by James Somers
Tiet thought about it for a moment. His words were kind, but they cut him to the heart. He felt unsure of himself yet convicted of the need to serve the people.
"I had better get going Ranul. I've got to get ready for this meeting if I'm going to keep my promise."
He shook Ranul's hand and started to walk away from the courtyard.
"Tiet, don't forget. If you get a chance, go by and see Mirah. She really would like to see you. You know, she was very complimentary of the man that freed her from prison."
Tiet laughed under his breath as he continued to walk away. "Subtle, Ranul, very subtle."
GOVERNOR Tal tapped the communication panel to end the transmission to his ship. He was on board the flagship of the Baruk space fleet. He had assured his wife of his safe arrival and the time for his meeting with the Council of Three. He was quite anxious about the meeting. Since their rendezvous with the Baruk battle convoy months ago, he had not been given much information at all.
The Baruk were far too secretive for his own tastes. After all, the Vorn military and the Baruk were supposed to be allies. This meeting should have taken place just after their arrival, he thought. But he wasn't about to push the issue with the Council.
The Baruk were the most blood-thirsty clan Tal had ever known. It was dangerous enough to be their ally and the Baruk's supposed deal with the fallen angel Lucin was the stuff of legend. He was terrified of this mysterious clan.
One of the Baruk warriors came into the chamber. He was fierce looking to say the least. His black body armor was a part of him; a symbiotic coexistence. Whatever the living armor was, all of the warriors of the Baruk were joined to them. Somehow they covered and intertwined internally and externally with the Baruk, forming a living exoskeleton that protected them. Tal had seen the warriors in action before. Their exoskeletons were capable of repelling light pulse weapons fire, and the various weapons they utilized were part technology and part bio-weaponry.
The warrior motioned for Tal to follow him. They both entered the chamber of the Council of Three. Tal had only seen them once before. They were of a different caste than the warriors and they ruled the Baruk as one.
Tal came before them where they were seated upon a raised platform. They were sitting on a wide throne that seemed more organic than craft. Tal waited for them to speak, not daring to show any disrespect to them.
"You have desired an audience with us, Governor Tal?" asked one of the Three.
"Indeed, my lords. I would inquire as to your plans for retaking the planet of Castai on our behalf. We looked to you for assistance in quelling the rebellion of the Horva under General Grod, but we were overrun at Baeth Periege before you could arrive."
"Should we retake the planet it would be unwise to reinstate control to your regime Tal. You lost the planet and most of your people were killed. You lack the capacity to reign over the inhabitants."
"But we are allies. Surely you will want to help us to regain control. It is for your benefit as well-"
"Our benefit does not concern you Tal," interrupted another of the Three. "You are weak. It is time we assumed possession of Castai ourselves."
"But you can't-" he almost bit his own tongue trying to stop the words.
"Can't?" they all questioned simultaneously.
"What I mean to say, my lords, is that we have always tried to govern the territory in accord with your interests as well as our own. It would be unfortunate to dissolve that relationship now. I still have a thousand people aboard my ship who can lead the way in retaking the planet from these rebels. At your command, of course."
"Our command has already been issued concerning your people," said one of the Three.
A holographic image of Tal's vessel gliding along with the Baruk convoy appeared in the room above him. One of the Baruk ships heaved a large projectile out of one of its cannons. Tal's heart sank as the object impacted with his ship, smashing it like a glass upon the floor. A thousand-plus people, including his own wife and children were dashed to pieces in a moment. He gasped and could not breathe. He almost didn't notice the white hot needle-stick of the neurotoxin injection. He lost sensation almost instantly as he numbly fell to the ground at the feet of the soldier who had administered the poisoned weapon. His breathing slowed, and then stopped as his muscles ceased to function. He was suffocating but couldn't move to help himself, though his mind was still clear.
"We have no further need of treaty with you or your people Tal," said one of the Three. "Now that your strength has been diminished, we see Castai as ripe for the taking."
Tal could not respond. His body began to spasm from lack of oxygen. The Three hissed with delight as the Vorn Governor entered the throes of death before them.
"Housra, see to the traitor," the Three said to the soldier.
"I obey."
THE food aboard the Baruk vessel was barely palatable. Kale detested almost everything about their clan. If the Vorn military had been able to suppress the various uprisings, then he wouldn't be in this mess, he thought. Kale had been turned against his Barudii people, by Lucin himself, all those years ago and now he was paying for it.
He understood the desire of the Baruk to control the planet of Castai. It was rich in resources and perhaps, even more importantly; it was the perfect location for control of the Transdimensional Rift.
None of that really mattered to Kale at all. He had no allegiances to anyone. He took another bite of the carusk meat. It was bitter to his tongue. The Baruk loved this meal as a delicacy but that didn't surprise him. The bitterness of the meat seemed ironic to him as he thought about it. What had seemed right and good for him at one time so long ago had become ashes in his mouth.
He could not push out the thought of his brother running across the tarmac to try to save Orin. He realized that Tiet almost certainly didn't know who he was at the time; but did he now? And what if they had come face to face then, he wondered. Would Tiet have embraced his long lost brother, the betrayer of their people and their parents?
No, of course not. He would have gladly struck with all the fury he could muster. Suddenly Kale felt disgusted with everything; or perhaps only with himself. He spit the hunk of meat back onto his plate and pushed it away across the small table.
The Baruk could not be trusted. They were completely sold out to the wicked one, Lucin. The Vorn had very little understanding of the true nature of the Three that ruled the Baruk clan and their planet. They were merely a vehicle for the fallen one; a way for him to move among men and control their minds in his symbyte form.
It was Lucin who had promised him vengeance upon his father and Orin for the dishonor they had shown him; a prince of the Barudii. He only had to provide the weaknesses of their mountain cities and great power would be his. But it was a lie from the prince of lies. The death of his people and his family had brought him nothing but regret and sorrow. But he had bound himself to a fallen angel; how could he escape from such a power?
The Baruk certainly had no way of escape and they didn't want any as far as he could tell. The symbyte form of Lucin, inhabiting their bodies, gave them great power and the ability to drive out their enemies before them. Now they were on the move to Castai. Lucin would conquer it and move on through the rift to conquer the twin Castai. Only God could stop an angel and though he thought of dropping to his knees to pray; Kale knew that he was probably the last person God would want to hear from.
Normally, he might have suspected his food to be poisoned, but his personal scanner had detected nothing dangerous in the meal. It did little to console him about the possibility of the Baruk killing him. He looked at his blade upon the hard slab the Baruk called a bed. Picking up the blade he examined it a moment; this blade was his life. He knew he could never trust the Baruk and even if he could, he did not want to remain among them. But how could he escape? They had control of his ship. He heard heavy footsteps approaching his quarters.
The door opened up before the Baruk warrior. Housra qui
ckly moved inside with his compression gun ready to terminate the Barudii on sight, but he wasn't there.
Kale looked down on the Baruk warrior from the ceiling of the compartment. He clung there via kinesis. The compression weapon used by their species swung from side to side as the warrior surveyed the compartment, stopping to examine the half eaten meal.
Kale dropped down, igniting his blade as he landed. Housra whirled around bringing his gun to bear upon the Barudii. The ignited blade divided the weapon before he could fire. The living exoskeleton sprang outward from the Baruk, striking Kale.
He was smashed backwards into the door of the compartment but managed to strike back furiously with his kinesis. The Baruk swung hard toward the other wall, but was stabilized quickly by the exoskeleton. It had appeared solid, but now morphed into obscene appendages to protect its host.
Kale brought his blade between himself and the Baruk. The symbiotic creature was reared up in a posture of aggression as it sought to strike.
One of the appendages lashed out and Kale struck it with his ignited blade. It recoiled. He moved in again, striking at the hovering tentacles and landing a blow to the warrior's leg. He severed it completely.
Another appendage knocked Kale down into the table as the Baruk fell from his wound. The morphing tentacle smashed the table flat as Kale rolled away. If Lucin had sent this warrior to kill him, more would quickly follow. He needed to get off of this ship as fast as possible.
He bolted out the door, leaving the maimed warrior and his symbiotic protector as far behind as he could. Now he just had to figure out how to get to his ship and off of this vessel alive.
ESTALL stared at the information coming onto the display as Ranul keyed in the various retrieval commands. Probe #2041 was transmitting its information on a coded band. He studied the incoming data carefully. Looking over Ranul's shoulder, Estall attempted to understand what the transmission contained, but Ranul was scanning the data too fast for him to put it together.
"Well?"
"Well, what?"
"Are you going to share with the rest of us?" he asked.
"Oh!" he said as though he had forgotten others were in the communications room with him. "The probe beyond the star Casiss has picked up a group of objects. After long range scans, it has concluded that the objects are in fact very large space cruisers on a path for Castai."
"The Baruk, I suppose."
"Well, I don't think there's any other possibility. According to the Vorn records, it's along the flight path to their territory."
"Well, we've been training for a fight; looks like we've got one."
THE Council buildings were as luxurious as any Tiet had seen among the Vorn cities. This one in Baeth Periege was perhaps the most beautiful of them all. He passed through the main hall on his way to the meeting chamber. It was lined on either side by troops he had helped to train in recent months. They looked very sharp in their uniforms, he thought. It was nice to see the peace between the Castillians and the Vorn illustrated in the new standing army.
Why did Wynn insist on trying to push him onto the throne? He certainly did not see himself as a king. He was just a young man, still in training himself-not a great man like his father. Tiet wished his father were still alive to lead this great people. He would've known what to do.
Tiet wished he had been able to really know his father, but his brother-the thought cut him to the heart. If he ever saw his brother again, he would avenge his father's death and Orin's.
Too bad the coward had taken off before he realized who he was. Tiet would have killed him. That thought gave him little joy, but seemed to satisfy his anger to some degree. Two of the acting guards opened the large main doors that allowed him into the main council chamber.
The ceiling was three stories high in the main hall and he could see that it was even higher within the meeting chamber as the doors parted before him. They revealed a very large circular room with a dome at the top. The Council of Twelve, along with their various advisers, was seated along the outer portion of the room slightly above the place where Tiet was to stand in the middle of the room and be addressed by the Council.
As he made his way into the large room he could see that the session was already beginning and apparently everyone was waiting for him to arrive. As he entered, many began to cheer and clap. This was not the sort of entrance he had expected or wanted.
He didn't feel he deserved any applause. What had he done to deserve it besides being born to a certain family and people?
He could see Wynn now. He was seated near the delegate for the city of Baeth Periege and Daooth Pasad was next to him. Daooth was a good man. He could still remember his first meeting with the Vorn in Wynn's underground dwelling and almost taking his head off, supposing him to be an enemy.
That day had been a wake up call for Tiet; learning how the Vorn were a friendly people enslaved by their own military. He had hated them for so long, blaming them for the murder of his family and his people-not realizing things were rarely as straightforward as they seemed.
He approached the podium in the middle of the chamber and waited. A glass of water was sitting on the side and he wondered if it would be inappropriate to take a big drink of it right now. His throat was getting dryer by the moment.
Everyone became quiet as the delegate from Baeth Periege stood to address the gathering. He was an elder Vorn man named Licoure. His translator pin came to life as he spoke in his native Vorn language.
"Master Soone, we are honored by your presence at this gathering and are happy you have accepted our invitation. I realize you have been approached numerous times with our offer to support your ascension to the throne Castai. I would ask that you hear us out collectively on the matter with patience, understanding our sincerity."
"I am honored by the support of all of the delegates assembled here," said Tiet, "but I fear you have placed your confidence in the wrong man to lead. I do not feel I am experienced enough in necessary matters to be worthy of such a calling."
"Then I hope we may further persuade you," said Licoure.
Another Vorn elder stood as Licoure seated himself again. Tiet recognized him as Ush, the delegate from the city Thalidi. He appeared to be very old, although Tiet wouldn't guess his age.
"Master Soone, I was in the Vorn military when the war between our peoples first began. It had been a peaceful relationship during the times before. Our peoples were like brothers. The Barudii king of that time was Isic. He was a very wise man and was instrumental in the exchange of information and technologies between our peoples.
"He and our leader were the best of friends and there was open trade and socializing between our planets and peoples. Many Vorn lived in the cities of this Castai and many Castillians lived in our cities on our home planet of Demigoth.
"Trade negotiations had only recently begun with the Baruk when a tragedy occurred. Our leader, who was greatly beloved by our people, was assassinated. When an extensive investigation was conducted, the evidence all seemed to point to a plot among the Barudii to gain trade agreements with the Baruk and push us out. The Baruk had come forth with the information, and though King Isic denied it vehemently, our people felt genuinely betrayed.
"Not long after, a group of Castillians living on Demigoth was massacred by vigilantes seeking revenge for our fallen leader. King Isic himself journeyed to Demigoth in an attempt to quell the misunderstanding and persuade the new military leadership to reenter the relationship of peace that had so long been enjoyed between our peoples. The Vorn military leadership seized Isic and his entourage and put them to death for crimes against our people.
"This was an outrage to the Castillians and war was declared. The Baruk pretended to be neutral to the conflict and made their technologies and information available to both sides. It would not be understood until much later what role the Baruk had played in instigating the war.
"The struggle lasted nearly ten years, with the Vorn appearing to be the victor.
We had decimated nearly all the major cities of the Castillians on this planet before a new weapon was revealed. We would learn much later that the Baruk had provided technology to the Barudii, who created the giant Sphere weapon. By the time it was launched against us, the Castillians were all but wiped out. It would be their last attempt against us before they were extinguished as a people on this planet. The weapon's mission was to hunt down and destroy all Vorn targets; we lost millions of troops to it. It was at this time that the Vorn military turned to the scientific community in a desperate attempt to rebuild our dwindling forces. They created the Horva clones.
"The first generation clones were similar in capacity to normal humans with the exception of much greater physical characteristics. They were very superior warriors and; it soon became apparent that the Horva themselves were becoming too powerful and might well get beyond our ability to control them.
"The first generation Horva, including Grod, were replaced with a brutish new type of clone that could be easily controlled by our leaders."
"Do you mean, Ambassador Ush, that the Horva were created as slaves to the Vorn?" asked Tiet.
"Yes, exactly" replied Ush. "The Horva under Grod would, as you have seen, eventually rebel against the military. However, the brutish Horva were very useful to them in keeping the civilian population under military control.
"At a later time, when the role the Baruk had played became apparent to our people, there arose an outcry among our people to break ties with them. However, the military had treaties with the Baruk, and were determined to maintain their own power. Our people rebelled and called for new leadership, but the rebellion was quickly crushed with help from the Baruk.
"It has been their plan to gain control of this system all along. It is very rich in natural resources and they played our people against one another in hopes of destroying both. They managed to obliterate one and so severely cripple the other that we had gone under their dominion almost completely. They were just waiting for the Sphere weapon, which continued its attacks, to wipe out the Vorn completely before moving in for the takeover.
