The Star Cross: The Forever War

by Raymond L. Weil

  “It’s real,” Kurt replied somberly. “They’re a threat we should all be afraid of. This race is from another universe, and, to them, we are nothing more than a food source.”

  The president shuddered and blinked her eyes. “That’s what Governor Spalding said. Admiral, please keep them away from Earth.”

  “I’ll do my best,” Kurt answered. He could promise nothing more.

  President Lambert nodded. “I know you will.”

  With that, Kurt left the president’s office to return to the Star Cross. Time to see the Glaymons.

  -

  Several hours later the Star Cross dropped from hyperspace into the Epsilon Reticuli star system. 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 and in an eccentric orbit due to a large gas giant.

  “Ship is operating at top efficiency,” reported Aleea as she accessed the ship’s systems.

  “No contacts on the sensors,” added Lieutenant Brooks.

  This didn’t surprise Kurt as the Glaymons used a special sensor-dampening field on all their ships to ensure they were not detected. However, the Star Cross was equipped with a special sensor which could penetrate the field. The device had been furnished by the Glaymons for use with the Vorn. The device could easily penetrate any dampening field to reveal what was hidden.

  “Activate the Glaymon sensor device,” Kurt ordered.

  “It won’t be necessary,” Aleea said as her eyes narrowed slightly. “I just received a message from another AI, and she told me where we need to go.”

  The AIs had a method of instantaneous communication when they were in close proximity. “Aleea, you have control of all systems. Take the Star Cross to the indicated coordinates.”

  “Yes, Admiral,” Aleea responded, smiling. She loved it when the admiral allowed her to fly the ship.

  A few moments later the Star Cross entered hyperspace and made a short jump to the outskirts of the system.

  On the tactical display, showing the results from the new sensor, a number of green icons appeared. Some were obviously larger than others, and one was massive and shone yellow on the screen.

  “What is that?” asked Andrew, peering sharply at the tactical display.

  “I’m putting it on the main screen,” replied Aleea. “I think you will be impressed.”

  On the main viewscreen a huge sphere appeared, made from metal. In a few areas metal beams were visible where protective hull plating hadn’t been installed.

  “Is that a ship?” asked Lieutenant Mays. “If so, it’s the largest one I’ve ever seen.”

  Aleea shook her head. “No, it’s their new habitat. It’s 140 kilometers in diameter, and, when they’re done, it will resemble the inside of a Dyson Sphere, just much smaller.”

  Andrew shook his head. “I will say one thing about the Glaymons. They don’t do things in a small way.”

  “I have a message from Tasid,” reported Lieutenant Pierce from her communications console. “He requests you take a shuttle to the colony ship he’s on.”

  Kurt was pleased with this request. He had never been on one of the two colony ships the Glaymons had brought with them. They were seven kilometers in length and three kilometers in diameter at their widest point. From what Tasid had told Kurt, each ship contained 33,000 Glaymons of childbearing age.

  Kurt nodded. “Inform Tasid I’ll be over shortly.”

  “Fleet Captain Waelt is also here,” Aleea informed Kurt. “His disk ship is docked to the colony ship Tasid’s on.”

  Andrew looked surprised. “The fleet captain’s here? I thought he was staying at Lakiam with his fleet to support Fleet Commodore Dreen’s Alliance.”

  “I’ll find out what’s going on when I get over there,” Kurt said as he stood. “Lieutenant Mays, want to come along?” Since they would be discussing tactics and the Vorn, it might be good to have the tactical officer tag along.

  “Yes, Admiral,” said Mays, getting up from her tactical console.

  “Andrew, keep the Star Cross at Condition Five. I don’t believe we’ll be facing any threats in this system.”

  “I did activate our sensor-dampening field,” reported Aleea. “I’m sure the Glaymons don’t want anyone to detect the Star Cross as it might give away the location of their new habitat.”

  “I’m sure you’re right,” Kurt replied. “Lieutenant Mays, let’s go.”

  -

  It didn’t take long for the shuttle with Kurt and Lieutenant Mays to land in the colony ship’s spacious flight bay. The shuttle sat down gently, and the sound of the engines died away.

  “I wonder if this ship is armed?” asked Lieutenant Mays as she waited anxiously for the hatch to open. “I didn’t notice any evidence on the hull as we approached. There were no weapon turrets though there were a lot of hatches of various sizes.”

  Kurt smiled. The lieutenant always had weapons on her mind. “I’m sure it is. Its strong point will be its defensive energy screen, since it’s more of a civilian ship.” The hatch slid open, interrupting Kurt’s words. “Let’s go. Maybe we can talk Tasid into giving us a tour.”

  “I hope he will,” Mays said as she stood, her eyes alight with excitement.

  The two exited the hatch and walked down the ramp. The flight bay was large, much larger than the one on the Star Cross. Dozens of shuttles of various sizes were parked in the bay with a number of small repair robots darting about. A few Glaymons were in evidence as well on the far end of the bay, overseeing the loading of equipment into a large shuttle.

  As the two Humans reached the end of the ramp and stepped onto the armored deck of the bay, Tasid appeared from behind one of the shuttles. It only took him a few moments to reach Kurt and Lieutenant Mays.

  “Admiral, Lieutenant Mays,” he said in greeting. “I’m pleased you paid us a visit today. Fleet Captain Waelt has something he wishes to discuss.”

  Kurt was surprised. He wondered what the fleet captain could want. “Let’s not keep Fleet Captain Waelt waiting.”

  As they made their way through the ship, they took several small transport shafts to reach their destination. The shafts nullified gravity and used small transport beams to take everyone to their destinations. Tasid had given both Kurt and Lieutenant Mays a small disk to wear so they could use the shafts safely. Kurt still recalled the first time he had used such a shaft on the Glaymons’ Dyson Sphere. It had literally scared him to death to be floating in the air with no visible means of support.

  After a few minutes they reached the end of a short corridor and, upon stepping inside, found themselves in a huge Command Center. Dozens of Glaymons sat in front of consoles, and numerous AIs were present.

  “We’re controlling the building of our new habitat from here,” Tasid explained. “If all goes well, we should have it completed sometime next year.”

  “That soon?” said Kurt in amazement. He couldn’t imagine building a structure the size of their habitat in such a short time.

  Tasid smiled. “Almost all the construction is automated. Even the mines we’re using to provide material are automated.”

  “Fleet Admiral Vickers,” a man said, his voice coming from behind them.

  Turning, Kurt saw Fleet Captain Waelt. “Fleet Captain,” said Kurt, reaching out and shaking his hand. “I understand you have something you wanted to discuss with me.”

  “A small conference room is nearby,” said Tasid. “I suggest we go there.”

  As Kurt turned to follow Tasid, he glanced at a viewscreen, showing several large cargo ships docking to the new habitat. He didn’t recall those ships being with the Glaymon fleet when they left the Dyson Sphere. Obviously they had been built recently.

  -

  Once they reached the conference room, they all sat. Tasid took a deep breath as he prepared to reveal shocking information to Fleet Admiral Vickers. However, these Humans had surprised him in the past, and
he was confident they could handle what he was about to reveal.

  “Our scientists working on the captured Vorn mothership have recovered some of the encrypted files. The Vorn ships have a computer log that records everywhere the ship travels.” Tasid pointed to the main viewscreen. “This is their staging system where their fleets gather before launching their harvesting attacks against our galaxy.”

  On a large viewscreen a desolate world appeared. In orbit around it were hundreds of Vorn vessels, including several that were gigantic.

  “What are those big ships?” asked Kurt. The only ships he had ever seen larger than those were the Glaymons’ colony ships.

  “Their intergalactic transport ships,” Tasid answered. “Those ships have a Zero-Point Energy drive. They transport the smaller Vorn ships between their home system and the target galaxy.”

  Kurt leaned forward, studying the vessels. “They can’t have too many of those,” he said.

  “They have enough, and we’re not sure how many may still be in their home system,” said Fleet Captain Waelt. “We believe it is nearing time for the Vorn to recommence their harvesting of our galaxy at a highly increased rate.”

  Tasid looked at Kurt, who was deep in thought.

  “What would happen if those transport ships were destroyed?”

  Fleet Captain Waelt blinked his eyes and then answered. “It would delay their harvesting. We don’t know how many they possess.”

  “That information wasn’t in the computer files we’ve unlocked,” added Tasid. He wondered what Kurt was thinking. The Humans were used to war. Their home planet’s history was full of conflict. He was certain Kurt would use this information to their advantage. “They are bound to have a few more in their home system, but the total number is unknown.”

  “So, what do you want to see me about? It can’t be just to share this information.”

  Fleet Captain Waelt looked directly at Kurt. “We want you to scout the Vorn staging system and report what’s actually there.”

  -

  Kurt felt a cold chill run through his body. “Why?” This sounded extremely dangerous.

  “As you just speculated, if we could destroy their intergalactic transport ships, we might delay or even stop the attack on this galaxy for several years,” explained Fleet Captain Waelt. “It would give Fleet Commodore Dreen time to better prepare the entire galaxy to fight the Vorn.”

  Kurt mulled over what the fleet captain said. He hadn’t planned on taking an active part in this war unless Earth, Newton, or one of the other three worlds of Newton’s Alliance was endangered.

  “With the sensor-dampening system on the Star Cross, the Vorn will never know you’re there,” Tasid said. “We want you to scan the system, observe their ship movements for a few days, and then return.”

  “That’s asking a lot,” Lieutenant Mays said. “Thousands of Vorn ships may be in that system. We may not so easily escape detection, even with the sensor-dampening field. Our ship may be spotted on a Vorn viewscreen.”

  “They won’t be expecting you,” explained Fleet Captain Waelt. “I doubt if anything like this has ever been attempted before. Even if they do detect you, your ship can outrun them in hyperspace. Their battleships and cruisers don’t have Zero-Point Energy drives.”

  “Did the files on the captured mothership mention anything about defenses in the system?” asked Lieutenant Mays.

  “None we are aware of,” replied Tasid.

  Fleet Captain Waelt looked intently at Kurt. “The Vorn will doubtlessly start their harvest of our galaxy shortly. This time we expect their fleet to be far larger than before. We need more time to prepare. That’s why this mission is so important and you’re the only one I trust to accomplish it. The Star Cross may be the most powerful ship in the galaxy, and we desperately need to know what’s in that system.”

  “I need to think about this,” replied Kurt, feeling uneasy about the idea of scouting the Vorn staging system. Just too many things could go wrong. However, the tactical information gathered from such a mission could be instrumental in delaying the Vorn attack on the galaxy. It seemed he would be pulled into this war whether he wanted it or not.

  -

  They spent another hour discussing the proposed mission. When they were through, Tasid took Kurt and Lieutenant Mays on a tour of the colony ship.

  The ship was amazing. It had large totally open areas. The ship was more like a city in space. Kurt was surprised to see Glaymon children playing and laughing, almost like Human children.

  “Are you so surprised to see our children playing?” asked Tasid, noticing Kurt watching them.

  “Yes. I thought they would be in a more structured environment, learning Glaymon science and technology.”

  Tasid laughed. “You forget our lifespans are over 12,000 years. The children will have plenty of time to learn. Now is the time for them to be children and to enjoy what it means to have little or no responsibility. All of that will change in time.”

  -

  After Fleet Admiral Vickers returned to his ship, Tasid and Fleet Captain Waelt sat down for another meeting.

  “We still have told no one what is in the Vorn home system,” Fleet Captain Waelt said.

  “How can we?” Tasid replied. “I ordered the files containing that information on the captured mothership destroyed. While Fleet Commodore Dreen may have the coordinates to both the staging system and the Vorn home system, it would unhinge the entire war effort if they knew what was actually in the system. That red star is orbited by 116 massive habitats. Each one of those habitats has the potential population and industrial capacity of over one thousand planets, possibly more.”

  “It is frightening,” admitted Fleet Captain Waelt. “Those habitats combined have nearly the capacity of our home Dyson Sphere.”

  “How can we tell Fleet Commodore Dreen they have only faced what may be a tiny fraction of the Vorn fleet? We have done some studies and believe it’s highly likely the Vorn have a fleet in excess of one million vessels. Most of those ships are probably kept in a stasis field on board their habitats until needed.”

  Fleet Captain Waelt shook his head. This was the first time he had heard those numbers. They were far larger than he had believed possible. “We have only one real hope for victory. We need more of our ships from the Dyson Sphere.”

  “Impossible!” said Tasid, shaking his head. “The ruling council would never agree to it.”

  “We have to try,” insisted the fleet captain. “At minimum they can allow more ships from our own group to reinforce what we already have here. We can show them what Fleet Admiral Vickers and Fleet Commodore Dreen accomplished with our help in the battle at Lakiam against the Vorn. Perhaps that will sway the council.”

  “By now Marshton and Valan have agreed to whatever terms the council demanded after our own departure,” said Tasid grimly. “I’m not sure even our own people would want to see any of us come back. It could bring even harsher penalties.”

  “Tasid, if the Vorn attack in overwhelming numbers, we will lose ships. Maybe just one or two in various battles, but, over the course of several years, our fleet will eventfully be decimated.”

  Tasid leaned back and closed his eyes. He slowly opened them. The fleet captain was right. “Very well, we’ll send a ship to speak with Marshton and Valan. Maybe they can speak to the council and at least let our people send some warships. I think both of us should record a message for them as well as for the council.”

  “I will do so immediately,” replied Fleet Captain Waelt.

  Tasid drew in a deep breath. “You do realize that, whoever we send, we may never see them again. There is a very good chance the ruling council will not allow the ship to return, and we will hear nothing.”

  Fleet Captain Waelt nodded slowly. “I understand.” He pointed a finger toward the wall of the small conference room where the viewscreen showed the new habitat. “If we fail to stop the Vorn, even our people in that construct may not be safe. Ou
r people must respond. Now is the time to take the battle to the Vorn, not millions of years from now!”

  “We shall see,” Tasid replied. “Fleet Admiral Vickers will leave tomorrow. He promised to give me an answer about the staging system mission before he goes. I also want to take him to the habitat and show him what we have accomplished and what it will look like when it’s finished. He would also like information on the advanced race that once inhabited this part of the galaxy.”

  “Their worlds were destroyed millions of years ago. I doubt if anything remains on any of their former planets.”

  “I will give him the information if only to satisfy his curiosity. Now, do you have an idea on who to send back home to the Dyson Sphere?”

  “I have a captain who is willing to return and plead our cause,” said Fleet Captain Waelt. “I must go and speak with her.”

  “Do so,” replied Tasid. “Make sure she understands the risks of accepting this mission.”

  They were facing insurmountable odds, and their only real hope was with the Glaymons in the Dyson Sphere. However, Tasid deeply feared that, no matter how hard they pleaded their case, the ruling council would be deaf to their pleas for help.

  Chapter Eleven

  Prince Brollen gazed at the Reaper’s main viewscreen with unbridled anticipation. On the screen was a blue-white world with over one billion inhabitants. It would be a fine beginning for the harvesting fleet he had brought with the Reaper. One hundred Vorn battleships and 1,400 cruisers protected the six motherships at the heart of the formation. Fleets of similar size were preparing to attack other worlds across this sector of space. In only a few more hours, word would spread across the galaxy that the Vorn were back and more powerful than ever. These multiple attacks were designed to spread fear and to demonstrate how pointless it was to resist the Vorn.

  Enemy fleet has formed into a defensive formation directly between us and the planet, reported Military Leader Ansolk. I have directed twenty of our battleships and four hundred of our cruisers to advance and destroy it.