Galactic Wars

by G. P. Hudson

  “What the fuck are you doing here, Isaac?” said Leventis.

  “You haven’t changed a bit. Okay, let’s skip the small talk. I need your help.”

  “I’m sure you do. First, I hear about that chaos that took place just out of town, and then you show up at my bar after who knows how many years. What’s going on? And don’t try and bullshit me.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it. Okay, you’re right. We were involved in that conflict you mentioned. I bought some product from Luka, and he sold me out.”

  “To Zeta?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Didn’t I always tell you not to do business with that piece of shit?”

  “You did.”

  “Well, I hope you did me a favor and killed that prick.”

  Isaac didn’t answer.

  Leventis nodded. “Good. He deserved it. So, what do you want from me?”

  “We need to get off this planet, and back to our ship.”

  “That’s a big favor.”

  “I’ll pay.”

  “Of that, there is no question. But still. It’s no small feat. Especially with all the pressure Zeta’s going to put on this planet, now that they know you’re here.”

  “Are you saying you’re not going to help us?”

  “No, I didn’t say that. I just don’t think money is going to be enough this time.”

  “Okay, I’m listening. What is it you want?”

  Leventis leaned in like a hungry lion about to devour its kill. “I want you to do a job for me.”

  Chapter 5

  “What kind of job?” Isaac said.

  “Oh, nothing too difficult for a couple of military clones,” Leventis said. “I just need you to kill someone for me.”

  “No. Out of the question.”

  “Okay, no problem. Good luck to you.”

  Let’s go, Isaac said over the neural link. We’ll find another way.

  What are our options? Danny said.

  We’ll steal a ship like we did on Pallias.

  We had help on Pallias, Gerry said. Safehouses. We don’t have anything here, and this place will soon be crawling with Zeta assassins looking for us.

  You’re not thinking of taking the job, are you? Isaac said.

  Danny and I were built to be mercenaries, Gerry said. We’ve spent our lives killing for the highest bidder.

  Yes, but that was before your liberation. You had no choice then. You do now.

  Let’s get some more information first, okay?

  “Who exactly is it you want eliminated?” Isaac said.

  A broad predatorial grin formed on Leventis’s face. He tapped at the surface of his desk, and a holoimage appeared of a middle-aged man. “His name is Erbakan, and he is a scumbag. A human trafficker. Takes women from one planet and sells them into slavery on another. Lowest of the low. If anybody deserves to die, it’s him.”

  Hell, I’ll kill someone like that for free, Gerry said. Tell him we’ll take the job.

  “Why do you want him killed?” Isaac pressed.

  “Is the sex trafficking not enough? People like that need to be killed on principle alone.”

  “I won’t argue with you there, but what’s the real reason you want him dead?”

  Leventis leaned back in his chair. “Erbakan has been expanding. Moving into other business areas of mine. He has become something of an annoyance.”

  “I see. He’s trying to compete with you. In what field? Arms dealing?”

  “It doesn’t matter. Do you accept my terms, or not?”

  “Yes, we accept, but on the condition that you get us off this planet immediately.”

  “I can do that. Erbakan’s not on Tran anyway. He’s here.” Leventis waved his hand, and the holoimage vanished. He tapped on his desk again, and a new holoimage appeared, depicting a space station. “Aurora station, in the Volsung system. That is where you need to go.”

  Isaac nodded. “We can do that.”

  Leventis smiled and shook his head. “Not you, Isaac.” He pointed at Danny and Gerry. “Them.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Do you think I am stupid? I know what these clones can do. What’s to stop them from commandeering my ship and not bothering with the job?”

  “You would have our word.”

  Leventis laughed. “Sorry, Isaac. That’s not good enough. My idea is better. You will stay with my men on a different ship. When the job is complete, I’ll reunite the three of you, and give you the means to go wherever you want.”

  I don’t like it, Danny said over the neural link. It places you in danger.

  It’s alright, my boy. It will get us out of this system. Zeta won’t know where we are.

  There’s another problem, Gerry said. How do we get close to Erbakan?

  Good point. “Let’s say we agree to your terms,” Isaac said. “How do they get close enough to Erbakan without him realizing what they are?”

  “That’s the best part. I’ve managed to capture a couple of Erbakan’s men and had their features, and voice patterns copied. I’ll provide your clones with the necessary holo-emitters to disguise themselves. Erbakan will never know the difference.”

  What do you think? Isaac said.

  It’s risky, but it can work, Danny said.

  I don’t think we have much of a choice, Gerry said. If we refuse, his next call will be to Zeta.

  Agreed, Danny said. Let’s just get off this planet, and we’ll figure out the rest later.

  “Very well, Mr. Leventis,” Isaac said. “We accept your terms.”

  Chapter 6

  “I propose that we build battle stations in the systems we currently control,” Admiral Tavian said. “With the upgraded plasma beam, they would present a formidable defense against the Frontier Alliance and Zeta.”

  “Yes,” Emperor Cherenko said. “Despite the end of hostilities with Zeta, they can never be fully trusted again. I like your proposal, Tavian. We need to adopt a more defensive posture. Between our fleets and new battle stations, we should have enough of a deterrent to dissuade any future aggression.”

  Admiral Reynolds gazed down the long table with contempt at the other Admirals. Nobility to the last. More concerned with preserving what they had left, than regaining what the Empire had lost. They represented Imperial rot, and Reynolds placed the blame for the Empire’s decline squarely on their shoulders. He had even started losing respect for Emperor Cherenko himself.

  When Cherenko was still an admiral, he gave Reynolds tremendous opportunities to prove himself. At the time, Reynolds had the threat of retirement looming over his head. But Cherenko believed in him. He made him a Vice Admiral, and then an Admiral. When Cherenko became Emperor he promoted Reynolds as a reward for his success.

  Reynolds was grateful to Cherenko for all of it, but his first loyalty had always been to the Empire, and he couldn’t bear to watch it wither before his eyes.

  “Your worship, if I may speak freely,” Reynolds said.

  “Go ahead,” Cherenko said.

  “Majesty, I believe that we need to stay on the offensive. If we take a defensive posture our enemies will see it as a sign of weakness.”

  “On the contrary,” Tavian interrupted. “An offensive strategy requires enormous resources. We simply cannot afford to continue on this path. We need to secure what we have left, or we risk losing everything.” Tavian turned to Cherenko. “Your worship, your predecessor, Emperor Detlev, promoted an aggressive policy and almost bankrupted the treasury in the process. It is time to regroup. Secure our territory. Replenish the Imperial coffers.”

  “Majesty,” Reynolds said. “As you know, that aggressive strategy allowed my fleet to take back the Pallian and the Allimanian systems. Had we done what Admiral Tavian is suggesting, both those systems would now be part of the Frontier Alliance, leaving the Empire significantly weaker.”

  “And how many ships did you lose in the Pallian system?” Tavian countered. “If I recall correctly, it
took three battles and heavy losses to secure that system.”

  “But we did secure the system in the end.”

  “At what cost? The losses were horrendous.”

  “War is not pretty, Tavian.”

  “Do not presume to teach me about war, Reynolds. I was sending fleets into battle long before you were allowed a seat at this table.”

  “Yes, and I can see how that turned out for the Empire.”

  “That will be enough,” Cherenko said sternly. “I understand both your points of view. Perhaps we can adopt a hybrid approach.”

  Of course, thought Reynolds. Another watered-down strategy. He was becoming less confident in Cherenko by the day.

  “We can entrench ourselves and build the battle stations,” Cherenko continued. “And we can take the offensive in certain areas. That way we can keep the enemy off balance. Reynolds, do you have any ideas for what this approach should entail?”

  “Yes, majesty. I believe we need a bold approach. The Frontier Alliance worlds think they are beyond our reach. For that reason, they have been actively encouraging other systems to revolt, offering support and inclusion in their alliance. This policy makes the Empire look weak. We need to show that no system is beyond our reach. We need to strike back at the Frontier Alliance and take one of their core systems.”

  “That’s absurd!” Tavian said. “We tried that and failed when those systems first sought independence. What makes you think this time will be any different?”

  “The difference is that I will be the one launching the invasion. Not you.”

  “You’re out of line, Reynolds!” Tavian said, rising to his feet.

  “Both of you need to calm down,” Cherenko said. “This is the Admiralty, not a playground. I expect each of you to behave in a manner befitting your rank. Is that clear?”

  “Yes, majesty,” Reynolds and Tavian said in unison, as Tavian sat back down.

  “Now, I’m willing to entertain your idea, Reynolds. I believe there is merit to keeping the Frontier Alliance off balance while we shore up our defenses. Did you have a particular system in mind?”

  “Yes, majesty, I did,” Reynolds said. “I believe the Avar system is an ideal candidate.”

  “Why the Avar system?”

  “It saw the least amount of action when the Frontier Alliance systems declared independence. Most of the fighting took place in the other systems. That fighting took up a lot of the Empire’s resources, leaving little to direct against Avar. I believe that has made them complacent. Unlike the other systems, they don’t expect an attack.”

  “But the Avar system is defended, just like the others. They haven’t let their guard down.”

  “No, they haven’t. They are careful not to invite an invasion. Nonetheless, I believe that they don’t expect one. The Avar feel comfortable, and that is their great vulnerability.”

  “What about the other Frontier Alliance systems? They will rush to defend the Avars.”

  “By the time they send ships to help the Avars, it will be too late.”

  “How will this be different from the Pallian system? When the Frontier Alliance intervened there, our ships were forced to retreat.”

  “That is true, majesty. The difference is that we were not expecting the Frontier Alliance intervention then. We did not know that the Pallians had allied with them. In contrast, we know the Avars are members of the Frontier Alliance. We will expect the reaction and will be ready for it.”

  “Very well,” Cherenko said. “I will support your initiative. Draw up your invasion plans.”

  “Thank you, your worship. I won’t let you down.”

  Chapter 7

  Admiral Reynolds didn’t like being back on Earth. His wife had left him long ago, he had no children, and his extended family was virtually non-existent. A career UEDF officer, he had spent more time in space, than he had on Earth.

  In truth, Earth had become somehow alien to him. Even now, as he flew over its sprawling cities, he found nothing endearing about the place. If it hadn’t been the capital of the Empire, he doubted he would ever step foot on its soil.

  That thinking set him apart from the rest of the officer class. With all the Empire’s far-flung star systems, being actually from Earth was a status symbol. In the UEDF, it fast-tracked you into the officer class, ensuring at least the rank of captain, and command of one’s own ship. To go any higher than that, however, one needed more. It wasn’t enough to be from Earth. You had to be nobility as well.

  This was the reason why men like Admiral Tavian didn’t respect him. Even though Reynolds was from Earth, he was still a commoner. For men like Tavian, that meant that Reynolds had no right to bear the rank of Admiral.

  To his credit, Emperor Cherenko did not share that view. The man believed in merit, despite his lineage. That was a rarity in the Admiralty. But now that Cherenko was Emperor, he seemed to be changing. The problem was, he listened too much to men like Tavian.

  Did Cherenko fear assassination? Was he trying to appease the nobility, to keep the crown? The nobility did wield immense power. Its members possessed tremendous wealth that spanned the galaxy. They all may have supported Cherenko’s ascension to the throne after he killed Emperor Detlev, but they could withdraw that support. Could Cherenko hold onto power if the nobility turned on him? Was that what he feared?

  It was all too much for Reynolds. He preferred the simpler attributes of space and war, to all the political backstabbing that took place on Earth. That was why he couldn’t wait to launch the Avar campaign. While the other admirals chose to direct their fleets from Earth, he fought alongside the men and women under his command. When they invaded the Avar system, he would be there leading from the front.

  As his aircraft entered the still pristine North American wilderness, Reynolds began to relax. He grew up in these same woods, and they were the one place on Earth that he could find some measure of peace. If he did have to spend time on Earth, he made sure it would be as far away from the overcrowded cities as possible.

  The craft came to a stop above a clearing, hovering there for a moment. Reynolds took in the view, admiring the tall spruce and pine trees, and the majestic mountains in the distance. The craft descended silently into the clearing, landing by his cabin. The engines powered down, and Reynolds exited the craft, along with his close protection detail.

  He took a deep breath, taking in the clean, sweet forest air. Instantly he began to relax. He stood for a moment longer, closing his eyes and savoring the smell of the damp earth combined with the old fallen leaves. It reminded him of his childhood, all those years ago. Opening his eyes, he stepped toward the cabin. It was time to go to work.

  His security detail checked the immediate vicinity for threats, while he went inside and proceeded straight to his desk. Sitting down, he immediately established a secure comm with his flagship, the Valiant. Seconds later, Captain David Travers appeared on the comm display and saluted.

  “At ease Captain. I have some good news. The Emperor has agreed to our invasion of the Avar system.”

  Travers smiled. “That’s great news, Sir.”

  “I just need him to sign off on my plans, and we’ll be ready to go. How is the fleet performing?”

  “Good. We’ve been running exercises non-stop, as per your instructions. The fleet will be ready.”

  “That’s what I like to hear. Keep up the good work. I’m going to tweak the battle plans before presenting them to the Emperor. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you need anything.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Reynolds out.”

  Terminating the connection, Reynolds went to work on his plans for the invasion. He had been confident that the Emperor would approve his request and had gotten a head start days ago. Would he have done so if he knew how much influence Admiral Tavian now exerted? He wasn’t sure.

  In the past, Emperor Cherenko appreciated Reynolds’s aggressive approach. But that was before he had become Emperor. That Cherenko was bol
d. A man of action. This one seemed weak by comparison.

  Reynolds pushed political thoughts from his mind and focused on his work. He devoted all his attention to the effort and lost track of time. The hours passed, and it was well after midnight when he realized how late it had gotten. That realization only happened because a proximity alarm had gone off.

  At first, he thought that it must be an animal. Reynolds had set up security sensors deep in the woods as a precaution long ago. In all that time, the only thing to ever set off his alarms was the odd deer or moose. At times the sensors seemed to be more trouble than they were worth.

  He pulled up a security feed to see what had triggered the alarm and froze. There, on the display were several heavily armed soldiers wearing battle suits converging on his location.

  At the same time, a member of his security detail burst through the door. “Admiral, we have to leave. Now!”

  “Agreed,” Reynolds said, jumping to his feet. “Lead the way Lieutenant.”

  Reynolds followed as the man led him out of the cabin to the waiting aircraft. The rest of the security team waited, weapons shouldered and scanning the woods.

  They piled inside and fired up the craft’s engines. The vessel took off and immediately drew fire from the ground. Concussions rocked the tiny ship, as plasma bolts lit up the night sky.

  “Report!” Reynolds barked as he strapped himself in.

  “Shields are holding, but dropping rapidly,” the pilot said.

  “Have you requested assistance?” Reynolds said.

  “Negative, Sir. They’re jamming our comm.”

  That wasn’t good. With their comm down, no one would know they were under attack, and no help would come. “Isn’t this craft armed?”

  “Yes, Sir. We have two plasma cannons.”

  “Then return fire, damn it!”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  The pilot spun the craft around, pointed its cannons at the ground and unleashed a storm of crimson lightning. The barrage shredded trees, snapping many in two and suppressing much of the ground fire.