by Aer-ki Jyr
“And if they can master Hadarak, they won’t even need any allies.”
“So the arrogant would say.”
“Forgive me. They would be less reliant on allies.”
“And in their deluded vision they would reform the V’kit’no’sat under their leadership or some other shortsighted fantasy. We are nearing the end of the V’kit’no’sat, one way or another. In light of that, your leading the second attack is pointless in the grand scheme of things…though I agree it would matter to the troops going into battle. I am sorry that you cannot go, but even if I had not summoned you, Itaru would most likely not have assigned you. As of now they are quite displeased that I somehow had the ability to supersede them, but the Yaern’ek are holding their ground,” Hamob said, referencing the active group of Era’tran leaders that led their race.
“What do you require of me?”
“To rid yourself of arrogance so that I may begin to reforge the V’kit’no’sat even as it begins to crumble,” Hamod said, full of angry confidence that others would have mistaken as arrogance had they not known the subtleties of Era’tran emotions.
“I do not understand.”
“Good. Good,” Hamob said, standing up on his pedestal and looking down at Mak’to’ran across the pond. “That is the first step. Come with me and I will start you on the second,” he said, heading for a nearby doorway that appeared in a transforming wall that had hidden it from both his visual and Pefbar sight.
5
Mak’to’ran followed the other Era’tran through a long tunnel that had to have led outside the facility, though he couldn’t be sure for the walls were constructed to block his Pefbar. That wasn’t too uncommon in Era’tran architecture, but such concealment always held a purpose and given that Hamob’s residence was far beyond any city or sign of other habitation it suggested significance.
“What are you concealing, and from whom?”
“There are a few Era’tran as arrogant as some Oso’lon, and they do not wish to allow the perception of invincibility to be stained. The work I have been doing lays our faults open, so it is best if I keep it concealed for specific sets of eyes such as your own.”
“You speak as if it were treason?”
“To them it would be. To us, we realize that dominance is something that has to be continually earned…and the preservation of the V’kit’no’sat is as far from treason as one can get,” Hamob said with a surge of emotion that unscored how serious he was about whatever he was working on in his solitudes.
Mak’to’ran followed him without further question until they came to a sealed set of doors that opened for Hamob, revealing a tiered chamber that stretched far to the left and right. There was a two person wide walkway at the bottom that ran in a straight line, then varying tiers going up an incline. It wasn’t until Mak’to’ran stepped forward did he feel a vacancy behind him in his Pefbar that revealed an even greater portion of the chamber behind them over a steep wall.
But it wasn’t the proportions of the chamber that caught his attention. It was the pieces of equipment and holographic schematics displayed as if they were museum pieces. Many he did not fully recognize, but one was a set of Era’tran battle armor in a configuration he had seen only once. It was a theoretical prototype that, to his knowledge, had never been constructed. It was here physically, while other such prototypes and legends were displayed in holo…including genetic profiles.
“What is this?” Mak’to’ran asked in awe.
“The true work of a leader. If we are to seal the rift in the V’kit’no’sat then we can no longer be chasing the memory of the Zak’de’ron. Others would have us forget, and those younger than you have no memory of their own to pull on, but true strength comes in overcoming our adversaries. Not in burying them.”
“You are attempting to unlock their technology?” Mak’to’ran said as he walked down the road-like strip looking at a ship schematic. It held the typical tuning fork shape of the Era’tran, but the more subtle design alterations were unfamiliar.
“No. We are attempting to match it…or duplicate it in some cases. When we do we can let go what they have built and replace it with our own, eliminating the possibility of…unknowns in the programing,” Hamob said, referencing the unlocking of the Terraxis defense station.
“You are working on more than programming.”
“We must become the masters and reforge the V’kit’no’sat. If we do not our mistake in eliminating the Zak’de’ron will forever weaken us. If you look there,” he indicated with a telepathic prompt, “you will see work on new psionics mimicking what we witnessed the Zak’de’ron Zen’zat and even the Zak’de’ron themself use during the war. This is of my own doing, but if I can do this…”
“Then others might be pursuing such research as well,” Mak’to’ran finished. “Do any of our Zen’zat possess these?”
“Not yet. We are making progress, but we do not have a full codex yet. Nor can we match our work to the lingering code in our current Zen’zat. It is compressed in a way that will not reveal itself until we gain an understanding of the compression or the psionics manifest.”
“Has training been undertaken to provoke the latter?”
“No. Those few I am working with do not include Zen’zat. This is a private endeavor that must remain private.”
“As you wish. Why must this be done in secret? Why not in conjunction with our current research?”
“Our current research is pathetic. Stunted by the lack of a true enemy and the knowledge that whatever we create will be shared with the others. Why do the work when we can wait and claim their advancements?”
Mak’to’ran tore his eyes away from the wealth of knowledge on display around him and looked into the slightly redder skin of the elder Era’tran.
“And what of our psionics?”
Hamob smiled, revealing the sharp teeth typical of their race.
“We cannot grant ourselves upgrades without the approval of the conclave…”
“You risk much,” Mak’to’ran said respectfully. “Why are such extremes necessary?”
“Because the V’kit’no’sat were intended to be a sword forged to cut away the Hadarak plague on this galaxy. We were not the forgers. The Zak’de’ron were…and to a lesser extent the Oso’lon and J’gar. The Era’tran cannot match any of those three, but if we are to save not only ourselves but other races with us, we need to actually be dominant rather than just claiming to be.”
As he said the words the claws on the end of his six fingers glowed a violent red and Mak’to’ran could feel the energy coursing through them with his Pefbar as a similar strike of both adrenaline and trepidation flowed through him.
Hamob was already in violation of Conclave edict, and possession of an unwarranted psionic was punishable by death.
“You disapprove?” he asked, letting go the energy flow and returning his claws to their normal dull state.
Mak’to’ran was slow to answer.
“You are planning something significant, and I trust in your wisdom, but I do not fully understand this.”
“There were once three founders…reduced to two. Two that have done more faking than is healthy. The V’kit’no’sat must have a leader that is genuine if the rifts are to be healed. We must become that third leader.”
“The others will not accept it,” Mak’to’ran warned, but still respectful of the fact that Hamob had been working on this for a long time and knew more than he did. “We will be culled.”
“How did the Rit’ko’sor hurt us so badly?” he asked, apparently changing topics.
“They concealed their full strength and struck without warning.”
“Oh, there was warning. The arrogant refused to see it, but it was there. They all but forced them into it.”
“What don’t I know?”
“A great deal, but it’s also something that should be familiar. Tell me why we haven’t recovered the territory from prior to the Rit’ko’sor rebellion.�
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“Rooting out the Hadarak is not a simple task.”
“Not the interior. On the rim.”
“Resource priority has been to the core.”
“Partially correct, but an expansion into former colonies would aid our growth and that in turn would swell our forces for the costly retakes of Hadark-ceased territory. So why haven’t we done so, even at a gradual pace, since the rebellion?”
“Because of population restrictions.”
“Precisely. And what purpose do they serve?”
“Ensuring that we make better use of the worlds we have than to splurge in reckless expansion,” Mak’to’ran said, repeating a well known explanation that even he did not fully accept.
“If we are truly dominant, we will not be reckless,” Hamob explained. “The restrictions are there because of fear of a repeat of the Rit’ko’sor. They multiplied beyond mandate and hid that fact from us.”
“And now the increased scrutiny is manifested in population restrictions.”
“That and more. Our mandate is to fight and one day purge the Hadarak from this galaxy. The latter is a fantasy without the Zak’de’ron, but the fact that we are not even trying is tantamount to treason. The V’kit’no’sat were created to fight the Hadarak. Not contain them. Not manage them. To fight and destroy them if possible. If population expansion is necessary to accomplish that, then we should be doing it. Forestalling the growth of strength in favor of other agendas is an abandonment of our duty…and it is a duty. Dominance is not about privilege. We exercise plenty, but the root of our position is responsibility.”
Hamob gestured upwards to the extremely large map of the galaxy that floated near the ceiling of the chamber and stood many times Mak’to’ran’s height with several details on it that drew a curious glance from him.
“When we assumed dominance of the galaxy, its protection fell to us. It does not matter if the other races are grateful, despise us, or are ignorant to our existence. It is our galaxy, and we are required to defend it against the Hadarak. It is our purpose, and when we destroyed the Zak’de’ron we compromised that purpose in favor of other things…”
“Thus the rift formed.”
“And it has been with us ever since. Only a reconciliation with our mandate can save the V’kit’no’sat. As far as for the Era’tran…we cannot fight the Hadarak alone, and we will not step down from this responsibility. We are V’kit’no’sat, in every breath we take, and if we must fight to our extinction to counter the Hadarak we will. Most Era’tran that thought otherwise have been dealt with over previous years, though not through the dishonorable tactics now employed by the arrogant.”
“You referred to assassinations earlier.”
“Such things within the Era’tran were dealt with long ago. The arrogance in us is limited to misguided fools that are dealt with in other ways. We will not turn barbaric, but they will not be allowed to lead. My sources elsewhere indicated that there are assassinations in other races designed to prop up the lies of the Oso’lon and J’gar. This has created even more mistrust, both between races and within them. Fractures are forming everywhere now that Terraxis has surfaced and panic is beginning to ensue. The unwise are reacting to it, and there are many ways this will end badly.”
“Few to the good?”
“Only one to the good. We must reforge the V’kit’no’sat and do so without compromising the Hadarak border.”
“How?”
“What you see around you is part of that answer, but our time is now up. Terraxis had hastened the fall and we must act quickly and decisively if even a part of the V’kit’no’sat are to survive. I do not know how this will play out, but if we are to have a chance the Era’tran must hold strong. I have gone to great lengths to insure that we will not fall from within, but if others turn on us from the outside we will slay the traitors until the last of us draws breath no more. We will not run to survive. We are V’kit’no’sat. We will prove our dominance or we will fall. There is no other path for the Era’tran.”
“Are you speaking of a preemptive strike?”
“No. I am speaking of forging new bonds. The fractures in the other races come with loyalists, many of whom I have contact with through their Zen’zat. We must support them and they us, but they are under threat of death if they act overtly. We must be the ones to call the Oso’lon and J’gar to task, but we must shore up some of our allies first, and for that I require you.”
“Have you always led the Era’tran from the shadows?” Mak’to’ran asked bluntly.
“I am not the only one, but few are privy to the contents of this chamber. The Yaern’ek are our front line, not our leadership. Others do not understand this, but they replicate it in part. I need you to be our frontline ambassador, the focal point for reforging the V’kit’no’sat. You have already been cleansed of bias for your part in the defeat at Terraxis. Many will malign you, blaming you for the failure, but those that review the records themselves will know otherwise. You are not part of that treason, and as such you are a badly needed stabilizing rod for others to cling to.”
“You wish me to go to Itaru then?”
“No. You will go everywhere but the capitol. You do not answer to them, nor do the Era’tan. We are taking the lead now and your actions will reflect that even if we are not ready to publically state it.”
“I do not fully understand, but I accept the responsibility and the danger inherent. Tell me what I need to do.”
Hamob huffed. “You will learn as you go. Not everything we have prepared is needed of you now, and it is best that you not know in case you are captured and interrogated. See to it that does not happen.”
“That depends greatly on where I am going.”
“To the Dan’chey.”
Mak’to’ran frowned, which amounted to a lowering of his eye ridges and a splaying of his lip flaps.
“They are loyal to the J’gar.”
“Oh. So sure are you?”
“The J’gar hold a tight bond to any aquatic race.”
“Bonds and suppression often are misconstrued, but the Dan’chey are amphibious. That fact has always put them somewhat askew from the J’gar block. I know there is considerable dissatisfaction within them. You will go to meet with a contact on Kiostaq and begin ferreting out the arrogant from the oppressed.”
“And then?”
“You will forge the new bonds, not I. I will advise and assist, but you are our anointed leader. Make of it what you will.”
“How am I to do that without stepping on your concealed plans?”
“That is my responsibility. We must become dominate in truth again. Let that be your guiding motivation in all things and we will back whatever agreements you forge.”
“Do you intend to provide me with further information?”
“Some, but you must feel this out. Know that the V’kit’no’sat as they are supposed to be exist no longer. The death is ongoing, though not complete. We must gather the remains and create the empire anew. Do not let yourself think otherwise. Salvage what you can.”
“What of the sponsor behind Terraxis?”
“I do not know who it is, but at this point it almost doesn’t matter. The rift is already here. It is but a symptom.”
“What of their tame Hadarak?”
“That is something others will explore. Your focus must be on reforging the bond that defines us.”
“You are going to their Preserve?”
“Not me, but we cannot let a potential avenue to defeating, let alone controlling the Hadarak be squandered. It is possible that someone else savvy to the forming rift has conducted this research privately in order to protect it…if not, we will acquire the knowledge through other means. Many have important tasks. This is yours. Do not underestimate the importance of it.”
“I am not. But I feel my previous assignment is unfulfilled.”
“That’s because it is. You must choose to let it go. This is more important. If you fail…if w
e fail…then the deaths of those at Terraxis will be a small omen of what is to come. Honor the dead by reducing the internecine as much as possible. The lives you save going forward will acquit your duty far more than by returning to Terraxis.”
“How will I travel to Kiostaq? My absence from the conclave will not be easily tolerated.”
“No it will not, and your movements will be monitored. The communications lag will give you a window of opportunity before forces can be summoned to retrieve you. Be wary of it and stay ahead of your pursuit.”
“What of my contacts?”
“They will take their own risks. The focus will be on you, and if you succeed in your mission you will become the most hunted individual within the V’kit’no’sat. Branded a rebel and given a death sentence eventually. The Era’tran will support you, but you must prove yourself superior in intellect in order to survive. We have Sav. Those that do not should not be able to corner you.”
“And those that do will be an even match,” he said, knowing that the Oso’lon would refute that.
“There is an augmented Na’shor waiting for you. It has been reconfigured with more gravity drives and less weapons.”
“A courier ship?”
“With enough firepower to discourage the curious. The crew are loyal and know the danger they face. You can rely on them.”
“A single ship then?”
“The dominant do not need escorts.”
Mak’to’ran huffed a laugh, knowing that was not always true, but also realizing the impression it would make if he defiantly went around V’kit’no’sat territory in a single vessel that couldn’t be caught.
“I leave now?”
“Soon. There are few technical updates you need to be informed of…in addition to your new psionics,” Hamob said as a portion of floor to the far left opened up and a medical station assembled from the components below.