Virus and earth ii boxse.., p.152
Virus & Earth II Boxset, page 152
part #1 of Virus Series
“Good suggestion let’s do that.”
“Space Marshal, we have to be sensitive to this creature’s intentions, we know nothing about it. We don’t know if it is associated with another alien race, we don’t know if it is a threat to us. Our space stations are very powerful stations with their own manufacturing capability and thousands of robotic fighting machines. Allowing it to capture our station might not be in our best interest. It might leave us in a very difficult position.”
“Sir, I agree with your assessment. Unfortunately, we have to think about the Lennari system’s survival first. If we can protect ourselves from this creature, and it goes somewhere else, I’m not sure what to do about that. Sir, it should be noted, that ship entered our system by itself. If it were a hostile invasion, it would have had many ships with it. Being just one ship could be that the responsible creature is alone.”
“We have to find the right balance, for us to survive, and not arm an evil creature who would be a greater threat to everyone. Has this creature attempted to reestablish contact with our computer systems?” asked the King.
“No sir, it hasn’t attempted that yet. I suspect that it will renew its connection when it would be a tactical advantage. Up until that point, we have to let it think that it can take control of our systems, and then when we see the right opportunity for us, we can use it to our advantage.”
“Space Marshal, I fear the greatest risk we have is underestimating our opponent. Please monitor the situation closely and devise a defensive plan to protect that station and Vallors.”
“Yes sir,” responded the Space Marshal.
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The instant that Julius was clear of the defensive buoys he began searching the electronic emissions from within the solar system wanting to confirm the weak point at which he would attack. He knew that they had had battles and the only logical conclusion was that damage had been done which would provide him opportunities. It was obvious that the Lennari system was a highly technical civilization with many spaceships in orbit around all of the habitable planets. Three of the planets had space stations orbiting them, and Julius immediately noticed that one of them was still dark. It was in orbit, but activity, electronic and heat emissions were at a minimal level. Either it was a trap for him, or that station had sustained considerable damage in the last attack.
Julius made a fast decision, typical of a computer. He would attack that weak point. He directed the Vakeel ship’s computer to proceed to the station at full speed. If he was going to be successful, speed was essential.
Gathering resources and gaining strength were the only objectives that made sense if he was to achieve his ultimate goal of dealing with SIMPOC and the humans. It wasn’t a gamble Julius was taking, merely a short-term objective that he either he accomplished or failed to achieve.
The trajectory change needed to reach the station was relatively small, and Julius was making the course change as rapidly as possible. He wanted to reach the station quickly to assess its capabilities and level of damage to develop the best plan to capture it. The same attack strategy, as before, made sense in this situation. Use the smaller station as the attack tool, protecting Julius and his Vakeel ship. If he lost the smaller station, it would be a setback but not a disaster. If he lost the huge Vakeel ship with its manufacturing capabilities, that would be a disaster which Julius could not accept.
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Tom could feel additional G forces as the huge Vakeel ship maneuvered. He didn’t know the reason for the forces, and they weren’t that much higher than normal, but it was an indication of a change in trajectory. While Tom was monitoring the forces, he noticed Alpha enter the storage room from the rear and move aggressively towards him.
That can’t be good, Tom thought to himself.
“Alpha, is something going on?” Tom asked.
“Yes, we have returned to the Lennari system, and Julius is maneuvering towards a large space station. The Vakeel ship’s sensors indicate that the station was damaged during a recent attack. It is still functional, but I fear Julius will attempt to commandeer the station like he did the mining station in the last system. From what I can detect from the sensors this station is much larger, with capabilities, and a significant offensive potential.”
“Do you think this is an opportunity for us to do something for Iknot, General Mitom, and the other hostages?”
“I don’t know yet, I expect this will be a very dynamic environment, and if an opportunity arises, we will have to move quickly.”
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General Mitom and his leader Iknot were sharing a brief meal when they sensed the change in gravity. They too deduced that the huge ship was maneuvering, and both wondered what that would mean for them.
Typical of past communications, the mobile unit that had brought their food and was waiting to clean up afterward, produced Julius’s voice. “Prepare your troops for combat,” was the only message they heard.
General Mitom and Iknot looked at each other both dreading what that statement meant.
“General, are your new troops ready for combat?” Iknot asked.
“No, they’re not. They have just been fitted with their spacesuits, and they have only had minimal training time with the mobile units. I fear any combat situation will be difficult for us.”
Iknot and General Mitom looked at each other, but they knew there is no other choice. General Mitom stood, adjusted his uniform saluted his leader then turned and followed the mobile unit out of Iknot’s storage room and headed towards his troops. He must prepare them and give them all the support he could.
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“Alpha, can you get word to Iknot and General Mitom that we might have an opportunity to do something?”
“Yes, I believe so. When Julius gives them orders to move, I know the route they will follow, and unless Julius has changed his methods, his mobile units won’t be looking for an additional unit. I should be able to blend in with the group easily and communicate with General Mitom as he travels to the exit point. I will warn him to be observant and to wait, and I will tell him of my software interrupt which should give him momentary control over his units.”
“I hope your plan works,” Tom said as he put his hand on his friend's shoulder.
Alpha knew that was an important symbol that two humans did to support each other though he didn’t have an appropriate response except to nod his head before leaving Tom’s area.
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Fleet Commander Morot walked into his military Planning Council Meeting, and everyone stood, waiting for him to be seated. “Good morning ladies and gentlemen Our Leader has directed us to execute another attack on the Lennari system. We will review the suggestions that you have made and make sure that we are following the right plan.”
“General our intelligence reports indicate that we did considerable damage to one of their space stations and significant damage to others. At this time, we recommend that a full-frontal assault on the entire Lennari system would take too many resources and might have an unpredictable result. We recommend that we focus on getting a foothold in that system, one that we can maintain and use as a base for subsequent attacks. The space station that was badly damaged orbits a planet called Vallors. It is an icy world that provides meat and raw materials to the other planets. Vallors has resources we can use, and the space station in orbit above it is one of their defensive stations, but it does have significant manufacturing capabilities. Our attack damaged their launch recovery systems, so the station was taken out of their offensive activities. 4000 of their space fighters were trapped either on board or in space. This is one of their premier stations and capturing it would provide us with many benefits.”
“We suggest that we focus our attack on securing the space station, getting the launch retrieval systems operational and using the natural resources of the planet below. We can establish an outpost of considerable size and subdue the current population. Over time we will be able to use the natural resources and the space station to defend the planet. Once we have that outpost established, we will have a permanent foothold in that solar system, and with subsequent attacks, we will be able to eventually overpower the Lennari defenses.” Fleet Commander Morot sat and listened contemplating what his subordinate had told him. It made sense; he agreed that attacking the Lennari system and trying for one huge overwhelming battle was perhaps not the wisest approach. His only concern was selling it to his Leader, who wanted the Lennari system defeated and subservient to him.
“Thank you, prepare a battle plan based on that assumption. Be prepared to attack at any moment, and I accept your objective of capturing that space station.”
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Captain Pardold was getting bored. The exciting ship under his command was a powerful weapon, but it needed to be used. Training in mock battles was an insult to the technology that he had at his fingertips. Captain Pardold stayed near the secondary jump point to the Lennari system. If his merchant trader exited the Lennari system and brought him news of his adversary, he would enter the Lennari system. Staying close meant that he would be able to jump immediately.
Pardold was eager to do something, to make his mark, to show those around him that he was the leader of the future. It was frustrating just to sit and wait, hoping for an opportunity to demonstrate his leadership skills. The orders that Fleet Commander Morot had given him were exciting, but they were limited. He had a nebulous role, to sneak into the Lennari system, find the aggressor that stole his ship and deal with him. That was the role that could easily be missed during a large invasion where others were getting credit for the jobs they did. If he was successful, others might never hear about it. After all, losing the ship was a personal embarrassment to him, but it was also an embarrassment for Fleet Commander Morot. There was the chance, of course, that if he succeeded in destroying the ship and capturing or killing the creature that stole it, Fleet Commander Morot might never tell anyone. That was unacceptable to Pardold.
He had decided that if he got a warning from the merchant trader saying that the creature was in the Lennari system, he was going after him regardless of the status of the Borram attack. If he were the first one in the system and accomplished the major feat of capturing or killing that creature, then his accomplishment would not go unnoticed. If the Borram fleet followed him, then he was still the first one, and they were all behind him.
“Captain, there is an increase in radiation at the jump point. It appears to be a ship exiting very soon. It’s a small pulse, so we expect a relatively small ship to arrive.”
Pardold’s attention was piqued, perhaps it was the trader Tarlock. If it was him, it was time for Pardold to take action.
“Sir the ship has just exited the jump point, and it appears to be that Trader vessel you dealt with before. What are your orders?”
“Intercept the ship immediately and send a radio transmission to the Captain telling him I’m coming on board and I want to speak with them.”
“Yes, sir.”
The response from the trader ship was immediate and clear, “Yes, you have permission to board my craft.”
Captain Pardold wanted to see Tarlock’s face when he asked him about his target in the Lennari system. He didn’t want a radio transmission or allow too many ears to hear the discussion. It was his choice, and he wanted the credit. He wanted to be the one making the decisions.
After Pardold’s shuttle connected to Tarlock’s ship, he didn’t run to the Captain, but he walked briskly. His two guards had to work to keep up with him. He was anxious to take a step into the new role that he perceived himself filling. The role of being the leader of the invasion.
“Tarlock, what are you here to tell me?” Pardold asked the frightened trader.
“Sir, we have been in the Lennari system trading among the planets. We have been making a note of their military preparedness, where they’ve been putting their resources, and what the results were of your last attack. The space station TS1 was damaged, and the one over the planet Vallors has been shut down. Your last attack did considerable damage to it. The launch and recovery systems are inoperable, and the Lennari government has decommissioned it until those systems are repaired. They have withdrawn some of their flying assets to the nearest other space station where they can launch and recover as necessary.”
“Is that all you have for me?” Pardold said as he took a step closer to the very concerned trader.
“No sir there is one other thing. We were near the planet Vallors where the inoperable station was located. A short time ago a new ship of unknown configuration entered the system along with a smaller space station. The ship’s description matches that of the ship that you are interested in. It appears to be moving towards the decommissioned space station and the planet Vallors. It also seems that the Lennari are reorganizing defenses for some type of military action.”
Captain Pardold took a step away from the cornered Captain and walked around the bridge thinking, was that the ship and creature that stole his ship? He continued walking until he made the fateful decision, “Thank you Captain” he said as he turned and exited the captain's bridge.
He strode back to his shuttle at an even faster pace than he went to the trader's command deck. His two bodyguards had to almost run to keep up with them. The entire time that he walked and rode his shuttle back to his ship was time for him to tell himself how smart he was, and how everyone would eventually recognize his brilliance.
Upon reaching his command deck, his order was simple “We have been ordered to exit the Borram system and to proceed at full speed to the Lennari system.”
His flight deck crew didn’t question the orders. They didn’t know what the trader had told him; they didn’t know what his orders from Fleet Commander Morot were, they just did what they were told.
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Julius thought his attack plan was sound. After all, it had worked in his last encounter. As he and the captured space station approached the Lennari station, Julius measured the emissions, electronic signatures and any activity that he could pick up with his Vakeel ship’s sensors. The huge space station appeared alive but inactive, his sensors picking up damage to the 14 launch/recovery portals on various parts of the huge space station. The total mass of the station was equal to his Vakeel ship which was both encouraging (about what it contained) and concern (whether he could capture and then drag it through a jump point as he had the smaller station).
Regardless Julius was going to proceed, and again he would either succeed or fail - there was no ambiguity.
As he approached the huge Lennari space station, he slowed the Vakeel ship and allowed the smaller space station to lead the attack.
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General Mitom was doing the best he could to prepare his troops for what he thought was an imminent attack. He could feel the subtle changes in the gravity as the Vakeel ship maneuvered and that probably indicated Julius was preparing for another attack. When the mobile unit next to him spoke with Julius’s voice, it wasn’t a surprise.
“Prepare your men; action is imminent. Proceed to the departure point.”
General. Mitom took a deep breath and accepted the fact that he and many of his troops might not live through the encounter. It was happening too fast, with too little preparation. His soldiers weren’t ready, they weren't experienced fighters in space, and the results were likely to be disastrous. Julius, the beast in charge, never bothered to tell General Mitom if he and his troops were being used in a boarding assault, ground assault or any other key information. Like the last action, Mitom would have to make the decisions the instant he saw their adversary. Regardless of the lack of any information, his loyalty to Iknot and his family did not waver. He would willingly sacrifice his life and all of his troops for their safety. But, of course, he didn’t want that to happen.
“Troops prepare for conflict. Don your space suits and match up with your assigned mobile units, I will return in a moment.”
General Mitom wanted to tell his leader Iknot that he and his men were going to battle. He wasn’t sure what it would mean, but he deserved to be told.
The troops in the large area were in controlled chaos as the individual unit leaders were organizing their units, General Mitom could slip away for a few moments to update his leader.
The doors were opening and closing as the mobile units arrived and the troops matched up with their units. It was easy for General Mitom to slip out and move to his leader's confinement space.
“Sir, we have been told to prepare for engagement. Again, I know nothing about what is expected of us. I’m afraid that our losses will be significant. We have not had enough time training these additional troops; they are going into combat unprepared.”
“General, I have confidence in you and your subordinates. I know everyone will do the best they can.”
General Mitom moved closer to his leader and spoke in a hushed voice. “Do you think we’ll hear from that other captive and his robot?”
“I don’t know. We must be prepared to assess the situation and determine if it is wise for us to act. I’m afraid we will have to make a decision based on little information and with little time to think about it.”
“Sir, I’m afraid that you’re correct. I must rejoin my troops.”
“Good luck, General.”
“Thank you, sir,” General Mitom said as he saluted, turned and left.
By the time General Mitom made it back to the marshaling area near his troops, they had achieved some semblance of order. Mitom, donned his spacesuit as some of his units were already moving to the discharge point.
“Don’t exit this ship until I catch up. I will lead you into battle,” he announced to his leadership team who were moving towards the exit five decks below.
By the time General Mitom had secured his space suit and paired up with his mobile unit, there was only one group which hadn’t left for the exit point. He joined them as they left. Possible battle scenarios were racing through his thoughts, and he wasn’t paying attention to the path they were following.
