《Mercenary Marauder - Book Two》 PROLOGUE - BEAT THEM ORKIN SON PROLOGUE - BEAT THEM ORKIN, SON Planet: Arioch Kane threw himself behind a berm of dirt near a shoddily constructed wall on the outskirts of the village. His platoon grouped around him and waited for instructions. He had no choice but to wait for a lull in enemy fire or hope that friendly air support would be able to take out the defensive installment in the center of the Village. Plasma and physical rounds danced across the dirt berm and smashed what remained of the wooden hut to pieces. The intense fire tore divots in the small amount of cover between him and his squad, the only cover that was preventing certain death. The enemy obviously knew where they were. ¡°Fucking Orkin, you think with this being the last place on the planet they''re left at in number they would just GIVE THE FUCK UP!¡± Kane yelled the last part over the berm. ¡°This was not worth the contract pay,¡± he muttered low enough that no one heard him while gripping the Mana-rifle in his upper hands. The Orkin weapon emplacements crew responded with guttural laughter and another hail of weapons fire. They obviously heard him. Kane managed to duck down even further. He was now one with the dirt and animal shit around him. One of his squad crawled up to him, black armor with the standard silver starburst on the breastplate streaked with mud and grim. ¡°Sir Kane, we have been discussing options and I think we can take that emplacement!¡± the birdlike Alurai called over the din of weapons fire. ¡°We have enough Mana left to call in a lightning strike. It won¡¯t destroy it outright, maybe, but we can disorientate them long enough to get there!¡± Kane mulled it over for a moment before accepting the reasoning. ¡°Do it!¡± he ordered. Seven of the thirty remaining platoon members gathered together around a blue crystal the Alurai had removed from his pouch. Together they focus their Mana on the strange mineral, which began to swirl and glow brightly with blue light. Kane looked up to see light clouds gathering above the Orkin crew-served weapon. Almost immediately the incoming fire halted as Kane heard the Orkin screeching at each other in their guttural language. Not even his nanite translator could figure out what this particular dialect of the language was. They were probably trying to figure out what clouds were. Dumb fuckers. He poked his head over the dirt berm to see half a dozen of the giant green beings waving animatedly at each other and gesturing at the sky. Soon enough, however, a massive cracking sound followed a huge bolt of lightning which struck square in the middle of the weapons emplacement. This had the effect of knocking down all but one of the Orkin. The single green-skinned being that had been the target of the strike was nearly incinerated entirely. What was left of its body was still standing, however, fused to the earth. Being melted to the ground tended to prevent one from lying down and dying.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Mage team remain here and rest, assault platoon forward!¡± Kane roared as he jumped to his feet and ran directly at the enemies. The Orkin were disoriented for a moment but quickly regrouped. Unfortunately for the enemy, Kane was already amongst them. Firing his rife several times he managed to take off an Orkin head with his chaotic aim. He then dropped the weapon in favor of the four blades he drew from their sheathes. Two of the long blades were imbued, courtesy of the Boss. He held these blades in his upper hands. His lower hands held an un-augmented short sword each. He practiced with all four. Sprinting across the thirty meters to the emplacement Kane threw himself over the fortifications in a massive leap. Striking the ground he came up in a roll and sliced through the armor and midsection of the nearest Orkin warrior. Spinning in place he finished the wounded warrior off with his short swords while decapitating yet another with the powerfully enchanted long blades in across strike. He searched around for a target before finding a huge Orkin that was directing the troops. Kane ran straight at him. The Orkin reacted and took a swing at him. Kane ducked under the massively wide attack from the huge being and realized it was an, absurdly so, large battle-ax. Bringing the blade up to cleave the handle, he was surprised when it bounced off, only causing a divot in the shaft but otherwise leaving it in one piece. He stared, startled for a moment. ¡°What the fu-¡° He was cut off as the Orkin grinned and roared, renewing its assault with a flurry of swings which Kane just managed to dodge. Wondering where his troops were he took a partial second to look past the large aggressor and take stock of the overall situation. Kane observed as the rest of his platoon came charging over the embankment and engaged the remaining of the emplacements'' weapon crew. The fighting was fierce, and he winced as he saw one Gorkin fall under an axe. Returning his attention to the green fucker in front of him, Kane focused on deflecting the fast, heavy strikes from the large being. Kane struggled to match the vicious pacing of his opponent, using all four blades to shunt and redirect the massive physical force that was being directed at him. Focused entirely on the enemy in front of him he caught the most recent backswing from the axe, directing it nearly straight up. The maneuver threw the Orkin off balance and Kane used the opportunity to bury the two short swords in its kidneys. Roaring with pain and nearly frothing at the mouth the green monstrosity brought the axe down on his shoulder. Between the sheer physical force and the quality of the weapon it cut through Kane¡¯s armor and sank six inches into his red flesh. Kane grimaced as he heard cries from his platoon, a half dozen of the nearest mercenaries slammed a variety of weapons into the green monster. Something here was wrong, there was just no indication of what. This green demon was far more resilient than he should have been. Yet they still wouldn¡¯t fall. Dropping one of his primary blades Kane grabbed the shaft of the axe, ensuring it couldn¡¯t be withdrawn. Bringing back his other long blade to plunge it into the Orkin¡¯s eye socket the beast muttered his first intelligible words. ¡°The gods are coming weakling. And they thirst for your blood!¡± it growled out in stilted words. Kane took his head a moment later and collapsed on the ground, the axe still on his shoulder. Glad that the fight was finally at its end, the ragged remains of the platoon cheered. The final bastion of resistance on this world had been cleared out. And they couldn¡¯t be happier. The large red Quadrian took a look around and breathed out a sigh of relief. That is before a small humming noise caught his attention. Coming from the Orkin body a vibrating noise could be heard, even over the din of cheers. Kane turned to look at it questioningly. Then in a final act of spite, as if in death the nasty green Orkin was having the last laugh ¡­ the fucker exploded. CHAPTER 1 – THE MARAUDERS CHAPTER 1 ¨C THE MARAUDERS Station Alcazar Reeve stood in the med bay dressed in his full official garb, having just come there directly from the most recent council meeting. His deep red and silver embroidered shirt, dark pants with silver trim, and deep black boots were wrapped in an ornate overcoat filled with designs of ships, space dragons, and starbursts. He had come here for the singular purpose of staring at the pod that Kane was currently regenerating in. The last several years had seen their technology grow by leaps and bounds. Taking this advanced tech and combining it yet again with their nanite and Mana-based discoveries only advanced those technologies further. So while Reeve knew that Kane would be fine, it did absolutely nothing to stem his boiling rage. ¡°Father he will be fine. Don¡¯t worry too much,¡± Novu said from next to him. The teen boy reached out to pat his shoulder, comforting Reeve immensely. ¡°Ah kiddo. I know. It still infuriates me that this even happened. Kane was outfitted in enough advanced gear, much of it I made myself, that he should have never been harmed,¡± he complained. ¡°The fact that Orkin axe he brought back had Aether embedded in it tells me that the stakes just got higher.¡± Novu nodded. The development of their region of space, and the Silver Legion itself, had come along nicely. But not without its own sets of problems and setbacks. Between taking constant contracts that barely broke even monetarily for the developing organization and constant attacks on their bases and outposts outside of the nebulae, things were heating up. And not in any good way. Reeve had found allies though, and he had cultivated an impressive military for the size of the region he controlled. Granted, the nebula itself was immensely rich in matter and resources. It was never difficult to find a new source of materials, rare earths, or even the occasional grouping of exotic matter. Couple these riches with the Mana that Reeve produced and it became a fact that they were a powerful if young nation. ¡°The contract on Arioch was pretty rough Father,¡± Novu said, tapping at his well-worn and signature slate. ¡°We lost two full legions of combat drones, as well as having nearly two hundred and fifty deaths and nine hundred wounded.¡± Reeve flinched physically at the numbers. A legion of mercenaries was between six and seven thousand beings, while a drone legion was structured a bit differently and held nearly twelve thousand warriors each. The commanding Queens usually stayed in orbit to direct and observe from there. Unless they were chased off by a superior fleet grouping. That rarely happened, however. While ground combat strength remained Reeve¡¯s weakest point militarily, their fleet strength was on par with some of the weaker core powers. This placed them firmly mid-pack galaxy-wise. Or at least within their immediate neighborhood. Their explorations of their immediate area had revealed numerous space-faring civilizations going towards the core. However further out on the arm, there was a distinct lack of any. This was due to Lexi¡¯s prior rampage in that area of the galaxy. To try and stay safe she had systematically eliminated any space-based threats. While falling short of true genocide she knocked more than a dozen races back into the industrial age. Or lower. Reeve brought himself out of his thoughts and looked at Novu, who had been patiently waiting for him to collect himself. ¡°Ah right. Sorry kiddo, my thoughts took off on me,¡± he apologized. Novu rolled his eyes, a less than endearing trait he picked up from Red. ¡°How would you like to address the Orkin threat Father? They do generate quite a bit of business for us. Between hiring our ships for trade lane security and various group troop actions they are responsible for a decent percentage of our income,¡± Novu summarized. ¡°Ugh. Well, we can¡¯t let them run wild. They have no inhibitions to just wiping a populated planet clean and taking everything not nailed down. An empty planet is one less potential customer. Let''s put a fleet together and go hammer one of their closer fortress worlds. That¡¯s either going to drive them berserk or lock them into inaction for a while,¡± Reeve said. ¡°Based on their current losses I am betting on them quieting down.¡± The Orkin had become a major point of contention for Reeve and his organization. They attacked his troops, ships, and merchants everywhere they went causing immense damage. This resulted in his council enacting a policy of total retaliation. One destroyed merchant ship resulted in an entire Orkin base being removed from existence. While extreme, it had reduced losses across the board overall. He turned abruptly and headed out of the medical bay, nodding to Doc as he left. The grey being ignored him and continued with whatever task he was immersed in, prompting a soft laugh from Reeve. ¡°How are negotiations going with the New Korin league?¡± Reeve asked while they walked. He greeted a few beings they passed as Novu brought up some information on his tablet. ¡°Ah yes. In Reds words Father, ¡®Those fuckin lizards seem happy enough to trade with us as long as we breathe down the Collectives neck.¡¯ So it seems to be going well. She hasn¡¯t killed anyone yet,¡± he explained. ¡° ¡­ right. I don¡¯t know if that was a good or bad idea, but she seems to be doing well. Where is she now?¡± Reeve wondered. Novu answered quickly, having anticipated the question, ¡°Red is with the Third Fleet heading towards Holman station. They seem more eager to deal with us as equals now that we are fairly equivalent in terms of fleet power.¡± ¡°Power is equality? Gods above and below their assholes,¡± Reeve said more than a little exasperated. Novu nodded his agreement, ¡°I believe Red was of the same opinion. Novu cracked a small smile, ¡°She is rather unfond of Admiral Brasx.¡± ¡°I am too. He¡¯s a squirrel for gods sakes,¡± Reeve muttered causing Novu to cock his head in confusion. ¡°Whatever. I understand you have a new weapon to show me? Some kind of rifle variant?¡± ¡°Yes, father, but not a rifle variant. Most advanced space-faring civilizations have various infantry-based armor. Your initial versions of the Conversion Suit and your Mana Energy Conversion Armor are similar in design to many others. However Thirsk and several of his engineers have assisted me in creating something truly wonderful and terrifying,¡± Novu said with some excitement.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. If it excited Novu, chances are it was dangerous as all hells. Reeve couldn¡¯t wait. They hopped on one of the trams that now lined the main interior passageways of Alcazar station. Since the rebuild, and subsequent expansions since then, the automated trams were vital for getting around. Reeve greeted many of the people on the transport. Answering questions and even signing the occasional autograph. Apparently, that was a thing for famous people. For the most part, however, the public left him alone. He was far from reclusive and always happy to talk to the populace if he had free time. Seeing him on public transportation was not unusual. After a short ride in companionable silence, they got off in one of the large engineering sections of the station. This area was three square kilometers of laboratories, workshops, and storage spaces for the research and development of new weapons and materials. Above a small security checkpoint was a sign that read, ¡°Mana-Works¡±. After a brief stop at checkpoint security, Reeve and Novu were waved in. Massive doors slid to the side, revealing that the exterior shell of this section was fifteen meters thick and made entirely out of reinforced cold nano-steel. You couldn¡¯t be too safe when playing with fire. Once the father and son duo were through the astoundingly massive doors they slid shut silently behind them. Reeve marveled something so huge could be moved by things so tiny. Nanites were terrifyingly amazing. Novu led Reeve through a maze of corridors, past rooms with muted explosions and gadgets he couldn¡¯t even guess what they did. Reeve was positive at one point he saw a Gorkin on fire with a Praetor chasing him around with a bucket of what he hoped was water. Eventually, they stopped in front of a metal door with a single handheld latch in the center of it. Novu hesitated in front of the door, turning to Reeve. ¡°Father, inside of this room is the hub of our mana and nanite-based research. Please be cautious about what you touch and restrain yourself as much as possible,¡± Novu warned. Reeve snorted, ¡°You got it kiddo. Don¡¯t touch the toys.¡± Novu nodded and opened the doors hatch. When it was fully opened, Reeves''s mouth dropped open with such force that if he had been an undead it literally would have hit the floor. He counted six receding tiers of floors, each with a central glass ceiling. Each tier had a flurry of activity. Devices ranging from handheld weapons, suits of strange armor, scientists maneuvering liquid metal, and what Reeve was sure was a mounted destroyer cannon. His mind almost couldn¡¯t take it all in. Novu had walked off and Reeve moved to follow him. They were heading towards a large grey box where Reeve could see Thirsk standing in a white lab coat speaking to a mixed bag of beings. As they approached the group Thirsk spotted them and said, ¡°Novu and Lord Reeve! A pleasure to see you both! Do we have some excitement for you today!¡± The group around the small green being chuckled appreciate while Reeve just shook his head. ¡°What are you miscreants up to now? Destroying more of my hard-earned materials?¡± Reeve asked jokingly. ¡°Ah, I see you¡¯ve made a box. Wonderful! We can store more things snow. Job well done.¡± While the group chuckled at Reeves''s ribbing Novu stepped over to a panel attached to the large rectangle device. It was matte black, two meters wide, and nearly five meters tall. It dwarfed nearly everything in the research center. As the teen fiddled with the controls, Reeve turned to Thirsk. ¡°You wound my pride with your targeted attacks Lord Reeve,¡± Thirsk said, placing a hand over his heart. ¡°We dedicate ourselves to the pursuit of perfection ¡­ and maybe money. That makes us benevolent greedy miscreants thank you.¡± Reeve shook his head, ¡°Your defensive tactics are going to give me brain damage,¡± he mocked to more chuckles, ¡°but seriously. What do we have here?¡± With a theatric flourish, Thirsk gestured at the oversized brick. ¡°This, Lord Reeve, is the future of ground combat,¡± as he finished his sentence the brick split open to reveal a massive suit of armor. The dark, light-absorbing plates, multi-weapon attachments, and meter and a half long combat blade strapped to a wrist sheathe had him goggling it. ¡°Amazing!¡± he said in wonder, ¡°You found my next wife!¡± The group burst out in a smattering of chuckles and laughs. ¡°Unfortunately not Lord Reeve, however, we did create a new ground-based weapon that should solve our issue with lack of personnel. A squad of eight to twelve of these are capable of leveling an entire city,¡± said Thirsk. ¡°It¡¯s amazing, and I can tell it''s dangerous, but what is it?¡± Reeve wondered. ¡°Well, it''s not official mind you, but I call it a Marauder Assault and Recon Armor. Or MARA for short,¡± Thirsk said proudly. Reeve inspected it:
MARAUDER ASSAULT AND RECON ARMOR (MARA)
WEAPONS Chain Lightning Cannon Imbued Magi-Blade Rocker Cannon Remote Self-Destruct
ARMOR Reinforced Cold-Steel Shielding X2 Mana Shielding x6 Plasma Shielding
POWER X1 Mana Generator X2 Plasma Generator X1 Matter Conversion Device
DESCRIPTION Heavily armed and armored infantry fighting armor. Developed by Mana-Works.
¡°Woah,¡± he said appreciatively. ¡°This is for every mercenary?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the plan, although we have light and heavy versions as well,¡± confirmed Thirsk. ¡°What the hell does a heavy version of this monstrosity look like?¡± Reeve asked incredulously. ¡°Would that be able to level a planet?¡± Thirsk shrugged, ¡°Close enough. Although it''s still in development. While we don¡¯t have any practical models to show you, we¡¯ve decided on the designation of Legion Assault Platform. The lighter version we just call Reaper Armor.¡± Reeve pulled his hand down his face in exasperation. ¡°Do other groups have stuff like this?¡± he asked tentatively. Having neat armor or new weapons was one thing, escalating an arms race was another thing entirely. ¡°Yeah, but not as advanced as our stuff,¡± replied Thirsk. ¡°Our armor, per unit, could take four of their most advanced equivalent to date. At least those that we aware of,¡± Thirsk explained. ¡°The armor on this unit is tank grade. On the Lap, it''s Frigate grade.¡± Reeve boggled at the small green man, ¡°You put Frigate armor on an infantry weapon?¡± The diminutive green guy grinned and provided another shrug, ¡°What can I say? Actually, Red said it best. We went for, ¡®maximum fuck up the other guy¡¯.¡± ¡°If Red was involved I¡¯m not surprised. She likes blowing up assholes more than I do,¡± Reeve admitted. ¡°Anyway, I am very happy about this. When can we get these put into production?¡± ¡°They already are Father. The first platoon to get Reaper Suits and MARA¡¯s is Kane¡¯s, ¡° Novu said. Then he continued, ¡°We also plan on outfitting an entire Legion of warrior drones with Reaper Suits as well. They should prove to be most formidable.¡± Reeve shivered, ¡°Yeah that sounds terrifying,¡± he agreed. ¡°Father, as much as I was looking forward to this detour we have a meeting with Aelvin and Varcos in approximately fifteen minutes,¡± Novu said. ¡°It is fairly important and involves several diplomats from the Veehni Remnant. Evron was rather insistent we speak with them and see if we could assist.¡± Reeve nodded to Thirsk, ¡°And we¡¯re off again. It was good seeing you Thirsk. Stop by some time, Jem would love to see you again.¡± The Gorkin bowed as the father-son duo made off with speed. They would probably end up being late to the meeting anyway. It was on the other side of the station. While they did their best to make good it by the appointment that had been set, they were still late. However, they arrived in time to hear yelling from the meeting room. Reeve and Novu burst into the door, shocking the five beings inside into silence. Reeve bent over and held a finger up while he caught his breath. Novu on the other hand, fit pile of nanites that he was, took up a spot by the door with his ever-present slate in hand. Reeve straightened to take in the room. Evron, Aelvin, and Varcos sat on one side of the table, and on the other sat two Veehni. They both looked remarkably like Evron, without his cybernetic limbs that were. Yay diplomacy. CHAPTER 2 – AGGRESSIVE NEGOTIATIONS CHAPTER 2 ¨C AGGRESSIVE NEGOTIATIONS All five were staring at him. ¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± Reeve said while he grabbed another chair and put it at the head of the table. ¡°Please, continue.¡± The Veehni blinked and without preamble or questions at Reeve pointed back at Evron, ¡°Just because you sold out and abandoned your people doesn¡¯t mean you can dictate terms. You are a traitor. You will be treated as a traitor.¡± The blue-skinned being turned to Aelvin, who looked a little more than nervous. ¡°You will turn him over now, or there will be ¡° The room grew heavy while the lights in the ceiling flickered. Gravity itself seemed to take a deep breath as the two men were forced down into their seats. Their eyes went wild as the pressure continued to increase. ¡°Father, stop, please. They are diplomats after all,¡± Novu said, directing the statement to the now infuriated Reeve. The two dark blue diplomats took a shuffle step back from the table as they examined the newcomers to the room with greater scrutiny. Even Evron took a hesitant step back from the table, his anger dwarfed by Reeve¡¯s. Aelvin looked even more nervous while Varcos looked on in grey dispassion. ¡°You do realize,¡± Reeve said into the now-dead quiet room while letting the pressure from his Mana drop, ¡°you have come into my home and threatened my people, correct?¡± One of the diplomats made to speak but Reeve cut him off by calmly continuing, ¡°You demanded the release of not just one of my people, but one of the Silver Legions founding members. An active Admiral in my mercenary corps and a very good friend of mine. Tell me, what you would do if I appeared with a fleet above what remains of your worlds and demanded their surrender?¡± ¡°You dare to threaten the Veehni? Are you mad? We would crush you like-¡° once again the diplomat was cut off, this time by Novu. ¡°Father our intelligence indicates the Veehni have, at most, two battle fleets remaining. While they are striving to rearm the Legion has not only four times the number of hulls and vessels our technology is far superior,¡± he summarized. Then he looked up at the diplomat, meeting his eyes. ¡°You would fail, and badly at that.¡± The hostile diplomat swallowed as the other pulled him backward and stepped forward. ¡°Perhaps we have started this negotiation poorly. I apologize for any ¡­ slights we have made. We seek only peace for now,¡± he explained. ¡°My comrade here will ensure that he remains quiet during our continued talks.¡± The hostile Veehni sat down, shut his mouth with an audible click of his teeth, and crossed his arms. Reeve thought it seemed like he may be pouting. ¡°Very good. Now, I believe introductions are in order?¡± spoke the mild-mannered Veehni Diplomat. ¡°I am Gotru, my compatriot and comrade here are Alra. We knew these three, but who might you be?¡± Reeve grinned, ¡°Oh no one important really. I¡¯m Reeve and that¡¯s Novu.¡± ¡°Ah right Reeve and Novu ¨C¡° Gotru began but cut short with a snap of his jaw. Alra went in the opposite direction as his mouth fell open. ¡°Oh,¡± Was the only response. ¡°Yeah. Oh is right,¡± snarked Reeve. ¡°So what do you two assholes want. I¡¯m not very inclined to add you to our client''s list at this point.¡± The two diplomats looked at each other nervously and Alra responded, ¡°Evron¡¯s presence was a ¡­ trigger. I deeply and sincerely apologize for that.¡± ¡°Apology accepted. Move on,¡± Reeve said gesturing. ¡°Ah. Right. We are looking to hire a dozen void-based security stations, defensive platforms I believe Administrator Varcos called them. Along with military assets to supplement them with mobile patrols,¡± explained Gotru. ¡°We are having problems with Orkin raids and it is eating into what little trade revenue we generate.¡± ¡°Novu?¡± Reeve asked. ¡°We can provide nine platforms and six destroyers per platform. One command cruiser as well. This will be the limit of our commitment to this contract. Based on your nation''s income any more mercenary assets will bankrupt you,¡± he explained. Gotru and Alra¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°Just how much are you charging?¡± ¡°Those assets would run at 40,000 Nex per destroyer per month, 120,000 Nex for the Command Cruisers per month, and 160,000 Nex per defensive installation per month,¡± Novu summarized immediately. ¡°This would total three million seven hundred and twenty thousand Nex per month. Your national surplus is a bit over nine million per month.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more than a third of our surplus!¡± barked Alra. ¡°Perhaps, but the Orkin would have no viable raiding targets,¡± Aelvin jumped in. ¡°And your transports would have escorts to and from their destinations reducing your overall loss in hulls.¡± ¡°That is an excellent point,¡± admitted Gotru. ¡°I will bring the offer to High Command and get you a decision in the next few days.¡± Both of them stood summarily, bowed, and exited the meeting room. ¡°Well, that was fun. Always love a good intimidation,¡± Reeve said happily. ¡°They are going to report that, Your Grace,¡± rumbled Varcos. ¡°This may complicate relations.¡± Reeve shook his head, ¡°They aren¡¯t a primary trading partner. We don¡¯t need them. Would having a hostile group on our borders suck? A little, yeah. Outside of that, the point is moot. We outpower them. Those Orkin on the other hand ¡­ ¡° he trailed off. ¡°Their raiding tactics are getting too sophisticated. Their weapons have signs of Aether, the most recent axe Kane brought back confirmed this. I think they''re making their move Reeve,¡± said Evron. ¡°If they are building up to a large-scale offensive I am not sure we can hold them back. We certainly can''t protect all of our outposts and bases with the strength we have available.¡± Reeve nodded while he thought through his response. Needing to be reminded of what their fleet strength looked like he pulled up that particular information screen:
MILITARY OVERVIEW
VOID ASSETS PERSONNEL ASSETS
CORVETTES: 90 DESTROYERS: 720 TRANSPORT: 311 YACHT: 1
HIVE SHIPS: 812 CRUISERS: 48 MANUFACTORY: 17 FACTORY SHIP: 312
BATTLESHIPS: 5Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. DREADNAUGHT: 0 SCIENCE SHIP: 45 SURVEY SHIP: 118
SCOUT: 70 OBSERVERS: 1,446 CARGO SHIP: 1,918 FAST COURIER: 88
PERSONAL OVERVIEW
GROUND ASSETS AIR ASSETS
INFANTRY: 14,700 WARRIORS: 113,908 ATMO FIGHTERS: 740 ATMO BOMBERS: 211
VEHICLES: 6,557 PRAETORS: 4,312 TRANSPORTS: 88 SCOUT FLIERS: 309
MARA: 112 GUARDIANS: 26,911 STEALTH CRAFT: 22
¡°Hmm,¡± Reeve pondered. ¡°I think we may need some reorganization. Particularly in the heavier ships category. Thirsk and Novu are working on fixing our ground asset issue. But we lack in void hulls. I want fleets guys.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have the manpower for fleets Reeve,¡± Evron protested. ¡°We are stretched thin as it is. Nearly fifteen percent of our population is in one mercenary group or another! That¡¯s almost untenable. Most polities have one, maybe two percent at the most.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right Your Grace, much as I loathe to admit it,¡± grouched Varcos. ¡°I think we may need to speak with Lexi. There may be a solution there. Particularly if she can produce enough soldiers. I know she is producing as many workers as possible right now ¡­ but we may need to shift the focus on that or risk a serious issue with staffing.¡± ¡°Father ¡­ I hesitate to recommend this but, maybe it''s time you speak with her about the autonomous drones?¡± Novu recommended cautiously. This had been a serious point of contention with Reeve. Even Lexi wasn¡¯t fond of the idea. The Council had been telling him for some time now that moving away from mass drones, who were capable of only basic or repetitive tasks, to focus on the autonomous self away beings would be best. However, Reeve was terrified their breeding would run rampant, resulting in a lack of food and goods. His worry came from the fact that one of Lexi¡¯s queens could produce one hundred and six drones or twenty-eight warriors a day. They each took a few hours to become solvent and add to the workforce. However, they ate. A lot. The autonomous drones, however ¡­ a single queen could produce nearly four hundred eggs a day. Granted they took a week to grow and hatch, but they would be smart, self-aware, and have access to Mana. That terrified him as they could rapidly out populate everyone else in the Legion. ¡°I will talk to her today. If that¡¯s the only way, and I don¡¯t think it is, we will discuss it then,¡± he said seriously. Varcos rumbled a sigh, his pebbles dancing around. ¡°Very well then Your Grace. That is all I can ask.¡± ¡°In the meantime, we need to switch to a war footing. We haven¡¯t seen, smelled, or tasted the hide nor hair of those so-called divine assholes,¡± Reeve said. ¡°The fact that their showing up now means that we probably have a complete and total shit storm heading our way.¡± ¡°They do seem to move slowly Father; I wonder if it is a cultural trait?¡± Novu wondered. Aelvin nodded, ¡°As someone who comes from a long-lived species,¡± he began, ¡°I can tell you that generally, the longer one lives the slower they are to react to events. If these ¡®gods¡¯ as you call them truly are as old as you say ¡­ a few years may seem like a few minutes to us.¡± Reeve nodded in thought, ¡°Yeah I was thinking along those lines too. However, if they bring in other races or even opposing mercenaries to attack us? Of the mortal races?¡± ¡°The attack could come much sooner,¡± finished Evron with a sigh. ¡°Aelvin, how much of our current trade output can we re-direct to military manufacturing?¡± ¡°About 30% before we starting suffering a deficit,¡± the Aelphin said. Evron grunted, ¡°That¡¯s not a lot but it''s more than we had. What kind of ships did you have in mind Reeve?¡± ¡°Well I¡¯m not an admiral,¡± he began as the others grinned, ¡°but it seems if we focused on the basic ten to one it would work out fine right?¡± ¡°Ten to one?¡± Varcos asked questioningly, the others signaling their confusion as well. ¡°Well, you normally have ten infantry to an archer, ten archers to a cavalryman, ten cavalrymen to one siege weapon. Why don¡¯t we do ten destroyers to a cruiser, ten cruisers to a battleship, and ten battleships to a dreadnaught? Four fleets total to start with?¡± Everyone except Novu stared at him. ¡°That¡¯s ¡­ a lot of ships Reeve,¡± Evron began after a moment of silence, ¡°That¡¯s ¡­ a thousand ships a fleet. With ten dreadnaughts. That is more firepower than a core fleet has.¡± ¡°Better overwhelming firepower than overwhelming dead,¡± Reeve countered. ¡°That doesn¡¯t include scouts, auxiliary ships, factory ships, transports, observers ¡­ that¡¯s more than twelve hundred ships Your Grace,¡± Varcos added. ¡°We have enough materials on hand to build ¡­ maybe three dreadnaughts. And you want forty. That¡¯s just not going to happen. Not soon anyway,¡± Evron said exasperated, and finally sitting in one of the seats the diplomats had vacated. ¡°Even with nano-manufacturing we just don¡¯t have the rare materials for it. And if we equip that many ships with Mana and fusion generators ¡­ well that¡¯s a lot of maintenance,¡± he continued. ¡°I don¡¯t see how it''s feasible!¡± Reeve grinned. Apparently, Novu hadn¡¯t shared the new development that came out of the research on nanites a week ago. ¡°Novu, share with the group the research on nanite filtration,¡± Reeve said, still smiling. That wiped the frustration right off Aelvin¡¯s face as he leaned forward. Novu spoke as Evron looked at Varcos, ¡°We have finally managed to create a nanite that has an energy output capable of separating materials by type, weight, and structure.¡± Evron blinked, ¡°And what does that mean? Sorry, but I¡¯m not a miner.¡± Aelvin on the other hand was giddy. Standing up so quickly he knocked his chair over he said, ¡°It means we can dump nanites everywhere and have them separate the raw materials for us! No more long-term mining with drones or third parties!¡± he explained. ¡°I still don¡¯t get it. Don¡¯t we do that now?¡± Evron wondered. ¡°Yes we do,¡± Varcos rumbled in what seemed to be a contemplative tone, ¡°However we have ships mine the material, separate it, smelt it out for impurities, then send it to the processing centers for use or conversion,¡± he explained as Evron nodded along with him. ¡°With this new method we could, theoretically, drop an active nanite brick on an asteroid and it would do everything except the final step of actually using the resources for us.¡± ¡°That means with the new programming and energy source we don¡¯t have a labor shortage anymore,¡± Reeve said smugly. Evron pounded the table, ¡°And when were you going to tell us that?¡± he asked in frustration. ¡°Today. At this meeting. I needed to make sure they worked after all. When Novu said he had something big to tell me last week I thought he meant a new weapon, but that was just a side effect,¡± Reeve said happily. ¡°We really could build that big of a military. Sure it would take time but ¡­ ¡° Evron trailed off in fantastical thought. ¡°Here¡¯s some more food for thought,¡± Reeve said, causing everyone to look at him again. This time that included Novu as well. ¡°I want to split up the Silver Legion,¡± he said. Everyone stared at him. ¡°No, not how your thinking. I want a military arm for our mercenaries, a trading arm for our economy, and an administrative and intelligence arm for home,¡± he explained. ¡°If we are going to grow this quickly, we need to be ready as an organization to be able to accommodate that growth.¡± ¡°We''re getting more and more immigrants,¡± mused Varcos. ¡°The galaxy is a dangerous place right now and we offer a bastion of safety. A small reorganization does make sense. What did you have in mind?¡± ¡°Marauders, Infinite Merchants, and The Bureau,¡± Reeve said. The door opened and Red stormed in with Jericho. ¡°Context dumbass. You just spitting out words doesn¡¯t tell anyone shit,¡± she demanded as she sat next to a dumbfounded Evron. ¡°Hi there Red! How was Holman Station?¡± Reeve asked. She snorted, ¡°Tell you later. Now, spill the beans on your, probably, stupid idea.¡± Reeve rolled his eyes and explained, ¡°Our mercenary arm will be known as Marauders. Roving bands that seek profit. We can break one of the fleets down into groupings paired with ground assets. Each of these new groups in their entirety will be referred to as a Legion. Evron will head that up.¡± Evron nodded, ¡°That makes sense. Expand the definition to an entire battlegroup. Moving me to be in charge makes sense too since I¡¯ve been running the fleet so far. I will need to talk with Jem and Kane when he wakes up. Hash out the particulars.¡± ¡°Infinite Merchants, we have a whole damned nebula. You all tell me it''s rich in resources, and I believe you. So we create an entire trading organization based on that concept. Transports, trade ships, escorts, some ground troops for defense. We export everything we don¡¯t need, use, or that is excess. Food, goods, raw materials, hell even bots if we decide to go that route.¡± Jericho swiveled its head to stare at him. ¡°Non-sentient bots Jericho, I wouldn¡¯t sell you ¡­ to anywhere but the scrap heap!¡± ¡°Of course Your Grace. Your magnanimity is well appreciated,¡± it said. Reeve laughed, ¡°Aelvin you will head that the Merchants.¡± ¡°That is also an apt idea. I have been running the economy so far. Having an organization under me, a structure that is, will make that task much easier.¡± Reeve nodded, ¡°Finally comes The Bureau. Diplomacy, Administration, and Intelligence. Varcos you will head the Diplomacy and Administration functions. Red you seem to have more fun skulking around and killing things. How do you feel about intelligence?¡± ¡°That I¡¯m a hell of a lot more intelligent than you. Fine, I wanted something different to do anyway. Also, Holman Station is a shit show. Apparently, Brasx took over entirely and is now running a little furry dictatorship.¡± ¡°That¡¯s concerning. I hope he doesn¡¯t come our way,¡± worried Varcos. ¡°They have several powerful offensive groupings.¡± ¡°Nah, he claimed he had no interest in us. But really he¡¯s just not coming yet. I had Jericho empty his personal computer. Turns out he has a lot of very nasty plans for expansion, and the assets to accomplish those plans. Oh, and there¡¯s a god involved.¡± Reeve snapped upright in his chair, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Red confirmed, ¡°Some asshat going by the name of Jupiter. Claims he¡¯s from a Pantheon? Well, the guy is a complete tool. Wouldn¡¯t stop gawking over me. Made me happy we did negotiations via screen and not in person. Complete creeping fuckin asshole.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not good at all,¡± Reeve muttered. ¡°Looks like it''s game on.¡± ¡°Yup,¡± Red agreed. ¡°By the way,¡± Reeve said distractedly, ¡°What did you do with Frag?¡± CHAPTER 3 – THE WORST SPY EVER CHAPTER 3 ¨C THE WORST SPY EVER Holman Station ¡°Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!¡± puffed Frag as he ran down the narrow alleyway. He ducked in between two large machines and dashed into a small cubbyhole. Covering himself with trash and refuse he held his breath, hoping his pursuers wouldn¡¯t find him. Soon enough the pounding of feet ran by him. ¡°The fuck did he go?¡± screeched one voice. ¡°This a maze. Hard to track. Too many scents¡± growled another much deeper and more guttural voice. ¡°Bah, you Scagrin are useless. Fucking find him. Boss wants to spit his end to end,¡± grunted yet a third voice. The voices continued to curse at each other¡¯s uselessness as they moved away. He stayed where he was for a while, catching his breath and ensuring that his pursuers were truly gone. Sure enough, only a few minutes had gone by when he heard them speak. ¡°He must not really be here,¡± muttered one. ¡°Bah, the tracks end in this area but the scent continues on,¡± muttered the second. ¡°Fine. He must have moved on. I don¡¯t see any hiding places anyways,¡± grunted the third. The first spoke again, finally moving the group on. ¡°Let''s get going. The boss is not going to be happy if that shit gets away.¡± They crunched away into the back alleys, searching further for the man they had just walked by. Frag let out a breath of relief and slowly, as quietly as he could, began to extricate himself from the pile of refuse he had hidden in. He was only halfway out when a large, furred hand gripped him and jerked him out into the alleyway fully. ¡°Oh shit,¡± he muttered. ¡°Oh shit is right ya gabby fuck,¡± growled the Delvin standing next to the Scagrin and Toth who had pulled him out of the pile of garbage. ¡°Boss is gonna have a field day with you. Borsch picked you right up and followed you most a¡¯ the way here.¡± The Scagrin set him down on the alleyway ground and sighed, ¡°Too easy to track. Not hid well. Need more practice.¡± Said the huge grey, shaggy wolf-like being. ¡°Borsch no lose you fully.¡± The Toch hissed a laugh, his reptilian face stretched in a grim visage of a smile. ¡°Poor little guy. I don¡¯t know what species you are, but stealth is not your forte.¡± Frag rolled his eyes, ¡°I¡¯m more of a ¡­ people person really Steel. This whole running and hiding thing is not something I am good at. I mean, look! I have noodle arms!¡± he said waving his arms wildly in the air to the amusement of the others. ¡°Aye, aye. Stop all that now. We gotta get you back to the boss for review. You failed the stealth test but you did good work confusing Borsch¡¯s nose,¡± said the Delvin. ¡°Borsch nose good. You nose not good,¡± rumbled Borsch. ¡°Aya, we know you could smell the pimple on an Aelvin¡¯s bottom at five hundred yards. Now let¡¯s get goin,¡± Steel grumbled. The group walked back through the alleyways the way they had come. Frag talked nearly non-stop the entire way. The others suffered in silence, except for Borsh who seemed fascinated with the various stories he was telling. ¡° ¡­ and then he ripped me right out of the air and gave me a body. Boy, I tell you, I wasn¡¯t sure who was more surprised. Me, him, or Red!¡± Frag said bursting out laughing while the grey shaggy being shook its head in amusement. ¡°You tell tall tales, but they good,¡± he rumbled. ¡°Tell more later. Boss speaks with you now.¡± They had all stopped outside of one of the many unassuming doors that led to various places, businesses, and homes in the alleyway. Frag looked at it nervously. ¡°Look, guys, I don¡¯t-¡° he started but was cut off by Steel. ¡°Nah lad. You go on in now,¡± he said sternly. Frag sighed and walked through the door. It slapped shut behind him like a thunderclap of finality. Or poop hitting the floor from a great height. He could never decide which. Inside was a mid-sized room with two couches, a table, and two chairs in front of a desk. Sitting at the desk was a beautiful feline woman. Her grey and black specked ears swiveled to him the moment the door closed. She looked up from the slate in front of her, green and gold slitted irises making direct eye contact with Frag. She sighed and set down her device, folding her hands in front of her, and said, ¡°Sit down Fragment.¡± He moped his way over to the chair. As he sat he whined, ¡°Sarah it wasn¡¯t my fault. I¡¯m just no good at this whole, ¡®sneak around and steal stuff, thing.¡± Sarah rubbed her eyes, ¡°You give me a headache. When I won you off Red I wasn¡¯t expecting that you would be next to completely useless. You can¡¯t even hide adequately. Do you have any skills at all?¡± ¡°Like I told Steel earlier, I¡¯m a people person! I could ¡­ sing songs? Tell stories?¡± he suggested sheepishly. ¡°You aren¡¯t selling yourself well here,¡± she grumbled. ¡°Look, you are going to get one more shot. There¡¯s a Night of Telling at the Vorpal Bar. People sit up there and bring in the crowds with their tales and stories. Since you claim to be a people person this is your chance,¡± she said leaning forward. ¡°And if you fuck it up I am sending you back to Red, Fragment. In pieces.¡± Frag shivered with the thought of going back to Red and admitting he fucked up. This was his idea after all. Honestly, the idea of going back in pieces was a bonus, then Red couldn¡¯t dice him up herself. ¡°Right. Right Sarah,¡± she glared at him. ¡°I mean right boss. I will succeed. Be the best storyteller ever! Although ¡­ I am also good at selling things.¡± She appraised him in a slightly new light, ¡°Oh? Tell me more about that after you bring me some actionable information to work with from the Telling.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Ok will do!¡± he jumped up and headed to the door. Just a sit slid open he was stopped by Sarah¡¯s voice. ¡°Remember Fragment. Don¡¯t. Fuck. Up. Bring me something of value or your usefulness to me is over,¡± she said without looking back up from her slate. ¡°You got it boss!¡± he said, practically running out of the door and slamming right into the chest of hairy Borsch. ¡°Hello, the friend with many words. I take you to Telling. One of Borch¡¯s favorite places,¡± it said with glee. ¡°Just don¡¯t die. Borsch wants more stories.¡± The large wolf being trotted down the alleyway and out into the open streets of Holman Stations Central District. Frag, having nothing better to do, followed it. He and Red and initially come to Holman with one goal in mind, figure out what the hell Brasx was up to. Once she saw that divine butthole on the viewscreen though ¡­ well then it was game on. Red wouldn¡¯t be able to come onto the station without attracting massive amounts of attention. Immediately. Guardians and Praetors would only achieve the same results. So that left poor old him. Red got him in by ¡®selling¡¯ him to a local gangster boss, touting his effectiveness as an effective being at whatever. Frag rolled his eyes, sure that she laughed the entire way to the bank while counting her Nex. Red was amazing but made could she be a serious witch sometimes. He was brought out of this somewhat jaded memory of Red by walking directly into Borch¡¯s back. ¡°Ah. You enjoy touching Borsch?¡± it wondered. ¡°Borsch does enjoy little man. Immensely,¡± it said leaning turning towards him and leaning down. ¡°You just ask. Borsch up anytime.¡± ¡°Right. Thanks, bud, I will ¡­ uh ¡­ remember that¡± Frag said taking a small step backward. He looked up at a large, well-maintained and lit sign that read, ¡®Vorpal Bar¡¯, in large purple letters. At least, that¡¯s what his nanites were telling him he was seeing. ¡°This place looks nice,¡± he muttered walking up to the front door. Only to be knocked on his ass as a giant bouncer materialized out of nowhere. Easily two meters tall and sporting four arms with red skin, Frag immediately recognized a Quadrian when he saw one. ¡°Oh wow, a Quadrian! I haven¡¯t seen one of you guys in a while. Hi there!¡¯ he said amicably. This threw the bouncer for a loop. His people weren¡¯t exactly common, being a refugee race with no home. But to be so easily recognized and greeted after knocking someone down ¡­ that just didn¡¯t happen. ¡°No street folks allowed in the bar. It''s Telling night,¡± he rumbled, not unkindly. Frag stood up and brushed himself off. ¡°Oh I know, I¡¯m one of the Tellers,¡± he explained. ¡°Sarah sent me on over.¡± The huge Quadrian raised his eyebrows, ¡°Sarah?¡± he asked curiously. ¡°Ah. Sorry. No, forget you said that. I mean Bookworm. Bookworm sent me,¡± he clarified. The Quadrian shivered. Bookworm was one of the nastier gang leaders in the area. She would certainly rip his guts out and hang him by them if she found out he was stopping one of her agents. His reputation was so formidable that he had never met anyone even willing to pretend they worked for her to get something. ¡°Come on in,¡± the bouncer said handing Frag a green-colored badge. ¡°Keep the badge on you. It marks you as a speaker. The Speakers seat is on the stage, but if you head to the side door and show the badge they will let you into the back area where everyone is waiting their turn. First prize tonight is five thousand Nex.¡± Frag¡¯s eyes widened. That was as much as he made in two months. ¡°Awesome, guess I just have to win eh?¡± he laughed, prompting the bouncer to laugh nervously as well. Frag didn¡¯t pick up on it. Being the people person he was. He headed inside, waving goodbye to the friendly, and extremely nervous, bouncer. As soon as he stepped in the front doors he stopped. The bar was pure decadence. The ceilings were lined with gold and silver trim, with large chandeliers hanging from a well-lit ceiling. The bar itself seemed cut from a massive tree, inlaid with animal and beast designs that Frag couldn¡¯t identify. He was so lost in the environment that he didn¡¯t notice a server come up to him until he cleared his throat. ¡°Yes sir, how may we help you?¡± Frag blinked, snapping his attention around the floppy-eared grey skilled being. Wearing a tight-fit tuxedo, he looked every inch a butler. ¡°Sir?¡± it repeated in its snide tone. ¡°Ah, oh right. Hares, I mean here is my badge? Something about behind the curtain for a Tellers area?¡± Frag said lifting the badge for inspection. The server took a brief look at the green badge before its eyes widened slightly. ¡°Of course sir, I didn¡¯t realize you were of such prestigious patronage. I will be happy to escort you to your destination. In the future, please dress more ¡­ appropriately. I understand someone of your social standing desires to go incognito ¡­ however the fruit peel is too much.¡± Frag blinked and looked down at his shirt, realizing he had literally been hiding in a pile of garbage less than an hour ago. He hadn¡¯t even changed before coming straight here. Facepalming he said, ¡°Of course. Well, sometimes situations dictate extreme responses.¡± Seemingly satisfied the server led him directly across the room, through the back curtain, and showed him where the Tellers area was. After stepping inside the room he took note of a half dozen other beings there with him. All much better dressed. And not smelling of a trash heap. They stared at Frag and Frag stared right back. Then he waved, ¡°Hello everyone, my name is Frag. I¡¯m here to be the best Teller and win that prize. Or my boss will send me back to the bigger boss in a box.¡± The disgust on the other''s faces turned to looks of surprise, then wariness as Frag all but described his chain of command. A small furry bear-like creature in a white toga spoke up first and said, ¡°And who, pray tell, is your boss?¡± ¡°Oh, Bookworm! Her name is Sarah though. She¡¯s great. Love her to pieces. Very strict with her rules though,¡± Frag said. He continued on to describe the amazing situation he found himself in when his current boss bought him from his previous boss. He never even saw two of the Tellers dart out of the room, as enraptured in telling the story as he was. ¡° ¡­ as that¡¯s what brings me here now!¡± he finished with a smile. The little bear stared at him, ¡°I don¡¯t know if your insane, the best Teller ever, or some random guy off the street who managed to trick the bouncer into giving you a green badge. But damn if that wasn¡¯t one of the most entertaining stories I¡¯ve heard in a while.¡± ¡°Well thanks!¡± Frag began as a noise chimed over the backroom. The bear needed and headed for the door, ¡°Looks like a few didn¡¯t want to compete with a Teller from such a ¡­ dangerous background. I¡¯m glad there¡¯s still some competition left. Any mention of Bookworm tends to clear the room. Although five tellers are not as good as seven this should still prove amusing. Good luck.¡± And with that, he was gone. Frag took a moment to inspect his competition. There was a tree with eyes, a large grey rat in a leather vest, what looked like some kind of floating eyeball with tentacles, and a small golden aquatic being in a bowl of water. ¡°Uhm, hi there,¡± Frag started but was ignored. They sat in tense silence for a moment before a voice called out into the room, ¡°Twiggy! You''re on!¡± and with that, the tree crawled across the room and out the curtain on its roots. Frag stared at it go, fascinated by the strange method of locomotion. ¡°Ghants are always interesting to watch move. No two are ever the same,¡± muttered the rat-man. Then he lapsed back into silence. The occasional murmuring from the Teller and the call of the crowd the only breaks to the silence. Eventually, the aquatic being was called up, the voice calling into the back, ¡°Bubbles McFish up front!¡± The table it was sitting on turned out to be a mechanical crawler with six legs. Frag shivered with the creepiness of watching it unfold and examined the other nearby end table to ensure it wouldn¡¯t turn into a creepy-crawly either. The rat-man gave him some odd looks, but again mostly ignored Frag and his attempt to converse. After another twenty minutes of waiting Mr. Rat was called upfront. No name was present other than that and, at this point, Frag was getting a bit nervous. The floating eyeball eyeballed Frag. Eventually, it said, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous little pale being. The crowd is not known for often tearing one apart if their Telling is poorly done.¡± Frag wasn¡¯t sure if the weird eyeball was meant to be reassuring or not but he replied anyway, ¡°Thanks bud. I will keep that firmly in mind. Tell a good story and don¡¯t die.¡±