Free Star Force: Retribution (SF60) by Aer-ki Jyr Page B

the
inserts in Cal-com’s head and suddenly his face became numb. The next thing he
knew the old implants came out and fell to the floor, then feeling returned to
his head and for the first time he sensed a new facet to his mind.
    “ I have added a
component that you will carry unseen beneath your eyepiece. No one is to
attempt to examine it, or it will destroy the machines attempting to do so.
Within it is knowledge that I am granting you and I will update it as needed
going forward. This is how you will receive my commands at a distance, but you
will not be able to respond. Replace your eyepiece .”
    Cal-com pushed it back up and slid the short pylons
into the new receptacles, returning to his advanced vision.
    “ Return to
Achkor, Dafchor. Every day delayed from this point forward is a waste ,” the
dragon said, climbing back up over the low wall and disappearing from view as
Cal-com turned about and walked off, taking the Elder at his word and not intending
to waste a single moment of the time that he knew was going to be in short
supply. He doubted he had more than 200 years, based on the knowledge now
creeping into his mind, before the lizards overran the Daswa …and
he wasn’t about to let any servants of the Elders perish on his watch.

 
 
    7

 
 
    August 20, 2680
    Banner System
(Core Region)
    Loki

 
    The elder H’kar walked across the soft floors of the
command deck slowly, with an aide at his side ready to support him if necessary
but the old war leader wanted no assistance with movement and per his orders
the larger H’kar at his side merely paced him as he moved towards his oversight
position on the dreadnaught’s observation platform. When he reached the small
stair steps that led to it Vedja nearly stopped, taking each step with care,
but with three contact points at all times he was in no danger of falling and
mounted the four rises with precision before walking over to his stool.
    There he sat against the backrest and spun it around
through a complete circle, noting the position of the displays, control boards,
and the view out over the rest of the command deck where the ship’s commander
would be handling all the normal functions from his pod except when Vedja
decided to step in, as was typical of a fleet commander. What was not typical
was the dreadnaught, or rather the prototype that had just arrived from back
home along with a slew of additional reinforcements…with the blessings of
multiple Royals.
    All pretense, he knew, but the troops were real
enough. Vedja was nearing the end of his life and it was much simpler for the
Royals to give him what he wanted in the short term than risk an uprising. The
fools were so determined to maintain tradition that they couldn’t see the
continuing threat the Li’vorkrachnika posed, though after so many centuries of
war no H’kar should doubt their power or ingenuity. Joining the Nexus had
bought the H’kar a new life, but that was a far cry from victory…and their
enemy was knocking on the door once again, trying to slowly advance their way
into a position to take the H’kar’s empire from them a
second time.
    Vedja would not live to see it, and would have
remained in quiet isolation during his remaining years had the former fleet
leader not sent their ships on a suicide mission that had drawn the ire of the
Li’vorkrachnika. Their attention was now centered on the H’kar, with far more
enemy vessels migrating towards their worlds and snatching up the surrounding
systems, making it clear that there would be a price to pay for the shipyard
they had destroyed along with the Gfatt.
    The H’kar’s only saving
grace was the other Nexus races, or he was sure that the Li’vorkrachnika would
be mounting a killing blow right now. Their backing would buy the H’kar time
but he didn’t think it would prevent their demise. Tech upgrades were one
thing, but there was no substitute for the sheer numbers the enemy commanded
and would command in