Chapter 13: Prelude to Action

(This is the one Glenn checked)

“Fleet assets are on their way,” the XO of the USS John Basilone yelled across the sudden chaos unfolding on the Tripoli Class dropship. It had been completely unprepared when it dropped out of Quasi just moments after a large Galactic Council fleet which was conducting a full-scale attack.

Captain Bragg had completed this run to the Champain system many hundred times. Even while the first Line Cannon barrage raked across the hull of the Basilone, and the auto restrain system pulled him firm into the pseudo-leather of his command chair, he wondered why the enemy would want to attack the Champain system of all places. Candiac system, Hemmingford even Tabernacle were closer to Galactic Council borders.

“Full shields, accelerate to Quasi. Helm, get us out of here.”

“I am trying, Sir.”

“Damage report.”

“Shield generators overloaded, heavy damage to all shield projectors stern. Stress damage to main engines. Hull damage starboard side. Casualties reported.”

The Basilone was not meant to slug it out with capital ships of the enemy, but like all dropships, was made to follow Union Battleships after they cleared a system. Dropships, not even the most recent Suribachi class had Wolfcraft fighters aboard. The Basilone had a single 1000 Kilo Translocator, which in itself would have spelled doom to several of the enemies’ capital units, but all bombs available were Mobile Operations Temporary Encampment Loads also known by the initials MOTEL. No one expected an old Tripoli class detached for training purposes to ever need full bomb magazines.

The main screen revealed the full extent of the attack. The system was the focus of an entire Kermac battle-fleet. The markings on the ships identified them as Larkami units.

Bragg knew he was guilty of a long list of oversights because of his relaxed approach to routine assignments, and he was certainly not among the best Command Officers, but he was a Union captain and his training took over. His bridge crew reacted late, perhaps too late but they too acted by the book.

The Communications officer confirmed that 42nd Fleet was alerted and the first battleships were expected to arrive in less than seventy hours. Less than three days, that meant they redlined their engines and it would still be too late for the John Basilone.

Again the ship was rocked by incoming fire. The shields held, but just barely.

--””-- The chaos was near complete on the decks designated to the marines. The USS John Basilone carried the entire 71st Recruit Training Battalion, as dropships were designed to carry 1000 to 1500 marines and all their equipment.

Roy belonged to Bravo Company, 2nd platoon, and had just finished chow break after their first range time. Alarm klaxons reverberated through the ship, red flashing lights rotated over every door frame. While everyone was of course surprised by it, some thought of it as a drill of sorts. The problem with that was the fact that the marine recruits aboard the John Basilone had no assigned battle stations. Real dropship training and deployment was not on the schedule until after basic training. The titan fist impacts that rocked the ship were not simulated, Roy was quite certain. All doors were now closed with yellow and black striped armor plates. Whatever attacked the Dropship managed to cause a hull breach somewhere, which caused a full lock of all doors and hatches, a measure that transformed the interior of the ship into many individual airtight compartments. This measure was also activated for intruder containment and anti-boarding action.

Who would attempt to board a Marine dropship?

None of the marine recruits had any idea where the ship was in terms of spatial location, they and everyone knew that the Union was at war, but to most, it was nothing they could even relate to. There were always wars and conflicts somewhere. Nothing ever really affected Union territory or population for very long. The last war that affected everyone was the 4th Intergalactic War against the Kermac and the Galactic Council and right after the last Y’All invasion. That war ended in 3599 OTT or 1333 years ago. To anyone but Immortals and beings with exceptionally long life spans, this was nothing but an historical event in the distant past. Not even Roy truly understood what war meant, even though the most recent conflict began after events on Green Hell where he was very much involved.

Everyone could hear the angry hum of the Basilone’s main engines increasing. Everyone heard and felt the impact of enemy weapon fire, Staff Sergeant Leven stepped before them. “We are under attack by Galactic Council forces. We are in the Champain system and planned to conduct your first training drop. Suitable fleet assets to repel this attack are alerted and on their way. We are to remain as we are, where we are for the moment.”

--””-- The previous High Wizard of the Ministry of Control had been sent to Lark by the then ruling Supreme Wizard. It was meant as a humiliating posting, far beneath the previous post and power. None of the other wizards had ever heard from him again and assumed he had perished during a devastating attack of Union forces on the Lark home system itself.

But Viesienul was far from dead. The former High Wizard of the Ministry of Control had kept abreast of all that occurred within Kermac space and influence.

He knew of course of the sudden fall of the last Supreme Wizard, the infamous Zwhehzwheneu. Obnoxious even by Kermac standards, Zwhehzwheneu rose to power seemingly from nowhere. Backed by the then powerful Thought Police and in reality, a puppet of a Non-Kermac Intelligence using the Society of the Sacred White Rulers of the Universe, the true Kermac, as a means for revenge and control. Yes, it was true, the Thought Police had gained much influence, especially around the power centers of the Kermac society, but Kermac space was big and except for the rare and easily manipulatable Long Range Telepaths, even the sophisticated Kermac and the Galactic Council they controlled had to rely on Myon transponders for communication. The Thought Police developed only recently in terms of Kermac history and in the end, was overcome, the Supreme Wizard exposed as a puppet of a non-Kermac intelligence and disposed of. While the Kermac in power did everything to keep this from the general public and neither the average Kermac nor any of the Thrall species were told about the real developments, there were those who knew the truth. The former High Wizard of the Ministry of Control, Viesienul was among those who had their ears and eyes on everything and he of course knew.

The new Supreme Wizard was the first that rose to power from the Ministry of the Military after millennia. He was known to be a hardliner and unlike his predecessors much more knowledgeable about the capabilities and the limitations of the Kermac and the Galactic Council. The war against the Union was more than just inconvenient, it was a potential disaster with the doom of the Kermac culture at its climax. Previous wizards that rose to the supreme position ignored or underestimated the Union, the millennia of Kermac self-inflating propaganda as its core reasons of course.

Kermac, the True White were the only species worthy of ruling the universe, but this position had to be earned.

Viesienul was forgotten by the leading powers, but he was far from dead or impotent. He approached the challenge of ruling over the Larkami differently. All his predecessors considered the stubborn Larkami to be difficult and almost impossible to rule, partially because their unique brain chemistry made them surprisingly resilient to the usual Kermac Will Bending technology. Resilient yes, but not entirely immune either. The Larkami never resented Kermac dominance if it came with a certain level of understanding to Larkami needs.

Viesienul, forced to lake control over these “unruly” Larkami, embraced their quirks and characteristics. He used his position to get the finest Itkkme manufactured technology to the Larkami military and secretly increased Larkami connections to the Hilibar to have the Larkami benefit from the excellent military training the Hilibar were famous for.

When a Kermac betrayal led to a Union attack on Lark with a tremendous loss of Larkami lives and the nuclear destruction of their traditional homeworld, the remaining Larkami were furious and could barely be contained. The former High Wizard of the Ministry of Control promised the Larkami a way to exact revenge. Avenging the billions of dead that burned to atomic ashes as Union P-Bombs rained on Lark was the only desire that burned in the soul of every Larkami with a hate infused intensity of no equal.

Viesienul, a former High Wizard had very selfish motives for his plans. He wanted to wipe the arrogant bunch of Wizards including the Supreme Wizard off their high chairs and proclaim himself sole ruler. No more ministries, no high wizards, just his rule.

Despite his control over the Larkami and his successful efforts to equip them with the finest technology, the former Wizard knew he could not openly challenge Kermac leadership. But if he agitated the Union using his willing Larkami troops, the Union enemy would do this for him.

The time was now and a large Larkami fleet attacked deep into Union territory. The system attacked had not been chosen randomly either, it would draw Union Fleet assets like insects to light, while he had a second even larger fleet in hiding waiting to attack the Thirster system, a major Union fleet base in the region. Succeeding in his plan would show everyone that the Union could be beaten.

The enemy did not differentiate between Kermac factions but by increasing their efforts, while weakening the Kermac Wizards, it would give him an opening to strike and crown himself master of the Kermac and all the Galactic Council.

A violent and decisive victory at Champain would also greatly increase his already significant influence over the Larkami.

The former wizard was not brave enough to lead the Larkami fleet himself; he preferred to stay at a safe distance, but not completely removed. His ship and a small fleet of T-Cruisers were a few light-years removed from the action, able to accelerate quickly back to GC space if necessary.

He opened the folding door that separated his command cocoon from the rest of the command center and said to the Larkami officer turning to pay him attention, “Have the Telepaths relay this command: No mercy, kill them all, no survivors, Orbital barrages as planned and then a quick retreat before their battleships arrive.”

--””-- Staff Sergeant Leven was a massive Botnaar, an alien race that was hard to read. Still, he appeared worried as another jolt rocked the Dropship. “They simply can’t get a straight run.” He cursed.

Paragon explained to Roy and his friends. “It’s the Basilone. The captain is trying to retreat, but to do so he needs to accelerate to Quasi transition speed. But every time he commits to a straight run he has to evade enemy fire. Our shields won’t last much longer either.”

The Petharian Dirmon howled. “I am not afraid of dying but I want to die fighting. I want to die as a Marine and not like a Crutozuk in a Woktu womb.”

Ken agreed with that and said. “Sergeant, Sir. Isn’t there anything we can do?”

The Drill Instructor hesitated with an answer when another hit shook the Basilone and the regular lights flickered out, replaced by much less bright emergency lights. He then said. “Alright, recruits. You are still green as hell, and I am going to send you to your death, but you die like marines. Volunteers only, this is not mandatory. Those who want to stay behind until properly trained will not be faulted. Volunteers, use the Auto Dressers and dial for Full Destroyer suits.”

The first recruits jumped into the Battle Dressers, only to emerge moments later in the enormous exoframe battle suits known and feared by their commonly used nicknames, Quasimodos. The staff sergeant explained. “Ladies, you are not trained using them, hopefully, MAMA will keep you alive, but these suits are deep-space enabled, maybe we can carry the battle to a few of our enemies.”

Now it was Roy’s turn. The machine assembled a genuine SII Destroyer Main Battle Suit Mark X around his body.

A friendly female voice spoke to him. “I am the Mobile Assault Marine Assistant. This is the first time you are using an MBS-Mark X. Please relax and stand by for Semi Liquid Matrix Emulsion application.

Sergeant Leven’s voice was next. “Whatever you do, guys. Don’t panic and don’t fight the SLIME. The blue stuff is necessary when wearing a Quasimodo.

As the Sergeant explained, Roy felt something creeping all over his skin. Whatever it was he could not see, as it happened inside the suit he was now wearing. He could feel it dissolve the board uniform he had worn and while it rose from his feet all around him and kept creeping up at a fast pace, it forced itself inside his body orifices.

Leven’s voice kept speaking. “This blue goo is perhaps the real reason why Union Battle Suits are the very best in the known Universe. This goo will not only act as frictionless padding, allowing you guys to wear that suit for many days if necessary, but it will help by absorbing impact shocks, recycle sweat, any kind of body waste and every dead skin flake; it will also act in concert with your Auto-Doc and provide medical treatment. This bio slime will keep temperatures at perfect levels. A marine is never too hot or too cold. It will instantly seal wounds and thus keep any wound trauma to the absolute minimum.

“This S.L.I.M.E is more or less the same stuff Med Techs use in their Re-Gen tanks.”

Despite the calming words of the DI, it took all his willpower not to panic as the stuff forced its way past his lips and into his nostrils. It took only a few seconds though and then the gagging reflex or any sensation regarding the slime was completely gone and he felt just as before. No, not as before; he could not say if he felt any temperature at all.

The Instructors voice kept on. “We will forgo the usual PreCheck, but I must warn you about the Neuro Ping. While you slimed up, many thousand nanowires connected to your nerve receptors. The Neuro Ping is a brief but intense reflex impulse that will make your muscles react, it is like touching a live energy wire.”

It was indeed, but Roy found it much less disturbing than the SLIME up phase.

Leven still spoke. “We don’t have the time or luxury to explain every function in detail. Most of the systems are intuitive. We will deploy from this Cargo hold. I am opening the sides. I will take swarm lead and lead us to attack the closest target if possible.

Roy was angry at such a cowardly attack and could not wait to fight the enemy.

--””-- Sam had spoken to the Commandant of the Marine Corps but did not completely put all his cards on the table. Not that he didn’t completely trust the General, but much of what had brought him here was hard to put in simple terms because most of it was based on gut feeling, assumptions, and conjecture. However after he met with the Commandant he was able to speak to Colonel Stilton. The leading Marine Intelligence officer greeted him in his office, just a floor below the Commandant.

“Good Fifth Hour, Sam. I had a feeling you would end up in my office, after talking to the Commandant.”

“He does the Corps proud.” Sam praised the current Commandant.

“No doubt, Sam. He called ahead and told me you are here and need assistance.”

“I am not even sure what kind of assistance I need.” Sam responded.

Charles had remained completely quiet so far, as this did exceed his standard Cerberus combat robot algorithms and he simply did not have the experience as a sentient being to participate in a meaningful way.