Star Force, page 7
part #66 of Star Force Universe Series
Kyra stood next to a bulkhead inside the Elloquim plugged into one of the many hidden ports she’d discovered over the past half year exploring Nevantha, and through it she was seeing with his sensors as they waited in the outer layer of the star with a cloaking device to mimic the surrounding area. That wasn’t easy with a mass some 231 miles across, not counting the Elloquim’s tentacles, but part of the cloaking field involved wrapping the emissions coming up from below them around the ship rather than trying to absorb and recreate them on the far side.
Directly overhead them further out as a cloaked beacon, through it Nevantha was monitoring a mine field he had set up in the low orbit that the local traffic used. Particularly the Star Force transports coming out of the nearby Star Forge complex two systems away. They had 11 of the stellar mining stations set up sifting rare and valuable materials out of the infernal depths where few others could go, and Nevantha had no time to wait and build up his own infrastructure to the point that he could do the same.
So they were here, laying in wait in an uninhabited system with only a small Star Force outpost sitting to watch and monitor the traffic. It was on the other side of the star and had its own halo of satellites giving it visuals on all transit lines, but the Elloquim had terminated their jump early and came out well beyond their scanning range before approaching under cloak and laying their mine field.
Many ships had already come through, some Star Force and mostly other locals or civilian craft. But what Nevantha wanted was one of the transports coming from the Star Forges, making this mission one of patience…and one that Kyra was useless to contribute to. But at least she was able to watch.
The jump line coming from the direction of the Star Forges had a cloaked watcher there that was transmitting via tight beam to others that were in turn sending signals back to the one overhead, keeping Nevantha aware yet hidden until the time was right. Many of the transports were going elsewhere, for not all shipments were headed the same way, but every now and then one would cross around the star to an outgoing line to the Numa System, and the approach just prior to that point was where they had laid the mine field.
All the mines were cloaked, and there was a small chance of collision mitigated by the onboard engines that could move them around a bit to avoid the wrong targets, but when the 24 mile long Star Force Buu-class transport came into the field Nevantha signaled via the grid to make the intercept.
The closest of the mines drifted a little further out from the star, and when the transport flashed by it belched its load of inertial dampening energy in its path, with the glob impacting and sticking to the ship’s shields. Another mine ahead of it did the same, and soon four had completely covered the transport, taking away its ability to maneuver as its engines couldn’t touch the gravity of the massive star beside it.
More mines moved into its path and continued to add energy as the original hits faded and the ship tried to dispel them with various shield modifications. Calculating that the intercept could be made, Nevantha abandoned his cloak and raced out of the upper region of the star as fast as he could with the friction, then when he pulled free the massive Elloquim accelerated directly for the coasting transport, with it unable to run or even make a course correction.
Kyra saw them close rapidly, then decelerate just as quickly with the transport opening fire from numerous weapon batteries spread across the fat ship that maximized internal volume per hull area due to it nearly being a sphere, which would have been most effective, but this one was squashed a bit to diminish its forward silhouette and thus reduce drag during interstellar jumps. Regardless, the transport had weaponry, and advanced weaponry at that, but it wasn’t a warship and certainly wasn’t an Elloquim, so it wasn’t going to be able to fight them off.
Running was its only hope, and the Star Force outpost had nothing more than a few drones to send to its aid. When Nevantha came up on it, his huge mass eclipsing most of the star, he braked just shy of it and wrapped several of his tentacles around the transport without touching it. When he did so he employed his own IDF aura as the effect of the mines faded, ensuring the ship could not run, then his own weaponry began battering the shields and eventually taking them down, after which the Star Force gun ports were destroyed with pinpoint firepower while leaving the hull intact.
Once the ship was plucked of exterior defenses a swarm of attack craft left small bays on the Elloquim’s tentacles and flew to the ship, clustering at various points and burning through the hull while installing their own airlocks. Once all were in place, the attack groups moved simultaneously inside with Kyra being able to watch through their points of view that were being transmitted back out to the docking collars that were then relaying the transmissions out to Nevantha, for the Star Force hull did not want to let the signals pass without its permission.
The attack drones were Human-sized or larger, able to move through the hallways easily as they encountered armed Star Force defense teams that effectively destroyed the first few waves, but Nevantha had plenty to spare and kept sending more and more until there were so many roaming the ship that the defenders had to confine themselves to certain locations and try to hold out.
They couldn’t, and over a long line of destroyed drones the stunned bodies of the Kiritak crew and their Sety Captain were hauled to one of the cargo bays and secured there behind shield pens that some of the drones were now creating as they became the stationary pillars. Meanwhile other automated craft were being sent over to the main cargo bays along with a Craniem in an explorer module now that the ship was deemed safe. It led the search and seizure effort, with them only taking very specific materials from the holds.
“Kyra, I have need of your skills,” Nevantha said, popping up beside her in hologram rather than contacting her through the data port.
“The crew?” she guessed.
“Indeed. I need you to act as a relay so I may speak with them. They have no idea what an Elloquim is. You will impersonate the Captain of this pirate ship and make the demands I dictate.”
“I will need a specific wardrobe,” she said, her still being naked since waking up onboard months ago.
“Specify.”
She sent the wide array of possibilities through the port, then the Elloquim responded with destination coordinates inside where such garments were currently being fabricated and would be available upon her arrival.
Kleeo Vagnam did not wake quickly, for there was no destunning agent applied. Instead he suffered through the ‘willies’ as his mind and body fought to wake up from a debilitating dream, though it seemed his crew had beat him to it. There were a number of Kiritak faces and head ridges hovering over him as his eyes fought to concentrate.
“Captain?”
“Status?” he asked, trying to sit up and having to retreat after only a few inches. His body was slow in cleansing the stunning energy from his tissue, which felt like it was under attack from thousands of pins and needles.
“We have been taken prisoner. All crew are accounted for and intact. No casualties other than a few broken bones from bad falls. Our captors have placed medical devices on them to diminish the damage.”
“Who…who are they?” Kleeo asked, finally able to sit up on his second try. When his head came up level with the ground his vision seemed to clear, though he was still far too wobbly to stand.
“We have no idea. Their technology is not familiar to anyone, and we haven’t seen anything other than their robots.”
“My friend Tabo told me being a cargo captain sucked. Now I wish I’d gone military,” the Sety said wryly as his tree-like body crackled slightly with every move he made, but none of his body tissue broke off. It was just an auditory sensation that had made many unfamiliar with his race think he might kill himself by running around, but his body tissue was quite well made for it, despite appearances to the contrary.
“I do not think a warship could have stopped this attack,” his second in command said gravely. “That ship is massive, and its approach velocity indicates advanced gravity drives. I am unsure if we could have run from it if we had the chance.”
“Yes we could have. Otherwise there would be no need for the disabling mines,” Kleeo said, looking around at his kangaroo-like crew as he rolled himself over onto his four legs and slowly stood up, bringing his head height twice that of the Kiritak. “Have we tried breaking out?”
“The shields are too high to jump over, and when we pair up roaming drones move in to intercept us. No one has gone over to see what they would do.”
“Don’t try it then. They kept us alive for a reason…” he said as the doors from a nearby hallway opened up and a Human figure appeared. The Sety frowned, not sure if this was another prisoner from another ship, or if they’d actually been attacked by a rogue Human faction.
As the individual approached he saw that it was a female with an elaborate headdress that matched equally elegant forearm gauntlets and shin guards that wove themselves down into boots that were part material and part holes showing her skin and toes, but the rest of her body, including her entire torso, was bare…or at least it appeared so until she got close, then he saw that she was fully covered with a transparent body suit that shimmered every now and then with an artificial glow.
“Captain Vagnam,” she said sweetly as she stopped on the other side of the shield barrier some 30 meters down through the mass of Kiritak crowded here. “A word please.”
Kleeo clumsily walked through his crew, who created a pathway to allow him to pass, until he was looking down on the Human through the shield barrier. “Who are you?”
“I am known as Kyra, Captain, and I apologize for the circumstances of our meeting…and of alleviating you of part of your cargo. It is necessary for certain functions of my ship, and we didn’t have time to collect it ourselves. Mining solari is such a tedious task.”
“Your attack has been reported,” he warned.
“Of course. We are not here to harm you. If we were you would already be dead.”
“If it’s our cargo you want, why haven’t you fled with it…or are you keeping my ship too?”
“No, no. We’re about to release you and your crew. But first we need to make proper introductions.”
“I’m sure one of our warships will introduce itself to you soon enough,” he quipped, then crackled his arms in an intimidating and annoyed fashion.
“You’d better send more than one,” Kyra pointed out. “Or did we take you by such surprise you didn’t have a chance to see my ship?”
“I saw. Where did you get it from?”
“It’s not stolen, if that’s your angle. No, I’m here because I need your cargo, but more than that I need an introduction. My race is called the PanNari, and I need to speak with one of your trailblazers.”
Kleeo’s face turned angry. “They’re fighting a war far from here.”
“Yes, which was why we must greet you as an enemy. A friend would not have sufficient priority to get their attention. If you require a battle against some of your warships to prove my ship’s power, then send them and we will play, but what I have to say is for the trailblazers only…unless you want to send your Director. No other Monarch will do.”
“You think you rate that highly?”
“We do,” she said, matter of fact.
“If you’re PanNari, why do you look Human?”
“Bio-engineering. I have this form because it was necessary for communication.”
“What is your natural form?”
“That is something we will only discuss with the trailblazers. And until one of them arrives, we’re going to help ourselves to some more of your cargo ships. You see, mine has many factories aboard and a girl just has to shop, so I make do creating my own merchandise since I’m not allow on any of your worlds. You see, I’m a bit of a kleptomaniac,” she whispered.
“Your ship is not in our database.”
“Didn’t say I used my ship, now did I? I thought a Captain would have a quicker wit.”
“Perhaps I would if my head wasn’t awash with stun effect.”
“Better than being wounded. I hope it’s clear that we’re not here to kill you. But we will cause as much trouble as needed to elicit the response of a trailblazer. So please communicate our request when we let you go. I would hate to have to put so many of your warships out of commission when they’re badly needed on the Hadarak front, but I will do what I must. I have business that only a trailblazer can deal with. A lower ranking Archon will not do.”
“I can’t guarantee their response,” Kleeo warned.
“Oh I know. I just want you to guarantee me you’ll deliver the message, then I’ll let you go.”
“I would not hold back information from my own people.”
“Well then, as soon as we finish offloading what we need, you’ll be on your way. Sorry about the damage to your ship, but I didn’t want you poking holes in mine while we boarded. Your tech is impressive, especially for a transport. Star Force does well to arm you such. I imagine you’ve never been boarded before, is that right?”
“Never.”
“Well then, this is a first for you,” Kyra said with a smile. “And for the record, you would have been safe onboard a warship, because pirates are always after the booty. And only cargo ships carry it, not warships.”
“And you’re going to keep attacking our transports until you get a response from a trailblazer?”
“A response in person, for a message won’t do. There is a lot we have to discuss.”
“Before or after he takes you prisoner?”
“He? Well, any trailblazer will do, but I would prefer a male if possible. One of the cute ones, if you can manage.”
“I have no idea what a cute Human looks like,” the Sety said, unsure if she was really going to leave or if this was a prelude to some form of interrogation.
Kyra crinkled her forehead. “I suppose you wouldn’t, but there are plenty of other Human females you can ask. Well then, Captain Vagnam…rugrats,” she said, looking at the Kiritak, “I’ll be saying goodbye. Please don’t interfere with my drones when they pull out. They’re not super cheap to replace, and you destroyed far more than I thought I’d have to use to take this ship. For that you can be proud.”
Kyra spun and walked away with a slightly cocky stride, leaving the prisoners behind and exiting out the same doors to the ship’s interior that she had entered.
“Was that adequate?” she asked, still speaking the Star Force language.
“I believe so,” Nevantha answered through the transmitter on her headdress, though no hologram emitted from it. “Are you unsure?”
“I’ve never impersonated that persona before. I have no data to correlate from. Though I know my nude form is not as attractive as other females. I feel I will fail on that count, though the trailblazers are known to be resistant to such attraction.”
“But not immune to it,” Nevantha corrected her. “The power of my ship coupled with the mystery of you should be enough to elicit their interest.”
“But will it be enough to pull them off the warfront? I have my doubts.”
“Additional provocation may be required. Unless they send an Essence-capable ship, our ship will prevail,” Nevantha said, speaking as a member of the crew just in case some recording device was escaping the disabling field in her headdress. In fact, he was hoping it would.
“And all Essence-capable ships are on the front. If they’re willing to send one of them, then they will also be capable of sending a trailblazer.”
“Tactical strength is less effective against the larger Hadarak than Essence weaponry. If we have to travel to the front we will, but I believe this is the most expedited course of action we can take.”
“Navigationally speaking, how is the travel time less?”
“Not all the trailblazers are operating on the front. A few are missing, and I believe they may be involved with the recruitment of the Essence warriors from the Temples.”
“That would place them in the Rim, not the Core,” Kyra confirmed. “Logical, but not reliable.”
“Risk is the currency of the universe, not predicated outcomes. That is a lesson beyond your current capabilities, but one that Star Force appears to have mastered early in their history.”
“How do you know what to choose if the outcome is random?”
“It is not random in fact, only from perspective. I do not know what to choose. I am deciding what course to take and will adjust as necessary along the course of events. This should not be unfamiliar to an infiltrator.”
“My missions were not time sensitive. I had nothing to lose, only information to gain.”
“The practice is no different. You are being distracted with outcomes. Focus on method and divest yourself from the outcome.”
“The outcome is my purpose,” Kyra mildly protested.
“Then your purpose must be to contest, not to secure. Opposition can cause you to fail if you focus on the latter, but not on the prior.”
“That is not what I have been built to do.”
“Nor were the Elloquim. There is an element of us beyond the technological, and the same is true for you. You must learn to develop it, and in doing so it will customize the technological in ways that your designers cannot predict. And I do not speak of your organics.”
“You speak of my Lifeforce that I cannot measure or monitor.”
“A worthy challenge that you have already begun to take on. Continue to do so when applicable.”
“So ordered,” Kyra said as Nevantha broke contact and she continued walking back to one of the makeshift airlocks they’d installed in the hull. The Craniem onboard would see to the last of the unloading and the retrieval of the drones. Her task here was done, and it was time to return to the Elloquim and rid herself of these now unnecessary accoutrements.
8
April 29, 128804
Ivata Nucorri System (Mixchan Kingdom)
Low Stellar Orbit
Ever since they had captured and released the first Star Force cargo ship they’d been on the run, jumping from system to system and poaching others wherever they found them. Most did not contain solari, but they usually had some valuable cargoes and at present the current count was at 7 hit and 7 taken. Although at the moment they were having to deal with something a bit tougher to handle than transports.
Directly overhead them further out as a cloaked beacon, through it Nevantha was monitoring a mine field he had set up in the low orbit that the local traffic used. Particularly the Star Force transports coming out of the nearby Star Forge complex two systems away. They had 11 of the stellar mining stations set up sifting rare and valuable materials out of the infernal depths where few others could go, and Nevantha had no time to wait and build up his own infrastructure to the point that he could do the same.
So they were here, laying in wait in an uninhabited system with only a small Star Force outpost sitting to watch and monitor the traffic. It was on the other side of the star and had its own halo of satellites giving it visuals on all transit lines, but the Elloquim had terminated their jump early and came out well beyond their scanning range before approaching under cloak and laying their mine field.
Many ships had already come through, some Star Force and mostly other locals or civilian craft. But what Nevantha wanted was one of the transports coming from the Star Forges, making this mission one of patience…and one that Kyra was useless to contribute to. But at least she was able to watch.
The jump line coming from the direction of the Star Forges had a cloaked watcher there that was transmitting via tight beam to others that were in turn sending signals back to the one overhead, keeping Nevantha aware yet hidden until the time was right. Many of the transports were going elsewhere, for not all shipments were headed the same way, but every now and then one would cross around the star to an outgoing line to the Numa System, and the approach just prior to that point was where they had laid the mine field.
All the mines were cloaked, and there was a small chance of collision mitigated by the onboard engines that could move them around a bit to avoid the wrong targets, but when the 24 mile long Star Force Buu-class transport came into the field Nevantha signaled via the grid to make the intercept.
The closest of the mines drifted a little further out from the star, and when the transport flashed by it belched its load of inertial dampening energy in its path, with the glob impacting and sticking to the ship’s shields. Another mine ahead of it did the same, and soon four had completely covered the transport, taking away its ability to maneuver as its engines couldn’t touch the gravity of the massive star beside it.
More mines moved into its path and continued to add energy as the original hits faded and the ship tried to dispel them with various shield modifications. Calculating that the intercept could be made, Nevantha abandoned his cloak and raced out of the upper region of the star as fast as he could with the friction, then when he pulled free the massive Elloquim accelerated directly for the coasting transport, with it unable to run or even make a course correction.
Kyra saw them close rapidly, then decelerate just as quickly with the transport opening fire from numerous weapon batteries spread across the fat ship that maximized internal volume per hull area due to it nearly being a sphere, which would have been most effective, but this one was squashed a bit to diminish its forward silhouette and thus reduce drag during interstellar jumps. Regardless, the transport had weaponry, and advanced weaponry at that, but it wasn’t a warship and certainly wasn’t an Elloquim, so it wasn’t going to be able to fight them off.
Running was its only hope, and the Star Force outpost had nothing more than a few drones to send to its aid. When Nevantha came up on it, his huge mass eclipsing most of the star, he braked just shy of it and wrapped several of his tentacles around the transport without touching it. When he did so he employed his own IDF aura as the effect of the mines faded, ensuring the ship could not run, then his own weaponry began battering the shields and eventually taking them down, after which the Star Force gun ports were destroyed with pinpoint firepower while leaving the hull intact.
Once the ship was plucked of exterior defenses a swarm of attack craft left small bays on the Elloquim’s tentacles and flew to the ship, clustering at various points and burning through the hull while installing their own airlocks. Once all were in place, the attack groups moved simultaneously inside with Kyra being able to watch through their points of view that were being transmitted back out to the docking collars that were then relaying the transmissions out to Nevantha, for the Star Force hull did not want to let the signals pass without its permission.
The attack drones were Human-sized or larger, able to move through the hallways easily as they encountered armed Star Force defense teams that effectively destroyed the first few waves, but Nevantha had plenty to spare and kept sending more and more until there were so many roaming the ship that the defenders had to confine themselves to certain locations and try to hold out.
They couldn’t, and over a long line of destroyed drones the stunned bodies of the Kiritak crew and their Sety Captain were hauled to one of the cargo bays and secured there behind shield pens that some of the drones were now creating as they became the stationary pillars. Meanwhile other automated craft were being sent over to the main cargo bays along with a Craniem in an explorer module now that the ship was deemed safe. It led the search and seizure effort, with them only taking very specific materials from the holds.
“Kyra, I have need of your skills,” Nevantha said, popping up beside her in hologram rather than contacting her through the data port.
“The crew?” she guessed.
“Indeed. I need you to act as a relay so I may speak with them. They have no idea what an Elloquim is. You will impersonate the Captain of this pirate ship and make the demands I dictate.”
“I will need a specific wardrobe,” she said, her still being naked since waking up onboard months ago.
“Specify.”
She sent the wide array of possibilities through the port, then the Elloquim responded with destination coordinates inside where such garments were currently being fabricated and would be available upon her arrival.
Kleeo Vagnam did not wake quickly, for there was no destunning agent applied. Instead he suffered through the ‘willies’ as his mind and body fought to wake up from a debilitating dream, though it seemed his crew had beat him to it. There were a number of Kiritak faces and head ridges hovering over him as his eyes fought to concentrate.
“Captain?”
“Status?” he asked, trying to sit up and having to retreat after only a few inches. His body was slow in cleansing the stunning energy from his tissue, which felt like it was under attack from thousands of pins and needles.
“We have been taken prisoner. All crew are accounted for and intact. No casualties other than a few broken bones from bad falls. Our captors have placed medical devices on them to diminish the damage.”
“Who…who are they?” Kleeo asked, finally able to sit up on his second try. When his head came up level with the ground his vision seemed to clear, though he was still far too wobbly to stand.
“We have no idea. Their technology is not familiar to anyone, and we haven’t seen anything other than their robots.”
“My friend Tabo told me being a cargo captain sucked. Now I wish I’d gone military,” the Sety said wryly as his tree-like body crackled slightly with every move he made, but none of his body tissue broke off. It was just an auditory sensation that had made many unfamiliar with his race think he might kill himself by running around, but his body tissue was quite well made for it, despite appearances to the contrary.
“I do not think a warship could have stopped this attack,” his second in command said gravely. “That ship is massive, and its approach velocity indicates advanced gravity drives. I am unsure if we could have run from it if we had the chance.”
“Yes we could have. Otherwise there would be no need for the disabling mines,” Kleeo said, looking around at his kangaroo-like crew as he rolled himself over onto his four legs and slowly stood up, bringing his head height twice that of the Kiritak. “Have we tried breaking out?”
“The shields are too high to jump over, and when we pair up roaming drones move in to intercept us. No one has gone over to see what they would do.”
“Don’t try it then. They kept us alive for a reason…” he said as the doors from a nearby hallway opened up and a Human figure appeared. The Sety frowned, not sure if this was another prisoner from another ship, or if they’d actually been attacked by a rogue Human faction.
As the individual approached he saw that it was a female with an elaborate headdress that matched equally elegant forearm gauntlets and shin guards that wove themselves down into boots that were part material and part holes showing her skin and toes, but the rest of her body, including her entire torso, was bare…or at least it appeared so until she got close, then he saw that she was fully covered with a transparent body suit that shimmered every now and then with an artificial glow.
“Captain Vagnam,” she said sweetly as she stopped on the other side of the shield barrier some 30 meters down through the mass of Kiritak crowded here. “A word please.”
Kleeo clumsily walked through his crew, who created a pathway to allow him to pass, until he was looking down on the Human through the shield barrier. “Who are you?”
“I am known as Kyra, Captain, and I apologize for the circumstances of our meeting…and of alleviating you of part of your cargo. It is necessary for certain functions of my ship, and we didn’t have time to collect it ourselves. Mining solari is such a tedious task.”
“Your attack has been reported,” he warned.
“Of course. We are not here to harm you. If we were you would already be dead.”
“If it’s our cargo you want, why haven’t you fled with it…or are you keeping my ship too?”
“No, no. We’re about to release you and your crew. But first we need to make proper introductions.”
“I’m sure one of our warships will introduce itself to you soon enough,” he quipped, then crackled his arms in an intimidating and annoyed fashion.
“You’d better send more than one,” Kyra pointed out. “Or did we take you by such surprise you didn’t have a chance to see my ship?”
“I saw. Where did you get it from?”
“It’s not stolen, if that’s your angle. No, I’m here because I need your cargo, but more than that I need an introduction. My race is called the PanNari, and I need to speak with one of your trailblazers.”
Kleeo’s face turned angry. “They’re fighting a war far from here.”
“Yes, which was why we must greet you as an enemy. A friend would not have sufficient priority to get their attention. If you require a battle against some of your warships to prove my ship’s power, then send them and we will play, but what I have to say is for the trailblazers only…unless you want to send your Director. No other Monarch will do.”
“You think you rate that highly?”
“We do,” she said, matter of fact.
“If you’re PanNari, why do you look Human?”
“Bio-engineering. I have this form because it was necessary for communication.”
“What is your natural form?”
“That is something we will only discuss with the trailblazers. And until one of them arrives, we’re going to help ourselves to some more of your cargo ships. You see, mine has many factories aboard and a girl just has to shop, so I make do creating my own merchandise since I’m not allow on any of your worlds. You see, I’m a bit of a kleptomaniac,” she whispered.
“Your ship is not in our database.”
“Didn’t say I used my ship, now did I? I thought a Captain would have a quicker wit.”
“Perhaps I would if my head wasn’t awash with stun effect.”
“Better than being wounded. I hope it’s clear that we’re not here to kill you. But we will cause as much trouble as needed to elicit the response of a trailblazer. So please communicate our request when we let you go. I would hate to have to put so many of your warships out of commission when they’re badly needed on the Hadarak front, but I will do what I must. I have business that only a trailblazer can deal with. A lower ranking Archon will not do.”
“I can’t guarantee their response,” Kleeo warned.
“Oh I know. I just want you to guarantee me you’ll deliver the message, then I’ll let you go.”
“I would not hold back information from my own people.”
“Well then, as soon as we finish offloading what we need, you’ll be on your way. Sorry about the damage to your ship, but I didn’t want you poking holes in mine while we boarded. Your tech is impressive, especially for a transport. Star Force does well to arm you such. I imagine you’ve never been boarded before, is that right?”
“Never.”
“Well then, this is a first for you,” Kyra said with a smile. “And for the record, you would have been safe onboard a warship, because pirates are always after the booty. And only cargo ships carry it, not warships.”
“And you’re going to keep attacking our transports until you get a response from a trailblazer?”
“A response in person, for a message won’t do. There is a lot we have to discuss.”
“Before or after he takes you prisoner?”
“He? Well, any trailblazer will do, but I would prefer a male if possible. One of the cute ones, if you can manage.”
“I have no idea what a cute Human looks like,” the Sety said, unsure if she was really going to leave or if this was a prelude to some form of interrogation.
Kyra crinkled her forehead. “I suppose you wouldn’t, but there are plenty of other Human females you can ask. Well then, Captain Vagnam…rugrats,” she said, looking at the Kiritak, “I’ll be saying goodbye. Please don’t interfere with my drones when they pull out. They’re not super cheap to replace, and you destroyed far more than I thought I’d have to use to take this ship. For that you can be proud.”
Kyra spun and walked away with a slightly cocky stride, leaving the prisoners behind and exiting out the same doors to the ship’s interior that she had entered.
“Was that adequate?” she asked, still speaking the Star Force language.
“I believe so,” Nevantha answered through the transmitter on her headdress, though no hologram emitted from it. “Are you unsure?”
“I’ve never impersonated that persona before. I have no data to correlate from. Though I know my nude form is not as attractive as other females. I feel I will fail on that count, though the trailblazers are known to be resistant to such attraction.”
“But not immune to it,” Nevantha corrected her. “The power of my ship coupled with the mystery of you should be enough to elicit their interest.”
“But will it be enough to pull them off the warfront? I have my doubts.”
“Additional provocation may be required. Unless they send an Essence-capable ship, our ship will prevail,” Nevantha said, speaking as a member of the crew just in case some recording device was escaping the disabling field in her headdress. In fact, he was hoping it would.
“And all Essence-capable ships are on the front. If they’re willing to send one of them, then they will also be capable of sending a trailblazer.”
“Tactical strength is less effective against the larger Hadarak than Essence weaponry. If we have to travel to the front we will, but I believe this is the most expedited course of action we can take.”
“Navigationally speaking, how is the travel time less?”
“Not all the trailblazers are operating on the front. A few are missing, and I believe they may be involved with the recruitment of the Essence warriors from the Temples.”
“That would place them in the Rim, not the Core,” Kyra confirmed. “Logical, but not reliable.”
“Risk is the currency of the universe, not predicated outcomes. That is a lesson beyond your current capabilities, but one that Star Force appears to have mastered early in their history.”
“How do you know what to choose if the outcome is random?”
“It is not random in fact, only from perspective. I do not know what to choose. I am deciding what course to take and will adjust as necessary along the course of events. This should not be unfamiliar to an infiltrator.”
“My missions were not time sensitive. I had nothing to lose, only information to gain.”
“The practice is no different. You are being distracted with outcomes. Focus on method and divest yourself from the outcome.”
“The outcome is my purpose,” Kyra mildly protested.
“Then your purpose must be to contest, not to secure. Opposition can cause you to fail if you focus on the latter, but not on the prior.”
“That is not what I have been built to do.”
“Nor were the Elloquim. There is an element of us beyond the technological, and the same is true for you. You must learn to develop it, and in doing so it will customize the technological in ways that your designers cannot predict. And I do not speak of your organics.”
“You speak of my Lifeforce that I cannot measure or monitor.”
“A worthy challenge that you have already begun to take on. Continue to do so when applicable.”
“So ordered,” Kyra said as Nevantha broke contact and she continued walking back to one of the makeshift airlocks they’d installed in the hull. The Craniem onboard would see to the last of the unloading and the retrieval of the drones. Her task here was done, and it was time to return to the Elloquim and rid herself of these now unnecessary accoutrements.
8
April 29, 128804
Ivata Nucorri System (Mixchan Kingdom)
Low Stellar Orbit
Ever since they had captured and released the first Star Force cargo ship they’d been on the run, jumping from system to system and poaching others wherever they found them. Most did not contain solari, but they usually had some valuable cargoes and at present the current count was at 7 hit and 7 taken. Although at the moment they were having to deal with something a bit tougher to handle than transports.
