“The colonists now have no camp to attack, Oshiro was wise enough to change his strategy to fight an enemy that hits hard and then disappears into the night. He has now sent all of his troopers into the forest after the earthmen; soon they will find their camp and massacre them.” Kronos declared in as loud a voice as Oshiro had used.
“He may hope to, but he will find them a tough nut to crack.” Andreas replied.
“I heard that the two fireballs that we saw in the sky were the death throes of the first two starships that lifted off, they were running away from the attacks launched by the earthmen, maybe your friends also destroyed them Andreas?” The young farmer named Arron wondered.
“Enough talk, we had better get started on our farms, for no matter who wins this war, we will still need food to see us through the next winter.” Maria said and with this piece of wisdom the assembled farmers moved towards their hovels to gather their tools, for it was going to be a hard year carving new farms out of the land with just their hands and the few tools that they possessed.
Chapter Ten
A New Survival Strategy
The next morning, after everyone had finished their breakfast, Mark called the colonists together to tell them what he and Robbie had found out, when he had done so he was bombarded with questions all revolving around the mysterious freighter.
“I have only just heard the facts about the mysterious attack myself, so I have not had too long to think about the matter either, however there is one fact that leads towards a possible answer.” Mark said to a suddenly quiet audience. “The crew of the freighter seem to have no love for us or the Aldebrans. They cannot be a space cruiser from Earth, because they have not come down in an attempt to locate us, and they have not attacked the Aldebran military. Equally they cannot be from Aldebra, for they would not fire upon their own ships. So who hates us as much as they appear to hate the Aldebrans?” Mark asked. “Or to make the question a lot simpler, who hates us?”
“The Genesis cult, they are against the colonization of space by anyone.” Joyce Marley exclaimed loudly.
“Exactly Joyce, the Genesis cult have somehow got their hands on an old freighter and fitted it out with a Phaser and a subspace jammer.” Mark said.
The colonists all agreed that this would certainly explain the destruction of the two starships and a multitude of conversations broke out as Mark, Susan, Richard and Penny joined Joyce Marley to go over this latest piece of bad news.
“Mark, if it is the Genesis cult, how does it affect our plans?” Joyce asked.
“Joyce, I think that the danger of one of our enemies finding the camp has just doubled, for we have another starship scanning the surface of New Caledonia in search of us. Even if we manage to hold the Aldebrans off, the Genesis cult may well find us and attempt to wipe us off the face of this planet.” Mark replied grimly.
“Mark, why have they not launched an attack against us?” Susan asked.
“Maybe they have not located our camp yet, we have gone to great lengths to hide it, however they will let us know immediately they do find us.” Mark replied and then he took the conversation into even darker depths. “The Aldebrans seem to be pushing forward, if we find that this is actually happening then the deciding battle for New Caledonia will probably be fought over the next few days. Either the Aldebrans or our survivors will then have to deal with the Genesis cult, and they will possess the advantage, for after the terrible firefight that will mark the final battle, they will know the victors exact position. There is of course a lesser chance that they will hang back and rely on their technology to fight against us. If they did this, then when we add the threat posed by Genesis we would need a different survival strategy, we might have to relocate half of the colonists further south, and at least one thousand miles away, this would give us a better chance of surviving the war.”
What he had left unsaid for the future was that even if they won the first scenario they would be forced to break up into small groups and make their way southwards to give them a chance of survival until a starship from Earth arrived and they were able to contact it.
Joyce was stunned by his words and voiced her doubts to his thoughts. “I am not even sure that we can manage to move our people that far Mark, it is simply impossible.” Joyce Marley protested.
“I only mentioned it as a possibility Joyce, let`s see how things play out before we worry about it.” Mark replied. “Please do not say anything to the others, not until we know what the Aldebran commander has planned for us.”
**********
Yesterday`s fire fight had certainly given Mark and Richard cause to think, and Mark had decided to send out two teams early the next morning, to find proof of the Aldebrans` future plans. Richard led one of the teams and Mark led the second team of six people out into the forest, their mission was to check on what was happening in the areas of forest nearer to their camp, would they finds signs that the Aldebrans had initiated a new strategy and were now patrolling ever closer to the colonists` encampment. If it was found that this was indeed happening and therefore endangering the colonists, it would necessitate an immediate change of tactics on their part. Both of the teams were driven up to the junction where their narrow track met up with the main trail and here they separated. Richard and his team headed west on foot; a direction that would eventually take them to the prairie, Mark and his team went nor`-nor`-east, also on foot.
Richard was walking along yet another of the narrow animal trails, wondering how he was back on the front line, having left the army for the quiet but hard life as a colonist. His team were under the usual orders imposed by Mark, keep quiet unless you have something pertinent to say. As his team moved ever forward, so the stress mounted, would they too walk into an Aldebran patrol, and would they survive the ensuing firefight. They had not thought about it on day one after they had moved camp, now though the thought was at the front of all of their minds. They had been walking for an hour in silence when a stray noise caught their attention, fearing an ambush they all hugged the ground and prepared for yet another firefight, on the lookout for Aldebran troopers and praying that there would not be met a superior force. Out of the forest a small herd of deer appeared, moving ever nearer until the leading deer were spooked by something, and then they turned away and bolted for safety. The stress that had affected each and every member of the team dissipated instantly, that is until the aroma of cooking food wafted past their noses, it was the smell that had caused the deer to run. As one they moved off the trail to find cover, here they waited to see if they had been seen by one of the Aldebran patrols. Richard waited there for two minutes, and when no energy bolts came their way he decided to investigate the smells.
“Everyone stay undercover, John will you come with me, I want to see who`s cooking breakfast?” Richard asked of John McIntire, a man trained to move quietly through the undergrowth.
They moved very slowly and quietly through the undergrowth that grew thick under this part of the forest, Richard leading the way.
“Watch exactly where you put your feet, there is no knowing if our friends up ahead have left any trip wires, or even a man trap, should they have such a vicious item with them.”
Richard did not mention stepping on twigs or such mundane things, John McIntire had lived most of his life watching out for such things, especially after he had become a professional wild life photographer. They moved at a speed that seemed to them to be half that of a snail, crawling the final stretch almost flat on their stomachs until they arrived at the edge of a small glade. Within the small glade they could see eight troopers eating their breakfast while four more stood guard, these four casting hungry glances across to their more lucky comrades.
“There is no way we can get our men here without alerting the troopers, to do so would certainly mean some, or even all, of our team dying, so I am not about to risk it John. This is just supposed to be a recce, to see if the Aldebrans have moved any more of their men into forward bases, we
ll I would say from the limited evidence that we have that we can say that they have done just that. We need to get this information back to our people, so let`s move quietly away from the troopers and get back to our camp to report.” Richard said in a low voice.
John McIntire was of the same opinion, and he was happy that Richard was not a gung ho idiot, he now followed Richard back to their waiting friends, where upon being told the situation they were all too happy to leg it, for they were not really commandoes, they were mostly would be farmers or miners.
**********
Mark and his team were moving equally quietly along their chosen animal trail, all of them were also a little apprehensive after the firefight that Mark and some of their friends had walked into a few days before, and without any warning. That time it was partly because their point man had been too tired to do his job properly, today Mark was point man, and he was going to ensure that it did not happen again.
After walking for an hour, Mark called a rest stop, they moved off the narrow trail and into the forest undergrowth, here they found two fallen giants to sit on and rest their weary legs. None of the team were that tired, however, Mark wanted to ensure that they ready for anything that fate threw against them.
After thirty minutes Mark led them out of the undergrowth, he being twenty feet ahead of the others, and as he stepped onto the trail a Phaser bolt whistled past his head and exploded against a tree just two feet behind him, sending splinters of wood flying out passed his head. Although stunned, Mark had not frozen, he immediately moved back behind the tree and returned fire, his team hearing the sound of Phaser bolts immediately spread out and moved forward to engage the enemy.
The Aldebran sub-officer was furious that one of his men had fired before all of the earthmen were in view, but he held his tongue for the moment and sent a series of Phaser bolts towards the earthmen.
Mark knew that the drones and the starship would soon be here to fire down upon them, and that they would soon be out-gunned, seeing friends killed by Phaser fire more deadly than that carried by the troopers, so they needed to get quickly away to ensure that it did not happen.
“Karl, stay with me and lay down covering fire, the rest of you beat a retreat deep into the forest before their drones arrive overhead accompanied by the starship.” Mark ordered.
Susan met his eyes, he could see the anguish in them, she knew that if she left then she may never see him alive again. “Go darling, please, I will get back to you, I promise.” Mark promised, keeping the fear that he felt for all of their future from showing on his face, and out of his voice.
Susan nodded, tears running down her face as she turned to leave him and join Rogé Patel, Martin Joyce and Joe Finney who were patiently waiting for her.
“Karl, make every shot count, let`s take some of them out before their air force arrives.” Mark said to Karl Meiser who smiled, for if it were that easy Mark would not have sent the rest of the team away.
The Aldebran sub officer in command of the squad did not scream out in pain, he just died very quickly, his corpse hitting the ground with a dull thud, an energy bolt from Karl Meiser had hit him in the head, then Mark took out the trooper standing next to the officer with a similar shot. The remaining troopers immediately ducked down into cover, the terrible sight of their comrades faces making them all fearful for their own lives.
“We are up against the Earth commandoes, be careful, wait for the drones to arrive, then we will be revenged for all of our men who have died at their hands.” Corporal Cheung, who was now in command of the squad, advised his comrades.
With no opposing fire coming from the troopers, Mark and Karl slowly retreated into the undergrowth. The Aldebran troopers fear lessened when the Phaser fire from the colonists ended, Corporal Cheung hesitantly looked out and seeing no trace of their enemy called out to his comrades.
“They have run away, quickly we must get after them, we must avenge the sub-officer.”
The troopers began to move from behind their cover and edge forward, Corporal Cheung telling them to spread out. Mark had anticipated this. He and Karl had only retreated thirty feet, where hidden by the undergrowth they lined up their rifles upon the area in front of them. They saw a line of troopers slowly moving forward, then they both fired, killing Cheung and one other trooper before the remaining troopers hugged the forest floor.
Unfortunately, it was now that the North Wind arrived on the scene, it had been nearby this time and it quickly disgorged the twenty man rapid reaction team onto the forest track, then it moved forward to give artillery support. The Aldebran radio man immediately called the North Wind.
“Come in North Wind, I am directly under you, the commandoes are directly in front of you, no more than thirty feet ahead.” Radio man Feungi called.
“Understood trooper, keep under cover.” Leander replied.
**********
Half a mile behind Susan Summers a powerful Phaser sent a series of powerful energy bolts screaming down into the forest, she turned to look, fear and shock filling her young face. Rogé Patel, Martin Joyce and Joe Finney were also looking back fearfully.
“Mark will be all right Susan, there is not an Aldebran born who could ever kill him.” Martin Joyce said softly.
“Susan, I am sorry but we must move on, we must get back to camp to report what we have seen, what we have been lucky to live through.” Joe Finney said apologetically.
Susan turned to look at him. “I know Joe, Martin, I am sure that he will be OK.” Susan said anxiously and hoping that she would be proved right.
Just then they heard the sound of a drone flying towards them, the whirring sound of its motor only just heard between the sounds of the Phaser blasts.
“Quickly everyone, don your cloaks.” Rogé Patel urged.
The survival blankets had been turned into hooded cloaks as well as doubling as stretchers by the women of the colony, a skill that the men had left to the women even after mankind had journeyed to the stars. They were in camouflage colours on one side and when they all donned their cloaks and hugged a tree it made it harder for their enemy to see them, moments later and the drone had flown over them, heading away from the part of the forest that was now in flames. They were lucky that the tree canopy being so thick made it impossible for the drone to fly low enough to sight them visually, and the blankets meant that the drone`s infrared technology did not pick them up. When all was quiet overhead they moved on towards their camp, every fibre of her being told Susan to return to look for Mark, but she knew that with the area swarming with alien troopers that this was impossible. All she would accomplish if she did so would to be captured and then tortured and made to reveal the location of their camp, something that she feared might actually happen in the near future if Mark was no longer there to lead them.
**********
Oshiro had ordered the nearest of his squads to converge upon the spot that the commandoes of Earth had been ambushed, the ones that Richard had seen earlier being amongst them. Hearing the troopers hurrying along the track he pulled his men off it and quickly gave them some hurried orders.
“If it is just the twelve troopers that John and I saw earlier, we are going to take them out. Ricardo, you take out the radioman and I will take out their officer, the rest of you take out the other troopers. They will be taken by surprise, so that should give us some extra invaluable seconds, in that time I want the entire squad of troopers dead. OK?” Richard instructed the five members of his team.
Moments later and the troopers appeared along the track, Richard and his team waited until the troopers were opposite them and then they opened fire, five seconds later and all of the troopers were dead, they had not even managed to fire one shot at the team. Feeling very elated, all traces of tiredness gone, they collected the weapons from the dead troopers and returned to their camp. As they left Richard looked back at the fallen troopers, and although they were the enemy he said a silent prayer for them, for even the Aldebran troopers were
people and they deserved some words to mark their untimely deaths.
**********
Mark awoke to find himself laying hidden beneath the branches of a fallen tree, the fire caused by the powerful Phaser blasts, and which had raged for hours, had been blown away from his unconscious body by a strong wind that had sprung up and this had saved his life. He listened for signs of the Aldebran troopers, but all was quiet, the wild life having fled the terrible barrage of energy bolts, the troopers in search of his team. He now struggled out from under the branches, his bruised and battered body protesting, he had a multitude of scratches and a large cut above his right eye that had bled leaving drying blood down his cheek. He also had a cut on his head; it had been a heavy falling branch that had knocked him unconscious and maybe saved his life.
As he made to stand he found that he was a little dizzy and his vision was a little blurry, so he sat down on the log that had felled him in the hope of clearing his head. After a minute or two his vision did begin to clear and the first thing that he saw was the body of Karl Meiser, he was dead, killed by a Phaser blast from the North Wind. Mark dragged his tired body over to his dead friend and looked down upon it, then he began to dig a shallow grave using a broken piece of the tree, it took him longer that it normally would have done, his injuries had drained him of his strength. With the shallow grave finally dug he rolled his friend in to the grave and then covered the body with soil.
“I am sorry Karl, you met your death bravely but only because I made you stay behind with me. I promise you two things my friend, I will revenge you and I will ensure that your wife if properly looked after.”
Finally, he rolled a log on top of the grave to keep the wild life from digging the body up, and also to act as a marker, he would come back when he could and bury his brave friend properly. After tending to his friend he sat on a log and took a drink of water from his flask.