God's Dogs Book 2

Chapter 36

It’s ninety-nine degrees outside, four fucking-thousand percent humidity, and my husband was like, “I’m gonna go for a bike ride.” And I was like, “Why? No. Why? Don’t put us on the news like that: ‘Local fool collapses on unnecessary journey.’ Don’t do it.” So he says he doesn’t want to “hide in the house, because the sun is shining, Bruh, Honeybruh.” The sun is shining does not cover it. It’s hot outside. It’s motherfucking hot as fuck outside. Our outdoor plants have been crying into their hands all week. Whole cars are melting into the sewer. Our fucking patio umbrella developed sentience to ask me for lemonade this morning.

Awed-frog

Captain John Twin Bears paused only briefly. He didn’t want a war with the mercenary world, on the one hand; on the other, he knew the Coyote teams would prevail if they did go to war. They always did – one way or another and without a thought to any potential losses or casualties.

The slight hesitation was a nod to those potential losses. He didn’t grieve them as well as Coyotes could. He found that out during Coyote training, which he washed out of during the fourth year.

Since then, and especially as crew and then captain of a Foreign Service cutter, he had buried too many friends – Coyotes and others. This operation promised more losses. Even so, to minimize that risk, speed was now everything. They had to hit the groundside target where the People were conditioned and be gone before the entire planet mobilized against them. They needed to execute the rescue plan, without prior authorization from the ambassador.

“Ship,” he said from Satya’s bridge, “hook me into the Coyote A.I. battle-net.”

“Connected, captain.”

“The clan leader op is a bust,” he announced. “Two teams are in combat. I’m authorizing the hostage rescue op and to implement it immediately. Satya will stand by to assist any team encountering resistance from a telekinetic attack. I repeat, launch hostage rescue immediately.”

Then the captain sat in his chair and opened the ship’s comm. “Anaya, get Sparky ready. We’re going for hostage rescue.”

“Aye, captain. I think Sparky’s got the idea on telepathy.”

“Good work, Anaya. Bridge out.”

“Ship, how is our team?”

“Aiding Wylie’s team to retrieve Gautama’s cutter, the Innana. The diplomatic team is on AV2 and should be aboard in four minutes.”

“Keep me informed.”

“Of course, captain. But I do have a question.”

The captain frowned at that. The ship rarely engaged in questions not germane to an operation in progress.

“Go ahead.”

“Aren’t orbital bombardments outlawed in both the Congress and the League?”

The captain sighed and replied, “This world is not a signatory to those accords. So, technically, it’s not illegal. In addition, we were not far from the ten-mile limit for aerial bombardment. Still, River will need to justify it in her after action report.”

“And if she cannot?”

“Penglai law would call for exile. I don’t know what the Congress penalty is.”

The ship replied, “The tactical situation was such that it was a prudent choice.”

“I know, and I’m glad you acted without hesitation.”

“In that, captain, I had no choice. Coyote orders cannot be questioned or refused.”

The other four teams were assaulting one ground location at Clan Odic's compound and three Clan Odic ships. The ships were boosting for the hyper limit on diverging courses, Coyote ships in hot pursuit. Captain John wasn’t concerned about those operations. The ground assault, on the other hand, had him worried.

From what they learned from Sparky, the initial behavior modification routine included isolation aboard the ship that captured him, but the real training began in a lab on the planet. Sparky remembered that phase of his conditioning as chaotic, painful, terrifying, and culminating in a desperate need to please.

Once the conditioning was complete and he was transferred to a ship, Sparky regained some of his composure and could think more clearly. He even began to fantasize about escape. Consequently, Captain John felt better about the ship-to-ship ops.

“AV2 has landed,” ship reported. “The Inanna is boosting for orbit. The Themis and the assault shuttles are covering her escape. The planet has begun broadcasting a combat alert.”

“What about the ground assault?”

“Underway. Jolene’s team has breached the building where they condition the People.”

Two of Jolene’s team wore exo-skeleton heavy armor. Their exceptional strength would be needed to transport the habitat the captive was kept in. Besides that, they could just blast their way through the building.

Odic chose a location for the lab a few miles from his main compound. It was one storey tall but held four underground levels. The Congress agents were able to identify the building for what it was, but not the level where the conditioning occurred.

Jolene used to be the hacker on Rand’s team. During the war with the Empire, she was promoted to team lead. She was of Pacific Islander descent, lean, 5’6” tall, tanned, and pleasant featured. Under Rand’s tutelage she developed a crisp command style. On her team were Rob, Sunny, and Eli. Rob and Eli were in the heavy armor crashing through the building. Sunny was on the first sub-level with Jolene in the command center. She was hacking the computer and he was watching her back and calling out the time.

They figured the response time to their assault would be fifteen to twenty minutes. Both their shuttles were circling above to give them cover, but the sooner they could get out of here the better.

“Got it,” Jolene said with satisfaction and dropped a hack-stick into a pocket in her light armor. “Eli, sitrep.”

“Found the lab, but the poor devil ray is freaking.”

“Understood,” she responded and switched to the battle-net. “Satya, we need an assist.”

“On our way,” Captain John replied.

“ETA ten minutes,” Ship added.

“Let Innana and Themis know. We may need cover to get out of here.”

“Aye, captain,” the ship said, and after a moment reported. “The Innana and Themis are establishing a battle-net with me and Artemis. We will be running tactical scenarios.”

“Very good. Time to Jolene?”

“Six minutes.”

The captain opened the ship’s comm. “Anaya, you should be able to pick up the captive. Jolene reports he’s freaking out.”

“He is,” Anaya said. “Sparky is doing what he can. I should go to the captive, John.”

“Too dangerous.”

“When has that stopped me?” she snorted in reply. “Have a Coyote meet me at the ramp.”

The captain switched to the tac-net, which he was now in range to connect with. “Jolene, send someone to escort Anaya to the captive. We’re landing in three minutes.”

“Aye, captain,” was the terse reply.

Anaya hustled down the ramp. She carried with her the translation package – a light array and translator pad. Sunny met her and led her to where Eli and Rob were wrestling the habitat up to the main floor.

She put her hands on the clear face of the habitat and began channeling healing energy to the devil ray creature, its skin flashing wildly with colored lights.

Then she spoke to him, “Calm yourself. You’re safe now. Listen to Sparky in your mind. We rescued him and taught him how to mind-speak. We are rescuing you now, and we will take you home. Calm yourself, little one. You are safe now.”

She continued with a soothing patter of words as the exo-skeleton frames the Coyotes wore finally reached Satya’s ramp.

“Put him next to the other habitat,” Anaya directed.

As that operation concluded, the tactical situation worsened.

“Captain,” Satya said, “the planetary defense is responding. Two destroyers and eight gunboats are converging on our location.”

“Understood,” the captain said, but he was monitoring the ground situation.

The ready forces from Odic’s compound, two APCs full of troops, met with AV1 and were blown up. Return anti-aircraft fire forced AV1 to retreat. Now a larger column of APCs, smaller vehicles, and troop transport trucks were headed their way.

“Cargo secure,” the ship announced. “We’re ready to lift off.”

“Helm, take us out.”

“Aye, sir.”

The Satya flared from the ground while ejecting chaff. The assault shuttles, AV1 and the two from Artemis, now loaded with Jolene’s team, flew nap of the earth on diverging tracks until they made for space.

“Ship, what are our options?”

“The enemy ships, which I’ve labeled D1, D2, and G1 through 8, have the high ground. They are maneuvering to pin us in low orbit. Our best option is to attack the gun ships unprotected by a destroyer.”

“Work it out with the other ships. I want a revolving spear formation.”

“Aye, sir.”

After a few moments, the ship reported, “Shuttle recovery in five minutes. Course plotted for our breakout maneuver and sent to the helm.”

“Got it, sir,” the helm officer said. “Contact with the enemy ships in fourteen minutes.”

The captain opened the ship-wide comm. “This is the captain. All hands prepare for ship-to-ship combat and high-speed maneuvers. We will be in combat in ten minutes. Prepare yourselves.”

Since all were Penglai-trained, they prepared themselves with a quick meditation to clear their minds, ground themselves in the ‘now,’ and adopt a ‘today is a good day to die’ mindset. It only took a few moments of deep breathing and they were ready.

Quinn popped onto the bridge and took his station at the secondary tactical seat. Moss was now on station in the auxiliary bridge amidships. Pax and River were at the armory.

Anaya strapped in near the habitats and continued with a calming discussion with their passengers. Sparky was excited for the company of his litter-mate but angry about the condition he was in.

Sparky hadn’t wondered about the motivations of the Cass until he saw how bad off his litter-mate was. Now he demanded answers.

“Why would anyone do this to a sentient being?”

Anaya recognized what was going on. Sparky was trying to make sense of something that didn’t make sense. He unconsciously hoped that by making sense of it, he could gain some relief and re-establish a sense of control over his life. Anaya knew it didn’t work that way.

“I don’t know.”

“We never did anything to deserve this, Anaya. We’re just children.”

“No. You didn’t deserve it, and none of this is your fault.”

“But why?”

“The galaxy is full of good beings and bad beings.”

“Are there bad beings among the People?”

“Maybe not, Sparky. If there’s no greed or a system that allows people to have power over others, then maybe not.”

“But there could be.”

“There could be.” Then she changed the topic. “How is your litter-mate?”

“He’s starting to feel safe.”

“Does he have a name?”

“I think Twinkle would be a good translation. He is shy and more sensitive than I am.”

Then the ship jolted as rail-gun fire spit from Satya’s cannons.

“What’s happening?” Twinkle asked, his fear mounting.

“We are fighting enemy ships so we can escape the planet,” Anaya said.

“Can we help?” Sparky wondered.

Anaya raised an eyebrow and considered it. She would prefer they not engage in combat – they were children, after all, but aiding in their own defense could have a healing effect. Making a decision, she said, “They are in front of us.”

She watched the pair settle down and shift to the meditative state where they could access the plateau of the Nature realm where the telekinetic power was available. The readings on their habitat monitors registered the changes in consciousness. Then there was a concurrent spike in energy from both of them.

“Captain,” the Ship broke in, “our passengers have thrown the gun boats out of our way.”

“The path is clear, sir,” the sensor operator confirmed. “No enemy ships within a million klicks.”

“Cancel revolving spear,” the captain ordered with a heavy sigh. “Make for the hyper limit and RV Bravo. Stand down from battle stations. Set Condition 2 throughout the ship.”

Quinn turned in his chair to face the captain. “The other ships?”

“Satya?”

“Yes, captain. They engaged the Cass ships and boarded them before they reached the hyper limit. We don’t know the final disposition as they are all in hyperspace at this time. Additionally, Coyote Jolene garnered data from the lab facility, which she is decrypting now. Themis and Innana are with us.”

“How long to RV Bravo?”

“Another two hours to the hyper limit, and four hours to RV Bravo.”

Consul Singh had arrived on the bridge and heard the news. He put in, “I need to let the ambassador know what’s happened.”

“Comms?” the captain directed.

“I’ll meet you in the comm shack, Mr. Singh. Do you have your report ready?”

“I do,” Singh said and followed the rating off the bridge.

Jerry, the XO, showed up next. “That was a classic Chinese fire drill. Any casualties?”

Satya answered, “None have been reported.”

“That’s a miracle,” Jerry commented. “I’ll take the conn, sir, if you need a break.”

“Thanks, Jerry. You have the conn. Quinn, if you would, my ready room.”

They left the bridge to debrief each other on the operation.