Hive (The Color of Water and Sky Book 4)

by Andrew Gates

  “I… I do not know, your Majesty. I have never beheld anything like it,” he replied, his eyes glued to the image on the holo.

  Ikharus turned to the tactical officer, Takom.

  “I do not understand, Kho Takom. How did something so massive sneak up on us like this? Surely we should have known of this presence well before it neared our moon!”

  “I cannot say, your Majesty,” Takom nervously responded. “I am wondering the same thing myself.”

  “If I may, I do not think this is one object. It appears to be a cluster of much smaller ships,” Krikom interjected, “though there must be thousands, maybe tens of thousands, maybe millions involved in the formation.”

  “Impossible,” Plokah said. “Nobody can perform formations that complex. Look how closely the different pieces move together and crisscross in perfect synchronization. If even two ships were to collide, they would bring down the entire formation.”

  The room was quiet again for a few more seconds as everyone pondered what this strange entity could be. This time it was the captain who eventually spoke.

  “As improbable as it may sound, I must agree with the science officer,” the captain said. “It looks to be a cluster of small ships. That would explain why the presence seems to be moving continuously like that.”

  “Kho Grinome, can you isolate a single piece of the cluster?” Plokah asked to a nearby crewman.

  The holo suddenly adjusted to display a single entity as it zigzagged around the cluster. Sure enough, it appeared to be a small spaceship, one of many making up the mass. The vessel looked like four thick spikes pointing forward and backward, connected by a small bridge and ovular cockpit. The hull of the ship appeared to be completely symmetrical, both from the front and from the side. It was like nothing Ikharus had ever seen.

  “Incredible,” Plokah instinctively murmured.

  “How does it fly? I don’t see any engines,” Ikharus noted.

  “I… I cannot say,” the science officer replied, completely dumbstruck. “It must be technology that we have not seen yet, something new, something advanced.”

  “More advanced than what we possess?” a voice muttered in a tone of shock.

  “Is it the Sorrevahni?” wondered another.

  “Keep calm, crew,” the captain said, holding both claws out.

  “Kal Relope, are you still trying to hail them?” Plokah asked to the young communications officer.

  “Yes, Kho Plokah. Still no luck,” she replied.

  All hands aboard the bridge crew frantically tried to make sense of the scene. They tapped at monitors, read off data and ran every scan the Spring was able to make. Minutes dragged on as the imposing cluster of mysterious ships simply sat there in the shadow of the moon. Meanwhile the crew could not keep their eyes away from it. They watched the presence’s every single move.

  And then, in an instant, the cluster broke into action.

  The entire bridge seemed to gasp at once as the oval of tightly interweaving ships changed shape, suddenly transforming into what looked like a long, thick snake. The snake of ships accelerated toward the moon all at once, like a predator pouncing in for a kill.

  “The cluster is changing!” a voice reported.

  “Unidentified ships now inbound toward the moon!” added another.

  Ikharus nervously clenched his claw and stepped ever closer toward the holographic display, not daring to look away.

  “What is it doing? Is it moving to attack?” Plokah wondered.

  “Why would Sorreveous attack the Lunar Confederacy?” Takom asked.

  “I am starting to think this is not the work of Sorreveous,” Ikharus muttered back.

  For planet-cycles, the moon colony had been at odds with the Empire. Only recently had the colonists revolted against Sorrevahni rule to take control of the moon for themselves. In the wake of their revolution, the colonists now found themselves short on resources, on fuel, on manpower. It was the price to pay for their newfound freedom.

  The Empire surely had the power to reignite the flames of war and destroy the lunars if they wanted, but despite everything, Sorreveous conceded its defeat. They made it abundantly clear that they were no longer interested in meddling in the lives of the lunars.

  Yet here was a swarm of ships, flying in what appeared to be an attack formation on the moon.

  It can’t be the Sorrevahni, Ikharus thought, but if the Sorrevahni are not attacking the moon now, then who is?

  Confederate ships quickly burst into action. Their so-called “warships” moved into defensive positions, though these ships were hardly anything more than repurposed cargo vessels with cannons and ablative plating quickly installed last-minute. Ikharus held his breath as the snake of mysterious tightly packed ships opened around enemy targets and enveloped the confederate warships one by one like a mouth chomping down for a bite. The lunars did not even stand a chance.

  Lunar fighters moved to engage now, joining the fray. The small crafts were more capable of making quick adjustments on the spot and were able to outmaneuver the tightly packed snake of swarm ships with slightly better success. Ikharus grinned as the lunars managed to take out a few of the swarm fighters with their smaller ships.

  After a few seconds, a section of the snake broke off from the main group and arranged ships into what appeared to be a massive square flat wall, with ships evenly spread out several kotans from each other in a grid. The ships forming the grid remained in place for a few moments, completely still.

  Ikharus had never seen ships form a flat wall like this. The swarm ships were literally lining themselves up to be shot down. He could not imagine why anyone would want to form a formation so exposed.

  Then, an instant, his question was answered.

  This was not a defensive position at all. It was an attack formation.

  Individual ships suddenly accelerated from the wall at speeds so fast, Ikharus could hardly even see them. The ships moved like bullets through space, blasting forward and cutting down anything that stood in their path. Any lunar fighter caught in front of the wall was quickly ripped to shreds in the intense barrage of bullet-ships. Within seconds, the squadron of lunar fighters was gone.

  Now unguarded by fighters, the snake continued is onslaught of the larger vessels in the moon’s orbit. One by one, the snake of tiny ships consumed the Confederacy’s defensive line with seemingly no regard for maintaining the lives of their pilots. Swarm ships would fly directly into cannon salvos without worry so long as it allowed them to get into an optimal position.

  “By the Chiefdom,” muttered one of Ikharus’s guards.

  “It is a slaughter,” added Plokah. He quickly spun around to face Ikharus. “Supreme Chieftain, I know it is not our place to meddle in the affairs of the Lunar Confederacy, but they need our help. They shall not endure this assault.”

  “Do you really suggest we help them?” asked Takom. “They are lunars!”

  Ikharus raised his claw, prompting them both to quiet down. He took another step forward as the last of the ships comprising the snake now abandoned their original position in the oval, revealing a much a larger vessel previously unseen.

  “Look,” Ikharus said, motioning to the image on the holo.

  Plokah and Takom both turned back around.

  “What is that?” Plokah asked.

  “I… I do not know,” Takom replied. “It looks like a different ship, far larger than the others.”

  “Enemy swarm now advancing on the moon itself!” a female voice interrupted, prompting Ikharus to look away from the holo and instead stare straight out the window before him. He gasped as he beheld the sight.

  Now that the moon was unguarded, the swarm dove down toward the lunar surface, targeting settlements and smashing ships directly into the moon. Even from the window, it was all so clear. The Supreme Chieftain no longer stared at a computer projection. What he saw was real, unfolding before his very eyes. Somehow seeing it this way made it all the more terrifyin
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  “They are sacrificing their own pilots with every assault!” Takom observed. “They use their own ships like bullets or ramrods, as if they mean nothing!”

  “They care not about the lives of their pilots. They are brutes,” replied the one called Grinome.

  Ikharus could hardly move a muscle. He stood completely still with his mandibles open as the moon, no longer protected by the Empire nor the Confederacy, was enveloped by a swarm of tiny ships and laid to waste in a matter of minutes like a wave of water crashing upon a dune.

  Everything happened so fast. Even if Ikharus had taken Kho Plokah’s advice to help the lunars, there was now no one left to save. The moon was now as desolate as any other rock.

  The bridge was completely quiet. Nobody could believe what they had just witnessed.

  And then the snake turned from the moon to face the planet.

  “Captain, the ships are turning this way!” Takom reported as he stared at the screen before him.

  “They must be planning to take us out next. Fruitful Spring, engage weapons! Bring shields to full power! Prepare to target the swarm!” the captain shouted.

  “No!” Ikharus waved his claw and slammed his scepter against the metal floor, prompting everyone in the bridge to turn and look his way. “Belay that order! We will not engage, save for to buy time for our exit!” Ikharus bellowed now that he had the crew’s attention. “Look what those ships did to the Confederacy in a matter of minutes. If we engage, we will perish. We need to evacuate the Spring and return to the planet. Otherwise, we will all surely die.”

  “You are the Supreme Chieftain,” the captain replied. “If that is what you command, I shall see it through.”

  “It is my command,” he confirmed. “Full evacuation. Now!”

  With those words, the crew sprang into action. Everyone abandoned their posts instantly and hurried to the nearest exit.

  Ikharus’s four honor guards formed up around him and escorted him out. As they pushed him out of the room, Ikharus turned to face the holo once more. To his dismay, other Kholvari ships moved to intercept the swarm. The Supreme Chieftain watched in horror as ships like Exalted Harvest and Scout of the Wind powered up their weapons and approached the mysterious enemy.

  Ikharus sighed. He knew there would be many who would choose to engage the swarm rather than abandon ship, but he hoped, for all their sakes, that they fled. Ikharus had been a soldier all his life. He had seen more battles than he cared to admit. He knew the difference between a noble last-stand and pointless heroism. And right now, this was not the time for heroics.

  Once out in the hall, Ikharus stumbled along as fast as he could through his injuries. Honor guards pressed on the back of his shell, forcing him to move faster with every step. Suddenly his battle instincts kicked back in. He found himself checking every corner, every evacuation route, every tiny detail. He felt like he should have been wearing a helmet and Kreed armor rather than a crown and the decorative clothes of hierarchs.

  “Come, Supreme Chieftain! We shall take you down this secure passage!” a guard ahead of him explained. “It will not be crowded with the others.”

  Just as the guard said, they took a quick turn down a passage to the right. This narrow hall was completely abandoned.

  Before the door to the main area had closed, a familiar voice cried out from behind, “Supreme Chieftain! We have come to ensure your safety!”

  Ikharus turned to face the speaker. Kal Jakhu raced inside the hall with the rest of Kreed Scion at her back. The door shut behind them all just as they entered the narrow passage.

  “Get back to the hallway! This is no place for you, Kreed Scion. We must secure the hierarch!” one of the honor guards cried out.

  “No,” Ikharus debated. “Let them come. I trust them. We are safest with them by our side.”

  “If that is what you command,” the guard said.

  “It is.”

  Now together, Ikharus, his guards and the members of Kreed Scion all ran as fast as they could through the passage until they came to its end, where they were met by closed door. A guard made his way up front and pressed his wrist against the door, suddenly prompting it to open. A small private hangar stood on the other side, housing a single transport before a forcefield door.

  “Quick, get aboard!” a guard shouted, pointing his spear toward the ship. Its rear door was already open.

  “Allow Kal Ukhrani to fly. She is the most skilled pilot among us!” Ikharus ordered.

  “Understood,” the guards replied in unison.

  Ukhrani used her boosters to push ahead of the others. Naturally, she entered the transport first.

  Fruitful Spring suddenly shook violently as a loud boom erupted all around them. Ikharus nearly stumbled, but managed to brace himself with his scepter.

  “What was that?” Evirak asked.

  “Is it not obvious?” Jakhu replied. Her tone was stern. “It is the enemy assault. They have begun their attack on Fruitful Spring.”

  “Then we have mere seconds before this vessel is torn apart! Quick, get aboard!” Ikharus shouted.

  Booms and shakes grew louder and more powerful with every passing second. Not wishing to waste any more time, guards lifted Ikharus into their arms and practically tossed him aboard the transport. He fell against the hard metal floor. The others joined in seconds later.

  Ikharus let out a deep breath and stood up as everyone found their seats.

  “Close the rear door and get us out of here, now!” he shouted.

  “Understood,” a guard replied as he quickly pressed the button to close the door.

  The door moved up and up and up until…

  Suddenly all sound died away as the walls of the private hangar instantly blew apart. Ikharus stared straight into the void of space as the dramatic change in pressure immediately pushed him toward the closing door.

  And then the door closed shut. Ikharus fell back down to the floor again and quickly gasped for breath as air reentered his lungs and sound returned to his ears.

  “By the Chiefdom!” Evirak shouted, slowly standing back up.

  “Curse our foes!” Kozakh bellowed, smashing his claw against the floor. He stood up too, letting out a deep breath. “They have done it! They have destroyed Fruitful Spring!”

  “Supreme Chieftain, are you alright?” Kal Jakhu asked, instantly placing her claw on his shoulder. She eyed him up. “You were exposed to the void without a suit.”

  “I was… yes… but my time exposed to space was brief,” he said through deep, difficult breaths. “I am fortunate the door closed when it did. Were it to remain open a second longer, I may not be alive.”

  The honor guards, also without Kreed armor, each gasped for breath like he did. Many had to lean against the cabin walls just to remain standing.

  “Where is Kho Vylan? Shouldn’t he be by your side?” Jakhu continued as she searched the faces of the guards.

  “He was engaged in other affairs when we came under high alert. But worry not, Kal Jakhu. These other guards have performed excellently in his absence.”

  “Kal Ukhrani, are you settled in the cockpit?” Ezenkharam asked.

  “Affirmative, Kal Ezenkharam. Powering up the engines now… and… disembarking.”

  Ikharus felt the ship suddenly jolt as it thrusted forward through the rubble field of Fruitful Spring. He was glad that they were moving. The longer they remained here, the more susceptible they were to the enemy’s attacks.

  “I’m getting a message on the comm from Kho Vylan. He is alive and wants to know the status of the Supreme Chieftain,” one of the guards said to another through deep, difficult breaths.

  “I will speak to him,” the other guard replied. “Kho Vylan, this is Kho Yolen. I have the hierarch. He is secure aboard a transport, along with Kreed Scion.”

  Ikharus turned away from the guards’ conversation and stumbled his way to the nearest window. He put Kho Vylan out of mind and eagerly peered outside.

&nbs
p; Rubble and debris filled the void of space. Kholvari fighters deployed from the Spring zigzagged this way and that, trying to take out as many of the mysterious enemy vessels as they could. But beyond the chaos of it all, Ikharus saw a lost battle.

  Individual swarm ships broke from the main snake into various branches now, like long thin tentacles peeling out from a body. The tentacles wrapped around or pierced directly through any crewed vessel in orbit: warships, cargo ships, research outposts, it didn’t matter. Earth’s orbit was the swarm’s to control.

  At closer glance, Ikharus realized that it was not only Kholvari vessels mixed in the fray. Sorrevahni ships were equally made a target. Somehow that revelation made him feel even more unsettled than he already felt.

  Nothing could stop the swarm. Not even a barrage from the Sorrevahni’s Teceron-class warships seemed to do anything other than slow the enemy down a bit. Ikharus watched in awe as a Teceron-class ship unleashed everything it had upon an approaching branch of the swarm. Salvos smashed against the approaching hostiles, erupting in fiery explosions that must have destroyed dozens at a time. But killing dozens meant nothing when the enemy number seemed practically infinite and their ships were treated as disposable. Despite the salvos that laid waste to their numbers, the tentacle continued onward until it reached the massive Sorrevahni ship. Like it had done so many times before, the swarm pierced through the underside of the Teceron’s hull like a spear breaching armor. The tentacle continued along until it plowed through the top of the warship on the other side and curled back around, smashing into it again and again, twisting through the Teceron like a cyclone until, almost a minute later, the ship was nothing but rubble.

  The enemy assault was like nothing Ikharus had ever seen. Every movement, every formation that the swarm completed was exactly executed to the point of inconceivable precision. Enemy ships would form vine-like tentacles or bubbles or complex shapes at an instant’s notice without a single ship even a kotan out of line. Not even a machine could work that quickly.

  To make matters even stranger, the enemy’s strategy was wholly bizarre. They seemed more interested in throwing ships at a target rather than shooting them down. Only the front vessels of any formation ever fired their weapons, end even then, the weapons caused minor damage. Most destruction was done through direct kamikaze assault. It was as if the pilots had no regard for their own lives at all and would stop at nothing to bring Earth’s defenses down.