Just as Mark was about to collect his rifle from beneath the fallen tree that had knocked him unconscious, a squad of Aldebran troopers surrounded him, had he not been so busy with the body of his friend he would have at least heard them coming, as it was he was now their prisoner.
His hands were tied in front of his body rather than behind his back giving Mark the faintest of hopes that he might effect an escape; then the sub officer moved across to him and indicated with his rifle that Mark should move out, they followed the track as it wound its way towards the prairie rather than take the labyrinth of trails that Mark knew would be far quicker. The troopers were all cock-a-hoop at having captured their first earthmen and as a prelude to the inevitable torture that he would receive when he got back to the Aldebran camp, the troopers jabbed him in the back to make him walk faster. From up ahead of them Mark could hear a faint roar that told him that they were near to one of the many rivers that emptied into the prairie, if he could not escape then maybe he should kill himself, rather than be interrogated and give away the location of his peoples camp, which he knew he would do, especially if they used drugs on him.
Mark found that he was already feeling the strain; he was badly in need of a rest and had stumbled a few times already as he tried to keep up with the troopers. When they reached the river bank Mark saw a chance of escape, the Aldebrans had spanned the fast flowing river with a plank bridge and he wondered how many more bridges they had built in their efforts to move their men quickly through the forest. The river was only a foot away from the trail, the water looked to be quite deep here and only a steep bank separated Mark from it. He was only one hundred yards from the bridge when he stumbled again, but this time he had done it purposely, he turned the stumble into a dive and entered the water before the troopers realised that he had escaped. He did not hear the cursing that followed his entry into the fast flowing river, but he saw the Phaser bolts that pierced the water all around him. He quickly sank down to the river bed and allowed the swift moving river to sweep him along, rather than come to the surface, only when his lungs were bursting did he struggle to the far side of the river and carefully poke his head up amongst the reeds that lined both sides of the river. He could see the Aldebrans searching along the river bank, looking for any sign that might indicate that the fugitive was nearby. Knowing that they had most probably asked for a drone to assist them in the search, Mark took his exhausted body back into the river and allowed it to carry him away from the searchers. It was only when the river took him by a rocky shore that Mark dragged himself out of the water and headed back towards the meadow where the body of Karl Meiser lay, for his powerful Phaser rifle was also there and he was adamant that he would not lose it, not when the war was still raging.
It was a long walk, especially in his exhausted state, but he finally got back to the meadow and smiling he picked up his rifle and turned for home, but he did not head directly back to their camp, he first headed further east before turning south into some of the most overgrown forest on New Caledonia, he wanted to ensure that he did not walk into another squad of troopers, or lead the Aldebrans towards the colonists` camp. He knew that the headache that he had probably meant that he was suffering from a mild concussion, however he did not allow this to stop him, he knew that Susan and his friends would be worried sick when he and Karl did not show up. The next morning Mark was nearing the camp, walking along a narrow track that led in the general direction of it, and it was now that he heard the smaller of the tracked vehicles moving along the track. Just moments later he broke through the thick undergrowth that bordered this part of the track and saw them, Martin Joyce and Joe Finney were on the way to the pickup point in the hope that their missing friends would be waiting there.
“Mark, my god are you all right?” Martin Joyce cried out when he saw the state of Mark, who had stopped and sank to the ground when he saw them, exhausted by his ordeal.
“Yes I am all right Martin, Joe, just bloody tired, and I have one hell of a headache. I am really glad to see you two, and the taxi, take me home please.” Mark replied wearily. However he still managed a weak smile.
“Where is Karl, is he OK?” Martin asked hesitantly, hoping that both of their friends had survived the bloody fire fight.
“No, Martin, I am afraid that Karl was killed back there, however he died a hero`s death, fighting for the colony.” Mark replied sadly.
Everyone came out of to meet the returning vehicle, curious to see it return so early, Susan however bolted out of one of the caves, certain that it meant that Mark had returned to her. When she saw that it was him, and saw his bloody face, she rushed across and threw her arms around him and burst into tears. Behind her, and unnoticed by her, Marion Meiser came to an abrupt halt when she saw that Mark was alone. Mark saw her struggling to contain her tears as she looked towards him, Mark disengaged himself from his wife`s arms and went to her.
“I am so sorry Marion, you should know that Karl died a hero`s death, staying by my side allowed the other four members of the team to escape. I am sorry but I had to ask him to stay behind, he was such a good shot. He did not go easily, it took a starship to stop him, the troopers were about to flee in terror before it showed up.” Mark said gently and feeling so very bad at surviving when Karl had not.
“Thank you Mark, I do not blame you, he was a very good shot, it was those evil Aldebrans who killed him, and it was so very unnecessary, we could have shared this planet.” Marion Meiser cried out in rage. Then she turned and ran into one of the caves where Mark heard he break down sobbing, two women who were her friends went in after her to try to comfort their friend.
Doctor Tattersall arrived on the scene and led Mark off to their makeshift clinic, here he tended to his wounds and gave Mark some advice. “Take it easy for today, and tomorrow if possible, you do not appear to be badly hurt, but you probably do have a mild concussion.”
“I will do as you say today Doctor, but I fear the Aldebrans will not allow me to rest for as long as tomorrow.” Mark replied with another weak smile at his friend.
**********
Oshiro was still raging over the loss of fourteen more troopers while only being able to kill one earthman, and it took a starship to do that! The moral of his troopers was at rock bottom, all fearful of encountering any more of the Earth commandoes, and he too was at his wits end. He knew that his new plan could give him victory, but not if his men were too scared to venture out. He decided to rest them for a while in their present locations, he would rely on the drones and the starship to find the earthmen`s camp, then he would blast it back to Earth.
***********
Aboard the freighter Genesis, Magnus Smart has been following the movements of the Aldebran troopers, his instruments keeping track of each of the squads and the two remaining starships. He had hoped in this way to find the colonist camp, his central computer showed each squad of troopers on a small monitor, and the direction that they were moving at any one moment. When clouds did not cover the area it notified him of the energy bolts being fired by the rifles, and he was really excited when the North Wind joined in the last battle, however in a short time the Aldebrans began to move in ever decreasing circles and he still could not find any trace of the colonists, he was still unable to use extrapolation to find where they were camped.
Mabel Smits now interrupted his thoughts. “Sir, a large weather front will soon blot out our view of what remains of the Aldebran camp, the storm will then cover most of the prairie and even the area of forest where the Aldebrans are currently operating.”
As Magnus Smart looked across at Smits, Captain Isaacs spoke. “Sir, if we took out the two remaining starships, and the drones, the colonists would get bolder, they would feel sufficiently confident to take on the aliens using the tactics that they are using now, but on a much larger scale. They would then move back to their original camp site where we could eradicate them and the alien farmers.” Captain Isaacs suggested. “Although we would need to act q
uickly if we are to beat the approaching weather front.”
Magnus Smart looked across at his captain and a smile slowly spread across his face as he took in all that Isaacs had said.
“Captain Isaacs, let me congratulate you on a marvellous plan, where are the two starships, we should take out the smaller attack craft first, as it is armed, and then the drones and finally the salvage ship.” Magnus Smart said before adding. “Mabel, you understand that when we take out the armed starship, we will have to jam any calls from both the colonists and the aliens.”
“Yes of course Sir, that will be no problem at all, in fact when the aliens moved back aboard their starships, they solved one problem for us, with the two starships gone I only have too concern myself with the Communications Centre that the colonists have.” Mabel Smits replied joyfully.
“Captain Isaacs, target the armed attack craft and take it out.” Magnus Smart ordered.
Chapter Eleven
The Final Battle
One thought was occupying the mind of Mark Summers, with the drones now flying twenty four hours a day and the starship up there even after the sun had set, for they could hear its powerful engine whenever it came close to their camp, how long would it be before they found the camp. Should he perhaps be organising a move south for some of the colonists, a move that would mean that they at least would no longer be targets, as long as they were careful of course. The starship was only a mile away from them at the moment, and it was getting ever nearer, would today be the beginning of the end for one of the two sides. He had climbed one of the taller forest trees to look out across the forest, clad in an outfit made from the survival blankets, looking for signs of a smokey camp fire or one of the drones. He was pondering this when he saw a powerful Phaser bolt streak down from the sky and hit the Aldebran starship, a massive explosion was followed by two more as the Genesis fired twice more. The debris of the North wind rained down into the forest, watched by a stunned Mark Summers. The Aldebran drones, now without any operators directing their movements, were then targeted, more energy bolts rained down from the sky followed by more explosions, but these were too far away for him to witness. What he also did not see, but all of the colonists heard, was the massive explosion that was followed by the terrific thump when the Salvage vessel crashed down upon the Ark, the starships of the Aldebran task force were no more, now all that remained was a demoralised force of troopers.
The colonists rushed out en masse from the temples of the ancients, where they had been hiding away from the Aldebran sensors aboard the starship as it came ever nearer, they looked up as silence filled the forest, and the sky. People and animals were too stunned to speak; the silence was finally broken by Susan Summers.
“A space cruiser from Earth has arrived, it is finally all over.” She cried out in joy and ran to Mark, who had climbed down from his viewpoint, to hug him. However, although Mark was overjoyed by what he had just witnessed, for now they would not have to immediately move further into the forest, Susan could see that something was stopping his happiness from erupting into anything like the rapture that she had been experiencing.
“What is it Mark, what on earth could be wrong now.” Susan asked as her feelings of joy were quickly extinguished.
“A space cruiser from Earth would not have fired upon the salvage vessel, or even the armed starship, it would simply have ordered them away or suffer the consequences, no our saviour is Magnus Smart, the religious fanatic that created the Genesis cult.” Mark replied grimly. “What I would dearly like to know is what he now plans to do?”
“Mark, the Aldebran troopers have lost more than half their men, all their starships, and the moral of what troopers they do have must now be at rock bottom.” Joyce Marley crowed. “Let`s give them until midday tomorrow and then send out another two patrols, to see if we can locate any sign of them. My guess is that they will have pulled back.”
“They may have done just that Joyce, however we cannot let them go, if we do we would live with the sure knowledge that they will return as bandits, to rob and pillage our farms.” Mark warned Joyce, and the rest of the colonists who had gathered about them to hear what they had to say.
“Just how many of them do you think there are?” Susan asked anxiously. The thought of Aldebran bandits suddenly appearing in two or three years’ time to rape and pillage making her shudder.
“Their number must still be approaching one hundred, but no more than that. With their moral sinking through the floor we can win the war against them, but only if we go after them now.” Mark replied.
Richard had been following the conversation and he now chose to join in. “Unfortunately you`re right Mark, I think that you and I should lead two teams and set off two hours before sunset. From what I have seen so far, we should be warned of their presence well before we encounter any squads of troopers, for we shall see the lights of their camp fires and smell their cooking.” Richard suggested.
“I agree that the loss of their starships should make them go into full retreat Richard, and lessen the danger to our patrols walking into one of theirs. However, we will need more than our two teams, if we are to successfully finish the Aldebran menace; we will need four more teams of ten colonists to search the forest. I will issue each team leader a map of the area I want them to patrol; they will each leave by one of the four trails that exit our camp and with orders to not take any uncertain risks.” Mark replied and then said.
“Remember this everyone, the war has changed, we can now use our radios again, but only when we are far enough away from this camp, for be warned, Magnus Smart might just use them to pinpoint our camp if we use them here.” Mark warned. “However, we can talk to each other when we are away from camp to keep each team fully up to date regarding our enemy. Should one of the teams encounters a large number of Aldebran troopers they are not to attack them, they are to call me and request backup. Do not get lost, stay in touch so that we do not fire upon each other, and the old rules still apply, no talking unless necessary, in fact no undue noise at all, I want to win this war, not bury more brave people.” Mark advised his friends. “Those who stay here should still be on their guard, sentries will still need to be posted to prevent a surprise attack. Our enemy is badly wounded now, he may just decide on one last push to find this camp; we cannot afford to relax until our victory is complete.”
Almost as if it were a sign, the storm clouds that had been quickly gathering over their heads chose that moment to open and they drenched anyone not quick enough to get to a cave; if he had believed in ill omens then Mark thought this was one hell of a bad one.
**********
Commander Oshiro had not been aboard the North Wind when the North Wind had been struck by Phaser fire, he had been on the Ark, he had been urging the members of the salvage team who were based on the downed starship to work harder. Hearing the loud explosions he ran from the Ark to stare above the forest in disbelief, and it was now that the salvage vessel was hit. He stared up for only an instant, then he ran for his life as the doomed vessel dropped out of the sky to land squarely upon the Ark. Flames shot out of the twisted wreckage and it was now that the weather front hit them, the wind fanning the flames, blowing them towards the prairie. He looked at the survivors who were standing there stunned by what had just happened, and looking apprehensively towards the approaching flames. Then they crowded together looking to Oshiro for an answer to their woes, which now seemed never ending. There was now no way now to cut the Ark up, never mind move every piece of it and drop it into the ocean. When an Earth starship finally arrived, they would see just what they had been doing, his mission was quickly coming to an end, there was only one thing that he could do.
“Men, collect anything of use and prepare for a long walk to the nearest of our squads hidden in the jungle, we may have failed in our mission but our dead comrades all scream out for revenge, let us at least give them that so that they can rest easy.” Oshiro said to his men in what he hoped was enough of
a rallying call to lift their battered moral.
Oshiro was baffled as to who their attacker was, one who targeted them at his leisure but did not seem disposed to aid the colonists any further. His men just nodded acceptance of his words, no one said anything, they ran to their tents to collect their gear, including food, water and weapons, and it was now that the rain storm hit them, extinguishing the flames around the wrecked starships. From inside his former headquarters tent Oshiro contacted his remaining teams on their radios, and he ordered them to move forward to a position that he thought the colonists from Earth may have made their camp. He had planned to do this anyway, which was why the North Wind had been steadily moving in that direction, it had been searching for it within a fairly small section of forest, but one which still stubbornly held on to its secrets. With nothing remaining of his task force Oshiro led his rain soaked survivors into the forest; he was going to rendezvous with one of the remaining eight teams and then head towards a spot where he thought the earthmen must be hiding. Whether the Aldebran troopers believed it or not, they were indeed heading towards the colonists` camp and a final battle.
**********
One hour later and the skies were still filled with dark rain clouds that threatened to drench the colonists, but these clouds did possess a silver lining, the low quality scanners and other equipment aboard the starship Genesis could not see anything worthwhile through them.
Under these sheltering rain clouds Mark and Richard gathered forty colonists around them, picked from those who Mark was sure would not panic when fired upon, they would make up the other four teams; they were to be led by Joe Finney, Ricardo Malic, John McIntire and Rogé Patel. He told them to check their gear so as to be ready at first light. With the colonists busy he moved on to other things.
He had already spoken to Captain Larson, to ask him to take command of the camp in his absence, Mark told Larson to increase the number of sentries at each guard post from the ten colonists already posted to twenty five people. Mark had also asked Larson to have four groups of four colonists ready for another task, they were to be posted in a long thin line between the four squads, these colonists would act as a human trip wire, just in case the Aldebrans did attempt to break through away from the narrow animal trails. All of these men would have their smart phones to use if necessary, but only if the Aldebrans did attempt to outflank the waiting squads. Mark knew that it was a risk to use smart phones at the encampment, but one that they would have to accept if the Aldebrans did attempt to break through his defences. Hopefully, the signal would not carry as far as the Genesis starship which was still hanging up there in space on its mission of evil. With this taken care of Mark left camp with his own team and with his wife by his side.