Chapter 023

Naruko and her group arrived immediately on the bridge of the Outer Heaven, the bridge crew already at the stations and powering up all combat oriented systems. The Ceph surrounding the ship were informed by their leader and were already working on releasing Outer Heaven from its docking station. Naruko's appearance was noticed but all were busy preparing for war that they were excused for not standing at attention. Instead, it was just a call from Karin.

"The Empress has returned. X.O. now relinquishes command back to her."

They'd done this millions of times and it was more of a formality now. Naruko wouldn't want them to stop in the middle of their jobs just to acknowledge her expected arrival.

Naruko took her seat (throne) that sat at the top tier that overlooked the dozens of other stations below her. While the actual structure of the bridge was about twenty times larger, this command area was just restricted to this for several reasons.

"Quasar core is fully charged. Sensors indicate no abnormalities."

"Shield emitters are fully charged and on standby."

"All weapon systems are fully charged and on standby."

"Coordinates received from 36th SPL 'XNFE' fleet. Warp cannon 60% charged. 10 seconds until ready.."

"All combat oriented personnel are reporting to their stations."

"Personal fleets are combat ready and on standby."

"Fighter, Bomber, and Buzzard swarms are all manned and ready for flight."

As the bridge continued listing off positives for their responsibilities, Naruko brought up the reports from the Kagron, the flagship of the 36 SPL fleet. Scanning over the info within seconds, she 'hmmm' in ponderment for a few seconds. These reports sounded like a child's wild imagination if she hadn't been sure of that particular commander's professionalism.

There were so many contradictions and paradoxes concerning them that it was almost baffling. These Orcs were retarded at worst and stupid at best, yet they seem to possess a community-wide psychic link that affected their very battle capabilities. Weapons that should have no effect on the shields of the Spectras' fleet were capable of doing some damage. Ships that should be falling apart at the slightest strain of movement were capable of interstellar space travel. If this was a trend, then she could assume that their infantry weapons and armors worked only because of this gestalt psychic field. In fact, this all seemed to point towards a form of probability alteration—the science of doing something and having an effect which shouldn't scientifically be possible.

The science to do that without this 'cheat code' would be millions of years ahead of their actual intelligence level.

Then she looked over the reports given when a ship of the Orcs crashed itself into the planet intentionally to land an invasion force. She actually balked at the image she imagined of a sapient—albeit it retarded—race doing something so insane. Looking over the reports the ground commanders gave about the Orcs' ground warfare capabilities, she felt a headache coming on.

Apparently, this clan of 'Goffs' charged headfirst into the killzones created around all colony fortifications. Yep, didn't send scouts, heavy armor, nothing. They all just charged headlong into the face of defensive positions that had both the advantage of higher elevation and overlapping fields of fire, not even including the support from both artillery, heavy armor vehicles, and close-air gunship support the Spectras had.

Her earlier assumption was confirmed when she saw images and videos of the Orcs' infantry weapons and armor. The stuff looked like it was just a bunch of useless scrap metal welded together by a blind, retarded vorcha yet somehow managed to work—no doubt thanks to that gestalt psychic field manipulating the probability of the stuff to actually function instead of blowing up in the wielders' faces. This probability effect also extended to the actual effectiveness of the ammo, making the power of explosive more than they had the right to be.

The only other important factor to note was when the Spectras and A.I. combat platforms opened fire. The result was obvious as the Orcs' shields looked more designed for protection against kinetic munitions. Well, when they ran into the killzone, they were met and resolutely annihilated by a broad range of energy weapons ranging from long-burning plasma to anti-matter.

The Orcs' physiology displayed a Spectra-Major level of endurance and regeneration. Some were seen to have still been running at the fortresses while trying to hold the remaining half of their brains in their heads with their hands, though the consequences were obvious as they looked like stumbling, drunk humans who could see up from left. All Orcs were noted to not be that bothered by decapitation if they could get their heads placed on the exposed necks to quickly regenerate. However, that took luck and effort for those unlucky many as their comrades were too busy trying to be the first ones to 'get ta da week humans.'

The fact that these Orcs thought of the Spectras as humans was insulting and enraging to the defenders, which caused several after the battle to find any Orc they could put back together, give them their weapons, and proceeded to rip them to pieces up close and personal, only to do it again and again as with the Orcs' regeneration, they made for lovely stress reliefs equipment for the enraged Spectras a third the size of the largest orcs. Afterwards, the Spectras were allowed to Neblade the several thousand corpses.

Really, the only things the Orcs had going for them were their pain tolerance, generation, ferocity, numbers, and that absurd psychic cheat they got when in large enough numbers.

Wait, there was something else noticed by the scanners around the fortress. Apparently, upon death, these Orcs released spores that traveled into the ground. This was later explained by any Spectras who Nebladed an Orc. Apparently, this spore spreading was how these barbarians reproduced. They were more like fungus than anything else. Fortunately, numerous bodies were collected to be studied and see if they could develop some nasty threats for these spores and Orcs.

Naruko finally got to looking through what information could be found through hacking. These Orcs either cared nothing for their own safety (obvious) or they had absolutely no idea what cyber defenses were (even more obvious now). All that could be found was the coordinates the ships left from their previous locations. It's not because they were at fault that they didn't find more. No, it was because there wasn't anything else. The 'computers' were virtually empty. Goodness sakes, the only thing the Orcs got out of that tidbit of luck was that the ship's various semi-functional systems couldn't be hacked into.

"My Queen, the warp cannon is fully charged and is only awaiting for the ship to have a clear area to fire," came the report from the navigations A.I. hooked into its console.

Naruko absently acknowledged while formulating strategies, as well as how far she was willing to go to put this race under the sword. She had her suspicions about these Orcs. They seemed too highly specialized on a specific topic for a space faring empire. Their entire mindset revolved around fighting. They were very tough, with high levels of regeneration, as well as a completely ridiculous reproduction method to make up for their stupidity. Yet, somehow, the combination worked for them.

Perhaps… they weren't natural in the first place?

A bio-engineered species made for war?

A freak planetary pandemic that made them mutate beyond genetic norms?

Some other intergalactic power experimenting on the Orcs?

Whatever the cause of their evolutionary track was, she would find out soon enough.

"Space is clear. Proceeding with warp travel on your command, my Queen."

"Commence warp out. Let's show these Orcs the wrath that has awed dozens of galaxies. These savages will know fear." She opened up the connection to the people. " Esdeath, prepare to hit the battlefield. I will be teleporting you to the surface. Take your own personal guards and units if you want. You will be the spear that pierces the heart of their world as soon as we can triangulate it. "

A hearty cackle that could only be described as cold and evil echoed through the link. "Heheheheh… hehehahaha ... Very well, my Queen. Just give me the order and I will freeze that entire planet down to its mantle layer. You want worshippers? I will stack them from the ground to the sky begging for your mercy. You want prisoners? I will have Cocytus filled to the brim. You want no survivors? I will freeze them down to their very DNA structures. Me and my Sky Razers will turn the very atmosphere into a hellish mockery of what they're used to."

Naruko allowed herself a small smile. "That enthusiasm is good. General warfare for now. Until I get more information, I will refrain from condemning them to your embrace, Esdeath. I am forwarding to you all information on these Orcs as of now. They should prove to be more fun than those disappointments you've already broken."

"Warp gate stable. Proceeding through now." The muzzle of the G.S.R. cannon disappeared into the black hole (they simply call it warp traveling), it immediately appeared seven galaxies away at their target. Naruko idly wondered how many species could boast having a ship in two galaxies billions of light years away from each other at once. As the bridge passed through the vortex, appearing in the Eastern fringe of the galaxy they had just started to explore a few years ago, she got her first look at the planet the Orc ships came from just twenty light years from their colony.

"Heheheee...I'll take your word for it, my Queen. Is there anything else?"

"Yes, Esdeath." Naruko gazed coldly at the dirtball that had once most likely been a lively planet filled with all kinds of wildlife and flora. Now, it was only a large patch of dirt with polluted seas. There was green from what she could see but upon scanning the planet, those green patches were actually large bands of Orcs numbering in the billions. In the planet's orbit was an armada larger than the ones sent at her colony earlier. The ships numbered in the thousands, all of various sizes and shapes with no uniformity and they all looked as if they'd fall apart with just a breeze. The whole picture was one that set an icy fire in Naruko's body.

"There are more than enough Orcs to go around. I have made a decision. These Orcs are a plague if they trample planets like this. I will not allow them to exist anymore than they'd have the right too. They should provide plenty of food for our beasts and Neblading so try to leave them in big enough pieces."

Naruko stood from her throne and walked to the center of the tier, taking in greater detail the image she was seeing. The Orc ships were coming towards her now despite the sheer difference in ship tonnage. More information came to her. She brought it up on a pop-up hologram large enough for any on the bridge to clearly read the writing on it. The reports all gave the same thing. Too much similarity between them all to be a coincidence.

All of them, reports given by the Spectras who Nebladed the Orcs on the colony, as well as the autopsies done on numerous corpses. These Orcs had no care for the preservation of environments or their history. They lived in the here and now, living only for the next planet they could overrun. Even when they run out of enemies, they turn on each other. They were biological weapons designed to wage war. Without their masters around to hold their leash, they have most likely been running amok throughout the entire quadrants of the galaxy.

"Esdeath, your goal will be Search and Destroy. You will find where their leader is down there and you will slaughter all who oppose you. You will make an example of their leader by ripping him to pieces in front of his troops. You will humiliate him and insult him… and once you have instilled an instinctual fear in their hearts, you will purge that planet. Are my orders clear?"

"Transparently, my queen. My troops and I will be waiting for your signal."