by Aer-ki Jyr
That was a necessity given the size of most of the V’kit’no’sat races, making the Zen’zat seem extremely small in the Conclave, even more so than in other chambers of similar purpose, for this one was so tall that there were literally clouds that formed at the top that shielded view of the flyers’ entry points, and the underside of those clouds reflected the light from the sea of holograms on and in between the pedestals as the various races conducted business individually or with one another, but in a few moments their entire attention would be focused on the visiting Zen’zat that were heading for the central platform that rose slightly higher than all others and remained empty.
Innas drove them to it without passing over any of the pedestals, meaning they had to weave in and out of the artificial islands to get there, then they parked at the foot of the hillside surrounding the central mount and climbed up the multitude of geometric stairs under their own power until they reached the summit…which put them just below head level of the longnecks, but the Zen’zat were so small that a second platform in the center raised up to an adequate height so that all could see them directly without having to rely on visual repeaters, though many did in order to view the tiny specs at distance without the benefit of armor scoping that none of them wore.
The Zen’zat wore their armor undeployed and clustered on their forearms, as did the others in the Conclave, but the larger races wore a mixture of clothing and jewelry, some of which would transform into additional items or produce shield generators, but the typical battle exoskeletons of their undeployed armor were not present here, for the idea of any threat making it inside the very core of their empire was absurd…and if they somehow did they had an army of guardians ringing the Conclave to contend with.
“What matter brings you before us?” the Oso’lon Elder asked once the Zen’zat had reached the required height, though he was more than a mile away and his voice was carried technologically so all in the Conclave could hear.
“Treason,” Rajamal said evenly with the other four Zen’zat standing beside him in silent, but obvious support.
“Explain carefully, Zen’zat. That is not an accusation to be made here without peril.”
“We do our duty, Oso’lon, and for the preservation of the V’kit’no’sat we bring information of rogue Zen’zat operating beyond the frontier.”
“Affiliated with whom?” the Era’tran Elder asked from the other side of the Conclave.
“Unknown,” Rajamal said as Daemon began creating holograms in the air above the conclave displaying the maps and other data they had collected, along with shunting the files directly to every delegation’s pedestal where the Zen’zat there could view and search through them to verify what Rajamal was saying. “Knowledge of them has been uncovered by proxy in the course of my campaign against the Li’vorkrachnika. They have battled and been defeated by these Zen’zat who operate under the name of ‘Archons’ in a multi-race alliance known as ‘Star Force’ in which there appears to also be a significant Ter’nat population.”
“Where?” the Oso’lon demanded.
“Their capitol appears to be their spawning point, but we do not know for certain became we came straight to you before scouting the area ourselves. Whoever is responsible for this must be rooted out, and giving them time to cover their tracks by revealing our presence with reconnaissance missions would have been unwise. However, their capitol lies in the Terraxis System, which was a former colony of ours prior to the Rit’ko’sor rebellion. It was listed by the J’gar as having been fully evacuated.”
Where there would have been a pedestal behind Rajamal there was an equally circular pond, one of many in the chamber but the largest of all, and out of it rose a slender head on an even thinner neck. It rose up as high as the Oso’lon and the top of a ridged body broke the surface with the mass of it remaining below water, but the purple bioluminescent patches along its spine attested to a very long length as well as several others present down there but not coming up into the air.
“You accuse us, Zen’zat?”
“The rogue Zen’zat are there, and the last report filed was by you. I do not know what is occurring, but someone is guilty of treason and must be exposed.”
“Quite right, but there are matters in play that you are unaware of.”
Rajamal didn’t respond, instead waiting for the J’gar or another to speak. Eventually it was the Hjar’at that did.
“We would also like to know of the last days of this lost colony.”
The longneck twisted to the side, throwing a look across the Conclave, but a telepathic message from another below water caused him to recoil a bit.
“We would also like to know,” the Les’i’kron Elder added.
“Terraxis was one of a number of systems that was abandoned during the Rit’ko’sor conflict. According to our own records it was fully evacuated of all surviving aquatics after the surface inhabitants had been annihilated.”
“Why was it evacuated if the Rit’ko’sor could not harm you within the oceans?” Daemon interjected, pressing the question that he knew the Hjar’at and others were also thinking, and not worried about a backlash against him. Sometimes it was better for an irreverent Zen’zat to make an unpleasant point because of their neutrality, and Daemon had learned to use that to his advantage long ago.
“We decided to shrink the empire for security reasons.”
“The evacuation,” the Oso’lon quickly corrected as their Zen’zat supplied them with a flurry of facts and relevant dates, “occurred long before that edict was enacted.”
“You seek to falsely accuse us for these rogue Zen’zat…but you needn’t bother. We left one fact out of our report because it was a matter that did not involve you. For the sake of clarity we will reveal it now. The Rit’ko’sor did attack and kill most of our population in Terraxis, but they did not do it face to face. They poisoned the waters before we knew what was occurring. Those that we evacuated were the survivors. This occurred in many systems, not just Terraxis.”
“Why were we not informed of this weapon?” the Hjar’at demanded.
“It was of no threat to you, and frankly, we did not want any other race following in the Rit’ko’sor’s footsteps. Since the war we have developed a countermeasure and are therefore no longer in jeopardy, thus I can reveal it to you now without peril.”
“Did the Sess’nat know of this as well?” the Oso’lon asked, his gaze directed towards another pond.
“All aquatics did,” the shell-less turtle answered. “The poison affected us all, and before you criticize us for our silence, remember that it was one of our own that attacked us. It is not unreasonable to assume, at that time, that there could be others plotting the same.”
“It is alarming,” the Era’tran said before the Oso’lon could speak his next rebuke, “that we trust each other so little. It strains the bonds of our civilization. However, the concealment of this weapon did not hinder the V’kit’no’sat. And while it may not speak well of trust, they are right in saying that the Rit’ko’sor betrayed that trust. And if one could do it, so could others. Now we face a similar situation. Someone has violated our trust and raised not only an army of Zen’zat for their own unsanctioned purposes, but according to this data they have also artificially enhanced them with psionics they have most assuredly not earned.”
“What!” the Brat’mar roared load enough to be heard without augmentation.
“It is in the files, and I assume the Zen’zat were about to elaborate on that point.”
“I was,” Rajamal continued. “The Li’vorkrachnika use genetic memory to prepare their troops to face any known opponent, and these Archons are the most effective against them. They cannot kill them except through extraordinary means, much like they used to kill one and damage another Zen’zat by crashing a warship on top of them and their own troops in battle. I believe such a tactic was developed by their previous contact with Zen’zat, and based on their expectations of their abilities, they possess
too many psionics to be naturally developed. In point, all of the more advanced Archons possess Jumat.”
“You have no confirmed this?” the Les’i’kron asked.
“No. We have not set foot inside their territory nor come close to it as of yet, but my current invasion plans for the Li’vorkrachnika involve setting up a sensor wall around their territory, and that will put it directly in Star Force systems. Thus I need to know what you wish done before I complicate a much more important matter.”
“Your caution is most welcome, Zen’zat,” the Era’tran praised him. “As is your wisdom. This matter is one of treason, and we must conclude who is responsible. We face another rebellion, but you have stumbled upon it before it could be enacted.”
“To what end?” the Pas’cha asked, its long neck rising a bit higher than the Oso’lon. “Enhanced Zen’zat are a serious concern, but they alone cannot win a war. The Rit’ko’sor concealed their strength from us, and unless another has done likewise, this Zen’zat production makes no sense. There must be something more in play that we are not seeing.”
“Do not underestimate the power of the Zen’zat,” the Era’tran cautioned.
“Perhaps they have done this on their own? That would be far more likely than one of us concealing our numbers like the Rit’ko’sor did. We have taken exhaustive measures to counter that.”
“We have to go there and find out,” the Hjar’at said, aggression tinging his words. “There is no other option.”
“Agreed,” the Era’tran echoed.
“A joint force,” the Oso’lon amended. “So that if one of us is complicit we will not potentially be walking into a trap. Meanwhile we take measures to safeguard all other communal systems by realigning our fleets so that they are split between many locations and no one holds a majority.”
“Your paranoid is alarming,” the J’gar dismissed casually. “We take no action here other than to keep watch while we go to the heart of this matter and root out the source. We must destroy these Zen’zat, but not before we get the answers we need. We cannot obliterate them under the guise of ‘accidental’ over-aggression and potentially destroy the data we require. For this reason the Hjar’at will not lead this campaign.”
“You accuse us now?”
“I accuse you over fighting in almost every situation you encounter. We need to investigate as we destroy…and I do not believe you have the temperament for that.”
“Given this is a Zen’zat matter,” the Les’i’kron stated quickly before a war of words, and perhaps telepathy, could break out, “let the Era’tran command, but without many ships of their own. They will lead, and we will provide the bulk of a fleet necessary to retake our former colony and subdue this facsimile of an empire.”
“A sensible recommendation,” the Oso’lon agreed as it turned its long neck back towards the Zen’zat at the center of the Conclave. “You will return to your current invasion, which we have been monitoring. By the time you are ready to deploy your rimward sensor wall, this matter will already have been settled.”
“Before they are dismissed,” the Hjar’at interrupted, “I would like their assessment of the military capability of this rogue empire.”
“I would advise,” Rajamal said slowly, “that no fleet be assembled for such a direct strike that did not include a Mach’nel.”
The Oso’lon snorted so loud that it almost drowned out similar audible expressions of disgust from half a dozen other races, though most of the silent ones shared their reaction.
“How can Zen’zat warrant that?”
“We believe they have at minimum Bra’hems. If a Tar’vem’jic is not in play, it is possible that our fleet could be outmatched. With one included, even if outnumbered, the range advantage will allow for domination. If you do not wish a proper scouting assessment first, then I would take no less than a Mach’nel directly to their capitol.”
“You believe their advancement in psionics may have a complement in technology as well?” the Era’tran asked.
“I would not be surprised if it did, and as far as the Li’vorkrachnika know the tech level of Star Force has been rising artificially fast. They began with primitive technology and were almost destroyed by a paltry exploratory force, then they advanced so fast they were able to outmatch and devastate the Li’vorkrachnika. They would have annihilated them all if not for a coreward boundary they will not pass. This geographically perfect line suggests they are well aware of our surveillance capabilities and are deliberately staying out of reach. If not for the Li’vorkrachnika foolishly attacking us and inviting our wrath, we would most likely not have discovered these rogue Zen’zat at all until the time came for whomever is behind their creation to utilize them.”
“Given the lack of information and the dangers inherent,” the J’gar said with a calming tone, “I concur with the Zen’zat’s recommendation. We will supply one of ours, and that will be our sole contribution.”
“So be it,” the Era’tran agreed. “Is Mak’to’ran acceptable?”
No objections rose at the name of the legendary Era’tran, so the matter was settled by the silence.
“Zen’zat, your duty in this matter is done. Return to your current assignments and reveal nothing of this until after our strike is made.”
“As you will,” Rajamal said, then he and the other Zen’zat descended on the inner platform and hopped down the stairs to return to their speeder that they rode out across the Conclave as discussions, accusations, and speculation continued. When they passed beyond the gates and the privacy fields Daemon exchanged glances with the others.
“I have a bad feeling about this.”
“As do I,” Innas concurred, “but our task is completed until called upon. You have an invasion to continue.”
“For how long?” Rajamal asked, inferring the consequences that this treachery could unleash if it was as bad as feared.
“Hold to your oaths and let fate take us where it may.”
“As always,” Rajamal agreed before splitting up and heading back to the frontier with Daemon.
10
October 18, 3601
Yareni System (Era’tran Regional Capitol)
Navbu
Mak’to’ran walked up the ramp into the Era’tran transport being the last to board. Ahead of him were members of his race’s elite Hakja troops, members he’d served with in numerous high level operations over the centuries, but nothing like this had occurred to his knowledge. Even when the Zak’de’ron were brought to heel he knew who the enemy was, but this mission had him going into battle to investigate and kill rogue Zen’zat without knowing their sponsor. The very traitors they were going to attempt to expose were going to have troops under his command that could revolt at any time.
Never had there been this level of distrust amongst the V’kit’no’sat and it left him shaken. Whoever had done this had crossed many lines, so much so that their race was going to suffer heavy penalties even if they came forward and admitted to it now. But the more likely outcome was a war of some kind, and the thought that there might be more than one race involved in this scared the Era’tran from head to tail. Their bonds of brotherhood could be failing soon, and who knew how much damage they could do before he and others discovered who the traitors truly were.
While the Era’tran had been gathering their portion of the assault fleet and stacking their troops and Zen’zat into it, investigations had been taking place across the empire without so much as an iota of evidence linked to this abomination. No records of Terraxis or any link to it existed past the date of its evacuation. An idea had been floating around that the Rit’ko’sor might have been responsible for these events, spawned before they had been wiped out for their treachery, but Mak’to’ran did not think that likely.
Forcibly bypassing the genetic locks on the Zen’zat psionics was not something all the races could do. In fact there were elements of the coding that had been put in place by the Zak’de’ron that even the reborn Les�
�i’kron could not fathom, for much had been lost in the transition. Only 6 races were thought to possess the genetic knowledge to unlock Jumat, and each of them knew that doing so would bring weight of the empire down on top of them.
That was what Mak’to’ran could not fathom. There had to be something much more devious at work here, and he feared that something could potentially destroy the V’kit’no’sat.
Once onboard, the transport took him and the Hakja up to orbit where they took their place onboard the Kafcha-class dreadnaught that made up the bulk of the Era’tran fleet. Other than Zen’zat designated vessels, the size of the Era’tran required larger hulls to accommodate their crews, and while the Kafcha were not the largest vessels in the Era’tran fleet, they were all that were being assigned to his command. 58 of them in total, along with 300 Zen’zat Domjo medium level cruisers that were going to be the only pure Zen’zat vessels in the combine fleet that was rendezvousing in the Tham’ron System.
The other races were not coming without Zen’zat, but they were all integrated into their standard fleets as support. The Era’tran had been originally responsible for the creation of the Zen’zat and had the most interaction with them within the empire. Mak’to’ran knew they were more trustworthy than most of the other races, but given that they were going to destroy rogue Zen’zat, the others had decided not to commit any standalone units whereas he had, and a large number of them given the segmented fleet.
Final ship count was estimated to be between 9,000 and 11,000 ships, which was abnormally large heading into a single system, especially with a Mach’nel included, but it wasn’t unprecedented if you went back through battle history far enough. But to take on rogue Zen’zat it was clearly overkill, underscoring how no one else thought they’d find only Zen’zat beyond the frontier. They were expecting a much larger fight…with who was the question on everyone’s mind.