What had happened to all our ships? Adam asked himself. We had started out with so many more. Have the battles gone so badly for us, causing hundreds of more casualties?
Suddenly, the screen displaying the pilothouse itself split in two, with the lower half now displaying a Klin face that Adam vaguely recognized. And then it dawned on him — it was that bastard Klin from the war room back on Earth. He couldn’t remember his name, but the face he could.
Linuso did recognize the face immediately. “Ah, Senior Fellow Lumonsee, I am glad to see we have finally made contact with you. I have a special guest here with me, Mr. Adam Cain. I believe the two of you have met.”
“Pleabaen, you may want to have this conversation in private,” said the pale Klin, his voice low and serious.
“Nonsense. This is a glorious time for the Klin. Speak, Senior Fellow, what news have you from Earth. I’m sure our guests will find it interesting.”
Still the Klin hesitated, his eyes narrow, his lips tight. Finally, he spoke, “Linuso, the Humans have staged a purge.”
Linuso suddenly became very serious. “What do you mean?”
“They have begun arresting — or killing — all the surrogates they can find. Also, it appears as though most of our 2G’s have joined the native Humans in this effort, helping to identify the remaining surrogates.”
“Silence!” Linuso commanded, rising from his chair. “Off screen!” The image disappeared, to be replaced by a sold gray screen before expanding once again to show the interior of the Klin flagship.
Linuso and two of his aides headed for the door to the theater room. “Oops,” Adam said, sliding down a little further in the comfortable padded seat. This was getting interesting.
Chapter 50
Once in the command center, Linuso had the image of Lumonsee transferred to a nearby monitor. “Explain!” he yelled.
“The attacks have been coordinated across the entire planet, plus all the ships in orbit. Humans are now aboard my ship and are hunting me. I do not have much time.”
“So we are going to lose control of the planet.” It was a statement, not a question.
“That is true.”
“But what of our assistance — can the Humans survive without us?”
“From the few reports I have received from the surviving surrogates, the natives have apparently been building many of their own facilities, unknown to us until now. They have apparently mastered our technology — and they are prolific builders.”
“And what of this new fleet entering the Fringe?” Linuso asked. From the look on Lumonsee’s face, the Pleabaen could tell he knew nothing of it.”
“What new fleet? None have left from here. However, the Humans have commandeered all of our ships, both in orbit as well as those under construction. I estimate they are now in control of a fleet over twelve-hundred ships in strength.”
“Plus another five-hundred thirty-five that have just recently entered the Fringe Sector.”
“I am not aware of this.”
“You are apparently not aware of a lot of things happening under your jurisdiction, Lumonsee.”
“My failings, Pleabaen, will soon be paid for with my life; the Humans are very near. I only hope that this subterfuge isn’t a precursor to something more widespread.”
“What do you mean?”
“Simple. The Humans are proving to be very deceptive. If what you say is true — about a new fleet arriving in the Fringe — then they have managed to pull off a major coup in spite of all our efforts. It appears as though the Pleabaens — both now and in the past — may have underestimated the abilities of the Humans.”
“That is yet to be supported. So far the only failings I have seen have come from your jurisdiction.”
“And what of Adam Cain and his activities? That single Human has disrupted our timelines for three years already, so much so that our manipulation of the war had to be advanced by twenty years.”
“This line of conversation is getting us nowhere, Lumonsee,” the Pleabaen scolded. “I will deal with events as they unfold; you, however, should prepare yourself for your imminent demise.”
“I will do what is necessary. I have confidence that the Klin will survive; we always have. Just beware, Pleabaen, the Humans are not as we supposed.”
Lumonsee looked off to his right, as a disturbance was heard from that direction. He then turned back to the screen. “Farewell, Linuso-” and he cut the link.
Linuso remained staring at the blank screen for several seconds. He was desperately trying to correlate all the information he had just received and to determine how it all related to the current events taking place thousands of light years away. The new Human fleet — he was positive now that it did exist — was too far out to affect the outcome of the battle about to take place off Falor-Kapel. The Klin, with their Kracori allies, could still accomplish the ultimate goal of this phase of the master plan. Whatever was happening on Earth was of no consequence at this moment, or into the foreseeable future. Yes, the Humans would have to be dealt with, but that could wait. That situation was months away from having to be resolved.
Right now, the Pleabaen had a galaxy to take over.
Chapter 51
Linuso had been gone from the theater room for fifteen minutes, and by the time he returned — stern-faced and tight-lipped — the first engagements in the battle of Falor-Kapel had already taken place. The Pleabaen slipped into his seat and placed his chin on his hand, his elbow resting on the arm of the chair.
“So the people of Earth don’t want to play your games anymore,” Adam said, poking the bear.
When the Pleabaen didn’t reply, Adam pressed a little more. “So how does this affect your plans for galactic domination?”
Linuso lifted his head and glared at Adam. “You believe we Klin have been doing all of this for power and for domination? You are wrong! We do this for justice. The galaxy will be a better place with the Klin in…” he hesitated ever so briefly… “power.”
“That’s what they all say.”
“Silence,” Linuso commanded, “else I reconsider my decision to allow you and your companions to observe the battle!”
Adam glanced over at Sherri and smiled. She reciprocated and squeezed his arm a little tighter. If they were going to go out, they all preferred to go out with a bang.
The screen before them remained split, and on the left side they could see the cloud of green and red contacts begin to intertwine. To Adam, it reminded him of a Christmas ornament, even though he knew people were dying before his very eyes.
The green dots dominated, forming a sphere around the red contacts, who, even though outnumber two-to-one, appeared to be holding the integrity of their lines. And yet, despite their tenacity, the red dots were being compressed into an ever-smaller ball within the sphere. Adam could see the writing on the wall. The battle couldn’t last much longer.
“Fleet Master,” Linuso said, startling all the others in the theater room who had been intently watching the left screen. “You may begin your attack. The Humans are of no consequence; your priority will be to prevent any Juirean ships from escaping.”
“Understood, Pleabaen,” Hoden acknowledged. He turned on the screen and nodded to one of the Kracori seated at a console facing the back of his chair.
Just then, a large set of undesignated contacts appeared at the bottom of the left screen in the theater room, approaching the battle from a direction along the main entry point to the Kapelean Corridor.
“Your forces are out of position, Hoden,” Linuso stated sharply.
The Fleet Master turned his back on the screen again and had a quick and muffled conversation with an agitated Kracori behind him. When he turned back to the screen, his eyes were wide with shock.