The Slaver Wars: First Strike (The Slaver Wars Book Four) (34 page)

Kelsey glanced
over where Angela was sitting in front of Communications and saw that her
friend looked extremely pale. “What’s wrong, Angela? This battle is nearly
over.”

“I know,” she
spoke, trying to force a smile upon her face. “But a lot of people just died
and a lot more will before this is over. I just keep thinking about how their
families will feel when we get back home and they find out their loved ones
didn’t make it.”

Kelsey was
silent for a moment before replying. “This is going to be a long war, Angela,
and there will be many Fleet personnel and others that will lose their lives
before this is over. All we can do is pray for them and hope they understand
the sacrifices that must be made if the human race is to survive.”

“This is about
survival,” Ariel broke in. She walked over to stand between the two women. “The
Hocklyns will destroy the Federation and everyone in it if they get the
opportunity. We are here to ensure that doesn’t happen. I watched them destroy
the original Human Federation of Worlds. They nuked the planets without mercy,
killing billions of innocents. They would not accept surrender or spare even a
child. They may have this honor system in battle, but they are cold of heart
and quite merciless toward other races.”

Angela and
Kelsey looked at one another, knowing the AI was correct. This war was about
one thing and one thing only and that was survival. At the end of it, either
the human race would be gone or the Hocklyns would.

High Leader
Ankler stared in open shock at the com message that had just been handed to
him. He was still at his family’s habitat and had been preparing to return to
the High Council on Calzen. It had been three days since he had returned home
and the next council meeting was scheduled for later today. He let out a deep
sigh of frustration, knowing that everything was coming to a head. Years of
hard work and labor were about to be brushed aside due to a mistake by Sigeth,
his distant ancestor and the lies he had told about the destruction of the
humans.

“I don’t
understand,” his youngest son was saying. Jaseth had been with Ankler when an aide
had rushed in with the message. “Why are you returning to the High Council
chambers today? Can’t you stay longer?”

Ankler stood
up from where he was sitting behind his large, ornate desk. Looking at the
message once more, he knew this was the end. Resmunt had been correct about the
humans; they did pose a deadly and serious threat to the empire. If this
message was accurate, the humans were attacking Resmunt’s support bases in
calculated fury, wiping them out one by one. For the first time in Hocklyn history,
they were under attack and losing. Briefly, he explained to Jaseth that the
Hocklyn Empire was under attack and by whom.

“Who are these
humans?” Jaseth asked, his eyes focusing on his father and seeing worry and
possibly even fear in his eyes. He couldn’t ever recall seeing this before.
What was wrong? He wanted to know more about these humans who were attacking
the empire.

Ankler walked
over and stood before his son. Perhaps someday Jaseth could restore the
family’s honor. “Long ago one of our ancestors was responsible for attacking
and destroying the human home worlds. At that time, they were known as the
Human Federation of Worlds. When the battles were over, he reported that all
the human ships and their people had been annihilated.”

“If that’s true,
then where are these humans coming from?” asked Jaseth, feeling confused.

Ankler let out
a deep, rasping breath. There was no longer any point in hiding the truth. He
suspected the High Council would be sending for him shortly. His family’s honor
was about to come to an end.

“He lied,” answered
Ankler, his eyes gazing intently at his son.

“Lied?” Jaseth
echoed in disbelief. A Hocklyn did not lie about such things, surely his father
was mistaken.

“Yes, he
lied,” his father replied with a tired and worried look crossing his face. “War
Leader Sigeth faked documents which indicated the remaining human ships that
escaped the destruction of their worlds had been destroyed. In reality, these
ships, and possibly numerous others, escaped and established a new human colony
far away from our empire. They have grown in power and numbers and may now pose
a serious threat to us.”

“War Leader
Sigeth,” Jaseth stammered suddenly realizing the ramifications of what his
father was saying. “It was from the conquering and destruction of those human
worlds that much of our family honor came.”

“Yes,” agreed Ankler,
reaching out and putting his powerful hand on his son’s shoulder. “The High
Council will be sending for me shortly. I fear our days of basking in our past
honor is about to come to an end.”

“We will lose
everything!” Jaseth spoke in sudden understanding, his large, dark eyes growing
wide.

“I fear so,”
Ankler replied as one of his aides entered and handed him another message.
Glancing down, Ankler saw it was from High Councilor Nartel demanding his
immediate presence at the High Council chambers. It was also mentioned that
there would be a vote against Ankler for possible treason to the empire.

“Jaseth, you
are in the military, and any honor you have earned from your duties will stay
with you,” Ankler spoke in a soft voice, knowing this could be the last time he
saw his son. “It may be up to you someday to restore our family’s honor.”

-

Later that
afternoon, High Leader Ankler stepped into the ornate chamber of the High Council.
The large room became quiet upon his arrival.

“What have you
done!” roared High Councilor Ruthan, striding up to stand challengingly in
front of him. “You said these humans were not a threat!”

“I didn’t
believe they were,” replied Ankler, stepping around Ruthan and walking to the
head of the council table to take his seat.

Ruthan
followed him and slammed down a series of messages on the table in front of
him.

“All five of
Resmunt’s forward fleet bases have fallen or are under attack,” he spoke, accusingly.
“Resmunt asked for six fleets to reinforce his sector and you turned him down,
sending only two! Resmunt knew there was a danger and you refused to listen.”

“I felt two
were sufficient,” Ankler replied in a steady and calm voice, refusing to let Ruthan
get the best of him. “War Leader Bisth should have been able to conquer the
humans. It was Bisth’s incompetence at command that has brought us to this
point.”

“I think not,”
High Councilor Nartel spoke, standing up and gazing intently at High Leader Ankler.
“I have been doing some research into the battles with the humans above their
original worlds. It seems that a large number of human ships escaped the last
battle and were supposedly hunted down later. It seems strange that the only
reports that indicate these human ships were destroyed came from your own
distant ancestor, War Leader Sigeth.”

A low
disgruntled rumbling came from the other High Councilors as they realized the
significance of this statement.

“War Leader
Sigeth,” High Councilor Jarles hissed as he recognized the name. He stood up
demanding to be recognized, looking at High Councilor Nartel. “Why are these
reports in question? They are part of our empire’s history!”

“None of his
subordinates or First Leaders indicated any human ships being destroyed after
the final engagement in their home system,” explained Nartel in an accusing
voice, and then, turning back to toward Ankler, he continued. “High Leader
Ankler, this was your ancestor. For honor, were these reports by War Leader
Sigeth lies?”

All the High
Councilors gazed intently at High Leader Ankler. This was the same as accusing him
of treason. Never in the history of the Hocklyn Slave Empire had such charges
ever been leveled at a High Leader. There was absolute silence in the council chambers
as they waited for an answer.

Ankler was
silent for a long moment. He let out a heavy rasping breath, knowing it was
useless to deny the charges. Once the High Council started looking, they would
find that the reports were false.

“Yes, they
were lies,” he confessed, his hand going to his blade at his waist. He could
end his life now and perhaps save some of his family honor. He could see in the
eyes of the entire council that he had lost their support.

Ruthan nodded
his head in satisfaction, recognizing Ankler’s end. “I have already sent word
to the AIs about the humans. They will not be happy with what you have withheld
from them.”

“The AIs,” muttered
Nartel, turning to face Ruthan, his large eyes narrowing in concern. “You
should not have done so without the approval of the rest of the council.”

The large doors
to the council chamber suddenly swung open. A senior Protector stood there, his
eyes sweeping over the councilors. “An AI ship has just jumped into the system.
It will be in orbit of Calzen shortly.”

“Thank you,” responded
Nartel, dismissing the Protector. He looked around the council table. “The AIs are
coming. I suspect we will suffer serious punishment for the lies that High
Leader Ankler’s ancestor told. This will not be a good day for honor in our
empire.”

-

Two hours
later, the council chamber doors swung open and a monstrosity entered. It was
difficult to see what the AI was made of. Part of its body resembled a cube
with irregular lines and multiple tentacles attached with a glowing white orb on
top. It was impossible to tell if the orb was made of pure energy or of some
type of highly advanced material. The AI’s body seemed to float just above the
floor of the council chamber. It came to a stop at the edge of the table and
then a powerful voice spoke.

“We have
become aware of the failures of this council,” the voice said, sounding highly
displeased. “You have hidden from us that more humans exist. Why was this
done?”

“I felt we
could handle the humans ourselves and bring them into our empire,” responded High
Leader Ankler, standing up to face the AI. “They will make excellent slaves for
us.”

“The humans
are too dangerous,” responded the AI, unsympathetically. “They must be
destroyed.”

“Why are the
humans such a threat?” High Councilor Nartel asked, daring to speak. “Surely,
they could be better used to serve the empire?”

“No,” the AI
responded in a firm voice, the glowing light on top of the AI growing even
brighter. “The humans are a danger to all of us and must be eliminated.”

High Leader
Ankler listened to the AIs words in amazement. It almost sounded as if the AIs
were afraid of the humans. How could that be?

“The humans
can only have a few worlds at the most,” responded Ankler, carefully. If he
could talk the AIs into allowing him to conquer these few worlds, perhaps he
could still salvage the situation and save his family’s honor.

“That is
incorrect,” the AI responded, moving closer to Ankler, almost hovering over him.
“The original humans of the Human Federation of Worlds were brought to those
worlds from another, which we now believe is located in the area of space that
War Leader Bisth went to. They may be much more numerous than you believe.”

“Brought to
the Human Federation of Worlds? Why, and by whom?” demanded Nartel, forgetting for
a moment it was an AI he was addressing.

“That
information is classified,” replied the AI, sounding aggravated at such a
question being asked.

“What are your
orders?” asked Nartel finally, seeing that High Leader Ankler was only standing
there, gazing uncomprehendingly at the AI.

“Your High
Leader’s life is forfeit,” the AI spoke as a beam of light reached out and
touched Ankler, reducing his body instantly to dust and ashes. Only his body
armor and blade survived, falling to the floor with a rattling clang. “The four
new star systems for colonization are also forfeit.”

High Councilor
Nartel nodded in understanding. This was what they had all been afraid of. The
AIs were not forgiving. He let out a deep sigh of frustration; High Leader
Ankler had cost them so much.

“We have two
of our ships currently in that section of the galaxy,” the AI continued as it
floated away from Ankler’s ashes. “They will be directed to stop this current
attack against your empire.”

“What are our
orders?” Nartel asked now knowing that the human attack would be dealt with by
the AIs.

“Prepare a
fleet of your most powerful warships,” instructed the AI as it moved slowly
along the council table, hovering briefly near every councilor as if it were
reminding each of them who was actually in charge of their empire. “There will
be five of our ships going with you. We will find the human worlds and destroy
them. This time all the humans will be eliminated. You will be sent a time and
place to meet our ships. Do not fail us again!” The AI turned and left the
chamber without another word.

Nartel stood
for a moment as the massive doors swung shut behind the AI, and then he stepped
to the front of the council chamber and sat down in the High Leader’s chair. No
one questioned his authority to take it.

“There is
something about these humans that frightens the AIs,” he spoke as he gazed at
the other eight councilors.

“They have
never used five of their vessels against a civilization before,” Ruthan added
still shaken at being so close to an AI. He had seen them from a distance
before, but never like this. “If we want to regain those four systems for
future colonization, we must destroy these humans!”

Nartel nodded
in agreement. “We will gather the largest fleet possible for the attack. It
will take a while, but we must not fail in this or all of our lives could be
forfeit.”

The other
council members looked at the dust and ashes of what remained of their former
High Leader in understanding. The AIs were even more merciless than the
Hocklyns were.