Gracie’s Touch

Chapter 3-3

Grand Admiral Kordon Jefe strode into the conference room in a dark mood, but his grim thoughts didn’t show on his face. He’d just finished reading the report sent in on the latest attack by a new alien species on one of their remote mining planets. Everyone was dead and the planet stripped of most of its resources.

The last message received from the mining colony was sent two weeks before. Some imbecile captain on the remote station of Atphlon didn’t think it important enough to investigate the emergency signals being sent out until two days ago. That captain was now washing floors on Atphlon as a private. Kordon didn’t tolerate idiots under his command.

He didn’t bother to nod to the other officers standing around the table waiting for him to sit first. He moved to the chair at the head of the conference table and sat, pulling the data grid closer to review the information the frigate sent to the site looking for survivors. He already knew every detail in the report; now he wanted answers.

“What have you to report?” Kordon looked at his head of security.

Chief Bran Markus cleared his throat before answering calmly. “Two hundred and fifty-eight colonists dead or missing, any resource worth having gone, the colony destroyed. The source appears to be the same as before. We were able to get a brief glimpse of some of the attackers and one of their vehicles before communications were terminated.” Bran nodded to a center screen displaying the mining foreman as he sent the distress signal.

“We are under attack by an unknown force. They… they have captured most of the men as they came out of the mines. All women and children have been killed.” The man wiped his face as sweat dripped down it. “Those bastards have some type of shield we can’t get through. We need immediate assistance.” A loud explosion could be heard in the background. “Th-they’ve breached the complex headquarters. Th—” The transmission ended as screams filled the air.

Captain Leila Toolas, his chief medical officer, responded. “From the details I’ve been able to retrieve from the bodies left, whoever was there killed any female not able to reproduce and the young children immediately. From the list there were fifteen females within a breeding range unaccounted for. The men…” Captain Toolas paled as she continued. “The remains of the men show body parts missing. Limbs and internal organs were removed with surgical precision.”

* * * *

Kordon kept his expression blank as he took each report. He finally came to his communications officer, a Ta’nee. The Ta’nee were known for their language and communication skills. The rich red hair down the center of Lieutenant Mohan’s head flared with different colors as she spoke.

“I have never encountered the language or signals recorded by the mining foreman. It was very perceptive of him to record the communications being transmitted. It will take time to decipher it as there is no known database to compare it to,” Mohan said. The fur along her cheeks changing to a slightly darker color as all eyes turned toward her.

Kordon nodded, ignoring the changes. He knew the Ta’nee were very shy and did not like being the center of attention. He looked at each officer intently so they would understand what he was about to say. He had worked with all of them for the past twenty years with the exception of Mohan, whom he brought on board almost a year ago.

“I want answers. Find out if there are any signature marks from their ship. I want to know every ripple in space that has occurred in that region within the past month. Mohan, monitor all frequencies. Let me know if you hear anything out the ordinary.

“Toolas, get me a detailed report on the bodies. I want to know exactly what you know and what you think in the report. Bran, get me a report on the types of weapons that could have been used to cause that amount of destruction. I also want information on what types of shields they could have used. Report back in four hours.”

Everyone stood immediately as Kordon stood and strode back out of the conference room. He walked over to the commander’s chair on the bridge and gave the order to the helmsmen to proceed to the mining colony. He wanted to look at the destruction first hand.