As the Shapers burned and twisted bodies lay strewn about the crater of Elysium, Russell continued to fire the crater rim with impact bombs and rock, keeping the very few Panuits and Panor to survive inside the crater and ensure none outside had survived.  He now called on his RACE troops to make prisoners of any remaining Vegans and mercifully kill those terminally wounded as they advanced back to the crater’s edge.  As ADAM kept count only fourteen Panor were captured alive and one hundred and seven Panuits were marched out into the shadow of Avenger as she set down to re-board her troops and their mascots.  Of the RACE army nearly eighteen thousand nine hundred remained battle ready, seven hundred forty five were wounded or maimed, and thirty eight were carried aboard unconscious but breathing.  Of the ACE’s the heaviest toll was of the advance force of big cats, wolves and bears who entered the Sphere early on in the fighting, of the whole retinue three thousand four hundred remained some seven hundred to seven hundred and fifty of which were wounded but still able to return to the ship.  With these losses compared Russell, ADAM and Jeff Calan’s attack had done in some sixteen hours what thirty races on as many planets had never done.  Beaten a Shaper army, taken its slave races prisoner and captured living Panuits and Panors.  The insects of Fomalhaut six had achieved a stand off destroying ships by nuclear explosives and preventing their own capture, but that was a far cry from slugging it out with ground forces and taking Shapers and their slaves in custody.


    As ADAM’s party came aboard Russell saw in the monitor the Panuit false armor and helmets had been discarded.  The strong, heavy thewed men averaging seven feet tall with their long blond hair cinched in a leather head band.  The Vikings filed aboard slowly bearing something on a stretcher in the middle of the group, they returned to the storage bay where ADAM had quartered them on the outward journey and closed the door.  ADAM floated into the command deck behind Russell as he finished watching the ‘Norse’ procession.  “My opinion of commander Russell Carlin continues to improve,” commented ADAM, “the battle was well won sir.”


    “You’ve proved an excellent commander yourself ADAM, everyone of your party is in his berth safe and sound, but what’s on the stretcher?” Russell asked.


    “The exalted Panome of Vega, Kla Na Suleg.” ADAM replied.  “Four of his Dorams (Vegan hand carried cannon, recoilless.) are locked in the armory as well Russell.”


    “That’s why we lost so many of the ACE’s inside ADAM?” asked Russell.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    “Yes, unfortunately he had about sixty of them aboard and was expecting your infantry to enter the Sphere, when the animals came inside, the Shapers killed many but were defeated in the end, thanks to those animals my party was virtually unmolested in the Sphere.  The Panuit disguised Vikings fooled Shapers and slaves alike, we acquired the four Dorams as we went along, I dared not let any of my Panuits carry one but the four may ‘Panors” could carry were quite sufficient.  We went straight to the ‘computer’ first and destroyed the entire control level room by room.  The gas worked well in the Denebs but only slowed the Shapers down a little.  The computer was addled by it though, it was still requesting instructions when we ignited the vat liquid.” ADAM explained.


    Earlier, Russell felt left out of ADAM’s ‘little mission’, now he was sure he was missing nothing he wanted to see.  “Where did you catch him ADAM?” Russell asked referring to the Panome in the Vikings custody.


    “Oddly enough he was in the communications room Russell, and the observation is sobering indeed.”  ADAM floated closer to the gunner’s position and asked politely “may I reproduce on your holopad lieutenant?”


    “Sure” said the gunner.


    As ADAM continued speaking a shape image formed on the pad “I holographed this device on board the Sphere Russell.” ADAM said.


    Russell looked and realization was a pitch fork resting on his spine.  “It’s the AV relay from Argus ADAM, the one sealed inside with the hoppers when they blasted her into oblivion.”


    “Precisely,” said ADAM.  “This was clamped to their communications console Russell, they used it to send a signal before we captured Panome.”


    “Do you think it’s possible to contact Vega from here ADAM?” Russ asked through his whitened lips.


    “Yes Russell, but the signal will take four hundred years to arrive there,” ADAM replied, “and when it does this skirmish should be old news as well.”


    “But, eventually they will come to attack ADAM.” Russell said.


    “Yes,” said ADAM, “and if one RACE can defeat them two should do just as well.  Chambers can reconstruct all the Denebian DNA patterns, my creators race will always be your allies, Russell, you are awed so much by them.  They will never feel the debt is paid,” said ADAM.


    “We will take your people home soon ADAM.” Russell attested.


    “The better we must prepare Russell,” said the machine before him.  “The better the chances for both our peoples to defeat the Shapers, even to push them back across the universe, and bacterial warfare remains a strong possible weapon.  It highly intrigues me Russell, that your race, however now it is civilized and non-violent in itself, was so inventive in means of destruction and murder in its formative past.  Your race is a paradox in the universe Russell, always thinking and dreaming of forming a lasting peace, and always ultimately having to resort to war.” ADAM observed.