by D. J. Holmes
“Yes, I think that would be wise. We need to grab their attention,” Emilie agreed. “Let me put my mind to it and I’ll send you what I come up with.”
“Very well,” Alvarez replied. “Perhaps we should bring Spence into this as well, she is the xenobiologist after all.”
“Of course,” Emilie agreed.
Thirty minutes later Alvarez couldn’t stop his eyebrows raising, though he knew Emilie was watching him. He was reading the text of what she had prepared. Clearly, the fierceness he had seen in her eyes hadn’t dissipated yet. “Are you sure?” he asked. Emilie merely nodded and levelled her gaze at him. Alverez swallowed the lump in his throat. “I’ll send it to Spence and see what she thinks,” he continued. “It is strong.”
“Like I said, I’m not tiptoeing around,” Emilie responded.
“I’m not sure this is a good idea,” Spence said a few minutes later as she rushed onto the bridge. She was waving a datapad about. “This is going to upset more than a few Folians. We’re already sneaking into the system. They could interpret that as an aggressive act. This this could send them over the edge.”
“I agree,” Alvarez said, deciding there was safety in numbers. “This forces them into a corner. People don’t react well when pushed.”
Emilie took a deep breath. “I understand your concerns. But I’m not speaking to the Folians. I’m speaking to the others. They will hear the broadcast as well.”
Alvarez had two other concerns he was about to share, but Emilie’s explanation cut him off. He looked over to Spence to gauge her reaction. The scientist looked deep in thought, beyond that her emotions were unreadable. “Well?” Emilie prompted. “You’ve both read the files on the other species Ramaln shared with us. How will they respond?”
Alvarez couldn’t help but smile. “It’s ballsy, but I see where you’re going. Spence?”
Spence shook her head. “There’s no way to know. Remember, those files are the Folians’ views on their neighbors. We already think their way of viewing other species is flawed. So we are looking at their neighbors through a flawed lens.”
“But it’s a lens with flaws we know about,” Emilie countered. “And the facts in the data file aren’t debatable. Three of the species are carnivores. Fine, that means little to us, but all three of them have been at war with one another or with the Folians in the past. At the very least, we know they are fighters. They cannot be happy with the idea of just surrendering to the Karacknids.”
“That does seem like the most logical conclusion,” Spence responded. “But we’re dealing with so many unknowns. We’d be throwing a match into a powder keg.”
“Sometimes that’s exactly what needs to be done,” Emilie replied. “My uncle sent me here after all, not some highly trained diplomat.”
“That much is true,” Spence conceded. “But I assume he also expected you to listen to what advice Alvarez, I and the others have.”
“So you both believe this is the wrong course of action?” Emilie asked as she turned to Alvarez.
Alvarez shrugged, “I don’t know. There’s so much riding on this, how can any of us really know?”
“And you?” Emilie said as she turned to Spence.
Spence set the datapad down. “I believe this is as likely to destroy any chance we may have of convincing them to join us as help. On the other hand, that means it may very well work. I just believe there are safer options we could explore first.”
Emilie nodded, “Your advice is noted. I agree with you both, I do not know for sure. But this is what my gut is telling me. And that is enough for me.”
Alvarez nodded, he had seen Emilie’s uncle act on a gut feeling more than once to the great benefit of those under his command. If Emilie’s gut was anything like his, then he was content to trust it as well. From the look on Spence’s face it was clear she didn’t feel the same. Nevertheless she nodded. “I will return to my station then Captain,” she said.
“Of course,” Emilie replied, “and please do look over what I have written, I do not wish to change the tone, but your input on the wording would be helpful.”
“Yes Ma’am,” Spence replied.
“Well,” Emilie said when Spence left the bridge. “I guess there’s nothing for it but to see what happens. Send the crew to battle stations,” she called out louder. “Prepare to bring us out of stealth when we get one light minute from Damial.”
Forty minutes later, when Intrepid’s COM officer nodded to her, Emilie took a deep breath and switched on the COM unit on her command chair. “People of Damial and all those attending the Conclave, I bring you my greetings. My name is Captain Emilie Kansas of the Human species. I and my ship, Intrepid, have spent two weeks in the Betasaad system liaising with the Folian Elders there. Now I have come to the Folian Homeworld to speak with you. I am aware of the demands the Karacknid Empire have made of you. My species is intimately familiar with the aggressive expansionist policies of the Karacknids. We and our allies are currently at war with them. Within the last six months a Karacknid fleet of over one thousand warships was driven out of my species’ homeworld. Before they fled, they launched nuclear weapons, killing hundreds of millions of my people. They are our sworn enemy and I am here in part seeking revenge.
“I’ve come before you all offering you the help of my species and our allies. We would not wish to see your peoples enslaved and your worlds oppressed. Rather, we would see the Karacknid Empire crushed once and for all. To that end we offer you technology, war materials, ships and personnel who will fight alongside you to help you keep your freedom. I’m here today as a living witness that the Karacknids can be beaten. Their strength and technology level is intimidating, but they can be beaten. With your permission I would like to address the Conclave you have gathered to discuss things further. My ship will not encroach further into the Damial system unless invited. Know this however, if you do not wish the assistance of my species, then I will move on from this sector of space. I have no doubt that there are others who need our assistance just as much as you. Moreover, if you do decide to bow to the Karacknids, then do not fool yourselves about what that will mean. You will be aligning yourself with an evil species that seeks to dominate and enslave all those it encounters. You will become culpable for all the atrocities you help them commit. You will become an enemy of my species. My people would much rather count you among our friends. We would happily bleed and die as we fight alongside you against our common foe. But, if it is necessary, we will crush all who aid the Karacknids.”
When she finished, Emilie closed her eyes and let her shoulders sag. She had meant every word. The emotion in her voice hadn’t been faked. She didn’t know if the translators the different alien species used would be able to pick up on it, but she hoped her words were enough. As she had said to Alvarez, she was done with tiptoeing around. The fate of her species was in the balance.
With one minute to wait until her message reached Damial, Emilie sat back in her command chair. She had no idea what was about to happen, but there was nothing more she could do. The die was cast.
“Energy spikes,” Intrepid’s sensor officer called seconds after the message reached the Folian’s homeworld.
“From what ships?” Jones queried.
“All of them,” the sensor officer said as she turned to Emilie. “Every warship in orbit is lighting off its reactors. They are all coming this way!”
“COMs?” Emilie asked.
The COM officer shook his head. “No reply yet.”
“Now that we’re getting more concrete energy readings, I think we can identify the ships,” Maguire suggested. “This squadron looks like they belong to the Gramrians, this other one to the Lalibrokes. I’m still matching the others to the data from the file Ramaln sent us.”
“Keep updating the holo projection as you identify more,” Emilie requested. The various groups of ships broke orbit and settled onto intercept trajectories. It looked like the Gramrian ships had taken the lead. She wasn�
�t overly surprised, they were supposed to be the most aggressive species. It made sense that their crews were more attentive and their engine technologies slightly ahead of their neighbors.
“We’re getting a message from the Folian homeworld now,” the sensor officer called. “They are requesting we power down our engines and weapons and prepare to be taken into custody. They’re saying we breached their territory when we left Betasaad.”
Emilie’s heart sank. The Folians had made their decision. She didn’t know if they would open fire on her ship if she refused, but she couldn’t take the chance. “All right, it’s time for Plan B,” she said reluctantly. “Prepare to turn us around.” Plan B meant they would seek to visit the homeworlds of each species in this sector of space. If they wouldn’t let her address the Conclave, she could at least meet with the leaders of the nearby species.
“Belay that,” Alvarez said quickly.
Emilie spun round to him. No one had the right to countermand one of her orders. Alvarez pointed to his command chair. “We’re getting a COM message from one of the ships in that Gramrian squadron. You are going to want to see it.”
“On-screen,” Emilie ordered as she forced her irritation at Alverez down. He could have simply told her about the message. When the image of the alien appeared in front of her, she was thankful it was a recording for she utterly failed to hide her shock. Ramaln’s short file hadn’t included any visuals of his species’ neighbors. She had known the Gramrians were reptilian in nature, but she hadn’t been prepared for their similarity to the thing she had always feared as a child. Dinosaurs had always fascinated her, but she had never grown accustomed to one particular species. Velociraptors gave her the chills. The combination of their teeth, long sharp claws and penetrating eyes was too much for her. Especially their eyes, Emilie remembered as she saw the same thing in the Gramrian. Every childhood movie she had watched that had depicted the apex predators had communicated a great intelligence in the eyes they gave their holographic raptors. The Gramrian looking at her gave the same impression.
“Human ship, I am Commodore Shraw of Strike Squadron. I have orders to escort you to Damial. My superiors wish to hear what you have to say in more detail. Please, fall into formation with my ships and we will escort you into orbit. You have nothing to fear from us.”
The message was in repeat and Emilie watched it one more time before cutting it off. “Open a COM link,” she ordered, taking a breath to settle herself. Commodore Shraw’s face appeared in front of her seconds later. As he stared at her, a forked tongue flicked in and out between his razor-sharp teeth. “Well Captain, what is your decision?” he asked when Emilie didn’t speak first.
“We would like to accept your offer of an escort, though you should know, the Folians wish to arrest us. It seems the Elders on Betasaad did not want us to come here.”
“My superiors are well aware of the Folian’s wishes. That is why I am here,” Shraw replied.
“Then I would be grateful for the escort, your offer is most kind,” Emilie replied. It seemed there were more fractures between the Conclave members than she had imagined.
“Do not read too much into our offer,” Shraw warned her. “My leaders wish to hear what you have to say, after that they may hand you over to the Folians. This is their home system after all.”
“I will keep that in mind Commodore, transmit the course you wish my ship to take and we will follow you in,” Emilie responded.
“I look forward to meeting you in person then Captain,” Shraw said. “You certainly do not fear risking your own life in pursuit of your goals.”
“I look forward to meeting you too,” Emilie replied, though she wasn’t sure she meant it. From what she could see Shraw’s body was covered in thick scales that looked like interlocking shields from an ancient European battlefield. She would have thought them impenetrable, but for the long razor-sharp claws that his two arms ended in. There were fingers there too, but it was each claw that had her attention. She had seen the brief images of Karacknid ground troops that had been sent out from Holstein before the planet was conquered. It looked like a Gramrian might be able to give a Karacknid a run for his money in a hand to hand fight.
“Gramrian ships are falling into formation around us,” Jones reported. “I’ve got the course details from Shraw’s flagship.”
“Follow them,” Emilie ordered.
“Those Folian ships aren’t slowing down,” Alvarez noted as he pointed at the holo- projector. Thirty Folian warships were still on a direct intercept course for Intrepid. The rest had slowed, but they weren’t too far away either. Emilie sat forward in her seat. “They’re playing chicken,” Alvarez added.
“Indeed,” Emilie agreed. Her respect for the Folians was growing. Whoever was commanding the ships was neither turning nor slowing. Someone does not want us addressing this Conclave, Emilie thought.
“They’re going to ram us,” Maguire all but squeaked.
Emilie sat back in her command chair. “Steady ahead,” she said as she projected an air of calm. She hoped Shraw knew what he was doing. As the Folian ships came closer and closer, Emilie couldn’t help but close her eyes when they were just seconds away from impact.
“They turned, they turned!” someone on the bridge shouted. Emilie snapped her eyes open. They were right, there had been no impact. Intrepid and Shaw’s ships hadn’t changed course. The Folians had scattered in all directions.
“He called their bluff,” Alvarez said. “Seems like this Shraw is not someone you want to get on the wrong side of.”
“No, indeed not,” Emilie decided. She had already been thinking along the same lines. It seems I’m not the only one willing to risk my life to do my duty.
Chapter 19
In space, ship design and technologies dominate the fighting prowess of a civilization. In ground wars, each species has its own innate capabilities that often dictate how it can fight. Technology can of course help; the marines’ combat armor allows Humans to do far more than they ever could alone. Yet it is not often enough to overcome some species’ natural advantages. Humanity’s real adversaries have always combined space based prowess with effective planet side armies. The result has been a long string of bloody wars.
-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.
An hour later Emilie paused and tentatively looked down the shuttle’s access ramp. Lieutenant Shaw and six marines in full combat armor had already proceeded her out of the shuttle. They had formed a semicircle around the shuttle’s ramp. Facing them were more than thirty Folians, each armed with what Emilie guessed were laser rifles. Every Folian was standing rigidly still and their antennae were pointed straight at the marines. Despite the tension in the air, Emilie couldn’t help but marvel at how similar Damial looked to Betasaad. The vegetation, landscape and even the Folian buildings in the distance all looked like they came from Betasaad. Of course, she knew it was the other way around.
“Not quite the same welcoming party we received on Betasaad,” Alvarez commented from her side.
“Not quite,” Emilie replied. “I guess there’s nothing else for it, we’ve come this far.” Slowly, to match her words, she descended the shuttle’s ramp. When she got to Shaw’s side she placed a hand on the marine’s armored shoulder. “Don’t go too far.”
“We’ll be right here, one call and we’ll come get you,” Shaw promised.
From the look of the Folians, Emilie was pretty sure Shaw’s squad would get cut down before they got anywhere near the Folian government building in the distance. That was where the Conclave was being held. If something happened to her and Alvarez, the marines wouldn’t be much help. That is, if we even get there, Emilie reminded herself. It didn’t look like the Folians had any intention of letting her pass.
Even more tentatively than she had come out of the shuttle, she stepped past Shaw and towards the Folians. They didn’t raise their weapons, but neither did they stand aside. When she was just three meters in front of the neare
st one, Emilie stopped. They were not going to budge. Now what? Emilie asked herself. She had taken a lot of risks to bring Intrepid into orbit above Damial. That was one thing though, trying to push past an armed Folian guard seemed like a whole new level of risk. She was as likely to be shot as allowed through.
Movement from behind the Folians made several of them turn. Emilie took half a step to one side to see around the Folian in front of her. As the source of the movement got closer, Emilie realized she needn’t have bothered. The two individuals who were approaching were at least half a meter taller than the Folians. That fact barely registered with Emilie though. What grabbed her attention was the speed and grace with which the aliens moved. Walking on two long legs, the aliens’ tails switched back and forth in a mesmeric fashion. Their long, clawed arms hung by their sides stationary, as if just waiting for when they would be needed to lash out with deadly force. With every other stride, their forked tongues flicked in and out, presumably as they tasted the various scents in the air. Gramrians Emilie knew as her attention focused on their eyes. Just like in her nightmares, the dinosaur like creatures had a very human like intelligence in their gaze.
