“General, Colonel Wilcox on the Yorktown wishes to speak to you,
Sir.”
Jake nodded his thanks, and put on the headset. “Matthews here.”
“Sir, I just had an ET cruiser intercepted on its way to your LZ complex. It would not respond when I put a cloaked Command Wing on his tail and tried to communicate, so I had him splashed. Since you’re not on mission, Jas thought I should contact you before I obliterated the entire ET air wing.”
Jake chuckled. “Thanks Doug, have you tried calling on Zaros to find out what kind of stunt it was?”
“Yes Sir, and I’m getting the run around from their Command Control,” Wilcox answered.
“Okay then, you have firing solutions from both the Intrepid and the Yorktown for all ET craft, and military installations, so go to full alert until us ground pounders get some sleep. Keep trying to reach Zaros. Any more little ET cruiser excursions, and I want them sent a message they will never forget.”
“Aye, aye, Sir. We’re taping now, go ahead,” Wilcox replied.
“Matthews, General, USMC, Commandant,” Jake identified himself officially. “Colonel’s Peters and Wilcox, commanding the Starships Intrepid and Yorktown, are hereby ordered to destroy all Passallion military craft and bases, if and when even one more military craft takes flight in disobedience of my order to the Passallion leader, Zaros. The Passallion home world is a no fly zone, and will remain so until I give orders to the contrary. End directive. Okay, Doug?”
“That’ll do her, Sir, get some sleep, and I’ll put your message on a loop to the ET Command.”
“We’ll be rotating up on the Intrepid with the rest of the detachment until they transport our base to the new LZ, so you’ll know where to find me.”
“I won’t disturb you again unless I need to blow up the planet,” Wilcox deadpanned.
Jake laughed for a few moments before signing off. He related the conversation to Mercer, who simply nodded, grinning. “We’ll be lucky if there’s any planet left by the time we wake up, Jake. If I were the ET’s, I’d be careful about launching cruisers on Doug’s watch.”
“Let’s go get some sleep, because if they can’t raise Zaros, we’ll have to go find out what happened to him. I ain’t Bug dancing for a bunch of ET’s bent on stabbing us in the back.”
“Amen to that,” Mercer agreed. “Should we go take the boy wonder into custody?”
“No,” Jake shook his head negatively. “They won’t dismantle the main complex where my quarters are for hours yet. Leave him there till they tear down the room around him, and Lieutenant Spiros.”
“They’ll probably be married before he gets up to the Intrepid, with the way he was looking at her,” Mercer offered.
“As long as he doesn’t wake me up for the ceremony, I don’t care,” Jake said tiredly.
The light chiming of his cabin’s call system announced someone at his cabin entrance. Jake rolled over gingerly, taking note of the soreness emanating from every muscle and joint in his body. He sat up on his bunk, and then stood up slowly. His chest wound felt tight, and he refrained from scratching at it.
“Come in,” Jake called out, as he walked over to pour some of the tea, he kept simmering at all times.
Mercer walked in, followed closely by Dougherty.
“Hi guys, want some tea?”
“How are you feeling, Jake?” Mercer smiled, taking a cup of tea Jake held out to him.
“Sore, but who isn’t?” Jake answered, handing Dougherty a cup. “Any Passallion’s still alive?”
“Yep,” Mercer answered, as they all sat down at Jake’s table. “No movement of any kind, but also no word from ET Command.”
“How long have I been sleeping?”
“Ten hours, Jake,” Dougherty answered. “They’re just finishing up the LZ prep for the second nest now, so there wasn’t any reason to get you up any earlier.”
“Are you married yet?”
“Not yet,” Dougherty replied good naturedly, “but I think I’m working on it. When this ends, do you think you could get me a gig on the same ship or station with Lieutenant Spiros?”
“That serious, huh?” Jake asked. “You’ve got it, if you want it. I have a little experience with close quarter relationships, Tim, under less than domestic conditions. Be careful what you wish for, buddy.”
“I’ve already given him the lecture, Jake,” Mercer put in. “It’s love at first sight, so we’ll just have to get behind it until further notice. You can’t see it, but Tim here’s already wearing the nose ring.”
“That’ll be enough out of you, Han,” Dougherty retorted. “Just remember what they say about payback. I haven’t gone through the vid’s of the hovercraft cabin during our last little trip to a nest. No telling what kind of expression on your face I can find to launch another tee shirt craze with.”
“You only joke like that because you think I won’t let Mr. Snappy do my talking for me, Doughboy,” Mercer replied, pointing his finger threateningly at Dougherty.
“Any ideas on this ET deal?” Jake asked, changing the subject back to business.
“Let’s warn them we’re coming to check on Zaros, and if they get in the way, the Bugs won’t be the only things exterminated on the planet,” Mercer offered.
“You’ve been hanging out with Doug too much, Charlie,” Jake laughed. “That’s the kind of one sentence diplomacy I get into trouble for. I like the idea about warning them to have Zaros on hand for a talk, or we’ll get nasty though. You guys go get the message sent, round up the boys, and prep Alpha for a visit to ET Command, full armor and weapons. Tim, find the Intrepid fire control officer, and see about rigging a firing solution like you did back on Earth for those mobs.”
“Who said negotiations can’t be fun,” Mercer said, standing. “What are you going to do, Jake?”
“Just get some chow, and suit up,” Jake answered. “I’ll see you guys on Alpha. I don’t need to remind you guys of the fact if we didn’t lose anyone down in that damn nest; therefore, I don’t want a single casualty during this chit chat session with the ET’s either, do I?”
“Understood,” Dougherty answered, joining Mercer at Jake’s cabin hatch. “This is getting more dangerous by the minute for our little friends.”
“Hey, it’s their choice, not ours,” Mercer reminded him. “C’mon Doughboy, lets get through with this crap so we can go see the women.”
“Now, you’re talkin’,” Dougherty said, clapping Mercer on the back as they exited. “I’m beginning to get into the mood to nuke this one from orbit.”
“Hey, hey, hey…that’ll be enough of that talk,” Jake objected, as his two friends departed laughing.
Major Corey met Jake outside of Alpha Drop Ship.
“Hi Sara,” Jake greeted Corey after returning her salute. “Any word from ET Command. I haven’t checked in yet.”
“No, really?” Corey kidded him. “Why do you think I’m standing out here like a dork, waiting for you to decide to join us?”
“Charlie put you up to this, didn’t he?” Jake sighed. “Put me on report later. What’s up?”
“No word, and all firing solutions have been programmed in on both the Intrepid and Yorktown. Anything hostile, moving towards our force with an ET DNA signature will be greeted with extreme prejudice. Tim and Charlie have five companies of Nest Marines on board, locked and loaded. Yes, Charlie put me up to it,” Corey concluded with a grin.
Jake nodded, returning her smile. “Sounds like we’re ready. I hope for the ET’s sake, this is just a miscommunication of some kind.”
“One thing though, Jake,” Corey cautioned him. “The Intrepid and Yorktown can not cover you inside their Command Center, and they have increased power to their force field.”
“Rats, that don’t sound good,” Jake mused. “Will we be able to tell if they have the place booby trapped like they did back on the Bazantlan home world?”
“Not through the force field, and their goofy ionic atmo
sphere, but Tim says we’ll know what they brush their teeth with from down there.”
“Good,” Jake replied. “Let’s go down fully cloaked and shielded. We’ll land right on their front lawn, and play it by ear from there.”
“Aye, aye, Sir,” Corey acknowledged. “I’ll be talkin’ to you, that is, if you ever put your headset or helmet on, General.”
“Why you.” Jake began, but stopped as Cory gave him a little wave, and jogged towards her cockpit hatch.
Jake switched his helmet to his left hand, and fumbled his headset into place. He left it turned off though as he walked through the rear Drop Ship hatch. Over five hundred Marines snapped to attention with a chorus of ‘ooh-rahs’ inside the Drop Ship. Jake grinned appreciatively at the familiar faces of his elite force. Not for the first time did he consider wiping out the ET home world rather than risking even one of the young men in front of him.
“At ease, boys,” Jake called out, as he sealed the rear hatch. “Strap in, and remember when we get down there, don’t take the appearance of these cuddly ET’s as a reason not to vaporize them if they even look at you cross eyed. They ain’t got mandibles, but they sure as hell have weapons. If an ET gets blown apart, making a quick move to scratch his butt, one of you thought was suspicious, well that’s just too bad. Understood?”
Another chorus loudly professed the Nest Marines’ understanding of their Commander’s rules of engagement. They all sat down and began strapping in as ordered. Jake walked back to his usual seat next to Mercer and Dougherty, near the Drop Ship’s deck gun at the center of the ship. He nodded at Vic McClure and his squad, seated against the bulkhead to his left. He sat down in between his two friends.
“Nice speech,” Mercer said.
“I just don’t want anyone getting fatherly down there concerning our cute little friends,” Jake replied. “Tim, will the increased power to their force field give us any problems?”
Dougherty laughed. “You could have either the Intrepid or the Yorktown give them a little lesson in the futility of trying to force field us away; but they might make an error in intensity up there, leaving the ET’s with no force field, in which case it will be dinner time for the Bugs. I’ll be the force field adjuster when we get down to it. I’ve figured out what it will take to punch through without a meltdown.”
“And if we need a firing solution from Intrepid or Yorktown?” Jakeasked.
“Then the ET’s will have bigger problems than our landing force,” Dougherty answered. “I talked to Colonel Wilcox, and I don’t think he cares much about whether their force field protection survives or not. I believe he’ll take out the whole field, and blanket the surface around us with particle beam fire out to a mile radius.”
“Ouch,” Jake commented.
“There won’t be much of a Command Center left to negotiate with,” Mercer added. “If you plan on talking to anyone down there, Jake, you better keep in touch with our ship commanders. Jas was silent the whole time Doug laid out his plan of overwhelming force to us, and I don’t think either one of them think much of this interdiction.”
“I will keep my helmet on,” Jake concluded. “You guys think we should just pack up, let the Bugs have the ET’s, and then come back later to take care of the winner?”
“I think their historical significance is something to look into once things stabilize,” Mercer opined. “If some of the ungrateful little pricks open up on us though, I’m on Doug’s side.”
“I’ve brushed up on some of my history since meeting up with them, and this could be a big deal in terms of trade and alliances,” Dougherty offered. “You have to look down that road, Jake. Charlie and I have talked it over, and we back anything you think best in the big picture. The people back on Earth ain’t going to like it if we exterminate the ET’s.”
‘Tea, I thought of that,” Jake sighed. “Oh well, thanks for the input. We’ll try to save them, but you be wild on the deck gun, Tim. Our guys can handle themselves inside, but I want anything alive with a weapon on the ground, or in any of the buildings around us wasted if we go in.”
“I’m going to take care of that little problem before we even set down,” Dougherty replied. “Colonel Peters has already warned them not to have any armed personnel in the area, or they will be killed. I believe they think the modifications in their shield will suffice to make them invulnerable to our landing. We were busting shield technology like they have back during the Tarawa Jump Gate conflict.”
Jake nodded, and switched on his headset. “Matthews here, Harpy. Take us down.”
“Harpy, aye,” Corey shot back, drawing laughter on the command channel. Corey eased Alpha out of the Intrepid hanger bay, and began the descent. “Tell Tim to get his headset on, and get in position. We’ll be at the force field in five minutes.
As the Drop Ship left dock, Dougherty put on his helmet at Jake’s gesture, and went up inside his gun turret to strap in.
“On line, Major Corey,” Dougherty reported formally.
“Four minutes and counting, Tim,” Corey replied.
“Aye, aye, Ma’am,” Dougherty acknowledged.
“Colonel’s Peters and Wilcox, you will refrain from vaporizing the ET populace until I say so, okay?” Jake inserted.
“Aye, aye, Sir, but what about when you’re out of sight, and Alpha comes under attack?” Wilcox asked immediately.
“Sara will have countermanding authority in any situation endangering Alpha and our troops while I’m in the Command Center. Anything else?”
“Good luck, Jake,” Peters replied. “I hope things work out. You’ll still be on line the whole time, won’t you?”
“Tep, and we’ll have the helmet cams on.”
“Okay Tim, we’re here,” Corey announced. “You reading it on your scanner?”
“I see it. Are we cloaked and shielded?” Dougherty asked.
“Not until you say so,” Corey answered.
“On my mark,” Dougherty said, as he counted down from ten, and fired a low intensity disruptor blast into the shield structure.
Chapter 43
ET Leadership Adjustment
Corey cloaked and powered up Alpha’s shielding, punching through the Passallion force field where Dougherty had cleared the way. “We’re through, Jake, and on our way down.”
“I’m scanning ET Command Central, while descending,” Dougherty added. “Plenty of ET’s around, but no weapons. We’ll have to get closer for me to be sure about the building.”
“Land her, Sara, and let’s see if we take fire,” Jake ordered. “Let me know if anything changes, Tim?”
“Yes Sir,” Dougherty replied.
“You don’t think they can see through our cloak, do you, Jake?” Corey asked, maneuvering through the atmosphere.
“I don’t know, Sara, but I hate surprises.”
“Hang on, we’re coming in to land at the pavilion in front of the Command Center. You could cut through the top of the building and descend inside like at the Bazantlan prison complex,” Corey suggested.
“I’m not that interested in stealth, Sara,” Jake replied, leaning back and closing his eyes in concentration. “I kind of like Zaros and his people, but not enough to go sneaking around inside an unfamiliar complex from the top.”
A slight jolt heralded Corey’s next statement. “We’re on the ground, Jake. Nice looking building.”
“Scanning now,” Dougherty informed them. “We have armed ET’s inside the complex on every level. Their avenues outside are all deserted.”
“No one moving, other than normal traffic, in any of their other areas on planet,” Colonel Peters added. “We’re monitoring their space station too. If they so much as blow their nose, Doug and I will wipe it for them.”
“Tim, can you isolate the armed ET signals inside the complex, and narrow a beam to zap right through and pick them off?” Jake asked.
“Oh man, why didn’t I think of that?” Dougherty stated. “Hell yea, I can. Working on it.”<
br />
“Jas, open a channel again, and warn them we ain’t playing around here. Tell them to march Zaros out so we can see what’s happening.”
“Right away, Jake,” Peters acknowledged.
Jake stood up, and five companies of Nest Marines jumped to their feet with him. He led them over to the rear hatch, with Mercer by his side. They all put on their helmets, and made final checks on their weapons.
“I’ve got them zeroed, Jake,” Dougherty said. “It looks inside to be some kind of stupid ploy to get our force inside, and then ambush you guys inside the entrance.”
“No answer, Jake,” Peters put in.
“Start with the ones nearest the inside entrance area, Tim, and try out your beam.”
“Aye, aye, Sir.”
Jake watched the front of the building from the monitor at the rear of Alpha Drop Ship. Pencil sharp beams hit the Command Center, one after another.
“They don’t know what to do, Jake,” Dougherty whispered. “This is so cool. I don’t know how far the beams are going though. They’re puncturing the building, their targets, and then right out through the other side. Anybody out there on the other end ain’t happy either. Want me to try cutting down the intensity, Jake?”
“Nope. Keep at it, Tim. When they start getting the message let meknow.”
Tim laughed a few moments later. “They’re slow learners, Jake, but I think it’s dawning on them how unhealthy it is to be holding an energy weapon.”
“Okay, now that you have their attention, me and the boys will go in and help them spring their trap,” Jake replied, as he dropped the rear hatch.
“They can still have conventional weapons, Jake,” Dougherty reminded him. “I can’t read those.”
“That won’t do them any good against our armor,” Jake replied. “Let’s go, boys.”
Jake nodded at Mercer, who took charge of deployment. Three companies of Marines deployed around the ship, and everywhere between Alpha Drop Ship and the Command Center. Mercer directed company commanders, who in turn set up liaisons with their platoon and squad leaders. Ten minutes later, Jake and Mercer were at the front entrance with Vic McClure’s squad with them, and two companies of Marines behind them.
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