Battle for the Earth (11 page)

As they left the U-860 behind them and headed towards the next wreck, the
Custodian,
which had run aground in the South Atlantic Ocean south-west of Bouvet Island in 1982, they would then turn east and past the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, midway to the next wreck which lay off Western Australia. This was the
Carlisle Castle,
which ran aground on Coventry Reef, south-east of Perth back in 1899. At this point they would rest up before the attack on the cruiser which was in for repairs at Perth Airport.

**

As Grant came to rest on the sea bed at the rear of the wing he felt relieved. Ever since the episode with the mysterious wash he’d had a bad feeling that something was going to go disastrously wrong. But, no, they’d made it to the
Carlisle Castle
OK. He just couldn’t actually see it from where he was positioned, right at the back.

Still, not to worry, the action would be starting soon and he could get to do some proper flying. Although it was a novelty, Grant still preferred flying to cruising the sea bed, so the planned attack would be right up his street. Although he understood the reasons for stealth, he still preferred good, old-fashioned, head-to-head combat and the adrenalin rush that came with it.

Terry checked with everybody and made sure they all knew the plan inside out and, just as important, the escape routes and evasive actions. After confirming everyone was up to speed and wishing everyone good luck he barked the command:

‘Go! Go! Go!’

**

23

Tannacha was in his war room with his six commanders. The seven of them were perusing a large 3D console at the end of the large war-room table. The exact position of Blue Star Base had been plotted onto the lunar surface, and the topic of discussion was the best way of obliterating it.

Tannacha had now suffered enough humiliation at the hand of the ESG and was poised to give the order for the total destruction of mankind and any surviving Dropas. Revenge and attrition were now the order of the day, but first of all was the destruction of this annoying base on the moon.

Nalater was the first commander to come up with a plan.

‘It’s quite simple, supreme commander. We do what they did.’

‘How do you mean?’ demanded Tannacha.

‘Subterfuge, commander. We send one cruiser directly at them. They won’t want to disclose their position as it approaches. Meanwhile two cruisers slip round the far side of the moon and take them completely by surprise.’

‘Excellent, Nalater! At last a commander with some knowledge of tactics! I’m impressed. Once the details are worked out, come and see me on the bridge.’

With that Tannacha left his subordinates in the war room to sort out the details and returned to the bridge.

With quiet confidence Nalater approached Tannacha at the main viewing window on the bridge and made his presence known to his commander with a low barking cough.

‘Everything is prepared supreme commander and we just await your permission to begin.’

‘Good, I have decided to put you in charge of
Nephilimis,
Nalater, and you also have control of the fleet, answering only to me. Do you think you’re up to the job?’

Nalater looked confused, but decided a positive response was called for without questioning his supreme commander’s motives.

‘Yes, supreme commander. I’m honoured and I won’t let you down.’

Tannacha’s face contorted into what could almost be mistaken for a smile.

‘Then get on with it and keep me informed. I’ll be in my quarters. Oh, and assign a new commander to the
Serpitus
immediately, I want that battle cruiser to hunt down any Dropas or Earthling resistance on the planet surface and destroy them without exception, understand? The only living things on Earth are to be Annunaki warriors.’

‘Consider it done, supreme commander.’

From the moment Nalater began issuing his orders to the three battle cruisers, the fate of the moon base, Blue Star, was sealed.

**

Nalater had a new confident air about him. There was steel in his voice and his already formidable presence had become even more intimidating.

He had assessed the three commanders available to him for the purpose of commanding the battle cruiser
Serpitus
in its new role of hunt and destroy. His mind was now made up. It would be Gargius, a commander of some experience but, what was more to the point, totally ruthless and unforgiving. Just the man for the job, thought Nalater. If he can’t hunt down the rest of the scum on Earth and make sure they will be extinct as a species, then no one can.

The command was given for Gargius to take a shuttle and meet up with the
Serpitus
at Perth Airport to start his new mission: the extinction of mankind and any remaining Dropas.

**

Gargius was absolutely delighted with his new command. After all, his battle cruiser had been one of the first casualties on entering this god-forsaken solar system when they had run straight into a meteor shower. Unfortunately his cruiser had been completely destroyed and he himself had only just escaped death by abandoning his own warriors and saving himself. In Annunaki culture the captain never goes down willingly with the ship. He then had to endure the embarrassment of being an encumbrance to another commander aboard their battle cruiser. But now he had a cruiser of his own again.

‘A new mission.’ Gargius was running Nalater’s words over and over in his head. What were the exact words again? The only living things on Earth are to be Annunaki warriors, and he was to hunt down any Dropas or Earthling resistance on the planet surface and destroy them without exception. That was it.

That’s it, thought Gargius. That’s why there’s no population. They’re not on the surface of the planet, they’re under it! It was now as plain as the grimace on his face. The Dropas specialities were technology and mining. Where else could they keep the population of a planet but underground? Why had nobody else come to this conclusion sooner? It was obvious the Dropas had been instrumental in this and by all accounts had made an excellent job of creating an environment of subterfuge.

Gargius now knew what he had to do. The only questions that remained were: how and where?

**

24

Marie and Ravel were intent on watching the approach of a single Annunaki battle cruiser. Blue Star Base was on full alert, and in silent mode. The cruiser looked as if it was just on a fishing mission, but they couldn’t be sure. It was around 500,000 miles out on the long-range sensor console and on a course directly towards them but, strangely, moving very slowly.

Jumouk and Lee were on board the
Katchinas.
Konoco was on the ESG battle cruiser
Iron Duke,
all within the ESG fleet above Blue Star Base, and under the mag shield. Everyone was on full alert, and every commander was watching the slow approach of the Annunaki battle cruiser; Jumouk felt uneasy and raised the question everyone was thinking.

‘Why is it travelling so slowly, Lee?’

‘Maybe it’s damaged,’ Lee speculated.

‘Where has it come from?’

Jumouk and Lee had spoken more or less in the same instant. Neither had an answer and neither would allow his eyes to stray from the console. It was almost mesmerising, watching the craft ambling along like some kind of huge albatross in space. This was exactly the result Nalater had hoped for. He had carefully instructed the commander of the battle cruiser to act out of character, hoping this would distract the moon base from the real intention of his cruiser’s approach. That way the other battle cruisers could sneak slowly round the other side of the moon, effectively blindsiding the moon base.

When Nalater had given the orders to the cruisers, the decoy cruiser was to head directly towards the sun during the next solar flare. Solar flares always affected proximity detectors and scanning technology. Keeping the Earth between itself and the moon, spin round the sun, then hyper-space to the far side of Jupiter and rapidly approach the Earth’s moon, slowing down when it was around 500,000 miles out.

Jumouk didn’t like what he was seeing. He had a very bad feeling about it. Something just didn’t add up. For the first time in what seemed an eternity Jumouk slowly raised his eyes from the console and looked at the three-dimensional representation of space around the Earth and moon. This was situated directly in the middle of the table, and was unusually hazy.

‘Where are the three Annunaki battle cruisers that were in Earth’s orbit?’

Lee spun round. The cruisers were no longer in Earth’s orbit. Frantically he began scanning, short range, long range and Earth itself.

**

Damn these solar flares, he thought to himself! They affect everything.

The scanners were having a lot of difficulty identifying what was going on. They had picked up the Annunaki battle cruiser that was being repaired in Western Australia, but there was still no sign of the other battle cruisers. Jumouk looked at Lee, they were both thinking the same thing. The moon base’s cover had been blown.

Lee snarled the command.

‘Battle stations! All cruisers break cover now, and launch all assault craft.’

Too late! The
Katchinas
rocked under the volley of pulse fire from the two Annunaki battle cruisers bearing down on the stricken Blue Star Base. What was worse the third decoy Annunaki battle cruiser had now joined the fray.

The three ESG battle cruisers bolted in different directions, spewing out assault ships as they fled in confusion. All three cruisers had now taken substantial damage but were not being pursued by the Annunaki, who were now intent on pummelling the moon base and its surrounding defences.

**

The mag shield had now collapsed around the moon base and the true nature of the damage being inflicted could be seen by all. In fairness to the moon base and its surrounding defences, they were putting up a ferocious defence and indeed inflicting significant damage on all three of the attacking battle cruisers. Assault vessels, both Annunaki and ESG, had engaged each other in a mass of brutal, individual dog fights scattering above and over the lunar surface and base.

**

Ravel was in the Blue Star Base control room, trying desperately to co-ordinate the moon base defence. Things were happening so quickly, communications had gone down and Marie was doing what she could to get them restored.

An ESG assault craft that had been chased down by three Annunaki assault ships skimmed over the clear roof of the control room, making everyone inside duck as a reflex action.

Watching in disbelief, the horrified onlookers saw the vessel hit the lunar surface and literally bounce into one of the defence pods, bringing its fight for survival to an end. The three Annunaki assault ships carried on firing, this time targeting the other defence pod.

The Annunaki vessels were not to get it all their own way, however, as two of the craft disintegrated amongst the rain of pulse fire from the defence pod. The other Annunaki craft peeled off and sped away to hunt down more ESG prey.

The defence pod now came under fire from one of the three Annunaki battle cruisers lurking above it. Even with its energy-absorbing qualities the pod didn’t last long before it imploded in on itself.

**

It was now becoming clear that the moon base was stricken as Ravel struggled with the systems and emergency back-ups. Fortunately for him the automated air-lock systems were still all functioning.

**

As structure and area after area failed, Ravel was desperately considering the best way to evacuate the base. One of the main problems was there were still no communications, even though Marie had left a while ago to expedite the repairs. All of a sudden there was a deathly hush in the control room. Ravel looked round to see everyone with their heads tilted upwards, He joined them. The sight he saw astounded him. An Annunaki battle cruiser was being savaged almost right above them by two ESG cruisers. The Annunaki cruiser simply crumpled and smashed into the lunar landscape as if in slow motion, the shock wave from the impact rattling through the whole moon base to threaten the very integrity of the polycarbonate glass panels which made up the major part of the roofing on the structure.

Still the show wasn’t over. Away in the distance the
Katchinas
was in a fight for its life with another Annunaki battle cruiser. Help came in the form of the two ESG cruisers turning their attention to the Annunaki vessel and enveloping it in a barrage of pulse weapons fire.

Finally the Annunaki battle cruiser succumbed to the weapons fire and started to roll onto its back, dropping as it went, its bow high above its stern in a last dance of death. The resulting explosion seemed to caress the
Katchinas
before she too, as if in sympathy, erupted in a fireball.

**

All who watched the spectacle in the control room stood aghast at the loss of the
Katchinas.
It was only when the shock wave hit them that it seemed to bring them all back to reality.

After the shudder had passed, a loud sound of rushing air could be heard, and the two airtight doors leading into and out of the control room automatically snapped shut. Ravel looked upwards. The problem was obvious. One of the polycarbonate glass panels making up the roof had splintered, and now disintegrated, venting the precious atmosphere into space. Ravel looked around him frantically. Time was short, they had to plug the hole or die in minutes.