Revolutionary (The Athena Lee Chronicles Book 4) (6 page)

Sobs could be heard from all around me as I realized I too was crying. The newsies had cut the feed when my brother was killed. The screen now read
Please stand by
. I stumbled from the cafeteria and into the marines I had spoken to.

“Lieutenant Lee are you OK?” I had too many tears to answer him. He looked into the cafeteria and saw the distraught and crying personnel.

“What the hell happened here?” He motioned for his men to find out. The food service personnel told them about the protest. Hearing this the marine got very angry. “Private Simms, inform our Commander of the protest and round up the squad. We will escort the Lieutenant back to her ship and then meet up at the squad room.

___

I was still in tears when I entered the ship. This upset the OOD and the marine guards with him. The guards dropped what they were doing and rushed over. Scanning in all directions the marine Sergeant turned to me and asked if I was OK. They were all bracing for a possible attack. Red faced and teary eyed I explained to them about the massacre. The OOD immediately began searching the news reports for more information. Shakily I keyed in my access code and entered the ship. My clearly tear-filled face attracted much attention on my way to the bridge. I stopped and wiped my eyes with the sleeve of my tunic. Both of the marine guards were watching me. I told them I was OK. With this many marines seeing me like this I should probably expect a visit from Dar. My uniform now straightened and my appearance mostly neat, I calmly walked onto the bridge.

Commander Wang was hunched over the navigation console working with one of my electronic techs. I paused next to the Commander. The XO heard my footsteps and looked over at me. He saw my red eyes and flushed complexion and turned away from my tech. “Lieutenant what has happened?”

Fresh tears started to force their way from my eyes. “The protest planetside was a massacre. ESS troops killed thousands of innocent civilians, including my brother. They just mowed them down, their dropships firing into the crowd. It was awful.”

At my statement the rest of the bridge crew at turned away from their instruments and with faces filled with shock were watching me. The XO motioned to the communications officer and the forward screens lit up with the news casts of the massacre. Seeing it on the big screen of the ships just made it worse. From above the city center appeared as if it were a giant red eye. A complete pristine circle around the government buildings was surrounded by blood spatted buildings and streets. The blood of thousands filled the gutters and culverts of the city. Flashing lights could be seen as emergency services were arriving. No other event on this planet in living memory was as horrific.

“Captain on the bridge.” The systems tech noticed the Captain standing in the doorway.

We all came to attention instinctively. Captain Gorshin was staring at the screens with a look of anger mixed with shame. He pointed at me and the XO and waved us toward his Ready Room.

“Commander Dunne, you have the conn.” The XO passed command and followed us.

The Captain ashen faced answered. “Athena are you ok?” We all sat at the table.

Surrounded by visual reminders of the regime that had just killed my people I was silent. I didn’t answer him but asked a question instead. “Captain did you see the protest?”

His face was dark and a fire burned in his eyes. I could tell that he was on the verge of losing his temper. “I did. Again are you OK?”

I nodded, wiping my tears away, I cast my eyes downward and spoke to my Captain. “I was in the cafeteria. The newsies broke the story. I watched it live, Captain. None of the protesters were armed. Their only crime was asking questions and demanding change. My brother spoke to me about those new laws. My brother..my Brother was there. In the crowd. He was the man who tried to protect the children. I saw him brutally gunned down for trying to save children. He and them were murdered by the very government I now serve!”

Surprised the Captain’s eyes widened at my rhetoric. “My brother was a man of peace. He was simply a farmer. I just talked to him yesterday, he was concerned about the higher taxes and farm levies. My family.” I paused a look of shock upon my face. “I have to call my father! By the Gods, he and the others, I need to call them. Captain may I?” The Captain motioned toward the communication station. I turned and almost ran to it. Keying in the proper codes I linked into the Militia communication net and sent my message. I didn’t need to tell him, he already knew.

Chapter 6

Colonel Lee rode at the head of the column in an armored personnel carrier. Behind him riding in trucks was as many troops that could be found. He had two battle ready platoons and a third that was a mis-mash of available warm bodies. Hopefully they would be in time. Grabbing the many troops, equipping them, and finding transportation took time. The militia base was ten miles from the city center. As they entered the city reports were already streaming in from the newscasts and local reports. In the distance black troopships hovered like vampire bats strafing the crowds of people with rockets and lasers. Reaching the causeway the militia troops were slowed by crowds of bloody, wounded civilians screaming for help as they stumbled and ran. After nearly hitting a wounded man, the Colonel slowed the column to a crawl.

Turning to his communication specialist Colonel Lee said “Contact my daughter Major Lee!” Colonel Lee used his link and contacted Governor Stoner. The Newsies were broadcasting every bloody detail, the Governor already knew. “Roy, I’m sorry we could not get here in time. What are your orders?”

Governor Roy Stoner had been in his position for over 30 years. Governor for life he liked to joke. Even through the war he had never had anything like this happen, not to his planet. This was a moral decision not a political one. First and foremost was justice for all the innocents that were killed today. He didn’t like it but he knew what he had to do.

“Colonel I want justice for our citizens. Do whatever you have to do to bring them to justice. You have my complete authority!”

Taking the communicator from his aide Colonel Lee bowed his head and said a silent prayer. “Major Lee, your orders are to take out those troopships using any means necessary by order of Governor Stoner!”

The colonial attack ships moved in for the kill on the unsuspecting troopships.

With blood in his eyes and fire in his heart Colonel Alexander Lee began shouting orders at his troops. If he was going to commit treason he might as well go all the way! He ordered his two combat platoons to start rounding up any and all Empire personnel from inside the buildings.

“Get them all, anyone with authority.” He needed prisoners they could bring to trial.

He instructed the mixed platoon to start organizing survivors and help get the medical aid stations set up. Emergency services were, just now, starting to show up. The Colonel walked the front line of the dead. He was checking for any survivors among the march leaders or any of the murdered children who now lay in the street. His face was like a piece of stone as he watched his troops search for the living. A pile of bodies in the center attracted his attention. Stepping carefully he and his small protection team picked their way across the carnage. Near the center of the street was a literal pile of adult bodies. Behind them were the remains of children who had tried to hide. The bloody and tattered remains of one adult was draped over their bodies as if to protect them. Bracing himself he carefully turned the body of his son over. His daughter-in-law’s body was a short distance away. With tears in his eyes he had his men carefully pick up their bodies and take them to the collection site.

His son was dead! Every deal, every bargain, every accommodation to the new alliance flashed through his head. Everything that he had done to help the Bastards that KILLED HIS SON! He had helped those people. His own daughter was married to one. He paused. His daughter… Athena was right, I did sell my daughter. Gazing up into the sky he watched his other daughter take her vengeance on those that had killed her brother in cold blood.

___

Minerva flew at the head her formation of star fighters leading them in to battle like her namesake battle goddess . She was lucky to have the fighters. The Empire had only recently allowed them to have them. The Militia had two full wings of fighters. The second wing, stationed of the other side of the planet near the Greek colony , could not get here in time. Hers was made up of surplus Sky Sharks and one Mark 4 Starfury her personal ship. A mark 4 model, her ship had been upgraded with more powerful weapons and better armor.

When she had reached the airfield all of the fighters were armed and fueled. Her pilots had seen the massacre on the vid. Min had spoken to the other squadron commander. Commander Conrad’s squadron were the “Black Sheep” while hers were the “Silver Valkyries”. He was going to have his group fly CAP for the Militia on the ground at the Capitol. The ‘sheep’ were mainly well maintained Fuglies and Stuka’s.

Speaking to her brothers in arms she told them to switch off IFF and prepare for battle. On her radar screen she could see the troopships as they gained altitude. The menacing looking ships were studded with weapon turrets and laser ports. None were Empire standard ships. Not regular navy she could not trust them to follow the rule of war and respect surrender or non-combatants. Min said a prayer for her people and keyed her microphone. To her pilots she said, “Everyone ready? Break and attack! No mercy!” Like a star burst the fighters broke formation and screamed in on the unsuspecting ships.

___

ESS Captain Gary Ridgway was not happy about this whole mission. The deaths of the civilians didn’t matter to him in the least. It was this drop that was bothering him. These troopships weren’t part of the team. The pilots and crews had beens seconded to them from some of the Senate’s personal ship crews. They had not trained with his troops so they weren’t ‘clan’. He would feel much better when his people were back on board the Station. One of the ship crew waved at him to get his attention.

“You need something sailor?” He barked at the crewman.

“Sir, we have a flight of ships on radar. IFF reads them as a local militia flight. The pilots are asking if they are an escort?”

“Have them check with Station control. That is their job. Why in the hell are they bothering me?” The Captain was glaring at the crewman now.

“Sir, they did that and the Station did not authorized it. They are coming in at top speed.”

The black clad Captain looked up from his tablet yelling “What? Why in the 9 hells didn’t you say that to begin with?”

He glanced around the cabin. “Action stations! Attack incoming get to the guns!”

The ESS troops unbuckled from the seats and sprang into action. They pulled the ships crew out of the firing ports and manned the weapon stations. The Militia star fighters were flying in a tight formation headed straight for the troopships. Suddenly the formation burst apart, the fighters targeting the troopships and attacking.

“Sir, IFF won’t let us fire. The computers all say those are friendly ships and won’t allow us to use the weapons.”

A nearby troopship blew up in a massive fireball. The craft the Captain was on shook from the shock wave. “Do those ships look friendly to you? Override it! Do it now my men are dying out there!”

“We can’t Sir, that is what I am trying to tell you!” The crewman recoiled visibly when the black clad captain drew his weapon.

“Where is the computer module located at?” The crewman pointed to the armored box to the left of the cockpit. The Captain pointed his laser pistol at it and fired. “Fire in the hole!”

It took two shots but the computer box exploded in a shower of sparks and shrapnel. The troopship shuddered and jerked as the flight crew struggled with the controls. The death of the computer had put the ship on manual. With their weapons now free the Captain Ridgways ship started firing on the militia fighters. Better late than never, five of the troopships had already been destroyed.

Yelling at the flight crew the Captain told them to “contact the station, get us some help out here!”

“We can’t call anyone! When the computer stopped working it killed all communications and all but the basic controls up here!” The pilot was grunting as he fought the ship. “We can’t call anyone or boost into orbit those controls are hard wired to the computer.”

“Damn it! To hell.” He thought for a moment. “Try and head for the manufacturing center. We have a unit of special forces guarding that and maybe they can help us. Anything is better than dying up here!”

The Pilot shook his head yes and started maneuvering the ship toward the North. The other ships seeing the command ship leaving the area tried to follow. Still unable to fire over half were shot down and destroyed.