I was speechless. Just when I thought I was starting to figure out the mess my galaxy was in, I hear genocide on a scale almost unimaginable is the norm for our closest galactic neighbor. Pieces to an enormous puzzle were coming together. They were rendering a horrific picture of what the reality of life in the universe might shape up to be. I looked at my crew and with the exception of Tria; they sat staring at me in the same state of shock I was feeling. Tria was sitting with her two sets of hands on top of each other and her eyes closed. She appeared to be deep in concentration and not paying any attention to what was being said.
“I cannot comprehend how a race could deplete the resources of almost one quarter of a galaxy the size of Andromeda. How is that even possible? The logistics of moving an armada two and a half million light years would be a nightmare.”
“Commander, the Prule consumed resources on an immeasurable scale. Their reproduction and war materials facilities can only operate for a finite period of time. The stalemate forced them to use all of the available resources. It is hypothesized the Prule foresaw this eventuality and sent the resource gathering fleet out before the war effort came to a halt. Once the Prule super carriers arrived at the edge of this galaxy, the scout ships and the collection platforms offloaded and started the sterilization and collection process making the empty carriers giant storage transports for the return trip. The Prule believed they could achieve the same victories in our galaxy as they achieved in their own and would use the resources to win the war at home. The collection platforms and scout ships remained behind to set up reproductions facilities and establish a base of operations here that would ultimately lead to the domination of this galaxy.
“How old is this intelligence Justice?”
“This particular briefing is more than eight hundred Earth years, Commander.”
“If there hasn’t been contact, does it mean the Guardians defeated the Prule after they got here?”
“There is data showing the Prule’s conquest of the first seventy one star systems took them three hundred and sixty three Earth years. The data further states they took heavy losses in nineteen of the systems. Initial hostile losses were recorded as 351 collection platforms and 12122 scout ships. The bulk of those losses were attributed to combat with Guardian and Sentinel races. When the star systems finally fell to the Prule, the casualty numbers for indigenous forces were not stated. I suspect the information falls into class one intelligence categories.”
“I am glad to hear someone kicked their asses even if they ended up losing seventy one systems doing it.”
“It appears soon after losing the systems to the Prule, the Guardians, who were once considered an all-powerful shadow civilization, came out into the light and shared technology with thousands of mid to high level technological races. The guardians singled out twenty seven advanced races in particular. It is believed some were the sole survivors of the star systems sterilized by the Prule’s primary incursion. An alliance was formed and the twenty seven races given the status of Sentinels. The Sentinel races fanned out into the galaxy in an attempt to find other races to join the cause. They had very little success. Many of the races contacted did not believe or could not comprehend it possible for a single aggressor to achieve victory.”
I knew well what the Sentinels were up against. I had seen it before. “What were the Prule doing while this was going on Justice?”
The Prule established a blockade and then seeded the captured systems with thousands of enormous reproduction facilities. For a period of about one hundred and thirty years the galaxy was fairly quiet. Indigenous forces staged numerous raids and probes, but all attempts to gain information were met with overwhelming force. The strategy was abandoned and again friendly casualty figures are not listed.
Tria sat calmly with her eyes closed. I didn’t know what to make of it. I decided it did not warrant a comment on my part. When I looked at Klutch and Coonts they stared back at me. I could see it in their eyes. They felt the same as I did. We were dumbfounded. The inhabitants of the Milky Way could not unite to defeat the Prule. Our galaxy could only stalemate the bio-machines just like Andromeda. I took a deep breath and slowly let it out. I knew how things on Earth would have played out and I had to ask; “Please tell me the races of this galaxy didn’t waste a hundred and thirty years fighting among themselves.”
“No Commander that was not the case. The Guardian and Sentinel forces spent those quiet years undergoing a massive modernization of their forces. They knew it was a matter of time before the Prule had to break out for new resources. The races that united set up a huge cordon around the captured systems. Friendly forces prepared thousands of forward repair and resupply depots similar to this facility in locations all across the free galaxy. Strategic materials caches were spread by the millions for the probability the break out could not be contained. The scorched world policy of retreating friendly forces from the captured systems, left little for the Prule to gain in technological resources. This was not the case for the Guardian and Sentinel forces. Pooled technology yielded significant gains in weapons and shield technology. Allies were joining the alliance at an ever increasing rate. Primitive races were giving vast amounts of resources for any chance at gaining even small amounts of advanced technology. The Prule’s immortality and the careless disregard for time, was working against them. The known galaxy was now on a war footing waiting for the Prule’s next move.”
It was good to hear some of the information was of a positive nature. Obviously the Guardians kept the large number of allies from the back stabbing and infighting so common back on Earth. It made me wonder if warning the people on Earth what was waiting for them would make them put aside their differences and unite for the good of all. I quickly dismissed the thought. Fat chance!
Coonts sounded almost indignant when he interrupted Justice. “Surely the more advanced intelligent races were able to formulate a plan to contain and eliminate the Prule forces?”
I rolled my eyes at the unintended slight. Justice continued without acknowledging the question.
“The break out started with a massive disruption of space time. More than one hundred and twenty thousand jump signatures were recorded. The signatures were identified as ninety thousand scout ships with the balance being collection platforms. Prule forces flooded into eighty two of the ninety seven abandoned cordon systems. Hostile forces took heavy loses across all advancing lines. Data indicates the allies spread millions of cloaked anti-matter leech mines along the cordon at strategic locations.
Klutch found the wide spread use of mines disturbing and said, “I doubt they could account for all of the munitions if they spread millions of them. I wonder how many hapless fools found them the hard way.”
“Troop Master, I have records over three hundred solar rotations old that have been declassified by the A.I. of this facility. They indicate Guardian technology was used to pinpoint specific emanations only associated with Prule warships and bio-machinery. The technology was encoded into the leech mine IFF systems. The dissemination of this information indicates you were not the first to express your concerns.”
That seemed to mollify the Tibor. He finally quit pacing and sat back down. Tria still sat silent with her eyes closed. I stared at Coonts and Klutch. “Justice, please continue the briefing, I would like to know the outcome before I grow old and senile.”
“Of course Commander, the information states Alliance forces quickly followed on to engage enemy units trying to extricate themselves from the mine fields. Allies made extensive use of decoy vessels and subterfuge to draw the hostiles into kill boxes laden with additional stealthy anti-ship weapons. When the hostile forces were engaged across all fronts, seven task forces with over ten thousand of the most advanced Guardian warships, using a new classified hyperspace jump drive, jumped deep behind enemy lines in search of reproduction facilities and the Prule super carriers. There is only one file available on the outcome of the flanking maneuver Commander. It st
ates that only three of the six super carriers were located and destroyed. Intelligence gathered on the seventy-one captured systems hypothesizes at least two of the super carriers had gathered sufficient resources to start the return trip back to the galaxy of their origin. It further states it was necessary to render ninety-one planets permanently uninhabitable and thirty-four subclass planetary objects were completely destroyed. The final data related to this topic indicates six thousand four hundred and thirteen scout ship jump signatures, twenty-nine collection platform jump signatures, and one massive signature thought to be the last super carrier were recorded during the offensive actions. The whereabouts of those hostile assets were unknown.”
Klutch held up his hand. I was amused by the gesture and almost laughed, but instead nodded. He asked, “Justice, is the debris field we found outside a Prule ship?”
“Yes Troop Master, it was a Prule scout ship and the incursion took place two hundred and fifty five solar rotations ago. It is believed the scout ship was drawn to this location by following a damaged Alliance military freighter. The scout ship destroyed the freighter and then attempted an attack on this facility. It was destroyed by this base’s defensive weapon systems.”
My curiosity about the weapon used to destroy the Prule ship was tempered by the Overseer’s decision to talk to us rather than shoot first. “Do you have anything else for us Justice?”
“Yes Commander, the final data log is extremely interesting. Sentinel race four reported to this station as ordered two hundred and forty three solar rotations ago. They received the single message, “Commence Overlord.” there is no additional related information. I find it interesting the facility logs show three planetary rotations after race four received the message all stocks of food, medical and military ordinance supplies were reduced to zero.”
“I’m sure you are familiar with the history of the wars fought on my home world, and what the history behind Operation Overlord is in reference to.”
“Yes Commander, an invasion by allied forces to retake countries captured by hostile axis forces. Overlord is a common Grawl title indicating a level of command but it has nothing to do with this communication. I find the coincidental use of the phrase appropriate because I believe the situations are quite similar.”
Tria finally opened her eyes and looked at me, then said, “I believe there was an invasion Commander.”
“I was thinking you had fallen asleep, Tria”
“Hardly Commander, I needed to collate the facts of what I was hearing and interpolate the information I have had access to. There are numerous rumors along with confirmed facts of several races going missing all around the same time Commander.” She fixed me with a look I had never seen on her pretty face before. I could only describe it as uncertainty.
“There have been whispers among my people for as long as I can remember, about a large portion of my race disappearing into the void. It was dismissed as a baseless rumor.”
Tria’s information seemed a little vague but I had a feeling it was based on classified facts. “Tria, I would like to hear any information you can provide us on the invasion theory.”
“I have few facts I can reveal Commander. I can give you the little I know about the subject and my conclusions to what might have taken place.”
Tria had already revealed information to me considered secret by her people. Now we were standing on a line she was not willing to cross. She was still staring at me with those piercing green eyes and I nodded for her to continue.
“My people have found many abandoned complexes and huge underground bunkers out towards the fringe of the galaxy. They were stripped of everything and abandoned with no evidence of who built them. Many of the complexes have been repurposed by the races stumbling across them. I once told you of my Oolaran salvage find. The debris field contained many unidentified warships that were all of the same design. I now believe they were Prule scout ships and the Oolaran Commander fought them until he perished. We estimated the battle took place two or three hundred Earth years ago. It apparently took the Guardians and the Sentinel forces over two hundred years to hunt down all of the surviving Prule warships. Once the galaxy was secure they would invade the galaxy you call Andromeda.”
Tria had laid out a convincing scenario. I was still a little skeptical and wished we had current data to fill in the gaps. “Without more complete data we can only speculate whether an invasion force departed this galaxy. I have to admit even without the data all indications point to your conclusion.”
“All of the pieces fit Commander. The classified jump drive that is referenced in the records is the dark energy hyper drive. Justice even told us with the proper coordinates it was theoretically possible to transition to another galaxy. The new advanced Guardian weapons systems were the anomaly generators my Father told me about. They took the very best of the best with them. All of this cutting edge technology disappeared with the Guardians and the Sentinels. I believe the disappearance of so many of the most advanced races at the same time, indicates a massive task force left this galaxy with a single goal, the invasion of the Prule home worlds. The Guardians decided the best way to save us all was to stop the threat at its source.”
“What’s your take on Tria’s theories Justice?”
“There is an eighty six percent probability, Tria’s assessment is correct, Commander.”
Even Coonts looked like he was deep in thought. “Coonts you have been awful quiet, is there something you would like to add.”
“I agree with Tria, Commander. I would also like to point out the Galactic Union was formed at roughly the same time as the Guardians and Sentinels vanished into the void. I speculate the remnants of the races left behind are the founders of the Union. Another interesting fact is the tremendous technological explosion that took place at approximately the same time. Grawl history indicates a huge diversity of races appeared out of the void in a relatively short time, at roughly the same technology level. I believe before the Guardians and Sentinels embarked on their crusade, they had established a plan to level the technological field. The thought of so many artifact caches gives significant credibility to Tria’s hypothesis.
“Justice, is the A.I. of this facility aware of our current mission and why we have come out to the edge of the galaxy?
“Yes Commander, I have determined the A.I. known as Overseer 9975 has Guardian level access codes allowing it to penetrate the memory cores and recording devices of all Guardian and Sentinel designed A.I. systems. The primary function of the codes is to determine if Alliance assets have been penetrated by a hostile intelligence. The secondary objective is to certify race origins and the validity of information recorded on Guardian systems. The Overseer is aware of all recorded data in my memory cores. 9975 has updated its database to include the information gathered on the current state of the galaxy according to my records.
“Overseer?”
“Yes Nathan Myers, how can I be of service to sentinel personnel?”
“Overseer, before we responded to the transponder signal we were attempting to reach a secure location to start training in newly acquired armor and weapon systems. Is this moon a secure enough location to perform live fire exercises without compromising this bases location?”
“Yes Nathan Myers, there have been no alliance or hostile force incursions in this star system for two hundred and forty three solar rotations.”
“Is there a location that will not leave evidence of our use of anti-matter munitions during our training?”
“Yes Nathan Myers, geological mapping of this planetary body shows a crevasse located along the equator. To use measurements you are familiar with, the crevasse is ninety one point three miles from this location. It is a natural geological feature and is seventy-one point six miles long, one point three miles deep and point six miles wide at its widest locations. Disturbances of the surface rock and volcanic dust inside the fissure will go unnoticed by most surface scanning techniques. It would be the mos
t suitable location to test your weapon systems. There is also the wreckage of the alliance freighter that was destroyed by hostile forces. The wreckage is located thirty-two miles south of the crevasse. Large portions of the hull remain intact and are partially covered by surface rock and dust. It would be an ideal location to train for shipboard assault operations.
“It is a long standing custom on my world to not disturb the remains of those who have fallen in battle and are interned in the wreckage.”
“While your native custom is of noble merit and will be recorded as such, it fails to address alliance procedures, the denial of harvesting biological remains by hostile forces. Prule forces routinely collect biological remains for assimilation at reproduction facilities. All deceased alliance personnel are reduced to ashes to deny enemy forces a source of materials for biomechanical combatants. To allay your anxiety over violating the established customs of your race, it is known all eighteen members of the alliance crew were on the bridge when it was destroyed by a Prule energy beam. Prule mechanical salvage crews boarded the remains of the freighter shortly after it crashed on the surface. They stripped what they determined to be useable resources from the wreckage. The Prule warship was then lured to this location by a recorded distress signal and destroyed by defensive weapons systems.
“Justice has informed me all supplies have been removed from this facility before it was abandoned. Sentinel personnel would like to resupply this facility and use it for a base of operations against known indigenous hostile forces. If that is against Guardian protocol we will seek out another location.”
“This facility is open for use by all guardian and sentinel personnel Nathan Myers. While you do not represent your race as a whole, you have met several criteria for acceptance as sentinel personnel. You are granted full access to this facility. The defensive systems will repel all hostile combatants that attack sentinel personnel or this facility.”
First of my Kind Page 33
