A Learning Experience 2: Hard Lessons (35 page)

***

“The Marines boarded before the enemy ships went into FTL, sir,” Commander Grant said, softly.  “Most of them will make it through ...”

“Take us into FTL,” Mongo ordered.  There was no doubt where the enemy were going.  The only real question was if they would understand where the Solar Union was based ... or if they would go directly for Earth, on the assumption that it was the centre of human civilisation.  “Take us back to Earth.”

“Aye, sir,” Grant said.  “What about the remaining enemy ships?”

Mongo glanced at the display.  Seventy battlecruisers remained, their FTL drives nothing more than useless wreckage.  The technicians had predicted, in all seriousness, that
all
of the fleet would be crippled, but Mongo hadn't counted on it.  If they’d been right ... he shook his head, dismissing the what-might-have-been, and then focussed his mind on the problem facing him.

“Inform them that we will be back to accept their surrender,” Mongo said.  “Or they can start trying to limp back home, if they like.”

He doubted they would do anything, apart from surrender.  Even assuming the ships held together, it would take them hundreds of years to reach the nearest friendly star.  By then, the war would be long over and the galaxy forever changed.  They could head for Earth, he assumed, but it would be at least four years before they arrived.  There would be plenty of time to prepare a proper welcome.

“FTL online, sir,” Grant said.

“Take us to Earth,” Mongo ordered, quietly.

***

Yolanda barely had a moment to comprehend that the enemy ships had vanished before Captain Singh started spitting orders.  The squadron disengaged from the remaining Tokomak ships, which were still firing, and retreated rapidly.  There was no need to hammer the stranded ships still further. 

Martin was on the enemy ship
, she thought.  Thirty battleships had vanished into FTL, leaving their comrades behind. 
Is he still alive
?

“We’re picking up orders from the flag,” Commander Gregory said.  “We are to set course for Earth, effective immediately.”

“Then take us to Earth,” Captain Singh ordered.  “Best possible speed.”

But
, Yolanda asked herself,
will we get there before the Tokomak
?

***

“They’re advancing through all the barricades,” the Admiral said.  “But we are slowing them down.”

Neola nodded.  The internal security system had been a low priority for refit – after all, if the thought of internal trouble was unthinkable, there had been no point in maintaining the system – but enough of it had survived poor maintenance and the battle to make life difficult for the humans.  But the humans were still pressing onwards, making a beeline for the command core.  They would be threatening her in her very place of power soon enough.

But not in time to save their world,
she thought, vindictively. 
We will be there in time to bombard their world into ashes
.

***

“Mr. President?”

Allen looked up from his desk.  “Yes, Colonel?”

“Deep Space Tracking Stations have reported a number of drive signatures heading to Sol,” Colonel Peterson said.  “They’re almost certainly battleships, judging by their power curves.”

Allen sucked in a breath.  “The ambush failed?”

“It looks more like the ambush partly succeeded,” Peterson reported.  “The reports we received from Varnar stated that there would be two hundred battleships in the fleet, but the sensor readings we’re getting suggest there are considerably fewer ships advancing towards us.”

“But they’re still advancing towards us,” Allen said.  Given the disparity in firepower between the Solar Union and the Tokomak, it was quite possible that the entire Solar Navy had been wiped out.  “Send the emergency alert, Colonel.  The entire community is to go dark.”

“Aye, sir,” Peterson said.

He nodded and withdrew from the room, leaving Allen alone.

There was no way to know, Allen reflected, if the Tokomak knew that the Solar Union was almost completely separate from Earth.  They would occupy or destroy humanity’s homeworld and then ... would they search for the asteroids?  It seemed implausible that they would miss the asteroid settlements, yet the Galactics were firmly fixated on worlds.  No other advanced race used asteroid settlements as extensively as humanity.

Would Earth’s death be mourned?  It was a grim thought; Mother Earth had given birth to humanity, after all.  But the remaining societies on humanity’s homeworld were mad, barbaric or both.  Their death would not be mourned.  And maybe, if the Tokomak thought they’d won and withdrew, it would be for the best.  But billions of humans would die ...

But if we emit a single betraying pulse
, he thought,
they’ll know where to find us
.

Had it been a mistake to reject the ultimatum?  There was no way to know, save the certainty that humanity would be enslaved or destroyed if they surrendered.  It was better to live as free men, rather than slaves, he’d thought.  And the public had agreed ... but what if the alternative to servitude was death?  No, not just death, extermination.  Was it better for the human race to live in slavery rather than be wiped out?

He sighed, then smiled darkly.  The Tokomak didn't know – would never know – just how many colony ships had been launched into the darkness of unexplored space, each one with a Galactic-level tech base.  One or more of them would establish a successful colony, then come back to Earth for revenge.  Given fifty years of development, the Tokomak wouldn't stand a chance ...

And if none of those colonies succeeds
, he thought,
at least our example will show the other Galactics that the masters of the universe are far from invincible.

Chapter Thirty-Five

A number of teachers were reported murdered after their bodies were discovered in an isolated warehouse in Chicago.  While police have declined to speculate on the motive, several PTA representatives have informed the media that the teachers were the target of three successive attempts to have them removed from their jobs, which were barred by the Teacher’s Union.

-Solar News Network, Year 53

“We are approaching Earth’s gravity well,” the Admiral reported. “Preparing to drop out of FTL.”

Neola nodded, impatiently.  The human boarders were making their remorseless way towards the command core, no matter what she put in their way.  Part of her mind started to devise contingency plans; the remainder focused on the job at hand.  Their homeworld might be heavily defended – she had to assume it was – but it was still vulnerable.  It simply couldn't run.

“Good,” she said.  “Take us out of FTL as near as you can to the gravity well.”

A low groan ran through the ship as the much-abused FTL drive powered down, returning them to normal space.  Neola would have been amused, under other circumstances, at how the only ships that had escaped the ambush were the ones whose commanding officers had taken her instructions seriously.  The commanders who hadn't listened to her and continuing painting their hulls were the commanders who remained stranded, in deep space.  Perhaps she would leave them there indefinitely, just to teach them a lesson.  Or perhaps she wouldn't bother to save them at all.  Let them save themselves, if they could. 

“The human homeworld,” the Admiral said, quietly.

Neola’s eyes narrowed.  “Are you sure we headed to the right system?”

Earth was a blue-green world, like so many others in the galaxy.  It would have been a surprise if it
hadn't
developed higher life forms, given the sheer stubbornness of life, once it was brought into existence.  The humanoid form was common throughout the galaxy, particularly on Earth-like worlds.  It represented the simplest solution to the problem posed by evolution.

But Earth looked ... undeveloped.  There was no network of battlestations, no clouds of orbital weapons platforms, no swarms of starships boiling towards the intruding fleet, intent on obliterating Neola and her ships before they could threaten Earth.  All her sensors could detect were a few hundred satellites, all achingly primitive.  There were very few hints of Galactic-level technology, at least on the planet’s surface.  Was she looking at a deliberately low-tech world?

“The navigation computer confirms this is Earth,” the Admiral said.  He essayed a short laugh.  “The stars are definitely in the right place.”

Neola glanced down at her console, checking for herself.  It had been centuries since the Tokomak had noted the worthless world and its primitive inhabitants ... if the humans hadn't received help, they wouldn't have been in a position to threaten anyone.  There was no mistake, no glitch in the navigational systems.  They were advancing on the homeworld of the human race.

Were the humans hiding their defences, for some reason, or were there
no
defences?  It looked absurd, but if the humans had thrown all their resources into building the fleet that had devastated her formation, perhaps they hadn't had the chance to build fixed defences too.  Or ... perhaps they were simply focused on attacking, like many primitive races, and didn't consider the advantages of a study defence against attack.  Or ...

There were no shipyards.  Indeed, apart from clear signs of terraforming on two rocky worlds, there were few signs the humans had managed to move beyond their atmosphere ... something that puzzled her.  Even as primitive as the humans were, they should have done much more ... and they
had
built a war fleet.  The Coalition wouldn't have needed to play games if they had the same technology, let alone use humans as mercenaries.  Her allies would have been destroyed years ago, if the Coalition had human-grade weapons.

She pushed the thought aside as the blue-green world came closer.  Whatever game the humans were playing, the majority of their race would die today.  And then the Tokomak would relentlessly hunt down the hidden bases and colonies ... there were quite a few unexplored stars near Earth, systems deemed of no interest to anyone.  The humans had probably built their bases there.

“Lock weapons on population centres,” she ordered.  It was a small mercy, but one she would offer to worthy foes.  “Prepare to fire.”

“Yes, Your Excellency,” the Admiral said.  “Missiles locked on target.”

***

“We’re returned to normal space,” Robbins said.  “They must have reached Earth.”

Martin cursed under his breath as he ducked a spray of plasma fire.  The Tokomak were definitely not
trained
soldiers, but they were displaying a surprising amount of initiative in slowing down the Marines.  So far, they’d done everything from sneaky ambushes to outright charges, throwing automated cleaning machines at the humans to soak up their fire.  He couldn't help wondering if they were running into different commanders with each airlock, as they were using different tactics, or if the Tokomak were deliberately trying to confuse them. 

“Get through the next airlock,” Robbins added.  “We have to get to the command core.”

“Try and link to someone outside,” Hendrix observed, as they punched through the next airlock and into a long bland corridor.  It was ideal ambush territory, so the Marines launched a spread of grenades ahead of them, clearing the Tokomak out of their path.  “The Solar Union might be able to send support.”

Red lights flared up in Martin’s HUD as another force of Tokomak charged forward, spearheaded by yet another set of cleaning machines.  The machines were supposed to be harmless, just like the automated units he’d seen on some of the asteroid settlements he’d visited, but they could do real damage if they had a chance.  This time, one of them carried a crude flamethrower, which poured fire towards the Marines.  It wasn't hot enough to burn the suit, Martin noted with some relief, but it played merry hell with the sensors.

He targeted the lead machine and fired.  It exploded into a sheet of fire as whatever it was using to power the flamethrower exploded, knocking several of the other machines over and onto the deck.  Exposed, the following Tokomak threw themselves to the deck, then opened fire, handheld plasma weapons throwing bursts of deadly green light at their enemies.  Their reactions were faster than Martin had expected, but he had no doubt they’d learned from the experiences of the first Tokomak to engage the human intruders.  Making oneself a target was just asking to be shot.

“Grenades,” Roger yelled.  “Duck!”

He launched a set of grenades over the wreckage and into the enemy mass.  The explosions shook the deck, blowing holes in material that was probably worth more than their collective salaries for the year.  Martin sprang forward, noting the remains of the Tokomak with disgust, then reached the end of the corridor and hurled a grenade through.  The suit picked up alien screams as the remainder of the Marines joined him, then crashed through into the next section.  A handful of dead or wounded Tokomak stared up at him, accusation clearly visible on their alien faces.  The Marines disposed of them and moved onwards.

Martin felt sick, just for a moment, before his implants compensated.  The Tokomak were monsters, intending to destroy Earth – and, as bad as Earth had become, it was still the homeworld of the human race.  And yet, part of him felt guilty for gunning down helpless opponents, even though he knew the living ones wouldn't be helpless for long.  They couldn't afford to show mercy, not now.

“No direct link to enemy command system,” his suit informed him.

Of course not
, he thought, sourly. 
That would be easy.

He ducked as a flash of brilliant white light shot over his head, then fired a stream of plasma pulses back towards the shooter.  His suit compensated automatically for the flash of white light as a plasma containment system exploded, sending gouts of white fire rushing out in all directions.  It was hot enough to melt parts of the bulkhead, the hidden layers of super-strong composite material that made up the inner structure of the starship.  He found himself feeling an odd flash of sympathy for whoever had been wielding the weapon, hoping they had died instantly.  Plasma burns were no joke.

“Shit,” Roger said.  “The LT!”

Martin swore as a new alert flared up in his HUD.  Deliberately or otherwise, the Tokomak had killed Lieutenant Robbins.  She'd seemed too mean to die.  Martin hadn't thought there was
anything
that could kill her, after watching how she handled Marines who were larger and stronger than her.  There were women in the ghetto who would have killed for her strength, skill and ability to command respect.  She couldn't be dead. 

But she was.

He swallowed as the combat net checked through the surviving Marines, then presented him with the bad news. 
He
was in command now.

“Keep moving,” he ordered, cursing as he fell back.  He couldn't take point any longer, not when he was meant to be in command.  They’d certainly swapped operational command in exercises often enough for him to know what he should do.  But he didn't like it, not even slightly.  It smacked of retreat in the face of the enemy.  “And don’t let up for a moment!”

The command net opened in front of him, for all the good it did.  As far as it was concerned, the remaining Marines were
all
the surviving human military units in the vicinity.  There was no link to anyone outside the ship, no hint that there might be help on the way ... hell, there was no hint they were even anywhere near Earth.  It was quite possible the Tokomak ship had simply suffered a drive failure and had been ejected back into normal space, somewhere in the middle of the interstellar wasteland.

And if that was the case
, he told himself,
surely they would have tried to talk
.

He couldn't see the Tokomak continuing the fight when it was pointless.  They weren't cowards, but they were pragmatic.  There was simply no point in waging war if they were stuck in interstellar space, light years from help.  No, the Tokomak had reached their destination and were preparing to attack.  It was the only possibility that made sense.

“Keep moving,” he repeated, as he checked the map.  They weren't
far
from the command deck, but they were running into more and more barricades and ambushes.  “We have got to take this ship out before it’s too late.”

***

Yolanda braced herself as
Freedom
returned to normal space.  Earth appeared in her awareness, followed by Luna and the network of primitive satellites surrounding Earth, most of them nothing more than scrap metal.  The Solar Union had supplied a handful of communications satellites, she recalled from her studies, which supported the datanet and handled all of Earth’s telecommunications.  Everything else ... had just been allowed to decay into nothingness.  Earth was the old world, collapsing under its own weight, while the S9olar Union was the future.

She grimaced as the Tokomak battleships came into view.  They were a sorry sight; twenty-eight of them, plunging towards Earth.  There should have been thirty, she reminded herself, but the remaining two failed to materialise.  Had they lost their FTL during the trip to Earth, she wondered, or had the enemy tripped the self-destruct rather than allow the Marines to take control?  There was no way to know.

“They’re entering weapons range of Earth,” Commander Gregory said.

It was worse than that, Yolanda knew.  The Solar Treaty had prohibited the Solar Union from emplacing weapons in orbit around Earth, as if it would cause delays in responding to any provocation from a nation-state on the homeworld.  There was nothing stopping the Tokomak from launching ballistic weapons towards Earth ... or simply ramming their battleships into the biosphere.  At the speeds they were travelling, the impact would be far worse than an asteroid, exterminating the entire planet. 

But the human race will live on
, she thought, savagely. 
We’ll be back for you bastards
.

“Close to engagement range,” Captain Singh ordered.  “And open fire as soon as you can.”