“Report!” Navarchos Bass called from a commandeered science station at the rear of the bridge.
He was frustrated.
Frustrated and impatient. Had he been back on the Xifos he would be standing with Lemmer in the CIC and the tactial console in front of him with a full readout of the situation, and all the information he could need at his fingertips. As much as he loved the Gyfjon, this was not where he should be right now.
“Sixty-Two minutes to Tau Ceti sir.” Captain Gwenn responded.
“And what about contact?” Aerti pressed.
“Nothing from Tau Ceti Redoubt or the Dodecahedron. We’ve got basic data link with the Xifos. Full handshake is underway. We should have fleet comms restored in a few minutes.”
“Well that’s something.” Aerti sighed and ran his hair through his greying hair. “As soon as we have uplink I want all telemtetry from the Xifos on monitor one and Lem on monitor two, understood?”
“Aye sir.” Gwenn sounded off.
“What’s the plan Aerti?” Loona said walking up to the station.
Aertimus noted she was not alone.
“We go in, assess the situation and demand the Insectoids leave if needed.” He said as calmly as he could at that moment.
“Assess the situation!? What do you mean assess the situation!?” Niall said sounding more than a little anxious.
“I mean just that. We know there’s something there. Something big and comms are out. It could just be a misunderstanding. This may not be a hostile situation.”
“Oh so it could be a fun situation!? Sorcha’s having a party! She invited the Insectoids over for the craic! Said she’d make cake n’ everything! We’ll warp in to find my daughter perfectly safe, sound and up to her elbows in a fucking mixing bowl!”
“Get a grip of yourself, Niall.” Aerti hissed under his breath “We’re both smart enough to know what’s going on here. But I have orders.”
“Your orders can get fucked!” Niall shouted.
Navarchos Bass took a large breath.
“Do you trust me?” Aertimus asked.
Niall cocked his head and narrowed his eyes.
“Back on Titan Station I asked you to trust me. It didn’t always look like we were on the same team then but we were. I’m asking you to trust me Niall, from one brother to another. Trust me now like you trusted me then. Trust me to do what I have to do.” Aerti said.
“Ok…” Niall nodded. “I’ll trust you.”
“Good.” Aertimus said. “Is there anything else Deputy Floor Leader Armac?”
Loona took a moment to realise it was her turn to speak.
“No, that’ll be all Navarchos. I trust you to handle the situation.”
As she walked away she caught the eye of Centurium ColVanos. One was next in line to the Floor Leader and the other to the Emperor. They’d both been briefed. Both of them knew what the protocol was here. Don’t fire unless fired upon. If Loona tried to push Aertimus to engage and Centurium ColVanos countermandered her it would land her in the Imperial Dungeon. But if she didn’t…Alesia was down there…
“Your hand’s shaking.” Niall said.
“I…I…I’m just worried.”
“You and me both.” Niall said. “You and me both…”
****
Acolyte One continued to circle low over the maiden city of Tau Ceti, along with its eleven sisters. In the streets below nervous Titans watched nervous Humans march out of the city in ever increasing numbers.
“First groups just arrived at the entrance to the caverns.” Archon Demerius reported “They’re as reported. The entrance is only around ten feet in diameter. We’ve got scouts going in to check out just how many people we can safely get down there.”
“Will they be safe in there?” Ted asked.
“For a while yes. But if these bugs are like the ones on Earth…well bugs dig…” Demerious said.
There was a high pitched tone over the comm.
“Signal from base sir,” CMLT McIntosh said. “More contact entering upper atmosphere.”
“Numbers?”
“Unsure sir…” McIntosh said and typed furiously on her screen.
“Unsure? Are we being jammed?”
“Not that I can see boss…the computers can’t get a read on the exact number cuz’ there’s too many o’ the buggers.”
Ted tapped his own monitor and brought up the orbital readouts. It was as she said. One large, whirling mass, like a swarm of locusts bearing down on Tau Ceti’s surface from above.
“Counting at least four…no six hundred individual ships…” McIntosh said.
“My god…how can we win against that?” Ibori said, speaking for many of the acolyte crews.
“We can’t.” Ted replied. “We can only hold them off until reinforcements arrive. Kill as many as we can until we can’t fight anymore.”
“That’s a plan ah can get on board with, boss.” Lorna said, smiling.
Ted opened a channel to the whole squadron. “All units, multiple incoming hostiles. Flight leaders, engage targets. Wingmen provide cover and engage if possible. Don’t let them reach the surface and don’t take risks. Any ships we lose leave a big hole in our coverage.”
The captains of each ship checked in.
“An’ lowest score buys the drinks!” Lorna threw in at the end.
The thirty-six Acolyte crew members laughed in spite of themselves.
“If we all get home, I’ll guy everyone their drinks.” Ted said. “Okay, neural interfaces on. Let’s engage them as high as we can and keep them up there! All wings, on me!”
Ted activated his neural interface and ordered Acoltye One into a steep climb as fast as it could go. The ship was buffeted by the turbulence as it cut through the dense cloud layer. It felt like minutes had passed rather than seconds as the squadron ploughed ever upwards. The clouds gave way and they saw it.
It hung in the sky like Eebee or the moon over Earth. Except it wasn’t round and light like a planet. It was dark, with six legs and a sinister red glow. The hive ship. And between it and them were hundreds of craft, laden with troops ready to assault the civilians below.
“Dinnae worry lads. The bigger they are, the harder they fall. I know from experience.” Lorna said.
“Dare I ask what experience is that?” Ibori asked.
“Ah did a tour with the Jacks. They teach you enhanced combat techniques fer dealin’ with Titans and other larger threats. You kick a Titan lad as hard as ye’ can in the bawbag and he’ll drop like any Human man.” Said Lorna “Targets thirty seconds out…”
“Rodger. So you suggest kicking that ship in the nuts?” Ted said.
“Ah would sir but I don’t see a big pair o’ sweaty balls hanging off that thing, do you?” Lorna said. “Ten seconds…”
“Now you mention it, I don’t.”
Ted narrowed his eyes, his HUD was practically lit up with incoming ships, he aimed for an area of darkness, hoping to avoid smashing into the hull of one of the cruiser sized craft. A second later Insectoid ships were rushing past. He slammed on the brakes, flipped the ship over and hit full speed, pulling his fighter in behind the first ship he saw. Lorna opened up, catching it in the main drive which promptly exploded.
“Scratch one baddie!” Lorna shouted.
Her captain was about to congratulate her when streaks of green plasma flew past his ship, too close for comfort. Ted flung the ship into a roll.
“You’ve got a ship on your tail, it’s different, looks like a fighter.” Edwin Cooper, the captain of Acolyte two called over the comm. “Hold tight, I’m on him.”
Acolyte One weaved from side to side, her nose pointed straight down to the cloud layer. Every few seconds glowing red plasma would fly from her guns and into the rear of one of the Insectoid dropships and it would explode or spin out of formation. Behind him there was green glow and the red blip that was following him disappeared.
“Thanks Cooper.” Ted called to his wingman.
The ship kept moving, from one target to the next, its guns barely having a chance to cool and its reactor only just generating enough energy to charge them for the next shot before they unleashed again. Every shot had to be pinpoint. Get the one of the engines in near enough dead centre and it’d cause a chain reaction that took out the whole ship. The rest was just pot luck. Occasionally a fighter would creep in behind him before behind dispatched by Acolyte Two.
Another ship exploded in front of him.
“That makes ten for me!” Lorna called. “We’re winning so far boys!”
Acolyte One was rocked and thrown to the side as an enormous Insectoid fighter cut across in front of them. Ted barely managed to pull the ship in up in time.
“That was close!” He shouted and adjusted course to follow the next dropship.
A few seconds later it was gone. It hadn’t exploded like the rest. It had entered the cloud layer. Ted followed its wake, getting bounced along in the swirling cloud. CMLT McIntosh was fixed to her scopes, trying to get a lock. She took a shot, a gut instinct and once more the sky lit up. Ted rolled the ship to the side and pulled up as they came out underneath the clouds and into the pouring rain. Insectoid ships followed closely behind him. Some in pursuit and others heading for the surface.
“All ships, they’ve breached the cloud layer. Engage dropships only with extreme prejudice.” Ted ordered.
Best guess was they’d taken out around one hundred. There were many hundreds more. He’d hoped to do more. He hoped it would be enough.
****
The rain continued to beat down across the valley. Sorcha cursed it. It was turning the ground beyond the city to mud and slowing progress. When selecting the site of the city she hadn’t really taken the rain into account. She was from Tannhauser Gate. It only stopped raining to snow. Rain was just a fact of life. It was also good for growing crops. You got used to it. Its effect on an exodus from the city to escape from an Insectoid invasion didn’t feature in her logic at the time.
Sorcha now wished it had.
She studied the sky. Every flash of lightning drawing her eyes straight to it. She listened carefully, trying to decide if each rumble she heard was normal thunder or the distant sound of a starship exploding. She felt helpless. Like the little girl she once was, hiding under the covers in her grandparent’s house during one of Sobdu’s many storms. She thought those storms would swallow her up. And now there was another storm coming. One that would try to for real. Along with all the helpless people in her care.
But staring into the sky didn’t do any good. She looked back to the ground and to many frightened faces staring up at her.
“It’s ok.” She said.
“Just keep moving.” She reassured.
“We’ll protect you.” She repeated hoping it wasn’t a lie.
Joseph approached. “We have to do something about this mud. It’s getting almost impossible for the civilians to escape.”
“If only we had a road…” Sorcha said.
Joseph’s eyes lit up. “A great idea!”
He moved over several streets to an area free of civilians and used his club to smash in one end of the road at his feet. He then bent over and used all of the strength he could muster and tore a length of road, almost as long as he was tall from the ground.
“It’s modular! It comes away!” He said and rushed it to the edge of the city.
Sorcha immediately did the same with a road a few blocks over. She would have ordered the rest of the Titan crew to assist but she could barely tear it from its mounting. That was the point.
“You’re a genius!” she said to him as she rushed past him in the street.
“It must have rubbed off.” He said.
The pair put in a few more trips, back and forth, pulling up road and laying down almost half a kilometre across the muddy ground. The crowd was once more moving at a decent pace when all eyes looked skywards.
It was either one big rumble of thunder or a few close explosions.
The small chunks of burning debris raining down settled any debate there might have been. Sorcha caught the fast moving blue streak of a Human ship and shortly after an entire fleet of Insectoid ships.
Joseph slowly walked up behind her and intertwined his hand with hers.
“What do we do now?” Sorcha asked, her lip lower trembling.
Joseph raised his club in front of him. “We fight.”
****
“North east, ten clicks!” Lorna shouted.
Ted turned the ship hard and hit the throttle. Just as his weapons officer got a lock the ship exploded and Acolyte Three streaked through the flames following by a pursuing Insectoid fighter. He should have been pleased it was one more down but it was a valuable few seconds lost. They were doubling up on targets. It was inefficient. What Ted wouldn’t give for a proper command centre coordinating this fight.
“You got one on your six, Ryan.” Ted said
He quickly moved to locate the next dropship that was attempting to land.
“He’s been there for a while. I think he likes me.” Ryan responded with a chuckle.
Ted rushed towards a ship that was barely one hundred feet off the ground.
“Don’t get cocky Ryan. Lose it and move on.” Ted ordered.
CMLT McIntosh opened up with the Acolyte’s cannons and the dropship heaved from side to side. She made a quick correction and opened up again, this time finding her mark and the dropship exploded.
“They can’t hit me. This ship’s too small and too quick.”
Ted flipped over Acolyte One and powered in the direction of Acolyte Three.
“Take em out Lorna.” Ted ordered.
“Aye sir.” She said and opened up into Ryan’s pursuer.
“You didn’t have to.” Ryan said.
“No risks.” Ted responded firmly.
“Sir!” Lorna shouted. “First dropship is down!”
“Dammit!” Ted shouted. “Move to intercept, let’s kill as many as we can before they move into cover.”
Ryan opened a channel to the ground. “Sorcha, first ship is down. You’ve got company…”
****
In the midst of the chaos Sorcha allowed herself a single, solitary moment. Just to look. For one, brief instant. She had always admired Joseph to a certain degree. When she first arrived on Avalon she liked having someone around who was taller than her. And stronger than her she thought. Though she didn’t spend any time with the other Hybrids owing to her own temperament it didn’t stop her admiring from afar.
And she had admired him much more closely recently. Tall, athletic with tanned skin and bright, violet eyes and hair that was a lot more styled than Joseph would care to admit. There was plenty to admire. Especially the arms. And the shoulders she thought. Thick, toned arms attached to square set shoulders. There was a lot to like there.
And at this precise moment she had to admire how her friend/bed-partner/toy-boy/whateverthehellhewas looked in a vest top, dripping wet with rain as he swung his club through the air with every bit of might he could muster. His arms looked particularly good doing that. His triceps especially.
The moment was ended with a disturbing crunch and then a sickening squelch as Joseph’s metal club made contact with the head of an Insectoid soldier, caving it in and ending the creature’s life.
Behind it were three more. Joseph swung once more, stunning the soldier directly in front of him who was trying to get a shot off at him.
Sorcha ducked behind a building and ran up the street parallel to Joseph. She jumped out behind the insectoid troops, her club raised high above her. She swung it down as hard as she could, smashing the tough exoskeleton into smithereens. It dropped to the ground, twitching.
She stepped over the body towards the last remaining soldier as Joseph pulled the laser arm from its still live comrade and then stepped on its head. Sorcha almost felt sorry for the last one. Stuck between two beings twice its height, determined to kill it. But it intended far worse for the Humans who lived here. Sorcha grabbed its weapon, holding it off at a safe angle and then ripped the creature’s head from its torso with her free hand.
“That’s all from that ship.” Said Sorcha.
Joseph slouched against the nearest building. “So that’s lunch then?”
“Hardly, Ryan says there’s three more ships touching down to the north.” Sorcha said examining her pad.
Joseph sighed and stood up straight. “No rest for the wicked.” He picked up his club and flung it over his shoulder.
The pair jogged across the city, the sound of explosions echoing all around them and the sound of energy weapons drawing nearer. They picked up the pace and a minute later they found two Titan men ducked down behind a building each as laser fire shot past from a dozen Insectoid soldiers.
“What do we do!?” Centi, a shortish, roundish man cried. “We don’t have rifles!”
Joseph pulled him to his feet and looked into his eyes. “Get yourself together Centi! Cowering will do no good.”
“He’s right though, how can we fight them?” Joran said.
“Hit and run.” Said Sorcha. “One distracts, the other attacks.”
“Use your clubs. Got for the head and the weapon arm.” Joseph added. “We’ll show you.” He nodded to Sorcha.
She stepped out into the open. “Oi! Bugs! Over here!” She shouted and then ran down the street. The soldiers quickly followed, firing their weapons at her.
“Now when they run past just bash them on the head.” Joseph instructed.
The panicked men looked at him. “You’re…you’re not staying?” Centi asked.
Joseph pointed to the dropship that was landing one hundred units away. “I’m going to deal with that.” He said and ran off in its direction.
They had no choice. They were on their own. They listened to the sound of the scuttling as it drew nearer and then swung their clubs as the soldiers appeared beside them. They kept swinging and swinging and swinging until there was no more movement.
Meanwhile Joseph had taken up position several buildings from the edge of the city where the dropshop had landed. He leaned out, counting how many bugs there were and where they were headed.
“Two columns, a dozen each, heading right towards me. Great…” He muttered.
He waited, letting them get closer. He could hear the scuttling of their legs on the tarmac as they approached. To his left and right he could see the shadows of the approaching troops. He was stuck. There was only one way out, and it was through a dozen Insectoid soldiers.
“Well…this wasn’t my brightest move…” he quiet said to himself. “Left or right?”
It was obviously right. It was his best swinging angle. He swung as hard as he could, sending the front two soldiers flying backwards into the troops advancing behind them and collapsing the entire column.
Joseph ran as fast as his legs could carry him but within seconds bolts of energy were flying past him. He didn’t barely had time to react when he felt a seering pain in his back just below his right shoulder. His hand gave way and he dropped his club. Instinctively he dived behind the nearest building. On both sides laser bolts shot past him. He was pinned down, on his own with at least twenty soldiers advancing towards him.
“Shit! Shit! Shit!”
He quickly got out his pad, fumbling as he did so. His arm and his shoulder ached. He tried to call Sorcha but there was no connection. And with that, no hope.
“Ripped apart by giant bugs…not how I thought I would go…” He said and prepared for himself for his end.
Thanks again.
Another great chapter.
@Dann. First let me say I love al Titan novels. They are excellent. So many details and feelings. Giant(tess) done right with cool Sci-Fi. If this was a CGI series on TV it would be the best thing EVER.
You’re right about everything if you look at the big picture. Even if 500 million humans die, they are already winning the big fight. All of our friends are super talented and in key positions of power. And if you look closely, Loona made only one mistake that starts in the beginning of Hybrid, maybe understandable caution. Maybe I’m being too hard on Loona. I can’t help it, I hate politicians, bureaucrats so much in real life and I have a difference of opinion of how to act.
It is not unrealistic how Eyrn turned out in the story, but people are lost when they loose sight of what is really important.
But I get a feeling Loona and Eyrn will choose friends and family above Empire rules and finally act instead of sitting at a desk all day.
Lol when aerti ask Niall to trust him
I live by a code “the truth is out there, trust no one”
AKA Go suck start a pistol… you too Loona, die both of you
While that is a…harsh position to take, I agree somewhat and actually don’t trust Loona or Aerti. Maybe Aerti some, but my feeling from Contact was that he was doing some things right but his plan was overly cautious and would have led to a bad ending because he wasn’t being forceful enough. Eyrn even advised him not to unduly risk his career by being too helpful to the humans, which was sort of the beginning of the end for my love for that character. Loona is the same, her extreme caution and unwillingness to risk the government has caused great hardships for humanity. She has also been complicit in the lies to Earth, which caused even greater problems on the colony project that she settled for in the first place. If there’s a chance of defeating the Insects at Tau Ceti and she insists on leaving “for the good of the Empire” then she is humanity’s worst friend.
Thanks, couldn’t have said it better. They are not Darren, Niall or any other human’s friend and that’s why Darren and Niall don’t trust them. Loona has blood on her hands. All those deaths on Tau Ceti are her fault. Aerti’s way of thinking I can understand. His bond with humans isn’t as close from that of Loona or Eyrn. Loona’s extreme caution like you say is very disturbing. She sold her soul, but by the end of Hybrid she will have learned her lesson and resign. Eyrn is indeed the worst, unless she is covering for Darren and Earth and told Loona lies. But like you said, she is brainwashed. Her strong spirit is dead.
Eryn can suck start a pistol too, forgot about her expendable ass. For real I used to like them all until they got into politics and then they changed
*sigh* I guess the age old saying is true for titans also “Power corrupts all”
Agreed that they changed, but not because of power, but more like how Rapscallion describes it.
I don’t believe in “Power corrupts all”. That is an excuse for weak people who can’t handle power.
This is where Loona has totally failed her friends and humanity. I quote Rapscallion:
“Loona is the same, her extreme caution and unwillingness to risk the government has caused great hardships for humanity.”
Eyrn stopped being Eyrn after Exile and turned into an indifferent tool.
Politics is what killed them as the likeable characters they were. Why did they all have to get into politics, was there a need for them to even get into politics beside for plot development.
Eryn was such a fun character at the start when she was first introduce, so lively ready to take on anyone the talked bad about humans and now it seemed like that part of her dead, she turned her back on humans who raise her for a life as a titan. At first she was more human than titan now she is just another titan, nothing left of the person who she once was.
Loona she just plain and mess up and got a whole lot of people killed, she should of stuck to being a reporter like she was.
I think it was Pryvani that talked them into going into politics, could be wrong but am sure it was her.
Lol the old Eryn used to care about humans now she doesn’t at all, “She’s more titan now than human, twisted and evil”
Gone is the Eryn we all once knew… consumed by darth puppet master now she is.
Eryn is the new Darth Vader
I’m officially calling Godwin’s Law.
“Gone is the Eryn we all once knew… consumed by darth puppet master now she is.
Eryn is the new Darth Vader”
_________
Bet ya she’d look really cool in that helmet ..(and robe).. *picturing it now*
Wait, don’t have to picture it…..
http://time.com/3685708/super-bowl-ads-vw-the-force/
The wild girl has been civilized, from the Titan perspective.
As I see it, they wrote the beginning and end of a character arc, but not the middle.
Beginning
Titan girl raised on earth, develops dual identities, feels like outsider but finds a way to make it work. Abducted by her own people, realizes she is more than just a large human. PANiC
Middle
Titan Girl come to learn her people have a dark secret and struggles to find her place, realizes through trial and error that getting angry and shouting at people doesn’t work.
Play star craft with her friend for a while.
Titan girl gets educated and decides to make a difference through education and proper learning, uses her unique upbringing and knowledge to fight for human rights, becomes accomplished author, publicist, lecturer, phd and travels universe debunking superstition and myths on humanity, debating politicians, world leaders and leading scholars, rather than flying into a rage and beating people she doesn’t agree with.
Gets married.
Has children.
Still plays Star Craft with her mate once in a while.
Has a Niece made up of the genetic makeup of her own people, and those she grew up with and watches as said niece grows up living the very struggle she battles with her whole life, and struggles to relate to said niece even though even she can’t fully understand what It means to be both human AND titan.
End
Her past and present collide as forces outside of her control play intergalactic chess with the lives of the people on the world she grew up on, and watches as everyone she ever loved and cared about has the apex of the very thing they’ve been fighting for for multiple hundred human years come with in reach, only to have it wrestled away by a slimeball politician and her political cronies, dispute the best efforts of Loona, who had dedicated literally her whole damn life, remained single and married herself to the cause, has to find a way to improvise now and somehow keep her own species and the humans she grew up with from tearing eachother apart. Armed with the knowledge that humans are still a developing race and an intergalactic race of roaches lays at their door waiting for the slightest breath of a chance to invade.
Gets thrust into a position she can’t fully handle, tries her best to mediate and keep the peace between two species in a tense situation, with out committing treason, does a reasonable task but not perfect, situation reaches crescendo and goes volatile…
*microphone drop, walks off stage*
dispute the best efforts of Loona, who had dedicated literally her whole damn life, remained single and married herself to the cause
Someone is a little defense of poor Loona 🙂 Criticism comes with the turf though if you choose to be a politician.
When @AR made his post I went looking through Eyrn’s quotes to see how she changed over time. The one thing that stands out is her ever increasing sense of frustration that she couldn’t defend Darren or Earth, and by supposition I’ll say she’s probably very much that way towards Aerti these days.
Add to that mix a daughter who may not “get it” and understand what drives her mother.
I also went looking for but didn’t find that chapter with the photo montage of Eryn’s travels after the end of Exile. I expect that trip to Hive Prime and her other jaunts around the galaxy have done nothing but continue to build up that very Titan like frustration at trying to protect her loved ones.
Eyrn is still very much a character in need of a resolution. Forever frustrated at her lack of control she keeps trying to be the Puppetmaster when it might be she’d have better luck playing the role of the Marionette.
Here, it’s from the 4th part of the Exile Epilogue. The last two parts just never got added to the table of contents.
https://thetitanempire.com/and-that-was-all/
I like that explanation. I hadn’t thought of putting the middle of her arc in Exile, instead of between stories, but it makes sense. I also like your end – it fits her character nicely. It makes sense in light of how she’s been treating Lennox, Earth in general, and how she responded to the Tau Ceti plan. That desire to keep humans and Titans together fits with her decision not to bring up Tau Ceti. I suppose it makes sense now – Eyrn still cares about humans, but now she’s in a position where she has to act very much like a Titan to do much of anything.
Eyrn has mislead Earth on things, and intimidated Lennox. I can see why she did that; she’s the Titan Empire ambassador to Earth, so she has a job to do. But would she have any feeling that humans shouldn’t be treated that way, while doing it for understandable reasons?
I also like Locutus’ answer, about being frustrated at being unable to protect everybody. Now, does she feel that she’s in a worse position than Exile, or a better position, or the same position?
Sorry Dann but your character was hijacked by the other writers. Eyrn abandoned her identity, you can claim off screen all you want but thats not a good answer, shes lied to humanity, the race that raised her, several times for some vague promise of unity. So unity based on a lie is ok. Yeah works sure. Eyrn betrayed humanity because she came to be a titan more than a human, which was betrayal of what she was raised as. She allowed herself to accept lying to a population of 11 billion because they were too stupid to understand in her…”expert opinion”. She diddnt trust humanity because she didn’t actually understand it or she ignored the truth and she should be damned for it. Blame your fellow authors for ruining her, not the readers.
As much as lying to everyone and withholding information from a species hard-coded to be curious about everything and demand a constant stream of information was a DUMB IDEA in every sense of the word, like saying “This bomb is about to explode and take out a car! Quick, lets put out the fuze for now and then pile on more and more powder kegs, so that way when someone else lights the fuze without our knowing it will be an even bigger explosion!” …
The truth of the matter is that the people who raised her also focused on secrets and lies. With the express purpose of trying to protect her. Yet another dumb idea with horrible consequences, because so few people had any idea about the fact giant humans existed, when it’s such a prominent reality for the galaxy at large. Eryn was kept on a SECRET base, HIDDEN away from most of humanity, watching every friend she ever made wither and die before her eyes, as human lives were just too short.
Its not like humans can claim the moral high ground when it comes to locking people in cages and keeping secrets, that opportunity for a much more interesting story about the giant alien girl trying to keep her sanity in a world of fragile, annoying squeaky things, becoming a famous celebrity of sorts, and then causing a world-alerting stupor when she’s snatched away by a flying saucer has already passed.
Heck, Eryn locked away on some secret base was for the exact same reasons humans are stripped of all basic protection and locked inside a cage where they’d easily starve to death the moment someone forgets where they are. “To keep them safe” of course.
@PAAAAAAAAAA
It’s time you get a clue dude. I was not for one moment arguing with reader interpretation, that ship has sailed, I don’t play that game anymore. But what I DID protest was the suggestion that Eyrn was a character “with a beginning, and and end, but no middle.”
I can and WILL argue FOR my fellow authors when the integrity of their writing is taken into question, but I won’t fight an unarmed man in a battle of wits over opinion.
Lessy is so dead…
i wonder if the human ship might make a run on the hive ship. like an old saying cut the head off the snake and the body dies
The hive ship is over 460 km in diameter according to the wiki. You could detonate a 20 megaton hydrogen bomb smack in the middle of it and those at the edges wouldn’t feel a thing.
Errr yeah they would.. Unless they are impervious to radiation poisoning. Not to mention the radiological contamination of the metal of the ship. It would be like living inside the reactor room building at Chernobyl after the meltdown only 20,000 X worse
http://nuclearsecrecy.com/nukemap/
I set off a 20 megaton bomb, and got this: 5 psi shockwave 10 kilometers out, 1.5 psi shockwave 25 kilometers out, and heat causes burns 100 kilometers out.
I then set off a 100 megaton bomb. I got: 5 psi shockwave 25 kilometers out, 1.5 psi shockwave 50 kilometers out, and heat causes burns 150 kilometers out.
I’m going with synp here.
*Switching to geek mode*
Half life of the products of an atomic blast;
http://www3.nd.edu/~nsl/Lectures/phys205/pdf/Nuclear_Warfare_9.pdf
Critical info starts on page 14
Also consider that this is a closed system..If the initial blast didn’t kill them they would wish it did..Unless the buggies don’t mind high intensity radiation…..If they are roach like buggos… Ooooo
In any event the ship would be inoperable
@AR those would be the results of in atmosphere detonations. The Hive ship is designed to hold other ships. It’s essentially a hollow shell with an interior mostly vacuum, sort of like a very large version of some of the orbital stations portrayed in the Star Trek movies. The radiation damage from a detonation on the inside would be similar to a proximity blast near the exterior. The best method of attack with the Hive ship loaded would be to attempt a chain reaction, attacking the power plant or one of the larger Bug ships in turn destroying many of the vessels within the Hive ship and rendering it’s mission moot whether or not the 500 mile wide carcass is intact. In that case the Bugs would be limited to the Tol-Bot like suicide dive which might work if they get to Earth orbit.
Well those anit-matter reactors can give off a blast a hell of a lot bigger than 20 megatons if weaponized.
I’m wondering that Darren was not mentioned in this chapter. He’s the only one in Gamma fleet who knows for sure that the Acolytes are on Tau Ceti. Ridgemont may or may not know. When Gamma fleet engages the bugs, they have to know that there are friendlies in there. Otherwise it’s “shoot anything that flies”.
I understand it would be embarrassing for Darren to tell Aerti. At worst having your own military force might be considered treason, but they have to be told.
Xu Mulan might also know.
Darren was class sentient two species at the time they were working on the acolyte project?
Aerti shouldn’t say a thing. That whole forced Tau Ceti project was criminal and without those acolytes all those people on Tau Ceti would be dead. Even without Myrell people were dying there. Humans have a right do defend themselves, because Loona, Aerti and Eryn sure didn’t defend the humans that were being forced to move to Tau Ceti.
I’m wondering that Darren was not mentioned in this chapter.
Don’t be surprised if Aerti knows a great deal about the Acolyte program, none of which he’s ever heard from Darren or his brother in law and none of which is anywhere in any Imperial database. Long ago Darren would have anticipated the need for Gama and the Acolytes to work together and would have made sure that Aerti was informed probably via the same mutual friend who knows most of the Empire’s secrets.
And, don’t be surprised if Ted and Ryan have trained the squadron to cooperate with the fleet. Of course they’ve already primed the pump with the surprise they’ve already sprung on the bugs.
“Back on Titan Station I asked you to trust me. It didn’t always look like we were on the same team then but we were. I’m asking you to trust me Niall, from one brother to another. Trust me now like you trusted me then. Trust me to do what I have to do.”
I suspect this is more than a pep talk. Aerti may have been surprised the attack was today but he’s known it was coming for a quarter of a Titan century and he’s understood how the insectoids would attack and that Gama fleet would be outnumbered. Not all Tol-Bot games are broadcast on Empire wide video and it’s original purpose was real war planning. The scenario about to play at Tau Ceti has probably been run through more than a few variants, even if some of the game pieces like the Acolytes are shiny new. The confusion in the hive is about to get a lot worse as it struggles to keep up with the unexpected, the bug’s greatest weakness.
Aerti and Eyrn can suspect something, but I don’t think anyone knows. The funny thing about hybrid novel is that the humans didn’t trust their titan friends on this acolyte project and didn’t want them to have to choose between friendship and loyalty for the Empire.
Can you imagine the heated discussions between Pryvani, Naskia, Niall, Darren, Eyrn, Aerti, Ted, Tigoni, Loona, Nonah, etc over precisly who to give this formula to. This would put the humans against their titan wifes and friends. Tigoni would probably choose the human side. Pryvani can be convinced, but probably wants formula too. Darren and Niall only want humans to have this.
What powers the acolytes is best kept secret for a while.
What powers the acolytes is best kept secret for a while.
At least three Titanverse physicists have independently arrived at the formula. They might be a step ahead of the rest but when different scientists begin arriving at the same discovery at about the same time that’s a sure sign it’s knowledge that can no longer be kept secret. Indeed, given the destructive potential this is one secret that ultimately shouldn’t be kept secret.
I mean kept secret from titans as long as possible. Hussel is old and has health issues. Earth/humans need to be able to defend the solar system and outside colonies from other powers.
Hybrid chapter 13 says it all.
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“Preparedness Admiral Martinez, preparedness.” Darren replied.
“Prepared for what?” Ted asked.
Darren smiled, just a little. “A few years ago a small group of Titans attempted to abduct citizens of this world. We didn’t want to rely on Pryvani or the Titans on this rock for our security. We drilled, we trained, we planned and we developed EMP weapons to disable small ships and anti-grav devices. When those Titans turned up they got an ass whoopin’ they didn’t see coming.”
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For Titans, these actions seem like harmless jokes and most titans wouldn’t even mind that these things are happening. Those abductions wouldn’t be treated the same as Titan abductions.
Aerti should attack NOW if the Titans ROE is similar to the US…
http://www.britannica.com/topic/rules-of-engagement-military-directives
(last paragraph hold the key)
We don’t know if there actual peace or simply an armistice between the Bugs and La Titanos..If its the latter then its hells bells, if its the former…then its still hells bells…
A fully stacked hive death star invading Imperial territory certainly qualifies as hostile intent..There is no downside for him acting..BIG BIIIIG BIIIIIIIIIG (did I say Big?) downside for him waiting…..
I see it is your intent to leave all the most likable characters in inevitable death cliffhangers at the end of each chapter.
And one again, only a surprise intervention by human forces will possibly save them.
Are you suggesting I shouldn’t add a bit tension?
It’s not so much the tension as it is starting a new box of cereal before we got the the bottom of the old one first. Before we know it, we’ll have all these open boxes and no prizes yet.
(No idea if this analogy translates culturally out of the US.)
Joseph in danger. Come on Jacks and Ryan in your acolyte, save Joseph. Where are the armed Avalon groundforces?
Love it, those acolytes are really destroying a lot of enemies in mere seconds. Indeed the fire power of a capitol ship. 12 very agile capitol ships.
“They can’t hit me. This ship’s too small and too quick.”
Damnit, Ryan! You know better than to spout clichés!
Though he does have a point. Each of those Acolytes is barely the size of an insectoid soldier, are faster, far more maneuverable, and with ridiculously powerful weapons. It’s kind of like in the first Iron Man movie when the two F-22s try to take on Tony.
It’s kind of like in the first Iron Man movie when the two F-22s try to take on Tony. Titans and especially Humans are far better at adapting to the unexpected than are/is the Insectoids.
First a small landing force is wiped out then a much larger force is under heavy attack and to this point there’s no Imperial starship in sight and whatever is attacking the Insectoids doesn’t match anything they know. Whatever the timeline the hiveship ought to be en route to the next target by now. The collective Hive had assemble its entire fleet in this ship and delegate authority to the lower level just to execute the plan it/they have now that plan is rapidly headed for the trash. In the midst of all this Gama fleet is about to pop out of warp right in front of the hiveship with gun ports open if not actually firing.
The Hive or Hives are probably hung up between a go all out or retreat and protect the Hives strategy. This may buy the Earth some time.
Also we need to give some thought to how this attack was meant to work. The initial landing force was meant to secure Tau Ceti e and harvest the colony. The next step would have been to go to Earth and unleash Syon’s gas weapons, knocking out Earth’s population for collection. The Bugs would have only expected to meet a depleted Gama fleet and maybe 1,000 Peacekeepers. That suggests that the majority of the Insectoids awake now are gatherers with only enough warriors to deal with the Peacekeepers. It also means for all the heavy ships the Bugs brought their massive force may only have enough fighters to deal with Gama Fleet and Titan Station. Mostly they’d be heavy on drop ships to recover the humans.
Indeed. Their whole plan was based on stealth and to quickly move on to Earth. That has all failed now. If they detect titan ships coming to Tau Ceti and also a lot moving to Sol Earth, they will stop and retreat?
You know it’s going good when you’re dreading the end of every chapter! Thursday can’t come soon enough.
Monday and Thursday always make me happy, because I get new Hybrid.
So the bugs are firing on Titans, does that give Bass clearance?
So the bugs are firing on Titans, does that give Bass clearance?
This chapter shows why Aerti earns the big bucks…or credits…or whatever. He shut Niall up with minimal effort and Loona’s reaction was funny. They’ll soon figure out the entire Bug fleet is loaded in the hiveship and that’s a defacto declaration of war. He’d give the order but Antero will save him the trouble. Even if Gama held fire they will soon be under fire, the Insectoids having no reason not to think they are already engaged with the Empire.
Yep. The bugs have no reason to believe that the Acolytes aren’t affiliated with the empire. So when the fleet shows up, the bugs are going to believe that reinforcements have arrived and immediately start attacking them, or else they’ll take heavy damage in the first volley.
“The bugs have no reason to believe that the Acolytes aren’t affiliated with the empire”
Well, the government of Avalon is an official Imperial province. The acolyte squadron may be somewhat rogue, but that is an internal matter. The bugs are not wrong. This squadron *is* affiliated with the empire.
While the bugs have no reason to distinguish, the ships aren’t officially claimed by Avalon, and in reality are more a product of Earth than Avalon. The airframe, plasma cannons, construction, and the funding are Earth’s. Nor does a populace of 11 billion want for potential pilots like a population of 10 million, the distribution of the crews is likely political. Their only contribution that Earth couldn’t provide was the antimatter reactor.
It’s funny that the only thing that has worked out for humanity most of Hybrid is developing and using secret military weapons.
I don’t think the species matter, the Avalonians are also citizens of the empire. I think it only counts if the fleet itself is fired on.
Of course, I think the insects will save them the trouble and fire first on them anyways.