Judgment: The Chohish Wars, page 1
Judgment The chohish Wars
G. J. Moses
Copyright © 2023 by G. J. Moses
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and specific other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
ISBN 978-1-7341152-4-6 (Digital)
ISBN 978-1-7341152-5-3 (Paperback)
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
First Edition 2023
Cover image and design by Damonza.com
“The seeds of war are insidious. The desire for power is complex and sometimes hard
to recognize. They are not usually understood or seen until after hostile actions start.
A robust military can pause even the most ambitious antagonist.”
Signed:
General Thalo Daneb
Year 4189
Contents
Preface
Uv’ei
Yajf’ard
Database
Time To Find Out
Full Speed Ahead
Ore
Disgust
Guessing
Miracle
Death
Cat and Mouse
Relief
Trickery
Agonizing Amazement
Loss
Reassignment
Reflection and Innovation
Closer and Closer
Scrinqak
Certh
Queen Ktissi
Clash
Plans
Change of Plans
Dissolution
Trap
Transformation
Truce
Understanding the Enemy
Roll the Dice
Capture
Reunion
Encore
Preface
The destroyer slid silently through space. Drifting past a pair of defense batteries, they changed direction to allow passage past another two. Then, passing through the middle, the destroyer identified one directly in their path.
“Helm, take us to port, slowly. Keep as much distance as you can away from that battery. They would have detected us if we had been going faster. Slow and easy.”
“Aye, Captain will do.”
As the destroyer passed the defense battery, two more were quickly identified. The placement of these batteries forced them away from their goal.
Turning away from the pair of batteries, the destroyer continued cautiously. The Captain searched for some path through the maze; turning around would be a disaster.
“Guard ships Captain, a pair to starboard, one at fifteen degrees, another at fifty-two degrees. Just identified another, one at seventy-four degrees below us.”
Continuing forward, the destroyer barely moved as it slowly slid past the guard ships. Then, turning to port, they resumed heading toward the station, even slower than before.
Going a short distance, they had to stop while a battleship flew past.
“Follow that battleship; they are headed in the right direction,” ordered the Captain. “Slowly, we do not want to get too close.”
They followed the battleship for over an hour before it separated when it turned in the wrong direction. They had only made it a short way before they came upon another defense battery.
“We will never make it in the time required if we keep going around in circles. We will have to up the risk,” stated the Captain. “Helm, change direction; head straight for the station slowly. Scanner, see if you can find any drifting rock that we can piggyback on.”
“Captain, an asteroid is floating in the right direction. It will not get us the whole way, only about half.”
“Helm, hide us if you please.”
Increasing speed, the destroyer slid close to the identified asteroid. With bated breath, they slipped sideways until they trailed the asteroid. The destroyer rocked from the slight gravity. Occasionally, small debris would impact the ship’s hull, ringing throughout. Shields were set low to minimize detection.
The destroyer turned off when the asteroid started heading in the wrong direction.
Their target was in sight. The station loomed large ahead. Just one more set of defense stations to get past. Hope rose just before the alarms sounded.
“Captain, energy readings straight ahead. Four battleships are powering up, shields and energy weapons coming online,” reported the sensor technician.
“Damn, where did they come from?” muttered the Captain. “Get us the hell out of here, Helm. Bring up the shields. Let’s give them a race for their money. Head for the station at full speed.”
The destroyer increased speed to swing past the battleships heading directly towards the station, and the battleships gave chase.
Nearing the station, the destroyer was almost in position to deliver its package when more defense batteries came online simultaneously, along with more guard ships.
“Surrender, or die!” came clearly through the speakers.
Sulking, Captain Meghan Kennedy stared at Captain Zeke Kinsley, who wore a silly smile. They were sitting in a conference room on a Royal Galactic Navy Battlecruiser.
In the room, there were three admirals present. Admiral Katinka Chadsey, Rear Admiral Nkosana Okeke of the RGN, and Admiral Timeti representing the Sorath.
With them were Captain Jeanne de Clisson, Captain Lance Henry, Commander Anne Dieu-Le-Veut, Lieutenant Commander Masson Dieu-Le-Veut, Major Bridgette Okeke, Sergeant Jan de Bouff, Science Officer Hawke, and Lieutenant Commander William Farren.
“Surrender, or die? Really?” asked Anne. “Who came up with that? That was humiliating.”
“Don’t blame me. Jeanne is your sister. I quit trying to get her to stop that crap. She had too much fun planning and executing it, then laughed about it for weeks afterward. And it’s not like your crew did not enjoy it, especially when they knew it was her voice saying it,” answered Zeke.
“Was she hiding on one of the guard ships?” queried Meghan.
“No, she passed out a recording to all defense batteries and guard ships as they were built if they detected anything. Told the Kolqux that it would insult the honor of the Chohish. They adore her, so they installed it without question,” explained Zeke. “As I said, she’s your sister.”
“That does not resolve our problem. Captain Kennedy, we appreciate you running a test for us. Still, the station we need to capture intact has many more defenses than the one here,” lamented Katinka.
“When did the Kolqux detect me?” asked Meghan. “That may help us determine how to get past the Chohish since they have the same equipment.”
The looks she got from Jeanne let her know she would not like the answer.
“Actually, they identified your ship after the second defensive battery. The crew on the third battery notified us. We asked the battery to let you pass to see how many of the batteries would know you were out there.”
“You suck. Do you know that?” Meghan angrily retorted.
“Actually, it was good news as the Kolqux are learning fast. The problem is a destroyer is too large to get through,” acknowledged Katinka. “But anything much smaller does not have the distance.”
“How many of your units do you need to deliver?” asked Zeke.
“Based on the station size, at least three or four would be optimum. Better add a few more for redundancy,” specified Bridgette.
“Any special skills needed for operating the units?” queried Zeke.
“None besides turning them on. The units run by themselves.” Holding her hand up to pause the following question from Zeke, Bridgette went on. “But they will only run for three to four hours. If the database cannot be secured by then, the Chohish would have destroyed it manually.”
“And the station is expected to have top-of-the-line defenses. If we do not get that database, any navigation database we capture in that system will only take us back to where they came from recently. So we need that database to head straight to their home worlds; otherwise, we could end up going in a large circle,” worried Katinka.
“Uh oh, he has that damn smile,” stated Jeanne. “He is coming up with some crazy plan again.”
“What if we do this? We let the Chohish invite us in…” a smiling Zeke laid out a plan.
Uv’ei
The wind blew softly with a chill in the air, leaves dropping, carpeting the ground. The pink color of the leaves contrasted with the purple trunks and brown bushes. The rustle of a small animal could be heard rustling through the underbrush.
The silence was broken by the sound of a branch breaking as two small figures moved into the area. Wheezing, not accustomed to moving through a forest, Uv’ei paused a moment to catch his breath. Squatting, waiting for his brother to catch up, Uv’ei wondered if he could complete the task.
Uv’ei, and his brother Uv’ek, were dressed in the new armor provided by Khaleesi. The armor automatically blended with the foliage he stood in. The RGN supply ships had replicators producing new units to meet the Kolqux size specifications.
Stepping over a log that had fallen across his path, Hu’de gripped his rifle tighter, afraid he would lose it. Moving meticulously, he glanced down at his feet to see where to place his foot next. Bending, he kneeled as he moved to the top of the hill. Carefully, he raised his head until he could peep o
What he saw was what he expected. There was a standard four-lane highway that ran north to south. Further north, he could see a junction with a two-lane road that ran east to west. Small trees lined the street, with bushes more prevalent. There was an old feel to it; parts were in disrepair.
Traffic was sparse, consisting primarily of trucks carrying produce. The three-wheeled electric trucks ran on a hybrid rubber type of wheel that bounced when it hit pits in the road.
But he was not here to sightsee; his goal was to get to the small rundown restaurant near the junction. From there, he was only several miles from reaching his final destination. So far, he had not seen the marines he was trying to avoid.
Waiting until no truck was visible, Uv’ei crawled until he crested the hill with Uv’ek slightly behind him.
Stopping to remove several small sticks, Uv’ei looked around for a path. Off to the right, he saw what looked like an animal trail. Indicating the track to Uv’ek with his hands, he rose up where he ran swiftly down the path on the balls of his feet, making every effort to keep the noise down.
The trail went off in the wrong direction as it neared the highway. Crouching down, Uv’ei looked around carefully. Not seeing any motor vehicles or foot traffic on the road, he ran across before dropping down.
Uv’ek, crouched on the other side, waited for Uv’ei to check for any change. Seeing none, Uv’ei signaled Uv’ek. Getting the wave to come across, Uv’ek jumped up, running as quickly as he could. Dropping down next to Uv’ei, Uv’ek grinned at his brother while sweat ran down his face.
Close to the restaurant, Uv’ei raised up to take a step to the right. Then, using a method Khaleesi taught him, Uv’ei started walking side to side, stepping to the right with his left foot and then to the right with his left foot. They had been instructed this helped with keeping their balance.
Turning to check on Uv’ek, he watched him repeat the same process of walking. Then, checking his path to the front door, Uv’ei watched where he was going, not at his feet.
Reaching the door, Uv’ei scrutinized the handle. There were no windows; the only option for him to see what was inside was to open the door to see what awaited him and Uv’ek.
Slowly, ever so slowly, Uv’ei started turning the rusty doorknob. He could hear a slight noise but hoped it was not loud enough to alarm anyone inside. The sound from inside indicated children was present.
Pushing the door open just enough to get a peek inside, he saw Khaleesi sitting with several of her officers at a table facing the door. Her finger gesturing for Uv’ei to come inside was disappointing. He had hoped he could avoid detection.
Straightening, he opened the door wide before striding inside. “Come on, Uv’ek, Khaleesi knows we are here.” The cursing behind him matched what he felt.
Looking around, he saw several families and individuals sitting alone, scattered around the room. All were watching him and the humans with hero worship. The kids were pointing at them and jabbering excitedly.
Stomping in, Uv’ei sat down at one of the available chairs. His only satisfaction was that the chairs were made for Kolqux, hence small with no sides. So Khaleesi and her officers might as well have skipped the chairs and sat on the floor.
“What are you frowning at, Uv’ei? You did great. You two have only been training for three months,” complemented Khaleesi. “And that is when you can get free of your government duties.”
Before Uv’ei could answer, a child came up shyly to Khaleesi. “Are you her?” she asked.
The child had great big eyes opened in wonderment, shaking a little with excitement. The sound of happiness when Khaleesi lifted her to put her on her lap made the stoic expressions of her officers soften.
“Well, that depends on who ‘her’ is, young lady. I am just a marine doing my job,” Khaleesi said as she poked the child playfully in the nose. “What is your name?”
“I am Gu’eb. I was named after my grandmother. She died to save my mother,” the little girl stated while playing with a small magnetic medal on Khaleesi’s armor.
Taking the medal off, Khaleesi asked, “you like this?” At this point, Khaleesi handed it to Gu’eb. “You keep it; I have no use for it.”
The look Uv’ei gave was incredulous. “You cannot give her that. That is the medal we gave you; we had a lot of trouble creating that.”
Ruffling the girl’s head, who laughed as she played with the medal, Khaleesi whispered, “This young lady will have much more use for it than I will.”
The little girl leaned in to give Khaleesi a kiss before she jumped off her lap, where she ran back to her parents in excitement, showing off the medal.
“So what’s the problem, Uv’ei? You seem overly wrought with impatience,” said Khaleesi, leaning back in her chair before crossing her feet.
Wringing his hands, he looks at the woman who had been in a medical pod fighting for her life just a short time past, injuries she obtained while fighting to save his people. “I am anxious to go. There are Kolqux suffering,” he answered.
“Going in before you or your people are ready will not do them any favors. What we are going to attempt is fraught with pitfalls.” Khaleesi raised herself from the chair so quickly that it surprised Uv’ei and Uv’ek.
“We cannot move until the Navy figures out how to recover that database in that station and your people are trained. Otherwise, lives will be lost, unknown how many.” With her officers now by her side, Khaleesi’s voice became all stony and professional. “You did commendably until you reached here. Next time, resist the impulse to go in the establishment.”
“You set the destination to go past this place on purpose, didn’t you?’ asked Uv’ek.
The smile answered his question. “We have been here since you started out. Remember, next time, your goal is to reach the target, not stop and explore.”
“We were thirsty; we knew the area and had been to this restaurant before. Damn it, you did do it on purpose,” complained Uv’ek.
Following the marines, the two joined them in entering the transport that had arrived while they had been inside. The transport arrival so quickly confirmed that Khaleesi knew where they were before they opened the door.
As they flew, Uv’ei looked at Khaleesi sitting across from him. It brought back memories of when she finally emerged from the medical pod.
Working with a nurse, the human doctor stood by as the pod opened. They ran diagnostics on her health, reading the results for several minutes before they started to assist her in getting out.
Seeing her hands rise to grab the sides brought tears of happiness to his eyes. Then, when her head finally rose above the pod, he was about to scream in joy until he saw the pain in her face. When she glanced at him, seeing the blood-filled eyes squinting in pain tore at his heart. Uv’ei could not stop his hand from covering his mouth when she opened her mouth in a silent scream. It had been filled with blood.
Somehow, he had thought when the medical pod said she was good enough to survive on her own, she would come out fully healed. That was far from the truth. The nurse told him they had to revive her early so she did not lose too much muscle mass. That was standard procedure for marines.
It took another week of the nano’s repairing her injuries before they let her out of the infirmary. Yet, she still found a way to exercise against the doctor's orders. And once they did, she wasted no time for a complete workout. On the first day out, Khaleesi started a brutal physical regime to recover muscle loss. The medical staff insisted that she put it off until the nano’s finished their work, but she scoffed at them. “War doesn’t wait because you want it to,” was her response to their protests.
Uv’ei would visit for several hours every day, where he would join in her workout. Not that he could mirror her intensity, but she had given him a routine designed for a Kolqux. It was tough initially; he had never worked on building his muscles or endurance. Never even considered it; what for?
Within a week, Uv’ek had joined him. Every time they thought it was too much, seeing the pain on Khaleesi’s face, they were guilted into continuing. Now, months later, they looked and felt totally different. And as Uv’ek said, their wives’ admiration for their appearance was a nice bonus.
