The Star Cross: Galaxy in Peril

(The Star Cross, Book 3)

By

Raymond L. Weil

USA Today Best Selling Author

Books in The Star Cross Series

The Star Cross (Book 1)

The Star Cross: The Dark Invaders (Book 2)

The Star Cross: Galaxy in Peril (Book 3)

Website: http://raymondlweil.com/

Copyright © January 2017 by Raymond L.
Weil

All Rights Reserved

Cover Design by Humblenations.com

This
book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either
products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to
actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. All
rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted
in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the author.

Table of Contents

Table of
Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter
Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter
Seven

Chapter
Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter
Eleven

Chapter
Twelve

Chapter
Thirteen

Chapter
Fourteen

Chapter
Fifteen

Chapter
Sixteen

Chapter
Seventeen

Chapter
Eighteen

Chapter
Nineteen

Chapter
Twenty

Epilogue

The Star
Cross: Galaxy in Peril

Chapter One

For six months now the black fleets had been rampaging
through Enlightened World space, targeting the smaller colonies guarded by the
Protector Worlds, defeating defending fleet after fleet. Already several
hundred billion Enlightened World inhabitants were rumored as having been harvested
by the deadly beams of the Destroyers of Worlds’ motherships.

Grand Fleet
Admiral Lorell was determined not to allow that to happen here, as he studied
the tactical display in front of him with deep concern. A Destroyers of Worlds’
fleet was inbound toward Bascom Six, which his homeworld orbited. Bascom was a
K-type star and Bascom Six a large gas giant. Around it circled a series of
moons, both large and small. Two of those moons were planet-sized, inhabited,
and the center of Bascom civilization. The Bascoms had spread out over twenty
star systems with major bases and scientific outposts in sixty others. Nearly
four hundred years ago they had reached Protector World status.

“Forty minutes
until they drop from hyperspace,” Subcommander Orphren reported as he eyed the
red threat icons on the tactical display. “All our outlying fleets have been
recalled, but most will not arrive before the enemy.”

The Lakiams
had furnished the Bascoms with the means to detect the black ships in hyperspace.
The black ships’ hyperdrives gave off a specific radiation signature, which was
possible to detect.

Admiral Lorell
turned toward Subcommander Orphren. The Bascoms were of feline descent. Their
eyes resembled a cat’s, and they had a thin layer of fur covering their body.
Their hands possessed retractable claws, which could be extended in battle.
Unlike the Visth, they had not totally given up their aggressive ways. “We are
a Protector World. Too many of our fleets have been sent to defend those
Enlightened Worlds and colonies under our protection. Now we face the very
enemy we had hoped to defend them from.”

Subcommander
Orphren narrowed his eyes. “We have no reports of the Destroyers of Worlds
attacking a Protector World before. Why would they do this and risk serious
damage to their fleet?”

Admiral Lorell
raised his right hand, touching the long whiskers on his face. “I believe it’s
obvious. If they destroy our fleets here and harvest our worlds, then all the
Enlightened Worlds we’re responsible for will become easy targets.”

-

Subcommander
Orphren’s gaze shifted to the numerous large viewscreens on the front wall of
the Command Center. He studied them for a long moment. Several Class One
Orbital Defense Platforms were visible as well as one of the large Class One
Command and Control Stations. In addition, numerous small defensive satellites,
armed with dual energy beams, circled both inhabited worlds. In the past, these
defenses alone would have been sufficient to thwart any attack against either
of the twin moons. Now, with the advent of the Destroyers of Worlds, even these
powerful defenses might not be enough.

Subcommander
Orphren’s expression didn’t reveal his deep concern regarding the coming
battle. Their fleet had none of the dark matter hypermissiles, such as the
Lakiams possessed. However, the Bascoms did have numerous antimatter
hypermissiles of the two-hundred-megaton range. From the reports he’d read of
several hard-fought battles against Destroyers of Worlds’ fleets, sufficient
antimatter missiles targeted on one small section of a black ship’s energy
screen could cause a momentary weakness. The home fleet would have the
advantage in numbers as well as the powerful defenses of the two moons orbiting
the gas giant. Every missile launcher was ready, and the missile storage bays
were crammed with antimatter missiles.

What
frightened Subcommander Orphren most was that his family was on Debent, one of
the two inhabited moons. His mate had only recently delivered two strong
healthy cubs, giving Orphren five young ones. No way would he allow them to
become food for the Destroyers of Worlds.

-

“Two of our
fleets will reach us before the Destroyers of Worlds arrive,” the
communications officer reported. “Admiral Dubal and Admiral Wythe will both get
here a few minutes before the enemy.”

Grand Fleet
Admiral Lorell nodded his approval. The Bascom System held over twelve billion
inhabitants. While most lived upon the two inhabited moons, a number of large
asteroids had been hollowed out for additional living space. Also domed cities had
been built on many of the other planets as well as on their moons. A robust
mining industry encompassed the system. Asteroids, moons, and even some of the
comets in the outer halo had mining operations ongoing.

“What’s the
current situation on all intrasystem traffic?” The Bascom System normally had
hundreds of ships of all types moving about.

“All ships
capable of entering hyperspace are on their way to Andros,” answered
Subcommander Orphren. Andros was the Bascoms’ largest colony world with over
three billion inhabitants. “All nonhyperspace-capable ships are moving deeper
into the system to avoid entanglement in any combat.”

“What’s the
situation on Debent and Glasht?” The two inhabited moons circled the massive
gas giant, which gave off enough heat to help warm both worlds.

“People are
making their way into the deep shelters, and the government has relocated to
the underground Command Center. Everyone who can’t make it to the shelters has
been told to remain in their homes until the emergency is over.”

Everything
that could be done to protect the civilian population had been attended to. For
months the military and civilian engineers had been building deep underground
shelters, capable of protecting millions of the twin moons’ inhabitants. The
Destroyers of Worlds’ deadly harvesting rays were believed incapable of
reaching the people hidden in the shelters. All across the system, preparations
were being undertaken. On the asteroids with ongoing mining operations, the
crews were evacuated to the deepest levels. Emergency supplies had been stored
in the lower levels just in case the Destroyers of Worlds put in an appearance.
In the domed cities on the moons and planets, inhabitants were prepared to wait
out the attack in underground bunkers.

“Do we have
the makeup of the incoming fleet?”

“Yes, Fleet
Admiral,” the sensor operator replied. “Latest sensor readings indicate 620 of
their small spindle-shaped cruisers and two motherships.”

“We’ll have
them greatly outnumbered,” Subcommander Orphren said with obvious relief in his
voice. “We’ll have a four-to-one advantage, plus the orbiting defenses.”

“Assuming our
other two fleets get here in time,” Fleet Admiral Lorell was quick to point
out. “Sensors, have we detected Admiral Dubal’s and Admiral Wythe’s fleets?”

“Yes, Fleet
Admiral,” the sensor operator reported. “They are close and should exit
hyperspace in twelve and sixteen minutes respectively.”

Fleet Admiral
Lorell spent several moments studying his fleet formation on the nearby
tactical display. The fleet was positioned two million kilometers from the twin
moons. He would meet the Destroyers of Worlds in open space, and, if the battle
went against him, he would withdraw to the twin worlds to allow their powerful
defensive grids to support his fleet. Each moon had twenty of the Class One Orbital
Defense Platforms as well as one of the large Class One Command and Control
Stations. In addition, hundreds of dual energy beam satellites were in orbit.

Grand Fleet Admiral Lorell had
his fleet aligned in a giant cylindrical formation with his battleships on the
inside screened by the battlecruisers which made up the outer defenses. Bascom
battleships were 1,200 meters in length and wedge-shaped. The battlecruisers
were one thousand meters in length and of a narrower and slimmer wedge. The
fleet’s primary weapons were force beams, energy projectors, and their powerful
hyperspace antimatter missiles.

Over the next
twenty minutes, the two reinforcing fleets arrived and took up their positions
in the massive formation. Once the combined fleet completely formed up, it moved
farther away from the twin moons.

Crews on all
the ships and the orbiting defensive stations waited expectantly for the
arrival of the Destroyers of Worlds. Only once had the deadly enemy been
defeated; the Bascoms were hoping to repeat that success.

-

“All ships are
in position and ready for combat,” reported Subcommander Orphren.

He could see
his home planet of Debent on one of the viewscreens. The world was blue-white
and covered with large oceans. It was a beautiful world and one that someday
would become an Enlightened World. He tried to spot his home city of Lanoor, near one of the deep blue oceans. Unfortunately a thick cloud layer covered the
area. Letting out a long sigh, he returned his attention to the tactical
display and the threatening red icons steadily drawing nearer.

-

“Eight minutes
until black fleet dropout,” reported the sensor operator.

All the
Destroyers of Worlds’ ships were painted dark black, making them nearly
invisible. They also deployed a sensor-dampening field, making their detection nearly
impossible. However, the Lakiams had discovered the radiation signatures given
off by the black ships’ hyperdrives as well as their sublight drives.

“Battleships
are to coordinate their missile strikes with their supporting battlecruisers,”
ordered Fleet Admiral Lorell as he thought over his strategy. “From Andock and
Lakiam reports, forty antimatter strikes—on a small area of the Destroyers of
Worlds’ defensive energy screens—overloads them.”

“I wonder what
type of power systems the black ships use?” commented Subcommander Orphren.
“From the reports I’ve seen, those screens are unbelievable.”

“If they are
energy screens,” replied Fleet Admiral Lorell with a frown, “they absorb energy
and seem to store it. The Andocks and Lakiams state, if we can rupture the
energy absorption field, it will release all its stored-up energy. When that
happens, the black ship beneath the shield is usually destroyed or at the very
least heavily damaged.”

“Four minutes
until black fleet dropout,” reported the sensor operator.

Grand Fleet
Admiral Lorell looked about the Command Center of his flagship. He could sense
the heightened anxiety in the room as the crew prepared for battle.

After hearing
of the defeats of other Protector World fleets, the Bascoms had readjusted
their defensive strategy. Realizing the black fleets could not be stopped
without committing a major portion of their fleet, the Bascoms had pulled back
large formations from some of the Enlightened Worlds they were supposed to defend.
Only those close to the Bascom home worlds were still protected by large
fleets. This had resulted in complaints from the affected Enlightened Worlds,
which Bascom chose to ignore.

“Two minutes
until black fleet dropout,” reported the sensor operator.

“All ships,
prepare to fire,” ordered Grand Fleet Admiral Lorell over the ship-to-ship
comm. He leaned forward in his command chair, keeping a sharp eye on the
viewscreens as well as on the nearby tactical display. The two minutes passed,
and red threat icons suddenly blossomed on the tactical display.

“Contacts!”
called out the sensor operator excitedly. “Range is four million kilometers.”

Immediately
the alarm klaxons sounded, and red lights flashed.

“Turn off
those lights and alarms,” ordered Grand Fleet Admiral Lorell with a grimace.
“We know they’re here. Let’s close the distance and not give them time to force
us to react to them. I want to dictate the tone of this battle.” The hair on
his neck stood up, and the adrenaline flowed. He had the black fleet
outnumbered. Time to move in for the kill.

-

Vorn Prince
Brollen gazed thoughtfully at the ship’s primary viewscreen, showing a
magnified view of the waiting enemy fleet. Prince Brollen stood upright, having
a basic humanoid form with two legs and two arms. That was where the
resemblance ended. Prince Brollen looked like a cross between a humanoid and a
wasp. His head was covered with very short hair and was triangular in shape
with two antennae. Brollen’s eyes were multifaceted and could see in several different
light wavelengths. He had small wasplike wings that normally stayed folded on
his back. Prince Brollen’s hands consisted of seven thin digits to manipulate
equipment. But the most shocking aspect was that he was telepathic, as were all
Vorn.

The prey
comes for us, sent Military Commander Fraymot.

It is as
expected, replied Prince Brollen, turning toward his new military
commander. His former military commander had been deleted after his failure in
the battle with food species 236.

All ships
have formed up around the Reaper and the Scythe, reported the sensor
operator. The prey move toward us at a low speed.

The fleet
is yours, sent Prince Brollen to Military Commander Fraymot.

Fraymot
stepped forward. All ships, proceed forward at 10 percent sublight. We will
let the prey come to meet us.

Vorn could
communicate telepathically over short distances in space, allowing a Vorn
military commander to speak instantly with any or all of the ships in his
fleet. It allowed for very efficient battle maneuvers as ships could move
together as one.

-

In space, the 620
spindle-shaped cruisers moved toward the enemy fleet. The Vorn were in a
globular formation with the two motherships in the center where they would be
protected.

-

Grand Fleet
Admiral Lorell watched the enemy uneasily. They seemed so sure of themselves.
“Are we certain no other black fleet formations are showing on our sensors?” He
didn’t like what was seeing in the tactical display. The Destroyers of Worlds
had never made such a tactical error before.

“Long-range
sensors are clear,” Subcommander Orphren replied as he walked over and gazed at
the sensors set to detect Destroyers of Worlds’ ships in hyperspace. “There is
only the one fleet.”

Fleet Admiral
Lorell still couldn’t shake the feeling something was wrong. Rising from his
command chair, he stepped over to one of the tactical displays, searching for
any sign that something was amiss. “I don’t understand this. They must know—with
our fleet and the defenses of the twin moons—that their fleet cannot defeat
us.”

“They have
never attacked a Protector World before,” Subcommander Orphren pointed out.
“They may not be aware of our strength.”

“I don’t buy
that,” Fleet Admiral Lorell replied as he returned to his command chair with a
worried frown on his face. “They have been at this far too long to make such a
mistake. No, we’re overlooking something.”

Subcommander
Orphren studied the sensors again, shaking his head. “I just don’t see it.”

“Twelve
minutes until engagement range,” reported the sensor operator.

-

The massive
cylindrical shape of the Bascoms’ fleet and the compact defensive globe of the
black fleet moved steadily closer. The Bascoms were confident their superior
numbers would force the black fleet to withdraw before they reached the twin moons.
However, the black fleet did not intend to lose this battle. They had learned
their lesson in the battle with food species 236.

-

We are
nearly in engagement range, sent Military Commander Fraymot.

Our other
fleets?

Undetected.
There is no evidence this food species has noticed their presence.

This satisfied
Prince Brollen. Since the debacle with food species 236, modifying the
hyperdrives on their ships had been necessary. The scientist caste had
proclaimed that food species 236 had been tracking the Vorn fleet through a
specific radiation signature given off by the drives. A masking field had been
developed to hide the radiation signature, making the fleets once more
undetectable. Prince Brollen had left the masking field off his fleet so the
food species in this system would believe they had superior numbers and a
chance of defeating the Vorn ships. It also forced them to focus on his fleet
and to not look for others they might not detect.

Our fleets
are in position, sent Military Commander Fraymot. They have not been
detected.

Prince Brollen
nodded. Commence the attack!

-

On board the
Bascom flagship, alarms sounded, and red warning lights flashed. Weapons fire came
from all around the fleet.

“Where’s that attack
coming from?” demanded Fleet Admiral Lorell, his eyes narrowing sharply. He had
been correct in suspecting something was amiss. “Use our viewscreens to search
for additional enemy ships.” He suspected that somehow the Destroyers of Worlds
had snuck other ships into the system.

“Contacts!”
called out the sensor operator as the Bascom fleet came under heavy attack. “We
have confirmation of two additional black fleets which have just entered
weapons range.”

“Where and how
many ships?” demanded Grand Admiral Lorell as his worst fears materialized.
This explained why the first black fleet had been advancing with such
confidence.

“Unknown,”
reported the sensor operator, his hands flying over his console as he tried to
estimate the number of ships in the two new black fleet formations. “We’re
picking them up on countless viewscreens across the fleet. Astrometrics is
tracking them whenever they fire a weapon. The black ships are using some type
of masking field to shield the energy signatures of their subspace drives.”

The Bascom flagship
shuddered violently from incoming weapons fire. Everything made sense now.
Somehow the Destroyers of Worlds had discovered how their ships were being tracked
and had implemented a countermeasure.

“Damage
report!”

“Heavy damage
to the outer hull,” reported the damage control officer. “We have several
compartments open to space, and we’ve lost an energy projector. Damage control
teams are responding.”

“It was only a
glancing hit,” added Subcommander Orphren. “Otherwise their beams are going
right through our shields!”

“Return fire!”
ordered Fleet Admiral Lorell as he watched in horror while ship after Bascom
ship was annihilated by some kind of black energy beam. “What type of weapon is
that?” On one of the viewscreens, a Bascom battleship exploded violently as it
was struck by one of the black beams. On another, a pair of battlecruisers were
turned into twisted wreckage.

“It’s some
type of exotic antimatter,” reported the sensor operator. “It’s of a nature
I’ve never seen before.”

Fleet Admiral
Lorell had heard rumors of the Destroyers of Worlds coming from another
universe. He wondered if this antimatter weapon had originated from there. It
would explain a great deal about the weapons the black ships used.

“Continue to
hit them with our own antimatter missiles,” he ordered. He must act quickly
while he still had the ships to inflict serious damage on the black ships.
Looking at the carnage the enemy was inflicting on his fleet, he didn’t have
long.

-

In space, the
battle intensified as the Bascom fleet launched their two-hundred-megaton
antimatter missiles in sprint mode toward the black ships. Brilliant explosions
littered space as the missiles found their targets. On several occasions black
ship energy screens overloaded, bursting like a bubble, releasing gigatons of
uncontrolled energy, which, in most cases, annihilated the black ship the
shield protected. However, the three black ship fleets mercilessly played their
deadly black antimatter rays across the Bascom cylinder-shaped formation, destroying
ships with frightening regularity. The rays passed unhampered through Bascom energy
screens, creating huge craters in the hulls of the targeted ships. Then the
beam would race across the hull, opening the ship up to space until enough
critical damage accrued for the ship to die a fiery death. Most of the time
this only took a few seconds.

Throughout the
Bascom fleet’s cylindrical formation, flares of bright light indicated the demise
of countless ships and their crews. Space was becoming littered with the
riddled and twisted remains of the Bascom fleet.

-

“Pull us back
to the twin moons,” ordered Grand Admiral Lorell, feeling desperate as two more
of his battleships were annihilated. “How many of the black ships have we
destroyed with our antimatter missiles?”

“Twenty-two,”
reported Subcommander Orphren. “They’re still advancing.”

“Our own
losses?”

“We’ve lost
over four hundred ships. In some areas of our formation, the outer layer of the
cylinder is completely gone.” Subcommander Orphren’s eyes were wide in shock.

“Continue to
fire our antimatter missiles.”

“Missiles
launching,” reported the tactical officer. “We’ve fired 18 percent of our
missiles so far.”

They had no
choice but to retreat. Lorell’s numerical advantage was gone. “Download all
battle information to one of the observation ships. It’s to enter hyperspace
and proceed to Lakiam immediately. They must know our long-range sensors are no
longer effective.” This would bring consternation to all the Protector Worlds
as the black fleets would no longer be detectable.

A general
meeting of a number of Protector Worlds had been called a few months back. One decision
made at the meeting was the need for the sharing of information. As a result, a
number of observation ships, lightly armed warships, were left out of any
battle so they could report on the tactics of the Destroyers of Worlds. The
tactical information was delivered to the Lakiams—declared as the Information Center for the war against the black ships since they were the only ones to
defeat a black fleet. The Lakiams had even destroyed one of the all-powerful
motherships.

-

Military
Commander Fraymot watched as the enemy fleet withdrew. All ships, launch the
globes of annihilation. Fraymot wanted to destroy as many of the enemy
ships as possible before they could reach the defenses of the two moons—the
Vorn’s primary targets in this system. There was no defense against the deadly
spheres, and, once they touched a ship’s energy screen, the vessel was doomed.

-

From the
spindle-shaped ships, black spheres of antimatter energy shot out toward the
retreating Bascom warships. In desperation the ships fired their energy
projectors, trying to disrupt the deadly spheres. In a few instances, the black
antimatter spheres exploded. However, in most cases, the spheres continued on,
striking the energy shields of their targets.

Grand Fleet Admiral Lorell watched
in anguish as hundreds of his remaining ships were struck by the deadly energy
spheres.

“Those are the
black antimatter spheres we were warned about,” said Subcommander Orphren in a
strained voice. “Numerous ships are reporting a significant power drain on
their shields.”

“Continue the
withdrawal,” ordered Fleet Admiral Lorell, grim-faced. “Contact all tugs at the
twin moons and have them pull the affected ships back to the defensive grids.”
Fleet Admiral Lorell doubted if there would be time for this, but he had to
try.

“Message
sent,” reported Subcommander Orphren.

“Numerous
ships report their energy shields are down,” added the communications officer.

“The black
antimatter spheres have reached the ships’ hulls, and the power drain continues,”
reported the sensor officer.

“A number of
ships have lost all power and are totally defenseless,” reported Subcommander
Orphren, his eyes wide with worry as he gazed in growing consternation at the tactical
displays. “They’re requesting assistance.”

“Black ships
are launching antimatter missiles,” warned the sensor officer. “They’re
targeting the ships which have lost power.”

As he watched
the viewscreens, Grand Fleet Admiral Lorell’s heart sank. Hundreds of Bascom
vessels drifted powerless in the void. They would stand no chance against the
black ships’ antimatter missiles. Even as he watched, brilliant explosions lit
up space as ship after ship with its Bascom crews were ruthlessly destroyed.

-

For several
minutes the brutal carnage continued until finally the flagship and the rest of
the surviving ships of the Bascom fleet reached the defensive grids of the twin
moons. Grand Fleet Admiral Lorell divided his remaining fleet, sending equal
components to each moon.

“What do we
have left?” His fleet had been brutally savaged.

The sensor officer
shook his head. “We have 212 battleships and 507 battlecruisers still
operational.”

“We’ve lost
Admiral Dubal,” reported Subcommander Orphren. “His flagship was incapacitated
by one of the black energy spheres.”

Fleet Admiral
Lorell took a deep breath. This was far worse than he had imagined. “Inform
Admiral Wythe he has command of the forces protecting Glasht. We will take over
the defense of Debent.”

The black ships
were now revealed on the tactical display. “How are we detecting those ships?”

“Planetary
telescopes and orbiting space camera systems,” reported the sensor officer.
“We’re also adding information from the defensive platforms, the command station,
plus our warships.”

Fleet Admiral
Lorell nodded as he studied the tactical display and the three large black ship
formations. Each contained over six hundred of the spindle-shaped cruisers and
two of the large motherships. His hope of saving the twin moons vanished. The
defenses around Debent and Glasht would not be enough! This was the largest
attack the black ships had made on any world.

“How soon
before any additional fleet units can reach us?”

Subcommander
Orphren slowly shook his head. “None within twelve hours. It will take over two
days for the nearest Protector World to send aid, if they do. With three black
fleets in this sector, all the nearby Protector Worlds may be hesitant to risk
any of their fleet units.”

Subcommander
Orphren was right. If the situation were reversed, the twin moons would be
hesitant about sending any of their ships into danger. Grand Fleet Admiral
Lorell wondered if any of his fleet or people would survive the next few hours.

-

The enemy
has completed their retreat to their worlds, Military Commander Fraymot
reported. Both moons have heavy defenses around them.

What are
your plans to render those defenses harmless so we can harvest those worlds?
asked Prince Brollen. So far, Military Commander Fraymot had performed his duty
admirably.

We will
assail the defenses and fleet guarding the nearer of the two inhabited moons,
answered Fraymot. Once the fleet and the orbiting defenses have been
annihilated, then we will proceed to the second moon.

This satisfied
Prince Brollen. It was both efficient and practical. After the disaster
inflicted on his fleet by food species 236, he had been summoned to the
Conclave Habitat for a personal meeting with Queen Alithe. It had been made
very clear to him that continued failure would cause him to lose his status as
one of Queen Alithe’s chosen ones. Brollen strongly suspected this had not disappointed
Prince Ortumad as he wished to take Brollen’s place as one of the Queen’s
favorites.

Prince Brollen
turned his multifaceted eyes toward one of the large viewscreens in the Command Center, focusing on one of the two inhabited moons of food species 647. Already
Brollen was curious as to how this particular food species would taste. He had
a personal collection of food pellets from a number of the worlds his fleet had
harvested. He was always seeking new and savory tastes for his inquisitive
palate.

-

The commander
of the Command and Control Station responsible for protecting Glasht listened
as Admiral Wythe gave his orders. The fleet would further divide itself,
forming up around the large defensive platforms and the Command and Control
Station. The platforms and the station would coordinate antimatter missile
strikes on the black fleets. That would allow for enough launchers to saturate
the screens of the enemy ships to bring some of them down.

Commander
Gunther stared at the numerous viewscreens in the Command Center. Messages had
been sent, and the fleet units assigned to the various platforms moved into
their positions. Admiral Wythe’s flagship defended the port side of the Command
and Control Station.

“All ships are
in position,” reported the sensor operator. “The black ships are nearing
weapons range.”

Commander
Gunther looked about the Command Center. His people showed no fear at what was
ahead of them. This was a good crew, and he had served with many of them for
years. He had known a few of them since they had been cubs on Glasht.

“Prepare to
fire. Antimatter missiles first, followed by our force beams. All weapons are
to be focused on the same target area.”

“Black ship
targeted,” reported Smurl, the tactical officer. “Targeting information has
been sent to our supporting ships.”

-

The three
black fleets approached the moon of Glasht. As soon as they neared weapons
range, they split apart and surrounded the planet. Once the planet was englobed,
the fleets surged forward, firing their black antimatter energy beams at the
defending ships and the powerful defensive stations. In just a matter of a few
moments two of the massive stations exploded, sending debris careening through
space. Four nearby Bascom battlecruisers couldn’t avoid the debris, and three
of them were seriously damaged. Moments later black antimatter energy beams
ended their existence.

From the
defensive platforms and the Command and Control Station, hundreds of the two-hundred-megaton
antimatter missiles were launched toward the black fleets. In addition, more
missiles were fired by the surviving battleships and battlecruisers. Space
exploded in brilliance as the missiles struck their targets. Black ship screens
absorbed tremendous amounts of released antimatter energy as the warheads
detonated. In a few instances, the shields became supersaturated with energy
and burst like a bubble. In blinding flashes of light, the black ships were
annihilated, leaving only a few wisps of glowing gas behind.

-

“We took out
fourteen of the enemy,” reported the sensor operator to Commander Gunther.

A brilliant
light flashed across one of the viewscreens in the front of the Command Center.

“Defense
platform seventeen has been blown apart,” the sensor operator informed Gunther.
“That’s six we’ve lost. Also a lot of our battlecruisers and battleships have
been destroyed .”

Gunther took a
deep breath. “Continue to fire. We must destroy enough of them to force the black
ships to withdraw!” With a deep-throated growl, he watched the viewscreens as
the battle increased in intensity.

-

Admiral Wythe
was thrown against the restraining harness of his command chair. It took him a
moment to catch his breath. The lights in the Command Center seemed to flicker
and then returned to normal.

“Heavy damage
reported in Engineering and adjoining compartments,” reported Subcommander
Marless. “We have numerous compartments open to space, and our fighting ability
has been substantially reduced. Energy shield is down to 30 percent.”

Wythe looked
at the viewscreens, which were still functioning. He stared in shock, his mind
numb. Black ship antimatter rays were tearing apart the moon’s defenses. Even
the powerful defensive platforms were being struck down by those deadly beams.

“Enemy is
launching their black antimatter spheres,” warned Subcommander Marless. “Impact
in twelve seconds.”

The two looked
at one another meaningfully. They both knew what this meant.

“Fire as many
missiles as we can in the time we have left,” ordered Admiral Wythe, accepting
he wouldn’t survive this battle.

“Missiles
firing,” reported the tactical officer. “We’ll launch as many as we can until
we lose power.”

The lights in
the Command Center suddenly dimmed and stayed dim. Admiral Wythe looked
questioningly at the sensor operator.

“Black
antimatter sphere has struck our energy screen.”

“We’re
suffering a massive power loss,” reported Subcommander Marless. “Energy screen
has failed, and the black sphere has reached our hull.”

“Weapons are
offline,” added the tactical officer. “We launched 38 percent of our missiles.”

A few moments
later, the Command Center lights went out completely, and then, one by one, the
consoles shut down, leaving the room in darkness.

Admiral Wythe
could do nothing to prevent his ship’s destruction and the loss of his faithful
crew. He wished he could have walked upon Glasht one last time.

-

Prince Brollen
nodded in satisfaction as the black antimatter spheres performed their gruesome
work. The large defensive platforms died as their power was stolen. The same
with the defending battleships and battlecruisers. On the primary viewscreen,
the large command station blew apart, raining debris on the moon.

All targets
eliminated, reported Military Commander Fraymot. We are now targeting
the orbital defensive satellites. They should be destroyed in the next few
minutes, and then we can move to the secondary target.

How many
cruisers did we lose?

Only
eighteen, answered Fraymot. The antimatter warheads used against us are
in the two-hundred-megaton range. They kept firing them at a small section of
our defensive energy screens until they were overloaded. The resulting release
of the absorbed energy destroyed our ships.

Prince Brollen
wasn’t concerned about the loss of ships. He had proven his point that one of
the so-called Protector World systems could be destroyed, even with the
advanced weapons they possessed. While the harvest of this galaxy would be more
costly than those in the past, it could still be done with relatively few
losses to the Vorn fleets. He had promised Queen Alithe that he would do this.
It ensured the harvesting of this galaxy would continue at an accelerated rate.
The Vorn race was hungry, and this galaxy would furnish sustenance for hundreds
of years.

Focusing his
multifaceted eyes on the primary viewscreen, he could see hundreds of small
pinpricks of light as the defensive satellites were quickly eliminated. The moon
below was now his for the taking, but first he must conquer the second one. The
harvest of this system would be plentiful and would send a warning to all the
other heavily armed worlds that it was useless to resist the Vorn. It would
encourage them to return their fleets to their home systems, leaving numerous
other worlds vulnerable to the Vorn fleets.

All targets
eliminated. Proceeding to the secondary target, sent Military Commander
Fraymot.

-

Grand Fleet
Admiral Lorell gazed grimly at the black fleets now approaching Debent. If
Admiral Wythe had failed to stop the advance of the fleets on Glasht, Lorell
had very little chance to do so here, but he had to try.

“All ships and
defensive platforms, stand by to launch antimatter hypermissiles,” he ordered.
“We will launch at maximum range and continue to fire until our missile bays
are empty. As previously discussed, we will limit our fire to a few black ship
vessels. Once they are destroyed, we will move to secondary targets.”

Subcommander
Orphren moved closer to the admiral where no one could overhear. “We don’t
stand a chance, do we?”

Fleet Admiral
Lorell looked long and hard at Subcommander Orphren and then let out a deep
sigh of frustration. “I wish we did. Our people are depending on us to protect
them, but we just don’t have the firepower!”

Subcommander
Orphren nodded his understanding. His mate and cubs had been assigned to one of
the deep shelters. Even if the fleet was defeated and the Destroyers of Worlds
harvested the planet, there was a slim chance they would survive. Perhaps
someday in the future, his male cubs would avenge his death.

“Enemy will be
within weapons range in four minutes,” reported the sensor operator.

Grand Fleet
Admiral Lorell leaned back in his command chair and closed his eyes. He took a
deep, steadying breath as his greatest battle was about to begin.

-

Prince Brollen
watched the tactical display as his fleets moved closer to the second inhabited
moon. Already he could imagine how this new food species would taste. Once he
had demonstrated these so-called Protector Worlds could be destroyed with few
losses, then other Protector Worlds would be attacked. That would allow the
harvesting fleets to expand the harvest area and return to the Vorn Conclave
Habitat and their other megastructures with full loads of food pellets. Their food
shortage would end, and his status in the hierarchy would be assured.

We have
reports of other fleets inbound toward this system, reported Military
Commander Fraymot.

How soon
before they arrive? Prince Brollen knew that Military Commander Fraymot had
left a number of the spindle-shaped cruisers on patrol duty to detect such
fleets on their long-range sensors.

Fourteen
hours before the first can reach us. If they attack in small groups,
they can easily be destroyed.

Very well,
we will continue the attack. We should be finished with the harvesting of these
worlds before their other ships can arrive. Once we have harvested the two moons,
we will leave.

Military
Commander Fraymot turned toward the prince. A large number of inhabitants are
on the moons, asteroids, and other planets in the system.

We will
leave those for now, answered Prince Brollen. Normally he did not tell his
subordinates the reasons for his actions, but this time he did. They will
tell others of how easy our victory was, forcing these Protector Worlds to pull
their fleets from the weaker worlds they defend. Our harvesting fleets will
then cull thousands of planets of different food species that will hopefully be
palatable to our Queens and the rest of our kind.

Weapons
range in twenty seconds, reported the Vorn in front of the sensor screens.

-

In space, the
fleets drew nearer. The Bascom ships waited until the black ships entered
weapons range and then let loose with every missile they could launch. Hundreds
of antimatter missiles slammed into the hulls of the black ships. Thousands of
megatons of antimatter energy were released, only to be absorbed by the
powerful energy screens of the black ships. Missile after missile pounded the
enemy’s screens. Then, in ones and twos, the energy screens failed. They exploded
in massive bursts of energy, creating small novalike explosions, which
instantly annihilated the ships. For a few seconds the Bascoms in the defending
fleet were elated as they saw black ships dying. But then the black ships
returned fire. Only this time they attacked with both their black antimatter
beams and their deadly black spheres.

Across the
defensive grid, platforms were torn apart as the black beams ripped through
their screens, blasting huge chasms in the hulls. Black ship antimatter
missiles arrived as energy shields failed, leaving the massive structures
vulnerable. In a matter of thirty seconds, fourteen of the twenty defending
platforms died fiery deaths. Around them Bascom battleships and battlecruisers
exploded in flames like moths drawn to a fire. The black antimatter spheres
attached themselves to energy screens, absorbing their energy, and then latched
onto the hulls to finish their deadly work.

Several more
of the defensive platforms lost their power and were instantly turned into
drifting wreckage as antimatter missiles finished the work of the spheres. The Bascom
antimatter missiles pummeling the black fleet lessened as the defenders were
systematically eliminated.

-

Deep below the
surface of the planet, the leaders of the Bascom race watched in horror as
bright flashes of light indicated the destruction of the defensive platforms
and the fleet guarding their moon. In consternation and dread, they all understood
what this meant. The Destroyers of Worlds would soon harvest the planet. Billions
of innocent Bascom citizens would die. Only a few million hidden in the deepest
of shelters might survive.

With growing
understanding, the leaders of the Bascom moons knew the Destroyers of Worlds
could not be stopped. In time the deadly enemy would harvest the inhabited
planets of this galaxy, culling all of its intelligent life. When the black
ships left, tens of thousands of broken and destroyed worlds would be left behind.

-

In space,
Grand Fleet Admiral Lorell watched in anguish as the Command and Control
Station was ripped apart by the deadly black beams of the black ships. His
fleet was mostly gone, and only a few ships besides his flagship still
survived.

“Order the
remaining observation ship to jump into hyperspace and proceed to Lakiam. There
is nothing else it can learn here.”

In silence,
Subcommander Orphren moved to carry out the order. His steps were leaden and
his movements almost mechanical. His world was coming to an end.

Fleet Admiral
Lorell watched the subcommander, understanding his detachment from what was
going on around him. The battle was lost, and nothing could be done to save
Debent. The flagship suddenly shook violently, and the lights faded. After a
few moments, the lights died completely. Even the ventilation system grew quiet.
Grand Fleet Admiral Lorell closed his eyes, waiting for the end.

-

As the last
defending ship died under the fire of the black antimatter beams, Military
Commander Fraymot turned toward the prince. The battle is over. We have a
few defensive satellites to eliminate, but the harvest can begin shortly.

You have
done well, sent Prince Brollen. As soon as the satellites have been
eliminated, move the fleets into position. I am anxious to taste this new food
species.

-

A few minutes
later the six motherships went into close orbit above the moon. From each ship
fourteen large hatches slid open, and a black ray flashed forth to strike the
surface of the moon below. As the black beams swept across the cities, all their
inhabitants were transformed into a black ashy substance.

On board the
mothership Reaper, the prince watched as the tractor beams inside the
black rays brought the converted organic substance into the mothership and fed
it to the converters. The converters classified the different organic substances
and then changed them into appropriate food for each of the three castes.

The prince
walked over and pressed a button on a small control panel. Instantly a
receptacle slid open, and a gray pellet in the form of a small cube was ejected
onto a tray. The prince took the pellet and popped it into his mouth, crunching
the pellet with his mandibles and feeling the invigorating strength that
instantly flowed through him. This pellet was made from the organic material of
one of the civilized inhabitants of the moon they were culling. Gray pellets
were for the Royal Caste and the other privileged; black pellets were for the
Military Caste. Finally the brown pellets were for the Working Caste. Each cube
would provide sustenance for a full day, or two days if necessary, without any
hunger pangs.

With intense
pleasure, Prince Brollen was surprised by how tasty this particular food pellet
was. The Queens would truly enjoy such a delicacy. He would make a point of
presenting a significant portion of these food pellets to Queen Alithe. He was
certain when he returned to the Conclave Habitat that his future as one of the
favorites of the Vorn Queen would be assured.

-

On the surface
of the moon, white spheres of energy from the orbiting motherships fell.
Wherever a city had been harvested, the spheres exploded, wiping out nearly all
signs of civilization. City after city died as all constructs that once showed
a civilized society had existed on the moon were systematically eliminated.

-

A few hours
later the same culling took place on Glasht as its inhabitants were harvested
and turned into food pellets for the Vorn race. The same destruction from the
white energy spheres was inflicted on Glasht, turning it into a nearly lifeless
world. All visages of a civilized society were eliminated. The three Vorn
fleets then formed up and entered hyperspace, leaving a shattered system
behind. Very quickly word of what had been done would spread across this region
of the galaxy. In a matter of a few short days, the Protector Worlds would know
not even their home planets were safe from the Destroyers of Worlds.

Chapter Two

Fleet Admiral
Kurt Vickers was on board Newton Station, the large and completely rebuilt
shipyard in orbit above the planet Newton. Six months had passed since destroying
the Profiteer fleet around Earth and once more freeing the planet—six busy months
both in the solar system and around Newton. In addition to expanding the
station, new ship construction had begun in earnest.

“She’s quite a
sight, isn’t she?” said Captain Randson as he critically studied the new
battlecruiser about to exit the large construction bay. The ship was 1,000
meters long and 200 meters wide. It contained twenty decks, making the ship 170
meters thick.

“She’s more
powerful than the Aurelia,” commented Colonel Hayworth, in charge of
ship construction.

“She should
be,” spoke up Lomatz, who could pass as Human, except for the pale yellow tint
to his eyes. “We combined the technology from four Protector Worlds to build
your new battlecruisers.” He paused, considering Fleet Admiral Vickers. “I
still don’t understand why you insisted on installing that massive KEW cannon.”

The large
cannon ran four hundred meters along the center of the ship and had a
twelve-degree range of fire from the bow of the vessel.

Star Cross
Chief Tactical Officer Lieutenant Evelyn Mays stood nearby, listening to the
discussion. “That cannon can fire a round at nearly 60 percent of the speed of
light with the new power systems we’ve installed. I’m not convinced even these
Destroyers of Worlds’ ships could withstand such a blow to their shields if we
had the right projectile.”

Lomatz went
silent for a long moment and then responded. “I do have to admit, with all the
research my people have done, there is no record of anyone using such a weapon
against a black ship. It’s considered too primitive.”

“We need to
find the right projectile,” said Captain Randson as he watched the
battlecruiser slide past the large observation window where they all stood.

“I may have an
idea on that,” said Lieutenant Mays with a sly smile on her face. “We use
neutronium as the projectile.”

“Impossible,”
said Lomatz, shaking his head in disbelief. “Neutronium has to come from the
core of a neutron star, and, due to the intense gravity and surface temperature
there, it’s impossible to mine. Even if you could, once it’s removed from the
star, it will expand and explode. It would destroy your mining crew and/or the ship
instantly.”

Lieutenant
Mays’s smile changed to a deep frown. “There must be a way. I’ve run the
numbers. A projectile the size of a marble would generate the explosive force
equivalent to all the energy Newton’s sun puts out in one second. Such a
projectile fired by our KEW cannon would be unstoppable by any conceivable
energy shield. Even the ones used by the black ships.”

“Let’s say you
could get this neutronium marble. It would crush your ship because it would
weigh in excess of several billion tons,” said Lomatz. “I’m afraid you will
have to settle for something larger and less dense. Neutronium will not work.”

Lieutenant
Mays let out a deep sigh of disappointment. “I’m not giving up. We need a
weapon that can easily destroy the black ships, and this would do it.”

“Keep
searching,” Kurt said with a nod. Lieutenant Mays was a brilliant tactical
officer. “Perhaps someday we’ll find a way to get you the neutronium. For now,
we must find the best substitute we can.”

Lieutenant
Mays nodded, but her mouth was pressed into a thin line.

Kurt knew she
wouldn’t give up on the neutronium idea.

“That makes
the tenth new battlecruiser we’ve built,” Colonel Hayward said with a pleased
smile. “The new construction techniques and systems that Lomatz’s people helped
us to install have made a huge difference.”

“What about
our older ships? How is the conversion going with them?” asked Kurt. The four
large repair bays on the station had been working around the clock, equipping various
ships with the new weapons and power systems.

“The last of
them will be changed over in six more weeks,” reported Hayworth.

“What about the
improvements in the construction bays?”

“We’ve
finished the modifications to all four of the older ones, and the two newer
construction bays are already in full operation.”

Kurt nodded
his approval. Over the last six months, the news coming in from the rest of the
galaxy had been frightening. The Destroyers of Worlds had culled planet after
planet across the galaxy. All Kurt’s data came from Ambassador Marvin Tenner,
stationed on Kubitz. The planet was, a treasure trove of information if you
knew the right people and could afford to pay for it. Currently Avery Dolman
was making a small fortune off Newton’s need to know.

“What about my
new flagship?”

Colonel
Hayward grinned. “The new Star Cross?”

“Yes.” Kurt
wanted a battleship as his command vessel.

“It’s been
moved to one of the repair bays for completion. All the primary systems are
installed and functioning. We need to finish up the interior and perform a
little additional work on the power systems. All that can be done in a repair
bay while we build new battlecruisers in the six construction bays.”

This sounded
fine to Kurt as the new construction technologies in the bays resembled the
same ones used at Kubitz in the massive shipyards that orbited the planet. Those
new technologies gave Kurt the ability to build twelve new battlecruisers every
six weeks. It thrilled Kurt to know that, within one year, he would have a
fleet of over one hundred of the powerful vessels. If the Newton System could
remain undetected by the Destroyers of Worlds, Kurt might just build a fleet
powerful enough to give the black fleets pause, if and when they did show up.

Kurt faced
Lomatz. “How do your people like living on the island?” The huge Newton island had been settled by twenty thousand members of Lomatz’s race.

“Fine,”
answered Lomatz, folding his arms over his chest. “It’s large enough for future
expansion, and all our automated factories are up and running. My people
couldn’t be happier.” Then he looked knowingly at Kurt. “I’m also sure your
people are glad mine are on the island and not running loose on Newton.”

“We must learn
to trust one another first,” Kurt replied evenly. “You have to admit the
culture you’re from is very different than ours.”

“I’m not
complaining,” answered Lomatz. “I think it’s a wise decision. However, keep in
mind that my people are not Profiteers.”

“I understand
you’re returning to Kubitz shortly,” said Hayworth.

Lomatz shifted
his gaze to the ship construction manager. “Yes, we’ve been here for several
months, and I’ve still got a lucrative business to run back on Kubitz. Also a
few more necessities must be picked up as well as several more automated
factories. Governor Spalding and his people have submitted a list of additional
factories they’re interested in, particularly with all the people flooding Newton from Earth. We’ll leave in a couple days.”

Captain
Randson shook his head. “I guess I’ll never understand how a place like Kubitz
can exist. From what Grantz told me, it’s getting wilder and more dangerous
every day.”

“Because of
the Destroyers of Worlds,” said Kurt, recalling Ambassador Tenner’s last
report. “Kubitz is the biggest exporter of defensive weapons systems in the
galaxy, and—with the growing demands for these by both Protector Worlds and
Enlightened Worlds—Kubitz is building a number of new construction facilities
in orbit. Even the defenses around Kubitz and other Gothan Empire worlds have
been substantially strengthened.”

“It’s grown
nearly impossible for many clans to even purchase warships for raiding
purposes,” added Lomatz. “The different worlds in the Gothan Empire have
purchased nearly every ship being built in the Kubitz shipyards. Prices in the
last six months have nearly tripled.”

“Tenner
mentioned the slave market is still going strong, which indicates some raiding
is still continuing,” said Kurt. Kurt wished there was something that could be
done to shut that despicable market down.

Lomatz nodded.
“Only in areas where no Destroyers of Worlds’ ships have been reported and only
by the larger clans.”

“What happens
if the black ships find the Gothan Empire?” asked Randson.

Lomatz went
silent for a long moment and then answered. “Why do you think I brought my
people here? At some point in time, the Destroyers of Worlds will come to the Gothan
Empire. All the empire worlds are heavily defended and are protected by huge
fleets. It will be a grand battle, but, in the end, the empire will fall, and
all their worlds will be harvested, just as the Enlightened Worlds are now.
There is no stopping the black ships.”

Everyone quieted
after that pronouncement. The future of the galaxy was perilous. Rumors were spreading
like wildfire of Protector World fleets being swept aside as if they were a
minor hindrance. The civilized culture of most of the galaxy was in danger of
collapsing. However, what concerned all of them the most was what would happen
when the Destroyers of Worlds finally took the time to search the backwater
area of the galaxy, which held Earth, Newton, and a few other civilized worlds.

-

Several hours
later Kurt was in a shuttle rapidly descending to the surface of Newton. His destination was the large spaceport outside the capital city. The porthole
next to him displayed how close they were to one of the orbiting defensive
platforms. Each was two hundred meters across and forty meters thick. On top
sat a pair of massive ion cannons, four direct energy cannons, and eight large
energy projectors. Six pods contained eight hypermissiles, each with an
automatic reloading system. Everything was computer-controlled, and a crew of
twelve could operate the entire platform. The Class One Command and Control
Station was ten times the size of the defensive platforms with the firepower of
ten Lakiam battleships. Currently sixty-four of the Class One defensive
platforms orbited Newton. The fourteen Class Twos and their Command and Control
Station had been taken to Earth and put into orbit to protect the home planet.

“Damn, there
are a lot of ships in orbit,” commented Captain Randson from where he sat in
the copilot’s chair in front of Kurt.

Kurt had to
grin. Those ships belonged to Earth, Newton, Julbian, Sertez, and Maldon, the
latter three being the humanoid systems that had formed an alliance with Newton and Earth. All three had reached a similar technological development. Julbian had
become a problem when Kurt had claimed jurisdiction over it at Kubitz. He had
been forced to pay a large fee to register his claim, and, much to his
surprise, he had found Lomatz had included two smaller regions of space in the
contract also. When Newton ships had explored those two regions, they found the
systems of Sertez and Maldon.

“Trade with
our new friends is certainly growing,” said Kurt, pleased with the development.

As part of
their agreement to form an alliance, Newton had provided the other planets with
blueprints for improved hyperdrives to allow for quicker travel between all the
alliance members. Of course none of the hyperdrives compared to the ones on the
Aurelia or Kurt’s new ships. Also, as part of their agreement, Kurt had
arranged for Lomatz to procure a few more Class Two Orbital Defense Platforms
to protect their new allies from attack by the Profiteers. Both the Sertez and
Maldon homeworlds were now protected by eight defensive platforms plus a
Command and Control Station. Lomatz had informed Kurt immediately afterward that
no more defensive platforms of any type were available from the empire. Demand
for them was at an all-time high, and prices had skyrocketed. Lomatz had
suggested using his large construction ships to possibly build more. He
informed Kurt it would be time-consuming but possible.

As the shuttle
descended through Newton’s thick and protective atmosphere, Kurt thought over
the events of the past six months. The two Lakiams, Mara and Tarnth, had stayed
at Newton for two months, showing Kurt’s people how to operate the Lakiam and
Andock warships Lomatz had salvaged. Once Kurt was satisfied his people knew
everything they needed to about the warships, he arranged for the two Lakiams
to go to Kubitz, where they procured a ship to take them home. He had gone out
of the way to ensure neither were aware of Earth’s or Newton’s exact location.
However, if the Lakiams wanted to find either planet, they probably could. The
locations were known on Kubitz, and that information could be bought for the
right price.

The shuttle
touched down, and Kurt and Andrew exited, stepping onto the tarmac of the
spaceport. The midafternoon sun shone brightly in the sky with only a
scattering of fleecy white clouds.

“Going home?” Kurt
asked Andrew as they crossed the spaceport to the large terminal where vehicles
waited.

“Yes,” Andrew
replied with a smile. “I promised Emily and Alexis that I would take them out
to eat at the new Mexican restaurant at the Westside Mall.”

Kurt laughed.
Emily was Andrew’s wife, and Alexis was his fourteen-year-old highly spirited
daughter. “I suspect some shopping will be involved after the meal.”

Andrew sighed,
and his shoulders drooped slightly. “I’m sure, but I’ve been gone for three
days, and I promised I would do whatever they wanted when I got back. What
about you? How’s Keera adjusting to her brother and Meesa getting married?”

“It was
actually a relief,” answered Kurt as they entered the terminal. “Meesa’s doing
a good job keeping Dalen out of trouble. He’s been made foreman in charge of a
large group of construction robots, building new homes. The money’s good, and
he seems satisfied with his new life.”

“A big change
from Kubitz.”

“Yeah, at
least here he’s not working for any of the Profiteers.”

Reaching the
far side of the terminal, they went their separate ways, getting into awaiting
vehicles. Before Kurt could go home, he had a short meeting with Governor
Spalding.

-

As the car
drove through the city, Kurt couldn’t help marveling at all the changes that
had come about over the last year. Towering skyscrapers reached toward the
clouds. Huge apartment complexes, shopping centers, video theaters, and
everything else one could imagine in a large Earth city were present in Newton’s capital. The city was more modern than any found on the home planet. The capital city’s
population was rapidly nearing one and a half million. Even more satisfying,
with the purchase of the automated factories from Kubitz, Newton was now
self-sufficient. Anything made on Earth could be produced by the new factories,
once they were programmed.

Reaching the Government Center, the large complex of buildings where the government was located, Kurt
exited the hydrogen-powered vehicle and made his way into the largest
structure.

-

It didn’t take
Kurt long to reach Governor Spalding’s office. Once there he was quickly
ushered into the governor’s office by his secretary.

“Fleet Admiral
Vickers,” said Spalding, rising from his chair and walking around his desk to
shake the admiral’s hand. “I was hoping you would have time to stop by.”

“I’m available
anytime you need me,” Kurt replied with a smile. He had known Governor Spalding
for years, and the two of them had grown quite close.

“Have a seat,
Admiral,” Spalding said, returning to his own comfortable chair. “I wanted to
speak to you about the latest message Marvin Tenner sent from Kubitz.”

Kurt raised
his eyebrows. Since resigning his commission to become Newton’s ambassador to
Kubitz, Marvin now reported directly to the governor. “What’s going on? Has
Grantz gotten into more trouble?” Grantz was the Marsten Profiteer who had
signed a very lucrative contract to work for Newton and Kurt. Grantz had been
useful in a number of delicate situations on Kubitz. However, Grantz had an
overwhelming urge for gold and would do almost anything to acquire it.

“No, not
Grantz this time. Tenner reported he received a message from the Lakiams. It
seems they want their warships back.”

Kurt relaxed
in his chair, taking a deep breath. Mara had warned him of this when she left. “What
did they say?”

“They want you
to come to Kubitz and turn over the vessels to them. They will have ships and
crews there to return them to Lakiam. They also want the Andock vessels.”

Kurt stood up
and walked to the window overlooking the capital. The city streets were still
busy even late in the afternoon. “I don’t see we have a choice. While Mara and
Tarnth probably aren’t sure where Earth and Newton are, they can certainly buy
that information on Kubitz. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Lakiams haven’t
already arranged for that.” That was the bad thing about Kubitz; anything and
everything was for sale for the right price. Kurt didn’t want a fleet of Lakiam
warships showing up over Newton or Earth. Despite the two planets’ newest
defenses, the Lakiams possessed some of the most powerful warships in the
galaxy. Even the Gothan Empire was afraid of them.

“So we just turn
over those warships to them?” asked Governor Spalding unhappily. “Can we afford
to?”

Kurt pivoted
and returned to his chair. “Fortunately we’ve already learned everything we can
from those vessels. Lomatz’s engineers can duplicate every system on any of
those warships. The new battlecruisers we’ve built are actually more powerful
than the Lakiam or the Andock vessels. We’ve put more weapons on board our
ships and eliminated a lot of the wasted space present on the Protector World
vessels. We’ve already built ten battlecruisers, and our new battleship will be
ready in a few more weeks.”

Governor
Spalding looked thoughtful and then replied. “So it was a good decision to
allow Lomatz and his people to settle on that island?”

“It would seem
so,” replied Kurt. There had been a lot of discussions before that decision was
made. “You must remember their technology was already way ahead of ours. They’ve
been studying Protector World and Enlightened World technology for years.
Without their help, we could never have duplicated the advanced technologies on
those Lakiam and Andock ships. The upgrades Lomatz’s people have made to Newton
Station are breathtaking. What they’ve helped us to accomplish in a few short months
would have taken us years to do by ourselves.”

“Yes, I’ve
spoken to Colonel Simms, and he’s more than satisfied with what’s been done to
the station. It’s hard to believe how rapidly they can build a new ship. I must
take a tour when I have the chance.”

Kurt went
silent for a moment, and then he asked, “How soon should we take the warships
to Kubitz?” The ships had been made spaceworthy in the repairs bays in Newton
Station. Kurt had hoped to keep them.

“The Lakiams
are demanding we have them there in two weeks. They will have a small fleet
waiting to take them off our hands.”

“I’ll make the
arrangements. Is there anything else?” Kurt wasn’t happy about returning to
Kubitz, but he didn’t see where he had any choice. He didn’t want the Lakiams
coming to Newton and seeing any of the new ships that had been built.

“Yes, you’ll
be taking a considerable quantity of gold. We’ve spent a lot on the automated
factories and medical devices we’ve ordered over the last six months. President
Mayfield has asked us to purchase a number of the automated factories and
construction robots for use on Earth. He hopes it will make reconstruction
easier. Lomatz also wants to purchase some specialized mining and refining
equipment.”

“Yes, we spoke
briefly about that. We’ll need the expanded mining and refining technology to
keep Newton Station supplied with the materials to build the new ships. Lomatz
also suggested buying some specialized factories that can turn out ship
components when properly programmed.”

“Are you
satisfied with the defenses we’ve put around Earth?”

“Eighty
million people,” murmured Kurt, thinking about all the lives lost in the
Profiteer attacks. “The Class Two Orbital Defense Platforms and its Command and
Control Station we’ve given them should be sufficient. We’ve also provided
Fleet Admiral Tomalson with additional ships.”

“Most of the
world still blames the North American Union for their trouble with the
Profiteers, particularly after what Marlen Stroud did. The loss of life didn’t
help.”

“What’s the
current status of people coming to Newton?” Ships arrived daily with
immigrants.

“Our most
recent census indicates we’re nearing a population of nineteen million. All
those cargo and detainee ships we took from the Profiteers makes moving people
from Earth to Newton a lot easier.”

“How many more
will we take?” The original plan had been to get Newton’s population up to
around twenty million.

Governor
Spalding focused on Kurt. “I spoke to President Mayfield a few days ago about
that. While most of our immigrants are from the North American Union, we are
taking a large number from the European Union as well. Right now we’re
accepting nearly everyone who has reasonable qualifications that could be
useful here. Once our population reaches twenty-two million, we’ll reduce the
number of immigrants to a few hundred thousand a year. We don’t dare drain the solar
system of too many of their highly skilled people or we risk collapsing the
system’s fragile economy.”

“Sounds
reasonable,” replied Kurt. Twenty-two million would give Newton sufficient
people to operate the growing fleet as well as all the orbital installations.
So far plenty had volunteered for the military, and Kurt hoped to keep it that
way.

“One more
thing,” Spalding said with a pained grimace. “Tenner said to bring more gold
coins for Grantz. That crazy Profiteer has acquired every one Tenner had.”

Kurt only
shook his head. He should have warned Marvin not to let Grantz know how large a
supply of coins were housed at the embassy.

-

Captain
Randson had just finished his meal and was listening to his daughter tell him
about the classes she had signed up for. She was a freshman in high school this
year and was excited about all the new students she would meet.

“Algebra,” she
said with a frown. “Why do we have to take so much math? What good will it ever
do?”

“It’s part of
a well-rounded education,” Emily said with a humorous smile.

“You want to
go to college, don’t you?” asked Andrew, laying down his fork. He could well
recall how he had disliked math too when he was her age.

Alexis toyed
with her dessert before answering. “Yes, I want to go to college. I want to be
a physical therapist and help people.”

“Then you’ll
have to take math,” Emily said, gazing at her daughter. “Probably a lot of it.”

Andrew looked
at Alexis. She was rapidly becoming a young woman. Soon the boys would start
calling, and he wasn’t sure he was ready for that.

“Let’s go
shopping,” suggested Emily, smiling at her daughter.

“I need a nice
dress,” stated Alexis hesitantly. “There’s a dance to start off the school year,
and I want to look nice.” She looked nervously at her father.

“A dance?”
stuttered Andrew in surprise. Surely this boy stuff wasn’t starting already?

“Yes, a
dance,” Emily said, gazing sharply at Andrew. Then she turned to Alexis. “I’m
sure we can find something suitable here at the mall.”

Andrew groaned
inwardly. They would be here for hours.

-

Kurt made it
to the apartment he and Keera shared. She had suggested they move to a small
house in the suburbs where they could have more room, so they could have
friends over, such as Captain Randson and his family. Kurt agreed with her as
he really enjoyed spending time at his sister’s house and playing baseball with
Bryan, his nine-year-old nephew.

Then there was
Meesa and Dalen. Keera invited them over quite often for family meals. Part of
this was so Keera could keep a close watch on her brother to make sure he
didn’t return to his old ways. He had already been arrested once on Newton for building small snooper robots to spy on competitors’ businesses. The small
flying robots were a little larger than one’s thumb and used very widely on
Kubitz, something Kurt had shared with Ambassador Tenner to watch for at the
embassy.

“How was your
day?” asked Kurt.

Keera sat on
the couch, munching on some popcorn—something they didn’t have on Kubitz, and Keera
had taken an immense liking to. He also noticed she had a large glass of tea on
the coffee table next to her. Tea was something else Keera was fascinated about
as they didn’t have such a wide variety in the Gothan Empire as was prevalent
on Earth and Newton.

Keera put
aside the bowl of popcorn and, standing up, came over and gave Kurt a kiss and
a big hug. “I’ve been at the new medical center, helping to install some Kubitz
medical equipment. I even got a few government permits to allow several of
Lomatz’s people to assist.”

Kurt nodded.
Anytime some of Lomatz’s people left their island, they were issued a travel
permit. There was still much concern about the people on the island
contaminating the culture on Newton. Many of them had Profiteer connections.
“How’s it coming along?”

“Slowly,” Keera
said with a deep sigh, leading Kurt to the sofa and indicating for him to sit
next to her. “I’m spending a lot of time explaining to doctors and medical
technicians how to use the equipment.”

Kurt looked
thoughtful and then spoke. “I’m sure many more people on Lomatz’s island know
how to use the equipment, probably even some doctors and additional medical
technicians.”

“Yeah, I’m
using a few of them, but the travel permits are only good for forty-eight
hours. It’s making everything so time-consuming.” Keera looked intently at
Kurt. “A few of Lomatz’s people were never involved with the Profiteers or with
what goes on at Kubitz. If I can find a few doctors, nurses, and medical
technicians who would be willing to work full time at the new hospital, do you
think it would be possible to lengthen the travel permits?”

Kurt frowned
as he thought it over. “I can speak to Governor Spalding about that, but they
would have to be heavily vetted to ensure they don’t attempt to spread Kubitz’s
culture to Newton.”

Keera’s eyes
brightened. She leaned forward and kissed Kurt on the cheek. “Could you? This
new technology could save a lot of lives. I’m certain, if we can get it
installed in the new medical center, it will be much simpler to install
elsewhere. We can train the medical technicians and nurses at the center, and
then they can return to their own medical centers and train others.”

Taking Keera’s
hand, he looked deeply into her eyes. “I’ll see what I can do. I’ll talk to
Governor Spalding first and then to Lomatz.”

Keera nodded. “I
knew you would understand.” She hesitated a moment before speaking again.
“Dalen and Meesa are coming over for supper. I’ve made a dish that is very
popular on Kubitz which I think you will like. I know they will.”

“You know I enjoy
your cooking. How soon before your brother and Meesa arrive?”

“About an
hour,” Keera said, grinning suggestively. “If you’re well behaved, I have a
special surprise for you later.”

Kurt’s heart
raced a little. Keera’s smile turned her face into something radiant and very
alluring. He had a pretty good idea what she had in mind.

“What are your
plans for tomorrow?” asked Keera, knowing the effect she was having on Kurt.

“Working up
some crew rosters for our new battlecruiser.” Kurt did not intend to tell Keera
that, in less than one week, he would be returning to Kubitz. Last time she had
tagged along, and Kurt had nearly been killed in an ambush. This time he
intended to take sufficient ships to ensure that didn’t happen again.

Keera stood
up, placing her hands on her hips. “I’ll finish getting everything ready for
supper. Just make sure you have plenty of energy for later.”

Kurt nodded as
Keera made her way to the kitchen. One thing he could say about living with Keera:
she continued to surprise him.

Chapter Three

Four days
later, Kurt was on board the Star Cross, preparing to set out for the
Gothan Empire. Keera hadn’t been pleased to learn Kurt was returning to Kubitz.
She despised that world due to the assassination attempts on Kurt as well as
for what it had done to her brother.

“All ships are
ready for orbital departure,” reported Captain Randson.

Kurt looked at
the viewscreens in the front of the Command Center. The heavy battlecarrier Ranger,
under the command of Rear Admiral Susan White, was prominently displayed. Along
with the Ranger, the battlecruisers Ceres and Trinity
would be going as heavy escorts. In addition, the light cruisers Trenton, Crescent, Justin, and Olympia were in attendance. This
was a sufficient force to ensure no problems with the smaller Profiteer fleets,
which patrolled the outer regions of the star cluster that held the Gothan Empire.
Those small fleets routinely attacked cargo ships or other Profiteer ships that
might contain items of value.

In addition,
the Newton Princess would be going. The passenger liner would return the
Newton crews on board the two Lakiam battlecruisers and the four Andock
vessels—while transporting a large quantity of gold in one of its holds. Part
of it would be delivered to Ambassador Tenner and stored in the secure vault
beneath the embassy compound, and the rest would be deposited with the
Controllers at the Controller station at the main Kubitz spaceport.

“Lomatz left
two days ago with six of his large cargo ships,” Andrew said as he finished
checking his command station. “He should arrive at Kubitz before we do.”

“I never would
have believed how valuable Lomatz has been. These black ships of the Destroyers
of Worlds must really have him spooked.”

“Can’t say
that I blame him,” responded Andrew as he scanned his command console. “So far
only the Lakiams have stood up to them and lived, and that’s only because they
have dark matter warheads on their hypermissiles.” Andrew paused and looked at
Kurt thoughtfully. “I don’t suppose we can get our hands on a few of those?”

Kurt shook his
head. “No. From what Mara told me, they’re in short supply. The Lakiam worlds
are working overtime to produce enough for their own ships. They had hoped, by
defeating the black ships once, it would delay their future attacks in the
Lakiam sector of the galaxy. So far that seems to be holding true.”

“What about
these two-hundred-megaton antimatter missiles we’ve been hearing rumors about? Can
we get any of them?” asked Lieutenant Mays. “I’m not sure anything we have now
will be effective against the black ships if what we’ve heard about them is
true.”

Kurt frowned.
He didn’t know how this information about the two-hundred-megaton warheads had
gotten out. He suspected one of Lomatz’s technicians had mentioned something.
Lieutenant Mays was always looking for better weapons.

“Or can we
build our own?” she asked.

Leaning back
in his command chair, Kurt focused his attention on Lieutenant Mays. He
couldn’t stop her mind from working overtime, trying to find a way to destroy
the black ships. “Maybe. None are available in the Gothan Empire. The largest
antimatter missiles they make are one hundred megatons.”

Our new ships
have antimatter chambers as their power source,” said Andrew. “Is there any way
we can find out how the Gothan Empire creates their antimatter warheads?”

Kurt let out a
deep sigh. They needed more powerful weapons. As of now they had no means to
destroy a black ship. “I’ll speak to Avery Dolman when we get to Kubitz,” Kurt
answered. “Perhaps he can get that information for us.” Avery Dolman seemed to be
able to get his hands on about anything, though the secret to making antimatter
warheads might be beyond even his reach.

Andrew nodded
his understanding. “Sometimes I forget everything is for sale on that
godforsaken planet.”

“This may be
different,” Kurt said with a deep frown. “We’re talking about a major weapons
system, one the weapon’s dealers on Kubitz may not want to part with. From what
I understand, they’re the only ones in the entire Gothan Empire that produces
antimatter weapons.”

“But, if we
can discover their method, we could possibly build two-hundred-megaton warheads
or even larger,” said Lieutenant Mays, her eyes brightening. “It would give us
something to use against the black ships until we can develop something more
powerful.”

“Remember, the
reports we’ve received from Ambassador Tenner indicates it takes forty of those
missiles to penetrate the screen of a black ship. Not only that, they have to
be delivered to a small area of the energy screen in a very short amount of
time.”

“I’ll work on
a program for that,” Mays said as she faced her tactical station. “If you can
get me the missiles, I’ll get them to the target.”

“Newton
Station has given us permission to leave orbit,” reported Communications
Officer Lieutenant Brenda Pierce.

With all the
traffic present in the Newton System, every effort had been made to ensure
ships could enter and leave the system safely. A series of updated hyperspace
detection buoys allowed Newton Station to monitor all traffic within ten light-years
so they could direct incoming and outgoing ships.

Kurt looked at
one of the other screens showing the 1,700-meter-long Aurelia. A crew of
forty-seven could run it. It still amazed him how the Lakiams operated such
powerful warships with crews of that size. Of course the ship had multitudes of
repair robots to handle routine maintenance plus specialized combat robots for
internal security. The Aurelia had played a major role in driving the
Profiteers permanently from Earth.

“Take us out,”
ordered Kurt. “Let’s go find out what awaits us on Kubitz.” In the back of
Kurt’s mind, he couldn’t help worrying. On two of his trips to Kubitz he had
nearly been killed. Of course, with the destruction of the Profiteer ship Ascendant
Destruction and the death of High Profiteer Creed, that threat should be
greatly diminished.

-

On Kubitz,
Grantz was in one of the pleasure houses, eating a meal of delicacies only
found in these establishments. Food from all across the galaxy could be ordered
as well as drinks found nowhere else. Grantz was a Marsten Profiteer. He was
bipedal and slightly taller than a Human. His skin was a light blue color with
coarse white hair on his head. His face, while humanoid, had larger-than-normal
eyes.

“Why are we
here?” asked Avery Dolman, known for his involvement in nearly all the black
market enterprises on Kubitz. If anyone wanted something hard to find on the
black market, or some secret information, Dolman was the one to go to.

Grantz
swallowed a Homalt egg, a rare delicacy that was hideously expensive. A year ago
he wouldn’t have even considered eating such an exotic item. Now, with all the
gold coins he had gotten from Marvin Tenner, he allowed himself to splurge on
occasion.

“Just be
patient,” Grantz said as he cut a slice off the large Merton steak on one of
his plates. “We’re meeting a couple Profiteers with information on the black
ships.”

“Kubitz is
full of information on the black ships,” muttered Dolman. “Most of it false.”

Grantz went
silent as one of the scantily dressed servers refilled their drinks. “This
involves the Protector Worlds. It seems one of them has been attacked.”

Dolman’s eyes
widened in disbelief. “Impossible! The black ships have stayed away from those
heavily defended worlds. Their prey has been the Enlightened Worlds and their
colonies.”

“Not anymore,”
Grantz said as he saw the two Profiteers he was waiting on. Raising his hand,
he gestured for them to come over to the table. “My friends are here. Maybe now
we’ll find out more.”

The two
Profiteers made their way through the crowd to Grantz’s table.

“Profiteer
Grantz,” one of them said. “I believe you are seeking information?”

Grantz nodded.
“Sit and have a drink. We have some business to discuss.”

The two sat,
and the server promptly brought them two of the drinks Grantz and Dolman had
before them.

Grantz took a
long sip and then shifted his attention to the two newcomers. “I understand you
know something about the black ships attacking one of the Protector Worlds?”

“Perhaps,”
replied the taller one cautiously as he reached for his drink. “Such
information won’t be free.”

Grantz reached
into his pocket and took out one of his gold coins. Sliding it in front of the
Profiteer, Grantz waited for a response.

The Profiteer
reached out and took the coin, testing its weight in his hand. “Such
information as you want will cost two of these coins.”

Reaching into
his pocket, Grantz took out a second coin and slid it over. He had hoped to get
by with paying only one. It pained him immensely to let go of the valuable
coins.

Taking the
second coin, the Profiteer quickly pocketed them. “The black ships recently
attacked the Bascom System, destroying the fleets defending the system as well
as their two inhabited moons.”

-

“Do you have
proof of this?” demanded Dolman. He still couldn’t imagine the Destroyers of
Worlds successfully attacking a Protector World, surrounded by massive
defensive systems as well as large fleets of heavily armed warships.

“Yes,” the
Profiteer replied. Reaching into his pocket, he handed over a small computer
disk. “The Bascoms sent observation ships to Lakiam with reports on the
progress of the battle. This disk contains a copy of those reports. They are
very detailed and contain videos of the battles in space and above their
worlds.”

-

Grantz took the
small disk and pocketed it. This was the kind of information he had been
seeking. No doubt Marvin Tenner and Fleet Admiral Vickers would pay a premium
price for this. He would recoup his gold coins and more. This little venture
assured his continued trips to the pleasure houses where he could enjoy their
opulent offerings.

“How did you
get such information from the Lakiams?”

The other
Profiteer, who had been silent until now, answered. “Several Lakiams
occasionally visit the pleasure houses here on Kubitz. Over time we have come
to know them and arranged some special performances. They owed us a favor, and,
for the right price, they turned over the disk.”

Grantz wasn’t
going to ask what type of performances had been provided. The pleasure houses
could offer entertainment many people would frown upon. However, any type of
perversion was for sale for the right price.

“We also have
information on how the Gothan Empire is preparing itself for the coming of the
black ships,” the second Profiteer added. “We would be willing to share it with
you for a price. It covers ship deployments and the planned defenses for the
major Profiteer worlds, including Marsten.”

Grantz looked
at Dolman, who would be more interested in this data, though Grantz would be
curious to see what his homeworld of Marsten was up to.

-

“How much?”
asked Dolman, trying not to sound too interested as it might drive up the
price.

The Profiteer
named a figure, and, after a little haggling, Dolman took out a thick sheaf of
credits and handed a large number to the Profiteer, who in return produced
another small computer disk.

Securing the
disk inside one of his pockets, Dolman looked thoughtful. “How did you obtain
this information?” The leaders of various clans and worlds had been holding
secret meetings on how to deal with the black ships. Those meetings were
general knowledge on Kubitz, though the details were unknown.

“My brother is
a major clan leader on Marsten,” the second Profiteer replied. “I got this off
his home computer.”

Dolman nodded.
This didn’t surprise him in the least. A Profiteer was a Profiteer and would
take valuable information any way he could get it, even from relatives. It was
all about making a profit.

“We’ll be
going now,” the first Profiteer said, finishing his drink and standing. He
looked directly at Grantz and Dolman. Then, in a lower voice, he said, “This
meeting never occurred.” With that, the two Profiteers turned and left,
vanishing into the crowd.

Dolman shifted
his gaze to Grantz. “Well, that was interesting. I hope what’s on these two
disks was worth it.”

-

Grantz
grinned. He had already run the numbers through his head on how many gold coins
he would sell his information for. “I guess we’ll find out later.”

Dolman stood;
he needed to leave and review what was on the disk. “Are you coming or staying
here?”

The young
scantily clad server came by, and Grantz reached out, grabbing her and pulling
her onto his lap. She giggled and leaned suggestively against the Profiteer.
“I’m staying for a while. I have an appointment upstairs.”

“Suit
yourself,” said Dolman. “I have other business I must attend to.”

Grantz watched
as Dolman left. “Get me another drink,” he said, releasing the server. Watching
her walk off, swinging her hips, only made him more anxious for later. Over the
past few months he had come to this pleasure house more often. It was becoming
one of his favorites as the service, both food and women, was fantastic.

-

Several days
later Ambassador Marvin Tenner was in his office at the embassy compound when
Captain Briar put in an appearance.

“The Lakiams
are here,” he announced. “Their ships just went into orbit above Kubitz.”

“They’re
early,” Marvin said, wondering why they had come four days before Fleet Admiral
Vickers was scheduled to arrive.

“I don’t think
the people who run Kubitz are happy,” Briar added. “From what I understand, the
Lakiams breezed right past the Controller station without paying any fees.”

“How many
ships?”

“Fourteen.”

Marvin let out
a long breath. He could well imagine the surprise and concern this appearance
by the Lakiam vessels had created. The Lakiams were one of the more advanced
Protector Worlds, and, if the reports were accurate, the only one to have
actually defeated a Destroyers of Worlds’ fleet.

“Contact the
Lakiam ships, and inform them Fleet Admiral Vickers is on his way with the
ships they requested to be returned to them. Inform them of his arrival time,
and ask if we can be of assistance with anything else.”

Captain Briar
nodded. “I’ll have the communications officer attempt to contact the fleet.”

Marvin watched
as the captain hurried off to the communications room. One thing about Kubitz:
there was never a dull moment.

-

Several days
later, the Star Cross and her attending fleet dropped from hyperspace
outside the orbit of the sixth planet in the Kubitz System, four hundred
thousand kilometers from the Controller station. All ships that entered the
system had to stop at the station to state their business and to pay a fee.

“We’ve been
challenged,” reported Lieutenant Brenda Pierce as several lights on her
communications console lit up, indicating incoming messages.

Kurt had been
expecting this. “Inform them who we are and that only four of our ships will be
proceeding to Kubitz. The rest will stay here. Have them take the fee from our
account.” Each time a ship entered the system to trade, they were offered two
choices. For a large fee paid in credits, they could proceed to Kubitz and go
into orbit, or they could conduct their business through the Controller station
and stay out past the sixth planet.

“Detecting
over seven hundred ships in orbit around the station, not including their small
patrol ships,” reported Lieutenant Lena Brooks on Sensors. “Two small squadrons
have departed the station and are coming toward us.”

Captain
Randson studied the tactical display. “Same as usual.”

“We have
confirmation of the fee being deducted from our account,” Lieutenant Pierce
said. “They’re transmitting the approval and a copy of the transaction.”

A few minutes
later the two small groups of patrol ships passed by the fleet and then, after
completing several circles, headed toward the station.

“Admiral, the
station asks why we have Lakiam and Andock ships with us.”

Kurt looked at
Lieutenant Pierce. “Inform them we’re here at the request of the Lakiams to
conduct some business.”

“I’m sure
that’ll pique their interest,” Andrew said, looking at one of the screens that displayed
the massive station. “Every Profiteer in the system will want to know what type
of business we have with the Lakiams and why we have Lakiam and Andock warships
with us.”

“I’m sure
you’re right,” Kurt answered. Very seldom did a Lakiam warship visit the Gothan
Empire.

Andrew looked
thoughtful. “This might be a good thing. I’m sure the Dacroni mercenaries
reported on the battle above Earth and the role the Aurelia played. This
will help to ensure the Profiteers stay away from Earth and Newton. They’re
bound to believe we’re involved with the Lakiams somehow.”

“Rear Admiral
White, you will remain here with the rest of the fleet unless I send for you,”
Kurt said over the ship-to-ship comm. “The two Lakiam ships, the Aurelia
and the Treliid, and the four Andock vessels will remain here as well.
Make sure no one approaches any of those ships without my permission.”

“Yes,
Admiral,” Susan replied. “I’ll launch a CSP to keep any curiosity seekers
away.”

“Don’t let
them spook you,” Kurt added. “Remember, these people will do almost anything to
earn extra credits. If you’re unsure how to handle a situation, contact the Star
Cross. Either I or Captain Randson will tell you what to do.”

“There won’t
be a problem,” promised Rear Admiral White.

Kurt turned
his attention to Captain Randson. “Andrew, take us in.”

Kurt watched as
the Star Cross, Ceres, Trinity, and Newton Princess
accelerated their sublight drives and headed toward Kubitz. No ships were
allowed to perform a hyperspace jump inside the orbit of the sixth planet or
they would face stiff fines from the Kubitz government.

“Admiral, I’m
picking up fourteen Lakiam vessels in orbit around Kubitz,” reported Lieutenant
Brooks.

“Fourteen,”
muttered Andrew with a deep frown. “I bet the Kubitz government and the
Controllers aren’t happy about that.”

“Admiral, I
have Ambassador Tenner on the comm,” added Lieutenant Pierce. “He wants to
speak with you.”

Nodding, Kurt
activated his private comm system. “Hello, Marvin. I see you have some company
in orbit.”

“You could say
that,” Tenner replied. “I also have some guests here at the embassy compound.
One in particular wants to see you as soon as you arrive.”

“Who?”

“A Lakiam
woman named Mara Liam. She’s been quite adamant that she speak with you.”

Kurt went
silent for a moment as he absorbed the fact that Mara was at the compound. He
hadn’t known if she would be with the Lakiams picking up the warships or if she
would remain at home.

“Very well,
tell her that I’ll be there shortly. Is there anything else?”

Kurt heard
Marvin sigh over the comm. “Yes, I hope you brought more gold coins. Grantz
claims he has some vital information for you.”

This surprised
Kurt. He had no idea what the Profiteer could be up to. “Tell Grantz that I’ll
speak with him later.”

Kurt wondered why
Mara wanted to speak with him. Grantz’s normal shenanigans was business as
usual on Kubitz.

Chapter Four

Prince Brollen
watched expectantly as the large Intergalactic Transport Vessel exited
hyperspace. The massive vessel was powered by a Zero-Point Energy drive, which
made intergalactic travel possible. A journey that normally took one week in
hyperspace could be done in a few hours. Four Collector Ships were attached to
the ten-thousand-meter-long vessel. All four ships were fully loaded with food
pellets from Galaxy X241. Enough to feed all the Vorn in the home system for several
months.

Is my
offering to Queen Alithe ready? asked Brollen, turning toward Military
Commander Fraymot.

Yes,
Fraymot replied as numerous large icons appeared on the tactical display.

They were in a
small red dwarf system that contained the homes of the Vorn race within 116
massive habitats, each ten thousand kilometers in diameter, all orbiting the
star. The largest of these was the Conclave Habitat, where the ruling Hive
Queen held court.

Should the Reaper
move away from the transport ship?

No,
answered Prince Brollen. We will only be here for a short period of time. I must
report to Queen Alithe and the Royal Court, and make my presentation of the
food cubes we harvested from the worlds inhabited by food species 647. I
believe Queen Alithe and the other Queens will be very pleased with the taste
of this species.

Perhaps we
should have harvested more of food species 647?

No,
Prince Brollen replied, his antennae waving slightly. I wished to set an
example for the other worlds in that galaxy, and I believe we accomplished
that. I strongly suspect, in the future, the planets these so-called Protector
Worlds defend will be less strongly held. Make my personal shuttle ready. It is
time I paid our Queen a visit.

-

Less than an
hour later Prince Brollen was led into the massive chamber which held the Vorn
Queen, her retinue of lesser Queens, and the members of the Royal Court. Prince
Brollen brought with him twenty drones of the Working Caste, carrying large
ornate bowls. Each was full of small gray pellets.

Prince
Brollen, it is good to see you once more, projected Queen Alithe.

Queen Alithe
was the largest of the more than one hundred Queens in the chamber. Each
habitat had one High Queen in control, though there were a number of lesser Queens in each habitat, waiting to take over the role of High Queen should she succumb to
illness or the frailties of age.

Prince Brollen
bowed and then approached Queen Alithe. I have brought you a gift, he
sent, gesturing toward the ornate bowls. At his command, one of the drones
approached the Queen and placed the bowl on a table at her side. Then the drone
shuffled off, rejoining the others.

This is
food species 647. I believe you will find the taste exquisite.

Queen Alithe
stood up, towering above the others in the court. She reached for one of the
small gray pellets, placing it between her mandibles. With a loud crunching
noise, she chewed it and finally swallowed the ground-up pellet. For a long
moment she was silent as she took in the taste of this particular food species.
She turned and sat, overlooking the Royal Court.

Prince
Brollen has brought us a wonderful new taste in a food species. He is to be
commended for his superior harvesting techniques as he leads our fleets in the greatest
number of different food species that has been brought to our tables.

Brollen
swelled with pride. He had ensured his continued status as one of Queen
Alithe’s favorites.

Come closer,
sent Queen Alithe.

Prince Brollen
approached the Queen. On each side of her, two heavily armed guards of the
Warrior Caste stood. Any indication of a hostile move toward the Queen would
mean instant death.

I am your
servant, sent Prince Brollen with a bow. I live only to serve you.

The Queen
reached out and touched Prince Brollen with one of her hands. Her antenna stood
straight, and her multifaceted eyes focused on the prince. If you continue
to perform like this, I may consider mating with you.

Prince Brollen
did not need to reply. Queen Alithe was known to choose a different consort
during each breeding cycle. To be chosen for such a privilege was considered a
high honor.

The Queen
stood and slowly walked around the prince as if inspecting his every physical
attribute. Yes, you would serve me well as a consort.

I am
honored, my Queen, replied Prince Brollen.

Queen Alithe
sent a quick mental command to the drones holding the large bowls of food
pellets. Serve the new food species to the Royal Court. You have done well.

-

Later Prince
Brollen returned to the Reaper. He had spoken to a number of the Royal Court members, including several military leaders. They had asked his recommendations
for the harvesting of Galaxy X241. He had sensed a new aura of respect in their
questions since Queen Alithe had announced he would become a consort. Brollen
explained his plan to force the Protector Worlds’ fleets into pulling back to
protect their own systems, allowing for easier harvesting of numerous worlds.
The military leaders still had a hard time accepting that any systems in Galaxy
X241 were dangerous to Vorn ships. In the end, they agreed to give Prince
Brollen more authority in the harvesting and to vastly increase the size of the
fleet he was responsible for. As he prepared to leave the Royal Court, Queen
Alithe summoned him and stated she expected him to return in four to six months
for the next breeding cycle.

We will be
departing shortly, he informed Military Commander Fraymot. When we
return, more motherships will be assigned to our fleet as well as additional
cruisers.

Fraymot nodded
his understanding. We will continue to lead the fleets in the harvesting of
Galaxy X241.

Prince Brollen
did not reply. His plan was working flawlessly. He had assured his position in
the power structure of the Vorn race. As a consort of the Hive Queen, it placed
him in rank just below that of a habitat High Queen. His commands would be law.

-

At Kubitz,
Kurt gazed at the multiple viewscreens showing the fourteen Lakiam battleships.
They were imposing on the screens, much larger than most of the other ships in
orbit. Kurt also noticed the other ships were keeping a safe distance between
them and the heavily armed Protector World vessels.

“We’ve gone
into standard orbit,” reported Lieutenant Brooks. “Two thousand kilometers
above Kubitz.”

“Admiral, you’ve
been asked to check in at the Controller exchange at the main spaceport,” added
Lieutenant Pierce from Communications. “They say there may be another fine
involved.”

“What for this
time?” muttered Andrew, sounding frustrated. “Sometimes I think they’re making
up this stuff to drain us of all our gold.”

Kurt frowned
and slowly shook his head. “I have no idea. Ambassador Tenner didn’t mention
anything. Have our shuttle prepared and tell Sergeant Jones to ready his
security detail. Lieutenant Pierce, contact the embassy compound and arrange
for transportation to meet us at the spaceport.” Several Humvees were kept at
the compound. Even in the capital city, it was unsafe to move about unescorted.

“What about our
special cargo?” asked Andrew, raising his eyebrows.

Gold was on
board the Star Cross in two small chests, with even more on the Newton
Princess. “Bring both of them. It may be necessary to bribe one of the
Controllers at the Controller exchange.” Bribing officials was the standard way
to do business on Kubitz.

-

Later the
small shuttle dropped rapidly through the turbulent atmosphere of Kubitz.
Sergeant Jones had brought along six Marines, and they would be responsible for
the two small chests of gold as well as security.

It still
amazed Kurt that gold was such a valuable commodity across the galaxy. It had
been explained to him that most gold deposits were far beneath the ground on
the majority of the planets, making it expensive to mine. Earth was a rarity,
having plentiful gold deposits so close to the surface.

-

As the shuttle
landed, Corporal Evans looked at Sergeant Jones. “I wonder what’ll happen to us
this time?”

They had been
involved in two firefights on Kubitz in the past. Several Marines had even been
killed and one abducted. “Just stay sharp,” ordered Sergeant Jones as the hatch
opened. “Remember, we’re on an alien world that’s more like a pirate enclave
than a civilized society.”

“Space
pirates,” muttered Corporal Evans as he checked his heavy assault rifle. “It’s
hard to believe such a place can exist.”

Sergeant Jones
agreed. Holding his rifle at the ready, he stepped from the hatch and descended
the ramp. His eyes moved from side to side, searching for any danger. Around
the shuttle were other heavily armed people going about their business. None
seemed to be paying attention to them.

-

Kurt walked down
the ramp, stepping onto the main spaceport on Kubitz. Small robots loaded and
unloaded ships as well as conducted necessary repairs. Cargo haulers moved back
and forth between buildings, delivering their loads to the larger vessels on
the far side of the spaceport.

“The
atmosphere is the same as last time,” muttered Andrew, peering at the dismal-looking
sky. It was difficult to see the planet’s sun directly overhead.

“It’s
pollution,” Kurt said, noting the heavy haze. “Something that at one time
nearly overwhelmed Earth.”

“It even
smells,” said Corporal Evans disgustedly. “You’d think they would do something
to clean it up.”

“Form up,”
ordered Sergeant Jones. Instantly his Marines took escorting positions around
Fleet Admiral Vickers and Captain Randson. Four of the Marines carried the two
heavy chests that contained the gold.

It took a few
minutes, but they made it to the large building of the Controller exchange on
the periphery of the spaceport. At the doors to the exchange, six Lylan
Enforcers stood. The Enforcers were humanoid with large muscular arms, legs,
and a squat chest. They came from a high-gravity world, which gave them nearly
superhuman strength.

“We have a
deposit to make,” Kurt said, gesturing toward the two chests.

“Leave your
weapons here,” directed one of the Lylans. “They will be returned to you after
your business is completed.”

“Only four of
us will be accompanying the admiral and the captain,” Sergeant Jones informed
them. “The other three will be staying here.”

“The three
staying may keep their weapons,” the Lylan said.

Entering the
building, they were soon led to a small office where a Controller sat. He was
easily seven feet tall and humanoid. His head was slightly larger than normal
and completely bald. The Controller’s eyes were of normal size, though his lips
were a little thinner. His body was slim, and his hands had six long digits. He
was also a little pale, as if he very seldom saw any sunlight. Kurt wasn’t
certain, but this might be the same Controller he had dealt with before, the
one he had paid a hefty fine to as well as filed the contract that gave Newton and Earth access to the three areas of space which held Julbian, Sertez, and
Maldon.

“I am
Controller Kelmor, what business do you have?”

“I wish to
deposit some gold into my account,” Kurt answered, explaining who he was and
where he was from.

The Controller
nodded and gestured for the pair of Lylan guards in the room to place the two
chests on a sturdy table and open them. The Controller’s eyes widened slightly at
the sight of the gleaming gold bars.

Kurt watched
as the Controller carefully measured and tested the gold for purity as well as
weight. When he was done, Kelmor returned to his desk and entered some
information on his computer console. “The gold is valued at forty-eight million
credits. I have credited it to your account.”

“Thank you,”
Kurt answered. “When we arrived in orbit, I was told to report to the exchange.
Do you know the reason for that?”

“One moment,”
Kelmor replied as he checked his computer console, then looked up in surprise.
“It seems you have secured technology not allowed to be sold in the Gothan
Empire. For that a two million credit fine has been assessed, and your future
trading inside the empire has been severely restricted.”

Kurt shook his
head. Somehow, someone had discovered what Lomatz and Dolman had done when
Kurt’s ships had escaped from the Draconi mercenaries. “What can we do to lower
the fine and remove the restriction?”

“That is up to
the discretion of a Controller,” Kelmor said, glancing meaningfully at the gold
bars in the two chests.

Kurt sucked in
a deep breath. No doubt Kelmor was suggesting a bribe. Fortunately Kurt had come
prepared for this. “Sergeant Jones, hand me the items I asked you to safe guard.”

Sergeant Jones
reached into the two deep pockets of his uniform and pulled out two small gold
bars, handing them to Kurt.

Kurt took the
two bars and placed them on the desk in front of Kelmor. “I wish to offer you
these for the time and effort you have taken for my people.” The two bars were
worth about 640,000 credits.

Kelmor eyed
the bars and then turned to his console. “The fine has been reduced to one
million credits and the restrictions on trading have been temporarily removed.”

“For how
long?” asked Kurt. There were many things for sale on Kubitz that could be
beneficial to Earth, Newton, and the other three Human worlds now part of their
alliance. He didn’t want to lose access to trading on Kubitz.

“One year,”
Kelmor answered. “At the end of that time, we can discuss adding another year
to the removal of the trading restrictions.” Kelmor reached out and tapped one
of the small gold bars suggestively.

“I’m sure we
can work something out,” Kurt answered. It seemed another bribe would be
necessary in the future.

Kelmor pressed
several icons on his console, and a small shiny computer disk popped out. “This
is your deposit record, and states you have paid your fine and are allowed to
trade for one year on Kubitz.”

Kurt gestured
to the others, and they exited, followed by the Lylan Enforcers. Once outside,
after they had retrieved their weapons, the group made their way toward the two
heavily armed Humvees that were waiting for them.

“Damn
thieves,” muttered Andrew. “Is everyone on this crazy planet on the take?”

“It’s what
their economy is based on,” Kurt answered as he entered the rear of one of the
heavily armored vehicles.

Andrew entered
behind Kurt and then paused, seeing who waited for them. “Can this day get any
worse?”

“Hello,
Captain Randson!” bellowed Grantz with a wide smile. “I am glad to see you
again.”

-

The ride to
the embassy compound was quiet, except for Grantz talking excitedly to Kurt
about a deal he wanted to make for some valuable information he had obtained.
Andrew tried not to listen as he and Grantz didn’t get along. Every time Andrew
came to Kubitz, Grantz tried to talk Andrew into going to the Pleasure Houses
and sampling their entertainment. Andrew had explained to Grantz that Emily
would not allow that kind of behavior. Even so, Andrew’s explanations seemed to
fall upon deaf ears where Grantz was concerned.

Andrew watched
their approach to the large protective habitation dome covering the center of
the city from one of the small-reinforced glass windows. Many of the larger
cities on Kubitz had the large domes to protect the inhabitants from the
polluted atmosphere that hovered above much of the planet. Unfortunately only
the more affluent could afford to reside under the domes. The less privileged
and most of the working class were forced to stay outside the domes in crowded
and overpopulated and polluted areas. There was also a deadly acid rain that fell
on occasion. Rain so deadly the inhabitants had to take cover or risk death.

The two Humvees
stopped as the drivers showed their passes to the guards in front of the large
entrance to the dome. A number of entrances were on the periphery, and all were
heavily guarded. Andrew watched as one of the Lylan Enforcers motioned for them
to continue. Andrew leaned back, relaxing. It was much safer inside the dome
but only marginally. Nearly everyone in the city was armed. Men, women, and
even older children carried handguns or some type of automatic weapon. Heavy
weapons, including energy weapons, were banned, though some Profiteer clans
still managed to sneak them past the guards.

Andrew sighed
as they drove down several long busy streets before finally arriving at the
embassy compound. The compound was protected by a tall wall with razor wire on
top, as well as several guard towers armed with rapid-fire M240K machine guns
which fired 7.62 mm rounds at a top rate of eight hundred per minute. Andrew
was well aware some of the smaller Profiteer clans had no problems with
attacking an embassy if a profit was to be made. That was why a full company of
Marines was assigned to the compound.

-

Kurt exited
the Humvee, carrying the small information disk Grantz had given him. Kurt had
promised to look it over, and, if the information was valuable enough, he would
reward Grantz with additional gold coins.

“Remember,”
Grantz said in his gruff voice. “I paid in gold for that disk and risked my
life.”

“At a pleasure
house,” said Andrew, stepping closer. He had heard part of the conversation
between Kurt and Grantz. “If I know you, the person that provided this
information was probably intoxicated and never a threat.”

Grantz
grinned. “You must come with me to the new pleasure house I have found. The
women are exquisite and will do things you can only dream about. Why, just the
other night …”

“That’s
enough,” Andrew said, shaking his head. “I don’t need to hear about your
romantic escapades. No doubt you would exaggerate them as you do everything
else.”

“Let’s go
inside,” Kurt said, trying not to laugh. Grantz continually tried to talk
Andrew into going to a pleasure house. His second in command would never do
such a thing, and he suspected Grantz realized that too.

Once inside,
one of the Marine guards led Kurt and Andrew to Marvin Tenner’s office. Kurt
saw that Tenner, Captain Briar, and Mara waited inside.

“Mara, it’s
good to see you again,” Kurt said, stepping toward the Lakiam woman. Mara was a
communications officer in the Lakiam fleet, very beautiful and alluring. She
was slightly taller than Kurt, well proportioned, and her skin was unblemished
with a golden tan. Mara had deep blue eyes someone could get lost in.

“Fleet Admiral
Vickers,” responded Mara, reaching out and shaking the admiral’s hand. “I
understand you brought our ships as requested.”

“Of course,”
Kurt answered with a slight smile. “I promised I would return them if you
asked.”

Mara went
silent for a long moment. “I guess that means you’ve duplicated some of the
technology and weapons on board, or you wouldn’t be so willing to hand them
over.”

Mara was well
aware Kurt’s people had been working on duplicating the technology and weapons
on the Lakiam and Andock vessels. Before she left for Kubitz, construction had
already begun on the new warships which Lomatz’s people had helped design. She
had expressed her doubts that Newton would be successful in duplicating some of
the Lakiam and Andock technology. Even if they did, she doubted if the Humans
would know how to use it. Kurt remained silent, waiting for her to continue. He
strongly suspected she was here for another reason.

Mara pursed
her lips and then continued. “Not wanting to admit that I’m right? You know,
when I returned to Lakiam and told Fleet Commodore Dreen about what happened
and what you were doing in the Newton System, he laughed. He couldn’t believe a
race as young as yours would even attempt duplicating our technology.”

“Commodore
Dreen,” Kurt said, recognizing the name. “Isn’t he the one who annihilated the
Destroyers of Worlds’ fleet?”

“The same,”
Mara answered, her eyes focusing intently on Kurt. “It took Tarnth and me
several days to convince him that we were serious. When he finally realized we
were telling the truth, he demanded we return and take possession of the Aurelia
and the Treliid as well as the Andock vessels. He’s as concerned as I am
about such advanced technology falling into the wrong hands.”

“The ships are
yours,” Kurt answered simply.

Mara eyed him
suspiciously. “I informed Fleet Commodore Dreen your world might someday grow
to become a Protector World. Earth and Newton are in a desolate sector of the
galaxy with no Protector or Enlightened Worlds within four thousand light-years.
Most lie toward the galactic center where more stars are. The Gothan Empire is
the closest grouping of civilized worlds, and we both know what they are like.
It may be generations before the black ships find Earth or Newton.”

“Or it could
be sooner,” said Andrew.

“I’ll do what
I have to in order to defend my people,” responded Kurt. “If the black ships
find us, we’ll be as ready as we can be.”

Mara let out a
deep breath. “You are fortunate Fleet Commodore Dreen is a relative of mine. I
convinced him that, in time, your people could be of use in the war against the
Destroyers of Worlds. I saw how your people fought against the Profiteers over
Earth. That fierceness has long since left our race as we strive for
Enlightenment. Only a fraction of our population still possesses the intense
aggressiveness needed to fight the Destroyers of Worlds.”

“What are you
saying?” asked Kurt. What was Mara up to?

“Fleet
Commodore Dreen has agreed to allow the Aurelia to return to Newton under my command,” Mara announced. “Eighty Lakiams will be on board, including a
few technicians and scientists familiar with the technology on our vessels.
They will be tasked with determining what technology you may replicate and
install in your warships.”

Kurt looked
meaningfully at Andrew. He was hesitant to inform Mara that most of the
technology had already been duplicated. Lomatz’s technicians had performed
miracles working out all the technical details once they had unrestricted
access to the ships. Mara and Tarnth had inadvertently revealed many clues to
their advanced technology when they helped get the Aurelia ready for
combat against the Profiteers who had taken over Earth.

“That’s not
really necessary,” Andrew began.

Mara looked at
Andrew and then responded. “Most of the Aurelia’s crew is made up of
people I trust. They fully understand the danger the Destroyers of Worlds
represent. Fleet Commodore Dreen has agreed to allow your world to be
responsible for protecting the other civilized worlds in this sector.”

“Does that
make us a Protector World?” asked Andrew, his face showing immense surprise.

“No, not even
close,” answered Mara, shaking her head. “It will take thousands of years
before your world can reach that status.”

“We accept
your offer of help,” Kurt said, realizing he had no other choice. “How soon can
you be ready to leave?” Perhaps having some Lakiam scientists and technicians around
would have its own benefits.

“One week,”
replied Mara, turning her attention to Kurt. “My people wish to go over the Aurelia
and make sure all systems are operating at maximum efficiency. We also will be
transferring some supplies to allow my crew to stay on the Aurelia in
the comfort they have grown accustomed to.”

One week was
much longer than Kurt had planned on staying on Kubitz, but now he had no
choice. “One week,” he replied. “Then we will return to Newton.”

Mara nodded.
“I’ll go to the Aurelia to make preparations. I would like to meet with
you in private on board my ship before we depart.”

“I can do
that,” Kurt replied. Why did she want a private meeting? Was something else
going on here she was hesitant to mention around the others?

Standing up,
Mara left the office, shutting the door behind her.

“Wow!” said
Andrew with deep concern. “What’ll she say when she finds out we’ve already
duplicated their technology and added much more?”

Kurt shook his
head. “We’ll deal with that problem when we return to Newton.” Kurt looked at
the small computer disk he held in his hand, the one Grantz claimed showed a
Protector World battling the Destroyers of Worlds. He was anxious to view that
information to see what might await in Newton and Earth’s future.

Chapter Five

Fleet
Commodore Dreen of the Lakiam battlecruiser Basera was in his quarters,
studying the latest reports from the various space battles across the galaxy.
In the last week alone, over sixty-two planets had fallen victim to the
Destroyers of Worlds. The defending fleets had destroyed only a handful of the black
ships while suffering horrendous losses.

“What’s your
assessment of the current tactical situation?” asked Lakiam Council member
Shriel Marl.

Shriel was a
senior council member and had served in the Lakiam government for nearly twenty
years.

“We’re
losing,” Commodore Dreen said simply, placing the reports on his desk. “The
black ships are nearly indestructible with their energy screens that absorb the
power of most of our weapons. Only our dark matter missiles have proven
effective. Other Protector World fleets have been wiped out if they attempt to
resist the black ships. Thousands of ships have been lost. Both Class Two and
Class One defensive systems protecting the planets have been blown apart by the
black ships’ weapons. Protector World fleets are being pushed back across the
galaxy.”

“But the black
ships’ energy-absorption shields can be overwhelmed if enough antimatter
missiles strike it,” objected Marl. “All the Protector Worlds have such
missiles, as do many other worlds. Why aren’t more black ships being destroyed?”

“Very few have
warheads of the two-hundred-megaton range,” Dreen pointed out. “They are
expensive to build.”

Council member
Marl’s face took on a strained look. “Then what is the answer? We can’t just
let the Destroyers of Worlds wipe out all the civilized races in our galaxy.”

Commodore
Dreen folded his arms across his chest. “I have been speaking to Andock Fleet
Leader Arlak Moor.”

Council member
Marl’s eyes widened at this revelation. The Andocks and Lakiams had been
adversaries in the past while acquiring Enlightened Worlds to defend. Distrust existed
between the two.

“All my ship
captains are in agreement. We must form a close alliance with other Protector
Worlds if we want to see our worlds and those Enlightened Worlds we defend
survive this invasion.”

“The Lakiam
Council might object to that,” warned Marl. “Sharing information is one thing,
but working together in such a manner will be seen as counterproductive to our
future goals.”

“There will be
no future goals if we can’t stop the Destroyers of Worlds!” warned Dreen, his
eyes flashing. “Everyone must understand, if we don’t stand together, then we
will all fall separately.”

Council member
Marl looked intently at the commodore. “What exactly do you want?”

“I want to
share the secret of our dark matter missiles with Andock Prime. We need to
reduce the number of Enlightened Worlds we are protecting, and our fleets must
work in conjunction with Andock fleets.”

Marl shook his head in denial. “What you’re asking won’t be easy. We have signed
agreements with those Enlightened Worlds to protect them. It will be frowned
upon to cancel those agreements. Not only that but the dark matter missile is
one of our biggest military secrets. The council will not be willing to give up
that advantage.”

Fleet
Commodore Dreen slid a small computer disk across his desk toward council
member Marl. “Take this disk to the council and have them view it. It shows
what happened to the homeworlds of the Bascoms. Their fleets and orbital
defenses were wiped out, and then their twin worlds were harvested by the black
ships. Only a few Bascoms survived in their deepest shelters. That is what
faces us if we don’t join together with other Protector Worlds to stop this
invasion and if we don’t share the secret of our dark matter missiles. We must
have victories, not defeats. Currently the Destroyers of Worlds are bleeding
the Protector Worlds of their fleets. We’re fighting battles against impossible
odds. That must be changed and changed very quickly, before it’s too late.”

Council member
Marl looked gravely at the commodore. “I will do as you suggest, but I can’t
promise anything. You’re asking for a lot.”

“What I want
is to give us a chance to survive.”

Council member
Marl stood up, pocketing the disk and preparing to leave. Then he paused and
looked at the commodore. “Some of the other council members may wish to speak
to you.”

“That’s fine,”
Dreen replied as he stood. “I will come anytime. We must work through this very
quickly as time is rapidly running out.”

Marl nodded and then left the commodore’s office.

After Marl left, Fleet Commodore Dreen made his way to the Basera’s Command Center. Stepping inside, he headed toward his command chair and sat down. The entire room was
circular with six control consoles sitting in a small semicircle before a
slightly upraised command dais. On the walls, numerous screens showed views of
space. “What’s the current status of the fleet?”

“We have two
thousand battlecruisers in the system,” Alborg replied from Tactical.

Dreen examined
the viewscreens on the wall. Numerous battlecruisers were displayed as they
orbited Lakiam. Also several of the large Class One Orbital Defense Platforms,
which protected the planet, appeared on multiple screens.

“How many
ships are currently in the system?”

“Of all
classes?” asked Laylem from his sensor console.

“Yes, of all
classes.” The Lakiam System was the trading center for this entire sector. At
any one time it was not unusual to have hundreds of ships from other star
systems present.

Laylem took a
moment as his hands moved over his console. “I confirm 2,063 battlecruisers, 712
cargo ships, and 87 passenger liners. That does not include mining ships and
other small vessels that lack hyperspace drives.”

Commodore
Dreen took a moment to gaze at the largest screen, focused on Lakiam. The deep
blue oceans, the white clouds, and the landmasses which marked the home of the
Lakiam race. He was determined not to allow the Destroyers of Worlds to ravage
this planet.

“What’s the
current status of the dark matter missiles?”

“All ships
have been resupplied,” replied Alborg, turning his attention to the commodore.
“The facilities constructing the missiles are running around the clock. In
addition, two new facilities came online last week.”

“Do we have
the capacity to go on the attack?”

Alborg hesitated briefly. “We have replaced what we used in the battle against the
Destroyers of Worlds. We’ve even built up a small inventory of the missiles.
However, not until the final two construction facilities go online in another
month will we see a large surplus of the missiles.”

They needed
another victory soon. If the Destroyers of Worlds were allowed to continue
their attacks unchecked, at some point the Protector Worlds would no longer
have the ships to stop them. He had told council member Marl about his plan of
forming a closer alliance with the Andocks, but Dreen wanted to greatly expand
upon that. He had chosen ten nearby Protector Worlds suitable for such an
alliance. He needed some way to convince the Lakiam ruling council to agree.

“What are the
latest reports on attacks by the Destroyers of Worlds?”

Communications
Operator Sheera Keenol turned toward the commodore. “It’s not good,” she began
with concern in her voice. “The nearest attack was only 512 light-years
distant. The Enlightened colony world of Chii was hit two days ago. Over one
and a half billion inhabitants are missing. All the planet’s major life forms
have been taken.”

Commodore
Dreen pulled up the information on the colony on his command console. Chii was
an Enlightened World colony under the protection of the Parmonts. The Parmonts
were responsible for nearly twenty Enlightened World civilizations. Rumors were
that the Protector World civilization had pulled back major portions of their
fleets to protect their own planets. This was occurring across many regions of
the galaxy as the reports of what happened at Bascom became general knowledge.

With a deep
sigh, Fleet Commodore Dreen knew something had to change soon or all would be
lost. If he could get this alliance formed and enough dark matter missiles
built, just maybe he could save a small portion of the civilized galaxy.

-

On Kubitz,
Fleet Admiral Vickers leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, stunned by
what he had seen on the computer disk Grantz had given him. The power of the
black ships was astonishing. No doubt, if these vessels showed up over Earth or
Newton, the battle would be short, and the Human fleets would lose.

“It’s bad,
isn’t it?” said Andrew.

“Yes,” replied
Kurt. “Even with our new defensive system, we can’t stop those ships.”

“What about
our new battlecruisers?”

“The black
ships are destroying entire fleets composed of battleships and battlecruisers
as powerful as the ones we’re building now.”

Andrew let out
a deep breath. “No wonder Lomatz wanted to bring his people to Newton. For once I’m glad we live so far out from the more civilized sectors of the
galaxy.”

Kurt looked at
Andrew. “We need that damn neutronium marble that Lieutenant Mays talked about.
We need a weapon of that magnitude to stop the black ships.”

Andrew shook
his head. “How do we get something like that? From what I understand, not even
the Enlightened Worlds can mine a neutron star.”

A thoughtful
look covered Kurt’s face. “We may not be able to get any neutronium, but I
wonder if there’s something else we can substitute.”

Andrew frowned.
“I know where this is going. I suppose you want to speak to either Lomatz or
Avery Dolman.”

“Probably
both,” answered Kurt. “We must find a way to defend ourselves from the black
ships. Earth and Newton are probably safe for now, but, as the black ships
spread out across the galaxy, the likelihood of our planets being discovered
grows.”

“Working with
Dolman is like working with the devil,” said Andrew frowning.

“He’s helped
us in the past,” Kurt pointed out. “Dolman arranged for Lomatz to give us the
stealth system for our hyperdrives which allowed us to escape from the Dacroni
mercenaries.”

“Don’t remind
me,” replied Andrew. “I have a hard time dealing with people who make a living
here on Kubitz.”

“I know how
you feel,” replied Kurt. “But, remember, here it’s just their way of life, and
Dolman is damn good at it.”

Andrew looked
at the shiny disk Kurt had taken from the computer and laid on the desk. “How
much gold are you paying Grantz for that?”

Kurt laughed.
“Enough to keep him happy. You have to admit he’s useful at times.”

Andrew
grudgingly nodded. “Sometimes, but what’ll happen when he takes all our gold?”

Kurt grinned.
“Then I guess we ask him for a loan.”

-

Kurt was
inside a bar on the outskirts of the city. Avery Dolman had requested a meeting,
and this was where he wanted to meet.

“Ah, this is
more like it,” Grantz said with a wide grin as he took a drink from the mug in
front of him. He reached out and slapped a serving girl on the backside as she
passed by the table. She squealed and laughed, and then moved quickly away
before Grantz could do anything else.

“Why did
Dolman want to meet here?” asked Andrew as he sipped his drink. It was
different than what Grantz had ordered, but it still had a sharp and bitter
taste. Andrew coughed, his eyes watering.

Grantz laughed
and reached over, slapping Andrew on the back. “My friend, you should get out
more often. I tell you, spend one night at the pleasure houses with me and I’ll
show you what good drinks and food are. They have items on their menus from all
over the galaxy. Even in all the time I have spent at the pleasure houses, I have
not yet sampled everything they have to offer. We won’t even have to sample the
women, though I promise they will do things you can’t even imagine. We can go
only for the entertainment. They have a drink at the new one I’ve been going to
that explodes like a supernova as it’s going down.”

Andrew shook
his head as he frowned at Grantz. “One of these days someone will poison or
shoot you at one of those establishments.”

Grantz leaned
forward and winked. “I have friends there who look after me. Some are very
beautiful.”

“Admiral,”
Corporal Evans said, gesturing toward the door, as a man entered the bar.

Sergeant Jones
was outside with two other Marines, while Corporal Evans had come inside with Kurt.
Their Humvee was parked outside with a driver and two other Marines if needed.

Dolman had two
heavily armed escorts with him. This was normal as Dolman never went anywhere
without bringing adequate security. The man came over and sat at the table.

“Admiral,”
said Dolman as he eyed the drink in front of Grantz. He shook his head. “I
don’t see how you can drink that stuff.”

Grantz
grinned. “I can out drink any man or nonhuman.”

“I believe
it,” said Andrew.

“Why did you
want to meet here?” asked Kurt. Normally Dolman came to the embassy compound. Kurt
still needed to ask Dolman about a substitute for neutronium.

“Too
dangerous,” Dolman replied as his eyes scanned the room, taking in all the
patrons. “I’ve come into possession of some information the governments of the
Gothan Empire don’t want out.”

Kurt raised
his eyebrows. “What kind of information?”

Dolman leaned
forward as if he wanted to make sure he wasn’t overheard. “A number of months
ago, the Gothan Empire sent out a task force of forty battleships under the
command of Dacroni Clan Leader Masak with one order. Find a black ship and
destroy it.”

“The fools,”
bellowed Grantz and then, in a quieter voice, asked, “Do they want to lead the
Destroyers of Worlds here? It’s best if we remain hidden.”

“Quiet,
Grantz,” ordered Kurt, wanting to hear what Dolman had to say. “What happened?”

“A black fleet
attacked an Enlightened colony world of the Bollons,” Dolman said. “The system
was Ralla, where Masak found a black fleet. He waited until it was engaged
against the planet’s meager defenses and then jumped in with his fleet. He
launched a general attack against the enemy and found his weapons useless.
Switching tactics, Masak ordered all forty of his battleships to concentrate
their weapons fire on just one vessel of the black fleet. He destroyed it and
then ordered his fleet to jump into hyperspace. Before he could escape, the
black ships opened fire and destroyed fourteen of his battleships in only a
matter of seconds.”

“Seconds,”
Andrew said, his face turning pale.

Kurt and
Andrew were well aware of just how powerful a Dacroni battleship was. “Where did
you get this information?” Kurt asked Dolman. Kurt wanted to make sure it was
genuine.

Dolman looked
at Grantz. “Our friendly Profiteer here arranged for a meeting between us and
several other Profiteers. Fortunately one of them was the brother to Dacroni
Clan Leader Masak.”

“Masak,”
groaned Grantz, his eyes widening. “They never told me that.”

“So that’s
where you got the information about the Destroyers of Worlds attacking Bascom,”
Kurt said, shifting his gaze to Grantz.

“I didn’t know
it came from Masak,” grumbled Grantz. “I’ll have to stay away from the pleasure
houses for a while now. If Masak finds out I bought that information from his
brother, I’m dead!”

“Good
riddance,” said Andrew with a pleased smile.

“What else did
you learn?” Kurt asked Dolman, ignoring Andrew and Grantz. Kurt wanted as much
intelligence on the Destroyers of Worlds as possible.

Dolman slid a
shiny computer disk across the table. “It’s all here. Complete sensor scans of
Masak’s attack on the black ships, as well as the Gothan Empire’s preparations
for when the dark ships come here.”

Kurt picked up
the small disk and placed it in his pocket. “How much?” he asked. Dolman very
seldom did anything for free.

“Double what I
paid for it, since I took all the risks.” Dolman then told Kurt how much it had
cost him.

“Contact
Ambassador Tenner, and he will arrange for your payment.”

Dolman stood
up and then spoke again. “How do you like all of Lomatz’s people being on Newton?”

“We’re keeping
an eye on things,” answered Andrew. “We won’t let them turn our planet into
another Kubitz.”

Dolman nodded.
“Lomatz returned last week. He’s been loading his transport ships with all
kinds of supplies and automated factories. A few eyebrows have been raised, and
some questions asked. I told him to be careful. The same goes for you as well.”
With those final words, Dolman turned and walked to the door, along with his
two escorts.

“Let’s get out
of here,” Kurt said, standing.

Grantz stood
as well.

“I thought you
would stay.”

“No,” Grantz
said, taking a long drink and then setting his mug on the table. “The best
place for me is at the compound, at least until I know Masak isn’t looking for
his brother or anyone his brother might have come into contact with.”

“Afraid to
risk your hide?” asked Andrew. “What about all your women at the pleasure
houses?”

Grantz
frowned. “They’ll just have to wait.”

Kurt looked
toward the bar, where several scantily clad women danced and loud music played.
If not for all the guns strapped to most of the patrons’ waists, this bar would
pass for many found on Earth. Kurt would ask Dolman about a substitute for
neutronium at another time.

“Come on,
Grantz,” said Kurt. “We’ll make sure no one shoots you.”

The group left
to return to the compound. Once there Kurt wanted to go over the information on
Dolman’s disk to compare it to the one Grantz had given him earlier. He was
anxious to see how the Dacroni battleships had destroyed a black ship.

-

Up in orbit,
Dacroni Clan Leader Jarls frowned at his viewscreens; Lakiam battlecruisers
orbited over Kubitz. Not only that but several more Lakiam battlecruisers as
well as four Andock vessels sat in space past the sixth planet accompanied by
Human ships from either Earth or Newton.

Jarls was
dressed in dark gray battle armor, the Dacronis’ standard uniform, except when
not on board their ships. He was humanoid, with bulky legs, torso, and arms.
His face was similar to a Human’s but rounder and chunkier. His neck was
shorter with his head almost resting on his torso.

“Is it
possible the Earth Humans have formed an alliance with the Lakiams and the
Andocks?” asked Salas, Jarls’s second in command.

“I doubt it,”
replied Jarls. “Something else is going on here.” Very seldom did Protector
World warships visit Kubitz or any world in the Gothan Empire.

“The Aurelia
is one of those two Lakiam battlecruisers near the Controller station,” pointed
out Salas. “The Aurelia was at the last battle of Earth.”

A troubled
scowl covered Jarls’s face. The Aurelia by itself had been responsible
for driving the Profiteers from the planet. Clan Leader Creed had been killed
in the fighting as the Profiteer fleet fled the planet, leaving behind numerous
cargo ships and detainee ships. It had cost several Profiteer Clans a fortune.
Fortunately Jarls had recognized the Lakiam battlecruiser for what it was and
had pulled back his battleships before they were lost to the battle as well.

“What should
we do about Vickers?” asked Salas. “He’s on the planet. We can send a few teams
there to take him out.”

Jarls
considered what Salas said. While it was tempting to kill Vickers, there was no
longer any point in it, especially with fourteen Lakiam ships so near. “From
the rumors I’ve heard on Kubitz, Lomatz has provided Vickers with a full Class
One defensive system.”

Salas’s face
turned pale upon hearing that. “A Class One system?”

“Yes, one that
may even rival what’s around Kubitz. Besides we have other concerns now.”

“You mean the
Destroyers of Worlds.”

Jarls nodded.
“All the major clan leaders on Dacroni Four are in agreement. We must do what
we can to defend our own world. The orbital defenses have been strengthened,
and at least 70 percent of our clan fleets are now required to stay in the
system in case a black fleet appears.”

“Due to
Masak’s encounter with the Destroyers of Worlds,” said Salas. “Is it true he
destroyed one of their warships?”

Jarls nodded.
“Only one but at a cost of fourteen of his battleships.”

Salas shifted
his gaze to the viewscreens. “I wish I knew what the Humans and Lakiams are up
to.”

“We all do,”
answered Jarls, as his focus drifted to one of the screens showing a Lakiam
battlecruiser. He couldn’t ever recall a Protector World sending so many
warships to Kubitz before. He was certain the Kubitz government as well as the
Controllers must be greatly concerned over what was going on in orbit. Jarls
leaned back in his command chair and whispered to himself, “Fleet Admiral
Vickers, what are you up to?” Jarls wished he had a way to find out, but
recently many of his old lines of communications had dried up. Even Avery
Dolman had grown silent when it came to the Humans from Earth and Newton. Jarls was deeply concerned that, with the appearance of the black ships in their
galaxy, the Gothan Empire would never be the same again.

-

Several days
later Kurt was on the Aurelia, meeting with Mara. He was distinctly
aware of how beautiful and alluring the Lakiam woman was. They were in her
quarters, and she had just poured Kurt a drink very popular on Mara’s
homeworld.

“Fleet
Commodore Dreen was highly interested in what I had to say about your worlds,”
Mara said as she sat across from Kurt.

“This
Commodore Dreen must be very special,” replied Kurt. Keera would be highly
unhappy if she knew he was in Mara’s personal quarters, even if she did sit
opposite him. Her sitting room was lavishly furnished with bright and colorful
paintings on the wall.

“He is,” Mara
said as she took a sip of her drink. “He’s our most brilliant military leader.
He’s trying to form alliances with other Protector Worlds against the black
ships.”

Kurt set his
drink on a small table near him. “How does all this concern my world?” He had a
strong suspicion Mara wasn’t telling him everything.

Mara’s eyes
narrowed. “In the past, many primitive worlds escaped the culling of the
Destroyers of Worlds. Some of these planets were like yours, hidden in
backwater areas of the galaxy. From those worlds, the new Enlightened and
Protector Worlds arose. It could be that your planets are destined to play that
role in the future.”

Lomatz had
said something similar. “Perhaps,” replied Kurt. “But what if the black ships
find us?”

“They will
spend years culling the main worlds of the galaxy,” said Mara. “Many small
empires similar to the Gothan Empire will resist them. Fighting will continue
in our galaxy until every civilized world and empire has fallen to the
Destroyers of Worlds. That’s how it has always been and most likely how it will
always be. They are an unstoppable force.”

“You’re making
a chilling prediction,” replied Kurt. He wondered how many of the civilized
races of the galaxy felt this way.

“I’m only
facing reality,” Mara said with a look of sadness spreading across her face.
“They may, indeed, find your world, and, then again, you may find your worlds
spared the nightmare of being culled.”

“You said
Fleet Commodore Dreen was forming an alliance with other Protector Worlds.
Surely, when joined together, they will be able to fight the black ships.”

“You don’t
understand,” Mara said with a deep sigh. “Very few Protector Worlds ever work
together. They all follow certain rules, but most are more concerned about the
Enlightened Worlds they defend and becoming Enlightened themselves someday. I
don’t believe very many Protector Worlds will join with Lakiam to stand against
the Destroyers of Worlds. If we can’t form a unified front against this
dangerous enemy, then I fear there is no hope for the galaxy.”

Kurt picked up
his drink and took a small sip. The taste was unlike anything he had tried
before. “I still don’t understand why you’re coming to Newton with the Aurelia.
By now you must know we’ve duplicated much of the technology on your warships.”

Mara’s eyes
widened. “I suspected as much,” she admitted. “The people I’m bringing with me
consist of a number of very talented technicians and a few scientists. We are
willing to help you with any technical problems you may encounter with adapting
our technology to your vessels.”

“What do you
want? There must be something.”

Mara took a
deep breath, and then she focused sharply on Kurt. “Lomatz brought a large
number of his people to Newton. I want permission to do the same. If the war
goes badly for Lakiam, I want to bring several thousand of my people to your
world. If your world is spared, then we can make it the most powerful world in
the galaxy once the Destroyers of Worlds leave. Perhaps by doing this, we will
be ready for them next time.”

“Did you
discuss this with Fleet Commodore Dreen?” Kurt was greatly surprised by Mara’s
request.

“Yes,” replied
Mara. “He was hesitant at first, but, in the end, he saw the wisdom of attempting
to save a few of our people. This continued ravaging of our worlds by the black
ships every few million years must come to a stop. If this works, we just might
be able to do that. We wouldn’t have to reinvent all our technology again.”

Kurt went
silent as he considered what Mara had said. Having Lakiams on Newton could have
a bigger impact than Lomatz’s people.

“I’ll have to
speak to Governor Spalding,” he said finally. “I can’t promise anything.”

“I
understand,” replied Mara. She stood, setting down her drink. “We can depart as
soon as you’re ready. My people have checked out the Aurelia, and all
the necessary supplies have been loaded.”

Kurt hesitated,
and then he asked another question. “Are there any dark matter missiles on
board your ship?”

Mara’s eyes
narrowed, and her lips tightened. “Yes, twenty such missiles are on board.
However, I should warn you. The technology for you to build such warheads is
beyond anything currently on your world. Even my own people have a difficult
time building the warheads. I am curious to hear how you learned of the
missiles.”

Kurt smiled.
“I have my sources. Once we arrive at Newton, I’ll have more questions.” Kurt
greatly wished to speak to her about the Lakiams’ battles with the black ships,
but that needed to wait. Right now he needed to return to the Star Cross
and set a course for home. He had been gone longer than he wanted, but, at
least this time, no one had tried to kill him while he had been on Kubitz.

Chapter Six

Fleet
Commodore Dreen listened patiently to council member Brewl Darmas explain, once
again, why an alliance with the Andocks was out of the question.

“Each
Protector World has its own sphere of influence,” Darmas said, as if that was a
sufficient explanation. He slowly shook his head. “We have eighty-seven
Enlightened civilizations to protect, and we don’t have time for an alliance
that will drain our resources.”

“You don’t
understand,” Dreen said, trying to stay calm. “Those eighty-seven Enlightened civilizations
have 1,400 colonies that also need protecting. We don’t have the ships.”

“Preposterous,”
Darmas said dismissively. “We have the largest fleet in the history of our
civilization. The only problem would be if we had to send some of our ships to
help the worlds in this supposed alliance of yours.”

Commodore
Dreen stared at the viewscreen on the wall of his quarters. Brewl’s face looked
very determined. “When was the last time you left Lakiam?”

“Leave
Lakiam?” replied Darmas, stunned. “Why would I do that?”

“It might give
you a better perspective of what’s going on out there,” replied Commodore
Dreen. “The Destroyers of Worlds are rampaging across the galaxy. If we don’t
join with other Protector Worlds, our own planets may fall victim to their
attacks.”

“With our
defenses?” Brewl said in disbelief. “I don’t think so. If we commit ourselves
to this war effort, as you desire, we are turning away from Enlightenment. We
must not do that.”

“As you wish,”
Dreen said, seeing this conversation going nowhere. “I just ask that you keep
an open mind.”

“I always do,”
Brewl replied as the screen went blank.

Fleet
Commodore Dreen let out a deep sigh. He had made very little progress with the
council. Nearly 63 percent of its members were against any alliance with other
worlds, though they had approved more ship construction as well as increased
defensive measures. The fear of endangering their future Enlightenment derailed
any progress on the military preparations Dreen really wanted. He wasn’t sure
what could be done to change their minds.

-

Eighty-two
light-years distant the answer to Dreen’s problem suddenly appeared. In the
Lakiam System of Holdez, a Destroyers of Worlds’ fleet dropped from hyperspace.
Around the seventh planet orbited the inhabited moon of Holdez, which the
Lakiams had terraformed over two thousand years in the past. The moon held a
thriving population of over two hundred million. The system was rich in
minerals, and a robust mining industry operated across the planets, moons, and
asteroids.

Aboard the
Lakiam battlecruiser Nixa, warning alarms sounded, and red lights flashed.

“Report!”
ordered Captain Belson as he rushed into the Command Center.

“Scanning
satellites have detected a Destroyers of Worlds’ fleet exiting hyperspace at a
range of six hundred thousand kilometers.”

Since the
failure of the ships at Bascom to detect the black ships in hyperspace, the
Lakiams had seeded their systems with small satellites armed with numerous
high-definition space cameras that could spot an anomaly in their vicinity. The
cameras continuously videoed the area of space around them to see if any stars
were occluded or if a black ship was visible.

“How many
ships?” Captain Belson was deeply concerned. He only had a light task group,
consisting of thirty-five battlecruisers. They had not been expecting an attack
in this region of space.

“Two
motherships and 407 cruisers,” reported Sensor Operator Darma. “All available
camera satellites have been focused on that area.”

“Contact
Lakiam, and inform Fleet Commodore Dreen what’s happening.” Belson was in
trouble. His fleet wasn’t strong enough to stop the black ships.

“All
hyperspace frequencies are blocked,” Communications Operator Marlon replied. “I
can’t get any message through.”

Captain Belson
had expected that. It was one of the reasons all Lakiam worlds, colonies, and
scientific outposts were now broadcasting a continuous hyperspace signal toward
Lakiam. If any signal abruptly stopped, then the home system would know
something was wrong. Belson just hoped help arrived before the black fleet
could reach Holdez. If not, then the inhabited moon was doomed.

“Orbital
defenses are coming fully online,” Tactical Officer Ardlee reported. Twenty
Class Two Orbital Defense Platforms were above the moon plus a Class Two Command
and Control Station. In addition, two hundred defensive energy cannon
satellites were in orbit.

“Alarms are
sounding on Holdez,” Communications Operator Marlon added. “People have been
told to go to their shelters.”

Captain Belson
nodded. For 99 percent of the population, there was no safe place to go.

“Black fleet
is moving in our direction,” Darma reported. “Estimated contact in twelve
minutes.”

Captain Belson
took in a sharp breath. Twelve minutes was not nearly enough time for
reinforcements to arrive. “We will move the fleet back to the defensive grid.
Perhaps, by adding its firepower to ours, we can delay the black ships until
help arrives.”

He was met
with silence from his other officers. The battle would be long over before more
Lakiam vessels could reach the system.

-

Fleet
Commodore Dreen was in his quarters, thinking about his recent conversations
with various council members, when the ship’s alarms sounded. The
communications device on his desk also began buzzing, and, reaching out, he
activated it. “Report.”

“Contact with
the Holdez System has been lost. Their hyperspace beacon ceased broadcasting
six minutes ago,” Alborg’s voice reported over the comm.

Commodore
Dreen stood up. “Prepare the fleet to enter hyperspace immediately.”

“Commodore, we
can’t take all the ships and leave Lakiam undefended,” pointed out Alborg. “This could be a feint to draw us away.”

Commodore
Dreen paused, realizing his second officer was right. “We’ll take only the
fleet assigned to the Basera,” he ordered. That was still nearly five
hundred vessels. “Inform the council we’re responding to a possible attack at
Holdez.”

As he made his
way to the Command Center, Dreen felt a change in the ship. A slight vibration
indicated the subspace drive had been activated, and they were moving away from
the planet. A normal person could not detect the subtle change in the ship, but
someone who was used to how the ship operated would notice immediately. Holdez
was over eighty light-years distant. Even at top speed they might not make it
there in time.

-

Captain Belson
watched the ship’s tactical display intently. His fleet had made it safely to
the defensive grid and now waited for the approaching black ships to reach
engagement range. His ships had a full complement of dark matter missiles, and
all the defensive platforms had at least a few each.

“All ships,
stand by to fire,” he ordered over the ship-to-ship comm. “We will target ten
black ships with our first missile barrage. Once those ships have been
destroyed, we will switch to the second group of ten.” From previous battles,
twelve to fifteen dark matter warheads should overload the enemy’s shields. He
intended to hit each of the targeted black ships with forty. If he could
destroy enough of them quick enough, perhaps they would pull back. He wouldn’t expend
the energy or the time firing other weapons. The best strategy was to focus all
the fleet’s dark matter missiles on the enemy’s defensive screens, inflicting
as much damage as possible. If he only had more ships, he would make an attempt
to take out the two inbound motherships. However, too many of the
spindle-shaped cruisers were protecting them to make it feasible with his
current fleet.

In the
background he could hear the governor of Holdez, begging to be taken off the
planet. “Turn off that comm!” he ordered. He was sadly disappointed in the
governor. The Lakiam race was supposedly well on their way toward
Enlightenment. However, the arrival of the Destroyers of Worlds had
demonstrated the Lakiams still had a long way to go, much further than
expected.

“Engagement
range in two minutes,” Darma reported in a calm voice.

The tactical
screen was updating continuously. Hundreds of red threat icons were approaching
the defensive grid and the Lakiam fleet.

“All
hyperspace-capable noncombat ships are jumping from the system.”

On the tactical
screen, dozens of friendly green icons vanished as the ships entered the safety
of hyperspace. For several long moments this continued, and then the only green
icons remaining around Holdez were fleet units. Far out in the system, mining
ships and other commercial vehicles powered down in the hope the black ships
would not detect them. As they did, their green icons faded away on the long-distance
sensor screen.

“Engagement
range!”

“Fire!”
ordered Captain Belson.

-

In space, the
thirty-five 1,700-meter-long battlecruisers emptied their missile tubes,
sending 420 dark matter missiles flashing into hyperspace to smash into the
energy shields of ten black ships. Each dark matter warhead had an explosive
force of five hundred megatons. Space lit up with the brilliance of the
explosions as the raw energy washed across the defensive screens of the enemy.
All ten collapsed as the amount of energy they could absorb was quickly
exceeded. The ten screens released their pent-up energy in one horrendous
flash. The black ships beneath the screens died instantly as they were turned
into glowing space dust. For a moment the ten areas of space burned like a
supernova, then the light faded away.

The Lakiam
ships fired again and then again. Twenty more black ships succumbed to the
deadly dark matter energy. The Class Two Orbital Defense Platforms began
launching their missiles. Eight more black ships died as the platforms fired
off their missiles in sprint mode.

Then the black
ship returned fire with their black antimatter beams. Lakiam battlecruisers blew
apart, one after another. The beams easily penetrated the Lakiam’s powerful
energy screens, cutting deep inside the ships. Missile fire on the black ships rapidly
decreased as Lakiam ships and launchers were destroyed.

-

Captain Belson
grimaced as he watched his fleet being systematically annihilated.

“How many have
we destroyed?” The dark matter missiles were effective. Computer analyses
indicated the enemy screens burst between the fourteenth and eighteenth warhead
detonation.

“Forty-two,”
reported Darma. “We’ve damaged another eighteen.”

“Keep firing
missiles,” ordered Captain Belson. He still had a slight hope the enemy would
pull back.

“Enemy is continuing
to fire their black antimatter energy beams,” Darma informed the captain. “Our
energy screens are not stopping the beams.” Then in a louder and more concerned
voice, he said, “Enemy ships are launching their black spheres.”

This was the
end. “All ships and defensive platforms, fire every missile you can before the spheres
attach themselves to your energy screens,” ordered Belson.” Once the spheres
reached the screens, the black orbs would siphon off the energy powering the
screens and then the ships themselves. Shortly after that, the ships and defensive
platforms would not be able to launch any more missiles.

“Missiles
launching in sprint mode,” confirmed the tactical officer. “We won’t get all of
them launched.”

Captain Belson
looked at the viewscreens. Bright explosions were pummeling four of the black
ships. With satisfaction, he saw their screens vanish, and then brilliant
explosions of light marked the death of the four enemy vessels. At least his
fleet was taking a few of the deadly enemy with them.

Then his
flagship shook violently. Warning alarms sounded on the damage control console.

“We’ve been
hit by two black antimatter beams,” the damage control officer reported. “We
have major sections of our hull open to space, and we’ve lost four of our
missile tubes.”

“Keep firing,”
ordered Belson, as his ship shook uncontrollably. On one of the viewscreens, he
saw a Class Two Orbital Defense Platform blow apart.

The battle was
lost. He could not save Holdez.

-

The black
ships continued to advance as the black antimatter spheres reached the
defending ships and the defensive platforms. The spheres attached themselves to
the screens, rapidly draining them of energy. Then they floated down to the
hulls, spreading out. In just a few minutes all the power had been drained,
leaving the ships and platforms helpless. Black ship antimatter missiles arrived,
leaving only glowing wreckage behind.

-

Above Holdez,
its shattered defenders died in bright blasts of light. Across the inhabited
moon, people rushed to find shelters before the Destroyers of Worlds’
motherships went into orbit. Any who remained on the surface were doomed. But
there was nowhere to go as the shelters were overflowing, leaving 99 percent of
the population trapped on the surface.

-

The black
motherships went into orbit, and, from each, fourteen beams of black light
flashed down. In a matter of minutes, millions of Lakiams were turned into a
black ashy substance that the tractor beams, embedded in the black rays,
carried back to the motherships. On board the two motherships, the tractor
beams brought the organic substance inside, where it was fed into the
converters. The converters classified the different organic substances and then
changed them into appropriate food for each of the three castes of the Vorn
race.

-

A few hours
later Fleet Commodore Dreen waited anxiously as the Basera dropped from
hyperspace, two million kilometers from Holdez. Alarms rang loudly as the fleet
went to full alert.

“All ships are
in battle formation,” reported Sensors Operator Laylem.

“All weapons
are online,” added Alborg from Tactical.

“I’m not
receiving any broadcast stations from Holdez,” said Sheera Keenol from
Communications, with deep concern in her voice. “The entire system is silent.”

“What about
the black ships? Any signs of them?”

Laylem spent a
few minutes working on his console and then turned toward the commodore. “No,
none of our ships are picking up anything on their viewscreens. I’ve also
accessed the camera satellites in the system, and I can confirm the black ships
left the system forty-six minutes ago.”

Commodore Dreen
looked at one of the viewscreens, showing Holdez. The atmosphere of the planet
seemed filled with dust. He had seen this before. With a sickening feeling, he
knew he had arrived too late.

“Take us in,
and keep an eye on the viewscreens. There’s always the possibility a few black
ships might be lurking about. Communications, broadcast an all clear and
identify us. I imagine the mining operations and some ships are powered down.”

Dreen intended
to go into orbit and then send shuttles to the surface. A few deep shelters were
on this moon, and he was hoping for some survivors. He intended to take videos
of the destruction wrought by the black ships and then share them with the
council. Perhaps, once the council members all saw what the Destroyers of
Worlds were capable of doing to a Lakiam world, they would see the wisdom of
forming alliances with other Protector World civilizations.

-

Two hours
later Fleet Commodore Dreen stood near the center of what was once the capital
city of Holdez. He was in an environmental protection suit, due to all the
smoke in the air and the fires burning in the destroyed city. Whatever weapon
the Destroyers of Worlds used had practically leveled every building higher
than a few stories. What buildings remained had their walls caved in and were
clearly unsafe to enter.

“The entire
moon is like this,” reported Thomal Lorrn, a climate specialist. “Nearly one
thousand locations on Holdez were destroyed like the capital.”

Several other
Lakiams accompanied the commodore as well as six of the large eight-foot-tall combat
robots. The robots were equipped with heavy stunners as well as a small energy
beam cannon.

“What about
the search for survivors?”

“Not many,”
replied one of the military officers in charge of the combat robots. “Reports
indicate that a number of the deep shelters were blasted open. Early estimates
seem to indicate less than thirty thousand people survived. We’re continuing to
search.”

Commodore
Dreen clasped his hands behind his back as he thought over the ramifications of
what had occurred. Over two hundred million Lakiams, plus the defending fleet,
had been wiped out. He shuddered, thinking of the fate of the inhabitants. They
were now food for the Destroyers of Worlds.

-

Prince Brollen
was pleased when the transport ship exited hyperspace into the system where
they had established their primary base for operations in Galaxy X241. Gazing
at the large tactical display through his multifaceted eyes, he saw hundreds of
green icons, representing Vorn motherships, collector ships, and cruisers. Even
a few transport ships were in orbit above the system’s sole planet. The planet
was a dead husk without an atmosphere or even a single moon.

You have
returned, a voice spoke in Prince Brollen’s head. Brollen recognized Prince
Ortumad, who was in command of the system. Brollen also thought he detected
surprise in Ortumad’s communication.

Yes, Queen
Alithe has chosen me as a future consort.

Ortumad went
silent for a long moment. I accept your higher position in the Royal Court. What are your orders?

We will
continue to harvest the more lightly defended worlds, sent Brollen. However,
we can’t allow the others to join their forces against us. There are planets
that possess weapons dangerous to our ships. Those planets must be harvested.

You speak
of the ones with the dark matter missiles.

Yes, we
will continue the harvest, but shortly we must destroy those who can be a
danger to us.

By your
command, answered Prince Ortumad.

-

Fleet
Commodore Dreen was once more in the Lakiam home system, which comprised
fourteen worlds. The fourth planet was Earth-like with planets number three and
five having been terraformed. All three held large populations. Scattered
across the system were large domed cities on numerous moons and asteroids. The
Lakiams’ pride and joy were the 215 massive orbital habitats which circled the
three inhabited planets. In all, the Lakiam home system had a population in
excess of sixteen billion.

“Ship is in
stationary orbit,” reported Jalad from the Helm.

Commodore
Dreen nodded. He had been silent for most of the trip home. He still felt the effects
of the disaster that had wiped out the population of Holdez. Over two hundred
million Lakiams turned into food for the Destroyers of Worlds. On the entire
moon of Holdez less than forty thousand survivors had been found in the deep
bunkers. They had emerged in shock, terrified by the destruction that
surrounded them.

Other vessels
had arrived from various Lakiam planets, bringing aid. Already a massive tent
city had been constructed for the survivors. Commodore Dreen had left 110 of
his battlecruisers in orbit to defend the shattered world from another attack,
though he doubted if the Destroyers of Worlds would return.

“What now?”
asked Alborg from his tactical station. “What happens if they attack another of
our worlds?”

“Our fleets
are dispersed across too many Enlightened Worlds,” Laylem said, turning from
his sensor console to speak to the commodore. “If we don’t do something, they
will pick us off fleet by fleet until we no longer have the ships to resist
them.”

Commodore
Dreen listened to his command crew. He had a lot of respect for them and their
opinions. If these attacks continued, the Lakiam worlds would eventually fall. He
could not allow this to happen.

“Do you have
the computer files loaded?” he asked, focusing on Laylem.

“Yes,
Commodore. I’ve created 250 copies, as you requested.”

Copies of the
devastation they had found on Holdez. The destroyed cities, the videos of the
stunned people exiting the few remaining shelters, and the ship ruins in orbit.
Perhaps now he could convince the council to take appropriate action. He
intended to give each council member a copy, as well as the largest news media
stations on the planet. It would be a risk, but he must somehow force the council
to allow him to make the necessary alliances with other Protector World
civilizations before it was too late.

-

Two days later
Fleet Commodore Dreen was summoned to the Lakiam Council chambers. As he
entered the massive structure housing the government for all Lakiam worlds, he
couldn’t help but wonder what awaited him inside. For two days he had heard
nothing from any council member. However, the news media had been full of
charges and countercharges about the inability of the fleet to defend Holdez from
the Destroyers of Worlds. Some of the people were demanding all Lakiam warships
be pulled back from Enlightened World space to protect Lakiam worlds. What use
was it to work toward Enlightenment if they were all doomed to die? The videos
of the carnage on Holdez were replayed over and over again. Lakiam and other
nearby Lakiam worlds demanded the government do something to protect them from
suffering the same fate.

When he
reached the ornate doors behind which the council met, he presented his
credentials to the heavily armed guards. Lakiam had little crime, and the
guards were a traditional post.

“You may
enter,” the senior guard said, opening the massive doors.

Stepping
inside, Dreen saw the entire council was assembled. Over two hundred members
representing every Lakiam world and colony.

“Fleet Commodore
Dreen,” said Lead Councilor Harlus Atratis. “Will you take a seat, and we will begin
this meeting.”

Commodore
Dreen approached the lone remaining empty chair, which faced the assembled
council. Sitting, he looked unfazed at the councilors.

“I will start
off by saying we are not pleased about the videos you released to the news
media,” Atratis said reproachfully. “It has put this council in a precarious
situation.”

“Our entire
civilization is in a precarious situation,” Dreen answered simply. “Not just
this council. It was my duty to release the videos to the media. With the
number of aid ships currently at Holdez, other videos would have come out
shortly. It was better if I ensured their accuracy.”

“Still,”
Atratis said, “it should have been our decision.”

“I have
requested you be removed from command,” council member Darmas said as he stood.
“I believe your actions demonstrate your lack of ability to lead our fleets.”

“Who else is
to lead our fleets?” challenged council member Marl defiantly as he too rose.
“Who else can claim a victory against the black fleets?”

Several other
council members rose, shouting their agreement, while even more rose, voicing
their disapproval.

“Sit down,”
ordered Lead Councilor Atratis. “We will act civilized in this chamber.”
Atratis turned toward Fleet Commodore Dreen. “I want you to explain to this
council what type of threat the Destroyers of Worlds are and what you believe
will happen if we don’t follow your recommendations to form alliances with
other Protector Worlds.”

Commodore
Dreen heard rumblings of dissent from a number of council members at hearing
mention of alliances. Now he must convince the council he was right.

-

For the next
two hours he spoke to the council, sometimes pausing to answer questions. Many
times several council members heatedly argued over something Dreen had said,
and they had to be calmed by Lead Councilor Atratis. Finally Commodore Dreen
finished speaking. The room went silent as everyone weighed what he had told
them.

In the end,
they agreed—by a very narrow margin—to allow Dreen to form alliances with five
Protector World civilizations. Dreen had asked for ten but had hoped to get at
least four. The council also disapproved the measure of sharing the knowledge on
how to build dark matter warheads with other Protector Worlds. While this was
disappointing, it wasn’t a surprise.

As Dreen was
leaving, he was stopped by council member Marl.

“Commodore,
you won today by the narrowest of margins.”

“At least now
we can form the alliances we need to fight the black ships.”

Marl looked intently at Fleet Commodore Dreen. “You realize what we did today sets us back
on our road to Enlightenment.”

“Enlightenment
does not serve us if we’re all dead.”

Marl let out a deep breath. “You proved that in your speech. Let’s hope you’re right. Keep
in mind you made several powerful enemies today.”

“If you mean council
member Darmas, I’m well aware of how he feels.”

Marl went silent for a long moment, and then he spoke again. “Build your alliances, and
fight your war. I fear the path we’re about to embark on, but I see no other
choice.”

Fleet
Commodore Dreen nodded. The path he had set the Lakiam race upon today would probably
move them far from Enlightenment and toward barbarism. He was treading a narrow
line. But now he had to negotiate with several Protector World civilizations.
If he were successful, maybe Lakiam would survive, not as a civilization moving
toward Enlightenment, just as one hoping to exist.

Chapter Seven

From the large
Newton Station observation window, Fleet Admiral Vickers gazed at his new
flagship. The replacement Star Cross sat in one of the massive repair
bays as its supplies were being loaded.

“She’s a
beaut,” said Captain Henry Watkins, commander of the light carrier Vindication,
an older man and very good at strategy. He had been Kurt’s mentor in his early
years and became a close and trusted friend.

“We needed a
flagship that will stand out,” commented Captain Randson with a pleased grin. “When
we go to Kubitz, the Profiteer clans will give us a wide berth.”

“Maybe,”
replied Kurt. He had already taken numerous tours of the ship during its
construction phase, but now he was anxious and ready to command the ship’s
shakedown cruise. “However, if we do return to the Gothan Empire, they’ll know
we’ve gained access to Protector World technology.” This concerned Kurt
somewhat, considering they had just been fined and nearly banned from trading
on Kubitz based on rumors of using restricted technology. This ship would
confirm it. It could pose another set of problems. However, he would worry
about that later.

“When will
Lomatz arrive?” asked Colonel Simms. “He’s bringing more direct energy
projectors for the station.”

“A few more
days yet,” answered Kurt. He had spoken to Lomatz briefly on Kubitz, and the
weapons dealer was trying to acquire more defensive systems for Newton. With the increased demand from the other worlds in the Gothan Empire, Kurt wasn’t
sure Lomatz would be successful, even with all his connections. However, Lomatz
had mentioned he might have a surprise for Kurt when he returned. More than
that Lomatz wouldn’t say.

“What about my
neutronium marble?” asked Lieutenant Mays, standing next to Andrew.

“No luck,”
replied Kurt. “I talked to Avery Dolman, asking if he knew anyone who could
mine a neutron star, and he burst out laughing.”

Mays looked
dejected. “What about a good substitute?”

“Dolman’s
making inquiries. He says, if there is one, it would come from an Enlightened
World. They would be the only ones who might know how to make an object as
small as we need with sufficient mass.”

“Good luck
with that,” Henry said, frowning. “I imagine those Enlightened Worlds are
scared to death about the Destroyers of Worlds. I still can’t believe they harvest
intelligent beings for food. It’s like something from one of those old horror
videos.”

“If they ate
you, they’d get indigestion,” said Andrew, grinning.

“I’m too old
to be food,” grumbled Henry. “They’re interested in youngsters like you.”

Colonel Simms
looked at Kurt. “What would happen if a black fleet came here?”

Kurt shook his
head. “Our weapons still aren’t powerful enough.”

“Not even our
new ships?”

“I’ve seen a
lot of video footage of Protector World fleets fighting Destroyers of Worlds’
ships. In almost every instance the Protector World fleets are wiped out. In
very rare cases a few black ships were destroyed when their shields
overloaded.”

“We need that
damn neutronium marble,” muttered Lieutenant Mays.

“I’m afraid no
race is advanced enough to mine a neutron star,” Andrew said. “Not even the
Enlightened Worlds.”

With dawning
realization, Kurt remembered, months ago, how Lomatz had mentioned meeting a
member of a secluded advanced race—millions of years older than any currently
Enlightened World. And millions of years ago they had hidden themselves from
the Destroyers of Worlds and, since then, had refused contact with any other
civilization. To the galaxy overall, they had ceased to exist.

“There might
be a solution to your neutronium marble after all,” Kurt said to Lieutenant
Mays.

“What?” she
blurted out, her eyes widening.

“I’ll speak to
Lomatz when he arrives. If I’m right, I may have a mission for the new Star
Cross.”

Andrew moaned.
“Why do I not like this already?”

Kurt smiled.
“It’ll be an adventure.”

“I’m getting
too old for adventures.”

-

Later that day
Kurt and Keera were at his sister’s for a relaxing evening meal. Denise was an
excellent cook, and Kurt never missed a chance to take her up on sampling her
cooking. His sister had also been giving Keera cooking lessons, and the two
hung out together quite often.

“There’s
plenty of chicken,” Denise said, grinning as Kurt reached for his third piece.

“Mom says
fried chicken’s your favorite meal,” proclaimed nine-year-old Bryan as he
reached for a second chicken leg. “It’s mine too!”

Kurt grinned at
his nephew, then looked at Alex, Denise’s husband. “How’s work going?” Alex was
a systems analyst at one of Newton’s largest computer firms.

“Great! With
the influx of immigrants from Earth, business is booming.”

“What about
the aliens on the island?” asked Bryan, waving his chicken leg and nearly
dropping it. “When will I see one?”

“Bryan, put that on your plate before it ends up on the floor,” admonished Denise. “The
aliens don’t leave their island very often so you probably won’t see one.”

Bryan set the chicken leg on his plate and reached for his fork to attack the pile of
mashed potatoes and gravy he had been avoiding. “We should have had macaroni
and cheese too.”

“You have too
much macaroni and cheese as it is,” Denise said, shaking her head. “Keera,
how’s the training going at the new medical center?”

“Slow,”
replied Keera. “We have received most of the new equipment that I wanted, and
we’re in the process of teaching people how to operate it. It just takes time
because it’s so new here on Newton.”

“I understand
some of Lomatz’s people are involved,” Alex commented. “They’re not trying to
steal us blind, are they?”

Keera laughed
and shook her head. “I know Kubitz has a bad reputation, but not all its people
are like that. Many of Lomatz’s people are technicians and others who worked in
his operations on Kubitz and had very little to do with the Profiteers.”

“Isn’t he a
weapons dealer?” asked Denise, frowning.

“Yes,”
answered Kurt. “He also operates a large fleet of commercial vessels, including
the large cargo and construction ships that have been hanging around Newton.”

Alex looked
thoughtful and then spoke. “I would still keep a close watch on them. We don’t
want Newton turning into another Kubitz.”

“It won’t,”
promised Kurt. “Lomatz’s people are pretty well confined to their island and
need travel permits to leave it. Those helping Keera went through an extra
security check to be on the safe side.”

Denise frowned
at Bryan, who was building a tower out of his mashed potatoes with a spoon.
Seeing the look on his mother’s face, Bryan stopped and, using his fork, took a
small bite from the top of the tower.

“I understand
Mara came on the Aurelia.”

“Yes, the
Lakiams have agreed to help us with some of their technology,” Kurt explained to
his sister. He didn’t want to mention several thousand Lakiams might be coming
to Newton to live eventually. However, with their level of technology, they
would have a more profound impact on Newton than Lomatz’s people. Kurt still
needed to speak to Governor Spalding about that. When he did so, he might have
Mara come along to explain their reasons for wanting to come to Newton.

“So, is your
new flagship ready?” asked Bryan, putting down his fork. He had demolished his
potato tower. It was now flattened out over much of his plate.

Kurt smiled.
“Yes, they’re loading supplies, and I’ll be taking it out in a few days for its
shakedown cruise.”

“Can I see
it?” asked Bryan, his eyes lighting up with excitement. “Can I shoot its big
guns?”

“Bryan!” exclaimed Denise. “You can’t go up in a spaceship. Uncle Kurt has some very
important things to do.”

Bryan nodded. “He has to kill more of the bad aliens.”

“Not all
aliens are bad,” Kurt said. “Someday I’ll take you to the Star Cross,
and you can sit in the captain’s chair.”

“You don’t
think Captain Randson would mind?” asked Bryan, his eyes lighting up.

“No, I don’t
think he would mind at all.”

“Are you going
to Earth anytime soon?” asked Alex. “The news states a lot is going on there.”

“I may stop during
the shakedown cruise. President Mayfield is up for reelection in another few
months, and I would like to speak to him beforehand.”

“He’s not
going to win, is he?” asked Denise.

Kurt shook his
head. “Probably not. He’s way down in the polls, and, after everything the
Profiteers did to Earth, the people are ready for a change in leadership.”

“Any idea who
they may chose?”

“Ellen Lambert
is one of Mayfield’s biggest supporters. She’s also very connected with the
people in the North American Union. Mayfield may encourage her to run in
November.”

“I’ve read
some things about her,” Alex said, thoughtful. “Her home is in Dallas, Texas, and she’s been heavily involved in the reconstruction. She seems to be very
popular.”

Kurt nodded.
“Mayfield feels confident she will continue his policies.”

“Is Fleet
Admiral Tomalson coming to Newton anytime soon?” asked Denise. “I know at one
time he talked about settling down here.”

Kurt grinned.
“Admiral Aaron Colmes of the battleship Atlas is being groomed to take
over. He did an outstanding job at the battle of Earth and didn’t shirk his duties.
Rod Tomalson speaks very highly of him, and, once he feels Aaron is ready, Rod
plans to relocate and retire on Newton, probably when the elections are over.”

“He deserves
it,” Alex said. “He’s done a lot for us.”

They finished
their meal with some small talk about what was happening on Newton. Denise
wanted to take Keera shopping at the new Westside Mall, and Bryan wanted Kurt
to come to his next ball game.

On the way
home, Keera turned to Kurt. “Why don’t we buy a home out in the suburbs, like
your sister has? I think it would be nice, particularly for entertaining.”

Kurt nodded
his agreement. They had discussed this previously. “Why don’t you have Denise
help you look? If the two of you can find a place, let me know, and we’ll see
what we can do.” Recently, with Keera’s brother and new wife coming over, Kurt
and Keera’s apartment was feeling a little cramped for dinner parties. A larger
place would be nice.

-

The next day,
Kurt gave Mara and several other Lakiams a tour of his new flagship. They stopped
to speak to the chief engineer and several technicians in the engine
compartment.

“This is
remarkable,” commented Thule Rasht. “I never would have believed your people
could duplicate this technology.”

“Not only
that, they’ve improved upon it,” added Mals Bren, a hyperdrive research
scientist. “If I’m correct, this ship travels in hyperspace over 20 percent
faster than an equivalent Lakiam vessel.”

“How is that
possible?” asked Mara, looking curiously at Kurt.

Kurt sighed. No
point in keeping secret what they’d done. “We combined the technology of
several Protector Worlds to build the ship.”

“Lomatz,” Mara
said knowingly. “That weapons dealer has been researching Protector World
technology illegally for years. We heard rumors of that but could never confirm
it.”

“That would
explain a lot,” Mals said, nodding. “I noticed several pieces of Andock
technology incorporated into the hyperdrive and, unless I’m mistaken, some Tarbon
technology as well.”

Now was as
good a time as ever to ask the question burning in the back of his mind. “Have
any of you heard of an ancient Enlightened race who has remained hidden from
the rest of the galaxy for millions of years? Perhaps as long ago as the first
or second attack on our galaxy by the Destroyers of Worlds?”

“You speak of
the Glaymons,” Thule said, his eyes narrowing. “That rumor has been around for
millennia. Every once in a while, small ships are spotted with technology far
different than what other Enlightened Worlds use. However, this rumor has never
been confirmed.”

“Have you
heard something?” asked Mara suspiciously. “Did you pick some information on
Kubitz? People have searched for these supposed Glaymons in the past, but all leads
have proven false. Most of the Protector Worlds don’t believe the Glaymons
exist.”

“Yes, the same
rumors as you’ve heard,” Kurt quickly answered. “As you know, we have a large KEW cannon running down the center of our ships.”

“I saw that,” Thule said, clearly confused. “I don’t understand why you would designate so much space on
your ships for such an obsolete weapon.”

Kurt turned to
Thule. “What would happen if we could accelerate a piece of neutronium to 60
percent the speed of light and slam it into the energy screen of a black ship?
A piece about this big.” Kurt indicated the size of his thumbnail.

Mals’s eyes
widened. “For a brief moment it would generate the power of a small star. From
what I know of the power needed to bring down one of the black ship’s screens,
a weapon such as you describe would destroy the vessel instantly.”

Mara shifted
her gaze to meet Kurt’s. “That’s why you asked about the Glaymons. You need
their technology to mine a neutron star and design some type of containment
field for the weapon rounds. Without a containment field they would crush and
destroy any ship that tried to use them.”

Mals went
silent for a moment. “Even if the Glaymons exist, no one knows where their
world—or worlds—are hidden.”

Kurt looked at
the Lakiams and then took a deep breath. “I may know of a way to find them. If
I do, would some of you be willing to go on the mission?” When meeting a race
as advanced as the Glaymons, Kurt would feel more confident if he had a few
Lakiams with him. At least they might understand the Glaymons’ advanced technology.

He was met
with silence as the three Lakiams looked questionably at one another.

“How?” asked
Mara. “Contact has never been made with this mysterious race, and we’re not
certain the Glaymons even exist.”

“They exist,”
confirmed Kurt. “I know someone who actually met one.”

“Are you
certain of this?” asked Thule with excitement in his voice.

“Yes,” Kurt
answered. “One of their small scout ships broke down, and this individual
helped to repair it.”

“So I was right
to return to Newton with more of my people.” Mara looked from Mals to Thule, who both nodded. “If we agree to go on this mission, I want to take the Aurelia.
Its current crew has both the scientists and technicians necessary to meet the
Glaymons, if we find them.”

“I would
suggest we update our hyperdrive to the same standards as the Star Cross,”
Mals said. “From what I’ve seen, it will be relatively easy to do.”

Kurt nodded.
He hadn’t planned on the Aurelia accompanying him, but he could see
where the Lakiam scientists and technicians on board would be useful. “I’ll
speak to Colonel Hayworth and arrange for the Aurelia to enter one of
Newton Station’s repair bays.”

“Very well,”
replied Mara. “Let’s continue this tour. I want to see what other technology Lomatz
and his people have stolen from the Protector Worlds.”

For the next
four hours they slowly made their way through the flagship with Mals and Thule stopping occasionally to inspect a piece of equipment or to ask technical questions.
A few of Lomatz’s people were still on board, and they were a treasure trove of
information for the Lakiams once Kurt allowed them to speak.

“It’s simply
amazing,” Mals said as they headed toward the Command Center. “We have adapted
some of the technology from the Enlightened Worlds we defend, as all Protector
Worlds do. What Lomatz and your people have done is combine all that varied technology
into this ship.”

Mara stopped
and gazed at Kurt. “Do you fully understand how everything works on this
vessel, particularly the technology you have installed? Can you repair it if it
breaks down?”

“Yes,”
answered Kurt. Lomatz and his people had toiled over some of the equipment,
making sure the crew could install as well as repair it. “Some was very
difficult, but we have a basic understanding of how it all works.”

“Amazing,”
said Mals, shaking his head. “I never would have believed it possible.”

Mara hesitated
as she watched a pair of the small repair robots whiz by. “I see you have even
duplicated our robots. What about the specialized nanites used to repair major
damage to our ships?”

“That was more
difficult,” admitted Kurt. As a matter of fact, they had employed Avery Dolman to
get the information from a Lakiam cargo captain who wanted to visit a
particular pleasure house on Kubitz. Dolman had made all the necessary
arrangements, and then Grantz had accompanied the captain to ensure his safety.
“But we did find out how to manufacture them.” What Kurt didn’t mention was
that this same captain had furnished them with a small autofactory that could
produce the nanites.

“The ruling
council at home won’t be happy to hear this,” said Mals, with a deep frown
creasing his forehead. “I think it best we don’t mention it.”

“Not tell the
council?” Thule responded, surprised. “They’re supposed to be informed if our
technology gets loose on less civilized worlds or cultures.”

“Look where we
are,” Mals pointed out. “We’re thousands of light-years away from the nearest
Enlightened World or Protector World. With the Destroyers of Worlds’ threat,
what does it matter?”

Thule looked stunned for a moment and then nodded. “You’re right. I fear our path toward
Enlightenment has come to an end, possibly permanently. Perhaps it would be
wise to share more of our technology so we can better defend all worlds against
the black ships.”

“The council
would never agree to that,” Mara said unhappily. “It is already fighting Fleet
Commodore Dreen on his alliance proposal concerning other Protector Worlds.”

Entering the Command Center, Mara looked around, not surprised at all. “This is very similar to the Aurelia’s
except for a few more command stations.”

Kurt sat, for
the first time, in the command chair upon the small dais overlooking the Command Center. He flinched as the chair automatically adjusted itself to his shape. The
entire room was circular with ten control consoles, all connected and active,
sitting in a semicircle before the slightly raised command dais. On the walls,
the numerous screens were currently off as the ship was inside Newton Station.

The three Lakiams
moved about the Command Center, examining various stations. Occasionally they
would stop and speak animatedly to one another. Finally their inspection ended,
and they approached Kurt.

Mara stood
with her hands on her shapely hips and a satisfied smile on her face. “Make the
arrangements for updating the hyperdrive on my ship. When you’re ready, we will
accompany you to find the Glaymons, if they exist.” With that, Mara and the
other two Lakiams left leaving, Kurt alone in the Command Center.

For several
long minutes Kurt sat there, deep in thought. He could do nothing until Lomatz
returned, as he was the one who had met and repaired the Glaymons’ scout
vessel. Leaning back and relaxing, Kurt gazed about the Command Center. Tomorrow he would take the ship on its shakedown cruise to Earth. Perhaps when he
returned, Lomatz would be back on Newton.

-

“How was your
meeting with Mara?” Keera asked Kurt hours later in their apartment as she
stirred the stew cooking on the stove.

“It went about
as expected,” Kurt said, coming up behind Keera and putting his arms around
her. “Did you and Denise go out house hunting today?”

“We did, but I
couldn’t find one with any character. Too many cookie-cutter houses out there.
I want something more unique and individualized for us.”

Kurt stepped away
from Keera as she turned to face him.

“I’m thinking
about having Dalen build our house. He’s running all those construction robots,
and he could just program in the plans.”

“We would have
to buy a plot of land somewhere.”

“No problem,” Keera
said excitedly. “Denise and I found two brand-new housing developments with
large lots. Plenty of room for future expansion, if necessary, plus a large
yard for our kids to play in.”

“Kids?” Kurt
repeated, his eyes showing surprise. “You hadn’t mentioned that before.”

“Yes, kids,”
she repeated, grinning. “Someday I want a couple children of my own.”

Kurt nodded.
“Denise would like that, and so would Bryan.”

“Someday,” Keera
said, stepping forward and kissing Kurt on the lips. “Dalen and Meesa are
coming over for supper, and he’s bringing a bunch of house plans. He also said,
if we can tell him what we want, he can design it and give us something
completely original.”

“I like that
idea,” Kurt said. “Maybe when I return from the shakedown cruise, we can have
Dalen start construction.”

“That’s why
they’re coming over tonight. You may be gone for a week or two, and we have
some decisions to make.”

“I like the
idea of designing our house. It would be nice to come home to a real house
rather than an apartment. And we shouldn’t be gone more than one week. I must
speak to Lomatz immediately when he returns, and he should be back by then.”

“Lomatz,”
repeated Keera, frowning. “What do you need with him?”

“He knows a
secret that could help us against the black ships.”

Keera turned to
stir the stew again. “Be careful. I know recently Lomatz has been helpful, but
remember where he comes from. His priorities may not be the same as yours.”

-

Keera was
right. While recently Lomatz had been very reasonable in his dealings with Kurt
and Newton overall, the man still operated a large weapons operation on Kubitz.
However, Lomatz was Kurt’s only hope of finding the Glaymons. If this race was
as advanced as Kurt believed them to be, they might know how to mine a neutron star.

Chapter Eight

The
Enlightened World of Talmor had known peace for over six hundred thousand
years. They were an avian race and still maintained the ability to fly. Their
cities were beautiful and almost magical. Tall towers reached for the clouds,
sparkling in the bright afternoon sunlight. The people of Talmor were nearly
ten feet tall and very slim with wings that could carry them nearly anywhere
they wanted. They had developed complex dances performed in the air, which told
the history of their people. Tens of thousands of years in the past,
geneticists had modified the bodies of the Talmor race so the wings were nearly
invisible when folded against their backs. When fully extended, each wing
reached out nearly eight feet, allowing the Talmorans to float on the natural
thermals abundant on their world.

The Talmorans
had spread out across five other star systems within six light-years of Talmor.
This suited the Talmorans as it ensured their civilization would endure if
disaster struck one of their worlds. Due to a nearby barbaric civilization that
rebuked the path to Enlightenment, the Talmorans had signed an agreement with
the Protector World of Alstreth. In return the Talmorans made available portions
of their advanced technology, including some of their remarkable genetic research,
which showed promise in greatly extending the lifespans of the Alstreth race.
The agreement was mutually beneficial to both races as it allowed the Talmorans
to focus on the aesthetics of their civilization and the Alstreths to enjoy
longer lives.

However, all
that beauty and longevity was endangered with the arrival of the Destroyers of
Worlds.

In the great
soaring towers of the Talmor, warning alarms sounded. Over the comm system tying
their world together came the warning that a Destroyers of Worlds’ fleet had
appeared in the outer regions of the Talmor System. The dangerous black ships had
been spotted by the vast network of telescopes and deep space cameras the
Talmorans used for research. Great concern and fear spread across the planet as
its inhabitants looked toward the sky, hoping the Alstreth could protect them.

In the great tower of Windstream, Ibal Welstahl stood at one of the massive windows, where launching
into the air was possible. What a fantastic feeling to float in the warm
thermals that surrounded the tower.

“What are we
to do?” asked Dalol, his mate of forty years.

Ibal turned
toward Dalol, reaching out and taking her hand. “We must trust that the
Alstreth can protect us. With their urging, we have a powerful defensive grid
around our planet and there is a large Alstreth fleet currently in orbit.”

“But these are
the Destroyers of Worlds,” replied Dalol, fear evident in her eyes. “Only the
Lakiams have resisted them, and the Lakiam worlds are far from here. What if
the Alstreth cannot stop this evil?”

Ibal let out a
deep breath. “Our race has endured for millions of years. We are truly
Enlightened. For millennia our people have known peace and the harmony of
living with nature upon our worlds. If it is our time to pass on to the next
level of existence, then we shall.”

“I’m afraid,”
Dalol said, stepping closer to Ibal. “We are both still young.”

Ibal took
Dalol in his arms, spreading his wings until they surrounded both of them
protectively. “There is nothing to fear. If we are to die today, we will go
together and share in the journey to the next level of life. It is the nature
of all things.”

-

Dalol laid her
head against Ibal’s shoulder. She trusted his words, and, for a moment, her
fear abated.

-

Prince Brollen
gazed in anticipation at the main viewscreen, with the inhabited world rapidly
approaching. Initial scans could not determine how far out this race had spread
across the system. After detecting the waiting fleet and scanning the planet’s
defense grid, the black ships made a short hyperspace jump closer to the
inhabited planet.

Strange,
reported Military Commander Fraymot. Our long-range sensors still show no
bases or other habitats on any of this system’s worlds besides the fourth one.
There are numerous automated mining operations, but no signs of any of the fourth
world beings on any of those.

Prince Brollen
nodded his triangular-shaped head, his twin antennae standing erect. That
confirms what our scout ships have reported. The fourth planet is inhabited by
an avian species that still maintains the ability of flight. It is safe to
assume they prefer vast open areas, which small colonies and domed habitats
would lack.

Then we
shall harvest all six of the worlds this food species resides on? Scout ships
had revealed this particular food species had spread across five other star
systems.

Yes,
replied Brollen. The Avian species we have thus far harvested are very
popular with the Queens back home. We shall harvest all six of this food
species’ worlds and send one of the Collector Ships to the Conclave Habitat
with the food pellets. It will be a special gift for Queen Alithe.

Military
Commander Fraymot went silent as he studied one of the tactical displays focused
on the fourth planet and the defenses protecting it. Then he sent a thought to
Prince Brollen. There is a moderate-size fleet protecting the planet and
more of the large orbiting defensive platforms. I do not believe they will pose
a danger to our vessels.

Prince Brollen
shifted his gaze to another of the viewscreens, revealing one of the orbiting
defensive platforms. All these platforms are very similar. I wonder if one
particular world or food species produces them? It might be in our best
interests to pay that species a visit to prevent them from developing and
deploying even more powerful ones. While these platforms are not a threat now,
if they are developed further, they could be.

That may be
a wise decision, replied Military Commander Fraymot. I will have our
scout ships search for such a food species.

Prince Brollen
nodded his approval. Very well, let’s proceed against this world. I am
growing curious as to the taste of this particular species.

-

This
Destroyers of Worlds’ fleet was the most powerful yet to assault the worlds of
Galaxy X241. Upon Prince Brollen’s last trip to the Conclave Habitat and his
promotion to potential consort, he had taken command of the harvesting of this
galaxy. Currently in his fleet were 8 motherships and 1,600 of the
spindle-shaped cruisers. Brollen was determined that nothing and no world would
stand up to his fleet, not even the Protector World that possessed the dark
matter missiles. His goal was to fill all the Collector Ships, sending them to
the home system, ensuring the Queens and the habitats they served had
sufficient food. Once that was done, he would pay a visit to the food species
with the dark matter weapons. It was essential they be eliminated before they
could become even more dangerous.

Under the
guidance of Military Commander Fraymot, the massive fleet approached Talmor
with the ships spreading out to encircle the entire planet. Once surrounded,
the black ships would use their black antimatter beams and the spheres of
destruction to wipe out all opposition.

-

Prime Leader
Xlan of the Alstreth gazed in consternation at the multitude of red threat
icons rapidly approaching Talmor and his badly outnumbered fleet.

“What are your
orders?” asked Minor Leader Maxdor. “Our computer predicts we have no chance
for a victory. If we stay, our entire fleet will be annihilated.”

Xlan shifted his
gaze to the large viewscreen of the Enlightened World of Talmor. Only the
previous week he had traveled to the surface, in awe of the beauty of their
amazing towerlike cities. Their culture, including their artwork and air
dances, was something to behold. If he refused to meet the Destroyers of Worlds
in battle, all that would be lost to the galaxy. However, with the size of the
approaching black fleet, he could do nothing to prevent the attack. The enemy
fleet was overwhelming and racing toward his fleet like a juggernaut. To stand
in its way was suicide.

“Two minutes
until engagement range,” reported the sensor operator in a strained voice.
“Total black ship contacts now exceed over 1,600.”

“Prime
Leader,” said Maxdor, his eyes reflecting deep and growing concern. “We only
have sixty battlecruisers and four battleships. If we engage the Destroyers of
Worlds, the battle will be brief, and we will all die. It will be a futile
gesture to sacrifice our ships and our crews in such a way.”

Xlan shuddered,
his decision made. The order he was about to give was one certain to haunt him
for the rest of his life. “All ships are to enter hyperspace and return to
Alstreth. Send a signal to all our ships protecting other Talmor worlds to do
the same.” Xlan was convinced, once the black ships finished with this system,
they would move on to the others. The Talmoran race would soon cease to be.

“All
hyperspace communication frequencies are blocked,” reported the communications
officer.

Xlan nodded.
He had expected that. “We will enter hyperspace and then drop out once we’ve
cleared the interference. We’ll send our messages to our other fleets before
continuing to Alstreth.”

Xlan watched the
viewscreens as his flagship made the hyperspace jump. The last sight he had of
Talmor was of the black ships circling the planet. Xlan closed his eyes,
feeling the pain of what would shortly occur on Talmor. The four billion
Talmorans and all other major lifeforms on the planet would soon become food
for the Destroyers of Worlds.

-

On Talmor the
alarms continued to sound. Many of the avian people took to the air, with no
safe place for them to go. Across video screens the announcement was made that
the Alstreth fleet had fled into hyperspace, leaving the planet defenseless
except for the orbiting defense grid.

“Can the grid
stop them?” asked Dalol, her eyes focusing on her mate.

Ibal slowly
shook his head. “No, it consists primarily of Class Two Orbital Defense
Platforms. From what I have heard, not even the Class Ones have been able to
stop the black ships.”

“Then we’re
doomed,” said Dalol, accepting the inevitability of their death. It greatly
saddened her as they had two children, Makol and Lalen, who were  on the far
side of the planet, studying the large mammals living in the ocean depths. She
wished she could tell them good-bye.

Ibal looked
toward space. Already he could see brilliant flashes of light where the defensive
grid was engaging the Destroyers of Worlds. “Perhaps somewhere in this galaxy
is a race which can stand up to these destroyers of life.”

Dalol nodded
and closed her eyes. She hoped their death was quick and painless.

-

Prince Brollen
watched the last defensive platform explode as several black antimatter beams
carved it in two. He had been surprised when the defending fleet abruptly
entered hyperspace and fled. It seems our demonstration of what we can do to
their Protector Worlds has borne fruit. The defenders now fear meeting us in
battle. In the worlds we have harvested recently, the defenders have been far
fewer.

A few
defensive satellites must be destroyed, and then the harvest can begin,
reported Military Commander Fraymot. None of our ships suffered any damage.

I will be
in the converter chamber, replied Brollen. I wish to sample this food
species and see if they are worthy to add to my own food collection.

-

It only took a
few minutes to annihilate the orbiting energy beam satellites. With the last
defensive satellite destroyed, the huge motherships settled into orbit around
Talmor. From each ship fourteen black beams flashed toward the planet. Wherever
one touched anything organic, it turned the living organism into a black ashy substance,
which was pulled up to the converters in the motherships by tractor beams.
Across the cities of Talmor the beams moved, changing flesh to ashes. In the
crowded sky above the cities, brief shrieks were heard as the deadly beams did
their work.

-

Dalol looked
at Ibal and spoke. “We had a good life together.”

“Yes, we did,”
Ibal replied as a black beam came toward their tower. He held Dalol closer, not
wanting her to see. With a gentle smile, he spoke one last time. “You are the
love of my life.” Then the black beam passed through the tower, leaving black
ashes floating in the air, which the embedded tractor beam quickly took away.

-

For nearly two
hours the deadly beams moved across the planet, not leaving any area untouched.
Then they stopped, and white energy spheres fell on the surface. The condensed spheres
of energy burst like bubbles and expanded outward, destroying everything in
their path. The tower cities of Talmor were turned into smoking and burning
rubble, leaving no sign of the magnificence that once stood upon the planet.

-

Inside the
converter room, Prince Brollen crunched on a gray food pellet. He swallowed and
nodded in satisfaction. He would add a number of these to his private
collection. Food species 1012 was acceptable and had a unique taste—very
refined and pure.

We are
ready to move to the next inhabited world of this food species, Military
Commander Fraymot reported from the Command Center. All the harvesting has
been completed, and all evidence of a civilized culture ever existing upon this
planet has been annihilated.

Prince Brollen
gazed at the converter, knowing it would be a few hours yet before it finished
processing food species 1012. A surprising number of pellets had been found
which were suitable for the Royal Caste. Take us to the next planet. By the
time we arrive, all the processing will be finished. Let us hope the other
worlds of this food species yield such a quality take. He was certain Queen
Alithe would be quite pleased with this bounty.

-

A few minutes
later the Vorn fleet entered hyperspace on their way to the next world of the
Talmorans. When the Vorn fleet was finished, this Enlightened race would no
longer exist but would serve as food for the Destroyers of Worlds. It was the
way of the Vorn, and it would always be so. No mercy and no compassion. There
was only the Vorn.

-

Fleet
Commodore Dreen sat in his office with council member Marl, discussing the
alliance.

“The Andocks,
Parmonts, and the Bascoms have agreed to join the alliance,” Dreen said,
sounding tired. He had spent long hours each of the last few days, trying to
coax various Protector Worlds into joining with the Lakiams and providing
warships for a joint fleet to fight the Destroyers of Worlds. “Many others
refused as they are pulling back their fleets to protect their own worlds. Fear
of the Destroyers of Worlds is spreading rapidly.”

“I suspected
it would not be easy,” Marl said, folding his arms across his chest. “Every day
we receive more reports of the culling of Enlightened Worlds by the black
ships. Many Protector Worlds are afraid they will be attacked next, due to what
happened at Bascom.”

“The Bascoms
are angry,” Commodore Dreen replied with a deep sigh. “They lost their two
homeworlds to these fiends. Fortunately they’re spread across enough worlds to
remain a powerful presence in their region of space. They still have
substantial fleet assets and have promised to aid us in our battle against the
Destroyers of Worlds.”

Marl looked thoughtful and then spoke. “We must find a way to detect the black ships and
to learn their targets, or we will never be able to defeat them. Even if our
alliance included every Protector World in the galaxy, it would do no good if
we can’t track these Destroyers of Worlds’ fleets.”

“I know,”
replied Commodore Dreen, feeling the pressure to make the alliance work. “The
best scientists we and the Andocks have are working around the clock, searching
for answers. The black ships utilize some type of masking field to hide the
radiation signatures from their hyperdrives. We must find a way to see through
that field.”

Marl stood up and walked across the room to gaze at a painting of Lakiam hanging on the
wall. “I’ve always admired this painting. It makes me realize how small we are
in the grand scheme of things.” Turning around, he faced Commodore Dreen. “Something’s
been bothering me recently. We’re the only Protector World to defeat a black
fleet. Wouldn’t that make us a target?”

Commodore
Dreen’s eyes widened. “They’ve already destroyed Holdez. I suspected that was
in retaliation for defeating their fleet and destroying a mothership.”

“Was it
retaliation or a probing attack?” Marl had served in the fleet for a few years
before embarking on his political career and knew a little about strategy.

“You’re
suggesting they would eliminate us because they consider us a danger to their
harvesting of this galaxy?”

“Yes,” said Marl, nodding. “Just look at what you’re doing in forming this alliance. Let me ask you a
question. If the Destroyers of Worlds were to attack us here at Lakiam with a
fleet of several thousand of their vessels, could you defeat them?”

Commodore
Dreen considered the question. “It would take our entire current inventory of dark
matter missiles, but I believe we could stop them.”

“What if a
second fleet of the same size shows up immediately after the first?”

Commodore
Dreen could feel the blood leaving his face. “We would lose. We could probably
cause it a lot of damage, but I don’t think we could stop them if they were
determined to push through to Lakiam.”

“How many
ships do you estimate the Destroyers of Worlds have?”

“Probably
several hundred thousand or more,” answered Dreen. “They’ve been doing this for
millions of years. They must have a large reserve of vessels in case they come
across a powerful enemy.”

“What if we’re
that enemy?”

Fleet
Commodore Dreen went silent as he thought over those words. In order for the
Destroyers of Worlds to have been so successful for millions of years, they
must have faced powerful enemies before. It would indicate they had a method to
deal with such threats.

“We have to
find a way to track their vessels and quickly,” Dreen said after a moment.
“Until we do, we will be vulnerable to such an attack. If we knew they were
coming, we could take adequate precautions, even calling in more of our fleet
units or our allies.”

Council member
Marl nodded. “I’ll be going now. I know a few scientists in the military
research division. I’ll see what I can do to push things from my end. The
remaining two dark matter facilities should be completed in a few more weeks.
That should help immensely with the availability of warheads.”

“Let me know
if there is anything else I can do.” Commodore Dreen watched as Marl exited his office. Then, leaning forward, Dreen activated the comm device on his
desk. “Alborg, come to my office for a strategy session.”

Dreen intended
to ask Alborg the same questions council member Marl had just asked him. Alborg was a brilliant tactician and tactical officer. Perhaps he could envision a way to
better protect Lakiam from a massive black fleet attack. What they really
needed was a weapon that could easily penetrate black ship energy shields. Lakiams’
scientists were searching for such a weapon, but, so far, all they had come up
with were dead ends.

Commodore
Dreen picked up one of the various reports he had been studying. Many of the
Protector Worlds across the galaxy had repositioned their fleets to protect
their homeworlds, leaving countless Enlightened Worlds open to attack. The
reports he received daily indicated the Destroyers of Worlds had ramped up
their assaults. Dreen had confirmation of at least twenty large black fleets
currently operating in the galaxy. What deeply concerned Dreen was, how many
more were still coming? What if this was only the initial wave?

Pressing an
icon on his computer console, he stared at the current Lakiam fleet
deployments. Lakiam was responsible for eighty-seven Enlightened civilizations.
Those civilizations had more than 1,400 colonies. Over the last several weeks
he had sent out orders, pulling Lakiam fleet units from the smaller colonies.
He had strengthened the fleets around the eighty-seven Enlightened civilizations’
homeworlds and some of their major colonies to compensate. When the pullback
was complete, it would leave defenseless over eight hundred Enlightened World
colonies, except for the meager defense grids that protected some of them. A
number of colonies would have nothing but a few energy beam satellites to stave
off an attack.

Fleet
Commodore Dreen felt guilty for leaving those worlds unprotected. However, by
doing so, he had greatly enhanced the fleets around the main worlds and those
defending the thirty-two star systems that contained Lakiam worlds or major
mining operations. As he waited for Alborg, he greatly feared for the future of
the galaxy. He was struggling to find five Protector World civilizations to
join the alliance. One thing he was certain of: if they failed to stand
together, they were all doomed.

Chapter Nine

Admiral Kurt
Vickers sat in the Command Center of the battleship Star Cross. The 1,500-meter-long
warship was just about to drop from hyperspace into the solar system. On the
tactical display, four other green icons were visible—the four battlecruisers
of the new design built at Newton Station. Each was one thousand meters in
length and had more firepower than a Lakiam vessel of the same class.

“Hyperspace
dropout in six minutes,” Lieutenant Styles reported from the Helm.

“All systems
are operating at top efficiency,” Captain Randson added as he checked his
command console.

“No
unidentified contacts on the long-range sensors,” reported Lieutenant Lena Brooks.

Kurt nodded.
The new sensors on the Star Cross could reach out nearly fifteen light-years,
a big improvement over the old sensors. That would give them ample warning of
any potential danger.

A small repair
robot darted across the Command Center, stopping near the wall. The robot
quickly removed a tiny access panel, made some minor adjustments, then replaced
the panel, and left through the open hatch.

Andrew shook
his head. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to those damn robots. They seem
to be everywhere.”

Kurt grinned.
“Eight hundred of them are on the ship. All programmed to do routine
maintenance and even major repairs if necessary.”

Andrew let out
a deep sigh. “We’re running this ship with a smaller crew than on the old Star
Cross, and yet this ship is much larger.”

“Everything’s
automated,” said Lieutenant Mays to Andrew from her tactical station. “While
our crew can do the repairs, it’s easier and more efficient to let the robots
handle that function.”

“It’ll take
some getting used to,” responded Andrew with a slight grimace.

“Two minutes
to dropout,” reported Lieutenant Styles.

Kurt shifted
his gaze to another tactical display of the solar system. Hundreds of friendly
green icons moved about the system. Since forming an alliance with the humanoid
worlds of Julbian, Sertez, and Maldon, interstellar trade had taken off, due to
Kurt’s purchase of a large number of small cargo ships from Kubitz. While the
price of warships had skyrocketed, the small cargo ships had remained
reasonable. These vessels had been sold to the three new humanoid worlds to aid
in trade between all five star systems. They were also fortunate to have the
captured Profiteer cargo ships as well as their large detainee ships. All had
been modified at Newton Station for Human use. Every day ships from Earth
arrived at Newton and vice versa.

Kurt focused on
the fifteen violet icons in orbit around Earth. These were the Class Two Orbital
Defense Platforms and the Command and Control Station. While Earth’s defenses
weren’t nearly as powerful as Newton’s, they were sufficient to ensure the
Profiteers never bothered the planet again.

“Dropout.”

Kurt felt a
momentary twinge in his stomach, and then the Star Cross exited
hyperspace into the solar system four hundred thousand kilometers from Earth.

“Receiving
standard challenge from the Command and Control Station,” reported Lieutenant
Brenda Pierce. “Sending recognition codes.”

The station
had known the Star Cross and her attending ships were inbound as they
had been told about the trip several days earlier. With the advent of Lakiam
communication technology, it was now possible to send messages between Newton and Earth. A delay of several minutes occurred due to the vast distance between the
worlds, but at least they could communicate.

On the main
viewscreen, the Earth suddenly appeared. The atmosphere was filled with white
clouds obscuring much of the North American Union. However, the deep blue of
the Pacific Ocean was plainly visible. Kurt let out a deep sigh. Seeing Earth
from space was something special. Even though his home was now Newton, Earth would always hold a special place in his heart.

“I have Fleet
Admiral Tomalson on the comm,” Pierce said, her eyes widening.

Kurt activated
the comm unit on his console. “Hello, Rod. I planned to come to the Retribution
to pay you a visit.”

“No, you’ve
seen this old tub. I’m more interested in your new battleship.”

Kurt couldn’t
help but grin. “Come on over, and I’ll give you the grand tour.”

“As soon as
you go into orbit, I’ll come aboard. I have a few things to discuss with you as
well.”

The comm went
silent, and Kurt turned his attention to the viewscreens. The Moon was also
prominently displayed. He could see several of the large domed colonies on its
surface.

“Sure are a
lot of ships in orbit,” Andrew said as he studied the tactical displays.

“Mars too,”
responded Kurt.

Mars had been
settled by the European Union along with Australia and Japan. The planet was already using technology purchased from Kubitz by Newton to begin the
terraforming process. Climatologists predicted that, within twenty years, Mars
would have a breathable atmosphere. The terraforming equipment had been
delivered to Mars—also to the moons of Jupiter and Saturn. Those were more
complicated projects due to the size of the moons and lesser fields of gravity
and would require some type of atmospheric retention field.

-

Twenty minutes
later the Star Cross and her escorts went into orbit above Earth as six
Lance fighters flew by for a close inspection.

“We’ve been
scanned by nearly every ship in orbit,” reported Lieutenant Brooks.

Lieutenant
Mays grinned. “Won’t do them any good, not with the sensor-dampening field we
have now.”

Lomatz’s
people had made this discovery when they had looked at various ways to combine
the technology of the four Protector World civilizations when designing the new
Star Cross and the heavy battlecruisers. While most scans would be
stopped by a ship’s energy screen or the armored hull, this dampening field
stopped the scans cold, just short of the screen.

The Star
Cross and the four heavy battlecruisers would cause a stir. None of the new
warships had made the trip to the solar system until now.

“Admiral, I
have a query from the government of the North American Union. President
Mayfield requests a meeting at your earliest convenience.”

This didn’t
surprise Kurt. He wanted to meet with the president too as this would be Kurt’s
last opportunity to do so before the elections. “Inform the government I’ll be
coming down to the surface tomorrow if they want to set up an informal
meeting.”

Kurt gazed at
the Earth on the viewscreen. It was a beautiful planet, and, from space, none
of the destroyed cities were visible. Chicago, Washington, Paris, Cairo, Moscow, and numerous other cities scattered around the world had been hit by
Profiteer nukes. Thanks to advanced technology secured from Kubitz, the
radiation had been removed. Also highly specialized radiation drugs had been
brought back to help the injured. In every city, reconstruction was underway.
In another few years the cities would be rebuilt, and the signs of the
Profiteer attack would be gone. However, in each city, memorials were already being
constructed so no one would ever forget what had been done to Earth and its
people.

-

Kurt was in
his quarters when the hatch opened, and Fleet Admiral Rod Tomalson stepped in.
Rod was graying around the temples and had a few more lines on his forehead.

Kurt stood
with a big welcoming smile on his face. “Rod, it’s good to see you.”

Fleet Admiral
Tomalson stepped over, shaking Kurt’s hand.

“Have a seat. We
have a lot to talk about,” said Kurt, gesturing toward the large conformable
chair in front of his desk.

“This new Star
Cross is amazing,” commented Rod as he sat. “Just from what I saw in the
flight bay and on my way here, it’s far more advanced than anything we have in
the solar system.”

“It’s based
primarily on Lakiam and Andock technology with some odds and ends thrown in
from a few more Protector Worlds. Lomatz and his people have worked wonders in
helping to design and build this ship.”

A slight frown
crossed Rod’s face. “I was going to ask you about that. How are all those
Profiteers doing that you settled on Newton? Any problems?”

“No, none at
all. For the most part, while Lomatz’s people worked with the Profiteers and
sold them a lot of weapons, none of them are actual Profiteers. Many of them
seem to be normal people, wanting a good and safe place to live. Not only that,
a lot of highly qualified technicians came to Newton. Even a few scientists. It
may take a while, but eventually we’ll transform Newton into a highly technological
civilization. Already discussions are ongoing about changing our educational
system to conform with how children are taught on more advanced worlds. While
we may have some problems adapting to all the new technology, our children will
grow up with it.”

“Well, I’m
glad to hear it’s working out. I think it will be at least several generations
before Earth is ready to attempt something like that. We still have numerous
places across the planet with poor education systems that need a lot of
assistance.”

Kurt nodded.
“The government of Mars has asked to send some observers to the new schools
we’re setting up. If they like what they see, they may put in the same system.”

“Times are
changing,” Rod said with a deep sigh. “Hell, just a few years ago, we thought
we were alone in the universe. Now look at us.”

“I couldn’t
agree more.”

“What about
these Destroyers of Worlds? What’s the latest word on them?”

Kurt’s expression
turned grim. “They’re still sweeping through the galaxy, culling world after
world. Space battles are reported daily. So far the Protector Worlds are on the
losing end. No one’s found an effective strategy to use against the black
ships. Lomatz and Mara feel we’re relatively safe out here, being so far off
the beaten path. It may be years before they find us, if they ever do.”

“Mara,”
repeated Rod. “I heard she was with the Aurelia.”

Kurt leaned
back and gazed at Rod. “The Lakiams are trying to form an alliance with other
Protector Worlds so they can put up a united front against the black ships.
Fleet Commodore Dreen believes, if he can rally enough Protector Worlds to his
cause, he might be able to save some of the Enlightened Worlds from the black
ships.”

“Will they be
successful?”

Kurt slowly
shook his head. “They might delay the Destroyers of Worlds some with their dark
matter missiles. But, from what Mara has told me and what I’ve seen of some of
the battles between Lakiam vessels and the black ships, I don’t think they will
be successful. It takes fourteen or more of those massive warheads exploding
within microseconds of each other to pop a black ship’s shield. They don’t have
the construction capacity to manufacture enough dark matter warheads quickly
enough, especially when considering how massive the fleet of black ships must
be.”

“We need a
better and more powerful weapon,” Rod said, his eyes narrowing sharply. “Where will
we find it?”

Kurt
hesitated. He had only revealed to a few people his plans to search for the
Glaymons. If they could be found, and if they had the technology to mine a
neutron star, maybe it would give Newton and Earth and its alliance the weapon
they needed. “We may have a lead on that, but it’s a distant one, and I still must
speak to a few people.”

Rod accepted
that and didn’t inquire further. “Have you been to any of the three new
humanoid worlds we’re trading with recently?”

“No,” replied
Kurt. “However, I plan on taking the Star Cross to Julbian on this
cruise before returning to Newton.”

“Julbian’s an interesting
world,” Rod said, nodding. “I was there a few weeks ago, working on the joint
defense treaty. Walking around on the planet almost made me think I was on
Earth. In another few years their technology will be on the same level as
ours.”

“We’re trying
to update all the worlds to the same technological level,” responded Kurt. “It
may take a while, but we’ll get it done.”

“I don’t know
if any of us will be able to match Newton. If Lomatz’s people are as good as
you say they are, they give Newton a distinct advantage.”

“How’s the
training of your replacement going?”

“Fleet Admiral
Aaron Colmes is coming along fine. He’s a good officer and dedicated to the
fleet. I’ve already informed him that, as soon as the election is over, I will
be retiring to Newton.”

“We’ll be glad
to have you,” replied Kurt, smiling.

“A quiet home
on the beach,” Rod said with a relaxed smile. “I’m really looking forward to
sitting in the sand and listening to the waves wash up on the shore. Maybe I’ll
even do a little bit of fishing.”

Kurt nodded. Rod
certainly deserved his retirement after all he had been through on Earth and
with the Profiteers. Fleet Admiral Tomalson had always supported Kurt, and,
thanks to Rod, Newton was the world it was today.

“So, how about
that tour?”

Kurt stood.
“Let’s go. I think some of the technology on this ship will amaze you.”

-

A few hours
later they were in the Command Center. Rod looked breathlessly around at all
the changes from the old Star Cross.

“Your sensors
can reach out for fifteen light-years?”

“Yes,”
answered Kurt. “Not only that, we have equipment on board which makes our ships
undetectable in hyperspace, at least to the types of sensors the Profiteers
have. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Lakiams could still track us, but less
developed worlds shouldn’t be able to.”

Rod’s gaze
moved across the Command Center, taking in everything. “This is an amazing
ship. I suppose the battlecruisers possess the same technology?”

“Yes,”
answered Kurt. “Our battlecruisers are more powerful than Lakiam ones.”

Rod grinned.
“At least the Profiteers will give you a wide berth from now on.”

Kurt nodded.
“They’d better, if they know what’s good for them.”

Rod let out a
deep sigh. “President Mayfield wants to meet with you while you’re here.”

“How’s the
election going?”

“Recent polls
show Mayfield will lose so he’s throwing his support behind Ellen Lambert, who
will keep most of Mayfield’s policies in effect.”

“I’ve never
met her,” Kurt said, wondering what she was like.

“She’s a very
practical person. I’ve spoken to her a few times, and she’s well aware of the
threats in the galaxy. She’ll keep Earth’s defenses up and will be a big
supporter of the fleet.”

Kurt looked at
a large viewscreen, showing a new shipyard under construction. “How soon before
the shipyard is done?”

“A few more
months and we can start ship construction.”

All the major
governments on Earth were involved in building the new shipyard. “Would Earth
be interested in several of Lomatz’s construction ships helping with the
shipyard?”

Rod shook his
head. “No, that would not be a wise decision. A lot of hard feelings are still
harbored toward the Profiteers, and, even though Lomatz and his people aren’t
Profiteers, they are still from the Gothan Empire, and many of them worked on
Kubitz. I think it would only complicate the issue.”

Kurt nodded. He
understood their reluctance, but the construction techniques Lomatz’s people
could emplace would radically improve shipbuilding. “What if we built several
construction bays at Newton and then used the big fleet tugs to bring them
here?”

Rod looked
thoughtful as he considered Kurt’s offer. “That might work. Mention it to
President Mayfield when you talk to him. We could certainly use the increased
ship-building capacity.”

“I’ll try to
speak to him tomorrow. I want to get on with this shakedown cruise.”

“I’d better return
to the Retribution. Fleet Admiral Colmes is due on board, and we’ll be reviewing
some tactical information on his battle with the Profiteers.”

Kurt took a
data disk from his pocket and handed it to Rod. “The two of you might want to
take a look at this. It contains information on the Lakiams’ battles with the
black fleet as well as what happened when some Dacroni mercenary ships came
into contact with a black fleet as well. There are recordings of sensor scans
as well as videos of the battles.”

Rod took the
disk. “We’ll review it. I’ve been curious about the black ships for quite some
time. I can’t believe those ships are as powerful as everyone claims.”

“They are,”
responded Kurt. “After you view the disk, let me know what you think.” Kurt was
curious to hear Fleet Admiral Tomalson’s interpretation of the data. Maybe he
would pick up on something Kurt had missed.

-

Late the next
afternoon the Star Cross and her escorts were ready to leave the solar system.
Kurt had met briefly with President Mayfield and expressed his gratitude for
Mayfield’s support of Newton. The president had promised to speak with the
other Earth governments about Newton building two construction bays for the new
Earth shipyard.

The Star
Cross and her four escorts settled into formation and set out toward Mars
at full sublight. Kurt wanted to test the ship’s sublight engines as well as a
few other systems on the ship. Traveling through the solar system was a good
test for the ship’s sensors and other systems due to all the traffic. The ship
traffic in the solar system was much heavier than any of the other Human
systems in the alliance.

“I thought the
space around Newton was busy,” muttered Andrew as four new contacts appeared on
the long-range sensors.

“Four cargo
ships from Maldon,” reported Lieutenant Brooks. “A flight of Lance fighters
from the light carrier Wasp is outbound to confirm their identity.”

Kurt had
reassigned some ships to the solar system. Fleet Admiral Tomalson now had four
battleships, two light battlecarriers, and fourteen battlecruisers under his
command. All the battleships and battlecruisers had been purchased from Kubitz
and updated at Newton. “Inbound cargo ships are required to exit hyperspace at
designated coordinates. That’s where the Wasp and the Dante are
deployed.” Kurt was pleased with how thorough the fleet assigned to the solar system
was in checking out new ship contacts.

“It’s a relief
to know the solar system is safe from the Profiteers,” commented Andrew. “At
least that’s one less thing we have to worry about. How did your meeting with
President Mayfield go?”

“Pretty well,”
Kurt replied with a frown. “However, one thing he mentioned concerns me. High
Profiteer Creed’s body has never been found.”

This
announcement was met with silence from Andrew.

“We know the Ascendant
Destruction was destroyed, but Creed was on Earth during the attack. We
assumed he died in the fighting, but Mayfield can’t confirm that.”

“What if he
survived?”

“He’s not a
threat anymore,” answered Kurt. “I’ll send word to Ambassador Tenner to have
Avery Dolman and Grantz make some inquiries just to be certain.” Kurt didn’t
mention that, if Creed did survive, Kurt would do everything possible to take Creed
into custody and bring him to Earth to be put on trial for war crimes. Too many
people had died to allow the greedy Profiteer to remain free. “Besides, there’s
a good chance he died in the battle. A number of shuttles were destroyed, and
he could have been on board one of them.”

“Let’s hope
so.”

-

At full
sublight it didn’t take long for the Star Cross and her escorts to reach
the red planet. On the main viewscreen, Mars rapidly grew larger. Even from
this distance a few clouds were visible in the atmosphere, the result of the
terraforming going on. From what Kurt understood, it was possible to walk on
the surface near the terraformers without a breathing mask for very short
periods of time. As the atmosphere thickened and the oxygen content increased,
people could gradually stay out longer and longer, until one day the surface of
Mars would be similar to Earth’s.

“Contact with
Phobos Station,” reported Lieutenant Pierce. “Two cargo ships will be passing
close to our flight path.”

“Already
spotted them,” said Lieutenant Brooks. “They’ll pass above our flight path at a
little over 1,500 kilometers.”

Andrew shook
his head. “Used to be that 1,500 kilometers sounded like a lot. But, at the
speed we’re moving, it’s just a moment’s travel.”

“Things have
changed,” Kurt said in agreement. On the main viewscreen, Mars continued to
grow. The larger settlements were visible as they were protected by huge
atmospheric domes.

Four violet
icons appeared on the tactical display, representing the Class Two Orbital Defense
Platforms, tasked with protecting the planet. Kurt wished there were more, but
the backlog on platform orders at Kubitz was now over several years long.

Mars continued
to grow in size until they reached their closest approach. As the Star Cross
and her escorts pulled away from the planet, Kurt was well satisfied with how
the ship’s sublight drive performed. “Captain Randson, prepare to enter
hyperspace. Let’s pay Julbian a visit.”

Andrew smiled.
“That should be a good test for the hyperdrive as Julbian is 412 light-years
distant.”

A few moments
later Kurt felt the familiar twinge in his stomach as the Star Cross
made the jump into hyperspace. It would take the small fleet eleven hours to
reach the Julbian System. Kurt was anxious to see the progress that had been
made there since his last visit after destroying the Profiteer fleet.

-

Early the next
day Kurt watched the long-range sensors update data on the Julbian System. The
trip in hyperspace had allowed them to test the ship’s long-range sensors as
well as the hyperspace communicators. Normally ships in hyperspace could only
communicate if they were within seventy thousand kilometers of each other. Otherwise
their hyperspace speed would distort communication to the point it was
incomprehensible. The system the Lakiams and the Andocks used allowed for
hyperspace communication if ships were within three hundred thousand kilometers
of each other. This was useful as it allowed entire fleets to stay in contact
on their journey through hyperspace.

“Hyperspace
dropout in twenty minutes,” reported Lieutenant Styles.

“All systems
functioning normally,” Andrew said from his command console. “This has been the
smoothest shakedown cruise I’ve ever been on.”

“Don’t jinx
it,” cautioned Lieutenant Mays. “We haven’t tried out the weapons yet.”

Kurt was in
agreement. A system beyond Julbian was full of large asteroids and planetary
debris—an ideal place to test the new weapons on the Star Cross.

The hatch to
the Command Center opened, and Dr. Willis stepped in. He spent a moment looking
around, frowning at two small repair robots standing idly in their charging
slots. “Damn robots are everywhere,” he muttered. “Hell, I’ve even got a pair
of them in my medical bay.”

“They serve
their purpose,” responded Kurt, grinning. “What brings you up to the Command Center?”

“Bored to
death,” replied Willis. “With the reduced crew size, my nurses can handle the
minor stuff. I think we’ve treated several bruises and one severe laceration so
far. I’m still trying to figure out how to operate some of the medical
equipment I’m responsible for.”

The ship had
been equipped with the most modern medical equipment known. Keera had spent
considerable time making sure the warship had the very best. “Shall I arrange
for additional training for you and your staff?”

“No, I’ve got
a young hotshot intern who seems to understand it all pretty well. He’s explained
how everything functions to the rest of us. I don’t feel comfortable with how
computerized everything is. The new medical systems diagnose the injury,
prescribe treatment, and then initiate the treatment. Most of the time we stand
around and watch. Mark my words, a day will come when a Human won’t even be in
the med bay. It’ll all be robots and computers.”

“None of that
can replace your friendly bedside manner,” commented Andrew.

Dr. Willis
frowned and shook his head. “What I actually came here for was to see if I
could possibly go down to the surface of Julbian. They have an advanced medical
center there that treats mental illness, and I would like to study their
procedures.”

Kurt nodded.
“That might be possible. I was planning on spending a few days in the system.”

“Hyperspace
dropout in ten minutes,” reported Lieutenant Styles.

As Dr. Willis
left, Kurt returned his attention to the tactical display, showing the Julbian
System, all twelve planets. Planet four was inhabited by the Julbians, who had
already reached out and explored several nearby star systems. The people on the
planet were very similar to Humans with their civilization just a few decades
behind Earth’s. Steps were being taken to bring the Julbian civilization up to
par with Earth’s through trade and exchange of certain technologies.

The system
steadily drew nearer until Lieutenant Styles announced it was time for the Star
Cross and her four escorts to drop from hyperspace. Kurt felt the familiar
twinge as they exited hyperspace four million kilometers from the planet.

“Lieutenant
Pierce, inform Julbian Space Command of our arrival.”

“Yes,
Admiral,” replied Lieutenant Pierce.

Andrew gazed
at the blue-white globe on one of the ship’s viewscreens. “Julbian looks a lot
like Earth.”

On another
screen, the small shipyard that orbited the planet swam into view. The Julbian
government had allowed one of Lomatz’s construction ships to build an
additional construction bay onto the station. All six of Julbian’s small
cruisers had been updated, and two more modern battlecruisers had recently
joined their fleet. In addition 6 Class Two Orbital Defense Platforms and 120
dual energy beam satellites orbited the planet.

“Julbian Space
Command has given us permission to go into orbit,” reported Lieutenant Pierce.

“Take us in,
Andrew,” ordered Kurt.

“Several Earth
cargo ships are in orbit,” reported Lieutenant Brooks. “Even a few Newton ships are here.”

This pleased
Kurt as it showed how successful interstellar trade between the humanoid worlds
was. It brought all five star systems closer together. The systems were now
protected from the Profiteers; however, he had to find a way to protect them
from the Destroyers of Worlds or all that he had worked for would come crashing
down.

-

For two days
the Star Cross and her escorts orbited Julbian. Kurt met with several
members of the Julbian government as well as their commanding fleet admiral. He
also unloaded some hyperspace detection buoys for the Julbians to place around
their star system. The buoys would give them advance warning of any inbound
ship once it came within five light-years of the system. They also worked out
some secure codes to be used in case of an attack. The shipyard above Julbian had
a hyperspace transmitter on board that could reach Newton, though it took
nearly an hour for the message to travel one way. Once he was satisfied the
meetings had accomplished what he wanted, he ordered the Star Cross and
her escorts to leave Julbian and enter hyperspace. Their destination was a
small nearby star system where they would run their weapon tests.

-

A few hours
later Kurt watched as Lieutenant Mays consistently blew large asteroids into
vast fields of glowing debris. The ship’s particle beam cannons were now more potent
as they were powered by the ship’s two antimatter chambers. The force beams and
the direct energy projectors were just as impressive. As the Star Cross
traveled across the massive asteroid field which dominated the system, the
flagship left a trail of destruction behind it. On the main viewscreen, a
ten-kilometer-long asteroid was split in two as the ship’s force beams
disrupted the atoms holding the asteroid together. The four heavy
battlecruisers were also involved in the weapons testing.

“It’s hard to
believe these weapons are ineffective against the black ships,” said Andrew as
he watched the ship’s direct energy projectors demolish the rest of the asteroid.

Kurt agreed.
The weapons his new flagship possessed were so much more powerful than what was
on the old Star Cross. “It’s that damn energy absorption screen. It
takes a tremendous amount of energy to overload it, and beam weapons simply
don’t possess the necessary punch.”

“A neutronium
marble would,” commented Lieutenant Mays as she targeted a nearby comet with
the ship’s particle beam cannons.

“Our KEW cannon is designed to handle a much larger round. How big of an engineering project
would it be to redesign it to handle a neutronium marble?”

Lieutenant
May’s eyes widened. “Not that big. The system is designed to handle different
size rounds through the use of magnetic fields.”

“Would a
magnetic field accept the neutronium?”

Lieutenant
Mays looked thoughtful and then replied. “It should. The problem’s the mass.”

Kurt took a
deep breath. They would stay in this system for two more days, running battle
drills, and then they would return to Newton. Lomatz should have arrived by now,
and Kurt would speak to him about the Glaymons. With some luck, Kurt just might
get Lieutenant Mays her neutronium marble.

Chapter Ten

Kurt was on
Newton Station meeting with Lomatz, Rear Admiral Susan White, Rear Admiral
Jacob Wilson, Colonel Roger Simms, Mara Liam, and Thule Rasht. Under prodding
from Kurt, Lomatz told his story about finding a Glaymon scout ship in
distress.

“Remarkable,”
said Thule, his eyes wide in disbelief. “Are you certain this being you
encountered was a Glaymon?”

“Yes,”
responded Lomatz. “He told me how they had been in hiding since the first
incursion by the black ships over twenty-two million years ago.”

Mara placed a
small shiny disk on the conference table and pressed it. Instantly a hologram
of the galaxy appeared, floating above the table. “Where did you say you
encountered this ship?”

Lomatz studied
the hologram for a moment and then pointed out the region of space. Mara made
an adjustment, and that section of the galaxy was greatly expanded until they
had the exact coordinates of the encounter pinpointed.

“In between
these two stars,” said Lomatz, indicating a space between a red dwarf and a
blue giant. “We found his ship drifting here.”

Thule let out a deep breath. “That’s a heavily populated area of the galaxy. The star
population there is extremely dense with less than a light-year separating most
of them. Also some very old Enlightened Worlds are in that region.”

Kurt stood,
gazing at the representation of the targeted galactic region. Then he turned
toward the others in the room. “How would you hide a world—or worlds—from the
black ships for millions of years? Particularly in a heavily populated region
of the galaxy?”

“Interstellar
space,” suggested Rear Admiral White. “The space between stars would be a good
hiding place.”

“But not in
this section,” said Thule, shaking his head. “There’s too much traffic, and surely,
by now, some cargo ship, passenger liner, or even a Protector World vessel
would have found their hiding place. No, it has to be someplace else.”

Kurt looked at
Lomatz. “Do you have any idea what direction the vessel was traveling when you
received your distress call?”

“No, we could
not detect the vessel until we were right up on it. We traced it by homing in
on the distress call. Once the ship was repaired and left, it vanished
immediately from our sensors.”

Kurt looked at
the depiction of the stellar region floating above the table. “Where else could
you hide from the Destroyers of Worlds for twenty-two million years?”

“A dust cloud
or a nebula?” suggested Mara. “Though most would have been explored by now.”

Kurt glanced
at Lomatz, noticing how uncomfortable the weapons dealer looked. Kurt had a
sudden suspicion Lomatz wasn’t telling them everything.

“Lomatz, are
you telling me that you encountered a ship this advanced and made no attempt to
trace it to its point of origin?”

Lomatz went
silent and looked as if he wished he were someplace else.

“You put a
tracking device on that scout ship,” Colonel Simms said suddenly, his eyes
opening wide. “You tried to track the Glaymon vessel.”

“Is that
true?” demanded Kurt. It was the only thing that made sense from the look on
Lomatz’s face.

With a deep
sigh, Lomatz slowly nodded, his yellow eyes focusing on Kurt. “I did. We
couldn’t track it with our long-range sensors, but the tracking device we
placed on board the vessel allowed us to follow its beacon for nearly ten light-years.
It suddenly ceased to function, and we received a warning message from the
Glaymon. He informed me that, if I ever revealed I had tracked him, he would
return and ruin my weapons dealing operation. He also insisted I destroy any
evidence of what my ship had recorded of his course. He insinuated he would
know if I failed to do so.”

“And did you?”
asked Mara, leaning forward.

“Yes, I was
too afraid not to. I ordered all computer files relating to tracking the
Glaymon ship destroyed, as well as the backups.”

Rear Admiral
White let out a deep sigh. “Then we’re right where we began.”

“Not
necessarily,” said Lomatz, sounding nervous. “Before I erased the data, I used
it to extrapolate the destination of the Glaymon vessel. I did it all by hand
so there would be no electronic evidence of it.”

“So you know
the ship’s destination,” said Mara, focusing on Lomatz.

“Where was the
Glaymon ship going?” asked Colonel Simms. “We must know.”

Lomatz stepped
closer to the hologram and, reaching forward, made some adjustments. The view
changed to show an area at the very edge of the galactic core. “A small
discreet gaseous nebula is here,” he said, pointing it out. “The nebula is very
dense and contains high levels of radiation.”

“Radiation. So
no reason for the black ships to investigate it,” said Mara in understanding.
“The high radiation levels would prevent the development of life.”

Lomatz nodded.
“There are several regions in the nebula where the gas and dust density are so
high they cannot be penetrated by any known sensors. The Glaymon world or
worlds must be there.”

“Is there
anything else we know about this nebula?” Mara asked Thule.

“It’s supposed
to be extremely dangerous,” replied the weapons specialist, calling up some
data on a handheld computer device he had with him. “Numerous exploration ships
have been lost exploring it. It’s currently listed as too dangerous to
investigate.”

Kurt leaned
back, nodding. “We have our target.”

Rear Admiral
Wilson slowly shook his head. “The only problem I see is that the Glaymons
don’t want to be found. If they’ve been destroying all the exploration ships
that ventured near their worlds, what will they do if they see a heavily armed
fleet coming their way?”

“There must be
a way for us to communicate with them,” said Mara with a deep frown. “Surely,
if they know how dire our situation is, they’ll agree to a meeting.”

Lomatz shook
his head. “Remember, they’ve been in hiding for over twenty-two million years.
Why would they be willing to help us if they’ve allowed the galaxy to be
stripped of life numerous times since they went into seclusion?”

“What if we
don’t give them a choice?” said Kurt. If it were true the Glaymons had been
destroying unarmed exploration craft he had no compunction about forcing the
issue. “What if we threaten to reveal their hiding place to the galaxy at large
unless they allow contact?”

Everyone at
the conference table grew silent, and then Rear Admiral White spoke. “They have
found a way to survive for all these years. Do we really want to take that away
from them? This is the oldest race in our galaxy. If we force them to reveal
themselves, they may perish. Do we really want to do this?”

Colonel Simms
shifted his gaze from the hologram to Kurt. “What if they have the technology
to build the neutronium marble Lieutenant Mays wants? What would that mean in
the war against the Destroyers of Worlds?”

“We would have
a way to fight the black ships,” Mara answered, her eyes lighting up. “It would
make the battles winnable. We have no individual weapon now which can easily destroy
a black ship. The neutronium marble can.”

“Mara’s
right,” Kurt said with a deep sigh. “I hate endangering the Glaymons’
seclusion, but we must have that weapon, or we can’t stop the Destroyers of
Worlds. The Glaymons are the only race who may have the technology we need.”

“That’s a five-week
trip with our new hyperdrives,” commented Colonel Simms. “Figure five weeks
there, two weeks on location, and then another five weeks back. Whoever goes
will be gone from Newton for at least twelve weeks. A lot can happen in that
time. What if the black ships show up while you’re gone?”

Kurt took a
deep breath. “It’s a risk we’ll have to take. I plan on taking the Star
Cross, four of our new heavy battlecruisers, and the Aurelia. We’ll
go to the nebula, find the Glaymons, and then return as rapidly as we can.”
Kurt hoped the black ships stayed away during that time. So far none of the
vessels had been seen in this sector of space or even around the Gothan Empire.

Lomatz
hesitated, and then he spoke up. “I’m going. I’ll bring my flagship as well as
one of my construction ships. They’ve already been converted to the improved
antimatter power system along with the advanced hyperdrives.”

This was news
to Kurt. He hadn’t been aware Lomatz had done that. He wondered what other
surprises Lomatz had up his sleeves. “Your flagship and the construction ship
can come.”

Lomatz yellow
eyes narrowed slightly. “If there’s a problem, the construction ship can make
repairs to any ship in the fleet. I’ll make sure to include a number of
scientists and extra technicians in case the Glaymons agree to aid us. But I
feel I should warn you. I’m not very confident they’ll help. They’re more
likely to impound our fleet and make us vanish as they have everyone else who
has entered that nebula.”

“We’ll take
precautions to make sure that doesn’t happen.” Kurt had a few ideas which might
work in that regard.

-

For the next
two hours they planned the Glaymon mission and set a date for departure. When
the meeting was over, they all went to their own ships, except for Mara, who
stayed behind to speak with Kurt in private.

Mara studied
Kurt’s face for several long moments. “If we do find the Glaymons, which I have
serious doubts about, will you share the technology with Fleet Commodore
Dreen?”

“Will Lakiam
sign a treaty with Newton recognizing us as equals?”

“But you’re
not a Protector World,” objected Mara, her eyes widening. “How can you expect
to be our equals?”

“In twenty-two
million years, no Protector World or Enlightened World has come up with a way
to defeat the Destroyers of Worlds. Doesn’t that tell you something is wrong
with this Protector World and Enlightened World system? How many worlds in this
galaxy have you refused contact with because they don’t measure up to your
lofty standards of civilization? You told me once how hundreds of small empires
you consider too barbaric have been barred from joining the galactic community.
You said tens of thousands of isolated barbaric worlds similar to mine are left
cut off from galactic culture.”

“But they’re
barbaric,” stuttered Mara. “They have nothing to offer. If we allow them access
to the civilized regions of the galaxy, they will contaminate the Enlightened
Worlds, undoing hundreds of thousands of years of progress.”

“Are you
certain of that?” demanded Kurt, trying to drive his point home. “Their
diversity might have found a solution to the Destroyers of Worlds long ago. You
once said Earth was barbaric. Perhaps it’s not us but you who are the
barbarians—the Enlightened and Protector Worlds who have turned away from the
numerous and diverse cultures spread across the galaxy.”

“No, it can’t
be,” argued Mara, shaking her head in denial. “We are not barbaric!”

Kurt grew
silent, noting how flushed and angry Mara looked.

“The Enlightened
Worlds have known peace for hundreds of thousands of years. The Protector
Worlds see to that.”

“But they do
away with diversity. Perhaps the current path to Enlightenment is a failure.”

Mara didn’t seem
to know what to say. This was probably the first time she had ever had her
beliefs challenged in such a way.

“No, we can’t
be wrong!”

“If we succeed
in our mission, I can promise you there will be changes.” With a nod Kurt stood
and left the conference room, leaving Mara behind. He hoped he had given her
something to think about.

-

Later that
afternoon Lomatz had requested a private meeting with Kurt. They met on board
the Star Cross in a small briefing room.

“Seeking out
these Glaymons will be very dangerous,” said Lomatz, shaking his head. “They
have maintained their isolation from the galaxy for so long they now disdain
contact with any other intelligent beings. That was the impression I got from
speaking to the one whose ship I repaired. I no longer believe they care about
the fate of other civilizations as long as theirs continues.”

“We won’t know
until we go there,” replied Kurt. He just hoped Lomatz was wrong. “Is there
another reason you asked for this meeting?”

Lomatz nodded.
“On Kubitz my weapon specialists have been working on a new defensive platform,
powered by antimatter chambers, as are your new warships.” Lomatz leaned
forward and activated a holographic projection disk. Above the table appeared a
defensive platform with two large energy projectors.

Kurt looked at
the platform and then at Lomatz. “What have you created here?”

Lomatz smiled.
“The biggest problem with destroying a black ship is the amount of power needed
to overload its shield. This platform stores up energy and then releases it in
one intense burst. Most of the platform consists of energy storage cells and
the two antimatter chambers providing the power. Unfortunately it takes over
twenty minutes to build up a sufficient charge to fire one of the energy
projectors and then an additional thirty minutes for the projector to cool down
sufficiently to allow for a second shot. We had to come up with a new alloy
that could sustain the heat of the energy discharge. That’s why there are two
energy projectors. The second one can be fired while the first one is cooling.”

“How difficult
are these to build?” Had Lomatz actually come up with a weapon that was
effective against the black ships?

“They’re not
easy,” admitted Lomatz with a deep frown. “My construction people have built
four, and I brought them to Newton on one of my cargo ships. The problem is the
energy cells. The type we need are produced by an Enlightened World. Through
some of my contacts I’ve secured a contract for the delivery of a large number
of the cells. Even so, we can only build eight or ten of these platforms a month.”

“I don’t
suppose all these new ones are for Newton.”

“Unfortunately
not,” replied Lomatz. “They are very expensive to construct, and I’ll offer
some of them to Kubitz to cover the expenses. I’ve approached the Kubitz
government using Controller Nirron as a go between. As you know the use of the
type of technology these platforms are equipped with is illegal. I believe
they’ll make an allowance in this instance as Kubitz will want some of the
platforms for their own defense. I am willing to furnish ten of them to aid in
the defense of Newton.”

“We’ll take
them if they work as you claim. Have you tested them yet?”

Lomatz nodded.
“We built a prototype, and it worked as projected. We don’t know if it will
actually destroy a black ship, but it is more powerful than our current energy
projectors.”

“It’s
progress,” acknowledged Kurt. At least it would give them a weapon in place
around Newton that might make the black ships hesitate in attacking the planet.
“How familiar are you with the region of space we believe the Glaymons are in?”

“I’ve been
there a couple times. It’s a heavily populated region of the galaxy with
several Protector Worlds overseeing the defense of well over four thousand
Enlightened Worlds. It will be difficult to pass through without detection.”

“What about
the hyperspace dampening field?”

Lomatz shook
his head. “We can try it, but I fear the technology in that region of space is
too advanced for that trick to work.”

“Then how do
we get to the nebula?”

Lomatz’s eyes
narrowed sharply. “An old smugglers’ route weaves through that region of space.
If we follow it, we should be able to get close to the nebula without notice.
However, once we drop from hyperspace, the danger of our fleet being detected
increases substantially.”

“I’ll keep
that in mind,” replied Kurt. This would be a long trip to the galactic core. In
other circumstances Kurt would be excited about exploring that region of the
galaxy, but now too much was at stake.

-

Fleet
Commodore Dreen was in his flagship, the Basera, orbiting the
Enlightened colony world of Calmoree. The planet had recently been attacked by
the Destroyers of Worlds, and the commodore had brought a fleet out to inspect
the planet and to search for any clues that might give him an insight as to how
to defeat the enemy.

“Same weapons
as before,” reported Alborg.

“All major
lifeforms are gone, and the cities have been leveled,” added Sensor Operator
Laylem.

Dreen stood
and walked closer to the viewscreens, showing the devastated planet. “Why do
they go to such extremes to destroy all visages of a planet’s civilization? It
seems like a waste of energy and resources.”

“Perhaps they
fear survivors building on any technology and science remaining if they didn’t
destroy all signs of civilization,” suggested Alborg. “The Destroyers of Worlds
must know a truly advanced and warlike civilization would be a threat to them.”

“No, I don’t
think that’s it,” Commodore Dreen said with a thoughtful look in his eyes. “We
have Enlightened Worlds with very advanced technology. However, as our worlds
move toward Enlightenment, we lose our aggressiveness. Look across our galaxy.
How many Enlightened Worlds are actually capable of defending themselves?
That’s why we have the Protector Worlds. The more advanced a world becomes the
less aggressive it is.”

“I agree,”
said Alborg. “Even on our worlds, some of our people are incapable of fighting.
A time will come when we will cease to be a Protector World and then become
Enlightened. At that time we will have to seek out a Protector World to defend
us.”

Commodore
Dreen looked at a viewscreen, showing the world of Calmoree. The atmosphere was
an unhealthy brown because of all the dust and pollutants from the destruction
of its cities. While much of the planet was still green and the oceans blue,
life was gone. In a few decades all signs of the Destroyers of Worlds’ attack
will have vanished, eroded away by the planet’s changing environment. Alborg’s words about Lakiam someday needing a Protector World to defend them was
bothersome. For the first time he wondered if the path to Enlightenment was the
right one.

“The Belmonts were responsible for defending this colony,” Alborg said. “What happened to the Belmont fleet?”

“I’ve located no
evidence of destroyed Belmont warships in orbit,” reported Laylem. “I am
detecting the debris from several defensive platforms and a few energy beam
satellites.”

Commodore
Dreen let out a deep and disappointed sigh. “The same thing many other
Protector Worlds are doing. They’re pulling in their fleets to protect their
own worlds and the primary Enlightened Worlds. The smaller Enlightened World
colonies are left to fend for themselves. I can’t criticize them because we’re
doing the same.”

“How will all
this end?” asked Jalad from the Helm.

“I don’t
know,” replied Dreen. “Right now, the fleets of the Protector Worlds far
outnumber our estimation of the total number of black ships. At some point in
time that will change as they gradually wear us down.”

Alborg frowned. “One thing has been bothering me. We don’t know the actual fleet strength
of the Destroyers of Worlds. What if they have hundreds of thousands of ships
in reserve, or even millions? We have no idea of their population base or where
their worlds are. Our estimate of their fleet size could be incorrect.”

Fleet Commodore
Dreen had to agree. What if the Lakiams were attempting to plug a hole in a
dike with a tidal wave coming?

“Let’s finish
our examination of the planet and the debris, and then we’ll set a course for
Andock Prime. I wish to speak to Fleet Leader Arlak Moor about future fleet
deployments. It’s only a matter of time before the black ships hit one of our
worlds again—or one of theirs. When the black ships return, we must be ready.”
Commodore Dreen had much to think about.

-

Several days
passed, and Kurt was with Keera and Denise, looking at houses. The two women
had found a new construction which fit all of Kurt’s and Keera’s needs and had
arranged for Kurt to walk through it. Kurt was pleased to find out Keera’s
brother, Dalen, had built it with his construction robots. He had incorporated
many of the designs Keera and Kurt wanted.

“It has a
modern kitchen with all the necessary items for us to entertain,” Keera
announced excitedly. “It has an open floor plan so, while Denise and I are in
here cooking, we can still visit with everyone.”

Denise laughed.
“I guess this means more cooking lessons.”

A sheepish
look spread over Keera’s face. “Yes, I still have a ways to go. I can cook a
number of the dishes we ate on Kubitz, but many of the foods you eat here on Newton are still new to me.”

“You’re a fast
learner,” Denise said, smiling. “I’m sure, in another few months, you’ll be
cooking all of Kurt’s favorites.”

Kurt studied
the flooring, it was some type of ceramic tile that looked like real wood.

Keera turned
to look at Kurt. “When are you going on the long-term mission you mentioned to
me? The one to the core worlds of the galaxy?”

“In two more
days all the preparations will be finished. We have engineering crews going
over all the ships to ensure they’re operating at 100 percent efficiency. We’re
also loading a lot of supplies since this will be a long mission.”

“What if
something happens?” asked Keera with concern in her eyes. “You’ll be far from Newton, and an Enlightened World may not be willing to furnish aid. For that matter, are
there any Protector Worlds where you’re going? And would your presence be
considered a threat?”

“We’re taking
one of Lomatz’s construction ships, and it will be capable of repairing any of
our vessels if it becomes necessary. We think we have a route to get in and out
safely.”

“Lomatz,” Keera
said in understanding, her eyes widening. “He would know of routes used by the
Profiteers to plunder various regions of the galaxy.”

Denise
shivered. “You won’t run into any Profiteers, will you?”

“No,” replied
Kurt. “They’re staying pretty close to home for now.”

Keera folded
her arms across her chest, and her eyes narrowed. “I understand the Aurelia
is going as well.”

Kurt cringed
slightly. Keera didn’t care that much for Mara. “Yes, their scientists and
researchers are interested in locating a weapon to be used against the black
ships, to keep Newton safe. Plus we may need the Lakiams’ advice on some
matters.” He didn’t want to mention the Glaymons to Keera. The fewer that knew
about the actual purpose of the meeting the better.

Denise let out
a deep sigh. “When we defeated the Profiteers, I had high hopes we could live
in peace and not have to worry about war ever again. I thought we could live
our lives here on Newton and never have to fear attack. A lot of us felt that
way.”

Kurt nodded
his understanding. He too had had the same hopes.

“You’ll be
gone for over twelve weeks,” Keera said with a deep sigh. “What am I supposed
to do?”

Kurt smiled
and pointed around him. “You have a new house to decorate, and, when I return,
we can have a party to celebrate. I’m sure Denise will be more than happy to
help you pick out furnishings and everything.”

“We can ask
Meesa to help,” suggested Denise. “I think she would like that, and it might
help her feel more at home here on Newton.”

Keera nodded
her head. “Yes, I know she’s been lonely. She and Dalen both abandoned everyone
they knew when they left Kubitz. But they’re far better off here than on that
black market planet. At least here they won’t get stabbed or shot.”

Denise frowned
heavily. “I still find it hard to believe a planet like Kubitz can exist. But
I’ve heard you and Kurt talk about it and even Captain Randson’s wife, Emily.
She told me what nearly happened to her and Alexis.”

“Kubitz is a
hard planet to live on,” admitted Keera. “However, even on a planet like
Kubitz, a few good people are still around. Not everyone’s a Profiteer.”

Kurt looked at
Keera and his sister. “Let’s go check out the backyard. We must make sure
there’s plenty of room for Bryan and me to play catch.”

“He will like
that,” said Denise smiling. Then she looked at Keera. “He would like it even
better if he had a little cousin to play with.”

Keera blushed
slightly but nodded. “Maybe someday he will.”

Kurt remained
silent. Children were a ways in the future. First he needed to find a way to
keep Newton and Earth safe from the Destroyers of Worlds. His search to find
the home of the Glaymons might just enable him to do that.

Chapter Eleven

Kurt watched
the main viewscreen in the Command Center of the Star Cross as his 1,500-meter-long
battleship pulled away from Newton. Around her flew the four 1,000-meter-long
heavy battlecruisers and the 1700-meter-long Lakiam battlecruiser Aurelia
in close formation. At the heart of the small fleet were Lomatz’s two ships.
Each of them were an incredible 2,000 meters in length and cylindrical in
shape.

“All ships
have broken orbit and assumed escort positions,” reported Captain Randson.

Randson’s
family had come to Newton Station to say good-bye. They were still there,
watching the fleet depart.

“Course
plotted, and we can enter hyperspace at your command,” added Lieutenant Styles.

Everyone
focused on the viewscreens, displaying the blue-white globe of Newton. It would be a while before they saw that sight again.

“Take us into
hyperspace,” ordered Kurt, settling in his command chair. It would be a long
trip, and they might as well get it started.

“Coordinates
have been transmitted to all ships,” Styles reported as he touched several
icons on his computer screen. “Entry into hyperspace in ten seconds. All ships
are tied into the Star Cross’s navigation system.”

Moments later
Kurt felt a slight twinge in his stomach as the ship made the transition into
hyperspace. The image of Newton faded away on the viewscreens to be replaced by
static. However, in the holographic tactical displays, the fleet was now shown,
as well as the nearer stars. The ship’s long-range sensors were capable of
reaching out fifteen light-years. At the speed the fleet was traveling, nearly
a light-year every ninety seconds, it was possible to see the stars actually
moving. Or at least they seemed to move; actually it was the fleet that was in
motion.

“One thing I do
like about this trip,” said Andrew with a slight smile.

“What’s that?”
asked Kurt. Andrew would surely miss his family. They all had people living on Newton. Keera had had a hard time just knowing how long Kurt would be gone. She was
concerned about decorating the new house without Kurt’s input, even though he
had assured her that he trusted what she and Denise would pick out.

“Grantz!” said
Andrew smugly. “I won’t have to see that conniving gold seeker for at least three
months.”

“I would hope
not,” answered Kurt with the hint of a smile. “But then again, you never know where
he might turn up.”

Andrew
frowned. “It would be just my luck for him to show up at the Glaymons’
homeworld, demanding a fee for him to introduce us.”

“All ships
maintaining standard defensive formation and communication range,” reported
Lieutenant Brooks.

“First dropout
point is 168 hours from my mark,” said Andrew as he reached forward and set a
counter on one of the viewscreens. “Mark.”

Kurt gazed at
the counter on a small viewscreen to one side of the Command Center. They would drop from hyperspace four times before the final jump to the target area. At
each dropout point they would pause for a few hours to confirm the systems on
all the ships were functioning efficiently. If there were any problems,
Lomatz’s construction ship would initiate immediate repairs.

“Do you think
we’ll run across any black ships?” asked Andrew.

“It’s
possible,” Kurt said. “We’ll be passing through a number of regions where
they’re active.” Kurt hoped to avoid them as only the Aurelia had weapons
which were effective against the Destroyers of Worlds. And only twenty dark
matter missiles were on board the Lakiam battlecruiser.

-

Prince Brollen
gazed with satisfaction at the nearby tactical display. For the past two weeks
he had been sweeping through food species 1012’s worlds, harvesting each one of
them. He had enough food pellets from the six systems to fill a collector ship,
plus Brollen had added heavily to his own private food collection stock. This
particular avian food species was highly pleasing to his palate, and he was
certain they would be to the Vorn Queens as well.

The harvest
of this last world is complete, reported Military Commander Fraymot.

Six systems
harvested and only token resistance at the first one. These last five had
minimal orbital defenses.

Fraymot turned
toward the prince. It is as you said. They are regrouping their fleets to
protect their primary worlds. This will aid greatly in our harvesting of this
galaxy.

Brollen moved
to a computer console and used his right hand to touch several icons. Instantly
a hologram of this section of Galaxy X241 appeared. We must send another
example to those worlds that would resist us. If we harvest and destroy another
of their main worlds, it will force them to draw their fleets even closer to
their primary worlds, leaving more worlds for us to harvest without resistance.

Military
Commander Fraymot studied the hologram. Which world would you suggest we
attack?

Prince Brollen
studied the hologram map of this section of Galaxy X241. His triangular-shaped
head slowly moved from side to side as he thought over the next target.
Reaching out the long fingers of his left hand, he pointed to a star system. This
one. It is heavily held, and a demonstration of our strength there will greatly
demoralize the other worlds.

That world
is close to the food species that possesses the dark matter missiles.

Precisely,
replied Brollen. This attack will send two messages. We will demonstrate
that no food species is powerful enough to stand against us. It will also send
a message to the food species that possesses the dark matter missiles. If I am
correct, it will force them to pull their fleets around their main worlds,
freeing up more worlds in that sector to harvest. It will keep them on the
defensive until we are ready to harvest their worlds and destroy their fleets.

Military
Commander Fraymot studied the hologram for a moment and then transferred the
coordinates of the target world to the ship’s navigation computer. I would
suggest we summon additional harvesting fleets to take part in this attack. The
world you have chosen is defended by very large fleet units with antimatter
missiles in the two-hundred-megaton range. They have destroyed some of our
ships in the past.

We will
summon two more harvesting fleets. However, before we attack that world, I want
to unload our harvested food pellets on a nearby Collector Ship. We shall go
there, unload our harvests, and wait for the other two harvesting fleets. Once
those fleets have joined ours, we will attack the target world.

As the
harvesting became more widespread, several Collector Ships had been positioned at
strategic locations. The valuable ships were heavily protected by Vorn
cruisers.

Military
Commander Fraymot bowed slightly and then went to carry out Prince Brollen’s
commands.

Prince Brollen
gazed at a large viewscreen, showing a blue-white world beneath the ship.
Already its atmosphere had turned darker from the destruction his fleet had
wrought to the towering cities which once dotted its surface. No technology
could be left behind for survivors to build upon. This ensured the technology
the Vorn fought against was always less developed than their own.

Once the
Collector Ship was loaded, he would send it to the ship staging area where a
transport ship would take it to the Vorn home system. With the additional two
harvesting fleets, he would have 12 motherships and over 2,200 cruisers under
his command. The world he intended to attack was powerful and well-protected. No
doubt he would lose a few ships in the battle. However, once the enemy fleets
were defeated and their world harvested, all resistance to the Vorn harvesting
fleets would greatly decrease. It would also prevent the various food species
from joining together. Prince Brollen was well aware how outnumbered the Vorn
harvesting fleets were by the multitudes of heavily armed warships these so-called
Protector Worlds maintained.

While the Vorn
had vast numbers of ships in reserve, these were normally kept in their home
system, ensuring its safety from attack. The Vorn race well remembered the
deadly enemy who had driven them from their home universe. They had always
feared that enemy might someday follow them here.

-

Three weeks had
passed, and the Star Cross and her fleet were now deep within the
galaxy, drawing ever nearer to the core stars. As they traveled through the
more heavily populated regions of the galaxy, it became harder to avoid detection.
Very seldom now were the long-range sensors free of contacts. Passenger ships,
cargo ships, and even warships from various Protector Worlds were constantly revealed
on the sensors.

“I never
dreamed space could be so crowded with ships,” Andrew said as he studied one of
the large tactical displays, showing hundreds of ship contacts.

“It’s a sign
of civilization,” explained Mara. She had come to the Star Cross after
their last dropout from hyperspace. She was partially familiar with this area
of space they were passing through and felt she would be more useful on the
flagship where she could offer advice as needed. “Hundreds of Enlightened
Worlds are close by and several Protector Worlds. The Destroyers of Worlds
haven’t ventured into this region as of yet, though it’s only a matter of
time.”

“Admiral, we
have a group of ships closing in on our position,” warned Lieutenant Brooks.

“How many?”

“Fifteen.”

Mara stepped
up and examined the tactical display. “Hanorian warships,” she announced after
a moment. “The Hanorians are a Protector World civilization responsible for
defending many of the Enlightened Worlds in this sector. They may believe we’re
a Profiteer fleet on a raiding mission.”

“What do you
recommend?” Kurt had no desire to get into a space battle with one of the
Protector World civilizations. Plus he and his fleet were passing through their
space without permission.

Mara pointed
to a nearby uninhabited star system. “Drop from hyperspace here, and I will
speak to their commanding officer. My people trade with the Hanorians, and I’ll
explain we are on an investigative mission involving the black ships. I will
tell them we are seeking information that might be available on the core
worlds. With the fear sweeping across the galaxy concerning the Destroyers of
Worlds, I expect that will be sufficient.”

Kurt nodded.
He had to trust that Mara knew what she was talking about. “Lieutenant Styles,
bring the fleet out of hyperspace in that system. Captain Randson, set
Condition Two across the fleet, but I don’t expect any danger.” Kurt preferred
to err on the side of caution.

A few minutes
later the eight ships dropped from hyperspace near a small white dwarf star
about the size of Newton but with a mass similar to Earth’s sun. Thermal energy
illuminated the star in a very dim glow. Any planets the system may have once
had were long gone.

“No planetary
bodies of any type detected,” reported Lieutenant Brooks.

“Most stars of
this type have gone through a red giant phase before becoming a white dwarf,”
commented Mara. “There are many such stars in the galaxy.”

The fleet
waited until finally the sensor alarms in the Star Cross sounded.

“Hanorian fleet
dropping from hyperspace around us,” Brooks reported, her eyes showing alarm.
“I’m picking up sensor scans and what may be target locks on our ships.”

“That was
fast,” said Andrew impressed. “You would think they’d want to find out who we
are before locking on their weapons.”

“It’s because
of the Destroyers of Worlds,” explained Mara. “In times past, this would never
occur.”

“I have a comm
message from the Hanorian flagship,” reported Lieutenant Pierce from Communications.
“They’re demanding to know who we are and where we’re going.”

“Let me speak
to them,” said Mara, stepping to Communications.

Kurt nodded,
curious to hear this exchange.

“This is Mara
Liam of the Lakiam battlecruiser Aurelia. We are on a research mission
to the galactic core, seeking knowledge of the Destroyers of Worlds.”

“What type of
knowledge?” a gruff voice responded.

Lieutenant
Pierce had changed the comm so everyone in the Command Center could hear.

“We seek any
older world that may know of previous incursions of the black ships. Rumors on
Lakiam and a few other worlds are that such knowledge may exist in the core
worlds.”

“If it does, I
have not heard of it,” the Hanorian commander responded. “My ship’s database
does not recognize the other ship types with you. Can you please identify them
for our records?”

Mara hesitated,
looking first to Kurt, and then responded to the Hanorian. “The other ships are
from Newton, which is far out in one of the spiral arms. It is a new world that
has just reached Protector World status.”

Silence on the
comm reigned for nearly a minute. “We have no such record of a new Protector
World. However, with the advent of the Destroyers of Worlds, that is not
surprising. I have heard a Lakiam fleet was successful in driving off the black
ships in battle. Is that true?”

‘Yes,” replied
Mara. “Fleet Commodore Dreen led our forces in battle against the Destroyers of
Worlds, destroying many of their small spindle-shaped cruisers as well as one
of their motherships.”

“We have only
had one attack in this region. A world of over four billion inhabitants was
culled. There were no survivors.”

“Very seldom are
survivors found after a Destroyers of Worlds attack,” replied Mara.

“I have added
the ships with you as belonging to the Protector World of Newton. You may
continue on your course to the core worlds. Good luck in your search.”

“Are there any
black fleets in this region?”

“No, not at
the moment. However, attacks in an adjoining sector have steadily increased,
and we expect the Destroyers of Worlds to be in our region shortly. When we
picked up your ships on our long-range scanners, running with a sensor-dampening
field, we feared the beginning of such an attack.”

“Sorry about
the dampening field,” replied Mara. “We used it as a preventative measure in
the hope our fleet would not be detected in our travels by the black ships.”

“A wise
precaution,” replied the Hanorian commander. “If you do find any information on
the Destroyers of Worlds I would appreciate it if you would send a copy of that
information to the Hanorian homeworld.”

“I will see to
it,” promised Mara.

The comm fell
silent, and Mara stepped back. “They should be leaving shortly. The Hanorians
are well on their way to Enlightenment. Those warships have crews of less than
ten on them. They are mostly automated with repair robots similar to the ones
you have here on the Star Cross.”

“Just ten?”
said Andrew, his eyes widening at the thought. “It seems to me that such small
crews would make the ships vulnerable to boarding actions.”

Mara shook her
head. “Not with the combat robots on board.”

“Hanorian fleet
powering up their hyperdrives,” reported Lieutenant Brooks.

Kurt looked at
one of the viewscreens, zoomed in on a Hanorian battlecruiser. The ship was
pear-shaped and obviously very heavily armed. Several energy cannons were
visible, as well as numerous hatches for hyperspace missiles. The space in
front of the Hanorian ship seemed to shimmer, and then the vessel vanished.

“Hanorian
ships entering hyperspace,” confirmed Lieutenant Brooks as the last Hanorian
vessel vanished from the viewscreens.

“Glad that’s
over,” Andrew said with obvious relief in his voice. “I didn’t want to get into
a shootout with them.”

“There was
never a chance of that,” said Mara, frowning. “We offered no obvious threat,
and they recognized the Aurelia as a Lakiam warship. That alone ensured
there would be no battle. Protector Worlds have never attacked one another.”

“Lieutenant
Pierce, get us back on course. We must hold these delays to a minimum.”

Kurt wanted to
get to the nebula as soon as possible. They had already been in hyperspace for
a little over three weeks, and they still had at least two more to go before
they reached the nebula. During most days Kurt scheduled one or two emergency
drills across the fleet to keep his crews sharp. On long journeys like this, it
was easy to become distracted and lost in boredom. The emergency drills helped
to ensure that didn’t happen.

-

Prince Brollen
gazed with satisfaction at the large fleet he had assembled to attack the next
target world. He had summoned more of the spindle-shaped cruisers to increase
the strength of his fleet. He was going to attack another Protector World, one
of the more powerful ones. If he was successful, and he fully expected to be,
then all resistance in this sector of the galaxy would collapse. He had ten
harvester fleets standing by. Once the Protector World was destroyed and its
inhabitants taken as food for the Vorn, the fleets would move in and harvest
every world in the sector. An abundance of food species was in this region, and
several should be suitable as sustenance for the Queens. Prince Brollen had
already sent word to the Conclave Habitat, requesting additional harvesting
fleets. He was concerned the harvesting was going too slow. If Queen Alithe granted
his request, the number of harvesting fleets in this galaxy would be doubled.

We are
nearly ready to launch the attack, reported Military Commander Fraymot. All
ships have been inspected and are ready to engage the enemy.

This will
be a major battle, replied Brollen. This food species has the larger
antimatter missiles, which can damage and destroy our ships. There will be
losses.

Our fleet
is large enough that a few losses will be inconsequential, responded
Fraymot. We will attack in waves. The first two assault fleets will consist
of our cruisers only. All motherships will stay back, protected by nearly one
thousand of our cruisers, until the path to the food species planet has been
cleared.

Prince Brollen
gazed at the multiple viewscreens on the front wall of the Command Center, his multifaceted eyes focusing on several motherships that were visible. As far
as his eyes could see were Vorn warships. He had gathered an armada, a force
powerful enough to roll over and harvest any world in this galaxy. Time to put
this force to the test.

Set course
for the target world. It is time we sampled food species 111.

-

Over Andock
Prime, Fleet Commodore Dreen had just finished speaking with Andock Fleet
Leader Arlak Moor. They had signed a mutual defensive treaty, agreeing to come
to each other’s aid in the case of an attack by the Destroyers of Worlds.
However, the agreement only related to worlds colonized by Andock Prime or
Lakiam. The Enlightened Worlds protected by each were not included. Dreen
intended to pay visits to the Parmonts and the Bascoms in the coming weeks as
well.

Alborg stood in front of one of the Command Center’s large viewscreens, focused on Andock
Prime. “Amazing how all home worlds are so similar. The clouds, the land
masses, and even the large oceans.”

“I was in a
class on galactic civilizations at the academy on Lakiam,” commented Sheera
Keenol, the communications officer. “One of the theories is that it takes a
world like that to allow a highly developed civilization to come into being. Enough
natural resources must exist to allow a civilization to advance from
discovering fire, fossil fuels, nuclear power, renewable energy, and then
finally fusion and antimatter. If a planet is lacking in resources, the
civilization is in danger of collapsing into barbarism. Once that happens, in
all likelihood the inhabitants will never recover.”

Alborg nodded. “I’ve heard each civilization reaches a critical decision point. If they
can get past it, they will continue on until they can travel to the stars. If
they fail, then they become barbaric and, in many instances, die out
completely.”

“There is
evidence of that on many such worlds across the galaxy,” said Sensor Operator
Laylem, joining the conversation. “I have seen several myself where all that
remains are a few crumbling structures which are thousands of years old.”

“That’s one
thing about time,” Keenol said. “After a few thousand years even signs of an
advanced civilization will be eroded away by the wind and the rain. On some
worlds, who knows how many civilizations rose and fell.”

“The
Destroyers of Worlds have caused too much of that as of late,” Alborg said. “From the records we have recovered, we know they have harvested our galaxy
ten or more times over the last twenty-two million years.”

Fleet
Commodore Dreen had been listening. He wondered how many civilizations in the
past had been ravaged by the Destroyers of Worlds. From the destruction he had
seen that the black ships leave behind, Dreen could imagine all signs of an
inhabited planet’s civilization vanishing completely in a few thousand years.
On some worlds, new civilizations would rise, never knowing what had been there
before. Beyond doubt this had occurred countless times since the advent of the
Destroyers of Worlds. Dreen also wondered if the galaxy would eventually have
fewer and fewer inhabited worlds after being ravaged by the black ships for so
long. Dreen could well imagine, if the Destroyers of Worlds were not stopped,
at some point the entire galaxy might be a barren wasteland.

His thoughts were
interrupted as alarms sounded on the ship’s sensor console. Laylem hurried to
his station, pressing icons, seeking the cause for the alarms. He turned toward
Fleet Commodore Dreen, his face pale and his hands trembling. “Several of our
ships are reporting sightings of black ships on their long-range scopes.”

Commodore
Dreen’s breath caught in his throat. All Lakiam warships had been equipped with
special viewscreens, which could peer deeply into space, seeking anomalies.

“How many, and
where are they?” Surely the Destroyers of Worlds were not attacking Andock Prime
It was held almost as strongly as Lakiam.

“Unknown,”
Laylem replied as he correlated the data from the other ships. “It could be
just a few or an entire fleet. We’ll know shortly.”

“Commodore, the
entire Andock fleet has been placed on full alert,” Keenol reported from
Communications. “I’ve received a confirmed report of large numbers of black
ships spotted in the outer system, coming directly toward Andock Prime. Current
estimates report four motherships and at least one thousand cruisers. There may
be more that haven’t been spotted.”

Commodore
Dreen took a deep and steadying breath. It looked as if the Destroyers of
Worlds were launching an all-out attack on Andock Prime itself. He worried there
were more black ships they hadn’t spotted yet. “Contact our fleet and have them
go to Alert One.” Dreen was glad he had brought the fleet that normally
accompanied the Basera. He had 475 battlecruisers with him, all with
full loads of dark matter missiles. He had a disconcerting feeling he would
need them all. The fleet was two million kilometers from Andock Prime, while
the Basera was in orbit over the Andock capital world.

“Move us out
to the fleet,” he ordered. “Keenol, contact Fleet Leader Moor and inform him that
we’re joining our fleet. Tell him that we will assist wherever he needs us.”

Fleet
Commodore Dreen leaned back in his command chair as Keenol sent the message.
The Destroyers of Worlds had come to Andock Prime, and Dreen could not allow it
to fall. If it did, all hope of an alliance of Protector Worlds against the
black ships would disintegrate. If that happened, there would be no way to stop
the Destroyers of Words from rampaging across the galaxy at will.

“Why would
they attack Andock Prime?” asked Laylem.

“To set an
example,” replied Alborg as he checked the ship’s weapons systems. “By
destroying Andock Prime, they send a message that no Protector World can stand
up to them. It will reverse the positive moral our defeating one of their fleets
has sent across this region of our galaxy.”

“I fear Alborg is correct,” said Fleet Commodore Dreen. “This may be a direct reaction to us
defeating their fleet.”

The Command Center grew quiet as all eyes turned toward the tactical displays which showed the
enemy fleet. Everyone knew what was at stake in the coming battle.

Dreen waited
anxiously as the Basera moved to join his waiting fleet. On the main
tactical display, more red threat icons constantly appeared as Andock and
Lakiam ships spotted more of the inbound enemy fleet. A chill ran down his back
as over three thousand black ships were now being reported. The Command Center remained silent as the crew stared at the deadly red icons filling the
tactical displays. Fleet Commodore Dreen felt his blood run cold. It would take
a miracle to stop the black ships, and Dreen had no idea where that miracle
could come from.

Chapter Twelve

Fleet
Commodore Dreen relaxed slightly as the Basera rejoined the fleet.
Sliding into its position in the center of the formation, Dreen stared in
growing consternation at the main tactical display. His heart sank, and his
breathing quickened as he contemplated the disaster about to overwhelm the
Andock System. The ships of the Destroyers of Worlds were advancing in three
formations. The two leading formations consisted of their spindle-shaped
cruisers. Behind them came another formation of cruisers with twelve of the
massive motherships in the center.

“How many
cruisers are in those formations?”

“One thousand
each,” replied Laylem.

“From the way
they’ve set up those formations, I would say the first two are aimed at
overwhelming and destroying the Andock fleet and the defense grid,” commented Alborg. “The third with the motherships is aimed at culling the planet.”

“Black fleet
contact with Andock warships in twenty minutes,” reported Laylem.

“The defense
grid around Andock Prime has been activated,” added Keenol from Communications.
“All noncombat ships capable of entering hyperspace have been ordered to leave
the system. All other ships are warned to stay away from the planet.”

“Fleet Leader
Moor is moving his fleets away from Andock Prime,” added Alborg, noting the
movement in the tactical display. “He intends to meet the black ships in open
space. I’m not certain it’s a wise decision to be so far from the defense
grid.”

“Communication
from the Kallnar,” reported Keenol as she listened intently to a
message. The Kallnar was Fleet Leader Moor’s flagship. “He asks that we
attack the black ships wherever we feel there is a weakness. He’ll engage the
Destroyers of Worlds and then gradually withdraw to Andock Prime, where he can
use the orbital defenses to force them back. He’s loaded the orbital defensive
platforms with the two-hundred-megaton missiles. He’s hoping his fleet can inflict
sufficient damage so the defense grid can keep them away from the planet.”

“Acknowledge
the communication and inform Fleet Leader Moor we will do everything in our
power to combat the black ships.” Commodore Dreen considered the best way to
use his fleet. It was doubtful the Destroyers of Worlds expected a Lakiam fleet
to be in the system. They would not be expecting a dark matter missiles attack.
Commodore Dreen wondered how he could use that to their advantage. “Alborg, any suggestions?” This was going to be a pivotal battle in the war against the
Destroyers of Worlds.

Alborg spent a moment studying the tactical display. “Commodore, if we were to enter
hyperspace and come out directly behind the rear echelon, we might disrupt this
attack. I doubt if they expected to find any of our ships here. They know we
have weapons which can destroy them. We can use that to our advantage. If they
fear damage to their motherships, they may withdraw.”

“We’ll have
the element of surprise,” Dreen said as he considered Alborg’s suggestion. “If
we can disrupt this attack or slow it down, it will give time for other Andock
fleets from nearby worlds to arrive.”

Sensor Operator
Laylem turned toward the commodore. “Several Andock warships have jumped into
hyperspace in the last few minutes.”

Keenol
examined her communications console and then nodded as if she had found an
answer. “It is as I expected. All hyperspace communication frequencies are
jammed. The ships are jumping to escape the jamming so they can summon
reinforcements.”

“What of the
Andock fleet?”

Laylem pressed
several icons on his console as he scanned the Andock fleet, rapidly assembling
as it moved out and away from Andock Prime. “I’m detecting 413 battleships and 1,267
battlecruisers.”

Commodore
Dreen leaned forward in his command chair. “The black ships will still have us
outnumbered. Let’s see if we can even up the odds a bit. Alborg, prepare to
fire off three salvos of dark matter missiles. Each of the first two salvos is
to target a different black ship. However, I want the entire third salvo
focused on those motherships. Maybe we’ll get lucky in all the confusion and
take out a few.”

“Jalad, as
soon as the third salvo has been launched, I want to jump our fleet immediately
away from the black fleet. I don’t want to give them time to fire their black
antimatter beams at us or those deadly spheres that steal a ship’s power. If we
do this fast enough, we can get in, hit the enemy, and then get out before they
realize what we’re doing. We’ll only have this one opportunity to take them by
surprise, so let’s make this count.”

Dreen wanted
to take a shot at the motherships. Alborg was right. If they could knock out a
few, the Destroyers of Worlds just might retreat rather than risk losing more
of their large ships.

-

Prince Brollen
watched in silence as Military Leader Fraymot sent the fleet forward toward the
primary inhabited world of this system. This was a food species that had
already fought several battles against the Vorn in the past. Each time the
species had lost but learned, if they could bring to bear enough of their
two-hundred-megaton missiles, they could damage or destroy a Vorn ship.
However, in this battle, it would make little difference. Prince Brollen was
prepared to lose a few hundred cruisers if necessary. They would be a small
sacrifice to pay for what this victory would mean. Another world would be
harvested by the Vorn, and a powerful food species will have lost their
homeworld. It would send fear throughout this region, making future harvestings
much easier.

All ships
are advancing, reported Fraymot. He was in direct telepathic communication
with the commanders of the fleet. A simple directed thought could send
multitudes of ships toward a target or to shift formation.

A large
fleet of warships has assembled and is moving toward us, reported the
sensor operator. A second force located away from the planet is turning
toward us as well. They may be planning to join up with the larger force.

We still
have the larger numbers, reported Fraymot confidently. Once we reach
engagement range, we will use our dark antimatter beams and the globes of
annihilation to destroy them.

Make it so,
ordered Prince Brollen, his triangular-shaped head turning toward the tactical
displays. I am anxious to taste this food species. My palate grows curious.

The second
fleet has entered hyperspace, warned the sensor operator.

Perhaps
they are fleeing the system, suggested Fraymot. They must know they have
no hope for a victory.

Even as he
sent the thought, the space behind the Vorn fleet shimmered as 475
battlecruisers emerged from hyperspace.

Alarms sounded
in the Command Center as Prince Brollen looked questionably at Military
Commander Fraymot. Numerous threat icons were appearing behind the fleet. One
of the ships appeared on one of the viewscreens.

I recognize
those ships! sent Military Commander Fraymot, sounding distressed. Those
are the ships which possess the dark matter missiles!

What are
they doing here? Prince Brollen had not been expecting this. The systems of
food species 236 were hundreds of light-years away.

They’re
firing! warned the sensor operator. Detecting hyperspace missile
launches.

-

Fleet
Commodore Dreen gripped his command chair as the first missile volley launched.
From each Lakiam battlecruiser, twelve dark matter missiles entered hyperspace
to impact microseconds later against the energy screens of the black ships. The
missiles seemed to vanish from their missile tubes as they flew unerringly to
their targets.

“First missile
volley launched,” called out Alborg. “Second launching in ten seconds.” It took
a few precious seconds to load and retarget the second group of missiles.

On the Basera’s
main viewscreen, titanic explosions of antimatter energy washed across the rear
of the Destroyers of Worlds’ fleet formation. Several bright flashes of energy
indicated where black ship shields had failed.

“Second
missile launch,” confirmed Alborg. “Targeting some heavily damaged black ships
with force beams.”

Commodore
Dreen watched tensely as the viewscreens lit up with more explosions along the
entire rear of the black fleet from the release of energy from the dark matter
warheads. Each warhead exploded with the force of five hundred megatons. On the
viewscreens, force beams could be seen, seeking out and targeting black ships
hit by multiple dark matter missiles. Occasionally a black ship would die as
its screen became overloaded. When that happened, the screen would burst,
releasing all its stored energy, annihilating the black ship beneath it.

-

In space, the
spindle-shaped Vorn cruisers writhed in agony as their screens were overloaded
with dark matter energy. Each time a screen failed, the Vorn cruiser was
disintegrated from the titanic release of raw energy. In most cases the ship
simply ceased to be, leaving glowing clouds of gas and a few wisps of burning
plasma behind. Other black ships were heavily damaged as some dark matter
energy penetrated their screens, ripping open ship hulls. These were quickly
dispatched by Lakiam force beams. The second missile salvo arrived, striking
more Vorn cruisers. A higher number of Vorn shields failed as they were quickly
overloaded with energy. Massive flashes of light brighter than an exploding
nova swept across the rear of the Vorn formation, tearing it asunder.

-

Prince Brollen’s
multifaceted eyes darkened in anger as he saw numerous Vorn cruisers dying
under the deadly missile fire of the enemy fleet. It was instantly obvious to
the prince that this enemy had discovered how to destroy Vorn ships. They were
using their deadly missiles to wreak havoc on his fleet formation.

Our ships
are returning fire, reported Military Commander Fraymot as he hurriedly
sent telepathic orders to adjust the fleet formation to bring more weapons to
bear against the enemy fleet pummeling the Vorn cruisers. The ships had to turn
broadside to allow their black antimatter beams to lock on the enemy ships.
This further frayed the Vorn fleet formation as they now had ships traveling at
various speeds. Massive gaps appeared between ships.

Third missile
launch detected, reported the sensor operator.

The deck
suddenly heaved beneath Prince Brollen, sending him flying through the air to
land painfully against a console.

Struggling to
his feet, he could hear cries of pain around him. Normally the Command Center was quiet since telepathy was the prime method of communication. He could
see several Vorn officers down; several seemed to be dead.

What
happened? he demanded, glaring at Military Commander Fraymot, who was
supposed to keep the Reaper safe from harm and would be deleted soon if
this continued.

We were hit
by seven dark matter missiles, replied Fraymot nervously, having witnessed
Prince Brollen crashing to the deck. A small amount of energy leaked through
the shield. We have a major hull breach. Workers have been dispatched to
initiate repairs.

The third
missile barrage was aimed at our motherships, reported the sensor operator,
sounding stunned. The Larn, Drall, and Nuce have been
destroyed. The Barl, Xanthe, and Riven have been heavily
damaged.

What of the
enemy fleet? Prince Brollen looked at a viewscreen which was focused on the
shattered and burning remains of a Vorn mothership—the Drall.

Jumping
into hyperspace, the sensor operator replied.

Were we
able to damage it? Prince Brollen didn’t want to think about the fact he
was overseeing the greatest military disaster ever suffered by the Vorn since
coming to this universe.

No,
replied Fraymot. We could only bring a few of our weapons to bear before the
enemy fled.

They didn’t
flee! screamed Prince Brollen in anger. Queen Alithe would be highly upset
when she learned of the loss of three motherships entrusted to him. The force
of his mental thoughts ravished the minds of the remaining command crew, who
winced with pain. This is what they did once before when we fought them.
They will jump a short distance away, prepare for another attack, and then jump
in again. When they do, we must be ready. Recall five hundred of our cruisers
from the second wave to help protect our remaining motherships. Press the attack
forward. I will not allow this to prevent us from harvesting this world.
Prince Brollen was incensed with anger and was determined to make an example of
this world, particularly after what had just occurred to his motherships.

-

Military
Commander Fraymot hurriedly passed on the orders. He would not allow the enemy
to surprise him like this again. He was well aware the last military commander
to serve Prince Brollen had been deleted. Fraymot had no desire to join him.

-

The Vorn fleet
slowed its forward advance as cruisers from the second wave reversed course and
quickly moved back to the third formation, taking up defensive positions around
the motherships. Never in Vorn history, since coming to this universe, had
three motherships been lost. The entire fleet sobered, seeing the glowing
debris floating in space where only minutes before three of the supposedly
indestructible ships had been.

-

“We got three
of their motherships!” cried out Sensor Operator Laylem jubilantly as he
studied the incoming information over the sensors. “Not only that, we damaged
at least three more.”

“What about
their cruisers?” Fleet Commodore Dreen had not been expecting such results with
their missile attack against the twelve Destroyers of Worlds motherships from
the third wave of missiles. He had hoped maybe to get one but never three!

“Eighty-seven
confirmed kills,” answered Laylem.

“We spread out
our missiles too much,” Alborg said with a deep frown. “If we had hit the same
targets a second time, we would have taken out far more of them, particularly
now that we know how many missiles it takes to disrupt their energy shields.”

“Of course,”
replied Commodore Dreen in agreement. “But I wanted to cause as much disruption
in their fleet formation as possible so the third wave could get through to the
motherships.”

“It worked,”
replied Alborg. “However, they’ll be ready for us next time.”

“They’re
already adjusting their fleet formation,” said Laylem, pointing toward the
nearest tactical display.

On the
display, large numbers of the spindle-shaped cruisers were pulling back to the
third Destroyers of Worlds’ fleet formation to add more support to the
remaining motherships. “They’re not retreating.”

Fleet
Commodore Dreen had hoped the black ships would withdraw if they lost a mothership
or two. That gambit had failed. They must really be determined to harvest and
destroy Andock Prime.

“We hurt them,
and they know it,” Alborg said with satisfaction in his voice.

“The Andock
fleet is nearly in engagement range,” said Laylem, expressing concern. “They’ll
lose a lot of ships if the Destroyers of Worlds use their black antimatter
weapons.”

Commodore
Dreen studied the nearby tactical display and then reached a decision. “Jalad,
I want the fleet to jump to this location.” Dreen indicated a point just off
the left flank of the rear echelon of the enemy fleets. “Alborg, set up two
missile strikes. Both strikes to target the same black ships. This time I want
to take out as many of their cruisers as we can.”

“They’ll be
ready for us this time,” warned Alborg as he set up the missile strike. “We’ll
lose some ships.”

Commodore
Dreen let out a deep breath. “I know, but it can’t be helped. We’re trying to
save the alliance we’re putting together so we can save the galaxy. We can’t
let Andock Prime fall to the Destroyers of Worlds or we risk losing everything.”

-

In space, the
Andock fleet reached engagement range. Instantly from the missile tubes of the
battleships and battlecruisers two-hundred-megaton antimatter missiles began
launching. Fleet Leader Moor had made sure every warship was packed full of those
missiles. Even as the missiles launched, force beams and energy projectors
opened up as well, pouring their firepower into the black fleet.

The forward
formation of spindle-shaped cruisers, upon detecting the missile launch, fired
their black antimatter beams, sweeping them across the approaching Andock
warships. In the black fleet formation, hundreds and then thousands of two-hundred-megaton
antimatter missiles exploded. The entire formation came alive with light.
Occasionally enough would strike a black fleet cruiser to cause its energy
screen to fail. In the black fleet, several bright flashes of brilliant light
indicated the total release of energy from failed screens. In each case the
black ship beneath the screen was destroyed. With all the missiles exploding
and the energy they were releasing, a few black ships were bound to be
annihilated.

In the Andock
fleet, the deadly black antimatter beams penetrated the powerful defensive
screens of the Andock ships, opening up huge sections in the hulls and causing
catastrophic damage. Ship after ship died as they blew apart, sending glowing
debris flying across space.

-

On the left
flank of the rear echelon of the black fleet, the Lakiam fleet roared out of
hyperspace. A wave of missiles was launched before the first black ship could
return fire. However, the Destroyers of Worlds had been expecting this, and
black antimatter beams were quickly focused on the Lakiam ships. Four
battlecruisers died almost instantly, and then twelve more as additional beams
found their targets. Then the second missile wave launched. Additional Lakiam
battlecruisers were blown apart as even more black ship beams were focused on
the attacking fleet. The battlecruiser Harmony was cut in two as four
black antimatter beams ripped open the ship. Moments later black ship
antimatter missiles arrived, obliterating the two sections. In rapid succession
seventeen more Lakiam battlecruisers died before the fleet could jump away to
safety.

In the black
fleet, the impacts of the two missile strikes were devastating. This time,
instead of spreading the missile attack across the entire rear section of the
black fleet, the Lakiam warships had focused on one flank and fewer vessels.
Novalike flashes of light were numerous as the Destroyers of Worlds’ flank
almost ceased to be.

-

Prince Brollen
gazed at the incredibly powerful explosions which indicated the destruction of
numerous Vorn cruisers. He also noticed that, this time, the attacking fleet
had lost a number of vessels as well. Not as many as he had hoped, but perhaps
enough to give them pause before attacking again.

We lost 187
cruisers, reported Military Commander Fraymot grimly. We did destroy 34
of the enemy.

Prince Brollen
shifted his gaze to the viewscreens. The entire first wave of his fleet had
joined battle with the main defending fleet. Flashes of bright light lit up the
screens from exploding antimatter missiles. Enemy threat icons blinked out on
the tactical display with increasing regularity, the result of Vorn cruisers
using their black antimatter beams against the defending fleet. Occasionally an
icon representing a Vorn cruiser would vanish. Prince Brollen studied the
tactical display intently, then nodded in satisfaction as he saw the attacking
fleet was losing ships at a much faster rate than the Vorn were.

Continue to
press the attack. I want that fleet in front of us crushed so we can
close on the planet.

Military
Commander Fraymot hesitated and then sent a cautioning thought toward the
prince. The defenses around the planet are the heaviest we have encountered
so far. When we reach the planet, we will face more of the two-hundred-megaton
missiles that the defending fleet is using against us.

What are
you saying? demanded Prince Brollen, concerned that his new Military
Commander was failing at his duties.

I am just
saying, if the fleet with the dark matter missiles continues to engage us, we
might not have the ships we need to destroy the orbital defenses and defend the
remaining motherships from attack while the planet is harvested.

We are Vorn,
sent Prince Brollen, leaving no doubt as to his intentions. We will sweep away
the defending fleet and those defenses, then harvest the planet. Move our fleet
to the second wave and have those ships aid in our defense. If the fleet with
the dark matter missiles attacks again, we will overwhelm it with our combined
firepower.

Military
Commander Fraymot bowed slightly. It will be done as you have ordered.

-

Fleet
Commodore Dreen shook his head in dismay. Thirty-four vessels lost in just a
matter of a few seconds. If they had stayed for a third missile strike, it
would have been much worse. “How is Fleet Leader Moor doing?”

“He’s lost
nearly six hundred of his ships and is in full retreat toward Andock Prime,”
reported Laylem. Then the sensor operator shook his head. “At the rate he’s
losing warships, he won’t have anything left when he reaches the orbital
defenses.”

“How soon
before the first reinforcing fleets arrive?” Several Andock colony worlds with
large defensive fleets were nearby.

“Another hour
at least,” answered Laylem. “I’m afraid the Vorn will still have too many ships
for the reinforcements to do any good.”

Commodore
Dreen spent several long moments studying the nearby tactical display. Fleet
Leader Moor was still pummeling the leading section of the Destroyers of Worlds’
fleet. For every black ship he destroyed, he lost at least ten of his own
warships; not a very good trade off. However, it was much better than most
Protector Worlds did against the Destroyers of Worlds.

“The
motherships are joining up with the second formation of ships,” Alborg pointed out. “We will lose even more ships in the next attack. They will be
expecting us to attack again.”

“Contact Fleet
Leader Moor and see if he has any other ideas on how to slow down the black
fleet.” If things continued as they were now, the Destroyers of Worlds would
eventually reach Andock Prime and cull the planet of all major life forms.
Commodore Dreen didn’t see a way to prevent this disaster from happening.

Keenol did as
directed and then looked at the commodore in surprise. “He says he has set a
trap for the Destroyers of Worlds, one they will not enjoy. He didn’t elaborate
other than asking us not to launch another assault on the black fleet until his
trap has been sprung.”

“I don’t
understand,” said Dreen, confused. “What kind of trap can he possibly hope to
use against the Destroyers of Worlds?”

“I think I
know,” Alborg said as the nearby tactical display suddenly lit up with hundreds
of green icons. “Computer-operated cargo ships have jumped in. They’re
accelerating at full sublight toward the black fleet.”

“Why?” asked
Commodore Dreen. “They’re unarmed. What can unarmed cargo ships do against
warships?”

“They’ll ram
them,” explained Alborg. “If those ships are fully loaded, the sheer mass they
contain will allow them to crash through the shields of the black ships. Even
if they are destroyed upon their impact with the screens, the kinetic force of
their destruction will be equivalent to over fifty of our missiles. The screens
will collapse, destroying the black ships.”

Commodore
Dreen returned his attention to the tactical display. Every cargo ship in the
system must have jumped directly in front of the Destroyers of Worlds—so close
they only had a few thousand kilometers to go before reaching their targets.
For a few precious moments the black ships seemed confused, unsure whether to
target the cargo ships or continue to blast away at the warships. Those few
seconds were enough for the first cargo ships to smash into the screens of the
black ships.

One of the
viewscreens switched to a magnified view. An Andock ore carrier slammed into
the screen of a black ship. A brilliant flash filled the screen and then died
away. When it cleared, all that was visible were a few shards of wreckage.

The black
fleet, recognizing the danger, instantly targeted the cargo ships, but they had
waited too long. Cargo ship after cargo ship struck their targets in blinding
explosions. All across the frontline of the Destroyers of Worlds’ fleet, black
ships died by the dozens and then by the hundreds.

“Alborg, we’ll jump in. I want our first missile wave to blast us an open path to the
motherships. Then I want the next four waves aimed at the motherships
themselves. We will not withdraw until we’ve destroyed as many of them as
possible.” Commodore Dreen recognized this as the opening he had been hoping
for. Victory was now within his grasp.

“We’ll lose a
major portion of our fleet,” warned Alborg. “We’ll take a lot of incoming fire
by concentrating our missiles on the motherships.”

“We will, but,
after what the Andocks just did, if we can take out more of the motherships,
this battle will be over.” Commodore Dreen was certain the Destroyers of Worlds
had already suffered far more losses than they had planned. If his fleet could
take out two or three more of the motherships, he was certain the black ships
would withdraw, giving Andock reinforcements time to arrive.

Dreen leaned
back in his command chair. If they could force the black ships away from Andock
Prime, it would be a major victory; then the alliance he envisioned would grow
and become a reality.

“Jalad, put us
directly behind the rear section of the black fleet. It’s time they learn they
can’t attack a Protector World.”

-

Prince Brollen
stared aghast at the carnage inflicted on the forward section of his fleet. He
had never imagined a race using their spacecraft in such a manner. What are
our losses? He couldn’t blame Military Commander Fraymot for this debacle.

We’ve lost
476 cruisers, another 312 are reporting moderate to heavy damage. Our shields
are not designed to stop a cargo ship of the size and mass used against us.
Many of those ships are larger than our cruisers. From the scale of the explosions,
they are also fully loaded, probably with mined ore or even full loads of
water.

Can we
still reach the planet? Prince Brollen grew deeply concerned about the
ramifications of this battle when word reached Queen Alithe and the Conclave
Habitat. It was evident now he had erred in attacking this system practically
with a fleet from food species 236 present.

Fraymot spent
a moment examining the nearest tactical display. We can still destroy the
enemy fleet in front of us, but our forces will suffer additional losses. When
we reach the orbital defensive grid, we will suffer even more losses. However,
we still have sufficient forces to harvest the planet if no enemy
reinforcements show up.

That is
assuming they do not hit us with more of their cargo ships.

Our
cruisers are no longer being rammed by cargo vessels. I believe the enemy has
used all they had available.

Form our
remaining fleet around the motherships and proceed toward the planet. We have
lost too much not to harvest this world. If he could harvest this Protector
World, it would still be counted as a victory, though a very costly one. Even
as he considered the full ramifications of this battle, alarms sounded on the
sensor console.

The fleet
with the dark matter missiles is back, Fraymot reported with deep concern.

-

Fleet
Commodore Dreen gazed at the nearest viewscreen, showing a magnified view of
the forward section of the Destroyers of Worlds’ fleet. It was shattered. The
drifting wreckage of hundreds of vessels was visible. Not only that, Fleet
Leader Moor had stopped his retreat and was now once more advancing on the
black ships. Dreen could sense the tide of the battle turning.

“Missiles
launching,” reported Alborg. “The black fleet is in the process of adjusting
their fleet formation, so there are still a lot of holes in it.”

“Let’s make
them pay,” said Commodore Dreen, his eyes narrowing. “This time we’re not
retreating.” Dreen was determined to win this battle here and now!

-

The first wave
of missiles struck the black cruisers before they could adjust to the new
configuration Military Commander Fraymot had directed them to form. Dark matter
explosions overloaded energy screens as they absorbed the massive amounts of
energy being released. In just a matter of a few moments screens began failing.
They burst like giant bubbles, and, when they did, titanic amounts of absorbed
energy were released. Black ships died as they frantically turned, trying to
meet this new threat. A few black antimatter beams flicked out toward the
attackers. Three Lakiam battlecruisers were struck and quickly annihilated.

The second
wave of hypermissiles launched. This time aimed deeper into the black fleet
formation. Unfortunately too many cruisers still barred the way to the
motherships. Yet more black ship screens were overloaded, and novalike
explosions of energy and light marked their deaths. While this occurred, more
black cruisers turned to bring their weapons to bear on the enemy vessels. Even
a few spheres of annihilation were launched.

The third wave
of dark matter missiles shattered the last black cruisers defending the
motherships, opening a path for the next wave. In the Lakiam fleet, dozens of
battlecruisers died as black antimatter beams blew them apart and spheres of
annihilation drained the power of numerous vessels. Still Fleet Commodore Dreen
refused to pull back as his fleet began to die around him.

The fourth
wave of missiles—while decidedly weaker than the previous ones due to the number
of ships lost—exploded among the remaining motherships. All three of the
damaged vessels vanished under the fusillade of titanic explosions that shattered
their energy screens. The three motherships simply disintegrated, leaving
behind large fields of glowing wreckage.

In the Lakiam
fleet, more spheres of annihilation attached themselves to energy screens and began
draining them.

-

Prince Brollen
could scarcely breathe from all the smoke in the Command Center. Alarms blared,
and members of the working caste moved sluggishly about, trying to clean up the
wreckage. A few Vorn technicians appeared and began working to restore power to
several damaged consoles.

Report!
sent Brollen, gazing toward Military Commander Fraymot.

The Barl,
Xanthe, and Riven have been destroyed. The Larmal, Scythe,
and Trield are reporting heavy damage. The enemy fleet defending the
planet is engaging the lead elements of our fleet. The ships with the dark
matter missiles are still attacking the rear of our fleet, though we are
inflicting heavy losses with our weapons.

Can we
still take the planet and harvest it?

No,
replied Fraymot. We cannot destroy the orbital defenses with our remaining
fleet.

Defeat!
Brollen detected a sour taste in his mouth, one he was not familiar with. We
must withdraw.

This battle
will upset the Queens, Fraymot said, his expression fearful.

I warned
them and others about the dark matter missiles. I made a mistake in not
eliminating that threat earlier. It is now obvious we must deal with it sooner
than I had planned or our harvesting in this galaxy could be put in jeopardy.
Take the fleet into hyperspace. We will return to the staging system for
repairs and to make plans on how to deal with the food species that possesses
the dark matter missiles. It is evident now they must be destroyed at once.

-

Fleet
Commodore Dreen gasped in agony as green icons representing Lakiam
battlecruisers blinked rapidly out of existence. On one of the viewscreens, the
battlecruiser Narran was cut in two by several black antimatter beams.
In a brilliant explosion, the battlecruiser blew apart, scattering debris in
all directions.

“The black
fleet is jumping into hyperspace!” called out Laylem jubilantly. “They’re
pulling out!”

Even as Laylem
spoke, the black antimatter beams vanished as the spindle-shaped cruisers
ceased firing and entered hyperspace. In a matter of a few minutes the last
black ship disappeared from the viewscreen. All but one—a large red icon.

“What
remains?” demanded Commodore Dreen, gazing at the one remaining threat icon.

“It’s one of
their motherships,” answered Laylem, perplexed. He made some quick scans with
the ship’s sensors and then turned toward Commodore Dreen. “I believe it’s too
damaged to enter hyperspace.”

Commodore
Dreen couldn’t believe the luck of what had just fallen into his hands.
“Contact Fleet Leader Moor and tell him to leave that ship alone. I intend to
board it and capture it.” If he were successful in capturing a Destroyers of
Worlds’ mothership, it could potentially reveal a treasure trove of
information. “Alborg, prepare our combat robots. You will be leading a team to
capture that ship.”

“You want prisoners?”
As tactical officer, part of his duty was to command the combat robots.

“If possible,”
replied Dreen. He wasn’t concerned about capturing prisoners; the ship’s
computers alone would be invaluable. “Don’t endanger your boarding party. If
the enemy resists, kill them!”

-

The Basera
slid closer to the Destroyers of Worlds’ mothership. Lakiam battlecruisers
moved to completely surround the heavily damaged vessel. The ship was
dumbbell-shaped, with two enormous globes at each end connected to one another
by a short cylinder. The ship was painted a matte black, and no starlight
reflected from its hull. Each of the globes was two thousand meters in
diameter, and the cylinder connecting the two was four hundred meters long and
three hundred in diameter. All across the ship’s hull, huge gashes indicated
where dark matter energy had washed across the vessel. In several sections the
deep gashes extended several hundred meters inside the ship.

-

Several small shuttles
left the Basera and docked with the mothership. Alborg ordered the
combat robots to set explosive charges against the hatches as the airlocks
between the vessels were not compatible.

“Blasting our
way in,” Alborg reported over his comm unit which connected him with the Basera
and Fleet Commodore Dreen.

“Keep in mind
we’re still picking up intermittent power readings on that vessel,” warned
Laylem as he watched sensors which continuously scanned the mothership.

-

Alborg waited, standing behind twenty of the eight-foot-tall combat robots. Twenty more were
on the other shuttle commanded by Wien Metz, a combat specialist. A loud
explosion was heard, and the hatch fell open. The combat robots immediately moved
inside, their arms held before them, pointing the twin stunners embedded in
their palms forward. The passageway was tall and wide with very dim lighting. Alborg activated his combat glasses which allowed him to see as if the corridor was fully
lit.

“Proceed. Engage
any hostiles and immobilize them. If they return fire, the use of deadly force
is authorized.” The robots were programmed to carry out this type of mission,
though Alborg could not recall any ever being used to actually board another
vessel before.

“We have
gained access,” reported Metz. “We’re proceeding down a corridor. No resistance
encountered.”

For several
minutes Alborg and the combat robots moved deeper into the ship without encountering
any signs of life, then suddenly the stunners on the leading robots activated
with sharp buzzing noises which sounded like the release of electricity.

“Enemy
encountered and stunned. No resistance,” reported the lead combat robot.

Alborg stepped forward and for the first time gazed upon a Destroyers of Worlds’ alien,
lying upon the deck. It had a basic humanoid form with two legs and two arms.
That was where the resemblance ended. The creature looked like a cross between
a humanoid and a wasp. The head was covered with very short hair and triangular
in shape with two antennae. Its eyes were those of an insect. Alborg could see
two small wasplike wings on the creature’s back, and it had hands, each with
seven thin digits. The enemy did not resemble any alien race Alborg was
familiar with. He knew of no intelligent insectoid races.

“Are you
getting this?”

“Yes,” replied
Commodore Dreen. “Your video feed is coming in clearly. We see everything you do.
Have the combat robots secure the prisoner. You can pick it up on the way
back.”

Alborg quickly did as ordered and then had the robots moving forward again. Over the next
few minutes they encountered more of what Alborg assumed were the crew. The
creatures seemed listless and confused. In each case Alborg had them stunned
and then bound.

As they moved
deeper into the ship, the noise level increased. It was apparent to Alborg that the Destroyers of Worlds were attempting to repair their ship. He was
concerned that, if the ship jumped into hyperspace, his mission might end in a
disaster.

“I’ve found
what appears to be the engineering compartment,” Metz suddenly reported. “Several
different types of aliens are inside. One group is working on the equipment,
and the other just hands them tools and otherwise cleans up.”

“A caste
system,” suggested Commodore Dreen. “It is common among insects.”

“Possibly,”
responded Alborg. “Metz, move your combat robots into the engineering
compartment and secure it. If we control Engineering, they can’t take the ship
into hyperspace.” This would eliminate one worry Alborg had. He also had no
idea how big a crew was on this vessel and if any of them were armed. There
could be thousands on this ship.

“Moving in,”
responded Metz.

Moments later Metz’s voice came over the comm. “We’re meeting heavy resistance. Some of the aliens in
the compartment are armed. I’ve lost six combat robots, but we’ve taken out
most of the resistance. We should have the compartment secured shortly.”

“Alborg, several of our other battlecruisers are launching more combat units. If this is a
caste system, they obviously have a warrior caste. That’s what Metz is encountering. If they can take out our combat robots, that indicates they’re
extremely aggressive and dangerous.”

“I agree,”
responded Alborg. “We’ll move deeper into the ship to see if we can find the Command Center. Let me know when the other units arrive.”

-

For the next
several hours the fighting inside the ship intensified. More combat robots
showed up, and soon over two hundred were on board the mothership. In several
compartments the enemy put up a fierce resistance, destroying many of the
combat robots. After considerable heavy fighting, Alborg found himself in the
forward section of the enemy ship, facing a heavily reinforced door. They had
been forced to fight their way through over sixty of the warrior caste in the
corridor leading to this hatch. No doubt this had to be the Command Center.

“Blast it
open,” ordered Alborg. His forces had been augmented by two more groups of
combat robots and their commanding Lakiam officers. “Use stunners. This will be
the command crew, and we want to capture as many alive as possible.”

An explosion
shook the corridor, and the robots filed into the room beyond. Alborg could hear weapons fire until it was finally his turn to enter. Stepping inside, his
eyes widened at the sight. Nearly half of his combat robots were down, and the
room was full of heavily armed aliens. He noticed it was taking three or four
hits from the robots’ stunners to knock them out.

“Switch to
energy beams,” he ordered. The resistance in this room was too heavy to depend
on the stunners.

Instantly beams
of energy struck the enemy. They fell rapidly as the light combat armor they wore
was not impervious to the deadly energy beams. What struck Alborg the most was
how silent the enemy was. Very seldom did they cry out or yell orders to one
another. Then the fighting stopped, and Alborg looked around; all the aliens
were down and unmoving.

“Command Center is secure,” he reported to Commodore Dreen.

“Excellent,”
replied Dreen. “Keep your forces in the Command Center and in Engineering. The
other combat teams will finish sweeping the ship.”

Alborg nodded. He walked to the center of the room, where a number of the alien warriors
had fallen. In the center were two aliens who were slightly different in
stature. Both of their heads seemed slightly larger, and their antennae were
longer. Gazing at them, Alborg realized these must be the officers in charge of
the mothership. One moved slightly. With a pleased smile, Alborg realized this
alien was only stunned. “Secure this being immediately,” he ordered. Not only
had they captured the mothership, they also had one of its commanding officers!

-

Fleet
Commodore Dreen had just finished speaking with Fleet Leader Moor. The Andock
fleet had suffered heavily, losing 807 battlecruisers and 217 battleships and
all their crews. However, in the past hour, two fleet formations of over three
hundred warships each had arrived in the system. The Lakiam fleet had also
suffered heavily, losing 163 battlecruisers in the battle. The ships that had
lost their power were getting it back online.

Already Dreen
had sent several battlecruisers to Lakiam to bring additional scientists and
technicians to study the Destroyers of Worlds’ mothership and to help
interrogate the prisoners. Hundreds were being held on the ship under the guard
of Lakiam combat robots and combat specialists. The Andock government had
agreed to leave the mothership under Lakiam control as long as their own
scientists and technicians could come on board. Each side would share
everything they learned. Maybe this would be the turning point in the war.

-

Prince Brollen
gazed at the shattered remnants of his fleet. Five motherships, all of them
damaged to some extent, and 1,200 cruisers. Only in the massive battles in
their old universe had the Vorn suffered such losses.

The Scythe
did not make the transition into hyperspace, reported Military Commander
Fraymot.

Prince Brollen
could not believe this. Was it destroyed? The Scythe had been under his
command from the very beginning.

The last
report I received was that it was heavily damaged and attempting to enter
hyperspace. It did not arrive at the rendezvous point.

The tactical
display of what was left of his fleet confirmed the missing mothership had been
destroyed. Seven motherships and nearly two thousand cruisers lost, he thought.
Unless he could find a way to salvage what had just happened, even being one of
Queen Alithe’s consorts might not save him from deletion.

Take us to
the staging area, he ordered. We must plan an attack on the food species
that possess the dark matter weapons. If we fail to destroy them, I fear the
harvesting of this galaxy may come to an end.

Moments later
the black ships entered hyperspace. They had a long journey ahead of them.
Prince Brollen stood in the Command Center, not communicating with anyone. His
only concern was how to avoid deletion. In the back of his mind, a plan formed.

Chapter Thirteen

Fleet Admiral
Kurt Vickers was feeling anxious as the Star Cross dropped from
hyperspace. So much was depending on this mission. In front of them was the
nebula which supposedly held the Glaymon homeworld or worlds. The flagship’s main
viewscreens came to life, showing images of the other ships in the fleet. Since
encountering the Hanorian warships, they had managed to avoid other spacecraft.
They had traveled the old smugglers’ route avoiding the heavily trafficked
areas, until they were on the very edge of the galactic core. Kurt was amazed
at the brilliance of the star field on one of the viewscreens. He gazed at the
core and could easily see thousands of stars on this one screen. In this region
of space, worlds were lit brilliantly just by starlight. No true darkness or
night.

“Sensors are
clear in our immediate vicinity,” reported Lieutenant Brooks. “However,
numerous vessels are on the long-range sensors.”

“It will not
be long before they notice our presence,” cautioned Mara. She stood next to
Kurt with her arms folded across her chest.

Kurt had made
it a point to avoid Mara’s quarters on the Star Cross. She was too
alluring, and Kurt didn’t want to risk doing anything that might upset Keera.

“I have Lomatz
on the comm,” reported Lieutenant Pierce. “He recommends we move immediately
into the outer regions of the nebula where we will be masked from sensor
scans.”

“That would be
wise,” Mara said in agreement. “A number of Enlightened Worlds are in this
vicinity, as well as two Protector Worlds.”

Andrew stepped
closer to Kurt. “Is it safe in the nebula?”

“Our energy
shields will protect us from the radiation,” answered Kurt. “Even if the
shields fail, the armored hulls of our ships will provide adequate protection
for a while.”

“Only a few
areas exist where the radiation is that intense,” Mara said. “We should be
safe.”

“Take us in,”
ordered Kurt. “When our long-range sensors can no longer detect other spacecraft,
we will come to a stop and decide upon our next move.”

Kurt took a
deep breath as he gazed at one of the viewscreens, revealing the nebula—over
forty-two light-years long and fifteen at its narrowest. It glowed with a light
blue color, due to the filters on the viewscreen. It almost seemed to pulse, as
if alive.

The eight ships
of the fleet moved slowly into the nebula. The gas and dust in the outer region
were not very dense, and the ships took a number of hours to reach an area with
a thick-enough density to shield them from detection. Once the long-range
sensors indicated they were safely hidden, the fleet came to a stop.

“Now what?”
asked Andrew, the viewscreens revealing the faintly glowing gas and dust of the
nebula.

“We wait,”
answered Kurt. “From all the reports I’ve read, very few ships ever return once
they enter this nebula. Let’s see if the Glaymons come to us.”

“That’s
comforting.” Andrew looked at Mara for an explanation.

She let out a
deep breath. “If this is, indeed, where the Glaymons are, they must be
intercepting all the exploration vessels. By making it seem this nebula is too
dangerous to enter, it helps to ensure their security. From what we’ve heard,
hundreds of exploration ships over the years have vanished. Very few enter the
nebula anymore as it has been labeled too dangerous to explore.”

“Were they
destroyed?”

“No, Captain,”
replied Mara. “No wreckage has ever been discovered.”

Andrew shifted
his gaze to Kurt. “What makes you think, if these Glaymons exist, they’ll let
our ships leave? It sounds as if they’ve stopped everyone else.”

“It’s a risk,”
admitted Kurt. This was an aspect of this mission which greatly concerned him.
If the Glaymons were intent on keeping their world or worlds a secret, they could
very well refuse to let Kurt and his fleet depart. “Take the fleet to Condition
Two. We’ll wait here for twenty-four hours and see if there’s any response to
our presence.” Surely the Glaymons monitored the nebula, so they would know
when ships entered. If Kurt’s assumption was correct, there would be a response
to his fleet’s presence.

“We’re not
detecting anything artificial on either our short-range or long-range sensors,”
reported Lieutenant Brooks with a frown.

Mara turned to
the sensor operator. “I suspect the science we’re dealing with is so advanced that
we won’t detect anything until they show up.”

Kurt addressed
the lieutenant. “How far can we scan with the long-range sensors in this
nebula?”

“Short-range
is normal. However, the long-range sensors are severely limited to about two
light-years. Even then, sections of the nebula where the radiation and gas
density is elevated are stopping the sensors completely. There are three
regions within one light-year I can’t scan at all.”

“They could be
right on top of us, and we’d never know it,” muttered Andrew, sounding
concerned. “I recommend we keep our Marines posted in all key compartments. As
much as I hate to suggest it, maybe we should deploy some of the combat robots
as well.”

Mara looked
concerned at Andrew’s suggestion. “We don’t know what we may be dealing with,
so we do not want to look overtly hostile.”

Kurt
considered what the two had said and then reached a decision. “Lieutenant
Pierce, contact all our ships and have them deploy their Marines and combat
robots to all key areas of their ships. Inform them this is a precautionary
measure only.”

“That might be
a mistake,” warned Mara frowning.

“It may be,
but I want to keep our ships secure.” Kurt gazed at the viewscreens feeling apprehensive.
They were facing something that was totally unknown. What would a race that had
been hiding for over twenty-two million years even be like?

-

For several
hours Kurt and Mara stayed in the Command Center. The sensors remained quiet as
nothing unusual was detected.

“I’ll be in my
quarters, getting some rest,” Kurt said to Andrew. “If anything is detected on
the sensors, call me immediately.”

“Yes,
Admiral,” Andrew replied as he moved to take over the command chair Kurt had vacated.

“Admiral, I’ll
call a shuttle and go to the Aurelia. I wish to speak with several of
the scientists on board. Perhaps they will have an idea as to how to contact
the Glaymons without venturing further into the nebula.”

“Go ahead,”
answered Kurt. He would be relieved to have Mara off the Star Cross.
Just her presence was distracting. He had noticed the male members of his crew,
and even a few of the women, looking at her suggestively. Kurt could hardly
blame them; Mara was extremely beautiful.

-

It had been
several hours since Kurt had retired to his quarters, while Andrew remained in
the Command Center. Shortly the next shift would report for duty. Andrew
yawned, feeling the effects of the long day and looking forward to eating a
quick bite and then getting a few well-deserved hours of sleep. He would also take
a few minutes to record a brief message to his wife. While the message couldn’t
be sent, he would play them for her once they returned to Newton. He was also
curious how Alexis was doing in school, and feeling nervous about this boy
situation. He remembered how he was around girls at that age. While Alexis
didn’t have a boyfriend at the moment, she had gone to the school dance. It
would only be a matter of time before they began calling.

“Captain, I’m
picking up something strange on the short-range sensors,” reported Lieutenant
Brooks.

Andrew left
the command chair and walked the short distance to the lieutenant’s station.
“What is it?”

“I’m not sure.
The sensors can no longer see into several nearby areas.”

“Put them up
on one of the tactical displays.” Andrew suspected it might be a few areas of
gas or dust drifting close enough to interfere with the ship’s sensors. There
was a lot of that around the Star Cross.

On the
tactical display, four nearby areas appeared, showing where the sensors were
failing to penetrate. He watched them for a minute, and then his eyes widened.
“Those things are moving. Lieutenant, plot their course from the time you first
noticed them until now.”

Moments later,
the trajectory of the four areas had been plotted on the tactical display. All
four were headed directly toward the fleet!

“Sound the
Condition One alarms!” ordered Andrew, his expression showing concern.
“Lieutenant Pierce, contact all our ships and order them to go to Condition One
immediately. No one is to fire unless I give the order.”

“Yes, sir,”
Pierce replied as she hurried to comply.

Andrew sat in
the command chair and pressed a button on the command console in front of him.
“Admiral Vickers, come to the Command Center. We have four unidentified objects
closing with the fleet.”

“On my way,”
Kurt responded.

The Condition
One alarms had already awakened the admiral.

“Captain,
look!” called out Lieutenant Mays in alarm.

On the main
viewscreen, a massive ship suddenly appeared. It dwarfed anything in the small
fleet—bigger even than Lomatz’s two-thousand-meter-long command ship. The
vessel was disk-shaped and covered with weapon turrets.

“That ship’s
power readings are off the scale,” reported Lieutenant Brooks. “There are four
of them, and they’re all the same.”

“Energy shield
is at full power,” reported Lieutenant Mays as her hands moved across her
console. “Weapons are charged if needed.”

Andrew looked
closely at the nearest tactical display. The four monster ships had surrounded
the fleet. “We’re obviously outgunned,” he said in consternation, feeling
helpless. “Lieutenant Pierce, contact our other ships and tell them not to
resist. No weapons are to be fired or aimed at those vessels. Missile hatches
are to remain closed.”

“We’re leaving
ourselves defenseless,” Lieutenant Mays quickly pointed out. “We don’t know if
those ships are hostile or not.”

“Do you think
our weapons can harm those vessels?”

Lieutenant
Mays let out a deep breath. “No, sir. From the readings on my tactical console,
the screens protecting those ships are the most powerful I’ve ever detected.
Our weapons won’t penetrate them.”

“I’m picking
up some type of energy buildup!” shouted Lieutenant Brooks. “They’re getting
ready to fire.”

Andrew had
just enough time to look at one of the viewscreens when a white light flashed
through the Command Center. His last thought as he faded into unconsciousness
was to wonder what they had gotten themselves into.

-

Kurt struggled
to open his eyes. He felt groggy and light-headed. With a loud moan, he forced
his eyes open. He was in what appeared to be a hospital room. The walls were
white; there were no windows, and the only chair in the room was next to his
bed. He was also totally naked beneath the white sheet covering him.

Taking a deep,
steadying breath, Kurt tried to recall what had happened. He remembered Andrew
telling him over the comm that four unidentified ships had appeared. After that
a white light had flashed through his quarters and then … nothing.

Kurt lay there
for what he estimated to be over an hour. Then, on the far side of the room, a
door suddenly appeared. One moment there was a smooth wall, and then an opening
resembling a door was there. Through it walked a being that vaguely resembled a
humanoid. No doubt this was a Glaymon—nearly seven feet tall, unusually thin,
with a larger-than-normal head. No hair was on his head, and his eyes were
round with no eyebrows. The being’s arms were long with hands ending in five
slim digits. Kurt was pretty certain this was a male.

“Are you a
Glaymon?” asked Kurt in a hoarse voice, realizing how parched his throat was.

The being did
not answer. He walked close to the bed and waved his hand over a small section
of the wall. An opening appeared. After a low humming noise, a medium-size
glass appeared. The Glaymon handed it to Kurt.

Kurt studied
the glass seeing what looked like water in it. Dehydrated, Kurt took a long
drink. Almost instantly his thirst vanished, and his energy level suddenly
increased. Obviously the drink held more than water.

“Why have you
come here?” asked the Glaymon in a very soft voice. “We do not care for
visitors.”

Kurt sat up partially,
then spoke. “The Destroyers of Worlds have returned. They have taken the
populations of entire worlds to use as a food source. We seek a weapon to stop
them.”

The Glaymon
studied Kurt for a long moment before replying. “The Destroyers of Worlds
cannot be stopped. For over twenty-two million years they have ravaged this
galaxy, periodically harvesting its inhabited worlds for food. There is nothing
you can do against them.”

“We must try,”
answered Kurt. “Somehow we have to find a way to stop them. We came to this
nebula in the hope your science might aid us. We have a weapon in mind which might
destroy their ships. We hoped you could help us build this weapon. It would
give us something to defend our worlds with.”

“The
neutronium marble,” the Glaymon said knowingly, noting the surprised look on
Kurt’s face. “We know of your plan. The minds of a number of your crew were
scanned before we determined if you were a threat to us and if others knew of
your destination.”

Kurt was
dumbfounded. The science of the Glaymons was truly advanced, just as Kurt had
hoped. “Will you help us?”

“No,” the
Glaymon responded. “Our greatest defense against the Destroyers of Worlds is
the fact they don’t know of our existence. We cannot do anything to endanger
that. I am afraid you will have to spend the remainder of your days here with
us, as so many others have in the past.”

Kurt’s eyes
widened. “I ask to be allowed to present our case to your leaders.”

The Glaymon
looked deeply into Kurt’s eyes. “I will speak to our leaders, but I should warn
you. It will do you no good. Others have tried since we moved our civilization
here. All have been refused.” The Glaymon walked to a wall and again waved his
hand over a small section. Instantly an opening appeared, and, reaching into it,
the Glaymon took out Kurt’s uniform. He waved his hand over another section,
and a small table with a comfortable chair materialized. He placed Kurt’s
clothes on the table and then turned to face Kurt. “You may get dressed. I will
send someone for you shortly.” The Glaymon then turned and left the room
through the door opening which instantly vanished, as if it had never been
there.

Getting up,
Kurt made his way to the table and quickly got dressed. Several things
concerned Kurt about the Glaymons. The one who had come to his room had
expressed little emotion and didn’t seem to feel any empathy for what was
happening to the civilized races of the galaxy. What have I gotten us into?
thought Kurt. Never had he imagined such a situation. With a deep sigh, he sat
in the chair to wait.

-

Andrew sat in
his room, eating some type of soup. The female Glaymon who had come in earlier
had given him his clothes, some water to drink, and then placed this soup on a
small table, indicating he should eat it. She had said very little, other than
he would be summoned to a meeting later. It had been difficult to tell if the
Glaymon was a woman. She was nearly flat-chested and her body only curved
slightly. Her voice was soft, and only the tone suggested her gender.

Andrew took
another spoonful of the very tasty soup, though he couldn’t identify any of the
ingredients. He paused, taking in the hospital room, or what he assumed was a
hospital room. He had no idea what had happened to the rest of the crew or if
they were even still alive. The last thing he remembered was the white light
and then nothing else. Taking a deep breath, Andrew hoped he would be able to return
to his wife and daughter. He was deeply concerned as both Mara and Lomatz had
indicated that no one had ever escaped from the nebula. He had to hope Kurt
could get them out of this.

-

Kurt was
growing impatient when the door suddenly appeared again, and the same Glaymon
who had spoken to him earlier came in.

“Our ruling
council has agreed to give you an audience. You will be allowed to state your
case and be expected to answer any questions the councilors have. This will be
your only audience with the council.”

“What is your
name, if I may ask?”

“You may call
me Aalik,” the Glaymon answered. “Our names are not pronounceable in your
language and are more similar to a symbol which marks our career choice. If you
will follow me, I will take you to the council chambers.”

Kurt followed
Aalik from the room and into a broad corridor. A few other Glaymons were
visible, though they paid little attention to Kurt. After walking a short
distance, they reached a large door which Aalik opened. Kurt stepped up to it
and then looked at Aalik, confused. It appeared to be a massive elevator shaft
but with no elevator, just open space. “I don’t understand.”

“Watch.”

Kurt turned
his attention to the shaft and, after a moment, saw several Glaymons fly by,
seemingly floating on air. As he continued to watch, more and more moved both
up and down with no obvious means of support.

“It is a
transport shaft. It nullifies gravity and uses small transport beams to take everyone
to their destinations.” Aalik attached a small metallic disk to Kurt’s uniform.
“Step into the shaft. There is nothing to fear.”

Taking a deep,
fortifying breath, Kurt forced himself to step into the shaft, halfway
expecting to fall to his death. Much to his surprise, his feet seemed to touch
a solid surface, though nothing was there. Aalik stepped behind him, and, after
placing his hand on Kurt’s shoulder, the two of them started moving upward at
an ever-increasing speed. For several long minutes they traveled with Kurt watching
a number of Glaymons stopping and entering various openings to corridors.

“Inertia is
neutralized in the transport shafts,” explained Aalik. “It allows us to travel
very fast in order to get to our destinations.”

Kurt didn’t
reply as they came to an abrupt halt. They stepped from the shaft into another
brilliantly lit corridor. They walked down it and several others before finally
reaching a set of large ornate wooden doors. They had huge symbols on them
which Kurt didn’t recognize. Aalik opened one of the doors, indicating for Kurt
to enter. With just one step, he stood in amazement. He was in a giant
amphitheater shaped like a horseshoe with a raised stage in the center, upon
which were several of his crew—including Andrew, Lieutenant Mays, and Captain
Lindsey Hastings of the heavy battlecruiser Cygnus. Mara and Lomatz were
there as well as a Glaymon in richly colored robes, standing before a podium.

“You are Fleet
Admiral Kurt Vickers?” the Glaymon asked in a soft voice.

“Yes,” replied
Kurt, stepping forward to an empty seat next to Mara, which he assumed was for
him.

“Take a seat,
and we will begin this audience.”

Kurt complied
as he gazed across the amphitheater. He could barely make out the end of the
room. Thousands of Glaymons must be in attendance, watching. He had only expected
to meet a few, not something like this. If this was their ruling council, how
many Glaymons were there?

“You have
brought eight ships into our domain,” the Glaymon at the podium said, turning
to face Kurt and the others. “Studying the computers on your ships, you knew
those who had come before had not left this nebula, yet you came anyway.”

“We came
seeking you,” replied Kurt. “We seek knowledge which only your race may
possess.”

“We are aware
of that,” the Glaymon said, shifting his gaze to Lomatz. “We erred years ago in
allowing this one to aid one of our scout research vessels. We very seldom
venture from the protective environs of the nebula. We only do so when we
believe the Destroyers of Worlds have returned.”

“I saw your
warships,” said Andrew. “They looked very powerful. Can your ships destroy a
black ship?”

“They can,”
the Glaymon replied. “Our ships are powered by what we call Zero-Point Energy.
We have the ability to overload their shields and destroy their ships if they
enter this nebula.”

“If you have a
way to destroy them, why haven’t you?” asked Kurt, confused. “The galaxy around
you is dying, yet you do nothing!”

“You do not
understand,” replied the Glaymon patiently. “The Vorn came to our universe from
another over twenty-four million years ago to escape a great enemy destroying
their civilization. In a final desperate battle, the Vorn Queens fled with
their surviving ships into the heart of a black hole. They traveled through the
singularity and arrived in our universe. The Vorn live in the space between
galaxies in huge habitats that hold several trillion of their people. They
possess a massive warfleet, much of which orbits their habitats at all times.
The Vorn have a caste system controlled by their Queens. This ensures the
system changes very little over the millennia. The primary Queen is their ruler
and sets policy for the Vorn.”

“That still
doesn’t explain why you won’t fight them.”

The Glaymon
stared at Kurt for a long moment. “While we might destroy the first wave of
black ships, they would only summon reinforcements. If one thousand ships could
not destroy us, they would bring ten thousand. If ten thousand could not do the
job, then they would bring one hundred thousand. No victory is possible against
the Vorn. We do not wish to engage in an unending war.”

Kurt’s mind felt
numb at the numbers the Glaymon had mentioned. One hundred thousand ships,
possibly more? Fighting the Destroyers of Worlds was like trying to empty an
ocean using a thimble.

“You came
seeking knowledge of how to destroy the Vorn,” the Glaymon continued.
“Lieutenant Mays wants a neutronium marble and the ability to deploy it. She is
quite correct that such a weapon would destroy a Vorn ship, even one of their
motherships. Mara Liam wants weapons for her people so they can survive the
onslaught of the Vorn. If not, she seeks to come to your world to allow her
race to continue. Just as Lomatz has already resettled many of his people on Newton. They are correct in their assumption that your world may be overlooked by the
Vorn. Many primitive worlds are bypassed during Vorn incursions. It allows new
life to spread across the galaxy to become food during the next invasion.”

Kurt was
amazed at everything the Glaymon knew. Their mind-scanning ability had already
revealed the main reason for Kurt’s mission. He was fearful the Glaymon council
had already made up their minds.

“All we ask is
a chance for our people to survive,” said Kurt. “While the Destroyers of Worlds
may, indeed, overlook our planets, a real possibility remains that they may
not. Lomatz’s people, Mara’s people, and my own only wish to live. Is there
something wrong in that?”

“No,” the
Glaymon responded. “It is a noble cause, but one wherein our laws prohibit us
from aiding you. For twenty-two million years we have lived inside this nebula.
In many ways we have transcended life as you know it. I should inform you that nearly
all Glaymons are now telepathic. We also have the ability to move objects with
the power of our minds. Many other things have changed, but I do not believe
you would understand. We are now as different from the races of this galaxy as
the Vorn are to those of our universe.”

“There must be
a way for you to help us,” insisted Kurt. “We will not tell anyone of your
existence.”

“No, you
won’t,” the Glaymon responded. “You will never be leaving here. This will be
your home now. Even those in your home system who know of your destination will
eventually assume your quest was fruitless and that you perished in the
nebula.”

Kurt slowly
shook his head. “We have families and a duty to our people. While you may be
afraid to face the Destroyers of Worlds, we are not.”

“Afraid?” said
the Glaymon, shaking his head. “We are not afraid to face the Vorn. However, we
know to face the Vorn may mean the end of us and of our destiny.”

“I don’t
understand.”

“It’s quite
simple. All the while we have been inside this nebula, we have been working on
a method to return the Vorn to their universe. If we can do so, their threat
will come to an end.”

“Is that
possible?”

“We believe
so,” the Glaymon responded.

“How soon?” If
the Glaymons had this knowledge, perhaps there was still hope for the galaxy.

“Two million
years. Some areas of research still must be completed before we can implement
our final solution.”

A cold chill ran
down Kurt’s spine. Two million years? He could not imagine a race which could
think in those terms. “We can’t wait two million years. We need a method to
fight the Destroyers of Worlds now! Billions of intelligent beings are
harvested by the Vorn every day. If you can help us, at least we can give hope
to some of the worlds of our galaxy. You can’t stand by and let the entire
galaxy become food for these monsters. Assist us with the neutronium weapon. Give
us something we can defend ourselves with. You can stay safe here in your
nebula. No one needs to know of your existence.”

“The weapon
you propose would indicate to the Vorn that a very advanced civilization exists
somewhere in this galaxy,” responded the Glaymon. “They would seek us out and
attempt to destroy us. If we are successful in completing our research for
returning them to their universe, we would be saving all the future intelligent
races of this galaxy and many others across this universe. This would be their
last culling of our galaxy.”

“We have a
right to survive!” cried out Kurt in anguish. The Glaymons had to help or all
was lost. There was no guarantee the Vorn would miss Newton and Earth. “Please
discuss it. See if you can find some way to give us viable defenses and weapons.”
Kurt didn’t know what else to say.

The Glaymon turned
and gazed across the massive amphitheater. There was nothing but silence. “Go
and consider what has been said here today. We will meet once again in six days
to consider this request.” As the Glaymon finished speaking, the Glaymons in
the audience vanished one by one until the packed amphitheater was empty.

“How?” asked
Kurt, looking at Aalik. “Where did they go?”

“The Glaymons
here were all holograms. The distance to travel is far too great for most of
the members of the council.”

“Why is the
council so large?”

Aalik looked
at Kurt and the others from his crew. “Come with me, and I will show you.”

-

Aalik led them
from the council chambers and down several corridors to another transport
shaft. Kurt wasn’t surprised when he heard Andrew groan.

“Not again.”

They stepped
into the shaft and were taken upward. This time the trip was much longer,
before Aalik led them from the shaft and down another brightly lit corridor. He
paused at a large door and waved his hand before it; causing it to swing open.
Stepping through they found themselves in a large garden area that stretched
out for several kilometers.

“Where are
we?” asked Kurt, looking over at Aalik feeling confused.

“Look around,”
directed Aalik.

Kurt took in
his amazing surroundings, the horizon curving gently as far as the eye could
see. Then his eyes opened wide in instant realization. He shared a knowing nod
with Andrew.

“A Dyson
Sphere,” Andrew said in amazement. “You’ve enclosed your star with this
megastructure and are using it for power.”

“Yes,” replied
Aalik. “It took us over one million years and much of the matter which once
comprised the nebula. The sun furnishes us unlimited power, and the living
surface is far more than we will ever need. All the races who journeyed into
the nebula have been given living areas upon its surface to renew their races. Over
274 civilizations, besides our own, share the sphere. Your people will be given
a small part of the Dyson Sphere to live upon as well.”

Mara turned
toward Aalik. “Is there any chance the council will agree to help us?”

“No,”
responded Aalik. “It has never been done before, and I do not expect it to be
done now. This is your home. You will be safe here from the Vorn, and your
races will continue.”

Everyone stood
silently, looking around. The Glaymons’ science was beyond belief. Finding a
Dyson Sphere was the last thing any of them had expected. Now it seemed as if
none of them would ever leave. They would be like so many other exploratory
missions of the past. They had vanished to never be heard from again.

Chapter Fourteen

Kurt and the
others spent a considerable amount of time gazing at the almost magical
landscape around them. Just the knowledge that they were inside an actual Dyson
Sphere was breathtaking. It seemed as if they stood in paradise. Kurt could
feel a light wind blowing against his face; the temperature was warm but
comfortable. In the distance, he could hear the sounds of birds calling to one
another.

“Can your
people build a neutronium bullet?” Lieutenant Mays asked Aalik, obviously unable
to contain her curiosity.

Aalik turned
toward the lieutenant. “Why worry about that if you never leave here? You must
accept the fact this is your home now.”

“I need to
know.”

Aalik looked
thoughtful, as if we were speaking to someone. “I asked a scientist I know, and
he said it is, indeed, possible. However, he suggests other substances would
work just as well and achieve the same results.”

“What other
substances?” asked Captain Lindsey Hastings. “Neutronium is the densest form of
matter we know of.”

“You have yet
to discover a number of exotic elements,” responded Aalik. “You must realize,
when compared to my people, yours are but children. You will learn much when
you reside among us.”

“Where are the
rest of our crews?” Kurt was deeply concerned for the welfare of his people, as
well as for Lomatz’s and Mara’s. No one had mentioned them.

“Still on
board your ships,” replied Aalik.

“Outside the
Dyson Sphere?” asked Captain Hastings.

“No, they’re
safely inside a spacedock.”

“Can you take
us there?” asked Kurt. He wanted to get to his ship so he could evaluate what
had happened and what needed to be done next.

“Yes, the
council has decided the best place for you is on board your vessels. If you are
interested, later on I would be willing to take you on a tour of the Dyson
Sphere, so you can see more of your new home.”

“I would like
to take the tour,” said Mara. “Would it be possible for me to bring along several
of the scientists in my crew?”

“Yes, bring as
many of your people as you want,” answered Aalik.

-

After
traveling through several more corridors and taking two different transport
shafts, they arrived at what appeared to be a massive airlock. Once again Aalik
waved his hands, and the huge metal door slid open. Beyond the first door were
three more, which slid silently open as well.

“Follow me,”
said Aalik. “Your ships are docked just beyond.”

Passing
through the last of the large metal doors, Kurt stood frozen in shock. They
were inside a vast metal cavern. He couldn’t even see the far side. It must be
many kilometers in length as well as in height.

“How big is
this thing?” gasped Andrew.

“It is but one
of our many spacedocks and a smaller one, being sixty kilometers in length,
twenty in width, and eighteen in height.”

Kurt looked
around, scarcely believing what he saw. There were hundreds of disk-shaped
warships, each much bigger than the Star Cross.

“How many
warships do you possess?” If this was but one of many spacedocks and a smaller
one, the Glaymons had a massive fleet.

“I’m sorry. That
information is restricted. Perhaps once the council has made its final decision,
you can be told.”

“Where are our
ships?” asked Mara, as anxious to get to the Aurelia as Kurt was to
board the Star Cross.

“A shuttle is
coming to take you to them,” answered Aalik. “In another day or two I will
contact you about the tour of your new home.”

Even as Aalik
spoke, a small disk-shaped shuttle suddenly appeared and landed in front of
them. A hatch opened, and a ramp descended to touch the floor.

Aalik
indicated for them to enter, and, after a moment, they did so, leaving Aalik
behind.

-

The shuttle
flew down the center of the spacedock, affording them a view of all the wonders
that filled the massive construct. There were hundreds of the large disk ships
as well as smaller ones. Shuttles could be seen going back and forth from
various ships and airlocks.

“I don’t
understand all the activity,” said Andrew, looking out one of the large
observation windows in the shuttle. “Their fleet seems as if it’s ready to go
into battle at a moment’s notice.”

“Why do they
need all those ships if they don’t venture from the nebula?” asked Mara with a
look of confusion on her face. “A lot of things don’t add up.”

Kurt agreed,
but then he saw the Star Cross and the rest of the fleet in the distance,
docked securely to the walls of the spacedock with large clamps holding them in
place. His ships were going nowhere without the Glaymons’ permission.

-

A little while
later Kurt was once more on board the Star Cross. The crew bombarded
Kurt and the others with questions about where they had been and what they had
seen. Kurt was anxious to get to the Command Center to learn what information
they could about the spacedock they were in. The ship’s sensors should provide
them some valuable data.

“We’ll issue a
statement later explaining everything,” he told the various crewmembers, seeing
the deep concern on their faces.

Reaching the Command Center, Kurt, Andrew, and Lieutenant Mays quickly went to their respective command
stations.

“It’s good to see
you, Admiral,” said Lieutenant Brooks with relief in her voice.

“Report,”
ordered Kurt. He wanted to know what had happened during his absence.

“We’re in a huge
spacedock,” reported Lieutenant Brooks. “It’s sixty kilometers in length,
twenty in width, and eighteen in height. A large number of ships are docked
inside it.”

“How big were
the warships that intercepted us in the nebula?” asked Andrew.

“Two
kilometers in width and two thousand meters thick,” reported Brooks. She called
up some additional information on one of her screens. “They are powered by an
unknown energy source, and we could not identify the weapons the ships are
armed with. Inside this spacedock are 807 of those vessels.”

“I don’t like
this at all,” said Andrew, gazing at one of the viewscreens showing one of the
disk-shaped warships. “If this is one of the smaller spacedocks, they must have
thousands upon thousands of those ships. The Glaymons could stop the Destroyers
of Worlds if they wanted.”

“Aalik said
they have changed over the countless millennia they’ve been in hiding,”
responded Kurt. “They have developed mental powers and who knows what else. Our
goals may now be so different that, in many ways, we may not be able understand
one another.”

“Aalik
indicated they had the technology to build a neutronium marble to use against
the black ships,” said Lieutenant Mays. “How can they refuse to give us the
weapon we need to defend our worlds against the Destroyers of Worlds?”

Kurt let out a
deep breath. “At least they’ve agreed to talk about it. All we can do is wait
and hope for the best.” What was frightening to Kurt was the fact that, if the
Glaymons kept Kurt and his ships here inside the Dyson Sphere, they would never
know what happened to Newton, Earth, much less the galaxy at large or their
friends and families in particular. Back home Keera and Denise would be busy
decorating the new house Kurt had purchased, readying it for his homecoming
from this mission. A mission he might never return from.

-

Prince Brollen
was at the staging area for the Vorn fleets. He had spun a story about how two
Protector World civilizations, had joined together to set a trap for his fleet,
sacrificing hundreds of large cargo vessels, which helped to give credence to
his claims. It was unheard of for a Vorn prince to lie or attempt subterfuge.

These two
food species must be eliminated before others join them, Prince Ortumad
sent from the Intergalactic Transport Vessel which was his permanent
headquarters. Ortumad was responsible for the operations of the staging area
and seeing that Collector Ships were routinely sent to the habitats with their
loads of food pellets.

They grow
stronger every day, replied Prince Brollen. He stood in the Command Center of the Reaper, currently under repair by some of the repair vessels
kept permanently in the system. We must summon a warfleet from the habitats
to destroy the fleets of these two species as well as the powerful orbital
defenses which protect all their worlds.

A warfleet?
replied Ortumad. A warfleet has not been used against a food species since
our arrival in this universe.

We have
never faced such a threat before. We erred grievously in allowing extra time to
pass in this galaxy so the food species would be more plentiful. Several of
them have advanced to the point they have become dangerous.

I have seen
the videos of your battle against these two food species. I believe you are
correct in the danger they represent. I will send word to Queen Alithe at the
Conclave Habitat that a warfleet is needed.

Until then
I would recommend we do no harvesting in the regions of space these two
Protector Worlds are responsible for, Prince Brollen suggested. It will
give them a false sense of security, perhaps believing after what they did to
my fleet that we will not return. When the warfleet arrives, I will show them
the error of their ways. They will become food for the Vorn.

Prince Brollen
was satisfied with what he had accomplished. An actual Vorn warfleet would
shortly arrive. When it did, he would add thousands of Vorn cruisers to it and
then proceed to the regions of space controlled by the two troublesome food
species. He would make an example of their worlds. Normally a planet was only
divested of its major life forms but left alone otherwise so new food species
could someday arise. This time, after the harvesting, he would order the
planets sterilized with nuclear fire. They would become lifeless husks, similar
to the one the Vorn fleet now orbited in this system. Never again would life evolve
on their surfaces.

Prince Brollen
turned toward Military Commander Fraymot. It has been decided. A warfleet will
be summoned.

It will be
an honor to see such a fleet in action, replied Fraymot.

How soon
before repairs on the Reaper are completed? The ship had been
heavily damaged in the battle with the two food species.

Two weeks
and all repairs will be complete.

See to it,
ordered Prince Brollen. When the warfleet arrives, I expect the Reaper
to lead it.

It will be
done, Fraymot responded as he turned to go inspect the progress on the
repairs.

Prince Brollen
went to his quarters and opened up a sealed container, taking out several food
pellets. The first was from a humanoid species harvested several months ago. He
popped the pellet between his mandibles and crunched down on it. Invigorating
strength flowed through his body. Crunching the second pellet, from the avian
food species, he was rewarded with more strength. The taste was exquisite, and
he felt drowsy. Two food pellets were more than he needed. However, he wanted
the rest the overindulgence would give him.

Once renewed,
he would work with Military Commander Fraymot on a battle plan to use against
the two bothersome food species. He was also curious to taste the food pellets made
of those two species. Already he had set aside several containers to be filled
with specially chosen pellets to celebrate his great victory over them.

-

Several days
passed, and Kurt and some others were in a large Glaymon shuttle, flying high
above the Dyson Sphere. From what Aalik had told them, the Dyson Sphere was far
enough from its sun to have the surface area of nearly ten million Earths. It
was mind-boggling, and Kurt could well understand why the Glaymons would never
need more living space.

A patchwork of
colorful squares flew by underneath them into eternity, it seemed. These
squares were slightly smaller than the total land mass of Earth. Some were
covered in deep blue oceans, while others had massive mountain chains covered
in mounds of snow, huge forests with trees larger than redwoods, deserts,
flowing grasslands, and enormous river valleys. Every type of landscape found
on Earth or Newton was repeated here hundreds of thousands of times, plus some environments
which were completely alien.

“So you told
us earlier that 274 different species of intelligent beings currently live on
the Dyson Sphere,” Mara said, accompanied by four of her scientists from the Aurelia.

“By last
count, yes,” answered Aalik. “Most of them have very advanced civilizations.”

“All from spacecraft
crews who tried to explore the nebula?” asked Mals Bren, one of the scientists
with Mara.

“Yes,” replied
Aalik. “There were more, but some have died out, and others didn’t have
sufficient population bases to reestablish their civilizations. In most cases
they lived long and enjoyable lives before passing on.”

“And those
still here don’t want to leave the Dyson Sphere?” asked Andrew in disbelief.

“Why would
they? Everything they need is here, and it’s perfectly safe.”

“Can they
expand to other sections of the sphere, or are they limited to a single world
square?” asked Kurt. He could better understand now why the Glaymons had no
interest in being found, but still, with their unimaginable population numbers,
why not battle the Vorn?

“They are
allowed to expand to a point,” replied Aalik, shifting his gaze to Kurt. “Most
are encouraged to stay within one or two squares. Several of the more advanced races
have been allowed to occupy ten.”

“How advanced
are they?” asked Thule Rasht, one of the specialists with Mara.

“Similar to
some of your Enlightened Worlds,” answered Aalik. “Some have been here for
millions of years.”

“So
Enlightened World civilizations are here?” said Mara, raising her eyebrows.

“No, not as
you know them,” responded Aalik. “We found out many thousands of millennia ago
that the path to Enlightenment was a dead end. It causes races to stagnate and
cease to develop.”

Mara looked
stunned and fell silent.

“What type of
development do you encourage?” asked Kurt. He wasn’t surprised to find out
Enlightenment was a dead end.

“Diversity,”
replied Aalik. “Even among my own people we try to remain as diverse as
possible. We practice and encourage diversity in all its forms.”

“Do all your
people possess the mental abilities you have described?”

“Not all
abilities are shared,” admitted Aalik. “In some of the habitat squares, where
our people reside, we have used genetic manipulation to keep our people similar
to when we first came to this nebula. It gives us a gene pool from a younger
version of our race to keep our people viral and inquisitive. That’s why most
galaxies never develop weapons which can stop the Destroyers of Worlds.”

“Are you
saying other galaxies have stopped the black ships?” asked Andrew, his
attention coming more into focus.

“We believe a
few have,” responded Aalik.

“Who?” Kurt
asked.

Aalik paused,
then responded. “Again the council will decide on what you are to be told.”

Kurt went
silent for a long moment as he thought over what Aalik had just said.

Mara looked at
Aalik with sudden suspicion. “Do all your people support the council’s decision
to avoid participating in the war against the Destroyers of Worlds?”

Aalik looked
surprised at Mara’s question. It was one of the first times Kurt had seen real
emotion on the face of a Glaymon.

“A few wish we
were more involved. Their numbers are quite small, and their voices seldom
heard.”

“How many are
there?” asked Mara. “Do they number in the thousands?”

Aalik
hesitated. “No, they number in the billions. They occupy four habitat squares
with a total population of around eight billion.”

“Eight billion?”
repeated Andrew, his eyes widening. “How many Glaymons are on the Dyson Sphere?

“Twelve
trillion of us are spread out over eight thousand habitat squares.”

Kurt’s breath
caught in his throat. No doubt the Glaymons possessed the manpower, the ships,
and the technology to defeat the Destroyers of Worlds, if they so desired.
Their population was even greater than the most inflated estimate for the Vorn.
“Can you arrange for us to meet with the leaders of those wanting more involvement
against the Destroyers of Worlds?”

Aalik went
silent for a long moment as if communicating with someone. “No, there will be
no communication with those Glaymons. They very seldom travel beyond their
world squares.”

Mara and Kurt
looked knowingly at one another. These particular Glaymons might be willing to
help. The question was, how could Kurt get word to them?

-

Two days later
Kurt was in his quarters on board the Star Cross when Andrew called him
to the Command Center. Kurt found everyone staring at one of the long-range viewscreens.
A disk-shaped vessel measuring about one thousand meters across was approaching
the spacedock where Kurt’s fleet was.

“Who is it?”
Kurt asked as he sat in his command chair.

“Unknown,”
replied Andrew. “They haven’t responded to our hails.”

“Ship has
stopped two kilometers from our position,” Lieutenant Brooks reported as she
checked her sensors. “A Glaymon shuttle has left the vessel and is heading
toward us.”

“I believe
other Glaymon vessels are trying to communicate with it, but it’s refusing to
respond to them as well,” added Lieutenant Pierce. “Several larger Glaymon
ships are moving toward it.”

“Sounds like
the other Glaymons don’t want whoever is on that ship to speak with us,” said
Andrew. “It could be the Glaymons who wish to become more involved in the war,
as Aalik mentioned.”

“Only one way
to find out,” replied Kurt, hoping Andrew was right.

“Should I have
some of our Marines and combat robots report to the shuttle bay?”

Kurt stared at
the rapidly approaching shuttle. “It’s too large to enter the bay. I suspect it
will dock to one of the ports. Lieutenant Mays, gather a couple Marines, and
let’s go see who’s paying us a visit.”

-

A short time
later Kurt, Lieutenant Mays, and two heavily armed Marines stood near a starboard
docking port, where Andrew had determined the Glaymon shuttle would dock. Kurt
waited as the airlock cycled and then opened. Two Glaymons stepped inside. Both
looked far different from the ones Kurt had seen so far. These were shorter,
had a thin layer of hair on their heads, and their eyes were not quite so
round. Their build was a little stockier and their fingers not as slim as the
other Glaymons.

“You are Fleet
Admiral Kurt Vickers?” one of the Glaymons asked.

Kurt was
surprised to note the different inflections in this Glaymon’s voice and how he
was not like the other Glaymons they’d met so far. Kurt could sense emotions
too. “Yes, I am Admiral Vickers.”

“I am Marshton,
and this is Valan. We represent the Glaymons who are opposed to the council’s
continued refusal to fight the Vorn.”

“Aalik
mentioned four population squares with over eight billion Glaymons, similar to
those who built the Dyson Sphere. Is that where you’re from?”

“Yes,” replied
Marshton, his eyes widening. “We did not know you knew of us.”

“It came up on
our tour of the Dyson Sphere.”

Marshton
nodded his understanding. “I fear that many of our people who are quite
advanced in their mental abilities are easy to fool at times. They give out
information too freely.”

“We wish to
speak to you about the Vorn,” Valan said. “It there a place we can speak in
private? Your armed guards are not necessary. I can assure you that we are not
a threat.”

Kurt nodded.
He turned to Lieutenant Mays. “Have Andrew contact Mara, Lomatz, and Captain
Hastings. I want them here for this meeting.”

“Yes,
Admiral,” said Mays, dismissing the two Marines.

Kurt turned to
the two Glaymons. “Follow me to one of our briefing rooms, where we can talk.
My second in command has reported that several of the larger warcraft of your
people are approaching your ship.”

“Don’t worry. They
won’t do anything. I’m sure, by now, their commanders have reported our
approach to your vessel. It will displease the council, and they will file a
complaint against us. Nothing more will come of it.”

-

It didn’t take
long for them to reach the briefing room, and Kurt asked the two Glaymons if
they could wait to begin until the others arrived. He also had Andrew and
Lieutenant Mays attend. When the others finally appeared, Kurt quickly introduced
them to Marshton and Valan.

Taking a deep
breath, Kurt looked across the table at the two Glaymons. “Why have you
requested this meeting? You indicated earlier it involved the Vorn.”

“I am sure you
know, by now, that our people possess the ships and the weapons to fight the
Vorn,” began Valan.

“We suspected
that,” said Kurt. “We just don’t understand why they don’t.”

“I fear the
majority of our race has lost most of their aggressive tendencies over the long
millennia we have been in the Dyson Sphere. For twenty-two million years our
people have hidden here inside the nebula.”

“Are you
saying your people are incapable of fighting?” asked Mara. “It is the same in our
galaxy with the Enlightened Worlds. They too are incapable of fighting.”

“It is not
quite that bad here,” replied Marshton. “Our people are capable of fighting but
only in self-defense. Our warships are primarily controlled by intelligent AIs,
programmed to defend this nebula and the Dyson Sphere from attack. A few
Glaymons are also on board to offer the AIs advice and take command if
necessary. However, the AIs are so advanced that the likelihood of that
occurring is infinitesimal.”

“What about
your own people, the ones in the four habitats?” asked Kurt.

Valan smiled.
“We are different. We still possess most of our aggressive tendencies. Our
people greatly feared we would stagnate, and our culture would no longer be
dynamic and capable of growth once the Dyson Sphere was completed. It was
decided to keep a large group of Glaymons at an earlier stage of our races
development. We possess a number of warships, and, while the AIs are in
command, full crews of Glaymons are on board and fully capable of fighting if
necessary.”

“Will you help
us?” asked Kurt. Perhaps here was the help he had been seeking.

“That’s why
we’re here,” Marshton replied with a slight smile. “With the appearance of your
ships, we now have the necessary intelligence to do something about the Vorn.
The rest of our people, those Glaymons who you have met, are intent on sending
the Vorn back to their home universe. Their planned method would mean minimal
risk to our people. However, there is no guarantee it will work, and we are
still two million years away from making that attempt.”

“Why so long?”
asked Mara. “Why can’t it be done now?

“The science
behind what we wish to do is extremely complicated, but the equipment to send
the Vorn to another universe is ready. What we need next is to locate the
bubble universe they came from.

“Two million
years still seems impossibly long,” commented Andrew. “I would think it could
be done much faster.”

“The biggest problem
is sending them to the right universe,” said Valan. “We don’t want to force
another bubble universe to have to deal with the Vorn and suffer the same fate
as have so many galaxies in our universe. We know the Vorn fled their universe
after near annihilation by a great enemy. We assume that enemy still has the
capability to deal with the Vorn.”

“So why two
million years?” asked Captain Hastings.

“We have
scanned numerous bubble universes, and none match the one we believe the Vorn
escaped from. In order for us to scan other universes, they must be touching
the multiverse membrane which separates various bubble universes. We believe
the Vorn’s universe will be touching ours in two million years.”

“What can you
do to help us?” asked Kurt. Working with these Glaymons was the galaxy’s only
real hope.

“It will be
complicated,” replied Valan. “We have some leverage with the council. I think
it can be arranged for a force of our ships to accompany you to your region of
space. We can also help improve your weapons, like the neutronium marble
Lieutenant Mays wants. However, I think we have a better option than
neutronium.”

“What?” asked
Lieutenant Mays. “I know a neutronium marble can destroy the Vorn ships.”

Marshton
looked at Valan, who nodded.

“What about Zero-Point
Energy?” suggested Marshton. “We can modify your main KEW gun to fire a round
at nearly the speed of light. The round will actually be a container of Zero-Point
Energy. When it hits the Vorn energy screen, it will overwhelm the screen
instantly, annihilating the Vorn ship beneath it.”

“Where would
the energy come from?” asked Mara skeptically. “My people have studied Zero-Point
Energy but have not been able to harness it as a viable power source for our
ships.”

“We can
install zero-point power generators on your ships. They will greatly increase
your hyperspace speed and the force of your weapons. The power generators will
also furnish the Zero-Point Energy charge for your KEW rounds.”

Kurt looked
from one of the Glaymons to the other. “By coming with us, will you be
endangering your people? Will the Vorn come here, as your council fears?”

“There is no
danger to our people,” answered Valan, shaking his head. “Weapons installed on
the outside periphery of the Dyson Sphere are capable of protecting us from the
Vorn. Our people overall do not wish to be involved in galactic affairs so they
have constantly found excuses not to do so. They are secure here in the safety
of the Dyson Sphere.”

“If we agree
to this, what’s our next move?” asked Kurt. “We’re supposed to meet with your
council again in another few days.”

“We will take
care of that,” promised Marshton. “We’ll also move your ships to one of our
spacedocks for updating. You must also not reveal to the council what we spoke
of. While many of my race are telepathic, they cannot read your minds.”

Kurt looked
around at the others uneasily. “How long will it take to update our ships?” He
didn’t want to spend months here. The people on Newton would think the worse if
his fleet didn’t return on time.

Marshton
smiled. “Only a few weeks. Our construction techniques are quite efficient.”

“Of our two
current choices, I like this one the best,” said Lomatz, looking at Kurt. “So we
may see the outside of this nebula again.”

“As much as I
hate to agree with Lomatz, I believe he is correct,” said Mara. “This is our
only chance to go home.”

Kurt looked at
the two Glaymons. “Very well. Make your arrangements.”

Kurt wondered
if he had made the right decision. They had found the Glaymons, but, by
throwing in with Marshton and Valan, would it alienate the rest of them?

It was a risk
he would have to take.

Chapter Fifteen

Fleet
Commodore Dreen was on Lakiam, elated at what had been accomplished. The capture
of the Vorn mothership had divulged a wealth of valuable tactical information.
They now knew that the Destroyers of Worlds called themselves the Vorn, where
the Vorn staging area was for attacking this galaxy, and, even more important,
the spatial coordinates of the Vorn home system.

“The Vorn must
have some method of traveling through intergalactic space which we’re not
familiar with,” said Jalad from the Helm. “At our normal hyperspace cruising
speed, it would take us over six months to reach this region of interstellar
space where their habitats are located.”

Commodore
Dreen nodded in agreement. “Our scientists haven’t gone through all the data on
the computers yet. Some of the files seem to be encrypted. Before we left
Andock Prime, one of our scientists mentioned something about a Zero-Point
Energy drive.”

Jalad’s eyes
widened in surprise. “That might do it. Zero-Point Energy would furnish a
tremendous amount of power. Even more than our antimatter chambers.”

“That will
help us in the future. For now, at least the Parmonts and the Bascoms have
signed the mutual defense treaty,” commented Alborg. “After our victory over
the Vorn in the Andock System, many of the other Protector Worlds are now
considering joining us as well.”

“It could have
easily gone the other way,” Commodore Dreen said with a deep sigh. “If we
hadn’t been in the system, I don’t believe Fleet Leader Moor could have saved
Andock Prime. It would have been the end of our alliance and a horrible
defeat.”

“To address
that issue, we should have, with the mothership, a way to detect the Vorn in
hyperspace,” added Laylem. “We have their equipment, which generates the
masking field to block our scans of their drives’ radiation signatures. It
should be simple to reverse engineer it and build a countermeasure, so we can
detect their warships.”

‘If we could
do that and then place detection buoys throughout our region of space, we could
trace their fleet movements and take the appropriate countermeasures,” said Alborg thoughtfully. “We could ensure we had the weapons and the fleet numbers in place
beforehand to repel them wherever they showed up.”

“We could even
defend the Enlightened World colonies we had to pull back from,” said Keenol
from her communications console.

She was right.
Dreen had felt guilty leaving defenseless so many Enlightened World colonies.

“Have any of
the prisoners talked?” asked Alborg.

Dreen shook
his head. “No. There has been very little cooperation. We do know they have
three main castes and perhaps smaller subcaste units within the castes
themselves. From what our interrogators have learned so far, we captured
several of what they call the Royal Caste and Military Caste. All members of
the Working Caste committed suicide when they were awakened. Most of the time
the Vorn stand there, refusing to even acknowledge our presence.”

“So what do we
do now?” asked Laylem.

“Develop a way
to detect their ships through their masking field,” replied Commodore Dreen.
“Once we can do that, we’ll meet the Vorn with superior numbers and enough dark
matter missiles to stop them.”

“We’re
forgetting one thing,” said Alborg. “We have no idea of their actual fleet strength.”

“No, we
don’t,” admitted Commodore Dreen with a deep frown. “If that information was in
the mothership’s computers, we haven’t found it yet. We’re not even sure if
they have larger warships other than the cruisers that protect their
motherships. What if they possess actual battlecruisers or battleships but
haven’t committed them yet?”

Alborg went silent for a long moment and then spoke. “If I were the Vorn after the defeat
we handed them, I would launch an immediate retaliatory strike. What we did gives
hope to other Protector Worlds, something the Vorn don’t want.”

Fleet
Commodore Dreen nodded in agreement. “I’ve been thinking much the same. The
Vorn don’t want to see our resistance to them increase across the galaxy. If
they can come back and smack us down and harvest our worlds, our prior victories
will be meaningless.”

“Where will
they strike?” asked Sheera Keenol. “What planet will they choose as their
target? Will it be Andock Prime again?”

“No,” said Alborg, shaking his head. “Only one target makes sense. They will eliminate the threat
posed by our dark matter missiles. They will come here and attack Lakiam.”

Sheera’s eyes
grew wide. “They will attack Lakiam?”

“It makes the
most strategic sense,” answered Alborg. “The Vorn are not fools and have been
at this for millions of years. We have demonstrated we’re a threat, one that
needs to be eliminated.”

Laylem turned
toward the commodore. “You knew this?”

Commodore
Dreen nodded. “I suspected it. Alborg has only confirmed it. I’ll meet with the
Lakiam Council to discuss plans for our defense.” Dreen looked at the
viewscreen which showed Lakiam. The blue-white world was home to the Lakiam
race. Over sixteen billion Lakiams were scattered across the system on fourteen
worlds and numerous moons. There were also 215 massive orbital habitats.

Jalad seemed
to follow Dreen’s gaze, stating, “The Destroyers of Worlds are coming to destroy
our civilization. They failed at Andock Prime with over three thousand ships. How
many ships will they bring here?”

Fleet
Commodore Dreen didn’t answer. He greatly feared the Vorn were gathering the
most powerful fleet they could to harvest the Lakiam worlds. By saving Andock
Prime, he might have doomed his own race.

-

Aalik was with
Kurt and Mara as they stood in front of the Glaymon Council once more. They had
listened as the lead councilman spoke to them, once more asking Kurt to explain
why he and the others had come to the Dyson Sphere. Aalik informed them that
normally this would be done using telepathy, but they had chosen to speak aloud
for their guests’ benefit.

“It is decided
then,” the lead councilman said as he turned toward Kurt and Mara. “We will not
support your war against the Vorn. However, the council has been petitioned by
a more aggressive segment of our race. It is unfortunate that Glaymons Marshton
and Valan learned of your presence and boarded your vessel. Everything would
have been so much simpler if they had not. In accordance with our laws, your
crews and vessels will be turned over to them. If they decide you may leave
this Dyson Sphere, be aware that you can never return. If you ever try to enter
the nebula again, our vessels will destroy your ships. This meeting of the
council is adjourned.”

Kurt turned
toward Aalik, who had remained silent the entire time. “Now what? I thought
there would be more argument over us going to the other Glaymons.”

“You will be
returned to your ships. In a few hours vessels controlled by the Aggressives,
as we call them, will arrive and tow your ships to one of their spacedocks.
What happens after that is between you and them. As for arguing, a segment of
our society has stepped in on your behalf. It was easier for the council to
turn you over to them than to have to deal with the ethical problem you
represent.”

Mara stood,
studying Aalik and then spoke. “You’re the one who told the Aggressives about
us.”

Aalik took a
deep breath, the hint of a hidden emotion briefly crossing his face. “Yes,
while the majority of our people agree with the council’s doctrine of
noninterference in the galaxy, not all of us do. It is difficult for some of us
to stand idly by while billions and eventually trillions of lives are taken by
the Vorn as food. We find it disgusting, particularly when we have the power to
stop it.”

Kurt nodded
his understanding. “Then you do have the ships to stop the Vorn?”

Aalik nodded.
“Yes, more than enough, but we no longer have the will. A much easier and safer
path is to wait two million more years and send them to their own universe.”

It was a
calculated risk going to the other Glaymons, but Kurt didn’t like the other
option. To remain here with the Glaymons they were familiar with would doom
Kurt and all the others to spending the rest of their lives in one of the
habitat squares of the Dyson Sphere, leaving their families and Newton and
Earth behind. “What would the Aggressives be willing to do?” asked Kurt.

“I don’t know,”
Aalik said, “and I prefer not to. The Aggressives are restricted by our laws as
to the assistance they can render, so I’m not certain how much help they will
be. However, if anyone can help, it will be them.”

“Thank you,”
said Mara, bowing slightly. “Will we see you again?”

“No,” replied
Aalik. “My involvement in this is over. Now let’s get you to your ships.”

-

A few hours
later Kurt was on the Star Cross, waiting tensely as eight one-thousand-meter-long
disk ships approached his fleet.

“The magnetic
clamps holding us in place have been released,” reported Andrew, as the ship
vibrated slightly.

On one of the
main viewscreens, a disk-shaped ship halted in front of the Star Cross
at a distance of two thousand meters. A blue beam of light reached out and
touched the ship.

“It’s a
tractor beam,” reported Lieutenant Brooks, her eyes widening. “We’re moving.”

Looking at
another viewscreen, Kurt could see the Aurelia also moving as a tractor
beam latched onto the Lakiam battlecruiser.

“I guess we’re
on our way,” said Andrew, folding his arms over his chest as he watched one of
the disk ships on a viewscreen.

“Do you think
they’ll let us go home?” asked Lieutenant Pierce, her focus on Kurt.

“Not until I
get my neutronium marble or something better,” said Lieutenant Mays
determinedly. “They promised to install a Zero-Point Energy device on the ship
as well as other upgrades. If we fight the Destroyers of Worlds, I want those
augmentations to the Star Cross’s weapons.”

“Let’s not
jump to any conclusions,” Kurt said to his command crew. All of them were undoubtedly
concerned about what would happen to them. “We’re being taken to another
spacedock. Once we’re there, I’ll find out more about the future for us and our
ships. I’m hoping we’ve found some powerful allies to help us against the Destroyers
of Worlds.” These Glaymon Aggressives were Kurt’s last hope to keep Earth and Newton and their alliance worlds safe from the Vorn.

-

The eight
Glaymon disk ships towed the Star Cross and her fleet effortlessly to a
set of massive space doors, which slid open as they approached. In moments the
sixteen ships passed through and into space. Once safely away from the outer
surface of the Dyson Sphere, the ships rapidly accelerated away from the spacedock.

-

Kurt was
surprised to see so little on the viewscreens. The surface of the Dyson Sphere
seemed to be smooth except for some occasional small domes. Very little
starlight was reflected due to the dust and gas in the nebula.

“I can’t
imagine what went into building something like that,” Andrew said as he gazed
in awe at the massive megastructure.

“I’ve read
about it,” commented Lieutenant Mays, pointing at one of the viewscreens. “The
time and engineering methods required is beyond imagining.”

“We’re nearing
half the speed of light,” reported Lieutenant Styles.

“That was
quick,” said Andrew, turning toward Kurt. “Much faster than what our own
subspace drives can do.”

“Neutronium
marble, here we come,” said Lieutenant Mays with a pleased smile.

-

Over an hour
later the fleet slowed and then headed toward the surface of the Dyson Sphere.
Once again, two massive space doors slid open, and the sixteen ships entered
and continued down the center pathway.

“Where are
they taking us?” asked Andrew.

“Another
spacedock,” Lieutenant Brooks answered as she checked her sensors.

“How big is
this spacedock?” Kurt asked.

“Not quite as
large as the last one. From my scans, it’s thirty kilometers in length, ten in
width, and eight in height. “Also a lot of those one-thousand-meter-long disk
ships are docked at various ports.”

Kurt looked at
the viewscreens, confirming several disk ships as well as some huge openings,
indicating possible ship construction bays.

“We’re
slowing,” reported Lieutenant Styles.

Ahead Kurt
could see what appeared to be the entrances to a series of ship bays. A few
moments later the Glaymon vessel used its tractor beam to place the Star
Cross securely in one of the bays on a large indented berth. The ship
settled down without even a jar.

“We’re at
rest,” confirmed Lieutenant Brooks. “If this is a repair or construction bay,
it’s a large one. The sensors indicate it’s three kilometers long, one
kilometer high, and two wide. All our ships are being placed inside.”

“Admiral, I’ve
got an incoming communication from these Glaymons,” reported Lieutenant Pierce.
“They request a meeting with all our commanding officers. They will send a
shuttle to pick up everyone.”

“Acknowledge
the message,” ordered Kurt. “Inform all ship commanders we will be attending a
meeting with these Glaymons.” Kurt took a deep breath. Maybe now he would find
out what the Aggressives were willing to do to help fight the Destroyers of
Worlds. Just maybe he would also learn if they’d be allowed to go home. He
hoped they hadn’t stepped from the frying pan into the fire.

-

Kurt, Mara,
Lomatz, Captain Lindsey Hasting, Captain William Heidle, Captain Julian Hermes,
and Captain Jill Artemis all sat at a large conference table. The Glaymons—Marshton,
Valan, and four others—were seated across from them.

“Welcome,”
greeted Marshton with a broad smile. “I am glad you accepted our invitation to
come to us. We have much to talk about.”

Kurt studied
the Glaymons. Four were obviously men, and two were women. He did notice the
Glaymon women here looked more feminine than the ones where they had been held
earlier. “You know we came here seeking a weapon to help defend us against the
Destroyers of Worlds.”

“Yes,” said
Valan with a slight nod. “We brought along several of our weapons specialists,
who wish to speak to you about your neutronium marble idea and offer some other
possibilities. We also need to bring you up to date as to what is happening in
the regions of the galaxy you come from.”

One of the
female Glaymons stood up. “I’m Gaylith. Shortly after your arrival, we placed
some long-range communication devices outside the nebula. The Glaymons you have
been with do not know we did this as it’s against the laws they have imposed
and they would strongly disapprove. These devices allow us to monitor
communications throughout most of the known galaxy.” Gaylith shifted her gaze
to Mara. “You should know that the Vorn attacked the Protector World of Andock
Prime with a massive fleet consisting of twelve motherships and over three
thousand cruisers.”

“Oh, no!”
cried out Mara, obviously imagining the worst. “If they’ve destroyed Andock
Prime, then Fleet Commodore Dreen’s hope for an alliance against the Vorn has
failed.”

“They did not
destroy Andock Prime,” responded Gaylith.

“They won?”
asked Mara, her eyes revealing her disbelief.

“Your Fleet Commodore
Dreen was there with a fleet of Lakiam battlecruisers,” Gaylith continued. “In
the ensuing battle, six Vorn motherships were destroyed, and one was captured.
They also annihilated a large number of the Vorn cruisers, forcing the Vorn to
retreat. This was an astonishing feat. We once took a damaged Vorn cruiser but
never a mothership.”

“Due to the
capture of the Vorn mothership,” Valan said with an intent look on his face, “we
are willing to risk helping you. We believe your people have already accessed
the ship’s computers and have discovered a treasure trove of valuable data
about the Vorn. However, we also believe we can access some data which you cannot.”

“How did they
win this battle?” Mara asked.

“The Andocks
used an unexpected tactic against the Vorn. They rammed hundreds of Vorn
cruisers with loaded freighters, cargo ships, and ore carriers. The Vorn were
not expecting such an attack. Your Fleet Commodore Dreen also assaulted the
rear of the Vorn fleet formation at the same time, using his dark matter
missiles. The Vorn were forced to withdraw or risk the total annihilation of
their fleet.”

Kurt was
astonished by what he heard. “So it is possible to defeat the Destroyers of
Worlds in combat.” This made the second time that a fleet under the command of
Fleet Commodore Dreen had done such. Kurt wanted to meet this Lakiam fleet
commodore.

“To the best
of our knowledge this is the first time in any of the Vorn incursions that they
have been defeated so decisively. It has also created a dangerous situation for
the Lakiams and the Andocks.”

“How so?”
asked Mara, her eyes narrowing sharply.

“The Vorn
cannot allow word of such a victory to spread across the galaxy without
retaliation,” explained Marshton. “It would only stiffen resistance against the
Destroyers of Worlds. In our opinion they will gather a massive fleet and
return to either Andock Prime or Lakiam in order to set an example for the rest
of the galaxy. They will leave nothing living behind.”

Mara’s face
turned pale. “We must warn them!”

“You shall,”
one of the other Glaymons said. “I’m Tasid, a weapons specialist. If you allow
us, we will rebuild your ships and equip them with more modern weapons. We can
provide you with an energy shield that is nearly impervious to Vorn weapons.”

“What about
the neutronium marble that my tactical officer wants?” asked Kurt.

“What do you
know about Zero-Point Energy?” asked another of the Glaymons.

“My people
have researched it,” said Mara, sitting up taller in her seat. “So far we have
not found a way to make it into a viable power source. The best we have are the
antimatter chambers on our ships.”

“We have found
a way to harness it as a power source,” explained Tasid. “What we propose is
charging a power cell with Zero-Point Energy. This power cell will be encased
in a special alloy we have developed. We can then use this as a round for your KEW cannons on your vessels. With some slight modifications, we can improve your KEW cannons until the Zero-Point Energy round is launched at nearly the speed of light. We
estimate that a Vorn mothership struck by this round would be destroyed
instantly.”

“What additional
modifications do you want to make to our ships?” asked Captain Hastings.

Marshton took
a deep breath and looked at Kurt. “We will totally disassemble your ships and
put them together with all our improvements. We will upgrade your repair robots
and combat robots. In addition we will install an AI on your vessels that could
take them into combat if you wish. It will also be capable of directing any
repairs that need to be done to your ships.”

Kurt could
scarcely believe what he had just heard. “How long would all this take?” With
the pending attack on Andock Prime or Lakiam, they needed to return as soon as
possible.

Valan grinned.
“We can do it all in two weeks. Plus, once we install your new hyperdrives
powered by Zero-Point Energy, you can be in your home regions of space in just
a few days.”

Kurt sucked in
a deep breath. All this sounded too fantastic. “What’s in this for you?”

Another
Glaymon stood. “I am Waelt, what you would call a captain of one of our disk
warships. When you return to warn the Andocks and Lakiams, some of our warships
have requested permission to go with you.”

“How many?”
asked Kurt, his eyes widening at the thought of having Glaymon warships with
his fleet. This was certainly far more than he had hoped for.

“Nearly five
hundred, maybe more,” answered Captain Waelt. “We have waited a long time to
fight the Vorn—or the Destroyers of Worlds as you call them. This may be our
only opportunity to do so.”

Kurt found
himself speechless. In coming here to find the Glaymons, he had hoped to return
with a weapon that could combat the black ships. Never had he expected to
return at the head of a Glaymon warfleet.

“There is one
catch,” Valan said in a much grimmer voice. “Once our fleet leaves, it can
never return. The other Glaymons will not allow it. What we are proposing
violates some of our most important rules. Those of us who remain behind may
even be punished.”

“What will
they do?” asked Mara.

“I suspect
they will want to reduce our numbers substantially,” replied Valan. “For many
millennia they have wanted to put us into just one habitation square. Two
billion Aggressives are sufficient to maintain the vitality of the Glaymon
race.”

“I’m sorry,”
said Kurt, realizing the massive sacrifice the Aggressives were willing to
make. “We should never have gotten you involved in this.”

“It was
necessary,” answered Marshton. “For far too long we have neglected our duty to
deal with the Vorn. That has now come to an end.”

Lomatz had
remained silent through the meeting, but now he spoke. “Why not move some of
your people out into the galaxy? Surely you have the means to do so.”

Marshton
looked thoughtful and then slowly shook his head. “Our technology is too
advanced. It would throw the economy of the entire galaxy into chaos.”

“What will
happen to the crews of your warships?” asked Captain Hastings.

“We are still
discussing that,” answered Valan, glancing at Marshton. “There are several
options.”

Tasid reached
forward and tapped the top of the conference table in front of him. Instantly a
hologram appeared, detailing the interior of the Star Cross. “Let’s
discuss the proposed modifications to your warships.”

Kurt looked at
the hologram in surprise. It was a very detailed and exacting depiction of his
vessel. He had no idea how the Glaymons had gotten such intricate information,
and he wasn’t going to ask.

-

Several days
passed, and Kurt stood in the massive construction bay, gazing at the work
being done by the Glaymons. All eight ships of his fleet had been torn down to
their metal frameworks, and construction robots swarmed over them. Some of the
robots were huge, capable of lifting massive beams and even complete sections
of ship armor.

Marshton stood
close to Kurt, watching the work with a critical eye. “Everything’s automated.
Once we have a final design, we download it into the main construction
computer, controlled by an AI. The AI then supervises the entire operation to
maintain the maximum possible efficiency.”

“Will I even
recognize my ship when it’s done?” Kurt nervously studied his entire fleet, reduced
to pieces on the construction bay floor.

“For the most
part, you will notice few differences. We had the ship disassembled, as it is
simpler to run the new power conduits and to install better armor throughout
the vessel. We’re leaving both antimatter chambers, though they will be
drastically reduced in size. Our method of producing power from antimatter is
more efficient than the Lakiams.

“A Zero-Point
Energy module will be the ship’s primary power source, with the antimatter
chambers as a backup. Your weapons had to be redesigned and augmented to handle
the extra power from the module. We will also add some replicator technology.
Food and water can be replicated from the energy produced by the module or the
antimatter chambers. You’ll only need emergency supplies of those items.”

Kurt watched a
large construction robot rise into the air, carrying a large metal beam by use
of tractor beams. Turning toward Marshton, Kurt asked another question. “Will
my crew and I understand how the technology works on our ships?”

“The AI and
the repair robots will. It’s the same on our own vessels. While we do have
scientists and engineers who are familiar with the mechanics of everything,
they don’t normally travel on the ships. We will make sure your people
understand how to do basic repairs, but the more complicated work will be done
by the AI or the repair robots. In time, if you want to assign some of your own
engineers to follow the robots, they can be programmed to guide your people
through the steps.”

Kurt turned to
the Star Cross. Several robots were placing a piece of hull armor on the
ship’s stern. “What changes did you make in the hull armor? It seems much
thicker than what I remember.”

“It is,”
replied Marshton, nodding. “It is also ten times more resistant to damage. If
our calculations are correct, the new hull armor could resist a Vorn black
antimatter beam for a few seconds. Long enough to get the energy shield back
up.”

“Is there any
sign of the expected Vorn fleet in our galaxy?” Kurt was worried the Vorn might
attack Lakiam before they were ready to return.

“No,” replied
Marshton. “We believe we still have another week or two.”

Kurt nodded.
‘I hope so. We have to get to Andock Prime and Lakiam before the Vorn do.”

Kurt hoped to
turn over some of the new weapons technology to the Lakiams. Mara had assured
Kurt, if he did, Fleet Commodore Dreen would use it to drive the Destroyers of
Worlds from the galaxy. It would keep Earth and Newton out of the war and
secure in their remote section of the galaxy. Kurt wasn’t ready for either to
become a major player in galactic politics, must less a galactic war. It would
be decades yet before that was even a possibility.

-

Andrew was in what
the Glaymons considered a cafeteria. He walked up to a replicator device set in
the wall. “Ribeye steak cooked medium with a fully loaded baked potato and a
large dinner roll.”

“What would
you like to drink?” the replicator asked in a soft female voice.

Andrew still
wasn’t used to computers speaking to him, particularly asking questions. “Iced
tea, unsweetened.”

A slight
humming noise came, and then his food magically appeared in the aperture.
Supposedly this replicator and a few others had been modified to produce food
that the visiting crews would be familiar with.

Still
suspicious of the technology, Andrew took his tray and walked to a table where
Lieutenant Mays, Mara, and Lomatz sat. Lieutenant Mays was eating a club
sandwich, and Andrew had no idea what Mara and Lomatz were eating. What was on
their plates wasn’t familiar to him.

“I checked on
the Golan Four this morning,” said Lomatz as he took a bite of the
Merton steak on his plate. “It’s unrecognizable. I hope they can put it
together again. I spent a lot of money building it.”

“The Aurelia
is much the same, though I have a few scientists and technicians watching the
rebuilding,” added Mara. “Even they have told me that much of the Glaymons’ science
is far beyond anything they can understand. This replicator technology is even being
used in the construction. Entire sections of the ship appear from thin air.
Then the construction robots swarm over it, installing instruments,
connections, and various power leads.”

“I spoke to
Tasid earlier about our new KEW rounds,” said Lieutenant Mays, eating chicken
salad. “He said they did have the technology to mine a neutron star. However,
the mass of the rounds alone would be extremely dangerous. If only one of our ship’s
containment fields were to collapse or weaken, the entire ship would be crushed
and end up smaller than a tennis ball.”

The
description of the Star Cross and its crew being crushed was a chilling
thought. “How easily will these Zero-Point Energy rounds be to produce?” asked
Andrew.

“The KEW round
will have a containment field that holds the Zero-Point Energy charge until it
strikes a solid surface or energy screen. Either will cause the energy to be
instantly released. A replicator on board the ship can produce the casings for
the round as well as the parts for the containment field.”

“What if a
containment field fails on the ship?” asked Andrew, still visualizing the Star
Cross imploding.

“That’s the
interesting part,” said Lieutenant Mays. “The new KEW cannon is designed so, if
a round fails, the energy will be directed through the barrel and out the ship,
causing no damage. The rounds also won’t be charged until they’re inside the
cannon.”

“What about
other rounds? Is there anything else they can build for us?”

“Yes,” said
Lieutenant Mays, her eyes lighting up. “We can use several exotic substances that
will be harmless on board the ship. Several have increased mass, but nothing we
can’t handle. Unfortunately we don’t have the technology to build the rounds
and will have to carry a supply with us, knowing they can’t be replaced.”

Mara looked
across the table at Andrew. “If we are successful in taking these weapons to
Fleet Commodore Dreen, we can defeat the Destroyers of Worlds.”

Andrew nodded.
Looking around he saw a number of Glaymons sitting at other tables, eating and
talking in their soft voices. In the last few days he had gone on a tour of
their habitats. Their cities were awe-inspiring. Tall towers reaching above the
clouds. The shapes and colors of their structures were almost whimsical. The
taller buildings were connected by slim ribbonlike bridges with no guardrails.
He had watched Glaymons walking across them with no signs of fear. He had
visited several museums exhibiting their history, even describing the
construction of the Dyson Sphere. It made Andrew wonder what this galaxy would
have gone on to create had the Destroyers of Worlds never come.

With a deep
sigh, Andrew took a bite of his steak. It was cooked perfectly and tasted like
the real thing. It was a shame he couldn’t take a replicator to Emily. Regardless
he was anxious to get home. This trip would be the longest time he had been
separated from his family since Emily and Alexis had been kidnapped by the
Profiteers. Thinking about the Profiteers brought a smile to his lips. With the
Glaymons’ upgrades to the Star Cross and the other ships, no world in
the Gothan Empire could ever again endanger Newton. Perhaps, sometime in the
near future, they would have to visit Kubitz and Marsten and have them pay for
what they did to Earth. It was an interesting thought, and one he would have to
discuss with Kurt. It suddenly occurred to Andrew that they would have the
power to exert their will over the Gothan Empire. After what they had put his
wife and daughter through, Andrew was determined to someday end the pirating
ways of the Profiteers.

Chapter Sixteen

Prince Brollen
watched with deep satisfaction as numerous Intergalactic Transport Vessels exited
hyperspace into the staging system. Each was covered with twenty of the
powerful 1,200-meter-long battleships of the Vorn. When the last one exited
hyperspace, fifty of them were in the system.

One
thousand battleships sent by the Queens, sent Military Commander Fraymot,
his admiration evident. With these we will crush the pitiful vessels of the
two food species that defeated our fleet.

Prince Brollen
watched the multiple viewscreens in the recently repaired Command Center as the battleships disconnected from the transport ships. We have two thousand
cruisers in the system with more waiting in Galaxy X241. We will annihilate the
food species that possesses the dark matter weapons and harvest each of their
worlds. We will sweep their systems clean of life, leaving radioactive cinders
where their worlds once were. We will do the same to the food species in the
system where we were defeated. They will suffer the same fate as the other.
Once we have harvested all their worlds, resistance to us in this galaxy will
collapse.

How soon do
we depart? asked Fraymot. All our ships have been repaired, and we can
leave as soon as you command it.

Tomorrow,
answered Prince Brollen, his triangular-shaped head moving until he faced the
military commander. I must meet with the commander of the warfleet and
secure my authority. In this coming battle, there can be no doubt that I am the
one leading our fleet to victory over the two food species. When we return to
the Conclave Habitat, the food pellets from the two species will be used for a
feast for all the Queens and the Royal Court.

As you
command, replied Military Commander Fraymot, bowing slightly. The fleet
will be ready.

Prince Brollen
returned his attention to the viewscreens, gazing at one of the battleships—a
bulkier spindle shape with numerous weapons turrets. Far more than what the
cruisers were equipped with. In addition, the weapons on the battleships were
more powerful.

The fight
against the two food species wouldn’t be a battle; it would be a slaughter.

-

Fleet
Commodore Dreen was on Lakiam, meeting with the council. A number of the
councilors had great concerns as Lakiam now appeared to be a prime target for
the Vorn.

“I knew, if we
got involved with the Andocks, this would happen,” complained council member
Brewl Darmas. “You have drawn the attention of the Destroyers of Worlds to us.
I demand that you immediately resign and someone more qualified be put in
charge of our fleet. Your wild ways will lead us away from Enlightenment. We
must stay true to our values and our steady advancement toward that goal.”

Fleet
Commodore Dreen gazed disdainfully at council member Darmas. The man was a fool
and would lead Lakiam to ruin if he had his way. “You seem to forget that the
Destroyers of Worlds have come before. They will leave no world untouched. No
matter what, at some point in time, they will come to Lakiam. At least now, we
won’t stand alone.”

“But
Enlightenment,” cried out Darmas, looking woefully at the other councilors.
“You are destroying our path.” He looked at Fleet Commodore Dreen, daring him
to reply.

“What matters
the path if we’re all dead,” replied Dreen, staring at the councilor. “We take
the path of survival, and, if that turns us away from Enlightenment, then let
it be so.”

“Blasphemy!”
cried out Darmas, pointing a shaking finger at Fleet Commodore Dreen. “This
council will remove you from command. You are not fit to lead our fleets!”

“On the
contrary,” said Lead Councilor Harlus Atratis. “Fleet Commodore Dreen is the
perfect person to lead our fleets. The path to Enlightenment will not save us.
I am afraid the fleet commodore is right when he says, in order to survive, we
may have to stray from the path.”

“But we have
worked so hard toward Enlightenment,” said Darmas in a more subdued voice, his
eyes wide and pleading. “How can we give all that up?”

“It’s called
survival,” answered Fleet Commodore Dreen. “We do what we must. Perhaps
Enlightenment is still in our future, but the Destroyers of Worlds must be
dealt with first, and, in order to do that, we must stray from the path.”

“You have the
full support of the council,” said Lead Councilor Atratis, shifting his gaze to
the fleet commodore. “What do you need, and what can we do to help?”

“We have
discovered the masking secret to the Vorn ships in hyperspace,” replied Dreen.
“Already we are deploying special detection buoys throughout our space and
Andock space. The Bascoms and Parmonts will soon be doing the same. When the
Vorn come, we will know. It will prevent them from taking us by surprise.”

“Will the
Andocks actually come to our aid?” asked council member Darmas in a
disbelieving voice. “The Andocks have never been a trustworthy race.”

“Yes, as soon
as the black ships are detected, and we have determined Lakiam is their target,
Fleet Leader Moor will depart with a force of two thousand warships. The
Bascoms and the Parmonts will do the same. In total our allies will send four
thousand warships to our aid.”

This silenced council
member Darmas as he looked at the conference table in defeat. He mumbled
something indiscernible and then became quiet.

“We’ve also
stockpiled a considerable supply of dark matter missiles since all construction
facilities are now operating around the clock. Our orbital defensive platforms
above all three of our primary planets in the system will be supplied with a
sufficient number for the expected battle. Even the orbital habitats that
circle our three primary worlds will be armed.”

“What about
our own ships? How many will there be?” asked council member Shriel Marl. “Should we recall all our vessels to ensure Lakiam remains unharmed?”

“We will have
over three thousand warships in the system with another two thousand close by,”
answered Fleet Commodore Dreen. “I’m hesitant to pull our ships from our other
systems or the core systems of the Enlightened Worlds we are protecting. We
have already pulled back from too many Enlightened colonies. The Vorn will not
take us by surprise. If they come to this system, as I expect, we will destroy
them!”

Lead Councilor
Atratis stared for a long moment at Fleet Commodore Dreen. “I sincerely hope
so,” he finally said. “Just remember, these are the Destroyers of Worlds. We
must take nothing for granted. Lakiam must not become another victim.”

“We won’t, and
Lakiam will be safe,” promised Commodore Dreen. “Now I must return to the fleet
to make preparations, before the Vorn arrive.”

-

Several hours
later Fleet Commodore Dreen was on board his flagship, the Basera, in
one of the ship’s smaller debriefing rooms, with Alborg and Captain Callast. In
the center, a huge holographic depiction of the galaxy within one thousand
light-years of Lakiam was displayed. Large swaths of it were covered with small
blinking yellow icons. Even as he watched, more yellow icons flashed, indicating
the hyperspace detection buoys emplaced by both Lakiam and Andock vessels. More
buoys were being mass-produced by the thousands and being positioned by special
fleet cargo ships of both races.

“Two more days
and all the buoys will be in position,” reported Alborg, standing next to
Commodore Dreen. “It’s going much quicker than I expected.”

“It helps when
we have two Protector Worlds working closely together.”

“The cargo
vessels will be ready in six more days,” added Captain Callast of the
battlecruiser Destonn. Commodore Dreen had asked Callast, a strategic
genius, to come to the Basera for a strategy session.

“How many will
we have?”

“Fourteen
hundred,” replied Callast. “We took many of them from the breaker yards. We
repaired their hyperdrives and sublight drives, and have loaded them with
water. They will be computer-controlled with no living crewmember.”

“How close can
we jump them to the Vorn fleet?”

“Two hundred
kilometers,” replied Callast. “Any closer and the mass of the Vorn ships will
disrupt the cargo ships’ drive systems. They’re not warships.”

Commodore
Dreen nodded. They had raided the breaker yards in every Lakiam system for old
and outdated cargo ships about to be broken apart and sold as junk.

Captain
Callast walked around the holographic image, studying it. “So far no Vorn ships
are in Lakiam or Andock space.”

“The Vorn may
be lulling us into believing that, after their last defeat, they have gone on
to easier harvesting grounds,” suggested Alborg.

Callast paused
as he shifted his attention to Alborg. “I believe you’re right. They can’t know
that we now have the means to track their hyperdrives.”

“Their sublight
drives as well,” added Commodore Dreen. “We will have better tracking data in
the next battle.”

Callast
stepped up to the hologram and made an adjustment, showing only the fourteen
planets of the Lakiam System. “The Vorn may try to sneak some of their ships
into our system before the main attack.”

“The same as
they did when they attacked the Bascoms’ home worlds of Debent and Glasht,”
replied Fleet Commodore Dreen. “We know how that turned out.”

“It won’t work
this time because we can detect them,” said Callast. “We can use that to our
advantage.”

“Continue,”
said Dreen.

“Most likely
the Destroyers of Worlds will bring their main fleet into the outer system to
draw our attention,” Callast said, still studying the hologram. “When we
respond to their initial appearance, the ships they think we can’t detect will
move in and strike us at our most vulnerable moment. Probably as soon as we
engage the Vorn main fleet.”

“As I would
do,” said Alborg. “How can we disrupt it?”

Fleet
Commodore Dreen gazed thoughtfully at the tactical hologram. “Most likely the
Vorn will send in one or two smaller fleets. We could use the cargo ships
against them. The cargo ships would stand a better chance of success against
smaller numbers of the black ships.” Dreen was concerned that, if they used the
cargo ships against the Vorn main fleet, the cargo ships would be destroyed
before they could inflict any damage.

“We would have
even a better chance of success if we could drop them from hyperspace behind
the Vorn fleet or fleets,” Callast pointed out. “By the time they can turn to
bring to bear their beam weapons and black spheres, the cargo ships will
already be ramming.”

Commodore
Dreen nodded his approval. “Captain Callast, put a plan together, assuming that
one or two smaller Vorn fleets sneak into the system. We’ll plan on using the
cargo ships and part of our fleet to annihilate them.”

“Yes, sir,”
replied Callast. “I’ll work on it as soon as I return to my ship.”

-

For the next
several hours they continued to discuss strategy. Other ship captains were
summoned to offer their opinions. When they finally finished, they agreed to
meet every day to refine their defensive strategy for the Lakiam home system.
When the Destroyers of Worlds came, the Lakiams would be ready.

-

Prince Brollen
gazed at the helpless planet his fleet rapidly approached. He had decided to
harvest a number of worlds on the way to their primary target. It would give
the massive fleet time to practice battle maneuvers, as well as for Military
Commander Fraymot to become used to handling so many warships. Military
Commander Vasterus, in command of the battleships, had agreed to allow Fraymot to
command the fleet since he had experience in battle.

No defense
grid protects the planet, reported Military Commander Fraymot. A small
fleet moves away from the planet toward us. The ships are only lightly armed
and most likely some type of automated drone.

Prince Brollen
studied the tactical display showing seventeen red threat icons nearing his
fleet. Destroy them, and let’s begin the harvest. He had twenty
motherships with his fleet, and the harvesting of this planet could be done
very quickly.

-

In space, the
seventeen small warships closed rapidly with the advancing Vorn armada. The
ships were automated patrol ships which the planet used to keep the Profiteers
at bay. They possessed six energy projectors and two force beams but only four
missile tubes. The vessels were incapable of hyperspace travel, being built
solely for system defense.

From the Vorn
fleet, black antimatter beams flicked out, annihilating all seventeen vessels
in seconds. Where the vessels had been moments before, only small clouds of
debris remained. Without pausing, the Vorn fleet continued on their course and
soon arrived at the planet. The fleet quickly encircled the planet as the
motherships settled into a lower orbit to begin the harvest.

Frantic pleas came
from the planet for the Vorn to spare them. All were ignored. A few cargo ships
and passenger ships rose from the surface, seeking to escape. Vorn black
antimatter beams ripped them apart, raining their shattered wrecks upon the
planet.

From each
mothership black beams swept down to move across the planet in a methodical
pattern, ensuring no part of the planet was spared. In less than twenty minutes
the three hundred million inhabitants were converted into food pellets for the
Vorn.

The harvest
is complete, reported Military Commander Fraymot.

Bombard the
planet with nuclear missiles, ordered Prince Brollen.

From hundreds
of Vorn cruisers, small nuclear-tipped missiles fell toward the planet. As the
missiles struck, mushroom-shaped clouds rose above the surface, throwing
debris, ash, and pollutants high into the air. Every visage of the Enlightened
World civilization that once existed on the planet was erased in a matter of
minutes.

Radioactive
levels have reached the point where life cannot exist, reported Military
Commander Fraymot.

On the main
viewscreens, the planet’s atmosphere darkened, and soon the rays of the sun
would be blocked. The planet would undergo a long nuclear winter, and, even
when the dust and ash cleared, the surface would be too radioactive for life to
exist.

Take us to
our next target, ordered Prince Brollen, more than satisfied with what they
had done. He intended to hit at least three more targets and then proceed to
the homeworld where the food species resided that possessed the dark matter
missiles. That planet too would become a nuclear wasteland.

-

Fleet
Commodore Dreen read the reports coming in from several Enlightened World
civilizations. The Vorn were on the move—only, this time, they were nuking
planets into oblivion.

“They are
coming here,” said Captain Callast as they studied a hologram of the galaxy,
showing the location of the destroyed worlds. “We have vague reports of a
massive Vorn fleet, consisting of thousands of vessels, harvesting and then
laying waste to the planets afterward. I would say they’re practicing how to
wield such a large fleet in battle. Once they’re satisfied they’re ready,
they’ll attack Lakiam.”

“I agree,”
said Alborg. “The worlds they’ve attacked are almost on a direct line toward
Lakiam. I would estimate we have five, maybe six days before they arrive.”

Commodore
Dreen drew in a deep breath. They had suspected the Destroyers of Worlds were
coming to Lakiam; now they knew for certain. “I’ll send messages to our allies
of the suspected attack.”

“We haven’t yet
determined the ship types in the Vorn fleet,” added Alborg. “All the reports
we’ve received just say it’s massive and can’t be stopped. Hundreds of worlds
in its path are being evacuated. Unfortunately many inhabitants are being left
behind since there’s not enough lift capacity to move so many inhabitants.”

“More
inhabitants will die in the panic of the evacuations than in the Vorn harvesting
of a few more worlds,” predicted Callast.

“But you can’t
blame them,” replied Commodore Dreen. “No one wants to become food for the
Vorn.”

“We’re as
ready as we’ll ever be,” said Alborg as he adjusted the hologram to show the
Lakiam System and the three primary inhabited worlds. “The defensive grids
above all our planets have been augmented with additional energy beam
satellites as well as the new missile platforms.”

The new missile
platforms had been Alborg’s idea. Each platform held sixteen hyperspace dark
matter missiles. Six hundred such platforms were in orbit around Lakiam. They
could be controlled by either of the two Command and Control Stations in orbit.

“The last of
the cargo ships will be ready in two more days,” reported Captain Callast. “We’ll
place them near the sun, and they’ll be powered down so the Vorn can’t detect
them.”

Fleet
Commodore Dreen nodded. “Very well, let’s discuss our ship deployments and make
sure all our warships are ready.” Dreen changed the holographic display to show
the Lakiam System and the current locations of all Lakiam fleet units. At the
moment they were scattered across the system in small formations.

“I propose we
have three separate fleets,” said Captain Callast. “Two small ones and then our
main fleet. The two small fleets can be used to hit the Vorn’s flanks or to
defend against a second or third fleet if necessary.”

For the next
four hours the three went over in detail where every ship was to be deployed as
well as the inbound fleets of their allies. Several times they paused to
consult other fleet officers. In the end, they had a plan that offered the best
hope to stop the Destroyers of Worlds. However, they were well aware that even
the best of plans could go horribly wrong in the heat of battle.

-

Prince Brollen
watched as his fleet neared its next objective. After careful consideration, he
had decided to harvest a planet protected by a major Protector World. It would
be a test for Military Commander Fraymot as it would involve a major fleet
battle as well as the taking out of a large and powerful orbital defense grid.

Dropping from
hyperspace, reported the Vorn at the hyperspace console. Twelve million
kilometers from target.

The nearby
tactical display updated, showing the star system and its seven planets. Planet
number five was inhabited, and, around it, a myriad of red threat icons appeared.

Detecting
43 defensive platforms, reported the Vorn at the sensors. Also 396
warships.

It is as we
expected, sent Military Commander Fraymot. This food species is well-protected.

There are
habitat domes on two of the inner planets, added the Vorn at the sensors. Detecting
several large orbital habitats above the target planet as well as a very large
shipyard.

Take us in,
ordered Prince Brollen, his twin antenna standing erect.

His triangular-shaped
head moved toward the viewscreens, which showed some of the ships of his fleet,
including a pair of the twelve-hundred-meter-long Vorn battleships. He had 3,400
of the spindle-shaped cruisers in the fleet with another 1,700 waiting at an
assembly point closer to the primary target.

The fleet
quickly accelerated and headed toward the planet and its defending fleet, which
was rapidly forming up to meet the oncoming Vorn.

-

High Commander
Arbale stared in consternation at the massive Destroyers of Worlds’ fleet that
had exited hyperspace and was now accelerating toward Drasni Five. “How many
ships?”

“Nearly 4,500,”
gasped the sensor operator with fear in his eyes. “For some reason the black
ships have allowed detection of their fleet. Whatever they normally use to
prevent scans of their vessels is turned off. And, from my review of previous
reports of attacks by the Destroyers of Worlds, a new warship type is in the
approaching fleet. Our scans indicate it is 1,200 meters long, and the power
readings are off the scale. The sensors are also picking up twenty motherships.”

“Why allow us
to detect their fleet?” asked the second officer, confused. “They haven’t in
past attacks.”

“They want us
to know what’s coming,” Arbale said with a deep frown. “They wish to intimidate
us.”

“Well, it’s
working,” commented the sensor operator.

High Commander
Arbale spent a long moment studying the tactical display. His fleet was
equipped with one-hundred-megaton antimatter missiles. He knew from earlier reports
the amount of firepower needed to bring down the shields of a black cruiser.
These larger vessels were another matter entirely.

“Stop the
fleet. We’ll engage the Destroyers of Worlds here.”

“We’re one
hundred thousand kilometers from Drasni Five. The defensive platforms won’t be
able to support us,” pointed out his second in command.

Arbale turned
to look at his second officer. “We will stay here, fire two full waves of our
missiles, and then withdraw to the grid. Once there, we will form up around the
Command and Control Station and the shipyard. Perhaps, if we inflict enough
damage, the Destroyers of Worlds will withdraw.”

“Only the
Lakiams and the Andocks have defeated the Destroyers of Worlds,” commented the
second officer tensely. “Perhaps it would be a wiser option to withdraw and
save our fleet.”

“It is our
duty to protect the Enlightened Worlds,” said Arbale with a hint of anger in
his voice.

“Other
Protector World fleets have left to live another day, to report on the black
ships,” his second in command argued.

“How can we
ever hope to achieve Enlightenment if we fail to follow through with our sworn
duties?”

“What good is
Enlightenment if the black ships kill all the Enlightened people and those who
protect them?” The second in command now stood to face his commander.

Commander
Arbale stepped closer to his second in command, yet spoke louder. “We will not
run like so many other Protector Worlds, leaving planets defenseless. We will
stand and fight, and, if we are destined to join our ancestors today, then we
shall.”

The crew in
the Command Center shared surreptitious glances and frowns.

“Enemy is
closing in. Contact in twelve minutes,” reported the sensor operator. “The
motherships are in the center of their fleet. Those bigger vessels are scattered
throughout the formation.”

High Commander
Arbale pressed a comm button on his control console. “All ships, stand by to
fire. We will fire two full waves of antimatter missiles and then withdraw to
the defense grid. Concentrate your fire on one area of an enemy ship’s shield.
Battlecruisers are to work in pairs, and, just maybe, we can bring down a few
of their shields.”

-

In space, the
two fleets rapidly closed. The defending fleet had formed up into a
pyramid-shaped formation with the apex forward. The Vorn fleet formation was a
huge globe with the motherships safely in the center. As the two fleets entered
engagement range, the first wave of missiles left the defending ships.

-

“Hyperspace missile
launch,” called out the tactical officer. “Retargeting and preparing to fire
second set of missiles.” On his console, twelve lights flashed on, indicating
successful launches. The time from launch to impact was measured in
microseconds.

On the main
viewscreen, white flashes of intense light appeared in the oncoming Destroyers
of Worlds’ fleet formation.

“Second missile
launch,” reported the tactical officer as the next set of missiles left the
battlecruiser.

“Pull us
back,” ordered High Commander Arbale, his eyes focused intently on the black
fleet.

“Enemy is
firing,” warned the sensor operator, “their black antimatter beams!”

Arbale’s
flagship shuddered violently. Alarms sounded, and officers shouted commands.
The lights in the Command Center dimmed and then returned to full brightness.

“Weapons
strike above Engineering,” the damage control officer reported. “We have four
decks open to space and several fires in adjoining compartments. Repair teams
are en route.”

High Commander
Arbale turned to study the damage control console. Several of the fires were
near vital areas. “Vent those compartments on fire to space.”

“But, High
Commander, crew personnel are still there,” objected the second in command, his
eyes wide with concern.

“If we don’t,
we’ll lose the ship!”

The second
officer hesitated.

“Do you dare
to disobey at a time like this?” High Commander Arbale asked. “You were given a
direct order, implement it!”

“Vent those
compartments,” murmured the second officer, forcing the words from his mouth.

The damage
control officer pressed several icons on his screen. His face was so pale it
was nearly white. “Compartments vented. Fires are out.”

“Now get us to
the defense grid before they can hit us again,” ordered Arbale. He didn’t want
to think about how many of his crew he had just ejected into the killing vacuum
of space.

His breath
caught in his throat when he looked at the viewscreens, seeing the further decimation
of his fleet. Battlecruisers were being cut in two by the black antimatter
beams, and others simply exploded as too many systems were compromised. On one
screen, a battlecruiser was missing its stern, while, on another, a black
sphere was draining the power from a ship’s energy screen.

-

Prince Brollen
watched attentively as his fleet methodically destroyed the opposing warships.

The beams
from the battleships are tearing apart the defending ships, reported
Military Commander Fraymot. While the beams from our cruisers take several
seconds or even more, one strike from a battleship can destroy an opposing
vessel.

How many
ships did we lose from their missiles? One thing Brollen had noticed from
the recent battles, the enemy ships no longer attempted to use their energy
weapons. Instead they resorted to powerful missile attacks.

Only two,
replied Fraymot.

How many
enemy ships will make it to their defense grid?

Fraymot turned
to study a tactical display. Less than fifty.

Very well,
continue with the battle as I observe.

Fraymot bowed
slightly and then contacted a large number of Vorn ships telepathically. Time
to destroy the planet’s defense grid and the remaining enemy warships.

-

The carnage
the Destroyers of Worlds had inflicted upon High Commander Arbale’s fleet
stunned him. Only forty-two of his battlecruisers had made it to the defense
grid, and most of them were severely damaged.

“The last
passenger liner and cargo ship capable of hyperspace travel have left the
system,” reported the sensor operator. “They began jumping out as soon as the
Destroyers of Worlds’ fleet was detected.”

“There are
reports of wholesale panic on Drasni Five,” reported the communications
officer. “The few available deep shelters are overrun, and fighting on the
surface has been reported.”

“Fighting on
an Enlightened World?” said the tactical officer, confused. “I don’t
understand.”

“Life or
death,” Arbale explained simply. “Even someone who has become Enlightened wants
to live. This situation will bring out the worst in even the best people.”

“The
Destroyers of Worlds’ fleet is inbound,” reported the sensor operator.
“Engagement range in four minutes.”

“We still have
time to withdraw,” said the second officer, his glare focused on High Commander
Arbale. “We don’t have to die here.”

“No, we will
remain,” Arbale said, resigned to his death. “It is our duty as a Protector
World fleet to stay and die for those who are incapable of defending
themselves.”

“No, we will
not die today,” the second officer responded as he pulled his sidearm and shot
the high commander in the head.

The stunned command
crew sat at their consoles, all eyes focused on the second officer in
disbelief.

“Helm, plot a
hyperspace jump to Nelum Seven. We’re leaving. Communications, inform any other
ship that wishes to withdraw that they have permission to do so.”

The crew remained
frozen, not sure what to do.

“Do it now, or
we die here!” ordered the second officer with his handgun still clutched in his
hand.

For a long
moment the crew hesitated, and then the helm officer plotted the hyperspace
jump. At the same time, the communications officer spoke to the other ships in
a frantic voice.

A few moments
later the flagship vanished into hyperspace, followed by over half the
remaining battlecruisers. Those that remained were too damaged to flee.

-

As the black
fleet neared the planet, the Vorn battleships moved out of the formation and
toward the defensive platforms and the remaining battlecruisers. Black
antimatter beams shot out and tore apart the few remaining battlecruisers. In a
panic, the commanding officers in the platforms fired their missiles at the
nearest targets. Coordination was forgotten as each platform tried to save
itself. Across the formation of battleships, bright explosions lit up their
energy screens, which easily absorbed the antimatter energy, sucking it up as
if it were nothing.

Defense
platform after platform exploded or was simply cut into dozens of pieces as the
black ships focused their fire on the platforms. In only a few minutes the last
defensive platform vanished from the space above the planet. The Command and
Control Station lasted a few more minutes, but then it too blew apart in a
massive explosion, sending fiery debris raining down on the planet. The few
orbital defense satellites were likewise eliminated. Their destruction briefly
lit up the sky over the dark side of the planet in brief flashes of light. Then
it was over, and the planet lay helpless beneath the victorious Vorn fleet.
Above the planet glowing debris was all that remained of the once powerful
defensive grid.

The Vorn
motherships left the safety of their spherical formation and moved into low
orbit above the planet. The black beams flashed down, converting the two
billion inhabitants into a black ash, which was whisked up into the waiting
motherships and into the converters. Every major life form on the planet
perished.

Prince Brollen
stood in one of the converter rooms and, as soon as a suitable food pellet was
ready, consumed it. While not the best he had partaken of, it was still
passable. It would not suffice for the Queens, but, for others of the Royal Court, it would be acceptable.

-

An hour later
and the fleet was ready to depart. The planet had been turned into a
radioactive cinder. The orbiting shipyard and the two large habitats had been
destroyed with antimatter missiles, leaving scattering debris fields. Vorn
cruisers had been dispatched to the other nearby planets, and the habitation
domes found there were likewise annihilated. When the Vorn fleet left the
system, nothing living would remain.

Prince Brollen
gazed at the main viewscreen with his multifaceted eyes. He was pleased with
the results of this harvesting. Military Commander Fraymot had performed as
expected. Set a course for the assembly area, where the rest of our cruisers
await. They will join our fleet, and then we will set a course for our target
world. It is time I sampled food species 236. As a precaution, Prince
Brollen had decided  to increase the size of his fleet. He had already summoned
two other large harvesting fleets.

A few minutes
later the massive Vorn fleet entered hyperspace. It was time to destroy the
most powerful of the Protector Worlds.

Chapter Seventeen

Fleet Admiral
Kurt Vickers stood in the massive construction bay, gazing at his recently reconfigured
ship. The Star Cross was now 1,700 meters long and more heavily armed
than ever. Not only that, additional armor had been placed around the Command Center and Engineering, making those two areas nearly indestructible. The Glaymons
had assured him not even a Vorn black antimatter beam could damage those two
areas of his ship due to its special armor.

“What about
their black energy spheres?” asked Andrew, standing next to Kurt. “Can they
still siphon off the power from the energy screen?”

“No, the new
energy screen protecting your ship rapidly rotates through a series of energy
frequencies,” explained Tasid. “It’s what you would call a heterodyne effect.
It tends to disrupt the power absorption of the black spheres.”

“I’m worried
about some of the new technology on board my ships,” said Lomatz, his yellow
eyes showing his concern. “None of my technicians understand it.”

“In time they
will,” promised Tasid. “The weapons technology isn’t millions of years more
advanced than your own. We didn’t load up your vessels with superscience that
would be forever incomprehensible. While we do possess such science on many of
our ships, we did not apply them to your vessels.”

Kurt looked at
Tasid. “What about replacement parts? What if some of this new technology
breaks down?” Kurt had taken a chance on allowing the Glaymons such a free hand
with redesigning the Star Cross and his four heavy battlecruisers.

“Lomatz’s
ship, the Construct One, has been modified so it can produce the spare
parts you might need,” replied Tasid. “Two Class One replicators are on board
that can furnish any spare parts your vessels might require. Also twenty
Glaymons are on board, fully familiar with the new equipment, and can show the
ship’s engineers how to operate it. The ship also has a very powerful energy
shield as well as two Zero-Point Energy modules. The extra module is required
to operate the replicators.”

Andrew looked
thoughtful. “It’s a good thing a few of your people will be with us on our
ships. It makes me feel better in case something goes wrong. I can see our
engineers staring blankly at a piece of equipment that has failed with no clue about
how to repair it.”

“We recognize
the technology will take some getting used to,” replied Tasid. “Plus the AI
will be new to you, but you will find the repair robots are now far more
versatile.”

They were
interrupted as Gaylith, the female Glaymon responsible for monitoring communications
in the galaxy, came rushing up. “The Vorn are on the move. They’ve harvested
five planets in a direct line toward Lakiam. They will arrive in the Lakiam
System in five to seven days.”

“Damn,”
muttered Andrew, shaking his head, then turned to Tasid. “Can we get there in
time?”

“Yes,” replied
Tasid, with a slight frown. “Considering the distance the ships need to travel,
we can be there in a little over three days with the new hyperdrives, if we
leave in the morning.”

“We?” Kurt
asked Tasid.

Tasid grinned
and nodded. “You didn’t think I was staying here? I’ve dreamed of fighting the
Vorn all my life.”

“Not much time
for a shakedown cruise or to test the new weapons,” commented Andrew. “What if
something goes wrong?”

“Don’t worry. The
AIs on your ships can handle everything if need be. All you have to do is tell
them what you want. Most of your control consoles still look and operate the
same. The weapons are just more powerful, and a new panel has been installed to
handle the Zero-Point Energy rounds for the KEW cannons. Your crews will find
the ships very similar to what they had.”

Kurt turned
toward Andrew. “Let’s get our crews on board so they can familiarize themselves
with the changes.”

“We’ve
assigned ten Glaymons to each one of your warships,” said Tasid. “I myself will
be on your flagship to assist in the Command Center. Others will be in
Engineering and other crucial compartments of the ship.”

Kurt looked at
Captain Waelt, standing close by. “How many of your ships are coming?”

Captain Waelt
smiled. “More than I had hoped. We’ll be ready to depart first thing in the
morning. When we do, we can’t turn back. So far, we’ve managed to keep it a
secret as to what we’re planning. Once we leave the Dyson Sphere and exit the
nebula, the secret will be out, and the Glaymon Council will be furious. They can’t
stop us, but there will be serious repercussions for those who stay behind.”

“We’re
prepared for that,” Marshton said with a grimace. “No doubt we’ll be called
before the council and told that our numbers must be reduced. They may also
want us to turn over our remaining warships.”

“Will you do
that?” asked Kurt. He couldn’t believe what the Aggressives were willing to
give up in order to help in the war against the Destroyers of Worlds.

“There will be
a compromise,” Valan said with a deep sigh. “In the end, we will agree to
reduce our population to only one habitat square if we can keep our remaining
ships. I’m pretty certain they will agree to that. We don’t want to be left
defenseless in case the Vorn ever find our Dyson Sphere.”

“What will
happen to your people in the three habitat squares you’re giving up?”

Marshton
laughed. “Did I mention that we are extremely long-lived? The average lifespan
for a Glaymon is over 12,000 years. Those of childbearing age will all
gradually move to the habitat square we’re keeping. The others will be allowed
to live out their natural lives in their current homes. Eventually, as the
population gradually drops, due to deaths, we’ll pull back to three habitat
squares, then two, and finally the one. So, as you can see, it will be
thousands of years yet before the sanctions really affect us. Of course, if you
can find a way to defeat the Destroyers of Worlds, all that could change.
That’s our biggest hope.”

Kurt looked at
the Star Cross. Hard to believe it was now one of the most powerful
ships in the galaxy. Only the ships possessed by the Glaymons were more
powerful.

“One other
thing,” said Gaylith anxiously. “Some of the reports we’re picking up indicate
the Vorn have deployed a new warship, perhaps a battleship class.”

“There is no
mention of such a vessel in our research into the Vorn,” replied Valan,
shifting his gaze to Gaylith. “The damaged cruiser we recovered long ago did
not contain information of a battleship in its computer files.”

Captain
Waelt’s face creased in a frown. “We have no idea of the power of such a
vessel. If they have deployed battleships, they wish to make an example of the
Lakiams. This won’t just be a battle for the Lakiam System. The Vorn will seek
to harvest and destroy every Lakiam world and colony.”

“If Lakiam
falls, the entire galaxy will follow,” commented Lomatz. “The other Protector
Worlds will abandon the Enlightened Worlds completely and pull back their
fleets to cover their core systems. The Vorn could then harvest most of the
galaxy with impunity, saving the Protector Worlds for the end. Then they will
annihilate them one by one until no civilized world remains.”

Kurt looked at
Captain Waelt. “We can’t let Lakiam fall.”

Kurt had
originally hoped to travel to Lakiam and have Mara introduce him to Fleet
Commodore Dreen and turn over some of the Glaymons’ technology to him. The Zero-Point
Energy system alone might allow the Lakiams to eventually defeat the Destroyers
of Worlds. Even the KEW cannon with some of the exotic rounds the Glaymons had
furnished might be a game changer. But then the Aggressives had offered to send
a fleet, and now, with the Vorn rapidly closing on Lakiam, Kurt unhappily realized
he would be forced into playing a more active role.

“My ships will
be ready in the morning,” replied Captain Waelt.

“I need to
make a few more arrangements before we leave,” said Tasid. “It won’t take long,
and then I’ll come to the Star Cross.”

Marshton
looked at Valan and then spoke. “We have a few more preparations of our own to
make. There may be a surprise for you in the morning.”

“A surprise?”
asked Kurt, wondering what it could be.

“Yes, two more
vessels will accompany you. They’re not quite ready, but I believe we can have
them done by morning if we add more construction robots to the project.”

“I must notify
all my ship captains that we’re leaving.” Kurt asked Valan, “Have you seen Mara
today?”

“She’s on a
tour of one of our major museums,” said Valan. “I think she believes that, by
studying our past, it will help her to better understand some of our science.
She even has several of her scientists with her.”

“Can you
inform her that we’ll be leaving in the morning?”

“Yes,” replied
Valan. “I’ll see to it immediately.”

Kurt shifted
his attention to Andrew. “Let’s board the Star Cross. We have a lot to
do before we’re ready to depart. It may be a long night.”

-

Several hours
later, Kurt was on board the Star Cross as the command crew worked with
Tasid and several other Glaymons. While all their consoles were similar to what
was there before, some subtle differences existed. The biggest one for Kurt was
the small platform in front of his command console. Currently a beautiful Human
woman stood upon the platform—the AI the Star Cross had been equipped
with. Her projection was a three-dimensional hologram, and she almost seemed
real.

“All ship
systems are operating within design specifications,” she reported in a soft
feminine voice. “Supplies and munitions are on board, including new and updated
hyperspace missiles.”

Kurt hadn’t
known about the changes to the missiles until Tasid had casually mentioned it
earlier. The missile warheads had been replaced with dark matter warheads,
capable of exploding with a force of five hundred megatons, similar to the ones
the Lakiams used. Tasid confided in Kurt that Mara had frowned when told the
Glaymons had furnished the Star Cross and the other Human vessels with
the missiles that, until now, only the Lakiams had possessed.

“Admiral,”
Mara Liam is requesting your presence on board the Aurelia,” reported
Lieutenant Pierce from Communications.

Kurt let out a
deep sigh. He had been avoiding Mara as much as possible while the ships were
rebuilt. Perhaps it would be best to pay her a visit before leaving the Dyson
Sphere. Once they left, the fleet would not stop again until they reached
Lakiam space.

“Andrew, keep
the crew at it for another five hours and then send them to get some rest. I
want everyone at the top of their game in the morning when we depart.”

-

“No problem,”
said Andrew, replacing Kurt in the command chair. Andrew looked at the AI and
slowly shook his head. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to that.”

“I’m perfectly
harmless,” the AI spoke in a sultry voice, her eyes focused on Andrew. “Your
name is Andrew Randson, and you are the captain of the Star Cross.
You’re married and have a daughter named Alexis. You also have a friend named
Grantz that I am curious to meet.”

Andrew slowly
shook his head. “Are you that familiar with the entire crew of the ship?”

“Yes,” the AI
replied. “All the crew personnel records are available to me. However, this
Grantz person sounds intriguing.”

“I’m not sure
you want to meet Grantz. He might steal your program and sell you on Kubitz if
he can get enough gold.”

“Gold,” said
the AI, sounding confused. “I fail to understand why it’s so valuable. It’s a
soft metal that doesn’t have that many uses.”

“It’s
complicated,” replied Andrew. “When we have more time, we can discuss it. Now
let’s go over the changes made to the ship, compartment by compartment. Also do
you have a name?”

“Yes,
Captain,” the AI replied. “You may call me Aleea.” She then began explaining in
detail the changes made to the Star Cross.

Andrew let out
a deep breath as he realized this would take a while.

-

Kurt made it
to the Aurelia and, after boarding, was told that Mara was waiting for
him in her quarters. This didn’t please Kurt as he preferred to speak with her
when others were present. Reaching her quarters, he knocked, and the door slid
quietly open.

“Come in,
Admiral,” said Mara.

Kurt stepped
into her quarters and, as the door slid shut behind him, came to a sudden stop.
Mara stood in front of him, holding two glasses that contained an amber-colored
liquid. However, what she wore was what made him halt. A long translucent gown
that left little to the imagination. Mara was alluring enough as it was, and
this white gown made her look absolutely ravishing. Kurt could feel his heart
beat faster and his face flush.

“We’ve known
each other long enough that I thought we should take the next step,” said Mara,
handing Kurt the glass in her right hand. “This is a Lakiam drink often shared
among friends.”

Kurt took the
glass, still not quite sure what Mara wanted. He also didn’t want to offend
her, as the Lakiams were key to keeping Earth and Newton out of the war with
the Destroyers of Worlds. However, her gown and her naked body underneath it,
implied she might have some specific plans for the evening.

Mara turned,
and, as she did so, the translucent gown offered a brief view of her breasts.
If that gown was meant to get his heart racing, it definitely succeeded. Taking
a deep breath, Kurt followed her, and they both sat on the comfortable sofa in
the room.

“How is your
crew adapting to the changes on your ship?” she asked politely as she took a
sip from her glass.

“Slowly,”
answered Kurt. “The Star Cross was only finished yesterday, and we’re
still checking all the ship’s systems. What about the Aurelia?” Kurt
took a hesitant sip of his drink, finding it warm and slightly sweet. It
reminded him of a pineapple.

“My scientists
are still confused about some of the technology. The replicators are the most
intriguing. The technology to create matter from energy is something many
worlds have dreamed of for millennia. The biggest problem has always been the
power source. While there have been devices that could create matter from
energy, the energy cost was so extreme to make the devices useless. The
Glaymons solved that problem with their Zero-Point Energy system.”

“What about
the AI? I assume they put one on your vessel as well.” Kurt was acutely aware
that Mara’s leg now touched his. He had some growing concerns as to Mara’s
actual goal for this meeting. With what she wore and the way she was acting, he
had a pretty good idea what she wanted.

“We have AIs
on Lakiam, as many Protector Worlds do. They are quite common on the
Enlightened Worlds. However, we never developed them to the point where they
could be used on our warships. Our AIs have a set of strict rules that prevent them
from doing harm, which would run counter to what a warship stands for. We do
have very intelligent computers we use on our ships, but they lack sentience.”

Kurt became
acutely aware of Mara’s extremely enticing perfume. He took another sip of his
drink, wondering how to extricate himself from this delicate situation without
offending Mara.

Mara stood up,
placing her glass on a nearby table. Turning toward Kurt, she reached up and
slid her gown off her shoulders, allowing it to fall to the floor at her feet.
Her hands went to her hips, and she posed, gazing suggestively at Kurt.

Kurt’s heart
raced. Mara was absolutely ravishing. There wasn’t a blemish anywhere on her
body. He didn’t know if he had ever seen a woman as beautiful as she was. His gaze
moved over her body, and, for a long moment, he was extremely tempted to take
Mara up on her obvious offer.

“Mara, what
are you doing?”

Mara smiled,
taking the glass from Kurt’s hand and setting it down. “It has been a while
since I shared myself with a man.” Taking Kurt’s hand, she pulled him up from
the sofa. “None are suitable on my ship, and your rank is high enough so the
sharing would be mutual.”

Mara took
Kurt’s hands, placing them on her waist. She leaned forward, pressing her body
against his.

With a sharp
breath, Kurt forced himself to pull away. “Mara, we can’t. It wouldn’t be fair
to Keera.”

Surprised,
Mara stepped back looking confused. “Is that a problem?”

“Keera and I
live together, and I’ve purchased a home on Newton, where someday we will be
raising our children. I can’t be unfaithful to her.”

Mara ran her
hand suggestively down Kurt’s chest. Then she sighed deeply and nodded. “I
understand.” She bent and picked up her gown, putting it back on.

“I hope I
haven’t offended you,” Kurt said, still breathing hard. Turning Mara down had
been much more difficult than he had imagined.

Smiling, Mara
shook her head. “No, I should be ashamed. I should have checked more into your
culture’s morals when it comes to this issue. Casual sharing between
acquaintances is normal on Lakiam, though I do not indulge often.”

“Neither of us
has anything to be ashamed of,” replied Kurt. “You’re a beautiful woman, and,
if not for Keera, I would have taken you up on your offer in an instant.”

“You are a man
of principles,” responded Mara approvingly. “I believe Fleet Commander Dreen
shares many of your views. I don’t believe he shares with casual acquaintances
either. Of course you don’t know what you’re missing out on. Lakiam women have
a reputation for being fabulous at sharing themselves.”

Kurt smiled.
“I can only imagine.”

“I’ll let you
get to your ship,” said Mara. “We both must be ready to depart in the morning.”

“The
Destroyers of Worlds,” answered Kurt. “At least we have a number of Glaymon
warships coming with us. Just maybe we’ll change the course of the war.”

“I hope so,”
said Mara, with a more serious look on her face. “Lakiam and my people can’t be
allowed to fall.”

Kurt turned to
leave, and, as he reached the door, he heard Mara speak one more time.

“If you ever
change your mind, my offer of sharing still stands.”

“I’ll remember
that.” Taking a deep breath, Kurt left Mara’s quarters.

-

Early the next
morning the fleet readied to leave the large construction bay. The Star
Cross was the first to head for the exit of the massive spacedock.

“Do you think
Earth or Newton will ever have something like this?” Andrew asked as he gazed with
envy at the viewscreens, showing the interior of the giant spacedock.

“I doubt it,”
answered Kurt. “I think this is something only the Glaymons will possess. It
would take a tremendous amount of resources to build a structure like this.
More than most worlds will ever have.”

“Perhaps not,”
said Tasid. He stood close to Kurt, watching the command crew work their
consoles. Two other Glaymons were in the Command Center, ready to assist the
crew if needed. “If we’re successful in defeating the Destroyers of Worlds,
then the worlds with civilizations in this galaxy will continue to develop.
Someday there may be many Dyson Spheres.”

“More Dyson
Spheres?” repeated Andrew, his eyes widening at the thought. “It would
definitely solve the problem of overpopulation.”

“That it
would,” replied Kurt. “Lieutenant Styles, move us away from the construction
bay. I want the other ships to follow us down the center of the spacedock to
where we will exit.”

“I can pilot
the ship more efficiently,” said Aleea, wearing a standard fleet uniform.

Kurt took a
moment to examine the AI, realizing how much she reminded him of Mara. Guilt
still plagued him about what had nearly happened in Mara’s quarters the
previous evening. He had already decided it would be best if he didn’t mention
it to Keera. “I’m sure you can,” answered Kurt. “But the crew needs to work the
controls so they can handle everything in case there’s an emergency.”

On one of the
viewscreens, the Aurelia and Lomatz’s ship, the Golan Four, emerged
from the construction bay. It took several minutes, but soon all eight ships of
the small fleet were in formation and proceeding down the spacedock toward the
massive space doors.

Kurt also
noticed many of the one-thousand-meter disk ships of the Glaymons had detached
from their docking ports or were rising from their berths on the floor.

“How many
Glaymon ships are coming with us?” asked Andrew as they formed up behind the Star
Cross and the other seven ships of the Newton fleet.

“I’m not
sure,” replied Kurt. “When I last spoke to Captain Waelt, he indicated that
nearly five hundred disk ships would be accompanying us. I got the impression
from speaking to Marshton that perhaps one or two special ships might be coming
along as well.”

“We’re nearing
the space doors,” Lieutenant Styles reported as he adjusted the ship’s speed
slightly.

On the main
viewscreen, the massive doors slid open, and the Star Cross exited,
followed by the other ships of the fleet.

“Admiral, if
you will, please allow the AI to pilot the ship for the next few minutes,”
suggested Tasid. “It’s essential we get away from the Dyson Sphere as quickly
as possible. Particularly when the other Glaymons see what we’re doing and
realize what we’re up to. The Dyson Sphere has some very powerful defenses.
While I don’t believe they would use them against us, it’s best if we don’t
take the risk.”

“Very well,”
replied Kurt. “Lieutenant Styles, turn over control of the ship to the AI.”

“Admiral,
look,” said Andrew, pointing toward the viewscreens.

Kurt’s eyes widened
in surprise. Other massive doors opened, and more of the one-thousand-meter
disk ships exited. “That’s more than five hundred,” he said as the Star Cross
accelerated.

“Yes,” Tasid
replied with a smile. “Many more.”

“Admiral, I’m
receiving a message from the Dyson Sphere,” reported Lieutenant Pierce,
frowning. “We’ve been ordered to return to the spacedock immediately.”

Tasid stepped
to the sensor console, closely examining the readings coming in. “No sign of
any weapons powering up. They can’t prevent our leaving.”

“Stand by to
enter hyperspace,” Aleea informed them.

“I have the lead
councilman on the comm,” said Lieutenant Pierce. “He says, if we turn around
now, he will be more accommodating, and the Aggressives won’t be punished.”

“They’re
getting desperate,” said Tasid. “They know it’s too late to stop us now.”

A slight
wrenching sensation ran through Kurt’s body as the ship made the jump into
hyperspace. “Where did the rest of those ships come from? I wasn’t expecting
that many.” He looked at Tasid, waiting for an explanation.

“Captain Waelt
has spoken to many more of the captains of our ships. He can be very persuasive
at times. Even I’m not certain how many he may have talked into joining us.”

“Damn, we’re
traveling fast to be in the nebula,” Andrew said nervously, frowning at the AI.

“Nothing to be
afraid of,” replied Aleea, smiling at Andrew. “I’m adjusting the course
constantly to avoid the thicker dust, gas, and high-radiation regions. We’ll be
emerging from the nebula in twenty-two minutes.”

While Kurt
didn’t approve of the Glaymons hiding in the nebula without helping the exposed
races, he did respect their wish to stay concealed. “Is there any chance the
worlds outside the nebula will detect our presence once we emerge?” Kurt asked Tasid.

“No. We’ve
modified your sensor-jamming device where, not only will it keep your
hyperdrives masked, it will do the same for your ships once we drop from hyperspace,”
explained Tasid. “All our ships are equipped with similar equipment. No one
will detect us unless we want them to.”

Kurt nodded.
He wondered how many other changes had been made that he didn’t know about. At
least he and his crew had a few days before they arrived at Lakiam to learn
what else had been done to his ship.

-

The twenty-two
minutes passed by quickly, and the Star Cross dropped from hyperspace.
Kurt looked at the viewscreens, displaying myriads of stars. He didn’t realize
how much he had missed that view until now.

“Sensor
contacts,” called out Lieutenant Brooks.

“Your sensors
have also been modified to scan through the jamming fields,” explained Tasid.
He grinned and continued. “What good is a technology if you can’t find a way to
work around it?”

“That’s a lot
of ships,” Andrew said as he watched hundreds of large green icons appear on
one of the tactical displays. Then suddenly two massive green icons blossomed
on the display. “And those are the biggest green icons I’ve ever seen. What are
those?” asked Andrew, his eyes narrowing sharply. “Are those ships?”

“Aleea, please
place one of those two ships on a viewscreen,” ordered Tasid, addressing the
AI.

On one of the
main viewscreens, a massive football-shaped ship appeared, bristling with weapons
and hundreds of small and large hatches.

“How big is
that ship?” Kurt asked Tasid. This must be one of the two special ships he had
mentioned the previous afternoon.

“It’s a colony
ship,” replied Tasid as he gazed excitedly at the vessel. “It’s seven
kilometers in length and three kilometers in diameter at its widest point. We
built two of them in secret many years ago in preparation for some of us
leaving the Dyson Sphere. We never had sufficient reason to use them until now.
Everything we need to carry on our civilization is on board those ships. In
addition each vessel contains 33,000 Glaymons of childbearing age.”

“Where are
they going to go?” asked Lieutenant Mays.

Tasid looked
at Kurt. “We would like to take our colony ships to your region of the galaxy.
It’s mostly uninhabited, and we can place our colony ships in orbit above a
suitable world or star. They are designed to be lived upon for hundreds, even
thousands, of years. When this is over, I’ll be glad to take you on a tour. A
number of wide-open parklike areas are inside for our people to enjoy. They’re
unlike any ship you’ve ever seen.”

“Admiral, I’m
also picking up 907 of the one-thousand-meter disk ships as well as 22 more of
varying sizes that are unidentifiable.”

“Fleet support
ships as well as two larger ships containing repair bays for our vessels. There
is also considerable manufacturing capacity on those ships to replace any
missiles or KEW rounds your ships may need. We were not certain we could have
all of these ships ready in time.”

“I have a
message from Fleet Captain Waelt,” reported Lieutenant Brenda Pierce. “He’s
ready to depart for Lakiam whenever you give the order.”

“Fleet
captain?” Kurt turned toward Tasid.

“Yes, the
other captains voted for Captain Waelt to lead our fleet.”

Kurt nodded.
So much was happening so quickly it would take him some time to assimilate
everything. “Aleea, set a course for Lakiam and coordinate with the rest of the
fleet. I don’t want us to get separated.”

“No problem,
Admiral,” Aleea replied smartly. “All ships will be entering hyperspace in
seven minutes. Hyperspace formation will be globular with the two colony ships
and the Star Cross in the center.”

Kurt looked at
Andrew, who was still staring at the massive colony ship on the viewscreen.
Neither knew quite what to say. They were bringing the Glaymons out of hiding.
Once they reached Lakiam, the entire galaxy would know of their existence. Kurt
hoped they were doing the right thing. The technology the Glaymons brought
would doubtlessly shake the economy of the galaxy. Just the Zero-Point Energy
modules alone would bring about a massive change. Kurt was only beginning to
understand now why certain technology was prohibited to races below a certain
level of civilization. From necessity, all that was about to change, or the
Vorn would never be driven from the galaxy.

Chapter Eighteen

Fleet Admiral
Kurt Vickers was in his quarters, speaking to Andrew and Dr. Willis. They had
been traveling for over two days in hyperspace.

“How are
things in your med bay?” Kurt asked Willis, who seemed a little flustered.

“I thought the
equipment Keera had placed in my med bay was confusing,” Willis said with a
long sigh. “What the Glaymons have installed is even worse. Even my hotshot
intern doesn’t fully understand it. Did you know there’s a machine in there now
that can scan a person’s injury, decide on the appropriate treatment, and then
program medical nanites to cure a disease or mend a broken arm?”

“That sounds
good to me,” commented Andrew. “What’s wrong with it?”

“It almost
seems like magic,” muttered Willis, frowning. “I had a crewman fall down a
flight of stairs yesterday, breaking his left leg and three ribs. That crewman
is on duty today, fit as a fiddle. No signs of him ever being injured. I had
him on a medical scanner, and you could see the bones actually mending. What do
I need doctors or nurses for if a machine can do everything?”

Kurt smiled,
understanding the doctor’s frustrations. “We’re all adjusting to new
equipment.” He looked at Andrew. “Have you figured out how fast the Star
Cross is traveling in hyperspace?”

Andrew looked
sheepish. “I just asked Aleea. She said we were traveling at over 460 light-years
per hour.”

Kurt nodded.
“That’s over seven and a half light-years in a minute.”

Dr. Willis’s face
turned pale. “I wish I didn’t know that. What if we hit something at that
speed?”

“We won’t,”
Kurt assured him. “Our sensors have been enhanced by the Glaymons. They can
detect anything in our path up to thirty-two light-years distant. That gives
Aleea plenty of time to make a course adjustment if needed. Not only that, the
Glaymons have some very detailed galactic survey maps. Our course to Lakiam
should take us well around all known hazards.”

“An AI,” said
Willis, folding his arms over his chest. “What will they come up with next? Like
I said earlier, sometime in the future, all of us will be replaced with robots
and AIs. And then what?”

“Many of the
Protector Worlds are already like that,” said Andrew. “The Hanorian ships we
encountered, their crew size was around ten on each battlecruiser, according to
Mara.”

Dr. Willis
looked at Kurt. “What will you do if we survive this battle with the Destroyers
of Worlds? I understand before we left on this mission you bought a new house.”

Kurt nodded.
He had been wondering what Keera and his sister were doing as far as decorating
the house and adding furnishings. “Yes, I did. Keera and Denise are working on
it while we’re gone. Keera’s sister-in-law is helping as well.”

Andrew only
shook his head. “You left three women in charge of decorating your house? I
hope you had plenty of money in your account because I can promise you that they’ll
spend every bit of it.”

Kurt laughed.
It was a good feeling. “Keera’s not a spendthrift. I think she got that from
her time on Kubitz.”

“How are Meesa
and Dalen doing?” asked Willis.

Kurt
remembered the doc had examined and spoken to both of them when they had left
Kubitz.

“Better now,”
answered Kurt. “Living on Newton is a big change for them, compared to Kubitz.”

Dr. Willis
nodded. “I can imagine.” Willis looked at Andrew. “I wonder what your buddy
Grantz has been doing while you’ve been gone? Who’s looking after him?”

“Why does
everybody think he’s my buddy?” asked Andrew with a deep frown. “Grantz has one
priority, and that’s accumulating gold. I feel sorry for Ambassador Tenner
since he has to deal with him every day. I’m just glad he’s spending most of
his time on Kubitz and not on Newton.”

“Grantz has
his uses,” Kurt said, coming to the Profiteer’s defense. “He’s retrieved a lot
of valuable information for us. He even saved our lives that time our Humvees
were ambushed.” Kurt shifted his gaze to Andrew. “You would have died from your
injuries if Grantz hadn’t summoned Avery Dolman.”

Andrew
reluctantly nodded. “Perhaps, but I still don’t trust him.”

Dr. Willis
stood to leave. “Can we win this battle against the Vorn?”

Kurt took a
deep breath. “I don’t know. We have no idea of the size fleet we’ll be facing
other than it’s very large. We’re not certain what the Lakiams have done to
prepare their system to resist the Vorn. On the plus side, all our ships have
been heavily modified, and the Glaymons are certain that our weapons can
destroy a Vorn warship. We also have over nine hundred Glaymon disk ships with
us that are more advanced than any other ships in the galaxy.”

Willis nodded.
“When we return to Newton, I’ll need some time off. When we left home, I didn’t
expect to be in a battle like what’s ahead of us. I had hoped for a peaceful
voyage. I guess I should have known better.”

“None of us
expected this,” Kurt said in agreement. “We just have to play the cards we’re
dealt.”

“True,” Willis
said, and then his eyes narrowed. “But you’re a terrible poker player.”

After Dr.
Willis left, Andrew turned to Kurt. “Can we win? I really want to get home to Newton.”

“I guess
that’s what everyone in this fleet would like to know. We’ll be in Lakiam space
tomorrow afternoon. Maybe then we can get some answers. Our long-range sensors
should tell us what the Lakiams are doing to prepare for the coming of the
Vorn.” Kurt was apprehensive; a lot was riding on what would occur over the
next few days. If Lakiam were to fall, no other Protector Worlds were powerful
enough to stand up to the Vorn.

Andrew stood,
his duty shift was about to begin. “I don’t think Emily or Keera would be pleased
with what we’re about to do. When we left to seek the Glaymons, I never
imagined we would be fighting the Destroyers of Worlds in a massive fleet
battle.”

“None of us
did,” replied Kurt. Andrew was right about Emily and Keera. Perhaps, if this
battle went their way, it wouldn’t be necessary to get involved in galactic
affairs again. They could stay on Newton and live out the rest of their lives
in peace.

Later, once
Andrew left, Kurt took several photos from his desk drawer. One was of the new
house with him and Keera standing in front of it. His sister Denise had taken
the photo. The other was of his sister’s family. In the photo, Bryan held his baseball in his hand. Kurt hoped that, in a few more days, he would be on Newton, spending time with Keera and his sister’s family, and playing catch with Bryan in the backyard of his new home. But first he had to deal with the Destroyers of
Worlds and hope the Star Cross and its crew survived.

-

Prince Brollen
nodded in satisfaction at the massive fleet he had gathered to attack food
species 236. He had left nothing to chance. He had augmented his fleet more
than he had originally planned. His fleet currently consisted of thirty
motherships, one thousand battleships, and 5,500 cruisers. Even if food species
236 put up a powerful resistance, Prince Brollen’s fleet would overwhelm them
and then harvest all their worlds. This would be the largest battle the Vorn
had fought since coming to this universe. It would not only seal his position
as a consort but make him the most important military leader of the Vorn. He
would be second in rank only to Queen Alithe.

Fleet is
nearly ready to depart, reported Military Commander Fraymot. Our
long-range scouts indicate the target system is heavily defended with large
fleet units. It also possesses the most powerful planetary defenses we have yet
to encounter. The same with the size of the enemy fleet.

It won’t
make a difference, replied Prince Brollen dismissively. Our battleships
are indestructible, and they will annihilate the fleets of this food species.
Their worlds will be harvested, and they will become food for the Vorn.

Our
battleships are truly mighty, responded Fraymot.

How long
will it take to arrive at our target?

Two days,
answered Fraymot. We will exit hyperspace in the outer system, and scan
their fleet and defenses for any possible traps. Once I am satisfied with what
our sensor scans show, we will begin our attack. The battle should be over
quickly.

What about
cargo ships? I don’t want any of our vessels rammed. The use of cargo ships
to ram by food species 111 had been a shock. He wouldn’t allow that to happen
again.

All ships’
military commanders understand the danger posed by a loaded cargo vessel
ramming their energy screen. If cargo ships are detected, they will be targeted
immediately with our black antimatter beams. They will be annihilated before
they can reach the fleet.

Prince Brollen
gazed at the viewscreens, filled with ships from his fleet. As far as the
prince could see were hundreds of Vorn warships. Are we prepared to split
the fleet as we discussed earlier?

Since the
enemy could not detect Vorn ships in hyperspace, and the Vorn sensor-masking
field made it impossible for ships to be detected in normal space, a plan had
been put together. Two fleets of five hundred ships each would split off from
the main formation before the rest of the fleet arrived in the home system of
food species 236. The two fleets would enter the system undetected and wait
until the battle was in progress. Once the two opposing fleets engaged in
battle, the two smaller fleets would attack the defending fleet on its flanks.
The surprise of the two fleets hitting the defending fleet unexpectedly, along
with the firepower of the battleships, should ensure a quick victory with
relatively few losses of Vorn ships.

All has
been taken care of, responded Military Commander Fraymot. It will be a
great victory, and Queen Alithe will be very pleased with you.

-

Later, in his
quarters, Prince Brollen inspected his personal collection of food pellets. One
entire wall of his quarters contained over one hundred small square containers
kept at a low temperature so as to preserve the pellets indefinitely. On the
front of each case was the food species number and a brief description. His
goal was to have over one thousand such cases when the harvesting of this
galaxy was complete.

Stepping to
one container, he opened it and took out one of the small gray pellets. Placing
it between his mandibles, he chomped down on it, grinding it up and swallowing.
This particular pellet had a slight sweet taste to it, and almost instantly he
could feel a surge of invigorating energy flowing through his body. This would
be the last time he ate before the battle. He had plans for feasting on a
number of food pellets from food species 236. It had become a ritual to taste
the food pellets of newly harvested worlds as the first pellets were processed
in the converter chambers. This coming feast would be special, as this
particular food species had become quite troublesome. That was about to end.

-

Late the next
day Fleet Commodore Dreen was summoned to the Command Center. He had been
resting in his quarters, knowing the Vorn could show up at any time.

“What do we
have?” he asked as he stepped into the busy Command Center.

“They’re
coming,” Laylem reported from his sensor console. “The new hyperspace detection
buoys picked them up just a few minutes ago. They’re about twenty hours out and
coming fast. Current distance is 1,200 light-years.”

Commodore
Dreen frowned. “I didn’t think we had any detection buoys out that far.”

“You can thank
the Bascoms for that,” said Alborg from Tactical. “They planted a number of
buoys in what they thought would be the most likely approach vectors for the
Vorn. We got lucky.”

“All members
of the alliance have been informed,” added Keenol.

“Alliance fleets should be in position within twelve hours,” reported Alborg.

“Sheera,
contact Captain Callast and inform him we have detected the Vorn, estimated
arrival time is twenty hours. Alborg, put up a counter on the main viewscreen.”

Fleet
Commodore Dreen sat and gazed at the tactical display, showing an expanded view
of the Vorn fleet from the sketchy data sent from the hyperspace detection buoys.

“Estimates
show over six thousand Vorn vessels,” reported Alborg as he studied some
information on one of his computer screens. “We have confirmation of a new ship
type, possibly a battlecruiser or battleship. Also a large number of Vorn
motherships are at the heart of the formation.”

“Let’s set our
battle plan into motion,” ordered Commodore Dreen. “We’re making the assumption
that the Vorn don’t know we can detect their ships. That gives us a big
tactical advantage.”

“They’re still
Vorn, and our ships are no match to theirs in one-on-one combat,” Jalad said to
the fleet commodore. “The firepower that fleet represents is tremendous. It’s
also troubling that they have this new ship type.”

“We’ll stop
them,” replied Commodore Dreen. “Sheera, contact the council and tell them the
Vorn are inbound. Then contact Lakiam Space Control and have all noncombat
ships begin evacuations. I want them out of the system in the next ten hours.”
Dreen also was greatly concerned about this unknown new ship type. They were
barely able to destroy the known Vorn cruisers. What would it take to destroy
one of these larger warships?

“What about
our other worlds?” asked Sheera. “Should I send messages to them as well?”

“That’s up to
the council,” replied Dreen. “However, notify all fleet units in all our star
systems that we’ve detected the Vorn and expect a major fleet battle in twenty hours.”

Fleet
Commodore Dreen studied the tactical display for a few more minutes, then he
stood. “Inform me if there are any changes. I must speak to some of our fleet captains
as well as send some messages to Fleet Leader Moor and a few others.” Dreen
wanted to make sure everyone understood their part in the coming battle.
Special hyperspace transmission relays tied all the main worlds of the alliance
together. It allowed communication in a matter of hours, where otherwise it
would take days.

As Fleet
Commodore Dreen made his way to his quarters, he couldn’t help thinking about
Mara. She was a distant relative and was off somewhere working with a primitive
race in a remote section of the galaxy. He wondered if she realized how lucky
she was to be away from all this. As he reached his quarters, his mind
refocused on the job at hand. He hadn’t planned on going into battle against
over six thousand Vorn ships. The larger battlecruisers or battleships would be
a big problem. He needed to come up with a plan to deal with them, or he
wouldn’t be able to hold the Lakiam System.

-

Fleet Admiral
Kurt Vickers gazed with deep concern at the massive Vorn fleet inbound toward
the Lakiam System. “How do we defeat that?” The Star Cross had detected
the hyperspace detection network, and Aleea had tied into it so they were
seeing the same data as the Lakiam fleet was.

“One ship at a
time,” replied Tasid. “From the complexity of this detection network the
Lakiams and their allies have put up, it’s evident they’ve reverse engineered
some of the technology on the captured Vorn mothership. I hope, when this is
over, we’re granted access to it. It could reveal a lot about the enemy we’re
up against.”

“I still think
I should be allowed to go to Lakiam and tell Fleet Commodore Dreen about what
we’ve brought with us,” said Mara, her eyes focused intently on Kurt. She had
come over from the Aurelia to speak with him and Tasid. “It could make a
big difference in the battle.”

“No,” replied
Kurt, shaking his head. “Our biggest advantage is that no one knows about us.
We’ll let the battle begin and see what develops. When the time is right, we’ll
take our fleet in and attack the Vorn. I’m sure your Fleet Commodore Dreen has
made some special arrangements to deal with the Vorn fleet.”

“The Vorn
battlecruisers or battleships will be the problem,” said Tasid, sounding
concerned. “No doubt the Zero-Point Energy rounds we’ve created for the Star
Cross and your four heavy battlecruisers can destroy them. I’m not so
certain about our own vessels until we see what effect our energy weapons
have.”

“What about
our energy screens?” asked Andrew. “Can they stand up to these larger ships?”

“They should,”
answered Aleea. “There’s a lot of redundant capacity built into the screens. It
would take several of these larger Vorn vessels acting together to penetrate
one.”

“The energy
screens we equipped your ships with, as well as the ones on our disk ships, are
the most powerful that we know of,” Tasid informed them. “The Vorn’s smaller
spindle-shaped cruisers don’t have the power to penetrate the shields. As Aleea
said, we’re not so certain about the larger Vorn vessels. If their size is an
indication of their increased firepower when compared to their smaller
cruisers, we should be safe in one-on-one combat. Against more than one ship,
I’m not so certain.”

“We’ll just
have to make sure none of our ships engage more than one of the Vorn’s larger
ships at a time,” said Kurt. “If that occurs, we’ll have orders in place for
that vessel to pull back until more of our ships arrive so we can even up the
odds.”

Tasid gazed at
the tactical displays for several long moments. “It’s strange to think we’re
shortly going into battle. In the long history of the Glaymons, only in the
days of the first Destroyers of Worlds’ invasion did any of our ships ever meet
a Vorn ship in combat. Immediately after that first contact, we sought a place
for our people to hide. The Vorn weren’t even finished harvesting this galaxy
before we moved into the nebula. At first our people lived in massive colony
ships, and eventually we settled on a few barren worlds, building enormous
habitat domes. Then we set out to build the Dyson Sphere.”

“But you
survived,” said Mara. “If not for your survival, what chance would we have
today against the Vorn?”

Tasid nodded.
“I only wished we had done something to stop their reign of terror many
millions of years ago. I fear my race is responsible for the deaths of countless
trillions of innocents over the long history of the Vorn incursions.”

“Your people
did what they thought was right,” said Kurt. “Who knows if anyone else would
have done differently?”

“Admiral,
there’s a lot of ship movements in some of the star systems,” reported
Lieutenant Mays. She studied several tactical displays. “From what I’ve
determined, the Andocks, Bascoms, and the Parmonts are all sending ships to aid
Fleet Commodore Dreen against the Vorn. This will be one hell of a battle.”

Mara looked
surprised and then smiled. “So he was successful in building an alliance
against the Vorn!”

“It looks like
it,” Kurt said as he turned and examined the fleet movements Lieutenant Mays
had pointed out.

“If we can
stop the Vorn at Lakiam, the alliance will only grow,” Mara said excitedly. “With
the help of the Glaymons, we can drive the Destroyers of Worlds from our
galaxy.”

“How long do
we wait until we move in?” asked Andrew.

Kurt’s fleet
had arrived in this empty star system a day ago. The two large colony ships and
the support vessels had moved out, orbiting around the star in deep space where
they wouldn’t be detected. The colony ships and the support ships had sensor-dampening
fields in operation too. A vessel would have to pass very close to even see
one. As far as those ships were from the star, the likelihood of that happening
was pretty close to zero.

Kurt looked at
the viewscreens, displaying the ships in his fleet. Fleet Captain Waelt had
placed himself and the Glaymon warships under Kurt’s command. The Golan Four
and the Construct One were out near the colony ships. There were no
plans for Lomatz’s ships to take part in the battle. The Aurelia was
floating in space close to the Star Cross.

“We’ll make a
hyperspace jump to the edge of the Lakiam System as the Vorn get closer. I want
to engage them on a moment’s notice. When the battle commences, we’ll watch as
the tactical situation develops, and then we’ll engage the Vorn. I want a rapid
attack upon the Vorn vessels, focusing on those larger warships. If we can take
them out, then Fleet Commodore Dreen can handle the rest with some assistance
from us.”

“Fleet
Commodore Dreen will have plans in place to cause the Vorn as much trouble as
possible,” said Mara, confident in Dreen’s ability to punish the Destroyers of
Worlds’ fleet. “He will never let them near Lakiam.”

“Mara, when we
jump in, it’s essential you contact Fleet Commodore Dreen and tell him who we
are. He must understand that my fleet is to be allowed free reign in whatever
needs to be done.”

“When we jump
into the system, I’ll locate the Basera. It’s Fleet Commodore Dreen’s
flagship. I’ll jump to its location and report in.”

Andrew stared
at the tactical display and all the red threat icons representing Vorn ships.
“I can’t believe we’re about to go into battle against the Destroyers of
Worlds.” Andrew paused for a moment, shifting his gaze to Kurt. “What if we
can’t win?”

Tasid grinned.
“You’ve never seen one of our disk ships in battle. All will be commanded by
our AIs. They are very efficient, and I seriously doubt if the Vorn have ever
encountered anything like them before.”

“Tasid is
correct,” said Aleea, her eyes seeming to gleam with excitement. “I have been
trained to operate a warship as efficiently as possible. For example, I
estimate that the fighting efficiency of the Star Cross would increase
by 72 percent if I were allowed to command the ship.”

Kurt was
startled by the efficiency increase Aleea stated. “Perhaps someday I’ll take
you up on that. For now, I think it best to allow my crew to operate the vessel
during the battle.” He didn’t feel comfortable with giving the AI so much
authority over the Star Cross. Perhaps sometime in the future he would
feel differently.

“As you wish,”
said Aleea, sounding disappointed. “Just remember, I’m here if you need me.”

-

Prince Brollen
was growing concerned. They were nearly to the target system, and the
long-range sensors were picking up a lot of ships moving toward the system of
food species 236.

Fraymot, is
there any indication that our hyperspace sensor-dampening field is
malfunctioning?

No,
answered Fraymot. The dampening fields on all our ships are functioning
properly. The food species should not detect us.

The prince
focused his multifaceted eyes sharply on the various ship movements on the
tactical display. Something wasn’t right! Already the two smaller fleets of
five hundred cruisers each had left the main Vorn formation and would shortly
be dropping from hyperspace to take up waiting positions for the coming battle.
If food species 236 could detect the approaching Vorn ships, how had they
gotten the technology? It would also mean they would be aware of the two
smaller fleets.

Is it
possible they are tracking us?

No,
answered Fraymot decisively. Most likely they have been following our other
attacks and have deduced they are the target. It would not be difficult to
compute a probable arrival time for our fleet based on our harvesting of other
planets along the way. The vessels we see on the tactical displays are most
likely the result of that surmise.

This fleet
battle will be much larger than expected, sent Prince Brollen. Our
losses may be considerable. Is our fleet powerful enough to destroy these other
fleets coming to the aid of food species 236?

You forget
about our battleships, Fraymot responded with confidence. They alone are
capable of annihilating everything that now opposes us. We will be victorious.
We will destroy the fleets coming to aid food species 236. It will make
harvesting their worlds easier as there will be fewer ships to resist us.

Prince Brollen
nodded his understanding. So, instead of fighting a number of smaller
battles, we will be fighting one large battle instead. A battle for control of
this entire quadrant of Galaxy X241.

We will be
facing fleets from four Protector World food species if our long-range sensors
are correct, Fraymot sent. Once they are destroyed, it will leave
hundreds of worlds defenseless and ready to harvest. All our motherships will
be overloaded with food pellets.

This answer
satisfied the prince. He could already picture the food cubicles in his private
quarters full and overflowing. We will fight the battle as planned. You are
quite correct in that the enemy fleets have nothing that can destroy one of our
battleships. We will be victorious, and, with thirty motherships, this will be
the greatest harvest of worlds in the history of the Vorn. We will fill a large
number of Collector Ships from this region alone. The Queens in the Conclave
Habitat will be overjoyed when we bring this bounty home. It would also
firm up his position as a consort of Queen Alithe’s. Perhaps, when he returned
with the Collector Ships, it would be time for him to mate with her. His
progeny would become a major part of the Vorn species. All that needed to be
done was fight this battle and begin the harvest.

Chapter Nineteen

Fleet
Commodore Dreen took a deep fortifying breath as the two smaller Vorn fleets
dropped from hyperspace and immediately moved toward Lakiam. Laylem had been
tracking them ever since they left the main formation.

“Target one
comprises 512 ships and another 507 in target two,” reported Laylem. “Ships are
inbound toward Lakiam at 27 percent sublight. Main fleet should be dropping from
hyperspace in forty-six minutes.”

Alborg looked intently at the tactical displays showing the Vorn ships. “The two smaller
fleets have none of the larger ships in them. They’re all the small
spindle-shaped cruisers we’ve fought before.”

“From the
looks of things, they still believe their sensor-jamming field is working,”
added Laylem. “I don’t believe they have any idea we can detect them.”

Commodore
Dreen had to agree. The Destroyers of Worlds’ fleets were passing close to
several Lakiam patrol vessels and were completely ignoring them. “Sheera,
contact Captain Callast. He is to focus the cargo ships and his fleet on target
one.” Captain Callast had 814 Lakiam battlecruisers under his command. Dreen
was hopeful that, when Callast’s fleet was combined with the cargo ship attack,
it would be sufficient to annihilate the 512 Vorn ships in target one.

“Message
sent,” replied Keenol.

“Send a
message to Captains Veen and Swiffe. They’re to hit the rear of the primary
Vorn fleet as soon as I engage the front echelon.” Captains Veen and Swiffe
were in a nearby star system, holding their ships powerless so they would be
undetectable to the Vorn. Each captain had a fleet of 1,100 Lakiam battlecruisers
under their command.

“Messages
sent,” replied Keenol. “No sign of hyperspace jamming as of yet.”

“No, there
won’t be,” predicted Alborg. “The Destroyers of Worlds don’t believe we can
detect them. They won’t jam transmissions until their main fleet drops from
hyperspace.”

“Only it won’t
work this time,” said Keenol. “Thanks to the Vorn mothership we captured, we
know how they were jamming our hyperspace transmissions. Once they try, we will
send out a countersignal that should interfere with their jamming frequencies.
If it works, and it should, we can communicate normally.”

“We’ve
neutralized a number of their advantages,” said Alborg. “Let’s hope it’s
enough.”

Fleet
Commodore Dreen spent the next few minutes contacting the Andock, Bascom, and
Parmont fleets, informing them of the appearance of the two smaller Vorn fleets
and the expected arrival time of the main force. It didn’t take long to put his
battle plan into motion.

Commodore
Dreen took a moment to confirm he had done everything possible to repel this
attack. As he studied the tactical displays and replayed in his head how he
thought the battle would go, still one major disconcerting problem remained. No
one knew how powerful the battleships were in the Vorn fleet. Dreen had decided
to call them battleships due to the expected amount of firepower the vessels
possessed. What worried him was what would happen if the dark matter missiles
couldn’t destroy those bigger Vorn vessels. For a moment he toyed with the
thought of using the cargo ships against the battleships. However, he strongly
suspected the big ships would destroy any cargo ships that came near them.
After what had happened in the Andock System, the Vorn would be on the watch
for such an attack.

With a deep
sigh, he realized all he could do now was wait. He had done all he could do;
now they had a battle to fight.

-

Prince Brollen
waited as the fleet neared the system of food species 236. All the fleet
movements in nearby systems still made him anxious. He was not familiar with the
emotion and did not care for. He walked over and gazed intently at a tactical
display. The enemy had divided their fleet into three units. This concerned him
as it matched exactly the three fleets the Vorn possessed. Surely it was just a
coincidence. There was no evidence the food species was tracking the Vorn
fleet. There had been no response to the two Vorn fleets already in the system.

Fraymot,
when we drop from hyperspace, I want our fleet to remain in its globular
formation. I still feel something is wrong. The globular formation was the
best defensive formation he had available. Ships could be aligned so their
weapons covered the entire area around the fleet, leaving no blind spots.

Fraymot turned
toward Prince Brollen, confused. Why? The battleships ensure our eventual
victory.

The prince
responded, Nevertheless, when we drop from hyperspace, we will hold our
position and let them come to us. In previous battles against this food
species, they used short hyperjumps to attack our fleet. By staying in the
globular formation, we will prevent them from doing that as, wherever they jump,
we will have weapons that can destroy them.

As you
command, replied Military Commander Fraymot with a slight bow.

-

In Fraymot’s
opinion, the prince was making a mistake, but Fraymot dared not say so. It was
always better to go on the offensive rather than the defensive when beginning a
fight. However, by doing as the prince suggested, it would allow the food
species to decide the tempo of the coming battle.

-

Fleet
Commodore Dreen’s muscles tensed as the main Vorn fleet dropped from
hyperspace. For the first time, Lakiam sensors could get a good read on the
larger enemy ships.

“Twelve
hundred meters,” reported Laylem. “From the power readings I’m picking up, I
would estimate each vessel has four times the firepower of one of the smaller
spindle-shaped cruisers.”

“Four times,”
said Alborg, his eyes widening in consternation. “I assume their shields are
equally more powerful. That’ll cause problems with our dark matter missiles. It
might take over fifty to overload their shields.”

“It wouldn’t
matter if it were ten times,” replied Fleet Commodore Dreen, dismayed at the
power of the Vorn battleships. He reached forward and activated the comm unit
on his command console, which put him in instant contact with all Lakiam fleet
units. “All ships, commence attack as per plan ZETA. Good luck and good
hunting.” Time to put his battle plan into operation.

“Entering
hyperspace in twelve seconds,” reported Jalad. “All ships will emerge in
standard offensive formation.” The formation was ten ships high and two hundred
ships in length with no reserve. It would be a virtual wall of ships hurtling toward
the Vorn vessels.

Commodore
Dreen braced himself for the Basera to enter hyperspace. Moments later a
slight wrenching sensation in his body confirmed that the ship had made the
jump, and would soon exit near the Vorn fleet.

“Captain
Callast is sending in the cargo ships,” reported Laylem. On one of the tactical
displays, hundreds of green icons appeared behind the unsuspecting Vorn fleet,
deeper in the system.

-

In space 1,400
cargo ships laden with water emerged from hyperspace four hundred kilometers behind
the rear of the Vorn fleet. At the same time Captain Callast jumped in with his
fleet of 814 battlecruisers.

As soon as the
cargo ships’ systems stabilized, they activated their subspace drives and
accelerated toward the unsuspecting Vorn fleet. One hundred and seven cargo
ships exploded as their old drives and power systems failed catastrophically.
Many of the ships had been repaired just to the point where they were barely
spaceworthy. Jumping into hyperspace had been more than they could handle.

The Vorn fleet
had thought it had gotten into the system undetected and was not prepared for
the unexpected attack. Their ships were running with reduced power and their
shields at a minimum to ensure their sensor-dampening fields would block all
possible scans of their vessels. The sudden appearance of hundreds of cargo
ships behind the fleet and the emergence of a fleet of powerful battlecruisers
in front of it took the Vorn military commander totally by surprise.

In moments the
cargo ships began slamming into Vorn energy shields. In brilliant novalike
explosions, the spindle-shaped ships died. Recognizing the threat, the Vorn’s
energy shields suddenly snapped to full power, and their black antimatter beams
fired. In bright flashes of light, hundreds of cargo ships exploded as they
were ripped apart short of their targets.

In the Vorn
formation, a water-laden cargo ship crashed into the energy shield of a Vorn
cruiser, releasing all the pent-up kinetic energy from its speed and mass. The
resulting release of energy quickly overloaded the energy screen,
disintegrating the spindle-shaped cruiser as the energy wave struck it. All
across the Vorn fleet formation, ships died at an appalling rate as cargo ships
completed their suicide runs. While hundreds of the cargo ships were being destroyed,
many more struck their targets.

Since the Vorn
were occupied with the cargo ships, Captain Callast fired off his first wave of
dark matter missiles. They smashed into already-stressed energy shields,
bringing down many and releasing their stored energy. More novalike explosions
spread across the unraveling Vorn fleet formation. Seeing the results of his
attack, Callast quickly ordered a second strike. The Vorn fleet was vulnerable,
and he intended to destroy it!

-

Prince Brollen
reeled in shock as he watched one of the small fleets he had sent ahead dying
before his eyes. The tactical display was full of red threat icons, appearing
behind the Vorn fleet and then ramming its vessels. Not only that but an enemy
fleet had appeared directly in front of the Vorn force and was launching
dangerous dark matter missiles.

This is
impossible! sent military Commander Fraymot as he stared at the tactical
display, displaying the ongoing annihilation of one of the smaller fleets.

They were tracking
us the entire time, replied Prince Brollen, his multifaceted eyes focusing
on Fraymot. How is that possible?

They could
not have been, answered Fraymot as alarms sounded, indicating more ships
exiting from hyperspace.

Prince Brollen
stared at one of the other tactical displays as 2,000 enemy battlecruisers
appeared in front of his fleet. The Scythe! It wasn’t destroyed. It
must have been captured. It was the only explanation for the enemy to be
able to track his fleet.

Military
Commander Fraymot looked in panic at the prince. The computers on the Scythe
would tell the food species where the staging area is as well as the location
of the Conclave Habitat!

With a sinking
feeling, Prince Brollen realized the Vorn’s greatest secrets may have been
revealed.

Enemy
launching missiles, warned the Vorn at the sensors.

Fraymot,
fight the fleet. We will worry about the Scythe later. Call our second
fleet to join us.

What about
our other fleet?

Prince Brollen
looked at the tactical display, showing the now shattered fleet. It has been
lost. We will remain here and allow our battleships to bring us victory.

-

Taking a
glancing blow on its energy screen, the Destonn shook violently in
response to a black ship’s black antimatter beam.

“How many of
them did we get with the cargo ships?” Captain Callast was aggravated that so
many of the cargo ships had suffered mechanical problems.

“Confirmed at
362,” reported the sensor operator. “Most of the others have been damaged to
some extent.”

“Keep hitting
them with our dark matter missiles,” ordered Callast. “Many of their shields
must be near the saturation point from all the energy released by the exploding
cargo ships.”

On a
viewscreen, he saw a Vorn black antimatter beam tear one of his battlecruisers
apart. Even though the Vorn fleet was on the verge of destruction, it was still
dangerous. On another screen, he could see the shattered remains of the Vorn
fleet. Massive explosions lit up space where dark matter missiles detonated
against the enemy’s energy shields. Occasionally a brilliant flash of light
would indicate the failure of one of those shields as the ship it had protected
was annihilated.

“We’re losing
a lot of battlecruisers,” the sensor operator reported.

Captain
Callast clenched his teeth. “Continue to press the attack. I want every one of
those Vorn ships destroyed regardless of the cost!”

-

Fleet
Commodore Dreen gripped the armrest of his command chair as six of his
battlecruisers exploded from the attack of just two Vorn battleships. At the
same time, more friendly green icons appeared. Captain Veen and Captain Swiffe
had arrived and moved in to attack the rear of the Vorn formation. Moments
later Andock, Bascom, and Parmont ships exited hyperspace and quickly formed up
to join in the battle. The third fleet Commodore Dreen had been holding in
reserve jumped in too, bolstering the main fleet formation by another eight
hundred vessels.

“All commands,
work in groups large enough to overload their energy shields,” Fleet Commodore
Dreen broadcast to all fleet captains. “We must destroy as many of them as
possible and as quickly as we can.”

“That’s nearly
ten thousand warships we have,” reported Laylem, his eyes widening at the
number.

For several
minutes the battle intensified. Then Alborg turned toward the fleet commodore
with growing concern. “Our weapons can’t destroy their battleships. We’ve hit
several of them with over fifty dark matter warheads, and it didn’t faze them.”

Commodore
Dreen looked at one of the tactical displays. Lakiam, Andock, Bascom, and Parmont
warships were being destroyed in large numbers. If something didn’t change
shortly, he wouldn’t be able to keep the Vorn away from Lakiam. “Try one
hundred then. We must find a way to bring down their shields.”

-

In the Vorn
fleet, Prince Brollen watched with relief as his battleships blew apart ship
after ship in the enemy fleets.

We are
facing over nine thousand enemy warships, reported the Vorn at the sensors.

Doesn’t
matter, Military Commander Fraymot replied dismissively. We are losing
cruisers, but the enemy has failed to damage even one of our battleships. It is
as I expected. Our battleships will annihilate the enemy fleets, leaving their
worlds open to harvest. It will be a great victory for the Vorn.

It will
indeed, the prince replied. However, he was still greatly concerned about
the capture of the Scythe. When this battle was over, it would be
essential that he find its location and recover it. No food species could be
allowed to possess one of the Vorn motherships.

-

Captain
Callast watched as the last Vorn cruiser blew apart when its shield ruptured,
releasing a torrent of uncontrolled energy.

“That’s the
last one,” the sensor operator reported.

“How many
battlecruisers did we lose?”

“Two hundred
and eighteen.”

Callast sucked
in a deep breath. Those were heavily armed warships and still the Vorn took
them down. “Stand by to go into hyperspace. Set a course for Fleet Commodore
Dreen’s fleet.”

Callast could
see the battle in the outer system wasn’t going well. All he could do was
reinforce Fleet Commodore Dreen and hope for the best.

-

Fleet Admiral
Kurt Vickers had moved his fleet to just outside the Lakiam System. They had
been watching the battle and assessing the situation.

“One of the
Vorn fleets has been annihilated,” reported Lieutenant Brooks as she checked
her sensors.

“But they have
not destroyed any of the Vorn battleships,” said Tasid. “I was afraid of that.”

“I don’t
understand why they didn’t use the cargo ships against the larger Vorn ships,”
said Aleea. “It would have been a better tactical move.”

“Because it
wouldn’t have worked as well,” replied Andrew. He had been watching the battle
and talking it over with Lieutenant Mays. “The battleships are far enough
inside the Vorn formation where they would have destroyed the cargo ships before
they became a danger. This way the Lakiams took out an entire Vorn fleet
consisting of the smaller cruisers. That in itself is a major victory.”

“Mara wants to
know when we’re going in,” reported Lieutenant Pierce. “She’s growing
impatient.

Kurt turned
toward Tasid. “What if we pair up your ships where it’s two against one? Can
two of your ships take out a Vorn battleship?”

“I believe
so,” replied Tasid, looking to Aleea for confirmation.

“I project a
92 percent probability that they can,” the AI responded.

“Very well.
Lieutenant Pierce, contact Fleet Captain Waelt and inform him that he is to
engage the Vorn battleships with his ships working in pairs. Tell him we
believe two of his disk ships can take out a Vorn battleship.”

Kurt waited as
the message was sent.

“He agrees and
is passing the orders on to his fleet. He says he can go into battle at any
time.”

“Very well.
Contact the Aurelia and tell Mara she needs to speak with Fleet
Commodore Dreen. Tell her what our plans our, and we will be jumping ten
minutes after she departs.”

Moments later
the Aurelia vanished from the viewscreen as it jumped into hyperspace.

“The Aurelia
has entered hyperspace,” confirmed Lieutenant Brooks.

Kurt nodded.
He pressed the comm button, connecting him to the other Human ships. “All ships
go to Condition One. Combat is imminent. I repeat, combat is imminent.” They
had been at Condition Two while they watched the battle.

“We’re ready,”
confirmed Andrew. “All stations are manned. Marines and combat robots have been
deployed.”

Kurt looked at
Lieutenant Mays. “I guess we’ll find out how these new Zero-Point Energy rounds
work in the KEW cannon.”

“They’ll
work,” answered Lieutenant Mays with a wolfish grin. “One round, one destroyed
Vorn battleship.”

“I hope so,”
replied Kurt as he watched the counter nearing zero. Nearly time to engage the
Vorn.

-

Fleet
Commodore Dreen was desperate. On one of the viewscreens, he watched as a Vorn
spindle-shaped cruiser died when its energy screen was disrupted, releasing its
stored-up power on the black ship it was supposed to protect. But not so with the
bigger battleships.

“We’ve lost
over 212 battlecruisers in the last six minutes,” reported Laylem. “The other
attacking fleets have lost even more.”

“Fleet Leader
Moor has lost nearly four hundred,” reported Keenol from Communications.

“It’s those
battleships,” muttered Alborg as he launched another wave of dark matter
missiles from the Basera’s missile tubes. “We can’t find a way to bring down
their shields!”

Commodore
Dreen pursed his lips, trying to think of a solution. Perhaps it would be best
to pull all the fleets back to Lakiam. It would give them the extra firepower
from the defensive grid. That would effectively double the number of missiles
that could be launched at the Vorn fleet. Reaching a decision, he was about to
give the order when Sheera interrupted him.

“Commodore,
the Aurelia has just jumped in, and Mara is requesting to speak to you
immediately.”

“Mara?” said Alborg, shaking his head. “She should have stayed away. What can one more ship do?”

Commodore
Dreen reached forward, activating the comm channel. “Mara, why did you come
back? Can’t you see we’re in the middle of a battle?”

“A battle you
can’t win against those Vorn battleships,” replied Mara.

“We don’t know
that yet,” answered Dreen. “We’ll pull back to the defensive grid and add its
firepower to the fleets. Perhaps then we can bring down their shields. If we
can hit those battleships with enough dark matter warheads, they’re bound to
collapse.”

“Black fleet
launching their black spheres,” warned Laylem. “If we’re going to do something,
it needs to be now.”

“I didn’t come
alone,” replied Mara. “The Humans from Newton and I found the Glaymons. A
Glaymon fleet is about to jump into the system and attack the Vorn. Their primary
target will be the Vorn battleships. Keep the Vorn fleet bottled up until they
arrive. It should only be another few minutes.”

“The
Glaymons,” said Alborg in shock, turning to Fleet Commodore Dreen. “They’re
just a myth.”

“Please
believe me,” pleaded Mara. “I didn’t come all this way to see Lakiam destroyed.
The Glaymons can save it!”

Dreen made a
quick decision. In all the time he had known Mara, she had never misled him.
“All ships,” he announced over the ship-to-ship comm. “Use short hyperjumps to
avoid the black spheres. We have another fleet preparing to enter the system
that claims they can destroy the Vorn battleships. Do not fire on them. I
repeat, do not fire on them.”

“The
Glaymons?” said Alborg, shaking his head. “Commodore, we’re risking a lot. What
if Mara’s wrong? The Glaymons are a myth. No one has seen them for millions of
years.”

Fleet
Commodore Dreen looked at Alborg. “What do we have to lose? If nothing happens
in the next few minutes, we’ll pull back. Until then we’ll see what Mara’s friends
can do.”

A few more
minutes passed, and suddenly hundreds of orange icons appeared in and around
the Vorn fleet. Orange meant the ships were unidentified and not in the Basera’s
database.

“Contacts!”
yelled Laylem excitedly, his eyes growing wide in disbelief. “The ships are
disk-shaped and one thousand meters across. The power readings are totally off
the scale. Whatever those ships are using for a power source, it’s much greater
than the Vorn’s.”

Alborg looked at the tactical display in disbelief. “This can’t be real.”

-

Fleet Admiral
Kurt Vickers gasped as the Star Cross exited hyperspace within twenty
kilometers of the Vorn fleet. The viewscreens were suddenly filled with deadly
spindle-shaped vessels.

“Find a
battleship and target it,” Kurt ordered Lieutenant Mays. He wanted to know how
their weapons would work against the Vorn.

“Target
located,” reported the lieutenant. “Preparing to fire Zero-Point Energy round.”
The Star Cross vibrated slightly. “Round fired.”

Kurt looked at
the viewscreen which was focused on a Vorn 1,200-meter-long battleship. The
vessel was spindle-shaped but bulkier than the smaller cruisers. As he watched,
the Zero-Point Energy round struck the ship’s shield. A brilliant light expanded
across space, dimming the viewscreens automatically. When it cleared, all that
was left of the Vorn ship was a tangled mass of glowing wreckage.

“Target
destroyed,” reported Lieutenant Brooks jubilantly.

“It worked,”
said Andrew, staring at the viewscreen in amazement.

“Of course it
worked,” said Tasid. “The amount of energy generated by the Zero-Point Energy
round will destroy anything it encounters.”

“Loading next
round,” added Lieutenant Mays, a devilish look in her eyes.

“Are our
battlecruisers still with us?” asked Kurt as he studied the tactical display.
He had a plan in mind, and he would need all four of the heavy battlecruisers.

“Yes,
Admiral,” replied Andrew, indicating one of the tactical displays. “They’re in
a box formation around us. What are your orders?”

“Move us
toward the motherships. If we can take them out, this battle will be over.” The
Star Cross shook slightly, and Kurt looked questionably toward
Lieutenant Mays.

“Multiple
black antimatter beams are hitting our energy screen, but it’s still holding at
93 percent.”

Kurt smiled
ruthlessly. Time to teach the Vorn a lesson they will never forget.

-

Fleet
Commodore Dreen stared in amazement as he watched the disk-shaped ships
annihilate the Vorn battleships. The Glaymon ships were working in pairs,
bringing to bear unbelievably powerful energy beams to overload the Vorn
screens and bring them crashing down. Vorn battleship after battleship was being
destroyed.

“All ships,”
spoke Commodore Dreen over the ship-to-ship comm. “The disk ships that have
jumped in to aid us are the Glaymons. I know that sounds fantastic, but they
are here. The other five unidentified vessels are the Humans from Newton. They’re a new Protector World. All ships are to focus on the smaller Vorn
cruisers. Leave the battleships to the Glaymons and the Humans.”

“Commodore,
the Newton ships have some type of kinetic energy weapon that’s firing a round
of unbelievable power,” announced Alborg as he studied the data coming across
his console. “One round can totally annihilate a Vorn battleship. I’ve never
seen anything like it.”

“Commodore,
the Humans have adjusted their course. They’re already deep inside the Vorn
fleet,” added Laylem. “They’re on a direct course for the Vorn motherships.”

“How are their
energy shields standing up to the Vorn’s black antimatter beams?” asked Jalad
as he moved the Basera toward its next target.

“I don’t
know,” said Laylem. “But according to the sensors, the Vorn beams can’t
penetrate the Glaymon or Human shields. They must have an unbelievable power-generation
system.”

Fleet
Commodore Dreen allowed himself to feel hope. The tide of the battle was
changing. With growing anticipation, he realized they now had a chance to win.

-

Prince Brollen
reeled in shock as another battleship was blown apart on one of the
viewscreens. Who are they? his thoughts screamed into the command crews’
minds. Where did they come from?

Unknown,
answered Military Commander Fraymot as he struggled to maintain control of the
Vorn fleet.

Panicked
military commanders were demanding orders and instructions about how to deal
with these new ships that were destroying the Vorn battleships with such
impunity. The large disk ships possessed beam weapons that were unstoppable by
energy screens. They either overloaded the screen or drilled right through it.
Fraymot suspected they were two different types of beam weapons.

Zero-Point Energy
has been detected, reported the ship’s sensor operator. All the new
ships that have jumped into the battle are powered by it.

Looking at one
of the viewscreens, the prince studied one of the new ships. Never had he seen
such a vessel. If powered by Zero-Point Energy, they posed a serious threat to
the Vorn.

It’s a food
species we have never encountered in this galaxy, reported Fraymot. The
species must be highly advanced.

One we must
have missed in a past harvesting of this galaxy, replied Prince Brollen, a growing
anger filling his thoughts. On another screen, a Vorn battleship was cut in two
by the powerful beams of one of the disk ships.

There is a
second ship type as well, the Vorn at the sensors reported, putting it up
on a viewscreen. The second ship was vaguely similar to the warships they
currently battled in this system. As they watched, a flash of light appeared
and then impacted the energy screen of a nearby Vorn battleship. The screen was
instantly overloaded and dimmed. When it cleared, the Vorn battleship was a
tumbling mass of wreckage.

It’s some
type of Zero-Point Energy projectile, Military Commander Fraymot reported
as he received information from other ship commanders.

Prince Brollen
grew extremely concerned. The Vorn had Zero-Point Energy drives on their
Intergalactic Transport Vessels. It was also used in the habitats in the home
system. But nothing as small as the weapon being used against their
battleships. With dawning realization he knew, somewhere in this galaxy, was a
race that had stayed hidden from the Vorn for an unknown number of cycles.
Perhaps even through multiple harvestings of this galaxy. If this was true,
this evolved race could be a major threat to the Vorn, even the habitats.
Prince Brollen suddenly realized the danger he had placed his entire species in
by allowing the capture of the Scythe. That must be the reason for this
race to suddenly attack the Vorn. For the first time since the Vorn had come to
this universe, other species would know where the Vorn race lived.
Inadvertently Prince Brollen had placed their habitats and the Vorn Queens in
danger.

Those five
strange warships are on a direct path toward the motherships, the Vorn at the
sensors reported.

None of our
weapons can penetrate their shields, added Military Commander Fraymot,
sounding desperate. We have attacked them with multiple ships, and all have
failed. Even the black spheres of destruction are powerless against them.

Prince Brollen
stood paralyzed as his plans and his future came crashing down around him.

-

Fleet
Commodore Dreen could scarcely believe his eyes as the Glaymon and Newton ships cut right through the Vorn formation, destroying black ships as if they were
nothing. For the first time, the Vorn were on the receiving end of what they
had done in so many systems.

“This is our
opportunity to set an example,” exalted Dreen, realizing what was at stake. “If
we can destroy this Vorn fleet, the other Protector Worlds will rally to our alliance.
If these Glaymons will continue to help us, we can drive the Vorn from our
galaxy and ensure they never return.”

On the
viewscreens, a number of Lakiam battlecruisers lay powerless in space where
they had been struck by the black spheres. Lakiam tugs were already latching
onto the ships to pull them to safety. Other Lakiam battlecruisers working in
pairs were  attacking the smaller Vorn cruisers.

“I estimate
the Vorn have already lost over 432 of their battleships,” reported Laylem.
“The others are retreating whenever a pair of Glaymon vessels draw near.
They’re afraid of the disk ships!”

A cheer broke
out in the Command Center as everyone realized that victory was within their
grasp.

“What about
the Newton ships?” asked Commodore Dreen. “Where are they now?”

“Almost in
range of the motherships,” replied Laylem. “Those five vessels are under
increasingly heavy attack by Vorn cruisers and battleships trying to block
their path. Their shields look as if they’re on fire! So far it’s not having
any affect.”

Those five
ships were the key to victory. If they could close with the motherships and
destroy them, the Vorn would break off and retreat. Looking around the Command Center, Dreen noticed all eyes were on the tactical display, focused intently on the Newton ships.

-

The Star
Cross shook violently, and several red lights appeared on the damage
control board.

“We have some
leakage through the energy shield,” reported Aleea. “We’re being hit by
hundreds of black antimatter beams, and the shields are not designed to withstand
such an onslaught. Shields are currently holding at 42 percent.”

“How soon can
we fire on the Vorn motherships?” asked Kurt. The motherships were the key.

“I can’t get a
lock,” replied Lieutenant Mays, sounding frustrated. “They’re just too many
Vorn ships between us and the motherships.”

“I can hit
them,” said Aleea. “Turn over control of all five ships to me, and I’ll destroy
the Vorn motherships.”

The Star
Cross shook again.

“Admiral,
Captain Hastings and the others report their ships are taking damage,” reported
Andrew. “We must do something now, or we won’t make it to the motherships.”

Kurt looked at
Tasid.

“You can trust
Aleea,” he said. “She will do as she says.”

“Very well,”
replied Kurt, looking at the AI. “Do it. Lieutenant Pierce, inform the other
captains that Aleea will be taking control of their ships through their ships’
AIs and computers.” Kurt was taking a risk, but, if he didn’t, he might lose
his fleet, and the motherships might escape.

-

In space, the
five ships suddenly began weaving in a complicated dance aimed at making it
more difficult for the Vorn ships to target them. At the same time Aleea
watched carefully, waiting for moments when the movement of the small fleet
would allow her to take a shot at the Vorn motherships. The Cygnus was
the first to lock briefly on a mothership. It was all the time Aleea needed.
Instantly the ship’s KEW cannon fired. Moments later the Vega locked on.
Once again a Zero-Point Energy round was fired at a mothership.

Inside the
center of the Vorn formation, two novalike explosions engulfed two of the
massive motherships, blowing them apart.

-

Prince Brollen
stared in disbelief as a pair of his motherships died and then a few moments
later another.

The five
enemy ships have reached engagement range, reported Military Commander
Fraymot, the worry evident on his face. Our shields are useless against this
weapon.

The prince
stared at the viewscreens and then turned to the tactical displays. This was a
military disaster. He realized he could not win. The disk ships and the five
other ships currently assailing the motherships would destroy his entire fleet.
A cold chill swept through his body as he realized defeat was imminent.

Retreat,
he ordered as another mothership died in a flash of brilliant light. There
is no victory for us here. We must return and inform Queen Alithe of this new
enemy.

Sending the
order, Fraymot responded as he sent a telepathic message to all the
remaining ship military commanders.

-

Fleet
Commodore Dreen watched in elation as the Vorn fleet began jumping into
hyperspace to flee the Lakiam System. “Keep firing until the last ship is
gone,” he ordered. Dreen wanted to inflict as much damage on the Vorn fleet as
possible.

“The Newton ships have destroyed seven motherships so far,” Laylem said exuberantly.

On the main
viewscreen, a brilliant flash of light lit up the center of the Vorn fleet
formation. When it died down, one of the Newton ships was missing as well as a
number of the Vorn ships that had been attacking it.

“What happened!”
demanded Commodore Dreen.

“The Vorn
finally managed to overload one of the Newton ship’s screens,” answered Alborg somberly. “From the data, the Vorn managed to focus the firepower of over two
hundred of their ships upon the vessel.”

“What are the other
Newton ships doing?” Dreen was certain they would pull back now since the
Vorn were retreating.

“Still
pressing their attack,” replied Laylem. “The Vorn have lost three more
motherships!”

-

Fleet Admiral
Vickers flinched as the heavy battlecruiser Vega exploded, sending
flaming debris across space.

“I’m sorry,”
said Aleea in shock. “The Vorn managed to overload the Vega’s shields
before I or the Vega’s AI could move it out of the way.”

“The Vorn
fleet is jumping out,” reported Lieutenant Brooks.

“We took out
two more of their motherships,” added Andrew.

“Keep
attacking,” Kurt ordered Aleea. “We knew there was a risk coming this deep into
the Vorn formation. Let’s make them pay as steep a price as possible.” Kurt
would mourn the loss of the Vega and its crew later.

-

The Reaper
made the transition into hyperspace, leaving behind the system of food species
236. All ships were supposed to rendezvous at a dead star system 307 light-years
distant. The prince wanted to put as much distance between what remained of his
fleet and the new enemy as he possibly could. Once the fleet made it to the
rendezvous, he would assess the damage, make what repairs were needed, and then
proceed to the staging system, where Prince Ortumad waited.

-

“That’s it,”
reported Andrew as the last mothership vanished into hyperspace. “We got
fourteen of them!”

Kurt’s eyes
widened as he looked appreciatively at Aleea. “I think you proved your point
about how you can handle my ship as well as the fleet. How many ships can you
control at once?”

“Eight,”
answered Aleea promptly, looking pleased with Kurt’s praise. “Any more than
that and my tactical ability degrades. The ships’ computers are also a lot of
help as most of the time I’m only telling them what to do.”

“I hate losing
the Vega and Captain Heidle,” said Andrew. “He was a good officer with a
fine crew.”

“As soon as we
can, we’ll have memorial services for those lost in the battle,” announced
Kurt. He also would be writing personal letters to the families of the Vega’s
crew.

“Admiral, I’m
getting a message from Fleet Commodore Dreen. He would like to meet with you at
your earliest convenience,” reported Lieutenant Pierce.

“Inform him it
will be a few hours as we have some damage to repair. We must also rendezvous
with the Glaymon ships.” Kurt looked at Tasid, who appeared dazed from the
battle. “Tasid and Fleet Captain Waelt will be coming with me as well.”

Tasid turned
to Kurt. “Now what do we do?”

“We meet with
Fleet Commodore Dreen and speak with him,” answered Kurt. “If he can establish
this alliance of Protector Worlds, then he will have a force capable of
fighting off the Vorn, especially if we give them a little help.”

“What kind of
help?” asked Tasid.

“That’s what
we must decide. Why don’t you and I go to my quarters and discuss what we’re
willing to offer the new alliance in the matter of technology and weapons.”

-

Fleet
Commodore Dreen gazed at the now empty viewscreens. The Vorn were gone, and the
last of the Vorn’s damaged cruisers had been destroyed. All that were left were
Lakiam and alliance ships, and also the vessels of the Glaymons and the Humans
from Newton.

“We won,” said
Alborg as if he didn’t expect to still be alive.

Commodore
Dreen looked at his tactical officer and nodded. “Yes, we did.”

“Laylem, how
many ships did the Vorn lose?”

“I just
finished correlating the data from our ships as well as the Andocks. Still
working on the Bascoms and the Parmonts. At the moment it looks as if the Vorn
lost 14 motherships, 643 of their battleships, and 2,411 cruisers.”

“Our own losses?”
They would be high. Dreen had witnessed the deaths of too many warships and
their valuable crews.

“We lost 907
battlecruisers. The Andocks lost 512 ships, the Bascoms 207, and the Parmonts 302.
A lot of other ships are damaged.”

Fleet
Commodore Dreen let out a deep and heavy breath. A lot of good people had died
in this battle. However, it could have been a lot worse if the Glaymons and
Newton Humans hadn’t shown up. He looked at another viewscreen, focused on one
of the large disk ships. Now he had to figure out how to deal with a race much
older than any Enlightened Race in the galaxy. For the first time in his life,
he felt intimidated. How do you deal with a race as old as the Glaymons?

“Sheera,
contact the Aurelia and ask Mara to come on board the Basera. She
and I have a lot to discuss before I meet with the Glaymon representatives and
the Newton Humans.”

Commodore
Dreen gazed again at the viewscreens. Dozens of Lakiam ships out there were
still powerless from encountering the black spheres of the Vorn. Rescue
operations remained ongoing, and shuttles were launching to search the wreckage
for survivors.

“Commodore, I
have Lead Councilor Atratis on the comm. He wants to know what’s going on.”

With a deep
sigh, Dreen wondered how he would explain this. A half-mythical race had just
appeared out of nowhere and saved the Lakiam System and perhaps the entire
galaxy from destruction.

Chapter Twenty

Fleet
Commodore Dreen waited expectantly in the large briefing room for his guests.
The battle was over, and Lakiam was safe. Mara sat at the table with a slight
all-knowing smile on her face. He had spoken with her for over two hours, and
most of her answers had been extremely vague. All he knew was that the Humans,
along with some others, had found the Glaymons somewhere in the center of the
galaxy. She wouldn’t reveal exactly where they were hidden or how many of them
there were. All she would say was that Dreen would have to get his information
from Fleet Admiral Vickers and the Glaymons. Dreen couldn’t help but wonder if
something was going on between this Fleet Admiral Vickers and Mara. Her eyes
seemed to light up whenever she mentioned his name.

The door to
the briefing room slid open, and Alborg stepped in, followed by one of the
Humans and what were obviously two Glaymons. From the uniform the man was
wearing, Dreen quickly surmised this must be Fleet Admiral Vickers.

Mara rose and
quickly introduced the three to Fleet Commodore Dreen.

“I’m pleased
to meet all of you,” said Dreen, indicating for everyone to take a chair. Mara
had arranged for the seating arrangements, making sure the appropriate-size
furniture was available. Dreen hoped this meeting went well as a lot was riding
on it. It had been all he could do to prevent members of the Lakiam ruling
council from being present. “Before we start this meeting, I want to express my
gratitude as well as that of the Lakiam ruling council for helping us in our
hour of need.”

-

Kurt listened
to Fleet Commodore Dreen, a Lakiam who seemed very confident and sure of
himself.

“We are here
to help against the Vorn,” began Kurt when Fleet Commodore Dreen stopped
speaking. “I have spoken to the Glaymons, and they are willing to make some of
their weapons technology available for use on your warships.”

“We saw your weapons,”
replied Commodore Dreen. “They’re very powerful. Even more powerful than what
the Vorn possess. That’s been our biggest problem. We can’t match them in
firepower, ship for ship. Anything you can do to aid us will be greatly
appreciated.”

Kurt felt a
little uncomfortable. Fleet Commodore Dreen wouldn’t like what he was about to
say. Tasid and Fleet Captain Waelt had asked Kurt to do most of the speaking.
“You must understand that Glaymon technology is far more advanced than anything
else in our galaxy. For that reason, they feel it is unwise to introduce it to
the galaxy at large. What they’re willing to do is give you the technology to
drastically improve the antimatter chambers you currently use to power your
ships. This will increase the output of your beam weapons by nearly 200
percent. They are also willing to furnish you with special rounds for a kinetic
energy weapon that is capable of destroying Vorn vessels on contact.”

“The same one
you used against them?” asked Dreen, his eyes widening at the thought.

“No, that one
is too dangerous,” replied Kurt. “The round the Glaymons are willing to furnish
is weaker but will still take down a Vorn’s energy screen. We’ll also give you
the design for the necessary KEW cannon to fire the round.”

“We’ll have to
modify our ships,” said Dreen with a frown. “I understand the hesitancy about
introducing advanced technology as we have the same rule.” He turned to Mara,
who looked at the table. “Will the Glaymons be taking an active role in the
fighting? We may have defeated a major Vorn fleet today, but I greatly fear
there are many more we haven’t seen yet.”

Kurt looked at
Captain Waelt. They had discussed this as they rode in the shuttle.

“We prefer
that Lakiam and the other Protector Worlds do most of the fighting,” Waelt said
in a soft voice. “However, we are willing to have some of our ships accompany
your fleets once this new alliance of yours is established.”

Fleet
Commodore Dreen nodded. “I had assumed Mara told you about the alliance I am
building. So far we have three other Protector World civilizations that have
joined, though I expect many more will be coming forth after our victory
today.”

“That is our
hope,” replied Kurt.

“I noticed in
the battle the Vorn black antimatter beams and their black spheres had no impact
on your energy screens.”

“We can share
with you the technology to protect your ships from the Vorn weapons,” said
Tasid. “However, as you saw with the loss of the Human ship Vega, even
those shields can fail.”

“Is there
anything else you require of us?” asked Dreen. “We are in your debt.”

“We would like
access to the Vorn mothership you captured,” answered Tasid. “We believe we can
open more of its computer files than you have. It is one of the reasons we
agreed to be in this war. The mothership can provide tactical data we’ve never
had before.”

Fleet
Commander Dreen nodded. “Some files seem encrypted which we could not open. I’ll
arrange with the Andocks to allow you unlimited access.”

“Then I think
we have the basis of a general agreement,” Kurt said, surprised that Fleet
Commodore Dreen had been so reasonable. “I think now we should work out the
finer details.”

Fleet
Commodore Dreen nodded. “Let’s get to it.”

-

For the next
several hours the group worked out the details of an agreement between the
Lakiams and the Glaymons. At no time did Tasid or Captain Waelt mention the
Glaymon colony ships or other vessels. For now, and possibly forever, that
would remain a secret.

When they
finished, Fleet Commodore Dreen looked at Kurt, confused. “What does Newton want? Your ships took out fourteen Vorn motherships.”

Kurt took a
deep breath. “We’re a relatively new Protector World. At the moment we have
four systems under our protection. For the time being, we’ll focus on our
region of the galaxy.”

Fleet Commodore
Dreen nodded his understanding. “Mara has told me about where you’re from and
the problems you’ve had with the Profiteers. The Gothan Empire has been a bed
of pirates and black marketeers for generations. Someday we’ll have to do
something about that. The region where Newton is located is considered a
backwater area with few inhabited worlds. In that you are fortunate as it
should not attract the Vorn.”

“It wasn’t
always so,” Tasid said with a sad look on his face. “Many millions of years ago
it was home to a great civilization. They inhabited hundreds of worlds, and the
Vorn destroyed them. It is why so few inhabited worlds are there now.”

Kurt was
surprised to hear this. Tasid had not mentioned anything about this before. Kurt
would have to ask him more about this mysterious race later.

“If no one
here has any objections, I would like to make Mara the official liaison between
Lakiam and Newton,” said Dreen. “I must get approval from the council, but I
don’t expect any problems.”

Kurt looked at
Mara, seeing a pleased look on her face. “That’s acceptable.”

“This also
helps to protect Mara,” explained Dreen, shifting his gaze toward her. “I
realize she has information that the council wants. By becoming an official
liaison, it protects her from revealing sensitive information that needs to
remain a secret.”

Kurt nodded.
Mara had detailed knowledge about the Glaymons and a few other things.

The meeting
ended with plans to sign a formal document in the Lakiam council chambers the
following day.

As they were
leaving, Mara stopped Kurt. “I guess I’ll be returning to Newton. Does that
please you?”

Kurt nodded.
“You don’t have to accept this post if you don’t want to.”

Mara smiled.
“No, I want to. There are still a few things I would like to do. While we’re on
Lakiam, I want to take you on a tour of our world. It will give you a good idea
of what yours may become someday.”

“I would like
that,” replied Kurt. He liked Mara more every time he was around her. He just
hoped this didn’t develop into a problem someday. He still found Mara extremely
captivating, and he wasn’t certain where that might lead.

-

Once the
others left, Fleet Commodore Dreen turned toward Alborg, who had remained
silent during the meeting. “What do you think?”

“The Glaymons
seem to be reclusive. I noticed they allowed Fleet Admiral Vickers to do most
of the talking. They only joined in when Vickers couldn’t answer a question. No
doubt they are who they claim. The technology they are willing to share should
level the playing field against the Vorn. It will take some months to get our
ships converted, but, once we do, we won’t have to fear the Vorn anymore.”

“What about
Fleet Admiral Vickers?”

Alborg frowned. “He reminds me of a younger you but willing to take more risks, coming
from a race much younger than normal to be a Protector World. I believe they
assumed that status because they had no other choice.”

“Your views
are similar to mine,” said Dreen. “My biggest concern is the fact that a race
so inexperienced and young seems to have access to the Glaymons and their
technology. That is something we may have to deal with at a later date.
However, for now we have a war to fight with the Vorn, and the Newton Humans
and the Glaymons have given us what we need to do so. I’ll contact Fleet Leader
Moor and the leaders of the Bascom and Parmont fleets, and have them come to
the Basera to discuss the Glaymons. We must make plans to immediately
expand the alliance.”

-

Several days
later outside the galaxy, Prince Brollen stood with Prince Ortumad and watched
silently as Military Commander Fraymot was led to a disposal chute. The two
members of the Military Caste escorting Fraymot opened the door and pushed
Fraymot in. The former military commander did not resist. At a gesture from
Prince Brollen, the chute was activated, and Fraymot vanished as he was fed into
one of the ship’s reactors.

He failed
miserably as a military commander, sent Prince Brollen. He did not
follow orders and risked the entire fleet.

It is well
that he has been disposed of, replied Prince Ortumad. The Vorn have no
room for failures or members of the Military Caste who cannot follow orders.

Prince Brollen
turned toward Ortumad. His failure to believe that the food species could
track our ships resulted in our defeat. I mentioned the possibility to
him, and he denied it.

That is
unfortunate, responded Ortumad. Queen Alithe will be extremely
disappointed when she learns what has transpired.

More
important is the fact we have learned of a new and serious threat to our
existence.

Yes,
replied Ortumad. This older race that attacked your fleet in the system of
food species 236. I have watched the videos of the battle, and their ships are
very powerful. It may be best for us to recall all our harvesting fleets until
it is decided what needs to be done. We have harvested a sufficient quantity of
food pellets to get our race by for a few months.

I agree,
replied Prince Brollen. It might even be necessary to halt the harvesting in
this galaxy and go to another.

However, what
Prince Brollen failed to mention was the fact that, if this ancient race, who
had intervened on the behalf of food species 236, discovered the location of
the Conclave Habitat and the other Vorn habitats, even the Queens might be in
danger. He had made it a point not to reveal to Prince Ortumad that the Scythe
had been captured. For now he would keep that secret to himself and see how
things played out.

By shifting
the blame of the failed attack to Military Commander Fraymot, Prince Brollen
had given himself a reprieve and had also disposed of the one Vorn who knew the
Scythe had been captured. That would give him time to plot his next
move. Perhaps he could use his influence with Queen Alithe to turn their
efforts toward another galaxy. If Galaxy X241 was no longer being harvested, the
ancient race would have no reason to attack the habitats and the Vorn Queens.

-

Fleet Admiral
Kurt Vickers gazed thoughtfully at the viewscreens in the Command Center of the Star Cross. They were in the system of Epsilon Reticuli, some fifty-nine
light-years from Earth. The star was an orange-red giant about six times the
diameter of Sol. No habitable planets were in the system, though a planet
slightly larger than Earth was in the habitable zone. It was in an eccentric
orbit due to a large gas giant in the system.

“This star
system will work fine,” said Tasid as he gazed at the viewscreens, showing
several distant planets. “We’ll put the two colony ships in orbit around the
star at a sufficient distance to ensure they are not detected by any
exploratory missions that might venture here. They’ll also be protected by
sensor-dampening screens so no one can detect them.”

“How long will
you stay?” asked Kurt. The majority of the disk ships had accompanied the
colony ships to this system. Fifty disk ships and several support vessels had
remained behind in the Lakiam System to aid Fleet Commodore Dreen in his ongoing
war with the Vorn.

“Indefinitely,”
replied Tasid. “We can’t go home, and we would like to stay in contact with Newton. Your people may be useful to us in the future, and, through you, we can monitor
the rest of the galaxy without getting too involved. It’s best that, to the
galaxy at large, they only see the few warships we will provide the Lakiams.”

“Will you stay
in your colony ships or try to terraform the planet in the liquid water zone?”

“While we
can’t build another Dyson Sphere, we can build a large habitat suitable for
future generations. This system has sufficient resources to allow us to do
that. I have spoken to several of the scientists in the colony ships, and they
believe it can be done in a few years. It will give us a permanent and spacious
home.”

Kurt nodded.
He was pleased the Glaymons had elected to make this system their new home.
Having such a powerful fleet this close to Newton and Earth would be
comforting. Tasid had also promised to help Newton in acclimating to some of
the new technologies that were being introduced. That included Protector World
technology as well as a small amount of Glaymon tech. Kurt was determined that,
when Newton and Earth once more stepped out into the main part of the galaxy,
they would meet the other technologically advanced races as equals.

-

Later Kurt
watched as Tasid and the other Glaymons left the Star Cross. For the
first time his crew would be operating the ship without the assistance of or
any advice from the ancient race.

“Don’t worry,”
Aleea said with a supporting smile. “I can use the repair robots to fix any
problems on this ship. The other AIs can do the same for theirs. I can also
teach your engineers how everything works.”

Kurt nodded.
He was only now realizing just how beneficial it would be having Aleea on the Star
Cross.

“Andrew, set a
course for Newton. It’s time we went home.” The other three heavy
battlecruisers and Lomatz’s two ships had already headed back. They hadn’t come
to this star system as the Glaymons wanted to limit the number of people who
knew where they had gone. Even on the Star Cross it had been limited to
the primary Command Center crew.

Moments later
the Star Cross entered hyperspace for the short trip to Newton. Kurt paused to reflect on what had been accomplished on this mission. The Glaymons
had been found, and a defense treaty signed. Newton had been recognized as a
Protector World, and a major Vorn fleet had been defeated. Keera would be
aggravated to learn what all she had missed out on. She would also be extremely
upset when she discovered all the danger Kurt had been exposed to.

-

The Star
Cross exited hyperspace close to Newton Station. The station had been expecting
the battleship or Kurt would have dropped from hyperspace farther out. A flight
of Lance fighters made a quick flyby, passing close to the port side of the
ship.

“Newton
Station says welcome back,” reported Lieutenant Pierce from her communications
console. “Colonel Simms wants to know if you want to dock immediately. He has a
docking port available.”

“Yes,”
answered Kurt. “I think we’re all ready to get off the ship and to our homes
for a while.” On one of the viewscreens, he saw Lomatz’s two ships in close
orbit to the station. When Kurt had the chance, he wanted to talk to the
weapons dealer about a number of things. One was ensuring that none of the
Glaymon technology on Lomatz’s ships made it to Kubitz.

Kurt watched
as Newton Station grew larger on the viewscreen. It was good to be home.

“I assume
we’re not going anywhere for a while?” asked Andrew as he watched Lieutenant
Styles maneuver the large battleship up next to the station.

“I think our
adventures are over for the time being,” answered Kurt with a smile. “Fleet
Commodore Dreen has what he needs to combat the Destroyers of Worlds. His alliance
will grow rapidly once word of the defeat of the Vorn fleet gets out. When
other worlds learn of the presence of Glaymon warships, there will be a stampede
to join the Lakiam alliance.”

“So we’ll stay
out of the war?”

“We’re going
to try. We have a lot of new technology available to us. Not only Lakiam and
other Protector World advances but even some the Glaymons are willing to share.
I’m curious to see what Earth and Newton will be like in another twenty years.”
Kurt was determined to keep Earth and Newton out of galactic politics for as
long as possible.

“I wonder when
Mara and the Aurelia will show up?”

Kurt grinned.
“I understand that Fleet Commodore Dreen has commissioned her a new ship to be
used for her diplomatic mission to Newton. It should be ready in a few months,
and she’ll return then.”

“Keera won’t
like that,” predicted Andrew, cocking his eyebrow. “You should marry Keera
before Mara returns. That would solve that problem.”

“What
problem?” said Kurt, feigning ignorance.

Andrew shook
his head. “You know what I mean. Mara’s a beautiful woman, and she knows how to
use her charms. You better be careful around her.”

Kurt nodded.
“I’ll be fine.” He noticed the ship had docked. “Let’s get off the Star
Cross. I suspect Emily is waiting for you on board the station.”

As Kurt left
the Command Center, he noticed Aleea with a sad look on her face. “What’s
wrong?”

“Will I be
alone on the ship?”

Kurt laughed.
“No, a few people will always be on duty, including here in the Command Center.” This seemed to cheer up the AI, so Kurt turned and left, heading for the
docking port.

-

Kurt and
Andrew stepped into Newton Station together. A number of people waited there to
greet them as well as the rest of the crew.

“Andrew!” a
gruff voice called out.

“It can’t be!”
muttered Andrew, watching Grantz shove his way through the crowd toward them. Andrew
looked at Kurt. “How did he get to Newton again? I thought we told Ambassador
Tenner to keep Grantz on Kubitz.”

“It’s Grantz,”
replied Kurt, shrugging his shoulder. “It’s what he does.” No doubt the
Profiteer had probably bribed someone to bring him to Newton.

“Andrew, do I
have a deal for you,” began Grantz as he reached Kurt and Andrew. “There’s a
new pleasure house on Kubitz that’s up for sale. I thought, between the two of
us, we could purchase it. It will be a sweet operation and will enrich both of
us.”

“Pleasure
house?” a female said from Andrew’s side. “What’s this about a pleasure house?”

Emily was
here. “I don’t know what Grantz is talking about,” Andrew stammered. Once more
the mere presence of the greedy Profiteer was going to get him into trouble.

Kurt left
Andrew and headed toward the Command Center of the station. He had a few
details to cover with Colonel Simms and then he would go to Newton on the first
available shuttle. He realized how much he had missed Keera. In the background,
he could hear Andrew and Grantz arguing with an occasional interjection by
Emily. It was good to be home!

-

Later that day
Kurt was inside his new house. allowing Keera to lead him excitedly from room
to room, showing him what she and Denise had accomplished while he had been
gone. The house had a definite feminine element but not too bad. Kurt decided
he could live with most of it. There might be one or two items he would change
later.

“Uncle Kurt!”
yelled Bryan, coming through the front door along with Denise and Alex. “You’re
back!”

“Yes, I’m
back. How’s school been going?” Kurt was pleased to see Bryan. Something about
him always seemed to brighten up his surroundings. Kurt suspected it was Bryan’s boundless youthful energy.

“Boring,” said
Bryan, shaking his head. “Why do I have to learn English? I can already speak
it just fine.”

Denise walked
to the kitchen island and put down a big bucket of fried chicken with all the
trimmings. “I didn’t think you would want to cook on Kurt’s first night here.”

“This will be
great!” replied Keera, grinning.

“It’s not time
to eat yet,” announced Bryan with a serious look in his eyes. He had his glove
and ball in his right hand. “We’re going outside and play catch first.”

“Okay, but
only for a little while,” replied Kurt as he looked at Keera. He knew she was
pleased he was home, though he hadn’t told her yet what all had transpired.

As Bryan led Kurt outside, he paused and looked at his uncle. “Did you kill any aliens this
time?”

Kurt smiled.
“We’ll talk about that when you’re older. Right now let’s see how well you’ve
learned to catch that ball.”

As Kurt and
Bryan played catch, Kurt couldn’t help but wonder what was still in his future.
The Glaymons were nearby, and they were bound to have a big influence on Newton. The elections on Earth were over, and Ellen Lambert had won, as Governor Spalding had
predicted. The Profiteers still existed, and someday they would be punished for
what they did to Earth. The peaceful time Kurt longed for on Newton wouldn’t
last. However, for now, nothing was pressing to worry about, and he would enjoy
his family and Keera.

-

Later that
night, Kurt and Keera were preparing for bed. Kurt watched as Keera entered the
bedroom dressed in a black see-through gown.

“Do you like
this?” she asked as she slowly turned around with her hands on her shapely
hips. “Meesa helped me pick it out.”

“I think it
looks great,” replied Kurt as he took Keera into his arms. “I’ve missed you.”

Keera kissed
him passionately as they fell onto the bed. She paused and gazed into his eyes.
“Promise me one thing.”

“What’s that?”
asked Kurt as he ran his hands down Keera’s back.

“Don’t leave
for that long again.”

Kurt looked
into Keera’s eyes. “I won’t,” he promised. “I’m home, and I have no plans to go
anywhere.”

Keera nodded,
pleased with Kurt’s answer. Standing, she allowed her gown to fall to the floor,
Kurt’s gaze roaming over her body. Moments later they were lost in passionate
lovemaking as they forgot about the world around them.

Epilogue

Days later,
deep in intergalactic space, Prince Brollen spoke to Queen Alithe. He had told her
about the ancient race coming to the aid of food species 236. In my opinion,
we should abandon our harvesting of this galaxy and turn to another.

Queen Alithe
stood close to Prince Brollen. No other nearby galaxy possesses the food
that Galaxy X241 does. If we stop the harvest, we will have to delete most of
the Worker Caste and perhaps others.

Prince Brollen
considered what Queen Alithe had said. If we continue the harvest of Galaxy
X241, we must commit more ships. Many more than what we have committed so far.
He would also have to deal with the fact that food species 236 might know where
the Conclave Habitat was located.

We have the
ships, replied Queen Alithe as she reached out and touched Prince Brollen
on his shoulder. Will you lead our fleets to victory over the food species
of Galaxy X241 and this ancient race?

Yes,
replied Prince Brollen as the urge to mate swept over him. He looked
questionably at Queen Alithe.

The Vorn Queen
reached out, taking Prince Brollen’s hands. Come with me to the mating
chamber. It is time for the two of us to join and create the next generation of
Vorn.

Prince Brollen
was elated as he followed Queen Alithe. He had succeeded even above his wildest
expectations. In time he would return to Galaxy X241 with the largest
harvesting fleet ever put forth by the Vorn.

The harvesting
had only just begun.

The End

If you enjoyed
The Star Cross: Galaxy in Peril and would like to see the series
continue, please post a review with some stars. Good reviews encourage an
author to write and also help sell books. Reviews can be just a few short
sentences, describing what you liked about the book. If you have suggestions,
please contact me at my website, link below. Thank you for reading Galaxy in
Peril and being so supportive.

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Website: http://raymondlweil.com/

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Raymond L. Weil

The Originator War Book One

This is an
excerpt from the next book in the Lost Fleet series. The Originator War will be
a trilogy and will bring to an end the Slaver Wars series.

On the far
side of the galaxy, the empire of the Ralift was preparing for war. It had been
brought to their attention the Shari and the Humans had discovered a Dyson
Sphere in Shari space that was millions of years old. The sphere held
technology far in advance of anything else in the galaxy, even the AIs.

“How soon
before your fleets are ready to travel to Shari space?” asked the AI hovering
before the Ralift council. Not all of the AIs had perished in the great battle
at the center of the galaxy where the AI’s great project had been destroyed by
the Humans and Altons. A number of them had fled to Ralift space to consider
their next step in conquering this galaxy as well as others. Taking control of
the Dyson Sphere could well set them back on their path of galactic domination
and spreading their influence across the galaxies.

“Our fleets
will be ready in four more weeks,” replied the Ralift who was in charge of
shipbuilding. “The last of the upgrades should be finished by then and crew
training completed.”

“What of the
Borzon?”

“They too are
nearly ready. The fleets from our two empires will overwhelm the Shari and Humans, and the Dyson Sphere will be ours.”

Other Books by Raymond L. Weil

Available at Amazon

Moon Wreck (The
Slaver Wars Book 1)

The Slaver Wars:
Alien Contact (The Slaver Wars Book 2)

Moon Wreck: Fleet Academy (The Slaver Wars Book 3)

The Slaver Wars:
First Strike (The Slaver Wars Book 4)

The Slaver Wars:
Retaliation (The Slaver Wars Book 5)

The Slaver Wars:
Galactic Conflict (The Slaver Wars Book 6)

The Slaver Wars: Endgame (The Slaver Wars
Book 7)

-

Dragon Dreams

Dragon Dreams: Dragon Wars

Dragon Dreams: Gilmreth the Awakening

Dragon Dreams: Snowden the White Dragon

-

Star One: Tycho City: Survival

Star One: Neutron Star

Star One: Dark Star

Star One

-

Galactic Empire Wars: Destruction (Book
1)

Galactic Empire Wars: Emergence (Book 2)

Galactic Empire Wars: Rebellion (Book 3)

Galactic Empire Wars: The Alliance (Book 4)

Galactic Empire Wars: Insurrection (Book
5)

-

The Lost Fleet:
Galactic Search (Book 1)

The Lost Fleet: Into
the Darkness (Book 2)

The Lost Fleet:
Oblivion’s Light (Book 3)

The Lost Fleet:
Genesis (Book 4)

The Lost Fleet:
Search for the Originators (Book 5)

-

The Star Cross (Book
1)

The Star Cross: The
Dark Invaders (Book 2)

The Star Cross:
Galaxy in Peril (Book 3)

-

(All dates are
tentative)

The
Originator War (Book 1) March 2017