Nick Thomas - Battle Earth VI

From the first entry in the journal of Colonel Mitch Taylor, 5 thSeptember 2138

Close to two years ago we fled the enemy system of Tau Ceti and left friends behind. We fully expected, and prepared, to continue the fight in our own territory. But the enemy never came. For a year the planet and outlying colonies continued under wartime conditions to ensure we could be at our very best. Every day that has gone by there has not been a human alive who did not expect and fear the return of the Krycenaeans.

The first war ravaged Earth and we barely held on. Through the quick advancements in technology that the alien technology provided, and the stubborn nature of all who fought to defend our lands, somehow we made it. The second war regained what we had lost, but was a bitter reminder of how powerful the enemy truly is.

Now civilians are beginning to doubt if we will ever see them again. Did we beat them? I hear people ask every few days. Did we show them this was a battle they could not afford to fight? I shrug my shoulders and mumble in response, all the time knowing in my heart the answer — No.

Many have tried to move on, and others say to enjoy every day we have in peace. Si vis pacem, para bellum — If you wish for peace, prepare for war.

Captain Ryan stepped out onto the bridge to begin his last week of the Deveron's posting to the Gateway. It was a duty no one in the Navy wanted, but it had to be done. Since the retreat from Tau Ceti the combined fleets of Earth had kept a permanent deployment at the strategically vital point.

But too much time had passed now with seemingly no response from the enemy to the invasion into their own lands. Support on Earth was once more waning through the short sightedness and hope that it was all over. Ryan woke each day knowing that it could be his last. The strength of the deployment had decreased substantially in the last month to just a dozen vessels.

As was typical, the Deveron was the smallest of all the fleet, but her crew were no less proud. He ran his hand along the rails. They were thick acrylic and room temperature, smooth to the touch, and reassuringly solid. He didn't know why he did that, but his connection with the ship made the Deveron feel like family.

Still going strong, he thought to himself. She had indeed been to hell and back.

"Anything to report?"

"No, Sir, no activity, as usual."

Despite having command since the death of Captain Reyes, he still felt awkward having taken his place. The crew loved Reyes, and in spite ofRyan being one of them for many years; they were big shoes to fill.

"Captain, I have an incoming private message for you."

"I'll take it in my quarters,” he replied.

He hoped it was his wife and already knew it would be. He rushed off to see her face. He sat down quickly and accepted the message. He received such communicates every few days, but they could never have a live discussion. Frequently, their responses to each other would come long after they were relevant. It was frustrating, but that only made each message that bit more exciting. It was the only excitement in his life anymore. A posting to the Space Gateway was both deadly boring and immensely scary.

The screen came to life, and as always, she did not waste a second with getting into a cheery greeting. She flicked through their daughter’s schoolwork with a smile. He could see the light of day seeping in from the window where she sat. It had been a beautiful sunny day when she had recorded the message. He turned away for just a second to see the blackness from his small loophole. He grunted at the comparison as he thought of where he could be and what he could be doing.

Ryan turned back and opened his mouth as if to respond to her there and then before the reality struck him. For a moment, when he looked away and heard her voice beside him, he could imagine she was there in the room. He leaned forward and merely gazed at her lips moving without really listening to what she was saying. To his surprise the audio suddenly cut off when she was mid sentence, and the screen faded away.

The Captain was about to hurl abuse at the console when an emergency warning light throbbed, and he realised something serious was happening. He hit the acceptance button. Lieutenant Wayans was projected before him.

"What is it?" he asked abruptly.

The precious little time he got to enjoy new messages from his family were the one thing in his life he could not tolerate having interrupted. But all of that anger vanished now, realising a serious matter lay ahead.

"Sir, we've got activity at the Gateway."

His heart sunk, and he stopped breathing for a moment. It was the last news in the world he would ever wish to receive. He finally caught a breath and came back to life.

"I'll be right out."

He stood up but was a little shaky. He'd seen enough action against the Krycenaeans to wish he could never see another again; the very thought of their return struck fear into all humans. He shook the stiffness out of his body and regained his composure. He knew he could not afford to be off his game now. There had been no evidence of an enemy presence, but he already knew it would be them.

Ryan strolled out onto the bridge to find it almost silent. The crew stood or sat at their stations not knowing what to do. There was nothing to do yet. A few lights flickered on the Gateway. Ryan had seen this before. Something was coming through, and there was nothing they could do to stop it.

"I've got an incoming feed from the Collingwood, Sir," stated Lovett.

The ensign was young and the Deveron was her first posting, but she had so far proven her worth. But all Ryan could think was of the Collingwood, the largest vessel in the fleet. It was a cruiser that had been built during the last war and whilst powerful, it was a world apart from the two carriers that led the assault into Tau Ceti.

"Put it on screen," he replied.

Commodore Clark appeared and despite his quick address of the fleet, they could all see the terror in his eyes.

"You must all have noticed by now that the Gateway has become active. We must assume that something is coming through and that whatever that may be, they mean to do us harm. We were stationed here to guard the colonies of the Solar System against any such threat."

He took a deep breath and was clearly in shock that it was happening on his watch.

"I am sorry that it has fallen on all of you to bear this responsibility, but we must hold the Gateway at all costs."

All Ryan could think was that they didn't have enough ships. Not enough marines, not enough guns. They could repulse a reconnaissance or expeditionary force at the very most. Any serious invasion of the System would run right through them."

"We have been through these drills a hundred times. Prepare to defend yourselves, and God be with us all. Good luck."

The transmission ended and the bridge crew remained motionless and silent. Ryan wanted nothing more than to fire up the engines and make a run for Earth where the defence grid was operational and the main fleets were stationed. He knew everyone around him felt the same way, but he could not act upon it. He opened up a ship wide comms channel.

"This is the Captain speaking. We have incoming through the Gateway. All hands on deck! All weapons prepare to fire. Repair crews at the ready and blast doors sealed. We've got a fight on our hands. All marines prepare for boarding defence. You all know the drills, get to it."

Ryan knew the twenty-six marines on board would be of minimal use should they get hit hard. Lieutenant Samson was a fine marine and a capable leader, but they needed more than just skills, they needed numbers. He turned to Wayans.