by Saxon Andrew
Grady shook his head, “I don’t think it will come to that?”
“Why not?”
“Taffy, they aren’t concerned with what’s on the other side of the core, at least they aren’t yet. They’re going to take advantage of this gift and consolidate their gains.” Taffy stared at Grady and blinked. Grady nodded, “They’ll go after the Core Aliens’ inhabited planets before they investigate the other side of the core.”
Maranda announced to the Combined Fleets, “It’s time to finish this. All Carriers form up on the Song Bird and prepare for landing operations to resupply your Garrions. Launch now.”
• • •
Don moved his Garrion hard right and dove under a Planet Killer firing all of its blasters and launching missiles toward the last place he fired his cutter. The missiles were a huge waste of time, they couldn’t detect the small Garrion. But they could force Don into a limited space. He heard Grant mutter, “Oh what I’d give for a few heavy missiles.”
Don whipped the ship left and muttered, “Be thankful for what you have.”
Grant opened fire on a Planet Killer rushing in on them and Don was forced to dive to avoid the blaster beams fired at his Garrion. So far, he had guessed right in avoiding them, but his luck couldn’t hold out forever. Grant looked up and said, “Admiral Troastle just sent a notification that all ships without any remaining heavy missiles are to report to their carriers immediately.”
“That’s a great idea; where are they?”
“The War Bird is twenty minutes away at maximum speed.”
“Put it on my console and hold on!” Don turned the ship and flew out from the thousands of alien ships still moving toward their inhabited planets. He shook his head and wondered if he had made any difference at all.
He arrived at the War Bird and discovered he had lost ten of the Garrions in his wing. Admiral Frye assigned the survivors of another wing to his unit as he landed and closed his eyes. He fell instantly asleep and Grant flew the ship out to rendezvous with the other ships in their unit after his was provisioned with another load of heavy missiles. Grant joined him in sleep as they waited for the final ships to be provisioned. They had been fighting twenty hours without a break.
• • •
RJ rubbed his neck and Candy said quietly, “You know that you’re only sending Defense Platforms to attack a little less than a thousand of their inhabited planets. What are you planning to do with the remaining five hundred planets not being attacked?”
“Leave them to handle after the first nine hundred planets are destroyed. Those planets are located far out from the course the Defense Platforms initially entered alien space and there’s too big a risk to stretch our forces that thin.”
“Calling off the Garrions to have them provisioned is going to allow the aliens to get more than a million of their ships to those planets we’ve targeted to defend them.”
RJ turned to Candy, “The object of this exercise is to get their forces divided into smaller units, so we don’t have to take them on in a major battle. Their defensive lines are now spread out with the bulk of their warships located at their Governing Planet. That is where the real battle is going to be fought.”
“Is that why you redirected five-hundred additional Defense Platforms there?”
“It is. That allows Martov to form a fighting cube formation with a hundred platforms on each side.”
Candy nodded and looked at her console, “That is going to leave fifty Defense Platforms to attack each of the remaining defended planets.”
“They won’t be alone, Candy. I’m assigning twenty King Hares and five-hundred Garrions to each of their units. They’ll delay attacking the planets until the Governing Planet is destroyed.”
“Why are you doing that, RJ?”
“Because if we attack the other nine-hundred planets now, any surviving warships would rush to the Governing Planet. By delaying the attacks, they are forced to remain where they are.”
“You know our forces are going to be attacked at those planets?”
“I hope they are, Candy. The fifty Defense Platforms will form a cube with eight Platforms to a side and take on any comers. The Hares and Garrions will help keep the alien warships off them.”
“I haven’t told you how much I appreciate you bringing me on board the Troke. I didn’t know that I’d not be commanding my fleet during this mission. This is where I belong.”
“You’re welcome, Candy.” RJ looked at his console and smiled, “The Garrions are provisioned. Lets go win us a war. Mallory, move the ship in and join the Defense Platforms moving in on the Governing Planet.”
• • •
The Troke flew in the star system at maximum speed and started slowing when Martov’s formation was detected. “Move us in, Mallory.”
Grady suddenly appeared on RJ’s console, “That’s close enough, War Admiral.”
RJ’s eyes instantly narrowed, “What do you mean by that, Admiral?”
Maranda joined Grady on RJ’s monitor and she started speaking, “War Admiral, we have discussed the importance of your new computer to the successful completion of this mission and we are telling you that we are not willing to risk losing it. You will keep your ship away from hostilities!” RJ’s expression showed his anger and Grady immediately said, “Do you not think your computer is invaluable to conquering the remaining planets?” RJ glared at him and Grady said firmly, “If you refuse to follow our…suggestion, we will remove you from command.”
Candy immediately spoke up, “You’re doing this to protect me!”
Grady looked at Candy on the monitor and said harshly, “Have you ever known me to put my personal wishes ahead of the ships I command?” Candy was silent and Grady said loudly, “HAVE YOU?!”
RJ looked at Candy and saw her take a deep breath, “No, Father. I have not.”
“I’m insulted by your cruel words and you and RJ would know this is the right decision if both of you didn’t have your heads stuffed up your backsides!!”
RJ flinched at Grady’s remark and thought about it. After a moment, he turned to Candy, “He’s right. We’re going to need the computer in the coming attacks.” RJ turned to Grady and Maranda, “I apologize for my behavior. I will hold the Troke out of the zone of hostilities.”
Candy quickly added, “I’m sorry, Dad.”
Grady glared at them and cut the connection. RJ released a heavy sigh and ordered, “Hold our current position, Admiral.”
“Yes Sir,” Mallory replied.
• • •
Taffy and Grady sat in their chairs for a few minutes before Taffy leaned over and whispered, “Do you think they bought it?” Grady kept his angry expression going and nodded. “That was extraordinary acting, my love.”
“I’ve learned from you.”
Taffy put her hands to her throat and said, “ME?”
Grady stifled a laugh and turned back to the tactical monitor.
• • •
RJ and Candy watched the tactical monitor for a few minutes and then Candy turned to RJ, “They did this for me.”
RJ nodded, “Yep.” He paused and asked, “How do you know?”
“My father never loses his temper like that. He was acting.” RJ nodded. Candy looked at the monitor and then asked, “Why did you go along with it?”
RJ raised his right shoulder and turned to Candy, “Because it’s in our best interests to do exactly what he wanted. He wasn’t protecting the computer, he was protecting you.”
Candy nodded, “This was mom’s doing.”
“I’m sure she didn’t have to use much force to convince him to do it.” Candy smiled and turned back to the monitor. After a minute, RJ commented, “Convincing Maranda to join in on it probably took some effort.”
“Maranda thinks my father walks on water. She bought into the importance of the computer.” RJ nodded and turned back to the monitor.
• • •
The Supreme Councilor looked at the giant wh
ite warships holding position a thousand miles out from the planet and asked, “What are they doing?”
“We have half-a-million warships. I suspect they’re unwilling to attack,” the Second Councilor answered.
The Supreme Councilor pressed his panel and the new Supreme War Leader appeared, “Order our ships to launch every missile we have at that formation.”
“But Supremacy, there are undetectable ships we might have to use them against.”
“If you challenge me again on any order I issue it will be your last moment alive!!” The Supreme War Leader turned instantly black in color and yelled to his Second to launch the missiles.
• • •
Martov was sitting in his command chair smoking a cigar. Everyone on the bridge was staring at him and Gary asked, “Sir, isn’t it against fleet regulations to smoke on a warship?”
Martov took a puff and stared at the cigar as the smoke plumed of the end of it. He blew out the smoke slowly and asked, “Who ordered that regulation?”
“I believe it has been in effect for centuries, Sir.”
“I’m ordering it removed,” Martov said as he took another puff. “These are the best of times in the life of a warrior and I intend to enjoy this.”
“SIR, MASSIVE MISSILE LAUNCH COMING FROM THE PLANET!!”
Martov looked at Sato and sat up straight, “It’s about freaking time! Prepare to open fire.” Gary looked at the huge wall monitor and saw a wave of missiles that prevented the planet from being seen behind them. It was the largest missile launch he had ever witnessed. Martov leaned back in his chair, took a puff, and smiled as he blew it out, “Open fire.”
• • •
Grady looked at Maranda on his monitor and shook his head, “Martov was right again.”
“He insisted we wait to attack until they wasted their missiles,” Maranda observed. She looked at Grady, “How do you think he knew they would do it.”
“He knew the rulers of the aliens are scared and don’t have the patience to just sit by and do nothing. If it weren’t a missile launch, they would have ordered an attack by their warships. The missile barrage makes more sense for them, they don’t want to lose any warships defending the planet.” Maranda shook her head at Grady’s insight and heard him say, “It was still a dumb thing for them to do.”
• • •
The gigantic cloud of missiles flew in on Martov’s formation and when they arrived four-hundred miles out, the Defense Platforms opened fire. RJ stared at the main wall monitor and it appeared that giant search lights were sweeping through the cloud of missiles in a random pattern. But he quickly saw that the giant beams overlapped each other and when they hit the incoming missiles, there were no explosions or debris left behind. The only evidence of their existence was a huge cloud of expanding vapor. In less than five minutes, every missile was eliminated, and the giant beams shut off.
Martov smiled, “My compliments on developing the new pattern for our beams, Captain Sato. We won’t be blinded like when the blaster barrage was used.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
Martov turned back to the monitor and said, “Let’s wait and see if they have any more surprises.” The bridge crew stared at Martov smoking his cigar and noticed that the air handlers were removing any trace of the smoke. They turned back to their consoles smiling. Martov’s calm spread to them and they relaxed.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Grady appeared on Martov’s panel and he heard Taffy say in the background, “You know that cigar will stunt your growth, Admiral.” Grady and Martov instantly laughed and Taffy added, “I’m just saying.”
Martov took another puff, blew it out, and replied, “It’s too late, that happened years ago.”
Grady smiled at Martov and said, “I believe they’ve shot their wad on the missiles. Are you ready to start moving in?”
“Give them a few minutes to allow their fear to grow. They may do something stupid.”
Grady glanced at Taffy before saying, “We’ll give them an hour, is that long enough.”
Martov nodded, “if they don’t act, then their fear will have them petrified by then.”
“How do you know that?” Taffy asked.
“Because that’s what I went through when their fleets had Earth surrounded. I forced myself not to do anything stupid, but I came pretty close anyway.”
“An hour it is, Admiral,” Grady responded.
• • •
The Supreme Councilors were all close to black in color showing their fear. One of them said loudly, “IF THOSE SHIPS GET INSIDE THREE-HUNDRED MILES, WE ARE DOOMED!”
The Supreme Councilor shot him with a blaster, “I can accept your fear, but cowardice is not something I will allow!” The Supreme Councilor stared at the giant monitor and the Second forced himself to ask calmly, “What do you think we should do?”
The Supreme Councilor stood up and said, “We are going to board our ship and then order all our warships to attack that formation. While those white ships are occupied, we will escape the planet.”
“Where will we go, Supremacy?” the Second asked.
“Anywhere but here!” the Supreme Councilor answered. The Councilors boarded their ship. It lifted and moved into orbit above the planet. The Supreme Councilor contacted the Supreme War Leader and ordered, “You will order an immediate attack on that formation with every warship.” The War Leader was shocked silent. “We have boarded our ship and will be following your forces in the attack. ORDER THE ATTACK NOW!!”
There was five minutes remaining in the hour when Taffy said to Grady, “I’m detecting all the alien warships above the planet powering up their thrusters.”
Grady shook his head, “I’m beginning to believe Martov is psychic. He’s been leading a fleet into combat against the aliens since before Britannia was destroyed. He knows them.”
“You don’t mean psycho, do you?” Taffy asked.
Grady snickered and heard Maranda order over the monitor, “It looks like they’re coming out to introduce themselves. All Carriers, Hares, and Garrions, move into position and Admiral Martov, it’s time for you to change your formation.”
“Yes Sir!” Martov replied and ordered, “Move the fleet to a Battle Square Formation.” The six-hundred Defense Platforms came out of the Battle Cube formation and formed a giant square in front of the incoming alien’s forces. A hundred Attack Carriers moved in on each side of the Defense Platforms and two thousand King Hares moved above and below the giant ships.
Maranda looked at Richard on her monitor, “I’ll hold them off on my side, you do the same.”
Richard smiled, “This is what I’ve been looking forward to doing for a very long time. They won’t break through.” A few minutes later, the alien warships started their blaster barrages and leapt away from the planet toward the Defense Platforms.
• • •
Sixty-thousand Garrions were hiding undetected high above the planet preparing to fall in behind the alien warships as they left the planet. Don was almost punch drunk from fatigue and lack of sleep when he heard Grant say, “It appears one of the invitees are skipping out on the party.”
“Say what?”
“Sir, a single giant Planet Killer is launching from the planet away from the battle.”
“Oh, we cannot allow this, my good friend! I’m sure they received an invitation.
“Don, we can’t leave ranks to chase it.”
“Then just fire a couple of heavy missiles at it.”
Grant shook his head at Don’s slurred speech and then shrugged. That ship was the largest Planet Killer he had ever seen and decided that two heavy missiles were probably called for. He targeted the ship as it moved out of orbit and pressed the launch button. He watched the missiles homing in on the giant ship and hoped it wasn’t out of range.
• • •
The Supreme Councilor’s color was returning to normal as his ship moved out of orbit and headed away from the planet. He’d decide on whe
re to go after they put some distance from the battle. He sat down in his container and sighed just before his ship went up in a massive explosion.
• • •
Taffy was staring at her visor when she saw the explosion behind the oncoming alien warships. She replayed it and smiled, “It appears the alien leaders have just been taken out.” She turned to Grady, “They won’t be coming to the dance.”
• • •
The alien warships saw the explosion of the Councilors ship as it tried to escape, and they lost all hope and courage. They gave into their fears and turned to try and escape.” All ships move forward!” Maranda ordered. The Carriers rushed forward with the Defense Platforms and had the giant alien formation trapped in a cross fire. The space occupied by the alien fleets was filled with thousands of cutters and heavy missiles. The planet Killers tried to flee but only managed to crash into each other as all order in their ranks was lost. The heavy missiles started going off and the space was filled with massive nuclear explosions. The Garrions came rushing in from behind the alien formations and closed off any escape route. The massacre started and didn’t stop until three hours later. Not a single alien warship escaped the carnage. At the end of the fight, Maranda said over the fleet frequency, “Admiral Martov, will you do the honors?”
“Yes Admiral.” The six-hundred Defense Platforms moved over the top of the vast nuclear fire burning in space and moved in on the planet. His ships spread out into a long line and started moving around the planet as they fired their horrible beams into the planet’s surface. No blaster beam had ever been created in the Milky Way more powerful than the ones being fired by the Defense Platforms. The planet’s surface erupted into giant flames as the ground melted into slag and flowed into giant rivers of superheated liquid. It took twelve hours to complete the planet’s destruction and Grady called in RJ, “Tell us where we need to go!”
“Computer issue the assignments to the ships?” RJ then issued an order to the Garrions, “All of you allow the computer to fly your ships to your assignments. While in route, get some sleep.” Don and Grant didn’t hear the order. They were out before the last alien planet killer was destroyed.