10
Over the Ocean
Like a shadow, Mawgri’s spaceship, a shiny, round oblong of metal, descended silently and hovered just feet from the lip in front of the cave. To any observers, the mountain would have seemed to be smoking a silver cigar as the craft seemed to be hanging off the lip of a bald, bearded man. A hatch opened and steps slid silently out to me. I stepped aboard. The hatch closed behind me.
A hairy Stuwkreen attendant led me to my berth, a spacious room with its own bath and office areas set off from the bed and entertainment area—the kind of room normally reserved for diplomats or officers or paying passengers. I looked in the closet and found my luggage stacked neatly. I set my backpack next to the pile.
My communicator trilled, and I pulled it in front of my face and flipped it open. On the screen was Mawgri’s beautiful face smiling broadly. So I wouldn’t miss any meaning, he said slowly in Stuwkreen, “[We are not due in Kunwyz for some time, but there are things you should know. Why don’t you clean up, change into the ambassador’s uniform hanging in your closet and then come to the communication room? I’ll wait here.]”
“[Ok. I’ll be there in half an hour.]” My reply was also in Stuwkreen and even slower than his speech as I tried to make sure of my words. We both clicked off.
Although I was a native-speaker of English, I had learned Spanish, French, Russian and Chinese. On Mars, Luna and Earth, those languages allowed me to speak to almost everyone who was educated. In the Za system, I was learning Putkeen and Stuwkreen almost simultaneously, which was necessary when communicating long distances or through machines. Face to face the ATI made everything simple.
When I, fresh and wearing the powder blue and mauve uniform of a diplomat, entered the communications room, Mawgri spun around in his chair, rose and hugged me. “Finally . . . it seems like weeks since I saw you.”
“It was actually less than a day.”
“Ah, but what a day! Come here. Look at the screen.”
The large digital screen showed a bird’s eye view of a triangle of islands in a blue ocean. In the ocean were also ships maneuvering, black ovals with white wakes. On the island smoke was rising from various points. Then I noticed small winged shapes that were flying in the air over the islands and the ships. Small eruptions were happening both on the land of the islands and in the blue of the sea. I thought I might be watching a video game. “What is it?”
“It’s a fleet of Radimeer attacking the nearest islands belonging to Saca. The anticipated war has begun. I’ll zoom in closer.”
The camera zoomed in until we could make out buildings on the island and see the Radimeer bombers swooping low, the green egg of Radimeer painted clearly on their wings. When bombs exploded, the fiery blasts were visible.
“When did it begin? And how?”
“Last night, Radimeer’s planes and ships struck first. Since then the fighting has been raging.
“Yesterday Radimeer’s armored columns overran the coastal half of Polimeer and began attacking the island half. Radimeer also took over Winimeer without a fight. Its ally Ladimeer forced Cosimeer to capitulate. Sobimeer is fighting, trying to hold out against the two larger states.”
“Who is winning this battle? What are the islands called?”
“They are called Milisaca because they were settled by Milimeen from the east thousands of years ago before they became part of the Saca Empire. Hundreds of years ago, Saceen settled on the islands. The Saceen dominated, and their language became the official language. The majority has genetic links to Radimeen, but linguistically, culturally and politically they are linked to Saca and became part of the empire during the last century.
“Who is winning the battle is hard to tell. The Radimeen gained the initial advantage by attacking without warning. They have blockaded ports on the farthest island and are bombing and strafing and shelling airbases and ports on the other two islands. Everything is confusion. Civilians are being herded to safety while the military is trying to mount counterattacks against the Radimeen fleet.”
“What has Sacacon done?”
“He has sent his main battle fleet against that of the invaders. And he is sending an armada of heavy bombers against them. However, the ships will need three days to arrive. The bombers left the mainland an hour ago, so will arrive over the enemy in four hours.”
“Our accountants have been keeping score.” He flipped open his communicator and tapped a button. He asked questions and listened and wrote a list on a small pad. When he had finished the phone call, he tore off the top page and passed it to me. “Here’s the damage.”
The list in Stuwkreen translated as follows:
[Losses Saca Radimeer
SHIPS
Aircraft carrier 0 0
Battleship 1 0
Cruiser 2 0
Destroyer 4 2
Cutter 2 0
Patrol craft 8 0
Submarine 1 3
Freighter 12 0
AIRCRAFT
Bombers 25 39
Fighters 42 38
Transports 23 0
VEHICLES
Tanks 5 0
Trucks 31 0
Buses 8 0
Cars 12 0]
After running down the list, I said, “Radimeer’s forces seem to be winning.”
“Yes, initially, of course, because they had surprise on their side. But you’ll notice that most of the losses for Saca are defensive losses. A defender can absorb more losses than an attacker can. An attacker must seize territory—always costly. A defender must merely keep the enemy at bay. None of Radimeer’s main forces have made contact with Saca’s. And the perimeter forces that have come in contact have been hurt, so Radimeer must shift perimeter forces around to shore up the front.”
“Plus, Radimeer has three fronts going: Milisaca, Polimeer, and Sobimeer.”
A crewman came forward and handed Mawgri a message. Mawgri read it quickly and looked at me. “Make those four fronts. Kunwyz is being attacked also.”
Mawgri sat down and input new coordinates for the digital viewer. The screen faded and then came back. Once again it showed black shapes with white wakes in a blue ocean; once again it showed three islands, but these ran in a string from east to west. The viewer zoomed in to show the western island and the middle island, both of which were under attack. Two fleets were attacking.
The viewer zoomed in closer, and I could see the green egg of Radimeer on the airplanes attacking the middle island. The viewer shifted west, but those attacking airplanes had not the green egg, but a gold diamond on their wings.
I said, “Whose planes have gold diamonds?”
“Ladimeer’s. Its main fleet is attacking the westernmost of the three Windy Islands.”
“Does Kunwyz have a naval force?”
“Not an offensive one. They do have a defensive fleet, but once again surprise is on Radimeer’s side. But now that we know Radimeer has opened four fronts, three of them by sea, we also know that it cannot have many naval reserves left. It’s gambling everything on surprise and winning quickly with overwhelming force.
“How can Sobimeer continue to resist when it has borders with Radimeer and Ladimeer?”
Mawgri input more coordinates, and the screen shifted again. This time it showed the southern end of the continent Luka that Radimeer dominated. With a digital pencil, Mawgri highlighted the border of Sobimeer, and said, “You see . . . there is a tall mountain range separating Sobimeer from both Radimeer and Ladimeer. The only pass is between Ladimeer and Sobimeer, and that pass is well-fortified, so any force attempting entry that way must expect heavy losses. Then as the mountain range recedes in Radimeer, there is a deep water bay, which is the only route that Radimeer’s forces can use to attack directly, but I doubt if it has enough amphibious forces left to mount a naval attack, which would also be costly. Besides, Radimeer doesn’t fear Sobimeer. It knows that if Polimeer falls, Sobimeer will probably concede. Now that Cosimeer has surrendered, Ladimeer could march its armies through the smaller country and try to attack Sobimeer along the coast, but that coastal strip is narrow and also well defended, and it will take weeks for Ladimeer to position its forces and begin an invasion. So . . . I think that as long as Polimeer holds out, Sobimeer will stay in the fight. The longer both stay in, the greater strain will be placed on Radimeer’s forces.”
“Seeing it on a screen makes it seem like a movie, but I know that below us on the planet, Putkurs are fighting and dying and suffering. Can’t Stuwkreen intervene and stop it?”
“We have the capacity to do so, but our policy is to influence more than intercede. For instance, this ship carries one laser cannon, and we could attack from a height that renders us impregnable from counterattacks. I could descend over the Radimeer fleet and take out the fleet ship by ship until Radimeer surrendered, but such is forbidden by the charter of the federation.”
“Is there nothing we can do?”
“Have faith. Remember that Kunwyz and Saca have an edge in technology, particularly in computer technology and aircraft engineering. Let’s wait to see what happens by the end of the day.”
After instructing his crew to send him hourly reports, Mawgri and I went to his quarters, which were about the same size and luxury as mine. I said, “Why did you have me dress as an ambassador?’
“For that is what you will be for as long as you are in the Za System: an ambassador from the Sol System. I know you can play the role. You will be given respect wherever you go on any planet. Sacacon agrees with me.”
“Yes, I’ll be an ambassador.”
“A deliciously beautiful ambassador,” he said and smiled his enchanting smile.
“As long as you think so.”
After a lingering embrace that revealed how important the touch of one was to the other, we entered into a game of rubostio, and so fought our own fantasy war while the real war raged below.
At the end of an hour, Mawgri’s communicator trilled, and he took the call. After clicking off, he said, “Radimeer continues to attack on all fronts, and dozens of transport craft are approaching behind the battle fleets. However, Kunwyz has launched its interceptor aircraft and attack aircraft against the two enemy fleets. Soon Radimeer and Ladimeer will feel the wrath of the defenders.”
On the three-dimensional game board, Mawgri and I maneuvered to standstill. On the digital screen and in blood-letting actuality, the contest below on the planet surged back and forth.
After two hours, a new report indicated that Kunwyz’s defenders were inflicting heavy damage on the attackers: planes were falling out of the sky as if the battle were a fireworks display of explosions and streamers, and ships were sinking.
In rubostio, Mawgri attacked and sacrificed some pieces to create openings that he could exploit. I fought him off and kept my emperor safe.
The third report said that Saca’s heavy bombers were approaching Radimeer’s fleet, and that action over the islands had receded. Radimeer was regrouping for a final blow before invasion.
Mawgri’s sacrifice had been too heavy, so I was able to counterattack with some success and chased his emperor into a defensive position. Now I attacked while Mawgri defended.
The fourth report announced more promising results. Saca’s heavy bombers had bypassed Radimeer’s battle fleet and instead had concentrated on the fleet of troop transports, using smart bombs to hit one after another of the slow converted freighters, each carrying at least 5,000 heavily armed troopers. Kunwyz’s aircraft and navy had blunted the invasion of their islands; they were also attacking troop transports with their attack planes. Polimeer and Sobimeer continued to fight on and were inflicting losses on the enemy. Events were turning although the situation remained desperate on all fronts.
Mawgri and I had both now exhausted our forces. We looked at each other across the tiered board, we smiled, and for the first time I hadn’t lost. Mawgri said, “Stalemate.”
Then he had some food delivered and turned on his room’s video screen and asked accounting to send new results. On the screen came the following list.
[Allied Federations Meer Union
Losses Saca Kun. Pol.-Sob. Rad. Lad.
SHIPS
Aircraft carrier 0 0 0 0 0
Battleship 1 0 0 0 0
Cruiser 2 0 1 0 0
Destroyer 4 2 5 6 3
Cutter 2 3 5 0 0
Patrol craft 10 12 17 0 0
Submarine 1 1 1 5 2
Freighter 14 8 7 27 9
AIRCRAFT
Bombers 37 28 25 104 53
Fighters 47 22 26 98 63
Transports 33 31 39 58 0
VEHICLES
Tanks 7 5 72 47 6
Trucks 38 26 102 15 6
Buses 9 7 29 0 0
Cars 22 19 105 6 2]
Mawgri drew with his digital pencil to circle four areas of the list. “These are good for the allies,” he said. “These freighters sunk mean that around 200,000 invasion troops have been lost. These air transports lost mean that Radimeer tried a parachute drop, but the transports didn’t make it. What we don’t know is if they were shot down before or after they had dropped their troops. The bombers and fighters lost add up to the force of two aircraft carriers. And the pilots went down over the sea or in enemy territory and will not be easily recovered, so the attacking forces have been depleted. Only Sobimeer and Polimeer have been engaged by land forces, so that is why their vehicle losses are so heavy, but what the table doesn’t show is that many of their vehicles were civilian while all of Radimeer’s are military. There is hope.”
Hope took us to a late lunch, after which Mawgri established communication with the Kunwyz government to find out if it was still advisable for us to land. He told me, “All public gatherings are off, but they, of course, want the supplies that my ships are carrying, so we will land. You and I will have a private meeting with the president of the confederation.”
End of Chapter 10
War has begun. A struggle for the "last best hop of Putkurs" has commenced.
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