Chapter 258 - Headquarters

(Dedzog Military-Industrial Megacomplex, Maccara)

The sky roiled with fire over the industrial and military center of Maccara, and the Yathru Corporation as a whole. Gravitic engines had long ago eliminated the need for every ship descending from space to create a flaming trail as they reentered the atmosphere, so this was a far from common sight. The only time one saw such a thing was when a ship made a power dive into the atmosphere, like military vessels doing a ‘hot’ insertion. And this was not one fireball, but seven central ones, along with thirty-six smaller trails!

The entire Fourth Company of the Black Star Marine Corps descended upon the military chief stronghold of military might on Maccara. Five Crow-class assault ships led the way, along with the fighters of Wyvern Squadron in their Thunderbolts, sweeping aside the few fighters and assault ships that managed to lift off. Flying behind them, Drake Squadron’s Thunderbolts supported Wyrm Squadron’s Dragons, as the bombers began taking out all the heavy air defense emplacements above the military base.

The Black Star Heavy Assault Transport Tiamat, which was designed for situations just like this, descended through fire and flame, her weapons laying waste to buildings across the complex. All Yathru Corporation buildings were legitimate targets in a Corporate War, and there was no building in the district that did not belong to the corporation. The entire industrial complex began going up in flames, a wound that, itself, would be enough to ensure that Yathru would be years, if not a decade or more, in recovering from this debacle.

But it wasn’t over.

As the escort carrier Orochi took up position nearby the Tiamat, adding her point defense weapons to the onslaught. Those weapons were too weak by far to deal significant damage to starships at ranges that could best be described by referencing how long it would take the light of an action to reach the observer, but against unmoving, unshielded buildings close enough that the distance was measured in meters? They were more than enough to add to the devastation.

Then, as Tiamat continued her work of leveling the district, her launch bay doors opened, and the six drop ships containing the actual troops of the Fourth Company entered the fray. Their own weapons, suited for both ground assault and close air defense, joined the fighters and the Crows in clearing away any threats to Tiamat or Orochi. And when they landed, the galaxy got their first look at the Black Star Ihm Marines.

One thousand Ihm marines had joined Black Star after the Battle of Second Cordana, and the fall of the X’thari Harvester. Four hundred had been assigned as ship-board troops for the Second Group of the Fleet, commanded by their former Warleader. Another hundred had been shifted to other companies as reinforcements, and to help fill out heavy weapons roles. That left five hundred Ihm descending upon the Yathru Corporation’s military high command.

Each Ihm Marine stood at two and a half meters tall, clad in power armor that looked beefy enough to qualify as a light truck in some jurisdictions. Squad by squad, they wielded weapons too large and powerful to be anything but crew-served weapons for a normal human. Some of them even had the weapons attached to their very armor!

Soon, the military base was filled with the cracking sound of powerful rifles firing explosive rounds, plasma weapons blasting apart their targets, and rushing roar of heavy flamethrowers that washed over the enemy. But the sound those that lived through this nightmare would remember most was the roar of whirling blades, as the Black Star Marines brought their most vicious of weapons to bear, the bastard son of a longsword and a chainsaw that chewed through even heavy armor. And in unholy harmony with them were raised the screams of the dying and those too slow to escape the Black Stars’ onlslaught.

The military forces had nowhere to run. The orbitals had been taken over, and wiped clean of support. Air transport was shot down long before they could even land, much less evacuate troops. And on all sides the military was surrounded upon the ground. Steadily they were pushed back, into an ever-shrinking cordon, as more and more of their number died. Oh, it was not bloodless on the Black Stars’ side, but for every Black Star that fell, a hundred, perhaps two hundred Yathru warriors were piled before them as sacrifices.

(Yathru Corporation Headquarters, Rak’kun City, Maccara)

On the other side of the continent, a smaller firestorm descended upon the city. Yathru’s headquarters was designed with aesthetics in mind, to show off their power to all who witnessed the grand city. Massed air defense platforms were ‘unsightly’, and so the city relied primarily upon a powerful city shield, and the few weapons that fit in with the city’s aesthetic planners.

The shield was a common one. It prevented energy weapons from passing through, and attempted to block all physical objects that were going faster than a certain speed. Forcing landing shuttles to slow to a near-stop as they passed through the shield would make them an easy target for the few cannons, and landing outside the city shield would put invaders outside the aesthetically pleasing, and yet otherwise defensively worthless, city wall. Thus, the planners gave the city’s armed forces the chance to fight from prepared positions, while the enemy would be slow, and bottlenecked in getting reinforcements, allowing for massed fire upon the entry points.

In theory, this would allow Yathru’s forces to hold out against a far stronger force so long as the shield remained up. And since both the power source and the emitters for the shield were inside the shield, once raised, there was little chance of an enemy defeating them unless they brought power great enough that defeat was both certain and likely to be total. In theory, they were correct.

Those theories were shattered along with the city’s shield as ten Dragonsbreath torpedoes struck the shields within meters of each other. The kinetic kill weapons unleashed all their power on the shields, and the emitter for that section exploded, opening a gap in the shield almost forty meters wide. Through the gab flew the fighters of Firelord Squadron, their Thunderbolt IVs unleashing hell upon the few active air defense stations. By the tie the shield had begun to recover, and started sealing the hole, it was already too late, as the Crows of First Company followed closely after the fighters, and the closest shield emitters fell under attack. Not long after, the shield collapsed entirely, and the Thunderfury and Fool’s Gambit came roaring in, their guns striking like thunder bolts, ripping into all ground and air traffic within their reach.

The Black Star ships cut their way across the city, until they came to rest above the Yathru headquarters. A second shield surrounded the building itself, but that was no concern for the Black Stars. Drop ships launched from the Thunderfury, and deployed their Marines of the First Comany around the building.

Unlike the Marines of the Fourth Company, First Company’s Marines were of all races. But, like the Fourth Company, they were clad in power armor, larger and stronger than any but the most elite military forces in the galaxy had seen before. They unleashed similar weaponry upon the corporate security forces, and the security guards fared no better than the military, as defenders were hewn apart along with their defense positions.

Every exit to the building was stormed, even the underground parking garage. Fire from above wrecked the last few air defenses within range of the headquarters building. The executives tried to escape, but the ships above ensured that anyone getting any ideas about trying to fly away was quickly disabused of those notions. The few who didn’t get the memo were informed of the new travel restrictions a bit more forcefully, and their remains were now scattered across the ground in flaming chunks.

Floor by floor, the corporate security forces tried to stop the onslaught, and floor by floor they were pushed back. Those who tried to run were shot in the back. Those who tried to stand and fight were slaughtered where they stood. Not even the office workers were spared.

The Marines’ orders were simple. Destroy the enemy. Their Rules of Engagement were clear. If it was not wearing Black Star armor, it was the enemy, and it was going to die. Only those who managed to completely and unequivocally signal their surrender, and met the Marines kneeling or on the ground, with their hands up, were spared. Those were cuffed, and left lying where they were, but they were left alive. Most did not have that level of self-preservation ingrained within them, having relied far too long on their position to cover them and keep them from harm.

(Board Room, Yathru Corporation Headquarters, Rak’kun City, Maccara)

“I don’t care where you get the guards from! We need them here now!”

In the board room, the executives of the Yathru Corporation were calmly discussing the opening gambits of the corporate war with Black Star.

“Damn you to the Abyss! STOP DYING, YOU FOOLS!” One of the Ihm Executives yelled into a microphone that was broadcasting to the troopers in the building. Looking at her fellow executives, he hissed, “What do we pay these idiots for?”

A second executive, this one a gauz, shook his head. “Ashf’rd, yelling at them will not suddenly make their populace suppression weapons work against military-grade power armor. Even the military is being slaughtered in Dedzog.”

Ashf’rd whirled on the other executive. “Damn it, Birkin! And damn you! This isn’t supposed to be happening! People just don’t do this in corporate wars!”

Birkin shrugged, and walked across the room to get a drink from the bar. “Perhaps someone should have informed Black Star about that, then? The fact is that we thought we could get an easy score out of them, but we got burned. Screaming won’t help that.”

Zwellspn’cer, the president of the Yathru Corporation, shook his head, his eyes narrowing at Birkin. “For someone that is just as deep in this mess as the rest of us, you certainly seem to be rather relaxed, Birkin. Is there something you’re not telling us?”

Birkin emptied his glass of the amber liquid in a single go, before refilling it again. “No, just acceptin’ the facts as they are. There’s no point yelling about it now. They responded far more actively than any of us possibly predicted, and now, we are looking like we’ll lose everything.”

Gl’dman, the executive in charge of shipping, slapped her tail on the ground in disapproval. “No, most of our shipping was out of port! We can still rebuild, if enough of the ships evade capture.”

Birkin spat on the ground in front of him. “Have you been reading the status reports? Or have you just buried your head in the sand like a Tarkad dulx bird, and ignored the reality of how badly fucked we are?”

Gl’dman looked shocked, but Birkin continued. “This isn’t just an attack on Maccara. We have FTL comm confirmation of attacks on every major facility or system we have, with entire systems going dark to us. The Black Stars aren’t just hitting us here. They’re hitting us everywhere, all at once, and they have sufficient forces left over to devote this much to us!”

Zwellspn’cer sighed. “Unlike Gl’dman, I have been reading the reports, and I am forced to agree with you. Unfortunately, it appears that we are decidedly the losers in this corporate war. We must act swiftly if we are to save anything. We have to surrender.”

The board room erupted in yelling as everyone tried to speak at once. Finally, there was a slap on the table, shocking the room into silence. All eyes turned to the most junior of the executives, and the only human in their number. He was an odd one, wearing darkened eyewear, even while indoors, and he rarely spoke in meetings, preferring to gather information before moving. Half the individuals on the board had even forgotten he was there.

Zwellspn’cer looked at the human. “You have something to add, Wesker?”

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Be sure to read my published works!

Frozen Soul series (Sci-Fi Supervillain story):
Frozen Soul - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071R125QT
Tales of the Void Traveler - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZ52G37
Memoirs of a Supervillain - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R9NWS8J

Rules-Free VRMMO Life (Dark Fantasy GameLit):
Volume 1 - Tutorial
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071VPRNDB

Omnibus 1 - Volumes 1-4

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0774T354X

Into the Black (Sci-Fi GameLit):
Book I - Game Start https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071LT5WGL
Omnibus I - Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077X2KR7Y

City of Champions Online (Superhero GameLit):
Issue I - Origin Stories https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075SHXQS1

Lewd Dungeon (Dungeon Core GameLit):
Book 1 - Welcome to the Apocalypse https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BB34DHF
Omnibus 1 - Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FBPF6HR

SCI Stories (Dark Supervillain story):
Book 1 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RL93VQN

Winterborn (Dark Fantasy LitRPG):
Book 1 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082S3S3K8

Dark Fate (Postapocalyptic GameLit):
Book 1 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086S35WZ6

The Kalipshae Affair (A First Contact Short Story): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0739V6R6T

Chapter 257 - Maccara

(YCSF Lessons Paid For, Maccara Gateway, Maccara System, Free Worlds Alliance)

Shipleader Irata Rhih was, as the humans would say, bored. The fleet had been buzzing the last few weeks, as the news that the Black Star Company, out of the Confederacy, had declared a formal Corporate War against the Yathru Corporation. Oh, corporate wars were fairly common in the Alliance, but they never involved the major players, like Yathru. At most, it would be a subsidiary fighting, not the main corporation. So, the news that the corporation as a whole was going to be involved in the war was a big thing.

It wasn’t just that Yathru itself was going to be fighting that got the rumor mill stirring, but who they were up against. The Black Star Company was widely regarded amongst the management types as being upstart newcomers. Somehow, they had ridden a wave of success to making a big name for themselves in the Confederacy, and had gotten too uppity. They needed to be cut down to size.

Or, at least, that was the view of the executives. In the ranks of the Fleet, however, the rumors were going in a much different direction. Unlike the corporate officers, the security groups had more face to face contact with groups outside the Corporation, or the Alliance. Moreover, they paid attention to the stories about military matters. Who had the biggest guns, and how they used them, was a vital part of living long enough to retire, after all.

The Black Star Company may have been many things, but, if even half the stories about them were true, they were not a group that she wanted to be facing in a pitched battle. The executives were still discussing plans for economic warfare against Black Star, and arranging attack teams to hunt Black Star shipping. The Fleet had come to the dreadful certainty that they would have no need to go seeking out Black Star, now that the preparatory period for the Corporate War was over. Save for the most diehard loyalists to the corporation, not a soul thought that Black Star was actually going to wait for them to come and fight on Black Star’s turf, or that Black Star would use financial trickery against them.

No, this war would be settled through force. And the Yathru Corporation simply didn’t have the kind of force necessary to fight off Black Star. Not in a straight fight, at least.

Which brought her to why she and her ship, a frigate that had been cutting edge twenty years ago, when it was built for the Alliance-Imperial war, were sitting by the Maccara Gateway, along with the other guardians, scanning every ship that came through the gateway. It was dull, boring work, but it needed to be done. Even the executives weren’t so thick as to believe that they could just leave the Gateway unguarded.

By the Abyss, the rumor was that they intended to launch assault forces through the Gateway to the so-called ‘Amazon’ system. The idea being that, then, they could fly normally to the Star’s Reach system and strike at the heart of Black Star’s operations. To Rhih, it just sounded like a great way of committing suicide.

But the Gateway still needed to be guarded, even after the assault force went through, so the Lessons Paid For would remain in Maccara along with the Home Fleet when the assault ships and mercenaries shipped out. And there would be plenty of mercenaries. The word around the fleet was that Corporate was even hiring the Kul’tirans to try and stick it to Black Star. Of course, the Kul’tirans didn’t really have a great track record against Black Star, either. Now, if only…

“Unscheduled Gateway activation!”

Her internal musing was cut off by the announcement from her Sensor Second. “Report!”

“Address matches the one recorded for Star’s Reach!”

Star’s Reach? Surely, they couldn’t be that arrogant? “Shields up! All point defense to full. All hands to battle stations.”

She had barely gotten the orders out of her mouth when the screen began lighting up with more sensor readings. She didn’t need the Sensor Second to tell her what they meant. Missiles incoming. Lots of missiles, being fired through the Gateway.

(Main Control Room, Drez Station, Yathru Corporate Security Fleet Headquarters, in orbit of Maccara Prime)

“What is happening?” Fleet Leader Chikzazz Zess snarled at the menials who were manning the sensor stations. She had been working on the plans for attacking Black Star when what seemed like all the alarms in existence began going off at once.

“Fleet Leader! The guardian defense platform and ships guarding the Gateway are under missile attack! The defense platform has been destroyed. Three of the five guardian ships are just gone. Profit Margin is disabled, and venting atmosphere. Lessons Paid For is maneuvering away from the Gateway, shields at 24%.”

“Damn it! Where is the gate coming from?”

“Star’s Reach, Fleet Leader.”

“Damn it all to the infinite abyss! We’ve been outplayed. Full power to shields. All hands to battle stations! All ships, all stations to go to active sensors, maximum gain! There is a cloaked spotter out there, guiding the missiles through!”

Across the system, every Yathru ship, every station, every drone or satellite large enough to mount a sensor suite, whether they were civilian or corporate security, switched on their active sensors, blanketing the system in enough noise that it was impossible for any cloaked or stealthed ship to remain in hiding. Even the best stealth technology still had to obey certain rules of physics. If you were inside the universe, then spotting your ship was simply a matter of pumping enough energy out there that you got a hit, no matter what.

“CONTACT! MANY CONTACTS!” The sensor officer’s voice yelled out. “Computer counts fifty-eight unidentified contacts! Bearing two-one-four-mark-five by three-five-four-mark-five. Range six thousand kilometers and closing fast!”

Zess frowned. That was just over twenty light-seconds away, and charging almost straight ‘down’ from above the ecliptic. How the hell had they gotten so close, without being seen? They had spies at all the other known Gateways, save for Star’s Reach. There should have been no way that a fleet this size could possibly slip past the spies.

The sensor officer yelled out again, once more disrupting her thoughts. “Fighters! Fighter launch detected! Bloody abyss, there have to be ten squadrons launching!”

Fleet Leader Chikzazz Zess had thought that this would be a corporate war, like any other. Maybe not like any other, but following the same basic tenets. Now, she was starting to believe that Yathru had made a grave tactical error.

“Wait, what is that? OH SHIT! KINETICS ON INBOUND TRAJECTORY!”

The sensor officer on duty aboard Drez Station noticed the kinetics when they were five seconds out. Shock and lack of practice slowed the weapons officer’s reaction time to a full second. Training point defense on the objects took two seconds. The beam weapons the station used for point defense could fire at a relatively quick five shots per second. However, the software was designed to target fighters, conventional missiles, and asteroids, not objects hurtling forward at relative velocities of 50% of the speed of light!

Drez Station sported shields twice as strong as a superdreadnought’s. A superdreadnought could shrug off three, maybe four of the impacts from a Black Star ship’s main weapon, and remain in the fight. Six simultaneous impacts would kill even a modern superdreadnought outright. Drez station was hit by twenty-eight shots, all timed to land within 0.02 seconds of each other.

The best that could be said about the fate of the people aboard is that at least it was quick.

(YCSF Lessons Paid For, Maccara Gateway, Maccara System, Free Worlds Alliance)

Shipleader Irata Rhih was desperately praying to whatever powers would listen that she could go back to being simply bored. One moment, she had been engaging in simple guard duty. The next, she was doing everything she could to try and stay alive.

The missiles had poured out of the Gateway in a torrent, two hundred and fifty in total. The defense platform never even managed to get their shields up, or activate their point defense, before taking fifty of the ship-killer missiles straight to their hull. The Contract Law, Tariff Setter, and Greener Pastures had at least left their point defense on automatic, but it hadn’t helped, not against the twenty missiles each had been targeted by.

The Profit Margin and her Lessons Paid For, at least, had managed to get their shields and point defense on-line, and were able to begin evasive maneuvers. Unfortunately for the Profit Margin, they had simply been too close to the Gateway, and hadn’t had enough time to maneuver. The frigate had managed to shoot down or evade twelve of the twenty missiles, but eight had been enough to gut the ship’s aft section, leaving it drifting, without power, and venting atmosphere. The best that could be said for it was that the reactor had not suffered a catastrophic failure. Yet.

Her Lessons Paid For hadn’t fared much better, however. They had been the furthest from the Gateway at the time, but that only gave them a couple seconds more time to maneuver. They managed to shoot down seven missiles, and evade eight more. Rolling the ship as they engaged in maneuvers, the remaining five missiles only scored glancing blows, and never in the same section of shielding, allowing her to spread the load, at least a little. She was down to 24% on the shields, but the rough treatment had already caused several systems to go offline.

“Damage report!”

“Inertial dampening at 57%. Hull breach in deck four, section three, port side! Port-side point defense is offline! Casualties reported, sickbay ready for patients. We have radiation warnings in the compromised section. Looks like one or more of the missiles that got through was a nuke of some kind.”

Rhih nodded. “Very well. Bring us around! I want starboard shields facing the Gateway until repairs are completed. Communications! Do we have any word from Command?”

“Ship Leader,” the Sensor Second cut in, “Active sensors detecting a massive number of enemy ships, on an intercept course for Drez Station! It is the Black Star Fleet! Fighters launching from carriers, looks like ten whole squadrons!”

“Of course, it is,” muttered Rhih. Who else would it be, after that sneak attack through the Gateway? And it would be just her luck to get caught up in the battle like this.

Still, it could be worse. She could have been one of the Ship Leaders who were too close to the Gateway. Or she could have been off duty, and her Ship Second, while a capable administrator, did not make decisions quickly, even in emergencies. In either case, she would have been dead already, along with her ship.

“SHIP LEADER!” The sudden note of fear in the Sensor Second’s voice caught her attention, her gaze snapping over to focus on the young officer. “Drez Station is just gone, Ship Leader! It has been completely destroyed! No escape pods detected, and, given the size of the debris, it is unlikely that there are any survivors.”

“Comms, status of the rest of the fleet?”

“The situation is confused, Ship Leader. No one knows who is in charge, with the Fleet Leader dead. Leader of Ships Rodix of the Total Package and Leader of Ships Krih of the Theater of Pain are both attempting to assume control of the fleet, and the situation. Beyond that, there are simultaneous calls for both evacuation and to stand and fight.”

The Sensor Second called out again. “Ship Leader, tarpit traps have been dropped, blanketing the system!”

More oh so wonderful news. This was starting at bad, and getting worse by the minute. “What are the Black Stars doing?”

“They appear to have broken into four formations. Two are heading towards Maccara Prime. Probable Marine ships, so likely conducting landing operations, goal unknown. The other two are splitting, to engage the Home and Assault fleets simultaneously.”

Taking a breath, Rhih considered her options. There weren’t really any. They did not have weaponry that could turn the tide. They couldn’t run, and they couldn’t get close enough to the battle to do any good before it was done. It was not the most enviable of positions.

“All stop. Shut down all power except Life Support and sensors. Have damage crews work on restoring our shields and point defense, as best they can. Tell them to leave the repairs to our communications array until last.”

“But sir, the communications array is undam—” I quelled the communications officer with my patented death glare. “Oh. I see. Yes, I will tell them to leave the array for last, as you command.”

Ship Leader Irata Rhih was glad. She would have hated to have to summarily execute the officer, but sometimes needs mattered more than desires. Especially when the underworld god was in control. Maybe if they could just act like a hole in space, no one would notice them until the winning side was readily apparent. She just wanted to go back to boring, damn it!

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Be sure to read my published works!

Frozen Soul series (Sci-Fi Supervillain story):
Frozen Soul - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071R125QT
Tales of the Void Traveler - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZ52G37
Memoirs of a Supervillain - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R9NWS8J

Rules-Free VRMMO Life (Dark Fantasy GameLit):
Volume 1 - Tutorial
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071VPRNDB

Omnibus 1 - Volumes 1-4

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0774T354X

Into the Black (Sci-Fi GameLit):
Book I - Game Start https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071LT5WGL
Omnibus I - Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077X2KR7Y

City of Champions Online (Superhero GameLit):
Issue I - Origin Stories https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075SHXQS1

Lewd Dungeon (Dungeon Core GameLit):
Book 1 - Welcome to the Apocalypse https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BB34DHF
Omnibus 1 - Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FBPF6HR

SCI Stories (Dark Supervillain story):
Book 1 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RL93VQN

Winterborn (Dark Fantasy LitRPG):
Book 1 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082S3S3K8

Dark Fate (Postapocalyptic GameLit):
Book 1 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086S35WZ6

The Kalipshae Affair (A First Contact Short Story): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0739V6R6T

Chapter 256 - Corporate War

(Hedarik Space Station, orbiting Drotkins II, Drotkins System)

Dispatcher Fifth Zixly chirped happily as she watched the cameras in the Main Security Room of the station. She was a Vrok, an avian race that did not typically endure the confined nature of space travel that well, making them somewhat of a rarity in the wider galaxy. That didn’t matter to her. She was born on a space station, and had never known anything different. She just liked watching things.

That’s why she became a Security officer on the station, after all. She got paid to watch things all the time, and could then send Security officers to deal with any problems while she watched them too! It was the best job ever!

She liked watching things, so when her coworker, Dispatcher Fourth Jackson came in, looking troubled, she noticed. “Friend Jackson, what’s wrong? Did you and your nestmate have another fight?”

Jackson was a human. Humans were all over the place, but they were not common on the station. According to the numbers, Jackson was only one of seven humans on the station, and one of those was his nestmate. She liked watching them when they were in public. She didn’t watch when people were in private, of course. That was wrong.

“No, not that. Janet and I are fine. The problem is that a Corporate War has been declared, and the time limit for arbitration just ran out.”

“Oh, yes, that stuff with the, what are they, Black Stars? But why is that troubling you? There’s no Black Star facilities near here to launch attacks from, so we should be safe. All the stuff on those shows are fake, the Corp News said so.”

Jackson sighed. “The Black Stars don’t need local facilities to attack, Zix. They have a fleet. And I have a second cousin who is Confederate Navy. He was at Coldana. The Black Stars are the real deal. We’re all—”

His words cut out as alarms rang out across the system. Zixly frowned. That was the invasion alarm. Then there was a horrific screeching noise from the speakers that hurt Zixly’s ears, before a voice came over every speaker, using the emergency corporate address protocols.

“This is Commodore Keh Draka of the Black Star Navy. A state of corporate war exists between the Yathru Corporation and the Black Star Corporation. All non-Yathru shipping has thirty seconds to signal their noncombatant status.

“All Yathru shipping will be destroyed. All Yathru orbital infrastructure will be destroyed, including Hedarik Station. You have five minutes to evacuate, or be destroyed.”

Zixly chirped at the speaker in wonder, before bringing up the sensor data. “Oh, wow! There’s, like, over a dozen ships out there! And they’re launching fighters! And now the station is launching their drones, and the system defense force is moving into position. We’re going to get to watch a real space battle!”

Jackson wasn’t listening. He was on his comm, shouting, “Yes, I heard it too. Grab the bag, the one by the door, and get to the nearest escape pod. There’s only enough for a quarter of the station’s population, but if you go now, you should be able to get to one before people realize how badly this is going to end.”

He paused, and then said, “What? No, don’t go to the planet, Janet! Remember what Francis told us? They’ll take the planet out. Our only shot is if we get taken prisoner. Now go!”

Hanging up the call, Jackson grabbed Zixly by the armwing, hard enough to hurt. Humans always forgot that Vrok were fragile when they got excited. “Come on, Zix, we’ve got to get to an escape pod, NOW!”

She had little choice as she was dragged out of the security office, away from all the monitors she liked watching. She didn’t know what to make of Jackson. He usually didn’t act like this. But there wasn’t any point fighting against him, he was far too strong. Instead, she just kept up as best she could, watching the dataslate as she ran.

“Oh, wow, the drones are just no match for those fighters! The Clawlord is getting into range of that destroyer… oh. They killed the Clawlord. Venla was on that ship. Wait, there’s escape pods. Oh, I hope Venla made it! We talk together all the time, you know. She’s very nice.”

Jackson didn’t say anything, he just grunted. Soon enough, they were at the nearest escape pod, and Jackson almost threw her through the door. “Get strapped in, fast!”

“Wait, hold the pod!”

Two Ihm and a Knelfi woman with two children were running towards them. Zixly looked around as she buckled herself into the seat. There were only five seats, including the one she was in. That wasn’t going to be enough. But that only mattered if they launched, and they weren’t going to do that, right? Jackson was just playing a prank on her, right?

Jackson pointed at the knelfi woman and the female Ihm. “You and you, in the seats, with the kids. Strap them in fast.” Looking at the Ihm male, he said, “Grab one of the cargo straps, and hold on.”

Her dataslate beeped, causing Zixly to look down at it. “Oh, wow. These ‘Black Star’ ships are really hammering the defense forces. They’ve only got two ships and a handful of drones left! Oh! The fuel processor out by the gas giant just got destroyed. Wow, I didn’t think they would destroy that. Even pirates want those things intact.”

“We’re strapped in,” the Knelfi woman called out.

Jackson nodded. “Right, we’re going.”

“Wait!”

Other people were running towards the pod. Zixly looked at Jackson. There was barely any room as it was. It would be too crowded, right?

Jackson looked grimly at the people rushing towards the pod. “Sorry.” He hit the button, and the door slammed shut, launching the pod. “I’m so sorry.”

(Flight Deck, BSN Acherus, Cornek System)

Captain Darion Mograine (callsign: Highlord) took a deep breath as he sat in the cockpit of his Thunderbolt IV Space Superiority Fighter. Unlike a lot of Black Star designs, this baby was designed to be fast enough to hang in there with enemy fighters, while still tough enough to take a licking and strong enough to give it back in spades. The Dragons might give bigger booms, and the Reapers were the best stealth interceptors in space, but if you wanted to get into a furball and survive, then the Thunderbolt was as close to a golden ticket as you were going to get.

According to the Nomads in the Corps, the Thunderbolt was actually named after an ancient fighter, from the days when Terra was still called Earth, and humans hadn’t yet reached Mars. Like that legendary ancestor, the Thunderbolt IV was basically an armored and shielded cockpit strapped to some powerful engines, all wrapped around a very big gun. Oh, sure, he had missiles, too, but there was something satisfying in seeing the rapid-fire weapon pulses flying ahead while he serviced enemy fighters.

Thirty seconds to target coordinates.

Acknowledging the prompt on his screen, Darion opened up the squadron comm channel. “Ebon Blades, this is Ebon Blade Leader. We are twenty-five seconds to mark. We are launching the moment we get clearance. I want a go/no go from all birds.”

“Come on, Cap’n. We have new blood that wasn’t with us last time we really fought, back on Coldana. Cruising around Tsk’neth without anyone who could even fight back properly doesn’t count. This is their first real attack. How about a speech?”

Mograin shook his head as Ebon Blade 2, Sally Whitemane chimed in. “Really, Inquisitor? A speech?”

“Now, Captain, you have to admit it would be a good time for it.” That was Thoras Trollbane, in the cockpit of Ebon Blade 4

“You too, King? Let me guess, ‘General’ Nazgrim, you’re wanting me to say something, too?”

Ebon Blade 9 just chuckled. The former planetary self-defense force general turned slave following the destruction of Jagloth was a Durotian, from the world of Durotar, a desolate, desert world, and his kind were known for their hardiness. “Give the unblooded a warcry to send them into battle, Captain.”

“Fine. Fine. You want a speech? I’ll give you a speech.” He took a breath, and then called out, “Soldiers of the Corps, death knights of Acherus, minions of the Black Sun, hear the call of the Highlord! RISE! The skies turn red with the blood of the fallen! The Black Sun watches over us, minions! Leave only ashes and misery in your destructive wake!”

There were laughs and cheers over the line, and then he saw the timer click down, and the hangar doors opened before him. Cutting into the line, he said, “Go forth and wreak havoc! All fighters, LAUNCH!”

(Bridge, BSN Barb Wire, Argits System)

Four days on a ballistic trajectory, their only communications done by tightbeam laser coms. They were coming in from below the ecliptic, like sharks beneath a blue-water fishing vessel. Their target was the Izih Trade Station, and all Yathru ships currently using it. Argits did not belong to Yathru, so they couldn’t simply destroy everything here. This was a surgical strike, which is why they called for Assassins.

Captain Vallery Irons leaned back in her command chair as she watched the timer slowly wind down. Their first shots had been fired twenty minutes ago. The Izih station may have been sprawling and well defended, but it was still a stationary target. The four Assassins under her command had fired on mathematically perfect trajectories, from below the ecliptic so that the chances of ship accidentally getting in the way was next to nothing. It was the kind of action Assasins were made for.

Now, she was just watching as the time to impact grew smaller and smaller. Fifteen seconds. “Helm, ready engines. Microjump into positions point two seconds after impact. Let anyone who is left alive to watch think that the explosion spawned us. Tactical, I want IFF readings confirmed. Yathru ships are kill on sight. Anyone else, fire if fired upon.”

The timer hit zero. The next instant, the eight ships, four Assassins and four gunboats, jumped to hyperspeed for a fraction of a second, appearing in the midst of chaos. All four shots had hit their target. They had detected the shots in enough time to raise the shields, but it hadn’t saved the station.

As the eight ships began firing, Captain Irons broadcast a message on the commercial frequencies. “This is Captain Vallery Irons of the Black Star Navy. A state of Corporate War exists between the Yathru Corporation and the Black Star Corporation. All Yathru shipping and facilities in this system shall be destroyed. As provided by the Bylaws of Corporate Warfare, Noncombatants and Neutral parties shall not be attacked unless they attempt to intervene, conspire or trade with an involved party on site, or fire upon our ships. BSN Barb Wire, out.”

(Main Bridge, BSN Banshee’s Wail, in orbit of Ghadreix Omniplex, Vadreix System)

“Commodore, all off-planet infrastructure and facilities have been eliminated. All enemy forces and enemy-flagged civilian shipping has been destroyed. Three civilian freighters managed to communicate their surrender before they were destroyed, and have been captured by the Marines. However, the two inhabited planets and three inhabited moons all remain defiant.”

Commodore Lindsay Ravensun nodded at the lieutenant’s report. All was going as planned. “Very well, then. Are the special packages ready?”

“They are, Ma’am.”

“Very well. Initiate fire plan Alpha.” She turned her attention away from the lieutenant, dismissing him, and focused on image of the Ghadreix Omniplex city-world on the screen. The massive world city covered the entire globe. If there ever were seas or plains or mountains anywhere on the world, they were long since gone by now. Only city extending for kilometers above the ground, and just as far under it, where people could go their entire lives without ever seeing the sun.

Twelve Greenwave torpedoes had been devoted to this target alone, focusing on industrial and administration centers. The nanites would have ample resources to feed on. Whether they would leave anything for the population was academic. There were over 300 billion mouths to feed on that planet, all of them relying on food shipments and machine-made nutripaste to survive.

The world would become an abattoir. But from the ashes, the survivors would be stronger, hardier, and, just maybe, wiser than their current generation. If there were any survivors. She found it difficult to care about these wretches. Yathru would be destroyed, like a world-tree burned to ash, and its destruction would ‘persuade’ Black Star’s rivals that their rivalry should remain a friendly one, leaving everyone better off in the long run.

Previous Chapter                                       Table of Contents                                     Next Chapter



Be sure to read my published works!

Frozen Soul series (Sci-Fi Supervillain story):
Frozen Soul - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071R125QT
Tales of the Void Traveler - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZ52G37
Memoirs of a Supervillain - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R9NWS8J

Rules-Free VRMMO Life (Dark Fantasy GameLit):
Volume 1 - Tutorial
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071VPRNDB

Omnibus 1 - Volumes 1-4

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0774T354X

Into the Black (Sci-Fi GameLit):
Book I - Game Start https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071LT5WGL
Omnibus I - Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077X2KR7Y

City of Champions Online (Superhero GameLit):
Issue I - Origin Stories https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075SHXQS1

Lewd Dungeon (Dungeon Core GameLit):
Book 1 - Welcome to the Apocalypse https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BB34DHF
Omnibus 1 - Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FBPF6HR

SCI Stories (Dark Supervillain story):
Book 1 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RL93VQN

Winterborn (Dark Fantasy LitRPG):
Book 1 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082S3S3K8

Dark Fate (Postapocalyptic GameLit):
Book 1 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086S35WZ6

The Kalipshae Affair (A First Contact Short Story): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0739V6R6T

Chapter 255 - Order of Battle

(Conference Room, Blackstone Station, Star’s Reach System)

The conference room was mostly full. The Captains and their Executive officers of every ship in the Black Star Navy were all in attendance, either in person or in holopresence, as well as General Khan and the Majors in charge of all six companies of the Black Star Marines. All of them were waiting with baited breath.

When everyone was seated, I took the podium, and the whispered conversations stopped. “Greetings, ladies and gentlemen, warriors of Black Star. As you all ought to know by now, the Yathru Corporation has declared corporate war on the Black Star company.

“One month ago, forces belonging to the Yathru Corporation attacked our ‘relief’ forces in the Tsk’neth system after we annexed the system by request of the surviving population following an Exterminatus event to wipe out the fourth planet, which had been overrun by zombies. These forces were apparently ordered to try and take our ships and people captive, hoping to claim them, and any secrets they knew, as spoils of war.” There was an uptick in murmured conversation, but I held my hands out to quiet it. “They, of course, were utterly destroyed, save for their flagship, which we captured.

“Through the interrogation of the enemy commander, we have discovered that the fleet’s orders were given at the highest levels of their corporate structure. In addition, the fleet we faced comprised the majority of their mobile forces, aside from their headquarters defense forces. That does not mean the rest of their territory and their facilities are undefended, of course, just that they rely more on fixed defenses and smaller ships, for in-system use.

“Yathru either controls or owns outright five other systems, including the Gateway system of Maccara, where they have their headquarters. In addition, they own major space stations in four additional systems. Under the Bylaws of Corporate Warfare set down by the Interstellar Corporate Court, all these facilities are considered viable targets for military strikes, now that the one-month notice period has passed.”

I gave the room a feral grin. “We’re going to take down all of these facilities in a set of simultaneous strikes across the Free Worlds Alliance, in a move to firmly settle this little Corporate War before anyone gets any ideas about repeating it. We are going to make such an example of Yathru that the rest of the interstellar corporations will get the same idea as the pirates have, and decide that not fucking with us is the key to a long life.”

When the cheers died down, I said, “Now, obviously not everyone here will be going out on these strikes. Just like we are allowed to attack Yathru, they can attack us. So, we cannot leave our people unprotected. This meeting, therefore, is to divide up the secondary targets.”

General Khan raised a hand, a smirk on his face. When I nodded to him, he asked, “Secondary targets? Then you have someone in mind for the Primary target?” The bastard knew I did, but, hey, a bit of showmanship never hurt.

“Yes, General, I do. First Group of the Black Star Navy’s Offensive Fleet will attack the Yathru Headquarters at Maccara, along with the First and Fourth companies of the Black Star Marines and their attendant craft. Our mission will be to capture or kill as many ranking members of the Yathru corporate structure as possible.”

I paused for a moment, to emphasize what I was about to say. “Additionally, as Maccara Prime is a wholly owned territory of Yathru, and is designated a Corporate World, under the Bylaws of Corporate Warfare, we are allowed to attack the planet and its infrastructure itself. There are few restrictions on what weaponry is allowed, save that the use of planet-crackers, atmosphere burners, virophage weapons, and all other weapons that would end all life on the planet are forbidden. We will, of course, be abiding strictly by the letter of those bylaws in the assaults on Maccara and the other corporate worlds.

“Now, as stated, the majority of Yathru’s mobile forces have been wiped out. However, they are not defenseless. Their trade stations are the least defended, of course, but even they have patrol craft and fighters enough to deter pirates and delay raiders, acting in conjunction with system defense forces.”

“The corporate worlds, on the other hand, will be substantially better defended. We can expect actual warships to be part of the system defense, primarily corvettes and frigates, backed by stationary defense platforms, fighter squadrons, and patrol boats. Yathru’s control of a Gateway makes them a significant trading presence in the Alliance, causing them to be wealthy enough to afford proper defenses for their worlds, and with enough enemies that they need them.”

Looking around the room, I said, “Now, Fourth Group, you’re not going to get to go on the attack, because if Yathru is going to cause trouble, Tsk’neth is where it is most likely to happen. The defense groups for our bases will be on alert as well, but we’re in a good position on that point. Dimiya is home to the Confederacy’s capitol, so that limits what they can do, and Madrigal was a tough enough nut before we started upgrading it that even we needed to use trickery to take it down. Nuevo Edo and Star’s Reach are unreachable to them except through the Gateways. Direct assaults through the gateway are too risky, so any threat to those systems will come from the Amazon gate, which is under close observation.”

I nodded to Third Group’s captains. “Third Group, I want you to hold back, as well. Your group is more suited to support and field logistics, anyways. I understand that the construction of Unknown Kadath Base is well underway, but the defenses are not yet finished. Once construction is finished and the automated defenses are handled, we’ll bring you back to Star’s Reach so your crews can rotate through shore leave, before we find your next assignment.”

Turning to the remaining naval officers, I said, “That leaves First, Second, and Fifth groups for naval battles. I’ve been informed that all ships in these groups have been outfitted with the Anchor Drives, which expands our operational parameters substantially. According to our information, the four secondary targets are not as well defended as the others.

“Second and Fifth groups will split their forces into three groups each. These groups will have separate targets, which I am sending you now, along with provisional force composition. These compositions are based on reports from the Commodores and their Captains, but if there are factors we are unaware of, Commodores may reassign ships as needed, so long as they ensure each target has sufficient strength to fight.”

Second Group, Task Force 1 Target: Droktins System (Droktins II) Battleships – Hrunting Reaper-Class Cruisers – War, Famine Knight-Class Destroyers – Pride, Lust, Envy, Sloth, Angel Assassin-class Corvettes – Doomfist, Junkrat, Carmen Sandiego Gunboats – Ambrose, Balthar, Corrine, David, Evan Fleet Carrier – Ravenholm Fighter Squadrons – Estoc Squadron (Raptors, Ravenholm), Blue Knight Squadron (Thunderbolt IVs, Ravenholm), Silver Knight Squadron (Thunderbolt IVs, Ravenholm), Red Knight Squadron (Thunderbolt IVs, Ravenholm), Black Knight Squadron (Dragons, Ravenholm) Logistics Freighter – Senua

Second Group, Task Force 2 Target: Uh’ah System (Uh’ah Minor) Battleships – Nægling Reaper-Class Cruisers –Pestilence, Death Knight-Class Destroyers –Wrath, Gluttony, Greed, Acedia, Demon Assassin-class Corvettes –Ahri, Akali, Evelynn, Kai’Sa, CJ Parker Gunboats –Francesca, Gary, Holly, Isaac, Jackson, Katherine, Larry Escort Carrier – Darkstar Fighter Squadrons –Hunter Squadron (Raptors, Darkstar), Halberd Squadron (Thunderbolt IVs, Darkstar), Hammer Squadron (Dragons, Darkstar) Logistics Freighter –Faron

Second Group, Task Force 3 Target: Argits System (Izih Trade Station) Assassin-class Corvettes –Tracer, Widowmaker, Lara Croft, Barb Wire Gunboats – Michelle, Nancy, O’Hara, Patrick

Fifth Group, Task Force 4 Target: Vadreix System (Ghadreix Omniplex) Battleship – Banshee’s Wail Reaper-Class Cruisers –Blightcaller, Scourgebane Knight-Class Destroyers – Sarya Trismoira, Taenya Inana, Nesterin Naerora, Sylvar Helero, Elluin Thethyra Assassin-class Corvettes –Fate’s Hand, Malice, Serpent’s Fang Gunboats – Zima, Yellowfish, Xander, William, Venom Fleet Carrier – Wolfsbane Fighter Squadrons – Dark Ranger Squadron (Raptors, Wolfsbane), Scourgebane Squadron (Thunderbolt IVs, Wolfsbane), Silver Sword Squadron (Thunderbolt IVs, Wolfsbane), Valkyr Squadron (Thunderbolt IVs, Wolfsbane), Deathguard Squadron (Dragons, Woflsbane) Logistics Freighter – Apothecary

Fifth Group, Task Force 5 Target: Zaaqu System (Zaaqu 2) Battleship – Bane of Arthas Reaper-Class Cruisers – Proudmoore’s Shame, Resolution Knight-Class Destroyers –Caeda Shakalyn, Knucklerot, Stitches, Patchwork, Luzran Assassin-class Corvettes –Shadowspike, Grimalkin, Bào, Windrunner’s Bite, Grim Tidings Gunboats – Uriah, Terror, Sariel, Respect, Quietus, Providence, Observer Escort Carrier – Light’s Bane Fighter Squadrons – Silent Blade Squadron (Raptors, Light’s Bane), Soldato Squadron (Thunderbolt IVs, Light’s Bane), Stormfury Squadron (Dragons, Light’s Bane) Logistics Freighter – Herbalist

Fifth Group, Task Force 6 Target: Fedya System (Iadol Trade Station) Assassin-class Corvettes – Freehold, Solace, Shadowhunter, Talon of Wrathion Gunboats – Nomad, Mystery, Light, Keeper

I waited until everyone had worked through the lists, before saying, “Task Forces 1, 2, 4, and 5, you will proceed to your target systems, destroy all enemy military and security craft, and eliminate all orbital infrastructure. When that is done, deploy the special munitions package on the planet, and withdraw. Task Forces 3 and 6, you are assigned two of the trade stations, primarily involved with agricultural and commercial goods. Destroy the stations, and deal with any Yathru-owned shipping as you see fit.”

Task Force Cornek Target: Cornek Research Station Second Company, Black Star Marines Marine Assault Transport – Orgrim’s Hammer Pocket Carrier – Acherus Crow-Class Assault Ships – Frostwolf, Laughing Skull, Warsong Fighter Squadron – Ebon Blade Squadron (Thunderbolt IVs, Acherus)

Task Force Rendo Target: Rendo Exotic Physics Laboratory Third Company, Black Star Marines Marine Assault Transport – Odysseus Pocket Carrier – Telemachus Crow-Class Assault Ships – Penelope, Circe, Calypso Fighter Squadron – Ithaca Squadron (Thunderbolt IVs, Telemachus)

Looking over to the Marine contingent, I grinned. “Black Star Marines, I haven’t forgotten about you, either. First and Fourth Companies will be with First Group, bringing the pain on Maccara, but Second and Third Companies are going to be getting in on the action, as well. You will be targeting two of the Yathru trade stations, but these ones are special.

“Second Company, the Cornek Research Station is where the Yathru Corporation has taken the ‘specimens’ they collected from the Tsk’neth system. Since you started this fight, rescuing the people of Tsk’neth III from these things, I believe it is fitting that you finish the job. I am sending you instead of the Assassins because I want you to strip their databases bare. Most importantly, I want to know if there’s anyone else who has received research data or samples of this bioweapon, so we can continue purging it from existence.

“Third Company, you are going on a field trip to a white hole. Yathru has a space station in orbit of the star, which they use to collect the emitted matter and study it. It might be nothing, but studying these exotic particles could give us some unique advancements. At the very least, I don’t want them under the control of anyone that considers zombies an effective bioweapon. Your orders are to capture the station as intact as possible, and secure it.

“Once secured, the Raven-class freighters Groudon, Kyogre, Rayquaza, and Deoxsys will use anchor drives to enter what will then be Black Star space, and deliver a skeleton replacement crew and supplies to the station, as well as removing any prisoners. The Oregon Trail-Class freighter Orient Express will be delivering fabricators and raw materials to create permanent defenses. This should cement our claim to the system, but if you’re attacked in force, we’ll use Anchor drives to get whatever help we can to you as soon as possible.”

Task Force Maccara Target: Maccara System (Maccara Prime) First Group, Black Star Navy Wrath-Class Battleships - Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi, Kunwu Reaper-Class Cruisers – Shinokage, Shifrat Almawt, Thanatos, Azrael Knight-Class Destroyers – Lancelot, Galahad, Bedivere, Kay, Gawain, Tristan, Lamorak, Percival, Geraint, Gareth Assassin-class Corvettes – Shadowdancer, Simo Hayha, Wisteria, Artemis, Spitfire, Whirlwind, Zephyr, Reliant, Voidseeker, Surprise, Boston, Felhand Gunboats – Able, Barbara, Chekhov, Dixie, Echo, Falcon, Gabriel, Hestia, Isis, Jester, Kilo, Laurence, Maxwell, Night, Oscar, Peru Fleet Carrier – Pandora’s Box Escort Carrier - Hearthstone Fighter Squadrons – Ghost Squadron (Raptors, Pandora’s Box), Red Guardian Squadron (Thunderbolt IVs, Pandora’s Box), Silver Sentinel Squadron (Thunderbolt IVs, Pandora’s Box), Gold Squadron (Thunderbolt IVs, Pandora’s Box), Black Dragon Squadron (Dragons, Pandora’s Box), Wraith Squadron (Raptors, Hearthstone), Warbird Squadron (Thunderbolt IVs, Hearthstone), Warlock Squadron (Dragons, Hearthstone) Logistics Freighter – Davenport, Sandalwood First Company, Black Star Marines Marine Assault Transport – Thunderfury Pocket Carrier – Vicious Return Crow-Class Assault Ships – Threnody, Deliverance, Wrathgate Fighter Squadron – Firelord Squadron (Thunderbolt IVs, Vicious Return) Fourth Company, Black Star Marines Heavy Assault Transport – Tiamat Light Carrier – Orochi Crow-Class Assault Ships – Kedu, Laho, Olimaw, Sawa, Bakunawa Fighter Squadrons – Wyvern Squadron (Thunderbolt IVs, Orochi), Drake Squadron (Thunderbolt IVs, Orochi), Wyrm Squadron (Dragons, Orochi)

“And finally, that leaves First Group, and First and Fourth Companies. We will go to the Yathru Corporation’s corporate headquarters on Maccara. We will destroy their defenses. We will capture what of their leadership we can. We will strip them of their wealth as ‘reparations’ for making us do this. And then, when we are done, we will give them a final gift to remember us by, all within the letter of the Bylaws of Corporate Warfare.”

Previous Chapter                                       Table of Contents                                     Next Chapter



Be sure to read my published works!

Frozen Soul series (Sci-Fi Supervillain story):
Frozen Soul - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071R125QT
Tales of the Void Traveler - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZ52G37
Memoirs of a Supervillain - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R9NWS8J

Rules-Free VRMMO Life (Dark Fantasy GameLit):
Volume 1 - Tutorial
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071VPRNDB

Omnibus 1 - Volumes 1-4

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0774T354X

Into the Black (Sci-Fi GameLit):
Book I - Game Start https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071LT5WGL
Omnibus I - Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077X2KR7Y

City of Champions Online (Superhero GameLit):
Issue I - Origin Stories https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075SHXQS1

Lewd Dungeon (Dungeon Core GameLit):
Book 1 - Welcome to the Apocalypse https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BB34DHF
Omnibus 1 - Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FBPF6HR

SCI Stories (Dark Supervillain story):
Book 1 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RL93VQN

Winterborn (Dark Fantasy LitRPG):
Book 1 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082S3S3K8

Dark Fate (Postapocalyptic GameLit):
Book 1 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086S35WZ6

The Kalipshae Affair (A First Contact Short Story): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0739V6R6T