Chapter 7: The Battle for Mars Part II

The Battle for Mars

Part II

Mars Base:

Brigadier General Mark Anthon was a beaten man. He stood with his men in the giant hanger. Guards stood around the nine hundred officers and men. As force fields kept them in the enclosure, he looked over at his second in command who was glaring daggers at him.

"Colonel Wright, I had no choice but to surrender. They were wiping us out," Mark said as he sipped his coffee.

"Sir, with all due respect, my infantry could have taken this base. You have failed..."

"Colonel James Wright you are an idiot. We would have stopped you cold getting into this base," General Richard Polk said as he stepped up to the force field.

Colonel Wright turned and looked at the traitor and snarled, "No Sir, my boys and girls would have succeeded."

"And if you had? What about the T'Lari? How would..."

"Don't give me any shit about some alien creature that wants to eat us. It's all a pack of lies."

"So you don't believe they exist?"

"No, Sir, I don't!"

"Then it's time you meet one face to face. We captured a few of them from the Vaskat," he said and then lifting his wrist he said, "Bring it in boys."

A large gravity platform drifted into the room. Its force field walls were opaque and a sound dampening field was on. Floating to the ground right in front of the men, General Polk looked at the cage and then nodded his head. The field went clear and they were looking at a nine-foot T'Lari warrior with body paint. It was roaring and lunging at the fields.

Turning on the intercom, General Polk started talking, "Ladies and gentleman, I give you the enemy of the human kind in the twenty-fifth century. This is a T'Lari warrior, and to show you how deadly they are. I have arranged this little demonstration. Bring it in."

Two marine corporals walked in leading a fifteen hundred pound bull. Leading the bull up the platform, they guided it into a smaller field set up for it. The field merged with the larger one and a small bolt of electricity struck the bull in the butt, making it flee into the larger chamber.

Val-Knani turned at the sound of the strange creature, and flew at it. With three quick stabs, its throat was slit and he was holding one of its legs in his claws. As the creature hit the ground, he started eating the raw meat and examined his new confinement. He had noticed the human meat in another pen. His blood boiled, as he wanted to eat them. Walking around the confinement, he realized that there was a way out.

Grabbing a second leg off the creature, he quickly striped the meat from the bone and continued to walk around. Stopping in front of the human called Polk, he snarled at him. Lunging at the human, he bounced off the field.

Richard jumped back as the creature lunged at him. Behind him, he could hear the prisoners talking. Turning he looked at Colonel Wright and said, "So you believe me now?"

"It could be a trick. Using those holograms of yours, I..."

Val-Knani lunged for the damaged floor plate he had spotted. Ripping the plate up he saw the fragile conduits and jammed one of the bones into the field. The field shimmered and went down on one side. Jumping off the platform, he attacked the nearest human and ripped him in two. Grabbing up the human's weapons, he turned and fired the first round into another human.

Sergeant Mike Rogers reacted with all the speed of an enhanced human. He whipped up his desert eagle and the first of eight rounds were heading downrange as Private June Wade flew backwards with a fletchen round to her stomach.

Richard pulled his forty-five and started firing at the creature as it started to run. His first round hit one of the creature's arms and shattered the bone.

Val-Knani screamed in pain as the strange hunks of metal hit him. Jumping on another marine who was too close he bit his head off and then felt a stunning pain as his back was pierced eight times. Bright green blood burst from his mouth as he took another step. His legs refused to work and the fletchen rifle fell from his numb claws.

Turning he looked at the two humans advancing on him, and he said, "You're all meat for the people."

"Not today," Richard said, and fired as Sergeant Rogers did.

The two rounds slammed into the T'Lari's head and it exploded.

Ensign Mitchell Young sat at his computer screen, typing in the new design for the next APES system and grinned. Suzy inputted the design of the creature he wanted and watched as the computer assembled the required components. On the screen, the twelve-ton Mech took form and started flashing as it waited for a weapons system to be inputted. Typing in the commands, he instructed the three main weapons as heavy lasers, and a missile pack built into the back with five hundred missiles. At the same time, he installed a minelayer in the back end and started laughing.

"What is so funny Mitch?" Suzy asked as she added the armor plates to the creature's diagram.

"It's..." Gripping his belly, he started laughing harder.

"Mitch?"

"Oh this is so funny," Mitch said as he wiped his eyes.

"Well until I know the joke I cannot laugh at it."

"Oh yeah. Look where I put the mine layer."

"I see where you have it installed."

"Now look for the actual exit point."

The AI did a quick diagnostic of the design and then started chuckling, "Oh that's bad, Mitch. So bad."

"Now all I need to do is show it to General Polk and see what he says. Where is he?"

"General Polk is in Alpha landing bay trying to convert the prisoners. He is showing them one of the captured T'Lari."

"Is he fucking nuts? They should all be destroyed. They are deadly and should be destroyed on sight. That's why it was a genocide war against them."

"Mitch, I know ... Warning ... Warning..."

"What's going on Suzy," Mitch said as he started locking down his research dome.

"T'Lari has escaped. We have several personnel down ... T'Lari killed, we have two KIA."

"Fuck," Mitch said as he walked over to the storage rack and opened the door.

Inside the compartment stood his second surprise, a full suit of combat assault armor based on the Mech design. With multiple weapons, each designed to fight the T'Lari. In the right arm was a plasma launcher and three light lasers, in the left were four fletchen cannons. On the right shoulder was a multipurpose grenade launcher fed by a miniature replicator. Built into the back was a small spider bot. The suit was self-contained, with a built in waste recycler, as well as a holographic emitter and a force field generator.

On the hip was a broad sword and across the back was a battleaxe. It had full medical diagnostics, could input medical bots as well as a HUD to show the occupant's location, and full terrain mode. Attached to the waist was an anti-gravity belt and a thruster was built into the lower part of the back armor. Each suit was good for ten days with its built in replicator reserves.

"You know, Suzy, I should put this on and go down to the holding areas and kill all of those fucking bastards."

"I know you want to, but the general wants them studied, so we know them better," Suzy said as she continued to monitor the situation.

"Which is stupid, we don't need to study them, we need to eradicate the shellheads. These people are so Frasna."

"Mitchell, such language, if I had hands I would tan your butt. You're only thirteen."

"I know, and I'm sorry. It is a word my brother taught me when he came back from the academy. He would say it when he was pissed off."

"Mitch..."

"Sorry, I am just so mad that they will not listen to us. I pray when the Washington gets back, they will listen to Amy and Jessica."

"If everything went as planned they should be arriving in two weeks."

"I know we just need to hold out. Now is the General busy?" Mitch asked as he closed the doors.

"He is heading for conference room ten with the American General and three of his officers."

"Okay, I am gone," Mitch said as he picked up his laptop and headed for the door.

"Good luck, Mitch," Suzy said as she continued to work on the new APES system.

Captain Sue Blake-Thompson placed the last file down on the conference table as the doors opened and in walked General Polk and the four men with him. Glaring hate at them, she walked over and stood against the wall. She so wanted to pull her pistol and put a bullet into each of their heads for murdering her husband and wife. Pressing her hand against her belly, she felt the babies move and smiled sadly, as she remembered her wedding night to Martha and Commodore Thompson.

Mark sat down at the chair, his eyes wandered the room and when they looked at the pretty girl against the wall, he flinched when he saw the anger there. Turning his head, he looked at Richard as he walked over to the replicator.

"Five scotch's no ice," Richard ordered and then picked up the tray. Carrying it back to the table, he set it down and passed out the drinks.

Picking up the drink, Mark took a drink and gasped at the flavor, "that's good booze."

"Yes it is. One thing the replicators can do is make good booze. Now Mark, now that you've heard, touched and seen what a T'Lari can do. Your opinion of them?"

"Nasty creatures, but come on Richard do you really think this ragtag army of yours can take them on?"

Sue angrily retorted, "Fuck you! Why I ought to blow..."

"Captain that is quite enough! You're dismissed," Richard snapped.

Gritting her teeth, Sue saluted Richard and replied, "Yes, Sir."

As Sue walked out the door, Mark spoke up again, "That's what I mean. Your people have no discipline."

"Shut up, Mark. That woman is one of my finest officers. She's just upset that your President murdered her wife and husband."

"That's what I mean. It's a sin to have more than one wife, and you have no proof that the President murdered her supposed family."

"Not in the Federation. All we care about is if they are loved and taken care of. As to proof, I will show it to you, if you want to see it," Richard snarled as he stood up.

Walking to the viewer, he activated the screen, "Computer, bring up the murder of Commodore Thompson and his wife at the party."

The screen changed from the starburst pattern to showing the party in full swing. On the dance floor, John Thompson whirled his wife Martha across the floor for several dances. They then went and sat down at the table and started to eat. The next scene was one of horror as the doors were kicked in and twenty men poured into the room firing fletchen rifles. John stood up and shoved Martha behind him as the first rounds hit him. They blew his back out and killed Martha before she had a chance to scream.

"Advance film forty-five minutes," Richard said.

The screen blurred for a second and then it showed the dining hall again, but every body was covered with a tarp when President Kincaide walked in with Admiral Farragut.

Mark was shocked as he listened to the President talk to the Admiral, he was more shocked when he spit on the bodies.

"My God, he's gone insane."

"No. Not insane, just power hungry. Mark, if he can order the deaths of all these unarmed people at a party what else would he do? Say ... murdering all the Senate and House members along with the Chief Justices? I think he would. Don't you?"

Mark buried his head into his hands and shook. The images of the ten children gunned down at the party would haunt him forever, as he replied, "Yes ... Yes, damn it. I believe he would."

"I agree, General. I also believe he would. General Polk, I'm in, where do I sign up?" replied Colonel James Wright.

"Same with me, Sir," said Major Sasha Owens as he stood up and walked over to the replicator and continued, "Vodka, straight, five fingers."

The glass appeared and Sasha downed the cold liquor and felt it warm his belly but not his soul.

"This is nuts," Captain Jonathan Walker said as he stood up and continued, "I wont be a party to desertion in the face of the enemy. That creature was a nice hologram, but no way in hell it could be real."

"Jonathan, it wasn't a trick and you know it. Come on you are a valuable member of my command staff and very intelligent. You know this is not a trick, you know..."

"Know you? I thought I did, Sir, but you proved to me just now that I don't know you. Please take me back to my men," Jonathan snapped back.

"Escort Captain Walker to the quarters we have prepared for them. He is to be locked in."

"Yes, Sir," said the marine guard.

As the young captain was walked out, Richard called out to him, "Jonathan, as soon as we can we will get you home. However, first you will be making a trip to the T'Lari battleship Vaskat. When this is all over, I plan on turning what remains of that monster ship into a memorial to the billions who died in the future and will no longer have to."

Jonathan stopped and looked at General Polk, and replied, "Won't change my mind. You're all traitors."

The marines guided the man out and lead him away as Richard sat down. Taking a sip of his scotch, he looked at his friend from West Point.

"Mark, who's in command of your northern attack group?" Richard asked as he set the drink down.

"It's General Jeremiah Anderson and he won't surrender like I did. He will sacrifice every man and woman under his command."

"Shit, they brought that old warhorse out of retirement?" Richard said.

Richard got up, walked over to the window, and looked out at the recovery operation to the north. They Mech landers were digging out the Mechs trapped under the tons of rock. So far, the count was ninety-eight confirmed dead and two hundred survivors.

Federation Battleship Yamato

The battleship drifted on the backside of the sun, her shields were up and every ounce of energy was poring into them to keep the radiation off the hull. Inside the ship, two people slept. One was heavily sedated by the medications to keep her calm so she would not think of her dead family. The other lay in her capsule, but her image watched over her friend as she lay in the medical ward.

Commander Anya Lawyers lay there sleeping. Her mind was racing from the images of her daughter being forced into the torpedo tube. Whipping her head back and forth as tears ran from her closed eyes, she cried out in her sleep.

"Anya, sleep my friend. Suffer no more," Nancy Dwight said.

Flooding the capsule with more sleep gas, she put Anya into a deeper sleep as she sat down and watched her sleep. Up on the bridge, ten images of herself were at the controls of the ship. One of her images was going through the data feed that was coming to her from the satellites around Earth. She was looking for a ship, and she had finally found it. Just inside the Greenland Sea, she was cruising along at less then ten knots, and heading north for the ice cap. Bringing up her fold engines, she did a detailed scan of where she wanted to appear. It was dangerous, but she determined it had to be done.

Energy poured into the fold generators and the ship vanished. Ten minutes later, she appeared under the icy water and less then two thousand feet from the submarine. Reaching out she sent an energy pulse into the ship to disable all the electronics. At the same time as the energy pulse hit, she slammed the ship with a dampening field disrupting all the rest of the power systems.