AMP Rebellion (2 page)

Just as I was about to give the attack order the Colonel's staffer again came on the comm, "We have more incoming! It's the Prassi and the Dakar! They will be on us in four minutes!"

I gave the order, "Push forward! Let the targeting computer pic your targets and make every shot count. And Frig, see if you can open wormholes, target their bridges and fire a blaster through there or something. Do anything that can be disruptive!"

Frig replied, "I have weapons Sir, they will be set to auto-fire. I will attempt to keep near your position and draw fire if I can. I have a lot of hits to give with this cruiser Sir. Move in close and we will see if we can get through this."

I changed positions and flew in a sandwich between the Slaughter and the Injector. Sixteen of the Hawk pilots took positions above and below me, "We have your six and 12 Sir. We'll do our best to provide cover!"

I replied, "Knock it off! You all need protection as much as I! We are all in this fight together and I expect no special treatment!"

The Hawks remained in position as we approached the 42 Durian ships. The 42 in turn, fled back to the 4,000 plus fleet of ships behind them.

Frig came on the comm, "Sir. I am detecting a strange signature coming from those additional ships. It's as if... they are projections Sir! Fakes! Target those original 42 as they are projecting images of the other 4,000!"

I replied, "What about the 70 behind us?" Frig responded, "Fakes also Sir! We are up against 42 Durian ships. That is all!"

I flipped on the comm to all ships, "Switch targeting to the original 42 ships only! The rest aren’t real!"

With the Durian masquerade revealed, we drove hard at the 42. In an instant the Durians again disappeared from our screens.

I called out a command, "Fire everything you have at where they were! We might just get lucky and bag a few!"

As we passed through the space the Durians had previously occupied, thousands of ion cannon blasts blanketed the area. There was no indication of any cloaked ships taking fire. The Durians had slipped away.

I let out a sigh of relief. Within minutes we had passed beyond their prior location and were again moving away from the Dakar and Prassi fleets. Their fleets, had stopped the pursuit. With the Durians out of the fight the aggressors were less eager to take on the large Milgari fleet that remained.

With a half hour remaining to the nebula I gave the Frig a new order, "Take the Milgari ships to Barithia, we will meet back with you there. And we are eternally grateful for your assistance!"

I raised the Colonel on the comm, "Colonel. I'm shaking in my combat suit right about now. The adrenaline is going to take a while to exit my system. I was sure we had just seen the end our infant nation. Four thousand Durians... that is not a site I will easily forget!"

The Colonel replied, "Grange! You are the luckiest man alive. I'm beginning to think being with you makes me invincible. And that's a dangerous thought to have Grange... a dangerous thought. If you land back in our dock, I'll be happy to get you another drink from those cooks. I'm sure they keep a stockpile of that hooch around for special occasions. I would say this is one of those."

I pulled into the landing bay of the Slaughter and thanked Piston for his assistance.

He replied, "Sir, the honor was mine. I can now say I was there, riding with you, when the Durians backed down. That was one gutsy thing to do back there with the charge ahead Sir. Next time, I want to be sitting in that same seat Sir, if it's OK with you. Anytime you need an engineer, just give me a call."

As we entered the nebula I turned up a cup of the cook’s hooch along with the Colonel and the Admiral.

I spoke, "I don't think any of us will soon forget this day. If there was ever a time to test what you were made of, that time just passed. And the thing that astounds me is that every pilot out there followed our orders without blinking! No complaints. Not even a grumble. If we can maintain that level of courage, the coming war with our new foes might be a bit harder for them than they think."

The Colonel took a big swig and then winced, "I think those pilots would follow you into a supernova Grange. Let's just be happy that the supernova we just charged into was a mirage."

The Colonel and the Admiral both held up their cups, "Here is to Don Grange the invincible! May we be by his side in every encounter until there are no more wars!"

The Colonel took another swig and then spat a chaw of Omega root onto my pant leg. I wasn't sure how he was able to drink and chew at the same time, but at that moment I frankly did not care.

The Milgari fleet stopped at Barithia and began preparations for a long term settlement. Frig made a run back to the Suppressor to pick up the Milgari who had initially been cured of the effects of the Torrian drug. Glemak was among them and Frig wasted no time in explaining to him what had transpired.

Frig spoke, "And there you have it. The bulk of your people have been freed from the Torrian drug. They currently need leaders Glemak, leaders who can guide them to a better existence. I believe there are still several thousand Milgari ships out there, as well as troops on the ground, who are in need of our assistance."

Glemak replied, "How can I assist? I am willing to help in any way I can."

Frig responded, "I will be administering the cure to them as we find them. They will be in need of information when the cure takes hold. If you are willing, I will train you to train others who can assist with this. We will then free your people as we can, and your trainees will see to it that they are reunited with the other free Milgari."

Glemak accepted the task of being a trainer. Frig turned the Injector back towards Barithia where a force would be assembled to seek out and cure any remaining Milgari. A Milgari delegation would also be sent to the Dakar and Prassi empires to inform them of the Milgari intentions for peace.

The worlds between the Prassi and the Dakar would now be occupied by the Milgari. With the size and capability of the Milgari fleet it was believed that both traitorous empires would settle into rebuilding their own territories rather than contest the much larger and more powerful force of the Milgari. The wildcard in the situation would be the Durians.

Our fleet, the Nation of Defiant, made our way to the Grid. We had news for every Human. The Milgari wars were over! I was sure that celebration would spread quickly throughout the Grid as the news was made known. Man would finally be at peace.

When we arrived in Grid space we were hailed by the Grid military. "Intruding ships, you have entered Grid territorial space. Halt your progress or risk being fired upon!"

The Admiral responded, "This is Admiral Michael Zimmerman. Please inform your CO that we are coming in with a single ship. We have great news for all mankind. I will need immediate transfer to the command flagship for this fleet. Verification of my authenticity can be conducted when I board."

Several seconds passed before a new voice responded, "This is Captain Royce of the Grid destroyer Valiant. If this is Admiral Zimmerman you will have to excuse our suspicion under these unusual circumstances. The ships you fly do not emit a transponder code and several appear to be of a Milgari base type. Please follow the transmitted nav instructions and prepare to be boarded. Any activity deemed to be unusual or hostile will be met with immediate cannon fire. Will you comply?"

The Admiral responded, "Captain Royce. I would expect nothing less. Your terms are acceptable. Transmit the coordinates and we will gladly follow. And Captain, the news we bring is as good as it gets. I look forward to meeting you Captain; will see you in a few."

The Slaughter moved forward will all cannons powered down. The Admiral was transferred to the Valiant with several of his aides. Half an hour later he again transferred to the command flagship and his identity verification was soon completed.

The Grid fleet turned back towards their standard defensive positions. We received a hail, "This is Zimmerman. Harper, Grange, you and the others have been cleared to enter Grid space. Please follow the nav coordinates given so as to not cause any unintentional mishaps. Understand that our troops here are going to initially be a little skeptical of your intentions."

"Once the word spreads and is accepted we will be allowed passage onto the Grid. Until that time please be patient. If all goes as planned, we will board the Grid as heroes. I will have my media operatives release the news so that it is favorable. In a few short hours, we should see almost everyone on that station coming out in celebration. It has been a long time coming. We only have this one final step to take."

The Colonel replied, "You just tell us when and where to move Admiral and we will be there. And as far as heroes go, everyone on that station is a hero for having endured the plague that has followed us for the last 1,000 years. Let's just hope that they don't all spontaneously combust from the excitement we are bringing."

The Admiral continued to the Grid and we were soon given coordinates for an area to park the fleet. As each warship was secured the men aboard were transported onto the Grid. News was beginning to spread and the people listened, mostly in disbelief.

I took the Swift and landed in Alpha bay. The usual bustle of dock workers was already showing signs of the news. Incoming ships were being asked to remain in a holding pattern while departing ships attempted to hold onto their current spots. I had no doubt that a handful of dedicated workers would miss out on the initial celebrations as their jobs were critical to the continued operation of the Grid, but the Milgari wars were over, celebrations would not be short lived.

After landing I was not surprised that the normal militant customs inspectors were nowhere to be found. They were some of the first to receive the good news and had immediately abandoned their posts to be with their families. While such an offense would normally constitute an immediate firing, these circumstances were anything but ordinary.

Doris met me in the hallway as I walked towards her office. "Sir, is it true? The Milgari? Defeated?"

I placed my left hand on Doris' shoulder as we walked. "The Milgari have been released from the Torrian drug and are no longer a threat to our existence. I'll fill you in after you tell me where I can find Ashley Elizabeth."

Doris stopped. "I thought you might be looking for her Sir. She is away on a trip at the moment. She's not expected back for a week I'm afraid. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news Sir."

I put my arm around Doris' other shoulder. "Well then Doris, looks like we are headed to Jasper's for a drink. Does that sound like something you would be interested in? It is true. The war is over."

Doris continued to walk with her jaw dropped. The hallways were soon filled with commotion. Discussions were taking place as the news spread. Again, the first reaction by most was one of disbelief. We turned into Jasper's and sat down at a booth. On the large monitors that hung from the ceilings the Presidential podium was being prepared for a speech.

The President soon appeared. "I'll begin with the initial reports that everyone has been hearing about the Milgari wars."

The President paused for effect. "The news is true. The wars are over!"

The President smiled and shook hands with a number of aides and fellow politicians that had joined him at the podium. The crowd around him got loud as hugs abounded and cheers rang out.

The President returned to the microphone and raised his hands. "Now... let's settle down people. Before we begin our celebrations, it has been brought to my attention that a number of critical worker positions have been abandoned."

"I understand that this is probably the biggest news we will receive in our lifetimes, but we will all be living here tomorrow and the day after. I am going to ask those people who have left from those critical jobs early to please return as we are all counting on your continued service. I will also ask that managers set up a shift rotation over the coming days to allow all to participate in this monumental event."

"As this week progresses, we will have official celebrations in every section that can be attended by all. This will be a time to be cherished by everyone, a time that will be written into our history books."

The President continued his speech for nearly an hour. During that time the Admiral was mentioned only once and the Nation of Defiant not at all. I was sure the Admiral had given an initial briefing to the President and to the other top politicians and military leaders, but I had to wonder about his motives when leaving out a most important fact. We had been the ones who risked and sacrificed our lives. I wasn't in need of praise for myself, but the Colonel's men were certainly deserving.

I spoke to Doris as I sipped on a cocktail. "Wow. I think we just got a stiff-arm from President McKinzey. Not even an honorable mention. The Colonel is no glory hound, but this has to smart. We lost a lot of patriots out there."

Doris replied, "I had the same thoughts as he was talking. If all be told Sir, I think McKinzey has a few shady connections of his own. I can show you the files we have on him. Given his position, he is a hard man to keep tabs on for obvious reasons. While he hasn't had any direct contact with any of the known spies here on the Grid, he has a number of advisors that have secondary ties. I'll have the Colonel's team spin up on all that if you like. They are good at pulling out details and piecing them together."

I responded, "I think that might be a good idea Doris. We may be done with the Milgari and the Torrians, but the Durians could easily pick up the slack. And with the way that speech went down, I think we might want to start obfuscating Martool mining and its assets. I want the Colonel's researchers moved elsewhere and working for a different company."

Doris replied, "They are already three layers of companies away from Martool Don. Their funding and everything about them has no tie to my operation other than the files I have in my possession. I will begin a purge of those immediately if you feel it necessary. The Colonel's men are set up as six small shell companies that all have different parent businesses on Omrin. Our Omrin connections are well paid so their covers should be sound."

I turned up my drink and waved to the waitress for another. "Maybe I'm just being paranoid Doris, but the same fools are still in office. I should probably meet up with the Admiral for a debriefing on his talk with the President. Maybe that will put things in perspective. Maybe the President was just being cautious with our identities or something. Maybe I just need a vacation."

As a precaution I sent Doris on her way to clean her office of any suspicious material. I had also given direction that the research teams remain out of sight and away from any media events. Their work was important and needed to continue, even during the celebrations.

I headed out in search of the Colonel and Admiral. I was sure they had each watched the speech. I wanted to hear their thoughts on the President not mentioning our existence."

I walked back to Alpha bay where the remainder of our men were being ferried in for the celebrations. I met Jarrod as he stepped off a shuttle with his crew.

Jarrod raised his hand as I approached. "Grange! Come have an ale with us!"

I shook his hand and I stepped in alongside him as he walked. "Would you know where the Colonel or the Admiral has gotten off to?"

Jarrod responded, "Yes Sir! We are heading right for them. The Admiral secured the Alpha sector mall for a special celebration for us. There will be 187,000 of us crammed into the parade space. Food and beverage are supposed to be provided courtesy of the McKinzey Administration."

I hesitated before I spoke, "McKinzey? Did you hear his speech?"

Jarrod replied, "Yeah, we heard it. Wasn't what I would call very thankful. I'm guessing maybe this event is to make up for that or something. Either way, he's a politician so he probably has some angle on working our story into something that favors him and his cronies. Hey, maybe we can get the Colonel to run in his place next election! Hahahaha!"

Jarrod and the others were in a celebratory mood. I wasn't sure why I was uncomfortable with the coming special event, but I was. As we approached the entryway to the mall I stopped.

I put my hand on Jarrod's shoulder. "Hey, I'll catch up with you later. I think I'll head over to the shooting range and see if Jeb's cousin Duane is coming over here. He should be a part of this too."

Jarrod nodded as he turned and proceeded through the entranceway. As I walked down the hall towards the shooting range I happened to glance through an open doorway as a soldier was pulling it shut. The room was filled with Grid soldiers wearing combat gear. My first thoughts were they were preparing for a celebration of their own, but the fact that they were in full gear was pecking away at my brain. By the time I reached the shooting range I was on edge.

Duane was coming out as I approached. "Hey Mr. Grange! That is awesome news you brought back! Are you going to the party? It's just back the way you came at Alpha mall. I hear the parade ground is filling up with Colonel Harper's and the Admiral's men. I've partied with the Gray Ghouls a few times. They are a riot."

I replied, "I don't know Duane. I've just had a bad feeling about everything since McKinzey's speech. I think I'll hang back for a bit. I was kind of hoping the range was still open. I could use firing off a few rounds to calm my nerves or whatever this feeling is that's taken a hold of me."

Duane held out the keys. "Yeah, that McKinzey can be a tool. Not sure how he got re-elected last time. Here are the keys. Have at it Sir. You know where everything is and when you are done, just lock up on your way out!"

Duane turned and hurried off towards the mall.

I stepped into the shooting range lobby and locked the door behind me. The lobby was filled with glass cases full of conventional firearms. Shotguns lined a far wall and any number of pistols, rifles and assault weapons filled the cases. There was even a case with grenades, mortars and bazooka rounds. It was evident that they were for display purposes only as nothing was priced to sell.

I picked an AK from a wall rack and filled a basket with 400 rounds of ammo. I spoke out loud, "OK Grange. Let's take out some of this anxiety on a few targets."

I stepped into a stall on the range and loaded my weapon. A button was pressed and an auto-target of a Milgari silhouette was raised at 25 meters distance. I took aim.

Ak!

Ak-ak-ak-ak!

Ak-ak-ak!

It seemed like only minutes had passed when my cache of ammo had been exhausted. I returned to the lobby and picked up a 40 box case that contained 2,000 rounds. It was heavy and the next several hours were spent on raising targets and emptying clips. When my mind had been sufficiently relieved of the uneasy thoughts I was having, I returned to the lobby, cleaned the AK, returned it to its rack and locked the door on my way out.