Annihilation: The Power of a Queen (11 page)

Kosiev thought about Tags suggestion and said, “What if there isn’t a ship hiding in the rubble?”

“Then we have to arrange an escape but I think that is premature at this point. Move all your ships away from the wreckage and have the Cleveland come around from the sun and keep an eye out. We’ll give them five days to make their break. We also should make it look real and have one of our ships start the chase from too far away to catch them.”

“I’m nervous about revealing our planetary defenses, but you’re right. We can’t handle more than 40,000 warships. Do you think it might be a good idea to maybe add four more asteroid fortresses?”

“We haven’t fully charged the ones we’ve got. We’re still at only 60% charge after destroying those 800 ships. We can add more if we can get them to 100% capacity. Even with the sun and all those reactors, the system holds an inconceivable amount of energy and is still weeks off from fully charging. Think about how valuable that screen will be to our ships during a planetary fight to discharge their screens.”

Kosiev thought a moment and said, “I hadn’t even considered that.” Then he smiled. “You know; we’re not as much an underdog as it appears.” Then he started laughing.

T
he Warleader sat in his small ship watching his screen as the Humans finished destroying the ships in the outer system. His race was not one to ever be intimidated by any military they had ever encountered but now he was nervous that his life was on the line for the first time in his career. He knew his species was no match for what he had witnessed here in this attack on the Humans. He thought back to his initial over confidence and wondered how he could have possibly planned things differently that would have led to a different outcome but he was forced to admit that the end result would have been the same. “I talked about killing; they actually did it,” he thought as he watched his screen. Every one of the survivors on his small ship was in a somber mood and frightened that they, too, would be discovered. He watched as the crew of his battle ship was picked up by the Humans and loaded aboard a transport that then moved out toward the large planet near the Star drive limit. The Warships escorting the transport followed as it moved further and further away. “Do you detect any other ships in the vicinity?” he asked his sensor officer.

“No Warleader, all the Human ships are now in the outer system. There could be some on the other side of this systems star but not where our sensors can see.”

“How much faster did our instruments show their ships are than ours?”

“At least twice as fast, maybe more; I don’t know if they went full speed in their attack on our fleets.”

“Let’s assume they are three times faster, is there a route out of this system that would allow us to reach the Star Drive limit before we could be overtaken?”

“Warleader, you also have to factor in their missiles. This small ship cannot handle a full attack because of our small screen. However, if we wait for two more drags then the closest ships will be those escorting the transport and if we go down away from the plane of this system taking an angle toward the back of that star, we should make it. I wouldn’t suggest delaying beyond that because now that the battle is over at that large planet some of those ships may start back in system.”

The Warleader pondered his options and then decided. “In one drag we will break our cover and accelerate to the closest jump point. We’re assuming that they will see us immediately and respond instantly. There has to be a few dregs of uncertainty and that’s all we will need to make our escape. Notify me if any ships start our way.”

“Yes Warleader.” The time moved slowly and the tension mounted in the small ship. Finally, the sensor officer said, “Now is the time.”

The Warleader said a quick prayer to the universe and said, “Engage engines and accelerate to the jump point. Have the star drive ready.”

The small ship burst out of the rubble of the flag ship and accelerated down1 and away from the Human’s solar system. They had covered 35% of the distance when the sensor officer said, “Warleader, two of the Human battleships have left the transports and are accelerating to intercept.”

“Will they catch us?” the Warleader asked in a nervous voice.

“It’s going to be close.”

The entire crew watched as the two battleships moved closer and closer. Everyone could see that it was going to be very, very, close. The chase seemed to last for an eternity and the Humans were gaining ground each second. “Warleader the jump point is fifty sems.” At that point the battleships fired twenty missiles at the fleeing Alliance ship.

“Are we going to make it?” the Warleader shouted.

The Sensor officer yelled, “Engage star drive on my command!” The Missiles bore down on the small ship and just before they impacted the Sensor officer yelled, “Engage now, engage now!” The small ship disappeared into star drive just as the missiles went through the space it had just occupied.

Captain Franklin looked at his weapons officer and said, “You cut that pretty close, Lt. Malcolm.”

“Not really sir; the missiles were programmed to go around the ship and not impact. You asked me to make it look real.”

Captain Vaughn on board the Coastal City commed the Clearwater and said, “That was close.”

Captain Franklin smiled and said, “We aim to please; so we are pleased to take close aim.”

Both Captains laughed and then they turned back to join the transports.

Kosiev and Tag had been watching the chase on their screen that was being fed directly from the Clearwater. Kosiev said, “That was close!”

Tag smiled at him and said, “Whoever that weapons officer is, he should be rewarded. You can’t make it look more real than that. If we were this worried, can you imagine what it was like on that ship?”

Kosiev laughed and tried to restrain his chuckles but the more he tried the harder he laughed. Tag caught the infection and soon everyone of the Washington’s bridge was holding their ribs and laughing out loud. “I’ll bet he,” Kosiev started then laughed louder, “I’ll bet he reached out a porthole and pushed some of them away,” Everyone broke up again and laughter ruled the moment.

Admiral Dorg entered Terl’s chamber running and said, “The Glod ambassador has just entered our system and is requesting an interview with us.”

“What is he doing coming here? He’ll see the asteroid forts we’re bringing on line and he will know something isn’t what it should be.”

Dorg thought for a moment and said, “I’ve not been comfortable being less than honest with him. I suggest we tell him the truth and let the Drang groad fall where it will. What’s the worse he can do, turn us in to the Alliance or attack us? The Alliance will eventually learn about us any way and I think he will talk first.”

Terl said, “I’m glad those forts are in service. I’ll call and welcome him to our world.”

Tgon-Gee saw the asteroids surrounding the Cainth home world and knew that something was not right. “Those are the same weapons I saw around the Human home world. What’s going on here?”

His fleet Admiral said, “Excellency, I don’t think we should go any closer and get within range of those orbital forts. I would suggest leaving now; I’m responsible for your safety.”

His com screen came on and Terl was on it saying’ “Welcome to our home, Mr. Ambassador. I look forward to meeting you.”

Tgon-Gee looked at his Admiral and said, “Head Clansman Terl. I am reluctant to come any closer to your planet. Especially if what I see on my sensors is what I think they are, then I think it would be foolish to even stay here.”

Terl was in turmoil. What should he say to this Glod Leader? Then he decided. “They are what you think they are. Please stay where you are and Admiral Dorg will come out to you and explain. If you would feel safer, please move out beyond the Star Drive limit and he’ll meet you there. You are a friend of my people. We would never place you in any danger.”

Tgon-Gee looked at the screen and thought about what Terl said. His world was safe because of the Cainth warning which they did not have to give. He suspected that he wasn’t told the whole story but he sensed real concern from Admiral Dorg when he gave the warning. He looked at his Admiral and said, “No, that won’t be necessary. We will come to your planet and meet you on the surface at your Central Assembly. Please send me landing instructions and would you mind if I bring my Fleet Admiral with me?”

“You may bring anyone you like, Ambassador. I look forward to meeting with you.

Tgon-Gee and his Admiral looked across the table at Terl and the 14 other Clan Leaders; Admiral Dorg sat at the end of the table closest to him. “I came here to thank you for your warning about avoiding the battle with the Humans. Now I’m confused about your relationship with them especially in light of the forts overhead. What’s going on here?”

Terl looked at Dorg and nodded, “Ambassador,” Admiral Dorg said, “After our battle with the Humans we had lost 80% of our warships and more than 10,000 drop troops. We only had 900 ships available to defend our planet and the Human Fleet had jumped into our system with more than two thirds of the fleet that had just destroyed more than 2000 warships. We have been harassing them for more than 200 cycles because we viewed them as a threat to our survival. I personally hated them for the death of my grandfather 99 cycles ago. Everyone in this room knew that our planet was doomed and there was nothing we could do to prevent it. Remember, our forces had massacred 20% of their colonists on their colony planet named Ross and I was the one that ordered it to be done. Now our nightmare was facing us and advancing on our fleet.”

“You’re still here,” Tgon-Gee said, “what happened?”

“We waited for them to attack us and they just sat in space facing us five segs away. Then one of their leaders said, “What do we do now?” They ordered us to send our planetary and military leader to one of their ships. Headman Terl and I went fully expecting to be executed for what we did to the colonists. When we arrived their first question was, “Give a good reason for why we shouldn’t wipe your race from the universe?”

Terl then said, “We found common ground. They knew us better than we knew ourselves. They recognized we were acting out of our fear and that we were making irrational decisions.”

“How about you Admiral; do you still hate them?”

“The most remarkable thing happened, Ambassador. They showed me where my hate was misplaced. I blamed them for something we did. Once I saw that, I knew that the Humans were no danger to us. We were the danger to them; yet they were willing to help work out a foundation for cooperation between our races,” Admiral Dorg said. “Now I hope I can get an opportunity to make up for the Humans I killed out of my hatred and fear.”

Tgon-Gee looked at his Admiral and then asked, “How did you resolve your differences?”

“We made the Humans our sixteenth Clan. They are now our Clan Brothers pledged to protect us and we are pledged to protect them.”

“They appear to need very little protection from anyone,” Tgon-Gee observed. “I assume that those forts overhead is a gift from them.”

“They have also converted all our warships to their technology,” Terl said.

Tgon-Gee looked surprised. “How could they trust you after all these years of trouble you caused them? They must be crazy to put that kind of faith in an enemy.”

Admiral Dorg stood up and walked around to face the Ambassador and said, “You’re right. They have to be crazy; or they found the thing that would make it work. It is part of our culture that we never betray a clan. When we agreed to their clan membership, they became part of our family. Incidentally, we didn’t come up with the idea. One of their leaders saw it in us and suggested it to us. They also taught us something else that was alien to our culture, tolerance. We have always shot first and asked questions later. They showed us the benefit of looking at everyone as a possible ally instead of an enemy. We agreed to change that part of our culture to insure we could be trusted with their technology. My warning to you was the first part of keeping our word. I couldn’t just let you walk in blindly to what I knew was waiting for you in the Humans system.”

Tgon-Gee sat there in silence and thought about what he had just learned. If he had been in the Humans place, he would have destroyed the Cainth down to the last one. He thought about all the attacks his world had made against other races and thought about all the hostility that those races must feel toward his people. Would his people one day face an invasion fleet set on revenge? If his fleet had been part of the attack and all their ships were destroyed; then how many races would be headed toward his home world bent on revenge? He could think of twelve off the top of his head and the universe would say good riddance to the Glod. A warrior culture was a grand thing until it became an end unto itself. He looked at his Fleet Admiral and could see his own thoughts reflected in his face. “What are you going to do now?” he asked the Cainth leaders.

“Why fight with our clan brothers against the Alliance. We see now that the paranoia of the Alliance has infected all its members to the point where growth and development is impossible. Anyone that grows strong is a danger. Anyone that chooses their own destiny is to be destroyed. Their only answer to difference is destruction. If we perish in this fight, it’s a fight worth dying for. We will stand with our Clan brothers.’ All the Cainth in the room stood up and said, “Clan Brothers.”