Vanguard

by G. P. Hudson

  “Your words mean nothing,” Tok said. “You are a relic of a repressive past. I am a patriot. I will return glory to the Empire.”

  Kriss rolled his eyes. “What do you want, Tok? I don’t have time for your pompous tirade.”

  Tok scowled. “You fight like a coward. Face me in battle, or do you fear the outcome?”

  “I will face you on my terms, Tok, not yours.”

  “Bah, you call this glory?”

  “Call it whatever you want, but if you seek battle, then you should advance.”

  “Where is General Kiith? He would not dishonor himself with such underhanded tactics.”

  “Kiith is gone. I command the fleet, as is my prerogative.”

  “Ah, that explains the Taymati’s uncharacteristic cowardice.”

  “Come now, General. Do you really think you can provoke me with insults?”

  “No, apparently you do not mind being a coward.”

  “It is you who sits outside our weapons range. Come closer and prove your worth. Or, go back the way you came. I assure you, we will meet again.”

  Tok angrily terminated the connection and Kriss allowed himself a chuckle. The man is a fool, and he doesn’t even realize it, he thought.

  Endless hours passed, and fatigue set in. Kriss had refused to leave the bridge and rest, but now he found it difficult to keep his eyes open. How long have I been awake, he thought but did not want to know the answer. He was exhausted yet did not want to miss anything. When Tok blinked, Kriss wanted to be on the bridge to see it.

  “Majesty, the rebels have launched missiles,” Captain Neek said.

  “Missiles?” Kriss said. “What will that accomplish?”

  “They are trying to force us to jump,” Neek said.

  “Yes, but it changes nothing. They cannot control where we jump to. They can only follow. Their missiles are impotent.”

  “Should we respond with our own missile launch?”

  “No. Why waste them? We can play this game as long as they can. Enter new jump coordinates. I want to jump one light year next, rather than five.”

  “Yes, Majesty.”

  Kriss suspected that Tok was trying to deplete the Taymati jump reserves. It was a ridiculous tactic. By reducing the distance of each jump, they could keep going for a long time, since the jump system had some time to recharge between jumps.

  After a string of jumps, Tok seemed to finally give up. When his ships did not appear in the expected time, Kriss ordered another jump, followed by several more. They jumped immediately after each landing, putting greater distance between themselves and Tok’s fleet. When Kriss felt confident that Tok could no longer track him, he reassessed his situation.

  Consulting a star chart, he determined that his fleet was about two thousand light years away from the star system his forces had recently captured. There he could rejoin with the ships left defending that system. He could call for reinforcements and prepare to deal with Tok once and for all. Unfortunately, he would need to use the jump system for the journey. That meant roughly a ten-day trip. How much could happen in that time?

  Chapter 18

  After almost two weeks of travel, the Taymati fleet landed one light year away from their target destination, the remote star system at the outskirts of the Empire. The building of a jump gate linking the Empire to Diakan space made that once insignificant star system strategically important.

  The Taymati had done what they could to repair the damage inflicted during their battle with General Tok’s fleet. While all ships were in much better shape, they were not at one-hundred percent and required heavier equipment to finish repairs.

  While the fleet waited, a lone fighter sped out of one of the carriers, activated its cloak and disappeared from all displays. The fighter then activated its own jump system, traveling the single light year distance to perform reconnaissance on the target star system.

  Emperor Kriss waited patiently on his flagship’s bridge for the fighter to return. He had spent most of his time on the bridge since General Kiith’s death, essentially taking active command of the fleet. As the Emperor, he had technically always been in command. In reality, however, General Kiith had called the shots.

  It wasn’t that Kriss had a problem with this. Kiith was a career Taymati officer and far more qualified. Even now, Kriss knew that the Taymati senior officers were more qualified to command the fleet than he could ever be. And they did, as far as the day to day operations went.

  But Kriss felt he needed to be more than a figurehead. Had he left things as they were, he was confident that the Taymati would have opted for a glorious last stand battle with the rebels, rather than the hit and run tactics he ordered. While they might have won such a battle, there was a high likelihood that they might have lost as well. For Kriss, the stakes were too high to roll the dice like that.

  It was not that he feared battle. Instead, he wanted to wage war on his own terms. This wasn’t just a fight for survival, it was a battle for the future, and the past. He refused to become the last of his line. The Imperial Dynasty would not end with his rule. It would live on for another thousand years, with or without the Antikitheri.

  That was another motivating force for him. He had done a lot of thinking during the journey and had accepted the errors he had made. If he was honest with himself, he had to admit that he betrayed his beloved Empire. In his own quest for glory, he allowed the Antikitheri to corrupt the Empire. Now, he feared it would all be a permanent stain on his legacy.

  The fabled Builders had shown themselves to be just as untrustworthy and petty as any Dvorkan. He didn’t know why he had expected any different. Could immortality and great power eliminate these negative traits? No, the Antikitheri taught him that much. He would attain greatness, just not by groveling before these aliens.

  Then there was Jon Pike. Despite all the challenges the humans faced, Pike refused to play the Antikitheri’s game. Why? What made him so certain of himself? With the odds pitted against him, he refused to bend the knee before the immortals. Was that confidence, or foolishness?

  For a decade, Kriss thought the latter. How could you refuse such advanced technology? Kriss couldn’t. He considered the advancement worth the cost. In the end, Pike was proved right, and Kriss turned out to be the fool. But there was still time. He could still change the course of history. Still, cleanse the blemish from his name.

  The fighter returned and streamed the intelligence it had gathered to the flagship. Icy fingers clawed at the Emperor’s back when he looked at the report. His ships were gone. Destroyed and replaced by the rebels. The ten days it took to make the trip were ten days too long after all. What else had happened in his absence?

  He would find out soon enough. Right now, he needed to take back that system. Based on the report, he had enough ships to do so. In fact, his numbers would make the job almost effortless. What he didn’t know, however, was how many cloaked ships there were. That number might drastically change the odds.

  Nonetheless, if there was one system he needed to take, it was this one. After the Antikitheri’s betrayal, he decided that he wanted more than just peace with Jon Pike. He wanted his help. Miira would have told Pike about the civil war and how the rebels were responsible for the attack on the UHSF. Kriss hoped to use that as a springboard for an alliance.

  If he could show Pike how the Antikitheri betrayed him, he might persuade Pike of the logic behind a united front against them. Of course, the crazy human would resist, but Kriss was positive he could convince him with the offer of the gate building technology. How could Pike refuse something like that?

  He did refuse the technology when the Antikitheri offered it, but they wanted the humans to worship them in return. All Kriss wanted was an alliance. Either way, none of it mattered if he did not take the gate first.

  “Captain Neek, tell the fleet to prepare for battle. We are retaking the portal,” Kriss said.

  The order went out and, after a short wait, all ships reported
their readiness. Each ship activated their cloaking systems, and the fleet jumped.

  Still cloaked, the Taymati fleet began with a devastating jump bomb attack. Kriss knew that all rebel ships would have working shields, so he ordered the use of nuclear payloads and targeted their shields.

  When the Taymati bombs detonated, they hit the rebel ships with the full force of their nuclear payloads. The rebel shields glowed a brilliant white before failing. Anticipating this, the Taymati had already launched their secondary strike, this time targeting the ships directly.

  The surprise attack caught the rebels off guard, and they barely had time to respond before bombs began detonating inside their hulls. Kriss had no interest in a prolonged fight and ordered his ships to use nukes again.

  The resulting light show was like nothing Kriss had ever seen before. The nuclear explosions combined with the exploding reactors to create the blinding flash of dozens of tiny suns.

  The cloaked ships in the system now responded, flooding the area with radiation to locate the enemy. The tactic disabled the Taymati cloaks but simultaneously brought down the rebel cloaks too. When the rebel ships materialized, Kriss used all his willpower to keep from cheering. Compared to the Taymati fleet, the remaining rebel numbers were insignificant.

  The Taymati wasted no time in swarming the rebels. Those with any sense jumped away, while the rest were cut down without mercy. The Emperor finally allowed himself to sit down at his imperial station. The entire engagement had gone better than he could have hoped. The rebels had obviously not expected his return. At least, not this early. General Tok had likely expected Kriss to race back to his palace to lick his wounds.

  Tok probably decided to attack this system for that reason. Based on that logic, Tok saw this remote system as easy pickings, with no counter attack coming in the foreseeable future. Good. All that was left now was to eliminate the rebels on the other side of the gate and contact Admiral Pike.

  Chapter 19

  “There has been an interesting development,” General Tallos said through Jon’s comm display.

  “I’m getting a little tired of interesting developments,” Jon said.

  “It’s the Dvorkans,” Tallos continued. “We’ve been monitoring the gate they built and have noted that several battles have been fought over it.”

  This piqued Jon’s interest. “Miira did say they were fighting a civil war. Kriss had seized the gate from General Tok, which allowed Miira to travel back to Sol.”

  “The gate appears to be a strategic prize. As you said, Emperor Kriss’s forces took control of it several weeks ago. But a second battle was fought, and the Emperor lost control of it. Then, just a couple of days ago the Emperor seized it in a third contest.”

  “It sounds like Kriss has his hands full. It might not be wise to send Miira back until we’re sure he can hold it.”

  “You won’t have to, Admiral. After retaking the gate, the Emperor sent envoys into Diakan space requesting in-person talks between the Emperor and yourself.”

  “No shit?”

  “No, of course not. Why would the Dvorkans defecate in our presence?”

  “It’s just an expression, Tallos. I’m surprised, that’s all.”

  “He must be losing the war,” Tallos said. “He will ask you for an alliance.”

  “I think you’re right.”

  “May I ask how you intend to respond?”

  “I’m not sure. I want the jump gate technology, but I don’t want to get dragged into another war for it.”

  “You technically already had an alliance with the Dvorkans. Despite that, they occupied Diakan space and attempted to invade a UHSF system.”

  “I know. Miira said that the decision to attack was made without Kriss’s approval. She said that the same generals started the civil war.”

  “Do you believe her?”

  “I do, although she may not have all the pertinent information. I fear that Emperor Kriss may be a fair-weather friend. That said, I don’t think we want the generals to win the war.”

  “The Dvorkans have proven themselves untrustworthy. It does not matter which side wins; the result will be the same.”

  “What result is that?”

  “They seek our friendship when they are weak and try to dominate us when they believe they are strong enough to do so. An alliance with such a civilization is not worthwhile.”

  “Tallos, are you sure your judgment isn’t clouded by your hostility toward the Empire?”

  “Of course not.”

  “They did occupy Diakan star systems. Are you sure that fact isn’t influencing you?”

  “I am perfectly rational, Admiral.”

  “Okay, then what do you suggest we do?”

  “The Empire is divided, and the gate they built is a threat to Diakus and Sol. We have an opportunity to take the gate and the star system on the other side.”

  “You want to invade the Empire?” Jon said in disbelief.

  “Not the entire Empire, but we can take a few key systems while they fight against each other. We are still technically at war with the Empire and would be well within our rights to do so.”

  “What about the peace talks?”

  “We would have more leverage in any subsequent peace talks after taking their systems.”

  “We would also get drawn into a third war at a time when our enemies have a new weapon. One that can potentially eradicate the entire human race.”

  “As I said, we are already at war with the Empire. A war, I might add, that they started. If we do not take this opportunity, we may not have another one like it.”

  “Or, we can settle our differences and work to create a strong alliance between our civilizations.”

  “But Admiral, it is perfectly clear that they will break such an alliance the moment they think they can.”

  “Maybe, but what if Kriss truly did not order the invasion? If we let his enemies win, that gate, and any others they build, present an ongoing threat. By helping Kriss, we might actually secure that gate and gain an important ally.”

  “I can take the gate,” Tallos said. “That gate poses more of a threat to Diakus than it does to Sol. The Dvorkans did previously occupy our systems. If my forces took the gate, you would be free to negotiate a peace treaty between the UHSF and the Empire. Kriss would need to negotiate a separate treaty with Diakus.”

  Jon studied Tallos but couldn’t glean any insight from that expressionless face. “Look, Tallos, nobody would blame you if you did take the gate. You would be well within your rights to do so. I’m just asking that you wait. Let’s hear Kriss out. If he wants peace, then he will have to negotiate it with you as well.”

  “That is true,” Tallos said. “Very well, I accept your suggestion. But no matter which way this goes, we both agree that the gate is highly strategic. If we do come to an agreement, I suggest that a military presence on our side of the gate is included in any demands we make.”

  “That’s a good idea. We can build a couple of battle stations there to secure against any future incursions. But that doesn’t stop them from building another gate.”

  “No, but we’ll be able to do the same once we have the technology,” Tallos said.

  “Right. Okay, tell Kriss’s envoy that I’ll meet him. But any talks will take place in the Sol System. If he is serious, he’ll make the trip.”

  “That will require travel through Diakan space. He will need to submit to a Diakan escort.”

  “Agreed. We’ll only allow his ship through. The rest stay behind. His Taymati guards will be pissed. Too bad. As you said, we are still at war.”

  “Understood. I will make the necessary arrangements. Tallos out.”

  When Tallos vanished from the comm display, Jon opened a comm with Miira. Moments later, the Dvorkan scholar appeared on his screen.

  “Yes, Admiral?” Miira said.

  “I have some news I think you’ll want to hear. Emperor Kriss might be coming to Sol,” Jon said.


  “Really? Why?”

  Jon explained the situation to Miira and how the civil war was likely not going well for the Emperor.

  “I see,” Miira said. “Then the offer of a peace treaty I presented is irrelevant.”

  “It seems that way, but let’s wait and see. We’re making a lot of assumptions without hearing what the Emperor has to say.”

  “That is true, although I do believe your logic is sound. I must admit I am surprised. I did not believe the Emperor could lose to the Generals.”

  “It’s war, Miira. Anything can happen. Nothing is ever guaranteed.”

  “War or no war, I cannot wait to see my Emperor again.”

  Chapter 20

  Emperor Kriss didn’t trust the Diakans. They had told him that he had to come alone to the Sol System for talks, which he expected. What bothered him was the obvious arrogance of their leader, General Tallos.

  He had met Tallos before when Jon Pike had come through the Empire. Back then, Kriss had thought highly of the Diakans, as they had helped him defeat his enemies. They left the impression of an enlightened and spiritual species. But things had changed since then. Tallos now acted like Dvorkans were barely worth his contempt.

  On the one hand, Kriss understood where the feelings came from. A Dvorkan fleet did occupy Diakan space after defeating the Juttari, but those were spoils of war. Surely the Diakans understood such things. Everything Kriss had heard about them stated that they were one of the more powerful species in the galaxy.

  Or so they said. Perhaps the Diakans believed their own propaganda. It must have bruised their egos when Dvorkans defeated the Juttari so easily. If the Diakans couldn’t liberate their own star systems from that pathetic species, what made them think they could look down on the Empire?

  Tallos needed a reality check but now was not the time. Kriss repeatedly told himself to remain diplomatic and ignore the insulting Diakan. There were more important things to accomplish, and he could not afford to anger the Diakans. Whatever his opinion of them, they influenced Jon Pike, and Kriss needed to get Pike on side.