Short story in progress: "Bloodlust - Business as Usual

[Neo-Mekanta]

-Karyat Subcluster, Axis 1729 Space
--Sector Five Asteroid Field

Peret's warning over comm came too late for the twelve destroyers, nine cruisers, and sole battleship of the Third Fleet's recon group to react.

Asteroids splinered and exploded as six Zircon Strikers, hidden within the stone, shattered thier prisons. The sizable, heavily armed Zircon battleships hung in the void for a moment, letting thier presence sink in before the hundreds of Zircon eyes set into thier surfaces began glowing brightly.

Hundreds of lances of sapphire light followed, tearing through the non-combat shields of the Tsthathi ships like wet paper and ripping into their hulls. The crusiers were hit the hardest, with one of the warships suffering an overload of its power system that tore it apart. A destroyer was also disabled by the initial barrage, a single beam oblitorating the bridge.

The remaining ships managed to raise thier shields before a second barrage, and issued a deadly retort. Torpedoes and plasma bolts streaked through the void, impacting with flesh of the Zircon ships with surprising effect. But relentlessly, the Zircon continued pounding on the Tsthathi ships. Another barrage flashed forth, the Zircon focusing thier fire on another Cruiser. The ship couldn't take the barrage, its shields collapsing and allowing a storm of Zircon Beams to punch through its hull.

Three more destroyers had fallen before the Tsthathi ships managed to bring down one of the Zircon ships, the stone-like vessel simply crumbling into dust as all three of its control nodes collapsed. A second fell shortly afterward, leading the remaining four to apparently decide they had thier fun for the day and jump out.

"This is Genwa 7 requesting rescue and support. Zircon ambush. Likely more."

"Roawe 120 to Genwa 7, our battle group is in your area. Just sit tight, manno.."

"Negative, Roawe 120, your battle group has been out for three weeks now. Return to port."

"Roger, Genwa 7. Good luck, manno."


-Roawe colony, Axis 1729 Space
--Councilor Giila's Office

"Grandfather?" Shara whispered, poking her head into the spacious, lavish office. "I'm sorry I took so long." She had run off to the restroom after delivering the councilor's painkiller, but found that an aide's robes could be quite... difficult.

The calm chuckle of the old man sitting behind a broad wooden desk eased her mind. "Don't worry, Granddaughter. I was an aide once too you know. Oh, how I hated those robes..." Councilor Uden Giila sighed, leaning back in his chair. "And that damn 'always walk with grace and dignity' crap. Oh, but how I wish I were still in those days..."

Shara nodded, smiling. A piece of paper on the desk caught her eye, however, the mark of the Axis Defense Forces reminding her about it. "... General Gathew seemed... troubled..."

"... Yes, Granddaughter... He opposed the war, you see." Councilor Giila gestured to the paper, sighing. "This is his resignation letter, effective after the war's end."

"After?"

"The General opposes the war, but you see, he still desires to see the citizens of Roawe, indeed, all of Axis 1729 protected from the Hegemony..." A bitter smile crossed Uden's face. "Even though he fears the Mekantans with all his heart, his oath and attachment to Axis 1729 bound him to the cluster's decision. It's the same bindings that we councilors bear."

"... Grandfather... Will Mekanta attack us?"

"While you were in the restroom, they already did."

"What!?"

"A task force from Genwa was ambushed by Zircon. Three hundred people died." Councilor Giila looked intently at his granddaughter for a moment, sighing. "... Do you believe I did the right thing...?"

Shara was silent a moment, deep in thought, before nodding. "Of course, Grandfather. They weren't just people... They were citizens of the cluster, and soldiers bound by oath and blood... It was thier freedom too, that they fought for."

Uden just chuckled, smiling broadly. "Someday, you'll make a fine councilor. Someday after the war..."


-Zircon Hiveswarm, Solar Cluster of the Hegemony Capital System of Citadel
--Central Hive Cluster

Two Strikers were nothing to the Zircon. Six Strikers were nothing to the Zircon. A force another race would consider a full armada was nothing to the Zircon.

That tyrannical savage Xaethrial and boisterous hothead Kaethxal would have gladly sacrificed the additional four ships used to attack the Tsthathi rebels, knowing thier deaths meant nothing.

But Xerenth, Hivemaster of the Solar Cluster Swarm, knew their retreat did mean something. The Tsthathi had a taste of Zircon might, in as shocking a way as Xerenth could arrange. By retreating, he planted a false sense of accomplishment and strength in the Tsthathi fleets, a foolish hope that they could hold back the Zircon tide.

How little they knew...