by Ryk Brown
“So you think it was a good idea for the captain to wake them?”
“I think it was his only option at the time.”
Jessica looked around more as they proceeded inward. “Why do they all look the same? I mean, they’re all the same size even.”
“To streamline supply and logistics. ‘One size fits all’ makes it much easier. If your battle armor is damaged, you can simply take what you need from the body of a dead comrade.”
“Seems like a lot of effort just so everyone can have the same shoe size.”
“Perhaps, but the Ghatazhak were usually deployed a good distance from Takara. Resupply is a major concern when your supply chain stretches over light years.”
“May I help you, sir?” a Ghatazhak soldier asked.
“I’m looking for your CO,” Jessica said, “Lieutenant Telles.”
“Yes, sir,” the Ghatazhak soldier answered. “I’ll take you to him. If you’ll follow me…”
Jessica looked at the major, her eyebrows raising for a moment as they proceeded. The Ghatazhak soldier led them across the room and to the far corner where several partitions had been secured to the deck to create an office cubicle. The Ghatazhak stood smartly at the entrance to the cubicle, announcing himself and their guests to the cubicle’s occupant in Takaran. The soldier gestured for Jessica and the major to enter the cubicle, then stepped aside to depart.
Jessica and Major Waddell strode into the cubicle. Lieutenant Telles rose from his seat and stepped out from behind his makeshift desk.
“Lieutenant Telles,” Major Waddell began, “I would like to introduce the Aurora’s chief of security and intelligence, Lieutenant Commander Nash.”
Lieutenant Telles stepped forward and came to attention, snapping a salute.
Jessica returned the salute. “Lieutenant.”
“It is an honor, sir,” the lieutenant said as he extended his hand.
“I was told you wished to see me.”
“Yes, sir, I did.”
“Why?”
“I wanted to meet the one who ended the life of our former leader, Caius of Ta’Akar.”
Jessica tensed slightly. Her understanding of the Ghatazhak was that they were programmed to see Caius as a god. The soldier they had interrogated back in the Darvano system had been emphatic in his beliefs. This man, however, seemed far more calm and relaxed.
“Why?” Jessica asked. “You looking for revenge?”
Major Waddell looked at Jessica as if she had lost her mind.
Lieutenant Telles chuckled. “I can see how you might think as much,” he admitted. “However, nothing could be further from the truth. Please, be seated,” he added, pointing to the other chairs in the cubicle. “Caius was an egomaniac with delusions of grandeur. His plans made little sense, and his empire was built on false promises and shaky foundations.”
“Then why did you guys follow him?”
“The Ghatazhak follow whomever they are programmed to follow,” Lieutenant Telles said rather plainly. “Luckily, we were still awaiting our programming when you and your Karuzari friends brought down the House of Caius. Following such a man would have been… difficult.”
“Difficult?” Jessica wondered. “Isn’t that why they program you in the first place?”
Lieutenant Telles moved back behind his desk, taking his seat again. “I expected that your understanding of our programming would be somewhat incomplete. While it is true that we are programmed to be loyal to our leaders, we are not programmed to follow the commands of our leaders with blind obedience.”
“Then what exactly is your programming for?” Jessica wondered.
“Our programming serves two purposes,” the lieutenant explained. “First, it ensures that we will never switch our loyalties to the side of those who oppose our leaders. Second, it enables us to perform certain acts that others might find… distasteful, to put it mildly.”
“So it removes your conscience?”
“Not exactly. It does, however, enable us to analyze our orders and their objectives in a manner that does not include our own personal feelings about the acts of aggression that we might be asked to commit.”
“Sort of an ‘ends justifies the means’ attitude then.”
“I suppose that is accurate.”
“And if you feel that the ends do not justify the means?” Major Waddell asked.
“That is not how the Ghatazhak analyze an action order. We are not concerned with moral ambiguities. Our concerns lie with outcomes and objectives. If the actions we are ordered to take will have the desired result, or will secure the objective our leaders seek, then we consider the order valid and actionable.”
“And if it does not?” Jessica asked.
“Then we advise our leaders of such and suggest that they consider other alternatives, which we are always more than happy to provide.”
“And what makes the Ghatazhak more qualified to make such decisions than their leaders?” Jessica asked.
Lieutenant Telles took in a long breath. “The Ghatazhak are more than just highly trained killers, Lieutenant Commander. We all possess higher than average intellects and are highly educated in all the major disciplines.”
“Such as?”
“Physics and engineering, physical and biological sciences, socio-economic studies, history, religion, and of course, the art of war.”
“And these disciplines help to make you better soldiers?”
“They help us to understand why things happen and what must be done to make other things happen. The one human constant seems to be that, when all else fails, goals are eventually accomplished through force. The amount of force deemed reasonable depends on the urgency of the need of those opting to use such force. This has been true since the dawn of humanity. The Ghatazhak were created in order to be more intelligent about the use of such force.”
Jessica leaned forward, looking the lieutenant in the eyes. “I’ve seen otherwise, Lieutenant. One of your very own sat in the Aurora’s brig and screamed at the top of his lungs that Caius was a god and would someday rule the galaxy.”
“Interesting,” the lieutenant responded calmly. “This Ghatazhak you speak of, he was Ybaran, was he not?”
“I believe so, yes.”
“The Ybaran are animals. Their world is a harsh environment, requiring strength and determination to survive. The centuries have made them into overly aggressive creatures, unsuitable as true Ghatazhak.”
“Then how do they become Ghatazhak?” Jessica asked.
“During the early days of the Karuzari uprising, Caius was forced to withdraw from several worlds. One of them was Ybara. Upon withdrawal, he bombarded the world and blamed the attack on the Karuzari. The effect was massive enlistment by the Ybarans into the Ta’Akar Imperial forces. Caius attempted to create an even more aggressive legion of Ghatazhak in the hopes of quelling potential resistance with shows of frightening, unbridled aggression. However, the Ybarans, being very strong-willed, required deeper programming. In order to maintain control of the Ybaran legions, Caius programmed them to worship him as a god.” Lieutenant Telles looked at Major Waddell. “I suspect that you faced such a legion at the battle of Answari, Major. It is quite amazing that you survived.” Lieutenant Telles turned his head back to Jessica. “Needless to say, the Ybaran legions only served to drive more volunteers into the arms of the Karuzari, forcing the Empire to withdraw from more than two-thirds of their occupied worlds.”
Jessica leaned back in her chair again. “Why are you telling me all of this, Lieutenant?”
“As I understand it, the captain turns to you for advice on actions that require the use of trained soldiers rather than that of ships of war.”
“That is correct. To me and to Major Waddell as well.”
“Understand that I mean no disrespect to either of you. Lieutenant Commander, your accomplishments in the field are impressive, even to a Ghatazhak. Major Waddell, you should also know that the Ghatazhak hold considerable respect for the Corinari. Your skill and dedication are renowned throughout the Pentaurus cluster and well beyond. However, neither of you is Ghatazhak.”
“Your point being…?” Jessica asked, becoming somewhat annoyed.
“You cannot do what we can do.”
“I suspect we’ll do fine,” Jessica said, turning in her chair in preparation to depart.
“You misunderstand my meaning,” Lieutenant Telles insisted. “I did not mean to imply that you could not get the job done. I meant that we can get it done more efficiently and with far fewer allied casualties. Your forces are limited at this point. You do not have the manpower to take on the Jung forces required to hold an entire world, especially one as populous as Earth.”
“No offense, Lieutenant, but there are only, what, one hundred of you?”
“Ninety-five at the moment,” the lieutenant corrected. “Two of my men died at the battle of Tanna, and three others were wounded and will require several days of recuperation before they can return to active duty. Still, a single, properly equipped Ghatazhak can take on a hundred Jung soldiers—a thousand if they are trained to the same pitiful level of those who attempted to hold Tanna.” Lieutenant Telles leaned forward, looking Jessica directly in the eyes to emphasize his own points. “Prince Casimir assigned my platoon to the Aurora because he knew that you would need us, that you would need our abilities and our expertise. We are stronger, faster, better trained, and more intelligent than anyone on this ship, possibly even more than anyone in this region of space.”
“Definitely more arrogant,” Jessica said.
“It is only arrogance if it is untrue,” Lieutenant Telles said as he leaned back in his chair. “Casimir knows what we truly are and what we are capable of. That is why he chose not to reintegrate us back into Takaran society. The Ghatazhak are his insurance policy. The Ghatazhak are what will keep the old worlds of the Empire from seeking revenge against Takara. Prince Casimir believes your cause is just, which is why he chose to program that same belief into myself and my men. Let us do what we do best. Let us fight for your cause.”
Jessica rose from her chair. “I’ll think about it,” she promised, “but I have to be honest with you; I have my doubts.”
“I can ask no more than fair consideration,” the lieutenant agreed as he, too, rose.
Jessica left the cubicle without further discourse, moving quickly across the converted cargo hold. Major Waddell followed her out into the corridor.
“His arguments were compelling,” the major said as they continued down the corridor.
“You believe all that crap he was spewing?” Jessica asked in disbelief.
“You might want to review their combat camera recordings before you make your decision.”
Jessica stopped in the middle of the corridor. “You have battle footage of these guys?”
“Every one of them wore a camera during their action. The images were streamed back to combat command the entire time. It was frighteningly impressive.”
Jessica knew that the major had seen plenty of action. Despite their differences, she respected his knowledge and experience. “They were that good?” she wondered.
Major Waddell looked at the floor for a moment, then looked up at Jessica again as he spoke. “It was as if they were simply doing the math. Locating targets, assessing threats, prioritizing objectives, and finally, calculating their shots just before executing. Despite the fact that they were carrying energy weapons, from what I could tell, every kill was accomplished with a single shot. I have never seen anything like it.”
“So you believe what he was saying about the Ybaran legions?”
“The Ghatazhak that I saw on those combat recordings are not the same Ghatazhak that I fought at Answari. These men were cold, calculating, and without aggression.” Major Waddell sighed. “They were simply doing their jobs in the most efficient manner possible. That is the best way that I can describe it.”
Jessica sighed as well. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I should take a look at those recordings.”
“You might want to do so on an empty stomach,” he suggested as they continued down the corridor.
“Why the hell didn’t anyone tell me all of this before?” Jessica wondered.
“It’s been a rather busy few hours.”
* * *
“So everything she said was true?” Luis asked.
“Pretty much,” Nathan said as he sat in one of the chairs in the exam room.
“And the Aurora can jump fifteen light years in the blink of an eye?”
“Actually, she can jump at least sixteen light years at a time,” Nathan corrected, “but I prefer to leave enough energy for a quick escape jump in case we jump into trouble.”
“Considering what’s happened to you so far, that’s probably a good idea,” Devyn said.
“I still can’t believe that you’re the captain of this ship,” Luis admitted.
“Thanks.”
“Nothing personal. You know I love you like a brother, Nathan. It’s just, you were always such a screwup at the academy.”
“I’m not surprised,” Devyn disagreed. “I always knew you had it in you.”
“Well, at least one of my friends has faith in me.” Nathan looked at Luis. “I can’t believe they let you fly the ship. You sucked in the simulator. Hell, remember when I took you up in my grandfather’s biplane to help you get the feel of flying? You just about crashed us into the control tower.”
“Hey, I landed a starship on a moon, buddy—very gently, I might add.”
“Then why did all the air leak out of your command deck?” Nathan challenged.
“We don’t know that my landing caused that leak,” Luis defended.
Doctor Chen entered the room, ending the discussion. “It looks like you’re both in pretty good shape considering what you’ve been through. A little malnourished, and some of your blood work is a little off, but it’s nothing that a few weeks of vitamin supplement packs and some good food won’t cure.”
“Then they’re cleared?” Nathan asked.
“Yes, sir. They’re fine.”
“Thanks, Doc.”
“Just don’t assign them anything too strenuous for a few days,” the doctor warned.
“I’d say a vacation is in order,” Luis suggested.
“If only,” Nathan said.
“So what happens now?” Devyn asked as Doctor Chen departed.
“We’re moving the data cores over to the Aurora as we speak. I’ve also got my Cheng and some of his technicians checking out the Celestia to see if we should try to save her or just strip what we can from her and scuttle the rest.”
“You’re going to scuttle our ship?” Luis protested. “I know she doesn’t have any weapons to speak of, but she can fly. She just needs more propellant.”
“We’re in the middle of Jung-controlled space,” Nathan explained, “and the Aurora is the last warship the Earth has, at least until I can send for help from our allies back in the Pentaurus cluster.”
“A thousand light years away?” Luis exclaimed. “Won’t that take a while?”
“We have a jump shuttle that can make it there in a few days assuming nothing goes wrong along the way. I just don’t know how long it will take for them to send help. I don’t even know that they can at the moment. Things were not exactly stable there when we left. Prince Casimir may still have his hands full just keeping the peace until the dust settles from the fall of the empire.”
“So there’s no way we can save the Celestia?” Luis wondered.
“I didn�
�t say we couldn’t save her,” Nathan said. “I said we need to determine what we are capable of doing. Regardless, we have to be prepared to blow the Celestia if the Jung are about to take her.”
“Well, she’s already rigged to blow,” Devyn said. “Tilly and the spec-ops boys rigged charges on the antimatter containment bottles. One press of the button and the whole moon goes… maybe the whole planet.”
“Meanwhile, I’m posting lookouts to keep an eye out for the Jung. Once we get the data cores on board, if the Jung do come, we’ll blow the Celestia and jump out of here. With any luck, we can take a couple of Jung ships out in the blast. At least then the Celestia would die with a few kills on her record.”
“Should probably have Tilly rig a remote detonator,” Luis suggested.
“I already instructed my Cheng to see to it. His first priority is evacuating the data cores, then the remote detonator. After that, he starts a quick inspection of the ship.”
“Well, if he goes any farther forward than the main aft bulkhead, he’s going to need a pressure suit,” Devyn warned.
“He knows. While we’re waiting, we might as well start your recovery with something good to eat.”
“Good idea,” Luis agreed. “Take us to your mess hall. I haven’t had a hot meal in months.”
“Mess hall? Don’t be silly,” Nathan said with a smile. “I’m taking you to my private mess.”
* * *
Jessica entered the medical treatment room and approached Tony sitting on the side of his bed. “How are you doing?”
“Okay, I guess.”
“How’s Synda?”
“I don’t know. No one tells me anything.”
“That’s a military hospital for you,” Jessica said, looking around the room for any medical staff. “I’ll find out what’s going on.” She stepped out into the middle of the room. “Hey! Someone! A little help here!”
A moment later, a Corinairan medical technician came hurriedly into the room to see what was going on.