Ambush on a Small Insignificant Planet

Aboard the survey ship SA’RANTH

A light on the console lit up and a small chime sounded, catching the helmsman’s Kan’athnan’s eye.
“Ma’am, we have activity in this sector, nothing significant, but enough to ping the sensors.”

Thamolass was sucking on the tip of her tail as she did when bored. She lowered her eyelid to look at the scanner. “Hmmm, this might be worth looking into, I’m bored.” she thought out loud, and she playfully tapped the helmsman with her tail as she turned away. “Set course for its origins.”

“As you order Ma’am.” The helmsman dutifully plotted the course. It annoyed him that the Captain was so nonchalant with this mission. Space could be a dangerous place as the recent contact with the Nefkind had proven. The war still raged.

Da’an, her first officer stepped up to her shoulder. “I recommend caution Captain; this could be an Nefkind trap.”

The Captain waved her claws in their air. “Nonsense! Check the readings yourself, this is a primitive society. Besides, they are way out of the shipping lanes and known mapped space. What threat can they pose? They may actually have the resources we need to continue the fight. They may very well be a future ally”

“If you remember, the survey ship thought much the same of the Nefkind, to their detriment and ours.” Da’an leaned closer, “We are to observe, not contact”

Thamolass thought for a minute and crossed the bridge to her quarters. As the doors opened, she politely inquired to Da’an, “Please join me for dinner, and I wish to discuss this matter further.”

Da’an nodded and thought, “Well, here comes another tail chewing for being insubordinate in front of the crew.” But then Thamolass turned and said, “Bring the strategist and xeno-biologist with you.”

As Da’an took the chair, he realized that this was going to be an eventful dinner. It may even come to blows, though he doubted it. But it should be eventful.

Kan’athnan flicked his tail in amusement. Da’an narrowed his eyes at the helmsman. “What do you find amusing, Helmsman?”

The helmsman fairly quivered with laughter, “Oh, nothing First Officer, I was just reflecting on my choice to be a pilot, rather than take the Command route.”

Da’an, stepped behind the helmsman and bent down and whispered into his ear. “You are a smart citizen.” He clapped him on the shoulder and went to the comm, to summon the other guests.


NORAD

Major Smythe looked up at “Sven” (he couldn’t pronounce his real name very well) and said, “Well, you’ve nailed it. They’re here. Now what?”

Sven crossed his arms and smiled looking at the displays with an air of a conqueror, “We wait to spring the trap.”

As Smythe walked away, he wondered how these aliens had instilled such trust in the Government. Sure, they looked human, and by all medical accounts, were human. But they were also arrogant and ruthless in the way they conducted negotiations. These guys played for keeps. For once in his life, he was nervous. They reminded him of the Vikings of old, these people were huge! Every single individual he had seen was perfect in physical shape and mental acuity.

He wondered what was to become of the human race.

PENTAGON

Gen. Peters slammed his fist down hard upon the table. “You mean to tell me that we have allowed them to enter orbit!” he bellowed. “That’s just flippin’ great! Why don’t us all just line up so they may feast on us as well!”

The alien they called “Odin” rose from his seat. “General, calm yourself…the situation is under control and I believe that they do not suspect anything.”

Peters stayed standing and pointed his finger at Odin, “You have told us squat! And the politicians bought it! You have yet to share any information on this species other than you say they are here to.” and here he made quotation marks in the air, “cull the herd.”

Admiral Nelson rose from his chair. “Peters! They have shared technology with us, you dare doubt their word!” He was red in the face as him and Peters were long time adversaries and Peters was chosen as Joint Chief of Staff over him. “Have you been hittin’ the sauce again?!”

Peters glanced at Nelson, realizing what he was trying to do. “Nelson, go back to your corner with your crack pipe and whore and do what you do best…screw things up. Leave the strategic and tactical thinking to the professionals.” Two can play that game, he thought with a grim smile. He turned to Odin. “OK, so now what?”

Odin smiled, “We wait until they deploy their probes. Your species is the first to have thought of…how do you say?...hacking? This concept is nowhere to be found in our known universe. We will use their own tools against them…and continue to build our forces,” he smiled, “with your assistance of course.”

Odin turned back to the screen showing what NORAD was seeing, “They will never know what hit them.”


Aboard the survey ship SA’RANTH

Kan’athnan looked over his shoulder. “Sir, we have achieved optimum orbit. Shall I release the probes?”

Da’an pondered a second. “No, not until the ship is battle ready.” He snickered under his breath, “like a survey ship could ever be battle ready.” but it looked good and it was best to be prepared. “After all”, he thought, “Space is a dangerous place. That seemed to be the fleet’s most recent motto”

The weapons/probe officer spoke next. “All are at battle status, Sir. Shouldn’t we call the Captain from her quarters?”

Da’an gave him a withering stare. “Really? Wake the Captain over the launch of a bunch of autonomous probes? If you feel like it, do so.” By the Gods he hated survey duty.

“Probes are ready for launch, Sir.”

“Launch the probes.”


NORAD


“We have multiple bogies inbound!” The Senior Airman shouted, “The bogies vectors are tracking true to the parameters that have been given to us.”

Smythe looked at the Airman. “Threat status?”

The Airman looked perplexed. “So far none, Sir. They seem to have taken a high atmospheric stationary orbit and are holding position.”

Sven stepped up to the screen. “It will soon be time. They will lower themselves into your atmosphere slowly, while looking for your weaknesses. When their probes height is….500 feet?...”

Smythe corrected Sven, “No Sir, 5000 meters.”

Sven shrugged him off, “Very well, 5000 meters, we will take control of the probes and attack. We will show these lizards that Nefkind is not to be trifled with.”

Smythe raised his eyebrows and muttered, “Nefkind?”

Sven grabbed him by the shoulders and growled with a gleam in his eye. “Yes! We are Nefkind. You and me! One and the same! We are destined to rule! You have just not caught up to us yet, but we will remedy that. We are the same brother! It will be a glorious war!”


Aboard the survey ship SA’RANTH

“Sir,” the probe officer announced, “scans have been completed at 15 troons and we are commencing to lower altitude. We are showing high levels of Carbon, Methane, radiological and other poisoning in their atmosphere. There is also a high degree of electronic signals that should not be. I am seeing a multitude of aircraft, though I doubt that they can achieve outer atmospheric flight. Other than the Station on the other side of the planet, which they must be using rockets to support. It reminds me of something that I just can’t get past the tip of my tail, Sir.”

Da’an was looking at the screen, checking out the readings. Something bothered him too. “Wake the Captain.”


PENTAGON

Smythe looked into the secure camera linking him with the Pentagon.” General Peters, I don’t have a good feeling about this. I think we are being played.”

Peters was pacing the office and smoking a cigar in violation of Pentagon policy, but didn’t give a damn at the moment. He too felt something was up.

“Major Smythe, keep playin’ the game and don’t let them question your loyalty. Keep me apprised of the situation. Meanwhile, I have my own games to play, similar to yours. Let’s see if we can get a handle on this, ok?” Peters wasn’t even looking at the screen. “We don’t even have a world consensus on this and how it plays out is anyone’s guess.”

Smythe’s voice came over the speaker. “Sir, how are we to know that they haven’t contacted the other governments of the world? This feels all, uh, discombobulated to me…Sir.”

“Smythe, the fact is, we have Aliens on the ground in communication with our higher and we have Aliens in orbit probing us.” Peters spit on the carpet. “And they are at war with each other and we are now stuck in the middle. To put it bluntly…this sucks!”

Smythe snorted, “Makes me miss the Soviet Union.”

Peters flicked the bird at the camera and cynically smiled, “Son, you weren’t around when the Soviets were our enemies, but yea, I get your point. Those were simpler times. Crap! I knew I should have retired a year ago!”

White House

Press Secretary Bill Garten entered the Oval Office with a concerned look on his face. ”This is not going as planned, he thought, this stinks to high heaven as a matter of fact.”

President Mark Anderson looked up with a smile on his face and got up out of his chair. “Bill! Great press conference!” he exclaimed. “No one is any wiser, so it appears.”

Garten had enough. “The longer we keep this covered up, the harder it will be to control the populace Mr. President! We are at the doorstep of an intergalactic battle RIGHT…HERE…ON…EARTH! We will look like a bunch of fool’s to the populace….they’ll demand answers. I can guarantee you, there will be riots.”
President Anderson came around his desk and put his arm around Garten’s shoulders. “Relax, Bill…after phase one, the public will be putty in our hands. We finally have an enemy that humanity as a whole, can rally against. This is the dawn of a new age, and America will be leading the charge.”

Garten fell into a chair and threw his press notes onto the coffee table in front of him. “Sir, just because we are the “supposedly” only Nation who the Aliens are in contact with does not mean that the other faction has not been in contact with Russia or God forbid, China. Hell, they may have even contacted the Indians. Intel reports that there has been a resurgence of Vishnu worship. There are also rumors that they may be preparing the Shiva option.”

The President leaned against his desk and smiled sadly at his press secretary. He liked Bill, but he was a worrier. “Bill, we’ve been through this before. When the Nefkind first showed up, they appeared on everybody’s radar. But we were the only ones not to fire upon them. That gamble has paid off. And first contact was made. America will benefit from this as we were first, and as such the world will follow us.”

Garten got up and collected his notes, “Mr. President, just because we have pulled out of the Middle East, doesn’t mean there aren’t those who still wish us harm. In the long run, this is politics as usual, albeit on an intergalactic scale, but politics nonetheless, you had best remind yourself of that from time to time.”

I’m not an idiot, Bill”, the President noted, “I know what is at stake here.”

Bill Garten looked at his boss and thought, "You really are a arrogant bastard, aren't you."

To be continued…