"Is my world destroyed?" The man choked back sobs as he softly posed the inquiry.
"Not destroyed - that is not our way. We had cloaked vessels in orbit for the last many months and..."
"Oh yes, we know of your subs. But, we could never breach the technology."
"Not just subs - we now have warships and supply vessels that are cloaked. So we were able to sustain the operation for an extended period of time. We orbited beside each of your satellite sensors. And, we landed Special Forces to pinpoint leadership, and military bases and supply manufacturers and distributors. We have destroyed your entire detection grid and all your communications relays. Then, we demolished the Emperor's home and facilities and all the government complexes. We also devastated anything to do with defense production or operations. No schools, hospitals, regional governments, or residential areas were targeted. Provincial and municipal authorities are still in operation. Possibly up to a million are dead. But, billions are still alive, and your culture is intact. You will be able to rebuild."
"Under your yoke!"
"I know that's what the Isesinis do. But, that's not our way. We will build a buffer to prevent you from repeating if you recover. But, your destiny will be in your own hands. We have never forcibly taken territory. Some species we defeated have joined our Federation, and others are allies. But, they made their own choices. You may speak to some of those members if you wish. A good example is the Spiel who helped us defeat you. They are our ally. But, we defeated them in a war they started some years back."
"And, all you want is Kos?"
"No. I want the Emperor too - if we find he's still alive. And, I want Admiral Chan and his human associates." I watched Res stiffen as I finished.
"You said you run Intelligence?"
"Yes. It is within a division called ISIE under my command."
"You are very skillful. You even knew about Chan."
"Yes. I had an agent in that group of human advisors. And I ordered the assassination of Dac Kil Mes to show Kos we were a threat to be reckoned with. It could have been him. But, I decided it should be his second. For now, I consider your Emperor and Kos war criminals. Evidence may convince me it was just the Kil. But, Chan is a traitor. He was already a criminal in the Federation. It was me who uncovered his crimes, years ago.
Did you manage to send out a distress call when we attacked?"
"Yes, we sent out hails. But, it will take seventy-three hours for a message to reach our Headquarters.
And, Kos will try to stay and fight to the last possible moment. But, when all seems hopeless, he will finally go. I am not sure if he'll kill Chan. He never liked the Admiral. He tolerated the man so he could use him. But, if he decides to be compassionate, he'll probably take him along."
"Where does he plan to escape to?"
"Kos does not leave anything to chance. Sooner or later he will move to what you call Markab or Alpha Pegasus. Admiral Chan explained your curious constellations and their history. But, Kos will probably head to Gamma Capricorn first because it appears very inhospitable from a distance. It is a hot very chemically peculiar variable giant star. So, most species stay away from it. But there is a gas giant in a reasonable orbit with a life-supporting moon circling it. There's no intelligent life there. The Kil always said even he needed others to maintain his sanity. He figured he could last a couple of years there - until the heat died down. Then, he'll move on to Markab.
Are you planning to attack his group?"
"I can't answer that directly. But, I think it goes without saying that we'll attack every contingent that's illegitimately in our territory."
"He won't leave. So, you'll have to evict him, in the end. If you want to catch and prosecute him, then he should be approached like I was."
"What do you mean?"
"Severely damage and disable his Base. Blow the hangar bay doors off like you did to my Station. With all the fighting there was no way for me to dock a vessel at a port. And without the Hangar, I couldn't escape."
"You will not be held in our brig..."
"What's a brig?" The prisoner asked.
"A jail aboard this ship," I responded as I waved my arms to indicate the brig was all around us.
"Where are you sending me?"
"I'm not. You'll be given quarters befitting your rank aboard my ship and treated with respect. But, you will be under heavy guard. Four Marines will go everywhere with you. You will not have access to any secure areas of the ship without my approval. But, you will be able to move freely, otherwise."
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I returned to my office and prepared a quick report of the day's actions. I added the video of my meeting with Dac Kil Res to George's copy of the account. And, I suggested he modify his plan to launch his assault at 15 Sagitta on Saturday in the late afternoon or early evening after Kos gets the report of our encounter with Res.
Chapter 25 15 Sagitta
Thursday, December 16, 2271
"The Isesinis have made me into a warrior and Epsilon Command is the tip of my spear." King David
Admiral Bryant was already considering the delay of his operation. His tap on the sensor net and SOCC scans had convinced him that execution was a matter of choice. But, when he received my report, the video, and my recommendation, that cinched it. He wanted Kil Kos to grasp the details of the battle at 82 Eridani for multiple reasons.
First, because the Kil had quickly ordered deployments to Eta Pegasus when it was attacked, George believed he might react the same way this time. Sending help to his friend Res would weaken his own position even more.
Second, George wanted Kos to realize that the second most essential field unit had been destroyed. It would increase his apprehension because he was bound to assume more was coming. But, with the first two thrusts so far-afield and widespread, he was likely to presume that the OFSA would need to regroup before making a stab at him.
And finally, George wanted the Isesinis General to appreciate that his friend Res was gone. He wouldn't be able to distinguish if the Dac Kil had been killed or captured but, he'd recognize his associate was missing. Bryant's awareness of their friendship caused him to imagine that even Kil Kos might experience remorse which would add to his stress.
So, now the Isesinis leader sat in his Base Station at 15 Sagitta knowing his homeworld had been attacked, his most essential remote Headquarters was gone, and he's unable to raise either.
Admiral Bryant advised all his forces to delay execution of their orders, until Saturday, December 18, at eighteen hundred hours thirty minutes. He followed-up by transmitting a memo to Savign who would place her forces at the site on hold, too. But, in that communiqué, he also advised her of the likelihood of Kil Kos escape attempt. She would deploy accordingly.
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"You're useless! All you've been able to give me has been the obvious. You have no insight into those two Admirals' thinking. You've led me down a pathway to nowhere with all my people following closely behind." Kos was ranting at Chan. He'd received the plea for help from his home on December 15 and immediately ordered nearly half his force there. The problem was each detachment would hear those orders at different times spanning three days, and it would take all of them several more days to reach the planet.
"You're supposed to be able to anticipate OFSA moves. And though you know its workings, you haven't been able to predict one of their actions." Kos nearly spat the words.
Chan wasn't sure if he heard underlying disgust or contempt for him in the Kil's voice. He thought it better not to answer in case the remarks were rhetorical. Why make a dangerous situation worse. He'd personally witnessed a gruesome execution by the Supreme Commander.
"Nothing to say, Chan? Maybe it's better because I'd probably kill you where you stand if I didn't like your explanation."
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"Listen to this! We just received it!' Kil Kos almost screamed the order at Chan as he touched a screen icon. He'd summoned the Admiral to his Bridge at fourteen hundred hours on Saturday, December 18.
Chan listened intently to a message being relayed to them. Concussions, explosions, and other battle noise were apparent in the background. He finally identified the voice as Dac Kil Res. As the audio played on, he sounded increasingly stressed and continued a running description of the destruction he was witnessing. Kos stopped the recording and tapped in a time index.
'This is the end. The whole thing is four hours long." Kos said as Admiral Chan listened, intently.
"We've been boarded...' A whispered voice Chan recognized as Res' was speaking. 'A regimental-sized force entered through a dozen ports and are coming from all different avenues. I am sure they are looking for the Station Commander. We've lost almost the entire Command. I may have to take drastic action. Goodbye, my friend. Don't mourn me. Just take care of..." Res was cut-off abruptly as other background pronouncements were detected by the system.
"Stand up! Come out from behind there! Drop that weapon.' The sound of nearby weapon's fire could be heard followed by the clang of something hitting the metal decking. "The son of a bitch was going to kill himself. I had to shoot him. Get a medic in here, ASAP!" The voice ordered as Kos shut down the recording.
"Here!" Kos barked as he offered an Isesinis ceremonial knife to Chan. It's slightly curved blade was about nine inches long, and the handle glistened ornately. The Admiral looked inquisitively to the Kil.
"If you don't I will. And, you know what that will be like." The General said calmly. Chan accepted the dagger.
What seemed like several minutes passed as he considered his options. Then, he resigned himself to the inevitable.
"First, I want you to know I was always loyal and I still am."
"It doesn't matter. You've failed me miserably." The Kil was almost soothing, now.
Chan put the blade to his own throat, pressed hard, and drew it from ear to ear without flinching. He stood looking at Kos as blood gushed down onto his chest and spurted in the air to either side of him. He smiled. Then the light behind his eyes dimmed as he dropped to the floor with a thud.
"Get this garbage out of here!' Kos barked as he stooped to retrieve his prized possession wiping it clean on the Admirals pant leg. He turned back to his console as two soldiers removed the corpse. 'And, get rid of all the other humans.' He growled loudly. 'I think the only one of any account was Admiral Naabaahi who died in the accident." He mumbled to himself as he recalled the man. He was impressive, to say the least. First, there was his rigidly military bearing. Chan had become slovenly. But, there was also a level of intelligence and tactical skills well beyond Chan's. He considered the man an equal and contemplated reversing their roles. And, he knew Naabaahi had been at the highest levels of the OFSA. He didn't get there by being obtuse. But then, Nabby had been sucked into space in the Hangar Bay accident. It was disheartening that events had taken their course.
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Kil Kos was in his quarters at seventeen thirty contemplating the loss of his friend Res when he was rudely interrupted. The mammoth station shuddered violently as the compression wave of a massive explosion traveled through it and the lights winked off then on in quick succession. Claxons trumpeted their alarms and soldiers were rushing everywhere in the corridors as he opened his stateroom door to peak out. A hallway wall annunciator indicated a hull breach and depressurization of several sections. Turning back he took ten minutes to redon his official armor. Then, he made his best time through the chaos to the Bridge.
Once at his station, he eyed the giant screen, then peered out the massive view window. He could see no visible attacking vessels. But, his own ships were exploding in bunches. The two base stations that had recently joined his formation had vanished. Examining the screen's information band showed severe damage to the lower Hangar Deck. The enclosure was a total vacuum and sensors indicated its enormous doors were gone. On top of that, both coolant flow and ion conduit interruptions prevented FTL flight and the use of weapons. The base was running on auxiliary power.
Kil Kos did not believe in coincidence. So, the fact the other two stations were gone and his had survived was not lost on him. The attackers wanted to capture him. He wondered more than usual about their intelligence operation. They seemed to know everything about the all the Isesinis in their territory before he comprehended it, himself. He checked communications. The system was still functional.
Kos ordered all his local Commanders to position their forces into a sphere protecting the Base Ship. They were to distribute the ships no closer than a kilometer to each other in case of further detonations.
But, as his vessels began to move, missiles appeared from out of the emptiness of the space all around them. Anti-matter salvos destroyed any ships trying to reposition. He understood. These were the cloaked vessels they'd never explained.
"Target those launch points and fire at will!" He directed the entire group. But, he knew, it may be of no avail. If the enemy fires and moves, Isesinis forces would need a lot of luck to actually strike one. But, he went to the portal to observe anyway and wasn't surprised when no enemy ships were hit by Isesinis torpedoes and missiles.
Console alarms sounded as dozens of large warships broke out of vortices on a highspeed vector aimed at their contingent's heart. Ten times as many of their lethal little hornets accompanied them, and more were launching at an incredible rate. Returning to his station, he noted on the screen that what he saw through the glass was being repeated on several different vectors. It was a massive formation, and his own Fleets had already been reduced by more than half.
"Belay my last orders. Target those visible ships, right away!" But, it was already too late.
Each Isesinis warship was being assailed by multiple sources. It was all they could do to attempt intercepting the incoming deluge."
"What do we have in the upper Hangar Bay?" Kos called as he activated the line to that station.
"The only thing here is a mid-sized supply ship, sir." The metallic response was barely audible over the din of hull concussions.
"Is it fully fueled?"
"Yes, sir. We were about to launch when everything went crazy."
"I'll be up there in a minute. Tell the Captain to prepare to go!"
"Aye, sir." The voice was almost drowned out by background noise and interference.
"Security!" The Kil snapped, and six soldiers took up positions around him.
Personnel ducked out of the way as the seven armored people marched quickly through the corridors, into the hangar bay, and onto the supply vessel.
"Captain set a course to take me to what the humans call Gamma Capricorn at maximum velocity.' He barked. 'And, you're trying to avoid a sizeable enemy Fleet. So, take us out the door fast and plot an evasive course until you're beyond this mess."
"Aye, sir."
Kos felt the force of aft thrusters until the doors were wide enough to exit. Once beyond the opening, he was compressed into his seat as the Captain "hit the gas" setting thruster and Ion Engines to the maximum. The Kil smiled to himself as five times standard gravity pressured him. They banked sharply left for a few kilometers then turned upward in the middle of the arc. Kos eyed the disappearing battle through the rear starboard portal. Then, he settled back for a long ride.
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"Did we get sensor readings on that vessel that just departed the Polyhedron?" Bryant yelled into the comm system over the rumble of the Valhalla's weapons systems.
"Aye, sir."
"How many Isesinis?"
"Two hundred forty-seven."
"Tactical, how many crew members on the mid-sized Isesin
is supply ship?"
"Usually, two hundred forty, sir."
"Helm plot that ship's trajectory and determine possible landing sites."
"Aye, Admiral. I need a couple of minutes."
While he waited, George watched the raging battle. It was mostly one-sided, and enemy ships kept trying to jump out. Occasionally one would succeed.
Thresholds suddenly appeared in his line of sight. I had ordered a significant portion of my team to 15 Sagitta. The remainder stayed behind to mop up at 82 Eridani.
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"Captain, I need to use your communication system." Kil Kos quietly said to the ship Commander.
"It's all yours, sir. In fact, the vessel's yours. Whatever you need, please help yourself."
"Thank you, Captain."
"Comm - I want laser channels to all our Headquarters Stations in occupied space and to our Carriers at 15 Sagitta. Please record my message and send it out using the latest encryption. Your Captain will give you their positions.' The officer nodded as the Kil began dictating.
"This is Kil Kos to all forces under my command within occupied space.
Our opponents have successfully destroyed our formations at what the humans refer to as 82 Eridani and 15 Sagitta. And, it seems they have curbed our world's ability to support our operations. In response, I ordered a substantial portion of our Fleets home. With our forces dangerously reduced and no ability to resupply, I have no recourse but to recall all groups under my authority. Please make Best Speed to exit Orion Federation Space at the nearest boundary location and find your way to an isolated system near there. I will meet you in sixty-days at the system our enemy calls Markab. Then, we will make our way home."
Righteous Reign The Series: E-version Boxed Set Edition Page 143
