by Saxon Andrew
RJ shook his head and Matt said from his console, “The Garrions can carry twenty heavy missiles on board, Sir. The Hares can carry a hundred heavy missiles.”
“Why do we have so many heavy missiles, Sir?”
RJ turned to Mallory, “We might be forced to take the fight directly to alien territory after the initial confrontation and won’t have time to replenish our stores. We don’t have enough to waste and must make each of them count.” RJ turned to the computer and said, “Please choose the optimal positions of each unit and send the coordinates to the ships.”
The thousands of warships received their orders and began moving away from Alpha Centauri and headed toward the Solar System. War was coming and the thousands of crews felt their tension level start to rise.
• • •
Grady received his coordinates and started to order the ship moved, but it started moving on its own. He looked at Ron and he shrugged, “The new computer is able to move the ships directly, Sir.”
Grady’s eyes widened as Taffy said, “Do tell.”
“Yes Sir. It’s a new development in the system,” Ron replied.
“What about the weapons?” Grady inquired.
“Targets are given but each ship has to initiate the attack, Sir,” Ron replied. Grady nodded. He was against computers ever having control over the ship’s armaments.
• • •
The Supreme War Leader turned to his Second, “It’s time.”
The Second turned to the Communications Leader, “Order the launch.” The front wave of warships powered up their thrusters and began moving away from the defensive lines. Soon they picked up speed as the following ships caught up to them before they went into their stardrives.
• • •
Connie saw the first ships powering up and immediately went to maximum speed away from alien territory. She kept the rear of her vessel pointed at the front warships as she pressed her communicator, “THE ALIENS ARE LAUNCHING THEIR FLEETS! WAR ALERT! WAR ALERT!!”
• • •
RJ received the message and called for a video conference between his major Fleet Admirals. He sat in his conference room and waited as the others appeared on the main monitor. When Maranda and Richard appeared, RJ announced, “The aliens have launched their forces. They should be arriving in twelve days.”
“Why haven’t you called for battle stations?!” Admiral McArdle demanded.
“I don’t intend to do that, and I want this information kept from our crews until a week from now.” McArdle glared at RJ and he continued, “The tension level among our crews is already high and I want them well rested when the aliens arrive. Announcing this now will only cause their tension to turn to fear. You know what’s going on and we’ll have enough time to get them in formation before the aliens arrive. I suggest having your crews run diagnostics on their ships and weapons to keep them occupied and make sure they are scheduled to get enough rest time.”
“Do you know anything about their formations?” Grady asked.
“I won’t know that until they’re four days out.” McArdle’s eyes narrowed and RJ added, “It really won’t do any good before then because they’ll be changing formation before they arrive. There’s no need to constantly move our fleets around before they get closer. Right now, we have twelve days until they arrive at the Solar System and you should use this time to make sure your crews are ready and rested.”
“Do you know what formation we’re going to be in, Admiral?” Maranda asked.
“No, Admiral Connor. The computer will make that determination when the aliens enter their attack phase. I suspect that will happen when they enter Earth’s Solar System.”
“You know Earth could mess everything up if they launch an attack against them before they arrive,” Candy interjected into the conversation.”
“I fully expect them to do so, Admiral. But any Defense Platforms they send out will be destroyed before the aliens arrive at the planet. Any other questions.” The admirals were silent, and RJ smiled, “We’re ready and now our biggest issue is not getting impatient and doing something stupid. I’ll contact you when I know more.”
• • •
Grady exited the meeting and Taffy smiled at him, “It appears our boy doesn’t get intimidated easily.”
Grady waved a hand, “McArdle is secretly envious he wasn’t given RJ’s position. He’ll do what’s necessary during the fight; he’s a good commander.”
“Do you agree with RJ keeping this secret?”
“I do. And I imagine he learned a lesson on how waiting for combat can be fatiguing when he was out in alien territory. Send a message out to our ships to run a diagnostic on their targeting systems.”
“That could take days to complete, Grady.”
“It will keep their minds occupied and all of the crews working together to get it done. Send out the order.” Taffy smiled and began speaking into her helmet.
• • •
Candy sat in her command chair staring at the tactical monitor and she saw Todd walk across the bridge toward her, “What’s up, Todd.”
“Sir, I just received my promotion papers promoting me to Junior Admiral. I’ve never really thanked you for giving me this opportunity. But for your kindness, I would probably still be a Lieutenant hoping for promotion. Thank you.”
“Todd, you deserve it. You are the one that’s kept things running smoothly and I depend on you more than you know.”
“Even so, Sir. You had every reason to choose someone else and I’m thankful you gave me the opportunity.”
“You’re welcome, Todd.” Todd turned and walked toward the weapons console. Candy knew that Todd had highly impressed Admiral Alexander and that he would be getting a command of his own fleet soon; he certainly deserved it. Candy looked at the tactical monitor again and her eyes drifted to the icon representing RJ’s Flag Ship. She prayed they survived the coming war as she laid her hands across her stomach. She was so thankful she had convinced him to marry her before she left on her mission to Fagan space. She wasn’t going to tell him about the life growing inside her; that would have to wait until after the war. She thought about telling her mother but knew that would cook the goose. Taffy would be furious about the wedding taking place without her approval or presence and there was no way Taffy could hide the news about the baby. She’d probably force Grady to pull her off her ship and send her back to New Britannia. Besides, RJ was going to worry enough about her without adding their baby into the mix. It would take too much of his attention away from his duties if she told him. She smiled and was at peace. Whatever happened, her life was more than she ever hoped it would be.
• • •
Admiral Martov heard the alarms go off and he jumped out of bed and rushed to the bridge. As he entered his scanning commander yelled, “SIR, ONE OF OUR SCOUTS HAS DETECTED A GIANT FORMATION OF WARSHIPS MOVING ON A COURSE TOWARD EARTH!!”
“Show me what you have, Captain!” An image appeared on the giant forward monitor and Martov sat down in his command chair.
Captain Sato began reading from his console’s monitor, “Sir, the scout was destroyed the moment after it sent this recording. The large warships in that formation are fifty-percent larger than the one’s Admiral Rice fought years ago and their main blasters are double the size of those used at that time. The Computer estimates the range of those giant warships’ blasters is close to eighty-percent longer than our Defense Platforms.”
Martov stared at the image of the giant fleet and knew he should have kept track of the Core Aliens over the years but that idiotic, cowardly Dictator prevented him doing it. Sending any of his Defense Platforms out to meet that fleet would be suicide and he wasn’t going to waste the vessels he had. The only chance of Earth surviving this onslaught would be to surround the planet with an overlapping blaster barrage that might prevent those giant blasters from getting through. “How long until they arrive?”
Sato looked at his console and then looked up at
Martov, “Five days, Sir.”
Sergie saw Chelly come on the bridge and take her station with the weapons team. He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly before ordering, “Order all Platforms to form up in high orbit and fire a blaster barrage. The formation will be adjusted such that any area above Earth that is not covered in a maximum crossfire will be covered. Get them moving!”
• • •
RJ heard an alarm and the tactical monitor showed the defenses around Earth start changing positions. After an hour, a giant blaster barrage was fired surrounding the planet and RJ smiled. He hoped the Earth Commander wouldn’t be stupid enough to send out any of his forces to confront the incoming alien formation. The blaster barrage would probably be ineffective against the alien Planet Killers, but it was the only thing RJ saw that the Earth Commander could do. RJ pressed the general frequency button on his console. Every ship in the Combined Fleets would see Earth’s defenses and know that something was going on. He said in a calm voice, “All ships will go to standby battle stations. I’m issuing a War Alert immediately; contact with the Alien forces will be in five days. I’ll issue full battle stations in three days. Make sure your ships are ready and be ready for your attack instructions in four days.”
Taffy turned to Grady as she saw the crew’s expressions turn fearful. “I’m glad we waited to tell them.” Grady nodded and hoped this new computer was all it was supposed to be. The aliens had more warships than the Combined Forces and they were deadly. Taffy saw his expression and said softly, “If Joshua says the new computer works, then it works!”
Grady smiled slightly, “Reading my mind again, are you?”
“I know how you feel about machines, Grady Henricks. The computer will simply open the door and it’s up to our crews to go through and kick their asses.”
“Watch your language, Taffy!”
“Ok, go through and kick their butts!”
Grady burst out laughing and Taffy saw the crew start to relax. If the Admiral could laugh at a time like this, then it wasn’t as bad as they thought. She took a deep breath and missed Brit. But they were out here fighting for him and all the other children on New Britannia and the colonies. She took Grady’s hand and squeezed it tightly.
• • •
RJ sat at his console and saw Connie’s scouts start sending in a feed of the giant alien fleet. Good grief they were spread out! There was more than a hundred miles between the giant warships and attacking them would be next to impossible. Surely they weren’t going to attack in that formation? He thought about it and realized that the alien Commander wasn’t going to fall into the same trap the Fagan used on him. But Earth wasn’t sending its ships out to confront him. He’d have to wait and see if something changed before he ordered the computer to issue attack instructions.
• • •
The Supreme War Leader stared at the feed coming in from one of his scouts and frowned, they weren’t taking the bait to come out and attack his formation. The Fagan had many times the number of warships than this single planet and they used them as a spear to break through his formations. The First Enemy knew his forces were approaching and they made no movement away from the planet. He looked at his Second and heard him say, “Supremacy, I believe they are going to use that tactic they used several times against us in the past.”
“What is that?”
“They’re going to fire a blaster barrage around the planet and dare us to move in,” the Second replied.
“But that’s futile. It’s clear our blasters are more powerful than those on their warships. We can fire from outside their range and destroy them.”
“We don’t know for certain that our blasters will be powerful enough to penetrate their barrage, War Leader.”
The War Leader scoffed, “One blaster beam might not penetrate but multiple beams will.” The War Leader turned to his Senior Scientist, “Isn’t that true?”
“We can easily find out, War Leader.”
“How?”
“When we arrive, stop the fleet and send in four of our Planet Killers and have them fire at one of those large warships. If it’s destroyed, we’ll know our beams can break through their barrage.”
The War Leader thought about the proposal and then said to his Second, “I don’t want any of them to escape. How can I prevent that?”
“Order the fleet to surround the planet and wait to see if our beams make it through. If they do, we’ll move the ships in just outside the range of their blasters and open fire simultaneously.”
“I will not spread our forces out and allow them to initiate an attack against us. Once we determine if our beams can penetrate their barrage, I will order the planet surrounded and keep our ships scattered until they move in together.”
The Second bowed, “Yes, War Leader.”
• • •
RJ watched the giant alien fleet and when it was two days out from Earth he ordered, “All ships go to battle stations.” He stared at the giant volume of space the alien fleet occupied and he asked, “Computer, do you have a plan on how to attack them?”
“I do but it will result in the destruction of many of our vessels.”
“Explain!”
“Garrions will have to be sent inside their formations to destroy the Planet Killers at the center of their formation. They won’t be able to fire until every ship fires a missile at their designated targets and the nuclear explosions inside the alien formation will overlap and destroy the Garrions trapped inside.”
“Estimate on how many Garrions will be lost.”
“Half of our total number, Commander.”
“That is not acceptable!”
“That is the optimum way to destroy all of the alien warships. All other plans will fail to carry out that mission.”
“We need those Garrions to attack alien territory!”
“You can’t do both, Commander.”
RJ thought about the situation and decided that he would probably have to allow the aliens to complete their attack before launching against them. Earth would die but his sailors came first. “What are you going to do, RJ?”
RJ blew out a breath and said, “I am not going to sacrifice our Garrions to save Earth.” Angel stared at him and looked at Earth on the main wall monitor. She shook her head and decided that having this new computer wasn’t such a good idea after all.
• • •
The alien fleet entered Earth’s Solar System and moved inexorably toward the blue and green planet. When they were a day out, RJ ordered, “Carriers, launch your Garrions and order them to remain around your vessels until ordered otherwise.”
“What’s going on, RJ?” Maranda asked as she appeared on the wall monitor.
“The Computer says that if we attack their current formation, we will destroy all their warships but will lose half of our Garrions. I am not going to do that!”
“But billions of humans will die on Earth if you allow them to attack.”
“Remove me from my command if you must, Admiral but I will not sacrifice my warriors to save Earth. We need them to attack our enemy at the core of the galaxy.”
“I don’t know that my Garrion pilots will stand by and allow that to happen, RJ.”
“Then keep them on board the carriers until I order otherwise, Admiral!”
Maranda hesitated and then ordered, “Launch operations are canceled. All Garrions will remain on board!” Maranda punched her communicator and Grady appeared on her monitor, “RJ is going to allow the aliens to attack Earth.”
“Why?”
“He says we’ll lose half of our Garrions if we attack their current formation. He’s not going to allow that to happen.”
“Do you want to make that choice, Maranda?” Maranda’s eyebrows came together, and Grady added, “If the new computer says we will lose half of the Garrions, it’s telling the truth. I’ll approve removing RJ from command of our forces if you want to take his place and countermand his orders.”
“But bil
lions will die on Earth, Grady!”
“In case you don’t remember, Maranda, Earth is an enemy of the Colonies. There’s no assurance we won’t have to destroy it in the end. Your pilots are critical to our success against the main alien forces at the core. Now, what do you want done? Keep in mind that the ships we’ll be losing are all under your command.”
“I don’t want the weight of this decision, Grady?”
“Fortunately, you don’t have to bear it. This will be RJ’s load to bear.” Maranda stared at Grady and then nodded. She didn’t know if she could make this decision and was thankful she didn’t have to.
Chapter Twenty
Taffy watched the alien fleet move at high speed past Mars and she turned to Grady, “We can’t allow them to destroy Earth, Grady!”
Grady turned to her and said calmly, “I want you to remember what Earth was going to do with us when we went there looking for assistance in saving the survivors on Britannia.” Taffy stared into Grady’s eyes and he continued, “They were going to torture us to gather information about Britannia and they were proud that they would do a thorough job of it. I want you to think about what they would have done to you.”
Taffy was silent for a moment and then looked away from Grady, before replying, “You’ve never forgiven them for that, have you?”
“I forgave you for not telling me what you suspected, Taffy but no, I’ve not forgiven them.”
“But it was Earth’s leadership that was planning that, not the people.”
Grady shrugged, “They should have chosen better leaders; they are responsible.”
Taffy stared at the alien fleet and suddenly saw it slowing down. Grady saw it as well and said under his breath, “What are they doing?”
• • •
The Dictator was screaming at Admiral Martov, “OPEN FIRE ON THEM!!”
“Sire, they are outside the range of my blasters and if I launch missiles, they’ll be destroyed long before they reach their formations.”
“YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO YOUR UNIFORM!!”