“Leader!” Kasha yelled, standing from his chair. The scienceman took the seat, slightly pushing Kasha out of the way. Kasha's eyes met Kronttonn's gaze. His tail switched and he pulled his neck deeper into his shoulders, covering his air slits. “Now is not the time, Kasha.” Kronttonn looked to the sensorman.
“They are directly aft. I cannot see them, nor can we bring weapon's to bear. They are more agile than us.” The sensorman looked to Kasha, waiting.
“Leave the bridge,” Kronttonn ordered.
“No.” Kasha drew a small ehcidrab from his harness.
“I take your name.” Kronttonn turned to the helmsman. “Engage fusion drive.”
“Yes, Leader.”
Rigaar reversed the wells again, pressing the Skyla forward running alongside the larger ship down to its aft end. He jerked the stick around, bringing the nose to bear to the tail of the enemy, and followed.
“Raluuf,” Rigaar raised his lips to the glow that could be seen out of the viewport, “destroy the engine of this motherless cusp.”
“They're coming about,” Rarroulf yelled. “Pay attention, Rigaar. You should have seen that.”
“I know,” Rigaar snarled at his mistake and changed course to tail hold his position.
“Why don't they out run us, or fire aft weapons?” Raluuf made adjustments to his aim.
“They don't have aft weapons,” Rarroulf grinned.
“But they could out run us.” Rigaar slowed his speed. “Raluuf, don't shoot yet, keep your eyes open. I want to see what he's going to do.”
“Yes, commander.”
Rigaar dropped below the larger ship and powered all systems down. They floated in the same direction they were falling, only now weightless.
Rarroulf studied his panels. The numbers and images flashed across the screen, instantly translated into shapes, words and locations by his mind. He had been sitting before a sensor screen even as a young one. Then he saw the rise of the graph and its corresponding numerical description. He knew.
“Rigaar, they're engaging a fusion propulsion system,” Rarroulf said.
“Any danger to us?”
“No, were out of its path.”
“Sit tight.” Rigaar floated in his safety straps, seeing the red flashing lights that told him what was wrong with his ship. Too much, too fast. But he could do it, he had before.
Kasha remembered Laitru giving him his name. He remembered the ceremony, the honor. This old one should not be a Leader. He was born back on the homeworld, not in space. Laitru would enjoy the blood oath done in his honor.
Kasha sprang on Kronttonn. He was quick, and young. Kronttonn rolled to his left, bringing his tail up and tripping Kasha. He lifted his leg and firmly kicked Kasha in the center bone that lay over the protected air slits. Kasha rolled and came to his knees, the small ehcidrab held point to Kronttonn.
“Do not end your life here, Kasha.” Kronttonn crouched, ready. He had fought in the Arena, the secret bouts that weren't supposed to exist.
“It is not mine that shall leave, old one.” Kasha leaped again. Kronttonn held his spot, and caught him in mid leap. Both were thrown against the bulkhead. Kronttonn got his hands inside the protective bone and pushed his fingers into Kasha's air slits. Kasha plunged his ehcidrab into the midsection of his Leader. Kronttonn pulled, and tore open the air slits. Kasha fell and struggled to breathe as his lungs filled with blood.
“Location,” Kronttonn snapped as he climbed back into his command chair, his hand covering the wound tightly trying to keep the bleeding to a minimum.
“I have lost them, Leader,” the sensorman reported.
“Your error?”
“They do not show on any screens. They may still be directly behind us.”
“The fusion beams would have damaged them.” Kronttonn narrowed his eye slits and gazed at the stars. The pain from his wound was becoming dull and his mind still able to think. He remembered the words whispered by commanders and crew alike in awe and fear, invisible ships, he felt that this was one of those feared vessels. But it was not possible to have a ship unable to be seen, only unable to be detected. These must be much like the under-surface craft that hid below the waves in the ancient histories. They, too, were, in effect, invisible. But, they could be seen. “Helm, increase speed and bring us about, sensorman scan area with light pulses.”
“Yes, Leader.” The two of them went to their tasks, successfully. Their Leader had proven his worth, and earned, ever more, their loyalty.
“They're increasing speed,” Rarroulf said, feeling relief.
“Good,” Raluuf breathed, “they're leaving.”
“Why?” Rigaar asked, preparing the engines to shift out of this space.
The larger ship turned and beams of intense light pulsed outward. They travelled for some time before they hit the Skyla, then bounced back. Rarroulf's screens told him everything.
“They've just bounced beams of light off our ship.”
“How long?” Rigaar asked.
“Minute, maybe more.”
“Raluuf, I'm going to power up. We've got a few seconds before the shift engines can go, I want you to lock on with the particles and shoot them as many times as you can.”
“Yes, commander.” Raluuf looked into his dark spotting scope. “Only, their ship is so big that our beams may not even breach their hull.”
“I know, do it anyway. Ready?” Rigaar placed his hands on the lever. He heard no negative reply so he powered up. Raluuf aimed, locked and fired. The particle beams, travelling in a small tunnel of warped space, passed the light pulses on their way back and struck the larger ship.
“We've been locked on, Commander,” Rarroulf's voice was calm.
Raluuf continued to fire. “Missiles have been launched. Their internal systems are locked onto us. Shoot them, Ral.” The beams changed targets and struck the missiles, causing them to explode in a blinding flash. When the flash cleared the Skyla was gone.
Soltyn looked up from her reading. She had finished most of the book and was shocked. She watched Krishnae stare out the window and realized. He sought.
She remembered the times of exploration. They were nothing but history now, but they had been there. The danger of the unknown, the thrill of the search. Her empire was dead by the standards of Krishnae. And she believed his must have been too. That was the real reason for him being here. Their method was conquest, but their aim was exploration. The boundary of the galaxy was no boundary if it was unknown. She could see this race pushing into other galaxies, other worlds previously unknown.
The thrill of discovery entered her heart. There were others out there, this one had been missed. The Pyrinni leaders had listened too long to the tecktons, gave up too much to them until the tecktons were the subtle masters. At least the katsurani were more obvious about it and they shared information. She remembered her first feelings of indignation when she requested information from the Teckton data base and got no answer other than information not needed. But, with this alien, this katsurani, her people would become the explorers that they had been. But, give up everything to them? What was the difference? They could not pilot their own ships. Their computers had done it for them for quite a long time. The difference with the katsurani was the need to operate their own systems. Driven by their strong and palatable distrust of computers and automation, their need for personal honor in action.
Too much reliance on the unseen and you lose, so say the Triconitu. The reason that they relied more on the ability of people than computers. She knew that, and she didn't think it bad. She admired the large alien who’s back faced her, its tail always moving, never still. He, personally, did what no other race had done. He brought his people to the level of the most advanced in the Compendium. But, would he be a better master than the Tecktons?
“Krishnae,” she asked, using his name to see his reaction. “Yes, Soultinn.” He turned and faced her, either not noticing the difference or not caring.
Such
a level in the hierarchy she ranked to call an Elder by his name. She smiled and continued: “Would you tell me about Homeworld?”
“Why do you wish to know?”
“To understand the reasons.”
“Spartzitz usually do not gain such information.”
“But my people and I are not spartzitz. Each one of us contribute to your effort. Some have even been granted partial citizenship.”
Krishnae narrowed his eyes in a smile. He had never told her that, and yet she found out anyway. The communication between all members of her people was incredible. They knew everything that went on, if even only one of them knew of it. “You are right,” he said.
“Am I still a spartzitz?”
“No.”
“Then you will still not tell me?”
“Homeworld was dying. It had almost used itself up and needed more to live. There never had been an enemy to cause us to push outward from our isolated cluster. It was too long before the Wars for Unity were completed. Even the history texts tells you that. The scientists had discovered the secret of time-shift through space, and it was used to colonize and conquer those systems nearest our own. But the Elders, too many of them, did not want to waste the resources going too far out. That is, until one of our probes discovered this system.
“The lead Elder,” Krishnae stopped as he remembered Trarnif and what seemed so far away, “decided to spend some of the production on space probes. He was a visionary, and rightly so.”
“So they sent you out to keep themselves alive?”
“Yes.”
“Then why don't you?”
“We are no longer the katsurani that came here. For us to take just this system and send supplies back would not only have jeopardized us but them as well. They are enemies now. I did not come here to keep a dying cluster of systems alive. I came here to ensure the survival of my species by the codes that brought it to civilization. Those codes that you have just read are what created us out of berserk animals, animals that roamed nomadically, killing all except our own clans.”
“So you will go on, until all is yours,” she said it as a fact, her eyes looking into the sand trying vainly to see what he saw.
“I have no other choice, Soultinn.” He liked her. He didn't understand it, but something about this alien enticed him. He knew that it was a she and that they bore the children of their race.
“Then I will help.” She climbed up onto his table, her mind made up. Everything would be Krishnae's. She would be Krishnae's. “These systems here,” she pointed to the cluster around Corbis, “belong to the Canids. They have developed space flight and are skilled at space warfare. However, they have no central unity. You do not need to battle all their ships, just some of their central home systems. These here,” she pointed, “here, and here.”
“Do you think the Pirennie are helping them?”
“Of course, so are the Tecktons. But they can't give them ships, only technical aid.”
Krishnae walked to his desk and pressed a button. The door opened and the guard entered. Krishnae spoke to him, “Take her to the library. She is to have complete access.”
“Yes, Elder.” The guard extended his neck.
“Soultinn,” he turned to her, “please read all the text on military tactics we have. I wish you to have an understanding of what must be done.”
“Yes, Elder.” She climbed off his desk.
Krishnae narrowed his eye slits in a smile. She knew to call him Elder with others around. He turned and looked out the window as they left. What would it be like if they were of the same race? He found the thoughts of his youth returning, the fantasies. Then the thought of the war took over. The Elder's responsibility was to all his people.
He looked into the sand and saw Opeo standing with floating globes in his hand. Looking into the eyes of Opeo he saw Laitru systematically killing commanders while others stood in a line behind him. Krishnae understood.
Chapter 5
Rigaar stood in the dark observation room staring through the windows at the stars. They danced through the sky, speaking to him. His shoulders rose and fell in a sigh. He was in love. Stars were the only things he would allow himself to love. The doors to the observation lounge opened and closed.
“Commander?” The voice came strong, and waited. Rigaar turned and smiled.
“Kaliif,” Rigaar's teeth shone in the darkness, “I need one as ruthless as you.”
“I do not serve, Rigaar. You of all should know that.” Kaliif raised his lip, showing his teeth, and rested his hand on his pistol.
Rigaar remembered the fight, the scar of the wound still pained him when he was on a heavy gravity planet. He knew the reason for the fight, and his loss of control. “The past is not here, Kaliif.” He walked to the table and pressed a button. Small shining points twinkled above the table. “I need you, Kaliif Commander, not Kaliif Butcher.”
“I will not agree to insult, Rigaar.” Kaliif stepped around the table, getting a clearer view of Rigaar. “I come because of the rumors.”
“They are true. I need you Kaliif. I need your expertise. What you are to me does not matter. Neither you nor I matter. It is for the whole, for all of our race, all the rirfts that we must sacrifice.”
“These are not the words of a pirate, Rigaar. These are the speakings of a Reegarf trying to convince his people that there is honor in death.”
“I am Rigaar,” his voice fell, gaining a gravel rasp, “I am not what I say. I am what I do. I need you to help me and be on my side, Kaliif. I do not need you destroying supply ships and hurting the cause.”
“Cause,” Kaliif spat. “You sound like a politician, Rigaar. Your fire is gone.” He turned to leave.
“Kaliif,” Rigaar yelled, “I will not allow you to leave.”
In one motion Kaliif turned and fired. The bright flash from the pistol flared into the room, blinding both for a moment. Rigaar ducked, the slug streaked past and imbedded itself into the glass that separated the observation room from the hard vacuum of space.
Rigaar dropped and rolled, drawing his pistol. Kaliif ran to the door, firing again into the table. The door wouldn't open.
“I came here on faith, Rigaar,” Kaliif raised his arm and fired gain, blowing out the light illuminating the room. The room quickly went dim, replaced by glowing red emergency lights. Kaliif dropped into the dark corner. A large crack began to slowly grow in the window. The red lights began to flash.
“We have no time before the window is destroyed, Kaliif. Will you drop your weapon?”
“You are a fool, Rigaar.” Kaliif jumped and fired three more times, hitting the table twice and the window another time. He ran to another door near the rear of the room. Rigaar rolled onto his knees and fired once. A small puff of air blew the razor dart into Kaliif's back and through his armor. Kaliif reached the door and pressed the button, turning to fire one last time before he fell.
Light coalesced into Kaliif's eyes. He fluttered them open, looked about without moving his head. He saw females standing above him. He raised his lips in a smile. He must have travelled to Ever Haven. Rigaar's face came into view and Kaliif quickly forced his eyes closed.
“I can’t die without your face invading my peace.”
“I need you Kaliif. I can’t let you die.”
“You should have. You should have if not for general purposes then because of Skyla.”
“There is no past here, Kaliif,” Rigaar said, his heart skipping a beat at the mention of her name. The wound was still fresh, the pain still strong, even after all these years.
“I did not believe you, Rigaar.”
“But you believe me now?”
“Yes,” Kaliif sighed. “I believe you. Cha! And I will serve the new Reegarf.” Kaliif closed his eyes. “Now let me sleep, I am wounded deeply by your weapon.”
“It was a tranquillizer dart, Kaliif,” Rigaar said. He stood, nodded to the nurses, and left then infirmary.
Many surrounded the tab
le, including Styllia and Kaliif. Behind them glowed the stars of the universe.
“Kaliif,” Rigaar pressed the button and before them floated the representation of an outer star system, “the three moons of Thuvar seem to be the most tactical location for the Saurians. Within that system are three gas giants, one with three habitable moons.”
“I know what's there, Rigaar,” Kaliif said.
“I know, I also know that you hate Thuvar even more than you hate me.”
“This is no plan, Reegarf,” Kaliif’s tone was harsh.
“I want you to go and under my banner assume control of Thuvar's ground forces.”
Kaliif raised his lips. “He will not like that.”
“He has refused to cooperate, so he must fall. He is but one.”
“So I make him fall?” Kaliif asked.
“Yes,” Rigaar answered.
“I will perform my duty at your discretion, Reegarf.” Kaliif bowed his head, and laughed.
“But first, Kaliif, you will try to reason with him.”
“Oh, of course.”
“Here,” Rigaar slid a small box and a palm sized object across the table to Kaliif. “One is a hand beamer and the other a kinetic energy field. It will stop slugs and the beamer will penetrate like fields.”
“What of the ships, Rigaar?” Raoulf asked.
“We will send one third of our forces to Thuvar's system.” Melting, the picture swirled and reformed. Below it floated twenty seven globes surrounding one bright white star. Hovering in the air below the spheres was the word, Tai Pan. “One third will shift to Riaaur's system since that too is a tactical possibility. The remaining third will wait here as a reserve force.”
“The missiles are ready,” Styllia began, “but not in quantity. A number of ships will be fitted with them, these will be the missile boats denoted by yellow.” Small blue triangles appeared in outer orbit of the giant yellow tan gas giant, fifteen of them were yellow.
“We know we are invisible to them when powered down,” Rigaar continued. “We will have three levels of ships: close, mid and out. Close will be in outer orbit of the gas giant. Mid will be in about the twentieth orbital of Tai Pan. Out will be outer system, outside any orbital. Everyone will be silent until the most optimum time for attack.”
Saurians Page 8