Star Force: Mak'to'ran (3)

by Aer-ki Jyr

  One of the Era’tran carried a message packet from Hamob, which Mak’to’ran immediately took to his private chambers and input into the holographic pedestal.

  3

  June 8, 3623

  Hapiwo System

  Outer Asteroid Belt

  When Mak’to’ran’s ship entered the system there were no other vessels detected in the unclaimed wasteland. Hapiwo barely ranked high enough for a name, and only had one due to the fact that some of the locals used it as a transit point. To the V’kit’no’sat the system was essentially off their navigational charts because longer jumplines allowed them to skip over it entirely when moving through this area and there was no inhabitation here, just a far out series of asteroid fields that contained no valuable substances worth the expense of mining them.

  After making sure there were no ships here to detect his presence, Mak’to’ran’s Kafcha transited out to those far off clusters of rock where they found a single ship hiding behind one of the larger asteroids. As agreed, the Sevn’orr had sent only a single vessel, Tiamat-class, which was only 4 miles long and no threat to a Kafcha. They were here to talk, not fight, and a drop pod soon crossed the gap between ships and landed onboard the Era’tran vessel.

  Two crocodile-like Sevn’orr walked out with their long necks raised up to match his head height as the elusive Era’tran came forward to meet them while his escorts kept a respectful distance.

  “Your trust in us is appreciated,” the slightly larger one on the left said, with its body robe dragging lightly on the hangar deck as its thick tail swayed back and forth behind it to offset the wobbly nature of its movement. The Sevn’orr were not nimble, as far as V’kit’no’sat were concerned, and operated as heavy units with a powerful tail swipe or head butt attack, but otherwise had no significant psionics. They were larger than Era’tran, and considerably so, though most of their mass was lateral rather than vertical. Befitting their nature they did possess Nakane, but offensively they had little to offer unless their opponents wanted to fight, during which they’d trade damage and hope to soak up more than their opponent could.

  Mak’to’ran wasn’t worried about them. Against an Era’tran they were hard to take down, but the Era’tran could always turn and run. Their straight line speed was a joke, especially when you got past their limited sprinting ability. They could move quickly for a few steps, but there was no way they could outrun an Era’tran with their waddling strides.

  “Speak,” Mak’to’ran said simply, unsure as to what this would be about, for even Hamob hadn’t been able to provide him with much insight as to what they might want.

  “What is your relationship with the Era’tran? Do you stand apart or with them?”

  “Both.”

  “You cannot be both,” the other Sevn’orr said firmly.

  “Your names,” Mak’to’ran demanded.

  “Vidfer and Doranj. We need to know if you can negotiate for the Era’tran or if you are a rogue entity.”

  “I am a rogue entity, but one that also speaks for the Era’tran.”

  “So your alliance of rebels has Era’tran support?”

  “We are separate so not to draw a noose around their neck, but there is no strife between me and the Era’tran. I speak for them when needed.”

  “What are their goals?” Vidfer demanded. “Their actions have been defensive, but do they intend to pursue this Stun War?”

  “They intend to honor the bonds that forged the V’kit’no’sat. There is no wish to unilaterally lead. We are an empire of cooperation and mutual purpose, and despite the actions of others we will not alter from that premise unless it becomes necessary to go it alone.”

  “And if the Era’tran are attacked?”

  “We will respond accordingly.”

  “And if it’s the Oso’lon that come after your worlds?”

  “Death before dishonor,” Mak’to’ran said with finality. “They may win, but we will hurt them so badly they will regret the victory.”

  “And your rebels?” Doranj added. “Will they fight with the Era’tran?”

  “My personal forces will fight for any loyal V’kit’no’sat, regardless of race. If the empire is to fall, I will gather as many pieces as I can with which to reforge it in the aftermath.”

  “You believe there will be anything left worth salvaging?” Vidfer said in a tone saturated with regret.

  “I am acting preemptively to secure what I can, as are others. How much is lost is not a fixed future. Our actions are altering it with each year that passes.”

  “The Oso’lon and J’gar are forced into inaction, but when they do act they will annihilate whoever stands in their path.”

  “They are not that strong,” Mak’to’ran cautioned. “Nor are they united. Fear of being labeled traitors binds them together, but the cracks are there like in every other race.”

  “Apparently not with the Era’tran.”

  “Our cracks were dealt with earlier, but they did exist. Fortunately our leaders foresaw the problem and eliminated it. Now we stand in a favorable position, but not one that we are going to exploit to further weaken the empire. We intend to save what we can of it.”

  “So we have heard. What are your long term goals?”

  “To return us to our mandated purpose…fighting the Hadarak.”

  “We are far from that now. The border fleets have been minimized and ship losses are already mounting. We are near to igniting a broader conflict, and we still do not know who the true traitors are.”

  “Soon it will not even matter,” Doranj added.

  “It matters,” Mak’to’ran said, almost in a growl, “but we cannot exclusively pursue that mystery. I do not expect to discover the traitors until they choose to act. What little hope we had of unraveling this at Terraxis was destroyed by the revelations from the planetary defense station. Whoever is doing this has an unprecedented amount of knowledge and power, and they appear to have covered their tracks to such an extent we will not be able to discover them on our own merits. This presents a problem of unity, and we cannot take the Hjar’at’s path to solving it.”

  “We concur, though their growing stability is envied. What is your current standing with them?”

  “Yaquik and I are allies. The rest of the Hjar’at stand apart.”

  “Yaquik’s faction is growing in strength rapidly. Given time they will dominate the Hjar’at.”

  “That is my read as well.”

  “And the Era’tran alliance with him?” Vidfer asked, twisting his snake-like neck around a bit while keeping his head level.

  “The Era’tran support loyal V’kit’no’sat. Yaquik and his people are loyal.”

  “And will the loyal conquer those who are not?”

  “Only if necessary. The more fighting that occurs the weaker the empire gets and the greater the likelihood of a Hadarak breakout. We cannot afford to let that happen.”

  “If the V’kit’no’sat self-destruct there will be no one left to contain the Hadarak. Preserving the empire must be the top priority. Not one of us can hold them at bay even at full strength.”

  “I am endeavoring to do both simultaneously. We cannot afford to waste the hard fought gains of past millennia in a few years of stupidity. We must hold the line and reforge the empire.”

  “You say ‘reforge’ rather than ‘reunite.’”

  “You cannot unite broken pieces. The arrogant must be purged and bonds reforged. To attempt unification while the arrogant remain is folly.”

  “And what of the traitors?” Doranj asked.

  “We must draw them out.”

  “How?”

  “There are ways that I will not discuss, but the simplest method is to return to purpose and see who does not. Traitors do not behave as the loyal do, and the chaos within the empire is too easy a shield for them to hide behind.”

  “You believe stability will reveal them?”

  “Stability is their enemy. A fractured empire is a vulnerable on
e, so they will stoke the division. If we begin to eliminate it, they will be forced to act or abandon their plans for an overthrow.”

  “If that is their aim…”

  “If,” Mak’to’ran agreed. “If not, I fear something far worse…though I cannot currently imagine what such a thing would be.”

  “Nor can we. If you are correct then true unity is our only defense. Conquest is defeat no matter who wins a war.”

  “And most know it, which is why stun weapons are being used for the most part.”

  “Ships can’t be stunned,” Vidfer pointed out. “Even captured they suffer damage.”

  “Save for some of the coups you’ve arranged,” Doranj added. “How have you convinced the Zen’zat to aid you?”

  “They are loyal to the V’kit’no’sat. I behave as V’kit’no’sat should while everyone else plays the fool. They follow their oaths, not me.”

  “As it should be.”

  “What did you call me here for?” Mak’to’ran asked directly.

  “We have our own internal problems, but we have not suffered as much as others. We need to consolidate our own territory, but how to do that without starting an internal war of our own is problematic. We are here because we wish your help.”

  “How so?”

  “You have become a symbol of defiance against Itaru and hated by many, but you were betrayed at Terraxis and are not suspected of being part of the treason, even if the Era’tran are.”

  “That is why you asked my allegiance? The Era’tran are not responsible.”

  “So you say, but you personally are more trusted than them. If you take leadership of the Sevn’orr most will follow you, as will we so long as you hold true to the V’kit’no’sat.”

  “Leadership? Are your people so dysfunctional you cannot solve this from within?”

  “Not without massive losses of equipment, at the minimum. We have to break with Itaru, and many of the loyal are resistant to that, fearing we are trying to take the Sevn’orr away from the V’kit’no’sat. You are a symbol of unity with a proven record. If we relinquish to you, and you hold true to purpose, we believe our race can be rectified in short order.”

  “The arrogant will not go down easily, and they will not use stun weapons.”

  “So we have heard, but their numbers cannot be that great.”

  “I cannot stay in any one place for an extended period of time. Itaru’s pursuit will catch up and force a conflict.”

  “Command does not necessitate proximity. Loyalty is not constrained to borders. We ask for your intervention.”

  Mak’to’ran turned to the left, taking a few steps then swinging his tail around and striding the other way.

  “What you ask is…complicated. I can’t just show up and right your race. The arrogant have to be identified and removed from every system.”

  “When you unite those truly loyal, the arrogant will identify themselves,” Doranj said confidently.

  “Through sabotage and assassination. The successes I’ve had were because they did not know my forces were coming. We cannot surprise your entire race…at least not quickly.”

  “We are patient when needed, and any assistance will be preferable to the conflict we know is coming. The division amongst us must be dealt with before we can look to exterior threats and distrust is, and rightly so, too high. Any move will precipitate a harsh counter reaction unless the one leading it is trusted.”

  “I am hated by many.”

  “Not within the Sevn’orr. We have stood in allegiance with the J’gar and Oso’lon since our inclusion in the V’kit’no’sat, but we were forced to choose by outsiders that would have turned on us if we had tried to remain neutral. Choosing the Oso’lon has driven a rift amongst us, even if we are reluctant to aid them in any great way. You can undo that and give us a new allegiance, if the Era’tran are truly with you.”

  Mak’to’ran stopped pacing and looked at both longnecks. “You want the Era’tran to be your deterrent, and by allying with us you can step away from both the Oso’lon and J’gar.”

  “The suspicion of their treason runs high. We need to distance ourselves from it for our own sake. You and your rebel fleet can be the bridge to allow us to do it while maintaining enough sovereignty to eliminate worries of an Era’tran takeover. You are in the perfect position to restore unity and direction without using a heavy foot. Your strategic mastery is evident, and we ask that you assist us now. In return, we will abandon Itaru and back the Era’tran and you so long as you hold to purpose.”

  “This is not something easily done,” Mak’to’ran warned.

  “Which is why we required a meeting in person. We have many onboard our ship that will be useful, including those from both sides of this divide. This is a united plea,” Vidfer said, glancing at his counterpart. “We are on opposite sides of the conflict, but united in the belief that you are the means for the Sevn’orr to escape this insanity and return to form.”

  “Will you help us?” Doranj asked, and with obvious trepidation in his voice.

  Mak’to’ran raised a hand and triggered his Saroto’kanse’vam, with his claws glowing red.

  “Even if we do not hold to Itaru’s edicts?”

  Both Sevn’orr sneered at the face of the treason, but rumor of his augmentation had reached them before and it was little more than a habitual reaction that both quickly squashed.

  “Itaru is now irrelevant.”

  “Yet very powerful,” Vidfer countered. “But I agree that their rightful authority is waning. Why have you taken the forbidden psionics?”

  “Itaru has betrayed many races, the most obvious of which were the Rit’ko’sor, and if they will not learn from that mistake then they will not learn at all. Our races are not equal, but we are brothers and all should be treated accordingly, not squashed under the bureaucratic heel of the Oso’lon and J’gar.”

  “You intend to sanction more psionics?”

  “We do not have the power to sanction anything.”

  “But if you did, what path would you take for the psionics?”

  “Balance is necessary, and some changes should be made to rectify it, but pathways for individuals of merit should be created. Very few Era’tran will have these,” he said, deactivating his claws. “They will have to be earned by the elite, not a right of birth.”

  “For what ultimate purpose?” Doranj asked.

  “The Oso’lon and J’gar have hoarded psionic privileges for themselves and those they favor. This gives them yet another advantage. If there is to be a civil war, the Era’tran will defend ourselves and small upgrades such as this will be needed.”

  “You were given Sav in lieu of the offensive psionics,” Vidfer noted. “To obtain balance.”

  “I am still no match for a Hjar’at,” Mak’to’ran admitted. “And that has been tested.”

  “Who is?” Doranj argued.

  “Races taking new psionics on their own volition will create further chaos,” Vidfer warned. “How many of your people will have these eventually?”

  “Very few. The elite of the elite, for use on special missions.”

  “Similar to Ultras,” Doranj pointed out.

  “I will not argue that point,” Vidfer relented. “But widespread adoption is troublesome.”

  “We are not reckless,” Mak’to’ran assured. “We know the danger inherent in psionic imbalance, and you can see it in the Oso’lon Lachka.”

  “Agreed, but they are a founding race. It is right that they have an advantage.”

  “Even if they are the ones responsible for Terraxis?” Doranj argued.

  “No. That would alter matters. Perhaps it is best if the Era’tran are enhanced to counterbalance them.”

  “We are not that strong,” Mak’to’ran said regretfully, “but we are focused on building towards the future while everyone else is consumed with paranoia and the opportunity for conquest. If the Sevn’orr are interested in stability then we will attempt to aid you, but I can
make no promise of results or level of assistance until I have further information. As I have said many times, we will hold to all loyal V’kit’no’sat, but what you ask will take a great deal of planning and guile.”

  “We will follow your lead. Ask of us what you will,” Doranj said, with Vidfer nodding his agreement.

  Mak’to’ran huffed, not wanting to go down this path so soon but realizing the opportunity it presented if he was able to pull it off.

  “Very well. Bring your people onboard and we will climb this mountain a step at a time, but if you cannot maintain secrecy there will be grave consequences for your people. I need the element of surprise. Deny me that and this will get messy.”

  “Still less messy than what we could accomplish on our own,” Doranj said firmly. “Do what you can, then we will do the rest. And when the Sevn’orr can stand on their own again, you will have a firm ally to face the future of the empire, no matter what may come to pass.”

  4

  May 18, 3626

  Ywit System (Sevn’orr Capitol)

  Havat

  Lexitorac walked across the hard white pavement under the fierce sunlight that blanketed half the planet and lingered in the sky for weeks before the night cycle would begin. As a result there were wild temperature swings that extensive terraforming had only succeeded in diminishing rather than eliminating. The amount of energy hitting the planet was something that couldn’t be easily ignored, but energy shields worked wonders and part of the stellar radiation was being absorbed and transitioned over to the far side of the planet to keep the waterways there from freezing over until they slowly rotated around into the heat again.

  The gravity here came in at an impressive 5.3g, making it uninhabitable for most races without augmentation, but this was the world that the Sevn’orr had fled to in their distant past when their original homeworld had been destroyed by the Hadarak…which had been even larger with a gravitational rating of 6.1 though with slightly less landmass. At the time there were fears of the lesser gravity weakening them, and rightly so, for since joining the V’kit’no’sat many of their people were put onto worlds where there were shared facilities. Those operated with a meager 0.9g, and despite being able to adjust their private quarters to whatever gravity they liked, there was a deleterious effect on strength when inhabiting a shared structure or smaller world.