by H. T. Kofruk
Magdalena had grown to be a fine specimen. Her armour was a complex pattern of different shades of green diamonds. She was almost as large as a blue male and much faster. Her brown mandibles could easily slice a man in two and the clear liquid she shot out from a tube on her head was sticky enough to hold a large boulder on a cliff wall.
Paul imagined riding Magdalena in the plains and forests of Earth as the old knights rode horses to battle. Her armour could deflect pulse rifle fire from an angle and she was faster than many modern vehicles. His main concern about taking her off the planet was her dying of gravity disease or new bacteria since the remedies hadn’t been developed for dranipedes. He would probably have to part with her when he left for his mission.
It had been five Earth years, or three and a half Tolsgrad years, since he had been to the capital. His last visit had ended with his being given a medal by the Pope. In the horizon, he saw the citadel city of New Kaliningrad emerging, its grey towers and golden spires drinking in the sun light. Alongside him rode two dozen other Grey Knights who had also met the men with the bearded masks.
The dark grey walls of the city soon towered over Paul. Although they were made to look like the fortress walls of medieval Earth, the period of the height of Catholicism’s power, Paul knew that the walls were not made of stone but rather metallic bricks made of a geratinium alloy mixed with dranipede liquid. All structures would be held together by geratinium reinforced steel beams. As he passed through the arched gate to the city, giant statues of the four arch-angels looked down on him.
The grey stone streets of the capital were smoothed by the centuries of dwellers and pilgrims’ footsteps. On either side of the streets were the apartment buildings of the citizens which started as three story buildings on the edge of the city but grew taller towards the centre. The ground levels of these buildings were always used as garages or storage areas while the outer walls were painted with depictions of saints, biblical figures or illuminated verses of the Bible on white or deep-blue backgrounds, the work of monks across centuries.
The appearance of a host of Grey Knights riding dranipedes brought at first glances, then groups, then crowds. Families stood together and watched the grey-armoured knights riding their green or blue companions, some occasionally sending their blessings or prayers to the gallant warriors.
The great mounts soon snaked their way to the centre of the city which housed one great cathedral, the Cathedral of Earth. The great square in front of the cathedral, the Vatican Square, could easily hold two million people. The front end of the cathedral was adorned with a giant crucifix, over three hundred feet tall. The giant effigy of Christ was painted to look as realistic as possible; shattered flesh and blood looked as if it would fall on the faithful who worshiped at Christ’s feet; the holy eyes housed both serenity and forgiveness. The entire Bible was carved into the stone cross to which Christ was nailed in eighteen different languages.
“In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sanctus” he mumbled as he did the Sign of the Cross from a few hundred feet away.
They did not go towards the cathedral, however, and instead turned to the much more modest but still magnificently adorned military headquarter building to the right which was an exact mirror image of the government building to the left. The stables next to the headquarters already housed hundreds of dranipedes, meaning that the current group was probably almost the last to arrive. As the knights got off their mounts, boys who seemed to have materialized from nowhere led the great beasts away.
“Make sure she gets a good meal of greenworms and grass” said Paul to a young teenager who held the reins of Magdalena.
“Yes, sir” replied the motivated youth as he bowed.
In the entry hall, he deflated his armour, took off the amplifier suit and gave it to yet another young lad. His sword and pulse rifle, however, he slung over his shoulder. Beneath he wore a simple grey uniform with dark grey shoulder patches and a clerical collar. With a tap on his left shoulder, the shoulder patches joined and formed a cloak with a deep hood which was used to cover his head.
The hall was packed with about five hundred knights, some of whom he knew; most were, however, strangers. But he knew there was a bond between those who wore the grey silver cross on their armour, who carried the holy grey swords, and who had been through the ‘cleansing’ ritual. Friends and strangers alike acknowledged him with their eyes as he moved towards the grey crowd. A large heavy hand clamped down on his shoulder. Paul turned to see the owner of the hand and recognized the bearded face of Sir Adam Balo for whom he had squired as a juvenile. The two smiled and embraced.
“It‘s good to see you, my mentor”
“It’s been too long. Where have you been, Brother? Hiding away in that remote monastery of yours?” asked the older knight.
“I hear you have been assigned to the capital. How’s the soft life suiting you?”
“Well, as you can see, it’s making me soft” replied Adam slapping his increased girth.
Paul knew even as a young squire that though his mentor was a faithful man and a fearsome warrior as strong as a bull, he was also easily taken by temptation. Food was practically the only permitted vice to any of the Grey Order and hence, was the only one that Adam had.
“I heard something about a certain Paul Camileri reaching the Seven last year, I think” continued Adam. “Do you know anything about that?”
Paul was the youngest ever knight to reach the highest levels of all the Seven Virtues of Knighthood as defined by the Church. He received his seventh medal for Servitude for his mission on Datha Prime during which he successfully converted thirty thousand locals. The first medal that he received when he was just nineteen was for Valour, which meant mastery in swordplay and other melee weapons. Adam had seen first-hand what Paul was capable of with Lordswroth in his right hand.
A gong was sounded ten times to announce the arrival of the Council of Ten, the ten knights who presided over all military matters. They were led by Sir Thomas Chanuy, an old grizzled warrior who limped due to a hip wound. He grunted as he sat down heavily on a simple wooden chair that was placed on an elevated stage. The other nine took chairs to either side of him. They wore the same simple grey cloaks as the other knights before them with their heads also buried inside the deep hoods. The only additional ornaments they wore that indicated their elevated status were thick gold chains around their necks.
“Brothers, the Lord is great” said Sir Thomas Chanuy, High Councillor and the leader of the Grey Knights after taking off his hood.
“May he bless all faithful” came the ritual chorus of replies. Hundreds of shaven heads emerged from the deep hoods at once.
“Three hundred and fifty years, my Brothers, we have lived in exile. Three hundred and fifty years we have lived in shame, chased from our holy Eden. Three hundred and fifty years we were denied the right to walk where Jesus walked. Three hundred and fifty years we have been on a world that is not our own” said the head of the order. His hawk-like eyes scanned the crowd as he paused for a few seconds. “That will end.”
There were murmurs of excitement and nervousness in the crowd.
“It is true” said Adam quietly to himself. “We are going to war.”
“War? Against the One God cult?” asked Paul.
“Who else?” replied his mentor with misty eyes.
“Silence!” hissed Sir Clovis Unther, the General of the Grey Army and second in command after the High Councillor. Quiet settled once more.
“War has erupted among the Renden Empires” continued Sir Thomas. “Our cousins, the Orthodox, are mounting attacks on the accursed One God cult as we speak.”
Sir Clovis, a lean muscled old soldier of average height, stood up and walked to the centre of the stage. The scar that started from his left forehead and finished on his right cheek gave him the look of a perpetual frown.
“As has been for centuries, the Orthodox is asking us for assistance. Attacks are underway on multiple s
pots in Atlantic Alliance territory. Chinese and Orthodox forces are focusing on taking out as much of their navy as possible.”
A young knight put his hand up. “What about the Pacific Federation? What actions are being taken against them?”
“The Pacific Federation is staying neutral in this conflict. Their president was assassinated just prior to the first aggressions and we believe that they fear more assassinations at high levels.”
There were mutters of the word ‘coward’ and snickers among the mass of grey.
Sir Clovis continued. “Our forces will be transported by the Orthodox navy for terrestrial combat. They will also give us orbital artillery support. Regiments of Grey Monks will be mobilized with you as their officers. You will lead them and kill all Atlantic forces that dare stand in your way.”
“What is the objective of this war, Brother?” said an eager voice in the crowd that seemed to already anticipate the answer.
“Earth.”
A sudden cry of elation rose up from the grey crowd. Fists pumped in the air and prayers were sent to God and his Son. Adam clamped down his large hairy hands on the shoulders of his former squire. Everyone but Paul, it seemed, was in a state of quasi-euphoria. Knights were congratulating each other as if they had already won the battle.
Paul wasn’t convinced. He trusted the Orthodox just a little; he trusted the Chinese far less. At least the Orthodox would still need the Grey Catholics’ prowess in ground combat. They had tried to imitate the Catholic training and conditioning methods but were never able to produce as fine ground soldiers. But without the Atlantic as a common enemy, what use would the Orthodox Empire be to the Chinese? The Orthodox and the Pacific empires were no match for China alone. The sole reason for Chinese toleration of the Orthodox Empire was the balance of power in their standoff with the combined might of the Atlantic and the Pacific.
After the noises had died down some broad details of the future plans were revealed. The grand meeting was quickly adjourned after that. The knights then dispersed to their quarters or to other activities. On his way out, another knight stopped Paul at a doorway. Paul recognized him as Sir Johann Vertan, a member of the Council of Ten.
“Brother Paul. Your presence is requested in the War Council.”
With that the knight turned and started walking as if he knew that Paul would follow. They descended a myriad of stairs and arrived at the secure war room. Two monks were standing guard outside the room and came to attention at the arrival of the two knights.
Sir Thomas Chanuy, the High Councillor, and the other knights of the Council of Ten had already just arrived. There were a dozen other knights, all of whom were honoured with the Seven Virtues.
Sir Thomas stood up and limped to Paul. He was a short, bulky man with a white goatee on his tanned, wrinkled face. Paul had heard from the older knights that when he was young, he had once been the finest sword wielder in the Order, and also more than competent with his pulse rifle. Though less charismatic than Sir Clovis, Thomas commanded more respect due to his famous piety.
“Sir Paul, it is the first time we have summoned you to a war council. As a knight of the Seven Virtues, you will be given a rank of general in this campaign.”
“It is an honour, Sir”
Sir Clovis acknowledged Paul with a brief nod. “Brothers, our campaign on Earth is a curse in disguise. We have prepared for this for centuries. But we must not forget, Brothers, the other two empires. The Afrikan Republic is at least as militarily capable as the Orthodox Empire, with more troops stationed on Earth. Their vast fleet of trading vessels can easily be equipped for war. The Peace Alliance is an even bigger threat. In terms of population, they dwarf all other Empires. They have the vastest territory on Earth and their military capabilities are not well understood.”
“But the Orthodox has promised us Western Europe. It is a prize worth fighting for” said another knight.
“Brothers, the Peace Alliance and the Empire of Afrika have already once beaten the Atlantic Alliance on a terrestrial war. And with our mobilization for the invasion of Europe, the Peace Alliance, at least, is sure to intervene” answered Sir Thomas.
This time a third member of the Council, the dark-skinned Sir Richard Abango, stood up and spoke. “We obtained this file during a mission on Talak Ziena.” With that he produced a projector from the folds of his cloak. A holograph of a parchment document lit up the hall. Its title read ‘Charter Convention of Earth’. The holograph then scrolled down at a speed that allowed the knights to read its contents.
‘2.23. Intelligent Aliens…
2.23.C Interdiction on Earth
For the aforementioned reasons of Renden health and safety concerns and avoidance of environmental damage on Earth, Intelligent Aliens are strictly forbidden to enter below the lower stratosphere. Any Intelligent Alien found on Earth will be subject to immediate execution and immolation. Any human found hosting or hiding an Intelligent Alien will also be judged according to the appropriate laws of the jurisdiction.
…
2.23.F ‘Human’ Intelligent Aliens
The terms ‘Renden’ and ‘Human’, while in most cases used interchangeably, may differ according to the origin of the subject. ‘Renden’ refers to a Human who was born on Earth or who can trace his lineage on Earth up to two generations. All biological grand-parents and parents must have been born on Earth. This person must be able to provide the correct documents to prove his/her lineage.
The term Human is used as an indication of species, meaning any being that carries all of the genes that define Humans as Humans. But for sake of protecting public health and the environment on Earth, non-Renden Humans are to be considered Intelligent Aliens with human genes, the argument for this being the potential acquisition over centuries of immunity to otherwise lethal alien microbes; habits and lifestyles potentially destructive to Earth’s environment; genetic mutation due to different environment that may lead to life-threatening conditions if passed on to Renden offspring, etc.’
The holograph then outlined in red the two sentences ‘Any Intelligent Alien found on Earth will be subject to immediate execution and immolation’ and ‘non-Renden Humans are to be considered Intelligent Aliens with human genes’. It took a moment for the knights to absorb the meaning.
Paul was the first to speak. “In other words, should we step foot on Earth, all Empires including the Orthodox have an obligation to destroy us?”
Sir Thomas nodded. “Yes, it would seem so. This charter was never revealed to us by the Orthodox. We found a copy of it out of chance.”
“It is clear that the Orthodox and perhaps China wants to use our services for invading Earth but then discard us” added Sir Clovis.
Chapter 34: Chased
‘The ludicrous manner in which Rendens divide intelligent and non-intelligent beings has resulted in many races being treated like cattle, such as my own.’ – Gomchaksbo, Chakaru freedom fighter, year 2866
The smuggling ship was holding more people than it was designed for. Bongani was consequently forced to dump large quantities of herbs, minerals and metals from distant planets, each ton bringing worse and worse profanity from his mouth. The three hundred or so aliens he was keeping to sell as slaves were panicking and making a severe racket as a result. Strangely, when the Nikruk entered the cargo area, they seemed to calm down, perhaps out of fear.
Terry and Heera joined the two Afrikans on the control deck. General McKay and a couple of his soldiers followed.
“They’re gonna blast us into oblivion. We have to surrender!” cried McKay.
“Haven’t you done enough surrendering for one day?” rebutted Terry, a remark that made Bongani laugh.
David was the better pilot of the two in the cockpit and he ejected the docking suction from the ship. He then swivelled the ship around to flee in the opposition direction of the Chinese fleet. Already nuclear missiles were flying towards the wormhole station while laser bolts and pulse cannon fire rained down. Bon
gani plotted a course for light speed hoping he was doing a good job avoiding any contact with unaccounted for meteors or electric storms.
“Why aren’t they attacking us?” asked Heera to nobody in particular.
“Their goal is the station. They don’t care about us since we won’t last long without access to a wormhole” answered Terry.
The light-speed drive was powering up when a stray pulse from one of the Chinese cannons struck the hull of the ship. The ship shuddered and the lights blinked at the impact. One of the soldiers accompanying McKay fell to the floor and knocked himself unconscious on a steel beam. The weapon-lock detector, however, suddenly sounded and filled the control deck with blinking red light, meaning the pulse was not a stray, but had been intended to strike the ship. A holograph showed a host of missiles approaching them. Pulse fire continued to pepper the ship.
“Don’t you have any weapons or shock-shields on this thing?” demanded Terry.
“This is a smuggling ship, Terry. If we see an aggressive military vessel, we run” replied Bongani.
“Spoken like a true boy-loving pirate” growled Terry.
“You wait till we get out of this. I’m going to punch you in the liver you pompous, ungrateful bastard. And then I’ll make you my pretty boy”
David punched Bongani in the shoulder, both for the insolence and to get him back into focus. A destroyer was using its thrusters to get near them, its cannons shooting all the while.
“Just a couple more seconds” said David in a strained voice as he rubbed his eyes from the sweat.
The light-speed drive charge status bar suddenly turned green, at which David slammed his fist down on the ‘activate’ button. The deep black of space punctuated by a billion shining candles suddenly distorted as the ship became essentially a trillion atoms and electrons hurtling through the infinite vacuum. With smaller civilian ships such as the one they were in now, the impact of light-speed was felt as time actually stood still within it. But after a few seconds the gravity shield adjusted to a much higher level, shielding the passengers from these effects. The interior of the ship had been suspended animation for roughly five seconds and it took another five seconds for the ship computers to take that into consideration.
