by A. K. DuBoff
Michael frowned. “But some ways of thinking are just plain evil. Not to mention actions to put groups at odds—like what happened to Alkeer. How can we be friends after that?”
“It’s either find a way to get along or go to war. As difficult as it is, we need to look at things from the other side. Our viewpoints probably seem just as misguided to them.”
“That doesn’t make them correct.”
“Regardless, as a society, Tarans decided long ago that it wasn’t okay to silence or kill someone just because you disagree with them,” Wil replied. “But, getting along with others when there are profound differences in fundamental philosophies isn’t easy; that’s how we ended up with so many disparate worlds. It’s exponentially more complicated when other alien species are introduced to the mix.”
“I suppose the different territories on Earth were formed for many of the same reasons.”
Wil nodded. “I imagine so. That is why I’m hopeful that we can show humans that there is a way to come together while still protecting personal autonomy.”
Michael drummed his fingers on the armrest. “Civil disputes rarely resolve without hurt feelings—or bloodshed.”
Wil nodded, his heart heavy. “It still comes down to perspective and opinion, though. It’s unreasonable to expect that everyone will hold identical beliefs, so instead we need to find common ground.”
“Respect differing opinions.”
“Exactly. If you ask others to accept you as you are and respect your viewpoints, doesn’t that mean you should extend them the same courtesy?” Wil asked.
“Ideally,” Michael said. “But it’s a lot more complicated than that.”
“Oh yes, no doubt. Yet, we can always strive to better ourselves and find ways to coexist. Of course, remaining open-minded isn’t really in our nature. So, most Tarans gravitate toward others with similar ways of thinking, and they create a shared value framework on a world where they can live life how they want to. Don’t like your current planet’s culture? Rather than try to change everyone around you, go somewhere more suited to your intrinsic way of thinking.”
“Except that can breed hatred and ‘othering’.”
“Only when there’s a loss of mutual respect,” Wil replied. “There’s a fine balance, since one person’s rights cannot impede another’s. But it’s possible to create a community of like-minded individuals while still teaching acceptance and tolerance of outsiders. The key is to differentiate between common areas and private spaces—no matter if we’re talking on the scale of a home, a planet, or the galaxy. We need to agree on a commonly understood code of conduct.
“In any common space, there needs to be a shared language of values—things like don’t kill, don’t steal. Most people can get behind those restrictions, so they’re written as law. Murder and theft may be acceptable on some remote planets, but try that on one of the Central Worlds and it’s straight to a prison cell.
“But, even the planets who’ve embraced their own cultural norms recognize the value of economy of scale when it comes to certain matters, such as transportation and technology. They dislike the idea of centralized Tararian rule but love the quality-of-life increases it affords them.
“So, we find ourselves engaged in an eternal balancing act, a dance of courting one another and pulling away with the swells and contraction of societal whim. I see the discontent in the Outer Colonies now and think back to the countless times we’ve been through this same argument. Apparently, our ancestors went through a similar struggle on a galactic scale with this same enemy we now face again. I have no doubt that balance will be restored at all levels eventually, but the question is how much strife will we endure before then?”
Michael crossed his arms. “In other words, maybe the best we can do with this new enemy is ‘agree to disagree’?”
Wil nodded. “I know it’s not a satisfying statement, but yes. Take the Taran Empire, for example. When you’re looking at a population in the trillions, statistically you’re going to have too many competing perspectives to get everyone on the same page in all matters. Accept your differences and let others live in peace.”
“Much easier said than done.”
“Oh, conflict is inevitable. This all works much better theoretically than it does in reality—as the current unrest on Duronis and other planets shows.” Wil paused. “Still, I have hope for reaching an accord with both the aliens and among our people. We’re a fallible species and quite passionate in our opinions. But we try, and we keep pressing forward. It takes a truly evolved mind to recognize that universal acceptance of everyone isn’t about all people getting along, but rather it’s about tolerating individual differences and letting a person live their life how they want to live it, not how you believe they should.”
Michael’s brows drew together. “That’s one of the great burdens of leadership, isn’t it? Deciding what should be common law and when to enforce it.”
“Yes. And in the end, we simply do the best we can. I suppose, when we can’t reach an agreement, that’s why some worlds elect to leave the Empire.” It didn’t happen often, but it wasn’t unheard of. More commonly, a group of colonists would branch off and form their own settlement, severing ties with the rest of Tarans in the process. That’s what had happened to Earth long enough ago that no one remembered the specifics.
“Makes you wonder if these beings got fed up with the politics in spacetime and left the dimension entirely.”
Wil shrugged. “Hey, anything is possible.”
Michael sat in quiet thought. After a while, he looked up. “It stands to reason, then, when enough time has passed, it’s only fair that a world who’s left the Empire should have the opportunity to return.”
“And I think Earth’s time has come.” But Wil realized the same logic would apply to the other situation. What if these transdimensional beings have come now to reclaim what’s theirs?
CHAPTER 16
The last two days had been a waking nightmare for Raena. The Empire is falling apart, and there’s nothing I can do about it.
She recognized that was overly pessimistic thinking, but that was part of her coping process. She needed to have a proper freak-out before she buckled down and dove into the task at hand. Unfortunately, the mysterious summons to the Sietinen estate in the Third Region on Tararia wasn’t helping her process.
The High Council usually rotated its meeting locations, though for special sessions, they defaulted to whomever had called the assembly. In this case, her father had asked for the gathering on behalf of the TSS and her grandfather had volunteered to host. Normally, she wouldn’t attend the meeting since she was still only a scion of Sietinen and wife to the Head of Dainetris, but spouses and scions had been asked to attend this particular event—even more irregular.
As she exited the shuttle onto the landing pad on the western side of the estate, Raena did her best to push the worries about Duronis and the Rift to the back of her mind.
“I hope there’s some good news mixed in with the bad,” she said to Ryan as they began walking along the path leading to the massive white stone estate atop the hill overlooking the lakeside city of Sieten below.
Ryan took her hand. “If the expanded council is being called together, then that means there’s a plan of action to be discussed. We can finally move past the ‘wait and see’ part.”
“Can’t come soon enough.”
They met up with her grandparents outside the largest of the conference rooms in the western administrative wing of the Sietinen estate. The circular table with an open center could comfortably seat thirty, making it ideal for council sessions and other gatherings where the hierarchy lines were blurred.
“Hey, good to see you again,” Raena greeted.
Kate gave her a hug. “How are you holding up?”
“Well enough.”
“The others haven’t arrived yet,” Cris said. “We may as well get settled.” He motioned them toward the room’s interior.
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“What’s the meeting about?” Raena asked her grandfather while they took seats on the far end of the table with the best view of the door.
“I have my suspicions, but it’s best I don’t engage in idle speculation.”
“Come on, it’s us,” she urged.
“That’s precisely the point. Your father called an assembly of the High Council to make a formal statement to all of us at the same time. To speak with us privately is in direct conflict to the TSS’ responsibility to serve everyone equally.”
Raena looked at him skeptically. “Like we haven’t used backchannels before.”
“If he’s making a concerted effort to avoid those now, it must be grave.”
That angle hadn’t occurred to Raena. “Oh.”
“I won’t worry until I know I should. I advise you to do the same,” Kate said.
Raena nodded faintly in response.
She looked out over the two halves of the table, each a curved rectangle positioned to form a circle with an open center and aisle. The emblem for Tararia was embossed on the tile floor, indicating it as a place where the world could come together in unity rather than broadcasting the branding of the Sietinen Dynasty specifically, like some other conference rooms. Ornate lighting mounted along tracks in the ceiling accentuated the circular shape and cast a warm glow in the room.
Soon, small groups began to enter through the open wooden double-doors. Raena had met each of the dynastic Heads and their scions on various occasions over the past several years. All had been mandatory guests at her and Ryan’s formal wedding, of course. Each Dynasty had their own unique look and style, preserved through careful partnerships over the generations. The whole thing was ridiculous and archaic to Raena, but it was the kind of superficiality she expected the Priesthood to have encouraged. Changing mindsets would take time.
When the final attendees had taken their seats, the lights dimmed and a holoprojector at the center of the circle activated. A lifelike rendering of Wil stood at the center of the room, dressed in TSS formal attire. He spun around to face every person at the table in turn.
“Thank you for coming together today. I wish I could have been there in person, but current circumstances preclude travel. I am acquainted with the dynastic Heads, but for anyone I haven’t met, I am Wil Sietinen, TSS High Commander. I am speaking with you today in that capacity.”
There were nods and murmurs around the table.
“I don’t need to tell you about how we have faced adversity as a united Empire,” he continued. “In the five years since the Priesthood’s fall, we have been stronger together than ever before. We will need all of that strength to face what’s coming next.
“We are under attack from an outside threat, the likes of which we haven’t seen for a hundred thousand years. Even though our ancestors reached a truce with these beings, I don’t know if we’ll be so lucky. Rogue actors within the Empire unwittingly broke the treaty. The terms make it clear that the penalty for doing so is our complete destruction.”
Gasps of distress and opposition rang out in the room as Raena tensed in her seat. Somehow, hearing the news in that formal setting made it feel more real.
Wil waited for them to quiet down before he continued. “I recognize how outlandish that sounds, and far too dire to be true,” he said, walking in a small circle as he spun to face the attendees. “However, I have seen the power of these beings firsthand. I was there when they destroyed the Alkeer Station in a matter of seconds—unmaking it at the foundational level. This level of control defies our understanding of the universe. Even so, we cannot stand by while our civilization is wiped out. We need to take a stand. And we need to do so together.”
“What are you suggesting?” Kaiden Vaenetri asked. He had always been the most vocal supporter of the TSS aside from Sietinen, no doubt because he was Kate’s older brother and they had maintained a close relationship over the years. Unfortunately, now over one hundred, he was showing his age and would no doubt pass the mantle to his son or granddaughter soon.
“We usually think of the Taran Empire as beginning and ending with those under the official seal, but the reality is that there are several Taran-settled worlds that operate at the outskirts of our society. These planets are particularly vulnerable. We can’t have weak targets waiting to be conquered. I move to bring these worlds under the stewardship of the Empire, extending the protections we would offer any member planet.”
Celine Monsari scoffed. “Those savage worlds? Why bother?”
“Some are more sophisticated than you might think,” Wil replied. “Earth’s population is in the billions—significantly more than many of the Empire’s planets. Would you doom all those people to death?”
The woman shifted in her seat as the attention of everyone in the room turned on her. “I wouldn’t wish death on anyone.”
“My official military recommendation, and Admiral Mathaen is in agreement, is that we immediately commence the integration of these outlying planets. Doing so will enable the installation of planetary shields and orbital defenses. It’s unclear how effective these installations would be against the enemy, but at least we will know we did everything within our current capabilities to protect them.”
“This proposal includes Earth?” Ellen Taelis asked.
“Yes. In fact, its role as host to TSS Headquarters makes it the most critical planet of all in this proposal.”
She nodded. “Please allow us time to discuss this.”
“We’ll be in touch soon,” Cris said.
The holoprojector deactivated, and the attendees looked at each other as the lights returned to their former brightness.
Cris addressed the group. “This is a lot to take in. I’d like to state for the record that my previous role as TSS High Commander has granted no special privilege in regard to inside information about this threat.”
“It goes without saying that you bring a unique perspective to this matter,” Ellen said. “I think it’s reasonable to assume you will have a measure of bias in this matter. However, I, for one, would like to hear your impressions.”
“As would I,” Kaiden seconded.
Not surprisingly, Liam Makaris and Eduard Baellas kept quiet—always ones to see how the sentiment was going to play out before they attached to the prevailing side. In an even less surprising move, Celina Monsari outright scoffed.
“How is it even a matter for consideration? Those planets are not in the Empire and are not entitled to our protection,” she declared.
“This isn’t a political matter. It is one of ethics,” Ryan spoke up. “They are no less Taran because they do not acknowledge the rule of Tararia.”
“To that end, the modern residents of Earth don’t even know Tararia exists,” Cris added.
Ryan nodded. “Yes, you can argue all you want about the worlds who’ve made a conscious choice to leave the Empire within the last several hundred years, but going back tens of thousands? Even longer? The Taran Empire was very different back then. The people of Earth, if no other world, deserve a chance to choose whether or not they want to return to the Empire. It is unjust to make that decision for them.”
Raena’s heart swelled with pride to see her husband defend her homeworld. It wasn’t long ago that he would have remained a quiet observer in the High Council meetings, but he was really coming into his own.
“I agree, offering a choice is the most equitable option,” Ellen said.
“Is it a real choice, though?” asked Kaiden. “It sounds like rejecting the offer of protection would make the world a target. So, when they accept, we cannot be confident that they are joining the Empire for the right reasons.”
Cris sat in consideration for a few seconds. “That’s a good point. As much as I’d like to see unity, we want to ensure we are taking a step forward in our relations.”
“So, what do you suggest?” Ryan asked.
“I believe we need to break the planets into two classifications: those aware o
f the Taran Empire and those who aren’t.
“For those who already know about our breadth and resources, we can simply offer a factual statement about the looming threat. If they ask for protection, we will grant it; otherwise, we can rest assured that we spoke of the danger and allow them the independence and freedom they desire. They will be easy targets for the enemy, yes, but we cannot force the will of the Empire on those who want nothing to do with us. They can decide their own fate, as is their right.
“In the case of Earth—for I believe it is the only known colony with next to no knowledge of Tarans, outside the highest levels of government—we must take a different approach. Speaking of a prospective galactic war would begin the relationship on a note of fear and dependence. Instead, I propose we approach the world with a message of peace and partnership and leave the external threat out of it. We can provide stewardship and protection to the world under the guise of first contact.”
Raena thought through her grandfather’s suggestion. Earth would be crazy to turn down access to this kind of tech. We could defend them without them needing to know there was an urgent need. They could enter the choice freely.
Ellen nodded thoughtfully. “I like that.”
“I could potentially agree to those terms,” Kaiden concurred. “How many planets fall into the first category—being independent but aware?”
Cris brought up a holographic map of the Empire in the space between the curved tables. “Here are the fifteen-hundred-odd member worlds of the Empire.” White dots appeared across the rendering of the galaxy, concentrated near Tararia, and becoming more intermittent further out. “Based on current information, these are the other known worlds.” Approximately a dozen additional dots showed up in red. “The good news is that those worlds are at the boundaries of the Empire’s territory at the edges furthest from the Rift.”
Raena spotted the location representing Earth, in the least populated area. Seeing the concentration of inhabited worlds on the opposite side of the galactic core, she could see how the Empire could have gone unnoticed for so long.
