Galactic Empire Wars: Rebellion (The Galactic Empire Wars Book 3) (2 page)

“They are
defeated!” spoke Minor Overlord Gareth. “We have forced them back into a purely
defensive position and their offensive weapons fire has greatly diminished.”

“They are
fools to resist the Empire,” responded Harmock as he watched another ten Strell
battlecruisers being torn apart on the viewscreens by Kleese pulse fusion
beams. “This will be a great victory for the Zaltule.”

“Then it will
be time to return to the council,” Gareth added his powerful arms folding
across his dark chest. His triangular head focused on the Overlord. “It is time
the Zaltule were better represented by the council.”

“As we shall
be,” agreed Harmock. “But first we must finish this battle.”

-

The black
Kleese ships continue to press the Strell. Even with their numerical advantage
and superior weapons, it takes time to destroy two thousand warships. Ship
after ship died in blazing deaths as the Kleese eliminated them. Occasionally a
Kleese shield would fail and the Strell would take revenge for their fallen den
mates. The Strell formation was slowly becoming a cloud of glowing energy and drifting
debris. Finally, the last Strell ship died in a blaze of light as over one hundred
antimatter missiles blew it into oblivion.

-

“What were our
losses?” demanded War Overlord Harmock. The battle was over and the Zaltule
were victorious. It proved once more that the Kleese were the superior race in
the galaxy and all others should be subservient.

“We lost four hundred
and twelve ships,” Gareth answered.

“Acceptable, considering
the size of the victory,” Harmock replied after a moment. “We will take six
hours to repair our damage and then we’ll set course back to our home system.
It is time that I meet with the Council of Overlords. A new era has arrived for
our Empire, and the Zaltule will lead our people to new victories and glory. There
are members of the council that are weak and will resist the new order; they
will need to be replaced. The ranks of the Zaltule will furnish new and
stronger leadership for the council.”

-

Six hours
later, the Kleese warfleet entered Fold Space and left the small indiscreet star
system far behind. From the second planet of the system, the Beltians had
watched the entire battle on their primitive space sensors. They cringed in
disbelief as the Strell warships were blasted into oblivion and wondered if the
Strell would still come for the agricultural products the planet furnished. If
not, then would the strange black disk ships, which had destroyed the Strell
fleet, return instead? The Beltians had always believed the Strell were the
supreme power in the galaxy, now that belief had been blown away. For the
immediate future, they would look to the skies in fear; fear that the black
disk ships would return and take the place of the Strell in making demands of
the Beltians.

-

In the Great
Hall of the Council of Overlords, a special meeting was being held by the
twenty members of the Kleese council. Xatul, the Supreme Overlord, gazed with
disdain at the worried members standing at the massive stone table. Word had
just been received of the Zaltule’s successful defeat of the main Strell battle
fleet, which meant the Strell Empire was now a part of the Kleese domain.
Already, several hundred thousand Zaltule warriors were on their way to the
home worlds of the Strell. The Strell Queens would be fitted with metallic
obedience collars to ensure there would be no future rebellion to Kleese rule.

“No conscripts
are being sent to the Strell Empire?” Keluth asked in a voice showing great
concern. “I’m not comfortable with the Zaltule having complete control in this
matter.”

“Nor am I,”
added Overlord Hymtal. “The Zaltule are assuming too much authority in our
Empire and using far more resources than necessary. Already, control of many valuable
star systems have been taken from the council. The Zaltule are using these
systems to rebuild their war machine.”

“The use of conscripts
has been a cheap and efficient method for us to expand the Empire for
generations,” stated Raluth as he addressed the council. “The Zaltule go through
resources as if they are water. Many of the planets we control are being
strained to supply the war materials the Zaltule are demanding. It's been
necessary to send large numbers of conscripts as well as Kleese to keep these
worlds in line. We must restrain the
Zaltule before the Council of Overlords finds itself in a weakened position due
to a lessening of power. The more power the Zaltule seize, the more Kleese look
to them for guidance. Very soon, the Zaltule will be the ultimate power and
authority in our Empire unless we do something.”

Xatul remained
silent. Hammock was on his way back with his warfleet and Xatul was nearly
certain the Zaltule leader would demand a greater representation on the
council. Most likely, the Zaltule leader would want several of his people to
take over key positions. He wondered cynically just how many of the other
Overlords realized that.

Bixutl stood
next to the large stone table gazing at the other council members. For untold
eons, the Council of Overlords had represented the most powerful Kleese in the
Empire. Advancement on the council was done through open challenges, and if the
council agreed the challenge was legitimate, then a battle to the death was
arranged. If the challenger won, they would take over the council position of
the slain Overlord. It ensured the council was controlled by only the most
powerful and ruthless of the Kleese.

 There was
little doubt in Bixutl’s mind that if any of the Zaltule wanted a position upon
the Council of Overlords there would be nothing they could do to prevent it. In
recent weeks, with the war with the Strell coming to an end, Bixutl had taken
precautions to ensure the Zaltule didn’t challenge him for his spot on the
council. He strongly suspected Xatul had done the same thing.

“Kaluse has
requested an additional increase in special metals for ship construction at the
Zaltule shipyards,” Bixutl reported. Bixutl didn’t mention he'd already ensured
the necessary materials would be sent. It was part of his agreement with Kaluse
to ensure Bixutl’s continued status on the council.

“More
warships!” grated out Raluth his multifaceted eyes looking around at the other
arachnid council members. “We have our exploration ships, which have served us
for centuries in taking over thousands of star systems; why do we need such a
massive Zaltule warfleet?”

“I agree,”
Hymtal added in a cold and angry voice. “Our conscripts have served us well and
now that the Strell have been defeated it’s time for the Zaltule to go back to
sleep. They are no longer needed!”

“I don’t think
it will be as simple as that,” answered Xatul, rising to full height on his six
legs and placing his hands upon the stone table. “The Zaltule will not return
to deep sleep.”

“Why not?”
demanded Hymtal, challengingly. “They have served their purpose.”

Xatul looked
without emotion at the other council members, knowing what he was about to say
would mean the deaths of a number of them when the Zaltule returned and
demanded positions on the council. “The Zaltule were dying in their sleeping
chambers.”

“Dying?”
uttered Raluth, looking with suspicion at Xatul. “What do you mean they were
dying?”

“It began a
number of years ago,” Xatul responded. “I was notified by the garrison
commander that the Zaltule were starting to die. Over the years, the number of
deaths began to increase rapidly. In order to preserve the warrior caste, it
would have been necessary to wake them even if the Strell hadn’t become a
threat.”

Several council
members shifted uneasily on their feet, realizing the potential threat the
Zaltule could represent. A few began thinking about taking trips to the outer
reaches of the Empire.

“Then the
Zaltule are here to stay,” Bixutl stated in a calm voice. He was pleased he had
made the deal with Kaluse to supply metals to the shipyards.

“They will
attack the nonaligned worlds,” Raluth predicted in a cold voice. “The Zaltule
will not allow any world to exist which doesn’t obey the Empire.”

“It would have
had to happen eventually, anyway,” spoke Bixutl, swinging his triangular head
toward Raluth. “The nonaligned worlds become more powerful every year. Their
advancements in science and technology have always posed a threat.”

“Bixutl is
correct,” Xatul commented in a steady voice. “The nonaligned worlds will be the
Zaltule’s next target before they move out past the borders of the Empire in
their conquests.”

“Many Kleese
will be opposed to such rapid expansion,” Raluth spoke. “Our method of using
exploration ships to find new worlds and then sending our conscripts to conquer
them has worked well for centuries with little strain on our resources. It will
no longer be so with the Zaltule.”

“Many Kleese
in the outer regions of our Empire have become weak,” Xatul pointed out. “The
Zaltule will not tolerate such weakness. I strongly suggest that if you want to
preserve your council position you begin making preparations.”

“We cannot
fight the Zaltule,” Martule replied in a cold and dark voice. “I fear the
warrior caste may soon dominate this council.”

-

Later, Xatul
stood at a window looking out over the sole city on the planet. A cold wind was
blowing and the sky was dark and threatening. The city ran the Empire and soon
it would answer to the Zaltule. Several years back, Xatul made a deal with
Harmock to ensure he would remain as the Supreme Overlord of the Kleese. Unfortunately,
a number of the other Overlords on the council would soon die. This meant
little to Xatul as the council had always favored the most powerful of the
Kleese race.

The Zaltule
would be the instrument Xatul used to ensure the continued dominance of the
Kleese as the supreme race in the galaxy. Those that stood against the Kleese
would either capitulate or be destroyed. It would also be necessary to drastically
increase the number of conscripts taken to serve on newly conquered worlds. They
would be needed to maintain control as the Empire was expanded. The warriors of
the Zaltule were too valuable to serve as garrisons.

Thinking about
the conscripts, Xatul wondered what had become of the Humans. At one time, they'd
seemed to pose a threat to the Empire but they hadn't been heard from in a
number of years. Perhaps it would be wise to send out an exploration cruiser to
check on the Humans to see if they had died out or decided to stay inside their
paltry little star system. They had served once as excellent conscripts. Perhaps
if there were any survivors they could do so again.

Second Lieutenant
Ryan Nelson looked apprehensively at the small mountain in front of him. He was
in one of the training domes on Centerpoint Station and wearing a Type Three
battlesuit. He'd finished four years at the Officers' Academy inside the
asteroid Vesta and two additional years of combat training. He was now in the
process of learning how to handle one of the Type Three suits in a combat
situation. Ryan was one of a handful of Human officers who had volunteered for a
special operations program.

“Damn, that
mountain’s steep,” complained Corporal Casey Hunter as she looked at the nearby
peak. Casey was one of the Human clones that had also volunteered for this
special project. She'd never been hesitant to volunteer and exceeded at
everything she tried. Casey had dark brunette hair and hazel eyes along with a
childlike innocence. “And we’re supposed to make it to the top and press some
type of button to turn off all of the hidden weapons.” She turned her head to
gaze curiously at Lieutenant Nelson.

“Yeah,” Ryan
said, grinning. He and Casey had gone through the Academy and combat training together.
She was a very bright young woman approximately the same age as he was, though
with the way the clones were grown it was difficult to ascertain their exact physical
age.

“I spoke to
others who have gone through this training,” commented Private Rios from just
behind the two officers. Rios was a Human from Luna City and had attended the
fleet training center there. He spoke with just the barest hint of a Mexican
accent. “No one has ever made it to the top in less than four attempts. Those
damn hidden weapon emplacements supposedly pop up and start blasting away when
you least expect it. The guys I talked to said the stun beams hurt like hell!”

Ryan nodded.
His brother, Colonel Wade Nelson, had casually mentioned that this part of the
training would be particularly difficult though he had only smiled knowingly
when Ryan asked how he had done on the mountain drill.

“The drill has
been modified slightly in recent years,” Ryan said, recalling what he'd been
told in the morning briefing by Major Winfrey. “The energy beams have been
changed to stun guns that supposedly just sting and make your body feel as if
it’s on fire. The RG rounds have been adjusted so they just put dents in your
armor rather than blow a hole completely through your arm or leg.”

“Glad to hear
that,” Rios commented as he glanced down at the RG rifle he held in his metal
arms. “This training is supposed to be for a special project. Either of you two
have any idea what it is?”

“No,” answered
Ryan, shaking his head. “The brass wanted a well-trained group of marines and
space force officers for this project.”

“I’ve heard
rumors it might involve the new Type Four battlesuits,” ventured Corporal
Hunter. “They’re reportedly ready for trial deployment.”

“I’ve heard
those rumors for several years,” Ryan replied with a frown. Everyone knew that the
Human military research department, in conjunction with the Kiveans, was
developing a new battlesuit. It was supposed to be a full generation ahead of
the current Type Three battlesuit and meant to give them an edge in combat
operations if they had to fight the Zaltule in a ground operation.

“Here comes
the major,” commented Casey as another Type Three battlesuit strolled purposely
toward the waiting marines and fleet personnel.

Major Dylan
Winfrey smiled to himself as he walked up to the twenty men and women in
battlesuits waiting for him. Dylan had assumed the role of a trainer for the
last few years as the active combat role for the marines had decreased considerably.
Military operations against the Kleese had come to a stop with the advent of
the Kleese-Strell war. His four platoons of British Special Forces were still
active and currently assigned to Luna City. This group would be particularly
interesting as it was comprised of nearly half clones and the rest normal Human
born. It was also made more intriguing since Colonel Nelson’s younger brother
was the platoon leader.

“Alright,
volunteers,” Dylan spoke with a slight British accent as he looked at the two
lines of battlesuits. “You have volunteered for a special project the R&D
boys have been working on. If you want to be a part of this, you have to make
it to the top of Charring Mountain. Dylan turned and gestured toward the two
thousand foot tall peak behind him. “There are hidden popup weapons on the
slopes and other areas that are set to prevent your successful ascent. You
should know the best any platoon has done in the years I’ve been here was to
reach the summit on the fourth attempt. For that platoon, only three members
were still active when the deactivation button was depressed.”

The assembled
platoon shifted uneasily on their metal feet. The ten-foot-tall nearly black battlesuits
made one feel invincible, but Major Winfrey was making it quite clear the suits
might not be as much protection as the wearers thought. They wondered nervously
just what was waiting for them on the mountain and how painful this drill was
going to be.

“The weapons on
Charring are set to inflict pain,” continued Winfrey, grimacing slightly
recollecting his own experiences on the dreaded peak. “They will serve as a
stark reminder of what it feels like to be shot by the enemy. For today’s
drill, you’re allowed to use your RG rifles, energy cannons, and RG explosive
rounds. Major suit explosive rounds are not permitted.” Dylan paused and gazed
intently at the assembled platoon though he knew they couldn’t see his face through
the visor of his battlesuit. “You’re using live weapons. I don’t want to see
anyone injured or killed due to friendly fire. If someone is injured, the drill
will continue and I will send appropriate medical personnel to handle the
situation. Your battlesuits are capable of handling most medical emergencies
until proper medical care can arrive.”

Dylan paused
as he slowly walked down the double line of assembled battlesuits. “You have
six hours to make the ascent and press the red button on the pedestal on top of
the summit of Charring Mountain. If time runs out, then you lose. Your time
starts now!”

-

Ryan turned toward
Corporal Hunter as his eyes shifted to the young woman. “I want two scouts out
front with another two skirmish lines behind them. The scouts will be used to
draw out the hidden weapons and hopefully we can annihilate them before they
take the scouts out.”

Casey nodded
as she looked at the assembled soldiers. Mentally she thought about who best
deserved to die first on the mountain. There was no doubt in her mind that the
first two scouts wouldn’t last long. When the hidden weapons disabled a
battlesuit, it was considered a death. Then her eyes fell on Privates Alexander
Parker and Lauren Adams. The two of them had gotten into a fight in the mess
hall the night before arguing over who had the best RG target score. She
grinned wickedly as she made her decision deciding this would be good punishment
for the two.

 “Parker,
Adams the two of you have the point. Move out!” she ordered.

“Crap!”
uttered Alexander, glaring at Lauren. “Now we’re both going to get killed.”

“Shut your
mouth and let’s go!” Lauren grated out.

If Parker hadn't
grabbed her arm in the mess hall, she wouldn’t have popped him in the jaw.
There was no doubt in her mind that they were being punished for that incident,
though it had felt good to see the shocked look on Alexander’s face after she'd
punched him.

The two set
out holding their RG rifles at the ready. The rest of the platoon formed up
into two ragged skirmish lines and began following close behind. In only a few moments,
they entered the heavy woods that marked the beginning of Charring Mountain.

Ryan was
watching the twenty green icons on his HUD in the helmet of his command
battlesuit. Currently, all were undamaged and had begun the treacherous ascent
up the mountain. The HUD showed the exact position of each battlesuit in
relation to Ryan’s position.

“Keep your
eyes on the lookout for popups,” he warned as he used the enhanced vision
abilities of his suit to scan the terrain up ahead. All he could see were tall
trees, brush, and boulders. “Adams, Parker use the trees for cover, try to stay
out of open areas which make you an easy target.”

“Easy for him
to say,” mumbled Parker over the private suit com he had established between
his battlesuit and Adams. “I doubt if any of the weapons will target a command
suit.”

“Don’t bet on
it,” Lauren responded as she slipped behind a large tree trunk to gaze up
ahead. “I was told the popups don’t distinguish between one type of suit and
another.” She had scarcely stepped behind the protection of the massive tree
when she heard numerous projectiles impacting the bark. “Damn, there’s an RG
popup somewhere up ahead!”

“Stay behind
the tree,” Alexander ordered as he bent down behind a stony outcrop, which
offered some protection. He used his suit’s advanced sensors to quickly
pinpoint the hidden weapon. The suit’s sensors picked up the inbound rounds and
traced their trajectory back to their point of origination. Alexander changed
his com frequency back to the normal platoon one. “Popup RG weapon sixty meters
up the mountain on the right side of that tree with the busted limb.”

“Can you take
it out with explosive rounds?” Corporal Hunter asked as she motioned for the
troops in her skirmish line to go to the ground. A ten-foot tall battlesuit was
not something easy to hide.

“Affirmative,”
Alexander replied as he switched his RG rifle to the indicated round. Taking
careful aim, he placed two shells where he thought the popup was. Two
resounding explosions threw debris up high into the air causing some rocks and
dirt to slide down the mountain. A flash of fire and rising black smoke
indicated the popup had been hit.

Alexander
studied the impact point for a moment before being satisfied that the popup had
been destroyed. “Weapon’s been eliminated.”

“Very well,”
Hunter replied as she stood back up. “Continue to move up the mountain. I
suspect the higher up we go, the more weapons we’ll come across. This isn’t
supposed to be easy.” Casey began moving back up the slope using her suit’s
augmented vision optics to scan for possible weapons. She could feel herself
breathing faster and knew her heart was racing.

For another
hundred meters, everything was quiet, and then a pair of twin stunners popped
up and fired, striking a battlesuit directly behind Private Parker. The soldier
screamed in agony as the painful stunners immobilized his suit. The soldier
then collapsed to the ground and lay still. On Ryan’s HUD one of the twenty
green icons switched to red.

“Stay alert!”
Ryan warned as he gestured for everyone to hold their positions. “I want that
ridge in front of us scanned. If you see anything, report it. We can’t advance
until that weapon is taken out.”

For several
minutes, the soldiers remained still using the sensors in their suits to scan
the terrain ahead of them. A breeze was rustling the leaves in the trees and
there was no other detectable movement. The embedded weapons were camouflaged
so they would blend in with their surroundings.

“Up ahead and
on our left flank sixty meters out,” Corporal Hunter said as she saw a metallic
glint with her enhanced optics. She quickly took aim with her RG rifle and laid
six shells on and around the target. Two resounding explosions of flame
indicated she had hit her targets. “Stunners eliminated.”

“Move out!”
Ryan called out. “Corporal Hunter, I want two more scouts out ahead of the
first skirmish line and a slow, steady movement up the slope. Soldiers in the first
skirmish line are to watch for any popup weapons that might be triggered by the
scouts.”

The soldiers
continued to advance, for twenty minutes they moved slowly up the steep slope,
stepping around boulders and towering trees. Every moment they expected more
hidden weapons to announce their presence by firing RG rounds or stun beams,
but all remained quiet. Everyone felt apprehensive, recalling the scream of
pain from the soldier in the first stricken battlesuit. No one was anxious to
join him.

“I don’t like
this,” Alexander muttered as he stopped to look around a large boulder that
barely hid his ten-foot tall battlesuit. “I feel like we’re being set up.”

“For once, I
agree with you,” Lauren answered as she paused in her advance to look over at
Alexander. “It’s like we’re walking into a trap.”

Corporal
Hunter listened to the comments over her com, worried that the two might be
right. This mountain was supposed to be nearly impossible to ascend. Up ahead
something attracted her attention; was that movement by that large tree up ahead?
She checked it with her scanners and detected nothing. She took a deep breath
and used her optics to check the area, still nothing could be seen.

Moments later,
six twin stunners and four RG cannons opened up on the ascending troops, firing
at the first skirmish line and ignoring the four scouts.

Ryan heard two
of his soldiers scream in pain and two more icons changed from green to red.
“Take cover!” he yelled over the com as he threw himself behind a nearby
boulder as several RG rounds struck the ground in his previous position.

“I’m hit!”
Private Rios called out. “Damn RG round got me in the leg; it hurts like hell!”

Ryan saw Rios’
suit icon turn from green to amber indicating damage. “Find those weapons
emplacements and use explosive rounds to take them out! They’ve got us pinned
down.”

Ryan switched
on his suit scanners trying to pinpoint the weapons, but nothing registered. He
felt frustrated by his failure to ascertain where the attack was coming from.
It made him realize the suits were not as all powerful and invulnerable as he
had been led to believe. It would be necessary for him to reevaluate his
strategy for conquering Charring.