Armada (The Pike Chronicles Book 8) Read online

  ARMADA

  Book 7 of The Pike Chronicles

  G.P. Hudson

  © 2017

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  The Pike Chronicles:

  Sol Shall Rise – Book 1 of The Pike Chronicles

  Prevail – Book 2 of The Pike Chronicles

  Ronin – Book 3 of The Pike Chronicles

  Ghost Fleet – Book 4 of The Pike Chronicles

  Interstellar War – Book 5 of The Pike Chronicles

  Vanquish – Book 6 of The Pike Chronicles

  Galactic Empire – Book 7 of The Pike Chronicles

  Armada – Book 8 of The Pike Chronicles

  Fall of the Terran Empire:

  War Without End – Fall of the Terran Empire Book 1

  This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in the book are fictional and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved, no part of this book may be reproduced in any form, other than for review purposes, without the permission of the publisher and copyright owner.

  Cover art by Tom Edwards

  Chapter 1

  Consul Elvira Kang studied the holographic simulation of the battle between her ships, and the strange human vessels. She still found it hard to believe that these puny creatures could so easily defeat a Dvorkan Imperial squadron. At first glance, her warships outclassed the alien ships in every way. Yet the humans possessed wondrous technology, and that very technology ensured their victory.

  She suspected that the humans had advanced propulsion systems. Kang hoped the capture of that tech would win her favor at the Imperial court, and get her off this desolate rock of a planet. An assignment on one of the more civilized worlds would have been ideal. Unfortunately, she miscalculated.

  The humans did indeed have advanced propulsion technology. Technology they had adapted to their weapon systems. Analyzing the battle now, it was clear that her squadron had little chance. Even worse, rather than gaining Imperial favor, she now had the abysmal duty of explaining how she lost so many ships.

  Kang considered just telling the truth. She did have evidence to back up her story. But then she would need to explain why she hadn’t initially reported her suspicions. Central Command would think her greedy, and incompetent. Not only did she try to claim all the glory for herself, she also let the aliens get away, depriving the Empire of their scientific advances.

  Wearily, she rubbed her temples. They would take everything from her. Her command. Her rank. Even this miserable planet. All the privileges of her status would vanish. Her entire life flipped upside down.

  As she sat there, licking her wounds, the face of one of her subordinates suddenly replaced the battle simulation. Captain Keen. She narrowed her eyes at the man, already chewing on several enticing punishments for this brash interruption. She hadn’t lost her status yet. Might as well take advantage of her power before it was gone.

  “Forgive my intrusion, Consul Kang, but a fleet of alien warships has just appeared in this system,” Keen said uneasily.

  “Have the humans returned?” said Kang perking up. Could this be a second chance?

  “We don’t believe so. These ships are a different configuration, and they are not responding to hails.”

  “I see. How have you responded?”

  “Planetary weapon systems are on alert, and all available ships are taking defensive positions.”

  “Are our ships cloaked?”

  “Yes, Consul. The aliens do not know our numbers.”

  Kang pulled up a secondary display and gasped as she tapped into Captain Keen’s feed. Hundreds of unidentified alien warships approached the planet in a clear battle formation. These ships were not human. They were more alien. Somehow sinister. There could be no doubt about their intentions. “If they have not responded by the time they reach weapons range, you are authorized to open fire. I will advise Central Command of our situation and request reinforcements.”

  “Understood. Keen out.”

  Captain Keen’s face vanished from the holographic display, leaving the feed of the alien fleet hovering over Kang’s desk. Kang made a quick copy of the feed, and sent it to her superiors at Central Command, along with a request for assistance. Unfortunately, she knew that help wouldn’t arrive in time. Their forces were woefully outnumbered to do anything more than delay the inevitable.

  Kang opened a second comm, and the face of her personal assistant, Shun, appeared. “Yes, Consul?” said the mighty Dvorkan who doubled as her bodyguard. A former member of the Imperial Special Forces, Shun was a formidable obstacle for anyone trying to harm her.

  “Get my ship ready. We’re leaving the dome immediately,” she said.

  “May I ask our destination?” said Shun.

  “The bunker. This planet is about to come under attack.”

  Her assistant remained stoic. Calm. “Leave it to me.”

  While the domed cities made this planet habitable, they were a terrible place to be in times of war. There were fortified shelters under the domes for the civilian populations. In the case of a breach, the shelters would ensure their survival. For people like Kang, however, there was a secret off-site command bunker. Once there, she could coordinate a planetary response.

  Kang rose from her desk, gathered her things, and headed for the exit. Outside, she found Shun waiting by her ship, its engines already powered up. Kang and Shun boarded, and the craft raced away. Once safely in the air, Kang issued a general order, requiring all civilians to evacuate to their respective bunkers.

  The consular craft sped toward the edge of the city, and the dome enclosure. Kang pulled up a feed of the battle now raging in space. Her blood ran cold. The enemy possessed unfamiliar shielding technology, that diminished the effect of the formidable Dvorkan weapons.

  She cringed as the first Imperial warship blew apart, followed quickly by another, then another. As their defenses crumbled, the battle became even more lopsided. To their credit, the Dvorkan ships adapted, managing to destroy a few of the enemy ships. They could focus their combined firepower until the shields collapsed. But it wouldn’t be enough, and the outcome was a foregone conclusion.

  The Dvorkans had long desired a return to their age of glory. From this encounter with this new enemy, however, Kang feared that they might enter a new age of slavery instead.

  Chapter 2

  The Builders, the Antikitheri, stared back at Jon, three sets of large eyes appraising him from the shroud of their swirling vortexes. They had agreed to Jon’s request for help. They would return to the Milky Way galaxy and chase off the Erinyie. Jon had gotten everything he had come for, but something nagged at him. These beings were practically immortal. Did they understand time in the same way as humans?

  “When exactly will you return to our galaxy to help us?” said Jon.

  “We have said we will return. Why do you seek additional assurances?” The green Builder’s swirling form crackled with energy as it spoke.

  “I am not questioning your intent. You said you will come, and I accept that you will keep your word. I am merely concerned that time does not hold the same urgency for you, as it does for us.”

  “It is a temporal inquiry,” said the blue form.

  “He is linear,” said the red Builder.

  “It’s not just that I am linear,” Jon added. “Our lifespans are short. If you take too long we may all be dead by the time you return.”

  “It is a
selfish question,” said the green form. “He fears for his existence. Strange that this base creature is the Foreseen.”

  “We will assist your species,” said the red Builder. “Is that not what you seek?”

  “Yes, but not just my species. There are many other species affected by the Erinyie’s intervention.”

  “All will benefit from our assistance,” said the red Builder.

  “Our species will benefit when you decide to act, but what happens in the meantime? Are we just supposed to suffer?”

  “You have shown that your species lacks humility, Jon Pike,” said the blue form.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You are irreverent,” the blue form continued. “Even now, as you stand before the Builders of your galaxy, you show disrespect. We were there when your world took shape. We watched as the first of your species took their first breaths. Do you even fathom who it is you stand before?”

  Jon rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I fathom who you are. I get it. You want me to kiss your asses. You think I should worship you like the Freen do. But you forget something. I have your DNA. You said so yourself. If you are gods, what does that make me? Some kind of demigod? Am I Heracles now?”

  “Silence!” said the green Builder, violent electrical sparks arced outwards from his rapidly swirling form. “His insolence knows no bounds!”

  “Admiral, I do not think it is wise to anger them,” whispered Miira, the giant blue Dvorkan scholar.

  The red form remained thoughtful. “He is insolent. That cannot be denied. Yet, neither can we deny the fact that he is the Foreseen. That he is of the Antikitheri.”

  “That does not permit his behavior!” said the green form, sparks still crackling all around his vortex.

  “He will learn,” said the red form. “Our children will teach him.

  “Look, I really don’t mean to be disrespectful,” said Jon. “I know how powerful you are, and how long you’ve been around. But my species has suffered greatly already. You’ve been gone from my galaxy for a long time. The Erinyie have not. They’ve built up a powerful race known as the Juttari. This race enslaved my species for five hundred years. We’ve had to fight for our freedom. We’ve fought for everything we have. Fighting is all my species knows. To expect us to suffer for a few more centuries is intolerable. We need your help now, not a hundred years from now.”

  “Their species is worthy,” said the red Builder.

  “Is it enough?” said the green Builder, the sparks subsiding.

  “Unknown. The temporal curve is in flux,” said the blue Builder.

  “Okay, I don’t know what any of that means,” said Jon. “Are you going to tell me when you will help us?”

  “You are the Foreseen, Jon Pike,” said the red Builder. “Your galaxy’s future is yours to mold.”

  “I don’t understand. What about the Erinyie?”

  “The Erinyie are for us.” The red Builder held Jon’s gaze for a moment, then vanished.

  “What just happened,” said Jon, looking around the bridge. “Where did they go?”

  “I believe your audience with the Antikitheri is over,” said Miira.

  “But they didn’t answer my question.”

  On the viewscreen, the monolithic Antikitheri warships began to disappear. Moments later, the Freen commander appeared again on Jon’s comm. The birdlike creature watched Jon silently with those creepy black eyes.

  “Why did the Antikitheri leave?” Jon said to the Freen commander.

  “The darkness has retreated.”

  “I see,” said Jon, wondering why everyone in this galaxy seemed so strange. “What happens now?”

  “We seek only to serve.”

  Jon took a deep, calming breath. “Yes, I understand. You serve the Antikitheri.”

  “The Antikitheri have told us that you are the Foreseen. That you are of the Antikitheri. It is a great honor to be in your exalted presence.”

  “Really?”

  “Please forgive my earlier transgression. I was ignorant of the truth.”

  “Don’t worry about it. It’s forgotten.”

  “The Foreseen is most benevolent.”

  “You don’t need to keep praising me, you know.”

  “Of course. The Foreseen is most wise.”

  Jon turned his head to the side, cracking his neck. It helped to slightly relieve the tension. “If the Antikitheri have left, then they’re probably not coming back anytime soon, right?”

  “They will come when needed. Or not. No one knows the way of the gods.”

  “Right. Then that’s it. All that’s left is for us is to return to our galaxy, and hope for the best.”

  “The Antikitheri have told us this as well. The Foreseen must take care. The way back is treacherous.”

  “Because of the Var?”

  “Yes. We will provide an honor guard to ensure the Foreseen’s safety. Does the Foreseen accept our humble gift?”

  “An honor guard, huh? Sure, we’ll take whatever help we can get.”

  “We are grateful for this opportunity to serve. Your honor guard is being assembled.”

  “That’s great.”

  The Freen commander bowed his head. “We will contact the Foreseen once his honor guard has gathered.”

  “Wait,” said Jon. “I have a request.”

  “We only wish to serve,” said the commander.

  “I noticed during the battle with the Var, that both the Freen and Var possess technology that shields your vessels from enemy fire.”

  “Yes, although the effects of this technology are temporary. The shield’s effectiveness diminishes with each impact, eventually rendering it ineffective.”

  “Still, the shields offer some protection. Especially in the beginning of an encounter.”

  “This is correct.”

  “You see, commander, we do not possess any form of shield technology. This leaves us particularly vulnerable to our enemies.”

  “Truly, your people are at a disadvantage.”

  “Yes, but we don’t have to be. You could share the technology with us. We would be very grateful.”

  “You seek to benefit freely from our science?”

  “Well… yes. I mean, we are friends, aren’t we?”

  “You are the Foreseen. We are the Freen,” said the commander, as if it explained everything.

  “I don’t understand,” said Jon.

  “You have our service, our respect, and our honor guard.”

  “But not your science?”

  “We would not dishonor the Foreseen in such a way.”

  “Okay, let’s not forget that we are from another galaxy. How exactly would you be dishonoring me?”

  “You are the Foreseen, not some wretched species seeking charity.”

  “I think they want to trade, Admiral,” whispered Miira. “Doing otherwise would be disrespectful in their eyes.”

  Jon nodded in agreement. “What if we gave you some of our technology in return? Would that make things more honorable?”

  “The Foreseen is most wise. We have witnessed your ability to propel munitions as if they were starships.”

  “The jump bombs. You want to trade our jump bomb technology in return for your shield technology?”

  “We would consider that an honorable arrangement.”

  “Done. You have a deal.”

  “The Foreseen is magnanimous.”

  “It’s a pleasure doing business with you too.”

  Chapter 3

  The hatch to the shuttlecraft swung open, and a very tall, slender alien, in black military uniform emerged. The short pointy beak, and dark piercing eyes left no doubt as to the alien’s species. Freen.

  Jon approached the bird-like alien with Chief Engineer Simmons. Upon seeing Jon, the creature dropped down on one knee, raised its elbows high, and simultaneously covered its eyes with the back of its gloved hands.

  “Okay,” Jon said as he came to a stop, surprised by the gesture.
Unsure how to proceed, he chose to go with his original plan. “Greetings, I am Admiral Jon Pike, and this is Chief Engineer Simmons.”

  The Freen didn’t move.

  “Is it trembling?” Simmons whispered.

  Jon nodded. The alien was visibly shaking. Why? “Please, get up. There’s no need for any of that.”

  The Freen slowly rose to its feet, its height was somewhat startling. Not as tall as Miira, but it was close. It continued to avoid Jon’s gaze, choosing instead to stare at the floor.

  “You must be the Freen engineer. What’s your name?” said Jon.

  The Freen gasped, its arms moving in small flapping gestures.

  “Do you understand me?” Jon continued. “Is the translator working properly?”

  “I understand,” said the Freen.

  “Well that’s a start,” said Jon. “Do you have a name?”

  “I am First Engineer Stree,” said the Freen, eyes fixed on the floor.

  “Is there something wrong, First Engineer Stree? You seem uncomfortable.”

  “You are the Foreseen,” Stree said in an awed tone.

  “That’s what everyone in this galaxy keeps telling me. What of it?”

  “You are of the Antikitheri. Your coming has been foretold. For millennia we have waited. I am unclean. Unworthy to stand before you.”

  Jon frowned. “What are you talking about? What have you waited millennia for?”

  Stree looked up, still careful to avoid Jon’s eye. “You are the Foreseen. The hand of the Antikitheri. You have come to destroy the darkness.”

  Jon took a deep breath. It was bad enough that the Diakans considered him holy, and ‘of the Temple’, but now he had this other race, from a different galaxy no less, treating him like he was their savior. He began to reconsider the Antikitheri.

  They had powers beyond comprehension, but they were still just aliens. Not gods. Yet they had allowed, even encouraged, this race to develop a religion around them. Typically, it wouldn’t be any of his business, yet through genetic engineering, they managed to bring him into the whole thing. Because of their manipulation, he ended up with that damned monster of a symbiont inside his belly.