Plague Ship

By W.H. Beswick

An alien probe drifts into the space of an alien empire that covers hundreds of worlds. Empress Ru maintains order and peace with her armies and the fear of the Black Ship. A ship that has the power to destroy worlds. It is made more dangerous by its commander. Kolo the Conquer. A brilliant alien who has conquered twenty worlds for the empire.

The probe has a virus inside that results in a billion deaths. Kolo is send to find the source of the plague. His only clue is the word. NASA.

• Language: English
• Publisher: W. H. Beswick
• Release date: Apr 8, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005300814

W.H. Beswick

Lives in Corvallis Oregon

Book preview

PROLOGUE

It drifted through the darkness of space—a small, cone-shaped object. It may have been silver or white at one time, but now it is impossible to be sure. The surface of the small thing is dented and scarred from what could be years in space. It was launched from somewhere, going to nowhere.

From the vastness of space, a golden saucer-shaped ship smoothly glided up. Along with its bright golden color, its surface is lit by a rainbow of lights. The beautiful ship circled the capsule a few times. A bright blue light came out of the flying saucer. It engulfed the capsule and then pulled it inside. The saucer flew off into space.

A short time later, it entered the Lumina System. One Earth-like planet is home to ten billion life forms.

CHAPTER 1

THE BLACK SHIP

The ship looked like it was moving slowly through the star system, but there was no evidence of speed in space. It is gigantic, made of a cold black metal that seemed to gleam even in the darkness of space. The design is sleek but seems to resemble an animal of prey. Blinking red lights glowed like the multiple eyes of a beast. Smaller ships flew around the main ship. Sleek, with wings. Mounted on the wings are several weapons. This is not a ship for exploring space. It is not reaching out to other civilizations.  There were no scientists or researchers. A large sick bay has well-trained doctors with the best medical devices. 

This ship had two purposes: to protect the empire and do the empress's bidding. The Commander of this ship answered to none but her.

CHAPTER 2

KOLO THE CONQUEROR

Commander Kolo was almost four hundred years old. Back in his world, he would still be considered young. His face and body had a slight blue tint to them. Despite the scar down one cheek, he was considered handsome on many worlds. There were other scars, but this was the only one most had seen. He stood six foot six, which was tall for his world. His frame was muscular but not bulky. He had the body and look of a warrior, except for his eyes. They were a bright violet with black specks, which was rare in his world. This had once been a sign of one with royal blood. 

He was born into a family with high social standing, wealth, and a long history of serving the empire. His father was a high chancellor and served in the senate. His mother was a general and served in the lower house of counselors.  They all served bravely in the military. They were respected and liked, but their son brought the family even more respect and, in some cases, fear.

In Kolo’s world, everyone was expected to serve the empire, either in the military or the sciences and, in some cases, the arts. Even warriors appreciated music, paintings, well-written books, and films with no explosions. From a young age, all his people knew what path they would take. Warriors bred warriors. Scientists bred scientists. Artists, writers, and such came from all the clans but were still respected.

Once again, Kolo was the exception. He had the strength and skills to be a warrior. His intelligence was tested as exceptional. He even had a gift for sculpture. He chose the military, where he quickly rose in the ranks. He was given command of his own ship at a very young age.  Then, he was given a fleet. He proved his value to the empire by conquering twenty planets for the empress. A feat that had never been done before or matched. He was given the name Conqueror by the empress herself. 

There were rumors that Kolo had been instrumental in putting Empress Ru on the throne. She was the youngest and only daughter of the Emperor. Three brothers stood between her and the throne. It became clear that the Emperor preferred his daughter to rule. The oldest brother spoke of bringing more democracy to the empire. The second brother was more concerned with wealth and his appearance. The last brother was a fool who would be easily manipulated. All three brothers agreed that their sister should be married off as soon as possible.

They saw her as a threat. They were right.

Princess Ru foiled this plan by going into combat at an early age. She led her own force, bringing down two rebellions, then conquered the Galts, killing their king, and presented her father with the dead king's sword. For this, she was given the title War Lord and would serve on the war council. With this position, her brothers could not marry her off. Still, more importantly, she was now a powerful voice in their government. They expected her to move against them, but she did not. She did nothing but whisper among her fellow warriors. Who was already worrying about the empire's future and her brothers' weakness? 

Planting seeds. When one aspires to be an empress. Her greatest weapon is patience. To win a battle. One must know when to strike and went to wait. 

The brothers and those who sided with them sent assassins, knowing she would not rest until she had the throne. They knew that if she obtained it, they would not have the power to make the changes that would give them more power. Any of her brothers would become puppets. 

All attempts failed.

Apparently, the princess was protected by someone called the Subtle Blade. This unknown assassin seemed to be one step ahead of the brothers and their supporters. 

The Emperor passed. As was tradition, his body was to be cast into the sun. This was to be done by the future heirs to the throne. It was perilous. They had to fly very close to the sun to show their valor. If they turned back too soon, they would lose their claim to the throne. If they turned too late. They would be pulled into the sun; the gods had shown they were unworthy. Ru was forbidden to join them. She protested but was still barred. A feeble attempt to show Princess Ru she would never wear the crown.

The brothers flew close to the sun and sent their father into the fiery ball. They miscalculated their flight pattern - or the gods themselves intervened. 

It mattered not.

The empire had a new empress who would rule as her father had. Ru the Ruthless, as she had been dubbed by her own father, would be loved by many and feared by more. There was no public retaliation. No trials for those who plotted against her. A few key opponents did vanish. One only had to cut off one or two heads to tame the hydra. After this, Ru's place on the throne was secure.

He designed the black ship that Kolo commanded. Many scientists helped, but the ship was his creation. It would constantly be modified and improved. Weapons were upgraded or replaced with new, more powerful weapons. If Kolo had his way, this ship would never be obsolete. It would always be feared. Since his people lived for over a thousand years, that would only happen for a while. 

Kolo was in his cabin wearing a black uniform with gold trim. Two golden dragon pins rested on his shoulders. Red patches with crossed black swords were on both sleeves. The cabin was quite large, with dark wooden walls and bookcases filled with books. A desk of similar wood and a chair that had seen better days sat across the room. A round bed sat below a round window. It was not a glass window. If you were to touch it, the invisible shield would ripple. Kolo is lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. His eyes closed. Commander's journal. 

Commander's journal, a female voice says. Last entry 3497, 0645. Continuance or new record?

Continuance.

Date 3497. Time 0756. Recording.

En route to Planet Darlot, per orders from the High Council, confirmed by the empress. See Field Report L98877 for reports and details concerning violations of the Darlot peace treaty, sections five, nine, and twelve.

Kolo rolled off the bed and stared out the window. He appreciatively studied the stars and planets. The ship's Commander has been given authority to carry out all necessary actions to reestablish order on Darlot, including General Order 101. End report. File and send a copy to Home Planet and Empress Ru.

End of recording....Verbal instructions executed...Commander Kolo, Darlot is within striking distance.

Excellent.  Kolo stood, walked to his desk, and pressed a button. Security Chief, leaving quarters. Bridge Captain, bring the ship to code two.

CHAPTER 3

LUKAR THE LETHAL

Lukar is beautiful. But so was the snow tiger of Satcon. It would still kill you. A slender face with sharp cheekbones and full lips. Her deep dark green eyes, as were her curly copper-colored hair, were rare. It falls to the middle of her back but is usually pinned or pulled back into a ponytail. Long hair seemed to be her only concession to feminine beauty. The olive-colored skin is lighter than that of her brothers. Her body is not as voluptuous as most women in her world. This is more from her rigorous workout regimen.

When she was younger, her brothers would tease her and her sister about ending up as the wives of a warrior and having many babies. As years passed, the teasing stopped. Her brothers, father, and mother all saw Lukar had what was called ice blood. She enjoyed a good laugh and could take a joke, even if it was at her expense. Lukar enjoyed her family and friends, but there would be no forgiveness or mercy if you angered her.

When Lukar was young, her parents started training her and her brothers in several forms of hand-to-hand combat. There was training with bladed weapons. Lukar became exceptionally skilled with a knife. When her brothers left, one by one. When it was only Lukar and her youngest brother. Her father sent her to masters who lived in the high valley. There, she was trained by the masters for three years. Her skills with hand-to-hand combat and blade weapons were significantly improved. The young woman also excelled in the art of disguises and stealthily moving through the shadows. Upon her return, she joined the military. Her skills, intelligence, and bravery were noticed in a short time. Promotions were given along with awards. These meant little to her. In time, she was given her own command.

While she did not conquer worlds, as Kolo, she had put down many insurrections, many times expanding the empire into territories that had resisted the empire's rule. When she was not doing this, she would train soldiers, teaching them the techniques she had learned. Surprisingly, she had a gift for this. All her trainees under her grew to respect her. The men and women saw Lukar trying to teach them not only to fight or survive.

Unsubstantiated rumors circulated about how she met Kolo. When the Emperor was dying, they were both summoned to the palace. Both had met the Emperor before, but always in the great hall, surrounded by guards and dignitaries. This meeting was in his private chambers, just the three of them. 

This was unheard of. Fear of the two was significantly increased.

What was said is unknown. What was known?

Lukar was given leave to deal with the family business. One of her brothers had become ill. Struck down by a virus. The family was greatly concerned. He was not only the youngest but had a sweet disposition. He served well, but his real interest was in art. He just had his first show. Being the youngest, all would feel his loss, especially Lukar. It was no secret he was her favorite. 

It was also well-known there was a growing chasm between Princess Ru