Chapter 30: Designated Successor

Zalek Trig and his Alpha Draconian allies sat within a dense portion of the asteroid belt located between the fourth planet and the Terran system's largest gas giant. Trig couldn't help but smile as he watched events that were being sent back from Earth. For the past two hours, he and Altair Rhiutus had been remotely observing the ongoing festivities at the so-called Terra Gala Celebration with great interest. Clearly, the Humans and their newfound friends were enjoying themselves...immensely. So much so that they had already let their guard down in spectacular fashion. The lower tropospheric surveillance imagery he was viewing was captured by an AD scout drone that easily managed to circumvent Rigel and Arcturian "orbital security forces". Given the outcome of recent events, Trig was not surprised. The smile on his face confirmed his satisfaction.

Rhiutus knew that smile and didn't need to ask what triggered it.

"With our three Class C warships in place we have enough firepower to easily ruin their day," he said with his own smile firmly in place.

Trig looked up at his much larger reptilian colleague with a mixture of surprise and disapproval. He responded to the simplistic suggestion.

"Attack? Today? No..."

"For now, we will let the Humans bask in a false sense of security. We will temporarily allow them to enjoy a feeling of happiness and relief. We will let them rely on their newfound galactic popularity. However, I can assure you my friend that none of this will last. Their days of unfettered oxygen processing are numbered. In time, we will make sure of that. On this day, however, let us simply be thankful for the Supreme Leader's foresight that led him to send me to the Outerworlds. Perhaps on some unconscious level, Toeth knew what was coming. In the end, the Gods chose to save me. And in doing so, to save our people..."

"Despite the heavy losses we have incurred, in due time we will decimate these frail, pathetic creatures, their allies, and the worlds they live on. Together, we will forcibly take back Zeta Reticulon and stake our claim throughout Sektor V whenever and wherever we wish."

THE END (for now...)