by Ryk Brown
“I guess that depends on your definition,” Nathan stated. He looked over at Marcus, who was standing to the left side of the hatch.
“Good pressure outside,” Marcus confirmed.
“Drop the shield,” Nathan ordered.
The pale blue, nearly transparent pressure shield covering the open end of the Voss suddenly disappeared, its gentle hum going silent.
Kor-Dom Borrol’s eyes widened. “Is this wise?”
“Wise, no,” Nathan admitted. “But it’s what we’ve got,” he added as he headed down the ramp.
“Gives me the willies too,” Marcus muttered as he passed the kor-dom and his bodyguard, following Nathan down.
Seeing that Nathan and Marcus had suffered no ill effects, the kor-dom took a deep breath and proceeded down the ramp himself, followed by Preto Soray. Both men moved cautiously at first but quickly realized that they were safe for the moment.
As they got halfway down the ramp, the kor-dom’s pace slowed, his eyes widening in disbelief. Above and to his left was open space…nothing but stars. “Incredible,” he said to himself.
Preto Soray said nothing but shared in his leader’s awe.
“Pressure shield,” Jessica commented from behind the preto. “Pretty slick, huh?”
“Can you pass through it?” the kor-dom wondered.
“Yes, but you’ll pick up a heck of a static charge if you do,” Jessica explained. “You can fly through it, though.”
“Astonishing.” Kor-Dom Borrol looked forward again, noting that Nathan was standing a few meters from the bottom of the ramp alongside two officers, one male and one female.
“Kor-Dom Borrol,” Nathan began as the Jung leader approached. “Allow me to introduce Captain Cameron Taylor of the Earth Defense Force and General Lucius Telles of the Ghatazhak. This is Kor-Dom Borrol, leader of the Jung Empire.”
“It is an unprecedented honor, Kor-Dom,” General Telles stated, bowing his head slightly to show the Jung leader the respect due his position.
“The honor is mine,” Kor-Dom Borrol greeted. “The exploits of the Ghatazhak have reached Nor-Patri. You are likely as hated on my world as is Captain Scott.”
“I’ll take that as high praise,” General Telles replied.
“And the legendary Captain Taylor,” the kor-dom continued, turning his attention to Cameron. “It is rumored among our intelligence analysts that you are the true genius behind Captain Scott’s creative tactics.”
“More like his voice of reason,” Cameron corrected. She too bowed her head, despite the fact that the man was the leader of an empire that had once nearly destroyed her world. “An honor.”
Four Ghatazhak soldiers in full combat armor came marching out of the Aurora onto the deck.
“What is this?” Kor-Dom Borrol inquired, eying the approaching soldiers suspiciously.
“These men will escort you and Preto Soray to our high-security VIP quarters on A deck, just below the command deck,” Nathan explained.
“Are we prisoners?” Kor-Dom Borrol wondered.
“No, sir,” Nathan assured him. “They are for your protection. Half the people on this ship probably despise you as much as your people do me. The last thing we need right now are complications.”
“You do not trust your people?”
“I do, but I also know that grief can cause people to do terrible things. We will provide all that you need to ensure your comfort during your time with us. Lieutenant Commander Nash will provide you with all the intelligence you require. I would like to meet with you as soon as you are ready.”
“It has been a long and eventful day,” Kor-Dom Borrol replied. “Perhaps in the morning. That will give me time to review your intelligence.”
“As you wish,” Nathan agreed. “Lieutenant Commander,” he added, turning to Jessica. “See to it that Kor-Dom Borrol has access to all of our intelligence.”
“You mean all of our intelligence about the Dusahn,” Jessica assumed.
“I mean all of our intelligence,” Nathan corrected.
Jessica did not look happy. “Including Vlad’s recipe for glopsy?” she remarked as she passed, following the kor-dom and the Ghatazhak.
“Holy crap,” Cameron said, once the kor-dom was out of earshot. She turned to look at Nathan. “Are you insane?”
“We need him on our side,” Nathan insisted. “This is the best way to achieve that goal.”
“By sharing everything?”
“Yes.”
“I believe the captain is correct,” General Telles agreed. “There is extreme distrust between Terrans and Jung. If we wish the Jung leader to be forthright, we must be so as well.”
“Trust is earned,” Nathan reminded her.
“It’s bad enough you want to give them jump drive technology,” Cameron stated as she headed toward the hatch.
* * *
Dom Mogan stood at the gallery window, staring out at the stars. Between FTL and cloaking fields, the stars were distorted, in a constant dance of shifting and stretching.
“You are spending a lot of time star-gazing these days, Penta,” Admiral Korahk commented as he entered.
“What must it be like to blink your eyes and be somewhere else,” Dom-Mogan said. “Somewhere far from where you were.” He turned to look at his trusted friend. “Have you ever contemplated the possibilities, Jero?”
“On many occasions.”
Penta turned back to the stars. “We take from those nearest to us because of our limited reach. It is necessary, and it is logical, but it is also easy.”
“It was not always so,” Jero reminded him.
“And that is the problem. We once found glory in the conquering of others for the sake of our own. But when the prey fights back, we declare them criminals, unworthy of mercy or respect. We declare a Tonba-Hon-Venar, not for the purpose of justice, but for national pride. Pride for which we are willing to sacrifice all that we are and all we have built.”
“We will build again,” Jero insisted. “We will learn from our mistakes, and the new empire will be even more glorious.”
“Will it?” Penta wondered. “Humanity has advanced to the point where we are capable of the complete destruction of worlds, not just the decimation of their inhabitants. How are we to rebuild our world once it has been turned to dust?”
“We go to a new world.”
“And when does it end?” Penta sighed. “Something needs to change.” He continued gazing at the stars. “The answer is not here; it is out there,” he stated, gesturing to the distant stars. “Worlds not yet discovered. Secrets not yet revealed. That is where we should be going. New frontiers are what we should be conquering, instead of trying to reshape that which already exists into what we wish it to be.”
“We have had this discussion before, Penta. What you propose takes centuries with our current technology.”
“That is the key,” Dom-Mogan stated, looking at his subordinate.
Admiral Korahk’s left brow raised. “I know that look, Penta. What are you planning?”
“We attack in two days, do we not?”
“We do.”
“The Terrans will be taken by complete surprise. However, their defenses are strong. Even if our entire first wave of missiles makes it through their defenses, they will send everything they have at us. Their jump missiles, fighters, gunships…everything. There will be chaos, ships jumping around everywhere.” Penta paused, looking his friend in the eyes. “All we need is one.”
“You wish to capture one of their jump ships?”
“All three battle platforms attack. We hit them with everything, then the Ton-Mogan falls back while the Ton-Orso and the Ton-Joja complete the task. In the fog of war, we capture one of their gunships or even a fighter. Anything with a jump drive.”
“Our intelligence indicates th
eir jump ships are equipped with a self-destruct system. Their captains are under strict orders to destroy their ships if capture is imminent. They may even have tamper-prevention sensors.”
“It is a risk we must take,” Dom-Mogan insisted. “It will take us four years to get out of Sol Alliance space. Longer, if we intend to return to Nor-Patri. That is plenty of time to reverse-engineer the captured technology and incorporate it into this ship.”
“Assuming we don’t blow ourselves up in the process.”
“We can conduct the initial examinations aboard one of our cargo shuttles, far from the Ton-Mogan.”
“The empire has been attempting to capture a jump drive for years, Penta.”
“We have never had an opportunity such as this. We would be fools not to take advantage of it.”
“Agreed, but…”
“We must figure out how to disable their self-destruct system,” Dom-Mogan insisted. “An EMP, a gamma burst, a digital virus, something.”
“We know nothing about it,” Admiral Korahk pointed out. “How are we to devise a way to disable it?”
“I do not know, Jero,” Dom-Mogan admitted. “All I know is that we have two days to come up with something.”
Admiral Korahk sighed. He knew the leader of his caste was a dreamer. It was both his inspiration and his downfall. “And suppose we are successful. Suppose we managed to give this vessel the ability to jump between the stars. What do you suggest we do with that ability?”
Dom-Mogan turned to face the stars again. “The Tonba-Hon-Venar will go on for years after the Earth is destroyed. Perhaps decades. There may even be retribution from subsequent generations. All of this will make the rebuilding of the Jung Empire slow and difficult if not impossible. We will initiate the attack, steal a jump drive, and continue on our way without changing course. We will go beyond all that is until we find a new frontier that suits our needs. There, we will build an empire the likes of which no human has ever imagined. And we will build it so far away that by the time humanity catches up to us, we will be invincible.”
“All this in two days,” Admiral Korahk commented.
“You’ve always been a clever man, Jero. That is why you are an admiral.”
* * *
Nathan sat down across the table from Kor-Dom Borrol, uncertain of why he had been called to the Jung leader’s quarters. In the corner, Preto Soray stood, silent as usual, watching over the kor-dom.
“You are probably wondering why I requested to speak with you at so late an hour,” the kor-dom began.
“The thought had crossed my mind,” Nathan replied.
“I have reviewed all of the intelligence your Lieutenant Commander Shinoda provided. He is a very thorough officer.”
“That he is.”
“I must say, you have accomplished much. If the Dusahn had not managed to recover so many of their antimatter cores after you defeated four of their battleships at once, Takara would probably already be liberated, and you and I would not be having this discussion.”
“Yeah, I’ve kicked myself more than once over that one,” Nathan admitted.
“One of the keys to being a leader is not to second guess oneself. It serves little purpose.”
“I’ll try to remember that,” Nathan promised. “But surely you didn’t call me here to offer leadership advice.”
Kor-Dom Borrol paused a moment, examining the young captain. “Have you not wondered why I agreed to come with you?”
“I believe you insisted,” Nathan corrected. “Honestly, I agree that your forces are more likely to stand down if you are personally giving the order. However, I also suspect you see this as an opportunity to gather intelligence on the state of the galaxy.”
“Or the state of the Dusahn.”
A light went on in Nathan’s head. “It isn’t Earth you fear, it’s the Dusahn.”
“Actually, it’s both,” Kor-Dom Borrol corrected. “The Tonba-Hon-Venar is only acceptable to our people because we know that it is not the end but rather a new beginning.”
“I have to be honest with you, Kor-Dom. The fact that your people see it that way is somewhat disturbing.”
“Perhaps. The Dusahn, however, complicate matters.”
“How so?”
“The Tonba-Hon-Venar will obliterate the civilizations of both our worlds and will decimate both fleets. The survivors will be desperate and willing to follow anyone who provides them with the basics of life. Neither fleet will be capable of mounting a significant defense, should a third party attempt an invasion.”
“Oh my God,” Nathan exclaimed. “You believe the Dusahn intend on being that third party.”
“I believe that Lord Dusahn orchestrated the false-flag operation to guarantee a Tonba-Hon-Venar would occur, after which the Dusahn caste would finally take control of the Jung Empire.”
“So this is all about revenge?”
“The Dusahn believed themselves to be the rightful leaders of the empire. When the Leaders of Nine decided to elect a kor-dom instead of continuing the practice of selection by combat, the Dusahn threatened to destroy all nine ruling castes. What followed were the bloodiest days in the history of our empire. I believe that Lord Dusahn intends to succeed where his ancestors failed centuries ago.”
“Then he has no interest in Takara or the Pentaurus sector,” Nathan surmised.
“As a stepping-stone to Nor-Patri, perhaps. Beyond that, I cannot be sure.”
“How can you know this?” Nathan wondered.
“Had he simply wished to be welcomed back into the empire, he merely had to offer us jump drive technology. The fact that he did not make such an offer, but rather set our two empires at war with one another is what originally made me suspicious. Then once I learned he had taken the name Griogair, I was certain. The intelligence you provided only confirms my suspicions. For example, why did the Dusahn need so many ships? Takara had almost no defenses, and Corinair had but a single capital ship. The element of surprise alone would have guaranteed their victory. They needed the extra ships in order to seize control of what was left of the Jung Empire once the Sol-Alliance had reduced our fleet to a manageable level.”
“How could your people follow him, knowing that he was the one who had brought on the death and destruction?” Nathan wondered.
“Desperate people will believe whatever you tell them, as long as you provide them that for which they are desperate.”
Nathan leaned back, the weight of the realization hitting him hard. “The entire Pentaurus cluster is disposable to him.”
“Had you not decimated his forces before his plan came to fruition, yes,” Kor-Dom Borrol confirmed. “Now, however, he cannot succeed without Takara.”
Nathan thought for a moment. “I don’t see how this changes anything.”
“Probably not,” the kor-dom agreed. “However, it would suggest that, were you to challenge Lord Dusahn to personal combat, he would accept. If he is going to this much trouble to avenge the honor of his caste, he would not dare refuse your challenge and risk losing face in the eyes of all those whom he intends to rule.”
Nathan sighed. “I’m not sure any of this is making me feel any better.”
“It was not intended to do so,” Kor-Dom Borrol replied. “I just thought you should know.” He observed Nathan a moment before speaking again. “You might want to reconsider your plans.”
“Which one?” Nathan wondered.
Kor-Dom Borrol took a slow, measured breath, giving his next words careful consideration.
Nathan noticed the older man’s hesitation. “There is something else.”
“You cannot defeat Griogair Dusahn in hand-to-hand combat. I’m not even certain one of your Ghatazhak could beat him.”
“I’ve found that the best way to beat someone who is unbeatable is to outsmart them,” Nathan stated.
“I’m afraid Griogair Dusahn has you in what your people call…checkmate.”
“Then you believe he will destroy Takara rather than lose it.”
“I have no doubt.”
Nathan paused a moment. “I didn’t realize the Jung played chess.”
“We call it skorate,” the kor-dom replied. “It may be time to accept that you cannot save Takara and that by continuing to try, you place all at risk.”
“I am aware of this,” Nathan assured him. “Believe me, I’ve had little else on my mind.”
“Then you realize that the Jung Empire cannot tolerate the rise of a Dusahn Empire.”
“I do.”
“If you challenge him and lose, we will have no choice but to glass the planet,” Kor-Dom Borrol stated.
“You won’t have to,” Nathan assured him. “If we fail, we will obliterate all military forces on the surface of Takara, without regard to collateral damage.”
Kor-Dom Borrol looked doubtful. “You would do that to innocent civilians?”
“Do I blame the burglar for robbing me or myself for giving him the opportunity by leaving my door unlocked?” Nathan stated, a faraway look in his eyes.
“An interesting phrase.”
“Something my grandfather used to say,” Nathan explained. “I didn’t understand it at the time, but I do now.”
“He was speaking of social responsibility,” the kor-dom surmised.
“Actually, I believe he was speaking about the true cost of a free society. The Takaran people ignored their responsibility for far too long. Nevertheless, I will do everything in my power to protect them, even if from themselves. But be assured, I am prepared to sacrifice the few to save the many.”
“Just as you did when you attacked Zhu-Anok?” the kor-dom asked, looking Nathan in the eyes.
Nathan took a slow and steady breath before responding, not wanting to appear defensive. “Zhu-Anok was a purely military asset. The collateral damage it caused on Nor-Patri could not have been anticipated.”
“I agree.”
Nathan was taken aback. “You do?”
Kor-Dom Borrol leaned back in his chair. He looked at Preto Soray. “Excuse us, Preto.”