“What did you find?” Ketrick asked, leaning forward in his seat. The Trilord’s massive bulk looked almost comical in the tiny Grovothe chair. Riot wondered whether or not, when he stood up, the seat would stick to his butt. “What did you find that would encourage you to reach out for assistance?”
“We didn’t reach out for assistance,” Rippa growled. “We returned your call for help.”
“Regardless,” Admiral Tricon said, giving Rippa a hard stare, “we’re all here now.”
The admiral pressed a few buttons on his chair’s armrest. The small table in the center of the seated group came to life. A blue holographic display appeared in the space above the table. A picture of the planet they orbited now came to life.
“This is the planet Raydon, inhabited by the local species of Zenoth.” The admiral changed the image to a blue see-through picture of what looked like a massive insect. Large pincers erupted from the alien species’ face. Giant black eyes were set in its head. The creatures looked like they traveled on four of their six legs. Their bodies were segmented, like an ant’s. “The Zenoth are an insect species that has dominated control of Raydon to the point that there are no other living creatures on the planet except for the Zenoth. Their need to spread and control has made them kings of their planet. Now that they have completely consumed Raydon, they have been working on ways to spread to other planets in their star system.”
“The Zenoth don’t seem technologically advanced enough to do that.” Doctor Miller leaned in even further from her chair to get a look at the insect-like Zenoths. “Unless I’m missing something. How far have they advanced?”
“For this, I’ll hand the conversation over to Major Gunna,” the Admiral said, motioning with his hand to the Grovothe on his right. “Major Gunna has been boots on the ground with her Spartan fire team, gaining intelligence over the last few weeks.”
Major Gunna pointed to the blue see-through holographic image of the Zenoth. “You’re correct Doctor Miller. The Zenoth are not technologically advanced enough to create a means of transportation beyond their own planet. From the data we gathered, I suspect they’re only just becoming familiar with computers and data of their own. However, the last visit to one of their hives on Raydon showed us that the Karnayers have shared their technology with the Zenoth. They’re building ships, weapons, and armor far past their own understanding. We believe the Karnayers are militarizing them, sharing their own tech in exchange for their loyalty, and if we’re right, we’re all in a hell-load of trouble. The Zenoth number in the billions.”
Just like the Syndicate did with us, Riot thought. She leaned back in her chair, thinking of the repercussions of the information. Well, not exactly. The Syndicate tried to wipe us out to make us learn. The Karnayers are exchanging tech for soldiers with the Zenoth.
“That’s why the Karnayers were here,” Riot said out loud. “They were en route to give the Zenoth more tech, or check in on their progress.”
“More than likely,” Major Gunna said, looking to the admiral and nodding at the hologram.
The admiral flicked another button on the control arm of his chair. The holographic image transitioned once more, this time showing a ship that looked like a blimp, along with schematics for armor to fit over the Zenoth and a crude type of blaster with sharp points and a wide grip.
58
You can see what they’re manufacturing in their hives below ground,” the admiral said, motioning to the hologram. “Needless to say, we can’t let them arm their billions of Zenoth soldiers.” Major Gunna looked through the hologram, directly at Riot. “We need to shut them down, permanently.”
“And I’m sure you’ve tried to reason with them.” Doctor Miller looked at Riot as if the two were thinking the same thing. “Wait, does this mean you’re in a declared state of war with the Karnayers?”
The gathered Grovothe officers sitting on the opposite side of Riot and her team smirked at the doctor’s questions.
“The Zenoth will not be reasoned with,” Admiral Tricon said, reining in the conversation. “You’re, of course, welcome to try if you like, but every attempt has been met with aggression. They only understand one thing: spread. As for your second question, that is a bit trickier. I told you before, I don’t do politics. The Allfather knows there are enough Grovothe back on our homeworld to do that. The Karnayer military will deny any mention of their activity in militarizing other species. When we bring them proof, they renounce any of the allegations, stating they had nothing to do with the occurrence and that those Karnayers found guilty were rogue, acting on their own accord.”
“Seems like a nice alibi,” Riot said. She ran her tongue across the inside of her teeth while she thought. “The Karnayers can then do whatever they want. If they do get caught, they just brand those found out as working on their own. Kinda ingenious, if you think about it.”
Everyone in the room looked at Riot with wide eyes.
“What? I wasn’t saying I like it, but it’s smart. So, what’s the game plan here? You decided to take us up on our offer to combine forces because you can’t do this alone, right?” Riot asked, looking between the admiral and the major. “You want us to help you take out this Zenoth threat.”
“The Grovothe are more than capable of dealing with the Zenoth on our own,” Major Gunna said, bristling as if Riot had just insulted her height. “We’re a warrior race. We don’t back down from anyone.”
“Easy there.” Wang extended his hands, palms up. “We don't mean you couldn’t. Let’s just say it would be nice to have a few more guns on your side of the fight when you assault the Zenoth hives.”
The Grovothe looked to one another, consulting in low whispers. They grunted past thick beards and nodded to one another.
“We’re a proud race,” Admiral Tricon finally spoke. “But like I said before, even our vast resources are spread thin. When we assault Raydon, it wouldn’t hurt to have backup.”
“And when do you plan on attempting this assault?” Ketrick asked, crossing his large arms over his chest.
Admiral Tricon turned off the hologram display in the middle of the council meeting. He looked Riot and the rest of her team in their eyes before speaking. “We’re going to attack tomorrow at dawn.”
“Huh. I’m sorry, it sounded like you said that you’re going in tomorrow.” Riot chuckled, shaking her head. “Must be all the FTL travel warping my inner ear.”
“You heard me correctly.” Admiral Tricon’s firm tone made it clear he wasn’t in a joking mood. “We can’t wait any longer. We’ll hammer the three hives where the Zenoth are building their weapons and crafts with long range fire from the Dreadnaught, tonight. We’re not expecting the orbital strike to put any major dents in their numbers, as the hives are located below the surface. Still, we have to try. In the morning, we’ll send in three teams. Major Gunna will lead the team, striking the largest Zenoth hive. I’d like you to go with her.”
“Well, is that all?” Wang stood up from his chair, shrugging into his armor. “Get into a space battle, kill a few Karnayers boarding our ship, and then assault an alien planet full of billions—you did say billions of insect soldiers, right?”
“Wang,” Riot said, glaring at her corporal. “Sit down.”
“Sorry, sorry,” Wang said, swallowing hard as if he were ashamed of himself. “I’m done.”
“If you don’t think you’re up to the task—” Major Gunna started.
“We’re not going to do the reverse psychology thing here,” Riot said to the major. “We’re with you. If everything checks out when we have boots on the ground, we have a common enemy.”
“Good.” Admiral Tricon stood from his seat. “Warrant Officer Riot, you and your team are, of course, welcome to stay aboard the Dreadnaught or, if you prefer, in your own ship.”
“I should send a transmission back to General Armon and SPEAR,” Doctor Miller said, and rose from her seat.
“Vikta will need looking after,” Ketrick said.<
br />
“I’ll bunk with the dwar—our new friends,” Wang said, catching himself just in time.
Riot rolled her eyes, glaring at Wang for the second time that day.
“On second thought, I’ll be fine on the Valkyrie.” Wang avoided eye contact with Riot. He shied away. “It’s a comfortable space I’m familiar with.”
“Understood.” Admiral Tricon looked over to the rest of his officers. “You are all dismissed. Major Gunna, will you make sure our new allies receive a proper meal?”
“Yes sir.” Major Gunna walked over to Riot and her crew. “I’ll show you to the mess hall.”
“Warrant Officer Riot?” the Admiral asked as Wang, Ketrick, and Doctor Miller moved to follow the major. “Will you stay for a moment longer? I promise it won’t be long.”
“Of course.” Riot looked Wang in the eyes. “Behave yourself.”
“Why are you just looking at me?” Wang motioned to Doctor Miller and Ketrick. “What about them? I’m feeling a bit singled out, here.”
“Because I AM talking to you,” Riot said, walking away from the group exiting the room. Over her shoulder, she could hear Major Gunna and Ketrick already picking up where they left off.
“So giant, what is it that you eat on Hoydren to grow so disproportionately large?” Major Gunna asked.
“Definitely not what you’re eating here that stunts your growth to such a puny extent.” Ketrick’s voice faded into the distance as the group left the room.
“Well, aren’t we just all getting along.” Admiral Tricon walked to a far wall where a panel with a grey lever was set in an indention on the right. The admiral pulled the lever down, raising steel shades along the wall. “It’s a good sign that they’re ribbing each other out loud. If they carried it inside, it might lead to something more.”
Riot slowly nodded along with the admiral’s words. In all honesty, she was having a hard time paying attention at the moment. What she thought had been a stationary wall a moment before was actually a long window that opened up into space and an approaching planet beyond.
The planet was a dull red, in some places almost cream. It looked massive, even larger than Earth. Riot understood she was the last person qualified to gauge how large planets really were compared to one another. The thing that took her off guard was how beautiful it seemed. A single planet alive with red-and-cream colors standing against the blackness of space.
“I suspect you have your reservations about us bombing the hives and the validity of what we have told you today.” The admiral moved to stand next to Riot. He didn’t look at her, just stood beside her, gazing out onto the planet of Raydon. “I guess you’ll have to trust us, so far as going along with us bombing the hives tonight, but tomorrow, when you’re on the planet fighting alongside us, you’ll see first-hand that everything we’ve told you is true.”
How can something so perfect, so amazing, be as evil as they say it is? Riot thought. But isn’t that life? Judging a book by its cover gets you dead faster than a trigger-happy private in his first real firefight.
“You’ve given us no reason to think you’re lying to us,” Riot said, turning from the window to look at the admiral. She had to tilt her head down. He came up to her chin. “Like you said, we’ll see for ourselves soon enough.”
“Your ship won’t be ready when it’s time to go. One of our Archangel A4 transportation ships will give you a ride down and back.”
“Understood,” Riot said. There were still so many unanswered questions about the Karnayers and the massive universe Earth now found itself a part of. There was no time to ask them all, so Riot concentrated on the ones bothering her the most. “On Hoydren, we captured a Karnayer trying to enslave the dragons there and use them as weapons. I fought him. He created a kind of green … magic, for a lack of a better word, to control the dragons and also use over his blade. It gave his weapon the ability to slice through my own. Do you know what that is?”
“Magic is as good a term for it as any.” Admiral Tricon scrunched his bushy eyebrows. He ran a hand down the right side of his face, where a long scar dug into his skin like a shallow canyon. “It’s a force that exists in the universe; a magic controlled by the power of one’s internal fortitude, tied closely to their very will itself. It’s used by more than a few of the advanced races, including my own people. If you are interested in a more detailed answer, there are those among my staff who practice and could tell you more.”
“Thanks. I’m sure Doctor Miller will take you up on that offer once things calm down a bit,” Riot said, trying to gauge how important harnessing this power would be to SPEAR. “One more question. When the Syndicate were destroyed, they warned of an oncoming force of evil. I thought at first they might have been talking about the Karnayers, but Remus, the Karnayer we’d captured on Hoydren, referred to something or someone called the ‘Ancient Ones.’ Do you know what he was talking about?”
“Only rumors, the weight of the truth resting on what you believe.” Admiral Tricon blew air from his lungs as if he were trying to decide how much to say. “Some believe the Ancient Ones are merely a story told around the universe by parents to their young.”
“Galactic boogeymen,” Riot muttered.
The admiral continued. “They are the creators or destroyers of the universe, depending on what you believe.”
“And what do you believe?” Riot asked.
“I think there is truth in both. I think that there is the possibility of a race existing that far surpasses us in knowledge and age. Maybe even a species that deems themselves responsible for destroying galaxies and then allowing them to rise up, only for the cycle to begin anew. The universe is a big place, Riot. There is much of it that has yet to be explored.”
Riot nodded along with the admiral’s words.
“Get some rest.” Admiral Tricon strode from the room. “Tomorrow, we go to war.”
59
Riot?” Doctor Miller emerged from the cargo hold on the rear of the ship just as Riot was walking around the corner of the Valkyrie. “General Armon wants to speak with you as soon as you get in.”
“Well, I’m in,” Riot said, rolling her tired shoulders, trying to ignore what time it must have been. “I’ll open up a link from my quarters.”
“Here.” Doctor Miller pushed a bottle of water and a protein bar into her hand. “You’re not going to be of use to anyone if you don’t find time to eat.”
Riot accepted the food, grateful for the promise of something in her stomach. Her gut rolled with the thought of putting food into her mouth.
“You’re all right, Bubbles,” Riot said, tearing into the protein bar. “You’re all right.”
“Of course,” the doctor said, brightening up at the hint of praise sent her way. Deborah Miller’s eyes shone and her lips parted in a smile so genuine that Riot had to look away. “I mean, I’m here for you and the team. You all are like fam—”
“Easy, take it easy,” Riot said around a mouthful of food. She twisted the cap on her water bottle and drained the entire contents to buy her some time from having to address the cheerleader in front of her. Riot finished with a loud burp. “When we head to the surface of Raydon tomorrow, we’re heading into a fight. It’s up to you whether or not you want to come with us. I know you’re a noncombatant, and well, there’s going to be a lot of combat. If you choose to stay behind on the transport ship, you can coordinate with us from there.”
Riot could see the struggle in the doctor’s eyes. She was a scientist, but she considered herself a part of the team. Who was Riot kidding? Deborah was a part of the team. Not going would be hard for her, but she had to realize she was a scientist, not a Marine.
“I want to come, but maybe it’s best if I help coordinate from the transport ship,” the doctor said, taking solace in the fact that she would be able to do something. She had chosen to take the out Riot had given her. Riot couldn’t blame her. “Anything you and the War—the team needs, I’ll get it done.”
Riot ignored the fact that the doctor had almost called them the War Wolves and not a peacekeeping team. “I know you will.”
Riot walked into the cargo bay and toward her quarters. If General Armon wanted to talk, something must be important, and normally, generals didn’t like to wait. Riot passed a dozen Grovothe engineers working alongside Vet and Rizzo to repair the interior of the ship from the Karnayer attack.
A large, yellow crane was in the process of removing the small Karnayer Scarabs from the hull of the Valkyrie. The dead Karnayer bodies had already been removed, the blue blood left in their wake mopped off the floor, walls, and ceiling.
Vet and Rizzo nodded to Riot as she passed.
It was a short trip to her quarters. Riot’s room was a simple affair of a desk and small seating area to her left. To her right was her bed, closet, and a washroom just large enough to fit a shower, sink, and toilet.
For whatever reason, as soon as Riot entered the room, memories of a night not long past resurfaced. When she had relapsed. Memories had driven her to drink again, something she knew she couldn’t handle, but had done anyway. That night, Ketrick had taken care of her.
Ketrick.
I wonder what that idiot is doing right now. Riot found herself imagining him as she walked to her desk. Probably discovering new ways to sling insults at Rippa.
The thought made Riot smile. It felt good. These days she didn’t have much to smile about.
Riot sat at the desk, pushing thoughts of Ketrick from her mind.
“Evonne,” Riot said out loud to the AI that lived in the Valkyrie. “Patch me through to General Armon please.”
“Right away,” Evonne’s ethereal voice answered back.
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