The Star Cross: Galaxy in Peril

by Raymond L. Weil

  Already Dreen had sent several battlecruisers to Lakiam to bring additional scientists and technicians to study the Destroyers of Worlds’ mothership and to help interrogate the prisoners. Hundreds were being held on the ship under the guard of Lakiam combat robots and combat specialists. The Andock government had agreed to leave the mothership under Lakiam control as long as their own scientists and technicians could come on board. Each side would share everything they learned. Maybe this would be the turning point in the war.

  -

  Prince Brollen gazed at the shattered remnants of his fleet. Five motherships, all of them damaged to some extent, and 1,200 cruisers. Only in the massive battles in their old universe had the Vorn suffered such losses.

  The Scythe did not make the transition into hyperspace, reported Military Commander Fraymot.

  Prince Brollen could not believe this. Was it destroyed? The Scythe had been under his command from the very beginning.

  The last report I received was that it was heavily damaged and attempting to enter hyperspace. It did not arrive at the rendezvous point.

  The tactical display of what was left of his fleet confirmed the missing mothership had been destroyed. Seven motherships and nearly two thousand cruisers lost, he thought. Unless he could find a way to salvage what had just happened, even being one of Queen Alithe’s consorts might not save him from deletion.

  Take us to the staging area, he ordered. We must plan an attack on the food species that possess the dark matter weapons. If we fail to destroy them, I fear the harvesting of this galaxy may come to an end.

  Moments later the black ships entered hyperspace. They had a long journey ahead of them. Prince Brollen stood in the Command Center, not communicating with anyone. His only concern was how to avoid deletion. In the back of his mind, a plan formed.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Fleet Admiral Kurt Vickers was feeling anxious as the Star Cross dropped from hyperspace. So much was depending on this mission. In front of them was the nebula which supposedly held the Glaymon homeworld or worlds. The flagship’s main viewscreens came to life, showing images of the other ships in the fleet. Since encountering the Hanorian warships, they had managed to avoid other spacecraft. They had traveled the old smugglers’ route avoiding the heavily trafficked areas, until they were on the very edge of the galactic core. Kurt was amazed at the brilliance of the star field on one of the viewscreens. He gazed at the core and could easily see thousands of stars on this one screen. In this region of space, worlds were lit brilliantly just by starlight. No true darkness or night.

  “Sensors are clear in our immediate vicinity,” reported Lieutenant Brooks. “However, numerous vessels are on the long-range sensors.”

  “It will not be long before they notice our presence,” cautioned Mara. She stood next to Kurt with her arms folded across her chest.

  Kurt had made it a point to avoid Mara’s quarters on the Star Cross. She was too alluring, and Kurt didn’t want to risk doing anything that might upset Keera.

  “I have Lomatz on the comm,” reported Lieutenant Pierce. “He recommends we move immediately into the outer regions of the nebula where we will be masked from sensor scans.”

  “That would be wise,” Mara said in agreement. “A number of Enlightened Worlds are in this vicinity, as well as two Protector Worlds.”

  Andrew stepped closer to Kurt. “Is it safe in the nebula?”

  “Our energy shields will protect us from the radiation,” answered Kurt. “Even if the shields fail, the armored hulls of our ships will provide adequate protection for a while.”

  “Only a few areas exist where the radiation is that intense,” Mara said. “We should be safe.”

  “Take us in,” ordered Kurt. “When our long-range sensors can no longer detect other spacecraft, we will come to a stop and decide upon our next move.”

  Kurt took a deep breath as he gazed at one of the viewscreens, revealing the nebula—over forty-two light-years long and fifteen at its narrowest. It glowed with a light blue color, due to the filters on the viewscreen. It almost seemed to pulse, as if alive.

  The eight ships of the fleet moved slowly into the nebula. The gas and dust in the outer region were not very dense, and the ships took a number of hours to reach an area with a thick-enough density to shield them from detection. Once the long-range sensors indicated they were safely hidden, the fleet came to a stop.

  “Now what?” asked Andrew, the viewscreens revealing the faintly glowing gas and dust of the nebula.

  “We wait,” answered Kurt. “From all the reports I’ve read, very few ships ever return once they enter this nebula. Let’s see if the Glaymons come to us.”

  “That’s comforting.” Andrew looked at Mara for an explanation.

  She let out a deep breath. “If this is, indeed, where the Glaymons are, they must be intercepting all the exploration vessels. By making it seem this nebula is too dangerous to enter, it helps to ensure their security. From what we’ve heard, hundreds of exploration ships over the years have vanished. Very few enter the nebula anymore as it has been labeled too dangerous to explore.”

  “Were they destroyed?”

  “No, Captain,” replied Mara. “No wreckage has ever been discovered.”

  Andrew shifted his gaze to Kurt. “What makes you think, if these Glaymons exist, they’ll let our ships leave? It sounds as if they’ve stopped everyone else.”

  “It’s a risk,” admitted Kurt. This was an aspect of this mission which greatly concerned him. If the Glaymons were intent on keeping their world or worlds a secret, they could very well refuse to let Kurt and his fleet depart. “Take the fleet to Condition Two. We’ll wait here for twenty-four hours and see if there’s any response to our presence.” Surely the Glaymons monitored the nebula, so they would know when ships entered. If Kurt’s assumption was correct, there would be a response to his fleet’s presence.

  “We’re not detecting anything artificial on either our short-range or long-range sensors,” reported Lieutenant Brooks with a frown.

  Mara turned to the sensor operator. “I suspect the science we’re dealing with is so advanced that we won’t detect anything until they show up.”

  Kurt addressed the lieutenant. “How far can we scan with the long-range sensors in this nebula?”

  “Short-range is normal. However, the long-range sensors are severely limited to about two light-years. Even then, sections of the nebula where the radiation and gas density is elevated are stopping the sensors completely. There are three regions within one light-year I can’t scan at all.”

  “They could be right on top of us, and we’d never know it,” muttered Andrew, sounding concerned. “I recommend we keep our Marines posted in all key compartments. As much as I hate to suggest it, maybe we should deploy some of the combat robots as well.”

  Mara looked concerned at Andrew’s suggestion. “We don’t know what we may be dealing with, so we do not want to look overtly hostile.”

  Kurt considered what the two had said and then reached a decision. “Lieutenant Pierce, contact all our ships and have them deploy their Marines and combat robots to all key areas of their ships. Inform them this is a precautionary measure only.”

  “That might be a mistake,” warned Mara frowning.

  “It may be, but I want to keep our ships secure.” Kurt gazed at the viewscreens feeling apprehensive. They were facing something that was totally unknown. What would a race that had been hiding for over twenty-two million years even be like?

  -

  For several hours Kurt and Mara stayed in the Command Center. The sensors remained quiet as nothing unusual was detected.

  “I’ll be in my quarters, getting some rest,” Kurt said to Andrew. “If anything is detected on the sensors, call me immediately.”

  “Yes, Admiral,” Andrew replied as he moved to take over the command chair Kurt had vacated.

  “Admiral, I’ll call a shuttle and go to the Aurelia. I wish to speak with several
of the scientists on board. Perhaps they will have an idea as to how to contact the Glaymons without venturing further into the nebula.”

  “Go ahead,” answered Kurt. He would be relieved to have Mara off the Star Cross. Just her presence was distracting. He had noticed the male members of his crew, and even a few of the women, looking at her suggestively. Kurt could hardly blame them; Mara was extremely beautiful.

  -

  It had been several hours since Kurt had retired to his quarters, while Andrew remained in the Command Center. Shortly the next shift would report for duty. Andrew yawned, feeling the effects of the long day and looking forward to eating a quick bite and then getting a few well-deserved hours of sleep. He would also take a few minutes to record a brief message to his wife. While the message couldn’t be sent, he would play them for her once they returned to Newton. He was also curious how Alexis was doing in school, and feeling nervous about this boy situation. He remembered how he was around girls at that age. While Alexis didn’t have a boyfriend at the moment, she had gone to the school dance. It would only be a matter of time before they began calling.

  “Captain, I’m picking up something strange on the short-range sensors,” reported Lieutenant Brooks.

  Andrew left the command chair and walked the short distance to the lieutenant’s station. “What is it?”

  “I’m not sure. The sensors can no longer see into several nearby areas.”

  “Put them up on one of the tactical displays.” Andrew suspected it might be a few areas of gas or dust drifting close enough to interfere with the ship’s sensors. There was a lot of that around the Star Cross.

  On the tactical display, four nearby areas appeared, showing where the sensors were failing to penetrate. He watched them for a minute, and then his eyes widened. “Those things are moving. Lieutenant, plot their course from the time you first noticed them until now.”

  Moments later, the trajectory of the four areas had been plotted on the tactical display. All four were headed directly toward the fleet!

  “Sound the Condition One alarms!” ordered Andrew, his expression showing concern. “Lieutenant Pierce, contact all our ships and order them to go to Condition One immediately. No one is to fire unless I give the order.”

  “Yes, sir,” Pierce replied as she hurried to comply.

  Andrew sat in the command chair and pressed a button on the command console in front of him. “Admiral Vickers, come to the Command Center. We have four unidentified objects closing with the fleet.”

  “On my way,” Kurt responded.

  The Condition One alarms had already awakened the admiral.

  “Captain, look!” called out Lieutenant Mays in alarm.

  On the main viewscreen, a massive ship suddenly appeared. It dwarfed anything in the small fleet—bigger even than Lomatz’s two-thousand-meter-long command ship. The vessel was disk-shaped and covered with weapon turrets.

  “That ship’s power readings are off the scale,” reported Lieutenant Brooks. “There are four of them, and they’re all the same.”

  “Energy shield is at full power,” reported Lieutenant Mays as her hands moved across her console. “Weapons are charged if needed.”

  Andrew looked closely at the nearest tactical display. The four monster ships had surrounded the fleet. “We’re obviously outgunned,” he said in consternation, feeling helpless. “Lieutenant Pierce, contact our other ships and tell them not to resist. No weapons are to be fired or aimed at those vessels. Missile hatches are to remain closed.”

  “We’re leaving ourselves defenseless,” Lieutenant Mays quickly pointed out. “We don’t know if those ships are hostile or not.”

  “Do you think our weapons can harm those vessels?”

  Lieutenant Mays let out a deep breath. “No, sir. From the readings on my tactical console, the screens protecting those ships are the most powerful I’ve ever detected. Our weapons won’t penetrate them.”

  “I’m picking up some type of energy buildup!” shouted Lieutenant Brooks. “They’re getting ready to fire.”

  Andrew had just enough time to look at one of the viewscreens when a white light flashed through the Command Center. His last thought as he faded into unconsciousness was to wonder what they had gotten themselves into.

  -

  Kurt struggled to open his eyes. He felt groggy and light-headed. With a loud moan, he forced his eyes open. He was in what appeared to be a hospital room. The walls were white; there were no windows, and the only chair in the room was next to his bed. He was also totally naked beneath the white sheet covering him.

  Taking a deep, steadying breath, Kurt tried to recall what had happened. He remembered Andrew telling him over the comm that four unidentified ships had appeared. After that a white light had flashed through his quarters and then … nothing.

  Kurt lay there for what he estimated to be over an hour. Then, on the far side of the room, a door suddenly appeared. One moment there was a smooth wall, and then an opening resembling a door was there. Through it walked a being that vaguely resembled a humanoid. No doubt this was a Glaymon—nearly seven feet tall, unusually thin, with a larger-than-normal head. No hair was on his head, and his eyes were round with no eyebrows. The being’s arms were long with hands ending in five slim digits. Kurt was pretty certain this was a male.

  “Are you a Glaymon?” asked Kurt in a hoarse voice, realizing how parched his throat was.

  The being did not answer. He walked close to the bed and waved his hand over a small section of the wall. An opening appeared. After a low humming noise, a medium-size glass appeared. The Glaymon handed it to Kurt.

  Kurt studied the glass seeing what looked like water in it. Dehydrated, Kurt took a long drink. Almost instantly his thirst vanished, and his energy level suddenly increased. Obviously the drink held more than water.

  “Why have you come here?” asked the Glaymon in a very soft voice. “We do not care for visitors.”

  Kurt sat up partially, then spoke. “The Destroyers of Worlds have returned. They have taken the populations of entire worlds to use as a food source. We seek a weapon to stop them.”

  The Glaymon studied Kurt for a long moment before replying. “The Destroyers of Worlds cannot be stopped. For over twenty-two million years they have ravaged this galaxy, periodically harvesting its inhabited worlds for food. There is nothing you can do against them.”

  “We must try,” answered Kurt. “Somehow we have to find a way to stop them. We came to this nebula in the hope your science might aid us. We have a weapon in mind which might destroy their ships. We hoped you could help us build this weapon. It would give us something to defend our worlds with.”

  “The neutronium marble,” the Glaymon said knowingly, noting the surprised look on Kurt’s face. “We know of your plan. The minds of a number of your crew were scanned before we determined if you were a threat to us and if others knew of your destination.”

  Kurt was dumbfounded. The science of the Glaymons was truly advanced, just as Kurt had hoped. “Will you help us?”

  “No,” the Glaymon responded. “Our greatest defense against the Destroyers of Worlds is the fact they don’t know of our existence. We cannot do anything to endanger that. I am afraid you will have to spend the remainder of your days here with us, as so many others have in the past.”

  Kurt’s eyes widened. “I ask to be allowed to present our case to your leaders.”

  The Glaymon looked deeply into Kurt’s eyes. “I will speak to our leaders, but I should warn you. It will do you no good. Others have tried since we moved our civilization here. All have been refused.” The Glaymon walked to a wall and again waved his hand over a small section. Instantly an opening appeared, and, reaching into it, the Glaymon took out Kurt’s uniform. He waved his hand over another section, and a small table with a comfortable chair materialized. He placed Kurt’s clothes on the table and then turned to face Kurt. “You may get dressed. I will send someone for you shortly.” The Glaymon then turned an
d left the room through the door opening which instantly vanished, as if it had never been there.

  Getting up, Kurt made his way to the table and quickly got dressed. Several things concerned Kurt about the Glaymons. The one who had come to his room had expressed little emotion and didn’t seem to feel any empathy for what was happening to the civilized races of the galaxy. What have I gotten us into? thought Kurt. Never had he imagined such a situation. With a deep sigh, he sat in the chair to wait.

  -

  Andrew sat in his room, eating some type of soup. The female Glaymon who had come in earlier had given him his clothes, some water to drink, and then placed this soup on a small table, indicating he should eat it. She had said very little, other than he would be summoned to a meeting later. It had been difficult to tell if the Glaymon was a woman. She was nearly flat-chested and her body only curved slightly. Her voice was soft, and only the tone suggested her gender.

  Andrew took another spoonful of the very tasty soup, though he couldn’t identify any of the ingredients. He paused, taking in the hospital room, or what he assumed was a hospital room. He had no idea what had happened to the rest of the crew or if they were even still alive. The last thing he remembered was the white light and then nothing else. Taking a deep breath, Andrew hoped he would be able to return to his wife and daughter. He was deeply concerned as both Mara and Lomatz had indicated that no one had ever escaped from the nebula. He had to hope Kurt could get them out of this.

  -

  Kurt was growing impatient when the door suddenly appeared again, and the same Glaymon who had spoken to him earlier came in.

  “Our ruling council has agreed to give you an audience. You will be allowed to state your case and be expected to answer any questions the councilors have. This will be your only audience with the council.”

  “What is your name, if I may ask?”

  “You may call me Aalik,” the Glaymon answered. “Our names are not pronounceable in your language and are more similar to a symbol which marks our career choice. If you will follow me, I will take you to the council chambers.”