Kick the Sphere 27 (Patreon)

Kick the Sphere

Chapter 27

-VB-

Alan Marris

One month.

That was the duration of time that my little zerg swarm needed to claim the entirety of tropical jungle continent and turn it into a zerg haven.

One month.

It was the duration of time my swarm used to multiply from three larvaes into a monstrous three billion strong nightmare for most people, including my own T-Dolls and replicator children.

Speaking of whom, one of them was with me in my office on Dansur II, the only habitable planet in the system and the de jure capital of the Dansur system. Did that make Dansur II the de facto capital of my still unnamed, um, organization?

“Dad, are you sure you can keep them under control?” Ares asked. While my red-haired replicator son had been the one most eager to pit his designs of war against the zergs at first, he was also the first to recognize just how quickly the swarm adapted using a  number of essences they collected from this world’s creatures. Oh, it only made him want to compete with them as he saw the swarm as his little sibling - and thus a competitor for my attention and time.

“Hmm? Oh yes, I am in complete control over them,” I told him. “I am their King of Blades, you know?” Then I chuckled at the reference that no one else would get. “Speaking of which, how about you? I saw how you took around two metric tons of raw kiron.”

“Our control over the lesser replicators are under perfect control, dad. You don’t need to worry about them at all.”

I smiled. “That’s good. And how goes the conversion of your playground?”

The playground in question was Dansur IV that I told them they could turn into a replicator world. The replicator sibling’s plan, as I have been told, was to convert the entire world’s surface to host replicator shards in hundreds of layers. Considering that once a replicator completely took over a world, nothing short of a planet killer would harm that fortress world that can also pump out capital ships by the hundreds each month.

That, ladies and gentlemen, was the definition of playing tall.

“It is proceeding as planned,” he replied. “... But shouldn’t we be preparing for war instead of expanding?”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “Ares, we are as prepared as we need to be for the people of the Inner Sphere.”

“I … understand that, dad. I do. You told us all about how they have been bombing themselves to the stone ages. But dad, I don’t think we should be underestimating them. They have survived as long as they have because they have talented people under their command and have the means to push their rule. Even if they only have these primitive dropships and aerospace fighters to send against us, we are still just one system.”

I looked at Ares. My most aggressive and fight-seeking replicator child was asking me to be more prepared. Perhaps I should listen to that advice.

“Do you really feel that our defenses are not enough?” I asked him.

“From the information we drew from Betelgeuse about how the Inner Sphere conducts war, even giants can fall if enough ants or coincidences stack up against them.”

I didn’t expect Ares to be the one to look over that kind of information. I expected Hermes to be the one to collect information. “... Is there anything in particular you want to point out?”

“Not in particular but in how aerospace fighters are often what kills dropships, not other warships. Even if they are weaker, enough of them firing right amount of weapons will still kill the larger and more heavily armored dropships.”

I looked at him suspiciously. Ares … wasn’t usually someone who thought about the little things. If I had to describe him, then he was the closest thing we had to a shit-talker exaggerating the one-trick build he has going for him.

“You want to make more warships, don’t you?”

Even if he didn’t stiffen or freeze like a normal person did when they got caught, the way he stopped talking was enough of an indication.

I sighed. Much like a child who did the chores for an allowance, Ares had studied so that he could get permission to build his latest warship design.

“Fine. Upload your design. Let me see it first…. Ares, why do you want a battleship?” A pause. “An eezo spinal cannon fitted battleship?”

-VB-

Tormax Liao

Capellan Confederation

One month.

Even with all of the enthusiasm flowing from his people as they prepared for the counterattack, it took them one month to gather the necessary manpower and metal on Sian, to organize further dropships, manpower, and metal they would pick up on their way, and to gather the few nuclear arsenals that have set in their vaults.

“Chancellor, I bring grave tidings.”

Tormax looked up from the war room in the Chancellor’s Palace and to the intelligence aide that had entered the room.

“Speak,” his son, Maximilian, demanded of the aide that had interrupted the strategy meeting.

The aide saluted and pulled out a number of ComStar certified mail. “Free Worlds League is on the move to defend our target, Chancellor!”

Tormax grunted. “We expected this,” he replied. “Sp-”

“Our spies within Atreus and SAFE have conclusively reported that Captain-General Marik has called upon at least six regiments of battlemechs and additional ten regiments of armored and infantry regiments.”

That …

“Is Janos Marik so desperate to defend his black ops site that he’s forgoing secrecy?!” Maximilian snarled as he thumped his fist on the table, making the hologram of the Capellan-Free Worlds League border crackle. “Father, any more delay in our departure will mean that the Leaguers will have gathered enough force to make our own preparations moot, especially if they think they can intercept us!”

Tormax closed his eyes.

Did he start the invasion now, knowing that he did not gather as much force as he wanted, or did he allow the League to meet him in a confrontation that will surely mean staggering losses for both sides? Mariks were sure to bring nuclear weapons just as he will bring his…

Could this be the biggest single battle to break out since the Second Succession War? Did he dare?

“We depart now,” he ordered. “We will not allow the Mariks to drag us into a war of attrition. Betelgeuse will be avenged!”

The rest of the war room repeated his words. “Betelgeuse will be avenged!”