“What is that?” Li’ara asked.
“I don't know,” Ch’len replied, consulting his console. “It’s not where the coordinates lead.” The Ch’kara typed away until more data presented itself. “From these readings, I’d say it’s some kind of array, but’s configuration is unusual…”
“How so?” Li’ara craned her neck over the viewport to take in as much of the structure as she could before the Rackham overshot it.
“Well, most arrays are designed to receive and emit signals. From the looks of this, that array can only emit.”
Sef turned to Li’ara. Do a planet-wide scan…
Li’ara looked at the Gomar for a second longer, wondering what he could sense. “Len, can the Rackham scan the whole planet?”
The Ch’kara laughed. “What does this look like, a Nexus-Class battlecruiser?”
Sef audibly sighed inside his helmet. The Gomar held out his hand, once again calling upon the nanocelium inside the ship. Four new columns rose up and presented him with a bank of consoles and holograms. Both Ch’len and Roland made to protest, but Li’ara held up her hand to silence the pair. Sef’s armoured hands danced between the columns until a new hologram was emitted in the middle of the bridge. They all looked upon the floating blue orb that represented Shandar and watched as tiny red blips appeared across the surface. There wasn't one landmass that didn't have at least a dozen of the red dots.
“How did he…” Ch’len’s expression crumpled into confusion.
Li’ara glanced at the consoles before taking a closer look at the hologram. “These are arrays? Like the one down there?”
Sef nodded silently.
“They must belong to Protocorps,” Roland added.
“Why don't you ask them…” Ch’len nodded at the viewport, where a squat-looking facility came into view, dug into the mountainside.
“Are we still operating under stealthware?” Li’ara knew that if they could see the facility, the facility could see them.
“Yep!” Roland stood up with one of his Tri-rollers in hand and beaming smile on his face. “Let’s go knock!”
“Wait!” Li’ara moved to try and stop the bounty hunter from leaving. “We need a plan, Roland.”
“We have a plan; he’s standing right behind you!” The bounty hunter casually gestured to Sef with his gun. “The guerilla opens the door and my Tri-roller here talks our way in.” He turned to leave but faced Sef one last time. “Oh, and don't kill everyone this time! It just sucks the fun right out of this…”
Kel-var sat on the edge of his bed, his conscience keeping him awake as usual. Malekk had the coordinates now. The Gomar were as good as dead, and with them gone, there would be no one to stop what was coming. The idea of ascension had always been abstract in the Shay’s mind. Something his parents would talk about as if it was thousands of years away, something that could never come to pass in his lifetime. Seeing Malekk and the outcome of the recent test on the Paladin was sobering.
Ascension looked an awful lot like slavery.
An alarm Kel-var had never heard before blared from the speakers in the ceiling. The Shay tilted his head and heard it ringing out across the base, as well as in his room. Wearing just his night robe, Kel-var opened his door to find two guards already approaching.
“Sir, the installation’s under attack!” The two Shay were part of the mercenary group that now worked solely for Protocorps. “We’re enacting the extraction protocol.”
“You will do no such thing,” Kel-var replied, waving their guiding hands away. “Take me to the control centre.”
The walk to the control centre was long and Kel-var couldn't get rid of the knot in his gut. The Crucible was one of Protocorps’ best-kept secrets; even the captured board members would die before giving up its location.
Gor-van…
Would Gor-van have given up the Crucible as a way of getting back at him? No, Kel-var was certain that even Gor-van would never give it up, unless…
“Have we identified the intruders?” Kel-var asked the question as soon as the doors opened into the control centre. He suspected their identities would not come as a surprise.
The nearest Shay brought up the holographic logs from the extensive network of cameras throughout the installation. The outer doors had been blown away, though there was no evidence of an explosion. The next image showed a firefight in the upper tunnels, where two humans and a… Gomar were forcing their way through.
“That’s not Kalian Gaines,” Kel-var announced. “Look at the armour, his size. That is a Gomar.”
The Shay lost all hope as one camera after another displayed their advance. Nothing could stop them. Roland North showed his usual brutality, while Li’ara Ducarté utilized precision and moved from cover to cover. The unknown Gomar simply strode down the corridors, as the intrinium bolts bounced off of his armour. Either way, the mercenaries continued to drop.
“What do we do?” a technician asked.
The Control centre began to stir with unrest and the mercenaries looked to one another with questioning glances. Kel-var knew he had to take control before chaos ruled, but what could he do? Roland North and Li’ara Ducarté were hard targets on their own, but with a Gomar backing them up…
“Activate all internal cannons.” Kel-var gave the order without looking away from the monitor. “Those tunnels are lined with cannons, are they not? Wait until they’ve advanced a little further and attack them from all sides. Hammer them!”
The technician worked in conjunction with a few others before he pressed the button to turn every corridor into a kill box. Nothing happened. The team ran through the diagnostics, checking everything was working as it should, while Kel-var paced behind them.
“Why aren't they firing?” he finally asked.
“It must be the Gomar.” The technician changed the image and zoomed in on the armoured being.
“What is he…” Kel-var narrowed his vision and focused on the Gomar, who had stopped walking and placed a single hand on the wall, while the humans continued to kill the mercenaries.
After he finished disabling the internal defences, the Gomar looked up at the camera with an intensity that made Kel-var uncomfortable. One armoured hand rose into the air and formed a fist, ending the video feed and their ability to observe the fight.
Kel-var screamed in frustration and slammed his fists into the console. “Go. Go, all of you just GO! If you can hold a weapon I expect you to leave this room and fight.”
The technicians looked at each other in disbelief, before turning a pleading expression on Kel-var. Some slowly rose from their seats, while others looked too scared to move.
“Captain, arm these people and take them to the Translift!” Kel-var turned away from them and listened to the mercenaries haul the technicians from their feet.
They were all going to die.
That thought took a while to sink in but was ultimately overridden by the fear of his own death. He sat in one of the empty chairs, head sinking into his chest further and further under the weight of his mistakes. They had underestimated the humans. Kel-var could now see why they had been targeted so thoroughly.
It took some time, but eventually, the doors of the control centre were torn from their servo motors and thrown away. A beaming Roland North was closely followed by the red-head and the towering Gomar.
Kel-var remained seated, refusing to stand and show any fear. To the trained eyes of these particular killers, it was probably evident enough.
“Kel-var…” Roland purred. “Have you been avoiding my calls?” Shay blood was splattered against his face and long coat.
The Gomar came to stand in front of him, a wall of unstoppable force. Li’ara appeared less interested in him, however, and made for the adjacent consoles. Her stubby, human fingers dashed across the holographics, searching.
“I love what you’ve done with the place,” Roland continued. “The whole secret base in the mountains-thing… has a dastardly evil touch to it.
And kicking the planet’s inhabitants off the surface! Protocorps is badass!” Roland back-handed Kel-var with his Tri-roller.
The Shay fell to the floor in a sprawling of limbs and shooting pain. Kel-var simply wasn't accustomed to pain, having lived a life of privilege in the tallest of Conclave towers. Tasting his own blood was new to him.
“This place is a gold mine,” Li’ara commented. “It looks like Protocorps use this place to back-up most of their data.” The human continued to sift through the information, her agitation growing. “There’s too much! It could take me days, months to find the coordinates.”
Kel-var got as far as his knees before Roland placed the end of his gun to the Shay’s head. “Where are the coordinates to the Gomar? We know Gor-van sent them to you. He’s dead by the way.”
Kel-var was about to reply with a wicked retort, the pain in his lip stoking his anger, when the humans looked away, towards the Gomar. Nothing was said, but it looked to the Shay as if some information was being shared.
“Of course!” Li’ara replied to nothing. “The base emits data, it doesn't receive. Where’s his personal array?”
Roland, who was apparently in charge of Kel-var’s interrogation, picked the Shay up by his robes and forced him back into the chair. “You heard the lady, dip-shit; where’s your personal array?”
Kel-var wanted to tell them to exactly what he thought of the extended Terran race, but his survival instincts kicked in. “If I give you what you want, I will need something in return. I want…”
The Gomar suddenly walked away, without notice. The giant’s direction told the Shay exactly where he was going. Kel-var stuttered and stumbled over his words, distracted by the Gomar entering his private office. A moment later, the god-like figure emerged with a rectangular box in his hand and torn wires poking out of the end.
Roland laughed, though the joke hadn't been said out loud. “Nice one, Sef! Looks like negotiations aren't required, after all, Kel-var.” The bounty hunter levelled his weapon at the Shay’s head again.
“Wait!” Kel-var pleaded, too afraid to care about begging. “I can tell you what this place is. What it was designed for.”
Roland bit his lip and turned to Li’ara, who went back to work on the console. After a minute she replied with a satisfied smile and slowly hit a single button on the glass screen.
Li’ara explained, “The Gomar are our priority. Whatever this place is, the Conclave will figure it out. Thanks to the huge amount of arrays this facility is connected to, I’ve just uploaded everything in its databanks to the social hubs on every planet. Protocorps no longer has any secrets.”
With that, she gave Roland a different kind of look. Had Kel-var survived the next second, he would have deduced that it was an expression of permission.
Elondrasa, the Novaarian Highclave member, removed her floating headdress and relaxed into the comfortable seat on their personal transport. They had just announced the new Starforges that would soon be constructed and placed on the surface of every world in the Conclave. This particular announcement was the first of many in the new campaign, and judging by the reaction of the crowds, they were going to be revolutionary.
Of course, the knowledge that the new technology had been supplied by the humans had been met with a certain amount of distrust. Thankfully, the protestors, both for and against the humans, had been kept well at bay from the announcement. In the end, the opportunities the Starforges offered would outweigh the origin of their creation.
The transport took them from Clave Tower and across the expanse of space, to the Marillion. The golden orb rested on the edges of the solar system, ensuring that its size wouldn't interfere with the capital planet. As expected, both Uthor and Telarrek were waiting for the Highclave inside the inner sphere of the ship. The old friends stopped talking and stood to their full height, as the councillors entered the chamber.
Uthor’s gravelly voice said, “It appears the Starforges have been well received.”
Nu-marn replied, “Yes, but I still feel we should change the name. Rebrand it as something more… well, less human.”
“We aren't here to discuss the Starforges,” Lordina said, already tired with the talk of transport.
“Indeed,” Elondrasa added, motioning for both visitors to take a seat at the table. “How are the inhabitants of the Paladin adjusting?”
Telarrek tilted his head in a Novaarian sigh. “As well as can be expected. The friends and family they have lost died centuries ago, peacefully. I feel they will struggle more with the idea that their loved ones died never knowing what happened to the Paladin.”
“I care very little for their feelings, Ambassador!” Nu-marn spat. “I just want to know where we’re going to put them all. At the rate they breed they’ll outgrow their first planet by the end of the century.”
Elondrasa noted Telarrek’s questioning expression. He desperately wanted to know if the humans had a planet they could live on.
“The answer is no, Telarrek.” It was Brokk who answered, noting the same expression on the Novaarian’s face. “Suitable locations have been found, but membership has not been granted yet.”
Telarrek knew better than to respond with outrage, even if that was how he felt. Elondrasa knew that his son being on the other side of the galaxy must be fraying on the ambassador’s sensibilities. The councillor respected him all the more for his silence.
“What will it take?” Surprisingly, it was Uthor’s booming Raalakian voice that replied. “Have you not read my reports? The humans have done nothing but fight for us!”
“They fight for themselves!” Nu-marn was quick to respond.
“That is what none of you understand! There is no them or us anymore, as there is no difference between any of us. Besides the technology they have presented us with, they have continued to uncover, at their own cost, the enemy that beats at our door. The Shay that attacked the Paladin are still being studied, but they showed a level of infection we have seen before. Malekk, Professor Jones… Something is, no, something has already infiltrated the Conclave. The humans are the only ones doing anything!”
Ch’lac replied dryly, “So far they’ve created a mess on the capital, left bodies behind from Trantax IV to Byzantial and most of that chaos was created by a handful of their kind. They are unpredictable.”
“The same was said of any Raalak before the Conclave was formed.” The fact that Brokk replied and not Uthor was a testament to the Highclave’s fracture on the subject.
The room fell silent, with no argument raised.
“Forgive the intrusion,” Xydrandil, the Nix, glided into the room on his many legs. “There has been a development on the social hubs.” The Nix activated the holographic emitters in the centre of the table. “This has just been transmitted from the surface of Shandar.”
“The surface?” Nu-marn asked in disbelief.
The room fell silent again as the group took in the streams of data being shared throughout the Conclave. There was more than a few gasps.
“Who has released this?” Ch’lac asked, his eyes glued to the images flashing across the table top.
Xydrandil changed the central hologram to that of a recording. Two humans and a Gomar could clearly be seen walking through a corridor, killing Shay soldiers.
“Li’ara…” Telarrek sat forward in his chair.
“A Gomar?” Lordina’s voice filled with fear.
“The data is being analysed from top to bottom, but one element has already flashed under the priority alerts.” Xydrandil skipped ahead to a section where Roland North shot Kel-var Tionis in the head. “Within all the material being transmitted, a set of coordinates was found inside a data-packet.”
Elondrasa sat back, as her mind’s eye witnessed the backlash from the Conclave.
Brokk looked at Uthor. “Send a fleet to that planet immediately. The Gomar must be secured.”
“I will take care of the Gomar,” Uthor replied confidently, standing up on his strong, fo
ur legs. “I advise that all of you sit here for a while and review the truth of what’s been going on under ignorant reign. Telarrek, perhaps you should accompany me. The humans listen to you.” The pair left without another word, only a look from Telarrek told of his disappointment.
Naturally, Lordina and Nu-marn were outraged at the High Charge’s comment, while Ch’lac, Brokk and herself could see the gaps in their attention. They had ignored everything put to them, especially if the source was human in origin.
“Let them go,” Elondrasa bade.
“They must be disciplined!” Nu-marn fired back.
“For what? Pointing out the truth, a truth that is displayed before your very face, Nu-marn.” Elondrasa expanded a hologram of the base hidden on Shandar. “We have real work to do.”
19
Kalian awoke with a start and almost jumped off the table when he sat up. His hand gripped his chest, where he instinctively knew that something had been wrong. There was no pain or any sign of trauma, which would have been clear to see since he was naked. The armour was in a heap on the floor, at the end of the table. The nanocelium had yet to repair itself and Kalian could see where the exo-suit had been cut open.
“I'm getting really tired of waking up naked on a cold surface…” Kalian spoke out loud, aware that Naydaalan was off to the side and watching him with a worried eye.
Everything about the Novaarian screamed at Kalian, alerting his every sense that he was standing close by. From his unique smell to the taste of his alien skin on Kalian’s tongue, Naydaalan impacted the universe as strongly as any star or black hole. As the warrior moved, Kalian felt the molecules around the alien displace, almost as if he were walking through water.
The Terran Cycle Boxset Page 119
