Casserine (35 page)

Jake returned their salutes, and gestured to the ship. “Are you satisfied with the shielding, Sara?”

“I rechecked everything with Lieutenant Mendez help,” Corey answered. “The capacitive storage cells are working just as General Richardson said they would. They blasted Alpha with everything they had, after the shielding revisions were made. He bet me you’d still ask me about it.”

“My job’s worrying this thing through from start to finish,” Jake grinned. “I don’t want you flying us down into the middle of a hot LZ, and end up without power, when the shielding takes out our systems.”

“Tea, you ain’t lived till you take a hit, and watch the ship’s control panels and life support systems blink off,” Mercer added.

“I wanted to be on hand for the testing phase, but Charlie and I had too much to cover with the troops going in with us. I just plain ran out of time, with making sure Binky didn’t lead an Alien insurrection instead of a training session, and getting ready ourselves,” Jake shrugged. “Without you, Jas, Yuri, and Nick, we wouldn’t be moving out on this for another month.”

“I heard the Military Governor weighed in with his reservations about the speed at which we were moving on this,” Dougherty said.

“Now how the hell… Charlie, you monitoring my conversations with Risling?” Jake asked suspiciously.

“I didn’t have to, Jake,” Mercer replied. “You should have taken the call in your quarters. Most of the bridge crew heard you guys shouting at each other.”

“Oh,” Jake mused. “I didn’t realize we were that loud. I’ll make sure I take my calls from the boss in my quarters as you suggest after this. In answer to your question, Tim, yea, he ain’t all that thrilled, even with the prep we did. I told him he could assume command himself any time he wanted.”

“Well, that explains the shouting,” Corey said, with a sigh. “You really need a little work on your chain of command manners, General.”

“Okay, I’ll go to school as soon as this thing’s all over,” Jake agreed, joking. “Risling’s worried, but he ain’t here. We can’t fool around until the Aliens get it in their heads to make a full scale attack.”

“You still should show more respect, Jake. At least pretend the Governor’s calling the shots,” Mercer chastised him. “Just pretend he’s your wife.”

Jake stood next to Colonel Peters on the Bridge of the Intrepid as they journeyed through the Gate. Majors Corey and Mercer were on board Alpha Drop Ship with the Marines going on the rescue mission. Jake wore his headset with communications uplink to Lieutenant Colby, and the Alien they called Binky. When they cleared the Gate and began engaging the Aliens, Jake wanted to coordinate and monitor the Alien’s attempt at getting a surrender personally. Dougherty would work in coordination with the Intrepid’s weapons officer as the battle at the Gate progressed.

“We’ll be coming out in one minute, Jake,” Colonel Peters said, looking up at him from his panel.

“The sooner the better,” Jake replied. “Signal the Command Wing Fighters, and have them fall back just behind us.”

Peters nodded and carried out Jake’s instructions. As soon as they cleared the Gate, they were hit full force by two Gallant class Alien ships, guarding the portal. About a dozen of the smaller Alien ships began firing at them too from positions surrounding the Gate.

“Steady as she goes,” Peters directed to both his Bridge crew, and the Command Wing Fighters following the Intrepid through the Gate. “The shields are holding, and they may be firing at the energy disruption at the Gate. We have their com signals blocked, so they aren’t calling this home. Fighter Squadron fan out, and pick up your targets. We’ll drift away from the Gate, and test whether they can see us.”

Jake heard the acknowledgements from their crew and Fighter Squadron. Colonel Peters directed the Intrepid to the right of the Alien ships, as Jake leaned forward, watching with fascination as the larger Alien Cruisers continued firing at the last place they had detected a surge through the Gate.

“They’re firing blind, Jake,” Peters confirmed. “Shall we start targeting?”

“You’re in charge of this part, Jas,” Jake replied. “I’m just listening in to the aftermath. They were sure ready this time. Thank God the shield revision works.”

“Amen to that,” Peters agreed. “Fighter Squadron, engage your targets. Tim, hit them whenever you’re ready. Let me know if you need a position change.”

Jake heard the acknowledgements, and walked over to the larger view screen. Their Command Wing Fighters immediately disabled the smaller Alien craft, targeting engines and weapons. Dougherty, in conjunction with the Intrepid’s Weapon’s Officer, launched a full scale attack on both of the larger Alien ships. Colonel Peters altered course as needed. One larger craft tried to escape, but a Command Wing Fighter hit its engine system in time to stop it.

When all of the Alien fleet floated helpless in space, Binky began broadcasting into their communications systems. All outside communications from the ships to their home planet had been blocked from the moment the Intrepid cleared the Gate. The Intrepid’s Communications crew on the Bridge worked to hone a signal reference where they could open a ship to ship dialogue. After an hour of Binky explaining the situation in detail to the crews of the disabled ships, he told them they would be allowed to communicate with him.

Jake broke in after an hour went by of steady two-way talk. “How we doing, Bink?”

Bink spoke in his own language for a moment, and then answered Jake, as the other ships’ commanders fell silent at his direction. “Not as well as I had hoped, General.”

“Do they understand me?” Jake asked.

“Yes General, the commanders both speak your language.”

Jake signaled the communications crewmember watching for his direction with a cut off sign across his throat. When the crewmember nodded to him, Jake resumed speaking. “Okay Bink, let’s try and convince them one more time. They do care about the thousands on their ships who will die, and the possible extinction of their people back on the home world, don’t they.”

“Yes, General,” the Alien replied. “They are simply unable to think clearly, without the guidance they are accustomed to. The ships’ commanders seem reluctant to believe something they cannot see can wipe them out on a whim, even with the demonstration you have already provided.”

“Any suggestions?”

Jake heard the Alien sigh as he paused for a moment before answering. “I am at a loss as to how to proceed, General,” he said truthfully.

“Are you familiar enough with the ship’s layout to direct a strike shearing off the rear section?” Jake asked. “If you have everyone go forward in the ship, and seal off the rear section, I can see if I can have Tim cut off the rear section. How would that be, think that would get their attention?”

“We must hurry, General, because their report will be due soon,” Binky said. He described the section he thought it safest to demonstrate on, answering Jake’s questions until Jake was satisfied of what to relay to Dougherty for a fire control solution. “I will tell them to move forward, seal the rear section, and give them fifteen of your minutes to do so on the ship closest to your Intrepid.”

“Very well Bink, good luck,” Jake replied. “I’ll have communications restored.”

Jake signaled the communications crewmember and waited for confirmation. “Go ahead Bink.”

As the Alien gave orders to the Commander of the nearest Alien ship, Jake clicked over to the private line Dougherty, and the Alpha crew, were on. “Tim?”

“Yes Sir?”

“Think you could use a beam to slice the rear end of that big Alien ship in front of us off?” Jake described the section Binky had pointed out, using the same visual references.

“You betcha’,” Dougherty replied immediately, “but why stop at the tail section?”

Jake heard Mercer laughing in his ear. “Thanks Tim, acquire the target, and I’ll tell you when.”

“Aye, aye, Sir,” Dougherty acknowledged.

“It is done, General,” Binky said, as soon as Jake switched back on with him. “They are very foolish to do this.”

“I’ll withhold comment on that until I see what they do when they watch the tail section drift away,” Jake told him. “Hold on.”

Jake switched over to Dougherty. “Ready, Tim?”

“I slice and dice at your command, Sir. By the way, may I say, I love this job.”

Jake laughed. “Okay Tim, give them a Tarawa haircut, not too much off the top.”

“Watch your monitor, Sir,” Dougherty replied.

Jake moved into a position where he could see the Alien ship, and watched as Dougherty expertly sheared off the tail section of the Alien craft with a finely honed particle beam. To put an exclamation point to the demonstration, Dougherty cut the tail section into quarters as it drifted away from the main bulkhead of the ship.

“Nice touch, Tim,” Jake commented, and then switched back to Binky. “There you go Bink, see what they think about that.”

Minutes later, he noticed a break in communication between Binky and the Alien commanders. “They have agreed to your demands, and will give an all clear signal back to our home world. They think you will kill them anyway though. With such power as you wield, they do not believe you will only do as you say, but they know now they have no choice.”

“They don’t have to believe,” Jake replied. “If they signal a warning, a lot of your people will die needlessly. I hope they will at least give this a chance.”

“I believe they will. We may proceed on, but we must unblock communications right away for them to report,” Binky urged.

“I’ll have their communications back on immediately, and then we’ll go get your show on the road. We will be leaving a Command Wing Fighter here to watch our backs. If I see anything funky going on, like your home world’s been warned, these ships out here will be the first to disappear.

“I understand General,” the Alien acknowledged. “I will tell them.”

Chapter 33 

Prison Rescue

Jake walked over to Colonel Peters, as he pulled off his headset. “Pick a Command Wing to hang out here, and watch our backs, Jas. Make sure it’s a pilot who will have no qualms about wasting these ships.”

“Yes Sir,” Peters replied. “Set course for the home world?”

Jake nodded. “I’ll be on Alpha. Once we have everyone in position, Colby can proceed immediately with the squad of Drop Ships you have for his mission. Let me know when they’re away. We’ll take off for the prison right after. I will leave things in your capable hands as to the rest of the ruling enclave extermination. Do whatever you need do, including wiping every ship they have out, and laying waste to the planet.”

“If you need help, you will call me, won’t you, Jake?” Peters asked. “Don’t take any chances down there.”

“Most of these kids I’m taking went down in all those damn nests with me,” Jake replied. “I ain’t about to lose them now.”

Jake walked towards the exit off the bridge, and then turned back. “Jas, you have the coordinates for that Bug factory they have down there, don’t you?”

“Already taken care of, General,” Peters informed him. “Binky calls success, and I have a Command Wing obliterate any trace of those things.”

“Keep in mind about Binky’s clan being near the Bug Plant,” Jake reminded him.

“I remember, Sir. Good luck, and kiss your pilot for me.”

“Can’t do that,” Jake kidded him, grinning. “When I kiss them, I can’t get rid of them. They stay with me forever.”

“Oh,” Peters answered with his own smile. “I thought they just gave you orders forever.”

“Colonel,” Jake sighed, as the Bridge Crew within hearing attempted halfheartedly to pretend they did not hear the exchange. “You’ve been around that reprobate I have for a Chief of Staff too long.”

With a backwards wave, Jake walked off the Bridge, knowing another space story would be racing through the ship at his expense.

“Alpha,” Colonel Peters voice came over the com. “The Alien Drop Ship mission is away. You can launch at any time. We have picked up no indication the planet has been warned. The Command Wings are in place, so once things get started on land, they’ll take care of the fleet still in orbit.”

“Thanks Jas,” Jake acknowledged. “We’re all set to go. Sara will be on your channel, while monitoring our mission. All communications will be filtered through her.”

“Aye, aye, Sir, Peters out.”

Jake turned to Major Corey. “I’ll be in the back, it’s all yours now, Sara. Tim’s bouncing off the walls. He can’t wait.”

Corey laughed. “I thought he looked a little high when he stopped in the cockpit. What’s with him anyway?”

Jake stopped at the hatch and shrugged. “He’s getting to be an action junky. Now he’s got it in mind to be the first human to fire on the Aliens on their home world, and Tim’s psyched. I’ll get my helmet on when I get in the back. Do some fly overs when we get there, and I’ll get together with Charlie and Tim to figure the best way to proceed.”

“Will do, Jake, take care of yourself down there.”

“Always, besides, by the time Tim gets done, I have a feeling there will be very little for the rest of us to do.” Jake went through the hatch, and sealed it behind him.

Nearly a thousand Marines were in the back, buckled in for the trip down to the surface. They were watching Mercer dancing around in the middle of the bay with Dougherty in a headlock. Jake shook his head, and walked through the Marines to get next to his Chief of Staff and Weapons Officer.

“What the hell are you two whackos doing?” Jake asked, folding his arms over his chest. Both Mercer and Dougherty were in full armor. Only their helmets were lying on the hanger bay deck next to them. Mercer immediately released Dougherty, and both came to attention, with the rest of the Marines laughing in the background.

“I told this goofball if he didn’t settle down I was going to body slam him,” Mercer said, avoiding eye contact with Jake, who had come up to stand in front of him.

“Is this the kind of example you set for Mendez, and the rest of the men, grab assing around with a serious mission going on?”

“Sorry, Sir,” Dougherty piped in. “I was just fooling around with Charlie to lighten the mood.”

‘Tea, I’ll bet,” Jake said with a sigh. “Let’s get over to the turret, and strap in over there. We’ll go over final plans once Sara gets us on target and does some reconnaissance.”

They walked towards the deck gun turret together. Jake leaned over towards Mercer. “Quite the Chief of Staff, Major Mercer.”

“Lighten up,” Mercer whispered. “These guys have been on every nest mission. You really think Tim and I playing around a little will bother their concentration? Don’t get me started on your little faux pas, General. How do you think this will go?”

“Pretty smooth,” Jake replied. “Tim here can take care of all the guards before we even touch down. With our own MAG50 nests set up on the walls, and us inside to protect the prisoners, there won’t be much to do but wait until Bink takes out the ruling enclave.”

“Why didn’t you want the Alien to know about us protecting the prisoners, Jake?” Dougherty asked, as they reached the area next to the deck turret.

“Need to know, Tim. Bink didn’t need to know. He’d have wanted us to approach this in a more gentle manner, and I want the guards taken out without any nonsense,” Jake explained. “He’d have thought to just call over for the prisoner release after he took out the ruling enclave, and I don’t want to take the chance.”

Tim nodded his understanding. The three men strapped in for the lift off, and Jake put on his helmet. “Ready when you are, Sara.”

“Here we go then, boys,” Corey announced.

After dropping down through the atmosphere, Jake, Mercer, and Dougherty undid their straps. Dougherty had set up a viewing panel near the deck turret so they would be able to observe the area Major Corey would be scouting. The Alien planet’s atmosphere appeared much the same as they had encountered on Earth. The regions they flew over were arid, with a bleakness of terrain, the three men were accustomed to seeing on the mining colonies.

“I’m making the final approach now, Jake,” Corey informed him. “You’ll have to adjust for the darkness, but I’ll fly over the place enough times so you’ll be able to pinpoint the opposition. I’m going into hovering mode, so they’ll hear only a slight hum, but they won’t know what it is.”

“Three times over ought to give me enough vid to plot the mission, Major,” Dougherty chimed in. He and Mercer both wore their helmets. “No sense spooking them. Can you get low enough so we can get all the inside angles?”

“I’ll hover up in the center, so you can get an overall look, and then we’ll go one quadrant at a time real close,” Corey suggested.

‘Tea, that’ll work,” Tim agreed. “Last, but not least, let’s get extra around the building housing the prisoners. I’ll do some scans to make sure they don’t have them spread out all over.”

“Can do,” Corey replied. “Here we are, gentlemen, dead center over the complex, five thousand feet up. Take a look, and let me know when you want to drop down.”

Dougherty began his video, and sensor scans. “Uh oh, Houston, we have a problem.”

“What the hell’s Houston?” Mercer asked in confusion.

“It’s from an old vid, called Apollo 13,” Dougherty replied. “See, when.”

“Oh man, not you too,” Mercer retorted.

“Go on, Tim,” Jake broke in.

‘Tea, well I’m afraid I know why they don’t need all that many guards, although I see a goodly number,” Dougherty said, zooming in on the parapet towers around the complex. “It looks like they have eight antiaircraft batteries, and about a hundred Aliens in the towers manning them. I think our little raid pumped them up a little. Look at this scanner, guys.”

“Shit, they have the prisoners’ complex wired,” Mercer exclaimed. “Must be something special, cause our scanner can’t ID the material.”

“How do you know it’s booby-trapped then, Charlie,” Jake asked.

“Check out the continuity of the circuitry, and where they’re placed,” Mercer explained, and pointed to the screen. “Here’s the complex power outlets, but these other self contained units giving off low grade signatures are all on the same frequency, and they’re located where I’d put them if I wanted to vaporize the complex.”

Dougherty nodded in agreement. “They’ll have at least one remote detonator, Jake.”

“You boys are scaring me,” Corey added over their helmet coms.

“I should have anticipated this,” Jake sighed. “This don’t look too good. Can we block the trigger frequency, Tim?”

“Maybe, Jake,” Dougherty replied slowly, “but it will be a gamble. We’re only guessing as to how they have it set up to go off.”

“You mean if you isolate the signal, it might detonate the charges?” Jake asked.

“Exactly.”

“Not to mention those batteries might open up on the prisoner complex if they sense anything going on,” Mercer added. “We’ll have to finish this recon, and get back up here.”

“Okay, Sara, take us down, and let’s get all the corners,” Jake agreed. “Since they’re already on the alert, we better make this faster than we had planned.”

“Aye, aye, Sir.”

Alpha dropped down over the complex at very close range for only moments over each pre-ordained quadrant. Corey returned to their prior position after the sweep. They monitored the towers, looking for some sign they had triggered suspicion. All remained as it had been, except for a few guards who had walked out of the towers, and looked around.

“Jake,” Corey called out. “Jas says the recon of the ruling enclave complex has been completed, and they’re ready to launch.”

“Have Jas tell Colby to take his squad up and await further orders,” Jake replied. “I’m not letting a botched up mission there kill off our people here.”

“Yes Sir,” Corey acknowledged.

Jake sat down and leaned back. Mercer sat down next to him, while Dougherty finished collating the information they’d gathered. “I guess we should have went on ahead with this the first time through the gate, Charlie.”

“We’d have been dead or in their prison, Jake,” Mercer reminded him. “On top of that, they’d have our technology.”

“Sorry, I wasn’t thinking,” Jake agreed. “We didn’t have any place to put them anyhow. Well, this situation won’t improve the longer we sit here.”

Jake stood up, and with Mercer, he joined Dougherty at the panel. “I say we land a force here,” Jake indicated the wall closest to the prison complex. When we get into position, Tim, you isolate the signal, and take out the towers big time. We’ll blast through the outer wall, and into the prison. If we can evacuate the prisoners fast enough, and the interruption of the signal doesn’t blow us all to kingdom come, it’ll be a walk in the park.”

Both Mercer and Dougherty broke into laughter, with Corey’s soft chuckle in all their ears. When Jake didn’t join them, Mercer looked at him closely. “Aw, come on Jake, how the hell we going to get five thousand people ready and through a couple of holes in the walls in the time we’d have to get it done.”

“I need to get inside, and get them ready. If it can be done, I’ll need about half an hour. I can blast from the inside, the second you start on the outer wall. With the towers taken out, Sara will fly air cover with Tim, killing everything not human. Once we get them all out with the Marines, I’ll have Jas send a Command Wing to blow the whole damn place to hell and back. The fighter can protect the area from long range. Sara and Tim will handle close support.”

“Suddenly, this ain’t as much fun as I thought it would be,” Dougherty commented.

“I won’t waste my breath telling you not to go,” Corey offered, “but don’t you think your place might be here on the ship?”

“You’re absolutely right, Major,” Jake replied. “You can enter your reminder of my duty in the log so Governor Risling will have more ammo to relieve me. Now, are you coming with me, Charlie, or do you want to assume command?”

“I’ll go tell Mendez and the boys what we’re doing,” Mercer replied, ignoring Jake’s tone. “I better pick out five volunteers, we’ve had along before. Those prisoners may need a little more prodding than they’re used to.”

“Good thinking,” Jake agreed, as Mercer left to get it done. “How about it, Tim. You game?”

“That was rhetorical, right?” Dougherty replied with a smile and a sideways glance at his commander. “Save me a seat on the freighter to hell if this backfires, Jake.”

“You bet. How about you, Sara?”

“Just don’t make me have to face Byers with this goofy plan as my only alibi for letting you do this,” Corey answered. “I could lock down the cockpit, and fly back to the Intrepid.”

“No you couldn’t,” Jake laughed. “You’ll have to hover over the roof, in the shadows of those vent stacks on your monitor. You see them?”

“What about the light from the hatch opening?” Sara asked. “We aren’t shielded on the inside.”

“We’ll drop to the roof through the lower escape hatch. We’ll have to be quick so you can get the hell out of there. Tim can watch the towers from the deck turret. If anything goes wrong, we’ll have to take them all out hard. It may turn out we won’t get anyone out of here after all. I’ll deal with those consequences. Anymore questions?