Homeworld : Legacies, Homeworld fanfic -- comments welcome! Options

[Starlight Trinity]

***Note: I will be taking much longer between chapters, so I get this story right as it comes from my head. So if you're going to riot, please do so only AFTER I haven't updated in two weeks, please? Thank you. ***

Prologue

Sliding into a cushioned chair, the woman eyed the terminal in front of her. Medical readouts flashed across its screen. Blue light, coming from the console, illuminated a beautiful face, finely sculpted with elegant eyebrows and delicate lips. An ageless expression graced her regal features, hiding the decades of memories that hid behind her youthful exterior. No emotion betrayed itself anywhere, except in the intense gaze she fixed on the console. Her dark eyes, flecked with emerald, scanned the images on the screen with calm precision. They absorbed every minute detail of the readouts.

For a long time, the woman resembled a statue. She barely moved save for the flick of her eyes, and the tapping of her fingers upon the console's touchpanels.

She leaned back with a frown, tapping the power-off button on the terminal. Slowly, the stone-featured face relaxed into a mingling of relief and sadness. She sat in the dark for a long time, staring into emptiness.

Then she stood, walking slowly to the only window in the room--a massive, circular affair that afforded a view of a dazzling starlit sky, with snow-capped mountains and expansive plains below. Laying a hand on the cool glass, the woman sighed.

"So it has begun," she said quietly to herself, her smooth voice barely above a whisper. "Soon, they will have only themselves for guidance. If only they believed me if I told them. If only."

She let one hand run over the top of her head. Unlike the heads of all other women on this planet, hers was bald, dotted with tiny slots that would resemble the phone jacks of another world, in another time. She let her fingers slide slowly over these indentations, feeling the coolness of metal and plastic against warm skin.


Chapter 1

Her hair blazing like a fire of vengeance in the dazzlingly bright sunshine, Noreena let fly a string of inventive curses not heard by anybody in her kiith in quite some time. The hangar techs jumped back from the newly rewired circuit board. Wires dangled out of the opening in the shuttle's hull, still sparking from that abrupt short-circuit. From the looks on the tech's faces, that had not been an expected result of their repairs.

"The next idiot to crosswire this thing wrong will get packed in the rear hold and shipped home with the REST of the cargo! GOT IT?!" she bellowed. The techs backed up another few feet. Then they all nodded--in unison. She motioned them to resume their work, and stormed towards the ramp leading to the shuttle cockpit.

Noreena raked a hand through her coppery mane, then let out a gusty sigh. Damn. I'd give anything to be back in space right now, she thought irritably. Putting down at Haven's fine, but every time somebody needs something shipped to Hiigara they decide to send out a pilot who needs the experience AND an info-services officer just in case something crashes. Like the pilot doesn't have Basic Computer Training or know how to deal with a Red Screen of Death? GAH!!

She turned to the pilot, who leaned against one of the support poles of the gantry of their shuttle. His blue and red jumpsuit was smeared with grease, and the Kiith Somtaaw patch on his shoulder barely stood out against the dirt caked on it. He stood there, quietly slurping some of that synthetic swill the local hangar bar labeled "Yaduur Beer" as if it were water. He seemed as utterly oblivious to his rumpled, greasy appearance as he was to the loud noises typical of a planetside hangar base. In short, he looked more like a hangar mechanic with a bad procrastination problem than a long-range shuttle pilot.

Then again, Noreena thought darkly, this little grease lizard probably doesn't know zip about computers beyond what it takes to turn a ship on, point it back at the Kuun-Lan, and hit the hyperdrive button.

"Pilot Reydavic," she said through gritted teeth, "Do you mind having some sobriety left for when we spaz out of here?"

He blinked, then finished off the can of beer, and flung the empty can out into the hangar field beyond Noreena. She glared angrily at him, tapping her foot. He sighed, and slouched away from his leaning position, and went to pick the can up. He then tossed the can up the rampway into the shuttle. Noreena rolled her eyes in disgust.

Now she knew why this guy needed her as his info-services escort. How kind of her supervisor to leave that detail for her to find out this late! She vowed to have a nice long talk with him about the dangers of withholding information from his second-in-command. She knew he liked to assign her to the people that needed a sharp-tounged superior to keep them in line, but this was lower than his usual sneakiness.

"That sober enough," Reydavic drawled lazily, pulling a stick of chewing gum out of one of his many pockets. "for you, your Highness?" He popped it in his mouth, and chewed noisily.

Noreena groaned inwardly. Oh, great, a smartass to boot. And I thought he just didn't like to talk when we were hypering over here. Why am I always picked to babysit the stupid ones?

"Plenty. Just don't drink any more, all right?" she growled, stomping off to investigate whether the techs had fixed that glitchy circuitboard.

She unwrapped her jacket from around her waist and pulled it on. A blazing red and green Kiith Somtaaw logo shone in flourescent hues on the back of her jacket, declaring to all and sundry exactly which kiith she came from. Maybe now the techs would take her bluntness seriously.

Several meters behind her, a pair of men wearing Kiith Naabal uniforms slipped into silent pursuit. Both were hangar techs, and one glance at them would indicate that they were of the hotheaded sort, given to quick flashes of ill-advised temper.


Chapter 2

Ifrit Somtaaw-Sa stroked his pepper-hued beard. He eyed his Cabinet, who stood uneasily under his intense, sweeping gaze.

"You're certain of this?" he asked calmly, setting his large jaw as if preparing for battle. The Cabinet--all advisors from the best and brightest of Kiith Somtaaw--nodded as if in unison.

The most senior of them spoke up: "Yes. The Kuun-Lan can't take any more upgrades in her current condition. If the last five drills are any indications, we'd have system-lockups across the board in a real combat situation....and all within thirty seconds of threat assesment."

Ifrit frowned.

"Why?" he asked, "You've made certain that every upgrade we put in her systems were absolutely essential, not dead weight. Why the problems now?"

The senior advisor responded again: "It's not so much the upgrades. It's the sheer amount of data going among upgraded systems when the main communications grid is at least fifteen years behind us. To top it off, most of that grid is still the same since the Kuun-Lan's construction a hundred-twenty-five years ago, sir. We're essentially facing the same problem as the first Mothership. Communication paralysis. We've added so many systems over so much time that now there's data overload wherever you look. We've tried to upgrade the grids, but fiber-optics are fiber-optics. We're not Progenitors. We can't upgrade the speed of light, sir."

Ifrit leaned forwards, putting his elbows on his desk. He gazed at each of the advisors in turn, one by one. The last of them was the kiith's Info-Services Chief, Pyalun, his most trusted advisor.

"Pyalun," he said calmly, "Do you agree with your colleague's assessment?"

Pyalun nodded emphathetically.

"All right. I want solutions, people. What can be done to fix this?"

Dead silence flooded the room. Ifrit arched one thick, black eyebrow in much the same way the sky darkened before a thunderstorm. The Cabinet eyed their kiith-Sa uneasily.

The Medical Chief stepped forwards.

"Sir I have a basic understanding of neronics technology. It's really more of a hobby, but every experiment I've done suggests we could attempt to use bio-mechanical circuitry in the Kuun-Lan's systems to improve communication abilities. The problem would be producing enough neuromatter to construct a sufficiently capable system."

Pyalun glanced at the Med Chief.

"You mean," he grunted, "that we need a wirehead."

The Med Chief nodded sheepishly.

"That too," he replied, glancing apologetically at Pyalun and then Ifrit.

The kiith-Sa leaned back in his padded chair, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Do we have anyone who is qualified for that kind of position?"

The Cabinet once again fell into a dead silence. Thoughts flashed across the eyes and faces of each member as everyone contemplated what to say.

Finally, heads shook.

Ifrit's brows drew together, causing the invisible thunderstorm of his presence to intensify. The temperature in the room seemed to get unusually warm.

"We've had that contingency in mind for our kiith flagship for the last fifteen years, and you haven't got a list of candidates yet?" he asked, every word resembling hammer blows.

The Med Chief spoke first.

"I've compiled a list of possible candidates, but given my duties, I haven't been able to do more than assemble data on the individuals, sir."

"Make that a priority, all of you," Ifrit snapped. "If we get our asses caught in a bind, it's going to be a world of trouble unless we get our flagship back in top form again. Raiders have been pillaging the Outer Rim sectors again, and our outer settlements are reporting sightings more and more regularly. It won't be long before we're stuck in another war, as bad as the Beast mess...or worse. I want that wirehead trained and in this ship in six months to a year, tops."

Everyone acknowledged those orders.

"And I want that list of people--interviews, pros, cons, medical files, everything--on my desk in two weeks. Dismissed."

The Cabinet practically hurried out of the doors to Ifrit's office. Pyalun was last, and just as he turned to head out the doors Ifrit motioned him to remain in the office a little longer.

He eyed Ifrit curiously.

"Sir?" he asked calmly, his tone slightly relaxed, compared to how he'd spoken earlier.

"They'll provide the appropriate candidates. All those people we know of up front. But not all of them will be capable of the job. I trust you more than anybody else on my Cabinet, Pyalun. We have an understanding the others don't. And you have a way with finding the right people for jobs. Find the ones we don't know about. I don't care if you find a low-ranking ensign, or an upper-level diplomat. I don't care if they're here or on Hiigara. I want the best for this job. This ship's going to need more than a typical wirehead. She's going to need another Karan S'jet."

Pyalun nodded, holding down the chuckle that he could feel coming up. This wouldn't be an easy job, but it was one he would relish. And it was just like Ifrit to give him the odder jobs anyways. It was something he tended to pass down to those officers he trusted the most--the interesting assignments, the quirky tasks, the challenges.

"I'll do my best, sir," he replied with a top caliber Somtaaw salute. Ifrit smiled, the first genuine smile Pyalun had seen on him in a while.

"I know you will, Py," he said softly. "I know you will. Carry on."

Pyalun turned and left the office, his step slightly bouncier than it was when he'd arrived.

[Will the Great]

More!

[Starlight Trinity]

OK!

Chapter 3

Noreena trudged through the market, looking as if she would much rather be infected by a Beast virus than tagging along behind her greasy pilot.

"What did you say you forgot to buy again?" she asked irritably, glaring at Reydavic's head as she did so.

The pilot didn't answer. Instead he mumbled to himself, glancing nervously from one kiosk to another, counting the credit chips in his hands as if he forgot the last tally that he'd made mere seconds ago.

Noreena glowered at his back. If the knucklehead's one redeeming quality was that he could fly a cargo shuttle, why the hell would her kiith put up with the rest of him? She was flying jobs like this when she was eighteen, not the forty-something Reydavic looked he was! There were certainly numerous young, promising officers whose training involved piloting a long-range craft to Hiigara who would've jumped at this assignment.

"Ah there it is!" Reydavic shouted, breaking into a brisk stride. "Had to have this. Best steel-alloy frame ever."

He stopped at a kiosk that was selling only one item--statuettes of Karan S'jet entombed in the bridge of the first Mothership. Noreena groaned out loud.

"Reydavic, that's a complete waste of perfectly good steel. What's the point of having an icon of S'jet in your room when you can play the historical holofilms?"

The pilot eyed her as if she'd just been infected by a Beast virus.

"Waste. Of. Perfectly. Good. Steel?" he asked, his jaw agape. "Noreena, Noreena, I thought you had some sense in you. Karan S'jet, she--"

"I know who she is, you nitwit!" Noreena snapped. "Commanded the first and second Motherships, thus helping to save our collective asses from baddies that want us dead just because we exist. Since when was she deified and stuck on the same pedestal as Sajuuk anyways?"

"You obviously don't have any concept of heroism, girl! I mean look, she sacrificed her mobility, possibly her shot at kiith-Sa for S'jet, and was more than willing to do it all over again, so we could live in peace."

Noreena winced. Peace was typically far from the Hiigarans' grasp, even when they thought they'd finally gotten it. Case in point: Somtaaw's frustrations with other kiithid trying to make a vassal clan under their own influence. It was the primary reason they'd packed up and left the Hiigaran sphere of influence as fast as they could fire up their fleet's hyperdrives. After having gone all the way from Kharak after someone decided that the Hiigarans should be completely wiped out for having a hyperspace core, no Somtaaw was ready to hand over their right to live the way they wanted, free of everyone else's crap. Now Noreena was reminded of how far and yet how little the Hiigarans had come; political wrangling among various kiithid still caused numerous tensions and sometimes outright cold wars. Hiigarans had been at their best, and unified, when they faced a threat. Take the danger away, and Hiigara once again fell in a state of perpetual inter-kiith bickering.

Every time someone mentioned how Kharan S'jet sacrificed the possiblity of ever living normally--or very long--by having herself connected to the Far Jumper that was the Hiigarans' heritage, all for the sake of peace, Noreena usually felt tempted to correct them on the matter. Her kiith had gained up-close experience with the cold reality.

However, Reydavic wasn't likely to let that reminder do more than go in his left ear, and back out his right, without stopping by any neurons along the way.

Noreena sighed, and wandered over to the kiosk. Perhaps it would be best to keep the peace.

Then her eyes landed on the price tag for the icons.

"One hundred credits?!?! GET OUT!" she yelled at the merchant running the stand. "That's a waste of perfectly good steel! Somtaaw-grade steel, too!"

Reydavic blanched, and hurried away like a scared animal. The merchant, a burly fellow dressed in Nabaal green, glowered at her.

"Hey, you dissin' THE S'jet?! Don't you Somtaaw smartasses got something better to do than make my life miserable?!"

Noreena nodded.

"Yeah, this!" she flipped the Hiigaran equivalent of the bird at the merchant, and stomped off after the pilot.

The pair continued on their trek through the market. Reydavic eyed the ground with a mournful expression.

"You'll find yours eventually, ok?" Noreena said reassuringly. She saw no point in having him ranting too much about her disciplinarian side back on the Kuun-Lan. It wasn't that she couldn't handle it, it was that she'd rather not handle it. That kind of animosity usually ruined her day when it came up.

"Yeah," he replied glumly. "I wish I'd looked at the price before we came out here. And the merch was a Nabaal. I coulda done without that."

Noreena shrugged.

"Hey, he's just a merchant, ok? I leave the kiith out of it when I'm buying something. So unless it's important, I don't bother. Saves you dealing with annoying jerks who like to pick at you for being Somtaaw."

"Yeah," a voice broke in. "And we'd much rather deal with annoying jerks who like to pick at you for being Nabaal."

Noreena blinked, and found herself staring at a pair of very cranky young Nabaal technicians. One held a very large wrench, the other carried a pipe. Neither hinted at the slightest sign of friendliness towards the two Somtaaw. Both looked as if they'd had a little too much to drink, and clearly were spoiling for a fight.

She arched one eyebrow, slowly and deliberately.

"I knew some Nabaal were a pack of idiots, but this is taking things too far," she remarked dryly. "I suppose you didn't hear your kiith-Sa's announcement that he would no longer permit his kiith to hassle ours outside of the Diamid. You know he's tired of his people being this stupid."

Both men sneered.

"You're lying," the taller of the two growled. "So shut your trap and run back to your little junkheap shuttle. Stop rubbing our noses in YOUR pathetic, oversized egos."

Reydavic abruptly turned to do exactly that. The shorter of the two moved swiftly, tripping him with a sweep kick low to the ground. He then swung his pipe as hard as he could. The blow connected with the pilot's jaw, knocking him unconscious instantly.

Noreena scowled darkly.

"Didn't he just do what you told him to?!" she yelled, hoping to attract attention from some Sobanii lawkeepers in the area. None came.

So much for the Diamid's and Soban's agreement for their patrolling the capital. Stupids!

"Yeah, but you Somtaaw, you're tricky," the taller one replied with a smirk. "You're too proud to run. He'd just try to make a pass at us."

"You're sick," she retorted in disgust. "Didn't your kiith academy teach you some manners?!"

The shorter one finally reached his limit with Noreena's backtalk, and grabbed her by the front of her shirt. He then spun her around, and when Noreena's disorientation lifted, she was standing with her assailant behind her. He held a knife pressed to her neck.

"Just try, little Somtaaw girl, to call for help before I send you to Sajuuk," he hissed in her ear.

Noreena let herself go limp, allowing her arms to hang loosely at her sides. She carefully twitched one hand. A smooth dagger handle fell into her hand. She carefully moved it oh so slightly...

She then grinned evilly.

"My friend, you really should look down," she remarked coolly, "I wouldn't want you to do something you'll regret."

She lightly tapped the man with the dagger--which happened to be near a rather valuable area for the male of the Hiigaran species.

His knife fell from her neck. She took the advantage, and promptly slammed him in the gut with the hilt of her knife, causing him to double over. She whirled and gave his chest a good kick, causing him to land on the ground in a rumpled heap, groaning in misery.

"Good," she said. "You've got more sense than I gave you credit for. Now....if you both leave now, I won't call for a Soban."

He nodded, and made to leave, only to stop in mid-step.

Okay, one down, now where's that other dwip? she thought frantically.

Noreena followed his gaze, and saw the other Nabaal attacker holding his wrench tightly around the neck of a female passerby he'd grabbed ahold of. She stood there, shocked to a slight stupor by this rapid turn of events.

"See?!" he shouted triumphantly. "You only care about yourselves, Somtaaw! It doesn't matter if I'm holding a Paktu, Liir'Ha or even a S'jet! You'll just do what YOU think you ought to do, law be damned!"

Noreena eyed the woman in the Nabaal's grasp. This mess had just gone completely out of control...

Then she broke into a broad, smirking grin.

She folded her arms, and eyed the offending Nabaal with a snort.

"The woman's a S'jet. You don't want to take the chance of her being THE S'jet now, do you? Because if you didn't, and she is, you're going to have more than a few weeks infirmary stay when the Sobanii get through with you."

The Nabaal blanched pure white, his eyes flicking around in increasing nervousness. Finally, he let the woman go, eyeing Noreena intently as he did so.

"You're good for a Somtaaw," he remarked grudgingly. "But mark my words. Nabaal don't like gettin' humiliated!"

The man growled, and turned to leave with this friend. Just as if things looked as if they would defuse on their own, a team of Sobanii lawkeepers burst into the market. They caught up with the two men with ease. The chief promptly locked eyes with the pair, then grunted to himself.

"Arrest those two," he ordered. He then saw Noreena straightening her jacket, then said: " I apologize for taking so long. We were busy cleaning up a barfight these two had just left an hour ago. They just slipped out the back door, and kept looking for somebody else to hassle."

Noreena chuckled.

"Somehow it's always the drunks that prove the hardest to find, even though they like to get as stupid as they possibly can."

The Chief nodded agreement.

"Ain't that the truth," he said with a snort and a grin. "Have a good afternoon," he called as he and his team departed with the two captives.

Just as Noreena turned to see if the pilot had recovered, Reydavic scurried towards her. He sported a massive bruise all along his face, but seemed remarkably composed despite his brief slumber.

"DAMN that was a good bluff, Noreena! Whatever made you think of that?" he babbled out in excited amazement.

"I dunno," she replied with a shrug, "Seemed like a good bluff at the time."

The passerby, who'd straightened herself out now, grinned mischeviously.


Chapter 4

Tessar Somtaaw, Kiith Somtaaw's Ambassador to the New Diamid, frowned as he read the reports scattered across his desk.

"This is getting out of hand," he muttered to himself. He looked up at his aide, who eyed him expectantly.

He sighed.

"I'm getting too tired for this," he grumbled. "Why are we the only kiith getting hassled this much by these new pirates? You'd think the Manaani and some of our newer allies would've had to beat 'em off with heavy ions by now. I never thought I'd hear myself saying this, but I almost wonder if these guys are a Vagyr faction we never cleaned out. They're too good, too sharp, and too sneaky. And they know how to tell kiiths apart. For once, I'd like someone in the Diamid to take me seriously when I put in these protection requests."

The aide arched her eyebrows.

"What about our old agreement with Soban?"

"My wife's father pretty much put the kibosh on that, Saten," he said calmly. "That's what you get when you leave Somtaaw, join Soban, get pissed at the no families rule, and then decide to start your own little kiith. Soban got so upset about it we pretty much lost the agreement. And Kiith Yaadri hasn't got more than 150 people. That's not enough to patrol every Somtaaw settlement. And Sajuuk help us if Nabaal sees an opening and bribes us with protection in exchange for vassal-hood."

Saten sighed.

"So who are we left with to get help from?"

"S'jet, Paktu, maybe Liir'Ha. They did leave Nabaal to make their own choices as their own kiith. I don't know, honestly. We're getting strung thin enough as it is. Now the latest newsblip from Haven is that Kiith-Sa wants a wirehead for the Kuun-Lan. That's another tall order. Whyever did I take this job?"

"Because you love it?" Saten asked with a knowing grin.

Tessar grinned.

"You know me pretty well now, don't you? Yeah, because I love it. But I don't love this wrangling crap we go through every time we need help with something. Whatever happened to Somtaaw being purely on their own?"

Saten nodded agreement.

"We seem to be becoming more and more dependent on Hiigara for help these days, sir. I'd have thought that we'd be completely self-sufficient as a kiith and a space fleet by now."

"We are. That is, until we find out something we didn't know before," Tessar replied glumly.

He leaned over his desk and picked up another datapadd. He scanned its screen, then blinked.

"What's she doing here?" he asked.

"Who?"

"Noreena. I'd have thought when she got promoted to second-in-command for the Kuun-Lan's information services she wouldn't be getting sent out on babysitting runs anymore."

"Don't you think your daughter's old enough to decide that for herself, sir?" Saten asked quizzically.

"Yes, she's old enough....and I'm positive she'll be climbing the walls of the shuttle on her return trip. Must be a real slouch-head of a pilot they sent out this time for her to get stuck with him. Maybe they've got another resourcer race or something going on up there."

"I'm not aware of anything like that, sir," Saten replied, "But I can find out."

"Please do," Tessar nodded. "And while you're doing that, could you please make a few calls for me? I've got to find out if anybody owes us for saving those outposts of ours when the Vagyr first started their push towards Hiigara. Maybe we can still call in a few favors."

Saten bobbed her head as she turned back towards her workstation. Tessar leaned back in his chair, staring out his office window. The glass-and-metalloy towers of Hiigara's capital city gleamed in the evening sunlight. Ships flitted back and forth in the sky above, occasionally eclipsing the sun as they went past. Usually Tessar found the scene calming, but today he couldn't stop fidgeting uneasily in his chair.

What do these raiders want from us? he wondered. Somtaaw's a mining kiith, not tied to Hiigara by very much. Besides a few archaeological ruins, some mine planets, the Siege Cannon factory, and Haven planet with its orbital starbase, we don't have that much. What do they know about us that we don't?

This post has been edited by Starlight Trinity: June 11, 2004, 11:53 PM

[Starlight Trinity]

Chapter 5

Noreena looked the woman over, arching her eyebrows at her grin.

"All right, want to tell me what's so damned funny?"

The woman pulled off the turban she'd been wearing, revealing a mane of wavy brown hair that spilled down to her waist.

"I've never been mistaken for Karan S'jet before. Let's just say I almost didn't cover my hair today. To whom do I owe my health to today?"

Noreena grinned, and stuck out her hand.

"I'm Noreena Somtaaw. This here's Reydavic, my ride home. And you are...?"

The woman smiled that same mischevious smile.

"My name's not that important. Kiith's S'jet."

Reydavic gawked for a few minutes, then squinted at the woman. It took Noreena all of two nanoseconds to figure out why the pilot was looking their new friend over so closely.

"Hey, you kinda look like her....Noreena, what if....no, it can't be. Coincidences just don't happen like this."

Noreena eyed him warily.

"What? Oh, come on, it's not like she LOOKS like the S'jet, ok? It was a bluff, and a slapped-together one at that. Come off it!"

The S'jet woman burst into laughter.

"Are all Somtaaw cut-ups like you two these days?"

Noreena had to smile at that.

"I wish. I know a few resourcer pilots who could use humor transplants," she remarked wryly.

"Very true. I've met a few resourcers," the woman said, an oddly nostalgaic gleam in her eyes. "And they seem to come in only two flavors: boring as hell, or crazy as hell."

Both Somtaaw laughed at that.

"That sounds like a pack of Somtaaw, all right," Noreena snickered. Then her stomach rumbled, reminding her of how much energy the recent incident had taken from her.

"Hey," she said to both, "anybody feel like grabbing something to eat? Rey and I don't leave for another hour or two anyways."

The woman smiled gratefully.

"I was on my way to dinner myself, actually. And it'll be on me. I know a great seafood place just down the street."

"Cool!" was all Reydavic could get out, while still staring at their unusual companion. He ignored Noreena's irritated glare at his back.

As she turned to lead the Somtaaw pair down the street, the woman quickly re-secured her hair underneath her turban with swift, skilled motions. Noreena eyed her curiously.

Who the hell is she? she wondered, Just about every S'jet woman who goes around with a turban gets mistaken for Karan these days. Hell, it even happened to me on the Kuun-Lan when I used to fly resourcers with my hair in cornrows under a bandanna. That's not the best of excuses for getting your butt saved because you're a S'jet.

Chapter 7

Noreena scanned the menu lying in front of her.

"Damn, everything looks so good here," she murmured.

The waiter stood there, datapad in hand, eyeing her impatiently.

"All right, all right. I'll have the South Sea Special, and hold the takmaar sauce. Thanks."

Rolling his eyes, the waiter tapped on the pad, then turned to face Reydavic. The pilot grinned, and without glancing down at his menu, gave his order: "I'll have the Three Oceans Special, extra takmaar sauce, and plenty of cheese."

Noreena mentally cringed. That was more food than she could get down in a day, much less one meal! How did Reydavic stay so thin and eat that much?!

The S'jet woman smiled warmly at the server, as if attempting to ease any apprehension he might've had about serving a pair of hungry Somtaaw.

"I'll have that skrimmer salad, and a cup of Idjar chowdar," she said calmly.

The waiter nodded, and swept up all the menus. Then he was gone in a swish of fabric.

Noreena leaned back in her chair, taking a brief pull of the iced tea she'd ordered. She watched as Reydavic promptly picked up the crackers from the little appetizer bowl in the middle of their table, and began devouring them as if he hadn't eaten in a week. The S'jet woman had also leaned back in her chair, eyeing the window they were seated next to. The street outside had darkened as dusk fell, but myriad colorful lights had begun to shine. People continued to come and go, their kiith allegiances brightly indicated by their attire. Now the street resembled a festival of floating lamps, and vibrantly hued kiith robes.

"So...." Reydavic finally said after he'd eaten every single cracker on the table, "what do you do...well, aside from being a S'jet?" He eyed the woman curiously.

"Anthropologist," she said calmly. "I like to observe people. Look at the bigger picture, see where we as a species, are going. That's why I'm here in the capital. There's so many different kiith here that I can see how they interact, how our politics are going, and how we're growing as a people. It's only been a hundred years since we returned from Kharak. Individual people may not remember much of those times--if at all--but we as a society are a long way from forgetting. We may never truly forget...and I don't think we should."

Noreena nodded agreement.

"That's a noble goal. To see where we're headed. Too many times I hear about quibbles in the Diamid that are just...so...stupid! I grew up hearing about the Mothership, about Karan S'jet, about the Homeworld War....about how far we've come as a people. Then I learned why Somtaaw is out in space and not on Hiigara. I learned why my Dad, despite being our ambassador to Hiigara, gets so burned out and upset sometimes. And I wonder...if this is really what peace is supposed to be? Bickering, kiith disputes, political wrangling? I really don't know. Maybe with a S'jet background instead of Somtaaw, I might've been more optimistic. But when you spend more time in space than on Hiigara, you get to see enough to make you want to stay in space."

The woman nodded, her brown eyes gleaming with interest.

"Exactly my feelings too. I'm not known for being an optimist. It's why I thought I could do this. I could tell it like it is. It's another story as far as who'd believe me, however," she remarked with a sigh. "Nobody seems to want to think about the downsides of peace, especially after our victory over the Vagyr."

"I'd believe you," Noreena said. Reydavic nodded enthuisastic agreement. She vowed to knock the notion of their new friend being Karan S'jet out of his mind as forcibly as she could. He was going from annoyingly perky to downright irritating now.

"Thanks. I'm going to need all the help I can get."

Silence fell upon the table. Noreena found herself staring out the window, contemplating her life at this time. She didn't think much about Reydavic and his antics until a loud crash and an accompanying yelp startled her out of her reverie. She turned to face the pilot, only to find himself picking a rather unwieldy Karan Sjet statue out of his lap. A quick glance showed where it'd come from--a shelf just above Reydavic's head. He'd reached up to pick it up for closer inspection, and had gotten a near-repeat of that Nabaal's blow to his head.

Now he sat there, covered in broken statue pieces. Several bits of decorative cabling that had framed the statue now lay in his hair, giving him an even messier appearance than before. Noreena groaned, rubbing her forehead to stave off the inevitable tension headache she knew would come.

The S'jet woman was trying her damndest not to double over in laughter.

"Rey," Noreena finally managed to get through her clenched teeth, "They have a 'you break it, you bought it' sign back by the entry. I hope that thing wasn't worth more than the crap at that kiosk outside, because I am not bailing your ass out."

Reydavic lit up.

"Finally! I've got one!" he chirped. "Now if I could just get it autographed," he muttered.

Noreena put her head in her hands. The only sound that registered on her frazzled brain was the S'jet woman laughing at the comically sad tone in Rey's voice.

Then she froze.

Wait a minute. Why is this S'jet laughing her head off at what just about every other S'jet I've met would take as a direct insult to their kiith-sa?

She looked up at her new friend, then at Rey, who looked ridiculously happy to finally have his Karan statue. Then she looked back at the still giggling S'jet woman.

She stood slowly.

"Hey, I gotta go freshen up....hey, you coming?" she asked the S'jet woman. She nodded, still giggling as she rose.

The pair headed towards the restroom. When they entered, Noreena glanced around to make sure nobody else was in the room. Upon discovering that all the stalls were empty, she turned to her companion.

"Okay, first off, I have to apologize for Rey's stupidity. He's been harping about a S'jet statue ever since we got here--Hiigara. Second, you don't have to autograph the statue for him. I'll knock him out myself if he gets any crazier...and I can tell my supervisor that he needs manners."

[Starlight Trinity]

Chapter 9.

The woman blinked a few times, then grinned mischeviously.

"I think you have another identity mixup there, friend."

Noreena shook her head.

"Only S'jet I know of who'd laugh her head off at a broken Karan statue would have to be Karan herself...the only person on Hiigara, excepting a Paktu or Somtaaw, who wouldn't overtly worship her. And the fact you insisted your name wasn't important just let me consider the possiblity all the more."

The woman sighed, shaking her head ruefully. She pulled off her turban and set it on a shelf next to her. Then she bent low, flipping her hair downwards over her face. Then she took hold of a small tab sticking out the back of her neck. The mane of hair slid off the woman's head the same way water slid down tile. She picked up the wig, and held it in one hand, straightening as she did so. Her head was bald, with small slots dotted all over it in a seemingly random pattern.

Noreena stared, then grinned broadly. Damn, best bluff I ever pulled! And those Nabaal snotheads will never know how close they came to having the pulp beaten out of them by those lawkeepers! Hoo-ah! And I ain't telling either--best secrets are the ones kept. But damn, if only half my buddies knew about this! But hell, that's the fun of keeping it a secret!

"Top-notch wig. If I ever got drafted to a wirehead post, I'm gonna want one of those," she joked. "Now I see how you keep people figuring you out."

Karan nodded, then took out a small datapad and tapped out a com-net address. It was headed: "Wigs and Hairpieces, No Questions Asked."

Noreena pulled her own out and copied the address, chuckling as she did so. Then she tucked it away.

"Thanks," she replied. "I'll keep it on file. What do we do with Reydavic, then?"

"I suggest we don't tell him. He's a tad too talkative, isn't he? Although he's got a refreshing knack for getting into funny situations," she remarked.

Noreena bobbed her head again.

"Totally agree. Besides which, I'd rather lie low myself. Somtaaw doesn't have the best reputation when the top merchs out here are Nabaal. Which reminds me, considering that fight earlier....why didn't you tell them who you were?"

"Why did you use that bluff?"

"It was something mutual among all Hiigarans...their respect for you. I knew it'd work, and it'd take the fight out of the whole 'My kiith is better than your kiith' crap. Boils down to reasoning, I guess."

"Precisely. Think about it. Would I get stuck in what'd ultimately become a political mess? That's what Nabaal would make of it. And you would've been in the right, legally, doing what you did. That would've made it worse."

Noreena nodded grimly as the truth of Karan's words sank home.

"It'd bring up the old Somtaaw vs. Nabaal debate again. And I for one am sick of hearing it tossed around like a badge of honor on both sides," she growled irritably. "You did right, too, then. It's gonna be hard not slipping this to Rey, that's for sure."

Karan patted her shoulder with a reassuring grin.

"You'll manage. If you're smart enough to invent that bluff on the fly, with only that turban to give you the idea, you can distract him enough."

"Thanks," Noreena replied. Then she broached a topic that made her sweat with nervous anticipation: "With that out of the way, I want to ask you sooo much, but I know how you hate fandom, considering the wig, turban, and the whole act. So uh....would you be ok with just one question?"

Karan nodded, smiling calmly.

"I can always handle just one. Like you've figured out, not very many people know I even do this, much less that I'm even here. So I don't get asked much nowadays. They always think I use S'jet spies or something to keep up to date. I learned a long time ago that being a hermit didn't suit me. I like people, I like being with them. I guess I just don't like them trying to be with me. What was your question?"

Noreena nodded, taking a moment to phrase her question just right in her mind. Then it came to her.

"Why did you volunteer yourself... when your research showed a living brain could solve the paralysis problem on the first Mothership? I've read the official stories, that you didn't want anyone using your research on other people. But I get the feeling there's more to it."

Karan nodded.

"There was. Not many ask that one, not now, and I wish more would. Simply put: Someone had to do it. If I wanted it done right, I might as well do it myself. Kiith pride, personal glory--none of that crap entered in the final decision, although I'd be lying if I said they never crossed my mind."

"Thank you," Noreena said simply. "I appreciate the indepth. And I wish more people did that these days. Seems now the Vagyr got wiped out, nobody wants to do anything but sink back into their own little worlds. Diamid's gotta be stupid if they're missing the sheer power imbalance we've got in the galaxy now. And they might not know until every Somtaaw is dead or worse."

Karan blinked.

"I haven't heard that one yet," she remarked. "And since I do the anthropologist thing to keep an eye on things....mind filling me in?"

"Not at all. The reason you haven't heard anything officially is because it's just started getting ugly. A bunch of really nasty raiders have been hitting our outer posts--it's all over the Kuun-Lan comnets now since people are getting worried about friends and family out there. And they're completely ignoring Manaani and Yaadreni posts along the way. Just our posts. Last place that got hit was a mining station out in an asteroid field by the Le-Kas-Tor Nebula. There wasn't anything left except a log beacon telling us what happened. Apparently they've got stealth or some new hyperdrive system that doesn't leak out the hyperspace signals for sensors to pick up. By the time they're in visual range, the base is a debris field. Last I heard from Dad, he's been trying to get someone in the Diamid to take him seriously, and they aren't. Something to do with Somtaaw having seemingly abandoned Hiigara right after Landfall. I guess nobody took our handling the Beast instead of letting Hiigara put up with it seriously either."

Karan frowned, then sighed.

"Damn. Just when we think we're clear, somebody else wants us in trouble. I owe a few debts to your first Kiith-Sa since Landfall....he's saved the Mothership several times over with his insights as Fleet Intel. I consider those debts a lifelong endeavor. l see what I can do. Your father's Tessar Somtaaw...is that right?"

Noreena nodded, surprised by the intensity of her relief at Karan's decision, and the impressed look on Karan's face.

"Good. He's one of the best reps I've seen. I'll talk to him before sunup tonight. I don't sleep much anymore, not after the Sajuuk hookups. Oh, and they've changed his office location several times already; I haven't been able to find him with the directories. Would you mind taking me there?"

Noreena smiled broadly, then nodded.

"Thank you so much," she said, extending her hand to Karan for a handshake. "I'm not a rep for my kiith, but considering they probably won't even know you're helping, I'll thank you on their behalf. My ride probably won't leave for another two or three hours if those lazy techs continued the way they've been going lately. And Rey works under me, so they can't lift off without my clearance." Hey at least it'll mean I won't get vaporized in the middle of a fight when the Kuun-Lan's systems lock up from another communications overload.

A loud knock interrupted their conversations. Reydavic's voice could be heard shouting through the door.

"Guys, dinner's getting cold. What do you women do in there anyways?! Yak yourselves to death?!"

Noreena quickly retracted her hand and shoved it into her pocket.

"Time to put my one drama class at Kiith Academy to good use," she muttered. Karan nodded, then quickly bent to reapply her wig. She then tied the amazingly natural-looking hair into a bun, and quickly redid her turban. Then she was the S'jet anthropologist again. She nodded an all-clear, and the two stepped out to greet a very nervous Reydavic.

"Okay!" Noreena snapped at him, "I hope nobody was looking at you funny....I hear some real pervs like to peek in the women's room acting like he's waiting for someone. Wouldn't want some prissy blockhead to smack you on the other side of your jaw."

He cringed, then scurried back to the table.

Chapter 9

Tessar glowered as he shut his com terminal off with a savage stab of his finger at the off button. Leave it to even the lowest kiith to require something in exchange that Somtaaw could barely provide during this crisis. Especially when their fleet was down by a full third from the raider attacks. Either Soban had been spreading the favoritism rumor about them and Yaadren, or Nabaal had gotten its fingers into way too much pies to have anyone risking their little treaties to help Somtaaw. Neither way provided any chance for Somtaaw to get help. The favors owed had turned out to be misunderstandings or worse, political bargains Tessar currently had no stomach--or authority--to handle.

He secretly hoped that Noreena was having a better day. He suddenly thought of something, and turned his terminal back on, dialing her private datapad number.

Noreena's face lit up on the com screen.

"Hey, kiddo," he said with a grin, "Having a fun time down at the market?"

Noreena snickered.

"You could say that. Oh, and could you tell your new night-shift secretary to let us through? Saten's gotta train her some more...like recognizing faces from a picture a little better," she commented with an expressive eyeroll.

Tessar blinked.

"Wait, you're outside my office ?" he spluttered. Noreena's image nodded. Then the camera view shifted to a view of the night-shift secretary looking very annoyed. Reydavic's voice could be heard mumbling through a mouthful of food.

The ambassador moved quickly; he strode to his office's door, and threw it open.

"Yarri, let them in," he grunted at the receptionist. She stared blankly at him as if she didn't understand how Noreena could've called him from the waiting room. Noreena herself smirked knowingly as she ushered Rey and a casually-dressed woman ahead of her.

The pilot promptly flopped into the seat nearest to the wet bar on one side, and began eyeballing Tessar's whiskey collection. Noreena gave her father a quick hug, then stepped back, motioning to her new friend. The woman pulled out from under her tunic a S'jet medallion, then glided to another of the comfortable chairs in the office. She sat down like a breeze settling in a forest, smiling enigmatically all the way.

The Somtaaw redhead sank into the chair next to the S'jet woman, crossing one leg over the other, and looking rather like someone watching a really good holo-flick unfolding. She nodded to her father.

"My friend here thinks she might be able to give you a hand with the Diamid guys and their....refusal....to accept the obvious," she said without preamble. "However, since the last remodel of the ambassadorial wing, the office listings haven't been updated and she couldn't find you. That's why I'm here."

She turned to the S'jet woman, unaware of Tessar's shocked expression at that admission.

In acknowledgement in the shift of the ambassador's attention, the woman quickly removed her turban, and then her wig.

Tessar's jaw dropped in shock.

"Karan...S'jet?" he stammered out.

"None other," she replied smoothly. "Noreena tells me you're having a little problem here."

He nodded emphathetically.

"She tell you the whole story? Up to and including that stealth thing?"

Noreena nodded back at him.

"However did she find you?!"

"A chance...incident," Noreena said, holding back any remarks on the incident with the two Nabaal. "I'll tell you later, honest."

Karan smiled mischeviously.

"All right. I hear your contract with Soban's up, so they won't help. Nabaal's been back to trying to make a vassal out of you again, and now even Liir'Haa's thinking you've got practical value. Paktu and the others have too many treaties with Nabaal to want to antagonize them. That's it in a durshell, right?"

Tessar nodded.

"All right. The Nabaal kiith-sa owes me a few favors, what with wirehead enhancement techniques and such. He can get them to keep quiet. S'jet, even though I've handed command to a regent, will still answer to me. I can also find a few potential Yaadreni for you to pass along, and I've got some contacts with the Taiidan Republic...they've owed us since we drew most of the Vagyr's attention off them. I have one Bentusi contact, who may know some other races we can get in touch with."

A rap on the door interrupted Karan's words. A Sobanii security guard stepped in, a grave look on his face.

"What?" Tessar asked irritably.

The guard looked too troubled to notice Karan's presence in the room.

"The Diamid's calling an emergency session, and they want every kiith down to the out-of-the-way ones to come. We've just got word that the Taiidan Republic has dropped off the galactic map."

"You mean, you lost contact with them?" Noreena asked.

"No, I mean they have dropped off the map. Gone. Kaput. Wiped out. Nothing's come out of New Taiidan since yesterday. It's like they got Kharak all over again."

[Starlight Trinity]

Chapter 10

Noreena sat in her father's desk chair, staring at the proceedings of the Daiamid meeting on his console. Reydavic stood directly behind her, swizzling wine from the wet bar.

"Damn," she growled under her breath, "I wish I had clearance to get in there with Dad. I know a couple of heads I could knock some sense into....because I just know they're not going to have any, not now."

Rey nodded.

"You'll have your time. I'm sure of it," he said soothingly. A slight slur could be heard in his words.

Noreena rolled her eyes.

"And why would you say that?"

"I see more and more of Karan in you. I just know you're headed to greatness. I mean, you talked KARAN S'JET into helping Kiith Somtaaw! Where'd you find her anyways?"

"Tell you another time," Noreena replied, watching as the kiith elders began to discuss just what might've knocked the Taiidan Republic out of communications with Hiigara. The speculations flying around the chamber made her cringe from their sheer absurdity. She silently wished Karan had cloned herself into advisors for each of the kiith for a situation like this.

Rey finished off his wine, and wiped his mouth on his sleeve.

"So they figure anything out yet?" he asked, causing Noreena to grit her teeth in exasperation.

"Nope. Didn't you hear?! Jeeze, man, you're breathing down my neck and you're asking ME what happened?"

She stood, stalked to the wet bar, and after some digging, produced a bottle of very old whiskey that'd somehow found its way from Kharak to Hiigara on the first Mothership. A quick glance told her that Tessar had stocked several of the same bottles in the back of the wet bar. She popped the cork, and handed the bottle to Rey.

"Here. This ought to help you get more of what's going on. Knock yourself out."

Rey took the bottle and began drinking from it as if it had fruit juice in it. Within minutes his body developed a dangerous lean. Before Noreena could react, he toppled over and landed on the office's soft carpeting.

Then a loud snore escaped his lips. Noreena smirked, and turned back to her console. Now she had her peace and quiet.

She was so engrossed in listening to the bickering and speculation that she didn't hear the door open from the office's secret backroom. Karan stepped out, now wearing a flowing robe that shone a brilliant purple, the color of kiith S'jet. Her head was now bald again, the neural interface slots gleaming in the light. She looked every bit the icon she was to the common Hiigaran.

"Anything new?" she asked calmly. Noreena shook her head.

"Just the same old bickering and speculation. Mostly renegade Vagyr, catastrophes, communications breakdowns, Imperial loyalists, or the Beast...none of which make sense as theories. Nobody has yet to connect Somtaaw's 'little raider problem' with these guys. I figure it'll take Manaan or Soban getting their asses keelhauled before these dimwits figure that one out. And they're starting to panic, because I think some of their advisors are figuring out what they can't--that we've got a mess we can't ignore like we did the Vagyr."

A loud burst of noise exploded from the desk console. Noreena glanced back at the screen to see a full-blown panicfest in force on the Daiamid floor. Apparently Noreena's theory had been true--from the looks of it most of the elders were conferring with their advisors, who had more worried expressions on their faces than their superiors....or they were shouting for attention from the Chair so they could express the fear etched on their faces. She sighed, rolling her eyes.

"I think it's your opening," she said to Karan. "They're going to need someone with enough shock factor to pound some sense into 'em. I wish I could go, but I'd probably say something stupid, or get myself tossed out."

Karan smiled mischeviously.

"Your time will come. I think your intelligence will assure you of that, regardless of what others in your kiith say."

"Thanks," Noreena replied. She watched as Karan pulled up the hood of her robe, and glided out of the office.

She went back to her console watching. Things were about to get interesting. Very interesting indeed.

[Starlight Trinity]

Chapter 11

The Chairman banged his gavel several times.

"Order in the Chamber!" he bellowed as the shouting rose beyond tolerable volumes. It also didn't help that he couldn't tell who was requesting to be recognized to speak.

The Daiamid representatives lowered their speaking a notch. Just one notch. The Chairman, a large man with a regal face, scowled dangerously.

"I cannot and will not recognize anyone to take the floor unless EVERYONE QUIETS DOWN NOW!"

The room finally fell silent. The Chairman smiled coldly.

"Better. Now we can function as the government we're supposed to be."

A red-clothed hand went up from the assembly.

"The Chair recognizes Aldar Soban-Sa."

A slender woman with graying hair and the look of a bird of prey taken Hiigaran form, stepped to the center of the chamber. A lone light from above, placed to cast brilliant light upon whoever took the "floor", illuminated her features in sharp contrasts of angular lines and worn wrinkles.

"I have consulted with my advisors, and we have surmised that the Taiidan's disappearance means only one thing: Someone has attacked them with the intention of completely wiping them out."

Tessar, seated next to Saten in the Somtaaw seats of the Daiamid frowned. Interesting. That last dig Somtaaw got open was worked on by a group of Taiidan archaeologists before they were called back. We wouldn't have found it to be as old as it was without them. Either Soban's not totally willing to admit their contract expired, or they like to spy on everyone up to and including "deserter" kiith. He continued to muse over the proceedings. He liked these sorts of sessions best--when everyone started flapping their mouths, things that normally went unsaid became useful information, usually in the nick of time.

Aldar paused to let that information sink in. Very few Hiigarans personally remembered what happened to them on Kharak at the hands of the old Empire's fleet, besides Karan S'jet and the youngest of Sleepers, who still lived today. The rest relied on historical records and personal accounts from their parents and grandparents. Then she pressed on.

"We have had contact with a Bentusi trader shortly before this information came to light. They reported that New Taiidan suffered an abrupt loss of communication that no computer virus of even their design could account for. This rapid loss indicates only the total destruction of the infrastructure there. And the only thing we know of to be so thorough that even the independent data relays linked to Hiigara went out, is a planet-wide assault from space. Soban cedes the floor."

An uneasy murmour rippled through the Daiamid. Kiith Soban was the finest of warrior kiithid that Hiigara had to offer; their information, when offered so freely could not be questioned or challenged easily.

Tessar sighed glumly. Now the Daiamid would know the same silent fear the Somtaaw did when their attackers' intentions became obvious. With luck--and Hiigara luck usually seemed pretty dismal when it came to galactic affairs--it would be the same attackers that had been systematically knocking out Somtaaw bases and outposts.

The Sobanii kiith-sa turned and headed back to her seat. The noise level began to rise once again as delegates slowly came to the realization that if the Taiidan were taken out, Hiigara might likely be the next target. Thanks to the recent Vagyr War, nobody had particularly considered the prospect of having to fight for their people's survival again, not this soon.

The Chairman banged his gavel again, this time more insistently. The glower on his face was sufficient to inspire most to close their mouths and listen.

"The Chair now wishes for any kiith with further information on this matter to seek recognition."

A green-clothed hand rose. Tessar groaned softly. He knew the Nabaal kiith-sa to be quite intelligent, and a good deal more adept in political matters than his predecessors. However, he was typically bound by the interests of his kiith to speak for all of them--not for himself. Aldar had spoken as a warrior seeking to protect their people by informing the Daiamid of what her kiith knew, for Soban typically worked for all other kiithid. They were merely protecting their interests with all kiith by having her say what she did.

"The Chair recognizes Yridir Nabaal-Sa."

The Nabaal kiith-sa, a wiry fellow with a hawkish face and a steely gaze, stepped into the central pool of light.

"I have considered what to say ever since the announcement was made. I agree with the Sobanii assessment of the situation. However, I must disagree with all here, that we are in any danger. There have been no attacks on any of our kiith, or on Hiigaran outposts. Who can say what they want? Perhaps these invaders' grudge is with the Taiidan--we were not the first wronged by their last Emperor. I strongly advise the practical route: we must stay out of this matter. We suffered enough during the Vagyr War. Do we need to be troubling ourselves about the external affairs of our neighbors....particularly those who have not always done well by us? Nabaal cedes the floor."

As Yridir left, a vociferous argument broke out across several groups of delegates and aides. Tessar scowled darkly. That had been an unwise assessment. He lifted his blue-clothed arm for recognition. However, he was drowned out by several others rising imperiously, demanding a chance to speak.

Fortunately, the Chair was smarter than most people made him out to be.

"The Chair recognizes Tessar Somtaaw, ambassador to Kiith Somtaaw."

Tessar rose, feeling Saten pat him on the shoulder. He strode as calmly as he could to the center. When he finally stopped, he turned to face the other delegates. The other delegates stared at him in a mix of annoyance and boredom; their dislike of the "deserter" kiith was apparent. Tessar sucked in a deep breath, and spoke.

"I must inform all of you as a means of improving the accuracy of Hiigaran data on this matter. A kiith has indeed been attacked recently. Mine. We have faced a group of raiders--although our sensors have yet to last long enough to tell us if it is indeed raiders or something worse--that have been systematically eliminating outposts and mining bases in our space. Apparently they have found a way to hide their hyperspace signals. By the time sensors even locate their ships, half the base is in pieces already. And when the data makes it to the armored recorder pods we place inside every installation, the base is nothing but a cloud of atoms in space. Soban's assessment of an equally systematic elmination of Taiidan communications suggest that the Republic's attackers may be the same as our....raiders."

A voice spoke up from the various delegations.

"But why care about us now, Somtaaw? You left us because you would not allow another kiith to boost your numbers and control your destiny. Now you come forward asking for help....and you know you've been getting none."

Tessar perspired as he frantically thought up an answer.

"My colleague is correct. Some of you have recieved messages from my office about this. However, as deserter as we may seem, if it were not for Somtaaw fighting the Beast shortly after we left Hiigara, we would have had even more wars before defeating them. If we did not handle the Beast....who would?"

Silence, punctuated by occasional murmors, greeted him. He pressed on.

"I also have another small bit of information. Our last dealings with the Taiidan was with a group of archaeologists at a newly discovered dig site. They were called away only three days ago, when our raider problem began to reach a point where even the Republic feared for their safety. I have nothing further to offer. Somtaaw cedes the floor."

He strode back to his seat to the sound of louder murmuring and the krack, krack of the Chair's gavel.

In his office, Noreena smirked.

"Go, Dad, go," she said softly, "You tell 'em how we're 'not involved'!"

She leaned back in her chair, hearing her stomach rumble. Watching Daiamid proceedings had that effect on her. She sprinted to the cupboard next to the wet bar, extracting a nutrient bar from its bottom shelf. She sprinted back to her chair, eagerly awaiting when Karan would make her entrance.

Chapter 12

Banging his gavel wearily, the Chair fought down the urge to rub his growing headache off his forehead. Tessar saw that urge, and rubbed his own forehead in hopes he would see how mutual the feeling was in here.

Three hours in, and we're nowhere near a conclusion about what we ought to be doing about this mess....damn!

He glanced at Saten, who despite her calm exterior (which often got her mistaken for a S'jet instead of a Somtaaw), was glowering irritably at the latest kiith-sa to depart the floor. She was all Somtaaw tonight, clenching her fists every time someone made a particularly inane suggestion. She swiftly picked up her thermos of coffee, and gulped it down as if it were a particularly potent shot of whiskey. Tessar, reminded that his was growing cold, followed suit.

All across the Daiamid chamber, the signs of an all-night session stood out for all to see. Food and drink containers littered the delegations' desks along with datapads, hardcopy sheets, and info-discs. Several aides had slumped over and begun to nod sleepily while their superiors argued with one another. The only people who seemed unaffected by the weariness were the Sobanii delegation, and the security guards at the entrances to the Chamber.

Right now, the Paktu and Liir'Haa kiith-sa were debating the value of applying a diplomatic solution to the problem. Already, sneers had risen from the rest of the Chamber at the notion of sending a diplomatic team to deal with a bunch of obviously bloothirsty killers. The Chairman was rapidly losing his control over the proceedings, and the look on his face suggested that he was ready to call Security to break up a fistfight should one ensue.

Tessar gulped more of his coffee, gathering hits wits together for one final plea to the Daiamid to get its act together. He could already imagine hostile ships rising in the sky over Hiigara with little effort, and he doubted it was the caffiene's fault for making him that skittish.

A small, delicate hand touched his shouler. He nearly jumped straight into the ceiling.

When he finally got his nerves together, he turned to see a purple-robed woman standing behind him. A simple medallion with the S'jet insignia on it caught his attention as it gleamed in the light. It took only one guess to figure who she was.

"I'm surprised you waited this long," he whispered. Karan chuckled softly.

"I like them to run through all the options they can before I speak. Makes it easier for me to reason with them if all the ideas are already on the floor," she whispered back. "Sit tight, friend. I've had enough of this too."

She straightened, and lifted her hand for recognition. The Chair blinked as he tried to ascertain the face behind the hood. The vibrant purple of its cloth indicated a S'jet.

"The Chair recognizes....the S'jet-Sa," he said simply, also having recognized who the new arrival was.

Karan, still hooded, glided to the floor. She lifted both hands and took the hood off her head. The Daiamid fell silent as a single entity.

"I have listened to all arguments and theories as they were presented here," she said calmly. "Kiith Somtaaw's recognition of their danger being tied to Hiigara is an accurate one. If they had truly deserted us....they would not have sent an ambassador as honest as Tessar Somtaaw. Nor would they have been so willing to request aid of Hiigara in this time of need. I recommend that we do everything in our power to assist them. They are at the frontlines of this new war...and if they fall, their attackers will begin to attack kiithid with outposts closer to Hiigara....until Hiigara itself is in their sights. We have seen the danger of ignoring outside threats in favor of maintaing peace during the Vagyr War. I will not accept the same course of action now. When we left Kharak, all kiith were united by the truth....that we are all Hiigaran. This was the same at Landfall....but when Somtaaw left, we somehow fell into the trap of believing that if some of our kind would leave, that the efforts of peace in the past were for naught."

She fell silent, letting her words percolate into the minds of all present. Nobody sought to interrupt her or even speak during her pause; their respect for her was that great.

"I am troubled by the political overtones of this discussion. Have we come so far in our growth as a noble people to simply toss aside threats to ourselves for the sake of politics? I thought we had become something better when we survived the battle to gain our Homeworld. Instead, it takes this Daiamid three hours after one kiith tells us they are under attack--just like the Taiidan--to come up with a stalemate on what to do."

Finally someone spoke up--it was the shocked S'jet regent who usually spoke for Karan's kiith in matters like this.

"My kiith-sa," he said uneasily, "We have been under the impression you had chosen to remain staunchly apolitical. Why this change of heart now?"

Karan arched her eyebrows so coolly at that, the entire Daiamid, the Chair included, suddenly felt as if a massively unwise question had been asked.

"Because when one of our kiith comes under attack, we are all under attack," she replied. "Because I can no longer stand having lived past one hundred to see the same topics resurface again and again among our kiithid like old grudges dredged up in a failing marriage. Because I have owed a debt to Kiith Somtaaw's first kiith-Sa on Hiigara in four thousand years for his work as Fleet Intelligence. Because I have seen our people under attack too many times to ignore another threat, no matter how soon after a war it has come. Because I care too much about Hiigara to see it destroyed all for its people's denial of the danger they are now in."

She paused a beat, her gaze suddenly intensifying.

"And because I am dying."

The entire Daiamid complex--from its off-duty aides watching the lounge screens to the statue-like security guards at every doorway--fell into a shocked silence so intense that not even a Seige Cannon could've broken it.

[fdewaele]

very well written

[Starlight Trinity]

Thanks Fred. Glad you liked it.

Chapter 13

Noreena stared at the screen in numb shock. Her mouth worked several times, but no words escaped.

On the desk screen, Karan stood serenely in the light. Not one sound had escaped the Chamber except the humming of sound-transmission equipment, and of course, ventilators. She seemed a spirit already, glowing under the central lamp like a creature of the heavens.

Karan arched her eyebrows again.

"Your respectful reaction is much appreciated fellow kiith-sa, but I am likely to die much sooner...and with the rest of us...if action is not taken to protect our people. We must act now...before it is too late."

Nods rippled through the heads of the delegations. Nobody dared disagree with Karan now, not when she had made her wishes known.

The Chair tapped his gavel lightly in the continuing silence. Noreena could see numerous people jumping and twitching in shocked reaction. She found herself smiling before she realized it.

"It's unanimous then," the ever-practical Chair said, "We will assist Kiith Somtaaw in their struggle for survival....for if they should fall, we all will."

Murmurs of agreement floated in the air around the Chair.

"Good," he said. "Now...what action shall we, the unified kiithid of Hiigara, take?"

The entire Daiamid chamber suddenly erupted in dozens of waving hands and shouted offers of aid.

Noreena grinned mischeviously. Karan might be dying, but she sure knows how to work a room.

"Soooo....what'd I miss?" a voice spoke up at her elbow.

Noreena glanced down to find a decidedly dazed--and much more sober--Reydavic staring up at her from the floor.

"Oh, just the usual...Karan talking the kiith-sa into helping Somtaaw out, reports of dying Republics, and yeah....everyone kissing up to her."

"Oh, good. I had this crazy dream that she said she was dying. Dying! I don't believe a minute of that! I mean, come on, she can't die."

Noreena cringed at Rey's words. This was going to take some tactful explaining or Rey would never believe, much less work for, her. She turned back to the desk screen, and saw a rather irritating repetition of the scene beforehand.

Now the delegates had descended into arguing over which kiith should be doing what. Noreena groaned and put her head in her hands.

Bleeep.

Noreena lifted her head, then reached out one hand and tapped the com button on Tessar's desk.

"Tessar Somtaaw's office. How may I help you?"

"This is Ifrit Somtaaw-Sa. Please inform the Ambassador that we've just lost our second-largest mining base to a raider attack. And we have some news about their motivations."

"Will do, sir," she replied, shock flowing through her nerves once again. "Are there any critical details you'd like me to relay to him, sir?"

"Yes. They're claiming to be Progenitors. And the frigates sent out to guard that base finally got pictures of their ships. The claim may be bogus, but they've got more than just firepower backing it up. Data is en-route, and heavily encrypted. He'll know the codes for decrypting. I will call back in one hour for updates."

Bleeep.

Noreena found herself simply staring at the console. The promised data scrolled across the screen, its encryption already having reduced it to meaningless gibberish. She felt rather as if her entire brain had done the same thing.

"Sa-juuuuuk," she groaned to herself as she slumped onto the desk again. Time for some serious headache meds. And a prayer bracelet.


Chapter 15

"Hell of a way to get Daiamid clearance," Noreena growled to herself. She held a lone datadisc in her hands. The Sobanii security guard finished his scan of her, and set aside his weapon detector. He motioned her and Tessar through the Daiamid Chamber entrance.

Within minutes they were seated at the Somtaaw desk, peering about as the delegates strode back into the Chamber. Sunlight streamed through the entrances from the hallway viewports, reminding everyone what little time had passed since the last session. Noreena could see that numerous delegates sported bleary eyes and massive tankards of coffee.

She felt the same. Since her flight back to the Kuun-Lan got canceled because of her father's need for an information services officer to help analyze the data that came in last night, she had remained on Hiigara through the night. Now she had no idea when she'd make it back to space. And the entire realization that her time had indeed come didn't help her confidence at all.

The Chair banged his gavel in several far-paced taps, signaling that the session's beginning.

"The Chair recognizes the Somtaaw Ambassador and his aide. Please...present your data so we all may learn who we're facing."

Tessar clapped his daughter on the back, then made his way to the floor. Noreena followed. The disc felt slick in her sweaty palms, reminding her of the danger that was headed to Hiigara's doorstep. She finally found herself standing under the central light, its heat causing her to perspire even more.

A lone data terminal sat near the circle of light. Noreena stepped forward, and inserted the disc into it. Overhead, a massive holographic display containing images of the attackers' ships, and whatever specs on them the frigates who'd sent the data had gathered.

The ships--three in all--resembled long, sharply edged spires set horizontally. Various towers, gunports and armor plates jutted out from their slender hulls. The vessels' hulls shone a multitude of dark blues, glinting with occasional iridescence in the light of the system's star. The nebulae behind them shone a brilliant sulfurous orange, causing the enemy craft to stand out in sharp contrast.

Tessar began his briefing:

"These ships are approximately three kilometers long, and half a kilometer at their widest portions. The frigates we sent couldn't get much in the way of data on the weaponry, but what they did get is very interesting."

Circular crosshair-like icons lit up around the rears of the vessels, near their engines.

"Emission scans show that these ships are putting out a type of radiation not unlike that of the slipgates. Our top scientists estimate this may be why we couldn't detect hyperspace signatures from their arrivals. They're not using Cores or even back-engineered hyperspace modules. The current theory being advanced is that they've found a way to create artificial slipgates. Therefore their slipgates would resemble natural ones to our sensors, and not raise any flags in the security protocools."

Tessar paused a beat, letting that information sink in. Then he continued.

"This base, unlike the others, was approached by these ships first, before they opened their attack. We were fortunate to have a small battalion of ion and flak frigates patrolling the area near the base at the time....or what happened next wouldn't have made it to our eyes and ears."

A holo-recording lit up, showing all three ships approaching the Somtaaw base. One of them raised a massive gunport from its interior, and fired a massive ball of plasma. The glowing sphere flew at the base with incredible speed, and destroyed one of the structure's massive refinery wings. The resulting fireball nearly blinded everyone in the room. When it cleared, the station was missing a wing.

"Analysts have concluded this weapon possesses roughly ten to fifteen times the firepower of the Kuun-Lan's upgraded Siege Cannon. But this time...instead of finishing their job, they decided to take a break and sent this text message."

Alien characters flooded the air above the delegates, coalescing into a brief paragraph of text arranged from top to bottom.

"Linguistic analysis--when we brought in Manaani and Yaadren analysts--has shown this to be a type of text similar to that found onboard the Sajuuk. Progenitor text. It translates pretty precisely with the codecs from the Sajuuk computers...they claim to be Progenitors, or rather, a kiith of them. They used the exact word. Kiith. They're searching relics of their race, and restoring them to their owners. Our latest archaeological digs--the one we collaborated on with the Taiidan Republic--was their top objective. By getting there first, we've apparently invoked their ire, and they are claiming any and all Progenitor territory as their own. They were kind enough to send us a star chart indicating said territory."

The text vanished, to be replaced by a three-dimensional star chart. Any schoolchild would've instantly recognized the star formations. The entire Daiamid, realizing what lay before them, gasped in horror. The chart showed the layout of all the star systems within a eighty light-year radius of the star Peldyra, a red giant roughly ten light-years from Hiigara. Naturally, Hiigara was one of the planets in the chart.

"They gave us a one Hiigaran year ultimatum to clear out all these systems, and cede them. They also explained that asking the Taiidan for help was not an option. They've already purged that area of space."

Tessar fell silent, a grim expression flashing across his face. Noreena, recalling the sick feeling she got when the translation had come in, found herself fighting down a new wave of nausea.

"They ended the transmission. Then...." He let his voice trail off as the holo-recording showed the three ships obliterating the mining base, and then vanishing down a trio of slipgates, one for each vessel.

"We surmise they left the frigates alone so their message could get to the Daiamid."

A dead silence settled over the Chamber. It continued for several interminable minutes.

"So," Noreena whispered to Tessar, "Now what?"

Tessar nodded back.

"We wait...and we hope there's enough brain matter left in this room after last night to figure out what the hell to do now."

[fdewaele]

I do.. Please continue...

An other nice piece BTW...

[Starlight Trinity]

Thanks, Fred.

Here's the next installation.


Chapter 16

Noreena woke sleepily. She squirmed slightly in her chair, then realized she'd fallen asleep again at Tessar's delegation table. She glanced around, and found numerous aides either fast asleep or nodding off.

On the floor, a small huddling of Kiith-Sa indicated that the strategy meeting had continued yet another several hours. She sighed, and reached for her coffee mug. After one ship, she spat it out, cringing in disgust.

"Damn," she muttered to herself as she flagged down a Chamber page. She handed him and Tessar's mugs, and requested they be refilled with the triple-strong blend. The young man nodded, and headed to the Daiamid building's one coffeeshop. Noreena watched him go, picking up more requests for coffee as he went. It'd probably take an hour before he'd come back with the refills.

She ran a hand through her hair, and strode down towards the floor.

The Chair had long relaxed proceedures to a simple "one person speaks at a time" guideline for the remainder of the session. He had however threatened to restore full formalities at the first signs of a major disagreement. Karan, who'd been in the shadows during the beginning, had stood in the open and pinned all the participants with a pointed stare to remind them of just who would be annoyed if they descended back into kiith-oriented disputes again. Things had stayed civil and focused after that.

She found Tessar standing with the Sobani and Yaadreni Kiith-Sa, who were somehow managing to keep a tone of civility in the discussions. Fortunately the Sobanii Kiith-Sa was one to leave disputes behind her during strategy meetings. The Yaadreni Kiith-Sa, Noreena's grandfather, still bristled at her every now and then, but managed to keep his manners about him. Nearby Karan and the Chair were quietly discussing the logistics of getting the Sajuuk out of Hiigaran orbit, and fully crewed. Clusters of other Kiith-Sa stood about the strategy table, exchanging ideas and concerns.

Picking out bits and pieces of discussion as she went by, she could tell that not one person in the Chamber had entertained the notion of surrendering. Surrender simply wasn't in the Hiigaran vocabulary, especially not now after Kharak, the Beast, and the Vagyr. These self-styled Progenitors had fallen into that same list by default.

Noreena wove among the groups towards her father, and whispered in his ear: "I sent for more coffee. Need anything else?"

He shook his head and grinn

"Breakfast would be good. I've got food in the wetbar at my office. If you could bring all of it, and any further updates from Ifrit, I'd be obliged." Noreena bobbed her head in ackowledgement and turned to do just that. As she moved away, her grandfather Yaadren winked at her.

"Knew you'd make it into the Daiamid room, Nor. It was only a matter of time before a spitfire like you got this close to the halls of power, eh? So what's new with you?"

Noreena shrugged.

"Same old. Hiigara in mortal danger, Somtaaw in mortal danger, Karan pulling strings. Can't say much has changed besides my being here," she replied with a chuckle. Yaadren nodded with a grin, then turned back to his Soban colleague.

"All right, enough small talk. You say you're willing to put aside our dispute in favor of Hiigara? How do I even know you're not going to bring it up again the minute we step on each other's toes?"

The hawkish woman replied in an even, yet exasperated voice.

"Because it is indeed all of us at stake, Yaadren. What more do you want from me? A song and dance about you being right that Somtaaw is indeed our frontline?"

"All right, all right," Yaadren replied wearily, "Your....indignation is all I needed. Thanks. Now, about that placement of battlecruisers in the final fleet arrangement?"

Noreena shook her head slightly, and moved off towards the Chamber exit. As she climbed the steps, she saw the doors to the Chamber open. Ifrit Somtaaw-Sa, and a handful of his advisors strode through the opening. It took a few seconds for her brain to register the new arrivals' faces. When it did, she straightened and saluted her Kiith-Sa.

"Thank Sajuuk," she exclaimed, "How'd you make it over here so fast, sir?"

Ifrit grinned. His advisors glanced around in confusion.

"Trade secret," he replied mysteriously, then proceeded down the steps.

Noreena shook her head again, and moved to jog up the stairs. However, she didn't get far. One of Ifrit's advisors had quickly moved to catch up with her.

"Information Services Officer Noreena Somtaaw. Good to finally meet you. I'm Pyalun, Info-Services Chief for Somtaaw."

He held out his hand. Noreena blinked, taking it before she'd fully processed who this man was.

"Oh yeah," she said, finally remembering his name, "Weren't you the one who'd told my superior to take the Kuun-Lan apart bolt by console till he found out why our com systems were crashing all the time?"

"The one and the same," he replied with a smile.

Noreena nodded, grinning.

"I'm glad you did that, because I doubt Chief and I could've found that com-paralysis problem without that order to back up taking the entire system offline for diagnostics. You'd have been surprised how many hate memos we got when they went back up. Chief was so annoyed with my needing yet another scan, another check..." She let her voice trail off.

He nodded with a mischevious grin.

"I know your superior likes to take his time...why do you think I made sure you got promoted as his right-hand officer?"

She blinked.

"You....had me promoted? Wow, and here I thought I was getting in because I'd pissed off too many people to be ignored."

"That too," Pyalun replied with a laugh. "Which reminds me of a certain young info-services officer whose Kiith-Sa dug up from the bowels of the Kuun-Lan when he was five years your senior."

"No way," she spluttered, "He dug you up? I've got even more respect for you now--not that I didn't have any before..."

Ugh, shut up now Nor, while you're ahead. What is it with brass and my big mouth anyways?! How I manage not to annoy The S'jet, I'll never know.

Pyalun merely smiled, his eyes twinkling with humor.

"Damn you even sound like me at your age!"

Both laughed at that. Then Noreena sobered, eyeing Pyalun curiously.

"In my experience, the brass talk to me for only two reasons. They either like me and want me doing some crazy assignment for them, or they want to court-martial me. So why are you talking to me?"

The man grinned again, even more broadly.

"Your Chief told me you were a straight shooter, but not this straight. All right, I'll bite. You know Kiith-Sa wants a wirehead for the Kuun-Lan? Well with this new mess, the timetable's gonna speed up even faster. My assignment was to find those candidates who weren't going to come up in the usual methods, or the usual command system. Basically he wants to see if he can dig one up like he did me. And I get the feeling he's going to probably want one of mine because it's faster than going through the regular channels."

Noreena stood there, shocked speechless. She felt as if every Kiith-Sa in the room had their eyes on her.

"Wait....I'm a candidate?" she finally got out.

"You've got the strong identity, and you don't let anybody roll over you. Traits that make you a bit like her," he said, pointing to Karan. "You're not known for being a quitter. And yes, I've read your service files. That hangar incident with those resourcer pilots when you were a tech said a lot to me."

She shrugged, grateful for the change of topic.

"Hey, it was just a bunch of annoying jerks trying to push me around, even though they knew I outranked them. Some people just like to act all macho...and the hangar, to me, isn't a place for that. Yeesh, the one pilot who tried to punch me on should've gone to Soban."

Pyalun nodded.

"He's been sent there...on your recommendation in your report. Even volunteered before we finished telling him about it."

"Damn, why is it I'm the last person to hear about those things? I keep thinking he got promoted in the command track or something."

"A hothead like him? Not on your life or mine. You made the right call."

"Thank you sir."

"You're welcome. When you've got some free time during all this...I'd like to see you for an interview, strictly for the record. Consider this the off-record one. 1700 hours, the steps of this building."

"I'll be there, sir," she replied with a salute. Pyalun moved on, heading to where his Kiith-Sa stood.

Noreena stood there, shaking her head.

"First getting into the Chambers and falling asleep here. Now they want me for the wirehead? Jeeze, this galaxy is falling apart," she muttered to herself as she turned towards the doors.


Chapter 17

Reydavic grabbed the pastries the minute they came within his arm's reach. Noreena groaned inwardly. This guy had even less manners hung up than when he was drunk.

"Thank Sajuuk," he mumbled through the food in his mouth, "I'm starving."

"Yeah, well save some of 'em for Dad and me, please. You're not the only one with a stomach on this planet," she grumbled.

The pilot snatched up two more pastries, then stepped back, motioning to Noreena that he was done. Shaking her head, she placed the box of pastries on the floater cart next to her. Several food items sat alongside them: fruits, breads, pastries, several pitchers of different juices, and butter. Plastic plates and silverware lay next to them. A pair of massive, steaming-hot coffeepots stood guard over the rest of the food.

"Well, good luck," he said. "I saw they were finally getting to the Sajuuk in the discussions. Something about a wirehead problem."

"What?" Noreena asked. "Karan's the only one who's flown that ship before, and she'll be the only one to fly it."

"Hey, I'm just telling you what I heard."

"Yeah, right," she muttered, pushing the cart out the office doors.

It was only a short walk down to the Daiamid chambers. The two Sobanii guards scanned the cart and its contents, then checked her ID. Finally, they waved her through. This time, everyone looked more alert. Food and drinks were scattered throughout the delegates' tables. Aides and Kiith-Sa were eating frantically as they worked. The atmosphere felt so charged that Noreena half-expected lightning to strike where she stood.

She made her way to the Chamber floor, where a large group of Kiith-Sa, the Chair, and aides clustered around Karan S'jet.

From the look on her face, Noreena guessed that she had just made a very difficult decision. She strode towards Tessar, who stood near the S'jet Kiith-Sa.

She silently filled a mug of triple-strength coffee, poured some creamer and sugar into the drink, and handed it to him. He took it with a nod, then proceeded to update his daughter on what was going on.

"Karan's just told us she can't fly the Sajuuk to the Kuun-Lan."

"What?!" Noreena spluttered. Reydavic had been right: this was a problem. "But...why?"

"I'll make it short, although you could probably fill in the spaces better than I can. One Core's radiation was enough to cause her body to gain eternal youth, a voice change, and low-level psionic abilities. Three Cores overloaded her system. They were just too much. Her DNA is changing, and it's destabilizing. She's estimated about a 15-year lifespan after she hooked up to the Sajuuk. It's already been twelve years since the Vagyr War. If she takes control of the Sajuuk again, she'll die from only a day's exposure to the three Cores."

"Oh, crap," Noreena muttered. "What about a different wirehead?"

"Medical kiiths are theorizing that anybody taking the Sajuuk's systems for even a week, or a month, gets the same 15-year lifespan, or less depending on their health the time they hook up. And most of 'em are already either in battlecruisers, carriers, shipyards or outpost bases. Not very many that'd handle transference. Karan's the only one to survive extraction and re-insertion. None of the others have worked with a Far Jumper before."

"Damn," she muttered, "So we can't send the Sajuuk up?"

"Not without something of sufficient computational power to control the Cores, no."

She groaned, and flopped into the nearest chair.

"That's gonna get our asses wiped, Dad. Has anybody thought of a solution?"

"Yes," a voice spoke from next to Tessar. Karan had appeared next to him, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Oh? Let's hear it then," Tessar replied.

"The Kuun-Lan gets one Far Jumper Core. We'll have to make that ship the flag of our fleet until someone solves the Core radiation problem for the Sajuuk. The Kuun-Lan has manufacturing and crew capacities similar to the second Mothership; it can handle the job fine."

"Uhhhh," Noreena said, stalling, "We do have one problem."

"That is?" Karan asked. Ifrit stepped towards the group, nodding grimly.

"She's right," he said calmly. "Communications paralysis. It set in about a year or two ago, after the last set of upgrades to the Kuun-Lan's systems. We've developed probably the biggest Information Services department for any ship among all kiith at this rate, just trying to contain the problem. The last set of drills were done last week, and it's confirmed that the Kuun-Lan will only be combat-worthy if we get a wirehead installed. I've got a one-week deadline for my people to find me wirehead candidates. With a Far Jumper, it's going to be even more critical to have a trained wirehead. And..."

An advisor wearing Somtaaw blue strode towards his Kiith-Sa, handing him a datapad. Ifrit nodded, and took it. He then proceeded to read the report, his eyes narrowing as he did so. His frown intensified dangerously. The officer scurried away, knowing he'd just become the bearer of bad news.

"....none of the officially located ones would qualify sufficiently in the time allotted," he growled. "My people are good, and they were smart to get the list to me much sooner what with this mess. But none of them will work with this compressed timeline, and certainly none have combat experience! At all! Trainee at the S'Jet Neural Institute, will graduate in 5 years?! Child prodigy with computers? A data systems officer on the Var-Terur with the right psych profile but no backbone? The Var-Terur is a mobile refinery! Is this all they could come up with?"

He tossed the datapad onto an empty chair in disgust. Karan, Tessar and Noreena raised their eyebrows in shocked unison at his outburst.

"Pyalun!" he called out. The Info-Services Chief strode from a cluster of Yaadreni and Sobanii aides towards Ifrit.

"Sir?" he asked.

"Found anybody yet?"

"Oh, the wirehead post?"

Ifrit nodded tersely, his intense gaze boring into his advisor's skull with the intensity of an ion-cannon beam.

"Three. One just told me no when I interviewed him before departure. I can't get the second one--they're in a cryo-tray on Haven for a critical accident injury involving violatile chemicals. And the third is right here. She's got combat experience from her grandfather, who's a kiith founder."

"Well, who is it then?"

Pyalun motioned to Noreena.

"Her. Yaadren's her grandfather--taught her every strategy he knows. Swore that up and down to me when I caught him before he came into the Chamber."

"Her?!" Ifrit spluttered. "The same woman who nearly upended the Kuun-Lan hangar all because of a couple of trainee resourcer pilots?"

"Hotheaded trainee resourcer pilots, sir," Pyalun pointed out. "I've looked at the incident sixteen ways from Kharak, sir. As far as I'm concerned, she made the right call."

"You'd stake our survival on...her acceptance?" Ifrit retorted, his voice indicating a mix of irritation and grudging respect. Pyalun nodded.

All eyes, Karan's included, focused on Noreena. Even Karan was looking at her as if she were her own daughter. For a moment, all time froze to a standstill. Noreena found herself staring in shock at Pyalun, then Ifrit.

Then, she gazed at Karan, recalling the situation that had forced her to become what she was today. They'd needed a wirehead then for equally powerful reasons, although they hadn't realized it would be a matter of survival. If only they could see the mess Hiigara was in now....

Then an earlier conversation with Karan surfaced in her mind. Noreena had no idea what prompted the flashback--perhaps it was being in the Chamber with even Karan S'jet present, or maybe it was the sheer gravity of Hiigara's situation right now.

Noreena nodded, taking a moment to phrase her question just right in her mind. Then it came to her.

"Why did you volunteer yourself... when your research showed a living brain could solve the paralysis problem on the first Mothership? I've read the official stories, that you didn't want anyone using your research on other people. But I get the feeling there's more to it."

Karan nodded.

"There was. Not many ask that one, not now, and I wish more would. Simply put: Someone had to do it. If I wanted it done right, I might as well do it myself. Kiith pride, personal glory--none of that crap entered in the final decision, although I'd be lying if I said they never crossed my mind."


She gazed back at Ifrit who eyed her impatiently, expecting some kind of spoken response to Pyalun's words.

Simply put: someone had to do it.

She stared back down at her hands. The hands that had worked the data-system relays, rerouted com circuits for rapid transmission between the Kuun-Lan's bridge and various departments. She knew the Kuun-Lan. She knew that ship's systems, crew, strengths and weaknesses.

They're putting a Far Jumper in the Kuun-Lan. And a wirehead's the only way to get her up and running for battle. Hiigara's gonna be screwed damned good without a battle-ready flagship. Someone has to do this. There's no time for the fancy stuff.

Someone has to do this.

She felt something inside of her turn over, as if her mind had reached a decision unconsciously, and now had begun relaying it to her conscious self. And when her conscious self had realized what had just gone down, it agreed. Wholeheartedly.

Feeling a newfound surge of strength and confidence somewhere inside of herself, Noreena stood, and eyed her superiors.

"I'll do it," she said in a calm, yet fierce, voice. "I'll be damned if I let Somtaaw--and Hiigara--go down without a fight."

[fdewaele]

An other grand piece

[Starlight Trinity]

Chapter 18

The armed escort fanned out, clearing the way for their charges to walk through the crowds. The afternoon sunlight slanted low, casting a golden hue on everyone and everything around them. The spaceport loomed ahead of them, ships soaring around it like a horde of hyperactive bees.

Two hooded figures strode amongst the groups of Kiith-Sa and their aides. One wore brilliant S'jet purple, while the other wore the classic rich blue of Kiith Somtaaw. The entourage continued its steady progress towards a lone corvette nestled in an open space of hangar. Technicians, repair bots, and more guards swarmed about the craft, frantically readying it for its voyage to the Kuun-Lan.

At last, the final preparations complete, the crews scurried away from the ship. The procession made its way towards the corvette's boarding ramp. It paused before boarding; the guards made two rows of armed bodies leading towards the ramp.

The robed figures paused, and turned to face the groups of Kiith-Sa behind them.

The purple-garbed one lifted her hood off, revealing the head of Karan S'jet. The woman standing next to her followed suit, revealing Noreena with her hair tied in a tight bun at the nape of her neck. She seemed calmer, more refined than her usually blunt self. She eyed the assemblage before her as Karan began to speak.

"For the first time, I will be able to only advise, not lead," she said calmly. "I will personally train Noreena for the role I once took. Consider her my protege, for I will not be with the Hiigaran people much longer. Our unity must persevere. And so will our heritage with the Far Jumper."

She motioned Noreena to take the ramp ahead of her. Within moments, both women, Ifrit's group, and several other Kiith-Sa had boarded the corvette.

When Noreena had seated herself, she suddenly recognized the clean-shaven pilot standing at the cockpit. She gaped for several seconds before saying something.

"Rey, is that you?!"

"None other," he replied with a smirk, "What, did you think I'd look like a freaking drunk on a mission like this?"

"No, but I kinda hoped," she remarked softly, one corner of her lips turned up in a sarcastic grin.

Reydavic snorted, then plopped into the pilot's chair. He began start-up checks with surprising efficiency. Noreena could tell he still tried his best to be his casual self, while doing his work. She smiled to herself. Perhaps there was indeed more to this man than she thought. Settling back in her chair, she mentally readied herself for the takeoff.

It came faster than she expected. First Reydavic called the countdown, and then pulled down the thrust levers. The G-forces intensified slowly but surely as the Hiigaran capital dropped below the ship.

Then came the darkening of the sky. Stars grew brighter and stronger as moments passed by, until finally the sky had turned a pitch black, dotted with tiny specks of varying brightness. Then the ship turned--a view of Hiigara's two moons flowed into view like a well-choreographed holofilm. Then even they fell aside.

"Preparing for hyperspace....transit will be in thirty seconds," Reydavic said calmly. Noreena arched her eyebrows. Whatever happened to his casual mannerisms?

"And I'd keep the seatbelts buckled, and the airsick bags in your hands if I were you, everyone," he quipped.

Everyone chuckled softly as they took his advice. Noreena noticed that even Karan was steeling herself. She blinked.

"I thought hyper didn't bother you?"

"Every jump affects me on a level deeper than the last. It's almost like my body knows what's happening to it," Karan remarked. "It's how I first suspected the triple-core radiation was overloading me."

"Oh," Noreena replied. Mental note: Get regular checkups more often than every decade.

"So...." she said, "How long is this training gonna last?"

"Three months, maybe less if you're good," Karan said. "There's no time for the niceties."

"Tell me about it," Noreena muttered. "And something tells me I'm gonna hear that line a lot for a while."

"Yep," Karan replied with a grim smile. "I may be compassionate, but not when I'm training a wirehead."

Noreena blinked.

"I'll just assume I'm talking to Sajuuk herself," she quipped.

Karan grinned knowingly.

"Precisely."


Chapter 19

Ilania Somtaaw blinked as the doorbell buzzed noisily. She stood, her long coppery hair swirling around her. When she pressed the intercom button, she gaped to find Tessar, Noreena, and a pair of guards at the doorway. She hit the open button before her brain fully realized what was happening.

"Noreena?" she spluttered as her daughter strode into her quarters, wearing a billowing robe of the richest Somtaaw blue. "What are you doing here? Aren't you on duty?"

Silence greeted her. The intense gleam in Noreena's eyes warned her to keep her distance lest she distract her. Tessar stepped in, gripping his wife's hands in reassurance. Noreena took the robe off and tossed it onto the sofa. She quickly hugged her mother, then headed to the restroom.

"Hi Mom. Sorry this is such a rush--did you catch the newsblips from Hiigara?"

Ilania shook her head. She stared at Tessar, confused by this swirl of events.

"Nor, what's going on? Last I heard those raiders had taken out another major mining post, and kiith-Sa took off for Hiigara...what the hell is going on?!"

"We've got help by the shipload, Mom," Noreena said grimly, "Those so-called Progenitors are going to get their chronos cleaned real good." She quickly unbound her hair, and pulled out a pair of scissors from the medicine cabinet. She carefully held her mane in a ponytail, and began cutting just below where her hand was.

"NOREENA!" her mother spluttered, "Why are you cutting your hair?!"

"Wirehead posting," Noreena replied. "Gotta do the S'jet thing or we're toast all the way to Hiigara."

She set the scissors down and rummaged for the razor.

"Dad," she called out, "Did you take your razor with you on the way back?"

Tessar ducked his head into the bathroom. He glanced around, then scurried off to the master bedroom. The sound of falling clothes, hygiene items, and various datapads could be heard all the way to the living room. Ilania shook her head, then went after her husband.

"Tessar, what is this all about?" Noreena could hear her mother saying.

Tessar's voice responded in its typical diplomatic calm.

"Karan S'jet got the Daiamid helping out. Kiith-Sa sent them that ransom note from our last attack site...wait, did you say there was another? Nevermind. Anyways, the Kuun-Lan's getting a Far Jumper Core, and Nor's our new wirehead. She's got surgery for the neural hookups tomorrow. This ship will be combat-ready by the time they come."

"Wait....Noreena?!" Iliania gasped. "But what about the other...?"

"None would've been ready in time. Kiith-Sa had to be talked around to it, but he and Noreena agreed. She volunteered for this, Iliania. I know it's a lot to take in, but we've got to move if we're going to even have another generation of Hiigarans."

Footfalls pattered back towards the restroom. Then Tessar stood behind his daughter, holding out his razor to her. Noreena took it, turned it to the proper setting, and proceeded to shave her head. When she came out of the restroom, she was as bald as Karan, with only her coppery eyebrows to show what her hair used to be like.

Iliania sat on the sofa in the living room, shock written across her face in bold worry lines. When she saw her daughter's new appearance, she closed her eyes, and bowed her head. A long sigh escaped her lips.

"At least you'll outlive the rest of us, dear," she said softly to Noreena. "Please, at least try to have kids?"

"I'll do what I can, but there's no telling what one Far Jumper's going to do to my ovaries, Mom. And what guy would take me after this anyways? Karan's been single since Landfall--you'd think some guy would've gotten in. But nobody has."

"And promise me one thing," Iliania said steadily, standing to face her daughter.

"Yeah?"

"Be yourself. Don't let that Core change you into something you're not."

"You got it. I think it's why they picked me anyways, though."

"I'm proud of you, hon. When will I see you again?" Ilania moved to caress her daughter's cheek. Noreena blinked, fighting back a swell of emotions she hadn't expected to feel.

Noreena sighed. Now she understood some of what Karan must've felt before her hookups.

"Probably in icon statues on Hiigaran merchant stalls," she grumbled, "Although I'll probably get extracted when this is all over. We'll celebrate then, on Hiigara with everyone else. It isn't kiithid anymore--it's all of us."

"And if we don't win?" Iliania's voice trembled with that question. Noreena stared at the floor, rubbing her sweaty palms against her coveralls. Every fiber in her body rebelled against that statement, but she knew better than to contradict her mother. Not now, not when her moods were shifting every nanosecond.

"At least we got to talk one final time, Mom," she said quietly. They embraced for several long minutes.

When they parted, both had moist eyes and red noses.

"I gotta go for surgery prep now," she said, her voice breaking. "Love you Mom."

She then walked slowly to the door, picking up her robe. Tessar quickly hugged his wife, then went to follow his daughter, leaving Iliana alone in what now felt like starkly cold quarters.

She clasped her hands together in prayer, closing her eyes against the tears that threatened to overwhelm her.

"Sajuuk, please watch over my family," she whispered, "And all of us. All of us. And forgive what we must do to save our future."


Chapter 20

The medic gazed down at Noreena.

"You're serious?" she asked, "You willingly volunteered for this?"

"Yeah. So? Every wirehead volunteers."

"On orders. It's just you and Karan who said, 'someone's got to do this, and it's going to be me.' It's just...incredible."

Noreena sighed. All the way from her quarters to pre-op, she'd seen people staring at her in awe--the same awe they had reserved for Karan. She guessed by now the official news had hit the Kuun-Lan. Why else would everyone look at her like this if they had no idea why she was doing this?

"Hey, this is for Hiigara, not for just my kiith, all right? If someone's going to do this, it's going to be me. Remember that, cuz that's exactly why Karan did what she did too. If more people did things because they simply had to be done, we wouldn't be wading through kiith bickering to get all this done."

"Right," the medic replied, nodding as she checked her equipment one last time. Noreena sighed. She suspected the woman hadn't gotten the point of her message...yet. She sucked in a deep breath, and tried to relax.

The orderlies had already carefully strapped her down to the table, and secured her head so firmly that not even her best effort would move it a millimeter. All around her, medics and surgeons worked to ready the operating room. Noreena stared up at the ceiling, which mercifully had remained dimly lit while the operating equipment shone underneath low-hanging lamps. She knew from her briefing that they would turn the ceiling brightness up considerably when she was under anesthesia, but for now, they had left it off for her comfort. Everyone spoke in calm, even tones for her benefit; excessively stressing a patient, and their vital signs, could easily derail a delicate surgery.

She let her gaze roam across the room, past the tool tables, the electronic lifesign monitors, the massive hologram of her brain at her right, and found the observation window at her left. Karan stood next to Tessar and Ifrit Somtaaw-Sa. Not one of those people looked relaxed about what would soon happen. Tessar himself looked downright sweaty. Noreena wondered if he would faint partway through, or just pace like he usually did when something very disturbing was going on. Karan looked as if a thousand flashbacks had taken control of her brain and now were fighting for territory. Ifrit remained as stone-faced as usual, his dark red hair gleaming in the light as if expressing the tension in his mind.

Noreena closed her eyes.

"All right. Time for the anesthetic. Noreena, I'm Doctor Okean S'jet, and I will be leading the proceedure. Just relax, and let yourself drift into sleep...calmly....naturally.....sleeep."

All right, this is it. No turning back.

She closed her eyes, taking deep, even breaths, trying to fall asleep like she normally did.

I don't know if I'd be doing this if I never met Karan. If it weren't for her answer, and that question...

Then her eyelids felt incredibly heavy. The sensation traveled to her limbs and her head. Soon, her entire body felt as if the gravity had tripled in the room. She tried to open her eyes one last time, to glance at the people watching the surgery, but she couldn't. It took too much effort.

Then she faded into oblivion.

"Noreena?" a voice called into the abyss. "Time to wake up. You're recieving the antidote to the sedative. You'll feel much more awake in a minute. Please, don't try to move."

"Uhhh," she got out between a pair of dry lips. Her tounge felt like a dry towel that someone had shoved into her mouth. Instinctively, she tried to move, but couldn't. The bed straps were still holding her down. She relaxed, feeling too worn out to consider trying that again.

"Very good, Noreena. Just relax. Give yourself a few minutes to come awake."

She wet her lips, feeling some strength return to her body. Keeping her eyes closed, she let herself soak up every sensation from her body. Her head felt completely numb from her eyebrows up. The rest of her body felt normal enough, except for the seeming heaviness the last of the sedative left her with.

Soon, more of the fogginess left Noreena's mind. Her eyes flew open. Overhead hung a holo-imager, displaying a soothing panorama of abstract imagery. Soft colors and shapes swirled in front of her eyes, accompanied by gentle music.

Then the sensation of the straps coming off her body yanked the final bits of fuzziness from her thoughts. Noreena blinked, then tried to move her head. While it was still numb, she could now move it. She tilted it sideways, recognizing the medic hovering over her.

"Welcome back to the world of the awake," the woman said with a smile,"Everything went perfectly. I'll give you a few more minutes to rest up, and then I'll prop you up for some breakfast. How's that?"

"Good," Noreena finally got out. "I'm thirsty."

"I'll go get you some water. Be right back," she replied with a grin, then left.

A hand settled onto Noreena's shoulder. She glanced up to see Tessar gazing down at her.

"How you feeling?" he asked.

Noreena took quick stock of herself, then quirked her eyebrows in annoyance.

"I'd be stating the obvious, Dad."

"Well, say it anyways. Usually feels good to get it out."

"I feel like a Beast 'vette ran me over, and got me halfway infected before changing its mind and spitting me out its rear-end. Happy now?" she grumbled.

"That's my Noreena all right," he replied with a laugh.

"How nice of you to tell me," she remarked dryly. "I'm not even hooked up to a Core yet, and you're worrying."

"Hey, I gotta prepare," he retorted with a mock-wounded look on his face.

"Duh," Noreena replied, a matching expression on hers. Then the medic had returned, holding up a glass of water with a straw bobbing inside it. She leaned over and pulled a floating meal table in front of Noreena. She set the glass on it, then tapped a button outside of Noreena's field of view. The bed slowly inclined itself upwards, allowing her lips to touch the straw. She sucked thirstily on it, feeling the cool water rejuvenating her tired body.

"Thanks," she replied. "So where's breakfast?"

The doors opened. A floater cart followed by none other than Karan S'jet hummed into the room. A steaming hot breakfast, assembled in bite-size portions, sat atop the cart. Karan grinned at Noreena.

"Any curse words yet?" she asked mischeviously.

"Not yet," Noreena replied with a weak chuckled.

"Wait till the numbing medication wears off. Believe me, I swore like a resourcer pilot for a while after that," she replied.

"I'll keep that in mind. Somebody keep that brain epidural or whatever the hell it is going."

The medic nodded.

"I'll do my best," she said with a smile. She hit the incline control again, causing Noreena's bed to raise her legs, and position her body in a sitting posture. "Enjoy your breakfast. And yes, you may move your arms. They weren't being operated on."

She turned and left the room. Noreena experimentally lifted her arms, and found they moved as they normally did. She motioned for Karan to bring the cart closer. Then she wrapped her hands on the first plate, and lifted it to the table. She scooped up the nearest eating utensil and dug into the breakfast with the same abandon as Reydavic would have.

"So, how soon does training begin?" she asked between bites.

"One week," Karan replied. "Your head's got to heal up first."

"Okay. So when do I get shoved in a tank, then?"

"Insertion. You read the briefing."

"Yeah, but I'd feel better hearing about it from someone who's been there."

"Of course," Karan replied smoothly. "I'd have done the same."

"Cool. Hmm," she mused as she ate. "I think this room needs something. It's kinda...blah."

Karan laughed.

"Rey, Tessar and I were taking bets on when you were going to say that!" she exclaimed. "Let me guess, a big piece of Kiith Somtaaw graffiti?"

"Right on the money," Noreena replied with a snicker. "How'd you get to know me that well?!"

"You were out for three whole days, Noreena. Surgery didn't want to take any chances. And Pyalun made sure I had your profile and your father was very good at filling in the blanks."

"Heh. One longer than my bet with Rey. Remind me to thank them sometime."

"Over a beer like he tells me?" She motioned to Tessar, who struggled to keep down a chuckle, and failed miserably. Noreena narrowed her eyes at him.

"Beer yes. That crap some of those Hiigaran bars call beer? No. I know the perfect watering hole on the Kuun-Lan. Little corner shack called the Collision. Right between that Manaani casino, and that oddball tailor's shop."

"I've heard of it. Their food any good?"

Noreena laughed.

"It's all vegetarian, though. It's expensive to keep meat intact in space. And spicy enough to make flames come out of your ears."

"Damn, I haven't had good Somtaaw food in years," Karan replied with a grin. "Since everyone's gonna be holing up here for the duration, I might as well get back in the habit."

"You? Somtaaw food?! What else about you did the historians miss?"

"Not enough."

Noreena shook her head. Then a jolt of pain tore through her forehead. Tessar winced in sympathy.

"Aw crap," she grumbled as the pain intensified. "Anesthesia must've underdosed." She tapped the call button, gritting her teeth all the while.

"One."

With no reply forthcoming, Noreena muttered a common Somtaaw curse phrase. To her surprise, the paint didn't peel off the walls.

"Fifteen," Karan said, a mischevious gleam in her eyes.

"Damnit! You didn't tell me you were keeping count!"

"Sixteen. Sorry. Just want to see if you'll beat my record."

"Record? Oh Sajuuuuuuuuuuuuk. WHERE is that medic?!"

"Seventeen."

"I'll get her," Tessar said with a snicker. He headed out of the room doors, failing to see Noreena narrowing her eyes at Karan this time.

This post has been edited by Starlight Trinity: June 27, 2004, 12:29 AM

[fdewaele]

An I repeating myself? Nice work

[Starlight Trinity]

Thanks Fred. And yes, I do believe I'm hearing an echo coming out your other ear? And on to the next tidbit...

Chapter 21

Reydavic stepped back to survey his handiwork, then grinned in approval.

"That should do it, Nor. I hope some historian has the sense to tell the infirmary people not to paint over it."

"Thanks Rey," Noreena replied with a chuckle, then a broad grin of her own. "It's perfect."

The pilot nodded, then set the last spraypaint can down on the float cart. Before him stretched what was once an antiseptic white wall. Now it blazed with brilliant colors, dominated by a massive Kiith Somtaaw emblem embracing the winged logo of the Hiigaran United Fleet. Beyond the insignia, stars and nebulae shone, thanks to glitter-infused paints.

"No charge, and most certainly, no problem," the pilot laughed. "I think I outdid myself this time." He bent and with a can of pale silver paint, applied a shorthand signature in an ancient Somtaaw dialect. Noreena blinked.

"Hey, wait a minute. I recognize that signature. You did that big graffiti in the Kiith Academy messhall, didn't you?"

"Yep, and no studies either."

"Damn, and I kept thinking it was that hotshot Tandjir..." Noreena's voice trailed off as she shook her head. "Guy knew how to do nose art, that's for sure."

"Taught me everything I knew about art," Reydavic smirked. "And beer."

Noreena rolled her eyes.

"Why am I not surprised?" she asked wearily.

"What the hell is that smell?!" a voice spluttered out. A male medic stepped through the door, then froze in shock when he saw the graffiti.

"Paint," Reydavic retorted.

"This is totally against regulations. I'm going to call janitorial right--"

"He did it on my request," Noreena cut in irritably. "You call janitorial, I'll tell Karan."

The medic blinked, then grumbled something under his breath. He did a quick check of the lifesign monitors next to Noreena's bed, then stalked out in a huff.

"Nice call," Rey remarked.

"Thanks. Ow!"

"Meds wear off again?"

"Yep. Dammit!" she grumbled, tapping the call button. "Better not be that annoying squarebrain either. I hate regulation-worshippers."

Nobody came through the doors. Noreena groaned softly, and muttered a particularly creative curse phrase she'd come up shortly after Karan had counted twenty-five swearwords. She fought down the urge to press her hands to her head; it was still bandaged and the pain made her an explosion of her head if she tried to touch it.

She tapped the call button several times in quick succession.

"Crap!" she exploded. "I bet that git decided to ignore the call because of the graffiti! How'd he even get to be a S'jet anyways?!"

The doors finally opened, and Karan strode in.

"Forty-three," she said with a faint smirk. "And nice graffiti. Rey, I think you forgot the Kuun-Lan had the Siege Cannon module moved eight hours ago."

Noreena groaned in disgust.

"Three days already, and these headaches just won't quit. The minute the pain meds run out, bam!" she complained. "When did the pain go away for you?"

"Two weeks," Karan replied. "Wears off little by little over a period of time."

"Joy," Noreena groaned through gritted teeth. "So where's a medic when I need one?"

"Would this help?" Karan asked, holding up a clear-wrapped block of chocolate fudge. The Collision's logo was printed on it.

"Omygod," Noreena spluttered,"I haven't had Collision chocolate in years! That's what you get for having a health freak as your superior."

"I made sure they mixed in enough pain suppressants in the order, too. It was your head surgeon's idea. Let's just say I picked him for more than his being a leader in neurosurgery."

Noreena unwrapped the fudge, and broke off a chunk of it. She popped it in her mouth. Within minutes, the headache faded to something manageable.

"Thank you so much!" she blurted as she broke off another chunk of fudge. "How do I ration this stuff?"

"One more chunk the size of the one you just broke after this one, and you'll probably be headache free for at least eight hours."

"Head Surgeon's idea, right? Remind me to put an order with the Collision for a thankyou present," she replied with a grin. "So that's why the medics aren't going to come as often, right?"

"Right. That stuff should last you," Karan tilted her head sideways as she spoke, "the rest of this week, and maybe another day or two after that. By then the pain will have gone down to something manageable."

"Fantastic." Then Noreena narrowed her eyes.

"Wait a minute. This is so you get to keep your record, isn't it?!"

Both women remained silent for a beat, and then burst into laughter.

"Fine, I'd rather not hog all the glory," Noreena finally got out between giggles. "You're still the first."

Karan nodded, then sobered.

"I may be the last, too. I don't like to think about it."

"The mortality thing, or the Progenitor thing?" Noreena asked.

"Both, I guess," Karan replied, folding her arms as she wandered the room. "I'm so used to living, to not aging, that I guess to know that I will die is a bit of a shock. And then there's this situation. And I wonder if I'll even live long enough to die peacefully--like I always wanted. On Hiigara, knowing I'd done my job."

"You and me both," Noreena replied. "Always told Dad I'd rather be cremated and sprinkled across space. Might even get that wish early, but surrender is definitely not an option."

"Agreed. Wholeheartedly. We have to win this. I guess...I sometimes think I'm missing out on some things in life, and I wonder if I'll ever come across them. Always thought I'd have another decade, another century, another millennia. Love, family, settling down, all that crap. So I'd put it off. Now, I guess I've put it off too long."

Noreena blinked. Since when did Karan confide in her like this? But she was her protege now, wasn't she? Perhaps she considered her a daughter she never had?

"I do that too. But I always thought I'd be at least thirty, maybe forty, before I had to worry about adding to my kiith. Not many guys want to be near me anyways," she answered. "It's either the hair or it's the 'tude. Now it's gonna be the cabling."

Karan snorted.

"It'll be the only thing a lot of people will see when they look at you," she sighed. "That's what happened with me. Every time I went around after Landfall, everybody stepped away and looked at me like I was either Sajuuk personified, or an anomaly...a freak. Later when more wireheads started showing up, even they'd look at me like I was different. Unique."

Then Noreena realized why Karan was confiding: to prepare her for life as a wirehead, and not just any wirehead. A Far Jumper wirehead. The thought of having unfailing youth for possibly centuries didn't comfort her at all.


Chapter 22

A stream of cursewords flew across the console screen. Ifrit Somtaaw-Sa and his advisors nodded in agreement.

"I thought they'd quit after the told the Daiamid their intentions," the Kiith-Sa rumbled dangerously. "Why are they still attacking us?"

Noreena's voice filtered into the office from the com systems.

"They're leaning on us. Getting us to comply by intimidating us," she commented. "So they sweep in with all their big-ass firepower, and sweep back out in a ridiculously low number of shots. Dammit, I want to see something DENT those ships! I ran through the sensor scans from that one carrier's Siege Cannon shot....their shields didn't weaken by even a full percentage! And that thing was souped up to begin with!"

More cursewords flew across the screen.

The other officials in the Kiith-Sa's office murmured uneasily. Karan S'jet, standing amongst them, shook her head glumly.

"I agree with my student's assessment," she said. "R and D's going to have to step it up if we're going to have a working superweapon against them."

Tessar sighed.

"I keep running over our assets in my head. Why Somtaaw first? Why not Manaan? Or Paktu, or Nabaal? Why even send the ransom to us?"

"Good question," Ifrit grunted. "I've been thinking the same thing. We must've done something to tick 'em off long before anybody else did. Far as I can tell from the last few messages from the Taiidan Republic before they went under, they certainly weren't having raider problems as long as Somtaaw has."

Yaadren sighed, a long growling sigh that made him sound more like a predatory animal than a Hiigaran.

"The only thing," he finally said, "The only unknown factor of your assets that I can think of--are those digs. What were you digging in there for anyways?"

"Technology," Noreena said simply. "For a long time, Somtaaw worked by using technology from anywhere we could get it. Even though we've got trade routes to Hiigara, this kiith still prefers not to be totally dependent on home tech. I've been going over the files while you guys were talking that over--gotta love this hookup--and it looks like those Taiidani archaeologists working with you were real close to a big find before they got called back."

Karan smiled serenely.

"Wait till you get the full hookup, friend," she purred. "You'll love it."

"Wait, I thought this was the full....?"

"Training setup only. You think I'd have you exposed to the full sensory input this early in the game?"

"All right, all right," Noreena replied. "Sirs, I'm sending up those files on the dig sites. One minute....there!"

All the screens in the office flashed up pictures of different dig sites, all of them on different planets.

"If you'll notice on the Kiith-Sa's console screen, the adorable little epicenter of the Progenitor-wannabe's ransom area, was next on Somtaaw's dig list. I'd like to know how they figured that one out."

Yaadren started with a jolt.

"Wait, are you suggesting we've got a leak?"

The room went dead with the most intense silence anyone, even Karan, had ever felt. The temperature seemed to plunge instantly. Ifrit's glower went from his usual to one that looked positively murderous.

"It's possible they estimated that from fleet movements," Noreena finally said, "I'm running a simulation to get probabilities on that. Meanwhile, a leak isn't out of the question. But going through the mess we've made out of the comm logs the last few months trying to get this ship working right...that's gonna give me one of my old headaches only an hour in. I'll get someone reliable in Sensors to do a sweep for any portable signaling devices."

"I'll help," Karan volunteered, "I've developed speedreading abilities from my time with the Cores."

"Thanks," Noreena replied. "OK, simulation's finished. Considering that all signals about future digs were encrypted with one of our higher-level codes, they'd have to have damned good crackers to break that code. Not impossible with their tech--but R and D focusing on firepower would weaken R and D headed for encryption-breaking, I'd think. And fleet movements alone don't seem to hint at that system being our next dig target. Nothing in the dig files suggest any starcharts or something that these guys might've found a copy of elsewhere that pointed them to there, either."

Ifrit sighed.

"Notify Soban and Yaadren spynets. We may well have a traitor in our midst. Be as discreet as possible."

"Will do," the Intelligence Advisor said, and hurried off, motioning his aides to follow him. Yaadren nodded to Ifrit, and left with the group.

"Recommend we get a Fleet Intelligence, ASAP," Pyalun remarked. Ifrit nodded.

"Good. You're it. Get cracking."

Pyalun blinked, then nodded. He turned on his heel and strode out with his entourage of aides.

Ifrit gazed at everyone in the room, then tapped his gavel on his desk.

"Meeting adjourned," he announced.

Whoever remained stood and began heading their separate ways. Karan and Tessar remained, standing like rocks in the steady stream of people headed out the office doors.

Moments later, Noreena, wearing her usual Kiith Somtaaw uniform with the brilliantly emblazoned jacket she'd worn to Hiigara, walked through the doors, the neural connection slots gleaming in the office's lights.

"Nice work," Karan said. "You were on top of it all. What'd you find out?"

"Well," Noreena sighed, "I think I told you the gist of it. Oh, and right before disconnection, somebody in Info Services finally dug up the Taiidan's copy to us of their progress reports on that last dig site. From the looks of it, they were IDing the dig tentatively as Progenitor ruins. Seems they've found quite a bit of Progenitor wreckage across the old Imperial territories, too. If we hadn't had that open-disclosure policy on all dig findings with them, we'd have been in the dark, totally."

"That'd fit the ransom," Tessar said grimly. "Anything else?" Noreena shook her head.

"I think Fleet Intel's going to have to pore over that data and get back to us," she said. "I just hope he finds something really useful, like whether or not these guys are Progenitors, or some lamers trying to be them. I mean, they were killed off millennia ago. They don't just walk up to you and say 'Hi, you're in our space, now beat it.' "

Bleep

Ifrit hit the "open com" button.

"What is it?"

"Sir, the Far Jumper's arrived."

Karan arched her eyebrows.

"Isn't it a bit early in the timetable for that?" Noreena asked. "It's only been a month since the surgery." Karan bobbed her head in agreement. Tessar glanced at everyone uneasily, as if he'd been caught out for the first time in a decade.

"Well," Ifrit rumbled, "Why the rush?"

"The transport captain relayed a message. We've got a new wrinkle. Nabaal just lost a major mobile shipyard out in the Red Nebula. And it wasn't the Progenitors. The flight recorder data Nabaal sent up gave a pretty clear ID of who it was. In fact, every schoolchild in Kiith Somtaaw would know what hit the thing."

Everyone froze.

"Oh, ****," Noreena growled under her breath, then leaned to make her voice heard over the com. "Tell me it's not the Beast, dammit. Tell me!"

"Sorry, ma'am. It is."

She groaned faintly, and whipped out a small block of Collision Fudge. She popped it in her mouth, then glanced to Karan.

"Mind if I get back to hookup? The com lines are gonna be on fire after this."

Karan nodded grimly.

"I think I'll join in, too. The medics told me there was enough spare cable in case of emergencies."

The two whirled and headed to the doors.

Suddenly Karan froze in her tracks, a thoughtful look on her face.

"I think I know who leaked the information to our Progenitor friends."

"No way would the Beast EVER ally with anyone else!" Noreena spluttered.

"They wouldn't. They're likely playing the Progenitors for their technology, and a chance to infect them all in one sweep. It'd fit what I've heard of their methodology."

"More simulations," Noreena grumbled darkly as she continued through the doors.

"No rest for the wicked or the noble," Karan intoned in a similarly grim tone.

[fdewaele]

What echo... cho...ho...o

nice work again

[Starlight Trinity]

Chapter 23

Noreena paced the Kuun-Lan's Fleet Intel room, a dark scowl on her face. Her green eyes flashed like a Siege Cannon about to fire. Karan, seated at a nearby console, remained perfectly still, her eyes closed serenely. An array of cables trailed from her head to a set of jacks in the guts of the console. Images, data, and numerals flashed across the holographic pit display at a speed too fast for anyone to read.

"So," she got out, "if the Beast is in this mess, what is its agenda? And I thought we wiped the lot of 'em out when we took out the NAGGAROK."

Karan pried one eye open, and shrugged so minutely that only another trained wirehead--like Noreena--would've detected it.

"I have a theory....based on my time with the Sajuuk and some references in its datafiles. The Progenitors knew the Beast. They were fighting it for a long long time. I think what happened was the NAGGAROK was one of their long-range ships, and the Beast saw it in hyperspace....and got onboard. The rest is history, more or less. Some of the information is spotty at best--sitting a ship near a black hole isn't the best way to preserve its electrical systems. I think the Progenitors created the Beast. But something went wrong."

Noreena raised her eyebrows.

"Interesting. Most of us at Somtaaw pretty much came to the same conclusion about the progression of events. But....they created the Beast?"

"Yes."

The speed of the data flashing across the holopit slowed enough for Noreena to read. She soon recognized the intelligence and knowledge that Kiith Somtaaw had gathered about the Beast and its tactics. She scanned the information, standing like a statue, with only her eyes flicking here and there to note certain details.

"Ya know," she said, "The Beast did promise the Taiidan Imperialists half the galaxy for their cooperation and assistance. What if they're playing these Progies the same way?"

"100% possible, Noreena. If they've done it before, they can certainly do it now. And we now have proof that they did come from hyperspace. Why else would they still exist after the NAGGAROK's destruction? It was only one part of the unified Beast mind."

"Okay....then why are they playing our friends? I mean the Beast...wait a minute."

"That's right," Karan said with a grin, "Progenitor technology's pretty high-end. The Beast could be looking to improve itself."

"And if your theory's right--the Progies are the only ones I can think of who could actually create something like the Beast. And it sure as hell couldn't be the Bentusi, or we'd have heard of the Beast a lot earlier. I wonder if the Beast would know, though? Waitaminute. If these guys are Progenitors and knew anything along the line, could they have played the Beast?"

"Our enemies clearly have enough information, knowledge, and understanding of Progenitor technology. It's possible the Beast thought their datafiles might go far enough back to give them a sense of what they are. Or maybe they're volunteering information for Beast help."

"That," Noreena said with an emphathic nod, "is pure speculation. But damned good speculation. The Beast wouldn't be bothering with these guys unless something they had--information and technology--would help them."

Karan nodded. Then she frowned.

"Wait....I get a sense from you they aren't Progenitors?"

"They're wannabes. Look, the Progies hid the Sajuuk near a black hole. Very clever. They built the Cores. They were a really smart race....way too smart to pull this ransom crap on us without some advanced strategizing going on. Far as we know, these guys just hit and run. Doesn't seem to be any real strategy at all. I think the Progenitors did die thousands of years ago. These people have got to be con artists with Progie tech. Have to be. They just don't read as Progenitor to me."

Karan blinked, then got a thoughtful gleam in her eyes.

"Very interesting observation, Nor. And....I agree. The Beast probably would respect the real Progenitors and their firepower too much to try anything of an outright alliance with them. And if the Progenitors made them, they probably could've reprogrammed the Beast or destroyed it totally. These attackers haven't done that at all. You're right. It adds up."

"OK, they're cons, but they're cons with some mega-nasty firepower," she replied. "We've got to keep that in mind. Maybe this would work as a good bluff on them. But I think we'd better try the Beast first strategically. Maybe they're bluffing themselves--and don't know half as much as they claim they do. So the Beast would be the harder to tackle?"

Karan nodded.

"I'm monitoring anomalous hyperspace signatures within a one-hundred lightyear radius. The Beast must have some recons or something out here to tell the...wannabes....our actions and location. If we can take those out, we'll be able to move more easily against the wannabes."

"That'd be the easy part," Noreena sighed, "But our Siege Cannon didn't even dent a Wannabe ship. How in the blazing Hells of Sajuuk's Wrath are we going to take them on?"

"Bigger guns," a voice interrupted. "I've just got wind of an interesting ship design from R and D." Pyalun strode into the room.

Noreena blinked, and turned.

"Tell me it's that multiple Siege ass-kicker you guys have been going on about for the last ten years."

Pyalun nodded. Noreena broke into a broad grin.

"A couple of those firing at the right spot might make a difference. How far is R and D to a working blueprint program?"

Pyalun held up a datadisc.

"I need an Infoservices Officer, or a Wirehead, to install this little baby. Kiith-Sa and a bunch of the Daiamid guys are suggesting a strike group of a couple of these new frigates and our Super Acolytes to take on the Beast. Then if that works, we'll go after our Progenitor friends. The Beast is basically the demon we do know. We can work out our new tactics and ships on them; maybe learn a few things along the way."

Beep

"Aha," Karan said. The holopit suddenly lit up with an array of various hyperspace signals blinking near a particularly rich asteroid belt. Noreena recognized the belt's location--it was also known as a garbage-dumping ground for various races and empires out in this sector of the galaxy.

"Those aren't any of ours, or a kiith's, either. Normally it'd be Taiidan Republic, but we know they got axed," she said calmly. "So it's either Bentusi, Wannabe, or Beast."

"Pretty much," Karan replied. "And I'm sorting them now. The Bentusi might give us a hand. I can't imagine them liking the Beast any more than we do."

Noreena turned, and took the datadisc from Pyalun. Then she froze, registering Karan's words.

"No, they won't help. They ran rather than fight the Beast, and took out a good chunk of our fleet when we disabled their slipgate from letting 'em run. I remember from history they related to you, and you only, because of your connection to the Core. Even with two of us, what's it going to take to convince them to help? And against something that would Bind them? I don't see anything coming from them."

"Information. If they know anything about these cons," Karan suggested, "They could just tell us. Or do recon on them. We'll take care of the Beast."

"Hmm. That'd work. Something tells me these cons don't have wireheads either. They probably focused more on weapons and getting the biggest empire possible before having to deal with maintaining it. Most times I've heard that cons work so hard on setting up their cover, they forget about other things."

Karan nodded.

"Let's hope so, for everyone's sake," she said.

"I'll go hook up and load this program," Noreena replied, her voice more upbeat than it had been in a while. Finally, some action!


Chapter 24

The carrier paused in front of the Kuun-Lan. Its Captain eyed the massive flagship with more than a little awe. Being a Nabaal, he wouldn't likely have gone near Somtaaw holdings at any other time in Hiigara's history. However, he'd long entertained a grudging respect for this frontier-living kiith, and had already made up his mind that if anybody could solve this current crisis, Somtaaw would.

He turned to his first officer and spoke.

"Have Engineering secure our cargo to a resourcer. Report when it's ready."

The XO nodded, and spoke into his headset.

Within minutes, he turned back to the Captain.

"Cargo and resourcer's ready. Our best pilot's in the cockpit," he said crisply.

"Good," the Captain nodded. "Comms, get me the Kuun-Lan."

Within seconds, a hologram of Ifrit Somtaaw-Sa, standing next to his Fleet Intel officer Pyalun, rose into the bridge. The Captain saluted them briskly.

"Our cargo is ready for transfer, sirs. Launching now. Good luck, and may Sajuuk bless your path, wherever it leads."

Both men nodded, and saluted back with the same crisp formality.

"Thank you," the Somtaaw Kiith-Sa said with all due solemnity. The fact that Kiith Nabaal had offered up one of its own carriers for such an important journey wasn't lost on him. Some debts would be owed, and grudges buried, when this was all over.

The holograms disappeared.

Outside the frigate, a lone resourcer launched from the carrier. Its arms clasped what looked like a gleaming concave dish with prongs extending from either side of it. The Captain's eyes followed that resourcer--its cargo was the legendary Far Jumper that had gotten the Kushans to Hiigara from Kharak, and seen the end of Makaan's reign of terror on the galaxy. Now it would see the end of this latest crisis. He could feel goosebumps rising on his skin as he watched the Core slowly shrink in the distance between the carrier and the Kuun-Lan.

Silent moments crawled by, the spectacle before him also capturing the complete attention of his crew. Then the resourcer slid into the massive ship's hangar, and disappeared from his view.

The Captain breathed a sigh of relief. Now all of Hiigara had a fighting chance.

His first officer spoke up.

"Sir, the uh, Kuun-Lan's Fleet Command is hailing us."

"On holo, then," the Captain grunted.

The image of a trim young woman with clear green eyes, and eyebrows the color of pure copper, appeared on the bridge. She wore a flowing robe of Somtaaw blue, and had a completely bald head. Cables trailed from it to a console behind her. She nodded calmly at the Captain.

"The Core is being installed as I speak. I want to thank you personally for putting aside the differences between our two kiith for this journey."

The Captain smiled. A woman after his own taste--someone who didn't bandy with nonsensical politics when lives were in danger. Hiigara was likely in good hands.

"I wish to say likewise, madam Somtaaw," he replied with a bow of his head. "Very few would volunteer to do what you're doing now. I feel quite safe with you as Karan S'jet's pupil. May Sajuuk smile on your progress."

Noreena blinked then chuckled.

"You just won me a bet, Captain. Thanks again. Have fun telling your grandkids that one!"

She cut the link, still smiling. The bridge crew turned to their captain, confusion gleaming in their eyes.

The Captain himself merely folded his arms, and looked stern.

"Is this a carrier or a training room?! Man your posts, people!" he snapped. The mischevious twinkle in his eyes said otherwise.

When he turned to survey his XO's console, the Captain permitted himself a slight smile.

A wirehead with personality. About time. Most of 'em are so bland you could see right through them. I feel sorry for the Beast already. Wait till the kids hear this one!

This post has been edited by Starlight Trinity: July 2, 2004, 02:24 AM

[fdewaele]

very good

[Will the Great]

Quite.

[Starlight Trinity]

Chapter 25

Technicians scurried about in the engine room, carrying tools, schematic datachips, or datapads. The air crackled with tension. Amidst the chaos, a massive metal device sat serenely atop a platform. Dozens of cables streamed outwards from this device to various consoles and machines. Anyone touching this device did so with the greatest of care and awe.

"Nice centerpiece," a female voice spoke sardonically from a gantry high above the bustle of activity. Noreena leaned against a railing, eyeing the device warily. "Although I dare say somebody's stringing way too much to that thing. This is an engine room, not a party hall."

Tessar, standing behind his daughter, chuckled softly. The Kiith-Sa, who stood to Tessar's right, remained stoically silent. His aides laughed nervously along with the Ambassador, only to fall silent at their leader's resemblance to a statue. Pyalun, standing away from the group while listening through his earpiece, murmured into his handheld mike.

Even more aloof from the group, Karan S'jet stood alone, her hood resting atop her head, staring at the chaos below. Everyone knew to give her space; the device on the engine room floor was the Hiigaran Far Jumper. The last time Hiigara had been in danger, it had been Karan who volunteered for the hookup to the Core. Now she would no longer have that role; medical scans had confirmed the S'jet Kiith-Sa's worst fears. Even a short time spent connected to this Core would hasten the failure of her body's systems.

Noreena sighed as Tessar, Ifrit and Pyalun began discussing the logistics of installing the Far Jumper into the Kuun-Lan's main drives. They hadn't been designed with a Core in mind, and now required the most delicate of modifications in order to house its newest component. The engineers were already working on that. In the meantime, the Core would be temporarily connected to the drives from here in the case of an emergency. She'd read the briefings several times over when hooked up to the Kuun-Lan's data systems. However, the sheer minutiae of the project had left her with a spinning head within minutes. She headed away from the group, not caring for yet another rehash that she wouldn't remember even with the ship's databanks to help.

She walked towards Karan, shoving her hands into her uniform's pockets. She'd eschewed her robe in favor of something more practical to wear in the bowels of the Kuun-Lan. A kerchief dyed a numerous variety of blues and whites covered her bald head, giving her appearance a little more anonymity. The other woman didn't move. Nor did she remove her hood.

Noreena leaned against the railings again, eyeing Karan worriedly. The S'jet Kiith-Sa hadn't uttered even one word the last three days. Not even Reydavic's latest antics as Karan's tour guide onboard the Kuun-Lan had brought a smile to her lips. Lately she'd gone everywhere with the hood over her head, content to hide under her robe. Even her formal appearances with the Captain and various Kiith-Sa had dwindled considerably.

"Feel like talking?" she asked softly.

No reply came.

"All right, I'll accept that you're not in the mood to talk. But at least let me know you're hanging in there...?"

Karan pulled her hood up just enough to show her face. One glance at her showed the reason why she'd chosen to wear the hood even here. Her eyes were puffy, and her nose had reddened enough to double for a traffic sign. Noreena sighed, and rummaged in her pockets for a tissue pack.

"It's hitting you that hard, huh?" she asked softly. Karan nodded, and pulled the hood back over her head. "I'll uh state the obvious: Mortality sucks."

Another nod.

"How long have you known?" Noreena asked, hoping to get at least one word out of Karan today. This wasn't healthy, Kiith-Sa rank or not.

"A year. I found out from my annual physical. It finally showed up then. They told me I had a year, maybe two. If they'd caught it on the Sajuuk, they'd have told me ten."

"Damn."

Karan nodded slowly then let out a long sigh.

"I'm used to being at the front. Charging to the rescue. Being hooked up to....that. How the hell was I supposed to know that when one Core's a fountain of youth, that three of them would kill me? I didn't see a single warning anywhere on that ship, or in the databanks. How could this have gotten me like this?"

Noreena arched an eyebrow. That was an interesting tidbit. She wondered if the Progenitors had even known about this problem.

"And now," Karan said, "I'm suddenly past my prime, when I thought I had a permament prime. I'm going to die, and there's nothing I can do about it."

"You can use what time you've got left. We still need you," Noreena said.

"No. They need you, not me. You're untouched by the Core. You're young, sharp...you've got your whole life ahead of you...you'll probably even make Kiith-Sa in your new lifetime, too."

Noreena sighed irritably. Great, just great. Now she thinks she's done for BEFORE she's done for! Damn, why do perfectly smart people do such stupid things?!

Her wrist chronometer beeped. She glanced down, and grinned. It had just told her that the Collision had opened for the day.

"Hey, I know it's early in the morning, but the Collision just opened. And you need some proper food. None of that mess hall crud they call nutrient soup!"

She got ahold of Karan and gently steered her towards the nearest exit. Fortunately for her, Karan must've thought of Collision Fudge the moment Noreena said that, and didn't resist.

"I don't need anything," she protested. Noreena ignored her; chocolate was exactly what she needed.


Chapter 26

Noreena grinned as she bit into her block of double-chocolate fudge with krenza nuts mixed into it. She eyed Karan who was nibbling at her block of white chocolate fudge. The S'jet Kiith-Sa had come along grudgingly, and now sat across from her at a small table in an equally cramped restaurant.

"Go on, eat up," Noreena urged. Karan put her block down with a sigh, shaking her head.

"Sorry, Noreena. I just can't stop thinking," she said softly. "Life. Hiigara. Progenitors. All of it."

"Everyone has moments like that," Noreena said. She bit into her fudge again, relishing its many flavors.

"Yeah, ever have those moments that make you sick to your stomach?" Karan grumbled.

Noreena snorted.

"Sure. I had plenty of 'em at the Daiamid when this whole thing blew over."

"That's not what I'm talking about!"

Noreena blinked in shock.

"Karan, are you all right?"

"No, I'm not all right! Would you think anybody in my situation would be all right?!" she snapped out.

Half the Collision's patrons turned in their seats towards the source of the outburst. Karan sheepishly ducked down, and pulled her hood over her head. They continued to stare, then turned back to their eating, murmuring amongst themselves. Noreena rubbed her temples slightly. She could feel some of her old post-operative headaches coming back already.

"Stress. That's got to be it," Karan finally muttered, putting a hand to her stomach. "That has to be it." Her face suddenly turned pale.

Before anyone could figure out what was going on, Karan had clapped a hand over her mouth, stood and raced for the women's restroom. Noreena found herself sitting alone at her table, fudge in hand, and blinking for all she was worth.

What the bloody hell just happened?!

Setting down her fudge, Noreena stood. She motioned to the nearest security officer to watch their table for her, and strode to the restroom. She made it through the doors before finally breaking into a run. She spotted Karan sitting curled up next to a stall on the far side of the room. Her robe lay spread around her. She wore a simple gray jumpsuit with the Hiigaran Fleet logo on its arms. Noreena knelt next to her new friend, and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey...the last time a piece of food disagreed with me, it was right after my first and only hangover. You need a medic or anything?"

Karan sighed, then looked blearily up at Noreena.

"That's not a bad idea. I haven't been nauseous for a very very long time," she remarked glumly. "It's probably the Cores thing. I haven't been that cranky for a long time either. Dammit, what's wrong with me?"

Noreena eyed Karan, suddenly remembering something about snappish, nauseous women.

"I have a theory that's crazier than a Bentusi on hype-meds. But I need a medic to confirm it for me."

********

The Somtaaw nurse strode to Karan's bed, datapad in hand. The awe and shock on his face told Noreena everything she needed to know about her theory. Karan eyed the man suspiciously. Her mood had worsened since they'd walked into the infirmary and she was now particularly grumpy since it had taken such a long wait to get the results. Noreena suspected that the medics had triple-checked their results before sending this nurse to tell them.

"Tell me it's good news," she groused, "I'm not in the mood for more crap."

The young woman grinned broadly, fumbling the datapad several times before she handed it to Noreena.

"It's a boy," he replied.

"I'm...................pregnant?" Karan spluttered in shock.

For several long moments, the Infirmary and the Daiamid Chambers shared one thing in common: A shocked silence all focused on Karan S'jet.

This post has been edited by Starlight Trinity: July 6, 2004, 09:34 PM

[fdewaele]

nice work

[Starlight Trinity]

Chapter 27

"Pregnant?" Ifrit Somtaaw-Sa echoed in shock. He sat at his desk, having just collapsed into his chair in stunned amazement. Karan nodded slowly, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Hey, at least it isn't me," Noreena remarked mischeviously.

"Oh, enough," Karan growled, rolling her eyes. "It's not like I'm turning into the Beast or something."

Ifrit snorted, and made a face that suggested things would get very interesting onboard the Kuun-Lan over the next several months. Karan shook her head in exasperation.

"How many months have you got left?" he finally asked.

"Six-and-a-half months. The doctors assure me the child is 100% healthy, and may well have the same long lifespan as myself."

"So...." Tessar finally asked, "Who's the father?"

"The multi-million-RU question," Noreena cracked, raising her eyebrows as she eyed Karan's reaction.

"The father?" Karan asked with a mischevious grin, "And why in the galaxy would I tell the greatest secret in Hiigaran history?"

Now it was everyone else's turn to roll their eyes.

Noreena finally spoke up: "Medical background. Just to be sure the kid's gonna be okay."

"Oh. Well, chances are in this situation, you won't find him. He'll find you. He's ex-Soban, and a bounty hunter."

The Kiith-Sa's office fell into a state of stunned silence. Karan sighed.

"What is it with my announcements and you people anyways?"

Bleep.

"Yes?" Ifrit snapped as he tapped the com-open button.

"Sir, we've finally completed the temporary hookups to the Far Jumper."

"Excellent. How soon can we get underway?"

"Uh, within three hours."

"Very good. Was there anything else?"

"Uhhhh," the voice on the line wavered with uncertainty, "There's a message for you....traced from the Al'Zaad trade routes, the big intersection near the Taiidan borders. Something about an ex-wirehead offering strategic command services. Says he served under Kiith Soban during the Vagyr War, ran a carrier of theirs."

Karan suddenly snickered. Noreena arched her eyebrows in her own "now that was unwise" manner.

"Well, arrange a meeting with him, then!"

"Uhhh, he also said he just wanted coordinates."

Eyebrows rose throughout the office.

Noreena turned to Pyalun.

"Mind telling me where the other two Far Jumpers went from the Sajuuk?" she asked quietly. "That location can only be reached in a single jump with a Core, not the standard hyperspace modules."

The man glanced at her, and arched his eyebrows. Then he shook his head.

"They're still in the Sajuuk. And no, I have no idea what he's got that lets him jump that far."

"I guess we'll find out, shall we?" she asked with a grin. He nodded.

"Well," Ifrit said, "considering we're about to hyper ourselves, send them. Encrypted with a Sobanii code."

"Yessir," the voice said. The link went out.

Karan's smile had remained on her face the entire time.

"That him?" Noreena asked with a chuckle. She nodded. "Cool."

*******

Space buckled and swirled, protesting this alteration in the laws of physics. Light spewed from this new ripple in space-time, illuminating the Kuun-Lan in a dazzling bluish glow.

Then a battered-looking assault frigate soared through the luminous opening. The first thing observers on the Kuun-Lan noticed was the frigate's armanent: one axial-mounted mass driver, and an assortment of missile launchers and ion cannons. This ship was so overpowered for its class that numerous Engineers and weapons personnel watching the proceedings shook their heads in amazement.

Then a wing of fighters, also looking heavily modified from their original designs, flew through the opening. They moved nimbly, taking up flanking positions around the frigate.

Noreena, seated at her temporary Fleet Command station near the Far Jumper, motioned for the medics to finish hooking up her cables.

"Hurry up. They'll dial us any minute now!"

Then she felt the last cable settle into its slot. Then the world went black, to be swiftly replaced by the now-familiar sensations of the Kuun-Lan's systems reporting their status to her. She settled into her new "body" quickly, taking up the audio/visual feeds from the Bridge and the other modules. She then moved her attention to the arrivals, scanning them with every system she could think of. They turned out to be exactly as they appeared: souped up ships formerly built and used by Kiith Soban. She sent the report to the Captain's terminal and the Kiith-Sa's office.

Signals flashed outwards from the frigate to the fighters. Noreena recognized them as classic radio chatter. A quick sweep of com channels showed these mercenaries were using channels not commonly listed for com-system use.

Then the distortion in space-time crackled, and went out with a brilliant pyrotechnic display that spanned the entire visible spectrum of colors before it died down. Noreena likened it to the backfiring of a badly tuned engine; it had spewed out almost totally random emission patterns of neutrinos and the like. Intruiged by the frigate's inventive method of travel, she did another close scan of the ship. One feature caught her attention: the engines had a device the size of a Core strapped right above them, and plugged together with cording covered by armor plating.

Hmm. Looks like the same kind of slipgate drive as our fake Progenitors. Very interesting. Probably got it off the Bentusi, too.

Then a singal flashed directly towards the Kuun-Lan. She intercepted it, and routed it to her audio/visual feeds.

The image of a lean, yet intense-looking man rose in her mind. He wore a bandanna and a small, close-shaven goatee. His brilliant blue eyes seemed to bore directly into the camera, through the signal-feed, and into Noreena's brain.

"Tamris of the Fire Claw here. I heard about your little ransom from a couple of recon crewers further back. They were having problems--looks like they got caught from behind by a cloaked Progenitor-esque ship. Didn't take 'em long to tell me the story either, all I had to do was show a Soban tattoo...didn't you guys tell your people that Soban quit their contract with you last year?"

"Noreena Somtaaw, Fleet Command here," she replied orally instead of through electronic voice-channels, throwing up a visual of her seated in front of the Far Jumper. "Thanks for saving our people. I didn't even...oh there it is"--an alert came up, informing her of the lack of updates from a recon squad that was supposed to be sending data on the Beast an hour ago--"so my thanks. We got your message, as you could tell. Half the Daiamid's ready to hear your offer, too. Just bring yourself, a couple good people, and a shuttle. I'll take care of the rest."

"Fleet Command?" Tamris arched his eyebrows. "Did something happen to Karan?"

"I think...you'd better come onboard," Noreena replied with a grin. "And she's fine. Just a little hormonal." She opened her eyes and flashed him a wink. "Starboard hangar deck on the hangar module, sir."

She cut the link, arching her eyebrows. Then she flashed the latest news to the Bridge and the Kiith-Sa's office.

"He's on his way," she said to Ifrit.


Chapter 28

Reydavic glanced around as he shuffled up to Noreena. Her two Yaadreni bodyguards scowled at him, but paid him no further heed. Behind him, Tamris' shuttle had begun its descent towards the hangar floor, heading towards the docking ring next to the viewport Noreena and her entourage stood in front of. Karan stood nearby, wrapped in her hood and robe and looking like a purple ghost.

"Hey, Nor. Is it true, this guy's gonna help us?" he asked eagerly.

Noreena nodded as she tied a brilliantly tiedyed blue and red bandanna around her bald head.

"I've talked to him."

"Oh yeah, and I'm hearing scut Karan's acting really whacked. Like hormonal."

"She's pregnant, whaddya expect? And by the way, pretend I didn't tell you that when asked."

"Oh," the pilot blinked in shock, then did a double-take. "Wait, PREGNANT?!"

"Pregnant."

"Whoa. Like....whoa. Seriously?!"

Noreena nodded.

Then the shuttle settled lightly against the docking ring. A faint click from the contact between two vessels could be heard through the hull. Then a faint whoosh announced the pressurizing of the airlock. Within seconds, the doors to the corridor everyone stood in opened. Tamris, followed by a pair of scruffy-looking bodyguards with massive plasma rifles in hand, strode through. His eyes scanned the group, then locked onto the purple-robed figure next to Noreena.

He then glanced back to Noreena, and nodded.

"Thanks for the invite," he said calmly.

"Anytime," Noreena replied. "If you'll follow me, we'll head to the conference room?"

Tamris nodded. As one, the group turned and headed down the corridor. Karan carefully fell back a few positions in the group until she strode next to Tamris. He smiled at her. Reydavic, just a pace behind Karan, watched with wide-eyed fascination.

"How you doing?"

"I've seen better days," she replied grimly.

"I haven't seen you pull the hood and cloak routine in a while. What's up?"

"I can't even touch one cable to a Core without putting my life at risk, I'm training a replacement, and I'm pregnant. Need a blow by blow?"

Tamris froze in shock, his blue eyes blazing brilliantly.

Reydavic chuckled a little too loudly.

"Yeah, nothin' like getting kinky in the cable-tank, huh?"

Glowering angrily, Tamris whirled around and gave the pilot a solid smack to the back of his head. Reydavic nearly toppled to the floor, but recovered in time. He rubbed his head.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?! It was just a joke!"

Noreena, overhearing the entire exchange sighed, and spoke up: "I apologize for Reydavic's sense of humor. You can see it needs some work."

"That and his reflexes," Tamris muttered irritably, speeding up his pace. Karan walked in perfect unison with him until they reached the front of the walking assemblage again.

"Hmm," Noreena remarked, "That'd explain how a Nabaal snot-head knocked him out cold a few weeks back."

Tamris smirked mischeviously. Reydavic simply scowled at the back of Noreena's bandanna-covered head.

*******

"So, you're willing to serve as Strategic Command, no questions asked?" Irfit rumbled approvingly.

Tamris nodded.

"No questions asked," he replied smoothly, pulling the bandanna off his head to reveal an array of neural-hookup slots identical to Noreena's and Karan's. "Hiigara's at stake here. I don't see any other way."

"Good. How soon can you get started? We're going to be taking on the Beast first, take out our friends' spy network before we decide to pick a fight with them about their ransom note."

"Immediately," Tamris replied with the same smooth, even voice. "I stayed in practice after I left my posting. There's a hookup tank in my ship; we can use that for the hookup systems at my posting."

Ifrit nodded, watching all the other Kiith-Sa presesnt nod in agreement as well.

"Excellent," he said. "My medical chief will get you set up with one of our carriers. I'll call the Daiamid and see about getting us another Far Jumper so you can use it on your ship."

Karan quickly interjected.

"I won't burden you with something like that, Ifrit. I'll make the call. They won't try bickering with me about it, either."

Ifrit bobbed his head in agreement.

"Thank you."

"No problem," Karan replied with a smile. She elegantly rose from her chair and left the conference room. Tamris' eyes followed her the entire way to the doors. Noreena grinned to herself. She no longer had any doubts about Karan and Tamris' relationship. Their body language was so clear, so obvious, that she doubted even Reydavic could say otherwise.

"Any other issues anybody wants on the table before we adjourn?" Ifrit asked. His position as the temporary Chair of this semi-Daiamid in space had settled on his shoulders. It seemed to wear well on him, in Noreena's opinion.

"Yeah," Tamris spoke up, "I want posts for all my men, too. They're good people, and I trust them with my life."

"Done," Ifrit said with a grin. "We could use all the help we can get. Know of any other mercs or bounty hunters who'd want to help out?"

"Not Hiigaran ones, no," he replied. Ifrit nodded his understanding, then shifted his gaze to face the rest of the conference room.

"All right then," the Somtaaw-Sa grunted. "Anything else?"

Noreena lifted her hand.

"The Siege Frigate designs have been installed into the construction computers. Construction's already working on them. They expect to have five of 'em done by tomorrow morning, and another five in the following twelve hours."

A round of applause spontaneously broke out. Noreena nodded her thanks with a slight flush.

Then Pyalun lifted his hand. Ifrit nodded to him.

"I've pinned down the location of a pack of Beast recons right at the edge of Somtaaw space, not far from that red star in the ransom note. Fleet Command will have their coordinates at the next hook-up."

A murmuring of excitement rippled through the group. The conference room's mood lifted almost immediately.

Ifrit tapped his makeshift gavel, a plastic teacup, against the conference table.

"Anything else?" he asked. "Good. I recommend everyone get started on strategic planning. Tamris is Strategic Command, effective immediately. All Fleet attack coordination will go through him. Let's get cracking."

He tapped the teacup against the table again. Everyone rose and went their separate ways, splitting up in the hallway outside of the conference room. Karan paused just outside the room's doors. Tamris followed the crowd outside, then spotted her. He moved towards her, his normally aloof manner softening to that of someone who had finally met a long-missed friend. He put one hand on her shoulder.

"How about we find your quarters, and just catch up?" he asked gently. She nodded, and led the way. Within minutes--and several twists and turns in the corridors--the pair stepped into a spacious stateroom with sparse furnishings, and a small cot against one wall. Karan moved to the doors, closing and locking them. She then pulled her hood off, and settled onto the sofa like a fog sinking mournfully in a darkening night. Tamris, sensing his lover's mood, slid into a seat next to her, and put both of his hands on her own.

Karan looked up at him, feeling a bit of her self-control fading as those blue eyes gazed at her.

"You've been having a hard time lately?" he asked softly. She nodded.

"As a friend of mine said....mortality sucks."

"Does it ever," he replied empathetically, gently pulling her into an embrace. Karan let herself relax into him, relieved to be with him again.

Then all the pent-up frustration, fear, and anger boiled up inside of her. She felt like either screaming in fury or laughing maniacally at this crazed turn of events, but did neither. She just burrowed into Tamris' shoulder, wrapping her arms around him. Her eyes burned with unshed tears of both sorrow and rage.

"I wish I could save them, like I always do," she finally mumbled through a throat that felt as if someone had stuffed it with towels, "Now it's out of my hands. All I can do is give my assessments. My advice. My knowledge. I feel so damned helpless. Are we all going to die because I can't save everyone a third time?"

"I don't know, love," Tamris whispered back, gently stroking her head. "I really don't know. But I do know we'll pull through. We always do. Always. We're Hiigaran. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger."

This post has been edited by Starlight Trinity: July 6, 2004, 11:53 PM

[Will the Great]

Great stuff.

[Starlight Trinity]

Chapter 29

Noreena eyed the tank uneasily.

"Okay, and this is just for 52 hours?" she asked for the umpteenth time. The head technician nodded, a flicker of irritation in his response, then went back to work.

Noreena went back to her pacing, meandering through what would soon become the permanent Fleet Command station. She eyed everything that went on as critically as she could; if she was going to spend more than two days stuffed in that tank, she'd be damned if someone screwed up with the prep work with her around. She meandered through the entire room, then down the short corridor to the Far Jumper's permanent housing.

She hadn't expected to see the long-term chamber or tank this soon, but when Pyalun's Intel reports indicated that the Beast had been massing other ships in that area along with the recons, possibly in anticipation of facing down the Hiigarans, Ifrit had given the order for the Far Jumper to be moved to its permanent location. If they were going to use it to get in, they might as well have it protected well enough to guarantee a quick escape if things went badly--such had been the reasoning. Since the Beast fleet was massing there, Tamris had calculated that they might be able to spare an extra day or two to try and refit the Kuun-Lan's engines for the Far Jumper, before going into battle. The chance of it becoming an ugly firefight had increased considerably of late.

She walked towards the Core-shaped indentations in the chamber, and stared at them. In a couple of hours, I won't be just a trainee wirehead. I'll be freaking Fleet Command. How the hell do you prepare for something like that? I feel like running in circles screaming.

The medics had confirmed that it would be best if Noreena were hooked up for the three-day period prior to the Core's insertion in the new chamber. Karan had stayed out of the logistical discussions, but had surprisingly stepped in and voiced her full agreement for that aspect of the process. Now several hours remained until Noreena underwent the full hookup to the Kuun-Lan for the first time.

She sighed, staring at the prongs that would hold the Core aloft.

Never thought my life would go like this. Figured I'd retire into life as a resourcer pilot or some crap. Now Rey's gonna have a statue of me in his quarters when this is all over. Sa-juuuuuuk, how'd I get into this mess?!

Her stomach rumbled insistently.

Oh hush, you're not supposed to be eating anything now. Though I'd give an arm, a leg, and an eyeball for some Collision fudge...

Soft, precise footfalls slowly approached Noreena. She turned, recognizing Tessar as he stopped a few paces from her.

"Hey Dad. I'm surprised you're down here."

"Just wanted to uh..." he cleared his throat, and then resumed, "...say good bye."

Noreena rolled her eyes.

"It's only for three days, Dad. Karan's talking another month before I can go for full-time wirehead mode."

"I know, I know. Just practicing," he quipped. Noreena smiled.

"Thanks Dad."

She turned and hugged him briefly, swallowing a lump in her throat.

"Oh, God, now I'm acting hormonal," she muttered. Tessar laughed.

"It could be worse," he said in a mock-dire tone. "It could be you with the kid."

"Dad!"

"All right, all right. I didn't just come here to say goodbye. I think you need to have a talk with Karan...in private."

"She's not taking it well?"

"Nope. Showed up at the last conference with a nose so red it could've doubled for a hyperspace signature. And she left early, in a hurry. I guess all that talk about the Core's installation is bugging her, and now this stuff with having Tamris hooked up to a Far Jumper too. I think she's feeling left out."

"Why wouldn't she?" Noreena asked. "I'll do it. Where is she?"

"The Collision."

"Ugh, it just has to be around food, didn't it?" she grumbled as she headed towards the chamber's exit.

"Sorry, Nor. Water and juice only."

"I know, Dad, I know," she called out.

*******

Noreena, wearing her battered-looking Somtaaw uniform, and a brilliant purple bandanna on her head, strode into the Collision. She nodded to herself in approval--nobody had recognized her or greeted her yet. She'd still maintained some anonymity in this whole situation. She peered around, looking for Karan.

She finally spotted who she'd begun calling The Purple Ghost sitting in a darkened booth at the far end of the restaurant. A massive block of double-chocolate fudge sat atop a plate in front of her. Noreena winced as her stomach growled yet again. She made her way towards Karan, being careful not to draw undue attention to herself.

Juice or water. Water or juice. Juice or water. Water or juice. Doc S'jet will kill me if I have fudge now...ugh.

Finally she plopped into the seat opposite Karan. Eyeing the fudge and the dozens of tissues littering the table, she let out a sigh.

"Karan, what the hell are you doing to yourself?"

No answer came. Karan continued to break off pieces of the fudge and eat them slowly. Occasionally she would pause to drink from the massive tankard of Somtaaw beer sitting next to her. Then she would resume her eating. Sometimes she would pause to blow her nose on yet another fresh tissue, and toss it irritably onto the table.

She gave no sign that she saw Noreena.

"Yes, you're pregnant, but I've yet to see a prego woman take it as far as you have," she remarked irritably. "You're beating yourself up over something that's not even your fault. The Progies--the real ones--either didn't know about the three-Core effect, or didn't care. You didn't know. Hiigara just didn't know. But now you've got a kid in there--think about the kid. All this stressing out can't be doing him any good."

"Like that'd matter," Karan retorted miserably, "I'll be dead before his first birthday. I won't be able to see him grow up, get married, have kids....I won't be able to see all the little accomplishments. He'll be Tamris' son, not mine. I'll be a ghost in the holos, not his mother."

"Yeah well, worst case scenario, you may deprive Tamris of even that. Beer's not good for a fetus." Dammit, did I just say that to Karan S'jet of all people?! Augh, what is this galaxy coming to?!

"It's non-alcoholic, all right? I made sure to tell the barkeep," Karan snapped. "I'm not that stupid."

"Good, but it still isn't good--"

"For what? Me to just sit out of the way of history, and try and live the last of my life in peace and quiet?! I wanted to die on Hiigara, knowing I'd done what I could to ensure my people lived in peace. Now it looks like I won't have either. Maybe the apocalyptians were right. Maybe we shouldn't have left Kharak."

The defeated tone in Karan's voice suddenly lit a blazing fury within Noreena.

"WHAT?! That would've been the end of our people on Kharak! I can't believe it," Noreena retorted. "Listen to what you're saying! Are you going to give up before you've even had a chance to fight? Are you gonna just give up on the rest of us? On Hiigara because we can't get our crap together? Because you're dying? Whatever the hell happened to your fighting spirit?! What happened to the Karan S'jet I knew and respected before all this went down? What happened to the Karan S'jet who had the courage to step up and lead us from Kharak and against the Taiidan Empire, and then the Vagyr? What the hell happened to you?!"

She paused, gasping for breath from her outburst. She saw Karan staring at her, blinking in amazement...and disappointment. Doubtless she'd expected Noreena to stand up for her, not to tell her off. Noreena found herself staring down at her table in a mix of chagrin and confusion.

"I'll say it before, and I'll say it now," she finally got out when her breathing calmed. "I'm not a worshipper, and never will be. If I'm gonna say something, I'll say it up front and blunt as can be. I dunno whether it's a personal flaw or what. Sorry if that offends you in any way....but I had to say it. Enjoy your fudge."

Exasperated, annoyed, and embarrassed, Noreean strode out of the Collision. She felt no better than when she'd entered.

*****

"How'd it go?" Ifrit asked as Noreena strode into his office.

"Dismal," she growled. "She's in a pity party and doesn't feel like having anybody crash it. Damn!"

Tamris sighed.

"I thought I talked it out of her last night," she mused. "Guess she wasn't done working herself up."

Noreena ran a hand over her head, momentarily forgetting that she'd lost her hair in the surgery a month ago. The sensation of neural slots on her head instead of hair jolted her back to the present. She let out a long gusty sigh.

"It's almost time for me to plug in," she said quietly. "I heard the Engineers are getting close to having the Core permanently installed."

"They are," Ifrit replied. "You'd best get ready."

"Yep," she replied unhappily, turning to leave. She nearly collided with Pyalun, who raced in with a datapad in his hands.

"Sir, I've got some news," he blurted out. "I was doing a sweep of any non-standard transmissions in the sector, and I found this. The Beast are using Hiigaran frequencies. They may be using Hiigaran hardware as well--which means we have some good strategic advantages in knowing our own technology."

Tamris raised his eyebrows, and grinned.

"I'll look up that report after hookup, all right?" he asked. "I've got to get going. Looks like I'm gonna be needed soon." He practically sprinted from the office.

Pyalun handed the datapad to Ifrit, who looked it over with an approving nod.

"It's probably that Nabaal station they hit," he said, "See if Nabaal will give us any information on potential weak points and the like, and pass it on to Strategic Command when he's online."

Pyalun nodded, and rushed from the office as well.


Chapter 30

The technicians bustled around Noreena, moving swiftly yet precisely as they began the delicate process of hooking her up to the Kuun-Lan's systems, and the data relays that would be connected to the Core. She hovered in the tank, looking rather like a serene statue than a real person. The anesthetic had kicked in swiftly, causing her to fall asleep instantly as medics lowered her body towards the rising fluid within the tank.

Next to the tank, Pyalun, Ifrit, Tessar, and several other dignitaries watched the proceedings. Karan had not come to this event; everyone noted her absence and wondered about it, but said nothing.

Finally, the last cable clicked into its slot and came online. The technicans began their final systems checks, scanning their screens and consoles with a heightened tension. In the chamber, everyone spoke in hushed tones, as if it were Karan in the tank, not Noreena. The head technician finally nodded in approval, and turned to the dignitaries.

"Everything's set up, and set up right. She'll be waking up in a few seconds, sirs."

Ifrit nodded.

"Good," he rumbled. "Tell Engineering to step it up with the Core."

"Yessir," the technician said as he tapped his headset mike. He began snapping orders on it, urging the crews to speed up their work.

Then Noreena's eyes opened. She blinked, then stared around.

"Interesting," she remarked over the com systems, her synthetic voice--which had been built off voice-print tapes of her real voice--sounding so like her own that even Tessar blinked in surprise. "It's like floating in that gelatinous blue stuff they used to serve at the messhall. You know, before Dietary banned it for not having enough nutrients or whatever. Very weird. So....let's see...."

She activated the hookups, one by one, until all her senses stretched the full length of the Kuun-Lan. She felt as if she had become the ship, rather than a disembodied intelligence drifting through its systems like before. She could feel the minute vibrations in its hull from its engines and myriad systems. She could sense data flowing across the networks in steady currents. Even the stars outside seemed to gleam differently to her now, as if they understood the change that she'd just undergone.

Whoa. Just freaking..................whoa.

"I'd say everything works," she commented belatedly, causing everyone to chuckle lightly. "Yeah. I'm fine. Or at least the ship's fine. And Engineering did, infact, step it up. They've got the Core hooked to a resourcer, sirs. Ready to depart the hangar now."

"Give clearance, then," Ifrit said with a grin.

"No problem. All right, they're on their way."

The head technician grinned, and clapped high-fives with the rest of his team. Then he moved to prepare the chamber for the Far Jumper, which would soon arrive.

*********

Reydavic eyed his dispatch card. On it read the name of a carrier and fighter group that he'd just been assigned to. He grinned to himself, quickly glancing around the corridors for the arrows indicating the way to the messhall. He'd arrived onboard the carrier Shus-Naan an hour ago, and had dumped his gear at his new quarters. Now he was looking for a table big enough to hold his work project.

Following the brilliantly colored arrows painted onto critical junction walls as a means of giving directions, he soon found himself in a large room with plain gray walls, and rows of long stainless-steel tables. He grinned to himself. He had the whole messhall to himself!

Reydavic quickly dumped his backpack on the table, and sat down. Unzipping it, he peered inside to make sure the contents were all right. He fished out the bottle of plastic glue he'd bought just before shipping out. He then pulled out the rest of the bag's contents: the pieces of the Karan Sjet statue he'd gotten on Hiigara after it fell off a shelf above his head at that seafood place. He laid them all out, carefully picking out which component would go with what.

Then he began gluing it together, working slowly and methodically. He didn't want to have to redo this if the carrier got jolted bad enough during a fight. Finally, the statue stood in one piece, dotted with little bits of glue here and there. Then the top half started to slide. He groaned, and grabbed ahold of it around the widest portion. He carefully maneuvered it back into place and held it there. Then one leg nearly fell off. He quickly pushed it back into position and held it with his other hand.

Now he would have to wait twenty minutes, and hope nobody came in; he happened to be holding the statue in a couple of compromising places.

As luck would have it, about ten minutes later, Tamris walked in, clearly looking for some chow.

Reydavic groaned to himself.

Please don't turn around. Please. Just get your grub and leave. Please?

Perhaps Tamris had a sixth sense for when something involved his girlfriend, or perhaps he just knew when someone was up to trouble. Whichever way one could interpret that, the results were the same. He turned, glancing around the messhall to see if he could take up conversation with somebody while eating. His eyes landed on Reydavic and the Karan S'jet statue.

They narrowed dangerously.

He stalked slowly but surely towards Reydavic, who began to sweat profusely.

Oh great. Now he thinks I'm making a pass on Karan. Oh I'm soooo dead.

"Walk with me, pilot," Tamris growled angrily, grabbing Reydavic by the arm. The minute the pilot's hand left the statue, it fell apart again, sending glue and newly broken pieces flying everywhere.

Tamris pulled Reydavic along, pasting a mock-cheerful expression on his face whenever someone passed them. Then they stood next to an airlock. Tamris grabbed Reydavic by the front of his shirt and plastered him, face-first against the hangar doo, making sure to keep the pilot's face pressed firmly against its glass window.

"Ever wanted to know how cold space is?" he hissed in Reydavic's ear. "Make sure I have no reason to give you a demonstration after I'm plugged in."

He dropped Reydavic to the floor, and stormed off, his face contorted into an angry glare.

"Yep," Reydavic muttered miserably to himself after Tamris' back receded into an elevator. "I'm dead."

[fdewaele]

very good