Khai lifted Yii. “I’m ready. Flash us in.”
When they did transport into the next hold, at a glance they could see that the enemy mind wraiths had already been dealt with.
Baeven stood calmly within the center of the hold.
A vast ring of stunned landers lay crumpled all around him on the deck.
Most of the mindwraiths had been reduced to another ring of glowing ash beyond the first.
Her uncle kept a small batch of wraiths suspended in Cosmic flames in front of him, while he tortured and questioned them. As she and Khai walked closer, they could hear the terrified wraiths shrieking.
Baeven clenched one knotted fist, and the last of the wraiths perished and faded away.
“I learned what we needed to know from these filth. They were sent here to infiltrate and take over the lander governments of this world and several others nearby. Their overall goal is to disrupt the peace, and keep the landers from joining the GSA. Then the enemy means to attack the Alpha Quadrant and eventually destroy humanity.”
“That has been one of their major goals for a while now,” Khai noted.
“This time they might pull it off,” Baeven said. “They’re going to attack in all four quadrants, across the entire galaxy, and soon I’d guess. Do we have the power to stop that kind of an invasion, Naero?”
Naero frowned and shook her head. “We can’t. We’ll try, but we’re just not strong enough yet. We don’t even have the numbers, the fleets, the training. I knew this was coming. We all feared it. The enemy has been planning this for decades.”
Baeven glanced behind them once. “We’d better go. The locals will be all over this place in a matter of minutes. They shouldn’t find us here.”
“I wish we could stay, and see what they make of all of this,” Khai said with a grin, all the while that they kept moving.
“They have plenty of evidence all around here,” Naero said. “Landers have seen the work of enemy mind wraiths before. If word spreads that alien shapechangers are trying to take over their worlds again, that could help the GSA.”
“You don’t have to oversell the truth,” Baeven said. “Just expose it.”
“I’ve already left word with my Shetannas onworld; they’ll direct things. Together we’ll relay these findings to all of the other lander worlds. We’ll weed out any other mind wraiths within the lander leaderships. We can’t have those devils rigging the game against us.”
Naero flashed them away before the locals rushed in and spotted them.
28
Naero and Khai used some of the latest galactic wyrmhole relays to reach a major series of negotiations set up deep within the far off Gamma Quadrant. These crucial talks could mean the difference between survival and defeat throughout the ever-expanding war.
It became very clear that anyone who fought the Great Adversary needed to come together and find common ground.
The GSA forces met up with a widespread group of formerly unknown sentient battle fleets and leaders, banded together by the necessity of survival. The Alliance had yet to get to know these peoples or their worlds.
The Great Enemy made itself the enemy of all free peoples everywhere.
Hope grew when all of these sentients desperately contacted what was to them the rumor of the distant GSA defenders.
Then from the far side of the quadrant, a league of thousands of systems and sentients, almost the size of the GSA itself made initial contacts.
They were, as it turned out, led by the mighty Pelani in their bold, sleek characteristic black and white patterned warships.
Within a matter of hours, Pelani Prime Leader Riel contacted Naero directly.
Naero and she had once fought a duel nearly to the death. Riel and her people were in the process of being enslaved by the enemy, and the Pelani Champion was under enemy control.
In the end, Naero freed Riel of her vile control collar. She quickened her counterpart’s Cosmic abilities, and they exchanged vital tek secrets. Then Riel raced back to help liberate her own people.
The result was that the Pelani rallied the sentients in their far off half of the quadrant, mainly behind greater shielding. But they too had unlocked the secrets of Ultrium warship and tek construction.
And they now had waves of their own Mystics and energy beings, who could hold their own against the enemy hordes.
They knew of the Dark Emperor, and had encountered him a few times with great disaster on their part.
But over time, they learned that Nahaxrathrax greatly feared another opposing force at the opposite end of their quadrant, and spent most of his time there, bent on trying to crush those defenders in those wide regions.
Riel had not stopped trying to reach those other foes of their great foe, with the full intent of making them all allies. She wondered all the while if Naero Amashin Maeris fought among those defenders.
“Now I see, with great joy, that you are leading the battle against the great enemy. We are well met, my battle sister. Well met, indeed. I cannot tell you how my heart rejoices at these glad tidings!”
Naero spoke the obvious. “We need to join forces as quickly as possible,” Naero said. “Forgive me, Riel, but we are hard pressed in ways that you cannot imagine. This is exactly why we have come. There is much to explain and discuss.”
Riel frowned. “It is the same with us, unfortunately.”
The history of their entire galaxy changed drastically within the next standard hour.
The GSA doubled in size.
Huge amounts of tek and strategic data traded hands.
Riel volunteered all of her current information on the enemy strong points and military positioning. Naero transferred the same GSA data, including information on enemy shipyards, and about the various known Cosmic spheres and their energies.
Naero arranged to send hundreds of her latest reps to advise their new allies, and lead the crash production of spyfixers and related deep space mapping probes. She even gave them the vortex cannon tek, as a sign of good faith.
Riel shared their amazing shield specs, blending a new combination of the planetary shields and Interdimensional phazed shielding.
No one had ever considered such applications possible.
Many GSA energy beings volunteered to share further information with Riel’s Interdimensional representatives.
Naero and her counterpart spoke about the other two G’lothc Prime Leaders. Riel hadn’t even heard of the pair yet,
Finally the two comrades reunited and embraced one another in person.
Riel had grown much more powerful. Naero could tell.
Yet the first thing Naero did, was quicken all of the Pelani Champion’s Cosmic abilities and teach her more about Cosmic tapping and the multitude of spheres that were available.
Riel would be able to quicken others among her Mystics.
In time, they would all transform into Dreamers, but that was the future.
All of those beginnings took a few hours.
They still needed to save the present, so that there could be a future.
They chose to work out many other issues in private over a fine dinner that evening.
“Riel,” Naero said. “I know this is big. We need you and your people to take over the battles in the Gamma Quadrant and hold off the enemy until further notice. We are badly needed in other regions, where the enemy’s main attack will strike hardest. Our fixer nebulae are refitting your fleets in record time. They’ll be more powerful than ever.”
“We’ll need it all,” the Pelani leader said. “It’s that serious, N?”
“Even if we split our current forces, I don’t know how long we can hold out in the Beta and Delta Quadrants.”
“The enemy is that strong throughout the galaxy?” Riel asked.
“They wouldn’t be moving the way they are if they weren’t. They intend to wipe out all life in the Alpha Quadrant.”
Riel thought for a moment. “Then go where you are needed most, battle sist
er. We shall do our part here in these skies. We will take the fight to the enemy in these regions and check them where we are able. Do what you can in the other quadrants. Go forth and do battle, with the good will of all free sentients in our galaxy driving you forward.”
“Fight well, and do the same, Riel. We are all in this together, now. I am so proud to be fighting this war together with you, my friend, even if we cannot fight it side by side.”
“For now,” Riel said. “If we survive the next few months, that may change. Take care, Naero. I fear that you and your forces will have the greater task.”
Naero grinned. “We must all play our parts.”
“How soon does it all begin?” Riel asked.
“It already has. The hope is that it will still take a while for things this big to ramp up. The main bulk of the turds might not slam into the screws for a month or three–or it could hit tomorrow. If I were us, I’d prepare as much as we can, while we can, and get all of our affairs in order. You never know how things will turn out.”
Riel raised her glass. “Sounds like good advice. Everything on my side is already moving forward as fast as it can.”
“Mine too,” Naero said, “but I have a few things to keep tabs on along the way.”
A chuckle escaped the Pelani leader. “Like what?”
Naero shook her head. “Riel, I haven’t had time to tell you about my kids, especially my oldest girl.”
They spoke for almost two hours about their families.
Riel and her people were called away by urgent news.
Now they were in charge of the Gamma Quadrant.
Khai joined the dinner as it ended, himself delayed by other important matters. Riel and the other guests were already gone by then.
“What did I miss?” he asked.
Naero sighed deeply before she spoke
*
As a concerned mother, even with the looming giga-war, Naero continued to check in on her oldest daughter whenever doing so was possible.
While her Mystic training progressed, Shetharra regained a great friend of hers among the other adepts, an old comrade from her youth, from Clan James. Aeven James was a short stocky youth of eleven, only a few months older than Shetharra herself.
While Naero kept an eye on her daughter and her training, she noticed how much time these two friends spent together, now that they had the chance. As kids they had always gotten along very well together, barring that time that Shetharra accidently almost killed him.
Naero knew that it was more than likely that these two kids would end up being attracted to each other romantically at some point, what with both of them on the verge of Spacer tween puberty.
The time dilation factor would only magnify that during their training.
All of that was going to be part of growing up as well, and Shetharra would have to navigate those tricky issues, just the same as any other person.
As far as being Mystic adepts, Aevin wasn’t as powerful or as gifted as Shetharra, but then who the heck was?
None of the new Spacer younglings and tweens in the evolving Dreamer Program operated at her level, so there was no use expecting any of them to do so. There wasn’t any shame in that for anyone.
Shetharra literally shined, one of a kind. None of her sibs could do anything close to what she was capable of.
Nevertheless, as with Anya & Nuvi, it was also clear that many other young Mystic adepts such as Aevin were going to be very powerful and quite gifted on their own. All of them still needed the right training and the proper discipline to develop their talents.
It was quite apparent that each of the next few up-and-coming generations of Mystics was likely going to surpass the ones before them. That was almost a given.
Aevin, like many of the others of his generation, had already been quickened by Shetharra, more than once. What Mystic talents he had to begin with were already greatly accelerated. On top of that, he gained or learned many new abilities as he progressed.
Aevin’s primary gift seemed to be one similar to that of Naero’s mom and herself—enhanced speed. Even more so than most Spacers, he was much stronger than normal. Mystic training would also improve these gifts and make them stronger and more powerful. He also had a good, basic telepathic ability.
He could not channel any Cosmic flows or energies yet. He wasn’t a shapeshifter, nor could he assume an energy form. Aevin could not transport or phaze. He was not a telekinetic, pyrokinetic, or cryokinetic.
He was still very young, however, like most of the adepts his age. It was still possible for him to develop some of those other gifts with the passage of time.
Shetharra was never one to lord her fantastic abilities over her young friends and comrades. In fact, she always sought to encourage and uplift them to do their best, if for no one else but themselves.
Yet even Spacers had feelings, and some of the other adepts would experience fierce jealousy, despair, and even hatred directed at Shetharra. It was tough being a paragon, and tough at the top. Even Spacer children were naturally competitive, and for many, it did not seem fair that Shetharra was so close to being perfect as she was.
Her true friends accepted her for the miracle that she was. They came to enjoy that and benefitted regularly from that fact. They were not envious of Shetharra’s talents; instead they enjoyed, accepted, and celebrated them.
Should one be jealous of a force of nature in the universe?
No. The best thing was to simply accept it for what it was and get on with one’s own life.
The fact that Shetharra existed did not hold anyone else back.
It was never her intent to diminish anyone by being true to herself and the reality of what she was.
Naero and Khai worried if their oldest daughter would ever be able to find a mate.
One’s mate could be very different, much like the two of them, real opposites in many ways, and not just by their height. Yet on the other hand, they were also different, yet equals.
How many times already had they stood toe-to-toe, and back to back against the odds together? Now the two of them fought together and lived and loved together as one. They were both equals in their own ways, and they both accepted and respected each other’s differences on very deep levels because of those facts. It made their love for one another even deeper than what it had been, if such a thing were even possible.
How could spectacular Shetharra ever find an equal to herself? How would that even be possible, for one who was already so astounding and without peer?
If anyone was her best friend, however, it was definitely Aevin. She had known him longer than any of her other friends. She preferred his company and the two of them got along famously. Aevin was one hilarious kid, and his natural good nature and creative goofiness was a winning combination with Shetharra.
Because of her immense powers, she was often restraining and holding herself back, just in case she might hurt someone.
Aevin understood that much about her all too well.
But he could make both of them and others laugh until they could hardly breath. Around him, Shetharra was able to let go and be funny and goofy herself. Good humor was not deadly to anyone.
For Shetharra to be able to do that much gave her a badly needed outlet to vent the constant pressure she felt within. Humor became her go to outlet to relieve her own stress. It also helped her work through and deal with her own very real feelings and emotions as she matured.
But she certainly wasn’t the consummate prankster that her mother was.
For all of these and many other reasons, even at the age of ten, almost eleven, Shetharra was very wise, insightful, intuitive, and compassionate beyond her years. Because she had been forced to become more responsible and mature at an early age, sometimes she perceived and understood her young friends better than they did themselves.
Naero felt grateful that her oldest daughter had mates–abani–like Aevin from Clan James.
She herself knew what a bl
essing it was to have good friends who were so close that they were family. Everyone needed that kind of support throughout their lives.
When she wasn’t ghosting after Shetharra, Naero checked in on her family group. That included Saemar and little Hikaru. What a sweet little boy.
Naero had never seen Saemar so happy and content. In the months to come, as he became more active, he was going to fit in well with all of Naero’s kids.
They had already accepted him among them as one of their own, and willingly helped care for and watch out for him.
“Thank you again for this precious time and your protection, Sweetie,” Saemar told her. “Hey, Chae, Ty and Z, and Shalaen and Tarim are planning a long visit on Oorrii after the first year of training is over. You and that big green lover man of yours need to be there, too.”
Naero rolled her eyes. “We’re swamped, Saemar, and that’s too far away for us to plan for. So much is happening in all of the quadrants, and we have no control over any of it. I’ve been lucky to get this time. Khai is playing the hero and covering for me in the current batch of planning and assessment meetings. He gives them a different excuse for my absence every day, and we’re still milking the fake deal of ‘losing our family.’ But even that is getting old.”
“Find a way, N. We all need some time together.”
“Hey, did you hear that Z decided to start having more of her and Ty’s kids again?”
“Yeah, Chae told me. Great news for them, but they did need some catch up time at first with each other and Gallan. What about Shalaen and Tarim? Or that outlaw uncle of yours and his platinum goddess? Any of them planning on starting a family any time soon?”
Naero shook her head. “Like me, they’re just far too busy right now to do all of that stuff.”
“You make it work, N.”
“Well yeah, with a staff of hundreds who help me pull it off. I offered my model of the complex family to them. I offered to facilitate it completely and even pay for it. They turned me down. Said they were unsure about bringing kids into the universe while everything was still so dangerous.”
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