Although the last colony to be annihilated had sent a dire warning before their fall, the Arris had quickly determined how to operate its hyperspace jump-gate as well as the coordinates of humanity’s home world, the Earth. The Arris then had sent their hordes immediately through the jump-gate to obliterate the Earth before the human military could respond in force. Sadly, all that had stood between the aliens and the extinction of billions were several squadrons of Earth warships Darius commanded—and the newly commissioned Martian fleet.
Yet, Selena had personally ordered the Martians to remain out of the engagement. Like so many other Earthers, she had been indoctrinated in the perception that Mars was inferior to Earth in every way and believed that the Martians' obsolete ships and untried crews would only be a hindrance to her efforts. And as the two human fleets parted, the Martians were left behind with the task of forming their own last ditch defense should the battle go badly. It became a self-fulfilling prophecy for Selena as her formations were quickly struck from both quarters by the Arris warships while a gunline of alien vessels was used as a blocking force in the center.
As clash grew in ferocity, Darius’ crews courageously fought what slowly became a one-sided battle, for the superior numbers of the Arris eventually took their toll. For every Arris ship the Earthers destroyed, two more came through the gate. Selena then tried a mad dash through the center to destroy the gate, but was driven back with heavy losses.
With her squadrons decimated, Selena was forced to order a general retreat, fighting as they withdrew. There was nothing else she could do but despair, for there seemed no way to stop the bug-like aliens, who massed for the final drive.
Then suddenly, something strange appeared on her scanner screens. What she first thought to be a rogue asteroid, her sensors eventually recognized as the Martian moon of Deimos moving rapidly and seemingly under its own power.
It was at this point that things got wilder. The Martian moon without warning veered and arced away from the Earth ships, heading directly for the Arris formations. The unpredictable course change of the stone juggernaut caught the aliens by complete surprise. It created confusion within their ranks, and because of their own tremendous numbers, many of the Arris vessels were unable to maneuver—blocked by a wall of their own ships.
Instead, they helplessly collided with the rocky behemoth in their unsuccessful bid to escape. This forced many of the outer enemy vessels to disperse, making them easy targets for the swarms of Martian fighters that suddenly popped-up from behind the wayward moon.
Selena realized that the Martian fighters could not be alone. Finally as Deimos passed exposing its reverse side, she witnessed an unimaginable sight; the entire Martian fleet was pushing the moon forward with their ramming planes. As Deimos and the Martian fleet continued their steady advance, they became unstoppable.
The Martians fought their way through the Arris hordes, protected by their shield of stone. As they closed in on the gate, the Martian ships suddenly swerve away and retreated at full speed, but Deimos still glided onward. The wayward moon finally slammed into the gate. And in a massive wave of energy; Deimos, the star-gate, and a large portion of the Arris fleet were blasted into cosmetic powder.
Knowing that they were now hopelessly outnumbered and alone, the remaining Arris ships either spurted into deep space or for the inner asteroid field between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. But retaliation was swift as Martian and Earth ships pursued and slaughtered them.
The heroics and ingenuity that had saved the Earth also brought unexpected, if only temporary glory to the Martian fleet. It also had fostered jealousy and resentment within the Earth forces, as well as almost ruining Selena's military career.
Selena was relieved of her command and was passed-over for promotion for many years to come, becoming a pariah within military circles. Eventually, disappointment turned to bitterness, and bitterness to hate as Selena blamed the Martians for her plight. Only by her involvement into Earth's Inter-system Globalist Party was Selena's re-instatement secured. Councilman Armon Quinton personally saw to that. Regardless, Darius' hatred of the Martians still persisted. It was this obsessive excuse for hate that made her decision of transforming from a bitter human woman into the immorality of flesh merged with machinery as a cyborg.
* * * * *
"Admiral?" the voice of Commander Trager interrupted Selena's thoughts. "Sorry to disturb you, but we have an urgent message from General Melfi, Earth Ground Forces Commander of Mars."
Selena frowned. "All right, put him on audio," she controlled her annoyance.
With a nod from Trager, the voice of General Melfi echoed through the compartment.
"Thank God you're here, Admiral," the elderly man toned relieved. "Olympus Mons is blowing itself apart. We need more transports to evacuate our remaining personnel and dependents. Can you help us?"
Selena paused for a moment before answering. "You've already evacuated some of your people?"
"Yes, they're being re-located to the far side of the planet. Luckily, the Martians left most of the sub-hyper transports and shuttles, but there is no telling how dangerous this situation will become. I'd like to evacuate them off the planet itself. Can you help us, Admiral?" the general pleaded.
A devious smile spread across slowly across Selena's face, while her voice became understanding. "Why most certainly, General. I'll make immediate preparations."
"Thank you, Admiral. I knew we could count on you," General Melfi expressed his gratitude.
Selena's face went hard as a rock, as she made a slashing gesture with her hand across her throat. This indicated to command and control computer to immediately cut the transmission. A moment later the communication's link was broken.
Trager's eyes narrowed with suspicion as he addressed his commanding officer. "Admiral, I thought you had decided not to send any of our ships to help?
Darius walked to her command chair and seated herself down. The woman's face was unemotional, and yet, deep in thought. A scheme formed in Selena's mind as she touched her right index finger to her nose. "There are other giant volcanoes on Mars, aren't there?
Trager nodded. "Yes, three more, all within a short distance from Olympus Mons. I'm surprised that they haven't also erupted as well."
"So am I," Selena guarded her thoughts. She then took a moment to pause. "Before we hunt down those Martian traitors, I have another task for the fleet, a very important one!" Selena voiced in a sly, and yet, ominous tone.
The sound of Darius' words sent a shiver up Trager' spine. His face tightened with tension as he listened unbelieving.
Minutes later the majority of the Crimson Fleet reformed itself into a loose wall formation as it approached Mars. However, several squadrons of ships broke away from the main formation and began to circle the red planet, while the crews prepared their ships for combat.
* * * * *
The damage to the Earth base at Barclave's Labyinthus was insignificant compared to other commands around Mars. It was considered a minor target by the Martians, and rated only a quick diversionary attack. However, the unforeseen eruption of Olympus Mons caused a considerable amount of the damage. The base was pelted with everything from ash to large boulders, while many of its underground facilities bordered on total collapse from the volcano's enormous rippling vibrations. Still personnel carried on with repairs and rescues.
General Melfi sat a console evaluating and analyzing his command status as well as the current situation. His mind raced with possibilities as he issued constant orders to different sections and officers.
"General?" a hesitant voice broke Melfi's concentration.
The general looked up with some contempt as he recognized the voice belonging to an irritating second lieutenant.
"Damn it, man! What is it this time?" Melfi's anger and intolerance showed.
"Sorry, Sir," the junior officer stammered an apologetic tone. "Sensors are reporting
something strange."
"Well?" the general's patience grew thin.
"It's about our approaching fleet, Sir."
"This should be simple enough, even for you," Melfi explained as if to a child. "They're sending ships to help in the evacuation of our people!"
The lieutenant just bit his lip in fear of his superior. Still, he summoned the courage to speak again. "Sir, the main fleet has taken up a battle formation, while several squadrons of ships are starting to circle the far side of the planet. Sensors indicate that their weapon systems have just fully energized, but we can see no targets?"
The general sat for a moment, ingesting the junior officer's words. With a newly found curiosity, he switched his console screen to viewing scanner information. As Melfi gazed upon the screen and readouts, he puzzled over what he saw. What the lieutenant said was true; the ships were in battle formation, and yet, there was not a single Martian vessel in sight. Suddenly, a multitude of small blips appeared emanating from the ships and streaked towards Mars.
"Oh my God!" he uttered in absolute horror.
* * * * *
The Crimson Fleet launched wave upon wave of missiles at the helpless planet. Nuclear blasts of no less than 100 megatons each began to devastate every installation, city, and volcano on Mars. Their flashes and plumes consumed people, structures, and the landscape alike in a monstrous firestorm that set the very atmosphere afire. This was quickly followed by shock waves that expanded to distant areas from each explosion with an overpowering tidal surge of scorching dust, but it did much more than that.
The sustained massive bombardment began to collapse the outer crust of the planet, compressing it into the planet’s very core. The iron core, in turn, heated up and those parts of it that had been cooling over the many millennia was now aglow beyond blast furnace temperatures. The gravity and the magnetic field of the planet increased ten-fold. The process mimicked the creation of Mars over a billion years ago.
Nor was it any different on the opposite side of the planet. Circling warships began mercilessly shooting down and destroying all transport ships and shuttles to the terror of their victims. Their combination lasers and ion cannons easily sliced through the unprotected hulls of the civilian transports. Once that was done, they then began targeting the “safe” areas.
Wreckage from the destroyed vessels rained down in thousands of flaming pieces from the sky, cremating the flesh of men, women, and children as they impacted the planet and crashed through the clear plastic casings of some of the domed cities. These also caused massive breaches in the plastic seals that release the breathable air they held, slowly suffocating the inhabitants while the disproportionate pressure blew out glass windows and sucked some people out of their skyscraper dwellings to a sure death. The holocaust then unfolded further in plasma bombs with their expanding bubbles of boiling energy that dissolved the bonds of molecules and disintegrated everything they touched. This was quickly followed by another salvo of nuclear fission.
For thirty minutes, the bombardment continued, and then finally lifted. Its purpose, however, was done; every human being that had lived upon the planet was dead.
Mars then swiftly came to its end. Its atmosphere took on a ghostly green glow as corona discharges of lightning raked the planet in massive bolts. All four gigantic volcanoes now erupted in enormous and thunderous ejections of molten material, while fissures the size of canyons cracked the surface in irregular intervals. Much of the outer crust was gone, engulfed in seas of lava that swallowed nearly the entire planet. Mars became a bright-red molten world of death.
* * * * *
Both of the Quinton's senior officers watched the grim spectacle from the bridge of their ship. However, Selena stood with a gleeful smirk, while Trager's face bore the expression of total revulsion.
"Why, Admiral?" the man questioned, wondering if this act was from insanity or codes of malevolent programming buried deep within the computer tied to her brain.
The cyborg woman just stood silently; her eyes were transfixed on the burning planet while a broad toothy smile encompassed her face.
"Why?" Trager's tone became more sorrowful.
Selena's smirked. "The end always justifies the means. We have to have some reason to exterminate the Martians, and what better way to demonize them than by creating a massacre. It will totally enrage every human being throughout the galaxy."
However, Trager pressed on. "But the people…."
"ARE EXPENDABLE!" she voiced sternly in a fit of furor as her head jerked around to face him. "The only way our race can survive is to stay united! Everyone must not only subordinate themselves to social demands, but also be prepared to sacrifice all they possess for the common good! If that includes their lives, so be it! Besides, they were either bungling fools, or traitors who knew what the others were planning! They deserved death! Do you have a problem with that, Commander?"
"No—Admiral," Trager backed down meekly, realizing the monstrous part he had just played in the mass murder.
"All right then, Selena's tone lightened, and became more upbeat and pleasant again. "Contact Admiral O'Donald and tell him to continue his pursuit of the Martian fleet with his squadrons. In the mean time, set a course for Cramer's World and have the rest of the fleet follow us."
"Yes, Ma’am," Trager softly acknowledged. He then walked off.
Selena smiled to herself as she watched him depart from her side. Once he was out of view, she turned back to Mars and enjoyed the rest of the show.
* * * * *
Chapter 9: Though the Gate
Paladin vigilantly stared at the Mariner’s main viewer as the Martian fleet approached the jump-gate. Regardless that the fleet had made excellent progress, his face was a grim expression contrived by his apprehension of imagined misfortune. Disastrous possibilities were springing from his fears and congesting his mind with doubt. He pondered whether he was guiding the fleet to safety—or to certain death.
"Fifty-five clicks from jump-gate, Sir," Winslow announced.
Paladin's heart nervously began to beat a little faster. He then keyed his transmitter on for inter-ship communications. "Angel Fire to Left Guard! Angel Fire to Left Guard! Do you copy, over?"
For a long moment there was only silence, but then a familiar, unexpected voice echoed from a speaker throughout the bridge.
"Left Guard to Angel Fire! Left Guard to Angel Fire! We read you five by five! Nice to hear you, Commander," Major Franks' voice welcomed.
"Glad to hear you too, Major. Where's Colonel Lon?" Paladin's confidence grew.
Another pause drew into a tone of sadness from the major, "I'm sorry, Sir—he's dead."
Paladin was taken back at the news, but quickly steadied himself, denying a demonstration of any grief. "And where is Right Guard?" he expected more bad news.
"We're sitting off your starboard beam, Commander," Wakinyan interrupted.
Paladin smiled as he caught sight of the distantly small silhouette of the Crazy Horse floating in front of the rotating clouds of the planetary eminence of Jupiter. In a perfect moment, Jupiter’s Great Red Spot framed the Martian destroyer, joining the perception of the ship’s power to the gas giant. "I thought you and your pirates would be skulking about somewhere," Paladin joyful said.
"Just keeping an eye on things, Sir." But suddenly, Wakinyan became very serious. "Commander, we've got Major Franks' wounded on board, and some of them are in pretty bad shape. I request your permission to immediately shuttle the more serious casualties over to the hospital ship."
"Permission granted," Paladin agreed to Wakinyan's concern. "Major as soon as that is completed…."
Suddenly, Winslow shouted across the bridge, "COMMANDER, ENEMY FLEET APPROACHING AT FLANK SPEED FROM ASTERN!"
"BELAY THAT! How far away are they?" the commander urgently questioned.
"Scout ships report ten minutes, no more," Winslow relayed the communication.
&n
bsp; "Major, set the gate controls to automatic and shuttle over immediately!" Paladin ordered.
Franks watched his men working frantically on the controls. "That's a negative, Sir. Controls were shot up during the operation. We only have manual. Also, the main system is off line and is under repair, Commander."
A cold chill went up Paladin's spine, yet the seasoned officer refused to panic. "How long, Major?"
"About seven minutes more, Commander."
"Make it five!" Paladin ordered.
"Commander," Wakinyan again interrupted, "the major has only a skeleton crew on board. He can activate the gate and we can pick him up. However, I still request we transport the more badly wounded over to the hospital ship. Our surgeon was killed, Sir, and we could also use a medical team transported to the Crazy Horse as well."
Paladin deliberated the fate of those wounded for few seconds before he spoke. "We have few choices at this point, Captain, but those marines should be given every chance to live. They've earned it! Shuttle them over quickly, and rendezvous with us at Apoapsis Three. I expect to see you in my office right after you arrive. Good sailing, Captain."
"Aye, Sir," Wakinyan replied. "You too!"
Franks breathed a sigh of relief at Paladin's decision about his wounded. His relief, however, quickly turned to outrage as he spotted a few of his marines standing idly by.
"SERGEANT GAGARIN! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU AND YOUR MEN STANDING AROUND FOR? GO HELP CAPTAIN BENSON'S REPAIR TEAM!" the officer berated.
"AYE-AYE, SIR!" the sergeant quickly responded. Turning to his men, Gagarin in turn bellowed at them. "YOU HEARD THE MAJOR! MOVE, MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!"
The small group of marines then quickly darted out the hatchway.
* * * * *
Time passed distressingly fast as Commander Paladin glanced once again at the ship's chronometer. Five minutes ticked by quickly and still the gate was non-operational. In the meantime, he had re-formed the fleet. From a distance, it looked like an egg on its side, with his warships gathered in the rear of the formation.