“I’m on my way to the Command Center,” Wade added, as he fastened the last button on his shirt. “I want the entire fleet at Condition One just in case this is a trap. I don’t trust the Zaltule at all; they may have suspected we had a rescue fleet posted near by. There’s a possibility they might have detected one of our surveillance cruisers and are using this opportunity to lure us in.”
“I agree,” Anton replied. “We’ll be ready if it is indeed a trap.”
In the background, Wade could hear the commander giving the order for the fleet to go to Condition One. Moments later, red lights in his quarters began flashing and the executive officer’s voice announced the setting of the higher alert level. With a nod, Wade left his quarters to go to the Command Center.
-
Wade waited tensely as the Argyle dropped out of Fold Space inside the Diadem system. They were twenty million kilometers from the planet and all weapons systems were primed to fire at the slightest sign of a threat. The Argyle was powerfully armed and could easily defend herself if necessary.
“Sensors are clear,” reported Ensign Smothers. “Just picking up a few Diadem passenger liners and cargo ships in orbit.”
Wade knew these vessels had been abandoned by their crews and passengers, as they were too large to land upon the planet. The Kleese had just left them orbiting the planet.
“See if you can contact anyone on Diadem,” ordered Wade, turning toward the Communications officer.
The young woman at the console spent several minutes working her console and even seemed to be speaking to someone. Wade waited expectantly, hoping it was their Marines she was speaking with.
“I can’t raise Colonel Stratford or Major Stevens,” she finally reported. Both officers had communication gear in their command suits, which would allow them to contact a ship in orbit. “I did manage to contact someone in the Diadem government and they’re reporting the Kleese suddenly left about fourteen hours ago. They also say there was a lot of activity at the main spaceport.”
Wade felt his stomach grow tense at this news. “Take us into orbit,” he ordered in a low voice. “Let’s go find out why the Kleese left and what happened to our Marines.” He was already beginning to dread what might be waiting for them on the surface.
-
Two hours later Wade was standing in the Control Tower of the spaceport. He was wearing a Type Three battlesuit, which he was thoroughly familiar with. One hundred and ten of Colonel Stratford’s rescued Marines had come down with him and were currently in the process of searching the entire space complex.
“There’s no one here,” Lieutenant Carlos Martinez said as he exited the stair well in the demolished lower floor. “We’ve searched the entire tower and we didn’t find a single Marine, not even a body.”
“I’m getting the same reports from the other Marine units out searching,” Wade replied.
He had a growing fear in the back of his mind. This was the last thing he had expected to find. He’d been certain a major battle would have been fought by Colonel Stratford and Major Stevens to hold the spaceport until help returned. It looked as if that battle never occurred. From video taken prior to leaving orbit when the Zaltule fleet returned there were no signs of additional damage to the space complex.
“Where could they have gone?” asked Martinez, feeling confused.
“They didn’t go anywhere,” Wade said, letting out a deep and ragged breath. “The Kleese took them.”
“What?” uttered Lieutenant Martinez. “How? Surely the Marines would have resisted.”
“They were stunned,” answered Wade, as he turned to leave the Control Tower with Martinez at his side. There was nothing left here for him to find. “We know the Kleese have powerful stun weapons on their assault ships to be used to capture new conscripts. We have to assume the Zaltule have the same weapons. They probably sent some shuttles down and stunned everyone in the surrounding area. Our battlesuits aren’t designed to stop stun weapons of significant magnitude. That’s an error we’ll need to correct.”
One thing Wade would do immediately was send a message to Admiral Adamson informing him of what had transpired. He was certain the admiral would send part of the fleet back to help secure the system and bring the Diadem people into the Alliance. Ion cannons would be emplaced on the surface to help ensure the safety of the planet. It wouldn’t take long and in just a few weeks they could make Diadem nearly impervious to Kleese attack.
Stepping outside, Wade looked up into the late afternoon sky. It was a deep blue very similar to what Earth once possessed before the Kleese poisoned the planet. A few puffy white clouds were visible and it seemed very quiet. For several minutes, Wade stood thinking about what he needed to do. Rescuing Ryan and the Marines the Kleese had taken was out of the question. There was no way to know where they had gone. He was also a little confused as to why the Kleese had taken the Marines as prisoners. He doubted if they wanted them for conscripts; there had to be another reason.
For the first time in a long while, Wade felt completely helpless. There was nothing he could do to help Ryan. Shaking his head, he activated his communication gear to contact Commander Anton on the Argyle. It was time to make his report, and this was one time he wished he wasn’t in command. He was about to report his brother and the other Marines MIA with no hope of rescue. This was the worst day of his life, even more so than when his own platoon had been captured by the Kleese so many years before.
-
Ryan woke up with a pounding headache. With a loud moan, he opened his eyes and looked around. With a start, he realized he was no longer in the Control Tower. Sitting up he felt his head spin and then the wave of dizziness passed.
“Don’t move too quickly,” Alexander said from the bunk on the other side of the room. “It helps to move slowly. I should know; I was stunned often enough on Charring Mountain.”
Nodding, Ryan looked around trying to figure out where they were. He could see a number of bunks on both sides of a long narrow room. Other Marines lay on the bunks, some still unconscious from the effect of the stunners and a few just beginning to recover. With sudden concern, he felt something strange around his neck. Reaching up he felt a small round metallic collar. Looking over at Alexander, he saw a silver collar with a slight bluish tinge around his neck.
“Kleese obedience collars,” Alexander confirmed with a heavy sigh. “We all have them. I’ve been awake for awhile, and I think we’re on a Kleese ship.”
“Casey?” asked Ryan, starting to stand up. Their battlesuits had been removed and everyone he could see were dressed in the ultra light uniforms they normally wore inside the suits.
“Down at the far end,” answered Alexander, pointing to a bunk with an unconscious Marine in it. “She’s still out; Lauren is on the bunk across from her.”
Ryan sat back down as he struggled to grasp their current situation. It was obvious the Kleese had used their stun weapons to knock out the Marines in their battlesuits. Counting the bunks, he could see there were twenty of them in the room. Several of the Marines were from different platoons.
“This isn’t good, is it Ryan?” asked Alexander, shaking his head. “If the Kleese have captured us, how will we ever get back home?”
“My brother did,” responded Ryan, wanting to give Alexander some hope. “If he and Beth did it, so can we. At least we’re still alive.”
-
Over the next hour, the rest of the Marines gradually woke up. Most had headaches like Ryan had experienced, which quickly went away. He was sitting on Casey’s bunk when she finally opened her eyes.
“Where are we?” she asked in a weak voice, as her eyes focused on Ryan.
Ryan knew the medical nanites she’d been injected with were still working to heal her wound. Unfortunately, without her battlesuit there were no more pain meds available.
“We’re on a Kleese ship,” Ryan answered not wanting to keep the truth away from her. “We were all stunned and taken on board.”
Casey closed her eyes and moaned as she moved her injured shoulder. It was throbbing as the pain meds had mostly worn off. “What now?”
“We wait,” answered Ryan, feeling anguish over Casey’s obvious pain. “We’re in a small barracks room with a locked hatch on the far end and restroom facilities through the door on this end.”
“At least we’re still together,” said Casey, wincing as she moved her shoulder. She really wished she had some pain meds.
Ryan was trying to remember everything Wade had told him about the months he and Beth had been Kleese captives. Ryan couldn’t imagine the Kleese wanting them for conscripts; it had to be information. There was no doubt in Ryan’s mind they would all be interrogated by the Kleese. Knowing how ruthless the arachnids were toward other races, it was an experience which would probably prove horrifying. He was pulled from his thoughts as the hatch to their room suddenly swung open and an alien entered. Behind him were two conscripts in Type Two battlesuits. Both conscripts were armed with heavy duty stunners.
“Greetings,” spoke the alien in a slightly stilted voice. “I am Gureen of the Nabian race.”
Gureen was easily seven feet tall with a clean-shaven head and small elfin ears. His eyes, nose, and mouth looked nearly human. His skin had a slight greenish tint to it.
Ryan stood and walked toward the front of the room followed by Lauren and Alexander. “Why are we here?”
“You are captives of the Zaltule,” Gureen replied, his eyes gazing unflinchingly at Ryan. “You wear the collars of obedience and will do as I or any other members of my race demand.”
“What if we don’t obey?” asked Lauren in a steady voice.
“Then you will die,” Gureen said simply. “You now belong to the Zaltule and will learn to serve them. Only through obedience will you continue to live.”
The Marines in the room looked at one another, not sure how to respond.
Gureen turned and nodded to several other members of his race who were waiting out in the corridor. The two Nabians wheeled in two large carts with eating utensils and several large pots with what looked like some type of thick, hot soup in them.
“This food is safe for humans to consume,” Gureen informed them. “Eat; you will need your energy. You will be allowed twelve hours of rest before your indoctrination commences.” With that Gureen and the others turned and left, shutting the hatch securely behind them.
Ryan turned and saw all the others were staring at him, uncertain what to do. “I suggest we eat as Gureen suggested.”
“What if the food’s drugged?” asked Private Hatterson with concern in her voice. Mary was deeply worried the Kleese might have put something in the food.
“It doesn’t matter,” Ryan replied. “There’s nothing else to eat.”
“So, what do we do?” asked Lauren softly.
“We wait and do as we’re told,” answered Ryan, recalling some of what Wade told him about how conscripts were treated. He reached up and touched the cold metal of the obedience collar around his neck. “These collars have explosive charges wired into them. If we disobey one of the Nabians or a Kleese, they will be set off.”
Lauren’s face turned pale as she realized the hopelessness of their situation. She thought getting to the top of Charring Mountain had been hard. She feared that experience might not even come close to what they were all going to be forced to endure now. They were about to live their worst nightmare and she wondered just how many of them would survive.
Chapter Four
The next morning, or at least Ryan assumed it was morning, started out auspiciously. Gureen returned to their quarters with the two conscripts in battlesuits as well as the other two Nabians from the day before. Once more, they brought in two carts of food, this time with a slightly different taste.
“You have one hour to eat and prepare yourselves,” Gureen announced. “I will return at the designated time and take you to begin your indoctrination. No delay will be tolerated!” Gureen and the others then left, locking the hatch behind them.
“I guess this could be worse,” Alexander mumbled as he filled his bowl and sat down on his bunk to eat. “At least they’re feeding us.”
“It’s better than the food in our battlesuits,” Mary said, as she took her bowl and then filled a second one for Casey. Mary walked over and handed Casey her bowl and sat down next to her. “How do you feel today?”
“Better,” replied Casey, forcing a smile. “Almost human again.” Her upper shoulder still ached, but the pain was not as severe as it had been.
Alexander and Private Cameron Swen were sitting together talking when Cameron looked over at Ryan. “How do you want to play this, Lieutenant?”
Ryan swallowed a spoonful of the soup before replying. The soup actually had a slight egg taste to it. “We cooperate without giving out any essential information. We don’t reveal anything about our ships, members of the Alliance, or any information about the solar system that could compromise our military. General information will be permissible and to more in depth questions we feign ignorance.”
“The Kleese might not like that,” Cameron said, his hand going to the collar around his neck. “Some of us could very easily lose our heads.”
“I know,” Ryan replied, his eyes taking on a serious look. “But we’re Marines and our job is to protect what’s left of our people.” Ryan looked around, seeing most of the Marines in the small barracks-like room were listening to him. “I have to be honest with you; the odds of us ever returning home aren’t great. The Kleese are undoubtedly taking us deeper into their space. We’ll do whatever we need to in order to survive, but under no conditions will we reveal valuable tactical information.”
“I wonder how many others they took?” Alexander said, as he finished off his bowl of breakfast soup and thought about going back for seconds. “Do you think Major Stevens was also taken?”
“I don’t know,” answered Ryan. “I doubt if we’re the only ones they took. I want everyone to finish eating and hit the showers if you need to. There’s no way of telling how long we’re going to be gone when Gureen returns.”
Ryan had checked out the restroom facilities. There was no privacy and the showers were open, but as Marines, they were used to such accommodations. Even though they were prisoners, the barracks they were in was relatively comfortable though a bit cramped. Fortunately, after spending hours in a Type Four battlesuit, which completely enclosed one, tight quarters were not a problem, at least not for now. He was also vastly relieved that Casey was feeling better; he’d been greatly concerned she might need a second dose of the medical nanites and he strongly suspected the Nabians wouldn’t agree to a treatment.
-
The hour finally passed and everyone waited expectantly with their eyes on the large metal hatch. Some were anxious about what was ahead of them and others were curious about what was outside. The hatch suddenly swung open and Gureen stood there.
“Everyone up,” he ordered commandingly. “You will march in a double file and follow me to your first indoctrination session. Anyone who refuses to obey or fails to keep up will be stunned and taken to a Kleese Overlord.” Without another word, Gureen turned and stepped back through the hatch.
Ryan stood up and gestured for his Marines to follow. “Double file,” he ordered. “Private Swen, I want you to help Casey so ensure she keeps up.”
“Yes, sir,” Cameron replied, as he stepped over to Casey’s side.
“I’m feeling all right,” Casey said, as she stood and then swayed slightly on her feet. “The nanites have almost finished their healing.”
“Just in case,” Ryan insisted, as he stepped out of the hatch. He didn’t intend for any of his Marines to be stunned, particularly Casey.
Seeing how wide the corridor was, he realized they had to be on one of the large exploration ships of the Kleese. This was the same type of vessel that had launched the planet killer into the Earth’s crust as well as taken Wade and thousands of
other soldiers from Earth. This was a ship capable of traveling the length of the Kleese Empire and back again.
“Double file!” ordered Gureen as he turned and started down the long corridor at a fast pace.
Ryan nodded and took the lead with Corporal Parker at his side. He noted there were four conscripts in Type Two battlesuits escorting them. Only this time, two had stun weapons and the other two were armed with standard RG rifles.
Alexander noticed this too and his eyes widened at the implications. It was obvious the Nabians were prepared to use lethal force if they thought it was needed. It reminded him of just how little the Kleese and some of their vassal races regarded other life forms. His hand went unconsciously to the metal collar around his neck.
As they moved down the long corridor, Casey realized she was much weaker than she’d thought. She was finding it difficult to walk at the fast pace Gureen was setting. Cameron was holding her left arm and helping her to keep up. She was thankful Ryan had assigned Swen to help her. The RG round had barely missed her lung, but it had caused a lot of bone and tissue damage as it passed through her body. Normally, a wound such as that would take about a week to heal completely and might even need a second dose of the medical nanites. I need to get well, she thought to herself. They were in a bad situation and Ryan was going to need all of his people if they had any hope to survive. Right now, she was the weak link and determined for that to change.
As they went down the corridor, Ryan noticed the absence of other alien species. They passed a few other Nabians but no other races. From the things he remembered of what Wade had told him, the Kleese exploration ships were normally staffed by a number of different alien species, who had been taken as conscripts. Ryan wondered if the other alien races were being kept away from them for a reason. He filed that thought away for future consideration. Also, were the conscripts in the battlesuits Nabians or some other race?
Galactic Empire Wars: The Alliance (The Galactic Empire Wars Book 4) Page 5