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Gaylith watched Valen leave her office. He was a great man and a great leader. There was no doubt in her mind he would succeed. She was also surprised at how strong his arm had felt when she touched it. It made her feel warm inside, causing her to wonder if she was developing feelings toward the councilor. With a slight laugh at how ridiculous that was she turned and walked back to her desk. She still had a few communication intercepts from across the galaxy she wanted to study.
-
The next morning Lead Councilor Lavin strolled into the vast council chamber ready to put the Aggressives in their place once and for all. As he entered he noticed an unusual amount of conversation between the councilors. Since they were all, for the most part, represented by holograms they could not communicate telepathically but had to resort to verbal communication.
Lavin stepped behind the podium and called the meeting to order. “As some of you are no doubt aware, the Vorn have found our nebula. Early yesterday evening a force of four Vorn cruisers attempted to reach our Dyson Sphere but were destroyed by our battleships before they could get within range.” Across the chamber the talking grew in intensity. Many councilors had deeply concerned looks on their faces. Lavin smiled inwardly to himself. This was exactly what he wanted.
“It is because of the Aggressives and their desire to fight the Vorn that this danger has been brought to our doorstep. Even as we speak a single Vorn cruiser which managed to jump into hyperspace before we could destroy it is on its way back to reveal to the other Vorn where we have remained hidden. For over 22 million years we have known the safety of the nebula and the Dyson Sphere which we made our home. Now all of that has been put in jeopardy by the rashness of the Aggressives and their desire to go to war.”
“The Vorn would have found us eventually,” broke in Councilor Valen, standing up. “If Aggressives had been in command of the battleships that attacked the Vorn cruisers the fifth one would have been eliminated. The galaxy is being harvested once more. Granted the harvesting has been delayed due to our involvement but it will resume shortly in much greater intensity.”
“You are out of order,” said Lavin pointedly. “You have not requested to speak. Do not try to switch the blame for this calamity.”
“As if you would let me,” countered Valen, folding his arms defiantly across his chest. “If everyone would focus on the main screen, I have a video to show you.”
Instantly on the massive screen behind Lead Councilor Lavin, the destruction of the four Vorn cruisers was shown as well as the failed attempt to destroy the fifth.
“I want to call to your attention at how easily our battleships destroyed the Vorn vessels. We have tens of thousands of battleships sitting inside our spacedocks gathering dust. We have the power to destroy the Vorn once and for all.” Valen started another video. This one showing world after world that had been harvested by the Vorn and the aftermath of the Vorn bombardments making the planets uninhabitable.
“We have seen this before,” said Lead Councilor Lavin, trying to take back control of the meeting. “For million of years the Vorn have come to this galaxy and others to perform their harvests. This is nothing new.”
Valen started another video showing Fleet Captain Waelt and Fleet Captain Lilith’s ships in action against the Vorn. Motherships, Intergalactic Transports, Vorn battleships, and cruisers were being blown apart. In almost every case the Vorn fleets hastily withdrew.
“We have the ability to bring this war to an end. The Vorn have found us. Is it not better to fight them out in the galaxy instead of inside this nebula and around our Dyson Sphere?”
“Yes, send the fleet,” a surprisingly large number of voices called out.
“No!” called out Lead Speaker Lavin. “We must reduce the Aggressive population and defend the Dyson Sphere. The defensive weapons on the hull of the Dyson Sphere can inflict sufficient losses on the Vorn that they will leave our nebula and never return.”
“And sacrifice every race in this galaxy?” challenged Valen, glaring sharply at Lavin. “If we follow your recommendations we could all die. I say we take the fight to the Vorn. We drive them out of this galaxy and then we destroy their habitats. We end this war once and for all!”
“Vote!” called out a large number of councilors. “Vote! Destroy the Vorn!”
Lead Councilor Lavin was speechless. He stood at the podium knowing if he allowed this vote the Aggressives would take the Glaymons to war. All of his careful planning was crashing down around him. He felt a presence at his side. Turning he saw Councilor Aalik standing next to him.
“It’s over,” Aalik said quietly. “Call for the vote and accept it. This day has been long in coming.”
Lavin nodded barely able to speak. He knew he had no choice. “All in favor of going to war against the Vorn please indicate so.”
The votes came in much quicker this time. When the tally finally presented itself on the top of the podium, Lavin knew his time of being the Lead Councilor of the Glaymons was over. “The vote is 72 percent for going to war and 28 percent against. The motion has carried. Effective immediately we will send our fleet to fight the Vorn.” Lavin knew he could not leave the Dyson Sphere unprotected. There was one more vote he was determined to ask for. “Because of the threat of the Vorn coming to the Dyson Sphere I propose 50 percent of our fleet remain here to protect us.”
“Yes, we must be protected!” several voices called out.
Lavin saw Valen’s eyes widen in anger. “Let us vote.”
The vote came in and Lavin’s proposal narrowly passed. “The vote is 53 percent for keeping half of our fleet here and 47 percent against.” He knew there was no point in attempting to vote on reducing the Aggressives’ population. They would be needed to fly the ships going into battle. “The motion has been carried.”
Valen was still standing. “How does this council want us to fight this war?”
“To win! To destroy the Vorn!” called out a number of voices. “Let the Aggressives fight for us.”
Lead Councilor Lavin nodded his acceptance. “I will leave it up to Councilor Valen and the Aggressives on how best to fight this war. Councilor Valen will also make regular reports to this council on his actions.”
Lavin had already decided once this meeting was over he would be stepping down as Lead Councilor. Most likely someone like Aalik would be taking over. Lavin greatly feared this vote had doomed the Glaymon race. However, he was an Advanced Glaymon and would accept the will of the council.
-
Valen stepped away from his chair, which projected his holographic image to the council chambers. He could scarcely believe they had won. While it irked him Lavin had managed to get the council to vote to keep half of the fleet at the Dyson Sphere that still left a tremendous number of ships at his disposal. Also, if he implemented Fleet Captain Kriegon’s plan to defeat the Vorn, he might not need the other half of the fleet.
Sitting down behind his desk he began thinking about what needed to be done. Later this afternoon he would call in Fleet Captain Kriegon and several other Aggressive officers who would be promoted to that lofty position. They had a lot of planning to do. It wasn’t going to be easy planning the fleet movements of over 260,000 warships. For the first time in the history of the Glaymons, they were in a state of war. Valen just hoped he had done the right thing. Getting back up, he needed to pay Gaylith a visit. Councilor Marshton and Fleet Captains Waelt and Lilith needed to be informed of what the council had decided. This was going to greatly alter the war in the galaxy and for the first time in their long history of war, the Vorn were going to be faced with a powerful and superior opponent.
Chapter Nineteen
High Prince Brollen watched as the twenty Intergalactic Transports made the jump into hyperspace on their way to Galaxy X241. The transports held battleships and cruisers bound for a lonely star system right on the periphery of the galaxy. For weeks now he had been sending fleets as soon as the ships were updated and ready
for combat. The first ships to be brought out of stasis and updated were the six hundred and forty Intergalactic Transports stored in the habitats. After that were the battleships, followed by the cruisers, and finally the motherships. This time there would be no danger of the Ancients and their allies taking the new staging system by surprise.
Military Commander Vasterus was in the system organizing the fleets as they arrived. Vasterus was under strict orders to keep several fleets combat ready at all times to ensure the Ancients did not launch another attack similar to the four which had devastated so many motherships a few months back. Several powerful fleets of battleships were on constant patrol with shields and weapons fully activated as a precaution.
One more week and the fleet will be ready, reported Military Leader Ansolk. Four hundred thousand warships will be involved in the harvest as well as nearly four hundred motherships. In just a matter of a few months we will have all the food pellets our Queens desire.
This time we will not fail, Brollen replied, his multifaceted eyes watching as more ships exited the habitats. Another two hundred thousand Vorn ships were being left behind to protect the home system.
Several military commanders had asked why so many ships were being left behind. Brollen didn’t dare tell them the Ancients had the coordinates to the location of the habitats. Instead he had explained to the military commanders the other ships would be used as a reserve and called to Galaxy X241 if the fleets sustained major losses against the Protector Worlds and the Ancients during their harvesting campaign.
The Arbitrator is about to exit the space dock, reported Military Leader Gallet.
High Prince Brollen turned to view the indicated screen. The Arbitrator was his new flagship. It was a mothership but like none ever built before. The Arbitrator 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. A powerful energy screen protected it and a sensor-dampening field ensured it could not be detected. Each of those globes measured 3,000 meters and the cylinder connecting the two was 600 meters long and 400 in diameter. The ship was powered by a Zero-Point Energy module.
High Prince Brollen gazed at his new flagship. With its powerful energy screen and weapons he would have nothing to fear. The ship was capable of flying in intergalactic space without the need for an Intergalactic Transport. Only the new dreadnoughts were more powerful.
The new mothership is taking up position with the completed dreadnoughts, reported Military Leader Gallet.
Brollen watched as the massive mothership settled into formation with the forty 2,800-meter dreadnoughts. By the end of the week the other eighty would be finished. All one hundred and twenty would possess a Zero-Point Energy module. The primary role of the dreadnoughts would be to protect the Arbitrator and destroy any Ancient warship that came within range. Only the immense size of the vessels permitted installation of the Zero-Point Energy module.
The Ancients will tremble before our power, proclaimed Military Leader Ansolk, his thoughts projecting confidence.
I must go to the Conclave Habitat, Brollen sent. Several of the Queens are reporting a lack of food in their habitats. Brollen knew the problem was that a number had hesitated at reducing the size of the Working Caste. He also doubted if their food reserves were as low as they were proclaiming.
-
High Prince Brollen stood next to Hive Queen Berlyne listening to four Queens request additional food for their habitats.
We have less than a two week supply remaining, projected Queen Anadem. If something is not done soon we will have to resort to widespread deletions across all castes.
We must have more food pellets, pleaded Queen Somlyay. If not many in my habitat will starve.
Hive Queen Berlyne waved them to silence. Queen Anadem, I have been informed you have only deleted 4 percent of the Worker Caste in your habitat. Why is that?
Queen Anadem looked stunned that the Hive Queen was aware of such information. We need the Worker Caste, she said, looking around for support. They keep our habitats clean and do many of the menial jobs the other castes refuse to do.
I will send our military to your habitat and begin mass deletions of your Worker Caste immediately. By deleting 80 percent of your workers that will increase your food reserves sufficiently to allow your habitat to survive until the new harvests arrive.
Queen Anadem looked as if she was going to protest but then bowed in submission and backed away.
Hive Queen Berlyne looked at the other three Queens. The military will be coming to your habitats as well. If you would have reduced your Worker Caste as I directed previously you would have been spared this.
The three bowed and moved away from the Hive Queen.
How soon will the harvest begin? asked Queen Erriles. It has been months since a mothership loaded with food pellets arrived here at the habitats. During that time we have been taking thousands of ships out of stasis and using valuable resources to update them. Surely we have enough ships available to renew the harvest.
Hive Queen Berlyne looked over at High Prince Brollen.
The harvest will resume in two more days, Brollen answered. We will harvest several regions of Galaxy X241 where we expect little opposition and then our forces will be turned toward those who have resisted us. By crushing them our harvesting fleets will be able to roam throughout the galaxy without fear of being hindered by powerful war fleets.
Queen Erriles looked critically at High Prince Brollen. I hope you are correct. So far our harvesting fleets have met with a multitude of failures under your command. If you want to remain High Prince make sure they do not fail this time. Queen Erriles gazed directly at High Prince Brollen, her multifaceted eyes showing no fear.
We will succeed, answered Brollen. Our mistake was allowing this galaxy so much time to grow an abundance of food species. Because of that the resistance is much stronger than originally forecast. We now know what we are up against and have adjusted our strategy accordingly. Brollen knew Queen Erriles led a group of older Queens who still wielded much influence over the Royal Court.
I hope so, Queen Erriles replied. If not, changes will be made. With that Queen Erriles and a number of older Queens left the Royal Court Chamber.
Brollen felt frustrated. He had worked long and hard to accomplish his rise to power. He was not going to allow Queen Erriles to take it away. He dared not arrange for Queen Erriles to meet an unfortunate end through an accident, it would be too suspicious coming so soon after Hive Queen Alithe’s death. No, once plentiful food supplies began arriving at the habitats Queen Erriles would lose what power she and her group thought they had over the Royal Court.
-
Near Galaxy X241, Military Commander Vasterus watched one of the viewscreens as a fleet of Interstellar Transports exited hyperspace. One moment space was empty and then it was full of ships.
We have over 240,000 ships in the system, sent Military Leader Camatte. When will High Prince Brollen allow us to begin the harvest?
Soon, replied Vasterus.
At the moment he was more interested in the report he had just received from Military Leader Victell. It seemed he had found the nebula the Ancients were hiding in. Vasterus was going to make arrangements for Victell to return to the nebula and complete a detailed mapping of the interior. In twenty hours Military Leader Victell would be departing with a fleet of sixty Vorn battleships and four hundred cruisers. That should be sufficient to discover exactly what the Ancients were hiding inside the nebula. Once Vasterus knew for certain he would send a large fleet to destroy it.
-
In the Newton System, Fleet Admiral Kurt Vickers was studying the latest readiness reports of the fleet and the Newton Alliance.
“My ships have updated all of the shipyards in the Alliance,” Lomatz reported. “They have been equipped with Kubitz construction technology and their ship construction rate has been increased by fourfold.�
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“You charged enough,” muttered Captain Randson. “The Sertez claim you billed them an arm and a leg to build a complete shipyard.”
Lomatz smiled, his slightly tinted yellow eyes gazing at the captain. “I can assure you the profit from building and updating these shipyards was minimal. The one at Sertez was much more difficult as their current shipyard was so dilapidated that a completely new structure had to be built. In the end, to get it completed in time I had to send four of my best construction ships.”
“I appreciate what you did,” Kurt replied. He had studied the fees Lomatz had charged. They were not exorbitant but not cheap either. “New warships are already coming out of most of those shipyards. We’re going to need every ship we can get when the Vorn return.”
Lomatz leaned back in his chair. They were in a conference room on board Newton Station. Several large viewscreens in the room were focused on the ships in orbit around Newton. The most imposing was the Glaymon battleship. It dwarfed everything else on the screens. On another screen the Star Cross was visible. “The Vorn know where we are from their attack on Earth. It won’t be difficult for them to plot the courses of inbound and outbound ships that were visible on their sensors.”
“That’s why we’re still increasing the power of our defensive grid,” replied Colonel Simms, touching the computer pad on the conference table and bringing a defense platform into view that was being assembled. “The only defense grid which may be stronger is the one around Lakiam.”
Kurt nodded. “That’s because Fleet Commodore Dreen is expecting the Vorn to attack Lakiam as they are the center of the Lakiam Alliance and the resistance against The Destroyers of Worlds.”
“Can we win this war?” asked Colonel Simms, arching his eyebrow. “Or are we only delaying the inevitable?”
Pointing toward the Glaymon battleship, Kurt replied. “With the ships the Glaymons recently sent to aid Fleet Captain Waelt we have a slim chance. The problem is numbers. When I last spoke to Glaymon Councilor Marshton, he indicated the Vorn may attack with an overwhelming force when they return. Our only real hope is that the Glaymons back in their Dyson Sphere decide to come to our aid.”
The Star Cross: The Vorn! Page 27