Interstellar Age - #287 - 287 A Last Resort

The moment Tia injected the truth serum into Terminus’ bloodstream, her eyes grew wide, and her pupils turned blank as she entered a trancelike state. However, it was not only she who was affected by the truth serum. But it had gone so far as to traverse the galaxy and infect the minds of every member of her species within the hive fleet she originated from. 

Or would have done so, if the Hive Queen who had given birth to terminus nearly two decades ago, didn’t sense that something was wrong, and immediately disconnect her affected children from the Hive Mind leaving them in a state of complete and utter abandonment. When the Hive Queen realized what had happened, she could not help but exclaim her shock aloud. 

“Terminus has been captured…. Some kind of synthetic compound has been injected into her which interferes with her mind, and that of the Hive Mind. This is not good… If she were to reveal the secrets of our race to the greater galaxy, there would be severe consequences. 

Quickly! Set a course for the system where Terminus is currently being held! We must eliminate her, and the species which hold her hostage before our secrets are revealed!”

With that said the Hive Fleet Behemoth, which was one of the five largest Naraku Hive Fleets in the Galaxy immediately set its course to the Silber Enclave, where Tia was currently interrogating Terminus. 

—

Tia was almost immediately alerted to the fact that one of the many Hive Fleets in the Galaxy had broken away from it’s trance like state, which all the Hive Fleets had been in since Terminus first went off on her journey. 

Knowing this happened immediately after Tia injected the truth serum into Terminus’s bloodstream, she was able to quickly conclude that she had likely just poked a hornet’s nest. To which she responded in a rather distraught tone. 

“Uh-oh…. Tia may have just done something very, very bad…. All forces maintain Alert Status Armageddon! We’ve got bugs incoming!” 

Immediately sirens began to blare across the single star system which housed the Silber Enclave. Every planet, every moon, and every celestial body that was big enough to house a fortress immediately became active. While the civilians began to flee to the bunker complexes, which were designed to resist an invasion by the Alfheim Dominion. 

Meanwhile, every soldier, and every Legion Series Combat Droid, was mustering to defensive positions in anticipation of the battle that would shortly begin. Though Erich was currently sedated and restrained due to the fact that he was currently under the effects of Naraku Pheromones.

His figure appeared across the Enclave’s network. Which was, of course, an AI generated video made by Tia. Still, it was virtually undetectable by even the most adept in the field. And thus, the soldiers of the Enclave truly believed their Mighty Emperor was speaking to them. 

“Our intelligence suggests that the Naraku Hive Fleet Behemoth is en route to the SIlber Enclave as we speak. The bugs are far more intelligent than the galaxy realizes and even have allies among the insectoid races. 

A young Naraku Hive Queen has infiltrated the palace as part of the Nesurian delegation. We do not yet know what her goals were, or how she managed to convince the Nesurians to play along. But during our interrogation we accidentally alerted the Hive Mind about her capture, and they are now coming to destroy us all. 

But our people have defeated the Naraku before. And though we have but a fraction of the worlds which the Usurper holds control over. Our defenses are superior in every way, and our weapons are unmatched across the galaxy.

But most of all, we now have the aid of our Legion series comrades. Who will, without question, perform the courageous and suicidal acts which won the Terminus War for us? Your goal, as living breathing soldiers of the Enclave, is not to throw your lives away so that others may survive. But to hold the ground which you stand upon, so that more Legion reinforcements can arrive to relieve you! 

As of this moment, the entire labor force of the Enclave, is focused on producing more weapons to continue the fight against the Naraku, while our Fleets are being recalled back to our borders to defend our worlds from this galactic menace.

I assure you all that we will survive this tribulation, and we will prove to the galaxy that, though our empire is currently small, we are indeed a force to be reckoned with! Thank you all, and my the gods of our ancestors bless you all in this upcoming battle for the survival of our people!” 

After saying tending this message, Tia focused her attentions onto Terminus, who was still in an obedient state where she began to ask her questions. 

“What were your plans for my master?” 

Terminus had no choice but to obediently answer Tia’s questions and was quick to do so. 

“To seduce him…” 

This answer caused Tia to frown as she asked the next question on her mind. 

“To what purpose?” 

The answer that Terminus gave Tia was an enlightening one. 

“I am a young hive queen…. It is my duty to the Hive to find a first mate of strong genetics to breed my first brood. Once I have taken the mate’s seed, it is my duty to devour him and all his genetic material, which can be converted to aid the growth and development of my first brood.” 

A single word escaped Tia’s lips when she heard this, followed by several seconds of silence before she decided to ask the next question in her mind. 

“Fascinating…. So what happens after your first brood is hatched and raised into adulthood?” 

Once more, there was an expressionless look on Terminus’ face as she talked about the process of how a Hive Fleet was formed, as if it were the most natural thing in the universe. 

“They become my new mates… And from their genetic material, a hive fleet is born. I have been named Terminus, like my sister before me. My goal is to restore the Terminus Hive Fleet, which was destroyed by your master, and his wretched species nearly two decades ago….” 

This answer flabbergasted Tia, so much so that it took her logic sensors several seconds to restore their proper function, and when they did, Tia was quick to ask the next question on her mind. 

“So… You choice of my Master as your first mate, that was an act of vengeance for the death of your sister and her hive all those years ago?” 

Terminus responded to this question with a slight nod of her head, as well as an outright admission of guilt. 

“That is correct. Well, that, and the fact that your master has superior genetics when compared to the vast majority of humanoid lifeforms. Not only would our union allow the Terminus Hive Fleet to be reborn, but because his genetics would be the basis of my second mates, then the Hive Fleet would likely be stronger than ever before.”

Tia had so many questions for this little bug, but she also realized she was on a strict timeframe right now before the Hive Fleet Behemoth arrived, and thus, she shifted her line of questioning to that. 

“What is your connection to the Hive Fleet Behemoth?” 

Terminus answered this question without a second of hesitation, almost as if there was a hint of pride in her voice. 

“Behemoth is my mother… She gave birth to me, like she did my sister of the same name millennia ago. The rise of a new Hive Queen is an almost religious event for the Naraku. That is the reason they are currently standing by and waiting for my ascension….” 

This confused Tia, who was quick to ask yet another question that came to her. 

“If that is the case, then why is the Hive Fleet Behemoth heading this way now?” 

There was almost a slight tone of pity in Terminus’ voice as she confirmed that Tia’s suspicion was correct. 

“Whatever you injected me with has also affected the hive mind. I do not know how many of my brothers and sisters have been cut off from the Hive Mind like I have, but we have been in a sense abandoned….

Naturally, my mother is concerned about me leaking the secrets of our race and has dispatched the Hive Fleet to this world so that you may all perish with me. If word of this incident were to spread to the other Hive Fleets, they too might join in on this assault…” 

Tia was already lacking confidence in defending the Silber Enclave against the Hive Fleet Behemoth. But if all the other Hive Fleets were to converge on this system, there was no chance of survival. Thus, she was forced to come up with an alternative solution to this problem. With a particularly desperate tone in her voice, she asked a question that she had little hope for a proper answer to. 

“Is there any way of negotiating a peaceful resolution to this situation?” 

Shockingly, Terminus responded in the positive to this question. 

“There is one option that has the potential to end in peace between my people and that of your master’s… But neither you nor your master will like it….” 

Seeing as how the survival of Erich’s people was at stake here, Tia was practically willing to do anything to ensure that both Erich survived, and that his ambitions were achieved. Thus, she was quick to ask Terminus just what this solution was. 

“Tell me! What is this option? If war between the Enclave and the Naraku can be avoided, then my Master will be willing to do anything to achieve it…” 

Terminu’s amber eyes regained clarity in that moment, as an alost sinister smile appeared on her pretty face, where despite no longer being affected by the truth serum, she still answered honestly. 

“Erich will have to join the Hive…”