by G. P. Hudson
“Who is it that you are fighting, General?” said Jon.
“That is as yet unclear. There have been several assassination attempts against the Emperor. One involved a Dvorkan general. The most recent, Dvorkan mercenaries. This is why I suspect that this is leading to civil war.”
“Do you think Central Command is involved?” said Jon.
“I suspect that there might be an element of Central Command involved. I think it would be a stretch for the entire general staff to be complicit. Unfortunately, I do not know who among the general staff is loyal, and who is not.”
“I am willing to offer some help, but am reticent to do so without some form of agreement in place.”
“Your concerns are valid.”
“But Miira tells me that only the Emperor can enter into such an agreement.”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“You do understand the position that places me in.”
“I do.”
“Is the Emperor still alive?”
Kiith looked offended by the question. “Of course he is alive. He is under Taymati protection.”
“But he is still in danger?”
Kiith didn’t answer, which was enough for Jon to know the answer was yes.
“What if I brought my fleet to you?” said Jon.
“I don’t understand.”
“As a show of force. If I bring my ships there, it may deter any further attacks. Especially if you announce that you invited us there.”
“An alien fleet arriving at the capital would be very provocative. It also makes the Taymati look weak.”
“You could say that we are your guests, and I’ll cloak most of my ships so that it isn’t as provocative. We could announce that we are negotiating an alliance, and see who that announcement flushes out of the shadows.”
“That isn’t a bad idea.”
“Thank you. I have the odd one from time to time.”
Kiith gave Jon an odd look as if his statement confused him. “How do I know you are not involved in all of this. Your offer could be a ploy to bring your fleet to the capital. Once here, you could move to invade.”
“You have my word, General. That’s the best I can do.”
“Even if I agreed, it would still be difficult to convince others of your sincerity. No delegation brings an invasion fleet with them. Many would think that I am under duress, while others might accuse me of plotting against the Empire.”
“Yes, the move would be controversial. There is no escaping that reality. But is it more controversial than these attacks on the Emperor? If I am correct, the Dvorkans who are plotting against the Emperor are also allied with the aliens. Have you seen any evidence to support this assumption?”
Kiith nodded. “The Dvorkan mercenaries have shields. This technology does not exist in the Empire. The only way they could have obtained it is through the aliens. Or you.”
“It wasn’t me, General. But, you can use this fact to justify inviting us to the capital. If these mercenaries have shields, then they are tough to kill. Am I right?”
“Yes.”
“All my ships have shields. We can help eliminate the threat.”
“You realize that there is no guarantee that the Emperor will agree to an alliance.”
“I do.”
“I don’t understand. Why would you help us if there might be no benefit?”
“I think we’ll find a way to work things out. I also believe that this is the same enemy we are fighting, just with a different face.”
“There is another matter. How would you bring your fleet to the capital? Central Command would never allow so many warships to travel through Dvorkan space.”
Jon grinned. “I have a few more tricks up my sleeve.”
Kiith looked at Jon’s arms. “I do not see anything.”
“It’s a human expression.”
“You certainly are an odd race.”
“What’s your decision, General? Will you invite us to the capital?”
“How much time have you spent with these aliens, Miira?” said Kiith.
“Several months, General.”
“Have they treated you well?”
“Yes. I have always felt safe among them. They are worthy of the Emperor’s trust.”
“Very well. You may come to the capital under my authority. Although I do not believe Central Command will allow it.”
“Thank you, General. We’ll see you shortly.”
Jon nodded to Miira, and she terminated the connection.
“What will you say to General Dak?” she said.
“Nothing,” said Jon.
“Nothing?”
“General Dak is an asshole.”
Miira looked confused. “I don’t see how his anatomy is relevant.”
“It’s a figure of speech.”
“You humans are an odd race.”
“So I’ve been told.” Jon tapped the control pad, and the faces of his commanders appeared on the wallscreen. This time he included Commander Booch in the meeting. “There’s been a new development. As you know, we’ve been seeking to establish an alliance with the Empire before returning to our region of space. In doing so, we’ve discovered that attempts have been made to assassinate the Dvorkan Emperor. These attempts coincide with the alien attack on this system. Now we don’t know who these aliens are, but I have a strong suspicion that they are in league with the Erinyie. I think they are sponsoring the Dvorkans trying to kill the Emperor.”
“They seek to destabilize the Empire as a prelude to conquest,” said General Tallos. “That much is clear.”
“Yes, it looks that way. It would not be in our interest for the Empire to fall into enemy hands. Since we are here, and we have the ships, I have offered our assistance.”
“You have pledged us to fight in this alien war?” said Jonas, the Reiver commander.
“No,” said Jon. “I’ve offered to bring our fleet to the Dvorkan capital to assist the Emperor and his guard. The Emperor’s life is in danger. Helping him would be a great way to establish trust, and hopefully an alliance.”
“What if this isn’t the Erinyie?” said Tallos. “What if we are taking sides in an alien war that has no bearing on our struggle?”
“That’s a good point, and it is a possibility. At the very least, the aliens that attacked the Empire are the same ones that attacked AI’s fleet. In both cases, they attacked without provocation. Whoever they are, we do not want them growing too powerful, or they might threaten our region of space one day.”
“This intervention will delay our return,” said Tallos. “We do not know what the situation is back in our region of the galaxy.”
“I know. I don’t intend on staying too long. We’ll do what we can to help, then we will return home. I am hoping the mere presence of our fleet around the capital will be a big enough show of force to dissuade any other attacks. Are all ships still synced with us?”
All commanders indicated that they were.
“Very well. I do not want to get into any confrontations on the way. All ships are to engage cloaks. We will jump to the nearest transit point, cross through, and jump to the next transit point until we reach the capital. We leave immediately.”
Chapter 29
Jon’s fleet sailed through the final transit point, emerging two hundred million kilometers from Dvorkan Prime, the capital of the Dvorkan Empire. They moved steadily toward the planet, keeping the bulk of the fleet cloaked, and taking care not to appear hostile.
“This is a busy star system,” Jon said to Miira. They had stayed in the conference room and used the wallscreen to view the surrounding space.
“It is the Dvorkan home system,” said Miira. “The birthplace of the Empire, and a commercial hub.”
Miira was interrupted by a comm from Commander Henderson on the bridge. “Sir, General Dak of Dvorkan Central Command is demanding to speak with you.”
“I was beginning to wonder what was taking him so long. Patc
h him through, Commander,” said Jon.
The wallscreen transitioned from a view of the surrounding star system, to display the angry features of General Dak. “You dare provoke the mighty Dvorkan Empire?!”
“I don’t know what you mean, General,” said Jon.
“Do not play games with me, Admiral Pike. You have somehow moved your ships through the Empire to emerge in the Dvorkan home system. You will pay a heavy price for your treachery.”
“There is no treachery, General. We are here at the invitation of the Taymati.”
“What business do you have with the Taymati.”
“We are here to discuss diplomatic relations.”
“You were ordered to conduct those negotiations with Central Command.”
“I know. It seems the Taymati have different ideas. I think you’ll agree that if I need to eventually speak with the Emperor, that it makes more sense to deal with the Taymati first.”
“Nonsense! Your actions amount to a declaration of war!”
Jon wondered if he could get Dak mad enough to make his blue features turn red. As much as he wanted to try, he decided to remain diplomatic. “As I have already stated, our intentions are peaceful. We are here under General Kiith’s authority. I suggest you speak to him about your concerns.”
“General Kiith’s authority does not supersede Central Command’s.”
“Actually, General, in this matter it does,” said Miira. “Dvorkan Prime is the capital of the Dvorkan Empire and the Imperial Seat. As such, it and its star system fall under the exclusive military authority of the Taymati. While Central Command’s military authority governs in the rest of the Empire, that is not the case in the capital.”
“Miira Kev,” said Dak, narrowing his eyes. “I knew you were a dissident the moment I laid eyes on you. I have spoken to Rangar about your sedition. He was extremely displeased. Poor man. If you were my daughter-”
“I am not a dissident, General. I am merely quoting Dvorkan law. I am also an adult, and no longer under my father’s control. Do not mention his name again.”
“You will pay for this treachery, Miira Kev. This I promise you.”
“Don’t you have a call to make, General?” said Jon. “You need to speak to General Kiith, remember?”
Dak scowled at Jon, and the wallscreen went blank.
“Wow, now that is one grumpy Dvorkan,” said Jon.
“This will cause problems,” said Miira. “General Dak is an influential man.”
“Really? He seems like a whiner to me.”
“Do not be fooled, Admiral. The Dvorkan military is mighty, and General Dak is in charge.”
“Is he more powerful than the Emperor?” said Jon.
“Technically no, but if he has turned against the Emperor, then the answer is yes.”
“Either Dak is loyal, or he isn’t,” said Jon. “If he is, then the Emperor will get him to toe the line.”
“And if he isn’t?”
“Then your Emperor’s problems are a lot bigger than he realizes.”
Jon’s ships continued to cruise toward Dvorkan Prime. Taymati squadrons soon flanked them on both sides, leaving Jon wondering how many cloaked vessels there were. Miira said the Taymati were responsible for defending this system. Considering how busy it was, Jon figured there had to be several hundred cloaked warships out there, if not more. In fact, he wouldn’t be surprised if the Taymati numbers exceeded his own.
As they drew nearer, he also took note of the many defenses guarding the planet, and the system in general. There was no doubt in his mind that their guns were all currently trained on his ships. It was a sobering thought.
Soon, a comm request came through from General Kiith.
“Greetings, General,” Jon said to the frowning Dvorkan face on the wallscreen.
“What did you say to General Dak? He is furious.”
“Not much. He told us that our being here was a declaration of war. When we told him we were here under your authority, he said your power was not greater than Central Command’s. That was when Miira corrected him and pointed out that in this system it was. I get the impression that General Dak doesn’t like being corrected.”
Kiith shook his head. “Does this sort of diplomacy work well for your species?”
“I am a military man, General. Diplomacy is not really one of my strengths.”
“I can appreciate that,” said Kiith.
“As a military man, I’ve taken note of your considerable defenses in this system. How is it that you are having problems with mercenaries?”
“There is a lot of commercial traffic. We believe that they used that as cover to gain access to Dvorkan Prime. They likely used freighters to transport their teams to the surface.”
“I see. And what is the -”
Red lights flashed behind General Kiith causing him to turn away and investigate. At the same time, Commander Henderson interrupted with a comm from the bridge.
“Go ahead,” said Jon.
“Sir, a fleet of warships just appeared in this system. They are the same configuration as the ones that attacked the AI fleet.”
“You betrayed my trust!” said General Kiith, turning back to face Jon. “You have brought these aliens to our home system.”
“General, this was not our doing.” The Freedom shuddered as the alien ships opened fire. “You see? The aliens are firing on us. Now please accept my apologies, but I must deal with this threat. Pike out.” The General disappeared from the screen, and Jon switched the wallscreen’s perspective to show the alien threat. When he did, he was shocked to see several thousand alien ships. This was nothing less than a full-scale invasion of the Dvorkan capital.
Chapter 30
To their credit, the Taymati were already closing with the enemy. Taymati squadrons engaged the aliens, while weapon systems of all shapes and sizes opened fire. From asteroids to moons, to space stations, and satellites, a dizzying array of space artillery unleashed their fury on the alien ships. The alien shields glowed a bright red in response, as they absorbed the energy of the Taymati weapons.
“Initiate nuclear jump bomb strikes,” ordered Jon through a comm link with the bridge. “Do not stop until those shields are disabled.”
“Yes, Sir,” said Henderson. “Commencing nuclear strike.”
The nukes started detonating, and the affected alien shields transitioned from a red glow to a blazing white. Still, they held.
In the meantime, the Taymati took a pounding. The aliens had a potent energy weapon that they used to devastating effect. They also could locate cloaked ships, and targeted hundreds of hidden Taymati vessels. The alien weapons burned into the Taymati hulls with sustained energy blasts, causing their cloaks to fail. The thick Taymati armor held longer than seemed possible but eventually became molten metal.
The Freen shields Jon had installed on his ships held fast against the alien energy weapons. As sturdy as the Freen shields were, however, the aliens were using a lot of firepower, leaving Jon uncertain as to how long they would last. It did seem that the Freen shields were superior, and they withstood much more than Jon thought possible. Did that mean the aliens were not from the Andromeda galaxy after all? If not, then where did they come from?
The commercial traffic scattered as the battle raged, doing their best to get out of the line of fire. For most, that just wasn’t possible. Caught in a crossfire between three armadas, the civilian spaceships had no hope of survival. It was a tragedy, leaving Jon to wonder how many had lost their lives due to enemy, and even friendly fire.
“Admiral, I am detecting an attempt to compromise my defenses,” said AI. “The aliens are employing a sophisticated form of electronic warfare.”
“Can you defend against it?” said Jon.
“Yes. Their attack is surprisingly powerful, and advanced, however. Had the Cenobi not modified my code, I am not sure I could withstand it.”
“Did the aliens not try and do the same thing when they attacked you at
the manufacturing facility?”
“No. They had probed me in search of weaknesses but did not try an assault on this scale. The aliens may have used the information they gained during those probes for this attack. The ships and my program have been modified extensively since their probes. This has no doubt foiled their plans to take over my systems.”
“Understood. Let me know if anything changes.”
“Yes, Admiral.”
“Sir, several alien ships just appeared in orbit around Dvorkan Prime,” said Commander Henderson over the comm.
Jon reoriented his display to zoom in on the planet. Dozens of the alien warships had taken position in high orbit, threatening to bombard the planet. The Dvorkan defenses tried in vain to destroy the enemy but were helpless against the alien shields.
“Oh no,” said Miira. “Are they firing on the planet?”
Jon zoomed in further for a better look. “No. They’re sending what look like shuttles down to the surface.” Hundreds of smaller vessels poured out of the alien ships like a celestial ant colony and streamed into the atmosphere.
“Admiral, the aliens have reoriented their electronic attack,” said AI. “They are targeting the Dvorkan weapon systems.”
Jon tapped his controls and reoriented the display again to give him a view of the Dvorkan system defenses. AI appeared to be correct, as the many guns targeting the enemy had now fallen silent. If the aliens had indeed taken control of those systems, more would follow. They would then inevitably turn the compromised weapons on Jon’s ships. If that happened, Jon would have no choice but to destroy them, which wouldn’t help assure Kiith that he wasn’t working with the aliens. “AI can you take control of the weapon systems?”
“Yes, but that would require me breaching their security. The Dvorkans may not approve.”
“The Dvorkans don’t have a choice, as far as I see it. Take the weapon systems.”
“Yes, Admiral.”
“Commander Henderson,” Jon said over the comm. “Target the ships in orbit with conventional jump bombs. I don’t want to use nukes that close to the surface.”
“Yes, Sir. Initiating jump bomb strike.”
