As the General strode into the vast hanger of the Morta to join up with his landing party, he wondered to himself about Jehz’s role in the operation. Should he keep him close by assigning him to his personal guard or pretend he wasn’t there and send his unit to one of the outlying defense positions? Keeping him close would be the safest route but he was already stung by the favoritism claims he had heard from Arez. Giving him what was seemingly a lead position in the mission would only serve to breathe stronger life into those rumors. On the other hand, sending him away could unnecessarily expose him to danger given his inexperience and the unpredictability of the planet surface.
It was a tough decision but as he strapped in, he decided he would use Jehz’s Force 10 as one of his protective units along with the more experienced commander of Force 7 in the lead. This was consistent with his handling of similar assignments for new officers under his command and he knew he would never be able to face Daez if he didn’t do everything in his power to protect Jehz. Daez, for all her strengths, was not Musa, and he wondered if she would be able to survive the kind of loss that was all too common in his kiln.
As they lifted off, the General turned to Frenz, his number one commander for the ground mission, and confirmed the assignments for Jehz and the rest of the attack teams. He was relieved when Frenz, normally very vocal about personnel matters, did not react to the news that Jehz would be in his protective units. That made him feel he had made the right decision.
The General turned on a command link to the ship so he and the senior officers could be briefed on the latest scan data during the descent to the planet surface.
“Larrz, do we have any update on how many soldiers are in this facility?
“Sorry, sir, we still can’t tell though we are pretty sure there are none on the outside. Seems a little surprising given how important this place looks to them but if their mountain defense is any indication, they appear to be more comfortable hiding their security away. We have a Kruz unit sent ahead of you with deep scanning equipment and they should be there to meet you with a full report on what’s going on below.”
“Very good. What’s the update on the rest of the battles?”
“Everything is on hold, sir as you ordered. The mountain guns are still firing in any zone where we have soldiers in the vicinity but all teams are moving away or have reinforced protection. There’s still no contact from Arok and no signs of surrender anywhere.”
The General was disappointed but not surprised. This one would go to the bitter end with untold pointless deaths unless he could make a connection with Arok or whomever was running this facility. His early anger over the surprise attack had passed as his emotion waned and the clear realization took hold that the Hayim were just proud soldiers fighting under the illusion they were defending their people. It was hard to understand but often true that newly contacted societies could not comprehend the offer being made to them. They could not believe they needed protection or that the Given would provide it to them. They knew only the language of threats and violence, the thought that a more powerful society would partner with them was foreign. If the roles were reversed, he probably would have done the same or worse if he felt he needed to. The fog clouding his focus over the last few weeks had cleared under the rush of the battle and he knew he needed to make this negotiation work.
The ships in the landing party safely navigated the channel between the mountain gun’s range until they reached the planning point near the surface and dove away from each other to their final landing spots. The General and his two protection units touched down a couple mzeks from the cave opening that led to the suspected command facility deep in the mountainside of a long dormant volcano. A Kruz commander quickly approached.
“General, you are not going to believe this, but it looks like there is only one being in there. No weapon signatures or electromagnetic robot waves either. Nothing. Either they have more of their famous surprises hidden away or it’s just one guy doing who knows what.”
“I would believe almost anything, Lenz. In a world like the one the Rising Sun has turned out to be, nothing else would make sense. Send Teams 2 & 4 to check it out.”
The signal went out to the teams stationed outside the cave entrance who set loose their Tribo and then followed them in. An hour passed without response, then the commander of Team 2 opened a comm channel.
“General, we are ½ a mzek down, right where the sensors told us we should be. It’s weird, there is no equipment at all down here. It looks like someone’s house or something the way it is decorated. We can see somebody just sitting in a chair, their back is to us, but it looks like he is sleeping or maybe dead. We can’t pull any of his vitals though and we are right on top of him. Should we engage?
“No, definitely not. Don’t do anything. Larrz, what do you make of this?
“Don’t know, sir. The energy signature from before is gone, so if the Kruz teams don’t see any sign of equipment anywhere, maybe it was moved like they moved the mountain gun equipment. Or maybe it was him. Who knows.”
“OK, Lenz, send some soldiers in there and try to make contact with the person in the chair. Gently please, let’s all get home safely tonight.”
“Yes, sir.” Lenz motioned six of his soldiers to cross the cavernous room and try to get the attention of the sitting man. They moved slowly, their Tribos ordered to withdraw given the way the robots had spooked the Hayim in the mountain attack. The Kruz wouldn’t need them anyway for a single man.
As they drew around the outside of the room, the soldier could see that the man in the chair seemed to be breathing, his eyes open, staring straight ahead. He was dressed plainly, in the style of the civilians with no visible government or military insignia. Using their translation equipment, they called out to him.
“Sir, we are soldiers of the Given people but we are not here to hurt you. Please identify yourself and let us know if you are injured or there is anything else you need and we will do our best to help.”
The man’s eyes quickly darted around the room, looking at each of the soldiers but he did not respond. He did not look afraid. After five minutes had past and the greeting repeated multiple times with no response, Commander Lenz moved back to the room opening and again opened a comm channel to the General.
“I don’t know General, he’s still just sitting there, no weapons or even what looks like it could conceivably be a weapon is nearby. We can see he is awake and he must understand at least one of the languages used if he is on this planet, but he is not responding verbally. Maybe he is not even from here? Should we take him into custody?”
“No, stand down. He’s still our best bet to end this thing or get us to the people who can, so continue searching for any weapons or anything suspicious. If the area is clear, let me know, and I’ll come in and try to negotiate.”
The attack teams searched and scanned the cave and its surrounding tunnels for an hour but did not find any sign of additional soldiers, weapons or equipment. The signal went out to the General and he began to make his way toward the cave.
Entering the large main room with his son and a hundred of his elite guards, the General was struck by its spare beauty. Filled with a few beautifully constructed pieces of furniture and artwork that appeared to be collected from throughout the galaxy based on a few styles he thought he recognized, this hardly seemed to be a stronghold or command center of any kind. The General strolled around the room, looking occasionally at the man, hoping that he would start the dialogue, but he did not. He seemed lost in thought, his eyes mostly closed, his palms together.
“For 100,000 years, brother, I have fought, you know that. I am one of the oldest ever, much older than you were at the time of your crossing. Does that not grant me the right to make this decision without your infernal second guessing?”
“Were it not for the conditions of your decision, Keer, of course it would. You may make it anyway as you well know. You are a rightfully chosen holder of the crystals. But to make it while your people’s world lay in ruins with many dead, and to pick one of your enemies as the recipient. You must understand how strange it looks, like some kind of revenge.”
“I suppose it may look that way” said Keer, “and I won’t deny I enjoy the irony of it, but you can see the boy scans as a viable candidate and those are beyond rare these days. I was tired before this event; you all know that brothers and sisters. I am exhausted now. My people, if you can call them that after so many centuries dedicated to our cause, will survive. Even now they regroup and the Given will probably think twice before trying again, especially after witnessing what they are about to witness. In fact, this transfer may be the only thing that can save them.”
“You are indeed wise, Keer, and we of course know your fatigue with the universe is real. If you are sure this decision is not being driven by anger, you have our blessing and our love. But why jump so quickly into the transfer? Perhaps the boy should be followed a bit more so we can understand the impact this change might have.”
“Has that ever changed anything really? And you have no way of knowing how things would have really turned out even if some of the previous transfers planned had gone otherwise. I understand the inclination toward restraint but you no longer live in the reality I do and have much too much time to ponder these decisions endlessly. The time to act is now, I’ve waited long enough, brothers and sisters, and will join you soon.
“We’ll be waiting Keer. You’ve done well and we’ll be honored by your presence.”
Not honored enough to shut up for five minutes and give me a little peace I bet, Keer thought to himself smiling though he knew the regular attention from his Solon brothers was due more out of concern and his complaints than anything else. Was he really ready? The answer came quickly and he knew he was. For a second, he again contemplated destroying the Given himself as their dismantling had been a regular topic of discussion among the Solon. The rise of the Given to dominate their corner of the galaxy had not gone unnoticed. They were so many in so many places though, stamping them out completely could take decades and it was far from clear what would take their place. He hated the Given for what they had done to his people but bad as they were, there were worse out there, much worse. No, this would be the better path, it was right, and it was time. After 100,000 years of constant battle, he deserved rest.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Keer sat forward and put hands on his knees, his small movement throwing the room into a near panic. A group of soldiers, including Jehz, quickly moved in front of the General. This was a diplomatic mission so no weapons were drawn but many hands were tensed and ready to move and the Tribos standing guard received a wave of alert messages.
The General forced his way between his soldiers and stood in front of Keer, trying to assess him. What kind of man could sit here in this much danger with no means to protect himself and still be so quiet and calm? If he was disturbed there were no obvious signs. The room was in order, and there was no indication of mental decay. His eyes were clear, intelligent and focused. He felt this being was a leader of the Hayim people, but what kind? Surely not military, maybe some kind of religious guru or spiritual advisor. He radiated power, of that much the General was sure and needed to be approached respectfully.
“Greetings, sir, I am General Forenz of the Given army. You seem like a man who does not want his time wasted so I will directly say that I am here to negotiate a settlement between our two peoples. We wish for no further bloodshed. While I know we must appear warlike to you, I assure you we are not. We are trying to protect our people and in doing so protect all the beings in the galaxy. Remember that we were fired upon first by the Hayim. Is there a language you prefer or any counselors from your people that would be helpful to you? If so, we will bring them here to assist.”
Keer stared at the General, felt the anger well up in him, and realized if he did not act soon, he would likely change his mind and destroy the Given himself, starting with this overstuffed buffoon of a leader.
“I speak your language, Forenz, and no additional counselors will be needed to end this “exchange” between our peoples. That is the word you Given use, is it not, exchange? I think I would choose one much more unfavorable to your way of thinking. I have only a few brief words to say, so listen carefully. Their meaning may not be clear now, but one day they will be so record them carefully and take them back to your Given brothers.”
“Like most military men, you fear the limits of your strength and hide that in false bravery. That makes you blind to the suffering of the weak and the greater forces swirling around you, dangerously blind. In that way you are truly a reflection of the Given way of life, blundering away from centuries of oppression only to become exactly what you fear and loathe, even worse perhaps because you fool yourselves into thinking you are something else. Today you will pay for the blindness and tomorrow you should question your priests on why they chose this path for you and your son. Make sure you ask them General, their response will be most interesting, I assure you.”
The General’s mind was immediately reeling. What was this man talking about and how did he even know his son was on this mission with him? Why did he mention the Given priests? The man must have some previous connection to the Given, perhaps as the leader of a Given protected world. Maybe that was where all the art from the outer reaches of this galaxy came from. If only he had time to direct Larrz to pull their research, maybe he could find an angle for the negotiation.
“What do you know about the Given or any of us? You should consider the prosperity and peace we bring the universe. Death from war and conflict between planets is nearly nonexistent in the areas under our control. Did you know that as well?
“I know enough, Forenz, to put an end to it. Before the next steps in our little duet here together begin, I need you to understand something. Really understand it. While it may be hard to believe looking at me, I have within me, as I sit here before you, the power to kill you and all your elite soldiers without hardly trying. While I imagine you find that amusing, try to comprehend that on top of that I could take down your entire attack fleet and every one of your soldiers would die without barely knowing what hit them. Don’t believe me? I see the surprise on your face, and the anger. The Given aren’t used to being spoken to in this manner are they and you must think my bluster is from the same breath as the Hayim people I used to belong to. I assure you it is not. Please prove it to yourself, it is important that you understand. Fire your most powerful weapons at me, I guarantee you I will not be harmed, and it will be only a trivial example of my strength. What are you waiting for General? I really must insist or I will be the only one to walk out of this room alive.” Keer stared around the room, saw the flashes of fear in the eyes of many of the Given soldiers and then focused on the General. After a few seconds the General nodded, the soldiers cleared away and a soldier with a ground mounted force gun opened fire. The air around Keer glistened and he turned toward the gun, unaffected and began to move towards it. “You will see for yourself one day what a Crystal Keeper is capable of and know in that moment the truth of what I am saying. Remember it well Forenz. Remember all the choices made that ended up putting us together in this room on this day. Yes, I could have destroyed your entire fleet, ended your career or your life, whatever I chose. But I will do something worse. I will take your son from you. One day perhaps the Given people will understand, even thank me for what I am about to do, maybe you will as well for giving him the strength to break free of you. You are weak and vain and have done some very bad things, but there is some good in you. I see that too.” Keer gestured with his hand and the force gun went silent.
The General wasn’t sure how the magic trick he felt he had just witnessed had been accomplished but he boiled over with rage at the thought of this primitive threatening him, threatening his son. “Thank you?! Thank you?! In a few minutes you’ll be thanking me for allowing your pathetic life to continue after begging me not to hurt you anymore.”
The General rushed at Keer and attempted to strike him with a Given martial arts death blow to the neck. For a second the General’s hand seemed to stick to Keer but Keer didn’t react to the blow or seem affected, he simply stared at the General, grabbed his wrist, and threw him to the side as if tossing a pebble.
“Get Jehz out of here”, yelled the General, thinking this must be a aHayim ambush, but before anyone could move, Keer slapped his hands together and a bubble of white light began to grow between his fingers. It quickly grew, enveloping Keer and he disappeared into the light. As the bubble expanded, it pushed the General and the other soldiers away toward the outer walls of the chamber. When it reached Jehz however, the circle grew around him and he was absorbed into the center along with Keer. The General began to panic as he neared the outer wall and yelled “Someone find a way to stop this thing before it crushes us” but immediately after enclosing Jehz, the bubble stopped growing. The General and the soldiers tried to punch their way through but the bubble simply flexed around their efforts without bursting.
The General opened a comm channel to Larrz, “Larrz, this being has created some kind of energy shield that has absorbed Jehz. We need to get in there. Can you see it?”
“I can sir, analyzing now. Give me a few minutes.”
“I’m not sure we have a few minutes. He made some kind of threat against Jehz and named him as my son. I don’t even know how he knew who he was. Maybe we have a rebel on this planet whose has been advising him.”
“It’s been known to happen sir, but no one outside the inner planning circle even knew we were coming. And how would they know you’d be leading the mission and that you’d be landing on the surface with your son. Seems like a long shot sir.”
The General turned at stared at the light bubble, wondered what could possibly be going on inside. He wouldn’t just kill Jehz to get revenge would he? Why would he kill only one man even if it was the commander’s son? What did he say, we would thank him? Maybe this man was truly crazy, it was as simple as that. Ask your priests he had said, ask your priests. Why had he said that? He waited for what seemed like an eternity before Larrz responded back.
“Sir, I finished the analysis but I’m afraid I don’t have much to tell you. The energy signatures are not from any known source but appear enormously powerful. I can’t tell how it’s being contained but none of our weapons would be able to get through. One more thing sir, we did find a way to partially scan the inside and it looks like there’s nothing alive in there. Sorry, sir.”
The General’s heart sank and he immediately thought of Daez. Our only son gone and on his very first mission. It couldn’t be happening. “Could Jehz have been transported out of there?”
“Maybe, but we haven’t seen any activity like that in the area that we can recognize.”
Suddenly the bubble began to shrink. The soldiers nearby all turned and drew their weapons. The Tribo had returned and scrambled for position on the outside of the cavern with the rest of the soldiers trying to provide cover for the General’s personal guard.
Keer emerged from the bubble and the soldiers quickly cleared a firing path so that a coordinated offensive could be launched against the being that had tried to attack one of their own. In typical Kruz fashion, there was no waiting for the order to fire, all soldiers knew the threat must be contained immediately. After the first few shots simply bounced off, threatening to hit other soldiers or the general, the call to hold fire went out from the Kruz commander.
The soldiers quickly realized that Keer was not moving and seemed to be encased in some kind of shell or had been turned into stone like a statue. They all turned as the bubble continued to shrink and watched it be absorbed into Jehz’s hands. Jehz stood there, staring at his hands, then looking at the soldiers, clearly confused.
After the bubble faded, the General rushed over to him, grabbing his shoulders, examining his face for signs of distress. “Are you alright, Jehz?” he asked, breaking the Musa custom of never referring to another soldier by name during a battle, but not caring. A wave of relief washed over him.
Jehz looked up, surprised, trying to find something wrong with himself, some odd feeling somewhere but found nothing. “I feel fine. Completely normal.”
“You know we’ll need to get you into a containment pod until the doctors have had a chance to examine you. It’s only a precaution.”
“I understand the protocol, General. It’s fine of course.”
“The pod is on its way, sir.” said Lenz. It should be at the entrance in fifteen minutes. You need to be aware that we are getting no life readings at all from Jehz. Are you sure it’s him?”
“It’s him alright, he was in exactly the same position he was when the light swallowed him.” The General said it with certainty but looked at Jehz trying to figure out if it was really him, the thought had not entered his mind until Lenz mentioned it. Every detail matched. It was definitely Jehz’ body but had that thing switched with him somehow or taken over his mind? He noticed Jehz staring at his hands and could see what seemed to be two large crystals embedded in his palms. Something pretty weird had definitely happened in there the General thought to himself. That much was obvious but his son had come back. Hopefully the containment pod would hold him if that something was bad news for Jehz.
“We better bring the statue thing with us as well, Lenz so we are going to need another containment pod.”
“I don’t think that’s going to happen General. This structure weighs 50,000 tons at least, that’s more than some of our battleships and it seems to have some energy force that is working to attach it to the rock below. I have no idea what it is made of but if we want it, we’re going to have to come back for it. It’s not going in a containment pod.” The General nodded and then shook his head. Everything about this planet and this mission had been strange even for Musa soldiers that were used to strange.
As Jehz was loaded into his containment pod and lifted off the planet surface, the General began to think about their return to the Given home world and the contentious debrief he was almost guaranteed to face. He suspected it was going to get very ugly and wondered what would be left of his career after the senior military counsel was through with him. At least he was bringing Jehz home he thought, smiling and thinking of Daez, but he quickly caught himself, remembering the crystals in Jehz’s hands and began shaking his head. Please great spirit Voz, oh please at least let that be true.