When they get to the top of a hill they spot a Meeran military ship, “Look sir, said one of the guards.”
“Looks like we’re here,” Jeremy responded, he pointed to the next building, “This is it.”
The guards go in first, and lead him to a large room with a single lit area, like a spotlight on the floor. In this area stood Jacob.
Jeremy’s stomach knotted up but Jacob spoke first, “Welcome brother,” he smiled with jubilation and embraced Jeremy, “I trust your journey was uneventful.”
Jeremy smiled and returned the embrace with a prolonged handshake, “Yes, it was fine.”
“Come, sit!” Jacob pointed at two chairs just out of the sun’s halo, “How about a drink?”
“Sure.” he sat down, “I never thought I’d see you again. I thought you were dead. Mom and dad tried to find you or your body for years.”
“I have to admit after seeing the rocket hit your ship, I thought all of you were dead. How is mom and dad.”
“Mom’s fine, still kicking, not sure how to tell her you’re still alive. Dad died five years ago in an accident.”
Jacob looked down, “Well at least there’s mom...”
“...And a sister, Lilith. She heard so much about you.” Jeremy takes a drink and puts it down, “It’s time to come home, brother.”
“I’ve gone to far for that.” Jacob looks down.
“Every things already arranged, full immunity. Just come home...!”
The shadowed voice spoke to Jacob, “He’s trying to distract you from your purpose. He wants you to walk away from everything...”
“...And live on the reservation?” Jacob responded sharply. There is a minute of silent awkwardness until Jacob spoke up. “Why did the Chancellor sell warships to the pirate clans?”
Jeremy was shocked, “I know of no such sale, it would never happen.”
“The pirates have organized, they no longer attack Terran shipments, only mine.” He swallows the rest of his drink. “Just hours ago one of my supply convoys was attacked with new Zeck class warships. My kingdom build much of it’s weaponry. They won’t be a problem much longer.”
“I assure you I know of no such plan. This has some sort of elaborate ruse.”
“Your Chancellor is playing a very dangerous game. He risks provoking an all out civil war.”
“Is that what you seek, justification?” Jeremy asked sharply.
“I seek justice and freedom for our people, don’t you?”
“At what cost?”
“For freedom any man would sacrifice his own life. Our people are being held prisoner! Why are you so willing to side against me?”
“Are you so sure about that and is freedom truly your only motivation?” Jeremy stands, he senses that is welcome will soon be worn thin. “Every step you made seams designed for confrontation with Terra Prime. Your sister is not very good at keeping a low profile.”
“You’ve met her?” Jacob also stands but he smiles. “She is full of life and fun.” He steps closer to Jeremy to whisper. “If you cross her, the consequences would be unbearable.”
Jeremy to smiles and steps back, “At least you grew up in a good family.”
This is when Jacob almost loses his temper, as if a traumatic memory flashes before him. But he quickly regains his composure, “Yes” he straightens his uniform, “I cannot go with you, but I offer the same to you. Come with me and I promise freedom to humans everywhere, freedom to travel and live where they please. To be equal partners in the empire. Many humans have already joined me.”
“He will not go with you...” said the shadow. “He is under their spell.”
“Under your dictatorship?”
“My quest for power is monovalent, I only seek it for the betterment of all. History has shown what happens to democracies.”
“In democracy there’s freedom…”
“..for the humans? In democracy the majority rules, the minority is always suppressed. It’s like two Anborans and a single Seibri voting on what’s for dinner.”
“I cannot stay here to debate you, nor can I join you, the price is too great. Turn your forces back, allow the Adlit to return to their land. There is still time!”
“Sigh ‘You must either conquer and rule or serve and lose, suffer or triumph, be the anvil or the hammer.’ For the sake of my people, I cannot. I cannot allow the Adlit to return and bring back our children’s nightmares. I cannot allow them to launch rockets over our heads night after night. I could not let them raise a horde army so they can wipe me out of existence!”
“Then God forgive us.” Jeremy turns and starts to walk out.
“Jeremy!” Jeremy stops without turning, waiting to hear what Jacob has to say, “If they make me kill you, I won't allow a single one of them to live.”
Jeremy turns and responds, “If I have to kill you, it would bring me great sorrow.”
“Do me a favor, don’t tell mom.” Jacob puts his hands behind his back and looks Jeremy in the eyes. “Jacob is dead.”
Jeremy buckles back into the drop-ship and reflects on the events that just transpired.
Spike noticed that Jeremy didn’t say a word, he knew it didn’t go well. He started the engines and prepared to the ship for takeoff. But his curiosity got the better of him, he had to ask. “Doesn’t look like things went very well?”
Jeremy laid his head back and said, “I’m a pawn being played between two madmen who hate each other enough to destroy an empire. ‘Our civilization cannot be conquered from the outside until it has been destroyed from the inside.’ ” reciting a quote he remembered. He regains his composure, “Get me the General, I have to warn him war is coming.”
***
Jacob also returns to his ship, sits in his captains chair, and becomes lost in his thoughts. Without moving his makes his order. “I want Bianca.” In moments Bianca shows up on the screen.
“Are you ready, my love?”
“Ready and waiting for your orders,” she responds eager and excited.
“Proceed as planned. Remember, I don’t want any civilians harmed.” He turned his attention to Carlos Randald and his Viceroy sitting in the background, “General Randald, I’ve read your book and was very impressed. Now impress me with your actions.”
Carlos nodded, “We’ll have the Cathedral secure before you arrive.”
Chapter 10
Battle for Terra Prime
The local School of Technology on Terra Prime is having a special seminar on communications. The subject to day is “Entangled Electrons.”
“Ancient communications were based on electromagnetic radiation, sometimes called radio waves” Said the teacher giving the lecture. “This has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that it can broadcast to an unlimited number of people at the same time. This is why it’s still in use today.
“However it’s unreliable over great distances and can only travel at the speed of light. Since most of the planets in the Empire are over 10 light years away, it would make interstellar communication impossible.”
“Now entangled electrons changed everything. Scientists discovered that the movement or shaking of one electron can be made to mimic another. Even at great distances this mimic remains the same. Once technology was created to encode communication on electrons, instantaneous communication to anywhere in the universe became possible. Even if the destination is traveling away at near the speed of light.”
***
Far above Terra Prime in space, a dozen ships appeared overhead to drop off a small object the size of a basketball and then disappeared. Each one of the those balls glow slightly at first then turned quickly to the brightness of the sun. After mere seconds they all burn out.
This did not go unnoticed. General Parker is sitting at his desk at the war room looking over the statistics. A young lieutenant barges in blurts out, “About a dozen ships appeared over the planet. They only stayed for a moment and left.”
The General
picks up his hat and rushes out to the middle of the war room. “We’re under attack, activate the defense satellites.”
“Sir we can’t communicate with any of them.” responded a private.
“Activate the backup systems.”
“Sir!” responded the Lieutenant, “They never arrived from Frontier.”
“Oh my God, those sons-of-bitches destroyed plan A before we could even use them. Activate plan B.”
“How many drones sir?”
“All of them, I’m guessing will end up going to plan C before the days over.”
“Sir? There isn’t a plan C.”
“Give me a few minutes and we’ll have it!” He pushed everything off his planning table and starts over with a new map.
General Carlos Randald, stands at the bridge of his command ship, watching the fleet get into position, he clicks a button on the communications panel and speaks, “General Randald to all ships, do not fire until we’re inside the defensive perimeter, the satellites won't fire until fired upon.” he clicks another switch, “Launch the message pods.”
Thousands of small pods fall from the ships in orbit, they glow red hot re-entering earth's atmosphere and land safely in the populations centers. They pop open and a very loud message repeats, “Stay indoors. We are not your enemy. Remain calm. You will be safe.”
General Randald clicks another button, “Colonial Barrian, are you ready?”
Olivia’s face shows on the screen, “We’re ready and waiting.”
The General was shocked, “Olivia, what are you doing?”
“This is a Lomen brigade, I’m here with my troops.”
“But you lack even basic military training.”
She smiled, “But I have spirit.”
Colonial Barrian peaks over her shoulder, and tries to take over the conversation. “Don’t worry sir, she’s in good hands.”
“You and Olivia leave me nothing but worry.” He sits back and adjusts neck. “Your dropping in five seconds.”
“What?” shrieked Olivia.
The General pushes a button and their brigade launches off the bottom of the ship towards Terra Prime. The brigade’s ship glowed white hot entering the atmosphere, so bright that nothing else can be seen of it.
The General turns and clicks another button, this time Bianca appears on the screen. With Gorky sitting behind her. “Bianca, your BFF is on her way to HELL. She hitched a ride with the Loman brigade.”
“What!?!? And you let her?!” Bianca blasted back angrily.
“You drop in five seconds.” Responded the General.
“You son of a bitch, you better hope I don’t...” The ship is released and her ship quickly entered to atmosphere and then begins to glow. Inside Bianca is holding tight against the shaking the re-entry is causing. One hand on her safety harness, the other on her sword. She breathes in deep two or three times and the shaking stops.
“Ready for the drag shoot.” Yelled the Colonel as the parachute opens to slow their descent. A strong jolt lets them know it caught the wind, slowing their descent. Each one bends the ship with a grown and wine, nearing the ship’s limits. Within minutes they reach the ground within eyesight of Tarra’s spaceport.
Terrain security forces already have them targeted and the air is full of smoke. Bianca’s troops, pull out under heavy fire and form a perimeter around the ship. As they exit, their ship leaves and other ships land around the spaceport. The heavy vehicles from all the ships join to create a defense barrier all around the airport so the troops can move in without worry of attack from behind.
“Advance your positions, do not break the perimeter.” Ordered Bianca over the radio. Blasts are popping the armored vehicle all around her. “Somebody knock those towers out!”
Meeran’s military forces soon make their way into the buildings to a chaotic scene of civilians running in all directions. Bianca look around and commented, “ah dammit.” She lifted her weapon in the air and fired. “GET ON THE GROUND NOW!... Colonel, have someone round the civi’s up and get them to a safe area.”
Unfortunately there were always those who would not comply. Bianca knew Jacob would be angry, but the moment a civilian fought back, they became soldiers and were eliminated.
The terminals had to be cleared out one room at a time, one terminal at a time. Drop ships kept coming down providing fresh supplies and troops while a mobile command center landed on the spaceport landing pad. This was a huge ship known as the “mobile palace.”
The soldiers quickly try to evacuate the last terminal but one soldier saw something that made him pause. A dark mass in the corner of the hallway. He walked up to it and strained his eyes. A voice spoke out. “You see me?”
The soldier stuttered, “Yesss, what are you?” he stood frozen.
“Interesting…” the voice said, “Your name is Alexander is it not?”
The soldier nodded.
“Alexander, look at the couple at the far wall.”
The soldier looked to the wall so see a frantic lost couple. The wife talking so fast that her husband is just holding his ears shut.
“Their names are Frank and Laura, they’ve have the unfortunate luck of constantly being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You need to escort them out of this building immediately.”
The soldier looked back around and the shadow is gone. Taking the shadows word as an omen, he quickly went over to the couple and interrupted their lively argument, “Excuse me folks I need to escort you to a safe place.”
Laura looked surprised then commented, “Look there is a man in this place who knows what he’s doing. I guess I was wrong.”
Frank rolled his eyes back into a flutter, “Let’s just get out of this nut house before we get shot!”
“Ladies first,” she said pushing him out of the way.
“Laura, if I ever get out of this marriage alive I’ll never get married again.”
“Don’t worry, you won't live to see it”
The soldier Alexander pulled them through the corridors and out the emergency exit, they were halfway to the other terminal when he came to and realized he had to go back for the other civilians. But he never got that chance.
A thunder crack of explosions came from all over the city, closing on the space port until the terminal they just exited was swallowed into a giant trench in the ground. All of Bianca’s forces were cut off from the rest of the spaceport.
General Parker activated the communicator and the face of the Chancellor appeared on the screen, “Chancellor, this is it, we blew all the bridges into the city and the aqueducts under the spaceport. You’re in the clear to evacuate.”
The Chancellor seemed shocked. “Surely it has not come done to this?”
“Chancellor, they’re getting re-enforcements with regularity and it will be days before the first of our ships arrive from patrol. They caught us over confidant and now we need to make the hard decisions. Now, we’ll be overrun in hours, are you going to be safe to fight another day or be held hostage by the Meeran alliance?”
***
Bianca’s communicator begins to buzz, she answers it, “Do you see this?”
The General responds, “Yes it appears several hundred explosions destroyed nearly every route in and out of the capital city. Olivia’s path is blocked and I haven’t had any communications from them since they landed. They only way to take Cathedral is through the city.”
“What about the spaceport?”
“Only the other side is accessible to Cathedral. It appears they did that so that the Chancellor could evacuate from the north, I don’t see anyway of preventing that, the air defenses are too heavy to land forces there and the Chancellor already left Cathedral.”
Bianca gains a determined look, “I understand. Cathedral is mine.” She hangs up. “Colonel, we have new orders. Leave all the heavy artillery here, aim them to the other side and keep anyone from taking off. Meanwhile I’ll take the mobile units through downtown to Cathedral.” S
he walks out to the open and yells, “Thunder road! We leave in 2 minutes for Cathedral! Mobile units line up. Heavy up front!”
The Chancellor and Statesman Randel gathered everything they can hold in a mad rush to evacuate the premises. The temple security desperately escorted them to the waiting transport outside where General Parker was waiting. The air was full of smoke and explosions echoed from the other parts of the city.
“What the hell took you so long? We’re not moving, we’re evacuating while the getting is good! You two look like a couple of ladies who couldn’t figure out what to take.” The general said, “Get in, your security chief went ahead to prep the ship. I’ll cover your six.”
“Our six?” asked Randald
“Your ASS!” answered the Chancellor as he got on board. He looked out to see civilians watch out of fear and despair. He felt that he was abandoning them, but he knew he could do no good if he was captured. He yelled out, “Fear not, I will return with liberation. Do what you must to endure. I will tell you when the time is right.”