Patterns of Chaos: Book One - The First War
Chapter 28

Earth now had a clear view of the dreadnaught approaching, its bladed prow reminding Mitchell Cameron of an arrow aimed at their collective hearts. “Dear God…” he whispered, horrified at the scale of the thing. He could recognize nothing of the original colony station that this...thing had grown from. He looked at his allies; Hasegawa was taking command of the defense force preparing to meet the ship moving towards them. Burvechev, the Russian, looked determined to defy Stragdoc to the last. Shannon’s replacement, Patrick Cole, looked nervous. He had only been appointed to the council a short time ago.

A corporal looked up from his station. “Sir, we’re being contacted.”

A video screen at the end of the room flickered to life. The deceptively charming face of Paul Stragdoc filled it.

“Gentlemen, how would you like to surrender now and save us all some trouble?”

Cameron stood. “The people of Earth are free, sir. And we shall remain free of your tyranny until this planet is no more.”

Stragdoc looked genuinely hurt. “Tyranny? Is that what you think I offer? Under my generous rule, not only will crime end but so will death itself!”

Burvechev rose. “Were man not meant to die, our creator would have made us immortal. And you sir, are no creator.”

Stragdoc’s face now twisted in a sneer. “Oh please, spare me the religious hokum. Very well, let history show that I tried to end this without bloodshed. The Red Talon is not just for show, I shall demonstrate its full capability to you now.”

Cole spoke for the first time. “A demonstration isn’t necessary. I’m sure that your vessel is quite deadly.”

For a brief instance, confusion flickered across the maniac’s face, replaced with icy coldness. “You’ll get one anyway. And remember, I tried to be peaceable about this.” The image then cut out.

“Sirs, something’s happening to the vessel’s prow!”

Video now showed the bladed front end splitting down the middle, levering open to reveal a massive aperture.

Cameron sat down heavily, hoping that the end result would simply help to galvanize resistance to Stragdoc’s megalomania. Because even with St. George’s squadron about to break orbit, and the remaining squadrons led by Hasegawa just taking off, he had a feeling that weapon was not going to be stopped.

Where was Shannon? Calixta’s mind touched his.

Stragdoc gritted his teeth. The idiot had been found out, obviously. The fact that Stragdoc himself had been unaware of this was far more annoying to him, however. It was careless, and at this critical juncture, carelessness was inexcusable.

“Main cannon at eighty percent power, sir! What is the target?”

He had known from the start what his target would be. New York was too cliché, as were London, Moscow, Washington, Paris...no, his target was of a much more personal nature. Stragdoc typed the coordinates into his console. Dalth seemed surprised at his choice of target, but was too much the soldier to question orders.

“Give me firing control,” he snarled now.

“Main cannon fully charged!” The report came in.

“Sir, I’m picking up an energy surge behind the planet-”

“Silence!” He bellowed. The firing control appeared on his screen, and his fingers mashed it with finality.

Looking at his screen, he rejoiced to see the red beam of light lance towards the planet; towards a small town near the Canadian/American border by the name of Black Rock. An unremarkable community whose sole claim to infamy was a terrorist attack on a high school in the late Nineties.

Now the job is finished. Stragdoc’s grin was wild, a small line of spittle leaking from the corner of his mouth as his hometown simply ceased to be.

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