Chapter 30: Freedom from Hell

Deep in the hull of the T'Lari battleship, Ka'Nisk walked into the secondary bridge. He looked around as his crew gathered at their stations.

"Are we ready?" he asked.

Tb'Nar turned from his command turrets.

"Sir, power is coming online. I have weapons status on three hundred of the missile bays, and thirty of the laser cannons. Engines are at forty percent power. Anti-gravity generators are online and ready to go. Shield generators are reading thirty percent. We can lift off whenever you command."

Ka'Nisk grinned as he issues his orders, which he knew was an insult to the brash warrior, "Good, when we are out of the rock field, I want you to find Terra, and fire every missile you have at the planet, lasers are to target all enemy ships in range. Remember you need to fire the missiles at where the planet will be when the missiles get there, in two hours. Let's build up power a little bit, and then we will lift off." Leaning back in his tub, the padded jelly flowed around his back as he activated the viewer for Sha'Karia's throne room, to notify her on what was going on. Sitting up straight, he saw the marines there, with their weapons.

"Lift off, now! They have killed the Queen!" he roared.

Captain Jehanne Curran watched her marine shuttles land on the surface while the Washington pulled away to investigate another alien ship.

"Ensign Flanders, what's the ETA on the Marine's deployment?"

"Ma'am, first ten shuttles are landing, with two hundred spiders. They are building additional landing bays, ETA on the new shuttle bays are seven minutes. Our Marines are currently walking into the base, and are entering through the airlocks. Major Tillman said he would have his Marines inside the ship, forty seconds after they hit the lift. He is not even using the lift now, except to bring wounded and dead out." James stopped his report and listened to his communications he was receiving. "Ma'am Major Tillman said they are rappelling down the side at a rate of ten Marines every five seconds."

"Very good, very good indeed," Jehanne looked at the screen and said, "Tell Major Tillman I want a live feed, if he can do it. They are to keep the ship updated on their movements."

"Ma'am! A message from the Washington. They have recovered a Tralcan fighter, the pilot is in stasis and they have rushed the pilot to medical."

Jehanne listened to the report from Ensign Flanders, and replied, "Thank you James..."

"More flash traffic from command, Admiral Thompson is down, it looks like he slipped on the wing of the Tralcan fighter, and they have rushed him to medical as well."

Jehanne sat up in shock, and then stood and walked over to the communications station. "James, will he be okay? Who is in command on the ship with Captain White on the Oregon?"

James looked up at the captain and replied, "It's signed Commander Cassandra Towers."

"Towers? Who is that?" ask Captain Curran.

"I'm not sure Ma'am. Mark may know," replied Ensign Flanders.

Jehanne nodded her head, and said, "Mark, please come to the bridge."

The Iwo Jima's AI/interface faded into the room, and Mark Withers said, "I'm here, Captain. 'Commander Towers' is Amy's real name."

On the surface crevices started cracking the surface of the planet, then the rock hurled outward catching several shuttles as they were lifting up to the assault ship or down to the surface. Marines scrambled to catch their balance and activate their helmets saving their lives. Twenty-two children died as the main dome shattered and the air was sucked out of the building. Before anything could be done to save them, they suffocated along with several wounded Marines who were being carried to a waiting shuttle. The tunnel collapsed behind them and then the T'Lari ship burst through the surface and started firing on the Marine assault ship. Lasers smashed through the unpowered shields and shattered the ship's spine. She drifted away to crash onto the surface of the planet.

Captain Curran turned and replied to Mark, "Thank..."

Suddenly explosions started detonating across her ship. Jehanne flew out of her chair. The rest of the bridge crew went down as well. Looking up she saw the main screen showing the torn and shattered hulk of the T'Lari battleship lifting off. As she watched missiles start flying away from the ship and into space.

"Mark, tell me where are those missiles going!"

As she watched, another broadside of three hundred missiles belched from the ruined ship, and then a third.

"Captain they are on an intercept heading for Terra, they will hit her in two hours..."

The AI winked out, and more explosions hurled everyone flat as the USS Iwo Jima slammed onto the surface of Pluto.

Major Jack Tillman watched as his Marines rushed into the ship and started spreading out into fire teams and engaging the T'Lari. Jim walked over to Captain Breckenridge.

"Captain, let's get you evacuated up to the medical ship along with Doctor O'Neil."

Kathleen looked up at Major Tillman, and replied, "I don't think so, Major, I'm staying right here. I have too many wounded to take care of. This next batch is ready to go, as soon as we get them over to the platform."

"Don't argue with me doctor, you will be leaving."

"I don't think so Jack, you cannot give me orders, as you can your Marines. Now start getting the wounded out of here, we have another fifteen that can be moved, along with nine more survivors."

Standing up Kathleen moved over to another wounded Marine and checked him. Seeing his open eyes, she closed them, and took one of the blankets and covered his body.

"Damn it," she said.

Getting up she started to move to another Marine when the deck shuddered and a force field came on, over the opening the hull.

Standing up, Kathleen walked to the Marine who was just brought in. As she started to kneel beside her, the ship suddenly heaved. Screams came from the tunnel as it collapsed. Around the room, everyone fell to the deck. They felt the vibration as the ship lifted off.

"What the hell is going on?"

Jack picked himself up and he shouted, "She's lifting off."

Activating his com chip he said, "All Marines, if you're near the engine room or any power room, disable them. We cannot allow this ship to get away or attack Terra, also start destroying any working weapon platform you can find, Major Tillman out."

Walking over to one of the spiders he said, "Spider we need heavy weapons, I want fifty of the new Ma Deuce machine guns."

The spider bot went to work and started replicating the M2 machine guns with waist belt and then the gun and power generator. As the weapons start forming, Jack moved over to another spider.

"Spider I need, flamethrowers! Give me twenty of them."

As the second spider started working on the flamethrowers, he looked at the Marines, and he continued issuing his orders.

"Okay, Marines, pick out your new weapons, and let's start killing the T'Lari. You heard my orders on our targets"

The Marines rushed over, and picked up the new weapons and head out into the ship. Jack grabbed one of the machineguns and attached it to his waist, and followed his Marines to the door.

"Captain Breckenridge, keep this area secure."

"Aye-aye, Sir."

Ken sat there with Kala in his lap, allowing Amy and Jessica to talk with their future sister wife, when suddenly Amy stiffened, and Ken said, "Amy, are you Okay?"

"Ken, the Iwo Jima has crashed to the surface of Pluto. The T'Lari battleship has lifted off from the planet and fired into her. She has taken massive damage and impacted three miles from the crash site of the enemy ship, she is rising up from the surface, shredding her cover of the rock. She ... Oh my God! She has launched missiles and they are inbound on an interception course with Terra. You need to wake up and take over your command."

Ken stood up and looked at Kala, and asked, "How do we get out of here?"

Kala reached out and grasped Ken's hands, and replied, "My love, close your eyes and think of yourself awake and you shall awaken."

Ken closed his eyes. When he opened them, he was lying on one of the medical beds. The lights had turned to red, for battle stations. The alarms were sounding and he heard Lieutenant Stella Salaneo calling everyone to general quarters. Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, he sat up. He saw Molly coming towards him.

Molly was pulling a bloody shirt off of a Marine who has lost his arm, when she looked up and saw Ken starting to get up.

"Gretchen, take over."

Dropping the bloody shirt in a basket, she walked towards him, and said, "Get back on the bed Admiral."

"I don't have time for this, Molly. I'm needed on the bridge. We are under attack. We must also intercept missiles inbound to Terra. I'm fine. No side effects from what happened, and I promise I'll explain more, later."

Jumping down from the bed, he walked over to Kala and helped her to the floor, and asked her, "Kala, my love, are you okay?"

Holding Ken's arm, Kala said, "Yes, love, I'm fine. Let's go stop these flesh eaters before they destroy your home planet. Then we can get to know each other better."

Ken led her out the door and across the hallway to the transport tube. Molly and Gretchen just look stunned then quickly got back to sorting out the chaos.

Amy appeared on the main bridge, and said, 'Jess, I'm on the bridge.'

'I have the flag, see you after the battle, ' replied Jessica as she looked around the bridge, "Stella please put the enemy ship on the main screen. Orders to weapons: we need to intercept..." Jessica heard the doors open and she looked and saw Ken and Kala walk in and she said, "Admiral, good to see you, I was just getting a status report from Stella."

Ken went over to his command chair and sat down. "Stella, please finish Jessica's request for me!"

"Sir, T'Lari battleship is at two miles and climbing. She is launching missiles into space towards Terra. Her lasers have destroyed the Iwo Jima and damaged the Hope; the Hope has withdrawn from the planet and is heading for Pluto's moons and the defensive bases." Checking her scanner, she continued, "Sir the access base is gone, the Marines are pulling the survivors out of the wreckage."

"Thank you Stella, target the main engines of the T'Lari battleship and open fire with lasers only."

The main lasers locked onto the enemy battleship and started firing.

"Lieutenant Wright, open a communications with the enemy ship, translate it into T'Lari."

Susan is surprised but opened the frequency to the enemy ship. "Channel open, Sir, translator online."

Ken looked at the enemy ship on the screen, and started speaking, "T'Lari battleship, this is the Federation battleship USS Washington, which engaged you before and blew away the forward part of your ship. Surrender or be destroyed. You have thirty seconds to comply."

Ka'Nisk looked up at the speaker and listened, "On screen."

The screen changed, and the accursed ship was sitting there.

"Impossible, we blew her up. If we must destroy her again we will, shields to full power, and target the enemy ship with all weapons and open fire on the humans."

The ruined ship turned and started firing her few remaining weapons at the human ship. Some of the weapons started going off line as age and damage started affecting them. Shields climbed up to forty-nine percent and hovered there. The Vaskat turned and headed for the human battleship. Her battered front end started taking more damage.

Ken watched the ship turn towards his, and he issues his orders, "Take us up above her and target all her active weapon mounts with ours. Launch all fighters. Their orders are to take out the enemy shields and weapons. I want all mechs with jump jets to be ready to deploy. We don't dare destroy her, too many of our people are still aboard her."

Lieutenant Sherry Days typed the commands onto her command board, and replied, "Sir, fighters are launching, now. Mechs are arming up and getting ready for deployment. Enemy shields are up, and we are firing into them. I have target lock on several of the enemy gun batteries." On the screens, the lasers hit the shields and started making circular impact hits on them as they tried to get through them. Several of the lasers smashed into the unshielded and damaged sections of the ship and great rents were ripped into the shattered compartments.

Ken watched the ship continue to launch her missiles at Terra. "Susan contact Mars base and tell them to launch every thing that can fly. Those missiles have to be intercepted before they hit Terra."

"Aye-aye, Admiral," Susan started contacting Mars base and relays the messages to the construction docks.

The Washington lurched as her stronger shields took thirty hits all at once and then she returns fire at the enemy battleship. The lasers smashed into the T'Lari shields and they flared as they went down. The fighters dove in and started picking off weapons bays, rendering her helpless. The Washington turned and went over the ship.

Ken shouted, "Open the mech bay, deploy the mechs with jump packs, they are to tear up every com or sensor tower they can."

In the mech bay, Captain Matt Wilson led his Ninja to the hangar bay and looked down on the huge ship. "Okay you dogs, let's go rip a ship open and see what is inside." Jumping out of the ship the jet pack fire and he descended to the deck of the alien ship. Around him, fifty mechs landed and started spreading out.

"Start tearing up the weapons and com towers." Matt said in the com as he sighted one of the enemy laser cannons firing on the Big W, and aimed his .25 mm auto cannons and opened fire on it. Explosions started erupting from the laser blister as the high explosive depleted uranium started detonating on the weapon. Then an explosion detonated from the hull and oxygen erupted from the blister along with T'Lari bodies.

"Ya! Eat lead you bastards."

Bolts of plasma streaked across the hull of the ship and slammed into weapon blisters and communication towers. One of the Giants found the secondary bridge and fired all six of her plasma cannons into the room. Explosions detonated from the room, hurling the bodies from the shattered compartment and out into the vacuum of space.

Then the Giant used its massive arms and ripped the room open. It stepped inside as a force shield came up sealing the huge mech inside the ship. Several of the Lancers ran along the hull, firing their plasma cannons into missile tubes sealing them shut.

Matt moved around the deck, and watched his men and women under his command do their job. Stopping as he sighted another laser weapon, he targeted the weapon with his auto cannons when his mech took a hit in the back, from a heavy laser weapon. The first hit destroyed the shield generator, and the second hit shattered his jump jet and his back armor. Whipping the mech around he saw the weapon platform and lifted his auto-cannons to fire and then a third hit smashed into his chest armor. Matt's mech flew back, and off the deck of the ship. It tumbled through space.