by D. J. Holmes
*
Four hours passed as Endeavour slowly moved deeper and deeper into the Kulthar system. James had spent the time growing more and more amazed at the size and extent of what the Kulreans had built in their home system. Even the smallest of orbital stations looked like they could provide comfortable living space for more than a million humans. Or if they were all used for industrial production, the Kulreans could out produce all of Earth’s colonial powers with ease.
“I’m picking up a tachyon beam from the second planet,” Malik reported.
“Where is it directed?” James asked.
“Right at us Sir,” Malik answered.
“Is it doing us any damage?” James quickly asked.
“Nothing that I can detect,” Ferguson answered from his command chair.
“Can you detect any form of communication in the signal King?” James said to the Sub Lieutenant at the communication station.
“There definitely seems to be a pattern in the tachyons,” he responded, “but I can’t make heads or tails of it.”
“Wait,” she continued, “we’re being hailed by the Kulrean ship that has been shadowing us. It’s in English.”
“Put it on the holo display,” James said.
“Greetings human Captain,” a blue face with three eyes said. “I am Superintendent Hallock. I have been given permission by my people to speak to you on their behalf.”
James had been trying to prepare himself for meeting another alien race. With the Vestarians at least he had been able to look at the dead bodies from the attack on Haven before he had met any living ones. He knew meeting the Kulreans would be an entirely different kettle of fish.
“Greetings, my name is Captain James Somerville,” James said in reply, sure that his shock was as plain as day. The alien actually looked very human. It had a mouth, a nose, two ears and even wispy blue hair that hung down over its back. Yet its blue skin and three eyes gave it a hideous look, like something out of a holo cartoon meant to scare young children.
“I am sure this is very unsettling for you,” Hallock said. “Meeting a member of another race face to face for the first time is always difficult. But you did come to our home system. May I ask why you are here uninvited? We Kulreans count such uninvited visits as the height of rudeness.”
“My sincerest apologies,” James began. “My race does not wish for anything but peaceful friendship with the Kulreans. However, I felt I had to bring my ship here to warn you about a threat to your people.
“If you have looked over the information I sent you in our initial communication you will know that the Vestarians have built a large battle fleet and intend to use it to conquer your people. They attacked one of our worlds so I know firsthand the damage they are willing to cause. When I learnt of their plot to attack your homeworld I felt duty bound to come here and warn you. You will see in the information I sent you that this fleet is just days away. They could actually be right behind us for all we know.”
“My people have looked over the information you have sent,” Hallock said. “We have had contact with the Vestarians for almost five hundred of their years. Under our guidance they have become somewhat of a peaceful people. We find your information hard to believe. Besides, they do not have the capacity to build a war fleet such as the one you speak of. We have also observed your people, though the last time we visited your planet you humans were traveling around on horse and foot, not in space ships. I must congratulate your ingenuity. We didn’t expect to see your race reach the stars so soon.
“Nevertheless,” Hallock went on, not allowing James any time to acknowledge the minor compliment. “We did observe your race’s behavior. You are a warlike people and we can see nothing has changed. Arming a spaceship with weapons of destruction is not an honorable thing to do. Why should we trust you when you come to us with such stories of war and death? Maybe you are the one who comes here to conquer us?”
“That is not the case Superintendent,” James said. “If you wish us to leave we will do so. Yet we must impress on your people the need to prepare for the Vestarians. Their fleet is real. We sent you evidence that they have built a secret construction yard on the outer edge of their system.”
“Images can be faked,” Hallock said. “The Vestarians are slowly learning the way of peace. We have given them many impressive technologies that have improved their lives. Soon they will come to their senses and embrace the unity we introduced and join us again in friendship.”
“I know you have a satellite over Vestar,” James said. “Haven’t you seen what the Overlord has done to his people? And haven’t you seen the recent rebellion that has overthrown him? The Vestarian threat is real.”
“I am sorry Captain but I simply cannot accept your view of the facts. From our information the Overlord’s aggression against his people only started with this rebellion. Something that I believe your ship instigated. We have seen your ship bombard the Vestarian planet with our own eyes. How can we ever trust someone who uses violence to achieve his aims?”
“I confess, I regret having to bombard the Overlord’s military installations and the lives that were ended. Yet that was the lesser of two evils. I did it to protect my people and to free the Vestarian people. Those whom I killed would have done far worse to my people and would have kept the ordinary Vestarians in slavery. Would you have preferred to see the Vestarians continue to be the Overlord’s slaves?” James asked.
“You don’t understand human,” Hallock said, with a distinctly human sigh of exasperation. “My desires do not justify the use of violence. The Overlord was evil, on that we agree. Yet the lives of the normal Vestarians were still better with the technology we introduced than they ever were before we made contact with them. In time they would have come to realize this and fully embraced the friendship we offer. Now you have set them down the path of war and destruction again.”
“I did not come here to debate philosophy with you Superintendent. My people wish nothing but friendship with you,” James said, trying again. “If you will not heed our warning there is nothing else we can do for you. The history of my people has taught us that sometimes violence is needed so that the strong can protect the weak. I fear that is a lesson your people may learn too late. If you will not listen to me, then maybe you will listen to Jil’lal,” James said as he stepped to one side, allowing Jil’lal to take his place.
Upon James’ request Tak’ar had sent Jil’lal with Endeavour to speak to the Kulreans on behalf of the newly formed Vestarian government. Government was a bit of a stretch as it was just Tak’ar and some of the resistance leaders who were overseeing the cleanup of the devastation the rebellion had caused. Nevertheless, they were planning a planetary vote in just a few months to decide what type of government their people should adopt. After that, another vote was scheduled to decide who would govern the planet. James strongly suspected that whatever the Vestarians decided, Tak’ar would be playing a central role. After the images of his attacks on the Overlord’s soldiers had been sent around the planet he had become a living legend.
Importantly for James, he knew that Tak’ar would honor any agreement Jil’lal made with the Kulreans. Tak’ar trusted her implicitly and she had been the natural choice. It had helped that Jil’lal had been demanding to come on board Endeavour to see Scott as soon as she had woken up from the electrical shock that had knocked her out. Sadly, Jil’lal didn’t remember anything from the attack on the Omen facility but the survivors had told her of how Scott had carried her out of the burning facility. Since she had come onboard she had spent most of everyday at Scott’s side. That hadn’t stopped her making fast friends with almost everyone. James just hoped that some of that natural charm could make a difference with Hallock.
“Greetings Superintendent,” Jil’lal began. “My name is Jil’lal Lackesh. A number of leading figures of my people wished for me to accompany Captain Somerville on his journey here to your home system. I wish to add my apologies for coming to your
home uninvited.”
“Your apologies are accepted child,” Hallock said with a lot more compassion that he had given James. “Our people hoped there would come a day when your people would be able to visit our homeworld. I’m just sorry that it has happened under these circumstances.”
“As am I Superintendent,” Jil’lal agreed. “However it was necessary for me to come here and give you this warning. What Captain Somerville has said is true. Our Overlord has secretly built a fleet to conquer your people. I have seen the orders with my own eyes and I was on Endeavour just three days ago when they engaged this fleet. They lost over twenty crewmembers trying to prevent it from reaching your planet. The fleet is real and they intend to destroy everything you have built here. Please, listen to our warning. You have to prepare yourselves to stop this attack.”
“Your words are well spoken Jil’lal,” Hallock said. “Yet you are just one person. We cannot take your word alone on such a matter. For all we know the humans are forcing you to say the things you say.”
“They are not,” Jil’lal said with a hint of anger creeping into her voice. “I have come here and risked my own life to warn you. For the last three hundred years your people have stood by and watched while the Overlords enslaved my people. Yet despite that I was sent here to warn you. The humans owe you nothing and yet they have bled to bring you this warning. Your people need to listen to us.”
“Now, now my dear. We know your people and how they let emotion get in the way of reason but there is no need to spoil this dialogue.” Hallock said. “The simple truth is that we will not sanction the use of violence. That means we cannot trust your motives in coming here and even if this fleet were real, we would not resort to the use of violence to stop it. If the Overlord has indeed sent a fleet to attack us, then we will talk to its commander when it arrives.”
“Then we have wasted our time coming here,” Jil’lal said in frustration. She didn’t trust herself to say anything more so she stepped to one side and gestured for James to take over.
“I am truly sorry if our presence here has caused offense. That was never my intention,” James began in a conciliatory tone. “If you do not want my help defending your system then we will leave before we cause anymore offense, yet I hope that after you think on our words you will change your mind.”
“I think that would be wise,” Hallock said. “In the future your government would be welcome to send an unarmed ship with political representatives to open a dialogue between our two peoples. We do not approve of species that use violence. However, that doesn’t mean that we cannot communicate with one another. In time we hope your race will come to see the benefit of peace and harmony. Farewell human.”
“I will pass on your kind words to my leaders,” James said to Hallock. “May your peace and harmony outlast the next few weeks,” he added as he closed the COM channel.
“Well that was interesting,” James said to the bridge crew. “I guess they don’t want our help.”
“What do we do now Sir?” Julius asked.
“Turn us around Sub Lieutenant Jennings,” James answered. “Now we wait, and watch,” he added to Julius.
“We’re not just going to leave them to their fate are we?” Julius asked. “We came an awfully long way to watch another alien race conquered and enslaved.
“I’m not too sure the Kulreans have given us any other choice,” James said.
“You don’t owe the Kulreans anything,” Jil’lal said. “You have already lost crew members for them. If they will not listen I’m not sure they are worth anymore of your time.”
“I’m not so sure,” James said. “You could argue that we didn’t owe your people the help we gave them. We could have bombarded the Overlord’s palace from space and allowed your planet to fall into civil war as his surviving generals fought among themselves for power. That would have protected our people. Yet we chose to help you restore freedom to your planet. At a personal cost to ourselves.”
“You are right,” Jil’lal said. “I am used to thinking as a resistance fighter. For us the cause was everything. We had to make sacrifices in order to survive. Anyone who wouldn’t help us had to be cast adrift.”
“I can understand that,” James responded. “But now Tak’ar and Mul’li’la are going to be responsible for all your people. There should be no one left behind. What’s more, you need to lead by example. If you want your people to care for each other and other species, you need to show them that you are willing to help them, even when it costs you something. I hope our actions on your planet will prove to be the cement that holds our two races together in friendship. We may yet have the opportunity to do the same here.”
“I see,” Jil’lal said. “I guess my people still have many things to learn.”
“As do I,” James replied. “Hopefully we can live long enough to learn them together.”
“Jennings, once we get to the mass shadow I want you to jump us five light hours up the shift passage,” James ordered, turning away from Jil’lal and leaving her to her thoughts. “Once we jump back out, turn us around and set a course back into the Kulthar system under stealth. We’re not going anywhere just yet. Don’t exceed 0.25C though, we don’t want them detecting us.”
“Aye, Sir,” Jennings said with approval.
“I’m not sure what we’re going to do yet,” James said to the bridge. “But I want to be here when the Overlord’s fleet arrives. At the very least we will get to see if these Kulreans really are pacifists, maybe they will have a few secret weapons up their sleeve. I’m going to my quarters to think,” James finished and then got up. “Ferguson, you have the bridge.”
“Yes Sir,” the First Lieutenant said.
Chapter 26 – A Change of Heart
It has always been the duty of a Captain of an Empire warship to put himself in harm’s way. That has been their tradition from the inception of the Empire.
- Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD
9th August 2466 AD, HMS Endeavour, Kulthar System.
Ten hours later Endeavour once again crossed the mass shadow into the Kulthar system. James was in his quarters sleeping fitfully as he dreamt of blue aliens swarming all over his ship trying to strip the weapons off the hull.
On the bridge Ferguson was monitoring the sensor feed when what he had been expecting happened. “I’m detecting ships exiting shift space,” Sub Lieutenant Malik called.
“Wait for a full ship count and then inform the Captain,” Ferguson called out. “I have something to attend to, you have the bridge,” he said to Lieutenant Julius.
When he got off the bridge Ferguson opened his COM unit and contacted Lieutenant Mallory, ““It’s time, I’m going to the Captain’s quarters now, you secure the bridge,” he said.
“Shit,” Mallory said as he dropped the coffee he had been drinking. His mind went back to the conversation Ferguson had had with him a few hours ago.
Ferguson had come to him with an ultimatum. He had discovered a number of gambling rings Mallory had set up and had actually found out how many credits he owed a number of the crew. Ferguson had threatened to reveal his illicit actions and have him thrown in the brig if he didn’t help.
Mallory had been torn, what the First Lieutenant had been talking about was mutiny. Yet Mallory had thought it had all been theoretical. He hadn’t believed the Lieutenant would go through with it so it hadn’t been too hard to agree. Besides, he thought, as much as he hated it, what choice had he had? Ferguson was going to end his career.
“Mallory?” Ferguson said.
Mallory shook himself. “Yes, I’m here,” he said. “I’ll get my men moving now.”
Mallory knew why Ferguson had come to him. Endeavour had been built with Chester taxes she was supposed to have been sent to Chester to map out the dark matter in the unexplored areas around Chester. The Admiralty had therefore ensured that a lot of the crew were natives of Chester so that they could enjoy shore leave on their home planet. As a result, Mallor
y had a lot of connections among the crew and many of them owed him or his father a few favors. Ferguson had known that too and now he was making use of them.
Switching COM channels, Mallory contacted two of the crew, “McCullough, Troon, it’s time, get your men and meet me on the bridge.”
*
Four minutes later James was woken by the beeping of his COM unit. “What is it?” he asked groggily.
“The Overlord’s fleet has arrived,” Sub Lieutenant King reported, “every ship that we didn’t destroy at their refueling point has just jumped into the system.”
“What are they doing?” James followed up.
“They are just sitting on the edge of the mass shadow at the moment. I think they are getting their bearings,” King answered.
“I’m on my way,” James said as he jumped out of his bed and searched for his uniform.
As he stepped out of his quarters and into his adjoining office James was surprised to see Ferguson standing there. He was even more surprised when he saw the pistol in his hands.