The Tactics of Revenge thc-4

by T. R. Harris

  “Sure it will,” Andy Tobias said. “All you have to do is get us in past the front gate. We’ll do the rest.”

  “What gate? Where is there a gate on a starship?” Kaylor was genuinely confused.

  “It’s a figure of speech, Kaylor. Don’t sweat it.”

  “Don’t sweat what? This is getting far too complicated!”

  The three Humans looked at each with looks of exasperation. Finally Riyad spoke up.

  “At least we’ll have some time to bone up on how to pass ourselves off as a recharge crew. That part shouldn’t be too hard. Any luck with locating a charging station, Kaylor.”

  It took a moment before Kaylor could shake the concerned paralysis that kept him staring at the Humans. When he was able to function again he looked down at the datapad.

  “Since I do not know when the Juirean was last recharged, I have to assume a maximum range on a fresh recharge. That puts the planet Cesnick as a logical destination. If they must do it sooner, then there is only one this side of Cesnick, and that would be Zinnol. If the Juirean does not want to push their range, then a recharge at Zinnol will get them all the way the Juir without a problem. But I’m still not comfortable assisting you in boarding the battlecruiser.”

  “How far are we from this planet Zinnol?” Tobias asked, ignoring the alien’s continued protests.

  “It will take the Juirean fifty-two days to get there. At maximum drive, we could be there in forty-eight. We will have to recharge ourselves before we could continue any further.”

  Tobias smiled at everyone at the table, a big toothy grin that caused Kaylor to tense up. The SEAL had not been around aliens long enough to know that baring ones teeth was a sign of challenge. That realization would come with time — or an accepted challenge. Those kinds of lessons were hard to forget.

  “It looks like we have a plan,” Lt. Tobias pronounced proudly. “Progress is being made.” He then placed a hand on Sherri’s. “We’ll get him back, I promise. I’m not accustomed to leaving any of my team behind in the hands of the enemy. This will just be your basic extraction operation. A piece of cake.”

  Sherri grinned back at the big bear of a sailor, yet with a look of sadness in her eyes. For all their boasting and bravado, she was hoping they wouldn’t be too late.

  Chapter 30

  The trip to Zinnol just underscored the realities of interstellar travel. Nearly two months of being cramped up in a metal tube, interacting with the same people day in and day out, began to take its toll on the five occupants of the JU-224.

  After the first ten days of learning all they could about recharging procedures, the planet Zinnol and their tentative assault plans, the remainder of the time was spent trying to find solitude from the others aboard the ship. The two aliens, Kaylor and Jym, seemed to better handle the boredom and cramped living conditions; after all they had spent the better part of their lives dealing with the time and distances involved in moving between the stars. The three Humans, on the other hand, were beginning to grate on each other’s nerves.

  Lieutenant Andy Tobias stayed in contact with Riyad’s Exitor trailing the Juirean battleship. Aboard the ship were Navy Master-Chief Geoffrey Rutledge and Petty Officer First Class John Tindal, two of the SEALs who had accompanied Adam and his force from Earth. During the four strikes that team had made on Juirean recruiting meetings, Riyad and Tobias would alternate with the two SEALs to make the hits. However, for the three attacks Adam and Sherri had conducted, the two Humans were the only ones involved in the actual strikes. Kaylor and Jym simply manned the Exitor while Adam and Sherri were on-planet — killing Juireans.

  Kaylor had cranked up the well-intensity for the JU-224 and plotted a course for Zinnol which would get them to the planet four days before the Juireans, while at the same time avoiding the warship as they drew near the planet. The energy required did deplete their own modules, but their final destination was a recharging station. Replenishing their own energy levels once they reached Zinnol would be the first priority.

  Needless to say, by the time the JU-224 entered the Zinnolean stellar system, its tiny crew were climbing the walls, ready for some action. The fact that Adam’s rescue would be the result — hopefully — was a welcome bonus.

  Riyad’s ship, The Secura, had confirmed that the Juirean ship was indeed headed for the planet. Throughout the trip to Juir, the Juirean warship had made a number of small course corrections toward Zinnol. About seven days before reaching the planet, Tobias sent the order for Rutledge to beat feet for Zinnol ahead of the Juirean and to meet the rest of the assault team at the main energy facility on the planet.

  Exitors were small enough to land on the surface without too much difficulty, and there was an unbridled excitement aboard each ship when they finally joined up above the planet and began a slow tandem chemical descent for the sprawling, armpit of a city called Ragnor Lin.

  Zinnol was located in a yellow star system consisting of eleven planets, of which only Zinnol was habitable. The system sat isolated from any nearby clusters, providing just the right mix of void and interstellar matter for the optimal functioning of passing gravity-drive starships. Zinnol had served as a crossroads for most of the traffic in this section of the Expansion for nearly a thousand years, although never during that time had it attained any great wealth of its own. Instead the planet’s population consisted of menagerie of transient beings, most just passing through hoping to make a quick fortune in the energy trade. But like so many others throughout history, most of their hopes and dreams went unfulfilled. What resulted on Zinnol — and Ragnor Lin in particular — was an incredible spread between the rich energy monopolies and everyone else. The dregs who remained as a semi-permanent population fed on the transients, running scams, engaging in robberies and often resorting to murder in their efforts to survive another day.

  Riyad had made planetfall on over a dozen different worlds in his eight years in space, so even though Zinnol was bland and unimpressive from orbit, he didn’t really care. It was just another place other than Earth — and it didn’t even have a souvenir magnet he could buy to place on his refrigerator.

  Throughout the years, Riyad had steadily built up a reckless self-confidence regarding his superiority to every new species he encountered. He knew this habit could be dangerous because somewhere in the galaxy there had to be a creature who could kick his ass. The fact that he had not encountered this being to date didn’t alter the possibility. Yet no matter how hard he tried to convince himself that it was better to be prudent than sorry, he still couldn’t make himself come to respect aliens of any kind. Maybe once he met a real challenge from them, he might change his mind. But until that time, he remained callus and unafraid when making a new planetfall.

  Andy Tobias, on the other hand, always found landing on an alien world an occasion for celebration. It didn’t matter whether the world was a stunning beauty or a dust ball like Zinnol, Tobias could always be found in the pilothouse, his eyes wide and unblinking, a grin spreading his face, watching the planet grow in the forward viewport. Riyad tolerated the younger man’s enthusiasm as best he could. In a way his reaction was understandable, in another perplexing.

  Tobias was an experienced Special Forces officer who had operated in nearly every corner of the planet Earth. He was constantly traveling to foreign countries and encountering other cultures. Making a new planetfall was very similar to this, in Riyad’s opinion. Yet to the American, every landing was still exciting and awe-inspiring.

  Riyad sat in a rear seat in the pilothouse of the JU-224, studying the expression on Andy’s face, in a way wishing he shared that same child-like enthusiasm for new people, places and things. Yet from an early age, Riyad’s entire demeanor and personality had been one of pragmatic detachment. He used people as a means to an end, rarely developing any deep feelings for other living beings. In a way, he was the perfect space traveler. Nothing shocked him, nothing impressed him. All that mattered were the missions he executed, which to h
im were more like games, to be planned, played and scored. His survival — often at the expense of others — was how he determined the final score.

  Lately, however, Riyad had spent a lot of time around others who lived their lives more magnanimously, at service to others. Again, he could understand their motivations. What he couldn’t do was relate. Riyad Tarazi, native of Lebanon, terrorist by training, warrior by choice, was dead inside. This he acknowledged; this he accepted.

  And now here he was, descending toward another alien world, inhabited by beings he didn’t give a damn about. He was once again on a mission, and undoubtedly, aliens were going to die during its implementation. Riyad tried to make himself care. As usual, it just wasn’t happening.

  Chapter 31

  The two Exitors landed about three hundred meters apart in a tremendous cloud of red dust. An electrostatic charge ran through the main viewport of the JU-224 keeping the dust from accumulating on its surface, and when the cloud dissipated, the occupants of the pilothouse got their first glimpse at the surface of Zinnol.

  It was nearing dusk, and a dull yellow light cast deep shadows on the dozen or so other starships parked randomly about. Beyond the monochromatic landscape, Riyad could make out a jungle of rusting towers, supports and other rigging of the energy generators about five kilometers away. The red dust was on everything, stirred by small dust devils dancing here and there. Now that the ships had landed, a number of beings were beginning to move about the spaceport once again, nearly all wearing hats and with cloth bandanas covering their mouths and noses, resuming their duties, tending to the ships in the port.

  The two Exitor-class starships were themselves in desperate need of recharging. Although the range of most ships was measured in the hundreds of light years, eventually the cold-fusion reactors that supplied the power for the gravity drives needed to be recharged. The handling of nuclear material had been perfected thousands of years before, now able to be performed by barely-trained creatures. Yet still, the proper equipment was needed and procedures had to be followed. Riyad and his assault team had studied these procedures ad nauseam during the journey here. Now they would see them in action — as well as tighten up their plans for gaining entry to the Juirean battleship.

  The crews handling the recharge of the Exitors would be land-based; the battleship’s recharging would take place in orbit. So for the next four days, Tobias and his team would have to locate an orbital recharging vessel, figure out a way that it would that ship that got the assignment to service the Juirean ship, and then find a way to subdue its current crew when the time came. That’s all. These were just a few of the details that still needed to be ironed out.

  Within fifteen minutes of landing, Rutledge and Tindal came aboard the JU-224 for a quick, yet emotional, reunion with Tobias and Sherri. Riyad had smiled appropriately, yet refrained from the hugs and backslapping. Once the assault team was all together, Lieutenant Tobias assumed command.

  Kaylor and Jym would coordinate the recharging of the two Exitors, while Riyad and Sherri would shadow the crews, gaining information about their employer, the dispatch procedures and where equipment was stored. The three SEALs would prepare the weapons and gear for the assault, while also getting a lay of the land.

  Sherri and Riyad went with Kaylor and Jym to make arrangements for the recharge of the Exitors. The gravity of Zinnol was about standard for the Expansion, somewhere around three-quarters that of Earth’s. Since the gravity aboard the JU-224 had been set at a compromise level for both alien and Human, all four of them experienced some relief in the lighter gravity.

  The dusty atmosphere was difficult to breath in the open, so they all quickly entered one of the many rusty tram cars that snaked their way throughout the area. Once the doors shut, the air was more breathable, yet the smell nearly knocked them over. There was a crush of aliens of all kinds in the car, many sweaty and dirty, having apparently just left their work shift for the journey to their homes.

  A couple of creatures with extremely long necks and two sets of eyes each, made some grunting sounds in their direction, scanning Riyad and Sherri up and down.

  “That is an incredibly foul smell you’re giving off,” one of the creatures said to Sherri. “Move away from me before you make me sick.”

  Sherri looked the creature straight in his eyes. She had simply washed with a deodorant soap earlier, but obviously it was strong enough to be noticed in the cramped quarters. She was immediately upset, insulted that a creature as filthy and disgusting as this one would be offended by her. But before she could fully react, Riyad had pushed his way between her and the four-eyed being.

  Both of them were about the same size, and the alien appeared to be quite muscular. Maybe this will the one, Riyad thought, with a trace of hope.

  “Leave this one alone. She is my mate, and you have now offended me.”

  The top set of eyes blinked rapidly, while the lower pair stared at Riyad. “Move out of my space, you grub-lover,” the creature said, no fear in his voice. “You smell new here, so you may not know who I am.”

  Sherri took hold of Riyad’s arm. “Let’s not start anything. We have a job to do.”

  Riyad continued to stare at the alien. “I know. I won’t cause too much of a ruckus.” And then Riyad placed a hand on the alien’s shoulder. “Yes, my friend, we are new here, and we just want to get along. But if anyone is going to move along, it will be you.” And with that, Riyad began to squeeze, enlisting an immediate groan of agony from the four-eyed creature. He buckled to the side, all this eyes now blinking rapidly.

  His companion moved closer to Riyad, which was a mistake. The Human jabbed the thumb on his free hand into the being’s stomach, sending him to the floor of the tram car, writhing in pain. And then Riyad released the first alien’s shoulder, allowing the injured creature to fall to his knees, rubbing the spot that Riyad had been holding.

  Everyone in the tram began to move away from Sherri and Riyad, as a tense silence feel across the crowd. Riyad looked around, a wild steady look in his eyes. Like in every community, there were the bullies, the blowhards. On Zinnol — or at least in this tram car — the two beings kneeling before Riyad were them. However, from the looks on the faces of the others in car, they had just been replaced by the dark haired creature with the hair growing from his face.

  “That was smooth; nothing like keeping a low profile,” Sherri whispered to Riyad.

  “Just defending your honor, my lady. And by the way, you do smell fabulous this evening.” Riyad could hear the gasp throughout the tram car when Riyad flashed a wide, toothy grin at Sherri.

  In the meantime, Kaylor and Jym had slinked further back into the crowd, wanting to detach themselves as much as possible from the two Humans. Sherri caught Kaylor’s weary eye and sent him a wink. Kaylor had seen this kind of behavior from the Humans too many times before….

  The tram dropped several of the car’s occupants off at the main surface recharge center on the northeast side of the spaceport. Once out of the car, a number of the aliens scurried away quickly, while still sending furtive glances back at the two Humans. Kaylor and Jym still kept their distance as they entered the building.

  Inside the large boxy structure were several counters lining the outer walls, separated by partitions and each sporting their own signage. The whole room looked like the car rental section of a large international airport back on Earth. Riyad and Sherri couldn’t read any of the signs, but as they neared each counter, they heard a translation in their ears.

  Kaylor moved up to one of the counters. “We need a recharge for two ships,” he said to the attendant behind the counter. The creature was very fat — round actually — with an equally round head placed atop the ball that was its body. It had no neck; instead the head simply rotated on top of its body. The being studied a monitor screen on the counter.

  “Type of vessels and location?” it said in a surprisingly deep-toned voice.

  “Exitors, both of them, located in
spaces 234 and 235 in section four,” Kaylor replied.

  The attendant entered some data into its terminal. “What series are the Exitors?”

  “Series Five-A.”

  After a few more key strokes, the round alien looked at Kaylor. “That will be nine hundred thirty credits for each. Recharge can begin at Day8 tomorrow. Make sure access will be granted.”

  Kaylor counted out the credits he had brought, “There will be crew aboard to allow access. In addition, where are the orbital recharging terminals?”

  “Next building over.”

  After a few moments more, Kaylor was handed a datachip carrying the details of the transaction and the four of them left the building. They entered the next one over and found that the orbital ordering procedure was a little more complicated. Kaylor asked an attendant in one of the rooms how ship assignments were handed out. The answer, he was told, depended on the size and make of the ship. The being behind the counter was taken aback slightly when Kaylor mentioned a Class-3 Juirean. Most Juireans, it turned out, normally traveled in convoys with their own energy support ships. As it turned out, there were only a couple of contractors on the planet that could handle Class-3’s; her company did not.

  After receiving the names of the contractors that did handle Juirean-size ships, the small group proceeded to the third floor in the building. Up here the rooms were larger and better appointed. There were four large sections, each hosted by a reception station.

  Again, Kaylor did all the talking.

  “We are the advance team for a Juirean Class-3 which will be arriving in four days,” he said to the shocked being behind the polished stone desk. “I was told your company can handle the recharge.”