by Ken Pence
“Is that all?” Shuma said sarcastically.
“You are developing bad habits,” Will said.
***
Senior Coercer Bracc of the Allung Brotherhood reviewed his plans for the sector. The scouting mission to the fringe system had produced some information that could advance him in rank. The scouts, apprentice and junior coercers, had found a technologically backward planet at the edge of their territory with a newly arrived species. The new arrival was from a remote system that appeared extremely rich in products and ideas. These new arrivals were establishing bases in our territory and establishing trade routes. They had some interesting technical skills we need to harvest. The new arrivals posed some unusual challenges too.
This new species seemed to have standard light arms on the ground but were only concentrated in a couple of locations on Gralon 3 – the new arrivals called it Bellatrix. They seemed to have built a frigate class warship that had some new features worth reviewing. We will have to acquire their technology and harvest any specialists they might have.
I now command six ships that should overwhelm any of their resistance. This acquisition mission was assigned to me because the home planet of these new arrivals, Earth, was too much of an unknown, Bracc thought. One of our scouting ships had been impatient and may have alerted Earth…sloppy. Now I’ll have to have hostages and scientists from their planet when the task force arrived at Earth. This mission to Gralon should give me a chance to move to senior arbitrator – I’ve been senior coercer long enough.
Bracc contacted the senior coercers on his other ships. He was the most experienced but the others seemed to acquiesce to his commands. The troop transport had two surface vehicles with light armor. One was a missile frigate and one was to carry any harvested talent for indoctrination. Three were cruisers with the latest acquisitions in weaponry. They would give no warning and attack when they achieved positions above the targets after the standard rest period. The detection system showed indistinct traffic around Gralon. They would arrive tomorrow and harvest.
***
Captain Umma was alerted to a formation of ships approaching. The signal was distorted at this distance but it was definitely more than one ship. He had been in a standoff with the Allung Brotherhood once before as a new recruit. He knew the bitter taste as they had plundered an innocent planet and he had to leave and let it happen. He vowed it would never happen again. He contacted Commander Castellano on the Osprey. “How do you want to work our response? This may not be the Allung. It could be a large trade ship but we must assume it is the Brotherhood. I thought we would have more time to prepare. I do not have the resources to defend the surface.”
“I have the same issue. I will alert them. We were about to call you with the same idea. Your ships were not here when their scouts left and they should not know you are here. They are expecting one ship. We should give them what they expect. Do you think they will repeat the same tactics you mentioned?” Castellano said.
“They use the same tactics. They will have a strong force. I do not know how they will be armed but they have never lost a battle. They keep bringing in more and more ships until the planet surrenders. They extort tribute, which gives them a steady stream of wealth with little effort, take slaves, and obtain any new technology they can. I appreciate your last efforts with me. The ERF will not die without a fight,” Umma said.
“We had a military officer once say – You do not win a war by dying for your country…you win the war by having the other poor, dumb bastard die for his country. You can substitute planet for country and it still sounds good,” Will Castellano said to Umma.
“Do we still plan to fire first?” Umma asked.
“If they have a weaker vessel—attack…if their vessel is equal to yours—attack…and if it is stronger than yours, also attack. He will demand something from us first – correct?”
“An interesting philosophy you people have…they always have talked first before attacking,” Umma said.
“Wait until you are talking and fire with everything available and have the computer move your ship to another area. Beings never interrupt themselves when they are talking. We will. Fire and move.”
“I will remember our planning if we are losing or if we win. You remember that they have never lost a battle – expect great resistance even if we catch them by surprise,” Umma said.
***
Well, so much for being a large trade ship, Castellano thought as the sensors showed increasing details of the approaching ships. Damn. Six! He hoped the nascent cooperation with the Exploration Service would continue. He hoped their plan would surprise the enemy. He hoped their upgraded weapons and plans would be enough…he was scared but he kept it out of his voice – off his face.
“Move us into position. It will be hours before they get here. Oakley, what’s the status from the embassy and Phillips?”
“Just got off the horn with the Top…He said the embassy is set…finishing up downtown around the hotel. Phillips’s Posse has set IEDs on all approaches from possible landing zones. They have thermal shielding if these Allung use infrared,” Oakley said.
“Phillip’s Posse? Wish them luck – tell them about six hours to possible contact,” Castellano said amused at how the military always came up with nicknames and acornyms. “Get eight hours of sleep if you can – they’ll be here soon. I’ve controlled the shipboard time rates to wake you two hours ahead of any contact.”
***
Senior Coercer Bracc saw the larger ship in his sensors. “What is that?” he demanded.
“It appears to be an ES cruiser,” said the sensor tech.
“Why are the ES here? They never stand and fight. They know our reputation. Send the troop transport to secure the surface with the missile frigate for cover. Watch for the Earth frigate. Open communications,” Bracc stated but was amused at the futile resistance of the lone ES cruiser.
***
“Sir, they have sent what looks like a troop carrier and a missile frigate toward the surface. Computers are ready. Umma says they have received communications with the Allung,” Oakley reported. “I have notified the surface.”
“Stand-by people. Let us be ever thankful for what we are about to receive.”
“Funny,” said the bridge crew in unison.
***
Senior Coercer Bracc initiated a transmission to the Exploration Service cruiser while having his other cruisers and a destroyer line up beside his craft. He expected the ES ship to run away any moment. “This is Bracc of the Allung Brotherhood. We have business on this planet. Move away or be destroyed. This is our territory now.”
“This is Captain Umma of the Exploration Service. This is a protected planet under…” Captain Umma said while giving the signal to initiate the firing sequences.
Bracc’s ship rocked as twelve lasers struck three points on his cruiser. They had just snapped off when that ES cruiser jumped to a new position and started firing at his second cruiser. “Senior!” yelled the sensor tech. “There are four ships out there.” The senior’s ship rocked with other hits as his hull was penetrated in three places. The hits knocked out his drive and communications… everything but the shield.
The second and third Allung cruisers returned fire as the ES destroyers moved to new positions and fired a barrage of missiles. The second Allung cruiser was closest but kinetic or explosive weapons did not worry its captain. Their shield would stop anything, he thought…that is…until two of the missiles matched shield frequencies and impacted on the hull. The penetrators tore huge holes in the hull. The second Allung cruiser’s remains were torn apart when the fourth and fifth missiles tore through at 0.25c as the shield fell. There was little left. The third cruiser was out of range and the first two missiles missed since it moved. The commander of the third Allung cruiser was a quick study and ordered his crew to fire in the brief time when the missiles were negotiating their shield. The lasers from the third cruiser cut through the shield of one o
f the ES destroyers. It went dark and then exploded. The Osprey had darted between all three Allung cruisers and had aided in the disabling of the main cruiser. Castellano, along with the remaining ES destroyer, concentrated his fire on the third Allung cruiser and it too went dark. Their missiles tore through it like tissue paper at a quarter the speed of light.
Castellano thought they were home free when the Allung destroyer fired and penetrated the Osprey’s hull amidships. That same Allung destroyer was lined up with the ES destroyer. The destroyer suddenly disappeared, as did 2/3 of the ES destroyer. Castellano contacted Umma’s ES cruiser that was still pounding the primary Allung cruiser, which seemed to be temporarily disabled. “Do not let any enemy ship line up with your ship. The Allung destroyer did something, plunged to speed I think, and demolished 2/3 of your destroyer. Do not let anyone align a ship with yours,” Castellano implored.
Umma’s ship responded, “Acknowledged.”
The Allung destroyer reappeared as a barrier in front of the initially damaged Allung cruiser just as he fired field-matching missiles. The combined lasers from the ES cruiser and the Osprey cut into the hull of the Allung destroyer giving the missiles the time needed for them to do their work. The Allung destroyer detonated in a bright, soundless flash of debris. The Osprey and the Umma’s ES cruiser concentrated on cutting the damaged cruiser to ribbons. The cruiser was obliterated but not before a shuttle escaped to the surface. Castellano assessed his ship’s damage as they headed to give aid to the surface. He could not contact the surface but Umma’s ship contacted him and they were in reasonable shape.
“Ready to take on the missile frigate and the troop carrier?” Castellano asked.
“We were lucky, my friend,” Umma returned.
“Knowledge is no match for luck my friend,” Castellano said with the glow of comradeship after sharing battle with a trusted partner.
“I lost many brave Tros,” Umma said praising the species he had disdained earlier. They had fought bravely. “What was the weapon used by their destroyer? Was this not as difficult as I said?”
“I do not know but it appears only to work straight ahead of one of their ships. It was a difficult fight but a easy battle does not make a skillful warrior,” Castellano paraphrased.
“Will Castellano… You use quotes like my uncle. I like my uncle,” Umma said. “…the surface?”
“Yes. You first. I am still patching holes in my hull amidships,” Castellano said but he was thinking about the eight minutes of the battle. How are they holding up? He wondered.
***
Senior Coercer Blahma assigned his company of troops to take control of the embassy. The troopship had landed south of the embassy with just a short drive to the embassy. They were ordered to acquire any new technical devices and harvest any personnel that appeared useful. They had two lightly armored support vehicles.
Senior Coercer B’las was assigned to use his missile frigate to reduce the defenses of the embassy and any around the downtown target. He lost contact with the ships in orbit but he had his task and would carry it out if he ever wanted to get promoted to the Arbitrator track.
***
The troops filed out of the carrier and set up a perimeter as they brought out their support carriers. They used the vehicles to carry the acquired technology or harvested personnel. The junior coercer knew that good choice in harvested personnel would get him promoted to senior. They had plenty of explosive collars and controllers. He was still daydreaming when the first explosion went off flipping the carrier into the air.
The RPGs hit the troops as they were bounding for cover. Many went down when the kinetic weapons and disruptors opened up. His troops reacted well and moved toward the attackers position and off the road. The volume of fire from the Allung troops was impressive and the resistance disappeared as quickly as it had begun. They reassembled and moved toward the embassy.
***
B’las had his disruptors fire first but there was no damage since they had a shield. Then something unusual happened. The shield turned translucent and sparkled. He fired and it had no effect. He fired again and it had no effect. What was this? He sent several missiles and they impacted and fell away to explode with great force away from the embassy compound. He could not use any of his weapons effectively against the embassy compound. He was forced to call the ground commander, Senior Blahma…what an indignation that was. “Senior Blahma. This is B’las. No effect on the compound.”
“Quit wasting your time there. Protect my troops. They are being cut to pieces. Use your infrared scanners to find the attackers and do some good there,” Blahma said.
B’las swung his ship low over the troops. This should give the locals something to fear but just then, the second carrier was flipped end over end in a huge fireball. B’las scanned the nearby roadsides for body heat but there was none. He didn’t know that the attackers had thermal insulation that shielded their body heat. It could not shield the rocket trails from multiple RPG launches though. Nine trails targeted the ground troops and cut them to pieces in a crescendo of violence. The laser and disruptor fire from the frigate swept the roadside and disintegrated the approach resistance. The frigate continued sweeping the roadsides as the half strength company of Allung moved to the embassy.
***
Castellano contacted Umma. “The frigate first?”
“Agreed,” said Umma as they dropped toward the frigate that seemed totally focused on the ground. They needed to get closer in atmosphere.
“They don’t seem to have noticed us,” Oakley said.
“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake…except with coordinated fire,” Castellano said. “Fire!”
The beams from Umma’s cruiser and the Osprey hit the frigate in two critical locations and cut through the hull like butter. The bridge and drive areas were sheared through and the craft plunged to the surface – unfortunately off road and not on the Allung troops below. The disruptors and lasers swept the road clear down a meter of topsoil and rock. They examined the area with infrared but saw nothing more than hot spots from the burning debris. Now to the transport and shuttle.
“Commander Castellano, Umma here. Do not give any mercy as these beings are known for their treachery.”
“I agree. Get the troop carrier and watch for the shuttle. I lost track of it during the battle.”
***
“We will lose the troop carrier if it takes off,” Umma said. “Do not get directly in front of it.”
“Noted,” Castellano said as he fired with his five remaining lasers. Umma’s cruiser also fired and cut through the aft hull. Two remaining missiles matched shield frequencies, penetrated and blew clean holes through the hull. The ship would not fly again.
Blahma was nowhere to be found and there were no survivors among the ground troops or in space that they could find.
Donald Beasley heaped praise on Umma and Castellano. Umma was in a foul humor.
“Why am I so upset? Why…? Most of my troops are dead. I lost three of my ships and my own ship is damaged,” he shouted at Will. “That is not the reason I am upset.”
“Why?” Castellano asked.
“They will be back. That is why I am upset. We won a skirmish at great cost. It was a great deed but no one will know of it. The Allung will return with many more and we are not able to defend this planet against many of anything. They destroy all who know of their weaknesses.”
“I agree. That is why I want you to take our plans, our modifications, and return to your base. Bring back reinforcements,” Castellano stated.
“I agree. Here is something you have earned – though you must destroy it if the Allung come back before I can return,” the ES captain said while handing Will a slim black book.
“What is it?” Will said taking the slim volume and flipping through it. “This is a manual showing basic Exploration Service base locations and classes of ships and their armaments.”
“It is a bit out of dat
e but you have earned the knowledge. It also shows some about enemy threats and their known areas of operation. That section is obsolete. It is the least I can do after you freely gave us your technology. There is no higher trust between races,” Umma said.
“Helping you saved us. Come back soon. Make the modifications first and then come back friend. The Allung shuttle is probably traveling a route that hides it from us. Smugglers used the technique on Earth. It will become visible when it is far enough away to feel safe. You can now travel faster. I have something for you,” Castellano said.
“I think you are right. What is this?” Umma asked as Will gave him a sack. Umma opened it. “Lamlee… hundreds and hundreds of lamlee.”
“You will need them my friend. Use them well. Upgrade many ships. I certainly do not want these to go to the Allung.”
“I will demonstrate the weapons and the drive improvements. The lamlee will prove you are allies,” Umma said, turned, and walked off without saying more.
Those cat-like exits will always take a bit of getting used to, Castellano thought but he liked the Captain. He realized how much he had to do and posted patrols of Phillips’ Posse and sent Oakley and Shuma to investigate the troop carrier to see what they could recover. He felt uneasy about it so he sent two of them in suits and ordered them to stay buttoned up.
***
Shuma turned to Oakley. “This ship is very large. There are many hiding places on it. The Allung Brotherhood is known for stealth. Let us get more help.”
Oakley looked down the length of the ship and its open gantry. “I totally agree with you,” he said and called to request a perimeter team and additional search units. “They ought to be here in an hour.”