The Morcai Battalion: The Recruit

by Diana Palmer

  Centaurian: A misnomer deriving from first contact between humans and people of the Cehn-Tahr system near the Eridani solar system. They were at first believed to be natives of the Alpha Centauri system 4.3 light-years from earth. A fleet of colony ships from ancient Earth went off course due to a glitch in the programming that went undiscovered since the crew and complement were in cryosleep. The ships entered an unstable area of space, which “folded” into a system many parsecs from the Sol system. When they woke, it was to the sight of an alien vessel approaching them. The Cehn-Tahr boarded the lead colony ship and the captain assumed that they had reached their destination of the Centauri system. By the time the mistake was discovered, humans were used to calling these natives Centaurians and the name stuck. The Cehn-Tahr guided them to a planet in a nearby system that had the basic necessities of life—light, heat, water, breathable air—and introduced them to the natives who lived on the planet. They were accepted easily and blended into the existing human colony, all of whom were vegetarians, since there were no animals on the planet. They intermarried with the locals. In time, they colonized other systems, and the race as a whole became known as Terravegan. The Cehn-Tahr are humanoid, but their race traces its evolutionary roots to a species of giant cat, the galot, which was originally found in the Eridanus system. The species is also found on Memcache, the home planet of the Cehn-Tahr. The Cehn-Tahr are one race only, and their features include golden skin, jet-black hair and elongated cat’s eyes that change color to mirror mood. Their ears, nose, mouth, et cetera are exactly like any human’s, and they do not have either tails or fur. There is a narrow ribbon of fur that lies along the length of the spinal cord, a vestigial racial trait that is not visible, and that is never shown to outworlders. Their true physical form is only revealed to family, or, when in combat, to the enemy.

  Cehn-Tahr have two system-wide military units: the regular space navy and the elite Holconcom, which is the commando force, feared by other races. They also have an elite guard, the kehmatemer, who are assigned to the Dectat (the Cehn-Tahr parliament) to protect the emperor and parliamentary members. Women do not serve in their military, preferring to use their talents in the political and social arenas. Each Cehn-Tahr comes from a specific Clan, which is part of the individual’s social status. The commander of the Holconcom, Dtimun, has never given the name of his Clan. He is the only member of the Holconcom, except for his executive officer Komak, who is not a clone. Among the Cehn-Tahr, clones have the same status as any normally born member of the society.

  Chacon: Field marshal and commander of the Rojok military, and one of the most famous of warriors in his own right. Unlike his emperor, he is an honorable and compassionate being, respected even by his enemies. He will have no part of terrorism and is openly critical of the death camp Ahkmau. He believes in the war, because the Rojoks are so overpopulated that they have no more room in their dynasty to search for natural resources. Tri-Galaxy politics made it impossible for them to petition for the right to colonize in the New Territory, so war was the only recourse. But he hates Mangus Lo’s policies and refuses to send prisoners to the death camps. He is so popular with the Rojok population that the Rojok tyrant is afraid to openly oppose or criticize him.

  Clones: They can be created in less than a solar day among the Rojok. The process takes longer for Terravegans and Cehn-Tahr. However, in the human colonies, clones have no official status and are used for spare parts. They are treated as subhuman. Not so among Cehn-Tahr, where they are given full official status.

  Cularian medicine: A specialty of exobiology that deals with Cehn-Tahr and Rojok physiology and pharmacology. Until Ruszel began serving with the Holconcom, it was largely theoretical, because few humans had ever seen either a Cehn-Tahr or a Rojok, since the Terravegan forces were headquartered on Trimerius, in the human colonies. Not until the Rojoks invaded neutral planetary systems and then destroyed a trial colony did the Rojoks and Cehn-Tahr come into contact with humans. Cularian specialists are trained in every science, including emerillium technology and even theoretical physics and quantum mechanics, and they perform combat surgery as well as undertaking routine care of injuries.

  Dacerius: A desert planet famous for its yomuth races, silver work and exotic women, many of whom are captured and sold by slavers. Famous, also, for its bureaucracy, which deals in doublespeak and exasperation. Many nomadic tribes, most of whom have no affiliation with the central government. Tribal leaders are still chosen by combat.

  Dtimun: Commander in Chief of the Holconcom, the galaxy’s most elite commando unit. Except for its leader, the entire unit is made up of clones. The commander has led the unit for many years and is greatly respected not only by his own men, but by allied commands as well. He and the Cehn-Tahr emperor, Tnurat Alamantimichar, are enemies; no one knows why. He has never revealed to which Clan his family claimed kinship, in a world where Clan affiliation was honor itself. He does not like humans, especially the Terravegan doctor Ruszel, who thinks of him as a barbarian because he objects to having a woman in a combat unit. Ruszel was once the captain of an elite SSC Amazon squad, the Amazons (all female) being one of the most respected and courageous of the combat elite.

  Dylete: Cehn-Tahr have two hearts. There is only one heart at birth. Over a period of years approaching middle age, a new heart begins to form in concert with the original organ. At the time of halflife, approximately eighty-four to eighty-eight years of age, the first heart stops functioning and the new heart accepts the burden from the old one. The old heart is then reabsorbed into the body. Sometimes this process of changeover fails, and the patient dies. A Cehn-Tahr in his eighties is comparable to a thirty-four-year-old human male. However, some Cehn-Tahr have modifications that allow them to live to extreme age, in which case the dylete may occur more than once.

  Emerillium: A crystal that, in its refined form, has electrical and magnetic properties, first used as a power source by the Cehn-Tahr, the technology was subsequently shared with the human military under treaty.

  Enmehkmehk: The home planet of the Rojok dynasty. One of its moons contains the notorious prison complex Ahkmau, which translates as “place of tortures.”

  Galot: A huge feral cat found originally in the Eridanus system, but also on Memcache. Reports of them have been noted on a few colony planets, probably from kittens illegally transported as pets.

  Great Galaxy War: Decades ago, a group of arms smugglers, tech producers and anarchists formed an alliance and secretly induced various governments to attack other governments after “incidents of terror” provoked public opinion against former allies. The Cehn-Tahr and the Terravegans joined forces, along with the Altairians and Jebobs, to combat the growing totalitarian states that were replacing republics. Eventually, alliances would be formed with governments throughout the galaxy and, when the war inevitably spread to two adjacent galaxies through the time-warp technological advances, other races joined the proponents of freedom and formed the Tri-Galaxy Federation and the Tri-Galaxy Fleet. A good portion of the original aggressors were captured and their ships confiscated. The rest fled into exile. The political wing of the Federation is the Tri-Galaxy Council, headquartered on Trimerius.

  Gresham: A weapon powered by emerillium technology that uses a cartridge to shoot a cutting beam of high-intensity modulated energy at an enemy. Standard issue in the SSC.

  Holconcom: The most elite, and feared, commando force in the three civilized galaxies. Created by the Cehn-Tahr emperor Tnur
at Alamantimichar, and strengthened by secret nanotechnology called microcyborgs, the Holconcom is the vanguard in any battle. It is under the sole command of its leader—at present, Dtimun—and even the emperor himself may not command it. The Cehn-Tahr who serve in the unit are all clones, except for the commander, and their strength and method of combat are legendary. Few humans have ever seen them fight. They sport high-collared red uniforms. They can be attached to an ally military only with the consent of their leader, and they are difficult to command. Their leader’s contempt for protocol and chain of command is well-known, as well as his refusal to follow orders. The Holconcom operate behind enemy lines, creating havoc and cutting lines of communication, as well as seeking out supply and communications networks, which are then targeted for attack. They are allowed forbidden technology that enhances speed and weaponry and is unknown to outworlders.

  Hyperglas: A synthetic material that resembles glass but has the strength of steel, widely used in terraforming projects and architecture.

  Jaakob Spheres: An orb containing many smaller orbs that preserve in stasis the DNA of all member Tri-Galaxy Federation races, as well as cellular specifications for exotic weaponry native to those cultures. A true prize for the Rojoks who capture them, except that the orbs are transcribed in Old High Martian, an ancient human tongue, of which the Rojoks know nothing. The orbs were in transit on a diplomatic observation tour to the Peace Planet, Terramer, just before the Rojoks attacked the planet, killed many of the colonists and one of the Cehn-Tahr observers (a young son of the Cehn-Tahr emperor) and kidnapped both the diplomatic observers and the Spheres. Among their captives is Lyceria, daughter of the Cehn-Tahr emperor.

  Jebob: A member race of the Tri-Galaxy Federation. Offshoots of the Altairian race, they are also blue-skinned.

  Kelekoms: A sentient race of energy beings who can attach themselves to host bodies and share information psychically. Through an ancient treaty with the Cehn-Tahr, they send emissaries to the Holconcom and host Cehn-Tahr diplomats on their home world. Only four emissaries are allowed to serve with the Holconcom. They bond with their hosts until death. Usually, due to their longevity, the hosts die long before they do—so a new host is offered in place of one who is killed in combat or dies of natural causes. The kelekoms are extremely susceptible to alien bacteria and have to be kept in sterile fields aboard the Holconcom ship, Morcai.

  Komak: Dtimun’s second in command of the Holconcom, an enigmatic and charming Cehn-Tahr who is overly curious and has a howling sense of humor that frequently exasperates his commanding officer. But on the front lines, he is brave and formidable. He is also very mysterious, and is fascinated with humans.

  Lawson, Admiral Jeffrye: Leader of the Tri-Galaxy Fleet, composed of Terravegan, Altairian and Jebob military, but also the authority over any ally military seconded to the fleet in time of war. An old battle horse who is known for his bad temper and his soft heart. Winner of the Legion of Honor, the fleet’s highest award, in the Great Galaxy War thirty years ago.

  Lightsteds: Secret Cehn-Tahr technology that controls the rate of flow of emerillium power banks, much like control rods in a nuclear reactor.

  Mangus Lo: Leader of the Rojok dynasty, a small misshapen Rojok who poisoned his uncle and proclaimed himself emperor, supported by a group of bloodthirsty militants who rushed in to silence any detractors. He imposes terror to control the Rojok population. It was he who constructed Ahkmau, first used to house political prisoners and then to house enemy aliens.

  Memcache: Home planet of the Cehn-Tahr Empire.

  Mental Neutering: The Terravegan military is mentally neutered for service, so that males, females and berdache may serve together with no sexual distraction. The process is chemical and irreversible, although there are times when the process does not work . Cadets are chosen from children in the breeder colonies for traits that enhance combat abilities. Most cadets are initiated into military school at the age of six. Type of service and specialties are chosen for them. They serve until they are of retirement age, at which time they may specify a vocation they wish to pursue. This is usually at the age of sixty, although many officers are allowed to continue to serve if their abilities are considered necessary to the state. Military may not marry. In the event that the neutering does not “take” completely, there is a statute that requires the death penalty for any fraternization between members of the military. The Cehn-Tahr government also invokes the death penalty for any fraternization between their soldiers and other races.

  Microcyborgs: Implants, nanotechnology, which greatly enhance strength and endurance. Secret Cehn-Tahr technology. Usually implanted in the hair.

  Milish Cone: A pocket-size water synthesizer.

  Morcai: A legendary group of alien warriors who in ages past warred with a vastly superior force, and through tactics, strategy and sheer ferocity won a resounding victory. The flagship of the Holconcom is named for them: the Morcai.

  Rigellians: A race of small humanoids descended from reptiles, with pale yellow skin and slit pupils. They are distant cousins of the Rojoks (who also have traces of reptilian DNA but deny any link to reptilian ancestors).

  Rojok: An alien species in the Cularian classification of humanoids. Rojoks are one race, with reddish skin, thin mouths, slit eyes that are usually yellow or brown, and blond hair. Only officers are allowed to wear their hair long. The Rojok were a peaceful race until the Great Galaxy War, when they suffered at the hands of the renegades and were forced to study combat techniques and remake their military. They are now a military culture, having forsaken the arts in their determination never to be occupied by an alien force again. They have scientists, but are known to use spies to steal innovative technology from their enemies. They are led by an emperor, Mangus Lo, a Rojok who took power during the Great Galaxy War when he and his corps of terror troops protected the capital from being captured by the enemy. Now he rules with terror, using fear of imprisonment to keep the public in line. Every Rojok must give ten years to military service, although women are not permitted to serve; they are considered property, and the former royalty among the Rojoks are confined in camps. The system is supposed to be egalitarian, but Mangus Lo lives a life of incredible luxury and decadence, as do his ministers and bodyguards. The economy is based on military production, and property is owned by the state alone. Few dissidents are ever lucky enough to escape the military spies.

  Spacing: A fatal walk in space without a space suit.

  SSC: Strategic Space Command, an elite combat unit under the auspices of the Terravegan government, seconded to the Tri-Galaxy Fleet based on the planet Trimerius. Holt Stern’s ship, the Bellatrix, was part of the SSC Fleet.

  Terravega: The first and only human colony from Earth established outside the Sol solar system. Now established in many other colonies on far-flung planets. The original colony site is referred to as Terravega, and the systems that it populated are known, collectively, as the Terravegan Colonies.

  Trimerius: A planet in the Alpha Trimeri system. It is the headquarters of the Tri-Galaxy Fleet and home planet of the exobiological and human life sciences complex, which also boasts one of the finest medical centers in existence. The spaceport covers several square acres of land and is bordered by barracks for the military personnel stationed on the base. Not conducive to human life in its original state, the planet has been terraformed by the addition of many city-size hyperglas domes. The weather is controlled. The vegetation is very alien.

>   Vegan: The Meg-Vegan colonies are near the New Territory. Vegans are very tall and have light green skin. They are notorious pacifists.

  Wimbat: A small, winged mammal found on Celeb IV that hibernates for two-year periods.

  Wrist Scanner: Dr. Madeline Ruszel’s medical kit is embedded in her left forearm, in such a way that it is wired to her own nervous system and uses it as a power source. It contains a minibank of electronically linked instruments, along with a modem, and a minisynthesizer that can produce a limited amount of drugs in the field. With it, she can read vital signs, do surgery, contact any linked medical facility for assistance and even transfer patient information across the galaxy. The unit has a cover that mimics human flesh, so when it is not in use, it is not noticeable.

  Yomuth: A giant rodent, found on Dacerius. They can go for two weeks without water in the deep deserts and they can run like the wind. If attacked, they fight standing on their hind legs, using their thick, sharp claws as weapons. They also bite. Many Dacerians race them at meets held throughout the year among nomadic tribesmen.