by Aer-ki Jyr
“But not all.”
“Not all, but most.”
“Has this sort of consensus shift occurred before in your history?”
“Not with the censorship. We have never been told not to analyze. It is essentially heresy for us.”
“Yet you tell others not to?”
“They are servants, though I do see the hypocrisy. We held ourselves to different standards. Standards that were simply cast aside recently with no explanation as to why.”
“The reason is a simple and obvious one. The truth interfered with your plans, thus it was an enemy that had to be silenced or destroyed. You can’t destroy the truth as you can a lie, so it must be silenced and those that cling to it must be destroyed.”
“You say that as if it were commonplace in the galaxy.”
“It is…or was before Star Force emerged.”
“No, it is not. Most races do not think independently enough to challenge, thus there is little to censor. And those who do are so unorganized they self-destruct over petty rivalries and never rise to a level of noticeability.”
“Perhaps that’s because you didn’t care to look close enough.”
Pol’ake huffed. “I have much to learn of your ways. I admit that and embrace the challenge of it. For whatever reason my race has abandoned what we were, and what we aspired to become. They no longer care for dominance, except to ally themselves with those who exhibit it, as if that will procure it for them. No…I do not care to speculate about the parameters of madness. They are gone, more than physically, from this galaxy. And unless others defied the evacuation order, I am the last Zak’de’ron. And I am unfit to try and restart my race alone as Zeno’dor did. It was probably why he eventually went mad when two failures befell him. Nor do I wish to take on the impossibility of rising above you. Your lightside is more formidable than analysis predicted, and that means the analysis was flawed.”
“So you wish to marry yourself to our dominance as the others are to the Neofan?”
“I come to you as a wayward peer, not a supplicant. I also know you do not have servants, rather wards, and I understand the distinction. You have made the V’kit’no’sat races into new and stronger Factions within your Empire, including the Les’i’kron, our demented cousins. We are far beyond them, and if you wish to construct another Faction…a stronger Faction…out of the Zak’de’ron, I will give you as many eggs as you require with no oversight on my part. They will be yours to do with as you wish. I can trust you that far based on how you have handled the annexation of other races.”
“And what about you personally?”
“I do not want exile. I want to be relevant. I ask only that you put me to good use, and to find the things I can do that others cannot. For we are still superior to Humans and the V’kit’no’sat. Though our accomplishments fall quite short of yours.”
“Challenge accepted,” Davis agreed. “But first and foremost, I want to know exactly how you managed to control the three Uriti that you captured. Their genetic code resists alteration.”
Pol’ake stiffened. “We spoke to them, and they spoke back. From that point of access we developed a relationship with them, finding them to be little more than hatchlings and conditioned to respond to exterior orders. We convinced them that we were the ones to obey, through means you would not condone. I had some involvement in this, so I know of what transpired, but are you aware of the others?”
Davis glared at him. “What…others?” he said slowly and icily.
“We captured a Hadarak and took it to a part of the galaxy you do not control. We have been attempting to create our own Uriti based on genetic controls that were reliable, as the Chixzon did. There are several partial successes that could not be taken to the Neofan Temples in full view of you. We agreed to give them to the Neofan, but they will collect them by another means at a future date. They want them, Director. They want them badly. If you move quickly, you can get to them first, for they need a vessel large enough to carry them through their support network and beyond this galaxy. They have requested one from their ruling House, and it must come from far away. These prototype Uriti are the primary leverage we had to garner special treatment within the Bond of Resistance…or so we were told.”
“Do you know where they are?”
“Yes.”
“Are the Neofan there?”
“A few caretakers only. There would be a conflict, but one you should easily be able to win with your Essence powers countering theirs. Would that break existing agreements with them?”
“They’re not supposed to operate outside their Temples for more than sightseeing,” Davis said angrily. “So if they are there, in possession of these Uriti, they are in violation.”
“And what recourse does your agreement have for such occurrences?”
“None.”
“Then such a conflict could escalate into a second war?”
“That’s always been a possibility since they arrived, and before, actually. Our agreement has been mutually beneficial, and I do not think they will throw it away over this, for they have nowhere else to go…but they are also beginning to push the boundaries of what we will tolerate, knowing we cannot get to them in their three Temples. Not without significant cost. And their Essence powers are probably greater than they have allowed us to know.”
“Then you are in a stalemate?”
“They have their foothold. I will not allow them to expand beyond it. And I will not allow anyone to possess Uriti other than us. Nor will the Uriti. They are very protective of their kin, and we are very protective of them. Are you certain they are still here?”
“I have not been there to see with my own eyes. I am as certain as I can be. The Neofan cannot move them through the Temples without you knowing it. And they do not wish you to know of it.”
“Could they be on the convoys?”
“They cannot be kept in stasis. Their physiology does not allow it. They can only be sedated, and automated systems are not efficient at handling experiments. If there is a convoy on a million year journey, no living Uriti is on it. Though there could be genetic samples held in stasis so they do not decay. Only portions of their body are immune to it.”
Davis mentally linked with his computer systems, searching the system for Kara’s location and finding her already in one of the special Archon Sanctums hidden beneath the Indian Ocean where extensive Essence-training equipment was contained, the likes of which were present only in four other star systems.
Davis sent her a message to get her ass over to Atlantis immediately. If they were going to pick a fight with the Neofan, best to have a Jinx with them.
“Have you been there before?”
“Yes, many times when difficulties needed to be addressed.”
“Then your first mission is to go with Kara, assist her with claiming these Uriti, but do not reveal your presence to the Neofan.”
“They may sense it.”
“Irrelevant. You are going as advisor, unless you possess Essence skills that I cannot see in you?”
“You can detect them in others?”
“I can detect a higher concentration of Essence, and you lack it.”
“I have not been taught those mysteries.”
“Then confronting the Neofan would be suicide.”
“I am not arguing, but do you not have some forms of negation technology?”
“We do, but it is hard to produce and you’re not getting any. So stay away from them and help Kara with knowledge alone. The Neofan are too powerful for you to confront, and they have orders to kill you on sight.”
“Very well. Shall we leave immediately?”
“In the next day or two, depending on ship placements. But first, tell me everything you did to this Hadarak, and exactly what kind of Uriti did you spawn?”
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