Chapter 23: The Battle for the Planet

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

—Sun Tzu, The Art of War.

“Linda and I have gone through your recent encounters with considerable interest and amusement. Patton showed us the pirate attack soon after we settled in on the ship,” said Andrea. “We’ve now had the opportunity to see your other encounters.”

“How did that happen?” Jason asked.

“We asked ship if there were any recordings of what you had told us. The ship AI told us Patton had put a presentation together. She then introduced him. He is quite a character!” Linda replied.

“We asked for quick overviews of the ambushes. The idea of using gas was inspired. We loved the idea of the small mobile mines. Most of the weapons of the Empire have been around for so long that we are bored with them,” said Andrea.

“What did you ask the engineers to do?” Jason asked.

“We commissioned the engineers to develop several different mines. We thought of several ways we could use them on the planet,” said Linda enthusiastically. “The engineers explored how far they can take the concept of a mine on land.”

“I also asked them to make twenty-five heavier bunker busters,” said Andrea.

“I am pleased you found something in my primitive early efforts,” said Jason.

“Let’s tell you what happened on the planet, but before we do, we wanted to say we don’t think many would have thought of using communications drones as missiles. It was a brilliant strategy. Communications drones cost a fortune. Most commanders would never use them as weapons. The pirates and saboteurs would have taken the ship from most captains and admirals.”

Jason canted his head from one side to the other, smiling.

“My back will recover sometime next year,” Jason said. “I never anticipated you would revert to animal behavior, Andrea. I risk life and back making love to you.”

Andrea stuck out her tongue and waggled it.

“We used your concept of missiles going trans-dimensionally and re-manifesting in the target during the planetary assault. It works both as a bunker-busting technique and to avoid the atmosphere. It means you don’t need so many bunker busters and waste so many explosives. We don’t need to slow down missiles or protect them from atmospheric friction. It is odd; we used the technique to avoid shields and ship hulls but not the atmosphere or the ground on planets,” said Andrea.

Jason nodded, then watched a speeded-up version of the assault on the ground.

Assault gunships dropped off Marines and equipment to arm the clones. They worked with a brigade of clones to set up a perimeter around the garrison. Another pair of brigades raced to the armory and set up a second perimeter while other brigades took over armories and loaded weapons and equipment.

“That went smoothly and efficiently,” said Jason. “Your people are doing well.”

“Where did the division go that returned to the ship?”

“They brought down hundreds of antiaircraft units and more gunships to support the fighters and aid in the ground assault,” said Andrea. “As Janet predicted, commissioning our equipment is taking time. Had we known, we would have wakened more engineers.”

“We deployed jumping mines for the first time. They sat on the ground, flew up, attached themselves, and blew up when shuttles and tanks approached. We also created antipersonnel mines that intelligently target sixty-four troops each. They are similar to the ones you used to hit enemy fighters near the Mob cruisers. Our previous attacks had already demoralized the enemy soldiers. We hit them again and demoralized them further,” said Linda. “They have no experience of mines and didn’t recognize them for what they were. They looked up into the sky. They must believe we hit them from our ships.”

“We used the trans-dimensional missiles on the bunkers and simultaneously hit the barracks with cannons, then hit all the bunkers again. We sent the next batch of missiles deeper. The barracks extended several floors underground. Hidden bunkers disgorged troops—some were from damaged bunkers, others from bunkers we hadn’t previously identified. The fresh troops were well-trained fanatics. We sent in minelaying gunships and laid mines around the newly discovered bunkers,” said Andrea.

“A previously undiscovered fighter base, fifteen kilometers away, launched fighters,” said Linda. While speaking, she showed on holograms a speeded-up version of the events.

“We installed multiple atmospheric defense systems on the ground as they were so effective in the previous engagement and set up more from the heavy weapons supplies from the armories. A few fighters emerged from the old bases. We mopped up the fighters quickly using our existing resources and forces. The enemy only hit one of our fighters. We recovered the pilot. She is in the sick bay with burns,” said Andrea. “I don’t think the priests’ forces expected this attack level.”

“Our troops discovered a network of underground service tunnels and mined all the critical junctions. The ‘ordinary soldiers’ believed the exploding mines were micro missiles from space and returned to base. Most units surrendered after encountering our mines in the tunnels. The mines slaughtered the elite teams as they continued forward despite the mines. They thought they were grenades and rushed forward to engage nonexistent troops and went to their final resting places,” said Linda.

“We had few casualties as we owned the skies, had the numbers, and more heavy weaponry. We are mopping up after capturing thousands of soldiers,” said Matilda.

“We did have difficulty with the elite priests supervising the medical technicians. They remain uncooperative. There’s still some sporadic resistance. We are moving the captives into holding areas and putting them into stasis. We found Oleg injured and unconscious in a bunker and will interrogate him when he recovers. We recovered our captured pilot from Oleg’s bunker. She’s in poor shape. Her interrogation was brutal and unrelenting,” said Andrea.

Andrea paused for a moment, looking down at the table before her face lit up. “Linda, let’s take this man for lunch, he can feed us, and then we’ll have our way with him. Warfare makes me randy. Come to think of it; everything makes me randy.”

“Ladies, you did well. I can hardly imagine how you will progress with more experience,” said Jason, rising from his seat. Jason linked arms with Linda and Andrea. “I am relieved you have taken over, but I am hurt I am on the periphery. I know it is irrational, and I don’t expect you to change.”

Linda put her arm around Jason and her head on his shoulder. Andrea squeezed his hand.

“We are doing what we were trained to do. This was a set-piece engagement. You have unique skills and abilities, and we believe you will exercise those abilities at crucial times. You wanted us to ally with you. We’ve done that but never expected we would get close to you. Now that we know you, we know we can trust you,” said Linda.

They strolled arm in arm to the canteen. After the meal, Jason strode to the kitchen. The chefs and kitchen staff were happy and dancing around in the kitchen. The canteen was once again quiet; most customers were busy elsewhere. Jason consulted Robert. Robert entered the storeroom and brought one of Jason’s favorite Australian sparkling wines. He dialed Jason’s preferred temperature into the cooler and handed the bottle to Jason three seconds later.

“Thanks, Robert; it is an ideal wine to celebrate the victory.”

Jason strolled back to his stateroom with Linda and Andrea. It was no surprise to Jason that in a society of so few men, women had no hesitation in making love with each other. Jason had another unique and even more profound experience. They drew him into their minds, and he allowed them into his. It was a surprising new intimacy; there were no reserves, boundaries, reservations, or holding back. The feelings were more intense than he had ever experienced previously. He felt himself and the feelings of both women. He was overcome by their fierce emotions and bonded with them at a depth he didn’t know was possible.

Two hours later, Jason was shattered. Linda and Andrea laughed and joked about his limited stamina. Andrea lost herself and again ripped his back to shreds. Afterward, she was filled with remorse. Both women excused themselves but arranged to meet him at dinner. Jason took himself off to the hospital, where Phyllis, the AI, treated and teased him.

Linda called Jason a little over an hour later and suggested he go to the brig to meet Oleg. Matilda and her interrogators were convinced Oleg was an Imperial spy. Jason knew the military in the Empire was hardened against telepathic interrogation, and many senior officers had mental powers enhanced by crystals. However, Jason was skeptical.

Cherie transported him to a meeting room in prison. Jason felt uneasy. Linda was waiting for him. “I want you to meet him. Our interrogators are confident he is an agent of Empire Intelligence,” said Linda.

“Who interrogated him?” Asked Jason.

“Our Marines did the interrogations,” said Connie. “The clones sat in. Then Matilda interrogated him along with one of her people.”

“Linda, I have a bad feeling about Oleg. He was trained to deal with interrogation, and I’ll lay any odds they could not telepathically interrogate him. If I meet him, I want our guards to be alert,” said Jason.

Two sentries joined them in an interrogation room. A guard built like a bodybuilding champion, two meters tall, brought Oleg into the room. Jason knew all was not well as soon as he saw Oleg. Oleg wore handcuffs and leg restraints and shuffled into the room. Jason and Linda were seated. Oleg looked at Jason.

Something bashed into Jason’s mind. He was drowning, and his head was bursting. He heard Winston tell him to push. Jason shoved Oleg out of his head. Oleg looked startled.

Oleg’s guard collapsed, and blood seeped from her eyes and ears. Oleg grabbed the release wand from the guard’s belt, and his handcuffs and shackles instantly fell to the ground. Then he swung around the table toward Jason and Linda.

Linda rose and prepared to intercept him.

Oleg struck her neck in passing and lunged at Jason.

Jason was not caught napping. He stood as Oleg freed himself. When Oleg hurt Linda, he switched into a rage. Oleg raised his hand and drove it toward Jason. A thin knife extended below his fingers. Jason swept Oleg’s hand aside and struck Oleg’s temple with his elbow. Oleg slammed into one of the guards as he fell.

“For what you did to my beloved, you die,” Jason said as he telekinetically grabbed Oleg’s heart. Jason lifted Oleg and held him horizontally, motionless, and suspended midair a meter away from his face.

“You will die in extreme pain,” Jason shouted thunderously. Jason squeezed Oleg’s head as he constricted his heart.

Oleg’s eyes widened, and his mouth opened; he frowned and scrunched his eyes closed. They opened, and his eyeballs bulged and bled. Jason waived the sentries back, then punched Oleg’s nose with his palm so hard his neck whiplashed and cracked. Jason raised his hand and hit him with fireballs, then burned a hole into his skull and brain. He superheated the blood in Oleg’s chest, bursting his heart and leaving a gaping cavity in Oleg’s central chest. “Now shoot him,” said Jason as he picked up Linda. “Remove the scum, search him, do a post-mortem and cut off his arms and hands, then space him,” commanded Jason.

“Ship, take Linda and the injured guard with me to Medical and put them in pods.”

At the hospital, nurses gently lifted Linda and the guard into pods. Linda’s face was a blotchy blue. The delay between injury and the pod was under a minute.

Andrea rushed in. “How is she, Jason?”

“I got her here long before she could’ve sustained a brain injury. The medical AI has barely had time to evaluate her,” said Jason.

Jason led Andrea over to a medical terminal and connected them to Phyllis.

“How is Linda doing, Phyllis?”

“She has a crushed larynx and extensive bruising in her neck.”

“How long will treatment take?” Jason asked.

“I don’t know yet. Don’t hang around here, Jason. It won’t do her or you any good. You will be a nuisance if you mope around. She will be fine, go and tell the others what happened and make yourself useful. I’ll let you know when you can come back to collect her.”

“How is the guard?” Jason asked.

“Oleg attacked her telepathically. She will recover but require extensive rehabilitation,” said Phyllis.

“How long are we talking about?” Andrea asked.

“She will return to work in two months and her full duties a month later.”

Andrea nodded. “Thank you.”

“Cherie, what can you tell me about Oleg?” Jason asked.

“You crushed then exploded his heart, broke his neck, and pieces of nasal bone are in his brain. You fractured his skull, and he has multiple brain hemorrhages. He has severe, deep burns inside his chest and abdomen. There are two separate post-mortem burns from the Marine assault rifles.”

“What was in his hand?”

“He had a stiletto knife hidden in an enlarged prosthetic forearm bone, the radius, that extended below his hand.”

“What do the interrogators say about their heinous errors?” Asked Andrea.

“The interrogators are mortified. They face an investigation. Matilda will apologize to you directly. The second Marine guard faces disciplinary action for not acting despite your warning. Our senior telepath believes Oleg was a sleeper assassin; his commands were buried deeply and triggered by the sight of Jason. This phenomenon terrifies the interrogators, as no interrogation will reveal the hidden state. The priests’ Guild and perhaps even The Mob want to neutralize you, Jason. You present a threat to them and their minions,” Cherie, the ship AI, stated. “I can hear your stomach grumbling. I’ll call when Linda’s ready to leave here.”

Jason trembled but couldn’t stop. It worsened. Andrea put her arm around him and walked with him to the canteen. Janet and Phoebe joined them, along with Linda’s and Andrea’s assistants. Janet introduced Jason to several colonels from the surface.

Andrea then told the others what had happened.

The group brought Jason out of his funk.

The clones from the surface thanked him for saving them and treated him as royalty, referring to him as ‘My Lord.’

“If I act like royalty, you can whack me on the back of my head. I’m not a fancy dilettante, Lord. I prefer not to hear ‘My Lord’ this and ‘My Lord’ that. You can call me Jason because that’s my name, and I have no title. I just happened to be one of the people along for the ride. Make yourself at home and enjoy the food!”

They laughed heartily as they rejoined their groups seated at adjoining tables. The expressions on their faces indicated that they thought differently.

Andrea found the hero worship amusing.

“Don’t even think of assaulting my illustrious personage! I would rather not be bashed on the head; I am not acting like a royal jackass,” Jason warned Andrea, shaking his head.

Andrea laughed, triggering the others to giggle.

The group encouraged Jason, a cheerful drunk, to make a speech. Jason staggered to his feet and spoke in a posh accent. “I, the illustrious one from Earth, pretentiously known as Lord Muck, greet and welcome you all,” he said to the cheers.

Jason wobbled before continuing. “Today, you triumphed and secured a victory in the war against tyranny. I am proud to know the ship’s crew and my twenty million daughters. When I left my planet, I believed I would do an uncomplicated job in a sophisticated society. Could I, who had barely evolved past the apes, adapt? I accepted the delusional belief the Empire was safe and secure. I thought it would be a simple trip and a quiet life, imbibing fine wines and piloting my shuttle around my family, Duchy, after helping my great-grandpa. How could I not be safe on a battleship? My great-grandfather was ill, and I would help manage the Duchy. What could go wrong?”

Janet snorted and then giggled, triggering laughter at the table.