by T. R. Harris
The Elder finally finished scanning the information on the datapad and set it down on the tabletop. He leaned back in his chair and looked up at Overlord Anawar standing about three meters to Adam’s right.
“Lord Anawar, I am very grateful that you have brought these outlaws to me personally. Your file will be noted. And the prize of the Klin spacecraft is even now being loaded aboard another ship for transport so it can be properly analyzed out of the area. As well, the ten ships you have delivered will serve an important function during the evacuation.”
“Evacuation? My Lord, I do not understand. What of the defense?”
“Of course you are not aware; the decision has only recently been made. Juir, as well as several other important facilities throughout the Cluster, are to be evacuated to safer territory as a result of the impending attack by the Human forces. It has been determined that any defense we may mount in the time available will be inadequate, therefore we are evacuating so as to preserve Juirean artifacts and records, along with as many lives as possible.”
“Forgive me, my Lord, but Juir is to be abandoned … to the barbarians?”
“Overlord Anawar, this is not a decision we have come to lightly. Unfortunately, at this time it is the only one that will preserve Juirean culture. And even though the Humans will occupy the Cluster for the time being, we do have ample reserves to repel them at a future date. It is more important at this time to save our heritage, if not our homeworld.”
“But there are over a billion Juireans on the planet. There certainly cannot be enough ships available to save them all.”
Adam could tell the Elder was growing impatient with his subordinate’s questioning. This latest revelation also explained why Hydon seemed to be so distracted.
“We will be able to save over half, according to our estimates. There are still four months before the Humans arrive.”
“Payback’s a bitch, isn’t it?” Sherri said, the first of the Humans to speak.
Hydon looked at her for several seconds, his eyes scanning her up and down. “You are the female. Although it has been millennia since Juireans practiced the traditional mating bonds, the vast majority of our Member races still do. In fact, in some societies females play the dominant role. I respect that. I will address you as an equal with your male counterparts.”
Sherri pulled her chin down into her neck as her eyes grew wide. Adam could almost hear her thinking, “Oh no, you didn’t just say that!”
“You are the one known as Sherri Valentine. You have accompanied the males during their terrorism activities, so you will share their fate.” Hydon then turned his attention to Adam. “You must be Adam Cain,” he said quickly. “The three of you are the first Humans I have met in person. It is good to actually see the enemy in the flesh. There have been so many rumors circulating regarding Humans, many I am sure initiated by you and your kind. Although all of you in this room will die quickly and soon, the others you came with will not be so lucky. They will be tested and their bodies analyzed to reveal your secrets. Once Fleet Marshal Relion and his technicians are done with them, we will know what it takes to efficiently kill the Humans.” Hydon nodded to the Juirean seated at his right.
“Now, before I kill you, I want to know the answer to a question I have not been able to fathom: Why? Why has your race elected to wage war against the Juirean Expansion? Besides the sheer audacity of the act, you must know you cannot prevail, not against the entire Expansion.”
“We didn’t start this – you did!” Sherri took a step closer to the Juirean; Adam and Riyad grabbed her arms and pulled her back.
“As to your point of us starting this conflict, you are gravely mistaken. The Juirean Expansion had no knowledge of your race until you began hostile activities against us. And the attack upon your homeworld was simply a defensive move to counter your aggressiveness.” He looked directly at Adam. “And as we have learned, it was you who played an integral role in leading our forces into the trap. And now, in our most recent encounter, your race has once again displayed an almost pathological obsession with deception. You cannot be trusted. You are a race of savages and criminals.” With the last statement, Hydon looked at Riyad. “Pirates and barbarians, feeding off the misfortunes of others. Yes, Riyad Tarazi, I am also aware of your contributions to this entire affair.”
He looked again at Adam, “So answer me: Why have you embarked down this fruitless path?”
Adam took a deep breath. He eyed the sword resting on the table, knowing that he would have only one chance to save their lives, and, unlike the evil villains in a James Bond movie, the Juirean leader appeared to be in a hurry. He wasn’t going to take the time to gloat.
But still, his comment about an evacuation gave Adam the opening he was looking for.
“Sherri’s right: we didn’t start this, and as it turns out, neither did you,” Adam said. “Everything that has happened up until now has been the result of the Klin screwing with both of us.”
Hydon looked confused, either from Adam’s use of the word screwing or from his comment about the Klin.
“You are partners with the Klin, however, I was not aware there was also a sexual component to your relationship. Regardless, that is not an answer.”
“I mean we’re not partners; it turns out we never were. We are just as much victims of the Klin’s treachery as you are. It’s been the Klin all along who have maneuvered us both into war.”
“He lies, my Lord,” said the Juirean to Hydon’s right, the one he referred to as Fleet Marshal Relion. “They have used Klin warships and technology all along, and are even now producing many more.”
“I do not have time for your games,” Hydon said to Adam. “If you expect this silly diversion to delay your execution, you are mistaken.”
“I can prove it.”
Adam could feel Sherri’s and Riyad’s heads whip around in his direction, and he could also see the narrowing in the eyes of the Juirean as a slight trace of curiosity entered his mind. “How can you prove what you say, here and now, in the short time you have left?”
Adam moved closer to the table and pulled out a chair across from Hydon. The Elder pushed back from the table slightly as Adam came closer. “Do not come much closer; I do not want to miss the satisfaction of killing you myself.”
Adam stretched a grin in the Juirean’s direction as he sat down, a gesture that caught Hydon by surprise. “Let me set the stage, if I may?” Adam said, resting his hands on the cold stone surface of the conference table. “Let’s go back to the attack on the Earth – my homeworld. It was there that your fleet was destroyed by a surprise attack by the Klin ships. Before this, very few people on my planet knew of the existence of the Klin, or of the Juireans, or any other real aliens for that matter. Many believed there was other life in the galaxy, but we had never encountered it before. We were simply a one-world race, divided up among a couple hundred countries – and all fighting against each other. Sound familiar?”
“It is like ancient Juir, before the Contact. But you are wasting my time.”
“Not really. In a few moments, I’m going to tell you how you can save your precious planet from destruction.”
The three Juireans seated at the table exchanged looks of confusion, but none spoke.
“Your fleet was destroyed by Klin ships sitting in dark status within your ranks, is this correct?”
“That is correct. But they were Human ships.” It was Relion who answered.
Adam shifted his attention to the head of the Juirean military. “How do ships maneuver while in dark status?” he asked.
“Usually with gas jets; using chemical or gravity would make the ships detectable and defeat the purpose of being dark.”
“Good. How soon after your ships arrived did you begin your attack?”
“Immediately,” Relion answered, frowning.
“And your attack continued for about three to four hours.”
“Correct.”
“Don’t play
your games with us, Human,” Hydon said. “None of us have time for this.”
“That’s right. Time is the key, my Lord.” Adam gritted his teeth as he spoke the words my Lord. “So from the time you arrived until the time the Klin attacked was about three to four hours.”
“Again, correct.”
“My question to you is how could the Klin ships have arrived in dark status, to be within your fleet, in that short of time?”
“They came in undetected, in dark status, as you said.” Even Relion was growing impatient with this line of questioning.
“From where? How far out can you detect ships using energy drives?”
“Nearly out to the edge of your stellar system.”
“And how long would it take ships to cover that distance, undetected, only coasting in without using energy – in dark status?”
Relion seemed confused by the question. “It would take several standard years to cover that distance. But your ships were expecting us. They were already there.”
“Exactly!” Adam exclaimed, causing the Juireans to jump back slightly. “They were already in orbit. They had to be otherwise they would not have had time to drift in without power and not be detected.”
“I see your point, Adam Cain, but I don’t see what difference it makes,” said Relion. “So your forces were already in orbit waiting for us to arrive. You knew we were coming – you led us there yourself. You waited until we had arrived and then you attacked.”
Adam leaned back in his chair and placed his hands behind his head. He looked over his shoulder at Sherri and Riyad, who returned the look with quizzical expressions. He turned back at the Juireans, focusing his attention on Hydon. “So we were there waiting for you. We – and I say it was the Klin only – had the power to destroy your fleet from the moment you arrived.” He paused for effect before continuing. “So why did we wait for hours to do it? Why did we allow you to drop energy bombs on our world and kill over a billion of our people? Why would we do that if we had the power and the opportunity to stop you before you dropped a single bomb?”
Hydon met Adam’s stare straight on. “I do not know why Humans do what they do. You may not cherish life as much as we do. I do not know.”
“Well here’s your answer: It was the Klin who controlled those ships in space. It was the Klin who could have stopped your attack and didn’t. And it was the Klin who allowed you to kill a billion people – a billion Humans.”
“Why would they do that,” asked the other Juirean seated at the table, the one who had not spoken to this point.
“To make us mad, that’s why. They did it so we would hate Juireans with every ounce of our being. They did it so we would want to go to war against you. Then right after the attack, the fucking Klin and their Human surrogates came down to Earth and offered to help us rebuild, while telling us god-awful stories about the evil Juireans and their desire to kill every last person on Earth. They gave us technology and spaceships and helped us train for the coming war with the Juireans – with you.”
“Again, I ask why would they do this? And why your race?
“Because they couldn’t do it themselves. As you’ve seen, we are pretty awesome fighters. We may be primitives compared to you technologically, but that’s probably what makes us so good at what we do best. We’re stronger, faster and tougher than even you. We’re god-damn supermen. Why wouldn’t the Klin use us in a war with the Juireans?”
None of the Juireans spoke for a full minute, instead their eyes locked on Adam. Finally Adam could take it no longer. “Can’t you see? The Klin have set this whole thing up. They made you believe that we were your enemy, while at the same time making sure that all of Humanity would hate the Juireans as much as they do – by allowing you to kill a billion of us.”
“Again, I ask why? What do they hope to gain from a war?” This other Juirean seemed to be more contemplative than the others, his tone softer. “Your planet is positioned much too far away to be an effective capital of the Expansion and your resources are limited. In addition, any victory would be a Human victory, not a Klin victory.”
Adam looked over at Overlord Anawar. “When you first picked us up, we had just escaped from the Klin headquarters on a planet called Marishal. While we were there, we watched the attack between the Humans and Juireans that took place a couple of months ago. We found out then that all the Klin ever wanted from this war was for the two of us to reduce our forces to a point where their fleet – and their true partners in crime – could then step in and take over. Fortunately for us, we tricked them – and you – and came out much stronger than they had anticipated.”
“You say there is another fleet?
“That’s right. It’s three hundred ships strong and manned by the Klin and another of their patsy races, the Kracori.”
Adam watched as Relion entered data in one of the computers embedded into the top of the conference table. He looked up a moment later. “The Kracori are a race of beings from the planet Eilsion. It’s somewhere near the Juddle Nebula, my Lord, although there is no definite location noted for the planet.”
“I have not heard of these Kracori,” Hydon said. He then took a moment to look out at the panorama beyond the bronze glass of the conference room. Darkness was a little closer now, with the last rays of daylight creeping across the landscape.
“You say there is another fleet, a fleet of Klin and Kracori?” he asked, not looked from the window.
“That’s right,” said Adam. “And if I’m right, it’s not the Humans who are your most immediate problem, it’s them.”
“My Lord,” said Relion, “the Human fleet delayed their departure for Juir by two months after the attack as they awaited the arrival of their second fleet. What if this other fleet – if it exists – did not hesitate?”
“Then they are due here in less than two months.”
“My thoughts exactly,” Adam agreed. “So you can evacuate all you want, but you won’t have time to do squat before the Klin arrive. And you know the kind of grudge they have against you. They called it a Reckoning of their own. I’m sure you get the meaning.”
Hydon continued to stare out the window for what seemed like an eternity, as everyone in the room watched him. Adam was content to let the Juirean digest everything he’d just heard.
“Relion,” the Council Elder began, “deactivate the collars.” He then turned to face Adam. “They can be reactivated at any time. We will investigate your claims, to see if we can detect any mass of ships approaching the Cluster. Fleet Marshal, cease all evacuation efforts and prepare a defense. If what the Human says is true, we may be able to repel a force of three hundred ships with the forces available.”
Adam could see the other two Juireans grow visibly excited. Relion began to bark orders into seemingly empty air, knowing that others were watching and listening.
“Then Juir can be saved!” Overlord Anawar said to the room.
“If what the Human says is correct, it is a possibility” said the nameless Juirean at the table.
Hydon did not speak, but rather locked eyes with Adam. Adam grinned. “That’s right,” he said cryptically to the Elder. “Even if you do stop the Klin fleet, you have a much larger and meaner group of very mad Humans arriving right behind them. So you can use your ships to defend against the Klin, and then you have none available for the evacuation. When the Humans arrive, you will have lost nearly all your defenders fighting against the Klin and have nothing left for the Humans. Juir is lost, as is nearly everything else.”
Adam’s words put an immediate damper on the spirits within the room. Relion and the nameless Juirean had risen from their chairs, but now they dropped back into them, dejected.
After a few moments, Adam figured he’d let them suffer long enough. “Of course, I might be able to contact the Human fleet and get them to call off the attack.”
“How can you do that?” Relion asked.
“Well, thanks to you guys, I’m pretty well-known to
those in charge of the fleet, and a lot of us already know the Klin have been responsible for everything that’s happened up till now. I might have a shot.”
“A shot?”
“A chance at making them stop.”
“You would do that?” It was Hydon asking the question.
Adam leaned in closer across the table, making sure not to cross the imaginary dividing line down its center, just in case the collar had not yet been deactivated. “Don’t get me wrong. We are not friends, buddies or allies. I still have the image of the charred and smoking remains of my wife and daughter etched in my mind from your attack on Earth. These so-called mating bonds may not mean much to you, but they do to us. I’ll do this to save as many Human lives as possible.”
“Including your own,” Hydon said, his tone matching that of Adam’s.
“That’s right, along with the others who came with us. But already too many lives have been lost in a war that should have never been fought.”
“On both sides.”
“Whatever.”
Hydon turned to the nameless Juirean. “Have these three – and the others – housed in the Oannean Tower – under guard. So far, we have absolutely no empirical evidence that anything this Human says is true.” He turned to Adam. “In the event that it is, then we will work together to assist you in making contact with your fleet.” Hydon paused as he fought to say the words that seemed so painful to utter. “And then you will be free to leave.”
“Works for me,” Adam said, grinning as widely as he could without exposing his teeth. The last thing he wanted to do was spoil the moment with an inadvertent challenge of the supreme leader of the galaxy.
Chapter 5
Fifteen hundred years ago, the Juirean Empire was still expanding at a prodigious rate. Even though the borders of the Expansion only increased with the addition of new members, there had always been a buffer zone extending another thousand or so light years beyond. This was the rugged frontier, reserved for the adventurers and explorers, those who often spread the word of the coming Juirean Expansion to worlds that knew nothing of such things.