by Ross Winkler
Corwin became aware of other presences nearby. His Voidmates had come forward to partake in Corwin's experience. Looking up, he met their eyes, welcomed them, and they saw in Corwin his new understanding — and his apology.
"What's her name?" Hadil asked, running a finger down the infant's cheek.
Corwin looked at his daughter again. She had his mother's eyes. "Karishma, of Family Shura," he said.
A giant's hand fell onto Corwin's shoulder, shaking him with gentle brotherhood. "Well done, Corwin," said Kai in his bass rumble.
Corwin grinned, joy bubbling up inside for the first time since he'd come to the Republic.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Their capture of the Siloth ship had gained them a great deal of attention from their superiors, as well as the Republic citizens, and the Oniban and her cabinet had used it to their advantage in their own political schemes.
Their machinations took the shape of a new warship, the Tokugawa — the first ship built by Human hands with Earth-made tech — scheduled for completion and launch from the Republic's orbital spaceport in eighteen months.
After birth from her metal womb, Technicians would spend the first six months debugging her, and the first of the Zero-G subcaste would learn her controls. At the same time, they needed soldiers who could project that burgeoning naval power onto planets and moons and space stations, friend and foe alike.
And so the Oniwabanshu called up their lists of potential soldiers, created training programs, and allocated the needed equipment and resources. Of all the active soldiers across the Earth, they chose only 10,000 Tercio, along with a smaller occupying force of 5,000 Wei and an equal number of Teyma.
Of all the soldiers chosen, only four would be Maharatha, and the choice was easy, for their names were already on everyone's lips: Corwin, Hadil, Chahal, and Kai.
They launched into space with the rest, trained with the Tercio in ship boarding and defending procedures. The Maharatha also disappeared for weeks at a time with the IGA Special Vacuum Forces to train in all types of unorthodox maneuvers in Zero-G, from infiltration of enemy ship, to outright demolition with a few well-placed charges.
In addition, the four Maharatha underwent extensive training in large-scale operational management above and beyond the training received during their time in the Academy. This training coincided with promotions to all members of the Void, bringing Corwin's rank within the Maharatha Caste to that of Major and his Voidmates' to those of Sergeant.
Trips ground-side for the Maharatha were common, for in addition to the bone and muscle loss associated with time spent in null gravity, the unending nothingness of space could wreak havoc on Sentient minds used to bounded spaces and finite distances.
It worked to Corwin's advantage. Whenever he went Earth-side, he visited Karishma in the infants' crèche. He would take her with him out to explore the city and roam the small parks, the islands of green amid an ocean of gray. He took her out into the wilderness, where they'd camp for several days in a row, Corwin talking, teaching, Karishma listening, learning, and gurgling incoherences back.
On one of these Earth-side trips, Corwin took a chance. From the shuttle port, he went and collected Karishma from her crèche, then went to his bunk, where he pulled a well-worn pack from under the foot of his bed. He bundled it inside Karishma's blanket, down near her feet, and struck out towards his favorite park, a molecular torch also wrapped up beside her.
Careful not to attract attention, he secured Karishma on his back inside a gear bag and scaled the slick wall to the hidden cave.
Inside his hiding place, he nestled Karishma amongst the moss, growing green again out from the wall. With his service knife, Corwin cut and lifted a section of moss away from the slick plasteel underneath. He then set to work with his torch, cutting chunks away until he had a squareish hole that would accommodate the Śeṣanāga. Fitting it inside, he used the torch to reform the pieces into a kind of cap and then used the torch to melt the hole closed.
The remaining plasteel he cut into small pieces, allowed them to cool, and cast them out through the cave's opening to the roiling water below. Returning the moss to where it had lain, he took his daughter into his arms and spent some time enjoying the reprieve from training and people — alone, but never alone again.
All was ready to take Humanity into the stars.
Corwin stood with his Voidmates beside the idling vehicle that would take them to the star port. They stood on the sidewalk in front of a gray four-story building that looked very much like every other building nearby. Immaculate squares atop immaculate squares, small squares of plasteel glass for windows. The crèche's dean, a tall, grizzled man with a graying beard, stood at sharp attention. Two women with stern faces flanked him.
Corwin adjusted Karishma so she sat on his forearm and lifted her to eye level. She reached out and grabbed on to Corwin's ears for stability. Her big gray eyes traced the curves of his face.
"I have to go now," he said. "We're going into space on a big ship. I don't know when I'll be back."
She wiggled her head. "Ba-da," she cooed. Her head tipped forward, and Corwin kissed her a few times on the cheek and neck until she giggled.
He passed her around the circle, each Maharatha holding her and saying goodbye in their special way. She lingered with Kai the longest, waiting for his bass voice to rumble her tiny body. Once she was satisfied, he handed her back, his massive hand cradling the girl like a Karishma-sized chair. She squirmed and giggled.
Corwin took her, and she scrambled up his chest, tucking her head into the crook of her father's neck. She pulled on his ear, whispered "Ba-da." Then she grabbed his nose and pulled so his eyes were down to her level.
She fixed with him an intense look and began babbling in that language only infants kenned, and while Corwin couldn't understand her, he knew she was deadly serious.
Her look said she wanted an answer. "Okay. I promise," he said with a kiss on her forehead.
"Da," she said and palmed his nose.
The dean stepped forward and bowed. "Void Major Shura, you give this crèche dreng with your trust." His voice held a permanent hoarseness from years of yelling.
"Take care of her." Corwin's voice was cold, not from lack of emotion, but with a promise that if something should befall his daughter, the dean would pay.
"We are the best of the crèches in the Republic, sir. We will raise her to be a Drengin Republic Citizen."
Corwin frowned, snorted. He handed Karishma over to the stranger. She looked up, scrunching her nose in distaste.
"Sir?" he said, repositioning Karishma so she would be comfortable.
"Nothing. Nothing," Corwin said with a wave.
The dean bowed again. "Let's get you inside!" he cooed. He was gruff but caring — the Oniwabanshu chose their people well.
The Maharatha climbed into the transport, Corwin pausing at the door to wave at the dean's back, hopeful that somehow Karishma had seen. As the transport pulled away, Corwin watched the gray building until others blocked it from sight.
"Don't worry, you'll see her again." Kai's voice echoed in the small space.
"This is war, Kai. You can't make that promise," Corwin said.
Kai shrugged and looked out the window.
Corwin stared out his own window, watched the gray plasteel buildings slide past, saw the weary citizens trudging to and from work in their drab clothes.
Yes, they were heading back to war, and in war, anything could happen.
He hoped Karishma would forgive him if he never came back.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Glossary
For a detailed description of many of these terms and concepts, please visit http://rosswinklerauthor.com
Abtinthae [n & adj, cap, sing; an individual or characteristics of individuals within the Abtinthae race]; Abtinthae [n, cap, pl; a swarm of Abtinthae]
Accession [v, cap; the act of discrete parts combining back together]
Accessi
on, Order of [n, cap, sing; the philosophical group that believes in the tenants of Accession]
Accessionist [n & adj, cap, sing; can refer to an individual of the Order of Accession, or their ideas "An Accessionist ideal"]; Accessionists [n, cap, pl; members of the Cult of Accession]
active jammer [n, sing, lc; a device that blocks radar and other means of long-distance detection]
Ancients [n, cap, pl; the first Sentients created/evolved after the First Conflict]
arterial faucet [n, lc, sing; an automated device to access a Human's bloodstream]; arterial faucets [n, lc, pl]
Ashi-Kage [n, cap; the criminal underworld within the Republic]
Base Commander [n, cap, sing; one who commands a Choxen base, the soldiers within in, and the surrounding area.]
Benefactor [n, cap, sing; referring to a species within the Republic that offers money, technology and genetic tweaking to an Inducted species]
Beirat Council [n, cap; aka Beirat; governing body withing the Republic]
Beirat Military [n, cap; small military force controlled by the Beirat, not the Oniban/Oniwabanshu]
blackout device [n, sing, lc; a device that jams all com frequencies]
BP [n; acronym for blood pressure]
blood wine [n, sing, lc; alcoholic drink created by the Choxen]
Cargo City [n, cap; logistics hub within the Republic's Mid-West]
Car-karniss [n & adj, cap, sing; an individual or characteristics of individuals within the Car-karniss race]; Car-karniss [n, cap, pl; a group of Cat-karniss]
caste [lc when referring to castes broadly]; Caste [cap when referring to a specific caste]
Chemical Interview [n, cap; interrogations performed by the Oniwabanshu]
Chi [n, cap; Japanese term for Earth]
Choxen [[n & adj, sing, cap; an individual from, or characteristics pertaining to members of the Choxen race]; Choxen [n, cap, pl; a group of Choxen]
Civil Police [n, cap; aka CP; lowest of the Warrior Caste, they perform patrol and raid duties within Republic cities]
cleaning
Cleaner [n & adj, sing, cap; an individual or characteristics of individuals within the Cleaning Caste]; Cleaners [n, pl, cap; a group of them]
Cleaning Caste [n, cap; aka Cleaner; pertaining to the caste itself]
clothxlotic [n, sing, lc; toxic drink created by the Choxen]
C.O. [n, sin, cap; Commanding Officer]
com [n, sing, lc; general term for their communicators that act as computers]; coms [n, pl, lc]
Command [n & adj, cap; a word or action filled with Sahktriya to make it more powerful than the word or action is on its own]
construction
Construction Caste [n, cap; aka Construction; pertaining to the caste itself]
Constructor [n & adj, sing, cap; an individual or characteristics of individuals within the Construction Caste]; Constructors [n, pl, cap; a group of them]
Control [n, cap; a lockdown]; control [normal use and meaning]
Creator [n, cap, sing; Choxen name for the Siloth]; Creators [n, cap, pl]
crèche [n, sing, lc; a generic term for the daycare and school systems of the Republic]; crèches [n, pl, lc]; Crèche [n, sing, cap; referring to a specific crèche "The Variant Crèche…", "The Crèche of the Oniwabanshu…"
datapad [n, sing, lc; a tablet]; datapads [n, pl, lc]
Designer [n & adj, sing, cap; an individual from, or characteristics pertaining to members of the caste; they research and design new technologies]; Designers [n, cap pl; a group of Designers]
Design Caste [n, cap; aka Design; pertaining to the caste itself]
dreng [n & adj, lc; the embodiment of all those personal/cultural characteristics vital to the survival of the Republic and Humanity]
Drengin [n & adj, cap; an individual, Family or action that embodies the concept of dreng]
Dreng-less [n & adj, cap; an individual or Family without a history of service to the Republic and therefore, without dreng]
drop pod [n, sing, lc; aka pod; combat vehicle fired from orbit]; drop pods [n, lc, pl]
Droth [n, adj, cap; an alien metal used in crafting melee weapons]
dyzu [v, lc; the act of sensing Sahktriya either as physical sensation or through intuition; can be conjugated with –ing]; dyzued [v, lc, pp]
equipment kiosk [n, sing, lc; aka kiosk; an equipment station]; equipment kiosks [n, pl, lc]
Eurasia [n, cap; landmass that combines European and Asian continents]
Eurasian [adj, cap; of or relating to the characteristics or inhabitants of Eurasia]
Exilist [n & adj, cap, sing; an individual or characteristics of individuals within the Exilist movement]; Exilists [n, cap, pl; a group of Exilists]
family [lc as generic term, "most families eat protein…", 'a Quisling family…"]
Family [n, cap; referring to a specific family lineage, "Family Lieng…", "my Family…"]
Father [n, cap when used as a proper name]; father [n, lc when used in general]
First Conflict [n, cap; Accessionist belief that the state of Wholeness was split through Schism, an act that created the Universe]
First Exiles [n, cap, pl; aka The First Exiles; the remnants of Humanity after the Siloth invasion]
First Oniban [n, cap, sing; the first elected Oniban of the Republic]
Foralli [n & adj, cap, sing; an individual or characteristics of individuals within the Foralli race]; Forallis [n, cap, pl; a group of Forallis]
Fu [n, cap; Japanese term for Wind]
galactic
Galactic [n & adj, cap, sing; a general term for an alien within the Intergalactic Alliance]; Galactics [n, cap, pl]
Grand [n, sing, cap; a gender-neutral term for grandparent]; Grands [n, pl, cap]
Granrexen [n, cap, sing; aka Grunt; the mindless melee soldiers of the Siloth empire]; Granrexen [n, cap, pl]
Great One [n, cap, sing; one of the names that the Choxen call the Siloth]; Great Ones [n, cap, pl]
greens [n, pl, lc; the only other food in the Republic]
Groaton [n & adj, cap, sing; an individual or characteristics of individuals within the Groaton race]; Groaton [n, cap, pl; a group of Groaton]
Grunt [n & adj, sing, cap; an individual from, or characteristics pertaining to members of the Grunt race]; Grunts [n, cap, pl; a group of Grunts]
High Caste [n & adj, sing, cap; pejorative term for anyone within the Warrior Major Caste]; High Castes [n, pl, cap; pejorative term from multiple members of the Warrior Major Caste]
holoprojector [n, sing, lc; device the projects a 3D image]; holoprojectors [n, pl, lc]
Human [n, cap, sing; an individual or trait relating to the species of Human]
Humans [n, cap, pl; a group relating to the species of Human]
Humanity
Induction [v, cap; the act of bringing a Sentient species into the IGA; can be conjugated with -ing (Inducting)]; Inducted [ v, cap, pp; a Sentient species has been brought into the IGA]
Inspector General [n, cap, sing; a rank within the Oniwabanshu Inquest Caste]
intel [n, pl, lc; aka intelligence; information about a situation]
Intergalactic Alliance [n, cap; aka IGA; aka Alliance; an alliance of alien species bound together by common laws, technology, monetary systems, and Induction]
Intergalactic Library [n, cap; aka IGL; a compendium of knowledge curated by all the species in the IGA]
Inquest [n, cap; an action performed by the Oniwabanshu to check for any wrong-doing. Could be on an individual, Family, or city-level]
ion shield [n, sing, lc; the shielding that covers most cities within the Republic]
Iron Womb [n, cap; a machine that does the job of gestation for women]
Ismael [n & adj, cap, sing; an individual or characteristics of individuals within the Ismael race]; Ismael [n, cap, pl; a group of Ismael]
jendr [n & adj, lc; the opposite of dreng and Drengin; one can be jendr, as well as act in a jendr-like way]
Ka [n, cap; Japan
ese term for fire]
Kazoku [n, pl, cap; the family of elements that combine to create the Void]
Kraw'ka'ow [n & adj, cap, sing; an individual or characteristics of individuals within the Kraw'ka'ow race]; Kraw'ka'ows [n, cap, pl; a group of Kraw'ka'ows]
Ku [n, cap; Japanese term for Void]
labor
Labor Caste [n, cap; aka Labor; pertaining to the caste itself]
Laborer [n & adj, sing, cap; an individual or characteristics of individuals within the Labor Caste]; Laborers [n, pl, cap; a group of them]
logistics
Logistics Caste [n, cap; aka Logistics; pertaining to the caste itself]
Logistician [n & adj, sing, cap; an individual or characteristics of individuals within the Logistics Caste]; Logisticians [n, pl, cap; a group of them]
Lotagten [n, cap, sing; a communication booster used by the Choxen and Siloth]
Low Caste [n & adj, sing, cap; pejorative term for anyone within the Support Major Caste]; Low Castes [n, pl, cap; pejorative term from multiple members of the Support Major Caste]
Maharatha [n & adj, sing, cap; an individual within, or characteristics pertaining to the elite fighting force within the Republic]; Maharathas [n, pl, cap; a group of Maharatha]
Maharatha Academy [n, cap; aka The Academy; the school where the Maharatha Caste trains]
Maharatha Caste [n, cap; aka Maharatha; pertaining to the caste itself]
Major Caste [n & adj, sing, cap; the Major Castes are the three general castes of Warrior, Scientist, and Support]; Major Castes [n, pl, cap; more than one Major Caste]
Medic [n & adj, sing, cap; an individual from, or characteristics pertaining to members of the caste; they encompass all forms of internal and external medicine]; Medics [n, pl, cap; a group of Medics]
Medic Caste [n, cap; pertaining to the caste itself]
medigel [n, lc; viscous liquid that contains healing nanites and the materials they need to work]
medipatch [n, lc; band aid-like compress that has medigel and nanites]
microcom [n, lc, sing; a communicator a quarter the size of a normal com]
Middle Caste [n & adj, sing, cap; aka Mid Caste; pejorative term for anyone within the Scientist Major Caste]; Middle Castes [n, pl, cap; aka Mid Castes; pejorative term from multiple members of the Scientist Major Caste]