Star Force: Starchaser (SF69) (3 page)

The Elder had told him that The Nexus would not last,
and if they were actively pushing beyond their already oversized borders and
picking fights with others then he could see one of them pushing back and
wiping them out. He wasn’t sure if the Preema were capable of that or not, but
The Nexus had been given a break when they did not counterattack…or had they
anticipated that and the invasion been a probing mechanism?

There was conflict there regardless, and given that
Cal-com was an ally of an ally with a member race of The Nexus could
potentially be an issue, but again, the Preema were seeking the Voku out. They
had to have a pretty big reason to do so and since it hadn’t come on the back
of an invasion force he didn’t think it was with hostile intention. Nor were
his forces anywhere near Preema borders, so a warning was probably not at issue
either. Cal-com had put out an open call for allies against the lizards, but
the Preema were so far away from them it didn’t seem likely that they would
take issue with the distant enemy…especially since the lizards’ tech level was
so low as to not pose a significant threat to them.

Whatever was going on was important, for this was not
a low level race. That meant Cal-com needed to meet with their emissary
personally rather than rely on an intermediary. With language issues being
ever-present with first contact situations the less ambiguity involved in the
process the better. He didn’t want to bring the Preema here, so he decided to
go to them after he finished the review of their data packet.

Cal-com transferred up to orbit and boarded one of his
conglomerates, taking it and it alone out of the system and across lizard
territory. Between the weaponry and the speed of his ships he had nothing to
fear from the lizards so long as he didn’t enter planetary orbit. Stopping a
conglomerate as it transitioned around a star was something the lizards just
couldn’t do, so even though he was in the middle of enemy territory it did not
matter. Most of the galaxy was empty space, and if you knew how to navigate you
could stay clear of the real ‘territory’ that races possessed, for dots on a
map were one thing, but the actual geography of a star system was mostly unclaimable
space.

And if the lizards happened to have an ambush fleet waiting
along Cal-com’s course he wouldn’t mind a short delay to destroy some more of
their ships. The less they had the less danger they posed to his wards and
allies, despite their building capability. It might look like they had an
infinite supply of ships, but he knew that wasn’t true of anyone. Illusions
factored heavily into life, and the ignorant often took them at face value.
Every lizard ship he killed mattered in the grand scheme of the war even if he
never personally knew the implications of it.

3

June 19, 2825

Djaret
System (Voku
territory)

Djar

Cal-com stood on a neutral platform having been
constructed by the Preema on the surface of the Voku planet to serve as a
meeting place, for neither race could exist in the atmosphere of the other and
facilities on either’s ship were not accommodating to the needs for this
occasion. The Preema had anticipated this and brought the construct with them,
then having landed it within the oxygen-rich atmosphere once Cal-com had given
them permission.

It had been inspected by his troops to ensure there
were no snares or hazards prior to his landing, with him walking up onto the
spherical platform that was bisected with a clear energy shield. His side held
the planet’s native atmosphere while the other held a pocket of the dark brown
tinted air that the Preema breathed. When the allotted time came within 30 seconds
a speck appeared in the sky above Cal-com that resolved itself into a trio of
small craft descending towards the platform, save for the fact that they
weren’t craft, but rather the Preema themselves.

Cal-com didn’t realize that until the first of them came
within the atmospheric shell and its metallic wings folded up along its torso,
then the material molded into the body of the Preema and the front of it split
apart, revealing glowing white flesh that stepped out of the armor and into the
open. The other two landed alongside it but remained within their armor, much
as Cal-com had guards of his own with him, though they were stationed outside
on the planet’s surface and these two were on the platform itself.

Cal-com wore the protective shields that his race
favored over armor, so he had a measure of defense if something in this meeting
were to go the wrong way that the Preema couldn’t see, though they might have
guessed from the small pieces of equipment he wore over his bodysuit.

“
I offer our
greetings, Voku
,” the Preema said through some form of translation
software, for the words he heard in his own language were slightly delayed from
the sounds the Preema was uttering. “
We
are pleased you agreed to meet with us personally
.”

“
Why are you
here?
” Cal-com asked, getting straight to the point.

“
It is customary
for us to make introductions when a race of sufficient caliber crosses through
the local region, though our purpose here is twofold. We have heard your
warnings of a primitive but dangerous race slowly approaching us and have
investigated the matter from afar. We know little, but enough to see that the
threat is not in sheer force, but through uncontrollable numbers spreading and
consuming more worlds than anyone can safeguard. If this threat is to eventually
make it to our borders, we would prefer to counter it sooner rather than later,
if possible
.
We are here to discuss
possible avenues to do so,
” the Preema said, sitting down on the ground so
that its head sat just a touch lower than Cal-com’s

The Voku stared into its six green eyes and could feel
the physical power of the flying quadruped. Unlike others he’d come across,
this avian was not fragile. Light perhaps for its size, but far
outmassing
him with enough musculature that he could tell
it could handle itself in ground combat…and with the way its real wings tucked
in along its sides he wouldn’t have known it could fly had he not seen it for
himself.

The ears were barely noticeable, mere pinpricks along
the sides of its large head and also six in number. Its skin was truly white,
but also seemed to glow a bit despite the overhead sun. Bioluminescent he
assumed, and the claws on its feet were just as pale, though they seemed less
luminous but razor sharp and the length of Cal-com’s fingers. It had two on
each foot, with the front pair sticking out between the Voku and the
Preema’s
head as it sat, giving him a good view of the
tattoo-like grooves carved into them.

“
At present we
are simply trying to protect a designated region
,” Cal-com explained. “
A full victory over the Li’vorkrachnika
appears to be untenable short of eradicating them from the galaxy. We do not
have the strength or numbers for that, and it would be difficult to know that
we’d gotten them all. Their civilization appears to be redundant, and no matter
how small a piece of it survives can result in the regrowth of the whole. We’ve
seen this in small scenarios when a single ship takes possession of a world
then populates it entirely from local resources and personnel that they grow on
site.
”

“
A worthy
opponent given their lack of technology
.”

“
A menace that
must not be taken lightly
.”

“
We do not take
anything lightly, Voku. And we rarely leave our own borders. The fact that we
are here discussing this now should be testament to our seriousness
.”

“
This enemy is
also devious beyond measure and not afraid to spend lives to test theories or
achieve objectives, no matter how great the loss. This is battle experience
that I have with them and you do not, hence my warning
.”

“
Your caution is
noted
.”

“
From what I
know of you, your empire is larger than that of the Li’vorkrachnika, though
condensed into a somewhat small region of this galactic arm
.”

“
Correct on both
counts
.”

“
You obviously
have a great deal of resources at your command, more so than even I do. How do
you think to implement them?
”

“
However is
necessary to keep this race from ever reaching our borders
.”

“
You can do that
on your own merits. Why have you sought me out?
”

“
As you have
said, this enemy is far too widespread to counter directly. You are seeking
allies to contain their spread. So too now are we, and we wish to begin with
those who have already seen success against the
Li’vorkrachnika.
Even now there is a race that is pushing them back. True?
”

“
We are, where
our limited territorial acquisitions have taken root
.”

“
Our information
spoke of another that you have ties with. There are rumors abound near the
front lines of ones called Human
.”

“
What you refer
to is a conglomeration of factions led by Humans and is called Star Force. They
are an ally of the Voku, but their territory is on the far side of the
Li’vorkrachnika domain and they will not be able to assist in efforts to
contain their spread on this side
.”

“
We also hear
that the great Skarron
empire
is falling to this
enemy. Can you confirm this?
”

“
The Skarrons
have lost a significant number of systems, but percentage wise it is minimal to
date, though the carnage continues mostly beyond my ability to monitor
.”

 
“
And this small conglomerate ally of yours
succeeds where they have failed?
”

“
Yes they are,
and I believe they will continue to do so, but the Li’vorkrachnika will spread
to more systems faster than Star Force can take them away. They cannot stop
them, but they are no longer victims of them and appear to be able to conquer
what they will
.”

“
And what of the
Voku?
”

“
We are here for
other purposes
.”

“
Safeguarding
distant allies?
”

“
Yes we are
,”
Cal-com admitted. “
And the best way I
have found to do that is by decreeing a border against the Li’vorkrachnika that
we will hold, regardless of whether or not we possess the systems under threat.
It is not a solution, but a stopgap measure that achieves our current goals.
The larger an area we can patrol and protect the better, though our own ship
count is lacking, mostly in terms of reconnaissance. The Li’vorkrachnika can
spread where we are not looking with little cost to themselves, and such easy
victories we cannot allow. We need eyes and ears throughout the galactic arm,
in addition to
warfleets
to enforce this border
.”

“
Never-ending
wars are not to be entered into lightly
,” the Preema cautioned.

“
The
Li’vorkrachnika offer no less. Perpetual fighting or submission, the latter of
which almost always results in annihilation. They rarely coopt other races,
though it has been documented on occasion.
”

“
Your
information did not specify a homeworld
.”

“
They may have
one for nostalgia sake, but their redundancy makes it a moot point. We do know
that they have a region of higher density population and infrastructure, from
which the rest of their empire is spreading out. That group of systems is far
from here, and even if we managed to destroy each and every one it would not
end the threat. Already worlds of similar caliber are under construction within
what had once been Skarron territory, and every Li’vorkrachnika world has the
potential to upgrade into such given enough time. They do not have a central
point for us to strike at
.”

“
Am I to assume
they are not interested in diplomacy?
”

“
Nor in
surrender. Star Force offers it as a matter of principle in every engagement,
and to date they have never accepted. Those prisoners taken try to do whatever
damage they can and, failing that, attempt to end their own lives. The
Li’vorkrachnika civilization seeks to consume all it encounters. They cannot be
reasoned with, for theirs is a race built and bred for conquest
.”

“
So we have been
told
,” the Preema said satisfactorily. “
That
is why we are here now rather than waiting for the situation to worsen. Our
sources have also said that the Li’vorkrachnika have obtained technological
enhancements in recent history, enough to tip the balance in some regional
conflicts. The longer we wait and the more races they conquer the stronger they
will theoretically grow on that front, which is why a strategy must be developed
to counter them above and beyond mere containment, for time appears to be their
ally. Our own people have not discovered a potential solution, so we wish to
consult with those who have fought and are currently fighting with
them…especially those that are succeeding in those conflicts
.”

Cal-com studied the Preema for a moment. “
You are not here to waste my time with
unnecessary pleasantries.
”

“
No
.”

“
You understand
the unusual threat they pose and the challenges in battling it, and like us you
don’t see a solution
.”

“
Not an obvious
one, but their existence has only recently been brought to our attention. Their
primitive technology makes them beatable, how to go about doing so in a final
solution is the question at hand. If a purge is required then the price is
going to be a steep one to pay in years, but if it has to be done we need to
begin now, for exponential growth will only risk delay long enough for them to
feast off their conquests and raise their technology level enough to take away
our outright
dominance.
We will need to destroy them
quickly and easily to combat their numbers. Even a small advancement will
diminish our ability to do this. Where the failure mark lies we do not know,
but
so
long as the days progress we are slowly
approaching it. If the Preema wait until this threat is at our borders, we fear
it will be too late. Hence this is why we have responded to your general
summons and sought you out
.”

“
How long have
you been aware of the Skarron
empire
?
”

“
A very long
time
.”

“
They have been
an enemy of the Voku for some time. What is your standing with them?
”

“
None. We know
of them, but have never interacted given the distance between our territories.
”

“
Theirs was
spreading in your direction prior to the Li’vorkrachnika invasion
.”

“
Which was why
we took notice of them from afar
.”

“
I would like to
know how many other strong empires you know of, for I do not believe that
anyone is safe from this menace, and the more systems we can deprive them of,
either through prevention or
reconquest
, the less difficult
this monumental task will become
.”

“
We only speak
for ourselves, but we can arrange introductions to others if you so wish. I
would not wager they would involve themselves until the threat is upon their
doorstep. We are more proactive than most.
”

“
This is a
region of the galaxy that the Voku are new to, so even a simple map would be of
use to us.
”

“
That we can and
will provide to you before the day is out. But make one thing known…while we
will fight the Li’vorkrachnika out of necessity, we will not be claiming any
territory beyond what we currently possess. That is why we cannot fight this
enemy on our own. Systems purged must be consolidated, else we risk them being
reacquired by the enemy once we move on. We can assist in fighting them, but we
will not become stewards of the galaxy to prevent their spread. Our borders are
fixed and will remain so
.”

“
Neither can the
Voku afford such expansion
,” Cal-com agreed. “
A collaboration must be achieved from the current races under threat in
this region before they are exterminated. Those in former Skarron territory are
beyond our reach
.”