Casserine (29 page)

“Thank you,” Jake replied. “You have been made aware of, I understand, the trouble in the colonies.”

“Yes General,” Bottani said excitedly. “We all witnessed your exploits in these very dangerous Bug Wars, as you call them.”

“Yes, well actually Sir, the most dangerous aspect of these wars has come to light recently. We have a military base on Omaha, triangulating the jump gate used by the Aliens to enter the quadrant. Once this threat can be investigated, and some resolution of the situation is achieved, we see prosperity ahead of us.”

“As our envoys explained, the Colonists need a myriad of goods. Free trade will elevate your countries to new heights. For your part, all regions must be made ready to implement some aspects of a free capitalist society. Ownership of property, and the right of individuals to retain the fruits of their labor within some form of a free enterprise system will be vital. Your situations will be monitored closely. No longer will mass exploitation be permitted. The United States will simply withdraw from lucrative trade with regions unwilling to adapt. Your regions may choose to retain your dictatorships, where a few men in power rob the people of their way out of poverty. We will not do business with them.”

“We understand, General,” Bottani agreed. “These changes will be very difficult, but our present situation is intolerable. Of that, we here are in agreement.”

“Many members of the old European Union have fallen into an almost feudal type system. The United Arab Emirate will no longer be allowed to isolate and exclude these nations any longer,” Jake added. “We will all be in this new paradigm, or the nations not participating will be allowed to collapse of their own stupidity. If they cause trouble for the others, they will be stopped. I.”

The doors were thrown open, and half a dozen soldiers stormed into the room, surrounding a man in white flowing robes, with traditional Arab headdress. McClure’s squad, backed up by the Marines at the room perimeter near the entrance, stopped them.

“Out of the way, lout,” the lead soldier yelled, advancing on McClure, who stood at the head of his squad. “Make way for Prince Bin Ali.”

McClure smashed the butt of his particle beam rifle into the soldier’s face, and blew the head off the soldier next to the falling man, who had swung his rifle towards McClure. The rest of the soldiers were disarmed and thrown to the floor.

“What is the meaning of this assault? Lower your weapons,” the man referred to as Prince Bin Ali screamed, his long, full beard quivering as he shook his arms in rage.

McClure leveled his particle beam rifle directly at Bin Ali’s head, quieting the man instantly. McClure glanced towards Jake, and said one word. “Sir?”

Jake nodded at Mercer, who walked over to stand next to McClure and folded his arms over his chest. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t the Saudi Royal Family dog.”

Fear had come into Bin Ali’s eyes as he had watched Mercer’s approach. Bin Ali had witnessed Mercer in action before.

“What the hell were you thinking?” Mercer asked. “You’re all lucky not to be dead. You give no orders here, dog. These men kill at my command. Now shut up, and come over to the table before I have Sergeant McClure give you an attitude adjustment.”

His bluster ploy having failed, Bin Ali followed Mercer to the meeting table. Jake stood as the man approached with Mercer and McClure flanking him. When Bin Ali started to speak, Jake held up his hand. “First things first,” Jake said. “Vic, put this man down and make sure he isn’t carrying any surprises.”

“But Gen.,” Bin Ali began.

McClure leg whipped him roughly to the floor on his back. With one hand, McClure patted down the groaning delegate. Flipping him over, McClure finished his frisk, and yanked Bin Ali to his feet. McClure snapped to attention and saluted.

“He’s clean Sir, in a manner of speaking.”

Jake smiled and returned McClure’s salute, as Mercer guffawed at McClure’s subtle quip. “Thanks Vic, rejoin your squad.”

Jake walked around the upset Saudi with his hands clasped behind his back, much to Mercer’s continued amusement.

“This is the dog of the Saudi Royal Court, Jake, Prince Bin Ali,” Mercer said, waving at him disdainfully.

“My representatives here said you have single handedly halted Earth Command’s unconditional surrender terms,” Jake stated. “Is this true?”

“I am a delegate of the Saudi Royal Family, and am trying to negotiate on their behalf,” Bin Ali complained, some of his bluster returning.

“What part of unconditional don’t you understand?” Jake asked.

“Surely you realize the enormity of a transfer of power such as this,” Bin Ali continued.

Jake stopped pacing leisurely around the Prince. “What transfer of power? Earth Command is dead. We buried it under its headquarters.”

“Such a tragedy can cause an upheaval in this region. You will need the Saudi Royal Family to help you maintain order,” Bin Ali argued, gesturing with his hands, as if he held the key to it.

Jake rubbed his chin, and glanced at Mercer who was grinning. “Perhaps you’re right. I would hear such a thing from this Royal Family of yours.”

“It cannot be done, General. The Royal Family cannot journey forth in such barbaric times.”

“Well, use your resources here, and gather them together. I will have a com unit brought in here with a vid screen. I will speak with them face to face.”

The rest of the delegates shifted uneasily at this turn of events. Bottani started to speak, and then looked at the headless corpse near the entrance. He remained silent.

Bin Ali smiled. “Of course, General, I will contact them immediately.”

Jake turned to Mercer. “Charlie, take the Prince out, and see he gets connected with his people.”

“Right away, Jake,” Mercer said, as he gave Bin Ali a grandiose wave towards the entrance.

Jake turned to Major Johnson. “Jack, take some Marines, and get a portable vid com unit off my Drop Ship, and bring it here.”

“Aye, aye, Sir.”

Jake watched Johnson point to a few men to go with him, and then Jake went to sit at the table again.

“They will betray you, my General,” Bottani stated softly. “Please do not be offended, but Bin Ali is, how do you say, ahhh.eating your lunch.”

Jake laughed. “I see you have been hanging around my Chief of Staff too long. Don’t worry, all will be clear soon, and we will be right back on track.”

“As you say, Sir,” Bottani said doubtfully.

By the time Mercer returned with Bin Ali, Johnson had a portable vid com unit set up near the delegation table. Jake indicated for Bin Ali to begin. The Saudi went over and sat down. A few minutes later, Jake could see a group of men sitting leisurely within a palatial setting.

Jake joined Bin Ali in front of the monitor. “Introduce us.”

As Bin Ali began introducing the Saudi Royals, Jake listened to Dougherty’s voice in his ear. “Almost there, Jake. Here we go, three., two., one. The Eagle flies at your command.”

“Thanks, Tim,” Jake said out loud, interrupting the introductions. “Sorry to shut off this exchange of pleasantries, but I wish to speed this up just a bit. You’ve all heard the terms of unconditional surrender. Will you accept them and withdraw from any further actions, halting this procedure?”

The bearded man, in the forefront, visibly bristled at Jake’s words and looked back at the rest of the people in the room in anger before turning back to the screen. “You called us together for this…this outrage?”

“Just yes or no will do,” Jake explained. “Forget the arm waving and finger pointing. Will you comply or not?”

“We most definitely will not,” the man said angrily. “Do not call us again for this idiocy.”

“Very well,” Jake shrugged. He took the slim device out of his tunic pocket, Dougherty had given him earlier, and pressed on the panel Dougherty had told him to press.

Ten seconds later, the room on the screen vaporized, as did the connection. Dougherty had instructed Jake on the fact everything in a five hundred yard area would be wiped out when he pressed the detonator. Bin Ali stared at the screen in horror, and the other delegates blanched at the destruction they witnessed for but a split second. Bin Ali spun from the screen, his face contorted in rage.

“What have you done?” He screamed. “What have you done?”

“I relieved the world of the Saudi Royal Family,” Jake said simply.

“Murderer! You are a monster,” Bin Ali continued to scream. He advanced on Jake, shaking his fist. “You will not get away with this massacre. I will.”

Mercer, who had been following the action closely, reached out one hand and yanked Bin Ali back off his feet by his headdress. Mercer walked around the now groaning delegate, who was writhing on the floor where he had landed on his hip. “Calm down, little Prince. Think before you speak again. You will have a chance to save your entire region from sharing the same fate as your buddies on the screen.”

“You will be held personally responsible for any other trouble in your home region,” Jake added. “I am sending you back to the Saudi region with this warning: abide by the terms already presented to you, or die. There will be no more warnings. A ship will fly over your homeland if you cause trouble, and remove it from this dimension. Do you understand now?”

Bin Ali had sat up as Jake spoke. “There are millions of people in my homeland. You would not dare.”

“I not only will dare,” Jake interrupted, “I will pick out another city, have my ship broadcast a picture of it on the vid screen here, and then I will have them turn it into a pile of ash. We are not playing games anymore. Would you like another demonstration?”

Mercer pulled the stunned Saudi to his feet, where he stared at Jake in disbelief, as he struggled to stand up straight. “I will take your message back, and then I will gather my people together. We will have our revenge. They will hear of this travesty. Nothing will be safe for your precious America. I.”

Jake drew his sidearm, and blew a neat little hole through Bin Ali’s forehead. Bin Ali’s mouth tried to form another word, but he simply crumpled to the floor. Jake turned to Mercer then. “Charlie, bring over those soldiers who came in with this retard.”

Mercer nodded, with a grin. A moment later, the squad of Saudi soldiers who had accompanied Bin Ali into the room were standing in front of Jake, looking uneasily at the dead body of Bin Ali. Mercer had brought along McClure and his squad. Jake gestured at the now fallen Prince.

“I need another volunteer to take back our message to the Saudi region,” Jake said. “The Prince here didn’t want to follow instructions. Did you all see what happened to the Royal Family?”

The soldiers nodded fearfully.

“Good,” Jake went on. “Any of you think I won’t do it to your entire region if your people do not abide by my instructions?”

There were energetic, negative shaking heads to answer Jake’s question.

“Well,” Jake said with a smile, “you men may be able to save a lot of lives. I will send a Drop Ship and a couple of envoys with your squad. If I have any more trouble from your region, I will have your cities, one at a time, obliterated until the trouble stops. Any questions?”

“No, my General,” the man in front said quickly. “We understand your words.”

Jake nodded. “Alright then. Jack, would you take a company sized force, along with two of our envoys, and take these men home with the good news. Keep in touch with the Intrepid. Any small arms fire, or even rock throwing, and I want you to get back on the Drop Ship. Call it in to the Intrepid, and let them make another example.”

“Yes Sir,” Johnson said, saluting.

Jake walked back over to the table with Mercer, and sat down again. “Now, where were we?”

Chapter 28 

Strategy and a New Weapon

“You didn’t like the way I handled the negotiations, Mr. President?” Jake asked, as he leaned back in the chair he had placed in front of the vid screen on the bridge of the Intrepid.

“General,” President Constantine sighed. “It was barbaric, but of course you are more popular than ever. If you ever wanted my job, you could be elected in a landslide.”

“No thanks Sir, I’ll stick with what I have. Shall I stay around any longer?”

“After your intervention in the negotiations, we really have had nothing but continued success. The United Arab Emirate have retreated from the lands they’ve been bullying for years in Earth Command, and my envoys are helping the Saudis set up their first democratic elections. All appears well here,” President Constantine replied. “You seem anxious to get on your way.”

“Yes Sir,” Jake answered. “I’m glad things worked out here, but I need to get a handle on things out in the colonies. The faster we get our problems solved with the Aliens, the faster we can move on to more mundane things like exploration, and trade.”

“You act confident of the outcome, General.”

Jake shrugged. “What choice do I have, Sir? I have the best people in the galaxy working on weapons, shielding, and even cloaking devices to mask our ship signature. We will come out on top of this, or else. Any race, which would turn loose a Bug horde as a weapon on non-combatants, has no mercy. I have to assume they have triangulated the Tarawa Jump Gate.

Their next stop, if we allow them to wipe us out of the colonies, will probably be Earth. Negotiation from a position of weakness works even less well out there than it does here. If we can make peace with these Aliens, we will, but it won’t be from our knees.”

“I guess you’ll be in touch when you can?” President Constantineasked.

Jake looked at the image on the vid screen, and then around the bridge of the Intrepid before returning his gaze to the President. “We will indeed, Sir. Sorry about the flack you had to take over my heavy handed problem solving.”

“I gave you the problem, so it was my job after you solved it to handle the rest. Machiavellian wit states that the victors write the history. Good luck, Jake, I hope to speak to you soon. Constantine out.”

Jake sat for a moment more, watching the blank screen, Mercer came over and handed him a cup of tea. Jake took it from him carefully, and sipped the still cooling mixture. “Thanks, Charlie. Are we ready to go?”

“Colonel Peters says we can get started whenever you say,” Mercerreplied.

Jake stood up and walked over to where Peters and Corey were standing, with Mercer trailing. “Charlie says you’re all set to go.” “On your command, General,” Peters replied with a grin. “Engage,” Jake deadpanned.

Peters immediately started laughing, as did Corey. Mercer elbowed Peters. “I told you not to let him see those old Star Trek vids, Sir.”

“It was Jack’s fault,” Peters said in mock indignation. “I don’tsee.”

“Ahem,” Jake interrupted. “Can we argue my movie tastes on the way to the Alien war?”

“Aye, aye, Sir,” Peters replied, looking sternly at Corey. “If I can get my Exec to resume her duties, we will get underway immediately.”

Corey started to mouth a quick rejoinder, and then thought better of it. “I can see it’s back to business. I’ll be down in engineering.”

“Let’s all have dinner together tonight, Sara,” Jake suggested. “I want to make sure we have a plan as to how we will proceed when we get back to Omaha.”

Sara nodded. “Will you be getting that gold brick Byers up toattend?”

Jake laughed. “I am so going to tell her what you said. Yea, I think she’ll be joining us, although her security clearance is so low, we’ll have to seal her ears so she can’t hear anything.”

“Oh yea,” Corey grinned, “that’ll work.”

Jake looked around the dining table set up in his quarters, where Mercer, Johnson, Corey, Peters, Dougherty, and Adrian sat finishing their meals. “We have two options as I see the situation when we arrive at Omaha. One, we can go through the gate in full force, and hope we catch them by surprise. Two, we can try scouting them as Jas and I have discussed before, and if the opportunity arises, we can make a quick hit.”

“If they’re not stupid, and I don’t believe for a moment they are,” Peters pointed out, “they’ll have the area under round the clock surveillance. The survival rate outside the Jump Gate might be non-existent.”

“The shielding Nick pioneered may be our edge though, Colonel,” Dougherty pointed out. “They have no idea we have anything like it as yet.”

“Nor do they know about Nick’s breakthrough on a weapon to dissolve their shielding,” Mercer added. “You had some strategy for cloaking a ship from detection, didn’t you, Colonel Peters?”

“You guys will think it’s crazy,” Peters balked. “I was wondering if we could get through their gate, and then shut down just before we emerge in the Command Wing. If we brought a Drop Ship in tow through the gate with us, we could use it to silently get close to them. The power signature on a shielded Drop Ship would be very low. If we don’t have to go far, it will work.”

“If they have ships waiting, like we do at Tarawa, you’d be a sitting duck,” Corey put in.

“We guard the Tarawa Jump Gate because of pirates and weapons runners,” Mercer added. “They may not have anything to guard, and they don’t know we have their gate triangulated.”

“Sara’s right though,” Adrian said, leaning forward. “It’s a big gamble, and you would have no protection.”

“We’d have the new shielding technology, which they don’t know we have,” Peters replied. “I could fire up the Command Wing at an instant if they’re waiting for us.”

“If they aren’t real close to the gate, it would take a long time to get towed near them with a Drop Ship,” Johnson offered.

“We could still get inside to scan the area, and find out where the hell they are,” Jake said. “If Jas has planet killers loaded, we’ll just shoot first, and ask questions later. Once he let loose, he can head on back through the gate, and we’ll have the Gallant, the Intrepid, and a bunch of Command Wing Fighters waiting for them to follow. I’d like to try it. Even if they’re days away from a tow by the Drop Ship, it would be worth it to get close enough for a complex scan of their planet. We won’t need to worry about detection once we get a close look, and decide whether to give them something to think about. It will be a gamble whether we can beat them back to the gate, which is where the shielding will come into play.”

“I talked to Nick,” Dougherty said, with some excitement creeping into his voice. “He told me he’s near to a breakthrough having to do with the mixture of the Queen’s birthing chamber juice, and the shielding material. It has something to do with visual resonance. He said it’s a wonder what you can do with an unlimited budget.”

“Bull,” Jake remarked. “Nick’s an honest to God genius. We’ll have to give him his own palace with servants, just so he doesn’t go private sector on us.”

“He loves what he does,” Corey added. “I think he’d do it for free.”

“All I know is we’d have been in a hell of a lot of trouble down on Bougainville if not for his shield solvent,” Mercer replied. “I sure hope he don’t go anywhere before this Alien thing is over.”

“Amen,” Colonel Peters intoned.

“Hello, Jake,” Risling greeted.

“Hello, Governor,” Jake replied, as he sat down in front of the monitor in his quarters, with Adrian taking a seat next to him. “How’s it feel to be the Colonial Military Governor?”

“About the same,” Risling answered. “I needed the rank, so I could still keep you in line.”

“I think you have me confused with my undisciplined partner here,” Jake laughed, as he staved off an elbow to his rib cage.

“No confusion at all, General,” Risling stated. “You are looking very well, Captain Byers, after the hell you were put through.”

“Thank you, Sir,” Adrian replied. “I’m fine now, so if this rebellious lout next to me gives you any trouble, just let me know.”

“Lout?” Jake repeated. He looked at the screen. “You see what I have to put up with, Governor?”

“Tea Jake, I see the chain of command is back in place,” Risling kidded him. “How long before you get to Omaha?”

“A couple of more hours, Sir. We’re all rested up here and ready to rock. We have some ideas as to how to proceed also.”

“That’s good news. As soon as I returned to Genoa, I felt some undercurrent of tension. Everyone here is anxious over what’s happening. They know this could get ugly.”

“The President has ordered full out production of more Gallant class ships, and Command Wing Fighters. We gave him the new shield and weapon specs. He said he looked forward to talking with you, once you were settled in back at Genoa,” Jake informed him. “In any case, you’ll have more war ships arriving as fast as they can make them. When everything gets calmed down back there, he will be sending the Yorktown to buttress our fleet at Omaha. They have enough surface warships to take care of business on Earth, especially since everyone on the planet now knows we will deal harshly with rogue nations.”

“Colonel Peters filled me in on your rather blunt end to hostilities on Earth. Not having to deal with Earth Command makes everything a hell of a lot easier.”

“Sir,” Adrian cut in. “What have you done about Casserine?”

“It’s become our largest storage facility. We had to enlarge the storage facility for the increased production the Tennyson has been transporting from Omaha,” Risling explained. “Why Captain, you homesick?”

“A little, Sir.”

“Well, the only people touching the surface there are in the new gravity suits, and they only stay long enough to load and off load. It looks very doubtful we’ll ever get anyone interested in colonizing the place other than you two weirdos,” Risling chuckled. “You can have the damn place as far as I’m concerned.”

“We’ll take it,” Adrian said quickly.

“Of course it will hinge on my military commander’s resolution of the Alien threat,” Risling pointed out.

“I’ll have him resign,” Adrian replied, only half joking, as Jake shook his head.

“Over my dead body,” Risling said firmly.

“Don’t pay any attention to her, Sir,” Jake replied. “She’s still hopped up on pain killers. Just say the word, and I’ll have her clapped in irons, awaiting trial for disrespect of a senior officer.”

Risling laughed, as Adrian had wrapped her arms around Jake’s neck, and was trying to choke him. She could not even make him blink, as he continued talking without indicating any discomfiture.

“As you can see, Governor, I lead with an iron hand,” Jake said, gesturing back at his struggling attacker.

“Oh yes, General Matthews,” Risling continued to laugh. “I see you have the situation well in hand. Call me when you proceed with whatever plan you decide on. Risling out.”

Jake sat with Adrian, Mercer, and Dougherty in the passenger end of his Alpha Drop Ship, for the flight down to Omaha. The Intrepid orbited Omaha, while the Gallant had taken up a position halfway between Omaha, and the Alien Jump Gate. Command Wing Fighters flew patrol and training missions at staggered times, scanning for any anomalies in the quadrant.

“Why did Major Richardson give us specific landing instructions, away from the main complex, Jake?” Adrian asked, breaking the silence. “Is something wrong there you’re hiding?”

Jake looked at her with an amused grin on his face, as Mercer and Dougherty politely ignored Adrian’s familiarity with the military commander of the colonies, without laughing. “He told me he had a surprise for us. Shall I have him report in to you before making such hasty demands, Captain?”

“You… “ Adrian paused, as she heard the two men on the other side of Jake begin to snicker in anticipation of her outburst. “I was just curious, Sir,” she finished coldly.

“Although I’m glad you are well enough to accompany us down to the surface, Captain,” Jake continued on the same tact. “Tour duties do not intersect with strategic planning or even flight plans suggested by command grade officers. I agreed to let you take over the medical facilities on Omaha, because of their dearth of medical personnel. I did not, however, agree to run every thread of strategy or planning by you for your approval.”

Mercer lost it first, his bass laughter too contagious for Dougherty, who joined him. Jake watched Adrian’s face turn bright red through what was left of the bruising she had endured. She leaned back against the back of her seat, and folded her arms across her chest. The familiarity she and Jake shared comically on Casserine had entertained the Intrepid’s crew through the rest of their journey to Omaha. Once Adrian had left the Med Center as a patient, she had been unable to curb her excursions into everything Jake was involved in. Jake’s patient, but sharp dress downs of his wife on an official level, were repeated often, along with the pointed remarks, which had engendered them.

“I did it again, didn’t I?” Adrian asked softly.

‘Tea, Hon,” Jake answered, as Mercer and Dougherty calmed down. “You’ve proven to be a hell of a Medical Officer, and you were awarded the Cross of Valor for your actions while in captivity by Earth Command, but you seem unable to remember we are no longer alone on Casserine.”