The Exxar Chronicles: Book 01 - The Erayan

by Neal Jones

  ( 2 )

  The observation dome was on deck one of the secondary hull, in the same location as the command deck in the primary hull. The dome, however, was three times the size of OpCon, and where the ceiling of OpCon was a standard bulkhead, the vaulted ceiling of the observation dome was made of clear glass and held in place by a carefully structured and reinforced alloy framework. The same design was used for the walls and viewports, the latter stretching from floor to ceiling. A large pillar which stood at the dome's center provided its only entrance and exit. The doors of the PTL opened and Gabriel and Zar stepped out, followed by a pair of EarthCorps security officers who had been assigned as their escort. The officers hung back, giving the commodore and ambassador some privacy.

  The dome was furnished with couches and chairs which were placed in small groups at even intervals throughout the spacious deck. Long benches sat in front of the viewports, and here and there were exotic plants of brightly colored petals or foliage. Taelon gasped with awe, her eyes growing even wider as she took in the view. For several moments she couldn't speak, and Gabriel treasured the silence. They were two hours into their tour, and it was far from over. The entire time the ambassador had babbled like a child at an amusement park, not quite gushing with exhilaration, but just enough enthusiasm to add another notch of intensity to Gabriel's already pulsing headache. Before coming here he changed the tour itinerary to make the ER the next stop instead of the observation dome so that he could get some aspirin from Doctor Rayburn.

  Now, as he watched Zar, Gabriel felt an intense revulsion bubbling into his throat, and he coughed as he put some distance between himself and the ambassador. This was all her fault. She was the one who initiated a dialogue with the Chrisarii Ambassador Vorik. She was the one who stood on the floor of Parliament with Vorik at her side, presenting their plan for Exxar-One. She was the one who asked for the Tiralan's help in negotiating the "treaty". She was the one who arrived late to the battle of Rigana-Seven, walking among the wounded and dying who littered the corridors and cargo bays of the E.C.S. Viking. Gabriel had not met in her person then, but heard about her presence from Captain Bryson. And that wasn't the only battlefield which Zar had toured. She had walked more than a dozen, always followed by the press, always dressed in something plain but elegant, and always with that same look of compassion and mercy on her face.

  All of it made Gabriel's stomach churn in disgust. Instead of playing the role of angel of mercy, perhaps the esteemed ambassador could have donned a uniform and fought in the trenches and on the front lines. Perhaps she could have devoted her time with Vorik to a better use – such as gaining his trust in order to obtain valuable intel on the enemy. Maybe, with her help, the Federation could have won their war with the Chrisarii Alliance. Instead, the most famous DrayH'M persona in the Federation walked around with a persistent look of naïveté and happiness on her face, and it made Gabriel want to punch her.

  The commodore knew he was being more than a little petty, and if his mother was here she would scold him for acting like such a child. But he couldn't help it. Why didn't CMC give Zar command of Exxar-One? Vorik could be her first officer and the two of them would make a better go of this place than Gabriel and Saveck. Zar had requested Saveck to join them, but Gabriel told her the major needed to finish some work in OpCon. It was an unexpected act of kindness on the commodore's part, because joining them on this tour would have tortured Saveck to no end. But during the last few days, as they worked together in his office and on the command deck, Gabriel had begun to notice certain qualities about Saveck, details which made him wonder if perhaps the two of them were more alike than either cared to admit.

  Just as Lieutenant Sikandra had done, Gabriel had studied his liaison officer's personnel file but found no real clues about the man himself. The commodore wasn't yet willing to make some discreet inquiries to the Chrisarii Military Council, but he was now reconsidering that notion. Saveck was a quiet man, speaking only when it was necessary, and keeping to himself while off duty. It was if he was wearing a shroud, a cloak which kept him at a distance from others and acted as a deflector screen.

  "You have been awfully quiet, commodore," Zar observed.

  Gabriel blinked and turned to her. She had closed the distance between them and was watching him with that same bemused expression she had plastered on her face for most of the tour. "I was just...thinking."

  "You despise me, or at the very least, you dislike your assignment and this entire station."

  Gabriel decided not to beat around the bush with this arrogant woman. "You're very perceptive, ambassador," he said coldly.

  "Please. Call me Taelon."

  "You may address me as commodore."

  She smiled and turned away, walking to the nearest viewport. Gabriel trudged after her and watched her sit on the bench. He remained standing, keeping a short distance from her back.

  "From what I've seen so far, this station has exceeded all my expectations." When Gabriel didn't reply, Zar turned to face him. "Commodore, I realize that my presence makes you uncomfortable, but perhaps you could put forth an effort at civility." There was an edge to her tone, and her normally calm eyes sparked with dark fire.

  She had a point, but Gabriel refused to give her the satisfaction. He did, however, walk to the bench and take the seat next to her. He held her gaze for several moments and then turned to face the stars. Zar did the same, and for a few minutes they sat in tense silence.

  "I understand your hatred of me and of this place," Zar said quietly. "And I don't blame you for it."

  "What do you want from me?" Gabriel asked.

  "I haven't asked you for anything," Zar replied, looking genuinely surprised.

  "With all due respect, ambassador, I'd rather avoid the heart-to-heart chat. I've had enough of them."

  "I met your father once. Did he ever tell you?"

  Gabriel sighed. "No, he didn't."

  "A good man. An honorable man. He deserved his reputation, and he's one of the reasons I selected you for this assignment."

  It took a moment before the words sunk in. Gabriel looked at the ambassador with astonishment and disbelief. "You?? How –"

  "I called in a few favors from some of my contacts in Parliament as well as CMC."

  "Why??" Gabriel demanded, with more fury in his tone than he had intended. He checked himself by jerking to his feet and pacing for a short distance. He faced Zar. "Why?"

  Zar stood and folded her hands in front of her, showing nothing in her expression but mild curiosity. "I believe you are the best officer for this position."

  "Why the fuck would you think that?" This time, Gabriel allowed his rage to color his tone while he kept his voice calm. "With all due respect, of course."

  "We have been in a cold war with the Chrisarii since the end of our initial conflict with them more than a century ago. The past five generations have grown up in an era where the Chrisarii are hated, feared and despised. The second war was a repeat of the first, with even more lives lost on both sides." She studied Gabriel for another moment before continuing. "Those who will have the hardest time living in this new era of peace are those who –"

  "- fought the Chrisarii, who have spent their whole lives living in the old era. Spare me the rhetoric, ambassador. I am fully aware of why I was chosen for this post, but I think it's bullshit, if you want my honest opinion. I have no desire to set an example. Let the new generation lead the way, and us veterans can spend our time somewhere else!"

  "I find it hard to believe that Robert Gabriel could have raised such a coward for a son."

  Gabriel's jaw clenched so hard he was sure his teeth were about to shatter. It was almost a full minute before he could find his voice. "You know nothing about my father, and you know nothing about me. This tour is over. Good day, ambassador."

  The commodore marched into the PTL, motioning for the security escort to stay behind. Zar watched him go, her expression neutral. But her eyes betrayed her sympathy.
..

  ...and her resolve.

  ( 3 )

  There were times when Gabriel wished the entrances and exits to rooms aboard starships and starbases did not have automatic doors which slid open and closed with only a whisper of sound. This was one of those times. The commodore needed to slam something, and a door was the best candidate. But since that wasn't an option he chose to clean the surface of his desk instead. He stormed across his office and swept his hand from one side of his desk to the other. Papers, compads, a pair of coffee mugs and the computer terminal went flying like debris from an explosion. Both mugs hit the wall and shattered. The computer bounced twice on the carpet before resting in the corner. The papers drifted to the floor like ash.

  Gabriel sat in his chair and stared at the aftermath, feeling a little better, but it wasn't enough. He clenched his fists, opening and closing them, struggling to reign back his emotions. It was more than just fury he was feeling. It was almost like drowning. He was struggling but he couldn't breathe. The darkness was swallowing him, and no matter how hard he fought to get some air, the faster the night closed in. He saw his father standing on the back porch of the farmhouse, he saw the blood from the Chrisarii soldiers he'd stabbed when they boarded the Tokyo, he saw the flag draped on his father's coffin, he saw his mother's tears, and he remembered the way the sunlight from that day burned his skin.

  Gabriel jerked to his feet and stumbled against the viewport. He placed both hands against the glass, savoring the cool surface, and breathed deep. It took several minutes, but he finally regained his composure. He forced the memories back into their hiding place and kneeled to begin cleaning up the mess. As he piled the papers and scooped up the compads, Gabriel's eye caught the screen of one of the pads. It was the one he'd been using to review the personnel rosters of his senior staff. The current one displayed was for a Ralorian woman named J'Soran Varis. Her military rank was brantar, the equivalent of a lieutenant, and she was assigned to the post of Strategic Operations Officer. SO's were often assigned to starbases in critical sectors such as demilitarized zones or star systems which bordered enemy territories. An SO's duty was to coordinate security operations in the sector so that no incidents arose which might provoke a conflict with the enemy. In this case, Varis would be assisting Gabriel and Saveck in making sure that the Chrisarii/Federation relations remained peaceful and non-violent.

  The commodore frowned as he returned to his chair and plopped the piles of paper and pads on his desk. He perused Varis' file once more, remembering now why he had it flagged it in the first place. Varis was supposed to have reported for duty three days ago, yet there was still no sign of her. He had meant to ask Saveck about it yesterday but they had been busy with the security details of Zar's and Vorik's arrivals. Gabriel finished cleaning up the mess, and it took half an hour to rearrange the piles into order on his desk. He was pleasantly surprised to see how much progress had been made in the last few days. There was not nearly as many stacks as there had been when he first arrived.

  However, Commander Garrett's people still were not finished with their examination of the Haal'Chai raider. The daily reports which the chief engineer had given Gabriel all said the same thing. We don't know any more now than we did four days ago. Navarr and Sikandra had embarked on their mission early this morning, and Ambassador Vorik would be arriving this afternoon. In four hours, to be exact. The commodore sighed and reached for his top right desk drawer. The bottle was almost empty. He filled the bottom of the tumbler and downed the Scotch in one gulp.

  ( 4 )

  Jerren Zar had been staring at the same paragraph on his pad screen for the last hour. He finally gave up and tossed the pad onto his desk, then leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He had just begun to massage his temples when the sound of his office doors opening made him groan.

  "I'm sorry. Is this a bad time?"

  Jerren's eyes snapped open and he yanked himself forward in his chair. His mother was standing on the threshold, her hands folded in front of her, looking at her son with mild amusement. The security chief stood.

  "Mother. It's good to see you."

  "You've improved your technique. I almost believe you when you say that."

  "Is there a specific reason for this visit, or would you like to join me for lunch?"

  "I wanted to take this opportunity to speak with you before the chaos of the next couple days descends on us."

  Jerren motioned to the pair of chairs in front of his desk as he sat in his own. "What would you like to talk about?"

  Taelon pulled back and chair and placed herself in it with exact precision. She crossed her legs and folded her hands over her knee. "We could discuss why you haven't called or written me in over six years? Your sisters are worried about you. Apparently, you haven't spoken to them either."

  "I've been very busy. My career has been going well."

  "I'm very proud of you."

  Jerren couldn't help the smugness in his tone. "I almost believe you when you say that." There was the slightest tick around Taelon's eyes that told her son he had scored a hit.

  "I came here to invite you to dinner tonight. My quarters. Fedryk makes an excellent rack of travion. I brought fresh meat from homeworld."

  "I'm going to be very busy with finalizing security arrangements for President Enkaro's arrival tomorrow."

  "Actually, that's one of the topics for discussion. I have invited Ambassador Vorik as well as Commodore Gabriel and the rest of the senior command staff."

  Jerren studied his mother for a moment. "Very well then. I'd be happy to attend."

  Taelon smiled, and if Jerren didn't know better he'd think she was exactly as she appeared: a warm, loving, congenial grandmother who genuinely cared about all whom she came in contact with, whether they be friend or foe.

  "Good day, krael." The ambassador walked out of the office.

  Her son watched her leave, his teeth grinding the inside of his cheek raw.

  ( 5 )

  Lieutenant Navarr activated the autopilot, then sat back in her seat and focused her attention on her compad. After perusing the first two pages for the fourth time since leaving Exxar-One, she glanced up at her co-pilot.

  "Just to make sure I understand the sequence correctly: we're going to pass into Chrisarii space at the Klepp system, and then we're leaving the shuttle at the Mosig outpost. A pair of tickets are already booked for us on a transport carrier bound for your homeworld. Once there, we're rendezvousing with a man named Talok Navin. He's a CI agent, and he'll provide us with information that will help us get to the Om'Nalu colony which is where your government thinks the largest Haal'Chai resistance cell is located. And after that..."

  "...we're on our own." Grynel Sikandra smiled as she itched her cheek.

  Navarr, too, was itching, but more than just her cheek. She scratched at her hairline, behind her right ear, on her nose and under her chin. Doctor Rosenberg's plastic surgery was flawless. Unless one conducted an autopsy, one would never suspect that the beautiful woman with crimson skin, gold eyes and salt-colored hair was, in fact, an EarthCorps officer. Not even a bio-scan would shatter the illusion. One of the latest advancements in medical science was the ability to inject microscopic bio-probes into the bloodstream, which temporarily altered a person's genetic signature, as well as various other "markers" which a standard bio-scan would use to identify one's species. For Sikandra, the station's CMO had widened her face and changed the color of her eyes as well as shortening her hair. The tactical officer was not at all pleased with the new style, and was constantly picking at it, pulling on a strand here or tucking one there.

  "Stop it!" Navarr ordered. "You're going to pull the whole thing out of place, and I'm not a hairdresser."

  "I'll stop if you stop itching."

  "I can't help it. It feels like I have insects crawling all over my face."

  "You might be having an allergic reaction. Give yourself another injection of kadrazine."

  "I already di
d. Right before we left. Speaking of which, how long did you say before we arrive at the Klepp system?"

  "Twelve hours. From there, it's two days to homeworld. By the way, stop referring to it as my homeworld. It's yours as well. Your name is Aerin Vakar and you were raised in Kor'Valis, which is a –"

  "- district of Lar'A'Tol, the Alliance's capital city. I memorized my biography before we left, Dren." Drennen Rhuit was Sikandra's alias. Navarr sighed and leaned back further in her seat, propping her heel against the flight console. She cast a sideways glance at Sikandra. The lieutenant had re-focused her attention on her compad. Until being assigned this mission Navarr hadn't spoken to Sikandra. They passed one another here and there in a corridor or on the promenade, but like most other officers on Exxar-One's crew, human and Chrisarii interacted with a certain level of guardedness, just a new allies always did.

  Navarr thought about Gabriel's words once more, and while she had no trouble reading between the lines, she did feel a measure of trepidation at killing her fellow officer. Yes, there were some Chrisarii who seemed to be nothing more than walking ghosts, hardened shells of men and women who had lived through the darkest horrors of the war, and you could tell it just by looking in their eyes. Major Saveck, for example. But then there were ones like Sikandra, the younger generation for whom Exxar-One was just another assignment, and though they understood some of its controversy, it wasn't personal. They had not sacrificed as some of the others had. Both Navarr and Sikandra were in this camp, and the former scowled as she replayed Gabriel's words in her mind.

  "What's the matter?"

  Navarr jerked from her reverie and glanced at Sikandra. "What? Nothing. So...tell me, what do you like to do for fun?"

  "Excuse me?"

  "We've got twelve hours to kill. We've been through our mission details three times, and rereading them isn't going to tell us anything new." She motioned to the compad in the tactical officer's hand. "So I'm hoping you brought a deck of jomdrin cards, or you've got some rousing anecdotes, cause I get bored real easy."