Read Online Battle of the Ring by Thorarinn Gunnarsson - Free Book Online Page A

dull-witted and primitive, still as much animal as intelligent
being. Their warrior code and complex religion of demons and prophecies were
their only vestiges of civilization, for they possessed few ethical and moral
virtues.
    It was that fierce warrior code that made them useful as fighters, and yet
their worship of a demanding and bloodthirsty god made them too dangerous to
keep in useful numbers. One of their many cherished prophecies held that they
would someday cleanse the stars of all aliens, murdering entire races for the
glory of their god, and they looked forward to that day with eager
anticipation. Maeken could imagine the Kalfethki in revolt, having convinced
themselves that this unique ship was the divine gift they needed to wage their
holy war.
    Maeken entered the semicircular area of the bridge, crossing to the raised
central portion of the Captain’s station. The Challenger’s bridge
was a vague copy of that of the Starwolf carriers, although there was no middle
bridge for helm and weapons officer. She was not surprised to find Donalt Trace
in the Captain’s seat, only annoyed that the chair had obviously been
made to his size. Even as she climbed the steps to the central bridge, he
signed some report and returned the board to Lieutenant Skerri, the
ship’s second-in-command, who hurried on his way.
    “Why was a Kalfethki walking down the corridor of this ship?”
she demanded unceremoniously.
    Trace only shrugged. “To get to the other side?”
    Maeken rolled her eyes. “Ho, ho. We are a wit today.”
    Trace folded his hands behind his head as he leaned back in his seat.
“I try to be. Otherwise I would be totally lacking in any social graces.
To answer your question, however, the Kalfethki serve this ship as a boarding
party.”
    “Boarding party?” she asked. “Boarding what?”
    “Starwolf carriers, if we are fortunate enough to disable and capture
one intact,” he explained. “We put them in self-contained armor,
like Starwolves. And they can carry guns powerful enough to open Starwolf
armor. If we link up with a disabled carrier, we send them in quick with most
of our sentries as a secondary force.”
    “And how long will they last?” Maeken inquired. “A carrier
holds a crew of two thousand, as well as defensive automatons like their
probes.”
    Trace shrugged, unconcerned. “The carrier’s crew will be
scattered and disorganized, with wounded and young to protect. And their best
fighters, their pilots, will be gone. Against that, I have two thousand
Kalfethki warriors, as well as five thousand sentries. And given time, I can
also bring in the troop transports.”
    “Two thousand Kalfethki?” Maeken demanded. “That isn’t
a boarding party, that’s an army! And what do you do if those fanatical
dragons decide that your fancy fortress is a present from their great demon-god
Harraught?”
    “Simple enough,” Trace said, always pleased with his ingenuity.
“Dead Kalfethki are very easy to control. They are all housed together
– alone – in their own section of the ship. Their armor and weapons
are sealed under lock in another section. And the computer watches them
constantly. If they do get out of hand, we seal off that section and vent their
air. Even Starwolves have to breathe.”
    “Not quite,” she pointed out. “They can take ten to
fifteen minutes of full vacuum.”
    “True, but we are not talking about Starwolves. Kalfethki are
amazingly tough, but space vacuum rips up their lungs and kills them in
seconds. I know. I had it tested.”
    Maeken tried to betray her surprise at that. Union High Command, of which
she was a part, privately subscribed to the belief that all life except their
own was of no real worth except in service of the Union. She could not accept
that herself, but she had learned to pretend.
    “Take over, Kea,” Trace said suddenly, rising. “I will be
in my cabin.”
    With that he was gone, marching from the bridge with a long-legged stride
that