“My Lord Spectre,” the Blend called Alexander spoke. He fancied himself a military genius, so Spectre had put him in charge of defense planning. “We have destroyed several minor incursions on the Australian continent. It does not appear more will be arriving anytime soon.”
The holotank had shown most of the Scourges landed in the Europe-Asia supercontinent, with scattered groups coming down on all the other continents, perhaps in the nature of scouting forces. Spectre knew the small infestations outside of Asia and Europe would be easily dealt with. “Good. Order the militia to patrol aggressively for any Scourges that run wild in the countryside, and alert the reaction forces worldwide to begin loading their transports. Give me your best recommendations for our counter-invasions within one hour. I want to be ready to hit them in two to three days.” He made a gesture of dismissal.
“My Lord,” Cleopatra purred, “I am no general, but I have read many of humanity’s books. Isn’t it more difficult to invade across the seas than to defend? Why not hold the continents we have at our borders while EarthFleet builds ships? The Scourge can be wiped out from space and then we repopulate what we lost later.”
“Yes...that was one of my many contingency plans,” Spectre said, giving the woman her due. “But we are being presented with an opportunity too good to pass up. Besides, if we wait too long, the seven enemy nests being built will cause problems. Even now, fertilized Archons are burrowing into the ground and laying eggs, while Soldiers gather food for the hatching infants. In two weeks, the enemy’s numbers may double, and then double again. We cannot wait.”
“My lord,” Alexander said, “Conquest is already hunting the nests. We need have little fear on that score.”
“Are you certain?” Spectre asked. “How do you know the seven nests are all they have? Perhaps they are cleverer than we presume. In any case, my point holds. All forces are ordered to wait and prepare to assault onto the Asia-Europe supercontinent, no less than forty-eight and no more than seventy-two hours from now.”
“You’re talking all around your plan, but you are withholding some key detail,” Cleopatra complained. “You are playing with us, my lord, like cats with yarn.”
“An apt metaphor. Usually you’re the cat, but today you’re the yarn.” Spectre held up a hand. “I’m indulging myself, I admit. Let me explain what we must do.” He turned to the holotank and called up a stored intelligence briefing authored by one Commander Ronald Fleede.
Once he’d outlined the proper courses of action and reviewed Alexander’s deployment of forces onto Asia-Europe in order to crush the Scourges there, Spectre spoke with Admiral Absen once again and told Gilgamesh to oversee the minions in their duties.
Now that victory seemed inevitable, he decided to indulge himself in something he had been contemplating ever since he’d arrived on Earth. Spectre sent one of the Skulls to find Major Naomi Alkina and bring her to his private terrace.
Yes, he told himself. A great-great-grandniece is a distant enough relation not to offend the populace when I take her as a lover, perhaps a bride.
Not that a little thing like public opinion would have stopped him anyway.