Star Force: Excalibur (Star Force Universe Book 41) Read online

“You’re really worried that we’re gonna get ticked and betray you to the V’kit’no’sat?”

  “I am not, but I understand the temptation to do so. You are right to be angry, but you do not know the Rit’ko’sor as we do. You are on the right path with them, which is fortunate, but employing your methods on them is going to result in an unforeseen result. They have been our responsibility, but I am comfortable relinquishing them to yours. I could not be so without seeing them and your civilization through your memories.”

  “You haven’t answered how you know so much about us?”

  “There is no need to steal what is freely given, and knowledge of Star Force is shared openly within your empire. We simply listened.”

  “If we play every advantage correctly, what do you think our odds of survival truly are?”

  “Small, if you flee to the Rim. None if you try to stay where you are…as of today. What your odds will be at the end of the truce depends on how you advance in the interim. If you excel in this, you can provide a challenge to the V’kit’no’sat that they may not rise to meet. If we still led them, you would not have a chance. Mak’to’ran, however, is not our equal.”

  “And what of his offer?”

  “If you wish to live in submission, I would advise you to take the offer. Fortunately you are like us, and will not tolerate a master. In that, at least, you are our equal, and we wish you all fortune,” the Zak’de’ron said, pulling his head back up to his full height and raising his front left paw off the ground. A bump on one of the rings he wore detached, floating up into the air between him and Kara as the silver material transformed into what also looked like a relic from the distant past.

  “Give this to your Master,” Tew’chor said as he spun around and unceremoniously walked back into his ship.

  Kara telekinetically grabbed the sword and pulled it to her as the ramp melted and reformed into the Shri’kori’s hull. It was a long sword, sharp edged and something Star Force would never use, but it did look like something out of mythology. When she grabbed the hilt nothing happened, nor did her attempts to mentally interface with it succeed. All it appeared to be was a sword, but Kara highly doubted that.

  She didn’t bother to ask what it was, for it was clear that it was meant to be a mystery as the Zak’de’ron ship cloaked again then disappeared out of the hangar as the slight ripple was evident in the atmospheric shield.

  Kara swung the sword around a few times, getting a feel for its weight, then tapped it into the deck plates. It dented them slightly, but the cutting edge remained unblemished.

  “Good workmanship,” she said, making sure not to poke her bare feet with it as she carved a scratch in the hard floor. Again, the tip of the sword didn’t dull at all.

  “Maybe you are a weapon,” she said, holding it up and looking at it with her Pefbar…that failed to penetrate. “Shielded too. Hope you’re not a bomb.”

  “Serve me right if it was,” she muttered, reversing her grip on the sword and carrying it point backwards as she walked to the nearest hangar exit. Kara was going to have it scanned every which way possible, but she had a feeling that nothing would come of it, much like her own Vorch’nas.

  Kara paused, remembering the upgrade, and mentally triggered it. The red armor flowed over her body like normal, but rather than the smooth, flat scales that she had grown accustomed to, this version had spikes coming off it that looked much more like the Zak’de’ron’s own scales…and would make anyone hitting her regret the impact.

  “Thornmail then,” she said neutrally as she moved around, expecting the spikes to get in the way but was pleasantly surprised as they melted to avoid hitting each other, keeping her full mobility intact.

  “Thornmail,” Kara repeated, this time more enthusiastically. “Alright, I’m down with it,” she said, holding the sword up and feeling that it really didn’t fit with the armor at all, especially considering the enhanced Dre’mo’dons she now had in each arm…much bulkier than before with a power increase to match.

  “Now what the hell is Davis supposed to do with this?”

  7

  July 3, 4852

  Meinto System (Zadjen Region)

  Treneis

  Kara walked up the wide staircase that led to Davis’s office, passing by the mix of Human and Protovic staff below as she climbed to what was now the main ‘deck’ due to the fact that it had been designed to accommodate the large Meintre that this newly colonized planet was beginning to fill up with.

  She passed through an audio shield as she climbed, allowing the large area above some privacy despite the openness of the design, and the Archon immediately began to overhear an ongoing conversation between Davis, Duke Burren, and three other people, none of which she recognized. Davis glanced her direction with mild surprise on his face, but he quickly picked up on her stern look as she noticed his harden.

  “Clear the room,” Kara said, looking at the four other Humans. “Now.”

  Her tone offered no room to argue, and the Duke rose from his chair with the others following suit. Kara held her standing position at the top of the stairs until they all filed out by her and down beneath the audio shield, then she simply looked across the wide room to Davis and began to walk towards him with a distressed look on her face that she’d hidden from the others.

  “I screwed up,” she said bluntly. “I screwed up so bad.”

  “What happened?” Davis asked, standing up and coming out to meet her halfway as she pulled her left sleeve up. His eyes narrowed as he saw her Vorch’nas…which was now much bigger than before. He didn’t know what to make of that at first, wondering if she’d done something to it herself, then he caught on. “The Zak’de’ron contacted you?”

  “Yeah, they did. I’m sorry, I didn’t know they could do it, but they were able to bypass by Ikrid block through my Vorch’nas. Apparently there is an override that prevents that, and I never knew it existed. They showed it to me right after they downloaded all my memories. They know everything I know now.”

  Davis raised an eyebrow, for this wasn’t adding up for him.

  “Why is your Vorch’nas larger?”

  “They gave me an upgrade, along with information on the Rit’ko’sor and blueprints for a jumpline sensor that even the V’kit’no’sat don’t possess…but they got everything, Davis. All our secrets. Shangri-La, Nefron, the Zeeross, our codes and procedures. Everything I knew they now know. They just downloaded it out of my mind.”

  “Are you still compromised?”

  “I don’t know. I can operate the block now, but that’s assuming they were telling me the truth and don’t have some other way to do the same thing. I’m tempted to have this thing removed, but the damage is already done.”

  “What’s with the sword?” he asked, noticing the sheath on her back with a strap that ran across her chest.

  “You’re free to punch me in the face if you like,” she said, telekinetically reaching back and pulling it out over her head.

  “Would that help?”

  “I deserve it.”

  “Maybe I do for giving you information in the first place,” he said, seeing the long sword float down into Kara’s hand.

  “This is on me, Davis. No one else. Right before he left he gave me this and said I was to give it to my Master. I’ve had it scanned, but it’s resistant. It’s a very strong sword, but other than that I can’t find a purpose for it.”

  “The same Dragon you met before?”

  “No, but this one was just as big. His name is Tew’chor, the one I met is called Zeno’dor. Tew’chor says he wasn’t one of the eggs I found, but was a Les’i’kron the Zak’de’ron rescued and transformed. He says something about the V’kit’no’sat alteration failed on him and he was partially freed from their brain box rework. He was gold, and that coloration is reserved for great merit, triggered internally, not granted by decision. He was gold before he was transformed, so he had a big fight on his hands internally fighting off whatever they did to ne
uter them.”

  “Sounds like you’ve had quite a trip,” Davis said, taking the sword in both hands and slicing his finger on the blade.

  “It’s sharp,” Kara warned.

  “So it is…but I get the feeling this wasn’t meant for me. What Clan are you?”

  “Ghostblade,” Kara answered, frowning.

  “Ghostblade doesn’t exist. What Clan are you?”

  Kara’s eyes widened. “I’m such a dumbass. They meant Paul.”

  “Clan Saber leader with a flagship named Excalibur,” Davis said, holding the sword only by the hilt and raising it straight up. “I’d say that’s a safe bet.”

  “Hit me, please, it’d make me feel better.”

  Davis smiled. “I’m not mad at you Kara, so let it go.”

  “This is no small breach.”

  “The Dragons have more to lose than we do if we reveal them to the V’kit’no’sat, and we’re an enemy of their enemy. I don’t think they’ll try to hobble us. That said, I don’t like them knowing everything you know, and Nefron’s security will have to be altered, but I always assumed they knew a great deal more about us than anyone thought. I doubt our computer systems are completely immune to their technological hacking.”

  “They said our relay network is,” Kara offered. “They could be lying, but I get the feeling they’re not.”

  “Really?”

  “Well, they said they’d need to make physical contact to break in and they hadn’t tried that. They couldn’t break our transmission codes.”

  “Assuming their honesty, that is a good sign, because I don’t think the V’kit’no’sat can do what they cannot.”

  “The Viks can make physical contact.”

  “Point, but we have their playbook, for the most part. The Dragons are another matter entirely. What did they give you?”

  “Level 2 Vorch’nas. More power, more defense, and thornmail,” she said, triggering it and covering her body in the telltale spikes.

  “Isn’t that hard to move in?”

  “No. They melt,” she said, doing a backbend so he could see how the material moved whenever it risked contacting itself.

  “Impressive,” he said as she stood back up and retracted the armor back down into her now forearm-covering jewel.

  “But not worth it.”

  “Why did they tell you they’d downloaded your memories?”

  “They don’t want us pissed off at them and running to the V’kit’no’sat. That’s why they gave us what they’re calling a ‘Dragon’s Tooth’ technology.”

  “They called it that?”

  “Yeah. They know a lot about our history and mythology, and I don’t think he fashioned that sword after mind raping me.”

  “Was it painful?”

  “Not what I meant. I didn’t even know it was happening.”

  “But if he told you the truth…just one Dragon?”

  “Yeah, just the one. No little sidekicks like Paul met with.”

  “If what he told you is true, then he can’t access your memories so long as you have the switch flipped?”

  “I’ve been digging into it heavily, and from what I can tell it’s an extremely close ranged transmission. Probably less than 300 meters. They can send a signal to me from afar, but to pull information out it has to be in proximity. If I don’t meet with them again I should be safe, but there’s no way to be sure. Do you want me to get rid of it?”

  “Can you do that safely?”

  “If I have to, I can cut my arm off and regrow it.”

  “As you said, the damage is done. We can rework our codes easy enough…”

  “But Nefron…”

  “Is a problem if they’re as obsessed with the Hadarak as the V’kit’no’sat are.”

  “We had a long talk about that and a lot of other things. He was far more loose with information than I expected.”

  “How so?”

  “I think they want to be allies, but they can’t be because of their need for secrecy. I’ve got a lot to tell you, and the Dragon’s Tooth is supposed to be able to detect all cloaked vessels during their deceleration jump. Even the Zak’de’ron’s.”

  “And they just gave it to you?”

  “With an apology for the memory download. They said it was necessary to make sure we didn’t do something stupid with the Rit’ko’sor. Apparently we check out, because they’ve given us their blessing to do with them what we want. I’ve got their full database on the Rit’ko’sor in my mind now, including detailed information on how they genetically upgraded their race and what they expected them to become in the future. They haven’t lived up to expectations. The Zak’de’ron also said they have a death mark against all the V’kit’no’sat, but were removing it from our Rit’ko’sor. If we hadn’t checked out, I think they would have killed them too…eventually.”

  “Now that…is interesting,” Davis said, dropping the sword in one hand point first into the carpet as he eyed Kara. “We have their blessing?”

  “More than that. He went over possible battle strategy. I’ve got a good idea what they think the V’kit’no’sat will do once the truce ends.”

  “Where did they find you?”

  “On the way back from the Preema, who I struck a pretty ambitious deal with, pending your approval. They want to build Grid Points to link their territory into the network, along with helping us with massive supplies if we establish production facilities within their borders.”

  “You have been busy.”

  “Not sure it’s all worth the security breach.”

  “I have a gut feeling the breach won’t be a problem. You’ve said for years that if the Dragons wanted us dead we would be. Has that changed?”

  “We’re not so weak anymore.”

  “We have to run through potential problems and work this, but we still hold the nuke of their existence. They trusted us with that knowledge when they had no need to. I think we can trust them…though I do not want a second breach.”

  “Better keep me isolated then.”

  “No. We’re not playing that game. Besides, you don’t know all our secrets anyway,” he said with an apologetic smirk. “I need you and whatever tech help is necessary to figure out every last function of your Vorch’nas. What it can do, what it can’t, and what the length of their interface with you is. We may be able to create a block between you and it if needed, but I don’t want you to lose it. It gives you a considerable advantage that we can’t replicate, not to mention the knowledge of the V’kit’no’sat.”

  “I know more about the Rit’ko’sor now than the V’kit’no’sat ever did…and to be blunt, this upgrade makes me capable of taking down anyone, even Vermaire, one on one. It’s a huge upgrade, and not just technologically. My physiology has been altered again.”

  “How?”

  “Not entirely sure, but like last time I’ve gotten a boost in strength and speed.”

  “I’ve got two missions for you. The second is to master your Vorch’nas and teach our Mastertechs everything possible from it. The first,” he said, pointing to his desk with the sword, “is to tell me everything you and the Dragon talked about. We’ll get to this deal with the Preema later.”

  “What about the sword?”

  “I’ll have my people analyze it, then I’ll let you take it to Paul and see what you can figure out.”

  “I’m kicking myself for not seeing that connection,” she said, grabbing a chair and sitting down as Davis returned to the other side of his desk.

  “Honestly, I didn’t think you considered me your Master, given how weak I am.”

  “I was thinking from the Zak’de’ron’s perspective. You’re the head of our empire.”

  “Partially,” he admitted. “Now, let’s start with this new sensor.”

  Kara tapped his clear desk theatrically, then created a slew of holograms using her Vorch’nas that showed the advanced Dragon technology.

  “It’s not going to be easy to make, but I know how to
do it. They gave me full knowledge from their perspective. The downside is it’s limited to a cone, and we have to build one at each jumpline we want to monitor.”

  “How does it work?”

  “It senses the gravity flash.”

  “What’s that?”

  “When the gravity of the star is altered by the gravity drives there is a minor backwash. It’s too negligible to pick up on anything less than a full interstellar jump, but with a sensitive enough monitor it shows up against the backdrop of space like a light flash, and cloaking devices do not affect it.”

  “I was under the assumption that gravity was a transmission, like light, and went one way.”

  “It is, but the way gravity drives make the interaction of gravity and mass bigger creates the side effect in an energy form that our current science doesn’t even know exists.”

  “From the Zak’de’ron’s point of view, was exchanging this technology for your memories worth it to them?”

  Kara frowned. “Probably not. They really don’t like sharing their technology with their own subservient races, and we’re not under their control.”

  “So it was an act of allegiance as much as it was of contrition?”

  “You might be right. My thoughts are still clouded with anger at the moment.”

  “You could have pulled a Skywalker long ago, so why didn’t you?”

  Kara smiled at his use of the Star Wars reference. “I didn’t want to give it up.”

  “And no one asked you to. It was an advantage that we’ve used for millennia. It’s less useful now, but don’t underestimate how much you’ve helped us with it. If this is the exchange for that, then I’d say it’s still worth it.”

  “Say that if Nefron suddenly goes missing.”

  “He won’t. And not because I’m confident we could defeat a capture attempt, but because all we’d have to do is make one call to Mak’to’ran. Now, if we’re losing the war badly they might try to scoop him up in order to save him, then make use of his knowledge. They won’t do it now. Concur?”

  “I concur.”

  “So you did screw up, but we kind of knew this was coming.”