Star Force: Ysalamir (Star Force Universe Book 54) Read online

  “How do you intend to transport it, if it is slower than a Hadarak?”

  “I’m not worried about that. The trailblazers will figure that part out. I’m just supposed to give them a weapon that had hurt the Hadarak. And the best way to do that is a single discharge where tactical maneuvering is irrelevant after the first target alignment is made.”

  “I see. Then you anticipate moving to medium rage to fire?”

  “Unavoidable given the arcing nature.”

  “Arcing is unlimited with proper modification.”

  “And more unreliable. Hadarak may appear to be unmoving, but they are not stationary targets.”

  “The larger ones essentially are. I assume you are planning on creating a weapon that can damage them as well?”

  “Yes, but I am not building a weapon just for them. We can do that later as a modification if necessary, but given the size of the galaxy we need flexibility, and building two is better than one when one is sufficient for the smaller ones.”

  “Irrelevant,” Tar’ange declared. “We will assist you with building as many as needed. Resources are not an issue. Crafting an effective weapon against all of the Hadarak is the only concern.”

  “These weapons are going to be bigger than most of the Hadarak,” Tennisonne reminded him. “Moving them around to maintain fire without an ability to keep the Hadarak in place…”

  “…is a challenge. I thought Star Force embraced challenge?”

  “And the challenge before us is to create a single discharge weapon. That’s what you’ve been brought here to help us build.”

  “The only way to deliver a single discharge is to attach a massive object to the Hadarak and let it slowly arc into the surface. That is untenable for a variety of reasons.”

  “Agreed. That’s why we must create a remote discharge strong enough to do the damage in a single blast. We will use as many emitters as necessary in parallel, but it has to be one combined shot.”

  “A conduit must be established for the arcing to occur.”

  “Yes.”

  “That will take time, regardless of the method.”

  “A matter of seconds only.”

  “Using an energy conduit. You will get more range with a physical.”

  “A physical conduit can be avoided. We cannot give them that advantage.”

  “I understand your concerns. Now understand mine,” Tar’ange said, reminding himself of the small brain that he was talking to. “A conduit weapon can only transmit an amount of energy equal to the capacity of the conduit. In order to obtain a blast the size you are wishing, the conduit must be very wide. At which point the impact size also becomes wide. If you want a boring shot, you must use damage over time, or do you wish to burn the armor off a large section of the Hadarak so the fleets can finish it in the conventional fashion?”

  “What I wish a brain shot, if possible. The Hadarak have too much mass to burn through attrition. It must be a coring shot.”

  “You will not obtain one of sufficient size for the larger Hadarak using the methods you seek. Perhaps for the smaller ones. Which is of greater importance?”

  “Both are.”

  “Then we need to build multiple weapons. Which do you wish first?”

  “There are more smaller Hadarak than larger. Can you help me get a single discharge weapon operational for them?”

  “Possibly, if we only focus on tier 1 Hadarak. But to make it effective it must be able to attack them directly through their minions. If not, then the Harthur accomplish the same task at slower speed. How long of a discharge do you intend?”

  “No greater than 16 seconds. Even that will allow the Hadarak to spin out of alignment if it reacts quickly.”

  “Have you considered breaking the surface with a single discharge, then flying an object into the wound?”

  “What would that accomplish? We have no explosive that won’t compress the Yeg’gor and inner tissue further. Spreading the molecular pattern is our only effective weapon.”

  “Arcing weapons do not have to travel in straight lines,” Tar’ange pointed out…and for the first time he saw inspiration hit the Mastertech’s eyes.

  “That might work if the Hadarak couldn’t remove it,” he hedged. “We’d have to create a latching mechanism or their grapple fields could expel it. If not deep enough they could even reach a tentacle over and fuse itself to the object.”

  “Fuse? How?”

  “One of our Uriti pulled a piece of a dead Hadarak tentacle out of another Uriti. It touched the tentacle and bonded to it before pulling. I believe they can do that to any object given enough time.”

  “Then we need an initial breaching discharge, create a cavity, then fly an object into the wound that will attach and shield itself from removal while acting as a physical beacon for the weapon arcs. Even if the Hadarak rotates within reason the arc will hit and be channeled deeper into the Hadarak. Which is preferable than a distant discharge where accuracy is concerned,” Tar’ange noted.

  “But it involves more variables. We will look into it, and any other possibilities your people can come up with, but can you assist me with the single discharge? Even if it’s only against a tier 1? You worked out how to get the range and intensity out of a Tar’vem’jic. Help me with this now.”

  “As long as we are pursuing all options, we can begin where you wish, Mastertech.”

  “Then we will begin with capacitors. I am having trouble designing sufficiently large ones because the energy matrixes require different components depending on target properties.”

  “Are the Hadarak of different composition?”

  “Enough to vary damage by 14%, yes.”

  “And you can tune the weapon to adjust to each composition?”

  “The Uriti can. We’re still working on that. Right now our sensor technology is lacking, but we’re working on an upgrade.”

  “How do the Uriti identify the composition?”

  “They ‘feel’ it, and that’s the best explanation I have been able to get.”

  “I see. Their vocabulary is limited?”

  “No. Apparently ours is. Their thought processes are so large distilling them down into words is like taking a hologram and making it two dimensional. Actually the Archons who work with them say it’s worse. They have spent thousands of years learning to think like a Uriti and have only obtained very limited success.”

  “Brain mass matters a great deal. I admit I am surprised you have accomplished as much as you have.”

  “I’ve been told that before, Tar’ange,” Tennisonne said with a hint of resentment. “I have found that curiosity and inspiration are separate from brain mass. Brain mass allows for workload, and mine has been augmented with Sav. I assume yours is still superior to mine, but I’ll put my inspiration up against anyone else’s…but different people find different things, and we need to pool our resources. Even a single useful bit of inspiration by another is worth far more to me than the thousands of things I’ve come up with…simply because it is something I did not find. This isn’t a contest as to who is smarter. This is about finding all the Easter Eggs we can as a group.”

  “What eggs do you refer to?”

  “Sorry. It’s a metaphor for finding treasure. I forget sometimes that egg layers have different sentiments.”

  “Yes, we do. Eggs are people, not possessions, though I still take your meaning. We each have our proclivities, and where they do not overlap we gain more coverage as a unit than we can individually. What is your production capacity here?”

  “As much as I want. If we need more, I have been told it will be expanded as necessary. I have priority over all materials within our empire.”

  “And you will have it from ours as well. This project carries with it the legacy of the V’kit’no’sat, and we shall make sure it is a success, regardless of the cost.”

  “We are not testing the weapons on the Uriti, or harming them in any way,” Tennisonne said firmly.

  �
�That was not my meaning. They are your reserve defense force, and you are wise to keep them intact and loyal.”

  “Experimentation by torture or killing is bad science, and unfitting our profession.”

  “But useful in finding answers,” Tar’ange countered. “You limit yourself with such concerns…though I admit your methods have gained you the alliance with the Uriti that the Zak’de’ron could not, so I will not argue with you about methods. We will follow yours here, and if there is something being lost I will bring it to your attention, but the final decision will be yours.”

  “While you conduct parallel research coreward of here?”

  “No. We are not transmitting back for security concerns. Our full focus is here. On that you have my promise.”

  Tennisonne nodded, then Tar’ange felt another mind appear nearby, but he could not see him.

  “Then there is something I need to reveal to you and the others, at least as many as you deem trustworthy. Nefron?”

  The black creature walked out from behind a cloaking field, revealing its ghastly black form with green eyes looking up at the Pas’cha as he walked towards the pair.

  “Who are you?” Tar’ange asked.

  “He is our secret weapon,” Tennisonne said, having been given this authority by Davis to reveal what he needed. “He is Chixzon.”

  Tar’ange blinked, but did not otherwise seem concerned. “They are working with us to develop the weapon?”

  “No, they won’t,” Nefron said with a sneer. “They’re happy to watch us die to the Hadarak while they hide and survive.”

  “He’s not one of them, or rather, his transformation wasn’t complete.”

  “Close enough,” Nefron clarified. “I’m Star Force, but I have most of the Chixzon’s genetic legacy within me. That’s the only reason I maintain this form, ugly as it is.”

  “He has information on the Uriti and Hadarak that have been very useful over the years…”

  “And others would want to acquire him to obtain control of the Uriti,” Tar’ange said, understanding. “You were wise to keep him hidden. But what of the other Chixzon? I am told there are a great many of them in hiding.”

  “We have never had direct contact with them,” Nefron answered. “But they’re out there. Trust me on that. And they’re not being idle. They may try to interfere with this project, to either steal or destroy it, as may a long list of others.”

  “To what end? All of us are in jeopardy if the Hadarak cannot be stopped.”

  “Not all,” Tennisonne added. “We have a lot to discuss of the galaxy, but there are races, extremely advanced races, that hide in the shadows. Races that are more powerful than Star Force or the V’kit’no’sat in some ways. They are not happy that we have unleashed this galactic purge, and they wish us to die so the Hadarak may go back to their normal state. It is possible that if we develop a feasible weapon, they may try to destroy it or steal it.”

  “Or sabotage its construction,” Nefron added. “We are not safe here.”

  “I understand, though I did not think any in the galaxy could stand against Star Force or the V’kit’no’sat. Who are these more powerful races?”

  “We don’t know yet, but the Knights of Quenar know. They have been included in their community, and were used to send us a message saying they hold us responsible. And by us, they mean both our empires.”

  “What do they intend to do?”

  “I don’t know,” Nefron said, glancing at Tennisonne. “I just know that we’re not safe here, but we can’t avoid this project. We have to succeed, for the galaxy’s sake, but if we do we could be making some more enemies. I suspect they do not wish for peers, and they have indicated that they cannot destroy the Hadarak.”

  Tar’ange huffed. “Then they are not superior. If they challenge us, they will be taught what superiority truly is.”

  Tennisonne sighed. “I wish that were true, but they have access to Essence skills far beyond what Star Force has. Did you review that portion of the Hadarak intel?”

  “I did. They hunt those who display even the smallest amount of use, and they pursue it mindlessly.”

  “These advanced races hide from them, citing that they cannot be defeated and that previous attempts have resulted in more selective purges against Essence users. That is why they hide and let the Hadarak keep the Core of the galaxy. Now we have drawn them out.”

  “Have we?” Tar’ange questioned. “I still see no impetus for this purge. None that we have caused, at least.”

  “Nor do we,” Nefron answered. “But these nameless races do not care, and Essence can do far more damage than you can imagine.”

  “I would be interested in hearing more about that, though I assume it has nothing to do with our weapon research.”

  “No, it does not.”

  “Then we will save that discussion for tangential research. Right now we need to develop at least one of the weapon designs, even if it is only useful against tier 1 Hadarak. Our fleets badly need an advantage. We do not have the luxury of time that others assume. If even a quarter of this galaxy is taken, the rest will undoubtedly fall. We must turn them back now, or they will grow exponentially stronger.”

  “I know,” Tennisonne grumbled. “That’s why I reluctantly called for your assistance.”

  “I am glad you did. We will be of assistance, I can assure you of that. And it does not matter to us who possesses the weapons so long as they are used to kill Hadarak. A cooperative venture is the logical choice. Your lack of ego in this matter is fortunate. And you, Chixzon. What is your motivation here?”

  “I was born Star Force and remain Star Force. But if you’re asking about the others, they care only about themselves and how each situation may be useful to them. Ally with them at your peril, for they will ultimately betray you when applicable.”

  “And you will not?”

  “Once I would have, and did, but the Archons saved me from myself and helped me override the genetic programming. Now I use the Chixzon knowledge to help Star Force, and to one day hopefully exterminate the Chixzon. When that happens I will abandon this form and return to normal. But not before.”

  “What is your normal form?”

  “I am Protovic. And all Protovic are protoforms of Chixzon, spread across the galaxy so they could one day return.”

  “Are they?” Tar’ange asked, his mind racing with permutations and repercussions of that new datapoint.

  “They have been sterilized of that function,” Nefron assured him. “But not before some others elsewhere in the galaxy underwent the transformation after certain parameters were met. If we grow weak enough in our fight against the Hadarak, don’t be surprised if they take the opportunity to eliminate us. They are tricky and deceitful. I remain Chixzon to counter them and protect Star Force.”

  “A worthy burden to bear,” Tar’ange acknowledged. “Thank you for sharing your secret with me. It is one I shall keep well hidden, and the others shall as well. Do you have additional information on the Uriti weapon that inspired this project?”

  “I do.”

  “Then I wish to hear it. All of it. And everything else I do not know about the Uriti and the Hadarak. I can help develop the technology best if I know the biological enemy we face inside and out, and we have limited information from dead Hadarak to work from. Seeing the Uriti from their creators’ perspective is much needed.”

  “That’s another reason I brought him here,” Tennisonne noted. “I want him to have a discussion with you, and I will listen. Hopefully you’ll pick up on something I missed, but regardless I want us on the same page. I’m regarding you as project leader for the V’kit’no’sat contingent, and I want you to have as much information as me so I don’t have to waste my time explaining things the rest of us already know.”

  “Very well,” Tar’ange agreed, looking to Nefron. “Begin with how the Hadarak was captured and forced to spawn, and everything that follows…”

  7

  A
pril 3, 128500

  Epsilon Eridani System (Home One Kingdom)

  Corneria

  Tar’ange had been working on multiple projects for nearly two years, and so far the only results had come from two other V’kit’no’sat scientists. A Lir’nen named Vo’chu had figured out a way to remix the weapon output to increase range without physical relays by 12%, while a Voro’nam named Hach’en had worked with a Star Force team to get a new capacitor prototype built and tested, and they were already working on a second better prototype trying to get the output levels that Tennisonne demanded.

  The Mastertech was still insistent on a single discharge weapon, while Tar’ange was more convinced than ever that they had to use a damage over time delivery system, though he was helping on both projects and others. Everyone was, giving input and reviewing data on everything while pursuing the project that they personally favored.

  And for all the V’kit’no’sat here there were five times that many Star Force scientists, many of which were from races he didn’t even know existed. But among them was one irregularity, for he wasn’t quite a scientist, but rather a unique intelligence from an extinct race that Star Force had offered to rebuild, but the sole survivor had refused. His name was Kirritimin, and he was so small that Tar’ange had to be careful not to step on the beetle-like individual who had been a prisoner of the Li’vorkrachnika before Star Force defeated them. He had been the genetic blueprint for the masterminds that had led the Li’vorkrachnika conquest of a small portion of the rim, and had helped them accomplish more than they truly deserved. He had been left to die the slow death of stagnation after failing to defeat Star Force, only to have Star Force find and rescue him.

  Now he was helping Tar’ange, but not with the science involved. Kirritimin was a rare find. A genius born within an inferior race, and one gifted with strategic insight beyond what most V’kit’no’sat possessed, and he was adamant on finding a way to fight the Hadarak. Tar’ange had actually come to like him, and the two of them had been working together exclusively ever since meeting a little over a year ago.