Star Force: Resurrection (SF84) (Star Force Origin Series) by Aer-ki Jyr Page A

every now and
then is not worth the tradeoff. If you have nothing to lose, then go for it.
But if you can live to fight another day, you shouldn’t waste your life looking
for a lucky hit. ”
    “ How then would
you recommend we go about defeating you? ”
    “ Defeating us,
or keeping us from killing all of you? ”
    “ Defeating you .”
    Paul decided to indulge his curiosity as long as he
was showing it. “ You would either have to
develop units stronger than ours, whether they be ships or personnel…especially
personnel…or you would have to field so many weaker units that you’d need to
blanket a star system with troops and ships in order to wear our superior units
down. You almost did so long ago when we were weak, but now you do not have
that option short of generating truly insane numbers, the like of which you do
not possess the ability for. ”
    The lizard tilted its head down and slightly forward
as far as Paul would allow him and stared the Human in the face.
    “ And there is
your answer to why we must conquer the galaxy .”

 
 
    9

 
 
    June 21, 3221
    Krachnika System (lizard
capitol/homeworld)
    Trexklip

 
    Paul walked into the holding area again, this time
with only a pair of titans present and using their telepathy to hold him in
place. Feeding him and other amenities had been tricky, but they’d kept Archons
here round the clock to prevent him from killing himself and potentially
destroying the regenerator…something that they didn’t have the skill to replace
yet.
    “I’ll take it from here,” Paul said, getting a
telekinetic grip on the lizard and allowing the other two Archons to release
him and walk out of the room. The trailblazer gestured to the pair of techs,
one medical, one mechanical, to leave as well, then when the door shut behind
them Paul walked up to the edge of the blue energy field and stared up at the
mastermind again.
    “ More questions?
I thought you had grown tired of my interrogation. ”
    “ We are done ,”
Paul admitted. “ We’ve learned a great
deal from you, and there may still be some secrets you carry deep within your
mind, but we’re not going to spend the time trying to find them when we don’t
know what is or is not there .”
    “ Then why are
you here? ”
    “ We can cancel
the self-destruct protocol within your mind. It requires equipment we do not
have onboard this ship, but it is possible. We can even remove the capability
from you if we wish .”
    “ You are moving
me then .”
    “ No ,” Paul
said with a sigh, “ but I will return you
to another Li’vorkrachnika system, if you’ll allow it. ”
    “ Allow it? ”
    “ Are you going
to kill yourself as soon as I release you? With your claws even if I arrange to
disable your current method? ”
    “ What do you
wish to use me for? A courier? ”
    Paul shook his head. “ Would there be any point? No message we send will be considered. You
have made that clear. ”
    “ Then what is
your purpose? Contaminate me? ”
    “ No. I simply
don’t want you to die, but if we keep you here you are going to find a way to
do it. And I will not keep guards on you at all times. ”
    “ Why is my
continued existence valuable to you? ”
    “ I hate seeing
skill such as yours be wasted .”
    “ So you would
return me to another world, not one here that you are about to assault, but
another where I will fight you later? ”
    “ Perhaps, but
that is of no disadvantage to us. They will grow a replacement for you if
needed. Sending you back gains them little other than your experience .”
    “ That is
something of note, whether you realize it or not .”
    “ And even now
you are trying to find a way to die ,” Paul said with irreverence. “ Rather than trying to find a way to freedom,
you seek to die. Do you not know I can see right through you? ”
    “ So you say .”
    “ Sending you
back may gain the Li’vorkrachnika a bit of information, and therefore not be in
our best tactical interests,