9 Years, 5 Months, 25 Days After Eridani Landing
Empire Home World
[Vann] looked at the ship down below him. Up in the ancient [Singer] class hanger afforded [Vann] a perfect vantage point to look at the ship and the crews working on it.
“You’re joking.”
Charles looked out across the dry-dock, “she’s a fine ship Emperor. She was once the flagship.”
“Nearly a millennium ago!”
“She’s been upgraded,” said [Sam].
“She’s still a relic,” grumbled [Vann].
“A relic is what you need against the humans Emperor, they can disable our energy shields. The [Singer] was built before we had energy shielding, and we battled with kinetics much like the humans,” said [Charles].
“Not to mention the stealth systems, they’re impressive,” said [Syn].
[Vann] grunted, “I’m the Emperor. I shouldn’t’ have to sneak around.”
[Syn] shrugged, “You can’t appreciate having the ability to sneak around? Even the Imperial would be hard pressed to detect the [Singer] right on top of her.”
“Which is why the first thing you and Reece get to do is search her for hidden transponders.”
[Reece] looked up at that, “You think the Consul would hide a transmitter on the ship?”
“I would be surprised if he didn’t”
[Reece] frowned but said nothing else.
[Sam] leaning forwards turned the hologram displaying the internals of the ship, “The repairs to the hull are impressive, it looks like she’s not even been breached.”
[Charles] grunted in agreement, “From what I remember before my time with the Humans the plans were to lift the superstructure from one of her old sister ships in the junk yards.”
“What happened to the remnants of the C1764 ship?” asked [Vann].
“Military research. We never got information from the Human’s about the antimatter drive, so I imagine [Marcus] is attempting to reconstruct it from what wreckage the ship dragged home. Can’t be that much considering how little success he’s had in replicating that particular feet of technology,” said [Charles].
“On that subject, what did we get from the C1764’s that hit the Palace?”
“They’ve been in containment for a few years, at an Imperial research facility most likely given the contents of their stomachs,” said [Syn] as she glanced at a report.
“A full investigation is under way to try and determine where they escaped from, as well as what happened with the transport we saw moving away from the Palace. Security forces pursued it but the thing disappeared in the city after crashing into several buildings.”
“Well that’s a comforting thought.”
“You’re still lucky that shot missed,” said [Reece].
[Vann] nodded in agreement, “Still good to know that the class C’s havn’et made it to the home world. How they got out of containment and found all of their weapons is another matter though.”
“It’ll be investigated when someone comes forwards saying they lost samples,” said [Syn].
“Anything else?” asked [Vann] as he looked
[Charles] paused and reaching into his pocket held up a small device.
“I need to discuss this with the Emperor alone,” he looked around the room at [Sam] and [Syn], before finally turning to look at [Reece].
“Everything was supposed to be turned over to the investigation team,” said [Reece] as he took a half step towards [Charles].
[Vann] frowned, “I trust everyone in here [Charles].”
“I’m sure you do, and you’re free to tell them after I tell you what’s on this.” Charles held up the human computer device again.
[Vann] looked at him for a moment and nodded, “leave.”
[Sam] and [Syn] both quickly turned and exited the room. [Reece] looked at [Charles] for another moment before walking out.
[Vann] watched as the door closed behind them.
“What,”
[Charles] held up hand and reaching over kicked the holographic projector off at its base. Going over to the main display in the room he shut that down as well, and dimmed the windows in the observation room darkening it and obscuring the view of what had once been his ship in the dry-dock below.
“You’re Comm?” asked [Charles] as he held out his hand and produced his own.
“What are you doing?” asked [Vann].
“Security.”
[Vann] looked at him for a moment before producing his own Comm. [Charles] took it, walking back over to the door he punched it open.
“Hold onto these.”
Dumping them into the hands of [Reece], [Charles] shut the door again.
“We don’t have the time for this anymore. I’ve been trying to ease you into it, and I fear that the Consul might be convincing even you.”
“What’s on the device [Charles]?”
[Charles] dropped the human computer onto the ground, “Nothing, it’s been scrubbed.”
“Then why all of the secrecy?”
“I need to ask you a question.”
[Vann]’s eyes widened at that, “Alright.”
“The class system of the Empire is false, our claim to genetic purity is nothing but rhetoric. Do you agree?”
[Vann] stared at [Charles], “What?”
“You heard me, do you agree?”
“[Charles]! You fought against the class C’s! You’ve been trying to get me too see how much of a threat they are! They just attacked my Palace!”
“I’m trying to get you to see something that I had to learn by killing billions of people. The Humans and the other class C species are a threat, but only because of our own actions! They won’t capitulate or make peace with us,”
“Make peace? [Charles] they’re class C’s! We can’t integrate them into the Empire the only option is to eliminate them!”
[Charles] shook his head, “You can’t be so naïve to say that the genetics of the Humans is their limiting factor, It’s the culture. The Culture of every class C species is why we ever destroy them, why your ancestors started the classification system! The class C’s are a threat because they represent cultures, ideologies and species that can’t be cowed and bent to subservience!”
[Charles] stepped forwards and [Vann] got a rare glimpse of what he must have looked like before he was a drunk.
“So you want me to make peace with them?” asked [Vann].
“I would, but we won’t be able too. We destroyed Humanities worlds, and before that thousands of other class C races. We’ve brought Class B’s into our Empire and we impose our own genetics on them all as a way to help them. Things have been going on for far to long for you to change them, at least in your life time.”
[Charles] looked around the office and slowly stooping down picked up the Link.
“I want you to at least recognize that the class C are not animals or lower creatures. You’ve seen what one species can do, and the Consul already knows all of this. You’ve strived to follow the ideals of the Empire like none before you, but you need to consider that some of the ideals might be wrong.”
[Charles] deflated even further and reaching into his jacket drew out his flask and took a sip.
“Don’t underestimate them. The Humans have been learning, and the last thing that the Empire needs is for you to die and for [Marcus] to gain unfettered power. He knows the rhetoric about species is a lie, and he does not care. This sudden willingness to even recognize that the Class C’s are moving in space is to give him something to fight, to make himself look stronger.”
[Vann] bristled, “I know that [Charles] why do you think I even acquiesced to this!” he gestured out at the [Singer].
“[Marcus] has the Senate, the higher echelons of the government! I can’t take that power from him and expect to survive. I’m sitting on a powerless throne, one he’s propped up only out of tradition and propriety. My Father is not here to pass the torch of power and connections to me, so I’m going to do the one thing I can do!”
[Charles] looked taken aback, “and that is?”
“I’m going to win the people over, the citizens of the Empire. It’s been my plan since I was a child, you don’t think If I had demanded it I would have been given a cushy chair and money enough to simply enjoy myself in the Capitol? [Marcus] would have preferred that I think! A rich little Prince running around in the Capitol having ‘fun’ ensuring the line didn’t die out? Instead I’ve done what the oldest Emperors did, when the Empire was first formed!”
[Vann] gestured around the room, and at himself, “I took the military training of my own volition, the marksmanship and fighting, the tactics and hell even [Syn]! You! [Reece]! I could have surrounded myself with a legion of other politician’s children, and luxuriated. I haven’t! Instead I have a disgraced drunk, a woman trying to learn how to be a spy, and a man whose own line has served my own for generations and thinks he’s protecting me by spying on me.”
[Charles] lowered his flask from his lips, about to take another sip.
“So you think it’s [Reece] as well?”
[Vann] rolled his eyes, “I know it’s him. The fact that he shot that last Human was proof enough. I’d imagine [Marcus] has convinced him that I’m putting myself in too much danger investigating the class C and going off into space. Hell, the little attack was most likely to encourage me to think like that and view all of them as violent creatures.”
“You going to confront him?”
“I’m going to be on a stealth ship, he won’t be able to send out information without being detected. As far as I can tell he’s only reporting on things involving the class C. So I just need to keep him out of that while [Syn] sorts out what [Marcus] might have on him.”
“You called them Human.”
[Vann] blinked, “What?”
“C1764, a moment ago you called them Humans.”
[Vann] bristled slightly, “So?”
“Well it’s a lot harder to think of them as vile creatures when you use their name. We’re never going to be allies with them, the Empire has done far too much damage to the class C species in general and Humanity specifically. I’m just asking you treat them like class A opponents if you ever fight them, actually more threatening than Class A’s.”
“[Charles] I’m not going to go charging into a battle like an idiot.”
“That’s what the Emperors of old did, running forwards first on the battlefields and in the first primitive ships.”
“As much as I might want that, like you said [Marcus] can’t be allowed to continue expanding his power base. If I encounter class C’s I’ll treat them with caution.”
[Charles] nodded, “Good, although trust me. You won’t be prepared.”
9 Years, 5 Months, 23 Days After Eridani Landing
Chront – C1803 Home world
Stagg slowly stood up.
“Arik translation.”
“Sorry, turning that back on,” said the AI over the ship’s speakers.
“Repeat that,” said Stagg looking at the aide.
The woman perhaps noticing she was sealed in for the first time swallowed nervously, “How is he healing so quickly?”
Stagg didn’t respond instead she turned back to the hatch, “Weapons ready, for fuck’s sake no one shoot when we open this up.”
A chorus of affirmations rang out through the shuttle’s rear compartment.
Stagg quickly pulled her helmet on and looked back at the woman, “You realize it looks like we abducted you.”
The woman blinked and looked down at Derrick, “I suppose. I was more concerned with the fate of your crew member.”
Stagg nodded, “I’m thankful for that, but this is now an even more precarious situation.”
Stagg hit the release, the ramp shot down to the ground with a resounding clang throwing dust up into the air. C1803 military personnel were moving into position already, their weapons weren’t raised but none of them looked happy.
Bitus was at the military lines as well, looking out of breath.
The crowd which appeared to be in the midst of being moved away from the landing zone all quickly paused, the soldiers trying to move them freezing as well.
Looking around Stagg at the frozen scene she moved her hand down to her side arm. The military men watching all focused on it as she slowly removed the weapon from its holster weighing it in her hand for a moment the barrel still pointed at the ground.
Closing her eyes Stagg dropped the weapon and slowly stomped down the ramp away from the shuttle, “Come on.”
Stagg gestured at the woman and shaking herself she quickly followed. Bitus ignoring several men who tried to stop him and moved forwards as well, walking towards Stagg and the shuttle.
A dozen meters away from reinforcements on both sides Stagg looked at the man. He was calm but his lips were drawn and eyes were narrowed.
“Captain, I must stress that this was a lone attack by an individual. This was not an attack towards you, only,”
Stagg held up a hand.
“The man who shot me, where is he?”
Bitus frowned, “He has been apprehended. From what I have been told he is one of my citizens.”
“Bring him to me.”
Bitus tilted his head slightly, “He has been apprehended.”
“I said bring him to me.”
“What do you intend to do?”
Slowly reaching into her belt Stagg withdrew a small combat knife. Those holding guns on both sides of the line tightened their grips on various weapons.
“I intend to slit his throat. He has attacked a member of my crew, and even now that man is on the edge of death.”
Bitus stared at Stagg for a moment, “If I refuse?”
“Then I will rain down fire on your city, ensuring he does pay for what he has done.”
“The man has been apprehended, and he will be tried by the courts of my land as if he had attacked any other world leader. I can promise you that he will most likely be incarcerated for the remainder of his life. I will not hand over a citizen to be summarily executed without a trial.”
“Even though I can destroy your city in an instant?” asked Stagg as she took a step forwards towards Bitus.
The man stared back at her, the snakelike eyes cool.
“I have been threatened by Henswick and Renil to much the same effect. I have granted political asylum to many of their people and suffered for it. I’ll not bow to a threat like that, and you have claimed that you are here to help. Was that a lie?”
Stagg raised the knife, and flipping it around in her hand extended the handle towards Bitus.
“Good.”
Reaching out Bitus took the knife and weighed it in his hands.
“That was a test then?” he asked.
Stagg took a step back, “A lone gunman attacking aliens who descend from the sky, it is a scenario we have often imagined ourselves. Although more often we are on your side of the story trying to plead with the aliens that the single individual does not represent our species.”
Bitus’s lip twitched slightly at that, “It is comforting at least to know you have thought of our position.”
“This does not mean I am going to be as equally forgiving in the future Bitus. We are here because we don’t wish to see your species die. Your entire population could hate us and we would still defend your planet. I would rather we work together though.”
Bitus weighed the knife in his hand for a moment, “That is an odd sentiment to hold. What if we asked you to leave?”
Stagg was silent for a moment, “I don’t know. We know the Empire is coming, we don’t know if we can stop them, but we can’t sit by.”
“Humans are odd.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
A murmur ran through the crowd, and Stagg glanced back. Derrick looking a little woozy and still covered in blood had staggered up to his feet.
Reaching up Stagg removed her helmet and held it under her arm.
“He is healed?” asked Bitus.
“He is.”
The aide turned to Bitus, “the injection they gave him healed him in moments.”
The politician’s eyes widened, “Your medical technology is that advanced?”
Stagg slowly nodded, “It is, but much of it you would not be able to reproduce and it is a sensitive technology. As much as it can heal, it could very easily be transformed into a weapon.”
Bitus pursed his lips, “It will be something to negotiate than.” He glanced behind him at the line of military men.
“That tour? Would you like Anil to show you to the beach still, if this is resolved?” he asked.
Stagg glanced back at the crowd and then at the shuttle.
“I think we’re going to go back to our ship, as much as he might be healed we only performed emergency procedures, and it was head trauma. As advanced as our technology is the brain is still a mystery to us in many respects.”
Bitus nodded and stepped back.
Flipping the knife around in his hand for a moment he held it steady and looked at the blade.
“That will be fine, when will you be returning?”
“One rotation of your planet. I’m not expecting you to have everything decided by then, but I would like to at least know if you are going to help us defend your world. Further negotiations will have to take place even as we work towards that.”
Turning Stag strode back towards the shuttle, and stepping back up into it walked up the ramp even as it began to close.
“You always have to cause issues don’t you?” asked Stagg as she glared at Derrick.
The engineer collapsed back down onto one of the seats in the rear of the shuttle and groaned.
“It’s your fault. They were trying to shoot you!”
Stagg glanced down at the small scratch in her armor.
“Still you were at the center of the first interplanetary incident. If history doesn’t remember you as the worst engineer in the Human fleet, you’ll at least have that honor.”
Leaning back against the hull Derrick slowly raised a fist and extended his middle finger.
“And being shot for insubordination directly after the incident,” said Stagg.
“I suffered head trauma, I’m not responsible for my actions at the moment.”
Stagg snorted and turned back to the cockpit of the shuttle.
“Are you alright?” asked Arik her voice low and localized in the shuttle.
Derrick grimaced and rubbed at the side of his head where the bullet had hit and glanced off of his skull.
“I got a headache.”
“Yeah well you’ve got a hard head.”
Derrick ignored her.
The shuttle slowly rose from the ground and Derrick tried to ignore it his head still pounding form the impact and the rapid superficial healing of the nano-machines.
9 Years, 5 Months, 25 Days After Eridani Landing
Jikse
Diana slowly moved through the alley of the city, just inside the perimeter that the Empire had created giving most a false sense of security.
Not that it would have mattered if someone were behind the more advanced security precautions in the center of the city. From what Diana could tell a well-placed EMP would disable most if not all of it. The Empire, and thus the class B citizens of the planet were far too reliant on shielding technology when a solid metal door would serve the same purpose.
The man she was following was just as vulnerable. He was one of the foremen for the public space transportation hubs, for the non-government vessels at least. A position that leant him some amount of power, but given the lack of actual space traffic not much revenue or opportunity to exercise it.
He frequented the cheaper bars, which Diana now knew intimately as she followed him to them. Once again being stunned by the fact that even what seemed to be the seediest bars on the planet would have been downright friendly on Earth or Mars.
The class B population was far too trusting, and willing to take people at their word. Diana almost felt bad for what she was doing to [Orin] and [Hal] making them more cynical with her Class C ways. Even if the two still refused to believe she was class C.
The man stumbled, tripping on some piece of ancient concrete. Sprawling forwards, the man lay on the ground for a moment grumbling to himself.
“You alright?” asked Diana.
The man glanced up at her, “I fine.”
Extending a hand out to him Diana leaned over.
This particular Class B citizen had a faint reddish tint to his skin, and wispy hair, but the blue striations under his eyes and around his neck marked him as a very obvious class B.
“Can I help you?”
The man focused on her hand for a moment, before taking it.
Diana quickly pulled him up, almost throwing the man into the air as she righted him. The man stumbled again, this time into her.
Diana smiled and let him lean against her for a moment as he got his footing back.
“You alright?” repeated Diana as she looked up at the man.
He blinked and stepped away.
“I am, wait,” the man turned looking around, wondering where the pretty young woman had disappeared to. One moment she had been helping him up the next she was gone.
Blinking sets of eyelids the man clicked his teeth and continued down the street, the image of the pretty, but very class B woman burned into his inebriated mind.
Leaning against the wall of the alley Diana finished copying the data from the Comm unit and dropped it. She had no idea if he could trace it, but the data was all she needed and Imperial Comm units were so ubiquitous that even trying to pawn it was useless.
Pulling up her Link Diana frowned. Smacking it on her hand once, the device sputtered to life. The screen had been going haywire recently as tough as the little devices were, hardened for vacuum and temperature extremes, the humidity of the planet seemed to be getting to it.
Diana had reluctantly been looking at replacing it with an Empire Comm unit, but nothing they had came even close to covering the functionality of the human device. Not to mention that hacking something together given the confusing nature of Empire technology in general would make it difficult to transfer all of the data she had on her Link over.
“Really Sek?” muttered Diana as she looked at the contact information.
She had thought the man would be at least using a pseudonym, but no Sek was directly stated in the contacts. Unless that was a fake name itself.
Diana frowned and chuckling to herself initiated the connection.
Empire communication channels had a low buzz in the background that was present until a connection was made. Diana slowly began to walk down the avenue again, moving deeper into the city as she waited for the communication to connect.
The buzzing died, “You had better have a good reason for calling me right now!” said a muffled voice through the line.
Diana frowned, “You know on my planet at least the so called crime lords wouldn’t be sleeping at only an hour past sunset. I had thought it was a universal trait, but I guess that’s just my culture.”
“Who is this?”
“I’m hurt, we had such a nice conversation in the park.”
The line was silent for several moments.
“What do you want?”
“I want to ask you a question, just one then you can go back to sleep with my sincere apology for waking you up.”
Diana paused for a moment before she stepped into another alley glaring at a man who hesitantly extended a hand towards her.
“Your ship, the one you’re planning on sending out in a few days. It’s got antimatter on it, right?”
The line was silent for several moments.
“That’s about the only answer I needed, although could I ask what you intend to do with it?”
A vicious growl ripped through the communication line and Diana pulled the Link away from her head for a moment.
“How did you know?”
“I didn’t you just confirmed it though. Given how lax the security is on the Empire transports and the fact that you could store nano-machines like any other medical equipment I was curious why you were going to all these lengths to hide something on your own ship. The Empire might frown on new tech, but antimatter? They know how dangerous that is. Not to mention you had to have set up containment.”
Sek muttered several things that didn’t translate.
“You know; I think history is going to repeat itself. You came in here and kicked the class B’s out, and that was with your squad of goons. Me? I think I’ll be able to kick you out all by myself. Still, we both don’t like the Empire. Tell me what you’re doing with the antimatter. I can almost guarantee I have a better use.”
“I am not going to tell you what my people need it for.”
“It’s not going to be a bomb is it? That’s about the only thing the Empire can do with it besides a few obscure manufacturing process, but I doubt you want it for that. Your people from what I can tell scavenge and use Imperial tech. My people have a novel use for antimatter that would be far more devastating than a simple explosion.”
Diana heard only the sound of moving cloth and a bedframe scraping slightly on a floor.
“As interesting as that sounds I’m going to send it to my people.”
Diana nodded as she looked in a shop window at what appeared to be Dorvakian sweets.
“I understand; I can say in your position I would probably do the same thing.”
“I’m glad we understand one another. Now, do you feel the need to demand anything else?”
“No, I am going to tell you something though.”
“And that would be?”
“I’m going to steal the antimatter from you, right before you launch your ship. Hell I might even hijack your entire ship and send it to my people instead, I know a lot more can be done with it than with a species that decided to nuke itself. Plus everything else on that ship, we’ve only gotten to look at the wreckage of a fighter to reverse engineer from. The plethora of materials on that transport would be incredibly useful for my people.”
“You sound confident girl. I’m the one who has this city, all you have are some worthless class B’s that follow you like fals.”
“I’m assuming that’s a dog or something,” said Diana. Not waiting for his final comment Diana cut the communication.
Stepping into the shop Diana pointed at the sweets on display, “How much?”
The owner looked up, “I’m closed.”
“Door was open.” Said Diana pointing at the shop entrance.
The hair on the woman’s head moved slightly, as if it was showing her thoughts move.
“50?” asked Diana as she swiped her Link over the counter in front of the woman.
She glanced down and shrugged.
“Why not.” Reaching into the case the woman drew out the sweets with the tray and handed it to Diana.
“Thanks.”
Turning Diana walked out of the shop and balancing the tray in one hand activated her Link again.
“So we get it?” asked Diana.
[Orin]’s voice filtered across the line first, “I got my data recorded.”
” Same for me,” said [Hal].
Diana let a small smiled form on her lips, “good, meet back at the tower. I’ve got us a treat!”
Closing that communication channel Diana slipped the Link back into her jacket and considered the sweets for a moment.
Picking one up and looking at it for a moment she popped it into her mouth and chewed.
The taste of the sweet was only enhanced by the fact that Sek had fallen for the little trick. [Hal] and [Orin] were on opposite sides of the city, and using small programs she had managed to get running on the Imperial Comms they had acted as the second and third antenna in a triangulation network.
Even if Sek was encrypting his communications, the source could still be easily traced.
Walking down the street Diana felt a small twinge of guilt at what she was planning, the man was on his own home world trying to fight to take it back. The natural instincts he had were cut-throat enough, eliminating the competition and creating scarcity for a commodity. He had removed the class B’s well enough, but it was a false sense of control.
Diana popped another sweet into her mouth.
Her Mother had run what had basically been the third faction of the Human war in the Sol system. She had been completely allied with the Martians but they only grudgingly did so. The Station, all of the resources and man power that had gone through it had been hers to command.
Diana had been only another resource in that game, it was a fact that didn’t lessen the feelings she had towards her mother. It was a realistic one. She had been groomed as the successor at the genetic level.
Diana paused and leaning back looked up at the sky, through the light of the city only a few of the far points of light were visible.
“One day,” she muttered.