For Glory, page 8
Along with the Freedom and several UHSF destroyers came a squadron of Chaanisar battle cruisers. The Chaanisar usually traveled with Jon in some capacity. They were elite warriors, and were also resistant to the Mistraan psionic attacks. Having Hishim on board also helped, as he could block the psionic attacks. Jon brought Breeah and Anki along, as per Miira’s request, and had also brought Jamie, as it was his visions that had necessitated this trip.
Jon took his seat on the bridge of the Freedom and watched as the ship’s commander, Captain Henderson, ordered the opening of a jumpspace portal. The other ships did the same, and they soon crossed into the fiery madness of jumpspace. Jon gazed at the subspace realm on the viewscreen, still fascinated by the chaos he witnessed. Through jumpspace, one could travel mind-bending distances. Something that would have been unimaginable, like visiting a distant galaxy, was now possible through jumpspace. Some speculated that jumpspace could potentially even link to other universes as well. Jon had seen no evidence of that but couldn’t rule anything out.
Much of it was above Jon’s head, but what he did understand was that, along with opportunities, jumpspace presented many threats. For example, it was the discovery of the jump gate in the Sol System that led to the Juttari invasion. Through jumpspace, the Mistraan, whose homeworld was at the other side of the galaxy, could threaten Sol, the colonies, and even the Dvorkan Empire. The Mistraan apparently fled their galaxy through jumpspace and ended up in the Milky Way. Then there was Kevin and his misadventure in another galaxy due to a mistake navigating jumpspace.
Of course, that all meant that an unknown enemy from another galaxy could use jumpspace to invade the Milky Way or one of its star systems. The potential presented by it all was dizzying, but it also allowed Jon to understand how beings like the Antikitheri, or the Erinyie, could use it to spread their influence to other galaxies. Then there were the Maeficus and the Guardians. Beings who were entirely on another plane of existence and fought a war throughout time and space.
They were learning, though. Humans may be insignificant to some of these beings, but they learned and adapted. The last time Jon took this trip to see Miira, he relied on Hishim to navigate and was surprised when Hishim took them to an unknown star system where a war raged between two insectoid civilizations. Hishim wanted to show them a potential future threat, but he had made the decision arbitrarily without asking for Jon’s permission first. Hishim had learned more about how to interact with humans since then, and while he did scoff at many human idiosyncrasies, he did his best to comply. Back then, the UHSF was not skilled at navigating jumpspace and needed Hishim’s help, whereas now they could reliably visit most star systems in the galaxy without help. Humans learned and adapted.
When they did reach Dvorkan space, they opened several portals and entered the Imperial star system without cloaks so as not to surprise the Taymati. The Taymati were expecting their arrival this time and would hopefully not be too jumpy about it. So, when Taymati warships started appearing all around them, Jon remained calm.
“Broadcast to all our ships that there are to be no aggressive movements,” Jon said. “This is standard Taymati behavior.” Jon knew that on top of all the ships they could see, there were also at least as many cloaked ships within weapons range. If the Taymati wanted to, they could turn Jon’s entire battle group into dust.
“Admiral, the Empress has sent a comm request,” the comms officer said.
“Patch her through to my console,” Jon said.
Miira’s face appeared on Jon’s display, and she said, “Welcome back, Admiral. My Taymati are requesting that only the Freedom enters orbit around the Imperial world. I hope you understand.”
“Of course, Empress,” Jon said.
“It is Miira to you. Once you are in orbit, you’ll be free to come down to the Winter Palace. But you’ll have to use a shuttle to do so. Personal jump portals are not permitted.”
“Understood. See you soon.” Miira ended the comm, and Jon said, “Captain Henderson, take the Freedom into orbit around the Imperial planet. The rest of the battle group will hold position here.”
“Yes, sir,” said Henderson.
Once in orbit, Jon headed to the hangar bay, where he met Breeah, Anki, and Jamie. The four of them boarded a shuttle and headed down to the surface and the Winter Palace. Jon had also notified Miira that Hishim would be present on his comm. Taymati atmospheric fighters escorted them down, and Jon admired the Taymati’s attention to detail. It must have really stung their pride when the Dran managed to infiltrate the palace using personal jump portals.
The shuttle landed on palace grounds, and more Taymati waited on the surface for them. As with the ships, Jon was sure that there were many cloaked Taymati in addition to those he saw. Jon, Breeah, Anki, and Jamie all disembarked, and Taymati soldiers escorted them into the palace where Miira waited.
Miira greeted everyone and said, “My apologies for not meeting you outside, but the Taymati have been hyper-vigilant since the attack.”
“No need to explain, Miira,” Jon said. “We understand.”
“Would you like to see Devar?” Miira said.
“Yes!” said Breeah. “Where is the little prince?”
“He is playing in the garden. Come.”
They set off through the palace toward the garden, and Jon marveled at the intricate beauty of the building. The Winter Palace had been one of the homes of the Dvorkan Emperors for centuries and was a work of art itself, not to mention the priceless art contained within its walls. Jon noted that Miira looked a little more comfortable in her surroundings, more like she belonged. It was a good sign.
When they entered the palace gardens, Jon noticed a toddler playing with his toys while Dvorkan nursemaids fussed over the tiniest details. Miira strode over to the boy, who stretched out his arms when he saw his mother asking to be picked up. Miira scooped him into her arms and brought him over to the group.
“Allow me to introduce Prince Devar, heir to the Dvorkan Empire,” Miira said.
Jon smiled and said, “Hello, Devar.”
Breeah and Anki both fawned over the boy, saying how cute he was, and Jon glanced at Jamie, who looked surprised by their behavior. Jon totally understood. Here were two Reiver women who were some of the fiercest fighters Jon had ever seen, and both melted at the sight of this boy. It was truly a sight to behold.
Devar returned to his play, and Miira had food and refreshments brought out. They spent the time catching up with Miira on a personal level and refrained from talking business.
After a few hours of socializing, Miira did turn the discussion toward the winged aliens by turning to Jamie and saying, “Jon tells me you had a vision of our future. What did you see?”
“I visited a potential future, to be exact. It was very bad. Are you sure you want to hear it?”
“I’m sure. If I’m to be the Empress, I cannot be squeamish over threats to the Empire.”
“Very well,” Jamie said. “In the future I visited, I saw several Dvorkan planets that had been reduced to ruins. I also saw planets that were not, and those had been turned into hunting grounds.”
“I don’t understand,” Miira said. “What do you mean when you say hunting grounds?”
Jamie sighed, clearly uncomfortable with the conversation. “The sky was full of the winged aliens. They hunted the population.”
“They hunted Dvorkans?” Miira said.
“Yes. They would swoop down like birds of prey and take people at random with their claws. There was terror and hysteria in the streets.”
Miira stared silently at Jamie, her expression grim. “And you are sure that this will come to pass?”
“No. This is only a possible future.”
“But you’re saying it will come to pass if we lose to the Bane.”
“I assume the Bane is the name of these winged aliens?” Jamie said.
“It is what the generals call them, yes.”
Jamie nodded. “As I said, it is a possible future, but I would assume that if you lose to the Bane and they take control of your star systems, this will likely be the result for those worlds.”
“You said you were at a stalemate with the Bane,” Jon said. “What does that mean?”
“The military built a jump gate that connected one of our star systems to a Bane star system. We are holding the Bane at that jump gate.”
“I see,” Jon said. “But if you lose your hold of the jump gate, you could lose the entire star system.”
“I am not a military person,” Miira said. “You understand these things far better than I do. From what I’ve been told, we are technologically superior to the Bane in many ways, but they have far greater numbers.”
“It is an advantage that the Bane are reliant on the jump gate. The jump system should have given your forces an overwhelming edge against them.”
“From what I understand, the Bane numbers were too great, and they managed to incapacitate the jump system somehow. Our ships could not jump or use their jump bombs.”
That caught Jon’s attention. “How did they do that?”
“I do not know.”
“That’s a problem. If you cannot use the jump system, then their greater numbers can overwhelm you.”
“Yes, but there’s potentially another problem. I probably should not be telling you this, but I believe it affects you as well as us. Besides, I am the Empress. The Bane managed to take one of our warships, which means they could have access to the jump system technology. If they reverse engineer it, they could bypass the jump gate altogether.”
Jon was stunned. How did the Dvorkan generals screw this up so badly? Jon shook his head. If the Bane had a way to neutralize the jump system, that could undermine everything. “This is not good, Miira.”
“No, it is not. Something needs to be done.”
“I agree. I just wish we knew more about these aliens. Hishim, do you know anything that could shed light on the situation.”
“I do. The creatures you speak of are not called the Bane, but you could not pronounce their real name, so the Bane will have to suffice.”
“Then you recognize these aliens?”
“Of course.”
“Why didn’t you say something earlier?” Jon said.
“You did not ask me. You have asked me now, and I am providing you with an answer. Is this a problem? Another one of your strange human quirks?”
Jon sighed. “Never mind about that. What do you know about the Bane?”
“You are correct in assuming that they control an empire. However, they are not aggressive beings. That is, they are not aggressive until provoked. Had your generals sought friendship, they would have either agreed or asked to be left in peace. They would not have attacked. The fact that your generals stated that their intentions were to subjugate their civilization was a tactical error. The Bane now see Dvorkans as mortal enemies and will not stop attacking until the Dvorkan civilization has been destroyed.”
Miira went pale at the statement, and Jon said, “Then there is no negotiating a peaceful resolution with these aliens?”
“Anything is possible. However, it is not likely,” Hishim said. “The Bane have encountered aggressive civilizations before and have always prevailed in the conflict that followed. They are predators by nature, and if they can eat their enemies, they will.”
“So this empire that they control,” Jon said. “They obtained it by conquering those who had provoked them?”
“That is correct. The Bane are not expansionist by nature as they have enough food. If attacked, however, they see their enemy’s territory as rightfully theirs once they’re defeated.”
Miira looked like she had eaten a rotten piece of meat and might throw up. “Are you okay, Miira?” Jon said.
“Yes, I’m fine,” Miira said. “I think the time has come for you to meet with the generals.”
Chapter twelve
“What is the meaning of this?” General Teev said, standing easily a foot taller than Miira. “Why have you brought this human to Central Command?”
The Taymati guarding Miira all placed their hands on their weapons, and Miira said, “You presume to question me, General?”
“I… uh… forgive me, Majesty. I forgot myself.”
Miira waved a hand, dismissing the incident, and said, “Are the other generals assembled?”
“Yes, Majesty. Right this way.”
Teev led the way to the conference room, and Miira glanced at Jon and winked. Jon grinned at that, happy to see Miira coming into her own as Empress, and followed her into the main conference room at Dvorkan Central Command, where the other generals waited. The generals all stood and bowed as Miira entered the room, holding that position until Miira sat down. Her Taymati guards took position behind her and around the room.
Jon sat down next to Miira and noted the many hostile looks he received from the generals. He figured his forces must have fought alongside many of these men during the Dvorkan civil war and did not understand the hostility. They were allies, after all. Unfortunately, Dvorkans often looked down on non-Dvorkans and generally considered themselves superior. It was an attitude intimately tied to their worship of their so-called age of glory. Dvorkans liked to point to their expansionist past as evidence of their superiority. That past also fueled their obsession with returning to the age of glory.
Jon did not want to call them fascists, as it wasn’t wise to look at alien civilizations through human lenses, but they did remind him of some of the fascist ideologies of Earth’s past. In every instance, those fascists always pointed to a supposed glorious time in their past and that society needed to return to that past greatness. They created nothing short of a mythology that referred to some great achievements while ignoring any negative qualities that didn’t support the myth. The Dvorkans may not have been human, but they sure checked all the fascist boxes. Certainly, it was that obsession with glory that got them in the mess they currently found themselves in.
Then there was Miira, who was the last person you’d expect to be Empress of such a society. She didn’t have a fascist bone in her body and, as a scholar, was only interested in facts rather than mythology. Her husband, the late Emperor Kriss, on the other hand, had no qualms about using the past to justify his actions. Born and raised to be Emperor, he would have been taught how to use all the tools at his disposal. Would Prince Devar be brought up the same way? How much influence would Miira have on the future Dvorkan ruler?
When Miira called upon Jon, he told the generals what he had told Miira about Jamie’s visions and Hishim’s analysis of the Bane. The generals predictably scoffed at the information and accused Jon of manipulation.
“You expect us to believe these fantastical stories?” General Teev said. “That you are capable of time travel? Forgive me, Majesty, but this sounds like a children’s story.”
“Then how did I know about the Bane?” Jon said.
“Admiral, please,” Teev scoffed. “Espionage comes to mind. You have clearly penetrated our security somehow, which are not the actions of an ally.”
Jon smiled ruefully. “You know, the only reason I am here giving you this information is because we are allies. I am offering you our help against the Bane.”
“We do not need your help,” Teev said. “We are fully capable of defending our territory.”
“Are you also making decisions about Imperial alliances now?” Miira said, her voice icy.
Teev’s eyes widened, and his face flushed, but he bowed his head and said, “Of course not, Majesty. I am merely pointing out that your military is superior to this enemy and has no need of assistance from the humans.”
“Is that so?” Miira said. “Is that why we are not able to commit to an invasion of Mistraan territory? Because we are so superior?”
“Majesty, as I have explained, we need our resources available to defeat the Bane. If we commit to an invasion of the Mistraan, we will have to divert resources to that invasion rather than to defeating the Bane.”
“I know what you said,” Miira replied. “But it was not the Bane who attacked Prince Devar and I at the Winter Palace. The way I see it, the real threat is the Mistraan, but we are incapable of defeating them because of this expansionist war against the Bane. When is it that you think you will have defeated the Bane so that we can deal with our real enemy, the Mistraan?”
Teev glanced at Jon, then back at Miira, and said, “Majesty, I would prefer not to divulge our plans while the admiral is present.”
“Yes, yes, because they are secret,” Miira said dismissively. “Then let's let the admiral in on our secret, shall we?”
“Majesty, please-”
“Tell him about the weapon,” Miira ordered.
Teev’s expression noticeably darkened at that, as did the expression of many of the other generals in the room, leaving Jon thankful for the Taymati presence. While Jon appreciated the gesture, Miira still had things to learn about wielding power. He did not know what weapon she referred to, but exposing state secrets was a great way to get yourself killed.
“Majesty, I don’t think that is a good idea,” Teev said.
“Objection noted,” Miira snapped. “Tell him.”
Teev took a deep breath and looked around the room at the other generals. Finally, he turned to Jon and said, “We possess the Antikitheri weapon.”
“What?” Jon said. “But it was destroyed in the civil war.”
“It was,” Teev said. “But we had captured an engineer who worked on the weapon. That allowed us to eventually reconstruct it.”
Jon was stunned. The Antikitheri weapon was immensely powerful and able to punch through a ship’s shields in mere seconds.
“Tell him about your plans,” Miira said.
“Majesty, this goes too far,” Teev said.
“Tell him!”
