Star Force: Quenar (SF88) (Star Force Origin Series) by Aer-ki Jyr Read Free Book Online Page B

Hadarak…begin enlightening me. ”

 
 
    5

 
 
    August 13, 3256
    Alamo System
    Inner Zone

 
    The Sanguine
Blade sat in a holding orbit inside the empty system that had filled up
with starships, some 2,193 of them not counting the fleet that had come along
with Jason’s flagship. Those numbered 6,288 and included a mix of warships,
personnel transports, cargo ships, sedas, and MCVs. The majority of the ones
already here were not Star Force, instead being made up of a healthy number of
Sety ships and a handful of others from what remained of The Nine without the Trinx
and Yisv, whose fleet was still apparently loyal but not willing to enter a
system with a woken Uriti.
    But there were others, several hundred of them
scattered around the area and not getting close to one another that were not
identified in Star Force’s ship profiles. Some updated once the links to the
present fleet had come through, but most of the vessels had ‘unidentified’ tags
with a little information on them from sensor records probably compiled while
in this system.
    “A lot of visitors,” Jason commented from the
observation deck that had been built into the command ship specifically for
this mission. It had windows all around it that fed off of external cameras
while being located deep within the heart of the vessel and the safest part of
the ship, giving it an openness that its occupant preferred.
    “I expect there will be a lot more in coming years,”
Duke Pryon added as he looked out at the floating masses of ships while a small
portion of them were moving about and active while the Uriti was lounging
inside the star’s outer levels and barely visible on sensors.
    “I don’t think we’ll have to wait that long,” Davis corrected
from his work station at the center of the chamber while the two Dukes and
three trailblazers were lounging around and looking out the ‘windows’ or at the holos while the Director was looking up a variety of
things in the ship’s database. “Assuming word got out fairly quick, there are
probably others enroute as we speak. Hopefully not any warfleets ,
but that all depends on the reason why they’re coming.”
    “They’re not getting Nefron,” Riley said firmly. “And
even if they do he’ll be more trouble than he’s worth. The Chixzon in him
doesn’t take well to fools.”
    “Just because we claim only he can operate the
equipment isn’t convincing to the skeptics,” Paul added, sitting on a console
and lazily swinging one leg hanging in the air. “The Trinx obviously thought
they could make it work without him, or with him under coercion, and I doubt
we’re going to convince others of the futility of that even if we do a meet and
greet session with him. People are going to see what they want to see.”
    “And they’re going to see a badass fleet guarding this
system,” Jason added, referencing all the ships they’d scrounged from across
the ADZ with more on the way as they became available.
    “Their definition of badass might differ from yours,”
Duke Yetti said as she sat next to Paul in a slightly
more rigid pose, but still informally on top of a work table, “if they’re
operating on a high tech level. A lot of these races probably know the others,
and aside from our ability to control the Uriti they might see us as
inferiors.”
    “Not the cool kids, huh?” Jason summed up.
    “It’s our job to make them understand,” Davis said
distractedly as he thumbed through more files. “I trust you guys know how to
show off enough to get the job done.”
    “I’m questioning your Archon credentials just for asking
that,” Paul reprimanded the acolyte.
    Davis smirked, but continued his search in silence.
    “How certain are you that the Uriti won’t attack us?”
Pryon asked Riley.
    The trailblazer shrugged. “She seems to ignore us
unless we use the magic word. As long as we don’t get in her way or shoot her
I’d guess we’ll be fine. If someone else does that,