by Jay Allan
It would fall to her to lead her people into the war that now clearly loomed before them. The struggle would be nothing less than a crusade to bring right thinking to those on the Rim…and to bring their genetic material into the Hegemony’s pool.
For an instant, she wished she could have been spared such a trial, that perhaps the discovery of the Rim dwellers could have come in her successor’s time. For, surely, one would come soon and displace her, a Master with an even higher ranking than hers taking the role of Number One. She was proud, and she knew that would be a difficult day for her, at least in some ways. But, it would also be a great relief in others.
Humanity had seen many governments, many struggles for power in its history. The Hegemony had been founded on the principal of avoiding such tragedies, for all to acknowledge the most perfect human in existence, and follow his or her orders and commands. Akella’s reign had been long, and at each year’s testing, she had waited to see if one of her new colleagues would surpass her. It had not happened yet, though surely it would one day. Hegemony doctrine was based on the premise of constant and continued genetic development, on selective breeding programs, among the highest of the high as much as those subjugated for labor and combat. The child she was carrying would likely unseat her one day, if no one else did first. She had mated with Number Two, and while there remained some random factors in such pairings and the resulting offspring, it was rare for such an elite breeding to fail to produce an extraordinary child.
The discovery of survivors on the Rim presented a problem, and a danger, but also an opportunity. Based on what she had seen, the enemy was resourceful, capable, technologically advanced. They would make welcome additions to the Hegemony’s gene pool. Indeed, no doubt there were even a few of the survivors who would qualify to join the Master class.
The Hegemony’s ways were clear, and they were followed without question. Defeated enemies, conquered peoples…they were all treated the same way once they were pacified. Those on the Rim who survived the war would be integrated into Hegemony society. They would be given the Test, and assigned positions in accordance with their resulting rankings. No doubt most of the Rim dwellers would find their place as Inferiors, predominantly with the working classes of the Arbeiter. But, those whose genetics qualified them for higher positions would receive them, with no discrimination at all.
Even she, the uncontested leader, was descended not from the original founders, but from a subjugated group, brought into the Hegemony by force, and later cultivated through controlled breeding programs. As the partial descendant of such peoples, she had been accepted readily in her role, the highest in the Hegemony. All of the Masters acknowledged, with unwavering commitment, the genetic rankings that gave each of them his or her power and station.
“There will be no discipline, no sanctions,” she said, after a long silence. “Ninety-Six acted correctly in withdrawing his fleet. There was little to be gained by remaining to fight, and nothing that would have justified further losses. His was a scouting force only, tasked with discovering a route to the enemy’s worlds, and in that regard, he has been completely successful. We must now move on, determine our strategy for dealing with these new populations, and exerting our control over the Rim.”
Every eye in the room was on Akella as she spoke. There had been some debate, a few voices calling for punishment for Ninety-Six’s actions, and others for an immediate strike by whatever forces could be quickly mobilized. She had allowed all to speak their minds, as befitted so elite a gathering. But, she had already made up her mind, and as supreme leader, it was her decision alone.
“I appreciate the arguments of my esteemed colleagues urging for a partial strike at once, but I decline that option, and I will state my reasons. This enemy will almost certainly be the strongest we have faced, the war to subdue them the most desperate conflict we have fought…save of course for our encounters with the Others.” She paused. “Though there is no doubt of our superiority or question that we will prevail in this war, I do not believe we should risk underestimating our opponents. For this reason, I am authorizing the full mobilization of the Grand Fleet, and ordering that the invasion of the Rim will commence as soon as those forces are ready to set out.”
Blood on the Stars Will Continue with
Invasion
Appendix
Strata of the Hegemony
The Hegemony is an interstellar polity located far closer to the center of what had once been the old empire than Rimward nations such as the Confederation. The Rim nations and the Hegemony were unaware of the other’s existence until the White Fleet arrived at Planet Zero and established contact.
Relatively little is known of the Hegemony, save that their technology appears to be significantly more advanced than the Confederation’s in most areas, though still behind that of the old empire.
The culture of the Hegemony is based almost exclusively on genetics, with an individual’s status being entirely dependent on an established method of evaluating genetic “quality.” Generations of selective breeding have produced a caste of ‘Masters,’ who occupy an elite position above all others. There are several descending tiers below the Master class, all of which are categorized as ‘Inferiors.’
The Hegemony’s culture likely developed as a result of its location much closer to the center of hostilities during the Cataclysm, and the resulting fact that many surviving inhabitants of the inward systems suffered from horrific mutations and damage to genetic materials, placing a premium on any bloodlines lacking such effects.
The Rimward nations find the Hegemony’s society to be almost alien in nature, while its rulers consider the inhabitants of the Confederation and other nations to be just another strain of Inferiors, fit only to obey their commands without question.
Masters
The Masters are the descendants of those few humans spared genetic damage from the nuclear, chemical, and biological warfare that destroyed the old empire during the series of events known as the Cataclysm. The Masters sit at the top of the Hegemony’s societal structure and, in a sense, are its only true full members or citizens.
The Masters’ culture is based almost entirely on what they call ‘genetic purity and quality,’ and even their leadership and ranking structure is structured solely on genetic rankings. Every master is assigned a number based on his or her place in a population-wide chromosomal analysis. An individual’s designation is thus subject to change once per year, to adjust for masters dying and for new adults being added into the database. The top ten thousand individuals in each year’s ratings are referred to as ‘High Masters,’ and they rank above the others, and are paired for breeding matchups far more frequently than the larger number of lower-rated Masters.
Masters reproduce by natural means, through strict genetic pairings, based on an extensive study of ideal matches. The central goal of Master society is to steadily improve the human race by breeding the most perfect specimens available and relegating all others to a subservient status. The Masters consider any genetic manipulation or artificial processes like cloning, to be grievously sinful, and all such practices are banned in the Hegemony on pain of death to all involved. This belief structure traces from the experiences of the Cataclysm, and the terrible damage inflicted on the populations of imperial worlds by genetically-engineered pathogens and cloned and genetically-engineered soldiers.
All humans not designated as Masters are referred to as Inferiors, and they serve the Masters in various capacities. All Masters have the power of life and death over Inferiors. It is not a crime for a Master to kill any Inferior who has injured or offended that Master in any way.
Kriegeri
The Kriegeri are the Hegemony’s soldiers. They are drawn from the pick of the populations of Inferiors on Hegemony worlds, the strongest and most physically capable specimens. Kriegeri are not genetically-modified, though in most cases, Master supervisors enforce specific breeding arrangements in selected population groups intended
to increase the quality of future generations of Kriegeri stock.
The Kriegeri are trained from infancy to serve as the Hegemony’s soldiers and spaceship crews, and are divided in two categories, red and gray, named for the colors of their uniforms. The ‘red’ Kriegeri serve aboard the Hegemony’s ships, under the command of a small number of Master officers. They are surgically modified to increase their resistance to radiation and zero gravity.
The ‘gray’ Kriegeri are the Hegemony’s ground soldiers. They are selected from large and physically powerful specimens and are subject to extensive surgical enhancements to increase strength, endurance, and dexterity. They also receive significant artificial implants, including many components of their armor, which becomes a permanent partial exoskeleton of sorts. They are trained and conditioned from childhood to obey orders and to fight. The top several percent of Kriegeri surviving twenty years of service are retired to breeding colonies, to produce the next generation of Krieger-Edel, a pool of elite specimens serving as mid-level officers and filling a command role between the ruling Masters and the rank and file Kriegeri.
Arbeiter
Arbeiter are the workers and laborers of the Hegemony. They are drawn from populations on the Hegemony’s many worlds, and typically either exhibit some level of genetic damage inherited from the original survivors or simply lack genetic ratings sufficient for Master status. Arbeiter are from the same general group as the Kriegeri, though the soldier class includes the very best candidates, and the Arbeiter pool consists of the remnants.
Arbeiter are assigned roles in the Hegemony based on rigid assessments of their genetic status and ability. These positions range from supervisory posts in production facilities and similar establishments to pure physical labor, often working in difficult and hazardous conditions.
Defekts
Defekts are individuals exhibiting severe genetic damage, often populations of entire worlds. They are typically found on planets that suffered the most extensive bombardments and bacteriological attacks during the Cataclysm.
Defekts have no legal standing in the Hegemony, and they are considered completely expendable. On worlds inhabited by populations of Masters, Kriegeri, and Arbeiters, Defekts are typically assigned to the lowest level, most dangerous labor, and any excess populations are exterminated.
The largest number of Defekts exist on planets on the fringes of Hegemony space, where they are often used for such purposes as mining radioactives and other, similarly dangerous, operations. Often, the Defekts themselves have no knowledge at all of the Hegemony and regard the Masters as gods or demigods descending from the heavens. On such planets, the Masters often demand ores and other raw materials as offerings, and severely punish any failures or shortfalls. Pliant and obedient populations are provided with rough clothing and low-quality manufactured foodstuffs, enabling them to devote nearly all labor to the gathering of whatever material the Masters demand. Resistant population groups are exterminated, as, frequently, are Defekt populations on worlds without useful resources to exploit.
Blood on the Stars Will Continue with
Invasion