A fourth voice came on line. This one was higher. The voice sounded natural, just not naturally a Yollin. “This is Queen Bethany Anne of the Etheric Empire. Are you suggesting the Great King of Yoll is a coward? I had heard the King is easily three times the size of Kael-ven, a member of the Chloret Caste. Is this not true? Kael-ven himself is taller than me, and yet your King is afraid?”
“The King of Yoll is afraid of no one, alien!” E’Kolorn hissed. “Least of all a non-believing alien such as yourself. Who are we to accept that you understand the rules?”
“What’s so hard to learn about two walk in naked, one walks out alive? I’m pretty sure I can find a few of the Kiene Caste to help explain this to you if you’re having trouble.”
This alien Queen’s rudeness was irritating E’Kolorn, causing him to think furiously for an appropriate response to put her in her proper place when a fifth voice entered the conversation.
“This is Yoll, King of the Yollins, the master of our race and the subjugator of worlds. Who are you to think yourself worthy of challenging me?”
The alien Queen’s voice replied, “I’m the one who can drop a large enough rock on your head to destroy your palace grounds and smash you between my rock and your foundation. If that threat isn’t good enough for you, I’m the one who can burn your space stations out of the sky for months, while you hear the pitiful screeches of children and mothers holding their babies. But I am also the one trying to settle this between rulers, as the Holy Text suggests. But if you would rather I destroy your people than admit you’re too scared to meet me?”
“None would believe you, if you announce this,” he replied.
“I don’t need to announce it, King Yoll, because our conversation is live across your ships. Every Yollin who has access to the signal and is listening knows that I have challenged you. If you choose to allow your people to suffer, then the truth that you are only worried about your own safety over the good of your people will be not only believable, but known.”
E’Kolorn heard a buzzing, and looked around. His personal communication device was flashing a bright light.
It was the King. He picked it up and looked at the message and replied, “Yes, it is true, this conversation is being spread amongst the fleet.”
Moments later, the King came back on the line. “I am King Yoll, King of the Yollins, the mightiest race to rule worlds. I will not suffer this continued defamation of my character. You will meet me on the field of battle and suffer my wrath.”
“King Yoll of the Yollins, I challenge for the throne of Yoll. You can call it whatever you want, but you better get this through the heads of those in the Kolin Caste. When you die, if they so much as chitter their mandibles in a way I don’t like, I’ll squash them flat. They are warned. I will be down in one turn.”
The connection went dark and E’Kolorn wondered what that last comment was meant to be? Did this alien expect to conquer Yoll?
That thought was quickly followed by another. E’Kolorn turned to his communications officer. “B’ankzi, did the fleet hear this communication?”
His communication specialist nodded his head and E’Kolorn sat down heavily on a couch near him.
At least he hadn’t lied to his King. But, if he had to have lied to stop the alien from bombing the space stations up above them, he would have done so.
His family was up there and he had seen the destruction of his ships, even as they talked. The aliens were chewing up his fleet.
It was fast becoming a slaughter.
E’Kolorn sent the command to pull back away from the aliens, hopefully they would consider the challenge with the King enough.
Within a few minutes, it was done. What was left of the Yollin Homeworld fleet was limping away from the battles, and the aliens were not pursuing.
E’Kolorn ordered, “Put all records we have of the battle, from pulling the fleet together to the order to retreat on the next message torps and send them through the gates to our other solar systems. Including internal records we can retrieve from the wounded ships, especially our Fleet Prime ship. If Fleet Prime’s archives have anything we can pull, make it so. Try to do this without the aliens figuring out we are warning our brothers and sisters. Maybe they will come up with a solution to overcome these aliens.”
He headed towards the door. “I must attend the King.”
King’s Palace Grounds, Yoll
E’Kolorn arrived by air car from the Headquarters of Defense. The vehicle was searched and the minister was allowed to proceed into the Royal Palace on foot, a marked difference from when he was here just two turns previous.
He had been smart enough to leave behind any weapons. Not only were they useless around the King, but it allowed him to plead his case as strongly as he might.
It took three more security checks to get into the throne room. As before, there were few that were allowed in his presence. Now, a challenge had been agreed to and set for the first time in his life.
E’Kolorn strode up to the royal couch and prostrated himself on the ground. He held that position through three more conversations with others seeing him kneeling there until the King decided to talk with him.
“What do you have for me, E’Kolorn? Other than destroyed ships, lousy troops, and poor security on our own communications systems?”
Keeping his head down, E’Kolorn answered, “We have video that shows those that attacked Fleet Prime. I believe it will give you some indication of their martial skills.”
“Tell me about them,” E’Kolorn was ordered.
“Predominantly bipedal, with some able to change shapes to four-footed beasts.” E’Kolorn started when he was abruptly cut off.
“Change shapes?” the King asked.
“Yes, Sire.”
“Get up,” the King said.
He stood up on his four legs, lifting his head to look up at the King, who was lost in thought.
“Let me see these videos E’Kolorn, everything that shows the aliens changing shape.”
E’Kolorn reached into the pouch he was allowed to bring into the audience chamber. “Yes, my King.”
23
QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Military Operations
Admiral Thomas focused on bringing support and help to the broken ships of the Etheric Empire. Although not as damaged as those of the Yollins, it hadn’t been a totally one-sided battle.
General Lance Reynolds took care of additional operations, items he understood needed to be accomplished when fighting battles such as these.
Bethany Anne sat in her command chair, thinking over the conversation with the Yollin King and his phrasing. Something about the way he replied was not right, and it bothered her. He was obviously a duplicitous bastard, and she wanted to make sure she figured out just what way he was already working to stab her in the back.
>>Bethany Anne, EI Reynolds is moving forty-two wounded in action to the medical bays on the outside docks.<<
Thank you, ADAM. The general and the admiral have this here. Please make sure I have a place to transport near there and let me pick up my security. If I don’t, I won’t hear the end of it… like ever.
Bethany Anne stood up, grabbed her Katana and locked it into her armor where Jean had created a place for the blade. While her katana could be used, it was more ceremonial. If Bethany Anne wanted to really deal some damage, she would pull the hilt for her Etherically created sword from her armor on her right leg where it stayed, out of sight.
She stepped down to speak to her commanders. “Gentleman.” The admiral nodded in her direction, but continued with his instructions to his team.
“Yes, Your Highness?” General Reynolds answered after he finished his own conversation.
“I’m going to check on my wounded. If you need me, contact me through Reynolds or Meredith. Once I’m done with the wounded, I will retire to rest, and pull in extra reserves before the flight down. I don’t trust the King one bit.” When Bethany Anne admitted that, her father grun
ted in agreement. “So, I’m trying to figure out just how he’s going to cheat.”
She looked around. “Let’s move our people, refine how we spot their cloaking and get the puck defense up around the asteroid. I’ll update the people inside on the plans. Make sure we’re ready for the post battle cleanup.” She looked over at her father. “And you two get some sleep as well.”
“We got this, your Highness.” He smiled and put a hand on her shoulder.
“I’m sure you do, so don’t make me find out in eight hours you’re still standing here. I delegate, I expect you to as well, when needed.”
He nodded, the admiral waved that he had heard at least the general idea of her conversation as he continued to direct orders. Probably through Reynolds and his top captains.
Gabrielle and the four Bitches slotted into place as Bethany Anne left operations and headed for the nearest Transportation Room.
About three minutes later, they were entering the Meredith Reynolds’ outer hospital.
Pilot Julianna Fregin was talking with Herbert Eff, one of the men from the puck destroyer, Her Destiny, as both of them waited to be seen by medical personnel.
“No,” she said. “I never saw the beam that got me. My wing and I were slicing through a raid of their fighters who had been aiming at the Meredith Reynolds. We probably got three more kills and two we knocked out of service in that wave when I noticed my wingman dive to my side. My wing’s Eagle was obliterated and then my own was touched by something that ate half the ship in a microsecond.” Julianna shrugged. “I think my wingman was able to take most of the bolt’s power for me. I was knocked out when my ship was destroyed. I lost the lower half of my leg.”
Julianna noticed that the guy she was talking with glanced down at the sheets covering her body to see what was missing.
The answer was, just like she had told him, half of her leg. The pilot’s suit she wore constricted, keeping her from bleeding out and the nanite pack she had been given when joining the Aces helped stop the flow in time.
But it wasn’t enough to regrow her limb.
“Damn, that sucks.” Herbert remarked, looking down at the flat area of her sheets that confirmed no leg was there. He looked back at her. “Any idea from the doc yet?”
“Oh, yes.” Julianna smiled. “Right now, we’re waiting for a special nanite pack. Once that happens, I should be able to get a Pod and…” Julianna noticed that Herbert had stopped paying attention to her, which she thought was rather rude.
She turned to see what had captured Herbert’s attention and recognized the ladies right away. First was Gabrielle, the Queen’s Captain. She wasn’t sure what that meant in the hierarchy of the military, but she helped corral the Four. Which then started coming into view along with the Queen.
Julianna forgave Herbert for losing his focus. The Queen was talking to the doctor and nodding in their general direction. The doctor put a hand on the Queen’s shoulder and was thanking her before she rushed to the next thing she needed to do, calling out directions to a nurse on the way.
“God, she’s beautiful,” Julianna murmured.
“Which one?” Herbert whispered.
Julianna turned back to Herbert. “Both, hell, all of them.”
Herbert looked at her and flashed a smile. “Sorry, that was rude. I was just shocked to see them here.”
Juliana shrugged. “That’s why everyone loves her,” she was starting to tell Herbert when she rolled her eyes. The guy had stopped listening to her, again. She turned her head to see what had his attention this time, and her eyes opened wide.
The Queen was coming straight for her. Gabrielle was accepting something from a nurse behind them.
Bethany Anne nodded towards Herbert and looked down at Julianna, a smile on her face. “Queen’s Ace Julianna Fregin, I understand you had an interesting battle today above the QBBS Meredith Reynolds?”
Julianna nodded. “Yes ma’am, your Highness.”
The Queen said, “Meredith, please list Julianna’s accomplishments today.”
“First wave, one confirmed kill, two fractional kills, total points one and one half kills. Second wave, four fractional kills awarding two points, total three and one half points, third wave three confirmed kills, two fractional kills, total points awarded four. Total points all waves first Battle of Yoll, seven and one-half.”
“Welcome to ACE Status, Queen’s Ace Julianna Fregin.” the Queen had a twinkle in her eye. “Now, what you might not realize, is the nanite pack you are waiting for is one that is rather rare, and is kept under lock and key. Something we overlooked, I’m embarrassed to say, by not having it up in the forward hospital area.”
“We didn’t overlook it, Bethany Anne,” John Grimes commented behind her. “We just believe the chances of this hospital being overrun is too high to allow those packs to be stored here.”
Bethany Anne looked over her shoulder. “Well, we need to have Team BMW build us something that protects the packs and allows a few to be deployed here.”
Bethany Anne turned back to Julianna. “The nanite pack is built from my blood, with special programming from ADAM and TOM.” The Queen kept her focus on Julianna, but put her out right hand. Gabrielle placed a syringe in it. “ADAM, Thales of Miletus?”
“Yes, Bethany Anne?” a slightly artificial voice answered followed quickly by another voice Julianna wouldn’t have known to be an alien, if the Queen hadn’t just called him out by name.
“Make sure you program these new nanites correctly when I leave,” she said and the two voices agreed.
Julianna was getting in way over her head. These were the top people in the Etheric Empire, stories about them were everywhere, and right now they were either standing right next to her, or speaking to the Queen through the speakers so she could hear.
The Queen took the syringe and looked down at Julianna’s arm. “Well, that’s just fucking great,” she exclaimed, exasperated. She handed the syringe back to Gabrielle and then in mere moments, had removed the top of her armor and handed it to Eric, “Hold this please,” she told him. She rolled up the black spandex-looking top and accepted the syringe back from Gabrielle. While she was doing this, Julianna looked around.
Every patient was watching.
By the time Julianna looked back, the Queen had almost finished filling a small syringe with her blood. The doctor had returned and was standing between Herbert and Julianna. “If I may?” she asked and Bethany Anne handed her the syringe. “What about the energy?” The doctor asked as she made sure there were no air bubbles in the syringe.
“I’ll give her enough until you have room in a Pod, tomorrow at the earliest,” Bethany Anne confirmed for the doctor as she put her armor back on.
Julianna watched the doctor pull out her IV. “Sorry honey, not wasting any of this blood by inserting it into your drip, so you get a new hole.” The doctor had the syringe in her arm and immediately injected the blood.
Bethany Anne reached out over Julianna’s chest. “Well done, ACE Julianna Fregin, rest and heal. We have more battles in front of us, and our ACE needs to get better.”
The Queen winked at her and her eyes started glowing red, her hand started glowing white and she laid the hand in between Julianna’s breasts. “This energy will provide what the nanites need to…”
Julianna heard nothing more, sleep overcame her.
The six made it back into Bethany Anne’s suite once she finished making the rounds at the hospital. Bethany Anne didn’t pull blood again, but she did provide energy for three more to help speed up their healing. The nanites they already had in their blood would finish the job.
“We need portable energy packs,” Bethany Anne said as she wiped a tear out of her eye. “If they had them, more of the wounded would already be better.”
“How?” Scott asked. “How do we store Etheric energy?”
“I don’t have that answer, Scott, but I will. I won’t lose people just because we can’t figure something out. If I ha
ve to pull together special research on this one subject, I will. We need it. One life lost is one too many.” She stepped into her bedroom. “I’m going to get some rest. Make sure we have arrangements to go down to the world below. I’m going to sleep and dream about how to bring a can of whoop-ass to an eighteen foot tall armored alien.”
She shut the bedroom door behind her and Scott looked at John. “I’d go to sleep counting sheep, but you know, if thinking about kicking alien ass is what she likes?” he shrugged. “I’m not judging.”
The men set up the guard rotation as Gabrielle went to check on the travel arrangements. They would rotate four on and four off until Bethany Anne got up.
It would at least give three of them time with their women. Darryl told them he would sleep here on the couches. Natalia’s ship had made it through the fight, but she wasn’t going to be able to focus on anything but her ship and her people for a while, he figured.
No matter how badly Darryl wanted to go and hold her, one more time.
King’s Palace, Yoll
Minister of Defense E'Kolorn left the meeting to work in the secondary operations area. It was on another part of the palace grounds, and the King could reach it through an underground tunnel. His size might be good for fights, but it sucked for being able to move about like a regular Yollin, E'Kolorn thought.
It wasn’t until these days of activity with the humans, what the aliens called themselves, that his own mind was opened to the questions about the King. Why was he so large? Why was he so reclusive? Why did he continue the Caste system?
It had never benefitted either E'Kolorn himself or his family to question these realities. But the insidious weapon of curiosity had been opened, and whether the King killed their Queen or not, she probably had already ended his Reign.
QBS ArchAngel
Bethany Anne walked onto the bridge of the ArchAngel to the standing ovation of everyone who welcomed her back. Her own visage looked back at her from the screens. “Welcome back, our Queen,” EI ArchAngel’s voice, Bethany Anne’s voice, called out from the speakers, “It’s been too long.”
Kurtherian Gambit Boxed Set Three: Books 15-21, Never Submit, Never Surrender, Forever Defend, Might Makes Right, Ahead Full, Capture Death, Life Goes On (Kurtherian Gambit Boxed Sets Book 3) Page 20
