'Daooth helped me to escape, and caused an accident which destroyed the genetic material Grod was going to use. He has hidden me here all these years since.
'It is my hope to somehow free his people from the control of the military and Grod.'
'Why haven't they risen up for their freedom against these two?' asked Orin.
'My people have not fighting skill to face these armies, and they are not the only threat,' said Daooth. 'Baruk clan is also enemy, and more fearsome than Vorn military or Grod. Now they control Vorn military from distance. Vorn do what they want, further Baruk interests, they leave them alone. But now Vorn nearing defeat by Grod's forces and Baruk are sure to try and come.'
'Yes, and Grod knows that as well,' said Wynn. 'That's why he's so desperate to complete his DNA experiment so he can power up his clones with Barudii kinesis.'
'But you said that Daooth destroyed the sample of your DNA that Grod needed to do the experiment.'
'Yes, but now he has yours,' said Daooth.
Tiet was taken aback; he had no idea what had occurred before he had awoke within the confinement field in the Vorn lab.
'Then we have to infiltrate Grod's compound and destroy the samples,' said Orin.
'It not that simple anymore,' said Daooth. 'Grod already moved out with scientist for project and samples, and headed to a rendezvous with his army at Baeth Periege.'
'Baeth Periege is the main city for the Vorn military and it houses their most advanced cloning facility,' said Wynn. 'Grod needs to have control of this facility to perform the regeneration of his army. He will have to defeat the Vorn, and if he does he will have taken away the main power base and last refuge of the Vorn military.'
'What can we do?' asked Tiet, 'if he takes that city and the cloning facility-how can we hope to stop him and a whole army of clones with our power?'
'There's the problem my friends,' said Wynn. 'We are up against formidable odds, two armies and time itself. If we fail to stop Grod, which must be our first concern, then I fear only the Baruk themselves will be able to stop him.'
'If only our clans could have made peace,' said Daooth, 'men should act as brothers-not this killing of other races. Skin color is only difference between you and me,' Daooth pointed at Tiet. 'My blood is red like yours; my heart beats same as yours. Even Grod, he a clone of my dark-skinned people; fierce, strong, but he wants freedom just like us.'
'My friends, I realize that I have involved you in a seemingly suicidal goal. It may seem overwhelming and I cannot ask you to endanger yourselves for this cause…'
'We're already involved,' said Tiet. 'That's my DNA he's using.' Tiet looked at Daooth. 'I guess, I never thought about your clan's side of things. We need peace between the clans, but how?'
Orin nodded his agreement. 'It's easier said than done. We had better stay focused on what we can handle now.'
'We have a transport and some explosive charges that we could use to destroy the equipment Grod needs to conduct the regeneration,' said Wynn. 'It's just about the only way we can prevent Grod from coming into power.'
'I have sorting things out Wynn,' said Daooth, 'I think I have way to destroying facility. We try to infiltrate city in transport we having to fight our way through Grod's army then Vorn military guarding city. In these caverns is link to old magnetic rail system. System used to connect Baeth Periege with military compound at Nagon-Toth, before Grod captured it.
'Vorn military have detonated charges to bring tunnel roof down and cut off route into city. System still has power, but Grod did not want to take time to clear all of debris, it remained unused. System runs right into cloning facility. It used primarily to send troops from main cloning facility to compound.'
'How fast is the rail system?' asked Wynn. 'Baeth Periege is nearly one thousand miles away.'
'It is frictionless magnetically suspended rail car system. It will travel approximately six hundred miles per hour,' said Daooth.
'That's pretty fast. It wouldn't take us long to get there at all,' said Tiet.
'Yes, but Grod already has the jump on us,' said Orin. 'And where is the break in the system?'
'Break occurs approximately one hundred and fifty miles from city perimeter,' said Daooth. 'Only problem how to clear debris and pass through in time to stop Grod. Defenses of Baeth Periege will not hold him long. He has massive clone army and Vorn military already very weak in their resources.'
'I think that with our kinesis we might be able to clear the debris, but we will need time to work,' said Wynn.
'My people long for freedom,' said Daooth.
They all shared the sentiment. They gathered the explosive charges necessary and followed Daooth through the various side passages to access the magnetic rail system. But the thought lingered for Daooth and Wynn that with Grod defeated the next enemy would be the mighty Baruk.
VIII
IT did not occur with the fanfare Ranul had expected, but the fleet had successfully passed through the Transdimensional Rift. The passage was surprisingly quick and uneventful.
Estall's cruiser the Esyia took the lead of the group. Ranul scanned the area for other ships, but found none. They had no contact with the Saberhawk, which he had always guessed would be the case-but there were not any ships within scanning range at all, not even in orbit of the planet.
Kish k'ta had boasted of a space fleet on their way to wipe out the remaining people on Castai, but there was no evidence of it at all. Even from the Vorn computer records, Ranul had expected to possibly find a battle between the Barudii sphere and the Vorn; but there was nothing. Nothing.
'There isn't much to see out here, is there?' said Estall.
'I know. That's what bothers me. I suppose we better head for the planet and see if that's where the action is. If Orin and Tiet are still alive there will be something going on.'
Ranul signaled to the helmsman, 'Let's proceed to the planet.'
The ships glided forward on course for the strangely familiar planet.
'Let's get those shields up,' said Estall to one of the control technicians. 'If that Barudii sphere weapon is out here somewhere, I don't want it mistaking these Vorn ships for targets.'
'I agree, but we don't know if it's here or not. The Vorn fleet was not responding to Kish k'ta's messages, but we don't know why. If the Sphere is in the vicinity, it could be cloaked from our sensors. The Barudii on this planet built it right from the schematics I have here.
'That thing could very well have already destroyed the Vorn fleet Kish k'ta spoke of. I don't know if it would have attacked the Saberhawk or not. It's a computer, so I would expect targeting intended targets only, but who knows.'
'If the Saberhawk didn't face anything out here, I bet they would have gone straight for the planet,' said Estall. 'I don't know any warrior who wouldn't rather face a fight on the ground, than be cooped up inside a space ship.'
'According to the records the planet is now inhabited completely by the Vorn. They have colonized it since wiping out all the other Castillian clans there. We'll have to get closer to the planet before we can scan the surface.'
VOLLEY after volley of pulse fire blazed across the sky toward the perimeter defense shield surrounding the Vorn city of Baeth Periege. General Grod watched with great satisfaction as his forces mounted the assault upon the city. 'How long will it hold?' asked Grod.
'Probably another twenty hours at the rate of replenishing.'
'Good, that gives us plenty of time. Is the team ready?'
'Yes sir. They're waiting for you to join them for the assault.'
Grod headed away from the firing line toward an area to the south. The pulse cannons continued to pound
