Chapter 200: (The War) (2/2)
Within five minutes.
”What is happening, Most High?” Sixth Most High Krimpo'op asked, still wringing his hands.
Noodlmo'o turned and stared at the Sixth Most High of the Unified Councils, one of the leaders of the Lanaktallan Empire. He couldn't believe the other Lanaktallan didn't understand what was happening.
”The Terrans are destroying the solar system,” Noodlmo'o said slowly. ”Planet by planet, moon by moon, they are destroying the entire solar system.”
”But... but... we have tens of thousands of ships, millions of troops! They can't destroy the system!” Krimpo'op whinnied, still wringing his hands. ”How can they be destroying the system?”
”I... don't know,” Noodlmo'o admitted. He turned to communications technician. ”How many of our ships are still answering?”
The Ninth Most High Communications Specialist consulted his board. ”One, Most High, the Exquisite Domination of Lessers is still answering. She reports they broke orbit from the third habitable planet when the energy spike appeared on the second. They had minor power issues and the ship's AI had to reset, but they're fine now.”
”Does he have sensor probes on board?” Noodlmo'o asked. It took a couple minutes, the entire system was awash in some kind of radiation. When the technician reported that it did, Noodlmo'o ordered the ship to launch a probe and scan each of the three habitable planets.
Time passed before the images came back. The Sixth Most High spent his time wringing his hands and whinnying to himself. The Second Most High, who was the station commander, excused himself. When he hadn't returned after an hour Noodlmo'o sent someone after him.
The Second Most High had killed himself in his office.
”Why do you think we are alive?” a sensor tech whispered to another.
”Because the Terrans want us to see what they can do,” the other one whispered back.
The images were shocking. Green plants, forests, mountains, clean oceans, clear air. The information started coming back on the atmosphere.
Perfect for Terrans.
Noodlmo'o ordered the Exquisite Domination of Lessers to meet with the station to take on the survivors. He barely got the message out before the station went completely dead. The Captain of the vessel managed to get to the station and bring everyone on board his warship before too many had taken their own lives.
Noodlmo'o stared at the viewscreen as the ship prepared to shift into jumpspace.
One of the prides of the Lanaktallan Empire. A star system entirely devoted to military conquest, designed to liberate any nearby systems that fell under enemy control.
Gone.
Worse than gone.
The gravity was 1.25 Unified Standard on all three planets. The axial tilt was extreme at 23 degrees off of the rotational plane, which would result in severe seasonal change and violent weather patterns.
The Terrans had not just erased an entire third of the Lanaktallan Empire's military might, they had taken away the very worlds that could have been used as a springboard to liberate surrounding systems.
The ship headed for the capital of the Lanaktallan Empire, one of the twelve contingency plans the Lanaktallan possessed to ensure that they would be the dominant species in the galaxy.
In the ship's AI core Wrathful-Spark-88471 watched, picking his teeth with the bones of the AI that had originally been there and who had been foolish enough to put up a fight.
The DS watched with interested eyes of digital flame as the ship moved through jumpspace.
O' Empire... it thought to itself, reciting a poet from a few centuries ago.
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MANTID FREE WORLDS
This is a turkey shoot.
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS
Turkeys are delicious.
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
BIOLOGICAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENCE SYSTEMS
They started it. We'll finish it.
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
TELKAN FORGE WORLDS
Wow. Are you sure you need me?
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
CONFEDMIL
These are the easy systems, kid. No non-combatants, no civilians. Systems entirely devoted to military without even any dependents.
It's a dumb system, but they aren't the only ones to do that kind of system thinking it makes them stronger.
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
DIGITAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENCE SYSTEMS
Oh wow, they found a system we want. Full of the rare earths we love, red giant with little hard radiation output, it's amazing.
Totally putting in our bid on it when this fighting is over.
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
MANTID FREE WORLDS
What was there?
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
DIGITAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENCE SYSTEMS
Bunch of ships in storage. Completely cold system. No Lanaktallan life, no life at all.
We just scrapped the ships and moved on, but man, it's perfect.
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
RIGELLIAN SAURIAN COMPACT
Hey, has anyone seen that new duck feather oil? Why, it's the greatest. Keeps your duck's feathers soft and smooth, makes their tail feathers shine in the sunlight. Not only that, it smells good too and is available at any duck spa! Just ask for Gurdy's Duck Feather Tonic at any fine spa!
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
MANTID FREE WORLDS
What?
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
RIGELLIAN SAURIAN COMPACT
Sorry.
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---
TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS
BWAH HAHAHAHAH!
FUCKING OWNED!