Book V of The Dream Seers: Offworlders
No Man's Land
By Nathan Skaggs
BookRix GmbH & Co. KG
Munich, Germany
© 2019 by Nathan Skaggs.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publishers, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a newspaper, magazine, or journal.
Second edition
All characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
BookRix GmbH & Co. KG has allowed this work to remain exactly as the author intended, verbatim, without, editorial input.
ISBN: 978-3-7438-2166-8
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Blitzkrieg
In a remote, unforgiving region of the Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy, an enormous Deimosian League battle fleet suddenly appeared on the edge of The Mustelidae Alliance's Wastelands. The fleet immediately commenced firing on military bases and government installations in The Fragmentary Planets Solar System. Mustelidae automated defenses immediately went into action as Mustelidae military personnel were completely taken by surprise. As sirens sounded throughout The Fragmentary Planets, Mustelidae civilians and police hastily rushed to Civil Defense shelters. Mustelidae military personnel deep inside bunkers initiated their counter attack within moments of the Deimosian salvos. With both sides actively engaged in battle, casualties mounted. The most vulnerable were the the bipedal, badger like Mustelidae civilians in exposed areas. The skeleton looking Deimosian troops soon landed in the cities to sow further chaos. Robotic soldiers were the only defense against the Deimosian invaders. Civilians who had not already sought refuge scurried to evacuation ships. As Demosian platoons approached military bases, scant Mustelidae squads began fierce block to block resistance.
Premier Samson of Mustelidae learned of the attack within moments of the first Deimosian salvos. Samson immediately contacted senior military commanders throughout the solar system.
“This is Premier Samson! What's your current status?” Samson inquired.
“Sir, the Deimosians have launched biological warheads throughout The Fragmentary Planets! We've detected a pathogen meant to affect only Mustelidae! Our vaccinations rendered the pathogen useless! This attack was obviously meant to exterminate us, but the pathogen only caused momentary skin irritation and a transitory nausea!” General Nahum reported.
“I authorize the use of tactical neutron warheads and fusion warheads! Notify your field commanders at once!” Samson ordered.
“Yes, Mr. Premier!” The senior commanders answered throughout the solar system.
The military commanders initiated warning and evacuation messages only audible to Mustelidae ears.
Meanwhile on Deimos, Chancellor Nebuchadnezzar watched Mustelidae hastily run to shelters and evacuation ships.
“Watch them run like the animals they are. This will be over before it begins.” Nebuchadnezzar said.
At that moment, Nebuchadnezzar saw multiple bright, white flashes throughout planets in the solar system.
“What was that, Admiral?” Nebuchadnezzar asked.
“Chancellor, we just lost multiple platoons and ships! The badgers are throwing neutron bombs and fusion bombs at us, and the pathogen was ineffective!” Admiral Ramses shockingly responded.
“Cunning little badgers, aren't they?” Admiral, do your troops have ground control on any of The Fragmentary Planets?”
“Yes, Chancellor! We're in control of the four outermost planets in the solar system! The Mustelidae have either fled or they're in hiding on those planets!”
“That will suffice for the moment, Admiral. Send what reinforcements you can there and move the rest of the fleet to the asteroid fields.”
“Yes, Chancellor.”
“Admiral, have you received word from General Goliath?”
“No, Chancellor. He's maintaining radio silence as he is conducting a sensitive operation.”
“I'll expect a joint briefing once he contacts you. Nebuchadnezzar out.”
On the other side of the sun, Governor Festus of the planet Timnath-serah and his pilot hid behind a comet to avoid Deimosian patrols. The pilot deactivated all non essential ship functions and maintained strict radio silence.
“Major, send an encrypted message to the Mustelidae Military Command.” Festus ordered.
“Sir, I can't do that until I'm sure there are no Deimosian scouts in the vicinity.” The pilot stated.
Festus impulsively activated an emergency channel and began speaking.
“Mayday, this is Governor Festus. We need a military escort to take us out of the solar system.”
“Sir, you may have just given away our position!”
Moments later, an alert sounded over the emergency channel.
“Governor, this is Captain Gereshom of The Fragmentary Planets Defense Forces. You should hide with us in the tail of this comet until Mustelidae Military Command reinforcements arrive.” Gereshom said.
“How can we hide in the tail?” Festus inquired.
“The comet's close enough to the sun right now to give the asteroid tailing it a temporary atmosphere. “We'll guide you in, Governor.”
“We'll be right there, Captain. Festus out.”
Festus' pilot spotted an intermittent infrared beacon then set a course inside the comet's tail.
“Sir, I hope you're right about this.” The pilot said.
“Quit acting like a little boy and start acting like a grown man! Soldiers are waiting for us!” Festus complained.
Within a few minutes, the pilot landed on the asteroid. Festus and the pilot exited the shuttle when they saw soldiers approach in the fog. Festus waved to the soldiers.
“Over here, gentlemen!” Festus shouted.
Searing white phosphorous pellets then struck Festus and his pilot immediately killing the pilot. Festus was shot in the limbs and torso. As Festus lay squirming in complete agony trying to speak, a skeletal, Deimosian soldier stood over him.
“Hello, Festus. I am General Goliath, and I've waited a long time for this. Throughout your campaign, you said 'the universe would be better if all those skeleton demons were dead.' As I read your lips, you're begging me to kill you. Don't worry. You'll be dead in a few minutes, but it will seem like an eternity. I ordered my troops not to perforate your head, heart, neck, and spinal cord.” Goliath said.
“General, we must leave. A Mustelidae squadron's approaching. They know Gereshom actually died in the attack on Timnath-serah.” A male lieutenant reported.
“Ladies and gentleman, let's rejoin the fleet!”
“Yes, sir!” Goliath's troops collectively shouted as they ran to their shuttles.
Deep in the safety of the Mustelidae Military Command, Samson and his top military personnel discussed counterattack options on Deimosian territory.
“Premier, we can launch an immediate counteroffensive on The Rogue Asteroid Field in The Badlands, since it's the closest solar system to The Fragmentary Planets!” General Absalom reported.
“We'll use our infiltration ships in The Rogue Asteroid Field. That poses the least risk to our forces.” Samson stated.
“But sir, The Badlands are where the Deimosians will expect an attack!” Admiral Abital explained.
“I must agree with Admiral Abital! The Deimosians will be waiting for us!” Admiral Junia replied.
“Our spy ships can do the job, since they're already in place!” General Hariph interjected.
“Exactly, General. Those ships are actually weapons platforms with fusion reactors and a pathogen designed to kill Deimosians. We'll be even before the day's over. We can attack Rogue Asteroid Field military bases without losing a single soldier. Now, what's our total death toll?” Samson asked.”
“We lost 10 cities in five minutes. Governors Freda, Ingram, and Sapphira are among the dead.” Absalom answered.
“How'd the Governors get caught? They should have been taken to safe locations the minute the attack began!” Hariph complained.
“Freda died touring a new fusion reactor on Philistia when Admiral Delilah's ships targeted the facility causing a brief, but intense neutron radiation surge. Governor Ingram was trampled when guests and graduates at the military academy on Nippur overran his guards trying to reach evacuation shuttles and shelters. General Salome knew exactly how to route the crowd into Ingram's path.” Abital reported.
“Sapphira died when Admiral Ramses targeted the Governor's Mansion on Midian. Sapphira and her staff didn't even have a chance to flee.” Abital said.
“We have footage of Sapphira's Lieutenant Governor, Bithia. Admiral Ramses' ship breached the hull of Bithia's shuttle in the upper atmosphere causing her blood to boil.” Junia said as everyone
Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG Texte: Nathan Skaggs Alle Rechte vorbehalten Widmung:Impressum
Bildmaterialien: Nathan Skaggs
Lektorat: Nathan Skaggs
Übersetzung: Nathan Skaggs
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 07.07.2017
ISBN: 978-3-7438-2166-8
This book is dedicated to my family for a lifetime of unconditional support and the greatest kindness I have ever known.