I can’t help but find myself liking Chieftain Nah-lik. For two long days, he has never let up on trying to find out about us, and I have come to respect his stubbornness. Though I have picked up on what I will assume is frustration, he has never exhibited any signs of arrogance or malicious intent. When I look into his eyes, all I can see is an earnest desire to learn more and to know more about us.
For the first time since assuming command of The Cicero, I find myself unsure of what to do. Between the repeated inquiries from Chieftain Nah-lik and the never-ending update requests from Admiral Sullivan, I feel inadequate to the task. I should have fought harder to have a specialist first contact team sent out before agreeing to open communications with the "Yellows," as Commander Jackson calls them.
I will do my duty, but I realize that my actions are being influenced by my past. Knowing that this ship is from the Hegemony is clearly affecting my judgment. I frequently find myself remembering what it was like to search through the debris fields after the Gliese Massacre, knowing in my heart that my parents and all the other innocent souls were dead, but still looking for them regardless.
There is so much hate in my heart, and I am afraid to let it go. It has been my only companion for all these years, and the only reason I have yet to give in to my despair and loss. If it wasn’t for the hate, I would have eaten a bullet long ago to hasten my reunion with Mother and Father.
God, please help me. I am ashamed of this hate that has consumed me, and my soul can no longer carry this burden. Please lift it from me.
-Personal Log of Captain Joseph Hendricks
CSN Heavy Cruiser Cicero
Ross 154 System-Earth year 2335 A.D.
“Are you about done there with that bobblehead, Commander Jackson?” Hendriks asked his XO.
"Aye, sir. Sorry.” Jackson turned off his wrist comm and returned to his seat, trying to hide his glee with his new invention.
Hendricks rolled his eyes and resumed his position in front of the viewscreen, waiting for the Yiel'oh chieftain to stop braying. At least we know they have a sense of humor, and it is similar to ours, Hendricks thought to himself as he continued waiting for the Chieftain to collect himself.
“Chieftain Nah-lik, I wish to start over. I will have a data packet assembled by my communications officer with basic information about our culture and history. Please understand that this information will be limited in scope until we can be sure of your intentions.”
Chieftain Nah’lik waited for his translator to finish, and then he nodded eagerly.
“Our intentions are good. We wish to become friends with all herds and share in the bounty,” Chieftain Dah’lik stated earnestly. “Please have Sub-Chieftain Jak-sun include his plaything; I will look at it when I am sad.” He added quickly.
Ignoring the snickering behind him, Hendricks blandly replied, “I’ll see what I can do, Chieftain. Now, I must confer with my superiors for the next steps. Please maintain your position, and we will resume communications shortly.” “Our herd will be still.” Nah’lik replied, touching the two fingers of each hand to his chest and bowing slowly. The viewscreen blanked out.
“Comms, open a channel to Admiral Sullivan and send it to the wardroom. Start putting together a basic data packet of relevant information to send to the chieftain. Have your AI scrub all references and locations of population centers and the stellar coordinates of our planets, habitats, and military assets. No details, just the broad strokes. Got it, ensign?”
“Aye,sir.”
CyberSec, when Comms is done, have your AI go over the data packet as well to double check the scrub.”
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“Aye, Captain.”
Commander, you have the bridge. I’ll message you when the Admiral is on the line.”
“I have the bridge, Captain.” Hendricks leaned in close to Jackson and quietly said, “Nice job, Commander, but if I see that ridiculous bobblehead on this bridge again, I will throw you in the brig for insubordination. Is that clear?”
“Crystal.” Jackson replied sheepishly.
Hendricks got up and walked off the bridge with a smirk on his face.
While waiting in the wardroom for the commlink to connect, Hendricks started going through some of the data the Yellows sent over. It was a treasure trove of information, and there was so much of it that he didn’t even know where to begin. He decided to focus on their history and started perusing their archives.
Twenty minutes later, the comm beeped twice, and Hendricks flicked the link onto the holoscreen. Admiral Sullivan took in the wardroom and settled his glance on Hendricks. “How are you doing?” He asked.
“Admira-“
“Can the Admiral crap when it is just us, please, Joseph? You are my namesake, and your father was my best friend. So, I ask again. How are you holding up?”
“This is hard for me, Uncle Joe. Knowing that they are part of the Hegemony makes me want to blast them to their constituent atoms, but I can’t help but like this chieftain. There’s an innocence about him.” Hendricks hesitated, trying to formulate his thoughts. “I’ve been looking through the data they sent us, and it seems like they are good people.”
The admiral picked up a data pad from his desk and held it up. “I had my staff and the intelligence division go through the entire data packet you sent us. Do you know that there is not one mention of us in the entire database?"
“What do you mean? How is that possible?” Hendricks responded, picking up his own pad and entering search parameters for any mention of humans and humanity. The pad quickly searched the database, and a window popped up with [No matches found].
Hendricks looked at the admiral in confusion.
“Joseph, it seems as if the Hegemony has eliminated all references to us from their databanks. The question we need to ask is, Did they remove it from all over the Hegemony, or are they just withholding that information from certain species?” The admiral started tapping on his pad again and then looked at Hendricks.
“I just transferred orders giving you permission to share any information that you deem relevant with the Yiel’oh, within reason. I also want you to transmit all the data we have from the Gliese massacre and the Battle of the Belt when you feel the time is right. If you cannot do so, that is understandable, and you will have your XO send it. Are there any questions?”
Hendricks sighed and looked up at the ceiling bulkhead. After a few seconds, he looked back at the holoscreen. “What is our endgame here, Uncle Joe?”
Our intentions are to see how the Yiel’oh react when confronted with evidence of Hegemony atrocities and what they do afterwards.” The admiral replied. “Everything we have on them from the data they sent indicates that they are a peaceful species with concepts of honor like our own. If we can properly cultivate a relationship with them, we can use that as a conduit for information from inside the Hegemony.”
“I understand, and I hope they will do the right thing. It would be nice to have a friendly race in our corner when the war starts. So, how do you want to go about this?” Hendricks asked.
“So do I,” the admiral replied. “Get your XO in here, and let’s brainstorm on the next steps. The first contact team will be there in eighteen hours, so let’s try to lay down as much groundwork as we can before they get there.” Hendricks held up a hand. “Uncle Joe, before I get Jackson in here, I need to tell you something. I was angry at you when you ordered me to do this, and I just need to know why. Why did you have me do this, knowing what I went through after losing mom and dad?”
The admiral leaned back in his chair, looking at Hendricks.
“I was there the day you were born. I waited outside the delivery room with your dad, who was terrified of being a failure of a father before he ever held you. As you know, I cannot have children due to the accident I had at the academy. When your father passed you to me all red-faced and screaming, in that moment when I held you, you became my son too.” The admiral paused, wiping the tears away from his cheeks.
“I watched you grow up from being a good boy to a fine man. I know your heart, and I know what you carry inside of you. I have watched our people turn their hate into the furnace in which we forge our weapons, and I am afraid. I am afraid that we are so consumed with revenge that we have forgotten that there may be other races who are good and honorable out there. I fear our vengeance and the price it will exact from us. We may win the war, but we will lose our humanity.” The admiral took a deep, shuddering breath and continued speaking.
“Joseph, I wanted you to come to terms with your hate and see if you could find the good, loving boy you used to be somewhere inside of you. If I caused you pain, I am sorry. I just wanted you to have a chance to change your course before it was too late for you.”
Hendricks was looking down at the table, silently sobbing. After a few seconds, he looked back up at the admiral and wiped the tears away from his face as he felt the weight of his hatred lifting off of his soul.
“Thank you, Uncle Joe. I think I found that boy again.”