Destroyer of Worlds (Alpha Ship One Book 2)

by L. D. P. Samways

  After all, force – violence – destruction – physicality, was the only language that the people of Earth understood. But once they became knowledgeable on the rebel fleet’s political agenda, then maybe – just maybe, they could gain some sort of stronghold within the political system.

  The Annex Rebel Fleet aren’t terrorists. Pilgrim Tech are the terrorists. They terrorize the banks, and the people that own houses on Earth, paid with money loaned to them at high-interest rates, just so they can die in debt.

  Pilgrim Tech monopolies everything. They are a stain on the progress of humanity. For there is much more to life than the commercialization of space. Back when interstellar travel became a reality, Commander Korr and his people had a vision where the knowledge of humanity’s existence would be sought after. But instead, interstellar travel had been used to monetize certain resources and certain planets. And for his people, his alliance, rebel or not, that was not good enough.

  And now the Commander found himself back on his secret planet. A planet that was teeming with rebel fighters. Hundreds of thousands of men and women that were just like him. Men and women that could see the absolute lack of human empathy back on Earth. Rebels that wanted nothing but peace and prosperity for their family members on their home planet. But the only way that the Annex Rebel Fleet could gain any sort of peace was through violence, unfiltered violence toward their oppressors.

  The Commander hoped that Pilgrim Tech would see the error of its ways. And even though, hypothetically, Pilgrim Tech outnumbered the Annex Rebel Fleet, they were just men in suits. And men in suits did not take arms up against their enemies. They use and manipulate the people that they rule over instead. And it is those people that suffer. It is their families that grieve.

  And it is now that the Annex Rebel Fleet will put an end to human capitalism and usher in a new dawn for all of mankind.

  But before any of that can come into effect, much planning needed to be done. And even though the Commander already had the blueprints for his do or die mission, there were still certain pawns on the chessboard that needed to be moved forward. Though the Commander preferred cards, and saw this very much like a game of poker, sometimes proficiency in both games can come in handy.

  The Commander stared at his controls in front of him, and watched as the ship’s power systems fluctuated back to idle mode. His engines were cooling off, and so was his anger. The Commander knew that he would need to keep a firm grasp on his emotions if he was going to succeed in this mission. But it was hard for the Commander not to get emotional when it came to his dream.

  A dream that he’d had for many years. And that dream was simple; take the world back and share it equally among men and women.

  “Commander, you are needed at the Pavilion,” X-O Zutor said, approaching the Commander with caution, for he looked as if he was deep in thought.

  Commander Korr turned around and faced his right-hand man. Both men remained silent for what seemed like an eternity, but was more than likely just a few seconds. The realization of what they were doing was slowly sinking in. They were really doing it. They were really moving forward. Both of them could hardly believe it. Everything was happening so fast. But there was no mistaking the fact that the two of them had accomplished something great.

  Something great that would change the course of humanity forever.

  “Lead the way,” Commander Korr said, following his right-hand man out of the ship and onto rebel soil.

  The planet was barren. It held a kinship to Mars. The ground was red and the rocks were rusted by the sun. But this particular planet didn’t share the same hostile conditions as Mars. The atmosphere was comfortable. None of the rebels needed oxygen tanks to walk on the surface. The planet’s atmosphere was breathable, and hypothetically, the planet could support human life if need be.

  But that’s not why the Annex Rebel Fleet were using it. None of them lived on it. The planet was used for one thing and one thing only; and that was storing their war machines. It was their so-called launchpad for their war. Their troops were stationed on the planet, and rotated themselves back and forth between Earth and here, as to not arouse suspicion with the people that knew them back home. But now that their plan was in motion, there would be no more going back to Earth to keep up appearances.

  The Annex Rebel Fleet were now permanently stationed on this planet. And Commander Korr had no problems with that whatsoever. They had planned this for many years. So many years in fact, some of the founding members of the Annex Rebel Fleet had died long ago. But there were provisions on this planet, provisions that would keep them fed and hydrated until the time was right to strike. Not that the Commander thought he and his men would be spending much more time on this planet.

  The wheels were now turning, and there was no stopping this train. The line stretched all the way toward earth, and the final stop was victory. Commander Korr and his men couldn’t wait much longer, the excitement was too great. But there were a few final intricate details to sort out. And one of those details was waiting for him in the Pavilion.

  The Commander and his right-hand man X-O Zutor walked past various ships that were idle on the red soil. Looking around, canyons and mountains surrounded them. They hadn’t wasted much time on this planet, and didn’t bother building any buildings or landmarks. All the troops slept onboard their ships. The vessels acted as their temporary homes. Homes that doubled up as war machines as well. The only man-made structure on the planet was the Pavilion.

  Its purpose was simple; it acted as the meeting point for all the Annex Rebel Fleet members to talk about certain subjects. Commander Korr and X-O Zutor entered the Pavilion, it lay empty apart from two or three souls standing in the middle, chatting amongst themselves. All the troops were on board their vessels, most likely eating, drinking and sleeping.

  But the three souls in the Pavilion spotted the Commander and his right-hand man and ushered the two of them forward. It didn’t take long for the Commander to reach the three men who at first he didn’t recognize, but then as he got closer, he recognized just fine. The Pavilion’s many chairs and tables were packed away. The place looked desolate, but the Commander knew that if he was being summoned, it must be important.

  So he didn’t bother with pleasantries, he just stood there expectantly, waiting for whatever news he was about to receive. The three men standing in front of him looked a little nervous, but that was only because he was the Commander – their leader – and most men get nervous in the presence of greatness.

  “Sir, we have an update on the mole’s progress,” one of the men said, looking the most nervous of all.

  He wore army fatigues, the same fatigues that everybody else wore, but he had a special patch on his right arm. He was one of the chairmen of the Pavilion. His job was to officiate meetings between the various leaders of the Annex Rebel Fleet. Commander Korr was at the top of the table. But that didn’t mean that the others weren’t just as important as him.

  They were a team after all. And teams work together. The last thing that he wanted to do was fall into the same trap that Earth did. Pilgrim Tech was a group of elitists. In the Annex Rebel Fleet, every man was equal. High-ranking positions were given to men of experience, but all men were equal when it came to their place in the rebel fleet.

  “How is the mole doing? Is he any closer to succeeding?” Commander Korr said, fiddling with his hands a little as he cracked his knuckles.

  “Yes sir, I just had word back from him. Apparently, he’s only hours away from accomplishing his objective. He said that the attack has scattered the officials back on Earth. And it seems as if the panic that we have caused is working in our favor, just as you predicted,” the man said.

  Commander Korr nodded, a wry smile coming across his face.

  “So the president of Pilgrim Tech should be getting a visit from the mole soon. Let’s hope that he doesn’t put up much of a fight, because I want him alive. Once we get him in our custody, then we’ll be tha
t much closer to a checkmate,” Commander Korr said, the smile on his face becoming bigger as he thought about what they were about to do.

  It had never been done before. A high-ranking member of Pilgrim Tech was about to be kidnapped. And once he was kidnapped, then they would hold all the power in the world.

  Once that power was theirs, they’d be that much closer to victory.

  ***

  After around twenty minutes of silence, I had decided to move back toward my flight chair. Sitting back down on it, I could feel my back muscles relaxing as the tension dissipated off my shoulders. I cracked my neck a few times, trying to get the nicks out of my knotted spine.

  The others had fallen silent. Dale was standing next to the equally silent prisoner, keeping an eye on him. Teresa had been quiet throughout most of the ordeal. If I had to guess the reason for her silence, it was most likely due to her replaying the memory of putting a knife into the back of that woman earlier. I know I was doing the same.

  As for Philip, he was also quiet. I guess all of this was a lot for him to take in, as it was for me. We were after all just getting over the fact that we had been allowed back into the inner circle of Earth. We were no longer traitors, even if Pilgrim Tech had been the actual traitors to begin with, I couldn’t help but sympathize with the Annex Rebel Fleet a little. From what the prisoner had already told me, I could understand their frustrations. It seemed as if these particular rebels had the people of Earth’s best interest at heart. But that didn’t mean that I trusted them.

  So far, all he’d mentioned was that Earth would pay for what they had done to the other members of the Galactic Empire. And as far as I was concerned, I could relate. After all, I had been complicit in the act of exterminating the Ursines. And even though the Ursines had wanted my people dead, I still felt a certain empathy for their plight.

  But empathy and sympathy and all the words that end with the letter ‘Y’ weren’t going to bring about peace in these turbulent times. Earth had made its bed and now it had to lie in it. And the same went for the Annex Rebel Fleet. They had attacked a human settlement and if I knew Pilgrim Tech like I thought I knew them, then they wouldn’t be getting away with it.

  I wouldn’t be surprised if the leaders of the so-called Annex Rebel Fleet were strung up in the public square, back on Earth, back at the capital, in front of all of the peasants and underlings of high society. They would be made an example of. And it was an example that Pilgrim Tech would enjoy instilling. They were not afraid of getting their hands dirty. But then again, maybe I was giving them too much credit? Who’s to say that the Annex Rebel Fleet didn’t have a chance in this? Who’s to say that they couldn’t win?

  Maybe they had all the chance in the world? But let’s not forget that we aren’t talking about just the world here, or at least not just planet Earth, but we are also talking about the Galaxy. The Universe. And peppered throughout them both were many humans.

  Human civilization had expanded exponentially. And there wasn’t a single planet, hostile or otherwise, that hadn’t seen the footprint of an Earth national on their own soil.

  This was much bigger than us. And I was curious to know what their plan was when it came to the other expats out there in deep space. There were private armies in most regions of the Galaxy. And it wouldn’t take much for those armies to come trundling back, and fight the good fight for the men and women that had made them so rich years ago.

  “I see you contemplating your situation Capt. Flynn, but I don’t hear you asking the right questions. So far, all you have been interested in is the why’s and the how’s of the matter. But hasn’t it occurred to you that maybe there is much more to this than just that?” The prisoner said, wiping some blood off his face.

  I didn’t bother looking at him. I was fine with just hearing his voice. Maybe that’s what it would take to get him to talk. Maybe my reluctance to smash his face into a million pieces had proven useful after all.

  At first, I kicked myself for being weak and not having the stomach to get the job done. Because if it was me on the other side, and these savages had me prisoner, I bet they wouldn’t hesitate in carving my face up. But I guess I had something that they didn’t, and that something was understanding. I understood my fellow man more than most did. And from my many years of understanding other men, I have come to the conclusion that it is best to shy away from unnecessary bloodshed when possible. And maybe it’s that shyness toward violence that was making the prisoner talk right now…

  I wasn’t going to ruin it by opening my mouth, though.

  “You hear me Capt. Flynn? I can see your eyes moving, the cogs in your mind are spinning away. But unfortunately for you, this isn’t the sort of thing that you can just win via mental capacity or intelligence alone. This is the sort of thing you can only win by joining us – the eventual winners of this whole thing,” the prisoner said, wiping more blood off his face.

  “Joining you? You want me to join you? You tried to kill me not too long ago. You tried to kill my crew. Yes - I am a forgiving man, and I hold a great deal of respect for the lives of others, but don’t mistake that for weakness. If I had half the chance, I’d gut you like a pig. Only a pig would shit on its own doorstep after all. And you have done a lot of shitting, haven’t you? This whole mission has been one massive pile of excrement – aimed solely at the men and women that have sheltered you, and made you into a citizen. Earth is your home. You’re desecrating it with your frivolous pursuit of happiness – happiness that you plan on attaining by killing innocent people. But once this is over, and you lie dying in a pool of your own blood, along with the people you thought were your brothers in arms, you won’t be happy, because there is no way that happiness can be found with the sword, the gun or the fist.”

  The prisoner started to laugh. It was a surreal sight. Half his teeth were knocked down his throat, yet he’d found something to smile about.

  “You talk as if you are a wise man, Capt. Flynn. But if you were so wise you would see that there is much more to this than you think. You actually think that a group of rebels would attack Earth if it didn’t think it could win? Surely you aren’t that stupid? We in the Annex Rebel Fleet do not waste our breath when it comes to violence. For when we strike, we strike hard and we strike with purpose. And there is no purpose whatsoever in striking without the firm knowledge that your strikes will count, and your opponent will fall. But you need to focus less on the reasoning behind our violence or the violence itself, and start thinking about the bigger picture at hand Capt. Flynn.

  “We have our ways Captain. And our ways are right and just. But you can continue to convince yourself that the people of Earth hold some sort of righteousness of their own. I don’t want to get in the way of any fantasies that you may have about your fellow man, but I’m afraid that everything you know about mankind and the human condition is wrong.

  “For so many years we have been told that we are special and we hold some sort of significance within this great void of space that surrounds our planet and solar system. But I am afraid that there is nothing significant about us. We are mainly men bound by flesh and greed. There is no Higher Power and there is no righteousness on our planet. We have done so much that is so wrong that I fear we can never get anything right again. But now is very much our chance as a society to wash our putrid streets of the filth that once drenched the alleys around us. And it is you Capt. Flynn and your ship that holds the key to our mission. Why do you think we found ourselves on board your ship?

  “It wasn’t to murder you Capt. Flynn, it was to recruit you. Why else would we board the starport? What significance does Sector Eight have for us, a rebel fleet, with the sole purpose to destroy, and not to infiltrate? It was to retain your services Capt. Flynn. I understand that your crew and the Alpha Ship One are a ship for hire. And we have the full intent of hiring you for your services. So ask yourself this Captain and fellow crew mates; do you have what it takes to change the world for the better? And I�
�m not just talking about our world, I’m talking about the worlds that are millions of light-years away from us, worlds that could be allies in a peaceful - yet sovereign alliance. Is that dream so bad? Is it so bad to want peace for the entire Galaxy? The entire Universe? I think not. But then again, you are merely just Plan A for us. If you do not wish to partake in our little game, then we have other means of accomplishing our goals,” the prisoner said, wiping the last bit of blood off his face.

  The whole of the bridge went quiet. Everybody was deep in contemplation. Even Dale was thinking hard about what the prisoner had just said. I caught an uncertain glance from Teresa. She had her doubts. So did I. But I would be lying if I said I wasn’t half interested in what the prisoner was saying. I wanted to know more. I wanted to know everything. And if that meant convincing him that I wanted to take part in his little game, as he described it, then so be it. I too could play games.

  But I’m pretty sure that there would only be one winner once this was over.

  “So tell me then; how are you going to change the world,” I said, standing up and walking toward the prisoner, who was still on his knees, looking up at me.

  “It’s simple really. All I need is one promise from you before I tell you about our plan. Sound good to you?”

  I stood there thinking for a few seconds. I then looked at each member of my crew. Philip looked worried. Dale looked transfixed by my stare. And then there was Teresa. She smiled at me. And then nodded. That’s when I knew that the game was very much in play.

  “What is it that you want me to promise?”

  The prisoner stood up abruptly. Dale was about to restrain him when I put my hand out to stop him. Dale nodded at me and then fell back, leaning against the wall of the rattling ship as it warp-drived through the Milky Way Galaxy. I then turned to the prisoner and nodded my head expectantly, waiting for his demands.