Deathstalker 02 - Deathstalker Rebellion

stood seeing the horror of it in real time. He opened his eyes and breathed deeply to clear his head. He had to be cool and centered if he was to have his revenge on the bugs.
    "They were specialized by function." Frost was still speaking, and Silence made himself pay attention. "Designed for specific purposes. But what did they want here?"
    "What aliens always want," said Stelmach. "To destroy humanity."
    Silence swallowed hard, his mouth dry. "It isn't usually that simple, Stelmach.
    We know what happened here, but not why. And without the why, we can't hope to predict what they'll do next. They could be anywhere inside the Empire by now.
    There has to be a reason for all this destruction and slaughter. Investigator, you said the insects appeared to have been designed for specific tasks in this assault. That implies there was an aim to be achieved, an end to be reached."
    Yes," said Frost. "Almost certainly. I get the impression they were after information, as much as anything. They certainly seemed to pay special attention to the computer records. People were mostly killed or attacked when they got in the way or tried to interfere with the search. I think they were looking for something."

    What could they have wanted here?" said Cross. "Gehenna is the farthest planet in this sector of the Empire. There's nothing beyond here but the Darkvoid."
    "And they couldn't have come this far through the Empire without being noticed,"
    said Stelmach. "So they must have come from… outside the Empire."
    "Nothing lives in the Darkvoid," said Frost. "Apart from the traitors on Haden."
    Then, maybe they came from the other side of the Darkvoid," said Silence slowly.
    "And this was the first human outpost they discovered. But why just attack? We always try to communicate first. If only to find out what we're getting into.
    Did the Base have something the aliens wanted? Something they knew the Base personnel wouldn't give up voluntarily?"
    "I think we're reaching a bit here," said Cross.
    "Of course we are," said Frost. "It's all we've got. Now, unless you've got something useful to say, shut the hell up. We're thinking. So they took tech apart, killed people in search of something. Information. What did they want to know that we wouldn't tell them?"
    "Weaknesses," said Stelmach. "Defense stations, weaponry, secrets…"
    "The location of homeworld!" said Silence. "Destroy Golgotha, and the whole Empire would be crippled!" A shudder ran through Silence as his thoughts raced ahead of him.
    "You thought this was a trap, Investigator, but it isn't. It's a decoy intended to keep us occupied here while the aliens head for Golgotha! Heads up, everyone.
    We're leaving."
    "Oh, come on," said Cross. "This is really reaching."
    "No," said Frost. "It feels right. It's what I'd do."
    "But what about the missing personnel?" said Cross. "What if they're being kept
    somewhere here on Gehenna? If we go chasing off after a theory, they could die here! What if we're wrong about this?"
    "Then, we're wrong," said Frost. "Now, shut up and move. Homeworld must be protected, at all costs. No wonder you keep being transferred, Cross. You talk too much."
    "We are leaving, people!" said Silence. "Investigator, lead the way. Cross and Stelmach, stick with me. Marines, bring up the rear. If anything moves, shoot it. We don't have any friends here anymore."
    And so they made their way back out of the Base, breasting the endless sprinkler rain like swimmers in a race. It was hard to run in the heavy, clumsy hard suits, but they did it anyway. There was no telling what kind of advance the aliens had on them. The attack on the Base couldn't have happened long ago. What was left of the human bodies hadn't had time to corrupt much. That meant a few days at most. So everything depended now on what kind of stardrive the alien ship had, and whether it was the equal of the Dauntless's new drive. The Dauntless was supposed to be the fastest thing in the Empire, but Silence and Frost knew something the others didn't. The amazing new stardrive was based on a drive Silence and Frost found in the alien ship crash-landed on the planet Unseeli. Which meant there was no telling how fast the new alien ship might be.
    Especially, one that had apparently crossed the Darkvoid from one side to the other; something no Empire ship had ever dared attempt.
    Usually, the Empire found aliens and made decisions about their future. The aliens could join the Empire, be subjugated, or die.