Escape 2: Fight the Aliens Read Online Free

mech voice hummed.
    Jane’s thin black eyebrows lifted. “As you can tell, our ship AI believes in being precise when making factual statements. As do I. My statement was not a deception. The two ship allies do exist. They are the two transports now stored in our Transport Exit Chamber.” She gestured to her left and right. “The two crew next to me are Learned Escape of the Megun people and Builder of Joy of the Aelthorp people. Builder of Joy may look like a giant flying squirrel to you and your staff, but he is a natural-born pilot. Both Learned and Builder piloted their transports during the battle of Kepler 443. Each suffered combat injuries. Each returned to service after Med Hall treatment. They, like the other non-human people on this bridge, are part of my crew. However strange they may look to you, they are people! People with hopes, cares, wishes and dreams of freedom and liberty. Like Americans. Like most people on Earth.”
    Poindexter sat back in her chair in the screen-filled room of Building One at Peterson. She crossed arms over her Air Force Service Dress uniform. Her brown eyes fixed on Jane. “So. I recall the vidcam record of that battle. You plan to use the transports as ‘pretend’ Collector ships until the enemy arrives close enough to spot them by electro-optical scopes and see they are not large enough to be true Collector ships. Yes?”
    “You are correct,” Jane said, her manner still casual. “My two pilots are tough and reliable. The transports will fight alongside us. Our Blue Sky and the transports are Stage One of our defense of Earth. Would you like to hear Stage Two of my plan to combat Diligent Taskmaster and his buddies?”
    “Out with it woman!” yelled McAuley, his face turning red. “We may have to accept your control of the starship for now, in order to fight these Aliens, but I will not forget that you refused to obey a direct order of mine!”
    Jane’s posture stiffened in her seat atop the command pedestal. Her face went command neutral. “General McAuley, my oath of service to America is laid out in 5 U.S. Code 3331. Unlike the oath of service for enlisted persons, my officer’s oath does not include the phrase that requires me to obey ‘the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me’.” Her lips thinned. “Therefore, I have not refused to obey a direct order. The only person in the JCS able to give me a direct order is the head of my combatant command, General Poindexter. Whom I accepted as my reporting officer.”
    McAuley’s red face had darkened as Jane recited the factual details of her oath of office upon joining the Air Force as an officer. He clenched both fists, then shook one at her. “Damn lawyer! You dare to debate America’s chain of—”
    “General!” Poindexter interrupted loudly, shocking the nearby office staff and the other JCS members. “Captain Yamaguchi is correct in what she says. She is entitled to interpret how the orders she receives will fulfill her duty to support and defend the Constitution.” The Air Force chief looked away from the JCS chairman and fixed on Jane. “Captain, Earth and America will shortly be under attack by Aliens. Please share with me and with the rest of the JCS all stages of your plan to fight these bastards!”
    Jane nodded abruptly. “I will.” She looked up. “Star Traveler, project a holo into this room that displays a collector pod. At one-tenth its full size.”
    “Holo projected,” the AI said in a low hum.
    Jane smiled. Grinned actually. An expression that shocked Bill, Bright Sparkle, Time Marker, Long Walker, Wind Swift, Lofty Flyer and their two pilots. Judging by the holo of the JCS chiefs, it shocked them too.
    “General Poindexter, my Stage One fight against the six Collector ships, along with any ASAT missile launches you, the Russians and the Chinese can make, will be a delaying action. One Collector ship and two transports cannot