Resurrection (The Inherited War) (38 page)

             
“I don’t care who you think you are, but this is MY FLEET!”  Suns was angry, very angry.  “If you ever speak to me or a superior officer in that way again I will put you in the brig.  Do you understand me?”  Suns got down and put his face right in front of Thalo’s.  “I said, do you understand me?”

             
“Yes Sir, I understand you.”  Suns looked at Thalo again then offered the prone Worlder his hand in assistance.  Thalo looked at it briefly before accepting it and his help getting to his feet.  Thalo rubbed his hand across his aching jaw and worked his mouth back and forth.  “You got a pretty good upper cut there, Sir.”

             
“Thanks, I have been working on it for years.  Now that you have calmed down a bit, can you see the advantage of at least pretending to go along with the Esii.  Shit of even doing what they want and having them out of the galaxy and pent up on a lifeless rock forever.”

             
“I don’t like it.  Never trust the Esii.  It is the first thing taught to Worlder children.  That and kill an Esii before he kills you.”  Thalo, still rubbing at his jaw, took his seat.  “But, if it kept them busy for a few days, we could use it to our advantage.  The problem is they are thinking the same thing.  They just may be taking the longer view than us.  We are thinking of the short term, how it will help us now.  Those bastards planned for a hundred years before starting the last war.  The Esii definitely think long term.  They will accept sacrifices and a lesser position now only because they expect better returns later on.  We would need an iron clad agreement.”

             
“Still, how would your people view and agreement signed with the Esii?”

             
Jeth spoke at this point.  “We would honor any agreement made with the Esii, until they broke it of course.”

             
“So your people would be forced to leave the Esii alone while they lived in your system and searched for a new world?”  Suns asked.

             
“Yes, damn it.  I forgot how honorable we are with treaties.  If we signed terms we would be honor bound to honor them until the Esii broke them.”  Thalo smacked his open palm on the table.

             
“Then it is up to your government.  Eventually this stalemate will come down to open fighting.  One side may win or both might lose.  Coming to terms may save both of your races not just the Esii.”

             
“Let’s hammer out our side of the deal and see what the government says.  If we can get them to agree to it, we have a chance to rescue Cole, if he is still alive.  This goes against every fiber of my being but this is our best chance to save a lot of people and our worlds.”  Suns looked long and hard at both Worlders.

             
“It takes great courage to come to that decision.  I commend you and think you made the right one.”  Suns held out his hand for Thalo to take.  Thalo shook it soundlessly and hung his head.

             
“I guess I should be the one to break it to Sky.”  Thalo said as he rose and walked away.  Suns saw a different side of the cocky always ready for a fight Worlder.  His shoulders hung loose on his body and his posture screamed, defeat.  It was the right choice, wasn’t it?  Suns didn’t know and probably never would.

~

              “And finally we, the allied worlds, will enact a permanent blockade around the planet.  We shall have rights to search any and all craft entering or leaving the planet for as long as you shall inhabit the fourth world of this system.  Any and all violations of these accords will result in the immediate and total destruction of all living things on said fourth planet.”  Suns finished reading the terms that had been suggested and approved by the ruling body of the Worlder system.

             
They hadn’t liked it any more than Thalo had but once they had been calmed down and the reality of the situation had sunk in, they had agreed. Thalo had also reminded them that once they rescued Cole, he would not be bound by any agreement they came to this day.  He would be free to pursue his vengeance in any way he saw fit.  The next twenty hours had been spent trying to cover their bases.  The Esii had stated three terms to their side of the agreement the Worlders had one hundred. 

             
“We would add one more thing to the terms.  Since we would have no fleet to defend ourselves, we would require that you defend our planet from our enemies who may wish revenge on our people.” The Esii hissed across the com.

             
“No.  It is well known that the Esii raid and pillage for their survival.  We will not risk ourselves to attack those seeking justice.  Your enemies are your own to deal with.”  Suns replied.

             
“Very well, we agree to the terms.  Allow me some time to inform my people.  We shall meet in two days to sign the terms and cease open hostilities.”  The Esii stated.

             
“Agreed, two days.  I will sign the papers then send out an unmanned shuttle to meet with you.  Sign the documents and return the ship, unharmed.  Until the point we receive the documents the war is still ongoing and any threat will be received with violence.  Suns out.”  The admiral killed the connection and sat back in his chair. 

             
“Well gentleman and ladies, in two days we send out a rescue party to the old Esii homeworld and get ready to great your new neighbors.  Let’s get our mission together and be ready to go.”  Suns signaled the end of the meeting and the Captains and commanders of the fleet broke up into their respective groups to plan their part of the coming mission.

CHAPTER 28

             
Cole stared across the makeshift table.  West looked back at him.  “Do it, you said you had it.”  West’s eyes were stuck on Cole’s hand. 

             
“Quiet, no talking.”  The command was harsh and directed at West.

Cole looked at his friend, and smiled.  “That, my friends is how you play a Boston.”  Cole said as he lay down his last card and took the book.  Spades was the soldier’s game.  You couldn’t find anyone in the old United States Army who didn’t play.  Playing cards were often the only thing to keep you occupied during long boring shifts of guard or phone duties.

“Yeah, all right Cole.”  West held out his hand and got a solid smack from Cole’s.  “Don’t mess with the infantry when it comes to spades.”

“Last game for me,” Cole said as he leaned back in his chair. “I still can’t stand that game; the only time I ever play it is when I am bored out of my mind and waiting for something to happen.  Come to think of it I don’t think I ever played it for fun.”

The other team was grumbling about West’s talking across the table when a breathless runner burst into the game room. 

“Sir,” he choked out between pants, “come, and hurry.” 

“Slow down, catch your breath.”  Cole stood and offered his seat to the panting man.  Cole thought for a moment.  Why didn’t you radio if something was happening?”

“Sorry, sir.  Forgot, I was too excited.  Scanner picked up a new signal, two new signals.  Not sneaking around the system like the last craft.  It is headed straight for us.”  Cole was out the door and at full speed before the man had finished speaking.  He ran at full speed to where they had set up the planetary array.  He passed Split as he ran.

“Come on.”  He shouted as he ran by.  Split didn’t waste time asking what was going on, he lumbered to his feet and followed as best he could.  Cole made it to the array in record time.  The array was one of the handy things they had found still down in the storage area.  They had assembled it and turned it on as soon as they could.  Its object sensing capabilities gave them a clear picture of what was overhead.

They turned it on just in time to see a small craft attempting to sneak in close to the planet.  It was quickly run off by the twenty or so Esii ships still hanging around above.  Cole shoved his way through the crowd that had gathered and settled himself at the display.

He immediately identified the twenty red lights that represented the Esii fleet.  He then saw the yellow blips that represented the newcomers.  Moving slow but steady right for the planet.

“Split?”  Cole asked over his shoulder.

“We are here.”  Came his reply.

“Get them ready.  One man on the power router and the crews to their guns.”  Cole spat out the order and heard Split move to follow them.   That was another thing they had found secreted down in the Pyndingum’s private stash.  A full battery of Stationary High Orbit Cannons.  Linked to this array they were able to fire, at the speed of light, ten inch high velocity titanium rounds.   The Esii ships were just within range of those guns.  The only problem was they had to lower their shields to use them.  Cole had been waiting for the distraction that would allow them to open up on the enemy.

This was their chance.  Cole watched the screen intently.  He had to be sure that all of the ships moved to engage the approaching ship.  The array was still unable to identify the incoming; they were ships of a type that were not in the array’s memory.  Cole started to designate targets for the battery.  He opened up a channel to the men stationed at the power supply and on the guns.

“This is what we have been practicing for, on my mark transfer power from the back shield to the guns.  Guns, as soon as you have power hit the targets from one to twenty.  Stand by.”  Cole cut the link and watched his screen.  The Esii began to deploy in response to the intruder.  Cole watched as four ships
peeled off from their over watch orbit and moved to intercept. Warning lights began to go off as the Esii cruisers began to batter the incoming with energy weapons.

The new ships plowed on through, they never even slowed.  Both ships adjusted their course.

“What are they doing?”  Someone behind Cole asked.  “It looks like they are going to ram those ships.”  He had picked up on the tactic before Cole.  If those new ships were going to ram that could only mean one thing.  Cole waited and watched.  Energy kept spewing from the Esii but to no avail.  The distance quickly closed.

The Esii realized to late what was about to happen.  They started to turn to avoid the onrushing ships but it was too late.  Cole watched as the yellow blips merged with the red blips on his screen.  He held his breath.  The yellow blips passed through the red blips and continued on course.  The red blips where gone.  Cole felt jubilation surge through his body.  He watched as the other two Esii ships suffered the same fate.

The Sixteen remaining ships turned to meet the head on charge of the new comers.  Cole activated his com.

“Reroute power from the shields to the guns.  Guns,” he paused until he no longer heard the electric hum of the shield overhead, “fire.”

As one, the six guns of the battery opened up at full bore.  The sound was loud as anything they had heard before.  Everyone was forced to put up their helmets and turn down the gain on their external pickups.  Cole opened a camp wide channel.

“All personnel not engaged with the enemy retreat to the barracks area of the camp and secure any items you don’t want to leave behind.  Everyone also grab at least two days of rations.  Stay under cover until the all clear is given.”  Cole closed his link and looked at his rear.  He watched as the camp exploded into action behind him.  Men were everywhere trying to help the extremely pregnant women to their feet and get them moving in the right direction.  Cole had spent hours going over this drill with everyone so he was confidant people would get to where they needed to be.

Cole turned his attention back to the battle above.  He knew his guns were incapable of destroying the enemy ships.  But he was distracting them.  He had enough rounds that he could fire a good sustained rate of fire for ten seconds at each ship.  Some rounds may punch through most would not.  But it should split their attention between the ground and the incoming ships nicely.  It did just that. 

As the remaining ships moved to engage the incoming ones, their back sides were peppered with his cannons fire.  The rear ships had to turn to face the new threat.  Cole waited until the last second.  “Power from guns back to shields.”  He shouted over the com.  Silence crashed down over the camp, but was quickly replace by the soft hum of the shields as they snapped back into place.

Not a moment too soon either.  Within seconds heavy plasma fire from the Esii ships impacted all over the shields.  The shields held, like they had countless times before.  Now all Cole could do was wait and watch.  Cole wished that the array provided better detail, but all he got were red and yellow dots.  The yellow dots continued their course straight at the planet.  The ships that got out of the way were ignored; those that didn’t got ridden under.

“Shit, they are coming in hot.”  Cole turned on his link to the shield crew.  Push the shields out as far as you can while maintaining good protection over the plateau.  When I give you the signal, drop the south generator.  Put it back up once those two ships have touched down.”  Cole got an affirmative response and watched as the shields expanded over the plateau.  He switched to his link with West.