Chapter 17: Zyla Takes Action

The dreadnaught Grosian Dynasty was the pride of Zyla’s fleet and was intended to be her flagship when Zyla moved multiverses.

“Adm. Sundim, I am surprised you are leading the attack on Nearritika,” said Admiral Cregia Thuiral.

“I might say the same about you. You volunteered to come along. You didn’t need to. You were also on the good list,” said Adm. Sundim. “I am not interested in being on the list. If the Enphaet scientists say we are heading for a dead end, I believe them.”

“I wanted to go on a suicide mission. I have lost all faith in our crazy leader,” said Adm. Thuiral. “It is outrageous we discover from a foreigner from another multiverse that we didn’t get a single probe back from the small multiverse. I asked our intelligence people and established he spoke the truth,” said Adm. Cregia Thuiral.

“I also checked. We know the Queen sent probes to many multiverses. Only one probe found a universe that could support us. None even returned from the small multiverse. Multiverses have trillions of universes. Finding a good one is not an easy task. You remember what it was like in our universe,” said Adm. Phirox Sundim.

“Our half-brain chief scientist told Vandran what she wanted to hear as he is terrified of her. I won’t go with her on her foolhardy trip to nowhere. We have nowhere to go; we finally face the consequences of our choice to work for the crazy bitch. The Enphaet Queen will see us as dissidents and traitors, and I don’t intend to be her plaything,” said Adm. Thuiral.

“Death in battle is our only moral choice. I remember once I behaved with honor and integrity. Do you remember Zyla and her father? They were lovely happy people. I would have done anything for the family. The Empress changed, and so did Zyla. Each blamed the other for the death of Zyla’s husband. They both went bad. The Empress is an evil bitch. I am sure she killed Zyla’s family. She blamed Zyla for killing their husband. I am sure she killed him. Zyla loved him; she would never hurt him. Zyla became deranged but hid it well. We see her now as a crazy woman. It is almost as if an evil clone of herself replaced her,” said Adm. Sundim.

“Equivalently, the Empress went bad. I can’t believe how foolish it is to attack Nearritika and use Brion S5 as a diversion. Sundim, Brion S5 has not been occupied for ten thousand years and has fifty thousand Colza troops supporting the engineers on the inner shields,” said Adm. Thuiral.

“That is so sad,” said Adm. Sundim. “We will show the Colza our power on Brion S5 and then move on. We will be resolute and obey the commands of our crazy leader and go on to Nearritika. I doubt the Colza will realize we are on our way after we attack Brion S5 and show what we can do. We will catch them napping. They will send their whole fleet to protect Brion S5. It must have some great strategic value only our leader knows.”

They smiled wryly at each other, shook their heads, and laughed.

An hour after discussing what Craig would tell Jason, Moksur called her and her group to watch the news.

“This is a repeat of the news of half an hour ago. We acquired drone observations from our military and pictures from the Colza of the attacks on Brion S5 and the prime planet of the Colza, Nearritika,” said Moksur.

They watched the news.

“Can you explain, Moksur?” Horti asked.

“Zyla Grep Vandran’s fleet launched a devastating attack on the planet Brion S5. We know the Colza has not occupied the planet for a hundred centuries. Our experts believe it has no strategic importance. Our analysts tell us the massive attacking fleet of Zyla Grep Vandran destroyed the planet’s surface and then deployed tens of thousands of planet killers. Brion S5 will disintegrate in the next few days,” said Moksur.

“Why attack a planet with no known strategic importance? How many planet killers do you need to destroy a planet?” Emic asked.

Moksur shrugged. “You need only one planet killer to destroy a planet. We only deploy more if the planet is well-defended. No one in their right mind would use a hundred. Using a thousand is unheard of. The fleet then turned toward Nearritika and launched a devastating attack on the planet. The planet’s surface shows evidence of the ferocity of the attack,” said Moksur. “The TV presenter showed pictures of a planet’s surface pockmarked by craters. The TV experts believed that billions of Colza died. The fleet then landed millions of troops on the surface. The Colza fought heroically against troops who landed on the surface. The TV experts believe the planet is uninhabitable.”

“Did they use planet killers?” Horti asked, frowning.

“No, they did not deploy a single planet killer. Above the planet, the Colza, assisted by our fleets, fought a massive battle, the biggest ever seen in this universe. The TV military experts told us Zyla Grep Vandran dealt the Colza a severe blow,” said Moksur.

“This is what the TV experts believe,” said Moksur, replaying the newscast ending.

“I repeat, Brion S5 is no more, and the prime planet of the Colza faced a devastating attack. Our fleets joined the Colza to defend the prime world, but not before Zyla Grep Vandran landed millions of troops on the surface.

“The Grep’s fleet attacked in two waves. The Colza struggled to fend them off. The second wave sent landing craft and blasted the surface of the planet. Our military experts tell us more missiles were shot at the planet’s surface than we can produce in ten years.

“Fighting continues on the planet’s surface and in tunnels breached by the attackers. Our troops deployed to the surface to aid the Colza. Fighting continues on the surface and in Colza tunnels.”

Moksur switched off the broadcast.

The group sat silently around the conference room table.

Zyla delightedly watched the same broadcast. She cheered as she saw Brion S5 destroyed and again when she saw the surface of Nearritika.

“That will show them what we can do. Tell that fool admiral to report on the mission and tell her to capture the princess.”

Moksur’s secretary led Craig and Horti into a conference facility that could hold several hundred people. Military representatives and serious-looking civilians filled the room. Moksur sat on the podium with Admiral Frichadarsya Lassastla. She invited Horti and Craig to join her.

Horti greeted her group in the front row.