Read Online AMP Siege by Stephen Arseneault - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Stephen Arseneault
Tags: Sci Fi & Fantasy
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Colossuns, I can't seem to stand for long periods of time. I don't know, maybe it's just that I am getting old."
The captain's eyes lit up. "You have had interactions with the Colossus Empire?"
I replied, "Yeah, I kind of got in a squabble with one of their Dukes. He is a strange fella. I guess that as their neighbors, you have had dealings with them?"
The captain spoke. "There is but one Duke, Mr. Grange. He has been the ruler of the Colossuns for more than two thousand years. He has been slowly invading our space, probing our defenses, for the last two hundred of those years. If you escaped his clutches, you must have luck on your side, or a very powerful fleet at your disposal."
I chuckled. "Well, the truth of it is, I tend to be a lucky guy. The Colossun ships are quite powerful, and I often wonder how we were able to defeat them so handily. The Duke himself always seemed to be two steps ahead of the game. And yet, here I am!"
The captain gestured to a chair just below his command chair. As he seated himself above me, he pushed a button on his armrest, and his chair slowly lowered until its height equaled that of my level. I nodded in approval.
The captain spoke. "Tell me of your encounter, Mr. Grange. We have yet to defeat a single ship of his fleet. His raids have all ended in the complete annihilation of five of our colonies. Billions of Gonta have perished under his merciless assaults."
I leaned back in my chair. "Wait, you said there is only one Duke and that he is the ruler. What about his uncle, the King? And his brother, Duke Ferdese?"
Meecha looked at me. "There is no King, Mr. Grange, or brother for that matter. If you encountered such, it was a deception. The Duke is the supreme ruler of the Colossuns. His command and power are absolute. Our spies have only managed to infiltrate a few of his outer worlds. Leaving much of our information as rumor and conjecture, of his absolute rule we are certain. Tell me of your battle, Mr. Grange. How did you escape?"
I gave the captain as few details of the short battle as I could. I finished my tale with the capture of the Duke's head. The captain looked on in disbelief.
I spoke. "So, there are potentially an unlimited number of Dukes. You kill 'em, and they reconnect with a new body."
I began to laugh. "But, we managed to isolate this particular one from his comm link. So, there are now at least two unique Dukes out there. One running the empire and one in our possession."
The captain quickly stood from his chair. "Officer Bertes. Examine the infection of our systems for a Colossun style of code. Mr. Grange, if what you say is true, that you have the head of the Duke, your troubles are far worse than you believe. My ship, your ship—they must be destroyed before this plague is unleashed on the Federation. If your fleet has been compromised, you must make sure that it does not reach your home world!"
Officer Bertes spoke. "Captain! It is Colossun! It is much like that which first took control of the systems on Merieve IV. Captain, we must destroy the Jaarke , Sir!"
I slapped my forehead with the palm of my hand. "I knew it! We kicked his ass and took him hostage with far less effort and loss than we were expecting. Now that I think about it, I guess that was by design. Let us take just enough casualties that it hurts, but not enough that we ask too many questions."
The captain spoke. "Send for the First Major! We must prepare to leave this vessel before destroying it."
I spoke. "Wait, where are you going?"
The captain replied, "We are going down to the planet surface, Mr. Grange. We will have to contend with the Targs, but we have no other choice."
I stood along with the captain. "Contend with the Targs? I thought they were your subjects."
The captain turned and spoke. "The Targs are a free species, Mr. Grange. We have been observing them for many centuries. It is Gonta policy to not interfere with a species until they have the ability to travel beyond
The captain's eyes lit up. "You have had interactions with the Colossus Empire?"
I replied, "Yeah, I kind of got in a squabble with one of their Dukes. He is a strange fella. I guess that as their neighbors, you have had dealings with them?"
The captain spoke. "There is but one Duke, Mr. Grange. He has been the ruler of the Colossuns for more than two thousand years. He has been slowly invading our space, probing our defenses, for the last two hundred of those years. If you escaped his clutches, you must have luck on your side, or a very powerful fleet at your disposal."
I chuckled. "Well, the truth of it is, I tend to be a lucky guy. The Colossun ships are quite powerful, and I often wonder how we were able to defeat them so handily. The Duke himself always seemed to be two steps ahead of the game. And yet, here I am!"
The captain gestured to a chair just below his command chair. As he seated himself above me, he pushed a button on his armrest, and his chair slowly lowered until its height equaled that of my level. I nodded in approval.
The captain spoke. "Tell me of your encounter, Mr. Grange. We have yet to defeat a single ship of his fleet. His raids have all ended in the complete annihilation of five of our colonies. Billions of Gonta have perished under his merciless assaults."
I leaned back in my chair. "Wait, you said there is only one Duke and that he is the ruler. What about his uncle, the King? And his brother, Duke Ferdese?"
Meecha looked at me. "There is no King, Mr. Grange, or brother for that matter. If you encountered such, it was a deception. The Duke is the supreme ruler of the Colossuns. His command and power are absolute. Our spies have only managed to infiltrate a few of his outer worlds. Leaving much of our information as rumor and conjecture, of his absolute rule we are certain. Tell me of your battle, Mr. Grange. How did you escape?"
I gave the captain as few details of the short battle as I could. I finished my tale with the capture of the Duke's head. The captain looked on in disbelief.
I spoke. "So, there are potentially an unlimited number of Dukes. You kill 'em, and they reconnect with a new body."
I began to laugh. "But, we managed to isolate this particular one from his comm link. So, there are now at least two unique Dukes out there. One running the empire and one in our possession."
The captain quickly stood from his chair. "Officer Bertes. Examine the infection of our systems for a Colossun style of code. Mr. Grange, if what you say is true, that you have the head of the Duke, your troubles are far worse than you believe. My ship, your ship—they must be destroyed before this plague is unleashed on the Federation. If your fleet has been compromised, you must make sure that it does not reach your home world!"
Officer Bertes spoke. "Captain! It is Colossun! It is much like that which first took control of the systems on Merieve IV. Captain, we must destroy the Jaarke , Sir!"
I slapped my forehead with the palm of my hand. "I knew it! We kicked his ass and took him hostage with far less effort and loss than we were expecting. Now that I think about it, I guess that was by design. Let us take just enough casualties that it hurts, but not enough that we ask too many questions."
The captain spoke. "Send for the First Major! We must prepare to leave this vessel before destroying it."
I spoke. "Wait, where are you going?"
The captain replied, "We are going down to the planet surface, Mr. Grange. We will have to contend with the Targs, but we have no other choice."
I stood along with the captain. "Contend with the Targs? I thought they were your subjects."
The captain turned and spoke. "The Targs are a free species, Mr. Grange. We have been observing them for many centuries. It is Gonta policy to not interfere with a species until they have the ability to travel beyond
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