“We can’t,” Randy added. “We’re too small, but we have found limited evidence of Hadarak-sized individuals with Essence abilities. We won’t go into details, but there are battle scars on some planets from long ago where we think they attacked and fed using Essence. Do either of you know anything about these creatures?”

  “You have most of our records,” Mak’to’ran acknowledged. “Is there something in them I missed?”

  “No. And you?” Jack asked the dragon, who hesitated several seconds before answering.

  “Only a legend from before my time, before the time of the Zak’de’ron when the Hadarak were pushed halfway out into the galaxy. They were called Nos’vo’tok, and were said to feed on Hadarak. We have no record of them ever existing. We assumed it was merely rumor and hope sparking wishful imagination that there was an enemy that could defeat the Hadarak. No evidence exists of the Nos’vo’tok ever existing, only the stories.”

  “Curious, because the Chixzon don’t have any records either,” Randy stated. “However, there is one caveat there. Have you figured it out yet?”

  “I have,” Mak’to’ran said, looking at Zeno’dor. “Feel free to answer first.”

  “State your knowledge,” the dragon said coldly.

  “They have briefly explained how their obtained their Chixzon. They required a small portion of his mind be protected from the transformation, and from that intact portion they were able to create a reservoir of individuality against the Chixzon programming from which a skilled will could reclaim their own mind. An impressive feat, but one with the flaw of losing whatever knowledge would have been contained in the area that was protected from transformation.”

  Jack and Randy both clapped theatrically. “Well deduced, Watson,” Jack said. “We know we’re missing a bit of Chixzon knowledge, so it’s possible they knew something that we currently do not, but it’s clear that Essence is a weapon the Hadarak fear.”

  “What can it do?” Zeno’dor demanded.

  “A great many things,” Jack answered cryptically. “But, size does matter, and the limited Essence weapons we’ve created have to be charged by those of us with the ability. Using something on a mass 1000 miles wide will have little effect. Only someone the size of a Hadarak with the ability to use Essence could generate enough to kill Hadarak with it.”

  “But how would the killing be done?”

  “We aren’t sure, but it’s possible a disruption effect could be created that would instantaneously kill them. That’s a skill we have not developed, for obvious reasons.”

  “You can kill directly? With no damage to the body?” Mak’to’ran asked.

  “We cannot, but we think it might be possible.”

  “It would bypass the Hadarak’s armor and mass,” Zeno’dor said as a curious expression crossed his scaled face. “You are talking about forcing the Core to disconnect from the body?”

  “That’s the theory, but it’s a skill beyond us and we’re not going to practice killing people to figure it out. I know neither of you would hesitate to do that.”

  “Other V’kit’no’sat would eagerly,” Mak’to’ran said, glaring at Zeno’dor. “But I am less a product of the Zak’de’ron than they are.”

  “Our influence, no doubt,” Randy noted.

  “I believe there is some truth in that,” Mak’to’ran freely admitted.

  “This is why neither of you are fit to lead the galaxy. You refuse to do what is necessary.”

  “Necessary to do what?” Jack demanded. “What are we saving the galaxy for if not to save the people in it? If we kill them, we’re betraying our own purpose.”

  “Some surviving is preferable to none. Sacrifice is necessary when outmatched. It can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat if the enemy is not so bold.”

  “They are that bold, or have you not noticed,” Mak’to’ran argued. “Their minions do not hesitate to die. I believe they expect it. And I have been beaten by Star Force once because I underestimated their creativity. I will not make the same mistake a second time. If you can see another path to survival, I am listening,” Mak’to’ran asked the Archons.

  “When you invaded Terraxis, we didn’t know how to beat you. We didn’t have a master plan. We prepared for evacuation long before that, but we knew we would have to adapt to whatever you did, so we expected to make it up as we went along. And that’s what we’re going to do now. Make it up as we go, figure it out, or die trying. That may seem reckless to those who meticulously plan, but we’ve learned that the universe is too complex to fully predict, so we embrace not knowing and live in the moment. We do not sacrifice to obtain objectives. We fight together, and die together, and that gives us a unity that both of you lack. You were betrayed by the V’kit’no’sat because you did not develop unity, you developed expendable servants.”

  “And you,” Randy said, pointing at Mak’to’ran’s hologram. “You’ve fought how many civil wars within the V’kit’no’sat? Your unity is weak, because you embrace sacrifice and death sentences. Valuing life can give you greater incentive than death threats, but only if you do it right. Death is an easy and effective motivator for the inferior, but it pales in comparison to the greater power of the lightside. As a wise person named Yoda once side, the darkside is the easy path…but it is not the stronger. We accomplish more because we aim for the higher power with a higher prerequisite. And only that power will stand a chance against the Hadarak’s darkside. You want to fight darkside with darkside. Good luck with that, because I think the Hadarak are far better at it than you. Hell, the lizards were better at it than you, and we beat them twice.”

  “Your methodology will not save you, hatchlings. When you grow older and more experienced, you will learn these lessons,” Zeno’dor said without animosity. “But this Essence could be a weapon we can use, if you will share it. If you have achieved it, then we will also be able to do so.”

  “Then figure it out on your own,” Jack said defiantly. “You didn’t give the V’kit’no’sat all your knowledge when you founded them, and we won’t give you Essence. Besides, even if we told you exactly what to do you probably wouldn’t make it. It takes a lot of intense training that most Archons fail to achieve.”

  “So you gloat over this power by mentioning it to me?”

  “I can’t kill a Hadarak with it,” Randy stated flatly. “And even if you had it, you couldn’t either. They are too big. But there’s something out there that can and there are huge chunks of the galaxy that we haven’t explored.”

  “And if this thing doesn’t live near planets and stars, but rather inhabits dark space, then finding it or them may be very, very difficult,” Jack added. “You can help by looking, and if you find anything let us know. You can’t research Essence because it is invisible to technology. Only those open to it can see it…except the Hadarak, which apparently have been engineered to sense it. How we don’t know yet. And I’m really hoping the Hadarak can’t use Essence and aren’t just banned from using it. The idea that these Essence users might be rogue Hadarak is one we’re considering heavily, but we need data. We don’t even know what they look like. Did your legend say anything about that?”

  “It was said they wrapped around the Hadarak and crushed them,” Zeno’dor revealed. “But that could be metaphorical. Can you demonstrate this Essence power?”

  “What part of ‘invisible’ do you not understand?” Jack scoffed. “But I will tell you that we can use it like Lachka…but Rentar doesn’t affect it, so I can kill either of you pretty damn quick by crushing your brains directly, so don’t get any funny ideas about capturing one of us for ‘study’…especially you,” he said, pointing at Zeno’dor.

  “An invisible Lachka,” Mak’to’ran repeated in a whisper, finding it hard to believe.

  “It also bypasses shielding and armor,” Randy added. “So you see why we don’t want to share it with anyone.”

  “Do any others possess this power?” Zeno’dor asked.

  “Possibly, but I get the feeling it’s extremely rare and whenever a Hadarak stumbles upon a race with it they exterminate them on the spot. That might be what their patrols are looking for.”

  “Clever,” Mak’to’ran mewed. “Harass the galaxy enough that those with the skill come to them to challenge the impossible, thus revealing themselves rather than forcing a never-ending search of the galaxy. They bait them out.”

  “Maybe. Or maybe the Hadarak are looking for more than one thing,” Jack added. “We didn’t go anywhere near them, so it wasn’t Essence that caused this response. Not from us, at least. Do either of you know what could have?”

  “Other than proximity to the Deep Core, we have no answers,” Zeno’dor answered. “But something has altered the status quo. What did you learn from your Uriti’s contact with them?”

  “They’re going to kill everyone in the galaxy,” Jack answered. “Uriti included. Anything that doesn’t have clearance to exist is going to be toast. No reason why, that’s just the way it is and always has been. Though they seemed to indicate this isn’t the first time it’s happened.”

  “How did the planets repopulate?”

  “No clue,” Randy admitted. “Now, are we going to work together or not? If we’re going to fight, then let’s get it started so we can whoop your ass and get back to the Hadarak without wasting too much time.”

  “We are far stronger than you imagine, Zen’zat,” Zeno’dor said with scorn. “But if we are to fight the Hadarak effectively we cannot hide in the shadows any longer. We must be able to build in the open, so I require a treaty with both of your empires. We leave each other alone and put our full efforts against the Hadarak, either cooperating or in parallel. We cannot waste resources fighting one another, no matter how much the V’kit’no’sat wish to do so. Our hatred of you is far greater than that against us, and we are willing to forgo it in exchange for more damage to the Hadarak.”

  “Forgo or delay?” Mak’to’ran challenged.

  “We are willing to put the matter to rest permanently. If we manage to survive beyond the Hadarak, we will not care to revisit past wrongs. We erred in creating the V’kit’no’sat and we have paid the price for our miscalculation. It is done for us.”

  “It will not be popular, but I will give the order to not engage the Zak’de’ron except in self-defense. We will not trust you, but we will not start a war we cannot afford to fight. Where do you expect to build colonies?”

  “Everywhere in the cracks of your empires. We are already there in many places, but we will claim worlds you have not and make them our own, and we will stay clear of your current ones, but when our ships pass through transit lanes, they must not be fired upon.”

  “I cannot promise no shots ever being fired,” Mak’to’ran hedged. “There may be some filled with such hatred and fear that they would dare defy my order, but the V’kit’no’sat will agree to let the past die in exchange for a better chance at a future beyond the Hadarak…but if you should betray us and strike where we are weak while we engage the Hadarak, I promise I will see you dead before we are wiped out.”

  “Likewise, Era’tran, for once we establish worlds in the open we will also be vulnerable.”

  “Nobody is afraid of us,” Jack said to Randy. “Why is that? We’re the ones with the fleet of Uriti.”

  “That’s what we get for being the good guys. No respect.”

  “You’ve always had my respect,” Mak’to’ran answered. “And even now more so if this Essence of yours is even partially as powerful as I suspect. You and I have settled our disagreements, and I do not fear you betraying us, though you are perfectly set up to do so as we turn our attention to the Hadarak.”

  “See, the power of unity. You don’t fear us because we’re reliable,” Randy said, spreading his arms wide in a gesture of simplicity. “All your vendettas and backstabbing are so wasteful.”

  “That said,” Jack added as he looked at Zeno’dor. “If you should betray us…same thing as Mak’to’ran promised. And we’ll put Kara in charge of your demise.”

  “Then we have an agreement?” the Zak’de’ron asked, ignoring the threat. “You will respect our founding of colonies…”

  “None within 100 lightyears of any of ours,” Jack noted quickly.

  “And 300 of ours,” Mak’to’ran added.

  “Agreed. And you will respect the boundaries of our servant races as well, some of whom are closer than you noted. We promise not to expand them into proximity.”

  “Name them,” Mak’to’ran urged.

  Suddenly a transmission of data came from the Zak’de’ron command ship, and the galactic maps of both the V’kit’no’sat and Star Force were suddenly updated with a slew of icons marking bits of territory here and there. The Voku were among them, along with the other servant races Star Force already knew of, but there were not dozens more, not hundreds more, but thousands of races spread across the Rim and Core, inserted into both empires’ territories at many critical places where they could be used to launch an invasion.

  “As I said, we are not as weak as you believed,” Zeno’dor all but growled, not liking the revelations one bit, for now they were exposed. “Do we have an accord?”

  “Stick with uninhabited planets,” Jack warned. “If you start conquering nearby races we may have to get involved.”

  “We do not need unskilled labor,” Zeno’dor quipped. “We need empty worlds to expand into. We will not bother those within your domain.”

  “Or beyond it,” Randy added.

  “Or beyond it,” Zeno’dor echoed, looking to Mak’to’ran.

  “Allow me forewarning before you claim worlds, so that I can declare them to the empire to avoid confusion. You must stay away from us or there will be bloodshed initially. I can look beyond the past if needed, but many others are not so free of mind. This will not be easy to accomplish, but I am in agreement and most of my empire will abide by my decision. The remainder I will have to deal with in my own way. Avoid them and I will respect your current claims.”

  “See to it that they obey your commands better than you obeyed ours,” Zeno’dor warned. “And this agreement must be made known to the galaxy. They have to know that we are all that stands against the Hadarak, and that we are not to be interfered with. Tribute would be welcome from those that cannot fight themselves.”

  “It will not be forced,” Jack warned.

  “We have no time to force it,” Zeno’dor snapped. “We are already far behind where we should be to fight this war because of our need to hide. Those races that wish to help can provide tribute. Those that wish to interfere need to know that we stand united. We cannot have the lesser races seeking opportunity in our weak areas, for we cannot waste resources with rear guard actions. We must fully go to war, and we are the least ready of this Triumvirate. We had planned to destroy the V’kit’no’sat, not the Hadarak, and we are ill suited for such a task other than for our Uriti.”

  “Will you use yours?” Mak’to’ran asked.

  “Not as you suspect,” Randy answered. “But they will fight. In their own way.”

  “Explain,” Zeno’dor demanded.

  “They are our allies, not our servants. They do not wish to kill Hadarak, but they know it will be necessary at some point. They are relying on us to know when that is, and we will not use them as cannon fodder.”

  “No, you cannot,” Zeno’dor agreed. “All the Uriti must be preserved, no matter what the cost in ships. They are the only advantage we possess, and I would greatly suggest you share with us the knowledge of the reproductive process.”

  “Turn them over to our control and we will have them reproduce,” Jack replied. “If you value your control over them as more important than the number of total Hadarak, then you’re a hypocrite.”

  “We will not turn them over to you. We have put too much effort into their training, but perhaps a trade can be made.”

  Randy raised an eyebrow. “What kind of trade?”

  “I’m sure you can come up with something equally valuable,” Zeno’dor mewed.

  “You’re having trouble controlling them, aren’t you?” Randy said, eliciting a flinch from the dragon. “They’re becoming bloodthirsty, or you nearly lost control when they met the Hadarak. Which is it?”

  “You have far greater experience with the Hadarak than we do. It would be best if one who had the override controlled them. Since you will not share it with us, then a trade would be the logical path to the most productive output in this war.”

  “What exactly do you want for them?” Mak’to’ran demanded.

  “Tribute,” the Zak’de’ron demanded. “We do not have enough infrastructure, for we have had to hide ours. We need resources to begin catching up, particularly those harvested from stars.”

  “Which you haven’t been able to get a lot of because that mining is done out in the open,” Randy summed up. “How much?”

  “Enough to create a duplicate of Itaru. After that we can handle our own expansion.”

  “We can’t deliver all that initially. It will have to be in installments,” Jack cautioned.

  “Reasonable installments are acceptable,” Zeno’dor agreed. “Delivered to a system of our choice in the far Rim.”

  “Mak’to’ran, I need a list of what you have in Itaru,” Randy said. “I don’t know the particulars.”

  “It’s a lot,” he warned. “More than they can use in the near future.”

  “It’s the price for the three Uriti,” Zeno’dor stated flatly. “How fast can you grow the small ones to the originals’ size?”

  “Not fast enough,” Randy admitted. “We’re not going to gut our own production, but we’ll make reasonable installments faster than you can use the solari.”

  “We have a bargain then…and an accord?” he asked Mak’to’ran.

  “Your Uriti bargain is with Star Force, not me. But the accord is reached. We will remain separate, but we are forming a new Triumvirate. Try to respect it more than the last one you created.”

 

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