Star Force: Mak'to'ran (1) Page 9

  “We require wide open spaces for proper training. We need free reign and volume to meet our population requirements. Too many in the air at once limits our options.”

  “If another world with a suitable, if not ideal, atmosphere were possible for acquisition, could you and the loyal Poquot use it as leverage to begin shaving away the internal corruption within your race?”

  “All Poquot need free air, regardless of their loyalties. The fear of losing more worlds is driving the impetus to do whatever is necessary to obtain what we need, even if it is outside the boundaries of honor.”

  “And the restrictions on territorial expansion force you to remain in this perpetual fear, reinforced by the occasional seizure that then empowers the corruption even further?”

  “You believe it is intentional?”

  “Possibly, but whether the corruption is being stoked from afar or generated from within, it has to be confronted and countered in a way to preserve as much of your race and your holdings as possible. The V’kit’no’sat are falling. I am here to save what pieces I can, and the more pieces we have intact the better. If I can arrange an even trade of territory between the Era’tran and the Poquot it will not need Conclave approval, but it will allow the Era’tran more influence over your race than Itaru in that we are aiding while they are taking.”

  “You are willing to do this?”

  “I cannot unilaterally make this decision, and an appropriate territory swap that benefits both races will have to be crafted, but it is doable. If we start behaving as brothers rather than adversaries, can you make use of that?”

  “I cannot promise you either, for those here do not hold sufficient rank, but others can and will pursue this if you offer it. Tasting the air on a new world will be a powerful motivation to return focus to our mandate if you require it as part of the arrangement.”

  “Then bring up a map of your holdings and I will begin selecting potential candidates that will be of value to the Era’tran. We will need something that will act as a visible symbol of mutual strengthening, for the rest of the empire will take notice.”

  “It could draw further penalties from Itaru, but with the Era’tran involved they will not be so quick to act if you will not abandon us.”

  “If we make a deal, we will honor it and face Itaru’s displeasure together while demonstrating how V’kit’no’sat are supposed to be…helping one another grow stronger rather than seeing them as competition that has to be hobbled.”

  The holograms of the battle records at Terraxis were moved to a higher altitude as those at the lowest level were replaced with a map of all Poquot holdings around the galaxy and the great spiral was lowered to just above Era’tran head height so the 5 guests could see more comfortably given the fact that their heads did not incline as easily as those of their hosts.

  “Tell us what you value in the bad air,” the Poquot leader said as individual systems started to get pulled down for closer study.

  9

  November 6, 3603

  Battiwipot System (V’kit’no’sat territory)

  Hachiwa

  The meeting with the Poquot happened lightning fast, for after several hours of discussion over possible territory swaps neither side could confirm anything and the internal process within the Poquot that was desired meant a long, dragged out affair that would increase the Era’tran’s influence while decreasing that of the Elder Conclave. So once several possibilities were noted and a few tangents were discussed the long trip was concluded and Mak’to’ran headed back to his Na’shor without incident.

  But before he could leave the system he was contacted by the I’rar’et and asked for an audience. While slightly lower ranking in status within the V’kit’no’sat, the I’rar’et were more or less equals and a powerhouse in and of their own. What they wanted to discuss he didn’t know, but he wasn’t going to travel down to the surface of the planet they controlled half of. If he did it would be an opportunity for them to capture him despite previous assurances of neutrality…or perhaps they merely wished to delay him before others could arrive to do it for them. Regardless, if they wanted to talk he’d listen but they’d do it on his terms.

  The I’rar’et didn’t want to discuss matters over comm channels but rather in person, so Mak’to’ran arranged to have them come onboard his ship, which he then brought into orbit over Hachiwa in an empty slot. Only the vessel carrying the I’rar’et delegation was to approach, for Mak’to’ran wasn’t going to let their full fleet surround him and diminish his navigational options.

  The I’rar’et complied, so when a Domjo came up nearby and released a drop pod Mak’to’ran allowed it through the Na’shor’s shields and inside the prepared hangar bay where a full scan was taken prior to the Era’tran leader making physical presence. Had there been anything questionable he could have dealt with it in a variety of ways, but when everything checked out he strode out onto the deck as a quartet of I’rar’et flew out of the pod then walked awkwardly toward him as other Era’tran and Zen’zat looked on from conspicuous perimeter positions.

  “You fear sabotage?” an I’rar’et named Ba’vi asked, referencing all the security.

  “One does not defy Itaru and expect their lackeys to not take offense. What is it you wished to discuss?”

  “A private matter. Are you recording in any way?”

  “Possibly.”

  “We wish our words to be for you alone. Will you allow a privacy field?”

  “As you wish.”

  The I’rar’et produced a small object and telekinetically floated it up near Mak’to’ran. The object centered itself midair then burst out with a cascade of holographic interference that dimmed his vision of the hangar but did not cut it out entirely. The reverse was not true, for those outside could see and hear nothing, with Mak’to’ran and the I’rar’et now concealed inside a black void.

  “You are in more danger than you realize,” Ba’vi said as the other three I’rar’et bobbed their heads in unison. “There was more than discussion amongst the I’rar’et in this system regarding your presence. Blood has been spilt to ensure you could pass freely.”

  Mak’to’ran curled and flexed his fingers rhythmically in displeasure. “Explain.”

  “There were those that wished to challenge you, those that wished to let you pass, and those that wished to kill you. The latter were a small group, but their efforts united the rest of us in opposing them. 148 I’rar’et were killed, 39 of which were not revivable. All those visible assassins were eliminated, we made sure of that, but to have members of our own race turn on us so irrationally is…”

  “…symptomatic of something larger,” another I’rar’et called Waf’fi finished for him. “I was one who agreed that we should compel Itaru’s recall order, but in light of recent events I believe wisdom dictates that we gather more information before any of us act. What is happening that we are not aware of? Why did you come here and why do they want you dead?”

  “Some secrets I will keep, but given that you’ve already tasted this conflict for yourself I will give you warning as well…there is a faction within the V’kit’no’sat, spread across multiple races, that is corrupting us. The Era’tran have dealt with those insiders previously, so we now stand united, but there are stories of assassinations taking place across the empire weeding out individuals and sects that the collective deems disruptive. Rather than prove dominance they assert it as inherent and diminish or eliminate those who challenge or simply contradict their assertions.”

  “You suggest a conspiracy?”

  “I do not know the true nature of what is happening, but the empire is dying. My mission here was with regards to finding a way to save it.”

  “How so?”

  “That is not for you to know.”

  “We are also V’kit’no’sat, Era’tran. If the empire is in peril it equally concerns us.”

  “Why are you not heeding the recall order?” another I’rar’et asked.

 
“I have supplied them with all the information regarding Terraxis. My presence there is unnecessary unless they have ulterior motives.”

  “And you come here instead to visit the Poquot?”

  “This was not my first destination, nor will it be the last.”

  “Beyond the obvious, what is so important about Terraxis?”

  “Aside from the implications that one of us is responsible for the treason and may be plotting an overthrow of the empire…the defeat runs contrary to the assertions of invincibility that the collective lives and breathes.”

  “What ‘collective’ are you referring to?”

  “I know what he means,” the fourth I’rar’et answered.

  “Do tell, Jar’vic?”

  “They are an ideology that insists that none exceed the others and those responsible for the population restrictions. We are not allowed to grow too strong or we are culled, through one means or another. They fear one becoming stronger than the others.”

  “Among other things,” Mak’to’ran added. “I do not know what they plan in full, but I am well aware of the danger to me and my mission. That is why you are here and not on your world.”

  “We would have protected you, but your caution is warranted. What do you hope to accomplish on this undisclosed mission?”

  “The Era’tran will hold true to the mandate of the V’kit’no’sat. We will not attack our brothers…but we will be prepared if they should attack us. If that happens and the empire is thrown into civil war the V’kit’no’sat are doomed, but we would rather die with honor than slowly become corrupted. We will hold true to all races that likewise adhere to our mandate.”

  “Which part do you refer to?”

  “The reason we exist. To fight the Hadarak and one day find a way to destroy them and rid the galaxy of their plague.”

  “Don’t be absurd,” Ba’vi scoffed. “We will always fight to contain them, but they cannot be destroyed or we would have done so already.”

  Mak’to’ran growled so loud Ba’vi hopped back a step on instinct.

  “We were formed to take on that impossible task, lest you forget.”

  “We do not have the strength to accomplish that now nor anytime in the near future,” Waf’fi countered.

  “Agreed, and we have let the Hadarak keep territory that we lost previously. At the minimum Itaru should be focused on retaking those systems, yet we do nothing more than whittle away slowly so we can claim we are making progress when really we have become apathetic.”

  “Those fighting on the Hadarak front would disagree.”

  “I do not fault them,” Mak’to’ran said, having been one of them himself previously, “but they do not dictate the amount of resources put into those fleets and there is only so much they can do.”

  “If we push harder it will weaken us.”

  “Which is why we should not be limiting population,” Jar’vic disagreed, making it clear that these four were not of like mind. “Their edict makes no sense!”

  “It is not for us to question,” Ba’vi snapped, but did so with an eye towards Mak’to’ran. “The Era’tran may wish to defy Itaru, but we will not.”

  “Defying Itaru would not be necessary if Itaru was wise,” Mak’to’ran said simply. “I will do what I must, as you have done. I suggest you turn your efforts inward and confront the collective within you in such a way to prevent more bloodshed. Turn a blind eye to it and you could be engulfed in carnage you may not survive.”

  “Had the events of yesterday not occurred I would disagree,” Jar’vic said mutedly, “but I cannot be blind to this any longer. We have traitors amongst us. One of those who died was a friend. 240,000 years of experience wasted in an instant. Those who would so blithely kill their brothers are an enemy of all V’kit’no’sat…and I would ask what I can do to assist you in righting this wrong.”

  “You cannot take unilateral action…”

  “I can do whatever I please!” the I’rar’et shouted, spinning around and glaring at his counterpart. “If I am to die with an explosive strapped to my back, then I will die for something rather than be discarded so insultingly.”

  “Explosive?” Mak’to’ran asked, interrupting the impromptu standoff.

  “Those that were killed initially were those who refused to detain you,” Ne’shen answered. “They were attacked without warning, and some had explosives quietly planted on their bodies before they realized the threat. Inside their shields and attached directly to their skin, their armor was of no use.”

  “Those that had it. Several were attacked in their sleep,” Ba’vi added. “Now we are forced to wonder will another attack happen, and who of us will betray the other. Fear and distrust are running high amongst the I’rar’et in this system.”

  “If you were true V’kit’no’sat you would not have to worry about such things,” Mak’to’ran lectured, but his tone was sympathetic. “We are brothers, and if brothers have to fear one another then we are not. I do not envy the position you are in, but it is your problem to solve. I can promise the Era’tran will support those who are honorable and hold to our mandate. We do not seek war, but we will fight a defensive one if necessary. The slain will not be ignored or sacrificed to maintain the illusion of unity. We will either be unified in truth or we will fight those who undermine that unity…and that is why I cannot go to Itaru.”

  “They could kill you there easily.”

  “Or blame him for Terraxis…which, for the record, I do not,” Jar’vic added. “I have seen the battle records. You were beaten, but you hurt this Star Force far more. Had it not been for the Oso’lon, the Mach’nel would still be intact and you would control that system.”

  “I cannot say for sure who is at fault,” Mak’to’ran said before the others could object, but blaming the Oso’lon was apparently a current trend. “If one has the ability to control Hadarak they might be willing to sacrifice a Mach’nel to hide that fact…or have the knowledge to break our strongest codes. We know nothing more than the fact that this treason is of the highest level, but it is a symptom of a greater corruption within us. Terraxis will not destroy us. Given sufficient fleet strength they will fall, but unless we deal with the collective inside each of our races and return to our mandate our empire is in jeopardy. You have just seen that first hand. Do not forget the lesson in blood that has just been taught to you.”

  “None of us will,” Ba’vi said angrily.

  Mak’to’ran’s Na’shor left the system shortly thereafter without incident, traveling across V’kit’no’sat territory without sign of pursuit though he assumed it was just a matter of time before a task force was assigned to track him down and force a confrontation. He couldn’t hide his movements through inhabited systems or the major spacelanes, but if needed he could venture off the primary routes and travel through the lesser systems where the V’kit’no’sat did not have monitoring devices.

  In the core especially there were so many systems that you could be overlooked for millennia if you did not cause a problem significant enough to get noticed, but some territory that was not their own still held outposts and sensor stations so they could keep track of what the more powerful non-V’kit’no’sat races were up to…and determine when it became necessary to take them out if they threatened the stability of their local region. Wars still happened on a small scale, but long ago the V’kit’no’sat had put an end to vast conquering campaigns. This galaxy was theirs to watch over, and the only one conquering other worlds in large number were going to be the V’kit’no’sat.

  That said, there were too many systems to keep under surveillance and there were gaps in the detection grid. Fortunately Mak’to’ran knew where the hidden observation points were and weren’t, but on his way back to Holloi he didn’t have to make use of them. When he returned to the capitol system and was once again back inside the protective aura of the defense fleet he wondered if those out to destroy or use him for other purposes would be so bold as to come here and force,
or threaten, a conflict in order to obtain him and remove the stain of defiance that many on Itaru could not stomach.

  But it was better that he come here than a smaller Era’tran system in which to resupply, though he did not feel that he was totally safe anywhere but on the move. His ship had a speed advantage, and he figured it would be better for all concerned if his location was unknown so the opposition could not plot a move against him. If he was to be chased he could dictate that chase, but stay in any system too long and the initiative would be with the enemy.

  To that end he decided to stay in the capitol only briefly, but not before he had another talk with Hamob face to face.

  10

  February 12, 3604

  Jamtren System (Era’tran capitol)

  Holloi

  Mak’to’ran returned to Hamob’s residence as soon as his ship returned to orbit, leaving in a drop pod as it immediately began rotating off crew and refilling with supplies, fuel, and whatever small maintenance was required. V’kit’no’sat ships could operate for years outside of making port, but given the large size of their empire, travel across it was lengthy and restocking was essential for any vessels operating in courier roles.

  But those were things that other Era’tran would deal with and do so quickly, allowing him to leave promptly if necessary. What Mak’to’ran’s next stop was he didn’t know, for he hadn’t checked his orders prior to returning. Before he went anywhere else he needed more information and guidance.

  When he arrived at the entrance he found that the doors had changed. He almost had taken the same one as before, but the small writing was different and directed him to the center this time. It led him to the same chamber as before, suggesting a mobile architecture that could probably be used to lock down the facility with no viable access points if needed, and that made him curious where exactly the wrong routes would take him.