Revenge

Tok vs Terra (Part One)

Only eleven light years from Terra, a wormhole opened, its mouth blacker than space itself. A moment later, a huge grey ship shot out, clearing the exit in seconds. Twenty-five ships followed at top speed, before the wormhole closed, inexorably trapping the next vessels inside.

No-one knew what happened to ships caught inside a collapsing wormhole. No-one had ever been found to ask.

In the lead ship, General Tok Shuh stared grimly at the display screen in front of him. Each glowing dot represented a Tokkan Warship and only twenty-six, including his own, had made it through to this new sector. He could only hope the majority of the fleet was safe, on the other side of the wormhole and not caught in the middle. Everyone knew the risks of travelling through a wormhole, but it was the only way to cross the galaxy.

His mind flashed back to the day he had called for volunteers. He'd had to hide his fierce pride as rank upon rank of soldiers stood before him, stretching back almost as far as the eye could see. Every one of them eager to sign up for the expedition into unchartered space; knowing that in all likelihood, they would never be able to return to Tok, even if they survived the wormhole.

Now, only twenty-six out of one hundred had made it through.

Still—twenty-six armed Tokkan Warships, filled with experienced fighters, fresh from their conquest of the Mill planets.

The General straightened his shoulders and smiled. He was certain that would be more than enough to crush any resistance in this alien sector.

His ship's long range Imagers were scanning the new system, mapping proximate space and identifying any usable planets. Unless they had lucked out and landed in the middle of nowhere, his fleet would soon have a target.

All four hands behind his back, the General watched as results from the Imagers created a holomap of nearby space. The nearest star system was a double, a small white dwarf and a larger yellow one. Unlikely to have habitable planets, but not impossible.

As if in answer to that thought, a red light flashed on the display. The General's smile turned into a feral grin. Great Tok! Not only had they found a planet, but it was emitting energy. Proof of life. He wondered how advanced these aliens were. Had they come out of the swamps yet? Or were they still swimming around in the bathing water?

He hoped they would prove a worthy challenge to his troops.

~~~

Down on the surface of Procyon A247, more locally known as Cyon, people were working to complete the latest stage of the massive terra-forming project.

When the first exploration team arrived years ago, Cyon had been a barren world. Rock, rock, and more rock appeared to cover the entire surface. Gazing down from the ship, the geophysicists felt down-hearted. All this effort for nothing. Minimal atmosphere—that, they could cope with—but no water was a different matter. The pilot brought the ship down as close as she could to the planet and still remain in a safe orbit. The scientists continued to scan and analyse. Then...

"Look at this!" Paolo Benini cried in an excited voice. He pointed to the newest image crossing his screen. "There! Below the surface—is that water?"

And that was the beginning. Carefully placed explosions to bring the water to the surface, followed by the introduction of bacteria, algae and other oxygen generating organisms. A space station above the atmosphere was constructed to allow access for workers and the ships that brought them.

Now, ten years later, the first habitable dome city was almost complete, ready for the first wave of colonists. It would be centuries before humanity could walk freely on the surface, but the demand for new living space meant there was no shortage of volunteers to occupy the domes in the meantime. And human occupation would help speed up the terraforming process.

Paolo Benini was one of the first to apply for residence.

"It's an amazing opportunity!" he told his colleagues. "Helping to create a new world. What could be more exciting?"

~~~

Twenty-six Warships streamed toward the target planet, the lead ship several thousand klicks ahead of the fleet. General Tok Shuh waited eagerly for the scout's report.

"One primitive space station, General." The scout's Commander reported in flat tones. "The planet appears barely inhabited. No significant cities or settlements—at least on the surface." He paused, then added, "We can find heat signatures for scarcely a thousand beings."

The General swore. All that way for nothing! His fingers clenched. Then the truth hit him. If it was a new colony, then...

"I wonder where their home planet is?" he mused, aloud.

"It can't be far away," commented his Troop Sub-Commander, Lih Brok, feeling free to speak now that the General had asked a question, even if a rhetorical one. "Not given the primitive stage of their development."

"I'm sure you're right," answered the General, in silky tones.

Lih Brok swallowed, his crest flattening against his skull. "Yes, General."

The General spoke into his communit. "Commander Telek and Commander Forsa, this job is yours." The rest of his fleet would be disappointed but the task was simply too small to warrant an all-out attack and waste precious resources. The rest would just have to stay back here and wait.

Then, when the first alien ship came looking for its missing colony, his Warships would follow it back to its source.