Chapter 34

CANADA

ROUTE TEN

To say it was a spectacular sight would be a gross understatement.

Colonel Nikolai Morelli held onto the windshield of his armored Hopper as it skidded to a halt and he watched the clouds of smoke rise in the distance to his front. His tanks and APCs ground to a stop behind him in the six mile long convoy of armor and men. As he stepped from his Hopper his eyes wide, he had the sudden sinking feeling in his stomach that he was not going to live much more than a few minutes.

Ninety seconds actually.

The MLRS 300II battery went first, twelve rockets from each of the twelve launchers, rippling out less than a second apart, the flame from their rocket motors lighting up the entire area around the rear of the of the launchers, smoke billowing around each mobile unit until it was obscured behind a wall of white so thick no portion of the vehicle could be seen, and it reached for a quarter mile into the early morning sky. Along a twenty mile line on either side of Route Ten the deep low booming of over two hundred heavy artillery pieces rolled across the landscape ten seconds later. Nine batteries of twenty-four Alliance 200mm self-propelled guns erupted within the space of five seconds, hurling two hundred and sixteen, hundred pound shells through the dawn sky.

Morelli could only stand there and look skyward at his impending doom. Many of his division were paralyzed, never having been on the receiving end of heavy artillery. Some vampire soldiers panicked and leaped from their Hoppers or tanks and started sprinting for the hills on both sides of the four mile wide interstate in the hopes of outrunning the killing barrage. Even with their vampire speed, most would not make it to the treeline.

The rocket motors burned out as they reached their apogee and tipped over. At a thousand feet above the battlefield a timer blew open the nosecone of the rockets and released 500 small submunitions, each weighing only a pound. Developed in the early 21st century these small sub munitions were a shaped charge of C-9 explosive and small rocket motors of their own with enough force to punch through six inches of any known armor in the world. Since the armor on any tank is thinnest on the top, the munitions were considered the most lethal ever developed. Nikolai Morelli could only stare as the early morning sun was blotted from the sky by 72,000 dark spots that fell to a height of five hundred feet and then activated their own rocket motors, driving the sub munitions straight down at a thousand miles an hour. It appeared from a distance like a fireworks display and the sounds of non stop popping across the sky. Each submunition had a kill radius of three meters to be accurate, and in most cases accurate meant straight down. The tanks and APCs began to explode as the submunitions found their targets and exploded. They would send a superheated dart of titanium down through the tops of the armored vehicles, pushing melted steel in front of it and punching into the crew compartments shredding flesh and steel with little regard. The lightly armored Hoppers received the worst of it as their armor was designed to stop only small arms fire, not titanium darts traveling at supersonic speeds. The engine compartments on many of the vehicles were pierced, the fuel igniting and adding to the conflagration. Oily black smoke began to billow into the sky as screams began to erupt from the Hoppers and APCs as vampire super soldiers, genetically engineered to be superior in every way were ripped asunder with ease.

Directly on the heels of the MLRS volley, came the two hundred and sixteen 200mm shells. A mixture of High Explosive Anti Personnel shells that exploded only ten meters above the battlefield sending of hundreds of one inch long flechettes in an expanding arc that shredded flesh and impact fused hard target shells that began to rip the earth into great heaving chunks as they landed in and around the tanks and APCs. Vampire bodies could be seen flying like ragdolls through the morning air, some missing body parts, but all of them screaming out their dying words.

Colonel Nikolai Morelli did not see any of this occur as a single submunition from one of the MLRS rockets had ignited directly over him and propelled its titanium dart at a thousand miles an hour straight down through his skull, his chest cavity and exiting out his calf into the ground below. His body fell away severed into two pieces.

Donovan Nestor watched all this from his command APC from three miles away, with wide eyes. He had never seen such devastation in his life, never seen the destruction his guns could wrought on a mass scale; at least not until now. He slammed his hand onto the control console beneath the huge monitor, "Nestor to all batteries! Shift positions! Target the blood trucks and fire!"

His order, while prudent, was unnecessary. The Eden MLRS battery, manned by a mix of elf and human soldiers and commanded by a former Wood Elf Ranger, had begun shifting their location the moment the last rocket had cleared its launcher. The twelve mobile launchers were speeding to their secondary positions even as Nestor was issuing his order. The mobile gun crews of his vampire division had begun reloading their huge artillery pieces as the drivers tore through the light timber heading for their next firing positions.

Three minutes after Nestor issued his shift order, another volley was launched down range at Morelli's division, and three more would follow every three minutes before Nestor sent in his tanks and APCs to complete the massacre.

The first battle in the war for earth had been fought and won in brutal, efficient and spectacular fashion by full blooded super vampires in service to their adopted Lycavorian King. Three hours later that same division was racing south at full speed, leaving behind them the blackened and shattered remains of nearly forty thousand of their vampire brethren, and the twisted hulks of metal and steel that had carried them.

EDEN

Martin stood silently beside Tareif watching the holographic map chart as it was updated every thirty seconds. Humans and elves were dashing back and forth across the command center shouting out instructions to others or carrying updated data pads. The map chart was showing the massive force bearing down on them from four different directions and spread out over nearly a hundred miles. The main forces were already across the Mississippi River and barreling west as fast as roads would allow, the leading edges of the four main thrusts just now reaching into the Wastes.

"Two columns from the south and two columns from the north," Tareif spoke. "If they continue at the speed they seem to be holding, they will cross the Wastes in a day and reach the border of old Utah."

Martin nodded. "And then the southern columns will separate and cut north." He spoke, "While the northern columns come across Interstate 70."

Tareif nodded. "It is the clearest and most even route sire. They could maintain a steady speed of roughly sixty to seventy kilometers per hour."

"Any signs of air support?" Martin asked.

Tareif shook his head. "Nothing yet except scattered sightings of their heavy transports. The Raptors they do have, they must be keeping in hiding."

"They're waiting for us to hit them with our aircraft first." Martin said. "Then they'll ambush our Raptors on the return flight. Follow them right in and hope to land or at least get past the shield."

Tareif looked at him, "Sire?"

Martin nodded. "It's what I would do." He said. "The Iranians attempted a similar move during the Invasion of Iran in 2063. They sent a flight of their best pilots in allied planes right on the tail end of an allied air strike. They followed them all the way back to the allied air field."

"Did they succeed sire?" Tareif asked.

Martin shook his head. "They got to within six miles of the airfield, just as the last planes were landing. They had squawked friendly IFF signals the entire trip. The entire command and control ADHOC was at this airfield. If a very alert sergeant hadn't spotted that the friendly insignia was in the wrong spots on the planes, they would have taken out the commanders for six allied divisions."

Tareif shook his head. "You were blessed that day." He spoke.

"We got lucky." Martin said. "Get Ben in here, I got something I want to run by him. Where are Tarifa and Aihola?"

"We're here Martin." Tarifa's voice carried to them as she and Aihola came into the command center, Dekton four steps behind them.

Martin smiled as the first thing he detected was Dekton's scent saturating both of their bodies heavily. That and the fact that both Tarifa and Aihola looked a little more unkempt than usual, their hair not perfectly in place, told Martin they had spent a wild night with their mate. He quickly put that out of his mind as they stopped in front of him.

"They've almost reached the triggering locations." He told them softly.

Tarifa and Aihola both reached under their body armor and pulled out the firing keys he had given to them months ago. "We are ready." Aihola spoke.

"I ... I truly do not want to do this." Martin said softly.

Tarifa shook her head and reached up to touch his face. "Nor do we Martin." She spoke in a gentle voice. "With but a single turn of a key we will end the lives of more men and women then at any time since I have been alive. That does not fill me with joy Martin, but it is an attempt to save all that we have built and begun here. In that regard, for that reason, I will not hesitate."

Aihola nodded. "Nor will I."

Dekton stepped forward. "Sire ... the very fact that you stand here questioning the decision you must make is what sets you apart from our enemies. To them it is not a matter of the cost; it is a matter of what they will gain. To you, to Little Drow and Tarifa, to all of us it is a matter of conscious, and that is what makes you different."

Martin met his eyes and nodded. "You're right, but it doesn't make it any easier." He said slowly turning to look at Tarifa and Aihola. He looked at them for a long moment. "Do it."

The two elf Queens, lovers and mates to one Lycavorian man who dominated their hearts now, nodded together in unison. Aihola took a deep breath and turned. "Initiate the missile firing station!" She barked.

A computer console came to life on the wall to the right of the monitor. There were two separate consoles, ten meters between each one to keep one person from completing the sequence alone. Tarifa stepped up to one, Aihola the other, while Martin and Tareif watched. They inserted their keys into the appropriate slots, and individually entered a password code into the computers. The small screens changed to pictures of the eastern seaboard, and they turned back to Martin. He nodded slowly and as if with one mind they reached out and turned the two red and white keys. The computer screens changed then to red dots upon a blue background.

An Eden tech lifted his head and turned. "We have confirmation from all missiles! They are active and beginning ten second launch sequence."

"Confirm coordinates for targets!" Tarifa barked.

"Coordinates confirmed!"

"Release to computer control!" Aihola spoke next.

"Tracking is confirmed. Missiles are hot!"

They stepped back over to Martin and Tareif their eyes now going to the large main screen in the room. This too had switched to a picture of the eastern seaboard, nearly two dozen cities marked in red dots.

"Missiles are launched!" The tech declared, and they watched as smaller tracks began to appear on the screen. Nineteen in total, as the United States' former nuclear missiles began leaving their launch sites all over the lower portion of the area within the Wastes.

MOON BASE EDEN

Marcus stormed into the command center for EDEN, his amber/red eyes bright, blood still staining his lips from the human female he had been raping and feeding upon for the last two hours.

"Report!" He snapped.

"Colonel ... we have multiply launches detected from the lower portion of the Wastes in North America! Estimate thirteen minutes until impact on the eastern seaboard. Extrapolating missile flights ... targets seem to be from New Boston down to New Miami." The tech replied.

Marcus stopped by what used to be Wallace's command chair, a cruel smile on his face. "Now it is time to show that dog Leonidas that we are not without our own teeth!" He proudly exclaimed. "Bring the reactor to full power and activate the laser weapons grid!"

Wallace and his entire team came fully awake when the lights went from their emergency setting to full power in little more than a blink, shocking half of them out of sleep. The secondary control room was not large, the twenty or so computer consoles packed closely together in a horseshoe style.

Wallace sat there for a moment stunned as Anari rolled out of her chair clutching her HK74 in her hands. "Admiral what is it?" She hissed.

Wallace glared at her. "It was a feint!" He gasped. "The station is fully active! The reactor is at full power!"

"But how could they have done it so quickly?" Anari demanded.

"They must have initiated a cold start!" Wallace replied. "Fuck I should have thought of that! If they have vampire engineers, they would have been plenty skilled enough to keep a meltdown from occurring with a cold start! Fuck ... Anari get everyone at their stations! We have to take control now!"

"Now!" Anari gasped. "If we take control now, they will discover us! Your ... your people will not be here for at least another day. We are only seven Admiral and we can not hold this control room with seven people for two hours much less twenty-four. That is not our mission."

Wallace met her eyes knowing she was right. "Fuck! Get the King on the radio Anari! Secure feed."

Anari nodded and moved quickly to the console.

EDEN CITY COMMAND CENTER

EARTH

"Sire we are getting a transmission from Admiral Wallace!" The communications tech barked out. "Secure feed, very urgent!"

Martin nodded. "Put it up!"

Wallace's harried image came onto the screen. "Milord ... EDEN is fully operational!" He snapped, seeing Martin's eyes go wide.

"Say again!" Martin demanded.

"They've been playing opossum sire! They must have conducted a cold start up of the reactor! If our instruments are accurate, they are bringing the laser weapons grid online now!"

"Are you sure?" Martin asked.

"Yes sire. We're monitoring them doing it now from the secondary control room as we speak." Wallace answered.

"Shit! What is the time to missile impact?" Martin asked turning to the tech officer.

"Ten minutes sire!" Came the answer.

Martin looked at the screen as Wallace talked with someone they couldn't see. He nodded quickly and turned back to Martin. "The laser grid will reach full power in two minutes sire." He spoke. "If what we are seeing is accurate, they have already locked onto all nineteen of the missiles."

"Thank you Admiral." Martin said quickly, his mind racing with options and scenarios. "You are too few to alter the course of actions now. Do not reveal yourselves until our people enter the system. We will deal with this here."

"Sire you..."

"Admiral I just gave you an order." Martin spoke. "You must maintain your position until our people arrive in the system!"

"Sire ... without those missiles hitting their targets, you will be outnumbered thirty or forty to one!" Wallace spoke.

Martin nodded. "Maybe ... but we have other options! You have your orders Admiral."

Wallace nodded, "Understood Milord."

"You've done what you can Admiral." Martin spoke more calmly. "And this battle is not over by a long shot! It's only just beginning."

"We will be ready sire!" Wallace spoke.

Martin nodded. "Eden control out!" The screen reverted back to the track of the incoming vampire armies as Martin turned and hurled the mug of tea he held in his hand against the glass wall of the conference center. The thick glass did not shatter, but the mug erupted into several pieces showering the glass with hot tea. "Fuck me! What an idiot I am! How could I not figure that she would have engineers capable of a cold start! Fuck!"

Tarifa and Aihola looked at Tareif. "What ... what does the Admiral mean?" Aihola asked.

Martin took a deep breath and turned back around. "EDEN Station has a laser weapons grid specifically designed to shoot down ICBMs." He stated. "Marcus and Yuri have been playing us ... me for a fool! She knew very well they would have the engineering knowledge to get that Russian reactor tied in and running in half the time. I should have thought about that! It stands to reason that she would have men and women who were skilled enough. They've had access to a spaceport for centuries, with her people coming and going at will." He turned quickly to Tareif. "Where the hell is Ben?"

"Keep your shorts on boss! I'm right here." The voice said as the commander of all Eden's aircraft came into the center.

Martin turned to look at him. "They got the laser grid online and powering up right now." Martin spoke. "How fast can you have Plan B in action, and is it still viable?"

Ben's mind raced with scenarios and he looked at Martin. "Twenty-two minutes." He spoke. "Twelve minutes to load the ordnance, and ten minutes for prep. And if the grid goes down like normal, yes it's still viable."

"Do it Ben!" Martin spoke quickly. "We have to hit them before they leave the wastes!"

Ben was already moving out of the center, pressing his finger into his ear and activating his implant. Martin turned to the others who were still looking at him.

"Martin ... if Marcus succeeds in shooting down those missiles..." Tarifa looked at him. "We can not stand against over a million troops Martin."

"He'll succeed." Martin told her. "We conducted tests every six months of the grid when I was on EDEN; twenty-three tests and twenty-three successes. We shot down every dummy ICBM that was sent up. The laser weapons grid is computer controlled and targeted, and the minute our missiles make their turn to come back into the atmosphere, he'll blow them out of the sky." Martin moved quickly to another console and began working at the computer.

"What ... what is this Plan B that Benjamin is conducting?" Aihola asked.

"It's something we threw together in case EDEN was fully operational." Martin spoke. "The missiles we just fired were some very old ICBMs that we found before the two of you came here. Our people cleaned them up and moved them to the silos they just launched from. We still have the missiles I brought from EDEN."

Tarifa and Aihola looked at each other confused. "The ones we ... the ones we just fired are not these nuclear missiles you brought from the moon?" Aihola asked.

"No ... they're older nuclear birds ... but they are poorly shielded and they'll stick out like a sore thumb to the laser grid's tracking sensors." Martin answered. "The RNEPs are stealth missiles."

"What is ... what is a RNEP?" Tareif asked.

"A RNEP-39A, it stands for Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator." Martin answered quickly, "The most advanced nuke in the United States military arsenal. EDEN Base had twenty-two of them and I brought them back to earth with me when we hauled ass."

"Stealth you say?" Aihola spoke. "Like invisible?"

Martin shrugged, "Sort of. They were next to impossible to pick up and radar back then. There's only one problem with the RNEPs I brought to earth with me."

"What is that?" Tarifa asked.

"They are the smaller tactical ones, not ICBMs." Martin answered, "Which means that they have to be fired from Raptors." Martin touched the implant in his jaw line activating his COM unit. "Ben ... you copy?"

"Go Marty!" Ben's voice replied.

"I just transferred command codes and authorizations to Raptors 41, 21, 69, and 74!" Martin spoke. "I'll upload targeting coordinates from the command center here; four missiles per bird Ben. And if you get your ass killed doing this I will personally come down there to hell and kick the fucking shit out of you!"

Everyone heard Ben's voice laughing on the intercom channel. "Hell Skipper ... I got a suite reserved right on the lava river! You might decide to stay!"

"Ben..." Martin said.

"I hear you boss." Ben's voice was serious now Martin detected. "I got way too much to live for to let these sorry bastards take me out. I'll contact you when we are in position; CAG out!"

Martin got up from the chair and moved to the map chart on the table, the holo graphic chart showing the red dots of hundred of Alliance armored vehicles. "Tareif ... my experience leans more towards small operations." He spoke looking at Tareif as he came up next to him. "These are the impact points for the missiles Ben will launch." Martin touched the panel and twelve blue dots appeared on the map.

"Martin won't these missiles get shot down too?" Tarifa asked.

Martin shook his head as she and Aihola came up to the table. "They are stealth missiles, and its unlikely EDEN's sensors would pick them up. And even if they did, once Marcus fires the grid destroying those already in the air, it will take twenty-nine hours to recharge the lasers. I'm betting that he doesn't know that. The only other problem is that the RNEPs are FAE IIs. We switched out the payload a while back."

"FAE?" Tareif asked.

Martin nodded. "It's a Fuel Air Explosive weapon. They won't saturate the area with radiation." He answered. "We'll need to have the explosions hit in as large a clump of Alliance shitheads as we can. That's where you come in."

"And what if you are wrong Martin? What if Marcus is able to shoot down these missiles as well?" Aihola asked looking at him.

Martin looked at her evenly. "Then we're going to be in very deep shit."

EDEN STATION

"We have a lock on all missiles inbound to Alliance cities Colonel. They are just entering the upper atmosphere now!" The tech shouted. "Weapons grid is forty-seven seconds away from firing!"

"Stand by to release the grid!" Marcus exclaimed.

"Grid is achieving optimal firing parameters!" The tech reported. "Lasers are at full power and reactor is holding steady at ninety-eight percent output!"

"Twenty-six seconds until firing mode achieved!"

"Released all safeties to the grid, and give the computer control." Marcus ordered.

"Safeties released and the grid is now on automatic!" The tech replied. "Twelve seconds to firing!"

"Colonel Marcus we have an incoming transmission from Commander Moran at the spaceport! He says it is urgent!"

"Activate the holographic transmission grid!" Marcus snapped. "He's is more than likely pissed off that I am about to save his vampire human ass!"

It took only several seconds and then Moran's figure appeared in the small circle on the floor on EDEN's command center. They could see figures moving back and forth quickly through the transmission.

"Marcus?" Moran's voice filled the command center.

"Commander, we are tracking the missiles inbound to our cities and preparing to fire the laser weapons grid!" Marcus reported smugly.

"No you fool!" Moran screamed. "Abort! Abort! Do not fire the grid!"

Marcus's face became confused then. "The missiles are targeting our cities!" He snapped. "We can shoot them down!"

"God damn it Marcus, abort the firing sequence now!" Moran screamed.

The screens in the center of the command room showed the laser grid lock into its final firing position and flare an intense white color as it released nineteen thin but powerful laser beams that reached out towards earth in the blink of an eye.

The nineteen missiles that Tarifa and Aihola had fired had just reached their highest apogee and were tipping back over to return to earth in terminal guidance mode. The thin laser beams, no thicker than an index finger began striking the missiles with unerring accuracy. The lasers were designed to be powerful enough to punch completely through the rock and earth of Mount Everest, and the thin shells of the nuclear missiles provided no protection from the burning heat. The first Eden missile took the laser clean through its guidance package and immediately fried the computer brain in the nose of the missile. With no commands coming from the computer brain in the nose of the missile, it immediately went into reset mode and the small explosive package detonated prematurely in a flash of silver sparks. The missile spun wildly out of control and began to burn up in the atmosphere immediately.

One after the other, the lasers struck with devastating results, sending missiles spinning out of control, or punching directly through the detonation packs, triggering the nuclear detonations while still on the outer edges of earth's atmosphere, rendering the deadly radiation completely harmless. The vampire crew members in EDEN's control room began cheering wildly as each missile was systematically destroyed without fail. Twenty-two seconds later Marcus looked at the holographic image of Moran and smiled smugly.

"I have saved our cities!" He announced proudly. "All the missiles have been destroyed."

ALLIANCE SPACEPORT

CALIFORNIA ISLAND

Moran could not remember the last time he was this angry, and this time he allowed it to swarm through him as he looked at the smug picture Marcus presented in the holographic imager. He didn't see Yuri and Cha'talla enter the command center behind him.

"You have got to be one of the stupidest motherfuckers I have ever known!" Moran screamed. "And if you survive this battle Marcus I am going to rip your intestines from your pathetic body myself!"

"I have saved our cities!" Marcus's image snapped.

"The cities were nothing you fool! All the vampires have left the cities, and there was nothing left but humans!" Moran barked. "You have left our ground forces completely unprotected!"

Yuri took this time to speak up and she came up next to him. "Robert what are you talking about?"

Moran turned quickly hearing her voice and he glanced at the fearsome visage of the Immortal Captain Cha'talla behind her. He dismissed the ugly bastard almost as quickly. "The missiles they fired were older ICBMs." Moran told her. "He still has his RNEPs, and four of his Raptors just took off from the airfield heading in two different directions! We lost their signals when they engaged their stealth capabilities!"

"He has more missiles?" Yuri gasped.

Moran nodded quickly. "And I guarantee you he's going to target our ground forces with them."

"We will shoot them down as well." Marcus exclaimed from the moon.

Moran whirled back around and glared at him. "You fucking idiot! If you spent half as much time studying the weapons systems on that station as you do fucking and killing the civilians left there you would know that once you discharge the weapons grid in a full power blast it will take twenty-nine fucking hours for it to recharge!" Moran stepped closer to the transmission. "You're a dead motherfucker when I find you Marcus. Dead!"

Moran slammed his hand down on the COM panel and Marcus's image disappeared. He turned to one of the vampire techs looking at him wide eyed. "Get me the coordinates of all our ground units now! Put them up on the map chart!"

"Yes Commander!" The tech responded instantly.

"Robert are you sure of this?" Yuri asked him, her voice soothing his anger to an large extent.

Moran nodded. "It's how he fights!" Moran said. "He may have been a do good bleeding heart when I knew him, but he was a motherfucker when it came to tactics. He could fight circles around almost anyone they put against him in training, and then in the field."

"Perhaps you are over reacting." Cha'talla spoke calmly walking forward. "It is well known that there are few Lycavorians that are superior to vampires in terms of tactics."

Yuri motioned to the Captain of the Immortals. "Robert this is Cha'talla." She spoke. "He is the commander of my father's Immortals."

Moran stared at Cha'talla. He was easily eight inches taller than him, and looked as if he could break him in two without a moment's pause. Moran knew he had to make it clear who was in charge here and do it quickly, for his sake as well as Yuri.

"Cha'talla right," He asked. "That is your name?"

"You are correct human." He spoke confidently.

"Have you ever fought Martin Leonidas, Cha'talla of the Immortals?" Moran asked in a harsh tone. "Do you know how he operates? What he will do?"

Cha'talla looked at Moran and the posturing he was doing, surprised that the human was standing up to him. He glanced at Yuri and saw that the Princess was just as surprised. "No ... I have not." He finally replied his voice just as harsh.

"I knew him before the comet Cha'talla. I fought with him in two different wars!" Moran snapped. "I know how he works ... and I've spent the better part of the last year studying every operation he was ever involved in. He's a bastard to fight ... he'll throw anything he can at you, and not care how off the wall it seems. He'll try to save everyone but he will sacrifice few to save many. During the war with Japan he let a city of six thousand men and women burn, everyone in the city dying so that he could save the provincial territory filled with a hundred and forty thousand civilians. I know what he will do for the most part, but he's an unpredictable fucker, so unless you got something constructive to say ... shut the fuck up and stay the hell out of my way!"