Spacer Clans Adventure 2: Naero's Gambit (40 page)

50

Naero demanded a truce
across all channels. With Klyne’s approval, she went public with all the data they had on the enemy invaders. She went to the Corps leaders and their diplomats. Trying to get the Corps to both see and admit what was actually taking place.

At first
the victorious, advancing Gigacorps fleets and their leaders and supporters laughed at, dismissed, and ignored her and the Clans’ claims.

Claims o
f open Cosmicide being perpetrated by the invading Ejjai clone hordes.

But as each
crucial day passed, the truth became more and more difficult to deny and avoid. Coupled with Baeven and Alala’s covert assistance and advanced probe network, Naero and Intel broadcasted the full weight of the growing atrocities of the Ejjai invaders far and wide, to every System.

Cosmicide for all to see.

Not just the invasion of Alliance worlds on the border of the war, but especially on the Corps worlds suffering the same indiscriminate fate.

Something the Corps themselves were still trying to suppress and get a handle on.

Info INS would still not report and sought to actively stifle as nothing more than Spacer lies and desperate propaganda.

Even when the
INS news teams on the invaded worlds were murdered. Captured indiscriminately, and forced wide-eyed and shrieking into the robotic processing cutters and grinders of the invader’s horrific meatships. Vidcams running.

INS would not broadcast the stark vids, but the Spacers did.

The weight of the growing horror mounted. The raw, brutal truth about the alien invasions could no longer be dismissed or contained.

Chaos and rioting ensued
across the Gigacorps worlds like firestorms. Hysteria and panic, even on the majority of worlds not invaded thus far.

If the Corps were still in denial, at least their people began to comprehend all too clearly what was happening, and what was going to
continue happening.

Even the average person could see, that o
nce the invaders had the upper hand, why would they ever stop?

Of course they would keep going. All the way to the total defeat of
all humanity. Spacers and landers.

All the while, t
he Ejjai clone invasions continued to spread their horror and extermination like an exploding plague. On both sides of the war’s border.

The invaders did not need anyone
’s permission or approval.

Finally the outcry gr
ew so great, that in less than three standard days of paralyzed stupidity and denial, eleven of the fourteen Gigacorps agreed to meet with representatives from the Clans and the Alliance to discuss the ‘potential’ crisis.

They met at the heavily-guard naval shipyard base near the border at Dallos-7. Naero sat with the Intel Contingent helping represent the Clans. She had a wealth of data to present that was undeniable.

The great meeting hall selected was a holographic dome forty meters high, primed with holo screens and all of the current INS feeds and links to the Alliance, the Corps, and all of the worlds currently involved in the conflict.

To Naero
’s stunned amazement, half of the Corps and their lackeys were still in denial.

They still attempted to
insist and explain away that the attacks on the Corps worlds by their new allies were simple mistakes. Unfortunate miscalculations, brought about by language difficulties and problems with translation.

Despite the fact that the Ejjai
clone hordes spoke basic Spacer Common perfectly well. And that the mistaken attacks were not decreasing–but, in fact, were for some inexplicable reason–increasing. Still spreading, across hundreds of vulnerable Gigacorps worlds and colonies. All in strategic places as it turned out.

Naero
listened to the banter of such Gigacorps mouthpieces and liars spout off for only a short while.

No one had time for
their sophistry crap.

Not while trillions were already fighting and dying each minute that ticked by.

She rose up and literally put her fist through the duranadium meeting table.

Then she used the voice.
“You idiots! You slimy fools! These are not mistakes. The enemy is not pulling back. They are surging forward at all costs, expanding their naked aggression on all fronts–and–in all directions.”

She called up
hundreds of horrendous, shocking videos on multiple viewscreens.

The Corps mouthpieces still screamed. “These reports could all be easily faked!”

Naero shook her head.
“You filthy pack of morons. You’d betray your own children and fling them to the Ejjai. No one has to fake anything! These are live feeds. Check them with your own tek. This is raging while we waste time here arguing about the obvious!”

Reports flashed up one after another
. Naero rattled them off by name. One after another.
“Taiko-3, Allatar-4, Pelendra-7, Naikadon-5…All Corporate worlds under siege.”

The negotiation room grew very quiet.

On Corps delegate moaned. “My family is on Pelendra-7!”

Naero shook her head.
“Not for much longer. Look at one of these planets at random: Mirado-6, one of the first Corps homeworlds attacked. Eighty percent of the population subjugated in less than three days. Twenty percent of the people slaughtered outright. Another eighteen percent has been scheduled to be processed alive like cattle in huge, automated meatpacking plants. Alien, enemy
Meatships
. The rest to be used as slaves, or food. As the enemy sees fit. These just aren’t Spacer enemies. These are the enemies of all humanity now. They have tipped their hand and revealed themselves to be the worst foe we all have ever faced! And we must face this threat together, before it is too late!”

Some of the Corps people looked away. Even some of the military got sick and vomited
, as the vid footage from Mirado-6 grew worse and worse.

“What
’s the matter? Can’t stomach this nightmare that you’ve unleashed? Not just on us and our innocent populations–but on your own? Don’t look away. Take a good look. The Ejjai think it hilarious to torture their victims mercilessly, for hours or even days, before butchering and eating them alive and screaming.

This especially include
s anyone helpless. The enemy takes great delight in singling them out and giving them special attention. ‘Cripples’ and ‘freaks’ as the Ejjai call the lame, the injured, the impaired, or the infirm. That also includes the elderly and the young.

Pregnant women
are especially singled out and considered great, valuable prizes.

Ejjai
will fight to the death over being able to possess and slowly devour them and the unborn. Alive.”

The
stunned Corps mouthpieces and the naval reps still tried to avert their gaze once again.

Naero s
wept in among them with her enhanced speed yanked their heads back up with her own two hands.

She wanted to snap their bloody necks, but resisted the urge to do so. She pointed repeatedly at the viewscreens
surrounding them with the full weight of the truth.

“D
on’t you look away, you filth. You filthy, bloody scum. This is your handiwork as much as theirs. All of you did this, so take a good fucking look. You bastards brought this on us all. You allied yourselves with these invaders. You and your deluded leaders unleashed this hell on humanity, just as much as the enemy has. Look at those vids. Get a good fucking look, you sick, twisted assholes!”

Naero pointed to the screens in
utter fury.

“
May you all drown slowly in the blood you have spilled. Billions, maybe trillions of frightened children are being herded in camps to be used as prize food supplies. The Ejjai eat anything that is meat; fresh or rotting. They especially delight in feasting on the young of any species, even their own. Dozens of new cloning bases are being constructed on each world that falls, fed by their hellish meatships.

“
Here’s vid footage of victorious Ejjai generals and admirals, devouring and tearing apart screaming human babies, some ripped fresh out of their shrieking mothers, whose arms and legs have been broken to keep them from resisting. The Ejjai think it’s all hilariously amusing. They post stuff like this themselves openly on all of our channels. No one has to capture it. The enemy wants us to see this. They want us to fear them!”

She let it all sink in.

Three Corps people promptly shot themselves with concealed weapons–including the delegate from Pelendra-7.

Everyone
let them lay and bleed where they fell.

“A
nd that’s just one world. Mirado-6. Multiply this by hundreds, maybe thousands tomorrow or the next day. And let the horror of that sink into your twisted, vile minds.”

The leader of the delegation rose up to contend with her.
“Lies! All lies and Spacer propaganda. Everyone, do not be fooled by this. Anyone can fake these terrible vids. I will prove it to you. I will contact our new alien friends directly and let them tell you themselves! If you indeed wish to hear the truth, I challenge you. I dare you to let me open a channel to our allies!”

“
By all means. Please do so,” Naero said. “Go right ahead. We all want to hear what your new friends and allies have to say. How the coordinated invasion of hundreds of Corps worlds are all just mistakes.”

The Corps leader worked at the com.
Within seconds, a Dakkur face filled over half of the viewscreens.

“
This is High General Oth. What is the meaning of this, human contact? We are extremely busy. Why have you summoned us on a secure channel and revealed it openly?”

Naero recognized him as the
same Champion Dakkur, from the regenerated wounds she had made on his snout and the remaining scars. The arm he regrew from Hashiko’s deadly attack.

Th
is was the alien commander of the invasion, the one in charge of the Darkforce generators. The one who now called himself Oth.

And Gallan
’s killer. Naero was certain now.

“G
reat leader of the Dakkur Empire. Please inform our people and re-assure them. And let our enemies tremble with fear at the fate that awaits them alone. As we have already requested and agreed upon, the Ejjai forces on every Corps world mentioned on our report will soon withdraw and depart. The attacks on them were in fact, all regrettable mistakes. Mistakes which shall be soon rectified and remedied. Your forces will depart from our worlds and join the battle against the spacks and their allies.”

Oth merely stared.
Then he laughed and said flatly.

“
Why are you wasting our time, human? I have consulted with my masters. There have been no mistakes, human ally. We attempted to explain our plan to your leaders many times before, but they had not the wits to perceive its complexity or perfection. The worlds selected all have great strategic value for both of our goals, that will lead us all to certain victory in the end.

“
You and your leaders insisted on the absolute defeat of the spack Clans. To fulfill these wishes, we have therefore decided that the sacrifice of these few hundred worlds of yours–and perhaps others as needed, will indeed ensure our mutual and total victory over the common foe. In the long run, you and your leaders must see that this is only logical. To defeat the spacks even faster, all time-tables must be sped up.”

Oth coughed for a moment and then continued. “Therefore, a
small percentage of your worlds must also be sacrificed, in order to ensure the long term peace and security of all the rest. Certainly you must see the logic of such sacrifice? It is simple math. Follow our lead, and victory and sustained prosperity will be assured for the vast majority in the long run. That is all that matters, is it not? Are we therefore agreed?”

Now
several of the Gigacorps reps shot to their feet, protesting.

“O
utrageous!”

“U
nacceptable!”

“W
e never agreed to anything like this!”

“You we
re only supposed to attack the spacks and the Alliance worlds. Not this many of our own!”

“S
ilence!” Oth roared. “We have decided that these plans cannot be revoked. These operations shall continue as planned, at full speed. Any who attempt to betray or oppose our efforts in any way, you and your worlds shall suffer the same fate as the spacks. Now, you have wasted enough of our valuable time. I say again. These plans cannot be revoked! Only contact us again with your apologies, and your complete submission to our goals. End transmission.”

The uproar that followed grew
tumultuous to say the least.

Several Corps reps fell upon their former leader with hidden knives
. Quickly stabbing him to death.