Sacrifice:The Shenkar War Read Free

Prime Minister of the UK and spoke.
                  “ Prime Minister Denshire, I assure you: we are what you humans refer to as ‘the real deal.’”
                  Silence gripped the room like a vise; no one seemed to know what to say. Each man looked from each other to the Meshtrell and back again, nervously picking at their pants or tugging at their ties. Finally, one of the Meshtrell spoke, its metallic voice carrying clear throughout the room.
                  “ We, the Meshtrell, hail from our home world we call Gretle in a very distant solar system from here. Under your current technology, it would take you 583 of your years to travel there. We are a peace-loving race that devotes our lives to art and science, always striving to learn and better ourselves. However, with advancements in technology, one tends to attract the attentions of others who will take those things one holds so dear to oneself.
                  “Such attentions found our home planet forty-eight of your years ago in the form of the Shenkar Federation. The Shenkar are religious fanatics who believe their sole purpose in life is to seek out sentient beings and enslave or utterly destroy them. They send forth their warships into the stars, and when they discover a sentient race, they attack. They cannot be reasoned with, and nothing short of destroying them can stop the path of destruction they leave across the solar systems they pass through. Due to our higher technology, the Shenkar felt we would be better destroyed than enslaved; now there are only about a hundred of us left.
                  “ However, our history isn’t why we asked for this meeting. Your planet Earth has about five months before one of their scout groups will pass close enough to your galaxy that your planet will draw their attention. Then it will take them another month to bring in their fleet to assault your planet. Unless we help you, your people will be enslaved or destroyed.”
                  All the men again looked at one another, unable to speak yet trying to find the words that so escaped them for the moment. The first to find his voice was the Russian President.
                  “ What do you mean, unless you help us? If they all but destroyed your race, then why wouldn’t you wish to help someone else who might suffer the same fate? Furthermore, if your technology is so much higher, how is it they were able to destroy your race?”
                  This time, it was the second alien who spoke.
                  “ There isn’t a question regarding whether we would or wouldn’t help Earth. If you want our help, then you will have it. Our ship technology will be more than sufficient for what you will need to fight back. As to your second question, the Meshtrell are not a warrior race. We can make the means to fight but do not have the ability to use it. You humans have abilities inside you that you have yet to discover.”
                  “ This is all very overwhelming to get used to. I mean, you’re telling us this Shenkar will soon be upon us? How big of a force are we speaking of?” demanded the German President.
                  “ Our last estimates put the Shenkar Federation fleet at over one hundred capital ships with roughly four thousand fighters plus another hundred support ships. This is the normal complement of a Dread Fleet, which also carries shock troops numbering about ten million,” spoke the second Grayling.
                  “ How can we possibly hope to stand against that? We don’t even have any spacecraft capable of combat,” spoke the Australian Prime Minister.
                  “ When we fled the destruction of our planet, we fled with the means to create a fleet capable of facing the Shenkar. We can create shipyards that will produce the capital ships and fighters you