Alexandria II Superbase; Command Center
In orbit over planet McAuliffe
The McAuliffe System, Day Quadrant, Vega Sector
MAR 17 2795/2795.076; 2322 Hours (CST)

“Somebody shut those things the hell off!"

The klaxons were arguably necessary, given the circumstances, but Admiral Andovar Peters couldn’t hear himself think with them blaring full blast in his ear. Somehow, the ringing that was left in his ears after the klaxons’ silencing wasn’t that much more favorable.

"Report!" he yelled over the chatter in the command center.

A jittery ensign 2nd class by the name of Janks came to attention. "Sir, the Steltek Marauders, sir, they’ve... they’ve encircled the planet, sir. T-they’re taking up attack formation, sir."

If what happened in the Olivia System was any indication of the Steltek’s intent, Admiral Peters could only expect the worst for McAuliffe. Wanting to see what the ensign spoke of for himself, Peters approached the observatory viewports and peered out.

Of the five Marauders that had entered the system, he could only see one from Alexandria Superbase. The other four must have been positioned at vertices in a cube formation around the planet. The one he could see was impossibly huge, every bit the fifty-five thousand meter beast the reports from the past incidences had indicated. Its black and green hull caught the McAuliffe sun and gave off an ominous radiance, radiance that shone down to the planet as a beacon of doom.

The Seventh Fleet, stationed at Alexandria II, could do little but dispatch their squadrons at the Marauders and the thousands of drone ships they were releasing. The Marauders were now impervious to the Nuke’ems that had been used to destroy the first one two years ago; there was no nebulae to lure them into and set aflame as the Phlegethon had done in the Canés Venatici Galaxy. There would be no help, quick saves, or sucker punches this time.

"Sir, they’re about to... about to..."

As Admiral Peters watched on, the green pyramid structure atop the Marauder in sight glowed with blinding neon light. After a moment of terrified anticipation, it unleashed its ray of doom.

For a few seconds it seemed that nothing was happening, that McAuliffe’s planetary shields had held. But then, not ten seconds later, the core of McAuliffe was struck. The atmosphere turned a graying brown as the crust collapsed on itself, then erupted into space, plumes of atmosphere and matter spraying outward.

Admiral Peters knew what was coming. Alexandria II, being attached by skyhook to the surface of the planet, was about to suffer the same fate.

Perry Naval Base; Central Command
The Perry System, Clarke Quadrant, Gemini Sector
MAR 18 2795/2795.077; 0605 Hours (CST)

McAuliffe and the Seventh Fleet were gone. The planet had been struck by a five-way linked superlaser blast from the five Marauders that had appeared and, in a show of destruction not even comparable to the battles waged there in the early years of the First Kilrathi War, it had been destroyed.

Destroyed!

It was unthinkable to Commodore Valentine, even when thinking of the Steltek. That they, even with their planetoid-sized warships, had the power to destroy worlds... McAuliffe had been the largest base outside of Earth since the founding of the Confederation in the twenty-fifth century. With its fall—with its destruction—a heavy blow had been dealt.

And Perry Naval Base was next.

By the time Intell had sent the report over burst transmission, the horrified crew of the recently-refitted superbase were staring at the black and green maw that was a Steltek Marauder. Fifty-five kilometers from side to side, its glowing pyramid of destruction gleaming atop its mass like a lantern of death, one could not be blamed for abandoning hope.

He’d prepared the reports, issued the evacuation orders, and called the Sixteenth Fleet to attention. His work was done now. When the first superlaser blast struck, Valentine was smoking his pipe.

CIS Brittain; Bridge
In orbit over planet Hades
The "Tri-System"
The Issac System, Amaron Quadrant, Vidur Sector
0831 Hours (CST)

The Jincilla Clan, the Kiowan Clan, the Chirichan Clan, the Papagod Clan.

The pirate scourge of the Tri-System were honored members of the community next to the Steltek.

David Hassan, CINC of the Tri-System’s ill-equipped security forces, the Central Intelligence Services, could only watch the awesome display of utter annihilation play out from the bridge of his Veldor-class carrier with reserved frustration and helplessness.

Hades, CIS planetary HQ, was already a post-nuclear war world. Cataclysmic storms raged across every inch of the God-forsaken planet, and magma rivers flowed freely over many of the regions along the equator.

There was a great shudder, visible even beneath the mass of swirling clouds, a delay, and then an explosion. The explosion. Just like McAuliffe.

"Ser Hassan, your orders?"

Hassan gave the frantic officer a glance, then peered back through the viewports. All that was left of Hades now was a dissipating nebulae-like cloud and a field of debris.

"Ser Hassan, the Marauders!"

Hassan turned back to the officer, but held his glance this time. The man was young, one of the CIS’ June recruits. Smuggler busting and the occasional pirate chase was the most peril he likely expected in his CIS service. "I see them," he answered. The five Marauders were coming about now, directing their attention to Hassan’s fleet.

"I must have your orders!"

Hassan squinted at the incoming warships. For the first time since the days after his wife was killed, he felt unparalleled grief and rage. It took every ounce of his service regiment to hold it in. Tersely, he spoke the words he dreaded to the officer, "Order the retreat."

The Planetship; Navigational Command
The Canés Venatici Galaxy
The Zeta Bravo System, Sector Alpha Tango Theta
1025 Hours (CST)

"Maraudership Cluster Two was successful. Our weapons were sufficient, Supreme Overseer."

Supreme Overseer Choohan nodded at the Infrared Heat Spectrum representation of Overseer Adjutant Cyral, suspended in its complete dignity over the dais. The sakkin adjutant spoke for Magistrate Eolin, the commander of the Maraudership leading not only the cluster, but coordinating every cluster in service. It was a Steltek Choohan knew well and respected much. "Commendable. You may continue your sorties and prepare for the final target."

"Yes, Supreme Overseer." The two Steltek exchanged a look, one of such mixed meaning that it could only be truly understood by the Steltek themselves, then Cyral’s image vanished from the air.

Two worlds—one, a sparse militant planet populated by only the Heathens themselves; the second, a barren world already in ruin from Heathenly wrongdoing—had been destroyed at the will of the Prime Leader. Two worthless planets of only strategic importance to Heathens, perhaps, but what had been done could very easily be seen as a glaring contradiction to the Purpose the Steltek served with their very being.

In pondering the matter further, it gave Choohan peace of mind to know that even with all the Steltek’s inhibitions, no one would question the final target that awaited the attention of the Marauderships.