Human Chronicles Part 2 Book 3: A Galaxy to Conquer (15 page)

“If you mean will I accompany you on your mission or not ... then yes. I am
in
.”

********

Ruszel had surprised himself with the fact that he could remember the name of the imposing Kracori officer who had allowed him and Canos to go their way with what was Riyad’s ship at the time. It was
Furlon Dor
, and he was a white-sashed vice-commander of the united Kracori defense corps. It had only been two months since the Kracori had stood on the deck of the
Ifrit
and commented on the uniqueness of the ship’s gravity drive. Looking back on it now, it was a wonder that the officer hadn’t confiscated the ship at that time and turned it over to their propulsion research division.

A lot of things had happened during those fateful five days with the Human that had Ruszel almost believing that some omnipotent god of some sort was looking after him. Almost.

With the intense Human female Sherri—he had not caught her minor name—sitting off to the side of him off camera in the comm room, Ruszel began the arduous task of trying to locate the Kracori vice-commander. With the Human fleet three months away—and with no knowledge of the Juireans closing on the Nebula—Ruszel was pretty certain the military officer would be located in the vicinity of Elision. The odds were greatly in his favor, since up to only a few days before, the Kracori seldom ventured beyond the Void. That had changed recently, but only over the course of the past week or so.

Forming a CW-link with Elision was fairly easy; at least it was now that the Kracori had revealed their presence to the Nebula. However, finding one particular vice-commander would be the hard part.

“This is Senior Guild Pilot Ruszel Crin, requesting a link with Vice-Commander Furlon Dor,” he announced once the link with Elision comm central was established.

“You are wishing to contact an active military officer, through a CW-link, and you are a civilian, a Guild pilot?” the voice and demeanor of the Kracori on the screen seemed incredulous. “What is your business with this officer, Tel’oran?”

Ruszel had been anticipating the question. “Now that Tel’or and Elision are allies against the invading Humans, I offer him a prize of incredible value. It is a Human starship capable of amazing speeds, much greater than any the Kracori possess ... and it can accomplish these speeds within stellar systems. Vice-Commander Dor witnessed a smaller version of this ship two months ago when he and I met at that time. I was hoping that he would allow me to deliver this gift to him personally. It will be the highlight of his career and a much needed boost to the security of the Nebula.”

The gray Kracori communications technician on the screen looked confused. “That is a lot of information to be sharing, especially in light of the new openness we are attempting to establish with other races within the Nebula. Our comm links are overwhelmed at this time and there is no clear procedure for doing what you request. I can take your information and pass it along to my supervisor, yet there is no guarantee that you will receive a reply within a reasonable period.”

Ruszel had dealt with admins from a variety of planetary governments for most of his adult life. Even though this was a Kracori he was speaking with, they all suffered from the same disorder, namely lack of imagination. Only when they could imagine themselves getting in trouble would they act.

“I will require your name and contact information,” Ruszel said, hoisting a datapad from the console so the tech could see him begin to enter the data. “This vessel is a one-of-a-kind acquisition from the gravest enemy the Nebula has ever known and can offer an invaluable insight into the technology and weaponry of the Humans. I cannot maintain it for more than a few hours more before the Human spies who operate the craft will begin to look for it. At that time the opportunity for the Kracori to learn its secrets will be gone. I will not be held responsible for the loss of the single-most important piece of physical intelligence to ever come our way. The entire war effort could turn on the technology this craft will reveal, and yet we, as allies and co-inhabitants of the Silvean Nebula, could suffer a devastating defeat because the Humans possess this technology and we do not. And all of this could come about because you do not have a
procedure
in place to track down one Kracori vice-commander.”

Ruszel paused to watch the technician blanch, as his stare bored into the dark eyes of the Kracori as best he could over a distance of eighteen light-years. “Again, I will need your name and contact information to provide at the coming inquiry.”

“I do not know what you think I can do, Tel’oran?” the frazzled operator asked. “As I said, our communication protocols have not been established for such requests made outside the Kracori organization.”

“Do you have access to military personnel records? Can you attempt to search the name of this vice-commander?”

“Our systems are so linked. Yet that information is classified to outsiders.”

“I am not seeking this information for myself, but so that you can locate the vice-commander and rely this information to him. I am sure that once he learns what I am offering, he will initiate all necessary protocols. And I can assure you, he and all the high command on Elision, will reward you for your exemplary efforts and perseverance. The relationship between the Kracori and the other planets within the Nebula is only days old. This singular act on your part could be forever remembered as a seminal event in the history of the Nebula.”

The technician was shifting nervously in his seat. He reached over to another screen and began entering data. “I will do what I can, but there are no guarantees. I can access the military personnel records, and you may not realize this, but our entire society is built around the military. Nearly every Kracori of age is in the military database. Finding one particular officer could be imposs—oh, wait ... here he is. Vice-Commander Furlon Dor, Third Access Fleet, 2
^nd
Brigade. He is presently assigned to Command Regiment Fourteen here in the capital.”

“Do you have contact information?” Ruszel asked, astonished that the tech had actually come through. He risked a gaze off camera at the Human and the Formilian who were monitoring the conversation and raised an eyebrow in their direction. The Human female gave an odd gesture with her fingers where the digits were wrapped into the palm and the thumb was projecting upwards. The pilot looked away before the meaning of the gesture confused him enough that the tech would notice that he was not alone in the comm room.

“Yes, I have a direct comm link for VC Dor. I will attempt to open the link, yet I believe it is best if you communicate to him what you are proposing. I am pretty confused by now as to just what you have in your possession.”

“I would prefer that as well. I will remain on the link until you are successful.”

It took the distraught comm tech a full ten minutes before he was able to locate Furlon Dor and convey enough of the subject matter to the vice-commander that he agreed to speak with Ruszel. When the stern, leathery face of the Kracori officer appeared on the screen, Ruszel did not recognize him; as a matter of fact, he was having trouble distinguishing any differences in the Kracori from one to the other. They all looked large, tough and perpetually angry.

“You say we have met?” Dor literally growled at Ruszel through the CW comm link.

“Yes, my Lord. Forgive me if that is not the proper greeting for a Kracori. I have not been informed as to the proper manner of respect.”

“Commander will suffice.” And then the Kracori narrowed his eyes at Ruszel. “Yes, I do recall. You and your Tel’oran companion were on the ship where the Human spy was captured. That was a major event on Elision. There had not been another Human on our planet for over three years, or so I was informed. If memory serves me, I offered your freedom so you may prepare the Nebula for our eventual reveal. By that time the events of the previous few weeks had already been set in motion.”

“My colleague and I are eternally grateful for your generosity that day, Commander. We truly believed we would suffer the same fate as the Human.”

“If the Human threat had not already been identified, you would have,” the Kracori said, much to Ruszel’s chagrin.

“Then we are even more fortunate,” Ruszel said with a slight tremor in his voice. “But now I am here to return the favor.”

“Yes, what is this of a prize you offer ... some sort of spaceship?

“Yes, the Humans have ships which employ an array of eight focusing rings in unison. It is technology beyond any in the Nebula possess, including the Kracori.”

“That’s impossible,” the Kracori stated flatly. “That many focusing rings would be unmanageable and extremely dangerous.”

“And yet you were on such a vessel only two months ago.”

Furlon Dor hesitated while staring at Ruszel. “I seem to recall that the ship we found you and the Human on did have a particular gravity signature. It was unclassified at the time, so I did not think any more of it.”

“That was a concentrated-array gravity-drive starship.”

“And you are offering to turn over that ship to the Kracori?”

“Not that ship, Commander, but one twice as large, and not to be turned over to the Kracori, but to you personally.”

“Why would you do that?

“You saved my life and you rescued my associate and me from the imprisonment of the Human. I wish to return that good fortune.”

The Kracori continued to narrow his eyes at Ruszel. “And how have you acquired yet
another
Human starship of such advanced design?”

“I was sought out and employed by yet another group of Human infiltrators all on account of my association with the Human spy you now have in custody. He is still among the living, I imagine? You did say at the time that he was to be used as propaganda against the Humans at the time of their invasion.”

“I have not heard the fate of that particular Human since I turned him over to the Security Directorate. Yet I have heard that possibly another set of Human infiltrators and saboteurs may have been captured recently. I believe this will be a more common occurrence as the time for their attack grows closer. Now what of this ship? Where are the Humans operating it?”

“I believe some of them may be your new prisoners,” Ruszel offered. “There is only one other Human onboard and I have her subdued.”

“Where are you now?”

“We are within the Dysion Void, approximately eighteen light-years from Elision.”

“I will send an escort.”

“I could bring the ship to Elision and present it to you personally, for all your superiors to witness. Transit time in this vessel will be two hours.”

Ruszel saw the look of shock on the face of the Kracori officer. Normal transit time for an eighteen light-year journey was approximately fifteen hours, depending on the gravity sources in the region. Even the largest deep space transports, operating within designated space lanes, would take four times as long as Ruszel’s estimate. The implication of such technology was just now beginning to dawn on the Kracori.

“Yes, Commander,” Ruszel began, baiting the Kracori even more, “the technology from this spacecraft could revolutionize the Kracori fleet, making it the most-powerful in the galaxy. The other races of the Nebula now share the ambitions of the Kracori. We look forward to the time when our brothers from within the Nebula will rule the galaxy. We will share in the pride and glory of that moment.”

“Yes, bring the ship to Elision immediately. I will transmit clearance codes and location coordinates. And yet you say this is Human technology? The Human fleet approaching Elision could be so equipped.”

“It is my understanding from both sets of Humans who have employed me that this technology is used sparingly at this point. It may become more prevalent—if the Kracori do not stop the Humans first.”

Ruszel could see the Kracori Vice-Commander growing anxious. “Proceed at your best possible speed to Elision, Ruszel. Your name is Ruszel; forgive me if I’ve forgotten.”

“Yes, it is Ruszel. Ruszel Crin. And I will begin preparations for departure now. Please relay the access codes as soon as possible. I will be at Elision in a much shorter time than any of your current vessels could make the transit. I am sure when you see the ship you will be truly amazed at what it can do.”