T. Harris - The Tactics of Revenge

“That makes sense,” said General Steven Block, USAF. “So you’re saying this side of the galaxy is more-or-less ours for the taking?”

“Pretty much, sir. However, this side of the galaxy contains most of the unsettled sectors of the Expansion and has always required more military resources to keep them in line. The other side is where the Expansion has been established the longest. Peace has reigned there much longer.”

“Are you saying that the Juireans may not have that many more assets to throw against us?” Nate asked, incredulously. “They’re a god-damn galactic empire, for Christ’s sake! They have to have more than one fleet.”

“You must remember, sir, that another five hundred ships were destroyed off the Earth, plus another eight hundred or so since the start of this campaign. That may not sound like a lot for something as large as the Expansion, but the Juireans have not had to fight a major war in over a thousand years or so, and nothing as serious as this one — well, ever. They simply have not had the need for more military assets.”

“Unbelievable,” Nate Allen said. “I’m not saying you’re right, Mr. Rittenberg, but if you are, then we’ve just about got this war won.”

“Sir, the Juireans will recover, in time. They still have incredible industrial capabilities and trillions upon trillions of beings from which to recruit.”

“We can’t let them do that, Admiral,” Lee threw in. “If we rest now, and simply consolidate our holdings on this side of the galaxy, it will give the bastards time to recover.”

“Agreed,” said Admiral Allen. “But we need a target, and it doesn’t look like the Juireans will be able to provide us with one for quite a while.”

“There is one, sir,” Tim said, speaking up finally. All eyes turned to him.

“Where?”

He walked over to the large screen; Rittenberg stepped out of him way. Tim then placed his finger on a point on the other side of the galactic core. “Right here.”

Everyone in the room leaned in for a closer look.

“Where is that?” the admiral asked.

“It’s the planet Juir.”

Jonnif of the Kracori, Commander of the Ludif Forces operating with the Klin, was as furious as he could get without being engaged in a death-frenzy. His two loyal assistants, Kolif and Bulinif were equally upset. The Humans had managed to thwart years of planning in the span of three hours, destroying a Juirean fleet and revealing an unbeatable force that could now run rampant throughout this part of the galaxy.

The three Kracori were in Joniff’s private chambers aboard the Klin flagship, trying to sort out their options in the face of this staggering new reality.

“The Klin have completely underestimated the Humans, and this breakdown has jeopardized all of our plans as well,” Jonnif declared.

Bulinif dropped heavily onto the couch and kicked a leg up on the arm rest. “The Klin are the weak-links here. They have procrastinated for generations in taking the initiative against the Juireans and their obsession with the Humans has now cost us the advantage.”

“You speak the truth, Bulinif,” Jonnif said. He had pulled an intoxicant from the wall dispenser and downed the drink in a single gulp. The strong liquid would clear his head in a moment or two. “I’m afraid it is now obvious that the Klin have outlived their usefulness. They promised us a share of the entire Expansion, and they cannot even deliver on part of it. And now they have armed and trained an opposition force greater than even the Juireans. I see no reason to continue with this charade.”

Kolif downed his own intoxicant and then slammed the glass down on the table before him. “Agreed. The Klin are so few anyway that they would have been of no help in any major battle. The legend of the Klin was to provide us with the credibility necessary to rule, but now it is the legend of Earth that must be overcome.”

Jonnif suddenly stood up from where he sat and activated the monitor that made up a good portion of the tabletop where Kolif sat. He leaned over the display. Bulinif rose from the couch and joined his two companions, now huddled over the table. Jonnif pulled up a representation of the central region of the galaxy and placed his finger on a point just above the galactic core.

“Juir is the key, my Ludifs. Whoever controls Juir controls the Expansion.”

“This is true, Jonnif, but the Humans now have an open corridor all the way there,” Bulinif said. “It was our plan all along. Once the Humans and Juireans were destroyed, we could then run straight to the planet with very little resistance, arriving long before the Juireans could recover. Now we cannot do that.”

“And why not?” Jonnif asked. “The Humans are neophytes in the ways of the Expansion. They may not even know that their path is clear.”

Bulinif’s eyes grew wide. “That is correct! They have won a battle here, but they may not even realize that the war is essentially won. Now all they need to do is move on Juir.”

“And that is all we have to do, as well. The first force to reach Juir — and destroy the capital of the Expansion — can claim the mantel of ruler of the new Expansion, or whatever the Ludif Assembly will choose to call it.” He grinned at his two companions. “And without the Klin to restrict our operations, we will be free to rebuild the galaxy into whatever form we choose.”

“What of the Humans?” Kolif asked. “Even with the Juireans and the Klin defeated, there would still be a powerful force left to challenge our authority.”

“This is true, my Ludif. The Humans will have to be dealt with, that is a certainty. However, our priority should now be to beat them to the planet Juir. We may not have the strength to defeat their fleet, but we do have ample power to lay waste to the home of the Juirean scum.”

“And the Klin?”

Jonnif smiled again. “Let a purge of our own begin. Just as the Humans have recently discovered, they are of no further use to us. Assemble the fleet — and set a course for Juir!”

Juirean Overlord Anawar Fe Batlin looked over the shoulder of the screen operator and frowned. “Are you sure?” he asked the nervous Fenwolenese, squirming in his chair.

“Yes, my Lord. It matches the signature we now have in our database. It is definitely a Klin — or I mean — a Human spacecraft.”

“Cluster the ships on my location, we are going to investigate. Raise the shields and charge the launchers,” The Overlord returned to his command chair, both shocked and surprised that he would find such a vessel so far above the ecliptic plane. From his understanding, all the Human battle forces were concentrated in Region Six and well within the plane.

This fact was actually the reason Anawar was where he was at the time. He had been tasked with rounding up all available Juirean military craft from the outlying systems, no matter how small or insignificant those vessels may be. He was then to escort them Juir; the Authority was in the process of consolidating all available forces there, either as a buffer against the advancing Humans, or as the core of a new fleet to be sent against them.

Anawar’s picking had been sparse, and to date he had acquired only two aging Class-3’s, four small Enforcers and four other craft that had been originally merchant vessels, yet now carried single bolt launchers on their bows. It wasn’t much, but it was all the isolated and nearly-forgotten Members of the outer Expansion had to offer.

The fact that a Klin-built ship — whether manned by Klin or Humans — had been detected this far from the battle theater raised a variety of concerns for the aging Overlord.