by J. K. Mabrey
“Zavik!” Mike responded. “You crazy bastard. What were you thinking?”
“That if we didn’t do something, that thing was going to blow you up.”
“We’ll, I can speak for everyone on board when I say thanks. How much power do you have without the core?”
“Mostly reserve power. Enough to drift around for a while.”
“At least you can move,” Mike said. “With that weapon gone, our prospects are much better. A quarter of their stations are already offline.”
“I guess we just sit here and wait,” Zavik said.
“Yeah, our part is done,” Mike said.
The battle raged on, far away from the disabled ships. The U.E.F fleet, with help from the Iriquios vessels, was gaining the upper hand on the Chokmnd fleet. More stations began shutting down from the onslaught of fire.
Finally, Varin broke in over the radio. “You have fought well, humans. But, this fight is not over.”
“We have destroyed your superweapon,” Admiral Hansen replied, “and your fleet is weakened. Surrender now, and we will show you mercy.”
“Yes, you did manage to destroy my new toy. You gave me many things to think about for its next design. I promise you, the next one will not have those weaknesses.”
“There will not be a next one,” the Admiral said sternly. “You will turn yourself over to our custody so that justice can be served. Your short-term reign is over. I am waiting.”
“You think I’ll just give in to your demands?” Varin said. “The entire Chokmnd fleet is at my beck and call, and my personal Red Moon fleet will obey my every order. I will go down fighting and destroy as many of your ships as possible.
The battle that had subsided slightly during the conversation flared up as deadly as ever.
Dani said to Zavik, "I can’t believe he refuses to surrender? We’re dominating this battle, if we keep this up, the entire Chokmnd fleet will be destroyed. What will the Admiral do?"
"Varin's a bold person,” Alberan said, “but I'd hope he wouldn't sacrifice his people in his stubborn attempt to rule.”
“Why is he doing this!” Brax shouted. “He’s going to leave Chokmna in ruin. There must be another way to stop this fight.”
“I don’t know, Brax,” Zavik said with little comfort. “Letting us destroy his fleets like this won’t bring about any sort of Chokmnd superiority. And he is not a martyr.”
“You’re right,” Dani said suddenly elevating her voice to everyone's surprise. Every since Varin began talking she had rerouted power to keep the terminal fully operational and had been working on it. “He won’t be either.”
“What do you mean?” Brax asked.
“I’ve isolated his broadcast signal, and it’s not actually coming from that dreadnought,” Dani said.
“He’s not in the battle?” asked Zavik.
“He’s not even in the system,” she said. “I have no idea where he is, but it’s not near here. There is a strange signal coming from that ship as well, but I can’t decode it yet.”
“What if he does want us to destroy his fleets?” Zavik asked.
“Are you mad?” Dani asked. “To what end would he want that?”
“If we wipe out the Chokmnd fleet, every Chokmnd in the galaxy will turn against us and the Iriquios. The Chokmnd will hate even the Farlins for their role here. It would galvanize your race together, and cement, even more, his power as the leader. He does want us to wipe out the fleet.”
“You’re crazy,” Brax said. “I mean I know he’s crazy, but that’s really crazy. I know Varin’s an evil, manipulative being, but even he wouldn’t let thousands of Chokmnd die.”
“No?” Zavik said. “Look at that defense fleet. The Red Moon ships seem to be pulling back just slightly more than the Chokmnd fleet. We don’t have any idea how big of a Red Moon fleet he has amassed elsewhere. Imagine if it was big enough to loose this small Red Moon group and the Chokmnd fleet and still posed a threat.”
"He’s just directing this fight from a safe location, waiting in the shadows to strike again if he fails," Alberan said.
“Hail Admiral Hansen," Zavik said.
The Admiral answered immediately but cautioned them about interfering with the attack. Zavik explained the situation as quickly as he could to the skeptical man. He wanted to believe them, destroying the Chokmnd fleet was not a desirable outcome in his mind. Zavik pleaded for him to order the fleet to stand down.
“Zavik,” said Hansen, “we can’t take any chances here. We can end this conflict now, without further loss of human life.”
“But this will just embolden Varin with more followers. We will turn every Chokmnd against us. This won’t end the fighting. The Chokmnd aren’t the enemy, Varin is. We need to find him and stop Red Moon. This is all just a distraction to give him more power.”
The Admiral stayed silent for a moment and Zavik yelled into the radio, “Admiral! You need to act now!”
“Call them off!” he shouted to the helmsman. “Order every ship to retreat to the edge of Chokmna space at the Earth portal.”
Varin once again took to the airways laughing. “I knew you couldn’t do it,” he said slowly. “You truly are weak-willed beings. You know, I wanted you to go through with it. Your disregard for our life would have sealed my ascension to the throne. I would’ve been the savior of the Chokmnd race, come to rid the galaxy of the vermin that is humans. You would have destroyed our fleet, our livelihood, and emboldened Red Moon’s philosophy of superiority amongst all Chokmnd throughout the Galaxy. I would rule for as long as I pleased. The Chokmnd fleet, at least, what would be left, would obey my every command, for they would have no reason to suspect Red Moon was really in charge. Even now they wait for my word of action. They can only hear me when I allow, the planet is blocked to all other forms of communication other than what I broadcast.”
At that instant, Dani took another look at the strange signal coming from the Red Moon Dreadnought.
“You see,” he continued, “when you destroyed my weapon, you presented me with a win-win situation. Let your assault destroy my fleet, and you turn every Chokmnd against the rest of the Galaxy. Sure a few thousand die, what do I care, but the strength gained from the unity of all the others would be well worth the sacrifice. If you decide to spare the fleet, well then your fleet, despite having us surrounded now, is still no match for my complete Red Moon fleet. We will regroup and destroy you.”
“You will not leave this system,” Admiral Hansen said. “Turn yourself over, or we will hunt you down.”
“I am not trapped,” Varin replied. “Do not let the humans escape our grasp,” he ordered his fleet. “Attack with extreme prejudice. Bring honor to Chokmna, by ridding us of these parasites.”
The fleet made no movements. The ships stayed in their defensive formations, intermingled within the space stations.
“I said attack,” Varin said, his face twisting in a horrid scowl. He turned to Traval, “What the hell is going on over there?”
“Everything appears normal, sir,” Traval said. “Our communications are making it through, they just aren’t responding.”
“Hail General Trasser now,” Varin commanded.
The General’s image appeared on-screen and Varin began bombarding him with obscenities. “I command you to destroy the invading fleet now. We can end their uprising and restore order while they are weakened.”
The General sat silent for a moment before saying, “I do not take orders from a traitor and a terrorist.”
“How dare you speak to me like that. I am in command of the Chokmnd fleet. I rule the empire. You will obey me, or I will have your head.”
Trasser’s image was replaced by one all too familiar with Varin, his father. The Emperor of Chokmna, Puxston Bragko, loomed over Varin. “Father,” he quavered. “We have them at our mercy, we can end this and bring justice for Paquiko.”
The figure on the screen resembled Varin remarkably well, although his advanced age was s
howing much wear on his face. The hard lines crest at the corners of his mouth, the thick, scaly skin was dry and cracked all over. A deep purple hood draped over his forehead, obscuring the baldhead that plagued all aging Chokmnd. His red eyes stared into the projecting lens and right through Varin’s eyes. With a sigh he said, “You disappoint me, Varin. I had such high hopes that you would become a great ruler for the Chokmnd people once I pass. But, alas, you had higher ambitions than that didn’t you? Your prejudice against other races left you willing to sacrifice your own people to further your ideals. You have fallen so far, my son. I cannot let you continue on this path. You are stripped of your rank and title. You will never rule Chokmna, you will never be Emperor.”
“You are making a very big mistake, father.” Varin clenched his teeth and spread his lips open. His plans were unraveling, and there was little he could do to stop it. “They will show no mercy for you. Humans will one day make a move to take control of the Galaxy, and you will wish you had listened to me.”
“Varin, you are ordered to return to Chokmna to stand trial for your crimes. I have no reservations about ordering your execution if it is determined you are responsible for the death of Paquiko. The criminal organization, Red Moon, is to be dissolved. We will no longer have any relationship with your syndicate, other than to capture its members for the criminals they are.”
“I will not comply with your commands,” Varin said. “Red Moon will continue to thrive, even without Chokmnd contracts. We will not die, and I will not go away. You are making an enemy of me. Are you sure that is what is best?”
“If you do not comply with my orders, you will be marked as a fugitive throughout the Galaxy. Every race will hunt you down. Please, my son, return to Chokmna.”
“I will not.” Varin cut off his transmission and silence took the airways.
“Admiral Hansen, this is Puxston Bragko. We have been enlightened by your actions to show Varin’s true motives. His beliefs are not shared by me, or the majority of my people. Therefore, I have ordered my fleet to stand down, as I hope you will as well. I wish to end this conflict amongst our people, and restore order.”
The Earth fleet stood down.
Payoff
The Rinada drifted through space around Earth, nowhere in particular to go. They left Chokmna being towed along with the Venerable after the surrender by Emperor Bragko. It was a peaceful surrender just as they had wanted all along.
Mike had relocated to station AS-003 and was already deep in conversation with Ambassador Hains when Zavik radioed from the Rinada, still running on reserve power.
“There’s nothing out there for him you know,” Mike said.
“You think?” the ambassador responded. “He had a contingency plan to hide there. He must have a reason.”
“To avoid being executed for his crimes,” Zavik said over the holographic comm.
“Ah, Zavik,” Ambassador Hains said. “I must thank you again for that little trick you pulled in exposing Varin to the Chokmnd.”
“All the credit goes to Dani,” he said. “Her quick thinking and skills found the jamming signal Varin was using to cut off his broadcast to his fleet. We got lucky that he implicated himself in being complicit in letting Chokmna suffer great losses, and being in charge of Red Moon.”
“Yes,” she said. “I am grateful that Emperor Bragko does not share his vision. It will help de-escalate the armistice we agreed to.”
“What is the next move?” Zavik asked.
“There is no next move,” she said. “Emperor Bragko has determined Varin fled to the Dark Sector.”
“What’s the Dark Sector?” Dani asked.
“It’s a section of the galaxy only accessible through one portal around Chokmna. It was thought to have been deactivated a long time ago. Through that portal is access to half a dozen other habitable planets. There’s no intelligent life evolving on those planets, and I don’t think any official expeditions have been commissioned to that sector in centuries.”
“Emperor Bragko has decided to shut down the portal again,” Mike said. “We’re not going to pursue him any further. He’s trapped.”
“Are you certain?” Dani asked.
“Yes,” Ambassador Hains said. “He and his fleet are exiled.”
“Then that was his desire,” Brax said. “This was not a calculated risk he took. He moved his entire personal fleet there, knowing full well all that had to be done was to deactivate that portal for him to be trapped. Now we have no way of knowing what he’s up to.”
“Brax is right,” Zavik said. “There’s no telling what he’s doing or how long he’s been doing it.”
“Either way,” Mike said, “he is stuck now. He can be Emperor of those worlds if he wishes.”
“The Council will be reinstated, and Emperor Bragko has assured me that Earth will be confirmed as Council eligible.”
“Then it appears you got everything you wanted,” Zavik said. “I take it the Council will approve more supplies for Earth?”
“Yes,” she said. “Isn’t that what you wanted?”
“”It is,” he said softly and cut off the comm.
“What now?” Brax asked.
“Now, I bill the military for a new core and wait two years for reimbursement. What will you do after this, Brax?”
"Oh...I think I've earned a nice vacation on Valier."
"And after that?" Zavik asked.
He thought for a moment, and said, "I might have to look into mining again, legitimately this time."
"You think that would suit you?" Dani asked.
"It might, for a while. All of this running around's been a little too much excitement lately."
"What about you, Alberan?" she asked.
"I'll have another assignment waiting for me on Iriquim. There is no rest from evil forces that plague this galaxy."
"Don't you think you've earned some R&R?" Zavik asked.
"That is not up to me."
"You don't have to remind me why I'm glad I'm out of the military," Zavik said.
"You know he'll be back," Brax said.
"I doubt it," Alberan said. "I can't foresee any means of him having a strategic advantage over the Galactic Community. Even less so, a means to return."
"Unfortunately, he's always been a step ahead," Brax said, "and I fear he is still one step ahead of us."
"What are the odds he manages to get back from the Dark Sector?" Dani asked.
Zavik looked her in the eyes and said, "Fifty-fifty."
***
In the weeks following the battle at Chokmna, Red moon began to systematically collapse. Without a leader or a fleet, Red Moon's structural organization deteriorated. Local leaders began to consolidate power at the planet level, dissolving any collective cooperation among the groups. Power struggles consumed the organization until it eventually lost all relationship to the former infamous Red Moon.
The Council was immediately reinstated, as promised, and within two Earth weeks, a vote among the Council races approved Earth as Council eligible. The next opportunity to sit on the Council was still three years away, but it was a high honor to be recognized by the other races. The second move by the Council approved an increase in the amount of supplies to be shipped to Earth. It was the six-fold increase Ambassador Hains originally requested. Both parties agreed that this path would set Earth to be self-sustainable in a little over four years, far better than the past estimates had said.
Zavik and Dani were awarded a lucrative contract to ship much of the newly acquired supplies. The Council, for acts of bravery to save the Council, also rewarded them handsomely. It helped repair some damage the Rinada had taken in the travels, replace the drive core with an updated model (he’s still waiting on reimbursement) and allowed Zavik to finally upgrade his aging shield generator. He bought the most expensive, legal, aftermarket part he could find, and couldn't remember the last time he heard it overheat.
About the Author
J.K. Mabrey discove
red he had a passion for creating stories at an early age. He wrote his first book for a school project in elementary school and continued to develop his craft for storytelling while pursing a degree in engineering. His focus has been on sci-fi stories where influences from all manner of media can be detected, but there are many other ideas brewing inside his head. While maintaining the outward appearance of someone who is sane, he's managed to achieve a dream of publishing his work.
Read on for an excerpt from
Galactic
Assimilation 2:
Empire Rising
By: J.K. Mabrey
Chapter 1
A small cargo ship slipped through the portal at Telemare and appeared less than thirty thousand miles from Viriden. The ship, called the Rinada by its owner, Zavik Khan, veered to the left immediately.
Zavik sat in the cockpit, not noticing the beautiful planet before him. A soft teal radiated from the planet’s surface and bathed the cockpit in a familiar glow. If he had looked up to take notice he would have remarked how similar it was to Earth. Large bodies of deep blue water were separated by vast stretches of land, and the land was covered by green and brown with hints of red clay sprinkled on its rocky surface.
Instead, he focused his gaze on his datapad, combing through the information they received from Rodderick.
Dani, his co-pilot and, as of two years ago, his wife, sat to his right. "Remind me which portal the shipment is coming out of again?" she asked.
"Doval," he said as he scrolled down a page on the pad. She accelerated the ship with a push of the control stick and Zavik was thrown back in his seat.
"How much time?" she asked.
"Two minutes."
She pushed it harder.
"You want to tell a guy before you go giving her full thrust," a rough voice said over the radio.
"You'll be all right, Brax," Zavik said.
