Ignotus

by Kevin Hardman

  “So your empress had to go meet with their ruler,” Chantrey concluded.

  “She did not have to,” Skullcap corrected, “and many of us did not want her to. She had stopped producing young, but her body was only just starting the process of producing the enzyme necessary to beget new queens. Thus, it was a critical time, but the empress felt the peace process was vitally important. Moreover, she was confident that nothing untoward would happen, as such meetings had always been held under a flag of truce that neither side had ever violated. However, none of us knew just how depraved and degenerate Badukst was, how wretched and wicked his intentions.”

  “He kidnapped her,” Maker said, understanding what had happened without being told.

  “He did, violating a truce and a trust that had kept the peace between our races for years,” Skullcap stated. “And because of how we reproduce – because they had control of our future and very existence – they gained dominion over us.”

  “What do you mean?” queried Snick.

  “I mean that we do as they say,” the insectoid uttered. “Without the empress to pass along the reproductive enzyme, our species faces extinction. Thus, we are obligated to do as they command. If they say go hither, we go. If they demand one of our ships, we give it. If they say attack another race without provocation, we attack.”

  Maker’s brow furrowed as Skullcap finished speaking. “Wait a minute. Are you saying that every time you’ve attacked human beings, it’s been at the behest of this other species?”

  “As I mentioned, the P’ngrawen are a corrupt and contemptible people,” Skullcap said, “while we pride ourselves on being noble and virtuous. Ergo, they take perverse pleasure in seeing us act in a craven and dishonorable manner, such as double-dealing with those we have bargained with and launching an attack when it is not expected. All done based on the promise that our empress will be returned to us.”

  “So when you attacked our ship,” Browing interjected, “the one you took the tech from that was just returned, that was because the P’ngrawen ordered you to?”

  “It was the P’ngrawen who found the means to infiltrate the vessel,” the Vacran explained, “but yes, we attacked on their orders. Likewise, on their command, we waylaid those who came to investigate.”

  “That would be me,” Maker declared flatly. “I’m the one who investigated and got ambushed, along with my team.”

  “I recall,” Skullcap countered. “I lost an arm during the encounter, so the memory is never far from me.”

  “Boo-hoo,” Maker muttered angrily. “My men lost their lives.”

  “And for that I am truly sorry,” Skullcap insisted. “But as you now understand, we had no choice. Likewise on the other occasions when we engaged you in battle.”

  “Okay,” Maker droned, “supposing we buy your story about being forced to attack us time after time, it doesn’t really explain what you did to Planck.”

  “Planck?” the insectoid muttered, clearly not getting the reference.

  “The human you captured and tortured for years,” Maker explained.

  Skullcap seemed to ponder for a moment before answering. “Obviously, I have not adequately explained matters, but I shall make another attempt. In essence, the P’ngrawen wanted the technology and weapons from your vessel. However, they also knew that much of it was incredibly dangerous, which is part of the reason we Vacra were sent to retrieve it.”

  “You were expendable,” Snick summed up.

  “Correct,” Skullcap acknowledged. “That said, the moment we understood what we had taken, we knew that we couldn’t let the P’ngrawen take possession of it. Doing so would have exponentially increased their power and dominance, not to mention their capacity for turpitude. Keeping such technology out of their hands was almost on par with getting the empress back.”

  “So what did you do?” inquired Loyola.

  “We manufactured an explosion aboard an unmanned Vacra warship,” Skullcap replied. “We then informed the P’ngrawen that everything taken had been destroyed.”

  “And they believed you?” asked Browing.

  “Why would they not?” the Vacran retorted. “They know us as a proud and honorable race. Prevarication is not in our nature. Moreover, they understood how dangerous the devices were that we took – it was why they sent us rather than retrieve it themselves – so it was a plausible explanation. That said, they were not happy with the reported turn of events.”

  “So in the end, you just kept the tech for yourselves,” Maker chimed in. “Still doesn’t explain why you extended your tender mercies to Planck.”

  Skullcap seemed to bristle at this. “First, we never coveted the items we took. The Vacra consider them hazardous and unstable, so in truth we wanted them nowhere near us. With respect to the man Planck, the P’ngrawen knew that we had him and wanted him to recreate the articles that they believed had been destroyed. However, rather than take him themselves, it amused them to make us extract information from him. They know that the notion of torture is abhorrent to us, so it was a way to torment us as well as your friend.”

  Maker snorted in derision. “For a race that claims to loathe torture, you sure did take to it rather easily.”

  “On the contrary, we typically tried to make your colleague comfortable and treated him well,” the insectoid countered. “However, the P’ngrawen regularly checked on the progress we were making with him. Needless to say, it would not have gone well if they discovered that we were not truly focused on interrogating him. It needed to appear that we were putting sufficient effort into the matter – especially when they sent a representative to personally gauge how we were advancing with him.”

  “So you would torture him occasionally to make it appear that you were playing along,” Maker said, mentally noting how this actually jibed with what Planck had told him. “Still, it doesn’t quite explain why you implanted a bomb in him.”

  Skullcap seemed to reflect for a moment before responding. “In all honesty, the man Planck broke rather easily. He had little tolerance for physical pain. However, we misled the P’ngrawen in that regard. We told them your friend was resistant to corporal interrogation methods, but susceptible on a psychological level. In short, we told them that knowledge of the bomb inside him – coupled with the notion that death could come unexpectedly at any time – was fraying Planck’s resolve. To appease them, we produced some of the more benign devices from the items we had confiscated and told the P’ngrawen that your colleague had recreated them.”

  “Okay, I can follow that,” Maker stated. “But how does all this relate to Erlen?”

  “As I’ve stated in the past,” Skullcap replied, “the Senu Lia have long been a part of Vacra history, dating back to a time when the queens and empress actually did rule our society. The Senu Lia were the companions of sovereigns, and treated as royalty in their own right. More importantly, they seemed to confer an inexplicable form of power to those who possessed them, including protection from harm. Because of this, the P’ngrawen long coveted the Senu Lia and – even during times of war – were known to offer enormous bounties for them. In fact, it wasn’t until they ceased demanding the Senu Lia as one of the terms for a truce that progress was made on any peace accords.”

  “Hear that?” Maker intoned, glancing at Erlen. “You’re popular.”

  Continuing as if uninterrupted, Skullcap said, “Unfortunately, the last of our Senu Lia died many years ago, and we had long assumed the species extinct. Thus, it came as a shock when we discovered a living specimen.”

  “You mean when we walked into your ambush on the ship you’d raided,” Maker chastised.

  “You speak as though it was the result of chance or happenstance,” the Vacran noted. “We do not believe it such. It was fated that my people would discover the Senu Lia still exist. It was destiny that it take its rightful place with us. Moreover, with its return to us, many felt the Vacra’s fortunes would turn for the better.”

  “So you contact
ed humanity and offered a trade,” Browing stated. “The tech you’d taken for Erlen.”

  “Yes, but not immediately,” Skullcap stated. “Space is vast, and we had never before encountered your species. Moreover, the ship from which we’d taken your possessions gave no indication of where your race hailed from. Given the nature of the items we took, we now know that lack of information about your race’s origins was by design rather than an omission. Bearing everything in mind, it took time to locate you, and by that juncture the P’ngrawen had also become aware of the Senu Lia’s existence.”

  “Let me guess,” Maker chimed in. “They forced you into double-crossing and attacking us.”

  “Yes, but it was what they were expecting,” Skullcap remarked. “Remember, the P’ngrawen were under the impression that everything from your ship had been destroyed. Thus, from their perspective, we had nothing to trade for the Senu Lia and were simply misleading you.”

  “And if they believed you had nothing to trade,” Chantrey noted, “then they felt you were planning to double-cross us all along.”

  “Precisely, and it was the type of situation that gives the P’ngrawen glee,” the Vacran said. “In addition, had we actually gotten possession of the Senu Lia, they were willing to accept it in trade for our empress. Needless to say, it was an offer we could not refuse, although we hoped – by some means – to secure the return of the empress and keep the Senu Lia.”

  “In other words, you planned a triple-cross,” Maker declared. “So, how do we get from your multitudinous lies, deceptions, and two-timing in the past to this virtue and nobility that we’re seeing today?”

  “After our last skirmish and the loss of our armada, I realized the futility of our actions,” Skullcap replied. “The Senu Lia is not a prize to be captured or possessed; it chooses its companions, as well as where it will stay or go. Trying to forcefully take custody of it has been our undoing. It was wrong, and I apologize both on behalf of myself and all Vacra.”

  Maker blinked in surprise. An apology from Skullcap was not something he had ever expected, and – in all honesty – he found it remarkable.

  “Go on,” Maker urged.

  “There is little more to tell,” Skullcap said. “Following our last engagement, my ship was the sole surviving Vacra vessel. Returning to our homeworld, however, would result in me being stripped of all titles and shunned. Ergo, I ejected in a lifepod, knowing that your people would find me. My hope was that you would be willing to treat with us, and I was not disappointed.”

  “I think we’re all familiar with this part of the story,” Browing interjected, “but it’s not clear to me that you even had authority to initiate diplomatic relations.”

  “Such power was vested in me,” the Vacran insisted. “I had been given a military command and appointed Vacra K’nsl in order to facilitate my efforts in returning the Senu Lia to us. Treating with other races fell within the ambit of my authority. And, as has been indicated, you know everything that has happened since.”

  “So, if we’re to believe you,” Snick summed up, “the Vacra were forced into many of the actions they’ve taken.”

  “We were fighting for our lives – facing the death of our entire species,” Skullcap insisted. “We still are. Would any of you do anything less if it was the human race on the verge of extinction?”

  As Skullcap finished speaking, Maker frowned. He couldn’t speak for anyone else, but – although it rang of truth in certain respects – he still wasn’t completely convinced by everything he’d heard.

  “Look, it sounds somewhat reasonable on the surface,” he admitted, “but what you’ve said doesn’t explain all the things you’ve done in regards to your encounters with humans. It’s just the tip of the iceberg.”

  “Then ask what you will,” Skullcap suggested, “and I will elucidate.”

  Maker smiled. “Thanks for the offer. I’ll take you up on it.”

  Chapter 95

  Over the next half hour, Maker (with an occasional assist from one of his colleagues) grilled Skullcap relentlessly about every instance of questionable behavior he could think of regarding the Vacra. From presumed attacks to backdoor deals, he left no stone unturned.

  At the end of that time, however, Maker had to admit to being impressed. Skullcap kept his composure throughout, and no matter the question, he always had an answer that came across as a reasoned and rational response. More to the point, with respect to everything Maker tried to accuse the Vacra of – every bad act, every misdeed, every transgression – the insectoid found a way to blame the P’ngrawen. (As Maker put it at one juncture, it was like Skullcap was “born with his finger pointing at them.”)

  Even in regard to his armor, the Vacran posited a credible explanation, saying that it was essentially an heirloom passed down from father to son.

  “The skull on my helm belonged to a savage beast,” the insectoid explained, “slain by an ancestor who barely survived the encounter. Those on my breastplate were all found items – not trophies from kills – and belonged to unknown species at the time they were added to the battlesuit.”

  “So collecting skulls is some kind of weird family tradition,” Maker surmised.

  Skullcap made a gesture that seemed to indicate acquiescence. “Although not intended to be such, the helmet became a…conversation piece. It distinguished our line. Later generations simply added to this, in their own way.”

  Like everything else Skullcap offered, it was a plausible explanation. Ultimately, Maker reluctantly began to accept the fact that the insectoid was probably being sincere in terms of everything he’d shared. (He also understood why one Vacra killing another was detestable: there was no new generation to replace any who died.)

  “Okay,” he finally said to the Vacran. “Assuming we accept your overall explanation – and your apology, since that’s being offered as well – are we essentially done here?”

  Before Skullcap could answer, Browing cleared his throat.

  “Ahem,” he interjected. “I don’t think that entirely concludes–”

  “Forgive me,” Maker interjected tersely. “Aside from the ambassadorial grandstanding, are we done?”

  “There is another pressing matter,” Skullcap noted, “which will give greater perspective to everything I’ve said thus far.”

  “What’s that?” asked Chantrey.

  “There’s a convoy of P’ngrawen ships en route here,” Skullcap replied. “They are coming to take possession of the Senu Lia.”

  Chapter 96

  It took a second for Skullcap’s words to fully register – because Maker couldn’t quite believe what he’d heard – but the moment they did, he had his gun up and pointed at the insectoid’s head.

  “You’ve got about three seconds to admit that was a joke,” he growled, “and in very poor taste.”

  “If I may explain,” Skullcap entreated. “When the Synod were informed that I was returning with you and the Senu Lia, the assumption was that you were in my custody. More precisely, they inferred that we now had the means to secure the return of the empress.”

  “Through a trade,” Snick reasoned. “Erlen for the empress.”

  “Yes,” the Vacran agreed. “They contacted the P’ngrawen, who readily agreed to the exchange.”

  “So what happens now?” Maker asked. “You send in some Vacra commandos to take Erlen and either kill or subdue the rest of us?”

  “No – absolutely not,” Skullcap insisted, and then became pensive for a moment before continuing. “The abduction of our empress has fractured the Vacra – created a schism in our people that did not previously exist. There are those who feel that nothing, not even the threat of extinction, merits ignoble behavior. To them, a dishonorable life is no life at all. But there are others, myself included, who feel that we must do all in our power to ensure that the Vacra survive – including acting in ways we completely despise. That said, there are certain tenets that are inviolable among our people, one of which is the
concept of an honored guest. Such individuals are treated with esteem and respect, and no harm is allowed to come to them.”

  Maker, concentrating intensely, had trouble believing what he was hearing.

  “You’re saying we can leave?” he asked, his tone openly suspicious.

  Skullcap nodded. “You are honored guests. You may depart at your leisure. None will stop you, hinder you, or molest you.”

  “Awesome,” Maker uttered, lowering his firearm. “We’re outta here.”

  “If that is your wish,” Skullcap conceded. “Although I had hoped that you would consider helping us.”

  Looking pensive, Chantrey asked, “Help you how?”

  “Our empress is still a prisoner,” the insectoid stated. “With your help, we could get her back.”

  “I’m not sure what assistance we could offer,” Browing stated. “From what you’ve said, the P’ngrawen are only interested in…”

  He trailed off, glancing at Erlen as he did so. In fact, almost every pair of eyes in the room turned in the Niotan’s direction.

  “No,” Maker said emphatically. “No way. I’m not letting him get involved in this.”

  “If you’re concerned for the Senu Lia’s welfare, I will personally guarantee his safe return,” Skullcap asserted.

  “Oh, really?” Maker blurted out sarcastically. “And just how are you going to do that?”

  “I have a plan–” Skullcap began.

  “I bet you do,” Maker growled, cutting him off. “I realize now that you always have plans – plans within plans, in fact. I’ve never met anyone with your ability to make truthful statements, but at the same time have the capacity to dupe and deceive. You’ve raised chicanery to an art form. Well, you can take your plan and stuff it. I’m not letting you bait your hook with Erlen.”