Against the Tide. [David Weber's Out of the Dark, Waifu Catalog Fanfic]

[BlueRanger O-Doom]

Hey, I was right! But damn Dracula and his crew moved fast.

 

[Imperator Pax]

Winterborn
Part 2​

Emilio let out a breath, sucking in the frigid artic cold of the north as he pulled off his mask, but he felt alive. No wonder bears slept through the winter. He shook his head and then turned to look over the mass of thick bilious black ash clouds wafting over the Shongairi remains.

For the most part they were using good ole American Army M16s... some of the shorter M4s, but just to spice things up there was some kind of high tech flame thrower that allegedly used some kind of silver nitrate powered napalm like stuff that made the flamethrowers they carried capable of burning through steel, and boy howdy fast at that.

It sure gave the invaders a surprise. The dinky little bullet the armalites fired might not do much to a tank, but at close range Emilio had been able to bring his flamethrower in and burn through the back armor... the point that the hydrogen fuel had cooked off.

His black armor had been a little scorched but it had otherwise done its job and kept him in one piece. It was a prototype or something like that ... most likely because the boss didn't have some kind of special composite it wasn't as good as it 'should have' been, but fuck it was good enough... power armor like Master Chief would have been great, especially the energy shields but Emilio accepted that Halo was fiction and that Kane was still doing his best to equip people to fight the aliens.

He wondered what should have been would have been like... he knew that it was true that boss was playing a lot close to the chest... that he had something up his sleeve... a big grandiose sort of thing... and that was a lot of talk. Nukes were out. Nukes weren't going to cut it against the puppies... hell they'd known that for months even before the yankees had come down.

Now they were in Canada... or at least they were for the time being. Emilio through a look up at the sky and the lightening horizon, and confirmed the updated navigation packet re tasking his group to another navigation point... that was the problem with not having satellites or whatever, land navigation sucked.
--
Kane had to stop a lynching. It was part of the reason they had infiltrated without assistance to begin with... not that anyone in the assembly had had ever come up against the Shongairi Northern Force Commander... but he was still the enemy, and no one liked fighting smart enemies. There had been occasional sporadic reports of success with taking prisoners... but he wasn't clear on precisely how successful that was in the long term.

He doubted anyone had the resources to maintain POW camps, and thus holding shongairi prisoners was probably a very short term solution. That elicited complaints from people who still were concerned about the Geneva convention but Kane had no time for that... his priority was in actionable intelligence, and finding out as much about the Fleet Commander's grand strategy. He needed to know what precisely the Shongairi response to the developments in Eastern Europe were going to be, what they were going to do if this growing tide of lost Shongairi Forward Operating Bases would be if it continued into Russia, or westwards into Switzerland or indeed into Northern Italy... never mind if it reached into Germany, or south into Anatolia.

On the other hand... he also wasn't clear on what this mysterious force could sustain much further... this projection of theirs represented a manpower deployment made possible largely by the underground networks carved out by the montauk command vehicles burrowing, and construction capabilities.

"And we have no idea where Torino's strike group is?" He asked.

"They've completely disappeared from signals, if they're underground than, they're not responding to a line call."

Which didn't make sense. The Shongairi hadn't yet responded to the incursions with their usual degree of orbital strikes... give it a few hours that would probably change, but at the moment if they were aware of the incursion they were probably trying to work from the top down of their chain of command... which if Torino had done his job the Shongairi colonel equivalent should be a charred corpse.

The ideal outcome of course was to take out the Shongairi's canadian command with the impression that it was a general Canadian side revolt. That was cover for action, but also that hopefully the idea would take. That, among them this was the spark, and maybe the Canadians would actually break the shongairi hold over the center of their country, and that would cripple the puppies' ability to administer the northern midwest from over the great lakes... and of course the intention was that if this worked maybe in a few months they could do the same in the south west in the vicinity of northern Mexico.

Kane drummed his long fingers on the table, "We'll give him a few more hours and then see what the Shongairi are doing..." Then that would impact exactly what resources they could spend searching for the missing before they needed to pull back. He settled back, and decided to move along, without the complication of Torino's disappearance the truth was they would have disappeared into the 'underdark' as it was in the popular vernacular... well beyond Shongairi retaliation... and if the Shongairi didn't show evidence of having hit Torino's position... then that meant he could have found some other resistance group... and that went to the idea that they might be able to off load significant weapon stocks to the Candians if it meant opening a more active resistance.... but that was all theoretical.
--
Mischa Baserab gestured to the alien machine's interior, "I merely asked the machine to chart a flight path and to carry us from there."

He delivered the statement in a completely matter of fact tone. A simple statement, but even so the words seemed like a joke. Torino couldn't take the statement seriously.

that was ... insanity... That the Shongairi hadn't thought to not look at it. To not have safeguards on their machines... but then Torino realized if you knew how to fly an aircraft there weren't complex locks on them. The locks were on the hangars, on the gates. And the assumption that you'd follow procedure... that it wasn't a james bond movie where the dashing hero just absconds with the jet plane to make his escape.

Truthfully it made sense that the puppies wouldn't have considered grand theft starship to be a risk that they needed to take protections against... after all how would a human know how to fly one of their comparatively rare starlifters anyway... and the vampire had pointed out that Shongairi designed ergonomics were not exactly the most comfortable, especially for larger humans. Buchevsky looked like he was trying to sit in a kid sized chair trying to squeeze his gargantuan marine butt into shongairi sized seats.

The vampire's smile was infection though. Mischa Baserab strolled over the deck with a comfort and ease as if it was a sailing ship not an alien space craft. All the same the conversation turned to other matters, "Your implication was that Kane might have sent someone to pick you."

"I mean it wouldn't surprise me." The major found himself replying to the question reflexively.... and it was the truth. It certainly seemed like an operational contingency that might have been in place if... well things had gone bad... but it would have annoyed him not to be told that there was a back up plan like that before hand. Being realistic, the major admitted to himself if not to the others, that there might have been operational security details... if they'd been caught or something... but still... Torino would have been really annoyed to have been left out of the loop all the same.

"Regardless," The Vampire remarked, "I do think it would be best if introductions were arranged, so that we might better pool our collective resources against the invaders."
--
Notes: Alright I need sleep.

 

[ATP]

Kane and Dracula becomes best buddies.Happy End.
Jokes aside - good chapter.

 

[Imperator Pax]

Kane and Dracula becomes best buddies.Happy End.
Jokes aside - good chapter.

Click to shrink...

Did you feel that, that was the Galactic Hegemony experiencing a sudden bout of existential terror for no explainable reason:
The council to the Shongairi Representative: "What did you do?"

 

[ATP]

Did you feel that, that was the Galactic Hegemony experiencing a sudden bout of existential terror for no explainable reason:
The council to the Shongairi Representative: "What did you do?"

Click to shrink...

Well,Happy End for humans,not them.

 

[Imperator Pax]

Winterborn Part 3
The subterranean machine was slowing, but had yet to come to a full stop, and date inputs were still coming in. Weather front notifications, temperature ranges and other information. It wasn't extrapolating second and third order effects. Kane closed his eyes against the dim red lighting as he rested his head against the black cushioned headrest and considered what they had accomplished. Most importantly they had severely weakened the Shongairi command and control. They had confirmed the existence of a service rivalry between ground and naval forces within the Shongairi services. That was useful, and exploitable from an intelligence stand point because the Shongairi command chain was hidebound at times.

Hidebound into preconceived strategic notions of war that they made mistakes that could then be exploited... and in this they had removed one of the more competent Shongairi ground leaders. That would potentially spark recriminations between the two services, as well as force less capable officers to cover larger areas of territory... or else the promotion of officers from the ranks. If their understanding of Shongairi rank structure was correct then junior officers probably wouldn't be respected outside of their original parent command and also likely considered less reliable than pre invasion officers of rank.

Of course in an ideal world the real effect would be that the Shongairi were forced by the loss of officers to grind operations to a halt... hopefully until such time as they could decapitate the naval side of things. By of course neutralizing the Shongairi ability to indulge in their favorite pastime of throwing rocks down into the Earth's gravity well usually at civilian population centers.

Unfortunately the Shongairi's computer systems were still frighteningly effect in manning a point defense system... it would have taken vast numbers of nuclear missiles launched in order to do anything. He had continued to return to the notion of the casaba howitizer idea... but no... energy weapons lifted into orbit would be much much harder to retaliate against. He was asking people to be patient, and had had to insist as the year turned that people with necessary skills not take up arms that they needed to remain in the safety of the underground...

Farmers especially, the truth was while they had worked hard to create a hydroponics array, raided cities and such and built food safe plastic tubs of tilapia and leafy greens people were going to want other sorts of food. Were going to need more and healthy foods once the invaders were banished from the Earth... and that meant needing farmers... a profession that had been in a steep decline in the developed world over the past century as more people took up other professions and moved away from where their ancestors had lived for generations... and that meant safeguarding them, including against themselves.

Kane's focus turned to the holographic map whose image had been all but burned into his psyche of all of North America's dead cities, and of the list of still other cities that had been struck by kinetic strikes in either the opening wave or as retaliation. The counter blow against the Shongairi had to insure they couldn't mount any further retaliation.

He let out a breath, as Marduk's daughter rested a hand on his collar. Ana moved more fully into his frame of view as he opened his eyes. How much simpler things would have been if that damned puppy had been stupid enough, if the fleet commander of the Shongairi invasion had been stupid enough to bring himself down to within the gravity well... but while the Shongairi had made many ham handed rash and foolish mistakes thickair had not come down to earth's surface. "I trust, my dear, that our guests are here." and with their wayward missing fly boy and his, or most of his contingent... which was good. Kane was glad that Torino was alive.

She allowed him to stand up and moved through the Montauk's hallway. The Shongairi intercepts had been a breach in communications discipline... expletives, swears, and superstitions. Kane had been focused on the information of his master display, the keep track of time until he could signal a 'code zeus' and lightning bolt the shongairi fleet into free floating debris...and the countdown to if that wasn't an option when he would be able to summon reinforcements of sorts from another dimension... but the panic in the Shongairi command spreading down from brigade, and up from company level at the shock had been a welcome surprise.

They padded silently down the halls. Picturesque grace, unencumbered by unnecessary battle rattle in contrast to others further down the platform to which the Montauk was parked at. The habitation block was a contrast from the Montauk's interior in that the it was a warm light not intended to preserve people's night vision.

Dave Dvorak was already present looking quite out of place among the throng of younger men and still not quite fitting in with the military personnel. Of course that was more body language than anything, the men and women honed by months upon months fighting the Shongairi expressed that in the way they stood. That was not to Dvorak's discredit, the former gun store owner had much like matherson served better in the resistance effort as sort of cobbled together staff and logistics chain than as a front line fighter. Matherson still went out to the front, in spite of Kane's objections, but the distribution of material, and the training aspect even just basic marksmanship helped the resistance.

The ambush relied on putting the first rounds on target before the Shongairi realized the fight was on them so basic marksmanship and familiarization with the M16/M4 or the AKM was critical. The average engagement distance in the south east was within two hundred yards, and that was skewed largely because of roadside ambushes as the Shongairi appropriated the highway system which meant long wide open spaces in the south.

Dvorak was however exceptionally a contrast for the trio to which he was in close proximity. The first was the familiar form, and bearing of Longbow Torino. Dvorak was chatting amiably with a big black marine noncom, but the final man, shorter than the marine but a presence entirely different was the real difference. "Ah, our host," The other green eyed man smiled broadly, an absurd curtsey, "My name is Basarab, Mircea Basarab," The smile showed off white, and sharp teeth. "I would say that we have a great deal to talk about."

"Vampire." Ana declared, Marduk's daughter not quite doing him the disservice of fully interposing herself between him and the man.

"Ah, yes of course," Mircea's smile grew even wider, "Your handy work was most impressive, my lady, the both of you have given the invaders quite the bother, I would say they were insurmountably flummoxed by your efforts... so much so that I just had to come and pay my respects to your efforts."Mircea's friends were unsurprised by the statement, Torino must have been informed already though Dvorak somewhat started slightly at Ana's statement, but he was paid no mind to as the vampire spoke animatedly as if they were all old school chums discussing the most recent sports game. Basarab had a clear and easy confidence, but that probably was that his fine boned features had likely made him quite popular with the opposite sex.

He did not need Zwei in his ear having run the name to make the guess. Lake Vidraru had been created by the communist government of Romania in the mid sixties as a reservoir for the dam of the same name. Romania which had as part of the course of wars earlier in the century gained Transylvania. "The forest of stakes, your handiwork." It wasn't quite an accusation

"A technique that I learned from the Turks," Mircea replied, "And thus showed to another invader in their turn. Just as from you, and my neighbors from the south did I consider the withdrawing to deep within the mountains mother earth so graciously provided for us. Though, this is," He gestured widely, and theatrically all around the habitation block, "is so much more comfortable than I thought, I should commend the consideration for your civilians you Americans put into such contingency planning."

Kane nodded, though he personally suspected most of the American civilians didn't consider this by any means luxurious, "You realize we must hide the civilians then."

"Yes, of course, indeed that is I am afraid where my judgment lapsed, I thought those under my protection were safe enough where they were, and the Shongairi took advantage of my lapse in judgment, and forced my hand." He shook his head sorrowfully, "A mistake I would rectify, "The Shongairi have been concentrating here in North America, reducing their presence elsewhere, they mean to kill all of mankind, and start fresh with our planet... we must strike my friend, and to do that I would board the sword of empire, their flagship... and put all of their leaders gathered there for a conference... to the sword."Mircea concluded with another broad smile as he spread his hands without ever quite addressing Ana's declaration.
--
Notes: We're back, I am planning tohave this chapter finished (Parts 4 and 5) hopefully by October that will cover Torino and Buschevsky as well other characters

 

[Monitor]

Winterborn Part 3

Click to shrink...

Neat that this is still around

Nice chapter. The missing threadmark should be fixed, though

 

[ATP]

Smarter aliens? good,if they were as dumb as in canon,Dracula would not need Kane help to win.Interesting,what would they do after victory?
To be honest,Dracula from novel was good ruler,so i do not mind if he ruled united Europe after that.

P.S impaling indeed was invented by turks,and Vlad really turned it on them.

 

[Imperator Pax]

After we get through Broken Sky, which is the following chapter, unlike the sequel novel which largely glosses over the 15 years we will move into the subsequent chapters of Terran unification, and the development of things... including the demography of the post invasion planet.

 

[Morkail]

Glad to see this get an update, so new plan use the ion canons to destory the rest of the fleet while the vampire captures the flag ship. Then expand earths industrial while recovering and build a fleet to go murder some puppies…. Speaking of wonder if mindkind where will take a stronger like to Cats?

 

[Imperator Pax]

If I remember in canon, Vlad invades the flagship and then slags most of the Shongairi fleet because the Shongairi didn't realize they'd been subject to grand theft starship until their dreadnought was shooting up its escorts

 

[ATP]

After we get through Broken Sky, which is the following chapter, unlike the sequel novel which largely glosses over the 15 years we will move into the subsequent chapters of Terran unification, and the development of things... including the demography of the post invasion planet.

Click to shrink...

Yep,it would be crucial.Terra could be unified under King or Emperor,and as long as he would be strong and just it would work.
Certainly no nation states,becouse then hindu would not agree to live with muslims and chineese,chineese with hindu,and muslim would kill each other and infidels.

But,such King still must have Law,and that law must have origin in one particular religion.For example,if he choose hinduism,caste system is OK,if he choose islam,slavery is OK,and if he choose chrystianity he must fight both caste system and slavery.

And,of course,which version of religion is right - people used to kill each other over such differences,and muslims are still doing so.

 

[Imperator Pax]

Winterborn Part 4
Longbow Torino felt light headed...which was a fairly normal reaction he expected to ... well being a newly fledgling vampire. The shrapnel that had punctured his back and been dangerously close to cutting his spine had been fixed by that transformation but it was still hard to believe it... and that wasn't, that was far from the only thing Mircea had showed him on the flight over.

He'd always felt that Kane was astrange spook. Him, and his lady friend both... but it was a whole other kettle of fish from strange to watch the woman peel apart a Shongairi infantry fighting vehicle, the likes of which had killed more than one of his friends, with flame covered hands. Mircea had been eelated to speak of how they had vexed the invaders who had seen such demonstration, and Mircea had been equally elated of the impending rendezvous, and the bloodletting he expected to occuragainst the invaders as a result.

It had been, Torino wouldn't deny unnerving... and yet threateningly satisfying a prospect. It was something there ticking away in his inner place in his heart as the vampire spoke of taking the fight to Fleet Commander Thickair and retribution. Not the least of which was that Vlad's concern was that even without the biological weapon of mass destruction the Shongairi intended to deploy... there had been enough damage done that they were looking at a spiraling collapse of human civilization.

It hadn't even been a year yet, and he'd seen what it had done to the various big towns, and major cities of the United States. Torino could only imagine ... before Buchevsky and Mircea Baserab had told him their accounts... of what things in Europe must have been like. Mircea had confided that he would have liked to stop over in England had that been an option, but time did not permit that. The vampire, the older vampire had informed Torino, had said that wistfully a reminder that Vladislav Dracula the son of the dragon had seen centuries of war. That he had seen both world wars tear europe apart.

Mircea had explained that there were many many aliens... but omnivorous species were quite rare for the galaxy at large. Humans were tool using, and violent... but the Shongairi had not been concerned about 'us' bombing ourselves into the stone age because for the galaxy at large ... for the tech progression everyone else was much slower even on worlds with aggressive fauna, and dangerous flora as the Shongairi world was, and as most certainly earth was.

... that was the problem.

The Shongairi had unified early in their history.

"They, as a people," Mircea remarked looking around at the crowd, "came into the space age united... they are an empire, but one without any competitors on their home world... and war is largely unheard of in the long history of the galactic body to which the Shongairi had become a part of. A body, that thought to distract our invaders by throwing us to them, along with a few other worlds." The vampire remarked. "And the Shongairi loose initiative as we have all observed when their leadership is removed."

Nothing of the easy going speech was new information for Torino who was still sitting against one wall. "You want to board their flagship?" Kane's green eyes were flat, there was no raised eyebrow from the man in the heavy coat and he didn't seemed surprised by the proposal.

"Yes," Mircea all but purred in the affirmative, "I believe that by removing the head fromthe snake we can seize control of the flagship and while the enemy leadership is gathered prevent their retaliation. That is, as I understand the reason you have not used more pronounced attacks."

From what Torino had understood the Shongairi had been tentatively optimistic about two months into the operation to invade the earth thinking that the stockpile of surface to air missiles were depleting. In reality, at least to Torino's read that had been more a question of distributing systems, particularly man portable systems to fighters. The Shongairi response had been to restrict their bigger cargo birds to nominally safe rear areas but as his raid had demonstrated that didn't protect them from concentrated efforts. The Shongairi, especially after Mircea's activity in central Europe, had doubled down on North America, where the puppies were stretching themselves out and overtaxing their ground vehicle logistics.

Shairez had assumed that that meant field artillery, aircraft and armored vehicles had been destroyed...which wasn't true anywhere except western Europe where the geographical confines had made destruction of France, Spain, Portugal, and the Benelux armies a much simpler matter than parts of the continent further east or across the Atlantic. It was more that human resistance fighters had come to understand they didn't have the logistical background to support most of those heavier units... with the exception of artillery pieces. The Shongairi's reliance on thin aluminum skinned vehicles made them vulnerable to even outdated vintage human artillery of the previous century... but the real use was mortars which were much lighter and could be used to catch shongairi platoons in the open.

Torino had had heard all of this before of course. Kane had given a previous version of the briefing and Mircea had expounded upon the Shongairi's materiel losses of late. "The invaders never contemplated that our resistance would inflict these kinds of losses upon them, and did not bring sufficient numbers to occupy the planet." Indeed their numbers had been pretty damned optimistic Buchevsky had snorted at one point, "It is there where I outline our secondary reasoning, as you have said we must protect the farmers and," And Torino would have laid, all the worthless, money, he had in his wallets, the old vampire had been about to say peasants, or peasantry, "that winter is coming." He settled on, "It will be a cold one, and we are running out of time but in this the Shongairi have in their optimism brought us a gift in that their infrastructure that as I understand is largely still in storage or not yet ready to be deployed is a 'more generalized one'. The Puppies thought their forces enough to occupy three star systems we have proven them incorrect on that, but they continue to persist even if they have become desperate." Mircea remarked, "We need to take those industrial components in order to staunch the bleeding of the people."

Mircea's point was more about starvation and disease in displaced populations, forced to fleet from cities and towns that had been abandoned in the initial invasion...and now the cold months in the northern hemisphere had set in, and gas was for the most part very scarce. No gas made cross country travel hard, and also meant no tractors plowing fields to grow food.

Dave Dvorak was the only one who saw fit to bring up the roll of the dice this was.

"But, it is not much of one,"Mircea replied eyes glittering in the light, "The Shongairi have no reason to expect such a measure... and thus we have the opportunity to surprise them... and while they know humans are quite compatible with their education technology... the method by which they instill science and mathematics knowledge into their young they have no real knowledge by which to expect us to behave in this way. I have the means to board their vessel my friends, and with a small party, a body of picked men can lay upon them while they are unprepared to defend themselves." He gave a broad, too toothy smile quite pleased with the prospect. And, Torino wondered for a moment if only he was watching the way the Vampire's hands, fingers spread.

 

[Celtic Spartan]

it appears you forgot to threadmark the latest update.

 

[ATP]

It remind me about Mapuche in South America.They never united,but Incas armies could not conqer them.
Then spaniards come,take over Inca empire in few years,and still could not conqer Mapuche,who still do not united.
Then,finally,after 1870 Chile conqered them thanks to modern rifles and artillery,when they still used spears.

Sometimes it is better to remain not united.

 

[Son'x]

Winterborn Part 4

Click to shrink...

Forgot to threadmark.

 

[Morkail]

Time to red dawn this bitch, really looking forward to the time skip chapters after they retake earth and put the alien technology to use along side kanes production facility's. Can't remember but does he have access to Tiberuim? I understand why he wouldn't use it on earth but turning say Titan in to a tib farm would make there industry explode.

Also, in the name of Kane! Thanks for the chapter.

 

[Imperator Pax]

WinterbornPart 5
Mircea's delivery ... was one that left little room for opposition. Steven Buchevsky had known it was going to be that way to begin with... but he'd been a little worried about how it was going to be received... and maybe that was why Mircea had agreed he only wanted to speak with a small portion of the North American resistance leadership.

... or maybe he only cared about talking to Kane at all, and his was a way to establish his bona fides or shore them up. Not that Steven Buchevsky thought Mircea needed to prove anything to anyone even before Mircea had cut loose against the invaders. Buchevsky was pretty glad about that... the weather forecasts were pretty grim looking and from what Torino had told him the resistance over here was far from unified...

"There is no surviving legitimate authority." Kane remarked with a calculating look thrown to Mircea, that Buchevsky wasn't quite sure he liked either.

Mircea didn't seem to mind the look, giving a shrug, "Is that really a problem? For what we must do? We have no need to consult bureaucrats and bean counters for what we undertake is the defense of humanity and the homeworld against an invader who has slaughtered billions of us with near impunity."

The implication being not striking was insanity... or Treason.

"It is not the strike I am concerned with Mircea," Kane replied using the vampire's preferred given name, "We can, and if what you tell me is accurate of the Shongairi situation, we should do so forwith, I am merely working from Eisenhower's maxim of what happens then." That ruffled the surviving officers, Torino went rigid, "But that isn't likely to be your problem is it, Mircea, you don't plan to stick around for that do you?"

"The Shongairi invaded, tortured and slaughtered those under my protection," Dracula replied in a low cold hiss, "They mutilated children, infected them with disease, and lead to starvation," The vampire's teeth were bared, "I will take this fight to the invaders, and force the mto understand what they have inflicted on my people before I destroy them all."

"You mean to take as much of the Shongairi battle fleet with you when you go?"

"Yes," He replied the cold fury abruptly gone as Mircea's more genial tone reasserted itself, "I will have no need for the industrial ships and even if I did from what you tell me it is really the logistics of feeding people that is the real problem. We must distribute food, pass out blankets, and medicine to the effected, and the dispossessed..."

Shongairi MREs weren't great, but they made sure you got all the vitamins and nutrients you needed... which was the next part of the plan as Buchevsky understood it. The Shongairi were the same way after a fashion, they'd been coaxing collaborators into helping with regular food, with access to electricity heated and cooled housing, nominal protection.

Something that Mircea was prepared to leave to someone else, as he left to take the Shongairi warships back to their makers. Kane paused his fingers gliding along the surface of his console ghost like in its subtlety. "We'll only get the one shot, if it looks like you failed, I will have to fire on the Sword of Empire with all of the ion cannons that make it to orbit."

"I am very hard to kill." Mircea replied, "and I accept the risk, my intention to kill the fleet commander and take his ship." He stated more to the assembled men, "what you must be ready for are to sweep away the remainder, and prepare for the ground campaign to follow." The Vampire continued.

A series of ribbons of light coalesced into progress displays. "The network isn't complete, leaving aside that all of my launch sites are in the south eastern united states, and not across the continental US or in forward deployed centers I think we can accept that killing Thickair should create a sufficient distraction to freeze the Shongairi." An animation began to play as various trajectories into orbit appeared.

It didn't take a genius to recognize that the Ion Cannon Network had not been intended as a space oriented defense system, Buchevsky had to assume that the reason it hadn't been operational was to avoid antagonizing the Russians or Chinese, or making the Europeans uncomfortable by militarizing space, "Would it have made a difference?" Some one asked voicing Buchevsky's unasked question.

"Having more Ion Cannons to fire on the Shongairi fleet would be preferable," Kane replied ignoring the actual question, "I'm willing compromise given the target window of the Shongairi conference is ... too providential an opportunity to ignore." Mircea nodded pleased by the agreement." The timing of the launch though will be an issue." It would depend Torino recognized on the situation of the attack. The angle the satellites needed to be at, what side of the planet...where the western hemisphere was facing when the launch was begun. The other problem was that, "Is that it will take several minutes to reach space. The Shongairi or at least their computers will detect the launches."

"We will have to evacuate the civilians underground." Mircea stated, "Any Shongairi retaliation will devastate the area... if we are not successful." And probably would lead to even more devastation.

"As I said, it would be preferable to have more ion cannons but as outlined eliminating in one strike the majority, or ideally all of the Shongairi leadership might paralyze the rest for a mop up."

Mircea's smile was broad, "Then we are agreed."

"In principle yes." Kane replied acknowledging to Mircea that they were on the same page. That the vampire would board the Shongairi flagship that they would launch an attack and that if the effort failed they would try to break the shongairi's hold on orbital supremacy. "The ion cannons aren't space ships, the satellites have limited maneuvering, and take time to charge to full capacity. If the shongairi are able to return fire they'll destroy the network in most simulations unless the fleet is destroyed first." Hence why Kane had been hoping to wait until spring, a whole year between the invasion's start and the response... but they couldn't wait Torino knew that now. Not only was it the Shongairi, but it was human scavengers with guns that were part of the current problem as well.

The meeting broke apart with the two leaders having made their agreements, and the crowd split into congregating friends and colleagues. The holographic flashes of manmade lighting the animation of the ion cannons firing left floating in the open. Torino felt obliged to Mircea to attempt to point out, to explain the problem with the situation... or rather the situation of what would be if they succeeded. Even if they excluded the rest of the planet, which was insane given the situation and the logistics of space travel the Shongairi devastation of the American heartland meant presumably very little of the federal government survived. There were a handful of governors and officers of the army but no one in the enumerated chain of succession to take up the executive duties of POTUS.

Dave Dvorak bit his lip, "we're going to need to hold elections." The former gun store owner remarked... "I mean we are if we can even get that far. Right Rob?" He asked his brother in law, the former marine having stayed silent through most of these proceedings.

"Thats how things are supposed to work." Rob agreed, but then acknowledged that how things were supposed to work, how they'd been written hadn't been written in the expectation of the total breakdown of ... well basically everything. Outside of very local apparatus Torino wasn't exactly clear what existed beyond any of those local government agencies. "No body expected the cities to empty out and them not being able to buy food , or go to the store."

Or being to grow their own food, Torino though, either knowing how or having the means to do so... Torino moved away from the two men talking. Kane was looking over a map of North America, holographic motes with dates above them showed where the Shongairi had hit targets from orbit... so many from the start of the invasion and the big ass exercise Homeland Security had called for... making the Shongairi opening strike like shooting fish in a barrel as someone else observed.

"Should we tell the yankees, boss?" A heavy set man asked a long drawl from south georgia asked

Kane paused for a moment his fingers holding in mid air over the display, "I'll reach out to colonel matherson personally if that's what you mean.... the Massachusetts people as well. We'll need to begin hunkering down, but the specifics of what we are going to need to remain strictly need to know. Fripp?"

"Absolutely boss man." The man replied, which was a reminder to Torino of the lack of military decorum and strictures that being a resistance fighters entailed over a conventional pre invasion army.

 

[ATP]

Well,they would win,but what later? Would Kane try to unite Earth? if so,under which religion or ideology?
Becouse Dracula certainly do not want rule over anytching except his village.