“Then let’s go,” Lee said. “I got what we came for and I don’t want to stay any longer than I need.”
The team began to gather themselves and heading for the door. Lee paused at the door and looked back at the lounge. His experience back in the brothel had unnerved him. He had felt that he was getting over the loss of Alice but the Holkan woman had awakened his desire for her again. She had played an evil trick on him and he feared that he might not be able to let go of the illusion so easily the next time. He turned back to the door and said a silent pilot’s prayer for the souls of the guards that had been killed. He knew it was necessary for his mission, but he hated the loss of life.
10
Five Years Ago
Earth
The jarring energies of the great membrane swirled around Ki’Bara’s fleet. The liquid-like flow of dimensional power felt too much like floating on the great Sea of Ch’Tonu to him. He had once been stranded on an escape craft for nearly ten rotations after his fighter craft had failed during re-entry. His people did not tolerate the acidic oceans of their own world very well and the reminder of the event always made the Primero edgy.
“Status of fleet operations, Tercero?” Ki’Bara asked his subordinate. “Time to emerge from the membrane.”
The commander of the ship brought him a flimsy piece of clear material that Ki’Bara scrolled his finger down. He was looking for any anomalies that might prevent his plan from being completed. He needed no delays in his operation to defeat the Terrans. His Empress had directed the fleet into action and he would carry it out to the best of his abilities.
“As soon as we emerge from the membrane, I will need a tactical operations report,” Ki’Bara said. “I need to know the locations of each of the Terran fleet ships and their locations. Let any civilian ship under the size of a shuttle go. Anything larger than this can be destroyed.”
“Yes, my lord,” the Tercero replied. “The landing vessels will deploy once the Terran defense network has been disabled.”
Ki’Bara nodded his permission for the ship commander to return to his duties. The ship was not one of the larger vessels in the fleet, but it had been his home for more seasons than the Primero could remember. He had been promoted from Centurion to this ship when he was very young and the ship had seen him through many battles.
‘Perhaps,’ he thought; ‘I will give this vessel a name as the humans do.’
The scent of the bridge crew sharpened as he felt the translation engines powering up. As he glanced at the monitor screen, he saw the energy shield that always surrounded a ship upon translation into normal space erupt in chaotic swirls. His four eyes blinked as he stared out at the energy. It reminded him of a time that he had survived a crash as a centurion. That ship had malfunctioned on re-entry into an atmosphere and began to break up. It was through the divine intervention of the spirit of Ch’Tauk that he had managed to eject in a landing pod. He had vowed to never spend any more time on water.
“Ready the sensor inversion net,” Ki’Bara ordered. “I want to blind the humans as soon as possible.”
The Primero scanned his information flimsy to see if the other ships in the inversion fleet had arrived. The sensor inversion field redirected long-range sensor data back to the sender in a way that made the fleet virtually invisible. The downside to the technology was that it required a large number of ships to produce the field and if any of them were damaged, the entire effect would be destroyed. The invasion operation was the largest use of the technology that Ki’Bara had ever been involved in and he wanted to be sure that everything worked the first time.
“Field is stable, Primero,” replied the ship’s commander. “We are clear for the next phase of the operation.”
Ki’Bara nodded to the Tercero to begin. The ship had come out of M-space on the far side of the planet’s moon. Although the satellite had colonies, the fleet was spread out enough that any alarms would likely be ignored before the sensor net descended. The distance between Earth and its nearest large colony was large enough that ships travelling from that planet to the one known as Mars would be unable to help. The Primero watched as the inversion field completed cutting off the planet from rescue.
As the field snapped fully shut, egress points opened in a hemispherical orbit around Earth. The first ships through were the same size as the one that Ki’Bara stayed in. They would be the first to engage Terran defenses as the fleet moved in. The ships were lightly manned and were designed to throw out massive amounts of plasma fire and then self-destruct when they took too much damage. These ships were chaos bringers that would shock the enemy into submission.
Just behind the small capital ships were swarms of fighter craft. Since the Ch’Tauk were not limited to the use of carriers like the humans, the fighters were able to exit the membrane on their own without damage. The fighters would act as escape suppression for larger civilian craft as well as for the smaller ships that the humans used defend their planet. Additional fighter support would accompany the larger ships as they exited the membrane.
He understood that the humans had creatures on their planet that resembled the shape of the Ch’Tauk fleet. Ki’Bara marveled at times at how life was distributed across the universe. That one of the smallest creatures on the human’s world had any resemblance to anything as glorious as the Ch’Tauk fleet was amazing. The small insect life vastly outnumbered the human population in a manner reminiscent of how the Ch’Tauk fleet would outnumber the Confederate ships. He knew that the humans with their limited minds had begun to call his own race the word for these creatures. It was an insult that he would be sure to make them pay for.
As the last of the fighter squadrons poured from the membrane, shedding the halos of life energy that surrounded their vessels, Ki’Bara sought to find the larger ships that followed. Although they had no need for carriers, Ch’Tauk fleets needed the support of enormous vessels that could shuttle troops from space to the surface. The invasion force consisted of millions of centurions primed for fighting in the streets.
At six cardinal points around the planet, massive dreadnoughts exited from the blue-black vortices of the membrane. These ships were equipped with new weapons provided by the Terran scientist Heyerdahl. Ki’Bara did not trust the man and believed that his motives were more about his own elevation than any desire to help the Ch’Tauk. The weapon, however, was a new type of energy that could disrupt the atomic bonds of a ship and literally scatter them like sheefa stalks on the wind.
Ever since the loss of the tiny creatures known as the Engineers, Ch’Tauk science had come to a standstill. Heyerdahl’s contact with the rising young Primero Ki’Bontri had triggered the buildup to war. It was a war that Ki’Bara had advised against when it had been presented at court. He had seen enough death in his life and knew that the defeat of the humans would likely begin a series of events that the Ch’Tauk could not foresee. After he was ordered to prepare, however, he attacked the invasion with all his passion.
The next wave of vessels through the egress point consisted of lesser warships that would provide cover for the larger ships. These ships immediately fanned out around the planet. The Tercero brought him a new flimsy that showed the Earth defenses. There were four of their carriers in orbit, more than he had been told, but less than he had planned for. As an experienced battle strategist, he had always planned for more enemies than he knew he would face. It allowed him to allocate resources and win battles that other commanders were not able to.
Another flimsy brought him information from the remainder of the fleet. Similar operations were being conducted across the Terran Confederacy. The use of resources was unparalleled in Ki’Bara’s memory. The entire Ch’Tauk military fleet was mobilized with a single task. It would be the complete annihilation of the Terran Confederacy and the enslavement of the remaining humans. It would be death delivered from the point of one of their dreadnoughts.
A quick cross-check confirmed that two of the human carrier vessels presen
t were supposed to be present in another part of the galaxy. The humans had thought to invade what they believed to be the Ch’Tauk home world. Ki’Bara thought that they should have allowed the priests and artists be invaded. He had no use for either of the castes. He had been born into the military and would die believing that the Ch’Tauk fleet was the only true existence for his people.
“Signal the fleet to begin the invasion,” he ordered. “I would like the weapon ships to stay at their positions until needed. I would like to see how well these humans can fight before I show them our true power.”
He stared out the projection window to see the blue world beneath him. There was so much water on the place. It made his armor itch to see the perverse world. It took only a few moments before he saw the streaks of energy that flared from the advance fleet. The humans scattered as the fighters tore into the orbital facilities. The human energy shields were a powerful technology, but when the attack was fast and powerful enough, the technology could not be activated.
Plumes of plasma energy erupted from Terran ships. The Ch’Tauk ships had immediately begun targeting the most vulnerable ships, blasting away at their hulls with precision and fury. The Confederacy had become lazy and arrogant. They had distributed their mighty fleet across too many systems, engaging in small proxy wars with minor kingdoms and not watching their own front doors.. The defenses of their central world were left to orbital platforms and whatever ships happened to be in port. Ki’Bara slid his finger along a flimsy and directed more ships towards an assault ship that had turned towards one of the dreadnoughts. The ship appeared to have slipped through the initial wave of fighters and was now bearing down on the nearest warship. A swarm of Ch’Tauk ships came down on the Terran vessel, tearing away its shields and ruptured the hull. The ship cracked along the spine and exploded in a burst of engine plasma.
He scanned the flimsy for operational reports. According to his plan, the carriers had taken the brunt of the initial attack. Two of the human ships had managed to escape through membrane portals. Instead of staying to defend their home world, the humans were fleeing into the vastness of space like cowards. One of the two, he noticed, had a gaping hole torn in the side. His ships had ripped away the hull plating with weapons fire. The other two ships were continuing to launch fighters towards his fleet. He directed more capital ships to intercept.
“Bring the weapon to bear on this ship,” Ki’Bara ordered, tracing a line on his flimsy to one of the two carriers. “I want to show them the face of fear.”
The massive weapon ship along the northern magnetic pole moved into position. It was escorted by several smaller vessels and a squadron of fighters. The nose of the ship burned with energy as it charged. A bright pulse of light erupted from the ship and the human carrier was torn apart. He saw the metal hull flare brightly before melting away into space. For a moment, Ki’Bara felt pity for the humans on that ship. They would have known only light and pain before they were ripped apart atom by atom. It was more of a mercy than he would show the humans who remained on this planet after the conquest.
As the light died away in his eyes, Ki’Bara saw Earth ships begin to break formation in panic. The other carrier moved into position directly in front of the weapon in an attempt to defend its planet. A nod from the Primero sent another bolt of energy across the blackness of space. The second carrier disappeared just as quickly as the first. The smaller craft in orbit of the planet began to flee from the massive weapon only to find the others waiting.
Two of Ki’Bara’s warships swept in from the southern hemisphere. A small group of Terran ships had regrouped and were trying to mount a defense of the civilian ships. The Ch’Tauk ships pounced on the smaller ships at speed. Plasma fires rippled along the hulls of the ships as fighter squadrons moved in to finish the kill. One ship peeled away from its brethren and tried to make a dash for freedom. Pounding cannon bursts split the stern of the escaping ship causing it to spin in space. Even in death, though, the Earth ship attempted to fire its weapons towards the enemy. Two fighters popped in space as the plasma bolts struck bare hull plating. Ki’Bara shook his head in admiration. The humans may have been treacherous, but they were able fighters. The ship finally became engulfed in red-orange fire as the energy running along its hull exploded.
“Give the order to begin clearing the planet,” Ki’Bara ordered. “Standard formation on escort fighter wings. Use the orbital cannons to destroy the larger cities first. Here is the list of coordinates for the military centers.”
The Primero slid his finger over the flimsy and sent the information to the targeting centurions. They would relay the coordinates to the medium sized ships now moving into position. The ships were fitted with a modified plasma cannon that would fire into the atmosphere of the planet and ignite firestorms. The planet’s larger population centers would be cleansed of the human infestation first. It was the tactic of hopelessness. He would destroy the government, the military and the economic centers, leaving only the outlying areas.
Survivors would run to where they thought they would be safe only to find those places burning rubble. His centurions would be waiting to collect those beings and sweep them away to be sold. Any that tried to resist would be shown to the others being ripped apart on their own media channels. Any remaining survivors would be demoralized and docile. He would use those creatures as slaves for his own people. The planet had many resources that he could use to benefit the Empire. He intended to present the Empress with the spoils of this conquest himself; showing the upstart Ki’Bontri who was the most favored Primero.
The mid-sized capital ships moved into the battle zone and began to target the civilian fleet. Humans enjoyed space travel for pleasure more than Ch’Tauk did. Vessels of every size and shape littered the space around their world. The Ch’Tauk fleet swerved in and out of the Terran defenders. Automated defenses which had replaced living pilots and crews, were silent as the Ch’Tauk ships
“This has been far too easy,” Ki’Bara muttered to himself. “I do not believe that even these human creatures would be so quick to abandon their planet so quickly. Have the Quartero report on operations immediately. I want an accounting of all ships and vessels. If we miss even a single ship it could undermine our mission and leave us vulnerable. ”
Blooms of fire began to show over the surface of the planet. The destruction of the major cities had begun. Heyerdahl had shown them the most likely and efficient places to strike on his own home planet. Each cloud of energy that erupted on the surface meant millions of deaths. He also knew that the same thing was occurring all across the Confederation. For all intents and purposes, the once mighty Terran Confederation was already gone. It was Ki’Bara’s job to wipe the infestation from this planet and the galaxy for the honor of the Empress.
“My Lord,” said the Tercero. “The landing ships are beginning their descent. Several of the transport vessels have reported a failure in their lift systems and targeting in the Earth atmosphere has been difficult.”
“Are there any reports of flight failures?” Ki’Bara asked.
“No, my Lord,” replied the commander. “All ships report stable flights after compensation.”
“Begin the second wave as soon as the larger cities are clear,” the Primero said. “I want the total domination of this planet before the sun rises on this side.”
The Tercero nodded and returned to his station. Ki’Bara looked out at the darkened side of the planet. He thought of Heyerdahl and how the man had betrayed his entire species. If any of his own people acted so treacherously, he would personally gut them and leave their bodies for the carrion eaters. He would need to keep an eye on Ki’Bontri and the human in the future. If he was very lucky, they would make a mistake. He wanted to be there when that happened. He wanted it very much.
11
Now
Perigee Station
The umbilical connection swayed slightly as Captain Franklin Dalton stepped over the docking port ring and into
the station. He was followed closely by the captain of the Murphy, a repair craft recently arrived in the system from Karisia. Neither man looked eager to be here but they each had been ordered by Commodore Chang to return to Perigee at this time. Dalton raised his hand and pointed towards the nearby transit sled that waited for them.
“I have a feeling that we may be late,” Dalton said as he boarded the sled. “Chang seemed in a rush to get us here.”
“It is a good thing that the communications relay went online when it did.” Captain Nadeau replied. “You know how much I hate to be late.”
Both men waited in silence as the transit sled took them deeper into the station. The meeting room had once been a secure cargo bay near the base of the central stalk of the station. When the Alliance moved in, Chang had insisted on a large meeting room where he was able to address his commanders together. The finished project equaled any conference area in the old Confederacy. The little creatures known as the ‘Elves’ had fitted the room with projectors and imaging systems beyond any that Dalton knew existed. The transit sled slowed to a stop and the two men stepped out into the small arrivals room. There was a young woman with thick blond hair held up in a stylish way that made Dalton wonder if she installed anti-gravity generators in the mass. She held out a small hand scanner and waved it over Dalton and Nadeau. She looked over the readout on the scanner and then smiled to the captains. She stepped over to the tram control and tapped a code into the panel.
“Thank you, Captains,” she said finally. “I apologize for the security procedures but standing orders from Commodore Chang are to verify the identities of all new arrivals.”
“I have not been informed of any security breaches on the station, Yeoman,” Dalton asked, suddenly suspicious. “Why all the added security?”
Resolute Uprising (The War for Terra) Page 9
