Relik stood and began to leave before turning to his Master, "Do you agree with what’s happening?"
he received a mental shrug, "This is bigger than me," Maulik admitted, "I can't say I agree, but I can't say I'm totally against it, if nothing else is achieved at least the Watu should stop constantly shooting at us."
"Are they really as disgusting as they look in the pictures?" Relik grinned.
"Far worse," laughed Maulik, "But when you meet Go'an, clear your mind, he is an exceptionally gifted telepath."
Chapter 3
"Are your calculations to drop out of FTL on the edge of Watu space complete?" asked Colonel Balak as he stepped onto the bridge and approached Maulik.
"Yes, and my crew are ready," he nodded, "Are your people ready?"
"Colonial Marines are always ready." Balak repeated the recruiting slogan which didn't impress the bridge crew who had now all been fully briefed.
"None of us want to enlist Colonel," replied Maulik with an edge of sarcasm, "A simple yes would have been enough."
"We will be ready to launch as soon as you get us into the optimum orbit." acknowledged Balak.
For a split second Maulik sensed concern before it was masked in the Colonels mind, "Is there something that you forgot to tell me?" he asked as he witnessed the rapid shimmer on Balak’s mirrored membrane, a sure sign of nerves.
"This mission has only a 63% chance of success... according to the simulations." he admitted privately, raising Maulik's concerns to a higher level.
"Just perfect." Maulik sighed, "OK Relik, get your extra gunnery crews on standby, it looks like this isn't a drill anymore."
***
Harvester 7 dropped below light speed exactly as plotted and within moments was drifting in a high orbit of Watuma, immediately they began running a false diagnostics routine ready for the inevitable scans that would follow when the Watu had scrambled their planetary defence forces. The fake diagnostic would show that the computers were searching for an FTL Drive error which would back up their communicated explanation when pressed for a reason why they were floating in Watu territory.
"Here they come." signalled Relik.
"Doesn't look like they were sleeping." replied Maulik ensuring his thoughts reached the Colonel.
"we're being scanned."
"We have no argument with you," replied Maulik to the hostile communication from the lead ship in Watuma's planetary defence squadron, "All we want to do is fix our drive in peace and then be back on our way."
A delay of static followed.
"They finished scanning us." signalled Relik.
"You have one hour." the Watu replied before acquiring a weapons lock on 7.
"Hey, hold your fire," replied Maulik with some urgency, "We don't want any trouble, just give us that hour and we’ll be out of your space... OK?"
"One hour and counting." replied the Watu and released the weapons threat.
"Posturing." announced Maulik with a sigh of relief as the alarms on his console blinked out. "OK Colonel, you've got one hour," he signalled Balak, "Make it count, these guys are really aggressive today."
***
Hold 32 was a hive of activity as the marines raced to their respective transports squad by squad, and drones fired their engines preparing to form an automated escort down to the surface. In a temporary command centre tech officers established remote links with the drones, live video from the auto fighters streamed directly into their minds, these were cutting edge weapons, devastating, powerful and controlled by thought alone, each remote pilot knew his duty, each was experienced and each knew that his remote fighter was not expendable, losing a drone was a punishable offence.
Colonel Balak placed his two fingers on his command console and instantly the fresh updates flooded his mind, and with incredible mental agility he sorted the priority from the routine, updates flashed behind his mirror membranes and he began the countdown to launch.
"Stealth." he commanded and watched his small fleet shimmer and fade to invisibility, with a satisfied nod he looked around the now seemingly empty hold.
"Drone Squadron 1, maintain a defensive perimeter around Harvester 7, Squadrons 2, 3 and 4, escort the transports, Squadron 5 maintain low orbit and prepare to act as rear guard."
Confirmation flashes entered his mind as the drones relayed their understanding.
"Operation Reaper is a go," he announced, "And may the Gods go with you."
***
Maulik and his bridge crew never saw the invasion fleet depart, only the military had sensors tuned to the narrow frequency that cycled constantly to avoid detection, Balak watched the departure with a sense of pride, they were his finest, he just hoped he wasn't throwing their lives away, his only consolation, a security in the knowledge that the cloning facilities were on standby to duplicate any of his lost officers, true it would be many years before the clones had grown sufficiently to resume active duty but it was a comfort to know they would not be lost forever. Go'an waited nervously, baring his teeth and gripping his bone staff tight, he had so much riding on the outcome of the assault, within an hour he would either be the new undisputed Chancellor of the Watu High Council, or a hunted traitor.
He let his mind wander, planning, plotting, there would be changes after he had seized power, his opponents on the council would regret their staunch support of Chancellor Lu'ta, senile creatures, only secure under the protection of their supreme benefactor, his majority, the weak minded who followed only policy and the old ways. Oh yes, he would make some dramatic changes, his would be a decisive and militarised reign. He was tired of following the elderly head of state, his ideas were ancient and timid, he refused to recognise the Reaper threat preferring to believe the priests. These are invaders, not Gods, Go'an for one was not going to open his arms to them and meekly submit to annihilation, he had plans, he would build a federation, a league of allies, the Territes were on-board, other races would join as the threat became revealed.
A Galactic Empire. He began to salivate at the prospect and shrouded his thoughts still further, Emperor Go'an, it sounded good in his ear, his calculating mind continued to plot and dream, he was secure, none of the Territes standing so close to him even began to approach the level of telepathic ability to broach his mental shielding, he envisioned his new empire, all races subservient to his will.
Within one hour his dreams would begin to flourish, or be dashed into oblivion, the bone staff felt heavy in his hand as he studied the carved reptilian boss, the red jewelled eyes burned with the same passion he felt in his heart, the "Watuma Viper," an apt name that he would take upon himself, cold, calculating and deadly.
***
"All transports in position, just awaiting your final go Sir."
"Now for the moment of truth." sighed Balak as he nodded and flashed the authorisation, "This is the point of no return." he admitted to himself and said a silent prayer to the Gods.
***
Major Karn was to lead the first team into the Watu High Council, his orders; silence the Chancellor at all costs. He didn't relish doing the Vice Chancellors dirty work but who was he to question orders.
This feels like a suicide mission, he admitted to himself not allowing his dark thoughts to spread through his eager squad, it had been taken as an honour by most of his troops when they had been ordered to download their memories for storage, so few of them had added together the evidence and reached the same total as himself, they were being preserved because command didn't seriously expect them to return. His continuation should have been a comfort but Karn quite liked his current life and didn't relish the thought of the intense growing pains experienced by all hatchlings.
"Better than total elimination." he sighed as the transport ramp dropped and he led his squad out of the invisible craft and into the choking Watamu atmosphere.
"It stinks like piss." voiced a marine at his rear.
"Silence," he snapped, "Mask your mind marine, you know the drill." Secretly
he agreed, the atmosphere was rank with the stench of the Watu. Suddenly the ground at his feet sizzled and churned violently as a plasm pulse discharged, a rapid un-aimed shot from the steps leading up to the citadel where the High Council were assembled.
"Execute." he snapped, and his squad leaped into action. All around him the whir of pulse rifles cycling and charging, the quiet discharge split seconds before the devastating explosion as bolts of stored plasma energy flared inside their targets vaporising the impact area completely and tearing apart the structure of the surrounding tissue, these were weapons designed to kill only, there would be no survivors, no wounded when his squad attacked.
Quickly Karn and his team secured the main steps but found the Citadel doors sealed.
"We lost the element of surprise," he signalled back to command, "Things are going to get very hot here, very soon. Requesting missile strike on these coordinates." he rushed forward and slapped a small beacon on the sealed entrance before signalling the location.
"Heads down boys." he shouted above the babble of conversation in his head.
"Strike authorised in 3... 2...1." the countdown gave him just enough time to duck behind a solid pillar as the sleek warhead tracked down onto his beacon, with a blinding flash the locked doors evaporated leaving a gaping void in the Citadel's grand façade.
"Do me proud boys." he screamed as he raced through the gaping hole his team pressing hard behind. This is what the years of training had been for, Karn had years of combat experience but most of his team were young, highly trained but lacking in experience. He connected with them as he continued to run, giving words of encouragement to those who needed, laughing with his more seasoned troops, issuing his orders whilst simultaneously picking his targets.
Resistance was stiff and with a feeling of intense pain he felt three of his troops blink suddenly from his mind, their deaths violently severing his connections.
"This is taking too long," he signalled, "Spread out and draw their fire, I'm targeting the Chancellor." a jolt of pain told him his first lieutenant had just dropped and with a wild fury building inside he charged up another set of narrower steps and fired his rifle at point blank range into the chest of the Watu security officer that blocked his path into the High Council Chamber, the flashback from the energy discharge scorched his skin but he ignored the pain and burst inside, his weapon at high port seeking his intended victim.
But the chamber was empty.
***
"Incoming." called the gunnery sergeant aboard Harvester 7.
"Acknowledged." signalled Maulik and authorised defensive counter measures, "Take down anything that slips past the drones, but don't waste our energy firing wildly, I want to keep plenty of juice in reserve for the drives."
He had a thin line to walk, even with the reactor pushed beyond optimal efficiency Maulik was mindful of the fine balance between defence and retreat. 7 wasn't a battle cruiser and her weapons were designed to ward off skirmishers and pirates, 7 could easily handle a small scale attack of three or four fighters in deep space but planetary defence forces were another game altogether, he couldn't risk depleting his energy reserves in a prolonged battle.
"I will not risk my ship Colonel," he called over the background chatter that he was allowing into his mind, "When my reserves hit 70% we jump... and that's not open to discussion."
"You’ll jump when I say jump." snapped back Balak, Maulik fired back a reply that made the Colonels membranes vibrate but he was too distracted to be drawn into a debate over ultimate authority, his invasion was not going well and he had just received some very disturbing news from Major Karn.
"Where can he be Go'an?" he turned to face the Vice Chancellor and saw the shock clearly written across the brown and wrinkled face.
"Silence." Go'an ordered as he extended his mind and probed the Citadel, "Where are you hiding my old friend?" he questioned as he searched for the Chancellors unique signature.
The deck beneath his feet shuddered as a warhead exploded against the ventral shields but he was not distracted from his search, his efforts were concentrated solely on locating the Chancellor, the ship shuddered again more violently with a second missile strike, the harvester appeared to be weakening he understood, but concern never entered his mind, if he couldn't locate his target death on a doomed Terrillian ship was preferable to the fate that awaited all traitors.
***
"Reserves at 91%," confirmed Relik, "Suggest we consider jumping at 80%," he added, "This fire is too heavy, better we leave a little bit in reserve, we could take several more hits like that last one before we can accelerate out of missile range."
"Agreed," replied Maulik as he studied the data. His shields were eating ten times the amount of energy with each impact than his banks of pulse cannons were. "Gunnery Sergeant, fire at will." he signalled, "Stop those missiles getting through." A combined volley rocked the ship gently as Gunnery Sergeant Te'al flexed 7's defensive muscles and several incoming missiles blinked off the view screen.
"Good shooting Te'al." signalled Maulik with a grin. He remembered his old days stood beside his charged weapons feeling that his hands were tied by the officers in command, "Let him do his job." he decided as he kept a watchful eye on the energy reserves, now down to 89%.
"Give me some good news Colonel!" he reached out to Balak but found a mind in confusion.
"Not now." came a hurried reply, and Maulik sensed the despair in Balak’s words. He glanced again at his console, 87%, dropping to 86% as his cannons discharged again erasing another two missile signatures.
"Get ready with that course." he nodded to Relik before noticing a steady finger hovering over the drive console.
"Only on my mark." he warned, again the harvester rocked gently; 85%.
"Hold your station." barked Go'an as he cut through all other conversation and pierced Maulik's mind, "I know what you are thinking but we are not leaving until this is finished."
Maulik struggled to cut the connection, but the Watu proved too strong. "I will not risk my ship and crew, we jump at 80%." he replied defiantly.
"You will not move until I say." shot back the reply with such force that Maulik dropped to his knees clutching his head, "I warned you before that I could tear your feeble mind to pieces... don't make me prove it."
"83%." warned Relik as a star-fighter slipped through the depleted squadron of drones and strafed the bridge shields with bright green lasers generating a multicoloured ripple effect across the normally invisible barrier.
"Hold position," cried Maulik as he regained his feet, "Engineering, push the reactors, give me more power."
"The reactor is already at 130%." replied the chief engineer.
"What's the maximum?" Maulik already knew the answer but wanted confirmation.
"Very short burst... 140%, maybe 150%."
"Give me 150 now, and hold it until I say... no arguments, just do as I say." Maulik switched his display from tactical to engineering and watched the output rising.
"Reserves climbing," cried Relik, "84%, 85%."
"Hold it at that chief." Maulik signalled as the output reached 144%, it was another balancing act, a trade off, power output versus core temperature, his display was nudging critical, his reactors were close to overload but he knew 7 was tough, "Just a little more." he begged his systems.
"88%... 90%." called Relik, the relief clear in his thoughts.
"Gunnery Sergeant, pick your targets carefully again, make every shot count."
Te'al sighed, and felt his hands being tied once more, "Confirmed." he replied and returned to his targeting display, his fun was over, now back to work.
***
"Please advise." signalled Karn. If his objective had been to seize the High Council Chambers, the very heart of Watuma's government, then his mission would have been declared a complete success, yet he was stood in the middle of an utter failure. Half of his squad were dead, the remaining half were laying down suppressing fire at the chamber
s entrance, and he was stood in the centre of the speakers platform wrapped in bewilderment.
Go'an cut in, barking an order, "Take two squad members and exit the chambers through the large arch at the rear."
"Colonel?" Karn questioned. He took his orders from the established chain of command, not hairy off-worlders.
"Do as he says." replied a weary Balak. Colonel Balak sensed the end looming, his superiors didn't take defeat well and he could feel his commission rapidly slipping away, this wasn't a defeat, it was an unmitigated disaster and no-one would overlook how hard he had pushed to make it happen despite the poor chance of success in simulations, handing over command to the Watu couldn't make his fall any harder.
"Confirmed." replied Karn and signalled for volunteers.
"You will find the High Council collected in an anteroom at the end of the corridor, they are hiding." chuckled Go'an as he finally broke through the wall of telepathic blocks that were directed at him, "Old and weak," he grinned as their fear filtered into his mind, "Finally Watuma will have the warrior leader it deserves."
"Place a beacon on the door and retreat." he instructed before taking mental control of the closest drone, frying the mind of the tech officer in command in the process as he brought the weapon online and fired onto the beacon’s clear signal.
"Five seconds," he relayed to Karn before laughing, "I would start running now Major."
In those dying seconds of the missiles guided flight Go'an reached out his mind and if it had been visible to the naked eye an observer would have witnessed a screw rapidly rotate as the warheads gain was increased to beyond critical. "Sorry Major... too late." chuckled Go'an as the entire Citadel was vaporised in a fraction of a second.
Balak turned slowly towards the Watu, "You could have given him a few seconds more." he stated, the accusation hovering between them unspoken.
"I am thorough in everything that I do, feel relieved that I do not wish to continue any tidying here."
"Congratulations... Chancellor." he replied as he understood that Go'an had just erased his own failings and his commission was probably safe. Go'an had dragged victory from the jaws of defeat, and Balak knew deep inside he had just witnessed the rise of a dictator.
***