by C J Klinger
The airlock door opened and the party followed Talor outside. The vines shrunk away from them, apparently convinced that any occupants were just as lethal as the ship itself. Jon noticed the Hyloxians’ uniforms and skin coloring had morphed to match the surrounding flora. They would have been very difficult to detect if they were not moving. The four of them formed a defensive quad around Talor and Jon as the android moved purposely toward an opening in the copse of trees.
Outside the opening, they saw a cluster of domed buildings a short distance away. Talor pointed in their direction, and the Hyloxian warriors spread out to either side of the direction they were headed. Adalan was to Jon’s right, and he watched how she constantly scanned her part of the perimeter. They were not going to be surprised so long as she and her fellow warriors were protecting their perimeter. Talor continued his march toward the buildings. He mentaled Jon, “I can only detect two or three individuals. The rest of the occupants abandoned the complex when the Khruellian attacked.”
“Are there any Khruellians nearby?” Jon asked.
“There’s a patrol about two kilometers over that hill,” Talor said, pointing to a low rise off to the right. Apparently, Talor had given Adalan the same information because she signaled her left flank warrior to join her on the right flank between them and the patrolling Khruellians. The ground between the buildings and their position was covered in low growing fern-like plants. Clusters of the ravenous tree plants were scattered in clumps around the complex.
As they approached the buildings, Talor said, “There are located in a lower level in the middle structure.”
Jon, Talor, and Adalan entered the building. The three remaining Hyloxian warriors stayed outside and took up defensive positions. Talor walked confidently toward a set of steps and started descending. Jon could hear low voices ahead of them. Before they reached the bottom of the steps, Talor paused and spoke aloud in a strange language. His translation came through his silver globe, “We are friends here to help you fight the Khruellians. May we approach?”
After several moments of silence, a small bent figure peered around a wall at them. “Who are you?” the figure asked tentatively and stepped out into the open. He was shorter than Jon with a stooped posture that suggested he was much older. Wrinkled brown skin seemed to confirm Jon’s suspicions about the creature’s age. Large, round black eyes suggested an ability to see in a far greater spectrum than humans; probably comparable to Hyloxians.
Jon answered, knowing that Talor would translate. “We are an allied force of different species banded together to fight the Khruellian Hegemony. My companion here who speaks your language is a sentient Ankh android. Unfortunately, we were too late to save your world, but perhaps with your help, we can now drive them out of your home systems in the future.”
The small alien stood a little straighter at the mention of possibly driving the Khruellians out of his homeworld. “They are a very powerful enemy,” he said at last.
“They are one; we are many,” Jon said in reply.
The aliens listened and after another pause said, “I am Kataan. Come forward.”
The group descended to the bottom of the stairs and waited while three other aliens came out of the room they had been in and joined the older alien.
Jon bowed slightly toward them, not knowing what else to do. They understood the gesture and bowed in return.
Jon said, “What do you call yourself so we may address you correctly?”
Kataan made a facial gesture that vaguely resembled a smile and said, “We are Thalians, taken from the name of our planet and empire, Thal. As I said before, I am Kataan, and these are my assistants, Berrtan, Kitaan and Lexiis. We are scientists for the planetary defense forces.”
Jon’s hopes rose. These were exactly the people they were looking for. He spent the next five minutes explaining the nature of the Allied Defense Organization and how they planned to trade technologies to build a combined space force better than the Khruellians could muster. The longer he talked, the more relaxed the Thalians became with their unexpected visitors.
When Jon was through, Kataan said, “You are here because of our new dissembler weapon.”
It was Jon’s turn to smile in recognition of a sharp mind. “That is correct, Kataan. We interrogated several Khruellian prisoners and learned of their fear of your weapon, so we came to investigate the possibility of acquiring it for our new defense force.”
Kataan looked down in thought before answering. He raised his head and said, “I am the last surviving member of the Defense Council, so by default, the decision rests with me. We will provide you with the details of this weapon on the condition you use it to free us of this tyranny and that we can become a member of your allied defense organization and share in the knowledge of your technologies.”
Jon marveled at how closely Kataan’s conditions paralleled the Ankh’s. He did not hesitate. “I am empowered to accept your terms.” He stepped forward and extended his hand. Talor explained the ancient purpose of showing he was not carrying a weapon in his hand and Kataan responded by placing his leathery, wrinkled hand in Jon’s. The shook hands vigorously.
Talor took over and said, “I have discovered your weapon plans in your computer systems and have downloaded them into my memory. I suggest you destroy your files because a Khruellian patrol is almost here to look for it.”
A look of alarm spread over the Thalians’ faces when Talor announced the presence of an advancing Khruellian patrol. Kataan said something to his assistants, and they scrambled to do whatever he had instructed, presumably to do what Talor had suggested. Adalan immediately pulled out her machine pistol and activated her claw-gloves. Her skin had morphed to a combination of red and black alternating stripes. Much later Jon discovered that Adalan had learned from Cleric General Bradley-Kinsley’s interrogation of the captive Khruellian prisoners that a red and black striped cat-monster was the universal Khruellian boogie-man from their ancestral past. Their very appearance would momentarily paralyze the Khruellian patrol long enough for the Hyloxian warriors too gain the upper hand. Adalan ran up the stairs to reconnoiter the situation, and moments later all four of them retreated to the inside of the building. She explained to Jon they had decided the interior of the buildings were a better place to fight. Close quarters favored their method of fighting. Jon readily agreed with her.
The lobby area of the building offered numerous places to hide. If the Khruellians thought the building was empty, they would be less suspicious. Jon pushed open the two entry doors and propped a small object which he took as sculptures against them. He figured the open doors would indicate the building was unoccupied.
The Hyloxians, Jon and Talor took their positions and waited. A sudden whine accompanied by a soft whoomph led Jon to believe the Thalians had just destroyed their computers. They remained in the lower level after the noise died down.
Within fifteen minutes a squad of Khruellian soldiers came through a clearing and approached the first building. Two Khruellians in non-military dress followed them, presumably civilian specialists to evaluate whatever the soldiers found. Ten minutes passed before the squad reappeared. They were less cautious as they approached the middle building, apparently satisfied the complex was not defended. Adalan let the entire squad into the building before letting out a blood-curdling scream and attacked the closest warrior with her claw-gloves. Jon was positioned directly in front of the group and fired into the advancing squad. The three other Hyloxian warriors joined in, screaming and firing their lethal rail guns. The Khruellian soldiers froze in terror at the sight of their worst nightmare come to life. The slashing, shooting Hyloxians went through the squad like a scythe. The frightened soldiers were slaughtered before their training could take effect. Some continued to twitch until they soon lay still. The carnage was beyond anything Jon had ever witnessed.
Adalan sent two of her warriors after the fleeing civilians. Jon heard her give them instructions to capture them alive. In th
ree minutes the two terrified civilians were hauled back into the building babbling away in an incoherent ramble of words.
Talor roared at them in Khruellian to be silent. They took one look at the metallic apparition and promptly shut up. Adalan and Jon searched the dear soldiers for any intelligence they could gather but found little of value except for a communicator on the squad leader. They decided to take an example of their personal weapons for the Gruenwald labs to study. Kataan and his cautious assistants came up the steps.
The wizardly old Thalian took one look around and said something to Talor. He handed the android an object and then the four Thalians left the building without looking back.
Talor said, “We have to leave. The building is set to self-destruct in twenty minutes.”
The Hyloxians and their two prisoners move quickly to the outside and set up a perimeter defense formation. Jon and Talor followed quickly toward their waiting ship. Adalan ran over alongside Jon and asked if he thought they had enough room on board for the two prisoners. Jon assumed if he said, “No,” she would dispatch them without a qualm.
“We’ll make room,” he said. “I’m sure the admiralty will appreciate having two prisoners to interrogate.”
The retreat to the ship was uneventful. Jon reflected on the reaction of the Khruellian warriors to the Hyloxians. One look at the prisoners told Jon the Khruellians were descendants of avian type creatures. The Hyloxians were obviously closely akin to cats. He thought, “Maybe birds and cats are universal adversaries.” It would be an interesting idea to discuss with Admiral Dexter and his staff. One thing was certain; the Khruellian were deathly afraid of the Hyloxian warriors.
The CSF General Brunner lifted off Thal just as the central building exploded in a violent wave of flying debris and flames. There would be little evidence left to suggest an alien species had been there and taken a weapon that could conceivably even the odds between the two opposing forces.
Lieutenant Williams secured the prisoners in a storage locker and set course for Newhope. Jon sat with Adalan and Talor in the small mess room and reviewed what they had accomplished.
Talor was unusually enthusiastic. He said, “The dissembler weapon is a close variant of the IS-Drive communicator. The Thalians have discovered how to influence the bonding abilities of atoms without the use of a nuclear grade force. We would be wise to liberate them as soon as possible before the Khruellians discover how talented they are.”
Jon agreed. He looked at Adalan, whose uniform and skin had morphed back to her normal color. She nodded her agreement with Talor’s statement and told them that for the first time she felt confident her worlds would be safe from the advancing Khruellian Hegemony. Jon took some satisfaction from her statement and also began to believe the worlds of the CSF and her allies could be protected from the gigantic, all-encompassing Hegemony.
Chapter 54
Khruel
Hydrol-Krilon walked stoically in what he was certain was his last walk without chains. The order to report to the Absolute’s palace on Khruel had not come as a surprise. He had disobeyed the Absolute’s order. This was the consequence of his disobedience.
The corridor toward the Absolute’s private office seemed longer than he remembered. “But not long enough,” he thought with a wry sense of gallows’ humor. Over the years, the higher he had risen in the ranks of the Expander Force, the more certain he had become of this final walk’s inevitability.
“The price of power is to be consumed by it,” he thought, quoting a century’s old Khruellian saying. He took note of the expensive trappings adorning the long corridor. In his previous walks, he had paid little attention to the wealth of the empire. Now, his sense of life was demanding he absorb everything he had ignored before. Before it is too late, he added silently.
One of the two guards flanking him stepped forward to open the massive doors, and Krikalon stepped through them with resolve to die like the commander he was, with the strength of character and dignity.
The Absolute sat alone at his massive desk. There were no aides in attendance. Without speaking, he motioned for Hydrol to sit in the chair across from him. The brooding leader motioned the guards out of the room. When the doors closed, the Absolute stared at the commander of the expansion fleet without speaking. Hydrol stared back without fear. He was beyond that. Now he was just curious. If this was the prelude to his death, it certainly was not what he had been expecting.
“Why did you disobey me, Hydrol?” the Absolute asked.
The leader of the Expander Force was surprised he was being asked to explain his actions. He had expected nothing more than a pronouncement of his sentence.
Hydrol stared at his ultimate leader and said, “I believed I could do both, scout the suspected enemy source as you ordered and expand the Hegemony as the Legend demands. I was wrong.”
“Were you?” the Absolute asked with his eyes narrowed to unreadable slits.
“I’m here,” Hydrol said as if his presence was proof positive of his failure.
The Absolute’s eyes opened as he said, “From my point of view you succeeded, you found the enemy, and you expanded the Hegemony.”
“But not where we thought they would be, my Leader,” Hydrol said and then realized he was arguing for his own failure. He decided it might be in his best interest to shut up and listen.
The Absolute smiled at the absurdity of the situation. “Do you believe I brought you here to execute you?”
In spite of his promise to keep quiet he responded immediately, “Yes, my Absolute.”
Karsolomal leaned back in his chair and looked at the man who had been responsible for all of the Hegemony’s expansion since he had assumed the role of Absolute. He said, “Bukal, we are of my same bloodline, the Krikalon flock. Most of those idiots out there thought I appointed you Leader of The Expander Fleet because of this connection. They no longer think that. You are one of the most competent commanders we have ever had. You have expanded our Hegemony at a greater rate than any previous commander in our long history, and.” The Absolute paused for a moment and continued, “You were right to doubt the enemy was from the inner galaxy. We have all been fooled by a clever foe.”
Hydrol was stunned at the Absolute’s words. It was the first time he had ever heard the ruthless leader of the Legend admit to a mistake. It overshadowed his praise of Bukal’s performance. His mind, up to this moment resigned to his supposedly upcoming execution jumped into action.
He said, “This foe also has very effective weapons that we lack.”
The Absolute noted the change in Bukal’s attitude and was pleased his commander was thinking about how to defeat their common enemy.
“I’ve taken steps to correct that,” the Absolute said.
Hydrol decided it was the right time to broach an idea that had been brewing in his mind since the costly battle of his last acquisition. “My Absolute, we have one advantage no enemy can overcome, the advantage of numbers. They were waiting for us when we attacked our latest conquest’s capital city. I think it would be safe to assume they will also be waiting for us at our next target. I think we should arrange a surprise for them when they show up.”
The Absolute crop rose slightly, and his eyes narrowed. “Tell me about your plan.”
Hydrol-Krilon, newly invigorated leader of The Expansion fleet laid out his plan to defeat the clever enemy who had so boldly struck at the heart of the Hegemony.
Chapter 55
Islandia
Michael Lewis, Jon, Talor and several members of the lab studied the data gathered from Jon’s mission to Thal. Michael and Talo studied the principle behind the secret weapon and concluded it was similar to the one behind the IS-Drive.
John von Darkling, the current lead scientist at the labs, said, “Such a weapon will have limited range because of the exponential power consumption. At some point from the origin, the energy required to sustain the effect exceeds the output of the energy source and the dissolution effect will c
ease.”
Michael asked, “What do you estimate the range to be?”
John shook his head slightly and said, “It’s a moot point, Michael, because the difficulty I see is the instant a fusion generator starts to broadcast a dissolution wave, the first victim will be the fusion generator itself, which will effectively end the wave. This weapon is essentially a suicide loop.”
Jon was not a scientist by the standards of the people sitting around the table, but he was an excellent application engineer because of his years of having to make things work in the field. He said, “What about a missile loaded with Muhyba capacitors keyed for a nanosecond burst.”
Michael looked at his cousin’s grandson with renewed respect. The McKinnah’s never ceased to amaze him with their commanding presence and ability to see a solution to the most vexing problems. Each generation seemed to inherit the ability without any diminishing effects.
John gave the ultimate praise a scientist can give a nonscientist when he said, “That just might work, Commander.”
The others including Michael immediately started calculating the possibilities of what Jon had suggested. Jon knew he was useless in this area, so he left the meeting. He and Talor had come to Islandia at the request of Admiral Dexter to deliver the files from their mission to Thal. The CSF Constitution was due to leave the repair yard on Evenia in three days, so he was free to do what he wanted until she was ready for combat. He had two days left before he reported for duty. He decided to take a short trip to New Lewistown to visit some of his relatives and see some of the way of life his grandparents had grown up with. He regretted that Annika was back on station and had been unable to join him. He knew she was very curious about the McKinnah history and he promised himself to bring her back an extended stay when the war with the Khruellians was settled.