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to voluntarily rejoin, because they do not have the strength to force it. Not in timeā€¦ā€ he said, switching to the coreward map to see where the Hadarak invasion wasā€¦and as he expected, some worlds were already being chewed up by their advance.

ā€œAre you saying itā€™s a bluff?ā€

ā€œHatred of the Zakā€™deā€™ron would keep every Vā€™kitā€™noā€™sat race defiant to the death. They do not have the strength to engage in that fight and win. They had not planned to engage us this early. The Hadarak purge forced them to reveal themselves before they were ready. They would not have attacked us if the Elder Council had not been so stupid to start the war. Now they are committed and know they cannot win and rebuild before the Hadarak sweep up half our territory, if at all. The Osoā€™lon and Jā€™gar are their lifeline. Have all of them changed allegiance?ā€

ā€œNo. Ours have remained loyal, but those are the primary targets for the traitors, and theyā€™re starting with the weaker ones now that we donā€™t have the defense fleets to rally to their aid.ā€

ā€œConquest or destruction?ā€

ā€œConquest, though many are dying when they will not submit. I donā€™t think they want their races divided anymore.ā€

ā€œI concur. They could not prevent it previously, and they must rebuild the illusion of unity. While others would die fighting against the Zakā€™deā€™ron, they are conditioned to submit to the Osoā€™lon and Jā€™gar. By reuniting with them, the Zakā€™deā€™ron hope to intimidate and delude those they cannot quickly defeat in battle. All in the hopes of squashing our resistance soon enough that they can turn their attention to the Hadarak and hold onto a portion of the empire while the rest is destroyed.ā€

ā€œWill that work?ā€

ā€œIt is their only option. And I intend to see that it does not work. To do that we must stop them here and hold Holloi, and it is fortuitous that the majority of the planetary defenses are still intact. If whatā€™s left of our defenders stop behaving as hatchlings we can hold the planet. That first battle did save it, Marioā€™topa. But those that remain seem intent to waste the sacrifices made.ā€

ā€œIf you reveal yourself the Zakā€™deā€™ron will come. So will the Osoā€™lon and Jā€™gar. You are a higher target than even Holloi.ā€

ā€œI know, but remember where we are, little Zenā€™zat. Remember where we currently stand and who controls it.ā€

The epiphany struck Marioā€™topa a moment later.

ā€œAnd heā€™s currently missing, presumed dead but not confirmed?ā€

ā€œPrecisely. Bring me the best coder from the techs.ā€

Marioā€™topa smiled broadly. ā€œWith pleasure, Garuva.ā€

10

May 19, 128800

Jamtren System (Eraā€™tran capitol)

Holloi

Liā€™nikka was on foot patrol around the small city of Bejdalli when the orders came in, and at first he didnā€™t believe them. Heā€™d been solo assigned to give this city an Eraā€™tran combat specialist in order to pull together a civil defense unit for when the enemy finally arrived here. Not enough to actually win a fight, but to bleed them of some of their infantry before the pullout happened.

There were over 800 Eraā€™tran in the city with some 360 Zenā€™zat serving them, none of which were combat trained. Everyone who had been had long since been called off to fight elsewhere, which Liā€™nikka wanted to be doing, but instead he was stuck here with a bunch of females and techs, none of which had any fighting skills. And out of all of them there were only 3 that had armor, which had come out of heirlooms and was considerably dated, but far better than nothing.

He had 34 in his cobbled together unit and was trying to school them in enough basic principles that they would be able to work together to help support him when the enemy got here using their psionics and the small-arms weapons that thankfully there was still a supply of. Armor was scarce, but add-ons were still available. Just no shield generators. Why more hadnā€™t been readily made he didnā€™t know. Perhaps they had prioritized the weapons given the fact that shields couldnā€™t kill any of the enemy.

But now he was being called away, and he couldnā€™t believe by who. The orders were coming in from Garuva, whom everyone had thought dead with the rest of the Elders. The chain of command had become so broken that the planetary commander, at least the last he knew, was a mid level warrior only 400,000 years old. Heā€™d ordered them all into defensive positions with the highest priority given to scaling attrition in their favor, but no longer. Garuva had somehow survived and now taken command, and Liā€™nikka was being called to fight.

He let out a muted roar of excitement and swung around on the trail outside the city and left the grasslands, ducking inside the nearest gate and heading to one of three ships the city possessed. Two were larger transports, but the third was a short range troop transport designed for Eraā€™tran. Similar to the Zenā€™zat gunships, the Pillā€™ew could carry four Eraā€™tran along with a contingent of Zenā€™zat if needed, but they were able to operate without them.

Liā€™nikka didnā€™t have any worthwhile to take with him anyway, so when he ran up to and under the cozy craft he mentally triggered the underside doors to swing open, then one of four harnesses lowered and locked onto his armor, hauling him inside suspended above the opening. The doors closed below his hanging feet as the gravity altered and he was left more or less floating with just enough to keep him oriented as he interfaced his armor with the ship and began to fly it remotely.

The Pillā€™ew lifted up from the city and headed south towards a rendezvous point. Liā€™nikka didnā€™t have any further orders than to go there, but after several hours of flying he noticed another Eraā€™tran craft heading in the same general direction, though it was

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