that deserved no thought.
Finally, the joint clan leaders reached a consensus. The
major clans would produce a list of which clans would have early opportunities
for limited attacks on human worlds. The first worlds targeted would be those
in their outer settlements, the region the humans called Rim worlds. There were
over a hundred to choose from, but those planets closest to the Krall sphere of
influence were more convenient. That lowered the number of targets to perhaps
thirty, which the clan leaders would consider individually.
With the major clans in agreement, Kanpardi left the
meeting. Now he had the task of selecting a world as a base of operations for perhaps
the first five generations of the war. It could be any world he found suitable
on the edge of Human Space. For this selection, Kanpardi had considerable discretion,
because it would be a human world where Graka clan, acting entirely alone,
would conduct the assault. They would eliminate all humans on the chosen base
world. They would bring in a number of properly trained and submissive Krall
slave races. These would build the infrastructure of a forward base for the Krall
for perhaps the next one or two hundred years.
For help with his decision, Kanpardi called in his clan’s
eight most experienced sub leaders, controlling two hundred fifty six Clanships
each.
The Gatrol outlined some of the requirements for a suitable
world. “The selection should not be based on the best test of our novices in
the conquest. That will last no more than a week for any of the suitable
worlds, because of low prey populations on worlds so remote from the enemy’s
center of expansion.”
He knew other clans would judge Graka clan on the quality of
the forward base, not on the quality of the conquest itself.
Kanpardi listed some of the consideration, “The major clans
will each establish compounds and nest areas there, so climate, gravity,
natural resources, Raspani grazing and slave security from excessive risk
should be considered. Fewer novices protecting our food and production mean
more warriors on the Great Path, to be culled by the enemy when it builds its
armies.”
The Krall always valued efficiency. The human population in
this case was merely vermin infesting their new temporary quarters. This step, to
make a base, the Krall had made many times, and would be the first of perhaps
four moves to temporary forward bases as the conquest slowly chewed through humanity’s
seven hundred twenty four occupied worlds. The joint clans wanted the overall conquest
to last a thousand years. Twice that time if humans proved to be a worthy enemy,
as only two previous opponents of seventeen had achieved. They held high hopes
for prey number eighteen.
After examining scouting reports, then holding a short
debate, Kanpardi selected a world which humans called Greater West Africa, a
relatively new Rim region colony. Compared to most human colonies it had fewer
nest areas to be cleared, and was less developed and therefore less disturbed
from a Krall perspective.
Its tropical climate and well-watered open plains on the two
main equator-spanning landmasses were ideal for Raspani herds. It also had
suitable territory for the Krall’s most useful slave races, seashores for the
giant land crabs called the Torki, forests and jungles for the simian-like
Prada. The gravity was lower than the Krall liked, but that was generally true
for most habitable worlds other races preferred. It was also not located within
twenty light years of another human occupied world.
All that remained was coordinating the fleet’s Jump to what
Graka clan was calling Telda Ka, the less-than-poetic designation of “Base 1.” Of
course, the trivial matter of exterminating eighteen million humans remained,
with minimal collateral damage to buildings that might prove useful to slaves.
Over all, it appeared to be an acceptable world once properly cleaned.
Kanpardi issued the order to ready the Graka Clanships
Finally, the joint clan leaders reached a consensus. The
major clans would produce a list of which clans would have early opportunities
for limited attacks on human worlds. The first worlds targeted would be those
in their outer settlements, the region the humans called Rim worlds. There were
over a hundred to choose from, but those planets closest to the Krall sphere of
influence were more convenient. That lowered the number of targets to perhaps
thirty, which the clan leaders would consider individually.
With the major clans in agreement, Kanpardi left the
meeting. Now he had the task of selecting a world as a base of operations for perhaps
the first five generations of the war. It could be any world he found suitable
on the edge of Human Space. For this selection, Kanpardi had considerable discretion,
because it would be a human world where Graka clan, acting entirely alone,
would conduct the assault. They would eliminate all humans on the chosen base
world. They would bring in a number of properly trained and submissive Krall
slave races. These would build the infrastructure of a forward base for the Krall
for perhaps the next one or two hundred years.
For help with his decision, Kanpardi called in his clan’s
eight most experienced sub leaders, controlling two hundred fifty six Clanships
each.
The Gatrol outlined some of the requirements for a suitable
world. “The selection should not be based on the best test of our novices in
the conquest. That will last no more than a week for any of the suitable
worlds, because of low prey populations on worlds so remote from the enemy’s
center of expansion.”
He knew other clans would judge Graka clan on the quality of
the forward base, not on the quality of the conquest itself.
Kanpardi listed some of the consideration, “The major clans
will each establish compounds and nest areas there, so climate, gravity,
natural resources, Raspani grazing and slave security from excessive risk
should be considered. Fewer novices protecting our food and production mean
more warriors on the Great Path, to be culled by the enemy when it builds its
armies.”
The Krall always valued efficiency. The human population in
this case was merely vermin infesting their new temporary quarters. This step, to
make a base, the Krall had made many times, and would be the first of perhaps
four moves to temporary forward bases as the conquest slowly chewed through humanity’s
seven hundred twenty four occupied worlds. The joint clans wanted the overall conquest
to last a thousand years. Twice that time if humans proved to be a worthy enemy,
as only two previous opponents of seventeen had achieved. They held high hopes
for prey number eighteen.
After examining scouting reports, then holding a short
debate, Kanpardi selected a world which humans called Greater West Africa, a
relatively new Rim region colony. Compared to most human colonies it had fewer
nest areas to be cleared, and was less developed and therefore less disturbed
from a Krall perspective.
Its tropical climate and well-watered open plains on the two
main equator-spanning landmasses were ideal for Raspani herds. It also had
suitable territory for the Krall’s most useful slave races, seashores for the
giant land crabs called the Torki, forests and jungles for the simian-like
Prada. The gravity was lower than the Krall liked, but that was generally true
for most habitable worlds other races preferred. It was also not located within
twenty light years of another human occupied world.
All that remained was coordinating the fleet’s Jump to what
Graka clan was calling Telda Ka, the less-than-poetic designation of “Base 1.” Of
course, the trivial matter of exterminating eighteen million humans remained,
with minimal collateral damage to buildings that might prove useful to slaves.
Over all, it appeared to be an acceptable world once properly cleaned.
Kanpardi issued the order to ready the Graka Clanships
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