Starlight Gleaming Ch. 21 Pt. 02

"We're doing a safety check right now. Your house was hit by one of those energy blasts, Commander, and part of it is just gone. We're also removing the dead bodies. It should be safe to come out soon."

"The important thing is the living. Any news of Lady Izel? We're also missing Sergeant Zinja and Sergeant Cholan. We're anxious about any news of them as well."

"Lady Izel and Sergeant Zinja are here, Commander. They're waiting anxiously beside me. Sergeant Cholan is working with the electricians. Without her assistance, cell phone communications would still be down. She was able to reset the breakers and get the server rebooted so the west tower could process calls. Right now, they're working at the east tower."

"Excellent. How badly did they hit us, Doyya?"

"It's a mess, Commander. Intel has designated them as JiM 120 aka Helios ground-attack fighters. The short of it is that High Guard is hurt. Estimates are over four thousand dead and about three times that wounded. And we're not even a quarter of the way through collapsed buildings. We're finding more bodies all the time. We've got Aid Stations in every quadrant, and those with residential areas have four apiece. We're treating as many wounded as outpatients as possible, and we're giving out emergency supplies."

There were several gasps at this.

"It's going to be two, maybe three days before the airfield is patched and flights can resume. The interceptor wings suffered huge losses, and they worked over both the Ground Service hangars and the Naval docks pretty hard, too. The Naval Hospital is badly damaged. Navy is still assessing whether the lower floors are even operational. They didn't have time to evacuate any but the most mobile. We have a lot of our own people missing, too. We're checking emergency shelters, going from house to house. The desalination plant is totally wrecked. Two direct bomb strikes. Even with the water tanks, drinking water is being rationed at this time. We've seized whatever bottled supplies there are from vending machines and from the Commissary and are rationing them, too.

"As far as the enemy goes, the EMP missiles the Navy used worked. The first one weakened their systems, and the second burst, so soon after the first, overwhelmed them. Only two SAM batteries survived the pulses, but those quickly chewed up the Atlanteans and we think two escaped. We can't be sure because radar systems are also still down. The only problem with the missiles is all the fried electronic systems. All the closed-circuit cameras across the base are out and will need to be individually checked. If they are still working, their fuses will need to be replaced and reset, and any fried systems will need to be pulled.

"On the plus side politically, the Atlanteans weren't very careful and some of their shots landed in Seven Nations territory. Our next-door neighbors are pretty hot about this undeclared raid. They are promising to provide us with humanitarian assistance. And you aren't the only home with people trapped in the emergency shelter. Ah, good. We're getting the all clear. It's safe to come out, Commander."

"Thank you, Captain. See you soon." I hung up and put the phone away.

Akama jumped up and rapidly climbed the stairs.

Others started to rise, but Mack barked out, "Hold on, hold on! We will exit in an orderly fashion. No crowding. And don't forget we have wounded that need help getting out. No need to rush up the stairs all at once!"

Suddenly the AI monitor flashed on, the upper left corner of the screen blinked, "Civilian communications restored."

Then a broadcast flashed with a woman narrating, and everyone paused to watch it.

"-- at High Guard War Base. Earlier today, Atlantis dramatically escalated hostilities with the Empire of Chimorro in their surprise attack earlier this evening. As you can see behind me from the camera shots, hours later there are literally still fires burning with some of them untended. Casualties are reported in the thousands with many more thousands wounded and many missing. Imperial fire and emergency services are strained but coping as best they can at this time.

"Of particular note is the fact that clearly-marked non-military structures were deliberately targeted by the Atlantean forces. Brader Naval hospital took two direct bomb attacks. Empress Chaya Hospital took four near misses, resulting in dozens of private vehicles destroyed but no structural damage to the hospital itself. The desalination plant was severely damaged and is out of operation. Even the schools filled with children were deliberately attacked by these Atlantis.

"I was there earlier just this very morning with some of those high school students, visiting with them and the young students from far-off Chuman State who had recently arrived here for medical treatment. Having walked the halls and taken a tour, I can personally confirm that despite the claims by Atlantis, the building they bombed is a real school, full of live kids. It is not a military structure. Word from the elementary school principal is that five teachers, twenty-one parents, and over three hundred young children were killed, and at least that many more were injured by burns and falling debris. We're still awaiting a casualty list from the secondary school.

"Again, as you can see from these file images coming on the screen now, these non-combatant buildings were clearly marked, yet they were included in the Atlantean attacks.

"It is equally important to note that homes and places of business within the Seven Nations also came under fire today from the indiscriminate rampage today by the marauding Atlantean aircraft. Some people will dismiss this as just another raiding party by Atlantis. It's why so many want them to close down High Guard, so they don't hit our citizens by mistake. Well, today is markedly different. This wasn't a raiding party. They came only with attack jets, and their sole purpose was to maim and kill. They certainly succeeded.

"The Seven Nations is an independent and neutral sovereign nation. We have non-aggression and trade treaties with both Atlantis and the Empire. This evening, while High Guard reels from this vicious attack, we should not forget that Seven Nations' citizens were also injured or murdered. The Bellcastico family and their family dog, citizens of the Seven Nations, were killed while they sat down for their lunch. The whole family casually wiped out in an instant by the forces of Atlantis. Five other homes and six businesses were also destroyed, and dozens were injured in this surprise attack. Everyone knows the Greys are helping Atlantis against the Empire. Tonight, the Seven Nations got a taste of the beat-down they gave the Empire at High Guard.

"Live at High Guard War Base, easternmost fortress of the Empire of Chimorro, this is Sammi Reo, Channel 6 at Capisco, Seven Nations. Channel 6 is an affiliate of Consolidated Network News, your Independent News Source."

"House AI, cease display," I called out. "Mack and Akama, when you get topside, go home and find your kids. Then I want you to call me. I want to know how the house and all the residents fared. You promise to do that for me?"

We heard the sealed doors at the top of the stairs open. Many eyes looked anxiously upward.

"Yes, sir. Beckar, grab the trash bag and take it topside. We'll let you know, Commander." Mack and Akama were scared for their kids, and I knew it.

Carefully the troopers and the wounded ascended the stairs to the lights and night sky awaiting them.

"Are we going upstairs, Tenant?" Sisi asked.

"Yes, but I want you to stay close to Ixma. I'm sure your Mama Zinja wants very badly to see you and everyone else, too. Sowitwee? What about you and Nariya? Are you coming topside?"

He shook his head. "With all the other injured, I've been tended to. I'm thinking this might end up being our sleeping place for a while, Commander. I'm hurting and we might as well stay down here."

Calia said, "Then you might as well get undressed and comfortable. The bed's yours to use. I imagine others might be returning shelter, too. If we do, we'll set up some cots for the mattress pads."

The servants, anxious to get out, hurried upstairs. With Sisi on my hip and a tired Janetta beside me, we climbed the steps. Ixma, carrying Mina, walked behind us. Calia came last.

As soon as I stepped out, turning to look at the missing garage door, I heard, "Ranji! Ranji!" Through the smoky portable lamps, I saw a figure running to me.

Izel materialized and I set Sisi down just before my wife collided with me. Crying with relief, she did her best to squeeze the stuffing out of me.

"Do you need a magic hug?" Sisi asked her. "Tenant gave me one earlier and it was powerful magic. I didn't feel scared anymore."

Janetta watched us with a tired smile, but then Zinja appeared and the tall lean woman wrapped herself around her officer. After tearful reassurances, Janetta pulled Zinja over and the four of us extended the embrace, her momma pulling Ixma and Mina in as well. Calia embraced me from behind.

Janetta picked up Sisi. "Come on, Princess. You should be up here with the rest of us."

Sisi beamed in utter delight, then gave wonderful hugs to everyone in reach.

"We're alive. That's something to be grateful for," Zinja said.

"Hear, hear," we replied.

"Yes, we're alive and together now," Izel said.

"Mama! Mama, stop! You're squishing me!"

Amid laughter, Ixma said, "Is that better, Mina?"

"Tired, Mama. Want bed."

After a few minutes, we moved out from the garage and took in the smoky night air. Some of the troopers moving around wore air filters on their faces. The night was hazy and smoke was irritating. Might be a good idea to get some air filters for ourselves.

Then I saw Doyya standing there, patiently waiting, two bodyguards behind her. They wore filters, too.

There were portable lights around, and a score of troopers took pictures as they scoured the house. The dead assailants were in a pile out front, and pictures and fingerprints were being taken. Nearby were four bodies covered in blankets.

With encouragement from the other adults, we headed back through the garage and into the house itself. My girls didn't need to see that; life was going to be traumatic enough for them.

A portion of the house's east end wasn't just badly damaged, it was gone, as was part of the house to the east of us. Charred fragments seemed to cover the grass outside. From what I could see, half the family room, part of the front room, as well as all of Terra and Salvia's bedroom no longer existed. Even the harder concrete revealed beneath the burnt-away wood flooring was blackened and cracked in places. The sprinkler systems had successfully kept the fire from spreading. As a result, the downstairs carpets and furniture were soaked.

Doyya gave us masks and we put them on. While Zinja caught up with Ixma, Calia, and the girls, the rest of us toured the damage to our home. Water was everywhere in the kitchen. Surprisingly, except for an area by the entrance where water from the kitchen had overflowed, the rest of the gym was dry.

Cholan's room upstairs might be impacted as well. The stairs were wet but seemed to be intact.

Surprisingly, there was power in the west side of the house. Calia got the servants together, mops and buckets were found, and they set to cleaning up the water and wiping down cabinets and counters. A rope was found to hang up and allow wet towels to air dry. Wet blankets in Wit and Nariya's room were taken out, and the mattresses were stripped down to dry.

I wanted to ask the House AI about the circuits, but standing in two inches of water while operating a console seemed fatally idiotic without making sure it was safe first.

"Do we have a status report on the 602, Doyya?"

"Working on it, Commander. Twenty-three are confirmed dead and several are wounded. We don't have an exact count on the injured yet. The XO, Hachan, is getting the numbers. He has teams trying to make initial contacts by face or phone. There are also a lot people missing as well. By a lot, I mean over a hundred missing, sir. Jay came in early so he's at the station, helping coordinate things. I sent Pen home about eighteen hundred hours. Ground Security was hit a lot worse than we were. Commander Jaykoor, their CO, is seriously injured. Captain Terkouri, their Day Watch Commander, is working because they can't find the other two watch commanders. Their main building took at least one direct hit. I've suspended all training classes until shifts are fully covered, the fires are under control, and new shift assignments can get worked out."

"I assume Chita's in the center of things?"

Doyya nodded. "She's helping Jay and coordinating with Hachan. What do you want to do about traffic to Capisco, sir? Once the air raid hit, it was closed down."

"Open it back up. Only vendors and returning personnel are to be allowed entry. All leaves are cancelled at this time. Until further orders from me or the Commandant, no personnel are allowed to leave, even if they are scheduled to exit the service. That also applies to flights out, once the airfields are restored. If Hachan hasn't done so, ask him to call Capisco Police and ask them to put some gatekeepers on their end."

"Yes, sir."

"I expect I will be in a lot of meetings with the brass the next few days, especially regarding security risks, and depending on the topic, I might drag you along with me. Don't wear yourself out, Doyya. I've done nothing but sit in a shelter all day and I'm worn out. I'm going to try and get a few hours sleep, but if something comes up, Hachan, you, and Jay should feel free to give me a call. Don't stay later than zero-two hundred, Captain, and get at least six hours sleep tonight. Am I clear?"

"Crystal, sir. What shall we do about your dead? There'll be a truck by in the morning to pick up the dead bodies, and with so many of them, the Health Officer is considering mass cremation to reduce the chance of disease outbreak."

"If that's what has to be done, then we'll do it. Have Daydo, Izel's two men and the servant put into body bags. Megallo and Skoto, I think their names were. The servant's name was Ando. We'll figure the rest out in the morning."

Doyya nodded. "Your HueCac, aside from some dents, seems to be okay. And you have a functioning ChoCac. Lieutenant Durie is here with his platoon. Half his men have orders to stay here and keep watch. The other half are working their way down both sides of the street, get a headcount of who's supposed to be there with names of who's actually there, report on any injuries and take names of anyone missing as well as checking shelters. They'll continue working their way north till midnight, then resume at zero-six hundred. Our CID is coordinating names base-wide so we can match people with families faster."

"Excellent work, Captain. Mack and Akama were with me all day. Any sign of Haytam and Cooma?"

"No, sir. They're currently among the missing. Deeks, there you are. Give the commander his satchel and his tote bag. You left your laptop in the backseat of the cruiser, Commander, and the Commandant asked me to make sure you got your toys."

She shook her head, angry. "Sir, their attack plan doesn't make any sense! They missed some obvious targets like C&C or SatCom. They seemed to focus on the barracks and residences. Like they were going for casualties rather than to compromise our ability to fight. Though with their shields and weapons, I guess they can take their time taking us apart."

"Any word on Emilo and the kids?"

"They were missed, Commander. Shaken, but nobody hurt. They're also pretty scared right now."

"All right. I'll check in on them tomorrow, and find out how many still need treatments. We might have to cut short the public-relations deal, maybe find a nice hotel in Capisco for them to stay in while they wait. That Seven Nations reporter Sammi Reo seems pretty clearly in our corner. Nice to see a little international heat in our favor."

"I missed that," Doyya said, shaking her head. "Mobile Construction will be by early tomorrow. They won't do much other than put up some plastic to keep the rain and critters out. I'd better get back. There are a few things I want to check the progress on."

"Critters?" I asked.

"Small animals. You know, Commander. Rodents, snakes, that sort of thing. Might also cut down on the mosquitos at night, too. Rysil, where're the spare filters? Here's a bag with ten. Try to hang on to them, they're becoming very scarce. If you're outside in the air for more than an hour, your throat begins to feel it."

At Doyya's gesture, a trooper medico approached. "Report?"

"The wounded are stable. I also checked on Sergeant Sowitwee downstairs. They're all stable, Captain. The hospital is overwhelmed, and these would just be sent home. The only thing right now is we don't know whether their quarters are. My recommendation is they stay here."

"All right. Get them face filters for the smoke. I think your gym is the best place for them, Commander. For the moment, you're home has the room and the ability to care for them."

"Agreed," I said. "Get them set up in the gym."

"Sir!" The medico snapped a salute and as he moved off, started rounding up troopers to help.

"Thank you for all your help, Captain," Izel said. "And for the lift!"

"You're welcome. Sorry about the loss of your servants, Lady Kandikan. Commander? Will you please pass my condolences to Sowitwee on the loss of his father? He seemed a very decent sort. I'm grateful, sir, that everyone else in your family is okay." With that, she strode off with her two bodyguards into the darkness.

Janetta turned and looked around at the destruction, and then looked at me. "The air's pretty smokey up here. My head is killing me. I think I'm going back down into the shelter. At least I can take off the mask down there. What are you going to do?"

"Go upstairs, assess the damage, and try to salvage what we can from water damage. I also want to see how bad Cholan's room is."

"Be careful, Kandikan," my warrior warned. "If you get hurt, I'm going to be pissed. Are you coming, Izel?"

"I want to go see how my luggage cases weathered the water. If I help, maybe Ranji and I will get done faster."

Janetta lifted the mask, gave me a kiss on the cheek, reseated it, and headed off. A hug and a kiss to Zinja and Ixma as well as my girls who also got masks. Though Mina was coughing, she refused hers. Izel got some quick hugs, and soon we were alone. Calia and the servants were still working to clean the kitchen.

Cholan's room was indeed compromised, though not by much. Only the southeast corner of the room was open to the night air; the roof itself seemed intact, though with the room down below mostly gone and the possible loss of some structural supports, I wouldn't step into the corner.

The upstairs hallway bathroom was a mess with the water, as was the hallway carpet, but surprisingly, the bedrooms on the west end were dry. There was smoke in the rooms because the doors had been left open but otherwise were intact.

However, the deck door was a mess; the frame was cracked in several places. Still, that was fixable. With some shoving, I was at least able to force the door into a closed position. I wasn't positive, but I believed the House AI had only activated the sprinklers in the areas burning and those rooms adjacent.

In the main bedroom, I accessed the House AI, and the computer systems confirmed that breakers for the east side of the house should remain off, but the AI reported the west side as functioning normally with no power drains or fluctuations detected and therefore safe to use. It suggested that the west end bedrooms should be closed so the ventilation filters could clean the air, preventing further smoke contamination. Clothing, blankets, the carpets, and even the walls and ceiling would need to be cleaned to get rid of the smokey smell. That would entail a lot of hard work and would be out of the question until the desalination plant was up and running again.