by Sean Robins
Xornaa, sipping a glass of wine, raised her eyebrows. “For real?”
“Yes. He says there is a monster named Venom stuck in his head. I looked it up. Ugly creature, with huge dark eyes and rows of sharp teeth.”
Xornaa gave him a sideways look.
“How did he know about our terraforming capabilities?” asked Barook.
“On Earth, right before Operation Royalty, I told him he could ask me any questions he wanted. He asked a million questions, most of them about something he had seen in a science fiction movie. And he wanted to know if you and I were a couple.” Tarq took a puff from his pipe. “Anyway, enough about Jim. What about his plan?”
“We need to think about it,” said Xornaa. “But of the top of my head, I can tell you right now it’s totally doable. Risky, and extremely dangerous for those involved, which I’m certain will include you and me, but doable. How are things on Kanoor, by the way?”
“It’s party like it’s 1969,” said Tarq.
Xornaa and Barook gave him a questioning look.
I really have to stop hanging out with Jim.
“There is a lot to be done; for example, we need to choose a new president. The fleet needs to be rebuilt too. But for now, everyone is busy celebrating.”
“How did your people react when they found out you put an MFM on Kanoor’s orbit?”
“I hate that abbreviation,” said Tarq. “They do not know. We stuck with the lie I fed Maada about mass hypnosis.”
“And all those statues?” asked Xornaa. “That’s your doing too?”
Tarq shrugged. “I am still trying to form an alliance between all the space-faring species in the galaxy. Enhancing Jim’s reputations helps that cause.”
“Unless one day the humans decide to turn on you,” Xornaa pointed out.
Tarq nodded. “I am well aware of that risk. In the meantime, I have some news about Mantux. Our people kept searching for a clue to find out what had happened. The only thing they found was a disturbance in Mantux’s orbit.”
“What do you mean ‘disturbance’?”
“We have never seen anything like this, so we are not sure. Our scientists theorize it could be a temporal anomaly, but it is just a theory. Anyway, I had asked our ships to look for something similar wherever they are, and guess what our spy ship on Tangaar orbit has found.”
“A similar disturbance,” said Barook.
Xornaa chuckled. “Don’t tell me the Xortaags have invented time travel.”
“You know, Jim asked me if we had a time machine. He said if we had one, we could go back in time and kill Maada’s mother before she gave birth to him.” Tarq laughed at the memory. “And we are not sure if the Xortaags have something to do with it, or even if they know it is there. This one is very small and difficult to notice. There are two possible explanations I can think of. Maybe the Xortaags did have something to do with what happened on Mantux, but it is not their MO to drop asteroids on planets, and their fleet does not have the capability to pull something like that anyway. Or, whatever destroyed Mantux, an enemy attack or a natural disaster, is going to happen to Tangaar.”
“That would serve them right,” Barook growled.
“Be that as it may, the Xortaags are the devil we know, while we have no information about this new threat.”
“Should we tell our human friends?” asked Barook.
Tarq thought about it for a second, smoking his pipe. “No. Let us keep it among ourselves until we know more. I suggest we focus on the problem at hand. Let’s deal with the Xortaags first. After that, we can start worrying about the time-traveling ghosts.”
Playing Richard Wagner’s Siegfried, Kurt was lost in the music. He was sitting at the edge of the bench, his back straight, his soft smile growing bigger as his fingers flew over the keys. As the last beautiful note hit, a sense of warmth filled his soul, and the peace and serenity he always felt while playing music took over him.
And this time, he had someone to share all these with.
Patricia, in her blue uniform, clapped excitedly. “That was amazing!”
Kurt opened his eyes. “I’ve been practicing since childhood. Growing up, my dream was to be a musician, but eventually I decided to follow in my dad’s footsteps and go into politics.”
“Good thing too, because otherwise the Xortaags would’ve killed us all, and we wouldn’t be here to have this conversation.”
There was truth in that statement. If he hadn’t joined his father in his quest for world peace, it was likely none of the subsequent events would’ve happened. He wouldn’t have been the leader of the Resistance, met Tarq, and helped humanity survive the Xortaag invasion. Life could be so weird sometimes.
“Can I ask you a question?” said Patricia. “Is it always like this? I mean, we’ve been dating only for a few weeks, and tomorrow you’ll go to yet another planet to try to save the galaxy.”
“We kind of did it together the last time,” Kurt pointed out.
“Yeah, I was a lot of help back on Serenity while you risked your life on Kanoor.”
Kurt tugged at his goatee. Operation Endgame had been an unparalleled success. Right now, there were celebrations going on all over Kanoor, and the Akakies were writing poems and singing songs about Tarq and, as usual, Jim. Still, as Patricia had just pointed out, Kurt and his friends had no time to celebrate.
“To be honest, I don’t know,” he said. “The last few years have been crazy. But if we succeed in what we plan to do, this might be the last time, and we may finally have peace, at least for a while.”
“What will you do then?”
Kurt smiled. “Not sure. For as long back as I can remember, my driving force in life was to fulfill my father’s dream. Now that humanity is finally united, if we deal with the Xortaag threat, I’m not certain what I’ll do with my life. I might get back to politics.”
“One more question: Why are you going? You’re a Marine. What possible role can you play in this particular mission? Don’t tell me you’re planning to assassinate Maada!”
“Jim insisted that he had to go because it was his plan, and I just couldn’t let him go alone. We started this thing together, and we should end it together.”
Or die trying, he thought. He was well aware that he wouldn’t be able to protect Jim if this mission failed, but letting his best friend put his head into the lion's mouth alone wasn’t an option.
Patricia didn’t say anything for a minute; then she approached Kurt and sat on his lap. “Well, you’ve shown me your phenomenal skills. It’s time for me to show you mine.”
11
Tangaar
Standard Galactic Date: 064.03.5073
(Earth Date: 16/05/2049)
Maada was having dinner in his favorite restaurant, a small, cozy establishment near his home.
Prince Darlaan and his two brothers had thrown a fit about Polvaar’s death, but the king had condoned Maada’s actions. Lucky for him, the Akakies had kept their word, and the process of returning the POWs and the space fighters had already started. Along with his plan B, this had turned their last campaign into a semi-victory, even though Mushgaana was lost to them. Maada had tried to convince the king to use the alien machine to bring his son back one more time, but the old man had said he had to choose between himself and Mushgaana, and he had made his choice.
The king had ruled the military operations to stop until all personnel and ships were returned by the Akakies. This was the right decision because they really needed those ten thousand Deathbringers to strengthen the fleet. But it meant, for the first time in decades, he did not have anything to do except arrange a military exercise to keep the fleet in shape.
An old man wearing a fleet uniform limped towards him. He had only one arm and one eye. He must have been one of those poor souls who could not use artificial prosthetics for physical or psychological reasons.
The man stood by his table and saluted. “General Maada? You probably do not remember me, sir, but I was with
you on Daktar, when this happened to me.” He referred to his arm.
Maada knew all the people under his command, but Daktar was his first campaign, ages ago—the first planet he and his departed friend Mushgaana had conquered together.
“I just wanted the honor of shaking your hand,” said the old man.
“No.” Maada stood up. “The honor is all mine.” He took the man’s hand and shook it firmly. The old man beamed with pride, saluted again, and left.
Maada went back to his food, his mind wondering about the future of his people. The humans had proved to be formidable adversaries, and it was unlikely they would stand by idly while the Xortaags continued their military expansion. That would deprive the kingdom of both the real state and the resources it so desperately needed. Another direct attack to Earth might have been a good idea, but after what had happened during the last two campaigns, the king would not sanction it in the near future. To make things more complicated, the Akakies were still trying to form an alliance against them. Their efforts had been unsuccessful up to now, but if Maada attacked another planet, it might have pushed the rest to join up with the Akakies.
The future looked very bleak.
Maada rubbed the scars on his face. Maybe it was time for the Xortaags to start forming their own alliance. If they could coerce a few other planets to side with them, the balance of power would eventually tip back in their favor. Ironically, the former government of Earth would have happily joined up.
You are General Maada, he told himself. You have brought your people back from the brink of extinction. Compared to that, this is a walk in the park.
The old man who had just met the general left the restaurant and limped away. After walking for a few minutes, he looked back and made sure he wasn’t being followed; then his appearance melted away and Xornaa materialized from underneath.
She touched her earpiece. “It’s done.”
“Good. Come back here,” said Tarq. “Time to get off this rock.”
“Won’t it be funny that, if it works, you and I, among all people, will have played a major role in bringing peace to the galaxy?” she asked.
“You, me, and freaking General Maada, of all people. And let us hope so. Maybe this would wash away some of the blood I have spilled over the years off my hand.”
“Is that regret I hear in your voice?”
Tarq chuckled bitterly. “Have you forgotten who you are talking to?”
No, I haven’t, thought Xornaa. I know you’ll kill off the rest of the galaxy if you think it would serve your species, which makes you the biggest monster of all.
Just a few short hours ago, if anyone had told Lieutenant Zaalk he would one day contemplate disobeying the Xortaag king's direct orders—which was tantamount to mutiny and punishable by death—he would have laughed. And yet, here he was now, thinking about doing exactly that.
Zaalk had been a member of the royal guards since his teenage years, and he had served the king faithfully. He had been a happy man who had lived with honor all his life and gained the trust and respect of his family and friends. He had three strong sons who would one day bring him grandsons. In fact, one of his son’s consort, herself a soldier, had been pregnant.
And then the Kingslayer had killed them all on Talmak along with fifty million other Xortaags.
And now, that monster was sitting here in the shuttle, unarmed and defenseless, so close Zaalk could smell him, and there was nothing he could do. The king had ordered Zaalk’s team to take a shuttle to the Akakie starship on Tangaar’s orbit and bring the Kingslayer and his companions (two other humans and an Akakie) to the royal palace. Oh, how he wished he could draw his weapon and slay the demon right then and there. The mere thought sent euphoric vibrations throughout his body. He put his hand on his sidearm.
But no. He would not, could not, betray his king, no matter how satisfying that might have been. He was under orders to ensure the safety of the aliens, and that was exactly what he would do.
Until the orders changed.
If I made a list of the planets I was certain I’d never set foot on, Tangaar would be on top of that list. Granted, I’d never thought I’d visit all the other planets I had been to either, or even go to space to begin with, but traveling to the Xortaags’ freaking home planet?
And yet here I was now, in a Xortaag shuttle approaching Tangaar’s surface, unarmed, accompanied by Tarq, Kurt and Xornaa, who was under an Akakie hologram. The shuttle was very similar to the ones in our own fleet. We sat in the cockpit, behind the pilots’ seats. We were being escorted to the royal palace by a bunch of grim-looking Xortaag guards, whose officer kept staring at me with hatred in his eyes and touching his weapon.
That’s not ominous at all.
We’d arrived on Indomitable, the Akakie fleet’s biggest dreadnought. Tarq had probably thought her size and firepower would be intimidating, which in my informed opinion was stupid, given how vulnerable the Akakie starships were to the Xortaag fleet’s tactics. Indomitable was manned by an Akakie crew, which was fine by me because if the enemy fleet decided to attack us despite the terms of our temporary truce, we had no chance to defend ourselves anyway. There was only a small contingent of Marines on board to deal with unexpected emergencies, and as Kurt put it jokingly “to take over the ship if it becomes necessary.”
I looked outside the shuttle. Tangaar had an orange-yellow sun, and its sky was ash-gray, probably due to its air pollution. Tangaar’s capital city, Tanoor, was very similar to any metropolis on Earth, albeit significantly more contaminated. There were vast seas of concrete, high-rise buildings, shops and schools, and a massive gridlock. I looked down at all the people coming and going in the city and wondered if we had more in common than what we thought.
Still, it was obvious we weren’t in Kansas anymore.
Thinking about the enormity of the situation made my pulse rise and my breath quicken. I didn’t think we were in any immediate danger because the Xortaag king had personally approved our visit and guaranteed our safety. However, who really knew what his word was worth? It was very possible that if things went sideways, the Xortaags would decide to get rid of some of their arch-enemies in one stroke.
Why am I thinking about the Red Wedding right now?
“Maybe because the Xortaag king agreed to meet us only if we came here in person?” said Venom.
That sounded suspicious, but Tarq had confirmed it was a Xortaag tradition for their king not to accept holographic meetings. Apparently, they considered it disrespectful to his position.
I didn’t want to think about the consequences of failure. It would probably mean our immediate death and, in the long run, bloodshed forever. I, however, had a good feeling about my plan. I was pumped and excited, rejuvenated by adrenaline. This right here was the mission of our lives, more important than Operations Royalty and Endgame put together. And for the first time, everyone was following my master plan, not Tarq’s, which was why I was on Tangaar to begin with.
In our last meeting before leaving Kanoor, Ella had pointed out that Kurt and I didn’t really have to go on this mission. We could’ve let Tarq and an Akakie delegation deal with it while watching from a safe distance. I thought about it (I didn’t have a death wish, after all, and traveling to the Xortaags’ home planet sounded very hazardous for my health), but the whole thing was my idea, and I wanted to see it to the end. It was a the-man-who-passes-the-sentence-should-swing-the-sword thing. More importantly, this mission was too important to be left to the Akakies, and I didn’t trust them not to screw things up. Tarq resented my reasoning, but he’d said the Kingslayer’s presence would add more weight to our argument and increase our chances of success, so it was worth the risk.
I’d asked Kurt to sit this one out, arguing that it’d be a terrible blow for Earth if things went wrong and both commanders of the fleet and the Marines got killed or captured, but he’d said there was no way in hell he would let me go to enemy territory without him to watch my back. We’d
considered bringing a security team with us; however, it’d only mean putting more lives in danger, so now the two of us were here, risking our necks along with Tarq and Xornaa.
But if we succeeded in what we were here to do, everything would change.
Jim Harrison, the savior of the galaxy. I could get used to that.
“If it works,” cautioned Venom. “You might still get all of us killed.”
I was destined not to have a minute of peace inside my own brain. Damn you, OCD!
“Let’s hope we don’t get into a fight,” said Kurt. “The high gravity here means we’ll get exhausted quickly.”
“There are only three and a half of us”—“Hey!” protested Tarq—“and we don’t even have a knife,” I answered. “If we end up having to fight, gravity would be the least of our problems.”
“When I left to work for Tarq, I didn’t imagine I’d be back in here again so soon, going to the royal palace no less,” said Xornaa. “I’d forgotten how much I hated this place.”
We arrived at the palace a few minutes later. The shuttle landed in front of what looked to be the main building. I got off and looked around. The palace looked like an old country mansion. It was huge but rather simple and functional in design, and there was nothing luxurious about it. After seeing the presidential palace on Kanoor, this one was a letdown. And the air reeked of gas and smoke.
“You call this a palace?” I asked the Xortaag officer who was in charge of the guards. “Is your king really poor? You should see the one on Kanoor.”
The officer pressed his lips together and said nothing.
I continued, “When we go back to Earth, I’m going to start a charity to collect money for you so that you can fix this dump.”
Tarq, who was in his human form (thank God!), stopped biting his nails and tugged at my uniform. “Jim, why are you antagonizing the officer, who I must remind you is armed, unlike us?”
