Chapter 18: Earth

Taiwan Straits 1-16-05 21:30 PM

Admiral Fu Kwan raised his glasses, looked out into the darkness, and waited. Zhoushan was several hours behind them. He took a quick look around his ship; the invasion fleet of over one hundred warships of the Peoples Liberation Navy was heading for the main Port of Taichung. They were carrying over thirty thousand troops to invade the island of Taiwan and settle this foolishness of joining this so called Federation. The missile destroyer Guangzhou turned a little to port and missiles started belching from their launchers as the Taiwanese navy came out to engage them. As he watched the missile launch, his thoughts were on the main plan, back at the mainland.

Missile Battery Number One, 1-16-05 21:30 PM

Captain Hu Wang placed the key in the ignition and turned it. The first of forty medium range ballistic missiles lifted off from their launchers around the base. All up and down the coast missiles started lifting off from the mainland, flying the one hundred and twenty miles towards the Island of Taiwan. Nine hundred DF-11 nuclear tipped short-ranged missiles flew through the sky.

Taiwan Straits 1-16-05 21:35 PM

Admiral Kwan saw a flash. He turned to see what it was, just as another flash lit up the sky. Lifting his binoculars he was startled as he saw the Ex-American cruiser USS Scott, or the Kee Lung as she was now called, come out of the mists. Missiles were launching from her missile pods as she started to engage his fleet. Then a flash behind the Kee Lung appeared; the Su Ao, another ex-American cruiser, had started launching her missiles as well.

The missiles started flying the three-mile distance as his anti-missile batteries opened up. Several seconds later, the first harpoon missile exploded and a Yuting-II class amphibious assault ship blew up taking her cargo to the bottom of the straits.

The first of the Yingji-82 missiles from the Guangzhou dove towards the Kee Lung and exploded. Kwan stood there in shock as his missiles were blown out of the air by the Phalanx systems onboard the two ships.

"Hard to port, fire the main gun," Hu said as the last of his sixteen missiles were blown out of the air.

"Hard to port, firing main gun," replied the captain of the Guangzhou.

High up in space eighty defense stations scattered around the world, hidden under holographic emitters, came on line and started firing once more. As the satellites converged over the Western Pacific, missiles started dying, but there were too many missiles and not enough defense stations. The first missile exploded over the empty Tso Ying Naval Base and the city of Kaohsiung vanished under a nuclear holocaust. Thirty-six more missiles exploded. The city of Taipei and fifteen other cities disintegrated under multiple hits, along with twenty separate military installations as the remaining missiles were intercepted by the defense stations. Even then, eight million Taiwanese still died from the nuclear exchange.

.

Forty miles southwest of Taiwan, the Taiwanese attack sub Hai Lung raised her scope and Captain Ji Ling looked through the scope at the two hundred ships of the Southern invasion force. Two special mark 48 torpedoes stolen back in the 80's from the American Navy were loaded in the tubes.

"Range to target?" Ji said.

"Range to target is eight miles, speed fourteen knots."

"Prepare to fire tubes one thru four."

"Torpedo's armed and ready Sir," replied the weapons specialist 1st class.

Looking through the scope once more, he saw the fleet was turning a little towards him as he gave the order, "Fire tube one ... tube two."

"Firing tube one, firing tube two; fish are away, Sir."

Two Mark 48 special weapons torpedoes shot from the Hai Lungs' tubes and sped through the ocean. Their fifteen-kiloton warheads were armed and preprogrammed. Each torpedo was to hit the flanks of the invasion fleet and detonate.

"Fire tube three ... Fire tube four..." Captain Ji shouted.

"Tubes three and four away, fired electronically sir," replied the weapons specialist.

The attack submarine Red Sea Dragon was cruising just north of the invasion fleet when the torpedoes were detected in transit.

"Fish in the water!" shouted the sonar operator.

Captain Min Han set his teacup down as he stood up, "Location and speed?"

"Fourteen miles, heading 165, for the invasion fleet, speed fifty-five knots. Second set of torpedoes in the water Sir," replied the sonar operator.

"Load harpoons, tubes one thru four," Captain Ji stated.

"Loading tubes one thru four, Captain. Tubes loaded, armed and ready Sir."

"Launch harpoons, tubes one and two," Captain Ji said calmly.

"Launching tubes one and two Captain. Harpoons away, bearing 345 Sir."

The first set of harpoons broke the surface three seconds after the launch and sped towards the Chinese fleet.

"Sir, it's a Taiwanese boat, computer identifies her as the Hai Lungs, she is a Zwaardvis class submarine. Six torpedo tubes, twenty torpedoes or missiles. Latest intelligence has her with eight torpedoes and twelve harpoons missiles."

"Turn us to port twenty degrees, speed fourteen knots, arm all torpedoes," Captain Han said as he walked toward the sonar screen.

"Twenty degree's to port, speed fourteen knots Captain," the helmsman said as the sub turned and picked up speed.

"Torpedoes armed Captain," replied the weapon specialist.

"Fire torpedoes one and two maximum speed," Captain Han said as he watched the scope as two more harpoons broke the surface.

"Firing tubes one and two Captain, Torpedo's away," shouted the torpedoman.

The two Yu-6 torpedoes shot through the water at sixty-five knots, controlled by a fiber optic cable extending from the torpedo's, back to the ship.

"Torpedoes in the water Captain, heading towards us, three minutes to contact," shouted the sonar operator.

"Dive the boat, prepare the noise makers. Get us below the thermals," Ji said calmly.

The Hai Lungs dove for the depths of the ocean floor. Twisting as she went deeper into the depths. The torpedoes followed her as she dropped through the thermal layer in to the colder waters of the Pacific.

"Level the boat. Full speed ahead," Ji shouted.

"Leveling the boat Sir, and going to full speed," Ensign Han said from the ship's controls.

Ji watched the clock as it counted down, and then said, "Drop the noise makers and take us to one hundred feet. Blow tanks, speed all ahead slow."

The ship dropped two noisemakers as she slowed and climbed back through the thermal as the torpedoes dropped below the thermals and went hurdling towards the two noisemakers, detonating on impact. The explosions were minute compared to the two fifteen-kiloton nuclear warheads that detonated under the keels of the invasion fleet. The two sledgehammer hits shattered the enemy ships hulls, overturned some and ripped the aluminum/steel hulls to shreds. Ninety thousand troops perished in the attacks along with the crews of the ships.

As the mushroom clouds dissipated, the sea was covered in burning, sinking wreckage of hundreds of ships. The worst manmade disaster ever created would be felt for years, as the radioactive ships slowly released their poisons into the ocean's food chain for years to come.

Alaska, Hidden Federation Base Camp,

Code-name Rescue 1-16-05 21:35 PM

The assault team was hidden in the ice cave that had been excavated by the spiders. Inside the cave, three hundred Mechs and their pilots stood ready to go. Around them, the spiders were finishing building the last of the two hundred and fifty snowmobiles called the snowcats. Each was armed with a medium laser and either an automatic grenade launcher or a six-pack of missiles. Further back in the cave were six of the Valkyrie class cargo shuttles converted to troop ships. Each ship could carry four thousand people in its seats, with another thousand crammed inside the aisles and stairs. The six hundred plus men and women of the assault group were ready to go as Commander Lydia Chang walked into the room as she zipped up her suit.

"Attention, I want everyone to hear this," Lydia said.

The men and women turned to face their commanding officer as she addressed them, as a giant holographic map of the base came up on the display.

Lydia saw she had all their attention, and said, "As of three thirty this morning, the Arizona base has gone off line. We don't know why, all we know is the base was attacked and then we lost contact. I have tried all day to get a hold of them, but as of now there hasn't been any word back. So, we are going in and these are our targets. Mech squads one through ten, you are to take out the guard towers, the armory and the power generators. Squads eleven and twelve, you have the main guard barracks. Squads thirteen and fourteen, I want you to take out this building here," Lydia said as she pointed at a small concrete building surrounded by a force field.

"This building holds a ten megaton nuclear device. I don't need to tell anyone what will happen if that goes off. So use all your heavy weapons on that building and take it out. Now squads fifteen through twenty, your Mechs are our ECM units. Surround the base and set up your jamming. Squads twenty-one through twenty-nine, you're the outer patrol. If you find enemy Mechs coming in, take them out. Don't bother asking permission. Hit them and hit them hard. Listen up folks; there are roughly thirty thousand prisoners in the three camps, with another camp under construction. Some are our people and some are innocent Americans that have been rounded up and sent there to die. We are going in and we will free every single one of them. Do I make my self clear?"

"MA'AM! YES, MA'AM!" echoed back throughout the cavern.

"Okay, then! Now, when we withdraw, all Mechs will fall back to Baker, Charlie and Echo rendezvous points. There are forty Mech landers at each hidden base ready to pick you all up. Any disabled Mechs are to be left behind and destroyed. Pilots of disabled Mechs will lift off with the ground troops.

"Now for all you ground pounders. You have the job of killing any resistance you meet. You are also in charge of getting the evacuees to the shuttles and boarding them after we take the camp. Are you with me?"

"MA'AM, YES, MA'AM," echoed throughout the cavern once more and Lydia smiled.

"Okay, everyone mount up. Mechs go out first, then the snowcats. We hit them hard and we hit them fast," Lydia shouted as she ran to her Ninja Mech, starting the climb up the side of the Mech and into the capsule.

Around the massive cavern, the Mechs of the assault squads powered up, ten Mechs to a squad, twenty to a unit as they started moving out. All of them were painted white so it would make them harder to be seen in the Alaskan wilderness. They started moving down the long passageway to the surface and burst out into the darkness around them. Thermal imagery came online and they started the ten-mile run to the POW camp.

Ninety feet Outside of POW CAMP 1, 1-16-05 21:45 PM

His holographic emitter was working at full power, but he still needed to be careful due to the slight snowfall. Even if it did hide him, it didn't hide his footprints. So sticking to the grooves of the tracked vehicle that had delivered his target to the house, he knelt beside the vehicle and watched the guards patrolling the grounds. Pulling his hand scanner, he did a quick scan and only detected the two guards walking the perimeter. The house still showed as a blank blob due to the construction materials in the building.

Corporal Mickey O'Rourke walked the grounds of the General's house. He stopped at a barred window as he listened to what was going on inside, he could hear the screams from the three women that had been dragged in there two days ago. Shaking his head in sadness, he wished he had a way out of this mess. "I didn't fucken sign up for this shit," Mickey muttered to himself as he walked by the LAV-300 parked in the driveway.

Hugo listened to the young man talk and slowly slid his knife back in to its sheath, as he thought, 'Well lad, it's your lucky day with that comment.' Pulling out the stun baton, he waited for the first guard to come back.

Private Joshua Handles watched the area around him, his fletchen rifle clenched in his fists as he walked the perimeter. "Fucking Sarge, it wasn't my fault I was late, but I get stuck with extra duty because that bastard Lieutenant Watson kept me in the kitchen watching the whores."

The guard walked by the LAV and Hugo made his move. The stun baton came up as he stepped up behind him, jabbed the man in the kidney area and watched as he went down from the electrical charge in the weapon. Grabbing the man's belt, he picked the limp body up and quickly carried him around the LAV. Opening the door; he shoved him inside the vehicle and closed the door silently.

Corporal O'Rourke pulled out the pack of cigarettes and palmed one. Quickly lighting it he started walking again. Coming from the backside of the house, he again started up the side, passing the LAV, he continued puffing on the cigarette, and sighed to himself, "Fuck I hate this assignment."

"You want out?" Hugo said.

Turning Mickey whipped the rifle up and he felt a stabbing pain in his side and saw the ground coming up.

Hugo knelt by the man, and pulled the rifle out of his hands, then also removed his pistol. Turning him over, he bound his hands and feet, and carried him to the LAV. Looking around quickly he opened the door and shoved him inside on top of the other guard. Turning he raised his arm and pulled it down twice.

Ten men and women arose from the snow like demons from the pits of hell and started running to towards the house. They hit the brick walls on each side of the doors as Hugo walked over.

"Jason, Brace, when we leave we take the corporal that I just stuck in the LAV with us. Brace, get your ass in the LAV's turret and power up that 25mm bushmaster in case we need it. Jason, cover him."

"Yes Sarge," Private Jason Hays said as he and Private Brace Owens ran for the twelve-ton machine.

Hugo pulled out his needler as he turned the knob and pushed. The door didn't budge, so he looked over at Corporal Ashton, "Lori, use your micro laser on the locks."

"Yes Sarge," Corporal Ashton said as she pulled out the tiny micro laser. Setting the depth for three quarters of an inch, she quickly sliced through the two dead bolts. With a second cut, she disabled the magnetic lock as well and stepped back, "There you go Sarge. One door open."

"Thanks Lori," Hugo said as he looked at the rest of his squad and continued, "Now we want General Isaac Summer alive. He is going to stand trial for every fucking thing he has done here. Just nod your heads if you understand me."

Hugo watched the NAT team nod their heads then he turned and pushed the door open. With his needler in one hand, he listened, he could hear whimpering coming from somewhere in the house. Lifting his scanner, he checked it and detected four life signs in the house. Two were very faint, while the third was elevated and in distress.

Working their way through the house, they came to a hallway and they started down the hall. After thirty feet, they came to a door that had dead bolt locks on the outside of the door. Standing at the door, they heard a loud scream and Hugo reacted, his size seventeen boot smashed against the door and it flew off its hinges. Looking in, they froze at the horror they saw.

A woman was hanging on the wall, her back ripped to shreds from some type of whip. Standing in one corner was an iron maiden and the walls were covered with whips, knives, and other torture items. The walls were blood red and the room was brightly lit. Another woman was strapped in what could only be described as stocks from the seventeen hundreds. Standing behind the woman in the stocks was their target, General Isaac Summer. Clutched in his left hand was a dagger that he was slicing her back up with as he raped her.