They say that truth is stranger than fiction-but then again one man’s truth is another man’s fiction.

When sixteen-year-old John Jamison wakes to the sound of a gunshot in the middle of the night, he rushes outside to help his father fight off a band of bushwhackers who are attacking their farm in Missouri. The bushwhackers kill John’s father and bash John in the head with the butt of a rifle. They burn down their cabin with John’s mother, his little brother, and his sister inside. While John is unconscious, they steal all the livestock plus they take their hired hand, a freed black man known as Mr. Tibbs, and head south to sell the livestock and to sell Mr. Tibbs as a slave.

When John recovers he heads south to take revenge and to free Mr. Tibbs. John’s quest will draw him into the Civil War take him down to Texas then to the High Desert of Southern California where he will have a violent confrontation with Clay Beckett and his band of bushwhackers. Along the way, John fights off hostile Indians, helps drive cattle to Denver, and becomes a man. Along his travels, he starts to realize that things are not always as they seem and begins to doubt the very foundations of his existence.

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The MoJave Kid

Check out the first chapter of the Mojave Kid.

Chapter One

A loud gunshot woke sixteen-year-old John Jameson from a sound sleep. He heard loud voices coming from outside of the log cabin. Rolling off his straw mattress he jumped to his feet. Dressed in his cotton nightshirt, John ran out the doorway of his bedroom and down to his parent’s room. His heart pounding he saw his mother leaning against the headboard of her bed holding John’s eight-year-old blond-headed little brother and his red-headed little sister to her breasts her eyes wide with fear.

“What is it, Momma?” John asked.

“Bushwhackers. Don’t go out there. Let Poppa and Mr. Tibbs handle it,” his mother pleaded.

John paused for a second. His momma rarely called him John. Most of the time, she called him Johnny. Anger surged through him as he charged across the room to the wooden box in the corner of the room where his father kept his 1851 36-caliber Navy Colt. “Did Papa take his Colt?”

“No, he took the shotgun,” his momma said, trying to comfort the younger children.

“Papa will need my help. I’ll be damned if I let some damned bush whackers raid our farm.”

Grabbing the Colt he ran for the front door. Cocking the pistol, he banged open the door. An evil-looking mountain of a man with long greasy hair and a wicked scar that ran from the center of his forehead and across his right eye stood with a rifle pointed at his father. Goosebumps beaded up on John’s exposed skin. Another one of the bushwhackers rushed up from Mr. Tibbs’ small cabin holding a revolver against the back of the middle-aged black man’s head. Five more sat on horseback with bandannas covering their faces.

“Put the gun down, Mister. We’re confiscating the livestock and we’re taking this nigger!” the man yelled. A cold breeze tickled John’s face.

“You can take the livestock but leave my man here! He’s not a slave. I bought him from his former master’s estate! I gave him his freedom! He works for me! He’s a free man!” Ron Jameson, John’s father yelled.

The man with the gun on Mr. Tibbs pulled his arms behind him and tied his hands together.

“Imagine that! A free nigger!” One of the men on horseback said.

“I ain’t lettin’ you take him!” Ron Jameson yelled.

“Shoot him Clay!” a redheaded man with stringy hair sitting on horseback yelled.

“No, Papa!” John said charging forward.

“Johnny Boy don’t!” Mr. Tibbs screamed. He struggled to get free, but the man behind him brought the butt of the revolver down on the top of his head knocking him out cold.

“Johnny, get back!” his father hollered.

John fired off a wild shot that buzzed past the big man’s head, his father started to raise the shotgun, but the big man on the ground fired his rifle, hitting Ron Jameson in the center of his forehead. A rifle bullet tore through his head splattering blood bone and bits of brain matter onto the cabin’s front door. The big man turned his rifle toward John, but by that time John was almost on top of him so he smashed the butt of the rifle up against his head. The Navy Colt went flying and John’s world went dark. He fell to the ground in a state of unconsciousness.

Clay Beckett glanced around. “Gather the livestock, and tie the nigger to one of the horses. We’ll sell the livestock in Nashville to the bluebellies and sell the nigger down south. Then set fire to the house. Throw that Yankee campaign hat on the ground along with one of those Yankee uniform shirts. Most folks in this part of Missouri have Southern leanings. We’ll make them think that some Union boys bid this.”

Ten minutes later, with the Jameson cabin and barn ablaze the bushwhackers rode southeast toward the Mississippi River as a full moon shined down over the town of Hannibal Missouri, and the surrounding countryside.

***

John came to as the sky turned purple in the east and stabbed its warm fingers across the land. Dry crusty blood covered his face, his head throbbed and his stomach churned. Shivering from the cold, he rose to his knees but then fell back down. The smell of burnt wood filled the air. On his hands and knees, he threw up the contents of his stomach. Struggling to his feet, he stood on shaky legs taking in his surroundings. His father lay where he fell. The cabin and barn were burnt to the ground. He stood in a daze for a few seconds. Then he thought about his momma and his little brother and sister. “God no!” he said to himself and ran through the hot ashes of the house. Burning the souls of his feet, he ran back, found the Union Army shirt, went to the well, tore the shirt in two, and soaked both pieces in water. After wrapping the wet pieces of cloth around his feet, he headed back to what was left of the log cabin. Sifting through the rubble, he found the bodies of his mother and siblings. John carried them away from the cabin and laid them next to the body of his father. He picked them up one at a time and carried them over to an old oak tree that offered shade. Finding an old shovel leaning against the pole corral where they kept the livestock, he carried it over to where he left the bodies. He stuck the blade of the shovel into the dirt, and only then did the tears begin to roll down his face. He was halfway through digging his father’s grave when he heard a wagon pull up into the front yard.

“Ho!” a grey-headed old man in the wagon box yelled pulling back on the reins. John looked up and saw, Mr. Kirkpatrick along with his wife Fran, and their two daughters. Alisa was fourteen with straw blonde hair. Polly Ann was twelve with dark brown hair and green eyes. Their son Todd, who was one year younger than John, jumped down from the bed of the wagon. Mr. Kirkpatrick owned the neighboring farm a few miles down the road. He climbed down from the wagon box and hurried over to where John struggled, digging in the stony ground, limping on his bum leg. “Johnny. What happened? We saw the smoke and came as fast as we could.”

John paused, wiping tears and dirt from his eyes trying to control the fury rising inside him. “Bushwhackers. They kilt Pa, fetched me upside the head with a rifle butt, and set fire to the cabin with Momma, Jimmy and Becky still inside. They took Mr. Tibbs.”

Mr. Kirkpatrick laid a hand on John’s shoulder and felt a shudder pass through the boy. “Johnny, go over to the wagon and let Fran tend to your head. I’ll dig these graves.”

John shook his head and started digging once more. “No, they were my kin. It’s my job.”

“At least let me help. Go over to the wagon and let Fran see to your head.”

John nodded and set the shovel aside. Mr. Kirkpatrick reached his hand down, John took it and Mr. Kirkpatrick helped him out of the hole. “Go on now. Let Fran and the girls tend to that head. Get some water too.”

When John reached the wagon, Mrs. Kirkpatrick held out her arms. “Come here you poor thing,” she said pulling him to her breasts. “How can people be so cruel?” When she held him against her womanly flesh, the tears started once again. “It’s going to be all right Dear. Let it out.”

The girls gathered around and put their arms around him. Tears rolled down their cheeks. “I’m so sorry Johnny,” Alisa said. Todd stood back his eyes wide. He glanced over at the bodies on the ground.

“I’ll go help Pa with the burying,” he said.

“No you don’t, Todd Kirkpatrick. You say right here,” his mother said.

By the time Mrs. Kirkpatrick and her girls had finished cleaning the wound on John’s head and bandaging it, Mr. Kirkpatrick had finished digging the first grave. Mrs. Kirkpatrick sent Todd over to the well to fetch another pail of water. She put the dipper down into the pail and gave John a drink.

“Son fetch them blankets,” Mr. Kirkpatrick said and grabbed another shovel from the bed of the wagon. John and Mr. Kirkpatrick turned and headed back to where the bodies lay.

“Pa I want to help,” Todd said.

Mr. Kirkpatrick paused turning back around. “No Son. Me and Johnny will handle this. You stay with your mother and sisters.” Mr. Kirkpatrick helped John wrap the body of his father into a blanket and lower it into the grave. “You fill this one in and I’ll dig the next hole.”

After they had finished filling in the last grave, Mr. Kirkpatrick put his arm around John’s shoulder and led him back toward the wagon. “Son with this war goin’ on there’s so much evil in this world. I don’t know why the good Lord allows it. Our farm is only three miles down the road. It very well could have been us that the damned Bushwhackers hit. I could have been lying dead on the ground like your Pa.”

John brushed the sweat out of his eyes with the palm of his hand. “But it wasn’t. It was our farm. Their tracks lead toward the river. I’m going after them sons of bitches.”

“In your nightshirt? Son you’re dirty, you’re tired and sweaty, you got no clothes or no shoes. Come back to the farm with us. Todd’s got some old clothes that you can wear, I’ll have Fran heat you a bath and then fix you up something to eat. I have a tanned deer hide that I can make you a pair of moccasins from. You stay with us. After we get back to our place I’ll ride into town and speak with the constable. We’ll let the law handle this.”

“It seems to me that there ain’t much law in this part of the country.”

“Ain’t that the truth? With half this state on the side of the Union and the other half, on the side of the Confederacy, trash like the ones that kilt your family think they can run hog wild.” John sighed and climbed into the wagon bed. The girls sat on either side of John and put their arms around him. He breathed in their fresh scent. Todd leaned up against the wagon’s tailgate.

“You can stay in my room with me. I got some old clothes that might fit you,” Todd said.

“Thank all you all,” John said. Mr. Kirkpatrick picked up the reins and hollered at the mules. The wagon started to move when John saw sunlight reflecting off something metal lying on the ground. “Hold up a minute!” he yelled and then jumped to the ground. He ran across the yard, bent down, and picked something up. He turned back around carrying his father’s Colt and headed back to the wagon. They arrived at the Kirkpatrick farm a short time later. Mrs. Kirkpatrick ordered Todd to kindle the fire in the wood stove and instructed Mr. Kirkpatrick to bring in the old cast iron bathtub. She had the girls bring in buckets of water, transferring the water into a few cast iron pots, and started heating them on top of the wood stove.

After Mr. Kirkpatrick brought in the tub, Fran looked at John. “You might as well take off that nightshirt and get into the tub.”

John looked across the room and noticed Alisa and Polly Ann watching him from across the room. “Turn around,” he said, feeling warmth rising in his cheeks.

“Oh don’t mind them. They’ve seen Todd butt naked a time or two,” Fran said. “Besides, who do you think is going to fill the tub?” John stripped out of his nightshirt and set his father’s Colt on the floor next to the tub.

“Old woman I think I’m going to saddle up one of the mules and take a ride into town to speak with the constable. I’d like to know what he’s going to do about these Bushwhackers.”

“Fat chance of that lazy no account doing anything about it,” Fran said. Mr. Kirkpatrick left. Todd had the fire blazing. “Todd, go fetch John a pair of your old pants and a shirt. You two are nearly the same size.”

Once the water on top of the wood stove was hot, the girls carried it over to the tub and poured in the water. John covered his private parts. “What’ch you two lookin’ at?”

Both girls laughed. “Looks like a little dried-up piece of pork sausage. Tant nothing we ain’t seen before,” Alisa said. John blushed. After several more trips with the water pots, the tub was full. Fran tossed John a bar of soap and he washed the grime off his body. Fran handed John a course wool towel and he dried off. He noticed the girls watching him again. “Turn around.”

They both giggled and took their time doing it. John put on a pair of home-spun trousers and an old cotton shirt. He picked up his daddy’s Colt and tucked it into his waistband. A short time later, Mr. Kirkpatrick rode back up to the farm with the constable from Hannibal. Mr. Kirkpatrick stepped into the cabin. “Johnny, would you step outside for a moment?” John followed him out to the front porch. “Johnny I expect you know Mr. Crawford here?”

“Just in passin’,” John said.

“Tom here is the town constable.”

“Son, I am truly sorry about what happened to your ma and pa,” Crawford said.

“Sorry don’t bring them back.”

“It surely doesn’t. Son, could you tell me exactly what happened?” John told him. “Is there anything else you can remember? Did they call anyone by name?”

John paused. “After they fetched me upside the head with the rifle, I was fadin’ in and out. I could hear ‘em talkin’ but it seemed far away. Someone may have mentioned the name, Clay Beckett. They said something about heading to Nashville.”

The constable’s face turned grave. “Let’s go take a look at the site,” the constable said.

“Son, stay here and get some rest. You don’t need to go back there,” Mr. Kirkpatrick said.

“Yep, you let us handle it from here,” the constable said. A few minutes later, the constable and Mr. Kirkpatrick rode out to the Jameson farm. They stood surveying the ground.

“The tracks lead down to the river,” Kirkpatrick said.

“Shawn, you know as good as I do that these bushwhackers are long gone.”

“Yeah, but if you don’t form up a posse and at least try, they’ll get away for sure. Next time it could be my family. At least now you have a name.”

“Clay Beckett is an evil son of the bitch. Half of these people around here cover for ‘em, It’s catchin’ him that’s the problem.”

“You can’t catch him if you don’t go look,” Kirkpatrick said.

“I got the town to think of. My hands are tied.”

Kirkpatrick shook his head. “Tell that to that boy who lost, not only his momma and papa but also his little brother and sister.”

Kirkpatrick arrived back at the farm with an angry look on his face. He stormed into the kitchen but when he saw John his eyes softened. “Son, why don’t you come out onto the porch and we’ll fix up them moccasins while the women folk are cleaning. Todd, why don’t you come with us? We’ll fix you up some too.”

Todd and John took a seat on the front porch while Mr. Kirkpatrick went to the barn for the deer hide. He had John step on the hide and then traced the outline of his feet. Using an old buffalo skinning knife, he cut out the sections of hide and then had Todd step onto the hide. Once he had enough pieces for two pairs of moccasins each, he cut out strips of hide to sew the pieces together. They spent the rest of the morning punching holes in deer hide and then sewing the top pieces and the bottom pieces together. By the time they were through, each of the boys had two pairs of deer skin moccasins. John and Mr. Kirkpatrick sat out on the porch talking after they finished making the moccasins.

“That constable ain’t going to do nothin’ about what happened is he?” John said.

Mr. Kirkpatrick sighed. “No Son, he’s not, He says he’s got the town to think about.”

“I figured as much.” A crow cawed overhead.

“Son, I want you to relax. Enjoy our home and try not to think about all of this. You could stay here and become part of our family.”

“They took Mr. Tibbs. He was like family.”

“That was a good thing that your papa did. Buying’ Mr. Tibbs after Maxwell Tibbs died. Matthew was born on that farm and took his master’s name. When your pa bought him and gave him his freedom, Mr. Tibbs chose to stay on at your farm, so I can see how you would come to think of him as family, but right now you need time to grieve. When I was in town I talked to the minister. On Saturday, he’s going to come out and say a few words over the graves. Half the town will probably be there. After that, we’ll talk again about what comes next.”

John had supper with the Kirkpatrick family that night. Mrs. Kirkpatrick cooked up a pot of venison stew. It was quite good, but John scarily noticed. Now that the shock had worn off, the grief and anger set in. That night they sat around the fireplace and Mr. Kirkpatrick read from the Bible. When he read a passage that said, vengeance is mine says the Lord he looked up at John. John looked down at the floor. Not this time. This time vengeance belongs to me, John thought.

Finished with the bible reading Mr. Kirkpatrick stepped outside to have a smoke from his pipe while Mrs. Kirkpatrick made a place for John to sleep in Todd’s room. That night as they turned off the coal oil lamps and everyone settled in for the night, John tucked his Father’s Navy Colt underneath him and tried to go to sleep, but sleep was long in coming. His mind played over and over again the events that transpired back at the cabin. He knew that the bushwhackers headed south and he remembered them saying something about Nashville, but what if by the time he made it down to Nashville, they were gone? For that matter how was he supposed to get down to Nashville? Maybe if the damned bushwhackers hadn’t of stole the horses I would have a chance, John thought as he drifted off to sleep.

***

John was anxious and irritable for the next two days. He wanted to get on the road. Alisa tried to pull him into the barn and steal a kiss, but he pushed her away. When he told Todd of his plans to go after the bushwhackers, Todd wanted to go with him.

“You can’t go. Your papa needs you here on the farm. You need to keep a sharp eye out in case those bushwhackers come back,” John said.

“Papa can take care of the farm. If we get down south I might join up with the rebs.”

“I thought my papa could take care of the farm too, but those bastards killed him. I’m gonna kill them all.”

“If you do, whatcha gonna do then?” Todd asked.

John paused. “If I can get the stock back maybe I might come back here and rebuild the cabin. Maybe not. I haven’t decided yet.”

Saturday morning they gathered to say a few words over the graves of John’s family. John was surprised at how many people showed up. They arrived in their buggies and wagons. Some were local farmers and others were people from town. The minister rambled on saying something about the Lord giving and the Lord taking away. No reverend, the Lord didn’t have a hand in this. He must have been asleep at the reins. The minister rambled on for another half hour. John was starting to get anxious for it all to be over. When the services ended all of the women from the neighboring farms had to hug him and tell him what a poor thing he was. The people from the neighboring farms and the people from town gathered at the Kirkpatrick farm afterward. They all brought food and had a potluck dinner. After they ate John and Todd made themselves scarce.

That night after everyone had gone home, Mr. Kirkpatrick built a bonfire in the front yard and invited John to sit with him while he smoked his pipe. The smell of tobacco smoke filled the air. “Son, you know you’re welcome to stay here and live with us. You’d be a welcome addition to our family. I thought the best thing was to let the law handle things, but the law has let us down. I know that no matter what I say you’re still gonna try to go after these people who killed your family. Hell if they’d killed my pappy and momma along with my little brother and sister I’d want to go after them too. How are you figuring to get down Nashville?”

“In the woods down by the river where Todd and I plus a lot of the kids around here go when things are slow on the farm, there a lot of logs lying on the ground. I was thinkin’ on lashing a few together with some vines and float down the river to Memphis.”

Mr. Kirkpatrick paused. “Those damned bushwhackers have a three-day head start, but they’ll be driving lives stock. Livestock has to be fed and watered. Then it might take ‘em some time to find a buyer, all though they might be tryin’ to sell to the Union Army. The Army would buy up the cattle and pigs. They need to feed the troops. They’d also buy the horses. I could loan you my mule, Jenny. She’s gettin’ old and tired though. If you went by river it would take you at least four weeks to get to Memphis. If you wanted to go by the river to Nashville, you’d have to float down to the Ohio River and then head upstream till it reaches the Cumberland. That would take some doin’.”

“Once I get to Memphis If I don’t find them there, I’ll head across the country to Nashville.”

“That will take some time as well. What if you don’t find them in Nashville?” Mr. Kirkpatrick asked.

John paused and looked down at his new moccasins. “Then I don’t know.”

“If that happens you come back here. The evil bastards come up here to raid farms and then take their ill-gotten gains down south to sell. They have to leave a trail. You’re good at trackin’ and readin’ sign. Find their trail and then sit back and wait. Eventually, they’ll come by.”

“That sounds like a good plan, Mr. Kirkpatrick,” John said.

“I’ll have Fran rustle you up a grub sack and bed roll. We’ll give you one of Todd’s old coats, plus I’ll loan you a scattergun. I have some extra paper cartridges and mini balls for the Navy Colt plus some powder and percussion caps. You spend the night here tonight and you can head out in the morning. Try not to get caught up in this war going on down south.”

“I’ll try not to Mr. Kirkpatrick and thank you. There’s one thing that might concern you though. Todd says that he wants to come with me. I told him that you needed him here on the farm.”

Mr. Kirkpatrick took a puff on his pipe. “He’s got it in his head that he wants to go off and fight them Yankees. I’ll keep my eyes on ‘em. Hell, if this war doesn’t end soon both of you boys are apt to get caught up in it. Now why don’t you go in and get some sleep and I’ll fix you up your grub sack and bed roll.”

“Yes ‘em Mr. Kirkpatrick and thank you again.”

“Hell Son. You can call me Shawn. When you get done with this business, you have a place here with us. Now go get you some rest.”

As the sun peaked over the horizon in the east the next morning, the Kirkpatrick family, after feeding him a hardy breakfast saw him off. Mrs. Kirkpatrick and the girls gave him a hug and a kiss. Mr. Kirkpatrick gave him a firm handshake.

“I sure do wish I was going with you,” Todd said.

“You’re needed here,” John said.

“Get that notion out of your head, Son,” Mr. Kirkpatrick said laying a hand on his son’s shoulder. “Remember John when this business is through, you’ve got a place here with us for as long as you want it.”

“Thank you all for what you done,” John said. Their goodbyes finished, John threw his grub sack over his shoulder along with the scattergun and headed across the field toward the woods down by the river.

***

For your further reading pleasure check out the final chapter of the Battle for Europa.

Chapter 25

David Gallagher looked out the porthole to the right of his seat. The submarine descended into the depths of the subterranean ocean. Sweat beaded up, on his forehead. All he saw was blackness for a few seconds and then he saw a flash of movement. Something large, with tiny fluorescent lights covering its massive body, bumped the sub. It caused the captain to steer away from the aquatic mammal. A sense of awe passed through him.

“What was that?” David asked, wiping the condensation away from the porthole so he could get a better look.

“We don’t know for sure. Our scientists think they are mammals somewhat like whales,” one of the guards said. He stopped next to David’s seat.

“What are those lights?” David felt his ears pop when the submersible descended.

“We don’t know that for sure either, but our scientists think they are some type of crustacean. The place is thriving with life.”

“Why haven’t you told anyone? The scientist on Earth would jump through hoops to check this out.” An excited grin crossed David’s face.

“All in due time. We’d like to wait until we get this bit of unpleasantness over with. For now, it’s a state secret.” Two hours later, the submarine ascended. All forward motion stopped and David felt a slight jolt.

“We’re here,” one of the guards, said. “Stand to your feet and prepare to disembark.”

“Where’s here?”

“Mining site D. Your new home.” The guard motioned him to his feet.

The detainees filed down an aisle way, climbed out an exit hatch, and stepped out onto a metal dock. The guards herded them into a turbo lift. The lift ascended for several levels and thirty minutes later, the turbo lift doors slid open.

“Let’s go gentlemen. I’ll show you to your new home,” the guard at the front of the lift said. He stepped out into a busy corridor. The detainees followed and the remaining guards flanked them. Military personnel moved back and forth down the corridor, and everyone was in a big hurry. David heard people talking about an attack. Seeing an open doorway to his left, he stepped through it. The nearest guard, whose attention was elsewhere, didn’t see him. David stepped further into the darkness. His heart was pounding inside his chest and he waited with his back pressed to the bulkhead for the guards to pass. A bead of sweat tracked down the side of his face. He punched the button on the inside of the door and the door closed.

“Computer. Lights on.” Light exploded through the room. He found himself inside a maintenance shop filled with various types of vehicles. All were in states of disrepair. Breathing in the smell of oil and grease, David checked out each vehicle. He found an atmospherically contained Roust About. It was a small tracked vehicle used for maintenance workers on the surface. Someone must have brought it down here for repairs. David punched the green button on the wall next to the turbo lift doors. The doors slid open and he tried the Roust About next. David sat down in the driver’s seat and punched the starter button. The engine roared to life and he moved the Roust About into the turbo lift.

“Which level?” the sultry voice of the turbo lifts’ computer asked.

“Take me to the surface.” The turbo lift doors closed behind him. Twenty minutes later, the lift stopped moving. A large set of steel doors opened in front of him. He shot out of the mining facility and onto the surface. Adjusting the vehicle’s interior temperature, he turned on the vehicle’s GPS, system. A group of buildings was set to the north of his position.

“Now that’s a federal base if I ever saw one. Maybe I can get there and warn them before these damned rebels attack.”

***

Cyrus Bonelli paced back and forth in front of the VID screen feeling too nervous to sit down. The image of Admiral Delacroix filled the screen.

Biting down the taste of acid reflux in his throat Bonelli said, “Admiral. What do you have to report?”

“Mr. President. My marines have breached the main complex. Our airpower destroyed their defensive positions on the surface. Our marines overran their positions guarding the main colony. They are underground now at mining site A. It should be a matter of time.” The Admiral’s com-unit on the lapel of his uniform beeped. “Delacroix.” The Admiral’s face turned ashen. “Are you sure? Yes. I understand.”

“What?” Cyrus demanded. He brought a tumbler of Crown Royal Canadian whiskey to his lips.

“Mr. President. It seems that the rebels sabotaged the entire facility. There was a massive explosion. They destroyed mining site A. All my marines, except for those held in reserve at the base on the surface are, dead, buried under the ice.”

A vein pulsated in Bonelli’s forehead. “Take heart. At least those terrorist bastards died with them. I’m sorry about your men, but they died a hero’s death in service to the council.” Admiral Delacroix’s com-unit beeped once more. He spoke into the earpiece and Cyrus Bonelli thought the Admiral was going to pass out. Cyrus felt bile forming in his stomach. “What now God damn it?”

“Mr. President. That was Colonel Barrow commander of the base on Europa. The rebels had some type of escape plan. Barrow says that the base is under attack. He says that he doesn’t think they’ll be able to hold.”

“Tell him he better hold that base or I’ll have his ass God damn it! Give him air support! Fly in more troops. Give him anything he needs!” Cyrus felt a sharp pain shoot across his chest.

“We don’t have much left to give, Mr. President. Wait for one moment. I’m getting another report. Yes. I see. Take evasive actions. Do whatever is necessary. I’ll be in the war room in two minutes.”

“What else could have gone wrong?” Cyrus felt his left arm grow numb.

“Mr. President, I received word from one of my ships patrolling near the asteroid belt. The captain says that they are under attack by a fleet of New Republic ships coming out of the asteroid belt. He says the rebels have some type of powerful torpedo. It slices right through their energy shields. It produces a yield like nothing we’ve ever seen before. They’ve destroyed ten of my ships so far. The captain of that vessel fled in an attempt to save his ship and crew. The New Republic fleet is on its way in force. I have to go to oversee the battle,” Delacroix said and cut the transmission.

“God damn it!” Cyrus Bonelli roared. He threw a glass tumbler against the glass window that overlooked New York City.

***

Shawn Gallagher sat in his new com-center and war room on mining site D. He listened to the progress over the com-net monitoring the attack on the federal base. His com-unit beeped; he flipped a toggle on his console and spoke into a microphone. “Gallagher.”

“Mr. President. I’ve got bad news. I received word that your brother has escaped,” Holliday, said. His voice reverberated through the small speaker on Shawn’s console.

Shawn banged his hand down hard on the computer console in front of him. “Escaped! How God damn it?” Shawn wiped his brown and leaned back in his seat.

“When we moved the detainees, he managed to steal a Roust About and headed out to the surface. I have a security team in pursuit. They are tracking his biosignal on their GPS unit.”

Shawn tried to get his breathing under control. “But we are about to launch an attack?”

“I know. Our military is setting on go waiting for you to give the word. My security chief thinks your brother is trying to warn the federals.”

Shawn let out a slow easy breath, trying to get his temper under control. “You’ve got the green light for the attack. Launch it at once. My brother is secondary to that. Try to apprehend him before he reaches the federal base.”

“Will do sir. My men are on his ass as we speak.”

“And Jerry,” Shawn said.

“Yes, Mr. President?”

“Try not to hurt him, if you can.”

“Yes sir. My men will use the minimal amount of force necessary.”

Shawn sighed and cut the transmission.

***

On the surface, David gunned the Roust About, bouncing over a small hill. He saw the lights of the federal facility in the distance. Minute particles of ice and rock flew up into the air in the vehicle’s wake. Something flashed across his windshield. He looked down at the computer screen on the Roust About’s dashboard and saw the radar signature of five tracked vehicles coming up on his tail.

“Son of s bitch!” David yelled. He gunned the throttle. Tiny ice particles spewed into the air and laser fire hit the left rear wheel sheering it off. The Roust About flipped over turning upside down. He hung upside down in the driver’s seat hanging by his safety harness. Before he could unsnap the harness, five men stormed through the airlock. David looked down into the gaping maw of five M-23 Blasters.

***

Admiral Kesler’s fleet of light cruisers spewed out of the asteroid belt and attacked the flank of the federal main battle fleet firing torpedoes and laser cannons. Their space fighters mixed it up with their federal counterparts. Onboard his flagship, Kesler stood, leaning on the motherboard. He looked down at the massive computer screen occupying the entire surface of a long table. A smile spread across his face.

“Come on, come on, take the bait,” he said holding his clenched fist up close to his mouth. He watched several blips on the screen turn to approach his fleet. A computer console nearby beeped. The bulk of the federal forces turned to engage his fleet. Kesler slapped the lapel of his uniform speaking into his com-link. He opened up a channel to all the ships in his fleet. “Launch the antimatter weapons. Hammer the God damned bastards!” he yelled. On the screen, tiny red blips appeared. The honing device in the warheads locked onto the federal vessels. The antimatter torpedoes tore through the shields. They bore through the hulls of the vessels igniting the anti-matter warheads. Blinding explosions forced the bridge personnel to turn away from their viewscreens. A massive debris field formed in orbit and the space near Jupiter. Three-quarters of the federal fleet perished in the initial onslaught. Admiral Delacroix ordered the rest of his fleet to flee.

***

A haggard image of Admiral Delacroix appeared on Cyrus’ VID screen. In the background, Cyrus saw hustle and bustle. He heard alarms blaring and buzzers sound throughout the ship. “Report!” Cyrus demanded.

Delacroix took a small pill bottle out of his uniform pocket. He tossed back several pills, chewing them up dry. “Mr. President. They deployed some type of anti-matter weapon. Their torpedoes tore right through our shields. I’ve lost three-quarters of my fleet. I’ve ordered the rest of my ships to flee to the asteroid belt.”

Bonelli shook his head. “No God damn it! Tell them to turn and engage!” A vein on the side of his forehead pulsated and a sharp pain shot through his skull.

“Admiral. I’m getting a VID transmission from Colonel Bower. I’ll patch it through.”

The image on Bonelli’s screen split down the middle. The left side of the screen showed the haggard image of Admiral Delacroix. The right side showed the image of Colonel Bower.

“Mr. President. The base is under attack. They have breached the perimeter. My men cannot hold the base.”

Cyrus noticed Bower’s hands shaking. The man is about to break. “They had better hold that damned base or I’ll have you executed! Admiral! I order your remaining ships to turn and fire nuclear-armed missiles at Europa! I’ll turn that moon into so many chunks of ice before I let them bastards get away with this! Tell the so-called president! Never mind! I’ll tell him myself! Patch me through to Shawn Gallagher! If he doesn’t stop this attack at once, I’ll turn the space where Europa once was into a nuclear wasteland!”

***

On the surface of Europa, the New Republic tanks formed up in a parallel line and attacked the federals from the south. The federal main battle tanks came over the earthworks to meet the New Republic forces. The New Republic tanks annihilated their federal counterparts leaving the federal tank force in smoking ruins. Charred bodies and hulks of molten metal littered the battlefield.

The New Republic tanks opened up on the earthworks surrounding the federal base and cleared a path for the infantry. Three hundred yards out, the troop carriers unloaded the troops and they stormed the base. The Federal Marines put up a good fight, but in the end, they were no match for the New Republic forces. With a pathway cleared by the tanks, the New Republic infantry charged onto the federal base.

Shawn watched the scene unfold in real-time at his communication center. He monitored the com-net keeping track of the ongoing space battle. A hopeful grin spread across his face. His com-unit beeped. The following text scrolled across his screen: INCOMING FLASH TRANSMISSION// URGENT. Shawn typed in his coded logged-in on the keyboard and the image of Cyrus Bonelli appeared on the screen. Before Shawn could speak, Bonelli exploded in a triad of rage.

“I demand that you stop this attack at once! If you do not, I have ordered the rest of our fleet to launch nuclear missiles at Europa! I’ll turn your little ball of ice into nuclear slush!”

Shawn laughed. “I wouldn’t try that. We have tanker vessels filled with Hydrogen sitting parked and ready. I’ll have my people put them on autopilot and launch them on a collision course with your ships. This thing is not worth any more people dying. Tell your forces to stand down and surrender.” Shawn leaned forward in his chair.

“Why you insolent bastard! I’ll-” Cyrus heard a noise off-screen. Five men in security uniforms barged in with their guns drawn. A short little man with a bald head followed. “What is the meaning of this? I demand-”

“Cyrus Bonelli, you are under arrest for issuing unlawful orders and for contempt.” Cyrus tried to resist but the security personnel took him to the ground and drug him out of the room in restraints. The short little baldheaded man looked up at the viewscreen.

“I assume you are Shawn Gallagher?”

Shawn nodded and leaned back. “I’m Gallagher, president of the New Republic.”

“I am Floyd Bidwell, interim President of the Council of Economic Unions. Please call off your attack. Tell your forces to stand down. No one else has to die.”

Shawn let out a sigh of relief. “I will if you will.”

Bidwell nodded. “Consider it done. I’m contacting the military commanders now.”

Shawn contacted his military commanders. He ordered them to stop their attack but stand ready. “I put the attack on hold, for now.”

Bidwell clasped his hands in front of his chest. “Mr. President I am prepared to offer Europa a position as a nation-state. You will have full representation on the Council of Economic Unions.”

Shawn shook his head. “No sir. We are a free and independent sovereign nation.”

Bidwell sighed. “Very well. We are willing to grant you your independence. We need to get the Hydrogen and Helium three flowing. I am arranging a peace conference. What are your terms?”

“Have your naval personnel evacuate Jupiter Spacedock. I and two other delegates will meet with your admiral and vice-admiral there.”

Bidwell began to pace back and forth. “Agreed. Representatives from Consolidated Mining would like to discuss trade issues. Other companies would as well.”

“Agreed. I would also like to discuss immigration issues. We have people here who have family on Earth. They would like for them to immigrate to Europa to join them.”

Bidwell nodded and stopped pacing. “We will discuss this at the conference. There is also the issue of the detainees you hold.”

“Once we reach an agreement, I will release them into federal custody. After that, all your ships and military personnel will leave the Jovian system.”

“Agreed. How does zero eight hundred hours tomorrow sound for the conference?”

“Agreed,” Shawn, said trying not to show any emotion.

“Once we reach an agreement sign it and you make copies for yourself, send it over the net. The council will have a look at it and vote whether or not to ratify.”

“What happens if they don’t like it?”

“No one wants to see hostilities resume. They may try to clarify some issues and renegotiate some terms,” Bidwell said.

“Right now you are not in a position to demand terms.”

Bidwell found a seat. “It’s only a formality. I’m sure it will be minor issues if any. The members on that council live to debate.”

“All right. Tell Delacroix I will see him tomorrow morning at zero eight hundred hours.” Shawn ended the transmission.

On the ground, the New Republic forces stood down. They went into a defensive mode. The remaining federal troops occupying their HQ hunkered down to wait. The New Republic general in command of the infantry allowed the federals to see to their wounded. In space, Admiral Kesler disengaged from the remains of the federal main battle fleet. Admiral Delacroix began the evacuation of Jupiter Spacedock. The forces facing each other on the battlefield and in space seemed to let out a collective sigh. They hoped that the politicians would reach an agreement.

The federal troops and the New Republic forces fortified their positions while they waited for word from the peace council. They used the time to care for the wounded and attend to the dead. In space, both fleets faced off with each other, but no one fired a shot. Both navies used the time to affect repairs and care for the injured. Seventy-two hours after the start of the peace accord, they announced an agreement. President Gallagher and Admiral Delacroix stood before a VID screen and made the announcement. Solar One News immediately transmitted it throughout the solar system.

On the surface of Europa, New Republic ground forces occupied the federal base. The Federal Marines surrendered their weapons and turned themselves over to New Republic control. The remaining federal battlecruisers landed shuttles on Europa. They ferried their troops, along with the detainees, back to the waiting ships. Shawn and his security detail entered the shuttle port. The last to leave the surface of Europa was the detainees. They put on their EVA suits preparing for the walk to the shuttles waiting outside. Shawn caught up with his brother David while he was putting on his EVA suit. “Are you sure I can’t talk you into staying?” Shawn said, trying to swallow the lump forming in his throat.

David sighed and shook his head. “Our destinies lay on different paths. You know, when this all started, I hated you for what you did. I didn’t understand it. I don’t hate you anymore. I love you man. You’re my brother.”

“I love you too bro.” Shawn grabbed David in a big bear hug. He pulled away after the hug and wiped his eyes.

“I still don’t agree with what you’ve done, but I understand it. If things were different, I may have even joined up with you guys, but for now, I’ll stick with the Federal Marines.”

Shawn laid a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I talked with Admiral Delacroix. He told me that the rebels destroyed your old outpost on Mars. There were no survivors. I know you must have lost some friends.”

“Yeah,” David said thinking about Paul Rosenbaum.

“I also told the admiral about your desire to attend robotics school. He said that you have a good record, except for a minor incident involving a fight over a card game. He said that if you agreed to sign up for one more hitch, the military would give you a waiver on your GI rating. They’ll send you to robotics school. They allow military personnel some leeway on their genetics.”

“Thanks. I’ll give that some thought when the time comes.” They talked for a few minutes and said their goodbyes. Shawn watched David cross the tarmac. The detainees arrived on their ships and the remnant of the federal main battle fleet turned their noses toward home. On the surface of Europa, pilots boarded taker ships and lifted off. A cargo fleet carrying hydrogen and helium-3 broke orbit with Jupiter and started their long journey toward Earth.

Shawn and his security detail entered the main assembly hall. Thunderous applause greeted his arrival when he made his way down the center aisle. Miners, military personnel, and government employees greeted him along his way. People patted him on the back and shoulder; Shawn stopped to shake a few hands. He stepped up onto a podium to join the other dignitaries. Reporters shouted questions.

Shawn cleared his throat, trying not to let his voice crack when he spoke. “Ladies and gentlemen. The New Republic is now and forever will be a free and independent nation. We are going to send ambassadors to Earth. We will have full representation on the Council of Economic Unions. Not as an independent nation-state, but as a sovereign nation.” Loud applause and cheers interrupted his speech. A grin spread across Shawn’s face. “Next store, in the reception center, we are going to hold the wildest party that anyone has ever seen.”

“Mr. President. What about the future?” a New Republic reporter asked.

Shawn stepped closer to the edge of the platform, closer to the crowd. “I envision a new Europa. Not a rough mining colony, but a modern utopia where we can raise our kids. I envision factories producing goods. Bio domes with botanical gardens underneath. Complete neighborhoods where we can live and grow into a thriving colony.”

“What about mining site A?” another reporter asked, raising his hand.

Shawn crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I would like to build a granite wall around the collapsed mining site. I want the names of every person who died there engraved on the wall. We must never forget their sacrifice. The other portions of the colony damaged by the fighting will be rebuilt.”

“What about our families back on Earth?” another reporter asked.

Shawn crossed the platform to look into the man’s face. “It’s part of the peace accords. The CEU had agreed to let our families immigrate.”

“What about your future with the CEU? Do you think your battle for freedom is over?” a Solar One News report asked.

Shawn spread his arms apart. “Our battle was for Europa, but that’s one thing about freedom. Once one group obtains it, others want it. What does the future hold? Who knows? Tomorrow the battle could be for Mars or Earth. Now it’s time to celebrate,” Shawn said raising both fists into the air. “Let’s go next store, enjoy some good food and some cold beer, because freedom rocks!” The crowd rose to its feet in thunderous applause. Shawn stepped down from the podium. He headed down the center aisle, with his security detail flanking him. The citizens of the New Republic followed.

####

Hey, this is Dave the Miracle Maker up here in the high desert of Southern California. Things are good here. It’s a little cloudy and humid. We had some rain last night. Today I would like to talk about the Two Most Powerful Words in the English language. The Two Most Powerful Words in the English Language are, “I Am.” The term I Am originates in the Bible. In the book of John verce 8:58 Jesus says, “Before Abraham was, I am.” This statement pissed off a lot of the religious people of his day because they thought that he was referring to himself as God. In John 17 21-24 NLTI Jesus says “Pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.” Each one of us has the god source inside us when we tap into that source, there is a wealth of power. When you say, I am, you are saying, “It is so.” “Be careful how you use these words. don’t say words like, I am tired, I am sick, I am poor, I am no good, I am useless. When you do you are affirming that statement to your subconscious mind.

Say things like, I am wealthy, I am healthy, I am happy, I am prosperous, I am grateful. I am affirmations are powerful when you are trying to manifest things in your life when you say these affirmations over and over again you imprint them on your subconscious mind. The best time of day to say these affirmations is early in the morning before you wake up and right before you go to sleep. This is when your subconscious mind is most susceptible to reprogramming. The best I am affirmations are the ones you create yourself, so use your words wisely and manifest your best life. Peace out!

Now for your reading pleasure check out chapter 24 of my science fiction novel, the Battle for Europa. The Battle for Europa is book one of my Space Corps Chronicles series.

Chapter 24

Chambers and Bannister headed down the main corridor on A deck and stopped in front of the doorway of the officers’ pub. The doors opened and they stepped into the dim-lit barroom. A sense of unease shot through Chambers.

“They’re closed,” Chambers said, glancing about. Darkness filled the pub and silence wafted across the room. “That’s wired. I’ve never known the pub to close before.” Bannister gripped the captain’s arm, moving him further into the dark interior. Light burst through the room.

“Surprise!” the people hiding in the darkness cheered. A grin spread across Chambers’ face taking in all the people. Women from the comfort station moved among the guest with their tops off pouring drinks. They wore nothing but tiny little thongs on their bottoms. Several women danced on the bar, half of which were topless and the rest naked. Two women, a longhaired blonde and a redhead grabbed Chambers and took him by his arms. He felt their breasts pressing up against him while they moved him toward the center of the room. Bannister ambled along beside him laughing. Chambers gave Bannister a hard look. “I told you, no bachelor party.”

Bannister laughed and slapped Chambers on the back. “Relax. This was Nicole’s idea. She wanted to make sure you got it all out of your system before you got married.”

The women pushed Chambers down into a chair. A buxom redhead faced him, leaning forward. She grabbed his head, pulled it into her breasts, and rubbed them against his face. He breathed in the smell of her perfume and felt a stirring sensation in his lower regions. His heart pounded on the inside of his chest and his breathing accelerated. She stepped back a moment later and the blonde moved into position. She turned around with her back to Chambers. Leaning forward, she rubbed her butt against his crotch grinding against him. She took his hands and placed them on her breasts while she leaned back against him.

Chambers’ fellow officers and several NCOs formed a circle around the chair cheering. Chambers struggled to his feet and pushed Bannister down in the chair.

“Okay girls. It’s his turn.”

Bannister’s face turned red. The girls pounced on him. After the women had their way with him Chambers pulled Bannister to his feet. They staggered to the bar. A naked woman with short blonde hair, midsized breasts, and a cute smile jumped down to serve them. “What can I get for you Captain?” she shot him a sexy smile.

Chambers smiled back, his eyes taking in her luscious body. “I’ll have a Jack and Coke and give Mr. Bannister a scotch on the rocks.” The woman returned from the bar with their drinks. and both men’s eyes dropped to her butt when she turned around.

Bannister’s eyes widened. “Now that’s something I can sink my teeth into.”

Chambers shrugged and took a drink enjoying the smooth flavor of the whiskey. “Yeah, not bad.”

She turned back around with their drinks and winked at Banister. They took in her long sexy legs, her trim waist, and her perky little breasts. Chambers downed his drink in one gulp. “Pour me another.”

The woman giggled and turned back around. She mixed him another drink. Bannister gave Chambers a curious look. “Are we a little nervous tonight, Captain?”

Chambers nodded. “Hell yeah. I keep wondering if I’m doing the right thing.”

Banister’s eyes widened and he reached out, laying a hand on the captain’s shoulder. “Are you crazy? Of course, you’re doing the right thing. Nicole is the best thing that’s ever happened to you. When I see you two together, you two radiate happiness. You can’t miss all those sleazebags you used to sleep with?”

Chambers shook his head. “No. It’s not that. It’s this mission. Who knows what we’ll find out there. It’s a big galaxy. It will be twenty-five years at least until we get home if we get home. Am I doing the right thing by Nicole, making her the captain’s wife?”

Banister raised his voice so the captain could hear him above the noisy party. “Of course you are. Nicole’s an adult capable of making her own decisions. She’s on this ship for the duration. It’s better, for her to be your wife than to work for the next twenty-five years down at the comfort station.”

Chambers sighed. “Yeah! You’re right! I got a case of the night before the wedding jitters.”

Bannister bought the next round. “It happens to everyone. I was nervous as hell before I got married the first time.”

Chambers laughed. “You’ve been married four times,” he said starting to slur his words.

Bannister took a sip from his tumbler of scotch. “Yeah, and I was nervous the night before I married each one. Now I’ve got four ex-wives.”

Chambers noticed Louis Martin and Alonzo Garcia sitting at a table across the room. “See those two new shave tails over there?” he said pointing across the room.

Bannister shrugged. “Yeah. So?”

“Let’s go join them for a few drinks.” Chambers staggered across the bar room, so Bannister picked up his drink and followed.

***

Chambers stood at the front of the chapel on the CEU-Saratoga in his dress blues. Banister stood at his side. His heart did a drum roll inside his chest and he couldn’t seem to stop his hands from shaking. Admiral Ivanov stepped off a raised platform and faced them. Wedding music played from the room’s speakers. The officers and senior NCOs in the audience stood to their feet. The bridesmaids started their procession toward the front of the chapel. A nervous flutter shot through Chambers’ stomach. They turned watching the bridesmaids approach. The wedding march started up. Nicole Allison entered the back of the chapel. Chambers’ nervousness disappeared. His eyes widened, a smile crossed his face, and a sense of joy shot through him. Vice Admiral Tom Larsen escorted Nicole to the front of the chapel.

“You are a lucky young man,” Larsen whispered into Chambers’ ear.

“I know. Thank you, sir,” Chambers whispered back, breathing in the smell of vodka on the admiral’s breath.

The wedding party turned to face Admiral Ivanov and Ivanov smiled. “My fellow officers, senior NCOs, enlisted men, and women. This occasion brings me great joy. Captain Chambers is one of my best officers. How he managed to land this lovely woman is beyond me.” The audience laughed. “But we gather here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony.” The admiral continued with the wedding ceremony. Captain Chambers and Nicole Allison said their wedding vows. When it came time to kiss the bride, the captain thought his heart might explode with joy. They exited the chapel. The honor guards held their swords aloft forming a canopy of steel to walk under. The last two in line gave Nicole the traditional slap on the ass with the broadsides of their swords. A wild cheer erupted when they left the chapel.

Later, at the reception, Chambers held Nicole close. He enjoyed the firm pressure of her breasts pressed up against him while they danced the first dance of the evening. After the first dance, several people offered up a toast to the new couple. Chambers lost Nicole for the rest of the evening. Every officer, NCO, and enlisted man at the reception wanted to dance with the bride. He found a seat against the bulkhead and watched the people on the dance floor.

Bannister sat down next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “You know, you are one lucky bastard. If you fuck this up, I’ll kick your ass.”

Chambers laughed. “You’re preaching to the quire. I won’t fuck it up. If I do, I’ll do what all good men do in such situations. I’ll grovel to get back in her good graces.”

Bannister laughed and handed Chambers a drink. Second lieutenants, Alonzo Garcia and Louis Martin sat down next to them.

Chambers looked up. “Don’t you two have duty tomorrow? You’d better not stay too late.”

Alonzo nodded, downing the rest of his drink. “Yes sir. We’re in charge of a couple of platoons setting up the science stations on Triton. We won’t stay too long.”

Louis stood up. “We wouldn’t have missed this for the world. This was the first time I’ve ever heard of a bloody starship captain getting married in space.” Someone from across the room called for the captain. He said that it was time to cut the cake. Chambers made his way through the crowd to a table near the center of the room and Nicole joined him. They stood behind the table, cut the cake and the crowd cheered raising their glasses in a toast. After that, they opened the presents, the party wound down. Shuttles ferried the guest back to their various ships. The wedding party, onboard the captain’s shuttle, was the last to leave the Saratoga. On their way back to the Port Royal, Chambers, and his bride sat in the back row of the passenger compartment. Nicole lay with her head against the captain’s chest. He ran his hand down her back enjoying the smooth feel of her skin.

Nicole looked up. “I’m exhausted.”

Chambers grinned. “You’d better not be too tired.”

A mischievous smile crossed Nicole’s face. “I’m never that tired,” Nicole said and kissed him. “How was your bachelor party?” Another grin crossed Nicole’s face.

Chambers blushed. “It was all right. The girls were wild. There was a lot of bumping and grinding plus a little hand action, but I behaved myself.”

Nicole laughed. “I know. The girls told me about it. I told them they could rub their tits in your face; let you feel them up a bit, but no sex. They said you jumped out of that chair as soon as you could and headed for the bar.”

Chambers sighed. “I’m a changed man,” he said, kissing Nicole’s neck. He touched her left breast. “I’ve only got eyes, and hands, for you, my dear.” The captain’s shuttle docked on the Port Royal. The captain and his bride made their way through the ship to the captain’s quarters. They received several, well-wishes along the way. At the door to his cabin, Chambers picked up his bride, carried her over the threshold, and to his bed.

Nicole pushed the captain down onto his bed and stood facing him. Mesmerized by her beauty, Chambers leaned back on his elbows watching. Nicole, her face flushed with desire, jerked down the back zipper of her wedding dress. She let the dress fall to the floor and stepped out of her undergarments. The captain’s eyes widened taking in her pretty face with its high cheekbones and up-turned nose. He took in her large breasts with their dark hard nipples centered in the areolas. She had a thin waist, round hips, and long sexy legs. He breathed in the sensual smell of her perfume. She let out a throaty breath, climbed on top of him, and ripped off the captain’s clothes. His heart hammered inside his chest and he struggled to catch his breath. She made love to him with such passion that Chambers could barely keep up with her rhythm. Sometime later, they fell into a deep peaceful sleep.

***

The following morning they made love again, but this time, the pace was slow and easy. Chambers cooked breakfast and they ate at the small table in his cabin. Finished with breakfast, he set up holographic projectors and focused their beam on the entire bulkhead across the room from the bed. He mounted a few projectors up high with their beams focused down on the deck. When he turned the equipment on, the image of a sandy beach and the Pacific Ocean filled the entire bulkhead. The projectors focusing on the deck put out the image of sand instead of the blue carpeting. The sound of crashing waves filled the room.

“I thought that since I can’t take you on a picnic to the beach on our honeymoon, I would bring the beach to us instead.” He brought food and drinks from the food and beverage dispenser. Nicole sat down across from him.

“God. It looks so real,” Nicole said looking out at the ocean. A boat passed by far out at sea. “I almost expect my feet to get wet if I get too close.”

“They’ve come a long way with holographic technology. There are several programs we can run.” He poured Nicole a glass of wine. “I’ve got the next seventy-two hours off. I figured that I’d better have something to keep us occupied when we’re not making love.”

Nicole kissed him. “I don’t need to entertain me. Being here with you is enough.” Gulls circled over the waves, they ate their lunch on the holographic beach and made love in the sand. “At least here, I won’t get sand in my crack,” Nicole said and giggled. That night they ate dinner on a rooftop overlooking New York City. They sat at a table looking down at the lights while watching a hovercar float by. Chambers put his arm around Nicole, holding her close. God, How did I get so lucky to land this beautiful woman?

“I can’t get over how real this looks,” Nicole said snuggling up against him. “If I were to step up to the edge of that brick wall, I’d be afraid of falling.”

“They shot this program from on top of the federal building. The one where the Council of Economic Unions meets.”

Nicole looked into his eyes. “How will the ship get along without its beloved captain for three days?”

“Craig will handle things. As we speak, our marines are setting up scientific outposts on Neptune’s moons. By the time I report for duty, we will have broken orbit with Neptune and be on our way to the outer reaches. We’ll do a flyby of Pluto in a couple of months and leave the system.”

Nicole sighed. “I’ll be an old woman by the time we get home.”

Chambers smiled. “You’ll always be young to me.” He kissed her. They finished dinner, polished off the wine, went to bed, and made love until the wee hours of the morning. The next day, Chambers changed the program. The image of Niagara Falls appeared on the bulkhead. They ate their breakfast and lunch next to the falls. On the last day of their three-day honeymoon, Chambers repositioned the projectors. He ran a program depicting a rustic mountain cabin. They cuddled next to a blazing fire that evening and made love on a holographic bear rug.

When Chambers entered the bridge on his first day back on duty, Bannister shot him a friendly grin. “How was the honeymoon?”

Chambers looked at Banister and grinned. “It was great. How goes the voyage? Is there anything I need to be aware of?”

Banister shook his head. “Nope. We’ve left Neptune behind and are on our way to a close encounter with Pluto. After that, it’s out into the great unknown. Are you ready to leave this solar system behind and see what’s out there?”

Chambers nodded. “Hell yeah,” he said and sat down in the command chair.

***

Hello everyone, this is Dave the Miracle Maker up here in the high desert again. Everything is going great for me. We survived the hurricane with minimal flooding. We just received a lot of rain up here. My truck is broken down right now, but that just gives me an excuse to ride my Harley. I have another book recommendation for you. It is titled The Lost Frontier Handbook. The Lost Frontier Handbook with teach you how to survive any crises by using the lost skills of our ancestors. With the things that are happening these days, people need to be prepared to survive on their own without government assistance. Also with the high inflation including the rising price of gas, food, and other necessities, some people are having a rough time. Now is the time to start developing other streams of income. Whether it is finding ways to make money online or starting a business, every little bit extra helps. It is also a good time to start investing in cryptocurrency. All though I am no financial advisor and everyone should do their own research before investing, I think that now is a good time to invest. Bitcoin, which is the most popular form of cryptocurrency, is selling at $29, 988.64 per Bitcoin right now. By the time you read this that might have changed a bit. Every four years, Bitcoin halves the amount of Bitcoin that is available to the miners and when this happens it causes a bull run in cryptocurrency. In twenty twenty four Bitcoin will halve again. Some experts are predicting that the price of Bitcoin will reach, $180,000. When Bitcoin goes up, the rest of the cryptocurrencies go up as well, so I believe that now is the time to invest. Whether or not you choose cryptocurrency or some other way to increase your income streams, you need to believe in yourself so that you can manifest your best life. Until next time, be the best you that you can be. Peace out.

Now for your reading pleasure check out chapter twenty-three of the Battle For Europa. The Battle For Europa is the first book in my science fiction series, the Space Corps Chronicles.

Chapter 23

Alonzo Garcia stood in his dress blues with his back ramrod straight. The officers’ training course was long and brutal. Alonzo persevered and now, he stepped out of his seat and made his way to the stage. A sense of pride shot through him and a big grin crossed his face. Stepping up onto the stage, he shook hands with Commander Dawson. He received his diploma, stepped up to Captain Chambers, and fired off a salute. Chambers returned the salute.

“Congratulations Mr. Garcia. It’s a pleasure having you aboard.” Chambers extended his hand and they shook. A big grin spread across Alonzo’s face.

“Thank you, sir. It is a pleasure serving under you.” Alonzo stepped back.

Chambers smiled. “Mr. Garcia, I know you’ll do us proud.”

“I’ll do my best, sir.” Alonzo took his seat. He watched Louis step up to the platform. When Louis stepped up to Captain Chambers, he noticed them laughing. When Louis took his seat, Alonzo leaned over and whispered, “What was that all about?”

Louis shrugged. “The old boy wanted to rib me about the time when the gravity generator went out and I broke my damned leg. The captain is a good bloke. I wouldn’t mind sitting down and having a drink with him sometime.”

Alonzo nodded. “We can do that now that we’re officers. We can drink at the officers’ pub, bro.”

“Right, I’ll buy the first round when we do.”

After the graduation ceremony, the Fleet Marines held a party for the new graduates. Alonzo and Louis entered the mess hall. They surveyed the room and headed to the food and beverage line for a beer. Alonzo stopped halfway across the mess hall. “Hey, bro. You bring the brews and I’ll go find us a table. Bring me a piece of that cake too.” The smell of tobacco smoke and freshly cooked food filled the mess hall. The buzz of conversation filled the room.

“You got it, mate. I’m in the mood to do some celebrating. Now that we’re done with that bloody class, we will have a wee bit more free time.”

Alonzo found a table next to the left bulkhead near a viewscreen. Louis came back with two beers and a piece of cake for each of them. “Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about, bro.” Alonzo dived into the cake. Louis took a swig from his beer while Alonzo took a drink of his. He glanced at the viewscreen on the right bulkhead looking at Uranus in all her glory. His eyes widened and his bottom jaw dropped.

“She’s a sight. Isn’t she mate?” Louis said.

Alonzo nodded. “Yeah. We should enter orbit in two or three days. I hear we’re dropping off a science team. They’ll probably use the Fleet Marines to help them construct the base.”

Louis shrugged. “Could you imagine it, mate? To be stuck out here so far away from home for at least a year or more. It would drive me bonkers.”

“These science guys love that shit, bro. They discover some microbe embedded in the ice and it makes their dick hard.” They finished their cake and drank another beer.

“What do you say we head down to the officers’ pub?” Louis said.

Alonzo stood to his feet. “Let’s go.” Five minutes later, they strolled into the pub as if they owned the place and took seats at the bar. The smell of beer and cigarette smoke filled the room. Captain Chambers and First Officer Bannister entered the pub. Chambers noticed them sitting at the bar, so he invited them over to their table. They sat drinking and talking for the next two hours. Alonzo and Louis bid the captain and first officer farewell and headed down to the Fleet Marine berthing deck. They packed their gear, and rode the turbo lift, up to officers’ country. Junior officers shared small cabins that accommodated four men each. They found a cabin with two empty bunks and settled in for the night.

***

Three standard earth days later, the deep space fleet entered orbit around Uranus. The Fleet Marine brass assigned Louis and Alonzo each a platoon of marines. They constructed housing modules for the new science outpost on Titania. The EVA work was hard, but they were eager to prove themselves. While on Titania, Alonzo saw a shuttle land on the other side of the compound. He watched two men in EVA suits lumber down the exit ramp, and step up to one of the marines. The three men talked for a while before the two men boarded the shuttle and it took off heading back to the ship. Alonzo lumbered over to talk with the top sergeant. He was assisting a squad in erecting a living module.

“Who was on that shuttle Top?” Alonzo asked.

The Irish brogue of the top sergeant came through the speakers in the helmet of Alonzo’s EVA suit. “That was our dear captain and first officer, lad. We’re lucky to have such fine officers as them.”

Alonzo nodded. “I hope that someday I could be half as good.”

“Don’t fret Lad. You’re still a wee bit wet behind the ears, but you got the makings.” Sunlight stabbed across the surface of Titania. Alonzo looked out to space in the direction of Earth. A sense of unease shot through him making him feel insignificant and alone.

***

When David Gallagher boarded the light space cruiser with Captain O’Brian and his crew, O’Brien gave him the run of the ship. He said that if David promised not to cause trouble, he would make the journey to Europa as pleasant as possible. When they left Mars, several PPF vessels pursued them to the edge of the asteroid belt. Eventually, they gave up the chase. For the first three weeks in space, David cooperated. After waking one morning at zero six hundred hours ship time, David saw his chance and took it. In the galley, he saw a handheld laser in the holster of a man in the serving line. He grabbed it. Before the weapon cleared leather, five Special Forces team members pounced on him. They took him to the deck in a dog pile and restrained him with handcuffs. A sharp pain shot up his arm when they put on the handcuffs.

“Now that was stupid. Did you think we weren’t watching you?”

David shrugged, giving the man a surly grin. “I saw my chance and I took it.”

They escorted him to a small cabin, locked him in for the next two weeks, and kept him under guard. When they brought him food, three men stood guard with their guns drawn while one of them handed him his plate. At the end of two weeks, Captain O’Brian entered the small cabin to have a chat. David lay back on the bed leaning up against a bulkhead with a churlish look on his face. O’Brien sat down in a chair facing him.

“Do you think that if I allow you to have a bit more freedom you could restrain yourself? Can you try not to cause any more trouble? What did you think? That you could take on the whole crew and return to Mars?”

“It was worth a try, but yeah. I give you my word as a Fleet Marine that I won’t make another attempt at getting away until we reach Europa.”

“Well, that’s something anyway.”

David stretched. “I don’t know why you people took me in the first place.”

“Your brother wants to see you. The man cares for you.”

A scowl crossed David’s face. “My brother is a worthless piece of shit. He’s dead to me.”

Anger flashed across O’Brian’s face and he stood to his feet. “Your brother is an honorable man. He’s a visionary. People follow him because they want to, not because he welds authority. He believes in freedom and cares about people. He is a good friend and it makes me angry to hear you speak of him in that way. If you say something like that again about him I’ll knock you on your scrawny little ass.”

David let out a nervous laugh and held up his hands, palms out. “I see he’s got you people fooled. Why did he send you people to get me?”

O’Brien paused at the door. “He wants you to join us. We can always use good combat-trained marines. You’re his brother. He cares about you.”

David shook his head. “He’s wasting your time. I’ll never join your so-called rebellion. Your New Republic is a sham. It’s a bunch of thugs trying to get over on the system. My brother has always been a troublemaker and he always will be. I promised you that until we get to Europa, I won’t try anything. When we do get there, I want you to treat me as a prisoner of war. As such, I have to try to escape.”

“So be it. I’ll leave the door unlocked. The ship’s on autopilot. My crew is in the lounge enjoying a cold beer. Come and join us if you want.” O’Brien stood to leave. David couldn’t help but wonder what hold Shawn had over these people. He joined O’Brian’s crew a few minutes later for a cold beer and true to his word; David made no further attempts to escape. During the flight, his mood was surly most of the time, but part of him enjoyed the company of Captain O’Brian and his crew.

When they exited the asteroid belt and approached Jupiter. O’Brian increased speed to full thrust. Several federal battle cruisers blockading Jupiter turned to engage them. Laser flashes ached across their bow. Ten light cruisers shot out from behind an asteroid, attacking the federal ships. David watched the engagement on a VID screen in the lounge. O’Brien increased the downward angle descending toward Europa. While they swept over the icy moon, David saw an ongoing battle on the rugged surface. Laser fire lit up the night. Main battle tanks hammered what looked like a federal base to the south of the colony. Large plumes of ice shot up into the air every time the tank fired its main gun.

When they touched down, O’Brian handed David an EVA suit. He suited up along with O’Brian and his Special Forces team. They lumbered down the exit ramp stepping onto the concrete landing pad. A security team met them and escorted David to the stockade; they set him up in temporary quarters and kept him under guard. When Shawn showed up to speak with him David’s face reddened and his hands balled into fists at his sides. He seethed with anger and contempt, but when David saw the hurt look in Shawn’s eyes, it caused a lump to form in his throat.

After they moved him in with the rest of the detainees, David found time to read the documents that Shawn gave to him. Mixed emotions shot through him. How could they trust people with such freedom? Shawn showed up the next day with a chessboard and David agreed to play a game. In the weeks and months that followed, their daily chess game became a ritual and David’s anger began to subside. He began to see what the others saw in his brother and he began to understand why they followed him. The old bond of friendship they had when they were young reformed. David tried to keep their conversations away from politics. He still didn’t believe in Shawn’s politics but he was starting to understand why his brother did the things that he did.

One morning David sat at a table playing chess with another detainee. Alarms sounded blaring throughout the facility and the stockade guards rushed in. “On your feet!” one of them yelled.

“What’s the problem?” David asked, standing to his feet.

“We’re under attack! We have to move all the detainees to a safer location!”

David grinned and a cheer went up from the detainees. “Good. Now you people will get what you deserve.”

“Shut up! Form up in columns of two!” the guard yelled. They formed up into parallel lines while more guards entered the stockade. They escorted them through the security complex and out to the main corridor. Armed soldiers ran down the hallways heading to the turbo lifts. The guards kept their M-23 Blasters trained on the detainees and escorted them to the nearest turbo lift. They rode the lift into the bowels of Europa. When David stepped out of the lift and onto a metal platform, he stopped and his eyes widened.

“Whoa. Does the federal science agency know about this? They’ve always suspected that Europa has an underground ocean surrounding its core. They’ve never been able to prove it.”

One of the guards standing nearby shook his head. “Nope. It’s our little secret. Consolidated brass never ventured down this far in the mines. The miners kept this little gym to themselves. We’ve even seen evidence of aquatic life. Now get aboard that first submersible.”

David paused, feeling a slight chill in the air, and looked out at the water. “How did you manage to build these submarines? I mean right under the nose of consolidated bosses and security?”

The guard laughed. “It helps when you have friends in supply. Sometimes, they tend to order a little too much material. Get on that sub. We don’t have much time.”

The detainees boarded the submarines. David found a seat near a porthole and once the last detainee boarded the sub, the guards sealed the hatch. David looked out the porthole on his right and the submarine descended into the abyss.

***

Louis and Alonzo sauntered down the main corridor of the Port Royal in their dress blues. They stepped into a turbo lift and rode it down to the shuttle bay. “This is going to be the biggest bash we’ve even been to, mate.”

Alonzo grinned. “I’d say. Every officer in the fleet will be there. It ain’t every day that a captain of a battlecruiser gets married. Especially while the fleet is at space.”

“I’ve never heard of it happening before, but it going to be a grand party. Captain Chambers is well-liked.”

Alonzo nodded. “That was some bachelor party last night, bro.”

“I’ll say, mate.” The doors to the turbo lift opened, they entered the reception area and waited for the next shuttle. Five minutes later, they crossed the shuttle bay, boarded a shuttle, and waited while the shuttle filled up with passengers. Three minutes later the shuttle shot down the launch tube. The Gee forces slammed them back into their seats and they shot out to space. Alonzo glanced out the porthole in the bulkhead to his right. His eyes widened taking in the view of Neptune in all her glory.

“She looks majestic, doesn’t she, mate?”

“That she does bro.”

The shuttle touched down on the CEU-Saratoga a few minutes later. The passengers disembarked heading to the chapel. Captain Chambers stood in his dress blues on ocean blue carpeting at the front of the chapel. He stood below an oak pulpit setting on a raised platform. First Officer Bannister stood next to Chambers serving as his best man. The wedding march blared out of overhead speakers. Three bridesmaids made their procession to the front of the church. Everyone rose to their feet as Here Comes the Bride played over the speakers. Nicole Allison, escorted by Admiral Larsen, made her way to the front of the chapel. She looked beautiful in her long off-white wedding dress. Admiral Ivanov stepped off the platform to start the proceedings.

After the wedding, they held a reception in the flagship’s main dining hall. Alonzo and Louis enjoyed themselves, drinking their fill and dancing with any available females. They caught the last shuttle back to the Port Royal. Twelve hours later, they stepped foot on Triton. They supervised the construction of several science labs. Louis stepped up next to Alonzo. They stood watching a squad erect the walls of a prefabricated science lab.

“Mate, once we leave Neptune and fly past that little ice ball, known as Pluto, we’ll be in the great unknown. We’ll be the first men to ever leave the solar system.”

“What do you think we’ll find out there, bro?”

Louis adjusted the temperature settings on his EVA suit. “I don’t know mate. But I’m looking forward to seeing it, whatever it is.” Ten hours later, the fleet broke orbit with Neptune heading to the outer reaches of the solar system.

***

Now for your reading pleasure check out chapter twenty-two of the Battle for Europa. The Battle for Europa is book one of my science fiction series the Space Corps Chronicles.

Chapter 22

Sergeant Erin Cassidy looked over at his gunner sitting next to him in a New Republic main battle tank. “What do you think, Rainford? Do you think the federal boys want to come out and play?” The smell of sweat filled the interior of the vehicle.

“They seem content to sit with their thumbs up their ass.”

Cassidy switched on the night vision scope mounted on the roof of the vehicle. The icy surface of Europa turned green. “I see a few tanks moving about inside the wire. Fire a couple of rounds.”

Rainford fired the main gun. The tank rocked backward. Artillery rounds exploded inside the federal compound. A plume of ice particles flew into space. Two more New Republic main battle tanks pulled up on the icy ridge flanking Sergeant Cassidy’s tank. Each tank fired off several rounds with its main guns. They opened up with their laser cannons lighting up the night with arcs of blue laser fire. After the federals took the Jupiter spacedock, they landed troops on Europa and established a base to the west of the mining colony. The New Republic tanks and snipers made the federal troops’ lives miserable. The federal troops built up their defensive perimeter and set up living modules. Snipers shot a few troops stringing wire and a few troops building gunrooms on the perimeter. Admiral Kesler’s fleet launched hit-and-run attacks on the federal fleet. On several occasions, they swept down over the moon, attacking the base. The federal troops seemed content to sit guarding the perimeter. All the while, the federal shuttles unloaded men and equipment.

“They’re coming through the wire,” Cassidy said and swung his tank around. Tiny pieces of ice flew up in the vehicle’s wake. Cassidy’s heart pounded inside his chest and he felt an adrenalin rush. The other New Republic tanks followed. Pretending to flee, they tried to lure the federal troops into an ambush. Five federal main battle tanks charged over the earthworks surrounding the base. They fired several rounds at the New Republic tanks, but soon gave up the chase and headed back to base. “God, what do we have to do to get these boys to come out and fight?” Cassidy asked, slamming his fist down on the vehicle’s steering wheel in frustration.

Corporal Rainford shrugged. “We need to hit them harder and more often. We need to interrupt their sleep patterns and get them pissed off.”

Cassidy nodded. “We need to do something. The present strategy isn’t working. We’d better ratchet it up a notch. I’ll bring it up at the morning briefing.” Cassidy headed back to the safety of Camp Bravo.

***

Shawn Gallagher sat in com center deep in the bowels of mining site A-. He looked over the top of the VID screen at his assembled cabinet members breathing in the smell of sweat. A cloud of tobacco smoke floated across the table. His HQ held none of the creature comforts of his office complex on the top floor of the mining complex. Shawn’s security personnel told him that it was a much safe location. Shawn gazed around the room taking in his cabinet members. Ludwig Von Wolf sat across from him. Shawn’s gaze stopped on Holliday. “Jerry, what’s taking them so long? Why haven’t the federals, attacked the colony? It’s been at least a month and a half since they established a base on Europa.”

Holliday shrugged, clinching a cigar between his teeth. “They’re waiting on approval from the Council of Economic Unions. But it all hinges on Cyrus Bonelli. If Cyrus tells them to move, they’ll move. In the meantime, they’re building their forces.”

Shawn sighed and took a drink of whisky from a glass tumbler. “What about our escape plan?”

Holliday laughed. “The awe-shit plan? It’s sitting on go.”

Shawn nodded. “And that other matter?”

Holliday blew tobacco smoke across the room. “He’s in space now. They should arrive in a month and a half. He took a laser bolt in the initial action, but he’s okay. Our people on Mars have an excellent medical staff.”

When Shawn heard of his brother’s injuries, his face turned grave, but he shook it off and turned to Ludwig. “Mr. Wolf you are here representing Admiral Kesler. What is the condition of the fleet?”

Ludwig looked up. “The fleet is good. We have repaired the broken vessels. Gustav is ready to assist when necessary.” Ludwig’s German accent became more pronounced when he was nervous. When he calmed down, his English was impeccable.

“And what about your secret weapon?” Shawn asked.

“The antimatter torpedoes? My scientist produced enough torpedoes to equip each ship with two torpedoes. Antimatter is a scarce commodity. We will launch a shuttle to deliver them to the fleet in the asteroid belt at twenty-three hundred hours.”

Shawn nodded and turned to Wilson. “John, what is this new strategy I’m hearing about?”

Wilson shifted his weight in his chair. “We’re assembling more tanks at Camp Bravo. Plus we’re bringing in some troop carriers and ground troops. We’re going to ratchet up the pressure on the federal base to see if we can get them to come out and fight. Once we lure them to the ambush sites, we can destroy them, but if they won’t come out and fight, we’re stuck. We’re thinking of a combined assault using main battle tanks and ground forces. The troops occupying the ground positions defending the colony are in place. There’s nothing for them to do but wait.”

Shawn nodded. “How long until you launch this attack?”

“We’ll start by increasing the harassment fire with tanks and snipers while we beef up our forces. It all depends on the federals. When they’re ready for a fight, we’ll give them one.”

After the Intelligence, briefing his cabinet members left his cramped little war room. Shawn took out a bottle of Scotch whiskey and poured himself another drink. He accessed the surface cameras monitoring the surface and zoomed in on the federal base.

***

Sergeant Erin Cassidy studied the federal compound looking down from the ridgeline overlooking the encampment. They had beefed up the pressure on the base for the last month and a half. Snipers took potshots at the federal positions round the clock. Main battle tanks lobbed artillery fire from the ridgeline to the west. The military colonel in charge of Camp Bravo used the time to build his forces. They spent the time training for the attack. Troop carriers unloaded two companies of troops to the north of the base. At the same time, a company of main battle tanks took up positions on the ridgeline to the west. Silence wafted across the surface. Cassidy looked at his wristwatch. The luminescent digital readout glowed bright green in the dark interior of the tank. A chill shot down his spine, so he turned up the interior heater.

“Well my brother,” Cassidy said to Rainford. “The time is twenty-three hundred hours. It’s time to lob some rockets up the federal’s anal orifice.”

“Roger that. Those boys are going to be sorry that they set foot on Europa.” He sighted in and fired the tank’s main gun. A few seconds later, up and down the line, New Republic’s main battle tanks opened up. Explosions erupted inside the base’s defensive perimeter, sending ice particles into space. Off to the northeast, tracer rounds arched into the compound. Cassidy put the shifter into a forward gear. They descended the icy slope heading closer to the federal perimeter. Tanks to his left and right moved in concert.

In space above Europa, several blips of light moved about. Green laser flashes lit up the night and a small space cruiser came in low and fast over the surface. Several larger vessels followed it in. After a bit, they pulled up in an abrupt turn and headed toward the asteroid belt.

“That light cruiser is coming in hot. It looks like one of ours,” Cassidy said.

Rainford looked at the tank’s computer screen. “I’ll bet that was some of Kesler’s boys running escort service from the asteroid belt.”

They stopped five hundred yards out from the federal base and fired another salvo. On the move again, Cassidy led the attack. One hundred yards out, he brought his tank to a screeching halt. The entire company fired one last salvo with their main guns.

“Break off! Break off! The chickens have left the roost!” Cassidy yelled into the vehicle’s com-unit. Main battle tanks and troop carriers flowed over the earthworks surrounding the base. Cassidy spun his tank around heading to the northwest. The other New Republic tanks followed. They formed up in columns of two with the federal forces in hot pursuit.

***

Colonel Galloway, Commander of the New Republic Ground forces, sat on top of his half-track and studied the base to the south. He activated the night vision feature on his EVA suit and enhanced the zoom setting. The federal base zoomed in; he saw several bright flashes to the southwest and the red streak of rocket fire. Massive explosions erupted inside the wire. Bits and pieces of ice and other debris formed a cloud over the federal base.

“Let’s go! Move! Move! Move!” Galloway yelled into his com-link. The New Republic ground forces rose to their feet and charged forward. They opened up with their laser carbines and M-23 Blasters. Tracer fire lit up the night. The Federal Marines guarding the perimeter returned fire. A mortar team hiding behind the icy knoll opened up. They walked mortars into the federal positions. Colonel Galloway watched. He let the attack continue until his men had almost reached the outer perimeter. He spoke into his com-link.

“Break off! Break off! Make them come to us!” The New Republic ground forces performed an orderly retreat. They headed back to their staging area. Boarding troop carriers, they joined the New Republic tank column heading northwest. The federal forces followed.

Cassidy led the convoy into a series of narrow ravines to where the New Republic ground forces waited. They manned the fighting positions that were dug into both sides of the canyon’s walls near the rim. Cassidy increased his speed making sure that the entire convoy made it through the kill zone. He kept one eye on his radar screen showing the position of the federal forces. When the infantry vehicles cleared the kill zone, Cassidy switched on his com-unit. “Joy Rider to base. The fox is in the henhouse.”

The New Republic forces received the code phrase. A soldier flipped a toggle switch on a remote control detonator and a massive explosion lit up the night. The walls of the canyon in front of the federal forces collapsed. The explosion filled the canyon with large chunks of ice. A soldier on the south end of the kill zone flipped the toggle on his detonator. The explosion collapsed the canyon to the south. The New Republic ground forces rained down fiery death from above.

Rocket teams took out the federal main battle tanks first. Laser fire lit up the night and the federal troops fled their vehicles seeking cover in the canyon’s bottom. The New Republic forces racked the federal convoy with their M-23 blasters. Machine gunners opened up with fifty-caliber machine guns. The icy bottom of the canyon turned red with blood. When the gunfire tapered off, the federal convoy lay in a smoking ruin. Bodies littered the canyon floor.

Colonel Galloway sat in the command center at Camp Bravo. He watched the battle unfold on his computer screen and flipped on his com-unit. “Let’s go people! Mop it up! I don’t want one of those federal bastards left alive when we’re through! Kill them all! I want the federal brass to think twice before launching another attack!”

New Republic ground forces repelled down into the canyon. They dispatched the wounded federal troops where they lay and set charges on the burned-out vehicles. They finished their business and returned to base. The smoldering hulks that had once been main battle tanks littered the canyon floor. Silence wafted across the battlefield.

***

Shawn watched the battle unfold on his VID screen. He took in the destruction of the federal convoy in, real-time provided by the surface cameras and took in the view provided by the helmet cams mounted to the helmets of the New Republic soldiers. Shawn listened to the com-net and received field reports from Colonel Galloway. His com-unit beeped. He flipped the toggle. “Gallagher here.”

“Mr. President. I trust you saw that small cruiser coming in shortly after the engagement started?” Holliday asked.

“Yeah. I saw it. They came in low and quiet without saying anything over the com-net. Who were they?”

“That was our Special Forces team back from Mars. Your brother is with the detainees. We’ve set him up with his private quarters and he is under guard for now. His status might change after you have a chance to talk with him, but for now, I have my security people watching him.”

A big grin crossed Shawn’s face. “Good. I’m glad they arrived safely. I was afraid they wouldn’t be able to make it through the federal blockade.”

“Admiral Kesler sent a few ships out from the asteroid belt to give the federal boys other things to worry about.”

“Tell the admiral I said thanks for the help. Never mind, I’ll contact him myself after I’ve had a chance to speak with my brother. Thank you, Jerry. You don’t know how much this means to me.” Shawn ended the transmission, switched the channel on his com-unit, and contacted his personnel security detail.

“Can I help you Mr. President?” the man standing guard at his door said when the com-unit on the lapel of his uniform beeped.

“My brother has arrived at Europa. They’re holding him with the detainees. Get the team together. I want to go see him.”

“We’ll be ready to roll in five minutes, Mr. President.”

“Good. I’ll meet you in the main corridor.” Shawn cut the transmission, stepped through a side door, entered his quarters, and changed clothes. A few minutes later he stepped out the door to meet his security detail. One of his bodyguards opened the back door of a small hovercraft. Shawn stepped into the back and two guards climbed in on each side of him. Another climbed in the front seat sitting next to the driver. The driver sped forward heading down the main corridor and pulled into a large turbo lift. The lift they used was, built to take larger vehicles from one level of the mining facility to another. They rode the lift up five levels, the doors opened; the driver exited the lift and turned left. They traveled for twenty minutes before reaching the stockade. Before their takeover, Consolidated Security used the stockade to house unruly miners. The driver pulled over next to the curb. The guard on Shawn’s right opened the door. and stepped out. After taking a quick look around, he held the door open. Shawn stepped out of the vehicle and Holliday stood in front of the stockade waiting.

“I wanted to prepare you, Mr. President, before you go in there and see your brother. He’s not being very cooperative. He’s only giving us his name, rank, and serial number. We have him in one of the living quarters near where we’re keeping the other detainees. For now, he’s under house arrest.”

Shawn nodded. “I was hoping that once he arrived, I’d be able to talk some sense into him. I hoped that he would join us. We could use him in our military.”

“Good luck with that, Mr. President.” Holliday led Shawn, flanked by his security detail, through the stockade to a room in the housing area.

Shawn looked at the head of his security detail. “I’d like to go in alone.”

A grave look crossed the face of the head of his security detail. “All right, Mr. President, but if you need us, tap the com-link on your lapel and we’ll be right there.”

“He’s not going to attack me. He’s my brother, not some psycho killer.”

His security chief shrugged. “He’s a Federal Marine.”

Shawn entered the room and saw David lying on a feather bed reading a magazine. With his back against the wall, he had his feet propped up on a small table that was set next to the bed. When he saw Shawn enter the room, a scowl crossed his face and he jumped to his feet. Ignoring the scowl, Shawn grinned. He crossed the room and threw his arms around his brother giving him a massive bear hug. David flinched and didn’t return the embrace so Shawn turned him loose and stepped back.

“David. I’m so glad to see you. You look great. We’ve got so much to catch up on.”

David’s scowl deepened. “Why did you bring me here?”

“I thought I could convince you to join us. We could use a good soldier.”

David shook his head and a disgusted look crossed his face. “What makes you think I would want to join a bunch of treasonous whiners and malcontents like you?”

Shawn sighed, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. “I was hoping that you’d be able to see through the bull shit that the council spews. We’re not traitors. We’re tired of being slaves to the Council of Economic Unions. What we’ve formed here on Europa is a new country. A free country where every man has a say.”

David laughed. “You might as well save your breath. Do you know what kind of trouble you’ve caused me? Do you know what it’s like to be the famous traitor’s brother?”

“For that I’m sorry. But if you’ll look past the crap they taught you in school, you’ll see that the federal system is oppressive. I heard that you wanted to go to robotics school. What gives them the right to say you can’t because of your genetics? Do you remember the block captain who lived up the street from us? The one whose job it was to tattle on those who appeared to be subversive? Remember when they took away the Clark family that lived next door?” Shawn sat down on the bed across from David; David found a chair.

“I bet they were subversive. I know they were weird and believed in some hokey religion.”

“Here on Europa, we have the freedom to believe in whatever religion we want. Or we’re free not to believe.” Shawn raised his hand into the air so David could see the scar on his wrist. “And what about that biochip you have embedded in your wrist? What gives them the right to keep track of your every move? What gives them the right to tell you that you can’t have a bank account, hold down a job or do anything without their chip?”

David’s eyes widened. “There has to be some kind of rules.”

“Rules yes. Oppression, no. It is the job of the people to make the rules to govern themselves. Not some fat cat sitting on the council who answers to no one.” Shawn stood up and set some papers on the table setting next to David’s bed. “When you get a chance, give these a read. This is the Declaration of Independence. This other document is the Constitution of the former United States of America. Also, there’s our own Constitution and declaration. Read these and we’ll talk again.” Shawn headed for the door but paused for a moment. “Is there anything I can get for you?”

David rose to his feet. “Yeah. You can do one thing for me. You can consider me a prisoner of war and move me in with the rest of your detainees. Beyond that leave me alone.”

A hurt look crossed Shawn’s face, but he covered it with a friendly smile. “All right. If that’s the way you want it, I’ll see to it that the guards move you into the detention center when I leave. Is there anything else?”

David paused for a moment. “I wouldn’t mind a chessboard. Maybe there’s somebody in the detention center that knows how to play.”

Shawn nodded. “I’ll see that you get one. The detainees already have several boards and hold tournaments. I’ll see that you get one of your own.” Shawn left the room and had Holliday see to it that the guards moved David in with the rest of the detainees. The next morning he came back with a chessboard and insisted that David join him for a game. Shawn expected the federals to launch a major attack. So far, it had yet to materialize.

***

One afternoon Holliday joined Shawn in his quarters for a drink. They sat in front of the viewscreen on his video net and watched the federal encampment through the surface cameras. “Why haven’t those federal bastards attacked us?” Shawn asked and downed a shot of whiskey. In a fit of rage, he threw the shot glass at the video screen shattering it into tiny pieces.

“My aren’t we in a mood?” Jerry laughed.

Shawn sighed and sat back down in his chair. “I’m tired of us sitting here on our asses waiting for the hammer to drop.”

Holliday shrugged, fired up a cigar and the smell of tobacco floated across the room. “They’re waiting for the bureaucrats serving on the Council of Economic Unions to give the okay.”

“Those SOBs can’t even fart unless they have a consensus.” Holliday laughed.

When Shawn showed up at the detention center with the chessboard, David acted surly and didn’t want to play. Eventually, he lightened up and they became reacquainted. A bond of friendship formed. They rarely disagreed unless the conversation drifted toward politics.

Two and a half months passed and still, the federals hadn’t launched an attack. They continued to beef up their forces, yet rarely ventured out of their base on Europa. Things seemed peaceful. Shawn figured that it was the calm before the storm and when the storm hit; it would hit like a category five hurricane.

***

Cyrus Bonelli stood in front of his video screen seething with anger. The image of Colonel Austen Barrow filled the screen. The man’s face looked haggard. Bonelli noticed the crow’s feet at the corner of the man’s tired gray eyes and his slumped shoulders.

“What I’d like to know is how you let a company of federal forces get lured into an ambush and destroyed!” Bonelli roared. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t have you court marshaled and shot?”

A muscle in the colonel’s face twitched. “Mr. President. They were constantly bombarding us with harassment fire. I had no idea that their defensive positions were so elaborate. All the approaches to the colony are either mined or booby-trapped. One of my officers became overzealous and let them lure him into a trap. It won’t happen again.”

“Colonel. I want you to attack! I want you to take the main colony and bring this thing to a conclusion!”

The colonel sighed in despair. “With all due respect, sir, you are under impeachment hearings. I’ll need the order verification code from the Council of Economic Unions first. At any rate, we need to beef up our forces and plan the attack.”

A sharp pain shot across Bonelli’s chest. “God damn the council! I am the president! You’ll move on, my orders! I’ll see that you get the men and equipment! Coordinate your attack with Admiral Delacroix!” Bonelli yelled and ended the transmission. He sent a video transmission to Admiral Delacroix marked urgent. The tired features of Admiral Delacroix filled the screen. “Admiral. I discussed this fiasco on Europa with Colonel Barrow. I ordered him to coordinate an assault on the main colony with you. I want this situation resolved.”

Delacroix paused. “Mr. President. No one wants this situation to be over more than I do. I can assure you that we will give Colonel Barrow all the help he needs. If you will send the mission verification codes, we’ll get it done.”

Bonelli’s fists clenched at his sides. “I’ll get your God damned codes, but you take your orders from me! I’ll have both you and Colonel Bowers relieved of command! The nerve of those spineless bastards! They voted to bring me up on charges!”

“All the more reason to get the proper authorization. In the meantime, we’ll bolster our forces and plan the attack.”

“You do that! I’ll get your God damned authorization codes!”

***

When the attack came, it came from space. Several light frigates swept in low over the ground. They dropped bunker-busting bombs followed by napalm that incinerated the New Republic forces on the surface. The next wave dropped cluster bombs. While the frigates continued the bombardment, they also provided air cover for their ground troops. Shuttle after shuttle unloaded Fleet Marines inside the perimeter of the colony. The federal forces garrisoned at the base to the south of the colony stood in reserve.

The first to land formed a perimeter and provided cover for the shuttles ferrying marines to the battle. After the marines landed, the frigates launched laser-guided missiles on the defensive positions ringing mining site A. The New Republic forces guarding mining site A put up a hard fight but they couldn’t keep the federal forces at bay. A handful of survivors managed to flee into the mining facility.

President Gallagher sat at his desk in the command center discussing something over the VID-net with his vice president. The alert sounded and his com-unit beeped. “Gallagher here,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

“Mr. President. The federals have launched the attack. They’re using bunker busters and napalm. They are landing troops at our doorstep. We need to get you out of here,” Holliday said. “I’ve coordinated the evacuation with your security chief. My people on the surface tell me that the federals are about to breach the facility. We have little time.”

Shawn’s heart hammered inside his chest; his breathing accelerated. “Okay. We knew it would come to this. I guess it’s time to launch the awe-shit plan. I want the detainees moved first. I want my brother moved with the first group.”

“Roger that Mr. President. I’ll see you over at site D.”

Shawn’s com-unit beeped again. “Gallagher.”

“Mr. President we need to move,” Shawn’s head of security said.

“I’ll be right out.” Shawn flipped off the com-unit, grabbed his briefcase, and stepped out into the main corridor. His security team hustled him into his hovercar. They sped off heading to the nearest, turbo lift. The New Republic forces inside mining site A held a running gun battle with the Federal Marines. Their goal was to buy time for the rest of the force to evacuate. Laser fire lit up the corridors. The federal forces moved deeper into the mine trying to gain control of the facility.

Shawn rode the lift down into the core of Europa. His vice president and cabinet members rode with him. The descent took over a half-hour. The lift reached the bottom of the mine, the doors opened and they stepped out onto a metal platform. Artificial lighting lit up a vast underground cavern. Shawn stepped off the platform onto a dock and stared out at a vast ocean surrounding Europa’s molten core. Five large submersible vessels floated next to the dock and Holliday stood in front of one of the submarines.

Holliday took his arm. “This way Mr. President.”

Shawn balked. “What about the detainees? What about my brother?

“We’ve already moved them. We need to get you away from here now.”

Shawn climbed up the ladder and entered the submarine. His vice president and cabinet members followed. Holliday stayed on the dock supervising the evacuation. Men streamed out of the turbo lifts. Some were miners and others military personnel. They entered the submarines. The submarines submerged leaving the docks. Others returned to pick up more passengers. The Special Forces teams stormed out of the turbo lifts. The Federal Marines were hot on their tail. Holliday showed them to the last submarine. His foot was the last to step off the dock. He climbed the ladder to enter the last submarine. A squad of Federal Marines stormed out of the turbo lift firing at him with laser carbines. Holliday felt a laser bolt burn past his face when he ducked into the hatch. He sealed the hatch, took a remote control detonator from his pocket, and pressed a red button. The submarine submerged. A massive explosion erupted, setting off charges throughout the mining facility. It caused a chain reaction of explosions throughout the mine. Level by level, the charges went off. Mining site A collapsed and the surface buildings fell into the deluge. Its collapse sealed the federal invaders into an icy tomb.

***

Hey everyone this is Dave the Miracle Maker. It is another hot day up here in the high desert of Southern California. I had to have some work done on the Harley and it is costing me a bit of money, but the universe will provide. I can’t wait to get in the wind. I have a book to recommend. It’s called The Lost Super Foods. In this day and age with all the things that they put in our food that is not healthy for us, it makes you want to get back it the basics. I recently read that the government has approved lab-grown meat to be sold to the public. I want no part of that. The Lost Supper Foods describes long-lasting foods that can be stored without refrigeration. The book list 126 forgotten survival foods and storage hacks that you can use in case of an emergency or natural disaster. “The Lost Super Foods” is a vital book to place in your survival stockpile. In today’s uncertain times, it might not be a bad idea to be prepared. Click the link below to check it out. I hope you all are having a wonderful summer. Peace Out.

The Lost Super Foods.

Now for your reading pleasue check out chapter 21 of my science fiction novel, the Battle for Europa. The Battle for Europa is the first book in my science fiction series, the Space Corps Chronicals.

Chapter 21

Captain Chambers and Nicole Allison sat across from each other. They were enjoying a late supper in the captain’s quarters catered by two Navy stewards. Nicole wore a black evening gown and the captain wore his dress blues. While he poured Nicole a glass of red wine he smiled. The massive viewscreen on the port side bulkhead caught his eye. He stared out at Saturn in all her glory, his eyes widened and Nicole grinned. “She is beautiful, isn’t she?”

“That she is my dear.” Chambers looked out the viewport at Saturn’s colorful rings and breathed in the sweet smell of Nicole’s perfume, noticing flakes of hazel in her dark brown eyes.

Nicole watched a group of small vessels flanking the fleet. “Those ships. How long will they follow us?”

“That’s a new batch. The ships from Europa turned back a month and a half ago and a small fleet from Saturn took their place. This batch will follow us halfway to Uranus. After that, they’ll let us be.” Nicole took a drink from her wine goblet while the steward set down two plates of roast duck. “Thank you,” he said to the steward.

“They don’t think that we plan to attack them, do they?”

Chambers shook his head. “I don’t think so. They’re being cautious. They’ll have their hands full dealing with the main battle fleet. How do you like your new job?”

A big grin crossed Nicole’s face. “I love it. Thank you for talking with Jennifer. I love working in the PX and thank you for setting me up with my new quarters. I love my new cabin.”

“You’re welcome. I’m glad you like your new place. The PX can’t pay as much as you made in the Comfort station.”

Nicole shrugged her bare shoulders. “It doesn’t matter. I’ve invested a lot of money. Plus, I’m good with numbers. Jennifer is going to let me do the books. It will mean more money.”

A smile crossed the captain’s face. “I can’t have my girlfriend servicing half the men in the fleet down at the comfort station.”

Nicole reached across the table and took his hand. “Doesn’t it bother you? What I used to do.”

Chambers shook his head once more. “No. You know I’m no angel. Word gets around. I’ve had lots of women. Sometimes two and three at a time, but I’ve never met anyone like you. When I first laid eyes on you, my heart stopped.” He took a small black box out of his coat pocket and set it on the table. A ball of nerves formed in his stomach and his hands shook, so he set them on his knees under the table. Nicole picked up the box. She opened it, stared down at the diamond engagement ring for two seconds, and dropped the box on the table. She put her hands to her face to stifle a squeal. “Let me do this right.” His heart hammered inside his chest. He climbed out of his chair and dropped to one knee. “Ms. Nicole Allison, will you marry me?”

Nicole launched out of her chair. She wrapped her arms around the captain’s neck and smothered him with kisses. “Yes! Yes of course I will, but do you think the Navy will allow it?” She turned the captain loose, and they returned to their seats.

“Under normal situations, no. But this is not a normal mission. I’ve spoken with the admiral. He gave us his blessing.”

Nicole took a bite of her roast duck. “When? When do you want to have the ceremony?”

He took a drink from his wine goblet. “As soon as possible.”

Nicole looked up and smiled. “But not too soon. I have so much planning to do.”

“We can set the date later after you’ve had time to think about it.” They finished their dinner. Chambers thought that Nicole’s continence looked radiant. I can’t seem to keep this silly grin off my face either. He pushed his plate away from the table. “I’m stuffed. The roast duck was delicious.”

Nicole stood to her feet, grabbed the captain by his arm, and gave him a mischievous grin. “The dinner was great, but I hope you saved room for dessert.” She led him toward the bed.

***

Chambers stepped onto the bridge of the Port Royal at zero seven hundred hours the next morning and sat down in the captain’s chair next to First Officer Bannister. His console beeped. He logged onto the system and Bannister swiveled in his chair facing the captain. “Good morning, Captain. How’s your morning going? I trust you slept well?”

Chambers grinned. “I slept like a baby, and it is a wonderful morning.”

Banister’s eyes widened. “What’s got you looking like the cat that ate the fat canary?”

Chambers ignored the question. He looked at the forward viewscreen and saw the ships of the fleet forming up for their approach to Saturn. The New Republic vessels took up positions flanking the federal fleet. “I take it that we’ve received permission from Saturn spacedock to enter Saturn’s orbit?”

Banister nodded. “Yes indeed. We received orders from the admiral. We’ll make one orbit around the planet and use her gravity to send us on our way out of here. Stop avoiding my question. What’s got you in such a good mood?”

Chambers grinned. “I asked Nicole to marry me last night.”

Bannister slumped down in his chair. He gripped the chair’s arms with his hands and his bottom jaw dropped. “Good Lord. I almost fell out of my chair. It shocked the shit out of me when you quit playing the field and settled for one woman. But I never thought I would see the day that you would want to get married. What did she say?”

Chambers blushed. “She said yes, of course.”

Banister reached over and laid his hand on the captain’s shoulder. “What did the admiral have to say? It’s kind of frowned upon for its officers to marry. Seeing how much we’re away from Earth.”

“He gave us his blessing. The REGs are up for review. Because of the duration of this mission, the admiral signed a waiver. He said that there’s a move underway to abolish the ban completely.”

Banister smiled. “When will this glorious event take place?”

Chambers’ shrugged. “We haven’t set the date yet. I’ve left that up to Nicole.”

Bannister slapped Captain Chambers on the back. “I hope you will do me the honor of letting me, be your best man.”

Chambers smiled. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Good. I’ll buy the drinks at the officers’ pub when our shift is over. We have some celebrating to do.”

“Captain, we’re cleared for our approach to Saturn,” the communications officer said.

The captain glanced at his helmsman. “Mr. Walker, let’s take a cruise around the neighborhood and set a course for Uranus. What the hell. Let’s go see Neptune as well.” The deep-space fleet entered Saturn’s orbit. It increased speed taking one revolution around the planet. Breaking orbit they head for the outer reaches of the solar system.

Chambers and Bannister entered the officers’ pub at sixteen hundred hours ship time. They crossed the crowded barroom and took a seat at their usual table. The sound of a dozen conversations and the smell of alcohol wafted across the room. Bannister motioned to the nearest waitress, and she sashayed over to take their order. They breathed in the strong fragrance of her cheap perfume.

“What can I get for gentlemen?” the waitress asked shooting them each a smile.

Banister grinned. “The captain and I are in the mood to do some celebrating. We’ll have our usual. A Jack and Coke for the captain and a Scotch on the rocks for me.” The waitress swished away shaking her ample behind. “What possessed you to pop the question?”

Chambers paused for a moment. “I don’t know. Nicole is different. I’ve never met anyone like her before.”

“This calls for a toast. To a wonderful life.” They raised their glasses in a toast. “But don’t you think you’ll miss not being with any other woman? You’re used to having more than your share.”

“No. I had my share of women, but none that I cared for until now. Nicole’s special.”

“She has to be, to land an old boy like you. I wish you a long happy married life,” Banister said when the waitress came back with their drinks.

Chambers smiled at the waitress. “Serve a, round to everyone in the pub including all the bartenders and waitresses. I’m buying.”

“Thank you, Captain.” The waitress went back to the bar and a cheer went up when the pub’s patrons received the news of their free drinks.

Captain Chambers drummed his fingers on the tabletop. “I’m glad we’re heading out beyond New Republic space. The last three months have been boring. The admiral will schedule a few more training events.”

“I’m getting tired of slowing down for these training scenarios. I’m looking forward to leaving this solar system behind. Out there in the galaxy, that’s where the real excitement lies.”

“Yeah, but the training is important. We don’t know what to expect once we get out there. The training makes us more prepared.”

Bannister nodded, glancing at the viewscreen behind the bar. A Solar One News bulletin flashed across the screen. The image of a female newscaster in an EVA suit appeared. She stood in front of the federal military installation on Europa. Chambers looked up and motioned to the bartender. “Would you turn that up please?” The bartender nodded and turned up the volume.

“Citizens of the CEU. I’m here at the new federal base on Europa. The federal forces suffered a minor setback this morning. They tried to make a frontal assault on mining site, A, the seat of government of this so-called New Republic. A company of federal forces approaching the mining colony walked into an ambush. They suffered minor casualties. The Council of Economic Unions called an emergency meeting to discuss the matter. The federal forces, for now, have pulled back to their base camp. This crisis, which has drug on for at least six months, appears nowhere near a resolution. With the fleet running low on helium three and hydrogen, they’d better get something done soon. I am Christy Bower with Solar One News.”

“I can’t believe they finally got off their ass and did something,” Bannister said.

Chambers nodded. “You know that if the news is calling it a minor setback, it had to be a lot worse than that. Solar One caters to the party line.”

“I’d say they lost at least a company of marines. A minor scrimmage wouldn’t have even made the news.”

“It’s unbelievable that this is even happening at all, but these miners out in the colonies are a tough lot. Things will get a lot worse before they get better. Who knows what the political realities will be when we come back from our mission?”

“If we come back. But you’re right. Either way, it goes, the ice on Europa is going to turn red with blood.”

Chambers nodded in agreement. He motioned to the waitress and bought the next round. They drank for the next six hours, and then stumbled off to their separate cabins.

***

Chambers gazed out at a sea of faces gathered in the main assembly hall at the Fleet Marine’s HQ. A sense of pride shot through him. Eager young officer cadets jumped to their feet. The political realities in the solar system were changing rapidly. Their mission remained the same. Who knows what these young officers will find out there in the galaxy? And who knows how things will be when we get home?

They had been in space for over a year. The fleet was making its approach to Uranus. They would stop here to unload a science team that would establish a science station. It would be a prelude to colonization. The past three months since leaving Saturn had been busy. Nicole was preparing for their wedding and Chambers couldn’t believe that he could be this happy. The situation on Europa was at a stalemate. When they left Saturn, the New Republic vessels turned back.

Two weeks after leaving Saturn, the admiral transmitted orders. He announced a new training event and transmitted a computer program to each ship where. A computer simulation would run where the ships would deal with an enemy attack. There would be a simulated hull breach and a meltdown in the ship’s cold fusion reactor. Chambers sat in the captain’s chair next to Bannister the day they ran the simulation. He flipped on the com-unit on his console and spoke into the ship’s PA system. “Training event six five seven will begin in five seconds. On my mark, five, four, three, two, one. All hands report to battle stations.” The image of several evil-looking spaceships filled the screen. “Bring the shields up and fire laser cannons,” the captain said to his weapons specialist. Arcs of laser fire filled the screen, and green beams of light arched from the enemy ships to the Port Royal.

“They’re firing torpedoes!” the weapons specialist yelled. The captain gripped the arms of his chair. Sweat beaded up, on his forehead. The bridge shook and a massive simulated torpedo barrage hit the ship. “Captain! Our shields are down and we have hull breaches on levels, five, six, and seven!”

“Return fire!” Chambers said and turned to the helmsmen. “Take evasive action! Make a forty-five-degree turn to the port side at a thirty-degree down angle!” Chambers turned to his engineering specialist. “Mr. Reynolds. Evacuate decks five, six, and seven. Seal off all sections venting atmosphere.” He let out a slow breath trying to calm his nerves. This is only a drill. The com-link on Chambers’ console beeped. He flipped a toggle and took the call. “Report.”

“Captain. The fusion reactor shut down. We’re dead in space. I have all essential systems running on, backup power,” the chief engineer said.

“Shut down everything nonessential. Keep me appraised.” The captain’s console beeped once more. “Report.”

“Captain. This is sickbay. We are, flooded with simulated casualties,” the chief medical officer said.

“Yeah. I suspected that the admiral might have contacted some of our shipmates on the sly. He must have given them orders to roll play as casualties. Treat them as if they were the real deal.”

“Aye Captain. This is good training for my medical personnel. Sickbay out.”

The exercise lasted for eight hours. The engineering found a computer glitch that shut down the reactor. All systems returned to normal. Chambers left the bridge. He headed to his conference room and logged onto the VID-net and sat waiting for the admiral to grade their performance during the drill. A text message scrolled across his screen ten minutes later. The captain read the message and sent a text message back to the admiral thanking him for his praise. He logged off the computer and stepped onto the bridge. Chambers sat down in the captain’s chair and activated the ship’s PA system. “Ladies and gentlemen serving on the Port Royal. I would like to congratulate you on your performance during the recent drill. The admiral gave us a ninety-eight point five performance rating. You people make me proud. Keep up the good work.”

Bannister swiveled in his chair to face the captain and a big grin crossed his face. “Now that sounds like a good reason to celebrate. It’s almost time for us to turn this dog and pony show over to the second watch. I’ll buy the first round at the pub.”

“Good. I could use a stiff drink, but I only have time for a couple. Nicole and I have a late dinner planned. She has some things she wants to go over about our upcoming wedding.”

***

Chambers’ mind danced back to the present. He stepped up to the podium watching the cadets jump to attention. He couldn’t help but admire the snap, in their step and the flash in their eyes. These men look proud. “As you were.” The cadets sat down, the captain looked out at the assembled marines, sailors, and airmen. “Ladies and gentlemen. We have been in space for a year now. It has been a rough class. You’ve put in a lot of hard work, but today you are cadets no longer. Today you become officers in the Federal Defense Force. You are the cream of the crop. The best of the best. I have spoken with the admiral and he has decided to expand these training classes across the fleet for the duration of our mission. The next class should be much larger. We face a daunting mission. In the words of one of the old regime’s former science fiction shows, we plan to boldly go where no man has gone before. You are the pride of the federal system. Who knows what we’ll find out there in the galaxy? I hope for new friends. But we could find new foes.”

The captain paused to clear his throat and continued. “Some of us might not make it back, but I know; that you will do whatever it takes to complete our mission. If we die out here, it will be in the presence of brothers. What more could a military man ask for? But we will complete our mission. We will return to Earth as heroes: the pioneers who opened up the galaxy to the people of Earth. It is an honor to be your captain.”

Chambers stepped back away from the podium. Commander Dawson, the Fleet Marine commander, stepped up to the microphone. “Step forward when I call your name to receive your diploma and your second lieutenant bars.” When the new officers filed by to receive their diplomas, Chambers stood next to Dawson. He gave them each a salute and shook hands with the new officers.

Louis Martin stepped up to Chambers. He fired off a snappy salute and Captain Chambers smiled. “How’s the leg, Mr. Martin?”

Louis grinned. “It’s healed wonderfully, Captain. Thank you for asking.”

Chambers laid a friendly hand on his shoulder. “I trust that if the gravity generator should go out again, you won’t repeat that same mistake.”

Louis smiled. “No sir, I won’t make that mistake again, but I can’t promise that I won’t get involved in some other sort of bloody foolishness. It’s my nature, sir.”

Chambers laughed. “Yeah, I expect that it is. You remind me of myself in that way. Good luck, Lieutenant Martin.”

“Same to you, sir,” Louis said and shook hands with the captain. The marine cadets received their commissions. A naval commander stepped up to the podium. He handed out the graduation certificates and rank insignias to the cadets from the Navy. A commander from the Air Force stepped up to the podium. He handed out certificates and rank insignias to the airmen cadets. After the graduation ceremony, they held a banquette honoring the new officers.

***

Three days later, the fleet entered orbit around Uranus. Several ships launched shuttle flights to the surface of Uranus and her moons. Cargo vessels descended to the ground of the various moons. The science officers were the first to set their feet on the planet’s moons. They were there to supervise the construction of their habitats and science labs. Chambers and Bannister headed down the main corridor.

“Would you care to take a jaunt down to the surface of Titania?” Chambers asked. “I’d like to check and see how our construction crews are doing.”

Bannister shrugged. “Why not? It’s been a while since I set my dogs on solid ground. It’s also been a hell of a long time since I did any serious EVA work. I don’t know if I still remember how to use the suit?”

Chambers slapped his first officer on the back. “It’s like riding a hoverbike back home. Once you learn, you don’t forget.”

They went down to the turbo lift and rode the lift to the shuttle bay. Fifteen minutes later, with Chambers at the helm, they shot down the launch tube and out to space. They descended toward the surface of Titania and flew in low over the surface. The cratered landscape consisted of a mixture of water ice, and rock. Some of the craters contained pools of liquid methane gas at their bottoms. They passed over several small valleys. Chambers set the shuttle down one hundred yards from the construction site. Work lights lit up the surface of Titania. Construction crews assembled prefabricated science labs and living modules. Chambers and Bannister put on their EVA suits, checked their seals along with their air supply, and headed to the airlock. Chambers passed through the airlock. He stepped out of the exit hatch and lumbered down the exit ramp. Banister followed. They crossed a rocky surface covered with a thick layer of ice. Chambers gazed about watching the progress. Bannister looked out across the moon’s surface taking in the surrounding countryside. Feeling a slight chill, Chambers adjusted the temperature setting on his EVA suit.

“This sure is a God-forsaken hunk of ice,” Bannister said. His voice reverberated through the speaker in the captain’s EVA suit.

Chambers nodded. “Yeah, it’s barren, but there is beauty in its ruggedness.”

The NCO in command of the construction detail sauntered their way. “Do you hooligans plan on lending a hand, or are you going to stand there looking?” the sergeant said in a strong Irish brogue.

Chambers laughed. “We’ll lend a hand. Tell us what you want us to do?”

The top sergeant fired off a snappy salute. “I’m sorry sir. I didn’t recognize you in your EVA gear. Please accept my apologies. That goes for you too, Mr. Bannister.”

“Think nothing of it.”

The captain laid a hand on the sergeant’s back. “I thought we’d check up and see how things are coming. It’s been a long time since Craig and I did any EVA work.”

“Things are coming along. We’ve got the living modules set up. The oxygen pumps and gravity generators are online. We’re setting up their science labs now.”

“How soon until you’re through?” Chambers asked.

“We should wrap things up and be back on board the ship in eight hours.”

“Good. Keep up the good work.”

“Seen enough?” Bannister asked, looking across the barren landscape.

“Yeah. Let’s head back to the ship.”

Twelve hours later, Chambers and Bannister stepped into the officers’ pub. They took their usual table and Chambers bought the first round of drinks. On the viewscreen behind the bar, the image of a Solar One Newscaster appeared on the screen. The words: Breaking News appeared over the woman’s head.

“We’ve received unconfirmed reports of a major setback for federal forces on Europa. But the Council of Economic Unions has imposed a total news blackout. When we know more, you’ll hear it first here on Solar One News.”

“Now that sounded scary,” Bannister said.

Chambers sighed. “Yeah. It makes you wonder what kind of world we’ll come back to when the mission is over.” The tiny com-link on the lapel of Chambers’ uniform beeped. “Chambers here.”

“Captain, the construction crews have left the moons of Uranus. We received word from the admiral. We’re breaking orbit, now sir,” the third watch communications officer said.

Chambers grinned. “Now that is good news. I’ll be in my quarters if you need me.” Chambers stood to his feet to call it a night. The deep-space fleet broke orbit with Uranus and headed toward the outer edges of the solar system.

***

Hello everyone this is Dave the Mirical Maker up here in the high desert of Southern California. I would like to wish everyone a happy Independence Day. As you celebrate the holiday, maybe you are barbecuing or watching a fireworks display I would encourage you to reflect on the history of this great country of ours that is two hundred and forty seven years old today. reflect on the men that wrote that founding document and put their lives on the line by signing it.If you have never read the Declaration of Independance here it is:

Declaration of Independence: A Transcription.

In Congress, July 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Georgia

Button Gwinnett

Lyman Hall

George Walton

North Carolina

William Hooper

Joseph Hewes

John Penn

South Carolina

Edward Rutledge

Thomas Heyward, Jr.

Thomas Lynch, Jr.

Arthur Middleton

Massachusetts

John Hancock

Maryland

Samuel Chase

William Paca

Thomas Stone

Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia

George Wythe

Richard Henry Lee

Thomas Jefferson

Benjamin Harrison

Thomas Nelson, Jr.

Francis Lightfoot Lee

Carter Braxton

Pennsylvania

Robert Morris

Benjamin Rush

Benjamin Franklin

John Morton

George Clymer

James Smith

George Taylor

James Wilson

George Ross

Delaware

Caesar Rodney

George Read

Thomas McKean

New York

William Floyd

Philip Livingston

Francis Lewis

Lewis Morris

New Jersey

Richard Stockton

John Witherspoon

Francis Hopkinson

John Hart

Abraham Clark

New Hampshire

Josiah Bartlett

William Whipple

Massachusetts

Samuel Adams

John Adams

Robert Treat Paine

Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island

Stephen Hopkins

William Ellery

Connecticut

Roger Sherman

Samuel Huntington

William Williams

Oliver Wolcott

New Hampshire

Matthew Thornton

The last phrase of the Declaration of Independence says: we mutually pledge our Lives our Fortunes and our sacred Honor. When those brave men signed that document they were immediacy branded as traitors to the British crown. If caught their property and their fortunes would have been seized. They would have been taken to the gallows and hanged by the neck until they were dead. Today our county is divided. We need to remember that we are one people and one nation. I pray that men of the same caliber as our founding fathers will rise up to guard our liberty and constitution. These are my thoughts on Independence Day. Feel free to comment and let me know what you think. Have a happy Independence Day and God bless America.

Now for your reading pleasuerechech out chapter 20 of my science fiction novel, the Battle for Europa. The Battle for Europa is the first book in my Space Corps Cronicles series.

Chapter 20

David Gallagher drifted up from the depths of unconsciousness. He felt someone grab him by his arms and pick him up. Pain racked his body but he couldn’t see who was carrying him. His heart thumped inside his chest and he couldn’t seem to catch his breath. David heard a few gunshots and saw the flash of a laser. Someone sat him on a metal deck; he heard the rumble of an engine and felt tracked wheels moving underneath him. I’m in a vehicle. They’re taking me back to the base. He drifted back into unconsciousness.

The next time he woke up, he felt the vehicle stop. His stomach dropped and he felt like he was sinking into the depths of hell. I’m dead. The next face I see will be the face of the Devil himself. His’ world faded to black.

***

Paul Rosenbaum came off of watch on the defensive perimeter and headed to the mess hall. He saw a group of marines assembled by HQ, so he headed over. “What’s up?” he asked a young marine standing on the edge of the group.

“The recon patrol they sent out earlier didn’t make it back. They were due over two hours ago.”

Icy fear sank into the pit of Paul’s stomach. “Have they made contact with them on the com-net?”

The young marine shook his head. “They tried, but so far they haven’t got a response. They’re assembling a team to go look for them.”

“My buddy was on that patrol. I’ll go.” Paul stepped into HQ. Twenty minutes later, he assembled with a large group of marines. This time the convoy was double the size. It had twice as many troop carriers and twice as many main battle tanks. They had several shuttles to provide air support.

Paul let out a sigh. “Hurry up and wait. I wish they’d get this shit ball rolling,” Paul said to the marine standing next to him. His voice resonated through the speaker inside the helmet attached to his EVA suit. The vehicles formed up in a long line and an NCO climbed out of a half-track shouting orders. The Martian wind picked up blowing sand across the tarmac.

“Let’s go, marines! Get your asses on board now!” The boarding ramps lowered. Paul charged onboard the first troop carrier along with ten other marines.

“Do you think they’re alive?” the marine sitting next to Paul asked after they took off their helmets.

Paul settled back in his seat listening to the rumble of the troop carrier’s engine. “I hope so. They could have had a mechanical breakdown. Maybe they’re working on their vehicles. The com-units might not work so well inside those canyons.”

Another marine shook his head. “Don’t count on it. We’re deep inside Indian country. We own the colonies, but these damned rebels own the bush.” The convoy moved out passing through the base’s outer perimeter. They headed through the wire while Paul held onto the armrest of his seat. The troop carrier bounced over the rough terrain. It entered the canyon country following the route of the previous recon patrol. The convoy reached the ambush site forty-five minutes later. The troops deployed and formed a defensive perimeter.

The hulks of what had once been main battle tanks and troop carriers lay smoldering on the canyon floor. Bodies lay scattered on the ground and most of their EVA suits had depressurized. The stench coming from the burning vehicles filled the air. Paul led a patrol to search the wreckage. They put the dead bodies in one of the troop carriers and attached tow cables to the disabled vehicles. God, where’s David? Paul tried to swallow the lump in his throat. The lieutenant in charge of the convoy and a medic stepped up to Paul while his squad loaded the last body.

“Is that all, of them?” the lieutenant asked, but the medic shook his head. “I checked the bio scanners. We have one man missing.”

Paul slung his Blaster over his shoulder and stepped up next to the medic. “Who is it?” Paul’s heart hammered in his chest and he felt hope start to rise.

“David Gallagher.”

“If he’s missing, then that must mean he’s still alive,” Paul said.

“Could be, but if he’s alive, he’s in rebel hands. Let’s button down this convoy. We need to get back to the base before the rebels decide to go for round two,” the lieutenant in command said. They deployed back to the troop carriers. The convoy pulled out towing a couple of the disabled vehicles behind and carried the bodies of their fallen comrades back to the base.

***

Alonzo and Louis gathered in the ready room with a company of marines. The captain ordered the entire ship into a heightened state of readiness as they approached Jupiter. So far, things had remained at the status quo. Alonzo and Louis crossed the ready room to a beverage dispenser. They poured themselves a cup of coffee, picked up a doughnut, and headed to a table near a viewscreen. Several of the marines in the ready room smoked cigarettes and a cloud of tobacco smoke filled the room. Alonzo took a sip of his coffee, grimacing at the taste of the bitter brew, and bit into a doughnut. The voice of the captain resonated through the ship’s PA system. He announced that they had reached an agreement with the people on Europa and said that the main battle fleet would move aside. They would pass through the federal blockade and continue on their journey. He also canceled the alert and said that the ship could now return to routine business. When the captain quit speaking, a wild whoop went through the ready room.

“It’s about bloody time, mate,” Louis said. “I thought we’d be stuck here for a few months. I thought we’d get caught up in this foolishness and have to shoot our way through the blockade.”

Alonzo smiled. “Me too, bro. I’m kind of anxious to get out of the solar system and see what’s out there.” They watched the viewscreen. The ships from the main battle fleet created a hole in the blockade and the deep-space fleet approached Jupiter. It took one revolution around the planet and headed for the outer edges of the solar system.

Several smaller ships flanked them on the viewscreen. “I guess them blokes don’t trust us. They sent some ships along for the ride mate. Do you think they’re gonna bird dog us to Saturn?”

“Who cares, bro. At least we’re on the move again. They’ll turn back after a while.”

Louis grinned. “That’s right, mate. We have a couple of hours to kill before we hit the rack. Tomorrow it’s back to the same old grind. What do you say about heading to the pub? I’ll buy the first round.”

Alonzo smiled. “Louis, you’re a man after my own heart.” They stood up, crossed the ready room, stepped out into the main corridor, and headed to the officers’ pub. In the weeks and months that followed, they fell back into their normal routine. The captain held no scheduled training events. The admiral didn’t want to antagonize their escorts. Louis and Alonzo spent eight hours a day in class and four hours a day serving as third lieutenants. Their days were long and taxing but they were also rewarding.

***

David drifted up from the depths of unconsciousness, opened his eyes, and glanced around taking in his surroundings. He lay in a hospital bed, bios monitors set next to his bed along with a metal surgical cart. An IV drip was attached to his left wrist along with plastic heart monitors attached to his chest. One of the machines beeped. The room smelled sterile, like any other hospital he’d ever been in. He looked past the medical machines at the granite walls of the room where he lay. I must be in some underground cavern. The walls looked smoother than glass. It looked like some massive boring tool had hollowed out the room. David had heard rumors about deep subterranean caverns controlled by the rebels.

An elderly man with short gray hair stepped through a set of blue steel doors. David took in the crow’s feet at the corner of the man’s tired gray eyes and the dark bags underneath them. The man looked up and smiled. “Oh. You’re awake.”

David glanced about. “Where am I?”

“I’m Doctor Guthrie. You’re in rebel-occupied territory deep below the surface of Mars.”

David let out a sigh. “How bad am I hurt?”

“You took a laser bolt through your upper chest. We have you on regeneration nanoprobes. You should be fine in a couple of days.”

David’s eyes widened and he gripped the blankets at his sides. “I guess I am a prisoner of war?”

“We’re not in a declared war. You’re a detainee classified as an enemy combatant.”

David nodded. “What’s going to happen to me?”

“After you recover from your wounds, there are some people who want to speak with you. They’ll talk to you about your future.”

David noticed the scar on the doctor’s wrist. “What happened to your biochip?”

“I had it removed. How else do you think the rebel alliance can operate with impunity?”

The doctor stepped up to his bed, ran a handheld bio scanner over his chest, and poured a glass of water from a pitcher that was set on the metal cart next to the bed. He handed David the glass along with three pills “Take these. You need to sleep so the nanoprobes can do their work.”

David tried to sit up. “What happens to the nanoprobes when I get well?”

“They go dormant. Your body absorbs them.” David took the pills, lay back on his bed, and once more, he sank into the depths of unconsciousness.

***

Paul arrived back at the base two hours later and helped unload the bodies of their fallen comrades. The sound of engines whined in his ear coming through the speakers of his EVA suit. Several shuttles descended toward the landing pad. Paul went to the mess hall for a hot meal and a cup of coffee. He had finished eating when the alarm buzzers went off. The base’s PA system ordered all personnel to fall out and report to the tarmac in full combat gear. Paul put his EVA suit back, on rushed out the door, down the hallway, and through an airlock. He crossed the base to his barracks, retrieved his combat gear, and assembled with his company. His top sergeant and their lieutenant lumbered up to where the marines stood waiting. When the marines saw them coming, they snapped to attention.

“Gentlemen. I came from a meeting with the brass. An air recon mission reported a large rebel force heading our way. They’re currently occupying all three of the canyons to our north. We expect the base to come under attack within the next twenty-four hours. The base is now on lockdown. Our orders are to guard the northern perimeter. We will work twelve hours shifts. Sergeant Richer will assign the duty roster. You will occupy the gunrooms and the trenches on the perimeter. Let’s stay sharp. This has the makings of a long night. If you’re not on watch, try to get some sleep. When the rebs attack, I want everyone on the line,” the lieutenant said. The wind picked up blowing sand across the tarmac.

Sergeant Richer stepped up and spoke in a rough gravelly voice. “First, second and third platoons will occupy the gunrooms! Fourth Fifth and sixth platoons will occupy the trenches. The rest of you get some shuteye. But sleep light. If you hear the alert whistle sound, drop your cocks and grab your rifle because the rock men are coming.”

“I’m glad we pulled duty in the gunrooms instead of the trenches,” Paul said to the marine standing next to him.

“Yeah. At least we’ll have a bit more cover in the gun room if they do attack.” The marine’s southern drawl echoed through the speakers in Paul’s EVA suit. Paul slung his rucksack over his shoulder, picked up his rifle, and headed to the northern perimeter. Other marines occupied the gunroom and trenches to the east, west, and south. Paul and ten other marines occupied a gunroom on the northeastern edge of the perimeter. He stood at the firing port nearest the hardened steel door of the gun room. The other marines took up positions at the firing ports down the line. Paul touched a small button on the side of his helmet activating the helmet’s night vision feature. He looked out at the barren landscape illuminated into a bright green world.

He scanned the razor wire and bungee pits on the outer edges of the perimeter. There were various other obstacles set up to hinder an invading force. The marines on the line occupied a series of trenches. They were, constructed in such a way that they could give up ground if they had to, but stay undercover and zigzag their way back to the inner earthworks. Now and then one of the marines on the line would fire an illumination flare. The night passed slowly. Paul and the marines in his gun room grew tired.

Paul yawned inside his EVA suit. “If these rock men are gonna attack, I wish they’d get it over with.”

“I know. I’m so damned sleepy I could fall asleep standing up,” the marine at the firing port next to him said.

“Private Rosenbaum to HQ,” Paul said into his throat mike inside his helmet.

“Keep the chatter down, marine,” someone said.

“Could you send a runner around with some coffee?”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

Paul sighed, staring out the hardened glass above his firing port. More time passed. A runner came by going from gunroom to gunroom delivering coffee and Paul met him at the doorway. He handed out thermoses of coffee to his fellow marines. Once he’d passed out the chrome thermoses, Paul attached his to a slot on the side of his EVA suit. He inserted the feed tube into a receptacle on his helmet and sucked in the hot elixir.

“Why do they call these guys rock men?” Paul asked the marine at the next firing port.

The marine yawned. “Because they rise out of the rocky surface of Mars as if they were part of the landscape. They hide in the most, rocky barren places you could imagine.”

“I hear they have bases underground.”

“You’d be, surprised what’s under the surface of Mars.”

Paul’s head nodded. He lowered his head and turned off the night vision feature on his helmet to give his eyes a rest and looked at the digital timepiece on the wrist of his EVA suit. Its green numbers flashed zero, three hundred hours. He turned on his night vision once more looking at the perimeter and his bottom jaw dropped. Seconds before, he saw nothing but the rocky landscape. Now he saw thousands of people swarming through the wire attacking the base from all directions. They wore desert camouflaged EVA suits. Paul’s heart boomed inside his chest and he thought he was going to hyperventilate. “They’re on the wire!” Paul yelled, and opened up with his blaster. An illumination flare lit up the night. The marines on the line opened up, a fiery explosion erupted and rebels in the hills fired mortars down on the base. Tiny bits and pieces of cement rained down on their heads. Bodies piled up on the wire, but the rebels climbed over their dead and stormed the base. Paul thought the noise inside the gun room was going to make his ears bleed. Rebel shuttles came in from the north. They flew low and fired laser-guided bombs. Main battle tanks on the south side of the base opened up with their main guns and tracer fire lit up the night.

Through the wire, the rebels stormed the trenches. Paul and the marines in his gun room returned fire. They used the weapon’s laser feature until they ran out of energy packs.

“I’m switching to solid projectiles!” Paul yelled to the marine at the adjacent firing port.

“I’m using explosive rounds! We’re in a world of shit! There’s too many of them out there!” They heard a loud explosion and saw a bright flash. Debris rained down from the ceiling. The dim lighting inside the gun room flickered and went out.

“One of those mortars landed right on top of us!” Paul yelled.

Paul heard the hardened glass above the firing port next to him shatter. An explosive charge tore through the glass. A small piece of debris entered the faceplate of a marine three positions down from him and pierced his cheek. It exited out the back of his skull. Blood, brain matter, and minute pieces of bone, splattered against the back wall of the gun room. For a few seconds, Paul froze, staring at the gore.

The invading horde pushed the marines out of the trenches. They drove them back over the earthworks surrounding the base. The rebels stormed down the hill overwhelming the remnant manning the line. Paul heard a loud explosion outside the door of their gun room. The doors blew open. Someone threw in a grenade and a piece of shrapnel hit Paul’s shoulder. He fell over backward. Fierce eerie-looking rebels dressed in camouflaged EVA suits stormed into the gun room. They sprayed the inside with their blasters. A bullet pierced Paul’s chest punching a hole through his heart. They do look like rock men. A few seconds later he slipped into unconsciousness and died. The battle was over. A pitch-black shuttle landed on the tarmac. After the dust settled, the rebel colonel lumbered down the exit ramp and surveyed the scene.

“Kill them all. I want this base torn down within the next two hours. We’ll salvage what equipment we can use. Frag the rest. It’ll teach these federal sons of bitches. They may own the colonies, but we own the bush,” the rebel commander said. His aide relayed the commander’s orders. They killed the few marines that had surrendered along with scores of wounded that lay on the ground. Four hours later, the rebel army pulled out. They took anything not destroyed beyond repair with them. The federal base lay in smoking ruins.

***

David woke up and gazed about the hospital room. He wondered what noise or sound had awoken him. Someone had removed the biomonitors from his chest and the IV drip from the back of his hand. The doors to his hospital room opened. The lights went from dim to bright and five men dressed in black flight suits entered his room. David took in their appearance thinking that they looked strong and capable. Their short hair and their posture put off a military bearing. When they saw that David was awake, a young man with sandy-colored blond hair smiled. “Good, you’re awake. How are you feeling?”

David shrugged, catching a faint trace of whiskey on the man’s breath. “Pretty good.”

“That’s great. The doctor said you might feel a little weak but that you were well enough to travel. Here, I brought you some clothes. Get dressed.” The man laid a change of clothes down on the bed.

“Who are you, people?”

The young officer smiled. “I’m Captain O’Brian and this is my crew.”

David sat up and moved to the edge of the bed setting his feet on the cold floor. “Where is it that you think you’re taking me?”

“We are taking you to Europa. Your brother Shawn would like to speak with you.”

“I’m afraid you’ve made a long trip for nothing. I have nothing to say to Shawn. As far as I’m concerned, he’s dead to me.” David let out a sigh.

O’Brien and his crew stepped up to David’s bed forming a semi-circle around him. O’Brian’s face turned serious. “It was not a request, Mr. Gallagher. You can either come with us peaceably, or we’ll take you in restraints, but either way, you’re coming with us.”

David looked at the door and thought about making a run for it, but noticed the men standing around him. They had laser pistols strapped to their sides. Their hands rested on the butts of their weapons. Like, their captain, these men looked rough and capable. Nausea, passed through David’s stomach when he tried to stand up, so he sat back down feeling light-headed. I wouldn’t make it to the door. “Give me a minute. To tell you the truth, I still do feel a bit weak.”

O’Brien nodded. “Take your time. We’re in no hurry. You’ll have three months to recuperate while we’re in space.”

David caught his breath and stood to his feet. Captain O’Brian and his crew surrounded him while he dressed. “I guess I’m ready. All I had was my combat gear when they shot me. I don’t know what happened to that stuff.”

“It doesn’t matter. We have everything you’ll need, onboard the ship.” O’Brien led him out of the hospital room and down an underground corridor. His crew flanked him. They passed several other people dressed in military fatigues heading in the opposite direction. O’Brien stopped at a turbo lift and punched a button on the outside of the lift. “This way.”

David glanced around. “No one uses biochips down here?”

“I had mine removed.” David shook his head in amazement. He stepped into the turbo lift and felt his stomach drop when the lift descended into the bowels of the red planet. The lift stopped a few minutes later. The doors opened and O’Brian stepped out onto a raised metal platform. David stepped out behind him and looked out across a vast underground cavern. He felt a slight breeze tickle his face. “This way,” O’Brien said, leading David to a stairway to the right of the platform. They descended the metal stairway. David noticed metal catwalks running across the walls of the cavern. He saw lights coming from what looked like rooms cut out of the rock in the sides of the cavern. People moved up and down the catwalks. Others seemed busy working in the various rooms lining the cavern’s walls. When they reached the cavern’s floor, David noticed a small landing pad lit up by overhead lighting. Several small space vessels were set on the landing pad and off to the left, there was a metal launch control tower. Through the hardened glass windows, David saw men working in the tower.

O’Brien led David across the cavern to the landing pad with his crew flanking him. O’Brian weaved his way through various shuttles and light cruisers. They came to a black space cruiser that bristled with armaments. He punched in a code next to the ship’s entrance port, the hatch opened and an exit ramp extended. “Welcome aboard. This will be home for the next three months,” O’Brien said. They climbed up the boarding ramp. The ramp retracted, the hatch closed behind them and David paused looking around the interior of the small ship.

“Pretty fancy.” David took in the plush blue carpeting and the paneled bulkheads.

“The crew cabins are down that corridor to the aft. The first door on your right leads to the galley if you’re hungry. The lounge is in the middle of the main corridor before you get to the cargo bay. If you want to watch the take-off, there’s a VID screen in the lounge. If you cooperate and don’t cause trouble, you can have a free run of the ship while we’re in space.”

“I’ll find the galley. Then I’ll watch the take-off on the VID screen.”

O’Brien nodded at a dark-headed lieutenant. “Jackson. Take Mr. Gallagher to the galley and fix him something to eat.”

Jackson led David down the corridor while O’Brian headed to the cockpit. He sat down, powered up the ship and his co-pilot took the seat next to him. Lieutenant Jackson fixed several ham and cheese sandwiches. He took two bottles of beer from a cooler and led David down to the lounge.

O’Brien turned on the ship’s com-unit. “Free Bird Two to launch control.”

“Go ahead, Free Bird.”

“Request permission to launch.”

“Be advised, Free Bird. You will leave at terminal three seventeen tier two. You are free to launch. I am opening the doors now.”

O’Brien applied thrust. The cruiser lifted off the launch pad. Through the forward viewscreen, O’Brian saw a red flashing light. It bordered the edges of a large set of rectangular doors near the top of the cavern. The doors slid open and the free Bird Two flew through the center of the rectangle exiting the cavern. Once clear of the launch bay doors, O’Brian applied upward thrust. They climbed out of the depths of one of the Martian canyons and gained altitude. Breaking through the atmosphere, they entered an orbit around Mars. Ignoring the calls from the Martian spacedock to identify themselves O’Brien broke orbit and headed for the asteroid belt. Two PPF vessels followed on their tail but soon gave up the chase. David watched the scene unfold on the viewscreen inside the lounge.

***

Hello everyone this is Dave the Miracle Maker up here in the high desert of Southern California. It’s not as hot as it usually is this time of year and I am enjoying that. I have been busy working on my cooler and my pool along with my writing martial arts. Today I would like to talk about Inner Peace. So what is Inner Peace? Inner Peace is a state of being where your mind and spirit remain calm even though you may be surrounded by stress, anxiety, and chaos. Believe it or not, Inner Peace is obtainable. So how do you achieve Inner peace? The best way to start is to get rid of all the negative people and emotions in your life. Concentrate on the positive and let the negative go. If you have friends or acquaintances that are always negative when you are around them, then separate yourself from them. It may not be that easy if they are a family member or a spouse. When someone is being negative you can’t control their negativity, but you can control the way that you respond. If you are in a negative situation and someone is being negative you may feel like cussing them out or responding negatively but don’t do it. Concentrate on your breathing. Breathe in through your nose, hold it for four seconds, and breathe out. Concentrating on your breath has a calming effect on your body. When negative thoughts creep into your mind, handcuff that thought and send it on its way. Watch what you think. Your thoughts are not just in your head. They are being sent out to the universe. Think positive thoughts. There are ways to strengthen your Inner Peace such as meditation or taking some time with nature. Go out into the desert, the forest, or to the beach and enjoy this beautiful planet. Spend some time with your pets. Riding my motorcycle brings me peace. Above all don’t let anyone steal your Inner Peace. I have a technique that I use. I visualize an energy field around my body that keeps out all negative energy. The only thing that I allow in is peace, joy, and love.

Some people must be happy in their skin to obtain Inner Peace. They may think that they are too fat or unattractive. They may not like how their teeth look. This is not me. I am happy in my skin, but if this kind of thing stops you from gaining Inner Peace then change them. Loose weight or change your appearance. Go to the dentist. One of the products that I sponsor is Natural Teeth Whitener. Click the link below the picture to check it out.

Natural Teeth Whitener

I practice martial arts and try to stay in shape. This helps me be happy in my skin and helps me maintain my Inner Peace. Maintaining your Inner Peace also helps when you are trying to manifest your best life. So don’t let anyone steal your Inner Peace and be the best you, that you can be. Peace out.

now for your reading pleasure, chapter 19 of my science fiction novel, the Battle for Europa. The Battle for Europa is book one of the Space Corps Chronicles.

Chapter 19

When Shawn received word of the arrival of the federal main battle fleet he hurried to his office. His security detail followed along behind him. He sat down at his VID screen, the machine flashed a text message announcing an incoming video message marked urgent. Shawn’s heart pounded inside his chest.

“Play message,” Shawn said. The image of a fleet admiral filled the screen. Shawn took in the man’s rugged features. He noticed the man’s high cheekbones and the crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes and he took in the distinct lines of his facial features.

The admiral gave Shawn a condescending smile. “Whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?” When the admiral spoke, his voice was soft, yet somehow stern and it wasn’t what Shawn was expecting.

Shawn smiled back. “My name is Shawn Gallagher. I am the president of the New Republic.”

The admiral let out a huff. “I refuse to acknowledge that title, so I’ll call you Mr. Gallagher.”

Shawn shrugged. “As you wish. What can I do for you, Admiral?”

Admiral Delacroix’s voice grew a little deeper and sounded a bit sterner. “I demand that you vacate Jupiter Spacedock and all Consolidated Mining facilities. Prepare to surrender yourself to Federal Defense Forces.”

Shawn laughed, leaning back in his chair. “I don’t know what you’ve been smoking, but I want some.”

“Look at your scopes! You can see the forces arrayed against you!” Admiral Delacroix’s face turned red.

Shawn leaned forward and his hands gripped the arms of his chair. “And as you can see, we have a few ships of our own. If your forces step one foot on Europa, or Jupiter Spacedock, they will pay for it in blood.” Silence lingered for a few seconds.

Admiral Delacroix sighed. “Be reasonable. Your meager forces could not stand up to the might of the Federal Defense Forces.”

Shawn grinned and leaned back. “Have you studied your Earth history?”

Delacroix nodded. “It’s a required subject at the academy.”

“Do you remember during the Second World War, at the battle of Bastogne? They called it the Battle of the Bulge?”

“I remember. What of it?”

“The Germans sent a runner to demand that the Americans surrender. The American general replied, ‘Nuts.’ I’m telling you the same thing. Nuts. As in you can lick my nuts.” Shawn ended the transmission. He chuckled to himself remembering his first conversation with Admiral Delacroix and gazed across the table at his assembled cabinet members. A cloud of tobacco smoke filled the room. Shawn breathed in the rich aroma. “It’s been three months now since the federal main battle fleet showed up, and still they’ve made no overt move toward us. They seem content to set back blockading our system. What are they waiting for?”

Wilson shrugged. “The Council of Economic Unions is afraid to attack. If the Navy had its way, this would be over by now.”

“What about our preparations?” Shawn leaned back in his chair.

“The troops are as ready as they are going to get. The defensive positions are in place. Our people are sitting on their hands waiting.”

Shawn nodded and looked at his chief intelligence officer. “Jerry. How is the, oh shit plan coming?”

Holliday paused, setting his cigar down in an ashtray. “Everything is in place.”

“What about that other matter?”

Holiday shrugged. “The team arrived on Mars. They made one attempt but failed. The brass transferred him to the bush. The Marines on Mars are establishing outlying bases away from the main colonies. He’s on some God-forsaken base out in the canyon country. I have an intelligence asset on the base. We’ll attempt another snatch and grab when they send him out on patrol.”

Shawn nodded. “Good. Make sure he doesn’t get hurt. What about Mr. Wolf and these anti-matter torpedoes?”

“He’s in the construction phase. They should have a batch to deliver to the fleet within a few weeks.”

Shawn nodded. “About the fleet. What is the word from Mr. Kesler?”

“Gustav says his ships are ready to mix it up with the federals, but you can expect them to land troops here on Europa.”

“I know. We won’t beat them in space. It’ll be here on the ground. What about spacedock?”

Holliday shrugged. “We have a Special Forces team garrisoned there. Their job is to slow the federals down long enough for everyone else to bug out. Spacedock should be the federal’s first target.”

The com-unit on Shawn Gallagher’s desk beeped. He put on a set of headphones and took the call. “Gallagher here,” he said into the throat mike. “Then get your people to the escape pods ASAP.” Shawn flipped off the com-unit, rose to his feet, and looked up at his assembled staff. His heart palpitated in his chest and sweat cropped up, on his brow. “Well, gentlemen, it looks like the federal boys are getting tired of waiting. That was Linda Van Horn at spacedock. She said several of the federal ships are moving toward her position. Others are turning to engage our fleet.” Shawn turned to Wilson. “John put the ground troops on alert.” The com-unit beeped again. “I’ll bet that’s Admiral Kesler now. Gentlemen, I’ll let you get to it. Things are about to get busy.” His assembled cabinet members filed out of the room while Shawn took the next call. “Admiral Kesler. What is your status?”

“My ships are moving into position to engage. I have six ships in position to defend spacedock. The others are going after the fleet.”

Shawn paced back and forth. “What are our chances?”

“We can hurt them, but we can’t stop them. I will stand and fight to the last ship if that is what you wish. It would be a better strategy to bloody their nose and flee to the asteroid belt. From there we can use hit and run tactics and drain their resources by attrition.”

“Do that then. Do as much damage as you can in the initial blow. Then be a thorn in Admiral Delacroix’s ass.”

“As you wish Mr. President.” Admiral Kesler ended the transmission. Shawn sat back down in his chair, leaned back and his thoughts drifted to his brother David. God, I hope the team I sent in can get him off, Mars. But what about when they get here? Will they make it through the federal blockade?

***

Cyrus Bonelli stormed out of the council chambers. Sharp pains shot across his chest. His hands balled into fists at his sides and he had trouble catching his breath. The nerve of those insolent bastards! They have the nerve to threaten me with sanctions. Cyrus sat down at his video net and logged on. The image of Admiral Delacroix appeared on the screen. Delacroix sat at a desk in his conference room. His uniform looked impeccable, but a worried frown crossed the admiral’s face.

“Good evening Mr. President,” Delacroix said.

“Admiral. I am transmitting orders for you to launch the attack. Start phase one of Operation Bold strike. I want your ships to attack at once.”

Delacroix’s frown deepened. “I thought the council was discussing the opening of negotiations?”

“The Council of Economic Unions couldn’t negotiate their way out of a shit house.”

“If you will send the confirmation code, I’ll launch the attack when I receive the orders.”

“I don’t have the damned confirmation code. We’re bypassing the council on this one. While they sit there wringing their hands, the fleet is running out of fuel. You now take your orders from me.”

“Mr. President. This puts me in a bad position.”

“I will take direct responsibility should there be any repercussions. You will follow my orders and launch Bold Strike, or I will relieve you of command! Do you understand me?” Cyrus slammed his hand down on the table.

Delacroix’s shoulders slumped. “Yes, sir Mr. President. I want to get this situation over with and get the fleet home, but there will be hell to pay from the council when the mission is over.”

Cyrus leaned back in his chair. “Let me deal with that. Are we on the same page here?”

Delacroix nodded. “Yes sir. I have never refused a lawful order in my entire career. Since you are the president of the council, in my interpretation, this order is lawful. I’ll launch Bold Strike at once.”

Cyrus smiled. “Good. One more thing.”

“What might that be Mr. President?”

“I want you to bring me Shawn Gallagher in chains. Deliver him to my suite in New York. I have my favorite, chrome-plated laser pistol sitting on my mantel. It’s charged and waiting. I intend to fire a bolt through the back of that treasonous bastard’s head.”

***

Linda Van Horn looked down at the computer screen on her console in horror. She watched several federal battle cruisers turn toward spacedock. She hesitated for a fraction of a second. Several ships from Admiral Gustav’s fleet turned to intercept. She sent the transmission to President Gallagher informing him of the federal action. Finished with that transmission, she flipped a toggle switch on her console. Alarms sounded throughout the station. A red strobe light flashed and Linda turned on her com-unit. Her hands shook; she wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead and tried to keep her voice calm.

“All personnel report to the escape pods at once! This is not a drill! I repeat! All personnel report to the escape pods at once!”

Jan Cunningham swiveled in her chair, a worried look on her face, and gave Linda a troubled smile. “We’d better go.”

“You go. I’m staying until everyone is away,” Linda said.

Jan jumped to her feet and left the control deck. She joined the hustle and bustle filling the orbiting space station. The station’s personnel headed for the escape pods. Linda’s com-unit beeped. She flipped a toggle. Commander Brian Finnegan’s voice reverberated through the speakers on her console.

“It’s time to leave, lass. Those flyboys will do their best, but they’ll be no match for those federal ships. We can expect those bloody bastards to breach the stations. My lads will buy you as much time as we can.”

“Thank you, Commander. I’ve started the evacuation. I’ll man my station until the last of our people are away.” Linda tried to keep her voice from cracking.

“Don’t try to be a hero, lass. Just get it done.”

Linda looked down at her scope. Tiny blips of light appeared as the federal vessels launched fighters. Space fighters poured out of the ships from Admiral Kesler’s fleet. They fought to protect spacedock. Her heart sank. Several bright flashes of light shoot out from the federal vessels and a tear tracked down her face. Linda wondered how many people were going to die before this was over. She tracked the torpedoes on her screen. The torpedoes slammed into one of the vessels near the spacedock. It exploded in a blinding flash of light, and a debris field formed in front of the space station.

The ships guarding spacedock fought hard. They managed to destroy more than twice their number. Five of the ships exploded turning into so much space junk. The sixth ship escaped into the lower atmosphere of Jupiter and then dashed into the asteroid belt. Linda watched the last space fighter explode. The federal ships trained their laser cannons on the launch bay doors of spacedock. Her com-unit beeped.

“Lass, you need to get your people off station now! We’ll be having company in a few minutes.” Finnegan said.

Linda checked her scope counting the number of space pods that had already launched. She flipped on the biomonitor. Three-quarters of the spacedock personnel had already escaped. “Commander, we still have twenty people on board. I’ve sealed the control deck. When the last of our people are away, I’ll bug out. Good luck, Commander, and may God go with you,” Linda said trying to hold back the tears.

“Roger that, lass. We’ll teach them, federal bastards, not to mess with the fighting Irish.” The Special Forces team took up defensive positions near the airlock. “All right, lads. Let’s teach these bastards not to mess with a bunch of Irish hooligans like us,” Finnegan said. His voice reverberated through the tiny speakers inside the helmets of his team’s EVA suits. A red spot appeared on the launch bay doors, then brightened and began to spread. The doors exploded showering the launch bay with burning debris. A shuttle flew through the gaping hole and landed on the launch bay with three more shuttles on its tail.

“Let’s give ‘em hell lads,” Finnegan opened up on the federal marines pouring out of their shuttles. The marines formed a defensive perimeter. The Special Forces team guarding spacedock took out several of the invaders. The superior numbers of the Federal Marines forced them to flee deeper into the facility. The marines followed. They lit up the narrow corridors with laser fire and engaged in a running gun battle. A laser bolt hit a control panel and the smell of burnt plastics and wiring wafted down the corridor. Finnegan took a round through the right leg. He hobbled along guarding the rear while his team retreated. His leg throbbed and felt as if it was on fire, but he managed to keep up with his team. Laser fire took out several of his team members. They finally made it to the doorway leading to the control center. Finnegan tapped the com-link on the lapel of his uniform.

“Linda, lass. It’s now or never. We’re about to make our last stand.”

“Thank you, Commander. The last of our people have left. I’m shutting down the control center now.”

Finnegan’s heart hammered inside his chest. “Head to the escape pod, lass.”

“I’m going now.” Linda’s voice cracked and a tear rolled down her cheek.

“It’s all right, lass. Us Irish boys we’re made for this stuff.” Finnegan took a cigar from his pocket. He fired it up and tobacco smoke filled the corridor.

Linda shut down her station. She crossed the control center to the last remaining escape pod. Entering the pod she secured herself in the upright seat and hit the eject button. The escape pod jettisoned away from the station and descended toward the surface of Europa.

The Federal Marines rounded the corner heading toward the control center. A laser bolt burned into the bulkhead next to Finnegan’s shoulder. He clinched the cigar between his teeth and returned fire. His heart pounded inside his chest and his breathing accelerated.

“Lads, let’s show these bastards what a few Irish thugs like us can do when our dander is up,” Finnegan said. He bit back the lump in his throat and opened up with his M-23 Blaster.

***

Admiral Kesler sat on the command platform on the bridge of his flagship. He gazed out the viewscreen at the federal vessels arrayed against him. When the federal forces made their move, Kesler ordered half of his fleet to attack the federal’s flank. He held the others back in reserve. The federals launched space fighters and Admiral Kesler launched their fighters as well. The ships from Kesler’s fleet were small. The smaller ships were more maneuverable than the federal main battle cruisers. They attacked at full speed. Admiral Gustav waited until the last few seconds. He ordered the fleet to launch torpedoes in a massive volley. They fired as they passed through the federal formations.

The first wave of ships passed through the federal lines and turned for another run. The rest of Kesler’s fleet began their attack run. Several blinding flashes filled the viewscreen. The shields on four federal ships failed. The ships exploded into massive fireballs. The space fighters mixed it up. A debris field filled space surrounding Jupiter and her moons. The federal forces launched torpedoes. They opened up with their laser cannons. Laser fire lit up the viewscreen. Once more, they sliced through the federal lines firing torpedoes while they sped by. Admiral Kesler’s flagship took a direct hit from a laser cannon. He felt a massive jolt and the lights flickered on the bridge.

“Captain, the shields are down to seventy percent strength,” the chief engineer said.

The young blond-headed German captain turned to Admiral Kesler. “What are your orders, sir?”

Gustav waved his hand as if in a dismissive gesture. “Give it another run.” The space battle lasted for over an hour. The federal fleet lost over one-third of its ships. Several more sustained severe damage. After Kesler lost over half of the ships in his fleet, he heaved a sigh. God if I only had some of Mr. Wolf’s anti-matter weapons. Admiral Kesler flipped on his com-unit and sent out a broadcast to all the remaining ships in his fleet. “Well done, Comrades. We will now make an orderly withdrawal. There will be another day.” After giving the order to withdraw, Kesler sent a video to the federal flagship. The image of Admiral Delacroix filled the screen. “Admiral. You won the day. Next time you won’t be so lucky.”

Delacroix sighed. “Next time I will destroy your whole fleet. Why don’t you give up now before more people die?”

Kesler shook his head. “And spend the rest of my life in a federal gulag? No thank you.” Kesler cut the signal. He typed in an encrypted code and the image of Shawn Gallagher filled the screen. In the background, Kesler saw people tearing down equipment and packing up documents. “Mr. President. We did our best. Rather than lose the entire fleet, I have ordered my people to flee to the asteroid belt. We will affect repairs and see how much damage we can inflict using the hit and run tactics that we spoke of.”

“You did an excellent job. You destroyed almost one-half of the federal fleet.”

Kesler shrugged. “More like one-third. It looks like you are busy, so I won’t keep you.”

“My security people are going ballistic. They are moving me to a safer location.”

“You can expect the federals to land ground troops on Europa.”

Shawn nodded. “They’ll find that Europa is a tough nut to crack.”

Kesler laughed. “Take care, Mr. President.” He fired off a salute and Gallagher returned it. “Until we meet again. I have a bottle of the finest German Vodka. We will have a victory toast.”

Shawn smiled. “I’ll look forward to it.” Kesler flipped off his com-unit and led his despoiled fleet toward the asteroid belt. The federal forces, all though still a viable force was in no shape to give chase.

***

Hey everyone. I would like to wish all the dads out there a Happy Father’s Day. I would also like to challenge you to be the very best dad that you can be. Be the dad that your sons emulate. Have the qualities and values that your daughters look for when they grow up and are searching for a husband. Be the best man that you can be, not only for your children and wife but for yourself as well. My father passed away in 2006 and I still miss him. His legacy makes me want to be a better man, but I will never be the kind of man that he was. In my mind, I will always fall short, but that is a good thing. It makes me strive to be a better man. I remember one time when I was around four or five years old I asked him a question. I can’t remember what the question was, but to this day I remember the answer. He said, “I don’t know.” That answer blew me away. I remember thinking that if he doesn’t know, nobody does. To all you sons and daughters out there cherish the moments with your parents, because soon they will be gone. Be the best man or woman that you can be. Your children are watching. Live your best life and be the kind of man or woman that you want your kids to be. Peace Out!

Now for your reading pleasure check out chapter eighteen of my science fiction novel, the Battle for Europa, book one of the Space Corps Cronicles.

Chapter 18

Captain Chambers sat down in front of the VID screen in his conference room. He logged on, using his secure code, and sent a video transmission to the CEU-Saratoga. The image of a young blonde-headed woman, the ship’s communications officer, filled the screen. She broke out into a smile. “What can I do for you, Captain?”

Chambers smiled back. “Is the Admiral available?”

“Wait for one minute. He’s in his quarters.” The woman flipped a switch on her console, spoke in a low tone, glanced up, and smiled again. “I’ll patch you through.”

The image on the screen shimmered showing Admiral Ivanov leaning back in a lounge chair. He wore a brown robe and was sipping at a tumbler of Vodka. “Jack. What is it that you might be wanting at this hour?”

“Have you spoken with Admiral Delacroix? Will these people on Europa allow us safe passage?”

The admiral shook his head. “Ya. I have spoken with the admiral, but these rabble-rousers say no. They say if we approach Jupiter or any of its moons that it will be an act of war. They will respond with force.”

“Did Admiral Delacroix tell them that we weren’t part of all this? That we want to use the gravity of Jupiter to slingshot us to the outer reaches of the solar system?”

Ivanov nodded. “Ya, ya, but these people are stubborn. They say no.”

Chambers paused drumming his fingers on the tabletop. “Is the fleet going to attack?”

Admiral Ivanov shrugged. “Right now the bureaucrats in New York are discussing this matter. For now, we sit on our hands.”

“I had a look at fleet records. I used to serve with this Shawn Gallagher when I was in the PPF. Do you think Admiral Delacroix would let me speak to him? Maybe someone like me, someone at a lower rank could persuade him to let us pass. We could talk about old times when we served on the same ship. He would listen to me.”

“It would be worth a try. I will contact the admiral and get back to you.” The image of Admiral Ivanov disappeared from the screen. Chambers logged off the vide-net and stood to his feet. He stepped through the doorway of his conference room, and out to the main corridor. A naval ensign passing by snapped off a salute. Chambers returned the gesture and headed down the hallway to the officers’ pub.

Chambers crossed the crowded bar room to a table in the back where First Officer Bannister sat. He ignored the smile coming from one of the comfort girls. A good-looking raven-haired woman wearing a skintight dress sat sipping her mixed drink.

“What? Mr. Lover Boy’s not in the mood for female companionship tonight?” Bannister asked.

Chambers shrugged. “Not tonight. I have other things on my mind.”

“Have a seat.” Chambers sat. “What are you drinking? I’ll buy.”

“I’ll have a Jack and Coke.” Bannister motioned to one of the waitresses. She sashayed over. Bannister ordered the captain a Jack and Coke and himself another Scotch on the rocks.

“What’s got your panties in a bunch?” Banister asked.

Chambers sighed. “Nothing. I had a conversation with Admiral Ivanov. I told him that I served with Shawn Gallagher and asked him to let me talk to the man. I hope I can talk some sense into him.”

Banister folded his hands on the table. “It’s been my experience that these miners don’t have much in the way of common sense, and they’re a stubborn lot. What did the admiral say?”

“He said that he would contact Admiral Delacroix and see if he could arrange it.”

“In the old days, the main battle fleet wouldn’t be sitting around on their ass like they’re doing here. They would have gone in like gangbusters. This situation would be over by now.”

Chambers nodded, their drinks arrived and the captain took a drink from his tumbler. “Tell me about it. The military used to have some leeway. Now the politicians run the show.”

Bannister laughed. “The Council of Economic Unions can’t even fart unless they have a consensus.”

“I know. They’ll be sitting here orbiting Jupiter when we come back from this mission. Twenty-some-odd years from now.” Chambers laughed.

“I got to hand it to that Shawn Gallagher, though. He’s a ballsy son of a bitch. Does he, think he can stand up to the might of the Federal Defense Forces?”

“He did have a reputation in the PPF as being fearless. Do you remember that raid we did on that pirate base deep in the asteroid belt about eight years ago?”

Banister nodded. “Yeah.”

“Gallagher’s entire team got wiped out. He stormed into one of their hideouts all by himself and killed at least two dozen of them, good-for-nothing bastards.”

“I do remember something about that. The only thing he has waiting for him now is a laser bolt through the back of the head when this is over.”

“I hope it doesn’t come to that.” The com-unit on the lapel of Chambers’ uniform beeped. The voice of the communications officer on duty on the bridge came through the tiny speaker. Chambers slapped his shoulder. “Chambers here. What can I do for you, Miss Livingston?”

“Captain, you have a video transmission from Admiral Delacroix.”

“Patch it through to my council room. Tell the admiral I’ll be there in two minutes.” Chambers ended the transmission, tossed back the rest of his drink, and stood up. “Duty calls, my friend.”

Bannister raised his glass. “Good luck. I hope you can talk some sense into Mr. Gallagher and we can get on with the mission. I’m tired of sitting here on my ass waiting for something to happen.”

Chambers hurried into his conference room a few minutes later. He sat down in front of his VID screen and logged on. The image of Admiral Delacroix filled the screen. Chambers leaned back and took in the admiral’s rugged features. He looked out of place in his crisp blue uniform. His dark skin reminded Chambers of scarred-up saddle leather. His facial features looked hard and well-defined. A smile spread across his rocky face. When he spoke, his voice was soft and his manner of speaking somewhat refined. From his physical features, Chambers expected a booming robust voice.

“Captain Chambers, I presume?”

Chambers smiled. “Yes sir, Admiral. I’m Captain Jack Chambers.”

“I’ve read through your service records. Impressive. Admiral Ivanov tells me that you served with this Shawn Gallagher in the past?”

Shawn nodded. “That is correct.”

The admiral leaned forward in his chair. “Is there anything about his psychic that you can tell us to help deal with this pretentious fellow?”

Chambers paused. “I can tell you that if he says he is going to do something, then that is what he will do. If you are expecting him to back down, don’t. It won’t happen. The man is fearless.”

“I read about his exploits a few years ago when he was with the PPF. He was part of the campaign in the asteroid belt against some pirates. You participated in that battle as well.”

“Yes sir.”

“Your exploits were as impressive as Gallagher’s. Admiral Ivanov says that you’d like to speak with the man. Do you think you can persuade him to see some reason?”

“I know I can’t talk him into surrendering to your forces. That won’t happen. I hope I can talk him into letting our fleet through the blockade. I’ll tell him that we want to use Jupiter to head to the stars and continue our mission.”

Admiral Delacroix sighed. “Very well. I’ll contact him and try to arrange it. The council is backing your mission to the hilt. They want you out there in the galaxy as soon as possible. God, I wish I were going with you instead of dealing with this mess. You’re making history son. You’ll wear admiral stars before your career is over. I’ll try to make contact with Gallagher and get back to you. In the meantime keep up the good work.” Admiral Delacroix ended the transmission.

Chambers entered the officers’ pub a few minutes later. Bannister occupied the same table as he did when Chambers left. The raven-haired comfort girl sat at the bar. When the captain walked in, Bannister looked up and smiled.

“You’re back. How did your little chat go with the admiral?”

Chambers sat down at the table. “It went well. He said he’d try to set up a face-to-face video transmission for Gallagher and me. It will take a while though.” Chambers motioned to one of the waitresses. He bought another round and ordered a drink for the comfort girl sitting at the bar.

Banister laughed. “I guess you’re little talk must have calmed your nerves. You’re starting to feel amorous again.”

Chambers blushed. “You’re drunk.”

Banister laughed. “You’ve got me there, old friend, but I had a head start. Don’t worry. You’ll catch up.”

When the comfort girl received her drink, she stood up, glided across the barroom, and came to their table. Chambers breathed in the sweet fragrance of her perfume. “Thank you for the drink, Captain. Do you mind if I join you?”

Chambers felt a nervous flutter pass through his stomach. He struggled to keep his voice from cracking. “Not at all, but do you think you might have a friend who wouldn’t mind spending some time with our first officer here? She might need to be deaf dumb and blind though.” The dark-headed woman laughed.

“Nonsense. I know a lot of women who would die to spend some time with such a handsome and distinguished gentleman.”

Chambers made a gagging sound. “You need your eyes checked.”

The dark-haired woman spoke into her com-link bracelet on her wrist. A buxom redhead joined them a few minutes later. Chambers noticed a tiny field of freckles running across the bridge of the redhead’s nose.

“You ladies have us at a disadvantage. Introduce yourselves,” Chambers said.

The dark-haired woman smiled. “My name is Nicole Allison,” she said. Nicole put her hand on the redhead’s shoulder. “My friend here is Jeanne Sinclair.” Chambers motioned to the waitress and bought a round of drinks. They stayed in the officers’ pub drinking for the next two hours. Bannister headed off to his cabin with the redhead. Nicole took the captain’s arm when they stood to leave and the captain escorted her back to his cabin.

“I feel special,” Nicole, said. The captain opened the door to his quarters and led her inside. The room’s computer turned on the lights. “Most ship captains wouldn’t want a girl like me. Much less, take her back to his cabin.”

“What do you mean a girl like you? Most officers I know would love to have a beautiful woman hanging onto his arm. Besides, I’m not like most captains. I’m a man like any other. I put my pants on one leg at a time and I’m lucky if I can find two socks that match.” Nicole laughed and the captain led her over to an octagon-shaped table setting in the center of the room. He pulled out a chair. She sat down and gazed about the room taking in the ocean blue carpeting. Pictures of the sea and space-faring vessels adorned the walls. Chambers crossed the room to the beverage dispenser. He poured them each a drink, and they chit-chatted for a while.

“Why me? I’ve never been with you before, but I know girls that have. You have a reputation for chasing women but usually, you like them two at a time. I didn’t figure myself to be your type.”

“Besides the fact that you’re beautiful, you seem more real than most of the girls at the station. I’ve seen you around before.” Nicole sat down her drink, leaned toward Chambers, and kissed him. He enjoyed the taste of her cherry-flavored lipstick. The captain’s heart pounded inside his chest and his breathing quickened.

“Flattery will get you anywhere you want to go,” she whispered and kissed him again. They finished their drinks, moved to the bedroom and Chambers sat down on the bed. Nicole sat on his lap and kissed him long and hard on the mouth. The captain’s hand found Nicole’s left breast. He let his hand rest there feeling the rise and fall of her chest for a few seconds and then reached for the buttons on the front of her dress. Nicole pushed him back, straddling him. She pulled his uniform blouse over the top of his head and went to work on his pants. Undressed, Chambers slipped under the covers.

Nicole stood up facing him, undid the buttons on the front of her dress, and let the dress fall to the deck. Facing the captain, she stood naked. Chambers’ bottom jaw dropped. He fought to catch his breath. His eyes took in Nicole’s pretty face, her high cheekbones, and her dark brown eyes. He took in her large well-formed breasts, which jutted forward not showing a once of sag, and her trim body which tapered down to a thin waist that flared out to form a pair of round hips. Her long sensual legs looked sun-bronzed and well-muscled but in a feminine way. Chambers figured that she must spend a lot of time on the treadmill and in the tanning booths.

“Turn around. Let me see your ass.” Nicole laughed and twirled around. Chambers nodded in approval and Nicole climbed between the covers. “Computer lights off.” The room faded to black.

***

The digital alarm clock beeping woke Chambers from a deep sleep at zero five hundred hours. He glanced at the green digital numbers on the face of the clock embedded in the bulkhead next to his bed.

“Computer lights on,” he said. His eyes turned to the naked woman lying in bed with him and his heart sang. She had the covers pulled down exposing her right breast. The captain noticed the hard nipple and the rise and fall of her chest as she slept. Nicole let out a groan. She stretched while Chambers flipped on the com-unit next to the alarm clock. “Captain to the officers’ mess.”

“Yes, Captain,” one of the stewards manning the com-unit in the mess hall said.

“Send breakfast for two to my cabin.”

“What would you like sir?” the steward asked.

“Scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and pancakes with Maple syrup. Send some biscuits and gravy up as well.”

“It’ll be about ten minutes Captain.”

“That will be fine.”

Nicole sat up. “Good morning Captain.”

“Same to you.” Chambers crossed the room in the nude. Goosebumps formed up on his arms and legs. He took a blue robe from his closet, put it on, and handed a brown one to Nicole. “I ordered breakfast.”

Nicole smiled. “Good. I’m starving.”

“Usually, when I invite a woman to my room, I send them on their way as soon as they wake up. But I would like you to stay.”

Nicole arched an eyebrow. “I’d like to. What makes me different?”

“I don’t know, but I’d like to find out.” He poured them each a cup of coffee from the beverage dispenser, handed Nicole a cup, and sat down on the edge of the bed next to her. “I have to get on a conference call at six, but we have time to eat first. I’d like you to stay. After the conference call, we could go down to the gym.”

Nicole sipped her coffee. “I’d like that.” The doorbell chimed. Chambers crossed the room and opened the door. The mess steward handed him a tray, which held two plates loaded down with food. He thanked him, set the tray down on the table and Nicole joined him. Finished with breakfast, he went into his conference room and logged onto the VID-net for his morning conference call. After the ship’s conference call, he logged on to the admiral’s call. When it was his turn to report, he transmitted the transcripts from the morning call.

“Everything is status quo, Admiral. We’re sitting on our hands waiting like everyone else. Have you heard from Admiral Delacroix? Has he made arrangements for me to speak with Gallagher?”

“He’s made contact with the man and discussed the matter, but so far they’re stonewalling.”

“Well let me know if you hear anything.” After the admiral’s conference call, the captain loaned Nicole a t-shirt and a pair of sweat pants. They headed to the gym, worked out on the treadmill, and lifted free weights. Chambers ignored a few curious glances from people in the gym. Finished with their workout, they parted company. The captain entered the bridge ten minutes later and sat down in the captain’s chair next to Bannister.

A big grin spread across Banister’s face. “I hear you have a new workout partner?”

Chambers turned three shades of red. “I can’t keep anything secret on this tub.”

“Not hardly. I-”

“Captain I have a VID transmission from Admiral Delacroix,” the communications officer said.

“I’ll take it inside my conference room.” Chambers left the bridge. He entered his conference room and logged on to the video net. The image of Admiral Delacroix filled the screen.

Chambers smiled. “Admiral. It’s good to see you again.”

“Yes. It’s good to see you too. I’ve contacted this so-called President Gallagher. He has agreed to talk with you. He said that his schedule is full at the moment, but he will contact you on the VID-net as soon as he is able. I took the liberty of texting him your VID address.”

“That is good news, sir.”

“I wish you, good luck son. I’d hate for this mess to delay your mission. I hope that you’ll be able to talk some sense into this man.” After his talk with the admiral, Chambers strolled onto the bridge and took his place in the captain’s chair.

“How did your little talk with the admiral go?” Bannister asked.

“Gallagher’s agreed to talk with me. He said that his schedule is pretty tight right now, but he’ll contact me when he’s able.”

Bannister laughed. “I’d say his schedule’s tight. He’s got a lot of things on his plate right now. He’s trying to run a renegade government and he has the FDF main battle fleet breathing down his neck.”

“Until then, we sit here on our heels with our thumb up our ass.”

“Care to join me at the pub for a drink?” Bannister asked after they finished their tour of duty on the bridge.

“Yeah, I’ll even buy the first round.” They left the bridge headed to the officers’ pub and took their usual table near the rear of the bar next to a bulkhead. Chambers glanced out a porthole at space. Quiet conversation buzzed through the barroom. The smell of tobacco smoke filled the air. A waitress sashayed over. The captain ordered a Jack and Coke for himself and a Scotch on the rocks for Bannister.

“I take it your evening with that dark-haired beauty went well last night. You surprised me. Usually, you like your woman two at a time.”

Chambers sighed. “Yeah, it went well. We had breakfast together in my cabin, and of course, we worked out together at the gym, but you know that.”

“News on the ship grapevine travels faster than the speed of light.” They both laughed.

“Tell me about it.”

“That surprised me too when I heard you two worked out together. Don’t you usually kick them out first thing in the morning?”

“Yeah, but this time it was different. She’s different. I’d like to see more of her.”

Banister’s bottom jaw dropped. “I’m speechless. I never thought I’d see you fall for only one.”

“I’m not falling for her.” Chambers tried to hide his embarrassment.

“Famous last words, my friend.”

“She’s interesting.”

“And it doesn’t hurt a bit that she happens to be stone-cold gorgeous.”

“What? Are you jealous?”

“No. It’s not that. You know I prefer redheads. You’re good entertainment.”

They sat drinking for three more hours. The com-unit on the lapel of Chambers’ uniform beeped. “Chambers here,” he said.

“Captain, I have a transmission for you on the VID-net. It’s a Mr. Shawn Gallagher. He is the president of this New Republic,” the communications officer said.

“Patch it through to my conference room. Tell Mr. Gallagher to give me two minutes.” Chambers stood to his feet and tossed back the rest of his drink.

“Good luck. Give the president my regards.”

“I hope he decides to listen and let us pass. I’m sick of sitting in this damned holding pattern.”

“Especially when the galaxy is waiting.”

Unsteady on his feet, Chambers left the officers’ pub. He hurried down to his conference room. Entering his conference room, he sat down in front of the video screen and logged onto the net. The image of Shawn Gallagher filled the screen. Shawn wore a brown suit coat, which lay open with a white dress shirt underneath the coat. He had the first three buttons of the shirt unbuttoned. Dark stubble covered Gallagher’s face and he looked tired.

Chambers smiled. “Thank you for taking the time to speak with me, Mr. President.”

A friendly smile crossed Gallagher’s face. “It surprised me when they told me that someone of your rank wanted to speak with me. All my communications have been with Admiral Dick Head, I mean Delacroix.” Chambers laughed and Gallagher continued. “You look familiar to me. Have we met?”

Chambers smiled. Yeah right. I’ll bet your spooks downloaded my file from fleet records as soon as you heard I wanted to speak to you. “We served together in the PPF a few years ago.”

“Aw. On the good old CEU-Eagle’s Claw. Those were some good times.”

“Your exploits were legendary. You made a name for yourself in the asteroid belt.”

“I recall that your team did well there too when we went after those pirates. What can I do for you, Captain?”

“Let us pass. My ship is part of the new deep space fleet. We are not part of the main battle fleet. Our mission is to explore the galaxy. All we want is to use Jupiter’s orbit to assist us on our way to the stars.”

Gallagher’s shoulders slumped. “I trust you. I believe you mean our people no harm. But I don’t trust your government. What if, I permit you to approach Jupiter then your admiral orders you to turn and attack my people?”

“I can’t speak for the fleet, but if I give you my word as an officer and gentlemen, then I would disobey that order. I would consider it unlawful. I guess then I would join you in your rebellion. Look. I am not political. I don’t care who’s in charge, as long as they let me fly their ships.”

President Gallagher leaned back, stroking the stubble on his chin. “You would give up a promising career as an officer in the federal Navy and join our cause?”

“If the scenario you describe happened, then I would. My honor would demand no less.”

“I’ll take it up with my advisors and get back to you.”

“Mr. President. If you let us pass, when we get back from our mission, I’d like to sit down in a pub somewhere and buy you a drink.”

“I’ll look forward to it. I have an emergency cabinet meeting coming up. We’ll discuss the matter and make contact with Admiral Delacroix.” Gallagher ended the transmission. Chambers logged off the video net and headed back to the officers’ pub.

***

Thirteen hours later, Chambers stepped onto the bridge. He took his seat in the captain’s chair. “Has there been any word from the admiral?”

“Nope. We’re still sitting here on our collective asses. I have a feeling that things are going to get ugly,” Bannister said.

“Captain. I have a voice transmission from Admiral Ivanov,” the communications officer said.

“Patch it through to my station.” Chambers flipped on the com-unit on his console. “Good morning Admiral.”

“Congratulations Mr. Chambers. Your little talk with this so-called President Gallagher was a success. They have agreed to let us pass. They insist on sending ships to flank our position while we approach the planet and will shadow us on our route to Saturn. They are a suspicious lot, these miners. Your orders are to take up your position in the fleet. We will approach Jupiter in fifteen minutes.”

“That is good news admiral. We’re sitting on go, here.”

“Good. I will write this up and put it in your fleet records.” Admiral Ivanov ended the transmission. Bannister let out a whoop and the officers on the bridge cheered. Chambers looked up at the viewscreen. The ships in the main battle fleet moved to open a hole in the blockade, while the deep space fleet formed up.

“Mr. Walker, plot a course for Saturn,” Chambers said to the helmsmen. “Increase speed by one-third.” The deep Space fleet shot through the gap, approached Jupiter, took one revolution around the planet, and headed to deep space

***

On Sunday, June 4th, one of my club brothers gave me a ride back to Birmingham and I caught a flight to Manchester New Hampshire. I had a layover in Charlette again but this time I didn’t have to walk so far to reach my departing gate. My daughter picked me up at the airport at seven PM that evening. I had a fun week hanging out with my daughter and my grandkids. On Thursday I attended my grandson’s high school graduation. He was also awarded a scholarship from the American Legion Riders. We also held a party by a lake at an Airbnb. On Sunday my grandson Shane and I along with his girlfriend’s cousin went down to Laconia New Hampshire. They were hosting the one-hundredth anniversary of Laconia Bike Week. On the way down there we stopped at McDonald’s. My order came and I ate my food, but it seemed like they were taking a while on my grandson’s order. Three teenage kids came in and went into the bathroom. Suddenly, the fire alarm went off and we had to evacuate the restaurant. The kids that had gone into the bathroom were smoking pot and they set off the alarm. They came back out and left real fast. We waited in the parking lot for about a half hour while the fire department came and turned off the alarm. They cleared the bathroom of smoke but when they let us back inside you could still smell it. They remade my grandson’s food and we headed over to Laconia. Two years earlier when I made this trip on my motorcycle, I hit rain in Pennsylvania and pulled under a bridge to get out of the rain. Two Harleys were parked under the bridge and I met two old bikers. One was from Georgia and the other was from Florida. We wound up staying the night at the same motel, went out to dinner, and rode three hundred and fifty miles together the next day. We friended each other on Facebook. The guy from Florida was in Laconia, so I sent him a text. He was in a pavilion drinking beer and watching midget wrestling. I stopped in to say hi and I also bought some cigars and a rally T-shirt. I caught a flight out of Manchester on June 13th and arrived back in Barstow around ten thirty that night. Check out the picks below from my trip.

I encourage everyone to live their best life. Go on trips, have adventures, and enjoy your life to the fullest, but be grateful for what you have and the people you leave behind because there truly is no place like home.

Now for your reading pleasure check out chapter seventeen of my science fiction novel, the Battle for Europa. The Battle for Europa is the first book in my series the Space Corps Chronicles.

Chapter 17

David Gallagher and Paul Rosenbaum followed a crowd of marines to the shuttle port. The port serviced the New London Colony on Mars. The EVA suit he wore made David’s movements cumbersome. He stopped for a moment and looked across the barren Martian landscape. Off in the distance, to the Northwest, David saw the lights of the colony. It looks like an oasis in a sea of darkness. He slung his rifle over his shoulder and took his place in line waiting to enter the shuttle port. David listened to the excited conversation buzz across the com-net.

David and Paul entered an airlock along with twelve other marines. The interior of the shuttle port was atmospherically contained. Even so, the transit marines kept their EVA suits on. A loud plangent voice boomed over the shuttle port’s PA system. “All transit military personnel assemble at the airlocks on the north bulkhead! We have half-tracks waiting to ferry you to the colony!”

“Let’s go,” David said, elbowing his way through the crowd and Paul followed. They stepped into line at the nearest airlock. When they reached the head of the line, they entered the airlock with twenty other marines. David wiped the sweat from his brow. The outer door of the airlock opened. They stepped out onto a cement walkway underneath a covered awning. Several troop carriers and main battle tanks set parked at the curb.

The marines converged on the vehicles. David and Paul found seats in the second troop carrier in the long convoy. A couple of main, battle tanks occupied the point position. Another set in the middle and two more took the tail end Charlie position at the rear. Once inside the vehicle, they took off the helmet of their EVA suits and listened to the excited conversation buzz through the vehicle.

David grinned. “Well, buddy. Are you ready to party? We’ve got forty-eight hours to kill before we report for duty.”

Paul nodded. “You better believe it. Where is this base supposed to be anyway?”

David shrugged. “I heard some guy say it was a few clicks west of the colony, but who gives a shit? We’ll worry about that when the time comes. Right now all I’m thinking about is getting drunk and chasing pussy.”

Paul laughed. “I imagine you’ll get us into another card game. I see fresh meat everywhere.”

“If our funds run low, I will.” The convoy pulled away from the shuttle port heading across the rough, rocky Martian landscape. David looked out the porthole to his left listening to the rumble of the troop carrier’s engine. “It’s as dark as the Devil’s asshole out there.”

Paul nodded. “Yeah. Have you ever been to Mars?”

David shook his head. “Nope.”

“My parents took me here when I was little. My Dad had some business with one of the mining executives. There are several colonies scattered about the planet, but they’re few and far between. You have to cross vast distances if you want to travel between the colonies. It’s pretty rough by land vehicles.”

“I hear they have some type of Magna lift or monorail train.”

“Yeah. People either ride the train or take a shuttle.”

“I don’t see why people would want to live here. These miners are a weird bunch.”

“They’re rough and independent.”

The convoy traversed a vast rocky plane. It passed through a rough hilly area and entered a narrow rocky gorge. Laser bolts hit the troop carrier they were riding in. David looked out his window. A rocket streaked across the night hitting the track of the vehicle in front of theirs.

“Time to earn your keep! Put your helmets on and check your air supply! We’re caught in an ambush!” the driver yelled. His voice boomed through the vehicle’s PA system. David and Paul jumped to their feet, put on their helmets, and did a quick oxygen check. David’s heart hammered inside his chest and his breathing became erratic. All the military personnel inside the troop carrier stood locked and loaded. The back ramp of the troop carrier opened up. The marines charged forward storming down the exit ramp and into the night.

***

Alonzo Garcia and Louis Martin shuffled up the boarding ramp onto one of the Port Royal’s shuttles. They found seats near the rear of the shuttle’s passenger compartment, sat down, and took off their helmets. Conversation wafted through the shuttle. “It’s gonna feel good to set foot on solid ground for a change bro,” Alonzo said.

Louis nodded. “Right, mate. It will also feel good to have some bloody free time and see some new faces. The birds on this tub are getting old.”

Alonzo grinned. “Yeah they have kept us busy, what with eight hours in class, plus standing watch for four hours. We have to make the best out of this forty-eight-hour liberty as possible, bro.”

“Right, mate. Lead me to the first pub you find. I plan on enjoying my holiday to the fullest.” The shuttle moved forward to one of the launch bays. The voice of the shuttle pilot boomed through the shuttle’s PA system.

“Ladies and gentlemen, ETA to launch is two minutes! Strap it on!” Alonzo put on his seat belt and Louis did the same.

Alonzo felt adrenaline shoot through his body. “I’ll never get tired of this part, bro.”

“Me neither, mate. It’s like getting shot out of a bloody cannon.” The shuttle moved forward, stopped for a few seconds, and shot down the launch tube. The gee forces slammed them back in their chairs, the launch bay doors opened and the shuttle shot out to space.

Alonzo let out a wild whoop. “Now that’s what I’m talking about bro.” The shuttle completed one revolution around the red planet and descended toward the surface.

Louis grinned. “The launch was a bloody rush but the flight was a little anti-climactic.”

“I don’t know. Didn’t you feel like a meteorite when we descended through the atmosphere?”

“Yeah mate, but it was over too fast.” The shuttle touched down on the landing pad at the Martian shuttle port. They stood up, put on their helmets, and followed the crowd through the airlock. David headed down the exit ramp, and onto the surface of Mars. Louis strolled along next to him. Crossing the tarmac to the shuttle port, they went through one of the airlocks on the north side of the building. David and Paul boarded a troop carrier in the center of a convoy setting next to the curb. Captain Chambers boarded the last troop carrier in the convoy.

Alonzo and Louis took off their helmets and sat on a bench waiting for the convoy to leave the shuttle port. A few minutes later, the convoy pulled away from the curb. It left the shuttle port behind and Alonzo gazed out of the porthole setting in the bulkhead beside him. Darkness covered the landscape. The convoy passed through the perimeter and headed into the night.

“I guess that’s the colony,” Alonzo said noticing lights in the distance.

Louis nodded. “Right, mate. I don’t know why they call it New London. It looks lonely, off there by itself.” They were approaching the outskirts of the colony when their vehicle came to an abrupt stop. Alonzo glanced out the porthole next to him and saw laser flashes light up the night.

“We’re under attack!” Alonzo yelled. The military personnel in the troop carrier jumped to their feet. They gathered around the porthole. Alonzo’s heart hammered inside his chest.

“Mate, that battle tank riding tail end Charlie broke away and started firing its main gun up into the hills!” Louis yelled.

“A few squads jumped out of a troop carrier near the front! They’re in a firefight!”

“Please remain in your seats, but secure your EVA suits! Lock and load! Stand by for deployment if so ordered!” the troop carrier’s driver yelled over the vehicle’s PA system. Alonzo’s breathing accelerated. They put on their helmets, charged their weapons, and sat down waiting for further orders. “Ladies and Gentlemen the attack has broken off. Maintain alert status until we reach the colony,” the driver said. The troop carrier lurched forward; Alonzo let out a sigh and tried to relax.

“Our first chance for some action and we miss it,” Louis said.

Alonzo nodded. “Yeah, sometimes I wish we’d drawn peacekeeper duties here on Mars, bro.” The convoy reached the colony twenty minutes later. They checked in at the visitor’s center and caught a taxi to the Utopian Mall. The Utopian Mall was a massive domed structure housing, an urban metropolis. Alonzo gazed out the side window of the taxi at the buildings lining both sides of the street. He took in the domed-shaped buildings along with several boxy-looking structures. Masses of humanity filled the sidewalks and gathered at the intersections to cross the busy streets. They all looked the same in their EVA suits. The taxi passed through an airlock. It entered the Utopian mall and the holographic driver pulled up next to the curb.

“Gentlemen. Welcome to the New London colony. If you would like, you may check your gear in at the visitor’s lounge. There you will find information on all the business establishments inside the mall. I hope you enjoy your stay at the Utopian,” the driver said, using a strong British accent.

After they stowed their gear, Alonzo stood on the sidewalk listening to the hover cars buzz by. “Where to first, bro?”

“I don’t know about you, mate but point me to the nearest pub.” Louis stepped over to hail another taxi.

***

David and Paul sauntered into the Final Frontier. It was one of the popular drinking establishments inside the Utopian Mall. David stood for a moment, breathing in the smell of tobacco smoke and cheap alcohol. He took in the bar’s essence. They found a table near the center of the crowded barroom and sat down with two other marines from the Pathfinder. David headed to the bathroom to empty his bladder. After taking care of business, he staggered out the bathroom door and ran into another marine.

“Stand easy bro. You’ve had a few too many,” the marine said.

David looked up, his eyes widened and a big grin spread across his face. “Alonzo?”

“David. I didn’t recognize you in this dark hallway. How are you doing bro?”

“I’m doing fine now that you’re here. I’ve got a table. Paul’s here too.”

“Louis is over by the bar; I’ll go get him and we’ll join you.” They met at the table a few minutes later.

“Well, there’s my big-nosed friend. How’ve you been mate?” Louis said when he stepped up to the table.

Paul’s eyes widened. “I was doing fine until you showed up. You had to start with the nose business.” David and Alonzo laughed, Paul stood up and they did some hugging. David introduced the other marines and they sat down.

“When did you guys get here?” David asked.

Alonzo shrugged. “We just arrived. Our convoy got attacked on the way in.”

“We must have been in the same convoy. Ours got hit too.”

“We were near the middle. We stopped but didn’t engage.”

“They hit the vehicle in front of us. We stormed out of the troop carrier and jumped into a firefight. It didn’t last long.”

“You lucky buggers. You got to see some action right off,” Louis said.

“We didn’t feel so lucky at the time. It’s kind of hard to keep it together with laser bolts flashing right by your head,” Paul said.

“You’re lucky it didn’t take off your nose,” Louis said and laughed.

“It was safely tucked into the helmet of my EVA suit. Thanks for your concern.”

“What’s with the little bars on your lapels?” David asked.

Alonzo grinned. “We’re third lieutenants. The rank is temporary. It’s a way to put the cadets in the chain of command. The brass enrolled Louis and me in an officers’ training school aboard the Port Royal. You may have to salute us someday, bro.”

David bent over pretending to gag, but he bought the next round. A half-hour later Captain Chambers and First Officer Bannister stepped into the bar. Chambers noticed Alonzo sitting across the bar room. He motioned to one of the android waitresses and had her deliver a round of drinks to their table. They brought their bottles up in salute.

“Your captain seems okay for an officer,” David said.

Alonzo nodded. “He is bro. He cares about everyone on board his ship. You can tell by the way he acts.”

“If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be in this bloody officers’ training class,” Louis said. They spent another two hours at the bar and headed for the door. The other marines who had been drinking at the table with them went their own way. David, Alonzo, Louis, and Paul piled into a taxi and headed for the nearest whorehouse.

***

Alonzo and Louis strutted down the exit ramp and onto the launch bay of Port Royal. Hustle and bustle filled the ship with shuttle pilots ferrying troops back to the Port Royal. They hit the rack for a few hours of rest before going on duty. While they were sleeping, the Port Royal, along with the rest of the fleet, broke orbit leaving Mars behind, and headed toward the asteroid belt. Louis and Alonzo fell back into their routine of attending officers’ training classes for eight hours and serving as officers for four hours before turning in for a few hours of sleep.

Three weeks after leaving Mars, Alonzo and Louis were heading down the main corridor to class. The gravity generator went out. The cadets strapped themselves into their chairs to keep from floating up to the ceiling. Three hours later the cadets gathered in the corridor. They began to clown around leaping into the air and floating up to the ceiling. An announcement came over the ship’s PA system announcing that the restoration of gravity would be in ten minutes.

“Watch this, Mate,” Louis said, trying to make one last jump. He leaped up touching his hands to the ceiling when the gravity returned. Louis let out a startled cry, fell to the floor and Alonzo ran to his crumpled form.

“Bro, are you all right?”

“My leg, mate. I broke my leg.” Louis’s face looked ashen.

Alonzo tapped the com-link on the lapel of his uniform. “Third Lieutenant Alonzo Garcia to Fleet Marine’s HQ. Send a medical team down from sickbay to the training center. My buddy broke his leg.”

“Roger that Mr. Garcia. A medical team is on the way,” the receptionist at Fleet Marine HQ said.

Two hours later, Alonzo sat at Louis’ bedside in the sick bay. Louis had a bright blue bio cast on his left leg. All though he was somewhat groggy from medication, Louis was his jovial self.

“The things some people will do to get out of work. I’m on to you bro,” Alonzo said and they both laughed.

“I had to do something, mate. These long hours are killing me.”

Alonzo was about to speak but then he saw Captain Chambers come into the room. He shot to his feet, snapped off a salute, and Louis, though unable to stand, fired off a salute as well.

“At ease men. I thought I’d see how our patients are doing.” Chambers stepped up to Louis’s bed.

Uh, I’m fine sir. The doctor is releasing me in the morning,” Louis said.

“You know we expect better from our officers.” Chambers laid a friendly hand on Louis’s shoulder.

Louis’s face fell. “I know sir. I’m sorry. It was a dumb stunt. It won’t happen again.”

“Don’t be sorry. Learn from it. We’ve all done a few bonehead things that we’re not proud of. I’m sure Commander Dawson will want to talk to you when you get out of sickbay.”

“I’m sure he will.” Louis sighed. “I’ll probably get a letter in my file.”

Chambers smiled. “I wouldn’t worry about that too much. Those letters don’t mean much. You should see my file.”

“You mean you’ve done some bonehead things in your time, sir?”

“You should talk to First Officer Bannister. He’d give you an ear full. He thinks it’s his job, to babysit me.” They both laughed. “I have other patients to see, so get well. We need you back in class.” Captain Chambers paused before leaving and looked at Alonzo. “And how are you doing Mr. Garcia?”

Alonzo smiled. “I’m fine sir.”

“Good. Keep up the good work.” Chambers headed down the aisle to visit other patients in the sick bay. Louis showed up for class the next morning using a pair of crutches and he had to wear the bio cast for three weeks. Louis and Alonzo kept busy for the next three months while the ship traversed the asteroid belt en route to Jupiter.

They sat in the officers’ pub having a beer with their eyes glued to a viewscreen behind the bar. The image of Jupiter looming in the background filled the screen. Hundreds of battlecruisers surrounded the planet. Other ships orbited the planet and its moons. They faced outward in a direct challenge to the main battle fleet. The Port Royal, along with the rest of the deep space fleet stayed in a holding pattern further out.

“I hope we don’t get caught up in this shit, bro,” Alonzo said.

Louis shook his head. “Yeah, mate. Those crazy bastards on Europa are gonna play bloody hell. Before it’s over, the Navy brass is gonna go balls out.”

***

David Gallagher and Paul Rosenbaum stood outside the Utopian Mall. Their forty-eight-hour liberty over, they headed for their permanent duty station on Mars. David gazed about the street, watching people in EVA suits move back and forth on the sidewalks. Tracked vehicles moved up and down the streets making David wonder about the people. Some were military personnel. Others were miners and some were civilians working in the colony.

“What do you think we’ll be doing once we report for duty?” Paul asked.

David sighed. “Keeping the peace.”

“Yeah but how and where?”

David shrugged. “I guess we’ll find out when we report for duty.” A troop carrier pulled up to the curb. The outer airlock door opened. They stepped inside and found seats near the rear of the vehicle.

“You can remove your EVA suits. We won’t be stopping anywhere until we reach the base,” a young NCO moving down the aisle said. David and Paul took off their EVA suits and set them by their feet while the troop carrier filled up with marines. David felt the vehicle lurch when the driver pulled out onto the main thoroughfare. He sat back to enjoy the ride and glanced out the window taking in the sights. Several boxy-shaped buildings were set on both sides of the road. Other domed-shaped structures were set further back from the main street. A burned-out structure was set at the end of the block with a red fist painted on the scorched brick wall.

“That’s the work of the People’s Fist. They’re part of the local resistance,” a marine sitting across from them said.

“Those bastards are up here too? Will we be fighting them?” David asked.

The marine shook his head. “No. Not unless you happen to be in town and get caught in one of their ambushes. They sneak into town, fire off a few rockets, and disappear like a ghost.”

“What will we be doing?” Paul asked.

“You’ll work security in the Utopian Mall, the John Glen Plaza, or the Red Plaza. You might draw mobile duty cruising the colony in a land cruiser. Sometimes the miners cause trouble. Then we have to go out there and take care of things. That duty sucks. I hate hard rock miners.” The troop carrier left the colony heading west. David noticed lights coming from several buildings setting off to the south.

“What’s over there?” David asked, motioning to his porthole.

“That’s Consolidated Mining site A,” he said. “Ever since this business started on Europa, the miners have been causing trouble.”

“What kind of trouble?” Paul asked.

“They call wild cat strikes. Throw up picket lines and when we show up they pelt us with rocks.” The troop carrier traveled across the rough barren landscape for another forty-five minutes. David looked out a porthole. There were more lights to the south of their position. A massive domed structure ringed with razor wire and earthworks set nestled between two massive rock formations.

“That’s Camp Rizzo. That’s where we’re headed,” the marine sitting across from them said. The troop carrier pulled off the main trail heading south through the hills toward the base. A bombed-out structure set off to their left.

“What happened there?” David asked.

“The resistance got lucky. They hit an ammo dump with a rocket. That’s the first time they’ve ever tried hitting anything that, close to the base.” The troop carrier turned off the main trail heading south and the driver stopped at the main gate. He crossed an open area to the airlock. A set of steel doors on the outside of the domed structure opened. The troop carrier pulled into the airlock. They heard a hiss of air, the inner doors opened and they pulled into the base.

David gazed out his porthole in wonder. They traveled down a tree-lined paved road. Grass covered the ground beyond the road. Illuminated rectangular-shaped structures lay to the south of their position. A three-tiered barracks set to the west of a massive office complex. From a distance, it looked like a massive city housed underneath the dome.

“Welcome to Camp Rizzo. Report to HQ to log into the base and receive your duty assignments,” the driver said. David and Paul stepped out onto the sidewalk and followed the crowd into the office complex. They fell into line at a reception desk. David reached the head of the line. A pretty blonde-headed female receptionist looked up and smiled.

“Run your wrist across my scan pad, marine.” David complied. “Welcome to Camp Rizzo, Mr. Gallagher. You’re on the third watch, colony security detail. You report for duty at twenty there hundred hours.”

Breathing in the smell of her perfume, David said, “Report where ma’am?”

The blonde-headed officer turned her head and pointed down the hallway to her left. “Security HQ is down the hall. At twenty-three hundred hours, you’ll attend a briefing and head into the colony. Until then, find a bunk in the barracks to the west of HQ, stow your gear and get some sleep. You’ll need it.”

“Thank you, ma’am.” David stepped out of line and waited for Paul to get his orders. “What duty did you draw?” David asked.

“Third watch mall security. The same as you. What is it eighteen hundred hours?”

“Yeah. That gives us five hours to get some sleep.”

“Then let’s stow our gear and hit the rack.”

They woke up four and a half hours later, took a quick shower, put on their uniforms, and headed to HQ. Louis and David joined a group of marines in the briefing room. A stocky red-headed officer sat behind a desk smoking a cigar. David breathed in the rich aroma. A group of marines lined up at a beverage dispenser and poured themselves cups of coffee. They each took a doughnut from a box sitting on a nearby table and found their seats.

“Let’s get started. For you new guys, I am Lieutenant James Cook. I’d like to go over a few things before you go on duty. As usual, we’re having trouble with the miners. We’re getting a lot of drunk and disorderly arrests at the local bars plus a few fights and brawls. I want to caution the new guys about not going anywhere in the New London colony alone. When we move, we move in pairs or, in force. If you’ll listen up, I’ll read off the duty assignments.” The young NCO that rode on the troop carrier with David and Paul stepped up to them.

“I’m Corporal Robertson, but you can call me, Mike. You boys will ride with me. Do what I tell you, and everything will be fine. Get your EVA suits and get back here pronto. After that, we’ll sign you your gear and head for the motor pool.” Forty-five minutes later, they sat in a land rover on their way back to the colony. Corporal Robertson sat behind the wheel. David sat on the passenger side and Paul rode in the back. When they reached the colony, Robertson pulled into an airlock. He entered the Utopian Mall and drove down the main boulevard.

“The mall is a city unto itself. Every kind of seedy business you could imagine is on these streets. The further you get from the main drag, the worse they get. Anything that an off-duty miner or military person could want is underneath this dome. The people who work in the mall also live under the dome in the housing section. We get called there sometimes for domestic disturbances.” Robertson pulled into a parking lot to their left. “This is our substation. We need to check in before we go on patrol. The substation also contains a cafeteria and our break room.” They checked in and attended another job briefing and then hit the streets.

They cruised the streets for the first two hours. The night seemed quiet. The radio in the land cruiser beeped. Roberts flipped on the com-unit. The voice of the dispatcher reverberated through the car’s speaker. “All units. All units. Converge on the Bucket of Blood. We have disturbance in progress.”

“On our way, dispatch,” Robertson said and glanced over at David. “The Bucket of Blood is one of the favorite hangouts for the hard rock miners. They call us out there at least once or twice a night. Every night, someone stabs or shoots someone else. It’s time for you boys to earn your keep.”

Robertson flipped on the overhead light bar and turned on the siren. A few minutes later, they pulled up in front of a dingy-looking bar. Rough-hewn logs covered the exterior walls. Glass bottles littered the street and a rough-looking wooden boardwalk fronted the building. The MPs stormed into the bar in force using stun guns, tasers, and electrically charged Billy clubs. When David stepped through the door, a big ugly miner punched him in the mouth. By the midpoint of their shift, David had a split lip and a black eye. They had arrested ten miners. After lunch, they received a call sending them out of the colony to one of the mining facilities. They sported riot gear and formed a line to defend the mining complex from a mob of disgruntled miners.

“Is it like this every night?” David asked while they drove back to the base at the end of their shift.

“Pretty much. Sometimes it’s worse,” Robertson said and pulled the land cruiser up to the main gate of Camp Rizzo.

David and Paul fell into a routine, working hard and partying harder on their days off. One night after they had been on Mars for three months, they responded to a disturbance at the Bucket of Blood. David was about to enter the bar when a black hovercraft pulled up to the curb. Three men in dark clothing jumped out. One of them hit David in the back with a stun gun and David collapsed to the pavement. Two of the men grabbed him by his arms, dragging him toward the vehicle. Paul pulled his handheld laser and fired a blast at the two men. Two more squads of MPs pulled up. The men dropped David to the ground, jumped back into their vehicles, and fled.

“What happened?” David asked when he regained consciousness.

Paul shrugged. “It looked like they wanted you. They were trying to drag you into the vehicle.”

The following evening, David and Paul showed up at HQ to start their shift. A crowd of marines gathered in the hallway. They elbowed their way through to the briefing room. Lieutenant Cook looked up when they came in.

“Gentlemen. Go back to your barracks and pack your gear. You’re shipping out. The brass has decided that we need to establish a presence out in the bush to deal with these rebel attacks. You get to stop being policemen and act like marines. Be on the tarmac with your gear in a half-hour.”

An hour and a half later, they boarded a troop carrier and joined a convoy leaving the base. The company of marines left Camp Rizzo heading east. Passing through the colony, they headed out onto the rough interior and traveled for eight hours crossing the rocky, barren terrain. The convoy stopped at a point where three massive canyons converged, opening up to a flat dry lake bed. A group of marines unloaded prefabricated shelters. Another group erected defensive positions stringing razor wire. David and Paul’s platoon took up defensive positions providing security. Other marines set up their new firebase.

One group of marines unloaded bulldozers from flatbed trucks. The operators mounted the dozers and formed Earthworks surrounding the new base. Within eight hours, the new firebase was up and ready for business. The following morning, David received orders to report to HQ for a mission briefing. He filed into the briefing room along with thirty other marines. A colonel with short sandy blond hair and a barrel chest stood before a holographic map depicting the landscape to the north of their position.

“Gentlemen. If you will look at the map, you’ll see why we chose this area to establish the base. We believe that the rebels operating in this area have bases in one of these three canyons. Possibly underground. They have to cross this plane to get to the colony, and we are sitting in their path. You gentlemen will go on our first recon mission. You will travel up this large canyon lying in the center. I would like you to locate the rebel bases. You’ll need to use extreme caution. These canyons on Mars make the Grand Canyon back home look like a little ditch.” The briefing carried on for a few more minutes and then the colonel opened the floor to questions. There were none. “Okay, if that’s all then be on the tarmac in fifteen minutes. The mission launches at zero-eight thirty.”

“What’s going on?” Paul asked when David stepped out of HQ.

David shrugged. “We’re going on a recon mission. What duty did you draw today?”

“I’m in a bunker on perimeter defense. I wish I was going with you.”

David laughed. “I do too, but you’d get your big nose shot off.”

Two hours later, David climbed up the boarding ramp and onto an armored troop carrier. Two main battle tanks led the convoy, followed by three more troop carriers. Two more battle tanks took up the tail end Charlie position at the rear. They left the firebase heading north into the canyon country. David bounced off his seat and fastened his safety belt. They entered the largest of the three canyons. Sheer granite walls towered above them. Large rocky boulders lay on the canyon floor while the convoy snaked its way around them.

The canyon narrowed, turning ninety degrees to the right. They slowed to make the turn. David heard a muffled explosion and debris rained down on the top of their troop carrier.

“The tank on point took a hit from a rocket! We’re under attack! On your feet marines!” the driver yelled over the vehicle’s PA system.

David jumped to his feet. His heart pounding inside his chest, he charged down the exit ramp with the rest of his squad. The lead battle tank billowed flames. A rocket streaked down from dug-out positions in the canyon’s wall. One of the tanks traveling in the tail end Charlie position exploded. They received laser fire from their direct front. David took cover behind a large boulder. He jumped up and fired off a burst with his M-23 Blaster when a laser bolt hit his chest on the upper left-hand side. It spun him around, knocked him on his ass and he struggled to catch his breath. He heard the screams of his fellow marines coming through the com-unit and heard other vehicles exploding. A figure in a black EVA suit loomed over him. I’m dead. The figure standing over him brought the butt of his M-23 Blaster down on the helmet of David’s EVA suit. His helmet cracked right before he lost consciousness.

***

Hello everyone this is Dave the Miracle Maker and I hope everyone is having a great Memorial Day weekend. I don’t know if you have plans to go to the beach or if you are barbecuing this weekend, but please take a moment to honor our fallen heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice and gave their lives in service of this great nation. Their scarafices will live on in our memories and it is something that we should never forget. As for me I plan to attend the Memorial Day ceramonies at our local cematary.

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Now for your reading pleasure, check out chapter 16 of my novel, the Battle for Europa. The Battle for Erops is book one of the Space Corps Chronicles.

Chapter 16

Shawn Gallagher and John Wilson stood on the shuttle docking bay on the surface of Europa. Their security team flanked them. Shawn felt a slight chill and adjusted the temperature settings on his EVA suit. They stared in awe at the ships descending to the surface and landing near the docking bay. Shawn laughed. “Have you ever seen such a ragtag bunch of rust buckets in your life?” His voice reverberated through the speakers in Wilson’s EVA suit.

Wilson smiled. “Yeah. In the federal junkyard orbiting Earth. Some of these ships look like they came from the PPF’s mothballed fleet.” Mechanics driving atmospherically contained tractors hooked up to the ships when they landed. The ship’s skeleton crews disembarked. The sound of engines and the smell of exhaust wafted across the icy planes of Europa. They hauled the ships to an outdoor turbo lift, used to take large equipment from the surface to the lower levels of the mining facility.

“Our maintenance personnel will have their hands full. Do you think they’ll have these things ready before the federal boys get here?”

John shrugged inside his EVA suit. “They’ll be ready. We’ll pull extra personnel from the mines and run three shifts working around the clock.”

Shawn noticed a sleek-looking light cruiser that looked a little less beat up than the rest. Some of the ships weren’t even able to operate under their, own power. They rode piggyback, welded to the top of another vessel. Others were under, tow. He stepped up to one of the maintenance technicians that was attaching a towline to the vessel so he could tow it to the freight lift. “Excuse me, Sergeant.”

The man stopped what he was doing when he heard who was speaking to him. “Yes, Mr. President.”

“I’d like this vessel assigned to the Special Forces Division. I want it given a number one priority. I want the best armor, weapons, and shielding that we’ve got.”

“Yes sir. Mr. President. I’ll get right on it.” The last of the fleet touched down. Three large cargo vessels landed and unloaded men and equipment. The last ship to touch the surface was Ludwig’s luxury yacht. The pilot powered down the vessel and extended the boarding ramp.

“Let’s go greet our guests,” Shawn said. He ambled across the shuttle port in his cumbersome EVA suit. John and their security detail follow along behind. Ludwig and his entourage lumbered down the exit ramp stepping upon the surface.

“Welcome to Europa Mr. Wolf. I hope you had a pleasant flight,” Shawn said.

“It was good. I enjoy space flight.”

“I’ve secured quarters for you and your people. I hope you find them satisfactory. They used to belong to consolidated plant managers.”

“I am sure they are fine. I brought instructors and mechanics to help fix the ships. I also brought instructors to train the new pilots and flight crews for your space corps.”

“I hope we can have the ships ready on time.”

“They will be. After we have settled, come to my quarters for drinks. Bring your Scotch whiskey and I will open a case of my best German beer.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”

John commandeered the nearest sergeant. He asked him to secure a work detail to help Mr. Wolf’s people carry their baggage and unload their cargo ships. They led Ludwig and his entourage into the mining facility and showed them to their quarters.

Shawn gazed about the room at his cabinet members. His secretary retrieved a pitcher of coffee from the food and beverage dispenser. She poured everyone seated a cup and left the room. God everyone looks so tired. Shawn heaved a sigh. “Let’s get this meeting started. Jerry, we’ll start with you. What is your latest intel on the federal Boys?”

Holliday shrugged. “The Federal Defense Force’s main battle fleet has left Mars heading this way. We have roughly three months, or three and a half until they arrive.”

Shawn nodded. “What do you think they will do when they get here?”

Holliday pulled a cigar from his coat pocket. “Set up a blockade and demand our surrender.”

Shawn leaned back in his chair. “What do you think their response will be when we refuse?”

Holliday paused and lit his cigar. “At first they might try to starve us out. When that doesn’t work, they’ll invade and try to bring a resolution by force.”

“What about this new deep space fleet they’re so proud of that we saw on the VID-Net?”

Tobacco smoke drifted across the room and Shawn breathed in its rich aroma. “They are a few days behind the main battle fleet. They would like to use Jupiter’s gravity to slingshot to the edge of the solar system, but who knows? Mr. Bonelli might order them to take their places in the blockade until this thing is over.”

Shawn looked at his good friend and secretary of defense. “What about the troops, John? Will they be ready?”

John sat up straighter in his chair. “Damn right. With the help of Mr. Wolf’s trainers and the new equipment, they should do fine. I have accelerated the training schedule. We’re working on the perimeter defenses around the clock. The feds might have a numeral advantage, but we can make them pay for every inch of ice that they take.”

Shawn nodded, took a drink from his coffee cup, and turned to Admiral Kesler. “What about our new ships? Will they be ready?”

“My mechanics are working around the clock. The ships will be space worthy and in operation when the federals get here.”

“Do you think you can defeat the federal’s main battle fleet?”

Kesler shook his head. “No, but we can hurt them. I will send a small force to Saturn in case the federals send some ships there and keep half my ships in reserve hiding in the asteroid belt. Using feints, lightning-quick attacks, and hit-and-run tactics, we will make the federal admiral wish that he’d never come to Jupiter.”

Shawn looked back at Holliday. “What about our awe-shit plan?”

Holliday laughed. “It’s in the works. We’ve rigged the explosives. The mechanics are putting the finishing touches on the vessels.”

“Good. And that other matter?”

“He’s arrived on Mars and serving as a peacekeeper.”

“How soon until we can launch the snatch and grab?”

“I have Special Forces team training for the mission now. The mechanics are working on the ship. They should be ready to launch in two months. It might be a bit longer. Then three months flight time and then three months to get back. He should be here in a little over six months.”

“Good. I hope they can launch before the feds get here.” Shawn stood to his feet and crossed the room to the food and beverage dispenser. He retrieved a bottle of Scotch whiskey. Rummaging around in a cabinet, he found several shot glasses and poured them each a shot enjoying the smell of the potent brew. “Gentlemen, I know you are all very busy so I won’t keep you any longer, but before we go, let’s have a drink. To the New Republic.” Shawn raised his glass; they downed the shot and filed out of the room.

***

Shawn stood in the hallway in front of Ludwig’s quarters. The quarters had once been the apartment of the former CEO of Consolidated mining. His security detail flanked him. Down the hallway, he heard someone laugh. Shawn rang the door chime, a few seconds passed and the door slid open. Ludwig stood in the doorway wearing a furry brown robe and a grin crossed his bearded face.

“Welcome, Mr. President. I have the beer chilling on ice. I trust you brought the whiskey?”

Shawn held up a brown paper bag. “We killed the last bottle of Scotch earlier. I’ll have to order some more from, supply, but I bought the best Crown Royal that money can buy.”

“Good. Come join me. The lounge has a viewscreen that looks out over the surface of this icy paradise.”

“I’ve never heard it called that.” Shawn entered the luxury apartment. Ludwig led Shawn through his living room to a spacious lounge and took out two shot glasses. Shawn marveled at the extravagance. The security team gathered in the living room. Shawn poured them each a shot of Canadian Whiskey, handed Ludwig his shot, and raised his glass. “To a prosperous future and whatever it might hold.” They touched glasses, downed the shot and Shawn refilled the glasses. He enjoyed the smooth flavor of Canadian whiskey.

“I’ve decided to move my headquarters here temporarily. I will still keep some people in the asteroid belt, but I want to be close to the action. Do you think that you might have some facilities for me?”

Shawn nodded. “Absolutely. You would be a big asset. I’ll pass the word to my maintenance people. They’ll find you a place to set up shop.”

Ludwig smiled. “I have something that will help with your little fight with the federals.”

“What might that be?” Shawn sipped his tumbler of whiskey.

“I have a small quantity on anti-matter.”

Shawn’s bottom jaw dropped and his eyes widened. “What are your intentions for that?”

Ludwig downed his whiskey. Shawn refilled their shot glasses. Ludwig handed Shawn a bottle of German beer. “My armories are fitting a small capsule into the warheads of several torpedoes. They would tear through the hulls of the federal ships like, how do you people from the North American Union say? Like a hot knife through butter.” They tossed back the whiskey and then popped the tops on the beer.

“You Germans sure do know how to make a good beer.” Ludwig nodded. “I’ll have my chief of intelligence and my secretary of defense get with your people. I don’t know how to thank you for everything you’ve done.”

Ludwig gazed out at the surface of Europa as if lost in thought. “Thanks are not necessary. I’ve cast my lot with your New Republic for my, own selfish reasons. All though I believe the federals will stomp you and your New Republic into the ground like so many bugs.”

“Then why lend your support?”

Ludwig rose to his feet and began to pace back and forth. “If you succeed I stand to make a sizable amount of money legally. The relationship will be beneficial for us both.”

Shawn nodded. “If we pull this off, we’ll need men like you to help haul supplies and secure needed equipment. I want to bring the families of all the men here to Europa. This little moon will thrive, as will the moons orbiting Saturn. Business opportunities will abound.” They sat talking and drinking for the next few hours. Finally, Shawn’s security detail helped him back to his quarters and put him to bed.

***

The forces of the New Republic kept busy for the next three months. The mechanics worked round the clock getting the ships of their new fleet ready for space. Other, former miners worked night and day building fighting positions. They used bulldozers to build up icy bulwarks surrounding the main complex. Inside the dug-in fighting positions, they had firing ports pointed out at the approaches to the complex. Machine guns and laser cannons were mounted on the roofs of the buildings above ground.

On top of the HQ building, they held a ceremony to christen the new fleet. Their new fleet held a stationary orbit over Europa. Shawn looked up through the hardened glass dome at the ships orbiting above them. With the stars as a backdrop, Shawn stepped up to the microphone. He looked at the military personnel and miners who toiled in the mines below. “Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for coming. This is a glorious occasion. Today we will christen our new fleet. I for one felt worried that we wouldn’t get this job done before the federal boys arrived to ruin our party. I should have known better. Everyone worked hard to get this job done. I’d like to thank everyone involved.” Applause filled the roof of the building. “I would also like to thank Admiral Gustav Kesler for his tireless work. I will turn the microphone over to him now to read the names of the ships aloud as they fly over in, formation.”

Admiral Kesler stepped up onto the podium. The ships above them broke out of their stationary orbit and began a circular orbit of Europa. Kesler finished calling out the names of the ships in their armada. Shawn stepped back up to the microphone. “This new fleet will now begin its mission of protecting our New Republic. Some will head to Saturn. We will hold some in reserve in the asteroid belt. The bulk will orbit Jupiter waiting to face the federal main battle fleet when they get here. All these ships, along with their crewmen will risk their lives to protect our freedom. We will hold a reception down in the main dining hall everyone is welcome,” Shawn said after finishing his speech.

That night after the launch of their new fleet, Shawn stood on the shuttle landing pad. He wore his EVA suit and watched a Special Forces team board a sleek light cruiser. Emblazed in gold across its nose were the words: Freebird Two. The small ship bristled with armor and armaments. They had painted its hull flat black with no external markings. When the pilot and co-pilot approached the boarding ramp, Shawn stepped up to the pilot. He took his arm and gripped it using the gloves of his EVA suit. “Mr. O’Brian. You know why I chose you for this mission, don’t you?”

O’Brien nodded. “I think so, Mr. President.”

“You’re the pilot of my, personal space cruiser. You are the best-damned pilot we have. I wouldn’t trust this mission to anyone else. Those men boarding your ship are the best Special Forces team we have. Tell them for me to bring my brother home. Tell them, that no matter how this turns out, it is an honor to be their president. Bring him to me.”

“Sir, we’ll get the job done, or we’ll die trying.”

Shawn shook his head. “No. I don’t want anyone to die. I want you to bring my brother back here from Mars alive. I want everyone else to come back alive. Make it happen.”

“I’ll get her done sir.” Shawn released his grip on O’Brian’s arm. He stepped back and gave him an awkward salute. O’Brien returned the gesture and boarded the vessel. Shawn watched the light cruiser lift off the surface. The shuttle entered an orbit around Jupiter and headed for Mars. Later that evening, Shawn set at a table on the rooftop of the main mining complex. His chief of security stood back in the shadows letting him enjoy some privacy. Shawn brought a tumbler of Crown Royal to his mouth and glanced up at the supper-hardened glass dome. He watched the lights of the ships in their new fleet orbiting overhead.

Shawn’s thoughts drifted to the Special Forces team heading toward Mars. God, I hope they make it through. His mind turned to his brother David. He hoped that when he had him here with him, he could undo the brainwashing that the federals had put in place. He envisioned David making a home here with him on Europa. He could have a bright future here. Several tiny, specks of light moved in the sky. The ships in their new fleet moved into formation and head outward away from Jupiter. The com-unit on the lapel of Shawn’s shirt beeped and he slapped his shoulder. “Gallagher here.”

“Mr. President. This is Linda Van Horn. The federals have arrived. A large fleet appeared, coming out of the asteroid belt.” Shawn felt a cold ball of ice drop into the center of his stomach.

“Okay. Put the troops garrisoned at the station on alert. I’ll be in my council chambers in two minutes.” Shawn ended the transmission, stood to his feet, and downed the rest of the whiskey in his tumbler. His chief of security stepped from the shadows. “I guess I’d better call an emergency cabinet meeting and put the forces on alert.”

“Yes sir.”

Shawn turned to go but stopped and glanced once more through the glass dome at the stars overhead. God, I hope O’Brian and his team made it through. He turned toward the turbo lift and headed down to his council chambers below.

***