“Yes; Fleet Captain Waelt has returned to Lakiam and has a fleet with him including Glaymon battleships.”
Mara could well imagine how thrilled Fleet Commodore Dreen would be upon seeing the large warships. “I’ll be sending more tea back on the Shimray as soon as I can make the necessary arrangements. The samples I took back were very well received on Lakiam.”
“That’s good to hear,” Colonel Simms replied. “Once this threat of the Vorn is gone we’re going to need items to trade.”
Mara nodded. “I believe tea, popcorn, and several other items unique to Newton and Earth will be in high demand.”
“It’s hard to imagine popcorn being so popular.”
“Worlds are always looking for something unique and different. There’s nothing like your popcorn on any other world that I know of. I firmly believe it’s going to be very well liked.”
“Will you be going down to Newton or over to the Limeira?”
“The Limeira,” replied Mara. “I want to speak with the crew and then I will begin making arrangements for sending the Shimray back.”
“I’ll have a shuttle ready for you,” said Colonel Simms. “If there’s anything else you need, let me know.”
Mara nodded as she stood up. She needed to go over to the Limeira and brief them about what was occurring back home and then go down to Newton. She had some shopping she wanted to do at the Westside Mall, and she needed to start making preparations for having the Shimray loaded with tea. There were four varieties her people really enjoyed and she was going to fill the cargo holds. While she was on Lakiam, she had spoken to the manager of a distribution center about handling the shipping of different tea varieties to other Lakiam worlds. He had been excited at the prospect of handling the distribution and had promised to ship whatever Mara could furnish. She knew Keera would be thrilled to learn how popular the tea was on Lakiam.
-
Kurt and Keera had just returned from skiing down several challenging mountain slopes. Kurt had skied for years and he was pleased to find Keera was a quick learner. She had only taken a few tumbles before she was skiing like an expert. They walked into the ski resort with both of them laughing. Keera’s hair was a mess and Kurt was still covered in snow from when Keera had shoved him into a snowdrift.
“This is fun,” Keera said as she tried to straighten her hair and then gave up. “I can’t remember when I’ve enjoyed myself so much.”
“Me neither,” replied Kurt as he brushed the snow off. “We’re going to have to do this more often.”
“We should have asked your sister’s family to come along. Bryan would love the snow.”
Kurt nodded. “They will have a week-long break from classes in a few months; maybe we can all come back then.”
“That would be great! I think this would be so much fun with a large group of family and friends.”
As they were going to their room Kurt’s phone went off. Frowning, he answered it. After a few moments he turned it off, putting it back in his pocket.
“Do we need to leave?” asked Keera with a disappointed look in her eyes.
Kurt shook his head. “No, that was Colonel Simms.”
“What did he want?”
“Mara’s back with another cargo ship. This one is much larger than the last.”
“More tea shipments,” said Keera with her eyes lighting up. “This indicates the ones we sent back were well received and they want more.” Keera looked at Kurt, seeing the perplexed look in his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
They reached their room and Kurt opened the door stepping inside. “I just don’t feel comfortable around Mara. Not after what happened.”
Keera began laughing as she took began taking off her ski clothes. “It was just casual sex. It happens all the time on numerous worlds. Also, don’t forget Meesa worked at a pleasure house for a time. It doesn’t bother Dalen. As a matter of fact that’s where he met her.”
“Maybe I’m just old fashioned,” Kurt said as he watched Keera take her clothes off. “I feel guilty about what happened.”
Keera walked over, taking Kurt’s hands. “I promise you it doesn’t bother me. You’re married to me, not Mara. If in the future the two of you are off on a mission and you feel the need to get together I won’t have a problem with it.”
“See, that’s what I just don’t understand,” said Kurt, feeling mystified. “Women from Earth would be throwing a fit.”
“I see,” said Keera, releasing Kurt’s hands and taking a step back. “Mara and I have become good friends. Lakiams are even more relaxed in their sexual habits than where I come from. I guess it doesn’t bother me because I know Mara will never be a threat to our relationship. I mean on Kibitz, even after they’re married, men and women still occasionally go to the pleasure houses. It’s not like all three of us are going to be sharing the same bed.” Keera suddenly smiled mischievously. “Unless you want to try something like that, would you?”
“No!” Kurt said, his eyes growing wide in alarm. He stepped forward taking Keera into his arms. “You’re more than enough for me, and I don’t need anyone else.”
Keera smiled. “Why don’t we go take a long shower together? Maybe afterward I can show you why I’m not jealous of Mara.”
Kurt allowed Keera to lead him away. He knew she was right. He just needed to relax and accept things as they were. If this war with the Vorn ever ended, there might be a number of things that would have to change if Newton and Earth became a part of the larger galactic community.
-
Fleet Commodore Dreen was in his flagship, the Basera, when the sensor alarms began sounding. On the sensor console a red light was flashing.
“Vorn ships are being detected by the sensor net,” Laylem reported. The sensor net was a series of satellites placed throughout Lakiam, Andock, Bascom, and Paramount space capable of detecting incoming Vorn ships even if they were using their stealth fields. More satellites were being added to encompass other Protector Worlds. Currently an area of space nearly fourteen hundred light years across was covered by the sensitive satellites.
“Where did they come from?” asked Alborg, looking surprised. “I thought all the Vorn ships were leaving.”
Commodore Dreen looked at Laylem. “How many ships are we detecting and what types?”
“Eight battleships and twenty-five cruisers. They are on a course for Andock Prime.”
“Andock Prime?” said Alborg, looking confused. “They must know if they come anywhere near that system they will be destroyed, especially with a fleet that small.”
Commodore Dreen agreed with Alborg’s statement. There were Glaymon disk battlecruisers in the Andock System as well. “Why would they be coming here?” He had hoped they wouldn’t see any Vorn ships for a while.
“The mothership,” suggested Camol from Damage Control. “Perhaps they are coming to see if we possess it. They must be wondering how the Glaymons and the Humans found their staging system.”
“Don’t forget Mara was there with two Lakiam ships as well,” added Alborg. “They know we’re allied with the Andocks and seeing Mara’s ships might have indicated one of us has a captured mothership.”
Commodore Dreen knew Alborg was probably right. It was a surprise the Vorn hadn’t come searching for their missing ship before.
“What should we do?” asked Alborg. “It wouldn’t be difficult to send a couple Glaymon battleships and destroy that fleet. I’ll bet the Glaymons with their stealth fields could drop out of hyperspace without being detected. The Vorn would never know what hit them.”
“Possibly,” replied Commodore Dreen as he thought the situation over. “I think for now it’s best if we just observe them until we can determine what they’re up to. Sheera, get me Fleet Caption Waelt. I’m going to prepare a welcoming committee for those Vorn ships if they get too close or appear to be a danger. They don’t have a mothership with them so they’re not here to harvest any worlds. Also, contact Fleet Leader Arlak Moor. I’m
sure by now he’s detected the Vorn ships as well. And contact all military commands not to show any reaction to the Vorn fleet. We’ll inform them if that needs to change.” The Glaymons had furnished them with new communication equipment which allowed for far faster communications than in the past. Messages between the Lakiam System and the Andock System only took a few minutes.
Commodore Dreen leaned back in his command chair. For the moment he was more interested in discovering why the Vorn were here rather than destroying them. That would come later.
-
Prince Ortumad was growing more concerned the deeper they went into the space controlled by species 111 and 236. He had a feeling something wasn’t right. Are there any signs we have been detected?
No, answered Military Commander Madoul. Our scans are reaching several nearby systems that have moderate fleet formations in them, but there are no indications we have been detected.
Prince Ortumad focused his eyes on the nearby tactical display. Keep as far away from all worlds as possible. We know the ships of the Ancients can penetrate our stealth fields with their sensors.
Only if they are looking for us, sent Madoul. I do not believe they have any reason to suspect our presence.
Prince Ortumad gazed at the long-range tactical display and saw Military Commander Madoul was correct. There was no reaction to the presence of the Vorn fleet.
Military Commander Madoul stepped closer to the main tactical display, his jointed legs making clicking sounds against the metal deck. It is nearly time to send the cruisers if we want them to reach their targets at the same time.
We will keep to our schedule, ordered Ortumad. He wanted to depart this region of space as soon as possible. It is essential we know if one of our motherships is in either of those two systems.
And if it is?
Prince Ortumad turned toward Madoul. Then our home system and the habitats could be in grave danger.
-
Fleet Commodore Dreen watched the tactical display with interest. A few minutes earlier two of the Vorns’ small spindle-shaped cruisers had left the fleet formation with one heading toward Andock Prime and the other to Lakiam. The small Vorn fleet seemed to be avoiding densely populated worlds and was trying to stay as far away as possible from major fleet formations. Whenever one was detected the Vorn quickly moved away.
“We don’t want them scanning our systems, do we?” asked Alborg.
“Not all of our ships are here,” replied Commodore Dreen. “Fleet Captain Waelt has activated the stealth fields on all of his vessels and the Vorn will not be able to detect them. I suspect if they are indeed searching for the missing mothership they will stay far out on the periphery of our system. Scans from that distance won’t give them enough detail on our upgraded defenses.”
“If they come in closer?” asked Alborg.
Fleet Commodore Dreen turned to address the tactical officer. “Then we destroy them.”
-
Fourteen hours later the two Vorn cruisers arrived at their targets. They dropped out of hyperspace on the extreme outskirts of the two systems and immediately began scanning. For ten minutes they did a full range of scans and then, turning away from the systems, jumped back into hyperspace. Once the two ships returned to the fleet, they would send the scanned data over to Prince Ortumad’s battleship to see if what they were seeking had been found.
-
“Interesting,” said Alborg as the Vorn ships went into hyperspace and headed back toward their waiting fleet.
“From the distance they took the scans they were obviously seeking something large such as a mothership,” added Laylem. “Scans from that distance would show little detail about the defenses around our worlds.”
Fleet Commodore Dreen stood up and walked over to the tactical display, showing the retreating Vorn ships. “Is it possible they don’t know we captured one?”
“They may think it was destroyed,” said Alborg. “Other motherships were totally annihilated during the battle in which the mothership was captured.”
Commodore Dreen stood gazing at the screen. “Something just doesn’t add up. Why come searching for it after all of this time?”
“Because of the attack on the staging system,” suggested Sheera. “They must be wondering how we got the coordinates.”
“Possibly,” Commodore Dreen answered. “I think it’s best if we let this Vorn fleet leave. It might cause some concern with the Vorn if they realize we have access to its files. It could even further delay their return.”
“Or cause them to attack in an attempt to destroy it,” suggested Alborg. “It’s what I would do. I would not allow an enemy access to the tactical data that ship contains. It would be vital to the war effort that it be destroyed.”
“But this is the Vorn,” said Sheera, shifting her gaze to Alborg. “We don’t know how they think other than they’re telepathic. What is important to us may not matter to them.”
Fleet Commodore Dreen returned to his command chair. “If the Vorn return we could destroy their fleet with the Glaymon ships we now have. I’m going to contact Fleet Leader Moor and suggest we do nothing to that small Vorn fleet but use the mothership as a trap. The Andocks can tow it out away from their planet to the outer regions of the system. We can place automated dark matter missiles and defense platforms around it. If the Vorn want the ship back we can make its retrieval very costly.”
-
The next day Prince Ortumad stared at the data the two ships had brought back. In the system of food species 111, there was a Vorn mothership anchored next to one of the food species’ shipyards. It was as he had feared. He now knew how the Ancients and the food species which attacked the staging system had found the coordinates.
By now they have stripped anything useful from the ship, said Military Commander Madoul. These food species are intelligent enough that they have probably accessed the ship’s computer files as well, particularly if the Ancients are involved.
Prince Ortumad was deeply concerned. The capture of the mothership meant the Ancients and the food species involved would have learned a lot about the technology of the Vorn, possibly even ways to counter it.
The ship is the Scythe under the command of Prince Lantoll, sent the Vorn scientist who was examining the data from the scans. It was reported destroyed by Prince Brollen as it was part of his harvesting fleet.
Prince Ortumad stood staring at the scan showing the Scythe near the food species shipyard. This is how the Ancients and the other food species knew where the staging system was.
Military Commander Madoul’s twin antenna stood straight up and began quivering. If they know where the staging system is they must also know where our home system is located. Our habitats and the Queens could be in danger.
Prince Ortumad spent a moment considering his options. Was it possible Prince Brollen did not know the Scythe had been captured? Then again, after that particular battle, there had been an unusual number of deletions on board Brollen’s mothership as well as other ships of his fleet.
Set a course back to the staging system. By now there should be some Intergalactic Transports there. We need to get back to the Conclave Habitat and report our findings. Ortumad was convinced once Queen Alithe discovered the danger Prince Brollen had put the habitats in, he would be immediately deleted and his wild desire for power would finally be over.
-
On the Basera, Fleet Commodore Dreen watched as the small Vorn fleet went into hyperspace and set a course out of Lakiam controlled space. It would take it days to exit Alliance space but it was definitely on a course to do so.
“So what now?” asked Alborg. “Fleet Leader Moor isn’t too happy about setting a trap in the Andocks’ home system.”
Commodore Dreen took a deep breath. “Fleet Captain Waelt is going to pay a visit to the Andock System and demonstrate the firepower of his battleships to Fleet Leader Moor. I think once he sees what we have to defend Andock Prime with his concerns will vanish.”
“Do you think the Vorn will attack in force or send a small fleet in to take out the mothership?”
“That’s one of the things that confuses me,” confessed Commodore Dreen, looking over at Alborg. “If that Vorn fleet believed we didn’t detect it why didn’t they do that? They could have jumped in close to the captured Vorn mothership and annihilated it with a few well placed antimatter missiles.” Commodore Dreen wondered if there was something else in play here. Unfortunately he had no way of finding out. All they could do was wait and see if the Vorn attempted to destroy the mothership.
Chapter Fourteen
Dacroni Clan Leader Jarls was sitting in one of the pleasure houses on Kubitz. It was two weeks since the destruction of Marsten and Dacroni Four. From the latest reports nearly three million Dacroni had survived in the deep bunkers each clan leader maintained. Marsten was much worse as less than one hundred had survived on the entire planet though many had escaped in passenger, cargo, and Marsten Profiteer ships.
“I see why so many Profiteers prefer these establishments,” said Salas as he ate food from the three plates in front of him. He looked up as a scantily clad server refilled his drink.
“It makes them soft,” replied Jarls as he downed the drink in front of him, feeling it burn all the way down his throat. He indicated for the server to refill it.
Jarls turned toward the stage where live entertainers were slowly stripping, leaving only a few small bits of clothing to cover up their private parts. He knew the services of these girls could be bought rather cheaply. Rooms were available upstairs and many patrons indulged in these types of activities.
“Music’s too loud,” complained Salas. “I can barely hear myself think.”
Jarls was about to reply when he saw Avery Dolman enter the entertainment area. He looked around and upon spotting Jarls made a beeline for his table.
“Clan Leader Jarls,” said Dolman, staring at the Dacroni mercenary.
The Star Cross: The Vorn! Page 19