by Aer-ki Jyr
Not unlike the Wass’mat and their Zen’zat, some of whom had decided to stay with their masters. Fortunately there were only a few thousand, but Davis had to confine them to the planet until he figured out what to do with them.
And that also brought him back to the moment of change he knew had been coming, but he was still unsure about how to handle it. Size differences in Axius had forced him to segregate that faction for safety concerns. Then when the Raptors had been included, he had to treat them like Arc Knights from hatching, stripping those who did not wish to be held to such high standards of their psionics and letting them move freely about the empire. There was no Raptor civilian population, and with the Wass’mat it was going to have to be the same. He didn’t want to take away their psionics, or even hold them suppressed, because their races had become so accustomed to them. Even walking back the Raptors’ with the Ikrid blocks had been immensely troublesome. They were adapting to it, but they’d taken a big hit with that necessary change.
If Davis had removed Ikrid from them entirely he felt they would have fallen apart. Much the same way that if he suddenly banned the Archons from training they would go crazy. Normal civilians wouldn’t, because laziness was commonplace. But the Archons had risen so far that you couldn’t force them backwards. They were no longer compatible with laziness, just as the Raptors were no longer compatible with the lack of telepathy. Moreover, Davis didn’t have a pre-telepathic template to work with, and it was far easier to give Humans psionic upgrades than it was to take what had become a staple to the Raptors away from them.
More than 80% of those Raptors who chose to leave eventually came back, for they couldn’t stand to have their telepathy silenced. They thought they could, but eventually it drove them nuts and they boomeranged. Some didn’t, and Davis had talked to many of them. They all admitted to a tough transition period, but they’d adapted to it…and all of those that he had met with had been surrender monkeys. They wanted easy challenges, rather than being completely stagnant, but they didn’t really want to stress themselves. What they wanted was a simpler life, and not having telepathy worked to their advantage in that, but to the others they couldn’t stand going backwards and becoming less, and Davis doubted the Wass’mat or the Zen’zat would be any different.
The trailblazers and the Arch Dukes knew of the problem he now faced, but none of them fully understood it. The V’kit’no’sat had Ikrid as standard, and while a few of them suppressed it in their hatchlings until they could develop further, their entire society was based on it and personal privacy was obtained by having a stronger mind, or at least one trained to block out others.
They had made it work, but there were problems they still faced. It was the pack mentality, for when you had other people in your head constantly you became less like you and more like them. He’d seen this full tilt with the Elves, and while they were doing ok with guidance, they were not a stable society. Without that guidance they’d veer off wildly into self-destruction, which was why the new Elf colonies that had been established had telepathy but with Ikrid blocks. That meant only physical contact would allow one in another’s mind, and that had brought a lot of improvement to the Elves, so much so that the existing ‘free mind’ Elves were being asked not to reproduce. To let their societies age and focus on attaining and maintaining self-sufficiency.
He wasn’t going to force Ikrid blocks on them or make them mix with the other Elves, but birthing more of their kind was an error that he wasn’t going to allow to continue. Too much influence from others could help or hurt you, and Davis knew that if even for the better it was a dangerous thing. People had to learn to think and question, not just accept and do as you’re told. Effort and obedience did not conflict with curiosity, and the free Elves seriously lacked curiosity wherever a current of their society pushed or blocked them.
They had essentially become Lemmings, and while that might be useful to others who wanted servants, it was worthless to Davis who wanted peers. And the difference between the Elves and Paladin was that the Paladin already had ample experience through their genetic memories. The Elves were ignorant of everything in the beginning, and they came to rely on the hive mind of their society for everything.
And when no one knew how to lead, to explore, to figure things out…the whole mass referred back to itself in what would become a state of madness without a stabilizing rod to structure off of. The Archons had been those stabilizing rods for the Elves, but the free Elves were a dead end. One that Davis had learned a lot from, but they were not the future of his race.
And Davis knew trying to take the Raptors or Wass’mat backwards would also be a mistake. He had to take them forward, perhaps sideways to find a new path, and with the Zen’zat, at least, they were not going to reproduce, so that headache was avoided there, but he’d already asked Jason to work with them and give him suggestions on how to make use of them. Hopefully they’d come up with a better idea, for while having smaller races attending to the larger ones made some practical sense, that’s not how he wanted Star Force to be structured going into the future…because it instilled laziness in the larger ones.
And this was why he was the Director. Everyone else was running the empire, making sure supplies got delivered, training schedules were met, research done. They were competent and left Davis free to tackle the problems on the horizon. To guide Star Force forward and avoid as many headaches as he could by being able to see problems before they arose, and to note those in other races and learn from them.
So no, taking the V’kit’no’sat races backwards was not the solution. Ikrid blocks were necessary, but removing their telepathy was not an option unless they individually opted out. He wasn’t going to deny those individuals the freedom to roam the empire as others did, but so long as there was an ‘elite’ race division, they were going to have to be held to higher standards and that meant no civilian life.
Part of Davis didn’t want to officially develop an elite division, for the founding races of Star Force…Humans, Calavari, Kiritas, and Protovic…would not be included. The Archons, Mavericks, and Monarchs would be recruited out of them, but the masses just weren’t good enough. It wasn’t the fault of the individuals, but of their basic biology. Those exceptional individuals would find their way out, but the average Human would not match up to the average Raptor. The Raptor race was just too damn advanced at this point.
And the same was true of the Meintre. They were simply better, on average, than any other race aside from the Raptors, and while Star Force was built on the individual and always would be, the communities where those individuals lived were structured on the group, and Davis had to create pockets of the empire where they could not only live, but thrive and prosper.
So it had to happen, and the newly included Wass’mat were forcing his hand sooner than he’d expected. He could choose to wait longer, but this was the way the empire had to move forward. The junior high team just couldn’t play with the varsity, and keeping them somewhat separate was best for both so long as he maintained routes for individuals to surpass their race…and to fall below it.
It was ironic that Star Force was starting to mirror the internal structure of the V’kit’no’sat. They had different tiers of races as well, though they didn’t put as much thought into it. Maybe they would have become something more if the Zak’de’ron had still been leading them…or maybe not, if the Zak’de’ron just wanted pawns to use as they pushed their agendas on the galaxy.
Davis didn’t want pawns, and he only put up with the Paladin because they relied on their genetic memories. Their starting point was what it was, but it wasn’t what they’d stay at. The Paladin weren’t the goal, but victims being rescued and given a choice where they had none before.
But many people just went along with what everyone else was doing, and in that respect he had more control over the Paladin than other races. He could keep them safer, but blindly following orders was insufficient for many things.
No
, the only path forward was advancement, and holding back the superior races was stupid. The Meintre were growing to the point where a choice had to be made, so he might as well make it now. He just didn’t want the Wass’mat to think he was carving out a ‘former V’kit’no’sat’ wing to the empire, but he’d jump off that bridge when he came to it.
A tone sounded and he slowly turned around to see a Human attendant standing on the threshold of his office entrance.
“Ambassador Nilhan has an urgent message to relay.”
“Very well,” Davis said, abandoning his ocean view and heading back to his large, clear desk. “Send him in.”
He sat down just before a tiny Ari’tat came bouncing into the huge room and over to his desk, where he hopped up onto one of the opposite chairs and stood there, leaning back on his tiny tail.
“Ambassador,” Davis greeted in V’kit’no’sat as he sat back and steepled his hands together. “What do you have for me today?”
“I have an offer directly from Mak’to’ran,” the Ari’tat said in all seriousness. “It concerns the Li’vorkrachnika.”
Davis sighed. “You’re getting beat, aren’t you?”
10
“We are still engaged on many warfronts, including with most of the Rim Consortium. It seems they lack the fast access transit routes that we have in the Core and have not yet arrived to deliver the Armistice to their empires. Even still, there are non-Consortium members attacking us simultaneously that will not stand down. We will prevail eventually, but in the meantime we are taking losses, including some of the systems we have promised to you.”
“Which are your responsibility to reclaim and repair prior to transfer,” Davis insisted.
“So it would seem, but given your unusual insistence on the destruction of the Li’vorkrachnika, I have been instructed to relay a special offer from Mak’to’ran.”
“Go ahead.”
“We want you to eliminate them for us.”
Davis laughed. “Your empire’s level of arrogance is astounding. I may have worked with you out of prudence, but we are not allies and I have not, and will not, forgive you for what you have done to my people. What compensation do you think would over-ride that?”
“To begin with, free transit across our empire so you can access the far side of the galaxy more quickly.”
“Noted,” Davis said, making it clear that was minor in comparison to what was being asked.
“We will also compensate you, in the form of materials, for any and all ships you lose in combat.”
“We’re in the process of rebuilding from the damage you did. Sending our current ships to fight the lizards would pull them away from other small scale activities where they are needed. And at the end of it all, replacement will be a wash, assuming we lose no personnel, which you cannot replace. We have business to attend to in the Rim, and the longer we delay the more primitive races die.”
“Furthermore,” the Ari’tat continued, “due to a realignment within our empire, we are willing to cede all of the Tamprani Region to you, intact, along with any planetary populations that wish to remain.”
Davis raised an eyebrow, thoroughly surprised. “And why do you assume we want them?”
Ambassador Nilhan looked shocked, but his tiny face’s composure recovered quickly. “You have already illegally annexed one of our worlds. We are willing to sanction this and any others that wish to join you. This is a major concession that will not be well received in the empire, but Mak’to’ran is offering it none the less.”
“Why?”
“He feels that the Li’vorkrachnika, if left unchecked and in possession of V’kit’no’sat technology, could expand greatly and become a larger threat in the distant future…but a gnawing one in the present. We do not think they will only take a few worlds and stop. They will continue to press until they run out of ships or until we make them stop, and their industrious nature has been noticed. Mak’to’ran wishes to secure the Tamprani Region, and would rather see it in your hands than reduced to rubble and become a breeding ground for an…unstable race.”
“You were about to say ‘enemy,’ which we still are.”
“You are not reckless, nor are you seeking combat. The past aside, we do not view you as a threat in the future. Well, to be perfectly honest, many still do. Especially the Oso’lon. But Mak’to’ran trusts your intent is not to destroy us and he is willing to cede Tamprani to you if you will eliminate the Li’vorkrachnika threat permanently.”
“There is no way to eliminate them permanently, for they can regrow from a single ship. They must be destroyed now, and not allowed to rebuild elsewhere. A guarantee of total erasure from the galaxy is foolish.”
“So I have been told. But a single ship will pose no threat to V’kit’no’sat worlds, and we can destroy any that we find in our territory. You can do the same and the threat will essentially be eliminated if their current holdings are destroyed. You possess the Uriti but have been unwilling to fully utilize them for fear of unintended deaths. You have also said all Li’vorkrachnika must die. That they will not switch sides nor allow themselves to be confined as prisoners. In light of that, I am ordered to ask if you are capable of fully unleashing their destructive potential on Li’vorkrachnika worlds?”
“They are our allies. We would have to ask them.”
“Assume they agree. In principle, would you fully unleash their power on the Li’vorkrachnika?”
“Yes,” Davis said firmly, surprising the Ari’tat again at his immediate and unequivocal answer.
“I am also authorized to offer you sanction as part of the V’kit’no’sat empire,” he said, holding up a tiny hand to forestall Davis’s kneejerk response. “This is not for your sake, but a way to justify the situation within our own empire. The genetic power imbued in V’kit’no’sat races is something we closely guard. Your Zen’zat coding is one of the primary reasons we could not simply let you live free. No one can leave the V’kit’no’sat because of what has been granted to them in their genetic coding. The Wass’mat that you have claimed have violated this, as have the Rit’ko’sor that joined you. The death mark on them remains, and we cannot allow others to join you from Tamprani unless we claim you are part of the V’kit’no’sat.”
“How exactly would that work?”
“Mak’to’ran once offered to sanction you as the Rimward guard of the V’kit’no’sat, under his authority. He will do so again, but as an independent faction that has no duty to fight the Hadarak. You will protect us from the Rim, which we now see holds many threats we never knew about. You will do so in your own way, and over the course of time, once you fully encircle the galaxy, you will shield the bulk of our empire as we engage the insurmountable task of defeating the Hadarak, which is what we were created to do.”
“How many races are in Tamprani?”
“All have some presence there. Under former rules, we had to disperse our populations equally in every region. Now we are restructuring into clumps of territory that are more easily defensible.”
“You were going to abandon Tamprani all along?”
“What Mak’to’ran intended I do not know. But the pullback orders I have seen do not go as deeply to completely abandon the Rim regions. We are willing, however, to fully cede you Tamprani and all our worlds within it, with full infrastructure and weapons, if you are willing to destroy the Li’vorkrachnika and enter into this galactic realignment. Your dominion over the Rim has already been agreed to by the Armistice. We are simply asking that you exert dominance over it when you eventually grow to sufficient size and shield us from any threats there. This is not out of alignment with what you are currently doing in this area of the galaxy.”
“And if someone does attack you from the Rim? What are our obligations then?”
“In the near future, none. You may have dominion, but you have no presence in most of the galaxy. When you do, your natural inclinations are sufficient for Mak’to’ran. He does not ask an oath of mutu
al defense. He knows you will pursue threats within the Rim for your own reasons. You will attract their attention before we do, and we will still be the stronger. If they come for us, we will deal with them in the Core. What we do not want to have to do is station a strong fleet on our border with you. That would defeat the purpose of our offer.”
“We will never operate under the V’kit’no’sat banner. We will never authorize this agreement. If it is for your empire only, then I am not opposed to it, but if anyone asks us…we are not part of the V’kit’no’sat.”
“Your ancestry says you are, and that is sufficient for us. You also wield our weapons, and now have some of our worlds. Your claim to independence falls on deaf ears when you are literally our progeny. I do not mean that as an insult, for I know you hate us, but from others’ perspective you are V’kit’no’sat.”
“Point taken. What of the lizard incursions into Olobiv?”
“We can defend those if you take the offensive against the Li’vorkrachnika home worlds. We will also offer you any systems in Olobiv that have fallen to the lizards that you can reclaim.”
“And if we are part of your empire, what of those within the Coreward realm that wish to transfer to the Rimward?”
“Such things will be discouraged, but allowed. I trust you see the immense power this affords you?”
“We could potentially gain access to all your races even if those in Tamprani do not wish to stay.”
“Yes. Is that sufficient compensation?”
Davis, still leaning back in his chair, rested an elbow on the rim of his desk and cradled his other in his hand, propping up his right arm as he pinched the bridge of his nose and temporarily hid his face behind his hand.
“What is Mak’to’ran’s long term agenda?”
