His angular features spoke of hardship and wisdom.
Leveling those brooding eyes at Seafu he smiled, filling out laugh lines that the old teacher had not noticed until now.
The smile looked natural and reached every part of his face, brightening it somehow.
The being extended his hand into the space across from him.
“Please, Teacher, take a seat. We have much to discuss,” he said.
His deep voice sounded relaxed and soothing. Seafu eyed the man a moment longer and then lowered himself to the ground in front of him, emulating his posture.
Still smiling, the being directed a good-natured stare at Seafu.
“Hello, Teacher. As you may have guessed, I am Forsaken. Before you ask, no, we are not in the Temple of the Flame. You are still standing in the tomb, but to better facilitate our meeting, I have created this construct out of your memory to give us a place to talk without anyone overhearing.” Seafu was startled.
The place looked and felt so real,
all the way down to the cold stones he was sitting on. Seafu thought he understood and nodded. “What is it you wish to discuss, Forsaken?” he asked, keeping his gaze on the figure before him.
“How much do you know about the mission you have been drafted too, Seafu?” Forsaken asked bluntly.
Seafu gathered his thoughts and spoke.
“I know that the boxes have been activated.
I know the one called Shiasla is recruiting a species to serve as warriors for a coming war,
and that this war will put the boxes and their allies against the Empire for control of the galaxy.”
He looked at the other man for any hint that he may be wrong.
Forsaken nodded as if he expected that answer. “That is a good summation, my friend,
but allow me to expound upon that a bit.
There are things that we were not allowed to tell you in case you were captured.
However, we need a leader, someone who is a statesman and can counsel his people during this trying time.
The boxes have chosen you,
but before you accept or decline,
I wanted to explain a bit more about this coming conflict and what we are.
To lead, will require some hard choices and possibly some sacrifices.
I want you to understand the situation entirely.
I am laying all of our cards on the table.
You will be one of the few who knows this,
and I ask you to keep this information to yourself until we are ready to reveal it.” Forsaken said.
Seafu considered this.
He had always known he was working on faith and limited information,
but he also understood the need for secrecy,
so, had not pushed it.
If they trusted him with this,
then he would respect that trust and honor their request.
“I understand, and I agree not to speak of this until I am given permission to do so,” he said.
He bowed his head in a sign of respect.
Forsaken took a moment to gather his thoughts, then looked at Seafu.
“You are aware of the Empire’s rising tide of conquest, but what you do not know is that the Emperor is not the one pushing this agenda.
The Empire is a cooperative of four species.
However, we have reason to believe there is a fifth, one whom was the mortal enemy of our creators, we have no proof, but there methods and philosophy match that of this race so closely, we have little doubt.
We think this fifth race approached the others with promises of technology and wealth.
They agreed, for as you know, it is hard to turn down power like that.
This secret race is ancient.
In fact, it is one of the oldest races known,
but they have an agenda,
To cause chaos and strife throughout the galaxy, and they are using the Empire to accomplish that goal.”
He paused to see if Seafu had grasped what he had said.
Seafu looked confused. “What possible motivation could a race have for just causing chaos, strife, and empowering other races to enslave and subjugate entire species?” he asked,
shaking his head at the thought of it.
Forsaken seemed to be expecting this question. “Every species has a different set of morals and principles that guide them. This race we think runs the empire,
we shall call them the Shadow,
believe that the only way the inhabitants of the universe can truly evolve is through conflict and strife;
the weaker species will be consumed by the stronger ones until all that is left is the best the universe has to offer.
Thus, the survivors are worthy of the gifts of the older races, it is possible the four races came to this philosophy on their own, but their meteoric rise along with some of their technology points to the shadows still being alive and pulling the strings”
“the philosophy is horrible!
I mean, yes, there is precedent in nature,
but to do it on a universal scale…
it’s madness!”
Seafu shook his head in disbelief as he reflected on this.
“Why is the existence of this shadow race important, whether the four races came to this on their own or are being manipulated should have little bearing” Seafu interjected.
Forsaken nodded, as if understanding the misconception and corrected him.
“If, indeed the Shadows still exist and are manipulating the empire,
then the empire will, if they don’t already have access to advanced technology that might be able to challenge our mission,
it will be important to confirm their existence if it’s true”
Seafu could see his point, that could be problematic.
“On principle, I understand wanting to defeat such… evil,
for lack of a better word,
but there has to be more to it than that.
Why do you wish to eradicate the Empire?
the allies to these supposed Shadow you speak of?” Seafu pressed.
Forsaken continued,
“Like with anything else in nature, there is a balance. This race believes in strife and chaos.
Our creators believed in peace and harmony as well as protecting those species who are weaker so that they may grow to reach their full potential.
Both races were ancient,
and both had amazing technological resources,
but they were polar opposites regarding how to best guide the infant races.
As with most fundamental disagreements,
it ended in a war.
This war happened long before yours, and most other species evolved from primitive two cell organisms.
Our creators were defeated, but not before ensuring we were created and protected.”
He paused to give Seafu time to process this before continuing.
“We were given the directive to carry on their work, to defeat the Shadow, if they should survive, and to bring balance back to the universe by protecting the weaker species, giving them time to evolve.
We were created to be a police force for the inhabitants of the known galaxies.
Our directive is to guarantee that all species are given a chance to evolve into their full potential, but to do that, we need to dismantle the Empire. This is our purpose and our mission.”
Seafu couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“You expect this small group of temple monks and some primitive beings from a backwater world to defeat an ancient race and the most powerful government in the galaxy?”
He shook his head,
“Forgive me, but that seems like you’re setting us up for failure.”
Forsaken chuckled.
“On the surface, I can see that, but what we offer in the ways of technology and knowledge will allow this group to become the core of that force.
We will recruit from other worlds, and we have all th
e equipment, ships, and weapons that you will need. As I said, this was planned long ago.
These weapons, although sitting for centuries,
are still more advanced than anything the galaxy has seen thus far.
As soon as we reveal ourselves,
And our capabilities are revealed, the Empire will stop at nothing to stop or attain this technology, they will burn worlds for just a scrap of it” Forsaken said gravely.
Forsaken’s eyes captured Seafu’s in an intense gaze. “Now, to the heart of the matter. This force needs a leader, a general so to speak. This person would be the ultimate authority for this group,
but it comes at a price.
You will share yourself, your consciousness,
and your being with another” he stated.
The old teacher felt like he was suffocating.
It was a lot to take in,
and now they were asking him to lead this group, to spend the lives of his initiates like currency in this war.
He didn’t know if he could do it.
Hell, he was a monk, not a general!
“Forsaken, I am honored by your confidence in me, but I don’t think I am the man for this,” he said.
“I am no general, and I do not have the knowledge to lead people into battle, much less lead a police force like the one you are talking about. I am sorry, but maybe you should do this instead. You seem to understand these things.”
Forsaken chuckled again and said,
“Seafu, I want you to pair with me. I want you to allow me to share your mind.
By doing this, you will gain the knowledge and ability you will need to lead these people. Please understand, you would still be you.
This would simply give you access to centuries of my expertise on tactics and warfare as well as granting you full authority and access to our base. This location was set up by our creators as the last bastion against chaos.
As such, the location is only known by us and is one of our most guarded secrets.
By pairing with me, you will be privy to this and much more. The base requires the leader to be paired with one of us in order for it to allow access. There is a biological lock that can only be opened by one who shares his mind with a box.
Try to understand that our primary function is to make beings better, to give a biologic direct knowledge and advice, to enhance their physical and mental strength, and to assist them in becoming the best they can be.”
Forsaken seemed to stare into Seafu’s soul,
searching for his feelings on this.
Seafu was overwhelmed.
If he did this, he would no longer be his own person.
He would share his mind with a being who was ancient by comparison, and frankly, it scared him to death.
He was not the person to lead this war or these people.
It should be a general or a great warrior,
not a simple monk.
“Please understand, I mean no disrespect, but I don’t think I am the person you are looking for.
I mean, us sharing a mind,
I don’t know if I could do that.
You are ancient. How do I know your personality wouldn’t overshadow my own and take over my body?” he asked.
Again, Forsaken smiled.
“We do not overtake the bodies of our hosts.
It will remain your mind and your body.
You will still be you. We are just available to offer advice, similar to what we are doing right now.
I can help you to become the most significant military and political leader this galaxy has ever known, with access to centuries of experience at your fingertips.
Think of it as having a new conscience,
a voice to aid you,
one that whispers to you in the back of your mind. We were engineered to assist, not to take over,” Forsaken assured.
Seafu thought about the young initiate who had informed him of the meeting earlier;
he was so young and had looked at Seafu with such trust, and then he thought of Xera.
If he didn’t do this,
it would be left to a member of the elder council. Most of them had spent their lives in the temple, never venturing out into the real world,
and would not know how to deal with real-world problems.
They would do more harm than good.
“Do I have your word that I will still be myself after pairing, and that if it becomes too much, I can have you removed?” he pointedly asked. “You have my word,” Forsaken said slightly bowing to the other man as if to acknowledge the seriousness of the request.
Seafu sat in silence for several moments,
then stood up and looked down at Forsaken.
“I accept,” he said, bowing.
“How is this done?” Forsaken stood and walked with him along the path while he explained the procedure in hushed tones.
A few moments later,
Seafu found himself back in the tomb with initiate who had led him here now standing next to him. He started for the door, and the young man followed.
“See that everyone is ready to depart,”
ordered Seafu.
“Also, let the elders know that they will now have to coordinate the evacuation.
The ships have already been programmed with our destination and will fly us there.”
“But sir,” the initiate responded in confusion. “Where are you going to be?” Seafu answered but never broke stride.
“I am going to my own ship. As soon as you can, bring me the box known as Forsaken and have the other boxes in the tomb brought onto my ship as well,” Seafu said.
He walked off, leaving the initiate behind to fulfill his orders.
Once aboard,
Seafu waited until the initiate returned to him, carrying Forsaken’s box with reverence.
He handed it to the older man, bowed, and retreated.
Seafu entered the medical bay and put the box on a small metal tray.
A tendril of nanites emerged from it and fed into the ship’s AI doctor.
Seafu laid down on the surgical table and tried to contain his fear as the Al’s metal arms began to work on him,
altering his body and mind forever.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-TWO
TWENTYTWO
Keep on Truckin
It took five days of travel by freighter before Xera finally landed on Drazari.
She spent most of the travel time on her data-pad, searching through the global network for any sign of the Nismel, but so far,
she had come up with nothing.
Still, she had found interesting traffic to and from specific planetary boards,
looking for a “package.”
She had also seen descriptions of the Nismel and her original captain on similar boards.
Good, she thought,
they don’t have any new information on the crew and only possess cursory knowledge on the ship itself.
It didn’t appear that they even knew specifics about the item, just that there was one.
She was unsuccessful in her most recent attempts to reach Kree but surmised he was probably just keeping a low profile.
Xera disembarked from the freighter and began to make her way through the long corridor which led to an area hosting small shops and eateries for those getting off of ships.
“You might want to let me hold that bag for you, little girl,” someone said from behind her.
She suddenly felt a tug on her satchel,
and just as quickly,
she let it go and whirled around to faced three tall creatures two male and one female,
she recognized the species as Xeravarin,
a low-tech predatory mammilian species that hired themselves out as mercenaries or crew.
Their skin was as mottled grey like the sky before a storm covered with sparse wiry black hair over their entire bodies, their eyes were as yellow as a planetary sun.
Their angular fac
es extended to pointy chins, almost like beards made of bone,
giving them a very menacing appearance.
Their entire bodies were grossly bulky and from the looks of it, worked hard on manual labor.
The man who had grabbed her bag was no longer paying attention to her as he opened it,
hoping to find something of value.
That was his first mistake.
Xera lashed out with a clawed hand and caught the man behind the ear
while simultaneously hooking her right leg behind his leading one.
Putting pressure on his face with her other arm,
she pushed him over.
He landed heavily on the ground,
and as he fell, she let the momentum pull her to spin towards the other two.
She released the man’s face and brought up her elbow to drive it into the side of the second creature’s head.
He crumpled instantly.
The third stood watching for a moment,
slack-jawed,
but that was a moment too long.
Xera spun herself around in a flawless roundhouse that caught the Xamarin on the cheek and sent her sprawling to the ground.
As soon as she landed,
Xera sent a stunning palm hit to the female’s upper chest and finished her off with a temple strike.
She casually grabbed her bag and resumed walking with a small smile creasing her feline features.
No one seemed to take much notice of the altercation as this type of thing happened here often.
This was not a destination known for its kind people or profitable tourism.
It was a black-market planet.
If you wanted something,
it could probably be found here,
but with that environment came a particular kind of person.
Xera pulled out her data-pad and fired off a message to one of Kree’s anonymous mailboxes, hoping he would get it.
Dammit, she would have to beat down the little creature’s door if he didn’t respond!
She also posted to a few message boards he frequented before returning the data-pad to her pack.
She wandered down the street until she found a bar that didn’t look as seedy as the rest,
with a quick glance to ensure no one was following her,
she entered the establishment.
Xera pulled up a chair at the bar and began sipping at a drink.
She wasn’t sitting long before her data-pad dinged with a message from one of the boards,
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