Talosian Chronicles 3: Talosian Alliance (11 page)

“That’s enough Miguel! Just because this took you by surprise doesn’t mean you need to lash out at the folks that are trying to fix it for us!" the President said.

“I took no offence, Madam President. Director Stansfield simply has no idea what these teams are normally used for,” Ian said reasonably. “Did you get the opportunity to review the footage of the last major battle up here, Director?”

“Yes, I did, so what?” Stansfield replied.

“This team that you claim just happened to be there, was formed, and has been trained for, the specific purpose to infiltrate, and disable or destroy capitol class ships and command structures up to and including that big honkin’ SuperNova. They are trained to do it without any communications with their command structure, and absolutely no expectation of support or rescue. Six humans, Mr. Director. The standard crew of a SuperNova is ten thousand.” Ian explained, still in a reasonable voice. “Do you still think I have too high of an opinion now?”

“So you’re training your own terrorists then?” Stansfield asked.

“Mister Director, do you consider Director Mirran’s field operatives to be terrorists?” Ian asked naming the Director of the NSA. "Or perhaps you consider the US Navy SEAL teams to be terrorists? What about the US Army’s Delta Force? Sir, these teams serve the same purpose. They were created to protect us against the bad people out there. These teams are made up of our elite pilots and Marines. They have to pass very stringent and rigorous physiological tests before even being allowed to audition for admittance. There are several other classified hoops they need to jump through, but I think you get the gist of my meaning.

“These Raptor officers are trained in every counter-intelligence dirty trick, every counter-terrorist and operational doctrine we know of, or can dream up. They are capable of everything from Shock and Awe warfare to covert selective attrition. Combine that with making sure these folks have the very best weapons and equipment in our considerable arsenal. Raptor officers are required to submit to a psychological evaluation after every mission to make sure they don’t become unstable. Just ask General Tolmen or Admiral Collins exactly what that means,” Ian finished. "Honestly Sir, I half expect the Major to just sink the fuckers, and let you recover the bomb at your leisure.”

“I’d actually considered that, Guardian,” Cindy replied. “However, the package is armed, and connected to a dead-man’s switch. Either the Captain or the First Officer has a device that must remain in contact with the package or it will detonate. We are currently analyzing the signal to preempt it when the time comes. While we wait for that, I can tell you that the package was built from a former soviet MIRV warhead. It was modified and packaged in Lybia. Currently, it is inside a large industrial pump that is scheduled for delivery to the Port of Duluth.

“Does the client wish us to disarm the package, and leave it for their retrieval, or do they want us to dispose of it for them safely?” Cindy asked.

“Not that we don’t trust you Major, but could you simply disarm it? I would like my own people to go over it as well. If nothing else we can learn from it,” Director Mirran asked.

“Not a major issue, we thought you might want it, so that’s what we’ve been planning for. Do you want it delivered someplace?" Cindy asked. “Our primary mission was almost over anyway.”

“That would be most helpful, Major, thank you. Could you take it to Norfolk, VA? We have a facility there that would be the perfect place to do the work.” Director Mirran replied.

“What slip do you want her in?” Cindy asked.

“Excuse me?” the Director replied.

“The ship, Mister Director, what slip do you want the ship in?” Cindy asked.

“You’re going to move the whole ship?” the Director asked, astounded. "Uh, I’ll have to check on that, just a moment please.”

“White Queen, stand by for our TacOp, Challanger, please drop to close observation altitude and record the op for us, that’ll make sure everyone has plenty of footage to analyze. White Queen, could you try to warn off all approaching craft. If this goes sideways, the last thing we need are civilian aircraft dropping out of the sky from the pulse,” Cindy said.

“Understood and appreciated, Major. We are issuing the alert to all affected ATC installations. Standing by for your TacOp,” Chloe said.

“Challenger is descending, on station in two minutes, Major. We have you locked in,” the pilot of the Challenger called in.

“Director Stansfield, make yourself useful, and contact the FAA to let them know what’s about to happen over the mid-west,” The President ordered. "It might be wise to alert FEMA mid-west as well.”

“But Madam President, we have no proof that...” the Director tried to argue.

“Are you really that stupid, Miguel? Didn’t we already independently verify the threat? Stop being an ass, and do what you’re told, or I will find someone to fill your office that isn’t a fucking moron!” The President almost yelled. It was a sign of how upset she was that she used profanity. Everyone knew that she didn’t swear. Ever. "Admiral Collins, please do what you can with our military to back up the Terran Forces.”

“Already in motion, Madam President. The 148
^th
fighter wing is already clearing the sky, and have grounded all civilian aircraft into and out of Duluth, and the North Shore area. The Coast Guard is quietly trying to contact all civilian ships and get them to clear out as well. They are using helicopters to try to contact the smaller private fishing boats, but there are sure to be some they simply can’t get to in time.” The Admiral replied. “I ordered the locks at Sault Saint Marie closed immediately when we first heard about the threat, and had them recall all vessels that hadn’t cleared the harbor yet. We have had some inquiries from the Canadian Harbor Authority requesting an explanation, but have managed to put them off for now.”

“Good work, Admiral,” the President replied. “I guess it’s all on you Major Swift.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way, Madam President. Damocles is executing the Op. Swift out.”

“The Damocles has muted all inbound comms so they can’t be distracted by our chatter, however we can still listen in to them. If we need to warn them about something, their computers will alert them we need to speak to them, and they will reconnect with us,” Major Brighton replied. “Until then, they are on their own.”

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“O
kay kids, remember, the world is listening, so mind your language. Damocles, release the drone, and put us in drop position,” Cindy ordered. "All units, stand by for drop.”

“Major, the drone has the bomb,” Lissa reported. Lissa, or Melissa Dancer, was an AI in an android body created specifically for the Raptor program by the engineers at Phoenix Base. The AI core itself wasn't actually in the android body since it was far too large for that, rather the body was ‘ridden’ by the AI. The core was built into the frame of the Raptor itself. More than ever before, the AI was literally the ship it was mounted in. The AI was created by Star, Colonel Anders, Major Laskar, and a team of other AI specialists specifically for this purpose.

“Beautiful,” Cindy said. “Drop team! Go! Go! Go!”

Aboard the U.A.F. Morning Star, everything was quiet and running smoothly, which was just how the new Captain liked it. His mission was to see his cargo to the Port of Duluth, a place in the heartland of the ‘Great Satan’. Allah’s divine fire will burn the evil Americans in a place where they believe they are the safest, and they will know. They will know that no place is safe from Allah’s wrath.

It had been a long and tiresome journey to this evil place, but just as the Ayatollah had told him, the American infidels had been so arrogant that they had not even bothered to check the cargo of the freighter. Now they would pay. They would pay for all the evil they had done to the children and innocents of Islam. No, they would not escape Allah's wrath.

“Status?” the Captain asked.

“We are on course, and should arrive in port on schedule, Captain,” the First Officer replied. “Allah willing, this will be a day long remembered by the Infidels."

“Yes it will. We must be especially alert from now on. If they suspect us, they will attempt to stop us from reaching our goal. Be sure to keep an eye out for anything unusual,” the Captain replied.

“I have already posted look-outs, Captain. There are three men on the bow that appear to be simply resting and having a discussion. Two more men are ‘repainting’ the bulkheads at the stern. Finally, I have placed two men on the crane ‘fixing something’ that can help scan to port and starboard,” the First Officer replied.

“Very good, Hassid. Nothing can stop us now,” the Captain said. He took out a small tablet computer and handed it to the First Officer. “I am going for a cup of coffee. I'll return shortly.”

The first officer took the small device and slipped it into a pocket, then nodded to his Captain. “I’ll maintain the watch until your return.”

Just as the captain turned to the hatch, something smashed through one of the windows. Before he could react, the stun grenade detonated, and he fell to the floor unconscious. Since the bridge was wide, but narrow, two grenades had been used. On the starboard side of the bridge, another grenade was thrown at the same time. When they went off, everyone in the bridge was knocked out.

They didn’t see the armored men enter from each side. One of them turned and looked out the windows toward the bow. “Bridge secured, six disabled.” Cindy's voice said. The other armored figure nodded once to the Major, and quickly left, jumping over the railing on the catwalk to drop down to the deck. He then started running for the bow of the ship.

Automatic gun fire rang out and chased the running person. It was coming from the top of the crane the armored person was currently running past. The armored figure didn’t even slow down, nor did he hesitate.

Up on the bridge catwalk, on the port side, Major Swift stepped out the hatch she had entered by, lifted her rifle, and fired twice. “Crane secured,” she said as an AK-74 clattered to the deck. The other rifle had gotten hung up on the equipment at the top of the crane by the two dead men.

The operation went off quickly, and without a hitch. Of the crew, only the two men on the crane, as well as the two men at the stern of the ship had died. The two at the stern had been blown into fish food when the Damocles used one of its mass drivers on them.

The unconscious men had been bound and brought on deck where they were revived by Lissa, who also served as the team medic. Once all of them were aware of their surroundings, Cindy spoke to them in Arabic to make sure they all understood what she had to say to them.

“Men of Libya, You have been caught committing an act of terrorism. This is a cowardly act only performed by cowardly, shameful men. Allah does not believe in these kinds of acts. Allah abhors violence of any kind. You are devout men, you should know this.” Cindy said, shaking her head. Her movement was translated to her armor and it aped her.

“You have violated your fellow humans in a most heinous and unforgivable way. According to our laws, the only penalty you may receive for this action is death. Do any of you have anything to say before you are executed?” Cindy asked.

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B
ack on Star Dancer, the President, via the video link, acted surprised, even though she knew what was coming. Ian had to admit she was pretty good at it. “What? What did she just say?”

“Madam President, terrorism, by its very nature, is one of the most reviled of acts one group can visit upon another. As such, it carries the maximum penalty allowed; death,” Ian said just as Cindy’s team shot all the captives with their pulse rifles.

“I can allow that the penalty, if convicted, could be death, but what about due process? Don’t you think those men deserved to argue their case?” the President said, acting miffed. "I’m going to catch all sorts of hell over this.”

“Madam President, our laws do not provide for persons caught in the act, to receive due process. There simply is no point in it, and it only serves to waste time and resources. As for you catching hell for it, why would you? We are the ones that handled this. Since there wasn’t a formal treaty in place to cover emergencies like that, we used our laws as a guide instead of yours.”

“Somehow, I doubt the people will see it that way. I’ll make sure our ambassador works something out with yours, in the event we’ll ever need to call on you again. You used to be an American, Commander, you should know we have a judicial system here that requires criminals be tried for their crimes.”

“Madam President, with respect, you know as well as I do, that those men would have simply been carted off to Cuba, and forgotten about. No trial, no anything.

“As a former citizen of your nation, I’ve often wondered what happens to those people. Because of the way the laws are written, there is no way for the common citizen to find out either. As a nation, you are spending millions of dollars a month to keep these animals alive, when a bullet to the head only costs a few dollars.

“People have sat on the various death rows until they have died of old age! Yes, I know it is better to err on the side of caution, and I agree with you. But there has to be a limit. Now, I agree you lack the same methods we use to find the truth and therefore can never be completely certain you are executing the guilty unless he was caught in the act.

“These men were caught in the act, they were given a chance to defend themselves, by the Major, but none of them took it. They were then executed. Justice; swift, fair, and final.” Ian explained. “I suggest you run a real poll, not one of those fake things sponsored by some special interest group, ask the people what they thought of the outcome. I think you’ll be surprised at the answers.”