by Petra Landon
Before Sila could respond to him, the door behind her slid open as Saakshi made a precipitous entrance.
“It’s time, Sila” she announced, before skidding to a sudden stop. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you were on the communicator.”
Sila turned to her. Saakshi brimmed with suppressed excitement, her gaze moving from Sila to the console.
“Elder Arturo” Saakshi greeted the Terran representative. “How are you?”
“I am fine, child. There is excitement in the air, even on Terra Agri. Commander Kerovac’s announcement will be carried live here and many are anticipating it eagerly.”
He addressed Sila. “We will talk soon.”
“Yes, we will, Elder Arturo.” Sila signed off hastily, not wanting to miss any of the announcement.
“It is all ready to go, Sila” Saakshi said excitedly. “They’ve slung up this huge portable viewer outside. You have to see it.”
Smiling at her friend’s infectious enthusiasm, she followed Saakshi outside. The humid air hit Sila like a blast as she opened the door. Even after a few months on Hadari, she had a hard time with the humidity. But other than that, she loved her new home. The world was beautiful, marshy and tropical with clean air and clear skies. The sun shone down most days, though not as brightly as Terra Agri, its warmth tempered. Their camp had been set up deep in the forest by Zoran’s village. To keep Alliance ships over the Hadari’Kor twin worlds to the minimum, the crew of the Henia and the Juntafeyore had cleared brush and set up the first structures. Saakshi and she had been witness to their new facility taking shape from a clearing in the forest. In the early days, Ur’quay portable generators with shtoal had powered the Food Synthesizers and the structures.
But soon, the other Hadari’Kor ships, carrying the rebels marooned from TF124, had arrived. Their arrival had forced the Ur’quay back to the Henia. But the Budheya and the Hadari’Kor had worked together to set up the camp while Zoran and Commander Jolar had used their connections to add the encampment on the Hadari power grid. The camp, though by no means luxurious, was comfortable and included a small-craft landing pad. Enclosed by thick wooded forest, the nearest village was at least three days walk through dense brush. Sila found the world beautiful and enjoyed exploring the forest and treks to swim in the waterholes that dotted the countryside.
But before the rebels had arrived on Hadari, there had been a celebration. A traditional Terran wedding ceremony with Ur’quay and Hadari’Kor guests, officiated by Elder Arturo. To Sila’s surprise, Commander Kerovac and Yan Tirovac had put in an appearance too, staying for the raucous celebrations much into the night where ale had flowed freely. The Star Captain had convinced Commander Kerovac that Elder Arturo should be invited for the ceremony. He had kept the secret about her mother faithfully all these years and Sila had been confident that the Elder would keep the Ur’quay’s presence a secret too. Elder Arturo had enjoyed himself hugely in the august company of the Alliance Commander, the Ur’quay and the Hadari’Kor mercenaries.
“Saakshi” hailed a familiar voice.
They turned to see Commander Jolar stride towards them, a huge smile on his face. He had been on an Ur’quay starship at the front. With him were the Hadari’Kor from the Juntafeyore — Belur, Hakan, Yerko … many of Sila’s friends who’d fought on the frontlines with the Ur’quay.
“Jolar” Saakshi squealed, hurrying to hug him.
He grinned. “The Ur’quay ships maxed their StarDrives getting back to Hadari, Saakshi.”
Her eyes lit up. “Zoran?”
“Zoran will be here in a few minutes” he assured her.
The Juntafeyore had remained over Hadari, with the other Hadari’Kor ships, but many of its experienced crew had been deployed on the Ur’quay starships. The mercenaries’ knowledge of Ur’quay technology and the Ketaari had been considered invaluable for the fleet newly arrived to Sector Araloka.
Belur flashed a smile at Sila, making for her. “The Henia is the only starship not back, Sila. It is at Terola with Commander Kerovac.”
Terola space station was the administrative headquarters of the Alliance. It was where Commander Kerovac intended to make his announcement.
One of the Hadari’Kor glanced behind him. “It’s time” he said.
At the center of the camp, lay the large, open training ground. Here, a portable projector had been set up with a massive view screen. A crowd had gathered around it — almost exclusively Hadari’Kor. The last of the rebels had left the encampment five days ago, shipped back to Budheyasta for their first skirmish. With them, a massive cache of weapons, equipment, food and medicines had been sent for the Budheya people. It would be a while before any missions to Budheyasta might be possible. On Hadari, six times the number of rebels had been trained at a go, compared to TF124. There had been a renewed sense of urgency after the attack on the Training Facility — a feeling that the operation would not remain clandestine for long.
The view screen blinked on just as Zoran Hadari-Begur-Kor strode into the clearing with a clutch of Ur’quay warriors. These were the Captains of the starships in the Ur’quay Fleet. Sila, who had spent most of her evenings on the Henia while the Ur’quay Fleet waited to engage, was acquainted with the Star Captains. As was Saakshi and the crew of the Juntafeyore. From the other Hadari’Kor gathered, there was collective but muted astonishment at the sight of the exotic-looking Ur’quay. But after months with the Hadari’Kor, Sila knew that the mercenaries would not ask Zoran any questions about his guests, unless he introduced them first. That would go against the Hadari’Kor creed of hospitality.
Saakshi and the small group around her made for the Hadari’Kor Captain and his Ur’quay companions. As the view screen came alive, they turned to it. The tall figure of the Alliance Commander walked up to face them behind a cordoned off walkway, against the backdrop of large bay windows lit up by the lights from docked ships on the station.
“Zh’hir will be here by nightfall, Sila” Zoran assured her in an aside.
The Star Captain had promised Sila that he would make his way to her after the announcement on Terola.
The lens panned to the crowd gathered around the Commander on the Terola station, and the sense of excitement and anticipation in the air came through, even on the view screen. Behind the cordon, to one side of the makeshift podium, were arrayed eight Senators from the Synod, in the ceremonial attires of their respective worlds — six males and two females. A civilian body of eight representatives from the Alliance Senate, the Synod coordinated non-military matters with the Alliance Commander. Sila, aware that four of the Senators on the Synod represented the founding members of the Alliance, stared at them with curiosity and interest. An announcement like this was unprecedented in the Alliance. All member worlds, even minor forgotten ones like Terra Agri 5, had been informed thirty hours ago that the supreme commander of the Armada would address all citizens from the seat of Alliance power.
As the lens panned back to Commander Kerovac, resplendent in the blue uniform of the Armada, Sila sensed the anticipation in the clearing ratchet up too. Most here knew the gist of the Alliance Commander’s announcement, but not the details. Though not Alliance, the Hadari’Kor in the camp had worked with the rebels and many had formed relationships with the Budheya. They were anxious to hear news from the front.
“Citizens of the Alliance, I thank you for your patience and your grace under fire while our lives, worlds and freedoms are under assault by the self-styled Budh-Ketaari Empire. Today, it is an honor to bring you good news from the front.”
The crowd strained with eagerness, the Commander’s presence and words holding them enthralled.
“Twenty five hours ago, word reached us that Budheyasta has erupted in full scale rebellion against their Ketaari oppressors.”
On the view screen, excited murmurs went up from the audience. To the ordinary citizens of the Alliance, preoccupied with their own survival against the marauding Empire, the plight of the Budheya was a distant worry,
their spectacular fall both a reminder and a warning of the fate that awaited the Alliance if the Armada failed to keep the Ketaari at bay. Thus, while a rebellion on Budheyasta was welcome news since it indicated that the Budheya were finally fighting back, it did not assuage their own fears.
On Hadari, the mood in the clearing was more somber. The Hadari’Kor here understood only too well the tough road that lay ahead for the rebels and others on Budheyasta. The Budheya, even with the training and the weapons the Alliance had supplied, would be out-gunned by the Imperial Forces, whose brutality would only worsen in the face of any concerted resistance by their subjects. Thus, the Hadari’Kor hoped for the best, even as they waited with baited breath for more news from Budheyasta.
Sila knew that the Hadari’Kor’s work with the rebels would not be publicly announced. The connection between the mercenaries and the Budheya was to be kept quiet, in case the rebels required further assistance. This way, the Ketaari would not anticipate a Hadari’Kor presence on Budheyasta.
On Terola station, the Alliance Commander continued. “While the Budheya resistance bravely took on the Imperial Forces, the Armada engaged them on two fronts — the northern border with the Alliance and the eastern front.”
Beside her, Saakshi drew an audible breath. The Budheya girl understood that this had been a coordinated effort — the Alliance had opened other fronts with the Imperial Forces to give the rebels a fighting chance on Budheyasta. With two new border skirmishes to confront, she prayed the Imperial Forces could not spare any Brutaniyrs or extra soldiers to put down the rebellion on Budheyasta with their usual ruthlessness.
Zoran, attuned to his tseriya, took in her expression and the dread in her eyes.
“They know what they are up against. And have been trained by the best” he said softly to the Budheya girl. “It is a start, tseriya.”
Saakshi’s eyes shot to him, their depths heavy with memories of a mercenary Captain’s promise to bring the Budh-Ketaari Empire to its knees for her.
Her hand reached for his palm to hold on tight. “As you promised, Zoran” she whispered.
Saakshi was under no illusion that the war would be bloody for Budheyasta. But after suffering through two centuries of brutal occupation, they were finally ready to challenge their destiny. The Budheya had been willing to pay the price for freedom for a long time, but untrained and without any weapons to take on the Imperial Forces, it would have been a suicidal and fruitless mission. Now, with the backing and support of powerful allies, Budheyasta finally had a fighting chance.
“The battalions on the northern front were led by General Marondo Colotoni of the Tesakian Star Guardians while those on the east were commanded by Flotilla Commander Lord Teyzik Iskandyr of the Bastian Royal Guards” the Alliance Commander announced. “As per their orders, our battalions successfully held the Imperial Forces for fifteen hours without giving an inch.”
Commander Kerovac’s voice was almost drowned out by the roars from his audience, with each name generating wild applause. Though aware that the Tesakians and the Bastians were both founding members of the Alliance, like the Iovac, Sila knew nothing about their individual fleets. But from the expressions and knowledgeable murmurs from Belur, Commander Jolar and the other Hadari’Kor around her, Sila surmised that the military officers were well-regarded in the sector.
On the view screen, Commander Kerovac waited for the murmurs to die down before continuing. “While they held the line, another battalion of starships smashed through the border security net by neutral space to advance deep into Empire territory, all the way to the Mirai Cluster. Rineka Prime, the Zunis System, the worlds of the Pizti Conglomerate and the mining colonies of Biznoi, Gizoi, Turoi and Jikoi have been liberated from Ketaari occupation.”
It took his audience on Terola a moment to grasp the implications of Commander Kerovac’s announcement since his delivery was so pitch-perfect without even a hint of the sense of occasion. Even in the clearing, it took Saakshi a few minutes to comprehend the announcement. As raucous cheers rose on Terola, Commander Kerovac merely smiled politely at the shouted questions, while even the Synod seemed stunned by the news.
“Rineka Prime!” Saakshi voice rose with excitement in the clearing. “Why, Zoran, that is …” She turned to the Hadari’Kor Captain, her eyes shining.
Zoran smiled at her, his eyes tender. “We are close, tseriya.”
The Hadari’Kor whooped raucously around Sila. This had been a spectacular feat.
Sila turned to Belur. “Is Rineka Prime close to Budheyasta?” she asked, her eyes hopeful.
He smiled, his face lighting up “As the crow files, Sila.”
Sila drew a sharp breath. Now, the Hadari’Kor’s excitement made sense. On his way back from the front, the Star Captain had made a quick call to let her now that he and his warriors were unscathed and on their way to Terola. To Sila’s query, he had merely answered that they had exceeded their objective.
As the other mercenaries excitedly questioned the Juntafeyore crew who had fought at the front, Commander Jolar provided more details. Now that the announcement had been made by the Alliance Commander, he could reveal more.
“The Imperial Forces have retreated from the northern and eastern fronts to divert their Brutaniyrs to protect Budheyasta” he explained. “But there is a border security net to keep out the Armada. The one near Budheyasta bordering neutral space has been destroyed. Right now, wave after wave of Armada battalions are pounding the Ketaari until they get through. Commander Kerovac plans to head straight to the front from Terola to command the mission to free Budheyasta.”
As she ruminated on Alliance strategy, Sila smiled at the joy and excitement on Saakshi’s face. Without the Armada engaging the Imperial Forces, the Budheya rebels would be pounded, taking heavy casualties. Thus, the assault had been coordinated with the rebellion on Budheyasta. But she instinctively understood that Commander Kerovac, worried by the advent of more telepaths, was taking a calculated risk by this approach. Amongst all the worlds under Empire control, only Budheyasta had been space-faring when the Ur’quay had last visited Sector Araloka. With their forced isolation after the Ketaari occupation, Commander Kerovac hoped that any Budheya with Ur’quay blood would be restricted to Budheyasta. This way, once the Armada wrested Budheyasta from Ketaari control, they could run the same protocols they currently ran on Alliance worlds to locate potential telepaths, thus ensuring that they could not be exploited by the Empire. Hopefully, that would mitigate the telepath threat to the Alliance.
The Ur’quay Fleet had brought with them some of their best engineers and scientists from the home world. And the engineers had adapted Ur’quay technology to scan all enemy battleships for any life-signs with the genetic marker for telepaths. Over the months, the scanner had been added to all Alliance ships to fight on the front. Though the crew on the ships didn’t know the details, they had been told that if the scanner ever raised an alarm, they must disengage and get away as fast as they could since it indicated the presence of telepaths on the Brutaniyrs.
The Alliance Commander had not made public the Ur’quay’s secret or the presence of telepaths in Sector Araloka. Star Admiral Pe’luk had it right. Commander Kerovac had not wanted to start a panic or cause widespread paranoia about it.
The warriors on the Henia were now aware of how the Tseka’ki had originated in Sector Araloka. Sila was less sure about the Ur’quay on the other starships but the Star Captain believed that they suspected the truth too. Freed of her burden, Sila’s visits to the Henia had become easier. At first, it had been somewhat awkward, but the warriors had soon taken her presence on their starship in stride, much like before. She was their Captain’s baithoni, with Ur’quay blood in her veins. But importantly, she was one of the few Tseka’ki in the sector who had manage to survive her gift and even use it for good on occasion. For that, Sila had their respect. At the Star Captain’s request, the Ur’quay scientists had calibrated a Mind Examiner device for Sila that warne
d her when her mental shields were not strong enough to protect her thoughts. It had proved to be a success and there were plans to use it on the newly discovered telepaths the Alliance was drawing up plans to help. Embedded into her Ur’quay tech band, Sila always carried it on her and used an Ur’quay helmet on days when she struggled to get it right. Her use of the helmet had lowered barriers with the warriors even more. It was not uncommon for the Ur’quay on the Henia to come up to Sila to offer encouragement and even tips on what had helped them to improve their mental discipline. To the warriors, Sila’s attempt to learn was not dissimilar to an Ur’quay youngling first learning to control his gift – it made them more understanding of her struggles.
Sweeps of Alliance stations and worlds was progressing slowly but a few Tseka’ki had been identified. The Alliance was setting up a facility where Ur’quay tutors would attempt to help the telepaths with a training schedule customized for adults with minimal mental discipline.
On the view screen, as the excitement and applause quietened a little, Commander Kerovac addressed them again.
“The ships that struck at the heart of the Empire are allies of the Alliance — independent Hadari’Kor mercenaries and a new friend that has returned to Sector Araloka after a long absence. Aralokans have never forgotten them — they are part of both our history and legends. At my request, they have been helping us in secret for months. But now, I would like to introduce our new friends to you.”
There was a collective gasp from the audience and the lens panned to a massive male with bronze skin and pale stripes, who strode down the short walkway to the Commander, his rust-colored armor rippling with his strides. The crowd strained to see the exotic-looking alien, their excitement rising to a crescendo. In the clearing too, Sila sensed the Hadari’Kor’s renewed curiosity and interest in Zoran’s guests.