Earth Fall: Invasion

A Earth Fall Novel

(Earth Fall: Invasion, Book 1)

By

Raymond L. Weil

USA Today Best Selling Author

Books in The Earth Fall Series

Earth Fall: Invasion (Book 1)

Earth Fall: To the Stars (Book 2) March 2018

Website: http://raymondlweil.com/

Copyright © January 2018 by Raymond L. Weil

All Rights Reserved

Cover Design by Humblenations.com

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the author.

Earth Fall: Invasion

A Earth Fall Novel

Chapter One

In the Earth year 2027, on the seas of the planet Borth, a large fleet of primitive sailing vessels were gathered below a rapidly descending two-thousand-meter-long alien battlecruiser. Hundreds of ships with tall masts drifted in a tight defensive circle, their crews on watch for the mysterious attackers destroying their world. A sense of impending doom lay over the fleet as most crewmembers had seen their homes ruthlessly destroyed. City after city had burned beneath the heartless ravages of advanced weapons fire. Buildings had burst into flames and crumbled as the air was sucked away in the superheated updraft of the mushroom cloud that arose above the destruction. Only a few sailing vessels far enough away from the blasts had survived. Now they were gathered together, awaiting their fate.

-

Talog Dumas stood upon his sailing vessel, gazing into the cloudless sky. His ship was on the outer edge of the fleet. A speck high up steadily grew larger. With a chill, he recognized one of the hated spacecraft which had come to his world to destroy it. His people were a peaceful race, dedicated to living in harmony with their world. They had developed just enough technology to allow for trade and to communicate with one another over the long ocean distances.

“What do we do?” asked Marcol Dumas, Talog’s brother. “Our homes are gone and our families have perished in the energy fire from the alien ships.”

“I fear we can do nothing,” replied Talog, seeing the sadness in his brother’s eyes which was in his as well. “We have no weapons and all our communication attempts with the aliens have met with failure. Our home city has been destroyed as well as all the others. Only a few fleets of our sailing ships survive. I am afraid this is the end of our race.”

Talog looked sorrowfully about his vessel. For years he had cruised the oceans of his world, trading between the numerous floating cities. He looked back at his brother. Their families and nearly everyone else they knew were gone. “I fear, brother, that shortly we will be joining the rest of our people.” Stepping forward, he put his arms around Marcol, hugging him.

Looking upward, he saw a circular hatch open on the spacecraft. He knew doom had come to the fleet. A few vessels hastily set sail to evade this enemy but Talog knew there was no escaping what was about to happen.

-

From the Trellixian battlecruiser a single missile exited an open hatch and accelerated toward the assembled ships below. In a massive explosion, the twenty-kiloton nuclear warhead detonated 1,500 meters above the clustered vessels. Beneath it, the water turned instantly into superheated steam. Ships burst into flames, and others simply disappeared. The rush of inbound air and steam soon created the tell-all mushroom cloud associated with a nuclear explosion.

As the blast radiated outward, the masts on the remaining ships were filled with hurricane-force winds and were torn away. The blast and accompanying wave of water caused many of the vessels to capsize. When the mushroom cloud dissipated all that remained were a few scattered pieces of wreckage drifting on the surface.

-

Talog found himself in the water. He had been blown off the deck of his ship from the force of the blast. Looking desperately around he saw no sign of his brother. A few others were in the water nearby, calling for help, but no one he recognized. His people were excellent swimmers and could swim underwater for hours as they had gills which they could use to breathe. Talog knew swimming away was useless; they no longer had any place to go. He could do nothing but wait for death and hope it was quick. He was ready to join his family and friends in the afterlife.

-

The battlecruiser descended lower and powerful energy beams flicked out, playing over the wreckage, ensuring no one lived. Where the beams touched wood, canvas, or survivors, flames flared up briefly and then died out. Shortly the calm ocean water was devoid of any wreckage as if the fleet of sailing ships had never existed. The commander of the battlecruiser, satisfied his mission was a success, ordered his ship back into orbit to seek other targets.

-

In the water Talog resurfaced and looked around. The spaceship rose higher into the air and soon vanished from sight. With a deep sigh, Talog scanned the ocean near him, seeing no other survivors. Kicking his webbed feet he swam toward a nearby island which had a small underwater village near a deep ocean trench. His only hope was the enemy had missed that village and he could find refuge there. If not, perhaps he could find enough in the wreckage to allow him to survive.

-

The battle commander of the Trellixian fleet looked down at the once inhabited world his ships had conquered. A sentient ocean-dwelling species had inhabited the blue-white globe with their tall sailing ships, traveling from city to city. They had adapted to living on both the land and in the deep ocean waters. The Olcons, as they called themselves, had spread their civilization across their world, including numerous small chains of islands. Where their massive cities once floated on beds of kelp now only blackened ruins remained. Across the entire planet every visage of civilization had been wiped out. The last Olcon oceangoing ships had been annihilated wherever they gathered for mutual protection.

Currently Trellixian soldiers in heavy combat suits were sweeping the planet and the deeper parts of the oceans to ensure there were no survivors. Already word had been sent back to the Trellixian High Command advising them the planet Borth was now ready for colonization. Sometime in the next six weeks the first of hundreds of colony ships would arrive. Within ten years the planet would be a thriving Trellixian world.

“Ships are ready for departure,” Second Officer Jaltor reported.

Commander Balforr nodded. Balforr was taller than an average Human with dark-green skin due to his saurian ancestry. The commander had a large lizard-like head with sharp tearing teeth and huge eyes.

“We’ll leave in two hours,” Balforr replied, his eyes looking coldly at the ship’s main viewscreen. “I wish to make one more sensor sweep of the planet, particularly the deeper parts of the oceans, to confirm no major Olcon population centers survived.”

Second Officer Jaltor frowned. “Some areas of those oceans are twelve kilometers deep. Our sensors have difficulty scanning at those depths.”

“I am aware of that,” replied Balforr, turning to gaze with narrowed eyes toward his second in command. “However, I want those areas scanned anyway. If we detect nothing then I’ll feel it’s safe for us to depart this world, leaving it in the hands of our foot soldiers.”

“It will be done,” replied Jaltor. “We’re also leaving several battlecruisers in orbit until the first colony ships arrive. If any Olcon communities have been overlooked, our reserves are capable of making short work of them.”

“I believe in thoroughness,” responded Commander Balforr. “We were given the responsibility of clearing this planet of its inhabitants to make room for the continued expansion of our race.”

“And we have done that. This race did not have the capability to defend itself against our superior weapons,” said Jaltor. “Have you heard what our next mission will be?”

Commander Balforr recalled the FTL transmission from the High Command, informing him where to take his fleet. “A world called Earth,” he answered. “It’s in the early stages of interplanetary spaceflight and its population must be annihilated before they become a serious threat to the Empire. They’re a warlike species and additional ships and soldiers will accompany us on this mission.”

“A warlike species,” mused Jaltor thoughtfully. “It’s very seldom we encounter such a civilization. Has the High Command suggested how we should deal with this race?”

Balforr showed his sharp teeth and nodded. “Subterfuge and negotiations to begin with. We have much to offer that this species will be highly interested in. While we talk we will learn their strengths and, more importantly, their weaknesses.”

“It is a wise decision,” commented Jaltor.

Balforr turned toward the navigation officer. “How long will it take to travel to Earth’s star system?”

The navigation officer spent a few moments studying some star charts on his computer screens. “Three weeks travel in hyperspace. The system is far out on the very edge of explored space.”

“I am curious as to why the High Command chose our fleet for this mission,” said Jaltor, some confusion evident in his expression. “Other conquest fleets are much closer.”

“Due to the difficulty of this particular mission,” Balforr responded. “Our fleet has the highest efficiency rating in using limited resources to annihilate civilizations which inhabit worlds needed for our expansion.”

Jaltor nodded his understanding. The planet Earth would be the fleet’s next conquest and the race that currently inhabited it would become extinct.

-

Three weeks later at the White House, a special meeting was in progress. President Edward Drummond, Vice President Katelyn Hathaway, General Allen Mitchell, Secretary of State Maggie Rayne, and NASA Head of Operations Dwight Meadows were watching a live transmission feed from USSTRATCOM.

“When did we first detect them?” asked President Drummond, his brow furrowed in a deep frown. On the large video screen, a group of objects that resembled bright points of light were visible. What made these unusual for deep space objects was that they were all in formation.

“They appeared in our system a little over four hours ago,” Meadows replied. “They dropped out of hyperspace and proceeded immediately to set a course for Earth.”

Vice President Hathaway drew in a sharp breath. “Is it them?”

“From all indications this is a Trellixian invasion fleet,” replied Meadows. “We’ve used several of our more advanced space telescopes to take photos of the ships in the fleet and they match what’s in our secret database. Those are Trellixian battlecruisers.”

President Drummond leaned forward and looked at General Mitchell. “Any recommendations?” This was a day Drummond had hoped would never come. It was also one they had been preparing for.

“We go with plan Alpha. We can activate it within minutes of transmitting the warning. I just wish we had had a few more years to prepare. Not everything is as ready as I would like it to be but we’ll make do.”

President Drummond stood and walked over to the large window overlooking the capital. His face revealed the stress of the moment. “This is the end of our world as we currently know it. Things will never be the same again.” Drummond stood for a long minute in silence, dwelling on the thought that, in a matter of a few months, most of the world’s population would be dead and its major cities in ruins; then he turned toward the others. “General Mitchell, transmit the message. Also take us to DEFCON 2. Maggie, get on the phones, talk to our allies and inform them of the situation. They know what needs to be done.”

Maggie nodded. As secretary of state, she had a secret list of who to contact.

For years they had known this time might come. Preparations had been made but the Trellixians had come too soon. Earth’s defense plan would need modifying and they would have to hope for the best. With a deep sigh, President Drummond returned, sat behind his desk, and stared at the others. His face took on a look of deep concern and seriousness. “I’ll address the nation tonight and inform them we are no longer alone.”

“How much will you tell them?” asked Maggie worriedly.

“Only that we’ve detected a group of what appears to be spacecraft approaching Earth and we expect to make peaceful contact with them shortly. There’s no reason to panic or be concerned. I will tell them we always considered this a possibility and have prepared for it. I’m also ordering all the markets to close for the next forty-eight hours until the shock of my announcement wears off.”

“What if the aliens attack as soon as they arrive over Earth?” asked Vice President Hathaway.

President Drummond shifted his gaze to his vice president. “That’s a possibility and why we’re going to DEFCON 2. If they attack we’ll be ready to resist but I think they’ll want to talk first. Our military analysts believe they’ll desire to learn as much about us as possible. Our goal is to extend those negotiations as long as we can to buy time. Every week, day and hour we can drag this out the more people we may be able to save.”

“Will any of us be safe in the end?” asked Maggie, worry evident in her eyes.

President Drummond hesitated and then answered. “I don’t know. We’ve had time to prepare but the science isn’t ready. We can only do the best we can and pray to God some of us survive.”

The room grew quiet as they thought about what was ahead of them. How do you resist an enemy who has never known defeat? Looking around the room they all also wondered how many of them would still be alive one year from now.

-

In Portland, Oregon, Lisa Reynolds was relaxing in her parents’ house, watching TV. Lisa was twenty-eight years old, a brunette, and a corporal in the Army. She was currently home on leave and spending time with her folks.

“Any plans with Streth for the weekend?” asked her mother from the kitchen where she was busily preparing dinner. “Why don’t you give him a call and see if he can come over and eat with us?”

Lisa let out a deep sigh. Her mother was anxious for her and Streth to get married and have children. “I have two more weeks of leave, Mom. Streth and I are going away for the weekend to the mountains. We have reservations at a small ski resort so we can have some alone time. He’s out of town on business and won’t be back until sometime tomorrow.”

“How much longer until your military service is over?” her mother continued. “I don’t understand why you enlisted anyway. You had a great job at the research center and Streth is making good money with his real estate business. The two of you should have been married years ago.”

“Another year in the Army,” answered Lisa. Her mother had been against her enlistment from the very beginning. They had had several heated arguments over it but Lisa had joined anyway.

She enlisted because her former college professor suggested she do so. He had explained to her he had a special job waiting for her once Lisa’s enlistment term was up. Why a stint in the Army was so important confused her, but Professor Wilkens was one of the top theoretical nuclear physicists in the world and qualified people everywhere were dying to work with him.

After speaking at length with the professor and having a frank talk with Streth, she had enlisted for four years in the Army with an additional four years in the Inactive Ready Reserve. It was curious, though, as most of her time in the military involved working with the latest technology and even in several key research projects; far different from what she had expected. As soon as she had finished boot camp, she had been assigned to several installations doing research regarding top secret communications devices and weaponry.

She was startled when a loud high-pitched noise came from the TV.

“The Emergency Broadcast System has been activated. In ten minutes the President of the United States will make a special announcement. No need to panic or grow overly concerned. The president will address a developing situation.” The announcer’s voice went silent and on the TV screen a large countdown timer appeared.

“What’s going on?” asked Lisa’s father as he came into the room, gazing at the TV.

“I don’t know,” replied Lisa, confused. She had never heard of the president doing this before. “The president’s making a speech in a few minutes. It must be important if he’s using the Emergency Broadcast System.”

Her father nodded. “That will allow him to be heard across all the TV stations as well as radio. I wonder what’s going on?”

“Well, dinner’s nearly ready so I hope whatever he’ll say will be short,” Lisa’s mom said as she came in from the kitchen, putting her hands on her hips and frowning at the TV.

Both of Lisa’s parents sat down on the sofa, gazing nervously at the screen.

“I hope they’re not cutting the power again,” Lisa’s father said with a worried expression on his face. “It was out the day before yesterday for nearly six hours.”

“I don’t understand why they can’t fix the power problem,” complained Lisa’s mom. “How am I supposed to cook with no electricity? I don’t think our government has any idea how hard they’re making our lives. Why, just the other morning I couldn’t even vacuum.”

Lisa didn’t reply. Her mother paid little attention to the news and didn’t understand the state of the country’s power grid.

In the American northwest power shortages had become more frequent in recent years. As nuclear power plants shut down and the switch was made to wind and solar, the lack of sufficient power for the power grid had grown. Also many environmentalists didn’t want wind or even solar plants constructed in most areas. The general idea seemed to be, yes, we need the plants but not in my area.

Hundreds of projects were tied up with environmental red tape slowly working its way through the EPA. Politicians claimed in another few years sufficient wind farms would be operating to provide additional power and the power shortages should come to an end. However, for most people, the numerous brownouts were a sign the politicians were more worried about themselves than the average person.

The three sat quietly, waiting for the president’s speech. The timer continued to count down until it reached zero and then the emergency broadcast symbol vanished to be replaced by the American flag and a voice introducing the President of the United States.

On TV screens around the world and on every radio and media station President Drummond’s voice rang out.

“I come to you tonight with a stupendous announcement. The question as to whether we are alone in the universe has been answered. Earlier today our satellites and telescopes detected a group of mysterious objects in the outer regions of our solar system. These objects have been identified as spacecraft which are on an intercept course with Earth.” President Drummond paused, gazing steadily at the camera.

“So far we have not been able to establish contact. Our linguists are working on this problem and expect to communicate with our visitors in the next few hours. Our military is on alert but I don’t expect any problems establishing peaceful contact with these new friends from space.”

President Drummond paused once more and, after a moment, began again. “We can learn so much from them and them from us. The inbound spacecraft will arrive in Earth orbit early tomorrow morning. We will have made contact by then, and the next time I speak to you I will be announcing our new visitors. As I said earlier, there is no danger. Head to work tomorrow as normal and go about your regular routines. This is an amazing time, something we will all remember.”

With those final words the screen went blank and then returned to its regular programming to be almost immediately preempted by newscasters ready to discuss what the president said. It was obvious they had been provided some information by the government about the inbound spaceships.

“Aliens!” said Lisa’s father in disbelief. “I never expected this.”

“There are no aliens,” spoke up Lisa’s mother, sounding aggravated. “It’s just an excuse to turn off our power more often. Let’s eat dinner before it gets cold.”

Before Lisa could say anything her cell phone rang. With surprise, she saw it was Professor Wilkens. “Yes?” she said tentatively, not sure why the professor would be calling her.

“Lisa, in a few minutes you will receive a recall order from the military. I’ve arranged for you to be assigned to a special unit as my representative.”

“I don’t understand.” She hadn’t spoken to Professor Wilkens for several months.

“All is not as it seems,” Wilkens said in his fatherly voice. “We have known about these aliens for quite some time. You cannot reveal to anyone, not even your family, what I am about to tell you. These aliens are not coming as friends but as conquerors. We have made a few preparations for their expected arrival but we’re not ready yet. They came too soon. I need you to act as my eyes and ears and to learn everything you can about the capabilities of these aliens and what we can do to defeat them. Once you have you’ll be brought to me.”

“Yes, Professor, I understand.” Lisa felt a cold chill run down her back at the professor’s words. She didn’t know what else to say.

“I am going to hang up. You will receive your recall orders shortly. You have also been promoted to the rank of captain. At some point in time I will have you report to me with your findings and then you’ll help me with a project I’m working on. Just remember the words ad astra.” With that the phone went dead.

“Ad astra,” she whispered. Lisa recognized it as a Latin phrase meaning, to the stars. At that moment her cell phone rang once more. Looking at it she recognized the number from the military base she normally reported to. First Professor Wilkens’ call about a possible war with invading aliens plus his mysterious reference about ad astra and now the military’s call. With a deep sigh, she wondered what other surprises they had for her as she answered her phone again.

-

The next morning, in orbit, Battle Commander Balforr gazed upon the planet he had come to conquer. Like so many other inhabited worlds, it was blue-white in color. He was surprised at the number of satellites in orbit as well as the large quantity of space junk. All this would have to be cleared before the colony transports were summoned.

“Commander,” said Second Officer Jaltor. “The Humans are still attempting to contact us. Should we reply?”

Balforr gazed at some data on a computer screen near him. He was astonished at the sheer number of nuclear weapons detected on the surface of the planet and even on oceangoing vessels. Some of these vessels, containing nuclear weapons, moved beneath the surface of the oceans. It was as if this planet was on the brink of an all-out nuclear war. He couldn’t allow the use of those nuclear weapons as they were dirty warheads and would release large amounts of radiation, making the planet useless for colonization. The nuclear weapons of the Trellixians were designed to limit the release of radiation and what radiation was created faded away within thirty hours.

“Open up a communications line to the planet,” ordered Balforr. “I will speak to them and offer to establish discussions on how this first contact can be mutually beneficial to both our races.” As with most races at this stage of development, the Humans would be anxious to learn from the Trellixians. Contacts such as this had been done hundreds of times in the past and would continue in the future. It greatly simplified the future invasions.

If everything worked as the dictates of the High Command had suggested Balforr would position his battlecruisers over the most important targets in prelude for the attack. It would take days or possibly weeks to locate all the weapons on this planet. Once that was done, they would come up with a battle plan to conquer this world with minimal losses to the Empire as well as a method to quickly eliminate this planet’s nuclear arsenals.

“We’ve established contact with an entity on the surface known as NASA,” reported Jaltor. “I believe it’s responsible for this planet’s space operations.”

Balforr nodded. This NASA would be a prime target. Touching an icon on the computer screen in front of him he prepared to address the representative of this world on his viewscreen. Showing his teeth he knew this world could have no idea of its future. Looking at one of the viewscreens, he surveyed the large amounts of water and the major landmasses evidencing this world as prime colonization territory. Several billion Trellixians would soon be brought to this planet. Not only that, a large number of moons and asteroids were suitable for mining. In the not-so-distant future this star system would become an important part of the Trellixian Empire.

-

In silence, President Drummond listened as NASA talked to the orbiting spacecraft. Their commander was adamant about making peaceful contact, even mentioning they had certain advanced technologies they were willing to share. Their commander explained they were part of the exploration wing of their space force tasked with the responsibility of establishing peaceful contact and trade with other species.

“They’re really laying it on thick,” muttered General Mitchell with a deep frown. “They’re selling everything except the kitchen sink.”

“Give them time,” replied Dwight Meadows. “It’s coming.”

Commander Balforr mentioned they also had some advanced medical technologies which could eliminate many Earth diseases and finally signed off.

“I told you,” said Meadows smugly. “There’s the kitchen sink!”

President Drummond turned to General Mitchell. “What’s your analysis of this conversation with Commander Balforr?” As had been previously arranged, all communications had been done through NASA.

“It’s been cleverly orchestrated to ensure we won’t turn it down. Hell, better sources of energy and a cure for most of our diseases, how could anyone tell them no?”

“So what do we do?” asked President Drummond.

“What they expect us to do. Say yes,” Mitchell answered with a shrug of his shoulders. “We’re buying time to finish up some key installations. Construction is being rushed as much as possible but there are only so many hours in the day. We also have to bring in personnel unobtrusively. We need four to six weeks to finish getting everything in place.”

President Drummond’s eyes widened. “Four to six weeks?” he muttered. “Is that possible?”

General Mitchell forced a grin. “You tell me. You’re the politician. I’m just getting ready to fight a war with a race that’s hundreds of years more advanced than we are.”

President Drummond let out a deep sigh. He greatly feared he would be the last president and would go down in history as being in office when the United States of America ceased being a world power; when it ceased being anything but the ruins of a great nation. “I’ll find some way to get you that four to six weeks. Just make sure it’s worth it.”

“It will be,” promised General Mitchell. “The Trellixians won’t realize what we’re doing until it’s too late. We’ve been preparing for this day for years.”

President Drummond nodded and stood, walking to gaze out the window. He had set plans into motion which had been worked on for over eighty years, since the UFO crash in Roswell, New Mexico. The alien ship that had crashed there had been fleeing a Trellixian invasion of its world. Over the years many of the systems on that crashed alien vessel had been reverse-engineered. Drummond just hoped they had learned enough to allow part of the human race to survive.

Chapter Two

Stationed at Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia, Major Mark Dolan gazed with confusion at his orders. His battalion of the 75th Army Rangers would transfer to an out-of-the-way location in the Colorado Rocky Mountains for special training along with several hundred soldiers from other units. While training in the Rangers was strenuous, this was the first time he had been involved in such a large-scale maneuver in the Rockies.

“What do you think’s going on?” asked Sergeant Braden Anderson, standing next to the major and watching the loading of the transports. Braden was a twenty-year veteran and often spoke to the major. “Do you reckon it’s due to the alien spaceships that arrived a few weeks ago?”

“No one’s saying much but you know it must be connected,” answered Mark, nodding toward the back of Colonel Karl Branson, his commanding officer, who was going into one of the operations buildings. They were all preparing to board transport planes to fly to Colorado and from there trucks and buses would take them deep inside the mountains for their maneuvers. Mark was surprised—and yet not—at the number of planes and the amount of equipment on the airfield. This had all the makings of a major long-term deployment.

Hunter Army Airfield featured an 11,375-foot-long runway, and the military facility could deploy soldiers and cargo anywhere in the world. Even as he watched, several planes took off while a number of others were still loading. Supplies of every type were stacked up, waiting to be put on the aircraft.

“All our Rangers are loaded and so is most of our equipment,” Captain Juan Garcia reported as he stepped up and saluted Major Dolan. “We should be ready to leave in twenty more minutes.”

“Right on schedule,” replied Dolan, glancing at his watch. “Any problems?”

“No, sir,” answered Captain Garcia. Then a confused look spread across his face. “Sir, those cargo planes on the far side of the runway are being loaded with pallets of ammunition and other weapons. What’s going on?”

Mark looked across the airfield, seeing numerous forklifts carrying munitions pallets to the cargo planes. Even a few armored vehicles waited in line to be loaded on the larger transports. He felt a cold chill run down his back. It was evident they were preparing to fight a war! Today their only enemy was the recently arrived aliens. This worried Mark as his parents lived in Houston and his sister was a nurse working at one of the larger hospitals just outside of Dallas.

Addressing Captain Garcia, Mark asked him a question. “Is that alien spacecraft still sitting on top of Dallas?” Mark knew Garcia kept up with all of this. He was highly interested in the arrival of the alien ships.

“Yes, sir,” replied Garcia, nodding his head. “It’s twenty thousand meters above Dallas. Also thirty-two other alien spacecraft are hovering above other major cities across the planet. Sounds hauntingly similar to one of the more popular alien invasion films from a few years back.”

Mark didn’t like hearing that, particularly since he knew which movie Garcia referred to. That one hadn’t ended well for Earth’s cities. Mark knew from the latest presidential announcement the aliens had requested to bring their spaceships closer to the surface, the explanation being they could better examine and assess the current technologies used on Earth. That in turn would help them evaluate which parts of their advanced technology could be adapted for human use.

“There’s something else, sir,” added Garcia hesitantly, looking around to ensure no one else other than Sergeant Anderson was listening. “I was talking to an Air Force friend of mine and a full squadron of F-22 Raptors are in those concrete hangers on the far side of the base. They’re fully armed, fueled, and ready to take off at any moment. Hell, he even claimed some of the pilots are sitting in the cockpits.”

Mark’s eyes widened at hearing this. Now he really grew concerned for his parents and his sister. It sounded as if the president wasn’t telling the public everything about the aliens. The fully armed fighter jets standing by to take off and the massive amounts of weapons, ammunition, and soldiers going to the mountains all indicated a dangerous situation was developing. “Garcia, do you have your cell phone on you?”

The captain glanced around, and Sergeant Anderson looked the other way as if he wasn’t listening. “Yes, sir,” answered Garcia. He reached into his pants pocket and casually handed the phone to the major. They weren’t supposed to have cell phones with them when they were out on maneuvers, though a number of the Rangers always managed to take theirs along.

Mark walked over behind a fuel truck and quickly called his parents’ number. His dad answered after just four rings. “Hello?”

“Dad, this is Mark. Where are you and Mom right now?”

“We’re home. Why do you ask?”

Mark hesitated. He could get into a lot of trouble over this. “I want you and Mom to pack up a few things and go out into the country, somewhere away from any large city or town.”

His dad was silent for a long moment and then he finally spoke. “Mark, your mother hasn’t been feeling well. I don’t think she’s up to traveling right now.”

Mark wasn’t sure what else to say. How could he tell his parents that he was concerned the aliens might be readying to attack? It was just the opposite of what the president was telling everyone. If Mark said anything he might be violating national security.

Then his dad spoke. “You don’t have to tell me what this is all about. I’ll load some clothes and food into the pickup as well as a few extra cans of fuel. I promise, if something happens, we’ll be gone from here just a few minutes later. Now don’t you worry about us. Just keep yourself safe.”

Satisfied his dad and mom would leave Houston at the first signs of trouble, Mark tried his sister next. She didn’t answer but he left her a message suggesting the same thing. He knew by using Garcia’s cell phone like this he was putting his career in danger. But then again, when was the last time the world faced a possible invasion from aliens?

-

Upon reporting to base, nearly two weeks passed before Captain Lisa Reynolds was then flown to an undisclosed location where she was to attend a briefing on her new job responsibilities. Going inside a heavily guarded building, she looked around in astonishment. There were many young officers in the briefing room, some of whom she recognized as research assistants at major colleges and universities as well as a number of prominent science centers. A few people were even from the Large Hadron Collider research facility in France and Sweden. All wore military uniforms with the rank of captain. Lisa sat down, turning her attention to the front of the room.

“I’m Major Leslie Lorre,” began a tall woman, standing in front of the seated group. “I am with the DOE and will be heading this operation.”

“What’s going on?” asked a young man, who looked just as confused as everyone else.

Major Lorre took a deep breath, nodding toward the two Marines guarding the door who promptly stepped outside. “All of you have been sworn to secrecy and signed nondisclosure forms. If anything you hear today is repeated outside of this room, it will be a violation of national security and you will be brought up on charges of treason. There will be no trial, no phone calls, nothing. You will be put in a military prison and held there until this crisis with the Trellixians is over.”

The large room grew silent as the men and women looked at each other, stunned. Several looked uneasily at one another as if wishing they were somewhere else.

“So what exactly is this crisis?” asked a woman.

Lisa recognized the young woman as Brenda Olson who worked at Cal Tech. She was very prominent in the nuclear research field dealing with nuclear fusion.

“What I am about to tell you is one of the world’s most highly guarded secrets. This will come as a shock to most of you but we’ve known of the existence of aliens for years. Back in early July 1947 a UFO crashed on a ranch northwest of Roswell, New Mexico. Everyone was told it was a weather balloon but it was actually a small interstellar spacecraft from a star system the Trellixians had recently attacked. The ship wasn’t designed for trips of more than a few light-years and its systems were taxed to the limit just to make it to Earth. Their life support was failing and the ship experienced numerous mechanical problems when it tried to land. Unfortunately for the crew it crashed, killing all but two.”

“There were survivors?” asked Captain Olson, her eyes widening in disbelief. “All the conspiracy theories we’ve heard about Roswell for all of these years are true?”

“Those conspiracy theories and stories were greatly exaggerated,” Major Lorre replied. “Some of them were leaked on purpose to help disguise what really occurred. The wilder the story the easier it was to hide the truth.”

“So what is the real story?” asked another man sitting up front directly in front of Major Lorre.

“Eleven aliens were on the ship and all but two of them died in the crash. One of the survivors died within a week and the other lived at Area 51 for twenty-two years. Upon speaking to the alien, the military intelligence officers were astonished and frightened by the tale of invasion he told. He brought recordings of the invasion of his world with him. The alien was convinced it was only a matter of time before these dangerous aliens found Earth. Our then-president called a special meeting and Strold, the alien survivor, told his story to a shocked group of world leaders and the brightest minds we could assemble. Those aliens that attacked and destroyed his world were the Trellixians.”

This caused the room to erupt with questions as the young captains began to realize why they were here. A war was coming. A war against a dangerous alien enemy.

“I’m amazed all of this remained a secret,” said another one of the captains, shaking his head. “How could something as momentous as this be kept from the news media?”

“A damn weather balloon,” muttered one of the others. “The Army and Air Force told everyone it was a weather balloon and went to great lengths to discredit all the witnesses. People swore until the day they died they had seen alien bodies and a spaceship had crashed at Roswell.”

“The weather balloon was a good cover story and, for the most part, it worked,” replied Major Lorre. “After meeting with the leaders of the most powerful countries in the world as well as a select group of scientists, the United States Government started to prepare. Our government formed a secret military alliance with a number of key countries across the globe to do everything possible to ready Earth for the coming of the Trellixians. Unfortunately our science was so far behind the aliens there wasn’t a lot that could be done initially. With the help of the alien survivor we were able to reverse-engineer some of their systems, particularly their computers.”

Major Leslie Lorre paused and her voice took on a much more ominous tone. “We know the Trellixians are not here for peaceful reasons. The talks we’re currently conducting are the aliens’ way of learning where we’re vulnerable. We believe they’re greatly concerned about our nuclear weapons arsenals.”

“From what Strold, our alien friend told us the Trellixians need new worlds for future colonization and don’t want to take over a radioactive cinder. That’s one of the reasons they’ve positioned their ships over key cities across the world. They have small shuttlecraft traveling from one ship to another almost constantly and they very seldom take the same path. We believe they’re scanning the surface to locate all our nuclear facilities, plus where all our nuclear armaments are stored.”

“Are we ready for them?” asked someone from the back of the room.

Major Lorre slowly shook her head. “No, the Trellixians came too soon. We have nothing which can defend our cities against their weapons.”

“So what’ll happen?” asked another captain. “How are we to fight? Are we planning to surrender?”

Major Lorre let out a deep sigh. “We’ll lose this war initially and take catastrophic losses across the planet. Most, if not all of the world’s major cities will be destroyed. Once that happens the Trellixians will land heavily armed soldiers to eliminate the rest of Earth’s population. We’ll resist them at every opportunity but they have superior weapons and casualties will be very high on our end. They also will have air superiority. They have come to Earth for only one purpose and that is to exterminate us. They will accept no offers to surrender. They will take no prisoners.”

“Oh, my God!” cried out one of the women. “Then why are we here if it’s hopeless?”

“I didn’t say it’s hopeless,” replied Major Lorre, her eyes focusing on the group. “We have some assets the Trellixians cannot locate, such as carefully hidden research and military installations to allow us to eventually fight back. However, before we can do that we need to learn as much as possible about the aliens’ weapons and technology. That’s where all of you come in. Each of you will be assigned to specific military units engaged in combat operations against the Trellixians, observing from a distance. We have designed special equipment you will be shown how to use to better analyze the science and technology the enemy possesses. We also want any examples of their technology we can get a hold of.”

“Some of us are going to die,” spoke up the girl who had cried out earlier. “Maybe all of us.” She had a frightened look on her face.

Major Lorre looked gravely over the group and slowly nodded. “Yes, there will be losses but our world and the human race is at stake. We desperately need the information you will be tasked with gathering. Each person in this room was specially selected based on recommendations from our leading scientists. In the coming weeks and months the situation may look grim or even hopeless but, as long as our secret installations survive, there will be hope for the future.”

“We will break you up into smaller groups and go over in more detail what information and technology we’re seeking. You will also be briefed on some of the technology we’ve managed to reverse-engineer from the crashed Roswell spacecraft. This will not be easy but we will not allow the human race to die. We will fight these invaders and somehow we’ll find a way to win.”

-

A few days later Lisa was looking out the window of an H-92 transport helicopter. She could see mountains covered in forests with the taller peaks encased in snow.

“Looks like the Rockies,” commented Captain Brenda Olson. “I’ve gone camping there with my parents every summer since I was ten.”

Lisa nodded. “I’m from Portland, Oregon and we have a lot of mountains around.”

“What do you think of all the equipment we have with us?” asked Captain Brett Masterson. “Some of it’s pretty damn technical.” Brett was a graduate from MIT with a degree in advanced engineering.

Lisa looked at Brett and nodded. “Considering some of it has been designed from the tech they developed by studying the Roswell wreck, that’s understandable. One of the scanners is capable of detecting the actual power output of a Trellixian ship and can even scan its interior if its energy shield is down.”

“An energy shield,” said Captain Olson, letting out a deep breath. “How do we shoot down a two-thousand-meter-long battlecruiser protected by an energy shield?”

“We hit them now with tactical nuclear weapons while their shields are off,” suggested Brett. “From what we’ve been told none of their shields are currently operating.”

Lisa shook her head. “They don’t want us to know they have energy shields. I also suspect as soon as they detect the approach of a nuclear warhead their shields will activate automatically. It’s how I would have set the system up.”

Brenda looked out the window, gazing at the mountains. “I don’t see any towns or cabins, major roads or even utility lines. Only a few fire roads are visible and those are few and far between. We’re really going where there are no people.”

The helicopter suddenly descended to a small clearing next to a winding stream. With a gentle jar the helicopter set down and a couple soldiers quickly exited and opened the twin doors.

Grabbing her pack and swinging it over her shoulder, Lisa stepped from the helicopter. Walking into the clearing she looked around, examining their surroundings.

“There’s nothing here,” muttered Captain Masterson.

“Someone will be here to pick you up shortly,” said one of the soldiers, unloading their equipment and stacking it a short distance from the helicopter.

“How often do you make the trip up here?” asked Captain Olson as she took her pack off her shoulder and set it near the equipment.

“About twice a week,” the solider replied. “If the three of you will step back we’ll be taking off.” The soldier went up the small rear ramp on the helicopter, shutting it.

The three captains stepped out of the way, turning to watch the helicopter. It quickly rose into the sky, vanishing behind the nearby mountains.

Brenda looked around and then sat on the ground near the equipment, leaning against her pack. “Might as well get comfortable,” she said. “Looks as if we might be here for a while.” There was a light wind, which barely stirred the tall trees surrounding them.

“Talk about the middle of nowhere,” said Brett, looking around. “We’re way back in the mountains. Only a few hikers ever come in this far.”

“I hope no bears are around,” said Brenda uneasily. “Quite a few black bears are in these mountains and I’ve even heard rumors a few grizzlies have moved back into Colorado.”

“We have our pistols,” said Brett, touching the 9mm Glock secured in the holster at his waist. “A few rounds would probably scare off a bear.”

Lisa walked over to their pile of equipment. She could hear the rushing water in the stream and even a few birds back in the woods. It was very peaceful here. It reminded her of the camping trips her family took in Portland when she was younger. A noise coming from the woods drew her attention.

Emerging from the forest were three LTATVs—Lightweight Tactical All-Terrain Vehicles. They were camouflaged to blend in with their surroundings.

The three vehicles came to a stop and an Army lieutenant climbed out of the first one, addressing the three young captains. “We’re here to take you to the base. Is that all of your equipment?”

“Yes,” Brett replied. “Some of it’s pretty delicate, so be careful with it.”

“Yes, sir,” the lieutenant replied as he motioned for the two privates driving the other two ATVs to help with the loading. He then turned toward the three captains. “Our base is a ways from here. It’ll take about an hour to get there. The terrain is pretty rough but we’ll drive slowly so as not to risk damaging your equipment.”

As soon as the equipment was loaded each captain climbed in one of the ATVs, buckling themselves in.

-

The trip to the base seemed like a lot longer than an hour to Lisa. The lieutenant she rode with took great care to keep the ATV beneath the canopy of the forest. Several times they had to slow down and cross streams which came close to overflowing into the vehicles.

“The streams are reinforced with concrete bottoms that you can’t see,” the lieutenant told Lisa. “We have half a dozen routes we can take to reach the pickup points. We’ve cleared just enough brush so we can get through and not look overly suspicious.”

“There’s more than one route?”

“Yes; several. We don’t want to leave any obvious trails that can be traced.”

Lisa leaned back as the ATV bounced over the rough forest floor. Several times she was jarred so hard she would have fallen out if not for the safety harness she wore. Looking in the back she checked the equipment, making sure it was secure. Everything seemed fine and she was certain the lieutenant knew what he was doing.

-

Mark heard the sounds of the ATVs before they appeared through the forest. He was in a small clearing next to a towering mountain cliff with a slight overhang so one could stand directly beneath the cliff and not be seen. Camouflage netting had been installed to conceal what was in the cliff wall: a large metal door which led to a concealed base deep within.

“More newbies,” said Captain Garcia, watching the ATVs. “I wonder who they are?”

“I’m not sure,” Mark replied as the ATVs came to a stop. “We just had orders to pick them up and bring them here. They’re supposed to be scientist types.”

“Any word as to what’s going on?”

“No,” Mark replied. He had spoken to Colonel Branson the day before who was at another, larger base. “The extent of what I know is all our Ranger battalions have been deployed to the mountains. We’re supposed to keep a low profile and do everything possible not to be spotted.”

Garcia gestured to the metal door set in the cliff face behind him. “That base must have taken years to build. What I want to know is why we’re way out here in the middle of nowhere. I’ve done some scouting and nothing’s here but the base. What are we defending? The government knows something it’s not telling us.”

Mark nodded. This concerned him as it left no way for any of them to contact their families. “There’s a communications blackout.”

“That’s for sure,” muttered Garcia. He then spoke in a lower voice. “I talked to several of the men I know who have cell phones. None of them are working. All our signals are either being jammed or not getting out.”

“We have the communications set in the base. It seems to be working fine.”

“It’s a secure landline,” replied Garcia. “It’s hard telling how far underground the cable is. I tried to check the other day with a metal detector and couldn’t pick it up. That damn thing’s buried deep as if they didn’t want anyone to ever find it.”

Mark nodded again. They were pretty well out of touch with what was going on around the world as far as the aliens were concerned. The only news they received was from regimental headquarters’ daily communications transmissions. It deeply concerned Mark as he didn’t know if his parents were still in Houston or if his sister was still in Dallas, and he had no way of finding out.

Chapter Three

President Drummond shook his head as he listened to the latest offers from the Trellixians. They had requested to use some of their medical staff to examine various humans across the planet to determine what medical procedures would best serve the human race. The latest offers included a possible cure for cancer and the ability to extend human life by fifteen to twenty years.

“It’s just another excuse to send their shuttles flying across our skies,” said General Mitchell with a disgruntled sigh. “We’ve confirmed they’re using their scanners to search every sector of Earth for hidden nuclear weapons.”

Maggie Rayne, the secretary of state, stood and walked to get some water. After pouring herself a glass she took a long drink before turning toward the general with the glass still in her right hand. “How much longer can we delay them? Some of the other governments are getting restless.”

“Not much longer,” replied General Mitchell, looking at the latest reports he had spread out on a small table. “The aliens are already a little suspicious by some of the delays we’ve put in front of them. They’re confused why we aren’t more interested in examining some of their advanced technology.”

“Did we explain to them everything needs to go through the United Nations?” asked President Drummond. They had decided to use the UN as an excuse to drag this out since nothing could be accomplished quickly in the General Assembly. There was always too much infighting and suspicion between the third-world countries.

“Yes,” answered Dwight Meadows. “I get the impression they don’t believe us.”

“We’re running out of time,” Vice President Katelyn Hathaway said from where she sat on one of the twin sofas in the office. “They’ll figure out what we’re up to soon.”

“STRATCOM has detected more Trellixian battlecruisers near Neptune this morning,” added Meadows grimly. “Twenty more of the big battlecruisers and forty-six of what we believe to be troop ships. The troop ships are massive and may contain as many as ten thousand soldiers each plus their equipment.”

“The beginning of their invasion force,” said Vice President Hathaway, blinking her eyes. “It won’t be much longer now.”

“Do we have our military units ready?” asked President Drummond, looking at General Mitchell. Drummond had known this day would come; it was just hard to accept it was finally here.

Mitchell nodded. “All the secure bases and installations are fully staffed and operational. Secondary bases received their military units earlier this week. We’ve even moved several squadrons of F-22 Raptors and some of our more advanced F-35 Lightnings to secure out-of-the-way bunkers. The runways are hidden and covered with a special artificial turf that looks like grass. If the opportunity comes to use them against the enemy, we can.”

“What about the rest of our military units?”

Mitchell took a deep breath. “We’ve dispersed as many as possible but we can’t move too many or it will look suspicious. We’ve made arrangements to disperse more as soon as hostilities start.”

President Drummond shifted his gaze to Vice President Hathaway. “Katelyn, it’s time for you and the others to go to the secure facilities we’ve set up to carry on our government.”

The vice president’s eyes widened. “What about you? When will you be evacuating?”

Drummond’s gaze took on a distant look. “Not until the very end. If necessary I can go to the secure facility beneath the White House if I can’t get out in time.”

“I don’t know,” said General Mitchell doubtfully. “You could be trapped down there.”

“I’ll take the risk,” replied President Drummond. “The people elected me and I intend to serve them until the last possible moment.”

“I’ll stay as well,” said Meadows with a nod. “NASA’s doing all the communicating with the Trellixians and you’ll need me to keep you informed. Maybe we’ll have enough of a warning to escape Washington.”

“What about the other countries? How are they progressing with their hidden facilities?”

General Mitchell picked up a folder and examined it for a moment. “The UK, Canada, Australia, and Germany are on schedule. China, Russia, and France are running slightly behind. They need another week to finish moving people and supplies.”

“What about Japan?”

“Unknown. Since we sent them the warning they’ve been strangely quiet.”

“Damn Japanese have always been confusing,” complained Maggie Rayne, shaking her head. “We’ve received reports they’re getting their installations ready but they’re not responding to our requests for information.”

“General Mitchell, how much time do you think we have?”

Mitchell looked at the president. “Two, maybe three days at the most. I think the arrival of the second fleet is a good indication they’re ready to launch their invasion.”

President Drummond nodded. “I want all of you out of Washington in the next few hours. It’s essential our government continues and the military has its commanding officer. Maggie, you and Katelyn are to go to different facilities. If the worst happens, at least one of you should be able to take over as president.”

“Don’t say that,” said Maggie, her eyes wide with concern. “You’ll make it out!”

Drummond didn’t reply. He had no intention of leaving Washington and allowing the country to die while he was safe in one of the secure facilities. Both Katelyn and Maggie would make good strong presidents for the country or what remained once the Trellixians launched their attack.

-

On board the battlecruiser above Washington, DC, Battle Commander Balforr examined the latest reports from the other battlecruisers spread out across the planet. “The Humans are stalling.”

“Why?” asked Second Officer Jaltor, confused. “Why would they be stalling? They can’t know our real intentions.”

Battle Commander Balforr gazed at the viewscreens in the front of the busy Command Center. “Not if they knew who we were before we arrived.”

Jaltor looked surprised. “How is that possible? None of our ships other than the exploratory cruiser have ever been in this system and the cruiser took precautions to ensure it wasn’t detected.”

“In the past we have cleansed a number of systems in this sector of life. Several of them had spacecraft capable of interstellar travel. What if one of those ships escaped and managed to make it to Earth?”

“But there are no signs of that,” objected Jaltor, his eyes widening. “None of the active media stations on the planet have ever mentioned encountering other life-forms.”

Battle Commander Balforr turned away from the viewscreens. “Check the Humans’ historical records. Perhaps we’ve missed something. The advance invasion fleet is already in orbit around the system’s eighth planet. We’re nearly ready to invade and I don’t want any surprises.” The Trellixians made it a point of being thorough; that was why they had cleansed so many inhabited worlds for future colonization. Balforr didn’t intend to vary from that commitment now. If something was going on he would find it.

-

Professor Wilkens was inside one of the major underground installations built in secret. It was a massive installation with labs, tooling facilities, and workshops. Many of the top scientists in the world had been gathered inside this facility to find a way to defeat the Trellixians.

“Everything’s nearly ready,” said Major Charles Cunningham, sitting across the desk from Wilkens in a large comfortable chair. “I spoke to Major Lorre and all the people we wanted have been assigned to different military units. They all have the new equipment and their mission has been explained to them. They’re just waiting to be deployed to the field.”

“Those are some of the brightest young people we have,” said Professor Wilkens, thinking specifically about Captain Lisa Reynolds. Lisa was the brightest and most enthusiastic intern he’d ever had. It bothered him immensely to put her life in jeopardy. It was one of the reasons she had been assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment. She was with the country’s best and if anyone could keep her safe it would be them.

“How’s the research going on the pulse rifle?”

Pierre Fournier looked at some notes he had brought to the meeting. Pierre was from France and was a major research scientist working on the Hadron Collider. “It’s nearly ready to be put into production. We still have a few tests to run. It fires a thin stream of energy which will cut through a solid sheet of steel like it’s butter. We’re setting up an assembly line in the civilian complex to begin producing them as soon as we’re satisfied they’re fully functional.”

“I wish we had them now,” said Major Cunningham with a deep sigh. “They might make a big difference in the coming battle.”

“The Trellixians came too soon,” Wilkens said sadly. “Two more years and we would have had our energy shields and cannons ready to deploy. We need to place a high priority on capturing Trellixian equipment so we can reverse-engineer it. Perhaps it will help speed up our research.”

“I’ll get the word sent out,” Cunningham said as he made a quick note.

“Are all our people in place?”

“Almost. We still have a few we need to bring into the various hidden facilities. They should be arriving in the next few days.”

A knock on the door preceded a corporal stepping inside. “We just received word from General Mitchell. They expect the attack to begin within the next forty-eight hours. A Trellixian invasion fleet has been detected around Neptune.”

Professor Wilkens’s face took on a grim look. “We knew it was coming. Let’s make sure we get the last of our people inside the facilities. In twenty-four hours we need to lock them down tight and go silent. What about the president and the other Cabinet members?”

“Vice President Hathaway will be coming here, and Secretary of State Rayne will be transported to our other major complex,” reported the corporal. “General Mitchell is going to the main military complex to take command there.”

Wilkens’s eyes widened at one omission. “What about the president?”

The corporal slowly shook his head. “He’s refusing to leave Washington until the last minute.”

Wilkens looked at Major Cunningham. “You need to talk to General Mitchell and see if he can sway the president into leaving now. If he stays in Washington until the last minute he won’t make it out. I’m not sure he understands how devastating the attack by the Trellixians will be. Just the EMP blasts themselves will paralyze the country.”

“I’ll try,” replied Cunningham, frowning. “But the president can be quite stubborn. He won the last election in a landslide and I believe he feels by going to one of the secure locations he would be abandoning the people.”

“Nevertheless, you need to try.” Wilkens knew, from a morale standpoint, they needed the president. Staying in Washington would be a useless sacrifice.

Cunningham nodded. “I’ll express your concerns to General Mitchell.”

Professor Wilkens leaned back in his chair with a deep sigh. There was still so much to do and they were rapidly running out of time.

-

A few hours passed and Second Officer Jaltor listened as a research scientist on one of the lower decks reported in. When he was finished Jaltor turned toward Battle Commandeer Balforr with a look of deep concern. “We may have a problem.”

Balforr shifted his gaze toward Jaltor, waiting for an explanation.

“It seems that a number of years ago a Jelnoid scout craft may have crash landed on the planet Earth.”

“Jelnoid?” repeated Balforr, his eyes widening. “If I recall correctly they controlled four star systems when one of our exploratory missions found them.”

“That’s correct,” replied Jaltor. “The war with the Jelnoids lasted nearly six months as they had a small war fleet and their home system had a very powerful defensive grid around it. In the end all four systems were subdued and, after a series of long ground campaigns, cleansed of Jelnoid life. A search was made of surrounding systems to ensure no Jelnoid spacecraft had escaped. There is strong evidence one did indeed escape and ended up here on Earth.”

“What is the evidence?”

“Old photographs showing part of the wreckage with Jelnoid inscriptions.”

“How long ago was this?” Balforr asked in a tight voice.

Jaltor hesitated and then answered. “Over eighty Earth years.”

“Is there any sign of advancements on Earth which could be directly related to Jelnoid technology?”

“Their computer systems. They’re far more advanced than they should be for the level of technology otherwise on the planet.”

Battle Commander Balforr stepped off the command pedestal and walked closer to the viewscreens showing the city beneath his flagship. “They’ve been playing us for fools!” roared Balforr, his eyes glowing red. “They knew who we were from the very beginning and have been stalling.”

“But why? What good will it do?”

“Search our scans of their military bases since we arrived. See if there have been any changes in the status or deployment of their armies.”

“I’ll give the order to review the scans,” replied Jaltor as he hurried off to do so.

Battle Commander Balforr gazed in anger at the viewscreens. It wasn’t often a world could fool the Trellixians. Balforr took several long and deep breaths, bringing his anger under control. If this world was stalling they must have a reason. It was essential Balforr find out due to the massive sizes of this world’s armies and other fighting units. Very few worlds the Trellixians had ever come across were as heavily armed as this world was. In some countries on this planet even the civilians carried weapons. What he was more concerned about was hidden weapons. The Jelnoids were very advanced and if the Humans had eighty years to prepare for the arrival of a Trellixian invasion fleet, it was hard telling what they might have developed in secret.

He returned to the command pedestal and sat down. He clenched his fists, his sharp nails nearly cutting into his flesh. For several long moments he sat there, mentally reviewing his conversations with the Humans. He called up numerous scans of the planet. Nowhere were there signs of advanced weapons based on Jelnoid technology. The Humans were either hiding that technology or they had never developed it. Reaching a decision, he turned toward the communications officer.

“Inform all battlecruisers that initial bombardment of this world will commence in twenty-three hours. First targets will be military installations containing nuclear armaments, then regular military installations, and finally their cities.” Balforr glanced back at the viewscreens, revealing several of the planet’s major cities. Very soon those would be radioactive ruins. If the Humans possessed Jelnoid technology he would force them to reveal it.

-

“Mr. President, I just received a confirmation several Trellixian shuttle craft have appeared over Roswell, New Mexico,” reported General Mason who had volunteered to stay behind to keep the president informed of developments.

President Drummond walked toward one of the three large windows behind his desk. His gaze wandered to the rose gardens and the abundance of blooms on the many bushes. With a deep sigh he knew shortly all this would be gone. “They’ve figured it out somehow.”

“That’s what General Mitchell believes. He’s recommending you evacuate now or at the very least go to the underground Command Center.” The deep underground Command Center was adjacent to the West Wing of the White House and capable of withstanding a direct nuclear strike.

“Have General Mitchell and the others made it to their secure facilities?”

“Yes, Mr. President. All are where they’re supposed to be and the facilities are being buttoned up even as we speak.”

President Drummond sat at his desk. “Are our regular military forces ready to be dispersed?” These plans had been drawn up long ago and then modified over the years. All the elite military units were already gone from their bases. All that remained were the regular troops.

“Upon your command.”

“Order the immediate activation of all National Guard and Reserve units per plan Armageddon.” This part of the plan had been worked out years in the past. The military units would be called in, given extra ammunition and weapons and then told to go into the countryside taking their families with them. At the same time all regular Army and Marine units would be dispersed as much as possible in order to ensure the maximum number of them survived when the Trellixians launched their attack.

“Inform all countries aiding us what is occurring and what we’re doing so they can prepare. We’ll give them one-hour’s notice when we’re ready to assume hostilities.” Plans had been made and once the signal was given each country was responsible for their own defense and any assaults made against the Trellixian battlecruisers. President Drummond was not going to allow the Trellixians to get in the first strike.

“Are the B-21s ready to take off?” The B-21s stealth bombers were each equipped with four cruise missiles armed with nuclear warheads.

“Yes, upon either your command or General Mitchell’s.”

“The F-35s?”

“Same thing. They’ll draw off any Trellixian small craft so the B-21s can go in. The B-2s will be held back for later.”

President Drummond took a deep breath. He knew by hitting the Trellixian ships with nuclear weapons there would be a lot of collateral damage to the cities below. The scientists also had a lot of doubt if the nukes would have any effect at all on the Trellixian battlecruisers protected by their powerful energy shields. Shields that were currently down or operating at minimal levels while they were so low in Earth’s atmosphere and close to the cities.

Drummond intended to take advantage of that. Hopefully the Trellixians wouldn’t know what was going on until it was too late. With a little luck they might lose a few of their battlecruisers. “Keep me informed. If the Trellixians make any aggressive moves we may have to speed up our timetable.”

General Mason nodded. “If the Trellixians see us moving troops around they’re bound to grow suspicious.”

“It’s a risk we have to take,” replied Drummond. “Initiate plan Chaos. It will give us a reason to move troops. This time tomorrow we will be at war with alien invaders. I just hope some of us survive.” President Drummond leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, taking several deep breaths. He wished none of this were happening. Opening his eyes he gazed about the empty office. In another forty-eight hours most of the human race would probably be dead.

-

“It has been confirmed,” Second Officer Jaltor reported as the results came in of the older scans they had examined. “A number of military bases across the planet are missing large numbers of soldiers. Aircraft and other military hardware are also gone.”

“How did we miss this?” Balforr was aggravated no one had noticed the Humans moving military forces around.

Second Officer Jaltor shook his head. “This planet has so many different military groups it’s been difficult to keep track of them. They’re constantly moving troops around or sending them out on maneuvers. We believe this was done gradually so we wouldn’t notice.”

Battle Commander Balforr considered his options. So far there had been no indications from the Humans anything was amiss. This could be nothing more than precautionary actions on their part and not a prelude to an attack. However, the information about the Jelnoid scout craft was disconcerting. “We will attack as planned. Contact the invasion fleet. I want them in Earth orbit one hour after we begin our assault.”

“I will send the order,” replied Second Officer Jaltor. “Should we place the fleet on a higher level of alert?”

“No, we must not tip off Earth we are suspicious. This time tomorrow it will not matter anyway.”

Battle Commander Balforr gazed at the viewscreens. It would soon be dark over this part of the world. It was tempting to speed up the attack as the Humans’ brightly lit cities made for easy targets. However, large numbers of Trellixian shuttles still crisscrossed the planet searching for hidden nuclear weapons. He needed to give them as much time as possible to confirm all hidden caches of the dangerous weapons had been located.

The locations or caches would be the primary military targets of the Trellixian fleet, followed by military bases and then the Humans’ major population centers. Even if the Humans had reverse-engineered some of the Jelnoid technology it would do them no good.

Within forty hours their military bases would lay in ruins and most if not all of their major cities would be burning. Within a month the Humans would be cleansed from the planet and it would be ripe for colonization.

Someday Earth would join the Trellixian Empire as a fully populated Trellixian world.

Chapter Four

In Chicago, special agents working for the government moved in and spread rumors of police brutality. Those agents had embedded themselves in street gangs and poverty-stricken neighborhoods where the residents were fearful of the police. They started fires in several businesses and spread more rumors of police indiscriminately rounding up gang members. Within hours a major riot developed, throwing the entire city into chaos. The government agents did everything they could to encourage the growing turmoil and then they disappeared.

The same disturbances occurred in a score of other American cities as populations were stirred up to protest and riot. The mayors of the cities were told by the federal government not to intervene as the military was being sent in to restore order. They were informed martial law would shortly be declared in specific regions of the country, giving the military a greater hand to resolve this growing emergency. The mayors agreed as the disturbances were rapidly growing in size and destruction. The police were barely able to protect the fire departments as they fought the blazes. In several instances, the police were overrun and the fire trucks themselves set on fire.

Across the country more rumors spread of the National Guard and the Reserve being mobilized as martial law was declared in the cities now dealing with strife. Military bases were placed on alert and companies of soldiers and Marines left in convoys heading toward major cities to restore order. Many of these convoys made it to the cities while others simply vanished.

-

At specific armories across the country National Guard and Reserve units reported in and were surprised to be told they would receive additional weapons, ammunition, and supplies. They were told to evacuate their families and trusted friends to locations outside the cities. The soldiers were not given a reason as to why but many suspected it must involve the Trellixians. The soldiers looked at each other knowingly as they got in line to receive their additional equipment. Most grew worried about what was coming when they saw the weapons and ammo available to them. It was evident the government expected hostilities to break out very soon.

Conversations broke out as many made plans to meet in the countryside at farms or even in the mountains. Entire squads decided to stick together as they figured there was more safety in numbers plus the increased firepower it would provide. Boxes of MREs, extra uniforms, and even communications equipment were also available for those who wanted them. Almost all of them loaded up several cartons of MREs since they knew how important food would become in the following weeks. Several backed up pickups and were surprised when the officers helped load them. The men and women in the units were told to finish loading up the supplies and be out of the cities before the sun rose. The soldiers hurriedly filled their vehicles with what they thought they would need. Nearly all of them would stop at gas stations and fill up before heading home to pick up their families.

Cell phone calls were made even as they finished loading their vehicles. Most returned to their homes and quickly loaded up vehicles with additional food, water, and other supplies that might be needed. They had been furnished with lists of items to take with them by their military commanders. In many cities—and particularly in small towns—a vast exodus of people began in the middle of the night. Many headed to farms of people they knew; others headed for the mountains in small convoys.

-

It was nearing morning and in the White House President Drummond sat at his desk with his head bowed. He had slept very little during the night, knowing what was to come. Several TV screens showed the rioting in the cities with newscasters calling for order and immediate investigations of the police and government institutions. The reporters were also demanding to know where the National Guard and the Reserve units were. They all knew the two had been activated but so far there had been no response, with most units stopping just outside the cities or not arriving at all.

Raising his head, Drummond looked at General Mason. “What have I done? People are dying out there all over a pack of lies we disseminated.”

General Mason gazed at the president for a long moment and then replied. “Those people were doomed anyway. What we’re doing is giving our National Guard and the Reserve units time to make it into the countryside. We’ve also managed to move tens of thousands of soldiers out of harm’s way. Fourteen hours of time is what these actions have bought us. Those Reserve and Guard units will be essential for future operations against the Trellixians. It means wherever the enemy goes they’ll meet armed resistance. We’ve also evacuated hundreds of thousands of civilians to safety since the riots began.”

“How soon before the Trellixians figure out what we’re up to?” Drummond had been expecting an armed response from the aliens at any time. They had to suspect something was going on, particularly when so many military units began to move.

“Any hour now,” replied General Mason, glancing at his watch. “It won’t take them long to figure out the soldiers aren’t showing up where they’re supposed to. I’m sure they’re watching and are aware many of our military units are fleeing the cities and evacuating their bases.”

“Should we launch the F-35s and the B-21s?” A dangerous plan had been put forth to attack all thirty-three of the Trellixian battlecruisers hovering over the world’s major cities. It would result in a massive loss of human life, but it might also cripple the enemy.

“I’m afraid if we wait any longer we’ll lose the element of surprise. In the last two hours most of the Trellixian shuttles scanning the surface have flown back to their battlecruisers. We’ve also detected an increase in communication between the enemy ships. Other countries are also moving troops out of harm’s way as well as part of their civilian populations. The Trellixians have to suspect something is going on.”

“Then let’s do it. Maybe we’ll get lucky and take out a few of their ships.” President Drummond knew once they launched this attack there would be no turning back.

General Mason nodded at a military officer standing in the back of the room. He stepped forward, carrying a shiny metal case. The officer placed it on the desk in front of President Drummond and opened it. The box contained a special computer used to order an immediate nuclear strike. General Mitchell had an identical case as it was deemed prudent he also have the ability to launch a nuclear attack if necessary.

President Drummond had thought about this moment often in the past few weeks, praying it would never arrive. Leaning forward, he placed his right eye near a slot which read his retina pattern. With a low humming noise the computer activated. A list of codes appeared on the screen, each one representing a specific nuclear option. All the current codes involved the Trellixians.

Taking a deep breath, Drummond reached his right hand forward and touched the icon representing the strike option General Mitchell and others on the president’s staff had previously suggested for maximum impact against the Trellixians. Once his finger touched the option all the others disappeared and two words popped up: Confirm and Cancel.

With a shaking hand Drummond reached forward and pressed Confirm. The screen instantly went blank and a large counter appeared. Sixty minutes from now the United States would launch a full-scale nuclear assault against the four Trellixian battlecruisers over its cities. Other countries across the world would do the same.

At the bottom of the screen were two more words: Hold and Cancel. Drummond could press either up until the last minute. During the last sixty seconds the attack couldn’t be called off. Drummond knew he would not be touching either of those icons. He had just started the world on a path to destruction. Leaning back, he closed his eyes. He had just sentenced billions to die.

General Mason opened up a briefcase he carried and checked a small laptop-size computer inside. “Orders have been confirmed and all stations are now at DEFCON 1. All military installations are preparing for a nuclear attack. Our allies have also been informed. They are setting their own attacks in motion.”

Drummond shook his head. Never had any president of the United States ever ordered the military to this highest alert level. He sat up and opened his eyes. “Should we order the evacuation of our major cities?”

General Mason shook his head. “The panic caused by such an announcement would tie up all the interstates and city streets. An evacuation of this magnitude won’t work. Besides, where would the people go?”

Drummond could feel his pulse racing. He knew General Mason was right. By this time tomorrow it was distinctly possible the majority of the people of Earth would be dead. Drummond wondered how history would remember him, if at all. Perhaps as a monster who had set the world on a path of destruction.

“Mr. President, we should go to the underground Command and Control Center. We have a Trellixian battlecruiser overhead and you’re a prime target. We could be hit at any moment once they realize what’s going on.”

President Drummond stood and then, turning, walked to the center of the three windows looking out over the White House grounds. His eyes were drawn to the roses in all of their glorious colors of red, yellow, white, and other shades. It had taken years to cultivate the rose gardens to what they were today. Drummond, a tear running down his cheek, knew what he had just ordered destroyed.

Turning around, he nodded at General Mason. “Let’s go.”

-

Across the United States at each of four airfields a pair of B-21 bombers were rolled out of their secure hangers. For several minutes the large stealth bombers sat on the runways and then, one by one, took off toward their targets. Each bomber was escorted by two F-35 Lightnings. As soon as the planes were in the air they activated their stealth systems. The only chance the planes had of success was to approach the Trellixian battlecruisers undetected. All the pilots and crews knew the odds of making it back to their bases were practically zero.

-

In Washington President Drummond, General Mason, and other essential personnel were inside the large underground Command and Control Center. Drummond was escorted to a small office to one side of the Situation Room.

“How long?” he asked General Mason. He had just ordered the first nuclear strike since bombs were dropped on Japan in World War Two.

“Bombers and fighters are in the air. As soon as the nuclear strikes go in, our other fighters will launch and try to take out any Trellixian shuttles which haven’t made it back to their ships. After that our fighters will be dispersed to out-of-the-way locations.”

“There is one more thing,” Dwight Meadows said with a grim look on his face. “The fleet around Neptune is on the move. It will be arriving at Earth sometime in the next few hours. That could be what the Trellixians are waiting for.”

“Then we launched our attack at the appropriate time.”

“It seems that way,” replied General Mason. “General Mitchell is ordering all special units to go quiet. Regular Army units will be used to move what civilian populations we can to designated areas where emergency supplies have been stored.”

Drummond knew these were cave systems in mountainous regions and even a few underground facilities. However, he also knew they could only save a fraction of the country’s population.

-

Battle Commander Balforr studied the latest reports coming in. Numerous riots had broken out in a number of cities in the United States. The president had mobilized the military to restore order and large numbers of military units were on the move.

“I don’t like this,” Balforr said as he gazed at one viewscreen showing a convoy of over sixty military vehicles traveling down a paved road toward one of the cities. “Looking back, everything seems to have been orchestrated by the Humans to delay our attack. They’ve drawn out our negotiations, hidden the facts about the Jelnoid scout ship, secreted away some military units, and now this.”

“What could they be up to?” asked Second Officer Jaltor, confused. “Surely they wouldn’t set fire to their own cities?”

Balforr shifted his gaze to a viewscreen of a city with several large buildings burning. “Wouldn’t they? How much longer until the invasion fleet reaches the planet?”

“Less than two hours,” answered Jaltor.

Balforr considered his options. “As soon as it goes into orbit, we will launch our attack. Is there any indication the Humans have detected our incoming fleet?”

“No, nothing in the communications we have with their space agency. All communications this morning have been normal.”

Balforr’s eyes narrowed sharply. “If they have access to Jelnoid technology they should have detected the fleet by now. This is just another indication they haven’t been truthful with us and are hiding something. These Humans are very devious and possibly more dangerous than the High Command projected.”

“There are reports of Human military movements in almost every country. Even those without any civil unrest,” added Jaltor.

Balforr took a deep breath, baring his teeth. “It could be a precautionary measure to prevent what’s occurring here in the United States and a few other countries.”

“Or this could all be a ruse to get some of their military units to safety,” suggested Jaltor. “We should strike now before they go into hiding.”

“Battle Commander Traven will be here shortly,” Balforr said as he considered Jaltor’s words, coming to believe the same thing. “Once he arrives, none of this will matter.” He needed Battle Commander Traven’s battlecruisers to launch the attack against the Humans. It was essential they hit all targets containing nuclear weapons at the same time and many of those locations were spread across this world.

Balforr gazed at the burning city on the viewscreen, wondering if this was some ruse. However, it wasn’t just this city; it was a number of others as well. In past attacks on other inhabited planets where they had made contact with the inhabitants before cleansing the planet there had been similar instances where the population had panicked. Perhaps this was what was occurring here. Balforr still felt uneasy as if he suddenly was no longer in control of the situation.

“I don’t trust these Humans,” Balforr finally said. “Place all our ships on a heightened alert level.”

“Should we go back into orbit?”

Balforr considered that for a moment and then shook his head. “No, they won’t dare launch an attack against our ships as long as we’re above their cities. Once the invasion fleet arrives we’ll join them in orbit and begin our attack. Until then, we will remain in our present positions so as not to worry the Humans.” Balforr’s gaze returned to the viewscreens where several cities were on fire and massive riots were taking place in the streets. Humans shouted, carried signs, and threw projectiles at the Human police forces trying to restore order. It was total chaos.

Balforr wondered just what type of world they had come to.

-

Lieutenant Adam Scott waited tensely as his F-35 Lightning rapidly neared its target. He glanced out of the cockpit at the two B-21 bombers his flight of four F-35s protected. They were closing at over 620 miles per hour on their target, Los Angeles, at an altitude of twelve thousand feet.

The bombers suddenly climbed and the four F-35s followed suit. They maintained radio silence to decrease the chance of detection. In the distance, Adam could see their target. The Trellixian battlecruiser was two thousand meters long and cylindrical in shape. The outside of the huge vessel was dotted with antennae, communication dishes, and offensive and defensive weaponry designed for war. Adam wondered how many other worlds this deadly ship had helped to conquer in the past.

It was early dawn with the sun just beginning to peek over the distant horizon. Much of the countryside was still shrouded in darkness. Ahead he could see the city lights of Los Angeles which seemed to stretch on for miles. It didn’t take long and soon all six aircraft were at fifty thousand feet. With every passing second the likelihood of detection grew. Scott searched the air around their target, looking for any shuttles. None were visible.

Suddenly the bay doors on the two bombers opened and moments later a single LRSO, Long-Range Standoff cruise missile, dropped from each and then their engines ignited. On the front of each missile was a W80-4 nuclear warhead set for a nuclear blast of sixty kilotons.

Immediately the two bombers initiated sharp turns and dove toward the ground. Lieutenant Scott felt the sudden increase in g-forces as he followed them. He knew not to look in the direction of the blast as his fighter followed the rapidly descending bombers. Mentally he counted the eighteen seconds for the missiles to reach their targets.

-

The two cruise missiles closed on the battlecruiser even as alarms sounded inside the Command Center of the Trellixian vessel. Before the enemy battlecruiser could raise its energy shield, the two missiles slammed into the hull, detonating. In two massive blasts of nuclear fire, the bow and stern of the huge ship were obliterated. Secondary explosions tore apart the rest of the ship, raining burning debris on the city below.

The twin nuclear blasts struck the city too. Each explosion was nearly three times more powerful than the bomb that fell on Hiroshima. Buildings crumbled as a firestorm engulfed the center of Los Angeles. Two hundred thousand people died instantly from the heat of the blast. The twin blast waves traveled outward as hurricane-force winds toppled buildings and threw cars and buses into the air. With every passing moment tens of thousands died from the fury of the nuclear explosions.

-

Lieutenant Scott felt his fighter shake severely in the turbulence caused by the blasts. In anguish he saw one of the bombers and one of the fighters plummet downward out of control. Both slammed into the ground and blew apart in bright fireballs.

“Target one is down, I repeat, target one is down,” came the voice of the commanding officer in the remaining bomber as he transmitted a short message to command.

The surviving bomber and three fighters leveled out at two thousand feet and darted away from the spreading carnage behind them. No one wanted to think about the hundreds of thousands of Americans who had just died.

Taking a deep breath Lieutenant Scott dared to look behind. He felt dizziness sweep over him at the sight of the mushroom cloud rising over Los Angeles. While the enemy ship had been destroyed they had just killed a lot of innocent Americans. Many had still been sleeping.

-

Battle Commander Balforr was in his quarters when the ship shook violently, nearly throwing him to the deck. Klaxons sounded and he felt the ship’s engines suddenly increase in power. Going to his large metal desk he pressed the Comm button. “What’s going on?” he demanded. “What struck the ship and why has the power to the engines been increased?”

“A nuclear missile struck our energy shield,” replied Second Officer Jaltor. “We managed to shoot a second one down. We barely got our shield up in time. A number of our other ships weren’t so fortunate.”

“Are you implying we lost some of our battlecruisers?”

“Nine,” answered Jaltor. “It was a coordinated attack across the entire planet.”

“I assume you’re taking us into orbit?”

“Yes, Battle Commander. If the Humans do have Jelnoid technology I wasn’t certain what they might hit us with next.”

“How soon before the invasion fleet arrives?”

“Twenty minutes.”

“Very well, as soon as the fleet goes into orbit we will begin planetary bombardment. I’ll be in the Command Center shortly.”

Battle Commander Balforr took a moment to consider what had just happened. Somehow the Humans had launched a coordinated nuclear attack against his battlecruisers, taking his ships by surprise. Energy shields had been down or operating at a minimum. It took too much energy to operate the shields at full power inside a planet’s atmosphere. No doubt the Humans had detected the invasion fleet orbiting the eighth planet of the system and realized what it was. It was astonishing they would willingly sacrifice their cities to destroy his battlecruisers. No enemy had ever tried this gambit before. Balforr would not underestimate the Humans again.

-

President Drummond was in the Situation Room in the underground Command Center. Reports rapidly came in on the attacks against the Trellixian battlecruisers. A few moments before he had felt the underground bunker shake as if an earthquake had struck. He knew it was from the detonation of a nuclear missile against the battlecruiser hovering above Washington, DC.

“We got nine of their battlecruisers,” reported General Mason. “The Japanese struck first, taking out the ships over Tokyo and Yokohama. We got the ones over Los Angeles, Dallas, and Houston. The Russians took out the ones over Moscow and Saint Petersburg and the British destroyed the one over London. The Chinese only got one, the battlecruiser above Beijing. However, we have a lot of major world cities in ruin. Paris, Rome, Berlin, Washington, DC, and others to name a few. The Japanese struck a full minute early. If they hadn’t we might have gotten a few more of the battlecruisers.”

“What are the Trellixians doing?” Drummond was certain they would be retaliating shortly.

“All of their surviving ships are rising from the surface,” replied Dwight Meadows. “We believe they’re going into orbit. Their invasion fleet will be here shortly. All their shuttles have either docked with the battlecruisers or are on their way into orbit.”

“We’ve ordered most of our military aircraft to stay on the ground until further notice,” added General Mason. “They can do nothing at the moment. It’s best if we try to save as many of them as we can in case we need them later.”

Drummond looked at Meadows and then back at General Mason. “Will they begin an all-out assault?”

Mason nodded. “That’s what General Mitchell believes. We’re in the process now of moving planes, troops, and other essential supplies to less vulnerable locations. Our main bases will be the first they strike. Warning sirens are sounding in all the major cities. The Emergency Broadcast System has been activated and the prerecorded messages are going out.” These messages encouraged the public to take immediate cover in shelters, basements, and the lower levels of their homes. Travel was discouraged.

“What about hitting the Trellixians in orbit with nuclear missiles?” Drummond knew they had the ability.

General Mason grinned. “As soon as their invasion fleet arrives General Mitchell intends to do just that.”

-

Inside the massive underground military Command Center deep in the bowels of the Rocky Mountains, General Mitchell watched the big screens, revealing what was occurring around the planet as well as in orbit. On a number of screens dissipating mushroom clouds were visible where nuclear weapons had stuck the Trellixian battlecruisers.

“Four minutes until arrival of the invasion fleet. They’re just passing the orbit of the Moon,” reported Colonel Henry Fields, watching a special sensor screen based on Jelnoid technology.

“Our missile satellites are on standby,” reported Major Jase Thomas.

“We’ll launch as soon as they go into orbit. Target every one of those supposed troop ships.” Twenty satellites were in orbit as part of the joint defense network. The underground Command Center had control of all of them. There was a second emergency Command Center in Russia which could take over if the Rocky Mountain center was knocked out.

The minutes slowly passed by and the invasion fleet joined the other twenty-four Trellixian battlecruisers in orbit.

-

Battle Commander Balforr watched the ship’s main tactical display as the invasion fleet arrived.

“Battle Commander Traven reports he’s ready to launch the attack,” said Second Officer Jaltor. “I’ve sent him the target list and he’s downloading it to his battlecruisers.”

“Excellent,” Balforr replied as he shifted his gaze to a viewscreen showing the blue-white globe they orbited. “Our orbital bombardment should end all resistance on this planet before it can get started.” Balforr was certain the surprise nuclear attack had been aimed at annihilating all his battlecruisers. It had failed and now the Humans would pay a severe penalty for their arrogance.

-

In high orbit, twenty satellites disguised as large communication satellites suddenly broke apart, leaving a bare skeleton behind. On the skeleton resided six special missiles equipped with Jelnoid technology. The missiles had an advanced EM drive, capable of delivering a sudden burst of acceleration. Special shielding prevented Trellixian sensors from detecting the nuclear warheads. Each missile contained a W80-4 warhead set at 150 kilotons of explosive force. At a command from the ground, the missiles were released from the platforms and their drives ignited immediately.

-

Alarms sounded in Balforr’s Command Center, startling him as he glared at the tactical display. His eyes widened in shock as he saw over one hundred missiles rapidly accelerating toward his fleet. It looked as if every ship was targeted. The missiles came from above! How was this possible? Were there hidden ships in orbit above his fleet?

“Shields!” he called out, immediately recognizing the threat. They had not expected to be attacked from orbit. His own fleet still had their shields up due to the earlier attack near the surface but not all of Battle Commander Traven’s ships did. “Send the order for all ships to raise their shields! Activate point defenses!” Energy shields took tremendous quantities of power and were normally kept at very low levels unless there was a threat.

Looking at a nearby tactical screen, he saw shields instantly pop up around most of Battle Commander Traven’s ships. A few troop ships remained unprotected. His eyes focused on the red threat icons representing the inbound missiles. They were rapidly nearing the fleet.

“Point defense activated,” reported Second Officer Jaltor. “We’re having a hard time locking on to targets. Those missiles have Jelnoid technology built into them. The space drive and the shielding technology is also Jelnoid.”

“Find out where those missiles came from,” ordered Balforr as he gazed at the tactical display showing the inbound missiles. They were nearly to the fleet. He felt growing anger and frustration at these Humans. How dare they attack ships of the Empire!

-

On the hull of the flagship defensive energy beam turrets turned and fired upon the incoming missiles. In bright explosions some of the missiles were vaporized. Other energy beams missed completely as the battlecruisers were having a hard time locking on to targets. One hundred twenty missiles were launched and in a matter of a few seconds, thirty-two of them were eliminated. Then bright flashes erupted against the energy shields of the battlecruisers and troop transports as eighty-eight missiles armed with 150-kiloton nuclear warheads detonated. Several shields wavered and four battlecruisers struck by four or more missiles saw their shields fail. Follow-up missiles slammed into the unprotected hulls, detonating in massive flashes of light. Hull armor and the interior of the ships instantly turned into glowing plasma as the battlecruisers were incinerated from the tremendous heat of the blasts. They blew apart, sending flaming debris in all directions.

Six troop transports frantically attempted to get their shields up. They had been taken down for repairs since no space opposition was expected in this system. Before the shields could be brought back online missiles stuck all six ships. The six troop transports vanished as nuclear fireballs blew them apart, killing all on board. Then the missile attack died out as the last missile was destroyed by defensive fire just short of the ship it had targeted.

On Earth, all eyes turned upward to stare at the bright flashes in the sky. Vehicles suddenly ceased to work and power grids crashed as the electromagnetic pulses from the blasts struck the surface. Across most of the planet the lights went out, TVs died, the internet stopped functioning, and radio stations ceased to broadcast. Only a few older vehicles still worked and in a few areas where the power grid had been hardened to resist an EMP blast the lights still burned in the night.

-

On one of the large screens, General Mitchell watched as a Trellixian troop ship blew apart. He knew thousands of enemy soldiers had just died on that vessel.

“Ten confirmed kills,” reported Colonel Henry Fields, sounding pleased. “Six troop ships and four more battlecruisers.”

“I was hoping for more,” said Mitchell, his shoulders drooping slightly. “That was our last big chance to cause some major damage.” There had been plans to deploy more of the missile satellites but the Trellixians had shown up too soon.

“Most of the ships had their shields up or raised them before our missiles struck,” explained Major Thomas. “We weren’t expecting such rapid response times. Also their defensive systems are far better than what we thought though they had a hard time locking on to the Jelnoid missiles.”

General Mitchell stared at the glowing wreckage left by the nuclear explosions. Even that soon died out in the harsh vacuum of space. “They’ve done this countless times in the past. We may have thrown a few wrenches into their invasion plans but it’s still not enough.”

“The EMP from the nuclear blasts has pretty well paralyzed everything,” reported Colonel Fields. “Power is out and most vehicles are dead. The people won’t be escaping the cities now. A few areas escaped the effects of the EMP but not many.”

“Not for long,” said Major Thomas with a grave look in his eyes. “As soon as the Trellixians start their bombardment all power will be out.”

General Mitchell nodded. “We were expecting this. Many of our troops have shielded vehicles or won’t be affected. Very shortly this will turn into a ground battle.”

“Several of the battlecruisers are readjusting their orbits,” reported Colonel Fields. “I believe it’s to take into account the ones we managed to take out.”

“Contact all commands and tell them to prepare for imminent nuclear attack. They’ll try to wipe us out now. All interceptors to engage targets of opportunity.” Hundreds of Jelnoid-designed interceptor missiles were scattered across the country in small hidden bunkers. General Mitchell knew it would now be up to them to protect the US. With the EMP coming from the nuclear explosions in orbit, the evacuations of the cities would be at a standstill. People would now have to walk or use bicycles. Some older vehicles could still function and people would fight over them. The country was about to descend into further chaos and he could do nothing to stop it.

-

Battle Commander Balforr had just spoken to Battle Commander Traven. He was highly upset about losing six of his troop transports as well as four battlecruisers. Balforr reminded Traven this was now an active war zone and precautions should have been taken, including ships’ energy shields readied to activate if needed.

“Incompetence!” said Balforr, looking at Second Officer Jaltor. “Traven knew we lost several ships earlier and he should have been ready.”

“The Humans are clever,” said Second Officer Jaltor. “That’s twice they’ve taken us by surprise.”

“But no longer,” said Balforr, his eyes glowing red. “Begin the bombardment!”

-

In space, hatches slid open on the Trellixian battlecruisers. Missiles dropped from the ships toward their designated targets. Each missile had a twenty-kiloton warhead capable of wiping out a medium-size city. These were special warheads and the radiation from them would die out in thirty hours, making it safe to land Trellixian troops. The troops would spread out across the planet, eliminating any and all survivors.

As the missiles streaked through the atmosphere, interceptors launched, arrowing upward toward their targets. Small bright explosions filled Earth’s atmosphere as the interceptors found the inbound Trellixian missiles. For the first eight minutes every missile launched by the Trellixians was intercepted but then the last interceptor left its silo. It struck a descending nuclear missile, destroying it in a bright fireball.

The next wave of nuclear missiles rained down unopposed, striking military installations across the planet. The first targets were nuclear missile bases and silos. The next round of targets were the hard above ground Command Centers. Then the Trellixians switched to military bases and ships. Across the planet hundreds of mushroom clouds rose toward space.

-

Battle Commander Balforr watched in growing anger as his missiles were knocked down by the Human interceptors. Then, finally, they began reaching their targets as the interceptors no longer rose up to destroy them. Bright flashes of light exploded across the planet as the twenty-kiloton nuclear weapons detonated above their targets, incinerating everything beneath.

Second Officer Jaltor turned away from his command console. “They knocked down nearly 22 percent of our missile payloads before they ran out of interceptors. Analysis of the missile interceptors indicates the use of more Jelnoid technology.”

Balforr shook his head as he gazed coldly at the viewscreens as additional nuclear detonations erupted across the planet. “This is a dangerous world. It is good we arrived here before they became more advanced and a greater threat to the Empire.”

“That threat will soon be gone,” replied Jaltor.

On the screen a nuclear missile detonated over the heart of a major city, causing a firestorm to erupt. Balforr watched, knowing that very soon this world would no longer be a threat but a part of the growing Trellixian Empire.

-

“San Diego Naval Base, Camp Pendleton, Edwards Air Force Base, MacDill Air Force Base, Elgin Air Force Base, Fort Hood, Quantico, Norfolk.”

“That’s enough!” said General Mitchell, his face white as a ghost. He didn’t want to listen to the long list of military targets being taken out. The work of generations and several trillion dollars’ worth of equipment and infrastructure were being destroyed.

The entire room went deathly quiet with people talking only in whispers. On the big screens the lists of destroyed bases steadily grew. Satellites still operated and showed the deadly carnage raining down on the planet.

The room shook slightly and General Mitchell looked at Colonel Fields for an explanation.

“NORAD. We’re showing multiple nuclear strikes at the Cheyenne Mountain facility.”

-

Over the next hour General Mitchell sat stone-faced as the world’s primary military installations were all wiped out. Nuclear missile silos and Command Centers, shipyards, airfields, training bases, and even warships at sea.

“It’s slowing down,” said Colonel Braden Taylor as fewer nuclear flashes appeared on the main screens. “Their targets now seem to be population centers.”

“Our secure facilities?” It was essential these remain hidden and unharmed, or all their preparations of the last eighty years would go for naught.

“Still intact,” reported Colonel Fields. “A lot of regular military units also escaped into the countryside and the mountains.”

General Mitchell nodded. That was good news as it meant there was still a shadow of hope for their future.

-

President Drummond had retired to his quarters in the deep underground Command and Control Center. He had watched the destruction of the world on the big screens. It had been horrifying to have a front row seat to the deaths of billions. General Mason informed Drummond that several of the secret underground transit lines were still open if he wanted to evacuate. Drummond declined. He didn’t know where else to go. No, he would stay here and see if he could make some difference in this new and devastated world.

Chapter Five

Major Mark Dolan was in the small Command Center deep inside the mountain where his battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment was hidden. All six hundred members were inside with the large outer door shut. Another 126 soldiers and civilians inside the bunker were responsible for its day-to-day operations. Additional camouflage netting had been put in place to make the heavy steel door almost impossible to spot. All vehicles had been parked in small underground bunkers in the surrounding forest. There were no signs outside of any humans having been in this area for a long period of time. Considerable effort had gone into ensuring all ATV tracks and other signs of human activity had been thoroughly removed.

“What’s the latest?” Mark asked as he stepped closer to the officer in front of the communications console. They could use several secure underground lines to communicate with other hidden facilities.

“We’ve been ordered to stay inside and not to venture out under any condition,” reported Lieutenant Bennington. “We’re at DEFCON 1 and there have been confirmed reports of the use of nuclear weapons, both by us and the Trellixians.”

Mark felt as if he had been hit between the eyes. Nuclear weapons meant massive civilian casualties. He worried about his sister in Dallas and parents in Houston. Were they still safe or had nukes already been used on both cities? “Try to get a list of what’s been hit,” ordered Mark. “What about the command structure? What’s still out there?” Mark was concerned about the chain of command.

“No sign of increased radiation outside the bunker,” added a civilian, sitting in front of a console full of computer screens. “We have confirmation NORAD has been taken out, as well as all the other major defense commands.”

“What about USNORTHCOM?” asked Mark. It was located at Peterson AFB.

Bennington shook his head. “No, it was hit before Cheyenne Mountain was taken out.”

Mark took in a deep breath. “Any messages as to who’s in command?”

“We’re not sure who is in charge at the moment though rumors are that General Mitchell escaped Washington, DC and is at a secure location,” added Lieutenant Bennington.

“Colonel Branson?”

“We did receive a message from him just before the attacks began. He’s at the deep underground bunker assigned to the 2nd Battalion.”

“It’s war, then,” said Captain Garcia, his face turning pale. Garcia had followed Dolan into the small Command Center. “I wonder who attacked first? I bet it was the aliens just like in the movie.”

“I’ve picked up reports of a lot of troop movements during the night and early this morning,” added Bennington. “From what I can tell from the reports we’ve received a planned evacuation began overnight. Before the bombs fell there was a concentrated effort to get as many military units as possible away from the cities and their bases.”

“What about Dallas and Houston?” asked Mark. His heart beat rapidly out of fear for his parents and sister. He just prayed they had taken his advice and left the cities earlier.

“Both hit by nukes. Nearly every major city has been hit by at least one and they’re still falling. We’ll get a list compiled. We did take out a number of the Trellixian battlecruisers over our cities.”

“How?” asked Mark, afraid of the answer.

“Reports indicate we used some of our bombers to hit them with nukes.”

“So we used nukes first,” said Garcia with a deep frown on his face as he thought about the nukes falling outside the bunker over the cities of the world.

Mark felt ill. Was it possible his own government had been responsible for the deaths of his sister and parents? He didn’t want to think of that possibility. Everything was happening too fast. Maybe his parents and Jennifer had left the cities before the nukes hit.

“Our government knew this would happen,” accused Captain Garcia, his expression angry. “They let our families die while we’re safe inside this bunker! Hell, those nukes they used may have killed millions of innocent Americans. How could they use nukes over our own cities?”

Mark took a deep breath. What Garcia had just said certainly seemed to be true. Mark wasn’t sure how the rest of the Rangers would take the news. This would greatly affect morale. Hell, even he was affected. What do you do when nearly everyone you knew were dead? Family, friends, and people you saw on TV every day, all gone. He knew several psychologists were on the base; now he understood why they had been included. His soldiers would need them. Hell, he would need one. Particularly if his own country had just killed his family.

“Captain Garcia, round up the other captains and have them assemble in the briefing room. They need to be informed of what’s happened. As soon as I can get in touch with Colonel Branson maybe I can find out why we’re so far out here in these mountains. There’s not a town within forty miles.”

Garcia looked at Mark critically. “Maybe that’s why we’re here, so the Trellixians can’t find us. We’re safe while everyone else is dying.”

“No use speculating,” replied Mark in a stern voice. “Go get the other captains and I’ll see if I can find out what’s going on.” Mark couldn’t blame Garcia for how he felt. Mark felt the same way.

“What about those three specialists sent here? They’re captains as well. They’ve been keeping to themselves and haven’t said too much.”

“Them too,” ordered Mark. “Maybe they know something we don’t.”

-

An hour later Mark stepped into the small briefing room. He had a list of the known targets the Trellixians had hit so far. If the list was correct nearly half of the world’s population was probably already dead. The list was pages long.

Everyone stood and saluted as Mark entered the room. Returning the salute, he ordered everyone to sit down. Thereafter, he passed out the lists he had brought of the known targets. For several long minutes there was complete silence as the captains studied the names of cities and bases which were no more. Everyone’s faces turned pale as they realized the enormity of the disaster that had struck the world.

-

“Oh, no, Portland’s on the list,” cried out Lisa. Her parents and Streth had been there. She seriously doubted if they had gotten out. For a moment she felt dizzy, realizing what she’d just lost. She felt as if her future had just been taken away from her. Had Professor Wilkens known this might happen? Why had she been spared?

-

“Los Angeles is too,” said Brenda with tears in her eyes. “My brother’s there.”

“We’ve all lost family today,” said Mark in a soft voice. “My sister is in Dallas and my parents are in Houston. Both were hit by nukes.”

“This will hit many of our Rangers hard,” said Captain Brian Stockton. “No one was expecting something like this.”

“They’re goddamn aliens,” said Captain Garcia angrily. “We should have expected this. What was our government thinking letting them bring their ships down over our cities?” Garcia looked accusingly at the three young captains. “Did our government know what would happen? Is that why we struck their ships first?”

“Did we?” asked Mark, looking at the three captains who had arrived a few weeks back. They had stayed together, seldom speaking to others. “If you know something I want to know what it is. Our survival may depend on it. Our government must have known something was off with the Trellixians or they wouldn’t have sent us out here to this hidden base and they wouldn’t have used nukes against the aliens.”

“It must have taken several years just to build this,” said Captain Garcia, waving his arms about the bunker, continuing to stare at the three young captains. “How long has the government known about these damn aliens? Why didn’t they say something?”

-

The three young officers looked at each other. They had been given strict orders not to reveal what Major Lorre had told them. With what was occurring across the world they wondered if those orders still applied.

“I think our government suspected,” volunteered Captain Brett Masterson, being careful with his words. “It’s one of the reasons we were sent here. If something was to occur like what happened today, we have orders to investigate any Trellixian technology we can get our hands on as well as to observe their ships and troops in combat situations.”

Mark’s eyes narrowed as he studied the three. “So what you’re telling me is that if my Rangers are sent out on combat missions against the Trellixians at least one of you will be accompanying them?”

“Yes, sir,” replied Brett, his gaze meeting Mark’s. “Those are our orders.”

“What combat training have you received?” Mark wanted to know if these three young officers would be endangering his Rangers.

Brett hesitated. “We’ve all gone though basic and have been in the military for several years. Most of our assignments have been involved in the technical side of things.”

“That’s not good,” said Captain Garcia, shaking his head disapprovingly. “The three of you could get some good people killed.”

“A lot of good people have already died,” Lisa pointed out, still in shock over the death of her parents and Streth. “We have a job to do and we intend to carry it out.”

Brett reached into his pocket and took out an envelope. “I was told to give this to the commanding officer in case we went to DEFCON 1 and nuclear weapons were used.” He handed the envelope to Major Dolan.

-

Mark took the envelope and opened it. This should have been Colonel Branson’s responsibility. Inside the envelope were two typed pages of orders. Mark quickly read them and then looked at the three young captains. “These orders come directly from the president. The safety of you three and the completion of your mission is a top priority. It’s one of the main reasons you have been assigned to this battalion and why we are so far away from civilization. We’re to remain hidden in this bunker for at least one month, unless ordered otherwise and then to send out reconnaissance missions with the goal of seeking out military units involved in combat against the Trellixians. It’s hoped by then our troops will have worked out some combat methods that might show some success against the enemy. During these missions we are not to engage the enemy unless there’s no other choice.”

“We’re just babysitters,” complained Captain Kyle Smith. “After what the Trellixians have done my people will want some payback.”

“They’ll get that opportunity eventually,” promised Mark. He felt the same way. “But first we have a mission to complete.”

After reading the orders and from what Captain Masterson had said, it was obvious the government had known about the Trellixians before they even arrived. It all started to make sense with some of the things Mark had observed and seen over the last month. He just wondered how all this would end.

-

Later Lisa, Brenda, and Brett returned to the quarters assigned to them. The bunker was deep under the mountain, and Lisa and Brenda were sharing quarters, with Brett staying across the hall. They met in Brett’s quarters.

“So what’s going on?” asked Brenda. “Surely we can talk about it among ourselves.”

“It’s confusing,” said Lisa. “Do any of you know Professor Wilkens?”

“Professor John Wilkens?” asked Brenda, her eyes opening wide. “I’ve heard of him and even gone to a few meetings where he presented papers on advanced physics. He’s one of the top scientists in the world. How do you know him?”

“I worked as an intern for him while I was earning my degree,” replied Lisa. “He promised when I graduated I could join him in his research, but then he changed his mind and asked if I would take a short stint in the military. He said once I was out I could go to work with him full time.”

“Wow!” exclaimed Brett with new respect in his eyes. “Just how smart are you?”

Lisa felt her face flush. “Both of you are just as smart or you wouldn’t be here.”

Lisa’s right,” said Brenda. “We know the governments of several nations have built underground research centers as well as secret military installations. This war with the Trellixians could go on for years.”

“They’ve had nearly eighty years to prepare,” added Brett, looking thoughtful. “What type of installations could you build with that much time?”

Lisa remained silent as she thought about the professor’s last words to her. He had said, ad astra—Latin for to the stars. Lisa felt a cold chill spread across her as she wondered just what the professor was working on. Maybe they weren’t looking for a way to defend Earth but a way to leave it. She decided she wouldn’t tell the others. She suspected the professor’s words were meant for her ears alone and no one else’s.

Later Lisa lay in her bed, holding back the tears, thinking about what she had lost that day. Her mom and dad, plus Streth. Her parents had both been worried when she had hurried off after her phone call calling her back to active duty. She had time to call Streth and speak with him briefly before she had to leave. He was upset about their planned trip to the mountains being canceled. Lisa had promised to make it up to him. It was hard to imagine never hearing his voice or seeing his playful smile again. The Trellixians had taken all that away from her. In the bed across from her she could hear Brenda sobbing quietly. Today was a day they would always remember for what they both had lost.

-

Battle Commander Balforr gazed down at the ravaged planet. Even its atmosphere looked darker from all the ash and contaminants hurled into the air from the nuclear blasts. Great pain had been taken to know just how many nuclear explosions it would take before nuclear winter set in. That was one thing the Trellixians didn’t want as it could wreck the fragile biosphere of the world below. It was one of the reasons seasoned troops were brought in to finish off the survivors after the nuclear bombardment was completed.

“That’s it,” reported Second Officer Jaltor. “We don’t dare use any more nuclear weapons or the planet will reach a tipping point. We have used many more than normal due to the numerous military installations on the planet.”

Balforr nodded. They couldn’t take out every major city but they had annihilated all the missile bases and major military installations. Trellixian ground troops would have to handle the rest.

“Contact Battle Commander Traven and tell him he can land his troops late tomorrow. The radiation levels should have dropped enough by then for our soldiers to be safe in their combat armor.”

Balforr watched as Jaltor went to the communications console to send the message. He strongly suspected Traven’s soldiers would meet strong resistance. However, the Humans had never fought against Trellixians in combat armor or seen Trellixian hover tanks. Traven would also be deploying attack craft specially built to take out fortifications. Traven had over four hundred thousand soldiers on board his remaining forty troop ships which should be more than enough to conquer this world and cleanse it of Human life.

-

Several days passed and Major Dolan had received new orders from Colonel Branson. It would be a few days yet before the colonel could make it to the base but he wanted Mark to send out small patrols. Tens of thousands of civilians were fleeing into the mountains. The exact number wasn’t known. Some were escorted by military units and others were completely on their own. The patrols were to use the ATVs to round up as many civilians as possible and escort them to designated locations where emergency supplies had been hidden. Colonel Branson also wanted Mark to use several of his Ranger companies to secure the immediate area to ensure no civilians or fleeting military units were missed.

Mark had been supplied with a list of the hidden caches and he was amazed at how many there were. Mark had also pointed out he had orders not to leave the base for thirty days. Colonel Branson informed Mark he was aware of those orders but due to the large influx of civilians and possibly other military units fleeing into the mountains those orders had been modified. However, keeping the location of the base a secret was still of utmost importance and Mark was to do nothing which would endanger that.

-

Mark was once more in the briefing room with the four captains in charge of the Ranger companies: Captain Juan Garcia, Captain Daniel Grumman, Captain Brian Stockton, and Captain Kyle Smith. Mark had explained to them their current orders.

“Escorting civilians,” muttered Captain Garcia, shaking his head. “It’s not what I was trained to do. I would rather spend my time hunting the aliens. I understand they look like goddamn lizards. Nothing like that should be walking around on Earth. Not on our planet!”

The other captains nodded their agreement.

“We’re not babysitters,” muttered Captain Stockton. “We should be out there hunting the aliens and making them pay for what they’ve done. Many of our Rangers have lost their families. Wives, children, brothers, sisters and probably nearly everyone else close to them. They are demanding we take the fight to the enemy. What am I supposed to tell them?”

“I’m sure in the future we’ll all get our chance at the aliens,” replied Mark, understanding what his captains were feeling. “However, for now our main priority is preserving as much of the civilian population as possible. From the latest reports the alien invasion fleet has begun landing troops. Their troops are equipped with body armor that’s nearly impervious to weapons fire. They also have some type of hover tank as well as air support. So far they’re staying near the larger cities and are involved in eradicating survivors there.”

“Have we tried to surrender?” asked Captain Stockton.

“There will be no surrender,” answered Mark, his eyes narrowing. “The Trellixians are looking for living space and that’s why they came here.” This was information Colonel Branson had revealed to Mark as well as a few other things.

“They want to exterminate us,” muttered Captain Garcia. “They’re treating us just like roaches. It’s that damn movie all over again.”

“Roaches are pretty hard to kill,” commented Captain Stockton. “They’ve been around for millions of years.”

Captain Smith took a deep breath and then looked at Mark. “How many of the ATVs do we want to risk on these rescue missions?”

“We have sixteen,” replied Mark. “We’ll send out eight. Four men to each ATV.” There was a large map laid out on the table. “Most of the civilians will be coming from the east.” Mark pointed to a section of the map. “If you notice, twenty supply caches are in these locations marked in green. These are far enough back in the mountains to offer some protection as well as being in heavily forested areas.”

Captain Stockton stood to better examine the map. “A lot of thinking went into this,” he said after a few moments. “Those locations have no major roads or even fire roads near them. The civilians will have to hike in.”

“That was the general idea,” replied Mark. “The Trellixians will have a hard time finding people in those surroundings. It may be months before they even try.”

“That’s difficult terrain,” said Stockton as he examined the map. “It won’t be easy to get the civilians there—especially with women and children and that’ll be a tough hike.”

“So how do we want to do this?” asked Captain Grumman.

Mark stood and looked at the four officers. “We’ll send out two ATVs from each company. They’ll proceed to a specified quadrant on the map and begin their search. They’ll spend two days gathering survivors and then have a Ranger escort them to one of the caches. Once the first group is on the way they will proceed to the next search area in their quadrant and do the same.”

“Like Captain Stockton said, this won’t be easy,” said Captain Garcia. “A lot of those civilians will be poorly supplied and not prepared for traveling much less living in the mountains. We could lose a few. This won’t be a weekend camping trip. Hell, as frightened as they’ll be they could even shoot at us.”

“We’ll do the best we can,” answered Mark. “Once your men get to the supply caches get the civilians organized. If any Army units are with them, put them in charge of security with strict instructions not to engage the Trellixians. There will be tents, bedding, medical supplies, food, and water in the caches.”

“Maybe we should place a rifle squad at each supply cache,” suggested Captain Stockton. “If regular Army units are with them, the rifle squad could help coordinate the defense of the civilians and use the regular Army units to beef up their numbers.”

Mark thought for a moment. If he assigned a rifle squad to each of the twenty locations that would still leave him an effective force in the bunker of over four hundred Rangers. “Let’s do it. First thing in the morning a rifle squad is to head out to each of those twenty locations. Captain Stockton, we’ll use your company for that. You’re to secure the supply caches and then set up a defensive perimeter around each. If anything moves near one of those caches I want to know about it.”

“What about heavier weapons?” asked Captain Stockton. “If the Trellixians show up we could use some.”

“I’ll send out a couple ATVs in a few days with some M240s,” Mark said. “They’ll also have M136 AT4 rocket launchers. Once we get a feel for the number of civilians and Army units we’re dealing with we can add more weapons later. This main bunker is well stocked with everything we need.” Mark was only now beginning to realize all the thought that had gone into building and stocking the bunker. He wondered how many other bunkers there were like this one. He suspected there might be quite a few.

“How long do we have to do all this?” asked Captain Grumman.

Mark paused and then answered. “According to Colonel Branson it may take the Trellixians weeks or even months before they come into the mountains. The enemy will have to deal with a lot of survivors in the cities and the countryside first. Many of those civilians are armed and some regular Army units are still operating in those areas. What I want now is to get some order out there. We’ll have thousands of civilians and even a few Army units moving around setting off forest fires and everything else if we aren’t careful. We have a region of over eight hundred square miles assigned to us. It’s our duty to gain control of it and maintain order.”

“We’ll get it done,” promised Captain Garcia.

“Captain Garcia, stay behind for a moment.”

After the other three captains left Mark pointed to an area on the map. It was near the center and marked by a large blue X. “Take your company and set up camp here.”

“Why there?” asked Garcia, confused.

“The blue X means it’s a military supply cache with heavy weapons and ammunition. You’ll take command of it and then set up a skirmish line five miles to the east of that point. All the supply caches are behind that line. Any civilians who come through who our people have missed you’re to direct to the supply caches. If any Trellixians show up take them out. Use any of the weapons at the supply cache to make that happen. Don’t get into a full-scale battle with them. This will be guerilla warfare. Take them out in ones and twos. If a big force comes in fight a delaying action and report back to me.”

“Yes, sir,” said Garcia anxious to see some action. “Anything else?”

“Yes, one of those three specialists who came in will go with you. It’s their duty to learn all they can about the Trellixians and they can’t do that staying here inside this bunker.”

“Which one?”

“Captain Reynolds. And Juan, make sure nothing happens to her. I’ve been told the lives of these three specialists are more important than our entire battalion.”

“Damn!” said Garcia, his eyes widening. “Just who are those three people?”

“I’m not certain but their orders come directly from the president and the DOE.”

Garcia nodded, impressed. “I’ll keep a close watch on her and make sure she doesn’t come to any harm. I just hope she can keep up.”

Mark nodded. “Get your people ready. You’ll be leaving at first light.”

After Garcia left Mark leaned back in his chair, thinking about the events of the last few days. Colonel Branson had told Mark that Mark’s sister had survived the nuclear attack on the battlecruiser above Dallas and was working in one of the surviving hospitals on the outskirts of the city treating the injured. Branson was trying to get her pulled out and to a secure location as her medical talents could be useful but he wasn’t sure if he could pull it off. A lot of the communication lines and towers across the country were down, making communications difficult. The EMP blasts had screwed up a lot of things.

Mark just hoped Jennifer made it through this. He had seen the casualty estimates from Houston, as well as a map showing the exact coordinates where the nukes had devastated the city. There was no doubt if his parents had been home they hadn’t survived; the radiation would have killed them. He could only hope his dad had heeded Mark’s warning and fled the city before the battlecruiser was nuked.

-

Battle Commander Balforr frowned at the latest reports from Battle Commander Traven. Resistance was much heavier than expected. It seemed the Humans had managed to disperse many of their military units to outlying areas before the nuke attack. Additionally, in some regions of the planet even the civilians had weapons. That was particularly true of the United States, the country Balforr had been negotiating with.

On one of the main viewscreens, a close-up of a battle on the planet was being displayed. Trellixian hover tanks were heavily engaged against what appeared to be a Human armored division. Massive explosions struck the energy shields of the hover tanks, threatening to tip them over. In return the hover tanks fired their energy weapons, cutting right through the Human armor. The hover tanks were also launching splinter grenades containing hundreds of small flechettes which could easily penetrate a soldier’s body armor, causing either serious injury or death.

“This is going on all over the planet,” reported Second Officer Jaltor. “We’ve lost a few troops as well as several hover tanks. Every place we land troops we’re encountering resistance, some of it quite heavy.”

As Balforr watched a squadron of Trellixian attack craft appeared and dove, firing warp missiles at the Human armor. The warp missiles made a high-pitched screaming noise. Every time a missile hit a Human vehicle it vanished in a bright fireball.

“It’ll take us forever to clear the Humans off this planet at this rate,” said Jaltor, shaking his head. “I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

Battle Commander Balforr watched as several rounds from the Humans managed to tip over a Trellixian hover tank. Then some type of antitank missiles hammered the tank until its shield failed. Moments later the hover tank exploded as a missile blew it apart.

“Contact the High Command and tell them resistance is much stiffer than projected. We need the third invasion fleet dispatched immediately and preparations should be made for a fourth.”

“Four invasion fleets,” said Jaltor in surprise. “That’s never been done before!”

“We’ve never encountered a planet before with such large ground armies,” replied Balforr. “Computer estimates indicate we took out between 60 to 70 percent of their known forces in our nuclear strikes. However, that still leaves millions of their military unaccounted for.”

Jaltor looked at the main viewscreen showing the planet. A lot of ash and contaminants remained in the upper atmosphere. The amount of sunlight reaching the planet had been reduced by 28 percent though the atmosphere was expected to begin to clear in thirty to sixty more days. Within one hundred and twenty days it would be back to normal. This would prevent the ecology of the planet from being seriously damaged. If that were to occur, it would make the immediate colonization of this world impractical.

“I’ll send the request to the High Command as well as the records of our actions so far.”

“Do so,” ordered Balforr. He had not expected to be engaged in cleansing this world for so long. Originally four weeks from the initial bombardment and his fleet should have been entering hyperspace for their next target. As it was it might be months before this planet was cleansed of the Humans. Balforr leaned back in his command chair, a deep frown on his face. He wondered what other surprises the Humans might have in store for him.

Chapter Six

Lisa was worn out and trying not to show it. They had hiked nearly twenty miles to the military supply cache, pausing only a few times for brief breaks. Captain Garcia had pushed them to get to the cache as soon as possible. There were 142 men and 8 women in the company. Lisa knew, with the high training demands for the elite Ranger battalions only a few women had made it through. She also knew only a few years back no women were in the Rangers.

“Tired?” asked Corporal Sampson as he offered Lisa a bottle of water.

Lisa gratefully took the water and twisted off the cap, taking a long drink. “I didn’t realize how out of shape I am.”

Sampson laughed. “Don’t fool yourself. You did great. A twenty-mile march through the mountains with a full pack is no easy task for anyone.”

Hearing Captain Garcia, the two looked where he was directing a number of Rangers opening the cache and sorting through the supplies. The military cache was full of weapons, ammunition, MREs, water, and other basics. This one was inside a man-made cave hidden from view by a grove of towering Douglas fir trees. Several Rangers were inside inspecting the supplies from several lists they had been provided.

“A lot of supplies are in there,” Sampson said. “That cave goes way back into the side of the mountain. I think we could all hide in there if it were necessary.”

“Let’s hope it’s not,” Lisa said, putting the cap back on the water bottle. The long hike had given her more time to think about her family and Streth. She had to accept their deaths, not letting her emotions hinder her and possibly harm the others around her. She knew her parents and Streth would want her to go on, to survive, to help others survive and to learn how to stop these aliens so they couldn’t do this again to any future world.

She didn’t know what that entailed, but Professor Wilkens had a plan and was counting on her, and she was determined not to let him down. Besides, she wanted to find out what ad astra meant in practical terms. Why had Professor Wilkens mentioned those words to her? Only by completing her mission would she find out more about ad astra.

-

Captain Garcia headed over to a large table that had been set up which held several round tubes. Garcia removed the lid from one and pulled out a large detailed map of the area. He gestured for Lieutenant Symington and Sergeant Anderson to join him. “Lieutenant, take ten rifle squads and set up a skirmish line along this creek.”

Lieutenant Symington looked at where Garcia pointed. The creek wound twelve miles through the forest before emptying into a small river. It was about five miles east of their current position. “That’s some pretty rough country. It won’t be easy spotting the civilians. What if we miss some of them?”

Garcia nodded his agreement. “It will be up to our people on the ATVs to find them and guide them to us. If you look at this map there are a number of game trails and even a few hiking trails civilians can use to go deeper into the mountains.” Garcia knew sometime in the past great efforts had gone into making these detailed maps. Game trails were not normally marked on maps but they were on these.

“The Trellixians could use them as well,” muttered Sergeant Anderson. “What if we take some claymores and set them up on the main trails with remote detonators? We will let the civilians by but if we spot a Trellixian we can set them off. It might be the best way to take them out.”

Garcia looked at Lieutenant Symington who nodded in agreement. “We’ll be spread pretty thin, covering twelve miles along that creek. At least the creek gives us a clear area where we can spot anyone coming across. Also, by focusing more on the game trails and the few hiking trails which cross that creek it gives us a better idea as to where to place our people.”

“What about Captain Reynolds?” asked Symington, gesturing in her direction.

Captain Garcia turned toward Captain Reynolds who was talking to Corporal Sampson. “She’ll be going with you. Take Corporal Sampson along and two other Rangers. They’re to stay with Captain Reynolds at all times. See what she needs to take along. I understand she has some special surveillance equipment that might prove useful.”

-

Lieutenant Symington looked at the young woman. She wasn’t a Ranger but she was still military. He noticed she had a 9mm Glock strapped to her waist. He hoped she knew how to use it. “What about supplies? How long will we be gone?”

“I spoke more with Major Dolan before we left. The entire battalion will be rotating through this skirmish line. Machine-gun posts are to be set up where the major game and hiking trials cross the creek. Once you’ve surveyed the area let me know what’s needed and I’ll send it.”

Lieutenant Symington studied the map deep in thought before speaking. “The Trellixians worry me. I have no idea how hard it will be to bring down one of their soldiers. How about taking a couple mortar teams? A few M224s might be useful if we run across a squad or more of Trellixians.” The M224 mortar had an effective firing range of 3,800 yards.

-

Garcia bent over the map, doing some figuring. “Take six mortar teams. Put them in secure locations and I’ll see what I can do about getting Major Dolan to send more Rangers. I don’t want any civilians or Trellixians slipping through the skirmish line.” Garcia paused and looked at Lieutenant Symington and Sergeant Anderson. “We have no idea what’s out there so be careful.”

“What about any regular Army units that come through?”

Garcia blinked his eyes and looked thoughtful. “Keep all the Reserve and the National Guard troops with the civilians as well as a few regular Army units if you run across any. Depending on the numbers we might put some of the regulars on that skirmish line. I would feel a lot better if we had it covered more thoroughly. As it is a few civilians may slip through undetected.” He knew if they did there was a good chance they would end up dying in the mountains. This was a dangerous place for the inexperienced.

“How soon do we leave?”

“Take a few hours to rest. That was a pretty long hike. Get your supplies gathered up. We’ll stay in contact with our short-range communications. Nothing long-range; I don’t want to risk the Trellixians picking it up.”

“I’ll start getting everything organized,” said Symington.

“I’ll get the mortar teams set up,” Sergeant Anderson said as he turned and walked toward some of the Rangers waiting for orders.

“Be careful,” said Captain Garcia. “We have no idea what weapons the Trellixian infantry may have. With any kind of luck we’ll find enough regular Army units to strengthen the line so we can hold it if any Trellixians show up.”

Symington let out a deep breath. “As Major Dolan said it might be months before they begin to search the mountains. By then we’ll be ready for them.”

“Let’s hope so,” replied Captain Garcia. But in the back of his mind he was deeply concerned. From the reports they had received back at the base the Trellixians were rampaging across the planet, crushing any and all opposition. It wouldn’t be long before they turned toward the mountains.

-

Lisa drew in a deep breath. They had walked another six miles to a wide stream where Lieutenant Symington indicated for everyone to come to a halt. Lisa slid her pack off her shoulders and sat down, leaning against a large tree. Looking up she could barely see the sun through the branches. She took out her canteen and had a sip of water. It was so peaceful out here in the mountains. It was hard to imagine what was going on across the world with the Trellixians.

-

“This is the largest hiking trail on the map,” Symington said as he eyed the footpath which stopped at the far side of the creek and then began again on the side where he stood. A small wooden bridge accessed both sides. The bridge was just wide enough for two people to walk across side by side. It looked as if it had been recently repaired. “Corporal Sampson, you and your team will stay here as well as one squad.”

Sampson eyed the bridge and the trail beyond. “Wish we had brought a couple of MK48s with us or even one of the M240s.”

“Maybe later,” said Sergeant Anderson. “Once we get everyone into position we can better reevaluate what weapons we need. No point in carrying stuff we don’t have a use for.”

“We’ll leave a mortar team here as well,” said Lieutenant Symington.

Corporal Sampson nodded. “What about radio contact?”

“Regular check-ins every four hours. Make them brief.”

Symington looked at Sergeant Anderson. “You take four squads and head north and I’ll take the other five heading south. Our primary concern needs to be the hiking trails. If I was a civilian or military unit fleeing into the mountains that’s what I’d use to put some distance between me and what’s going on in the cities.”

“What about the mortar teams?”

“Your discretion,” Symington replied. “Put them where you think they’ll do the most good. Once we’ve got everyone situated I’ll contact Captain Garcia and have the machine guns sent out.”

A few minutes later they moved out, going in opposite directions.

-

Lisa had listened to the entire exchange between the three. At least with the rifle squad remaining, plus Corporal Sampson, the mortar team, and her two escorts it left fourteen Rangers at the bridge plus herself. It made her feel a little more secure.

“Where do you want this?” asked Private Peterson. He carried a medium size case with one of her observation instruments in it. Private Hambridge was carrying the other.

“Just here for the moment,” she said, indicating a spot next to her. Lisa looked around, wondering where the best place for the special device was. It was built from Jelnoid technology and was capable of sensing movement over two miles away, even through the forest. It could also detect sounds and the use of any electronic device.

Corporal Sampson walked to where Lisa sat. “We’ll put our tents back a ways beneath those tall trees. No fires and no heat sources.”

Lisa nodded. She had her tent and bedroll so she would be fine. “No problem, Corporal.”

Sampson let out a deep sigh. “I know you outrank me and I will follow your orders if you give them but in this situation I really hope you will listen to me.”

“No problem, Corporal Sampson,” Lisa replied. “I’m just an observer, not someone here to cause problems or to take command.”

“Good,” replied Sampson with a relieved look in his eyes. He looked down at one of two black cases near Lisa. “What are those?”

Lisa smiled. “If I understand correctly how these work they should give us warning of anyone getting within several miles of us.”

Sampson’s eyes widened. “You probably should have told the lieutenant about that.”

“In all the excitement I didn’t think about it. Besides, I don’t even know how well this stuff will work. It’s all new and experimental.” Lisa had some training with the new equipment but not in conditions like this. She just hoped everything worked as Major Lorre indicated it should.

“Guards will be posted all night,” Sampson said. “It also gets pretty chilly out here once the sun goes down. Privates Peterson and Hambridge will be in the tent next to you. If you need anything, wake them up.”

“I’ll be fine,” replied Lisa. “I used to camp in the mountains with my parents all the time.” Just mentioning her parents made Lisa feel like crying. Her parents, Streth and everyone else she had known in Portland were gone. She tried not to think about it but the thoughts and the sound of their voices kept running through her head.

Sampson didn’t say anything for a moment and then he spoke in a softer voice. “We all lost people. Someday we’ll make the Trellixians pay for what they took away from us.”

Lisa nodded. She didn’t trust her voice to respond.

After Corporal Sampson left Lisa opened up one of the two cases. It contained an observation instrument on a tripod. She quickly set it up so it had a good view of the trail and what was beyond it. She was surprised when it quickly lit up with numerous contacts. She was about to call Corporal Sampson when she realized the device had found animals; some small and a few large. She suspected the large ones might be black bears but as long as they were left alone they shouldn’t be a problem. She spent some time readjusting the device to eliminate the animals until she was satisfied it would only respond to Humans or something totally unknown, such as a Trellixian. When she was done she went and told Corporal Sampson about the bears and then went off to set up her tent. The last forty-eight hours had been tiring, emotionally and physically and she was ready for a good night’s rest.

-

Back at the mountain base Mark was reading the latest reports from Colonel Branson. He felt his breath catch in his throat as he read of the military disaster sweeping across the planet. Everywhere military units stood to resist the Trellixians they were completely crushed. In China an entire division of troops had been wiped out by aerial attacks and bombardments of energy weapons from the Trellixian battlecruisers.

In Germany an American armored division had stood toe-to-toe against the Trellixians for over six hours, slugging it out. When it was over not a single American vehicle remained and yet only a few Trellixian tanks had been knocked out.

The Trellixian vehicles were being called hover tanks. They were armed with some type of energy weapon and a pair of grenade launchers that launched projectiles which exploded into hundreds of maiming and killing flechettes just above ground. There were also reports of loud screaming missiles being used to take out hardened targets as well as armored vehicles.

Looking at another report Mark saw the Trellixians had deployed a wedge-shaped attack craft that blew opposing fighters out of the air. The report indicted the hover tanks and the attack craft were protected by energy shields. It also mentioned the Trellixian troops wore battle armor nearly impervious to weapons fire.

Mark laid down the last report on his desk with a frustrated sigh. He wished he knew more about what the US defensive battle plan was. There had to be a reason for these secret military bases and the efforts being put into saving civilians. With what he had just read he needed to think over what weapons his Rangers needed to deploy. It was obvious the enemy’s hover tanks and attack craft were immune to most weapons in the base’s armories. He would concentrate more on how to take out individual Trellixian soldiers. It might be a good idea to bring in the two remaining company captains as well as the two specialists. Perhaps between the five of them they could come up with some strategy to deal with Trellixian troops.

Colonel Branson had informed Mark earlier that the president was still in control. He was at the underground Command Center at the White House. Mark was deeply concerned if the president didn’t soon leave Washington, DC he never would. Not a single country in the world had been spared and there were no reports of successful resistance. In every surviving city and town the remaining populations were fleeing into the countryside. In many instances Trellixian troops were waiting for them. The human race was being slaughtered and no offers of surrender were even being responded to. The Trellixians remained silent as their forces killed and killed, sparing no one.

Mark’s orders from Colonel Branson remained the same: keep some of his forces inside the mountain hideaway and do everything he could to get any survivors to the hidden civilian supply caches. Colonel Branson had indicated that at some point these survivors would be moved even deeper into the mountains to facilities being prepared for them.

However, what concerned Mark was what would happen to those survivors when winter came around. Winter in the Rocky Mountains was not somewhere large numbers of civilians wanted to be if caught out in the open without adequate cold-weather protection. To Mark this rescue effort had the makings of a disaster.

Leaning back in his chair, Mark closed his eyes. He still wondered if Colonel Branson could get his sister out of Dallas and if his parents had survived. With great sadness Mark knew there was a good chance he would never know. With a war going on across the planet how would he ever find his parents? They could be anywhere.

Opening his eyes he looked at the plan he was working on. He had spoken briefly with Captain Garcia and knew the captain was well on his way to establishing his skirmish line near the creek chosen as their first line of defense. Mark had already considered establishing a second one five miles farther back, with the military supply cache as the center.

He had six hundred Rangers to defend the immediate area. There was also a good possibility of more troops fleeing into the mountains being found. He would like to establish two secure lines of defense to protect the civilians. Mark was already making plans to send more powerful weapons to Captain Garcia to ensure he could hold that front line. That would be after he consulted with the other captains.

Mark wasn’t concerned about Trellixian hover tanks; he doubted if they could function in the tree-dense multilevel terrain of the mountains. His hope was his Rangers could stop the Trellixian foot soldiers, if and when they showed up. However, the report about Trellixian battle armor able to withstand weapons fire concerned him.

With six hundred Rangers, he could set up a rotation allowing three hundred troops to be on the skirmish lines and then after a specified period of time rotate them back out with the next three hundred, particularly if he could add a few hundred regular Army troops to the mix. He was curious when the first civilians would be located. Some must already be near the first skirmish line. Mark expected to hear something in the next twenty-four hours.

-

Lisa woke and, rolling over, moaned. Her sleeping bag had kept her warm but it was obvious she had missed removing a few stones and small branches from beneath her tent. Sitting up, she rubbed her back and looked outside. A few of the other soldiers were already up and several stood at her surveillance equipment, discussing what it revealed. She would remove the uncomfortable rocks and branches later.

A few minutes later Lisa was outside and at her surveillance device. She shivered as it was unusually cold for this time of year. Looking up, she noticed how dim the sun looked. With concern she realized this was the result of ash and other pollutants hurled into the atmosphere from multiple nuclear explosions. Privates Peterson and Hambridge had followed her, staying at a discreet distance.

“What are those?” asked Private Donly, pointing to a large group of red icons that appeared to be at the extreme range of the device’s detection field. “It’s not a pack of bears, is it?”

Lisa’s eyes widened as she stepped forward and made some adjustments to the equipment. The red icons persisted, and they seemed to be approaching the Rangers. “I believe those are people.”

“How many?” asked one of the other Rangers.

“Approximately thirty,” Lisa answered as she counted the red icons. “They’re about a mile and a half out and coming down the hiking trail.” She examined the readings for another few moments. Two or three red dots were out in front of the others with two more trailing behind. “There may be a few military people with them from the way they’re spread out.”

“I’ll notify Corporal Sampson,” Private Donly said as he turned and hurried off to where the corporal was eating his breakfast.

Lisa looked back at the sensor device. She wondered how many other groups it would pick up today. She had just enough time to get something to eat before this group arrived. At least the MREs would be hot; they heated automatically when opened.

-

Time passed by quickly and then Corporal Sampson began talking to someone on his radio. With a nod, he signed off and walked over to Lisa, glancing at the small sensor screen. “That was Private Lopez. He’s escorting the group in; six soldiers from a National Guard unit and their families. We’ll send them on through to cache fourteen where they will be met by other Rangers who will evaluate them.”

Lisa looked toward the hiking trail and saw two National Guard troops appear. They held their rifles at the ready, scanning the trees and underbrush around them. Private Donly stepped out into the open, ordering them to stop.

“It’s okay,” he called out. “We’re with the 75th Ranger Battalion and we’ll get you to safety.”

Another soldier dressed in a Ranger uniform appeared with some men, women, and a few children. “It’s okay,” he called out to the two guardsmen. “They’re with me.”

He then led the group across the bridge. “This is the first group,” Donly reported to Corporal Sampson. “We’re gathering people and holding them together until we get large enough groups to move. We’ve also probably missed a few. This group was together but we’ve heard reports of individual families and even a few military units coming this way who may have gotten by us.”

“We’ll be on the watch for them,” said Corporal Sampson. “This group is supposed to go to cache fourteen for evaluation.” Sampson handed Donly a small map with cache fourteen marked on it. The advanced Rangers scouting for refugees didn’t have any maps on them to ensure they didn’t fall into enemy hands.

“That’s seventeen miles,” Donly said, eyeing the group with him. “It’ll take us a day or two to get there. We have to go slow because of the children and we’re taking a lot of rest stops.”

“I understand,” Sampson replied. “If you need additional supplies or help, contact the captain. He can send you whatever you need or more Rangers if necessary.”

“Have you heard anything?” asked one of the guard troops. “We were nearly to the mountains when we saw several nuclear strikes.”

“Not a lot,” Sampson replied. “The entire world is at war and from the latest reports it’s not going well. You and your people should be safe here. Where we’re sending you there are plenty of supplies and you should be deep enough into the mountains to avoid the fighting.”

“Thank you,” the guardsman replied gratefully. “We weren’t sure what would happen to us.”

“Private Lopez, let these people have about an hour’s break and then start them toward cache fourteen.”

“I’ll get it done,” Lopez replied.

Lisa had been listening and keeping an eye on her sensor device. With a start she saw a second group of red icons appear at the extreme range. This group was much larger than the one that had just reached them. “Corporal Sampson, we’ve got more coming.”

Sampson nodded. “Looks as if it’s going to be a busy day.”

-

Captain Garcia listened to the reports flooding in of survivors found by the Rangers. Already they were in danger of being overwhelmed.

“Sergeant Wilkerson, send more Rangers to Lieutenant Symington. We’ve got reports of multiple groups of survivors moving toward our skirmish line. Some are being escorted, others are not.”

Wilkerson looked around at the Rangers still at camp. Major Dolan had sent several more rifle squads with heavier weapons this morning. “How many Rangers should I take?”

“Three rifle squads. Also take the ATV Major Dolan sent this morning. Load it up with ten MK48s and five M240s. Make sure you take plenty of ammunition. Check with Lieutenant Symington as to where he wants them. It looks as if many of the survivors are being sent toward Corporal Sampson’s position at the main hiking trail with the bridge. Take over and help get all this organized until Lieutenant Symington can get back there.”

Sergeant Wilkerson nodded. “Seems as if we’ll be stretching ourselves pretty thin. We have over eight hundred square miles we’re trying to control.”

“If we’re lucky regular Army units will be with some of the survivors, and we can use them to help us. If not we’ll fall back and use some of the Guard and Reserve units coming through. Some of them should be pretty well trained.”

Wilkerson looked through the thick foliage of the trees. “I wonder how the war is going.”

“Not well,” Garcia answered. “Major Dolan says the Trellixians, so far, have been pretty much unstoppable. Every military unit that has gone up against them has been wiped out.”

“Why go to all the effort to save all these civilians? Aren’t we only just delaying their deaths? At some point in time the Trellixians will come into these mountains in full force and try to wipe us out. We can’t be tied down defending all these supply caches.”

Garcia’s eyes hardened. “Our job is to protect civilians. That’s what the military is all about. Our command structure is still in existence. We know there are other hidden bases. This war isn’t over. We just need time to find a way to stop the enemy. When we do we’ll need the civilians to rebuild our civilization.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Wilkerson replied, frowning. “But right now everything’s just going the wrong way.”

Garcia didn’t reply as Wilkerson walked off to get his Rangers ready and the ATV loaded. He couldn’t really blame him for being so pessimistic. With what was going on around the world Captain Garcia suspected many people felt the way the sergeant did.

Chapter Seven

The fighting was heavy as the sun rose over the distant horizon. Throughout the night, the battle had raged between American military units and Trellixian hover tanks backed up by their infantry. M1A4 battle tanks had roared through the darkness as they fired round after round at the advancing line of hover tanks and Trellixian infantry. Behind the American lines 155mm self-propelled howitzers poured their heavy fire into the advancing enemy. The ground shook nonstop from the impact of thousands of powerful explosions.

US troops would charge forward trying to take out the enemy only to be driven back by horrendous casualties. Missiles, drones, antitank weapons, everything in the human arsenal was thrown at the Trellixian armor and infantry. Every so often a hover tank would burst into flame or one of their battle-armor-encased troops would fall to the ground. Each time it was a small victory.

American attack helicopters flew over the battlefield firing on Trellixian troop concentrations and hover tanks. The helicopters would only make a pass or two before they were shot down. The landscape was littered with their shattered remains.

From the sky, beams of intense energy would flash down, striking tanks and howitzers and blowing them apart. Several Trellixian battlecruisers were using their energy weapons to eliminate targets. Even so the American troops fought to hold their ground, to keep the enemy at bay, to give the civilians behind them time to flee.

-

Lieutenant John Marlin stared into the cloudless sky. He was tired and it had been over forty hours since he had last slept. Looking around him he gazed at the last four survivors of the two platoons he commanded. They were a few short miles from the East Coast, just south of Washington, DC in a deep bomb crater.

Gazing over the rim John could see the ruins of dozens of tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles, and armored personnel carriers. Smoke was heavy in the air and burning fires were everywhere. In the distance he could see a farmhouse in flames. Occasionally he would hear a burst of heavy firing and the sound of tanks blasting away at the enemy. He tried not to look at all the dead bodies and destroyed vehicles scattered across the ravaged landscape.

“We’re going to die, aren’t we?” said Corporal Hatter, his voice almost without emotion. “We’re never going home.”

Marlin slid back down to the bottom of the crater out of sight. He slowly shook his head. “I don’t know. The Trellixians are advancing on Washington, DC and I don’t think we can stop them.” John reached for his canteen and took a drink of water. With surprise he found only a few precious drops left. He tossed the canteen aside and leaned against the crater wall. “I think all the civilians are long gone, either dead from the nukes or killed in the fighting last night.”

“My wife and kids were in Philadelphia when it was nuked,” continued Hatter, taking off his helmet and laying down his rifle. “I doubt if they even knew what hit them before they died.”

“I was supposed to be married next month,” Private Denise Mayfield said with a faraway look in her eyes. “Matt was at Norfolk when it was taken out.”

A screaming noise hurtled from the sky and they all threw themselves flat on the ground. It was one of the Trellixians’ warp missiles launched by their small attack craft. With an earth-shaking explosion it struck the ground, throwing dirt and rocks over a wide area.

“I hate those damn missiles,” muttered Marlin as he crawled back to the edge of the crater to peer over the rim again.

All he could see was smoke and burning vehicles. Occasionally he could hear weapons fire but it was markedly reduced from what it had been a few hours earlier. The battle was winding down and the defending humans were not on the winning side. He slid back down and looked at the others.

“What do we do, Lieutenant?” asked Private Mayfield. “I don’t want to die.”

“Make for the mountains,” Marlin replied.

In the last two days he had seen too much death. Now he just wanted to escape and get away from the fighting. He had done his share. His parents had a cabin in an isolated area. If they could make it there they might have a chance to survive. A shadow suddenly fell over him. He saw Private Mayfield grab her rifle and fire at something behind him with fear in her eyes. Just as Marlin turned around a beam of energy struck Mayfield in the chest, cutting her in two. She didn’t even have time to scream.

Standing at the top of the bomb crater was a Trellixian clad in full battle armor with helmet and protective visor. He aimed an energy rifle toward Corporal Hatter. Marlin brought up his rifle but before he could pull the trigger, a searing pain passed through his chest. Looking down, he saw a smoking wound with very little blood. He collapsed to the ground with his head turned toward Corporal Hatter and the other two privates. All three were hit by multiple energy beams from more Trellixians. Marlin could feel his heart beating wildly and strangely there was no pain. As he lay there, one of the Trellixians descended into the crater to stand over him. With a snarl the armor-clad Trellixian kicked Marlin in the head, sending him into oblivion.

-

At the underground Command Center, beneath the smoking rubble of the White House General Mason turned toward the president. “We’re beaten. All our forces defending Washington have been annihilated. Our few commanders still alive in the field report heavy casualties and a total breakdown of command. The few troops who survived the battle are fleeing, trying to escape the advancing Trellixians.”

“We still have some communications with USSTRATCOM,” reported Dwight Meadows. “The Trellixians have been using their battlecruisers to bombard the surface with energy weapons wherever they’ve met strong resistance. In several instances the battlecruisers have descended to just a few miles above the surface before they commenced bombardment.”

“What about our Air Force?”

“Useless,” General Mason replied. “In the few instances where we put up aircraft the Trellixian attack craft have shot them down. It’s the damn energy shields. We just can’t get around them. Even in this last battle we committed over one hundred attack helicopters. I don’t think they lasted an hour.”

“What does General Mitchell say?” President Drummond knew things looked bleak. All over the world the reports were the same. Defeat after defeat with massive casualties.

“All the secret facilities are locked down and have gone silent. Communication is only through secure underground lines. He’s hoping if they can discover the secret behind the Trellixian energy weapons and energy shields they may be able to launch a counter offensive. But that’ll be months away.”

“There won’t be many of us left by then,” said Drummond grimly. He knew from the scattered reports they had managed to receive from other world governments the loss of human life was already over four billion. Tens of millions were dying every day.

“A lot of people made it to the mountains,” Dwight said. “There will be survivors.”

“We have military units positioned to help them,” added Mason. “We also sent a lot of regular Army units as well as some Reserve and Guard units. The Trellixians will have a hell of a time digging our people out of there.”

Drummond was about to reply when the Command Center shook. “What was that?” Even when the nuke had struck Washington, the ground had barely moved. The Trellixians had dropped another nuke a few days back, attempting to destroy the underground Command Center.

“Trellixians have arrived,” reported Colonel Taylor, turning away from his command station.

“We can’t escape,” General Mason said softly. “All the underground escape routes were caved in by that last nuclear blast.”

“What about radiation?”

“It’s dissipated,” answered Colonel Taylor. “I don’t know what warheads the Trellixians used but after thirty hours nearly all the radiation was gone. We’ve received the same reports from every nation hit by the aliens’ nuclear weapons.”

President Drummond looked around the Situation Room; in none of the faces did he see any signs of fear. “Can we get to the surface?”

“No,” replied Colonel Taylor. “All the emergency exits are blocked, and we only have two ventilation shafts still functioning and they’re too small to crawl through.”

President Drummond let out a deep sigh. The country he had sworn to protect was all but gone. Only a few military units were left still fighting and in the next few days even those would be annihilated. “Do you think they know we’re down here?”

General Mason nodded. “We’ve been doing a lot of communicating. Part of that was to make them look for us and not General Mitchell.”

“It was necessary,” Drummond replied, his tired eyes focusing on the general. It had given General Mitchell time to get to the primary hidden military installation and make preparations to resist the Trellixians using guerilla warfare. It was the only option left to them.

“Mr. President, we could always fire off more of our nuclear weapons and make the planet useless to the enemy,” suggested Colonel Taylor. “We still have two Columbia Class subs sitting on the ocean floor waiting for orders. They have twelve missiles, each equipped with multiple warheads.”

President Drummond felt his breath catch in his throat. It was so tempting to deny the Trellixians the use of Earth. From what he had been told the use of those missiles would shove Earth over into a nuclear winter, something even the Trellixians did not want from the limited number of missiles they had used.

For a moment he considered it. Perhaps some humans would survive in the hidden facilities and other bunkers around the world. Shaking his head, he knew when the nuclear winter was over the Trellixians would return. It would only delay the inevitable.

“No, it would kill too many survivors. We have to put our trust into the research being done at our secret facilities.” Plans had been made for years, ever since the Roswell crash. It would be up to Professor Wilkens and others like him to save what was left of the human race.

The room shook again, and President Drummond looked at General Mason. “That one was stronger.”

“They’re hitting the surface with powerful missiles, trying to reach us.”

“I’ve lost contact with USSTRATCOM,” reported Dwight Meadows. “The receivers must have been destroyed in that last blast.”

“All our communications are down,” added Colonel Taylor, turning away from a large console. “We’ve lost satellites, everything.”

“Then this is the end,” said President Drummond, squaring his shoulders and looking around the room. “Let us pray that our fellow Americans continue this battle and someday free our planet from this oppression.”

The room shook again only more violently. The lights flickered but stayed on.

-

Battle Commander Balforr gazed at the ship’s main viewscreen showing the capital of the United States. Most of the buildings in the city had crumbled or had been destroyed by the nuclear blasts, one when the Humans had attacked his flagship and the second used to try to take out the Humans’ Command and Control Center. Sensors indicated the Humans’ command facility was located beneath one of the bigger destroyed buildings. Large numbers of enemy soldiers had gathered to try to prevent the Trellixian military from taking the city, demonstrating its strategic importance. That had suited Balforr as his forces and Battle Commander Traven’s had destroyed large numbers of the enemy.

“Missile bombardment continues,” reported Second Officer Jaltor. “Are you sure you don’t want to use a nuke to take out the command facility?”

“No, too many of our own troops are now in the city. We have crushed their resistance and, by blasting downwards and destroying this Command Center, we will demonstrate our power to the surviving enemy combatants.”

“We have never encountered such stiff resistance on a planet before,” Jaltor said as he watched several massive explosions shake the ground where the Human Command Center was located. The missiles were nonnuclear and had an explosive force of two kilotons. Each explosion penetrated deeper and deeper into the ground. Already a huge smoking crater was visible.

Battle Commander Balforr’s eyes narrowed sharply. “These Humans are resisting us at every point. Even their civilians fight. We have suffered more casualties than any invasion I have ever been involved in. This planet may take months to pacify and several years before the last human is hunted down.”

“What of the first colonization ships?”

“They will come with the third invasion fleet,” Balforr replied. “By then we should have some areas of the planet cleared of Humans where our colonists can settle.” He knew the High Command was anxious to begin sending the transports because of the intense population pressure from the overpopulated home worlds.

Second Officer Jaltor gazed at the viewscreen. Smoke covered much of the city where the missiles were targeted. A few buildings were still on fire. “It is good we attacked this world before they expanded to the stars.”

“The Jelnoids were troublesome enough. These Humans would have been much more so,” Balforr answered. He looked down at the three fingers on his right hand and the sharp, pointed nails. The nail on his thumb was trimmed shorter to make it easier to handle equipment.

“The third invasion fleet will be here in a few more days. We’ll use it to quell any hot spots on the planet where organized resistance remains. Then it will be just a matter of hunting down the scattered survivors. Without an organized military that should not be difficult, though it may be time-consuming. We have a number of reports of Humans fleeing into the mountains and there are numerous mountainous regions across this world.”

“We have other smaller battles raging across the planet. Wherever our forces go we’re meeting resistance.”

Balforr looked at Jaltor. “They throw their lives away uselessly. Our soldiers are covered in battle armor which their primitive weapons cannot penetrate. Our hover tanks and attack craft are protected by energy shields. To kill one of us they sacrifice thousands.”

On the viewscreen, the next missile struck the pit where the previous missiles had detonated. A huge pillar of fire and smoke erupted, throwing debris high into the air.

“That’s the end of their Command Center,” Battle Commander Balforr said, his eyes cold and harsh. “To resist us is futile.”

Second Officer Jaltor studied the latest report from Battle Commander Traven. “We lost twenty-seven hover tanks and 284 soldiers in the assault on their capital.”

“But they lost thousands and the battle field is covered with their destroyed armored vehicles,” replied Balforr dismissively. “We will continue to bombard them from orbit or lower if necessary. In time, this world will be ours.” Balforr was determined to conquer this planet. Other battles awaited his fleet on countless worlds. The Trellixian Empire must continue to expand to meet the demands of its rapidly growing population.

-

Just outside Denver on Interstate 70, a unit of the Colorado National Guard loaded up supplies on military trucks old enough not to have been affected by the EMP blasts. They were parked at a convenience store that had been looted by other fleeing survivors.

“That’s it,” reported Corporal Owens. “We loaded up all the water and all the canned goods. We lucked out as there were a lot of items in that back storage room.”

“What about diesel for the trucks?”

“Plenty,” Owens answered. “Private Lance is very good at using a siphoning hose. All the trucks are full as well as a number of spare fuel drums.”

Sergeant Tucker nodded as he stepped out of the door. The trucks were all parked beneath the big metal canopy covering the fuel pumps. It should prevent any Trellixian shuttles or attack craft from spotting them. Looking at the highway he saw a few vehicles race by heading toward the mountains. Denver had been hit by a nuke and most of the downtown area was leveled. In the distance he could still see smoke rising from some of the smoldering fires.

“We shouldn’t stay here too long,” said Corporal Owens. “There’s still a lot of traffic on the highway and about an hour ago a large group of civilians passed by on foot.”

Looking at the highway, Tucker saw an old truck take the exit ramp leading to the convenience store. It was dangerous to be out in the open during the day. Trellixian shuttles and their small wedge-shaped attack craft constantly patrolled. The old pickup pulled up and stopped when the driver saw the heavily armed soldiers. The driver hesitated for a moment and then opened the door and got out. Tucker could see a woman and at least one child in the truck.

“I just need some fuel,” the man stammered, staring nervously at the soldiers.

“Where are you from?” Tucker asked as he stepped nearer. The man appeared to be in his early thirties and was unarmed.

“Bennett,” the man replied nervously.

“Where are you heading?”

The man looked as if he wished he had stayed in his truck. “My parents run a small deep-woods camping area west of here in the mountains. We’re trying to get there.”

“Corporal Owens, have Private Lance fill up this man’s vehicle. I think Lance can siphon a little more diesel.”

The man looked relieved. “Thank you. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I pulled in and saw the military vehicles.”

“I think we’re all in the same boat. We’re just trying to find a place safe for our families.”

“I have my wife and daughter with me. We didn’t know where else to go.”

“The mountains should be safe for a while,” replied Tucker. “If your family is already established there and the campsites are far enough into the mountains you should be fine once you get there. We’re heading into the mountains ourselves.”

“They’re way back,” replied the man, nodding his head. “We’ll have to use a couple ATVs to get where we’re going.”

Private Lance came over with a couple containers of fuel and filled up the family’s pickup.

The man had a relieved look on his face once his vehicle was full. “Thanks,” he said. “We couldn’t make it with what fuel I had left in the truck.”

Sergeant Tucker thought for a moment. “If you want, you can come with us a ways.”

The man shook his head. “Thanks for the offer but we need to be on our way. I want to get to my parents’ lodge before dark.”

Tucker watched as the man got back into his vehicle and sped off, taking the ramp to get back on the highway.

“I hope he makes it,” said Corporal Owens as he watched the truck drive away. “It’s the middle of the day and his vehicle is in plain sight on that highway.”

Tucker nodded. He planned on leaving about an hour before dark, which should give them enough time to reach the part of the mountains they were heading for before the sun set. Tomorrow they would unload everything and hike deep into the national park. He had twenty guardsmen with him as well as their families. The old trucks were loaded with camping gear, food, water and whatever else they might need to survive. Owens knew of an old cabin deep in the park the park rangers occasionally used when on fire-watch duty. It would make an ideal base of operations if no one else was there.

“What now?” asked Owens.

“We wait,” answered Tucker, glancing at his watch. “We’ll leave in another three hours. Keep some guards posted. We may have others stopping by to check out this convenience store.” Tucker glanced toward the highway. For the moment it was empty of vehicles. It was no wonder as only older cars and pickups without a lot of electronics had escaped the EMP blasts.

-

Two hours passed by rapidly. Several times other vehicles or people came to the convenience store, looking for supplies or fuel. They stayed away from the heavily armed soldiers, though several did ask for help.

“I hate sending these people off without protection,” muttered Corporal Owens as he watched an old van pull away after getting fuel. Two older couples were inside. They weren’t sure where they were going, just away from the cities. From what Private Lance had reported they didn’t even have any camping gear.

“I wish we could do more,” replied Sergeant Tucker. “But we don’t have anymore room in our trucks and we have only limited supplies. It’s our families we have to be worried about. We did help them with the fuel and suggested they head up into the mountains.”

Corporal Owens nodded. “Most of those people won’t make it. They’re not prepared to survive in the mountains. Hell, most of those people don’t even know how to build a fire on their own. Camping out in an RV over the weekend is not the same as surviving long-term in the mountains.”

“Sergeant!” yelled Private Stark. He was on guard duty and had come running back under the canopy covering the gas pumps. “A Trellixian shuttle is coming down the highway. It’s up pretty high, but it’s bound to be searching for survivors.”

“Tell everyone to remain still and no talking,” ordered Tucker. “We’re a little ways off the highway and they might not notice us if there’s no movement.”

Sergeant Tucker crouched behind the bumper of one of the trucks, keeping an eye on the approaching Trellixian shuttle. It was about sixty feet long and cigar-shaped with small wings. Two small turrets were visible on the bottom of the hull with two more on top. The shuttle was about one thousand feet above the highway and traveling down its center. Occasionally it would stop and hover over an abandoned vehicle and then continue.

“I don’t like this,” muttered Corporal Owens, his eyes glued on the shuttle. “Even though we’re under this canopy, we’re still visible.”

“Let’s just hope they’re focusing on the highway. A lot of cabins, homes, and buildings are around here. They may overlook us.”

The shuttle came closer and then passed by. It continued on down the highway until it was out of sight.

Corporal Owns let out a deep breath of relief. “They didn’t see us.”

He had no sooner said those words than a bright flash came from the direction the shuttle had gone followed by the barely audible sound of an explosion.

“They found someone,” Tucker said, figuring it was the van. “We’ll give it another hour and then start down the highway.” He wasn’t looking forward to what they would find on the way.

-

The six trucks pulled out from the convenience store and headed down the ramp. Sergeant Tucker was in the lead truck, keeping a sharp eye out for the Trellixian shuttle. They had to go around wrecked vehicles and several times had to avoid bomb craters in the highway. They had traveled about six miles when they ran across the bodies of a group of civilians hiking down the road who had been hit by the Trellixian shuttle. The group had stopped briefly at the convenience store. Tucker remembered them as a young mother had been hunting for diapers. They were all dead and it was obvious from the smell as well as the visible wounds they had been hit by some type of energy weapon.

“Keep going,” Tucker said between gritted teeth. “No point in letting the women and children see this.” They had witnessed enough death already.

About an hour later the sun was rapidly setting behind the mountains when Sergeant Tucker spotted a familiar pickup. The one with the family who had stopped to get fuel earlier. It had been hit with an energy beam from the Trellixian shuttle and was cut in two.

“Stop,” ordered Tucker. He felt his blood run cold at the scene. The man and his family were still inside the pickup. It was obvious all three were dead. Tucker spent a few moments gazing at the vehicle when he saw Corporal Owens get out of his truck and walk to the battle-scarred pickup. He turned around, gasping for air.

“Damn Trellixians,” he said angrily. “That little girl can’t be more than ten or twelve.”

Sergeant Tucker looked up ahead at the setting sun. Already the long shadows from the mountains reached out for them. It would be dark soon. “Let’s go. Our turnoff is about thirty minutes ahead. With any luck, by this time tomorrow we will be deep in the mountains and won’t have to worry about any of this for a while.” Tucker was trying not to think about the dead they had come across. Maybe he should have done more to help them.

Owens nodded. “Maybe. But I suspect this war will find us again someday.”

Tucker didn’t reply. He knew the corporal was right. All Tucker was doing right now was getting his people to a place of safety. In the far distance he saw what looked like a flash of light. He waited to hear an explosion, but there was none. Just maybe they could get away from this war for a bit, but deep in his heart he knew that in time no place on Earth would be safe and the war would eventually come seeking them. When it did, he planned to be ready. “Let’s move out,” he ordered. “We still have a ways to go.”

The six trucks moved out, weaving in and out of the abandoned and destroyed vehicles. Inside their moving trucks the women and children sat huddled together, talking in low voices and wondering what the future held for them.

Chapter Eight

General Mitchell was in the Command Center of his base staring in growing frustration at the numerous viewscreens. It had been several days since the death of the president and the situation was steadily growing worse.

“Everywhere we have units engaged against the Trellixians we are suffering heavy losses,” reported General Briggs, the actual commander of the facility. “We can’t seem to put anything in their path to slow them down.”

“What are we hearing on the communication channels?” Mitchell looked at Colonel Tricia Steward, the head communications officer.

“It’s bad, sir,” she replied. “A number of stations have their power back up using emergency generators and repairing their electronics from the damage done by the EMP blasts. They’re all crying out for help. In the surviving major cities the Trellixians are systematically sweeping them block by block, killing everyone; women, children, even babies. They’re sparing no one. Police along with some military units are still getting people out of the cities but for the most part they have nowhere to go.”

General Mitchell sucked in a deep breath. They had expected this but hearing it was something else. “What major units do we have still capable of putting up a fight?”

“We have the two Columbia Class subs sitting on the ocean floor waiting for orders,” replied Major Thomas. “That’s twenty-four missiles with multiple warheads.”

“How long can they stay under?” Mitchell knew they were nuclear powered and had been recently provisioned.

“A year,” Thomas answered. “We have two subs that can resupply the Columbias underwater if necessary. The supply subs are hidden in an underwater cave in Alaska with direct access to the Pacific Ocean.”

Mitchell couldn’t imagine staying inside a submarine for a year though the crews on the two Columbias were volunteers, the Navy’s best.

“What about aircraft?” Mitchell knew they had lost many of their fighter and bomber squadrons. Some of the bases they had been hidden at were now nothing more than smoking holes in the ground.

“We have six squadrons of F-35s in concealed underground facilities,” replied Major Thomas. “In addition ten squadrons of F-22s are hidden away as well.”

Mitchell looked thoughtful. That was about three hundred planes. However, he didn’t dare order them into the air until they had a method to deal with the energy shields the Trellixians used to protect their shuttles and attack craft. “What about bombers?”

“Not as many. We have ten B-21 stealth bombers hidden and twenty B-1 Lancers. They’re much larger than the fighters and harder to hide.”

“What about active military units, Army and Marine?”

“We’ve moved the 4th Infantry Division and the 35th Infantry Division into the mountains where they can be called upon to protect this base if necessary. We have four Special Forces brigades hidden plus four regiments, including the 75th Ranger Regiment out of Fort Benning. We also have twelve Marine battalions, which have moved into the mountains to help secure areas the civilians are being directed to. That doesn’t include all the Reserve and other units fleeing into the mountains with civilians.”

General Mitchell slowly nodded. They still had a powerful military; it was just useless against the enemy they faced, at least for now. “We need those damn pulse rifles. At least with them our people would stand a chance. How soon before they’re ready?”

“Two more weeks and they should go into production,” replied Colonel Fields. “We’ve made some breakthroughs on the Jelnoid energy cannons and there’s a chance we could have those in another month or two.”

“Now we’re talking,” Mitchell said, surprised by the news. “What was the breakthrough?” Getting the Jelnoid energy cannons to work had been one of the primary projects of the DOE. However, every time they fired one it melted the barrel into slag.

“There’s a new alloy one of the Chinese scientists came up with. It’s held up so far in initial tests. A full-size unit is being set up to see if it can handle the full power from a modified fusion reactor.” The small fusion reactors were also reverse-engineered Jelnoid technology.

“What about an energy shield?”

Colonel Fields shook his head. “Not yet, we just don’t have the power even with the small fusion reactors. Professor Wilkens and his team are seeing if it’s possible to build a larger one or even set up the small units in parallel so we can draw power from more than one. To date they’ve met with failure but Wilkens seems confident they will eventually overcome the obstacles.”

General Mitchell’s gaze went to one of the viewscreens in the Command Center focused on one of the Trellixian battlecruisers. Strangely enough, a large number of military surveillance satellites were still working. From the battlecruiser several beams of light stabbed down toward the surface of Earth, doubtlessly targeting some military unit which had chosen to stand and fight. Many such units across the world were cut off without anywhere to fall back to. They were fighting for their survival and in most cases being wiped out by superior Trellixian technology and weapons.

-

In the UK what remained of the 1st Army Division and several other British military units had been forced back into Wales. The fighting had been vicious with the Air Force doggedly attacking the Trellixians at every opportunity. The division had entered the Snowdonia National Park, hoping the mountains and rough terrain would slow down the Trellixian advance.

Major-General Saunders was inside his hastily set up field command post twelve kilometers back from the fighting. “What’s the current status of our units?”

“We’re being hard-pressed,” Colonel Young replied. “The Air Force is pretty much finished. The last F-35 went down about an hour ago. We still have a few attack helicopters flying but they’re low on fuel and ammunition.”

“The Trellixians are making it a point to take out our remaining tanks and armored personnel carriers,” added Lieutenant-Colonel Scott. “The field hospitals are overflowing with wounded.”

A loud shrieking noise filled the air. An explosion shook the tent and debris rained down on the canvas. The acrid smell of explosives permeated the air.

“Damn warp missiles,” muttered Colonel Young.

“They’re designed to be demoralizing as well as destructive,” replied Major-General Saunders.

The 11th and 42nd Brigades are nearly wiped out,” continued Lieutenant-Colonel Scott. “They’re down to under one hundred effectives each. The 1st and 20th Armored Brigades have lost all their tanks and will soon be on foot.”

Major-General Saunders shook his head. So many good men and women were dying out there and never in his life had he felt so powerless. He knew there were a few hidden military and research facilities scattered throughout the country. His job had been to lure the Trellixians into combat to give the hidden facilities time to bring in the last of their personnel. He had done that and now his part in the battle was nearly over. However, he still had one major card to play and it should shake up the Trellixians and cause them some major concern.

-

Brigadier General Charles Taylor was in a hastily dug foxhole, watching the progress of the battle with several of his surviving officers.

“The 12th Armored Brigade is falling back,” Captain Cooper reported as he listened to reports coming in over his radio. “They have only seven tanks left.”

“Apaches are going in,” called out Captain Foster. “They’ll try to cover the withdrawal of the tanks and surviving armored units.”

In the air above them, the last twelve Apache AH-64E attack helicopters dove toward the Trellixian hover tanks, which were harassing the retreating tanks and fighting vehicles. Hellfire missiles rained down on the hover tanks, exploding against the energy shields protecting the small tanks. Smoke, fire, and debris rose up into the air. When the smoke cleared only one hover tank had been destroyed. The rest continued to advance toward the faltering British lines.

“We just can’t get through those energy shields,” said a frustrated Captain Foster. “We have the firepower but those shields make it nearly useless.”

The helicopters banked sharply and used their M230 30mm chain guns to strafe the armored Trellixian solders following behind the tanks. Half a dozen of the Trellixians fell to the ground but the others returned fire with their energy weapons. One of the Apaches was hit and exploded in a fireball as its fuel ignited. Another fell to the ground as it was pierced by multiple energy beams, damaging too many controls. The Apache hit the ground so hard it exploded in smoke and fire, leaving a large crater.

“Inbound Trellixian attack craft,” warned Captain Cooper, pointing with his right hand. His left hand was bandaged where he had been wounded the day before.

Over the distant horizon, a group of twenty specks appeared which quickly grew larger. A flight of Trellixian wedge-shaped attack craft had arrived. They rapidly took off after the Apaches still strafing the Trellixian ground troops. The helicopters spotted the incoming enemy and quickly went into a series of wild gyrations as they attempted to lose the attack craft. Enemy energy beam fire tore open four of the helicopters and small interceptor missiles blew apart the last six sending fiery debris raining down on the countryside.

The attack craft then turned their attention to the battle waging below them and launched warp missiles, their loud screaming noises accompanying them as they flew through the air. Across the British lines towering explosions blew massive craters into the ground. Moments later the small ships left, flying back to be rearmed, but they had done their damage. The British line was no more.

-

“That’s it,” Captain Foster said, sliding down in the foxhole with a look of shock and hopelessness on his face. “We lost all twelve Apaches and that finished off the last of our air assets.”

Brigadier General Taylor looked at the battlefield. Across it tanks, armored personnel carriers and other fighting vehicles were either on fire or had been blown apart. Only a few still fought back. Even as he watched two of the remaining Challenger 2 main battle tanks were struck by energy beams from the advancing enemy hover tanks. The UK tanks came to a halt with one exploding, sending a towering fireball into the air. From the other hatches were flung open as the crew tried to escape. However, the alien hover tanks were firing splinter grenades from their launchers and the crew collapsed to the ground as hundreds of small flechettes penetrated their bodies, killing them instantly.

More explosions went off around the hover tanks as the remaining GMLRS, Guided Multiple-Launch Rocket System, in the 1st Regiment tried to stop the Trellixian advance. Two hover tanks were hit by numerous 200-pound high-explosive warheads, tipping them over. Several Starstreak missiles slammed into the vulnerable underbellies, destroying the two alien tanks.

However, over the horizon two more squadrons of the wedge-shaped Trellixian attack craft suddenly appeared.

Brigadier General Taylor took a deep breath and looked at Captain Cooper. “Is the tactical nuke ready?”

Captain Cooper’s eyes widened. “Yes, sir. It’s been set to a yield of thirty kilotons.” That was twice the yield of the nuclear bomb that had destroyed Hiroshima.

Brigadier General Taylor watched the inbound Trellixian attack craft; he wanted them inside the blast radius when he gave the order to detonate. He looked down at the battlefield. There was very little firing as most of the British armor was destroyed and the soldiers were dead on the field of battle. The Trellixian hover tanks advanced in a line with hundreds of armor-encased troops behind them. Occasionally a Trellixian would stop and fire a beam from his energy weapon into a wounded British soldier. Brigadier General Taylor shook his head, angered by the cruelty and death caused by the advancing enemy. Well, now it was his turn to show the Trellixians what it was like to die.

In the center of the battlefield, near the now-advancing Trellixians, a small concrete bunker lay hidden. Inside was a W80 nuclear warhead with its yield set to thirty kilotons.

“Hand me the detonator,” ordered Taylor, holding out his hand to Captain Cooper. “I’ll be the one doing this.”

Next to Taylor, Captain Foster closed his eyes tightly and leaned against the dirt wall of the foxhole. Very quietly he said a prayer.

Brigadier General Taylor looked at the electronic detonator in his hand. It would send a signal to the warhead, detonating it instantly. Feeling strangely calm, he watched as the Trellixian armored troops and the two squadrons of attack craft reached the hidden bunker. Without hesitation, he pressed the button.

On the battlefield, the tactical nuclear weapon detonated. The ground shook as a massive fireball rose into the air. The center of the fireball was as hot as the sun. The Trellixian tanks nearest the explosion were destroyed instantly as their energy shields were overloaded. The superheated air soon caused a mushroom cloud to rise up over the battlefield.

All unprotected troops within four kilometers were killed immediately from the blast wave and the intense heat. Soldiers’ clothes and even their skin caught on fire. The few surviving armored vehicles were blown apart as parts melted and their fuel ignited. Only a few of the Trellixian hover tanks were far enough away from the blast to retreat at high speed. The two squadrons of attack craft lost one-third of their numbers, mostly from the initial heat of the blast and the violent turbulence which knocked them out of the air.

-

Major General Saunders’ field command post was behind a small mountain and even there the effects of the nuke were felt. The ground shook and a loud rumbling could be heard. A strong gust of wind struck the command post, nearly tearing it apart.

Saunders stepped outside, seeing the rising mushroom cloud on the other side of the mountain. “He did it.” Saunders took a deep breath. Brigadier General Taylor had orders to explode their last nuke if he was in danger of being overrun, a nuke the Trellixians couldn’t detect until it detonated.

“We’ve lost contact with all our units,” reported Lieutenant-Colonel Scott in a strained voice.

“It doesn’t matter,” replied Saunders as a fine dust and ash rained down on them. “The radiation will soon finish us off as we have nowhere else to go.”

Lieutenant-Colonel Scott remained silent as he stared at the falling ash and dust. He knew as well as the general what it meant.

“At least we took some of them with us,” Colonel Young said, his face showing satisfaction in hurting the Trellixians. “I only wish we had more nukes left.”

Saunders knew how Young felt. The Trellixians were running rampant over the UK. Saunders figured by now over 80 percent of the population had been killed. If he had the nukes he would use them, but the enemy had bombed and destroyed most of the world’s nuclear arsenal. The lone tactical nuke they just used had been furnished by the Americans.

After a moment he looked at his officers. It would take a few hours for them to begin to feel the effects of the radiation. He gripped the pistol at his waist. He didn’t plan on allowing himself to suffer. Most of his remaining soldiers wouldn’t either. “Let’s go inside. I believe there’s a bottle of excellent rum in one of the footlockers. No point in letting it go to waste.”

As they went inside, Major-General Saunders looked around at what was left of his command. Only a few soldiers moved about. The sky had darkened considerably from the ash and dust in the air. With a deep sigh he went inside and sat down. He wasn’t afraid to die. His wife and son had died in London when it was destroyed. It gave him some solace knowing he would soon be joining them.

-

In orbit, Battle Commander Balforr gazed in anger at the tell-all sign of a nuclear explosion. It had occurred in what this world called Wales. “Where did they get a nuke?”

“Unknown,” Second Officer Jaltor replied. “We thought we had taken all of them out.”

“Scan the surface again,” ordered Balforr. “Send out our shuttles. I want to know if any more of these hidden nuclear weapons are around.”

“It will be done,” Jaltor replied.

Balforr’s large eyes focused on Jaltor. “What did we lose?” So far in the battles raging on the planet they had only lost a few troops and hover tanks in the various conflicts. However, an exploding nuclear weapon in the middle of a battlefield was something else.

“Forty-eight hover tanks destroyed, another sixteen damaged,” Jaltor answered nervously. “We lost 862 soldiers and thirteen attack craft. The attack craft were coming in to finish off the Human armor and were practically on top of the nuke when it detonated.”

Balforr bared his sharp teeth. This was by far the greatest loss the Trellixians had suffered since sending troops to the surface. “These Humans are tenacious. They fight us for every square inch of this planet.”

“The third invasion fleet will be here shortly,” Jaltor answered. “That will give us a fresh influx of troops to engage the remaining enemy forces.”

Balforr was concerned by the thought of the arrival of the third invasion fleet. Several colony ships were with the fleet and they would expect a secure area on the planet to begin colonization. He wasn’t sure if anywhere on this planet was safe enough for them to land.

“Contact Battle Commander Traven. Focus our efforts in the United States, particularly Florida. We need to clear the Humans out of a substantial region for our colonists to land.” Balforr switched one of the viewscreens to show the United States as seen from orbit. Florida should be easy to secure and to keep safe from Human attacks. It would also provide sufficient land area for the inbound colonists.

Balforr didn’t want to inform the High Command the planet was still too dangerous for the colonists. Balforr also realized he would have to commit more of his battlecruisers to the battle. So far he had been giving Battle Commander Traven’s troops supporting fire in major skirmishes. However, he now believed that by ordering his battlecruisers closer to the surface they could use their scanners to identify pockets of Humans and use the ships’ weapons to eliminate them. It would require a lot of power generation for the energy shields but he saw no other way to rapidly subdue the planet.

“Have we located any other traces of additional Jelnoid technology?” This greatly concerned Balforr. The Jelnoids had possessed energy weapons as well as shields for their ships. The Humans had had access to the ruins of a Jelnoid scout craft for over eighty years. It was also possible some Jelnoids might have survived the crash of their vessel. It worried Balforr that they were missing some data.

“No, just regular weapons consistent with the observed technology level of the planet,” replied Jaltor.

Balforr turned his attention to the viewscreens. He could still see the darkened area over Wales where the nuclear weapon had detonated. He wondered why the weapon hadn’t been detected prior to its detonation. “Send all available shuttles to the surface. Scan every square inch of this planet once more.”

“That will take days!” protested Jaltor.

“I don’t care if it takes a year. The Humans are hiding something and I want to know what it is.”

“I will send the shuttles. Should we use the ones in Battle Commander Traven’s fleet as well?”

“Yes, every one he can spare.”

Balforr took a deep breath. The conquest of this planet was not going as he had planned. By now his fleet should have already been on its way to its next target. The Trellixian Empire needed room to expand, new worlds to colonize. He had been one of the leaders in that expansion and now he was being delayed by this one world. Perhaps he should contact the High Command and request a fourth invasion fleet with more troops. One way or another, he would crush the resistance on this world and eliminate every Human on the planet.

-

General Mitchell gazed in shock at one of the viewscreens showing the northwestern part of Wales. Only a few minutes before a nuclear weapon had detonated. “Are you certain it was one of ours?”

“It had the signature of a W80 with a yield of around thirty kilotons,” replied Major Thomas. “Major-General Saunders had one with his command. It was hidden by a Jelnoid device which made the weapon impossible for the Trellixians to pick up with their scanners. It exploded in the Snowdonia National Park in Wales.”

“How much damage did it cause?”

“It probably killed everyone within three miles of the blast. It appears the blast occurred on or below ground as it threw up a lot of atmospheric debris. The wind is currently blowing about fifteen miles per hour out of the northwest. The severe radiation should stay within the confines of the park.”

“How many people live in the park?” Mitchell didn’t think it was too heavily populated.

“From the latest census around 26,000.”

“Saunders’s command was the last major military unit still operating in the UK,” commented General Briggs. “There remain some Special Forces in a few areas but they’ve been instructed to avoid contact with the Trellixians until further notice.”

“Our facilities in the UK?” Even in the UK there were a few underground bunkers and research facilities in remote areas.

“Undetected so far,” Briggs replied.

General Mitchell blinked his eyes as he thought over their next move militarily. Until the new energy weapons and an operational energy shield were ready all he could do was harass the Trellixians and try to get as many people as possible to the relative safety of the mountains. “Colonel Steward, send a message to Professor Wilkens. Tell him we need the first one thousand pulse rifles at the end of two weeks.” He wasn’t sure if this was possible but he needed those weapons.

“Yes, sir,” Steward replied as she prepared to send the message. All underground military sites and research facilities were connected by underground communication lines. The lines were buried so deep there was little chance the Trellixians could detect them.

“General Briggs, inform our troops in the field they are to avoid direct confrontations with Trellixian military units. Have them revert to sabotage and guerrilla warfare. I believe we have some units equipped especially for that.”

“Yes, sir. We have units out of Fort Bliss and Fort Hood in Texas which have already been sent out across the country. Also, several brigades from the 10th Mountain Division have been scattered along the East Coast. Same for parts of the 82nd Airborne Division as well as the 101st.”

“All right, give the order to our other units to pull back to the mountains. They’re to escort as many civilians as possible. Their part in the fighting for now is over.”

General Mitchell walked over and sat down where he could see the large viewscreens focused on space as well as Earth. The atmosphere remained a little darker than normal from the original nuclear bombardment of the Trellixians and a lot of cities still had fires raging. It would be days yet before they all burned themselves out.

On one of the viewscreens showing the slopes of the heavily forested mountain above them, small bunkers were being built. For now these would hold machine gun and artillery emplacements. Sometime in the future new energy weapons would be installed. When that happened maybe they would be ready to fight back.

Plans were for several full divisions of troops to form a defensive ring around the mountain in case the Trellixians discovered the underground command base. Fortunately they were far enough back in the mountains to make its discovery more difficult. However, when hiding nearly twenty thousand soldiers it made everything that much harder.

General Briggs walked to stand next to Mitchell. “We’re taking on an empire, one that has never been defeated. I watched the tapes provided by the Jelnoid engineer who survived the crash at Roswell. The Jelnoids were much more advanced than we are and even had a space fleet to defend their worlds. They still lost and their worlds were ravaged by the Trellixians. Only one small scout craft managed to survive and it crashed here. We’re placing a lot of faith in Professor Wilkens and the other scientists.”

General Mitchell nodded. “We’ve had eighty years to reverse-engineer the Jelnoid technology. The Jelnoid engineer helped us to understand much of their science and technology. It’s only been in the last few years we’ve begun to reproduce it. I have faith in the human race and I believe if we can hold out long enough we can drive this enemy from our planet. Someday we’ll be hunting them. They should have never come to our world.”

General Briggs was silent for several moments. “I hope you’re right,” he replied. “But we have a long road ahead of us.”

General Mitchell looked at the viewscreens showing one of the two-thousand-meter-long Trellixian battlecruisers. Beams of energy fired toward Earth at some target. His eyes hardened. Someday he would see those battlecruisers blown out of the sky and from orbit around Earth. He would not rest until that day arrived.

Chapter Nine

Captain Lisa Reynolds stepped from her tent, looking toward the creek. In recent days large numbers of civilians had passed through the skirmish line and been sent on to the hidden supply caches. She knew from there they would be evaluated and sent to prepared locations deeper in the mountains. She had heard rumors of deep tunnels extending far inside some of the mountains where tens of thousands of survivors could be hidden. It was hard for her to imagine living in such confined conditions. She also wondered about the reasons for all this.

Several days ago she had taken some scans with her special equipment of a Trellixian shuttle flying low over the long valley they were in. It had flown on, not detecting the scans or seeming to notice the hundreds of refugees and human soldiers. Lisa had been nervous about using her equipment on the shuttle though her orders in such a situation were very explicit. She was to gather as much data as possible on the Trellixians and their technology. Lieutenant Symington stood by her the entire time with his eyes focused intently on the shuttle. He was obviously relieved when Lisa finished her scans and the shuttle disappeared from sight.

Her attention was drawn to Lieutenant Symington speaking to a Marine captain. Two days earlier Captain Morrison arrived with 118 Marines. Major Dolan immediately sent orders Morrison and his Marines were to reinforce the skirmish line along the creek. Additional food, water, ammunition and other supplies were sent to Lieutenant Symington to ensure the Marines were properly equipped.

Lisa knew two additional Marine companies had been sent to reinforce Lieutenant Symington, one on the south end of the Rangers’ skirmish line and one on the north, effectively extending the line to a total length of nearly eighteen winding miles through the mountains along the stream, practically to its source. Whatever was going on seemed to be well-planned. She wondered how much Professor Wilkens had to do with all this and where he was. She suspected he had to be at some hidden research facility. At some point she was certain he would call for her to join him. Maybe then she would finally get some answers.

“We had six hundred people come through yesterday,” Private Peterson said as he stood nearby Lisa. “I checked your scanner a few minutes ago and several more large groups are coming our way.”

Lisa nodded. “It’s slowing down considerably.” There had been a few days where over 2,500 refugees had come through, some escorted by soldiers and others fleeing into the mountains on their own. Many were poorly equipped for long-term survival. Lisa wondered how many would have survived if they hadn’t been found by Lieutenant Symington’s Rangers and now the Marines.

“Either that or there are more Trellixian soldiers in the area.” Private Peterson was deeply concerned Trellixian soldiers could show up at any time. He was constantly checking Lisa’s scanner.

“I was talking to Marine Corporal Anniston and he said the aliens are bombing everywhere,” said Private Hambridge, standing to one side, watching the slow-running creek. “We may be getting toward the end of the exodus to the mountains. It’s getting too dangerous for people to move about.”

Several times since the Rangers had deployed along the creek Trellixian shuttles had flown over. The shuttles hadn’t paused but kept going deeper into the mountains. Only once had Lisa used her scanner for fear of detection. The increase in the number of enemy shuttles they’d seen seemed to indicate the aliens were concerned about what was going on with the people and military units fleeing into the mountains.

“A lot of people have died,” said Peterson grimly. “We’ve all lost people in this war. There can’t be a lot of them left out in the open.”

“I wonder what it’s like in the cities?” said Hambridge. “The Trellixians are trying to exterminate us.”

“We may not be as easy to exterminate as they think. Isn’t that right, Captain Reynolds?” said Peterson. “That’s why you have all this special equipment, so we can learn the weaknesses of these aliens and fight back.”

“Perhaps,” Lisa replied evasively. She didn’t want to reveal too much. Major Lorre had been very explicit about that.

“I’m going to get something to eat,” Hambridge said. “I saw some breakfast food come in a few minutes ago on one of the ATVs. I want to get some before it’s all gone. I can only eat so many of these MREs.”

“Go ahead. I’ll join you later.” With a deep sigh, Lisa decided to take a quick shower before it got too crowded. The Rangers had run a small pump to the creek and set up a pair of showers behind the tents. After being out here in the woods for so long Lisa’s problem was keeping her hair untangled. The water was cold but she could bear it for a minute or two. “I’m heading for the showers. Let me know if anything unusual shows up on the scanner.”

“Will do,” Private Peterson replied. “I’ll stay close to the scanner until you tell me otherwise.”

With a nod, Lisa headed back to her tent to pick up a few items and a change of clothing. She had been provided a larger tent. She wondered if she would ever get to sleep in a real bed again. The Army cot she was sleeping on now was better than the ground but she really missed her bed in her parents’ home. She also knew Portland was a place she could probably never return to as it had been nuked.

-

Corporal Sampson was next to the creek watching Private Richards deepening and extending his foxhole. All along the creek where Rangers or Marines were deployed it was much the same.

“Chest deep,” Sampson reminded Richards, watching him use the E-Tool shovel to dig and widen his fighting hole. “If one of those damn warp missiles hits us that hole just might save your life.”

“At least the ground’s soft,” muttered Richards as he stopped and wiped the sweat from his brow. “Any idea, Corporal, on how much longer we’ll be out here? I miss my bed back at the base.”

“As long as it takes,” Sampson replied as he walked away.

He had a few more Rangers to check on. Eleven days without any signs of the enemy, other than the few shuttles that had flown overhead, tended to make people less cautious. Sampson knew from the briefings with Lieutenant Symington the Trellixians could show up any day now. Sampson also wanted to check on the four MK48 machine guns set up to cover the far side of the creek with two Rangers responsible for each one. In addition there were two M224 60mm mortars behind them in two firing pits, each with a pair of Rangers. The firing pits were primarily to give the Rangers some protection from incoming fire.

-

“We’ve set up a pretty good line of defense along the creek,” Lieutenant Symington explained to Captain Morrison. “We have a company of your Marines anchoring down each end with my Ranger company and your Marine company here in the center. We have machine guns set up at strategic locations where trails come through the woods as well as mortar pits where we can call in fire on any target out to three kilometers on the far side of the creek.”

Captain Morrison studied the contour map Lieutenant Symington had laid out on the table. “I’ve seen these Trellixians in action.” Morrison’s face creased in a worried frown. “We had a brief encounter with them just before we reached the mountains. We took out six of them but it cost us over forty Marines to do it. The armor they wear is nearly indestructible. Our regular rifles won’t penetrate it. We had to use machine guns with heavier rounds and grenades.”

This worried Lieutenant Symington. He had already heard the alien troops were almost impossible to take out. “We’ve got claymores set up in strategic areas along the trails. If three or four of them go off I can’t believe the Trellixian’s armor will be able to resist them.”

Morison looked across the creek where the bridge began. The creek was about twenty yards across at that point though in some areas it narrowed to less than ten. “I think we should set demolition charges on the bridge. That creek at its deepest is no more than three or four feet. It may just be enough to encourage the Trellixians to try the bridge.”

“I can have one of my explosives people put a few demolition blocks of C-4 on the bridge,” Symington replied as he thought it over. “We can detonate it from here if necessary.”

Morrison nodded. “That should do the trick.”

Lieutenant Symington looked up and down the creek. It was very quiet and all of their troops were dug in. The Trellixians were known to use orbital bombardment and warp missiles to take out resisting military units. The deep foxholes should give the Marines and Rangers some protection. “We’ve been here for eleven days. A lot of civilians and small military units have come through. Most of the military units have been Reserve or National Guard.”

“Not surprising,” Morrison said, his eyes watching a Marine deepening and widening his foxhole. “The president and General Mitchell sent most of our elite units to safety before they struck the Trellixian battlecruisers with nukes. The Reserve and the Guard were activated toward the end and directed to get out of the cities.”

“We did have a few regular Army units come through. Major Dolan wanted them back at the second defensive line that’s been set up.”

Morrison took a deep breath and reached into his pocket for a pack of cigarettes, taking one out and lighting it. He took in a deep drag and looked at Lieutenant Morrison. “I used to worry about these killing me some day. It’s a bad habit I picked up as a teenager and I’ve never been able to kick it. I guess there will shortly be no more cigarettes and I can finally give them up.”

“My dad used to smoke pretty heavily,” Symington said. “He passed away a few years back.”

“Let me guess. Cancer?”

“Yeah,” Symington replied sadly. “Lung cancer. He died within four months of being diagnosed.”

Morrison took another deep drag and then dropped the cigarette to the ground, grinding it out with his boot. “I would guess we won’t see many additional survivors or military units coming through.”

“That’s my opinion as well,” Symington replied with a nod. “We had a lot coming through the first week we were out here. Men, women, children, even babies were flooding down the trails, some escorted by troops and others completely on their own.”

Morrison looked toward the opening in the woods where the large game trail was. “At some point, the Trellixians will come into these mountains, hunting for them and us.”

Lieutenant Symington nodded. “When they do, we’ll be ready.” However, he knew the toughness of Captain Morrison’s Marines and just the knowledge that over forty of them had died killing six Trellixians was unnerving. After a little thinking, he decided to request more claymores from Captain Garcia. He knew the weapons cache which Garcia was using as his base was full of them as well as C-4 explosives. He had a plan on how to use them if the Trellixians managed to get across the river. If they did he wanted to give his Rangers and Captain Morrison’s Marines a chance to escape.

-

Major Dolan studied the reports from the different Ranger units out in the field. Currently nearly five hundred Rangers were spread out over eight hundred square miles.

“We’re fortunate those three Marine companies came through,” Captain Kyle Smith said. His Ranger company was currently inside the base for some much needed rest. They had been out on patrol, searching for any survivors who might have gotten past the two skirmish lines.

“They were supposed to be here a week ago but got hung up avoiding Trellixian troops and hover tanks. We’ve assigned them to Captain Garcia and they’ve joined the skirmish line along the creek. That’s nearly eighteen miles we’ve got covered.”

Captain Smith nodded. “Captain Garcia has the second skirmish line set up five miles back. We have Captain Grumman’s Ranger company and two companies of regular Army units spread out along it. We got lucky they chose our area to hide in.”

“They had a lot of civilians with them, over a thousand; members of their families and others they had picked up on the way.”

“What does that make over the last eleven days?” asked Smith.

“Twelve thousand civilians, three Marine companies, two regular Army companies and about four hundred National Guard and Reserve.”

“Captain Garcia says the numbers have dropped considerably over the last twenty-four hours.”

Mark nodded. “From the reports I’ve received from HQ, the Trellixians are making a concentrated effort to cut off the flow of civilians and Army units fleeing into the mountains. They’ve brought down their battlecruisers to scan the countryside for survivors.”

“They’ll be coming into the mountains soon,” Smith replied with a concerned frown. “What do we do then?”

“Fight a delaying action. Set ambushes and avoid direct confrontations.”

Captain Smith took in a deep breath. “There are only so many places we can hide in these mountains. How long do they expect us to do that? The Trellixians are bound to find us eventually.”

Mark leaned back in his chair. “I’ve been ordered to report to Colonel Branson at the main HQ for this region. He says he has some information to cover with me as well as something he wants to show me. Not sure what’s going on but it sounds pretty important.” Mark knew it had to be for the colonel to want Mark to leave his command for a few days.

“I’ll take two of the ATVs and will be back as soon as I can. Until I return you’ll be in charge. If anything happens contact Colonel Branson on the secure comm line.” This was the deep underground line which connected the base to the main HQ. “Maybe when I get back I’ll have some answers.” Mark sure hoped he did. Right now the fight against the Trellixians seemed hopeless. However, there had to be a reason for this base and others like it scattered throughout the mountains.

After Captain Smith left Mark went back to studying the reports from his officers in the field. Lieutenant Symington had established a pretty good strong point in the skirmish line he had set up at the creek. In addition, the second line was ready in case the Trellixians broke through the first. If everything collapsed Captain Garcia was prepared to use the heavier weapons in the supply and weapons cache to try to hold back the Trellixians while everyone evacuated.

Mark turned his thoughts toward the three special captains who had joined his command. He was still mystified as to their purpose. Captain Reynolds was with Lieutenant Symington and from the forwarded reports her special equipment had spotted many of the inbound refugees beforehand. Captain Olson had been assigned to the second skirmish line and Captain Masterson was at the supply cache with Captain Garcia. All three had equipment with them which did things which seemed impossible.

Mark blinked his eyes. Once he reached HQ maybe he would know if Colonel Branson had any news on his sister or parents. He knew the probability of any of them having survived was minuscule. Taking a deep breath, he thought about the last time he had seen his sister, Jennifer. She was just beginning her new job as a nurse in one of the big cancer treatment centers in Dallas. She was so excited at the opportunity to help people. That was his sister, always placing others first. They had gone out to eat and all she could talk about were the opportunities in front of her and how she would be working with some of the top doctors in the country. Mark had sat back and listened, smiling to himself at how happy Jennifer was. Now that seemed like so long ago. The last he knew she had survived the initial attack and was working at a medical facility on the outskirts of Dallas treating survivors. Since then there had been nothing.

-

In the primary underground US military Command Center, General Mitchell stared worriedly at several viewscreens displaying France. Four Trellixian battlecruisers had descended from orbit and were flying fifteen to twenty miles above the surface, using their energy weapons to take out every sign of human resistance.

The ships’ energy beams carved out huge swaths of destruction. The beams were igniting fires and leaving deep black scars in the ground. Mitchell knew anyone caught beneath one of those beams would be killed instantly.

“The French have sent up their surviving aircraft,” reported Colonel Steward with a confused look on her face. The orders had already been sent out to all surviving units to lay low and to avoid contact with any enemy troops. The French should not have sent up anything.

“The fools,” said General Briggs, staring at a set of large viewscreens. “They should have kept them hidden. We might have needed them later.”

“We have six full squadrons of Rafale F4 fighters heading toward the enemy battlecruisers,” reported Colonel Fields, shaking his head. “The battlecruisers have their shields in operation. The fighters don’t have a weapon that can penetrate. This is suicide.”

General Mitchell was confused. It wasn’t like the French to take such risks at this particular time. True, all their regular Army units had been driven from the field with heavy bombardments from Trellixian battlecruisers. Also large numbers of enemy soldiers and hover tanks were active in France. Mitchell couldn’t help but wonder if something else was going on.

“Keep monitoring those fighters,” Mitchell ordered, his brows creased in a frown. On two of the viewscreens, sharp images of the French fighters appeared. They had divided up into two flights of three squadrons, sixteen planes each, heading directly toward two Trellixian battlecruisers.

“Trellixian attack craft are launching from all four battlecruisers and are moving to intercept the French fighters,” reported Colonel Fields. “Detecting over two hundred inbound Trellixian attack craft.”

“Those small alien craft have energy shields,” pointed out General Briggs, his eyes narrowing. “The French fighters don’t stand a chance.”

“Those are updated Dassault Rafale F4 fighter jets,” General Briggs said as he studied the images on the viewscreens. “Those are the best fighters the French have.”

“The lead fighters will encounter the first Trellixian attack craft in less than one minute,” Fields reported as the two opposing groups closed rapidly on the viewscreens. The Trellixian attack craft were wedge-shaped and just slightly smaller than the French jets.

-

In the skies over the ravaged French countryside, the defending fighter squadrons broke into groups of four and accelerated toward the incoming attack craft. Missiles launched, homing in on the alien ships, only to detonate a few meters from the craft. The energy shields protecting the wedge-shaped attack craft held up to the exploding missiles. None were damaged and now they were within range of the French fighters. From two of the rear Dassault Rafales a lone missile launched. Just before they reached the Trellixian attack craft, both detonated.

-

In the underground Command Center, all the screens monitoring the battle suddenly were covered in static.

“What the hell?” muttered General Briggs as he looked at Colonel Fields for an explanation.

“Massive EMP burst,” Fields reported as he studied some incoming data. “It will take a few minutes for the screens to clear. Our satellites are hardened against such an attack and automatically shut down upon detecting an event.”

“What about the French fighters?” asked Briggs. “Such a high EMP detonation will fry their avionics to hell.”

“Probably hardened as well,” Fields replied. “I can’t see them setting off such a weapon without taking the necessary precautions.”

“What type of warheads were those?” asked General Mitchell. He knew the US had electromagnetic weapons.

“One of our Jelnoid sensors recorded an intense burst of microwaves,” replied Colonel Fields, after reading some data on a computer screen.

“Screens are clearing,” reported Major Thomas.

The screens cleared, showing an amazing sight. The French fighters were clearing the air of the forward most Trellixian fast-attack craft. Even as Mitchell and his company watched missiles fired from several French planes struck Trellixian craft, blowing them apart. Bright fireballs littered the alien formation.

“How did they do that?” asked General Mitchell, looking to Colonel Fields for an explanation.

“They set a trap for the Trellixians,” Colonel Fields answered. “They set off some warheads which emitted massive bursts of microwaves. The microwave burst has the same effects as an EMP. But these were set off so close to the Trellixian attack craft they must have overloaded their energy shields.”

Mitchell returned his attention to the viewscreens. The French warplanes were heavily outnumbered and the Trellixians’ superior numbers were beginning to make a difference. The attack craft were using their twin energy beams to shoot down the French planes. Even as he watched three F4 Rafales exploded in brilliant fireballs. The rest of the French jets turned and disengaged, flying away from the Trellixian craft. Surprisingly the Trellixians did not pursue.

“Can that work on one of their battlecruisers?” asked General Briggs.

Colonel Fields shook his head. “No, the energy shield on a battlecruiser is one thousand times more powerful than what one of their small attack craft possesses. Using any EMP weapon against one of their battlecruisers would be like tossing a wet firecracker at it. Even with their shields down the thick armor on the hull would probably cancel out the majority of the EMP, not allowing it to penetrate inside the ship.”

General Briggs looked thoughtful. “What if we hit their battlecruisers with our electromagnetic railguns? We have some of them installed on the mountain slopes above this base.”

Colonel Fields shook his head. “We considered that. We had several Navy ships fire them at a few Trellixian battlecruisers with no noticeable effect. However, if we could hit their attack craft with one I imagine we could destroy it.”

“So why haven’t we done that?”

“The craft move too fast. We don’t have a targeting system that can track one of their attack craft and then hit it with a railgun round.”

“They can’t be modified and placed on our fighters?”

“No,” Fields replied. “We were working on a design but we were several years away from perfecting it. The problem is power. We would need a miniature fusion power source and that’s still beyond our technological level.”

“I wonder why the Trellixian craft didn’t follow the French fighters?” asked Major Thomas, still watching the viewscreens.

“They’re probably tracking them back to their bases,” General Mitchell answered. Once again he didn’t understand what the French were up to. He doubted if they had too many other planes hidden besides the ones they had launched this attack with. “Let’s keep an eye on them a little longer. I don’t think this is over.”

“All four of the battlecruisers in France are now following the Rafales,” said Colonel Fields, concerned. “I imagine they’ll follow the fighters to their bases and then use their ships’ energy weapons to destroy the fighters once they’ve landed.”

“Do we have a course plotted for the French fighters?” asked General Mitchell. He still felt the French were up to something.

“They seem to be heading toward the France-Switzerland border near Geneva.”

“The Hadron Collider is in that area,” said General Briggs, surprised. “Is there any chance the French could have weaponized it?”

Mitchell looked at Colonel Fields. “Is it possible?”

Fields looked thoughtful. “Geneva wasn’t nuked and as far as I know the Hadron Collider is still intact. Some of the brightest scientists in the world have been working on it. It’s possible they could have done some modifications.”

“Let’s keep several viewscreens focused on the Trellixian battlecruisers,” ordered Mitchell. He now believed the French had set a trap for the aliens. The question was, would it work?

-

Over France the four massive Trellixian battlecruisers had traced the Human aircraft which attacked them to what appeared to be several hidden airbases in the country called Switzerland. The commander of the four battlecruisers was already assigning targets as they approached the bases. The powerful energy beams of the ships would make short work of these hidden bases. The Humans were foolish to have revealed them.

“Commander, I’m picking up a large energy buildup beneath us,” warned the sensor officer. “It’s nearly off the scale!”

“Recalibrate your sensors,” snarled the commander, angry the sensor officer was failing to do his job. “The Humans have no weapons that can cause such a reading.” This was gross incompetence and would have to be dealt with.

-

Behind the Trellixian battlecruisers a large hatch suddenly slid open in the ground. A bright beam of light shot out, striking the lead ship. The ship’s energy screen flared brightly and then collapsed. The beam then struck the ship’s hull, cutting through it and setting off secondary explosions. The ship seemed to shudder from the unexpected attack. The beam widened and then, in a fiery explosion, the Trellixian battlecruiser disintegrated. The beam shut off and then appeared again, focusing on the next battlecruiser. Once again the ship’s energy shield flared up brightly and then collapsed. Moments later the Trellixian battlecruiser exploded, showering the countryside with flaming wreckage.

-

Inside the Control Room for the Hadron Collider, the French and other scientists worked frantically to keep the beam functioning.

“We’ve lost the linear particle accelerator and two of the looped accelerators as well,” called out Adrien Blanchet. “They overloaded.”

“Power is dropping,” reported one of the technicians in front of a bank of computer screens. “We can’t hold the beam!”

In the distance an explosion rattled the Control Room.

“We’re losing it!” shouted Adrien as a number of his screens revealed warning signals and fluctuating power levels. “The whole damn thing’s going to explode!”

“Shut it down,” ordered General Chastain. “It’s time to evacuate.” The general had hoped to shoot down all four Trellixian battlecruisers, giving France some breathing room to evacuate and hide more people in the Alps and the Pyrenees. Shelters there were still not filled to capacity. It had been a daring plan the scientists had come up with to modify the collider and to turn it into a makeshift weapon. It had taken weeks of hard work just to get it to fire off the two beams.

More explosions rattled the Control Center. “Part of the tunnel ring has collapsed,” reported Adrien. “The collider’s finished.” Adrien had worked there for years and could not believe the collider was now a piece of very expensive wreckage.

“It served its purpose,” General Chastain replied. “Now let’s get out of here. Those two remaining Trellixian battlecruisers will start to bombard us with their energy weapons at any moment.”

Adrien shut down his control panel. His work was done.

-

“Two of them!” General Briggs said, his face lighting up with glee. “The French managed to take down two of those big bastards.”

On the screen, the two remaining battlecruisers were now using their energy beams to strike the area where the large open hatch was. It continued for several minutes. Then suddenly the energy beams stopped and the two battlecruisers rose toward space.

“What’s going on?” asked Briggs, confused. “Why did the aliens stop the bombardment?”

“All of their battlecruisers have stopped their attacks and are moving into a higher orbit,” Colonel Fields reported.

“They’re afraid we’ve developed a weapon that can take down their battlecruisers,” Mitchell said in sudden understanding. “That’s what the French were up to, trying to buy time.”

“Looks like they did it,” Fields replied. “Even the small attack craft have returned to their battlecruisers.”

“Is it over?” asked General Briggs hopefully.

“No,” answered Mitchell, shaking his head. “The French have bought us some time. I’m sure the Trellixians will sit in orbit until they decide if any more of those beam weapons are available to us. It won’t take them long to figure out what happened. When they do they’ll be back. In the meantime we still have thousands of their troops and hundreds of those hover tanks killing our people. Let’s see what we can do to save more civilians and military units while the battlecruisers are away.”

Mitchell leaned back in his chair, staring at a viewscreen showing the smoking remains of the Hadron Collider. He knew most of it was far enough underground that it was probably still intact. However, the damage was obviously severe enough that it could not be used as a weapon again.

-

In orbit, Battle Commander Balforr stared at a viewscreen focused on the burning remains of two of his battlecruisers. “How did this happen?” he demanded, turning toward Second Officer Jaltor. “Was that a Jelnoid energy weapon?” Balforr was concerned the Humans might have finally pieced together that dangerous technology.

“No,” Jaltor reported. “It was some type of particle beam weapon. Something the Humans should not have. I already have a group of our scientists looking into it.”

“Two more battlecruisers,” Balforr said, gripping the three fingers on his right hand. “This is just one world and a rather primitive one at that. We’ve lost fourteen battlecruisers and six troop transports since coming to this system.”

“The third invasion fleet will be here in another few days,” replied Jaltor. “Surely with their additional battlecruisers and troop transports we can finish cleansing this planet of the Humans.”

“We’d better or the High Command will be very disappointed and angry over this invasion.” Balforr’s other big concern were the colony ships coming with the third invasion fleet. Efforts were being made to clear the Human state of Florida for colonization. Looking at a viewscreen which showed the planet Balforr wondered what other surprises these Humans might have for him. Nothing about this invasion was going as planned.

Chapter Ten

Sergeant William Tucker let out a long breath of relief as they arrived at the isolated cabin deep in the Rocky Mountains. They had been delayed by nearly a week due to Trellixian shuttles flying overhead and had to take refuge in a small town just short of their destination. He gazed at the small cabin that was tucked beneath some tall trees, which pretty well hid it from view. Tucker and his people had used some old fire roads and a game trail to get their trucks within six miles of the cabin. Once they could go no farther they threw camouflage netting over the trucks to hide them from Trellixian shuttles. They left three guards to ensure the trucks and their valuable supplies were left alone until they could be unloaded and taken to the cabin.

The hike from the trucks to the cabin had been difficult as they had to cross a small river and numerous streams. Fortunately Sergeant Tucker had been up here camping in the past and knew the easiest way to get to their destination. Even so, it had taken them nearly a full day with the civilians, including women and children.

“We’re here,” Sergeant Tucker announced as they stepped into the small clearing in front of the cabin.

“About time,” mumbled one of the women behind him. “I’m not moving for days. Every muscle in by body aches.”

“Is that the cabin?” asked another. “It sure is small. We all won’t fit in there.”

“It’s not a lodge,” Corporal Owens explained. “The park rangers use it when they’re traveling between fire towers or when they’re out checking some of the isolated campsites deep in the mountains. We’ll be sleeping in tents once we get them set up.”

“It’s going to be awful cold sleeping in tents,” replied the same woman.

Everyone took off their packs and sat down beneath the thick grove of trees that sheltered the cabin. Many were worn out from the long walk and several of the children were complaining. One wanted to know where the TV was so she could watch her cartoons.

Next to the cabin was a small locked shed as well as a small barn for horses. Upon breaking the lock to the shed they found two ATVs parked inside. Tucker knew the park rangers used these to travel to several fire-watch towers even deeper in the mountains. Also two fifty-gallon barrels full of gasoline were found which was a huge relief as the ATVs ran on gasoline whereas the six Army trucks ran on diesel. At least they would have fuel for them for a while. The ATVs also solved the problem as to how to get the supplies from the trucks to the cabin. They were like a small pickup with a cargo bed supplies could be loaded into. Inside the horse barn were a dozen bales of grass hay but no horses.

Sergeant Tucker finished his inspection and turned to look at the people sitting beneath the tree canopy. They now had nearly one hundred people in their group. On the way to the cabin they had stumbled across twelve other National Guardsmen with their families hiking deep into the woods. The two groups had decided to join together for their mutual protection.

“Get those two ATVs gassed up and let’s begin shuttling our supplies from the trucks to here,” ordered Sergeant Tucker, addressing Corporal Owens. “There are probably a lot of people out in these woods fleeing the aliens. We don’t want them stumbling across the trucks and taking our supplies.” Tucker had wanted to be here four or five days back but the Trellixian shuttles flying overhead had made that impossible.

“They shouldn’t,” Owens replied. “We left Privates Jenkins, Stockton, and Marsh to guard them.”

Tucker nodded. “I know, but a lot of desperate people are in these mountains. Some will be well-supplied and others will have little or nothing. Those are the ones I’m concerned about.”

“I’ll get the ATVs gassed up and on their way.”

“I don’t want them traveling after dark,” added Tucker. “Their lights will be visible for miles, particularly from the air.” He didn’t want to risk drawing attention to them from the Trellixians.

“I’ll remind them. I’ll send Privates Lance and Stark. They’re pretty dependable. We should be able to get one trip in before dark.”

Twenty minutes later Sergeant Tucker watched as the two ATVs left, taking a small game trail. “Corporal Strong, place some guards around our perimeter. I don’t want anyone stumbling across our camp without us knowing they’re coming. Probably a few others know about this cabin. I also want to know if any of those damn aliens are around.” Corporal Strong was with the second group of National Guardsmen.

Strong nodded his agreement. “I’ll put out three groups of two. One each on our flanks and the other between us and where we would expect other survivors to come from. What do you want to do if we encounter more people?”

“Bring them in and we’ll evaluate them. If they can be useful they can stay. If not we have no choice but to send them farther into the woods.”

This was a survival situation. People who might be a burden would have to find a way to survive on their own or die. It was a harsh reality but that was what the aliens had brought about. Only the fittest and best prepared would survive in this new world order.

“I’ll set up the guard posts,” Corporal Strong said as he turned to talk to some of the guardsmen waiting around for orders.

Satisfied he had done everything he could for now Sergeant Tucker turned to where their families waited. They needed to erect tents and a few other essentials. There would be no fires tonight as they could be easily detected. Everyone had brought a backpack with the bare necessities as well as a sleeping bag. A few had small tents. For the most part everyone would be sleeping under the stars tonight. Tomorrow they would get the big tents set up. They had cots for everyone so at least they would have a comfortable place to sleep.

-

Sergeant Tucker surveyed the interior of the small cabin. It had two bedrooms with a pair of bunk beds in each, a small kitchen with a dining room table and a sitting area with a couple couches and even a recliner. The stove ran on propane and after checking outside, he found four large cylindrical tanks. All were full. Electricity came from a small wind generator hooked to a number of batteries and an inverter. A small emergency generator was also in the shed. At least when the wind wasn’t blowing they would still have lights in the cabin.

“Will we ever be able to go home?” his wife asked.

Tucker turned to look at Lacy. They had been married for six years and had a young son named Matt.

“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “We’re forty miles back in the mountains. The aliens may never come this far.”

Lacy held their son’s hand as he looked around in confusion. “William, we can’t live in tents during the winter. It gets too cold here and there’s definitely not enough room in this cabin for all of us. It’ll be cold tonight with everyone sleeping outside. A few are already complaining.”

“We can build an addition onto the back of the cabin,” suggested Tucker. “We’ll make sure the children all stay warm. We have several big military tents in the trucks. They’re designed for this type of environment. There won’t be a lot of privacy but they’ll get us through the winter. Maybe, given enough time, we can build a few more cabins.” Tucker had already decided the cabin would be used for anyone who might fall ill. “For tonight we can bring the youngest children and their mothers inside the cabin. It’ll be crowded but they won’t be outside.”

Lacy sat down on one of the couches, putting Matt beside her. “Just how safe are we?”

Tucker sat next to his wife, taking her hand. “As safe as we can be. It will be months before the aliens even think about searching these mountains. By then it will be winter and with the snow they shouldn’t be able to get to us. That gives us six or eight months to decide what to do, to prepare.”

Lacy nodded, her expression concerned. “This will be hard on all of us. I think some of the women and children are still in shock.”

“We all are,” Tucker replied. “Why don’t you and Matt stay in here for now while I get everything better organized outside? Would you inventory what’s in the cabinets in this cabin? I saw some cans of food and even a few medical supplies. We’ve need to know what we have to work with here.”

Lacy nodded as Tucker got up and went to the door. Stepping outside on the large porch he looked around. The cabin was completely hidden by the tall towering trees though he wasn’t certain how that would be in the winter when some of the trees lost their leaves. A small clearing was in front of the cabin. The wind generator was on the edge of the clearing where it would catch the wind coming down the small valley. There was an area about two miles distant where the valley narrowed to a few hundred yards. On both sides were steep granite cliffs. Tucker planned on setting up a choke point there. They had a few claymores and other explosives in the trucks. The captain back at the National Guard building had insisted he take them when Tucker had told him of his plans. Tucker was glad now he had.

Several M240L belt-fed machine guns were in the trucks as well. Both of those could be set up in the choke point as well as the claymores. If the Trellixians attempted to come through Sergeant Tucker felt certain they could be stopped. At least the first time. After that Tucker and his people could always fall back to the other end of the valley. It opened up a bit as far as tree cover but the ground was higher and the terrain much rougher. It would not be a good place to go with the women and children.

With a deep sigh, he stepped off the porch and proceeded toward where everyone waited. He hoped Privates Lance and Stark made it back before dark with the supplies. The first load would be primarily food and medical supplies. He wanted to get everyone fed really well before they turned in for the night. There would be less complaining if everyone had full stomach.

-

Vice President Katelyn Hathaway, Major Cunningham, Professor Wilkens, and Professor Pierre Fournier were holding an emergency meeting. They were all still shaken up at the loss of the president and how brutal the Trellixians were. They had watched video feeds of the aliens wiping out civilians, destroying military units, and methodically combing the cities and the countryside for any survivors. This was genocide and the object of that genocide was the human race.

“We need those pulse rifles,” said Major Cunningham with a strained look on his face. “They’re the only weapons we have which will put us on an even par with the Trellixian ground troops. The beam from a pulse rifle should go right through their armor. Just having those rifles would buy us a lot of extra time. It would give our troops a fighting chance.”

Pierre sighed and shook his head. “We’re running behind. The problem is manufacturing the power cells for the rifles. We thought they would be easier to produce but we’re running into a lot of difficulties. Only one in ten cells are holding a sufficient charge. Even then they will only be good for ten shots by the rifle.”

“Do we have any idea what the problem is?” asked Professor Wilkens with a frown. He was in charge of the research in the facility and had only been told earlier today about the problem with the pulse rifles. He had thought they were ready for production. General Mitchell was going to be highly upset when he heard of the delay.

“Possibly,” Pierre replied. “We use a crystal in the power cells to store energy. We believe it’s just too small. We’re in the process of designing a larger one.”

“How much larger?” asked Major Cunningham. “I’m concerned about increasing the size of the rifle or the weight the soldiers might have to carry. Plus each soldier assigned a pulse rifle will have to carry extra charge cartridges.”

“Not much. Probably 20 to 30 percent larger. The good news is the new crystal will allow at least twenty firings of the rifle before it has to be changed out.”

“How much longer?” asked Vice President Hathaway. She knew how important these rifles and the new technology were to successfully fighting the Trellixians. Every day tens of millions of people were dying. They had to have viable weapons to bring the death and destruction to a stop.

“Two more weeks and we can start full production of the crystals. Another week after that and the first pulse rifle should come off the assembly line. We can build about 120 per day.”

“Three weeks!” exclaimed Vice President Hathaway. “We’ll lose millions more people in that time.”

“It can’t be helped,” replied Pierre in a shaken voice. “We’re doing everything we can.”

“With this new crystal can we build a larger cannon? Something that could destroy a hover tank or shoot down one of their attack craft?” asked Cunningham.

Pierre shook his head. “We just can’t store that type of power in the crystals, even if we make them larger.”

Cunningham nodded, disappointed.

“Do what you can,” ordered Vice President Hathaway, feeling let down by the delay in the pulse rifles. She knew General Mitchell had been counting on them. “If there’s anything you need to speed up the process let Major Cunningham know.”

A worried look crossed Major Cunningham’s face. “I spoke to General Mitchell earlier. They detected a third Trellixian fleet in the solar system. This one contains additional troop transports as well as five very large vessels. He believes the five ships may be colonization transports.”

“We’re not even dead yet and they want to start colonization?” muttered Katelyn. “Tell General Mitchell to keep an eye on those five ships. If they put colonists anywhere on the planet make them a priority target. This is still our planet, not theirs. Also suggest he hold military operations to a minimum until the pulse rifles are ready. No point in sacrificing troops needlessly.” Katelyn meant this as only a recommendation. She would not tell General Mitchell how to fight this war, that was his area of expertise.

“I’ll tell him. He also wants to know how we’re coming on the energy weapons and the energy shield for his base. Without them he doesn’t think he can hold it against the Trellixians. He also believes it’s only a matter of time before the enemy locates it.”

Once more Vice President Hathaway turned to Professor Wilkens. “Professor?”

“Two weeks and we can get him some secondary energy weapons,” Wilkens replied. “We’re still a long ways off from producing the primary ones such as the Jelnoids used.”

“How effective will those be?” asked Cunningham.

Professor Wilkens leaned forward. “They should take out a hover tank or one of the Trellixian’s attack craft. They will be useless against a battlecruiser.”

“I think that will help,” Cunningham said. “If we can destroy the hover tanks and the attack craft we just might be able to hold the base. What about an energy shield?”

“A weak one,” replied Wilkens, rubbing his forehead. “It should stop a nuclear missile and possibly the Trellixian energy beams. We won’t know for sure until we can test it.”

“If we can get this equipment to General Mitchell it just might save his base,” said Cunningham. “We have a lot of troops and people under and around that mountain.”

“Make it happen,” ordered Vice President Hathaway. “That’s our primary remaining military facility and we can’t afford to lose it. Also make preparations to evacuate that base if it looks as if it’s about to fall. We can’t lose all those people, particularly General Mitchell.”

Katelyn stood and walked to a large window overlooking the primary industrial complex in the hidden facility. From here she could see hundreds of people at work. “What’s the latest progress on ad astra?” She had been stunned when President Drummond had taken her aside and told her about it. Even standing here and looking at the real thing made her shiver.

“On schedule,” Wilkens replied as he joined her at the window. “Two more years and we’ll be ready.”

Katelyn looked at the professor with a grim smile in place. “I just hope we’re still here in two more years.”

“We will be,” Wilkens said. “This facility is buried so deep beneath the surface the Trellixians have no way of detecting it. If necessary we could destroy the tunnels leading to it and it would take the enemy years to dig down to us. We’ll complete ad astra on schedule. The question is how many will still be alive?”

Vice President Hathaway looked to Major Cunningham for an answer.

“We have quite a few people in our secure facilities here in the US as well as in other countries,” he began. “Hundreds of thousands have fled into the mountains and we’re rounding them up and taking them to more secure locations. People are in hiding all across the country. It’ll take the Trellixians a long time to search the entire planet.”

Katelyn knew he was talking about the deep tunnels dug into the mountains. Some of them were several miles long. The sides of the tunnels were filled with bunk beds where people could sleep. Enough food and other supplies had been stored inside to last several years. There would be little privacy but the people sequestered there would be safe, or at least it was hoped they would be. Across the country people were hiding in storm cellars, basements, subway tunnels, and anywhere else they could find protection.

Katelyn stepped away from the window. “Keep me informed.”

Major Cunningham nodded. “We will.”

-

Later Katelyn was in her office, again standing at the window looking at the massive civilian complex. A miniature city was out there. It had taken years to build but it brought a semblance of normalcy for those who lived and worked here. With a deep sigh, she returned to her desk. It seemed as if the paperwork never stopped. There was growing pressure on her to be sworn in as president. She knew it was the right thing to do but she hesitated still. She had been good friends with President Drummond. It was hard for her to accept he was dead but she knew he was. She would wait another week and then allow the ceremony to take place. The country needed a president even if the country was only a fraction of what it once was.

-

Sergeant Tucker inspected the four large tents they had just set up, each one capable of holding twenty-four people. They were a dark green and blended in well with the surroundings. The tents were insulated to help keep the cold out. One entire truck had been loaded with the tents and cots that went with them. It had taken a while to get the tents set up as they had to find room beneath the towering trees.

“It’s done,” said Corporal Owens with a tired look on his face. “At least everyone will have a place to sleep tonight. We should have the showers and latrines finished in a few more hours.” The guardsmen were working as quickly as possible to get everything finished. They had the help of a lot of the civilians with the tasks to be done.

Sergeant Tucker nodded. They had run a water line to a small stream a couple hundred yards distant. They had a water purifier so drinking water would not be a problem. They had even set up a small generator to furnish lighting inside the tents. “How’s Corporal Strong coming with the choke point?”

“We’re ready. We have all the supplies from the trucks moved and he has both M240L machine guns set up. I’m going back with Privates Lance and Stockton later to set up the claymores. Corporal Strong hasn’t had any real experience with them.”

It looked to Sergeant Tucker as if Corporal Owens had something else on his mind. “What is it, Corporal?”

Owens hesitated and then answered. “We’ve got thirty-two guardsmen to defend this valley. Including the choke point and the posts we need to have set up around our camp we’ll be spread pretty thin. Do you think some of the civilians could volunteer to strengthen our perimeter? I also wonder about hunting. There are a lot of deer and elk around. We could use the extra protein. MREs are fine but we’ll get tired of them pretty quickly.”

Sergeant Tucker thought about it for a minute. They were spread thin and fresh meat would be nice. “Ask around for volunteers. Add them into our rotation. As for hunting, Private Stark has a suppressor on his rifle. He’s also a pretty good shot. We can send him out tomorrow to see what he can find. He needs to be careful as we don’t know how many people or other military personnel are out there.”

“I’ll tell him,” Corporal Owens replied.

“Sergeant, when will we be able to go home?” a woman asked from behind him.

Turning, he saw Andrea Sanchez. She was a single mom and her twelve-year-old son was a good friend of Private Sloan’s.

“Probably not for a long while,” Tucker replied. “The aliens are everywhere. This is the only safe place I could think of to go.”

Andrea frowned. “Surely the police and the military can drive these things away. That’s what we pay taxes for.”

Tucker let out a deep sigh. Several in the group still didn’t fully realize what had happened. “Most of the police are dead as well as many in the military. It may be a long time before we can return to our homes.”

“What? Like a few months? I’m not the camping type. There are bugs out here and my son’s allergies are acting up.”

“We’re making everyone as comfortable as possible,” Tucker answered. “If your son is having allergy problems have him see Corporal Briggs. She’s a medic and should have some allergy medicines.”

“I will,” Andrea said. “I’m also writing a letter to my senator. They should never have allowed these aliens to come here.” With that, Andrea turned and walked off.

Tucker shook his head. He would speak with Private Sloan and see if he could better explain to Andrea just what was going on.

Heading back to the cabin, he wanted to look at the maps they had found in one of the cabinets. They were very detailed and if the aliens entered the mountains he needed to figure out where their most likely entry points would be. One of the reasons he had chosen this area was due to its inaccessibly. He also didn’t expect too many other people to take this route.

One other thing concerned Tucker. They had plenty of supplies for six months or so but at some point, it would be necessary to send foraging parties to some of the nearer towns. That would involve using the trucks. They had removed several engine parts to ensure no one else could take them.

On his way to the cabin he noticed several propane cookstoves had been set up and large pots of stew were cooking. The stew was from dehydrated packages they had found at the convenience store; supplies stocked for campers going into the mountains.

Stopping on the steps of the cabin, Sergeant Tucker paused, looking around. From the cabin, several snowcapped peaks were visible. It would soon turn much colder and the snow would begin to fly. A gentle breeze blew and he could see the wind generator turning. It seemed so peaceful here. If one didn’t know better it would appear like a normal camping trip to the mountains. Tucker shifted his gaze to the distant narrow section of the valley; the choke point. He hoped the aliens never found this valley but if they were here to exterminate the human race as he had been told by his superiors, at some point in time they would come to this valley. When they did Tucker would be ready for them.

With a deep sigh, he went into the cabin. He greatly feared if they were forced to leave this valley to go up higher in the mountains most of the people with him would not survive. He shivered, thinking about the Donner Party. Back in 1846 they were stranded in the Sierra Nevada Mountains during a snowstorm. Half had died and the survivors resorted to cannibalism to survive. He was determined not to allow anything like that to happen to his people. This valley was their new home and Sergeant Tucker was determined to defend it, even if they all ended up dying here. Leaving it was really not an option.

Chapter Eleven

Battle Commander Balforr watched the tactical display as Battle Commander Jabale’s fleet entered orbit. The fleet had twenty battlecruisers, fifteen troop transports and five colony ships. Each colony ship held eighty thousand colonists in stasis.

“What’s the situation in Florida?” This was one of the southern states in the country where little fighting had occurred. A large part of Florida was surrounded by water. He had placed troops and hover tanks across the northern part to ensure no enemy could reach the colonists. There would also be two battlecruisers tasked with patrolling this area. That would leave a large area for the colonists to settle in. The High Command would be pleased with the settling of these first colonists.

“Pacified,” Second Officer Jaltor replied. “All resistance has been crushed and troops have swept the areas where the colonists will go. A few Humans may still be in isolated pockets but they will be no threat.”

Balforr formed a fist with his right hand. These Humans had proved to be a huge problem. On most worlds the fighting would have been over and the first colonists already settled. Balforr should have been off to his next target several weeks ago. The High Command was demanding daily reports of his progress pacifying this world. If this problem with the Humans was not settled soon, it would be a dark blemish on Balforr’s record.

“Inform Battle Commander Jabale he can land the colony ships at the sites we’ve picked. As a precautionary measure he’s to assign one thousand of his soldiers to each location.” Balforr would not take any risks with the safety of the colonists.

The colony ships were designed to land on the surface. Once down they would begin awaking the colonists from stasis. Each ship was capable of building a fully sustainable colony. Once the five sites were up and running more colony ships would be summoned and the new Trellixian cities would continue their expansion.

In time each one would have over two million inhabitants. By that time Balforr was confident the fighting on this planet would be over and massive colonization could begin. This world had sufficient living space for over eight billion Trellixians. Eventually colonies would be set up on the fourth planet as well as on some of the larger moons in the system. Mining operations would begin and space stations constructed to handle the raw materials this system would provide for the Empire.

The message to Battle Commander Jabale was sent and after a few minutes a reply was received.

“The colony ships will begin their landing descent in twenty minutes,” Jaltor reported. “Battle Commander Jabale is sending a battlecruiser with each colony ship as an escort.”

“That’s not necessary,” Balforr replied with an angry frown. It indicated disrespect toward him from Battle Commander Jabale, doubtlessly because of how long it was taking to cleanse this planet of its native population.

“Should I inform Battle Commander Jabale of that?” asked Jaltor as he turned toward the communications console.

The anger inside Balforr subsided. “No, he is only doing what he feels is necessary to protect the colonists.” Balforr was displeased with Jabale’s display of disrespect but he was a battle commander and could make tactical decisions on his own without Balforr’s permission.

-

In the hidden Command Center deep beneath the Rocky Mountains, General Mitchell sat and stared at several large viewscreens showing the new arrivals.

“The new fleet has twenty battlecruisers, fifteen troop transports, and five huge ships,” reported Colonel Henry Fields. “We’re assuming those five largest vessels are colony ships.”

“Any idea where they may be going?” asked Mitchell as he studied the big ships on the viewscreens. The new ships were easily three thousand meters in length and five hundred meters in diameter. They reminded Mitchell of just how much power the Trellixian Empire wielded to build vessels that large.

General Briggs turned toward General Mitchell. “Over the last week the Trellixians have expended a lot of effort in Florida to clear it of all combatants. We don’t have any effective forces there anymore. We were forced to pull them back or risk their being annihilated. That has to be the destination of those colony ships.”

“Vice President Hathaway does not want any Trellixian colonists on Earth,” Mitchell said with a deep frown. “I find I have to agree with her.” He greatly feared once the planet was colonized, it would be next to impossible to drive away the Trellixians.

“We would have to use one of our Columbia Class submarines,” suggested Major Thomas. “The West Virginia can be moved closer to Florida to carry out the strike with her Tomahawk cruise missiles.”

“Are they nuclear?” asked General Briggs. “It will take a nuke to destroy those big ships.”

“They’re nuclear,” General Mitchell replied. “We modified several of the Columbia Class to handle Tomahawks as well as Trident D5s. They are currently sitting on the bottom of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.”

“How close does the West Virginia need to be to carry out the attack?” asked Briggs.

Major Thomas let out a deep breath. “The closer the better. The Trellixians won’t be expecting this but the Tomahawks only fly up to eight hundred miles per hour. The ones with the W80 warheads have a range of around 1,500 miles. The Tomahawks on the West Virginia have been modified with Jelnoid technology to allow for a greater range and speed. They are also protected by Jelnoid shielding technology. The Trellixians may not even detect them until they reach their targets.”

“Let’s hope the Trellixians don’t detect the Tomahawks.” General Mitchell paused. He hated risking one of the Columbias; they were the most powerful weapon platforms he had remaining. “Order the West Virginia to move 120 miles off the Florida coast, no closer.”

“When she launches her Tomahawks she can sit down on the Blake Plateau. There’s an area around 150 miles out that should provide a good place for the sub to hide,” said Major Thomas. “She’ll be in over two thousand feet of water. The West Virginia has modified Jelnoid armor over her hull which allows her to go deep; we think as deep as six thousand feet. It should also help to shield her from detection.”

“Will the Trellixians be able to spot her when she launches the Tomahawks?” asked General Briggs.

“Maybe,” Thomas replied. “The Columbias are the closest we have to a stealth submarine with the added Jelnoid technology. If she can get far enough away from the launch area, there’s a chance the sub can remain undetected.”

General Mitchell looked back at the viewscreen. “It appears those five ships are moving closer to Earth. We’ll continue to monitor them.”

“I’ll send the order to Captain Erickson to move the West Virginia to the Blake Plateau. It will take him about twenty-six hours to get there.”

“Is it dangerous moving the sub that far?” asked General Briggs. “If it takes the sub that long to get to its launch coordinates, it must be over five hundred miles away. Will the aliens detect that constant movement?”

Thomas shook his head. “Not with its Jelnoid armor and its propulsion system.”

“Keep me posted on its progress,” ordered General Mitchell. “If we can take out the colonization transports, it will demonstrate to the Trellixians we can still hurt them.”

General Mitchell leaned back, folding his arms across his chest. The last few weeks had been stressful. Washington, DC had fallen, there was the loss of Major-General Saunders in the UK, the destruction of the Hadron Collider, and now the Trellixians were preparing to colonize Florida. Mitchell needed the advanced weapons from the underground research facilities and he needed them yesterday.

Professor Wilkens had called earlier outlining the timeline for the weapons to be ready. He had promised delivery of the secondary energy weapons in two weeks. The firing bunkers for the weapons were already being built. Two weeks was a long time under these circumstances and a lot could happen between now and then. The pulse rifles seemed to be facing delay after delay.

“The last of the railguns have been installed,” reported Colonel Fields. “That gives us twenty-three of them.”

Mitchell’s attention switched to the colonel. “Can they take out a hover tank?” That was the biggest problem right now besides the orbiting battlecruisers. Field units were losing battles because it was too costly to destroy one of the Trellixian tanks.

“We think so,” Fields replied. “We won’t know for sure until we try it.”

Every day the mountain became more heavily defended. However, Mitchell knew without the energy cannons and energy shield, the base could still fall. He had stressed that point to Professor Wilkens in their conversations.

“Trellixian colony ships are entering the atmosphere,” Colonel Fields said. On the main viewscreen, the ships developed a red glow around them as they descended. “They’re definitely heading for Florida.”

General Mitchell wondered how many civilians were still hiding in the sunshine state. He knew some had fled into the Everglades and others to the smaller islands in the Florida Keys. He just hoped the nuclear explosions they would soon be setting off didn’t kill any of them. Enough of their people had already lost their lives.

-

Battle Commander Balforr watched impatiently as the five colony ships descended toward Florida with their escort of battlecruisers. All ten vessels had their energy shields at maximum though the colony ships would have to drop theirs when they landed. The battlecruisers would also have to reduce the power to their energy shields due to being so deep in the planet’s atmosphere.

“We’re not detecting any dangerous activity from the Humans,” reported Jaltor as he stepped back from the ship’s sensors. “I don’t believe they have any weapons left which can be a threat to us.”

Balforr studied the viewscreens for several long moments before replying. “Keep our ships’ sensors focused on Florida and the area around it. If they detect anything suspicious I want to know immediately.” Already these Humans had surprised him a number of times. He shuddered thinking about what would have happened if the Humans had developed hyperspace travel. The Humans would have made the war with the Jelnoids look like a minor skirmish.

-

General Mitchell had a good night’s sleep and returned to the Command Center. The main viewscreens revealed close-up views of the landed Trellixian colony ships. Several stealth satellites in orbit used Jelnoid technology and the views of the colony ships were crystal-clear.

“Where are they?” asked Mitchell. “Yesterday the ships spent considerable time just flying above the countryside as if seeking the perfect places to land.”

“They’re outside of Gainesville, Orlando, Lakeland, Moore Haven, and Coral Springs,” reported General Briggs.

“Moore Haven?” said General Mitchell, confused. “That’s a small town. Why there?”

“It borders Lake Okeechobee,” replied Briggs. “That may have something to do with it.”

“How soon before the West Virginia reaches its launch coordinates?”

“Fourteen more hours,” answered Major Thomas.

Mitchell glanced at his watch. “That will be 22:00 tonight.”

“A night launch will be better,” Major Thomas said. “It might make it more difficult for the aliens to detect the missiles or where they were launched from.”

“Have every unit in the field take cover,” ordered General Mitchell. “There will be no more attacks on the Trellixians until we have the first shipment of pulse rifles. I expect when we nuke their colony ships, the aliens will intensify their search for any surviving military units. Let’s make them as difficult to find as possible.” The pulse rifles would be a game-changer and so would the secondary energy cannons.

General Briggs nodded and made his way to Colonel Tricia Steward at Communications. They had ways to secretly contact many of the small military units still resisting the Trellixians.

Mitchell stood. “I’m going outside to inspect some of the defensive installations.” Mitchell also wanted to breathe some fresh air. Once they nuked the colony ships, it might be a while before he could go out again.

-

Battle Commander Balforr was satisfied the colony ships were safely down. A battlecruiser hovered over each of the five of them using its sensors to search for any possible danger. No Humans had been found anywhere near the five ships. The thousand soldiers assigned to each colony ship had been sent out to secure a perimeter.

“We’ve seriously degraded the military this world once possessed,” said Jaltor. “Combat across the planet has decreased significantly in the past week.”

Balforr turned toward his second in command. “Don’t forget the battlecruisers we lost to the energy beam weapon the Humans used. I’m still not satisfied we’ve taken out all their major military units. There may be some hiding in the planet’s mountains.”

“A large number of their civilian population has fled into the mountainous regions,” admitted Jaltor. “However, it is the opinion of several of our scientists the harsh weather in those regions will wipe out most of those who went there. It may not even be necessary to send our troops in.”

“I’m not convinced of that,” replied Balforr. “Use some of Battle Commander Jabale’s troops and hover tanks to begin searching those regions for Human military units.”

“That’s rough terrain even for a hover tank,” replied Jaltor. “The Humans could set all kinds of traps.”

“We’re superior to the Humans!” roared Balforr, his eyes streaked red with anger. “I want to be finished with this world.” Balforr was growing more concerned every day about how this mission would affect his career.

-

Jaltor turned and walked away. He had noticed Battle Commander Balforr becoming more agitated every day they were here. With the addition of Battle Commander Jabale’s troops and ships, the pacifying of this world should take no longer than another few more months at most. Then they could go on to the next world which stood in the way of Trellixian expansion.

-

Deep underwater in the Atlantic, the West Virginia neared the Blake Plateau. The Columbia Class submarine was 561 feet long with a beam of 43 feet. It used a pump-jet for propulsion that created a stream of water to move the submarine at twenty-two knots at a depth of 1,200 feet. It was originally designed for sixteen missiles tubes holding Trident D5 missiles.

However, four of the tubes had been removed and replaced to allow the launching of a modified Block II TLAM-A. The Tomahawks had a W80 warhead which could be set for a detonation of between 5 to 150 kilotons. The West Virginia carried forty of the modified Tomahawk cruise missiles. The submarine was supposedly capable of reaching depths of six thousand feet though Captain Erickson had no desire to test that. Erickson had been assured the new armor plating on the ship’s hull would make the West Virginia undetectable to Trellixian sensors.

As they neared the coast he would test that statement.

-

The colony ships were in the process of bringing a portion of the colonists out of stasis. They would scour the local area for resources and then set up the automated machinery which would construct the first Trellixian cities on the planet Earth. In time more colonists would arrive until each city held at least two million Trellixians. This planet and star system was rich in resources. It would become a major hub of the Trellixian Empire in this region of the galaxy.

-

Battle Commander Jabale studied the latest reports from the colony ships. Each ship had one thousand Trellixian soldiers checking the areas around the ships for any danger and setting up a defensive perimeter. While Battle Commander Balforr had assured him this place called Florida was clear, Jabale was not so certain. This planet should have been cleared of its inhabitants weeks ago yet there was still fighting over much of the planet’s surface.

Balforr had even managed to lose some of his battlecruisers which was unheard of. Very seldom did the Trellixians encounter a world capable of damaging one of those powerful ships. Jabale was convinced this was due to Battle Commander Balforr making critical errors deploying his vessels. Jabale had mentioned this to the High Command, stressing his concern at being placed under Balforr’s orders.

“Our ground troops report no viable threats,” said Second Officer Oberon.

Battle Commander Jabale nodded. “Nevertheless we will keep our battlecruisers in position over the colony ships.”

Second Officer Oberon showed concern. “They are deep in the planet’s atmosphere and can only operate their energy screens at 20 percent.”

“Even at 20 percent that will protect the battlecruisers. Once I’m satisfied the colony ships and the new cities they’re building are safe we can pull the battlecruisers back into orbit.”

Looking at one of the viewscreens focused on the planet, Jabale wondered if there was a plentiful food source. Most Trellixians preferred their meat raw. It might be worthwhile to send some hunting parties to the surface and bring back samples of this world’s meat animals. He was curious to find out what they tasted like.

-

General Mitchell spent most of the afternoon inspecting the defensive weapons sites on the mountain. Hidden artillery pieces, missile launchers, heavy machine-gun posts, mortars, and a line of deep trenches protected the mountain from the most likely avenues of attack. The entire floor of the valley was covered by claymore mines. Near the top of the mountain were twenty-three railgun sites.

Mitchell stopped and stepped into an empty weapons site. It had concrete walls and camouflage netting for a ceiling. This was where one of the energy cannons was supposed to go. From here it could fire straight up or down on the valley floor below. Stepping to the edge he gazed at the mountains and forests that seemed to stretch on forever. It was hard to imagine a battle being fought in such a pristine place.

“General Briggs requests your presence in the Command Center,” said Lieutenant Stapleton, carrying a small comm unit. “He says the West Virginia has reached the Blake Plateau.”

-

For several hours the West Virginia crept closer to the coast. Captain Erickson had slowed the vessel to eighteen knots as the massive submarine slid quietly through the water.

“No contacts,” reported the sonar-sensor operator.

Erickson let out a deep sigh. This was normally a heavily traveled part of the ocean. It was strange for there to be no shipping traffic. It was the same all over the world. Surface ships were now a thing of the past.

“Are we really going to launch?” asked Lieutenant Commander Barrington, the executive officer.

“We’ll know shortly,” replied Erickson, gazing at a screen showing the view one would normally see through a periscope. At the moment it was dark because of the depth the submarine traveled.

Erickson looked at his watch. “In a little over three hours we will be at the launch coordinates. We should receive a signal from command designating our targets.” The signal would come from a Jelnoid satellite and would be received by the modified comm gear on the submarine. Supposedly the Trellixians could not detect or trace the signal.

“We’re putting a lot of trust in what we learned from the Jelnoids,” commented Barrington.

“Their science was far more advanced than ours. We’ve learned a lot about their technology in the last eighty years.”

“That may be so but they lost their war with the Trellixians,” said Barrington meaningfully. “Only that small scout ship escaped and it crashed.”

Erickson knew Barrington was right. “That was eighty years ago. We’ve had that long to make sure all this reverse-engineered technology works.”

“It’d better,” Barrington replied. “Our lives are depending on it.”

-

General Mitchell watched a screen showing Florida and the Atlantic Ocean off its eastern coast.

“The West Virginia is on station,” reported Major Thomas. “The Jelnoid satellite has received a ping from the sub indicating its arrival.”

General Mitchell took a deep breath. “Is the target information ready?”

“Yes,” Major Thomas replied. “The Tomahawks will be guided to their targets by the satellite. I don’t believe the Trellixians will detect anything until the missiles detonate. All five missiles will be synched to arrive at their targets within just a few seconds of one another.”

“This is it then.” General Mitchell knew it was dark in Florida and the flashes of the nukes would be visible for hundreds of miles. “Send the launch order and the data pack.” Mitchell then turned toward Colonel Steward. “Inform the vice president we are using nukes on the colony ships.” Mitchell knew this was an extreme measure as it would make parts of Florida uninhabitable for years. However, the human race was fighting for its survival and sometimes drastic measures were necessary.

-

On board the West Virginia the message to launch had been received and verified.

“Take us to launch depth,” ordered Captain Erickson. “Prepare Tomahawks for immediate deployment. This is a nuclear fire mission.”

The submarine slowly rose and then stopped when it reached 150 feet, the maximum depth from which it could launch the Tomahawks.

“We’re at launch depth,” reported Lieutenant Commander Barrington. “Coordinates have been loaded into the Tomahawks’ navigational software. The Jelnoid satellite will guide them in as needed. All five Tomahawks should arrive at their targets within seven seconds of one another.” The Tomahawks had a modified Jelnoid propulsion system which allowed them to travel at different speeds.

Captain Erickson took a deep breath. He was about to launch a nuclear attack against the United States. “Commence launch sequence.”

-

On the top hull of the West Virginia four hatches slid open. From each a twenty-foot-long Tomahawk cruise missile burst forth from its pressurized container. The missiles rapidly rose to the surface before their boosters kicked in. Moments later a fifth Tomahawk launched, following close behind the other four.

-

“Confirmed Tomahawk launch,” reported Lieutenant Commander Barrington, looking to Captain Erickson.

Erickson nodded. “Let’s get out of here. We could be targeted at any moment. Take us down to two thousand feet, all ahead full.” That would allow them to leave the area at twenty-eight knots. If the Trellixians had not detected the launch, the West Virginia should be a good fifty miles away from the launch area when the missiles detonated. Erickson planned to have the sub sitting on the bottom and powered down by that time.

-

“Tomahawks have been launched,” reported Major Thomas, looking at General Mitchell. “They will reach their targets in ninety minutes.”

General Mitchell nodded. “Let’s just hope they’re not detected.” Mitchell leaned back in his chair, drumming his fingers on the armrest. Now all they could do was wait.

-

The five Tomahawks flew only fifty feet above the water as they neared the Florida coast. Each missile had its own target as they split up going their separate ways. Several missiles slowed down while the rest sped up to reach their targets at the specified times. It was dark with a cloudless sky as the missiles’ turbofan jet engines propelled them toward their targets.

For an hour and sixteen minutes the missiles flew over the Florida landscape, most of the time keeping to an altitude no greater than 150 feet. Each W80 warhead was set to forty kilotons, nearly three times the strength of the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

-

The Tomahawk missile targeting the Trellixian colony ship near Moore Haven came in low over Lake Okeechobee, then climbed to an altitude of one thousand feet before detonating. The powerful blast struck the colony ship, disintegrating its unprotected hull. The massive ship blew apart as its power systems were compromised, leaving a huge crater in the ground. The blast wave spread outward, toppling trees and blowing down surviving buildings in Moore Haven. A towering mushroom cloud formed, buffeting the battlecruiser overhead and threatening to overload its defensive shield.

The battlecruiser shook violently and several sections of its hull blew out as part of the blast wave penetrated its weakened energy shield. For a few moments it looked as if the battlecruiser would fall from the sky. Then its energy shield went to full strength and the vessel climbed upward, away from the devastation spreading beneath it.

-

Near Orlando, the colony ship was nearly disintegrated by the blast. The battlecruiser holding position directly above had its energy shield barely activated and a major portion of the blast wave struck the ship. Explosions rattled the vessel as its hull was compromised in numerous areas. The ship seemed to hesitate and then it plummeted to the ground, crumpling on impact.

-

In Coral Springs a husband along with his wife and three children were huddled in the basement beneath their house. Several times in the past few weeks they had heard alien soldiers go by their home. Occasionally they would hear a scream and then there would be silence.

Suddenly a tremendous roar filled the air and the house shook. The children cried out in fear from the noise, holding on to their parents. Then the heat from the nuclear blast arrived, incinerating the home and everyone inside.

-

General Mitchell rose, his gaze glued to one of the large viewscreens as five brilliant flashes of light appeared over Florida.

“Confirmed nuclear detonations,” reported Colonel Fields. “The Trellixians never detected the missiles.”

“The colony ships?” Mitchell knew this mission would be a failure if they didn’t get them all.

“Jelnoid satellite imagery confirms all five destroyed as well as one battlecruiser over the colony ship near Orlando.”

“What’s the wind direction in Florida?” Mitchell was concerned about the radiation from the blasts spreading north into the main part of the United States.

“We lucked out there,” General Briggs answered. “I checked with our meteorologists and a cold front came through yesterday. The wind is out of the northwest at eight to ten miles per hour and should stay that way for the next several days.”

“That will minimize the radiation impact into any other states,” said Major Thomas.

General Mitchell returned his attention to the viewscreens, showing widespread fires around each blast area. Sadly, Mitchell knew that a few human survivors were probably hiding in those areas. In order to destroy the five colony ships he had probably just sentenced another several thousand humans to an agonizing death.

-

Battle Commander Balforr was about to go to his quarters when alarms sounded in the Command Center. Red lights flashed and the hatch to the Command Center slid shut. He knew this was orchestrated by the ship’s computer, detecting what could be a danger to the ship. He turned around and returned to the command pedestal. “What’s the threat?” He suspected a possible missile launch from the surface against one of his battlecruisers.

Second Officer Jaltor turned away from where he stood at the ship’s sensors. He made some adjustments and one of the viewscreens zoomed in to where the five colony ships had landed. Giant red fireballs were visible and growing. “All five colony ships have been hit by nuclear weapons.”

Battle Commander Balforr felt his throat restrict and he found it hard to breathe. This couldn’t be right. The Humans had no more nuclear weapons. “Status of the colony ships?”

“All five have been destroyed as well as one battlecruiser.”

Balforr sat down, his expression showing dismay and disbelief. “This can’t be true.”

“I’ve rechecked the sensors and what is on the screen is indisputable proof. Somehow or another the Humans managed to get five nuclear warheads to the colony sites and detonate them.”

Balforr closed his eyes and shook his head. Never in the history of the Empire had a colony ship been lost; now he had lost five of them. How would he explain this to the High Command?

“Battle Commander, I have Battle Commander Jabale on the comm,” reported the Trellixian at Communications.

Balforr took a deep breath and opened his eyes. “Inform him we’re trying to determine where this attack originated from. I will contact him as soon as I have more information.” Balforr turned toward Second Officer Jaltor. “Check all our sensor scans for the last day to see where those weapons came from. Check the sensor readings on every ship if necessary. Somewhere there must be some evidence of the presence of these nuclear weapons.”

“Yes, Battle Commander,” replied Jaltor.

Balforr had to make some plans quickly. Probably both Jabale and Traven would send reports to the High Command. They would demand answers, or heads would roll; possibly his.

-

Vice President Hathaway stood at her office window looking out over the city. It was the night cycle and the buildings were lit by their own lights as well as some of the street lighting. A few electric cars were visible, probably returning their occupants to their homes. She had just been informed of the successful attack against the Trellixian colony ships.

She turned around, facing Major Cunningham who had brought the news. “What will the Trellixians do now?”

Major Cunningham shook his head. “We expect retaliation, of course. Doubtlessly they will search for the West Virginia but they don’t know she exists. They didn’t detect the Tomahawks so there’s a good chance the sub will get away clean.”

“Then we wait and see what they do.” Katelyn turned back toward the window, gazing outside. “We need to get the energy cannons and the shield to General Mitchell. See that Professor Wilkens has all the help he needs. Those must be our main priorities.”

“I will see to it,” promised Major Cunningham. “Will there be anything else?”

“No, you may go.” Katelyn didn’t turn around but heard the major leave, closing the door behind him. With a deep sigh, she went to her desk and sat down. They had just detonated five more nuclear weapons in the United States. She was greatly concerned that even if they could find a way to win this war and to drive away the Trellixians, there wouldn’t be much of a country left afterward.

Chapter Twelve

General Mitchell gazed at a viewscreen showing the destruction in Florida. The five locations of the nuclear blasts were scenes of devastation. It appeared all the Trellixian colonists as well as the troops assigned to protect them had been killed. Due to the radiation from the blasts the Trellixians were pulling most of their troops out of Florida.

“The radiation?” Mitchell hoped with the arrival of the cold front from the north most of it would be swept out to sea. It concerned him as there were probably some Americans still hiding in various areas of the state, particularly around the Everglades.

“Minimal, except for the blast areas,” reported Colonel Fields. “Our Jelnoid sensors indicate the areas within ten miles of the blasts are dangerously contaminated with radiation and in several cases the radiation extends downwind for nearly thirty miles. Once past that point it decreases rapidly.”

“The West Virginia?”

“She’s made it into deeper waters and is sitting on the bottom. She’s gone silent for now until it’s safe to move again.”

General Mitchell nodded. The West Virginia and the other Virginia Class submarine were their most powerful military assets at the moment. Some time in the near future it might be necessary to call upon one or both of them again. Mitchell hoped not. It was a horrible feeling ordering nuclear weapons to be used, particularly on the United States itself.

“We can probably expect increased Trellixian military activity,” said General Briggs. “The Trellixians will want to make a statement after losing their colony ships.”

“All commands have been ordered to seek cover,” General Mitchell replied. He fully agreed with General Briggs, there would be retaliation for destroying the colony ships. “Only a few special operations troops will still engage the enemy. We’ll wait a few weeks before reengaging in a more sustained guerilla war.”

General Briggs looked concerned. “We have a lot of people in the mountains as well as various military units. The Trellixians have to be aware of that. They’re bound to come after them shortly.”

“It’s a risk we’ll have to take. Many of those civilians have already been taken to deep shelters we’ve built. We’re taking advantage of some of the military units which managed to escape too. We’re setting up defensive lines in many areas as well as using some of those troops to defend the hidden civilian installations. If the Trellixians enter the mountains they will find heavy resistance to their intrusion.”

“I’ve seen some of those installations,” General Briggs said with a grimace. “Most are just deep tunnels dug into the side of mountains with beds lining the insides.”

“Food, water, and medical supplies are at those locations,” Mitchell replied. “They’ll survive. The Trellixians are trying to wipe us out. Every person we can save will help us to one day rebuild our civilization.”

“If we can beat the Trellixians first,” replied General Briggs, his focus back on the viewscreen.

General Mitchell took a deep breath. Vice President Hathaway was supposed to take the oath of office in the next day or two. The country needed a president and she would formally fill the role she had taken on informally already.

-

Battle Commander Balforr stared impatiently at the ship’s sensor screens searching for one of the Humans’ submarines. After checking the data from several ships they had located the five low-flying Human missiles responsible for destroying the five colony ships and the battlecruiser. He had dispatched dozens of shuttles to comb the ocean waters off Florida with their sensors attempting to locate the dangerous vessel. Dangerous because it obviously contained nuclear weapons.

“Nothing,” reported Second Officer Jaltor, shaking his head. “No sign of the underwater vessel or of nuclear weapons. I believe the ship must be using Jelnoid technology to remain undetected and that might explain why we can’t detect the radiation signatures from its nuclear warheads as well.”

“Jelnoid technology,” muttered Balforr, his eyes glowing with anger. He struck his chest, showing his growing frustration. He suspected the missiles that had destroyed the colony ships and the battlecruiser were probably shielded by Jelnoid technology as well. “This planet worries me. Just when we make progress pacifying the planet and eliminating the Humans they attack us. It makes me wonder what other surprises they may have for us.”

Second Officer Jaltor nodded his agreement. “They have proven much more dangerous than the High Command anticipated. The presence of Jelnoid technology was not expected. This last attack seems to indicate a hidden Command Center is somewhere on the planet, perhaps more than one.”

“In the mountains in the United States or possibly Canada,” Balforr replied. He was familiar with the names of all the major countries of this world. “I suspect they are leading the resistance across the planet.”

“We know large numbers of their civilian population as well as a few military units have gone into the mountains. Perhaps it is time for us to begin sending more of our troops into these regions to see what’s actually there,” suggested Jaltor.

“Shuttles as well,” ordered Balforr. “It may also be wise to send patrols of our attack craft over these areas to seek out targets of opportunity.”

“We should hit them hard and fast,” suggested Jaltor.

“Do it,” ordered Balforr. Perhaps if he showed some rapid success on the ground Battle Commanders Traven and Jabale would not send scathing reports back to the High Command about Balforr’s failures. “Also send a couple of our battlecruisers over the ocean to search for their underwater vessel. It cannot stay underwater forever. Find it and destroy it!” Already he had ordered all Trellixian soldiers to be removed from parts of Florida where the radiation had spread from the nuclear attacks.

-

Lisa had been called back to the main base camp for a briefing by Major Dolan. All company officers and other special captains were in attendance as well, gathered in what appeared to be a mess tent under a camouflage canopy.

“What have you found out?” Brett asked as he sat down next to her. “I’ve only had one Trellixian shuttle fly over my area. I’ve been bored to death.”

“I’ve had none,” complained Brenda. “We’re just sitting out in the woods. We should have been assigned to an area where there’s more action. We can’t find out anything if we don’t have any contact with the enemy. I’ve spent most of my time helping to process some of the civilians who have come through.”

“We may all three still be alive because we haven’t encountered any Trellixians,” Lisa replied. “I’ve scanned one Trellixian shuttle, but I don’t know if my instruments really found out anything.”

As Major Dolan walked toward the waiting group, Brett looked up, then focused on Lisa again. “Lisa, you’re at the forward most skirmish line. If the Trellixians make an appearance you will be the first one to know. Don’t do anything foolish.”

Lisa had to grin at the concern in Brett’s voice. “Don’t worry. I have several guard dogs who stay around me constantly.” She pointed where Privates Peterson and Hambridge were taking time to eat a good meal since they were at the main supply base.

“May I have your attention,” said Major Dolan as he stopped before the assembled officers. “I brought all of you here to discuss recent developments. Yesterday one of our Columbia Class submarines was sent into the coastal waters off Florida to launch an attack against the Trellixians. The attack was a complete success. Five Trellixian colony ships and one of their battlecruisers were destroyed. Our submarine got away undetected.”

“Was it nuclear?” asked Brett, his eyes wide with concern. He had a few friends who lived in Florida. He had no idea if they were still alive but setting off more nuclear weapons wouldn’t help.

Major Dolan nodded. “Yes, we used five low-yield nuclear weapons to take out the targets. We could not allow the Trellixians to begin to colonize our world. We sent them a clear message. We will destroy any colony they attempt to place upon our planet.”

“Is there any danger they will retaliate with nukes themselves?” asked Brenda, worried. “A few well-placed nukes in these mountains could play hell with our plans to safeguard the civilian population.”

“We don’t believe so,” Major Dolan answered. “The Trellixians have not used any nuclear weapons since the original bombardment. We believe they don’t want to risk tipping the environment into a nuclear winter which will make our planet useless to them.”

Lisa looked up. Even now, the sky was still darker than normal from the ash and other contaminants the Trellixians’ initial bombardment had sent up into the upper atmosphere. She knew from her own studies it would be a year or two before this all dissipated. Even so the weather would be much colder when winter finally arrived. Travel in the mountains would become nearly impossible. She hoped she wasn’t still living in a tent when the bad weather arrived.

“What are the odds the aliens will hit us here in the mountains before winter sets in?” asked Captain Garcia. “We’re not seeing many civilians crossing our skirmish line anymore. Winter in these mountains will be hell.”

“It’s the same everywhere,” Major Dolan replied, shifting his attention to Captain Garcia. “It’s no longer safe to move on the highways or even the secondary roads. Trellixian shuttles and attack craft are everywhere. If they spot movement they launch an immediate attack. There are still a lot of survivors in some of the smaller cities and in the countryside. They’ve hunkered down, surviving on what they have. We’ve spread the word the best we can for no one to be out in the open.”

Captain Stockton was concerned about where this conversation was going. “So what do we do? If no more civilians are coming what are our orders?”

Major Dolan looked at the group and then responded. “We have set up two skirmish lines across this region. We’ll try to hold those lines against the Trellixians if and when they make an appearance. I’m authorizing the use of heavier weapons. We’ll add more mortars to both scrimmage lines as well as place additional claymores along the trails. We have mountains around us. If we can hold this valley and the others the Trellixians cannot get to the civilian areas behind us.”

“That’s eighteen miles we’ll be defending,” said Captain Garcia with a frown on his face. “We have three Marine companies plus one Ranger company. We’ll be spread pretty thin if they hit us with a major force.”

“I’m sending you a second Ranger company with the heavier weapons,” replied Major Dolan. “Cover the entire area in front of your defensive line with machine guns and mortars.”

Captain Garcia frowned. “That will help but after talking to Captain Morrison he says these Trellixian troops are hard to kill. Their battle armor is nearly impervious to small arms fire.”

“That’s why the machine guns will be firing armor-piercing rounds, and we’ll use high explosives in the mortars. Hit them with enough firepower and they’ll drop.”

“I hope so,” Garcia replied, his eyes showing his concern. “If not we’ll lose a lot of good men and women.”

Lisa listened to all this growing more concerned with every passing moment. It sounded like Major Dolan expected the Trellixians to move into the mountains. “What are our orders?” asked Lisa, indicating herself, Brenda, and Brett.

Major Dolan let out a deep breath. “You’re supposed to be gathering tactical data on the Trellixians. You can’t do that unless we become involved in combat. The three of you will stay with your current Ranger companies. However, if it becomes too dangerous I have orders to pull all three of you back to the civilian areas.”

“We’re not afraid to fight,” said Brett, offended. “All three of us can defend ourselves.”

“I’m sure you can,” replied Major Dolan, his eyes narrowing slightly. “But the three of you are here to gather intelligence on the Trellixians. That can’t happen if you’re dead.”

Lisa reached over, touching Brett’s arm. “He’s right. Major Lorre made it very plain we were to gather as much information as possible if we hope to win this war.” Lisa knew Professor Wilkens had to be at an underground facility, probably with other distinguished scientists. His comment about ad astra kept her hopes alive.

“What about our second skirmish line?” asked Captain Grumman. He had his company of Rangers and two companies of regular Army units spread out along it.

“If the Trellixians break our first skirmish line, the survivors will retreat to the second.” Mark’s face took on a serious look. “We must hold that second line at all costs.”

Grumman nodded in understanding.

“I spoke to a sergeant in a National Guard unit who came through a few days ago,” Captain Garcia said, thoughtful. “Apparently another National Guard unit is in a little valley a few miles to our north. A small cabin is there with a few outbuildings. They have their families and a others with them. We may want to send someone to bring them in.”

Mark nodded. “Send a squad of your Rangers. Make sure they’re heavily armed. I’m expecting to see Trellixian troops soon. The more people we can bring in the better, particularly if they have trained soldiers with them.”

“I’ll send Sergeant Anderson as soon as I get back,” replied Garcia.

“Very well, Captain Stockton will begin sending heavier weapons to both skirmish lines.” Mark paused, his gaze sweeping across all his officers. “No heroics. We’re fighting an enemy not used to losing. They will show us no mercy. Slow them up, fight delaying actions if necessary but don’t let them reach the civilians. We’re setting up a much stronger defensive line with bunkers and heavier weapons farther back, closer to the civilian areas but we need a few more weeks yet to get everything ready. You have to buy us that time.”

-

Later, while Major Dolan met with the captains in charge of the different Ranger companies the three special captains had their own meeting.

“I haven’t heard a lot of news,” Lisa said. She wished she knew more about what was going on. The civilians and military units coming through her area were full of rumors and wild stories. It was difficult to sort out what was the truth versus fear.

Brett took a deep breath. “I was in the Command Center the other day. “The Trellixians are still hitting every military unit they can find. From what I understood there are no major military units surviving anywhere.”

“There must be some,” protested Brenda. “Look at our base and we know there are more like this one. I’ve heard rumors General Mitchell survived as well as Vice President Hathaway.”

“I suspect somewhere deep in these mountains is such a command base,” Brett acknowledged. “It’s probably very well hidden. Someone has to be coordinating all this evacuation of civilian and military units to the mountains.”

“Professor Wilkens must be at such a base,” Lisa said. She hoped he was. If the professor was still alive there was always hope. He was the most brilliant man she knew and if anyone could find a way to defeat the Trellixians it would be him and whatever group he had surrounded himself with. “I believe several major research facilities are hidden somewhere, probably in these mountains.”

“We know our government and others knew about the Trellixians long before they arrived here,” said Brenda. “From what Major Lorre told us they’ve known since 1947 when the Jelnoid spacecraft crashed at Roswell. There could be very large underground bases we know nothing about, both military and research.”

Lisa knew Brenda was right. “We can only hope. There has to be a reason why we’re gathering this information with our special equipment. Why do it if there won’t be a use for it?”

“We’re with the Rangers,” Brett said. “If anyone can find a way to kill the Trellixians it will be them. They put us with the best units possible.”

“I wonder about the others,” said Lisa, thinking about everyone who had been in the meeting with Major Lorre. “Some of them could be dead by now.”

“Probably,” Brett replied somberly. “A lot of military units have been wiped out.”

“I knew some of them,” said Brenda, with a catch in her voice. “A few were even friends. I hope they’re still alive.”

“A lot of people have died across the planet,” Brett said, his gaze filled with sadness. “We’ve all lost friends and family members. We’ll probably lose more before this is over.”

Lisa felt tears in her eyes. Her parents and Streth had most likely died when Portland was bombed. All of her childhood friends were probably gone. It was something she tried not to think about, but, at times, like now, she couldn’t help it.

“We have to go on,” Brenda said softly. “People out there are depending on us to do our jobs.”

“At least the three of us are together,” said Brett.

Lisa nodded. A close friendship was developing between them and she hoped it continued. With all that had happened and was still occurring a person would need some friends if they hoped to get through this.

Privates Peterson and Hambridge came to Lisa. “It’s time to go, Captain,” Peterson said. “We want to get back before dark.”

The three captains stood, giving each other a quick hug.

“The two of you be careful,” Brett said.

“You too,” replied Lisa. She hoped they could see each other again shortly. “Don’t do anything foolish.”

-

As they walked back toward their skirmish line Captain Garcia came to stand next to Lisa. “According to Major Dolan we still have some assets in space. Evidently there is some Jelnoid technology in a few of our satellites so we can observe what is occurring around the globe. Do you know anything about this technology and where it came from? What is a Jelnoid?”

Lisa took a deep breath. They were walking down a narrow path which led back to their camp. The tree limbs cut off much of the reduced sunlight so they walked in a dim twilight. Looking into the brush and smaller trees to the side of the path it almost looked dark. “Only a little,” she said, knowing she couldn’t tell the captain the entire truth. “The Jelnoids are another race the Trellixians destroyed. I have some of their technology in the instruments I’m using. I guess it’s also in a few of our satellites.”

“You can’t say much, can you.” Garcia said in understanding. “The major said there is evidence of increased Trellixian activity since the colony ships were nuked. He thinks they may make a push into the mountains.”

“I’ve told you as much as I can,” Lisa replied. “I just have those two instruments I showed you. One is a sensor to detect life-forms and the other scans Trellixian ships and equipment. I’m not even certain how they work though I can make some guesses.”

Garcia looked thoughtful. “That sensor instrument of yours can pick up humans miles away. Can it pick up a Trellixian?”

“I don’t know,” replied Lisa, feeling unsure. “They’re reptilian and possibly cold-blooded. However, they are taller than us. But so are the bears when upright.”

“It would sure help if we knew they were coming.”

Lisa thought about the different settings on the sensor instrument. “I’ll check but I can’t promise anything.”

Garcia nodded. “That’s all I’m asking. A few minutes’ notice could save a lot of lives.”

-

Major Mark Dolan returned to the hidden underground base. He had much to think about. His latest briefing from Colonel Branson had been frightening. The Trellixians controlled all the airspace over the planet. No plane could be launched for fear of immediate destruction. A number of hidden fighters and bombers were scattered across the country but they dared not take off. Even the Trellixian shuttles and attack craft were protected by energy shields. Any attempt to engage them was suicide.

The colonel had also reported no news on Mark’s sister. It was looking more and more like Jennifer had perished in Dallas. Colonel Branson had mentioned the medical center she was at had been overrun by Trellixian troops and no information was available on survivors. Mark had been shaken to realize his sister was probably lost to him as well.

Stepping into a small conference room, Mark walked to the table where a large map depicted the area around the base. Drawn on the map were the two skirmish lines he had set up to defend the civilians farther back in the mountains. Nearly 1,300 soldiers were scattered along those two lines. Inside the base were the regular base personnel plus one platoon of Rangers. Everyone else had been committed to the defenses. The base was sealed up tight with no one leaving or entering without Mark’s approval.

The map also noted the twenty supply caches. Only a few of them still had civilians. In the next forty-eight hours those civilians would be escorted to the civilian areas deeper in the mountains. As they were evacuated, the supply caches would be sealed up in case they were ever needed in the future.

Mark sat down, thinking of everything that had occurred. His sister had most likely died in Dallas; both of his parents were probably dead from the nuke that hit Houston. For all Mark knew all of his immediate family and relatives were completely gone. Reaching into his shirt pocket he took out a picture. It was a family picture of Jennifer, his parents, and himself. He looked at it for a moment and then replaced it in his pocket. It was the only photograph he had of his family and he carried it with him always.

“Major,” a man spoke from the open door. “Colonel Branson is on the comm and wants to speak to you.”

“I’ll be right there,” replied Mark, now standing. He hadn’t expected to hear from the colonel so soon. Mark wondered if something was wrong.

-

Reaching the communications room he saw Lieutenant Bennington was on duty.

“The colonel wants to speak to you,” said Bennington, handing an earpiece to Mark.

“Colonel, this is Major Dolan,” Mark said, placing the earpiece in his left ear.

“Major, we have a situation developing. Satellite scans indicate the Trellixians have used their shuttles to drop off a large number of their troops twenty miles east of your forward skirmish line. We expect them to move into the mountains sometime tomorrow. You can also expect they will have air support with shuttles and attack craft.”

Mark had known this was coming. He had hoped they would be given a few more days to prepare. It didn’t look as if it would be that way. The war was about to come to him.

“We’re already preparing. We’ll be ready,” Mark replied.

“I know you will be,” Colonel Branson replied. “One other thing. Reduce your base’s power to a minimum. Effective at 0:600 tomorrow morning no one is to exit or enter the base. We don’t want to risk the Trellixians finding it. Until the enemy is clear from your area all communications are to be shut down as well.”

This didn’t surprise Mark. A lot of effort had gone into building the base.

“I’ll keep you informed of any other developments.”

Mark removed the earpiece and handed it back to Lieutenant Bennington. Mark had already decided that just before 06:00 he would leave the base and go to the second skirmish line. If his people were risking their lives, he planned on being there with them.

“Lieutenant Bennington, contact all four captains and inform them of the possibility of Trellixian contact within the next forty-eight hours.”

Bennington’s eyes widened but he quickly sent out the messages on the short-range transmitter.

-

In space, Battle Commander Balforr looked down on the planet giving him so much trouble. He was pulling some of the troops from clearing the planet’s cities to go into the mountains. Somewhere on this planet had to be one or two surviving Command Centers. They had to be in the mountains and he intended to find them.

“Still no sign of the Human submersible,” reported Second Officer Jaltor.

Balforr let out a deep breath, flexing his right hand into a tight fist. These Humans seemed to find a way to thwart him at every turn. Well, now it was his turn. He would find their hiding places and drive them out. He had already sent a request to the High Command for more battlecruisers as well as troops. He had pointed out the massive militaries this world possessed were unlike anything the Trellixian Empire had ever encountered before and his troops were fighting every day for their very survival.

Balforr had also made it a point to mention the presence of Jelnoid technology. Because of that technology, he had requested an additional sixty troop ships and forty battlecruisers. When they arrived he would crush the remaining resistance on this planet. He had also reminded Battle Commanders Traven and Jabale who was in charge of this mission in no uncertain way.

Balforr gazed at the blue-white planet on the ship’s main viewscreen. It was nearing the time to put a final end to the Humans.

Chapter Thirteen

Sergeant Tucker stood on the porch of the small cabin breathing in the chilly early morning air. Even here in this isolated valley the sun was dimmer than normal due to ash and pollutants in the upper atmosphere from the Trellixian nuclear bombardment. He carefully studied every aspect of their new home.

From the air nothing was visible except the small wind generator. This concerned him in case one of the alien shuttles were to fly over the valley. He had considered taking it down but the steady flow of electricity for the small cabin was too good an asset. In the time they had been here another 215 people had joined their group. Most had come from one large group protected by a full platoon of regular Army troops. They had a considerable amount of supplies as they had come most of the way with trucks packed full of everything they thought they might need in the mountains.

“How’s it going this morning, Sergeant?” asked Lieutenant Stein, the officer in charge of the regular Army troops. He had agreed to share command with Sergeant Tucker since Tucker and his people had been in the valley first.

“Quiet,” answered Tucker, folding his arms across his chest. “Even the birds are silent this morning. I spoke to Private Jenkins earlier and he hasn’t received any radio broadcasts for several days. We were picking up occasional pleas for help but even those have gone silent.”

Lieutenant Stein nodded. “I’m afraid the Trellixians are probably using those radio signals to target whoever’s been broadcasting. It’s not surprising they’ve disappeared.”

Tucker looked down to where the valley narrowed. A dozen soldiers were constantly on duty, guarding the entrance to the valley. Lieutenant Stein had brought several more M240L machine guns with his platoon as well as some claymores. Tucker was pretty confident now they could hold the entrance to the valley against an attack by the aliens.

Lieutenant Stein turned toward where the tents had been set up to hold the civilians. It hadn’t been easy but they were all under the trees and concealed so they wouldn’t be visible from the air. “Let’s grab a bite to eat and then inspect our defenses. You’re right. It does seem too damn quiet.”

As they walked toward the tents where a number of long tables were set up Tucker could see several of the civilians, both men and women, cooking over propane stoves. Lieutenant Stein’s people had brought a surprising amount of dehydrated food packages with them. It made cooking simple as all you had to do was add water. Tucker thought the breakfast foods were the best-tasting.

Tucker filled his plate and then walked to a table where his wife and three-year-old son, Matt, were already seated. Lacy had gotten up earlier to help with breakfast and to allow Matt to play with the other young children.

“It’s a little chilly this morning,” said Tucker, sitting down next to his son who was eating cereal. His wife and son were both wearing light jackets.

Lacy nodded. “Yes and it’ll only get colder here in the mountains. I’m worried about the children getting sick. We’ll probably see a lot of snow too.”

“We have Corporal Briggs and Corporal Hatter. Both are medics. I’m sure they can treat any colds that come up.” Corporal Hatter was one of Lieutenant Stein’s people. “The tents are insulated and designed for these climates. We also have the cabin.”

“It’s not just that. The kids are getting restless staying inside the tents; we all are.”

“Just make sure none of the children leave the tree line or venture toward the narrow pass. We have explosives planted all around.”

Lacy gave a nod to her husband. “I’ve spoken to several of the other mothers and we’re considering setting up a school. That might help to keep them occupied.” Lacy turned her head, looking at the tents. “I know those tents are supposed to be good even in colder temperatures. I just wished we had something more solid.”

“More cabins,” Tucker said. He took a deep breath, wondering what could be done. A small town was about thirty miles away. It had a lumberyard and it was tempting to send several of the trucks to haul building materials back to the valley. However, if they moved any of the trucks it would greatly increase their risk of detection. Then they would have to use the ATVs to haul the lumber to the cabin and they were limited due to the fuel they had available. Of course the trucks could bring back more fuel when they returned.

“We have power in the cabin,” Lacy said. “If we had some games or a TV where the kids could watch videos it would really help. Some of the older kids have their tablets with some games downloaded but they’re getting bored playing the same ones every day. Plus there are only so many electrical outlets in the cabin. There’s always tablets plugged in, charging.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Tucker let out a deep sigh. Perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad idea to send out a few trucks to the nearest town. They could bring back the lumber, possibly additional medical supplies, and raid the local Walmart for games for the kids. He would speak to Lieutenant Stein about the possibility later.

If they were going to be here for the long haul, it would be nice to have a few items to make the time pass by easier. A small flat area was directly behind the cabin. It would be easy to add a large room for the kids to spend the day in. Adding a big-screen TV and a large assortment of videos would make for a huge morale boost for everyone. They could include a PlayStation or two and maybe a few Xboxes for additional entertainment. Even some of the adults might enjoy the games. It might be necessary to add several smaller TV screens as well.

The problem would be power. The wind generator only put out so much electricity. A series of batteries served as a backup on days when the wind wasn’t blowing, but he didn’t know how long they would last if a number of TVs were on. He would have to check with one of the men in his unit who knew a lot about electronics.

-

Later Lieutenant Stein and Sergeant Tucker inspected the fortifications at the narrow part of the valley. It was barely two hundred yards wide with towering granite walls that reached up four or five hundred feet on each side. The area was moderately forested with a small stream running near one of the cliffs. The stream ran through the entire valley and was used to supply water for the refugees.

Four M240L belt-fed machine-gun pits had been dug in strategic locations to provide overlapping zones of fire against any enemy attempting to enter the valley. A number of trees had been cut down to form a bulwark with dirt piled against it to protect the three soldiers in each pit. Branches and leaves had been piled on top to help hide the pits from the air. A wide opening had been left in front through which the machine guns could fire.

Corporal Owens was currently on duty and in charge of the soldiers guarding the entrance to the valley.

“It’s quiet,” said Owens, looking into the trees. “There’s been no movement other than a few elk we saw around sunrise. They were drinking from the stream about 150 yards downstream. It was tempting to shoot one of them.”

Tucker looked toward the stream. He knew a number of claymores had been emplaced all across the narrow neck of the valley. All were set to be remote-detonated as they didn’t want the local wildlife setting them off. Tucker would feel better if they had twice the number.

On the way to inspect the defenses, Tucker had brought up the possibility of sending some of the trucks to the nearby town. Lieutenant Stein had finally agreed to it but wanted the trucks to go at night with the drivers using night-vision goggles. That might make detection less likely. He also suggested the soldiers spend the entire day in the town, gathering what was needed and then returning after dark. This would be a one-time trip. It would be far too risky to do this again with the area as quiet as it had gotten recently. Stein was concerned that any day the Trellixians would begin moving into the mountains searching for survivors.

“Corporal Owens,” said Tucker. “Would you be interested in leading a team back to that town we passed a ways back? You would have six trucks and twelve soldiers. We have a supply list we need filled.” Lieutenant Stein and Sergeant Tucker had decided to send six trucks as this was the only supply run they were planning. They would grab everything they needed and hopefully survive the winter without any problems.

Owens nodded. “Your wife spoke to me last evening about picking up a few things. She’s really concerned about the kids. Just tell me when and I’ll go.”

“When we all packed up to head for the mountains we only loaded necessities,” Lieutenant Stein said, looking at the trees which hid much of this narrow area of the valley. “If you’re willing, you can go tonight. I’ll gather some of the civilians together and see if we can come up with a list that’s not too outrageous. One of our medics will go along to pick up some medical supplies.”

“Guess I’m going to town,” said Owens with a wide grin.

“Just be careful,” Tucker cautioned. “This isn’t a joy ride and there’s a possibility you could be spotted by the Trellixians. Under no condition are you to risk leading them back here.”

“We’ll be careful,” promised Owens. “They’ll never know we were there.”

-

Captains Garcia and Lisa, plus Privates Peterson and Hambridge, were back at the front skirmish line. Someone had sent one of the ATVs to pick them up to get them back faster. With the reduction in the number of refugees coming through, Captain Garcia had moved to the forward skirmish line where his Rangers were to take full command.

“Sergeant Anderson,” said Captain Garcia as he walked up to the sergeant standing by the small bridge spanning the creek. It had been wired with demolition charges in case the Trellixians showed up. Forcing the aliens to enter the water and wade across the creek might buy valuable seconds for the defending Rangers and Marines. “Anything happen while we were gone?”

Anderson shook his head. “No, we had four more civilians come through but other than that it’s been quiet.”

“I have a mission for you,” Garcia informed the sergeant. “There are reports of a large number of civilians along with some soldiers in a small valley nearby. Care to lead a patrol to see what’s there?”

“Sound interesting,” Anderson said. “How far is this valley?”

“Twelve miles,” Garcia replied. “I’ll arrange for a couple of the ATVs to take you and the Rangers going with you most of the way. You’ll have to hike in about four miles as the terrain is too rough for the ATVs.”

“Two ATVs will limit me to five Rangers and myself.”

“We’ll have the ATVs make two trips. That will give you eleven Rangers. Pick your expanded squad and make sure you take some heavy weapons. You could encounter anything out there.”

Garcia saw Lieutenant Symington hurrying toward them with a concerned look on his face.

“Captain, we just received a message from Major Dolan. Evidently some Trellixian shuttles have landed just outside these mountains. He expects us to see Trellixian troops in our area within forty-eight hours.”

“Where’s Captain Morrison?”

“Doing an inspection along the skirmish line,” replied Symington. “He should be back in a few hours.”

“Should we cancel the mission?” asked Sergeant Anderson.

Captain Garcia shook his head. “No, if the Trellixians are moving into our area we need to warn the people in that other valley. It makes your mission even more important. I want you out of here within the hour.”

Anderson nodded and hurried off.

“Lieutenant Symington, let’s make sure our people are ready. Before we bed down for the night make sure everyone has been well-fed and knows what might be coming toward us.” Captain Garcia turned toward Lisa. “Captain Reynolds. It looks as if we’re about to find out if your special equipment can pick up a Trellixian. Tomorrow you stay by those instruments and do whatever you have to do to let me know before the aliens get here. Our lives may depend on it.”

-

Lisa nodded. She felt anxious, knowing what might be ahead. She had never been in a battle before and had no desire to be. However, Professor Wilkens was depending on her and the others to gather as much information on the Trellixians as possible. She was determined to do her job and to not fail.

-

Four hours later Sergeant Anderson gazed at a trail heading up a small mountain. They had to go over the mountain and back down the other side to reach the valley. Because of the height of the mountain they would be out of radio contact with Captain Garcia. The trail was a large game trail probably used by elk and other animals, including black bears. A few bears had already passed through their skirmish line. Everyone had just moved aside and allowed them through.

Private Richards adjusted his pack with his left hand and groaned. “I should have packed less.” He held his MK 17 Scar assault rifle cradled in his right arm.

“How much food do you have in there?” teased Private Hastings. “I saw you filling up your pack.”

“Just enough to tide me over until we get back,” protested Richards. “A man’s got to eat.”

Sergeant Anderson had his own favorite weapon slung over his shoulder: a Mossberg 590A1 12-gauge shotgun with a seven-shot capacity and a shortened 18.5-inch barrel. He figured if he ran across a Trellixian a shot to the head from his shotgun would make short work of the alien.

“Let’s move out, get over this mountain, and start down the other side before it gets dark. We’ll make camp and then approach the civilians in the valley early in the morning.”

“Damn, another night in the Rangers of camping out underneath the stars,” muttered Private Richards as he began trudging up the trail.

-

Early the next day Corporal Owens was in the small town of Evergreen, Colorado. There was a Walmart Supercenter on Swede Gulch Road where he hoped to find a big part of what was on his supply list. So far they hadn’t seen any people in the town, though Owens suspected a few were in hiding. They also hadn’t spotted any Trellixians. They had parked their trucks beneath an awning at a gas station and as soon as the sun came up they would begin their search for the items on the list Lieutenant Stein and Sergeant Tucker had given them. With any kind of luck they could be in and out of the supercenter in a few hours, load up the lumber from a local lumberyard, and be ready to return to the valley as soon as the sun went down.

-

Corporal Owens was asleep in a nearby evacuated home when he was awakened by Private Stark.

“Corporal, there’s some movement at the end of the street.”

Owens stood and went to the window and looked in the direction Stark pointed, seeing two large figures walking down the center of the street. The house they had decided to take refuge in was several blocks from where their trucks were parked.

“Tell everyone to remain still and not to make a sound. The aliens may not know we’re here.”

Stark nodded and went off to speak to the rest of the soldiers while Corporal Owens continued to watch. He picked up his M16, making sure a bullet was in the chamber and the safety was on. He continued to watch the two figures as they came closer and walked slowly past the house. They were taller than a normal human and clad in protective battle armor with a helmet and protective visor. With a chill Owens knew he was seeing his first Trellixians. The two Trellixians stopped, looked around, and then continued down the street. Owens watched them until they were out of sight. He had nearly stopped breathing when the aliens stopped.

“Do you think they spotted us?” asked Private Stark in a whisper. His face was pale and his voice unsteady.

“I don’t think so,” Owens replied. “It may have just been a normal patrol. We’ll stay here for a few more hours and then go to the trucks. If there are no more signs of any Trellixians we’ll hurry up and get them loaded. Make sure everyone knows they’re not to shoot at anything unless I give the order.”

“Damn, they were ugly,” said Stark, looking down the street in the direction the two Trellixians had gone. “Did you see those weapons they carried?”

Corporal Owens nodded. They hadn’t resembled any weapon he was familiar with.

-

Sergeant Anderson led his squad down a rugged slope when he spotted movement in front of them.

“Don’t move,” a man called out as two heavily armed soldiers stepped from behind a large boulder. “Who are you, and what do you want?”

Anderson came to a stop and signaled those behind him to do the same. “I’m Sergeant Braden Anderson with the 75th Ranger Regiment.”

“The Rangers?” asked the man. “I’m Private Sloan with the Colorado National Guard. What are you doing here?”

Anderson took a few cautious steps forward. “We’re in the next valley to the south. Some of the civilians who passed through our lines informed us you were here. I was sent by my commanding officer to see if you need any assistance or if you would be interested in moving to a more secure location farther into the mountains.”

“I don’t know,” Private Sloan replied. “We have a good place here and it’s pretty defendable.”

“Can you take us to your commanding officer?”

“If you were anyone else except a Ranger I would say no. However, being who you are I’m pretty certain Sergeant Tucker and Lieutenant Stein will want to talk to you. If the rest of your men will stay here with Private Lawrence I’ll take you to our camp.”

Sergeant Anderson turned toward the other Rangers. “The rest of you stay here. I don’t expect any problems.”

Private Richards sat down on a large rock, sliding out of his backpack and laying it next to him. He rummaged around until he found a Hershey’s candy bar. “Time for a snack.”

Sergeant Anderson shook his head and turned back with a nod to Private Sloan.

“Follow me,” Sloan answered. “If the sergeant or lieutenant says it’s okay I’ll send someone to bring in the rest of your Rangers.”

-

Sergeant Tucker was inspecting the tents when he saw Private Sloan coming toward him with a soldier he didn’t recognize. With surprise he recognized the Army Ranger insignia on his uniform.

“Sergeant, this is Sergeant Anderson of the 75th Ranger Regiment. We found them coming down the far slope.”

“How many others are with you?” asked Tucker. He was curious what an Army Ranger was doing here.

“I brought eleven others with me. We’re from the next valley to the south. Major Dolan ordered my squad to this valley as we heard more survivors were camped out here. We’ve been escorting survivors to a number of secure areas behind our defensive skirmish lines.”

Sergeant Tucker looked thoughtful. “How many soldiers are in the next valley?” He was curious. He had known a number of regular Army units and others were rumored to be in the mountains.

“Enough,” replied Anderson, looking around. “We’ve set up two lines of defense to ensure the Trellixians can’t reach the civilians. It looks as if you have quite a few people here.”

“Over three hundred civilians,” Tucker answered. “We also have a full platoon of regular Army troops as well as thirty-two members of the Colorado National Guard.”

-

Sergeant Anderson was surprised by the large number of civilians as well as troops. “I understand a lieutenant is here.”

“Yes, he’s with the regular Army platoon. We’ve agreed to share command.”

Anderson was a little surprised by this. He would have expected the lieutenant to take over. Looking around Anderson noticed the tents, the cabin, and the wind generator. Other than the wind generator everything was pretty well-hidden. “Where is the lieutenant? I would like to speak to both of you.”

“He’s inspecting our defenses at the mouth of the canyon that leads into this valley. We have four M240L machine guns set up there.”

“Any claymores?”

“A few,” replied Tucker. “I would feel better if we had more.”

Anderson nodded. “We may be able to help you with that if you decide to stay in this valley.”

“It’s pretty isolated and hard to get to,” Tucker replied. “It’s one of the reasons we came here. We sent some trucks out to a nearby town last night to do some scavenging and pick up some supplies to help us to make it through the winter.”

“I’d be careful about sending anyone out of this valley. From the reports we’ve received we are expecting the Trellixians to make a push into these mountains any day.”

Sergeant Tucker didn’t like hearing that from the look on his face. “Private Sloan, send someone to get the lieutenant and also have Sergeant Anderson’s Rangers brought down here,” ordered Tucker. “I think we’re all interested in hearing any news the sergeant may have as to what’s been going on outside this valley. We haven’t heard anything since we came here other than what a few refugees have told us. Some of their stories were pretty wild.”

Sergeant Anderson nodded. “Get the lieutenant and we can sit and talk things over. I do have some information as to what’s been happening. Perhaps, after we finish talking, you may decide to leave this valley for one of our secure areas.”

Sergeant Tucker shook his head. “We’ve worked hard getting this valley set up so we can live here for a while. As difficult as it is to get to there’s a good chance the aliens will never spot it.”

“Maybe,” Anderson replied doubtfully. “The problem won’t be the entrance to this valley but whether they spot you from one of their shuttles or attack craft. They’ll just fly over the mountains. What will you do then?”

He was met by silence as Sergeant Tucker mulled over that warning.

-

Several hours later Sergeant Anderson stood with Lieutenant Stein and Sergeant Tucker, inspecting the machine-gun pits as well as the placement of the claymores.

“Are you sure I can’t talk you into coming back with us? I can guarantee the safety of your people at one of the rear areas. There’s food, water, medical supplies, and there will be heat for the winter.”

“Plus overcrowding,” added Sergeant Tucker. “While we appreciate the offer we would prefer to stay here and take our chances on the aliens not finding us.”

Anderson mulled this over, looking around. The valley was peaceful and quiet. Perhaps if he were in their situation he might say the same thing. “Let me do this. I’ll leave you a radio so you can contact us, though someone will have to climb to the top of that small mountain for it to reach us. I’ll also see if I can get you some additional claymores from one of our supply caches.”

Lieutenant Stein nodded. “We would appreciate that. There may come a time when we take you up on your offer if the aliens find us.”

“Let’s hope they don’t,” Anderson answered.

“It’s a relief to know there’s still a chain of command,” replied Sergeant Tucker. “I wish President Drummond had made it out of Washington.”

Anderson nodded in agreement. “Fortunately Vice President Hathaway and a number of other senior staff members got out. This war with the Trellixians isn’t over by a long shot. I don’t know what hidden assets we still have left but I suspect they are quiet substantial.”

“It’s good to know we haven’t lost everything,” said Lieutenant Stein, looking back up the valley where the cabin and tents were. Even from here they weren’t visible.

“Let’s head back and eat lunch,” suggested Tucker. “How long will you and your Rangers be staying?”

“We’ll leave first thing in the morning,” Sergeant Anderson replied. “I’ll have a couple of my Rangers come down here and inspect your defenses in more detail to see if they can offer any suggestions. Then, in the morning, we’ll make the trek back up the mountain and see about getting you more claymores.”

-

In the town of Evergreen, Corporal Owens was pleased as he looked at the results of their scavenging. All six trucks were crammed full of supplies. Three trucks were piled high with lumber and other building supplies while the other three were full of the remaining items on the lists they had been given. Corporal Hatter had just about stripped the supercenter of its medical supplies, particularly the pharmacy.

What pleased Owens the most were the two three-thousand-watt wind generators they had found in the back of the Walmart. Owens knew the stores didn’t normally stock these so the two generators had to be a special order for someone. He had also made sure to get some green and brown paint to cover the generators. White would stand out too much in the valley. He also intended to paint the one near the cabin. They even found a number of 12-volt deep-cycle batteries and a couple power inverters.

“We’re ready to move out,” reported Private Stark.

It was still a few hours before dark and there had been no more sightings of any Trellixians, though they had spotted one of the alien shuttles flying down Interstate 70 earlier. This made Corporal Owens uneasy as they needed to use the interstate to get back to the valley.

“We’ll leave as soon as the sun sets. I’ll feel a lot better when we get back to where the other trucks are parked.”

“Same here,” replied Private Stark. “It’s spooky as hell walking around this town. It’s almost as if all the people just vanished.”

Owens nodded. They had entered a number of homes looking for food supplies. In several they had found food on the tables as if the families had been interrupted in the middle of their meals. Owens hoped many of them had escaped into the mountains.

-

Owens waited a full hour after the sun went down before he gave the order to set out for the valley. As they pulled out of the town of Evergreen he couldn’t help but wonder if people would ever live there again. It sent a chill down his back thinking of all the empty homes and towns across the country. No matter how this war ended he knew many of those homes and towns would remain empty. It was sad, realizing all that had been lost. With a deep sigh, Corporal Owens thought of his own home and wondered if he would ever return to it. He knew there was a good probability he never would.

Chapter Fourteen

The sun had come up, and Lisa was already watching her instruments. She was constantly changing the settings on the one she used to detect incoming survivors. So far there had been nothing. She wondered if the Trellixians being cold-blooded made them not register on the sensor.

“Still no sign of the aliens?” asked Private Peterson, peering over her shoulder.

Lisa shook her head. “I’m not sure this will even pick them up.” Lisa made some more minor adjustments and still the screen remained empty. That was comforting in one way and worrisome in another. For all she knew the enemy could be a few hundred yards away watching them. With a big sigh, she eyed the other sensor device still inside its case.

“What’s that?” asked Private Hambridge, pointing. “I’ve never seen you open it before.”

Lisa nodded, her focus on the case. “It’s to scan Trellixian technology down to its basic structure. I’m not sure about the science behind it other than it can detect Trellixian power sources and some of the alloys they use in their equipment.” The scanner she mostly used could also scan for Trellixian technology but not in as great a detail. She had used it once already to scan one of the alien shuttles.

“So both sensors basically scan for technology?” asked Peterson.

“Yes, and I was wondering …” Lisa looked from one sensor to the other wondering how best to use them in this situation.

“About what?” asked Peterson, stepping closer to the case.

Lisa shrugged. “This equipment is new to us. I got a basic demonstration in the lab but we really don’t know everything it can do. Plus we have very little information regarding the aliens and their weapons or body armor.”

“So what are you wondering about now?”

“Hmm,” Lisa said, with a smile and a tilt of her head. “Would this scanner be any use in locating Trellixian soldiers, I wonder?” She looked to Peterson, not really expecting an answer. “Captain Morrison said the aliens are encased in body armor, including a helmet and visor. There may be a power source of some type involved. I can’t imagine that armor being very light.”

Lisa stared at the second scanner, deep in thought. “Let’s take it out of the case and set it up on its tripod.”

It took a few minutes and several curious soldiers came to see what they were doing, including Lieutenant Symington.

“What’s that?”

“A special instrument for scanning and detecting Trellixian technology,” Lisa answered as she pointed it into the forest in the general direction they expected the Trellixians to come from. Its small viewscreen showed nothing. Lisa was disappointed. With a frown, she said, “But …” Her mind was racing as she recalled what she had been taught about the two scanners.

“But?” asked Lieutenant Symington, gazing at Lisa. “But what?”

“What if I hook it up to the other scanner?” Reaching into the case, she rummaged through assorted accessories and selected two cables and connected the two instruments together. Almost instantly a number of red blips appeared on the first scanners sensor screen, the one they had used to locate inbound refugees.

“What are those?” asked Lieutenant Symington, alarmed.

Lisa spent a few moments making some adjustments. The blips didn’t go away, just came in a little sharper. With deep concern she turned toward the lieutenant. “I might be wrong but I think those are Trellixian soldiers. The instrument is picking up some unidentified power sources about eight miles out.”

Lieutenant Symington spent a moment counting the blips. “There are forty-three of them. I’d better spread the warning. Private Peterson, you and Hambridge stay close to Captain Reynolds. If the fighting gets too dangerous all three of you are to pull back immediately. There’s an ATV behind our tents. Use it to get back to the second skirmish line.”

Private Peterson nodded and indicated for Lisa to get down inside the firing pit they had dug nearby. It was rectangular and had a camping stool and a small table where Lisa could put her laptop.

Lisa took a deep breath and climbed into the pit and sat down. She had hooked up her laptop to the sensor device. Sitting down, she was nearly a foot beneath the upper level of the pit. She noticed both privates checking their assault rifles and looking a little nervous.

“Have you two ever been in combat before?” she asked. Lisa knew the Rangers often went out on missions no one ever heard about.

“A couple times,” Peterson answered as he stood in the pit, staring toward the forest across the creek. “I was in Afghanistan for a tour and Hambridge spent some time in Korea.”

“If you want cold, go sit in a firing pit along the DMZ during winter,” Hambridge said with a deep frown. “I don’t know if I’ve ever been that cold. Hell, the MREs wouldn’t even stay warm.”

Peterson shook his head. “It’s better than Afghanistan. The sand gets into everything. Some days the sandstorms even blotted out the sun. Try eating an MRE covered in sand.”

Lisa shifted around, trying to get comfortable. She looked at the screen on her laptop. She was surprised at how rapidly the Trellixians were advancing through the forest. “It won’t take them long to get here,” she said. “They’re coming pretty fast.”

Peterson nodded and sent a report on his radio. “Captain Garcia says they’re ready and to keep him informed of how close the aliens are.” Captain Garcia was behind the skirmish line in a small command bunker they had dug out and covered with logs and dirt. From there he was in contact with all the commanding officers of the five companies of Marines and Rangers along the skirmish line.

Taking a deep breath, Lisa tried to focus on the job at hand. She was shivering slightly and it wasn’t from the early-morning chill. She was scared as very few military units had tangled with the Trellixians and survived. Trying to relax, she reminded herself these were the Army Rangers. If anyone could stop the aliens it would be them.

-

On his battlecruiser, Battle Commander Balforr stared at several viewscreens showing the central mountainous region in the United States. Reports indicated thousands of civilians and a large number of military units had fled there.

“Several of our troop units are reporting heavy resistance,” reported Second Officer Jaltor. “Battle Commander Jabale has directed several wings of attack craft to aid in destroying the opposition.”

“Send shuttle craft over that region and scan every part of it. A major command base has to be somewhere and that is the most likely location.” Balforr was determined to end the resistance on this planet once and for all. He was certain if he could locate this base and destroy it all resistance on the planet would collapse. “If necessary we will commit a number of battlecruisers to the search as well.”

“As you command,” replied Second Officer Jaltor.

Balforr shifted his attention back to the viewscreens. In every mountainous region of the planet Trellixian troops were moving in, searching for hidden civilians and military units. If this massive sweep worked within ten days the planet would be safe for the next round of colony ships. Balforr could then place this invasion behind him and move on to the next target on the Trellixian Empire’s list of needed habitable worlds.

-

Sergeant Anderson had just made it back to the skirmish line and been informed of the advancing Trellixians. He frowned, looking at the dug-in Rangers. “What about the people in the next valley?” he asked. “They could sure use those claymores.”

Captain Garcia gazed into the forest. He and Anderson stood in a trench next to the small command bunker. The Trellixians were still several miles away if Captain Reynolds’ sensors were correct. “Send two of your Rangers on one of the ATVs to the main supply cache to pick up the claymores. They can take them as far up the mountain as possible and then have Lieutenant Stein’s people come and get them. That’s the best we can do. I need every Ranger we have on the line for the coming battle.”

Sergeant Anderson nodded and hurried off, looking for Privates Richards and Hastings.

-

All along the skirmish line, the Rangers and the Marines got ready. M240L machine guns were checked and loaded. Rangers and Marines in charge of detonating the claymores checked the electronic detonators. Mortar crews for the 60mm and 81mm mortars prepared to fire upon targets. Everyone was anxious since these were aliens they were about to engage. Aliens who had already conquered most of the planet.

M4s, MK 16s, and MK 17 assault rifles were checked, with bullets chambered and ready to fire. A few of the Rangers had MK47 grenade launchers. Four of these were set up in strategic positions covering the largest game trails leading through the area.

Across the small creek was a killing field. If the Trellixians appeared anywhere they would step into a deadly crossfire, or at least the defenders hoped they would.

-

Lisa watched her laptop as the Trellixians came nearer; they were already within mortar range but Captain Garcia was allowing them to come closer. Lisa grew more frightened with every passing moment. She looked at Privates Peterson and Hambridge. “What’s combat like? Does everyone feel as scared as I am?”

Peterson nodded. “Everyone’s afraid. You never know when there might be a bullet with your name on it. I’ve been in a combat situation twice and I’ve never been so scared in my life. You just have to trust your fellow Rangers. If we all do our part we should come through this.”

Hambridge nodded. “I never saw combat in Korea but I knew it could happen at anytime. The DMZ is like a war zone. For years people have been expecting war to break out there but it never did. It always seemed to be on the brink but no one ever crossed it.”

“Half a mile,” Lisa said softly, her throat suddenly dry.

Peterson nodded and passed it on. “Get ready,” he said, looking back at Lisa. “It’s about to get loud.”

Lisa took a sip from her canteen. Her hand shook slightly as she adjusted the screen to show a closeup of the inbound enemy.

-

“Mortars first all along the advancing Trellixian line,” ordered Captain Garcia. “High-explosive rounds. Keep firing until I say stop. Everyone else to fire when they have visual targets.” Captain Garcia was still in the trench with Sergeant Anderson.

Anderson nodded and passed on the order. “All mortars, initiate firing. Targets will be at 320 yards.” This was according to the latest information from Private Peterson. “Everyone else fire as targets become visible. Don’t let them get across the creek!”

-

In the forest explosions from 60mm and 81mm mortar rounds sounded. Moments later the M240L machine guns started hammering away as movement could be seen along the trails. Within minutes all the Rangers and Marines were laying down a withering rain of fire into the forest. Trees were blown apart, fires erupted, and smoke filled the air. The noise reached a crescendo that sounded like a constant roar.

“Targets are still closing,” reported Sergeant Anderson as he listened to Private Peterson in disbelief. “They’re not slowing down.” Peterson was relaying what he saw on Captain Reynolds’ computer screen.

“Stand by on the claymores,” ordered Captain Garcia as he peered across the creek, waiting for the first Trellixians to show.

He sucked in his breath as two armored figures suddenly appeared. The two aliens paused, looking across the creek. Weapon rounds were bouncing off their armor! There were two sudden explosions as several nearby claymores detonated. One of the Trellixians went down, not moving; the other aimed his weapon and fired. An energy beam lanced out toward the dug-in Rangers.

“Energy weapons,” muttered Sergeant Anderson as he heard a Ranger scream in agony. He held his shotgun in his arms. If a Trellixian got close enough he intended to put a slug in his head.

One of the M240L machine guns targeted the still-standing Trellixian, hammering away at its armor. For several seconds it seemed as if the rounds were having no effect while the alien continued to fire at the dug-in Rangers. Then the alien staggered and dropped to the ground.

“Damn!” uttered Anderson, staring at the two fallen Trellixians in shock. “Did you see how much firepower it took to bring those two down? No wonder our military units have been taking such heavy losses.”

The firing gradually died down and then came to a stop. An eerie silence hung on the battlefield.

“Private Peterson reports all contacts in front of us have been eliminated.”

“Take some Rangers and check those two aliens,” ordered Captain Garcia. “Make sure both are dead.”

Anderson nodded as he climbed out of the trench. He quickly led a squad of Rangers across the bridge to the fallen Trellixians. Upon reaching them he took his shotgun and fired a round into the visor of each one. “They’re dead,” he reported, looking back in Captain Garcia’s direction.

Garcia climbed out of the trench and walked to Captain Reynolds. He looked into the pit where she sat watching her computer screen. “There are two dead Trellixians out there if you want to examine them.”

-

Lisa nodded. She climbed out of the firing pit, followed closely by her two privates. She quickly disconnected the Trellixian technology scanning device from the sensor instrument. Private Peterson picked it up and soon all three of them were across the creek where Sergeant Anderson stood by the two downed Trellixians with his shotgun cradled in his arms.

Lisa fought an urge to get sick when she saw their caved-in faces from the shotgun slugs Sergeant Anderson had used to make sure the two aliens were dead. She took several deep gulps of air, trying to calm her stomach.

“Set the device up here,” she ordered Private Peterson. She then disconnected a small scanning sensor connected to the main device by a long cord. She turned it on and moved it across the dead Trellixian’s body, scanning all his equipment and weapons.

“What about this energy rifle?” asked Sergeant Anderson, poking it with his booted foot.

“I wouldn’t touch it,” cautioned Lisa. “The Trellixians wouldn’t want their equipment to fall into the hands of an enemy. If it senses someone else other than a Trellixian is touching it, there’s a possibility it might explode.”

Anderson moved his foot quickly back. “So we can’t use their weapons against them?”

Lisa shook her head. “No, at least not until we know more about them. I wish we could take this energy rifle to Professor Wilkens. He might find its technology useful.”

“You scanned it,” Sergeant Anderson said. “Will that help?”

“It might,” Lisa replied. “It depends on what these scans show.”

Anderson nodded. “It might be best for you to get back across the creek. The aliens know we’re here now and they won’t be taken by surprise on their second attempt to get across.” He also wondered who this Professor Wilkens was Captain Reynolds had just mentioned.

-

Captain Garcia had just received the casualty report from his Rangers and the three Marine companies. Fourteen Rangers and twenty-eight Marines had died. In several areas the Trellixians had managed to get across the creek. However, all forty-three Trellixians had been killed, most by mortar fire and the claymores. What concerned Garcia was the amount of firepower expended to take down the Trellixians: enough to have wiped out several battalions of regular human troops. He looked at Captain Reynolds and made a quick decision. He had been told by Major Dolan her life was more important than all the Rangers and Marines on the skirmish line.

“Captain Reynolds, I think it’s best if you pull back to the second skirmish line. The next attack will be much heavier and the Trellixians know where we are. I doubt if we can stop them from crossing the creek.”

-

Lisa hated leaving the Rangers. She knew many of them well after being with them for so many days in such close proximity. But she knew she needed to get the information she had scanned from the fallen Trellixians to Professor Wilkens. It was important to the war effort. “Yes, Captain,” she replied.

“Private Peterson, make sure you and Private Hambridge get her back safely. Take the ATV parked behind the tents.”

“It’s the last one we have, sir,” Peterson said. “Privates Richards and Hastings took the other one.”

Garcia nodded. “I’m aware of that. If the Trellixians penetrate our line we’ll make a fighting withdrawal to our second line. We’ll try to hold them for as long as we can.”

Private Peterson nodded. “We’ll get her back safely,” he promised. He turned toward Lisa. “Let’s pack up your equipment.”

“I want you gone within the hour,” Captain Garcia said. “I don’t think we’ll have much longer than that.”

Lisa looked around. She knew she might never see again some of these familiar faces. Taking a deep breath, Lisa began packing her equipment.

-

Major Dolan was at the second skirmish line with Captain Grumman. They had two Ranger companies and two regular Army companies spread out along it. They were five miles behind Captain Garcia’s position.

“Captain Garcia held against the first Trellixian attack. He doubts if he can hold a second time.” Mark agreed with Garcia’s assessment of the situation. The Trellixians would hit Garcia again and with a much larger force. “He’s sending Captain Reynolds back. She managed to take some scans of the equipment and weapons from the two Trellixians Garcia’s Rangers killed near the bridge. As soon as she gets here I’m sending her back to base to transmit that information to General Mitchell as soon as possible. He will see it gets sent to the necessary people.” Mark had specific information on what to do with any information the three special captains gathered. “Where’s Captain Masterson?”

Grumman pointed toward the south. “About one thousand yards that way. He’s set up his equipment the same as Captain Reynolds did. If the Trellixians come this way we should be able to detect them. Captain Olson is with Captain Stockton at the main supply cache.”

Mark nodded. Colonel Branson had been very specific on how important any information gathered by the three captains might be. Mark guessed something was going on he wasn’t aware of. He suspected this information would be passed on to a major hidden research base somewhere.

“All supply caches have been shut down and sealed up except the primary one,” Grumman said. “It will be closed up if we have to retreat. We’ll be leaving a lot of supplies behind if we have to evacuate this area.”

Mark nodded. “We may need them someday.” Mark was greatly concerned. Somehow they had to stop the Trellixians from getting past the second skirmish line. If they didn’t the civilians farther back could be put in jeopardy. In the distance, where the first skirmish line was, he could see a heavy pall of smoke. For now all they could do was wait and see what the Trellixians’ next move was.

-

Two hours passed and Captain Garcia stood near the bridge by the creek. He had sent several Rangers into the forest to watch for any signs of the Trellixians. So far everything had been quiet.

“They’ll come again, won’t they?” asked Lieutenant Symington.

Garcia nodded. “Yes, they know we’re here now. I suspect they’re gathering the forces they think they’ll need to push us away from the creek. Inform all our Rangers and Marines to be prepared to pull back on my orders. I don’t want any panic. This will be a fighting withdrawal all the way to our other defensive line.”

Private Lopez came running up. “Sir, we have several reports from our scouts of large numbers of Trellixian troops coming our way. We have about forty minutes before they get here.”

Taking a deep breath, Garcia gazed along the creek where deep scorch marks smoldered from the aliens’ energy weapons fire. On the far side of the creek fires still burned and smoke hung heavy in the air. The forest on that side of the creek was a shattered wreck with splintered trees and others blown apart completely.

“Let’s get ready then. We need to take out as many of them as we can before we’re forced to pull back.” Garcia was determined to make the Trellixians pay for every inch of ground they took.

-

Time passed and the scouts hurried back across the bridge. Captain Garcia heard a noise coming from the south and looking in that direction saw two flights of incoming Trellixian attack craft. “They’re going to hit us from the air,” he called out. “Sergeant Anderson, pass the word on the radio for everyone to take cover in their firing pits and stay down. This is about to get ugly.” Captain Garcia and Sergeant Anderson quickly ducked into the small command bunker.

-

The two flights of attack craft came in low and from the belly of each craft hundreds of small objects dropped. These were splinter grenades and just before they reached the surface along the creek they exploded, releasing hundreds of flesh-cutting flechettes. Along eighteen miles of the creek the small grenades ravaged the defending troops.

The two flights curved back around to launch warp missiles. They made a high-pitched screaming noise as they came down. Wherever they struck they left deep, smoking craters in the ground. When the two flights vanished back over the mountains they left a scene of devastation behind them. The skirmish line had been shattered. Dead troops and scattered equipment lay everywhere. The wounded called out for help in the sudden quiet.

-

Captain Garcia exited the bunker and stood in the trench, trying to peer through the smoke. “What do we have left?” He knew they had been hit hard. Much harder than he had expected.

“I’m not sure,” replied Sergeant Anderson as he tried to contact the small command posts scattered up and down the creek. “Several posts aren’t responding at all. Those replying are reporting heavy casualties and a large number of wounded.”

“We have movement across the creek,” called out Private Larick from a nearby firing pit.

Garcia looked across the creek to see a half-dozen Trellixians in battle armor appear. “Fire!” he yelled as he shot at the aliens with his own assault rifle.

Several M240L machine guns responded, opening up on the aliens. A few explosions went off as well.

“Set off the remaining claymores,” ordered Captain Garcia. They had emplaced a few more during the lull.

Suddenly a series of explosions occurred all along the creek for as far as he could see. Several of the Trellixians dropped to the ground, unmoving. Two others reached the bridge and started to cross it. It instantly blew apart as the demolition charges detonated, killing both aliens. A series of explosions swept across the remaining aliens as a Ranger with a grenade launcher zeroed in on them. Two more of the armored figures fell but more appeared firing their energy rifles, sweeping them across the defenders.

Garcia heard a loud scream and the grenade launcher fell silent. Looking into the forest he saw even more Trellixians advancing. He watched another fall to a mortar round which exploded at his feet. “Time to pull back. We’ve caused all the damage we can. They’ll be across the creek shortly. Make sure we get all the wounded. I don’t want to leave anyone behind.”

Garcia and Sergeant Anderson climbed out of the trench and retreated from the creek. Garcia stopped when he nearly stumbled across the body of a Ranger. With shock he recognized Lieutenant Symington. His body was barely recognizable as the lieutenant had been too near when a warp missile had struck. Looking up and down the creek Garcia saw other Rangers moving back. Some helped the wounded and others paused to fire at the advancing aliens. Garcia felt numb as he saw how few of his Rangers were left.

Energy weapons fire was everywhere, striking trees, the undergrowth and occasionally a Ranger. Small fires erupted all up and down the skirmish line.

-

“Captain Garcia is pulling back,” Captain Grumman reported with a grim look on his face. “He estimates he’s suffered at least 60 percent casualties to both his Rangers and the three Marine companies.”

Mark took the report, trying not to show his shock. If the Trellixians could inflict those types of losses on the Army Rangers what would they do to other units? “They’re five miles away. Make sure all our troops know we have retreating units heading our way. I don’t want anyone killed from friendly fire. Have the medics ready to treat the wounded.” Mark took a deep breath, wondering what could be done to slow the Trellixians’ advance.

-

At the secret base, Lisa was taken rapidly to the communications center.

“You have some information that needs to be transmitted?” asked Lieutenant Bennington.

Lisa nodded. “It’s on this flash drive.” She handed the small drive to the lieutenant. She had taken it out of the Trellixian scanning device.

Bennington frowned. “Someone must have been expecting this.” He placed the drive in a small USB slot on his communications equipment. Immediately the drive lit up as the information was transmitted to its destination. “I have no idea where this is going. I was told that if any one of you science experts brought a flash drive to me I was to insert it into that USB slot.”

Lisa nodded. That data was doubtlessly being sent to whatever hidden facility Professor Wilkens was in. “What now?”

“Go get some rest. Major Dolan wants you to stay here until the battle is over. The base is pretty well-hidden so I doubt if we have to worry about the Trellixians finding it. We still have quite a few troops here as well.”

Leaving the communications center Lisa wondered worriedly how Brett and Brenda were doing. She hoped the two of them made it through the fighting.

-

On board Battle Commander Balforr’s battlecruiser he was following the battles on the ground in close detail. In one small region a number of Trellixian troops had been lost in heavy combat. However, another region had much heavier fighting with reports of thousands of Human soldiers involved. Not so with the smaller region. Scans had only detected a few hundred Humans. This was not the target he searched for. He was firmly convinced the other one was.

“Pull our troops back from all regions,” he ordered. “We’ve found their command base.” It would take a number of days to get ready. But when this base was destroyed the major fighting on this planet would be over.

“What about the mountainous areas in other regions of the planet?” asked Second Officer Jaltor. “There’s been considerable resistance in some of them as well. Shouldn’t we clear the Humans out of those areas while we have this opportunity?”

“Pull them back too,” ordered Balforr. He wanted as many Trellixian troops available as possible to take out this last Human Command Center. “We’ll go back and sweep those mountainous regions of Humans once their primary base has been eliminated.” Balforr was pleased. Finally he could see the battle for this planet coming to an end.

-

In the underground Command Center General Mitchell watched the viewscreens showing the Trellixians pulling back.

“They’ve found us,” said General Briggs with a deep frown. “Why did they pull back?”

“They didn’t have the troops to take the mountain,” Mitchell replied grimly. “Once they’ve assembled their Army they’ll be back.”

“We’re installing the first energy cannons on the mountain,” Colonel Fields replied. “They should take out a Trellixian hover tank if any show up.”

“They’re secondary cannons only,” replied General Mitchell with a deep frown. “We can’t hurt one of their battlecruisers if the energy shield is up. Speaking of an energy shield, we could really use one.”

“We just need the power source,” Colonel Fields replied. “The equipment is installed. We can project a weak energy shield over the mountain but it won’t hold up to Trellixian weapons. It needs a more powerful energy source.”

General Mitchell took a deep breath. “Let’s get our troops ready to defend this mountain. I’ll also contact Professor Wilkens about the more powerful energy weapons and the energy shield.”

“What if the Trellixians drop a nuke on us?”

“They won’t,” replied Mitchell, his eyes narrowing. “Not if we threaten to nuke the entire planet, making it uninhabitable.”

General Briggs looked confused. “But how will they know?”

Mitchell smiled. “It’s simple. We tell them. Colonel Steward, we know where Balforr’s ship is. Send a message informing him that if he drops one nuke anywhere on the planet we will use our remaining weapons to devastate this world and send it into a long nuclear winter.”

“When do you want me to send the message?” asked Colonel Steward.

“Now,” replied General Mitchell. “General Briggs, we need to begin the evacuation of all nonessential personnel immediately just in case we can’t hold this base.”

Briggs nodded. “I’ll get started on it.”

“If we have time evacuate some of the troops we have around the mountain. I don’t want to lose all of them in this battle.” General Mitchell looked at the viewscreens. He had hoped it would be months or longer before the Trellixians found the base. He was about to fight a battle he couldn’t afford to lose but knew he could in no way win.

-

Battle Commander Balforr was livid. The sheer audacity of the Humans continued to astonish him. The military leader in the command base they just discovered had sent a message to his flagship threatening to destroy the planet if Balforr used a nuke. This was no doubt an attempt to prevent him from using a nuke to take out the troop concentrations around the mountain where the command base was.

“We do this the hard way,” said Balforr, turning toward Second Officer Jaltor. “Contact Battle Commander Traven and have him organize a full assault on that mountain. We’ll need hover tanks, shuttles, and attack craft to take that base.”

“It will take days to organize and move enough of our troops into position to take that mountain. Our scans indicate thousands of Human troops in the area.”

“If it takes days, then it does. Destroy that base! Keep shuttles circling it at a distance. I don’t want any of those troops to escape.”

“As you command,” replied Jaltor as he went to Communications to send the message to Battle Commander Traven.

Balforr gazed at the viewscreen showing the mountain which would soon be his target. One more big battle and the planet would be his. He was about to wipe the last major Human military force off the face of the planet. Earth was nearly ready to become part of the Trellixian Empire.

Chapter Fifteen

Professor Wilkens looked excitedly at the information Lisa had sent.

“Look at this,” said Wilkens, pointing to an interior view of the energy rifle Lisa had scanned. “See how the power couplings are set up?”

Professor Pierre Fournier nodded. “In a parallel series to stop overloads from the energy cell. We’ve been experiencing the same problem in the firing of our pulse rifles. We thought it was a weakness in the power cells, but the energy coupling was back-feeding power to the cells, making them short out.”

“Can we adapt this technology to the pulse rifles?” Wilkens knew that General Mitchell wanted the first pulse rifles delivered immediately. However, there had been delay after delay as minor problems in the design kept cropping up.

“I don’t see why not. It will only require a couple changes.”

“Let’s implement it immediately,” ordered Major Charles Cunningham. “Those rifles may be what prevents the Trellixians from wiping us out. How long will it take?”

“Forty-eight hours max,” Pierre replied. “We can start the assembly line immediately after that. In two weeks we can have the first 1,500 pulse rifles ready for delivery.”

“Not only that, we can possibly build stronger energy cannons as well,” added Professor Wilkens. “Not as strong as what the Jelnoid once used but pretty damn close.”

“What about the fusion reactors?” asked Major Cunningham. “Will this help in their development?”

“This power coupling is unique in the way it’s constructed,” Wilkens replied as he looked at it again. “We’re having trouble connecting the small fusion reactors we’ve built together in a series. We’re burning out all the power relays.”

Pierre gazed at the screen showing the interior of the energy rifle. “I don’t know if this technology can be useful to our fusion reactors. The power relays may still burn out.”

“But they might hold for a while,” replied Wilkens. “Even if only for an hour or two it would be useful. I’ll get a team together and see if we can’t formulate a design to handle the power for a short time. If we can I’ll send the schematics of the design to Colonel Fields at the main base. He’s got the technicians to do the modifications.”

“We need to hurry,” replied Major Cunningham. “The Trellixians know where General Mitchell’s base is. They could attack it any day.”

“In twenty-four hours we can do a preliminary test on the reactors we have here. Once we know it will work we’ll get the information to Colonel Fields.”

Professor Wilkens looked once more at the data Lisa had sent back. It didn’t surprise him she had managed to procure important information. It was one of the reasons he had sent her out into the field instead of bringing her directly to this research facility. However, he did worry about her. Several times he had been tempted to pull her and some others back to the base. It saddened him immensely that several of the special captains had already lost their lives.

-

President Katelyn Hathaway was in her office, listening to the latest reports from the various battlefields. She had finally relented and allowed herself to be sworn in as president. Part of her briefing came from Major Leslie Lorre with the DOE, responsible for gathering intelligence on the Trellixians.

“We’ve lost a number of the captains we’ve assigned to various military groups,” Major Lorre began. “We severely underestimated how powerful the Trellixian military would be with their ground operations. Their battle armor is nearly impervious to small weapons fire and it takes several direct hits from heavy artillery to disable one of their hover tanks. Currently we have nothing that can shoot down one of their shuttles or their attack craft.”

“Should we recall the special captains? They could be useful in the research being done as well as with the ad astra project.”

“We’ve already done so,” Major Lorre replied. “We only had a few who sent back any valuable information. Captain Lisa Reynolds only just today provided Professor Wilkens with scans of a Trellixian energy rifle and a suit of battle armor. Wilkens says the information is extremely valuable for their research.”

“Where is Captain Reynolds?” Katelyn knew all the special captains had been assigned to the best trained units the American military possessed.

“She’s with the 75th Ranger Regiment,” Lorre replied. “We have two other of our special captains embedded with them as well.”

President Hathaway stood and walked to the window overlooking the underground city. Maggie Rayne, the secretary of state, was at a second complex similar to this one. In addition, there were numerous other smaller underground facilities including a few military ones. Over the years several trillion dollars had been spent building the secret installations. It still amazed her everything had remained a secret.

“Should we pull the three out?” asked Hathaway. She knew Captain Lisa Reynolds was important to Professor Wilkens. He had future plans for her.

Major Lorre shook her head. “Professor Wilkens wants Captain Reynolds to observe the Trellixian attack on General Mitchell’s base. Once that’s over she’ll be brought here to join the ad astra project.”

“How soon before the Trellixians attack the base?” This concerned Katelyn as it was the largest base left in the United States. There was still a large Russian base the Trellixians knew nothing about. If Mitchell’s base fell the Russian base would assume command of the various resistance units spread across the world. The Russian base was nearly as large as General Mitchell’s.

“General Mitchell believes in the next week or so. He’s also informed Battle Commander Balforr that if he uses any nukes we will launch all of our remaining weapons, making this world uninhabitable.”

Katelyn’s eyes widened. “He wouldn’t really, would he?” Millions of human survivors were still scattered across the globe. Such an act would doom all of them to a horrible death.

Major Lorre shook her head. “No, but Balforr doesn’t know that.”

“A bluff,” said Katelyn, her eyes widening. “Will it work?”

“Probably. We know from what the Jelnoids told us the Trellixians are looking for living space to support an exploding population. They won’t want to risk our planet becoming useless to them.”

“Can General Mitchell hold his base?” Unfortunately there wasn’t another one like it in the United States. There was a smaller alternate command base but it would have to be activated.

Major Lorre shook her head. “No, not if the Trellixians make a concentrated effort. He’s already ordered the evacuation of all nonessential personal as well as some of the military units.”

Katelyn’s eyes narrowed. “We can’t afford to lose the command personnel in that base, including General Mitchell. I’ll send him a message that if the base is about to fall he and his senior staff are to evacuate immediately. We need him to fight this war.” Katelyn couldn’t imagine fighting the Trellixians without the general. He just had to survive!

-

Professor Wilkens was in his lab along with a number of other scientists and research assistants. They were running simulations of what would happen if they adapted the technology found in the Trellixian energy rifle to their small fusion reactors.

“If we link these up in a parallel series and split the energy load going to the power relays they may just hold long enough,” reported Amber Stone who was running simulations on her computer. “According to this sim if we set up two parallel series of power couplings feeding the relays, the energy shield should hold for several hours at full power.”

“That’s progress,” said Professor Andre Leon, a nuclear physicist from France. “If we make the couplings even larger it should extend the time before we see the shield fail.”

“At the maximum size we can keep the shield up for a little over eight hours,” Amber reported as she ran the figures through her computer. “If we make them any larger we will begin losing power, weakening the energy shield.”

“If we had the time and could duplicate the alloys the Trellixians use in their energy rifles, I believe we could keep the shield up indefinitely,” added Professor Kamen Weir. “They have amazing properties and would revolutionize our power systems.”

Professor Wilkens let out a deep sigh. If they had this information about the energy rifles weeks ago they might have perfected a shield with the staying power General Mitchell needed. As it was, eight hours of protection was all they could offer. At the end of those eight hours they would have to trade out the power couplings which would take fifteen to twenty minutes because the housing to the reactors would have to be opened. In those precious minutes the base would be vulnerable to attack. The Trellixians were bound to detect the disappearance of the energy shield.

“Let’s test this on our reactors to make sure it works,” said Wilkens. “If it does we need to get this information to Colonel Fields as soon as possible.”

“We’ll begin making the modifications immediately,” Professor Leon replied.

“We also must work on duplicating the alloys the Trellixians use,” suggested Professor Weir. “If we’re successful it will open up a whole range of possible weapons we can use against them. We need a sample of those alloys.”

Professor Wilkens nodded. It would be risky but he knew just how to go about getting such a sample. He needed to send a message to Lisa. Wilkens gazed once more at the image of the energy rifle Lisa had sent. He had no desire to know the danger she had put herself in to get that image. One thing he did know: she was the most brilliant research assistant he ever had and he wanted her back. He would ask for one more mission from her and then she would join him. During that mission she would recover a sample of the alloys Professor Weir needed.

-

Major Dolan was confused. The Trellixians hadn’t pushed their attack but instead withdrew. From the reports received from scouts sent deep into the forest, past where the first skirmish line had once existed, the aliens had withdrawn completely from the mountains.

“I don’t know what’s going on,” said Captain Garcia as he gazed into the forest. “They had us. If they would have pursued I don’t know if any of us would have made it to the second skirmish line.”

Mark feared Garcia was correct. Mark had seen the injured and he knew some of them would not pull through. They had been taken to the hidden base to be treated in its medical facility.

Captain Grumman joined them with his rifle slung over his shoulder. “Major, you’re wanted back at the base. It seems as if Colonel Branson has a new mission for you.”

“Maybe it has something to do with the Trellixians pulling back,” suggested Captain Garcia. “There has to be a reason.”

“Get me one of the ATVs,” ordered Mark. He wanted to get to the base as quickly as possible. Branson wouldn’t be contacting him unless it was important. “You two do everything possible to strengthen our defensive line. We can’t allow the Trellixians to get past it. Thousands of civilians are counting on us to protect them.”

“We’ll set up more M240L machine guns as well as additional mortars,” replied Grumman.

“The claymores were very effective as well,” said Captain Garcia. “We’ll set up a number of them with trip wires on all the game trails between here and the first skirmish line. We won’t activate them until the Trellixians return. That way animals won’t be setting them off.”

“Get it done,” ordered Mark. “It might also be a good idea to build some shallow underground bunkers. While they won’t protect us from those damn warp missiles they will help to protect us from splinter grenades.”

“The grenades are more dangerous,” Garcia said. “They must have dropped several thousand on us.”

Grumman looked to the north and south where the defensive line nearly reached the mountains. They had eight miles to defend. “We’ll start working on the bunkers right away.”

Moments later Mark was on his way back to the base. He had left orders for Captains Garcia and Grumman to integrate the survivors from Garcia’s skirmish line into the second line. That line had to hold!

-

Lisa was asleep when there was a knock on her door. Getting up, she opened it a crack to see who it was. A private stood outside.

“Captain, Major Dolan would like to see you in Briefing Room Two.”

“Tell him I’ll be there shortly.” Lisa turned, stifling a yawn. She had only been asleep for a few hours. When she had arrived at her quarters the first thing she did was take a long hot shower. The hot water felt fantastic and for the first time in weeks she felt clean. She hurriedly got dressed, making sure her uniform was free of wrinkles. Fortunately she was in her assigned quarters in the base and she had several spare uniforms available. She took one quick glance in the mirror and then went out the door, heading down the hallway. She wondered what the major could want. Perhaps it had something to do with the information she had sent out on the communications system.

Reaching the briefing room she went inside to find Major Dolan and Privates Peterson and Hambridge. Lisa had the sudden feeling she was going somewhere.

“Captain Reynolds,” said Major Dolan, indicating for her to sit down. “Colonel Branson contacted me earlier and it seems we have a new mission. The Trellixians have located our main command base.”

“Command base?” asked Lisa. She had no idea what the major was talking about.

“Yes, long before the Trellixians arrived our military built a massive base deep underground here in the mountains to coordinate the resistance against the Trellixians. General Mitchell and others high up in the military are there now. I also believe several small science facilities are hidden away there as well.”

“What does that have to do with me?” asked Lisa. She had already suspected the science facilities must exist just because of Professor Wilkens.

Major Dolan took a deep breath. “We now know why the Trellixians pulled back from their attack in our area. They have discovered General Mitchell’s base and are in the process of gathering their forces to attack it.”

Lisa felt the blood drain from her face. If what Major Dolan said was true this was a disaster. “What happens now?”

“We’ve been ordered to proceed to the area of General Mitchell’s base and observe the battle with your special instruments. Then we’re to deliver the data you gather to an undisclosed location. We’re also being asked to deliver a Trellixian energy rifle as well.”

“Getting that rifle might be dangerous,” Lisa said. “I’m convinced if anyone other than a Trellixian handles it the rifle will explode.”

“Evidently whoever wants the rifle has the same opinion as you with regard to handling it so they’re sending us a container for the rifle as well as some special handling gloves.”

“They expect us to lose the battle, don’t they?” said Lisa as a cold chill ran through her.

Major Dolan nodded. “Yes, we’re not ready to resist such an attack. There is some hope a new weapons system might be ready in time but it’ll be a rush job and there’s no guarantee it will protect the base.”

“How are we getting there?”

“A helicopter will pick us up late tonight and set us down near a small stream close to the base. After that we’re on our own. I’m currently in the process of gathering the team who will accompany us.”

“How dangerous will this be?” asked Private Peterson. “Won’t the Trellixians detect the helicopter?”

Major Dolan leaned back in his chair as he studied the private. “If this battle goes down like we’re expecting, we could be talking about tens of thousands of Trellixian troops as well as hundreds of their hover tanks. There will doubtlessly be Trellixian shuttles and attack craft involved as well. As of this moment we have no weapons that can shoot down either. As for the helicopter, it’s a risk we have to take to get to the area around the base in time.”

“I don’t understand why we’re gathering this information if there’s a danger we might lose the base,” said Private Hambridge, sounding confused. “What good will it do if our main military asset is lost?”

Lisa was curious about this as well. She knew there were some smaller military bases such as this one and thousands of civilians and soldiers hidden throughout the mountains, but what good would it do if the main military command was gone?

“I can’t answer that,” Dolan replied. Mark didn’t understand why this mission was being conducted. He just knew he had been ordered to undertake it by Colonel Branson and that was good enough for him. “Captain Reynolds, make sure your equipment is ready. Everyone needs to get some sleep and something to eat before we depart. The helicopter will be coming for us at 20:00 hours tonight. We’ll leave at 18:00 hours as we have to travel a ways to its landing site since we don’t want to risk compromising the location of this base.”

-

After Captain Reynolds and the two privates left Mark took a deep breath. From what Colonel Branson had said thousands of American soldiers surrounded General Mitchell’s mountain base. Mark didn’t see how this war could go on if they lost those forces. Small bases like this one would not last long if the Trellixians made a big push into the mountains.

For a long while he sat alone thinking about his parents and his missing sister. Someday he would like to return to Houston to see if his parents’ home was still there. So much had already been lost in this war and Mark was deeply concerned he was about to witness the final battle for possession of the planet.

-

General Mitchell listened to Colonel Fields explain about the energy weapons and the energy shield for the base.

“We’re still installing the secondary energy weapons,” Fields explained. “They should be able to destroy anything except a Trellixian battlecruiser. Professor Wilkens will be sending data on how to increase the power on our energy shield shortly. It’ll take some time to make the modifications.”

“How long?” Mitchell knew they didn’t have a lot. Satellite imagery already showed Trellixian shuttles bringing troops in from all over the planet. As a precaution, Mitchell had sent the necessary orders authorizing the Russian Command Center to take over in case the American one was destroyed.

“Two days and we’ll be ready to test it.”

“No tests,” said Mitchell, shaking his head. “It either works or it doesn’t. I don’t want the Trellixians to know we’ve developed an energy shield until we’re forced to use it.”

“It will only function at full power for eight to ten hours,” warned Fields.

General Mitchell nodded. Eight to ten hours would be enough for what he had planned. It was time to see if he could pull the wool over Battle Commander Balforr’s eyes.

-

In orbit, Battle Commander Balforr listened to the latest reports. During the engagements in the mountains, hundreds of Trellixian troops had been lost. Most had died attacking static defenses which were heavily fortified. This was of no concern to Balforr. He had hundreds of thousands of Trellixian troops available and he had no problem sacrificing part of them to fulfill his strategy.

“Our latest scans from shuttles flying over the Human base indicate nearly twenty thousand Human soldiers are in the vicinity,” reported Second Officer Jaltor. “I am surprised so many escaped our attacks.”

Balforr was pleased to hear this. It indicated the Humans had pulled in the majority of their surviving forces to defend the mountain. He would destroy it and the twenty thousand soldiers, ending this world’s resistance. The few surviving Humans still in the mountains he would allow to starve and die in the harsh winter weather. While that was happening he would have his troops sweep the cities and the countryside for any other survivors. It felt good to know that shortly he would have a victory over this world.

“Inform Battle Commander Traven and Jabale I will take direct control of the attack on the Human base from my battlecruiser.”

“They will not like that since most of the troops being used in this engagement are theirs,” pointed out Second Officer Jaltor.

“They are my subordinates,” replied Balforr with little emotion in his voice. “They will follow my orders.”

“As you command,” replied Jaltor as he went to Communications to pass on the order.

Balforr gazed at the viewscreen and the blue-white world it displayed. Soon Earth would be added to the long list of worlds Balforr had conquered and brought into the Trellixian Empire.

Chapter Sixteen

Major Mark Dolan crawled painfully to the top of the small brush-covered hill he’d been behind for the last several hours. His uniform was ragged and filthy. Blood ran from a shallow jagged cut on his forehead, the result of a splinter grenade falling too close to his position. Only by throwing himself to the ground, realizing what was about to happen, had Dolan survived at all. The two privates who had been with him lay dead, their bodies torn apart by the grenade.

Around Dolan dead bodies were everywhere. Unfortunately most of the bodies were human and not Trellixian. The aliens were nearly unstoppable, their vehicles protected by energy shields and possessing weapons much more powerful than the humans. The enemy could be killed with great effort but normally the attacking humans died in the attempt. However, the humans were fighting for their world and there was never a shortage of volunteers to attempt the almost impossible. Waves of human soldiers had thrown themselves at the advancing Trellixians trying to turn the tide of the overwhelming attack. Most had died.

In the distance, Mark could hear the heavy explosions of powerful warp missiles and more splinter grenades blasting away at the weakening human defenses. The human defenders had been driven back to the base of the mountain they were defending. The Trellixians were rapidly pushing back the meager remnants of America’s military toward the bunker complex that housed their last known major active base.

For nearly six hours Mark and his handpicked squad had watched the battle from hidden locations. Their job was to stay on the outskirts, undetected and to report back to their superiors the results of the battle. Several times Mark had been tempted to join in the fighting when a Trellixian passed within weapons range but his orders were very explicit. No contact with the enemy! Observe and report back!

“Major, this is Captain Reynolds. I’m in my new position,” a female said over his earpiece.

Everyone in his squad wore a small communications earpiece set to a frequency they didn’t think the enemy would be monitoring so they could stay in contact with one another. It was a risk but one necessary if they wanted to complete their mission. Several times since arriving at the vicinity of the base they had been forced to move to new positions to observe and record the fighting.

Captain Lisa Reynolds was two hundred yards to his west on another small ridge which provided a good view of the ongoing battle. Privates Peterson and Hambridge were with her, assigned to keep her safe. Reynolds had two instruments she was using to gather data on Trellixian battle techniques. Mark wasn’t sure what good that would do if the mountain base and its bunker complex were destroyed. As far as Mark knew most resistance across the planet had been smashed and this was the last major surviving military installation still fighting back. There were some minor bases like the one he was stationed at but they wouldn’t last long once the Trellixians found them. The fighting most of the morning had been fierce as the aliens advanced on the base. The Trellixians had used their energy beams to clear a large area of the surrounding forest so their shuttles could land and unload hundreds of hover tanks.

“Make sure you record everything,” ordered Mark, as his gaze swept across the embattled human defensive lines. Several massive explosions struck the human lines, blasting deep smoking holes in the ground. Mark thought he could see soldiers pulling back from the besieged fortifications. “Keep messages to a minimum. We don’t want to tip off the enemy we’re here.”

“Yes, sir,” Reynolds replied, sounding anxious.

“Don’t take any unnecessary risks,” Mark instructed. He knew Lisa wasn’t used to being in a combat situation. “I want us all to get back safely.” Mark had orders to make sure Captain Reynolds survived. He looked at one of the dead privates a few yards away. Mark knew that at any moment more of his handpicked squad could meet their deaths.

Removing his battle helmet and enhanced vision goggles he wiped the sweat from his brow and cautiously rose to better see what lay on the other side of the small hill. A blackened ruin of blasted earth, burned-out trees, a few destroyed hover tanks, and dead bodies lay as far as his trained eyes could see. Several miles to the north, close to the large mountain, he could see the fighting still raged, the meager American forces battling desperately to hold on to the last bastion of hope against a fearless, overpowering enemy who knew no mercy.

After sliding his goggles and helmet back on he adjusted the sights to allow him a close-up view of the fighting. Trellixian hover tanks moved steadily forward, their large cannons firing round after round of heavy energy fire into the entrenched human troops. Side launchers on the hover tanks fired a seemingly unending supply of splinter grenades into the human positions. Occasionally a US heavy missile would strike one of the tanks, stressing its shield but having very little effect otherwise. Mark let out a deep, guttural sigh of frustration. If they could only find a way around the Trellixians’ energy shields the battle would be more even. It took a tremendous amount of firepower to destroy one of the enemy hover tanks.

Thousands of Trellixian troops in nearly impenetrable battle armor followed closely behind the tanks, mopping up straggling pockets of defenders. Occasionally short-range missiles and shells from heavy artillery exploded among the advancing Trellixian troops but a nearly direct hit was necessary to penetrate the battle armor. Scanning the dead, Dolan noticed a few Trellixians scattered among the human casualties, but not many.

In the sky above the ground battle, Trellixian wedge-shaped attack craft swooped and dove at the fragile human defensive positions, cracking open the human lines by firing small warp missiles which impacted the ground in towering explosions of flame and dirt. The warp missiles made a high-pitched screaming noise as they came down. Occasionally an attack craft would make a low pass, sending hundreds of splinter grenades into the human fortifications.

Human aircraft had been cleared from the skies weeks earlier. Defensive missiles and now an occasional energy beam from the main base itself were being directed toward the attacking Trellixian aircraft as they came within range in a last ditch attempt to turn the tide of the battle. Mark had been informed by Colonel Branson that a few experimental energy beams had been constructed to add to the base’s defense. Mark watched excitedly as the first beams were fired. The Trellixians were finally in range where the beams could be effective.

-

Mark almost stood up in elation as several beams of white energy converged on one of the Trellixian craft, cracking through its energy shield and exploding the ship in a bright orange fireball, spilling out its flaming parts over the fighting below. He hoped Lisa had gotten the destruction of the Trellixian craft on her instruments. If the humans only had more energy cannons, they might’ve had a chance to turn the tide of the battle.

From what he could see only about a dozen of the powerful weapons were being used by the defenders. Several more Trellixian attack craft were blown out of the air by the powerful beams, scattering burning wreckage over the landscape. The Trellixian attack craft pulled back from the mountain, staying out of range of the dangerous weapons. At least they could no longer bomb the troops clinging to the defenses.

The beams from the mountain then switched their targets, focusing on the Trellixians hover tanks and troops. With elation Mark watched as half a dozen hover tanks and several hundred enemy soldiers were wiped out by the deadly energy beams. The Trellixian advance seemed to stall as if unsure of what to do. Mark began to feel hope just maybe the base would hold. Then a loud noise above drew his attention.

Looking up, Mark sucked in a deep breath of air as a large and ominous shadow passed over him. He recognized one of the Trellixians’ space battlecruisers plodding through Earth’s heavy atmosphere toward the human military base. In moments the massive cylinder came to a stop, its defensive shields lighting up as the base focused all its firepower on the massive vessel in a last-stand effort. Heavy missiles and energy beams smashed futilely against the powerful energy shield which erupted in bright cascades of color as it shrugged off the ineffective attack. The outside of the huge vessel was dotted with antennae, communication dishes, and offensive and defensive weaponry designed for war.

Huge beams of incandescent energy leaped from the nose of the vessel, plowing up the earth along and through the human troops’ defensive lines. Smoke and fire burst into the air as the ground was set aflame. Whenever the beam touched a human soldier they were turned instantly into smoldering ashes under the tremendous destructive power being unleashed. For long minutes the deadly beams moved up and down the human lines until the defensive firing lessened and then stopped.

Mark felt intense anger at what he had just witnessed. He gripped his assault rifle tightly in his hands, wanting to rush forward and fire it at the Trellixians. However, he knew to do so would be suicide and against his orders. Gritting his teeth he forced himself to lie still and to continue to observe the battle. He greatly feared it was nearing its end. He desperately looked for any signs the embattled soldiers could regroup but there were none.

The enemy spacecraft continued to move forward, now focusing its powerful energy beams on the mountain and the underground base it sheltered. Its primary targets were the fortifications protecting the human energy cannons. However, the base was buried deep beneath several thousand feet of bedrock and protected by reinforced steel beams with thick concrete walls. It was fortified with all the defensive and offensive weapons the human race had been able to throw together in the short time since the Trellixians had invaded Earth and embarked on their genocidal war. The base was protected by a rudimentary energy shield cobbled together by some of Earth’s greatest remaining scientists.

The shield strained as the Trellixian beams tried to penetrate to the base below. Great streams of energy seemed to erupt from the mountain and the shield persevered. Mark held his breath. He had been told in his briefing about the energy shield but seeing was believing. The Trellixians seemed to have been stopped for the first time. Their energy beams ceased firing and for several long minutes silence came over the battlefield.

Mark refocused his enhanced-vision optics on the ground immediately in front of the base. The Trellixian hover tanks and their armored troops were pouring through the smashed human lines. Little to no resistance was encountered as most of the defenders were dead. Mark tried not to think of the thousands of human soldiers who had lost their lives in this battle.

As the Trellixian hover tanks came within range of the base more heavy energy weapons hidden among the rocks opened up, tearing through the tanks’ shields like a knife through butter. These weapons operated off the base’s fusion power plant and their energy output was nearly off the charts. Unfortunately they burned out after firing several shots as they could not handle the torrents of energy passing through the barrels. The Trellixian hover tanks couldn’t stand up to such energy either. Tank after tank fell to the ground, split open by the powerful energy beams. Loud explosions reverberated across the valley and smoke filled the air. The few surviving troops cheered loudly, seeing the nearly indestructible tanks stopped, and feeling a brief rise of hope.

Mark could barely hear the distant cheering and looked up to see what the Trellixian battlecruiser was doing. It remained hovering above in a threatening manner, still under fire from the base’s weapons.

-

On the Trellixian battlecruiser, Battle Commander Balforr saw the ground assault on the Humans’ last redoubt had failed. The energy beams the Humans had developed were holding the attacking Trellixian troops at bay. He gazed in anger at the ship’s main viewscreen showing the surface below.

“Those are Jelnoid secondary energy beams,” reported Second Officer Jaltor in surprise. “If those were primary beams they might be able to penetrate our energy shield.”

“These Humans grow more dangerous every day,” replied Balforr, forming his hand into a fist. “We’re fortunate we discovered this base before they managed to develop a primary beam.”

“Our scientists believe the Humans are burning out their beam projectors to destroy our hover tanks. They can’t have very many more remaining.”

As Balforr watched several more hover tanks were blown apart by the defending beams of the Humans. Other beams were now sweeping across the ground, annihilating Trellixian soldiers. Not even Trellixian battle armor could withstand such weapons.

“Pull our troops back,” Balforr ordered. He would have to find another way to destroy the human base. As long as that energy shield existed he could not get to the base hidden inside the mountain.

-

The battlecruiser slowly edged higher into the air. Its heavy energy shield glowed brightly as Human energy weapons and missiles impacted the shield, trying to crack it open to bring the mighty ship of space to Earth. On the ground Trellixian troops and hover tanks pulled back.

-

Inside the base General Mitchell watched as the Trellixians retreated.

“We stopped them,” said General Briggs with relief in his eyes. “They’re pulling back.”

“Our energy beams are effective against their hover tanks and attack craft,” Colonel Fields said as he watched several more hover tanks blown apart on the battlefield. “However, the barrels are overheating from the heat generated by the beams. We’re having to replace the barrels after three or four firings. We need a better alloy that’s more heat-resistant.”

General Mitchell nodded. “Get that information to Professor Wilkens and any other data you think might be pertinent. General Briggs, begin using our railguns on the Trellixian hover tanks.” Mitchell let out a deep breath. He had sacrificed thousands of troops to pull the Trellixians in as close to the mountain as possible so they could be destroyed.

Briggs nodded as he sent out the message. The railguns had been held back until they could be used to break the back of the Trellixian attack. The energy beams had stalled the attack; now the railguns would annihilate what was left of the enemy forces.

Colonel Fields turned toward General Mitchell. “We’re continuously sending all the data on the battle to Professor Wilkens and his people. We have Jelnoid sensors in the base as well as Major Dolan’s team outside recording every aspect of the battle.”

“The data has been going out uninterrupted,” reported Colonel Steward. “We’re using underground cables and the Trellixians cannot detect or trace them.”

General Mitchell looked at several viewscreens showing the carnage around the mountain. He hoped Major Dolan and his team still lived.

“We have a number of troops still out in the field,” said General Briggs. “Most of the units outside the mountain have taken heavy casualties.”

“How’s the evacuation going?” asked Mitchell. He fully expected the battlecruiser to deploy a more powerful weapon. Battle Commander Balforr must suspect the threat to use nuclear weapons was a bluff.

“All nonessential base personnel have been evacuated as well as nearly eight thousand troops,” Briggs reported.

Mitchell took a deep breath. On one of the viewscreens, an energy beam tore through a formation of retreating Trellixian troops. It was gratifying seeing them fall considering how many human troops had been lost in the battle thus far. Suddenly the base’s twenty-three railguns opened up. The result was devastating to the retreating Trellixians. Hover tank after hover tank exploded in brilliant fireballs as the railgun rounds slammed into the energy shields, overloading them and destroying the tanks. Suddenly the Trellixian retreat turned into a rout as they tried to escape the rain of death coming from the mountain. However, that was going to be difficult as the railguns had a very long range.

“Begin evacuating everyone else except the energy beam and railgun crews. Pull our remaining troops from their defensive positions and get them to safety. We’ve done all we can here.” The railguns would buy them the time they needed to finish the evacuation.

“But they’re retreating!” objected General Briggs, his eyes growing wide. “We can hold the base. The Trellixians are defeated!”

“Can we?” said Mitchell, pointing to a screen showing the Trellixian battlecruiser. “We hurt them, perhaps bad enough it will be weeks before they can resume exterminating our population. By then we’ll have the new pulse rifles and better energy cannons. We can fight them on a more even footing. This base is lost. We have to accept that and move on. Our energy shield can’t stay up forever.”

General Briggs’s shoulders drooped. “I’ll give the order. It will take about six hours to evacuate everyone else in the base as well as the surviving troops.”

“Get everyone at least to the lower level,” ordered General Mitchell. The lower level was where the Command Center was located. “Even if the Trellixians manage to destroy the base we should be safe down here.”

-

Balforr was concerned about how quickly the Humans had developed energy weapons. They hadn’t had them before even though it was obvious the Humans had access to some Jelnoid technology. He gazed at a viewscreen showing the large mountain. He suspected labs and manufacturing facilities were buried deep within. This target had to be eliminated.

Cascading waves of energy from the Human weapons still bit and clawed at the powerful Trellixian shield. This world was needed for living space for the Trellixian race and the fighting had delayed colonization by weeks. Hundreds of colonization transports awaited orders to colonize the planet.

“Shield is holding at 82 percent,” reported the tactical officer. “Our energy weapons are incapable of penetrating the shield the Humans have placed around the mountain.”

“Sensors indicate it is Jelnoid-based,” reported the Trellixian at the sensor console. “Our beams have not been able to penetrate it.”

“I would suggest we deploy a Malken missile,” suggested Second Officer Jaltor. “Our sensors indicate the Humans’ base extends deep beneath the mountain. However, due to the shield and the size of the mountain we cannot scan the entire base.”

“A Malken missile will penetrate deeply enough,” confirmed the tactical officer. “It should destroy most, if not all of the base.”

Battle Commander Balforr nodded. The Malken missile was the most powerful and deadly weapon in their arsenal. Not even the Humans’ energy shield would be able to resist the deadly antimatter missile. They were also very difficult to produce so each task group was only equipped with one. Its use had to be authorized by the High Command.

Balforr turned toward the communications officer. “Send a message to the High Command, requesting authorization to deploy a Malken missile. Inform them it’s the only viable option for destroying the Human military base. Once this base is annihilated the planet will be ours and the colonization transports can be sent.” The ship possessed an FTL transmitter and it wouldn’t take long to get a response. Balforr did not mention the Humans had developed a weak Jelnoid energy beam. No point in alarming the High Command more than they were already.

“Humans are using some type of advanced railgun,” reported Second Officer Jaltor. Several viewscreens revealed hover tanks being blown apart in increasing numbers. “Our soldiers are falling back as rapidly as possible.”

“Railguns?” muttered Balforr, shaking his head. “Why did they wait so long to use them?”

Jaltor remained silent, not sure how to reply.

Balforr was tempted to order his soldiers to hold their ground but the losses to the Trellixian ground forces were already nearly astronomical. Never had so many been lost in a single battle before. Balforr took a deep breath. It did not matter as the Malken missile would end the battle and destroy the Humans. It would still be a victory for the Trellixians though a costly one.

-

On the ground nearly two hours passed as Mark watched the ship continue to gain altitude. At last it came to a stop high above the base, just out of range of the human weapons which had been impacting its energy shield. During that time the railguns from the mountain continued to play havoc with the retreating Trellixian forces. With foreboding, Mark saw a single small black dot suddenly fall away from the belly of the ship. “Everyone take cover!” Mark yelled over his comm. With apprehension, Mark flung himself behind the small hill as brilliant light and overpowering noise crashed down upon him, driving him into unconsciousness.

-

Sometime later Mark awoke, realizing he had been out for quite some time. After crawling back to the top of the hill he stood looking with shock and despair at what had once been the strongest base the human race had constructed to stop the Trellixians. A jagged, smoking hole lay where the mountain had been. Trees had been knocked over, and a number of fires raged in the forest. The sky was obscured by dark smoke and a lot of ash floated in the air. The base was gone!

A few Trellixian hover tanks moved about the smoking ruins searching for human survivors. Troops in dark battle armor also combed the rocks and defiles looking for scattered human defenders who might have survived. From the lack of firing Mark guessed none or very few were being found. Over twenty thousand troops had begun the defense of the mountain. With growing despair, Mark knew it was over. The base was gone; everything was destroyed!

With anguish Mark slid behind the cover of the hill, his head down, eyes clenched shut. It was over; the human race had lost! Mark doubted whether any humans would survive more than a year upon the surface if the Trellixian genocidal campaign continued against the civilian population. Already most of the major cities had been destroyed. Dams, power stations, nearly all the infrastructure built up over one hundred years had been ruthlessly annihilated.

Mark realized he needed to get to his squad’s rendezvous coordinates. He was hesitant to use his comm as it might alert the Trellixians to his presence. The rendezvous point was only a few miles away in thick, concealing forest near another mountain. He hoped the others in his squad had survived the blast.

Forcing himself to walk Mark retraced his steps, taking a roundabout course into the surrounding mountains toward his destination. He carried a small pack, an assault rifle, and a pistol as well as several flash grenades. He almost wished a Trellixian would step out in front of him so he could vent his rage after witnessing the recent disaster.

The missile the aliens had used at the end had penetrated the base’s fusion-powered energy shield as if it didn’t even exist. That final weapon was unbelievable and Mark wondered why the Trellixians hadn’t used it earlier in the battle. What good his report would do now he had no idea. The humans had nothing left to fight back with; his information would be of little value to the few surviving troops and scientists his commander had indicated were being held in reserve.

-

General Mitchell tried to remain calm as the emergency lights flickered and then came on. The Command Center was a wreck. Parts of the ceiling had crashed to the floor, killing some of the men and women who operated the various consoles.

“Everything above us is gone,” reported General Briggs. His uniform was torn in several places and he had a small cut on his forehead. “We have no communication with the outside world.”

“Can we still evacuate?” asked General Mitchell.

Briggs nodded. “Yes, much of the lower level survived to an extent. We suffered a lot of casualties but we can still get out.”

“Antimatter,” reported Colonel Fields. “They used some type of antimatter weapon against us. It smashed our energy shield and most of the mountain is gone.”

“How do you know?” asked Colonel Briggs.

Colonel Fields pointed toward the laptop he held. “This is still connected to a Jelnoid satellite. Take a look.”

The two generals looked at the screen, seeing the devastation caused by the Trellixian weapon.

“My God, the mountain is gone!” Briggs couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “Why haven’t they used something like this before?”

“While it doesn’t have any radiation it still puts a lot of contaminates into the air,” replied Colonel Fields. “Setting off three or four of these could put the planet into a nuclear winter.”

General Mitchell looked around at the destroyed Command Center. Medics were helping the injured and others were making their way to the two exits. “Let’s go. We can’t do anything else here.” With a deep sigh, General Mitchell thought about what was next. This war was not over, not by a long shot!

Chapter Seventeen

Mark carefully approached the rendezvous coordinates. In the last several hours he’d encountered no one. He’d heard a Trellixian attack craft fly over once but it had continued on to an unknown destination. Keeping under the canopy formed by the thick growth of trees he hoped he would remain undetected.

Nearby he could hear the sound of running water. The rendezvous coordinates were just to the west side of the stream next to a clearing; where the helicopter had landed them. Near the clearing was a rocky overhang which shielded a small cave, if one could call it that which they hoped would prevent detection from above. Grasping his rifle and holding it at the ready, Mark slowly moved through the trees, keeping his eyes peeled for any signs of danger. The snapping of a small tree branch alerted him to the presence of someone behind him and spinning around he brought his rifle to his shoulder, ready to fire.

“Don’t shoot, sir,” a shaken private said, holding up his hands. “We were beginning to fear you wouldn’t show up.”

“Private Donly,” Mark said, recognizing the young soldier. “How many others made it?” Donly had been with Corporal Sampson.

“The captain, Private Richards, Private Peterson, Private Hambridge, and Corporal Sampson so far,” Donly answered. “They’re waiting at the overhang.”

“Let’s go then,” Mark ordered. He glanced down at his watch, noting how much time had passed realizing no one else would probably make the rendezvous. Some good Rangers were missing, among them Sergeant Anderson and the men who had been with him.

Mark and Private Donly quickly crossed the stream and made their way to the overhang and the small cave which extended about five yards into the mountain.

“Major,” Captain Reynolds said, standing up, her expression showing relief at seeing him. “We were afraid the last weapon the Trellixians used had taken you out.”

He looked around at the small group. All looked disheveled with their uniforms covered in soot from the blast. “What was that damn thing they dropped at the end?” He looked at Reynolds, waiting for an answer. If anyone would know it would be her.

“I think it was antimatter,” replied Lisa, shaking her head. “It’s highly unstable and I’m surprised they even used something like that. It’s far beyond anything we’re capable of.”

“What about Sergeant Anderson and the two soldiers with him? Any idea of their whereabouts?”

“The sergeant was to the right of our position and closer to the blast,” Reynolds said in a lower voice. “I don’t think they made it.”

“Private Donly and I looked for them but couldn’t find them,” added Corporal Sampson. “With all the smoke and ash we could have missed them.”

Mark let out a deep breath. So many people had died today. “We’ll wait here another two hours. If they don’t show up we’ll move out.” Mark sat down on a large rock and gazed at the small stream and forest.

His mind was nearly numb from what he’d witnessed. It had been like this for weeks. Reports kept coming in of city after city being destroyed, Trellixian troops spreading out and eliminating survivors, the human militaries making desperate stands to slow down the deadly advance, trying to give the civilians time to flee, only to be wiped out by superior firepower.

“What’ll happen now?” asked Lisa, as she came over and sat down next to the major.

“I don’t know,” Mark replied with a sigh. “Not many of us are left. Do you know if any of your family survived?”

“I don’t think so,” answered Lisa, shaking her head. Her eyes looked sad and her face pale. Her brunette hair was just barely visible beneath her combat helmet. “My family lived in Portland and it was one of the first cities hit.”

“The Trellixians were supposed to be the solution to so many of our problems,” Mark said, recalling what the aliens had promised when the first ship appeared over Washington, DC. “Cures for many of our diseases, better power systems, new methods to grow food to stop hunger and more.”

“All lies,” Lisa said, biting her upper lip. “During the entire time they spoke to the world governments they were simply preparing to exterminate us. I remember speaking to my dad at the very beginning and he was so excited about the possibility of having unlimited energy. For several years the Portland area had been subjected to rolling blackouts. He was talking about adding an addition to the house so if grandkids ever visited they’d have their own rooms.”

“Grandkids,” repeated Mark, shifting his gaze to look at Captain Reynolds. “Did you have any brothers or sisters?”

“No,” Lisa replied, her face flushing slightly. “My parents were hoping as soon as I got out of the military I would settle down and have a family.”

“Did you have anyone special in your life?”

Lisa closed her eyes and then slowly opened them. “Yes, Streth and I had dated since high school. I guess the two of us always assumed we would eventually get married. I was to finish my tour in the military and then we were to get married. He had a real-estate business and was doing quite well with it. He was in Portland when the Trellixians bombed it. I also had a research job lined up after my time in the military was over.”

“I’m sorry,” Mark said. “This has been hard on everyone.”

The two became quiet, lost in their own thoughts. In the forest, the sounds of insects and an occasional birdcall could be heard.

-

President Hathaway had been briefed on the battle by Major Cunningham. A viewscreen in the room focused on the smoking ruins of General Mitchell’s base.

“How many people did we lose?” Katelyn knew a large number of soldiers had been killed in the fighting. She felt numb knowing thousands of brave men and women had just died trying to protect the mountain.

“Six to eight thousand,” Cunningham answered. “It’ll take a while to get exact numbers as we have a lot of survivors still coming in.”

“What about General Mitchell and his staff?” Katelyn didn’t know what she would do if the general had been killed. She also knew he wouldn’t have evacuated until the very end.

“They escaped,” replied Major Cunningham. “The lower level of the base survived and the general had ordered everyone still in the base to take shelter there just before the Trellixians dropped their bomb. He also managed to get most of the surviving troops around the mountain inside and down to the lower level.”

“What caused that?” Katelyn pointed at the deep crater where the massive mountain once stood.

“Antimatter,” answered Professor Wilkens with a frown. “They used a missile with an antimatter warhead.”

Katelyn shook her head. “How do we fight something like that?”

“I’m hoping to have some answers soon,” Wilkens replied. “Captain Reynolds was there with Major Dolan and a squad from the 75th Ranger Regiment. She has some special instruments she used to observe the battle. We should learn a great deal from what she recorded. We also received a lot of data from General Mitchell’s base during the battle.”

“If she’s still alive,” Major Cunningham replied. “Hell, that antimatter missile killed a lot of Trellixian troops as well. Even some of their hover tanks were destroyed in the blast. I can’t understand why they didn’t give their own troops more time to escape.”

“They’re expendable,” explained Professor Wilkens. “They don’t look at life the same way we do. They’re driven by population pressure. To them life is cheap. If a soldier is lost they just order up more.”

“That’s gruesome,” said Katelyn, trying to imagine what such a culture would be like. “Why don’t they control their population?”

Professor Wilkens shook his head. “The Jelnoids believed the Trellixians were incapable of implementing such a policy. To them birth control was the same as murdering their children.”

Katelyn took a deep breath. “As soon as General Mitchell gets here I want to speak to him.” She wanted to find out what the general intended to do next. Surely he had a plan on how to fight this war, even after this disaster.

-

Professor Wilkens looked at the devastation on the viewscreen. He hoped Lisa had survived. It would haunt him to his dying day if something had happened to her. Early on he had made sure she was assigned to the Rangers. Two other special captains had been assigned to them as well. Wilkens had important plans for all three. Two he had already sent out recall orders for. They would be arriving at the research facility in the next day or two.

With a deep sigh Wilkens knew all he could do now was wait and pray Lisa had escaped the carnage unharmed by the antimatter bomb.

-

Several hours passed and Mark stood and looked around. It was evident Sergeant Anderson and the two soldiers with him weren’t going to make it. Their names would be added to the long list of those who had been killed by the Trellixians. Anderson had been one hell of a soldier.

“Let’s move out,” Mark ordered. He picked up a small pack and slung it over his shoulders. They had left a few supplies in the cave before setting out to observe the battle and he made sure everyone had what they needed to take with them. They had a long ways to travel and there was a chance the Trellixians might find them before they got to their destination.

-

Lisa stood as Privates Peterson and Hambridge stepped nearer. They weren’t carrying any of her equipment as it had been destroyed in the blast. Fortunately she had recovered the small USB drives from the two scanners. She wondered what the Trellixians would think when they discovered it. They were bound to recognize it as Jelnoid technology. Before leaving she had ordered the two privates to thoroughly smash both of the scanners.

-

As evening neared they’d put quite a few miles between them and the destroyed base. The sun was close to setting when they heard an alien shuttle fly overhead and saw it land directly in front of them.

“They must have detected us,” Lisa said worriedly, as she stared in the direction the Trellixian shuttle had descended. The tall trees made it difficult to determine how close to them it had come down.

“How?” Mark was concerned. They were traveling through a small valley with towering mountains around them and no way to go around the enemy.

“Heat sensors probably,” Lisa replied. She looked at Mark. “They may be searching for survivors from the battle.”

“What do we do?” asked Corporal Sampson, holding his assault rifle cradled in his arms. “Do we need to retrace our steps?”

“No,” Mark replied as he thought over their options. “We can’t go back.” Even as he spoke he heard the Trellixian shuttle again and saw it rise in the air and vanish to the south.

“They left,” Corporal Sampson said, with relief in his voice.

“I doubt that,” replied Mark, peering into the thick forest around them. “They probably set down a squad of their soldiers to take us out and went in search of more survivors.”

“Do we fight?”

“Yes,” Mark answered. He turned to Private Donly, carrying two backpacks. “How many M24 claymores do you have?”

“Four,” Donly answered.

The M24 claymore was an antipersonnel weapon specifically designed to take out enemy troops. It was directional and could be detonated from a distance. When triggered, each mine would fire four hundred steel bearings capable of penetrating body armor. Mark was certain if he could detonate one within five yards of the Trellixians, the projectiles would penetrate even their body armor, killing them.

“This trail we’ve been following is pretty narrow,” said Mark, looking ahead of them and seeing a lot of tall trees and overgrowth which made much of the forest impassable. “We’ll set up a killing zone in front of us.” He hurriedly showed Donly where to place the claymores.

While Donly set the claymores, the others moved back a short distance and took cover behind some large boulders and a fallen tree lying partially across the trail. When Donly was finished, he jogged back to Mark and handed him the detonator. Four glowing lights were visible, each designating one of the claymores.

“Now we wait,” Mark told the others. He would allow the Trellixians to come to them and with a little luck take them out before they even knew where the humans were.

“It’ll be dark soon,” said Lisa, looking at the lengthening shadows cast by the mountains. Already it was difficult to see far into the forest. “It’ll be hard to spot the Trellixians until they’re almost upon us.”

“Just stay down,” said Private Peterson, who was on one side of Lisa with Private Hambridge on the other.

The time seemed to pass by slowly as the seven of them waited with their focus on the trail and their ears listening for any noises which might indicate the approach of the enemy soldiers.

“It’s too quiet,” whispered Corporal Sampson from his position a yard to Mark’s right. “We should have seen or heard something by now.” He shifted his rifle, gazing through the night scope.

Even with the night scopes Mark knew his team could only see about fifty yards into the forest in front of them.

“Quiet,” Mark ordered as he thought he saw movement in the undergrowth. If he was right the enemy wasn’t using the trail but had forced their way through the thick tangle of vines and underbrush that covered the forest floor.

“I got ’em,” said Private Donly, peering intently at a spot in the forest. “About forty yards out and to the right of the trail.”

“Crap,” muttered Corporal Sampson, clicking the safety off his assault rifle. “They’re too far away for the claymores.”

“Let’s force them back on the trail,” said Mark, as he reached down and unhooked two flash grenades from his belt. The flash grenades would emit a brilliant light, as well as searing heat, where they went off.

Everyone got their weapons ready knowing shortly they would be in a fight for their lives. The Trellixians were not known to take prisoners. Corporal Sampson also readied two flash grenades, keeping an eye on Mark so he would know when to toss them.

“Now,” said Mark, keeping his voice low so as not to attract the enemy’s attention. Standing in a low crouch he lobbed first one grenade and then the second in the aliens’ direction. Corporal Sampson did the same.

Moments later four loud explosions echoed across the small valley, as four brilliant flashes of light and searing heat were released on the valley floor. A lot of movement could be heard in the underbrush and then two Trellixians stumbled out onto the trail, their energy rifles held at the ready, searching for a target. Both were clad in full battle armor with a helmet and protective visor.

Mark instantly pressed a switch on his remote detonator and two of the claymores exploded just yards from the alien soldiers. Hundreds of steel bearings struck the two, penetrating their armor, knocking both backward and to the ground. “Fire!” ordered Mark, as other armored Trellixians emerged from the undergrowth.

All the Rangers fired their assault rifles, spraying the enemy with hundreds of rounds of armor-piercing ammunition. Private Donly paused for a moment to lob two more flash grenades toward the enemy, causing one alien to stagger and go down.

Mark stopped firing and pressed another switch on the detonator, firing off the other claymores. The four had been set to form a 180-degree kill zone and another one of the Trellixians had stepped too close. The alien was nearly cut in two by the explosions.

A sudden scream drew Mark’s attention. He saw Corporal Sampson stagger and fall to the ground with a look of shock on his face, a red stain spreading across his chest. “Keep firing!” Mark shouted. He took a deep breath and shot a quick burst at the nearest enemy.

“Our rounds aren’t causing enough damage,” grated out Private Peterson as he fired a dozen rounds into the chest of a Trellixian. The shots only dented the armor.

Suddenly brilliant flashes of light went off around the five remaining enemy soldiers. Mark’s eyes closed involuntarily and he could feel the searing heat from the blasts. Flash grenades, he realized. Someone had thrown flash grenades at the remaining enemy troops. Where had they come from?

Stepping out from the undergrowth Sergeant Anderson and two other Rangers fired their weapons at the stunned Trellixians, the only difference being the sergeant had a weapon which fired steel slugs. His Mossberg 590A1 shotgun was deadly at close range. It was his weapon of choice and he always carried it. He carefully put a round into the chest of each of the remaining enemy soldiers still dazed from the flash grenades. In just a few seconds the battle was over as he blew a hole the size of a man’s fist in the chest of the last Trellixian. “Damn lizards!” he shouted as he turned toward Mark, shotgun still smoking in his hands.

“We thought you three were dead,” said Mark, stepping out from behind the boulder he’d been firing from, immensely pleased to see the sergeant. “You didn’t show up at the rendezvous coordinates.”

“We got cut off by some Trellixian ground troops and had to take the long way around,” Anderson replied. He was a twenty-year veteran and knew how to stay alive. He looked where Corporal Sampson’s body lay, shaking his head. “The corporal was a good soldier. I hate that we lost him.”

“We’d better get out of here,” Lisa said as she walked up to gaze at the dead enemy. She took a few photographs and then turned toward Mark. “The shuttle that dropped this squad could return at any moment.”

She gestured to Private Peterson who was carrying a special case. Opening it she took out a pair of insulated gloves. Donning them, she very carefully picked up one of the energy rifles lying by a dead Trellixian. She placed the rifle in the case and after making sure it was secure and wrapped in insulating material she placed the gloves inside and shut it.

“I guess I have to carry this?” asked Peterson with a frown.

“Don’t worry,” said Hambridge, grinning. “If it blows up you’ll never know it.”

Peterson shook his head as he carefully picked up the case as if expecting it to explode at any second.

“It’s all right,” Lisa assured the private. “The case is insulated and the rifle should be safe to transport.”

“We’d better go,” Mark said to the others.

“It’s been a tough day,” said Sergeant Anderson as one of the privates with him covered Corporal Sampson’s body. “A lot of good men and women died today.”

“We need to get the information we gathered back to command,” said Mark, looking at Lisa. He wasn’t sure who this information would be going to now.

“I don’t see what good it’ll do,” Anderson replied with a grimace. “We don’t have anything left to fight with now that the main base has been destroyed. The Trellixians will come into the mountains hunting the rest of us. Morale will crash once word of what happened to the base gets out.”

Mark nodded. Sergeant Anderson was right. Probably only a few scattered military units still fought across the world plus millions of unarmed civilians who had taken to the countryside and the mountains after the first attacks. A large number of troops were in the mountains as well but without an established chain of command they would be fighting in small units rather than together.

Very soon the Trellixians would return to the mountains, hunting down and eliminating humans wherever they were found. Any organized resistance was just about over.

The enemy had won and Earth was theirs.

-

Second Officer Jaltor reported to Battle Commander Balforr. “Battle Commander Traven and Battle Commander Jabale are livid you launched the antimatter missile so quickly. Over eighteen thousand of their soldiers were killed in the attack on the Human base and the blast from the Malken Missile. Thousands more are wounded. They’re also reporting nearly two hundred hover tanks destroyed as well. They claim it’ll take weeks to reorganize their units back into an effective fighting force.”

“It was a necessary sacrifice,” replied Balforr, showing no regret. “We couldn’t afford to let any of the enemy escape. This was a great victory for us and I’m reporting that to the High Command. They will be highly interested in the fact the Humans managed to develop Jelnoid secondary energy beams as well as a functioning energy shield. Making sure those devices were destroyed was a high priority. I’m sure the High Command will agree with the decision I made.”

Balforr was convinced that revealing to the High Command the Humans’ development of additional Jelnoid technology and its destruction by the Malken missile would be met with approval by them. Even the sacrifice of so many Trellixian troops would be forgiven as they could easily be replaced.

Jaltor nodded. “It was the right decision. I will convey that message to the battle commanders.”

Balforr shifted his gaze to the smoldering ruins beneath his battlecruiser. At last he had victory over the Humans. Once Battle Commanders Traven and Jabale reorganized their troops Balforr would order them to sweep the planet, clearing out areas to land colony ships. He also suspected the Humans had no more nuclear weapons or they would have used them at the mountain. The missing Human submarine must have used the last ones they possessed.

Chapter Eighteen

It took another two days for Major Dolan and his Rangers to reach their destination. They’d been careful to stay off the main trails and roads and had even taken the precaution of immersing themselves in streams when they heard the approach of alien shuttles or attack craft to prevent detection from thermal scans. The sun had already set and they were using their night-vision optics to travel when Mark called a halt.

“We’re nearly there,” Mark said as he paused to allow them to catch their breath. He suspected a small research facility was hidden deep beneath the mountains somewhere and they were heading there. He wasn’t sure what good the information they had would be since most of the military had been wiped out.

“Any idea who might be waiting for us?” asked Sergeant Anderson.

“No,” Mark replied. “I’ve only been here once before and that was with Colonel Branson.”

“What about you, Captain?” asked Anderson, looking at Lisa.

“I’m not certain,” Lisa replied with a frown. “I’ve heard rumors but they sounded so fantastic I didn’t believe them.”

“What rumors?”

“I don’t really want to say,” Lisa replied, not wanting to mention ad astra as she glanced at the sergeant. “We’ll know what’s going on when we get there.” She suspected very soon she would be seeing Professor Wilkens if her assumptions were right. It would be good to see the professor again; he was almost like family.

“Captain Reynolds is right,” Mark said. He was beginning to think Captain Reynolds was more than simply a military analyst. He wondered just how much she wasn’t telling them and how important she actually was. After all, his superiors had informed him Lisa’s survival was more important than his entire squad.

After a brief rest they resumed walking again, only this time they ascended the steep slope of a low mountain. For several hours they struggled upward, avoiding loose boulders and areas where rockslides had occurred in the past. Reaching a huge rock at the base of a high cliff Mark stepped around it and squirmed into a small cave. The others followed closely behind. Reaching into his pocket Mark turned on a small flashlight so they could see. The night-vision goggles didn’t work in the darkness of the cave.

“We need to stack those rocks up to conceal the entrance,” he told the others, pointing to a loose pile of nearby stones.

“Let’s get to it,” ordered Sergeant Anderson as he bent down and picked up a large one, carrying it to the small entrance. The others quickly followed suit and it wasn’t long until the passageway was blocked. To anyone passing by it wouldn’t be obvious the stones concealed the entrance to the small cave.

Stepping back, Mark pointed his light at their handiwork, satisfied no one would find this place. Indicating for the others to follow him he proceeded down the narrow cave for a number of yards, shining his flashlight before him, until the tunnel opened up into a small cavern roughly twenty yards across and six or seven high. It was obvious the cave and cavern were manmade. Walking to one wall he searched carefully for a hidden recess in the stone and then, inserting his hand, he pressed a tiny concealed button. Instantly a section of the wall slid open, revealing a tunnel with a small, monorail-like car.

“What the hell?” muttered Sergeant Anderson, staring in amazement. “What is that and what’s it doing here?”

“We’re supposed to take this vehicle to our destination,” Mark explained. He had no idea where it would bring them but Colonel Branson had told Mark it would bring them to a place of safety. More than that the colonel had refused to say, only telling Mark the eventual destination was classified. Mark guessed it was either a research facility or a small military base.

“It must be some research facility,” said Private Peterson, turning toward Lisa, who remained mute.

As they stepped into the waiting vehicle the wall behind them slid shut, hiding the small cavern from view. Mark activated the controls as the colonel had shown him and then leaned back in one of the comfortable padded seats. Almost instantly the car started moving and rapidly accelerated. For the first time in several days Mark actually felt safe.

“Someone spent a lot of time and money to build this,” commented Sergeant Anderson as he watched the walls of the tunnel flash by. “This technology is far beyond anything I thought we had.”

“I wonder what’s waiting for us when this car stops?” said Private Donly.

“We’ll know when we get there,” replied Lisa, leaning back in her seat, trying to rest. She suspected this tunnel and car were the result of more Jelnoid technology.

-

For nearly twenty minutes the air-conditioned car slid forward and down, going deep beneath Earth’s surface. Mark had no idea where the car was taking them. His orders had been to observe the battle with his squad and to make sure Captain Reynolds survived. He was then to return to this car and activate it. He’d originally thought the car might be connected to the large base he had seen so recently destroyed but now he was convinced it led elsewhere.

“This wasn’t easy to build,” commented Private Donly. “This has to lead to something more than just a small research facility.”

Sergeant Anderson raised his eyebrows at Lisa. She had said very little since they’d entered the vehicle. “Still no idea what’s going on, Captain?”

“Possibly,” she admitted, glancing at the sergeant. “If my suspicions are correct we’re all due for a major surprise shortly.”

“You’re not just a military analyst, are you?” asked Mark as he stared at the captain. Mark had long wondered about the backgrounds of the three special captains assigned to his unit.

“No,” she admitted, looking briefly at the floor and then at Mark. “It was important I see one of the Trellixian battlecruisers up close and take readings with special equipment I brought along as well as take readings of the battle. If we hope to survive, what we learned from observing that battle might be crucial.”

Mark nodded. He was right about something more going on. Now he just wanted to find out what it was.

At last the car slowed. Mark sat up straighter, curious to see their destination. The car came to a stop in front of a small platform and a section of rock wall slid open. With surprise Mark saw his immediate superior, Colonel Branson, with several other men as well as a squad of heavily armed Marines.

Mark climbed from the car, followed by the others; all with confusion on their faces except for Captain Reynolds. They stopped and gave a quick salute in front of the colonel. Maybe now they would hear some explanations.

“At ease, Major Dolan,” Colonel Branson commanded. “Welcome to your new home!”

“Lisa, we’re glad you made it,” said one of the other men with the colonel. “We were very worried about your safety.”

“I was in good hands, Professor Wilkens,” Lisa responded, pleased to see her old friend and mentor. She walked over and gave Wilkens a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Major Dolan carried out his assignment very professionally.” Lisa then reached into her pocket and handed the professor the two flash drives. “These are the recordings of the battle and also of the battlecruiser. There should be data on the antimatter missile they dropped as well.”

“So you figured out it was antimatter?”

Lisa nodded. “It’s the only thing that made sense. I can’t see it having been anything else.” Lisa gestured to Private Peterson carrying the special case. “Here’s the energy rifle you wanted.”

Professor Wilkens’s eyes lit up. A Marine sergeant stepped forward, taking the case from Private Peterson who gladly gave it up. “Take that to my lab and be careful with it.”

“I hope that’s useful,” said Lisa.

“Thank you for bringing her safely to me,” said Professor Wilkens, walking over and shaking Major Dolan’s hand. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”

Mark turned to gaze at Captain Reynolds questioningly.

“I guess I owe you an explanation,” Lisa said, her focus on Mark. “I’m not only a captain in the reserves but a nuclear physicist with a number of advanced degrees in space sciences. Professor Wilkens and I have worked together on many projects over the years though I’m not quite certain what’s going on now. I haven’t seen him in months. He’s also the one who asked me to join the military.”

“It was training I believed would serve you well. I think you’ll find this facility interesting,” Professor Wilkens said with a mysterious smile. “Why don’t you come with me while the colonel debriefs the others? We have a lot of work ahead of us.”

Lisa nodded. She couldn’t wait to find out what the professor was working on. Maybe finally she would find out what ad astra meant for the humans left on Earth.

-

Mark had been shown to a small set of comfortable quarters to clean up and rest before eating a decent meal. Hours later he was brought in front of Colonel Branson for his debriefing. The others were being questioned by another officer.

“I suppose you have a lot of questions,” began Branson, giving Mark a measuring look.

“Some,” answered Mark, shifting his weight in the well-padded chair he was seated in. “Where am I and what exactly is going on? Why was it so important to observe that battle? It was gruesome and we lost a lot of good people at that base. Our forces never stood a chance once that battlecruiser showed up.”

Branson nodded and looked at Mark from across his desk. “Those are the very questions I would start with if I were in your place. First off you’re in a highly secret complex deep beneath the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Special shielding and the tremendous depth of this installation should protect us from Trellixian detection. Beside the installation you’re in now, there is a very large civilian complex and two smaller military complexes, all connected by deep underground tunnels.”

“How did this get built?” Mark interrupted. He’d thought after everything he had witnessed aboveground over the last few months the human race was all but finished. The big military complex he’d watched being destroyed only a couple days earlier was the last one he knew of which contained any advanced military technology.

Colonel Branson took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. “In early July 1947 a UFO crashed on a ranch northwest of Roswell, New Mexico.”

“Roswell?” said Mark, feeling even more confused. “I thought that was just a weather balloon.”

“That’s what everyone was told,” Branson responded. “In reality it was a small interstellar spacecraft from a star system the Trellixians had only recently attacked. The ship was never designed for trips of more than a few light-years and its systems were taxed to the limit just to make it to Earth. Their life support was failing and the ship experienced numerous mechanical problems when it tried to land. Unfortunately for the crew it crashed, killing all but two.”

“Two survived?” Mark could scarcely believe what he was hearing.

“Yes, two did. One died within a week of the crash and the other lived at Area 51 for twenty-two years.”

“We had a real live alien for all that time and no one knew about it?” Mark remained dumbfounded.

“We kept it a secret after we learned what happened to their home world. Can you imagine the panic such a revelation would have caused?”

“What did we do?”

“We started to prepare,” Colonel Branson replied. “We formed a secret military alliance with a number of key countries across the globe to do everything we could to prepare Earth for the coming of the Trellixians. Unfortunately our science was so far behind we couldn’t do much initially. With the help of the alien survivor we were able to reverse-engineer some of their systems, particularly their computers. He also furnished us with their complete technical database. It’s taken us years, even with his help, to understand much of it.”

“That explains the rapid advancement of our computer technology in the late twentieth century,” Mark said in sudden realization.

“Yes, that and several other areas as well,” Branson added.

Getting up, Colonel Branson walked across the small office, putting his hands behind his back before turning around to face Mark once again. “We knew we didn’t have time to adequately prepare Earth to mount an effective defense to hold back the coming Trellixian invasion. The science and technology just weren’t there, at least not at first. We did manage to improve some weapon systems and to build the big base up above that the Trellixians smashed so thoroughly but we didn’t put all our eggs into just one basket.”

Mark leaned forward, his curiosity piqued.

“The civilian complex here is truly amazing. It’s a cylinder nearly fourteen miles long and three wide with a ceiling nearly a mile overhead. It’s located beneath a chain of rugged mountains and lies almost seven miles beneath the ground. It was built with technology we gleaned from the crashed Roswell ship. We used massive heat beams to vaporize the rocks and create the chambers we needed in which to build our facilities.”

“Also a series of labs, living quarters, and recreation areas were set into the walls of the complex, providing us the maximum amount of living space. The huge open spaces of the complex were determined to be needed in case we had to spend much time underground. Some of the world’s best scientists and technicians have been gathered in this complex as has a select group of civilians. We have nearly 280,000 nonmilitary personnel in the civilian complex.”

Mark leaned back in his chair, surprised and amazed at what Colonel Branson was describing. The work he had seen so far was breathtaking and that so many people had been safeguarded here was unbelievable. He could hardly wait to see this habitat, this underground world. For the first time in a number of days he felt hope.

“There are also two smaller military complexes. We plan to continue harassing operations against the Trellixians from the two bases. We’ve built a number of deep underground subway tunnels shielded from Trellixian detection to allow us to move about large parts of the country virtually undetected. We’ll supply new weapons we’re developing to surviving civilian populations on the surface as well as to our troops who have taken refuge in the mountains.”

“When the Trellixians attacked we were nearly ready to put a new rifle into production; the scientists call it a pulse rifle. It fires a thin stream of energy which will cut through a solid sheet of steel like it’s butter. We have an assembly line set up in the civilian complex and the first 1,500 pulse rifles should be ready within the next few days or so. Our Rangers will get them first. We’re also developing a more powerful pulse cannon which should be able to shoot down Trellixian shuttles and attack craft. Once we get those to the defensive lines that have been set up to protect the civilians, we should be able to hold back the Trellixians indefinitely.”

“Sounds like something our troops at the mountain could have used,” Mark replied bitterly, remembering how their conventional weapons had been unable to penetrate the suits of armor the Trellixian ground troops wore.

“If we’d been given more time …” replied Branson, nodding his head in agreement. “The two military complexes are located short distances from the civilian complex. Each contains six thousand highly trained troops plus support personnel. The troops will be used for quick surgical strikes against the Trellixians once our forces are equipped and trained with the new weapons. You should also know we evacuated thousands of personnel as well as troops from the mountain base before it was destroyed. Over 11,000 troops managed to escape. General Mitchell was in charge of the base and he and his staff escaped unharmed.”

It was a relief to know so many had escaped the assault on the base and that General Mitchell had survived. They would still face almost insurmountable odds. Even with the pulse rifle and the pulse cannon the military couldn’t stop the alien battlecruisers. “What are our chances against the Trellixians?” Mark asked.

“If we can eventually arm the civilian population with pulse rifles and disperse them as much as possible, we can wage a guerrilla war against the Trellixians for years. Some of our troops will be assigned to training civilian militias. With the resources of our complexes we believe we can make our world untenable for them. Our scientists are the best the world has to offer and are working intently on finding a way to defeat the Trellixians and drive them from our world.

“Given time, we may find what we need but our job will be to disrupt the enemy as much as possible and to ensure as large a section of the civilian population survives. We also want to ensure the Trellixians can’t establish any colonies anywhere on Earth.”

Mark was silent for a long moment. “That may be all well and good, sir but the Trellixians have their battlecruisers and as long as those are in orbit around Earth I don’t see what we can do. They also have that new weapon they used and I’m not sure even these complexes you have been telling me about would be safe from it. Captain Reynolds thought it might be an antimatter weapon.”

“Come over here, Major,” ordered Colonel Branson.

Mark did as ordered, wondering what the colonel wanted.

“I’m about to show you our biggest secret, something we’ve been working on for years.” Colonel Branson then turned and pressed a button on the wall. Instantly part of the wall slid open revealing a large window. “Look.”

Mark stepped forward and glanced out the window. He stood frozen, scarcely believing what he saw. “Are those what I think they are?”

“Yes,” replied Branson, gazing at the busy scene below. “We’ve been working on them for years and they’re close to being finished.”

Mark and the colonel were high up overlooking an enormous cavern. It held a huge construction facility with ten large objects lying in their berths. Each was a massive cylinder with a curved bow and flared stern.

“Those are spaceships, one thousand feet in length and two hundred in diameter,” Branson informed Mark with a large smile on his face. “This is part of a major construction and factory complex which extends for over twenty miles. Over eighty thousand people call this place home.”

Mark was speechless as he gazed at the huge constructions. It was obvious they still had a ways to go before the ships were completed. Several of the vessels had armor missing on their hulls and each was covered in a spiderweb lattice of scaffolding. Construction workers swarmed over the vessels, and the bright arcs of welders flashed everywhere.

“How?” he finally managed to blurt out.

“As I told you earlier, we reverse-engineered many of the systems from the ship in the Roswell crash and had the help of the sole survivor, Strold, the ship’s engineer. We’ve only recently designed the necessary power source for the ships and if the alloys in that energy rifle Captain Reynolds brought back proves out we can finally finish these ships.”

“How soon before they’re done?” Mark still felt stunned by the sight before him. It was hard to believe that very shortly the human race might have its own interstellar spaceships.

“Two more years,” Branson replied. “We’d hoped to have them finished before the Trellixians showed up but that didn’t happen.”

“What’s to become of me, sir?” Mark asked. “What’s my next assignment?”

“Eventually I’ll assign you to one of those ships,” Branson answered with a slight smile. “Learn how they function from bow to stern and in two years you’ll be helping to drive the Trellixians from our world. For the immediate future you will return to your unit, along with the first shipment of pulse rifles. With the troops who escaped General Mitchell’s base we’ll be increasing the number of troops along the defensive lines we’ve set up in the mountains.”

“What if we can’t defeat the Trellixians?”

Branson was quiet for a moment, as he gazed at the human battlecruisers. “We leave,” he replied in a steadfast voice. “We load the ships with our most able and brightest people and send them out into the galaxy to find a new world to start over on. Perhaps someday they can return to Earth and set it free.”

Mark felt his heart quicken at the thought of searching the galaxy for a new world. It would be a great experience finding one and starting human civilization on a virgin planet. It would also be sad as it would signify the loss of humanity’s home world, perhaps forever.

Mark’s gaze returned to the ships in the construction facility. He was amazed at what had been accomplished here. When the big military base had been destroyed he’d thought Earth was finished and the human race would fade away to extinction. Now they had hope and the possibility of a future.

Someday the humans would rise from the ashes and the Trellixians would learn what they had awakened by attacking Earth. From this last bastion of hope the human race would reach out and conquer the stars. Mark wanted to be a part of that.

With a smile he realized his battles with the Trellixians were far from over.

-

Lisa and Professor Wilkens spent over two hours catching up on all that had happened since they last saw one another.

“I’m sorry about your parents and Streth,” Wilkens said. “I sent people to get them, but the Trellixians attacked before they could get there. I should have acted sooner.”

“At least you tried,” said Lisa, trying not to shed tears as she thought of her parents and Streth. “I have a question for you.”

Professor Wilkens grinned. “Let me guess. You want to know what ad astra means, beyond its literal translation.”

Lisa nodded. “I’ve been curious about that ever since you mentioned those words.”

Professor Wilkens leaned forward, touching several icons on his computer screen on his desk. Instantly the large viewscreen behind him flared to life.

Lisa’s eyes widened as she saw what was displayed. “Are those spaceships?”

Wilkens nodded. “Yes, we’ve been working on them for nearly twelve years. In two more they’ll be done. We either drive the Trellixians from our planet or we set out for the stars to start over.”

“Ad astra,” replied Lisa in understanding. “Can we defeat the Trellixians? They have a lot of those big battlecruisers in orbit.”

“We have a chance,” Wilkens replied. “Jelnoid technology is superior to Trellixian technology. If the Jelnoids had possessed a larger fleet it’s doubtful the Trellixians could have defeated them.”

“What will I do now?”

“For the time being you will help me in my research. Eventually you and the other special captains will be assigned to those vessels as science officers.”

Lisa looked surprised. “How many other captains survived?”

Professor Wilkens let out a deep sigh. “Not as many as we had hoped. We lost a number of our brightest young people trying to gather information on the Trellixians.” Standing, the professor indicated for Lisa to come with him. “Major Lorre needs to debrief you. She will also give you more detailed information on this complex and the spaceships. When she’s finished I will send someone to get you. We still have a lot to talk about.”

Lisa followed the professor down a hallway to another room where he indicated she should enter. Stepping inside, Lisa stood frozen in amazement. Fourteen other special captains were in the room. Most she recognized from her previous briefing with Major Lorre. However, two of them were grinning from ear to ear. Both Benda Olson and Brett Masterson were here.

“What took you so long?” asked Brett, standing and coming to give Lisa a big hug. Brenda was next and then the three stood, looking at one another.

“I was afraid the two of you didn’t make it.”

“We were recalled the same day you left,” Brett explained. He gestured at the other captains watching the three of them. “We all were.”

Major Lorre cleared her throat. “If you three are finished, we have a lot to cover today.”

Lisa nodded as they sat down next to one another. A new phase of the war was starting and she would play an important part, all three of them would. Looking around at the confident faces of her fellow research associates she realized this war was far from over. Just maybe the Trellixians had bit off more than they could handle in attacking Earth.

Chapter Nineteen

Lisa was working with Professor Wilkens in his lab. It felt good to be wearing a lab coat once again.

“The alloys the Trellixians use are remarkable,” said Professor Weir. “The amount of heat they can withstand without breaking down is astonishing.”

“Do you think they use the same alloys in the energy weapons their battlecruisers possess?” asked Lisa. She had witnessed the massive destruction those beams had caused at General Mitchell’s command base.

“These or some very similar,” Weir replied as he studied the latest analysis of the alloys on his computer screen. “These alloys will solve many of the overheating problems we’ve experienced due to the high level of energy needed for the energy weapons we want to produce.”

Professor Wilkens looked at Weir. “Can we make these alloys ourselves?”

Professor Weir nodded. “I don’t see why not. From our studies we know the basic composition of the alloys. I believe we could begin producing them in just a few days.”

“We could greatly increase the number of rounds our pulse rifles can fire,” said Professor Fournier excitedly. “With our current design we can only fire ten or twelve shots before the barrels must cool down. By lining the barrels and the power relays with these alloys we would not have to worry about a cool-down time.”

“I suspect any soldier using one of these pulse rifles would appreciate that,” said Lisa. She could imagine if a soldier stopped firing in the middle of a battle to cool down his rifle, it would leave him in a quite dangerous situation.

Wilkens nodded. He knew at the moment the rifles would not fire once they overheated. He faced Professor Fournier. “Do it with the second run of rifles, not with the first. We must get those first 1,500 out immediately. General Mitchell will not accept any more delays.”

“Those first rifles are going to the Rangers?” said Lisa, pleased to know the people who had protected her for the last few months would now be receiving weapons which could kill the Trellixians. “They’re protecting a lot of civilians.”

“These alloys will solve our problems with the fusion power plants as well,” Professor Andre Leon added as he looked over Weir’s shoulders at the data on the computer screen. “We can build larger plants or link the smaller ones together in a series. It will allow us to generate almost unlimited power.”

“Then we’re all in agreement?” asked Professor Wilkens. “These alloys are the way to go?”

Everyone nodded or answered with a yes.

“This will allow us to use even more of the Jelnoid technology. For some reason the secret to these alloys was not addressed in their technical database,” said Andre.

“Perhaps it was such common knowledge on their worlds they didn’t think it was necessary to include the data on the alloys,” suggested Professor Leon.

Lisa looked around the room, full of research scientists and technicians. The lab was large and about forty people were working on different experiments. Lisa knew this was just one of many labs scattered throughout the complex.

“Come with me, Lisa,” Professor Wilkens said as he finished what he was working on and checked the time on his watch. “I want you to meet some people.”

-

Professor Wilkens led the way out of the lab and down a long hallway to a bank of elevators. They took one, rising ten levels before the door opened. “I think you will find this interesting.” The professor opened a door and they stepped out onto a large balcony. It held several tables and chairs. However, even more interesting was what could be seen from the balcony. Lisa stood, spellbound, looking out across the large cavern that held the civilian complex.

“It looks like a futuristic city,” Lisa said in awe. She had seen a glimpse of it the day before during her briefing with Major Lorre. In front of her buildings towered above the cavern floor. Parks and even a few small lakes were visible.

“We tried to build this so people could survive here for a very long time,” Wilkens explained. “If necessary we could stay here for decades and probably have no problem remaining hidden from the Trellixians.”

“Are there other complexes like this one?” Lisa asked. She suspected there probably were since other countries were involved as well.

Professor Wilkens nodded. “Yes, but I’m not at liberty to say more. Just know if somehow this complex was destroyed, the fight against the Trellixians would continue.”

Lisa looked out over the city. There was no pollution and even though she could see vehicles moving about on the wide streets it was unusually quiet. “How many people are in this complex and the industrial one?”

Wilkens looked a little surprised at the question. “The number is a little misleading because the labs and some other facilities aren’t considered to be part of the civilian complex. Including everyone in the underground facilities in what we call Complex One comprised of military, researchers, civilians and those working in the industrial complex, there are close to four hundred thousand people here. That also includes those we managed to evacuate from General Mitchell’s base before it was destroyed.”

Lisa and Professor Wilkens stood for several minutes looking at the civilian complex. If only Lisa’s parents and Streth had been rescued there would be a real home here for her. As it was she still had the professor, Brenda, and Brett. In time she knew she would make other friends but it would be hard to forget the past. This complex hid the war and made it easy to ignore what was going on around the world.

But Lisa was determined to never forget.

-

A little while later Professor Wilkens led Lisa along a richly carpeted hallway and came to a stop before a pair of twin doors. Lisa was surprised to see two heavily armed soldiers standing in front of the doors, barring their way. Upon seeing Professor Wilkens one of them moved aside and opened one of the doors, indicating for Lisa and the professor to enter.

Going inside Lisa came to a stop, recognizing several of the individuals in the room. She found herself speechless. There, sitting at a desk with the presidential seal behind her, was President Hathaway.

President Hathaway stood, smiling. “It looks as if your associate is a little shocked.”

“I wasn’t expecting to see you,” Lisa stammered. She felt embarrassed to be standing in front of the president of the United States in a white lab coat, instinctively brushing at creases she knew would not go away that easily.

“It’s okay,” Katelyn said in understanding. “We’re relatively informal here. I asked Professor Wilkens to bring you to this meeting as he has indicated you will be his official representative in all things related to science and the activities of the science teams he’s in charge of.”

Lisa looked at Wilkens, seeing a guilty look on his face.

“You will still be involved in research. I just need someone I trust implicitly to be my representative and who understands what I’m doing. I must spend my time in the labs, not in meetings.”

Looking around the room, Lisa saw several others she didn’t recognize.

“Let me introduce General Mitchell, Colonel Fields, Major Thomas, and Major Cunningham,” President Hathaway said, indicating the military officers in the room.

“General Briggs couldn’t attend,” apologized General Mitchell. “He’s still working on determining exactly who survived the fall of our base, and he has another meeting he needs to attend.”

“Lisa, I’m also giving you top clearance which will allow you knowledge of just about everything that’s going on,” added President Hathaway, “at least for those things occurring here in the United States. In other countries that will continue to be on a need-to-know basis.”

Professor Wilkens indicated for Lisa to sit down and then turned toward the president and General Mitchell. “The alloys in the energy rifle Captain Reynolds brought back have been analyzed,” Wilkens began. “We can reproduce them and they solve a number of problems. First off, we can build improved pulse rifles.” He saw the general’s eyebrows rise. Wilkens put up his hand. “There will be no stopping the current production run. We will make the changes in the second run and it will only be a twenty-four hour delay.”

“I need those rifles,” Mitchell said. “The Trellixians lost enough troops and hover tanks in the recent battle that it will be several weeks before they can resume offensive operations on a major scale. I need to arm my troops with weapons that can stop the aliens.”

“You will have them and more,” promised Wilkens. “In four weeks we can give you the first portable automated pulse cannon. It can be programmed to take out Trellixian shuttles and attack craft. It will be mounted on a heavy tripod with a tracking system which will detect and fire on Trellixian vessels. At about the same time we can give you the first Jelnoid primary energy cannons. They will be capable of penetrating the shields of the enemy battlecruisers if they come down low enough.”

General Mitchell’s eyes widened in surprise. “Are you telling me we can prevent the battlecruisers from coming down and engaging our forces?”

Professor Wilkens nodded. “Precisely. The primary cannon will have an effective range in Earth’s atmosphere of around one thousand miles. Not only that but the energy shield which protected your base can be significantly improved upon and the new version will be available shortly.”

“Can we add these energy cannons and energy screens to our aircraft?” asked Major Thomas, sounding excited.

“Yes, it will take some modifications to the aircraft but it should not be too difficult.”

“How easy would it be to install the energy shields on our Apache attack helicopters?”

Wilkens thought for a long moment. “Not too difficult if you’re not adding energy weapons.”

This seemed to satisfy Major Thomas. He looked at General Mitchell. “I think we should do the Apaches first. The modified Hellfire antitank missiles have the potential to damage a hover tank. We’ve been holding back the Apaches as they were too easy a target for Trellixian attack craft.”

“What if we remove the 30mm cannon and replace it with an energy cannon?” asked Colonel Fields. “Right now that 30mm cannon is nearly worthless against Trellixian soldiers and hover tanks.”

General Mitchell interrupted. “Why don’t the two of you along with General Briggs work out the details? We have a lot of aircraft hidden around the country. It would be nice to use them to clear our airspace of Trellixian shuttles and attack craft. We could then use the primary cannons to keep the Trellixian battlecruisers at bay while we launch a full-scale offensive to clear the planet of their troops.”

“Are we talking about ending the war?” asked President Hathaway, her eyes lighting up at the thought.

“No, we can’t end the war as long as their battlecruisers are in orbit,” replied General Mitchell. “However, we can deny them access to the surface and prevent them from killing more of our people. I didn’t expect to be able to do this for months yet. What’s making the difference in all of these weapon systems? Why are they now so close to being ready?”

“The new alloys,” replied Professor Wilkens. “They solved most of the problems that were holding us back. We have the weapons systems designed; we just needed the right heat resistant alloys to make them work.”

“What if they drop more nukes?” asked President Hathaway.

“The primary and secondary cannons can shoot them down,” replied Professor Wilkens. “Or at least I believe they will be able to do so.”

“We’ll create a stalemate,” Major Cunningham said as he looked over at General Mitchell. “At least until our spaceships are completed and we can take the battle into space.”

General Mitchell turned toward Professor Wilkens. “We need to make this happen as soon as possible. Use whatever resources are necessary. Coordinate with Colonel Fields and Major Thomas. They can tell you what we need first. Major Cunningham, I want the manufacturing facilities in this complex and the other one cranking out weapons around the clock. It’s getting close to the time for us to take back our planet. If we can do this quickly we can save millions of our civilians. These new weapons are going to be a game changer!”

“What about the Russians?” asked President Hathaway, concerned. “They think they’re in charge of the war now.”

“I’ll contact General Anoltave and inform him of our breakthrough and not to launch a counteroffensive until he hears from us. We also need to get this information on these alloys out to all of our own facilities as well as the others scattered around the world.”

Lisa listened silently, not interrupting. She wondered how many other bases and complexes like this one were hidden in other countries. She had a suspicion there were a number of them since other countries had been involved in the Roswell cover up.

“What about yourself, General?” asked President Hathaway. “When are you setting up your new command base?”

Mitchell smiled. “We had the secondary command base on standby in case our primary base was destroyed. We hoped never to have to use it. It’s some distance away from here as I didn’t want to do anything which might attract the Trellixians’ attention to this region of the Rockies. It’s already been activated and we’re moving in the necessary people now to get it up and running. Fortunately enough of our personnel survived from our primary base to allow us to fully staff the secondary one with no problems.”

President Hathaway nodded. “When will you leave?”

“In a few more days,” Mitchell replied. “Once we’ve got a pretty good feel on these new weapons and a production schedule set up we’ll be on our way. We have a lot of troops and civilians in these mountains and across the country who are depending on us. We won’t let them down.”

“Captain Reynolds will be involved with the new weapon systems and their development,” Professor Wilkens added. “I’ll make sure she keeps you updated.”

Lisa mentally made a list of her new job responsibilities. It sounded like she was being given a lot of authority as well.

“Do you have any questions?” President Hathaway asked Lisa. “I know you must be overwhelmed by all this. I’m very familiar with that feeling myself.”

Lisa shook her head. “I still find it hard to believe all this exists. I was so afraid we had lost everything when the mountain containing General Mitchell’s base was destroyed. It may take me a while but I’ll get a handle on it all.”

“The base being destroyed scared all of us,” President Hathaway replied. “We watched it live on a viewscreen connected to a Jelnoid observation satellite. I nearly fainted when the Trellixians dropped their antimatter bomb or missile. The entire mountain seemed to vanish in the explosion. One moment it was there and the next it was gone.”

Lisa let out a deep sigh. “I guess the first thing I should do is familiarize myself with Jelnoid science and technology. It seems I have a lot to learn.” Lisa would have to talk to Professor Wilkens and some of the other scientists to see where to start.

“That will be a challenge,” replied Colonel Fields with a small laugh. “I’ve studied it for years and haven’t made a dent in it. Much of it sounds almost like magic.”

“Were they that advanced?”

Professor Wilkens nodded. “It’s one of the reasons the Trellixians hit them with such a large war fleet in the very beginning. Even so it took them months to defeat the existing Jelnoid fleet and to finally subdue the home planet. The Jelnoids had set up colonies in three other star systems and maintained a small defensive fleet for protection. Their home world was protected by a massive defense grid that cost the Trellixians numerous battlecruisers before they managed to destroy it. Jelnoid energy screens and their primary energy cannons are far superior to the ones the Trellixians use.”

“And our own space fleet?” Lisa was curious how they would compare to the Jelnoids.

“They’ll have Jelnoid energy screens and Jelnoid weapons,” Professor Wilkens replied. “The ships are full of Jelnoid technology. Our spacecraft are also twice the size of the largest warship the Jelnoids possessed when the Trellixians attacked them.”

Lisa had already decided she would need more help with all of this. Once this meeting was over, she would see if Professor Wilkens would let her have Brenda and Brett. This Jelnoid technology sounded highly intriguing and she would need the two of them if she wanted to make any progress in understanding it.

-

The meeting lasted for another hour as they covered numerous other subjects. Lisa was surprised to learn Maggie Rayne, the secretary of state, was in charge of Complex Two which was the same size and had the same capability as this one did. It made Lisa feel better knowing at least part of the former government had survived the Trellixian apocalypse.

As they left the meeting, Lisa turned to Professor Wilkens. “Is there any chance you can let me have Captains Olson and Masterson?”

Professor Wilkens nodded. “I had a hunch you would ask for them. Each of you will eventually be assigned to the spaceships so it’s a good idea for all of you to learn as much as possible about Jelnoid technology. I also will make arrangements for the three of you to see the remains of the Jelnoid scout craft.”

“What about the alien engineer who survived?”

“Strold,” replied the professor. “I never got to meet him but I’ve watched some of the videos of his interviews. There are even videos of battles involving Jelnoid warships and the Trellixians. I think you will be impressed upon seeing what Jelnoid weapons are capable of.”

Lisa remained silent as they walked back to the lab. There was so much to think about. They were a long way from winning the war; even with Jelnoid technology it might not be possible. It greatly concerned Lisa that the human race might be forced to live permanently underground, hiding from the Trellixians if they ever managed to colonize the surface. While the underground civilian complex was a technological marvel and could sustain the people living there seemingly indefinitely, it still wasn’t the same as living on the surface with the sky and clouds above. What would it be like to raise children who would never see the stars? Lisa hoped it didn’t come to that.

-

Major Dolan had just returned from a tour of the civilian complex and industrial complexes and was now in a meeting with Colonel Branson and General Briggs.

“It took us over twenty years to build what you see here,” General Briggs informed Mark. “We’ve been working on the connecting tunnels between complexes and installations for nearly thirty. All tunnels are far enough underground to avoid detection by the Trellixians so we can move freely about the country if necessary. We have a number of small military installations designed to carry out guerrilla warfare for as long as needed to drive the enemy from our world.”

“The base I came from doesn’t have one of these connecting tunnels, does it?” asked Mark. If it did no one had mentioned it to him.

Colonel Branson shook his head. “No, but the one I’m based at does. Both of us will be returning to our bases shortly. With a little luck we’ll have the pulse rifles available for our Rangers and the Marines in our defensive lines.”

“We’re also sending additional troops to help,” added General Briggs. He reached forward with his right hand and activated a viewscreen on the wall behind him. A terrain map appeared showing the Rocky Mountains. Over twenty red lines appeared. “Each one of those red lines indicates the presence of American troops tasked with denying the Trellixians access to the civilians hiding in the mountains. All lines are being reinforced. Within a month every one of those units will possess pulse rifles which can easily take out a Trellixian soldier. We have nearly eleven thousand troops who were evacuated from our main base before it was destroyed. We’ll be deploying about eight thousand of them to defend the civilians.”

Mark studied the map for several moments. “How many civilians are we talking about?” He had been curious for quite some time about how many had made it safely to the mountains.

“We’ve spent years using Jelnoid technology to build extensive tunnel systems in the mountains to accommodate survivors of a Trellixian invasion,” General Briggs said. “Currently we have slightly over two million civilians taking refuge in the tunnels. More are in other mountain ranges. We believe over twenty million Americans are in hiding across the country. Many are on farms or in small communities. There may be more. We won’t know until we go out looking for them.”

Colonel Branson leaned forward to face Mark. “We need to save those civilians. The manufacturing facilities here are now working overtime, producing weapons for our soldiers. Some of the manufacturing processes are based on Jelnoid technology. You’ve seen how a three-dimensional printer works. We’re employing some of that same technology here. All we have to do is program everything correctly and the new printers can produce a viable weapon we can use in the field. The first production run of pulse rifles is 1,500 over a two-week period. The second run will consist of five thousand over the same amount of time.”

General Briggs stood, walking to the viewscreen. “Eventually we’ll go on the offensive. What the Trellixians will do when that happens is anyone’s guess.”

“When do we leave to return to our bases?” asked Mark. While it was nice to get away from all the action he was anxious to return to his command.

“Four more days,” replied Colonel Branson. “We’ll be taking back four hundred pulse rifles. We’ll take one of the tunnels to my base and from there you and your people can take several ATVs back to your base, along with one hundred of the rifles. More rifles will be sent to us as soon as they’re available.”

“Toward the end of the month we’ll have more powerful weapons for you,” added General Briggs. He had received a call only a few minutes back from General Mitchell informing him of the new weapons developments. “We want to be able to shoot down Trellixian shuttles and attack craft. The heavier weapons should give us that capability. If the Trellixians will hold off attacking us for a few weeks we’ll have one hell of a surprise for them when they come back into the mountains.”

Mark leaned back in his chair. If what General Briggs and Colonel Branson said about these new weapons was true, it could turn the war around. Just a few days back Mark was convinced the war was over and the human race would go down in defeat. Now it seemed it would be the Trellixians who might be going down.

The phone on General Briggs’s desk suddenly rang. He answered it and a broad smile passed across his face. “Major Dolan, you’re to report to Briefing Room Four. Someone is waiting there for you.”

“I’ll show you where it is,” said Colonel Branson, standing.

As the colonel and Mark walked down the well-lit hallway, Mark was already making plans for what to do when he returned to his base. The new pulse rifles would have to be distributed and maybe a few sent across the mountain to where Lieutenant Stein and Sergeant Tucker had their people. He would also send a couple MK47 grenade launchers to give them more offensive capability. As small as the pass was that led into the valley where Stein and Tucker’s people were two of the MK47s could cover the entire entrance.

Reaching a door, Colonel Branson indicated for Mark to enter. “When you’re through come by my office. I have a few more details to cover with you.”

Mark nodded and opening the door, stepped inside. Seeing the young woman sitting at the small conference table, Mark froze in his tracks. It was his sister, Jennifer!

Jennifer stood with a big smile on her face. “Miss me, big brother?” She came over, giving a stunned Mark a huge hug.

“I thought you died in Dallas,” Mark stammered, still not believing his sister stood here in front of him. He put his hands on her shoulders, gazing into her eyes. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest. His sister was alive!

“I nearly did,” Jennifer answered. “The aliens hit the hospital I was working in and a number of us hid in the basement. Afterward much of the building was destroyed and it took us days to dig ourselves out. Once we did we decided to stay there. The basement had food, medical supplies, water, and a battery power source.”

“After several weeks we noticed the alien patrols had pretty much disappeared. We figured they had killed everyone else and moved on. We took some vehicles from the underground parking garage and headed for the mountains. We only traveled at night and stayed hidden during the daylight hours. Eventually we made it to the Rockies and found some soldiers escorting civilians to safe zones. We spent nearly two weeks in one of those huge tunnels the military built. A few days ago a private approached me and asked me if I was your sister. When I said yes, I was brought here. Up until that time I didn’t know if you were alive or dead. I guess we both got lucky.”

Mark nodded. “What about Mom and Dad? Have you heard anything about them?”

“Not much,” replied Jennifer with a sad look in her eyes. “I spoke to Dad two days before the Trellixians attacked. They were going to spend a few days in the country at Aunt Martha’s. I don’t know if they made it there or not.”

Mark let out a deep sigh. Aunt Martha was his mother’s sister. She lived on a small farm northwest of Houston. Someday Mark would have to make it a point to go there and see if he could discover what happened to their parents. “What are your plans now?” asked Mark. He wanted to make sure he stayed in touch with Jennifer.

“I’m staying here to work at one of the medical centers.”

Mark was greatly relieved to hear this. At least his sister was safe and she would continue to be so here inside the complex. “Let’s get something to eat and talk some more. I’ve got a hundred questions to ask.”

“Me too,” replied Jennifer with a big grin. “And I’m starving!”

Mark had to smile. His sister always seemed to be hungry. At home she was always snacking. It amazed him that she managed to keep the weight off. For the first time in several months he almost felt normal again.

-

Lisa, Brenda and Brett stood in front of one of the three-dimensional printers, watching as it created a new pulse rifle. The machine hummed quietly, and through a small viewing port the pulse rifle slowly took shape.

“From what Adam Maher told me these are partially based on Jelnoid technology. These new printers can make parts out of every type of plastic, metal, and different alloys,” Brett said as a partially completed pulse rifle slid out on the conveyor belt where a technician checked it and then sent it on to the next station so an energy cell would be installed. Later the rifle would be test-fired to ensure it met the rigorous quality standards being enforced.

Brenda looked around. “A lot of automation is involved here. I was expecting to see more people.”

“A number of control rooms keep an eye on everything,” Lisa replied. Professor Wilkens had spent some time speaking to her about the different production processes in the construction and manufacturing facility. He had even taken the time to show her some of it.

“Have you been inside the spaceships yet?” asked Brett, his eyes lighting up.

Lisa shook her head. “No, not yet. I was afraid I’d just get in the way.”

“You won’t,” Brett replied. “I was taken on a tour by one of the ship officers. I guess the word’s out that we’ll be science officers eventually. The interiors are nearly complete. They still need to install the weapons and work on the power systems but they’re making great progress.”

Lisa looked at Brenda. “I guess you and I should go see them. I have to admit I’ve been curious.”

“Spaceships,” said Brenda, her eyes wistful. “I never would have imagined Earth would have its own space fleet.”

“It’s not there yet,” Brett reminded her, “but it’s well on its way.”

Lisa watched as another pulse rifle exited the three-dimensional printer. It frightened her some as she realized all she needed to learn. The advent of Jelnoid technology made a lot of her knowledge superfluous. This was like going to college again only this would be a crash course. She was just thankful Brenda and Brett would be here with her.

“I’ve seen enough for now,” Lisa said. “Let’s find someplace to eat and then watch some of the videos they made of Strold. I’m curious to see what a Jelnoid looks like.”

“Hopefully he’s not an overgrown lizard like the Trellixians,” commented Brett. “Let’s see if we can find a place that serves steaks. I haven’t had what I consider a real meal since all of this started.”

Lisa nodded. She had eaten enough MREs to last a lifetime. “I heard there are a number of nice restaurants in the civilian complex.”

Brett grinned. “Let’s go find one.”

They left the manufacturing complex, heading toward the civilian one. Lisa was pleased to have Brenda and Brett at her side. With the two of them helping her Lisa felt there wasn’t anything they couldn’t do. For the first time in a long while Lisa had high hopes for the future.

Chapter Twenty

Major Dolan returned to his base and was pleased to discover there had been no Trellixian activity since his departure. He had one hundred of the new pulse rifles with him and a promise from Colonel Branson to send more as soon as possible. The Trellixians had to be kept out of the mountains at all costs. Mark spent nearly a full day at the base going over reports and then left to inspect the skirmish line. He and Sergeant Anderson took an ATV loaded with the pulse rifles. Privates Peterson and Hambridge accompanied them on another ATV similarly loaded.

Once at the primary base camp behind the skirmish line, Mark called in his company commanders for a meeting and to discuss distribution of the new weapons.

“It’s been quiet,” reported Captain Garcia. “We’ve got our Rangers, the two Army companies and the Marines dug in along the defensive line, plus we’ve added some heavier weapons. We have fourteen MK47 grenade launchers set up and we’ve doubled the number of mortar pits. The entire area out to one thousand yards from our skirmish line is covered in claymores along all trails and possible areas of approach. We’ve also added more M240L machine guns with armor-piercing rounds.”

Mark looked at the map where everything was marked. “We brought some special weapons back with us.” Mark pointed toward Sergeant Anderson and Privates Peterson and Hambridge. All carried one of the new pulse rifles. “Sergeant, would you demonstrate our new rifle?”

Anderson grinned. He had exchanged his shotgun readily for one of the new rifles. “With pleasure, sir,” he answered. Anderson pointed toward a small boulder about two hundred yards distant. “Peterson, you’re supposed to be a good shot. Think you can hit that boulder?”

Peterson grinned. “No problem, Sergeant.” Peterson took careful aim and pulled the trigger. A beam of white energy shot from the rifle, striking the boulder dead center and blowing it apart.

“An energy rifle!” exclaimed Captain Stockton, his eyes opening wide in amazement. “Did we build these?”

“Yes, we did,” Mark answered. “We brought one hundred of them back with us. Sergeant Anderson will take ten with him along with a squad of Rangers to shore up defenses in the next valley. We’ll also give Lieutenant Stein and Sergeant Tucker two MK47 grenade launchers.”

Captain Garcia frowned. “That’ll be a lot of weight to carry over the mountain.”

“We’ll send two squads when we take the grenade launchers and the rifles,” explained Mark. “One squad will return and the other will stay there for the time being.”

“How soon?” asked Captain Garcia. “There hasn’t been any signs of the aliens but they could show up at any time.”

“Day after tomorrow,” answered Mark. “I want the civilians in that valley protected and these weapons will help. Besides, we have time. Satellite imagery shows the Trellixians have pulled back and are regrouping. We don’t expect another attack for several weeks.”

“Will we get any more troops to put on our line?” asked Captain Morrison, in charge of one of the Marine companies. “We lost a lot of people at the creek.”

Mark nodded. “We have two more full companies of regular Army troops coming to us. They should be here in a couple of days. We’ll use them to fill in any holes in our defenses.”

“We’ve heard rumors the Trellixians destroyed one of our primary bases back in the mountains,” said Captain Grumman worriedly. “Any truth to that?”

Mark saw the look of concern on all the captains’ faces. So far there had been little good news to report in this war. “It’s true, though many of the base personnel escaped. We’re hoping these new weapons, and there are more coming, will turn the tide. The Trellixians also lost a lot of their soldiers and even some of their hover tanks in that battle. We feel confident it will take them several weeks to recover sufficiently to launch more attacks. When they do we want to be ready for them.”

Captain Smith picked up one of the energy rifles from a crate sitting near him. “Will these penetrate the armor a Trellixian soldier wears?”

“Yes,” Mark replied. “It will cut right through it.”

Captain Smith grinned. “Then let’s get these passed out. We need to give them to our best shots.” Smith turned toward Captain Morrison with a tilt of his head. “You got anyone in your Marines who can hit a target?”

Morrison nodded. “Yes, several.”

“Then let’s get these weapons handed out. Sergeant Anderson, you and Privates Peterson and Hambridge will be responsible for training everyone to use the pulse rifles. Spread them out along our entire line.”

“We’ll get it done,” Anderson promised.

“Then let’s get to it, people,” ordered Mark. “When the Trellixians return I want to make it seem as if they’ve run into a buzz saw. We’ll kill them all!” Mark was pleased with the enthusiasm the new weapons generated among the captains. He hoped it would be passed on to the others along the skirmish line.

-

Two days later Sergeant Anderson arrived in the next valley and was met by Lieutenant Stein and Sergeant Tucker. “We brought you some new toys,” announced Anderson, gesturing for his Rangers to set everything down. “We brought two MK47 grenade launchers and some pulse rifles.”

“Pulse rifles?” said Sergeant Tucker, stepping forward to look at the rifle in Private Peterson’s hands. “What does it do?”

“It fires an energy beam that can penetrate Trellixian battle armor.”

Tucker looked surprised. “Where the hell did this come from?”

“It’s classified,” Anderson replied. “I’ll leave a squad of Rangers with you as well if that’s okay. Corporal Bowing will be in charge of them and they will answer to both of you as well. I have orders from Major Dolan to help beef up your defenses near the entrance to this valley while I have the squads here. Once we’re finished I’ll take one squad and go back. There may be other weapons we bring you in the near future.”

“We appreciate the help, Sergeant,” Lieutenant Stein replied.

Sergeant Anderson looked around, seeing three wind generators at work. All had been painted to blend in with the surroundings. A large room had been added to the back of the cabin and two other cabins were under construction. “I see you’ve made some additions,” Anderson said.

“Mainly for the children,” Sergeant Tucker replied. “The large room behind the cabin is a place where they can be taught as well as for entertainment. One of the new cabins we’re building will be for our medics to treat anyone who falls sick or gets injured. Both of the new cabins will be heated for the winter.”

“Are you Army Rangers?” asked a young woman walking up to them with a small boy following along.

“Yes, we are.”

“This is my wife, Lacy and my son, Matt,” Sergeant Tucker said, introducing them.

“Will you be staying for supper? We killed an elk a few days ago so we have fresh meat.”

“They may be staying for several days,” Tucker said. “They’ve brought some weapons to help us defend the valley.”

Lacy frowned. “More weapons. I understand we need them. I just wish they weren’t necessary.”

“We all wish that,” Sergeant Anderson replied.

-

In orbit, Battle Commander Balforr gazed at the main viewscreen in frustration. The High Command had been pleased that he’d destroyed the main base of this world’s military, especially after they learned of the development of Jelnoid weapons. However, the High Command was disappointed colonization could not begin immediately. They had stressed that if colonization did not begin soon, it would be a mark against Balforr’s record.

“How long until Battle Commander Traven and Jabale are ready to resume exterminating the civilians?”

“Three weeks,” Second Officer Jaltor reported. “They lost nearly 42 percent of their soldiers and 63 percent of their hover tanks in the battle, many when we detonated the Malken missile. They are still very displeased about that.”

“They have other units scattered across the planet,” said Balforr. “Why can’t they use those?” Balforr knew there were several hundred thousand Trellixian soldiers who had not been involved in the battle.

Jaltor hesitated and then answered. “They have soldiers and hover tanks deployed to hold areas of the planet cleared of Humans. If they pull out those soldiers or tanks they fear small units of Human soldiers will return, seeking supplies. This way they deny them those supplies and hold on to the areas of the planet which have been cleansed of Humans.”

Battle Commander Balforr was tempted to order Traven and Jabale to attack anyway; however, he was well aware the two were better commanders of ground forces than he was. Balforr was a fleet commander and not used to commanding a sustained ground conflict. He’d probably made an error in the previous battle at the Human base by taking personal command but he had accomplished his goal in destroying the base.

“Battle Commander Traven says in three weeks they can launch a full-scale assault on the mountainous areas in the United States. Once those have been cleared of Humans, they will move their soldiers to other areas of this world where large concentrations of Humans are believed to be in hiding.”

Balforr was not pleased with this. He had been planning on two weeks. “Tell Battle Commander Traven he and Jabale have three weeks but no more. Then all the mountainous regions across this planet are to be attacked. After that I want this entire world cleansed of these Humans. I’ll be contacting the High Command tomorrow and will inform them that in four weeks we will be ready for a large colonization fleet. If we’re not, Battle Commander Traven and Battle Commander Jabale will have to answer to the High Command.”

“I will send the message,” Jaltor replied as he turned and hurried away.

Looking once more at the viewscreen, Battle Commander Balforr grew impatient to be through with this world. Already other battle commanders were reporting new worlds being conquered. Glancing at the tactical display, Balforr could see his battlecruisers in orbit around the planet. Even his ship commanders were showing signs of impatience.

-

Sergeant Anderson inspected the additions made to the defenses at the mouth of the canyon leading into the valley. The entire canyon was covered by claymores which had been brought over by the Rangers a few weeks back. They now had six M240L machine guns as well as the two MK47 grenade launchers. Thick barricades of wood and dirt protected the machine guns as well as formed a protective covering over them. The same was done for the MK47s. From the air there would be no signs of the defenses. The Rangers with the help of some of Lieutenant Stein’s soldiers had dug proper rifle-firing pits for the soldiers using the ten pulse rifles. Six of them would stay with the Rangers while four more were going to soldiers Lieutenant Stein felt were very good marksmen.

“We should be able to hold them,” said Stein, looking at the added defenses. “My only concern will be if they use a shuttle to land troops behind us or use their attack craft against us.”

“If we can get by a few more weeks without being attacked, Major Dolan says we’ll have a large pulse cannon mounted on a tripod which can take down Trellixian vessels. As soon as they’re available I’ll bring a couple over here.”

Stein nodded. “Winter will be upon us soon. It’s getting near freezing every morning. We’ve already had a few light dustings of snow. These mountains will be nearly impassable soon.”

“It’ll get cold this year,” said Sergeant Anderson, looking up at the sky. It rained a lot in the mountains and he was concerned the snowfall this year would be far greater than normal. “With less sunlight from the Trellixian bombardment it may get ten to twenty degrees colder than what we’re used to.”

“We have a couple diesel generators we can use to power the heaters for the tents if necessary,” Stein said. “We siphoned some of the diesel from the trucks and stored it in fifty-gallon barrels in the shed.”

Sergeant Anderson nodded. He wasn’t looking forward to spending the winter in the mountains in a rifle-firing pit. He had already decided when he got back to the skirmish line he would do more work on his firing pit. Enough branches and pine needles lay around so he could put a roof over it. At least that would help keep out the snow.

-

Sometime later Sergeant Tucker sat at one of the camp tables with his wife and son, eating their evening meal. Several large tarps had been put up to help protect the tables from the elements. Ten tables were beneath the tarps with an opening on one side. It helped block the wind and kept the rain and what little snow they had so far off the tables, giving everyone a relatively comfortable place to eat. Lacy wore a heavy sweater and three-year-old Matt had on a light jacket.

“I wish we could build bigger fires,” Lacy said, shivering slightly. “Fireplaces in the cabins and the new room would have been nice.”

Tucker shook his head. “It would make our cabins too easy to detect. Fires like that would show up on thermal scans. It’s risky even with the propane cooking stoves we’re using.” They had put up a metal shield above them to help reduce the chance of detection.

“What about us? Don’t we show up?”

“Possibly,” Tucker admitted. “Most of us wear long-sleeve shirts, and our bodies are covered up most of the time. I think in order for us to be detected the aliens would have to be quite close.”

Lacy looked where several of the Rangers ate. She had been surprised at how courteous they were. “I feel better with the Rangers here. They’re professional soldiers.”

Tucker laughed. “We all are. They’re just a little better at it than the rest of us.”

“Those new rifles they brought, will they help protect us?”

“Yes, if they do what they say they will. If we can get by another month, and they bring us some heavier versions of those rifles they’re working on, we can make this valley quite safe.”

“I hope so,” Lacy said. “I like it here. I just wish we could build more cabins.”

“Maybe sometime in the future,” Tucker replied as he watched several children kicking a soccer ball around. The Rangers had brought them hope they just might be able to survive. And hope was a powerful weapon.

-

General Mitchell was in his new Command Center. The main room was very similar to his previous Command Center though the entire complex was considerably smaller. Only six hundred people were assigned to this base whereas the previous one had thousands of personnel.

For the past several weeks the new pulse rifles had been delivered to numerous units in the field. The first 1,500 had gone to the units in the mountains and then the next five thousand had been given to hidden units still spread out across the country. Both Complex One and Complex Two were producing the weapons around the clock. This week alone another ten thousand would be ready.

“What’s the progress on the small portable pulse cannons?” asked Mitchell. One of the viewscreens showed a Trellixian battlecruiser. Mitchell knew this particular battlecruiser was Battle Commander Balforr’s. He wished he had some way to destroy it. They still had a few Jelnoid missiles tucked away but Mitchell was certain they would be shot down before they reached their target.

“We’re ahead of schedule,” Colonel Fields replied. “The first functional units will be ready for delivery by the end of the week.”

“What about our primary and secondary energy cannons?”

“They’re being worked on. We could have the first functional units in another two weeks.”

This was good news. Mitchell looked back at the battlecruiser on the viewscreen orbiting seven hundred miles above Earth. It was well within range of the primary energy cannons, once they were deployed. With a savage grin Mitchell knew if Balforr gave them enough time he would target that battlecruiser and destroy it. It would be sweet revenge for what Balforr had done to the planet.

-

Major Dolan was busy inspecting his forces deployed on the skirmish line. Additional energy rifles had been handed out to soldiers up and down the line. When the Trellixians returned they would be in for a huge surprise. Mark had worked hard over the last several weeks intensifying his defenses and making the spaces in front of the skirmish line a killing zone.

Captain Morrison was in charge of the Marines in this particular section. “We have four M240L machine guns set up, giving us an overlapping field of fire. There are two MK47 grenade launchers and we have eight mortar pits behind us. The entire area in front of us has claymores covering the trails and areas of the forest we expect the Trellixians to come through. If they attack here we will kill them.”

“How many energy rifles do you have?”

“Twenty,” Morrison replied. “I have two Marines trained to handle each rifle in case the initial Marine doing the shooting is injured or killed.”

Mark looked along the line, seeing numerous firing pits with Marines in them. Most were covered so they could not be seen from the air. About four inches of snow was on the ground. For the last few nights it had steadily gotten colder. “The weather forecasts for the end of the week indicate much colder weather and possibly blizzard conditions.”

“We’ll be ready for it. We’re dug in pretty well and protected. We have our cold-weather gear stored in our tents if we need it.”

Looking into the forest, Mark could see many of the trees with leaves were losing their foliage. This concerned Mark some as it made their positions more visible. “We’ll have some heavier pulse cannons early next week. Let’s just hope the Trellixians hold off attacking until after those weapons arrive.”

Mark felt more confident all the time that his skirmish line would hold if the Trellixians attacked. His mood was much better than it had been for several months, particularly knowing Jennifer was safe in Complex One. Now they just needed to drive the aliens from the mountains and eventually off the planet.

-

Battle Commander Balforr was not pleased with the latest reports from Battle Commander Traven. His soldiers were finally reorganized and nearly ready to attack the Humans hiding in the mountainous regions of the planet. Battle Commander Jabale had granted Traven overall command since he had seniority. It would be a massive strike consisting of nearly every Trellixian soldier on the planet. Over 405,000 troops with 1,020 hover tanks and 515 attack craft would be involved. They would not only be hitting the mountainous regions but isolated areas that had, up until now, been left mostly alone. Battle commander Traven had ordered nearly every Trellixian soldier still in the transports down to the planet for this offensive.

“Battle Commander Traven wants to wait another six days before launching his attack,” Second Officer Jaltor reported uneasily. “He’s still moving his troops into position and he’s requesting more reconnaissance flights from our shuttles. He’s using thermal imaging to determine the location of the Humans in the mountains. He needs those extra days to finish the scans. He says if you allow the delay he can guarantee, within two weeks of launching his attack, this world will be relatively cleansed of all Human life.”

Balforr gazed at the viewscreens of the planet below. He was tired of this planet and ready to go on to future conquests. “I will grant him the six days,” Balforr said. “I will also be informing the High Command of his request and his promise to have this world cleansed of Humans and ready for colonization in three more weeks. There will also be no more delays after this one.”

“He’s moved a lot of soldiers around to have the forces necessary to launch this assault. He’s stripped the soldiers he’s been using to hold the pacified regions of the planet. The soldiers are in place; he just needs the scans.”

A colonization fleet was already on the way. The High Command had insisted on sending it. Balforr would have it go into orbit around Earth’s moon until he deemed it was safe for them to land. He was still a little concerned about the missing submarine. So far intensive searches for the elusive vessel had failed to locate it. He would keep the colony ships away from the shorelines when they eventually landed. A battlecruiser above each colony location could shoot down any incoming missiles now that they knew what to look for.

-

Major Dolan was back in the Command Center of his base. Captain Garcia and Captain Morrison were with him, watching a video broadcast by General Mitchell to every secret base across the country.

“We’re not sure why the Trellixians have not attacked,” General Mitchell said. “They’ve moved massive amounts of troops into position, both in the mountains and out, where we have military forces and civilians. We’ve managed to deploy 42,000 pulse rifles to our soldiers across the United States which should come as a major shock to the enemy when they do launch their attack.”

This greatly surprised Mark. There were far more surviving soldiers than he had thought. Only two days previous he had received another sixty pulse rifles for his own soldiers.

“We’ve begun to send out the new and larger pulse cannons which should be able to shoot down Trellixian shuttles and attack craft. We have deployed several hundred of these with more being built every day.”

Mark had received four of those along with the shipment of pulse rifles. He had already set up all four of them to cover his skirmish line. He was hoping for at least two more so he could send them to the other valley where Lieutenant Stein and his people were.

“Plus we will have a few air assets in the coming battle. Our technicians have worked around the clock for the last week and have added shields to seventy of our Apache attack helicopters so we can safely put them back in the air. They will be used to attack concentrations of Trellixian troops, particularly their hover tanks. There’s a slim possibility we may have a few fighter squadrons available but we still have a lot of work that needs to be done to get them ready. If they are, we will deploy them in the coming battle.”

General Mitchell paused. “This battle will be for the future of the human race. This is a battle we cannot lose. Every soldier and military asset we have left will be committed to bring us victory. Nothing will be held back. We have already made numerous sacrifices to preserve as much of the human race as possible. You should also know we are not alone. A number of other countries have considerable military assets they will commit to this battle which will not only rage here in the United States but across the world.”

Mitchell paused once more. “Someone else here wishes to speak to you. I give you, the President of the United States, Katelyn Hathaway.”

The viewscreen changed to show President Hathaway in her office, sitting behind her desk in front of the presidential seal of the United States.

“We have lost so much over the last months of oppression and genocidal attacks by the Trellixians. They came offering peace but all they’ve brought is death. Each survivor in this country has lost a loved one. This coming battle is for the future of our great country and the rest of the world. Even if we win this battle, there will be more battles in our future. The Trellixians have come to our world as conquerors. We will send them away in defeat and someday, in the not-too-distant future, we will follow them into space to continue the battle there.”

President Hathaway’s eyes narrowed. “The Trellixians should never have come to our world. Let us now show them what real war is. I ask you to fight for our victory because there can be nothing else if we hope to survive.” The viewscreen faded out and went dark.

-

“Wow, that was intense,” said Captain Garcia after the president finished speaking. “I didn’t know we had so many soldiers left and even air assets.”

“It sounds like we’re committing everything to this coming battle,” added Captain Morrison. This was the first time he had been to the base. He had been impressed after a quick tour.

Mark nodded. “The latest scans from some of our satellites indicate a massive buildup of Trellixian forces near us. We’ll be facing hundreds of enemy soldiers this time around.”

“We’re as ready for them as we can be,” said Captain Garcia. “This time they won’t be pushing through our lines.”

“The fighting will be heavy,” Morrison said. “We’ll take some losses but with the pulse rifles and the heavier pulse cannons I feel pretty confident we can hold our line.”

Mark’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t want to just hold the line. I want to wipe out every Trellixian soldier who comes against us. It’s time we massacre them rather than vice versa.”

The two captains nodded in agreement. The Trellixians had shown no mercy, now neither would the human military.

“Get back to your companies and inform our soldiers what we just heard from General Mitchell and President Hathaway. Let them know this war is far from over.”

As the two captains left Mark wondered what his sister was doing back in Complex One. He wished he could see her. They had exchanged a few messages and she was doing fine at her new job in the medical center. Perhaps when this battle was over he could return to the complex and spend some time with her.

With a deep sigh he spread out a large map on his desk showing the terrain of the surrounding countryside. It was time to make sure they were fully prepared for the coming battle. Mark was determined that in this battle his Rangers, the Army and the Marines would take the fight to the enemy and come away victorious.

Chapter Twenty-One

Lisa was nearly breathless. She had been so busy since coming to Complex One. Every day they discovered something new and exciting about Jelnoid technology. Lisa spent her mornings working in the labs and in the afternoons Lisa, Brenda, and Brett would spend their time going over the Jelnoid database seeing what they could learn of Jelnoid science.

After the first few days Lisa realized what a daunting task this was and asked Professor Wilkens if a few more of the special captains could be reassigned to help her. He had agreed and now her team consisted of five people, including herself, all with heavy research backgrounds.

“They had quantum computers,” said Derek Keys, his eyes lighting up. Derek was a computer specialist and had worked designing new computer software and systems. “It was something we were working on. We just never could develop the necessary accuracy. You might ask the computer what color the sky was and the answer might come back as New York. The quantum state was just too damn unpredictable.”

“The answers from the computer seemed to change randomly. We were trying to develop an algorithm to make corrections but could never achieve more than 60 percent accuracy in the answers. However, the quantum computer was amazingly fast. It could do in seconds what other advanced computers might take a year or more to do. We could just never trust its answers.”

Brett nodded. “I’ve read up on quantum computers. It seems the Jelnoids managed to correct that problem. The scout ship which crashed was controlled by one.”

Derek nodded. “If we have the time I would like to see that computer. Maybe I can find out what they did differently. If we have spaceships going out into space, it would be great to have a quantum computer available.”

“Professor Wilkens promised I could see the wreckage of the scout ship,” Lisa said. She looked at the others. “I’ll talk to him and see if we can all go inspect it. I can also check to see what research they’ve done on the ship’s computers.”

“We know they’ve done some from all the computer advancements made in the past thirty years,” said Brett.

“The wreckage is in a secure facility here,” added Brenda. “I would like to see it as well. Maybe we can learn something from it.”

Lisa nodded. She was enjoying her life here in the underground complex. There was so much that needed to be done and even more to learn. The Jelnoid database they were studying had been gone through by thousands of research scientists over the years. Lisa felt since all of them would be science officers on the spaceships they needed a broad understanding of Jelnoid science. Professor Wilkens had suggested they spend a few months doing research and then go to the ships and become familiar with the Jelnoid technology integrated into the vessels.

Lisa still found it hard to believe someday she would venture out into space. It had been one of her childhood dreams. She knew Brett felt the same way as he talked about it all the time.

“Let’s get something to eat,” Brett suggested. He had several files he had printed to study later. “I want to spend some time tonight looking at these schematics of their fusion power systems. Their designs are vaguely similar to some of ours. I’m curious as to what the major differences are.”

Kia Drake grinned. She was from France and had worked on the Large Hadron Collider. “It’s simple. Theirs worked and ours didn’t.”

“We nearly had it working,” Brett replied defensively. “Another few years and we would have been there.”

“We could have done a lot of things if the Trellixians hadn’t arrived,” Lisa said.

Everyone was quiet for a moment. Being so far underground and safe tended to make them forget a war was still being fought above them.

“I feel the urge for a juicy hamburger and fries,” said Kia. “There are several good fast food restaurants in the city.”

“Sounds fine to me,” Lisa said as she stood. “Let’s go.”

Tomorrow she would ask Professor Wilkens about seeing the Jelnoid scout craft. It should make for an interesting excursion.

-

In space, Battle Commander Balforr looked down upon Earth. In another few hours Battle Commander Traven would launch his attack on the Humans. The colonization fleet had arrived and its two hundred large colony ships were in orbit around Earth’s moon to ensure their safety. Balforr expected within one week the first ships would be landing in some of the secure areas on the planet. In two weeks the entire colony fleet should be on the surface. Balforr had already spoken to the High Command about his next assignment. Several hundred light years distant another inhabited world had been discovered. Its technology was at the stage of developing steam engines. It would be an easy and quick conquest.

“Battle Commander Traven reports all commands are ready to begin their assaults,” reported Second Officer Jaltor. “Attack craft will take out any heavy opposition. He expects major resistance will be crushed within sixty hours.”

This pleased Balforr. He was ready to take his fleet out of orbit and proceed to the new target world.

-

Major Dolan was at the small underground headquarters bunker behind the skirmish line dug out so the battle could be better monitored. It had been equipped with communication equipment which connected directly to the main base and the different Marine, Ranger and Army companies up and down the skirmish line.

“Trellixian troops are moving,” reported Captain Garcia, his eyes narrowing. “Some of our advance scouts report the enemy will be here in three to four hours.”

“This is it,” Mark said as he gazed at a map showing their defenses. Mark stood and stepped outside the hidden bunker. The temperature was just above freezing. A light snow was falling. Everywhere he looked it was white. There was nearly a foot of snow on the ground with more expected. It was a pristine scene; one you might expect to see in a movie only this was real life.

“Pass the word we can expect a Trellixian attack in a few hours. Let’s put some hot food into our troops and get them ready.”

“Lieutenant Bennington reports the Trellixians are on the move everywhere,” relayed Private Hastings who was in charge of the communication system in the small bunker. “General Mitchell has sent out the combat alert to all commands.”

Mark’s heart beat faster. This was it; the battle they had been waiting for. The fate of the human race was about to be decided. “Send someone to the top of the mountain and send a radio message to Lieutenant Stein that the Trellixians are on the move. I don’t want them taken by surprise.”

Going back inside the bunker, Mark sat down. All he could do now was wait.

-

Lieutenant Stein and Sergeant Tucker were inside the main cabin eating a light meal. Later they would check the defenses in the neck of the valley. They were discussing the troop rotation when Private Jenkins came hurrying through the door. “I just received a message from Major Dolan. The Trellixians are on the move. We can expect an attack in two to four hours.”

Sergeant Tucker stood with concern in his eyes. “Inform Corporal Strong and Corporal Owens.” The defensive plans called to put two more squads on the defensive line with the remaining troops dug in around the cabins and tents to protect the civilians.

“Make sure everyone with the new pulse rifles are ready,” Stein ordered. “We’re about to find out soon how effective they are.”

Sergeant Tucker went immediately to find his wife, Lacy. After a few minutes of searching he found her helping to serve the afternoon meal in the mess tent.

“Lacy, it looks as if the aliens might attack us later this afternoon. Major Dolan sent word over the radio they’re moving into the mountains.”

Lacy let out a deep and worried sigh. She looked at some of the children sitting at two tables eating and laughing. “I had hoped the cold weather and the snow would keep them away. There must be snowdrifts three feet deep in that pass.”

Tucker spent a moment, gazing at the children. “We have an hour or two to get prepared. I want all the children and their parents in the deep trenches we dug behind the cabins.” The trenches were just deep enough to stand in and had a protective roof of wood covered with a foot of dirt. The ends were open to allow easy entry. Benches lined the sides of the trenches for the civilians to sit until the battle was over and it would be safe for them to come out.

Lacy stood. “I’ll tell the others.”

Tucker nodded. He didn’t know what he would do without Lacy. “There will be a squad of soldiers with you as well just in case the aliens get through our line.”

Lacey looked concerned. “We can stop them, can’t we?”

“We’re going to attempt to,” replied Tucker, giving Lacy a quick hug. “I’ll try to talk to you before the fighting starts. We’re still hoping they overlook our valley.”

Tucker looked out, noticing soldiers getting their weapons and talking to their families. Tucker prayed he wouldn’t have to come back later and tell those same families their husbands or wives had been killed in the battle.

-

Sergeant Anderson was in his firing pit watching the forest in front of him intently. All the scouts had pulled back, reporting the Trellixians were right behind them.

“I see movement,” said Private Peterson as he aimed his pulse rifle in that general direction.

“I do too,” added Private Hambridge. “About four hundred yards out. I see them coming through the snow.”

For this battle most of the Rangers and some of the Marines wore their comms so they could communicate with one another. A few of the officers in the four Army companies were also wearing comms.

“Stand by to fire.” Major Dolan’s calm voice came over the comms. “Pick your targets and don’t miss. The Trellixians have never encountered our new pulse rifles before. We believe this first alien attack today may only be a probe to test our defenses.”

Anderson looked through a pair of high-powered binoculars he had draped around his neck. He could see dozens of the battle-suited aliens making their way steadily through the forest. The snow and occasional snowdrifts didn’t seem to be slowing them down. Taking a deep breath, Anderson aimed his pulse rifle at the nearest alien, waiting for the word to fire. If this was a probe it was a pretty large one.

The aliens came nearer and Anderson knew the only thing keeping the Ranger, Marine and Army troops from being detected were the deep firing pits and the limbs, pine needles, and now the thick layer of snow covering them. Anderson’s heart pounded as his finger tightened on the trigger.

“Fire!” ordered Major Dolan.

Instantly from the human skirmish line energy beams shot out, striking the Trellixians. A number of the aliens were targeted by more than one beam. The beams struck the Trellixian armor, penetrated, and then came out the back either killing or seriously injuring the aliens. In front of the skirmish line the battle-suited Trellixians began to fall. Some dropped to their knees and fired back, pouring energy beam fire into the human defenses. Several screams echoed across the forest as Rangers and Marines were hit.

Machine-gun fire erupted as well as the MK47 grenade launchers. 60mm and 81mm mortar rounds fell. At the same instant claymores detonated. Throughout the advancing Trellixian formation more of their soldiers dropped in rapid succession. Energy beam fire was prevalent as Ranger, Marine and Army sharpshooters brought down the hated enemy.

The Trellixians took cover behind tree trunks and whatever else they could find. The firing grew intense as both sides tried to annihilate the other. Explosions around the Trellixians threw dirt and debris into the air. Black smoke rose, concealing parts of the forest. Occasionally an explosion from a mortar round or a grenade would knock a Trellixian away from the tree or boulder he used for protection. Whenever this occurred a hail of pulse rifle beams would strike the armored figure, driving him to the ground.

For nearly ten minutes the firing continued and then slowed and finally came to a stop. Sergeant Anderson raised his binoculars, looking across the forest. There was no movement. Every Trellixian soldier was down.

“We have a 100 percent kill rate in our area,” he reported over the comm.

“Same here,” other sergeants reported. “No movement.”

Sergeant Anderson was surprised and relieved the Trellixians had been stopped. Looking at the pulse rifle in his hands he definitely preferred it over the shotgun he had been using. “We stopped the probe,” he said to Privates Peterson and Hambridge. Now we need to get ready for the main attack.”

-

Major Dolan listened as the reports came in from the different sections of the skirmish line. The pulse rifles had worked far better than he had hoped. One shot was sufficient to penetrate a Trellixian’s armor and bring them down. With increasing excitement he realized this might well be the turning point in the war against the aliens.

“All commands, be prepared for strikes by attack craft. The Trellixians are bound to have reported our resistance and the presence of energy rifles. They’ll try to hit us from the air next. Everyone get down in your firing pits as soon as any attack craft are detected. We’ll let our new pulse cannons handle them.” Mark hoped they would do the job. Warp missiles and splinter grenades could still cause a great amount of damage if dropped on the skirmish line.

He wondered how other units spread across the mountains and other areas of the world were doing. He had no sooner thought about that when Private Hastings spoke up. “Word from base, sir. They’ve detected inbound Trellixian attack craft. Two full squadrons.”

Mark let out a deep sigh. That was forty of the deadly little ships. He doubted if his pulse cannons could take them all out before they reached the skirmish line.

“More contacts detected. Friendlies,” Private Hastings said excitedly. “We have a full squadron of F-35s coming up on the Trellixians.”

F-35s, thought Mark. He didn’t see what they could do unless they had been equipped with energy cannons. Even though he had told his Rangers and the Marines to stay inside their firing pits Mark stood and went outside the bunker to see the coming battle in the air.

-

Lieutenant Adam Scott was in his F-35 Lightning closing on the two formations of Trellixian attack craft. There were eighteen fighters in his squadron. Where missiles would normally hang on the wings there were now two long tubes, each an energy cannon. Reaching forward, he flipped a switch and a low humming noise filled the cockpit. He had just activated the energy shield to protect his fighter. Supposedly the energy cannons would fire through it. He was anxious to try out the new weapons. As far as he knew they had not been tested in combat.

“Line up on a target and let’s each try to take one out on the first pass,” ordered Captain Presley, the squadron leader. “Keep in mind the attack craft are probably more maneuverable than our F-35s. There may also be some pulse weapons fire from our troops down below. Don’t be concerned about it. The targeting computers on the cannons are programmed not to shoot at one of our fighters.”

Scott took a deep breath as he gazed ahead. It was evident the alien attack craft were not aware of the F-35s behind them. Why would they be? There hadn’t been a human aircraft in the air for several months. The Trellixians probably believed they had all been destroyed. Not only that they were probably confident their energy shields would protect them. From what Scott had been told the cannons had an effective range of ten miles. They were to fire when they reached six.

-

Major Dolan watched the rapidly nearing alien attack craft. Any moment he expected to see warp missiles raining down on his defensive line. Suddenly four beams of white light shot upward, striking the forward most Trellixian attack craft. In brilliant explosions four fireballs formed, raining debris on the white-coated forest below.

At the same time the F-35s opened up with their energy beams, ravaging the two squadrons of attack craft from behind. More exploded, falling from the sky. The remaining craft broke formation, going into evasive maneuvers. Even so the pulse cannons on the ground in the valley fired again and four more were blown apart. Across the skirmish line cheers broke out as the Ranger, Marine, and Army troops watched the battle in the skies above them.

The fighters quickly closed range and a dogfight broke out above the valley. The energy beams were missing now more than hitting one of the aliens’ fast moving craft, which were flying in wild gyrations as they attempted to avoid incoming energy beam fire. Several times Mark saw Trellixian energy beams strike one of the F-35s to no effect. It appeared as if a protective bubble surrounded the American fighters.

-

Lieutenant Scott twisted his fighter around and dropped in behind a Trellixian attack craft. Two white beams shot out from his fighter, striking the enemy craft in its engines. He turned hard to the right as the attack craft broke up. Looking around he saw few targets left. The ones he could see were vanishing over the nearby mountains as they fled the battle.

“Did we lose anyone?” asked Captain Presley.

“I didn’t see any of our planes go down,” several voices reported.

“My energy shield seems to be shorting out,” Lieutenant Burk reported. “It keeps powering up and then shutting down. I took about four hits from an alien attack craft. It might have shaken something loose.”

“Falcon Four, escort Falcon Seven back to base,” ordered Captain Presley. “The rest of us will continue on to our next engagement zone. We have some more alien attack craft to blow out of the sky.”

Lieutenant Scott took a deep breath as the squadron reformed. For months he and the other pilots had been hiding in an underground facility where the F-35s were stored. Then recently crews of technicians had appeared and begun working on the aircraft, taking some sections apart and modifying others. Two days ago the technicians reported the fighters were ready to fly.

As Scott’s F-35 Lightning climbed higher into the sky he felt as if he had come home. There was nothing like the feeling of flying one of these fighters. It was exhilarating and now it seemed they finally had the weapons to fight the enemy.

-

“Did you see that?” exclaimed Captain Garcia. “We didn’t lose a single aircraft.”

“What about the skirmish line? How did we do?” Mark thought he had heard a few warp missiles explode during the dogfight.

“We lost twelve soldiers in the firefight with the Trellixian troops. Early counts indicate 117 dead alien bodies are lying out there. We also lost fourteen more from four warp missiles that impacted the skirmish line. I’m glad those fighters came along or it could have been a lot worse.”

Mark let out a deep breath. “Send out a few scouts and see if they can locate any more Trellixian troops. We know they had far more than that gathered east of here. This first attack was supposedly a probe. I want to know where the main force is. Also send someone with a radio to the mountain to find out if Lieutenant Stein has been attacked.”

Garcia nodded and quickly passed on the order. “What now?”

“We wait,” Mark replied. He wondered how other battles across the planet were going.

-

Outside the mountains twenty Apache attack helicopters suddenly appeared over one of the massed Trellixian troop and hover tank formations waiting to move into the mountains. Defensive energy beam fire from the hover tanks lanced upward only to be deflected by the energy screens protecting the helicopters.

Arrowing downward the twenty Apaches fired their heavy energy cannons from the nose of their helicopters. Wherever a beam touched the ground it erupted, throwing debris high into the air. Trellixian troops were simply vaporized and whenever a beam touched a hover tank, it blew apart.

-

The Trellixians on the ground didn’t know what to do. They hadn’t expected to be attacked, let alone from the air. Hover tanks aimed their energy cannons upward trying to track and destroy the attacking Human aircraft. When they did manage to hit one of the Human aircraft the beam was simply deflected, causing no damage. The troops milled about, waiting for orders. They had never experienced anything like this before.

-

After making one pass the Apaches returned, this time firing their Hellfire 4 modified guided missiles. The countryside erupted in massive explosions as the ground was lifted into the air from the ferocious blasts. A Jelnoid explosive was being used in the warheads which was ten times more powerful than a human-designed Hellfire missile. Trellixian troops died by the dozens as their battle armor was shredded. Hover tanks were blown apart into hundreds of burning pieces.

When the Apaches pulled up they made another circle and used their energy cannons once more. When they left, the countryside seemed to be on fire with pyres of smoke rising high into the air.

-

Sergeant Tucker was in a firing pit along with Corporal Owens. Both had the new pulse rifles.

“What do you think, Sergeant?” Both of them had been listening to the frantic sounds of battle coming from over the mountain. It had finally ceased, and an eerie silence now lay over the valley.

“We have movement,” reported Corporal Bowing. “Twenty-seven Trellixians have been spotted moving into the neck of the valley. They’re one thousand yards distant and closing.”

Sergeant Tucker clicked off the safety on his pulse rifle. Neither he nor Corporal Owens had even fired the new rifles yet though they had been assured it was similar to a regular assault rifle; it just didn’t have any kick to it.

“I see them,” said Owens, peering through his scope. “They look like giant robots from a horror film.”

“They’re lizards,” replied Tucker. “What did you think they would look like?”

“I don’t know,” Owens replied. “I guess I never really thought about it.”

“Stand by to fire,” ordered Lieutenant Stein. Each soldier had been provided a personal comm unit by the Rangers. “Energy rifles first followed by the M240s and the MK47s. Don’t miss your targets! Hold off on the claymores unless a Trellixian is nearly standing on one. We don’t want to waste them.”

Tucker peered through his scope, sighting in on one of the Trellixians. He aimed for the center of the chest as it was the largest target. There hadn’t been enough time for him to speak to Lacy before rushing to the defensive line. He felt anxious as he watched the Trellixians advance with their large energy rifles in their arms. Tucker knew from reports those rifles were deadly.

“Fire!” ordered Lieutenant Stein.

Tucker squeezed the trigger on his pulse rifle, watching a white beam flash out, striking the Trellixian in the chest. The alien stumbled, dropped its energy rifle, and then fell to the ground. Taking a deep breath, Tucker switched to another target. To his left he heard a scream as an energy beam slammed into one of the firing pits next to him. He tried not to think about who had just died.

The machine guns and the MK47s opened up. More pulse rifles were firing. Looking away from his scope Tucker saw more of the aliens fall. Only a few were still standing and firing at the defensive positions. He heard another scream and then claymores detonated, taking out the remaining enemy. Moments later it grew quiet other than someone moaning in one of the nearby firing pits.

“Privates Kincaid and Armstrong, get out there and check those Trellixians,” ordered Corporal Bowing. “Make sure they’re dead!”

Sergeant Tucker remained in his firing pit, wondering if the battle was over. Surely more aliens than this were committed to the battle. Looking out on the battlefield he saw the two Rangers going rapidly from Trellixian to Trellixian. Twice they stopped and fired an energy round into the visor of one of the downed aliens. Tucker guessed those two must have still been moving. Finally the two Rangers signaled the all clear.

“We just received a message from Major Dolan,” Lieutenant Stein said over the comms. “It seems the Trellixians we just engaged were only a scouting force. Their main forces are still just outside the mountains. However, those forces are being attacked by American air assets including F-35s and Apache helicopters. Early reports indicate the Trellixians have suffered heavy casualties and may not be sending any more forces into the mountains. It looks as if our battle, for the time being, is over.”

“We won?” said Corporal Owens in disbelief. “What has changed to allow us to attack the aliens as we are now?”

“Better weapons,” Tucker said as he climbed out of the firing pit. “I don’t know how but look at these pulse rifles. Who knows what else we’ve managed to come up with? We must have one hell of a research and manufacturing base hidden somewhere.”

Corporal Owens exited the firing pit to stand next to Tucker. There was still a lot of smoke and even a few small fires burning in the trees. “Do you think we have a shot at winning this war now?”

Tucker looked at Owens. “I don’t know. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.” Tucker was anxious to get back to Lacy and Matt. He knew they had to be scared to death from the noises of the battle. He wanted to reassure both of them he was all right and so were they for the foreseeable future.

-

In the UK just outside of Manchester the Trellixians had a large base. From this strategic location, they routinely launched attack craft and sent shuttles with troops across the country to attack pockets of resistance and the remaining Human population.

A sudden noise in the air attracted the Trellixian commander in the process of loading soldiers into a number of shuttles to send to the north. Looking up he saw aircraft he couldn’t identify. With sudden concern he realized these were Human aircraft and they were coming toward his base. He instantly sent out orders to the hover tanks to fire and destroy the incoming aircraft. The Humans had made a mistake thinking they could attack his base.

-

From over the horizon a squadron of F-35s and Apache attack helicopters appeared. The F-35s promptly shot down the four Trellixian attack craft in the process of taking off. They then circled the Trellixian base as the Apaches came in lower and fired their energy cannons and launched dozens of Hellfire 4 missiles. The RAF pilots were jubilant as a series of massive explosions tore through the aliens’ parked shuttles and attack craft, ripping them apart.

Energy beam fire from nearly forty hover tanks lanced upward only to be stopped by the new energy shields of the F-35s and Apaches. For nearly twenty minutes the helicopters made pass after pass before they pulled up and headed back south followed by the F-35s. Behind them they left a scene of devastation. At the Trellixian base every shuttle and attack craft had been destroyed. Hundreds of alien troops were dead and a number of others were seriously injured. Fires raged out of control as plumes of smoke rose high into the air, hiding the sun.

The Trellixian commander stood up from where he had been thrown by a nearby explosion. His left arm hung limply at his side. His battle armor had a big crack in it across his chest as well as multiple dents. Looking around he couldn’t understand what had just happened. The Humans were not supposed to have anything which could harm a Trellixian shuttle or attack craft. Not only that, Trellixian battle armor was supposed to be nearly impervious to weapons fire. Looking at his destroyed base the Trellixian commander realized something was seriously wrong.

-

Squadron Leader Will Edmonton smiled in satisfaction as his squadron headed toward its next target. The new energy cannons had worked as predicted and the energy screen had as well. Not a single F-35 or Apache had been shot down or even damaged in the battle. A smaller Trellixian base was sixty kilometers to the south and he planned on leveling it too before returning to base. After what the Trellixians had done to the UK it felt good to get some payback.

With any kind of luck by morning most of the Trellixians in the UK would be dead. He knew Special Forces units were sweeping through the smaller towns and villages, eliminating the enemy wherever they were found. They would show no mercy.

-

General Mitchell listened as the reports came in from across the world. Military units in the UK, Australia, Canada, Japan, Germany, France, China, and Russia were inflicting heavy casualties on the Trellixian forces. Every country had put up at least a few air assets, deployed limited numbers of pulse rifles, and even a few pulse cannons. The Trellixians had been taken by complete surprise. Most of their sorties into the mountains had incurred nearly 100 percent losses because of defending troops in entrenched positions.

“We’ve got them beat,” said General Briggs ecstatically. “We’ve taken out tens of thousands of their troops and large numbers of their hover tanks and attack craft. Hell, in the UK there may not be a single Trellixian living by morning.”

“What are the battlecruisers doing?” This was Mitchell’s biggest concern. No way to predict how Battle Commander Balforr would react to this defeat. There was a slight possibility he would simply nuke Earth and leave.

“Just sitting there in orbit,” Colonel Fields answered. “I’m not sure if they know what to do. Our response to their attack has to be totally unexpected. If they descend lower they can hit us with their heavy energy weapons. The weapons we’re using now can’t hurt one of those battlecruisers. We have a few Jelnoid secondary energy cannons deployed but they won’t be able to penetrate a battlecruiser’s energy screen.”

“I think its time we pulled back our air assets,” General Mitchell said. “Perhaps we’ve bought enough time to get the Jelnoid primary beams into operation. Our troops should be able to hold their ground with the new pulse rifles and cannons we’ve provided.”

General Briggs nodded in agreement. “We need to get more air assets flyable anyway. We’re only using about 20 percent of the fighters we have available and 60 percent of the Apaches. The same is true of our allies.”

“Send the order. Once we have all air assets equipped with Jelnoid technology and we’ve deployed sufficient secondary and primary energy weapons we’ll resume this battle. For now we’ve accomplished what we set out to do. Inform our allies of what we’re doing and recommend they do the same.”

-

Second Officer Jaltor feared to approach Battle Commander Balforr with the latest news from the battlefields. Defeat after defeat was being reported. In many areas of the planet Trellixian troops were in full retreat. Thousands had been killed and the loss of equipment steadily mounted. Looking at Balforr Jaltor saw the battle commander’s fists were clenched tight and blood even dripped from one hand where his nails had cut into the flesh.

-

“Report!” demanded Balforr, his voice filled with rage. “Tell me I won’t have to inform the High Command our offensive against the Humans has failed.”

Jaltor stood a short distance from Balforr, too scared to come any closer. “The Humans have deployed more Jelnoid technology. They have an energy weapon which can penetrate our soldiers’ armor. They also have a heavy energy weapon that can destroy our hover tanks and shoot down our attack craft. Even more worrisome they have deployed some of their own aircraft which are equipped with energy beams as well as energy shields. Reports indicate we have not been able to shoot down any of them. We all know Jelnoid technology is superior to our own, particularly their energy weapons and shields.”

Battle Commander Balforr remained silent. He stood there, his eyes glowing red and his breathing fast and heavy. “Order our battlecruisers to descend and destroy the bases of these Human aircraft. We can trace them back to their launch points. We will find them and use the energy weapons on our battlecruisers to destroy them.”

“As you command,” Second Officer Jaltor replied.

-

Trellixian battlecruisers dropped from orbit toward locations where sensors had indicated Human aircraft had landed. All across the planet the battlecruisers positioned themselves above the hidden bases. From the bows of the ships incandescent beams of energy flashed down to strike, only they didn’t reach the surface. Between them and the bases an energy field appeared in the form of a bubble which deflected the energy fire. For many long minutes the battlecruisers attempted to penetrate the energy screens but failed to do so. Finally, one by one, they sent reports of their failures to Battle Commander Balforr.

-

“Now they have energy shields around their bases, only these are much stronger than the one that protected their primary base!” roared Balforr, seeing his victory over this world slipping from his grasp. “Order the battlecruisers back into orbit.”

“The Humans must have some large hidden installations we haven’t yet detected,” surmised Jaltor. “It’s the only way they could have built the weapons being used against us.”

Balforr whirled around to face Second Officer Jaltor. “And what will we do when they deploy primary Jelnoid energy beams? Those beams can destroy our battlecruisers. How do I explain this to the High Command?”

-

Jaltor remained silent. He merely stood there, waiting other orders. When none were forthcoming he went to the communications console and ordered the battlecruisers to resume their former orbits.

-

Battle Commander Balforr stood, glaring at the viewscreens showing the planet. If he couldn’t destroy the Human forces and their civilian population, it could well mean the end of his service to the Trellixian Empire. Failure was not an option for a battle commander. He would defeat the Humans even if he had to devastate most of the planet to do so. Now he just needed to come up with a plan.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Two weeks had passed since the disastrous attack on the Humans planned by Battle Commander Traven. The High Command had recalled Traven, placing Battle Commander Jabale in charge of Traven’s ships. The colony fleet had also been recalled and sent to a different world. There had been considerable concern about the development of Jelnoid weapons on Earth.

The High Command had even gone so far as to ask Balforr if he thought it would be best to use nuclear weapons to make the planet uninhabitable to permanently erase the threat. Battle Commander Balforr had informed the High Command the Humans no longer had the population or the industrial base to ever produce a spaceship. They were stranded on their planet for the foreseeable future.

Balforr requested a ship be sent to Earth with additional Malken missiles. He was contemplating using just enough to induce a very short nuclear winter, one that would eliminate most of the surviving Humans.

After that the planet should be relatively easy to conquer. He didn’t relish the thought of spending another year or two in orbit about Earth, but in the end he could deliver to the Empire a world with considerable living space, one that someday would become an important part of the Trellixian Empire.

It would still be another week yet before the battlecruiser transporting the missiles arrived. It was one of the reasons he was having the entire planet scanned with the fleet’s sensors to see where the missiles should be detonated to cause the maximum harm to the planet’s surviving military forces.

For two weeks Balforr’s battlecruisers had circled Earth, scanning every section of its landmasses, trying to locate all the Humans’ bases. Balforr now studied a large holographic display showing no less than eighty-seven Human military bases protected by energy screens and what appeared to be Jelnoid secondary energy weapons.

All Trellixian troops had been pulled back to their remaining bases and heavy energy weapons installed for protection. So far the Humans hadn’t attempted any attacks against the fortified positions.

“The Humans possess far more surviving military bases than we believed possible,” said Jaltor, examining the hologram. “How could so many of them have survived?”

Balforr looked at Jaltor. “The Humans knew we were coming to attack their world from what they learned from the Jelnoid scout craft that crashed here. Doubtlessly they had sufficient time to prepare and hide large numbers of troops as well as set up these smaller military bases we’re detecting. They knew from the very beginning who we were and why we were here.”

“Should we begin removing our troops?” asked Second Officer Jaltor. “We will need to if we drop additional Malken missiles. Battle Commander Jabale has sufficient room on the troop ships.”

“No,” replied Balforr as he studied the scans of several bases located in mountainous regions. “I don’t want to tip off the Humans as to what we’re doing. Evacuating our troops would be an indication we’re preparing to take catastrophic steps to bring the planet under our control. We’ll leave troops in place to attack the Human military bases once the nuclear winter sets in.” He was counting on the horrible weather conditions caused by the nuclear winter to wipe out most of the civilian population. The Trellixian troops encased in their battle armor would not be affected by the adverse conditions and could deal with the Humans’ remaining military.

Second Officer Jaltor looked toward the main viewscreen, which was always focused on the planet. “This world has turned out to be much more dangerous than what the High Command believed. What would have happened if we had waited a few more years to attack? They could have developed their technology to the point our fleet could have been defeated.”

Balforr knew Jaltor was correct. This had always been one of the greatest fears of the High Command, that someday they would discover a race more advanced who could be a major threat to the Empire. That had nearly happened with the Jelnoids. The Humans could have been even more of a threat if they had been given sufficient time to develop advanced spaceships based on Jelnoid technology.

Fortunately the Humans were tied to their one planet and once the Malken missiles were dropped they would cease being a threat completely. It would delay colonization for a few years but at this point Balforr believed the use of the Malken missiles was the right strategic choice.

-

Lisa was inside one of the human spaceships along with Professor Wilkens. “This ship is the Vengeance,” Wilkens said. “She will be the first of our fleet to be completed.”

“How soon?” asked Lisa. To her the ship appeared complete already. The outer hull was in place and the interior, including the crew cabins, were finished as well. The ship was a marvel of technology and innovation.

“Six months,” Wilkens replied as they walked down a brilliantly lit corridor. “All we lack is installing her fusion power plants and the Vengeance will be done.”

They stopped in Engineering, stepping through a double hatch with two Marines standing in the outside corridor making sure there was no unauthorized access. Lisa had noticed a number of Marines on guard duty as they walked through the ship.

“Why so many Marines?” She didn’t think there was any threat to the ships.

“There will be some assigned to each spaceship,” explained Wilkens. “We are still determining what areas on the ships need to have security available. Most of the time only six guards are on duty: two at the main hatch, two in the Command Center and the two here at Engineering. I believe from what I heard last General Mitchell wants a full platoon assigned to each vessel.”

“How many crew per ship?” asked Lisa. She knew it had to be in the hundreds if not more.

“A little over five hundred,” Professor Wilkens replied.

Lisa’s eyes widened. “That will be five thousand people just for the ships here. Where will we get the people?”

Wilkens smiled. “Many will come from our military and others will be technicians from this complex as well as some people from the civilian one. Don’t worry, Lisa; we have plenty of people for the crews.”

Lisa watched as a number of technicians worked on one of the two main fusion power plants for the ship. These reactors were much larger than the smaller ones the military bases and Complex One used. “These were designed before we even had the new alloys we discovered in the Trellixians’ energy rifles. What if we hadn’t found those alloys?”

“We were confident we would develop what we needed,” Wilkens replied. “We were already close on several possible alloys we thought held promise. As for the reactors, they had to be this large to furnish the power we will need for the engines as well as the weapons.”

“Will this ship travel faster than light?”

“It’s doesn’t really go faster than light. The ship’s drive works by folding space behind and in front of the ship, making the distance between two points less.”

“An Alcubierre Drive,” said Lisa in understanding. “It will allow a ship to appear to go faster than light without breaking any of the physical laws.”

Professor Wilkens nodded. “We won’t get to try it until we’re out in space. It’s what the Jelnoids used and we believe it’s faster than what the Trellixians are using.”

A lot of noise was coming from Engineering. Technicians were trying to get everything in position as well as attach power conduits and power couplings. Cables were strung across the deck and pieces of equipment had yet to be assembled. Control systems were being installed as well as small viewscreens which would monitor every aspect of the reactors. Lisa could see they still had a lot of work to do.

“Let’s go to the Command Center,” suggested the professor. “I think you will find it more interesting since your station is located there.”

They had to take several intra-ship elevators to get to the Command Center, which was buried deep in the heart of the ship to provide maximum protection. Reaching it, Lisa and Professor Wilkens stepped inside.

Lisa came to a stop as she gazed about in amazement. She felt as if she had stepped into a scene out of a science fiction movie. The room was circular with consoles and viewscreens lining it. In the center was the commander’s chair and on both sides were two other chairs with small consoles in front of them. The room was spotless and brightly lit.

“This way,” the professor said as he walked to a large console just to the left and in front of the command chair. “This is your science station. From here you can access all the ship’s sensors as well as interior readings on the ship and its systems. It’s tied into the ship’s main computer which has a massive database.”

Lisa sat, finding the chair remarkably comfortable. In front of her was a large viewscreen. She could imagine flying through space and the screen filled with stars. “I think I’m going to like this.”

Professor Wilkens smiled. “I believe you will. Now let’s get back to the lab. I have an experiment running I need you to help me with.”

Standing, Lisa looked one more time around the Command Center. Someday she would be going into space. She could hardly believe it.

-

General Mitchell was in President Hathaway’s office.

“They’re still just sitting there,” Katelyn said with a deep frown. “Why?”

“We’re not certain,” General Mitchell replied. “Some of our military strategists believe they’re trying to decide whether to simply destroy our world and go on or to continue the invasion.”

“Their troops are still on the ground though they’ve all pulled back to their bases,” added Colonel Fields, “ones that are heavily fortified.”

Katelyn looked thoughtful. “Can we destroy those bases?”

“Maybe,” General Mitchell replied. This was something that had been discussed in depth at several meetings with other members of the military. “However, there’s a Trellixian battlecruiser in low orbit above each. We believe if we launch an attack, the cruiser will come down and use its weaponry against us. The energy shields on our aircraft would not be able to resist such powerful weapons.”

“What if they decide to nuke us again?”

“It won’t work,” Colonel Fields replied. “We’ve set up enough secondary energy cannons around the world that we could shoot down most, if not all, of their missiles.”

“What if they hit the center of the oceans away from land?”

General Mitchell let out a deep sigh. “That is a concern. In another week we’ll begin deploying the Jelnoid primary energy cannons. They can cover the oceans as well as hit the Trellixian battlecruisers in orbit. In two more weeks we’ll be ready to launch our attack. If we can drive them away from Earth or into a much higher orbit, it would leave their bases open to attacks from our Air Forces.”

President Hathaway leaned back and briefly closed her eyes and then opened them, looking at General Mitchell. “Are you telling me in two more weeks this nightmare will finally be over?”

Mitchell nodded. “At least the first part. With the primary energy cannons we can keep the Trellixians away from our world. We’re also developing energy shields that can protect some of our smaller towns and cities. We can give our people back their lives.”

President Katelyn stood and walked toward the window looking out over the underground complex and city. While the city was beautiful and a wonderful refuge it wasn’t the same as living on the surface. “What about the future? What happens next?”

“We continue work on our spaceships,” General Mitchell replied. “When they’re done we drive the Trellixians from our solar system and put up a powerful defensive grid around Earth. Work is already progressing on building the defensive satellites. They’ll have both Jelnoid primary energy cannons as well as Jelnoid missiles. We know from the Jelnoid database what they used to protect their homeworld. When we’re done ours will be much stronger.”

President Hathaway turned around and gazed at General Mitchell. “You’ve given us all hope for the future. We must not fail in this endeavor.”

“We won’t,” promised Mitchell. “We just need two more weeks and the worst part of this will be over.”

President Hathaway nodded. She just hoped nothing went wrong.

-

Mark watched as the large energy cannon was installed in a clearing in the valley his troops were responsible for protecting. It was aimed upward toward space and a number of technicians were busy finishing up the work. A small building had been erected next to it with its own power source.

“What is it?” asked Captain Garcia. He had been asked to pull twenty of his Rangers off the skirmish line to defend the cannon.

“A primary energy cannon that’s supposed to hit the Trellixian battlecruisers in orbit,” Mark replied. “They’re putting these up all over the country.” Mark had been told by Colonel Branson that once these were fired the war here on Earth would be mostly over. Mark hoped it happened soon. He wanted to get back to Complex One to see his sister and eventually return to Houston to search for his parents. On his way to Houston he would stop at his aunt’s farm to see if they had made it there.

Garcia stared at the large energy cannon. The parts had been brought in by helicopter several days ago. “The advanced scouts are still reporting no signs of Trellixian troops nearby.”

Mark nodded. “That’s to be expected. Colonel Branson said they’ve all pulled back to their bases. We’ve armed enough people with pulse rifles that the Trellixians dare not venture into the countryside.”

“It’s hard to imagine this war might nearly be over,” said Garcia. He looked at Major Dolan. “What will we do then?”

“Rebuild,” Mark answered. He knew there was more to it than that. There were spaceships at Complex One and he suspected at other secret complexes around the world too. Someday they would be going into space to take the war to the Trellixians. Mark wanted to be a part of that.

A sad look crossed Garcia’s face. “For many of us there is no longer a home to go back to.”

Mark knew Garcia was right. The nukes the Trellixians dropped originally had destroyed the hearts of many cities. Their troops had damaged numerous homes and businesses across the country as they tried to exterminate the civilian population. It would be a different world when this was over.

-

Battle Commander Balforr was jubilant. The battlecruiser with the Malken missiles had arrived. The missiles had been unloaded and distributed to the ten battlecruisers which would fire them. Most of them would be targeting the largest Human military bases they could detect with their sensors. The debris from the explosions would put the planet into a nuclear winter for six to ten months. The debris and atmospheric conditions should prevent the Humans from deploying any of their aircraft. His troops still on the ground would begin systematic raids on the known Human military bases, eliminating them one by one. Balforr expected the much colder temperatures generated by the lack of sunlight would kill most of the remaining Human civilians. Then it would just be a matter of mopping up the few who survived.

“Missiles are ready to fire,” reported Second Officer Jaltor. “All battlecruisers are in position.”

Battle Commander Balforr gazed at the blue-white planet on the ship’s main viewscreen. That would soon change once the Malken missiles detonated. Each missile would detonate with one hundred megatons of explosive force. “Launch the missiles. Let us end this.”

-

From ten Trellixian battlecruisers black missiles dropped toward the planet below, each one targeted on a Human base. The devastation would be total.

-

In General Mitchell’s Command Center alarms sounded as soon as the missile launches were detected.

“What do we have?” asked Mitchell as his gaze was drawn to a screen showing ten red threat icons.

“We think they’re the same missiles used to take out our main base,” replied Colonel Fields as he studied some data on a sensor screen. “If we’re correct the Trellixians are trying to invoke a nuclear winter. They probably believe the cold will wipe out most of the surviving civilian population.”

“Will it?”

Fields nodded. “We’re not set up to deal with the type of cold such a catastrophe would bring.”

“Can we shoot down the missiles?”

“We can try,” Fields answered. “We have a lot of Jelnoid secondary energy cannons set up.”

“Then do it,” ordered General Mitchell, his focus on the screen showing the rapidly descending missiles. His gaze shifted to a viewscreen showing Battle Commander Balforr’s battlecruiser. Mitchell’s eyes narrowed. He wanted Balforr dead and in a few days Mitchell intended to destroy that ship.

-

Across the world, secondary energy cannons activated. Beams of raw energy flashed upward, striking the descending missiles. First one, then two, and finally eight of the deadly missiles were vaporized. However, two of them continued to descend. One detonated over South Africa, destroying its only active military base. The second one exploded over the Philippines, destroying one of only two active bases in the country. Huge amounts of ash and smoke rose into the air, darkening the sky.

-

General Mitchell gazed at the viewscreens showing the two detonations. “Will that be enough to cause a nuclear winter?” He knew they were lucky more of the deadly missiles hadn’t struck Earth. South Africa and the Philippines didn’t have the number of secondary energy cannons as did other countries with larger surviving militaries. Even so, they should have been able to shoot down those two missiles. Mitchell didn’t know if they would ever know why they didn’t.

Colonel Fields shook his head. “Not a complete nuclear winter. It will darken the skies somewhat and cause the temperature to drop a few degrees. That’s a lot of debris and ash being added to the atmosphere. In another week we would have had enough secondary energy cannons deployed to better cover those regions.”

General Mitchell looked at another viewscreen showing Battle Commander Balforr’s ship. No way would Balforr have expected any of his missiles to be destroyed. Mitchell wondered what the Trellixian commander would do next. “I don’t think he will use nukes, not with so many Trellixian troops still on the ground.”

“No,” agreed General Briggs. “But he may pull out his troops so he can use nukes. It’s evident he wants to trigger a full-scale nuclear winter. He needs to drop nukes now to do that. He will try to saturate our defenses until enough get through.”

General Mitchell knew all their plans would be endangered if the Trellixians could trigger a nuclear winter. He took a deep breath as he gazed at the viewscreen showing Balforr’s command ship.

“We need to get more of our primary energy cannons operational. Increase the number of personnel involved even if we have to strip Complexes One and Two of qualified people. I want them installed in five days. That’s when we’ll attack the battlecruisers.” Mitchell wanted Balforr’s battlecruisers away from Earth.

“We’ll only have about half of what we planned,” warned General Briggs.

“I know,” Mitchell replied. “But if we allow those battlecruisers to remain in low orbit they’ll get some missiles through. If we can back them off we just might be able to shoot all of them down. We also must ensure every part of the world is protected by secondary energy cannons. If Balforr tries to nuke us we have to stop those missiles.”

Briggs nodded. “I’ll get to work on it.”

General Mitchell looked at the viewscreens on the front wall of the Command Center. A big part of South Africa and the central part of the Philippines were now hidden from view with rising clouds of debris and ash. Mitchell was determined someday he would make the Trellixians pay for what they had done to Earth.

-

Battle Commander Balforr stared at the viewscreens in disbelief. Eight of his ten Malken missiles had been destroyed. The Humans had deployed far more of the Jelnoid secondary energy cannons than he had believed possible.

“Computer simulations indicate the two Malken explosions are not sufficient to trigger a nuclear winter though they will decrease the average temperature across the planet by 5.2 degrees.”

“How long will it take us to evacuate our troops and their equipment?” If the troops were off the planet he could begin bombarding the surface with sufficient nuclear weapons to start a nuclear winter. He could also target the Human military bases in an attempt to destroy them.

“Ten days,” Second Officer Jaltor responded. “We have nearly 260,000 troops still on the surface, plus attack craft. We lost a number of shuttles in the recent offensive against the Humans so it’s going to take time to evacuate our soldiers.”

Balforr gazed at two viewscreens showing the parts of the planet the two Malken missiles had destroyed. “Order the evacuation immediately. As soon as it’s complete we’ll launch the nuclear attack.”

“Should we inform the High Command of our intentions?”

“No,” Balforr replied. “We should have nuked this planet into oblivion when we first arrived.” He was growing tired of these constant defeats by the Humans. It was time to end this. “I want this planet in a nuclear winter for at least two years.” Besides, the High Command had already made that suggestion; they just didn’t know Balforr now intended to carry it out.

Second Officer Jaltor looked at Balforr. “That will kill most of the animal life and plant life on the planet. Even parts of this planet’s oceans will become lifeless. It could delay colonization for a decade or more.”

“We can bring in animals and plants. We must end these Humans once and for all.” Rather than let this planet someday become a threat to the Empire it was best to destroy it now.

-

Mark examined the new primary energy cannon installed in the clearing. They were about a mile behind the skirmish line and close to one of the supply caches. For the last several hours the technicians had run tests to see if all the equipment functioned properly.

“That’s one hell of a cannon,” said Sergeant Anderson as he gazed at the towering weapon. “Do you think it can hit one of those alien battlecruisers and damage it?”

“Supposedly,” Mark replied. “The pulse rifles and the smaller pulse cannons worked well. I don’t see why this one won’t either.” Rumors were flying that sometime in the next seventy-two hours the cannon would be activated.

Sergeant Anderson stepped back so he could see the top of the cannon. “I can’t wait to see this cannon fired.”

Mark nodded. It would be a sight, indeed, to see the powerful energy beam fired toward space. “I’m going back to the base. I may try to contact Colonel Branson to see for sure what’s going on.”

Colonel Branson had returned to the main Ranger base and was coordinating the setup of better defenses around the civilian areas. Mark stood, looking at the cannon for another moment, before walking to a waiting ATV. He hoped the rumors were true. If they were preparing to attack the Trellixian battlecruisers then the war for Earth was coming to a close, at least this phase.

Colonel Branson had mentioned earlier Mark would shortly be assigned to one of the spacecraft being built at Complex One. With a deep sigh Mark knew this war still had a long ways to go.

-

General Mitchell gazed at a viewscreen showing Trellixian shuttles rising from Earth toward the waiting battlecruisers. For the last five days shuttle after shuttle had been going back and forth between the orbiting ships and the Trellixian bases on the ground. Mitchell was certain Battle Commander Balforr was evacuating the planet so he could nuke it.

“We’re nearly ready,” General Briggs announced. “Across the planet we have forty-two of the heavy energy cannons ready to fire. We committed a lot of resources getting them ready. We’ve added anther eighty secondary cannons as well.”

“There are fifty-eight battlecruisers in orbit plus the troop ships,” said General Mitchell as he gazed at a tactical display showing the location of all the enemy vessels. A few battlecruisers were very low in the atmosphere hovering above their bases. “All primary cannons are to target different battlecruisers. We want to cause as much damage as possible. Once the cannons fire their first shot, the second one is to be at the remaining battlecruisers. Then the cannons will continue to fire until the Trellixians have climbed into a higher orbit out of range or their ships have been destroyed. Don’t worry about the troop ships; we’ll let them go for now.”

“Twelve hundred miles,” Colonel Fields said. “Past that the cannons won’t cause any damage due to the power of the Trellixian energy shields.”

General Mitchell turned to Colonel Fields. “I expect them to pull back farther. It takes a lot of energy to power an energy shield constantly. Even the ones we have around our bases are set to minimum power unless a threat is detected. I fully expect Battle Commander Balforr to retreat to at least two thousand miles so he won’t have to operate his shields continuously at full power.”

“All stations are reporting their cannons are now tracking their targets,” reported Colonel Steward from Communications.

“We can fire at any time,” said General Briggs, his eyes glowing with excitement. “Just give the order.”

General Mitchell took a deep breath. This had been a long time coming. Along with the firing of the primary cannons an all-out attack on the Trellixian bases would begin as well. All air assets were now equipped with energy cannons as well as protective energy shields.

“Fire!” Two cannons were targeting Balforr’s ship and Mitchell hoped they blew the hell out of it.

-

Battle Commander Balforr was in his quarters working on a report to the High Command, explaining his planned action to nuke the planet. He was about to begin his explanation when the ship shook violently, nearly knocking him to the floor. Alarms sounded and red lights flashed. Then the ship shook again even more violently. With deep concern he hurried out of his quarters, heading toward the Command Center. He passed several crewmembers running to their emergency stations. The ship shook several more times and Balforr knew these were internal explosions. His ship was under attack and he had a strong suspicion as to who had attacked it.

The Command Center was on the same level as his quarters and it only took him a few seconds to reach it. Going through the hatch he saw Second Officer Jaltor shouting orders.

“What hit us?”

Jaltor turned toward Balforr with fear in his eyes. “The entire fleet is being targeted from the planet. Sensors indicate we’re being hit by Jelnoid primary energy weapons. I’ve already ordered all ships to raise their energy shields and climb to a higher orbit.”

“The energy beams are going right through our shields,” reported the sensor officer.

“Numerous ships are reporting damage,” added the communications officer.

The ship suddenly shook again, even worse than before. A control console exploded in a shower of sparks seriously burning the Trellixian operating it who collapsed to the deck. The lights flickered, went off, and then came back on. On the damage control console numerous red lights appeared indicating serious damage to the battlecruiser.

“We have four battlecruisers with serious damage to Engineering. All four were above our troop bases. They cannot reach a higher orbit,” Jaltor reported grimly. “Other ships are reporting increasing damage.”

A sudden bright light filled one of the viewscreens.

“What was that?” demanded Balforr.

“The Conquest. It blew up,” reported the sensor officer.

“We have more ships reporting engine failures,” the communications officer informed Balforr. “The Humans are targeting the engineering sections of our ships.”

Balforr stood frozen, unsure as to what to do. Never in his long years as a battle commander had his fleet ever suffered this type of damage. The ship shook again and suddenly keeled over to one side. The artificial gravity failed and then came back on.

“An internal explosion put a huge hole in the side of the ship,” reported Jaltor, his expression revealing his growing panic. “It’s forty meters across and nearly thirty deep. Fires are out of control on numerous decks. We’re operating on secondary power.”

“What’s our altitude?”

“Eight hundred kilometers and climbing,” reported the Trellixian in front of Navigation.

Balforr looked at a viewscreen focused on one of his battlecruisers under attack. White energy beams speared the ship time after time, blasting out huge holes in the hull and hurling glowing debris into space. Suddenly a series of explosions wracked the ship and it blew apart, sending debris in all directions.

“That was the Durra,” reported the sensor officer. “We’ve lost seven battlecruisers so far. We have twelve more that have lost power to their engines and cannot escape the enemy’s energy beams.”

“Fire all our nuclear missiles at the planet,” ordered Balforr, his eyes glowing red. “Maybe that will take some of the pressure off our ships. Use tractor beams to tow the damaged vessels into a safe orbit.”

Jaltor looked stunned. “What about our troops on the surface? If we bombard the planet we’ll be killing them as well.”

“They’re already dead,” Balforr said coldly. “Do you think the Humans will let them live?”

Jaltor hesitated for a long moment and then hurried away to carry out the orders.

-

General Mitchell watched the screens as energy weapons fire pummeled the Trellixian fleet. He felt jubilant every time a Trellixian battlecruiser was blown apart.

“We’ve taken out seven of their battlecruisers,” reported Colonel Fields in elation. “It appears the Trellixians are attempting to rescue some of their battlecruisers with engine problems. They’re using some sort of tractor beam.”

“Switch our targeting to those damaged ships,” ordered General Mitchell. “I don’t want them getting away.”

“All fighters and helicopters have been launched,” reported Major Thomas. “We have squadrons of F-35s, F-22s and Apaches inbound toward Trellixian troop concentrations. Other countries around the world have launched their attacks as well.”

On one of the huge sensor screens using Jelnoid technology alarms sounded. Hundreds of red threat icons appeared.

“What are those?”

“Nukes,” replied Colonel Fields. “The Trellixian battlecruisers are launching hundreds of nukes.”

General Mitchell looked alarmed. “Can we shoot them down?”

Colonel Fields spent a few moments consulting with several other officers. “Most of them. However some are coming down over the oceans and we don’t have the capability of hitting them with our secondary energy cannons.”

“What about the primary ones?”

“They could.”

“Then switch half of our primary cannons to shooting down those nukes,” ordered General Mitchell. He hated doing that as it took some of the pressure off the Trellixian battlecruisers but he couldn’t let all those missiles detonate.

-

All across the planet primary and secondary energy cannons targeted the descending nuclear weapons. Hundreds of energy beams flashed upward, annihilating the descending weapons of mass destruction. The Trellixian battlecruisers kept launching, emptying their missile tubes and supplies of nuclear missiles. In all over 1,200 were launched toward the planet.

Space lit up from the destruction of the missiles. They came closer and closer to the planet as the energy beams continued to seek them out, destroying them. Deeper into the atmosphere they descended as more of them died fiery deaths. Then a few of them began impacting the surface. Across the world, nuclear fire erupted. Mushroom clouds rose into the air. More cities were leveled and raging fires spread. Most of the missiles had been aimed at the landmasses at no particular target. Eighty-seven twenty-kiloton nuclear missiles detonated on land, throwing debris and ash high into the atmosphere. Forty-two more struck the oceans, vaporizing millions of tons of ocean water.

-

Battle Commander Balforr shook with anger. The nuclear attack had been far less successful than he had expected. It seemed as if everything he tried, the Humans managed to thwart.

“We’re out of range of their energy beams,” announced Second Officer Jaltor with relief in his voice, “but our ship is heavily damaged. We’ll have to go to a repair yard. We can’t do the repairs ourselves.”

“Twenty-seven battlecruisers confirmed destroyed,” added the sensor officer. “Sixteen others report moderate-to-heavy damage.”

“Our own ship is heavily damaged,” reported Jaltor. “We were fortunate to escape the Humans’ weapons fire. It will take at least a day to repair the damage so we can enter hyperspace.”

Balforr eyes glowed red with rage. How could this happen? “Pull all of our ships back to Earth’s moon.”

“Battle Commander,” interrupted the communications officer. “I have confirmed reports Battle Commander Jabale’s ship has been destroyed. There were no survivors. Also reports are coming in from the surface of Human aircraft attacking our bases. Heavy casualties are being reported.”

Balforr felt as if his world was crashing in on him. For several long minutes he gazed at the viewscreens showing the planet beneath his shattered fleet. “Inform all ship commanders we will leave shortly for the nearest repair yard. We’ll rendezvous with the troop transports, make what repairs we can, and then leave this system.”

“What about our troops on the ground?” asked Jaltor. “We can send our remaining shuttles to evacuate more of them.”

“No,” Balforr replied in a defeated voice. “The Humans will only shoot them down. We will return to the Empire and I will recommend the planet be cordoned off. The nuclear weapons detonated should be enough to cause a short nuclear winter. That will cause more deaths among the Human civilians. We can put a small fleet in orbit to keep this world under observation. At some time in the future the High Command may decide to send another invasion fleet to this world.”

Perhaps by then this planet’s civilization will have collapsed and a second invasion won’t be necessary. Balforr doubted once the nuclear winter was over if there would be enough Humans left to maintain a technological civilization for long.

Jaltor stood, gazing at the viewscreen. They were abandoning over two hundred thousand Trellixian troops. “As you command,” he said, making his way to the communications console.

Balforr left the smoke filled Command Center to return to his quarters. There was no doubt in his mind that once the High Command received the report of this defeat they would remove him as a battle commander. His career in the Trellixian military was over and it was all because of the Humans.

-

Lieutenant Scott pulled up from his last attack run over the ruins of the Trellixian base. Smoke and raging fires hid most of the base from view. As he watched several Apache attack helicopters fired more Hellfire missiles at the few hover tanks still putting up resistance. Massive explosions obliterated them, leaving shattered burning hulks behind. Scott knew all six surviving squadrons of F-35 Lightnings and the ten squadrons of F-22 Raptors were flying attack missions. All Apaches were involved as well.

Even as Scott watched several larger helicopters landed and troops armed with pulse rifles swarmed out. The troops would go in now to make sure all the Trellixian forces had been annihilated. A few Apaches would remain on the scene in case any heavy resistance was encountered.

“Let’s head to our secondary target,” ordered the Captain Presley. “This isn’t quite over yet.”

Scott knew the squadron commander was right. It wasn’t over yet but it soon would be.

-

General Mitchell leaned back in his command chair, mentally exhausted. He could scarcely believe this day had arrived. They finally had victory over the Trellixians!

“It’s confirmed. The Trellixian fleet is heading for the Moon,” reported Colonel Fields.

“How bad did those nukes hurt us?” Mitchell had witnessed their detonations on the Command Center’s viewscreens. Each one had sent a cold chill down his back.

“It will be a considerably colder this winter but they were small nukes with limited radiation. Our atmosphere should return to near normal in eight to twelve months. We’re right on the borderline of a nuclear winter. It’s too soon to tell if we’re going over the threshold.”

“Our air units?”

“Encountering very little resistance,” reported Major Thomas. “The Trellixians don’t have anything that can penetrate a Jelnoid energy shield. We’re landing troops to finish the mopping up. Our commanders in the field estimate another eight to ten hours and this will be over.”

“We won!” said General Briggs with a huge smile. “It’s actually over.”

“For now,” replied General Mitchell, as he focused on his second in command. “I doubt if we’ve seen the last of the Trellixians. Next time we’ll be ready for them. Colonel Steward, get me the president. It’s time to tell her the good news. The war, for now, is over!”

Epilogue

Two months had passed since the victory over the Trellixians. President Hathaway, Secretary of State Maggie Rayne, General Mitchell, and Colonel Fields were all in Complex One, sitting in the president’s office.

“What’s the final census of American survivors?” asked Katelyn. That was one of the first things she had ordered. She wanted to know how many Americans had survived.

“We’re looking at between twenty and twenty-two million survivors,” Colonel Fields answered. “That does not include the people in the underground facilities. We’ve gotten most of the survivors to smaller cities and towns where we’ve restored power and basic utilities. Our new fusion reactors are a godsend. We’re also using weak energy shields to protect them from the worst of the cold and bad weather caused by the last nukes the Trellixians dropped on us.”

“What about worldwide?” Katelyn knew there were numerous survivors in other countries.

“Around 190 million survivors. There may be others yet who we haven’t reached or made contact with.”

Katelyn let out a deep breath. The Trellixians had eliminated nearly 97 percent of the world’s population. “A lot of people died. I guess we’re lucky any survived at all since the Trellixians were trying to kill all of us.”

“We’ve been talking to some of the other governments,” said General Mitchell, folding his arms across his chest. “In some countries where only small groups of survivors exist, we may try to bring them to countries with larger population groups. We’ll need to get some industry going if we want to take this war to the Trellixians.”

“Do we have to?” asked Katelyn. She was tired of this war. So much had been lost. “It seems as if the smart thing to do would be to rebuild our population and our world.”

Mitchell shook his head. “I don’t believe the Trellixians will allow us to do that. We’ve already detected four of their battlecruisers in orbit around the Moon. They’ve obviously been put there to keep us under observation. A few of their shuttles have approached within five thousand miles of the surface. They’re being careful to stay outside of our weapons range.”

“Are they a threat?” asked Katelyn with concern in her voice. She hadn’t known about the battlecruisers until now.

“No,” answered Colonel Fields. “We have 127 primary Jelnoid energy cannons deployed as well as nearly five hundred secondary cannons. We can keep them away from Earth.”

“There’s a lot of snow this year,” Secretary of State Rayne commented. “Several park rangers in my complex have mentioned it’s the most they’ve ever seen.”

“We’ll have big snowfalls for the next year or two until the atmosphere returns to normal,” explained Colonel Fields. “A lot of dust and ash are in the atmosphere. Some of the precipitation which would normally fall as rain is coming down as snow due to lower temperatures across the world. It’s going to play hell with crop growth this next year but we’ll get by.”

President Hathaway looked at the others. “I guess we’re the lucky ones. At least we survived.” She looked at General Mitchell. “So, what do we do now?”

“Finish establishing the surviving civilians in more of the smaller towns and cities. Get our industries running again and finish the spaceships. We have a large industrial base already in the two complexes, much of it automated. There are other complexes in other countries around the world. We have a lot of rebuilding and organizing to do over the next few years.”

Katelyn nodded. She realized General Mitchell was right. Her eyes narrowed slightly. “So, in two years we launch our ships and drive the Trellixians out of our solar system?”

“Yes,” Mitchell replied. “Our spaceships have Jelnoid technology. We’ve already seen what Jelnoid weapons can do to Trellixian battlecruisers. We drive them out of our solar system and eventually take the war to them.”

“All by ourselves?”

“Maybe not,” answered Colonel Fields, looking thoughtful. “We’ll send out a few ships on exploration missions. Somewhere out there another race must exist which can help us with the war. We need to find that race.”

“Allies,” said Katelyn, nodding her head in approval. She knew at least one thing that made her feel good. It was obvious now she was not going to be the last president of the United States; there would be others after her. “Let’s hope we find some.”

-

Professor Wilkens, Lisa, Brenda, and Brett were on board the Vengeance. They were spending more of their time on the ship every day. The professor was currently explaining the function of everything in the Command Center.

Brett sat at the tactical console which controlled all the ship’s weapons. “It’s hard to believe we’ll be going into space in another few years.”

Professor Wilkens smiled. “Maybe sooner than that. We’ll have a number of the ships ready sometime next year. The Vengeance will be ready in about four more months.”

Lisa looked at the professor. “Will you be coming into space with us?”

“No,” replied Wilkens, shaking his head. “Space is for the young. I’ll stay here and continue with my research.”

Brenda sat next to Lisa at the science station. “I heard a rumor that several of our ships may go out on exploration missions. That sounds exciting.”

Wilkens nodded. He stood by the commander’s chair. “Yes, we have discussed that though nothing official has been decided.”

“I would like to go out exploring,” Lisa said softly. “I always dreamed as a child about going into space and finding new worlds.”

“Me too,” said Brett. “It would be great to go on an exploration mission.”

“Maybe we can all go together,” suggested Brenda, her eyes lit with excitement.

Lisa looked at the professor. “What do you think?”

Professor Wilkens laughed. He had never been able to tell Lisa no. “I’ll see what I can arrange. I won’t promise anything but we’ll see.”

Lisa looked at her friends. They had become very close since coming to the complex. “Ad astra,” she said with a smile. “We’re going to the stars.”

The others nodded. They knew they had more exciting adventures in store for them in the future.

-

Sergeant Tucker stepped out onto the porch of the cabin. Many of the civilians had gone to Evergreen. The military had restored power there and about six thousand civilians were now living in the town. Lacy stepped onto the porch with him. As far as he could see everything was covered in deep snow. The military had brought them several more generators and enough fuel to get through the winter. All three cabins and the large tents now had plenty of power to keep them warm and comfortable.

Corporal Owens trudged up the steps to the porch, carrying some firewood to add to the stack by the door. “The snow must be three feet deep in places,” he complained.

“I’m just glad we put in the fireplaces,” Lacy said with a pleased smile.

“What will we do in the spring once the snow melts?” asked Owens as he put down the firewood.

Most of the people who had originally come with Sergeant Tucker were still here.

“We go home,” Tucker replied. “We go home and start our lives over again.”

Matt came out the door, wearing a heavy coat and gloves. “I want to play in the snow.”

Lacy laughed. “It’s too cold outside today. Let’s go into the back room and play some games.”

Tucker watched as his wife and son went back inside.

“I talked to one of the Rangers yesterday on the radio,” Owens said. “Most of them are leaving the valley next to us. All the civilians have been taken to smaller towns or cities. A few Rangers will remain as there’s a large energy cannon over there.”

Tucker nodded, looking out at the small valley. “This has been a good and safe home for us. We were lucky to get here. Maybe we should have left when Lieutenant Stein and his people did.”

“Maybe,” Owens replied. “But it sure is peaceful here.”

“Let’s go inside where it’s warmer,” suggested Tucker. As he went inside, Tucker knew one thing: his days of being a soldier were done. From now on he would work at being a good husband and father. The war, for him, was over.

-

Mark and Jennifer stood in the front yard of their parent’s home in Houston. The house was still standing and it looked as if their father could open the front door and step out on the porch at any moment. Of course Mark knew that wouldn’t happen. He had found his parents’ bodies at his aunt’s farm where they had been killed by the Trellixians.

Taking a deep breath, Mark stepped up on the porch and using his key unlocked the front door. Going inside Mark paused, looking around the living room. On the walls were family pictures, ones his mother had placed with meticulous care around the room in strategic locations.

“This will always be home,” Jennifer said with tears in her eyes. She walked over and gazed at some pictures of herself when she was younger. High school graduation, college graduation, even a few family vacation pictures. “I have so many memories of growing up here.”

Mark nodded. “So do I. Let’s pick up a few things to take with us and then we’ll lock it back up. At least we know the house is still here and we can return anytime we want.”

After going through the house the two met back in the living room. Each had a small box of memories they would take back with them. Mark walked over and gazed at his father’s favorite recliner. It was so easy for Mark to picture his father sitting there reading the local paper.

Jennifer shivered. “It’s really cold outside for us to be in Houston. There must be six inches of snow on the ground.”

Mark turned to his sister. “We have a few more months of really cold weather and then it should warm back up again. In another year or two the flowers will be blooming in the flower beds.” Mark’s mother had always taken pride in the flowers she planted in the beds around the house.

As they stepped back outside they locked up and left a note on the door saying the house was not abandoned. They climbed into a military vehicle waiting for them. Jennifer was quiet as she sat by Mark while they returned to the small military base set up at the Space Center.

Mark leaned back, thinking about his future. Work on the spaceships was proceeding at an accelerated rate. He had been offered a position on one of the ships as tactical officer and third in the line of command. The only problem was Mark didn’t know if he was really qualified for such a position.

Colonel Branson had assured Mark he had the aptitude to be a commanding officer on a spaceship. Not only that he would have over a year to prepare. Mark looked upward toward the low clouds and what he knew was above. Just maybe he would take Colonel Branson up on his offer.

The war on Earth might be finished, but the war against the Trellixian Empire was just beginning.

The End

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Earth Fall: To the Stars (Book Two)

March of 2018

Earth launches its space fleet to drive the Trellixians out of the solar system. Intense battles rage in space as Earth tries to keep the Trellixian Empire at bay. Far out among the stars, Earth exploration ships seek allies to aid them in the war. For without allies, Earth will fall.

Turn the page to read the first chapter of The Star Cross one of my other military science fiction series.

The Star Cross

Chapter One

The Earth’s eight-hundred-meter-long heavy battlecruiser Star Cross slid silently through empty space, the ship’s powerful sensors scanning everything ahead and around it. Her four light cruiser escorts were in screening positions, protecting the massive battlecruiser from attack. The six-hundred-meter-long light carrier Vindication followed closely behind, protected by six small destroyers. Each ship was on high alert, and tensions were high among the crews. Everyone glanced anxiously at one another, wondering what was awaiting them at Earth.

In the Command Center of the Star Cross, Admiral Kurt Vickers watched the main viewscreen, which was focused on the light carrier, as four Lance fighters left the flight bay to patrol in front of the fleet. The light carrier had twenty fighters in its bay, plus ten small Scorpion bombers.

“CSP has been launched,” Lieutenant Lena Brooks reported, as four friendly green icons appeared on her sensor screen. The twenty-eight-year-old woman let out a quiet breath.

Vickers could tell Lena was hoping they would remain undetected by her rapid breathing. She wasn’t the only worried one in the Command Center.

Lena focused her hazel eyes upon the admiral, awaiting further orders. She trusted him to bring them through the coming ordeal.

“Current status?” asked Vickers in a steady voice, turning to his XO and commander of the battlecruiser, Captain Andrew Randson.

The captain checked several data screens before answering the admiral. “Long-range sensors indicate no unusual movement from the enemy ships. I don’t think they detected our hyperjumps.” Randson let out a deep, ragged breath.

He seemed to be feeling the tension running through the Command Center. Everyone’s nerves were on edge. The first part of the mission was a success. They had jumped into the Sol System without the enemy becoming aware of the small battle fleet.

Admiral Vickers nodded, as his gaze returned to the main tactical screen, now displaying information from the long-distance scans. He felt a tremendous weight of responsibility upon his shoulders, knowing his next few decisions could well determine the future of the human race. His fleet was the last fleet Earth still possessed; all the others had been destroyed by a vicious and unknown enemy.

The Command Center crew waited his further orders in silence. Everyone wanted to know what had happened here in their home star system, and if their friends and families were still alive. Kurt knew they had good reasons to be concerned.

-

Two weeks back a mysterious and hostile alien fleet had appeared out of hyperspace and annihilated the two human fleets permanently stationed around Earth for protection. The majority of the ships had been destroyed before their shields could be raised or a single weapon fired. Only a few had managed to fight back and then only briefly. This wasn’t surprising, as no aliens had been detected by any of Earth’s long-range exploration ships, and no one had been expecting an attack. So the ships had been at a low level of alert. Many of the crewmembers had even been on leave down on Earth.

The Star Cross and her fleet had been in the Newton System, practicing maneuvers and testing the new particle beam weapons the battlecruiser and the light cruisers had been equipped with. The Newton System held a thriving human colony of nearly eight million inhabitants, plus a large orbital station designed for deep-space exploration and minor ship repair. The colony had a number of large scientific outposts, since ships sent on exploratory missions were required to report to Newton before being allowed to return to Earth. Newton was also the only true Earth-type planet to be discovered so far in the humans’ explorations. Humans could survive on other planets, but none could compare to Earth or Newton.

A heavily damaged light cruiser had limped into the Newton System and reported the shocking news of the attack on Earth. The ship’s commander, Captain Owens, had barely escaped and had lost over half of his crew in the brief battle above the planet. The report of the attack had shaken the Newton colony, and, after conferring with the colony’s governor, it had been decided that Admiral Vickers would return to the Solar System. His mission was to determine the current condition of Earth and the number of alien ships still present.

-

“What now?” Captain Randson asked, as he stepped closer to the admiral. Upon the tactical screen, a large number of red threat icons were visible. “Twenty alien ships are in orbit above Earth. Four of them are approximately the same size as the Star Cross, and the rest seem to be similar to our own light cruisers.”

Vickers nodded. “From the reports we received from the captain of the light cruiser, the alien ships are heavily armed. I don’t want to risk an engagement with them at this time if we can avoid it. We have the Newton colony to think about. Our fleet is their only means of protection.”

“The enemy ships are still above Earth,” Randson pointed out. “They may not even know about Newton.”

“We can’t afford ship losses,” Kurt replied with a heavy sigh. “Governor Spalding specifically requested that we return to Newton rather than risk involvement in a major combat operation.”

“You don’t have to answer to Spalding,” responded Randson, raising his eyebrow. “Fleet Command and the president are on Earth.”

“I’m not sure about that,” Kurt said. “If Earth has been conquered, then Governor Spalding’s next in line for the presidency. There are no other high ranking members of the government off Earth.”

Randson was silent for a moment, as he seemed to consider that. “So what do you want to do?”

“We need more information.” Kurt had spent hours with Captain Owens, going over the tactical data recorded during his light cruiser’s brief battle above Earth. It had been painful to watch as Earth’s proud space fleet had been all but annihilated.

“Our new particle beam weapons should give us an advantage,” Randson carefully pointed out. “None of the ships we had over Earth were equipped with them. I’m very concerned about what the aliens may have done to our people.”

Kurt didn’t like entering such an unknown situation while the Solar System was so quiet. The Moon and Mars both held sizable human colonies. The total silence was eerie and frightening as to the possible cause that ceased all communications. Normally the radio frequencies were full of transmissions and messages. “Can we detect any transmissions from Earth, the Moon, or from Mars?”

“No, and all the scientific outposts are also silent. Not a peep coming from the asteroids or the moons of Jupiter and Saturn,” Randson replied with growing concern in his eyes. “It’s just too damn quiet! I can’t believe they’ve all been wiped out.”

Kurt could only imagine how Randson felt. His wife and twelve-year-old daughter were on Earth, just outside of Houston. So was Kurt’s sister and her family.

“We could send in a couple destroyers,” Randson suggested, “to check on some of the outposts.”

“Not yet,” replied Kurt, shaking his head, as he thought about the absence of signals. “They might be detected. Right now, our biggest tactical advantage is that the aliens don’t know we’re here. Let’s keep it that way for a little while longer.”

“Sir,” Lieutenant Brooks said, her eyes alight with fear. “The long-range sensors are picking up elevated radiation levels from Earth.” Lena worked at her console fervently. “I’m trying to get better readings.”

Captain Randson stepped over and studied the data, the frown on his face deepening. He shook his head, and his breathing quickened. “A few nuclear weapons have definitely been dropped on the surface,” he stated, drawing in a sharp breath. “The level isn’t dangerous, but it’s four times higher than normal.” He gazed at the admiral, his expression deeply concerned. “I’m not sure we can afford to wait. What if they drop more bombs?”

“The bombs may have been dropped in the original attack,” Kurt said evenly, struggling to stay calm.

He knew, if the radiation-level readings were correct, that millions of people could be dead on the planet. He felt anger growing inside him at such an enemy who would nuke a planet from orbit. This said a lot about the temperament of the aliens they faced. While Kurt had never gotten married and his parents were deceased, he worried about his sister, Denise, and her six-year-old son, Bryan. Denise’s family lived in Houston because her husband, Alex, had a systems analyst job with an up-and-coming company there.

“What are your orders?” Randson asked.

The indications of nukes being used on the planet might also explain the communications silence, if everyone was afraid of drawing the aliens’ attention.

Admiral Vickers studied the tactical screen for a few more moments, while he decided on the best course of action. The enemy ships couldn’t be allowed to continue to orbit the planet. They had to be driven off before they nuked Earth again. The presence of an elevated radiation level changed things considerably. Vickers was afraid to even guess how many people had already died. He wondered if the aliens had landed ground troops. In the back of Kurt’s mind, he could hear Governor Spalding saying to not risk his fleet. He had a hard decision to make, and it wouldn’t be easy.

“It looks as if the shipyard is relatively intact,” Kurt said, looking at the large green icon on the tactical screen. Earth’s only shipyard orbited forty thousand kilometers above the planet.

“It is, sir,” Lieutenant Brooks said, nodding her brunette head as she studied one of her data screens. “My scanners are showing only minor damage to the shipyard, and its power systems still seem to be operating.”

“I wonder why they spared the shipyard?” asked Captain Randson with a questioning look upon his face. “You would think it would’ve been one of their first targets.”

“Unless they want it for themselves,” Kurt responded, thinking about the two thousand men and women who operated the station. He wondered if they were still alive or had been killed by boarders. So many unknowns faced them.

“The first alien race we encounter and they’re the ones to find us,” Randson said, as his eyes narrowed. “Why did they attack us in the first place?”

The higher officers in Earth’s space fleet had always expected to eventually encounter an alien race with the planet’s exploration ships ranging deeper and deeper into unexplored space. First-contact protocols had even been set up with linguists and other specialists assigned to each exploration mission, just in case another exploring spacecraft from an alien civilization was encountered.

“We may never know,” replied Kurt brusquely. “Lieutenant Brooks, are you detecting anything else on the long-range sensors?”

“No,” responded Brooks, shaking her head.

“What about communications?”

“Nothing,” replied Randson. “No radio or video broadcasts of any type have been picked up from Earth, the Moon, or Mars. Everything’s silent.”

“I’ve got additional information on the radiation in Earth’s atmosphere,” Lieutenant Brooks added, her eyes showing growing worry. “It originates from twenty-two different sources where major cities are located on the planet.”

The silence in the Command Center was profound, as everyone realized the magnitude of the calamity that had struck Earth.

Randson’s eyes widened in anger. His gaze shifted back to the admiral. “We need to get into Earth orbit!”

“Get Captain Watkins on the Vindication,” ordered Kurt, folding his arms across his chest, as he thought about his options. He knew he didn’t really have any but one. The knowledge that some of Earth’s cities had been nuked was the deciding factor. He didn’t think Governor Spalding would react negatively to Kurt’s decision, once the governor learned of this.

“Captain Watkins is on the comm,” Ensign Brenda Pierce, the communications officer, reported.

“Henry, we need to drive away those alien ships. From our scans, it’s obvious that Earth has suffered a nuclear bombardment. We can’t afford to allow them to bomb the planet again.”

“I was afraid of that,” his longtime friend replied. “Our scanners are showing the same thing. What do you have in mind? We’re outnumbered by nearly two to one.”

“I’ll jump in first with the light cruisers. We’ve spotted what looks like four enemy capital ships. We’ll try to take them out with the new particle beam weapons. Once we’re engaged, you and the destroyers will jump in. Launch your bombers and have them target the smaller ships with their Hydra missiles. Hopefully we’ll have enough surprise on our side to carry this out.”

“It’s risky,” Henry replied after a moment’s pause. “But I don’t see where we have any other choices. We’ll only have one shot at this.”

“Get your bombers ready,” Kurt ordered decisively. “We make the jump in twenty minutes.”

Lieutenant Brooks stepped over and handed Kurt a list of the nuked cities. He noted with relief that Houston wasn’t on the list. However, Chicago; Washington, DC; Rome; Cairo; Moscow; and numerous other cities scattered around Earth were. He felt his heart grow cold as he looked over the list. If this was correct, well over forty million casualties could have resulted from the orbital attack. His eyes shifted to the tactical screen and the twenty red threat icons. How could an enemy be so callous as to nuke defenseless civilians?

-

The tension and anxiety in the Command Center had increased considerably as the time for the attack neared. All the ships in the fleet were at Condition One with their crews at their battlestations. This would be the first time any member of Admiral Vickers’s fleet had actually gone into combat. They had trained for it and even participated in war games against other Earth fleets, but never in the history of the fleet had a weapon been fired against another ship.

“Ready to jump,” reported Captain Randson, as he listened to the readiness reports from various ships over the short-range comms. His eyes focused on the admiral, still studying the large tactical screen on the front wall of the Command Center.

Kurt nodded. There was no point in waiting. Pressing the fleetwide button on his command console, he announced, “All ships, initiate jump in sixty seconds. All ships to fire upon targets as soon as you exit hyperspace. Don’t wait on orders from the flag to engage. The element of surprise is essential if we want to win this battle. Good luck and good hunting.”

Captain Randson activated a counter on his console. “Helm, prepare for hyperspace insertion.” Randson buckled himself in his chair in preparation for combat maneuvers.

The hyperspace jump would only last a few seconds. Kurt, like everyone else, wondered what they would find when they reached Earth.

“Tactical, ready the main particle beam cannon,” ordered Kurt, noting the increased activity in the command crew as they prepared for combat. “Lock on the enemy’s nearest capital ship and fire as soon as you have a confirmed firing solution.” The cannon could only be fired once every forty seconds due to heat buildup. They needed every shot to count.

“Weapons are ready,” reported Lieutenant Evelyn Mays from Tactical.

The counter on Captain Randson’s console reached zero. “Jump!” ordered Randson, his hands gripping the armrests on his command chair.

-

High Profiteer Creed of the Gothan Empire stood in the Command Center of the Profiteer ship Ascendant Destruction. He was bipedal and slightly taller than a human, with light blue skin and coarse white hair. His face, while humanoid, had larger-than-normal eyes. The last few days had been quiet, while he awaited the return of the rest of his ships, plus the others he had sent for: a large fleet of detainee ships and a number of heavy cargo ships.

The Gothan Empire, with planet Marsten as its capital, was a loose federation of 118 star systems that routinely raided many of the civilized races of the galaxy. It was a dangerous living, but the huge rewards from the bounty collected more than offset the danger.

“We’ll make huge profits from this planet,” gloated Second Profiteer Lantz, as he gazed at the main viewscreen on the front wall of the Command Center, depicting the blue-white planet beneath them. “Their people will sell well in the slave markets on Kubitz.”

“Their world is rich in many things that will bring good profits on the black markets,” added Creed, recalling his last trip to the bustling black market world. “Gold, platinum, jewels, and even some of their art will add much to our coffers.”

Hundreds of alien races could be found on the planet Kubitz, either selling or buying, some of it openly and some done in the back rooms of the pleasure houses. It was also a very dangerous place for someone unfamiliar with the workings of the black market system. People were known to vanish quite routinely, and the local authorities always seemed to look the other way.

“We were fortunate to find this world in this backwater system,” Lantz said. “Few ships have ventured into this area where the stars are so far apart.”

“We can thank the Kreel for that,” Creed said. “Several of their cargo ships have reported unknown ships detected by their satellite marker buoys in a number of systems they have claimed. It wasn’t difficult for the computers on Marsten to correlate the data and extrapolate the most likely location of those ships’ home world.”

Lantz nodded in agreement.

Though it hadn’t been quite that simple, as the computers had given them an area of space nearly thirty light-years across, which had contained quite a few stars, even in this sparse region. The Profiteer fleet had searched for two weeks before finally pinning down the system they sought.

“It is well that we found this system when we did,” Lantz said with greed showing in his eyes. “They had a sizable fleet and, in a few more years, would have been too powerful to overwhelm without major losses. They still remain hesitant to obey our demands, even after we destroyed their cities. More examples might need to be made.”

Before Creed could reply, warning klaxons sounded, and red lights flashed in the Command Center. His eyes instantly went to the sensor operator. “What’s with the alarms?” he demanded.

“We have ships exiting hyperspace,” reported Third Profiteer Bixt, as red threat icons appeared on the sensor screen before him. Then, after a moment, he looked at First Profiteer Creed with astonishment on his face. “They’re human!”

“We didn’t get them all,” muttered Lantz.

-

Admiral Vickers felt the familiar gut-wrenching sensation as the Star Cross dropped from hyperspace within close proximity to its intended target. The tactical screen quickly updated, showing the alien ships in orbit around Earth.

“Energy shield is coming online,” reported Captain Randson.

“Target lock!” called out Lieutenant Evelyn Mays, as green lights flashed on her console. “Firing particle beam cannon.” She reached forward and pressed several buttons, activating the deadly weapon. Beside her, two ensigns entered targeting information for the ship’s heavy KEW batteries and prepared to fire the ship’s missiles.

-

From the Star Cross, a deep blue beam flashed across space, smashing into the targeted enemy battlecruiser. Its defensive energy screen was operating at a low level, which failed to stop the beam. A massive explosion tore into the cruiser, leaving a gaping hole fifteen meters across in its hull and blasting a huge fragment off into space. The ship seemed to stagger, as valuable systems inside were compromised and ceased to function. Several secondary explosions rattled the ship, sending waves of fire through shattered interior compartments and corridors.

From the bow of the Star Cross, the two heavy KEW cannons fired, sending a pair of large armor-piercing rounds at 10 percent the speed of light toward the reeling enemy cruiser. The rounds impacted the alien ship, tearing completely through it, setting off additional explosions. The energy generated was like twin nuclear explosions. With a brilliant flash, the battlecruiser blew, sending debris in all directions.

“Enemy battlecruiser is down!” Lieutenant Brooks reported with elation, as the red threat icon swelled up on her sensor screen and then vanished.

“We caught them before they could raise their shields!” uttered Captain Randson, his eyes shining with a wolfish glint. “We surprised them, just like they did when they attacked Earth.”

“Switch to secondary target,” ordered Kurt, as he intently watched the tactical screen, seeing what success his other ships were having. They had to hit the enemy quick and hard if they were to have any hope of victory.

“The Hampton has downed a second enemy battlecruiser,” reported Brooks, as she saw another red icon vanish from her screen.

“Vindication is jumping in!” added Captain Randson, seeing more green icons appear on the tactical screen. “We caught them flatfooted!”

-

First Profiteer Creed picked himself up from the deck, looking around the Command Center in anger. “What’s happening!” he demanded, as his gaze shifted to the ship’s tactical screen. He could see numerous red threat icons appearing nearby. They were appearing almost on top of his fleet!

“It’s a human fleet, and they’re attacking,” reported Second Profiteer Lantz breathlessly. “We’ve already lost the Warriors Pride and the Addax. The enemy is using a powerful particle beam weapon against us and kinetics.”

“Particle beams and kinetics!” roared Creed in disbelief, his eyes growing wide.

He knew that, for most warships, particle beams were impractical—as they required a tremendous amount of energy and needed a long cool-down time between firings. Most Gothan ships were armed with ion cannons, energy projectors, and missiles, which were cheap and efficient. Kinetics were a thing of the past and had been given up to be replaced by more modern weapons. No one used kinetics anymore!

“One of the new arrivals is a carrier of some kind,” Third Profiteer Bixt warned. “It’s launching smaller warships toward us.”

“We’ve lost four of our escorts,” said Lantz, watching the ships drop off the tactical screen. He groaned and murmured, “My profits … the pleasure houses …” Then he reported, “All our ships have their shields up and are returning fire, but I fear we’ve already lost too many. The Glimmer Fire is reporting heavy damage, and they’re asking permission to withdraw.”

The Glimmer Fire was their only other remaining battlecruiser besides the Ascendant Destruction. Creed looked at the viewscreen, which showed numerous explosions in space. He could even see the flash of a few beam weapons. “Order all ships to jump!” he grated out, knowing that he had no other choice but to withdraw or risk being destroyed.

They were in this for profits, not to lose expensive warships! He would return to Kubitz and come back with a much more powerful fleet. This planet was too rich to allow a single human fleet to keep him from it. The humans could have the planet for now, but, in time, he and his much larger force would retake it. He would also have to intercept the detainee and cargo ships on their way here and have them return to the Kubitz System.

-

“We’ve taken out two more of their light units,” Captain Randson added, watching as a pair of red icons fell off the tactical screen.

Andrew Randson breathed a little easier. At this rate, they would win the battle, and then, as soon as possible, he intended to take a shuttle to Houston and evacuate his family. He knew others would be doing the same thing.

“Destroyer Brant is down,” Lieutenant Brooks reported grimly, as the friendly green icon representing the small destroyer vanished from the sensor screen.

Kurt winced at that news. It was the first ship under his command he had ever lost.

“Enemy ships are showing an energy spike,” Lieutenant Brooks informed them, per one of her sensors. “They’re activating their hyperdrives.”

Kurt switched his gaze to a large viewscreen just in time to see one of the two remaining enemy battlecruisers jump away. On the tactical screen, other red threat icons also vanished.

“Their last battlecruiser is too damaged to jump,” Brooks reported, as the enemy ship turned toward them with its weapons firing. “They’re attacking!”

Kurt felt the Star Cross shudder slightly as an energy beam struck the ship’s screen.

“Some type of ion beam is hitting us,” Lieutenant Brooks reported, looking at the data on one of her sensor screens.

“The shield is holding at 84 percent,” Captain Randson said.

“Particle beam is recharged,” Lieutenant Mays stated, as she targeted the alien battlecruiser. “Firing!”

-

The deep blue particle beam smashed into the Glimmer Fire, flashing right through its weakened defensive energy screen. A huge hole was blasted in its bow, and the ship seemed to lose all power. Two heavy KEW rounds from the human’s bow cannons plowed into the Profiteer ship, traveling nearly its entire length, and then the vessel detonated in a blaze of light as too many vital systems were compromised.

-

“All enemy ships have either jumped or been destroyed,” reported Lieutenant Brooks, breathing a sigh of relief. “We have control of Earth orbital space.”

Kurt nodded, allowing himself to relax. This battle had gone far better than expected. “Get me Captain Watkins. I’ll have the Vindication check out the shipyard. We may need their Marines to secure it.” Kurt turned his attention back toward one of the viewscreens, which showed Earth.

“Now let’s try to contact someone down on the surface and see just what the hell is going on!”

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017CM03GE/

Other Books by Raymond L. Weil

Available on Amazon

Moon Wreck (The Slaver Wars Book 1)

The Slaver Wars: Alien Contact (The Slaver Wars Book 2)

Moon Wreck: Fleet Academy (The Slaver Wars Book 3)

The Slaver Wars: First Strike (The Slaver Wars Book 4)

The Slaver Wars: Retaliation (The Slaver Wars Book 5)

The Slaver Wars: Galactic Conflict (The Slaver Wars Book 6)

The Slaver Wars: Endgame (The Slaver Wars Book 7)

The Slaver Wars: Books 1-3

-

Dragon Dreams

Dragon Dreams: Dragon Wars

Dragon Dreams: Gilmreth the Awakening

Dragon Dreams: Snowden the White Dragon

-

Star One: Tycho City: Survival

Star One: Neutron Star

Star One: Dark Star

Star One

-

Galactic Empire Wars: Destruction (Book 1)

Galactic Empire Wars: Emergence (Book 2)

Galactic Empire Wars: Rebellion (Book 3)

Galactic Empire Wars: The Alliance (Book 4)

Galactic Empire Wars: Insurrection (Book 5)

Galactic Empire Wars: The Beginning (Books 1-3)

-

The Lost Fleet: Galactic Search (Book 1)

The Lost Fleet: Into the Darkness (Book 2)

The Lost Fleet: Oblivion’s Light (Book 3)

The Lost Fleet: Genesis (Book 4)

The Lost Fleet: Search for the Originators (Book 5)

-

The Star Cross (Book 1)

The Star Cross: The Dark Invaders (Book 2)

The Star Cross: Galaxy in Peril (Book 3)

The Star Cross: The Forever War (Book 4)

The Star Cross: The Vorn! (Book 5)

-

The Originator Wars: Universe in Danger (Book 1)

The Originator Wars: Search for the Lost (Book 2)

The Originator Wars: Conflict Unending (Book 3)

-

Earth Fall: Invasion (Book 1)

(All dates are tentative)

Earth Fall: To the Stars (Book 2) March 2018

The Originator Wars: Explorations (Book 1) May 2018