with you, Mr. Hooten,” the short man said. “It is high time for introductions. Who are you, young man, and why is there a squad of troopers at the table?”

  “His friends call him Brent,” Alden answered. “These troopers are friends of my son. There was a minor altercation between them and the PSF. It was just an oversight, and things have been resolved.”

  “I see. Is this all this true?” the short man asked the troopers.

  “Basically. We are hoping you could give us more information on the condition of the Commonwealth, Mr.” Tyra’s voice paused as she waited for the short man to give his name.

  “Shen. And it’s not Mr., it’s Admiral.”

  Tyra was taken by complete surprise. Alden raised an eyebrow. The captains didn’t pause for a moment as they continued to eat.

  “Told you I’ve gone up in the world,” Rufas said, nudging Kindra.

  “Rufas dear, who is that charming girl you keep playing with?” Janet asked with just a hint of jealousy in her voice.

  “You’ll never believe this, but she’s my little sister.”

  “Really? I didn’t know you had a sister.”

  “That’s not the only secret he’s got,” a captain said with a snicker.

  “It is truly an honor to have an admiral of the Navy at my table,” Alden said graciously. “So, I gather Mr. Linwood was correct in his statement your fourteen ships are all that remains of the navy?”

  “More or less,” Shen said dejectedly. “We knew something was wrong when they started jamming communications, but it didn’t matter. They knew where and when to hit us. Most of our staging points were lost in the initial scuffle.”

  “That’s impossible!” Rhea shouted. “The Navy still outnumbered the ITU. More had to have survived.”

  “It’s true, we did outnumber them at first. But they had the element of surprise on their side and knew exactly where to hit us. Without warning, they razed the dry-docks, destroying hundreds of ships in for repair or still under construction. Most of the ships at the staging points were refueling or swapping out crews. They put of a brave fight, but they didn’t last long either.”

  One of the captains put a hand on the admiral’s shoulder.

  “We would have lost more,” Shen continued, shaking his head as he spoke, “but a lone ship avoided one of the ITU traps and got word out. By the time we realized what was happening, and how dire our losses were, it was too late to do anything. We didn’t have the ships to mount a decent defense any more, let alone any kind of offens
ive. My understanding is most of the isolated ships intentionally crash-landed on worlds still held by the Commonwealth. They’ve managed to create a last line of defense that has held off the ITU ground forces, so far.”

  “And your fourteen ships?” Alden asked.

  “Actually, only twelve were under my command. We were on a border patrol when the fighting started. Thankfully, we were close enough to pick up Mr. Linwood’s distress signal. He and a second ship filled with diplomats were on their way to see if they could reason with the ITU and reduce mounting tensions.” Shen scoffed. “If only they knew. Obviously, the ITU wasn’t in the mood to talk. We managed to intervene and save both ships, but one was critically damaged. Thanks to Mr. Linwood’s . . . friend,” Shen nodded to Janet, “we were able to disguise ourselves and sneak past the ITU patrols to make it safely here.”

  “Things are not looking too good for us,” Tyra said with a sigh.

  “That has got to be the understatement of the year,” Janet said. “The Union is everywhere out there. There isn’t a single world that isn’t under siege. The Commonwealth forces, or at least what’s left of them, are managing to hold their own. But it’s only a matter of time before the Union overwhelms them.”

  “So the Union might just win this war?” Ronald asked, rubbing his chin.

  “Not while I’m alive,” Alden said with a grin.

  “What do you plan to do?” Rufas asked. “Impose economic sanctions on them? I’m afraid that refusing to trade won’t stop them this time.”

  “Core Industries is planning something a little more heavy handed.”

  “With what?” Shen asked. “Your security force is barely large enough to defend your trade lanes under normal circumstances. As things are now, you must be pushed to the limit,”

  “That would be true if he hadn’t already evacuated the other CI worlds,” Brent said with a smile.

  Everyone at the table stared at the Weaver in shock. Alden and Cain both dropped their utensils. Janet’s eyes widened.

  “Think about it,” Brent said, putting down his fork. “This world is packed with refugees, and yet they all somehow managed to arrive here before anyone else. Our ship left Deriso right as the ITU started invading and managed to get here without running into any trouble. We should have been one of the first to arrive. However, the PSF was already at their limit before we even landed, plus the docking hub was empty when you all showed up. There isn’t an active flow of refugees through that hub. Obviously, Alden knew the ITU was up to no good and started evacuating at the first sign of trouble. I bet Eos is the only world with any CI personnel on it.”