"You seem to have grown fond of the creature despite his attempt to kill you," Igra pointed out, her voice as smooth and keen as a blade.
"I know a good source of information when I see one," Artax muttered, dismissing whatever point the Shanti was trying to make. "It’s just a matter of how we extract that information."
"Then I suppose you make your next attempt more successful than your last," Igra replied with Shanti arrogance. "The Primelord’s patience wanes."
Artax recalled how Marigoth had almost trapped him while he scoured the Kragak’s mind. He stifled a shiver. The Kragak’s mind defenses reminded Artax of the Primelord, but he couldn’t put a finger on it. Perhaps it was that they both posed a similar threat, though Artax wasn’t sure who frightened him the most. Then again, Marigoth was his prisoner. "We’ve since figured out a way to keep the Kragak immobilized without killing him."
"Your poisons didn’t work and neither have your restraints," Igra spat. "What are you going to try next? Tickle the answers out of him?"
Laughter erupted among those gathered. Even General Ovious’s lips curved slightly.
Artax cleared his throat as the mirth faded. "We had no way of administering tranquilizers before. The plasma canon has since opened several holes in Marigoth’s armor. The wounds have already started to close, but if we move fast enough, we can draw samples. I’ll have an effective sedative ready within days. It’ll be easy going after that." He looked to General Ovious. "I’ll need my access back, of course."
"The Kragak could have this ship torn apart in days," Igra objected.
"My team have transferred him to a new mobile shield generation unit. I was about to perform the procedure when I learned that I no longer had clearance."
Ovious paused in thought. "The Primelord will be pleased when he learns that we have outwitted the enemy and cut off potential allies for Grimshaw and his people."
"You can’t be ser—"
Ovious lifted his finger, cutting his daughter off. He locked eyes with Artax and stared in silence. Finally, he nodded the way he usually did when agreeing to something. "You’ve got three days to come up with a solution before we hand the prisoner over…dead if need be. Any threat to the Monolith is a threat to our campaign."
"I won’t let you down, General," Artax said.
"It has been settled," Ovious said much to Igra’s disgust. "Onto the next matter. Has our reverent Primelord contacted anyone lately?"
All attendees shook their heads then turned to look at Artax. In the past, the Primelord had contacted him the most, given his ability to psi-delve. However, he hadn’t sensed the Primelord’s presence much lately. That no one else had either surprised him, for he’d assumed General Ovious had enjoyed regular contact without his knowing. "The last time we spoke, the Primelord informed me that he would need time to prepare for the next stage of his plan. He explained that it would result in a period of silence. I imagine he will summon one of us to his chamber before long." His gut twisted at the thought.
"Of course," Ovious said, tapping the table. "We’ll be prepared when he reaches out again. Having good news as an offering will be useful."
A flabby Yalore in a Commander’s uniform raised his hand.
"What is it, Commander Gulra?" General Ovious said.
"Since we’re on the subject of news, do we have an update on Grimshaw and the North Star?" Gulra’s jowls flapped as he spoke.
Ovious gave a rare smile, bearing his long canines. "I spoke with the good Captain the other day."
The announcement caused some commotion around the table.
It even perked Artax’s interest.
The General waved for silence. "An Aphnai burrower gained partial control of one of their officers. The officer has been acting as a mole and feeding us information on Grimshaw and his team since they arrived on the Sentinel. He gained access to the Omnion subspace communications array. Unfortunately, Grimshaw discovered the mole while he was transmitting a message. At this point, we can assume the mole has been disposed of."
"So, the Omnion are real," Captain Gulra said.
"We’ve suspected the Omnion being involved for a while now," Igra said. "This confirms our suspicions. They are allied to Grimshaw and his crew. Therefore, they are our enemies."
"But the legends say they are one of the oldest and most powerful species in the galaxy," Gulra said, as though he still couldn’t believe the Omnion actually existed.
"You will be pleased to know they are not as threatening as you might believe," Ovious said. "That being said, we do not wish to underestimate them as we did Grimshaw." The Shanti General shot Artax an accusing glare. "Which is why Igra has been dealing with matters on that front."
"Why weren’t we told about these developments sooner?" a stout Varg partisan-class sitting next to Artax demanded.
"Why, Captain Lork," Ovious said smoothly. "If we told everyone our secrets, they wouldn’t be secrets now, would they?"
The Varg grumbled a curse under his breath. "Then what is it exactly Commander Igra is doing to address this Omnion problem?”
"One of our teams on Claracia found a way into the Shroud,” Igra announced with pride.
Several officers gasped.
“Impossible,” Lork growled.
Igra’s sharp eyes swept over those gathered. "Without giving too much away, we discovered ruins believed to belong to the Ancients. Among the ruins we found a gate. It is similar to the inter-galactic and inter-stellar gates our ships use only much smaller…but big enough for a dozen people to pass through at a time.”
"I assume you know what’s on the other side of this gate?" Captain Gulra said.
Commander Igra narrowed her eyes. "Not exactly. Before taking control of the Sentinel, we sent a unit through. Twenty of our own and six Quamat assassins."
Captain Lork spat on the ground and pressed his hands on the table as he rose out of his chair. "You trusted such vermin? The Quamat are snakes. They will sooner bite your face off than help you."
"We have measures in place to ensure that they cooperate.” Igra gave him a reassuring smile. "Besides, they were best suited to this particular kind of mission. They are vermin, but we needed a team that could move fast while remaining unseen. Not knowing what was on the other side of the gate, we also didn’t want to expend anyone important."
That seemed to appease the Varg, and he slowly slid back into his seat.
"What did these units discover?" Gulra asked.
"We aren’t certain," Igra said. "The gate closed shortly after they passed through. We’ve since learned that it only had enough power for a single use. Our scientists are working on a way to recharge the device, but it’s as old as the Ancients themselves." She paused for effect. "However, when the mole last contacted us, he confirmed that our mission was a success. The Primelord gifted us with instructions on creating a retrovirus for which the Omnion have no cure. The Quamat team was to deliver this virus to the Omnion. Before being discovered, our mole confirmed that the virus has spread and is close to decimating their population. Once the gate is functioning again, we’ll send an assault team to finish the job."
"You’ll be able to reach Grimshaw on the inside," Artax said louder than he intended.
"The Primelord may still have a use for the illusive Captain," Ovious said. "Unless the Primelord awakes and informs us otherwise, we’ll still need to take Grimshaw alive. The rest of his crew, however, are disposable."
"And I would like to remind everyone," Igra said, keeping her eyes on him. "When we eventually take the North Star, I’ll kill anyone who touches a hair on the pilot’s head. She killed my brother. She belongs to me!" She pounded the table and several of the leaders around her jumped.
General Ovious nodded the way he did when pleased; which wasn’t very often. "How are things on the Sentinel, Captain Gulra?"
"We maintain a firm hold on the Galactic Council, General. The citizens of the Sentinel go about their daily lives without so much as realiz
ing let alone caring that we are in control. We have redistributed power on the energy grid and established order, insuring that the populace remains content should recent changes come to light."
"You and your people have done a fine job."
The Yalore shrugged, causing his folds to ripple. "He who makes life easiest for fools controls them."
"With the Sentinel in our hands and the Shanti civil war in full swing, we’ve already begun paving the way for the Primelord’s conquest. With the Omnion out of the way, and the Kragak by our sides, our grip on the galaxy is sure."
"Grith, how are matters with our Aphnai allies?" Ovious addressed a Challah who hadn’t spoken until that point.
Grith’s long ears twitched as she spoke. "Three of the eggs we found proved viable. They have repopulated several planetoids beyond the Fringe and have already begun constructing several new war vessels…" The Challah paused for a moment as if unsure about what she was going to say next.
"You have a concern?" Ovious pried.
"Despite the crystal you gave us, the Aphnai have been somewhat…disobedient recently. They killed several of our people after a misunderstanding. It didn’t take long to restore order. However, I fear that the more numerous they become, the weaker the crystal’s influence grows."
"Hold fast, Grith. You have served the Primelord well so far. No doubt he will deal with the Aphnai upon his return. With everything else falling into place, he will be pleased. You will be rewarded for your efforts!" General Ovious gestured to their compads. "You all have your orders. Briefing adjourned."
Those around the table gathered their belongings and filtered out of the room, leaving Artax with Igra and the Shanti General.
Igra approached him, the fire in her eyes burning wild.
"How are things on the Sentinel, truly?" Artax asked.
Igra chuckled. "There have been murmurs among the Ministers and Councilors as expected, but no one has the appetite for another fight so soon after the last conflict. The authorities are still rebuilding, and the people go about their lives as though nothing ever happened. We trust Minister Foster will take care of matters until the final phase."
"Those burrowing bugs are messy." Artax recalled watching the maggot-like creature squeezing into Minister Foster’s mouth. He had to stop himself from scratching his throat at the thought.
"It’s a bit crude," Igra agreed. "But they get the job done…most of the time."
"We’ve lost a lot of good people and run into a few set-backs along the way," General Ovious said as he approached, showing no sign that he grieved such a loss. "But things have turned out in our favor."
"What about the North Star?" Artax asked. "Does the Primelord truly still wish to retrieve it?"
"Leave that to me," Igra said. "They can’t hide inside the Shroud forever. And even if they did, I’ll get inside eventually."
"Igra is right. You have enough on your own plate with the Kragak."
"I better get back to work then." Artax retrieved his compad and exited the briefing room. He headed for the elevator. Marigoth awaited in the Monolith’s lower levels.
As he pushed past a crowd of personnel breaking for lunch, something tickled the back of his head…something other than the concussion.
It took him a moment to realize it was doubt. Since joining Chimera, he’d pushed numerous doubts aside. Despite witnessing everything falling into place since the discovery of the Primelord, uncertainty gnawed at the edges of his mind. He shook his head in an effort to push the thoughts aside, the same as he’d done before, but rather than flee, the doubt burrowed deeper.
9
Hope in Dark Places
As the representative of the North Star’s crew, Grimshaw visited Administrator Li’s office for weekly updates. The uptight Zaqaran had always run like clockwork, so when she was late for the first time, Grimshaw was more than a little worried.
As far as he was aware, Li was the only Omnion not yet infected with the retrovirus. Maybe she finally succumbed.
He didn’t revel in the thought, but it was hard to empathize when the Omnion were taking their time to act. Grimshaw preferred action, but all the crew of the Orinmore gave him were excuses, debates, and empty promises. The politics wore on his nerves, though they were nowhere near as bad as they had been on the Sentinel. The Omnion were slow to act, but unlike the Galactic Council, they listened from time to time.
The Omnion had been accommodating when it mattered, but from clearing everyone on his crew of treason to recruiting new allies, Grimshaw had enough on his plate to last several life times. None of that was getting done on board the Orinmore...especially after what had happened with Swigger and Evans. Roshi and Andrews had Swigger’s body in quarantine until they could clear it for the funeral. Grimshaw hardly had time to process the loss. At least Evans was in good hands and on the road to a full recovery. But on top of everything else, an infant tank Chit was still on the loose.
The door melted apart in time to stop his thoughts from wandering down a dark path.
"Sorry I’m late, Captain. Given my brothers and sisters are ill, I have been…struggling to keep up with my tasks."
Grimshaw couldn’t help visualize the Omnion spread like butter, and despite his somber mood had to stop himself from smiling at the absurd thought. "It’s fine. I just got here," he lied.
Li passed him and shuffled into the chair opposite.
Grimshaw wasn’t sure if Li was in-fact female. She had breasts and a narrow waist like many female humanoids, but he figured genders worked differently for a shape-shifting species. Her oval eyes regarded him from under a narrow brow framed with jet-black hair. If not for the flat features, he could have forgiven someone for thinking she was human. He wondered how much longer she would remain uninfected. Word on the walkways was the disease had claimed its first lives.
It didn’t bode well. Grimshaw hoped the pressure to find the so-called cure meant he and his crew would actually be leaving this time. Work on upgrading the North Star had finished days before. When pressed about the status of the coming mission, the Zaqarans merely informed him that they were awaiting confirmation.
"How are you feeling, Administrator?" Grimshaw prodded, noting how flushed her cheeks were.
"I’ve been better, Captain, thank you for asking. Regeneration with my people has been limited in case the disease spreads, and I am not accustomed to all of this running. I am tired for the first time in as far back as I can remember. I have enough andamonium to see me through the next few days. Hopefully, trade with Ushtar will resume soon. Overall, I am nowhere near as bad as most, so I needn’t complain."
"My condolences for your losses."
"We appreciate your thoughts, Captain. And I offer my condolences for your own loss. I understand that Officer Hughes did not act of his own volition. It is unfortunate that he succumbed to such a horrific condition."
"Swigger was a good man. He deserved better. I know I’ve asked before," he said, eager to change the subject, "but is there any way my crew and I can help?"
"That is why I called you here. Recent events have delayed matters. However, our agent has finally been in touch."
Given the circumstances, Grimshaw tried not to appear excited. "Regarding the cure?"
"That is correct."
"We’ll be leaving the Shroud?”
"Of course."
"I’ll need Evans to fly the North Star."
"Evans is being given the finest care. She should recover from the nanite injections in the next day or two," Li said.
"Has the investigation turned up anything useful? I still can’t see how the prisoner escaped."
Li sighed. "Lieutenant Wilfara timed the prisoner’s restraints to fail."
"Why? Has she been working for Chimera too? Was she infected?"
"On the contrary, the Zaqaran was working of her own accord. She feared that her people would be infected with Officer Hughes’ parasite. We’ve interviewed her colleagues. She offered the Qu
amat freedom in exchange for killing Officer Hughes. It is unfortunate that Ensign Evans happened to be visiting at the time. Wilfara considered Officer Hughes a serious security risk and was frustrated that the situation wasn’t being treated more seriously. With our limited resources, we couldn’t give the matter more attention, so she took it into her own hands."
"I share her frustration, but I’m not releasing prisoners so they can kill people," Grimshaw rubbed his beard hard. "I’d like to speak with the security administrator."
"I’m afraid that won’t be possible," Li objected.
"Why is everything a song and dance with you people? If we’re going to be allies, we need to be open with each other and that includes access to prisoners, especially when they had a hand in killing one of my people and almost killing another."
Administrator Li opened her palms. "You are free to access Wilfara, but you won’t get anything from her. She’s already been…dealt with."
"You’ve killed her?"
"Those in the Shroud live harsh lives. Life does not flourish so easily here, so it is valued greatly. Thus, a life taken requires that a life be given. I understand how that must seem to one accustomed to the easy-going ways of Sentinel space."
Easy-going wasn’t how Grimshaw would describe the Galactic Alliance, but he saw no point in pursuing the matter. "You’re sure Evans will be ready to fly? I heard she was in surgery this morning."
"Her scans have come back clean. The nanites she was administered after the procedure have already done most of their work. Another two days in recovery and she’ll be ready for your mission."
"Tell me more about this mission."
Li hesitated for a moment. "Agent Lamnon has been in talks with the Kragak for years."
"In talks…with the Kragak?" Grimshaw almost leapt from his chair in outrage. "No one said anything about Krags! You’ve been working with those monsters all this time?"
"Those monsters will make powerful allies when the Aphnai mount their attack."
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