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

  For if you operated with delusions, you often did not survive very long. And frequent liars often had trouble maintaining the truth as a separate entity within their own minds.

  But for as many supporters that he lost, Yaquik gained far more from those that viewed the engrams and saw through the somewhat vague and inaccurate memories of the traitors as they discussed how to hobble all races within the V’kit’no’sat by varying means in order to ensure that no one rose to become greater than the others. Competition was deemed unhealthy and order was to be maintained by culling the strongest and weakest, leaving only normal, functional V’kit’no’sat behind.

  How they accomplished this was mostly theoretical, but with Yaquik having arranged the engrams in scaling priority for viewing they went from talk to action, showing the poisoning of eggs that were then discarded when no longer viable and the falsifying of birthing data to cover it up. More than that, there were multiple assassinations that were covered up as accidents, but they were directed towards eliminating the weak rather than the strong. Individuals that were too lowly placed to be noticed and not performing up to the expectations of the V’kit’no’sat were being weeded out slowly, and not fast enough as far as the traitors were concerned, but there was only so much they could do without greater support and numbers.

  And those numbers they tried to increase via propaganda, incentivizing, and intimidation. How ‘equal’ the races and individuals were was not a clear cut paradigm. Races always had variations in biology and tendencies, and as a result Itaru and others were going to have to constantly be balancing and rebalancing in response to trends, during which there would be opportunities for some to advance, although temporarily, while they also saw their opposition be reduced.

  It was not seen as a popular thing, but the traitors had learned how to lightly seek out those who were of at least partial like mind and weave them into their web…or distance themselves again under plausible reasons without giving away their true intent. The Hjar’at in particular were viewed as obstinate and needing to be chipped away at rather than having a hammer blow laid upon them out of fear that such a thing would cause more damage than good. Attack a Hjar’at directly and you’d never dissuade them, but poke and pry and connive and you could get them to change course without even realizing what was going on.

  What was missing from the engrams were communications with other races. Everything here was Hjar’at based, but Mak’to’ran could see the words of others in their thoughts. This heresy did not originate here, but there was no way of tracking it so long as Yaquik didn’t discover a mind who did have contact with traitors from elsewhere in the empire. As it was, it seemed he had plenty of local corruption to root out, and given the size of the planet he could be at this a very long time with only a handful of loyal supporters that he could actively trust.

  So when Yaquik did contact him via hologram it came as a bit of a surprise.

  “I trust you are well?” the Hjar’at asked.

  “We have been undisturbed.”

  “Good,” he said, visibly tired. “I have secured a path to orbit for you. All major weapon systems within firing range are under my direct control and you’ll have a Zen’zat only escort to protect against smaller ones. If this heresy has reached their ranks…”

  “Have you confirmed their loyalty?”

  “A few commanding your assembling escort, but I could not get to them all. My Ikrid strength is failing and I have combat to personally lead. I will not be making many more loyalty checks until I can recover, but I now have a small group that can be trusted. Growing it will take time, but I am removing all others from priority planetary positions and replacing them with my own.”

  “What about fleet commanders?”

  “The top 3 have submitted for verification and I have cleared them. They will ensure you are protected in orbit.”

  “If this is what Hamob intended to happen here, he did not share it with me.”

  Yaquik twitched his head in a dismissive manner.

  “It matters not now. This is a Hjar’at problem and we will see it solved. You have aided us greatly, and the debt will not be forgotten. You are free to leave when you wish.”

  “I will return to orbit, but I will remain in the system a while longer if it does not hinder you.”

  “You wish to discuss Itaru?”

  “Amongst other things. There is a lot happening here and I would prefer to deliver a complete report rather than rely on the Urrtren. If these traitors are willing to kill other V’kit’no’sat then information control is not hard to imagine.”

  “How certain are you of the Urrtren relays in Era’tran territory?”

  “I suspect that has been seen to, but it has not come up in my discussions with Hamob. I will make inquiries.”

  “We need to establish a secure line from here to your territory, and for the time being that will have to be via courier. Given that I do not have sufficient personnel that can be trusted, I need your ships for that.”

  “Done.”

  “And we will need to build independent transmitters. Seizing communal ones is a step too far at this juncture.”

  “You anticipate a full war coming?”

  “Unless the traitors back down, but I don’t think that will happen if they are stronger in other races. As it is, I’m going to have to secede this system from the rest of the Hjar’at civilization and slowly bring back in the other pieces. I will have a difficult time with many on Mavro, even if they are not traitors, but this must be done and the time is long overdue.”

  “Would Era’tran assistance hurt or help?”

  “I do not know. There are many uncertainties as of this moment and I have much to do. My duty to you is to see you out of this system safely, and if you wish to remain longer you may do so, but we will not have a great deal of time for discussion in the coming days. I must continue to be swift before the opposition can organize. They are scattered as moles throughout the system in order to avoid detection and are ill-prepared for direct assaults.”

  “Sabotage?”

  “There have already been two such attacks. If they escalate and damage too much of our infrastructure, we may need logistical assistance.”

  “Securing loyal V’kit’no’sat is the Era’tran’s prime priority, though I do not know the current state of our reserves. I would assume we would give you whatever you require.”

  “I do not like asking, but this system’s ability to sustain itself is limited. If certain facilities are destroyed we will be hurting for supplies and I have uncovered some plots to do so already.”

  “May I suggest that an Era’tran fleet sitting by uninvolved in stellar orbit may help to provide some stability.”

  “Internally no, it would not, but if we are weakened and others sense an opportunity…”

  “What?” Mak’to’ran asked, getting a strange sense from Yaquik’s body language.

  “Am I wrong in assuming that the tipping point has already been reached?”

  “How so?”

  “The conspirators behind Terraxis are still unknown. I am doing what must be done here, but will it trigger an onslaught within the empire?”

  “That depends greatly on who is responsible.”

  “Will my actions here give others the plausibility to lay blame on me? That this is the first stage of a revolt connected with Terraxis and the altered Hadarak?”

  “It very well could if certain factions pushed that lie.”

  “You told me that Hamob sent you on a lengthy mission in order to be a rallying point for the oppressed loyalists.”

  “How long is still a lingering question for me, but that is part of his intent. I do not pretend to fully understand the depth of his plans.”

  “Is he also using you to draw the attention and ire of Itaru away from the Era’tran?”

  “Yes, but he is aware that is just a stalling tactic. My ship cannot continue without periodic resupply and I have already returned to Jamtren onc
e. There will be no pretense as to my base of support, but the Era’tran will not advertise it in order to stretch this out.”

  “Before the snapback occurs?”

  “I believe so, though I only have compartmentalized information regarding our strategy.”

  “The Hjar’at will not oppose you, at least not in military strength. I’ll have their attention focused here. Without a unified civilization we cannot launch an assault against the Era’tran. Who then do you think would strike you down?”

  “If either the Oso’lon or J’gar do they would practically be admitting to fault. They are hindered by Terraxis and stand on the verge of suffering the full backlash of the empire. They can do nothing but stay out of the way and defend their territory.”

  “Or shift blame to others,” Yaquik suggested.

  “In which case who would oppose the Era’tran?”

  “None of us can do so singly outside the Oso’lon. The J’gar could navally, but they would gut their fleet bashing planetary shields without a ground assault force. We would be the most likely candidate, so how free are you now to act boldly?”

  “A good question, and one I cannot fully answer. The Pas’cha and Zep’sha working together would be the most probable, but their ties to the Oso’lon are too close,” Mak’to’ran said, referring to the other two long-necked V’kit’no’sat races that were essentially cousins to the Oso’lon. The Pas’cha had shorter rear legs and a more upright stance with their heads towering over the Oso’lon and even the Era’tran while the Zep’sha were the reverse. Their necks were almost flat to the ground and they had extremely long tails that almost made them look like walking snakes. Both were comparable to the Era’tran in terms of overall racial strength, but they didn’t have the same psionics that the Oso’lon did. Nor the most elite bits of tech that the two founding races kept for themselves.

  “It would take 3, no less, to effectively cull the Era’tran,” Yaquik estimated, “so long as you remained defensive. Possibly more.”

  “Many more if they do not wish to gut themselves. They will need the Oso’lon or the J’gar, otherwise victory is not assured.”

  “I think you overstate your current situation.”

  “I am not being arrogant, but name the race that is willing to destroy themselves to cull us?”

  “Hmmn, that is a point I had not considered. If paranoia abounds no one is going to want to dutifully engage anyone else unless it is a massive overkill.”

  “The danger is being singled out.”

  “I cannot speak for all Hjar’at, and I barely control this system as of now, but if a public allegiance with the Era’tran will help discourage attacks against the Era’tran you will have it…so long that it is a defensive pact. We cannot engage in an offensive war or it will tear the empire apart.”

  “I have been authorized to speak for the Era’tran and they will honor any agreement I make. You have your defensive pact. When to announce it is the question.”

  “Not yet. Inform your leaders so they can prepare, and if you can spare a sizeable fleet to come here and observe do so. When it arrives the declaration can be made. You will defend against outside influence while the Hjar’at take care of an internal matter themselves.”

  “And if Hjar’at ships arrive to attack you?”

  “Your default protocol will be to observe, though situations may alter if the corruption runs too deep.”

  “We will stand beside you regardless and let you dictate the protocol. The fleet will only engage other Hjar’at when you give them release to do so, but you will not micromanage them.”

  “Well bargained, though I think we gain more from it than you.”

  “Time will tell. Recheck the status of your clear corridor and we will continue this conversation once I reach my ship.”

  “Wait until the Zen’zat arrive before you leave the surface.”

  Mak’to’ran nodded then both leaders broke the comm connection and got back to the business at hand…what had quickly escalated from defiance into secession. But a secession of the loyal V’kit’no’sat from the traitors, and no one knew just how many that would be here or anywhere else.

  9

  September 8, 3604

  Yat’ri System (Hjar’at Regional Capitol)

  Hattoman

  Suspicions of possible tampering aside, Mak’to’ran was still using the Urrtren heavily to communicate with the Era’tran and to monitor events empire-wide. The news of what was happening with the Hjar’at was just beginning to come back with mass responses from the local region. He was particularly interested in seeing what the other Hjar’at thought of ongoing events, but there wasn’t much being said by them. What little of it was merely a recounting of events while other races were the ones weighing in with a wide range of interpretations, most of which involved Mak’to’ran to some extent.

  His refusal to return to Itaru was now becoming widespread news boosted by the situation with the Hjar’at and many V’kit’no’sat were calling for his head, but his reported association with Yaquik was causing many to take a closer look at what was going on…which meant nothing because they had no facts to work with, but still they were trying to scrape up what they could and determine a reason behind his defiance other than sheer madness.

  A few floated the idea that he had even been involved in the treason of Terraxis, absurd as that was, and that sentiment did not seem to be gaining any ground. Most of what he was searching through were news reports, but there was also a growing Declarative trail that consisted of discussion points bantered back and forth across the empire. It covered an unlimited number of subjects and was used to facilitate brainstorming and cooperation between those separated by thousands of lightyears.

  Mak’to’ran was now the top item of recent interest, and wouldn’t be replaced by the Hjar’at until the information ‘wave’ flowed out and back across the entire empire. It was far faster than physical travel, but given the size of the galaxy one couldn’t hold an active discussion with another so far away and this was the most efficient system ever devised…though it still left much to be desired due to the time lag, though in Mak’to’ran’s case that was an advantage in him staying ahead of the pursuit that he expected to show up at Yat’ri any day now.

  But what wasn’t showing up on the Declaratives or the news feeds was the information Hamob passed along to him concerning the second assault on Terraxis. It was now underway and the V’kit’no’sat had secured a foothold on the surface of Terrax…but the cost of doing so had seen so much damage done to their Mach’nel that it had to retreat from the system under heavy escort.

  Mak’to’ran couldn’t believe what he was reading, but even as aghast as he was at the information his Sav-enhanced mind realized that the information was not being released to the empire yet. Battle updates should have been sent out as soon as the first courier ship got within range of the Urrtren, and given how important the subject matter was the entire empire would have been talking about it. Mak’to’ran knew they couldn’t keep information like that suppressed forever, but the fact that they were even trying was another telling sign of how corrupt Itaru and their latchkeys had become.

  Hamob hadn’t sent him much information, only a few tactical snapshots had been included so he’d know the strength that the Humans had assembled. The V’kit’no’sat had sent a fleet 20 times as large as he’d had plus two Mach’nels…the latter of which was unheard of. When their scout ships had arrived in Star Force territory they’d been attacked before even reaching their target system, but after a number of harassment attacks from a large Star Force fleet enroute, the V’kit’no’sat armada arrived safely in Terraxis along a different jumpline only to find the Humans had brought in reinforcements of their own.

  Mak’to’ran studied the numbers and ship designs carefully, for both were different than before. Most of the ship hulls were not cubical, but rather thick discs along with other designs. From memory he recalled that the disc-shapes were from a non-Hum
an faction of Star Force that had not been present in Terraxis the first time, nor had the others. Estimates to Star Force’s strength appeared to have been low, for while the V’kit’no’sat had sent 20 times as many ships, Star Force had brought in reinforcements equal to 80 times as many.

  And it wasn’t just their standard attack ships. There were many of their larger ones as well, possibly pulled in from more of their hidden depots in far orbit. Mak’to’ran wished he had a full battle report to work through, but the near loss of another Mach’nel was precisely the reason why he should have been the one commanding the second attack. The presence of two Mach’nels should have been sufficient to overcome any non-V’kit’no’sat adversary, and even while Neifil had not been destroyed Mak’to’ran could guess at the kind of damage it had taken to warrant withdrawal.

  The Humans were probably targeting it in the aftermath and unwilling to let it back off from combat and be used as a command post while undergoing field repairs. If they’d made it their primary target it would have to have been removed from the system…and the number of ships necessary to guard it during the retreat would have weakened Neo’sor’s fleet by an appreciable number.

  How in the galaxy had the Kret’net botched this so badly? He had a reputation for cautiousness and Mak’to’ran’s full field notes. The Humans had gathered far more forces than expected, but the might of a Mach’nel would counter that if used properly. How one could fail with two was unthinkable…unless they had directly assaulted the planetary defense station.

  If they had done that then Neo’sor deserved to be executed, but in combing through the information he found the location of the foothold on Terrax’s surface identified as being on another continent altogether. That meant either an attack on the defense station had failed and they had to mount a second attack later, or more likely the Kret’net had assaulted a region of the planet outside the targeting range of the Tar’vem’jic…but to suffer that much damage to a Mach’nel was too high of a cost, not to mention the ship losses tallied but not specified in the data.