The Star Cross: Galaxy in Peril

by Raymond L. Weil

  “Where would the energy come from?” asked Mara skeptically. “My people have studied Zero-Point Energy but have not been able to harness it as a viable power source for our ships.”

  “We can install zero-point power generators on your ships. They will greatly increase your hyperspace speed and the force of your weapons. The power generators will also furnish the Zero-Point Energy charge for your KEW rounds.”

  Kurt looked from one of the Glaymons to the other. “By coming with us, will you be endangering your people? Will the Vorn come here, as your council fears?”

  “There is no danger to our people,” answered Valan, shaking his head. “Weapons installed on the outside periphery of the Dyson Sphere are capable of protecting us from the Vorn. Our people overall do not wish to be involved in galactic affairs so they have constantly found excuses not to do so. They are secure here in the safety of the Dyson Sphere.”

  “If we agree to this, what’s our next move?” asked Kurt. “We’re supposed to meet with your council again in another few days.”

  “We will take care of that,” promised Marshton. “We’ll also move your ships to one of our spacedocks for updating. You must also not reveal to the council what we spoke of. While many of my race are telepathic, they cannot read your minds.”

  Kurt looked around at the others uneasily. “How long will it take to update our ships?” He didn’t want to spend months here. The people on Newton would think the worse if his fleet didn’t return on time.

  Marshton smiled. “Only a few weeks. Our construction techniques are quite efficient.”

  “Of our two current choices, I like this one the best,” said Lomatz, looking at Kurt. “So we may see the outside of this nebula again.”

  “As much as I hate to agree with Lomatz, I believe he is correct,” said Mara. “This is our only chance to go home.”

  Kurt looked at the two Glaymons. “Very well. Make your arrangements.”

  Kurt wondered if he had made the right decision. They had found the Glaymons, but, by throwing in with Marshton and Valan, would it alienate the rest of them?

  It was a risk he would have to take.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Fleet Commodore Dreen was on Lakiam, elated at what had been accomplished. The capture of the Vorn mothership had divulged a wealth of valuable tactical information. They now knew that the Destroyers of Worlds called themselves the Vorn, where the Vorn staging area was for attacking this galaxy, and, even more important, the spatial coordinates of the Vorn home system.

  “The Vorn must have some method of traveling through intergalactic space which we’re not familiar with,” said Jalad from the Helm. “At our normal hyperspace cruising speed, it would take us over six months to reach this region of interstellar space where their habitats are located.”

  Commodore Dreen nodded in agreement. “Our scientists haven’t gone through all the data on the computers yet. Some of the files seem to be encrypted. Before we left Andock Prime, one of our scientists mentioned something about a Zero-Point Energy drive.”

  Jalad’s eyes widened in surprise. “That might do it. Zero-Point Energy would furnish a tremendous amount of power. Even more than our antimatter chambers.”

  “That will help us in the future. For now, at least the Parmonts and the Bascoms have signed the mutual defense treaty,” commented Alborg. “After our victory over the Vorn in the Andock System, many of the other Protector Worlds are now considering joining us as well.”

  “It could have easily gone the other way,” Commodore Dreen said with a deep sigh. “If we hadn’t been in the system, I don’t believe Fleet Leader Moor could have saved Andock Prime. It would have been the end of our alliance and a horrible defeat.”

  “To address that issue, we should have, with the mothership, a way to detect the Vorn in hyperspace,” added Laylem. “We have their equipment, which generates the masking field to block our scans of their drives’ radiation signatures. It should be simple to reverse engineer it and build a countermeasure, so we can detect their warships.”

  ‘If we could do that and then place detection buoys throughout our region of space, we could trace their fleet movements and take the appropriate countermeasures,” said Alborg thoughtfully. “We could ensure we had the weapons and the fleet numbers in place beforehand to repel them wherever they showed up.”

  “We could even defend the Enlightened World colonies we had to pull back from,” said Keenol from her communications console.

  She was right. Dreen had felt guilty leaving defenseless so many Enlightened World colonies.

  “Have any of the prisoners talked?” asked Alborg.

  Dreen shook his head. “No. There has been very little cooperation. We do know they have three main castes and perhaps smaller subcaste units within the castes themselves. From what our interrogators have learned so far, we captured several of what they call the Royal Caste and Military Caste. All members of the Working Caste committed suicide when they were awakened. Most of the time the Vorn stand there, refusing to even acknowledge our presence.”

  “So what do we do now?” asked Laylem.

  “Develop a way to detect their ships through their masking field,” replied Commodore Dreen. “Once we can do that, we’ll meet the Vorn with superior numbers and enough dark matter missiles to stop them.”

  “We’re forgetting one thing,” said Alborg. “We have no idea of their actual fleet strength.”

  “No, we don’t,” admitted Commodore Dreen with a deep frown. “If that information was in the mothership’s computers, we haven’t found it yet. We’re not even sure if they have larger warships other than the cruisers that protect their motherships. What if they possess actual battlecruisers or battleships but haven’t committed them yet?”

  Alborg went silent for a long moment and then spoke. “If I were the Vorn after the defeat we handed them, I would launch an immediate retaliatory strike. What we did gives hope to other Protector Worlds, something the Vorn don’t want.”

  Fleet Commodore Dreen nodded in agreement. “I’ve been thinking much the same. The Vorn don’t want to see our resistance to them increase across the galaxy. If they can come back and smack us down and harvest our worlds, our prior victories will be meaningless.”

  “Where will they strike?” asked Sheera Keenol. “What planet will they choose as their target? Will it be Andock Prime again?”

  “No,” said Alborg, shaking his head. “Only one target makes sense. They will eliminate the threat posed by our dark matter missiles. They will come here and attack Lakiam.”

  Sheera’s eyes grew wide. “They will attack Lakiam?”

  “It makes the most strategic sense,” answered Alborg. “The Vorn are not fools and have been at this for millions of years. We have demonstrated we’re a threat, one that needs to be eliminated.”

  Laylem turned toward the commodore. “You knew this?”

  Commodore Dreen nodded. “I suspected it. Alborg has only confirmed it. I’ll meet with the Lakiam Council to discuss plans for our defense.” Dreen looked at the viewscreen which showed Lakiam. The blue-white world was home to the Lakiam race. Over sixteen billion Lakiams were scattered across the system on fourteen worlds and numerous moons. There were also 215 massive orbital habitats.

  Jalad seemed to follow Dreen’s gaze, stating, “The Destroyers of Worlds are coming to destroy our civilization. They failed at Andock Prime with over three thousand ships. How many ships will they bring here?”

  Fleet Commodore Dreen didn’t answer. He greatly feared the Vorn were gathering the most powerful fleet they could to harvest the Lakiam worlds. By saving Andock Prime, he might have doomed his own race.

  -

  Aalik was with Kurt and Mara as they stood in front of the Glaymon Council once more. They had listened as the lead councilman spoke to them, once more asking Kurt to explain why he and the others had come to the Dyson Sphere. Aalik informed them that normally this would be done using telepathy, but they had c
hosen to speak aloud for their guests’ benefit.

  “It is decided then,” the lead councilman said as he turned toward Kurt and Mara. “We will not support your war against the Vorn. However, the council has been petitioned by a more aggressive segment of our race. It is unfortunate that Glaymons Marshton and Valan learned of your presence and boarded your vessel. Everything would have been so much simpler if they had not. In accordance with our laws, your crews and vessels will be turned over to them. If they decide you may leave this Dyson Sphere, be aware that you can never return. If you ever try to enter the nebula again, our vessels will destroy your ships. This meeting of the council is adjourned.”

  Kurt turned toward Aalik, who had remained silent the entire time. “Now what? I thought there would be more argument over us going to the other Glaymons.”

  “You will be returned to your ships. In a few hours vessels controlled by the Aggressives, as we call them, will arrive and tow your ships to one of their spacedocks. What happens after that is between you and them. As for arguing, a segment of our society has stepped in on your behalf. It was easier for the council to turn you over to them than to have to deal with the ethical problem you represent.”

  Mara stood, studying Aalik and then spoke. “You’re the one who told the Aggressives about us.”

  Aalik took a deep breath, the hint of a hidden emotion briefly crossing his face. “Yes, while the majority of our people agree with the council’s doctrine of noninterference in the galaxy, not all of us do. It is difficult for some of us to stand idly by while billions and eventually trillions of lives are taken by the Vorn as food. We find it disgusting, particularly when we have the power to stop it.”

  Kurt nodded his understanding. “Then you do have the ships to stop the Vorn?”

  Aalik nodded. “Yes, more than enough, but we no longer have the will. A much easier and safer path is to wait two million more years and send them to their own universe.”

  It was a calculated risk going to the other Glaymons, but Kurt didn’t like the other option. To remain here with the Glaymons they were familiar with would doom Kurt and all the others to spending the rest of their lives in one of the habitat squares of the Dyson Sphere, leaving their families and Newton and Earth behind. “What would the Aggressives be willing to do?” asked Kurt.

  “I don’t know,” Aalik said, “and I prefer not to. The Aggressives are restricted by our laws as to the assistance they can render, so I’m not certain how much help they will be. However, if anyone can help, it will be them.”

  “Thank you,” said Mara, bowing slightly. “Will we see you again?”

  “No,” replied Aalik. “My involvement in this is over. Now let’s get you to your ships.”

  -

  A few hours later Kurt was on the Star Cross, waiting tensely as eight one-thousand-meter-long disk ships approached his fleet.

  “The magnetic clamps holding us in place have been released,” reported Andrew, as the ship vibrated slightly.

  On one of the main viewscreens, a disk-shaped ship halted in front of the Star Cross at a distance of two thousand meters. A blue beam of light reached out and touched the ship.

  “It’s a tractor beam,” reported Lieutenant Brooks, her eyes widening. “We’re moving.”

  Looking at another viewscreen, Kurt could see the Aurelia also moving as a tractor beam latched onto the Lakiam battlecruiser.

  “I guess we’re on our way,” said Andrew, folding his arms over his chest as he watched one of the disk ships on a viewscreen.

  “Do you think they’ll let us go home?” asked Lieutenant Pierce, her focus on Kurt.

  “Not until I get my neutronium marble or something better,” said Lieutenant Mays determinedly. “They promised to install a Zero-Point Energy device on the ship as well as other upgrades. If we fight the Destroyers of Worlds, I want those augmentations to the Star Cross’s weapons.”

  “Let’s not jump to any conclusions,” Kurt said to his command crew. All of them were undoubtedly concerned about what would happen to them. “We’re being taken to another spacedock. Once we’re there, I’ll find out more about the future for us and our ships. I’m hoping we’ve found some powerful allies to help us against the Destroyers of Worlds.” These Glaymon Aggressives were Kurt’s last hope to keep Earth and Newton and their alliance worlds safe from the Vorn.

  -

  The eight Glaymon disk ships towed the Star Cross and her fleet effortlessly to a set of massive space doors, which slid open as they approached. In moments the sixteen ships passed through and into space. Once safely away from the outer surface of the Dyson Sphere, the ships rapidly accelerated away from the spacedock.

  -

  Kurt was surprised to see so little on the viewscreens. The surface of the Dyson Sphere seemed to be smooth except for some occasional small domes. Very little starlight was reflected due to the dust and gas in the nebula.

  “I can’t imagine what went into building something like that,” Andrew said as he gazed in awe at the massive megastructure.

  “I’ve read about it,” commented Lieutenant Mays, pointing at one of the viewscreens. “The time and engineering methods required is beyond imagining.”

  “We’re nearing half the speed of light,” reported Lieutenant Styles.

  “That was quick,” said Andrew, turning toward Kurt. “Much faster than what our own subspace drives can do.”

  “Neutronium marble, here we come,” said Lieutenant Mays with a pleased smile.

  -

  Over an hour later the fleet slowed and then headed toward the surface of the Dyson Sphere. Once again, two massive space doors slid open, and the sixteen ships entered and continued down the center pathway.

  “Where are they taking us?” asked Andrew.

  “Another spacedock,” Lieutenant Brooks answered as she checked her sensors.

  “How big is this spacedock?” Kurt asked.

  “Not quite as large as the last one. From my scans, it’s thirty kilometers in length, ten in width, and eight in height. “Also a lot of those one-thousand-meter-long disk ships are docked at various ports.”

  Kurt looked at the viewscreens, confirming several disk ships as well as some huge openings, indicating possible ship construction bays.

  “We’re slowing,” reported Lieutenant Styles.

  Ahead Kurt could see what appeared to be the entrances to a series of ship bays. A few moments later the Glaymon vessel used its tractor beam to place the Star Cross securely in one of the bays on a large indented berth. The ship settled down without even a jar.

  “We’re at rest,” confirmed Lieutenant Brooks. “If this is a repair or construction bay, it’s a large one. The sensors indicate it’s three kilometers long, one kilometer high, and two wide. All our ships are being placed inside.”

  “Admiral, I’ve got an incoming communication from these Glaymons,” reported Lieutenant Pierce. “They request a meeting with all our commanding officers. They will send a shuttle to pick up everyone.”

  “Acknowledge the message,” ordered Kurt. “Inform all ship commanders we will be attending a meeting with these Glaymons.” Kurt took a deep breath. Maybe now he would find out what the Aggressives were willing to do to help fight the Destroyers of Worlds. Just maybe he would also learn if they’d be allowed to go home. He hoped they hadn’t stepped from the frying pan into the fire.

  -

  Kurt, Mara, Lomatz, Captain Lindsey Hasting, Captain William Heidle, Captain Julian Hermes, and Captain Jill Artemis all sat at a large conference table. The Glaymons—Marshton, Valan, and four others—were seated across from them.

  “Welcome,” greeted Marshton with a broad smile. “I am glad you accepted our invitation to come to us. We have much to talk about.”

  Kurt studied the Glaymons. Four were obviously men, and two were women. He did notice the Glaymon women here looked more feminine than the ones where they had been held earlier. “You know we came here seeking a weapon to help defend us a
gainst the Destroyers of Worlds.”

  “Yes,” said Valan with a slight nod. “We brought along several of our weapons specialists, who wish to speak to you about your neutronium marble idea and offer some other possibilities. We also need to bring you up to date as to what is happening in the regions of the galaxy you come from.”

  One of the female Glaymons stood up. “I’m Gaylith. Shortly after your arrival, we placed some long-range communication devices outside the nebula. The Glaymons you have been with do not know we did this as it’s against the laws they have imposed and they would strongly disapprove. These devices allow us to monitor communications throughout most of the known galaxy.” Gaylith shifted her gaze to Mara. “You should know that the Vorn attacked the Protector World of Andock Prime with a massive fleet consisting of twelve motherships and over three thousand cruisers.”

  “Oh, no!” cried out Mara, obviously imagining the worst. “If they’ve destroyed Andock Prime, then Fleet Commodore Dreen’s hope for an alliance against the Vorn has failed.”

  “They did not destroy Andock Prime,” responded Gaylith.

  “They won?” asked Mara, her eyes revealing her disbelief.

  “Your Fleet Commodore Dreen was there with a fleet of Lakiam battlecruisers,” Gaylith continued. “In the ensuing battle, six Vorn motherships were destroyed, and one was captured. They also annihilated a large number of the Vorn cruisers, forcing the Vorn to retreat. This was an astonishing feat. We once took a damaged Vorn cruiser but never a mothership.”

  “Due to the capture of the Vorn mothership,” Valan said with an intent look on his face, “we are willing to risk helping you. We believe your people have already accessed the ship’s computers and have discovered a treasure trove of valuable data about the Vorn. However, we also believe we can access some data which you cannot.”

  “How did they win this battle?” Mara asked.

  “The Andocks used an unexpected tactic against the Vorn. They rammed hundreds of Vorn cruisers with loaded freighters, cargo ships, and ore carriers. The Vorn were not expecting such an attack. Your Fleet Commodore Dreen also assaulted the rear of the Vorn fleet formation at the same time, using his dark matter missiles. The Vorn were forced to withdraw or risk the total annihilation of their fleet.”