He gave a shrug. “It’s a little thing, Moninco, but it’s all we’ve got right now. The Kthpok’ve been successful in pulling us out of position which means we’ll have to place our faith in the Swarm Master. If anyone can defend Main Hive against these odds it’s Zelof. And he’ll need every little bit of help he can get even if it’s a subterfuge.”
Moninco started to argue but stopped. He gave a little shake of his antennae. Sub-master Drillyn was right. Arriving half a day sooner, or even a day sooner, wouldn’t make much difference.
With the decision made the two leaders turned from the observation window they’d been looking out to head for the Control Room. Drillyn had almost reached the door when it slid open and an officer ran through. “Careful,” cautioned the Swarm Master. “You’ll break your antennae.”
The officer came to attention and saluted. “I’m sorry Swarm Master,” he apologized. “The OOD requests your presence on the flag deck.”
Drillyn nodded. “We’re just heading there,” he said and continued on. The two Swarm leaders moved into the Control Room with the messenger following. Once inside they found the officer on duty standing by the scanning console talking with the Lieutenant posted there.
“What’s the problem, Captain?” asked Drillyn and walked over to Scanning.
The officer saluted then gestured at Lieutenant Cancorlin with whom he’d been talking. “Sir, we just received another message came from Main Hive,” Captain Altain reported. “But it wasn’t from the Swarm Master or the Queens and its encryption is unknown. Within moments of receiving the strange message we lost contact with the intruding fleet. That’s when I sent the runner to get you,” finished Altain.
Both leaders looked at each other then at Lieutenant Cancorlin. “How could we lose contact with an entire fleet, Lieutenant?” Drillyn asked. “Even if they’re using countermeasures we should pick up something.”
“We should be noticing a residual from their stealth fields now that we’re this close,” added Moninco.
The Lieutenant looked up from his console and bobbed his agreement. “Yes, sir,” he replied. “As ordered I was monitoring for any course change or departures from the Swarm when the entire thing just disappeared from my equipment. It’s like someone flipped a switch.”
Cancorlin held out his hands. “I thought that perhaps they dropped into stealth since we’re closing on their position.” He shook his head. “Although that doesn’t make sense,” he said almost to himself. “If they were going to hide they’d’ve gone stealthy when they arrived in system. If they’d done that we wouldn’t be out here and they would’ve had the run of the system.” He shook his head again and repeated. “It doesn’t make sense.”
Captain Altain gave a soft snort that brought the Lieutenant back to the matter at hand. “The Swarm that disappeared,” he prompted.
“Yes sir, sorry sir,” Cancorlin said and nodded at his equipment. “Since the Swarm had disappeared I boosted the power to my equipment and went active.” The Lieutenant held out his hands again in ignorance. “By going active I’d’ve burned through their stealth fields and found them. There’s nothing out there but several small rocks, Sub-Master.”
“A switch?” repeated the Swarm’s Commander as the meaning of what the Scan Officer had reported sunk in then his antennae stiffened. “A switch! Zelof was right! We’ve been pulled out by a decoy.” Then he turned back to Captain Altain. “Notify the Swarm. Prepare for a course change.”
His voice rose above the quiet din of the Command Center. “Navigation!” he called. “I want a least time course to Main Hive. We’ll be going at our top speed.”
“Change our course without making interception?” questioned Altain over the Navigator’s acknowledgement. “What about the human Swarm and the threat it poses to Main Hive?”
“There is no human Swarm,” replied Moninco and waved at Lieutenant Cancorlin. “You’ve heard the report. What we’ve seen was an electronic image. Those ‘rocks’ the Lieutenant found probably generated the reading on our scanners.”
The captain shook his head. “An electronic fake?” he said. “Why would someone want to fake a Swarm?”
Drillyn gave a snort of disgust. “Why?” he said. “They did this to draw our Swarm out where they want us.”
The Second completed the thought. “And that means the only Swarm in the skies over Main Hive is the Kthpok.”
Zelof was at his post in the Control Room of Last Refuge reviewing reports of destruction when two Queens entered the room. Their harness indicated they were members of the Council of Queens but not on the Assembly. They paused just inside the hatch and glanced around, taking in the subdued noise and disciplined activity. He turned to watch them. The two Queens seemed to be shocked as they took in the room with all its equipment and personnel. Zelof could well imagine what they were thinking since Refuge hadn’t been approved by the Assembly or officially budgeted for.
The Queens finished their scrutiny, found where the Swarm Master was then hurried over to his post. Sesum had also noticed the Queens and left his station to join his Commander. Zelof rose from his saddle to greet the Queens and bowed his head in respect when they reached his station.
“Why were we snubbed when we arrived?” asked one of the Queens. Her tone and posture indicated her indignation at the slight. Zelof recognized her as Dahoni, the senior Queen of the two. “As the ranking officer you should have been the Iidx to welcome us not the driver of our vehicle.”
The Swarm Master dipped his head. “I am sorry you were offended Queen Dahoni,” he said. “But matters here required my presence.”
“Other matters?” sniffed the junior Queen, Krissen. “The arrival of a hostile force is important, we agree. While we understand your desire to keep informed on the progress of the Space Swarm it was unnecessary for you to ignore protocol.
“I had thought the other Queens had misjudged you.” She gave another sniff of disgust. “But your actions today are causing me to reconsider my impressions.”
“Another matter that concerns us is this facility,” said Dahoni and gestured around the room. “It’s very well supplied and is extensive. The funding for its construction and maintenance was not in the budget, nor were the personnel requirements. In fact we have no recollection of approving its construction.” She glanced over at Krissen who nodded her agreement. “We thought we were going to visit Wartten. But this…” Dahoni let her voice trail off.
“Protocol and budgets are no longer items of primary interest,” said Zelof. “And I don’t have time to answer a lot of foolish questions.” Sesum’s antennae began to quiver as it appeared the Swarm Master was behaving inappropriately to the Queens and would be relieved of duty. “We are under attack!” the Swarm Master finished.
“Under attack?” repeated Queen Krissen. Her antennae and tone of voice reflected her disbelief. “That’s impossible! The only threat we know of is the human fleet which is still days away from Main Hive.”
“And our Swarm is moving to intercept,” added Dahoni. “There’s been no sign of an attack.”
In response the Swarm Master called instructions to a tech. A moment later the main screen separated into sixteen smaller views. Each view showed a news broadcast reporting from a site devastated by an explosion.
“What is this?” asked the senior Queen. “What are you showing us?”
“After you were picked up and were flying here we monitored two messages from the Kthpok Swarm,” replied the Swarm Master. “One was directed out system and the other to Main Hive. Within moments of those transmissions Main Hive has been rocked by explosions. Government facilities, communications centers, and other vital facilities have been destroyed.” He gestured at the various images being shown. “What you are seeing is live and is being repeated in many locations planet wide. It appears that almost every location visited by the Kthpok had an explosive device and has been destroyed. Our communications with the Swarm making the interception is out so we have no
idea of what is happening there.” He gave a sad shake of his antennae. “Thousands have died with more to come.”
Both Queens stared at the images of carnage and misery. “Has the Presiding Assembly and the Council been told?” asked Dahoni.
Another instruction from the Swarm Master brought one image to the main screen. Everyone saw a blackened, smoking crater rimmed with rubble. The image cut back to show the crater was in the middle of a city. Surrounding buildings had been toppled by the force of the explosion. Fires raging through the rubble and damaged buildings sent dark plumes into the sky. Rescue teams could be seen fighting the fires and searching through the rubble for survivors. Zelof gestured at the screen. “This’s what’s left of the Great Hive,” he announced.
“What about the Presiding Assembly?” asked Queen Krissen. “What have you heard from the Council of Queens?”
The Swarm Master turned to stare at the two females. “From what we’ve been able to learn there are only two known surviving queens of the Council. Queens from Anniv and Ghill.”
Antennae of both queens drooped as they comprehended the news. The Swarm Master turned to Sesum. “Have our guests escorted to the quarters that have been prepared for their use.”
“No!” The force of the command had the Swarm leaders turn around in surprise. Dahoni drew herself up as she faced the Iidx commander. “Swarm Master Zelof, if Queen Krissen and I are the sole surviving governing queens for the Iidx people we should be present to witness and direct the fight. Please have stations designated for our use.”
The Swarm Master looked at the two Queens. His antennae were giving a slight quiver. He took a deep breath then spoke in low tones. “You are welcome to remain and watch, Queen Dahoni, Queen Krissen.” Zelof dipped his head to each Queen in turn. “But you will not direct. I will be doing that.”
Krissen went to speak but Sesum cut her off. He pointed at the monitor showing the smoking crater of where the Great Hive had been. “Take a good look!” he ordered in a voice as low as his commander. “If there was sound you’d hear sirens and the cries of the wounded and dying. You’d hear the anguish of people looking for their loved ones.” Zelof stared at his Second. This behavior was completely unexpected but he made no move to stop him. “The Swarm Master has been sounding warnings about the Kthpok for years but the Queens didn’t listen,” Sesum continued his voice was dripping with disgust. “They wouldn’t listen to a male because they wanted to direct!”
Krissen tried to speak again and Sesum cut her off again. His voice was gaining in volume as the anger and frustration that’d been bottled up for years was let out. “When this ‘new swarm’ appeared the Swarm Master sounded another alarm. A warning that was backed with evidence of the Kthpok plans taken from the Kthpok computers.”
All activity in the room had ceased as the staff stopped to watch the momentous event of a male chewing the shell off a Queen like she was a raw recruit. And it appeared Sesum was getting away with it.
Sesum threw his arms in the air and snorted in disgust. “What was Zelof’s reward for sounding a warning and being right?” The Iidx glared at the two Queens. The disgust he’d been voicing turned to anger. “He was grounded and exiled! Now after being wrong so many times and without training for combat you want to direct? Forget that!”
Both Queens were stunned by the Second’s temerity to lecture them. Dahoni slowly turned to face Zelof. “Are you going to let this…minion of yours talk to us this way?” she asked.
The Swarm Master ignored the question long enough to order everyone in the room back to work. “We’ve got a war to fight!” he yelled. “Quit standing around, people are dying!”
He turned his attention back to Dahoni. “People are dying,” he repeated in a sad voice. “And, yes I’m going to let my Second speak to you that way because he’s right.” The Second gave an emphatic agreeing wave from his antennae. “You aren’t trained for this.” Zelof gestured at Sesum and himself. “We are. So we are going to make the decisions and give the orders for the foreseeable future. You are welcome to watch and not interfere. Otherwise you’ll be escorted to your quarters and remain there.”
“But…!” started Krissen.
“No!” interrupted Zelof with a shake of his head. “Those are your only options, Queen Krissen, Queen Dahoni. You either quietly watch or leave. And I think you’ll find that your days of ‘directing’ are over. Your role now will be in guaranteeing the perpetuation of our species.
“Now choose! Are you going to watch quietly without getting in our way or do I have you escorted out?” The Swarm Master glared from one Queen to the other.
At last Dahoni’s antennae which had been stiff with rage and indignation sagged. She nodded to Zelof. “We’ll watch,” she announced, “but who are we fighting?” Krissen went to protest the decision but was silenced by a stern look from Sesum.
“Very well,” said Zelof and called Commander Canzen over. “Have a station readied for the Queen’s use,” he ordered. “They won’t need communications.” Carzen saluted and gestured for the Queens to follow him.
“Who are we fighting?’ persisted Dahoni ignoring the Commander. “It can’t be the humans they’re too far away.”
“That’s right,” Sesum agreed. “It isn’t the humans which means we’re fighting the Kthpok. The same people we helped with arms and supplies.”
“But the new Swarm” wondered Krissen.
“It disappeared from Scanning soon after the Great Hive and other facilities were destroyed,” replied the Second. “It was never there which is what the Swarm Master tried to tell the Presiding Assembly.”
“That’s all the time we have for polite discussions,” announced Zelof. “There are more pressing items for us to take care of.” He nodded to Canzen. “Please take the Queens to their station.”
The Commander saluted again and moved off with the Queens trailing behind.
As he watched the Queens move through the room Sesum spoke in a low voice. “I’ve always wanted to do that,” he said. “It’s just too bad it took this catastrophe for me to do it and get away with it.”
Zelof gave a snort. “We,” he emphasized the word, “only get away with it if we lose to the Kthpok. If we win I’m sure those two,” he nodded at the Queens as they settled into place in front of a console, “will want our antennae as trophies.”
Sesum nodded and gave a light chuckle. “That’ll be difficult for them to claim if we win,” he announced. “We’ll be heroes. And if we lose we’ll probably be dead.”
“Let’s not get too far ahead,” the Swarm Master said. “Right now we’re getting pounded and their Swarm hasn’t fired a shot yet.”
An officer scuttled over and handed a pad to the Swarm Master. Zelof nodded his thanks and began reading.
“What?” prompted the Second. “What’s happened now?”
The Swarm Master gestured at the pad. “It’s a characterization of the damage. We’ve lost government centers, communications center and armories. It seems the factories the Kthpok visited haven’t exploded. I guess they might have a use for them later. But right now everything vital for coordinating a fight from the surface is gone. They’re even jamming all frequencies so we can’t alert the orbitals.” He looked at Sesum. “Unless we can get communications back and set up a coordinated defense we’re dead!”
Chapter 17
Fleet Admiral P’Mar stared at the tactical screen which reflected the surface of Main Hive. He could see the outlines of continents and oceans with the locations of Iidx military bases and major cities highlighted. Those locations which had confirmed explosions and were considered destroyed appeared in green. There were a satisfying number of those. The bases that were untouched as yet or hadn’t been completely destroyed were indicated in amber. After studying the Plot for a moment P’Mar reached out to work his console, entering coordinates. Several of the amber bases turned purple.
He paused again to examine what he’d done. Then, with a pleased nod at
his work, he swung his head around on its long neck and called for Commander R’Gon, the flagships Battle Officer.
The officer looked up from what he was doing and acknowledged the call. He motioned for his assistant to take over his station then hurried through the room, dodging other Kthpok going about their duties, until he reached the Fleet Admiral’s post. The Commander came to rigid attention, saluted and asked, “How can I help the Admiral?”
“I’ve identified the targets for First Drop,” the Admiral announced to R’Gon. He indicated the screen he’d been looking at. The Commander craned his long neck so he could get a better look at what the Admiral was referring to. “They’re the more important bases of those that remain,” P’Mar continued. “I want them destroyed but the assignment shouldn’t prove too difficult. The defenders will be confused by the destruction of their chain of command and uncertainty as to the cause. They may not even be able to put up a creditable defense.
“The attack profiles are already in place but I want a quick review for anything that might’ve been missed.” P’Mar shrugged his tail. “The weather might be off or something like that. If there’s a need update the programs. I want First Drop to begin in one hour.”
R’Gon repeated the order, saluted then started to leave but P’Mar stopped him. “There’s one other item, Commander,” he said. “I want an extensive record of the attack kept as this will be the first combat test for the new automated vehicles. We can use the data to improve the design.”
“Yes, Admiral,” said R’Gon. “I’ll confirm that all recorders in the vehicles are activated prior to launch. I’ll have them on continuous update to the carrier ship. That way if a ship’s destroyed we’ll still have its information.”
Betrayal Page 26
