Defending Earth-Discovery Means Death (28 page)

Jelek snorted, “All you need is two million Light Ships to scan for the Feeders whereabouts and six billion warriors to assign to each Feeder.”

Matt’s eyes narrowed, “I understand the issue with not currently having the six billion warriors but why do we need two million light ships?”

“Sir, one light ship can only scan the planet surface below it. You’ll need four light ships evenly distributed above a planet to scan the entire surface.” Matt stared at Jelek and he said, “You also have to consider that when telepathic warriors went down to the surface, they could control the Feeders with their minds and force them to remain physically frozen until they were eliminated. The warriors we’re going to have to use are not telepathic and they’ll have to take their shots at Feeders that will be doing everything to avoid being killed. I understand their claws can actually penetrate our armor.” Matt nodded.

Eddy’s eyes opened wide, “Is that true?”

Matt shrugged, “Their claws are a rather unique genetic adaptation. They can penetrate our armor and the force field. Their claws will, however, be burned off in the process.”

“Can the warrior be killed by them?”

“If the claws penetrate deeply enough, they can.”

“Why haven’t we developed tougher armor?”

“Weight is the main issue, Eddy. A warrior needs a level of maneuverability that adding more weight would diminish. With telepathic warriors, it wasn’t an issue.”

“But now it is.”

“We’re going to have to train them properly to prevent the Feeders from getting close enough to do them harm.”

Eddy shook her head, “We should have been sent to attack the Feeder Warships in the four clusters and the telepaths should have been given this mission.”

“Not really.” Eddy started shaking her head and Matt smiled, “Eddy, in war, a warrior has to be prepared to take on any enemy. How do you know that we won’t find another species in the four clusters that aren’t telepathic and are more advanced and worse than the Feeders?”

Ethan looked at Matt, “Is that possible?”

“Fleet’s Main Computer says there is a ten percent probability of a species like that in the four clusters. There are trillions of stars in those four clusters and when dealing with that large a number anything is statistically possible.”

“That’s why she sent the telepaths there?”

“I’m sure it is, Eddy. They will hopefully hear the thoughts of a new species, sense the danger, and avoid making contact with it. That’s why all of our ships there are ordered to keep their stealth systems active and stay in the barrier. We’re hoping the Feeders aren’t so fortunate. We’ve learned the lesson that discovery by a more advanced aggressive civilization could mean death to our civilization. The Feeders haven’t learned that lesson and it could be their undoing.”

Palel shook his head, “I find that thought quite unnerving.”

“That’s why we’ve been given this mission. The Telepaths are better equipped to avoid detection. So let’s think about how we can do it.”

Palel shook his head, “Well, it’s for dang sure we don’t have six billion warriors to do this.”

“But we do have more than two million light ships.”

“That aren’t all in service yet.”

Matt looked at Silva, “No, they’re not yet. However, we do have more than a million in service and it will only take another eleven months to get another million added to our fleets.”

“So we’re a year from having the tools to even start making this happen?”

“Actually, about fourteen months to have all of the pilots trained.”

“The High Leader won’t be happy about this delay.”

“I think she’s counting on it taking at least that long.” The admirals were silent and Matt said, “The civilizations in the Alliance are not ready mentally to do this yet and the High Leader knows it. If we start this war taking back the galaxies from the Death Feeders now, their fear would overwhelm them. They have to see the forces we’re going to have to use against them and see what those forces can accomplish. An important part of this is showing them the skills of the warriors being brought into service and the numbers available for us to use.”

“But six billion!”

“Eddy, how many planets are in the Alliance’s four galaxies that can provide warriors?”

Eddy lifted her tablet and punched in entries at a high speed. After a moment, she looked up, “More than six million.”

Matt smiled, “Actually, there are five million in M-87 by itself.” Eddy’s eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth to speak but Matt interrupted her, “M-87 is the largest galaxy in this part of the universe. The numbers you used only listed the capital planets for M-87. There are too many to list. The actual number for all four galaxies is fifteen million. Which means, only four hundred warriors from each planet need to enlist to give us our six billion.”

Ethan smiled, “I understand that thousands are joining on every planet.”

Matt shrugged, “Fleet tells me that we’re signed up way over six billion recruits. The issue is manufacturing enough armor and transports to make them useful.”

“Why aren’t these numbers in the system?”

“They are Eddy. I’ll show you how to find them after this meeting.”

“Who told you?”

Matt shrugged, “I have a way of ferreting out data from remote locations. I think the High Leader knows about this as well but her attention is being directed towards getting the Alliance Civilizations building the hardware our warriors are going to need.” Matt paused and smiled, “I spoke with General Atkinson and he tells me that they are not just accepting anyone who enlists. They’re screening them carefully and the ones that make the cut are going to be really talented both mentally and physically at their chosen vocation. The civilizations that make up the Alliance were all a warrior culture in the past. Centuries of peace had atrophied their spirits but they’re relearning old habits and our ground forces will be ready when we need them.”

Silva leaned back in his chair, “You know, when the High Leader chose you to lead us, I really wondered what she saw in you. Now, I see it. Whatever rock you were hiding under before this happened is now removed. I feel a lot safer now.”

“Thank you, Silva. Now we have to discuss how to use our ships and warriors when the time comes to start our mission. Factor in having transports that can carry twenty thousand warriors.”

Sam nodded, “All we need is about half a million to get the job done.”

Matt smiled, “They’ll be ready in about a year.”

Eddy shook her head, “It looks like everything will come together about a year from now.”

“And that’s when we’ll start carrying out our orders.”

• • •

Chase moved through the barrier with his wing and looked for the Feeder Fleet reported by a stealth probe two days earlier. He was looking to find the transports used by that fleet and he moved carefully toward the last reported position. “Fan out from here and search for that Feeder Fleet. Report in if you find it. No one will move in on that fleet without direct orders from me.”

Chase increased his acceleration and moved through four planetary systems and didn’t find the Feeders. He slowed and stopped outside of a large planetary system that was emitting a huge electronic signature from the fourth planet. “Speedy, what can you tell me about those electronic emissions?”

“There are some I don’t recognize, Chase.”

“What?”

“They’re not in the normal electromagnetic band. There is no record of them in my data base. Do you want me to scan the planet?”

“No, I’m moving away from this system and look elsewhere for the Feeder Fleet. Mark this planet’s location and send it to Commodore Jenson.”

Chase didn’t like this. Those emissions were not something that had ever been detected before. He accelerated away and heard, “Captain, I’ve located the Feeder Fleet.”

“Send me the coordinates. All ships prepare to move in on my command. Do not move in until I order it!!”

“Sir, the Feeder Fleet has been decimated. There are thousands of their ships on fire and it appears all of them have been recently destroyed.”

“Lieutenant, move your ship away from that fleet and stay in the barrier. Do not scan that fleet!”

“Yes Sir, moving out.”

“Speedy, are any of our forces in this sector?”

“None are assigned to this sector.”

“Launch a stealth probe, have it take up station fifty miles from the coordinates of that fleet, and send the feed to my visor. Do not have it initiate an active scan, only passive readings.” Chase felt a slight vibration as the small probe left its launch tube. A moment later, he saw the massive destruction of the Feeder Fleet. There were more than a hundred thousand Feeder Warships in that fleet and the extent of the wreckage looked like all of them had been killed. He wondered if any managed to escape.

“Chase.”

“Yes, Speedy.”

“I’m receiving data from the probe that the same unidentifiable emissions I detected at that planet are emanating from the destroyed warships.” Chase shook his head slightly and suddenly saw a giant purple colored warship materialize a hundred yards in front of the probe. It blocked out the view of everything the probe was seeing and an instant later, a brilliant purple beam disintegrated the probe and ended its transmissions.

“Chase, Lt. Carmichael’s ship has sent out a destruct signal. Something has destroyed his ship.”

Chase immediately hit his light drive and yelled into his communicator, “ALL SHIPS SKIP OUT ON LIGHT DRIVES! SKIP NOW!” Chase’s ship disappeared an instant after a giant purple ship appeared less than a mile off his port side and fired at his former location. “ALL SHIPS REPORT!” He stared at his panel and saw everyone reported in but Carmichael. He waited at the coordinates he had skipped to and kept his hand on the light drive. After thirty minutes he skipped away and recalled all his ships. He hit his communicator and saw Commodore Jenson appear, “Sir, I’ve encountered a Black Civilization. A stealth probe was destroyed and one of my ships that was in the barrier.”

Jenson’s face showed his shock and he said, “Send me what you have.” He disappeared from Chase’s display for a moment before he reappeared and said, “Attention all Alliance Forces in the four clusters. The following galaxy and an area ten thousand light years around it will be quarantined to all Ships. I repeat, you will not go within ten thousand light years of the coordinates I’m sending you.”

Chase ordered his wing out of the galaxy where the attack had taken place and saw his display illuminate; he saw Admiral Ambrose, “Captain Race. Turn your wing over to your second-in-command and report to Fleet Intelligence immediately!”

“Clay, you have the wing. Keep them away from this galaxy.”

“Yes Sir. I’m moving the wing to the first galaxy we scouted.”

“That would be good. Keep them safe, Clay.”

“Yes Sir. Hurry back.”

Chase hit his light drive and was so thankful he had not sent his wing in to investigate the destruction of the Feeder Fleet. All of them could have been killed. He looked up and said, “Where was Carmichael when his ship was destroyed?”

“More than a hundred light years away from the Feeder Fleet.”

“He was followed by one of those purple ships.”

“Evidently, they know about the barrier.” Chase shook his head and landed his ship on the tarmac outside Fleet Headquarters.

“Speedy, download everything to my wrist unit.”

“Done.” Chase exited his ship and ran toward the front entrance. A Commodore was waiting for him and ran with him into the building.

• • •

The next three days were a whirlwind and Chase asked repeatedly to be allowed to join his wing. He was refused each time and he finally resolved himself to answer the same questions over and over in a series of meetings. He was sitting in the cafeteria eating breakfast before he was ordered to another a meeting. The commodore that met him at the entrance came over and put his tray down. Chase started to come to attention and the commodore quickly said, “As you were, relax.” Chase went back into his chair and nodded. “I know you’ve been questioned extensively by just about everyone, but do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”

“Go ahead.”

“When that purple ship appeared just before you skipped out, did you hear any thoughts of the beings on that ship?”

Chase’s eyes narrowed and he thought for a moment before saying, “There was something…”

“What?”

“I can’t describe it exactly but I got the feeling that there was a kind of anticipation of killing me. Something seemed to really want to do it.”

“You believe this ship could see you in the barrier?”

“How else could it have found me and my Lieutenant?”

“I’m of the opinion that it didn’t actually see you but had the location of where you were receiving the probe’s transmissions. It simply fired at that location.”

“It killed my Lieutenant a hundred light years away. It had to see his ship to follow him there.”

“Carmichael was communicating with another pilot as he skipped away.”

“WHAT!?”

“We checked the communication logs of all your pilots and he was communicating with Lt. Shelly when his ship was hit by whatever beam that ship uses. Shelly avoided destruction by using her light drive to skip away before that ship could track Carmichael’s communications back to her.”

“Why do you think they don’t know about the barrier?”

“The ship that appeared in front of the probe did not come out of the barrier. It had a field around it that prevented it from being seen. Emergence from the barrier gives off a specific reading and that ship didn’t have that reading.”

“So, you think if we had not communicated or received the probe’s data, we would not have been seen.”

“If they know about the barrier, they would use it. That ship didn’t.”

“Then how did they destroy his ship in the barrier?”

“We don’t have a handle on the technology they use to make that beam but it appears to destroy anything in its path, even inside the barrier.”

“That’s a wild leap, isn’t it?”

“Would that ship fit inside the barrier?” Chase stared at the commodore and after a moment, shook his head. “That’s the first clue they don’t use it. However, their weapon’s technology is ahead of us.” The commodore took a bite of eggs and said, “Their ships are also not purple.”