The Milky Way Saga: Cities to Embers (Book 1 of 3)

Chapter 15: This Land Is My Land

0046 hours March 2nd, 2160

Earth atmosphere, Sol System

Earth is my land. The home of my people. The land of my forefathers. So you can imagine how unhappy I am to see twin plus Incolma ships hovering above it. I could even see some ships on the ground with how massive they are. We're above Asia. they were taking no time in making sure that we weren't going to be there for too long. Then I saw what pushed me over: An evacuation ship was leaving the ground, and was one of the larger ones we have. It got to be about half pf a mile below the incomla capital ship when the aliens blasted it. At least two thousand dead.  It made my blood boil.
"Bret, get us over there. We're gonna mop some of these bastards up before we go back to Nevada."
"Yessir." Bret turned us towards the enemy ships and sent us towards them. 

I headed down to the hangar and hopped into a microship. This was a custom one I had wanted, funny that it made it's way onto this ship. It didn't have rockets like the other ones did, but small nuclear weapon releases, ones that wold drop these menacing little bombs like the planes in World War II did. Primitive, but effective.

I flew over to one of the smaller ships, right as it's hangar was opening to send little irritating Incolma fighters after me. I got to be above the ship, by about a thousand feet or so, and opened the hatch on the underbelly of the micro. Bombs away. I bolted off, as fast as I could, so that I wasn't affected by the blast radius. The light after the bomb went off was blinding, but my helmets visor quickly adjusted. I looked back after the light faded enough that I didn't think my eyes would melt if I saw it, and what a sight to behold. The ship was in pieces, nothing was left but scrap and debris. Nukes can get through their shields? Great. I made a trip back over to our ship and almost got blasted by one of their side mounted turrets. It hit the Discovery instead.

A large explosion, but little damage was done. It was weird fighting like this in space, there was no sound, just flashes and weird feelings in the back of your head. I hurried over to the Discovery and landed inside the hangar. The doors shut and I sprinted to the control room. as the doors slid open, I found a gun pointed in my face. "Whoa! What the hell?"
"Sorry, Isaac, I thought you were going to be one of them."
"It's fine, Bret, I need you to get us away from here now. Get us over to Nevada as fast as you can."
"Alright man, whatever you say." Ford looked at me angrily.
"What are you doing? You're going to lead them to the base!"
"I know, that's the point."

Bret sent us speeding over to the other side of the world, not a very long trip when you're in space. We were in a constant firefight with the ships that were following us over there, blasting bakck and forth, I was surprised that nothing serious was happening to us.
"Why haven't they blown through this ship by now, Ford?"
"It's made of a rare metal that was only found on Grendel, in the Master System. Very strong, very hard to melt and mold."
"Awesome."

We finally made it over to America. It looked so young, so capable, nothing like the other colonies. For some reason it made me thing of home, of Augher, of Ireland. I wonder if it's still there.
"We need to figure out who's going down there, and who's staying." Ford stood up.
"I'll stay here, hold there fire as long as I can, you two go get that ship in the air, it could be the only thing we have to save Earth." Bret and I looked at him; It was so like him to try and be the hero. How many ribbons and medals does he have again? I looked him in the eye, and then saluted. Bret did the same. We broke the salute, and I shook his hand, "It's been an honor serving with you."
"The honor's all mine, you two are fine soldiers, and even better men. You both have my blessing." Bret looked like he was about to cry, "Man, I'm gonna miss you."
"Yeah, I'll miss you too." We stated towards the hangar and I looked back to see Ford smiling. Incredible. The only time I had ever seen him smile was in that picture he had of his son's graduation.  That had to have been well over ten years. I smiled back, and went to the ships.

Bret and I both got into our own ships, It was understood that if one of us died, the other would have to continue the mission, so there was no point in us both getting in the same ship. We started them up and took off towards Earth.

We got down to the ground and ran towards the ship, but not before looking up at the marvel that was these giant ships firing at one another. It was a spectacle that was awe inspiring, although it meant that the Earth might not be around for all that long.
"Hey, come one, man!" Bret was shouting at me from the front of the ship. I had forgotten just how big it was. Over SEVEN MILES long. one hundred stories high. This thing was a behemoth. "Behemoth."
"What was that, Isaac?"
"I said it was a Behemoth, a giant, you know?"
"Yeah, hey, I like the sound of that." So, we took to calling it The Behemoth. 

The view glass that was destroyed when we captured it was fixed, but with our glass, I could tell because it didn'tt have that green hue to it that most of their ships have. We found the door to it a few yards down, and went inside. It was cold, dark, and oddly, it felt like it might be alive. 

We found our way back up to the control room. There were human tools every where, and a half dozen coffee mugs. I doubt anyone's actually been trying to get this thing to work.  I touched my hand to the small screen on the arm of what I guess was the captain's chair, above the pedistal. The same one that knocked me out last time.
"Hold on, how did you get this down to Earth?" He looked at me like I was crazy.
"Dude, look at it, it crash landed." I nodded, it looked fine to me, maybe a little submerged in the Nevada desert sand, but what wouldn't if it weighed as much as this does.

I touched my hand to the panel again, and recited the words that Hav'rte's brother, Utanrehe, told me, "Pungea fortiorem voluntatem Dei nulla est anima." The screen where my hand had been glowed blue, then the entire room lit up. Bret jumped when the screens all turned on. I sat in the chair, and it spoke to me. Not aloud, but in my mind. [You are not one of the Incolma, you are Humana, you are the child of the ones who hate you. Why are you governing this ship] I thought out my response. My name is Isaac Free, I am the Vice Admiral to the Milky Way Republic Armed Naval Forces. I need this ship to save my worlds from the destrution that our ancesters have brought to us. Will you help us?  The ship was paused, like it was mulling it over. [I will help the young offspring of those who created me. Your race is small and young, and innocent, far more deserving than the ones who have brought pain and suffering apon you and your people] I smiled, then I heard an explosion.

I jumped off of the pedistal and ran back out the door to the outside. I looked up and saw our ship, the MWR Dicovery, falling towards the Earth. Ford.  It was over for him, and he put a good fight. I ran over to the door and was stopped in my tracks. about forty yards behind the door was an army of incolma soldiers. Shit. I pulled out my rifle and started to blast them. one would fall ad two more would fill it's place. I can't leave an army of these things down here.  "Bret," I caled him on the comm system in my helmet.
"What's going on down there, do you need some help?"
"No, I need you to go get on the pedistal, put your hand on it and say the same thing I did a minute ago."
"Why?"
"There is an army of these damned Denizens down here, and  wont make it back on there! Get the ship in the air, off of the planet, and cloak it, there is a caomflage setting on the ship. Get away from Earth until I call you to pick me up! Go!"
"But Isaac, I don't k-"
"GO!" I shouted at him, and there wasn't an answer, the ships lights changed to orange, and it started to fly into the air. The sound it made ewhile it was gainnig altitude was a mix of an Elephant growling and a Lion roaring. It was frghtening. It got to be about a hundred yards up in ythe air and it just disappeared. gone, in thin air. He did it. I got shot in the arm, for not paying attention.
And it didn't hurt.