After bringing Jasken up to speed, Raivyn hung up and noticed that the Gladius was descending. The ship landed by the smoldering wreckage of the enemy ship, and the three Marines were on terra firma before the others knew what happened. The RIS agents rushed after them, eager to examine the wreck. It was crushed too badly to identify with certainty.

“Small interstellar transport,” guessed Huluna. “Krauqian origin, I’d say.”

“Yeah,” replied Chully with a nod. “Good chance it’s one of Hoon-Kra’s. Sadly, he probably wasn’t on it.”

Huluna snorted in reply.

The Marines had rounded the wreck and had a good view of the side. Burnt and distorted as the paint was, there was a clear insignia on the vessel’s door: that of a serpentine shark, biting its own tail. Grepk walked up to the door and strained against the bent metal until it suddenly tore it off its hinges.

“Let’s go, you two,” he said as he disappeared into the bent, black rectangle of the doorway.

Krum-Bahk and Keshri followed him without a word. Just as they went in, Talon Squad and the agents rounded the corner.

“Oh, boy,” said Huluna.

“Keshri, I need witnesses,” said Chully in a voice full of warning.

“No promises,” said a harsh voice on his comm.

“Alright Talon Squad,” said Raivyn. “Let’s sweep the ship with the Marines. Take prisoners if possible.”

Huluna nodded her thanks as Talon Squad followed the Marines into the ship. The interior of the ship was dimly lit by emergency lights, and a choked siren chirped and spat static somewhere down one of the twisted halls. Talon Squad turned on their lights and stepped down one of the halls.

“The Marines went off this way,” said Reclan, tracking their comms on her tablet. “I guess let’s take the other direction.”

“Grepk, this is Talon Squad,” said Raivyn. “We’re going to sweep the aft section of the ship while you sweep the bow. That suit you?”

There was a pause.

“Do as you like,” said Grepk grimly.

“Should someone go keep them in check?” asked D’Jarric.

Raivyn shook her head. “We’ll need the whole Squad back here. D’Jarric and Hrake, why don’t you take the upper deck; Doc and Reclan, take the mid deck; Van, you and I can take the lower deck.”

When they reached the stairwell, Vanbrook and Raivyn descended to the lower deck, dodging broken steps and watching their corners.

“Krum-Bahk’s a better person than I am,” said Vanbrook quietly.

“Huh?” asked Raivyn.

“He won’t kill survivors if they don’t attack,” replied Vanbrook.

“Now isn’t the time, Van,” said Raivyn, annoyed.

Vanbrook shrugged and continued down the hall, checking rooms as he went.

“Found a couple bodies,” said Raivyn from another from across the hall. “Looks like the engineering team. I’ll mark them for pick up, but-”

Her thought was cut short as a burst of gunfire sounded overhead from the bow of the ship. She and Vanbrook bolted back down the hall and up the steps, joining the others, Reclan leading the way as she tracked the Marines. They arrived at the door to the bridge to see Grepk and Keshri on either side of Krum-Bahk, who was standing with one foot on the chest of a large Kraquian male.

“You’ve got your witness, Chully,” he said into his comm.

“Just like I said,” whispered Vanbrook to Raivyn.

Grepk flipped the Krauqian over roughly and zip tied his hands together with relish.

“Just remember, buddy,” said the Marine leader. “If you give me a reason, I’m taking it.”

***

Crush walked up to the empty can on the deck of the Liberty and kicked it with gusto, sending it spinning off into the aether.

“Obviously telekinesis is not where your strength lies,” said Yrinla.

“Do I have any ‘strength’ at all, that’s the question!” shouted Crush.

The elderly tree priestess tapped her chin. “What are the basic forms of psychic ability?”

Crush looked at Yrinla, cocked her head and then answered. “Telekinesis, the moving of objects with telepathic waves, and telepathy, communicating with telepathic waves.”

“Yes, that’s the basics!” answered Yrinla. “But it goes beyond that. Telekinesis can also be used to create kinetic barriers, or shields, as well as crushing objects. It’s all the same principle- manipulating matter with the mind. Telepathy is more subtle. It involves affecting the mind of another being with T-waves. For most, the simplest version of telepathy is the sharing of your thoughts with a receptive mind, allowing you to ‘speak’ to them mentally. In a small way, you are using telepathy when you control your star tree. The tree is designed to coax the T-waves out of you, if you will, so even a minimal amount of latent psychic ability is sufficient. There are more abstract possibilities, such as reverse-empathy, or the instilling of emotions into another being. Have you ever experienced anything like that?”

Crush thought for a moment. Then her head snapped up and she looked Yrinla square in the eyes. “Yes. I believe so. It was a while back now, on Hittania. A Republic soldier was chasing me, and suddenly gave up the hunt. She later accused me of using telepathy on her. I dismissed it, assuming that she was lying to save her pride.”

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

“Excellent, excellent!” exclaimed Yrinla. “Now, what I want you to do is to look at me and tell me that you’re not standing there. Come now, project that idea to me.”

Crush stared at the priestess, focusing on the idea of not being there. Just when she was ready to give up the seemingly futile effort, something strange happened. The pressure she’d built in trying to incept the thought burst, and she felt as though she’d broken into Yrinla’s mind.

“It- it worked, didn’t it!?” she exclaimed.

Yrinla nodded, smiling. “You’re there, but it’s a struggle to focus on you. Considering your limited training and the fact that I know for certain you’re standing in front of me, I am quite impressed.”

***

Back in Gred, Chully and Huluna had set up a base of operations in a wing of the King’s palace. They sat in an interrogation room across a table from the muscular Krauqian they’d taken captive. He refused to answer questions and they’d all sat in silence for a number of minutes now.

“I could call one of the Marines back in here,” said Chully. “I’m sure they’d love to spend some quality time with the guy who killed their buddy.”

“Your thugs don’t scare me,” said the Kraquian, eyes glassy with boredom. “And you can’t stop what’s coming.”

Chully and Huluna looked at each other significantly.

“Something’s coming,” said Huluna.

“Probably Kooky Kool,” said Chully.

“KOO L’KOOM, YOU WEAKLING,” cried the prisoner, slamming a shackled fist on the table.

“You and your uncle seem pretty obsessed with that old myth,” said Chully coolly.

“It is no myth,” he spat.

“So you are Trar-Brak, Hoon-Kra’s nephew, then?” asked Huluna.

Trar-Brak paled. "I didn't say that."

"Trar-Brak," said Chully, grinning when the panicked Krauqian turned to him. "What is it your uncle's little cult is planning?"

Trar-Brak resumed his bored stance, but nervousness played across his broad, warty features.

"Here's what we've got on the ancient Koomites," said Huluna. Scrolling through her tablet, she opened an encyclopedia entry. "'The Koomites, an ancient Krauqian religious group, worshiped Koo L'Koom, one of the mythical aether beasts.

‘Valuing power above any sense of virtue, Koomites were known for their political ambition, penchant for assassination, as well as for despising those viewed as weaker than themselves.

‘By the end of the pre-Astralbian era, the Koomites were reduced to small pockets of cultists located around Krauqia. Though a few other worlds saw a small number of converts, the Solaran’s wide-spread teaching of the Progenitor and the fallout of the Unified Prophecy wiped out any noticeable Koomite presence in the galaxy.’

“Any of that sound familiar?”

Trar-Brak spat on the table in disgust. “That drivel does not amount to half of the glory of the ancients.”

Chully pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and tossed it onto the table. “We’re done here. You can get up as soon as you wipe up your spit.”

***

Prime Minister Skritka sat in his dark wooden armchair behind a matching desk, stroking the pointed goatee that hung from his pointed snout, peering through round spectacles at the information he’d been sent from Kirakna and Hruduk. Put together with the Astralbian armada that was advancing towards the Cornucopia Cluster, it made that corner of the galaxy look a lot like a powder keg.

A comm came through, right on schedule.

“Admiral Jasken,” he said. “Good to see you.”

Though the pleasantry had rolled off the Prime Minister’s tongue automatically, it really was good to see the grumpy old admiral. A few years ago when Skritka had signed off on giving Jasken command of the Blue Griffon Fleet, he had seen it as a way to give the decorated veteran an adventurous yet cushy exploratory assignment until he was ready to retire. Instead, the fleet had found itself embroiled in one of the most widespread galactic conflicts in a generation, and Jasken had proven that he had yet to lose his edge.

“You too, Prime Minister,” said Jasken. “How can I serve the Republic?”

“No change of plans at the moment, Admiral. The exploratory team based on Gateway has made some interesting discoveries, but for now we just want you to pick up Talon Squad and meet them out there.” He paused. “The development on Hruduk is disturbing, though.”

“Agreed,” replied Jasken. “I heard that the IGC went to investigate Zrykyk’s city and were chased off by gunfire.”

“That’s the story,” said Skritka, nodding. “They’re saying that’s not unusual for a species still adjusting to the idea of other intelligent life in the galaxy, but they’re facing pressure both from us and Gred to declare Zrykyk an insurrection or raider enterprise and let us establish a satellite network.”

Jasken nodded. “So then, what did you need from me, sir?”

“Frankly, Jasken, I wanted your take on the situation. Not just on Hruduk but also with the Cornucopia Cluster. I’m going to have to address both the Houses and the press on this soon. So tell me: are we headed for trouble?”

Jasken paused for a moment, considering his words. “It looks like it, Prime Minister. But none of it of our own making. The Koomites, the Astralbians, even the Ramshackle Collective and the PIC, they’ve all descended onto the Cornucopia Cluster as soon as they became aware of it and, frankly, I don’t blame them. While I’d have loved to keep the whole corner of the galaxy just for the Republic, I never thought that was likely; I dare say it wasn’t even fair to want it. If everyone else wants to play by the rules, so be it. We’ll take what we can get honestly. But if anyone crosses us, tries to hurt our people or take what isn’t theirs, I say we run them down with the full force of the Republic’s armed forces.”

Skritka nodded. “Thank you, Jasken. I appreciate the frankness.”

***

Talon Squad, Chully, and Huluna stood by Grepk, Krum-Bahk, and Keshri as the long, black box that held Fenyn’s remains was loaded onto a transport to Kirakna. From Kirakna, it would hopscotch across the stars to Aerat, where Fenyn was born and where his family still lived. While his true funeral would be held there, with full military honors, it was customary for a Marine’s unit to see their remains off and hold a sort of farewell ceremony after.

"Fenyn was the best field medic I ever worked with," said Grepk. "And my best friend since basic. He always had my back."

"I didn't know him long," said Krum-Bahk. "But he was a true friend. I only wish I'd had more time to get to know him."

There was a long pause before Keshri said, "A good Marine."

It was clear looking at her that she was near tears. Chully looked up, his mouth working as though he was going to say something, but it died on his lips.

"I'd only just met him," said Huluna softly. "He died to save me. I pray the Progenitor will guard his soul."

A complex series of emotions played across Grepk's face, his antennae and mouthparts twitching uncomfortably.

"He protected others at all costs," he said at length. "It was in his nature. He would be glad to know you lived."

The ship bearing Fenyn's remains flew off into the evening sky. As it disappeared, the gathering broke up, eventually whittling down to the three Marines, and finally just Grepk, who stood for some time staring up into the aether.

***

“We couldn’t get much out of Trar-Brak,” said Huluna. “But we did broadcast a message to the Swamp’s Pride’s frequency to let Hoon-Kra know we had his nephew in custody.”

“Do you think that will draw the Koomites out of hiding?” asked Chief Hetford.

They were speaking via ripmed comm, with Huluna still aboard the Gladius on Hruduk and Hetford back on Griffonia.

“Unlikely,” answered Huluna. “But we do hope it will spook them into making a mistake. We weren’t able to get much from the wreckage. The navigation data was destroyed by some kind of failsafe, but we did get their final ripmed transmission, so we’re certain that Hoon-Kra knows the ship was destroyed in combat with Republic Forces. If his nephew isn’t going to play ball, we figured we’d use him as a pawn. Hoon-Kra ought to be pretty nervous if he knows we’ve got a potential source of information in our brig.”