HADRON Havoc Read online

  HADRON

  (Vol. 7)

  Havoc

  By: Stephen Arseneault

  “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”

  Abraham Lincoln

  View the author’s website at www.arsenex.com

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  Read Stephen’s bio here

  Image on cover from www.RolfMohr.com

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  Copyright 2016 Stephen Arseneault. All Rights Reserved

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher, except where permitted by law, or in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  HADRON Havoc (Vol. 7)

  Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3

  Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6

  Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9

  Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12

  Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15

  Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18

  Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21

  Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24

  Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27

  What’s Next Books

  Chapter 1

  *

  Five months after the Karthian peace agreement was signed, the Rogers settled on a broad tarmac in the city of New Yentis. The Targarians, ever busy, had just completed their first community center. Modeled after those on Earth, eight such centers were planned for the area in and around the new colony. Forests were being cleared and fields readied for planting. The first mine had been established and the first port dug out and readied for a fleet of fishing vessels.

  Mace, using funds disbursed from his ownership in the Knuttin Corporation, had been busy acquiring colonization materials. The new colony at Hardy was in desperate need of all things mechanical. Machinery such as tractors or plows, or diggers for mining, were in high demand. Mace used the advice of Frado Knuttin to purchase the items most in need.

  He sat in the dining hall on the Organ Cave with Jasper. “All things considered, I think you’ve got a good start on things here.”

  “Wish we’d had more time to salvage from Divinia.”

  Mace nodded. “Can’t risk it now that the Karthians have moved in. Stark said they’re clearing off every bit of your people’s existence. They plan on letting the natural growth run wild for the next couple decades. After that, they’ll consider it a resource for possibly populating. He says they are already looking to establish a colony on Croawla.”

  Jasper frowned. “It was a world rich in resources.”

  Mace said, “Look, I know all this has been extremely hard on you, but life is what it is. We take what we have and do the best we can. I know you’re toying with how to get back at the Karthians. I think you need to set your house in order here first. The Karthians will still be out there when you’re ready to deal with them. Any effort you put into thinking about it now only detracts from what you’re doing here.”

  Jasper sighed. “I know. It’s just some things can’t be helped.”

  Mace said, “Well I know it’s not much, but you at least have all the microwave stations here that Favia built for us. She was kind enough to donate nine hundred of them to you. She didn’t have to give a single one.”

  Jasper nodded. “I know. And my people are ever grateful.”

  A comm came in from Stark. “Mr. Hardy, I don’t know why I’m telling you this, but I just ended a long discussion with the Karthians. They wanted to know where their subjects went. They know they didn’t kill everyone, and yet there is no one there.”

  “So what’d you tell them?”

  Stark was silent.

  Jasper stood. “I will kill you whenever I find out where you are.”

  Stark replied, “I had no choice, Mr. Collins. As I said before, they consider the Targarians their property. They felt that I aided and abetted in the theft of that property, and told me to my face that if I didn’t tell them where you were, they would consider the agreement null and void, making Earth once again a target.”

  “I told you this would happen,” said Mace.

  “As I told you it would happen if you meddled in their affairs.”

  Mace shook his head. “Since you told us this, what would you have us do? Take them back?”

  Stark said, “They would not accept that. What I would expect both you and Mr. Collins to do is to leave that planet. If they find Humans there, they will use that as an excuse to break the agreement.”

  Mace reached into the opening of his faceshield, rubbing his temples. “We’re not abandoning the Targarians.”

  “Then you are dooming all Humans.”

  Mace stood and began to pace. “I have one alternative.”

  Stark said, “I’m listening.”

  Mace stopped. “We bring them home. Take them all to Earth.”

  Stark shook his head. “A ludicrous proposal.”

  Mace held up a hand. “Maybe. Can you tell me how many of those microwave stations you have? And how many ships?”

  Stark was hesitant before answering. “Four hundred twelve stations, both orbital and ground. Three hundred six cruisers.”

  Mace nodded. “OK, we can add just over a hundred ships to that total. And about nine hundred microwave stations.”

  Stark crossed his arms. “What? Where did you get those?”

  Mace replied, “Not saying. But I think we can get more. Possibly as many as three or four hundred. You agree to allow the Targarians to come to Earth, at least until they can get reestablished elsewhere, and I’ll see to it that you have more than fifteen hundred stations pulling guard duty there at Earth.”

  Stark stood and began to pace as well. “If we had more ships I might consider this a valid offer, but I must decline. The two of you need to come home. I am certain the Karthians will be coming your way. And as I said, if Humans are found there, the agreement will be broken, exposing us to attack.”

  Jasper replied, “Listen, you putrid moron. These are my people. If the Karthians are on their way, I will meet them here with everything I have. You keep acting as though you speak for all Humans, well, you don’t. Not this one anyway. Let the Karthians come. We’ll give them a fight.”

  Mace looked into the comm camera. “I have to say that I’m with him. They’re gonna come for us one way or another. You either fight along with us or you’ll be fighting alone. If you send out your fleet, we could transport everyone home in a couple days. All the stations we have in orbit here would be moved, too. So pick your poison. All together or by yourself?”

  Stark rubbed the top of his head in frustration. “Bring them. I’ll have every transport and warship there for a pick-up within the hour. But we need to make haste. The Karthians may show up in a week, or it could be in an hour. But they will come.”

  Mace nodded. “Select an area on Earth they can inhabit and make it as ready as you can. We’ll get things rolling here.”

  Over the two days that followed, twelve million Targarians were moved to Earth, along with the nine hundred microwave stations. Favia was contacted and a plea made
for more stations. Three hundred eighty were offered and accepted.

  As the last of the transports lifted off Hardy for the heavens, Mace ordered the Rogers to the ground and the ramp was lowered. He walked down to the end of the ramp and then spiked a metal rod into the ground.

  Johnny asked, “What was that for?”

  Mace smiled. “It was a leftover claiming tag from our work with Frado Knuttin and the UF. If the Karthians show, which they will, they’ll have to think twice before trying to claim it for their own. They try to remove that marker and they risk war with the UF.”

  Johnny chuckled. “That ain’t the UF’s marker. They didn’t plant it.”

  Mace nodded. “Technically, no. But the Karthians don’t know that. And if I can convince Mr. Knuttin to file the claim, it at least keeps this planet from the Karthians. We’ll no longer have it, but neither will they.”

  Johnny patted Mace on the back as they walked back up the ramp. “You’re nothing but a troublemaker. Anybody ever tell you that?”

  “My mom used to.”

  Johnny smiled. “I always liked your mom.”

  A week of peace passed. The Targarians were busy once again attempting to build up a community. This time they had resources to begin the process, and Humans seemed eager to help where they could.

  A scout ship reported the Karthian visit to Hardy. Five hundred ships lingered in orbit, not risking a visit to the ground of a planet owned by another species, a species they had one previous encounter with at Rhombia. The thrashing they had taken there had convinced their admirals that Hardy was now off limits. The following day, their five hundred ships parked over Earth space.

  Stark opened a comm. “As I feared, our days are numbered.”

  Mace replied, “They were numbered anyway. You were just too pigheaded to see it. Have they made any demands?”

  Stark sighed. “They won’t return my hails. I believe this to be only an attempt to breed fear.”

  Mace laughed. “Well, it’s working. Mr. Knuttin has already canceled his trade shipments. The UF doesn’t want to be involved, even if they one day will be.”

  Stark asked, “How do you mean?”

  “The Karthians are now their neighbors. They fought them once at Rhombia and soundly drove them back. If the UF decides they want more space, they will look to expand this way, because they know the threat. Or at least think they do.”

  Stark rubbed his chin. “Astute thinking, Mr. Hardy. I must give you credit. I didn’t think you capable.”

  Mace smiled. “That’s one of your downfalls, Stark. You think you’re brilliant and everyone else is an idiot. What you fail to grasp is that even idiots have brilliant thoughts from time to time.”

  Johnny laughed. “Did you just call yourself an idiot?”

  “Don’t be helping him.”

  Humphrey turned. “Multiple wormholes opening, Mr. Hardy. Ships coming through by the hundreds. Looks like they’re bringing the fleet.”

  Mace said, “Johnny, call everyone in. Looks like today is the day we determine Earth’s fate.”

  Johnny turned. “Well, definitely somebody determines Earth’s fate.”

  The comms were made and within minutes the full crew was coming aboard. “Listen up, everyone. This may be our last fight. If we win here, the Karthians may decide we are better left alone. This is our planet, our ground, our home. I expect you’ll all give it everything you have and then some. It will probably take that. Our fleet is small, but our determination big. And those microwave stations out there… Favia indicated they made improvements to the initial designs. She couldn’t say what, just that they are supposedly better. And this time around we have a lot more of them.

  “I’ve shared our tactics with Stark, so we should see similar shuttle assaults from his Marines. If we can make a heavy enough dent in their force early on, we might just drive them off without having to sacrifice ourselves. We’ve tried everything we possibly could. Determination is about all we have left.

  “I’ll add one more thing. If you’re the praying type, you’ll want to do that now. And if you’re not, well, those who are could use your support. I expect the fighting to start in the next hour, so make your peace and prepare for the worst. This fight is not only for our freedom, but for our existence. We’ve tried about everything we can. This stand has to work. As Shakespeare’s Caesar said, ‘Cry Havoc! And let slip the dogs of war!’”

  Johnny chuckled as the comm closed. “Where’d you pull that one from? I never took you for Shakespeare.”

  “I think I’ve wanted to use that since the first time I heard it as a teenager.”

  Liam Hobbs said, “It’s a worn-out phrase, Mr. Hardy. Perhaps something more like Churchill: You can always count on Americans to do the right thing ��� after they’ve tried everything else.”

  Johnny laughed. “You trying to create an international incident here? How about something more along the lines of: Never, never, never give up.”

  Liam nodded. “I suppose that would work too.”

  Mace turned to Humphrey Mallot. “Everyone aboard?”

  Humphrey replied, “All accounted for, Mr. Hardy.”

  Mace gestured as he sat. “Take us up to the fleet, Mr. Hobbs. We’ll wait it out there.”

  As before, the Karthian ships came all at once. The large number of microwave stations took a heavy first toll before a new weapon was unleashed. Tens of thousands of small missiles filled the space between the attackers and the orbital stations. The Human fleet attempted to destroy as many as they could, but a second wave pushed past into the stations. Three quarters of the Earth defense shield was taken out all at once. A third wave of missiles finished the job.

  The Human fleet countered with more than five hundred assault shuttles, while her warships moved into the fight. Karthian ships swirled, jinked, and cut back and forth in an attempt to keep the shuttles from attaching. Nearly half were destroyed when a fourth round of the small but powerful missiles were unleashed.

  Jasper came over the comm. “We’re losing this and losing it bad. Do we pull back to the Alpha site? Do we fight ‘til the end right here?”

  “I don’t have the answer,” said Mace. “I’m beginning to think the Alpha site might be the better option, but we’ll need to get our people from the cave.”

  The hull of the Rogers rumbled and jerked as a half dozen Karthian cruisers focused their efforts on her.

  Humphrey yelled, “We have six ships after us, Mr. Hardy! Those weapons will be doing severe damage if shots get coordinated, which I expect they soon will be.”

  Johnny said, “I can’t get attached! Might be time we make a run to the cave and call this fight over!”

  Mace returned the comm to Jasper. “Mr. Collins, we’re cutting out. There’s nothing more we can do here.”

  Jasper nodded. “I have my transports loaded with as many people as they can carry. We’ll be escorting them out. Mr. Hardy, good luck and be careful. I wanna see you at the Alpha site. I’m thinking it may be time to become pirates in Karthian space. It won’t get our worlds back, but I’m certain I can exact some revenge.”

  The comm closed as the remains of the Targarian fleet turned toward Alpha Centauri. Jordan Crawford’s shuttle was soon aboard the Rogers, with Johnny, Jane, and Jenny close behind. The door to bay one was opened as they pulled alongside.

  Five Karthian laser pulses impacted the bay area all at the same time. The Human ship jerked violently and shuddered as two decks of the port-side of the ship were ripped apart and set afire.

  Liam yelled, “Breaking away! Mr. Tretcher, you’re on your own!”

  Humphrey added, “Two decks afire! We have casualties!”

  Mace followed with, “Mr. Hobbs, get us home! Johnny, get to the cave!”

  The aft of the Rogers took repeated hits as she raced toward the atmosphere. Bulkheads were sealed as the ship became a fireball, speeding down through the air. Two further strikes to the back of the ship shut down one of the grav
ity drives; the room that held the controls was violated and filled with flames.

  Liam yelled, “We’re coming in hard! Brace! Brace! Brace!”

  The Rogers swooped in, slowing with all the power she had left. As Liam pulled back hard on the controls, a move that had no more effect than a soft pull, the Rogers leveled off. As she headed into a valley on the opposite side of a mountain from the cave, three additional laser pulses crippled her remaining drive.

  The once great ship dropped into the trees, skidding along as it carved a path of destruction into the forest floor. Tree trunks and dirt and rocks flew as the lower decks were shredded by the impact.

  After what seemed like an eternity, the Rogers came to a stop. Flames began to spread as their hydrogen store spewed fuel from a tiny but deep hole in its redundant linings. A hundred meter tall column of fire billowed up from the back of the ship and the cruisers chasing behind turned away in victory to pursue other targets. The Rogers had seen its last fight.

  Chapter 2

  *

  Smoke began to fill the bridge. Mace removed his belt, falling out onto the floor as he attempted to regain his wits. Fatso Geerok lay slumped over the comm controls. Liam Hobbs and Humphrey Mallot moved over to assist Hans Mueller.

  Jordan Crawford raced onto the bridge. “We have to leave! Hydrogen store is spewing a cone of fire. We could lose it at any time!”

  Mace pointed. “Grab Mr. Geerok. Start moving the injured down to the ramp.”

  Jordan replied, “There is no ramp, Mr. Hardy. Lower decks are smashed. Bay three is burning and half of bay one is gone. And the flames are spreading this way. We’re gonna have to cut our way out.”

  Mace pulled himself to his feet. “Then pick a wall and get cutting.”

  Jordan laid Fatso Geerok out on the deck. “Someone see to him and I’ll get started on an exit.”

  Mace gestured. “Go. I’ve got him.”

  Jordan Crawford picked a side room near the bridge. Five plasma rounds superheated the inner hull as his torch did the work of cutting through. The process was repeated, opening a meter-wide hole to the exterior of the ship. As Mace and the crew on the bridge made their way through, Jordan Crawford sprinted back into the smoke to look for others. Two minutes later he emerged with Bontu Montak and four of his crewmen.