Annihilation: The Power of a Queen

by Andrew, Saxon;Chiodo, Derek

  There was universal silence until Harauk broke the silence by saying, “I’ll do it. Send the order out to all the members to send their ships to my system. I’ll teach these humans to fear us.”

  Mikne looked at Harauik and knew that most of the Alliance heavy handed tactics originated with the Hargons. They were the original world that organized the other nine into what was to become the Alliance. “Are you sure this is what you want to do?”

  Harauik screamed into the com, “Place the orders now! We attack immediately.”

  Mikne said, “As you wish.” The other eight members showed their concern but would not cross the old Hargon.

  “Tag,” Danielle thought at him.

  “Yes Dear.”

  “I’ve just received word from Dgzh that a call up for ships had been issued by The Safety Prime Council and that failure to respond will be considered treason. The Hargons system is where they are to report. Dgzh also says that more than 600 Alliance warships have refused to answer the call and are forming up instead at the Central Alliance planet. The number refusing to go is increasing every minute. Our sensors from the drone we left in their system when we jumped in have intercepted messages from numerous Alliance members that indicate that they have chosen not to Attack our race again. The original 600 ships have now grown to more than 4,000. We have had the Saratoga jump in to the Hargon system where 9,000 ships have reported. It appears that the bulk of the ships in the Hargon system are from the fleet that stayed in the outer system during their last attack. The ships at the Central planet have many of those crews we released. It appears they heard our message and understood it. Tag, what are we going to do? This could trigger the war.”

  “Let’s see what the Hargon fleet chooses to do first. Once we determine that, we’ll plan our reaction. Relax, Dear. We can do nothing yet, wait and be patient.”

  Tag commed Kosiev and said, “Admiral, I need you to form the fleet up and issue one of two plans. We are going to fight the Alliance here and then go to the offending system or we are going to defend the Alliances Central Planet. Either way, immediately after the battle starts I want the fleet to be prepared to implement Kidnap Sixteen.”

  Kosiev looked away from his display for a moment and asked a question of the person off screen then turned back and said, “We’ll be ready in 12 hours.”

  Tag smiled at Kosiev and said, “Do I smell popcorn?”

  Kosiev actually laughed and picked the bag up from the floor beside his chair where he had hidden it from view, “Of course. There’s going to be fighting isn’t there. Honestly, I agree with Admiral Dorg; this stuff is addicting.”

  Tag lifted his bag and said, “Someday in the far future this will be known as the popcorn conflict. They will try to say that popcorn drove us mad.”

  “Only if we didn’t have any.” They both laughed and Tag cut the connection.

  Dgzh had commed Sten and asked him to come down to his former office. Sten came in an hour later and looked at all the people gathered around the wall display. “What’s going on?”

  Dgzh pointed to the display and said, “The council has ordered a gathering of ships to attack the Humans.”

  Sten sat down heavily. “Are they that crazy? The Humans will destroy them and then come for us.”

  “Well, there’s another issue.”

  Sten looked at Dgzh and recognized his expression. “Uh, oh, something serious is about to happen isn’t it?”

  “Wellll, there are more than 5,000 ships in our system defying the Councils orders and are refusing to attack the Humans again.”

  Sten turned dark from the blood leaving his face. His race’s blood was actually white in color which lightened the normal dark color of his skin. His race was from a bright star system and his skin was thick and looked like the hide from an elephant. His eyes were big orbs that had a membrane that filtered out bright lights but magnified light at night. He was humanoid in shape but was hairless and only stood 4 feet tall. Dgzh asked, “Are you going to be alright?”

  Sten looked up and said, “Yes, I think so. Why did you call me?”

  “The fleet asked me to contact you to see if you would come to communicate with the Council when they come here. They’re pretty certain that they will attack here first.”

  “You could do just as good a job as me. They don’t need me.”

  “You’re probably right; but they believe in you. You resigned before you would throw away any more ships. They know that and they want you. Plus consider this; if we are attacked first, then your family is in danger. We could use all the help you could give us.”

  Sten rubbed his eyes and said, “They didn’t kill me the first time I told them the truth. Maybe they won’t if I tell the truth again. Get Council member Mikne on a channel.”

  Sten sat and looked out the window at crowds going about their business at the government center. There were thousands of bureaucrats whose sole job was to administer the Alliance government. He knew that they were in danger if the Hargon council member chose to attack. He was the most bloodthirsty of them all. He also bullied the other members and threatened them if they didn’t do things his way. Mikne was the leader in name only. His display came on and Mikne was looking at him. “You asked to talk with me, Sten?”

  “Yes, I have. We have a problem and I’m not sure how you might choose to resolve it.”

  “What problem is that?”

  “There are more than 5,000 ships here in my system refusing to attack the Humans again. The number is growing as we speak. I am afraid that the civil war the Humans warned us about could be touched off by what’s happening now. Headman Dgzh has spoken with more than four hundred of our members about whether they would feel compelled to attack another member of the Alliance if they were allowed to do so and 374 of them were excited at the prospect of being allowed to do so. If the central government is weakened, our members will destroy our civilization. If the Hargon attacks here, there will be civil war. If he takes his fleet and attacks the Humans, there will be civil war. I am certain the Humans will totally destroy his fleet. We will be so weakened that the civil war will start. Can you not stop the Hargon council member from doing this?”

  Mikne stared at Sten and finally leaned back in his chair and took a drink from a goblet on his console. “I was going to have you killed after our last talk. I was already ordering it when I watched the videos of the battles we have fought against the Humans that you sent to my console. I realized that you were telling me something that I had to understand before I made a bad decision. I believe what you are telling me now. Unfortunately, we are trapped by our history. We have always destroyed civilizations that represented a threat to us. Two thousand cycles have made us what we are. It may very well be that the only way to change is to be destroyed and rebuild.”

  “But how many billions of civilians will lose their lives in that conflict. Perhaps it’s not necessary to destroy our worlds if people in power decide not to allow it to happen.”

  Mikne leaned forward into the display and said, “If any of us went against the Hargons, then we would be accused of treason and attacked. The Hargons have more than 10,000 ships in their confederation. Let me share with you what I’m doing right now. I have called all our warships home and I’m having more than 7,000 agricultural transports bring food stores to my home planet. I also know that there are many members that feel they owe my race destruction. I know you’re right, and so do most of our members. The other eight council members are doing the same thing I am and my sources tell me that hundreds of planets are also planning for the war. I’m afraid that the Safety Prime Council no longer has a function. As of this moment, The Alliance is pretty much over. I would suggest that you do what you can to protect your planet however, with your lack of agriculture, your short term outlook is bleak.”

  Sten’s display went dark. Dgzh was sitting off to the side in the room and saw his former leaders face turn dismal. Sten then took a deep breath and said, “Who is commandin
g the fleet in our system?”

  Dgzh smiled and said, “The Vgrig Subleader is trying to bring order out of the chaos. His ship was one of the first to arrive.”

  “Get him on the com.”

  The wall display came on and the Subleader was looking out at them. “We find ourselves in a totally new situation now,” Sten said. “Are you willing to help us try to resolve it?”

  “Yes, State Leader, I am.”

  I am no longer the State Leader, I’m asking you as one individual concerned about the welfare of our people.”

  “You are my State Leader. Talk with the ships here; they will listen to you. You are the only one that can give us hope.”

  Sten looked at the Vgrig and knew he was letting others dictate just how much power he had. He had as much as he wanted to take. “Open an open channel to the fleet and broadcast what I’m about to say to as many member as are willing to listen.”

  Dgzh said, “The channel is open and it is being sent to all members of the Alliance.”

  “I want to thank those ships that have chosen not to join in on another attack against the race known as Human. Our history is replete with the number of worlds we have destroyed because of fear. Fear of Ancient technology, fear of them being too strong, fear of them being too different. The tie that holds us together is fear. No one would dare attempt to leave the Alliance, it would mean annihilation. Right now our member worlds are once again gathering forces to attack a race that is peaceful and wants to only be left alone. Our attacks against them have demonstrated to us that there is another way to live; that we should support each other and find commonality in our desires to live in harmony and peace. Now we face the pivotal moment of our history. Our fleets are divided and will probably be fighting each other shortly. All of the races that make our Alliance of Worlds are now waiting to take the moment to right old wrongs. There is such a heavy debt of anger that civil war is a real possibility and if that happens, billions of lives will be lost. We could quite literally kill more than 75% of our populations if that war breaks out. I ask all members of the Alliance to refrain from attacking another member until the fleet action is over. I beg all of you to think about what the future will be if the first attack happens, it will escalate out of control. To the ships in my system, I am appointing the Vgrig Subleader over our forces. He managed to save many of you after our last invasion of the Humans system and I believe he will do the best thing now. We will keep all of you informed of what’s happening as long as we can.”

  Harauik turned off his display and sneered, “Order 9,000 more of the Hargon ships to join my fleet. We will be going to Alliance Central to deal with these traitors first, then we will finish the Humans.” He had noticed that once the former State Leader had spoken, ships had stopped jumping in and joining his fleet. He had 20,000 ships and the additional 9,000 from his fleet will make short work of the others at the Central Planet. For good measure he was going to totally destroy all the population after he destroyed their fleet. “Get ready to jump in 40 drags.”

  “Danielle,” Tag thought.

  “Yes, Darling”

  “I need your help. The Alliance is either going to attack us or go after the rebels at the Alliance Central Planet. We need to know which. Can you tell me where they’re going?”

  “How many ships do they have?”

  “They had 20,000 or so until the former Alliance State Leader broadcast his fears of a civil war and made the Vgrig Subleader the commander of the ships in their system. The Alliance commander then ordered 9,000 more ships from his home fleet to join him?”

  “They’re going to Attack the Central World.”

  Tag didn’t want to doubt her but the decision was too critical to make a mistake. “You answered that pretty quickly; are you sure?”

  “Yes, he wouldn’t take the bulk of his home fleet to Earth because they would be too far away to jump back and protect his world. Even if he doubts civil war will happen, he won’t risk his planet if he can avoid it. He thinks that he can handle the rebel fleet and then use intimidation to force the worlds that haven’t supported him to send him all the ships he’ll need. He can then send his home fleet back home. Besides, let say I’m wrong. What is he going to do if he goes to Earth? He won’t crack our Asteroids and if he goes that far in system, he’ll be trapped when you return.”

  “Once again, your reasoning is impeccable. Thanks, I love you. Will you ask Tgon-Gee to com me?”

  “Certainly.”

  Tgon-Gee appeared on Tags wall display thirty minutes later and said, “Do you need to communicate with me Mister Tag?”

  “Yes but I need to get Terl on the channel, too.”

  A moment later Terl appeared on the split display screen. “Hello Prince Tgon-Gee.” He then looked at Tag and said, “I see you’re planning something to help our Alliance brothers.”

  “Terl, you never cease to amaze me. Am I that transparent?”

  “It doesn’t take a Glod psychic to see that if what the State Leader broadcast is halfway true, you won’t sit idly by and let it happen.’

  “You’re right. I am going to need your entire ships inventories for what I’m planning. Your worlds are protected by your Asteroids so you don’t need your ships to ensure your safety. What I’m planning should be over quickly. Will your people help me?”

  “Tag, why don’t you just get Danielle to order it?” Tgon-Gee asked.

  “Because the benefit of choosing to participate is that you begin to become what you choose.”

  Tgon-Gee and Terl looked at each other and Terl broke the moment by saying, “I’m going to have a headache trying to fully understand what you just said. I do understand it on one level but now my brain has locked on it and won’t let go until I really understand. My world is at your disposal.”

  “As is mine,” Tgon-Gee said.

  “Then will you have your Fleet Commanders contact Admiral Kosiev and he will give them their assignments.” Both nodded and Tags display went dark.

  Harauik impatiently waited for the fleet report. He felt that his enemies would only use more time to better prepare themselves against his forces. “What is the matter? What’s taking so long to get the ships formed up?”

  “Council Member, the extra ships from your fleet have arrived piecemeal and we have had to assign them to formations as they arrived. There are still 800 that have reported that they will arrive within the hour. Do you choose to go without them?”

  “How many of the 800 are dreadnaughts?”

  “Our registry indicates that more than 650 are dreadnaughts. It took them longer to recall their crews because, obviously, they have larger crews to recall. We could have left two days ago but for the extra ships.”

  “Make those ships their own unit. Assign other ships to join them from our current formations. That should speed things up,” Harauik ordered.

  “Who will command that unit, Excellency? We divided all our Fleet Leaders to the current formations.”

  “Order one from our home system to jump in immediately even if we have to ferry him out in a shuttle. Make it happen!”

  The Adjutant swallowed and said, “I’ll order it now.”

  Tag commed Kosiev and said, “Are we ready?”

  “Yes, we’re as ready as we’re going to be. Are you sure where this Alliance fleet is going?”

  “Danielle is sure.”

  “Kosiev smiled and said, “Then that’s where they’re going. Has she ever guessed wrong on anything?”

  “Honestly Admiral, I can’t remember if she has. She usually won’t guess if she’s not sure. Are you comfortable with the tactics we’re planning; we’re back in the outnumbered and backs to the wall situation again.”

  “Fortunately I have been able to practice the new tactics with the ships we’re going to use because there are so few of them. I think you are going to be pleasantly surprised by their efficiency. You know you could have used all our ships in this action?”

  “No I couldn�
�t; there are too many chances that many are waiting for the fleet action to start before they make their move.”

  Kosiev thought a moment and said, “You make a good point. If it gets dicey we can always call for help.”

  “Not if you’re well inside the jump limit?”

  “Well, what is life but a gamble,” Kosiev said. “It’s not like we haven’t done it before.”

  “One of my favorite songs from our ancient history was done by the Matt McCagg Experience; Don’t play with the Spaceship. I usually listen to it prior to a fleet action and somehow it brightens my mood enough let go of the worry and nervousness. Perhaps the Alliance will finally learn that Humans don’t make good playmates in battle. Someone should tell them, “Don’t play with the Spaceship.”

  “I want a copy of it,” Kosiev said. “I think I can use it.”