That was the way of conquerors, of the father of nations.

  I dedicate this moment to the Valiants of the future.

  Assur sat in his special chair, a heavily padded seat in the center of the bridge. Once secured, he gave the order as he leaned his chair back to better endure the coming Gs. Afterward, he watched the huge main screen.

  The three mobile asteroids drifted at the far edge of Titan’s orbit. The pockmarked surfaces were barely visible in the dim sunlight. Here and there, however, were sensor arrays, weaponry, and special webbing to increase the overall stress levels.

  Over five kilometers away were the teardrop-shaped Enforcers, which included the Marduk and Enkidu, the newest to oldest. The dark hulls rendered them nearly invisible against the backdrop of space except for their running lights. Each Enforcer bristled with particle beam cannons, missile pods, and point-defense systems.

  Now, the great Anzu Fusion Drives on the mobile asteroids roared to life. The massive engines were embedded in the back areas of each asteroid.

  The Anzu Drives used a fuel mix of deuterium and helium-3. High-powered lasers ignited the fuels to achieve the necessary fusion reactions. The reaction chambers glowed as the reactions began.

  The resulting plasma flowed through a series of magnetic fields. These fields, generated by superconducting magnets, shaped and directed the plasma, producing a powerful, sustained thrust.

  Now, a ghostly blue glow emanated from the rear of each asteroid. The fusion flames licked wildly, starting the propulsion process that would culminate eighteen months from now.

  That sent tremors through the asteroids. As the forces increased, as the great masses began to move, the rocky surfaces shuddered more. The surfaces might have cracked, but the webbing and low initial burn prevented that from happening.

  The Enforcers and auxiliary vessels began their acceleration. Their fusion drives also emitted a controlled thrust to match that of the mobile asteroids.

  So far, everything proceeded as planned. Assur on his padded seat could take this slow acceleration easily enough.

  In fact, several bridge officers walked around or sat at their stations, ignoring the seemingly paltry effects.

  That was fine. Everyone seemed excited. Assur idly wondered if the elders would run the colony wisely during his absence.

  Assur might have shrugged. He wasn’t sure he would come home from this. That wasn’t critical today. The critical thing was to win at Earth, writing his name in glorious conquest as the Father of the Valiants.

  ***

  Watchdog 19, an aging, long-distance satellite from Earth, had been flying in this region of the Outer Planets for years. Its sensors continuously scanned space. Now, as the three mobile asteroids and their Enforcer escorts began their acceleration out of Saturn’s gravitational influence, Watchdog 19’s moment had arrived.

  High-resolution cameras, infrared detectors, and radar systems worked in tandem. The cameras provided detailed images of the asteroids with their cratered surfaces. Infrared detectors mapped the heat signatures of the fusion drives, revealing the blue glow of the engines as they pushed the enormous masses. Radar systems were of little use at these distances, thus the satellite did not employ them today.

  As the data streamed into Watchdog 19’s onboard processors, algorithms began to analyze. The satellite compiled composite images and 3D models of the asteroids and their escorts, identifying weapon placements, engine configurations, and potential weak points. The sensors also detected unusual energy signatures, suggesting the presence of technologies not previously encountered.

  Once the data collection was complete, Watchdog 19 began the process of transmitting its findings back to Earth. Given the vast distance, this was no small feat.

  The satellite’s communication array aimed its transmission dish toward Earth, aligning with relay stations positioned throughout the Solar System. This was a recent innovation. The data, compressed and encrypted, was beamed in packets across the void, a journey that would take several hours.

  The signal first reached the nearest relay station, a small automated outpost positioned just beyond the orbit of Mars. From there, it was boosted and transmitted to a series of increasingly closer stations, each hop bringing the data one step nearer to Earth.

  Finally, the information reached the orbital stations, where it was decoded and disseminated.

  The data was forwarded to military analysts and strategists, who began assessing the threat. Detailed images appeared on screens in command centers, each detail scrutinized for tactical and strategic implications.

  Dr. Huber noticed one thing in particular. “They’re accelerating slower than we’ve ever seen them. It will take them longer to arrive. That gives us more time.”

  “The asteroids mean the aliens have incredible firepower, surely,” Admiral Tojo said.

  Huber regarded the stout, ever-serious admiral across the data table.

  “Did I say something wrong?” Tojo asked.

  “I doubt it,” Huber said.

  “Something else troubles you about the asteroids,” Tojo said.

  “Let me think about it,” Huber said. “I’m not sure yet.”

  Thus, with this data, the debates began among the strategists of the Orbital Stations. The Valiants were coming again, but this time with much greater force.

  How could Earth, fractured and in turmoil like the time in the 2050s after the nuclear exchanges, hope to field enough force to defeat the aliens?

  That was the great question in the orbitals. Meanwhile, on Earth, petty dictators, new military saviors, old-style World Government and New World Conglomerate functionaries fought against Islamic Jihadists, Neo-Democracy Rebels, Hindu Revivalists, and glorified outlaws, among others. It wasn’t quite chaos on Earth, but it was the closest thing in decades as the greatest challenge humanity had ever faced was racing toward them.

  -2-

  JUPITER

  JUNE 2076

  After six months of travel in the fleet, Assur was beginning to feel very much at home. This surprised him. He remembered the heady days aboard the Akkad when they had been approaching the solar system. In those days, two Vim Type Four Missiles had still been chasing the Akkad. That had put the generational vessel under a pall of doom.

  This was so much different. In this fleet, victory and a great opening to Valiant survival gave the mission a stamp of joy. Perhaps it was too bad the Earthers would all have to die. There were simply too many of them. If Earthers had been in their millions instead of billions…

  Assur shrugged as he sat in his command chair on the bridge of the Marduk. He did not want to speculate on things that didn’t matter. He was a realist, a master of how things were instead of wishing how they might be.

  Naram Sin still lived in his stasis unit aboard the old Enkidu. Incredibly, that Enforcer had been built in their original star system hundreds of years ago. It was an ancient warship compared to the rest.

  Naram Sin…

  At times during the journey, Assur had considered waking his former aide. He would have liked to hear Naram Sin expound on chess and on the best way to fight the coming battle.

  The Enforcers kept their telescopes on Earth, watching what they could. The more advanced telescopes in the Saturn system also sent them timely data packets.

  The Earthers had six Orion ships; they might be constructing a seventh. They had a few auxiliary ships…

  Assur suppressed a laugh. The Earthers had gone crazy in massed civil war. That proved they were the inferior species. They couldn’t handle the fact of fighting for survival. Earthers would have likely wilted if having to travel for generations through deep space aboard the Akkad.

  “We deserve their Earth,” Assur said under his breath.

  “Sir,” an officer said. “The moment is almost here.”

  Assur shook himself out of his conjectures as he studied the gas giant Jupiter on the main screen.

  The Marduk was the spearhead of the invasion fleet. Alongside it, the other vessels undoubtedly prepared for the gravity assist maneuver, a critical step in the mission.

  Assur marveled. He had never been this close to the largest planet in the solar system. Saturn was big, but nothing like this.

  Jupiter was a massive sphere of swirling storms and bands of color, its gravitational pull a powerful ally in their plan. The fleet of warships and cargo vessels approached it, their fusion drives dimming as they all relied on the natural force of Jupiter’s gravity.

  The Great Red Spot churned, while lightning storms crackled through the planet’s atmosphere.

  Assur almost laughed. This was quite the sight. Instead, he gave the order for the gravity assist.

  Soon, as the fleet entered Jupiter’s outer rim of the largest gravity well except for the sun, the ships began their choreographed maneuver. The Enforcers and auxiliary vehicles adjusted their vectors, fine-tuning their approach to maximize the slingshot effect.

  Side thrusters fired in bursts, aligning the ships for optimal acceleration from the assist. Jupiter’s gravitational pull gripped the fleet, drawing the ships closer to its atmosphere. Instruments on the Marduk’s bridge recorded the increasing gravitational forces, their readings feeding into the ship’s nav systems.

  Even as Assur felt the increase of Gs, he watched vast cyclones and swirling bands of ammonia clouds whip across the planet, seeing it on the main screen.

  In the background, officers spoke to each other, nav with helm; helm with propulsion; propulsion with navigation.

  As the ships neared its closest approach, the gravitational forces intensified. Then the ships hurtled past Jupiter one by one, their velocities climbing from the slingshot effect of the gravity assist.

  The Marduk’s engines roared again, adding thrust to the gravitational boost provided by Jupiter. The combined force sent the Enforcers and auxiliary vehicles rocketing away from Jupiter, their speeds increased.

  The Marduk led the charge. Behind it, the other Enforcers and auxiliary vehicles followed, their engines flaring as they accelerated. The ships sped away from Jupiter, leaving the gas giant receding in the distance. Their new trajectory aimed directly at Earth, their speed now far surpassing that of the mobile asteroids left behind.

  Unlike the Enforcers and auxiliary vessels, the three mobile asteroids continued on a steady path toward Earth. They had not deviated to use the gravity assist; their mission and mass necessitated a different approach. Instead, their massive fusion drives continued to burn with a steady power.

  Even as the Enforcer fleet sped ahead, the mobile asteroids maintained their course, incrementally gaining velocity.

  The Marduk’s bridge buzzed with activity as the crew monitored the fleet’s progress. Chief Marshal Assur studied the data.

  He was getting used to ship life again. Perhaps he had missed it. He’d been born on the Akkad while voyaging through deep space.

  Assur shook his head. Those were the old days. He wasn’t dead yet. He needed to concentrate on the present and future. Soon, the Valiants would own a homeworld again, as soon as they evicted its present tenants from it.

  -3-

  From: Strategic Review # 114, by Dr. Manfred Huber:

  Given the latest data from Jupiter, we see a separation of the Valiant force. The six Enforcer-class warships and auxiliary vessels used the gravity assist of Jupiter. The three mobile asteroids—we now know that they are each approximately one kilometer in diameter—did not use the gravity assist. I believe this reveals their true function and thus the Valiant plan of attack against us.

  I have pondered this for days, spoken with experts, then used the best AIs to ask probing questions. This, now, is my presumption. Granted, I do not know this with one hundred percent certainty, but given what we see the Valiants doing and their history, it seems clear what their overall strategic intent is.

  First, a little background: what has been their operational move each time? Consider the Iapetus railgun, for instance. It launched iron projectiles that hammered forty separate locations on Earth, causing grave devastation and an eruption to our economic life. The railgun projectiles marked the beginning of our Time of Troubles, which plagues the Earth today. These days, few regions on Earth cooperate with the orbital stations. Most people believe the propaganda spewed during the two nuclear detonations that blackened the name of CEO James Petty.

  Petty believed that Director Livia Drusus was planning something evil in Greenland, although he didn’t know its exact nature. I cautioned Mr. Petty, and he took precautions. Because of those precautions, he is alive today, while the other world leaders are dead.

  It is true that the orbital stations have secured several small but key regions on Earth that produce badly needed technological goods. That is why the seventh Orion ship is presently under construction.

  Given what we know about the increased velocity of a part of the Valiant fleet—

  Before I address that, let us continue discussing former Valiant strategies.

  At first, there was the Iapetus railgun, which we destroyed with a stealth assault. Then the Valiants landed on the Moon in an attempt to construct mass drivers. One became operative and devastated the spaceborne mass of missiles we had laboriously brought up from the surface. The Valiants would have constructed more drivers, but we destroyed the vessel carrying them. At that time, we also destroyed the operational mass driver.

  Notice that the Valiants wanted to set up a system to hurl Moon rocks at Earth. I suppose the rocks would have first destroyed the orbitals. The point is the aliens used heavy projectiles to do the gritty work of destroying our infrastructures in an effort to annihilate our military means.

  This time, similar to the others, the Valiants are using rocks or projectiles in an attempt to defeat us. I suggest therefore that the three mobile asteroids are the ammunition. This is similar to the Iapetus railgun and the Moon mass drivers, except these rocks are truly massive.

  How do the Valiants hope to use the asteroids? This is the critical question.

  The answer lies in what we witnessed at Jupiter. The Enforcers raced ahead. Why would they do that? I suggest they did so in an effort to time their arrival with the mobile asteroids that will have gained horrible velocity.

  Why would that be important?

  I suggest the Enforcers will try to defeat our forces, clearing a path for the asteroids to zero in on Earth and rain down on the surface.

  Notice that we have not seen grand armaments upon the mobile asteroids. Why make such vast efforts to construct these vessels then? I suggest that the Valiants’ plan is to crash each mobile asteroid into Earth. Given their velocity by the time they reach Earth, these would be three extinction-level strikes against humanity.

  I suggest that the Valiants plan a dinosaur-like extinction for humanity. Therefore, whatever else we do, we must destroy or deflect the mobile asteroids. If we deflect them, they will shoot past Earth. They will not be able to brake any time soon to maneuver for a second strike. Thus, this strike is critical.

  If we wish to use an Earth analogy, this is similar to the Allied bombers that crippled German industry during World War II. At first, the Germans launched their fighter planes at the bombers to destroy them at all costs. However, when the Allied fighter defense became strong enough, they shot down masses of German fighters and interceptors with far too much ease. First, the Germans should have concentrated on destroying the fighter defense of the bombers and then the bombers themselves.

  Therefore, in our time, we must first wipe out the defending force, which are the Enforcers. They will surely act as a shield for the asteroids as the two combine near Earth. That seems like the fundamental and obvious strategy for them. I can see no other deployment method that makes sense.

  If we solely concentrate on the Enforcers and leave the mobile asteroids, they will wipe out humanity. We must therefore destroy enough Enforcers so that we can destroy or deflect all the asteroids. We must do this even if it means sacrificing the entire Orion ship fleet.

  To achieve this, we must set up mass drivers of our own on the far side of the Moon. We must also deploy masses of missiles both on the Moon and in space.

  Given the velocities of the Enforcers and the acceleration of the mobile asteroids, I calculate that we have a year to prepare.

  The Valiants were in space six months to reach Jupiter. This means we have a year to prepare for the most monumental battle Earth has ever faced. I believe we need to use multiple ways, even doing what we did in the Neptune system years ago. That is to ready a space marine boarding force to try to take out some of the Enforcers. If we use attack pods to breach the enemy hulls, it is almost certain that many pods will be shot down during the assault. However, this is a do-or-die battle.

  We are at the point where Imperial Japan was toward the end of World War II. There, they developed the Kamikaze Corps to use in suicidal attacks against the American Navy. It was one of Japan’s last impressive assaults. They felt, much as we do now, that this was the end. Certainly, it was the end of Imperial Japan, though it was not the end of Japan in total. We, however, could be facing extinction. Therefore, I say to you that every method must be utilized.

  The bottleneck is Earth’s diminished industrial capacity. Therefore, we must increase the number of key industrial sites on Earth that are under our control. That means protecting any political entity that can give us supplies. That will mean helping unscrupulous men and women hold on to power, if they can, as long as they can send us supplies and workers.

  This strikes me as a possible end days for humanity. Therefore, we must shift into total war in order to meet the attack and build a defense that would make the Battle of Kursk on the Russian side seem like a kindergarten sandbox exercise.

  -4-

  CEO James Petty and Dr. Manfred Huber sat in Petty’s office aboard OS Aphrodite. Petty sat behind his huge desk, sipping whiskey. He hadn’t changed much, though lines of fatigue crossed his face. He had forgotten to darken his hair lately, and it was predominantly gray. He did not look as massive or as powerful as he used to. He was missing too many days in the gym because he was simply too exhausted, and he ate too much. He had so many chores, so many obligations. In essence, he ran Earth, although, in truth, he hardly ran any of it.