Taking his seat, Dreen waited for the council to begin the meeting. Looking around, he noticed several other officers of the fleet were present, sitting in the seats designated for military personnel. Dreen was familiar with most, though several he had never seen before. That confused Dreen as he thought he was familiar with all the primary officers of the fleet. Perhaps after the meeting was over, he would see where they came from and why they were here.
Lead Councilor Harlus Atratis stood and called the meeting to order. “We are here today to discuss the current attacks of the Destroyers of Worlds in the Rumii Sector of our galaxy. The Protector World of Zumwald has requested our aid in pushing the Vorn out of that sector.”
“We should send no aid,” stated Councilor Brewl Darmas, rising to his feet. “We have stretched our own resources to the breaking point in this foolish war of Fleet Commodore Dreen’s. We have strayed so far from the path of Enlightenment it will take us decades to return. I still say a more diplomatic approach will save all of us a lot of regret in the future. The Vorn will recognize the wisdom in leaving our worlds alone in order to avoid losses such as they suffered when they last attacked our system.”
Several other members of the council voiced their approval, applauding the councilor’s statement.
“The Vorn will not accept peace,” countered Councilor Marl, staring at Darmas. “They have come to harvest our galaxy for food, and we are that food. Our ancient history tells us the Vorn will spare no one. A mission to speak to the Vorn would be suicidal.”
“Ancient stories we can’t confirm,” uttered Darmas, shaking his head. “There is no proof in any of that. I believe the Vorn would listen to us if we attempted to communicate with them.”
“The Glaymons are the proof of my words,” replied Marl with several other councilors nodding their agreement. “Fleet Captain Waelt has told us in this chamber how the Vorn have come every few million years, harvesting the intelligent species of this galaxy.”
“If that is true, how did the Glaymons survive?” countered Darmas, glaring at Marl. “How did they avoid the Vorn for millions of years?”
“They remained hidden. They hid from the Vorn where they couldn’t be found.”
“Did they?” questioned Darmas, folding his arms across his chest. “Or did they sign an agreement like the one I’m suggesting which allowed them to continue to exist without conflict with the Vorn?”
This caused an uproar in the chamber as several councilors stood and shouted accusations at one another.
“Stop!” demanded Lead Councilor Atratis, banging a gavel upon the conference table. “This is no way for the Lakiam Council to behave.”
The room became quiet as everyone turned their attention to Atratis.
“Fleet Commodore Dreen, in your opinion, what would happen if we sent a ship to speak to the Vorn?”
“They would destroy it on sight,” Dreen responded calmly. “The Vorn cannot be negotiated with. Hundreds of worlds have tried, and all have failed.”
‘How do you know that?” demanded Darmas. “Have you tried?”
Dreen stood, his eyes focused sharply on Darmas. “Numerous worlds have attempted to speak to the Vorn. All were harvested. If you are so set on speaking to the Vorn, I’ll be glad to make a battlecruiser available with a Glaymon AI on board to act as your crew. You may lead the mission and see what happens.”
“Me?” stammered Darmas, his face turning pale. “I was thinking of someone else.”
“If you’re so certain the Vorn can be spoken to, who else but you would be best suited to lead such a mission?” countered Dreen. “I can furnish you a ship and tell you where to go to meet the Vorn. They have tens of thousands of ships currently in the Rumii Sector. It shouldn’t be difficult to find a world being harvested. Just listen to the pleas for help from the worlds being destroyed. They will lead you straight to the Vorn.”
Darmas sat, defeated. “I will not lead the mission.”
“Of course not,” replied Dreen, wanting to put an end to this foolishness. “It’s easy to put someone else’s life at risk as long as it’s not your own. Just remember, my offer stands. If you want to meet the Vorn, I’ll be more than glad to make the necessary arrangements. Just make sure your life is in order before you leave as you won’t be coming back.”
Darmas did not reply. He just sat there, staring at the table, knowing he had made a serious error in challenging Fleet Commodore Dreen on this issue.
“What about the Rumii Sector?” asked Lead Councilor Atratis. “Is there anything we can do for them?”
Fleet Commodore Dreen took a deep breath. He had been expecting this question. “I have spoken to some of the other worlds in the Lakiam Alliance. Many of them are still in the process of upgrading their fleets to the new levels with the improved antimatter chambers and energy shields. If we send a fleet, the ships must come from the Lakiam Alliance worlds that have finished the updates. Currently ten of them can be expected to furnish ships. However, there are some dangers if we send a fleet.”
“What kind of dangers?” asked one of the other councilors.
“What if we are successful in driving the Vorn from the Rumii Sector? Where will they go next? What if they come here to stop our interference with their harvesting?”
Several councilors looked worriedly at one another.
“But we’re talking about hundreds of billions of sapient beings in the Rumii Sector,” objected Councilor Tessa Caselt. Tessa had been on the council for ten years, and she was a stout supporter of Lead Councilor Atratis.
“By the time we have the fleet assembled and the fleet can arrive in the Rumii Sector, most of their worlds will have been harvested,” Fleet Commodore Dreen replied. “When our fleet arrives, it will face the combined fleets the Vorn sent to harvest those worlds. We will be outnumbered by at least a ten-to-one margin. Even with the help of the Glaymons, it is doubtful we could withstand those numbers. In all likelihood our fleet would be destroyed.”
The council became very quiet as Dreen’s words soaked in. It was difficult to imagine they were powerless to prevent such a disaster.
“As of today we defend an area of space twenty thousand light-years across,” continued Commodore Dreen. “In addition, the Hanorians and several other Protector Worlds are defending an area two thousand light-years across in the galactic center, where the population density is immense. I have spoken to some of the other worlds in our Alliance, and we believe, once all the Alliance worlds have updated their ships, we can expand the area we’re defending to twenty-four thousand light-years across.”
“So we let everyone else die?” asked Councilor Banal Croiss, an ardent supporter of Councilor Darmas.
“I’m listening if you have a solution,” replied Fleet Commodore Dreen. “My staff and I have spent many long hours discussing our current tactical situation. We are at an impasse on what to do about the Vorn outside of our Alliance.”
“I have a suggestion,” said one of the military officers sitting in the visitor’s section of the chamber.
Commodore Dreen shifted his attention to the unfamiliar man, possibly from one of Lakiam’s colony worlds. Dreen was surprised he had spoken up. There was a chain of command, and, if the man had a suggestion as to how to deal with the Vorn, he should have come to Dreen first.
“Fleet Commodore Dreen, I was told you know the location of the Vorns’ home system. Why don’t we attack it? Wouldn’t that force the Vorn to withdraw to defend it?”
Councilor Darmas suddenly looked up, his eyes full of excitement. “Yes, if we attack them, they have to pull back! It’s about time we received some good advice from the military.”
Fleet Commodore Dreen shook his head. He didn’t know how this information had gotten out. Only Lead Councilor Atratis and a few other trusted members of the fleet knew that information. “The Vorn home system is too far away. It’s located in intergalactic space, and it would take one of our fleets over eight months to reach it at our fastes
t hyperspace speed.”
“What about the Glaymons?” asked the military officer. “From what I understand, their ships are much faster. They could reach it in a few weeks. Why not send them to attack the Vorn home system?”
“The Vorn home system is too heavily defended to attack. Any ships we send would doubtlessly be destroyed.”
“But we’re not sending ours,” pointed out the military officer. “We’re only sending the Glaymons.”
The room became very quiet as everyone looked at either the military officer or Commander Dreen, waiting for his response.
Commodore Dreen frowned. He looked at Councilor Darmas, who had a gleeful and content look on his face. Dreen had a sudden suspicion the military officer had been planted by the councilor. This had been his plan from the very beginning. The Glaymons and the hope they represented was forcing Lakiam to pull away from Enlightenment. With them out of the way, Darmas could force his plan to contact the Vorn through the council and set Lakiam back on its original course to becoming an Enlightened World.
The only problem was the plan wouldn’t work. The Vorn would never agree to leave Lakiam and her colony worlds alone. Darmas was putting them on a path that would end in certain destruction. The man was so blinded by Enlightenment he couldn’t see the danger he would place Lakiam and the colonies in.
“No,” replied Dreen, shaking his head. “Even the Glaymons would fail in attacking the Vorn home system. Not only that, if we were to do so, the Vorn might retaliate by attacking our own worlds.”
“We cannot in good consciences ask the Glaymons to take such a risk,” said Lead Councilor Atratis, his focus on Darmas. “We owe them our lives. If not for the Glaymons, we would have become food for the Vorn in the last attack on Lakiam.”
“We don’t know that,” argued Darmas. “I still feel our own fleet and the defenses around Lakiam would have prevailed.” Darmas looked at the military officer who had suggested the attack. “What do you say?”
“I have studied the battle, and I firmly believe our defenses would have held. We do not need the Glaymons.”
“Then I propose Fleet Commodore Dreen order the Glaymons to attack the Vorn home system,” Darmas said, “and remove this menace once and for all. Once the Vorn are gone, we can return to our path of Enlightenment which we should have never left.”
Fleet Commodore Dreen sat, smiling inwardly to himself. Darmas had made a colossal mistake. He had allowed the arrogance of one seeking Enlightenment to show. The Lakiams were not the superior race but the Glaymons, and Darmas had forgotten that.
“I second the proposal,” said Councilor Croiss. Several other councilors echoed the same sentiment.
“What says the council?” asked Lead Councilor Atratis with a frown.
The council quickly voted, and the measure narrowly carried with councilor Marl, Caselt and several others voting against it.
Lead Councilor Atratis sighed and turned toward Fleet Commodore Dreen. “Inform Fleet Captain Waelt of our decision. He is to take his fleet and attack the Vorn home system.”
Fleet Commodore Dreen stood and laughed. “Very well, I will tell him the services of his fleet are no longer needed. You seem to forget they are the superior race, not us. We have no command over his fleet. However, I am certain, if this order is passed on to the fleet captain, he will gladly take his ships and leave Lakiam controlled space. Keep in mind that someday, probably not too far off, the Vorn will return, and we will not have the Glaymons fighting with us.” Dreen noticed the smirk on the face of Darmas suddenly vanish. Dreen then turned and walked toward the door.
“Wait!” called out Darmas. “Perhaps we were too hasty in our decision.”
Dreen paused and looked back. “I will be on board my flagship. When this council quits being so foolish, I will listen.” Dreen then paused and looked at the military officer supporting Darmas and addressed him. “You will come with me. We have much to discuss, particularly how you got hold of classified military information.”
“What?” the officer said, his eyes widening in surprise and in fear. “I’m not going with you.”
“Oh, but you are.” Dreen spoke into the small comm unit he always carried with him. Instantly two combat robots stepped through the doors. “You can come peacefully, or they will drag you.”
“I object!” called out Councilor Darmas, his face turning red with anger. “You have no right to remove him. How dare you bring combat robots into the council chambers! You have also not been dismissed from this meeting of the council.”
“I have every right,” said Dreen, giving Darmas an icy glare. “I am the fleet commodore, and all Lakiam military forces answer to me, including this officer here. Do you dare to challenge that?” Dreen was tired of this bickering and game-playing by the career politicians in this room, particular of Darmas and his cronies.
Dreen looked at the two towering combat robots. “Seize that officer there and bring him along.” Dreen pointed to the now-cowering fleet officer, looking desperately toward Darmas for help. All he received was silence.
-
Moments later Dreen, the two combat robots, and the mysterious fleet officer left the council chambers. All eyes were on them as they departed. One thing Dreen missed was the amused look on Lead Councilor Atratis’s face.
-
Several hours later Commodore Dreen was in his office, still aggravated at what had occurred in the council meeting. Upon returning to the Basera, he discovered the fleet military officer wasn’t in the fleet after all but someone in the employ of council member Darmas. After getting a full confession on video with witnesses present, Dreen placed the man in one of the ship’s containment cells.
A short while later, Dreen received a message from Lead Councilor Atratis that the council had reconsidered the resolution on sending the Glaymons to attack the Vorn home system, and it had been tabled. Dreen had a strong suspicion, as long as he held on to the fake military officer, Darmas would be hesitant to cause any more problems. Dreen knew that Darmas had to have panicked when Dreen took the fake officer with him. As a precaution, he was going to send a copy of the video confession to both Lead Councilor Atratis as well as Councilor Marl. That should keep Darmas and his cronies in check for the time being.
Reaching forward on his desk, he activated the comm unit, which connected him immediately with the ship’s Command Center. “Have the ship and our escorts prepare to enter hyperspace and go to Andock Prime. I want to pay Fleet Leader Moor a visit. Also contact Fleet Captain Waelt and ask if he and all the Glaymon disk ships can accompany us.”
“All of them?” asked Alborg, surprised.
“Yes, all of them,” Dreen replied with a wolfish smile.
He wanted to put a little more fear into the council. When they saw Dreen had left the system and taken all the Glaymon ships with him, maybe then they would realize just how foolish they had been. He also wanted to talk to Fleet Leader Moor about the Rumii Sector. He had been doing some research, and the Protector World of Zumwald was very powerful. It also had a massive defensive grid surrounding it. Unfortunately its ships and weapons were no match for the Vorn. Commodore Dreen wondered if he could do something to change that. Perhaps he could lure the Vorn into a trap with a little help from the Glaymons.
-
Prince Caluume had just finished communicating with Prince Lakat about harvesting the new food world Military Leader Renwarld had found in an isolated section of Galaxy X241. After studying the sensor scans, Military Leader Jattal suspected there were at least five different systems containing food species that could be harvested, possibly more. Jattal had pointed out the different designs in some of the ships that had been scanned by the scout ships which indicated additional worlds possibly worth harvesting.
Five worlds minimum, plus possibly some additional colony worlds, sent Caluume.
He had spoken to Prince Lakat telepathically, and they had decided to join together. They would harvest these food species and then head
toward a richer section of the galaxy where numerous worlds were waiting to be harvested. By then Prince Brollen would have drawn the attention of those few races that had demonstrated they were a threat. It should allow Caluume and Lakat to harvest at will with no fear of repercussions from the races who had defeated Prince Brollen months before.
With nearly one thousand cruisers and six motherships, this harvest will be fast and easy, Military Leader Jattal predicted. He put up a map of the target region of the galaxy on one of the viewscreens. A star blinked. That is our objective. Our two fleets will drop from hyperspace near the target world. While their ships are dangerous, there are not many of them. We may lose a few cruisers, but the food species’ warships will be quickly overwhelmed. We will then move in and eliminate the planet’s defensive grid, allowing the motherships to go into orbit and conduct the harvest. Once we have harvested this world, we will send scout ships along the paths of the vessels observed leaving the system. That should lead us to the other food worlds we want to harvest.
A sound plan, approved Prince Caluume. We will leave tomorrow. I am already curious how this new food species will taste.
I will prepare the fleet and notify Prince Lakat, sent Jattal. I will confer with his military leader on our battle plan and see if he has any suggestions to improve upon it.
See to it, ordered Caluume. This new food planet and its large population would be a good start to filling his motherships with new and intriguing food pellets. Perhaps this new food species would be worthy enough for the Royal Court and the Queens. What does this food species call their planet?
Earth, Jattal replied. They call it Earth.
Chapter Fourteen
The Star Cross: The Forever War Page 19