The Star Cross: Galaxy in Peril

by Raymond L. Weil

  Grantz grinned. “You must come with me to the new pleasure house I have found. The women are exquisite and will do things you can only dream about. Why, just the other night …”

  “That’s enough,” Andrew said, shaking his head. “I don’t need to hear about your romantic escapades. No doubt you would exaggerate them as you do everything else.”

  “Let’s go inside,” Kurt said, trying not to laugh. Grantz continually tried to talk Andrew into going to a pleasure house. His second in command would never do such a thing, and he suspected Grantz realized that too.

  Once inside, one of the Marine guards led Kurt and Andrew to Marvin Tenner’s office. Kurt saw that Tenner, Captain Briar, and Mara waited inside.

  “Mara, it’s good to see you again,” Kurt said, stepping toward the Lakiam woman. Mara was a communications officer in the Lakiam fleet, very beautiful and alluring. She was slightly taller than Kurt, well proportioned, and her skin was unblemished with a golden tan. Mara had deep blue eyes someone could get lost in.

  “Fleet Admiral Vickers,” responded Mara, reaching out and shaking the admiral’s hand. “I understand you brought our ships as requested.”

  “Of course,” Kurt answered with a slight smile. “I promised I would return them if you asked.”

  Mara went silent for a long moment. “I guess that means you’ve duplicated some of the technology and weapons on board, or you wouldn’t be so willing to hand them over.”

  Mara was well aware Kurt’s people had been working on duplicating the technology and weapons on the Lakiam and Andock vessels. Before she left for Kubitz, construction had already begun on the new warships which Lomatz’s people had helped design. She had expressed her doubts that Newton would be successful in duplicating some of the Lakiam and Andock technology. Even if they did, she doubted if the Humans would know how to use it. Kurt remained silent, waiting for her to continue. He strongly suspected she was here for another reason.

  Mara pursed her lips and then continued. “Not wanting to admit that I’m right? You know, when I returned to Lakiam and told Fleet Commodore Dreen about what happened and what you were doing in the Newton System, he laughed. He couldn’t believe a race as young as yours would even attempt duplicating our technology.”

  “Commodore Dreen,” Kurt said, recognizing the name. “Isn’t he the one who annihilated the Destroyers of Worlds’ fleet?”

  “The same,” Mara answered, her eyes focusing intently on Kurt. “It took Tarnth and me several days to convince him that we were serious. When he finally realized we were telling the truth, he demanded we return and take possession of the Aurelia and the Treliid as well as the Andock vessels. He’s as concerned as I am about such advanced technology falling into the wrong hands.”

  “The ships are yours,” Kurt answered simply.

  Mara eyed him suspiciously. “I informed Fleet Commodore Dreen your world might someday grow to become a Protector World. Earth and Newton are in a desolate sector of the galaxy with no Protector or Enlightened Worlds within four thousand light-years. Most lie toward the galactic center where more stars are. The Gothan Empire is the closest grouping of civilized worlds, and we both know what they are like. It may be generations before the black ships find Earth or Newton.”

  “Or it could be sooner,” said Andrew.

  “I’ll do what I have to in order to defend my people,” responded Kurt. “If the black ships find us, we’ll be as ready as we can be.”

  Mara let out a deep breath. “You are fortunate Fleet Commodore Dreen is a relative of mine. I convinced him that, in time, your people could be of use in the war against the Destroyers of Worlds. I saw how your people fought against the Profiteers over Earth. That fierceness has long since left our race as we strive for Enlightenment. Only a fraction of our population still possesses the intense aggressiveness needed to fight the Destroyers of Worlds.”

  “What are you saying?” asked Kurt. What was Mara up to?

  “Fleet Commodore Dreen has agreed to allow the Aurelia to return to Newton under my command,” Mara announced. “Eighty Lakiams will be on board, including a few technicians and scientists familiar with the technology on our vessels. They will be tasked with determining what technology you may replicate and install in your warships.”

  Kurt looked meaningfully at Andrew. He was hesitant to inform Mara that most of the technology had already been duplicated. Lomatz’s technicians had performed miracles working out all the technical details once they had unrestricted access to the ships. Mara and Tarnth had inadvertently revealed many clues to their advanced technology when they helped get the Aurelia ready for combat against the Profiteers who had taken over Earth.

  “That’s not really necessary,” Andrew began.

  Mara looked at Andrew and then responded. “Most of the Aurelia’s crew is made up of people I trust. They fully understand the danger the Destroyers of Worlds represent. Fleet Commodore Dreen has agreed to allow your world to be responsible for protecting the other civilized worlds in this sector.”

  “Does that make us a Protector World?” asked Andrew, his face showing immense surprise.

  “No, not even close,” answered Mara, shaking her head. “It will take thousands of years before your world can reach that status.”

  “We accept your offer of help,” Kurt said, realizing he had no other choice. “How soon can you be ready to leave?” Perhaps having some Lakiam scientists and technicians around would have its own benefits.

  “One week,” replied Mara, turning her attention to Kurt. “My people wish to go over the Aurelia and make sure all systems are operating at maximum efficiency. We also will be transferring some supplies to allow my crew to stay on the Aurelia in the comfort they have grown accustomed to.”

  One week was much longer than Kurt had planned on staying on Kubitz, but now he had no choice. “One week,” he replied. “Then we will return to Newton.”

  Mara nodded. “I’ll go to the Aurelia to make preparations. I would like to meet with you in private on board my ship before we depart.”

  “I can do that,” Kurt replied. Why did she want a private meeting? Was something else going on here she was hesitant to mention around the others?

  Standing up, Mara left the office, shutting the door behind her.

  “Wow!” said Andrew with deep concern. “What’ll she say when she finds out we’ve already duplicated their technology and added much more?”

  Kurt shook his head. “We’ll deal with that problem when we return to Newton.” Kurt looked at the small computer disk he held in his hand, the one Grantz claimed showed a Protector World battling the Destroyers of Worlds. He was anxious to view that information to see what might await in Newton and Earth’s future.

  Chapter Five

  Fleet Commodore Dreen of the Lakiam battlecruiser Basera was in his quarters, studying the latest reports from the various space battles across the galaxy. In the last week alone, over sixty-two planets had fallen victim to the Destroyers of Worlds. The defending fleets had destroyed only a handful of the black ships while suffering horrendous losses.

  “What’s your assessment of the current tactical situation?” asked Lakiam Council member Shriel Marl.

  Shriel was a senior council member and had served in the Lakiam government for nearly twenty years.

  “We’re losing,” Commodore Dreen said simply, placing the reports on his desk. “The black ships are nearly indestructible with their energy screens that absorb the power of most of our weapons. Only our dark matter missiles have proven effective. Other Protector World fleets have been wiped out if they attempt to resist the black ships. Thousands of ships have been lost. Both Class Two and Class One defensive systems protecting the planets have been blown apart by the black ships’ weapons. Protector World fleets are being pushed back across the galaxy.”

  “But the black ships’ energy-absorption shields can be overwhelmed if enough antimatter missiles strike it,” objected Marl. “All the Protector Wo
rlds have such missiles, as do many other worlds. Why aren’t more black ships being destroyed?”

  “Very few have warheads of the two-hundred-megaton range,” Dreen pointed out. “They are expensive to build.”

  Council member Marl’s face took on a strained look. “Then what is the answer? We can’t just let the Destroyers of Worlds wipe out all the civilized races in our galaxy.”

  Commodore Dreen folded his arms across his chest. “I have been speaking to Andock Fleet Leader Arlak Moor.”

  Council member Marl’s eyes widened at this revelation. The Andocks and Lakiams had been adversaries in the past while acquiring Enlightened Worlds to defend. Distrust existed between the two.

  “All my ship captains are in agreement. We must form a close alliance with other Protector Worlds if we want to see our worlds and those Enlightened Worlds we defend survive this invasion.”

  “The Lakiam Council might object to that,” warned Marl. “Sharing information is one thing, but working together in such a manner will be seen as counterproductive to our future goals.”

  “There will be no future goals if we can’t stop the Destroyers of Worlds!” warned Dreen, his eyes flashing. “Everyone must understand, if we don’t stand together, then we will all fall separately.”

  Council member Marl looked intently at the commodore. “What exactly do you want?”

  “I want to share the secret of our dark matter missiles with Andock Prime. We need to reduce the number of Enlightened Worlds we are protecting, and our fleets must work in conjunction with Andock fleets.”

  Marl shook his head in denial. “What you’re asking won’t be easy. We have signed agreements with those Enlightened Worlds to protect them. It will be frowned upon to cancel those agreements. Not only that but the dark matter missile is one of our biggest military secrets. The council will not be willing to give up that advantage.”

  Fleet Commodore Dreen slid a small computer disk across his desk toward council member Marl. “Take this disk to the council and have them view it. It shows what happened to the homeworlds of the Bascoms. Their fleets and orbital defenses were wiped out, and then their twin worlds were harvested by the black ships. Only a few Bascoms survived in their deepest shelters. That is what faces us if we don’t join together with other Protector Worlds to stop this invasion and if we don’t share the secret of our dark matter missiles. We must have victories, not defeats. Currently the Destroyers of Worlds are bleeding the Protector Worlds of their fleets. We’re fighting battles against impossible odds. That must be changed and changed very quickly, before it’s too late.”

  Council member Marl looked gravely at the commodore. “I will do as you suggest, but I can’t promise anything. You’re asking for a lot.”

  “What I want is to give us a chance to survive.”

  Council member Marl stood up, pocketing the disk and preparing to leave. Then he paused and looked at the commodore. “Some of the other council members may wish to speak to you.”

  “That’s fine,” Dreen replied as he stood. “I will come anytime. We must work through this very quickly as time is rapidly running out.”

  Marl nodded and then left the commodore’s office.

  After Marl left, Fleet Commodore Dreen made his way to the Basera’s Command Center. Stepping inside, he headed toward his command chair and sat down. The entire room was circular with six control consoles sitting in a small semicircle before a slightly upraised command dais. On the walls, numerous screens showed views of space. “What’s the current status of the fleet?”

  “We have two thousand battlecruisers in the system,” Alborg replied from Tactical.

  Dreen examined the viewscreens on the wall. Numerous battlecruisers were displayed as they orbited Lakiam. Also several of the large Class One Orbital Defense Platforms, which protected the planet, appeared on multiple screens.

  “How many ships are currently in the system?”

  “Of all classes?” asked Laylem from his sensor console.

  “Yes, of all classes.” The Lakiam System was the trading center for this entire sector. At any one time it was not unusual to have hundreds of ships from other star systems present.

  Laylem took a moment as his hands moved over his console. “I confirm 2,063 battlecruisers, 712 cargo ships, and 87 passenger liners. That does not include mining ships and other small vessels that lack hyperspace drives.”

  Commodore Dreen took a moment to gaze at the largest screen, focused on Lakiam. The deep blue oceans, the white clouds, and the landmasses which marked the home of the Lakiam race. He was determined not to allow the Destroyers of Worlds to ravage this planet.

  “What’s the current status of the dark matter missiles?”

  “All ships have been resupplied,” replied Alborg, turning his attention to the commodore. “The facilities constructing the missiles are running around the clock. In addition, two new facilities came online last week.”

  “Do we have the capacity to go on the attack?”

  Alborg hesitated briefly. “We have replaced what we used in the battle against the Destroyers of Worlds. We’ve even built up a small inventory of the missiles. However, not until the final two construction facilities go online in another month will we see a large surplus of the missiles.”

  They needed another victory soon. If the Destroyers of Worlds were allowed to continue their attacks unchecked, at some point the Protector Worlds would no longer have the ships to stop them. He had told council member Marl about his plan of forming a closer alliance with the Andocks, but Dreen wanted to greatly expand upon that. He had chosen ten nearby Protector Worlds suitable for such an alliance. He needed some way to convince the Lakiam ruling council to agree.

  “What are the latest reports on attacks by the Destroyers of Worlds?”

  Communications Operator Sheera Keenol turned toward the commodore. “It’s not good,” she began with concern in her voice. “The nearest attack was only 512 light-years distant. The Enlightened colony world of Chii was hit two days ago. Over one and a half billion inhabitants are missing. All the planet’s major life forms have been taken.”

  Commodore Dreen pulled up the information on the colony on his command console. Chii was an Enlightened World colony under the protection of the Parmonts. The Parmonts were responsible for nearly twenty Enlightened World civilizations. Rumors were that the Protector World civilization had pulled back major portions of their fleets to protect their own planets. This was occurring across many regions of the galaxy as the reports of what happened at Bascom became general knowledge.

  With a deep sigh, Fleet Commodore Dreen knew something had to change soon or all would be lost. If he could get this alliance formed and enough dark matter missiles built, just maybe he could save a small portion of the civilized galaxy.

  -

  On Kubitz, Fleet Admiral Vickers leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, stunned by what he had seen on the computer disk Grantz had given him. The power of the black ships was astonishing. No doubt, if these vessels showed up over Earth or Newton, the battle would be short, and the Human fleets would lose.

  “It’s bad, isn’t it?” said Andrew.

  “Yes,” replied Kurt. “Even with our new defensive system, we can’t stop those ships.”

  “What about our new battlecruisers?”

  “The black ships are destroying entire fleets composed of battleships and battlecruisers as powerful as the ones we’re building now.”

  Andrew let out a deep breath. “No wonder Lomatz wanted to bring his people to Newton. For once I’m glad we live so far out from the more civilized sectors of the galaxy.”

  Kurt looked at Andrew. “We need that damn neutronium marble that Lieutenant Mays talked about. We need a weapon of that magnitude to stop the black ships.”

  Andrew shook his head. “How do we get something like that? From what I understand, not even the Enlightened Worlds can mine a neutron star.”

  A thoughtful look covered Kurt’s
face. “We may not be able to get any neutronium, but I wonder if there’s something else we can substitute.”

  Andrew frowned. “I know where this is going. I suppose you want to speak to either Lomatz or Avery Dolman.”

  “Probably both,” answered Kurt. “We must find a way to defend ourselves from the black ships. Earth and Newton are probably safe for now, but, as the black ships spread out across the galaxy, the likelihood of our planets being discovered grows.”

  “Working with Dolman is like working with the devil,” said Andrew frowning.

  “He’s helped us in the past,” Kurt pointed out. “Dolman arranged for Lomatz to give us the stealth system for our hyperdrives which allowed us to escape from the Dacroni mercenaries.”

  “Don’t remind me,” replied Andrew. “I have a hard time dealing with people who make a living here on Kubitz.”

  “I know how you feel,” replied Kurt. “But, remember, here it’s just their way of life, and Dolman is damn good at it.”

  Andrew looked at the shiny disk Kurt had taken from the computer and laid on the desk. “How much gold are you paying Grantz for that?”

  Kurt laughed. “Enough to keep him happy. You have to admit he’s useful at times.”

  Andrew grudgingly nodded. “Sometimes, but what’ll happen when he takes all our gold?”

  Kurt grinned. “Then I guess we ask him for a loan.”

  -

  Kurt was inside a bar on the outskirts of the city. Avery Dolman had requested a meeting, and this was where he wanted to meet.

  “Ah, this is more like it,” Grantz said with a wide grin as he took a drink from the mug in front of him. He reached out and slapped a serving girl on the backside as she passed by the table. She squealed and laughed, and then moved quickly away before Grantz could do anything else.

  “Why did Dolman want to meet here?” asked Andrew as he sipped his drink. It was different than what Grantz had ordered, but it still had a sharp and bitter taste. Andrew coughed, his eyes watering.