Wrath of an Angry God: A Military Space Opera

by Michaels, Gibson

  The Troxia System, Trakaan Space

  April, 3868

  Region-Master Raan’s personal spaceliner transitioned out of x-space, inbound to the Trakaan planet Troxia, and immediately began broadcasting the identification code provided in Fraznal’s message he’d received a sub-cycle earlier. Raan’s pilot communicated with Troxia traffic control by translator and learned that the human fleet was not in orbit around the planet, but had removed itself to Troxia’s moon, instead. A few human fighters swooped lazily by on routine combat space patrol, but made no threatening gestures as the Raknii spaceliner entered its final approach to the Troxia spaceport.

  Raan had this strange feeling of being watched. He was sure that the human fleet had every sensor available trained at his incoming spaceliner, but that wasn’t it. There was no discernable source, but Raan had an eerie feeling that something was observing them from a much closer distance and the fur on the back of Raan’s neck stood up in response to it.

  * * * *

  “Hey skipper, have you ever in your life, seen anything like that?”

  Commander Anthony Marx, captain of the Confederate Intelligence ship CSS Spirit peered intently at his monitor, as he looked at every discernible detail of the peculiar Raknii spaceliner they were pacing, just off their port side. Without actually shining a light on the thing, there really weren’t a lot of details distinguishable at all, but he could make out the basic shape of the fuselage and what had to be engine nacelles. At first glance, it looked like a one-half scale model of an antique human spaceliner, vaguely similar to some pictures he’d seen of old-timey spaceliners used in the Alliance about 50 years ago.

  Form follows function.

  If he had to guess, it appeared that after the cats first discovered that it could be done, their engineers had taken what little they had been able to scrape together about human spaceliners on Minnos and had used it to bypass the first 30-35 years of normal development time that humanity had waded through from the beginning. All in all, it was a pretty impressive feat, considering that they had nothing remotely similar just five years earlier.

  “Not much to see here,” said Marx. “Helm, drop us back and under the target at 500 by 500 and let’s make sure he plays nice, all the way to the ground. Maybe the Fleet zoomies can get us some full-color glossies in daylight, once that thing gets down on the tarmac.”

  * * * *

  The Raknii Imperial Planet Raku

  April, 3868

  Xior was exhausting himself in lengthy discussions with Drix and Varq, but it was the human Hal that he seemed most intrigued with… almost possessed by. Drix found himself marveling to watch the Raknii supreme-master holding deep discussions with an alien, making and conceding points as though Hal was a real “person,” by Raknii standards. Of course, the public at large would have been appalled at the idea of one of those terrible humans even being allowed in the same room with their supreme-master, much less his lowering himself to actually converse with such a beast.

  As his sire and Hal talked, Drix smiled at the sight of his cub, Eryx, climbing gleefully all over dour old OverMaster Varq. Drix knew that he had most certainly done the same when he’d been that age, but Varq had been stoneless then and not the living embodiment of Raknii nightmares that he was now. Unaware that he should have been horrified by the terrible power wielded by those in this room, little Eryx exploited his innocence, completely oblivious as to how extraordinary it was for a cub to have an OverMaster, a region-master, the supreme-master and a physical embodiment of their human enemies, as playmates.

  Dol grant that all Raknii cubs might be so unafraid in the presence of humans, some turn.

  * * * *

  The Trakaan Planet Troxia

  April, 3868

  Fleet Admiral Kalis got more of a surprise than even Admiral Thorn planned, when his personal GulfMaster II executive spaceliner arrived in response to her orders, for it hadn’t arrived empty. Unexpectedly, Vice Admiral Richard Bonhoeffer, their resident spook from Confederate Intelligence, and commander of their small fleet of Ghost class intelligence vessels, had hitched a ride aboard it out to Troxia. Bonhoeffer hadn’t made it to vice admiral because he was slow on the uptake, for he had the forethought to bring Planet-Master Mraz, the Raknii planetary master of the world the Rak still called Golgathal, along with him.

  Fraznal held one preliminary meeting with Region-Master Raan and Planet-Master Mraz, without Kalis being present. Kalis and Fraznal had agreed beforehand that it would be a good idea to provide Planet-Master Mraz time to thoroughly brief Raan on all his experiences in dealing with humans, since surrendering Golgathal to them almost three cycles earlier, before including Kalis in three-way discussions on anything specific, concerning the current Raknii/human war. Mraz had even brought along some of his favorite human soda pop for the region-master to taste.

  * * * *

  The Raknii Imperial Planet of Raku

  May 7, 3868

  Xior decreed that it was time for him to die. The pain had become too excruciating for the valiant warrior to bear even another turn. It was time for Drix to assume the duties of supreme-master over the Raknii people.

  A video was made of Xior’s final farewell to his people. In it, he expressed regret for his role in allowing secular modernism to thrive like a weed, choking and poisoning the minds of the Raknii people — turning them from the old ways and angering their neglected god, Dol. He expressed regret for thoughtlessly attacking every non-Raknii entity they had encountered, not from hunger or need, but just for pure sport.

  He expressed regret that they, as a race, had failed to recognize the value and advantages that had recently been discovered in peaceful coexistence, cooperation and trade with other intelligent races, like the Trakaan. He expressed regret that they, as a race, failed to respect those races’ inherent rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, independent of subservience to Raknii control. He read his people the prophecy of impending doom pronounced by their god once again, and emphasized the supernatural timing between its origin and the discovery of the human aliens.

  Through it all, the supreme-master’s excruciating pain and personal suffering was apparent, but he offered no complaint… declaring it just retribution by their god for the sins of the Raknii people and his own role in allowing and promoting those sins. He expressed regret for his role in thoughtlessly bringing down the wrath of their god and these unstoppable ultimate predators on the Raknii people, and bringing them to the crossroads of potential extinction, if Dol and these demonic aliens could not be placated in some way.

  But then Xior offered his people hope. He showed them The Book of Revelations… a new apocalyptic revealing of Dol’s divine will for the Raknii people that would soon be distributed in uncounted billions, to teach and guide them, and establish a new code of ethical conduct and thought — a new moral compass for the entire Raknii race.

  And then Xior introduced them to the author of these new revelations… the chosen one… the one sent by Dol to deliver the Raknii people from the consequences of their narcissism and their twisting of nature by inflicting thoughtless death and subjugation upon others of Dol’s creatures, without need. He introduced them to his heir and successor, the fruit of his body. He introduced the Raknii people to Drix, their next supreme-master, to his infamous mate N’raal and their cub Eryx, who mysteriously appeared to be climbing thin air, in the background.

  * * * *

  The final portion of that unprecedented video was profoundly tragic. After ending his speech, declaring his unending love for his cub Drix, his grand-cub Eryx and the entire Raknii people — for the first time in Raknii history, the dominance combat required by racial tradition for a change in monarch prior to a naturally occurring death was recorded for posterity, when Supreme-Master Xior gave his heir a direct imperial order to execute him and assume the supreme-mastery of the Raknii people. A dozen Dolrak females surrounded the two to bear solemn witness, as Xior lifted his head high, e
xposing his throat to Drix and commanded him to strike.

  Shockingly, the heir… the chosen one, did not follow established ritual by using a mercifully sharp fang-blade to quickly cut his sire’s throat, but instead followed much more ancient ways, when he grabbed the his sire’s arms and roared as he sank his fangs deep into Xior’s throat. When Drix’ head again lifted, Xior’s throat was revealed to the camera as a bloody ruin… his head lolling at an unnatural angle. Obviously, the ferocity of Drix’ bite had broken his sire’s neck.

  The entire Raknii race watched the terrible drama continue to unfold, as six of the Dolrak kneeled over the fallen supreme-master to removed his rank-stones. They watched as those rank-stones were then given over to the remaining six Dolrak, as the first six then hefted Xior’s limp body and carried it away in preparation for the sacred rites of passage into the afterlife. They watched as yet other Dolrak surrounded the heir and the remaining six sacred priestesses with a curtain, so the details of the sacred rites of ascension which would remove all hypnotic restrictions from the new supreme-master’s mind remained a hallowed secret between them, and Dol.

  And the entire race watched as the Dolrak then removed the curtain to reveal their new Supreme-Master Drix, resplendent in his sire’s massive diamond center-stone surrounded by a diamond sunburst. And the entire race watched in silence as the chosen one solemnly addressed his people as their new supreme-master, for the very first time:

  “The violent shedding of blood required by our ancient traditions is accomplished,” said Drix. “All of the ancient requirements for my legal assumption of the supreme-mastery of our people have been met. For the first time, the entire Raknii race has borne witness to that fact.

  “For those of you whose blood was stirred by the violence of my act, in taking the life of my sire, I extend to you my deepest pity, for you know neither the heart, nor the mind of your god. If you would be reconciled with Dol to thrive in this coming new age that he has promised, humble yourselves. Cover yourselves in sackcloth and heap ashes upon your heads, as a public display of remorse for the savagery which rules your souls. Turn back to the god of your ancestors and his ancient ways. Read the book that follows and learn again, respect and reverence for all of Dol’s creatures. Repent and turn away from the wickedness that has brought Dol’s mighty wrath down upon us, lest we survive only as slaves to the human aliens, who take our systems at will.

  “For those few of you who were inwardly disturbed by the brutal savagery of what you witnessed this turn, I offer to you my warmest congratulations, for within you lies a spark of compassion. Compassion, has fallen out of favor within our society, disdained as a weakness of character, but I say to you it is not a weakness, but a strength… that should be honored and emulated. Read the book that follows and learn even more of the gentle strengths our god desires, in those who truly revere him.

  “I cannot promise you a return to the glories of former days, for Dol has closed the door on that shameful chapter of our history. I can only offer you the opportunity to return to the even greater glories of our ancient days, when the Raknii lived in prosperous harmony with nature, having respect for the precepts of our god and all of his creation.

  “I hereby declare that our Great Hunt against the aliens known as humanity is ended. All Raknii attacks against human vessels and worlds will cease immediately, by my order and the will of our god. If you are attacked by humans, do not resist, but immediately expose throats and bellies in submission to those terrible aliens that Dol has created to teach us submission to his will. May Dol bless you all.”

  * * * *

  Chapter-17

  Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.— Julius Robert Oppenheimer,

  slightly misquoting from the Hindu scripture,the Bhagavad-Gita, after witnessing the first atomic explosion on July 16, 1945

  The Slithin System, Raknii Space

  May 11, 3868

  The Raknii world of Slithin was the second planet out from its primary star, having two moons and a massive fortress-like station in orbit around the planet. 35,000 of the old-style Raknii warships also orbited the planet in a stationary orbit, composing a vast circle, along the planetary equator. Tzal placed his smaller Imperial fleet in orbit above the smaller of the two moons, out of the way of regular system traffic traveling between the planet and the various mining facilities on the larger moon.

  What, millions of cycles ago, had once been the third planet in the Slithin system was now a thick belt of asteroids, within which Blug had thousands of mining operations, feeding a massive orbital foundry that continually launched molded metal castings of various metallic content towards a gigantic catcher located at one of the system’s Lagrange points, between Slithin and a massive gas giant. It now laid claim to being the third planet in this system since the original third planet’s mysterious demise thousands of millennia ago. Tzal had reinvented the concept of what humans called the combat space patrol. He had several squadrons of fighters aloft and on patrol at all times, generally just outside of the asteroid belt, so they got at least a halfway decent look towards the outer system.

  Blug almost soiled himself when he was first told that Imperial Intelligence believed the unstoppable humans really were on their way to his capital. He was terrified at the thought of those indestructible demons attacking here, but in spite of his fear, he could not flee. If he could not or would not defend his own capital, then what kind of region-master would he be? A live one, perhaps? Loss of respect and status was about the only thing Blug truly feared, more than death.

  * * * *

  CSS Banshee, Confederate Intelligence’s new Penetrator-class light cruiser with heavy cruiser grade weaponry, under the command of Confederate Captain Michael Diamond, used her maneuvering thrusters to gently ease herself down towards the lower surface of the humongous Raknii station/shipyard at Slithin. She then extended and set her magnetic clamps to hold her in place, relative to the station’s outer surface.

  Once Banshee settled, an armored titanium door over a foot thick opened with no more than a gentle hiss and a slight hum, and four space-armor suited ratings maneuvered the grav-collar, encompassing a two-foot by three-foot metal container, against the artificial gravity field escaping from the station’s interior. The ratings centered the container into Banshee’s lower hatchway and gently lowered it to the surface of the station, engaging internal magnetic clamps to hold it in position. Three of the ratings then climbed back into the ship, as the fourth paused to activate a receiver set to look for a particular series of complex, encrypted signals.

  Once a softly blinking green light showed the receiver was activated, the fourth rating rejoined his fellows aboard the ship, and upon receiving an intercom signal from the four men indicating they were clear, slight puffs from Banshee’s maneuvering thrusters gently lifted the ship directly away from the station, when she released the magnetic clamps that had been holding her down. When the ship’s hull cleared the top of the metallic container they’d just deposited on the under surface of the station, a second intercom signal caused the armored hatch to close and seal once again, as Banshee carefully maneuvered away from the station.

  In her computer banks, Banshee carried aboard a unique signal originating from a recording made back on Golgathal. Human fleet surgeons had once assisted Raknii physicians in performing amputations on a Raknii female, who’d had both legs totally crushed in a freakish warehouse accident. The local Raknii physician staff included no qualified surgeons and unfortunately, neither did they have Raknii anesthetics available. Both the Raknii physicians and human surgeons agreed that if the life of the Rak female was to be saved, there was no time to await the arrival of Raknii anesthetics to be delivered from the other side of the planet. Because the uncertain dosage and compatibility of human anesthetics on Raknii physiology were just too risky to make assumptions with, they performed the amputations the ancient, painful way — forcibly holding her down and cutting away her shattered legs, withou
t any anesthetic at all.

  When Banshee took position 200 miles above Slithin’s south magnetic pole, she suddenly emitted a broadband signal of tremendous power, over a wide range of frequencies, utilizing various modulation techniques. The raw power of this signal overwhelmed almost every communications frequency on the entire planet and surrounding orbital traffic with the unmistakable undulating, wailing scream of a Raknii female in incredible agony. Although only 30 seconds in actual duration, this totally unexpected and unnervingly eerie Cry of the Banshee seemed to go on forever, and sent icy shivers of supernatural fear down the spines of every Raknii who heard it.

  Rak warships and fighters vectored towards the triangulated source of that incredibly powerful and mournful signal, but the virtually undetectable CSS Banshee was long gone by the time they arrived. Banshee was moving away at the best speed her unique gravitic drive could carry her, on a course that put the bulk of the planet itself directly between her and her intended victim.

  This strange warbling cry of sheer feminine agony spooked the hell out of several billion Raknii that day, but it had done a lot more than that. Embedded within that high powered invocation of raw terror was a series of encrypted digital signals that caused the blinking green light on the metallic container that Banshee had attached to the outer hull of Slithin Station to begin blinking red. The countdown timer attached to the warhead was activated.

  Just as at Golgathal, destruction of the massive station/shipyard orbiting Slithin was vital for the Confederate 2nd Fleet’s impending attack to succeed. Unfortunately, there just weren’t sufficient numbers of the stealthy intelligence vessels available to reenact Kalis’ successful strategy at Golgathal, so a very ancient weapon, all-but banned throughout humanity and not actually used in nearly 2,000 years, was specifically constructed for use at Slithin. No treaties prohibited the use of thermonuclear weapons against aliens.