The Splinter Alliance (Beyond the Impossible Book 2), page 2
Few intermingled. Kara accepted Cando’s invitation to sit at his side, and Chi-Qua found a spot next to Yusef Matook, a tan-skinned bulwark of a man who also hailed from Yaniff but joined the war long before Cando. From time to time, Chi-Qua leaned over to ask a question and Yusef pointed out features of his comm stack, which was embedded atop his left forearm. Otherwise, the distinction between tribes was obvious and awkward.
Ryllen and Exeter, the resident immortals, had eyes only for each other. Kara learned scant details about their relationship beyond that they always found time between battles to indulge their passion. She begrudged love to no one, but this did not sit right. It meant Ryllen was more compromised than the reckless assassin she met when he was six years younger. And Exeter? Kara hadn’t spoken ten words to him, nor had she seen him say anything without Ryllen’s cue. Exeter had reason to despise the Inventor, but she knew nothing else.
The Green Sun agents ate with less outward enthusiasm about the food. Perhaps it was such standard fare, they couldn’t work up the joy. Or perhaps, as Kara suspected, they were skeptical of the whole business. She’d yet to see them converse even with Hokkis in black.
Ham took a neutral seat between the tribes. His eyes gave away nothing, although Kara thought his glances focused more on the agents who he called “small blades hidden in wait.”
“It’s quite a sight,” Kara told Cando. “More than half your team aren’t Hokkis, but they defended Hokkaido. I can’t imagine anything like that happening here.”
“Ethnic divisions are not as profound in my Collectorate. And we don’t defend worlds, per se; we fight the Chancellors wherever they are. The Twenty Talons is a unified network of systems. Our legions number a hundred million. And still, it’s not enough.”
The implication staggered Kara. If so vast an army with this technology couldn’t prevail, how devastating must the Chancellor war machine have been? And yet, Cando and his team did not seem bothered addressing a Chancellor as Admiral. Did Ryllen use his exalted status to convince them to play along? Was he calling the shots? What might happen if he pushed back against Ham’s orders?
“Twenty Talons,” Kara said between bites. “It’s an unusual name for an army. Not that I know much about military history.”
Cando raised a thumb. “Good for you. The study of conquest and slaughter reaffirms what humans are at their core. Depressing.” He pointed to her half-eaten Kohlna. “Enjoy your taste of home. Let’s talk of brighter things. What kind of humor do you Hokkis enjoy?”
“What do you mean? Like … jokes?”
“Jokes. Parody. Any form of wit. I’ve spent time on a dozen worlds, and I always want to know what makes the locals laugh.”
“Easier to break the barriers that way?”
“If we can laugh together, we can fight together.”
“You have an interesting outlook on life, Cando. I hate to disappoint, but Hokkis don’t excel in humor. We have comedians, but they tend to be very dark and niche. Jokes are considered a poor mask by some, and far too close to the nose by others.”
“Too bad. How do you lighten the load?”
“Other than wine and liquor? Oh, I’d say shiny things or upvotes on IntraNex channels.”
“Don’t forget Sheemo.”
Kara was surprised when Jai Zaan, a Green Sun agent who specialized in collider pistols and general mayhem along with her brother Joa, jumped into the conversation. Kara wasn’t aware anyone was listening.
“Oh, yes.” Kara nodded. “Sheemo. It’s a type of dance. Very popular the past few years in certain groups. Involves levitation, chemicals, and a strange collection of gymnastics.”
Jai frowned. “Huh. Spoken like somebody who doesn’t know. I never saw rich coits like you around the halls.”
“I think you’d be surprised. Those rich coits are good at disguise.”
Cando laughed as he set down his finished tray.
“Levitation, chemicals, and gymnastics? Tell me about Sheemo.”
Jai curled a smile. “It’s all about finding the right combi …”
“Enough of this nonsense!”
They all turned. Yusef Matook, who had been keeping company with Chi-Qua, broke up the discussion loudly enough to gather everyone’s attention. Yusef might have passed for Cando’s cousin. His thick, unkempt mustache stood alone among the company.
“Cando, my brother, no one is concerned with Sheemo. There are weightier matters. This beautiful young woman asked you about Twenty Talons, and you diverted the subject to humor. I think now is a perfect time to discuss our army. These fighters who joined us,” he pointed to the young Hokkis, “should know what we stand for. It will motivate them.”
Cando rolled his eyes. “Sneaky one, this man,” he told Kara. “He hides a third ear. If it’s a secret you wish to disclose, make sure Yusef is far away. At least two sturdy walls.”
Yusef sharpened a grin. “To be safe, try three.”
“I hoped to avoid such matters over dinner,” Cando said. “This meal was meant to be a meditation, my brother.”
“Judging from the trays, I’d say most are finished meditating. Yes?” He faced the Hokkis. “Care to know about Twenty Talons?”
The young killers shuffled awkwardly, a few turning to Kara or Ham, as if wanting affirmation to speak. Joa Zaan, the other twin, didn’t wait for approval.
“I do.”
Yusef clasped his hands and scanned the room. “Objections?”
Cando groaned. “Would it matter, Yusef?”
“Doubtful.” He turned to Ryllen. “With your permission, Colonel?”
“The deck is yours, my brother,” Ryllen said – his first words since dinner began. “But abbreviate the story. Some of us have heard it a few hundred times.”
Cando leaned into Kara and whispered, “He loves this bit. I told him he should be on stage if the war ever ends.”
Yusef stood and gave himself ample room to stretch.
“Imagine, if you can, a great bird of prey, with a wingspan as long as this ship. His eyes yellow as the midday sun, his feathers blacker than your worst nightmare, his cry a carrion call to doom and heard for dozens of kilometers. But his greatest weapons are his talons. Each is the size of a man with the power to rip his largest prey in half. And his talons number twenty.
“Such a beast existed long ago. The Dameraat. He dominated Earth during pre-history, before the rise of humans. Many records exist of his final years, during which he was hunted to extinction. The Dameraat never sought a fight with humans until they invaded his nesting grounds. Then he retaliated.
“He killed many intruders in the only way he knew. But men arrived in such numbers and with overwhelming weapons, until he was beaten back and his territory all but consumed. When his species was thought to be lost, one Dameraat clung to life. The legends speak of a bird who fought for his land years on end. His wounds were often thought to be mortal. He lost an eye. He lost his cry. First one wing was shattered then the other. And in time, his talons were destroyed in what appeared to be his final gasp. One, five, ten, nineteen.
“He retreated on a single talon and fell over the edge of a steep ridge. He descended into a fog-shrouded valley. His killers were satisfied. But what they did not see through the fog bank was the single talon holding fast to the rock face.
“Every instinct told the Dameraat to let go and end his suffering. Of course, he refused. Though his pain was unendurable, he never let go of the ridge. He edged up the rock face an inch at a time. His vision all but gone, his stomach empty, he mustered the courage to ascend, knowing full well he had no chance of reaching the top.”
Yusef paused for dramatic effect, scanning the crowd, and at last shaking his head.
“You expected me to say he succeeded. No. The Dameraat’s final talon gave way inches shy of the top. He never surrendered, but the last of his body betrayed him. His end became a symbol to all those who will fight to the death though they know victory is beyond reach. They will cling to the edge of life itself.”
He pointed to his comrades in black armor.
“We have spent the last years of our lives fighting and dying for the largest independent army in human history. A coalition spanning the Collectorate.” To the Hokkis, he said, “From what I have heard of your own history, you were once sorely in need of unified resistance. But you were fortunate. Your Chancellors bore no comparison to ours. Yours lived like gods but were soft around the middle. Our Chancellors, on the other hand, live to wage war.
“They attack colonies and outposts like a storm bent upon disintegration and annihilation. Those who survive are enslaved and forced to rebuild what the Chancellors obliterated. They are human in name only. It is sad. It is miserable. It is fire and blood. We are always outnumbered and outgunned. We die by the thousands every day. But, my dear Hokkis, it is not entirely hopeless. Like the Dameraat, the Twenty Talons never surrender.”
Yusef gesticulated wildly as he upset the dinner of nine fighters who already thought they were in over their heads.
“The Chancellors lose as much ground as they gain each time they invade a planet. We provide a shield for the natives until the Chancellor Swarm moves on to its next target. We have all watched comrades be slaughtered in the most dreadful manner. We’ve hid among the dead to survive. We have killed millions of the enemy and committed unspeakable crimes in the name of survival and freedom.
“We may never win the war. The Chancellors outnumber us four to one, and their weapons are superior on every battlefield. Land, sea, space. They are supreme, and they have no appetite for peace even though they know we will never surrender.
“But we are here now, fighting on your behalf. We are the Twenty Talons, and we will give all of ourselves to make sure the war in our universe never crosses the divide. We fight dirty. We kill first and ask questions later. If at all.
“I know most of you are uncertain about going forward. I understand. The price for fighting alongside the Talons is high, even if you survive. But what of the rewards? You love Hokkaido. You never want to see it in flames. If you are ready to protect your world, the Talons will help show you the way. Thank you.”
Yusef took a bow to a stunned audience of Hokkis.
Cando leaned into Kara and sighed.
“That was not the abbreviated version. He added new flourishes.”
Kara was as inspired as terrified.
“The, uh, bird … it’s …”
“Mythology. Still, it’s a powerful story. Nice selling tool, as well.”
Reactions poured out to Yusef’s theatrical message.
“We’re in,” Jai and Joa shouted. “Twenty Cudfrucking Talons!”
The other Hokkis who didn’t respond verbally nonetheless seemed energized, their shoulders firm and their eyes huge, as if ready to jump into the fray.
One thing appeared certain: They weren’t in need of another motivational speech from Ham. If Yusef’s performance didn’t seal the deal, Kara doubted Ham’s eloquent words would matter.
However, she thought the most interesting result arose from the Talons themselves. The ones who had been sullen and disconnected, who only removed their helmets to eat, were stirring. Perhaps they needed to hear the story again to remember why they fought. Fists pumped. Affirmations echoed.
Perhaps the most enthusiastic – the stars in her eyes gave away as much – was Chi-Qua, who enjoyed Yusef’s company throughout the meal and for any number of hours while Kara slept. Chi-Qua stood to applaud at Yusef’s final bow and draped him in praise when he returned to his seat. She fawned as if caught in a schoolgirl crush.
That didn’t take long.
Kara was unsure whether to be excited for her or jealous. She freed Chi-Qua of any service obligations before they escaped Hokkaido, but to see her best friend’s attention diverted with such speed …
“You took the long way around,” Ryllen told Yusef, setting his tray aside, “but did yourself proud. If we open a recruiting office, you’re in charge, Yusef.”
“Thank you, Colonel!”
Ryllen presented a less melodramatic tone as he addressed the undecided Hokkis.
“I can’t compete with Yusef, but I can bottom-line this shit. I used to be your brother in Green Sun. I know your hearts. You want to protect the Hokki way of life. Me too. Only way we do that? Protect everydamnbody else. We can drop you off on Huryo, and you’ll be safe for a while. But if we don’t destroy the Splinters, it won’t last. Barriers are gonna come down.
“You think the universe I’ve been fighting and dying in the past six years is bad? Imagine what it looks like if all nine merge. I can’t process it, my brothers and sisters.” He pointed to Exeter. “Worst part for me and X is that we’re immortal. We’ll die then wake up to the same nightmare ten minutes later. That’s no way to live forever.
“So, we’re gonna fight. We kill anyone that slows us down. We don’t compromise. We don’t negotiate. We’re the Twenty Talons. We’ll teach you how to be soldiers, but we’ll also teach you how to be animals. Real war requires both.” He turned to Ham. “Thoughts, Admiral?”
Ryllen’s little speech clinched matters for Kara: Whatever redeeming qualities she saw in him before he acquired the Splinter vanished. Ham was right: He couldn’t be trusted. He saw the future through a narrow, savage tunnel, and those who opposed him would soon breathe their last. And yet, they’d never succeed without him.
“I have little to add,” Ham told the crew. “Cando says the calibration on the Worm will be complete very soon. Unless we have defections, we will be one wormhole slip from Artemis Station. I’ve no idea what we’ll find there if anything. Questions?”
An awkward silence followed.
A hesitant hand rose among the Hokkis.
“Yes, Joa.”
“Why are you the Admiral and not RJ?”
“Colonel Jee.” Yusef muttered the correction.
“I’m sorry,” Joa said. “My apologies, Colonel.”
Ryllen showed indifference, striking his eyes on Ham.
“Go ahead, Admiral,” he said. “The question makes sense.”
“It does,” Ham said. “You want to know why the Talons would ever take orders from a Chancellor after what they’ve experienced? It’s a logical question. Very simply, the Talons know I am their ally because RJ … the Colonel … knows me. We go back many years, so to speak. Plus, I am in a unique position to understand the mindset of many forces we might face. The Talons and I spent hours discussing these matters before we attacked Kara Syung’s wedding.
“We understand each other. We will fight for each other. But to clarify a point: Colonel Jee will oversee military matters because he knows his team best. My job will be logistical.”
There were no follow-ups, no debates, no defections.
In the last hour before the crew of twenty-four prepared to make the worm slip to Artemis Station, Kara watched Ham with a careful eye. Like her, Ham was a fraud. He deferred to others and listened rather than commanded. He was no more the Admiral of this fleet of two ships than Kara was qualified to participate in the mission.
She buried her doubts for now and prepared to move forward, wondering how soon the veneer of unity might collapse.
3
T HE TALON PILOTS WARNED THEIR new recruits about a body’s initial response to entering Worm. Expect a momentary sensation of your organs flipping inside out, Cando said. It won’t last a third of a second, but the side effects might linger, Yusef added. Have a vomit bag close by. The other soldiers enjoyed that last bit, as if they longed to see what might happen to green rookies – one of which was their acting Admiral. Ryllen assured the Hokkis not to worry; the sensation faded after ten or twelve Worm slips.
Kara took one of the chairs beneath Scramjet Ram’s navigation matrix at Cando’s invitation, along with Ham and three Green Sun agents. Jai and Joa Zaan had that distinctive youthful grin which said, “I’ve got this,” while Po Wynn looked like he might be ready to lose his dinner before the slip.
Po, a spindly nineteen-year-old, joined Ham and Ryllen on the violent mission to Mangum Island that set them all on a new course. He was one of the first to commit to this journey but seemed terrified at the prospect of crossing vast reaches of space in mere minutes. Kara grabbed his hand until he appeared to settle.
Behind them, five Talons took a casual stance. They whispered among themselves and chuckled on occasion. This was old hat.
Holowindows dropped from the matrix port to display a variety of interfaces, most of which were well beyond Kara’s understanding. She did, however, grasp the Galactic Plane Navigation Model. The Collectorate laid out before her. Forty systems spanning nine hundred light-years. Hokkaido was twenty-two light-years from the nearest system. She never realized just how isolated it was until today. The expanse took her breath away. And to think: The Chancellors controlled all these worlds for a thousand years.
A wide variety of windows drifted around Cando, who occupied the chair at the base of the hemisphere. He ran his fingers through algorithms, star charts, and system checks. Another window shoved its way to the center of his attention.
“What’s your status, my brother?” Yusef asked from Scramjet Horn, which held position a thousand meters to port.
“Drivers are building the magnetic field,” Cando replied. “Scooping black matter substrata. We’ll have aperture in thirty seconds. Plugging in slip coordinates now.”
“We’re in sync, my brother.”
A vector graphic came to life on the GPNM, displaying the wormhole’s path in the form of a red snake. The total route seemed short compared to the breadth of the Collectorate – until another graphic overlaid the colonies by name.
“For all the rings,” Kara gasped. “We’re going to bypass nine systems. How long will it take, Cando?”
“Actually, those are the nine inhabited systems. We’re also going to slip through eleven uninhabited. A big place, the galaxy. Yes?”
