Warrior Chronicles 3: Warrior's Realm

by Shawn Jones

  “But have no doubt, the enemy will be armed next time. No species gets to where they did without learning from their mistakes. Every single planet they have will be guarded from now on.” Cort stood up and went to get himself a cup of coffee. “Now for the kill count. We killed twenty-seven planetary Supremes, fifty-four secondaries, and a hundred and eight tertiaries in line for leadership. But that won’t matter to them. What will matter is that we killed a hundred and thirty-six queens. As you know, their society is run by males but controlled by the queens. The politics on those planets will be in turmoil once they realize the extent of our attack. Right now, they don’t even have anyone with the authority to contact the species Supreme.”

  Turning to the leader of the technical teams, Cort said, “Lieutenant, do you have anything to add?”

  Lt. Kate Williams stood and said, “Not much, sir. I need some time to analyze the data we stole, but Argyre did well. The equipment they gave us worked perfectly.”

  “Good. Pass that on. Let’s wrap up, folks. The techs will be dropped at Argyre in thirty minutes. After that, the rest of us will head to Solitude. There will be small celebrations for us at both locations. I don’t like the idea, but apparently the Admiralty wants to use your success for recruiting. So go along with it. We need more people. And enjoy yourselves, because you earned it.”

  Unknown Planet

  “Supreme, we have been attacked," Weela said.

  “We are being attacked every sun, Weela,” Supreme Cupla said.

  “We have been attacked more directly, sir. We are being contacted by tertiaries on several worlds. Their supremes, secondaries, and queens have been assassinated.”

  “Impossible. No tertiary would contact us. It is against our way.”

  “I am aware, sir. But with their queens also killed, they could not assert new supremes. Without precedent, they risked violation in order to make us aware of the attacks.”

  “How many planets?”

  “Eleven that we know of, sir. But I have ordered that all planets be polled to determine if any other worlds are so disrupted.”

  “We should assume it is the humans.”

  “That is probably true, sir, but it has not been confirmed. And no incursion was detected at any planet.”

  “That would represent a problem. How could the humans enter our systems without being detected?”

  “Our scientists are working on that, sir. We must also consider the possibility that the attacks were from an internal source. All of the attacks took place on planets that have expressed discord.”

  “How many queens were lost, Weela?”

  “Thirty-six so far, sir.”

  “We have never armed our own, Weela. Now you are suggesting we may have to do so. What does your thorax tell you?”

  “I do not know who the enemy is. It is probably the humans, but we cannot discount any possibility. Regardless, we must protect the queens.”

  “Agreed.”

  Solitude

  Two months later, Cort was asleep with Kimberly next to him when his comm chirped.

  “Addison,” he said groggily as he put the comm in his ear.

  “Admiral Jones, sir. I’m sorry to disturb you, but my intel people have information we need to act on, and we need to hurry if we are going to be ready to do so.”

  Cort slipped out of bed, and walked to the kitchen as he said, “Okay. What’s up?”

  “First, we now know they call themselves by the name of their Supreme Ruler. Currently they are called Cuplans, because the current species Supreme is Cupla. He has ordered his planets to send all their queens, save one per world, to the core planets. One queen must remain on each planet to allow assertion of new supremes, but all others are being moved to a secure location.”

  “I take it you know that location, JJ?”

  “Yes, sir,” Jones replied. Cort could almost hear the smile in the Admiral’s voice.

  “What do you need?”

  “How many Marines are ready now, and how many more can I have in two weeks?”

  “I’ve got a small brigade available for duty. Maybe thirty-six hundred. Another four hundred in two weeks.”

  “How many of those can I have right now?”

  “I want to leave at least a small company here, so you can thirty-five hundred. How soon can you have some transport for us?”

  “Four hours, sir.”

  “We’ll be ready. Addison out.”

  After alerting the base, Cort started coffee and began making breakfast. He heard the wolves stir and turned in time to see Kim step into the kitchen. The darkness of the other room framed her nude form in the doorway. “My god, you are winsome,” Cort said.

  “Winsome? What does that mean, baby?”

  Cort said, “It means beautiful.” He kissed her and turned her around in the doorway, pulling her closer as he ran his hand across her breasts and down her swollen belly. “It means you are beautiful.”

  “Say it again.” She leaned against him and moved her hand between their bodies.

  “You are winsome, Kimberly. You are the most winsome woman alive. In over three centuries, you are the most winsome woman that I have even seen.”

  Kimberly realized that his statement included a comparison to Angela, Cort’s love of three hundred years prior. “Prove it,” she said, as her hand wrapped around him. It was thirty minutes before they restarted breakfast.

  --

  “JJ, I think you should reconsider your plan,” Cort said over the comm channel two hours later.

  “Why, sir?”

  “Because if we kill all their queens while they are moving them, they will know we have broken their comm system. I recommend you constantly monitor the system they transport the queens to, using stealth ships. Put a team on the ground once in a while to keep tabs on things. In the mean time, we can look at other options.”

  “I hate to have to use ground troops sir. I only want them if they are necessary for boarding parties. We know their colony ships don’t have weapons, so it’s an ideal time to take them.”

  “But there will still be a lot of queens out there, and they can use those queens to breed more.”

  “They will be able to do that, anyway, sir.”

  “How long do you have to make your final decision?”

  Jones noticed that Cort had made it clear it was still her decision to make. He wasn’t ordering her to stand down. Somehow, that gave his advice more weight. “We need one day to get in position, so I can keep everyone on alert and make the decision anytime in the next fourteen days.”

  “Okay. Will you give me five of them to work something out?”

  “Of course, sir. You could just order me to stand down.”

  “I’m not willing to do that unless I have a better idea JJ, and right now I don’t.”

  “Okay, I will keep everyone on alert and leave my listeners in place for now.”

  “Listeners?” Cort asked.

  “The ships I have monitoring their comms. I call them listeners. I will have to pull them three hours before the op. Please give my planners all the time you can, sir.”

  “I will. Thanks, JJ. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  “Yes, sir. Phobos out.”

  --

  Cort ordered the Taurus to System 641 to retrieve Heroc. She arrived an hour after his talk with JJ.

  She stepped off the Taurus’s shuttle to see a double line of Marines in dress uniforms. Cort stepped forward and greeted her. “Welcome to Solitude, Heroc.”

  “Thank you, General. And thank you for the respect you have afforded my visit.”

  “May I introduce you to my mate, Kimberly Point?”

  Kim stepped forward and nodded her head while reaching out to take Heroc’s proffered limb. “Welcome to my planet, Heroc. It is an honor to have you here.”

  “Thank you, Queen Kimberly.”

  “I suppose that title is apt by your custom,” Kimberly said as she fell in beside Heroc. Cort was on the other s
ide listening to their conversation, while Bane walked warily behind them, with Coke and Zandra at his heels. “An irony occurred to me as we waited for the shuttle to land, Heroc”

  “Oh?”

  “Your species’ nomenclature. If H’uum is your Supreme, then the occupants of your colony are H’uumans. We too, are humans.”

  “Yes, Kimberly, that is ironic. If only such a thing as a name were enough to bring peace.”

  “You sound as if you are less convinced of your species’ position.”

  “We cannot continue as we are. Our ways force us to expand, and our expansion brings war.” She turned toward Cort and said, “War against General Addison is does not seem to be a war that my people are capable of winning. So we must adapt.”

  “Not even our own people could win such a war, Heroc,” Kim said.

  “So I understand. To be able to grasp one’s own species with force is often more difficult than doing so against another.”

  “May I show you around the area, Heroc?”

  “It is a lovely world, Kimberly. I had hoped to see it someday. The primary of the transport which brought me here allowed me to view the planet from orbit,” Heroc looked at Kim’s belly. “Are you also carrying eggs?”

  “Just one, Heroc. Humans, our species of humans, only carry one child at a time.”

  “Actually,” Cort said, “In my previous time, many women gave birth to two children at once, and on occasion, as many as eight. Though more than two was usually a result of artificial methods. It is only recently that we have evolved to having only one at a time.”

  Kim understood that Cort didn’t want to tell Heroc about synthetics, so she changed the subject when Heroc said, “That does not seem like a good example of evolution.”

  Kim said, “This planet is very early in its development. Exploring it has been an incredible opportunity to study evolution. Noble intelligence develops much earlier than we previously believed. The dinosaurs on this planet actually have identifiable languages.”

  “I suppose it would depend on your definition of ‘noble’, Kimberly.”

  “Self-awareness, perhaps?”

  “Perhaps. I suppose we have worked our way through the expected niceties,” Heroc said as she turned toward Cort again. “May I ask why you have summoned me, General?”

  “To save your species. We have less than a thousand planets to go before the world I have assigned you will be the only one left.”

  “Truly? You have killed so many?” Heroc asked.

  “Heroc, I destroy dozens of Cuplan planets every single day. I would like to find a way to stop doing that. Which is why I asked you here. I have two strategies I am considering. I would like to have your input on which will be most effective against your species.”

  “Wouldn’t that make me a traitor to my people? I cannot do that, General.”

  “It will make you a savior, Heroc. Hear him out,” Kim said.

  “Very well, General, what is your strategy?”

  “We raided several of your planets, killing all their queens, as well as primaries and secondaries. As a result of the attacks, Cupla has ordered that all planets send their queens to a secure planet, and keep only one on each world.”

  “How do you know this, General?”

  “That doesn’t matter, Heroc. What matters is that I am about to do one of two things. I am either going to kill the group of protected queens and then continue destroying planets, or I am going to kill the queens still on planet, and kidnap the rest of the queens.”

  “Do not kill them, please.”

  “Which strategy will end the war soonest?”

  Kim touched Cort’s arm and signaled him to back off. “Heroc, he doesn’t want to kill anyone, but he knows he must do so, to end the war.”

  “A war you declared.”

  “No, Heroc,” Kim said. “A war we were asked to participate in because thousands of other species couldn’t defend themselves against your leaders.”

  The group walked in silence for several minutes. They were just inside the outer perimeter and Heroc slowed to watch a small, squirrel-like mammal gather fallen leaves and nuts. “What are they doing?” she asked.

  “It is almost winter here,” Kim said. “They are gathering food, and material for their winter nest. It will insulate them from the cold.”

  “They plan for the future?”

  “Even the lowest species do that, Heroc. Look," Kim pointed toward a trail of ants, each carrying morsels from the direction of the human structures. “Those ants are storing food for the winter.”

  “I see,” Heroc said.

  Several more minutes of silence ensued as they walked around the compound.

  “Please do not kill our queens, General.”

  “Some of them have to die. But if you will accept them on your planet, I will spare those I can.”

  “H’uum will accept them.”

  “Is that the best strategy to end the war?” Cort asked.

  “For your victory, yes.”

  “How will Cupla respond?”

  “If you have all our queens, he will capitulate. Without the support of his queens, a supreme cannot rule.”

  “Who will rule?”

  “So long as he lives, he will rule. If he dies, and there are no queens for his successor’s assertion, there is no ruler. I do not know, it has never happened.”

  “Would H’uum be the Supreme?” Kim asked.

  “I suppose that is the most likely resolution, but as I said, it has not happened before.”

  “Would H’uum be a good Supreme?” Cort asked.

  “I would not have chosen him otherwise.”

  “Thank you for your help, Heroc. You may return to your planet at your convenience. Of course you are welcome to stay here for a day or two if you would like,” Cort said.

  “I would enjoy spending time with you, Heroc,” Kim added.

  “My shame is complete. More collusion would not add to it. I would enjoy a stay with you, Kimberly.”

  Cort said, “Heroc, give me your word that you will not attempt subterfuge, and I will not restrict you while you are here. In fact, you are welcome to stay in our quarters with Kimberly. But beware of the wolves. I don’t say this because I do not trust you, I say it because Kimberly is their queen. They have all killed, and would do so again if they felt she was threatened. Heed Kimberly’s instructions and your visit will be pleasant. Cross the wolves, and you will die here.”

  Heroc turned to the wolves and regarded them. All three gazed at her steadily. Her stare settled on Bane. You would kill me without hesitation wouldn’t you, wolf? You are an apt companion for your leader.

  As the H’uuman turned back to the alphas, Coke and Zandra glanced at Bane. Silently, his body language communicated with them, Her kind are the enemy. Watch her.

  “I give you my word, General. I will not work against you.”

  “Heroc,” Kim said,. “You are not colluding against your people. You have knowledge they do not. You offered only an opinion that will save millions of your species.”

  “Did I?”

  Cort answered. “Yes, Heroc. You did. We know where the Cuplans were going to hide the queens. My ships will be waiting for them when they arrive. Had you not talked to me, every single one of them was going to be destroyed. Then we were going to keep destroying your planets. I was going to kill hundreds of billions of you. Now, hopefully it will just be millions.”

  Later, in the quarters Cort and Kimberly shared, Heroc sipped sweet water after she ate a meal of fruit and uncooked meat. The solid food was a treat and she said so. Kim was still working on her plate. “May I ask you something, Kimberly?”

  “Of course.”

  “How many of your people have died in this war?”

  Kim thought for a moment before answering. “In combat we have lost forty of our people. There were a few dozen wounded in combat as well. We have also lost ten or so to non-combat deaths or injuries. And a ship. One of our ship
s was damaged by a comet, and we had to crash it into a planet.”