Sleeping in the Stars (Marston Chronicles Book 1)

by D Patrick Wagner

  Somehow the control bunker remained standing. Although shaken and shrouded with dust from the bombardment, Commander Toma and his officers remained at post. After the initial panic, everyone slowly settled back into their routines and returned to fulfilling their responsibilities.

  “Mr. Kassis, Has the Captain of the Guard checked in?”

  “Not yet, Sir.”

  “Contact him.”

  A few moments later, Lieutenant Kassis announced, “I have Colonel Qureshi, Sir.”

  “Colonel Qureshi, Status?”

  “About a third killed or injured. Approximately one thousand-four hundred are able. They are procuring weapons and battle armor as we speak. All gun towers are fully manned and armed. What are we looking at, Commander? There’s something out there, beyond the embattlements. It looks like a bunch of giant insects. Insects wearing some type of armour.”

  “First contact, Colonel. And not a friendly one. Two of our patrol ships have been destroyed. Consider this a full military engagement. This is a purely defensive action. Keep all personnel within the compound. We’ll fight them here. Hold the line, Colonel I’ve put the call out. I’m pulling in forces from all over the planet.”

  “I will, sir.”

  “And, place all the personnel carriers at the southern gate, fully fuelled with full pilot teams aboard and ready. Include a communications craft. Have it fully staffed.”

  “We’ll be ready, Commander.”

  “And all the anti-aircraft batteries that are still mobile. When we move, those damned ships are going to return. I don’t want them free to strafe our convoy.”

  “I’ve added that to your command list, Sir.”

  Mortek Ground Forces

  First Fleet Assault Leader stood on the viewing platform mounted to the top of the command assault vehicle, the Devastator. With the visual enhancers in his helmet he carefully scrutinized the enemy. He saw a well fortified balustrade, topped with sniper towers and sprinkled with weapons placements

  Looking over his forces, he saw the phalanx of warriors waiting for their command to attack. He analysed his armoured division and judged their formation as well-planned and efficient.

  “This will be fun to crack,” he thought. Now we will see if these soft skins can fight.”

  “First Signaller, transfer my command for breachers to commence.”

  “Yes, First, Assaulter.”

  “Have them focus on the front entrance.”

  Moments later, ground hugging missiles streaked from the missile launching tanks and slammed into the fortress gates. The first wave caused severe damage but no breaching occurred.

  “Again. Same target.”

  More missiles screamed across the terrain and slammed into the gate. This time breaching did occur. The gates shattered and blew off their hinges. The over-arch cracked and collapsed, forming a pile of rubble in the now open entranceway.

  All this time, the weapons towers had been firing barrage after barrage at the tanks with no effect. The range was just too great for laser or energy beams to be effective.

  “Signal that I want two more targets, one on each side of the current break. Have the breachers keep firing until success is achieved.”

  The standoff bombardment continued. Deafening sounds from the exploding ground-hugging missiles rolled through the fort and out towards the alien enemy. Walls shook then cracked under the barrage. Two more ruptures appeared, large gaping holes in the edifice.

  “First Signaller. Have the breachers stop. Send forth the harriers.”

  The initial stages of the battle turned deadly silent. Then hundreds of engines came to life, breaking the false calm. Pilots aggressively pushed the throttles to their stops. Eight-wheeled ground vehicles powered up and charged forward. Gunners held their mounted cannons with fierce determination, their four legs braced against the breakneck acceleration and sudden vector shifts.

  The fortress weapons towers opened up with renewed intensity, attempting to destroy the new danger before the charging alien horde reached the walls. Once within range, the ground vehicles began to die. Withering laser and energy beams lanced out and cut through the deflectors and armour, destroying both vehicles and alien occupants. But there were too many of them. They returned fire. Cannons blasted away the towers, destroyed weaponry, killed men.

  Once the towers no longer threatened the swarm of alien invaders, the remaining attack transports set up a defensive ring around the breached walls and established a kill zone. Any soft skins attempting a counterthrust would be destroyed instantly.

  Seeing the success of his harriers, First Fleet Assault Leader gave a single word command, “CHARGE!”

  Three thousand Mortek warriors raised their snouts and screeched as they charged towards the enemy. One hundred flyers screeched as they took to the air and raced towards the coming battle

  Sasania Space Fleet Headquarters

  Colonel Qureshi sat in the control van, attempting to radiate an air of confidence and optimism. What he presented didn’t reflect what he actually felt. Watching his technicians work and his men hold their post, he prayed that some of them would survive this day.

  Again he checked the deployment. Multiple Gun nests sat, pointing at each gaping hole in the supposedly impenetrable barrier. One thousand, four hundred armored men held positions, divided between the three ruptures in the wall. He had watched live video feeds of first, the blasting of holes in the ramparts then the destruction of the weapons towers. Now he watched thousands of four legged, armoured alien monsters charge his defenses.

  “Steady, people,” the Captain of the Guard urged his troop leaders. “The first wave is coming. Looks like about three thousand insects. You can handle them.”

  Counting down, he informed his officer team, “One thousand yards.” Pause. “Eight hundred yards.” Pause. “Five hundred yards.”

  By this time Colonel Qureshi received clear, detailed pictures of the enemy. He saw beings standing taller than a man. Four legs supporting an oval, what he could only assume to be, abdomen. Ninety degrees to that rose the thorax which had two appendages which manipulated weapons like arms and hands. The head, shaped like an elongated water drop, held two bulbous forward focussed eyes and a hole on each side, presumably audio pickups. The snout ended in an oblong orb. Periodically a round tongue would snake out, flick around and be retracted. Useless wings held high, increasing the creatures’ overall height and possibly were meant for intimidation.

  “Coms, you’re getting all this?”

  “Yes, Colonel. And sending everything to every satellite in orbit and on the moon, per ordered.”

  “Good man. Keep sending.”

  The monsters reached the gate and the two other breaches. As they poured through, they raised their weapons and fired at any moving thing within view. Flying creatures swarmed over the walls, looked down on the entrenched enemy and fired down. Sasania’s defenders fought back and killed the invading aliens by the score. Ground monsters fell, dead or twitching. Arial aliens fell from the sky, making puffs of sand clouds as they smashed into the earth. People and creatures died in droves. The creatures died faster.

  Three thousand, five hundred aliens died within the walls of Sasania’s Fleet headquarters. Eight hundred men and women of the Sasania Militia also died, six hundred left standing.

  Colonel Qureshi watched the mutual slaughter. He heard his platoon leaders order their troops to re-arm and reload. He watched as the survivors of the firefight almost stagger as they trudged to the armoury for re-kitting.

  The Commander of the Sasania Fleet Headquarters watched, with pride and pain at his warriors, his people that had never been subjected to war. He watched with great sadness as the dead, his dead were removed and taken to one of the still-standing barracks. Then he turned his attention to the monsters outside the gate.

  Ten more of the troop ships dropped their ramps. Three thousand more alien fighters poured out. Five hundred more alien flyers launched.

&nbs
p; “Colonel Qureshi”

  “Commander?”

  “We’re done here. The enemy is amassing another three or four thousand troops. How many of your people survived?

  “About six hundred, sir. Many are wounded. Some grievously.”

  “Get everyone loaded up. The southern gate looks lightly blocked. We’ll break out there and head into the mountains. If we stay here we all die.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “And burn the barracks with our fallen. I don’t want any of those monsters getting their hands or claws or whatever on our people.”

  “I will see to that personally, Sir.”

  “And blow up the armoury. I’ll take care of headquarters.”

  Turning to his coms operator, “All recorded and sent?”

  “Yes, Sir. Full video, radiological and audio. All satellites updated and verified.”

  “That’s it then. Set the destruct timer. We’re leaving.”

  Mortek Ground Forces

  First Fleet Assault Leader continued to man his watch-post, viewing and analysing the course of the assault. The clicking of his claws bespoke his anxious disappointment at the results. His having to call up another phalanx caused him to rethink about the soft skins.

  “Well, that settles that question. They know how to fight.”

  Just then he heard and saw multiple explosions within the compound. Two of the explosions turned into raging infernos. At the same time, First Signaller interrupted his contemplation.

  “Sir, the soft skins have attacked our rear defenses. Fourth Signaller reports heavy fighting and that they have broken through our parameter and are fleeing to the mountains.”

  “Call in the attack ships. We’ll destroy them from the air. Once we halt their progress we can destroy them and feast on their corpses.”

  “Signalling now, Sir.”

  “Mobilize eight assault craft. Have them leap to the base of the mountain. Have eight more pull in behind. We will crush them in our pincers.”

  “Sixteen attack ships have entered the atmosphere and are vectoring on the target. The assault craft are taking up position and awaiting your command to attack.”

  “Have the ships attack as soon as they are within range. Also, continue with the assault on the fort. I want that fort and I want that fort now!”

  “Yes, My Liege.”

  Sasania Space Fleet Headquarters

  Ten minutes earlier, Commander Toma sat in his command chair within the communications carrier. He sat and viewed the remnants of his military force and measured their progress as they prepared for the upcoming battle. He noted the thirty troop carriers, twenty soldiers each, twelve tanks and eight anti-aircraft platforms. With satisfaction, he viewed his small convoy as all of the vehicles powered up their engines, inflated their skirts and rose off the ground, all hovercraft performing optimally.

  He watched as the weaponry domes in the troop carriers would randomly rotate, their laser cannons and rapid fire energy guns rising and falling. The tanks did the same. The rocket platforms sat quietly. He watched his men and women checking their equipment, readying themselves for the coming breakout.

  “It is time, Commander,” Colonel Qureshi reported. “We are ready.”

  “Blow everything. We’ll use the explosions as a distraction. I’ll do the command center.”

  Massive explosions occurred throughout the compound. Munitions exploded in spectacular fashion, launching fireworks and rocketry into the hot day sunlight. The barracks containing the dead became a crematorium, red and orange flames reaching for the sky, clouds of black smoke paying homage to the burning bodies of those who died protecting their planet.

  The southern gates opened. The twelve hover tanks charged forward. Many of the alien creatures were caught in their initial thrust. The laser cannons of the tanks cut into the alien vehicles, slicing through armour, destroying critical equipment, igniting flammables, slicing through the creatures inside.

  The ones outside were killed by the withering crossfire from the gunners in the weaponry domes mounted on top of the tanks. The rapid-fire energy blasts blew the alien creatures into so much dead meat.

  All of the hover vehicles in the Sasania convey were built, not only for destruction, but also for speed. The tanks burst from the fortress at over sixty kilometres an hour. Setting up a wedge formation, they blasted through the alien ships, slaughtered the alien foot soldiers and opened a hole wide enough for the following troop and communication carriers.

  The entire escape took less than three minutes. Although some of the tanks and carriers took fire and damage, no lives were lost. No one was injured. No vehicles were destroyed. The convoy fled at top speed. No stopping, no resting. Everyone knew that their only safety was the safety of the natural fortifications and concealment of the mountain range. Everything behind them was lost, owned by the alien invading horde.

  “Commander, I’m picking up launches from the alien ships surrounding the base.” This came from the sensors officer.

  “How many, Mr. Ashid? And where are they going?”

  “Eight, sir. They appear to be trying to head us off. There are also eight ships moving on the ground, coming in behind us.”

  “Mr. Kassis, Get Colonel Qureshi on the line.”

  “He’s on, Commander.”

  “Mr. Qureshi.“We’re about to have some company. It appears that our new friends don’t like us leaving their party.”

  “I see that, sir. I see that they are assembling a blockade and a rear thrust. Pretty standard stuff.”

  “I propose a feint. We head more south-east and when they settle in we veer hard south-west. Thoughts?”

  “We should be able to break free that way. But we are still going to take some fire.”

  “Let’s use a diamond formation. This will give us maximum return and minimum exposure.”

  “I concur, Commander. I’ll place all of the tanks on the south-east edges of the formation. Then when we make the south-west pivot, they will come to bear on the enemy.”

  “Excellent idea. We’ll get out of this, yet.”

  “My sensor officer also reports that we have incoming aerial ships.”

  Looking at his own sensor operator and getting an affirmative nod, Commander Toma responded, “I guess we will see how good our anti-aircraft weapons and personnel stand up against them. Place the platforms inside the defensive parameter. That should protect them from any ground fire.”

  * * * * *

  The convoy, now diamond shaped, sped south-east. The alien attack ships dove from the sky, launching missiles, firing energy spheres. The eight Sasanian anti-aircraft platforms launched self-tracking missiles of their own, released massive amounts of missile-confusing chaff and thousands of rounds of energy bursts. The platforms did their job. Sixteen alien ships exploded, burned and crashed into the plains. But they didn’t complete their job soon enough. Missiles got through. Four troop carriers exploded. Three energy spheres got through, all targeting the same vehicle. One tank died. Eighty-five men and women died. The convoy lost twelve percent of its vehicles and people. It kept racing towards the mountains.

  Mortek Ground Forces

  The horde of alien warriors charged through the rents in the walls. They scattered throughout the compound, searching for live enemy. They found none. Nor did they find any bodies for trophies and feeding. First Fleet Assault Leader marched through the walls and to the center of the parade grounds, followed by First Signaler and First Officer. There, he slowly rotated, absorbing all he could see. All of the buildings lay destroyed with two in particular still consumed by raging flames. Only the bodies of his own fallen warriors littered the former battle zone.

  “They know how to fight. They know how to withdraw,” he thought. “Taking this planet will not be as easy as War thinks.”

  “Signaler, Notify War that we have taken the military target.”

  “Yes, My Liege.” With that answer, First Signaler removed the backpack that had been strapp
ed to his abdomen, powered up the electronics inside and began his communication with War.

  “First Officer, organize your teams, search every building. Find and collect anything you deem as possibly important. Contact Intelligence. Have him send down a team for inspection.” First Fleet Assault Leader knew this was probably a waste of time, but the motions needed to be gone through.

  “Signaler, has War been notified?”

  “Yes, my liege. And he sends his compliments.”

  “He won’t like the cost,” First Fleet Assault Leader mumbled.

  Sasania Headquarters Survivors

  The convoy still headed south-east, its diamond-shaped formation smaller. The now-eleven tanks maintained holding the south-east edges. The eight anti-aircraft platforms remained within the defenses, launchers pointed skyward, with operators’ hands at the controls. The remaining sixteen troop carriers kept their spacing, allowing every vehicle clear firing lines towards the left-most convoy edges. Everyone remained on high alert, all cannons and rapid firing guns loaded and manned. Commander Toma sat in his command chair, monitoring everything.

  “Mr. Ashid, Status?”

  “The eight ground ships have landed approximately one kilometer in front of us, in the path of our current direction. The eight trailing ones are still chasing, but losing ground. They can’t hold our speed. However, when we veer South-west they will have the angle and will be able to close some of the distance.”

  “Will they close to firing range?”

  “Unknown, Sir. We don’t have any data on their weapon capabilities.”

  “We shall see. Mr. Kassis, please contact Colonel Qureshi. Tell him it is time. Execute established course change immediately.”

  The call went out. Suddenly Commander Tama was thrown around in his seat as the entire convoy, as one, performed a hard battle pivot from south-east to south-west without losing an iota of speed. The hard-charging vehicles cut across the western quarter of the alien ground ships, catching the enemy weapon deployments targeting the convoy’s projected destination.