“All right,” she said. “While I’m over there chasing down my in-law, I’ll drop by and see if Kat needs any help.”
“Good,” Ebed Cya agreed. “Let me know how you find things. Oh, by the way, you should also be aware that Golden has a secondary mission. They’re to transport the Lady Felecia n’Calysher back to Thermadon. Seems that she’s been on holiday, and Ashkele was one of her ports of call. Now that her mother is gone, the Circle wants her back, probably to serve as an interim Senatrix until they can appoint someone else.”
Lilith chuckled dryly. “So at the moment, Ashkele is the center of the universe and ‘anyone who is anyone’ simply has to be there?”
“So it would seem,” Ebed Cya said with equal acerbity. “Good luck with your in-law—and get back with me when you find out some more about this operation. This is something that has the potential of affecting our relations with a friendly star nation, and the Navy has to stay on its political toes. If it comes off well, I want to make sure that we get some of the credit. If not, then I want all the shess to splatter on Bel Thana and the RSE.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Undisclosed Location, Kleta District, Thermadon Val, Thermadon, Myrene System, Thalestris Elant, United Sisterhood of Suns, 1049.03|07|03:31:33
A collection of the deadliest viruses known to the Sisterhood rotated slowly in space. Three in particular had been recommended to her, and of these, the Blood River virus was unquestionably the strongest candidate for what N’Elemay had in mind. It was one of those rare diseases that sprouted up every so often in the Nemesian jungles, only to burn itself out just as mysteriously as it had appeared, and very little research had been done on it.
After the attacks on Thermadon and elsewhere, she had been searching for something that would surpass them in destructiveness. Visiting plagues on the Church’s enemies had been an obvious direction to search in and a member of the Faithful who was also an infectious disease specialist, had supplied the files for her review. And she fully appreciated the advantages that these plagues offered. They were much easier to procure than anti-matter bombs, and the logistics involved in fielding them were far less complicated.
The problem was that plagues like Blood River, could not be easily controlled once a weaponized version had been introduced into a population, and she didn’t want the Faithful to suffer right along with the non-believers. She would have to let the woman down easily, she decided, and look for something else. Just to be thorough however, she opened up a sub-file that had accompanied the data. It concerned itself with pathogens that affected plants and domestic animals, and as she brought the information up, her hopes rose.
One of them was a virus that specifically targeted wheat, with the name Red Stalkbreaker S3A. Although there was already an antivirus in existence, the researcher had added in her commentary, promising N’Elemay that with some modification, a more virulent, and incurable variant could be engineered.
The implications were immediately apparent. If Red Stalkbreaker were introduced into the Zommerlaandar wheat crop, the results would be economically disastrous for the Sisterhood, especially if other plant diseases could be used to affect the major food crops on other agro-worlds. Even better, the Faithful could be warned in advance to stock up on emergency food supplies and weather the famine without harm.
She had found her solution, and for once, she was glad that Jon fa’Teela had chosen to abandon his faith. Had he remained, with Shaitan poisoning his soul as he obviously had, he might have gotten wind of this, and warned their enemies. But God had motivated the neoman to flee before he might have betrayed them. Saying a prayer of thanks for this divine protection, she began to compose her response to the bio-researcher.
Right in the middle of doing this, she was interrupted by a graceful hand that reached in and turned the holojector off. N’Elemay knew who it was even before she turned to look up at him.
“You won’t need any of that,” the Redeemer told her. He was accompanied by Sister n’Aida, newly returned from Storm, and the mysterious woman that she had brought back with her, Sister fa’Maala. The three of them smiled at her beatifically.
“My Lord,” she asked. “What do you mean?”
“Now that Sister fa’Maala is with us, the time has come to take possession of a weapon that God revealed to me,” he explained. “The power of the Tree surpasses anything that you could ever wield against the unbelievers, even these terrible diseases.”
N’Elemay was mystified. “The Tree, Lord?”
“Yes,” he answered. “A great and holy Tree of power. I will tell you about it as we make our way to it. Your things have already been packed for you, and a ship is waiting. We have a long journey ahead of us. We are going to the Xee world of Ashkele.”
N’Elemay got up from her seat, all thoughts of bio-weapons now gone from her mind. Whatever this Tree was, she was completely certain that it would be their salvation. The Redeemer knew God’s will. God spoke to him, and the Redeemer never lied.
CHAPTER 15
Ashkele Free Port, Hallasa System, Frontier Zone, Xee Protectorate, 1049.03|08|05:81:91
Despite all of the decorative filigree, and the colorful logos emblazoning its doors, Kaly knew a military grade hover-vehicle when she saw one. Grammy had made the reservations for them in-flight, and the Gravedeep Hotel, whose motto was “If You Must Stay in Ashkele, Stay Here”, had sent one of its ‘courtesy vehicles’ out to the Port to meet them.
Except for her tour in the ETR, Kaly didn’t have any experience with alien cultures (and the humans of the Republic didn’t really count), but she had heard the stories about the Free City. The armored personnel carrier was beginning to confirm every single one of them. The thing even had gun-ports! Edged in gold trim to be sure, but gun ports nonetheless. She flashed Grammy a look of concern.
“The Gravedeep is one of the finest hotels on Ashkele,” Grammy reassured her. “They take the safety of their guests quite seriously, and once we’re there, we’ll enjoy five star service.”
Once we’re there, Kaly thought dubiously. According to everything she’d heard, the Free Port was a wild and lawless place. She just hoped that the modified AHPC wouldn’t be tested, and she was glad that she’d taken the precaution of removing her duty pistol from its case and putting it in a shoulder holster.
She was unconsciously readjusting the holster’s strap as the uniformed driver got out of the vehicle. The woman was, by all appearances, just as human as they were, and had Kaly been pressed to do so, she would have identified her as someone with Aran ancestry. Her accent however, was not Arai, but pointed to a much more exotic location
“Enshon, jantildamé,” the woman said, coming around to them. “Do you need any help with your baggage?”
“No thank you,” Grammy answered. “We only have our carry-on luggage and that one case.” She indicated the locked container that contained Tatiana.
A grin spread across the woman’s features as she opened the passenger door and admitted them. The interior, Kaly saw, was a lot different than any of the AHPC’s that she had ever served in.
Instead of Spartan benches and bare surfaces, the cabin was plush. There also wasn’t any separation between what should have been the troop compartment and the driver’s station. This was open, with only a thin partition that could be slid shut for privacy. There even seemed to be a wet bar built in! Definitely not Marine issue, she decided.
“Your accent—“Grammy remarked. “It’s rather unique. Are you a native of Ashkele perhaps?”
Kaly had heard of human women living in the Free City and she waited for her to tell them this. But their driver laughed and gestured towards a religious icon on the dashboard. “No, ma’am. I’m from Xilanti, in the Imperium. We’re a Communion world.”
“Communion?”
“Nothing special, just a small group of human systems in a big, big empire,” the driver said blandly.
Then Kaly recognized the tenant of the little shrine on
the dash. It was a Hriss. In fact, it was the Hriss, she realized. It was a cheap holographic representation of the Emperor J’akkat’vak’nar himself. Her eyes slitted in disapproval.
“We’re the loyal subjects of the God Emperor and have been for over four hundred years,” the woman was saying, making an unfamiliar gesture of reverence towards the holo. “The Xee hire us to handle the jobs that the warriors won’t do, and the Clans don’t mind as long as we abide by the Scriptures and keep our proper place.”
Proper place? Kaly wondered. Bloody images of the raid on her motherworld surged to the forefront of her mind. “You mean you actually work for the Hriss Imperium?” she asked, barely able to contain the rage in her voice.
“No ma’am,” came the answer. “Not ‘work for’. We’re part of it. My ancestors saw the truth of the God Emperor’s vision and swore their allegiance to Him right away. The Hriss can be tough for sure, but they’re good masters, and they do have the divine right to rule the universe after all.”
It was all Kaly could do not to reach out across the seat and smash the little shrine to pieces, and then cave in the driver’s face for good measure. But Grammy’s hand silently and gently restrained her.
Kaly, she thought to her. We are not here to fight the Hriss.
Reluctantly, Kaly settled back into her seat, but she didn’t bother to hide her contemptuous expression. As far as she was concerned, the driver and her precious ‘Communion’ were nothing but traitors to their own race.
Grammy was right though. They were on Ashkele for reasons that transcended Womankind’s eternal struggle with the Hriss, and she couldn’t allow her emotions to interfere. There was simply too much at stake. Forcing calmness, she pretended to find the scenery outside of her viewport interesting, and tried to ignore their guide and the ongoing conversation.
“The Communion you say?” Grammy asked pleasantly, “Weren’t you once part of the Gaian Star Federation just like we were?”
“Oh yes,” the driver replied, either completely oblivious to Kaly’s hostility, or simply disregarding it. “That was back before the Plague hit of course. After that, we were on our own. Luckily the Clan warriors found us and offered us a path to a better life. Now, we bask in the radiance of the Throne of Bones and the Emperor’s holy presence.”
Then, as if finally realizing where her guests hailed from, she quickly added, “I hope that all this doesn’t offend you, jantildam”
“No,” Grammy responded. “Not at all. I actually find it rather interesting. We never imagined that the Hriss would allow humans to be part of their Empire. Things went much—differently--for us.”
“Yes, jantildam,” the driver returned with a trace of sadness. “I know. Perhaps someday, your Sisterhood will finally embrace the God Emperor’s great vision for the galaxy like we did, and then things will change for you.”
“Perhaps,” the old woman agreed. “And perhaps someday you will decide to join your sisters as part of our vision of a greater human family and then, things will change for you.”
The driver laughed and shrugged, and was starting to reply, when her expression sobered and she abruptly stopped the vehicle. Looking past her and out the forward viewports, Kaly saw that some kind of procession was blocking their way. The crowd was composed of many different races, all of whom were banging on percussion instruments of one kind or another. At their head, were the Xee themselves.
Unlike the rest of the assembly, the Xee were instantly recognizable, even to Kaly. They were not bipeds. In fact, to her at least, they resembled cooked and de-feathered chikka-birds more than anything else.
They had no eyes, or appendages of any kind that she could discern, and their bodies were encased in transparent globes that hovered over the pavement. Only the decorative metal bands that encircled these spheres gave any indication of individual identities, or their social status. Watching them, she guessed that she was looking at their priesthood, and this conclusion was confirmed a moment later when additional Xee, this time with more richly decorated bands, passed by. These, she knew, were the all-powerful merchant class.
A security detail marched right alongside them, and another was blocking traffic. It was a mixed contingent of Hriss warriors and forbidding dark grey robots that she had been told were simply called ‘the Guns’. One of the Hriss stepped forwards and waved impatiently for them to change course and move on.
The driver smiled back at the creature and complied. “I’m sorry, jantildamé,” she apologized. “I was so busy talking with you that I forgot all about this. I should have turned off earlier.”
“What is this?” Grammy asked her.
“It’s the Hey-Hey festival, Madame. The Xee hold them every year. They believe that it will scare away bad luck and evil spirits. We’ll have to detour. The Hey-Hey goes on for hours and the main streets will all be blocked. No worries though. I know a good shortcut.”
By this point, they were already off the main boulevard and traveling down a smaller side-street. The condition of the buildings around them quickly deteriorated, going from clean, well-maintained structures, to rude edifices covered with graffiti and punctuated with trash.
Barely a block further, a heavy ground machine, with markings that indicated that it belonged to some kind of delivery service, backed out of a dirty alleyway and stopped, blocking their path. Then, from behind them, another vehicle did the same thing.
They were effectively trapped. Automatically, Kaly withdrew her needlegun and cocked its action. She’d seen enough ambushes to know what was going on.
A moment later, a large group of green-skinned aliens, all bearing some form of club or crowbar-like weapon, poured out of the passages to either side of them. Without any explanation, challenge, or preamble, they began to methodically pound on the AHPC and several of them began working at the doors, trying to pry them open.
The hotel driver was completely unconcerned by the attack however. “Sorry, ladies,” she said pleasantly. “I’ll get this taken care of and we’ll be on our way.” She reached over and pressed a button on the dash. There was an intense, blinding flash of light.
When Kaly’s vision had cleared enough to take in the scene, she saw that every one of their attackers had been repelled. Or transformed into charred and smoking corpses.
Heedless of the carnage that she had just unleashed, or the fact that the blocking vehicle still contained a driver, their guide started up again. The heavy armored carrier pushed the lighter vehicle aside with ease and crushed it against the side of the nearest building with a sickening metallic crunch. Then they were free of the trap, and driving on. Nothing, Kaly saw, was pursuing them.
“Just a few more minutes, jantildamé,” the driver announced as they entered a larger thoroughfare. “I’ve sent word of this unpleasantness to the Hotel and once we arrive, the staff will have a complimentary bottle of Tipandian champagne waiting for you, as a way of apologizing for the inconvenience.”
“That’s quite thoughtful,” Grammy returned with equal aplomb. “Please pass along our gratitude. Also, rest assured that I’ll be adding in a generous tip for you, for all your troubles.”
Then she turned around in her seat and addressed her companions. “You see? The Gravedeep really cares about its guests comfort. I think we’ll enjoy our stay here very much.”
Like the ‘courtesy vehicle’, all the gilding on its exterior did little to conceal the Hotel’s security measures. Thick, high walls, topped with energy fields surrounded the establishment, and the main gate looked sturdy enough to Kaly’s experienced eye to withstand a full-scale hovertank assault. There were also armed guards, in hotel livery of course, standing watch. All of them were Hriss warriors, and she had little doubt that the humans who came out to greet them were also from the Communion. To her, they seemed far too comfortable around the Hriss to be anything else.
Ignoring them as much as possible, Kaly followed Grammy and Jan into the lobby. It was a spacious place, filled with expensive ca
rpets, inlaid wood and stone, and every centimeter the luxury accommodation that it had been billed as. Even so, she was still able to spot the remote gun-pods and other lethal devices that had been discretely positioned to cover the area. Whoever had built the hotel had made security just as high a priority as elegance. Given everything that she had heard about Ashkele, and had just experienced, she could see why. The Xee were lunatics, and this was their asylum.
There was a brief check-in process, and then they were shown upstairs to their rooms. Naturally, these were just as stylish, and just as well protected as the lobby. Their floor even had its own armed warriors, and the windows in their suite were thicker than anything Kaly had seen on a naval warship.
“Well?” she asked when they were finally alone. “What now?”
“That’s for Jan to tell us,” Grammy informed her, glancing meaningfully at the Ensign.
“Celina is here,” Jan said, her eyes half-closed. “I-I can feel her impatience.”
“Anything else?” Kaly inquired.
Jan shook her head. “No—just that she’s here. And Maya is coming, but she feels very far away right now. There’s something else--.” Her brow creased with concern and concentration.
“What is it?” Grammy asked. “What are you sensing?”
“I’m not sure, “Jan answered. “It feels like there is another group—another trio. They’re different somehow.”
Her eyes flew open in alarm a second later. “They’re the Enemy! Somehow they have their own group of Three!”
Grammy came over to her and took her hands. “How close are they?”
“I can’t tell,” Jan said. “Not as close as we are…I think. Oh Grammy, we have to stop them! If they get to the Tree before we do—“Her panic was palpable.
“We will,” Grammy reassured her. “The Alte Volk are with us. They have been from the start, and so is the Galaxy Mind. If there’s a way, we’ll find it.”
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