The rule of galactic evolution, he had been taught long cycles ago, was that anarchy was not only profitable, but good for every star-traveling species. Any colony world too weak to defend itself from a genome slaver ship deserved to have its genome sampled and sold at the Flesh Markets of Alkalurops. Those colonies that could mount a defense against the genome raiders, like the Sigma Puppis B system of the Direndl or the Sol system of these tail-less Humans, was a useful Trade partner for the conglomerates that paid taxes for protection of their Trade zones. His destruction of a Halicene mining ship and his removal of the Sigma Puppis B star system from exploitation by the Halicenes was a minor loss for them. And a salutary lesson to all the conglomerates that the Anarchate ruled everyone. While bribes were valued by local Combat Command chieftains, the Four Rules were inviolate. Except this Human Vigilante now sought their overthrow.
With a wave of his finger-claws he reset the holo to show the green-speckled track of the Human’s attacks so far. With a tilt of his head he recalled their names once more.
Sigma Puppis B system of the Direndl. SAO 47250 of the outlying Intelligence Dome where its non-AI occupants had revived after the departure of the Mata Hari starship. Next came Zeta Serpentis, home to the now destroyed Omega Casino, and former workplace of this Dragoneaux creature. CC41324 in the Keyhole Nebula, home to a naval shipyard that had been destroyed, even though its thousands of workers had been allowed to live. And thereby spread seditious word of this Vigilante who challenged the Anarchate. Next came CC1939 in the Omega Centauri star cluster, deep within the Norma Arm of the galaxy. A Meligun merchant had alerted a nearby Combat Command base of the arrival in-system of the Human’s starship, which sought fuel and supplies. Regrettably, the local merchant fleet had been unable to delay the Human, while the battleglobes sent to capture him had been defeated. As shown by the Observer Globe they’d left at the outer system upon arrival. Again per his order. Then came the disaster of Megadeen, a galactic communications sector node that orbited CC4137 in Norma Arm. Not only had the Human destroyed the multiple guarding starships that had circled the methane-clouded moon of Megadeen, but it had also defeated four battleglobes! And now, Belizel months later, it had defeated the three battleglobes he’d sent to the distant small galaxy that research showed was the home system of the long-dead T’Chak species.
“Commander Chai?” called Kontine, his Loglan chief assistant.
He sat back from his intense focus on the green-speckled track of his Human adversary. “Yes?” he said, keeping his gaze on the holo as he desperately wondered what he and Combat Command could due in the three point five months that remained before his adversary returned to ravage Anarchate bases and shipyards.
“High Commander Brrzeet has called for your . . . attendance before him. Immediately, the signal indicates.”
Kontine’s click voice carried no emotional tone of reaction to what it knew as well as his other assistants was an Explain-or-Die appearance before the Intelligence High Commander. Well, he was able to think on his two feet even if his whiskers and tail betrayed his nervous worry.
A Plan he must present, since it was clear his boss had just reviewed the tachlink record of the disaster in the Small Magellanic Cloud. He would come up with something. He and his Spelidon brothers always came up with a promising plan. That was why his species made up the majority of sentients now serving in Combat Command. While they had evolved to be excellent one-on-one fighters, their minds were even better at tactical and strategic planning. Their 57 colony worlds required excellent administration. And planning. Now, he must come up with a combat Plan for defeating a ghost-like bipedal alien with only a single starship, while his
With a wave of his finger-claws he reset the holo to show the green-speckled track of the Human’s attacks so far. With a tilt of his head he recalled their names once more.
Sigma Puppis B system of the Direndl. SAO 47250 of the outlying Intelligence Dome where its non-AI occupants had revived after the departure of the Mata Hari starship. Next came Zeta Serpentis, home to the now destroyed Omega Casino, and former workplace of this Dragoneaux creature. CC41324 in the Keyhole Nebula, home to a naval shipyard that had been destroyed, even though its thousands of workers had been allowed to live. And thereby spread seditious word of this Vigilante who challenged the Anarchate. Next came CC1939 in the Omega Centauri star cluster, deep within the Norma Arm of the galaxy. A Meligun merchant had alerted a nearby Combat Command base of the arrival in-system of the Human’s starship, which sought fuel and supplies. Regrettably, the local merchant fleet had been unable to delay the Human, while the battleglobes sent to capture him had been defeated. As shown by the Observer Globe they’d left at the outer system upon arrival. Again per his order. Then came the disaster of Megadeen, a galactic communications sector node that orbited CC4137 in Norma Arm. Not only had the Human destroyed the multiple guarding starships that had circled the methane-clouded moon of Megadeen, but it had also defeated four battleglobes! And now, Belizel months later, it had defeated the three battleglobes he’d sent to the distant small galaxy that research showed was the home system of the long-dead T’Chak species.
“Commander Chai?” called Kontine, his Loglan chief assistant.
He sat back from his intense focus on the green-speckled track of his Human adversary. “Yes?” he said, keeping his gaze on the holo as he desperately wondered what he and Combat Command could due in the three point five months that remained before his adversary returned to ravage Anarchate bases and shipyards.
“High Commander Brrzeet has called for your . . . attendance before him. Immediately, the signal indicates.”
Kontine’s click voice carried no emotional tone of reaction to what it knew as well as his other assistants was an Explain-or-Die appearance before the Intelligence High Commander. Well, he was able to think on his two feet even if his whiskers and tail betrayed his nervous worry.
A Plan he must present, since it was clear his boss had just reviewed the tachlink record of the disaster in the Small Magellanic Cloud. He would come up with something. He and his Spelidon brothers always came up with a promising plan. That was why his species made up the majority of sentients now serving in Combat Command. While they had evolved to be excellent one-on-one fighters, their minds were even better at tactical and strategic planning. Their 57 colony worlds required excellent administration. And planning. Now, he must come up with a combat Plan for defeating a ghost-like bipedal alien with only a single starship, while his
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