by Aer-ki Jyr
That meant there could be Oso’lon and J’gar here if they had a reason to be, but Mak’to’ran’s information stated that neither were. This system was not important enough to warrant their presence and any controlling influence was held by the I’rar’et. Having other major races here was redundant and as such there were no Era’tran either, but the number of enclaves onboard put the total number of V’kit’no’sat races at 27 out of a possible 193.
The lighter gravity left Mak’to’ran and the other Era’tran with a slightly bouncy step for a few minutes until they adjusted, then the five of them walked in a single file line through one of the long road-like chasms that ran the perimeter of the squashed sphere of the station. Identical ones existed further in, establishing rings that were bisected by straight ‘spokes’ but Mak’to’ran’s destination didn’t lie on any of them. Sticking near to the outer docking ring, his contact was supposed to be waiting for him in one of the Poquot areas there.
The presence of the five Era’tran did not go unnoticed. While they weren’t the largest race in the empire they were in the upper third mass wise, but their combat prowess and overall influence put them a notch above the I’rar’et and that immediately made them the top ranking individuals in a system that lived and breathed I’rar’et dominance.
No one challenged them as they boarded a neutral Satu that was built large enough to accommodate even Ultras, and the five Era’tran walked out onto the moving shield panel as a group and traveled at high speed along the outermost ring, bypassing millions of V’kit’no’sat going about their business. None bothered to even speak to them until they arrived at their exiting terminal with a considerable amount of walking still before them until they got to their pre-arranged meeting site.
An I’rar’et flew down at them from their own version of a Satu that ran along the ceiling, exiting the wind column and braking its fall with its large wings until it landed on the ground and tucked them up alongside its body. It pointed its beak straight up to the closest of Mak’to’ran’s escorts…including the small weapon it had attached on top of its head. The I’rar’et was security and wore its own battle armor, only partially deployed, but with the stun weapon intact and ready for use at a moment’s notice.
“Your arrival here has been reported. I would not recommend you stay long, but we will ensure your freedom of movement on the covmenor.”
“On whose orders do you defy Itaru’s command?” the escort challenged, looking down on the I’rar’et and the weapon that could render him unconscious with a single shot if he did not deploy his shields fast enough.
“Those loyal to the true V’kit’no’sat,” the I’rar’et answered pithily, but vaguely. “So long as outside ships do not arrive we will ensure your protection. If they do we will not take part in your capture, but we will not fight them on your behalf. We intend to prevent a fight, not start one, so please be as efficient with your time here as possible.”
“We shall,” Mak’to’ran promised, then the I’rar’et took to the air again but didn’t fly far. She circled above them lazily, perhaps reminding those nearby not to get close, though her efforts weren’t necessary. Five Era’tran would be hard for anyone to stop without an army behind them, and all of them were wearing full, undeployed combat armor.
When they eventually left the transit ring the corridors didn’t shrink down to what the Dan’chey had used, rather they were kept large and high to accommodate flight, not just of the I’rar’et but also the Poquot, which were smaller and possessed three wings. It took a long time before any of them were visible in the station’s traffic, but when they got to a certain area of the covmenor the demographics changed quickly and the footpaths opened up with the sky now showing the congestion as the smaller avians were moving about in rapid fashion…but always giving respectful room to any I’rar’et passing through.
Somewhere in the flocks above them was their contact, for he made a telepathic connection to the Era’tran and guided them away from their arrival area to a specific offshoot that took on more traditional Poquot architecture. The covmenor itself was built on a predicated set of parameters meant to facilitate all, but regions within it were customized by those inhabiting them and the deep blues and prickly structures of the Poquot were easily recognizable…as were the individuals sitting on many of those sharp spines at multiple levels of altitude as the Era’tran walked beneath on floors that probably saw little use.
They passed through a forest of pedestals and oddly shaped walls until they came into a more open area that was used to entertain land-dwelling guests. There were none but Poquot here, and they massed in the thousands as they sat on their perches and looked down on the Era’tran save for 15 that were on ground level and arrayed in a 90 degree ‘V’ into which Mak’to’ran walked, leaving his escorts a few steps behind.
“Thank you for coming,” the central Poquot said with a bob of its star-shaped head. “Can you tell us what has happened at Terraxis?”
Mak’to’ran inclined his head slightly. “Have you not read the reports?”
“We know a J’gar Mach’nel was lost and that the attack was repulsed, but we have not seen a full report. More information has come through travelers than through the Urrtren.”
“Battle reports are meant to be freely shared. Has your leadership restricted your access to them?”
“We do not know, but we would like to know the truth from you. What happened?”
“I can give you a copy of my full report,” he said, telepathically signaling for one of his escorts to contact the ship and arrange the transfer immediately, “but the simple truth of the matter is that we expected to fight Zen’zat and found something else. They are Zen’zat in form, but they do not think like them and they possess both knowledge and psionics that they should not. They have also acquired the rumored means of controlling altered Hadarak. We did not observe this, but elsewhere in the territory is a region where they are publicly displayed and under their control. When we arrived at Terraxis these Humans were waiting for us and caused far more damage than they should. If lessons are not learned from our battle records I fear more unnecessary losses in the second wave that will be launching soon.”
“How did they destroy a Mach’nel?”
“By luring us into a trap and using one of our own planetary defense stations that we wrongly believed had been locked down. It was not so and caused massive damage to the Mach’nel that the Humans then expanded upon at great cost to themselves.”
“Rumor has it that the Oso’lon are responsible for these rogue Zen’zat.”
“I cannot confirm that. Suspicion lies on both the Oso’lon and the J’gar, but there may be other treachery at work. I do not know who is responsible, but the treachery is of a staggering level.”
“Who can we trust, fleet commander?”
“Distrust is our greatest enemy, for it corrupts the bonds that make us V’kit’no’sat. Whoever the traitors are, they are a symptom of a much greater threat of internal corruption. The Era’tran have been purging our own distrust and we now stand as a united race. You ask me who you can trust. You can trust us and anyone else who is V’kit’no’sat. Those who behave in another manner are the ones you should be wary of.”
“Are the Oso’lon behaving as they should?”
“Very few races are, and the Oso’lon are not amongst them.”
“Was your attack at Terraxis sabotaged?”
Mak’to’ran huffed angrily, but his ire wasn’t directed at the Poquot.
“You ask if we had traitors within my fleet? No, we did not. The fault was mine for not anticipating a greater threat from the Humans. I presumed our dominance when facing an unknown foe, and we paid a high price for my lack of vision.”
“How are they unknown if they are Zen’zat? Whoever their sponsor is, their methods are our own. What is there that can be new?”
“Would you expect Zen’zat to set up inertial dampening field generators along a jumpline so arriving ships will overshoot and hit
the star on arrival?”
The Poquot stirred throughout the chamber, and it looked like there was some silent communicaton going on between their leaders on the floor.
“Did they destroy your scouts in such a manner?”
“I did not send scouts. We proceeded directly to Terraxis to investigate in force. 371 of my ships entered the star and did not resurface. The Mach’nel and others did carrying damage.”
“How did these Zen’zat accomplish this? A single vessel with IDF could not slow a braking maneuver that much.”
“That is why I did not expect it. They constructed a huge amount of infrastructure placed on only the jumpline we entered on. A scout ship would have reported the threat, either directly or through its disappearance. I assumed we were superior enough to defeat any waiting ambush, but this was a level of reckless cunning that Zen’zat do not typically show. They also arranged additional ambushes, some more successful than others, but it wasn’t until they took down the Mach’nel that we lost control of the system. Most of their defense stations were taken down from range unable to defend themselves.”
The Poquot leader got a message, either in telepathy or through the crown-like piece of technology ringing his head, for he looked up and battle records that Mak’to’ran’s ship had just transmitted flashed up into the open air between all the perched avians.
“Thank you. As much as we want to know what has transpired in the past, it is the future that concerns us more. If one of us has been growing an army outside our borders, it is arguably for the purpose of another rebellion. The Rit’ko’sor surprised us all, and we do not want to think of what such a fight would look like if it is the Oso’lon behind this. The damage to the empire would be incalculable.”
“The empire is already dying,” Mak’to’ran urged. “I am here to see what pieces of it can be saved before the full collapse.”
Another Poquot spoke so fast that their leader didn’t have time to respond.
“You refer to a full civil war?”
“I refer to the fact that we have been internally divided ever since the Les’i’kron culling. Information about it and other historical records have been altered or deleted. We made a mistake then, and that mistake prompted the Rit’ko’sor to rebel later. The empire is already fractured from within, and the treason at Terraxis has been born from this. True V’kit’no’sat are united in the cause of confronting the Hadarak threat. How long has it been since Itaru focused on this? Why have we not reclaimed the worlds lost during the distraction of the Rit’ko’sor rebellion? Why have we not been fully adhering to our responsibility, our very reason for existence? I say again, the empire is dying. I am here to salvage those still loyal to our mandate and begin reforging us from within.”
“Itaru would say that is treason,” the Poquot leader said neutrally.
“And I would say that if Itaru abandons our mandate, it is they who are committing treason.”
“Do the Era’tran believe this, or only a faction of you?”
“We stand united.”
“Then why haven’t you confronted the Oso’lon and J’gar in the Conclave? Why have the Era’tran been part of every decision to come down from Itaru weakening us from within?”
“To what exactly do you speak?”
“Territory seizures and assassinations, the latter of which are not publically sanctioned but have to be condoned in order to be allowed to happen.”
“I have heard rumor of such assassinations, but unless it is Era’tran committing them do not assume we are involved. As for the territory seizures, they were in response to violations of protocol. What is at issue there?”
“Why have others not been penalized for the same protocol violations? The Brat’mar overstepped reproduction mandates on three occasions and were allowed to bring their numbers back into alignment without territory loss. We overstepped ours by .004% and lost half a planet.”
“My knowledge of our Elders in the Conclave is limited, but I believe I know the answer. If the penalty is deserved they will support it, but they cannot unilaterally enact a penalty on the Brat’mar or others without the support of the Conclave. If others are blocking for them, the only course of action is to not penalize everyone else. It is not right, but having no penalties would breed even further deviation from protocol.”
“So you justify…”
“No!” Mak’to’ran shouted, causing all 15 Poquot before him to vibrate and stutter step to remain standing. “I do not approve of such actions, but within the Conclave the Era’tran are limited in their ability to right these wrongs if other races are corrupt. It is the corruption we must combat. If it remains, even handedness accomplishes nothing! Our protocols must be just to begin with, then enforced properly. And if we are loyal V’kit’no’sat we will not even think of disobeying protocol…for the protocol will make sense. It will be tailored towards strengthening us in our fight against the Hadarak and others. Population limitations such as we have been operating under run counter to this goal, and they are not the only bad protocol forced upon us by the Conclave.”
“What else is there to do…other than stand by and meekly comply while the major races increase their territory at our expense?”
“In such a situation you have only bad options, but options they are. You can choose to go along with the corruption, either in the short term hoping for a change of state later, or simply accept it for the long term and try to advance through similar dishonorable practices…or perhaps just to survive. I believe many of your leaders are doing just that, while those of you loyal to our mandate feel much as the Rit’ko’sor did prior to their rebellion. The choice they made saw their destruction, but apparently they felt it better to die fighting than to submit.”
“You fought against the Rit’ko’sor and killed more of them than most.”
“I did, and with just cause. They did not strike back at only the corrupt, but at the V’kit’no’sat infrastructure as a whole. They meant to destroy as many of us as they could, whether we were their enemy or not, and I will not stand by while the innocent are targeted. If the Rit’ko’sor were in the right to rebel, they forfeited that right when they went beyond vengeance and began exacting injustice on others similar to or greater than what had been enacted upon them.”
“So we either accept it or die fighting? We can do neither.”
“As I said, you have only bad options. The Poquot are strong compared to other races in the galaxy, but within the V’kit’no’sat you do not have the individual strength nor the allies needed to face this corruption directly and survive. However, you can deal with the corruption inside your own race. There is no reason to allow it to exist.”
“If we do not mirror the other races we will be targeted and accused of treason. The corrupt do not allow the honorable to exist if they can arrange otherwise.”
“Wise words. This isn’t the first time you’ve discussed this?”
“The Poquot in this system have migrated here because we are of like mind. There are other such systems, but our primaries are mixed with those loyal and those corrupt. To remove them would mean an internal war that would destroy us.”
“Then you have work to do, just as the Era’tran have been doing for some time. You will not solve this problem quickly, but it can be achieved without a full scale war if you are cautious and the corruption has not spread too far. Those that are part of the corruption rely on lies. They pretend to adhere to our mandate without doing so and use intimidation to suppress those they cannot persuade. The truth is your weapon. Wield it wisely and begin eating away at this corruption. Let your focus be on the Hadarak and the true nature of V’kit’no’sat. We are brothers, and we do not doubt each other. If there is cause for doubt, then something is wrong and Terraxis has proven there is ample reason for doubt.”
“If the corrupt force a fight, regardless of how we proceed, will you stand with us?”
Mak’to’ran hesitated, knowing that whatever deals he struck the Era�
��tran would have to honor, but Hamob had insisted that he be the one to do this and now he had to prove his worthiness for the task.
“We will stand by any true V’kit’no’sat, and while we will not start a war with other races, we will not shirk from fighting any who strike at us first.”
“And what if others are struck first? Will you intervene or stand by and watch?”
“You refer to another approaching territory seizure?” Mak’to’ran guessed.
“We have been cited to lose another two planets for mirroring the actions of the Oso’lon themselves!”
“For defiance of more protocol? Your leaders are trying to replicate the corruption in others and are being penalized for it. First begin with righting yourselves, then worry about the actions of others within the empire.”
“If we do not compete we will lose far more.”
“If you wish Era’tran backing, then violate no more protocols. Has Itaru forced a seizure of territory without a protocol violation cited?”
“No, but there have been non-territorial injustices that have not been protocol based.”
“Then I advise you to hold onto your existing territory and weather other injustices while you spend your time and effort internally.”
“To what end? Can you give us no assistance?”
“What specifically are you in need of? Our Elders in the Conclave cannot overrule the others.”
“We need air. It is being systematically denied to us.”
“You refer to planetary atmospheres compatible with your physiology?”
“Yes. The territorial penalties have all been our most valuable worlds that are not a capitol or industrial center. We do not have open air in which to fly our growing population. Our worlds are congested, and it is a deliberate attempt to both insult and weaken us perpetrated by the Les’i’kron. They attempt to assert dominance by hurting us and driving us further from competition. We could never match them anyway, but they seek to grind us down further no matter what we do or do not do.”
“Intriguing,” Mak’to’ran said as he thought carefully. “I assume the air in a covmenor such as this is too close for proper training?”