Solar Warden (eBook)

PROLOGUE

15 October 2016

“Report, Lieutenant.”

The major peered through his magnification display as he crouched behind the low rise overlooking the sprawling enemy base. He surveyed the scene before him as intel from his VISOR (visual interface system, ocular readout) streamed across the interior of his face shield. Back home, his nine-to-five was taking down the worst, most dangerous, most reprehensible bad guys planet Earth had to offer. He had been recruited to command this mission because he excelled at his job.

“Everyone’s in position, Sir,” the lieutenant said as he shimmied up to his CO on his hands and knees. He rolled onto his side and held up his tablet, activating it and surveying the schematic of the Marine platoon’s deployment.

“Any sign of enemy activity?”

“No, Sir. The area is silent. It’s kinda weird …”

“How so?”

“Well Major, I would’ve expected some drone sentry patrols, perimeter sensors, an electronic fence–something–anything. They don’t even have any surveillance cameras we can detect. It’s like they don’t think they need to monitor the exterior of this facility at all. Like they didn’t think we could ever mount an assault like this.”

“Or that we would ever be so bold …”

“Exactly, Sir.”

The major went silent. Pensive. Something didn’t feel right. The last time his gut churned like this was right before the platoon he was commanding in Afghanistan was ambushed by a group of Taliban, masquerading as women wearing burkas. He’d lost six good men in that fiasco. That engagement was over two years ago. Now here he was, serving in an ultra-top-secret program on a moon orbiting a gas giant in a star system over four light years from Earth. This time the enemy he and his men faced made the Tallies look like a Boy Scout troop.

He wondered if 50 Marines would be enough. The mission was straightforward–they were to infiltrate the perimeter of the enemy facility, deploy and set charges around the power plant, the hangar bay and the main gun emplacement. Once they detonated their ordnance, the Solar Warden carrier Archangel could move into position and destroy the rest of the facility.

They’d flown in cloaked and to their knowledge, they’d arrived undetected. All 50 Marines had moved with silent caution into position behind a small ridge overlooking the northern perimeter of the enemy facility. They’d spent the last two hours scanning for any sign of surveillance activity. They’d detected nothing, but that didn’t mean it didn’t exist.

“Is Alpha Team ready?”

“Awaiting your green light, Sir.”

“Bravo and Charlie?”

“They’re good to go. All three teams are in position and awaiting your orders.”

The major hesitated as he continued to scrutinize the exterior of the facility through his magnification display. His VISOR gave range, elevation, energy output–all the pertinent tactical information–but the life-signs indicator was blank. The lieutenant was right–there was no enemy activity detected. At least none their sensors could confirm.

“All right,” the major sighed at last. “Alpha Team has a green light.”

“Aye, Sir.” The lieutenant switched to another comm frequency and relayed the order.

What have you gotten me into, Linds …? the major thought. He watched Alpha Team glide forward like specters across the barren landscape separating the Marine strike force from the enemy facility. Only half in the three squads had integrated stealth suits so they opted not to engage them. There was no cover to speak of and the squad did their best to remain inconspicuous despite the open ground.

Alpha Team, comprised of four stacks, reached the first building and pressed themselves against the outer wall, their helmeted heads bobbing back and forth as their eyes darted about for any sign they’d been detected. Bravo and Charlie were still on the platoon’s flanks, awaiting the order to advance.

Then, without warning …

The Marine platoon found themselves surrounded by hundreds of enemy troops. The huge alien figures appeared out of nowhere–as if conjured from thin air. Startled, the Marines hesitated, if only for a heartbeat. Half a heartbeat. That was all the enemy needed. The moment they materialized with their weapons raised, they opened fire on the Marine platoon. Alpha Team, pinned against the wall of the facility building, didn’t get the opportunity to respond or defend themselves. Their body armor could withstand the blast from a single enemy directed energy weapon– perhaps two at once–but the hapless Marines were being struck by multiple simultaneous blasts. The fearsome barrage ripped them apart. The major watched with shock and horror as the enemy force slaughtered his men without mercy.

“Ambush!” the major screamed into the comm. “Fall back, fall back, fall back!”

The major scrambled to his feet as he fumbled for his rifle slung across his shoulder. His lieutenant was already on one knee returning fire, when he exploded in a blinding flash. The lieutenant’s body disintegrated, spraying the major with blood.

The major staggered back and raised his own weapon, but a second blast caught him out of the corner of his eye. He spun around to see their MDV (Marine Delivery Vehicle)–once cloaked and invisible–appear and vaporize as two enemy vessels, hovering above it, released a deadly salvo, depriving the major and his Marines of any hope of escape.

The major spun around again, opening fire on a group of enemy soldiers decimating Bravo Team to his right. Before he could offer any kind of effective assistance, he felt a sharp blow to his helmet from the rear. He pitched forward, smashing his transparent aluminum face shield against the hard surface of the ground. His VISOR displays flickered for a moment, then readjusted. He rolled onto his back and prepared to engage whoever or whatever had struck his six.

Through waves of pain, he stared up at a giant of a figure now straddling him, encased in its own hideous, alien-looking environmental suit. The massive form, silhouetted against the black, star-encrusted sky, loomed over him, pointing its otherworldly weapon right between his eyes.

The major tossed his rifle to one side and spread his arms in capitulation as his comm echoed with the screams of his dying men …

A pall hung over the briefing room at Solar Warden Command. The large split screen display of the ARI showed live footage from the battlefield on one side and a direct line to Archangel on the other. It flashed and lost the signal from the major’s helmet cam. The image of the huge reptilian, hovering over him with its weapon pointed at his head, burned into the minds of those watching. General Mike Patrick cursed and pounded his fist on the table as he sat back in frustration. Lieutenant Lindsay Vickers sat in wide-eyed horror, her hands covering her mouth. Her father, Admiral Thomas Maddox, broke the tense silence.

“Captain, is a rescue attempt possible?”

“Our cloaked sensor buoy indicates they’ve raised the base’s shields,” Archangel’s captain replied. “From our current position behind the gas giant, it would still take over 30 minutes to reach the Proxima base. The remainder of our men are now within the base’s shield canopy. They’re beyond reach, Sir.”

Lindsay leapt from her chair and ran from the room. Maddox stood to follow her but deferred. He turned back to the captain’s image, now filling the entire ARI display.

“Can you do anything?”

“I’m sorry, Admiral. I’m afraid not. Our men are lost.”

“An entire platoon!” General Patrick shouted. “Fifty Marines, all Red Boots!” He glanced over at Major General Desmond Pratt, who stared straight ahead, unflinching. “What happened? We’ve planned this mission for months. Every contingency was considered. It was guaranteed to succeed. How could we–”

“We didn’t miss anything, Mike,” Maddox said. He went silent, not daring to verbalize what everyone was thinking.

“I don’t know how long we can keep suffering defeat like this, Admiral,” the captain of Archangel said through the display. “It’s like swimming upstream. We take two steps forward and three steps back. Three weeks ago, we lost an entire division of TR-3Bs in another engagement. Just last month Dreadnaught was ambushed by two enemy mother ships and she only escaped by the skin of her teeth. She’ll spend at least another month in dry-dock undergoing repairs. These snakeheads are going to overrun us.”

“I understand your frustration, Captain and I concur. However, we must continue to keep fighting, regardless of our setbacks. We have no other choice.”

“Admiral, my crew is discouraged and that’s putting it mildly. I’ve never seen their morale as low as it is right now. No one thinks we can win this war … and I’m beginning to believe them.”

“Capitulation is not an option. I know you understand better than anyone what’s at stake here, and you’re also aware of the fact our resources are limited. We can only do so much with what we’ve got. We have to come up with a plan that will bring a positive result.” The admiral slumped back into his chair, sighing and maintaining eye contact as he did. “Right now, I just don’t know what that plan could be.”

“We need a...