by David Winnie
Robert stood before them as they rocked in silence. “Mother, Papa, May I have a word with you?” he asked.
“Certainly, Son,” Yuri answered as he and his wife lay their books in their laps.
“As you are both aware, I have been working and studying hard. My instructors have been assigning me college work for several years now. I have met the basic requirements set down by the Education ministry several times over.”
Before either parent could respond, nine-year-old Pia, all elbows and knees as Yuri often noted, danced into the room, carrying a comm. “Mommy, it’s your gold channel.” She handed her mother the comm, then pantomimed Annika as she spoke into the comm. “This is the Queen.” Annika snapped her fingers at Pia and furrowed her brow as Pia spun out of the room.
“Majesty, this is Colonel D’Gembae of Terran Command,” was the anxious voice on the comm. “We have received a message from Percii Central. They have been attacked by the Bougartd. Casualty reports are spotty but we believe them to be heavy.” His voice caught, then he continued. “We have gotten a message from Percii Seven. They have instituted the Omega Protocols.”
Annika’s stomach clinched. Marianne! In a stern voice, she replied, “Who is the closest fleet, Colonel?”
“Admiral Harig, Third Combined,” he reported. “We also have Vice Admiral Makati with Twenty-Seventh Heavy Bombardment within twelve hours.”
“Very well. Send the orders on my authority. Contact Minister Howland, Admiral Thiessen and the rest of the War Council. Tell them I am ordering War Plan Red Queen. I will arrive in Giza within ten hours. Notify Lord Klerrks Revenge. My respects to Vice Admiral Byrd; I expect the battlegroup to be ready to depart in twelve hours.”
“It shall be as you ordered, my Queen.” The comm went dead.
Annika moved to Yuri’s lap. “Hold me tight, my love. It’s begun. I am taking the Empire to war.”
Chapter 33
“I am become Death. The destroyer of Worlds.”
J. Robert Oppenheimer, theoretical physicist, early 20th century
The Queen’s fleet appeared at the edge of the Cadeau System. The arrival of a Terran warship to any system was a concern. The arrival of her fifty-warship Battle Group was cause for panic.
From her flagship, Queen Annika Raudona Russolov Khan sent the message. She would address the council. Today. The fleet approached Cadeau 4 and entered orbit, ignoring all instructions from the system’s traffic control. The Terran Battle Group created considerable confusion for the ships already in neat, orderly orbits around the Cadeau. There were several near collisions as the fifty warships advanced.
The fleet settled into a high orbit, its weapons trained on the planet and any ship that approached. Buccaneer fighters were launched and formed a protective barrier. From the Lord Klerrks Revenge, one hundred more fighters launched and escorted ten armed transports to the surface of the Seat of the Galactic Federation.
Queen Annika Raudona Russolov Khan had arrived.
Fifty Imperial troops in full battle gear surrounded her as she left her dropship, escorting her to the Galactic Council’s chamber. Anxious clusters of council police tried to surround the group, but couldn’t match the rapid march. Panicky politicians and council members assembled in their boxes, eager and dreading what the arrival of the Terran leader meant to each of their worlds. Not to mention to their personal safety. There had been rumors about this Queen. Only rumors, to be honest. But she was Terran, reason enough to be cautious. If half the rumors about her were true…
The avian ambassador of the Kyocera system protested that this Queen’s appearance was improper. As a non-member world, Terra was not allowed to call a council meeting, much less be allowed to address the council, unless invited. There was protocol to follow before even a member world could address them. “By what right,” the Kyocera ambassador asked, “does the barbarian queen address this august body?”
The Official Terran Observer to the Galactic Council pointed skyward. “Because none of you can stop her.” The implied threat was clear enough.
As she entered the chamber with her escort of fifty armed soldiers (with more complaints called out over weapons in the council chamber), nearly everyone was taken aback with how small she was! Surely, this Queen could be no threat! In the eyes of most of the races represented, she was hardly bigger than a child. But her stride was confident and precise. Her pointed chin was firmly set and her green, almond shaped eyes looked neither left nor right as she strode purposefully down the aisle to the center rostrum of the main chamber.
The chamber of the Galactic Council was a menagerie of beings of the Sagittarius Arm. Scales and skin, feathers and quills were scattered throughout the two hundred races represented. Along the wall to her left was a series of tanks, containing aquatic and beings that required specialized environments. Behind her were a series of horizontal bars for the avians to perch and serpent races to wrap around. There were shouts, hisses and angry cries as the Khan and her escorts marched sharply down the aisle.
She reached the rostrum and said in a loud voice, “I am here to address this council. I will be heard!”
The chairperson, a nervous rodent from the Zionus system was anxious; there were no rules in place for a non-aligned world to demand this privilege. But he saw she would not yield and his courage left him. He nodded his assent and announced loudly, “The Chair recognizes the Leader of the Terran Empire. Your Majesty.”
Annika ascended the stairs and moved behind the rostrum. She stood beside it, arms crossed, tapping her foot irritably. A trembling, rabbity aide brought a step; she could now see over the tall podium. In her Imperial Officer’s uniform with the muted Captains bars on her collar and the golden pilot’s wings on her left breast, she was a sight to behold on any world. She took measure of the assembly of races represented, then began to speak:
“I stand before you today, as the leader of an aggrieved people. I am Queen of the Terran Empire and of our member worlds, our allies, and our subjected worlds…”
“You mean slave worlds!” came a shout from the chamber.
“A curious accusation to come from the Hecht Homogony. As I recall, you have legalized slavery on your worlds, yes? Worlds you have invaded and enslaved yourself. Yet, you condemn us for doing what you yourself do.” She raised her chin. “We’re just much, much better at it.
“Which leads me to my address to you this afternoon.” Annika continued. “Before I was so rudely interrupted, I was pointing out that not only am I the Leader of the Terran Empire, but that I am also Khan and Goddess Queen of Terra. The relationship between this Council and Terra has been, for the last two thousand years, more than a bit contentious. This council has, in fact, directed four wars against Terra. Not just my Empire, but Terra herself. Each of these wars were not wars of conquest, oh, no. They were wars waged against my people, my planet, for its very existence. Four times, this council has authorized and funded invasions of my world with the intent to exterminate the Terran people. The first was easily turned back. Even to this day, the Solarians have not recovered from their disastrous war with Terra. The second war this council declared was the Vinithri War. It turned out quite badly for you, didn’t it? Not only did we stop the Vinithri assault, we became friends and allies! Today, the Terran/Venithrian Alliance is the strongest and tightest bond to be found in the known universe.”
She paused for effect, then continued. “I suppose I should thank you for bringing Terra and the Vinithri together. It was the combination of Terran and Vinithri science that made me possible. So, for that, I thank you.
“The Hecht attack on my world was devastating, destroying five of our grandest cities and killing billions of innocents. We turned back your attack yet again. The harvest of technology advanced our war making ability a hundredfold. We rebuilt our cities. From where I stand, I see the Hecht still have failed to regain their standing within this council.
“But now to the crux of the matter,” she went on. “Two thou
sand Terran years ago, this council gave permission to the Bougartd to begin an unlimited war of aggression against the Terran Empire. Many of your worlds have done more than give their blessings. You have, in fact, given the Bougartd financial and material support. You’ve given the raider ships free passage and shelter, shielded them when they exited Terran space after their raids. Purchased stolen Terran goods. And enslaved thousands of Terrans.
“My great grandfather stood on this very stage, on this very spot, and asked you, the Great Galactic Council, to stop the attacks in the interest of peace. My great grandfather was a builder and a man of peace. You forced him into a war he didn’t want to fight.
“My father stood on this very stage, on this very spot and demanded you stop the war. You ignored him and he was forced to continue a war Terra didn’t want to fight.”
“Woman, get to the point!” came a voice from the Bougartd box. He stood, seven feet tall, charcoal grey skin, yellow eyes. Up from his jutting jaw were two, long yellow teeth. Around his neck hung a jeweled translator. “I have better things to do today than listen to your whining and crying on how unfair the universe is. Hey, I have an idea! Why don’t you march your pretty little Terran ass over to my quarters? I know I have something that would make you feel all better.” With that, all the Bougartd began to laugh.
“The animal will be silent!” roared the Queen. She composed herself. “I am not here to ask the council for anything. Nor am I here to make any demands. No…” her voice lowered.
“When vermin occupy your home, you have two choices. You can try and make peace with the vermin, which in turns leads to your house being vermin infested. Or, you hunt down and eradicate the vermin. Today, Terra is exterminating the vermin known as the Bougartd. As I speak, my fleets have taken up position around their home world and colonies. We have commenced our attack, then will move on to the rest of their colonies, stations, and ships. Wherever the vermin hide, we will locate and exterminate them. If any species attempts to aid the Bougartd, they will incur the wrath of my Empire. If any world gives aid or comfort to them, my fleet will raze the planet to ensure the vermin are dead. If any being attempts to hide even one Bougartd under their bed, we will burn that house down.”
“What is the meaning of this!” roared the Bougartd Ambassador. Unlike his bare-chested companions, he wore a richly embroidered robe, of reds and purples, denoting his position in his government. His mandibles were jewel encrusted. “Bougartd has been an esteemed member of this assembly since its inception! Now this upstart comes in here and starts issuing threats? Against me and my people? For a few pirate raids that cannot possibly be seriously considered as endorsed by my government? What gives you the audacity, much less the right, to address me in this fashion?”
Annika’s eyes blazed. “What gives me the right? As Queen of nine hundred worlds? As Khan of forty trillion Terrans? What gives me the right? The blood of the millions that is on your hands. Especially the blood of ones most dear to me. Marianne Quinn. Katy O’Brien. Rory Grant. Julia Adams. A few of the millions you murdered with Tyrus Phage, an unspeakable act to any civilized people.”
She pulled a communicator from her pocket and commanded, “Execute.” The external doors around the chamber flew open. Through them poured two hundred more Terran soldiers in full battle dress. They blocked the doors while a group of them ran to the Bougartd box, leveled their weapons and fired. For thirty long seconds, weapons chattered and barked, tearing the Bougartd delegation to pieces. As the firing started, several delegations panicked and broke for the exits. The grim Terran soldiers stood firm, preventing escape. When the firing stopped, there were cries of terror and furniture toppled as nearly every race tried to escape the assault. Outside the hall, more firing could be heard from the direction of the Bougartd Consulate. The air vibrated, a ripping sound was heard as meson bolt after meson bolt tore through the atmosphere. Each ended with a heavy thud and explosion which shook the whole city.
“That will be the Bougartd Embassy,” said the Queen. “I ordered my own ship to see to its destruction.” She left the rostrum and, surrounded by her soldiers, moved toward the exit. The panicked beings were easily pushed aside as she made her way back up the aisle way. She stopped at the Bougartd carnage, whirled to face the council members, and said, “See this and trembly obey.”
She left the stunned hall in silence.
The end of Terra/Vinithri War in 3053 A.D. was made possible by asteroid miners, who had covertly entered Vinithri Kuiper belt, attached powerful engines and guidance computers to heavy asteroids and sent them crashing into the Vinithri home world. Since that glorious day, asteroid miners had been held in the highest regard throughout the Empire as heroes and saviors.
Lieutenant General Mickey Morando, head of Imperial Army Special Operations, had devised a new method of the ancient miner’s attack.
It had taken weeks to get Genii into position. Years before the Queen decided to go to war, Intelligence had determined that war with the Bougartd was inevitable. Genii was dispatched to penetrate and prepare for War Plan Red Queen from inside the Kuiper Belt. He had drifted in, unpowered, even though equipped with the most advanced stealth equipment in the Empire. General Morando had learned caution as a bomber pilot.
Once safely in and amongst the Kuiper asteroids, Genii spent months locating hundreds of asteroids, rocks of specific size and composition, namely, between five and ten metric tons and ninety per cent or greater of nickel-iron. The scouts found what was needed and cataloged each location. And waited.
The Bougartd had encapsulated their entire system with a network of listening stations outside its ten inhabited worlds. The outer two worlds were command posts for the outer ring of defensive satellites. The inner three worlds were the seat of Bougartd civilization. They had started on the smallest of the three planets and rapidly spread to the other two. Heavy weapon platforms ringed the valued worlds. Their fleet, such as it was, was moored there in two extensive shipyards. They had one hundred and forty capital ships and three thousand raider craft in the system. Powerful anti-ship weapons were mounted on all the planets.
The Terran Empire had more than two thousand ships, nearly half of which were heavy or medium warships, and well over seventy-five thousand fighter and bomber craft. The whole of the military had been fighting continually for the last fifteen years, consolidating the Empire.
The Planning Commission for the War Council had several members, including General Morando, who were astute students of history. They knew the Bougartd weren’t industrialist, but preferred to trade or steal what they needed. Their Kuiper belt was relatively unexploited and unpopulated.
The plan was simple. The fleet would come out of otherspace in eight locations around the system and immediately launch a spread of five hundred missiles each. Mass drivers General Morando held in otherspace surrounding the Bougartd system would return to normal space, gather the asteroids the Genii had mapped out and fire them at the occupied worlds.
Using mass drivers against civilian worlds was strictly forbidden by the laws of the Galactic Council and most civilized worlds.
Terra had never signed the treaty.
Behind the first wave of missiles came a second, with fighters following them through, searching for enemy fighters and ships. The third wave consisted of medium and heavy bombers armed with merculite missiles, heavy ship killing weapons. They were to attack every ship, every satellite they saw.
Then would come the eight hundred warships committed to the invasion, making straight for the inhabited planets. This part of the plan needed no subtlety or great planning. They were to blast to rubble the Bougartd home worlds and every colony throughout the system. Occupation would come when there was no possibility of resistance.
As the great, twenty-ninth century Terran General LeGrie had said: “Courage and honor will always lose to overwhelming force.” The Bougartd weren’t brave and were about to be overwhelmed.
General Morando had Genii positio
ned behind an enormous rock in the Kuiper Belt. He awaited the “Go” order. As a student of history, General Morando had studied surprise attacks as far back as the nineteenth century. He found one in the mid- twentieth century that appealed to him, to his sense of history. He borrowed code words from that attack for this day.
“Prepare for attack,” the Villa One channel squawked. General sent the coded message “To-To-To”. Minutes later, the fabric of space behind his ship began to unfold. A red light illuminated on the panel in front of him. General Morando picked up his comm and used the attack code not heard in three thousand years:
“TORA! TORA! TORA!”
Gragnar was bored. Stuck here on Listening Station Thirty, watching the gadneyk universe go by. Bofirn and Fewink were in the sleep furs, snoring away a good drunk. That was the only gadneyk thing to do on this damned station! Sit on watch, monitoring who and what went in and out of the system. Maybe watch some vid. And drink. Gragnar was pretty sure when his two-year tour on this yar-pho station was over, he would probably need a new liver. Maybe he could hook onto a raider ship and lay claim to a healthy Terran one. He heard they had a great capacity for drink.
Damn his sister! She had been caught in an affair with that gadneyk councilman and brought shame on the whole groppig family. Gragnar had lost his raider ship and been dumped here, a common punishment for someone who had been shamed by a family member. If he was lucky, maybe he would be able to kiss someone’s snorgk and get back into space.
The board flashed once. A signal was incoming. Too short to trace, just three words, “To-To-To”. It didn’t make sense to him. He scanned the area where the signal originated. Some gadneyk big rocks, but no ships. He decided it was either a system glitch or random space noise. It had been known to happen.
Station Fourteen called. That fool, Muirygek, was signaling, “Hey, Gragnar, turn on your vid!”