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Authors: Raymond L. Weil
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the nonaligned worlds. There had also been some modifications
to the Fold Space Drives to improve their efficiency to allow for greater
speeds. The flash drive had been a gold mine of information and still was.
“How soon do
we leave?” she asked. She still needed to make sure that her mother was settled
in at the retirement home and could get by without her presence. She'd felt
guilty about putting her there in the first place, though she knew it was for
the best.
“Four weeks,”
Wade answered. “The new battlecruisers have to go through their space trials
and some special weapons we’ve designed have to be finished. We also have to
make some modifications to the Constellation.” Wade stopped and turned toward
his wife. “Beth, I didn’t want you to go on this mission, but we can’t risk
this failing. We have to have our best people.”
“I understand,
Wade,” she responded, taking his hand. “We’re marines and we’ll do whatever is
necessary. Now, let’s go home. I think we can find something more pleasant to
do for a while. The war can wait until tomorrow.”
Chapter Four
Nine thousand
light years from Earth was the Kleese home world. The Kleese planet orbited a
small K Class star, which was slightly cooler than Earth’s. The sun was
yellow-orange in color with twelve planets orbiting it, as well as several
small fields of asteroids. The fourth planet was nearly devoid of life due to
the early, turbulent years of the Kleese civilization and the wars they'd
fought for planetary dominance. Hundreds of millions of Kleese had died, many
in thermonuclear explosions or worse. Biological warfare, chemical warfare,
every horror one could imagine had been unleashed upon the surface of the
planet as the different castes fought to eliminate one another. The wars were
harsh, with little or no mercy shown to the defeated.
Much of the
planet had been laid to waste from the use of those brutal weapons. When the
wars finally ended, only one faction of the Kleese race had survived. The
others had all been eliminated and their deep underground nests destroyed. The
Kleese were egg layers, and females laid multiple eggs in their nests, which
were protected by the dominate males. Great pain had been taken by the winning
faction to ensure all the nests of their enemies were destroyed to ensure no
future competition for the limited living space left.
As the Kleese
looked around their ruined world, they realized that it was no longer capable
of sustaining a thriving civilization. They had been forced to turn to space as
the ravaged surface of their planet was no longer capable of supporting what
remained of their civilization. All forms of animal life had been decimated in
the century’s long wars. Virtually all the vegetation upon the planet had died
out from the multiple nuclear winters that had covered much of the planet in kilometer
thick layers of ice. The Kleese fled to space, knowing that to remain upon
their home planet would ultimately mean their death. Only one city remained and
it was from here the Kleese Council of Overlords ruled over their extensive Empire.
Xatul looked impassively
across the massive stone table at Overlord Harmock, the leader of the Zaltule.
There had been several changes on the council as had been expected with the return
of the Zaltule from their triumphant victory over the Strell. Four Council
Overlords had been challenged, and all four had lost in duels meeting their
untimely deaths, as was tradition. Council duels were fought to the death to
ensure that the defeated Overlord could not later return and attempt a second
challenge. Such duels were frowned upon as they could keep the council in a
constant state of flux. By fighting to the death, the council was always
controlled by the most powerful members of the Kleese race and challenges were
few and far between.
Advancement on
the council was done through open challenges and if the council agreed the
challenge was legitimate,
to the Fold Space Drives to improve their efficiency to allow for greater
speeds. The flash drive had been a gold mine of information and still was.
“How soon do
we leave?” she asked. She still needed to make sure that her mother was settled
in at the retirement home and could get by without her presence. She'd felt
guilty about putting her there in the first place, though she knew it was for
the best.
“Four weeks,”
Wade answered. “The new battlecruisers have to go through their space trials
and some special weapons we’ve designed have to be finished. We also have to
make some modifications to the Constellation.” Wade stopped and turned toward
his wife. “Beth, I didn’t want you to go on this mission, but we can’t risk
this failing. We have to have our best people.”
“I understand,
Wade,” she responded, taking his hand. “We’re marines and we’ll do whatever is
necessary. Now, let’s go home. I think we can find something more pleasant to
do for a while. The war can wait until tomorrow.”
Chapter Four
Nine thousand
light years from Earth was the Kleese home world. The Kleese planet orbited a
small K Class star, which was slightly cooler than Earth’s. The sun was
yellow-orange in color with twelve planets orbiting it, as well as several
small fields of asteroids. The fourth planet was nearly devoid of life due to
the early, turbulent years of the Kleese civilization and the wars they'd
fought for planetary dominance. Hundreds of millions of Kleese had died, many
in thermonuclear explosions or worse. Biological warfare, chemical warfare,
every horror one could imagine had been unleashed upon the surface of the
planet as the different castes fought to eliminate one another. The wars were
harsh, with little or no mercy shown to the defeated.
Much of the
planet had been laid to waste from the use of those brutal weapons. When the
wars finally ended, only one faction of the Kleese race had survived. The
others had all been eliminated and their deep underground nests destroyed. The
Kleese were egg layers, and females laid multiple eggs in their nests, which
were protected by the dominate males. Great pain had been taken by the winning
faction to ensure all the nests of their enemies were destroyed to ensure no
future competition for the limited living space left.
As the Kleese
looked around their ruined world, they realized that it was no longer capable
of sustaining a thriving civilization. They had been forced to turn to space as
the ravaged surface of their planet was no longer capable of supporting what
remained of their civilization. All forms of animal life had been decimated in
the century’s long wars. Virtually all the vegetation upon the planet had died
out from the multiple nuclear winters that had covered much of the planet in kilometer
thick layers of ice. The Kleese fled to space, knowing that to remain upon
their home planet would ultimately mean their death. Only one city remained and
it was from here the Kleese Council of Overlords ruled over their extensive Empire.
Xatul looked impassively
across the massive stone table at Overlord Harmock, the leader of the Zaltule.
There had been several changes on the council as had been expected with the return
of the Zaltule from their triumphant victory over the Strell. Four Council
Overlords had been challenged, and all four had lost in duels meeting their
untimely deaths, as was tradition. Council duels were fought to the death to
ensure that the defeated Overlord could not later return and attempt a second
challenge. Such duels were frowned upon as they could keep the council in a
constant state of flux. By fighting to the death, the council was always
controlled by the most powerful members of the Kleese race and challenges were
few and far between.
Advancement on
the council was done through open challenges and if the council agreed the
challenge was legitimate,
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