Stand or Fall (The Omega War Book 4) Read online

  Tirr tapped the Tri-V console with his foreclaws. In seconds, a selection of potential refit planets appeared on the screen. “Then, Peacemaker, let’s get back to the mission. There will be time enough later to figure out what happened to Tara Mason and your father. I do, however, happen to believe they can take care of themselves just as well as they’ve taken care of you.”

  * * * * *

  Chapter Eleven

  MinSha Capital

  Chitaa

  Drehnayl arrived on Chitaa in the dead of night at a clandestine landing pad far away from the main hives of her fellow MinSha. She hadn’t expected a hero’s welcome, yet the deception necessary for a meeting between her and Lieutenant General Chinayl seemed a bit much. They dispensed with the customary greetings for the royal family and the twelve queens and the customs and courtesies required of visiting fellow mercenary commanders. Drehnayl had traveled through hyperspace on veritable fumes and low rations, having gone through multiple jumps. While the resupply in orbit proceeded with the speed and efficiency she expected from the drones of the hive, the order for her to pilot a landing craft alone to these coordinates did not sit well with Drehnayl. She didn’t trust Chinayl and her methods. Her clutch-sister might have summoned her for the sole purpose of elimination by individual combat.

  As the outer hatch opened and the moist, rich air of Chitaa filled her shuttle, Drehnayl drank it in by the liter. She hadn’t been to the capital world in more than a decade, but the scents and smells were the same. Picked for its perfect atmosphere and climatological conditions for the MinSha—warm, moist, and almost constant rain—Chitaa was home to the entire species and, while some would never set foot on the world, their emotional reactions were instinctual, almost overpowering. On the faint breeze, she felt the vibration of a single set of antennae just off the landing pad to the south, as promised. Drehnayl made her way down the boarding platform to a ramp that led to a path under the palm-like trees they called rhenna. Standing in the starlight was Lieutenant General Chinayl, alone and unarmed. Drehnayl mentally sighed in relief and approached her clutch-sister.

  “Well met, Honored Drehnayl,” Chinayl said.

  Drehnayl nodded solemnly. “Honored Chinayl, well met and most respected.”

  Chinayl’s antennae twitched in satisfaction. “You have done well, General.”

  “Thank you,” Drehnayl said. “Our forces are depleted, but our finest targets are still to come.”

  Chinayl nodded. “That is why we must talk. I fear our timeline must accelerate.”

  “The Four Horsemen?” Drehnayl asked.

  “They have not been found. While I am not concerned General Peepo’s plan will eradicate them quickly, their disappearance is troublesome because it has given the Humans something more valuable than combat power, I’m afraid. It’s given them hope.”

  The implication was clear. Chinayl was satisfied with the progress made, but it was not enough. “Our holos of the carnage on Dresden were not adequate?”

  “No, they were not.” Chinayl swiped a foreclaw dismissively in front of her chest. “Dresden was too small a target. New Persia was convenient because of its direct ties to Shirazi, but ultimately no one on Earth cared about it. This is a funny thing about Humans, sister. Unless we strike close to them, or with enough destruction to get the attention of those on Earth, the bulk of humanity does not care. They are like drones—doing their work and living their lives without seeing the greater universe around them.”

  “Can we not attack Earth?” Drehnayl replied. “Would that not be the easiest solution?”

  Chinayl laughed. “I thought the same thing, but General Peepo disagreed. She has a plan and would not entertain a direct attack. She wants the planet to cower in fear as we show them the breadth of the galaxy and our power. She has a plan for them, although I do not know what it is. To that end, though, I asked you here because I do not want your fleet anywhere near Earth or the major colonies of the Tolo Arm. Nor do I want you focused on military targets anymore. You’ve taken losses against inferior numbers and populations. You must hit a softer, more frightening target. Something the Humans will not expect, despite our declaration of martial law…but something key to them nonetheless. Something that gives them hope.”

  Drehnayl rubbed her foreclaws together. “Focusing on the outer rim makes that difficult. There are many potential targets, but each has a significant population of other allied species. Attacking them will cause—”

  “I am aware what it will cause, sister,” Chinayl interrupted, her voice rising. “Some of those allies say one thing and do another even in their support of our plan. If some of them die as part of the larger plan, so be it. Their deaths will serve as notice to their governments and leaders, notice that we have the power to do whatever we want, and nothing will stand in our way.”

  Drehnayl found herself nodding, even as arguments and questions swirled in her mind. Matters of state were something she could not speak to in her position, but the nature of her command deserved further discussion. “Will my fleet receive additional forces, in addition to the ammunition, fuel, and weapons requested?”

  “You will receive your entire request plus twenty percent, yes. I cannot risk resupply on this order for at least 90 cycles. In good time, we will locate the Four Horsemen and put an end to any organized resistance. After that, you’ll be able to resupply at will on any MinSha world.”

  Drehnayl’s antennae twitched. “If that were the case, why the subterfuge? Does the royal family know we are here?”

  “No, and they cannot know,” Chinayl said. “Rumors are rampant throughout the hives that our leaders have developed an affection for humanity after the events on Weqq. I trust you are aware?”

  “I am, General,” Drehnayl said. “Peacemaker or not, her actions do not make sense.”

  “Her actions are an abomination to her guild! Peacemakers do not enter combat, even if their own species is involved. Jessica Francis has done so twice. She came to the aid of a lesser party under the rights of a valid contract. She saw a need and fulfilled it, which goes against everything her guild has tried to do for centuries.”

  “That is a purely Human failing, is it not?”

  Chinayl chittered, her antennae waggling in frustration. “Humans were not ready to be mercenaries, and as sure as entropy, they were not ready to be Peacemakers. Jessica Francis has caused more death than she has saved in lives or property. Yes, she saved a MinSha colony led by inept politicians and security drones, but she is hardly a Human worth elevating above any others. Her methods will fail her, sister. Not even bringing the TriRusk back to the Union will maintain her position.”

  “What do we do about her?”

  Chinayl chittered again. “We will not have to do anything about Jessica Francis, but you will. Before the elimination of our source in the Peacemaker Guild, we learned that she was ordered to investigate the attack on New Persia. She’s there now and will try to find you before you can strike again.”

  “And do what?” Drehnayl asked. “I will stop her in her tracks, Honored Chinayl.”

  “You will not let her confront you, is that understood?”

  The change in tone shook Drehnayl’s resolve. “I understand.”

  “Do you? I want your movements precise and efficient. I do not want losses again. You will proceed to the next viable target on your list and wipe it from the galaxy. No superfluous time will pass. You must do the same to the next world and the next. Time is not your ally. Make it so Francis is behind you at every turn. Do not let her get the upper hand through carelessness. And you are forbidden to use nuclear weapons against the Humans’ cities like you did on New Persia.”

  What?

  Drehnayl raised her foreclaws. “We did no such thing, sister. Those cities lay smoldering when we arrived. I have the full records aboard the Shendil-Ya.”

  Chinayl was silent for a few seconds. “You didn’t use nuclear weapons? How did you take out Dresden?”

  “Con
ventional munitions from orbit,” Drehnayl replied. “The only nuclear weapons we carry are for ship-to-ship engagement, as is the standard load for MinSha mercenary ships.”

  “I see. As the reports surfaced, we assumed it was your doing. While effective, it harms the planets in ways Peepo is not inclined to do. This development is unsettling.” A breeze wafted down the shallow valley and rustled the fronds of the rhenna above them. Chinayl looked up for a moment, then back down to Drehnayl’s eyes. “You will report directly to me if you see any other destruction on such a scale. Is that clear?”

  “Of course, General,” Drehnayl said. “But you never said what I am supposed to do about Peacemaker Francis.”

  Chinayl looked up again as if consulting a higher power. “There is no way to say this lightly, and when I tell you this in confidence, you will understand why we met here under these conditions. Yes, the royal families are soft on the Humans because of Jessica Francis, but I have it on good authority she has already visited Zeha. She has proven your forces were responsible for New Persia, and she assumes you are responsible for the nuclear detonations.”

  “But I am not responsible for the nuclear detonations!” Drehnayl exclaimed. “If she is investigating our actions, though, wasn’t that to be expected?”

  “Yes, it was, but she’s now gained the confidence of a regional queen.” Chinayl clicked her jaw in disgust. “If she continues, she could divide our species, Drehnayl. We must put the Humans out of the Union and eliminate their mercenaries and their Peacemakers if we are to succeed. You must kill either on sight. All Humans must die. Do not fail me.”

  “And my next target?”

  Chinayl waved her antennae in annoyance. “The less I know the better. You have your orders, General Drehnayl. I suggest you follow them.”

  * * *

  Approaching the Zeha Gate

  Ares Minor System

  Forty-one minutes from transition, Lucille chimed to life in the forward intelligence compartment. <>

  Jessica looked up from the list of potential Human colonies on the outer rim and blinked. “Say again, Lucille?”

  <>

  Jessica glanced at Tirr, who sighed. “I hadn’t thought of that. It’s possible they went there, but I believe it’s a tremendous risk for Drehnayl to do so.”

  “How possible?”

  Tirr chittered. “Enough to say they probably went there. Best place to get more troops, too. The outlying regional hubs typically have their population controlled by their queens to maximize the colonies. At Chitaa, they have a surplus. It’s not much, but it’s a surplus.”

  “Not much in MinSha standards?” Jessica asked. “What? A few million?”

  “Something like that,” Tirr replied. “They’re out of sector, but if Drehnayl’s mission is to return here and attack Human colonies, I recommend we go to Victoria. Danube is closer to Chitaa, but I’ve been over the data, and there’s too much at Victoria from a military perspective for them to bypass it.”

  Jessica looked up at the speaker. “Lucille?”

  <> Lucille continued after a moment, <>

  Tirr’s antennae wavered. “But their military presence is a tenth of the presence on Victoria. They want to take out Humans and reduce combat power. Those criteria would make Victoria their primary target in this sector.”

  “What if they stay out of sector?” Jessica replied. “They’ve left this sector to resupply. Why not hit a target there?”

  “If they went to the capital planet, there are no Humans settlements within 30 light years. Besides that, we MinSha are exceptionally task-focused. If Drehnayl has orders to eliminate the Human presence in the outer rim, she’ll focus here.”

  <>

  We can stop them. I hadn’t thought of that.

  “The garrisons on Danube are how large?”

  Tirr ducked behind his Tri-V for a moment. “Two hundred and fifty personnel. They likely have a few tanks and some CASPers in their racks. It’s a transient supply point, nothing more.”

  Not enough to mount a defense, much less an attack.

  “Victoria has more forces?”

  <>

  Jessica tapped her nails on the console in front of her, a bad habit that surfaced when her mind raced around a topic frantically looking for answers. As a teenager, a proctor asked her to leave a college placement exam because she tapped her nails enough to cause a minor disturbance in the testing center. Her friends and teachers learned quickly that the tapping was an extension of Jessica’s brain slicing through options and answers like a katana through bamboo stalks.

  So far, Drehnayl’s targets were of military value, except for the nuclear detonations on New Persia which targeted larger towns and cities. There had been no such attacks on Dresden, but the entire complement of Humans there were in a single, large colony. The simpler target for Drehnayl would be Victoria because of its size, lack of dispersion, and military worth. Yet, Victoria also possessed, in theory, several possible combatants who could stall or defeat an attack. Thus, there was significant risk involved in an attack on Victoria. Danube, on the other hand, was a soft, easy target. But, with so many settlements and resorts spread across the planet, it would be difficult to attack quickly. Assuming Chinayl, and even General Peepo, had larger plans, time would be of the essence.

  Jessica sighed and bit the inside of her lip. Her head, filled with the schooling and experience she’d had, said Victoria was the target. Her heart, and her concern for her fellow Humans, said Danube would be a far easier target. Jessica didn’t know if the MinSha intended to destroy military capabilities or sow fear, and it riled her gut to no end. She had to make a choice. Then again, there was a chance the MinSha fleet wouldn’t hit either planet.

  “Tirr? If you were in my position, which planet would you choose?”

  The MinSha soldier looked at her for a moment. “The military target is top of mind to the MinSha. While an attack on Danube would cause a significant number of casualties, any reasonable MinSha would look at it as a waste of ammunition.”

  “But what if the intent is to sow fear among the Humans? Every kid on Earth knows about Danube and dreams of going there someday. I think losing it would send a jolt through the folks on Earth,” Jessica replied.

  “Maybe the people of Earth need a jolt, Jessica. Without the implements to fight, they will fall instead of stand.”

  Jessica nodded. “Lucille? Send a flight plan for Victoria, then hack the system with the gate master’s key to get us the five-day transfer.”

  <>

  Tirr adjusted his position at the console. “Assuming we are able to arrive before Drehnayl and her fleet, we will have to convince Victoria’s leadership to commit what military forces they can to action.”

  “That should be fairly easy,” Jessica said. “We just have to make them understand they could be a target.”

  Tirr shrugged. “Our classified intelligence reports say residue and damage from other nuclear explosions have been found on several planets in various parts of the galaxy. There’s a considerable amount of discrepancy between those reports an
d what they’re hearing on Earth.”

  Add in the Four Horsemen and the demise of Intergalactic Haulers and nobody on Earth is thinking straight. Jessica felt an ache in her chest. Oh, Dad.

  Jessica gathered her wits. Human beings didn’t handle distraction very well, and with a galaxy on the verge of war, how many of them would be willing to stand up and fight versus the number who would go on with their everyday lives and hope nothing happened? That kind of distraction would certainly permeate Danube, and if it were present on Victoria, it would compromise their ability to fight effectively. Victoria was the one planet capable of mounting a stand.

  “Okay, then,” Jessica said. “Would you alert the flight crew to our destination, Tirr?”

  “Certainly, Peacemaker.” Moving in microgravity was something at which the MinSha excelled. Tirr raised up from his console, attached his legs to what was normally the ceiling, and ran along the upper surface. In seconds, he was gone, leaving Jessica alone.

  “Lucille?”

  <>

  “Aside from the data, am I making the right decision?”

  <> Lucille replied. <>

  Jessica did not reply. Lucille’s use of the word guesswork was odd, but it matched her learning capabilities. She knew where the data was going to deviate from the path, as did Jessica. There was a chance Victoria would be the next target, and a chance it would be Danube. Or it might be any number of other worlds if the MinSha pursued their mission asymmetrically. She tried to push the thought out of her mind. If she was wrong, there was nothing she could do but try again. Hopefully, she’d find them before her people lost too many more lives. With war on the horizon, unnecessary bloodshed was bound to happen despite her best efforts.