When Galaxies Collide Ch. 1

"Tomorrow night, this group will lead the attack. You are only two blocks from the main gate onto the base. From here you will drive a car to the main gate. You will get out of the car, and one of you will take out the three sentries there. You will proceed through the main gate, and plant your first charge here." He paused, and held up a hand drawn map of the aerodrome.

"This is the security team barracks. The other four teams will be entering at various points through the fence. The idea is to overwhelm their security with penetration points. This is not a big raid; we want them to think it is. After the security team barracks has been destroyed, you will proceed to the warehouse section. That is still three blocks ahead, so be careful. You will probably be fighting for each inch of ground. All survivors will meet at the Colonel's safe house, Erika will tell you where it is, tomorrow just before the mission. This is the plan. Now tell me, what types of weapons do you have?"

*****

Lieutenant Cohen reported that the rebel headquarters building had just vanished. The two Rowdy rockets had hit dead center. His section was moving foreword. Lieutenant Adams had already found three artillery emplacements, and he was in the process of attacking them. The plan was going according to schedule. Andy was pleased.

*****

Commandant Alpha had not been at that particular head-quarters. He had five of them, because he chose to move around, to avoid capture. But he knew that with the current situation, it was only a matter of hours before the end would be in sight, and he'd either be a prisoner or dead.

The Federation had recovered very quickly. Too quickly, if he didn't hold out for another twenty-four hours, all would be lost. The S.I.O. would be hunted, and he'd be on trial for war crimes, but the plan had already been set in mo-tion.

Commandant Alpha would have to retreat, to fight another day. He could keep the pressure up for another twenty four hours, of that he was sure. He still had one more trick up his sleeve.

*****

Andy had heard from Sam Adams. His foreword group had linked up with the lead elements from the battalion. The Lieutenant had reported that the rebels were leaving their heavy equipment, and retreating south by southeast.

Andy was in the command A.P.C. when he received the call from the second section leader. He looked at the map. He was in their path!

A warning buzzer went off. Andy went over to the console. He paled as he looked at the display.

"Intruder Leader to all units, biological agents have been released. Don protective clothing. Repeat, don pro-tective clothing." Andy shouted into the microphone of his headset.

He pulled at a belt, on the belt was a small pouch. He al-ways wore this, when he went to bed, he slept on it like he would a pillow. All Federation soldiers were taught to keep their bio-suits with them.

The first he put on was the hood, over his helmet and headset. The next he crawled into the body suit, and fi-nally he put on the protective gloves.

Andy went over to the console. The warning buzzer was still sounding. He went to the computer and began the proc-ess of identifying the agent.

He remained at the computer for five minutes, making sure that he had the right answer.

"Intruder Leader to Storefront," Andy knew that he would have to report these events to Colonel Watts.

*****

Commandant Alpha was almost certain that he had a Fed-eration Battalion in his rear area. They had caused a con-siderable amount of damage. It had to be a battalion! No small unit could move that fast, or cause that much damage in so short a time. The coordination had been precise. It had wiped out his air defense networking center, and had captured or destroyed most of his artillery ammunition. Now another battalion was less than five kilometers from his present position.

He ordered his field commanders to break out the canisters they had cached away in the hills. The canisters were filled with the deadly hyperfluenzia virus. The Federation had no vaccine here; it would take seventy-two hours of total chaos, to inoculate the entire population. In the meantime, his men would escape to fight another day.

*****

Erika returned to the safe house that the Colonel and Captain Noell had been staying at. The Colonel was gone, he had evidently returned to the hotel, with Mrs. Westerly.

Erika waited for the Captain to return from his briefings with the other four teams.

She went into the bathroom, and stripped to take a shower. She still felt dirty.

She had begun to towel off, when Captain Noell returned.

Hearing someone in the bathroom, the Captain went up to investigate. Seeing Erika with a towel wrapped around her-self, he smiled.

"Hello. You made it." He said.

Erika stiffened, she grasped the towel.

"You have nothing to fear from me, Erika." The Captain said softly. He reached for her hands, Erika stepped back.

"Please!" she sobbed, "What is it you want with me?' She asked.

"Erika, I want you." He said, as he stepped towards her. He took her hands, and led her into his bedroom.

Erika let the towel drop as she followed him. She had re-signed herself to her fate.

The Captain shut the bedroom door, and turned to gaze at her young body.

"You are very pretty, Erika." He said in a hushed voice.

Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

The Captain wrapped his arms around her. She sobbed, as she put her head to his shoulder. He patted her on the back.

"Erika, I want you to come with me. Tomorrow just before the attack. I have received orders that the Colonel is not to leave here alive. Commandant Alpha, himself, has given me the orders. The Colonel has become a liability. If you want, you can avenge yourself of him." He spoke in a whis-per.

Erika looked at him, surprise written on her face.

'Could she trust him?' she asked herself.

"Erika, this mission is doomed from the very beginning. I know that for a fact. Come with me, we will start a new life. Erika, I know this sounds strange, but I am a sol-dier, not an animal. What happened to you is wrong, let me make it up to you." He spoke, still in a whisper.

She looked into his eyes. There was no deceit, just com-passion.

"What do you have in mind?" She asked. She decided she could trust him.

"You will tell all of the team leaders that we have been compromised. There is a bomb here, and it will destroy the city." He said.

"What sort of bomb?" She asked.

He told her.

"I have an unregistered ship, to the south of here. We will go to Kronin 2. I have some land there; we'll start over there. I am tired of this mess." He added.

"I don't even know your name." She said.

"Victor Noell. Deserter." He spoke bitterly.

"All right Victor. I'm Erika Caldwell. I'll go with you. I have nothing left here."

She kissed him, and took his hands as she lay back on the bed.

"I know I can trust you." She said.

He went into the hallway, and retrieved her towel.

"Finish getting dressed." He said softly, and turned to leave. She stopped him.

*****

Andy had done all he could to alert his superiors of the biological attack.

When they had been alerted, and acknowledged his report, he went outside to inspect his men.

Lieutenant Samuels had made already alerted his section, and the artillerymen.

Andy joined the two other First Lieutenants, and they were briefed of the situation.

Just as Andy had finished the briefing, explosions oc-curred on the hillside where the Peregrine launchers were located. His security detail returned fire.

One of the launchers exploded into flames as an anti-tank rocket hit it. The crews near the launcher, now without any missiles, and no protection from the explosion, were thrown to the ground.

Andy grabbed his Mark 48 assault rifle, and ran towards the launcher crew.

The ground around his feet erupted, as bullets tried to fall him. He reached a tree, and dove for cover.

Ahead, he saw a small group of men. Five of them. This would be the ones that had taken out the Peregrine. He cocked his weapon, and fired. A rifle grenade was launched, and hit the center of the target. Five bodies were thrown into the air.

Andy ran towards the launcher. He checked the four-crew members. They were dead.

"Over here!" He called out to the security detail leader.

A Sergeant came over.

"Have someone take these men down to the town. I don't leave my dead in the field!" He said, and added, "Have the crews pull the rest of these launchers into town. You get your men down also. Report to Lieutenant Samuels when you have finished."

Andy walked down the hill, and returned to Samuels and Severide.

"Get ready for an attack. Sam, I want you to put a lookout on top of that hill. We are in a small depression. I need to know what's coming at us. We have ninety-three men here. We should be able to hold out for two or three hours, until Battalion reaches us. Lieutenant Severide, have your Pere-grine crews park their launchers here, and cover them. I want a charge placed in the engine wells, in case we have to retreat. Your crewmen will join my headquarters platoon. Have them grab their arms. You, Lieutenant Severide, will take command of the platoon. I'm going to take a squad from the third section and do some damage to these bastards!"

*****

Victor had been a patient lover. Erika had never known such ecstasy. They had made love twice. Erika was disap-pointed that it hadn't lasted longer, but she was still tender from the night before.

They lay in bed, embracing each other, when Colonel Hawke returned to the house.

Captain Victor Noell dressed. He took a pistol from the dresser.

"Wait here. I'm going to finish this now." He said softly, and left the room.

Erika got out of bed. She dressed, and waited for a few moments. She heard a loud voice; it was the Colonel's. She went downstairs.

The Colonel was lying on the floor; blood was coming from his head.

"I knocked him out." Victor said. He handed her the pis-tol.

He picked up the Colonel, and dragged him into the kitchen. He grabbed some adhesive tape, and bound the Colonel's lifeless body.

"When he comes to, I'll read the death sentence to him. You can do the honors, if you wish."

Erika looked at the Colonel. Loathing built up inside of her whole being. She wanted to pull the trigger now, but could wait.

Victor went over to the sink, and poured a glass of water into a cup. He threw the water on the Colonel's face. The Colonel awoke.

His eyes went wide, as he saw Erika holding a pistol to his head. He struggled to get free, but the tape wrapped around his hands and feet held him securely.

"Colonel, I too have orders." The Captain said, and from his pocket he withdrew a piece of paper.

"From Commandant Alpha, to Captain V. Noell. Subject, Colonel James Hawke. As of the receipt of these orders, S.I.A. Headquarters authorizes the elimination of Colonel James Hawke. A military tribunal found him guilty of treason by way of acting on his own accord. He is currently on an unauthor-ized mission, and shall be killed on sight. Signed Comman-dant Alpha."

"You bastard." The Colonel said to Noell, "You think that because you eliminate me, you can wash your hands of this whole mess?" He shouted.

"No Colonel. But the Commandant can. That is unless you give me the dis-arm code." The Captain said.

"Go to hell. That piece of paper is bogus, and you know it!"

"No sir, it's real. Look for yourself." The Captain held up the paper. It bore the forged signature of Commandant Alpha.

"The disarm code, Colonel!" The Captain said.

The Colonel shook his head, "No a chance in hell. Pull the trigger, slut!' He turned to look at Erika.

Her hand tightened around the trigger. The gun shook in her hand. She couldn't.

He took the gun from her hand and placed the muzzle in the Colonel's mouth.

"I can. I will. The disarm code! Now! This madness has to stop." He said.

"No!"

"Very well. Colonel I have one last question. Do you re-member the raid on the arsenal you made on Kronin Two? Do you remember the woman you raped? Do you remember the lit-tle girl who was forced to watch as you tormented her mother? Do you remember killing them? That was my wife and daughter! You bastard!" The Captain's face was twisted in anger.

The Colonel's eyes widened. He tried to scream out for help.

The Captain pulled the trigger.

"Now justice is served." The Captain said softly, as the Colonel's body slumped foreword, dead.

*****

Andy had been notified that groups of rebel soldiers had been making their way to the town. A few small firefights had erupted.

The enemy was assembling to the north, in the wooded area by some hills. A few small rebel patrols had made their way as far as the hills, only to be stopped by the heavy guns from Lieutenant Severide's howitzers.

Federation fighters streaked overhead, as they tried to locate the rebel's assembly areas. Andy's men marked their own positions with orange smoke. The fighter pilots wagged their wings, as they flew overhead, to acknowledge they had seen the smoke.

"Intruder Leader, they're beginning to make a move."

"Acknowledged. Leader to all Intruder units stand by. Get ready." Andy said into his headset.

The rebels began to move from their assembly points. Missiles streaked towards the fighters that were overhead. The planes took evasive action, and flew to the west.

Armed bands of rebels ran towards the hills on the out-skirts of the town. Some fell as Lt. Severide's howitzers found the range.

Shots rang out; his foreword observers had been spotted. Their radio link was broken, and silenced.

Andy had taken a platoon, twenty-five men to the hill im-mediately above the town. He would make a stand there. He lay under the burnt out Peregrine launcher, watching. The platoon that was with him took aim of the advancing re-bels. Their faces a study in concentration, as they waited for the order to fire.

The fighters returned. They streaked towards the rebel lines, making one strafing pass. Missiles were fired at them. The fighters retreated to the west, dropping flares and chaff to confuse the missiles.

The field below them was littered with bodies. But the rebels kept advancing. They had no choice. They were pinned in. To the East was the Inland Sea. To the north, 12,000 Federation soldiers bent on their destruction. To the west 3,000 Federation soldiers rapidly advancing. To the south, 90 soldiers. They would have to go the path of least resis-tance.

As the first rebels came within range, Andy's men began to fire. Their weapons all had silencers.

"Ffuuutt! Ffuuutt." Their report sounded out.

Rebels fell, but many more took their place.

Fighting increased. Soon the rebels were able to locate their tormentors. Foreword came the rocket propelled gre-nade launchers. Some of his men were shot, but were able to walk down to the battle dressing station in town.

Town's people helped the wounded soldiers. The S.I.O. sympathizers had left long ago. These townsfolk were loyal to the Federation, and tenderly cared for the Federation sol-diers protecting their town.

It soon became apparent to him that he couldn't hold this position much longer. He ordered his men back. They would be covered from below, as his men withdrew into the town.

As the fighters streaked in from the south, Andy ordered his men to run into the town and find cover.

He crawled out from under the burnt out launcher, and looked around. His men were crawling down the hill just as the fighters began their strafing run. Andy ducked down as the ground around him boiled up with bullets striking the dirt. He waited a moment, and as the fighters turned to fly off to the west, he stood and began to run down the hill.

Andy made it halfway down the hill when he was struck in the leg. Dropping his weapon, he rolled, and rolled down the hill. Blackness came when he hit his head on a stone.

*****

Victor and Erika carried the body of the Colonel down into the basement. He had Erika return upstairs, as he laid the body next to the bomb. Victor looked at the LED clock on the bomb. 29:36:17 it read. They had a little over a day left in which leaves the planet.

He returned upstairs. Erika was shaking. She had been through a lot the last twenty-four hours. He held her from behind.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of you." He said reassur-ingly.

She lay back her head on his shoulder.

"Victor. What are we doing?" She asked.

"Erika, this is a real mess. How can I tell you? There is an atom bomb downstairs. I can't diffuse it. Even it I tried, the bomb will go off. It has an anti-tampering de-vice. The best thing to do is for us to leave. Erika, be-lieve me, I have been fighting with my conscience over this for that last two days. Part of me, the soldier in me, says follow your orders. The human in me says this is wrong. I just don't know what to do."

She turned to kiss him.

"I understand. Let's stop this. This is not what I am fighting for. I will not be a part to killing innocent people. Call off the raid, we will make an anonymous call to security headquarters here, and give them the location of the bomb. You and I will leave this planet for good."

"Do it." He said, resigning himself to her wishes.

Erika kissed him.

"I'll notify all of the teams to leave, I'll tell them we have been compromised. I'll join you here in an hour. We'll take the Colonel's car, he left it at the hotel, and from the hotel we'll make a call just as we are ready to leave. Victor, I think we have a chance to stop this madness, and make a new life for ourselves." She said, and slipped out of the house.

*****

Andy woke up in the battle dressing station. His leg throbbed. It was dark outside of the camouflage netting.

Colonel Watts stood a few feet away. The Medic, seeing he was awake, went over to the Colonel and pointed to him.

The Colonel walked over to where Andy was.

"Good job, Captain. You broke their resolve. We linked up an hour ago. The rebellion is all but finished. We have some of the S.I.O. biggies, but we still don't have their leader. Commandant Alpha is dead. We found his body in a burnt out truck. We are sure it's him. DNA matches our rec-ords. You are going back to Fort Zhukarov, immediately. You have a bad leg wound. Consider yourself fortunate that it wasn't a glass-frag." The Colonel smiled, as he saw the relief on Andy's face.

"Excuse me now, I still have a little mess to clean up."

*****

Erika returned in thirty minutes. She found him sitting in the kitchen, making some food for their journey south.

"It's done." She said, as she embraced him, "We are doing the right thing. If the rebellion consists of beasts like the Colonel, I don't want anything to do with it."

"I have come to that conclusion also." He said.

"How long will it take us to get to the ship?" She asked.

"A day. I have it hidden in the hills. We will have to go on foot for about a day. So I'm making some food for the journey." He said.

"How long do we have before the bomb goes off?"

"Still over twenty-four hours. I'll be done here in five minutes. Don't take anything with you. Everything you need will be on the ship. I have money, and food there. Clothes, I will provide for you when we reach Kronin. I have a small farm there. I want to live quietly, and if you want the same, we could raise a family." He offered.

"I would like that very much. This is no life to live, I want something more. Yes, I'll go with you." She smiled, and kissed him.

"Good. I'm finished. Let's stop this madness now." He placed the food into a knapsack, and the left the house, holding hands.

*****

Dennis Seah had been at his desk when the phone rang. He picked up the receiver with one hand, and with the other he started his recorder.