When the Stars Fade (The Gray Wars) Read online

  Fires raged across the surface of the planet. At first, Fleet had tried to extinguish the flames, but to no avail. There simply wasn’t enough water left to have an effect on the inferno. After six water droppers went down, the operation was halted in exchange for a straight rescue mission. The Valkyries had to be careful flying over the ruins, as their engines were quick to overheat and fail.

  Worse still were the reactions back home. Protests outside the make-shift Nangolani embassies became all-out riots. Buildings were raided and burned to the ground, and diplomats were dragged into the streets to be beaten. Police in Melbourne had to use fire-hoses to disperse a crowd that nearly lynched a group of visiting naval officers. It was knee-jerk xenophobia, and it showed little sign of stopping.

  Aboard the High Chancellor’s ship, the mood was dark. Staffers busied themselves with various tasks to avoid getting in the way. Military officers shouted into telephones and slammed their fists on desks. Politicians talked with aides back planetside, trying to get ahead of the story. The less scrupulous men and women thought of ways this tragedy could work in their favor. Alexander watched with dark circles under his eyes. He’d never thought of himself as a career politician. The role had developed around him over time, almost by accident. Watching the different reactions aboard his ship, he found his stomach turning.

  At the window, Alexander turned to face his Chief of Staff. His face was drawn, dark circles under his eyes.“How did this happen? How could someone do this?”

  “We can’t think about them as people, Alexander. This is an alien race, something we’ve never dealt with before. Who knows how they justify this genocide?”

  “We do,”a voice said from behind.

  Alexander looked over his shoulder. There in the hall stood Anduin and his entourage. Two soldiers stood by their leader, rifles slung. Behind them walked a shorter Nangolani wearing a simple green blouse and black pants. Though he had only spoken with the aliens a few times, Alexander had started to notice the differences in the sexes. Men of the species seemed taller and more muscled, and their faces were often long and thin. Females tended toward the smaller side, with round faces and large expressive eyes. Their features were much closer to what humanity perceived as normal, a trait xenobiologists found mind-boggling. They also were the only members of the species that grew hair, straight and shiny black. If you squinted, they could easily be human.

  This one’s skin had a blue tinge that seemed iridescent. That had been another startling discovery. Television and films tended to paint alien life as monochromatic. Nature, it seemed, just didn’t work that way. Like humans, the Nangolani came in all colors and combinations. Some bore intricate birthmarks or a pattern of lines and dots. They ranged from pale blue to dark charcoal, and everything in between. Alexander wondered if their species had the same trouble with racism as his own. He could recall with painful ease the ignorant and hate-filled letters he’d received upon being named High Chancellor. Six hundred years had done little to calm that fight, apparently.

  Anduin stepped forward, his eyes moist.“I am so sorry for the wound your race has suffered. This tragedy is but another scar the Boxti have left upon the universe.”He took Alexander’s hand, holding it like a father comforting a child.“We have no idea how many worlds have been destroyed by this menace. But now, with your help, maybe we can end the bloodshed.”

  “How could you hold this information from us?”Arthur demanded.“Millions are dead. Millions!Can you even understand that? One percent of the human population just vanished, and all you can say is‘sorry?’Too little, too late.”

  Anduin held up his hands.“We had no idea the Boxti had a force this close to one of your planets.”

  “Bullshit,”Admiral Walker shouted.“It was your intel that led our group to attack their scouting party.”He leered over the alien Emperor.“What did you think would happen?”

  “We thought you would win.”This came from the new, shorter alien. The voice was clearly feminine, with a strange accent that placed the emphasis slightly off. Her glossy hair fell to her shoulders and her eyes shined like amber.“The Boxti posses powerful technology, greater than even our own, but they are not invulnerable. Your ships are weaker, but your pilots of much greater skill. That they would fail to eliminate a small scouting party had been thought of as a remote outcome. The Boxti’s retaliation on Tallus was as unexpected as it was tragic. They are not prone to acts of vengeance.”

  “Who the hell are you?”Arthur asked.

  Jerry elbowed him hard in the ribs.“Watch your tone, Arthur.”

  Anduin held up a hand to calm the group.“We take no offense. Your people have only just learned the cruelty of this alien menace. Anger is to be expected, and we are aware of the tendency to‘shoot the messenger,’as your kind puts it.”The Emperor gestured to the younger Nangolani.“This is Mara Nox Booren, a historian and senior scientist of our civilian fleet.”

  “Fa‘hnaki lan,”she said.“It is an honor, High Chancellor Burton.”Mara held out her hand and smiled. She seemed much more at ease in replicating human expressions, and the feeling seemed genuine. Alexander took her hand, noting it was far more delicate than the soldiers and politicians he’d met thus far. He bowed slightly, a custom observed of the alien race, and this seemed to please the assembled group.

  “Civilian fleet,”Alexander said curiously.“Emperor Anduin, you never mentioned that there were civilians in your Armada.”

  “It was necessity. What began as a simple convoy for myself and several prominent politicians became a desperate run as the Boxti closed in on our Homeworld. We gathered into an endless procession including more than a few scientific vessels and transports. As we rescued our outer colonies from attack, our military strength grew in numbers, but so did our stock of women and children.”

  Mara stepped into the conversation.“I apologize, Mr. High Chancellor. Our race is known for caution, a lesson proven wise through generations of peace with our neighbors. We weren’t eager to reveal every detail of our fleet without learning more about your people.”

  “I’d say you know more about our people than you let on,”Arthur said.“You know our customs, our rank structure. You can speak more than a few of our languages and your pronunciation is exquisite. How long have you been watching us?”

  Mara smiled, not at all put off.“We have had scouts watching Earth for almost three hundred of your years. Not piloted vessels, just drones. We wanted to make contact, but the distances were astronomical. Our understanding of—how do you call it—Blue Space is only now growing into something useful. All of our travel was once restricted to a single, all encompassing system.

  “JohGal, our star, absorbed a white dwarf many millions of years ago. The two solar systems combined, merging perpendicular to one another before settling into one solar plane. The combination of planets allowed several habitable bodies to form. When we gained access to the stars, we had a bountiful realm to populate. Only recently have we begun venturing deeper into space, and that came with the help of other species.”

  “Why watch us then?”Arthur pushed off Jerry as the older man tried to quiet him.“To take our drive technology?”

  Mara closed her eyes.“We are curious, like you. When another race arrived on Nangol to share the secrets of the universe, we celebrated. That day is still a holiday for our people, the moment when our world expanded infinitely. Since that day, we’ve sent drones to thousands of locations in search of intelligent life. When we found you, your people amazed us. Still, we had no way to reach out that far, so we watched from a distance. We learned new art forms, heard new music, and fell in love with your devotion to each other. The human race is unique in the galaxy for their compassion. No other alien civilization we’ve encountered would give so much to help out those in need.

  “It was with that knowledge, fleeing from the butchers known as Boxti, that we risked everything to get here. If there was a chance to find help, it would be from humanity.”

  N
ow it was Alexander’s turn to be incredulous.“You came here without knowing how we’d react? What about the rest of your planet? The rest of your people? What do they think about all this?”

  Mara turned to face the Emperor, her face contorted.

  Anduin frowned.“I don’t think now is the most appropriate time.”He looked at the humans, emotion rippling across his withered face, before nodding to Mara.“Tell them,”he said.

  “We lost contact with Nangol less than a year after our evacuation. We had fled across the galaxy, and by this time the armada was larger than what you have seen. Emperor Anduin and the other Elders decided that our mission was to continue forward and seek out help. It was my suggestion that we reach out to you, and I was humbled when the request was approved.”

  “The Boxti caught up with us a few jumps from your home planet,”Anduin said.“Not their invasion force, by Darna Wo, but a raiding party. That was what chased us across the galaxy to your front door.”

  Admiral Walker looked skeptical, but gave the aliens some space nonetheless.“You’ve said their armada is massive. How is it that they’re in so many different systems? How did they find Tallus?”

  “The Boxti are not a single race,”Mara began,“but rather a civilization built on the backs of slaves. We believe the native Boxti have all but died out, but their goals of conquest remain the same. By the time Nangol fell, over a hundred species had surrendered to the Horde. Their fleet may number in the billions, spread across the galaxy.

  “Tallus was located near several gas giants, each rich in valuable chemicals. The Boxti most likely stumbled upon it by accident, and they would not have thought to look for any natives.”

  “Why not?”Jerry asked.

  Mara crossed her arms and looked at the Chief of Staff.“The Boxti are segregated, and only the higher castes are allowed to make contact with alien races.”

  Alexander and his staff stared at the aliens, unsure what to think. The High Chancellor could’t help but be angry, yet the creatures seemed sincere in their empathy. Their story was a sad one, and there was no way to know if any of it were true. But turning on humanity’s newfound ally wouldn’t solve anything. He sighed, somewhat exasperated.

  “I understand that you must be cautious, but how many lives could have been saved if we’d known ahead of time? I would have put Tallus on alert for evacuation as soon as Boxti were spotted in sector.”

  Anduin nodded.“I agree, High Chancellor. From now on, my people will share intelligence that is vital to the war effort, no matter how small. And, furthermore, Mara shall be attached to you, for use in whatever manner you deem fit. She will share our culture and knowledge, and assist you in research and development.”

  “Thank you,”Alexander said.

  Mara bowed her head.“I will teach you everything I know about our people.”

  “First,”the High Chancellor said,“I need everything you know about the Boxti.”

  - III -

  Alexa’s scouts in the observation posts caught sight of Delta thirty minutes before sunset. A heavily armed section patrol moved through the twisting canyons toward the squad’s position. The soldiers wore the same ballistic uniforms and ceramic plates, but their clothing was red instead of tan, with armor the color of sun-fried bricks. They took their ground carefully, inspecting each turn and choke-point. As the enemy moved closer to the ambush area, a scout sent out a signal, careful not to give away her position.

  Back in the overhang, Josh heard his radio click twice and moved back to his position in the center of the ambush. He tapped his team leaders on the shoulders, motioning for them to follow. Moving on his stomach, Josh crawled to a spot behind a large boulder. The natural erosion of the stone had created a perfect firing perch. He laid his rifle down, barrel trained at the center of the kill zone, and waited.

  “Squad, prepare for enemy contact.”His voice was calm and cool. He expected it to shake more. Even though it was only training, this was his first time taking command of a squad in simulated combat. Even the small unit drills he’d learned in basic were nothing compared to this. His pulse raced away, heart beating so loud in his ears that he thought the enemy would surely notice. Minutes dragged on while he waited. When the sound of footsteps reached him, he nearly jumped.

  Their lead element consisted of three riflemen. The soldiers moved slowly into the trap, their carbines at the ready. Every few steps they would halt and listen. It took them two minutes to cross into the center of the kill zone, and they hadn’t noticed a thing so far. After searching the area with their optics, one of the soldiers dropped to a knee and spoke into his radio. Moments later, the rest of the section walked in.

  Josh had set his ambush up perfectly. His heavy machine gun team had complete coverage across the engagement area, with blind areas covered by Type 14 Anti-Personnel mines. The rest of the squad, packing Groder-Kelly (GK) Carbines and Monroe Automatic Shotguns, lay trained on the kill zone waiting for the order. There was enough firepower to wreck an armored convoy, let alone a patrol. With surprise on their side, taking on a force twice their size was only slightly less insane.

  Dax squeezed Josh’s shoulder and pointed to the middle of the group. Lieutenant Mahone, Delta’s XO, was with the unit. They couldn’t have planned it better. Josh waited until the group was centered in the blast area for his Type 14s, gripped the trigger in both hands, and squeezed down hard.

  In an instant, the world exploded in noise and light. The three mines erupted with incredible force, sending simulation shrapnel into the patrol. At the same time, the machine guns opened up, cutting through the soldiers in the kill zone with ease. The weapons roared, sounding like jackhammers as they spat out round after round. The silence broken, the entire squad fired into the area, lobbing grenades and shooting with precision. Each soldier had an area of responsibility, and they made sure nothing survived inside of it. In only twenty seconds, the entire patrol lay down on the ground. The simulators triggered small electric shocks in the training uniforms that kept each person in the dirt, preventing cheating and providing psychological feedback for getting“killed”in action.

  Josh gave the cease fire, waving his hand palm-outward in front of his face. The steady popping of rifle fire died out, leaving only the quiet aftermath. Careful to move quietly, Josh crept forward with his rifle leading the way. Off the squad leader’s movement, Dax pushed his team forward. When they could see the kill zone, the squad rose and marched forward, weapons trained on the unmoving bodies on the ground. After the support team cleared the area, they set up on the far side and provided security while the assault team repeated the action. The squad kicked weapons away from downed soldiers as they passed, finally setting down on their side of the encircled objective.

  Josh moved to the center of the formation and called out for his specialty teams. While he planned out the next movement, Dax and Alexa checked on their soldiers. Of all the rounds exchanged between the two companies, no one from Josh’s squad had been hit. Two men from Alexa’s fire team ran from body to body, checking for any intelligence on Delta’s location. One popped up suddenly, running over to Josh.

  “It’s a GPS,”he said, out of breath.“Coordinates are still active.”

  Josh grinned as he flipped open the handheld device. There, glowing red on the screen, was the exact location of the Delta’s patrol base. He got on the radio immediately, calling for the platoon leader. The line crackled for a moment before connecting.

  “White one, this is white two,”Josh said. He waved Dax over while he waited for a response. The big man jogged over and took a knee. His eyes lit up when he saw the object in Josh’s hand.

  “This is white one-romeo, send it.”The voice on the line was Private Norris, the lieutenant’s radioman. Josh could imagine the scrawny kid lugging his rifle with the communications pack strapped to his shoulders, complaining every step of the way.

  “White two has confirmation of the package. Coordinates ready to transmit.”He pulled out his
map, laying it down on the ground and pointing for Dax to mark Delta’s position. Josh took a moment to double-check the grid lines as they intersected near the base, imagining the look of the terrain in his head. He tapped a small plateau, mouthing right here to Dax.

  “White two, this is white one-six,”the lieutenant said. Something was happening in the background. Josh could make out sporadic machine-gun fire.“Position is overrun. Proceed on mission to new coordinates and execute the package.”

  Shit, Josh thought.“One-six, we can be at your location in twenty minutes.”

  “Negative. Stay on mission.”Another explosion caused the line to burst into static.“Plan C is in effect. I say again, Plan C is in effect. White one-six is out.”

  The connection ended and the net went silent. The lieutenant had pulled the zero switch, erasing the entire codec from his radio. Josh stared at his handset for a moment, his heart thumping in his ears. Dax looked at him, eyes wide.

  “We’re it, then?”The answer was written on his friend’s face.“Are you OK?”

  Josh nodded.“Get your team ready. We need to move out.”He motioned for Alexa to join him. She jogged over, grinning still from the successful ambush.“We’re getting ready to move. How’s your team?”

  “Pumped the fuck up,”she said.“What are our orders?”

  “The PB was overrun. We’re on our own.”

  Alexa’s face darkened.“Plan C?”

  “It’s in effect,”Josh said. He stood up, stretching his back.“Squad, we’re moving out.”

  “Sergeant,”Alexa started.“The platoon’s gone. The company is gone. What the hell are we going to do with barely a section?”