Today's chapter includes guest appearances by @Chilango2's custom empire: the Saiiban Confederation. And we'll get to see @Arithmetician's character Eerabik as well.
Chapter 18
Shadow Broker
May 30, 2086
Rotorua City, Hokianga
Located in the very center of the constellation Sagittarius, about fifty-thousand Lightyears from the Galactic Core, there is a beautiful region of space called the Shining Hinterlands. The Shining Hinterlands is an Emission Nebula, a swirling cloud of hot gas energized by ultraviolet radiation, causing the nebula to glow with neon light. This particular type of nebula was amongst the most visually stunning in the Galaxy.
Deep within the Shining Hinterlands, the spaceplane Ark Angel emerged from Hyperspace above a green and blue planet, shrouded in fluffy white clouds. In the cockpit, Himawari, Chris, and Amako pressed their faces against the windows in awe while Randall steered the ship towards the surface.
“Amako!” Himawari signed. “You never told us Hokianga was a Gaia World!”
There are many types planet in the Galaxy, too many to count, even. But Gaia-class planets stand out from the rest. One hundred thousand years ago, the Galaxy was ruled by the Progenitors, a race of extragalactic beings who possessed knowledge and technology beyond all possible comprehension. Gaia Worlds were created by the Progenitors, perhaps as an artistic statement or maybe for reasons that are more practical. Regardless, these planets existed in a state of perfection, able to sustain any and all forms of life. Mammals, lithoids, aquatics, reptilians, it did not matter. Everyone could live here in comfort. Even the Voidborne races like the Vaygr, Kadeshi, and Tiyanki could eke out a comfortable life at the higher altitudes.
As the Ark Angel descended upon the perfect planet of Hokianga, a single city came into view. Rotorua was a sparkling metropolis stretched out for hundreds of miles in each direction. Part of the city was even built underwater to accommodate an extensive population of aquatics and molluscoids.
Amako steered the spaceplane in a way that told Himawari he’d been here before.
“I think Ruunhan will be waiting for us at the dock.” He said. “Just remember to back a travel bag with some clothes, because her people will want to move the ship for us.”
“Her people?” Randall repeated.
Amako raised an eyebrow.
“Remember when I said Ruunhan was in the criminal underworld?” Amako said. “I meant it. She’s a blackmailer. Ruunhan’s got a whole damn information network that she uses to get dirt on people. Then she’ll say ‘you do whatever I tell you or I’ll send this info to people who wanna hurt you.’ And it works every time.”
“And you were her friend!?” Himawari signed. “Really!?”
“I was… different when I was younger.” Amako replied. “Back then I kept the same type of friends who hung out with Ruunhan. And when Ruunhan married one of them, there just wasn’t room for me anymore.”
Chris looked at Amako.
“Wait a minute, dude.” Chris said. “What type of friends does Ruunhan keep?
Amako pointed out the starboard window.
“Her friends are the type of people who fly that thing.”
Chris, Himawari, and Randall all gasped as they spotted a starship the size of a battlecruiser lurking in the planet’s terminator, the golden line between day and night. It was a beautiful vessel shaped a little like a crescent moon; with a curved hull that wrapped around the vessel, leaving a deep crevasse in the front that led to the center of the vessel, where the bridge and command deck was secure in the very core of the warship.
“That’s an Archangel-class dreadnaught!” Chris breathed. “Those ships are legendary!”
The Hiigaran Archangel dreadnaught had a reputation, one that everybody on the Ark Angel knew about. But before the group could question Amako any further, another starship came into view. A second Hiigaran dreadnaught, emerged from Hyperspace above the Ark Angel. Then the ship’s radio sounded:
“Attention Earth ship JSDF ARK ANGEL, registration number HML-015. This is the Kiith Somtaaw warship Kapisi. Stand down and prepare to be boarded.”
Amako quickly replied.
“Kapisi, this is Ark Angel. We are trying to reach Ruunhan Priya Somtaaw-Sa. We are unarmed and have been in communication with the Somtaaw Kiith-Sa.”
There was a pause. Chris let his jaw drop.
“Damn, Amako.” Chris spoke aloud, forgetting to sign. “You just used her family name! Those are supposed to be secret! How close were you and Ruunhan?”
Himawari waved her hands, demanding the last few moments be translated so she could understand what was being said. However, things were moving along. Amako’s use of Ruunhan’s family name must have worked on the Somtaaw Captain, because the Hiigaran Dreadnaught replied with the following message:
“Ark Angel, you have been issued clearance to land at the Arahu Ranginui Memorial Spaceport. Land on Runway 90 Left. People will be waiting for you on the ground. Do not deviate from your present course.”
Amako let out a sigh of relief.
“See?” he said. “It’s all good. We’re going to be just fine.”
…
The Ark Angel glided to a smooth landing on the runway of a spaceport on the outskirts of the city. On the way down, Himawari pulled up the planetary data on the ship’s computer and brought everyone up to speed on the surface conditions:
“The gravity on Hokianga is .91 gee, so we’ll have a spring in our step.” She reported. “Also, the atmosphere is a nitrogen-oxygen mix like Earth, but the air pressure is lower than what we’re used to, so we’re gonna feel lightheaded for the first few hours or so. Just roll with it.”
Himawari was a veteran space traveler, and had plenty of experience acclimating to alien climates. Once the spaceplane landed, she undid her seatbelt and started bouncing around on the balls of her feet, getting a feel for the local gravity.
“And here comes our escorts.” Amako said, pointing out the window.
A group of spaceport workers approached the Ark Angel, 5 Hiigarans and one Saiiban. With a loud hissing of hydraulics, the boarding ramp lowered into place and the team came aboard. The Saiiban was dressed similarly to its Hiigaran counterparts, or as closely as an Avian's outfit could match a Humanoid. Himawari noticed the emblem of Kiith Somtaaw was sewn onto the outfit of all six people.
“Welcome to Rotorua.” Said one of the Hiigarans. “Lady Ruunhan asked us to take care of your ship while you go to see her. Garan insisted on meeting you personally.”
The Hiigaran gestured to the alien next to him, a Saiiban with flashy green feathers and a bright yellow bill. Amako and the Saiiban named Garan both jumped at the sight of one another. Himawari instantly knew that these two were familiar with each other. Amako opened his arms, smiled and said:
“How are you? Long time, no see!”
Garan shook his head, which made his downy feathers rustle. Then he spoke… except, he didn’t really speak. Like all members of the Saiiban species, Garan communicated by singing. Chris struggled to translate Garan’s tune into Sign Language, which allowed Himawari to keep up with the conversation.
“It has not been long enough since the Wedding Incident.” Garan addressed Amako. “You’ve got some nerve coming back here after what you did.”
Amako and Garan stared at each other for a tense moment. Then Garan burst out laughing and wrapped his wings around Amako, greeting him in a much more jovial way:
“How are you, you old pirate? You finally managed get off the Human world?”
“I escaped.” Amako replied. “I’ve got my wife and two friends with me. We need to talk to Ruunhan about hiding somewhere safe until this all blows over.”
Garan rolled his eyes.
“That makes sense.” The Saiiban replied. “The Somtaaw Kiith-Sa called us on the Hyperwave and Ruunhan went pale. You’d have thought the third Hyperspace War was starting or something. She was trembling when she told us you were coming. Follow me and I’ll take you right to her.”
Himawari and her friends disembarked, leaving the Ark Angel in the care of the Somtaaw dockworkers. In front of them, the city of Rotorua opened up before them in all of its grandeur.
Rotorua was divided into ten distinct districts, and they were visible at a glance, as each portion of the city was designed to accommodate the many different species who lived here. Mammilians, Reptilians, Avians, Arthropoids, Molluscoids, Fungoids, Plantoids, Lithoids, Aquatics, and Jericho-knows-what other kinds of lifeforms all hustled and bustled about their busy lives in the street. Blorg entrepreneurs flashed holographic advertisements on the corner while Vanian and Amadii couriers fluttered from one rooftop to the next. Curious water-dwelling people looked up from the canal as Himawari waved to them.
She had been to many planets in her life, but had never seen so many different types of aliens together in one place. Himawari spent so much time looking around at the fascinating cityscape that her husband Amako had to grab her by the hand and pull her along.
“You said your name was Garan.” Randall asked the Saiiban guide. “I thought that was a Hiigaran name.”
“It is.” Replied Garan. “I was adopted by a Somtaaw family when I was young. My full name is Garan Somtaaw-Re. It is a probationary title for those who seek to join Kiith Somtaaw.”
“Huh.” Randall commented. “I didn’t realize Kiith Somtaaw was accepting non-Hiigaran members.”
“Anyone who is descended from a Beastslayer has an easier time getting into Kiith Somtaaw. Regardless of species.” Garan said. “If she asked, we probably would have made Jericho a Kiith-Sa.”
Garan threw out a wing to stop Himawari from crossing the street.
“No, we are staying on this road.” He said. “Look there. That’s where we are heading.”
Himawari, Chris, Amako, and Randall looked down the street to see a very colorful building wedged in between two trapezoid-shaped buildings. Or rather, it was four buildings, all shaped like gigantic tombstones, lined up in a row. In fact, on closer inspection, the buildings on either side appeared to be connected to the tombstone-shaped structures, one at each end. Himawari gasped and did a little dance on her toes as she realized what it was.
“It’s a Hiigaran Shrine!” Himawari declared. “I excavated one back when I first started studying archeology!”
Chris let out a low whistle.
“Yeah, I remember when you and I built a scale model of one back at Yamamoto University. Those were the days, weren’t they?” he said.
Chris and Himawari put one arm around each other in a quick side hug as they reminisced about their college days. While the group walked to towards the Shrine, Garan provided an explanation for Randall, who was the only person who did not know its significance.
“At Shrines like this one, we gather to devote ourselves to Sajuuk, the Creator-God whose hand shapes what is.” Garan said. “Before the Beast War, Kiith Somtaaw was responsible for maintaining the Shimmering Path, a collection of thirty-three temples that lined a route of holy pilgrimage.”
Himawari tapped Garan on the shoulder to get his attention and then started speaking in Sign Language. Amako quickly translated:
“She says ‘this temple looks a lot like Coor-Lan, the Temple of the Exalted Flame, the fifteenth stop on the Shimmering Path.’ Do you see the resemblance?”
Garan laughed,
“My dear… this is Coor-Lan! Recovered from the ruins of Kharak after the Genocide, transported here, and expertly restored. This is one of only two Shimmering Path temples to be saved from the Burning of Kharak, the other being Clee-San, the Silent Wayfarer.”
Himawari’s eyes went wide, like a child who had just spotted a candy store. Amako knew his wife was about to indulge in her favorite hobby: learning about alien cultures. When she signed a request for a history lesson about the Coor-Lan, Amako translated it (very slowly) into a more general compliment, making sure to keep talking until the group stepped over the threshold and into the temple grounds.
Himawari looked around and instantly knew that very few houses of worship on Earth that could hold a candle to the Temple of Coor-Lan. There were no walls on any side of the building. Instead, hundreds of statues and sculptures were stacked and welded and fused into each other, creating a colorful collage of statuary that supported the roof above. Himawari tried to pull away from Amako to take a closer look at the statues, and she saw dozens upon hundreds of different variations of the likeness of Sajuuk the Creator.
She found herself lost in curiosity and started thinking about her college history lessons: Before Jericho rose to fame fifty years ago, nearly all spacefaring civilizations worshipped the Creator Sajuuk, who was eventually proven to be a member of the long-extinct Progenitors, a race of aliens who ruled the Galaxy almost a million years ago. Himawari remembered that Sajuuk (the person, not the god) was the one who first understood Hyperspace and invented Faster-Than-Light travel.
She wanted to dive even deeper into the history of interstellar spiritualism, but a tugging on her arm forced her back into the present.
Garan swept his wings in a grand gesture, ordering two Somtaaw temple pages to open a door at the far end of the courtyard. With a reverent bow, Garan escorted Himawari and her friends into the Inner Sanctum.
Here, in the very core of the temple, a gentle light filtered into the Sanctum from a hole in the ceiling. The floor, on the other hand, was not visible. The floor of the Sanctum was covered in about two inches of fine sand, while a ring of torches illuminated six beautiful coffins in the center of the room. Each wooden coffin was different, with a series of religious carvings engraved in the top and sides.
“These sacred sarcophagi used to contain six Martyrs of Kharak.” Garan said. “Murdered by the Taiidani in their Genocide against the Hiigaran people. Slowly, over the past century, these martyrs were allowed to return to the sand. Sajuuk has taken these people into the next cycle of creation… and they will, in some form or another, be created again by him.”
In the center of the Sanctum, two women rose from the sand. They had been kneeling in silent prayer for so long that Himawari, Amako, Chris, and Randall had all failed to notice them before. The first woman was a Partogan with incredibly long silver hair that descended beyond her waist, while her companion was a Hiigaran with narrow amber eyes and reddish-brown hair that covered her right eye. The Hiigaran wore a bulky cloak that suggested she was armed.
“Speak your names and declare your loyalties.” The Hiigaran commanded. “You are citizens of a hostile nation, and I must make peace with you before I greet you as the friends of my friend.”
Realizing that she was talking about the trio of Humans, Randall stepped forward and spoke:
“My name is Randall Murphy of the planet Earth. I’m a ffriend of the Stormbreaker Blake Robinson and loyal follower of the true Jericho, who does not command her followers to make war on her allies. This is Christopher Wright, from the planet Terra Nova. He is a historian and has been Blake’s friend longer than I have. And this is Himawari Robinson, daughter of Blake Robinson and Chihiro Tachibana. She and I are.. uh… we are friends. Himawari is deaf, so I help her communicate.”
The Hiigaran raised her eyebrows and put a hand on the Partogan’s shoulder.
“You see, love?” The Hiigaran said. “It’s just like I said. Mostly truthful, but they occasionally omit the truth, especially when it embarrasses them.”
“I… Uh…” Randall stammered.
“You and Himawari are divorced.” The Hiigaran said. “You have custody of the daughter she gave you, but Sophie Murphy has gone rouge and thrown herself into the same camp as our common enemies.”
The Hiigaran raised a hand and pointed towards Amako.
“Your ex-wife is married to a man I used to call my best friend. You neglected to mention that too.” She said.
The Partogan woman clenched her fists.
“We should expel them.” The Partogan said. “Send them away with their ship.”
“That’s enough, love.” She said. “Your people might be at war with Earth, but mine are not anymore. And the Kiith-Sa have already spoken.”
Himawari felt that steam could have risen from the Partogan’s ears. Finally, the two alien women introduced themselves:
“My name is Ruunhan Somtaaw-Sa.” The Hiigaran said. “And the charming young lady next to me is my wife, Hahli Mihaka.”
Randall startled.
“Hahli Mihaka!” He repeated. “I’ve heard of her!”
Hahli raised her eyebrows while Ruunhan rolled her eyes.
“Of course.” Ruunhan grumbled. “You get all the publicity.”
“That’s because I take credit for my work, love.” Hahli said. “Well, I know you’re dying to say it, Human. Go ahead.”
Randall rounded on his friends, his face flush with excitement.
“She’s a pirate! A real, bonafide space pirate! She’s got her own fleet and everything and… wait, why aren’t you surprised?”
Himawari, Chris, and Amako were all looking unmoved by this revelation.
“Hahli’s piracy isn’t exactly a secret.” Amako said.
“She tends to announce herself wherever she goes.” Himawari added. “I think she likes the fame.”
Amako translated this final part aloud, causing Hahli to laugh.
“I like the deaf one.” Hahli said. “You have to teach me to do those hand signals.”
“So, we can stay?” Amako asked.
“Yes, you can stay here in the temple.” Ruunhan nodded. “It should be easy to keep you safe now that the war situation has changed so much.”
…
A few hours later, Amako and Himawari were moved into a residential room in the monestary portion of the temple. Chris occupied the room next door, while Randall found himself living in a room on the far side of the cloister, a long walk away from the others. Amako and Himawari asked why he was so far from the group, and one of the Temple workers informed them that divorce held a different kind of significance in Hiigaran culture.
“It would be incredibly inappropriate for him to be allowed near you, as you have rejected his Kiith pledged and your loyalty to another.” The Hiigarans explained.
While Amako, Himawari, and Randall haggled over living space, Chris Wright went back into the main temple. He had a burning question to ask.
Chris found Hahli and Ruunhan standing outside of the temple entrance. They were sitting beneath a statue of Sajuuk and watching the countless residents of Rotorua going about their business. A traffic jam was forming on the street as local cops struggled to escort a chaotic tangle of Morbuzakh. (a large sentient plant composed of many vines and leaves)
“I don’t mean to bother you.” Chris said, announcing his presence. “But there’s something I need to know.”
Hahli scoffed.
“Don’t ask me.” She said. “My wife is the one who has eyes and ears on every street corner.”
As she spoke, Ruunhan withdrew a tablet computer from her pocket. The Hiigaran used her own pointed ears to hold her hair back as she looked at Chris.
“Just so you know, I normally charge a fee for my services.” Ruunhan said, “And Historians like you don’t have very large bank accounts.”
“What I want to know is apparently common knowledge to everyone except the crew of the Angel.” Chris said. “So I think I can afford it.”
Chris sat down beneath the statue of Sajuuk. The golden image of the Progenitor god looked as though it was going to bring its fist down on them at any moment.
“Ever since this crisis started,” Chris began, “There’s been a media blackout on all Human planets. We haven’t had any news from the rest of the Galaxy for almost two years now, and whatever does trickle through is always bad. My friends and I need to know… what’s going on? What happened at the Galactic Council that’s got everyone on edge?”
Ruunhan took a deep breath, then she told Chris everything:
Earth was at war with almost the entire Galaxy.
Ever since Pascal Etienne became Secretary-General, the Human government had taken on a Human Supremacist policy called Sol Invictus. Humanity slowly became hostile towards all of the species who had once been their allies. Human colonists aggressively pursued unclaimed worlds, expanding their borders and sometimes appropriating planets that belonged to someone else. Progenitor relics and artifacts were stolen and spirited away to Human planets; but things only got worse as time went on.
About ten years ago, a Partogan expedition had stumbled upon the grave of Whetu Kealoha, the very first Partogan Queen. A starship was dispatched to recover her body and transport her to an honorable burial, but it was ambushed by a Human battlecruiser. Whetu’s body was stolen, never to be seen again.
After that, the Progeny became active.
The militant arm of the Cult of Jericho started abducting children from planets all across the Galaxy, taking them back to Earth. Each time the Progeny attacked, the United Nations would refuse to do anything. The Etienne government would neither condemn the Progeny, nor would they take any action to prevent future attacks. Small scale conflicts would continue as the Progeny grew stronger and stronger with each passing year. A diplomatic crisis erupted as the many nations of the Galaxy disagreed on how to handle the Human Crisis.
The Partogans started to rebuild the Triple Alliance, a military bloc from the Second Hyperspace War. However, in the face of a growing Human threat, the alliance rapidly expanded in side to become a massive Coalition that contained most of the Galaxy’s spacefaring peoples.
The Hiigarans and their traditional allies, the Taiidan Republic, did consider Humanity a threat, but they were unwilling to join the new coalition. The Hiigarans were still demanding the return of three Progenitor Hyperspace Cores, ancient and powerful technology that was seized by the Partogans during the Second Hyperspace War. These cores allowed the user to travel to any point in the Galaxy instantaneously, something that no other Hyperdrive was capable of. These cores had belonged to the Hiigarans for thousands of years, but a single moment of battle left all three Cores free for the taking.
The tensions continued to rise until just two years ago… when everything changed. The Human space fleet staged a surprise attack that nearly wiped out the Partogan Navy in one fell swoop. Before anyone could realize what had happened, the Galaxy was plunged into its first major conflict since the Second Hyperspace War. Officially, the Human government gave a statement saying that they were attempting to pre-empt an attack against Earth by the Partogans, but no one believed this lie. Human forces soon undid the story anyway. UN warships and soldiers soon invaded every star nation in reach. Hiigara, Amadiio, the Saiiban Taiidan, Partogans, Levakians, and the Vaygr all found themselves under attack.
The Galactic Community reacted quickly, establishing the Galactic Defense Force, allowing the rest of the Galaxy to mount a united defense against the Human onslaught. So far, a year and a half into the new war, no worlds had actually fallen to the Humans, but the situation was tense. The Hiigarans and Partogans were the most powerful civilizations in the Galaxy, meaning they were the leaders of the Coalition. The two nations disagreed on nearly everything, with the biggest sticking point being Jericho and her friends the Stormbreakers. Hiigara wanted to consider them enemies while Aoraki felt that Jericho, Blake Robinson, and the others could still be counted as allies.
Just a week ago, however, things finally reached a tipping point. In a special session of the Galactic Council, the Galactic Custodian was deposed. Originally, Kessick was chosen for the job because he was neither Hiigaran nor Partogan. He was a neutral party that could mediate between the Superpowers and keep their weapons pointed at Earth instead of each other.
During the negotiations for Kessick’s replacement, the Partogan/Hiigaran alliance completely broke down.
“And now…” Ruunhan finished. “A Partogan has been elected Galactic Custodian, while my people have shown their anger by quitting the war. And I don’t think it’ll stop there.”
Chris folded his arms in thought.
“You think others will quit the Coalition?” He asked.
Ruunhan and Hahli both nodded.
“All of Hiigara’s traditional allies will probably leave the war.” Hahli said. “The Taiidani are definitely out, and the Vaygr might leave as well.”
“The Kadeshi and Tobari will leave as well.” Ruunhan said. “I’m worried the Coalition may collapse.”
“And turn this conflict into a three-way war.” Chris mused. “Sounds horrible.”
“It could be.” Ruunhan admitted. “We can only hope it won’t happen.”
Chris thanked Ruunhan for the update, although it felt more like a history lesson. Then he went back inside the temple to tell Himawari, Amako, and Randall what he had learned.
…
June 1, 2086
The Anvil, Saiiban Confederation
The Anvil Nebula is a chaotic region of space that marked the point where the borders of three interstellar empires met. A signal bouy hovered around one edge of the nebula, transmitting a song of welcome as travelers entered the Saiiban Confederation. About half a light-year away, deep inside the Anvil Nebula, a series of Hyperspace inhibitors and automated missile launchers marked the beginning of the Tobari Star Empire. Finally, a lone starbase orbiting a neutron star marked the outer boundaries of the United Nations of Earth.
Suddenly, this peaceful Nebula was disturbed when two objects suddenly started moving at high speed. A starship fired up its engines and raced away from the scene as fast as it could, while a second vessel started to give chase!
The fleeing vessel was a Human spy ship. The frigate-sized vessel was bristling with dozens of antenna, radar domes, radio dishes, and other electronic warfare equipment. The pursuing vessel, on the other hand, was the Frenzied Claw, a combat frigate of the Galactic Defense Force. Painted onto its side were the flags of four nations who jointly operated the warship: the Saiiban, Amadii, Vanians, and Ozkox.
On the bridge of the Frenzied Claw, the crew was made up entirely of avians. The commanding officer (a member of the flightless Amadii race) cursed loudly as the Human spy ship fired up its engines and attempted to escape.
“Damnit! They saw us!” he yelled. “Helm! Don’t lose the bastards!”
“Everyone brace!” Cried out the helmsman as he throttled the engines to full power.
The Frenzied Claw let out a deep, guttural roar from her engine room and the frigate pelted after its prey like a hawk diving to the ground!
The crew of the Frenzied Claw gripped their talons onto their perches for dear life as the ship chased its query into the depths of the Anvil Nebula. The fleeing Human ship was getting very far away, reaching the limits of the Claw’s sensors.
“Weapons, target-lock the Earth ship and charge the Ion Cannon!” The commander ordered.
But before he could say anything else, he was countermanded by an Ozkox woman with a yellow-ish grey bill who was dressed in a very official looking uniform.
“Belay that order!” Eerabik shrieked. “Do not fire!”
“We have to knock out their drive!” The Amadii Captain responded.
“No!” Eerabrik shouted. “Tell your crew to hold their fire; we have to take that ship intact! Our mission is to get aboard, we can’t scrap them!”
“They’re running, the mission is scrubbed!” The Captain hollered over the noise of his ship’s engines.
Eerabik spread her wings and tail feathers wide, all the better make herself look genuinely terrifying. Even her eyes seemed to glow with a nightmare-inducing kind of fury.
“The Galactic Custodian gave me authority over this ship!” Eerabik shouted. “And this mission is scrubbed WHEN I SAY IT IS!! Now pull us alongside and dispatch the boarding teams!”
The bridge crew all swore loudly as they recommitted themselves to the chase. The Human spy ship was doing everything in its power to escape from the Frenzied Claw. They cut off their engines, allowing the GDF vessel to get close, only to fire up and flee again.
“Son of a Kinloka, they’re trying to burn us up in their engine plume!” The helmsman called out. “Our armor is melting!”
“Pull alongside!” The Captain ordered. “And tell the Marines to brace for a high-gee landing!”
The Human spy ship entered into a sharp turn, banking hard as it went. The Frenzied Claw turned and kept pace with the enemy. Down in the Claw’s hold, six breaching pods shuddered in their launch clamps, waiting for the go-signal. Each one contained four members of the Galactic Defense Forces, armed to the teeth and ready for a fight.
Then, for just a short moment, the Human spy ship seemed to run out of moves. After one fatal moment of hesitation, the breaching pods separated from the Frenzied Claw and crossed the short distance to the enemy vessel. All six latched onto the side of the hull, and the Frenzied Claw throttled down her engines, staying closeby.
A minute later, the pursuit was over. The Human warship cut off its engines and started drifting through the nebula. A short burst of radio transmissions crossed the void and reached the pursuers.
“Attention Frenzied Claw. This is Talons of Cyan, Saiiban Space Marines. The crew of the Human warship Dmitry Medvedev would like to negotiate the terms of their surrender. I believe it has something to do with the fact that they have two minutes of air left.”
The Frenzied Claw drew level with the disabled starship and finally managed to identify the enemy vessel. This ship was not part of the UN Military. Instead, it belonged to Shrike.
A docking clamp extended away from the Frenzied Claw and latched onto one of the Medvedev’s external hatches, and just a few minutes later, clean breathable air was being pumped into the stricken ship while captured Humans were removed from it.
GDF soldiers started clearing the enemy ship, searching for any valuable intel or technology that could be used for the war effort. An unexpected guest joined the troops shortly after they got started.
Once it was certain that the Dmitry Medvedev was cleared of hostile combatants, Eerabik boarded the ship. Unlike the GDF, she was looking for something highly specific.
“Show me their Electronic Warfare terminal.” Eerabik ordered.
The Saiiban Marines guided Eerabik to a computer terminal the Human crew used to carry out their spy operation. From this chamber, a series of computers connected to the massive number of antennas and dishes on the hull. Eerabik guessed that this one ship was able to eavesdrop on FTL communications for thousands of Light Years in any direction. Eerabik smiled. Now she would make a big step forward in her own personal investigation.
She turned to one of the GDF troopers and said:
“Re-activate the listening post.”
With many presses of buttons and flipping of levers, the eavesdropping array came back to life, and the captured spy ship was doing what it was designed to do. Looking around at the many screens, Eerabik realized this machine was quite possibly the most advanced surveillance system the Humans had ever developed.
“There’s no way a mercenary group like Shrike could afford to build this thing.” Eerabik said to herself. Then she addressed the Marine. “Do you agree?”
“Ma’am, I’m just a soldier.” The Marine replied. “No one would trust me to run complicated tech like this. No way. Shrike was just the muscle.”
“I think you’re right.” Eerabik told the Marine. “Go down below, check and see if any escape pods have been launched.”
The soldier enthusiastically complied, no doubt thinking Eerabik was onto something. As soon as she was alone in the Electronic Warfare suite, Eerabik got to work. She connected her personal tablet computer to the comm array and activated the voice command feature.
“Computer, open 'Special Project Ghost Signal.'” She said.
The tablet computer activated and the data of Eerabik’s special project was uploaded to the EW suite. Across both her tablet screen and the primary monitor of the EW suite, the waveform of a mysterious signal was displayed. The strange signal was very faint, barely louder than the background noise of FTL communications. But now Eerabik had an advanced eavesdropping suite to play with.
In the moments she was alone with it, Eerabik fine-tuned the antenna rig and locked onto the Ghost Signal. With a little gasp of joy, Eerabik saw her patience pay off.
There was a clatter of noise from the hallway, Eerabik closed and locked her tablet just before the Saiiban soldier returned.
After a short discussion with the other GDF officers, Eerabik returned to her quarters aboard the Frenzied Claw. As soon as she got into her room, Eerabik brought up a holographic map of the Galaxy. It filled her room with constellations and clusters of stars. Eerabik looked around at her three-dimensional starchart. Then she spoke:
“Computer, show me the sources of the Ghost Signal.”
Five regions of space turned red. They were scattered all across the Galaxy.
The first source of the Ghost Signal was located in the Gulf Sector of the Outer Rim, within the uninhabited reaches of the Tobari Star Empire. This region of space was unexplored, but scientists working in the Levakian Sensor Array had claimed, on multiple occasions, that an uncontacted civilization lived in this region.
The second source was in the Great Wastelands, a region near the Partogan-Levakian Commonwealth, not too far from the dead world of Kharak. The Great Wastelands was known to be a haven for space pirates, including the infamous Turanic Raiders.
The third source was on the edge of Human territory, in an asteroid field called Ghenna. This place was famous for being home to a Progenitor relic simply known as “The Oracle”, which could be used to find other such relics.
The fourth source was located in the Karos Graveyard, a massive debris field hundreds of light-years across that contained shipwrecks from every era of Galactic history. This place contained dozens of Progenitor relics, including the Great Forge: the place where Creator God Sajuuk built the three Hyperspace Cores.
And as for the fifth and final source…
Eerabik saw the flashing red star system on her map. She knew her tracking program was infallible, there was no way this could be a mistake. Yet the implications were horrifying…
“No…” Eerabik breathed. “Oh, no… no, no... Hiigara!”
Chapter 18
Shadow Broker
May 30, 2086
Rotorua City, Hokianga
Located in the very center of the constellation Sagittarius, about fifty-thousand Lightyears from the Galactic Core, there is a beautiful region of space called the Shining Hinterlands. The Shining Hinterlands is an Emission Nebula, a swirling cloud of hot gas energized by ultraviolet radiation, causing the nebula to glow with neon light. This particular type of nebula was amongst the most visually stunning in the Galaxy.
Deep within the Shining Hinterlands, the spaceplane Ark Angel emerged from Hyperspace above a green and blue planet, shrouded in fluffy white clouds. In the cockpit, Himawari, Chris, and Amako pressed their faces against the windows in awe while Randall steered the ship towards the surface.
“Amako!” Himawari signed. “You never told us Hokianga was a Gaia World!”
There are many types planet in the Galaxy, too many to count, even. But Gaia-class planets stand out from the rest. One hundred thousand years ago, the Galaxy was ruled by the Progenitors, a race of extragalactic beings who possessed knowledge and technology beyond all possible comprehension. Gaia Worlds were created by the Progenitors, perhaps as an artistic statement or maybe for reasons that are more practical. Regardless, these planets existed in a state of perfection, able to sustain any and all forms of life. Mammals, lithoids, aquatics, reptilians, it did not matter. Everyone could live here in comfort. Even the Voidborne races like the Vaygr, Kadeshi, and Tiyanki could eke out a comfortable life at the higher altitudes.
As the Ark Angel descended upon the perfect planet of Hokianga, a single city came into view. Rotorua was a sparkling metropolis stretched out for hundreds of miles in each direction. Part of the city was even built underwater to accommodate an extensive population of aquatics and molluscoids.
Amako steered the spaceplane in a way that told Himawari he’d been here before.
“I think Ruunhan will be waiting for us at the dock.” He said. “Just remember to back a travel bag with some clothes, because her people will want to move the ship for us.”
“Her people?” Randall repeated.
Amako raised an eyebrow.
“Remember when I said Ruunhan was in the criminal underworld?” Amako said. “I meant it. She’s a blackmailer. Ruunhan’s got a whole damn information network that she uses to get dirt on people. Then she’ll say ‘you do whatever I tell you or I’ll send this info to people who wanna hurt you.’ And it works every time.”
“And you were her friend!?” Himawari signed. “Really!?”
“I was… different when I was younger.” Amako replied. “Back then I kept the same type of friends who hung out with Ruunhan. And when Ruunhan married one of them, there just wasn’t room for me anymore.”
Chris looked at Amako.
“Wait a minute, dude.” Chris said. “What type of friends does Ruunhan keep?
Amako pointed out the starboard window.
“Her friends are the type of people who fly that thing.”
Chris, Himawari, and Randall all gasped as they spotted a starship the size of a battlecruiser lurking in the planet’s terminator, the golden line between day and night. It was a beautiful vessel shaped a little like a crescent moon; with a curved hull that wrapped around the vessel, leaving a deep crevasse in the front that led to the center of the vessel, where the bridge and command deck was secure in the very core of the warship.
“That’s an Archangel-class dreadnaught!” Chris breathed. “Those ships are legendary!”
The Hiigaran Archangel dreadnaught had a reputation, one that everybody on the Ark Angel knew about. But before the group could question Amako any further, another starship came into view. A second Hiigaran dreadnaught, emerged from Hyperspace above the Ark Angel. Then the ship’s radio sounded:
“Attention Earth ship JSDF ARK ANGEL, registration number HML-015. This is the Kiith Somtaaw warship Kapisi. Stand down and prepare to be boarded.”
Amako quickly replied.
“Kapisi, this is Ark Angel. We are trying to reach Ruunhan Priya Somtaaw-Sa. We are unarmed and have been in communication with the Somtaaw Kiith-Sa.”
There was a pause. Chris let his jaw drop.
“Damn, Amako.” Chris spoke aloud, forgetting to sign. “You just used her family name! Those are supposed to be secret! How close were you and Ruunhan?”
Himawari waved her hands, demanding the last few moments be translated so she could understand what was being said. However, things were moving along. Amako’s use of Ruunhan’s family name must have worked on the Somtaaw Captain, because the Hiigaran Dreadnaught replied with the following message:
“Ark Angel, you have been issued clearance to land at the Arahu Ranginui Memorial Spaceport. Land on Runway 90 Left. People will be waiting for you on the ground. Do not deviate from your present course.”
Amako let out a sigh of relief.
“See?” he said. “It’s all good. We’re going to be just fine.”
…
The Ark Angel glided to a smooth landing on the runway of a spaceport on the outskirts of the city. On the way down, Himawari pulled up the planetary data on the ship’s computer and brought everyone up to speed on the surface conditions:
“The gravity on Hokianga is .91 gee, so we’ll have a spring in our step.” She reported. “Also, the atmosphere is a nitrogen-oxygen mix like Earth, but the air pressure is lower than what we’re used to, so we’re gonna feel lightheaded for the first few hours or so. Just roll with it.”
Himawari was a veteran space traveler, and had plenty of experience acclimating to alien climates. Once the spaceplane landed, she undid her seatbelt and started bouncing around on the balls of her feet, getting a feel for the local gravity.
“And here comes our escorts.” Amako said, pointing out the window.
A group of spaceport workers approached the Ark Angel, 5 Hiigarans and one Saiiban. With a loud hissing of hydraulics, the boarding ramp lowered into place and the team came aboard. The Saiiban was dressed similarly to its Hiigaran counterparts, or as closely as an Avian's outfit could match a Humanoid. Himawari noticed the emblem of Kiith Somtaaw was sewn onto the outfit of all six people.
“Welcome to Rotorua.” Said one of the Hiigarans. “Lady Ruunhan asked us to take care of your ship while you go to see her. Garan insisted on meeting you personally.”
The Hiigaran gestured to the alien next to him, a Saiiban with flashy green feathers and a bright yellow bill. Amako and the Saiiban named Garan both jumped at the sight of one another. Himawari instantly knew that these two were familiar with each other. Amako opened his arms, smiled and said:
“How are you? Long time, no see!”
Garan shook his head, which made his downy feathers rustle. Then he spoke… except, he didn’t really speak. Like all members of the Saiiban species, Garan communicated by singing. Chris struggled to translate Garan’s tune into Sign Language, which allowed Himawari to keep up with the conversation.
“It has not been long enough since the Wedding Incident.” Garan addressed Amako. “You’ve got some nerve coming back here after what you did.”
Amako and Garan stared at each other for a tense moment. Then Garan burst out laughing and wrapped his wings around Amako, greeting him in a much more jovial way:
“How are you, you old pirate? You finally managed get off the Human world?”
“I escaped.” Amako replied. “I’ve got my wife and two friends with me. We need to talk to Ruunhan about hiding somewhere safe until this all blows over.”
Garan rolled his eyes.
“That makes sense.” The Saiiban replied. “The Somtaaw Kiith-Sa called us on the Hyperwave and Ruunhan went pale. You’d have thought the third Hyperspace War was starting or something. She was trembling when she told us you were coming. Follow me and I’ll take you right to her.”
Himawari and her friends disembarked, leaving the Ark Angel in the care of the Somtaaw dockworkers. In front of them, the city of Rotorua opened up before them in all of its grandeur.
Rotorua was divided into ten distinct districts, and they were visible at a glance, as each portion of the city was designed to accommodate the many different species who lived here. Mammilians, Reptilians, Avians, Arthropoids, Molluscoids, Fungoids, Plantoids, Lithoids, Aquatics, and Jericho-knows-what other kinds of lifeforms all hustled and bustled about their busy lives in the street. Blorg entrepreneurs flashed holographic advertisements on the corner while Vanian and Amadii couriers fluttered from one rooftop to the next. Curious water-dwelling people looked up from the canal as Himawari waved to them.
She had been to many planets in her life, but had never seen so many different types of aliens together in one place. Himawari spent so much time looking around at the fascinating cityscape that her husband Amako had to grab her by the hand and pull her along.
“You said your name was Garan.” Randall asked the Saiiban guide. “I thought that was a Hiigaran name.”
“It is.” Replied Garan. “I was adopted by a Somtaaw family when I was young. My full name is Garan Somtaaw-Re. It is a probationary title for those who seek to join Kiith Somtaaw.”
“Huh.” Randall commented. “I didn’t realize Kiith Somtaaw was accepting non-Hiigaran members.”
“Anyone who is descended from a Beastslayer has an easier time getting into Kiith Somtaaw. Regardless of species.” Garan said. “If she asked, we probably would have made Jericho a Kiith-Sa.”
Garan threw out a wing to stop Himawari from crossing the street.
“No, we are staying on this road.” He said. “Look there. That’s where we are heading.”
Himawari, Chris, Amako, and Randall looked down the street to see a very colorful building wedged in between two trapezoid-shaped buildings. Or rather, it was four buildings, all shaped like gigantic tombstones, lined up in a row. In fact, on closer inspection, the buildings on either side appeared to be connected to the tombstone-shaped structures, one at each end. Himawari gasped and did a little dance on her toes as she realized what it was.
“It’s a Hiigaran Shrine!” Himawari declared. “I excavated one back when I first started studying archeology!”
Chris let out a low whistle.
“Yeah, I remember when you and I built a scale model of one back at Yamamoto University. Those were the days, weren’t they?” he said.
Chris and Himawari put one arm around each other in a quick side hug as they reminisced about their college days. While the group walked to towards the Shrine, Garan provided an explanation for Randall, who was the only person who did not know its significance.
“At Shrines like this one, we gather to devote ourselves to Sajuuk, the Creator-God whose hand shapes what is.” Garan said. “Before the Beast War, Kiith Somtaaw was responsible for maintaining the Shimmering Path, a collection of thirty-three temples that lined a route of holy pilgrimage.”
Himawari tapped Garan on the shoulder to get his attention and then started speaking in Sign Language. Amako quickly translated:
“She says ‘this temple looks a lot like Coor-Lan, the Temple of the Exalted Flame, the fifteenth stop on the Shimmering Path.’ Do you see the resemblance?”
Garan laughed,
“My dear… this is Coor-Lan! Recovered from the ruins of Kharak after the Genocide, transported here, and expertly restored. This is one of only two Shimmering Path temples to be saved from the Burning of Kharak, the other being Clee-San, the Silent Wayfarer.”
Himawari’s eyes went wide, like a child who had just spotted a candy store. Amako knew his wife was about to indulge in her favorite hobby: learning about alien cultures. When she signed a request for a history lesson about the Coor-Lan, Amako translated it (very slowly) into a more general compliment, making sure to keep talking until the group stepped over the threshold and into the temple grounds.
Himawari looked around and instantly knew that very few houses of worship on Earth that could hold a candle to the Temple of Coor-Lan. There were no walls on any side of the building. Instead, hundreds of statues and sculptures were stacked and welded and fused into each other, creating a colorful collage of statuary that supported the roof above. Himawari tried to pull away from Amako to take a closer look at the statues, and she saw dozens upon hundreds of different variations of the likeness of Sajuuk the Creator.
She found herself lost in curiosity and started thinking about her college history lessons: Before Jericho rose to fame fifty years ago, nearly all spacefaring civilizations worshipped the Creator Sajuuk, who was eventually proven to be a member of the long-extinct Progenitors, a race of aliens who ruled the Galaxy almost a million years ago. Himawari remembered that Sajuuk (the person, not the god) was the one who first understood Hyperspace and invented Faster-Than-Light travel.
She wanted to dive even deeper into the history of interstellar spiritualism, but a tugging on her arm forced her back into the present.
Garan swept his wings in a grand gesture, ordering two Somtaaw temple pages to open a door at the far end of the courtyard. With a reverent bow, Garan escorted Himawari and her friends into the Inner Sanctum.
Here, in the very core of the temple, a gentle light filtered into the Sanctum from a hole in the ceiling. The floor, on the other hand, was not visible. The floor of the Sanctum was covered in about two inches of fine sand, while a ring of torches illuminated six beautiful coffins in the center of the room. Each wooden coffin was different, with a series of religious carvings engraved in the top and sides.
“These sacred sarcophagi used to contain six Martyrs of Kharak.” Garan said. “Murdered by the Taiidani in their Genocide against the Hiigaran people. Slowly, over the past century, these martyrs were allowed to return to the sand. Sajuuk has taken these people into the next cycle of creation… and they will, in some form or another, be created again by him.”
In the center of the Sanctum, two women rose from the sand. They had been kneeling in silent prayer for so long that Himawari, Amako, Chris, and Randall had all failed to notice them before. The first woman was a Partogan with incredibly long silver hair that descended beyond her waist, while her companion was a Hiigaran with narrow amber eyes and reddish-brown hair that covered her right eye. The Hiigaran wore a bulky cloak that suggested she was armed.
“Speak your names and declare your loyalties.” The Hiigaran commanded. “You are citizens of a hostile nation, and I must make peace with you before I greet you as the friends of my friend.”
Realizing that she was talking about the trio of Humans, Randall stepped forward and spoke:
“My name is Randall Murphy of the planet Earth. I’m a ffriend of the Stormbreaker Blake Robinson and loyal follower of the true Jericho, who does not command her followers to make war on her allies. This is Christopher Wright, from the planet Terra Nova. He is a historian and has been Blake’s friend longer than I have. And this is Himawari Robinson, daughter of Blake Robinson and Chihiro Tachibana. She and I are.. uh… we are friends. Himawari is deaf, so I help her communicate.”
The Hiigaran raised her eyebrows and put a hand on the Partogan’s shoulder.
“You see, love?” The Hiigaran said. “It’s just like I said. Mostly truthful, but they occasionally omit the truth, especially when it embarrasses them.”
“I… Uh…” Randall stammered.
“You and Himawari are divorced.” The Hiigaran said. “You have custody of the daughter she gave you, but Sophie Murphy has gone rouge and thrown herself into the same camp as our common enemies.”
The Hiigaran raised a hand and pointed towards Amako.
“Your ex-wife is married to a man I used to call my best friend. You neglected to mention that too.” She said.
The Partogan woman clenched her fists.
“We should expel them.” The Partogan said. “Send them away with their ship.”
“That’s enough, love.” She said. “Your people might be at war with Earth, but mine are not anymore. And the Kiith-Sa have already spoken.”
Himawari felt that steam could have risen from the Partogan’s ears. Finally, the two alien women introduced themselves:
“My name is Ruunhan Somtaaw-Sa.” The Hiigaran said. “And the charming young lady next to me is my wife, Hahli Mihaka.”
Randall startled.
“Hahli Mihaka!” He repeated. “I’ve heard of her!”
Hahli raised her eyebrows while Ruunhan rolled her eyes.
“Of course.” Ruunhan grumbled. “You get all the publicity.”
“That’s because I take credit for my work, love.” Hahli said. “Well, I know you’re dying to say it, Human. Go ahead.”
Randall rounded on his friends, his face flush with excitement.
“She’s a pirate! A real, bonafide space pirate! She’s got her own fleet and everything and… wait, why aren’t you surprised?”
Himawari, Chris, and Amako were all looking unmoved by this revelation.
“Hahli’s piracy isn’t exactly a secret.” Amako said.
“She tends to announce herself wherever she goes.” Himawari added. “I think she likes the fame.”
Amako translated this final part aloud, causing Hahli to laugh.
“I like the deaf one.” Hahli said. “You have to teach me to do those hand signals.”
“So, we can stay?” Amako asked.
“Yes, you can stay here in the temple.” Ruunhan nodded. “It should be easy to keep you safe now that the war situation has changed so much.”
…
A few hours later, Amako and Himawari were moved into a residential room in the monestary portion of the temple. Chris occupied the room next door, while Randall found himself living in a room on the far side of the cloister, a long walk away from the others. Amako and Himawari asked why he was so far from the group, and one of the Temple workers informed them that divorce held a different kind of significance in Hiigaran culture.
“It would be incredibly inappropriate for him to be allowed near you, as you have rejected his Kiith pledged and your loyalty to another.” The Hiigarans explained.
While Amako, Himawari, and Randall haggled over living space, Chris Wright went back into the main temple. He had a burning question to ask.
Chris found Hahli and Ruunhan standing outside of the temple entrance. They were sitting beneath a statue of Sajuuk and watching the countless residents of Rotorua going about their business. A traffic jam was forming on the street as local cops struggled to escort a chaotic tangle of Morbuzakh. (a large sentient plant composed of many vines and leaves)
“I don’t mean to bother you.” Chris said, announcing his presence. “But there’s something I need to know.”
Hahli scoffed.
“Don’t ask me.” She said. “My wife is the one who has eyes and ears on every street corner.”
As she spoke, Ruunhan withdrew a tablet computer from her pocket. The Hiigaran used her own pointed ears to hold her hair back as she looked at Chris.
“Just so you know, I normally charge a fee for my services.” Ruunhan said, “And Historians like you don’t have very large bank accounts.”
“What I want to know is apparently common knowledge to everyone except the crew of the Angel.” Chris said. “So I think I can afford it.”
Chris sat down beneath the statue of Sajuuk. The golden image of the Progenitor god looked as though it was going to bring its fist down on them at any moment.
“Ever since this crisis started,” Chris began, “There’s been a media blackout on all Human planets. We haven’t had any news from the rest of the Galaxy for almost two years now, and whatever does trickle through is always bad. My friends and I need to know… what’s going on? What happened at the Galactic Council that’s got everyone on edge?”
Ruunhan took a deep breath, then she told Chris everything:
Earth was at war with almost the entire Galaxy.
Ever since Pascal Etienne became Secretary-General, the Human government had taken on a Human Supremacist policy called Sol Invictus. Humanity slowly became hostile towards all of the species who had once been their allies. Human colonists aggressively pursued unclaimed worlds, expanding their borders and sometimes appropriating planets that belonged to someone else. Progenitor relics and artifacts were stolen and spirited away to Human planets; but things only got worse as time went on.
About ten years ago, a Partogan expedition had stumbled upon the grave of Whetu Kealoha, the very first Partogan Queen. A starship was dispatched to recover her body and transport her to an honorable burial, but it was ambushed by a Human battlecruiser. Whetu’s body was stolen, never to be seen again.
After that, the Progeny became active.
The militant arm of the Cult of Jericho started abducting children from planets all across the Galaxy, taking them back to Earth. Each time the Progeny attacked, the United Nations would refuse to do anything. The Etienne government would neither condemn the Progeny, nor would they take any action to prevent future attacks. Small scale conflicts would continue as the Progeny grew stronger and stronger with each passing year. A diplomatic crisis erupted as the many nations of the Galaxy disagreed on how to handle the Human Crisis.
The Partogans started to rebuild the Triple Alliance, a military bloc from the Second Hyperspace War. However, in the face of a growing Human threat, the alliance rapidly expanded in side to become a massive Coalition that contained most of the Galaxy’s spacefaring peoples.
The Hiigarans and their traditional allies, the Taiidan Republic, did consider Humanity a threat, but they were unwilling to join the new coalition. The Hiigarans were still demanding the return of three Progenitor Hyperspace Cores, ancient and powerful technology that was seized by the Partogans during the Second Hyperspace War. These cores allowed the user to travel to any point in the Galaxy instantaneously, something that no other Hyperdrive was capable of. These cores had belonged to the Hiigarans for thousands of years, but a single moment of battle left all three Cores free for the taking.
The tensions continued to rise until just two years ago… when everything changed. The Human space fleet staged a surprise attack that nearly wiped out the Partogan Navy in one fell swoop. Before anyone could realize what had happened, the Galaxy was plunged into its first major conflict since the Second Hyperspace War. Officially, the Human government gave a statement saying that they were attempting to pre-empt an attack against Earth by the Partogans, but no one believed this lie. Human forces soon undid the story anyway. UN warships and soldiers soon invaded every star nation in reach. Hiigara, Amadiio, the Saiiban Taiidan, Partogans, Levakians, and the Vaygr all found themselves under attack.
The Galactic Community reacted quickly, establishing the Galactic Defense Force, allowing the rest of the Galaxy to mount a united defense against the Human onslaught. So far, a year and a half into the new war, no worlds had actually fallen to the Humans, but the situation was tense. The Hiigarans and Partogans were the most powerful civilizations in the Galaxy, meaning they were the leaders of the Coalition. The two nations disagreed on nearly everything, with the biggest sticking point being Jericho and her friends the Stormbreakers. Hiigara wanted to consider them enemies while Aoraki felt that Jericho, Blake Robinson, and the others could still be counted as allies.
Just a week ago, however, things finally reached a tipping point. In a special session of the Galactic Council, the Galactic Custodian was deposed. Originally, Kessick was chosen for the job because he was neither Hiigaran nor Partogan. He was a neutral party that could mediate between the Superpowers and keep their weapons pointed at Earth instead of each other.
During the negotiations for Kessick’s replacement, the Partogan/Hiigaran alliance completely broke down.
“And now…” Ruunhan finished. “A Partogan has been elected Galactic Custodian, while my people have shown their anger by quitting the war. And I don’t think it’ll stop there.”
Chris folded his arms in thought.
“You think others will quit the Coalition?” He asked.
Ruunhan and Hahli both nodded.
“All of Hiigara’s traditional allies will probably leave the war.” Hahli said. “The Taiidani are definitely out, and the Vaygr might leave as well.”
“The Kadeshi and Tobari will leave as well.” Ruunhan said. “I’m worried the Coalition may collapse.”
“And turn this conflict into a three-way war.” Chris mused. “Sounds horrible.”
“It could be.” Ruunhan admitted. “We can only hope it won’t happen.”
Chris thanked Ruunhan for the update, although it felt more like a history lesson. Then he went back inside the temple to tell Himawari, Amako, and Randall what he had learned.
…
June 1, 2086
The Anvil, Saiiban Confederation
The Anvil Nebula is a chaotic region of space that marked the point where the borders of three interstellar empires met. A signal bouy hovered around one edge of the nebula, transmitting a song of welcome as travelers entered the Saiiban Confederation. About half a light-year away, deep inside the Anvil Nebula, a series of Hyperspace inhibitors and automated missile launchers marked the beginning of the Tobari Star Empire. Finally, a lone starbase orbiting a neutron star marked the outer boundaries of the United Nations of Earth.
Suddenly, this peaceful Nebula was disturbed when two objects suddenly started moving at high speed. A starship fired up its engines and raced away from the scene as fast as it could, while a second vessel started to give chase!
The fleeing vessel was a Human spy ship. The frigate-sized vessel was bristling with dozens of antenna, radar domes, radio dishes, and other electronic warfare equipment. The pursuing vessel, on the other hand, was the Frenzied Claw, a combat frigate of the Galactic Defense Force. Painted onto its side were the flags of four nations who jointly operated the warship: the Saiiban, Amadii, Vanians, and Ozkox.
On the bridge of the Frenzied Claw, the crew was made up entirely of avians. The commanding officer (a member of the flightless Amadii race) cursed loudly as the Human spy ship fired up its engines and attempted to escape.
“Damnit! They saw us!” he yelled. “Helm! Don’t lose the bastards!”
“Everyone brace!” Cried out the helmsman as he throttled the engines to full power.
The Frenzied Claw let out a deep, guttural roar from her engine room and the frigate pelted after its prey like a hawk diving to the ground!
The crew of the Frenzied Claw gripped their talons onto their perches for dear life as the ship chased its query into the depths of the Anvil Nebula. The fleeing Human ship was getting very far away, reaching the limits of the Claw’s sensors.
“Weapons, target-lock the Earth ship and charge the Ion Cannon!” The commander ordered.
But before he could say anything else, he was countermanded by an Ozkox woman with a yellow-ish grey bill who was dressed in a very official looking uniform.
“Belay that order!” Eerabik shrieked. “Do not fire!”
“We have to knock out their drive!” The Amadii Captain responded.
“No!” Eerabrik shouted. “Tell your crew to hold their fire; we have to take that ship intact! Our mission is to get aboard, we can’t scrap them!”
“They’re running, the mission is scrubbed!” The Captain hollered over the noise of his ship’s engines.
Eerabik spread her wings and tail feathers wide, all the better make herself look genuinely terrifying. Even her eyes seemed to glow with a nightmare-inducing kind of fury.
“The Galactic Custodian gave me authority over this ship!” Eerabik shouted. “And this mission is scrubbed WHEN I SAY IT IS!! Now pull us alongside and dispatch the boarding teams!”
The bridge crew all swore loudly as they recommitted themselves to the chase. The Human spy ship was doing everything in its power to escape from the Frenzied Claw. They cut off their engines, allowing the GDF vessel to get close, only to fire up and flee again.
“Son of a Kinloka, they’re trying to burn us up in their engine plume!” The helmsman called out. “Our armor is melting!”
“Pull alongside!” The Captain ordered. “And tell the Marines to brace for a high-gee landing!”
The Human spy ship entered into a sharp turn, banking hard as it went. The Frenzied Claw turned and kept pace with the enemy. Down in the Claw’s hold, six breaching pods shuddered in their launch clamps, waiting for the go-signal. Each one contained four members of the Galactic Defense Forces, armed to the teeth and ready for a fight.
Then, for just a short moment, the Human spy ship seemed to run out of moves. After one fatal moment of hesitation, the breaching pods separated from the Frenzied Claw and crossed the short distance to the enemy vessel. All six latched onto the side of the hull, and the Frenzied Claw throttled down her engines, staying closeby.
A minute later, the pursuit was over. The Human warship cut off its engines and started drifting through the nebula. A short burst of radio transmissions crossed the void and reached the pursuers.
“Attention Frenzied Claw. This is Talons of Cyan, Saiiban Space Marines. The crew of the Human warship Dmitry Medvedev would like to negotiate the terms of their surrender. I believe it has something to do with the fact that they have two minutes of air left.”
The Frenzied Claw drew level with the disabled starship and finally managed to identify the enemy vessel. This ship was not part of the UN Military. Instead, it belonged to Shrike.
A docking clamp extended away from the Frenzied Claw and latched onto one of the Medvedev’s external hatches, and just a few minutes later, clean breathable air was being pumped into the stricken ship while captured Humans were removed from it.
GDF soldiers started clearing the enemy ship, searching for any valuable intel or technology that could be used for the war effort. An unexpected guest joined the troops shortly after they got started.
Once it was certain that the Dmitry Medvedev was cleared of hostile combatants, Eerabik boarded the ship. Unlike the GDF, she was looking for something highly specific.
“Show me their Electronic Warfare terminal.” Eerabik ordered.
The Saiiban Marines guided Eerabik to a computer terminal the Human crew used to carry out their spy operation. From this chamber, a series of computers connected to the massive number of antennas and dishes on the hull. Eerabik guessed that this one ship was able to eavesdrop on FTL communications for thousands of Light Years in any direction. Eerabik smiled. Now she would make a big step forward in her own personal investigation.
She turned to one of the GDF troopers and said:
“Re-activate the listening post.”
With many presses of buttons and flipping of levers, the eavesdropping array came back to life, and the captured spy ship was doing what it was designed to do. Looking around at the many screens, Eerabik realized this machine was quite possibly the most advanced surveillance system the Humans had ever developed.
“There’s no way a mercenary group like Shrike could afford to build this thing.” Eerabik said to herself. Then she addressed the Marine. “Do you agree?”
“Ma’am, I’m just a soldier.” The Marine replied. “No one would trust me to run complicated tech like this. No way. Shrike was just the muscle.”
“I think you’re right.” Eerabik told the Marine. “Go down below, check and see if any escape pods have been launched.”
The soldier enthusiastically complied, no doubt thinking Eerabik was onto something. As soon as she was alone in the Electronic Warfare suite, Eerabik got to work. She connected her personal tablet computer to the comm array and activated the voice command feature.
“Computer, open 'Special Project Ghost Signal.'” She said.
The tablet computer activated and the data of Eerabik’s special project was uploaded to the EW suite. Across both her tablet screen and the primary monitor of the EW suite, the waveform of a mysterious signal was displayed. The strange signal was very faint, barely louder than the background noise of FTL communications. But now Eerabik had an advanced eavesdropping suite to play with.
In the moments she was alone with it, Eerabik fine-tuned the antenna rig and locked onto the Ghost Signal. With a little gasp of joy, Eerabik saw her patience pay off.
There was a clatter of noise from the hallway, Eerabik closed and locked her tablet just before the Saiiban soldier returned.
After a short discussion with the other GDF officers, Eerabik returned to her quarters aboard the Frenzied Claw. As soon as she got into her room, Eerabik brought up a holographic map of the Galaxy. It filled her room with constellations and clusters of stars. Eerabik looked around at her three-dimensional starchart. Then she spoke:
“Computer, show me the sources of the Ghost Signal.”
Five regions of space turned red. They were scattered all across the Galaxy.
The first source of the Ghost Signal was located in the Gulf Sector of the Outer Rim, within the uninhabited reaches of the Tobari Star Empire. This region of space was unexplored, but scientists working in the Levakian Sensor Array had claimed, on multiple occasions, that an uncontacted civilization lived in this region.
The second source was in the Great Wastelands, a region near the Partogan-Levakian Commonwealth, not too far from the dead world of Kharak. The Great Wastelands was known to be a haven for space pirates, including the infamous Turanic Raiders.
The third source was on the edge of Human territory, in an asteroid field called Ghenna. This place was famous for being home to a Progenitor relic simply known as “The Oracle”, which could be used to find other such relics.
The fourth source was located in the Karos Graveyard, a massive debris field hundreds of light-years across that contained shipwrecks from every era of Galactic history. This place contained dozens of Progenitor relics, including the Great Forge: the place where Creator God Sajuuk built the three Hyperspace Cores.
And as for the fifth and final source…
Eerabik saw the flashing red star system on her map. She knew her tracking program was infallible, there was no way this could be a mistake. Yet the implications were horrifying…
“No…” Eerabik breathed. “Oh, no… no, no... Hiigara!”
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