SECTION 22
The fleet is in a stable orbit around the planet as Ulnar goes through the accumulated reports relayed from St. Germaine. They tell the story of Endymion, and as the tale takes form, the admiral begins to realize just how much danger the League and the Legion face from their evil foes.
None of the ships of Larno’s garrison force escaped from the battle at Endymion, but a few merchant ships and other private vessels were able to get away and bring back their impressions of the planet’s end. The Ka’slaq assault was fast and merciless, and the only ships that had much of a chance were the ones already near the edge of the system.
Larno’s report of a hundred enemy ships is the lowest estimate Ulnar hears; the refugees report varying numbers, but all agree that the Ka’slaq armada was immense. Most also agree that ultrapulse scans showed a very large object moving slowly and purposefully in the wake of the alien cruisers. But it was the cruisers that made the biggest impression, all identical in size and speed and each one armed with weapons far more powerful than a Legion vortex gun.
The cruisers were able to carry out maneuvers no human pilot could hope to duplicate. All accounts emphasize their tight formations and high-speed turns, attributable to the Ka’slaq race’s superior mental and physical abilities.
Larno’s last battle was fought without witnesses. One transmission, punched through massive ultrawave interference, said that the garrison ships were forming to attack the large planetoid object, which Larno thought might be the alien flagship. The Ka’slaq broke off most of their other operations shortly afterward and closed in around Larno’s last reported position; the Legion ships never came back.
But the Ka’slaq did. When their cruisers had finished with Larno, the aliens orbited Endymion. Then, without a trace of compassion or a single demand for surrender, they began to bombard the helpless colony. Their attacks showed familiarity with the planet; every town, every homestead on Endymion’s surface was systematically wiped out. One town was destroyed even as its leaders pleaded for their lives and asked to be allowed to capitulate. These reports make it clear that the Ka’slaq, having captured the Discovery at S.C. 170, were able to crack the ship’s computer files and translate the information they contained.
With the flight of the handful of refugees who escaped the destruction of Endymion, there is no more news of the Ka’slaq. Who can tell where they will strike next?
If Ulnar orders his squadron to remain in its current position, go to section 71. Mark seven more days off your time record.
If Ulnar orders the squadron to travel to Endymion, go to section 53.
If Ulnar orders his ships to Baal, go to section 58.
If Ulnar orders his ships to Ulnar 118, go to section 63.
If the admiral orders the squadron to S.C. 170, go to section 68.
If Ulnar’s orders send the squadron hack to St. Germaine, go to section 74.
If the squadron is given orders to any other destination, go to section 73.