Planet Wrecker

“Once I get my hands on you, boy, you’re dead,” Gaius growled.

“Hitting me doesn’t change the truth of our situation,” Scipio panted. “We lack the ships and the missiles to destroy or deflect the entire asteroid strike.”

“I piss on your truth,” said Gaius. “We are Highborn and we will fight our way out of the situation.”

“With what means?” asked Scipio.

Gaius rained haymakers. While dancing back and deflecting the nearest shots, Scipio was forced into a corner.

“Now I have you,” Gaius wheezed. He lowered his head and shot straight jabs and crosses. Several smashed through Scipio’s karate weaves and snapped the Highborn’s head back. Then Gaius stepped inside Scipio’s guard. With a cunning wrestling move and hold, the two of them smashed against the floor hard. Gaius quickly gained a submission hold around Scipio’s neck.

“This is how we’ll beat the cyborgs!” Gaius roared, as spittle flew from his lips. He applied terrible pressure. Scipio’s face turned red, purple and then white as he struggled to free himself. Not once, did he plead for mercy.

Cassius had seen enough. His old friend was a bull, and fully aroused now. In another few seconds, Gaius would kill Scipio. With a smooth lunge like a fencer, Cassius reached out, touching Gaius’s back with a shock rod at full power.

Gaius bellowed, releasing Scipio as he rolled over onto his back.

“Enough of this,” said Cassius.

Scipio lay panting on his back, blinking in seeming bewilderment. Gaius glared at him, building up the strength to rise.

“I had to shock you, old friend,” said Cassius. “This is a strategy session, not a sparring duel. First, however, I wanted to test our young officer. He has courage and faced you unflinchingly.”

“When I get up,” whispered Gaius, “I’m going to smash your face into pulp. No one shocks me and gets away with it, not even you.”

Cassius shook his head. “We don’t have time for that. And now that you’re on your back, you should know that the boy—that Scipio—is right. We lack the missiles and the ships to win this fight. So we’re going to have to do it another way.”

Scipio had been gingerly massaging his throat. Turning his head, he now stared at Cassius.

“I’ve given this much thought,” the Grand Admiral said. “Before we strike the asteroids with nukes, I’m sending Highborn to the cluster.”

“What’s that mean?” asked Gaius, clenching his teeth as he sat up.

Cassius shook his head. The old bull knew better than to try to sit up so soon. He’d taken the highest-level shock possible. But Gaius was a stubborn fighter, refusing to adjust to pain. Sometimes, one needed that kind of warrior.

“The Praetor once sent shock-troopers to the Bangladesh,” Cassius said. “I plan to use that tactic here.”

“The enemy asteroids have laser-turrets,” Scipio wheezed with his injured throat.

“Always with your defeatism,” said Gaius.

“You tested him,” Cassius said. “Now you will listen to his ideas without insult.”

“Bah!” Gaius said. “His manner sickens me.”

“We can’t all be the fighting Admiral Gaius,” said Cassius.

Gaius grunted, nodding after a moment.

“As to these laser turrets,” Cassius told Scipio. “It is the reason why I must perfectly coordinate the assault.” He turned around and clicked. “Notice the asteroids. They’re situated in such a way that those in front block those in back.”

Scipio studied the enlarged holoimage, and he soon nodded. “What do you hope the Highborn commandoes to achieve?” he wheezed.

“I have studied the Carme Incident in detail,” Cassius said. “Successful landings brought combat troops to the surface, where they defeated the cyborgs. The victors eventually shutdown the asteroid’s fusion engines.”

“How did you gain this data?” asked Gaius, who climbed to his feet.

“Hawthorne sent it to me.”

“How did the Supreme Commander gain it?” asked Gaius, swaying slightly.

“Apparently, the rulers of Jupiter are attempting to unite all premen into a giant confederacy. As part of their endeavor, they are sharing information.”

“How does this help us?” asked Gaius.

Cassius turned toward the viewing port, staring at the blazing Sun outside. In this thing, Scipio saw more clearly than Gaius did. The mass of asteroids…. “It is a desperate strategy.” Cassius shrugged moodily. “The Highborn commandoes must gain control of as many asteroids as possible. Once this control is achieved, they must fire the engines and redirect the individual projectiles on a new heading. The asteroids that continue on course, those we shall blast with nukes.”

Someone gingerly cleared a sore throat. Without turning around to see whom, Cassius asked, “Do you object to the plan, Scipio?”

“I would ask a question.”

“Ask,” said Cassius.

“How do you know the asteroids still have fuel or that their engines still work?”

“I do not know,” said Cassius. Silence greeted this revelation. He turned toward the two. Scipio touched his bruised throat. Gaius studiously pinned his fallen Red Galaxy Medal back onto his uniform.

“Hawthorne spoke strategic sense earlier,” Cassius said. “We cannot afford to lose the Earth.”

Scipio snorted.

“An inelegant agreement,” said Cassius, “but heart-felt. The Earth is the greatest industrial base in the Solar System. The cyborgs undoubtedly recognize this and have decided to obliterate it, thereby weakening us, possibly beyond recovery.”

“The commandoes are a gamble,” said Scipio. “The loss of the Hannibal Barca to cyborg assault troops during the Third Battle for Mars points to this.”

“Yes!” Cassius said. “I gamble. And because I do, I will use everything in my grasp in order to achieve victory. The premen have offered us their vessels. Therefore, I will use them.” He laughed. “I will even use the meteor-ship heading to Mars.”

“Is it possible that the meteor-ship can be of use?” asked Gaius.

“It’s more than possible,” said Cassius. “First, however, I must show you the last piece of my strategy. The premen will help us implement it. No doubt, in the absence of the Doom Stars they will attempt treachery. But I will take safeguards, the chief of which is placing you, Scipio, in charge of the new defensive arrangement of Earth.”

“What are you talking about?” grumbled Gaius.

Cassius told them, clicking his controller as he showed them the details.

It made Gaius grunt in seeming wonder, and he finally nodded at his old friend. “You’ve lost none of your guile,” he told Cassius.

Scipio grew quiet and his eyes narrowed.

It made Cassius even more certain that he’d chosen the right Highborn to command Earth Defense in his absence. “It is a massive responsibility,” he said.

“Why me?” asked Scipio.

“Because I think you’re one of the few Highborn who can work with premen.”

“Your Excellency?” asked Scipio.

“I watched you on the bridge as I spoke with Hawthorne. Certain of your reactions pleased me. It also showed me this hidden talent of yours that few Highborn possess.”

“Doing what you suggest, we risk losing our conquests on Earth,” Gaius said.

“Possibly,” said Cassius, “but it is unlikely. I will leave Scipio enough space assets to thwart any premen treachery.”