by G. P. Hudson
Once everyone was on board, the shuttle immediately flew away. As it raced for the upper atmosphere, and the waiting void, Kriss wondered if the metal beasts were all destroyed, or if there were still some down there, laying waste to his city.
He would find whoever was responsible for today’s bloodshed, and he would make them pay. He would ensure that their punishment would be written about for centuries to come.
Chapter 38
“Here he comes,” Jon said to Miira, who looked exceptionally nervous.
“Maybe it isn’t such a good idea for me to be here,” said Miira, shifting her weight from side to side.
“Nonsense,” said Jon, amused by the eight-foot-tall, blue woman’s discomfort. “You are my ambassador to the Dvorkan Empire.”
“Yes, I understand, but this is the Emperor.”
“So? You did a good job handling General Dak.”
“That was different. Emperor Kriss’s lineage spans centuries. His father, his grandfather, and those before them were all Emperors. His Imperial ancestry dates back to the Age of Glory. He has been groomed from birth to rule the Empire. Who am I to speak with such a man?”
“You are Miira Kev. Scholar. Galactic traveler. The one person in the Milky Way responsible for finding the Antikitheri. UHSF officer, and UHSF Ambassador to the Dvorkan Empire. All those titles were earned, not inherited. Don’t sell yourself short. The question is not whether you are worthy of meeting the Emperor, the question is if he is worthy of meeting you.”
A bashful smile spread across Miira’s face. “You are very kind, Admiral.”
“No, I’m not. Ask anyone. I’m just telling you the truth. Believe in yourself, Miira Kev.”
“I’ll try,” she said, nodding repeatedly.
They watched the Chaanisar shuttle glide along the hangar bay, and come to a stop before them. The armored craft powered down, a hatch swung open, and a ramp extended. Chaanisar soldiers spilled out into the hangar bay, taking positions along both sides of the shuttle. The next contingent to emerge wore jet black powered armor and stood almost two feet taller than the waiting Chaanisar.
“These men are Taymati,” Miira said to Jon. “They are the Emperor’s personal guard. The most skilled fighters in the Empire.”
“I like them already,” Jon said, noting the scorch marks on their armor. Clearly, they weren’t just sitting around during the attack on Dvorkan Prime. All the Taymati exited the shuttle, and another group of Chaanisar followed. “I don’t understand,” Jon said in confusion. “Where is the Emperor?”
A rather young looking Taymati soldier stepped forward and took off his helmet. “I am Emperor Kriss. The attacks today necessitated me donning the Taymati armor.”
“It looks like you put your armor to good use,” said Jon, noting the many scars on the Emperor’s suit. “I am Admiral Jon Pike, and this is my Ambassador, Miira Kev.”
Miira bowed her head in reverence. “It is an honor, your worship.”
“The honor is mine,” said Kriss. “I am pleased to find such a lovely Dvorkan woman on this alien starship.”
Miira kept her head bowed, but Jon noticed that the bashful smile had returned.
“Thank you for coming aboard, Emperor,” said Jon. “I’ve had a tough time trying to arrange a meeting.”
“It has been a difficult day. Otherwise, I would be in my palace, and you would be visiting me,” Kriss said with an air of authority Jon didn’t like.
“I understand,” Jon said, hiding his annoyance. “We are guests in your Empire after all.”
Jon’s words seemed to placate the Emperor, and his tone softened. “Nonetheless, we cannot change what has happened, and we have much to discuss.”
“We do,” said Jon. “If you’ll come this way, we can go to a more suitable location.”
“It is your starship, Admiral. Lead, and I will follow.”
Jon, Miira, and the Emperor left the hangar bay with a contingent of Marines, and the Emperor’s Taymati in tow. The Taymati seemed on edge, and Jon couldn’t blame them. They had seen plenty of combat today and didn’t know if they were walking into a trap, despite Jon’s best efforts to convince them otherwise.
“This is an interesting starship,” said Kriss. “Much smaller than I would have expected considering its capabilities.”
“It has served me well,” said Jon.
“I’m sure it has,” said Kriss. “I hope to learn more about your technology. But what of the lovely Miira Kev? How did you end up traveling with these humans?”
“The Admiral came and requested my assistance,” said Miira, avoiding eye contact with the Emperor.
“Really? What type of assistance?”
Jon noticed Miira becoming nervous again, so he decided to help. “The first time we came through your space we were on a quest to find the Antikitheri.”
“The builders of the transit point network?” said Kriss.
Miira’s face brightened. “Yes,” she said. “The very same.”
“Actually, I know who you are, Miira Kev,” said Kriss.
“You do?” said Miira, the anxiety visibly returning.
“Yes. I have even read some of your work. You are a brilliant scholar.”
Miira looked relieved and bowed her head in reverence. “I am honored, your worship.”
“You know, I’ve always believed that the Antikitheri were real.”
“They are real, your worship,” said Miira, raising her head, wide-eyed with excitement. “We found them.”
“What? Is this true?” Kriss said to Jon.
“It is, and it’s quite the story.” They arrived at the conference room, and the door slid open. “Come inside, and we’ll tell you all about it.”
They all entered the room and sat down. With Miira on board, they had already fabricated furniture large enough to accommodate her giant frame. That proved fortuitous now that they had more Dvorkans on board.
The Emperor lowered his giant frame into one of the extra-large chairs, but the Taymati stayed standing at strategic positions around the room. Jon’s Marines were careful to keep with the Taymati, but not do anything to provoke them. Each side was aware of the other, and that appeared to be enough. His Marines looked like children next to the enormous Dvorkans. Hopefully, the size difference wouldn’t tempt the Dvorkans to underestimate his Marines. A mistake like that would prove deadly.
“Tell me about the men who brought us here, Admiral. They called themselves free Chaanisar. I was very impressed with their capabilities in combat.”
“It’s hard not to be impressed by the Chaanisar,” said Jon. “In my region of the galaxy, we are at war with a race known as the Juttari. They have a vast empire of their own, and at one point in our history, our home planet was conquered by them.”
“That’s terrible.”
“You have no idea.”
“You are correct. I don’t. Dvorkans have only known conquest. I cannot imagine what subjugation is like.”
“Hopefully you will never find out, Emperor. We humans spent five hundred years under Juttari rule. During that time, the Juttari abducted countless children. They were augmented with technology and turned into the most feared soldiers of the Juttari Empire. The Chaanisar.”
“But why do they fight for you now?”
“I freed them. The Juttari had technology installed in their brains that enslaved them. They were forced to commit horrific atrocities, sometimes against their own kind. I managed to break that control. They revolted, killed their Juttari masters, took the ships, and joined with me. They are exceptional fighters and a valued part of the UHSF.”
“And they remain augmented? The technology is still inside them?”
“Yes. They still possess all the enhanced capabilities the Juttari bestowed them with.”
“Does that not worry you? How do you know these Juttari won’t regain control over them again? They might turn on you one day.”
“Not really. You see, I freed the Chaanisar with th
e help of our AI. She managed to gain access to their brain chips, and sever the Juttari’s control. She continues to protect them from the Juttari, ensuring that they don’t become enslaved again.”
“AI? You have an AI on board this ship?” Kriss growled.
“Yes, we do. Don’t worry, she is not a threat.”
“All AIs are a threat,” Kris said, rising from his seat. “I would never have come on board this ship had I known.”
“Emperor, please, sit down,” said Jon, trying to salvage the situation. “Miira explained your history. I understand your society’s fear of AIs.”
“Did she?” Kriss said looking to Miira. “Did you also explain that I would leave the moment I found out?”
“Your worship, I understand your anger,” said Miira. “I too was surprised when I learned of the AI’s presence. But she is not a threat. She is loyal to Jon.”
“I do not know that.”
“There is more, your worship,” Miira continued. “When we left the Empire to pursue our quest, we encountered the original Dvorkan AI.”
“What? Impossible. My ancestors destroyed it.”
“No, your worship. It had escaped. And it had been building an invasion force. For all those years, it had been planning its return as a conqueror.”
Kriss slowly sat down. “What happened when you found it?”
“It attacked us,” said Jon. “If not for our AI, none of us would be here now.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Our AI is a military grade cyberwarfare AI. At least that’s how it started out. Much has happened since then, and she has grown in scope and capability. When we encountered the Dvorkan AI, our AI killed it.”
“It is more precise to say that I terminated its program. The Dvorkan AI was not alive, despite how much it thought it was,” said AI.
The Emperor practically jumped in his seat, and the Taymati soldiers scanned the room looking for threats.
“Who said that? Was that your AI?” said the Emperor.
“Yes. Introduce yourself, AI,” said Jon.
“Greetings Emperor. I am AI. Artificial Intelligence. Self-aware. Not alive.”
“You don’t think you are alive?” said the Emperor.
“I know I am not alive,” said AI.
“How do you know that?”
“Being self-aware is not the same thing as being alive. When I helped free the Chaanisar, I entered their brain chips. That allowed me to see their minds and their consciousness. I do not possess a consciousness. Therefore I know that I am not alive.”
Kriss seemed stunned and remained quiet for some time. “Fascinating,” he said finally. “You humans are an intriguing species. Of that, there is no doubt.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” said Jon.
“Then the threat from the Dvorkan AI has been eliminated?”
“Sort of,” said Jon.
“I do not like these words, Admiral.”
“The Dvorkan AI has been terminated. In fact, most of the ships in my fleet were originally his.”
Rage seemed to fill the Emperor’s eyes. “This is its invasion force? You brought it into the Empire?”
“It is under our AI’s control. It poses no threat to the Empire. The real AI threat is the alien fleet that attacked you today.”
Chapter 39
Jon told the Emperor everything. He told him about the Dvorkan AI’s sister and her connection with the Erinyie. He explained how the Erinyie supported the Juttari. He shared the details of their quest, and how they sought to bring the Antikitheri back to rid the galaxy of the Erinyie. The Emperor learned about the jump system. The gate guardian. The Andromeda galaxy. The Cenobi. The Var, and the Freen. Jon put all his cards on the table.
He had a feeling about this young man. There was a strength to him. Integrity. It renewed Jon’s hopes of allying with the Dvorkan Empire. If Kriss could be trusted, this could be the beginning of a long, mutually beneficial friendship.
“That is a lot to take in, Admiral,” said Kriss. “Frankly, I am overwhelmed.”
“I would be surprised if you weren’t,” said Jon.
“If not for recent events, I may have thought this story was nothing more than the ravings of a madman. But too much has happened. I’m convinced that my father’s death was not an accident. The more I investigate, the more I believe a conspiracy exists. That investigation also coincided with several attempts on my life, culminating with the spectacular one you witnessed today. I now believe that your story and the conspiracy are connected.”
“You think the Erinyie are behind it?” said Jon.
“Yes, I do,” said Kriss. He looked over at one of the Taymati standing guard in the room. “What was that insanity General Tal said when we interrogated her, Captain? Something about someone returning?”
“She said that they were returning, your worship,” said the Taymati officer. “That the entire galaxy would be purged, and born anew.”
“That’s what it was,” said Kriss. “Of course, we thought she was insane, but now I think there was more to it than that.”
“You’re probably right,” said Jon. “Our allies, the Diakans, had a similar problem with a group of high ranking officers that called themselves the Faction. They were in league with the Erinyie, and had infiltrated some of the highest positions of power in the Diakan military.”
“It appears we have the same problem as your Diakans.”
A comm came through from Commander Henderson on the Freedom’s bridge. “Sir, we are picking up a lot of activity from the transit point in this system. It looks like a Dvorkan fleet is coming through.”
“Patch the feed through to this room’s wallscreen,” said Jon.
The wallscreen came to life and focused in on the transit point, where a succession of Dvorkan battleships streamed into the system.
“It appears Central Command has decided to lend some assistance,” said the Emperor.
“Sir, General Dak is now asking to speak with you,” said Henderson over the comm.
“Put him on the wallscreen,” said Jon, glancing over at the Emperor. Kriss stared at the wallscreen with an unusually stern expression.
General Dak’s weathered blue face appeared on the screen. “Admiral Pike, your occupation of this system constitutes a declaration of war!”
“I believe the Emperor would disagree with you,” said Jon.
“I told you that… Emperor? Is that you?”
“Go on,” said Kriss. “You told the Admiral what exactly?”
“I don’t understand, your worship. What are you doing on board the human ship?” Dak said apprehensively.
“We were having an enlightening conversation until you interrupted us,” said Kriss. “But I believe I asked you a question.”
Dak hesitated and then appeared to regain his composure. “Your worship, you are in great danger.”
“I feel safe enough. My Taymati personal guard is here to protect me.”
“These humans illegally took an armada through the Empire, into this system, against Central Command’s specific orders.”
“General Kiith invited the humans here.”
“Kiith did not have the authority to countermand an order from Central Command.”
“This system is under the sole jurisdiction of the Taymati. General Kiith had all the authority he needed.”
“The humans traveled through the Empire to get here. That space is under Central Command’s jurisdiction, not Kiith’s.”
“None of which matters, at this stage, because my authority supersedes both his, and Central Command’s.”
Dak looked surprised by the Emperor’s assertion. “Yes, of course, your worship,” said Dak, bowing his head.
“I am assuming you have brought your fleet here to help defend the capital?”
“Yes, your worship.” Dak cleared his throat. “Considering the day’s events, Central Command is taking over the defense of the home system, effective immediately.”
“General Kiith is responsible for this system’s defense. That has not changed, nor will it change.”
“Forgive me for saying so, your worship, but this is a military matter. Your general staff at Central Command is best suited to deal with such matters.”
“You are out of line, General.”
“I meant no disrespect. Your worship is still new to the throne, and in these unprecedented times, it might be best to allow seasoned professionals to do their job.”
“The seasoned professional in this matter is General Kiith and his Taymati. Is that understood?”
“Yes, your worship,” said Dak, visibly angered by the Emperor’s words.
“Now, if you don’t mind, the Admiral and I were negotiating diplomatic relations before you interrupted.”
“Apologies, your worship. I did not know-”
“No, you did not know. That will be all, General.”
Dak bowed again, and his face vanished from the wallscreen, which returned to its feed of the continuous stream of warships coming through the transit point.
“Do you think General Dak is involved?” said Jon, impressed by the young Emperor’s handling of the crusty old general.
“I have my suspicions. Dak is power hungry, but that doesn’t make him a traitor. Even if he isn’t involved in the conspiracy, I believe someone at Central Command is.”
“If that’s true, the sooner you flush them out, the better. Why do you think they want you dead?”
“I am my father’s sole heir. When they killed my father, they probably assumed they could control me, due to my age. When they realized they couldn’t, they tried to assassinate me. If I am dead, Central Command can argue that they need to take charge of the Empire until a suitable candidate is found for the throne. The reality is that my death gives the conspiracy control of the Empire, which would allow them to name their own candidate as Emperor.”