***
Talokta and his fleet were engaged in a brief but fierce battle as Kate’s deadline approached.
The Trimadians had been stealthily recording their enemies approach to Ahmadeus on their ships’ sensor range from several light years away. Talokta stayed cloaked until the last possible moment, and then gave the order to advance and attack. They destroyed three out of the Locum fleet’s ten city ships, by utilizing their long range laser weaponry. Though momentarily stunned, the rest of the Locum fleet recovered, and struck back with energy missiles. One clipped Talokta’s domain ship, but no serious damage resulted. However, a few slashed into a flanking ship. The reactivation of their security force field was too slow to ward off the attack, and life support systems went offline. They would have survived but the missiles were Crytaalic based and as the toxic gas spread, it killed the Cathexistomes, therefore killing the Cantal hosts. A flood of Locum transported into the damaged ship, taking control. Talokta’s scan revealed his worst fear.
Under the rules of engagement, the Sotoid Fleet’s priority was to destroy the compromised ship and a built in self-destruct mechanism activates automatically. It can be overridden but only within thirty seconds or less.
Within fifteen seconds after the deadly impact, the ship’s self-destruct finished the ship with an explosion, caused by the overload of the standard four Zymergy crystal drives. It was so great it brought on a shock wave that managed to hit Ahmadeus’s surface and created a severe quake. The debris from the ship turned to dust. Nothing would be salvageable.
In true Trimadian battle formation Talokta’s four bodyguard ships emerged from the larger domain ship to surround, protect, and escort the wounded leader out of any immediate danger. The rest of the fleet went into warfare mode to defend against this formidable enemy.
Talokta gave the order to engage the Zymergy hyperbeam.
The Zymergy beam shot several thousand kilometers ahead of the ship and tore a gap in subspace for the ship to slip through.
As it enters the gap, the ship is in fact broken into decillions of molecule particles, which seem to disappear, or so it would appear to the naked eye. The gap closes to stop any foe or weapons following. All modern Trimadian ships’ hulls were made up of the same crystal that fed their power generators. Zymergy, not only being lightweight and possessing extreme tensile strength was impenetrable. When immersed within the subspace dimension, the ship’s “skin” reaches a liquefied state and with no friction, no ship yet constructed can catch up let alone track and chase it. Zymergillian’s manufacturing accomplishments was the Trimadians’ most protected of all their secrets.
The time it took between Talokta issuing his command, the security code entered, and the power derived from the Zymergy cells generating to the point where the ship built enough direct energy to produce a giant laser through a complex tower of crystals was three point five seconds. The Trimadians had indeed adapted the BSP’s own technology.
Half the remaining Sotoid fleet prepared to attack the approaching Locum, while the rest engaged their onboard fighter ships to ensure the rebel outposts on Ahmadeus were destroyed. When all was clear, the fleet would regroup and await their leader’s return.
Though the Trimadian’s security was virtually impregnable, it did not stop the occasional small scale enemy infiltration. If a spy was caught, they were never heard from again, or if it was to the Trimadians’ advantage, they would be left alone free to report to their superiors. Trouble was, their minds had been wiped, and disinformation was in place. Sometimes the enemy, unaware, had an un-scannable Zymergy body bomb the size of a pinhead injected into their body to be detonated once they had left their post. The body bombs were a personal and playful favorite of Talokta’s.
To date, all secrets of this disciplined and evil race were exactly that - secret. Everything was kept strictly eyes only for the higher ranking officials like Talokta and of course, the Supreme Ruler. Anything else was a need to know basis. This tactic gave them huge advantages over enemies. The Trimadians both despised and respected the Locum as they were forced to deal with an enemy whose sole unemotional existence was to soak up technology and expand their knowledge. The Trimadian scientists were working around the clock to find ways to defeat this aberration of life.
Talokta was well aware that if their own technology did not reign supreme, they would be forever fighting a nemesis that could spell the end of their reign.
Though the Supreme Ruler’s primary forces survived yet again, the toll was unacceptable to Lord Talokta who hated any loss whatsoever. He was dogmatic in his approach to tactical warfare and serious plans would have to be made to put this threat into extinction soon.
The Sotoids’s domain ship was once more under stealth mode and safely several hundred light years away.
Talokta, alone in his quarters, except for his servant Janta, was waiting for his fleet’s report, as his crew finished the minor repairs to his own ship. He began reviewing his situation and how best to bring it around to his advantage. Now the stakes were extreme, he had to keep more than a wary eye on the Locum’s movements. He took a sip of Tryvenal wine–much revered by the higher ranking Trimadians.
His mission objectives were gradually being satisfied. Phase one was almost complete. He was pleased that the DNA, brain waves, and the simple fact that he could communicate by telepathy confirmed all he had to know. Those results had been proudly sent through. It was disappointing that the stones were not in her possession, and he received further instructions to ensure the stones were delivered, no matter at what cost. Talokta had used a little tactful psychology persuasion to encourage this, without too much influence.
Although sidetracked with the Locum nuisance, phase two should go ahead as planned. From what Talokta had studied about human nature, she would return. Humans are very loyal to their fellow man, and do not like leaving their people behind in adverse conditions. However, as the importance of this mission was so great, on the off chance she did not return, Talokta would bring her and the stones back by any means he saw fit. Yes, Talokta smirked to himself, as his servant refilled his goblet, when the precious cargo was delivered to Heliostronus, he would take great satisfaction in instigating the second invasion of Earth.
The total computer log time from the Locum hitting his fleet’s ship to Talokta’s response and retreat, through to finishing his report took a total of five minutes.
One could only wonder what could be achieved or destroyed within a ten-minute span.
Chapter 13—Playing Both Sides