Vanquish (The Pike Chronicles Book 6)

by G. P. Hudson

  “I am Grand Sovereign Tsogt,” said the Kemmar leader.

  “You are a criminal,” Jon interrupted. “You will surrender yourself to the UHSF troops who will soon be arriving.”

  “Criminal? I am no criminal. I am the rightful leader of the Kemmar.”

  “You will be arrested and charged with war crimes-”

  “The Kemmar will not stand for this. They will never allow their sovereign to be treated in this way.”

  Jon didn’t get a chance to respond. Several Kemmar fell upon Tsogt, tearing at his flesh with their rows of razor sharp teeth. Tsogt didn’t make a sound, enduring the savage attack in silence.

  At first, it appeared as though they were eating him, as the Kemmar were known to do with their victims. But they spit the chunks of Tsogt’s flesh onto the floor with disgusted grunts. Perhaps not consuming a victim was the ultimate insult for a Kemmar.

  Jon watched the ordeal with revulsion, until finally one of the Kemmar turned to face him. Blood smeared across its orange fur, and dripped between strips of flesh still caught within its pointy teeth. “I am Lord Taak, Royal Advisor to Grand Sovereign Tsogt. The Grand Sovereign has been summarily executed for his many crimes. We await the arrival of your troops.”

  Jon closed the comm without a word, stunned by the Kemmar savagery he had just witnessed. In his belly, the creature growled its approval. The enemy had been defeated, their threat eliminated once and for all.

  Chapter 53

  The time Tallos had allotted to the Juttari planetary leadership had expired. Sitting in his command chair, Tallos wondered if the Juttari would really stand their ground, forcing him to nuke one of their cities. He hoped, for their sake, that they believed him. As he often said, Diakans do not bluff. Surely the Juttari must know this.

  He had gone to see the chief medical officer in sick bay. His previous emotional outbursts were extremely troubling, and he couldn’t afford another one while in command of the fleet. There was simply too much at stake.

  Upon examination, the doctor found his symbiont weakened. Though there was no indication of the cause. Not that it mattered, as it wouldn’t change the result. Tallos would return to Diakus and replace his symbiont.

  It was not uncommon among Diakans to exchange one symbiont for another, and there were many reasons why such a procedure would be required. But like most Diakans, Tallos had only ever paired with one symbiont. Usually a Diakan was paired with the same symbiont for life. Tallos had always assumed it would be the case with him.

  Diakans had powerful, primal emotions. Those emotions were regulated by their symbionts. If there were any changes in a symbiont’s ability to do so, they had to be dealt with immediately. Unfortunately, Tallos commanded a fleet that had just successfully invaded a Juttari system. This was no time to be running back to Diakus.

  Thankfully, the doctor was able to temporarily boost his symbiont’s strength, aiding its ability to maintain control over Tallos’s more primal impulses. He assured Tallos that it would see him through this campaign, keeping him in control until he could return to Diakus.

  He hoped he could now deal with the Juttari, without some wild overreaction on his part. Many would consider the use of nuclear weapons in this situation an overreaction. And with his symbiont’s returned strength and the resulting clarity, so did he. But he had made the threat before seeing the doctor. Was he unstable when he had done so? He certainly had not needed to use nuclear weapons on the military installations. He could’ve chosen conventional weapons, avoiding collateral damage.

  The thought troubled him. But the threat had been made. There could be no turning back now. If the Juttari refused to surrender, and he failed to follow through, his credibility would be gone. Doing so, on the other hand, would kill millions. It was a no win situation.

  As unsavory as it was, he had to see it through. If that included a nuclear strike against a civilian population, then so be it.

  “Captain Rotos,” said Tallos, from his command chair. “Open a comm with the planetary leadership. Send to my command display when ready.”

  “Opening channel,” said Rotos.

  A holographic display appeared in front of Tallos, revealing the faces of the three Juttari leaders. Despite the many Juttari Tallos had seen over the years, he still found them repulsive. How many years had he fought against them? It had to be at least one hundred Diakan standard years. That was a long time by anyone’s calculation.

  “Your time has run out,” said Tallos. “Do you surrender, or do I destroy one of your cities?”

  “We do not surrender to Diakan cowards,” said the same Juttari who had spoken before.

  “You would have me destroy one of your cities?”

  “We are the chosen of the Gods. This system, and its planets are holy. We do not submit to the unclean. We embrace our death, as you will soon embrace your doom.”

  Tallos stared at the display in disbelief. What was wrong with this species? He quickly checked his emotional status. No anger. No desire for vengeance. No paranoia. He remained in control. Any decision he made now would be a rational one. Unfortunately, he could only see one option.

  “Captain Rotos, prepare a twenty-five megaton nuclear warhead, and target one of the cities on the nearest planet,” Tallos said forebodingly.

  “General, that would target a civilian population,” said Rotos.

  “I’m aware of that, Captain. I take full responsibility for the decision.”

  Rotos hesitated and Tallos thought he might defy his order. Certainly, if Captain Rotos thought the order was illegal, he could refuse. He might even try to relieve Tallos of command.

  It was several tense moments before Rotos turned to his holographic display, tapping in the commands. “Nuclear warhead is armed, Sir. Target is selected and locked.”

  Tallos turned back to the Juttari. “This is your last chance, Juttari. Surrender, or the blood of millions will be on your hands.”

  “Your barbarism will not go unpunished, Diakan. The Gods come for you.”

  “Captain Rotos, initiate launch of nuclear weapon.”

  Soon, a giant fireball could be seen from orbit rising from the surface. The subsequent mushroom cloud that formed had a width of over one hundred kilometers. Underneath, where a city once stood, was what could only be devastation and carnage.

  Tallos had chosen a relatively small warhead by Diakan standards. He only wanted to prove a point. But the warhead was powerful enough to flatten the city.

  “Barbarism!” said the Juttari. “Sacrilege!”

  “Do you surrender?”

  “Unauthorized jumpspace disturbances,” said the computer. “Launching jump bombs.”

  “On viewscreen,” ordered Tallos. He had been expecting a Juttari counterattack. Now that it had come, the jump bombs were about to give the Juttari a very nasty surprise.

  The viewscreen shifted from the planet, to open space where hundreds of strange, enormous black vessels appeared. In all his years in space, Tallos could not remember ever seeing anything like it.

  “Are those Juttari ships?” said Tallos.

  “Unknown, General,” said Rotos.

  “The Gods have come for you,” the Juttari said ominously. “Your judgment is at hand.”

  The black ships were larger than even the massive Diakan siege ships. They were incredibly long, easily five times as long as the largest Diakan ship. Their bodies were sleek, almost tubular in design, with no visible weapon systems, or anything else jutting out of their hulls. They were like nothing Tallos had ever seen.

  As they emerged, the jump bombs detonated, yet the explosions seemed to remain outside the gigantic ships, rather than inside their hulls. The behemoths simply sailed right through the blasts, impervious to their affects.

  “All ships, initiate jump bomb strike against the new contacts,” ordered Tallos. “Fire at will.”

  Multiple detonations took place, too many to count. But the menacing starships continued to advance, unblemi
shed by any of the strikes.

  “Jump bombs are having no effect, Sir,” said Rotos.

  “Arm jump bombs with nuclear warheads. Maximum yield. Fire when ready.”

  “Firing.”

  Nuclear explosions took place all around the unidentified ships, but like before, those explosions occurred outside the hulls. This time, however, the blasts created a halo around each ship, as if it were surrounded by glittering dust.

  “They’re using some kind of protective shielding,” said Rotos. “The nuclear warheads are having no effect.”

  “Continue with nuclear strikes. Add conventional weapons once they’re in range. We need to disable those shields.”

  The black ships advanced steadily on Tallos’s fleet, shrugging off everything thrown at them. Suddenly, a streak of silver light burst forth from the lead ship, striking a Diakan battleship, and effortlessly punching through its thick armor. The beam burned through the battleship, and found its core. Detonation immediately followed, obliterating the powerful warship in an instant.

  More black ships joined in, lancing out with their own silver beams. Each time, the result was the same. The weapon cut through the targeted ships like they were nothing more than children’s toys.

  Tallos sat stunned in his chair. Their weapons were useless, and their ships helpless against these beings.

  “The Erinyie have returned,” said Rotos, in a quiet voice.

  “What did you say?” said Tallos.

  “The Erinyie, Sir. The Dark Ones. From our mythology. They are said to have been one of the first races. The bane of the galaxy.”

  “You think these beings come from our mythology?”

  “I don’t know, Sir. But they match the stories, and the Erinyie were prophesied to return one day.”

  The Erinyie. Tallos barely remembered the stories from his childhood. He remembered them as tales meant to make children behave. Go to bed or the Erinyie will come for you. Tallos didn’t know what to think of it all. He was losing ships fast. He could only retreat.

  “Captain Rotos, order all ships to prepare to jump to our pre-invasion coordinates.”

  “All ships reporting jump ready, Sir.”

  “Initiate jump.”

  In the blink of an eye, the scene on the viewscreen became peaceful, and the black ships were gone.

  “Report. How many ships did we lose?”

  “Eighty-nine ships were destroyed,” said Rotos.

  Eighty-nine ships in a matter of minutes, thought Tallos. How is that possible?

  “Set a course for the Sol System,” said Tallos. He needed to speak with Admiral Pike. His symbiont would have to wait.

  Chapter 54

  “It appears to be a problem with the jumpspace recognition system,” said Chief Engineer Singh. “In some cases it’s integration with the jump system caused a malfunction.”

  “Can you fix it?” said Jon. “I can’t afford to have ships scatter on me like that in the middle of a campaign.”

  “Yes, Sir. I believe I can. I will work out the details and roll out the upgrades to all UHSF ships.”

  “Admiral Pike,” came a voice from Jon’s comm.

  “Go ahead,” said Jon.

  “General Tallos has just jumped into the Sol System. He wishes to speak with you. He says it is urgent.”

  “Tallos? What’s he doing here?”

  “He didn’t say, Sir.”

  “Very well, I’ll use one of the consoles in Singh’s lab. Prepare to patch him through.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  Jon activated the nearest console, “Patch him through.”

  The display on the console came to life, and Tallos’s face appeared.

  “General Tallos, what are you doing here? The latest comm drone reported that you had successfully occupied the Juttari system.”

  “We had, Admiral. It was a disaster,” said Tallos.

  “A disaster? What do you mean?”

  “These beings attacked us. I have never seen anything like it in all my years. Our jump bombs were useless against them.”

  “The Juttari figured out a way to counter the jump bombs?”

  “No, Admiral. Not the Juttari. The Juttari called them their Gods. We think they are the Erinyie.”

  “What the hell are you talking about General? Who the hell is the Erinyie?”

  “One of the first races. A Diakan myth. I don’t know. All I can tell you is that our ships were helpless against them.”

  “I’m sorry, General, but this is all a little hard to digest.”

  “Stand by. I am transmitting a feed. Words are useless. Better to see with your own eyes what we are facing.”

  Tallos’s face vanished from the display, replaced by a space battle. Only this one was against an enemy Jon had never seen before. He watched with growing alarm as everything Tallos had said took place before his eyes. The jump bombs had no effect, even when armed with nukes. Even more frightening was their incredibly powerful weapons. Jon had seen Diakan battleships endure an immense amount of punishment, yet these Erinyie, or whatever they were, cut through the Diakan hulls in seconds. He couldn’t believe his eyes, but there it was.

  The feed vanished and Tallos reappeared. “Do you understand now, Admiral?”

  “Yes, but what do we do?”

  “I do not know. But I know who might. The Great See’er.”

  “The Great See’er? Why would she know about this?”

  “If they are the Erinyie, their return was prophesied, and if it was prophesied, she has seen it.”

  “Which means she might have seen something more. She might know what we’re supposed to do.”

  “It is possible.”

  “Then it’s settled. We leave for Diakus immediately.”

  Chapter 55

  Jon entered the Great See’er’s chamber with Tallos in tow. Tallos had resisted coming, but Jon insisted. If these beings really were the Erinyie, from Diakan mythology, then he needed a Diakan there with him to confirm.

  “Try and relax,” said Jon, as they proceeded deeper into the dark room. Tallos had become increasingly uncomfortable since they arrived at the Temple. Jon understood. The Diakans considered the Great See’er a deity. It couldn’t be easy to come face to face with your god.

  “Enemies turned allies,” said a female voice, that Jon instantly recognized as belonging to the See’er. “The prophecy unfolds.” The voice seemed to come from all around them.

  “That’s what we’re here about. We need to speak to you about a prophecy,” said Jon.

  “The Dark Ones have returned,” said the See’er, appearing directly in front of Jon and Tallos.

  “Shit!” Jon was startled again by her sudden appearance. “Can you please stop doing that?”

  The See’er looked at Jon, with powerful, blazing eyes. Her face began to fade and he was floating in space, watching a battle take place. The same strange black ships were laying waste to a fleet of ships he didn’t recognise, cutting through them like they were made of paper. The scene shifted, and the black ships appeared again, only now they had turned their weapons onto a planet, killing everything on its surface.

  “What am I looking at?” said Jon.

  “You see what has gone before,” said the See’er’s voice.

  “How long ago did this happen?”

  “Long before Diakans and Humans. The Erinyie were not of this galaxy. They came and brought the darkness with them.”

  As the See’er spoke, many scenes of destruction unfolded before Jon’s eyes. Scenes of strange ships and races, trying to protect themselves from the relentless black ships. In each case, however, the black ships prevailed. Planets were destroyed. Whole races wiped out.

  “They were unstoppable. What happened to them? Why did they leave?”

  The vision changed again, showing yet another battle. This time the black ships squared off against a fleet of equally strange warships. These were enormous, just as big as the black ships, though configured differe
ntly. They looked like monstrous orbs, their circumference spanning many kilometers.

  As they approached the black ships, blinding powerful beams of white light shot forth. Those beams hit the black ships’ shields, which changed colors, and eventually failed. The spherical ships continued firing, cutting into the now vulnerable black hulls.

  “Who are they?” Jon said in amazement.

  “They are the Antikitheri. The Builders. Oldest of the first races. Builders of the jump gates,” said the See’er.

  “Builders of the jump gates?”

  “Yes.”

  “Where are they? What happened to them?”

  Jon watched a different vision now. One where the spherical ships flew away from him. The Antikitheri were leaving.

  “They were the first,” said the See’er. “They left to make way for the new races to evolve. They had no interest in dominating the galaxy, and were so advanced that the younger races would have no way of comprehending them. They returned to their own space, leaving behind the jump gates, as their gift to the new races.

  “Why has no one found them?” said Jon.

  “They do not wish to be found. And yet, they must be found.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  The vision faded, and Jon found himself one again looking into the See’er’s blazing eyes. “You are the chosen, Jon Pike. You are the instrument of prophecy. It is you, and you alone who must find the Antikitheri. You must find them, and make them return, before all is lost. This is your destiny.”

  “That’s ridiculous. How can I find these Antikitheri? And even if I do find them, how can I get them to help us?”

  “You are the chosen,” said the See’er, as if it explained everything.

  One final vision entered Jon’s mind, although this one did not depict battles, or events, past, present, or future. Instead, it revealed a region of space, in an uncharted region of the galaxy.

  “Is that where they live?” said Jon.

  He was answered by the creaking sound of the giant doors opening behind them. The vision faded, and the See’er was gone.