Star Force: Quenar (SF88) (Star Force Origin Series) Read Free

transpired, despite the fact that they were just as advanced,
perhaps more so in some cases, than the Humans were.
    “Attention Neeyvir, I am Archon Paul-024 of Star
Force. As you are probably aware, our warfleets are
gradually pushing back the Li’vorkrachnika and reclaiming the territory that
they have stolen from others. Though we have not reached your borders yet it
will happen eventually and we had intended on making contact before that
occurred to establish formal relations. The current situation has hastened that
necessity, for we and our allies have just survived a massive battle with the
Trinx. We were the marginal victors, but the Sety and others do not have any
region bases from which to resupply or make repairs and Star Force facilities
are also a great distance from here.”
    “We have come here asking for aid and a port of harbor
so that these ships can begin repairing damage and making arrangements with
their far flung civilizations for permanent relief. We do not expect the Trinx
to follow us here. The target they sought is moving on and their warfleet has
been destroyed. What reserves they have we do not know, and we are not asking
for protection against them if they should come. We are only asking for what
material aid you can offer, or at the very least the ability to use this system
as a waypoint while other allies are rallied to us.”
    “While we are here, I would like to have a lengthy
conversation concerning the Li’vorkrachnika and the future of this region if
you are willing. We will hold to stellar orbit while we await your response.”

 
    2

 
 
    January 3, 3256
    Ashbay System
(Occupation Zone)
    Stellar Orbit

 
    Jason’s command ship came out of its jump into a clear
stellar orbit, finally having made it out of lizard territory. He immediately
picked up battlemap signals coming from the few assets that Star Force had in
the captured system. There were several warships with drones guarding a single
planet where fighting had recently ended and the recycling crews were hard at
work picking up all the trash and beginning the process of erasing the lizards’
stench from the world. This was hardly civilization, but it was Star Force
territory.
    The Trinx hadn’t shown themselves since the big
battle, but the convoy had picked up some hitchhikers from at least three other
races. They were staying well away from both the Uriti and its defenders, but
they were pacing behind the convoy at a respectful distance watching what was
going on.
    He didn’t know what that meant. Maybe these other
races, none of which they could identify, had heard about the spectacle. Paul
hadn’t returned yet, and it was unlikely that he’d spread word of it in time
for outsiders to get here, so it was curious to Jason how they’d known about
the Uriti. Perhaps one or more of The Nine had leaked word of it beyond lizard
territory, but none of the ships accompanying them had claimed knowledge of who
these new ships belonged to. Jason didn’t know if he believed them or not, for
the leak had to have come from somewhere, but it was possible that these ship
captains had no idea who these races were while their leaders did.
    None of them had responded to comms ,
but given that they were keeping so far back Jason hadn’t gone after them. If
they’d gotten closer he would have, but for the time being getting the Uriti
back to Star Force territory was the priority and he’d finally accomplished
that. It wasn’t the Uriti’s ultimate destination, they still had a ways to go
to get to the Alamo System, but it was time for Jason to get a little more
insistent that these trailing ships identify themselves.
    As the battlemap signals caught up from the lag Jason
saw that there was a much larger fleet on the other side of the star, just
having come out of its own jump. It was a Calavari fleet of warships, 19 in
total, and Jason assumed they were reinforcements being sent to help them,
though at the moment he couldn’t