by Aer-ki Jyr
“They are massing resources here,” Kirritimin said, pointing one of his front legs towards a point on the starmap glowing before him. Due to his physiology he couldn’t stand up next to Human equipment, so they had to bring a table in level for him to work off of as Jason, Paul, and Taryn were quizzing him on lizard strategic deployments and what he knew of them, as well as in recent developments since his imprisonment in that death wall. “It is probably a waypoint, but they did not expect you to learn of it. The jumplines in are minimal and they are using a passage through a nebula to disguise it. The easy routes will show no activity.”
“Clever bastards,” Taryn commented, looking at Paul. Something for the Voku?
I’ll let Cal-com know. “How close are they to getting a fully operational shipyard ring?”
“Even if they pooled all resources into a single system they will not have completed one yet. It takes a massive effort and they do not have the industry in place. They build fast, but these here were massive undertakings. They will not be repeated quickly or lightly. Will you strike at this world?”
“It’s far beyond our engagement line,” Jason responded, “but one of our allies might.”
“It is the funnel for resources coming from the remaining core worlds. They will continue to produce material and personnel to send there until you destroy them. That is their task, though they have been withholding a great deal of it to defend themselves to the point of weakening any assault force, so to there delay further conquests. It is a miscalculation of mine, and while they are taking unnecessary losses, it is making your takeover of this region more difficult.”
“You can repay us with your assistance, not your death,” Jason admonished him again. “Are there any other worlds in this region with shipyard rings that we have not discovered?”
“There is only one, but why the templars chose to build it there is unknown to me. I do not know if it is completed yet, but it is far from here,” he said, highlighting a distant system. “It is unremarkable, yet they were sending considerable resources there previously. I think they were creating a fortress system of unknown specifications, but to defend against what threat I do not know.”
Paul looked at the location, well towards the original H’kar territories. “An internal threat? We know there are some races that were never conquered.”
“I have considered this, but I have been able to come to no satisfying conclusion. The amount of material being funneled there is consistent with the construction effort on a shipyard ring, as were the personnel transfers. Their newborn workers are skilled, but not efficient. Such projects require experienced crews if they wish to rush construction, hence there was a massive allotment of personnel transports that I was able to detect even when they did not allow me any information on this system.”
“Why weren’t you able to conquer the holdouts?” Taryn asked him.
“Sadly we were able to, but a few were too advanced. Their technological advantage negated our numbers. They were not in a position to expand, or at least chose not to do so, and it was agreed that the best course would be to ignore them and reroute traffic around their systems. I encouraged this, but it did not originate with me. Had I done so they would have suspected that I was not fulfilling my part of the bargain.”
“What do you know of the Preema?” Paul asked.
“They are losing, also by my design,” he said with a deep regret that none of the trailblazers could miss. “They are winning every battle their fight, but cannot control territory. We are spreading elsewhere and revisiting old sites quietly. Those are expendable, and if they require a Preema fleet to eradicate them again then they spare a more intact one elsewhere due to the delay involved. The Li’vorkrachnika are taking horrible losses in their new region, but their expansion rate is superior. The Preema will not be able to stop them unless they know the specific systems to hit.”
“And you don’t know where they are?”
“No. I was not trusted with that information due to my failure here.”
“What of the Skarrons?” Jason asked.
“A tactical mistake. They could have repulsed our attacks but have chosen not to. They are letting this region fall because of internal conflict. The rulers here are in disfavor, and though there has been no negotiation with the templars that I am aware, they are allowing this piece of the Skarron empire to fall intentionally.”
Paul raised an eyebrow and Jason returned a similar glance. “How do you know this?”
“Whenever a world is taken, it is searched for valuable knowledge. Some databases have been recovered that has allowed their motives to be determined. The Skarron leaders here,” he said, drawing a rough region of space, into which the lizards had eaten out about 2/3rds of the systems, “are determined to hold on their own. The fighting is intense, but the Skarron empire could easily squash the invasion if they chose. If this region falls, the leaders will be removed from power if not already killed. If they succeed in holding, it will gain them a measure of prestige, but their powerbase will be so weakened they will not have much standing in the consortium that leads them.”
“What do you know of that?”
“There are factions bound together into an empire in which most actions occur locally, but some necessitate larger involvement. The Consortium handles all major issues and has a bit of territory of its own. All the fiefdoms contribute to it, and if a pushback were to occur all of them would send troops that the Consortium commanders would lead. They have no intention of helping this fiefdom due to past actions that have put it out of favor.”
“Do the templars intend to push beyond these borders?” Taryn asked.
“I advised against it, but they will not hold back forever. If they are wise they will expand elsewhere while their current systems further develop, but sooner or later they will attack, given their track record and the knowledge that they can beat them. It is a fool’s hope, but given enough time and resources it is possible that they could succeed…but you have taken away any chance of that with your invasions here. They cannot recover the strength of their original worlds within a thousand years, and they will need that and more to take on a full Skarron reprisal. It would be a very ugly war, and I do not know how it would end, given the size of both empires.”
“But if they don’t play it exactly right, the Li’vorkrachnika will get stomped on?”
“That is my assessment, yes.”
“What is your assessment of our empire?” Jason asked.
“I do not have full data on it, but if you intend to grow you are taking the harder route. There are many easy systems to take in other directions. Why have you not expanded more aggressively where there is no opposition?”
“We expand where we need, but we don’t want our territory to grow too large to control.”
“Yet you currently maintain a mass of empty conquered systems that is difficult to patrol and keep clear of new inhabitation.”
Paul looked at him skeptically. “How do the Li’vorkrachnika get their knowledge of us?”
“You give it freely. They simply listen.”
“How?”
“They have agents within your borders.”
Taryn gave Paul a hard glare, but he didn’t show any reaction on his face. “Li’vorkrachnika or allies?”
“Both. I do not have specifics, but I instructed them how to infiltrate. The Li’vorkrachnika are not within your prime territories, they are in the free races where you have little oversight. It is a dark area where much can occur. I told them how to exploit it.”
“Why haven’t you blown up anything?”
“Several reasons. Your most valuable assets are not within reach. The information they are gathering is too valuable to squander the plants. And we have been playing for time. Angering you further with offensive attacks would only hasten your conquest…which would diminish the number of resources flowing to the new region.”
“Are there plans in place to cause havoc at some point
in the future,” Taryn inquired darkly.
“I advised against it, but I would not assume that the templars will continue to heed my advice.”
“How are they getting the information out?”
“Follow the trade routes. Find a weak spot where there is no Star Force presence and you will find a link to the Li’vorkrachnika. I will say that whatever information they are receiving is considerably delayed, and most of it is on the structure of your empire rather than fleet or troop movements.”
“Do you know what races are being used as envoys?” Paul asked, having expected something like this but still a little surprised to hear it laid so plainly before him.
“I was not told, but I have surmised that the Gnar are their primary conduit, second to various commerce organizations.”
“Ok,” Jason said with fake merriment. “It’s skull cracking time.”
“Indeed,” Taryn agreed.
“Can you take care of that?” Paul asked her.
“Happy to. You staying here?”
“No, actually. I’m taking Thrawn on a little field trip to see how much gravitas he has. We might be able to get some of the smaller worlds to evacuate without a fight, but we’re going to be needing a lot more captured lizard jumpships. What we have now isn’t close to sufficient for what I want to start doing if this works.”
“You need someone to go ship hunting?” Jason asked.
“Yes, but not you. And Kara is busy,” he said, drawing a slightly angry glance from Taryn.
Jason saw and smiled. None of the trailblazers were happy when they found out about Clan Ghostblade. Not because they didn’t like the idea, but because they hadn’t thought of it themselves and the dynamic duo had one upped them yet again.
“If you will not kill me,” Kirritimin meekly added, “what do you wish of me?”
“You’re coming with me back to Earth,” Jason said. “Then we’re both going to meet with the Director and have a long talk and decide what to do with you. Other than being killed, which isn’t an option no matter what your guilt level is. What’s done is done, you’re no longer a threat, so focus on the future and helping with your skill. If you die now you’ll be harming the enemies of the Li’vorkrachnika a second time. Use what you know against them. You owe that much to the people you helped kill.”
Jason got the emotional response he was fishing for.
“I understand and will comply. Do you take orders from Director Davis or he from you? We were never able to determine that.”
“First off,” Paul added, speaking for Jason as he did a lot of the time, and vice versa, “stop saying ‘we.’ You’re not part of them anymore, so adjust your terminology.”
“Second,” Jason continued, “neither is true. We’re a team, so we coordinate where needed. He runs the civilian side, we run the military, and share when necessary.”
“Does that not cause conflicts?”
“Nope.”
“I do not see how such a system could function without a clear command structure. Do you avoid being in the same systems?”
“We do not conflict,” Paul said with finality. “We are superior to a rigid command structure. Experience and trust is key, but it’s not something that can be documented. It’s an understanding that we have that defies rules and structure. One of our biggest advantages is our ability to adapt to the challenges that present themselves, so why would we limit our ability to react with restrictive structure?”
“Because ambiguity can lead to hesitation and confusion.”
“Is this mindset something you gained from your time with the Li’vorkrachnika or was it part of the Fassna?”
“In small groups a less rigid structure may be used, but when you are dealing with interstellar civilizations in the trillions anarchy will occur without a plain and unambiguous command structure. This is true of all civilizations, not just the Li’vorkrachnika.”
“Then how do we manage it?” Taryn asked him.
“I have often wondered this. I assumed there was a hidden structure that we…the Li’vorkrachnika could not detect.”
“There is,” Paul said, drawing looks from the other two trailblazers. “The lightside. It binds us all together.”
“What system is this?”
“He means,” Jason added, “we do what is right. And being in the right binds us together, even with people we’ve never known or crossed paths with. Most races are unfamiliar with this concept, let alone the larger applications of it. And it is something the Li’vorkrachnika could never comprehend. They will stab you in the back if it is to their advantage. One who is lightside will not, hence there is an inherent trust that binds us all together.”
“How do you define what is right without a codex?”
“How do you know 2+2=4?” Paul asked. “You can read a codex or count for yourself. We figure out what is right by living and experiencing and trusting our gut instincts. And we’ve yet to find a race in existence without gut instincts. Some refer to it as a conscience…which is partly what I would say is the reason you want us to kill you. You know what you did was wrong, even if it was to temporarily spare others.”
“I cannot fault your logic, but I do not fully understand. Perhaps it is due to my mental instability. When one of you is not holding my mind intact, there is little I can do but wallow in my madness. I am not sure that I am fully intact even with your assistance.”
“Time and training,” Jason advised, “and you will recover. And there will be someone to help you most of the time, though it is necessary to have bouts where you are on your own so that you can process and adapt. Consider it your penance if you like. It will be a long journey to reconstruct yourself.”
“As you have stated, I owe it to those I helped victimize to see it through and shield others. If you are certain I can recover, I will attempt to do so. But even if I cannot, with your help I should be able to produce some valuable assistance in the interim.”
“You already have,” Paul stated flatly. “We didn’t know about the Skarron Consortium.”
“I was referring to something more strategically useful. If you would give me information on your own forces, I will do what I can to enhance your techniques.”
“War games?” Taryn suggested.
“I think Liam would be interested in that,” Paul said, knowing he didn’t have the time. “If you can find any flaws is our methods, we’d be grateful.”
“Do you have any other enemies for me to study?”
Paul and Jason didn’t look at each other, but both knew what the other one was thinking.
“Yes,” Taryn said, drawing skeptical looks from both of them. “But if we gave you that knowledge we could not allow you to have the freedom you deserve. Some things must remain between insiders only.”
“What freedom do you suggest? I seek none.”
“Something else to discuss with the Director,” Jason suggested, catching Taryn’s drift. “For now, let’s just say there are other forces in play that the Li’vorkrachnika haven’t come across yet.”
“And these Voku? Can you tell me more about them?”
“That we can do,” Paul said, being the in house expert on that particular allied race given his relationship with Cal-com. “What would you like to know?”
6
September 3, 3229
Muesharu System (lizard territory)
Immita
The mastermind rode into orbit on a Li’vorkrachnika jumpship fully crewed by his own people. He’d had them inspect it inside and out, literally, to see if there had been any tampering by Star Force before they’d turned it over to him. Other than some patches over hull breaches, nothing had been altered and even now there was no Archon onboard looking over him. There was a ship insystem, annoyingly invisible to his sensors, but Paul had said he wouldn’t be operating on a leash and had apparently kept his word.
Not that it was necessary. He had no desire to return to the templars, and via negotiation with Star Force
he was actually preserving more Li’vorkrachnika on Michra than he could have done fighting back. The Human-led empire was just too strong, there was no stopping them, but as he was learning, there were other ways to achieve your objectives.
What his objectives were was still a matter of question. Preserving resources was an obvious one, as well as searching for additional data on the templars and anything else within the Li’vorkrachnika civilization that he hadn’t been made aware of. But long term he did not have a purpose, nor had Paul made clear what he expected of him and his people on Michra. He had forbade them from producing more personnel save for special circumstances, but come the time when there were no more Li’vorkrachnika to recruit, did he expect them to just wither away? A compassionate way of exterminating them without having to kill them?
Yet that didn’t make sense, for Paul was teaching them how to go about attaining self-sufficiency. How well it would work long term the mastermind didn’t know, but his scientists were already studying the results and there was limited, but concrete evidence that there was an effect taking place in the standard variants that he was having go through the Star Force-inspired physical training.
They had no warships. No anti-orbital defenses. He did have a fairly good sized complement of fighters and tanks, but nothing that could do more than scratch Star Force. He had nothing to defend Michra with…save for him keeping his word, which was why he wasn’t going to try to make a break for it in his jumpship, in addition to the other reasons for staying on task.
With him was a fleet of some 83 other jumpships. Some were cargo models, other troop transports and naval carriers. All were in excess of 20 kilometers long, but it was going to take a lot of trips to evacuate the world into whose orbit he was now arriving. The defending fleet had already accepted his authority, ironically giving him some 43 cruisers and an additional cargo jumpship, though he knew those warships were going to have to be turned over to Star Force after the crews were retrieved.