FINAL ENCOUNTER

by Mr. David R. Dorrycott

"Darkrider 2-7-2 to Mother. Bogy Zeta Delta Niner One destroyed. Awaiting orders."

It had been the last Irii ship remaining in orbit. All that was left of the great Irii homefleet was running. Running anywhere. Scattering at sub-light speeds for any haven that they could think of. Even the fastest would take a week to reach the nearest jump point. Admiral Reen Ambersong barely waved her right paw after the report. At the movement her communications officer snapped a reply. "Darkrider 2-7-2 from Mother. Join Squadron 3-1-5. Free hunting. Good luck."

"Darkrider 2-7-2 to Mother. Thank you. Good feeding."

It was done. Any Irii ship, crewed or not, would be destroyed. Nothing would remain of the race that had wiped out seven sentient races, crippled four more and thought themselves the most powerful force in the universe. Until they met the Naorhy.

Admiral Ambersong studied the blue-green planet through one of her warships thick glasslike ports, for all the ships view screens were either shattered, or otherwise non-functional. Barely a third of her ships systems remained fully factional. But the point was that her forces had won the battle. Won the war. Burning points of starlight occasionally flickered like diamonds around the planetary orb, a result of massive atomospheric leaks by thousand of ships and hundreds of stations. Ships of both sides, Irii stations. Remains of ships, battle stations even living beings could be spotted. If one knew how to find them. Seven generations of bloody, genocidic battle had brought the Naorhy and their allies to victory. Below Ambersongs remaining ships now lay the Irii motherworld. Crippled, battered, helpless. The dogs last refuge, as system after planet after stronghold fell to the slowly advancing lynx race.

Billions, trillions had died on each side. Someone had recently guessed that 112 trillion sentient beings were either killed in battle, or eaten by those mad dogs below. Reen felt a trickle of tear wander through the soft down covering her cheek, leaving a dark trail of matted fur behind it. So many. One had been her loves older sister, her remains found in a garbage dump inside an Irii embassy. No one would ever trully know the total. Perhaps a God, but no mortal could know the count. Could hope to remain sane knowing the true losses.

A young voice spoke from behind the brooding Admiral. "Great Lady. Your Marines request release orders."

Reen snapped out of her thoughts. The Irii were far from helpless still, though every weapon that could reach space was now dead. "Ask the marines why I should allow them to die at the hands of those animals" she asked softly. "Ask them why I should squander so many lives, when I can pound that planet to molten stone from orbit." She turned to face the crewfem that had spoken the question. A grizzled old Marine Major stood beside her, one she knew well. Beside the Major was a younger crewfem. A Lieutenant. It was she who had spoken those words.

“I brought six thousand two hundred and three ships into this battle. VhyrJyurn, Korlda, Sq’cee, Ni and Naorhy. Less than a thousand remain under power. Of the one million, eleven thousand, four hundred and six lives that followed me, less than ninety thousand still breath.” She paused as a sharp pain went through her heart. “My love is not one of them. We have bombed that planet with everything from VhyrJyurn Helium bombs, Sq’cee biological assault hunters to simply dropping rocks from high orbit. There cannot be more than a few million of those filthy animals still alive. Ask them how I can explain their deaths to their Clans, their children. Their wives. When I can simply order our fleet tugs to start dropping small moons against the planet. Ask them that. If they can give me an answer I can understand, can accept. Only then I will give the order."

The younger Marine who had spoken lowered her head. She was but a third year admin officer, attached to the Marine Major by the Admiral herself. Reen's question was beyond her young years to answer. Slowly, without a sound she fell to her knees. Lowered her head to star at the deck she kneeled upon. Thus leaving the Major to answer. Reen stared into the old womans face. A face she well knew from countless years of service. "Your answer?" she asked ever so softly.

"For Honor."

Reen felt her eyes fill with tears, she nodded slowly in agreement. "The order is given. Good hunting. When you return, I shall end this forever." Turning away from the departing Major she listened as the Bridge hatched unsealed, then seconds later sealed again. Looking out at the planet she cursed the dogs who had caused so much death. So much pain to so many races. And she wished her marines an honorable death.

For the Irii, a bill had come due. One that they would now pay in its fullness. And when it was over. When it was over Reen would still order the captured moonlit’s to be released. One should always be certain that ones enemies were dead. Especially ones that ate anything.

Even children.