Storm' Fury: The Shenkar War

by Seth Libby

  “He is part of the Shelecore’s war council. Not to mention he has witnessed the state of the Shelecore’s mind and his instability.”

  “Instability?” asked Liam.

  “I have witnessed the council meetings and overheard much. Several occasions Shizta has seen outbursts by the Shelecore and yet he does nothing. It is blatantly clear the Shelecore has made this personal with no concern for the well-being of the Shenkar Federation.”

  “What would you have me do? Confront the Shelecore and tell him he is not in his right mind? That he is putting his own interests above those of the federation? It would accomplish nothing except getting myself executed,” Shizta retorted angrily.

  Liam looked at Shizta then back at Cryta in increasing interest. If he could find a way to get Cryta to help then they could possibly have the edge they needed to cripple the Shenkar military and force them to surrender. From the way Shizta spoke of the Shelecore he doubted they would be able to get the Shelecore to surrender but maybe they could remove him from leadership. Cryta’s voice shook Liam’s thoughts from this as he spoke up.

  “Dala Dvirik, I am only one of many who seek your help. For a long time now the people of my world have been pushing to change. Many feel that our ways of bending other races to our will is not the path we should be following. Diplomacy is the way we feel we should be headed. We cannot continue fighting all those that come before us. More and more of my brothers have been killed to continue the will of the Shelecore. He cares nothing for them; his will is only to dominate all. In his eyes if an elite falls he can just fill their position with one of his cloned warriors. Cloned warriors have no will of their own and do as they are commanded. Sooner or later the Shelecore will turn his cloned warriors upon the people in defiance of their wishes. We will become a race of automatons, bending to the will of a mad leader.”

  Cryta paused as he reached up under his long black hair to the base of his skull at the back of his neck. Gritting his teeth he pulled something free of his skin and held it out for Liam. Looking at the object, he saw it looked to be a data card the size of a thumb nail. It looked very much like a SIM card you would find inside of a cell phone. It seemed to be affixed to piece of Shenkar skin or what looked like skin.

  Liam slid aside a panel to allow Cryta to hand him the card.

  “That data card will provide you with all the information you need to contact those among the growing resistance within my government. I have heard that you have the ability to learn and retain knowledge at an extraordinary rate…is this true?”

  Liam nodded.

  “Then once you have memorized the information upon that data card could you please give me your word you will destroy it? We trust you but we do not know who among your people can be trusted.”

  Liam considered this for only a moment before he responded.

  “I give my word I will destroy it but I can assume you have no problem with me sharing this information with those I do trust?”

  “I trust you to use your best judgment.”

  A noise behind Liam caused him to look around to Shizta’s holding cell. What he found was Shizta doubled over clutching his leg where one of his bandages was affixed. It was clear the Shenkar was in pain by the expression on his face.

  “Are you okay?” asked Liam, although he knew it was clear that he was suffering from severe pain.

  “It feels as if a plasma sword is burning through my leg,” Shizta explained through gritted teeth.

  Without thinking Liam reached over to the cell controls and opened the cell door.

  Shizta started at the sound of the cell door opening as he looked up quickly, giving Liam a look of suspicion.

  “I intend you no harm, I only wish to help you,” Liam explained.

  “Why would you help me? You are obviously not stupid so you should know by now I will not betray my people like that traitor over there,” Shizta said, nodding his head at Cryta.

  “I do not care what you will or won’t tell me. My only concern is eliminating the pain you are so obviously suffering from. You mark me and my race as a people who would enjoy the suffering of our enemies but you couldn’t be further from the truth. We do not enjoy making war upon another but we will not back down from a fight. We will fight to defend ourselves, those we care about and any race that cannot defend themselves. Now put aside you hatred for a few moments and let me help you.”

  Shizta glared for a few seconds before he grimaced from another spike of pain. Finally Shizta waved Liam forward to look at his leg.

  Kneeling down Liam undid the bandage and examined the wound. The wound had been neatly stitched up after the shrapnel had been removed. Nothing appeared to be amiss and there was no sign of infection.

  “I can look further but it would be in a way you probably would not like.”

  Shizta looked at Liam suspicious, again gritting his teeth from another bout of pain.

  “How would you help me?”

  “I would need to reopen your wound and use my nanites to probe deep into the wound. This would mean my nanites, Meshtrell technology, would be inside your body.” Seeing objection rising upon Shizta’s face Liam quickly spoke. “I give my word that I will withdraw the nanites from your body once I have finished.”

  Shizta seemed to think this through for a few moments, clearly his conscious battling within himself over letting public enemy number one of his people from helping him. Finally either the pain was too much or Shizta decided he could trust Liam because he nodded towards his leg.

  “Do what you have to do, I figure if you had intended me harm you are not the type of person to do it so subtly.”

  Liam reached down and withdrew a hunting knife from a hidden sheath built into his right boot. He didn’t know why he carried it but he figured something solid that didn’t require an energy source could be helpful if he needed a concealable weapon. The blade was incredibly sharp, so with little effort Liam reopened the wound in Shizta’s leg before he ran the blade across his palm. Replacing the blade into the hidden boot sheath, Liam then press his bleeding palm against Shizta’s open leg wound.

  Liam withdrew into himself as he became one with his nanites. Commanding them to surge forward into Shizta’s leg. Liam had extensive knowledge of Shenkar anatomy so this wasn’t anything unknown to him. His studies had required him to learn everything about his enemy, including where every soft point or vital area could be found upon a Shenkar.

  Slowly and methodically he maneuvered his nanites throughout Shizta’s leg. As usual Liam did not know how much time had passed before he located the problem. A sharp fragment was cutting deep into what would be the femoral artery found within a human. If left in its current position, Shizta would have been dead within the hour. Liam maneuvered his nanites around the metal shard and worked it free. Leaving the shard aside, Liam worked to repair the damage to the artery. When the artery was repaired, Liam withdrew his nanites at the same time pulling the shard with them. Soon, Liam had withdrawn the shard fully and sealed the wound enough so it wouldn’t cause any lengthy harm.

  Liam leaned back and examined the wound, looking for any indication the wound wouldn’t hold together. Satisfied with his work he stood up and stepped back from Shizta. Shizta looked down at his leg, taking a few moments to examine the wound also. Slowly, Shizta stood up, putting all of his weight on his good leg at first. Experimentally, Shizta put weight upon the leg, lightly at first before he finally trusted the leg would hold him and stood straight as he looked at Liam. Shizta’s looked upon his clearly showed a look of conflicting emotions.

  Liam held out the small shard of metal which Shizta took and examined.

  “It was cutting into a major artery in your leg; it must have been missed when the doctor stitched you up. You would have been dead within the hour if I hadn’t removed it.”

  Shitza’s face showed the storm of emotions that was surging through him. Clearly, having one’s life saved by a human that you only knew as your enemy was dist
urbing him. Finally Shizta’s curiosity must have got the best of him because he spoke.

  “We are enemies; you slaughtered the entire crew of the Tryliene. You know I will not divulge any information to you yet you saved my life. Why would you do this?”

  Liam didn’t even need to think about this, he just spoke.

  “What happened aboard the Tryliene wasn’t me,” Liam explained but seeing an objection rising on Shizta’s face he spoke quickly.

  “I know it was physically me but mentally it wasn’t. When I was captured your Shenkar scientists tortured me beyond anything you could image. My mind was broken for a time which resulted in my slaughtering of every Shenkar aboard the Tryliene in the most brutal of fashions.

  You think humans by nature are prone to violence and destruction but you couldn’t be more wrong.”

  “You claim to be not prone to destruction yet your people build and wield weapons like no other race I have ever encountered,” Shizta said challengingly.

  Liam sighed as he grabbed a nearby chair and sat down.

  “I did not say we are not capable of war, only that we are capable of more. Human history is full of accounts of man killing each other over land, valuables, love, religion and more. But for all our faults we are capable of greater. Do you have art on your world?”

  “Art?” Shizta queried.

  “Yeah, like sculptures, poetry, painting, music….”

  “Music,” said Shizta, cutting off Liam.

  “Do you listen to music often?” probed Liam.

  Shizta grimaced at Liam’s question.

  “Once upon a time music was a big part of my people’s culture but lately not so much,” Shizta explained grudgingly.

  Then, Shizta hesitated at this point, as if not sure whether to continue. What was clear, thinking of this subject angered Shizta. Finally, after several long moments Shizta spoke again, the anger more evident in his voice.

  “The Shelecore has censored music within our society, accounting that it warps the proper thoughts of a true Shenkar.”

  Liam sighed.

  “Do you really believe that?”

  Shizta’s mouth tightened at being asked this but didn’t answer.

  “Forget that we are enemies for the moment; forget what your Shelecore tells you to think. Just for this moment tell me what you feel when you listen to music.”

  Shizta grimaced at this but still didn’t say anything for several moments. Liam was about to continue when Shizta spoke harshly.

  “What I feel or think is irrelevant. Music has no benefit; it is just a frivolous waste of time.”

  Liam stood, replacing the chair from where he grabbed it.

  “I thought the Shenkar were supposed to be honorable. When you are ready to be honest with me and not lie to me then I will be back.”

  Turning Liam headed from the cell. He had just typed in the security code and pressed his palm to the keypad when Shizta spoke softly.

  “I can’t put into words how it makes me feel because there are many different variations of music. Different ones produce different feelings. When I want to find my center within myself I listen to a soft melody. For driving the warrior within to prepare myself for physical exertions I listen to something faster and louder.”

  Liam smiled at what Shizta said.

  “That is much like what we would do in my culture. I still find myself listening to music as I fight. Do you have any particular person you prefer to listen too? A specific artist or group?”

  Shizta seemed confused by the question at first but then dawning spread across his face and he actually smiled. Liam was surprised at how much that one smile change the way he viewed the Shenkar. It also made him question the society the Meshtrell had painted of the Shenkar.

  “You mean the ones who create the music and perform it. Yes, I do find myself listening to particular ones. There was one from my home world, when she sang; you would feel like you were coming alive. I used to dream of meeting her, she was beautiful beyond measure.”

  As Shizta said the latter sadness crossed his face.

  “What happened to her?”

  “With the banning of all music, she was ordered to cease all performances…never again allowed to sing. She refused and received an order of execution. She escaped execution with the help from a group known as Voices of Freedom. Last reports place her on one of the federation worlds but she has never been located.”

  Liam didn’t say anything but instead sat there studying Shizta. He wondered to himself if Shizta even realized that he had just named a faction within the Shenkar Federation that opposes the Shelecore. After several moments Shizta sighed and looked up at Liam.

  “I would like to rest now.”

  Not waiting for Liam to respond, Shizta lay back upon his cot.

  Turning back to the security lock, Liam quickly typed in the code and pressed his palm to the reader. As the door slid open Liam turned back.

  “You follow a leadership that suppresses all that is beautiful. A leadership that deters free thinking, subjugating any who do otherwise. This is what you want for your people? To be known as monsters by others? It is plain by your own admission, as well as Cryta, that not all of your people feel the same as your leadership caste. How can you not open your eyes to see what is right?”

  Not waiting for a response, Liam turned and left Shizta’s cell.

  As Liam turned to head towards the cell block entrance he noticed Cryta standing at his cell door.

  “I am trusting you to help me and my people. Analyze the data and then seek me out. I will help you in any way I can if it means you will help me and my people overthrow the Shelecore and his cronies.”

  “I promise you we will consider everything.”

  Cryta studied Liam for a few moments before he spoke again.

  “I also can give you something else, something that isn’t on that data card. I can give you the location of one of our largest shipyards as well as the codes to deactivate the defense grid.”

  Liam nodded to Cryta and then turned and walked from the cell block.

  January 3rd, 2014 7:02pm

  EDF Kraken, Terran system, high Earth orbit

  Shizta’s emotions surged throughout him, troubled by what the human had said to him. Angry, for the human’s words, yet at the same time he found himself seeing the wisdom in those words. Feeling frustration, Shizta recited the warriors chant to himself, a chant used in the past to bring inner peace.

  “The Shelecore is our glorious leader. Through our Shelecore we live. The Shelecore is the wisdom of the Shenkar therefore his words are law. To question the Shelecore is to question the federation. I am but a servant of the federation and I live to serve.”

  But now for the first time, Shizta did not feel the conviction he had before when he thought or recited those words. Shizta knew sleep would be a long time coming this night.

  January 6th, 2014 7:02pm

  Olympus

  Captain Dunklin studied the men and woman in the room. All the members of the Council of Earth were in attendance as well as Admiral Kelvin, General Maks Leonid, and himself.

  Three days ago, one of the Shenkar captives had produced a data card. The card possessed valuable information regarding the Shenkar. From what he had heard it had provided them with a list of contacts of a resistance group within the Shenkar Federation. Through this group the Earth forces could infiltrate the Shenkar’s military. If given the opportunity they could disrupt critical areas more effectively than simple hit and run attacks on supply lines and outlying installations.

  So what was the problem now? The problem was that the Council of Earth could not agree whether this opportunity was legitimate or some sort of ruse. As always the president of France was at the head of opposition with the prime minister of England arguing against him.

  “It is too great an opportunity to pass up, I say we work with Cryta and take the fight to the Shenkar through him. With the information he provided we could deal some se
vere damage to the Shenkar federation.”

  “Do not be so naïve, do you not see that this could be a ploy to lure our depleted fleet into a trap? We just handed the Shenkar another devastating victory, do you not think they might change their tactics?” Jacque Lecroix said snidely.

  “Like the trap that you so obviously walked into that led to the current situation our fleet is in now? If you had followed protocols then maybe we would have better options available,” retorted the prime minister of Australia.

  The argument looked to be about to escalate when the president of the United States interrupted.

  “Enough! Arguing will not get us anywhere. The situation is what it is and we are not here to talk about what we can’t change. What we need to do is decide whether the information is worth taking the risk on. I have seen the security footage and I believe this Shenkar is telling the truth. We have to believe that not all Shenkar are what the Meshtrell have portrayed them to be. We have already found genetic evidence that clearly shows these two Shenkar are not clones but from an origin line. Cryta has been very cooperative over the past few days, answering any questions we have asked. I say we use this information to connect with the resistance group.”

  “And if this Shenkar betrays us we will lose the most powerful weapon in the defense fleet. I say we keep the Kraken here until we have repaired and rebuilt our fleet,” stated Jacque Lecroix.

  “This will not happen….can’t you open your eyes?!?” argued Colin Denshire.

  “What it boils down to is we cannot afford not to take this chance,” Adam quickly said before Jacque could retort.

  Seeing that this got the president of France’s attention, Adam waved Admiral Kelvin over from a nearby seat.

  “President Sheehan is correct; we cannot afford to pass this up.”

  Pausing long enough to type something on his personal datapad, Frank then continued as all of the council member’s datapads chimed in unison of a file received.

  “As you can see by my report, under the best circumstances, the length of time needed to repair and refit the fleet is roughly four months. This does not include the time we will need to train new personnel needed to crew the fleet. At best we are looking at another six to eight months to return the fleet to its prior strength.