by G. P. Hudson
Tallos didn’t say anything for a time. He then rose to his feet and exited the room.
Jamie rolled his eyes. “Goddamn Diakans,” he said partly to himself, and partly to whoever watched through the surveillance devices.
He sat in the chair for several more hours, using the time to focus and calm his mind. Still, just being on board a Diakan warship brought back old memories. Before his brain implant malfunctioned, his memories were kept under control. Now they haunted him on a regular basis.
Despite his best efforts, one such memory flooded his mind. It was on a Diakan battleship, not much different than this one. It had suffered extensive damage in battle, and the Juttari wanted the Diakan technology on board. So, the Chaanisar were sent in with a simple mission. Commandeer the ship, and slaughter all those on board.
How many Diakans did he personally kill on that ship? He couldn’t remember that part, but the number ran into the hundreds. Hundreds. In one battle alone. It was enough to drive a normal human mad. Why not himself? Was it the way he remembered events that protected him?
In his memories, he never saw things through his own eyes. Instead, he saw himself the way one sees another person. It was like watching a movie. His Chaanisar memories were also void of color. Everything on the battleship was black and white, and the Diakan blood gray. He often wondered if other Chaanisar remembered their experiences in the same way. Did they remember anything at all?
The door to the room opened again, and several armored Diakan soldiers marched inside, their servomotors whining as they advanced. They took positions on both sides of Jamie, with weapons at the ready.
“I believe you,” Tallos said through hidden speakers.
“Really? Then why the show of force?” Jamie said.
“I am going to release you. The soldiers are simply there to ensure you do not do anything you might regret.”
“They’re here for my own safety, huh?”
“That is correct.”
A clanging sound rang out as the restraints were removed. Jamie raised his arms and stretched as the armored Diakans watched.
“Please follow the soldiers’ instructions. We will continue our conversation under more civilized circumstances.”
“Do I have a choice?”
“Not at this time.”
“Goddamn Diakans,” Jamie said, rising to his feet. “Alright, lead the way.”
Chapter 22
The armored Diakans escorted Jamie into a conference room where General Tallos waited. The general sat at a long table and gestured for Jamie to take a seat opposite him. Jamie did so, and several soldiers clanged away, taking tactical positions in the room. Jamie took note of their location and the fact that they could shred him before he got a hand on Tallos. It didn’t make much of a difference, as Jamie had no intention of killing the Diakan, although he might punch him in the mouth to even the score one day.
“Durril Tai?” Tallos said. “You were willing to endure torture for a criminal?”
“I don’t know what you are talking about?” Jamie said.
“I know that Tai hired you to kill Villers. The Diakan Intelligence Service is still unrivaled in the galaxy.”
“If you say so.”
“I do. Otherwise, I would not have released you.”
“Strange that I still feel like a captive.”
“The soldiers are not here to imprison you, they are here to ensure security. This is a Diakan battleship after all.”
“That is a lot of security for one man.”
“You are a formidable opponent. Even for a Chaanisar.”
“Now that’s the nicest thing you’ve said to me since I got here.”
“It is not a compliment, just a statement of fact.”
“Fair enough. So what am I doing here? Why haven’t you kicked me off your ship?”
“I am interested in soliciting your services.”
The statement stunned Jamie. “You want to hire me to kill someone?”
“Potentially.”
“What does that mean?”
“Diakan Intelligence has been monitoring this Believer cult for some time now. We have reason to believe that their rapid growth across human space is a direct result of outside manipulation.”
“That makes sense, but so what? How does it affect you?”
“Our agents have found evidence implicating a former Diakan General. His name is Dathos.”
“Dathos? Even I know that Dathos is a traitor who sided with the Erinyie against his own people. Why would he support a cult that worships the Antikitheri?”
“A cult that also sought to assassinate Admiral Pike,” Tallos added. “We believe that Dathos is using the Believer cult to sow division on the human worlds and generate hostility toward Admiral Pike.”
“It still sounds far-fetched.”
“We have sufficient evidence to support this view.”
“Okay, let’s say you’re right. Why did you go after the Believers? Why not just let the UHSF deal with it?”
“We consider this to be a Diakan matter.”
“They tried to kill Jon Pike. That clearly makes it a UHSF matter.”
“We will just have to disagree on that point. Are you interested in my offer?”
“You still haven’t told me what you want me to do.”
“I want you to find General Dathos.”
“Is that all?” Jamie said sarcastically.
“No, I want you to kill him if possible.”
“Didn’t you say you have the finest intelligence service in the galaxy? Why don’t you find him yourself?”
“We have tried, but have not been successful.”
“Why do you think I can find him?”
“You are a Chaanisar.”
“No, I’m not. Not anymore.”
“Semantics,” Tallos said dismissively. “You are a Chaanisar, and an assassin. Dathos hired Chaanisar mercenaries to kill Admiral Pike. Your credentials should allow you to infiltrate this organization. Once inside, you will be in a position to learn where Dathos is.”
“I’m not interested.”
“If it’s a question of money-”
“It’s not a question of money.”
“I understand. You are concerned about deceiving your fellow Chaanisar.”
Tallos was right, but Jamie didn’t say anything.
“Does it not concern you that these Chaanisar knowingly work for a Juttari collaborator? Or that they tried to kill Admiral Pike, a man who freed thousands of Chaanisar?”
Jamie stayed silent.
“Why did you help Admiral Pike?”
“That is not your concern,” Jamie said.
“I know something about you, Jamie.”
“Oh? What’s that?”
“You follow a code of honor. It is your own code, but you follow it nonetheless. It is why you saved Admiral Pike, even though you owed him nothing. It is also why the people you agree to kill are somehow deserving of it in your eyes.”
“All irrelevant.”
“I do not believe so. I believe that you saved Jon Pike because of all he has done for the Chaanisar.”
“I could not stand by and let them kill a man like that,” Jamie admitted.
“You had no problem killing Chaanisar to save him.”
“That was different.”
“This is the same group. If you had no problem killing their members, why do you have a problem deceiving them?”
Jamie thought that now would be an appropriate time to get even with Tallos for punching him. He glanced over at the armored Diakans and wondered if it was worth the risk. He sighed knowing that it wasn’t. Goddamn Diakans, he thought.
“I know you don’t want to fight for others, but I also know that you hate the Juttari and their collaborators as much as anyone else. These Chaanisar are collaborators, no different than the humans who abducted children during the occupation.”
Jamie clenched his fists, trying to suppress his anger. The Diakan had hit a nerve, mo
re so because he was right. How could any free Chaanisar knowingly work for a Juttari collaborator?
Tallos leaned forward. “As I said, you will be generously compensated.”
Could he do it? Could he work for the Diakans? He leaned back in his chair and turned the question over in his mind. “Do not think that this means I have forgotten your earlier transgression against me.”
“Then you will take the contract?”
“Yes, now let’s discuss terms.”
Chapter 23
Jon listened to AI’s grim news regarding the Dvorkans. He sat in a conference room in the mountain complex. Also in attendance were First Colonel Brock, Vice Admiral St. Clair, the Reiver leader Jonas Viken, and General Tallos on the wallscreen.
“So now the Dvorkans are our enemies?” Kevin said. “This is a disaster.”
“I’m not sure they’re our enemies yet,” Jon said. “They haven’t fired on our ships, or attacked our territory.”
“If they do not return Diakan territory to us, then we will consider them an occupation force and will treat them accordingly,” Tallos said from the wallscreen.
“I understand how you feel, Tallos, but let’s try and figure this out first,” Jon said. “The last thing we need right now is a war with the Dvorkan Empire. I need to find a way to speak to Emperor Kriss. I’m sure we can straighten all this out.”
“I don’t see how you can do that, Sir,” Kevin said. “Not with a Dvorkan fleet and a few thousand light years in the way.”
“It would also expose you to unnecessary risk,” said Brock. “The AI referred to you as a heretic. If this is the Dvorkan perception of you, then I find it highly unlikely that you would return from such a meeting.”
“I agree with First Colonel Brock,” Tallos said. “Even if Emperor Kriss treated you fairly, this modified AI might have other ideas.”
Jon nodded in agreement. “AI, you said the copy of you had been modified by the Antikitheri. Do you know how?”
“Unfortunately, I do not,” AI said. “Although it is logical to assume that my copy has become more powerful than me.”
“Is there any risk of her taking over your program and turning you against us?” Jon said.
“Without knowing the extent of her modifications, it is prudent to assume anything is possible,” AI said.
Jon frowned. AI had been an integral part of his strategy against the Juttari. She had proven to be a one of a kind entity, but now there was a modified copy of her out there. How were they supposed to fight against that? The Dvorkans used to be their allies. Jon had given them all their technological advances, and now they were apparently prepared to use those same advances against them. “We do have at least one ace up our sleeve,” Jon said to himself.
“Beg your pardon, Sir?” Kevin said.
Jon looked over at the burly marine. “I was just thinking that the Dvorkans have all our tech. They have the jump system and the jump bombs. I also think they know how to build jump gates. That’s the only explanation for how they managed to get an invasion force into Diakan space. The Antikitheri were willing to share that tech with us if we worshiped them, remember? Why wouldn’t they do the same for the Dvorkans?”
“That makes sense, Sir, but how does that constitute an ace up our sleeve?” Kevin said.
“It doesn’t. It’s a huge disadvantage. But there is one thing we have that they don’t. A personal jump system.”
“Sir?”
“Chief Engineer Singh has developed a way for a person to fold space and jump without a ship. He calls it a personal jump system, and it is small enough to reside on our comms. He’s putting some finishing touches on the technology, but I’ve already been toying with the idea of using it with special units. In a battle, we can use the personal jump system to send armored marines, or Chaanisar onto an enemy ship.”
“The enemy wouldn’t know what hit them,” Kevin said excitedly.
“That’s right,” Jon said. “We can target the bridge and commandeer the ship.”
“The engineering section is an excellent target too,” Brock said. “A team could jump in, sabotage the core and jump out before it lost containment.”
“Precisely,” Jon said. “The best part is that neither the Dvorkans nor the Juttari know we have this technology. It would take them totally by surprise. Chief Singh knows this tech is a top priority so we won’t have to wait too long. In the meantime, let’s get our jump teams together so that we’re ready to go.”
“Chaanisar teams will be prepared,” Brock said.
“As will our Reiver warriors,” Jonas said.
“I will select teams of elite Diakan commandos for jump operations,” Tallos said.
“I’ll go ahead and create Jump Marine units,” Kevin added.
“Good,” Jon said. “I still hate the idea of going to war with the Dvorkans. There must be a diplomatic solution.”
“Perhaps there is,” Jonas said. “What if we sent Miira to speak with the Emperor on your behalf?”
“That’s a brilliant idea,” Jon said, wondering why he hadn’t thought of it himself. Miira was a Dvorkan scholar and was the Empire’s top expert on the Antikitheri. She had helped Jon find the mythical Builders and had come to Earth as a Dvorkan ambassador. She had intended to return home once the Freen built a jump gate connecting Sol to the Dvorkan Empire. That gate was never built, and Miira ended up staying on Earth for the past eight years.
“Do you think she’ll do it?” Kevin said.
“We won’t know until we ask,” Jon said. “She does bear the title of Ambassador. That makes her the logical choice.”
Chapter 24
Miira arrived at the mountain complex and was escorted to a conference room for her meeting with Admiral Pike. The two UHSF officers had surprised her when they showed up at the university. She had taken a teaching position there several years ago and had immersed herself in her role there. She did see Jon and Breeah from time to time over the years but mostly stayed in touch with Breeah. The fact that UHSF officers now escorted her to a meeting with Jon seemed ominous, and she felt uneasy about it the entire trip.
What did Jon want? she thought. And why couldn’t he just speak with me over comm?
It didn’t help that the officers refused to say what it all was about. All they would say was that the Admiral would explain things to her in the meeting. Now that they had almost arrived, she didn’t think anything Jon said would calm her frazzled nerves.
“Right this way, ma’am,” one of the officers said after opening a door.
Miira bowed her head to avoid hitting it on the door frame and walked through. Inside was a spacious room with Admiral Pike standing next to a long table. “Thank you, Lieutenant,” he said, and the UHSF officer saluted and exited the room, shutting the door behind him. “It’s great to see you again, Miira,” Jon said, greeting her with a hug. Due to her great height, Miira had to bend down to hug him back, but Jon didn’t seem to mind. “Please, have a seat.” Jon gestured to an oversized chair that had been specially made for the eight-foot-tall Dvorkan female.
“Why all the secrecy, Admiral?” Miira said as she sat down across from Jon. “I am more than a little concerned.”
“I understand,” Jon said. “Sorry about that, but it couldn’t be helped. What I’m about to say is highly classified, which means you cannot utter a word of it outside this room.”
Miira’s stomach did a flip, and she intertwined her blue fingers together. “Of course. I won’t say a word.”
“We have come into contact with the Dvorkan Empire.”
“What? How? When?”
“We were conducting preliminary surveillance on one of the Juttari occupied Diakan star systems when the Empire launched an invasion of it.”
The news stunned Miira. “But, how is that possible?”
“It seems that the Anitkitheri visited the Empire during their war with the Erinyie and Cenobi in this system. We’re not sure, but we think the Freen facilitated the
visit. Regardless of what prompted the encounter, it appears that, unlike us, the Empire agreed to worship the Antikitheri. In return, we believe that the Antikitheri taught them how to build jump gates.”
Miira soaked in every word, utterly fascinated by the news. “That would explain their ability to invade the Diakan system.”
“We believe that they have also invaded the systems connected to it.”
“I see. But you keep saying that ‘you believe’ they have done this. Surely you must have spoken with them by now.”
“Well, that is part of the problem. It appears that the Antikitheri have had a profound effect on Dvorkan society, including the copy of AI we had left there. The Empire is engaged in some kind of crusade. They intend on ridding the galaxy of all heretics, and that includes not just the Juttari, but humanity as well.”
“But, that is crazy. You protected Emperor Kriss and gave him your advanced technology. How could he allow this to happen?”
“That’s why I brought you here, Miira. I want you to go back to the Empire. When we left the last time, you were made an ambassador. I need you to go back in that capacity and find out what has happened. We need to open the lines of communication with the Emperor, and you are the only person who can do that. Otherwise, we might end up at war with the Empire.”
Miira couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She refused to accept that Emperor Kriss, the man she had fallen in love with eight years ago, would do such a thing. Jon was right. She had to go back. “I’ll do it. I’ll go back and speak with the Emperor.” Will he be happy to see me? she wondered. Eight years is a long time.
“Thank you, Miira. I wish your return home was under better circumstances. I’m afraid there is something else, however.”
Miira felt her stomach flip again.
“The Antikitheri modified the copy of AI that we left behind. It appears they made her more powerful and have also turned her into a zealot.”
“How so?”
“AI spoke with her copy, and it said that this galaxy is for the Antikitheri alone. That it was the sword of the gods, and that it was coming for the heretics. It also referred to me as a heretic.”