by Chris Fox
"Don't have to die?" Chu said, laughing uproariously. It sputtered off into coughing, and a thick stream of green and black blood ran from the corner of Chu's mouth. "I'm already dead, you fool. Sacrificed on the altar of the masters. I give birth to the future."
His body began to writhe, then to tremble violently.
"Fall back to the barricade!" Nolan roared, backpedaling. He kept his eyes on Chu's body, his rifle aimed at the man's face.
Delta raised his rifle and fired a blob of blue-white plasma that disintegrated Chu's head. Nolan was about to chastise him, but held his tongue when the body continued to writhe. If anything, that writhing became more violent. Nolan risked a glance back. Hannan and Annie had taken cover, but Delta hadn't moved.
Nolan was about to grab him by the shoulder when a tendril of ropey ligament shot from Chu's body, a mass of thinner tendrils at one end grasping like fingers. The tendril shot directly for Delta's face. Nolan lowered the rifle with his left hand, even as his right hand shot up. He flicked his wrist to ignite the plasma blade, slashing at the tendril just before it grabbed Delta. The blade sent of a spray of greenish blood as it lopped the end off the tendril.
Delta backpedaled, firing wildly at the admiral's corpse. More tendrils shot out, and Nolan narrowly avoided one aimed at his leg. He turned and sprinted, careful to keep out of Hannan's firing arc as she and Annie opened fire.
"That thing is growing fast," Hannan said, as Nolan dove into cover next to her. "What the hell do we do?"
Nolan looked up to see the ropy tendrils covering the entire platform. Thick membranes flowed between them, growing into leathery walls. It was all happening with alarming speed.
"My God," Nolan muttered. "I think that thing is a cocoon."
Chapter 68- Chrysalis
Nolan added his fire to the rest of the squad's, disintegrating tendrils as the cocoon tried to spread. The tendrils were getting longer, and he watched in horror as they shot into the navigation area. The hapless crew techs were unprepared, struggling to flee as the tendrils wrapped around their legs. They were dragged back toward the cocoon with supernatural speed.
"Don't let it get those techs," Nolan barked, pivoting and firing his rifle. He severed the closed cable, and the tech tumbled to the deck. Three more tendrils shot out, latching around the man.
The rest of the squad pivoted as well, adding their fire to his. There were just too many tendrils. For every one they severed, two more emerged. Nolan knew the strategy wasn't working. That cocoon was feeding, and he didn't want to see what it would do with that much biomass. His gut tightened, but he gave the order anyway.
"Kill the technicians," Nolan yelled, shifting to fire at the man he'd been trying to save. Two shots vaporized most of his body, but the tendrils greedily snapped up the remains, dragging them back into the main mass.
The rest of the squad dealt with the remaining bridge crew, each paying their own emotional price. Then they shifted their fire back to the main body. Its growth had slowed, but it had managed to erect some kind of thick, fleshy membrane. Their shots pierced it, but the membrane grew back as quickly as it was destroyed.
"Sir, how the hell do we kill this thing?" Hannan yelled, still firing.
"Not sure yet," Nolan yelled back. "Keep firing while I figure it out."
Nolan mind began deciphering the problem. This was analysis, the thing he most excelled at. How did this life form work? How did they kill it? Presumably the thing had a brain of some kind, a vulnerable structure that commanded the body. But where would that be located? He considered Kathryn's scans. The larva gestated around the tailbone, working its way up the spine, until it dominated the entire central nervous system.
He wasn't positive, but it seemed likely that if any part of this thing was the brain, it would be the place where the larva gestated.
"Okay," Nolan yelled to the squad. He rose from cover, advancing on the cocoon. "Form up on me."
"You want us to get closer to that thing?" Hannan yelled. "You're nuts, sir."
"I'm with Hannan," Annie said. "There any reason we can't just flee and blow us the ship?"
"Yeah," Nolan said. "We need the transmitter, so we can free every officer in the fleet. Leaving without that isn't an option. We're going to attack the body in a coordinated assault. Annie and Hannan, keep the tendrils at bay. Delta, carve a path inside the thing. We need to reach Chu's body. When we do, I'm going to try to kill it."
Delta nodded, moving to point and slowly advancing on the creature. Their withering barrage of fire kept the tendrils at bay, though Nolan had to dodge more than one that got a little too close. They pressed forward, inching their way closer as Delta used his rifle to create a hole in the membrane. He kept firing, widening the hole even as the creature struggled to close it. Nolan added his fire to Delta's, ensuring that they outpaced the regeneration.
Then they finally passed inside the thing, ducking through the membrane, and into a jungle of tendrils. They snaked from floor to ceiling and wall to wall, a fleshy latticework. Nolan ignited his plasma blade, and joined Delta in cutting a path.
"Over there," Delta said, pointing through the mass of tendrils. "Chu's body."
"Hannan, Annie, stay back and use your rifles. Destroy anything moving in our direction," Nolan said, creeping after Delta. They slashed their way across the last few feet, and had almost reached the corpse when a dozen tendrils all leapt at Delta. Plasma fire caught a few of them, but the rest wrapped around the big man, pulling him tight. One wrapped around his throat, cutting off the panicked scream.
Time slowed as Nolan's gaze alternated between Delta and Chu. The admiral's body was just a few feet away.
"Do it," Delta choked out.
Nolan nodded, darting toward Chu. He jerked his arm back, then plunged the plasma blade into Chu's lower spine. He did it over and over, quick motions that tore and cooked the surrounding tissue.
A high pitched squeal on the edge of hearing knocked Nolan to his knees, but he shook it off and kept stabbing. The keening wail grew weaker, then finally ceased. Nolan kept stabbing. The tendrils all around him went limp. Nolan turned off his blade and pulled out his sidearm. He held it ready to fire as he explored Chu's pockets. It was grisly, but Nolan forced himself to keep searching until he found a small black box.
The tendrils were still silent. Nolan leaned back, vaporizing Chu with three precise shots, then turned to see Hannan helping Delta free of the tendrils.
"Let's get the hell out of here," Nolan said.
Chapter 69- Aftermath
Dryker's hands were clenched into fists as he watched the battle unfolding. Casualties had been enormously high on both sides, and only a few dozen ships outside his fleet were still fighting. Most of the 11th had been destroyed, and the Leonis had paid a high price for it.
"Admiral," Celendra said, blinking. "Fizgig has just defeated the Leonis commander. As I understand it, she is now in command."
Dryker watched as the remaining Tigris vessels disengaged from the 11th. They limped their way back to the tiny Tigris fleet Fizgig had arrived with. Even after every vessel had made it back to Fizgig, there were still only three dozen. Thirty-six, out of over a hundred that had arrived.
The few 11th fleet vessels that were able to limped to Dryker's side, joining his own tiny fleet. He did a quick scan, counting seventy-one vessels. That meant that outside of the 14th, only about thirty ships had survived.
"Shall we intervene with Chu's vessel?" Celendra asked, gesturing at a pair of blue diamonds at the very edge of the sun's corona.
"I'm sure Nolan has it well in hand, but we'll take the First Light to assist. Give me fleetwide, open frequency," Dryker ordered.
Celendra nodded a moment later, wiping at a bead of green liquid leaking from her eye. The Primo version of a cold, maybe? Celendra had seemed increasingly unwell over the last few days.
"This is Admiral Dryker, and I'm addressing everyone who can hear this. Humans. Tigris. Primo. Everyone has a st
ake in what happened here today," Dryker said. "The Void Wraith won a great victory. They've severely damaged our military--all three militaries. But we've won a victory too. They didn't wipe us out, and those who survive are ready to fight back. To fight back as a united group.
"I invite the Tigris commander and all fleet captains to join us aboard the First Light," Dryker continued. "We'll schedule the meeting for tomorrow at noon. In the meantime, tend to your wounded, and bury your dead. Today we mourn. Tomorrow we go to war."
Dryker nodded at Celendra and she severed the connection.
Chapter 70 -Unexpected Complications
The Eye observed many things, floating in the darkness near the life-giving star that was ever-so-slowly being pulled into the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. A thousand thousand vessels dotted this galaxy, each linked to the Eye through one of the larva that would one day become true Gorthians.
Two vessels in particular had captivated the Eye's attention, both witnessing unexpected events. Such events were rare, though they'd been increasingly common since entity Nolan had become involved.
The Eye watched as its progeny was nearly born from the body of vessel Chu, then slain by entity Nolan. It watched as vessel Celendra spoke to Dryker, discussing the battle that had devastated their fleets. More of those fleets survived than should have, and the fact that entity Dryker was unifying all three races into a single cohesive fighting force was troubling.
Troubling...and intriguing. The Eye had learned much, watching entity Dryker through vessel Celendra's eyes. Entity Dryker was bold, cunning, and decisive. He demonstrated everything that made his species ideal servants.
The Tigris were powerful, aggressive warriors. They made excellent troops, perhaps even more so than the Primo. They had the added benefit of comparatively rapid reproduction, making them more ideal slaves than the Primo. Yet humanity eclipsed them both. They bred quickly, were highly aggressive, yet also demonstrated the ability to consider problems differently.
They were unpredictable, intelligent, and tenacious. They'd made perfect slaves, particularly as officers and commanders. Initial reports indicated there were over seventy billion of them, a sizable contingent if they could all be harvested. Add in the Tigris, and this harvest might be the best in history. The masters would be pleased.
Thankfully, entity Dryker seemed unaware that vessel Celendra had been infected. The Eye had ordered her larva to take no action that might call attention to itself, as the intelligence she passed was far more valuable than the short term havoc she could wreak. That might change, in time, but until it did he would continue to monitor entity Dryker's progress.
An unquiet voice reminded the Eye of the only harvest that might rival this one, the harvest in which it had first encountered the Primo. Those Primo had possessed technology most races never amassed, and had used that technology to devastating effect. The speed with which they'd created and modified new weapons was unparalleled, and the Eye was painfully aware that their greatest achievement was still out there somewhere, in some forgotten corner of space. Waiting for discovery.
That was what had brought it to this system, after all. Somewhere near the supermassive black hole lay the Birthplace, the research station where the Primo had created the Forge, the only vessel that had defeated every Void Wraith fleet sent to destroy it.
Still, that was a minor variable. Nearly fifty millennia had passed, and no one had discovered the ship. Even if they did, the Eye had countless contingency plans. It focused its attention on the vessels commanding its fleets. It saw them all simultaneously, over four thousand Void Wraith harvesters. Those fleets were superior to both humanity and the Tigris. They were the equal of the Primo, and they outnumbered them nearly a hundred to one.
Victory was all but assured. The chance of any other outcome was a statistical impossibility. The masters would be pleased.
Chapter 71- Meetings
Dryker was more than a little nervous, walking the corridors of the Void Wraith vessel. It had belonged to the enemy, and the fact that Nolan was in charge now didn't banish the sense of unease at being here. Yet it made sense. If they used the First Light, or even the Claw of Tigrana, then there would be warriors, technicians, and other crew there. Those people, any of whom could be a spy, would witness the outcome of this historic meeting, and right now secrecy was paramount.
Dryker was the last to enter. Celendra was seated at the far end of the room, awkwardly straddling a chair designed for humans. Fizgig sat two chairs down, her ears flicking as she groomed the fur around the cast on her arm. She wore a similar cast on her leg, both made from quick-sealing foam. It was very similar to what humans used to set bones.
Nolan was there, too, of course. He sat at the head of the table, giving Dryker a respectful nod. It was a gesture one gave an equal, not a superior. Dryker smiled, returning the nod, then walked to the other end of the table to take a seat.
"I'm sorry I'm late," he said, undoing the top button on his uniform. "There are more Fleet logistics than I'd have expected. If not for Lieutenant Juliard, I'd still be there."
"We are beyond pleasantries," Fizgig said, flexing her claws and digging them into the metal table. "Let us discuss what has brought us here. We three represent the significant factions: Dryker the humans, Celendra the Primo, and myself the Tigris."
"You're the leader of Leonis Pride?" Nolan asked. He didn't seem surprised, more like he was correlating a bit of data he'd already known.
To Dryker's immense surprise, Fizgig shook her head and looked down at the table. "No," she said a moment later, and looked up. "I turned down that honor. In order to stop Mow, I was forced to do something that has not been done in nearly two centuries: I've founded my own pride. Every prideless was invited, and now that we are pride I cannot abandon them."
"But you still speak for the Tigris?" Dryker asked.
"For two prides, at least," Fizgig said, her tail rising. "Leonis has not chosen a leader, but I speak for them until they do."
"What of the rest of the prides?" Celendra asked, blinking. "Are there not close to a dozen more?"
"Most of those are small, and those that are not are unlikely to seek alliance," Fizgig said, her irises narrowing to slits. "I will do what I can to bring them into the fold, but I make no promises."
"Some Tigris are better than none. Well done, Fizgig," Dryker said, resting his elbows on the table. "Now that we've dealt with pleasantries, let's get to business, as Fizgig suggests. We're not here to discuss troop dispositions, or combat strength. We're screwed, and we know it. Our combined fleets aren't strong enough to police known space, meaning the Void Wraith get to pick the playing field. We can only react, and we all know how that will end. They'll pick off our colonies one by one, until we have only the core worlds. Then they'll take those, too."
Dryker stopped there, though he could have added quite a bit more about current circumstances. He was especially interested in Nolan's report, and in his opinion on stopping the Void Wraith. Dryker had no idea how they were going to do that, but the kid was a tactical genius.
"If we are not here to discuss military deployment, then why are we here, Admiral Dryker?" Celendra asked. She wiped milky sweat from her forehead, blinking in what Dryker took for exhaustion.
"To stop the Void Wraith," Nolan supplied, drawing her attention. "As you saw from my report, I've learned quite a bit about them, and about their physiology. More importantly, we've learned about their history. The ancient Primo resisted them, and they did so using a vessel they called the Forge. It's the source of their technical miracles, a repository of everything the Primo had ever researched. Lena believes that vessel is still out there, and I trust her. If anyone can track down the Forge, it's her. That vessel may give us the edge we need."
"We'd better hope it does," Dryker said, grimly. "We don't know how many Void Wraith vessels are out there, but does it matter? They can keep building, harvesting our colonies to make more troops. We
need a real solution, and if we approach this like a conventional war we're going to lose."
"Both Nolan and Dryker speak with wisdom, but whether this war is futile or not, it must be fought," Fizgig said. "The Void Wraith will come, and we will drive them back. We need to protect our people, even if we lose our worlds. We must fall back, and give Nolan the time to discover this Forge. Evaluate our respective citizens to humanity's core worlds, then hold there. That defense will take all of us to plan. Humans, Tigris, and Primo."
"Are you willing to appoint Dryker as the supreme commander of the Tigris fleets?" Celendra asked, fixing Fizgig with her unblinking stare.
"I will follow Dryker," Fizgig said, scratching the fur around her arm cast. "I've no doubt he will lead us to victory."
"Then it's settled," Dryker said, looking from person to person. "We'll go over the reports everyone has supplied, and come up with a defensive plan of action. Nolan will hunt down this Forge, and find out how they used it to stop the Void Wraith. It isn't much, but it's what we have."
Table of Contents
Contents
Dedication
Previously on Void Wraith
Prologue
Chapter 1- 81 Days Later
Chapter 2- The Eye
Chapter 3- Home Again
Chapter 4- Helios Gate
Chapter 5- Coronas 6
Chapter 6- Catching Up
Chapter 7- Bock and Nolan
Chapter 8- Arrange It
Chapter 9- Annie
Chapter 10- Tibs
Chapter 11- Lena's Discovery
Chapter 12- Biscuits
Chapter 13- Dryker
Chapter 14- Shipwarming Present
Chapter 15- Mulholland Station
Chapter 16- Kathryn
Chapter 17- Run
Chapter 18- Primo Conclave