The War of Pawns (The Human Chronicles -- Book Three)

by T. R. Harris

  “Somewhere in The Fringe. But that’s not the worst of it,” Kaylor said.

  “Go on.”

  “The pod was sent in the open, with its message broadcasting continuously.”

  Sherri shook her head. “Listen guys, we’re not up on all the intricacies of intergalactic communications. What are you trying to say?”

  Kaylor stared back at her for a moment before answering. “It means anyone can trace the pod to its destination, and also intercept its message.”

  Adam suddenly went pale. “So the Juireans could learn the location of Earth?”

  “Correct. And the message – tell them, Jym.”

  Both Humans shifted their stunned stares to the tiny alien. “The message was encrypted, but I’m pretty good at this kind of thing. Using the equipment aboard, I was able to decipher it.” He looked down at the datapad he held in his hand. “It said, ‘Existence of Humans and of Earth has been exposed, along with our association with the Klin. We have engaged the Juireans off Dimloe and on Zylim-4, and the Juirean forces appear to be weaker than anticipated. Our Klin advisors have recommended that the time to begin our invasion of Juirean space should be within three years. It has been projected that we will have sufficient forces by then. The Human race should be able to secure vast sections of Juirean space before they are fully aware of our capabilities. At the time of the invasion, the Juireans will not be able to resist our incursion into their space. However, it is imperative that our plans remain secret, since our forces on Earth are still in preparation. The three-year timetable for invasion appears reasonable. Juireans still believe Klin are the major threat. We will work on this end to keep up the deception.’”

  There was a deathly silence in the room for several seconds, as Adam and Sherri simply stared at Jym. Finally Adam broke the silence. “What the hell is going on? This is complete bullshit.”

  Sherri shifted her gaze to Adam. “You’ve been away from Earth for only about a year. Is there something going on there that I need to be aware of?”

  “Of course not! I’m in the military, and in a very special branch and unit. If there was something big going on, I’m sure the SEALs would have been part of it, and especially my Team. This message is a total fabrication.”

  “Then why would your people send it?” Kaylor asked.

  “Simple,” came a voice from the doorway to the ready room. Everyone at the table jumped and turned in that direction. “We didn’t send it,” Riyad Tarazi stated flatly from the open doorway.

  “What are you doing here?” Kaylor asked, as Jym crowded closer to the rear bulkhead and away from the doorway.

  “You know you really shouldn’t call a meeting without inviting me. My experience in matters of subterfuge could come in handy. And besides, you really should shut the door if you hope to have a secret meeting.” He moved into the room and pulled a fifth chair from near the door and placed it at the end of the table. “The Klin sent the message,” he stated as he sat down.

  “And why would they do that?” Sherri asked sarcastically.

  Riyad pursed his lips and nodded. “Indeed, why would they? I’ve been spending a lot time recently trying to correlate all the things that have happened over the past few months. A lot of them just haven’t made any sense.”

  “No shit,” Adam said. “Nothing out here makes sense.”

  “Well, in a way it does,” Riyad countered. “Consider: There are three major players in this game, the Juireans, the Klin and us, meaning those crazy 2G guys. I was particularly confused when the 2G’s threw the battle at Dimloe, and then committed suicide after feeding the Juireans that line of bullshit – you know, about Humans being the new force in the galaxy. And now this message. I think we all know that Earth is in no position to take on the Juirean Expansion.”

  “A diversion!” Adam called out. “The Klin are diverting attention from them to us.”

  “That’s obvious, now,” Riyad said. “The question is why? It simply can’t be so that the Juireans will leave them alone. They appear to have set the Juireans against the Earth, even going so far as to reveal the planet’s location to them.”

  “But we’ll be destroyed!” Sherri said, her voice trembling. “We may be bad-ass one-on-one, but we can’t stand up against their spaceships and energy weapons.”

  “Exactly. We wouldn’t last a day against an attack from space.”

  Kaylor cleared his throat. “Could it be that the Klin are your enemy? Has your race wronged them in such a way that they would want you destroyed?”

  All three Humans shook their heads. “Not that I’m aware of,” Adam answered for them. “Remember, it’s been the Klin who have been coming to Earth and taking us away. And even the Klin could wipe us out if they wanted to. They have the ships and the weapons. They don’t need the Juireans to do it for them.”

  Riyad shook his head. “I didn’t say I had all the answers, just about who sent the message. It’s obvious someone wants the Juireans to believe that the Humans are more than what we actually are, and I’m sure it’s not coming from us. We wouldn’t be bluffing with something this big. I think about what my friend Saddam Hussein did back before the main war with the Americans. He tried to bluff with the fact that he had weapons of mass destruction, just so the Americans would not attack. And we all know what happened then.”

  “We don’t,” said Kaylor.

  Riyad just looked at him and smiled. “Let’s just say it didn’t work out very well for him. If you’re going to bluff, you had better prepare to be called.”

  “I still don’t understand.”

  “Never mind that,” Adam said impatiently. “Riyad, you once believed that the Klin were building a Human army to fight the Juireans. I’ve come to believe that, too. Now they’re sending the Juireans to Earth, where we have no force capable of defeating them—” Adam’s eyes suddenly grew wide, as did Riyad’s. Then simultaneously, they both blurted out: “It’s a trap!”

  “What are you two talking about?” Sherri asked, frustration growing in her voice.

  Adam turned to her. “Don’t you see? The Klin have set it up so that a large Juirean force will arrive at Earth. Then they plan on unleashing their Human army against them there, much like they did off Dimloe. Rather than have their Human army fight battle after battle right in the heart of Juirean territory, they will have one major battle – and against a force that is expecting the Humans to still be preparing for an invasion. The Juireans have no choice but to attack now, before they believe us to be fully battle-ready.”

  “But we will be ready,” Riyad picked up the dialog. “The Klin would not have set these actions in motion without making sure of that.”

  “So? You’re saying we have nothing to worry about?” There was skepticism in Sherri’s voice. “The Klin and their 2G army are going to step in at the last minute and save the Earth from destruction? That’s taking a lot for granted, isn’t it?”

  That sobered up the other two Humans in the room. Adam just nodded. “I know we’re assuming a lot, but why else would the Klin be doing all this? According to Riyad – and now in this message – the Klin seem hell-bent on making the Juireans believe that we’re a threat to them. What we’re saying seems to make the most sense.”

  “So what do we do now?” Sherri asked.

  Riyad and Adam just looked at each other. Then they shrugged.

  “Oh great!” Sherri said, rolling her eyes. “We just continue on as if we have nothing to worry about, while the greatest battle in the history of history is about to take place?”

  Kaylor cleared his throat again.

  “Just say it, Kaylor!” Adam barked at him.

  “You do realize we are in a Juirean battlecruiser, and according to you, heading into a massive fleet of Humans and Klin bent on destroying anything that resembles a Juirean…”

  The three Humans stared at him for several shocked seconds. Then Adam cleared his own throat. “Ah, good point, Kaylor. That’s definitely something we’ll hav
e to keep in mind as we get closer to Earth.”

  Sherri shot him a piercing look. “No shit, Sherlock.”

  Chapter Six

  After the meeting, the three Humans went to the mess decks and settled into a table far enough away from the other men in the room so as not to be overheard. There were six others in the large room, including Billy Piscopo, Sherri’s current lover. Adam noticed how they both shared furtive glances at each other, as if no one else knew what was going on. He tried to put the conflicting emotions out of his mind and focus on the larger issue at hand.

  “So how do we get through the Klin – or Human – blockade to get to Earth?” Riyad asked, setting the agenda for the meeting. “If there is a fleet waiting there for the Juireans, I doubt if they’ll just let us slip through simply because we announce that we’re not really Juireans, but Humans, just like them.”

  Adam absently picked at the synthetic food in front of him. “I know, that’s going to be a problem.” Then he pushed the plate away. “What really pisses me off is that before the Klin got involved, the Humans and the Juireans had no real issue with each other. In fact, with Earth being so far out in the Arm, it probably would have been centuries before we ever made contact. This whole war is a trumped up creation of the Klin.”

  “I agree,” said Riyad, “but unless we can get to Earth and convince them that the Juireans are really not our enemy, there will be a war.”

  “I know. And we’re not even sure the Juireans are sending a fleet to Earth. They’d be foolish not to, but we’re not really sure of that.”

  “And we’re not even sure there is a fleet of 2G’s waiting, either,” Sherri said, still not convinced of the whole concept. “That’s just your idea. It makes sense, but we’re not sure, not really.”

  “When it comes down to it, we really don’t know anything for sure,” Riyad said.

  “I think I have a way of finding out,” Adam said. “If they know.”

  “How, the prisoners?” Riyad asked.

  “Yeah, but it could get rough. I don’t want anyone questioning my methods.” Adam looked directly into Sherri’s eyes when he spoke the last sentence.

  “Fuck that!” she said. “This is our home we’re talking about. Do what you have to.”

  A half-hour later, Adam had two of the 2G prisoners brought into a room off the cargo bay that served as an office of some sort. He sat behind a tall desk and had the two prisoners sit across from him. Riyad and Sherri took up guard positions on either side of the two men.

  Adam pulled out an MK-17 and set it on the desk. The prisoners had been present when Adam shot their companion on Zylim-4, so they eyed the weapon with apprehension.

  “You’re going to tell me everything you know about the mission the Klin have laid out for the 2G’s,” Adam said softly. “Everything. And if I get the impression you’re lying to me, then I will kill you. There are nine of you to go through. You two are just the first. Whether you leave this room dead or alive is entirely up to you.”

  He turned his attention to the prisoner on his right, a young man looking to be not more that 16 or 17, with brilliant blue eyes and short cropped blond hair. He looked more nervous than the other one. Adam nodded at him. “You first…”

  The boy hesitated slightly, and glanced over at his partner. Adam lifted the weapon and pointed it at him.

  “No! I’ll tell you!”

  “Don’t make me wait,” said Adam, setting the weapon back on the desk.

  “We don’t know a lot—” Adam lifted the weapon again. “No, really! We were support staff, left on Zylim-4 when the main force departed. We are too young and inexperienced for the crews.”

  “Where did they go?”

  “To the fleet.”

  “Where is this fleet now?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Adam pursed his lips and shook his head. “You’re testing my patience.”

  “We were not trained for the ships. All we know is that the fleet was to go to Earth…to protect it against the Juirean attack. This has been in the works for a very long time.”

  “How long ago did they leave?”

  “A month, maybe a little less.”

  “Then they should get there before we do.”

  “Yes. Our ships are very fast.”

  Sherri came to stand next to the desk. “Where were you born?” she asked, much to Adam’s surprise. This was not the line of questioning he was following.

  The 2G seemed equally surprised by the question. “Calamore. The base on Calamore,” the young man answered. His partner jabbed an elbow into this ribs, causing the boy to wince.

  Without hesitation, Adam lifted the MK and shot a bolt into the second man’s chest. He fell backwards in the chair from the concussion, crying out in pain, as the Level-2 bolt scorched his clothing and skin. Sherri and Riyad were stunned, and the first man cried out in shock. Once they realized the weapon had been set on a non-lethal level, everyone appeared to calm down. The second man climbed back into the chair, brushing at the still smoldering embers around the hole in his tunic. Then he held his hands on his chest, as tears welled up in his eyes.

  “The next shot will be Level-1. Now go on,” he said to the first man, as he dialed up the charge on the weapon.

  “Calamore, it’s where the main base is, on this side of the Barrier,” he said quickly.

  “Are the breeders there?” Sherri asked, acid in her tone.

  “Of course. Where else would they be? They’re females.”

  Sherri took a step toward the man, and Adam reached out to grab her arm. Once he had her calmed down, Adam took up the questioning.

  “How many 2G’s are there?”

  “No many…now. Maybe fifty or so. Most are on the ships. Just a few support personnel – along with the breeders, and the non-converts, of course.”

  “The non-whats?” Riyad said, stepping up beside the man.

  “The non-converts – the native-borns who would not join us.”

  “Are there a lot of them?”

  “No, not many. Not more than a thousand I would say, at least for the time being.”

  Adam, Sherri and Riyad all shared wide-eyed glances at each other, before Adam turned his attention back to the 2G. “Where exactly is Calamore?”

  “I don’t know the coordinates. I just know it’s approximately three light years on the Far Arm side of the Barrier, in a small cluster of three yellow stars.”

  “Is it to the Rigor side of the Barrier, or the Silea side?” Riyad asked. He knew The Fringe better than anyone in the room, and with Rigor and Silea lying at opposite ends of The Fringe, this could narrow down the location.

  “Rigor, I believe.”

  “Does the base have any defenses?” Adam asked.

  “Not many, now. We left there about three months ago and went to Z-4, just as the main force was preparing to deploy.”

  “What did you mean when you said, for the time being?” Sherri asked.

  The 2G blinked at her. “Now that the war is about to begin, they are of no further use.”

  “Go on.”

  The 2G blinked several times, not quite understanding what more could be said. “The breeders are no longer necessary, now that we are to make direct contact with Earth. And the non-converts…well their conversion is no longer necessary, either.”

  It didn’t take long for the implication of the 2G’s cavalier comments to hit the three natives in the room. It was Sherri who stated the obvious.

  “They’re going to be killed.” It was a statement, not a question.

  “They are of no use anymore,” the man said, with absolutely no emotion in his voice.

  This time Adam did not try to restrain Sherri. The woman stepped forward and smashed her right fist straight into the nose of the 2G. The cracking of cartilage could be heard, as blood spewed forth and down the chin of the man. Then Sherri turned toward Adam, her gaze locking on his MK-17.

  Adam quickly pulled the weapon from within her
reach.

  “Calm down, Sherri,” he said. “We’ll deal with this scum later. Right now, I need the two of you to take them back to the others – without killing them?”

  Somehow, Riyad was able to maintain enough control over Sherri so that the two men got back to their holding cell alive, if not bruised up some from the rough manner in which they were dragged through the corridors. But as soon as the two of them returned to the interrogation room, Sherri was speaking.

  “We have to go get them!”

  “Not a good idea,” Riyad countered.

  Sherri spun to face him. “There are a thousand people there being held prisoner, plus the women, who have been constantly raped in order to build this so-called army for the bat-shit Klin. And they’re all going to be killed!”

  “I understand that. But right now, we have to warn the Earth about what’s about to happen. Besides, they may already be dead. It could be a wasted trip.”

  “He’s right, Sherri,” Adam said. “We now have proof that a 2G fleet is heading for Earth, and they wouldn’t be going there unless they believe the Juireans are headed there, too. We have a whole planet to be concerned with right now.”

  “So we just leave them there?”

  “First things first. If we do get to Earth in time – and all in one piece – we’ll see about coming back for them. Hopefully we won’t be too late. It’s a given that our planet will never be the same after we get back, so if we don’t come back for them, I’m sure someone else will.”

  Sherri sat down in one of the chairs and crossed her arms. “This still doesn’t tell us how we’re going to get through the waiting 2G fleet to warn the Earth, and not only about the Juireans, but also about how crooked and conniving the fucking Klin are. They’re responsible for all of this, and the 2G’s have been raised by them.”

  “Sherri’s right,” Riyad said. “These men have been brainwashed from the day they were born into believing everything the Klin have told them. They are more loyal to the Klin than they are to Earth. I’ve seen it. These men are fanatics – and true believers. They will not let us reach Earth, just to speak ill of their masters.”