Casey nodded. She well remembered that trip to Vesta. She had gotten to see Wade and Beth’s new baby and even hold it. She’d been amazed at how small and delicate the child was. It had been a wonderful trip and one she would always remember.
“I spoke to my brother earlier,” Autumn said as she took a bite of her food. “He says they’ve nearly cleaned up the debris from the Kleese bombing of Mars Central and are even talking about rebuilding the city.”
“I hope they do,” Ryan answered as he used his fork and spoon to swirl his spaghetti into a manageable bite. “We lost a lot of people when the Kleese hit Mars; it’s good to see it getting back to normal.”
They continued to talk throughout the meal and then afterward took a long walk through the downtown area of the city. It was amazing what had been done beneath the large dome. It was like walking in one of the old cities on Earth except there was no pollution or loud noises. They only saw a few walls with angry comments about clones but those were few and far between. Nothing like the riot Casey and Lauren had once been exposed to that time they were shopping.
-
A few hours later they returned to the hotel they were all staying in. Ryan and Casey excused themselves from the others, who were having a drink in the small club on the ground floor and went up to their room. It didn’t take Casey long to change into the lingerie Lauren had helped her pick out.
Casey posed in front of the full-length mirror in the bathroom, eyeing her figure critically. This sure doesn’t hide much, she thought as she turned various ways to see how she looked, hoping Ryan would approve. She wasn’t near as innocent and naive about sex as she once had been. Lauren had made sure of that. She was constantly giving her suggestions of things to do with Ryan. One thing Casey had learned was that Lauren had a really good imagination.
Stepping back into the bedroom where Ryan was she saw his eyes light up upon seeing her. She felt slightly embarrassed as his eyes moved up and down her body. Getting up, he took her in his arms and kissed her deeply, his hands pulling her close.
Moments later, they tumbled onto the bed still entwined in a lover’s embrace. Yes, Casey thought happily. I think he likes this outfit.
-
Colonel Winfrey was on board the troop assault ship Defender. The Defender was one thousand meters in length, two hundred meters wide, with a height of one hundred eighty meters. She was fully able to manage a full combat drop on an alien world and her Command Center was capable of commanding the entire operation.
“Welcome aboard,” Commander Greer said as Dylan entered.
“Glad to be here, Commander,” Dylan responded. “Are we ready to get underway?”
“The last of the Marines and their equipment will be on board by 07:00 in the morning,” Greer replied. “The ship is fully supplied and ready for a long term deployment.”
“I understand the Defender has been equipped with the new multiple warhead subspace missiles.”
Greer nodded his head. “Yes, we have eight missile tubes and they’ve all been modified to handle the new missile. I wish we had a plasma cannon like the new heavy battlecruisers, but the engineers don’t think it’s necessary.”
“At least you have a heavy particle beam cannon on the bow. It’s up to the warships accompanying us to do the fighting if any Kleese vessels show up. Our concern will be the Marine actions on the planets we’re going to be traveling to.”
Greer remained silent for a moment before replying. “The only thing is at some point during this mission I strongly suspect the Kleese will come looking for us.”
“We hope so,” responded Dylan, looking at the large viewscreen on the front wall of the Command Center. The viewscreen was showing Centerpoint Station, which was in orbit between the Earth and the Moon. Several ships could be seen in stationary orbit near it and a few assault ships were moving about on maneuvers. “If the Kleese come looking for us that means they aren’t attacking the Alliance. We need to buy the Alliance the time they need to finish training the crews on all the new ships as well as to let Alliance Fleet Admiral Rivers get them into combat shape.”
“I don’t envy Admiral Rivers,” Greer said, taking a deep breath. “It’s going to be a challenge to whip some of those races into shape. Many of them haven’t known war for hundreds of years or even longer.”
Dylan allowed himself to smile. “If I know Admiral Rivers, he’ll get the job done.”
A few moments later, Dylan was on his way to his quarters. He let out a deep sigh of regret. He wished Major Stevens could be here, but he had met his untimely death on board the Kleese exploration ship when he and Colonel Stratford had destroyed it so Captain Nelson and the other surviving Marines from the Diadem debacle could escape. This was going to be the first time Marines wearing the Type Four battlesuits were going to be deployed en mass. Steven would have enjoyed the coming battles and seeing the fruits of his training.
Chapter Four
Supreme Overlord Xatul was in his new flagship, the Empire’s Dawn, which had been built in one of the two trading stations they had taken from Kleese space and brought to the Strell Empire. For well over a year new Kleese warships had been built at a rapid pace as well as additional Strell vessels. Xatul had been surprised to find out the majority of the Strell shipyards had survived the war, and there were numerous Strell warships available that had been damaged and only needed to be repaired. This was something the Strell hadn’t mentioned when they had surrendered their empire.
“Can we trust the Strell?” demanded Overlord Syndat in a grating voice. “Their forces now outnumber ours.”
“We haven’t removed the collars of obedience from all of the Queens in the Great Dens,” Xatul replied coldly, his multifaceted eyes gazing at the large viewscreens in his new Command Center. “They will continue to do as we ask to ensure the Queens’ continued well-being. The Strell are a subservient race to the Kleese as they should be.”
Overlord Bixutl had been listening and now spoke. “You promised the High Strell Queen you would remove all the collars once Supreme Military Overlord Harmock has been killed or driven from Kleese space. If we are successful in removing the Zaltule from the empire, the Strell will once more become a major threat to us.”
“I have no intention of allowing that to happen,” Xatul replied. He shifted about on the Command Pedestal, his six legs making clicking noises against the metal of the deck. “We will only remove the last of the collars of obedience once we have determined the Strell are no longer a threat to our empire.”
“And how do we do that?” Demanded Syndat. Many of his clan had fled with Supreme Overlord Xatul to Strell space. The two trading stations they brought along belonged to him.
“We make sure the Strell are involved in the heaviest fighting,” Xatul explained. “Their ships will suffer the most, and we will use ours to destroy whatever vessels of the Zaltule remain after the Strell have engaged Harmock. When this war is over their fleet will have been decimated while ours will still be intact.”
“We have brought in many conscripts from Strell controlled worlds to operate our new warships and fill the ranks of our battlesuits,” Bixutl said. “The lesser races in Strell space are no different than those in our own empire.”
“All races are destined to submit to the Kleese,” spoke Syndat. “We are the superior race.”
“It is our destiny to rule this galaxy,” Supreme Overlord Xatul said in agreement. “The Zaltule, instead of helping in that goal, have only delayed it by their arrogance.”
Of course, there was one race he was not so sure about when it came to being inferior to the Kleese, and that was the Humans. From the reports his spies had brought back the Humans had managed to attack the home system, laying waste to a large portion of the capital city. They had also done considerable damage to the Zaltule shipyards and the deep sleep complex beneath the surface of the icy moon. Xatul could well imagine the anger Harmock must have felt from the attacks.
“The Zaltule w
ere put in deep sleep because their warrior ways were deemed a threat to the empire,” Bixutl said, his multifaceted eyes focusing on the Supreme Overlord. “Even back in those days, the desire of the Zaltule to dominate the other Kleese clans was becoming apparent. They were great warriors but the path they were putting the empire on was too dangerous.”
“Yes,” replied Xatul. “The Zaltule were encouraged to go into deep sleep because there was no great danger to the empire. It was implied by the Supreme Overlord of that time that the Zaltule would be of greater service to the empire by being reawoken when a new threat to the empire arose.”
“Unfortunately, what we forgot was these were the same Zaltule who had become a threat in the past and once awakened they continued down that same dangerous path,” commented Overlord Syndat.
“A situation we are soon to correct,” Xatul responded.
“Supreme Overlord,” said the Kleese standing in front of Communications. “I have Den Leader Bith on the comm. He wishes to speak with you.”
It was distasteful for Xatul to have to speak with any member of the Strell. However, in order for his plans to come to fruition, it was necessary to have some contact with various members of the Strell race. “I will speak with him.”
On the main viewscreen, a Strell appeared. Bith was six feet tall and very thin. His head resembled that of a large snake. His eyes, set wide on the side of his head, narrowed to small slits as he turned to gaze at Xatul. Bith’s eyes could make out different colors though his ancestors in the dim past had only been able to see in black and white. The Strell had progressed far on the evolutionary scale from the time they had slithered on the ground until they developed arms and legs to allow them to build a technological civilization. The Strell were a cold-blooded species and showed very little emotion. Only the Queens in the Great Dens were emotional and they controlled the empire. A Queen very seldom ventured into space, preferring to stay beneath the ground surrounded by thousands of Strell who obeyed her every command.
“The fleet is nearly ready,” hissed Bith, his eyes unwavering and unblinking.
“Our own ships as well,” replied Xatul.
Bith’s tongue flicked out from his narrow mouth. “When will you remove the rest of the collars of obedience from our Queens?”
“When I have my empire back,” Xatul answered. “Your High Queen and those with her have had their collars deactivated, the same will be done for all the other Queens once we have driven the Zaltule from the Kleese Empire.”
Bith’s cold eyes regarded Xatul unflinchingly. “How do we know you will remove the collars once we have done what you ask?”
Xatul rose up to his full height gazing intently at the viewscreen. “Do you dare doubt the word of the Supreme Overlord of the Kleese?”
Bith hesitated briefly before he answered. “You conquered us, and our High Queen has sworn allegiance to your empire so ours might continue under your rule. You have promised us our empire back if we obey your orders. We will do so, but when the Zaltule are no more, we expect our Queens to be set free. If this happens, the Strell will never venture into Kleese controlled space again. This is the promise of our High Queen.”
Xatul paused at hearing those words. It sounded as if the Strell were offering never to come into conflict with the Kleese again. “What about the disputed worlds between our borders?”
“They will be yours,” Den Leader Bith answered.
“I will keep our agreement,” Xatul replied. There were a number of disputed worlds that would be of value to the empire. “When this is over, the Queens will be set free.”
With that, the screen went blank as the communication ended.
“Are you really going to return their empire back to them?” asked Syndat.
“Yes,” answered Xatul, turning to face Syndat. “The Strell are a very difficult race to control. They have little fear of death, unlike other subservient races. If they will stay in their empire, then we shall leave them be.”
“It will matter little,” Bixutl said. He folded his powerful black arms across his upper chest. “In time, we will surround their empire and the Strell will become insignificant in the grand scheme of the galaxy.”
Xatul turned his attention to the large tactical screen to the right of the Command Pedestal. On it, four hundred and eighty-two icons representing Kleese exploration cruisers were in formation around Xatul’s new flagship. There were also two hundred and forty new warcruisers, which had been built in the construction bays of the two large trading stations. While not as large as Zaltule battlecruisers, they were still very powerful warships. Additional weapons had been added to the exploration ships, increasing their firepower by nearly 40 percent.
Xatul had lost count of the number of conscripts who had died in building and modifying the new Kleese fleet. He knew the numbers were in the thousands. However, there were several thousand inhabited worlds in the Strell Empire that could be used to glean prospective conscripts. The deaths of thousands of conscripts were inconsequential.
Construction of the new fleet and modifications to the exploration cruisers had begun as soon as the cruisers and the two trading stations had arrived in Strell space. Construction had been nonstop, and those conscripts who were technicians or common workers and could not keep up to the new increased work schedules were summarily eliminated. More conscripts were brought in from Strell controlled worlds to replace those killed by Kleese overseers.
The sounds of small explosions had become quite common on the two trading stations as non-efficient personnel were removed. However, it had served its purpose. New Kleese warships had come into being and when combined with the exploration cruisers, the thousands of assault ships, and the recently rebuilt Strell fleet they would be able to challenge the Zaltule for control of the empire.
-
In the Kleese Empire Supreme Military Overlord Harmock watched his ship’s tactical screen closely. A large enemy fleet was maneuvering into position to defend the world he had come to conquer.
“They dare to defy us!” said Minor Overlord Gareth in disbelief. “They know they cannot defeat us.”
Harmock only shook his triangular shaped head. His head resembled that of a praying mantis. “It’s the Humans and their so-called Alliance. They have sown disrespect and rebellion across our empire. Daily we receive reports of unrest and collusion on many of the nonaligned words we have conquered since coming out of deep sleep. The Bashan fleet ahead of us is an example of the rashness which now sweeps the empire and will endanger it if we don’t soon deal with this Human threat.”
“A threat the former council under Supreme Overlord Xatul should have dealt with many years ago,” Gareth said coldly.
“Former Supreme Overlord Xatul,” Harmock reminded Gareth coldly “The former Council of Overlords was weak and incompetent. It is well that most of them died when the Humans attacked our home world.”
“The Bashan fleet has taken up a position between us and their world,” reported Jalridd. “There are numerous outposts on the other planets and upon several moons in the system.”
This didn’t surprise Harmock as the Bashan System was rich in heavy metals and the Bashans maintained a robust space mining industry. The Bashan traded heavy metals for many coveted items found on other nonaligned worlds, something the Zaltule put a stop to when they had conquered them. Now the Bashan found themselves standing alone.
“The Bashan Chancellor is demanding that we honor the neutrality agreement they signed seven hundred and forty-two years ago,” Dalock reported from Communications.
“Neutrality agreements!” Harmock spoke in anger. “How could our race have been so foolish to sign so many and allow hundreds of worlds to remain free of the empire?”
“The council was weak,” Gareth responded, unmoved by the Bashan request. “The Zaltule are not weak, and the council no longer exists.”
Harmock returned his attention to the tactical screen. “What is the composition of the Bashan fleet tha
t opposes us?”
“It is quite large by nonaligned world standards,” Jalridd replied. “There are two hundred and twelve battlecruisers and four hundred and sixty support vessels in the fleet ahead of us.”
“Their primary weapons?”
“Pulse fusion beams similar to ours as well as a powerful energy cannon,” Salten reported from the tactical station. “Their ships are also protected by a strong energy shield.”
Harmock had been aware this wouldn’t be an easy world to conquer so he had brought two thousand Zaltule battlecruisers with him. He would overwhelm this fleet and then proceed to Bashan where the collars of obedience would be placed around the necks of the chancellor and the other foolish leaders of that world.
The Kleese were the dominate species in the galaxy, and all others would submit to Kleese rule. In Harmock’s mind, only the nonaligned worlds were worthy of surviving and being part of the empire. Their more advanced civilizations could be of use to the Zaltule when the Kleese ventured out to conquer the rest of the galaxy. The other inhabited worlds were infested with vermin and were only worthy of providing conscripts to be used as cannon fodder and to serve upon the exploration ships and assault vessels. Even though Harmock found this distasteful, it freed up Kleese and particularly Zaltule warriors to expand the empire.
“Advance upon the enemy, standard fleet offensive formation.”
Harmock was determined this would be a short battle, and once this world was subdued only one nonaligned world would remain. After that, it would be time to deal with the Humans and their paltry Alliance. Harmock wasn’t concerned so much about the Alliance; however, the Humans were another matter. They were a race of warriors and who Harmock had come to accept were almost equal to the Kleese in their ferocity. Of all the races the Zaltule had ever encountered only the Humans had shown no fear when facing the Zaltule in combat, both upon the ground and in space.
Galactic Empire Wars: Insurrection (The Galactic Empire Wars Book 5) Page 5