Mech

Epilogue

Droad sat on the verandah of Fort Zimmerman. His fist was placed against his chin, supporting it. His face was loose, his eyes distant. The final weeks of the alien invasion had gone well. Robbed of reinforcements and command control, the aliens had lost much of their effectiveness. As well, they had learned that the fighting varieties of aliens had exceedingly short life spans, often times they showed signs of old age in the first month of life. Without the constant supply of new offspring, the Imperium had been doomed.

He watched as fireworks went off in the central compound. Already repairs to the fort had begun. There were no longer any contenders for his rule, at least not for now. The people of Garm seemed sick of anarchy, and showed an uncharacteristic zeal for work on defense projects.

“What are you moping about?” Sarah asked him, coming up and putting a soft hand on his shoulder. “We’ve saved the world, let’s celebrate!”

“I’ve nothing to be pleased about.”

“Well, I certainly do. My son and I are alive and well. Bili’s new regrown arm is looking very good indeed. You’ve even given me a commission in the Militia. Why not look at the bright side of things?”

“I’ve managed to lose nearly half the civilian population of Garm in the first two weeks of my rule. What kind of accomplishment is that?”

“Ah, but you’ve saved the other half. That’s what you’ve got to be happy about. Better yet, you’ve halted an alien assault that could have carried on into the Nexus itself. You’ve held back perhaps the greatest threat humans have ever faced since we left Earth.”

“But have we won the war, or just a battle?” asked Droad. “There’s so much we don’t yet know about the universe.”

Sarah frowned, having no answer for that. Both of them gazed up at the stars with disquiet.