Star Force: Galactic Empire Revealed (Star Force Universe Book 63) Read online

  It served his former race right. They had created the V’kit’no’sat long ago, while he watched from afar with a sigh. Once Dogorath had left the galaxy to his care, Eldorat had reached out to his own race, despite his misgivings, and explained the true threat of the Hadarak and how they were wasting their time confronting them. Back then the Hadarak scouts had pushed out towards the Rim and randomly raided systems, far from where the V’kit’no’sat had bottled them up in the Core, and there was a measure of success in that, but the ultimate victory could only be achieved with a coordinated effort.

  Sadly his own race had not bought that lie, distrustful of everything as usual, but they would also not bow to his leadership because of what he was. He did not care to inform them of more than they needed, merely making a few feelers to determine if they were useful. That was his last act of allegiance to his former race, and since they had spurned even that outreach he had disappeared from their view to become nothing more than a myth to those few who had not personally seen him.

  Then the V’kit’no’sat had been created, with the explicit purpose being to fight and one day destroy the Hadarak, almost as if in spite of his warnings. He some please in seeing them fight so hard for so few victories, but it had allowed them to build a large empire free of the Hadarak everywhere except the border where they fought. They put up too little resistance for the Hadarak to care, so they never reinforced their scouts. The pushing back of the lines made it seem like the Zak’de’ron had been correct, but once they hit a certain point and could go no further the V’kit’no’sat stopped trying and simply held the line.

  Eldorat had paid them no more attention after that, but now that this galactic purge had begun he’d discovered they now held a real weapon against the Hadarak, and their entire civilization had been dedicated to fighting them. Even more ironic was the fact that they’d betrayed and all but destroyed the Zak’de’ron when they’d learned they’d not been treated as well as they felt they should. He almost wished they’d finished the job, but the Zak’de’ron were too cagy for that and had found some way to survive and rebuild in secret.

  But then they’d outted themselves in order to form a triad with the two halves of this empire. Perhaps they finally realized that Eldorat had been right and they were in a fight they had no chance of winning. Teaming with others as peers was not their way, but right now they were and they were the junior member of the partnership, for they had no weapons to defeat the Heidoor with other than massive amounts of fleet sacrifice.

  That tactic would not win against the Hadarak, for they had perfected that tactic long before the Zak’de’ron race came to exist after a previous purge had left a swath of the galaxy lifeless. His Master had said he’d been here when the first new races started to pop into existence on those devastated worlds, though he could never see it occur. One day there would be nothing, then the next a few small lifeforms would arrive. Then more years later…then some more, all scaling up to the larger ones, including the Zak’de’ron. Then when a scattering of population density was returned, the mysterious seeds of life stopped arriving and natural expansion and adaptation was allowed to occur.

  So the Hadarak could not permanently defeat this galaxy. After every purge life would regrow, and the key to defeating them was to preserve the jewels created in each cycle, and the V’kit’no’sat were the biggest jewel he had ever discovered. The Essence-wielding races were another matter entirely, and the Temples had been built for them. Eldorat’s mission lay with the others who found a way to fight back through technology or strategy.

  One race he had collected could not penetrate Hadarak armor, but they were so smart and coordinated that they could still kill the Hadarak and their minions with incredible efficiency. Eldorat was forbidden from giving them technology that he possessed, but once they were introduced to others who had fashioned improvements, they were allowed to incorporate that technology, which meant every advancement he could bring into his hidden collection of races made them that much more powerful.

  The V’kit’no’sat were not the strongest per unit, but they were the strongest by overall measure. He needed them, and he was prepared to be as patient as necessary, but he was sensing the tide shift in his favor against the stubbornness of the determined loyalists. However, more than their own wisdom, they trusted their leader Mak’to’ran, and he was admittedly not entertaining the idea of running from this fight to live another day.

  So their discussions had ranged from one method of battle to another, with Mak’to’ran searching for some way to preserve their territory, or at least part of it, but Eldorat calmly explained in exquisite detail how everything he mentioned had been tried before, showing the V’kit’no’sat examples from his large catalog of information, some of which he hadn’t originally showed them. Mak’to’ran’s questions were on point, for the Era’tran’s mind was a sound one, though he could not find him on the planet below.

  He had been searching, both the comm signals and the accessible minds trying to figure out where he was, but their leader was hid well. Eldorat could not move closer to the planet without violating the placement orders he’d received upon arrival, and he did not want to threaten the planet…though maybe they didn’t realize that he could. His abilities were a mystery to them, though the ability to destroy a planet destroyer made many of them wary, and even now all the planetary defense weaponry was targeting him with a myriad of sensor beams ready to defend themselves the moment he proved hostile.

  He was a Zak’de’ron, after all. That was something that was first and foremost in the minds of the people below, but as the days went on and more information was revealed, they stopped thinking of him as such. Now he was the wise one. The ancient one. And the one who had come to them and not the Zak’de’ron. He got some good will from that point alone, but every time he started to sway them Mak’to’ran would pull them back into line. His leadership had saved their empire from self-destruction in the past, and brought them their Legion technology that had turned a hopelessly bloody, endless war into a modicum of hope now that large fleets did not have to be sacrificed to whittle down and slowly kill the Hadarak Heidoor.

  Mak’to’ran was becoming a problem, but he needed to access his mind to figure out for sure how much. To do that he had to find him, and with his limited telepathy reaching the planet he had to work slowly, going from a few people at a time to others, sampling their recent memories and digging out a few deeper ones when he focused. The Essence drain wasn’t massive to do so, but every bit of distance he added scaled the amount needed.

  He would not say so, but his killing of the pair of Hadarak earlier had taken more than half of his reserves. It had replenished by the time he arrived here, but as impressive as the feat had been, it was not something he could repeat without getting refueled by the Vargemma or other less efficient means. His kills had been quick to show off his power to the V’kit’no’sat, so he hadn’t been able to drain any Essence from the Hadarak during their deaths. That took time, and was excruciating for the target as it was held in limbo, unable to die for a time, as he siphoned off as much Essence as he could. Fortunately mercy for the Hadarak was not something in the V’kit’no’sat playbook, so even if they learned of his ability to do so they wouldn’t object as some others had.

  If the V’kit’no’sat truly knew what he was capable of it would scare them into a stupor, which was why Eldorat was careful to show them what they needed to know and keep the rest a secret.

  There…he just felt his first lead as he scanned the planet. One of the V’kit’no’sat had passed by Mak’to’ran several months ago, and felt extremely honored by the chance encounter, enough to keep telling others about it so it was fresh in his mind. Eldorat isolated that mind and focused on it, surging a bit more Essence so he could dig deeper, finding the exact location of the passing interaction, which would then give him a starting point in his search for the Era’tran’s hidden lair…

  “You felt what exactly?” Mak
’to’ran asked Anders after she contacted him on sudden notice.

  “A change in him. Not much, but he started to glow with Essence ever so slightly, then it stopped. I don’t want to get any closer to him, and my ability to sense such things diminishes with distance, but he was doing something a moment ago. Enough for me to pick up the expenditure.”

  “When you use your Essence-psionics, everyone else can see them?”

  “You could put it that way, yes. It creates a disturbance around you, what we call an Essence rush. The Essence in your body right now isn’t moving, it’s fixed in place as it should be. When we learn how to pry it loose we can do stuff with it, and that disturbance causes some to be lost to the environment, hence the glow that others can see if you have the ability to see it.”

  “What could he be doing that we wouldn’t detect?”

  “Possibly something I don’t know about. But any psionic can be enhanced with Essence.”

  “You think he is trying to sabotage our ships?”

  “I don’t think he has a reason to do so, and the surface weaponry is greater than anything in orbit. I don’t know what he is doing, but he is not just sitting there taking questions or training. We don’t waste Essence unless there is a specific reason to use it.”

  “Perhaps he is probing to see if any of us can detect it?”

  “Possibly. Don’t let him know I know.”

  “Is he still active?”

  “Not now. It lasted a few minutes then ended, as far as I can see. He could still be using smaller amounts that I can’t detect, but that was the first spike to a level I could notice.”

  “If you do not use yours, can he detect you?”

  “The machines in the Temples can approximately measure the Essence strength of individuals without them using it, so I would assume he can as well. I’m small, so at this range I don’t think I’d show up, but if he got curious and I was closer, he might find out.”

  “Then stay where you are. Thank you for the warning.”

  “For what little good it does…” the Archon said in half apology, then her hologram disappeared.

  “What is he doing?” another Era’tran asked Mak’to’ran as several who had overheard now looked worried.

  “He is a Zak’de’ron. Need you inquire further?”

  “How can we fight what we cannot see?”

  “We cannot. We are vulnerable to him and he knows it. But he is sitting at the heart of our empire and is not safe himself. He is far smaller than a Hadarak, and cannot take nearly as much damage. Only his shields would protect him, and technological or Essence, they both have energy limits. Attacking us would be suicide for him, so he must be attempting something else.”

  “What if there are more than one of him, and he is attempting to lower our defenses prior to an invasion?”

  “If there are more like him then we have already lost,” Mak’to’ran said gravely. “Monitor everything we have the ability to. If he interacts with something, we will be able to see the result.”

  “And if he is using his Essence to search minds beyond the fleet?”

  “Have we any reports of interference?”

  “None as of yet, but if he is…”

  “We cannot shield the entire planet,” Mak’to’ran reminded him. “Only the key populations. If he is reading minds then that would be preferable.”

  “Preferable to what?”

  “Something more catastrophic…”

  8

  December 31, 128558

  Itaru System (V’kit’no’sat Capitol)

  Wendigama

  “What did your masters use to build the Temples?” Mak’to’ran asked.

  “This galaxy has many resources, some which you are not yet aware of. They were collected over time for the construction.”

  “And the Hadarak were unaware of this happening?”

  “They were constructed quietly so they would not know. Failure to do so in other galaxies saw an immediate reaction and the eventual destruction of a handful of Temples. Their secrecy and location are their primary defenses, but if a scout comes to them the Vargemma will be able to silence the breach before it can be reported.”

  “In order to get that much material, you had to deconstruct multiple planets, correct?”

  “You say that as if it were difficult.”

  “Missing planets are obvious to those with charts of the galaxy.”

  “Only if they are completely removed, rather than in part. My Master and his people are clever builders, and they took care in all elements of their construction and design. Their tracks were covered. If they were not, the Hadarak would have discovered them, and to date that has not happened. They are all currently intact.”

  “How do you know that without periodically checking?”

  “I would be alerted if there was a security breach.”

  “Were you when our Rimward half invaded?”

  “Only a true breach could be accomplished by the Hadarak. Everything else is simply a temporary security matter that is handled locally.”

  “Have you met anyone beyond your Master?”

  “Of the Veloqueen? No. After constructing the Temples here they moved on. They have no plans to inhabit this galaxy, only to provide for the protection and growth of resistance forces.”

  “How many galaxies do the Veloqueen control?”

  “Is not one a magnificent achievement?”

  “The Hadarak apparently do not think so.”

  “The Hadarak are like a bacteria, spreading mindlessly and consuming all in their reach. Annexing other galaxies would not be beneficial to the Veloqueen, for they could not colonize them fast enough to hold them. It is for the natives in the neighboring galaxies to grow strong enough to defend themselves, and the Veloqueen are providing tools to help you do so, when you are ready. Now is not that time. You must survive first, then pursue victory later.”

  “As I have said many times, our empire was built to fight the Hadarak, not to run from them. Show me some strategy, some tactic that is useful beyond us taking your word that we cannot win and forfeiting the empire that we have labored long to build and defend against many enemies beyond just the Hadarak.”

  “It is not an easy choice to make for any of you, but those who have not agreed to my counsel have all been destroyed by the Hadarak. I do not wish you to be the next in that long, disappointing line. They fought and accomplished nothing, for the Hadarak easily regrow what they lose. Their losses are not permanent. And the damage done in the past is long since erased. Nothing was accomplished by their defiance. You must seek to accomplish something lasting rather than go down in a heroic, yet useless last stand.”

  “Perhaps we will go down, but it will not be useless. The larger Hadarak are not easily or quickly regrown. Their loss hurts the Hadarak, and can be exploited if the pressure is kept on them. Why not call out the Vargemma and your other races to fight now, before the galaxy is murdered while you watch?”

  “Life is transient for the masses. They will die and be replaced in time. Those that endure shape the future, and as you stand now you will not endure, but I will, and the next empire who rises to an appreciable level will be faced with the same choice you have now. I have shown you many that have fallen. Why will you not learn from your mistakes?”

  “You have shown us many that did not have a long history battling the Hadarak. We do. We know them as a perpetual foe, not a mysterious, distant threat. We long ago lost our fear of them, and of death, so too we hold the line to protect the galaxy. And continue to do so we shall.”

  “Futilely. Even now you cannot stop their advance, only slow it. Or am I wrong in my assessment of your current successes?”

  “Half our forces are distracted dealing with your Vargemma. When they finish with those traitors and return, the war will take a decidedly different turn. Perhaps you should try the Zak’de’ron once more. They may be desperate enough now to listen to you, for they are taking far more losses than us
.”

  “I hear they already have a knack for survival,” Eldorat countered with just enough sting to not be a forthright insult, “but survival is useless unless you have the skills to damage the Hadarak. They do not in any meaningful way, so I will not take my time to preserve them. If they live, they live. If they die, they die. I hold no attachment to them. If I did I would not be here attempting to save you. I am sure they would happily watch you die while they lived on, but I care not for their war with you other than the fact you had them all but destroyed, yet you allowed some to slip away and regrow in secret. I can do better than that, if that’s what you wish.”

  “Explain that. We have no wish for a useless war with the Zak’de’ron now.”

  “If you choose to stay and die, why not finish with them before the Hadarak finish you? I have seen this suicidal stupidity before. You wish to revisit old fights as you are unable to do anything against the Hadarak that will matter over the course of time. Even now you are holding your empire to the task while they wish to pursue lesser matters. They see no hope, yet you drive them on. I am here to give you hope, though at a cost. I cannot lesson it. You cannot hide an empire of your size from the Hadarak, but I can help you save enough of it through this purge so that it may regrow even larger afterwards. Then, if the Hadarak are not foolishly provoked again, you can build with anonymity towards the day we finally, and effectively strike back at them.”

  “So you are saying the Vargemma are right to have attacked us to prevent the Hadarak from taking more damage?”

  “They tried to save you from the mistake that is going to doom your empire without my help.”

  “They did not even offer a warning before they attacked. Can you not see the dishonor in that?”

  “What I see is the long track of time I have been on, and my Masters have lived even longer. If you do not set yourself to their timetable, you will be swept away by a war larger than you can conceive. Your only hope is to make yourself so visibly small that you are overlooked, and with a galaxy-wide purge occurring this time, only one very skilled in hiding will be able to avoid their hordes, for they are extremely thorough.”