Go stopped and grinned. "It is! And worst case, I can have it clone another one!"
Garrett replied, "I thought you corrected its programming so it couldn't replicate itself."
Go shook his head. "I got sidetracked with our trip to Jorus and never set that up."
Garrett sighed as he looked my way with a scowl. "Why'd I open my mouth?"
I spoke with Jack over the comm. "The Grumar force that fled Tanningar, can you scan and locate their whereabouts?"
Jack smiled as he steered the Garmon back to our sector. "I can blast them with my cannons. They can shoot at me all they want, but my guns are much bigger! And ... it looks like they are heading back your way. Hold on ... ooh, that's gonna leave a mark. Give me a minute to clean up here and I'll meet you at the field."
The Garmon landed in the field in front of us. Smoke poured from a meter-wide hole in her side. Her crew, using the shipboard firefighting system, soon had the damaged section under control.
Jack stepped onto the top of the ramp-way to greet us as it lowered. "I kind of didn't notice the ground cannon about four hundred meters from their position. Took a nasty wallop before I knew it was even there. Garrett, I'm afraid your quarters were trashed."
Garrett rolled his eyes.
I replied, "Do we need to send a force to take the gun out?"
Jack shook his head. "No. It's gone. The last of the troops in that area scattered to the point where I couldn't tell if I got them all or not. I'd have a hard time saying there is more than a dozen left. You might want to send out a few patrols to mop up."
The ground battle for Doomlight still raged in the other sectors. With the ion field inhibitors offline, the Grunta Council once again assumed full control of all fights. Our battles in inhibitor sector D12 were one of the few Talisan sectors that had gone somewhat smoothly. In most of the Talisan sectors, the counteroffensives by the Grumar and Grotus had been successful. The skies in and around the battle areas were soon lit up with blue flashes from ion bolts and the orange pulses of laser pistols and rifles. The battle for Doomlight raged on as the sun began to set over the horizon in Tanningar.
Chapter 23
* * *
Word soon came in from Grunta Command. We were being redeployed to another sector. Colonel Baake would be taking command of the three thousand troops to be garrisoned in D12. Our remaining force, now numbering twelve thousand, was being transferred to reinforce the troops in sector C7. The Talisans in C7 were struggling to fend off a Grumar counteroffensive.
The transport hovered just above the ground as its ramps deployed and the Talisan fighters streamed aboard. Ten minutes later the troops were on the ground in C7 with Boni Marrik in command. Garrett, Go and I waited for the Garmon to be certified safe to fly. Go gave the autobot commands manually from his arm pad. It seemed to get confused if commands were less than precise. The interpretive power of the Anterra's AI had made a noticeable difference in how the bot reacted.
Go stood behind Garrett, laughing, as we looked at the gaping hole in the wall of his quarters. "Well, at least you get a good breeze through here! And you have a window view! I don't have a window!"
Garrett frowned. "We just lost the last of my tracking tags. That melted case had about a half dozen of those things left."
Go reached into the pouch on his pants leg. "Here, we still have the two I didn't use at the portal gate."
Garrett smiled and nodded as he took the tags.
I grabbed Garrett by the back of the neck and squeezed. "At least you weren't in here."
Jack came over the comm. "I know you aren't needed immediately, but you do have the Jess you can use if you want to join the fight. You might even think about using it to take out ground guns if you can."
Garrett replied, "And get a hole blown in her side? No thanks."
Jack remarked, "If you come in facing those guns, the damage isn't so bad. The gravity shield will take the brunt of the hit, allowing you to kill the gun. You just have to watch that there aren't two of them."
Garrett looked directly at his arm pad. "And we need to take out these guns, why?"
Jack gave a stern response. "Why? Because we have transports taking hits that are trying to move troops around."
Garrett offered an embarrassed reply. "OK. I guess I wasn't thinking. Anyone want to go kill some ground guns?"
I gestured in the direction of C7. "I need to rejoin the ground fight. There are more Grotus out there."
Garrett looked at Go. "You?"
Go pointed at the hole. "I'm trying to get this hole repaired."
Garrett raised his arm pad. "Jack, have your crew ready to open the gravity wall in the bay."
Jack replied, "The other Salton ships that are still out there will be joining you. I'll coordinate your targets through Command. When the damage here is sufficiently cleaned up I'll be joining you."
Garrett nodded as he walked past us. "I'll be up in about thirty seconds if you can send me a new target."
Jack began to swipe away on a holo-screen. "I'll have three lined up by the time you’re out."
Garrett lifted off on his way toward a ground gun. The autobot was busy welding new panels to the Garmon's hull. I made my way back to the bridge.
Jack looked up. "You might hit the sonic wash with that battle-suit. You're more blue than gray."
I half smiled. "No need. I expect to be right back in it when we get to C7."
Go walked in with a pristine, silvery-white suit.
Jack pointed. "Now, see, there's a man who takes care of his equipment."
Go grinned. "Well, to be truthful, I wasn't involved in any gore like they were. I just shot tungsten from a distance. Although, if I did get covered with guts and blood like them, all I have to do is blink out and back in. It will all either fall off or get sucked into the void of the active skin of the suit."
I glanced down at the power cell on Go's belt. "You reloaded yet?"
Go nodded. "Sodium in the cell and tungsten in the glove. I'm ready for another few months on power, and another thousand shots."
I replied, "Good. We'll need them. The Word from C7 is they are losing because they have a large contingent of Grotus there, almost two hundred. We need to get you back out there fighting as soon as possible."
Go shrugged. "Point me that way! I can get there on my own faster than this ship can."
I said, "Jack, transfer your current coordinates of the enemy in C7 to Go. And, Go, get busy, we are losing soldiers every second those Grotus are alive."
Go nodded as he blinked out. "Roger that. See you when you get there."
Jack gave status: "We should be up and at 'em in about five minutes. Once that outer plating is in place we can effect the rest of repairs while in motion."
I took the few minutes to raise Getta on the comm. "Is everyone OK? Has the fighting been bad?"
Getta replied, "We encountered about two thousand Grumar when we arrived. It has been the same with all the Grunta transports. In all, I think we Gruntas have only encountered a have dozen of the Grotus fighters. Given our numbers, they were easily dispatched."
I replied, "Wait, are you saying the Council purposefully steered the Talisan toward the more highly defended sectors?"
Getta hesitated. "Be careful of how you phrase your words with regards to this. Remember, it is the Council's responsibility to safeguard Grunta lives first and foremost. Whatever decisions were made regarding assigned sectors had those responsibilities taken into consideration."
I balled up my fist in anger. "We are in this war to protect all of us! If that is their attitude, what Talisan, or any other species for that matter, would put their life on the line for a Grunta?"
Getta took a stern tone. "Gruntas are responsible for Gruntas alone. We have been training since the fall of the AMP for this while all others have gone on about their lives as if disaster was not coming their way. We do not require the assistance or help of others to survive. We may be involved in the same war and hav
e similar goals, but the Talisan are not our people!"
I unfurled my fist. "No, but they are my people. From this point on, the Talisan will no longer take orders from Grunta Command. You can tell the Council that the Talisans will be abandoning a number of sectors where our losses are too high. If Command wants those sectors secured, they will either wait for us to come back to them or handle them themselves."
Getta returned a stoic look. "You do realize that by taking this stance, you may very well be cast out from our people. The Council has the power to exile Grunta who intentionally go against their wishes."
I remarked. "If that is the wish of the Council, then so be it. If not for what I and my Human and Talisan teams have done, the Council would be getting pummeled by Grotus battleships. They may not want help, but they do require it."
I gave Jack the directive to act as a coordinating command center. All Talisan troops involved in sectors with heavy losses were told to retreat to their transports for reassignment. Of the more than eight hundred sectors we had been assigned, one hundred and sixty-eight were soon abandoned. The troops from those embattled sectors were sent to sectors where victory was forthcoming. Troops from the victorious sectors would be redeployed to the remaining sectors as needed. An edict of my exile quickly came back from the Council.
I took out my displeasure with the Council on countless Grotus and Grumar fighters in C7. The dried Grumar blood on my battle-suit had mostly turned to carbon. Glancing laser pulses had skimmed my torso and appendages as I spun, twisted, and rampaged through the enemy's ranks. After clearing my third sector, I made my way back to the Garmon and collapsed in exhaustion.
Jack stood over me. "You're a dynamo, we all know that, but pushing yourself this hard will get you killed. You need to take a long break. We have turned the tide in all sectors. The Grumar and Grotus are losing, and they are losing badly to our troops."
A comm call from Getta flashed on my arm pad. "I thought you were ordered to not communicate with me?"
Getta nodded. "I was."
I replied, "Has something changed?"
Getta smiled. "The Council has rescinded their exile decision. I am told they are not happy with having to do so, with this Council having never had to rescind before. It seems there was a tremendous outpouring of both military and political support for your position. The abandoned sectors will have Grunta troops landing in them shortly. Each of your remaining embattled sectors will receive a contingent of two thousand Gruntas to be used as front line troops.
"Given feedback from live situations, the military deemed the combat experience to be of extreme importance for training the rest of our troops. And the outpouring of support—no, the demands by the people—left the Council with little choice. It seems that word of your deeds has traveled through most of the Grunta households. Your actions are quite revered. And everyone is eager to know more about the discoverer of Jorus."
Getta leaned in close to the comm camera. "Now get some rest. I don't want you to screw this up with your bullheadedness."
I leaned my forehead against my camera. Getta began to coo.
Jack turned to head back to the bridge with a smile. "I'll leave you two alone."
With the addition of Grunta fighters, the battles in each sector came to a quick end. Nearly a million Grumar, along with just over three thousand Grotus, were taken captive. All told, sixty-six million had perished in the fighting for Doomlight. An epic battle by all standards.
The following day, fifty new battleships came through the portal, taking up positions in high orbit. With the portal open, the Council sent back through a demand that all Grunta conscripts instead be considered New Alliance partners. I wasn't holding out much hope that Harden Salton would agree to their terms. In fact, I again passed along to them that his next target would be the Grumar home world. Given how poorly our ships did against the Grumar, I didn't think that attack would come any time soon. A much bigger fleet would be required.
After a full sweep of all sectors for stragglers and holdouts, the planet was declared free of hostiles. Without control of the portal gate, my Talisan fighters had no way to go home, to a home that might no longer exist. If the conscription had continued, I had no doubt that the entire population of Dallex, nearly four hundred million citizens, had been moved away from the colony. I also wondered how our friends on Effica were faring. Had they succeeded in establishing a viable colony that would not immediately be suspected of treason? I had no way of knowing.
I sat on the bridge of the Garmon with Jack Carson. "I think it's time we left this planet. I've tried to convince the Council that doing so is in our best interest, but they aren't very fond of me. Female Gruntas can be vengeful. Once they get in their minds that they don't like something, it's difficult to change their opinion."
Jack replied, "You want to head back to Odenta? We left on good terms, but you show up with another group of aliens, will they be as hospitable?"
I shook my head. "That, I don't know, but I think we have to try. The longer we stay here the more likely we are to stay as pawns of Harden Salton. I don't want my Talisans fighting his senseless war. Look how many are dead from this attack on Doomlight. It sickens my stomach."
Jack half laughed. "You didn't seem that sick out there swinging that maul. From everything I've heard and seen, I'd say you were in your element."
I took a deep breath. "That was war. You have to suspend your morals to a degree in order to fight and kill. Just because I was effective, doesn't mean I liked it. If given the choice, I would choose to not fight. But I cannot in good conscience sit back and watch while my brethren are fighting for their lives. If through my efforts I can save some of my own, I will commit to that task fully."
Jack nodded. "I think you have the right outlook on that, by the way. No sane person wants war, but if it has to be fought, commit to it fully. Half-assing it is not helping anyone, and in fact, puts even more in danger."
I pulled up a nav screen. "I believe it's time we took leave of this planet. I'm ordering a complete pullout of the Talisans. We'll head for Odenta first. If they won't have us, we'll continue on to Jorus. We at least know that it is habitable."
Go and Garrett walked onto the bridge. "Go thinks we should leave. I think we should head back through the portal so we can get to work on our plans for stealing that portal ship should Harden get it built."
I replied, "I was just about to send out the order for all Talisans to board their transports. We will head for Odenta to seek temporary refuge there."
Garrett frowned. "Yeah, about the Talisans, I know they are your people and all, but I don't think those battleships up there will be letting you go. The Talisans are conscripts in the Salton army. He owns them. They won't just let you pass."
Go said, "I thought we might be able to create a diversion and then slip away from the other side of the planet. Maybe Jack could set off one of those nukes out in space or something. While they are investigating, we make our move."
Jack replied, "That won't work. The moment you leave the ground with those transports you'll be detected. And I'd bet those battleships have a slight speed advantage over these transports. They would catch you before you got much out of this system."
Go crossed his arms. "Well, we have eight hundred and twelve ships. If we split up initially, they would only catch a handful of us. After meeting up at a rally point, we could come back with the Garmon to figure out how to get the rest out of here."
I leaned back in my chair. "That's an admirable plan, Go. I will take that under consideration. If the battleships do confront us, what other options might we have?"
Garrett gestured toward Jack. "We could threaten them with the nukes. Let us go or we'll blast you. I still think we just wait for that portal to open and rush through."
I raised Getta on the comm. "I'm seeking your guidance on an issue. I believe it to be in our best interest to leave this place. I know I cannot convince the Council of such, but I can order my Talisa
ns to leave. Our current choices are a diversion followed by a run in many directions by our transports. The Salton ships in orbit would not catch us all, so most would get away. Or, we threaten them with the nuclear warheads we have here on the Garmon."
Garrett interjected, "Or we run through the portal to try to take control of it."
Getta thought for a moment. "I believe I have a hybrid option that might work for you. You have fewer troops now than when we arrived. You need fewer transports to move them. I would transfer all the supplies off those extra transports and then send them out as your decoys. If the Saltons take chase after, let's say, fifty of them, you might just have a diversion that is worthy of an escape."
Garrett nodded. "I have to say I like that idea. We send a big group of empty transports out for them to chase while the rest of us slip away. I guess we can come back at any time with the Garmon to sneak through that portal. He has been opening that thing a lot more."
I smiled and nodded to Getta. "I am humbled by your brilliance as always."
Getta returned the smile. "When your plan is underway, I will inform the Council. They will be angry over not having the information sooner, but they will have to live with what they have. I have not been ordered to spy on my husband. So I do not have to relay this plan to the Council until you are gone. All I ask is that you give me a comm when you are on your way. That will leave a call log of when I was informed of your plan. The Council will have no recourse but to accept that which has already happened."
In an attempt to not arouse suspicion, the transfer of soldiers and supplies occurred over a two day period. Each day, two new battleships came through the portal. In an effort to make best use of our resources, eighty-eight empty transports would be sent out with predetermined nav points entered into their systems. The ships would each move in a direction that was away from our primary goal and separate from each other.
As night began to fall at the end of the second day, the order to send out the decoys was given. All at once, eighty-eight transports powered up and lifted off, moving in a direction that was at first away from the Salton battleships. The battleship reactions were slow, but one-by-one they moved from their stationary orbit, heading after the fleeing transports. As the transports reached orbit, they began heading off in separate directions. As planned, the battleships followed in hot pursuit.
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