“Right. A very good job, Steph. You did excellent work.”
“Thank you, sir.”
We have all been soldiers, and we were now soldiers of fortune. We didn't particularly care what civilians, or anyone else, thought of us. Their opinions didn't bother us one way or the other. But we did care very highly what our buddies thought of us. I watched as Stephanie tried to hide the wide smile after I complimented her.
“A lot depended on you, Steph, and you came through. It wasn’t long ago I was thinking I didn’t have a good backup plan in case you failed. But I was confident that Stephanie Aug never fails.”
Her smile broke through the facial restrains. Her eyes beamed with pride. “Thank you again, sir.”
I walked over to the portable bar, dropped ice in two glasses, and poured some bourbon in. I gave her one glass.
“Have a drink. We can celebrate your success.”
“We hope it’s a success, sir. We still have to run the test. Are you going to be watching?”
“Just from here. Got other things to do. But Majaste has been dependable. I trust he has delivered the finest PVTs they have.”
“He should have. He’s a little shaky and shifty around the edges, but, on a one-on-one deal, he can be counted on. Besides, I’m sure he hopes we will do business with him again in the future. So he won’t double cross us how. We got a communication from him earlier today. No progress on the investigation about who the shooters were. Their identity is still a mystery.”
“One more puzzle, but we may not have to worry about it. When we head to Vega it may be a moot point.”
“When do we go?”
“In three days.” I told her. “All our equipment is being loaded. Including the huge tunnel builders that we’ll be taking to dig off the earth from the buried cities. Belen, thankfully, has men and women trained to operate them, and she told me both the machines and the drivers are very good. Give us a week and we can unearth the cities. And dump the sand in the ocean, I suppose. We’re right on the edge of an ocean, might as well use the water. We’ll get the latest probe intelligence minutes before we leave. Last report is that the Molochs are massing for an attack but still have forces marching to join them. Should take about ten days before all their men are consolidated into one immense army. Hope they have lousy commanders. Of course it won’t take much strategy. They just plan to overwhelm us with numbers.”
“Logan, Majaste told me there were rumors about a third race on Vega, a race that keeps in the shadows, or underground. But it’s a race that controls the Molochs.”
I nodded. “That is a rumor, but there is no evidence it's true. If there is a third race, they have done an excellent job of making themselves invisible. I don’t care if there’s a third race or not, as long as they keep in their holes and don’t bother us.”
“By the way, I know the theory that our friend Jaclyn is part of an unfallen race. And I agree with others who say there is something indisputably unique about her.”
“Does she remind you of a younger you?”
Stephanie laughed and shook her head. “I was never that innocent, not even when I was five years old. Never. But if the Aristolans are a created race and are unfallen, how did the Molochs get on the planet?”
I had lifted my glass. After Stephanie’s question it stayed halfway to my mouth. I blinked.
“You know, with everything else that has been going on, I never thought about that. It’s a good question. It’s also a question that I have no answer to. Maybe we can ask the Aristolans when we get to Vega. It would be interesting to find out. Maybe the devil pulled off a creation on the same planet. Right now I’m concerned about other things. Such as, you can pilot a TigerShark, can’t you?”
“Sure can. I can take off on a dime and give you two nickels in change. I am one with the computer and one with the jet. If things get nasty, I can blow any opponent out of the ski. Don’t wear pants when I fly. More comfortable without the fatigues. Do keep the lingerie on though. Just kind of a thing with me.”
“Thank you for sharing that with me, Stephanie.”
Stephanie raised her glass and laughed. “I like it when a commanding officer has a sense of humor. To total and absolute victory.”
“To victory.” I said.
I was staring again at our blue Belgium – it had become a habit – when Belen knocked on the door and walked in. With her was a tall stranger, dark hair, likeable smile and an amiable manner. There are some people who project an aura of friendliness. As soon as you meet them, you like them. The tall stranger was one of those.
“Logan, I want you to meet someone.” Belen said.
As I stood up, she pointed to the stranger. “This is James Mavers. He’s going to give us a planet. Well, for a little money, that is.”
“That’s still to be decided.” he said, but the voice was jovial.
“Jim, this is Major Logan Ryvenbark. I say ‘major,’ but his titles seem to keep rotating. So I’m never exactly sure what rank he really holds.”
“Major is fine.” I said.
We shook hands. He had firm shake to go with his amiable manner.
“Jim will be joining us on our trip to Vega.”
“Really? Are you sure you want to do that, Mr. Mavers?”
“Call me Jim, Major. And no, I’m not certain I want to accompany you, but there’s money at stake, and I often do questionable things for money.”
“For a trip to Vega there must be a great deal of money in the pot.”
“There is.” Mavers said.
“Sit down.” I gestured to the two chairs before my desk. Belen took one chair. Mavers the other.
“Jim has the deed to a nice little planet that would be perfect for the Aristolans. He is thinking of selling it to me and to the Aristolans for considerably less than he could get from other buyers. I’m appealing to his pureness of heart.”
“I’ve always believed in doing good deeds, but I do pause when the good deed comes with a high price tag.”
“How will a trip to Vega help you make a decision?”
He crossed his legs. “Belen told me a very interesting tale. Never heard one like it before in my life. Then she introduced me to a young lady named Jaclyn. Taken together the two nearly swept me off my feet. And I was almost ready to give up the largest poker pot I’ve ever made. But I just wanted to be sure. I want to see this so-called nonfallen race myself.”
“You realize there is element of danger in this trip?”
“Belen assures me you have everything under control, Major. She told me the trip may be hazardous, but said we’d be safe.”
“We should be. Maybe. But when other folks are doing their best to kill you, no commander can give you an absolute guarantee. Which most people want when their lives are at stake.”
“I understand that. We don’t get any iron-clad guarantees in poker either.” He must have seen my blank expression. “Poker is my business, Major. Sometimes it can be a little dangerous too. But it is profitable.”
I smiled. I couldn’t help but like the guy.
“So if Belen’s story is true, you…”
“The planet will be hers. She is, of course, paying me a small price for it.” He shook his head. “But it is an intriguing tale she tells. I must admit I am curious about it.”
“You are welcome on board, Jim, but try to keep your head down. And I would suggest staying toward the rear lines. You are coming to observe - right? And not to fight?”
“I try to stay away from fighting as much as possible. I draw my gun only when I have to.”
“A very wise philosophy. We’ll try to keep you away from the fighting. We hope there won’t be any but that’s something else I can’t guarantee. Maybe you can give us poker tips on the trip.”
“I’ll be happy too, major.”
“Any belongings? We can fit you into a cabin. We lift off in three days.”
“Just a small suitcase. A change of clothes and a bottle of my favorite b
ourbon. I travel light.”
I thought of an old trick I'd seen one time and wondered if Jim would fall for it. “Jim, what if I bet you I can cut the Ace of Spades from a deck?”
“I suggest you don’t bet any money. But we can do it as an experiment.” He reached into his coat and brought out a deck. He lifted it up. “Always carry one with me. Don’t mind if I shuffle, do you?”
“Not at all.”
He eased his chair toward the desk and shuffled the cards. To my unprofessional eye he looked extremely professional. He shuffled a few more times and thumped the deck.
“Cut away, Major.”
I flicked the knife out of my belt, raised it and jammed it through the deck. “Did I just cut the Ace of Spades?”
Jim gave a big smile. He reached into his sleeve and brought out the Ace of Spades.
“No, major, you didn’t.”
I laughed. “Very good. I should have realized you would know all the old poker tricks.”
“A professional gambler has to.”
“Let me put your mind at rest. I’m a better military man and tactician than I am a poker player. Our enemies won’t have such an easy time with me.”
“I don’t doubt that for a second. Not a second.”
I yanked my knife from the deck. “It’s been good to meet you.”
Belen stood up. “I think that’s our exit line. It means Logan wants to get back to work.”
Mavers waved as he left. “Be with you in a minute, Jim.” Belen said. She turned to me. “How are the preparations coming?”
“About as good as could be expected. As long as your people can get those earth movers in the ships and get them to work on Vega, we should be fine.”
Chapter 21
Later that day I turned the chair around and flicked on the huge screen showing the testing ground. It was a heavily wooded area with three feet of snow on the ground. We had designed and placed a half-dozen Synthetics – designed with human properties - on the ground. The white sheen of their metallic skin contrasted with the green leaves and dark branches of the trees. They walked slowly on the ground, not having any destination.
The snow had stopped falling, and the temperature was above 32 degrees, much different than the day I had arrived on the planet. If Majaste was correct, the plant life would not be harmed. Which was darn important. Atomic explosions near the Aristolan territory could well have lethal repercussions for both the Aristolans and our rescue team. So could other types of extremely high-power explosives. But if the sales pitch was accurate, a PVC would have a limited, yet lethal, range, without disturbing either plant or animal life.
As the seconds ticked down, another possible problem popped into my head. The toxic mist spread by the bomb should be immediately lethal to advancing soldiers, Majaste said. But no one knew anything about the genetic makeup of the Molochs. They looked more animal than human. So would the toxic spray kill them? Could they somehow be immune to the spray? What were the odds of that? What if we landed on Vega and discovered that our adversaries were the one race in the galaxies immune to the spray? War is often like that - full of nasty surprises. There was no way of finding out. It wasn't like we could kidnap a few Molochs and drop them in the bomb zone. Too late for that. Although I regretted I hadn’t thought of that sooner. Maybe I could have dispatched Rab to hogtie a few Molochs and drop them in the toxic zone.
Relax, I told myself. Lethal is lethal. If the toxins can kill every other race in the galaxy, chances are the poisons can take care of the Molochs, too. They may be savage and bloodthirsty but that doesn’t give them extra protection against a deadly mist.
One rule of warfare is that you never underestimate an enemy. But you should never overestimate him either. Know the strengths and weaknesses of your own forces and understand your enemy. If you do, you shouldn’t experience crushing defeats unless you make a huge mental mistake. The best tacticians are those who can coldly evaluate both sides.
I shook my head. I still wondered if I had overlooked something. I eased my chair over and punched some buttons on the hologram. I turned the chair around and watched the German general, the iron cross around his neck, appear. He carried a baton, raised it to his cap and saluted.
“Gen. Rommel. Good to see you again.”
“Major, how is your campaign going?”
“After a great deal of preparation we are almost ready to exit the planet.”
He nodded.
“What do you think of our plans, General? I’d like to have your opinion.”
“Your plans are valid. I can’t think of anything more you could do. Your plans are roughly analogous to mine on the D-Day invasion. I had my troops lay thousands of mines on the beaches of France. We had to stop the invasion before it began. I knew if the enemy ever seized a beachhead, the battle would be lost.” he said.
I nodded. Even so, if Hitler had released his Panzers, which he should have done, the invasion might have turned out differently.
“In this case you must stop your enemy before he seizes any territory of your allies. If they can get through the mountain ranges and charge into Aristolan territory, you’ve lost.”
“Yes.”
“Can the PVCs do what the land mines failed to do?”
“I think so. Our forces are a few minutes away from a test that will prove that - one way or the other. We have every reason to be confident, but in a war there is always the unexpected.”
“Yes, a test is very wise. Hopefully all will go well. As I looked at the map, there is no other way for your enemies to invade than through the mountain passes. That’s good. Unlike Normandy, there are only three pathways in. You don’t have to guess.”
“Yes, that’s my advantage. I don’t have to guard two thousand miles of coastline. Just three small areas. Those are the only roads they can take. I’m guessing they’re going to go through all three at the same time.”
“What is the terrain like?”
“Between the mountains, flat land mostly.”
“Too bad. Mountains, hills, and rough terrain can slow an army. It’s easier walking over plains. They have any modern equipment, modern transportation?”
“No. Best we can tell they’re walking. Which also is something of a plus for our side. An army may march on its stomach, but any army is slower on foot than in an armored transport.”
“What’s the weather?”
“Looks like spring or summer on the continent. There’s no snow or blizzards to slow the Moloch army down.”
“Pity. The Russian winter was a big help to the Soviet Union when fighting the Nazis. It wasn’t the first time the weather proved to be a big ally for Moscow.”
“Yes, I wished we had snowfalls of five feet. That would help deter the invaders.”
“Know anything about the commanders?”
I shook my head. “General, the army I am facing looks to be barely above the level and mentality of animals. Maybe they’re hybrids of animals and men. I’m guessing they have very little knowledge of military procedures or military tactics. I don’t think their commanders are highly intelligent, nor are they going to worry about tactics. And, like Stalin, I have a hunch the Moloch commanders don’t care a fig about their troops. If all two million die I don’t think what the Moloch call officers will care. The only thing they are concerned about is the total elimination of their enemies.”
Deadly Voyage (Logan Ryvenbark's Saga Book 1) Page 14