Black Swarm

by Ivan Kal

  “I have found the AI,” Adrian told it, and then sent all his memories of reviewing the data.

  The Old Scar didn’t respond for a few moments as it digested the memories. “I assume that Tomas did not agree to your proposal?”

  “No,” Adrian said. It was not a surprise that the Old Scar had realized why Adrian was coming to him—he and the Old Scar had shared the memories of their entire lives at the moment they met each other. They knew each other as well as they knew themselves.

  “The Krashinar are a part of the Great Alliance. You know that I cannot send the Great Pack with you,” the Old Scar sent.

  Adrian nodded. “I know. I am not here for that. I want to speak with the Six.”

  The Old Scar stopped and turned its head to stare down at Adrian. A series of quick flashes of emotions passed through it, too quickly for Adrian to catch them all. “You know our history. You know what the Erasi did to the Seventh. No outsider has been allowed near the Six since then.”

  “I know,” Adrian sent back. “But I ask nevertheless.”

  “I speak with their voice, and I hear with their ears. Anything that you want to ask of them, you may ask of me.”

  “You know what I want to ask. I have seen your life, you have seen mine. You know that this only they can allow. What I ask concerns things you have kept hidden from all. The secrets that I had kept for you.”

  The Old Scar glanced away, and Adrian felt him thinking. After a few minutes the Krashinar turned around and looked into Adrian’s eyes again. “I do not think that they will agree, but for the trust you have not betrayed, I shall lead you to the Six.”

  “Thank you, Old Scar.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Year 717 of the Empire — Krashinar territory

  Two great beasts dropped out of skim above a red planet. Moirai and Araxi remained in orbit next each other. The journey here had taken months, as they had taken an access point from Orna territory directly to the edge of the Krashinar territory. The Krashinar had only one access point activated in their territory, even though there were dozens of them there. It was enough for their purposes, and they did not want to allow too many outsiders into their territory.

  The Krashinar preferred to be left alone, and after their experiences with other races, Adrian didn’t blame them. They had come to a system far out in the rim of the galaxy, nearly at its edge: the homeworld of the Krashinar, a world that they had all but abandoned long ago when they set off into the stars. Now it was a symbol, and a meeting place for their leaders—the Six.

  Adrian and the Old Scar flew down to the planet and landed in a large courtyard and made their way through a large arc to enter a round area with spires rising all around them. There were seven spires here, but only six glowed. Adrian knew from the memories of the Old Scar that the spires were relays, amplifiers and receivers, each connected to one of the now Six.

  They made their way to the center, and the raised dais placed there. The node on the dais was designed for Krashinar to interface with, but Adrian did not need to place his arms on it. He entered the Sha state, and touched the relay.

  “Welcome, friend of Krashinar,” six voices echoed inside Adrian’s head.

  “I greet the Six,” Adrian returned respectfully.

  “We had long ago decided not to entertain outsiders, yet we cannot deny the Old Scar, beloved of the Seventh, anything. Speak, friend of our favorite spawn, and ask what you’ve come to ask.”

  “I have come to ask for your aid against the AI, the cold being of metal and emptiness. I have found its home system and I wish to attack it and destroy it.”

  “Why?” one of the voices asked, which Adrian identified from the Old Scar’s memories as that of the Second.

  “The AI knows what the Enlightened’s plan is, and I intend to take that knowledge from it.”

  “We do not presume to know about your technology, so we shall assume that you can do what you say. We understand the threat the Enlightened pose—it is why we have agreed to join in the alliance with your kind. Still, we were not asked by your Emperor to do this,” the Sixth said.

  “I do not ask this on behalf of the Great Alliance. I ask on my own behalf.”

  He felt the Six pause at that. He could not feel their emotions, as each of them was light years away on different worlds, and each sent only that which they wished to be sensed.

  Finally, the First broke the silence. “We owe you, Heart of the Mountain, much. You were the first to have passed our test—you shared your life with the Krashinar, and took one of ours in turn. You showed us the truth and helped us punish the Betrayers. You helped us punish Valanaru the Weaver, murderer of the Seventh. Yes, the Krashinar know that we owe you much. But we have already provided Great Packs to your alliance; our people fly the void with yours and fight and die far from the Pack Home. We have given our word that the Great Packs will fight with the Great Alliance under the guidance of the Empire. Krashinar do not break their word, Heart of the Mountain.”

  “Nor do I ask you to do so now. I have shared the life of the Old Scar, who was once the Seeker. I know the Krashinar, and I know the secrets you keep from the rest. I do not ask for the Great Packs you keep in your territory, nor the ones that you have sent to the Great Alliance. I ask for the Eternal Hunters and the Old Hunters.” Again, the Six fell silent. Adrian waited for several minutes, knowing that the Six were speaking among themselves.

  Ten minutes later, the Third spoke. “You ask for much. We have kept secrets, this is true. But should the galaxy know the true size of the Krashinar, they would see us as a threat on the same order as the Enlightened.”

  Adrian nodded. The Krashinar held more territory than any other star nation in the galaxy—a truly massive area of space, and it was not like that of other races and nations, where the systems were colonized only if they were suitable. Krashinar had no criteria for colonization; they spread to every system no matter how hospitable it was. The Krashinar Great Packs alone rivaled the entire might of the combined fleets of the Erasi, Shara Daim, and the Empire. And that was the Great Packs only—the packs that were their sword and shield. But the Krashinar were not like the other races in the galaxy, and their technology is not like that of the others. Krashinar did not retire their beasts in the same way that the other races did their ships. The Krashinar ships were living beings—altered, yes, but still grown, living beings of flesh and blood. And they lived for a long time.

  The Krashinar did not have research departments where they tested weapons and ships. They couldn’t build disposable prototypes for their beasts. They had something else: beasts grown from new designs and immediately thrown into battle against other Krashinar beasts grown for the same purpose. The Eternal Hunters, as they were called, were hidden deep in Krashinar territory, where they waged war on one another to test their beasts, to see which designs are the most powerful. Then they refined them more, and more, until they were the perfect beasts to be their sword and shield. After they reached that stage, the designs were sent to the Great Packs to be grown.

  But the beasts that survived remained with the Eternal Hunters to test others, all in an endless cycle. Their numbers grew constantly, even as they always fought, always hunted in the void.

  Adrian knew that what the Six believed was true, that the Galaxy would fear them if they knew just how large the Krashinar truly were. Already, they were outsiders in the galaxy, too different from other lifeforms to ever really fit in.

  “Yes, they would fear you,” Adrian agreed. “But if the Enlightened are not stopped, there will be no life left in the galaxy to fear you.”

  “Is not the Great Alliance supposed to address their threat?” the Fifth asked.

  “If that is its ultimate goal,” the Fourth continued, “why has the Great Alliance refused your plan?”

  Adrian sighed. “Because Tomas fears me. Because he does not believe that it is the right plan. Because he is too blinded by what the Enlightened want him to see and do to reali
ze the truth. Because he is a man chained by his oath of protecting his people—so much so that he cannot allow any to die on his watch.”

  “And so, we should choose between you?” the Second asked. “Because you believe that you are right? We know you, Heart of the Mountain. Through the memories of the Old Scar, we have watched your life. You are blind to all but your desires, as well.”

  “Yes, but that does not mean that I am wrong.” Adrian paused. “I know my failings, and what others perceive as my weaknesses. I know that they cannot understand me or control me, and so fear me. I am powerful, I am greater than them—it is only natural for them to fear me. But is this not the way of the universe? The strong and the powerful, those with the most influence and knowledge, they are the ones who make decisions and plans. Others follow. The same is true of you. The Six hold knowledge of many, stretching back generations to before you left this world. You have the memory of all of your predecessors. Your experience and wisdom gained through so many lives is why you rule the Krashinar.”

  “You speak the truth. Yet even the ones in power, those with knowledge and influence, make mistakes. The Seventh had been the same, and now it is dead. Its warmth is gone from the minds of the Krashinar, and the only thing left is the echo of its dying scream,” the First said.

  “Someone must lead,” Adrian told them. “It is the right of all others to decide if they want to follow. I do not seek to rule; I do not wish to control others. My only drive is to chart a path forward, beyond what I am. To see new things and find greater opponents. I cannot do that if the Enlightened win.”

  The Six grew silent, and Adrian waited patiently.

  “You have given us much to think about, Heart of the Mountain. We would speak with the Old Scar, and dwell on your words for a time. Return to your great beast, and we shall call upon you when we have made our decision.”

  Adrian sent his understanding and then left the Sha state. He stepped down from the platform and nodded at the Old Scar before walking out of the building and toward his shuttle.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  The Old Scar stepped to the dais and its manipulator arms extended out of its torso and reached for the relay. Immediately, it felt the Six reach out and touch its mind.

  “I greet the Six,” Old Scar said.

  “Greetings, Hunt-master,” the Six responded.

  “I apologize if I overstepped. I did not think that I alone could make the decision,” the Old Scar said sending its trepidation along the link.

  “No, Old Scar, we have always valued your counsel.” Old Scar felt their feelings seep through the link, reassuring it. The trust of the Six had always been the Old Scar’s great joy, even when it felt like it did not deserve it.

  “I have listened to Adrian’s request. May I inquire as to what your decision might be?” the Old Scar asked respectfully.

  “We have debated from the moment we felt Heart of the Mountain join our link. He is powerful, but he does not yet realize how much he allows to seep through beneath his notice. We knew his request before he asked.”

  “So you have decided?” Old Scar asked.

  “We have made our arguments among ourselves, but for the first time since the Seventh died, we are unsure how to proceed. We have voted, and are balanced. Each side offers good arguments, but neither can sway another to gain majority,” six voices said as one.

  Old Scar bowed its head. It had failed to defend the Seventh, and so this, too, was its fault.

  “Do not open old wounds,” the Six spoke as they felt his thoughts. “We have long since stated that the death of the Seventh was not your fault. You are, and always will be, trusted by us.”

  “I am not worthy of your trust,” the Old Scar said.

  “No—you alone are worthy. It is because of this that we have come to a decision.”

  The Old Scar raised his head, looking at the six glowing spires. “Will you agree to his request?”

  “That is not the decision we have come to agreement with. The one we have agreed to, has been debated for ages. For a long time, we have watched and waited, and argued, our votes changing often. But now, we are united in our purpose. We would have you, Old Scar, become the Seeker again. We would have you assume the mantle of the one whose womb you had grown in. We would have you stand next to us, as the Seventh.”

  The Old Scar’s shock was so great that for a moment it forgot to breathe. It could not believe that it had heard the offer right. It was impossible. He was not worthy of such an honor. He did not possess the skills and knowledge to lead the Krashinar. He was just the Old Scar, an old Hunt-master.

  “You cannot mean this,” the Old Scar said weakly, but it knew that the Six did not speak lies.

  “We have watched you for a long time, our beloved. You have inherited the spirit of the Seventh. You are strong. You are Krashinar.”

  “But I do not have what it takes to be one of you! I have only one life lived—how could you allow someone like me to guide us all?” the Old Scar asked.

  The Six sent their love, their support, and their amusement. “Do you think us so infirm, that we do not know what it takes to be one of us? Do you think that the memories we hold are all that makes us the guides of Krashinar?”

  “I…I did not mean to offend.”

  “You could never offend us, Old Scar. We know that you lack the memories of the past, but the six of us hold as much already. What you have, that no Krashinar of old did, is knowledge of the outsiders. You have the memories of pain at the loss of your sire and the hard life of a Hunt-master. You know war and the Great Pack. It became apparent to us after the death of the Seventh that, while we hold memories of many lifetimes, we did not know the lives of hunters. We did not have experience to guide us in the interactions with races other than our own. You would serve all of Krashinar in this, if you accept.”

  “I do not know. I do not feel as if I am someone capable of such a thing.”

  “What do you think the original Seven had been? They were like you: Krashinar who had risen above the others, who had gained power and wisdom, who had risen to the front of our kind. Like the Heart of the Mountain says, the strong rule. And so the first Seven took the rule of the Krashinar, and forced us among the stars. They all started with only their own lives. You will be a new Seventh, the first of your line.”

  The Old Scar listened, and he heard the conviction in their voices. They believed—no, they knew, that he could be this. That he could lead the Krashinar, that he could seek more knowledge, and be a pillar of his people. It was humbling, flattering…and for the first time in a long time, the Old Scar felt like he was more than what he had become. Slowly, he felt his name fall away as the spark of a young Krashinar came back to life. He felt the Seeker rise up from the deepest reaches of his being.

  “Welcome back, Seeker,” the Six said, their voices singing in happiness.

  “I accept your offer,” the Seeker said.

  Then knowledge passed to his mind as the Six shared their full connection, teaching him how to structure his mind to become what they already were.

  As soon as they finished sending the instructions, the ground in front of the dais opened up, and a tunnel leading down was revealed.

  “Go down, Seeker. There, deep beneath the Spires, you will find the lake that birthed our kind. It was there that the first Seven swam and meditated to become what we are now. There, our songs will join yours, and make you into the Seventh.”

  The Seeker slithered over the ground, and entered the tunnel. He traveled down for a long while, until he came upon a cave filled with light. The lake was in the middle, glowing with a green fluorescent light. The Seeker dipped in and swam to the center, noticing the foundations of the seven pillars stabbing into the lake from the cave ceiling.

  “Relax, Seeker, and let us into your mind. Hear our song, and know what it means to be one of the Seven,” the Six whispered into his mind gently.

  Their songs filled his mind, and the Seeker was lost in
the memories of his kind.

  * * *

  It had been eight days since the Six had asked Adrian to wait on their decision, and he was getting impatient. There had been no sign of the Old Scar. Neither Araxi nor the handlers on the great beast knew anything.

  The only thing left to Adrian was to wait—and he was not a big fan of waiting. Especially not when he was in company of Moirai, who had been trying to coax Araxi into a friendly spar. The ridiculousness of the idea of two great beasts, which were basically warships, sparring in space aside, the handlers left on the Araxi had not been happy with Adrian. Their limited interactions were enough to imprint their belief that Adrian was a poor handler that couldn’t keep his beast under control, and that they did not appreciate the fact that his great beast was attempting to corrupt the great Araxi.

  “BORED!”

  Adrian suppressed the instinct to sigh, mainly because he knew that Iris was watching and probably dying of laughter, even though her avatar was nowhere to be seen.

  “We are waiting for the Six to decide whether they will help us or not. They are our allies and friends. It is rude of you to be so impatient.”

  “STUPID. WHAT NEED TO DECIDE? ALWAYS FIGHT! NO REASON NOT TO.”

  “There are plenty reasons not to. What about if you are weaker than your opponent?” Adrian asked.

  “PFFF…” Moirai sent her disbelief to him in the form of a snort, which he was pretty sure was exactly like his own, and Adrian swore that he was going to make Iris pay for that. He was certain that she had taught Moirai that sound.

  “Do you really think that there is nothing out there stronger than you? The Enlightened are stronger.”

  “WEAKER IF ALONE. STRONGEST WITH YOU.”

  Adrian couldn’t help but chuckle at her child-like trust and belief in their power.

  “A great warrior knows not to allow his own pride to blind him to his enemies’ power. Even a weaker force can defeat those stronger than them if they are underestimated.”