by Chris Fox
They reached the end of the rock, and Nolan spotted lights in the distance.
"Sir, I've got a confirmed sighting on the ship," Hannan whispered into the comm. Her mech had ranged about half a click ahead.
"Get into position with Nuchik, and give me footage as soon as you have it. Annie, go the opposite direction. Set up at a ninety-degree angle so we'll have a crossfire."
The squad executed his orders, their bulky shapes moving off into the darkness.
Nolan focused on the lights, which grew larger as they approached. The ship was parked on a rocky clearing, its ramp open. Half a dozen Saurians were clustered around a scaffold they'd erected beneath the engines, affecting repairs.
"I've got a visual on Sissus," Nuchik said over the comm.
"Hannan, what else do you see?" Nolan demanded.
"The Saurians look confused. I think they're having problems with the repairs. There are scorch marks around the engine, probably a blown thruster."
"Sir," Nuchik began, "if I'm going to take the shot--"
"Hold your fire, Nuchik. It's okay if--"
A streak of blue lit the night, streaking toward the parked cruiser. Nolan couldn't make out details at this range, but the shot caught a Saurian in the head. It was flung backwards twenty meters, and didn't rise. The shot sent its companions into a panic, and they began scrambling for weapons.
"What the hell was that, Nuchik?" Hannan demanded. "You just disobeyed a direct order."
"I had a shot, and I took--," Nuchik began.
"We'll deal with your insubordination later," Nolan cut in. "For now we have a fight to win. Annie, Hannan--close to short range. Warning shots only. We've got mechs, and they've got a wounded bird. We've already won this fight. There's no reason anyone else has to die."
"There was every reason for that bastard to die," Nuchik snarled over the comm. "That scaly traitor betrayed us, and I don't leave enemies behind."
"You know," Hannan said. "For someone who looked down on the 14th you've got a real discipline problem, Nuchik. If the old UFC was around, you'd have been right at home with us slackers."
"I. Said. Stow it!" Nolan roared. "I am in no mood for this crap. Secure that ship. Now."
Hannan's mech advanced into the lights around the ship, followed by Annie's. At the sight of the mechs, the Saurians immediately ceased all resistance. They laid down next to the ramp, and placed their hands behind their backs.
"All right people, get those Saurians disarmed and into the ship. Aluki, do you have access to the comm?" Nolan asked.
"Mmm, I'm here, Captain." Aluki's tone was contrite. "Apologies for the hasty departure, but I wasn't given much choice by the Saurians."
"I'm just glad you're safe. I'm going to need you and Annie to get that engine up and running. We need to get T'kon, and we need to do it before dawn."
Nolan's teeth continued to chatter, and he was grateful when Annie's mech finally ducked inside the hangar.
He only hoped they could still pull this off.
25
Knock, Knock
T'kon sank into a lotus position, tucking his legs underneath him. He held his back straight, his head erect. The motion had been performed hundreds of times, though never in front of so many onlookers. Every member of the Azi warrior caste was present, as were an alarming number of seekers.
After he'd come to a full resting position, other Ganog began to do the same. They settled to the chamber's smooth grey stone, dozens of the most influential Azi. T'kon knew them all, had fought and laughed with them. There was no laughter today.
The warriors wore grim, grey fur, marking the gravity of the ceremony. They knew one of their own was about to die. The black-robes' expressions were more dour, as if they disapproved, or were simply impatient to be about whatever their dark work might demand.
"T'kon of the Azi clan." Ro'kan's clear voice carried through the room. He stepped around to stand in front of T'kon, cutting an impressive figure in his full ceremonial armor. The azure armor hugged an impressively muscled physique, one even T'kon had to admit was worthy of a warrior. In his hands, Ro'kan cradled Azi's Fang, the weapon that T'kon had wielded for four years while he'd held the position of clan leader. "Today, we have come to accept your atonement. Today, your transgressions are wiped clean, your body prepared, your soul placed before the Nameless Ones."
T'kon's eyes snapped up to Ro'kan. Harsh whispers passed through the warriors, and their fur went dark. "What are you doing, Ro'kan? I do not seek the gaze of the Nameless Ones. You promised to perform the rites."
"And perform them I shall." Ro'kan took Azi's Fang in one hand, pointing the blade at T'kon. "I did not say which rites. Today, you shall be offered to the Nameless Ones. Your soul will be consumed, and when it is gone we will feast upon your flesh."
"No!" Jehanna shot to her feet. "This isn't right, Ro'kan. You gave your word, and now you are twisting it. T'kon was to be accorded honor."
"Your feelings for your former mate are understandable. I am sympathetic, my love. I take no joy in what I must do." Ro'kan looked genuinely conflicted. "Yet the seekers have spoken. His ways are heretical, and he has committed blasphemy. His offenses will draw the gaze of the Nameless Ones, and unless we offer him, that gaze will also fall on the Azi. I do what I must to protect our people."
Murmurs passed through the black robes, and streams of purple pulses flowed rapidly between their temples and their arcanotomes. They began rising to their feet, one by one.
Oako was the last, and stepped from their ranks. "You know what must be done, Ro'kan." He stared hard at the clan leader.
T'kon was understandably surprised when a voice spoke directly into his ear. It was Nolan. "T'kon, I'm hoping you're still receiving. We've got a lock on your position. Stand by for extraction."
No one else heard it, of course. They were still focused on the tension between black-robes and warriors, the few adepts moving to stand with their warrior brethren. That tension thickened, threatening to suffocate them all.
T'kon rose to his feet, drawing every eye in the room. He turned to Ro'kan, shaking his head sadly. "This is not the way, little brother. I know you seek to regain our strength, that you do what you must to protect our clan. I know that I have caused you to be in this predicament, and I wish more than anything that I could balance the weight of my actions. I cannot. Yet allying with the seekers is the worst form of madness."
"Heretic," Oako roared, stabbing a finger accusingly in T'kon's direction. "Silence him, Ro'kan. Give him to the Nameless Ones, before it is too late."
As if to punctuate his words, the spire rumbled, and a layer of dust rained from the vaulted ceiling. The stone exploded, huge chunks spraying into the room. The hole was massive, covering a hundred-meter span. Most of that hole stood over the black robes.
T'kon was already in motion, sprinting away from the falling stone. It plummeted to the ground with earthshaking impacts, smashing limbs or entire bodies. Many of the black robes stared up dumbly, doing nothing to avoid their own fates.
The warriors were affected, too, but most reacted more quickly. They leapt away from falling stone, or raised armored arms to protect themselves.
A wash of thrusters whined above, hot grit shooting through the room. Then a familiar cruiser backed through the hole, its cargo doors open. The ship descended quickly, its four turrets raking the crowd with plasma fire. Warriors fell back, beginning their breathing.
In the time it took them to transform, the ship wasn't idle. It dropped lower, and Saurians began leaping out. They carried rifles, opening up on the elites. The Ganog fell back, their ranks falling to chaos--chaos T'kon knew wouldn't last. They'd been surprised, but that surprise would be fleeting.
"Knock, knock, you furry bastards." Annie's drawl boomed from the back of the ship. Her mech came leaping out, vomiting a dozen missiles into the black-robes. Explosions lit the room; screaming Ganog were flung in random directions. Few rose, their blackened forms covering in superheate
d flame.
Two more mechs jumped out, each unleashing a volley of missiles. Where they landed, Azi died. Part of T'kon died with them, cringing with every explosion. He did not dare search the conflict to see where Jehanna was. He could not face the possible answer.
T'kon sprinted toward the cruiser, leaping up the ramp and into safety. Nuchik was crouched inside, smoothly picking off targets with her rifle. Nolan's mech idled next to her, his particle cannon firing shots into the mass of Ganog outside.
"Let's get the hell out of here, people." Nolan barked over the loudspeakers. Mechs began retreating back inside, still firing as the cruiser lifted into the air. The ramp rolled slowly closed, as the cruiser climbed safely back through the hole it had created.
T'kon was grateful that he could no longer see the combat. He wished he could tune out the screams of the dying.
Friend and foe alike, all were family.
26
Watch
Khar hopped off his transport disk, uncertain what to expect. He'd arrived at a temple on the highest island he'd yet been allowed on, all fluted white columns. Unlike most of the other islands, this one had real buildings. Many of the columns supported a heavy marble roof, though the walls stood open.
As with every other time he'd been picked up by a transport disk, no reason for the summon was given. Khar had no idea why he'd been called here, so he cautiously approached a gathering of Ganog near the center of the temple.
The empress stood at the center of that crowd, attendants ringing the dais she stood atop. They formed a small cloud on three sides, while the fourth was left open.
As Khar watched, an adept hopped from a nearby transport disk and walked briskly toward the empress. He approached up a marbled path, pausing to bow a few feet from the dais. The empress nodded regally, and the pair spoke.
Khar moved closer, but the conversation ended before he could catch anything. The Ganog bowed, then moved to join the group of attendants around the empress. Khar wasn't positive how he was supposed to approach, but suspected that was part of the test. The empress wanted to see how he reacted to unfamiliar situations. Putting him off balance might get him to reveal something vital about the Coalition.
Khar moved slowly up the path, walking with the same dignified pace the adept had used. He paused in the same spot, two meters from the dais. His bow wasn't as low as the adept's had been, and he noted the disapproving stares from most of the attendants--particularly the zealots in the black robes, though from what little he'd seen they eyed everything disapprovingly.
"You summoned me?" Khar asked. He didn't give the empress a title or honorific; judging from the stiffening frowns, that was a definite slight. He cringed inwardly. He hadn't meant offense, though in his defense he didn't owe this woman allegiance.
"I did," Zakanna replied, a musical lilt to her voice as if she were on the verge of song. "Tell me, Khar of Pride Leonis, why did your people ally with their sworn enemies?"
Khar was utterly unprepared for the question. His tail swished languidly as he gathered his thoughts. "I assume you are speaking of the humans, yes?"
"I am. I have been studying your history, and it seems that not long ago you and these humans were the bitterest of enemies." The empress walked to the edge of the dais with measured, graceful steps. She stared down at him, and as he had before Khar went rigid, allowing her to inspect him.
"My people do not like being used. Our government had been infiltrated by a race called the Gorthians, as had humanity. When it became clear that we were both being manipulated, we banded together to remove a greater threat." Khar knew he wasn't revealing anything she couldn't have obtained through a standard data core, yet he also knew the danger in cooperation. If he got into the habit of answering her questions, he might reveal something he hadn't intended. No doubt that was exactly what she was counting on.
"Oh, that part I understand. What I do not understand is why that alliance continued after you'd disposed of this Gorthian. Why form your Coalition of United races? Why not simply rebuild your own empire, then conquer humanity when you were ready? Your technology was stronger, your ferocity greater."
"Our people were few, our worlds barren. Its true that we could have rebuilt something like what we'd had before the Void Wraith darkened our skies, yet we did not. The war taught us something vital. Humans are resourceful and tenacious, and I call more than a few of them friend. With their aid, we can be far greater than we ever were standing alone. Besides, the Primo had already agreed to join the Coalition. We needed their technology."
"Ah, we've hit upon the true motive, I think." The empress looked Khar directly in the eye. "These Primo, whom my people have yet to encounter, they have the greatest technology. In joining this Coalition, your people received access to that technology."
Khar was silent, a growing surge of irritation eroding his patience. He was already tired of her questions. "Empress, allow me to be perfectly clear. I will not betray my people. I will tell you nothing of our technology, or our tactics." Khar clamped his jaw shut, glaring at the woman. He hated how much he enjoyed conversing with her, and saw the trap before him. If he became friends with her, his loyalties would be divided. He would not allow that.
"I have not asked you to divulge secrets, either technological, or tactical." The empress gave a soft laugh, and many of the attendants echoed it. None of the black robes were among those who laughed. "I do not seek to cause you to betray your people, but I can see that you quite naturally assume otherwise. Very well, enough of my questions. I assure you they were merely curiosity, but it was rude of me to pry. Allow me to make amends. I will allow you to stand among my attendants, watching as I dispense justice and heart gifts to those worthy. Nothing will be asked of you. You may watch me speak to my fleet leaders, and if you wish you may even attack me, though I would not recommend doing so."
"Why? This risk makes no sense. What if I escape?" Khar demanded, unexpected anger bubbling up. His emotions were more muted now that he had a synthetic body, but his brain and his nervous system were still very much Tigris.
"You raise an excellent point. Give me your word you will not attempt to run until the days of bok'sha are over. Do that, and you may observe everything during that time. If, at the end of it, you wish to return to your people with this knowledge, I will allow it. Is this a fair arrangement?"
Khar looked for the hidden hook. He knew it was there, but try as he might he couldn't see it. The kind of intel she was offering could not be passed up, and every last commander in the fleet would take it if given the chance. Would she kill him before the 9th day? Find some way to brainwash him?
Khar had no idea what her plan ultimately was, but he resolved to be ready when the blow fell.
"It is agreeable." Khar extended a hand.
The empress eyed it curiously, then her eyes widened in understanding. She shook his hand. "Then stay, Khar of Pride Leonis. Stay and learn." The empress trailed off, facing away from Khar.
He shifted to see what had caught her attention, noting a large transport disk. Half a dozen black-robed figures stepped off, surrounding a taller Ganog with milky eyes.
Khar moved to stand behind the other attendants, watching as the black-robes approached. Pulses of light flowed continuously from the cables attached to their temples, into the strange books they all seemed to carry. Computer of some sort, Khar guessed.
"Empress," the lead black-robe muttered. He inclined his head slightly. Many of the attendants whispered, as they had when Khar had shown the empress disrespect.
"Utfa, your presence is always welcome." Zakanna smiled warmly at the black-robe, though that smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "Have you come to advise me?"
"I have, Empress." Utfa finally bowed, though not very deeply. When he rose he fixed her with those milky eyes. "I have had a dream, Empress--one I do not think should be dismissed lightly. I dreamed that the Coalition was mobilizing for war, and that if we did not move swiftly our fleet would be wi
ped out."
Zakanna blinked, licking her lips before speaking. "Are you suggesting we deploy the fleet now?"
"I am, Empress. Send the dreadnoughts, immediately. Please, do it now or we will pay a furious price," Utfa said. He sounded desperate, and if it was an act it was a clever one. Khar's sensors could detect his vital signs, but he didn't have enough data to detect whether a Ganog was lying.
"Surely the assault can wait a few days. Repairs on the Vkash fleet are not yet complete," Zakanna protested. "We are far more likely to lose a battle if our ships are still damaged before it begins."
"Empress, I must insist--" Utfa began.
"You must do nothing," Zakanna snapped. Her eyes flashed, and fiery red rippled through her fur. Whispers passed through the crowd. "I have grown to depend on you, Utfa, and in a way it is my fault that you have overstepped your place. I have allowed too much latitude." Her eyes narrowed.
"Are you certain you wish to ignore my wisdom, Empress?" Utfa asked, his breathy voice just above a whisper. The threat hung in the air between them, and Khar caught a flash of fear in Zakanna's gaze.
She froze, seemingly unable to summon words. Finally, she spoke in a quiet voice. "I will begin the preparations."
27
Mobilization
Takkar flared his lower nostrils, drinking deeply of the recycled air as he stepped out onto his balcony. Standing here filled him with power, and confidence. From here he'd orchestrated the destruction of a dozen worlds, and the conquest of three dozen others.
Yet today it failed to inspire him. Partly that was because of the recent events, but mostly it was because of the view above. His fleet was assembling, moving slowly away from the cylindrical berths where techsmiths had swarmed them, working their will on damaged turrets and fractured armor.
