The crawlers halted. Assur leaned closer to the window, his breath fogging the clear substance. He could see the remnants of a power conduit that had fed energy to the magnetic line.

  He activated a control panel, and a series of displays flickered to life, showing detailed schematics of the former railgun.

  Assur’s gaze flickered back to the frozen wasteland. Earthling Colonel Steele had struck a critical blow against the colony, but it was just one battle in a much larger, longer war.

  As the crawlers resumed their journey, Assur leaned back, thinking. According to one report, parts of the magnetic line yet remained intact—11.8 percent. It had been an ingenious weapon and had struck a deadly blow against Earth.

  Some Valiants suggested building more railguns and continuing to hammer Earth from here.

  Naram Sin’s numbers had shown that such a strategic decision would be unproductive, as it would waste Valiant time and energy. After much trial and error, the Earthlings had learned to deflect the projectiles. A few critical TV intercepts showed that the Earthlings had sent their Orion ships well beyond their Moon. The Earthlings did that to deflect the incoming projectile sooner, as it took less effort to deflect further away from Earth than closer.

  That proved Naram Sin knew what he was talking about. The aide did not create fluff and fantasy, but used facts, seeing patterns and, from them, likely outcomes.

  As Assur continued to stare out the window at the shattered remains of the railgun, he pondered Naram Sin’s latest predictions. He was finished ignoring them, as his subconscious had wrestled with them long enough.

  Would the alien Vims come to the solar system? That seemed more than possible. Could the Valiants ready the solar system in time to defeat a Vim invasion? That was the greatest imponderable, the last on the list. Naram Sin was guessing more than using hard facts regarding that.

  Assur muttered to one of his security team members. The gunman passed it along to the driver.

  Soon, the crawlers headed back to the mining base.

  The colony in the Saturn system had grown since its initial landing. Robots were setting up bases on other moons. Now that they did not have to defend against another swift attack by the Orion ships, they need worry less about defense and more about offense. The great offensive against Earth, or its Moon, was about to begin in the next several weeks. The three Enforcer-class vessels along with auxiliary ships would begin hard acceleration. They would do so from the edge of the Saturn system, seeking to avoid the sleepless gaze of Earth telescopes. That was a long shot—starting the mission in secret—but worth taking. The shorter the time Earth had to prepare against an invasion, the better for the Valiants.

  The invasion fleet would use Jupiter, just as the Orion ships had done as a gravity assist. Altogether, the journey from Saturn to Earth would take a little over a year of acceleration and deceleration.

  Oddly, the Orion ships were the fastest vessels in the solar system, as their nuclear pulse propulsion was superior in speed to the deuterium-fusion system the Enforcers used. The deuterium-fusion propulsion system could take the ships further and longer at a more comfortable pace. The nuclear pulse propulsion had some serious drawbacks, but not in terms of crude space speed within the solar system.

  In terms of the greater war, the destroyed railgun had completed its main task: diminishing Earth’s industrial capacity. From the intercepts, there was still competition between the varying Earth powers and the slight possibility of civil war between them.

  Certainly, Earth could afford these problems more than the Valiants could. Naram Sin was correct about that. The Valiants needed to do everything perfectly to succeed.

  Assur sighed.

  He must have inherently understood some of this beforehand. His plan wasn’t to attack Earth directly this time, but the Moon. It was a genius move, as it would diminish much of Earth’s defensive power. The orbital stations would play no part in this battle. All Earth systems would have to travel from Earth to the Moon and beyond to engage. The object of this assault was to grab the Earth’s Moon before the main assault took place later, maybe several years later.

  Still, Naram Sin had a point. The Earthers would eventually see the Enforcers coming, likely months before they reached the Moon, hopefully not a year before they did. Colonel Steele’s stealth ships had struck unexpectedly and thus successfully. Each method had pluses and minuses.

  Assur shook his head. He had dealt with the last assault. He now needed to know how to defeat the long-term problem that masses of humanity would eventually drown Valiant DNA. It was a matter of billions versus less than two hundred thousand. By drowning Valiant DNA, the Earthlings would eventually win no matter what.

  Assur wrestled with the concept all the way to the mining base and during the shuttle ride up to the Corsair. He examined various ideas until the warship returned to orbital Titan.

  There, Assur received an update from Security Chief Sardu concerning the Voyager Akkad. The generational vessel was still on target to reach them in several months’ time.

  After receiving the update, Assur used a shuttle to go to the Enkidu, the flagship of the Enforcer Trio. He hurried to his ready room off the bridge.

  He sat at his desk, pondering. Assur had intended to lead the next assault in person, but he understood Naram Sin’s point about his power base, the need to remain in it if he wished to continue to rule.

  His authority, while secure in one sense, was precarious in another. While all the Valiants were in one place, his security forces could keep them in check. But once a large fraction of that fighting force left…

  Assur pursed his lips.

  The greater power would remain in the Titan colony, particularly with the Voyager returning. That meant he needed a system of leadership in the invasion fleet that had the least chance of usurping his power.

  The Enforcers must conquer Earth’s Moon, and they must do so while he retained authority over the Valiants.

  Assur shook his head. No. He must first figure out the greater problem. How could he ensure the Earthlings did not drown Valiant DNA?

  He rose and began to pace. He thought back to his time aboard the Voyager, and the lessons he had learned from his mother and her second husband.

  Assur stopped pacing as his eyes widened with astonishment. He staggered back to his desk and sat with a thud. He placed his hands on the desk, staring at nothing. Looking into his mind, he believed he saw the answer. It was so simple and obvious. Why had it taken him so long to see it?

  Earthers had billions. The Valiants had 170,000. How could he make sure the Earthers did not swamp Valiant DNA? Assur smiled. He must eliminate the Earthers. Eliminate the billions.

  According to transcripts he had read a while ago, some scientists on Earth believed the dinosaurs had died out ages ago due to a meteor striking Earth, killing most life. So then, all he needed to do was rain the right amount of matter onto Earth until he had wiped out present-day humanity. Then there would be no billions to swamp Valiant DNA. Then the Valiants would be all. Any Earthlings who survived such a catastrophe could be hunted as game animals. The Valiants might castrate some and turn them into drones. In a generation or two, there would only be Valiants. Advanced robotics could build until they were ready for any Vim assault.

  Assur laughed with relief. They were no longer going to conquer the Earthlings. They were going to exterminate the Earthlings. Not out of hatred or a sense of sadism, but so the Valiants would ultimately win and so the great masses of lesser humans would not swamp the greater Valiants.

  “I did it,” Assur said.

  He had reached his conclusion. It was obvious, simple and doable. All they had to achieve was space superiority around orbital Earth, and then they could do as they wished.

  He laughed and sat back. Then he opened a drawer and pulled out a bottle of liquor. He poured himself a small amount, stood, toasted himself, and threw the liquor back. He had figured out one problem. Now it was time to figure out the rest of the plan.

  -9-

  After weeks of solitary confinement, Naram Sin was nearly out of his mind. He thought he loved being by himself and thinking, but the endless monotony…

  He began to hallucinate, and that astounded him. He worked overtime to keep from talking to himself, for he was certain he would give away things that Assur or Sardu had not yet discovered. Therefore, he worked out complexities, mathematical problems, and various military strategies in his mind. Then he mentally played endless chess games against old opponents or from the Earth manuals. He tried to recall what he had read, and the more he concentrated on this, the better his memory became. He soon played intricate and exhilarating chess matches. He saw where champions had pulled a draw, and he attempted to find methods to avoid those draws. With such concentrated mental effort, the rest of the days passed more easily as his agony of spirit lessened.

  Then one day, abruptly, the hatch opened, and dour Security Chief Sardu stood there regarding him.

  It took Naram Sin time to crawl out of his head and truly see the Valiant.

  “It’s about time,” Sardu said. “You must come with me.”

  Naram Sin followed the older Valiant like a puppy. Then he looked around and marveled at the people, the women. He rubbed his hands. He needed a woman, as he no longer wished to be alone.

  He noticed that Sardu had picked up the pace, and they were moving through the corridors.

  “Where are you taking me?” Naram Sin asked.

  “To the Enkidu,” Sardu said.

  “What?” Naram Sin said, sure he had heard that wrong.

  Sardu stopped and turned, giving him a menacing grin. “You’re joining the invasion fleet.”

  “What?” Naram Sin said, surprised. “Did the Chief Marshal agree to this?”

  “Exactly,” Sardu said. “Your brilliance will help me and Marshal Baal leading the invasion assault.”

  While Naram Sin’s mind had run smoothly with the mental chess games, reality proved harder. He frowned as he processed that.

  “Baal wasn’t the original commander,” Naram Sin said.

  “Aren’t you the savvy one,” Sardu said. “There’s been a reshuffling of command and a few additions, with you one of the latter.”

  The processing quickened as Naram Sin returned to outer reality. “Is this wise? Marshal Baal is not considered a gifted tactician.”

  Sardu’s cranky old eyes searched Naram Sin up and down. Then he gave the barest of nods and faced forward again, hurrying once more.

  “Wait,” Naram Sin said, walking faster to catch up. “W-what aren’t you telling me?”

  “It’s not my place to say. You’re to speak with the Chief Marshal before you depart.”

  “When is the initial acceleration?”

  “In several hours,” Sardu said. “We’ll both need time to reach the invasion fleet. It’s starting from the edge of Saturn’s gravitational influence.”

  Panic clutched Naram Sin’s stomach. “Why have I been told about this at such a late date?”

  Over his shoulder, Sardu gave him a wintery grin. “No more questions for now, as you don’t have long to prepare. First, though, you’ll shower, as you stink.”

  Naram Sin became pensive as he followed Sardu. Soon, he took a long hot shower, ate a large meal, and then he hurried after Sardu once more, soon finding himself before the Chief Marshal’s office door.

  Sardu nodded.

  Naram Sin knocked.

  “Come in,” Assur said from behind the door.

  Naram Sin entered, and it was only then he realized he wore the black uniform of security. He no longer wore the green uniform of the Chief Marshal’s Personal Staff.

  “You asked to see me, sir?”

  “Sit, sit,” Assur said.

  Sardu had not entered and was nowhere in sight.

  Naram Sin stepped to a chair and sat down. He noticed that Assur seemed to be on the verge of happiness.

  “We’ll get to it,” Assur said. “As you have a shuttle to catch so you can join the invasion fleet.”

  Naram Sin managed a slight nod.

  “You’ve given me much food for thought,” Assur said. “I appreciate your conclusions and that you were willing to tell me about them. Given that, I have decided your rehabilitation starts today.” He pointed at and tapped the desk with a forefinger.

  “That’s why you’re sending me on the assault?” Naram Sin asked.

  “Only partly,” Assur conceded. “However, that isn’t important now. You need to know certain facts so that you can perform your duties properly. You do want the Valiants to prevail in the end, don’t you?”

  “Of course,” Naram Sin said, befuddled by all this.

  “Good. Firstly, I want you to know that I believe you are correct about the Earthers. They will overwhelm our DNA over time. That means ten generations from now, even given our victory, the Valiants will vanish.”

  “Yes,” Naram Sin said, surprised the Chief Marshal could see so clearly.

  “Therefore, we must remove one of the elements so this will not occur,” Assur said.

  Naram Sin said the word silently: remove. His eyes widened. “You mean slaughtering the Earthlings?”

  “My, my, you still retain your gift for quick and deep analysis. That is absolutely right.”

  “But… but that’s a horrible crime, sir.”

  “No, it is a crime that the Valiants vanish. One of us will vanish. Certainly, you would agree it is better for us to survive than for the Earthlings to survive at our expense.”

  At that point, Naram Sin’s newfound ability, the one he had been practicing for six months, came to his rescue.

  “You’re right,” Naram Sin said, even though he squirmed in his chair, probably not realizing that gave him away.

  During the last few weeks, the Chief Marshal had been reading many personality profiles and matching them to the right slots—slots that would help ensure his continued rule. Assur believed his gift was in putting the right person in the right place to achieve the right result.

  “Naram Sin,” Assur said, “you are going to be a part of Sardu’s greater security team aboard the Enkidu. One of your tasks is to make sure my authority is enforced. There will be security plants among the crews. One of them will be your friend, Father Wolf.”

  “By plants you mean informers?” Naram Sin asked.

  “Informer works. The informers will help give you a pulse of the crew. Naturally, Sardu will watch you closely and assess your diligence and loyalty to me. Should it founder…” Assur looked Naram Sin in the eye and slid an index finger across his throat. “That will be the moment you die, your usefulness for me at an end. But I understand that you see clearly and precisely. Therefore, I want to continue to use your wonderful mind as long you continue your loyalty to me. I want your honest answer.” Assur pointed at him. “Will you loyally obey my dictates?”

  For a second time, Naram Sin gave offense against himself by lying, saying, “I will.”

  Assur frowned. Had he expected greater resistance? “We shall see,” Assur said, as he sat back. “Your second task will be aiding Marshal Baal. Officially, you are part of his immediate staff. I have no doubt that Baal will be wise enough to use your services.”

  “Baal, sir?” asked Naram Sin. “Do you think that is wise?”

  “For precisely the reasons you think he is not,” Assur said.

  “But…”

  “Help him make wise decisions during the attack on the Moon. Baal must not sabotage the invasion. That is your responsibility, although Sardu can certainly pull the trigger if needed.”

  Naram Sin pondered that, soon concluding the Chief Marshal was toying with him. Naram Sin did not know the why, though.

  “Now,” Assur said, “let us toast our victory on the Moon and the beginning of our reign of the solar system.”

  “I don’t understand,” Naram Sin said.

  “I suppose you wouldn’t. Once we capture the Moon, we will build mass drivers and begin to launch endless rocks at Earth. We will inundate Earth, keeping them busy defending. A few rocks should get through and hopefully hammer their economy, provided we can win the Moon battle.”

  “Sir, do you really believe Marshal Baal will be able to outthink the Earthers?”

  “Weren’t you listening a moment ago? He will have your help, as you will coordinate his efforts.”

  “But, sir, Baal is…”

  “How many times must I say it?” Assur asked. “Baal is inadequate. But with your help and with Sardu to guard against mutiny, all should work as I have planned.”

  “You don’t believe the men will rally to Baal and try to topple you from power?”

  “I most certainly do not,” Assur said.

  “Why tell me this, sir? You must know I do not agree with the murder of an entire race.”

  “You will have to decide what is more important to you. Remember, we have crafty profilers, and they have studied you to an intense degree. For instance, I realize you have lied to me twice this meeting.”

  Naram Sin’s mouth dropped open.

  “Yes,” Assur said. “You have lied to me twice, and I knew each time. I have studied your profile. I tested you, and I see that this profiling works. Therefore, I feel secure letting you go on the mission, as Sardu will likely read you as well as I have.”

  Naram Sin was speechless.

  “You, my friend, are an important cog in the greater machine,” Assur said. “I have put every person in place with careful deliberation. In this, my genius is knowing who to put where in order to keep my power. The great attack is about to commence. Not the ultimate attack, but as you can see, I have taken your prognostication and thought it through carefully and come up with answers you perhaps did not foresee.”

  “You’re right,” Naram Sin said. “I am not as bloodthirsty as you.”

  “Quite true, quite true,” Assur said, proudly. “I am a predator. You, my friend, you are a great chess master, but I don’t think you have the killer instinct. I do, and that is why I rule and that is why the Valiants, in the end, shall win and become supreme in this solar system.”