Star Force: Mak'to'ran (2) Read online

  “That is preferable,” the Hjar’at said as they began to walk on.

  Mak’to’ran got several warnings from his fellow Era’tran but he dismissed them instantly, then gave them contingency instructions telepathically as he left them behind at the entrance but still inside the building with a few going back out to stand guard on the exterior. If something did go down here and he needed to run, he wanted his escape route intact.

  So far there hadn’t been a second attack, though this was his fourth trip to the surface. The first two had been to meet with Yaquik and the third with the Tayri leadership, all of which occurred under heavy security. This meeting had been scheduled minutes ago so to not allow for any predictability, with his drop pod redirecting from its previous destination to come here. If a trap had been laid for him, then he most likely had just flown away from it and gained a short period of time with Yaquik without having to worry about assassins laying in wait.

  Like the other structures, the interior was low ceilinged and widespread, but there was a series of central chambers blocked off from the rest that held the juvenile Hjar’at. Some were so small they could barely walk, while others were moving about in pens as they received their basic training. The central isolated areas were where Mak’to’ran’s guides took him as all eyes, young and old, turned to the Era’tran. The hatchlings either regarded him with open curiosity emanating from them or instinctual fear, for he was the first non-Hjar’at they’d probably ever seen, and their emotions were easy to read because their infantile telepathic skills were transmitting without shielding.

  Era’tran had their telepathic skills locked at birth on purpose to avoid issues with development, but apparently the Hjar’at didn’t. Mak’to’ran hadn’t realized that, assuming that such a psionic would be counterproductive at this young an age, and it was a datapoint that he tucked away in memory for future study as he walked out of view and inside the central chambers that were set in a series of lines with gaps between each of them.

  The one Mak’to’ran walked into could have held dozens of full grown Hjar’at, but his guides did not follow. They stayed outside while allowing him to walk in amongst the crowded stacks of environmental-controlled benches that held Hjar’at eggs. Yaquik was already there, roaming about and inspecting them as Mak’to’ran joined him with the entry door closing behind.

  “I do not belong here.”

  “That is why I sent for you,” the Hjar’at admitted. “The more offensive we can make you the better.”

  “You have reason to suspect more traitors nearby?”

  “I have a point to make, and if I can accomplish multiple objectives simultaneously it is preferable. Do these eggs resemble your own?”

  “These are wider, and ours take less time to develop.”

  “The Saroto’kanse’vam are the main reason for that.”

  “Why am I here?”

  “Because of them,” Yaquik said, referring to the eggs. “When we hatch we learn of the galaxy as it is, and it has changed considerably since my first breath. I remember things that you have no knowledge of, and given the current state of the V’kit’no’sat, what will they see and learn of?”

  “A lack of unity.”

  “That and more, I fear. You had said there was a poison within the V’kit’no’sat, and I have finally found it. It was right before me the entire time and I did not see it because I am dominant, and thus immune. You think us wrong for destroying the Zak’de’ron, but I know better. You do not because you were not born during their time. You only have a brief experience in their decline and the misinformation that was spread afterwards.”

  “That misinformation is a symptom of the problem.”

  “Not as much as you think. The alterations were made to encourage unity rather than stoke the fires of discord and that has been accomplished whether you agree with it or not, but it hasn’t been enough to read of unity for the newer generations. Essentially we are using vocabulary that they have not learned. They repeat the phrasing and I take them at their word, but they are merely uttering things that they do not comprehend. My insulation from the other Hjar’at has allowed this misunderstanding to occur, and a sleeping giant of ignorance and cowardice has grown in the absence of those killed during the Zak’de’ron War. We lost many of our wisest, and I have often felt alone in their absence. Because of this I kept my interactions with the lesser ones limited, and therein I missed the growth of this arrogance.”

  “And now?”

  “They must be purged, one way or another.”

  “We must do it in a way that does not weaken us any further.”

  “I’m afraid that is impossible at this point.”

  “I ask that you do not take the most expedient course, but rather the most strategic.”

  “You fear a bloodbath?” Yaquik asked, turning his eyes from the eggs to Mak’to’ran.

  “I fear the cost of one.”

  “And how did the Era’tran cull your arrogant?”

  “Slowly.”

  “Events are escalating quickly with regards to Terraxis. We do not have the time. That branch of treason could unleash at any moment, and the Hjar’at must purge our heretics in order for us to be united again.”

  “How will you identify them?”

  “The stupidest will come after you, which is why I ask you to remain for quite a while and play bait.”

  “Is that why you brought me here?” Mak’to’ran said, thoroughly displeased. “Hatchlings should not be put at risk.”

  Yaquik’s neck jerked in surprised and anger, but it wasn’t directed at Mak’to’ran. “Do you think they’ve fallen that far?”

  “I expect no honor from them.”

  The Hjar’at’s eyes closed for a long moment, and Mak’to’ran knew he was in a telepathic conversation that he couldn’t eavesdrop on, so he checked in with his escorts who reported no notice of anomalies yet. The facility, or the part he was in, wasn’t seeing any abnormal traffic on the ground or in the air.

  “There is no danger at the moment,” Yaquik finally said, “but we are alerted to the possibility. If the traitors strike us here, they will be executed on the spot. Hatcheries are sacrosanct and will be respected.”

  “Still, I should not linger.”

  “Wrong,” Yaquik said firmly. “Too much is assumed by the younger generations. If the Hjar’at are honorable then it should be tested. Declarations are pointless. If you are here it will provoke a response, one way or another.”

  “The hatchlings should not be put at risk,” he repeated.

  “They won’t be. We can intercept anyone before they get inside.”

  “Unless they are already here.”

  “If such a heresy has come to pass, then it may take the blood of those who have not even drawn breath to purge them.”

  “If it can be avoided by my leaving…”

  “No,” Yaquik said firmly. “We will not live a lie. Either the Hjar’at here are loyal or they are in need of exposing. I do not like putting the hatchlings at risk, but this poison must be drawn out. No exterior threat will make it in here, but if the caretakers are corrupt they must be removed now before they can contaminate the next generation.”

  “What exactly have you discovered?” Mak’to’ran asked, twitching his tail in frustration while making sure he didn’t accidentally hit any of the eggs.

  “A subset of Hjar’at culture that masquerades as truth, but the words used have different meanings for those that do not understand them. It is a type of code that I did not think to look for, because they speak reason but hear madness. I am curious to know how you dealt with the matter.”

  “I was not privy to the actions until after the fact, but personnel movements were heavily used behind the scenes to isolate those tagged before we dealt with them directly.”

  “Were they killed?”

  “Most were not.”

  “Imprisoned?”

  “A few. Many had their ignorance cured.”

&
nbsp; “How?”

  “By showing them the truth…one way or another.”

  “Mental invasions?”

  “Logic placements. Show someone who truly believes an error and they will hunt it down themselves.”

  “I’m afraid that will not work here. There is a defensiveness against ideas that run contrary to their arrogance. That will make it difficult to reason with them, and without Sav they are less likely to grow curious about inconsistencies. If we are to fight this, it will have to be physical.”

  “Why didn’t you kill the Hjar’at earlier?”

  “Defeat was sufficient, and the dominant will not be tricked into killing. Those Hjar’at that attacked you now live with a shame that will not be removed quickly. That will contain them until they can be salvaged. That was your intent, was it not? To salvage as much as possible prior to the collapse of the empire.”

  “It is.”

  “Then remain in this system for an extended period of time to assist me with identifying those that are corrupted.”

  “By playing bait? I’m getting used to it.”

  “Good. Now to the future. What does Hamob plan for the V’kit’no’sat? What is his vision for these hatchlings and those that follow?”

  “A V’kit’no’sat that returns to our mandate. We are to fight and one day defeat the Hadarak.”

  “Very good. It has been far too long since we made a serious effort to do so. Do the Era’tran intend to exceed the front mandate?”

  “No. Races are pulling forces off the front in order to reinforce themselves for the civil war that is looming.”

  A single crackle of energy jumped between two spines as Yaquik’s glare deepened. “Yet more treason. We seem to be steeped in an age of it. If the Hjar’at have withdrawn they have hidden it from me. As far as I know we are still petitioning Itaru for more combat. Even the arrogant amongst us want it, though for the wrong reasons.”

  “What reason do they have?”

  “Rather than being competitive with our fellow V’kit’no’sat they seek to dominate them via diminishment. Gone is the mutual assistance. They want to kill Hadarak to elevate our standing so that we can demand more resources and strategic positioning. At least their courage hasn’t faded too far, though I think many of them are ignorant to what the Hadarak truly are.”

  “Many of the arrogant Era’tran appeared to be those who have not fought on the front.”

  “And therein lies a contradiction. Those that have do not wish to fight here, for it defies their assertions of dominance. They do not want to prove it, merely to claim and receive the benefits of such assumed dominance. Those that do not know the Hadarak believe in their dominance and want to go there because they expect the Hadarak to fall automatically. There is a rift within the arrogant, and I believe it is this rift that has resulted in our stagnant expansion and lack of progress against the Hadarak. The more arrogant that go there and survive come back and join those in stalling the war. With Hjar’at that heresy has not gone deep, for we want battle for battle’s sake and they have not driven that from our culture. It is those in the other races that hold us back.”

  “We can’t launch a rogue attack on the Hadarak or we will weaken ourselves further. The treason of Terraxis already threatens us too much.”

  “Unfortunately I agree, but I think a large campaign against the Hadarak would undermine the arrogant considerably and give these hatchlings the stories they need to properly develop. We must not just talk of actions, but provide them for view. Otherwise they will not learn. They will mimic those who do not, and I believe this has been happening for many generations. I did not see it because it has not spread so far to come to my attention…until now. Hamob is annoyingly wise beyond his years.”

  “Sav has its advantages,” Mak’to’ran pointed out.

  “Indeed it does, which is why I am asking you to stay and help me ferret out the deficiencies here. You may have perspective that I do not, and even if it is flawed it may be helpful.”

  “Then I would remind you of the Zak’de’ron. Attacking them was a breach of honor when they did nothing to warrant it. Not sharing was not sufficient reason to breach our bonds of brotherhood, and when it occurred a crack was formed. In order for us to reform the V’kit’no’sat no crack must remain.”

  “I will not admit to a mistake we did not make. There are plenty that we did, but removing the Zak’de’ron is not one of them.”

  “Refusing to admit you are inferior was the mistake. We should have learned from them rather than demand they give us what they had earned. We did not deserve it. If we had, we would be able to match them at least now given all the time that has passed. Have we proved our equality with them? Have we?” he repeated with a touch of anger in his voice.

  “You know we have not.”

  “Then we destroyed them because they were superior. That was the first lie that bred the arrogant, who cannot have those superior to them around to expose their denied inferiority.”

  “I cannot make you understand knowledge you do not have. The Zak’de’ron were not what you believe them to be.”

  “And you are still ignorant. Do you not see the danger in what I just said?”

  “Explain, Era’tran.”

  “If the same fear is here and now, the fear that those stronger than them are a threat to their arrogance, then what will they do?”

  It took Yaquik a moment to process that, but when the epiphany hit he didn’t bother to mask his horror and the hatchlings outside screeched in response to his telepathic knee jerk emission.

  “Yes, I fear they are that stupid,” Mak’to’ran said, answering what he knew would be his next question. “They will destroy the empire out of paranoia. Every difference between the races will be viewed as a threat to the ‘equality’ that began with the Zak’de’ron War. Rather than earn dominance, they believe it is their birthright. Can you not see how the first fatal flaw has persisted all these millennia?”

  “Perhaps I am making the same mistake again, and others fought the Zak’de’ron for reasons I did not.”

  “And what were your reasons?”

  “The V’kit’no’sat were created for the single purpose of killing Hadarak, and when Hjar’at ships were being destroyed where Zak’de’ron were not and they refused to share their naval technology, it was a betrayal of the bonds forged. They recruited us to fight and kill, not to die, and the promise to all V’kit’no’sat was the same. We would become one and fight as one, but they never did. They used us as cannon fodder when they could have given us everything they had…and if they did the Hadarak might have been destroyed by now.”

  “They didn’t fully trust us.”

  “They asked us to trust them and each other, then they broke that trust. Destroying them weakened us far too much, but we were in the right to do so. They betrayed us, not the other way around.”

  Mak’to’ran shook his large head slowly. “You still cannot see it, you dumb Hjar’at. They were right not to trust us. They gave us so much of what they had. Advanced us to levels we could never have reached on our own. Then we arrogantly demanded more and turned on them when they didn’t deliver. They wanted us to earn the advancements, and would not give them to those who did not deserve them…in addition to protecting themselves by not sharing everything. Their mistake was that they gave us too much. They made us too strong. So when we did turn on them, they didn’t survive. We betrayed them. Had we been worthy, they may very well have given us more technology to fight with over the course of time.”

  “There is no excuse for watching Hjar’at die because we didn’t have the tools needed to fight at their level,” Yaquik argued. “They had them and they didn’t share. And many of us died. Warriors you did not personally know, but I did. They should not have been lost. There is no arguing around that point.”

  “We were not on their level. We still aren’t, even after all this time. They were the dominant, and their mistake was in trusting us too much. And w
e destroyed them for it.”

  “If they had fully committed as they demanded of us, this never would have come to pass.”

  “Did we deserve peerdom if we couldn’t earn it?”

  “Perhaps not,” Yaquik admitted, “but the objective was to kill Hadarak, and they were not as fully committed to that as they demanded of us.”

  “And what have we done since regarding the Hadarak?”

  The Hjar’at didn’t answer, but Mak’to’ran could tell that he had triggered an epiphany in him, though it turned out not to be the one he had intended.

  “We destroyed them, then took their place,” Yaquik said with disgust. “We do less against the Hadarak now than before. We have betrayed our purpose more than the Zak’de’ron ever did, and now we stand on the brink of annihilation.”

  “Which is why the V’kit’no’sat must be reforged, and done so in a way that we are what we were meant to be. No arrogance, no suspicion, no pettiness. We have to become one and fight the Hadarak. Anything less and they will win when we destroy ourselves and they reclaim the galaxy.”

  Yaquik was silent for a long moment, staring at the eggs and then finally returned his gaze to Mak’to’ran.

  “Death before dishonor. I will not let that come to pass for the Hjar’at or the V’kit’no’sat.”

  “Then we have a lot of work to do.”

  “Us more than the Era’tran, it seems. Thank you for coming here.”

  “Thank you for listening.”

  “We may seem slow of mind compared to you, but we are not dumb. We just don’t like to relinquish ground already taken.”

  “Hamob had to instruct me in many things that I did not realize, so do not think me too wise.”

  “Agreed. Now let me teach you something Era’tran are sorely in need of.”

  “And what is that?”

  “Come with me and find out,” Yaquik said as he mentally raised the door and began to walk out of the egg chamber.

  6

  August 9, 3604

  Yat’ri System (Hjar’at Regional Capitol)