Enlightenment

by Aer-ki Jyr

  “A lot exists, and a lot of stuff got banned as people found they could invent all kinds of things to explore that part of themselves. That stuff is a personal thing so doesn’t get publicized…or advertised. Our birth era was so messed up.”

  “I don’t think people have learned…in general. They just go along with everyone else, and as long as Star Force is steering the ship a lot of trouble is avoided. But if they were born and transported elsewhere, would they be any better now?”

  “Does it get imbedded in their genetics? Yeah, some does. But a mimic is a mimic. If you don’t pursue the truth, no amount of genetic knowledge is going to keep you from going off the rails. Our friends there are perfect examples. As advanced as they are, they do so many bad things. And when they’re taught to do bad things, they don’t reject it.”

  “Or the ones that do are eliminated.”

  “By others who go along with it. If the majority of people were inherently good, society would naturally tilt that way over time through attrition. But we don’t see that. We see it go the opposite way and descend into kill or be killed nature instincts. That tells me good people are rare, not the norm.”

  “Wish I could disagree. Do you think the mimics or neutrals outnumber the naturally bad?”

  “I haven’t encountered many who are naturally bad if you take genetic memory out of the equation. I think most are just people stuck into the universe with no idea who they are or what they are and they just go whatever way the wind blows. You and I turn into the wind if it’s pushing us somewhere we don’t like.”

  “And they resent that,” Kara said, her jaw firming. “They don’t want anyone to think outside their boundaries. They actually fear intelligence that they can’t corral into the desired pathways. That’s why they put conditioning into my programming, and probably tried the same thing with your sword.”

  “I still wonder what was in that thing,” Paul admitted.

  “Count yourself lucky you didn’t find out. I guarantee there was some nastiness. They’re not nice to be nice.”

  “So much for being advanced. They’re newbs with a lot of nifty toys, their bodies included.”

  “How are the Les’i’kron doing? I rarely pay attention to anything I’m not personally involved with nowadays, and you’re involved in everything…”

  “I don’t have a Zak’de’ron profile to compare with, but they’re far from what they used to be.”

  “Good or bad far?”

  “Good far.”

  “Enough to replace them?”

  “No. I don’t think so. There’s something about them that’s beyond our reach. I don’t know what. Maybe just my breast lust because they’re hiding theirs.”

  “I did not need that visual,” Kara said as a spec flew across the horizon towards them. “We have company.”

  Paul looked at her line of sight, but didn’t summon his armor to him to take a look. Eventually the dot appeared in his vision and flew towards them, with the Neofan landing just beyond Paul and Kara’s bare feet hanging off the end of their beach chairs and towering over them.

  “Are you satisfied with the exodus process?”

  “So far,” Paul answered. “Did they bring all their ships here?”

  “We were told so, and we checked their minds finding no deceit.”

  “What about their leader?”

  “We checked his first.”

  “He let you?”

  “The Zak’de’ron are in our care now. They are our wards. They do not have independence.”

  “And he agreed to that?” Kara pressed.

  “There is much of the Zak’de’ron you do not know, that you are not meant to know, but I will tell you this. Their leader is broken, and broken by the twice betrayal of the V’kit’no’sat. They cannot navigate their own future, so they have entrusted us with it. We have ensured there is no duplicity with them, and they have agreed that any Zak’de’ron that stays behind will be killed if found.”

  “What?” Paul said, sitting up.

  “It was their decision, not ours, but we will be the ones carrying it out. They must all leave. That was our agreement.”

  “We never negotiated a death penalty,” Paul said, crushing his drink in his hand with a shatter of glass-like polymer.

  “It was negotiated between the Zak’de’ron and us, and does not include your Les’i’kron.”

  “Why not capture them and send them with the others?” Kara interjected.

  “Because the Zak’de’ron will kill them on arrival and the transport would be a waste of resources.”

  “Some things never change,” she said, jumping up out of her chair and walking a few steps away out into the sand before kicking it multiple times with her toes and going into a string of expletives in Klingon, for of all languages those felt the best to bellow out when angry.

  “They are all here,” the Neofan promised, “so there need be no point of conflict between us.”

  “And if a few are missing?” Paul asked.

  “We will find and eliminate them without your knowledge,” he said bluntly. “How we deal with their race is between us and them, not you.”

  “We won’t stand for that.”

  “As I said, there is no contention, for none are missing. They obey their leaders, unlike the V’kit’no’sat. They could not teach the obedience inherent in their race to others. One of many failings that we will show them how not to repeat.”

  “Was there anything else?” Paul asked curtly.

  “The amount of Essence you provided has been measured based on the usage of the ships passing through the portal. There will be a small amount of excess that we will return to your embassy. Is there anything else you wish of me?”

  “Other than becoming one of the good guys, no, not right now.”

  “Then our bargain is proceeding as agreed,” he said, taking a step backward then jumping into the sky and flying off in an invisible glow of Essence that indicated the flight was not fully a natural ability.

  Kara let him get away, then she walked up to Paul and locked eyes with his taller face while pointing to the left at the Zak’de’ron.

  “Let me blow up one, Paul. Just one before I go crazy.”

  “They’re both advanced newbs,” he said, glancing at the departing Neofan before he grew too small on the horizon for even his advanced Furyan sight. “I just hope the Gahana aren’t in the same club.”

  “Oh crap,” Kara said, putting her head in her hands and turning away as she considered that. “It never ends, does it?”

  “No, I don’t think it does…” Paul said, looking at both the departing ships and the few Neofan ones standing by in orbit alongside them.

  After many hours of not so polite discussion on the Neofan’s revelation, Kara settled down and returned to her beach chair and remained quiet as the Zak’de’ron ships continued to leave one at a time, with the joy of the moment now long gone.

  “English teachers,” Paul said into the silence from his chair.

  Kara frowned. “What?”

  “English teachers. They suck the fun out of everything.”

  “Which one?”

  “The Neofan.”

  “They’re not the ones leaving.”

  “At least they’re only here in three spots.”

  “If they wander out, do we get to kill them?”

  “I supposed I kinda bought into the idea that we were rubbing off on them somewhat. Guess they’re just playing possum out of their need for residence.”

  “We got the Boos’mo away from them. And they don’t have any slaves here. But less darkside is still darkside. I just don’t understand how people can be so stupid to cling to the darkside when they have other options.”

  “I could just remind you that most people are not good, but a theory that Jason had was that they were just lazy.”

  “Lazy?”

  “Pulling a Braum and jumping into harm’s way to protect strangers isn’t exactly the easiest rout
e.”

  “Route to what?”

  “I don’t know. Honestly I don’t know what our objective is.”

  “Be the good guys?”

  “Can you define that in a way that people who aren’t inherently good can comprehend it?”

  “You’re part Vulcan, aren’t you?”

  “Is that a no?”

  “It’s a no.”

  “The Gahana spoke of a mission. I’ve always felt there should be one, and crossed paths with it briefly at times, but it always slips away. I can’t keep a grip on it.”

  “What times?”

  “Action. Sitting and doing the Vulcan analysis leaves me oblivious to it.”

  “So why’d you sit on the Excalibur for so long?”

  “It has a Sanctum on it,” Paul reminded her.

  “You felt your mission during workouts?”

  “On occasion, but usually it’s in the act of badassery.”

  “Can you be more specific?”

  “I’m afraid not.”

  “Well I can, and it’s when I get ticked…like right now. Stopping these bastards is what we’re meant to do.”

  “And afterwards?”

  “I’ll let you know then.”

  After that there was a little talking off and on, but mostly they just sat in silence and watched the remaining ships leave. When it got down to the last few dozen, both of them stood up from their reclining positions and walked out onto the hot sand a bit fully taking in the moment. Shortly the Zak’de’ron would be gone, and they’d never see another of their ships again.

  “This doesn’t feel right,” Kara said, crossing her arms over her chest. “I want them gone, but I want to kick their ass and make sure they don’t hurt anyone else. And I can’t comprehend not seeing them again. Unfinished business I guess.”

  “I’m just glad they’re out of the foreseeable queue. We have enough to deal with in the near future.”

  “I can’t let it go at that.”

  “Want to fly up there and punch a few on the way out?”

  “I’m not joking, Paul. This feels wrong.”

  “Bad guys running loose anywhere feels wrong. This clears the field so we can save all their former slaves…which we’ve already done, but them leaving is why it was possible.”

  “Yeah. I know the logic. But being this close to them as they’re about to slip away compels me to do something.”

  “In a moment when they’re gone and out of our reach, you’ll feel a relief.”

  “So I just close my eyes and sing songs until that happens?”

  “You never saw him again, did you?”

  “No. I didn’t,” she said, referencing Zeno’dor. “I wonder if he’s in the last ship or already through.”

  “You can send a comm and ask.”

  Kara growled. “No. Better to let them go. But I still hate it.”

  “Well, you won’t have to stew very long. Only 3 left.”

  “Can you see them inside the ships?”

  “With Essence? No. But I can feel their minds faintly, as one giant blob.”

  “I can. Just a little pulse is enough for reflectivity. A few are a lot brighter than the others.”

  “Essence users?”

  “That’s what I’d guess.”

  “Have you been doing that the whole time?”

  “No, just off and on.”

  “Looking for Zeno’dor?”

  “I don’t know if he can use Essence or not.”

  “But he’s older, so his Essence level might be higher?”

  “Just watching. They’re packed into those ships tight.”

  “See anything other than Zak’de’ron?”

  “Anything smaller and I wouldn’t notice,” Kara said as one of the ships disappeared into the portal. “Somebody out there is going to pay for this. For us not stopping them here,” she added gravely.

  “We can’t control everything, but I don’t disagree. They’re not going lightside.”

  “Agreed,” she said, waiting in silence as the second ship approached the portal, dipped inside partway, then the whole thing disappeared with a pop of displaced air that dissipated long before it got to them.

  “Last one,” Paul announced, feeling the moment arrive. Not good or bad, just a massive transition for the galaxy.

  Kara glanced down at her wrist and the jewel there, wondering if any last minute surprises would pop up before they left…or because they left…but nothing was happening. She looked back at the last ship as it slid into the portal and saw all the little Essence reflections as she sent out a series of pulses.

  Then in a fraction of a second the ship disappeared along with all the little invisible lights.

  Save for one.

  7

  “Paul…” Kara said distractedly.

  “Relief?” he asked, still staring at the empty portal as the spherical Neofan ships above began to move away back to wherever they were normally parked.

  “Paul,” she repeated. “One didn’t leave.”

  “Where?” he said, all levity dropped.

  “My sensors see nothing, so he must be cloaked, but there’s someone there flying in the direction of our embassy.”

  “Straight route or around the curve?”

  “Around the curve.”

  “How powerful are you?” Paul asked.

  Kara frowned, then caught on a moment later. “I can power it. But what about the embassy?”

  “We have to get to him before they realize.”

  “They may be able to see him the way I have.”

  Paul looked up at the warships, seeing them still moving away as he telekinetically pulled his compact armor cube from underneath his beach chair over to him. It hit on his right arm and wrapped around it into a large gauntlet that he used to scan the surrounding area. “Nothing yet.”

  “Small portal or large one. Those are the only ways out.”

  “Let’s get him before we have to fight our way out.”

  “The big ones aren’t designed for passenger containment. If he doesn’t have environmental armor we’ll have to bubble it.”

  “This is only going to get worse if we wait…unless you want to give him up?”

  “I hate their scaly assess, but I’m still lightside. If they’re not actively being bad guys they have a right to live. As soon as we move they’re going to see us.”

  “Your null field?”

  “They can see the spot if they’re looking. I’d prefer you to come with me and just race this.”

  “The longer we wait the further he gets from the portal.”

  “Ready boyfriend?”

  “Ready girlfriend.”

  “Whistle up Azoro or he’s gonna get left behind,” Kara said, her bikini suddenly being covered by crystals as her jewel exploded outwards in volume to cover her entire body, but Paul shot off into flight first, with his armor staying on his arm. Kara began to catch up quickly, then Paul connected to the Saiolum to see if he could find the invisible Zak’de’ron before he got within his own Essence range.

  As soon as he did the fountain of energy became immediately visible amongst the non-living air, despite the range. Paul’s skills had developed more than he’d thought.

  He angled for the location and accelerated harder, with Kara flying a couple meters to his left and just out of his wake, but the Zak’de’ron was moving quickly as well, and away from them at an angle.

  Paul gave his telepathy an Essence boost and sent a straight line emission towards that lifeform ahead of him in as narrow of a cone as he could manage.

  Zak’de’ron, this is Archon Paul-024. I can see your position. Redirect to me immediately if you seek sanctuary. If you do not, be aware that the Neofan have a deathmark on any Zak’de’ron not leaving with the convoy.

  No response came, but the individual did alter course, swinging around in a tight bank and heading directly for Paul.

  “Oh shit,” Kara said, suddenly getting a telepathic communicatio
n to her alone. “It’s Pol’ake. The Zak’de’ron that went with me to the Core.”

  “He talking to you?”

  “Yeah. Says the darkside has failed too many times. Wants to give the lightside a try.”

  “Does he know about the deathmark?”

  “It was the Zak’de’ron’s idea.”

  “And he’s willing to risk it? Maybe you rubbed off on him.”

  “Or maybe it’s all a ploy. I wouldn’t put it past them. But he is scared. I can feel it.”

  “Tell him to head for the portal. We’ll meet him there,” Paul said, adjusting course slightly. About halfway there he finally picked up contacts on the horizon. Not ships, but Neofan flying in formations from their nearest outpost. Usually they used barges, but these were coming superman style.

  “Are we mouthing off, daring them to a fight, or pretending we don’t see them?” Kara asked.

  “Third option. Pol’ake is going to get there first. Can you go any faster?”

  “I’m a Jinx,” she said, stating the obvious. “I was matching you.”

  “Match this,” Paul said, using his armored gauntlet to strengthen his own deployed bioshields that were cutting the air in front of him in a fiery ball of friction already. Once he had that extra layer on his shield needle, he grabbed the Saiolum currents that were mostly calm and pulled on them as much as he could…shooting himself ahead of Kara like a missile.

  She responded shortly, pouring Essence into her Yen’mer in addition to her armor’s anti-grav in an attempt to catch him, but it wasn’t easy. He was getting a big speed boost, but she managed to almost pull even just before they reached Pol’ake, who was now hovering invisible just beyond the edge of the giant ring-building set into the surface of the Temple.

  Kara braked better than Paul did, with him overshooting the Zak’de’ron a bit, though Kara came to a stop just in front of him, seeing his Essence outline as well as his mental position.

  “The Neofan are coming, so let’s make this fast,” she said, opening up her siphon fully and throwing Essence down into the portal receivers after using her Vorch’nas to prod it with the activation codes Star Force had for all of the Temples. “We’re getting you out now and handle the details later, but this better not be some trick.”