Chapter 4

The devastation in Central City was limited to the Western portion. It was the commercial part of the city, so many of the residents had not yet gone shopping or to work there. Why? I wondered if there were reasons the enemy had chosen the least populous area for a raid? Hinton was different. It had been totally destroyed. Bodies of young and old alike littered the once tree lined streets. I wondered if we were being given a message?

Hinton was a new area. It was settled as a model city. Everything was new. Two more were planned in that area, both to now attract us and humans as the inhabitants.

What had happened thousands of years earlier now came to a head. The Klax, for that is what they were called, had by accident, come to Gaia and decided to settle and start a new life. They were no longer welcome on their own world.

Society dictated an end to a century long struggle for power and control against their mortal enemy. These Klax had been breed for only one thing, success at war. When, after centuries of fighting, a 'truce', if not an actual peace was agreed to, the life they knew was no longer needed. Both sides had lost family, friends and loved ones and wanted the fighting to end.

Friends as well as enemies were now at odds with those in power, so they left their planets for deep space. Many years, decades by our count, had passed. One of them had been awakened by the auto-pilot whenever a likely planet was found. Many new sites had been passed on, some noted for a second look later perhaps. Both formerly warring species had little in common and both species did not require very special or unique environments. At one point in their long journey, a decision was made to bring both sides closer.

A new name was chosen, 'Klax'. Just as human and Vampyre had come together, so it was hoped that such would happen also. 'Gaia' had been almost passed over. Sensor readings were not able to penetrate the thick, cloudy, atmosphere. Another reading, this time focused in a smaller area had acceptable readings. This was now to be their new home.

Some time was needed to wake, process, then transport the 'Klax' to the planet. Both sides naturally formed into units they were familiar with. Being warriors, both sides had been breed, that is, artificial means had been used to 'make' them as strong, fierce, and powerful as possible. The idea of 'family', as we have on Earth' was unknown to them. It would be centuries before the few science and technology types would be able to even 'replicate' the combination of the those first specimens. Since even the warriors' lives would end sometime; a stock of specimens were kept in-active, storage so to speak, should an end come to those already landed.

It was these first few generations of 'replicates' that had engaged the combined Human/Vampyre forces. Although they had proved superior to their foes, there were only a few new generations available, and even these had to be adapted and trained to 'defeat' these new enemies. Human and Vampyre troops had learned to adjust and adapt to changing conditions. The 'Klax' did not. They were programmed at the time they were made. Even a few slight changes in their adversaries made that programming less effective over time.

That expected 20:1 ratio had cost the 'Klax' more than 20 generations of warriors, and the breeding required considerable time. The new ones had better skills and knowledge implanted but there were too few of them now to make any progress.

In so many words, their 'end' was in sight. One or two more attacks would be all they could sustain. More than that would reduce the specimens and breeding stock to nothing. It was not the kind of end any had considered. They had assessed the humans, never expecting the vastly superior Vampyre physiques and the human 'turning's'. This had stymied their expected victories. When the Humans introduced body armour, night vision, new weapons and joined up in specially trained teams with the Vampyre, that 20:1 ration had quickly vanished. The result: the attacks ended. 'Klax' doctrine never had told of a defeat. This was all new now.