Stephen Ames Berry - The Battle For Terra Two

The Battle for TerraTwo

by

Stephen Ames Berry

Also by Stephen Ames Berry

The Biofab War

The AI War

Final Assault

TheEldridge Roster

[The Biofab] series is amodern descendant of the Doc Smith Lensman series.

It is space opera in the Grand OleTradition. Other Realms

Readers of militaristicscience fiction should enjoy [Berrys] work. Kilatt

In Memoriam

Christopher Ryan Blair

March 4, 1990 - March 20,2010

But he whose inborn worth his actscommend,

Of gentle soul, to human race afriend.

The Odyssey of Homer[Pope]

Copyright 1986 by Stephen AmesBerry

http://www.stephenamesberry.com/

http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/biofab

Publishing History

Tor Books edition: February1986

Embiid Books edition: May2003

Smashwords edition: December2010

This is a work of fiction. Names,characters, places

and incidents either are products ofthe authors

imagination or are used fictitiously.Any resemblance

to actual events or persons, living ordead, is entirely

coincidental.

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition LicenseNotes

Thank you for downloading this freeebook. You are welcome to share it with your friends. This book maybe reproduced, copied and distributed for non-commercial purposes,provided the book remains in its complete original form. If youenjoyed this book, please return to

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The stanza in Chapter 10 isfrom John Donnes poem A Hymn to Christ,at the Authors Last Going into Germany.

The Battle for TerraTwo

Detrelna finished the last line of hisreport. Sighing, he clasped his fingers over his ample belly andleaned back in the big chair. Computer, top of text,please.

The desk screen presented the firstpart of his status report to Fleet. Scroll, said Detrelna. Heread the report as it slowly rolled up:

TO: Grand Admiral KalorLatuan

FleetOps, Kronar

FM: Commodore JaquelDetrelna

Special Task Force One Seven,Terra

Sir,

Task force is now atauthorized strength, with two capital ships: the Yatal-classdestroyer, VoltransGlory , just arrived, and the Laal-classcruiser Implacable , under the command of Captain Hanar Lawrona, Margrave ofUtria. Task force is ready to proceed to the coordinates of theTrel cache, given by the Imperial cyborg, Pocsym Six. We may notleave the Terran system, however, until the arrival of our reliefforce. May I again urge, Admiral, that such a force be sent atonce? I realize that with the virtual annihilation of the Scotarmany of the liberated quadrants are in a state of near anarchy. Irealize that Fleet is scattered on urgent missions of relief andrescue throughout the Confederation. I realize that thisexpedition, founded on the word of an ancient, possibly dementedcyborg, must have a low priority. Yet, Admiral, if there is thesmallest chance that Pocsym was telling us the truth, that thisuniverse is in danger of invasion from a parallel reality, it wouldbe utter folly for us to not...

The door chimed.

Computer hold, said Detrelna,pressing the entry tab.

Captain Lawrona came in.

Youre just in time to finish thisreport, Hanar. It needs an aristocrats touch.

Lawrona sank into the rooms otherarmchair. Younger, taller, much thinner than Detrelna, his aquilinefeatures and flawless uniform were a sharp contrast to thecommodores double chin and unbuttoned tunic. Nothing fromFleetOps yet?

Two ships, Hanar! Pushinghimself from his chair, Detrelna paced the carpet in front of thearmorglass. All we need are two shipsSekan-class frigates willdo. Just something with missiles and fusion cannon to sit up herein case the Scotar survivors down there try anything. He turned tolook beyond the armorglass to the soft blue-white world below.Three hundred miles beneath Implacable , most of North America waswreathed in cloud.

The Terrans have Scotar detectors inmost public buildings now, Jaquel, said Lawrona. Theyre stampingout thousands more every day. One firms even manufacturing acombination smoke-Scotar detector. Dont you think that limits thebugs?

Shaking his head, the commodore turnedfrom the armorglass. I suppose the handful that are left should becowering in the jungles, yet

Yet what? said the captain asDetrelna sat down. The Scotar high command is dead. The IllusionMaster Guan-Sharick is dead. Their fleet is wiped, their warriorskilled. Their citadel on Terras moon is just another crater. Thegalaxy, Jaquel, is free of the Scotar. Lets get on with ourmission.

Detrelna slapped the desk. No, Hanar.If I felt we could leave Terra undefended, wed have left lastmonth. And until fresh ships arrive...

They looked up as the door chimed.Detrelna opened it with the flick of a thick finger.

A young blonde yeoman entered,carrying a silver tray with two crystal goblets and a decanter ofamber liqueur.

Satanian brandy, gentlemen, shesaid, setting the tray on the light brown traq-wooddesk.

Detrelnas eyes lit. Hanar, you nevercease to surprise me. Eagerly, he unstopped the decanter. Ithought we wiped the last of this after the Gatal raid.

We did, said the captain, rising,looking at the yeoman.

Will that be all, sir? she askedDetrelna.

There are four hundred and seven crewon this ship, said Lawrona. Weve been together at least twoyears. I know every face, every name. Yours I dont know, yeoman.That bothers me.

Detrelna watched, unmoving, a gobletin each hand.

Im a replacement, sir, she said,cool green eyes meeting the captains cold blue ones.

Lawronas black leather holster wassuddenly empty, his long-barreled M11A pointing at the blonde.Weve had no replacements.

Your minds always been slower thanyour blaster, Lawrona, said the yeoman. Your victory over us wasa gift from Pocsym. You should be hanging from a meat hook, myLord.

Guan-Sharick, said Detrelna,carefully setting down the goblets. I recognize thesarcasm.

Impossible, said Lawrona.Guan-Sharick died beneath the Lake of Dreams.

The Margrave would like to see somegreen carapace, said Detrelna.

A six-foot-tall green insectoid stoodwhere the blonde had been, antennae swaying, tentacles falling fromnarrow shoulders. It shuffled two of its four long, three-toedfeet.

A jig perhaps,Lawrona? Hissed a cold voice in both mensminds.

No, said Lawrona,grimacing.

I preferred the woman, saidDetrelna.

The blonde reappeared.

Any reason the captain shouldnt puta big ugly hole through you?

If he kills me, said Guan-Sharick,pointing at Lawrona but looking at Detrelna, all sentient life inthis galaxy dies.

Detrelnas bushy eyebrows rose.Perhaps we should talk, he said. Is this any good? He held upthe decanter.

The best, Commodore, smiled theblonde.

Half filling two goblets, Detrelnaheld one out to Lawrona. Brandy, Hanar?

Id rather shoot the bug, saidLawrona, tight-lipped.

Captain Lawrona, holster your weaponand join me in a drink. Thats a direct order, Hanar.

Reluctantly holstering the blaster,Lawrona took the goblet in his left hand. Direct, not lawful, hesaid, sipping. His right hand stayed on the M11As silver-inlaidgrips, his eyes on the Scotar.

How is it, Captain? asked theScotar.

Potable.

Why isnt every intruder alarm onthis ship screaming? asked Detrelna.

Im wearing a device that foils yoursensors, Commodore. A prototype developed at wars end.

And the shield? said Lawrona, stillfacing the Scotar as he put his goblet on the desk. You canteleport through a class-one shield?

Yesterdays visitorsshuttle, said Guan-Sharick. I was the well-endowed professor ofphysicsthe Scotars features rippled, bosom swelling, facebecoming ovalwhom you so gallantly offered to guidethrough Implacable . The original blonde reappeared. Effective.