The lead ships will most likely be destroyed if this is indeed the abode of the Ancients, pointed out Haycort from Communications.
We are Vorn, replied Military Leader Victell. Sometimes it is necessary to make sacrifices to protect our race and our Queens.
-
Councilor Valen had been summoned to Gaylith’s office. Three walls were covered with massive viewscreens showing views of the galaxy outside the nebula. On one of the viewscreens was a Vorn cruiser. Valen’s eyes opened wide upon seeing this. Another two Glaymons were with Gaylith. Valen recognized them as Aggressives whose duty it was to monitor the six stealthed sensor arrays the Aggressives had secretly placed outside the nebula centuries in the past. There were also two massive communication arrays outside the nebula as well. Valen turned toward Gaylith and the other two Aggressives. “What’s going on? That’s a Vorn cruiser!”
“We have a problem,” Kamen reported. Kamen was in charge of a small team monitoring the sensors. “Our sensor arrays have detected five Vorn cruisers circling our nebula and attempting to scan it. We believe they’re searching for us. We would have detected them earlier but they are operating under stealth and we weren’t looking for them. We only detected their ship when it came near one of our sensor arrays. We then initiated a search and found the other four.”
Valen gazed at the Vorn ship on the viewscreen. “Have any of the ships tried to enter the nebula?” Inside the nebula, the Dyson Sphere maintained a series of sensor satellites which monitored any unknown activity. Once a Vorn ship entered the nebula it would be detected immediately. It wouldn’t be long before the Advanced Glaymons knew about the Vorn ships if they didn’t already.
“No,” Kamen replied. “However, we’re pretty certain from their actions they have detected the stealthed sensor and communication arrays. We have ordered their AIs to initiate the self-destructs if any Vorn ship penetrates the stealth fields.”
“Good,” Valen replied. This was a precautionary measure they had set up in case the arrays ever became compromised.
“What will Lead Councilor Lavin say when he discovers the Vorn are at the doorsteps of our nebula?” asked Gaylith with a worried frown.
“That we led them here,” replied Valen, wondering how he could use this information to garner support for going to war against the Vorn. Several ideas passed through his mind.
“Are we in any danger?” asked Gaylith worriedly.
“Our battleships will destroy any Vorn ship that comes too close,” Valen said. “However, the council will be highly upset to learn the Vorn have discovered us.”
“Then let’s not wait,” suggested Gaylith. “Let it be us to announce to the council the Destroyers of Worlds have arrived. It will throw Lead Councilor Lavin off balance and perhaps swing enough councilors over to vote for war.”
A pensive looked crossed Valen’s face as he considered Gaylith’s words. “Let me contact Councilor Aalik and see what he thinks. You are right, Gaylith; if we use this event correctly, we just might get the votes we need.” Valen then looked over at Kamen. “Inform me immediately if it appears any of those five Vorn ships are going to enter the nebula.” Valen knew as soon as they did Lead Councilor Lavin would be informed.
-
Valen hurried back to his office and contacted Councilor Aalik. He then explained to Aalik what was happening and his reasoning for calling an emergency council meeting. Any councilor could call such a meeting if there was a danger to the Dyson Sphere. The Vorn were definitely a danger.
“Five Vorn cruisers!” Aalik said, his voice sounding shocked. “Are there any more coming?”
“No,” answered Valen. “We’re pretty certain they’re only scouts searching for us. We’ve received reports of Vorn ship sightings around numerous nebula in the galaxy. It’s obvious they’ve initiated a galaxy-wide search.”
“And you’re only just now reporting this?” Aalik said in disbelief. “The council will be mortified when they hear.”
“That’s why I want to call an emergency council meeting to inform them the Vorn have found us. We need a war vote to ensure our continued safety.”
Aalik was silent for several long moments. “Lead Councilor Lavin is going to try to blame the Aggressives for this. You’d better be prepared.”
“I will be,” promised Valen. “If you have any favors up your sleeves to get us a few more votes now is the time. If we can’t get a war vote passed now, we never will.”
Valen could hear a long sigh from Aalik. “You’re asking a lot. The presence of Vorn ships is going to horrify a number of councilors.”
“We must use that to our advantage,” Valen replied. “If we send out our fleet, the Vorn might never return to our nebula again.”
“I’d better call for the emergency meeting,” Aalik said in resignation. “If you do it Lead Councilor Lavin may ignore the request. I still have enough friends in the council to ensure my request will be granted.”
“Fine,” Valen replied. “We need to meet as early as possible tomorrow.” Valen just hoped the Vorn didn’t enter the nebula before then.
-
Military Leader Victell had all five of his cruisers poised next to the nebula. In another few hours the first cruiser would enter followed by the others at intervals to allow their scans to reach the center. Victell was certain somewhere around the middle of the nebula they would find the Ancients’ homeworld.
Our cruiser will stay just on the edge of the nebula, ordered Military Leader Victell. Our hyperspace drive is to remain charged and we must be prepared to initiate an emergency hyperspace jump if an Ancient ship is detected coming toward us.
You believe they will attempt to destroy us? asked Harran from his sensor console.
Yes, Victell answered. If this is where their world or worlds are hidden, they will not want that information to get back to our main fleets. Once we are detected they will make every effort possible to eliminate our five ships.
Harran gazed at his sensors. All they showed was heavy ship traffic in several nearby food systems. No ship was coming near the nebula. It is strange they have not already attempted to do so. Surely they have detected us by now.
Military Leader Victell agreed with that thought. We will know more when we begin sending ships into the nebula. It is also important we remain vigilant.
-
Councilor Valen was in his office when Kamen sent him a message saying the latest scans from the sensor arrays indicated the Vorn were about to enter the nebula. With a deep sigh, Valen knew Councilor Lavin and most of the other councilors would know about the Vorn before the scheduled meeting of the council. While this did not change his plans, it would give Lavin time to prepare.
Valen spent several minutes considering what his next steps should be. Realizing he had little choice, he called in Gaylith. It took her only a minute to arrive from her office.
“The Vorn cruisers are moving too fast,” she said. “Kamen believes they will be entering the nebula sometime in the next few hours.”
Valen nodded. “I am afraid he is correct. I’m going to send a general message to all the councilors who voted for war in the last council meeting informing them of the presence of the Vorn cruisers.”
“Is that wise?”
“It is our only choice. I will inform them of our sensor arrays detecting the vessels and explain they were not detected earlier because they were stealthed. I will also indicate this might only be the first of a massive fleet which could soon be on the way, and if we don’t move to a war footing we will be fighting the Vorn in our own nebula and around the Dyson Sphere.”
Gaylith’s eyes widened in comprehension. “You’re going to try to force them to vote for war.”
“Yes, some of them will contact other councilors who voted for war and some who voted against. I’m hoping when we arrive at the council meeting tomorrow I can force a war vote and the presence of these Vorn ships will be enough to finally give us the majority we need.”
&
nbsp; “You tread a dangerous path,” said Gaylith with concern. “If this vote fails there may never be another. Keep in mind while the sensor and communication arrays we placed outside the nebula are not common knowledge, there are some councilors who are aware and that includes Lead Councilor Lavin.”
Valen knew Gaylith was correct. “We are at a crossroads. If the vote fails, I will ask every councilor which has supported us to pledge ships for a joint fleet to go forth and fight the Vorn with Fleet Captain Waelt. I don’t believe Lead Councilor Lavin would fire on a fleet from hundreds of different habitation squares. It would anger too many councilors and turn them permanently against Lavin. To further ensure that doesn’t happen, I will make the offer to restrict the Aggressives to our four habitat squares and cut our population in half. Knowing Lavin he will consider that a moral victory and allow the fleet to go unimpeded.”
“Cut our population in half?” said Gaylith with a pained look in her eyes. “Do you think that’s necessary?”
Valen let out a deep sigh. “I think it will be necessary if we want to send a large enough fleet. However, if the vote tomorrow approves a war resolution then we will not have to concern ourselves with making such an offer.”
“Let’s hope it goes our way,” replied Gaylith, letting out a deep breath.
-
A few hours later Military Leader Victell felt his small fleet was ready. With a mental command he instructed the first cruiser to enter the nebula. An hour later he sent the second as the first was nearly out of sensor range due to gas, dust, debris, and radiation inside the nebula. An hour later he sent the third.
-
Inside the nebula, the first Vorn cruiser was cautiously moving forward. Its stealth field was at maximum though the nebula made it less effective. Just as it began to move out of sensor range of the other Vorn cruisers, the next cruiser entered following a safe distance behind the first. The cruisers continued to go deeper into the nebula with their sensors probing ahead seeking any signs of the Ancients.
The fourth cruiser was inside the nebula and nearly out of sensor range. Military Leader Victell was about to order his own ship into the periphery of the nebula when the lead ship suddenly vanished from the sensors.
What happened? demanded Victell, gazing in consternation at the sensor screen displaying the readings from the other ships. Did it get too far ahead of ship two?
I do not know, Harran replied as he checked his sensors. One moment it was there and the next it was gone.
Pull us back from the nebula, Victell ordered with a strong suspicion.
The second ship just disappeared as well, reported Harran, his antennae waving in concern.
Victell had expected this. It’s the Ancients. They are destroying our ships. Keep a close watch on the sensors and keep them powered at maximum. The Ancient ships are no doubt stealthed. Barlol, standby to make the jump into hyperspace at a moment’s notice. It may be the only thing that can save us.
The third ship just vanished, reported Harran in alarm. There is nothing showing on the sensors.
Keep an eye on the fourth, ordered Victell. It will be next.
Just as Victell predicted, the green icon representing the fourth Vorn cruiser promptly vanished.
I did pick up an anomaly on the sensors before the last ship vanished, reported Harran, turning toward Military Leader Victell. There was an area of space near the cruiser that could not be scanned. It was showing as an empty void.
A stealth field, replied Victell, his suspicions confirmed. Harran, watch your sensors. Barlol, get ready to make the jump into hyperspace.
Anomaly detected emerging from the nebula! sent Harran, sounding alarmed.
Jump! ordered Victell. He was concerned they might have waited too long.
The ship accelerated and made the transition into hyperspace just as a pair of powerful energy beams swept through the ship’s previous position.
Another few seconds and those beams would have destroyed us, sent Harran.
Military Leader Victell felt vindicated. He had sacrificed four Vorn cruisers but had confirmed this nebula was most likely the home of the Ancients. The way the ships had vanished and the powerful energy beams directed at Victell’s ship all seemed to confirm that.
The battle computer reports a 92 percent probability the nebula is indeed the home of the Ancients, sent Haycort who was standing next to the computer.
Then let us take the news back to the Queens, replied Victell. With this information he might have earned a promotion to command a battleship. The Queens always rewarded those who served them the greatest.
-
Lead Councilor Lavin stared in anger at the main screen in one of the six primary Defense Centers in the Dyson Sphere.
“It’s confirmed,” Captain Larson said. “The fifth Vorn cruiser escaped.”
“How?” Lavin could not believe this was happening. The Vorn had found them.
Captain Larson stared directly at Lavin. “The fifth and final ship must have had their hyperspace drive powered up and ready to initiate. As soon as our battleship cleared the nebula, the Vorn ship jumped into hyperspace.”
“Is there any way we can destroy it?” Lavin knew it was on its way back to report on its discovery.
Captain Larson stepped over to several AIs standing on holographic platforms and conversed with them for several minutes before returning to Lead Councilor Lavin. “Our ships are faster and we could follow the Vorn cruiser but we can’t destroy it while it’s in hyperspace. Our battleship currently outside the nebula is not provisioned for a long mission. That Vorn cruiser will not be dropping out of hyperspace until it reaches its destination. As soon as it arrives where other Vorn ships are located, it will doubtlessly begin broadcasting what it discovered.”
“The location of our Dyson Sphere,” replied Lavin, his eyes wide with horror.
“None of their ships came close enough to scan the Dyson Sphere,” replied Larson. “They still have no idea what’s inside the nebula.”
A scowl covered Lavin’s face. While most of the time he kept his emotions under tight control he found them rising uncontrollably on numerous occasions recently. He was starting to feel like an Aggressive. “This is Councilors Valen and Marshton’s fault. They have allowed the Vorn to discover where we reside. Soon the Vorn will be bringing their war to us.”
Now Lavin knew what the emergency council meeting for tomorrow morning was for. Councilor Aalik had called it, no doubt under the recommendations of Councilor Valen. They must have detected the Vorn ships earlier with the sensor arrays the Aggressives maintained outside the nebula. No doubt the Aggressives planned on using the presence of Vorn ships to force a vote on going to war. That plan was now disrupted since Lavin had ordered the battleships to destroy the Vorn vessels.
Lavin was determined to use this incident to force the Aggressives to reduce their population and to stop building new warships. While the Vorn were a danger, he was convinced the defenses on the outer hull of the Dyson Sphere could deal with any force the Destroyers of Worlds might send. In order to get Valen to agree to the new resolution to reduce the Aggressive population, Lavin would allow a small fleet of several thousand disk battlecruisers to be sent to reinforce Fleet Captain Waelt. If Valen refused then no fleet would be leaving the Dyson Sphere. Lavin smiled. He was finally going to get what he had long desired. Very soon the Aggressives would no longer be a threat to the way of life preferred by the Advanced Glaymons.
-
Valen was in Gaylith’s office with Kamen and Aalik. Aalik was using his hologram.
“Well, Lead Councilor Lavin will know about the Vorn now,” said Aalik, shaking his head. “No doubt he’s in one of the Defense Centers watching everything.”
“I can confirm that,” Kamen said. “I have a friend in one of the Defense Centers and he reported Councilor Lavin is in Defense Center two.”
Gaylith looked over at Valen. “He knows; now what?”
Valen let out a
deep breath. He wasn’t surprised Lavin had ordered the battleships to destroy the Vorn vessels. What concerned him was that one had been allowed to escape. If Aggressives had been commanding those battleships every Vorn ship would have been annihilated. Valen wondered if he could use that against Lead Councilor Lavin.
“This doesn’t change anything,” he said after a moment. “We’ll attend the meeting tomorrow morning and try to force a vote to go to war against the Vorn.”
Aalik nodded his approval. “I still have a few more councilors to talk to. Some I’ve already spoken with have expressed their deep concerns about the Vorn being so close to the nebula. I’m not sure how Lavin destroying the Vorn cruisers inside the nebula is going to affect their vote.”
Valen thought for a minute before speaking. “Kamen, I need to be able to show the other councilors how the four Vorn ships were destroyed and that one escaped. Can you do that?”
“Yes, I can access the battle footage from the battleships’ core computers. It will have to be done by one of our AIs. They have the highest level of access.”
“See to it,” ordered Valen. “I may have a need for that video tomorrow.”
Gaylith came over to stand next to Valen as Aalik’s hologram vanished. The same happened to Kamen who was in the underground Command Center which monitored the sensor and communications arrays. The underground Command Center was something the Advanced Glaymons were not aware of.
“I was just thinking. The council meeting tomorrow may be the most important one since we built the Dyson Sphere and took refuge in it.”
Valen nodded. “We’ve stayed hidden far too long. Just think what we could do for the galaxy. I have to convince the council to go to war.”
Gaylith put her hand on Valen’s arm. “You will succeed. This is too important to allow it to fail.”
“Let’s hope so,” Valen replied. “I need to go to my office and finish preparing for the meeting and I still have several very influential council members to speak to.”
The Star Cross: The Vorn! Page 26
