This is a piece of fiction. It is not intended to interfere with the official Starship Troopers produced by Bohbot Kids Network. Official characters and Bugs mentioned in this story are property of Bohbot Kids Network. All other characters and intellectual property rights are mine.
New Threat
It had been over a week since the final battle into the Bug Hive on Earth. Over a hundred Marauders had been necessary to go down into that hole, simply to make sure that one would make it to the Queen, and kill her. But the job had been done, and the queen was dead. Rico's Roughnecks were the heroes, and had been given two weeks off, and could ask for whatever duty they wanted after that. They had been paraded, partied, and generally celebrated for so long, they were getting tired of it.
"Hey Goss, what's for breakfast?" asked Higgins. He had been quietly resting on his bed (no bunks for the heroes), and was nursing a hangover.
"Whatever it is, it better do something about this dropship going through my brain." Gossard was also nursing a hangover, but seemed to be taking it better. He was a little older, and had more experience with parties, and the result the next morning. But even he was feeling the aftereffects.
"Why don't we call Doc, and ask him if he has anything?"
"Go right ahead Higgins." Secretly Gossard was waiting for Higgins to call, because Gossard knew that Doc liked to sleep late, and when the phone rang, Doc would also be nursing a hangover.
Not knowing what was going to happen, Higgins slowly moved over to the edge of the bed to the table that separated his bed from Gossard's, and began trying to puzzle out the method on how to call another room.
Doc was sleeping soundly, when suddenly an explosion went off. Sitting bolt upright, Doc winced as the explosion occurred again. He had been sleeping soundly when it happened, and he was very annoyed. Looking around to find the source, he saw the phone next to his bed blinking, and his mind slowly adjusted to the horrible sound of a phone ringing.
"Whoever this is, it better be a planetary emergency to wake me up."
"Um, Doc, Goss and I were just wondering if you had anything for a hangover."
Doc recognized the quiet voice as Higgins, and that reduced his temper slightly. Not that much though. "Higgins, don't you think that if I had something for a hangover, I would have used it?"
"Got any aspirin then?"
"Call room service." With that, Doc hung up the phone, and promptly went back to sleep.
Higgins looked back at Gossard, and shook his head no. But even that movement was enough to make his head spin, and he passed out again.
Gossard had already laid back down and was fast asleep.
*
Max Brutto had gone home to see his dad, but had been partied by the local town. Now he was waking up, and didn't recognize the room he was in. Having partied hard while he was younger, he was used to the hangover, and was able to stop the room spinning in a few minutes. He looked over to his left, and saw someone's face. Focusing, he was able to identify the face as female. He moved one arm out from under the covers, and rested it on top the cover. He felt an arm over his chest, but it felt weird. He pinched it, and heard a definitely female "ow".
But that voice had come from his right. Turning his head, he saw another female face there. 'Hmm, great night', he thought. Be better if he could remember what had happened.
He reached over her, and saw a third girl there. 'Definitely a great night.' Reaching the phone after a couple tries, he dialed his dad. "Um, Dad, can you trace this call?"
"Why son?"
"I just woke up in bed with three girls, and can't remember what happened."
For the next few seconds, Max heard his dad laughing his head off, before his dad was finally able to answer. "Just a moment son. I'll get it in a moment. Ah, you're at the local Motel ten, a few miles down the road. I'll see you in a few hours then, just in time for the relatives that will be arriving."
With that, his dad hung up the phone, and Max turned back to the girls. They had started to get up, and were looking at each other with curiosity.
"Hey girls, what do you think of last night?" called Max.
The girls just looked at him and laughed, as they finished getting dressed, and left him in the room alone. Max groaned, and began locating his clothes from around the room to get dressed.
*
Juan "Johnny" Rico gently turned over in the bed. He still was not used to anything other than a bunk on board the Roger Young, and getting to sleep last night had been difficult.
"Mornin' sleepyhead." Isabelle "Dizzy" Flores turned over to Johnny, and hugged him from behind. "Did you enjoy last night as much as I did?"
"Definitely." Diz was the other reason he had taken so long getting to sleep last night. He remembered how they had had an on-again, off-again friendship over the three years the Bug war had been going on. He had simply been so stuck on Carmen that he had been blinded to the fact that Diz loved him. Now with the Bug war over, they could get on with their feelings, without worrying about some carnivorous insect trying to kill them. True, there were several worlds still controlled by Bugs, but without the Queen to direct them and to lay eggs, those worlds would not be a threat.
Already there were forces on their way to Hydora, Tesca Nemerosa, and other worlds that SICON had been forced to abandon to the Bugs in order to get Fleet and MI units to earth to combat the Queen bug and her minions. While they had been underground fighting the queen, three Bug transports had tried to sneak in and give the queen reinforcements, but the fleet units in orbit had managed to defeat them. Several ships had been damaged, but with the fixed defenses and the few ships left behind, the Bugs would not be able to get to earth again.
An arm crept around his shoulders, and Johnny Rico turned back to Diz, knowing that they were finally safe from the Bugs.
*
Carl lay back in his bed, resting. He had expended a lot of effort to keep the Queen bug's mental powers from killing the troopers who had gone after her, and he could still barely move. But he was enjoying the current sensation, as the joy of everyone on the planet poured through him, relieved that the bug threat on earth was taken care of. It was pure bliss to feel everyone's happiness, and Carl turned some of his own abilities to helping his body heal from the stress that he had gone through.
Dr. Saatabi came in, and remarked, "You're not supposed to be straining yourself you know. You are here to heal, not do heavy thinking." But that comment was made with a grin, as she had been there, keeping him alive as he had tackled the Queen mind to mind, while other psychics had been jamming the communication between the Queen and her troops to help the soldiers who had gone into the hole.
"I am healing. Whatever minor aches I get are more than made up for by the bliss I feel when I listen to the people on Earth celebrating. But I will think about what you said."
"I'd prefer if you didn't think instead, and just healed yourself." But there was a smile on her face, and she left him in his room, to relax and heal.
*
Carmen was also relaxing, in a way. She had managed to get a hold of a fighter jet, and was currently engaged in teaching younger pilots the ropes of how to handle their new fighters. 'Younger? They're only a few years younger than me.' She sighed again, and continued to encourage her charges to press their machines to the limits, and to keep conscious even under twelve or more Gs.
*
Charlie Zim was not relaxing. Rico had left him the paperwork, and now he was busy filling out the forms and everything else, for when the Roughnecks got back together, they would be wanting their favorite billets, no matter what that could be. As a result, he had been stuck with the job of getting open slots from every possible location, and listing them in some order for when the squad got back.
Zim cursed again, but he knew that rank did have its privileges, and this was one time where he was on the receiving end of it.
*
Colonel T'Phai was staying at the Death Valley Hotel with his wife. His children were playing in the next room, and he and his wife were lying in bed together. It had been too long since he had seen her, and they were able to enjoy each other's scent for the first time in a long while. The whole hotel was for his people, even if the surrounding area was cold for his people. He knew that this was among the hottest areas on Earth's surface, but it was barely warmer than the polar caps of his planet. Still though, it was worth it to be out of his armor, and with his family.
He heard a thump from the next room, and wondered what had happened. He was just about to get up, when his wife turned over, and said, "Let them play. It has been the first time in so long that they could play for fun without any fear."
T'Phai again thanked whatever force existed in the galaxy for having such a wonderful woman pick him to be her mate.
*
General Miriam Redwing was looking over the recent MI deployments. She knew that there were still Ripplers on some of the planets, and a couple Queen Ripplers too. Those flying insects would spit spikes at anything that looked like a promising target, and if the queens managed to get off-world, they could lay hundreds of eggs in new locations, compounding the clean-up of the Bug forces.
Still, without the Queen Bug to lay new eggs, there would only be a finite supply of Queen Ripplers, meaning that all they had to do was kill the Queens to eliminate the only part of the Bug forces that could reproduce.
*
Fleet Commander Barlow was looking over his fleet's repairs, discouraged that he couldn't take part in the final clean-up, but knowing that the other Fleet officers out there would do an excellent job by themselves. He looked over the Earth system map, which showed the latest data on anything that was in the solar system.
There appeared to be a few contacts out there, near Neptune's orbit, that weren't broadcasting their IFF codes. He got on the comms with a couple pilots, and asked them to check out the contacts.
*
Lieutenant Wilson was leading her wingman out to investigate the new contacts. They had been performing routine patrols of the solar system, looking for any Bug asteroids that might still be on their way after the Queen had been killed, when they had been ordered to check out the unknowns.
Not a problem. She gently eased her fighter around, and began scanning the sky with her new sensor system, looking for the unknowns that had served to make her boring day just a little more interesting. The scanner began giving her more and more data as she got closer.
"This is Lieutenant Wilson to Fleet command. Have picked up the bogies, and my scanner reports that there are ten to twelve targets. Tracks look consistent with a vector towards Earth. Looks like a cluster of asteroids incoming."
"Copy that Lieutenant, can you get close enough to get an indication on the masses of the asteroids?"
"On the way sir." Switching to her wingman's radio, she said, "Dagger two, this is Dagger One. Follow me in, and scan those asteroids to get a good read on their masses and composition. Fleet Command wants to know what's coming towards them."
"Yes sir."
The two fighters continued towards the targets, occasionally correcting their course. Things continued on well, with Lieutenant Wilson recording the size and mass of the leading asteroids, while her wingman began scanning the trailers.
"Dagger One this is Two! The trailers are not asteroids, repeat not asteroids! They're Bug transports! There's eight of them, and they all read as full!"
"Dagger two, this is One. Confirm your scans."
"Dagger One I confirm. There are eight Bug transports in the rear group. Also, is it me, or do the four in front seem to be guarding the transports?"
Lieutenant Wilson looked back at her plot. Now that Two had mentioned it, it did seem as though the four asteroids in front were sweeping space in front of them for any targets. If the Dagger flight had used the same sensors as they had used during the war, they would have had to get in much closer before discovering the transports.
She quickly retuned her sensors to scan the asteroid in front of her. The asteroid had unusual biological readings. They seemed oddly familiar, and she wondered where she had seen that configuration before. Suddenly it hit her. The Ice Bug that the Roughnecks had crashed on! These were probably related to them! There even seemed to be six additional parts on it, but seemed to be totally unrelated to any Bug propulsion or transportation system ever seen.
Even as she watched though, the lead Bug ship began extending those parts, and began slightly turning in space. A charge built up, and six balls of plasma shot out.
"Dagger One heads up! Bug plasma inbound!"
"Evade"
Both fighters immediately broke off their runs, intending to avoid the plasma spheres that were heading towards them. Seeing a calm moment, Lieutenant Wilson began recording data on the plasma spheres, trying to get a read on them.
But the other three vessels were extending their plasma weapons, and were volleying fire towards the three fighters. Dodging and weaving, the two fighters were finally able to pull out of range of the plasma spheres.
"Fleet Command this is Dagger One. Inbounds are eight Bug Transports and four Ice Bugs with six plasma weapons each. Am downloading data on the plasma spheres for further study. Recommend we get some help up here."
"Copy that Dagger One. Return to Earth base. We're going to have to face them with the help of the fixed defenses. The other bases are sending us their mobile units, so expect lots of company."
"Copy that Command." "Dagger One to Dagger two, return to base. We've got lots of Bugs, and we're going to try to beat them."
"Copy that One."
*
Back at Fleet Command, Fleet CDR Morgan was sweating the first reports from the battle staff.
"Sir, we estimate those plasma blasts as at least thirty times stronger than the standard plasma bug volley, and those cannons seem able to fire more often that plasma bugs. Given average conditions, it would only take two of those blasts to destroy one of our ships. Even after the first blast, the ship will be only 15% combat capable, and the second blast will totally destroy the ship. The bases are tougher, and can withstand three blasts, but what's left will be a shattered ruin.
"Our main attack will have to be done in two groups; the fighters to destroy the plasma cannons, and the warships to polish them off. We don't know if Plasma bugs have been stationed on the Ice Bugs, so our fighters will have to watch out for them. After the plasma guns had been neutralized, the warships will move in to destroy the ships. Fighters will have to cover them again, for when the transport bugs launch their fighters. The bases' main job should be to prevent any Bug vessel from doing a kamikaze on Earth to release more Bugs for us to mess with. We can support the bases by using retrieval ships and dropships to shoot down any bugs that make it into the atmosphere. MI units can also be mobilized around critical areas, with retrieval ships to carry them to wherever any strong Bug forces make it through."
"Good plan. I think we'll go with it. All right people, get those fighters prepped, get the warships on-line, and ask General Redwing to issue recall commands to all MI units on-planet. If they are needed, we want them to be ready. The bases can also support us with their missile fire, and I want continuous tracking updates from anyone in range."
"Sir, they'll be passing behind Jupiter in a few minutes, and we won't be able to see them during that time. They will be in view again in five minutes after they disappear, if their track holds steady."
Morgan thought. 'Jupiter, jupiter, what is important . . . asteroids. The asteroid belt. If they hide in the belt . . .'
"I want a squadron of fighters launched now! Make sure that the Bugs don't try to hide in the asteroid belt as they pass through."
Several gasps erupted as the command staff and crew realized what the commander meant. The Bugs could travel to the asteroid belt, and launch asteroids toward Earth, and travel to earth while the defenses were busy dealing with the asteroids. A quick series of orders rang out, and a squadron of fighters was launched, and they put their drives to full power, trying to get beyond the asteroids so they could spot the Bugs and track them.
*
General Redwing got the call, and gasped in shock. She knew how tough it had been to throw the Bugs out the first time, and that was with one Queen plus whatever managed to escape the transport with her. This was eight transports, undoubtedly with a couple Rippler Queens, with lots of back-up troops for them as well. But those thoughts took only a second to think, and she immediately pressed the button that would signal all MI units to active duty immediately.
Alarms rang out on the planet, and beepers sounded. MI troops that were relaxing or on leave found themselves being recalled to duty, and the priority one symbol on their communicators told them that they could commandeer any vehicle they felt like in order to get to their destination. They had priority at any location, except where other units were also getting to duty.
A skimmer showed up outside a hotel, and nervous MIs piled in, getting the sleep out of their eyes while the pilot broke every driving law getting them to their base. Recovery vessels swooped out of the sky, picking up troopers who had gone home to see their parents or family. Arriving at their respective bases, squads got together, and piled into the main briefing room.
In the main room, they were given a quick run-down on everything that had occurred, and they realized the threat they faced. To prevent any Bugs from landing, there was only a half-dozen damaged ships in orbit, along with the bases, plus themselves to prevent any Bugs from landing and attacking again.
Their squad positions were assigned, and they went quickly to their locations, with each squad given a skimmer or retrieval ship to help them get around. For now, all they could do was wait, for the opening battle would begin in space.
*
"They will be passing behind Jupiter in five, four, three, two, one, now. The fighters are still a couple minutes away from the asteroid belt, but they should get past the belt before the Bugs get past Jupiter." Reported the plotting officer.
"So we have roughly five minutes before any of our sensors will be able to spot them again?"
"Yes sir."
"How are preparations on-planet coming?"
"Troopers are being deployed as we speak. Bases are activating their anti-aircraft weaponry in case any Bugs land on top of them and Civil Defense has everybody in shelters. If it's moving above ground the troopers know that it will be either another trooper, or a bug. Good luck to you Commander."
"You too General. Looks like the Bugs are throwing one last gasp at us. If we can break this, we can break them."
"I hope so."
*
Four minutes had gone by, and the fighters had continued on their course. During their trip, they had detected minor plasma trails, as though the Bugs were testing their weaponry, but nothing else had occurred. They were past the asteroid belt, and were waiting for the Bugs to show themselves.
"Commander Morgan, we are beyond the asteroid belt and are holding position. Do you want us to go ahead to spot the Bugs?"
"Negative on that for now Lieutenant. We'll let them show themselves first, then you can shadow them to make sure no ships are missing."
*
Commander Morgan looked at his plot. If the Bugs had held to their course, they would be coming out from behind Jupiter just about now.
'Huh? Nothing's coming out?'
"Tracking, do you have any sign of the Bug vessels?"
"Negative Sir. Maybe they're still behind Jupiter?"
"Could be. We'll wait a minute, and then the fighters will go around to check it out."
The minute came and went, and still there had been no sign of the Bugs. "Fighter group one, you are go for exploring around Jupiter for any sign of the Bugs."
"On the way sir."
The fighters punched their drives to full power, and hurtled behind Jupiter, attempting to blow past the Bugs before they could react and open fire. They traveled around Jupiter, and picked up readings on their scanners. Hurtling towards those readings, the fighters saw. . .
"My gosh, what happened?"
New Threat
It had been over a week since the final battle into the Bug Hive on Earth. Over a hundred Marauders had been necessary to go down into that hole, simply to make sure that one would make it to the Queen, and kill her. But the job had been done, and the queen was dead. Rico's Roughnecks were the heroes, and had been given two weeks off, and could ask for whatever duty they wanted after that. They had been paraded, partied, and generally celebrated for so long, they were getting tired of it.
"Hey Goss, what's for breakfast?" asked Higgins. He had been quietly resting on his bed (no bunks for the heroes), and was nursing a hangover.
"Whatever it is, it better do something about this dropship going through my brain." Gossard was also nursing a hangover, but seemed to be taking it better. He was a little older, and had more experience with parties, and the result the next morning. But even he was feeling the aftereffects.
"Why don't we call Doc, and ask him if he has anything?"
"Go right ahead Higgins." Secretly Gossard was waiting for Higgins to call, because Gossard knew that Doc liked to sleep late, and when the phone rang, Doc would also be nursing a hangover.
Not knowing what was going to happen, Higgins slowly moved over to the edge of the bed to the table that separated his bed from Gossard's, and began trying to puzzle out the method on how to call another room.
Doc was sleeping soundly, when suddenly an explosion went off. Sitting bolt upright, Doc winced as the explosion occurred again. He had been sleeping soundly when it happened, and he was very annoyed. Looking around to find the source, he saw the phone next to his bed blinking, and his mind slowly adjusted to the horrible sound of a phone ringing.
"Whoever this is, it better be a planetary emergency to wake me up."
"Um, Doc, Goss and I were just wondering if you had anything for a hangover."
Doc recognized the quiet voice as Higgins, and that reduced his temper slightly. Not that much though. "Higgins, don't you think that if I had something for a hangover, I would have used it?"
"Got any aspirin then?"
"Call room service." With that, Doc hung up the phone, and promptly went back to sleep.
Higgins looked back at Gossard, and shook his head no. But even that movement was enough to make his head spin, and he passed out again.
Gossard had already laid back down and was fast asleep.
*
Max Brutto had gone home to see his dad, but had been partied by the local town. Now he was waking up, and didn't recognize the room he was in. Having partied hard while he was younger, he was used to the hangover, and was able to stop the room spinning in a few minutes. He looked over to his left, and saw someone's face. Focusing, he was able to identify the face as female. He moved one arm out from under the covers, and rested it on top the cover. He felt an arm over his chest, but it felt weird. He pinched it, and heard a definitely female "ow".
But that voice had come from his right. Turning his head, he saw another female face there. 'Hmm, great night', he thought. Be better if he could remember what had happened.
He reached over her, and saw a third girl there. 'Definitely a great night.' Reaching the phone after a couple tries, he dialed his dad. "Um, Dad, can you trace this call?"
"Why son?"
"I just woke up in bed with three girls, and can't remember what happened."
For the next few seconds, Max heard his dad laughing his head off, before his dad was finally able to answer. "Just a moment son. I'll get it in a moment. Ah, you're at the local Motel ten, a few miles down the road. I'll see you in a few hours then, just in time for the relatives that will be arriving."
With that, his dad hung up the phone, and Max turned back to the girls. They had started to get up, and were looking at each other with curiosity.
"Hey girls, what do you think of last night?" called Max.
The girls just looked at him and laughed, as they finished getting dressed, and left him in the room alone. Max groaned, and began locating his clothes from around the room to get dressed.
*
Juan "Johnny" Rico gently turned over in the bed. He still was not used to anything other than a bunk on board the Roger Young, and getting to sleep last night had been difficult.
"Mornin' sleepyhead." Isabelle "Dizzy" Flores turned over to Johnny, and hugged him from behind. "Did you enjoy last night as much as I did?"
"Definitely." Diz was the other reason he had taken so long getting to sleep last night. He remembered how they had had an on-again, off-again friendship over the three years the Bug war had been going on. He had simply been so stuck on Carmen that he had been blinded to the fact that Diz loved him. Now with the Bug war over, they could get on with their feelings, without worrying about some carnivorous insect trying to kill them. True, there were several worlds still controlled by Bugs, but without the Queen to direct them and to lay eggs, those worlds would not be a threat.
Already there were forces on their way to Hydora, Tesca Nemerosa, and other worlds that SICON had been forced to abandon to the Bugs in order to get Fleet and MI units to earth to combat the Queen bug and her minions. While they had been underground fighting the queen, three Bug transports had tried to sneak in and give the queen reinforcements, but the fleet units in orbit had managed to defeat them. Several ships had been damaged, but with the fixed defenses and the few ships left behind, the Bugs would not be able to get to earth again.
An arm crept around his shoulders, and Johnny Rico turned back to Diz, knowing that they were finally safe from the Bugs.
*
Carl lay back in his bed, resting. He had expended a lot of effort to keep the Queen bug's mental powers from killing the troopers who had gone after her, and he could still barely move. But he was enjoying the current sensation, as the joy of everyone on the planet poured through him, relieved that the bug threat on earth was taken care of. It was pure bliss to feel everyone's happiness, and Carl turned some of his own abilities to helping his body heal from the stress that he had gone through.
Dr. Saatabi came in, and remarked, "You're not supposed to be straining yourself you know. You are here to heal, not do heavy thinking." But that comment was made with a grin, as she had been there, keeping him alive as he had tackled the Queen mind to mind, while other psychics had been jamming the communication between the Queen and her troops to help the soldiers who had gone into the hole.
"I am healing. Whatever minor aches I get are more than made up for by the bliss I feel when I listen to the people on Earth celebrating. But I will think about what you said."
"I'd prefer if you didn't think instead, and just healed yourself." But there was a smile on her face, and she left him in his room, to relax and heal.
*
Carmen was also relaxing, in a way. She had managed to get a hold of a fighter jet, and was currently engaged in teaching younger pilots the ropes of how to handle their new fighters. 'Younger? They're only a few years younger than me.' She sighed again, and continued to encourage her charges to press their machines to the limits, and to keep conscious even under twelve or more Gs.
*
Charlie Zim was not relaxing. Rico had left him the paperwork, and now he was busy filling out the forms and everything else, for when the Roughnecks got back together, they would be wanting their favorite billets, no matter what that could be. As a result, he had been stuck with the job of getting open slots from every possible location, and listing them in some order for when the squad got back.
Zim cursed again, but he knew that rank did have its privileges, and this was one time where he was on the receiving end of it.
*
Colonel T'Phai was staying at the Death Valley Hotel with his wife. His children were playing in the next room, and he and his wife were lying in bed together. It had been too long since he had seen her, and they were able to enjoy each other's scent for the first time in a long while. The whole hotel was for his people, even if the surrounding area was cold for his people. He knew that this was among the hottest areas on Earth's surface, but it was barely warmer than the polar caps of his planet. Still though, it was worth it to be out of his armor, and with his family.
He heard a thump from the next room, and wondered what had happened. He was just about to get up, when his wife turned over, and said, "Let them play. It has been the first time in so long that they could play for fun without any fear."
T'Phai again thanked whatever force existed in the galaxy for having such a wonderful woman pick him to be her mate.
*
General Miriam Redwing was looking over the recent MI deployments. She knew that there were still Ripplers on some of the planets, and a couple Queen Ripplers too. Those flying insects would spit spikes at anything that looked like a promising target, and if the queens managed to get off-world, they could lay hundreds of eggs in new locations, compounding the clean-up of the Bug forces.
Still, without the Queen Bug to lay new eggs, there would only be a finite supply of Queen Ripplers, meaning that all they had to do was kill the Queens to eliminate the only part of the Bug forces that could reproduce.
*
Fleet Commander Barlow was looking over his fleet's repairs, discouraged that he couldn't take part in the final clean-up, but knowing that the other Fleet officers out there would do an excellent job by themselves. He looked over the Earth system map, which showed the latest data on anything that was in the solar system.
There appeared to be a few contacts out there, near Neptune's orbit, that weren't broadcasting their IFF codes. He got on the comms with a couple pilots, and asked them to check out the contacts.
*
Lieutenant Wilson was leading her wingman out to investigate the new contacts. They had been performing routine patrols of the solar system, looking for any Bug asteroids that might still be on their way after the Queen had been killed, when they had been ordered to check out the unknowns.
Not a problem. She gently eased her fighter around, and began scanning the sky with her new sensor system, looking for the unknowns that had served to make her boring day just a little more interesting. The scanner began giving her more and more data as she got closer.
"This is Lieutenant Wilson to Fleet command. Have picked up the bogies, and my scanner reports that there are ten to twelve targets. Tracks look consistent with a vector towards Earth. Looks like a cluster of asteroids incoming."
"Copy that Lieutenant, can you get close enough to get an indication on the masses of the asteroids?"
"On the way sir." Switching to her wingman's radio, she said, "Dagger two, this is Dagger One. Follow me in, and scan those asteroids to get a good read on their masses and composition. Fleet Command wants to know what's coming towards them."
"Yes sir."
The two fighters continued towards the targets, occasionally correcting their course. Things continued on well, with Lieutenant Wilson recording the size and mass of the leading asteroids, while her wingman began scanning the trailers.
"Dagger One this is Two! The trailers are not asteroids, repeat not asteroids! They're Bug transports! There's eight of them, and they all read as full!"
"Dagger two, this is One. Confirm your scans."
"Dagger One I confirm. There are eight Bug transports in the rear group. Also, is it me, or do the four in front seem to be guarding the transports?"
Lieutenant Wilson looked back at her plot. Now that Two had mentioned it, it did seem as though the four asteroids in front were sweeping space in front of them for any targets. If the Dagger flight had used the same sensors as they had used during the war, they would have had to get in much closer before discovering the transports.
She quickly retuned her sensors to scan the asteroid in front of her. The asteroid had unusual biological readings. They seemed oddly familiar, and she wondered where she had seen that configuration before. Suddenly it hit her. The Ice Bug that the Roughnecks had crashed on! These were probably related to them! There even seemed to be six additional parts on it, but seemed to be totally unrelated to any Bug propulsion or transportation system ever seen.
Even as she watched though, the lead Bug ship began extending those parts, and began slightly turning in space. A charge built up, and six balls of plasma shot out.
"Dagger One heads up! Bug plasma inbound!"
"Evade"
Both fighters immediately broke off their runs, intending to avoid the plasma spheres that were heading towards them. Seeing a calm moment, Lieutenant Wilson began recording data on the plasma spheres, trying to get a read on them.
But the other three vessels were extending their plasma weapons, and were volleying fire towards the three fighters. Dodging and weaving, the two fighters were finally able to pull out of range of the plasma spheres.
"Fleet Command this is Dagger One. Inbounds are eight Bug Transports and four Ice Bugs with six plasma weapons each. Am downloading data on the plasma spheres for further study. Recommend we get some help up here."
"Copy that Dagger One. Return to Earth base. We're going to have to face them with the help of the fixed defenses. The other bases are sending us their mobile units, so expect lots of company."
"Copy that Command." "Dagger One to Dagger two, return to base. We've got lots of Bugs, and we're going to try to beat them."
"Copy that One."
*
Back at Fleet Command, Fleet CDR Morgan was sweating the first reports from the battle staff.
"Sir, we estimate those plasma blasts as at least thirty times stronger than the standard plasma bug volley, and those cannons seem able to fire more often that plasma bugs. Given average conditions, it would only take two of those blasts to destroy one of our ships. Even after the first blast, the ship will be only 15% combat capable, and the second blast will totally destroy the ship. The bases are tougher, and can withstand three blasts, but what's left will be a shattered ruin.
"Our main attack will have to be done in two groups; the fighters to destroy the plasma cannons, and the warships to polish them off. We don't know if Plasma bugs have been stationed on the Ice Bugs, so our fighters will have to watch out for them. After the plasma guns had been neutralized, the warships will move in to destroy the ships. Fighters will have to cover them again, for when the transport bugs launch their fighters. The bases' main job should be to prevent any Bug vessel from doing a kamikaze on Earth to release more Bugs for us to mess with. We can support the bases by using retrieval ships and dropships to shoot down any bugs that make it into the atmosphere. MI units can also be mobilized around critical areas, with retrieval ships to carry them to wherever any strong Bug forces make it through."
"Good plan. I think we'll go with it. All right people, get those fighters prepped, get the warships on-line, and ask General Redwing to issue recall commands to all MI units on-planet. If they are needed, we want them to be ready. The bases can also support us with their missile fire, and I want continuous tracking updates from anyone in range."
"Sir, they'll be passing behind Jupiter in a few minutes, and we won't be able to see them during that time. They will be in view again in five minutes after they disappear, if their track holds steady."
Morgan thought. 'Jupiter, jupiter, what is important . . . asteroids. The asteroid belt. If they hide in the belt . . .'
"I want a squadron of fighters launched now! Make sure that the Bugs don't try to hide in the asteroid belt as they pass through."
Several gasps erupted as the command staff and crew realized what the commander meant. The Bugs could travel to the asteroid belt, and launch asteroids toward Earth, and travel to earth while the defenses were busy dealing with the asteroids. A quick series of orders rang out, and a squadron of fighters was launched, and they put their drives to full power, trying to get beyond the asteroids so they could spot the Bugs and track them.
*
General Redwing got the call, and gasped in shock. She knew how tough it had been to throw the Bugs out the first time, and that was with one Queen plus whatever managed to escape the transport with her. This was eight transports, undoubtedly with a couple Rippler Queens, with lots of back-up troops for them as well. But those thoughts took only a second to think, and she immediately pressed the button that would signal all MI units to active duty immediately.
Alarms rang out on the planet, and beepers sounded. MI troops that were relaxing or on leave found themselves being recalled to duty, and the priority one symbol on their communicators told them that they could commandeer any vehicle they felt like in order to get to their destination. They had priority at any location, except where other units were also getting to duty.
A skimmer showed up outside a hotel, and nervous MIs piled in, getting the sleep out of their eyes while the pilot broke every driving law getting them to their base. Recovery vessels swooped out of the sky, picking up troopers who had gone home to see their parents or family. Arriving at their respective bases, squads got together, and piled into the main briefing room.
In the main room, they were given a quick run-down on everything that had occurred, and they realized the threat they faced. To prevent any Bugs from landing, there was only a half-dozen damaged ships in orbit, along with the bases, plus themselves to prevent any Bugs from landing and attacking again.
Their squad positions were assigned, and they went quickly to their locations, with each squad given a skimmer or retrieval ship to help them get around. For now, all they could do was wait, for the opening battle would begin in space.
*
"They will be passing behind Jupiter in five, four, three, two, one, now. The fighters are still a couple minutes away from the asteroid belt, but they should get past the belt before the Bugs get past Jupiter." Reported the plotting officer.
"So we have roughly five minutes before any of our sensors will be able to spot them again?"
"Yes sir."
"How are preparations on-planet coming?"
"Troopers are being deployed as we speak. Bases are activating their anti-aircraft weaponry in case any Bugs land on top of them and Civil Defense has everybody in shelters. If it's moving above ground the troopers know that it will be either another trooper, or a bug. Good luck to you Commander."
"You too General. Looks like the Bugs are throwing one last gasp at us. If we can break this, we can break them."
"I hope so."
*
Four minutes had gone by, and the fighters had continued on their course. During their trip, they had detected minor plasma trails, as though the Bugs were testing their weaponry, but nothing else had occurred. They were past the asteroid belt, and were waiting for the Bugs to show themselves.
"Commander Morgan, we are beyond the asteroid belt and are holding position. Do you want us to go ahead to spot the Bugs?"
"Negative on that for now Lieutenant. We'll let them show themselves first, then you can shadow them to make sure no ships are missing."
*
Commander Morgan looked at his plot. If the Bugs had held to their course, they would be coming out from behind Jupiter just about now.
'Huh? Nothing's coming out?'
"Tracking, do you have any sign of the Bug vessels?"
"Negative Sir. Maybe they're still behind Jupiter?"
"Could be. We'll wait a minute, and then the fighters will go around to check it out."
The minute came and went, and still there had been no sign of the Bugs. "Fighter group one, you are go for exploring around Jupiter for any sign of the Bugs."
"On the way sir."
The fighters punched their drives to full power, and hurtled behind Jupiter, attempting to blow past the Bugs before they could react and open fire. They traveled around Jupiter, and picked up readings on their scanners. Hurtling towards those readings, the fighters saw. . .
"My gosh, what happened?"