Genesis Page 5

  As councillors, we were happy initially that the Union was expanding to greater limits. But to our horror, we realized that you had no limits and there was no stopping you, and those who tried, never saw the moons again.

  This madness had to stop, and I am happy that you have realized your folly. However, I must tell you that the road to redemption won’t be an easy one, Commander. The AMU has made several enemies over the years. And leaving them unattended and calling back all battle units from all sectors will lead to massive revolts which will go unchecked and resultantly, the citizens of AMU will have to pay the price with their blood and slavery.” Concluded the old councillor as he slowly began his descent to his chair aided by fellow councillors.

  KC felt the pinch of a thousand knives as the councillor spoke. And rightly so. The ‘KC’ the AMU knew was so driven by hatred and anger that he had nearly burned everything that had come in his way.

  “We shall de-militarize ‘the Sectors’ one by one and in a phased manner, councillors. And that is why the Generals are in audience,” explained KC. “We will start from the outer sectors and then move inwards towards the inner sectors. The great battles took 15 years and the healing might take 50, but the will of the AMU is mighty, and there is nothing that we have not achieved so far and surely there is nothing that we can’t in the future,” declared KC.

  “Councillors are dismissed for the next two moons. Gen Rul will command the demilitarization of the outer six sectors - Gen Amin of the inner eight sectors - Gen Akil to be in overall command of the forces,” ordered KC as he raised his wall and vanished into thin air as the onlookers grasped the enormity of the task ahead. The Commander had spoken. It had to be done!

  * * *

  Three months passed with no major uncontrolled conflicts. Things were looking bright. The AMU forces had vacated the 14th, 13th and the 12th sectors. There were some minor battles and skirmishes, however. But largely, things were under control. The news had spread to all sectors and the response was mixed. Some of the citizens were happy, who actually knew what was happening, but mostly everyone was baffled. ‘If the forces of AMU were leaving,’ they wondered, ‘where are they going to?’

  KC was on an inspection visit to the third sector which was the first one to be demilitarised amongst the inner sectors. He was traveling aboard his ‘Class C’ Battleship. Class C battleships were much smaller than the class D Super Gigantic Battleships, but the class C were KC’s favourite. They were more agile, fast and only housed enough room to carry KC and his few thousand personal elite bodyguard divisions which KC had previously used in this time for most of his earlier campaigns. However, on this trip KC had the company of General Akil as he was the erstwhile commander of the 3rd, 2nd and the 1st sector. Jenny also accompanied him as he had promised her the safety of her home in the third sector. The battleship class C had toured half of the sector and KC was entirely contented to see things in order. Akil was briefing KC regarding the remaining locations in the third sector, which needed to be de-militarized when Jenny appeared on the deck.

  “I hope I am not interrupting,” said Jenny softly. She knew how busy KC and his generals were in planning and executing the demilitarization. She was seeing KC after a month.

  “No, it’s OK!” said KC getting up from his command chair as Jenny reached up close.

  “When was the last time you slept?” asked Jenny seeing KC’s eyes which had turned red and were swollen due to lack of sleep.

  “I do…” replied KC, “in-between.”

  “It’s almost like a dream,” said Jenny, “I… never expected this from you Commander. I feel that whatever I heard about you was wrong. You are a different man. Like somebody else! I even thought that you were evil and inhuman,” added Jenny bluntly. “But now I know, you are a better man, and I feel that you are sincerely trying your best to make things better in the universe. And…you of all people actually have the reach to do that,” continued Jenny.

  ‘You know me better?’ thought KC. “Your statements are rather blunt and sharp,” observed KC. “Well, I did promise you to get you home safely,” said KC. “Now your sector and your planet are safe. You can go back and stay safe.”

  “No, I am not,” replied Jenny as KC and Akil looked at her puzzled.

  “Why not?” said Akil surprised.

  “I am a citizen-soldier of the third sector. I wanted to come back so that I could continue to fight alongside the rebels against the AMU forces. But now that the AMU has withdrawn from my sector, the situation has stabilized here. I have no work left here,” explained Jenny.

  “What do you propose now?” asked Akil surprised.

  “I want to be recruited in the AMU. I will join one of the battleships and fight for peace in the outer sectors, that’s where I am required now.”

  “Well, you can fight,” added Akil, “you had saved the life of Commander when he was attacked. Besides, the Union requires every beating heart to fight for it.”

  “No,” interrupted KC, “there is no reason to put yourself in harm’s way, there are enough troops to fight.”

  “Are these the words of the Commander?” asked Jenny.

  “No, these are the words of… a friend,” replied KC.

  “Then KC, you can’t save the life of one friend and let other citizens and friends die!” replied Jenny. “There is a war out there, my brothers and sisters are fighting and I am going to live or die with them however it may happen.”

  All KC wanted to do was to protect Jenny. How much he wanted to say that he loved her. How much he wanted to hug her…if only just once! And here he stood, sending Jenny to her near certain death again!

  “Alright Jenny, you can change your vessel,” ordered KC looking into the 11th sector map on his wall. “A ‘Class T’ transporter ship is leaving for the 11th sector in 6 hours from now. I’ll enroll you in the manifest. You will join the ‘Raid and Assault’ unit and get deployed on the Herol planet of the 22-E star system. We have men there who are stuck behind enemy lines, they need rescuing and I have learnt that you are the best pilot in the 3rd sector.”

  “Right away Commander,” said Jenny as she saluted KC and turned around to leave.

  “Jenny,” called out KC as he turned towards the deck side and looked into the vast expanse and depth of the mighty intergalactic space in front of him.

  “Yes Commander,” said Jenny.

  “I have traveled a long way to get here, Jenny. A very long way. For all that I love and hold precious. I just want you to know that this is not the end. This is just the beginning.”

  “Yes Cdr. Indeed it’s... just the beginning,” said Jenny as she pondered where she had heard him say this before.

  * * *

  The AMU was incredibly massive and wide spread. There were approximately 60-100 galaxies in one galaxy cluster. Over 500 galaxy clusters in just one sub-sector. And over 50 sub-sectors in one sector. And of course, there were 14 such sectors under the command and control of AMU under Supreme Commander Kenneth Cent.

  It was a herculean task demilitarising all outer and inner sectors and moving all AMU forces into the mother sector. Another two months had passed. KC was still inspecting the inner sectors overlooking and delicately managing the demilitarization process. It was a pain-staking job, which was sucking the energy out of KC and his top brass. Everything had to be planned to the last bit in detail. Every move was deliberately planned, then re-thought, brain stormed and only then- executed. Citizens in general were happy now, post the demilitarization move, including the scores of various alien races and inhabitants of the thousands of planets and star systems. Pulling the troops out of a sector too early would leave a gap in the overall defences and pulling the troops out too late would make them liable to be surrounded by rebels from the neighbouring sectors who were earlier defeated, tormented and neutralised by the mighty AMU. These rebels were now free to act, and the wides
pread demilitarization across the sectors had given them opportunity like never before to unite and present a unified front against the AMU.

  Back on KC’s ship, Cdr Akil rushed to KC with some rather disturbing news.

  “Sir, we have a major situation developing at the border of the 12th sector,” said Akil as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. It wasn’t hot though; it was just pressure!

  “Relax Akil,” replied KC, “what happened exactly?”

  “Sir, Cdr Rul just called in from the outer sectors. The ‘Raid and Assault Brigade’ was returning from the 11th sector, 22-E Solar System… We have lost contact with them!”

  “Lost Contact!” repeated KC bewildered. “How can you lose contact with an entire brigade? There are 800 battleships in a brigade!” added KC surprised.

  “Sir...this is the ground situation,” confirmed Akil.

  “Situation Analysis,” said KC as he opened the 12th sector map on his wall, to read the larger battle picture.

  “Sir, there are two possibilities,” explained Akil analysing the situation while looking at the map on KC’s wall. “One - the whole brigade has run into a major intergalactic magnetic storm. The outer sectors are quite notorious for these. Or…”

  “Or…” repeated KC, clenching his fist. He knew very well that Jenny was posted to the Raid and Assault unit just two months back. Since then, he had not heard from her.

  “Or… may be a rebel division or command has isolated the Raid and Assault Brigade cutting off their communication,” continued Akil.

  “Yes, that could be more likely,” replied KC as he stared at his wall moving his arms closer to zoom out of the 12th sector map to look at the entire outer sector map. “There! It’s clear now,” said KC as he showed the live war map to Akil.

  KC had the strongest ‘wall’ in the AMU. His wall details were much clearer and detailed than anyone else’s. He played the entire activity of the outer sectors for the last one month in fast-forward.

  “Akil…you can see the rebel activity marked in blue. They have all moved in bits and pieces, but rather systematically towards the border of the 11th & 12th sector. They moved in such small groups and in quite a random fashion that we mistook it for a scattered move. They have used the magnetic storms in the outer sectors to blind us and have certainly regrouped at the border of the 11th sector. The R & A brigade must have accidently run into them,” explained KC.

  “Sir, our R & A units must be terribly outnumbered,” cautioned Akil quickly checking his unit deployment map on his wall trying to find some unengaged units to mobilise to relieve the stuck R & A Brigade.

  “We must get there…now!” replied KC.

  It took no more than a fraction of a second for KC’s C class battleship to ‘Location Jump’ from the 3rd sector to the border of the 11th sector using the Location Modulator.

  Standing on the bridge of the ship, the view that the crew saw sent a chill through everyone’s body. The space in front and beyond till where anyone could see was filled with debris of battleships and waste flying around, and bulk of it was of the R & A brigade ships. The debris was spread for hundreds of kms in all directions. So much was the debris that one could not even maneuver in-between. Shreds of human and alien tissue flew amok.

  A bloody battle had ensued not long before and was fought till the last man desperately.

  “Sir,” reported Cdr Rul as he realized that the Supreme Cdr had entered the outer sectors. “Our ‘R & A’ Brigade has been ambushed by the rebels and….”

  “Who leads the rebels?” asked KC as he clenched his fists in anger.

  “Garmin,” came a prompt reply from Cdr Rul. “He has united the rebels from the outer sectors and ambushed our R & A Brigade.”

  “Survivors?” asked KC bracing himself for the worst, knowing well that Jenny would have been in the scout vessel of the recce unit. Given her nature to always lead from the front.

  Chapter 3

  Close But Far

  “No Cdr… no survivors,” replied Rul as everyone’s morale sank below their toes across the AMU, listening to this. “We lost everyone. The attack was brutal and sudden. They savagely attacked two regiments even before they could activate their shields or arm their weapons. The Garmaniens broke the protocol Cdr. They attacked without warning. Our ships were not even armed for combat. They were coming back from the Zamar-Trox Galaxy after peaceful negotiations. They destroyed our ships and then… re-engaged them twice…, ensuring that no one survives. Our remaining ships fought back and took out three brigades of Garmin’s rebel army, but our R & A units, they were outnumbered. As soon as the electro-magnetic storm cleared, we located them and sent our reinforcements. But it was too late. Nothing was left to save Cdr...”

  This had been the biggest loss to the AMU since the demilitarization had started. One whole AMU brigade had been destroyed. KC’s peaceful demilitarization plans had received a severe setback. A setback to the reputation of the AMU. Now a befitting reply had to be given and soon. Before anyone raised any questions. But what about peace!

  “Where is Garmin now?” asked KC furiously.

  “He has moved towards the 14th sector Cdr. That sector is completely demilitarised now,” replied Cdr Rul checking the tracking update on his wall. “And they are still moving beyond the 14th sector boundary into the unknown.”

  “Why would he do that?” asked KC as he turned towards Akil and his staff.

  “He is running away Cdr. That coward,” said Akil furiously. “We must attack him. Destroy his planet and his people. We will set an example for all beings of the 14 sectors of the known universe. They shall all know that no one must dare rise against the mighty Armed Military Union.”

  “Yes...Yes, attack them. Destroy the rebel planet and their alliance,” rose the voice across the AMU on the comn link.

  Everyone looked at KC expecting the Supreme commander for an all-out attack! To divert all armies to the 14th sector to wipe the Garmaniens out of existence. KC quietly looked out at the massive space in front of him. Of all the places known in all of the 14 sectors, Garmin chose to move outside, to the unknown sectors. Very unlikely and extremely dangerous. No one knew what lies beyond. Why would Garmin do that? He would have better chances to survive within the known sectors than outside the 14th sector. Just then it struck KC.

  “Cdr Rul,” called KC on his comn link.

  “Yes Cdr,” replied Rul expecting the Cdr to order an attack.

  “What precious cargo were the R & A Brigade carrying with them when they were attacked?” asked KC.

  “They were carrying the peace treaty signed from the Zamar-Trox Galaxy,” replied Cdr Rul.

  “Implication?” asked KC again.

  “That was a very important treaty,” replied Cdr Akil standing next to KC. The Zamar-Trox Galaxy system is the most powerful empire in all of the outer sectors. Had that peace treaty signed by them reached us, after your perusal you would have loaded it onto Crona. And then all alliance members in the inner sectors would have known that the outer six sectors are in peace with the AMU even after the demilitarization and the inner sectors would have followed suit.”

  “Yes, and Garmin knew this too. And that’s why he attacked the R & A BDE taking advantage of the magnetic-storm before they could get to me,” said KC. “Garmin knows it well that if the treaty is loaded on to Crona, everyone will know of the impending peace and his rebel armies and allies will also leave him,” elaborated KC with confidence. “He needs that peace treaty so desperately…that he has gone after it, even outside the 14th sector where normally no one would ever dare to go.”

  “But Sir,” interrupted Akil, “the treaty would have been surely destroyed in the battle with the Garmaniens in the magnetic storm that we see in front of us. Nothing could have survived here.”

  “But someone did,” said KC with poise. “And that ‘someone’ was smart e
nough to head out of the 14th sector with the peace treaty than to come in towards the 12th sector. Because that survivor unit knew that Garmin would catch up with them before they would get to us. But Garmin would think twice before following them out of the known sectors. And that is why Garmin is now at the border of the 14th sector.”

  “What should we do now Cdr?” asked Cdr Rul.

  “Cdr Rul, move two of your battle groups towards the 14th sector border. Use the Location Modulator. I want you there - now. Search all major, minor planets, planetoids, asteroids anywhere and everywhere. R & A survivors must be there taking cover waiting for us to reach them. And track the Garmanien’s vessel. If he locates the survivors before we do, we shall know,” ordered KC. “Crona,” called KC.

  “Yes Cdr,” replied Crona promptly.

  “All battleships must be in absolute stealth mode. None of the rebel ships or Garmin must know of our presence next to them. Ensure,” ordered KC.

  “Directive Cdr,” said Crona as the entire battle group location modulated to the border of the 14th sector and slightly beyond.

  Everyone was staring at their walls and displays, looking out into the vast space beyond the 14th sector where no one had been before. A never-ending hour passed as everyone tirelessly scanned every inch of the border sector, not one planet was spared… finally Cdr Rul’s voice broke the unbearable silence on the bridge. “Cdr, I have something. The Garmanien fleet has been found. It has surrounded a mid-sized planet in a star system 600 light years from the border of the 14th sector,” continued Rul.

  “Crona,” said KC as Crona immediately activated absolute stealth mode and within a fraction of a second, the mighty AMU battle group ‘Location Modulated’ around the mid-sized planet behind the Garmanien fleet like a vast shadow surrounding them. Though the Garmaniens remained unaware of sure death that now surrounded them.