Free Star Kitten by Purple Hazel Page B

what Hicks had assumed would happen once Nausties
made it into the Service Tunnel… yet now trapped inside the
remaining food depots and guard stations throughout the planet,
were thousands of terrified Zorg guards… left behind to fight to
the death. Now, the Nausties would have to fight and attack each
one for desperately needed food supplies!
    Architeuthis and his Slart planners didn’t
panic. They merely hoped that now that the first three depots had
fallen, the same tactical plan could be used over and over again to
secure these remaining strongholds and capture their food. It would
be at the expense of thousands more killed or wounded yes…but
eventually they could all be taken. Hicks and his staff went right
to work mobilizing units for assaults on the remaining depots; and
within a day he had plans for the next five. “Well, gentlemen…”
began Hicks at his next meeting with Architeuthis and his planning
team, “the good news is, it’s gonna be a lot easier hitting these
guard stations in the dark.”
    But an amazing thing
happened. The Zorg guards at the remaining food depots actually
began… surrendering ! Yes, after a while, seeing the futility of their situation
and cut off from any communication with headquarters, guard posts
began capitulating and negotiating terms for surrender. Now the
tide was truly turning.
    Such is often the fate with isolated combat
units, cut off from command and any hope of reinforcement. Besides,
these were not trained soldiers. They were nothing but police; and
for that matter not even that. Just a rudimentary weapons training
accompanied by an orientation on how to change shifts and
distribute food rations to starving, exhausted prisoners. Otherwise
they were just bullies who thrilled at holding a weapon that they’d
rarely gotten to discharge, and barely remembered how to operate
anyway. When large forces of Nausties appeared outside their guard
posts and demanded surrender, most simply just gave up and tossed
out their weapons. General Hicks ordered all their lives spared
too… they’d be vital sources of information later in the war, no
doubt!
    Within a few days, the Nausties had secured
most of the planet except for the command headquarters and main
terminal. Soon, they were massing inside the Service Tunnel itself.
Yes, the tide was turning, but this was still going to be a
desperate battle.

Chapter 6:
The Ramp
    “Alright, boys… how do we crack a walnut
with our own butt cheeks?” asked General Hicks with a sarcastic
growl and a menacing grin. In the dimness, his men chuckled and
snickered subtly. It was still a very serious situation, but the
general’s surprising levity was appreciated nevertheless. Hicks
gathered his aides and military advisors inside the service tunnel
to plan the final attack, and the first expectation he wanted to
set was this: No idea was too far-fetched. Nothing was too crazy to
consider. Time was running out too. By now, Warden Ggggaaah surely
must have put out a distress call for help. The only bad idea
anyone could have suggested was to wait and think it over a few
days. They didn’t have a “few days”.
    Emergency lights were all that shown inside
the service tunnel now, and as far as anyone could tell, the entire
area for miles in every direction, had been secured. This was their
bridgehead, and supplies were beginning to pour in from below.
They’d been fortunate already….
    Freight elevators extending from the service
tunnel down to the mines, ran on emergency electrical backup
sources… backup power connected to their own separate battery
systems in case of a planet-wide blackout. Ironically, the Nausties
noticed, the elevators were equipped with a shut-off switch that
could be engaged at the TOP of the elevator shaft in case of a
riot, but they still had their own individual power systems which
could be turned on to run the elevator separately from the main
electrical grid, until they’d need to be recharged.
    True, the