ALTERNATE TALES OF THE STAR FORCE
STAR BLAZERS---A ROOT OF BITTERNESS
Being the third part of THE NEW COMET--- BY: Frederick P. Kopetz
This Act is being completed with the Cooperation and Assistance of Derek A.C. Wakefield (as usual)
ACT TWO: A SUDDEN BATTLE
I. 0651 Hours…
"…the Argo has repelled the invasion ships from the Metro Area," continued the announcer as, at the Space Fighters' Training School, a group of midshipmen cheered at the vidscreen that was on as they stood defending the wardroom of their dorm building. Sasha "Petrovsky" was among the detail of twenty cadets who stood in the dayroom with rifles on their shoulders on straps. The wardroom was secured behind blast shields that covered the windows, and most of the other midshipmen had combat stations on their respective floors of their dorm. Sasha and the others were (mostly) in uniform, each of them armed and tense as they had been expecting Cometine troopers to raid the area.
"Where the hell are those troopers now?" yelled one cadet, a man named Twindell. "Girls, call home to Mom, it's over!"
"The Star Force saved our butts again!" yelled another cadet as he took advantage of being armed to shoot open a soda machine and then begin handing out cans of Cosmic Cola and Dr. Starpepper.
"Hey, King will be pissed at you for that!" yelled another midshipman as an uneasy Sasha took a can of soda.
"We'll tell that asshole Lieutenant King that the Cometines did it!" laughed a friend of Sasha's from the cheerleading squad named Sherri Nesmith. "Hey, Sasha! Why so gloomy?"
"Deke's still out there in his plane fighting…and they aren't off campus yet!"
"What?" said Twindell. "Sasha, how do you know that? You some kind of Iscandarian or something?"
Sasha bit her tongue at this rude comment as the others laughed. She said, "No, it's just a feeling I have! The all-clear hasn't gone off yet! And they could be anywhere?"
"Where?" said another midshipman. "Behind the blast shield?"
An explosion blew the wardroom into a shambles from outside as something blew apart the blast shield with a direct hit.
A moment later, Sasha looked up, just in enough time to see a Cometine soldier in Black Nebulan attack armor coming through the breach, firing at her classmates.
Before Sasha knew it, Nesmith and Twindell were on the deck with holes blasted through them. Sasha took cover behind a couch and readied her weapon in a minute. Her training took over as the enemy trooper shot at her and the three other midshipmen who had taken cover with her. Sasha's gold uniform glowed luridly in the light from the fire as she caught a bead on the enemy trooper and shot him down like a rabid dog. He fell twitching; Sasha only smiled to herself as she briefly thought, First blood. I just killed that guy! I've actually seen combat!
Three other enemy troopers shot at Sasha and her friends as they returned fire. One of Sasha's classmates, a man named Carlson, took a hit in the head and fell down screaming, but an angry Sasha just returned fire and killed his attacker with another burst from her laser rifle.
Four more troopers appeared at the window. A classmate of Sasha's named Christopher rolled her a grenade. Sasha smiled and threw the grenade, which exploded satisfyingly as it killed the Cometine troopers.
Suddenly, a minute later, it was quiet. Sasha looked up, dusting off her boots as she looked at a clock on the undamaged bulkhead of the wardroom. It was now 0700 on the dot. All was silent except for some soft moaning.
Sasha ran over to Sherri Nesmith's side. She was bleeding heavily from a wound to her head and a wound to her stomach and was in great pain. Even with little medical training, Sasha could tell that there was nothing that could be done for her now
"Sasha," said Sherri. "At least I got one of them before I…it's getting real dark…I…"
"Shh…" said Sasha. "Don't talk."
"Oh, Lord, please come and take me out of this," said Sherri…"I…"
Tears ran down Sasha's cheeks as she smiled. "It's going to be okay, Sherri, I…"
"How can it be OK, Sasha? I'm…."
"No you're not…" Sasha lied.
"Maybe I'll…"
Then, Sherri smiled and died in Sasha's arms.
Sasha gritted her teeth and began to curse and cry at the same time as she held the body of her friend. You were right, Mother, she thought angrily as she looked at the carnage around her. War is not glorious, nor is it fun, nor is it an adventure. But I have an obligation to you, to Dad, to Uncle, to my other homeworld, Earth. I can't give up, not now! And, Deke, I'm sorry I didn't understand you before. Now I do, I think. Now I do….
At that, Sasha closed the eyes of her friend, laid her down, covered her with her coat, and called out, "Okay, everyone! They might be back! We have to set up defenses! NOW, people!"
Sasha was pleased and surprised when the other midshipmen nodded and obeyed.
Like her, they now knew that it was not a game anymore.
0712 Hours
High Over The Great Eastern Sea…(The Edge of the Atmosphere)
"Now this is flying!" yelled Deke as he made his rendezvous with the rest of the Sun Tigers and with the Black Tigers over the Pacific. They had made their rendezvous surrounding the Argo as it advanced again into the upper atmosphere in pursuit of Higron's fleet, which was now preparing to make a last stand in high orbit.
Higron still wanted to defeat the Argo, even though he had lost several of his battleships and destroyers in the fracas that had been taking place during the last hour. So, the battle continued with the enemy taking their places in orbit, hoping that they could blow the Argo to bits.
However, the forty-three planes (eight Sun Tigers and thirty-five Black Tigers) that surrounded the Argo were soon to turn the hopes of Higron and his fleet into nightmares. But it wouldn't be easy for those pilots, nor for the rest of the Star Force.
The Argo turned to face the enemy, surrounded by Conroy, Hartcliffe, and their pilots, but several shots rang off the ship's bow, and some caused more damage to the rebuilt battleship from stem to stern as Domon and the gunners under his command prepared to return fire.
And return fire they did a moment later as the Argo's guns went off again and again.
Soon, two more enemy destroyers were blown to bits as the battle went back up into space itself.
"How many are left?" said Wildstar from his post as the Argo shook from another hit.
"The enemy carrier, two space battleships, and three destroyers," said Nova from her post as she stared at the screen. "They're at RX-322, range, fifteen megameters…and they're launching another attack wave from the carrier!"
"I'm detecting matter transporter waves," said Sandor from his post. Not far away, three Scorpions appeared around the Argo, but, soon the Earth space battleship's pulse lasers brought them down in spectacular explosions.
"They've got SMITE?" said Derek.
"Yes, most likely from the days when they were allied with the Gamilons, Captain," said Sandor. "It seems that they've developed something new; I think they can use it in an atmosphere now. The Gamilons told us they could never do that. We might be able to stop it if we can pinpoint the carrier, Wildstar."
"Tend to it, Domon," said Wildstar.
"Yessir! Conroy!" said Domon into his microphone. "Take ten of your best planes and attack that enemy carrier at once! Don't let them escape!"
"Got it, Argo," said Cory Conroy as his plane roared past the Argo in a rapid blur. "Hartcliffe, get me two of your guys….take them out…."
Hartcliffe snapped, "Wakefield, Marrable, help me…we're helping Conroy take that carrier out!"
"Got it," said Deke. "Brew, let's go for it!"
"WoooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOHHHH!" yelled Brew. "This is gonna make my day!"
"Me too!" yelled Deke as the angry pilots roared in towards the Malanga, which, sensing the threat, began to fire like mad before the planes on her deck could be blown apart.
One of Conroy's wingmen was blown apart in a loud explosion and scream as a bolt from the enemy carrier's main guns struck home.
However, Cory Conroy's missiles locked on target as he fired. Hartcliffe followed with a barrage of his own, and, for good measure, Deke and Brew released the last of their missiles at the Malanga.
The missiles slammed home, blowing up the SMITE mechanism at the bow, and taking several of the enemy Scorpions and Paranoia fighters with them as Conroy and Hartcliffe roared in to strafe what remained of the flight deck for good measure. A Cometine plane crashed in flames into the deck as Higron stood watching the carnage aboard his ship in utter shock.
"Sir! The entire flight deck is destroyed!" yelled one officer.
"Prepare us to warp out…" whispered Higron. "I can't let the rest of you die."
"We'll have to report to Invidia and Dyre, sir," said another officer.
"I don't plan to report to them," whispered Higron.
"Why not?" said the officer.
"Send final status to the battleship Baklava, and tell them to report to Princess Invidia that I took the honorable way out to atone for my loss," said Higron as he drew his hand blaster. He slowly pointed it at his own chest and fired as his exec sent the final report, falling bleeding to the deck with his eyes open. "Farewell," he gasped as his ship then exploded all around him.
It was now 0720 Hours, and Earth was clearly winning the battle.
On the Argo, there was great jubilation as they watched the Malanga blow itself apart.
Then, the rest of the enemy fleet began to run for it.
"They're making a break for it!" said Domon.
"They're trying to," said Wildstar as he sat in deep thought for a moment. "Nova, where are they going?"
"Towards the Moon, probably trying to get past it so they can warp out safely. They were warping like madmen before. How can they warp right into gravity wells like that, Derek?"
"I don't know," said Wildstar.
"I'm getting a signal from Earth," said Homer. "Wildstar, Command has just reported that the North Carolina battleship task group and the Kirishima task group are in the area near the Moon; the Pennsylvania is in the Venus orbit and preparing to warp in if needed."
"Which task force is the closest to us?" asked Wildstar.
"The North Carolina group," said Homer.
"Connect me to the North Carolina, Homer. I need to send Captain Allen a message."
"Yessir," said Homer.
0730 Hours
Aboard ESS North Carolina…
On the North Carolina, her communications officer, a Lieutenant Guzman, came to attention as he said to his skipper, "Sir, a Priority One Message from the Argo, Captain."
"Read it, Lieutenant," said Captain Tucker Allen, a man who was in his early thirties; he had been a classmate of Alex Wildstar's at the Academy, and he was a decent commander who had recently been appointed to command this newly renovated Earth capital ship, which had seen action when new back in the Rikasha Incident; this was his biggest command to date.
"Yessir. Have been informed that you are in the area of the Moon; desire your assistance in keeping enemy fleet from escaping. You will assume first position; Kirishima task group will act as your backup. Signed, Commodore Derek Wildstar, Commander, First Star Force."
"Lieutenant, acknowledge the message, and order the rest of the task group to assume Battle Position Gamma around us," said Allen. "Open a channel to the fleet."
"Aye, aye, sir," said Guzman as Allen brought the North Carolina up to red alert.
"What do you think they're doing, Parker?" asked Captain Allen as he turned to his XO in a blue and gold peacoat, Commander Rayford Parker, who was the ship's Combat Group Leader.
"I think they're trying to make a break for it," said Parker as he looked at a tactical on one of the North Carolina's four main screens. "Miss Worley, analyze the battle problem."
"Yessir! The enemy fleet is approaching from RS-312, speed, eighteen space knots and increasing, range, twelve megameters," said the North Carolina's cosmo radar officer, a Lieutenant Katrina Worley. "I agree that they're probably going to try to make a break for it but might try to attack us first. There's one battleship and four destroyers. The Argo's pursuing them sixteen megameters behind, sir; probably trying to close to fire main guns."
"Good. Mister Jacobin, full speed to that location," said Allen to his helmsman. "Mister Guzman, open this channel to our cruisers and destroyers."
"Yessir."
Then, Allen said, "All ships, prepare main guns! Enemy fleet approaching…block their escape route!"
Allen smiled as his ships began to change position to block the enemy fleet off. He merely nodded as they fired missiles at long range; missiles which only nicked one of his destroyers.
"They're in range of our main guns now," said Parker a moment later as he studied another tactical that Worley brought up on the screen as she recited her data.
"Sir," said Worley. "The Argo's also in main gun range from another corridor now."
"Wildstar signals that he wants a crossfire," said Guzman as he read another message.
"Great," said Allen. "Inform Wildstar he can fire in thirty seconds after our barrage. All ships, open fire for twelve seconds! Then cease fire and let the Argo finish it!"
"Yessir," said Parker. "All ships, open fire!"
At that, the North Carolina's Task Group opened fire a moment later.
The nine ships had not fought in several years, and they were itching for some real action at last.
They certainly got it that day.
The battleship North Carolina opened fire first, followed by the fleet cruisers Shropshire and Hawaii, backed up by the destroyers London, Birmingham, Newport, Osaka, Tampa, and Tel Aviv. The nine EDF vessels blasted the Cometine battleship to wreckage, and totally destroyed two of the enemy destroyers. Two of the destroyers were hit but damaged like wild animals; one of them brought down the Tampa by ramming her broadsides, and thus, both ships and their crews died together in a bloody conflagration.
Allen gritted his teeth, but, a moment later, he disengaged and waited as the Argo's main guns locked on the remains of the enemy fleet to finish them off.
Yet, he smiled as he waited to see what the Argo would do.
After all, it had been a while since they had been in battle, and he had never met Alex's famous little brother before, nor had he fought with him except at long range at Saturn-Titan some years back as the XO of one of the cruisers that had been there and had barely escaped.
"Well?" said Commodore Wildstar aboard the Argo.
"We're well within firing range, and the enemy fleet is barely moving now," said Nova. "They're badly damaged."
"Let's finish this battle, Domon," said Wildstar. "Fire!"
"Yessir, firing main guns," said Domon with a nasty grin.
The Argo's main guns went off one, two, three, and then four times.
There were four explosions, and then, there was nothing but expanding debris and silence.
The battle had ended at 0738 Hours. The enemy had lost all twenty of its space warships and planes, while Earth had lost two ships and about twenty planes. Still, Earth had lost nearly 10,000 people, both civilian and military, in this vicious sneak attack.
Even though no one came back to the Eritz Gatlantis to report on the results of the battle, Princess Invidia received transmissions of the battle, and even though she was angry at the loss of her ships and men, she was glad that they had wreaked so much havoc on Earth this day.
And, although Invidia didn't know it, yet, the battle would cause a great deal of bitterness, both on Earth and between Earth's allies.
But the bitterness would only reach its full extent later. Today, it was a victory for Earth, although it was a victory that was very much bittersweet.
II. DEKE AND BREW'S UNEXPECTED REWARD
Between the Earth and the Moon
Space Battleship Argo
Friday, December 13, 2205
1032 Hours: Earth Time
"Now that was one hell of a tough landing," said Deke Wakefield as he walked the passages of the famous Argo for the first time with Brew and his other midshipmen beside him. The North Carolina, with her grey and gold bow, and the Kirishima, with her grey bow, both cruised nearby with their escorts in formation with the famous space battleship. He was looking for the messhall so he could get something to eat.
"Yeah…we had to make a carrier landing without ever having done it before," said Brew. "But Hartcliffe talked us through it."
"Yeah…with some curses I never knew existed before," said Deke.
"And what's that about wanting to see me naked in warp?" said Midshipman Clarisse Ramsey, one of Deke and Brew's classmates, and the only female of the group who had gotten off the ground that day. "Doesn't that man have a wife or something?"
"Oh, he does," said Brew.
"Yeah, and that's the pathetic part," said Wakefield.
"Okay, people," said Conroy as he showed up behind them. "We can have breakfast in a bit. The Commodore's ready for all seven of you. Sorry to hear that Kramer didn't make it…"
"Yeah," said Brew with a sigh. He had seen his friend Dave Kramer shot up by a Cometine fighter in the battle; badly damaged, he had crashed into the bridge tower of one of the enemy battleships. Brew had heard that Kramer had just been posthumously promoted to Ensign, which was a cold comfort considering the fact that he would never graduate with his class now.
"But…you guys are wanted up in the skipper's cabin…and wanted there now."
"What did we do?" said Brew as everyone else rolled their eyes.
"You'll see," said Conroy.
A few minutes later, the six male and one female midshipman stood in a row in Commodore Wildstar's cabin before his chair. They had no idea what was going on, and Wildstar sat working on some documents at a computer console with his back turned. But, Cory Conroy and Bryan Hartcliffe stood near each side of his chair, grinning like the cats that had caught the proverbial canary.
To Conroy's left, Nova Wildstar stood with a Mona Lisa-like smile on her face as she adjusted an instant stereo-camera on a small tripod. Finally, she said, "Derek, I'm ready."
"Are they ready, Mister Conroy?" said Wildstar as he took a packet out of a drawer.
"As ready as they'll ever be," said Conroy.
"Hartcliffe?" said Wildstar.
"I miss Angie back home."
"Why?"
"Too many legs to look at up 'ere…female ones, and…"
Nova just smiled and punched the British Lieutenant in the shoulder.
"Hey…I…"
"Just shut up," whispered Nova with a smile as she looked down at her legs in her skintight gold uniform and boots. "Bryan, just shut up."
Wakefield tried to suppress a smile, but he turned serious when Wildstar stood and said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, extend your left hands and raise your right hands. Do not look at what I place in your left hands yet. Understood?"
"Aye, aye, sir!" snapped all seven of them together.
Wildstar went down the line, placing a small, hard object in each of their hands. Wakefield took a deep breath as he realized that what had been placed in his hand felt like a small metal pin of some type. Still, as per orders, he did not look.
Finally, when he reached the end of the line and gave Midshipman Norris his pin, Wildstar kept his face deadpan and then came back to stand before his chair.
He said, "We have a tradition in the Defense Forces that no cadet pilot trainee who actually engages an alien enemy in combat goes unrecognized. In accordance with that tradition, I promoted your late classmate Dave Kramer to Ensign today once I learned of his death. I am aware that we need experienced hands to speak to and help instruct the rest of your classmates back at the Space Fighters' Training School for the rest of the academic year owing to the fact that many training officers have been reassigned. In light of that, I have decided to recommend to Mister Hartcliffe that in light of your actual battle experience, all of you should receive "A's" in the Basic Flight Combat Training Courses you were taking this semester, since you have already passed the final exam under live-fire conditions, and that you should be advanced to act as graduate pilot teaching assistant-students for the Advanced Combat Flight Training Course in your final semester at the Space Fighters' Training School. If you accept that honor, you will have to accept the rank that goes with that honor. You may look in your hands now."
Deke looked, and he and the others gasped slightly as they realized that Ensign's rank pins had just been placed in their hands.
Wildstar then closed his eyes for a moment as he remembered how he had felt when Avatar had promoted him to Deputy Captain back in 2200, and then continued with, "If you accept this honor, you will receive battlefield commissions and become commissioned officers as of your completion of the Officers' Oath, which I have been authorized to administer to you by the Commanding General of the Earth Defense Forces. Do you accept?"
"YESSIR!" all of them yelled together.
"Good," said Derek with a grin. "Now keep your right hands raised, and repeat after me…."I…."
Nova then smiled and took a flash picture as the cadets were sworn into the Active Earth Defense Forces as officers by Wildstar. It took only about a minute.
Then, a minute later, a stunned Ensign Deke Wakefield pinned his little black anchor to his collar and took a deep breath.
Holy crap, he thought. I not only survived this day, but I earned a commission out of the whole deal. Goddamn…I MADE IT! I beat Stovall…I beat King…I beat the Cometines…I beat all of them…Mom…Dad…I made it.
Then, he thought, Dawn, if only you were up here to see me today. We should be sharing this…together…I made it!
Holy crap…I made it….
TO BE CONTINUED…
