X. D“With a Knight's help”, Plaerman said. “Don't f<strong>org</strong>et that.”“If that's all we can do, then that's what we'll do, sir”, Daleworth said.“Don't worry, lieutenant”, Plaerman said. “We actually have some beerplans worked out, but we'll tell you more about it once you are on your way. Itwill all work out, with the Knights one hundred percent behind us.”“Famous last words, sir”, Daleworth said. “But we can't see if this plan worksbefore we actually try it, sir.”February 20, 2632, 09:44 UTCe First Platoon was <strong>of</strong>f to bale again.Daleworth sat on the ba <strong>of</strong> the M–. She clung to her assault rifle andlooked at the dirty metal grating on the floor. Puddles <strong>of</strong> water from molten snowwere slowly evapotating as the ship soared in British airspace.What was going to happen?Daleworth sort <strong>of</strong> knew. She had known it before, but wasn't really sure toadmit it yet.It was time to stop speculating, like everyone else did in the military. It wastime to get rational.She thought <strong>of</strong> what had happened in Paris, and what the Planners said wouldhappen here. e pictures from the satellites had been abundantly clear. is wasa new type <strong>of</strong> a Planner cra.But they had detected it. Before the Planners even said a peep. e cra mayhave slipped past the defence network, but they'd know how to handle this.She had to start thinking <strong>of</strong> the war logically.e Planners had a plan.ey didn't have a good plan.It suddenly hit Daleworth that none <strong>of</strong> the plans the Planners ever did wereactually very cunning. Sure, they were scary. ey were devastating. ey werefollowed by horrenduous gloating. ey raised questions. e top brass, and shetoo, were prone to analyse these aas to death. What if…“What if… the Planners are actually retarded?” Daleworth said.“Ma'am?” Staff Sergeant Haman raised his gaze and looked at Daleworthfrom the other row <strong>of</strong> seats.“Never mind, sergeant”, Daleworth said. “I was just thinking aloud.”“Well, they are just dumb bots, basically, aren't they, ma'am?”Daleworth didn't reply. ey had been thinking about the war rationally,because they always thought the enemy was being rational. And, <strong>of</strong> course, tolarge extent, that was true. e enemy was rational and systematic. But alsounpredictable.
It suddenly started to look to Daleworth like the Planner sa's boom wasstarting to show. e enemy was not being scary. ey had seen everything.She had to wait and see what was going to happen in this aa. If it wouldturn out like she thought, then she could probably say, with dead certainty, thatthe Planners were not scary any more.e First Platoon would always head to the danger, certain that they wouldn'tbe defeated with old tris. e thing was, even in Paris, it had started to seemlike the Planners didn't have any new tris.ey were aaing the Earth out <strong>of</strong> desperation. Not due to inevitable conquestfor resources or whatever. It was bullying, plain and simple.And she had craed the jaws <strong>of</strong> a few bullies in the past. ere was nothingto it.Perhaps there would be nothing to this fight, too. With or without the Knights.Was this Paul's point? Maybe not. is was what Daleworth felt, and whatshe hung on to.Behind the polarised visor <strong>of</strong> her combat helmet, Daleworth smiled. e Platoonwouldn't need her smile to win. ey'd just need her continuing resolve.And that was what she was going to provide anyway.e fight was already won. If it wasn't, there just wasn't any justice in theuniverse.February 20, 2632, 11:16 UTC“e mothership is located in the sea, very near to the Roughs Platform”, Plaermansaid over the command link. “It's a bit out due southeast from Ipswit.”“Copy that”, nd Lieutenant Ford said. “Coordinates received.”“Advice you to have caution when approaing the tower”, Plaerman said.“It is occupied.”“Roger that”, Daleworth said. “Ford, get weapons online just in case, but don'tfire without my command.”“Yes, ma'am.”“Now, we believe this cra is some sort <strong>of</strong> a communications hub, but we don'tknow what it will broadcast. We've deployed jammers on the other sites and theKnights are trying to assault them as we speak, but we have no idea how the hubwill send out the instructions. Provide air support for Sir Palomides.”“Roger that. Beta Squad, man the starboard guns, Gamma Squad on the portguns.”“Ma'am, yes ma'am!” the squadmen shouted in unison. e soldiers stood up,and ran to the second level <strong>of</strong> the shulecra, where the heavy weaponry wereplaced.
- Page 1 and 2:
NaNoWriMo 2010 WinnerUrpo LankinenN
- Page 3:
Prologue
- Page 6 and 7:
wouldn't really want to discuss the
- Page 8 and 9:
hundreds of families stu together i
- Page 11:
Part IWe Held the Line
- Page 14 and 15:
I. F H“Now that just sus”, Tan
- Page 16 and 17:
II. F F?“Contact, yellow, blind!
- Page 18 and 19:
III. A E Sscientist with thi glasse
- Page 20 and 21:
III. A E Swhen he first saw the lie
- Page 22 and 23:
III. A E Sand started to accept the
- Page 24 and 25:
III. A E Sa short notice. e Major p
- Page 26 and 27:
III. A E Sreason that was somewhat
- Page 28 and 29:
IV. A R S Sbefore gently starting
- Page 30 and 31:
IV. A R S Sfrom projectile and en
- Page 32 and 33:
IV. A R S Se eight walls with cre
- Page 34 and 35:
IV. A R S Sey looked at the space
- Page 36 and 37:
IV. A R S SIt was fairly common-s
- Page 38 and 39:
IV. A R S Sand rescuing damsels f
- Page 40 and 41:
IV. A R S Snotice massive differe
- Page 42 and 43:
V. S F THe knew what they would say
- Page 44 and 45:
V. S F Twin.But damn if they though
- Page 46 and 47:
V. S F T“Take us the hell out of
- Page 48 and 49:
V. S F T15 TH 0F FEBRUARY, 2632 AD,
- Page 50 and 51: V. S F T“What do you recommend, M
- Page 52 and 53: V. S F Tworlds, feet just weren't t
- Page 54 and 55: V. S F Tthe surroundings for clues
- Page 56 and 57: V. S F Tmounted in any remaining ve
- Page 59 and 60: VI A Historic Meeting or TwoFebruar
- Page 61 and 62: is.”Daleworth wasn't really sure
- Page 63 and 64: And now, it was time for the Presid
- Page 65 and 66: e whole group meandered in the repa
- Page 67 and 68: aised his hand and pointed to ea of
- Page 69 and 70: principles from the ones of your er
- Page 71 and 72: ident, I am willing to part with my
- Page 73 and 74: “Well, I'm glad some of my fears
- Page 75 and 76: something that you already know?”
- Page 77 and 78: “So I'd imagine. Anyway, how did
- Page 79 and 80: “And… where is this device now?
- Page 81 and 82: VIII A New reatFebruary 18, 2632, 0
- Page 83 and 84: “I see”, Dr. Grovepath said.
- Page 85 and 86: that most people would take for gra
- Page 87 and 88: into a bureaucratic nightmare. It w
- Page 89 and 90: “I discussed of these reasons bef
- Page 91 and 92: “What do you mean?” Dr. Grovepa
- Page 93 and 94: velocity.It was a sho, nevertheless
- Page 95 and 96: are ideas of Knights. Ghosts of Kni
- Page 97 and 98: with the heavy footprints of the tw
- Page 99: loaded, and she still had no idea w
- Page 103 and 104: the family honour a lile bit too fa
- Page 105 and 106: “No, the fuing knight! I'm not le
- Page 107 and 108: “I will”, Plaerman said. “Now
- Page 109 and 110: “Good!” Daleworth shouted. “H
- Page 111: Part IIIForces of Heaven
- Page 114 and 115: XI. T Mto upgrade some of the parts
- Page 116 and 117: XI. T Mderstatement was allowed, no
- Page 118 and 119: XII. T Q“Fellow Citizens of Earth
- Page 120 and 121: XII. T Q“Warm climate, hell yeah!
- Page 122 and 123: XII. T Q“Take cover, everybody!
- Page 124 and 125: XIII.Once and Future… and Forever
- Page 126 and 127: XIII. O F… FShe flined a bit as
- Page 128 and 129: XIII. O F… Fsame as it always h
- Page 131: EpilogueNovember 25, 2632, 19:35 UT
- Page 134: ContentsContentsI We Held the Line