Alien General's Fated (Brion Brides 5)(16)

The champions charged and Ryden met them. The proof that the Clayors had been leading them on was an ugly one. When the first fell under his spear with barely the chance to draw his own knives, it was clear the hive mind hadn't thought they could escape alive. They were simply meat to butcher through, a stumbling block in their way.

It couldn't have been all. Ryden blocked a clumsy blow from one of the smaller Clayor soldiers, slicing the enemy in half in the next with no relish he usually felt in battle. It was practically slaughtering unarmed opponents. His warriors looked grim by his side as well, up until two of the Clayors broke out in a run, attempting escape.

Ryden called for some of his warriors to stay and finish the others off and followed the runners.

There, finally! He could feel it. There was someone worth fighting ahead, someone who could lead him to Aria...

He pressed on, keeping track of where they were headed. It seemed like one of the massive greenhouses. That... was surprising.

Ilotra was such a huge moon that it was doubtful that anyone living on it had been to every sector. It needed oxygen to be habitable. In central points all around the moon vast greenhouses had been built, providing both the oxygen and some variety to the empty, metallic halls. It wasn't a battleground, but he couldn't deny the exotic trees and plants provided some cover.

Except the enemy wasn't trying to hide.

He saw the champion at once. As tall as the others, maybe even bigger. Unlike them, he stood completely still like a statue. Only his eyes were alive, bright and ferocious. And there was something else as well.

Ryden froze to the spot, a victorious grin on his face. He'd been right.

The hive mind was there, on Ilotra. He'd found the Host.



The Brions had learned a long time ago that the Clayor hive mind was unique. Once, they'd come very close to destroying the species altogether, because without the hive mind the individual Clayors were barely able to function.

It had happened ages ago, when the legendary General Poliren had struck a blow to the Host. He hadn't been able to enjoy that small victory—or his discovery—for too long, because every Clayor within a five-mile radius had stormed in to protect the Host.

By all accounts, the swarm of Clayors had torn Poliren to shreds until there wasn't a piece of him left. The incident had been retold by Brion survivors who'd chosen a rare retreat after the crazed Clayor mob had turned on them.

That had been the first sighting of the Host.

And now, Ryden found himself staring eye to eye with the physical embodiment of the hive mind.

The enemy made his skin crawl even from such a distance, the power surrounding it like an aura, but Ryden felt exhilaration unlike anything he'd ever experienced before. He'd thought the task of protecting Ilotra would be boring, but the sight before Ryden proved him wrong.

He wasn't engaged in some trivial operation on the fringes of the conflict. He was right in the middle of it, in the heart of the war where he belonged. Ryden alone had the chance—and the duty—to kill the Clayor Host.

The Clayor hive mind was everywhere, that was true, yet it also needed a Host to exist. Every generation there was a new one chosen, the central body of the Clayor species.

The hive mind didn't always choose an obvious champion. Sometimes it was a perfectly ordinary Clayor, only showing its real face when it was in danger. All other Clayors lost their survival instinct when the Host was in danger, flocking to him without fear, throwing themselves before the blades of the enemy to protect its body.

The Host was also the only Clayor in whom the hive mind's true abilities manifested. It had been suspected before, and apparently the ability to hide itself from the sensors was one of them. Ryden knew that, because while he stood looking at the new champion, the Conqueror wasn't reporting any new signals from his location.

By all accounts, he should have been terrified to meet the same end General Poliren did, but all Ryden felt was an overwhelming sense of purpose.

As he approached, the general knew he'd never be allowed to reach the Host, but that was not important. All that mattered to him was that he'd get to figure out how to take down one of the most dangerous entities that had ever been born to the galaxy.#p#分页标题#e#

He took a breath, a smirk tugging at his lips.

It was a pity Ilotra had to be the scene for this fight, because the hive mind didn't pull its punches. The Host would do anything it could to keep itself safe, but Ryden was intent not to let it escape this time. General Poliren had been unlucky in not knowing what he'd found, but Ryden knew his enemy.

The Host was showing its face, tempting him. He knew that. But the prize was too great to deny. To kill the Host would be to win the war and eternal glory.

It was worth any price he'd have to pay.

Still, he asked, "Do you really think I'm foolish enough to attack you head-on, just like this?"

The Host smiled, shaking his head. The other Clayors were standing behind, all eyes on Ryden, ready to throw themselves at him if need be.

Without warning, Ryden sent his spear flying toward the Host.

The Clayors moved as one, dashing to block the spear's way, but Ryden was faster than any of them. It cut through the air, the razor-sharp blade inches from the Host, when the Host snatched it out of the air with a grin.

The spear immediately shut down all functions, only reacting to Ryden's gene sample. The Host twirled the weapon in his hand, a questioning look on his face.

"You didn't really think that would work, did you, General?" he asked, casting the weapon aside, the heavy spear clattering as it fell to the ground.

That was to be expected, both the fact the Host matched his speed and that he'd leave a weapon that valuable behind as if it were nothing. The Clayors liked their knives better and found the spears clumsy.

"Worth a shot," he said truthfully.

The Host answered with the same uncaring smile.

"What do you want?" Ryden asked, coming closer.

His warriors followed. The Clayors came to meet them, forming a living wall between the Brions and the Host. The hive mind stood, smirking slightly with its wide mouth.



"I want the galaxy, for us to be free. And the union   stands in my way," the Host said simply.

"You can't fight all of us," Ryden said. "The Brions are not the only ones out there fighting you. Even you can't be everywhere at once. You've shown no hesitation, letting us butcher your soldiers, but they aren't infinite. We will beat you and with every Clayor we kill, we're getting closer to you."

"Perhaps," the Host allowed. "But I don't need to fight you all. The union   will fall on its own."

"You underestimate us."

The Host turned to him. It didn't smile anymore.

"You can't say that, Brion," he replied. "Soon enough there will be no us that means you and the union  . They've always hated you, but now they're seeing you for what you really are. Already there are armies inbound, called away from fighting me, to take control of you."

Ryden knew the hive mind wasn't lying. After all, it saw practically everything happening in the war without needing to take a step from where it stood now. Fury rose to the surface within him, righteous rage at his presumed allies. They were so shortsighted they'd risk their own lives to end his. The Elders had been right; they had a terrible reputation if the council used a war to get back at them.

"I don't have to fight you," the hive mind said, already walking away. "I only have to wait now."

Ryden took a step forward, but he knew the Host would get away for now. There were too many Clayors barring his way and that was it. By the time they all lay dead before his feet, the hive mind was long gone.

Before he had the chance to do anything, his com link came to life.

"General," his flagship reported. "Three warships have just jumped to the system. They're approaching us. Their weapons are primed. They are aiming at the Conqueror."





CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Aria



Aria watched, silent and serious, at the screens displaying Ilotra. When the hive mind finally brought her out of her room, she knew something had changed. She was led through corridors stripped of any identifying markers and into a control room much like Ilotra’s central command.

Aria wasn't surprised. If the hive mind was everything Ryden had said it was then it liked to be aware of everything, and it made sense for it to search out one of Ilotra's secondary control hubs. They wouldn't hold it for long before Ryden noticed, but judging by what the screens showed, the general had other problems.

The space around Ilotra had gotten considerably more crowded.#p#分页标题#e#

First she noticed the Palian fleet, neatly arranged around their sleek command ship. Next to them, a force of ragtag ships under the Fremma colors, and finally Aria thought she recognized the massive carrier of the Gray Armada.

That last one concerned her the most. After the Brions, the Gray Armada was the most powerful fleet in the union   ranks. Their carriers packed almost no firepower of their own, instead their entire power was concentrated into their shields, making them nearly indestructible.

From the cover of that protection, the impossibly fast fighters could emerge to carry out lightning-quick strikes and then fall back under the wing of the carrier. The Koliars, who manned the Gray Armada, were ferocious warriors.

Aria didn't know why they were suddenly there. All of them should have been busy holding back Clayor armies from Ilotra and the vulnerable systems. She didn't know, but she could guess all right.