Free Galactic Empire Wars: Rebellion (The Galactic Empire Wars Book 3) by Raymond L. Weil

Overlord as long as the Zaltule shipyards received the required materials
needed to update and build new warships.
    He wondered if
he should mention the Humans. Nothing had been heard from them in years. The
Humans had freed a large number of Kivean scientists and the Kiveans were one
of the most advanced races known. If the Humans had that technology available
to them, then the Zaltule might face a formidable enemy someday. The question
was how Bixutl could use that knowledge to his advantage. The other Overlords
seemed to have forgotten how dangerous the Humans had been, but Bixutl had not.
Perhaps he should send one of his exploration ships out to check on the upstart
race. It could be done discretely with the Zaltule none the wiser.
    “This council
is not as it was in the old days,” stated Harmock, rising to his full height.
“There are no races in the galaxy of equal stature with the Kleese and no
warriors as powerful as the Zaltule. Many of the vermin races are unfit to even
serve the Empire and should be exterminated.”
    “We have taken
many conscripts from those vermin races,” Martule spoke in disagreement. “They
have made excellent fighters for our battlesuits and have allowed us to greatly
expand the Empire. They also serve as occupation forces sparing us the
necessity of using Kleese to hold the numerous worlds we have added to the
Empire.”
    Harmock shifted
his gaze toward Martule. “None of the vermin races will ever serve upon a
Zaltule warship! You may continue to use these excrement species to expand the
Empire against other vermin. The Zaltule will focus on adversaries more worthy
of our warriors.”
    “When will you
attack the first of the nonaligned worlds?” inquired Xatul, knowing he had no
choice but to support Harmock in this. To do otherwise might endanger his
position as the Supreme Overlord of the Kleese.
    “Shortly,”
Harmock responded. “The warships of the Zaltule must be repaired from the
damage inflicted by the Strell. Our strategists will begin to review which nonaligned
worlds to strike first; this should not take long and these worlds will soon become
a part of the Kleese Empire as they should have been all along.”
    -
    Second
Lieutenant Ryan Nelson stood at the base of Charring Mountain with his nineteen
soldiers in battlesuits. Once they conquered the mountain then they could be
called Space Marines. It was a daunting task ahead of them and one Ryan had
dwelled on considerably since their previous defeat. He didn’t intend to lose
again.
    “What’s the
plan?” Casey asked as she walked over to stand next to Ryan. She felt secure in
her battlesuit and was anxious to get the drill started. She and Ryan had spent
considerable time the night before discussing their previous attempt at
Charring.
    “We’re going
to try something different,” answered Ryan, as he turned his battlesuit toward
Casey. He'd spent several hours the previous night, after speaking with Casey,
thinking about different strategies and what others before him might have
tried.
    To the casual
observer, the ten-foot tall black battlesuits looked ominous and threatening.
They were able to keep the soldier inside alive for over twelve hours on its
own environmental and power systems. It also was capable of using its suit
functions to treat major wounds and inject necessary chemicals into the wearer’s
body to allow them to continue to fight even if mortally injured.
    “Only five of
us will have RG rifles, everyone else will be carrying energy cannons.”
    “What?”
stammered Casey her eyes growing wide in disbelief. “We’ll never make it even
close to the top without more RG rifles and their explosive rounds.”
    “Maybe,” Ryan
responded as he turned back toward the waiting mountain.
    Looking up the
heavily forested slope, he couldn’t even tell where they'd gone up the mountain
in their first assault. Everything had grown back or been replaced. He wasn’t
sure how the Kiveans did it, but the