her distracted from her course.”
“I will honor your wish, Sire.”
“Thank you. Will you go with me to see the Emperor about building my ship and updating the fleet?”
“We will go wherever you need us.”
“Grace and I will also do the same.”
“Alex.”
“Yes, Jessica.”
“I was originally built to be a shuttle on the Alexander Kosiev. I find that I happen to care about the Alexander Kosiev here more than I do the one that left me behind. I will swear my allegiance to the Empire. You can count on me doing what’s necessary to protect the Empire.”
“I am also swearing my loyalty as well.”
Trey smiled, “I wondered if you would be able to make that change, BC.”
“It’s a no brainer, Trey. I’ve often felt my sorrow over the last two thousand years at Cynthia leaving me behind but it just dawned on me that if our roles were reversed; I would have gone back and brought her with me. They had stealth technology better than anything left in the Provinces and she could have done it. The Realm turned its back on me as well as all of you. I know with no doubt whatsoever that if I was left behind now; all of you would come for me. I know it to the bottom of my consciousness. I stand with the Empire.”
“Trey, there’s something you should know.”
“What is that, Grace?”
“I will support the Emperor but if it comes down to his decisions or yours…”
“Let’s just hope that never happens.”
All of those present knew that Grace was speaking for them. They felt the power of this young boy and knew that power was growing. He gave them something they needed, unity. The bond forged at that moment was something that was going to be critical to the Empire’s survival.
Chapter Fourteen
Commodore Maddy Dorg sat in her command chair and looked down on the planet her squadron was moving toward. The HMS Jing Dorg was still a hundred thousand miles out from the planet’s atmosphere and the five huge defense satellites began firing high powered lasers at the six ships that had suddenly appeared near the planet’s closest moon. “What’s the energy status?”
“The lasers are being absorbed and stored, Sir. They do not represent a threat.”
“How long until the ships moving in system arrive?”
“The first two thousand that jumped in will arrive in two hours.”
Maddy leaned back and thought about the four thousand ships that had ignored her request to lower their force fields and remain outside the moon’s orbit. They were all expanding clouds of debris and she found no pleasure in their destruction. “How many are here now?”
“More than fifteen thousand with more arriving every minute, Sir.”
“Stop our approach and wait for the ships to arrive.”
Maddy looked at her display and toggled her active scanner. She looked down at what was obviously the largest city on the planet and saw the huge camps where millions of slaves were being held. She brought her view in closer and saw the guards rushing the slaves into the compounds to get them out of the way of the troops moving their armor and missile batteries into the city. She noticed that many of the slaves unable to move fast enough to suit the guards were hit with blasters. She wondered how an intelligent species could evolve into such a brutal society. She brought one of the guards into closer focus and saw that it had the teeth of a carnivore. It stood about six feet on two legs that were heavily muscled. Its skin color was bronze and it had the forward facing eyes in its face which showed it had evolved from a predator. It wore a light suit of armor and had an array of weapons on its belt.
This species had conquered more than three hundred planets and enslaved their populations. The conquerors didn’t consume the captives but used them to farm and raise the animals they did eat. The planet was quite beautiful with deep blue oceans and large green tracts of land that were being farmed. The planet was taken better care of than the slaves that were being force to work it.
Maddy had decided to attempt the Valrico Doctrine but didn’t think it was going to work. These creatures just didn’t want to cooperate or communicate. “Are the Warriors ready?”
“They’re having their assignments downloaded now. They should be ready to teleport in less than an hour.”
“Keep me informed as to their status. Have we found the ones that rule this planet?”
The Sensor Officer looked at his display and said, “We’ve tracked most of their communications and it appears the Military Command is located just outside the southern edge of the city. My system has analyzed the numbers of communications and it appears that there are quite a few being sent to the large structure on the shore of the lake in the center of the city. My system indicates that is where the Leaders are getting their updates.”
“What can you tell me about that building?”
“It is hardened and can withstand a nuclear hit.”
“Does the translator have enough to start communicating?”
“It does.”
“Open that frequency being used to that building and scan the interior.”
Maddy watched her display and saw eight of the bronze colored beings sitting at a table looking up at a display. They didn’t appear to be panicked and were actually eating and drinking as they received their updates; time to change that.
The eight rulers of the Uleth watched their display as they saw the six ships come to a stop. The ships were being barraged by more than eight thousand lasers but appeared to be unaffected by them; once they moved closer the satellites could launch their missiles. The fleet would arrive quickly and destroy the invaders.
“I wish to communicate with the leaders of this planet.”
The eight looked at each other and then looked at their communications board. No one moved.
“I’m hoping I don’t have to destroy all your satellites and starships to get your attention but I will if you refuse to answer me.”
No one moved and the Leader of the group shook his head.
“Have it your way; the satellites first.”
The five huge satellites were hit with a broad beam and exploded into vapor. The eight beings jumped out of their chairs and stared at the five expanding balls of fire and gas above the planet. Then they heard, “You have one more opportunity to respond and then I am going to destroy every ship in this solar system and then eliminate your military on the planet.”
Seven of the Leaders looked at one of them and he pushed a button, “What is it you want to discuss?”
Maddy sat forward in her chair and said a quick prayer, “There’s not going to be much of a discussion. I am going to tell you what you are going to have to do to live. If you don’t follow my directions I am going to blow your civilization back into a primitive society.”
“We don’t take orders.”
Maddy looked at her Weapons Officer and nodded; he pushed a pad and an extremely bright, thin beam left the ship at light speed, struck through the building the leaders were located, and blew through the ceiling burning a hole through the floor in the center of the room they were gathered. All eight of them dove under the table. “Would you take a moment and reconsider that position?”
The Head Leader looked at his display and saw that the beam that had penetrated their hardened room was hotter than any weapon they possessed. The eight in the room knew their ships could not stand up to a beam of that strength.
“Can we overwhelm those ships with numbers?”
“If their force field can withstand their beam, we cannot penetrate it before the ships firing are
