by Adair Hart
They walked up to the statue.
Dorassis pointed to the head of the Draidjen statue lying on the ground. The crystal was embedded vertically into the head of the statue. “That’s it.”
Evaran walked over to the crystal and scanned it with his ring. He interacted with his ARI and then faced Dorassis. “This is the crystal we seek. I understand you place a high value on it, and I would be willing to trade for it.”
Dorassis shook his head as he glanced at Ezissiris. “I suspect things will change for the better around here. We have no more use for the god crystal. You may have it as our thanks for helping us in our time of need.”
Evaran bowed to Dorassis, then pulled out his utility handle. He pressed a few buttons, causing the utility handle end to extend into a prying tool. The crystal came out with relative ease and was placed in his belt container. He stood up and faced Ezissiris. “I assume you will stay here until your group arrives?”
“Yes. I have a beacon but will meet them on the surface, assuming the Ziiarians will guide me there.”
Dorassis nodded. “We will assist you in any way we can.”
Evaran placed two fists together in front of him, touching at the knuckles and perpendicular to his chest, and then bowed at Ezissiris. “I wish you the best of luck.”
“You show respect by your gesture, although I’m not sure how you knew it.”
“I looked up Draidjen protocols after we first met and am a quick study.”
Ezissiris nodded and then faced Silva. “Perhaps we are more alike than I thought.”
Silva replicated the same motions as Evaran. “My thoughts as well.”
Rakar figured it must be the Draidjen version of a salute. He performed the same actions.
They all bowed to Dorassis and then exited the structure and headed toward the large ramp that led into the city.
When they reached the ramp, Rakar turned his head toward Evaran. “You don’t approve of the Draidjens helping them, do you?”
Evaran shook his head. “I do not, but what is done is done. If it was a small token of help, maybe, but giving advanced technology and knowledge to a species that is not ready for it will speed them up to a filter very quickly.”
“Filter?” said Silva, eyeing Evaran.
“One of many. Every civilization will come to a point where they adapt to changing technology and learn to live with it, or they destroy themselves with it. The ones who adapt typically go on to become star-spanning civilizations. Those who do not have their ruins researched by star-spanning civilizations.”
“Hmm. I agree that the Ziiarians are not ready,” said Silva.
“Being a border world and near Xibia, relatively, how do you think an advanced Ziiarian race will interact with the Xibians now that they have associated them with this event?”
Silva rubbed his chin and narrowed his eyes. “Under Draidjen rule, that could potentially be explosive. I don’t think the Ziiarians will forget this event.”
“I concur,” said Evaran.
Rakar thought of the Kreagans’ rise to power. They had adapted every step of the way. Technology became a part of their culture and was widely regarded as essential to their way of life, but they had time to ease into it. The Ziiarians would be given advanced technology and would have to adapt. He understood Evaran’s concern.
They reached the top of the ramp and headed toward the Torvatta.
Dr. Snowden sat on the edge of his bed and rubbed his eyes. When Evaran, Silva, and Rakar had returned, they had an impromptu meeting in the conference room over the recent Ziiarian situation. He did not like what had happened to the Ziiarians, and his stomach churned at what they had to go through. They had no defense against Mutt Mutt, and their peaceful city was ruined. He understood that the Draidjen would now help them but sensed that it did not sit well with Evaran. He sighed and headed to take a shower.
After Dr. Snowden was cleaned up, he headed to the conference room. He noticed that they were in space when he looked up through the glass-like ceiling. When he walked in, he saw Rakar, Silva, Evaran, and V in their usual spots. His eyes were drawn to Silva, who had a plate with green mush on it. He had never seen Silva partake in eating at these morning meetings. Maybe the recent experience made Silva more comfortable around the others. He nodded at Silva and then went to get his usual coffee and breakfast. As he sat down with his breakfast, he glanced at Evaran. “Emily and Andia working out again?”
Rakar laughed and then smiled at Dr. Snowden. “I’m sure they’re working up a sweat.”
Dr. Snowden smirked. “Running isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Trust me.” He finished his breakfast just as Emily and Andia entered the room. They were cleaned up and had big smiles.
Andia took her seat while Emily grabbed drinks. She sat down, handed a drink to Andia, and then smiled at Evaran. “So, what’d I miss?”
Evaran nodded. “Nothing. I was waiting for everyone to come in.” He raised a finger. “There are a few things I need to discuss.”
Dr. Snowden tilted his head as he pushed his plate back. He knew when Evaran raised a finger, attention was warranted.
“To this point, we have had mercenaries and bounty hunters show up wherever we go. I do not believe that is coincidental. Kreol Juul and Krikus Det were bounty hunters and worked directly with Seeros. I know that from the information obtained from Kreol Juul’s data device and Krikus Det’s ship. GJ-45, Delkis and his gang, and Mutt Mutt and his crew were mercenaries that were contracted out. I know who contracted them out, although with Mutt Mutt, he had offers from both the contractor and Seeros. He took Seeros’s offer. The information these mercenaries and bounty hunters were receiving came from one source.” He turned his head toward Silva and gestured at him. “Your reports.”
Silva jerked his head back. “Those reports are secured and only viewable by Senator Kraas!”
Evaran nodded. “I agree that your report data was secure while it was sent, but when that data was stored on Senator Kraas’s end, it was accessed by others or given away. I suspect Seeros had access to it at some level. However, the contractor’s identity was confirmed by a visual recording of an exchange between Mutt Mutt and the contractor. Although Mutt Mutt took the contract initially, he ended up taking Seeros’s offer. I was able to get the first contractor’s visual negotiation by initiating a ship-to-ship transfer of information using the device from Mutt Mutt.” He interacted with the table console and gestured at the projection that shot up. “Here it is.”
The projection showed two screens. On one side was a rough-looking Kreagan behind a desk, and the other was Mutt Mutt in a darkened room. The rough Kreagan’s lips were pulled flat, and he stared intently at the screen. He pressed a button. “Orata here. Have you considered my contract proposal?”
“Yeah, I have. I see the three you want are also wanted by Seeros. I ain’t messing with that shit,” said Mutt Mutt.
“You don’t have to. Deliver them to me, and I will handle that aspect.”
“Considering how much that bounty is worth, and who I am going up against, I want fifty percent, half up front, half delivered when you pick them up from Xibia.”
“You want fifty percent? I can’t do that.”
“Look. You’re a young bounty hunter. I’m a grandmaster in the Shilac mercenary group. I know you’re operating as a go-between. Tell Senator Kraas fifty percent, with half up front, the other half at collection, or no deal. Tell her the fees have changed.”
“Senator Kraas? What are you talking about?”
“Oh, I see. In that case, good luck,” said Mutt Mutt. He reached forward.
“Wait!” said Orata. He sighed. “Damn it.”
“Ask her. Now.”
Orata glanced to the side, then back at the screen. “She agrees. She also wants to know why you won’t deliver to Kreagus.”
“And have her wipe me out after delivery? Tsk, tsk, I don’t think so. I have associates that have worked with her in the past. I know how she work
s. She provides cover for criminal activity, and disposes of anything that might cause an investigation. Besides, I’m kill-on-sight on Kreagus. Maybe that was the plan after all,” said Mutt Mutt, laughing.
“Look,” said Orata, glancing offscreen, then back. “You can make the pickup arrangements since you don’t trust her.”
“Now we’re talking. Once the first half has been transferred, I’ll be on my way.”
“Fine. Any questions?”
Mutt Mutt smiled. “I do have a few, actually. How’d you get a hold of all this information? It’s the most detailed contract I’ve ever seen.”
“There is an inspector traveling with them. He sends reports and is unaware of their purpose. He is a bit simple, but would not send anything if he knew what the reports would be used for.”
Mutt Mutt chuckled. “A simpleton. Got it. I noticed there is also a Fredorian ambassador and a Kreagan ranger. What do you want done with the inside person and those two?”
Orata sneered at the screen.
“I should have guessed. I’ll take care of it.”
The projection shut off.
Silva’s eyes widened, and his lips parted. He turned toward Evaran. “Senator Kraas … she’s corrupt!”
“It would appear so. I suspect she thought she had a good chance at getting that bounty given her position. However, I think her motive was a bit bigger. She wanted to wait until you reported back that all three crystals had been obtained, then she would collect them through another contract. She would then present the Arkaron to the emperor. The ploy to get Emily, I suspect, was to have a hostage in case she needed one.”
Andia jerked her head back. “She was going to undercut Fredoria!”
“That is my conclusion.”
Andia laced her fingers as she put her elbows on the table. “Unbelievable!”
“I sent the report on the third crystal to her this morning,” said Silva.
“Yes, you did. However, it was not delivered. I masked it so it appeared it sent until I was sure. The report updating has served its purpose, and we know who we are dealing with now. We should have some time for our next step without interference, and I do not think we should be giving Draidjen information on Gaziss to the Kreagans. This has not been without consequence, of which the Ziiarians are a casualty. Looking back, I should have prevented this. I made a mistake.”
Silva drooped his head and looked at the table. “You did what you had to do. And yeah, sending that last report would just stir up trouble.” He pulled his lips in and through gritted teeth said, “She used me.”
Rakar put a hand on Silva’s shoulder. “She used both of us, brother. Apparently I was a troublemaker and was sent on this trip to be eliminated.”
Silva shook his head and jabbed his finger on the table. “This is outrageous! She will answer for this when we get back to Kreagus!”
Rakar nodded. “I’m with you.”
Evaran placed the three crystals on the table and then interacted with the table console. A projection shot up showing a galactic map. The projection zoomed into an area on one of the spiral arms. It then zoomed into a solar system, and a planet highlighted, with a red dot on it. It zoomed in to the red dot, showing a facility with the word Petraz listed next to it.
“The ancient Kreagan home world. This is our next stop. The Kreagans have a facility there built around the Arkaron base. V, take us there,” said Evaran.
“Acknowledged,” said V as he stood and then exited the room.
“We should be able to go in and slot the three crystals, then activate the Arkaron. I do not know what will happen at that point, but we will find out.”
“How will we get in the facility? It’s probably protected,” said Rakar.
Evaran gestured at Silva. “Silva should have clearance.”
Silva nodded at Evaran. “Not a problem. It’s hard to believe I will get to see the Arkaron activated. It seemed so simple. Get the three crystals and slot them in the base. But it has been anything but simple. This could not have been undertaken without you and your ship’s abilities. When this is over, you will be recognized for your efforts.”
Evaran shook his head. “It is best not to mention me in any capacity. Or Dr. Snowden and Emily, for that matter. This should go down as a Fredorian mission with official Kreagan support.”
A projection shot up from the table, showing a facility nestled in forest from above. A small square image of V appeared on the bottom right.
“We are above Petraz,” said V.
“Silva, if you go to the command center, you can communicate with the facility. They will ask for identification before we can land,” said Evaran.
Silva stood up. “I’m on it.” He exited the conference room.
“V, land us when we are cleared,” said Evaran.
“Acknowledged.”
The projection shut off.
Evaran stood up. “I do not think we will need our suits here. However, I leave that for each of you to decide. Prepare yourself accordingly.” He nodded and then walked to the conference room exit.
After ten minutes, the Torvatta had landed on a circular landing pad. A walkway ran between it and the facility. Everyone assembled outside the Torvatta.
Dr. Snowden noted that no one had worn suits other than Rakar, in his regular Kreagan suit. He figured since it was a Kreagan facility, there would be appropriate security, and they might have issues with the suit. Mercenaries and bounty hunters would not be flocking to cause trouble there, he thought. He saw that Andia and Silva had sidearms, and Rakar had his usual weapon. V was in orb mode and hovering above.
Evaran gestured to V. “V, stay with the ship in case we need it. I am not expecting trouble, but it does not hurt to be cautious. We should not be long.”
“Acknowledged,” said V as he flew into the Torvatta.
Dr. Snowden walked alongside Silva as they proceeded toward the looming facility. “Exciting moment.”
Silva’s eyes sparkled. “It is. I judged your kind unfairly. It isn’t lost on me that this is being done by humans, a race we once enslaved. You have acted nobly, while it appears we are not immune to corruption as I once thought.”
“It will sort itself out. Just think, no matter what happens, you are a part of Kreagan history, not once, but twice.”
“That I was,” said Silva with a half grin.
Evaran stopped and tilted his head. He then raised his hand at a ninety-degree angle.
Dr. Snowden’s heartbeat ramped up as he looked around. He did not see or hear anything out of the ordinary but could see Evaran was sensing something. The look on Evaran’s face was not one of surprise, but one of concern.
Evaran accessed his ARI. “I have instructed V to put the Torvatta in stealth mode and keep it hovered over this spot.”
Andia faced Evaran. “Is there something we should be worried about?”
Evaran drew his lips flat and shook his head. “It is probably nothing.”
Dr. Snowden knew now that something was amiss. Evaran would not speculate on it openly, but it was obvious that Evaran heard or felt something. He knew from experience that Evaran could sense things that he and Emily could not, even with the nanobots.
After a few minutes of walking, they stood outside a rectangular door. A laser swept out from a device above the door. A red dot above it was lit, with a faded green dot to its right. After the laser scanned the group, the red dot faded, and the green dot lit up. The door made a whooshing sound as it slid up.
A Kreagan approached them. He wore a military outfit consisting of blue light armor with a forearm device. Behind him stood two Kreagan guards in full green-and-silver battle armor, similar to Rakar’s, but heavier. The Kreagan in light armor stepped forward. “I’m Administrator Jazto Ru Fulg, civilian attachment for this facility. I’m curious as to what business a Kreagan inspector and ranger, with humans, could possibly have.”
Silva stepped forward and gestured at Andia. “This is Andia Kiggs, prime am
bassador of Fredoria. Rakar and I are providing official Kreagan support for her mission, which involves access to the Arkaron base.”
“I see. What is your intent with it?” asked Jazto.
“You’re not authorized to know that.”
Jazto shook his head. “Maybe not, but you know, allowing non-Kreagans near the base is considered blasphemous in some circles.”
“Blasphemous or not, this is an official mission, and these non-Kreagans have proven themselves to be more than worthy as citizens of the Kreagan Star Empire. Are you having difficulties with this, or do I need to open an investigation?”
Jazto smirked and then wheeled around. “Follow me.” He walked ahead with the Kreagan guards following him.
Dr. Snowden noticed that Silva had to browbeat Jazto into compliance. He guessed if he had to administer a facility that probably wasn’t visited much, he would be cranky too.
Evaran gestured for everyone to enter through the door. After everyone was in, the door slid shut. They hustled up to Jazto, who had begun walking ahead of them.
The hallway they were in was fairly long. On the sides were various rooms. Dr. Snowden could see that there was a mess hall of some sort and several rooms with closed doors and tags on them. He figured those were the living quarters. He caught up to Jazto. “Do you get a lot of visitors here?”
Jazto and the guards chuckled. “Not quite. We get the occasional Way of the Great Selector member. The military up the road also sends scientists to study a stone object said to have been from the mass exodus era.”
“Stone object?” asked Rakar.
“It is ahead, and we will pass by it. It is shielded and contained in a separate room,” said Jazto.
Evaran narrowed his eyes. “If it is from the mass exodus era, it should be destroyed if it is what I think it is.”
“I agree, but the military doesn’t.”
“That doesn’t surprise me,” said Rakar.
“Oh, before I forget, there is the possibility there may be additional visitors, but they are hostile. We have run into mercenaries and bounty hunters everywhere we go,” said Silva.
