An Alien Incursion

By Jorge Perez-Jara

The American Federated States Space Forces are finally ready to meet the enemy, but this time they will be require to land on their foe’s fortified position. The confrontation will pit humans and their allies against the Cheeb’Arr that dwell within the Alpha Centauri system. But will they be strong enough to eliminate the threat to Earth and all of its inhabitants before the enemy reinforces its position?
Lieutenant Colonel Myles Webb of the Shee’Marr Command has tangled with the enemy before, but even he doesn’t know if they have what it takes to beat the bug-like enemy. An enemy that can survive in many environments, especially those that would easily kill a human being. But he and the Hee’Umana also have with them the bulk of the human fleet—the Terran Battle Fleet. He can only hope that’s enough.
There is only one way to find out and that is by throwing themselves into the heart of the enemy—where bone, flesh, and blood meet metal and only the strong survive...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jorge Perez-Jara
• Release date: Dec 23, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311715562

Jorge Perez-Jara

Jorge L. Perez-Jara graduated from Mesa High School in Mesa, Arizona in 1986. After graduation, he attended Arizona State University and joined the United States Air Force shortly afterwards. He is a military Veteran who served during the 1990-91’ Gulf War “Desert Shield/Desert Storm” in the Middle East. He has traveled to many parts of the world, while he served in the U.S. Air Force and has experienced and done many things. While he served on Active Duty, he had the opportunity to interact with different people and cultures. He was Honorably Discharged and now enjoys spending his time writing and researching ancient cultures. His writings consist of personal experiences as well as Science Fiction.

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An Alien Incursion

By

Jorge L. Perez-Jara

SMASHWORDS EDITION

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PUBLISHED BY:

Jorge L. Perez-Jara on Smashwords

An Alien Incursion

Copyright © 2014 Jorge L. Perez-Jara

Smashwords Edition License Notes

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An Alien Incursion

Other Books By Jorge L. Perez-Jara

The Alien Series:

An Alien Encounter

An Alien Presence

An Alien War

An Alien Rubicon

The Combined Service Marines:

Combined Service Marines - Lunar Cache

Combined Service Marines - Terra Incognita

Combined Service Marines - Titanus Malleus

Other Books:

The Ocean Depths

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 1

The large holographic tactical display of the human Sol system floated majestically before Sub Commander Myles Webb of the American Federated States Space Forces as it spun within the holotank of the Shee’Marr Command carrier the Crra’Tyrr. As it did so, Myles studied the information within the display with intense concentration. It had been six months since the last Cheeb’Arr attack on the Sol system and the repairs to his Command ship had been completed merely a few weeks ago. The alien automated repair robots that the space carrier employed had worked around the clock without tiring to complete the repairs. He knew that if it had not been for the efficiency and speed of the automated workers, the repairs to his ship would have taken a year or more to complete and he was in agreement with the rest of the human Command Staff, they didn’t have that kind of time to replace their losses and protect humanity’s only home—Earth.

Myles knew that if they had any chance of holding back the enemy and protecting the Sol system from another unprovoked attack, they had to expand their presence within it as well as their offensive capabilities. They already had a formidable presence within the system to discourage any new attacks by the enemy, but the manner in which their current foe fought their current numbers were not enough to hold them off indefinitely. Also, if mankind was to survive as an emerging species within the galaxy—a galaxy they had been found to be teeming with other intelligent life-forms—they had to take the fight to the enemy and not wait for it to bring it to them. That had happen twice already in the past four years and both times humanity had paid a heavy price because of it. He knew that the only way humanity was going to avoid such a situation again was by leaving the Sol system and seeking the enemy out in the void, far away from Earth.

As Myles continued to intensely study the holotank before him, he sighed loudly within his enclosed mechanical Battlesuit. Unlike his alien crew, he was not accustomed to wearing a fully self-sustained exoskeleton suit for long periods of time. He preferred to be able to see and interact with everything around him by employing his own human senses, but while he wore the Battlesuit, which had been given to him by their recent alien allies, the suit’s AI took over and fed him all the necessary information around him directly into his brain. The amplified signal was so acute that he could almost taste and smell everything around him down to the microscopic level of his human senses.

While employing his suit’s controls, Myles mentally reached out and manipulated the controls before him utilizing his neural net implants. As he did this, Myles opened a small holographic window within the large tactical holotank in front of him, which at the moment was centered on the human Spaceyard orbiting high above Earth. The large construction was the first of its kind to have been built by human hands and had cost humanity a large sum of money, but already it was proving its worth even while some nations argued that it was too expensive to maintain. But he knew for a fact that it had been instrumental in expanding mankind’s defenses within the Sol system and had also increased their ability to intercept many of the enemy attempts at penetrating further into the system. So, as far as he was concerned, humanity could not place a price on their continued safety and existence, even if others could.

As Myles continued to study the holographic projection before him, he located the Zvezdochka Spaceyard high above Earth. As he studied the enormous structure, he saw that it was buzzing with activity as countless tiny figures jetted to and fro as they continued their repair work on the human flagship. The Saratoga was the only ship that had survived the latest attack on the Sol system, but it had sustained severe damage to its hull and internal systems, therefore, it would take some time to complete all the repairs required for it to be fully battle ready once again. And since mankind needed every ship available to him in the defense of the system, the repairs to the ship had been ongoing day and night, nonstop, for the past six months. But since mankind still utilized human labor to perform all repairs to their ships, it would still take another few weeks to finish the retrofit and repair process.

But the loss of most of the fleet was minor in comparison to the heavy losses they had suffered in personnel. He knew equipment could easily be replaced, but the human crews were a bit more difficult to do so. They had the manpower available to refill their ranks, but the new recruits had to be trained for combat in space and the other countless duties that they would perform in zero gravity. They had to learn that the laws of physics in the void were completely different in an environment with no oxygen or gravity. But that wasn’t his domain, so he pushed that thought aside and concentrated on the ship before him within the holotank. The fleet was one of his concerns and that took precedence over such trivial things as timely repairs.

The heavy damage which the Saratoga had sustained to its hull and internal systems paled in comparison to the high casualty rate its crew suffered due to inadequate human construction methods and materials, but that was changing soon. Their alien allies, the Hee’Umana, had finally given in to their requests and had allowed the human race some access to their construction techniques. That would offer mankind a better survivability rate in any future battles.

In all, the Terran Battle Fleet had lost eight of its Capital-class ships and tens of thousands of Avenger fighters in their last confrontation with the enemy. The alien fleet had suffered heavy damage as well, but they had fared far better than humanity had. Since the Hee’Umana construction techniques were far more advanced and so the alloys they employed in the construction of their ships, they could absorb far more damage than their human counterparts before being rendered incapable of continuing the fight, therefore, their casualty rate was also much lower. They could also replace their losses much faster than their human allies, since they cloned their personnel. And in effect, they could replace personnel quickly once the fighting came to an end.

Once the battle was over, they had attempted to rescue as many surviving personnel as they could. But unlike an earthly battle which was conducted on a planetary surface with ample amounts of oxygen and in an environment with gravity, combat in space left nothing to recover in most cases. Even those few that had survived perished due to the hard vacuum of open space, so there was no one to rescue once the fighting was over. And during the latest engagement, that had held true as well due to the extremely powerful beam weapons employed by the massive ships involved and the environment in which the battle was fought.

While Myles continued to study the figures swarming over the Saratoga, something else caught his eye and attention. As he looked to the right of the damaged ship, a new construct was taking shape next to it. The skeletal structure was the beginning of a new warship, which would be added to the fleet once it was completed. But he knew that would be a while in coming, since humans didn’t have the resources or the automated capabilities their alien allies did to replace their losses so quickly. Mankind was still bound by the limitations of human endurance and speed, while working in the hard vacuum of space.

The Hee’Umana, on the other hand, didn’t suffer from such limitations, since they employed automated robotic machines in the repair process and construction of their spacecraft. And since Myles was the only human that enjoyed the distinction of commanding a Capital ship within the alien military structure and serving within the alien Shee’Marr Command, he enjoyed the luxury of timely repairs to his ship, whenever they were necessary. And since Myles was assigned command of an alien Command ship, he was expected to adhere to their Battle Doctrine as well, which demanded much of anyone within the Shee’Marr Command military structure. And many of the directives Myles had to adhere to within this doctrine, he and the human Command Staff didn’t agree with. But that was the alien way and whether he or they agreed with it or not, it was now his way as well.

Sub Commander, the repairs to the Saratoga are progressing well and it would appear that they will be completed on time, said Rzar’Taa as he broke the silence between them. He was the first officer on the Crra’Tyrr and it was his duty to keep Myles informed of everything that took place on the alien ship. At this rate, the ship will be battle ready within a few more weeks, he continued. That is well, since we will require all ships available to us in protecting your system and your Homeworld from future attacks.

Myles merely grunted his reply without looking in the first warrior’s direction. He had been preoccupied these past few months with what the alien Commander and the Hee’Umana Overseer had discussed with him immediately following their victory against the bug-like Cheeb’Arr—their enemy.

The possibility that any Cheeb’Arr Drones had penetrated their defenses without them knowing it and had also established themselves within the Sol system’s asteroid belt was a discouraging thought to them all, but one that they had to investigate. Myles knew that if they had indeed penetrated the system, even if it was only a small number of them that had done so, the enemy would expand their foothold within it very quickly. They were known for their high reproductive capabilities and only a handful of them could produce thousands of their kind within months of establishing themselves in any given system. That, he knew, they could not permit to come to pass.

Sub Commander, have you even been paying attention to or have listened to anything I have been saying? asked the first warrior. Rzar’Taa knew Myles had not, so he said. We are on the verge of entering the asteroid field and our advance fighter screen has reported no contacts and nothing out of the ordinary so far. They had only moments ago dispatched an advance reconnaissance patrol ahead of them to penetrate the asteroid belt and to search for any Cheeb’Arr presence, but so far they had not reported any contacts within their sensor range or patrol area. Preliminary data suggests nothing out of the ordinary due to their limited penetration of the field, but they are continuing with the scanning of their current surroundings and will be proceeding further inward soon.

You didn’t think it was going to be that easy to spot the Creeps, did you, First Warrior? asked Myles with a raised eyebrow. He knew that his alien first officer couldn’t see his expression due to his exoskeleton suit, but he had done it subconsciously. Myles knew he had also used the name humanity had adopted when referring to their enemy the Cheeb’Arr, but their alien allies understood well what he meant since humans used it on a regular basis. Well, did you? he prompted.

They had been scanning and searching the asteroid belt, since the very moment they could spare the ships to do so and almost daily their numbers increased. But Myles knew that numbers would only aide them so far, since the field was immense and there were millions, if not billions, of asteroids where the enemy could easily hide. And since human and Hee’Umana ships were few in numbers, they had dispatched as many planetary probes as they could spare into the asteroid belt.

If our previous encounters with our enemy the Cheeb’Arr have proven anything to us, Sub Commander, it is that they are very predictable in the way that they expand, therefore, locating them will not be difficult, replied Rzar’Taa.

You really think so? commented Myles as he manipulated the controls before him once more and brought up the forward view. The holotank was teeming with debris of various sizes as the Crra’Tyrr slowly penetrated into the outer boundaries of the asteroid field. On the subject of the Creeps, I would have to disagree, he said. "If anything, our recent confrontation with them has shown that they’re not keeping with predictability. If you ask me, it would appear as if they’ve learned a new trick and are more than happy to use it against us.

Not only have they changed their tactics when battling us, but they’re learning our reactions as well. And in saying so, I think they’re adapting to our strategies and that can’t be a good thing.

I would have to agree on that one point, considering the most recent events, Rzar’Taa reluctantly conceded. He knew that the Cheeb’Arr had begun to utilize new tactics as of late, but he also couldn’t discard the fact that there was also a long history of them attacking in large numbers without much variation in their method of engagement. They would swarm and overcome an enemy. It was only recently that their tactics and actions had changed. "Sub Commander, the fighter screen just reported in, but there have been no changes to their report. It is consistent with the last, but they have brought something minor to our attention.

The debris within the field is interfering with our scans of it due to its composition. He reviewed the latest data through his neural net implants before he continued. The large amount of ores and minerals present within the debris and asteroids within the field are reflecting most of their sensor scans back to them and the Avengers’ AI’s cannot compensate for the discrepancy. The sensory systems aboard their spacecraft are too weak to penetrate through all of the metallic interference they are encountering.

I was afraid of that, Myles said as he recalled the last time they had entered the asteroid belt. They had encountered the same problems even then. The ores and exotic alloys within the field were returning their sensor scans as if they had detected a spacecraft’s hull and that merely made things more difficult for them. Launch one of our Intruders into the mix and see if it can burn through most of the interference they’re encountering.

I comply, replied the first warrior as he ordered one of their intersystem early warning spacecraft to join the others already within the asteroid field.

The spacecraft was laden with sensors and was heavily shielded against electronic attacks. Its sensors could also scan further than most spacecraft within the fleet with the exception of the larger Capital-class ships. But even though it was bristling with sensors, it still retained its weapons so it could defend itself. The only real difference between it and the Avengers currently on patrol were its systems and the fact that it carried two Shee’Marr warriors aboard as opposed to the single crewmember aboard the fighters.

As Myles kept an eye on the holotank before him, he saw that the Intruder had exited the docking bay at high speed and was quickly disappearing from sight as it sped away to join the others. After a few more seconds of visibility, it suddenly winked out of existence and then it was only possible to track it by utilizing the Crra’Tyrr’s powerful sensors and as a dot within the holotank.

The Intruder’s profile appeared as a small pinprick within the holotank in front of Myles as it continued to make its way toward the fighter screen ahead of them. He opened a channel to the Avengers within the asteroid field and spoke into his neural net link. Commander Janus, how does it look out there? Have you found anything of interest for us?

Looks like shit-soup out here, sir, replied Commander Brianna Janus, AFS Space Forces, as she led her small Fighter Wing into the unknown. The field was not as dense and closely packed as most people on Earth thought and navigating through it at a reduced speed was simple enough. It was the complete opposite, if one attempted to transverse it at higher speeds. In reality, she thought to herself, at times, there was as much as a thousand kilometers between objects within the asteroid field, so flying from one asteroid to another was merely time consuming. Sub Commander, how long do you want us to stay out here? she asked.

Why? Do you have something more urgent to do? Myles asked.

More urgent, you say? Hell no, sir, I don’t have anything more so than this, Brianna replied. Ever since the Creeps decided to showed up in our neck of the woods, I think humanity’s survivability takes precedence.

Myles could hear the strain in her voice through his neural net link, but he knew that for most of them it was the same. Being on patrol did that to most of them—strained their nerves raw from the anticipation of meeting the enemy surrounded by the emptiness of space. Yeah, well, stop bitching, Commander, he told her in a playful tone. He knew exactly how she felt. Bree, if it makes you feel any better, he continued, "we’re all in the same boat. We’re all looking forward to the day all this goes away. Hell, everyone out here is.

Well, maybe except for the Tadpoles, Myles added as he made reference to their alien allies.

Roger that, sir. I think if it wasn’t for this, they’d be bored out of their minds out here and would just start shooting rocks.

Myles got a good laugh out of her last comment and it felt good. He knew they needed it. Ever since the Cheeb’Arr had made their presence known over four years ago, they had been constantly on the move and that only allowed anyone within the fleet very little time to unwind. He knew that that had been true in his case, but he also suspected that was the case with everyone else around him as well. At least, the human contingent.

Sub Commander, the Intruder is about to join the fighter screen, interrupted the first warrior. The Avengers within the field should be able to track it any moment now.

Bree, did you hear that? Myles asked. A Tadpole surveillance bird is on its way to your location as we speak, he informed her. He had once again used the human term to refer to their allies. Hopefully, it’ll help you in cutting through this soup of EM interference.

Aye, sir, Brianna replied as her sensors picked up the approaching spacecraft. I hope you’re right, because we’ve got to cut through this electro-magnetic crap if we want to see what’s out here. She glanced at the holotank within her Avenger and quickly confirmed that it was the expected craft. So what now, sir? she asked.

Well, that’s up to you, Commander, Myles answered as he studied the holotank aboard the Crra’Tyrr. They had come up with a plan of sorts before they had left orbit above Mars, but they were making modifications to it as they went. Since most objects within the asteroid belt were floating free through space and at times bumping into one another, there was almost constant movement at all times within it, therefore, they had to change their plan accordingly. Bree, what’s your take on our situation out here? he asked her.

He was the only one that ever called her by her nickname and when he did, she knew he was worried about something and concerned for her wellbeing. Well, to be honest, I think all we have is the method we came up with before we left Mars, sir, Brianna replied. I know it wasn’t very scientific, but we didn’t have much of a choice considering the patchy information we had at the time.

I agree, said Myles as he thought of what she was referring too. They had agree to make a thorough scan of entire sections of the field and mark off and eliminate every asteroid large enough to host a small enemy Outpost once searched. He had agreed that it wasn’t the best laid out plan, but no one had come up with anything better before they had left Mars, therefore, it would have to do. Okay, Bree, you know what to do, he added after a moment of thought. "Keep plugging away and hopefully we’ll get lucky out here.

After a few, I’ll have another Wing relieve you and your people out there. I know it gets boring out in the dark.

Aye, sir, that sounds great.

Sub Commander, with the Intruder at their side, they should be able to make quick and thorough scans of most asteroids within this section of the field, said Rzar’Taa. Our search for the enemy will proceed much faster now that the Intruder has joined them.

I know, First Warrior, but that’s not what’s worrying me at the moment.

And what would that be, Sub Commander?

I’m worry that if we allow the Creeps to slip through our fingers, we’ll have a bigger problem on our hands in the future. Myles kept studying the holotank as if he was expecting for something to jump out at him. We need to take our time and be thorough in our searches, he added.

Please explain, Sub Commander?

Well, if what I’ve read on the enemy is correct and they breed at an accelerated pace as the Hee’Umana has fittingly informed us, then we could be in for one hell of a fight. He could see that the first warrior was having a hard time following his logic, so he added. The field, First Warrior, Myles pointed at the holographic display of the asteroid field within the holotank. "There is plenty of room to hide within it and we don’t have the manpower or the ships to patrol it all.

If it’s true that the Creeps have made themselves at home within the Belt, they’ll breed unabated and spread out faster than we can possible block their expansion. There’s just too much to cover out here and with their new tactics, well, we’re going to be in a world of hurt if that happens.

Your observations, as dramatic as they are, have been duly noted, Sub Commander, Rzar’Taa replied in a calm demeanor. The Shee’Marr were not known for displaying much emotion and this was especially true of any first warrior. "But may I remind you that as long as we remain vigilant, the possibility of them expanding within your system unabated and unnoticed is nominal to say the least.

And in saying that, I predict that we will find the enemy, if they are indeed here, and we will eliminate their presence quickly without much resistance. He zoomed in on the asteroid belt within the holotank and said. "Yes, there are many places to hide and plenty of resources within the field, but there is no one body within it that can support a large concentration of life or offer an unlimited supply of raw materials within it, therefore, they would be hard-pressed to expand quickly within it.

Yes, if you take the field as a whole, it does offer an abundant and almost unlimited supply of minerals and raw ores, but anyone attempting to establish themselves within it would find it difficult to extract and gather these materials. The asteroids within it are just to widely spaced to make it feasible to reclaim these resources, while remaining in one location.

Even with their type of existence? Myles questioned. He knew that the Cheeb’Arr didn’t need very much room to breed or resources to survive. They also didn’t need much in the way of creature comforts, since they were harden to living their entire existence underground and in dismal conditions. I hope you’re right, he finally added.

Whether I am right or not, it does not matter in the least, Sub Commander, replied Rzar’Taa. "The only thing that matters is that we conduct our searches as thoroughly as possible and find the enemy quickly, if he is indeed here.

"But even if we fail to find him, our searching will still have a positive effect on how they move about within the field. Since they will