Chapter 22: Home Again

Roy stopped his own impulse. There were simply to many of the Kermac elite commandos on the platform and there were a few civilians and innocents as well, not to mention the 200 plus Kermac already in the City. He also did not forget Cara who had remained on Desolate, tied up in the office of a fat man he had only briefly seen. He was certain Cara would die if he could not do something to get her rescued.

It was better to gather more information and then he could try to contact Uncle Sam and with him the Cerberus Robots. He was no longer under the influence and able to think. He could not explain who that voice was, however it was a familiar one and something that was on his side.

Phil, Riddick, Celyciia, and even the Spy woman who most likely was Cherubim were completely surprised by the sudden and total Kermac dominance. Men and women looking like normal Union Citizens turned out to be heavily armed Kermac operatives. Riddick groaned. “Not again, please don’t let it be true!”

Celyciia was not even as surprised this time as she was during their first time.

The Kermac disguised as a Terran Business Woman said. “Listen up, I am Kermac and this Planet is now under our control. We have occupied the GalNet Center and the Post Office and we are in Psionic Control of most of the citizens here. There are a few, like you four that resist Psionics, Anyone we see attempting to communicate anyway we will eliminate right away. Anyone trying to flee outside ... please be our guests. This is Green Hell after all.”

He made an all-encompassing gesture. “The only reason you are still alive is that we might need hostages at some point. Perhaps a few of you have knowledge of Union technology we seek and you will be useful a little longer.”

Phil said. “I am a Federal Police Officer and you realize that this is a declaration of war.”

“I hoped for Fleet Officers, not useless cops.”

Cherubim whispered. “There are only one or two Kermac, the rest are surgically altered Hugwag and Plato Slaves.”

Celyciia hissed back. “Makes no difference, it looks you spooks screwed it all up. Instead of arresting the bunch you enabled them and now they getting Union shields and whatever they want. The only good thing is they are going to kill you and that might be a good thing.”

The Kermac Commandos were as professional as a Special Forces Unit should be. The Kermac were neither fools nor children and managed to pull the Union tiger’s tail for as long as the Union existed and despite many setbacks and their continuous decline of influence and power, they were still the second most powerful society of this Galaxy.

They secured the hands of seven passengers. Celyciia, Ruddick, Phil and the blonde woman they all suspected to be none other than Cherubim herself and two other passengers who turned out to be Bio scientists that had been on Harper’s for a long weekend. The Galactic Chronicles Soldiers scanned everyone and collected PDDs and then one of them said to the Kermac. “None of them wears any cyber enhancements or Data Heads, we are secure.”

The Kermac turned and with a bright flash and a loud explosion the SII GalNet Repeater Tower tilted of its base and tumbled sliding over the dome of the city.

Two Kermac Commandos pushed the Shuttle pilot into the open and threw him to the ground, just seconds before one of them shot the helpless man at almost point blank range. The killer said. “He tried to use the Shuttle GalNet. Let that be a lesson to you all. Comply and you might survive to see the glorious rise of the Kermac and serve the Masters.”

The Shuttle lifted off all by itself and as soon as it passed through the Forcefield membrane, the invisible tractor beams guided by Kermac Commandos, cut off and the Shuttle fell into the Big Lake.

A larger Kermac ship descended moments later, barely finding room on the landing platform, even more Kermac, in Battle armor unloaded boxes and equipment.

It was clear they still believed Roy under their control as the lead Kermac put on a heavy Armor suit and said to Roy. “Your job is to find the maroon cave, as that is the place we know the ship is hidden.

As they went down to the main level of the city, the real extend of the Kermac invasion became apparent. There were dead bodies everywhere!

Sam

Charles the Robot came to the North field where Sam was working once again at one of the Agra Bots and said. “Master, all GalNet connections to Anthill has been interrupted and an explosion has been registered via acoustic tremor sensors consistent with a 4000 gram demolition charge. Subsequent scrambled Myon pulse radio signals and approaching forces of twenty armored Flyers with active weapon signatures suggest an imminent attack on this compound.”

Sam got up wiped his hands and said. “Sounds a little much for a Califerm raid.”

“Threat analysis concludes it is a major, most likely Kermac attack. Weapon signatures are consistent with Kermac Weapons.”

“ETA?”

“I estimate 16 Flyers to arrive within twelve minutes. They ran into Lighting Dragons and three Flyers and occupants are no longer a threat.”

“Activate your buddies and get me to the shed so I can heat up our Baby Tiger. Let’s welcome the Kermac Marine Corps style!”

Charles grabbed Sam by the belt and flew him to a lean to next to the main house. Sam disappeared behind the wooden doors while Charles sent the Activation signal to the nine other Cerberus.

Like Zombies clawing to the surface, the nine Cerberus broke through their buried transport containers and ten feet of dirt.

Sam inside the fragile looking lean to said. “It’s time to wake up Baby Tiger. Activation Code Leviathan. USMC Master Sergeant Brown, verify Biometrics. Code key present.” A deep mechanical voice responded. “Activation Authorization verified and accepted.”

A dirt covered hatch popped open and Sam climbed down. The lean to was completely destroyed as an old but fully functional USMC Tiger Battle Tank rose with a powerful rumble equaling a minor earth quake.

The Integrated Auto Dresser assembled a USMC Quasimodo around Sam while he linked to the Cerberus robots and said. “Go to full Infantry Mode, targets on threat sensors.”

Ma Swenson

Ma Swenson and Clarion sat in the back of their store, tied up with Memory tape up to their necks. Three Kermac soldiers had arrived this morning, killed their son Gary, and tied them up. The Kermac were sitting on one of the tables and looked relaxed and in total control. One of them said. “This planet is not even half as tough as they said it would be. Our strike force will have reached the simpleton farmer by now. What a waste of resources sending that many to kill just one old marine.”

Ma Swenson as tied up she was wasn’t completely unable to move and had edged herself closer to the Force field controls. She rather wanted to die by Green Hell life forms than these cowardly Kermac.

She had almost reached it when one of the Soldiers saw her and he got up, smacked her across the face and said. “What are you trying to do? Your GalNet terminal is destroyed and all the weapons in here are out of reach.”

A second Galactic Council Alien and Kermac servant, a muscular big being got up as well and said. “She tried to reach these controls. I think they are for the Energy Fence.”

The first soldier laughed. “We are here for two days and I was outside. You realize we are wearing the latest in Kermac Armor?” He gestured across the displayed Armor suits. “Not this substandard civilian Union trash!”

The third Soldier was just admiring the latest SII manufactured Armor and said. “Well some of it isn’t trash.”

“Be silent Brokesh. We are Krthar and the strongest of all Galactic Council. I hoped to meet Pertharians or Nul not these weak humans.”

The three soldiers returned to their seats, but not before kicking Ma Swenson several times and pushing her away from the controls. Despite all the horrible treatment the soldiers could not break the Swenson’s spirit. Ma Swenson said. “You won’t leave this planet alive, no matter what you are, you didn’t bring enough soldiers. Green Hell will prevail!”

“Oh be silent stupid woman. We have ten Kermac Battleships arriving soon and we will orbital bomb this place to ashes.”

Neither of the Kermac soldiers noticed the Klack technician who had managed to hide on top of the shelves. He used the distraction and angled for the H&K Raketen Gewehr that the Swenson’s had kept in the shelves as Roy had almost paid for it and they never considered selling it.

The H&K accepted his targeting program after his sensor painted the three Kermac, and then he fired. Three micro missiles hissed across the room and detonated.

Two of the Kermac soldiers were killed outright, the blast toppled shelves and caused a fire, and the Klack tumbled with a load of spare parts off the shelf and broke three of his six fragile legs. He crawled wounded to Ma Swenson who smiled at him, from her blistered singed face. “I wondered how long it would take you”

The Klack did not speak, his voice box had come loose and the human ears would not understand his ultrasonic range voice, but he managed to find a sharp object and cut her loose.

Ma Swenson jumped up more agile than anyone would have thought and grabbed her Shrap gun from under the counter and aimed it at the last surviving and wounded Kermac soldier who just regained his bearings. The missile had damaged his suit but it had protected him better than the other two. She said. “Get out, get out of my store!”

He coughed and said. “I had time to call for reinforcements. So beg for...”

Ma Swenson fired and the super accelerated steel shrapnel shredded the Soldiers right arm. “You got plenty of limbs and a head I can shoot if you don’t move. Now get out!”

The soldier stumbled and cried in pain as she kicked him in the rear and through the door.

Roy

They had not reached the Main Flyer bay of the City, where the armored flyers docked and got decontaminated when Roy knew something went wrong with the plans of the Kermac already. One of the muscular broad shouldered semi humanoid warriors no doubt one of the warrior and enforcer Thrall species of the Galactic Council stomped running across the concourse and skidded over the marble floor in his heavy armor suit, stopping only a few inches before the Kermac leader and he said something in a language Roy did not understand but the Psionic link between him and the Kermac still seemed to exist, even though he was completely under his own control, as he understood what the armored giant said. “We lost contact to the Strike group that was supposed to take care of the Marine farmer.”

“Send the second strike group and if they don’t report in, commence orbital bombardment and liquefy the continent as soon as the battle ships are here.”

“It will be done.” The big alien said with a wondering tone. “Master, can you see those tiny dots crawling all over my hands too?”