The Star Cross: The Vorn!

by Raymond L. Weil

  Queen Berlyne did not reply. She wished High Prince Brollen were here.

  -

  The battle progressed with more ships being lost on each side. The only reason any Vorn ships still survived was due to their close proximity to the habitats. Several fleets had moved away from the habitats to engage the attacking fleets but were quickly annihilated. After that the remaining Vorn ships stayed close to the habitats, afraid to venture too far away. The habitats were laying down a heavy rate of weapons fire, keeping the Glaymon ships at bay. Already they had reduced the attacking Ancient fleet to less than one hundred thousand ships. However, their own fleet was down to fewer than twenty-two thousand vessels and growing smaller with every passing minute as the Ancients risked the firepower from the habitats to destroy the last of the Vorns’ mobile forces in the system.

  -

  Fleet Admiral Vickers watched as the third Vorn habitat disintegrated from massed Zero-Point Energy round fire and heavy bombardment by dark matter missiles. On several viewscreens, the wreckage of destroyed Glaymon battleships was visible. The Glaymons were taking terrible risks to protect Kurt’s battleships. Even so, six of the Human ships had been destroyed by weapons fire from the habitats. Even the Limeira was showing damage.

  “Do we target another habitat?” asked Andrew. His brow was covered in sweat from the stress of the battle.

  Kurt nodded. “Yes; target the next nearest one. We may never get this opportunity again.” Kurt drew in a deep breath. If only they had the entire Glaymon fleet they could destroy all of the habitats. As it was they might be able to destroy two or three more before they would have to withdraw or risk annihilation.

  “I guess Fleet Captain Kriegon’s plan didn’t work.”

  Aleea looked over at Andrew. “We’re still here and he’s still broadcasting the signal. There’s still a chance.”

  “Fleet is moving toward the next target,” reported Andrew. “We’ll be there in twelve minutes.”

  Twelve minutes the ships could work repairing damage. Kurt looked at the tactical display. More Glaymon battleships were forming up around the Human fleet and the Limeira to replace the ones lost attacking the last habitat. Kurt had to admit, the Aggressives did not lack in bravery.

  -

  Mara was growing deeply concerned. Both the Star Cross and the Limeira had suffered damage and only three habitats had been destroyed. She knew the battle wasn’t going well. If this continued she might not be able to keep her promise to Keera to bring Kurt home safely.

  -

  Fleet Captain Kriegon stared at the tactical display noting how much smaller his fleet was now than what he had originally brought into the battle. “Have our ships concentrate their fire on only the habitat the Humans are attacking. It’s becoming too dangerous to attempt to destroy the Vorn ships using the habitats for protection.” The losses the Glaymons were suffering to take out the last few Vorn ships were proving to be way too high.

  “Still no response to our signal,” reported the communications officer.

  “If we focus on only attacking one habitat at a time how many can we destroy before our weapons fire becomes ineffective?”

  “Four, maybe five,” replied the tactical officer. “At that point the losses to our fleet will make further attacks too risky.”

  Kriegon shifted his gaze to Communications where a bright green light indicated an outgoing signal from the device in one of the battleship’s holds. The hold contained the device he had removed from the main research lab in the Dyson Sphere.

  -

  I just received a report from the Scientist Caste, sent the military commander, standing close to Queen Berlyne. One of the Ancient ships is transmitting a signal. The scientists claim that signal must be stopped at all costs even if it means losing the rest of our ships.

  A signal? replied Queen Berlyne, feeling confused. Why would a communications signal be dangerous?

  “Because it is not aimed at us,” the commander sent with great concern in his thoughts. It is an inter-dimensional signal which can potentially reach other bubble universes.

  The Ancients are attempting to contact someone? asked Queen Berlyne, feeling mystified. Who?

  More alarms suddenly began sounding in the Command Center. The habitat itself began to shake uncontrollably. They are signaling the Great Enemy, replied the now frightened military commander. Those who expelled us from our own universe millions of years ago!

  On one of the viewscreens, a great rift seemed to be opening in space. From it massive vessels began to emerge. The vessels had a central sphere with dozens of massive spires extending outward in all direction. The vessels were a solid crystalline black and reeked of power.

  They are here, sent the military commander. It is our end.

  Queen Berlyne gazed at the viewscreen with her multifaceted eyes. She did not fully understand what was happening.

  -

  Alarms starting sounding in the Command Center of the Star Cross as the impossible ships began appearing from the rift.

  “What are those?” asked Kurt, his eyes gazing in disbelief at the vessels.

  “The Great Enemy as the Vorn refer to them in their legends,” Aleea responded. “These are the beings who drove the Vorn out of their bubble universe and who Fleet Captain Kriegon has been trying to summon with the communications device. The device is part of what the Advanced Glaymons were building to send the Vorn back to their bubble universe in two million more years. It is set to locate their universe and then activate a device that would form a bubble around the Vorn habitats separating them from our universe and then send them back to their own. The Aggressive scientists modified it to send a communications signal out asking for help in defeating the Vorn.”

  “How big are those ships?” asked Andrew, his eyes open wide in shock at what was on the viewscreen. “They look alien as if they don’t belong here.”

  “They don’t,” replied Kurt. “From the data on the Scythe, the Vorn universe is vastly different than our own. It may even have different natural laws.”

  “Our sensors are failing to detect them,” replied Lieutenant Brooks, appearing confused. “They show nothing is there,”

  “I estimate the vessels, including their spires, are over twenty kilometers,” reported Aleea. “Our sensors can’t detect anything because the ships are made out of a substance which does not exist in our universe. The same with their power source.”

  Kurt leaned back in his command chair. “What now?”

  -

  Fleet Captain Kriegon stared at the strange vessels on the viewscreen. He felt his heart racing as he realized his signal had been answered. He also noticed all firing from the Vorn ships and habitats had come to a stop. He quietly ordered his ships to do the same. There was no way he wanted to risk antagonizing whoever these people were. He strongly suspected they were far more advanced than his own.

  “We’re getting a signal,” reported the communications officer. “Our software is having a hard time understanding it, but I think we’ve got a fairly decent translation. I’m putting the message up on the main viewscreen.”

  GREETINGS FROM THE FEMRI. WE RECEIVED YOUR REQUEST FOR AID AGAINST OUR FORMER FOOD ANIMALS WHO ESCAPED FROM OUR UNIVERSE SO MANY MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO. WE REGRET THE PAIN AND SUFFERING THEY HAVE BROUGHT TO YOUR UNIVERSE. THE VORN WERE BRED TO BE THE PRIMARY FOOD SOURCE FOR OUR PEOPLE BUT BECAME SEMI SENTIENT AND ESCAPED FROM THEIR BONDAGE.

  THE RESULT WAS A WAR WHICH LASTED FOR SEVERAL THOUSAND YEARS WITH THE LAST OF THE VORN DYING IN A GREAT BATTLE AROUND A COLLAPSING BLACK HOLE. WE DID NOT REALIZE SOME OF THEIR SHIPS HAD ESCAPED THROUGH THE ROTATING SINGULARITY. WE WILL TAKE THESE HABITATS BACK WITH US, AND THE VORN WILL NEVER BE A PROBLEM FOR THIS UNIVERSE AGAIN.

  End of message.

  “That’s as close as we can translate it,” reported the communications officer. “The computer put the message in language we could understand. If it had put up exactly what the Fermi transmitted, it would have been u
nrecognizable.”

  “Fleet Captain, look at the viewscreen!”

  -

  There were now twenty of the massive ships in this universe. They paused and spread out in a large circle around the still open rift. A dark beam flicked out from each ship to strike the rift, which rapidly grew larger until it was over twenty thousand kilometers across. Then beams flashed out to touch each habitat of the Vorn. Almost imperceptibly, the Vorn habitats began to move. As the seconds passed, the habitats began to move faster and faster. The Vorn warships tried to move away from the habitats but found themselves held firmly in place.

  -

  “They’re going to send the habitats through the rift,” reported the tactical officer.

  As Fleet Captain Kriegon watched, first one habitat and then the next began passing through the rift. He suddenly felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Other than the harvesting fleets back in the galaxy the threat of the Vorn was over.

  -

  Queen Berlyne stared in horror at the massive ships on the viewscreens. This was the Great Enemy who had created the Vorn millions of years in the past and used them as a food animal. It was for this very reason the Vorn had decided to prey upon the intelligent races of this universe, making them food for the Vorn. On one of the screens, she watched as a habitat entered the massive rift in space and disappeared. She knew the habitats were being sent back to the home universe. She wondered fearfully if the Vorn in the habitats and the surviving ships would once more become food for the Great Enemy. Berlyne knew the Vorn were powerless to prevent that from happening.

  -

  Fleet Admiral Kurt Vickers sat in his command chair watching the Vorn habitats enter the rift in space one by one. The fleet had pulled back to a safe distance to observe the end of the Destroyers of Worlds.

  “This is going to take a while,” said Andrew, walking over to stand next to Kurt. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

  “It is,” Kurt replied. “We still have close to sixty thousand surviving ships. In a few more hours we’ll begin the long journey back to our galaxy to help Fleet Captain Waelt finish destroying the Vorn harvesting fleets if he hasn’t already.”

  Andrew turned to look at the viewscreens. “So the war will soon be over.”

  Kurt nodded. “Yes, in a way no one expected.”

  “It’s going to be a different galaxy,” Andrew said.

  “And universe,” Kurt replied. “With the new hyperspace drives of the Glaymons we’re not restricted to just our galaxy. Someday in the future we’ll be sending exploration missions to other galaxies.”

  Andrew had a peculiar look on his face. “With what we’ve been through the last few years, I don’t think I’ll be doing any exploring. I may even retire from the fleet and stay home with Emily and Alexis.”

  Kurt nodded. “I suspect a lot of fleet people will be doing that.” Kurt knew Keera would like to see him more; much more. While he had no intentions of retiring from the fleet he would be spending more time on Newton.

  -

  Fleet Captain Kriegon watched as the last Vorn habitat passed through the rift. Then all the Femri ships but one passed through. The final ship paused in the center of the rift and a new message appeared on the viewscreen.

  THANK YOU FOR RETURNING OUR FOOD ANIMALS. IT APPEARS THEY HAVE BEEN WELL FED. WE WILL NOT SEE OR CONTACT YOU AGAIN AS OUR TWO SPECIES ARE TOO DISSIMILAR TO EVER BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND ONE ANOTHER.

  End of message.

  The rift rapidly began to shrink and the last of the Femri ships vanished into it. Then it closed as if it had never existed.

  “System is clear of Vorn ships and habitats,” reported the sensor officer.

  “Let’s move out a few light years from this system and then stop and take a day to work on repairs. Once all of our ships are fit for travel, we’ll return and see how Fleet Captain Waelt is doing against the Vorn harvesting fleets.”

  As the fleet prepared to enter hyperspace Fleet Captain Kriegon gazed at the viewscreens. It was hard to believe but in just a few more days the war with the Vorn would be over once and for all.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  High Profiteer Creed was on Kubitz at the Controller Exchange at the main spaceport. As a precaution he had eight heavily armed Profiteers with him looking out for his safety. He had brought a number of gold bars in a large chest for the Controllers to look at and use to set a value. That would give Creed a good idea as to how much the gold on his cargo ship was worth. He was certain he was looking at selling the gold for between one billion to one billion two hundred million credits. His own share would be nearly eight hundred million credits if everything went as planned.

  “The Controller is busy at the moment,” one of the Lylan Enforcers informed Creed.

  Creed frowned. There should be a number of Controllers at the exchange. His contact had guaranteed one would be available and aware of what Creed was offering to sell. “Where are the rest of the Controllers?” Creed was growing concerned considering how much gold was at stake.

  “Busy,” the Enforcer replied. “The Controller should be available in an hour or two. If you would like to wait we have a room where you and your guards can go. It is secure and whatever you have in that chest will be safe.”

  High Profiteer Creed looked around. The spaceport was busy as it normally was. He felt exposed out in the open considering the bounty on his head. “We’ll wait inside,” Creed said. The eight Profiteers with him were capable of handling any danger and Creed felt once he was inside he would be even more secure. Besides that, no one but the Controllers and his contact knew he was down on Kubitz and they wouldn’t talk.

  As High Profiteer Creed stepped inside the building, the Lylan Enforcer sent a quick message to several shuttles waiting on the far side of the spaceport. He then activated a device which jammed all communication signals from the room Creed was going to. He had been well paid in advance to take these actions.

  -

  In one of the shuttles, Profiteer Grantz grinned in anticipation. The first part of his plan to seize the cargo ship containing Creed’s gold had been set into motion. He looked over at Profiteers Simpson and Waskom. “It’s time to fly up to the cargo ship and board it.” In the back of the shuttle were twenty heavily armed Profiteers. Each had been offered one hundred thousand credits to participate in this raid. They would receive an additional fifty thousand credits if it was successful. The same number of Profiteers were on the second shuttle.

  “We have permission to take off,” reported the pilot.

  Grantz nodded. He was growing excited at the thought of all of that gold waiting in orbit.

  -

  Second Profiteer Hurkler was in the Command Center of the cargo ship waiting on word from High Profiteer Creed as to the disposition of the gold. He was already thinking about what he was going to spend his share on. As Second Profiteer his share would be over twenty-five million credits. That was enough to allow him to settle down comfortably on any world in the galaxy for the rest of his life.

  “We have a message from Controller Nirron,” reported the communications officer. “He is sending two shuttles to dock with us. They want to inspect the gold to confirm the quantity and purity. If it matches the samples High Profiteer Creed has they will make the payment and begin shuttling the gold back to the surface. There will be several Enforcers as well as a representative for the Controllers on the shuttles.”

  Hurkler smiled. This was good news. If everything worked out he would have his credits by the end of the day. “Open the flight bay,” he ordered. He then turned back to the communications officer. “Inform the two shuttles they have permission to land. I’ll meet the Controller representative in the bay.

  -

  “We have permission to land,” the pilot informed Grantz.

  Grantz grinned. “Inform the other shuttle. We take the bay first and then the Command Center and Engineering. Take us in and land us as close to the front of th
e bay as possible. The other shuttle needs to land directly behind us.” Grantz stood, unhooking the safety strap which held his heavy pistol in place. It was time to take High Profiteer Creed’s gold.

  -

  Hurkler waited impatiently as the first shuttle entered the bay followed closely by the second. As soon as the first one set down, he made his way toward the shuttle’s hatch with an escort of four heavily armed Profiteers. Coming to a stop he waited as the hatch slid open. Shots suddenly rang out and Hurkler’s four escorts dropped to the deck, dead. He stood frozen, seeing the heavily armed Profiteers standing in the open hatch. In shock he saw a familiar Profiteer push to the front and stand defiantly in front of Hurkler waving his pistol. “Recognize me?”

  “Grantz!” stammered Hurkler. “Creed will kill you.”

  “Maybe,” said Grantz, pointing the pistol at Hurkler’s head. “But you won’t be around to see it.”

  -

  Grantz pulled the trigger, feeling the pistol buck in his hand. The bullet struck Second Profiteer Hurkler directly between the eyes, dropping him to the deck. “Let’s go,” ordered Grantz as he descended to the foot of the ramp stepping over Hurkler’s body. The hatch to the other shuttle opened and more heavily armed Profiteers swarmed out. “The Command Center and Engineering,” roared Grantz. “Leave no survivors.” These were Creed’s hand-picked Profiteers. All would have taken place in the raid on Earth and had blood on their hands. Death would be merciful for them.

  -

  Across the ship Grantz’s Profiteers spread out. They met little resistance in the Command Center or Engineering as armed intruders were not expected. At the holds containing the gold, the fighting was more intense and several of Grantz’s Profiteers were killed in the brief firefight. When it was over Grantz made his way to the first hatch and opened it. Stepping inside he stood spellbound at what he saw. Pallet after pallet stacked high with gleaming gold bars. Taking a deep breath, Grantz and the other Profiteers entered walking over to the gold. Grantz reached out and touched a gold bar. His plan had actually worked. The cargo ship was his as well as the gold. With a grin, he knew he didn’t need to collect the bounty on High Profiteer Creed. Using his communicator he sent a brief message to the Human compound and Colonel Briar. He calmly informed the colonel where he could find High Profiteer Creed. Grantz had been fortunate Lomatz had been in orbit and agreed to loan him Controller Nirron. Nirron was in Lomatz’s back pocket and would obey the weapons dealer. Since he was a Controller he could also use one of the offices at the Controller Exchange. Nirron had played his role perfectly.