Omega

Death had been decreed for all beings on the Earth. Thus the Varu came to carry out the orders. But man refused to die---  


excerpt

Commander Thal Odan of the Varu Extermination fleet gestured something of weariness at the faces that peered out at him from the facets of the communi-grid. "You all know what to do. We've done this so many times before Only this need I say—let none of the Earthlings escape." 


The heads framed in the facets nodded. There was a flurry of arms raised in salute. Then the images moved out of focus, and Thal Odan flicked off the communi-grid. 


Thal Odan drew a deep breath. He stared into a far distance, and whatever he saw there brought a burn of mingled relief, pain, and triumph into his deep-set, yellow eyes. There was not a little pain. 


Let none escape. . . 


Thal Odan shook his head slowly. It was not to his liking--but he had his orders. He was a soldier who had been trained, and well, to obey orders. 


Turning to the inter-ship communicator, Thal Odan signaled the control room. 


"Bring the ship over the scene of operations, and hold it there." 


"Aye, sir," the voice of the flight officer answered. 


The hum of the propulsion engines deepened, held, then faded. Thal Odan moved to a viewport and looked out. His vessel was hovering motionless high above the others. As commander of the extermination fleet. Thal Odan was not participating in what was taking place down there. He was rather thankful for this. 


Thal Odan looked down. He didn't actually want to look, but his eyes were drawn down by a curious fascination. This was a momentous occasion, and was not to be missed, for its like would never be seen again. The ships of the Varu, looking strangely like spheres cut through the center by a disc, were swooping and darting about something down there on the ground. It was almost unrecognizable now, but Thal Odan knew that but moments ago it had been a village of Earthlings, a cleverly camouflaged collection of small, wooden huts. The terrible K7 annihilation beams of the fleet were blasting the village and its occupants to atoms.