Look below
FARNHAMS LEGEND: Chapter 24 - January 2006 *GET IT HERE*
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FARNHAMS LEGEND: Chapter 24 - January 2006 *GET IT HERE*
Where is it?
Look below
Look below
Last edited by Snokid on Tue, 31. Jan 06, 20:38, edited 2 times in total.
I wonder is this can go into the 
category 
category http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=183585 - X2 The Threat High Definition Mod - You know you wanna 
Woopsy daisy! 
Sorry guys, completely forgot to post that before I left. 
So here it is now, ch24 of HelgeK's FL
Enjoy.
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Chapter 24
ARGON PRIME
Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the clouds of war, it is humanity hanging on a cross of iron.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
It was a lovely summer-like day, a blue cloudless sky and a soft, pleasant breeze from the East carrying the quiet background whisper of nearby Argonia City. Airport B covered a huge area and traffic was so widely dispersed that silence could reign for several mizura between landings or launches. Elena and Brennan stood together with Gunnar and his adjutant Sobert in the glass control tower, absently watching two traffic controllers guide incoming spacecraft.
"Target ship entering atmosphere. Landing corridor clear."
"Approach in 3:19 Mizuras," the computer confirmed.
Brennan and Gunnar looked tensely up at the sky but saw nothing. Sobert mimicked Elena, shading his eyes with a hand to watch through the glass roof of the tower.
"I think I see it," he said after some sezuras.
"Where?" Elena couldn't see anything at all. Sobert pointed diagonally upwards. "There!" After some moments Elena found the tiny point of light. "Yes! Now I see it, too. Sobert, you're damned keen-eyed!"
"I know," he answered taciturnly. By now the dot falling from the zenith was large enough for Brennan and Gunnar to pick it up, bright as a star and falling as fast as a meteor. As it came closer the luminosity varied as the drive flared in pitch and power. It quickly swelled to the dimension of a pea and a loud roar spread across the landing field. It wasn't often one of the big spaceships came down at this speed. Normally they came in on a gentle arc, decelerating constantly but the pilot of this ship either didn't care about fuel consumption or he was in one hell of a hurry.
As it fell closer more details could be seen. It seemed to have a strange oval or circular shape but the glare of the drive flames obscured the hull from a straight view.
"Good gracious! My goodness!" Senator Gunnar cried out. "That's a crash not a touch-down!"
Brennan glanced at him briefly. "Every landing is a controlled crash Senator."
"Especially if you're flying, Kyle," Elena interjected.
"Hey, look who's talking!" Brennan retorted, with mock outrage.
"Quiet...it's him!" Elena said.
The ship was barely a hundred meters up now, and really was an oval, a huge emerald coloured egg, etched with silver. A large, transparent dome of a cockpit sat atop the hull.
"Only the Teladi can dream up something like that!" Sobert murmured.
"Indeed. What an ugly ship!" Gunnar agreed. Brennan kept in the background and didn't say anything.
"No - it's not ugly. On the contrary, it's marvellous, like an egg!" Elena said, laughing.
The ship made an astonishingly soft landing, the roar of the drives falling to a soft whisper before dying down completely, and sat looking to her like an oversized Easter Egg on Landing Stage 2B, just a couple of hundred metres from the tower.
Elena hastened out, the three men trailing behind her. They were about half way to the egg when a tube extended from one of the five huge drives arching from the lower hull. It touched the ground and remained motionless for some moments, then a hatch opened in the lower end. A young Teladi stepped from the ruddy twilight and unusually for his species, walked towards the group at a brisk pace.
"Nopileos!" Elena shouted and broke into a gentle jog. The Teladi increased his gait, becoming unintentionally comic in the process.
"Tshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!" he hissed loudly. "Elenaaaa! Sssstar warriorrr!"
"They're going to kiss any moment!" Brennan had already heard a lot about the young Teladi who apparently followed his own unique path. Elena almost did but although the Teladi tend to scorn greeting rituals Nopileos extended a claw and attempted a slight bow.
"Good heavens, gosh, Noppi, you're a sight for sore eyes. Are you okay?"
"You're asking me?" the Teladi countered, his scale fin flexing. "When I last saw you it was you who were in trouble!" Elena laughed and threw a quick glance at the bulk of the Nyana's Fortune, looming above them. Only now could she see just how big the yacht really was.
"Nopileos, I want to introduce you to Senator Nan Gunnar and his adjutant Sobert."
"My pleasure, Mr. Isemados Sibasomos Nopileos IV. As your grandfather, the CEO, told me, you are not only very popular with your people but you're also some kind of hero with the Boron."
Nopileos was silent for a sezura. "You must be mistaken, senator," he responded. "Possibly the CEO was referring to my egg brother Sissandras."
"Well, I don't actually believe so…" Gunnar said, irritated.
"Nopileos," Elena said, stepping in quickly. "May I introduce Captain Kyle William Brennan? My comrade, my friend and egg brother." The young Teladi viewed him with great curiosity and then extended his claw in human fashion.
"We considered you to be dead, Captain Brennan."
"I did too," Brennan laughed. "More than once. And it could still happen."
"I do not want to hope so." Nopileos answered seriously.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let us return to Argonia - the General Staff awaits us in less than a stazura - and there will be important things to discuss," the Senator cut in. As they returned to the tower to board a military shuttle the tunnel slipped back into the hull of the Nyana's Fortune behind them with a soft buzz.
*
The prime minister of the Argon Federation leant back in his armchair and listened attentively to Steen-Hilmarson, his Minister of Defence. He had not yet apprised the two Earth visitors of the decision he'd come to concerning the upcoming military operations but she had inadvertently made up for it.
"As our reconnaissance discovered," the plump minister with the pink bun said. "The Xenon have manufacturing facilities in at least three and as many as ten systems. We estimate that the destruction of half to two thirds of these installations will impose a crippling energy and material shortage on the machine's fleet, leaving it vulnerable to a massive strike by the combined forces of the Community. With this strategy we hope to keep civilian casualties to a minimum. As each Xenon sector is cleared it will become a Community Protectorate pending final disposition to one of the members."
"And as we now know, it's not very difficult to invade the Xenon sectors."
The Minister of Defence shook her head. "Not exactly correct Captain Brennan - the Xenon have begun picketing each jump-gate with a complete squadron and have garrisoned their sectors with huge numbers of fast fighter craft."
"Then we'll take a lot of casualties," Elena said.
"Captain Brennan," the Prime Minister turned to the pilot. "I realise I do not have the authority to send you on a mission so let me put this as a request if I may?" Brennan nodded for him to continue.
"The Xenon will know for certain your ship was not destroyed and they'll be as interested as ever in getting their hands on it intact. As you know - at this moment a pair of 125 megawatt shields are being installed in your X."
"So I can fight my way through to one of these manufacturing facilities without dying?"
"Quite." The Defence Minister said. "With that over-powered M/AM drive powering them you stand a good chance of escaping unharmed."
"It's your decision." The Prime Minister added.
"Count me in. But how often can we pull the lone ship trick before the Xenon cotton on and meet me with overwhelming firepower?"
"We assume it will only work once but this will be enough to severely cut potential casualties when the counter-strike is launched. It's a big potential gain at low risk and ..."
"The low risk is just my neck?" Brennan completed the thought.
"That's right."
"But what about the other production plants?"
The Prime Minister lowered his eyes. "Those will cost many lives but they have to be destroyed."
The prospect of mass casualties appalled Brennan but he didn't know enough about the situation to assess the alternatives and the politicians seemed to know what they were doing. In the end, what choice did the Argon have?
"We are sending delegations to all the other races to organise support and plan our actions." The Prime Minister continued. The Split and the Teladi are particularly important as they share borders with the machines. Major Kho, as you bear important knowledge of the Xenon, or the Terraformers from Earth's perspective I would like you to accompany and assist the delegation to Nif-Nakh, the residence of the Patriarch of Chin, led by Agent Ban Danna."
Elena and Kyle exchanged short glances. Informing Earth High Command of the situation was their prime duty and sending them both out on risky missions jeopardised that. On the other hand there was no way back at the moment and when there was the Argon would open contact with Earth. As the mission to the Split did not seem immediately dangerous she said, "I agree."
"Captain Brennan, Major Kho - we are grateful to you and appreciate your efforts," the Minister of Defence said. "Now let's discuss the details."
The Mission Briefing took up the rest of the day and extended long into the night. The plan designed by the General Staff was both audacious and enormously risky. And it hinged on a new horrible weapon based on the Matter/Anti-Matter technology introduced into the Community by Brennan in the form of the X-Shuttle Drive system.
*
"They can't make you do it Elena," Nopileos protested when stazuras later she and Brennan emerged from the briefing to greet the nervous, rattled and excluded Saurian.
"A human's gotta do what a human's gotta do," joked Elena. On the roof of the tall administration building behind her a shuttle glittered in the sun, waiting to whisk them to the landing field once Ban Danna and his delegation arrived.
"Nopileos, don't worry, the Split are just a bunch of uncivilised macho types. I learned how to handle that sort years ago so what could possibly go wrong!"
The Teladi looked at her doubtfully. "Let us together fly to Nif-Nakh, Elena!"
"No Nopileos. It's important you take the Ancient's words to the Boron."
The Teladi scraped his claws on the black asphalt.
"Yes, most surely, indeed true. I also like the Boron very much, Elena, but at the moment there's no place I'd like less to be than in Kingdom End."
"I can imagine how you feel," Elena said with a thoughtful smile. Then to his surprise she sat cross ankles in front of him. What did the warrior have in her mind?
"Tell me," she asked casually, "So that I don't have to die feeling stupid. There's one question I've been biting back for a long time. Can you tell me where the little Teladi girls are?"
"Tshhh?"
"Yes, everywhere there are merchants, businessmen, egg-brothers and grandfathers. Where are all the grandmothers, egg-sisters, wives, girl friends...and so on?"
"Tsshhh! I... Elena?" Nopileos was confused, put off his stroke and rattled. He twiddled his ear with the right hand. Elena recognised this as a sign how embarrassed Nopileos was and grinned. But she didn't even dream of letting it rest, it had been bothering her for long enough. "Yes, and there's your problem in distinguishing between human men and women..."
Nopileos still couldn't say a word. He looked to the side, then to the floor, and finally brought himself to give an answer.
"I, we, all, are all...all Teladi, we..."
"Yes?" Elena said expectantly. Nopileos was silent for some sezuras.
"All Teladi are female!" it finally gushed out of him and now it was Elena's turn to look confused. "Whaaaat?"
"Yes, it's hardly known within the Community, but that's a fact. There aren't Teladi of male gender any more. At least nobody has seen one of them for the last ten or fifteen dozen suns. But it's not a problem at all, we're able to manage quite happily without them. Even reproduction, laying eggs!"
Elena got over her surprise and started to giggle, then laugh uproariously, her long black hair flying.
"Why do you laugh?" Nopileos demanded.
"You don't look like women at all!"
"You also don't!" the Teladi countered. Elena laughed even more. "No, really certainly not!"
"Tshhh! Are you now going to enter the shuttle and take off?"
Elena glanced over to the craft; Ban Danna and the others had arrived and stood waiting. She stood up and laid an appeasing arm over Nopileos' shoulders.
"Hey, Noppi! You aren't mad at me, are you?"
"No. You've just offended a little bit against my egg-pride, Elena."
"Sorry, I meant no harm. And there really aren't any male Teladi?"
"Possibly there may be some of them on a single planet, a lost, unknown place...."
Elena blinked and frowned. "Is it possibly called...Zura? Ianamus Zura?"
Nopileos jumped as if bitten by a snake, his forehead scale the palest she had ever seen.
"Tsshhhhh-hhhh! Whhhhere-do-How-can-you-knowww-thhat sssshhhtar warriorrr?"
His claws skittered against the asphalt, agitated.
"I've discovered its position," she said, turned round and went to the waiting shuttle.
"Goodbye Nopi!" she waved. The hatch sealed and the shuttle lifted off, leaving the stunned Saurian just standing there, unable to speak.
*
Brennan tried not to let the shield and weapon upgrades make him over-confident. They were the best the Community had to offer and made the X as powerful as a Destroyer but he would still have to fight to survive.
The Xenon appeared to disagree with his assessment. No sooner did the X enter an enemy sector than it acquired a large escort of black ships but they made no move to ram or open fire as they had done in previous encounters. As the X left them in its speeding wake another group ahead on his flight-path would pick him up, to be left gasping in their turn.
Brennan wondered what they were thinking of his solo invasion. Did they already have an idea of his target? The production facility was still two jumps and some half a day distant and possibly the Terraformers did not consider a single ship much of a threat. Still, it left unanswered the question as to why they were suddenly so gun shy when up to now they'd missed no chance to disable or destroy the Shuttle?
He checked the Gravidar repeatedly. The sector was quite busy, a lot of Xenon heading for the gate behind him, a steady trickle returning to Xenon space through the same gate, nothing too extraordinary.
After another four hours of overhauling and then out-distancing packs of Xenon escorts, the X-Shuttle approached the next jumpgate. Brennan contemplated the passage with mixed emotions - everything had gone too smoothly.
As the last discharges flickered blue reflections in his canopy he scoped the new system on the Gravidar. It looked much the same as the previous sector, just with more blips trudging towards the gate he'd just transited. A second group of ships, spread out in a thin cordon, headed for the next sector ahead of him. They were, he guessed, his 'escort' and suggested the Xenon knew his course and had prepared.
So far, so bad and the next big question was, what did the machines intend to do next?
The X was three quarters of the way to the next gate when all Xenon ships in range opened fire as if by a single command, beam weapons hosing energy all over the shuttle's shields.
"Battle alert!" Valerie belatedly announced.
It would probably take them awhile to overload the big shield but they would succeed eventually. Which is why the X had a second generator as backup. Brennan activated his weapons and with Valerie calling out target vectors he tried to defend himself as the computer continued to attempt to fly them towards the gate while dodging attacks.
Within a few minutes the shields were approaching critical, a long way short of the jumpgate - too far to reach without protection. Without shields, would the Terraformers simply destroy him? It was difficult to believe. They'd probably target the drive and inadvertently cause a huge M/AM chain reaction. Brennan considered activating the second 125 MW shield but he was reluctant to reveal his single ace before he really had to.
Shield energy fell to below fifteen percent.
"Nice knowing you Val," Brennan said overdramatically.
"Thank you Captain."
The first tongues of energy forced their way through the last of the shield and licked weakly at the hull. The impacts sent a thrill of adrenaline through Brennan and he snapped off a barrage at a black ship that knifed through his sights. With a shrill shriek from behind him the shield generator failed, leaving the X shuttle defenceless in the face of the attackers' fire javelins.
Brennan held his breath, poised to activate the back-up shielding.
Only the subdued hum of the drive broke the silence. No longer under fire Valerie resumed a straight course to the gate.
"What... what happened?"
"The Terraformers ceased fire, Captain."
"It appears they're not interested in destroying us, I was gambling on that, Val. But how are they going to stop us if not by force?"
The computer hesitated for a few moments.
"Have a look at the Gravidar, Captain."
Brennan did as he was told. Five installations of unknown design but immense mass lay along his flight path. Packs of Xenon destroyers and fighters lined the route, funnelling the X Shuttle inexorably towards them.
"I'm picking up a strange energy gradient centred on those structures and our course will take us right through the centre of the set-up." Valerie announced. "It's draining our energy at the precise rate to ensure all systems, including propulsion, life-support and the on-board computer will fail as we pass through them."
"Can I get a visual?"
The computer projected an angular, filigree structure comprised of interlocking buttresses. It was obviously immense. Brennan thought for a moment. The Terraformers were going to drain all the energy from the ship, but what would that achieve? The X would continue on momentum at high speed and once beyond the range of the dampening field would power up and escape.
Maybe that indicated the machines had developed some sort of boarding device fast enough to catch him? The Community had those high-speed communications drones that were way faster than him. What if the Terraformers let a swarm of them loose, equipped with welders to cut through his hull?
"Ugly thought." Brennan murmured. "Please repeat." His computer said. Brennan outlined his pessimistic scenario. After a few seconds calculations and extrapolations Valerie confirmed that this was one of the few options open to the Xenon and so it was a highly probable scenario.
"Valerie, isn't there anything we can do to stop the energy drain?"
"No, Captain. Nothing."
"How long will it take until the drive breaks down completely?"
"Twenty three minutes at the present rate Captain. I have already shut down some sub-systems to conserve energy."
A new return appeared on the Gravidar, a ship, fast and still accelerating towards the structure. Valerie calculated the two ships would meet just short of the energy-draining set-up. Compared to the mass of a Xenon fighter it was rather slight. Brennan was sure its job was to take over his ship and he searched for inspiration.
The trap was simple, maybe too simple. He tried adjusting his heading to miss the installations but the Xenon fighters crowding his course sent warning energy bolts sizzling close to his unshielded hull. Of course he could activate his reserve shield and escape temporarily but it would fail when his energy was completely drained.
Okay, he couldn't change course. How about …?
"Valerie, would it be possible for us to change course just before the drive fails?"
"Of course, Captain."
"Can you calculate the energy drain that precisely?"
"Certainly, Captain. It is no problem."
"Great. This is what I want you to do." Brennan explained his plan.
"You are assuming they will not open fire when we are out of energy." Valerie commented. "On what ground?"
"Intuition," Brennan answered.
"Human intuition is beyond me and always will be. Nevertheless I find it fascinating."
"I didn't know you'd become a philosopher," Brennan grinned.
Valerie said nothing and the minutes passed by, the five energy-leeching stations swelling to naked eye objects. One by one the lights on the system status display changed from green to red. Finally Valerie deactivated life-support leaving only the drive, inertial compensators and minimal computing active. Still energy drained away, at an accelerating rate. The small, fast Xenon craft swept over the X Shuttle and took a station just ahead, matching its speed.
The stations loomed, looking close enough to touch. With Valerie all but powered down Brennan received no warning of the course change, just a violent kick to the kidneys as the dampeners were out. His fingers instinctively dug into the armrests and as the shuttle hurled towards one of the five filigree installations, power failed completely, plunging the shuttle into complete silence and darkness.
Brennan could only watch as the installation towered before him, filling his vision. They were going to collide. Valerie had miscalculated the course change and there was nothing he could do!
"Good-night." Brennan murmured. His voice echoed strangely in the dark, silent cockpit.
The X-Shuttle scraped the full length of a strut, filling the cockpit with a ghost metal screech that set his teeth on edge. Brennan put his hands in front of his face and screamed.
A few seconds later, finding himself still alive, he put them down. Valerie's calculations had been correct to the millimetre. There was a flash from behind and for a second the shuttle shook, wreathed in flame, then the system status lights began to blink, orange, red, and finally green. The inertia compensators came on-line followed by the Podkletnov Aggregates and his stomach lurched as gravity returned. Finally the drive snarled to life.
"Valerie?"
"I'm here, Captain. Should I activate the spare shield generator?"
"Do it!"
He caught the activation flash from the corner of his eyes.
"Rear camera Valerie, let's see what happened."
The view confirmed what he'd surmised from a quick glance at the Gravidar. Following his unexpected and sharp course change the Xenon pursuit ship had automatically followed and smashed straight into the installation, which was now just a burning wreck. It seemed the remaining four stations couldn't keep up the energy drain on their own; maybe they needed recalibrating or something, he thought. Best get going while the going's good.
Taking advantage of the utter confusion Brennan aimed for the distant jump gate and hit full power, skimming past a Terraformer flight. It didn't open fire and the Gravidar showed the Xenon ships milling about as if they didn't know how to respond to these unexpected developments. Modern computers like Valerie were much more sophisticated than the Terraformer AI kernels but Brennan found it odd that they had not evolved into individual intelligences in the five hundred years of their independence. They'd developed a whole lot of amazing technologies and tactics in that time but as Brennan told himself. 'Never look a gift horse …'
It took two hours to reach the next gate and in the meantime the Xenon got their act back together enough to resume their sniping attacks. This time they did not have enough forces pre-positioned to tax his shields, they had simply not anticipated their trap failing.
'Chalk up another one for human intuition and ingenuity.' Brennan grinned. He didn't return fire and waited until the X was on the threshold of the gate to another nameless sector.
"Valerie, is the package ready for delivery?"
"Yes, Captain."
The jump was trouble free as usual. The Gravidar showed a huge number of Xenon ships racing implacably towards him. Brennan realised they wouldn't make it in time to stop him reaching his target production facility and laying his egg - two eggs in fact.
The facility was huge - bigger than anything he'd seen in the Community or back home and it had a powerful shield. The first anti-matter missile in the cargo bay launch tube would take care of it. It was a 50/50 mixture. The second was wholly anti-matter. Even if the Xenon managed to shoot it down an anti-matter cloud would engulf the structure. Provided the first bomb took down the shields the Terraformers could do nothing except watch their precious facility transformed into a fireball. At which point he'd high-tail it back to Argon Prime.
"Target will be in weapons range within ten minutes," Valerie announced.
Brennan repeatedly checked the Gravidar. It would be close; a big Xenon fleet would arrive in time to catch him as he looped back towards the jump gate. They'd be plenty pissed and looking for blood. There was enough of them to make him worry he might not make it but he didn't hesitate. It was the mission that counted; everything else was secondary.
Valerie magnified the target. It was a gigantic monolith, dark and threatening with shields so powerful they distorted the stars like a reflection in a breeze stroked lake. For the first time Brennan saw several huge gun turrets, each barrel he realised anxiously, were tracking him, waiting to open fire the second he entered range.
"Valerie, launch Egg One, max velocity."
"Captain, we still need 1:22 minutes to reach the optimal launching point."
"I know, but the Terraformers are going to roast me if I don't keep out of those turrets' way!"
Brennan heard a slight whirr from the rear when the cargo bay opened and the warhead launched. Then its M/AM drive ignited and the solid signal on the Gravidar stretched to a fading blurred line as it shot away.
"Launch confirmed," Valerie said. "Detonation in 17 seconds."
"Cockpit transparency to zero Valerie."
Valerie obeyed, and darkness fell in the cockpit as the canopy darkened to black.
"Detonation in 10 seconds."
"Detonation in 5 seconds. 4 - 3 - 2 - 1..."
The ship shuddered and the shield energy bar dropped a few percent. It rocked again. 93 percent.
The ferocious glow of the explosion forced its way through the cockpit flash protection, creating an eerie orange twilight. Brennan instinctively braced himself against the shockwave but none came - the explosion annihilated all matter, converting it to a storm of unleashed energy that even at this range ripped another few percent from his shields.
"Launch Egg Two now!"
"Captain..."
"Do we always have to discuss my orders?"
"No, Captain. But we can't be sure if the energy shield of the reproduction facility really has failed."
"Even if it's still up we don't have any other option but to launch and skedaddle. Do it!"
"I understand, Captain. We will reach the optimal launching point in..."
"Do it now, do it now for crying out loud!"
Again he heard the slight whirr of the launch bay doors opening and saw the blurred flash on the Gravidar.
"Detonation in 12 seconds."
The Xenon fleet was close now, they'd arrive moments after the explosion, leaving him no time to loop away and escape. But maybe he could confuse them.
"Valerie - set course for the gate behind that cloud of Xenon. Go straight through them, full speed, now!"
Brennan felt the effect in his stomach as the compensators strained to absorb the inertia of the sudden course change and acceleration.
"Detonation in five seconds. 4 - 3 - 2 - 1..."
Again the burnt orange flash illuminated the cockpit, this time it took longer to fade away and his shield energy dropped precipitously to 83%.
"Valerie, fade the cockpit back to transparent. Slowly now."
The computer complied, without any discussion.
"Yes! Yes! Yes!"
An enormous fireball had replaced the huge production facility. Large chunks of the structure tumbled and rolled from the epicentre. Blazing Xenon ships careened helplessly through space but he had no time to gloat.
"Battle Alert!" Valerie stated.
The surviving defenders turned on the X-Shuttle, firing every available weapon. Brennan flew the ship straight through the pack, taking hit after hit, but the shields held and with a whoop of triumph he burst from the crowd and left it floundering in his wake.
The only problem was he was now heading deeper into Xenon space instead of towards Community controlled sectors.
"Valerie, I need a galaxy map."
The computer displayed it without comment.
He'd entered Terraformer territory from the Argon sector, President's End. His new course would take him through hostile Xenon sectors, bringing him to the Split system of Thuruk's Beard, in approximately two and one half days, or as Valerie helpfully corrected, they'd reach safety in two days, nine hours and fourteen minutes.
Safety. Brennan wondered if that was the right word. As dangerous as the Xenon were, they were soulless machines, devoid of feeling. The Split on the other hand might lag behind them technologically but they had the fire of consciousness and a burning instinct to achieve their goals at any cost. They'd failed to ensnare him before, he wasn't sure they'd let such a dishonour repeat itself.
Not at all sure. Not sure indeed.
Sorry guys, completely forgot to post that before I left. So here it is now, ch24 of HelgeK's FL
Enjoy.
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Chapter 24
ARGON PRIME
Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the clouds of war, it is humanity hanging on a cross of iron.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
It was a lovely summer-like day, a blue cloudless sky and a soft, pleasant breeze from the East carrying the quiet background whisper of nearby Argonia City. Airport B covered a huge area and traffic was so widely dispersed that silence could reign for several mizura between landings or launches. Elena and Brennan stood together with Gunnar and his adjutant Sobert in the glass control tower, absently watching two traffic controllers guide incoming spacecraft.
"Target ship entering atmosphere. Landing corridor clear."
"Approach in 3:19 Mizuras," the computer confirmed.
Brennan and Gunnar looked tensely up at the sky but saw nothing. Sobert mimicked Elena, shading his eyes with a hand to watch through the glass roof of the tower.
"I think I see it," he said after some sezuras.
"Where?" Elena couldn't see anything at all. Sobert pointed diagonally upwards. "There!" After some moments Elena found the tiny point of light. "Yes! Now I see it, too. Sobert, you're damned keen-eyed!"
"I know," he answered taciturnly. By now the dot falling from the zenith was large enough for Brennan and Gunnar to pick it up, bright as a star and falling as fast as a meteor. As it came closer the luminosity varied as the drive flared in pitch and power. It quickly swelled to the dimension of a pea and a loud roar spread across the landing field. It wasn't often one of the big spaceships came down at this speed. Normally they came in on a gentle arc, decelerating constantly but the pilot of this ship either didn't care about fuel consumption or he was in one hell of a hurry.
As it fell closer more details could be seen. It seemed to have a strange oval or circular shape but the glare of the drive flames obscured the hull from a straight view.
"Good gracious! My goodness!" Senator Gunnar cried out. "That's a crash not a touch-down!"
Brennan glanced at him briefly. "Every landing is a controlled crash Senator."
"Especially if you're flying, Kyle," Elena interjected.
"Hey, look who's talking!" Brennan retorted, with mock outrage.
"Quiet...it's him!" Elena said.
The ship was barely a hundred meters up now, and really was an oval, a huge emerald coloured egg, etched with silver. A large, transparent dome of a cockpit sat atop the hull.
"Only the Teladi can dream up something like that!" Sobert murmured.
"Indeed. What an ugly ship!" Gunnar agreed. Brennan kept in the background and didn't say anything.
"No - it's not ugly. On the contrary, it's marvellous, like an egg!" Elena said, laughing.
The ship made an astonishingly soft landing, the roar of the drives falling to a soft whisper before dying down completely, and sat looking to her like an oversized Easter Egg on Landing Stage 2B, just a couple of hundred metres from the tower.
Elena hastened out, the three men trailing behind her. They were about half way to the egg when a tube extended from one of the five huge drives arching from the lower hull. It touched the ground and remained motionless for some moments, then a hatch opened in the lower end. A young Teladi stepped from the ruddy twilight and unusually for his species, walked towards the group at a brisk pace.
"Nopileos!" Elena shouted and broke into a gentle jog. The Teladi increased his gait, becoming unintentionally comic in the process.
"Tshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!" he hissed loudly. "Elenaaaa! Sssstar warriorrr!"
"They're going to kiss any moment!" Brennan had already heard a lot about the young Teladi who apparently followed his own unique path. Elena almost did but although the Teladi tend to scorn greeting rituals Nopileos extended a claw and attempted a slight bow.
"Good heavens, gosh, Noppi, you're a sight for sore eyes. Are you okay?"
"You're asking me?" the Teladi countered, his scale fin flexing. "When I last saw you it was you who were in trouble!" Elena laughed and threw a quick glance at the bulk of the Nyana's Fortune, looming above them. Only now could she see just how big the yacht really was.
"Nopileos, I want to introduce you to Senator Nan Gunnar and his adjutant Sobert."
"My pleasure, Mr. Isemados Sibasomos Nopileos IV. As your grandfather, the CEO, told me, you are not only very popular with your people but you're also some kind of hero with the Boron."
Nopileos was silent for a sezura. "You must be mistaken, senator," he responded. "Possibly the CEO was referring to my egg brother Sissandras."
"Well, I don't actually believe so…" Gunnar said, irritated.
"Nopileos," Elena said, stepping in quickly. "May I introduce Captain Kyle William Brennan? My comrade, my friend and egg brother." The young Teladi viewed him with great curiosity and then extended his claw in human fashion.
"We considered you to be dead, Captain Brennan."
"I did too," Brennan laughed. "More than once. And it could still happen."
"I do not want to hope so." Nopileos answered seriously.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let us return to Argonia - the General Staff awaits us in less than a stazura - and there will be important things to discuss," the Senator cut in. As they returned to the tower to board a military shuttle the tunnel slipped back into the hull of the Nyana's Fortune behind them with a soft buzz.
*
The prime minister of the Argon Federation leant back in his armchair and listened attentively to Steen-Hilmarson, his Minister of Defence. He had not yet apprised the two Earth visitors of the decision he'd come to concerning the upcoming military operations but she had inadvertently made up for it.
"As our reconnaissance discovered," the plump minister with the pink bun said. "The Xenon have manufacturing facilities in at least three and as many as ten systems. We estimate that the destruction of half to two thirds of these installations will impose a crippling energy and material shortage on the machine's fleet, leaving it vulnerable to a massive strike by the combined forces of the Community. With this strategy we hope to keep civilian casualties to a minimum. As each Xenon sector is cleared it will become a Community Protectorate pending final disposition to one of the members."
"And as we now know, it's not very difficult to invade the Xenon sectors."
The Minister of Defence shook her head. "Not exactly correct Captain Brennan - the Xenon have begun picketing each jump-gate with a complete squadron and have garrisoned their sectors with huge numbers of fast fighter craft."
"Then we'll take a lot of casualties," Elena said.
"Captain Brennan," the Prime Minister turned to the pilot. "I realise I do not have the authority to send you on a mission so let me put this as a request if I may?" Brennan nodded for him to continue.
"The Xenon will know for certain your ship was not destroyed and they'll be as interested as ever in getting their hands on it intact. As you know - at this moment a pair of 125 megawatt shields are being installed in your X."
"So I can fight my way through to one of these manufacturing facilities without dying?"
"Quite." The Defence Minister said. "With that over-powered M/AM drive powering them you stand a good chance of escaping unharmed."
"It's your decision." The Prime Minister added.
"Count me in. But how often can we pull the lone ship trick before the Xenon cotton on and meet me with overwhelming firepower?"
"We assume it will only work once but this will be enough to severely cut potential casualties when the counter-strike is launched. It's a big potential gain at low risk and ..."
"The low risk is just my neck?" Brennan completed the thought.
"That's right."
"But what about the other production plants?"
The Prime Minister lowered his eyes. "Those will cost many lives but they have to be destroyed."
The prospect of mass casualties appalled Brennan but he didn't know enough about the situation to assess the alternatives and the politicians seemed to know what they were doing. In the end, what choice did the Argon have?
"We are sending delegations to all the other races to organise support and plan our actions." The Prime Minister continued. The Split and the Teladi are particularly important as they share borders with the machines. Major Kho, as you bear important knowledge of the Xenon, or the Terraformers from Earth's perspective I would like you to accompany and assist the delegation to Nif-Nakh, the residence of the Patriarch of Chin, led by Agent Ban Danna."
Elena and Kyle exchanged short glances. Informing Earth High Command of the situation was their prime duty and sending them both out on risky missions jeopardised that. On the other hand there was no way back at the moment and when there was the Argon would open contact with Earth. As the mission to the Split did not seem immediately dangerous she said, "I agree."
"Captain Brennan, Major Kho - we are grateful to you and appreciate your efforts," the Minister of Defence said. "Now let's discuss the details."
The Mission Briefing took up the rest of the day and extended long into the night. The plan designed by the General Staff was both audacious and enormously risky. And it hinged on a new horrible weapon based on the Matter/Anti-Matter technology introduced into the Community by Brennan in the form of the X-Shuttle Drive system.
*
"They can't make you do it Elena," Nopileos protested when stazuras later she and Brennan emerged from the briefing to greet the nervous, rattled and excluded Saurian.
"A human's gotta do what a human's gotta do," joked Elena. On the roof of the tall administration building behind her a shuttle glittered in the sun, waiting to whisk them to the landing field once Ban Danna and his delegation arrived.
"Nopileos, don't worry, the Split are just a bunch of uncivilised macho types. I learned how to handle that sort years ago so what could possibly go wrong!"
The Teladi looked at her doubtfully. "Let us together fly to Nif-Nakh, Elena!"
"No Nopileos. It's important you take the Ancient's words to the Boron."
The Teladi scraped his claws on the black asphalt.
"Yes, most surely, indeed true. I also like the Boron very much, Elena, but at the moment there's no place I'd like less to be than in Kingdom End."
"I can imagine how you feel," Elena said with a thoughtful smile. Then to his surprise she sat cross ankles in front of him. What did the warrior have in her mind?
"Tell me," she asked casually, "So that I don't have to die feeling stupid. There's one question I've been biting back for a long time. Can you tell me where the little Teladi girls are?"
"Tshhh?"
"Yes, everywhere there are merchants, businessmen, egg-brothers and grandfathers. Where are all the grandmothers, egg-sisters, wives, girl friends...and so on?"
"Tsshhh! I... Elena?" Nopileos was confused, put off his stroke and rattled. He twiddled his ear with the right hand. Elena recognised this as a sign how embarrassed Nopileos was and grinned. But she didn't even dream of letting it rest, it had been bothering her for long enough. "Yes, and there's your problem in distinguishing between human men and women..."
Nopileos still couldn't say a word. He looked to the side, then to the floor, and finally brought himself to give an answer.
"I, we, all, are all...all Teladi, we..."
"Yes?" Elena said expectantly. Nopileos was silent for some sezuras.
"All Teladi are female!" it finally gushed out of him and now it was Elena's turn to look confused. "Whaaaat?"
"Yes, it's hardly known within the Community, but that's a fact. There aren't Teladi of male gender any more. At least nobody has seen one of them for the last ten or fifteen dozen suns. But it's not a problem at all, we're able to manage quite happily without them. Even reproduction, laying eggs!"
Elena got over her surprise and started to giggle, then laugh uproariously, her long black hair flying.
"Why do you laugh?" Nopileos demanded.
"You don't look like women at all!"
"You also don't!" the Teladi countered. Elena laughed even more. "No, really certainly not!"
"Tshhh! Are you now going to enter the shuttle and take off?"
Elena glanced over to the craft; Ban Danna and the others had arrived and stood waiting. She stood up and laid an appeasing arm over Nopileos' shoulders.
"Hey, Noppi! You aren't mad at me, are you?"
"No. You've just offended a little bit against my egg-pride, Elena."
"Sorry, I meant no harm. And there really aren't any male Teladi?"
"Possibly there may be some of them on a single planet, a lost, unknown place...."
Elena blinked and frowned. "Is it possibly called...Zura? Ianamus Zura?"
Nopileos jumped as if bitten by a snake, his forehead scale the palest she had ever seen.
"Tsshhhhh-hhhh! Whhhhere-do-How-can-you-knowww-thhat sssshhhtar warriorrr?"
His claws skittered against the asphalt, agitated.
"I've discovered its position," she said, turned round and went to the waiting shuttle.
"Goodbye Nopi!" she waved. The hatch sealed and the shuttle lifted off, leaving the stunned Saurian just standing there, unable to speak.
*
Brennan tried not to let the shield and weapon upgrades make him over-confident. They were the best the Community had to offer and made the X as powerful as a Destroyer but he would still have to fight to survive.
The Xenon appeared to disagree with his assessment. No sooner did the X enter an enemy sector than it acquired a large escort of black ships but they made no move to ram or open fire as they had done in previous encounters. As the X left them in its speeding wake another group ahead on his flight-path would pick him up, to be left gasping in their turn.
Brennan wondered what they were thinking of his solo invasion. Did they already have an idea of his target? The production facility was still two jumps and some half a day distant and possibly the Terraformers did not consider a single ship much of a threat. Still, it left unanswered the question as to why they were suddenly so gun shy when up to now they'd missed no chance to disable or destroy the Shuttle?
He checked the Gravidar repeatedly. The sector was quite busy, a lot of Xenon heading for the gate behind him, a steady trickle returning to Xenon space through the same gate, nothing too extraordinary.
After another four hours of overhauling and then out-distancing packs of Xenon escorts, the X-Shuttle approached the next jumpgate. Brennan contemplated the passage with mixed emotions - everything had gone too smoothly.
As the last discharges flickered blue reflections in his canopy he scoped the new system on the Gravidar. It looked much the same as the previous sector, just with more blips trudging towards the gate he'd just transited. A second group of ships, spread out in a thin cordon, headed for the next sector ahead of him. They were, he guessed, his 'escort' and suggested the Xenon knew his course and had prepared.
So far, so bad and the next big question was, what did the machines intend to do next?
The X was three quarters of the way to the next gate when all Xenon ships in range opened fire as if by a single command, beam weapons hosing energy all over the shuttle's shields.
"Battle alert!" Valerie belatedly announced.
It would probably take them awhile to overload the big shield but they would succeed eventually. Which is why the X had a second generator as backup. Brennan activated his weapons and with Valerie calling out target vectors he tried to defend himself as the computer continued to attempt to fly them towards the gate while dodging attacks.
Within a few minutes the shields were approaching critical, a long way short of the jumpgate - too far to reach without protection. Without shields, would the Terraformers simply destroy him? It was difficult to believe. They'd probably target the drive and inadvertently cause a huge M/AM chain reaction. Brennan considered activating the second 125 MW shield but he was reluctant to reveal his single ace before he really had to.
Shield energy fell to below fifteen percent.
"Nice knowing you Val," Brennan said overdramatically.
"Thank you Captain."
The first tongues of energy forced their way through the last of the shield and licked weakly at the hull. The impacts sent a thrill of adrenaline through Brennan and he snapped off a barrage at a black ship that knifed through his sights. With a shrill shriek from behind him the shield generator failed, leaving the X shuttle defenceless in the face of the attackers' fire javelins.
Brennan held his breath, poised to activate the back-up shielding.
Only the subdued hum of the drive broke the silence. No longer under fire Valerie resumed a straight course to the gate.
"What... what happened?"
"The Terraformers ceased fire, Captain."
"It appears they're not interested in destroying us, I was gambling on that, Val. But how are they going to stop us if not by force?"
The computer hesitated for a few moments.
"Have a look at the Gravidar, Captain."
Brennan did as he was told. Five installations of unknown design but immense mass lay along his flight path. Packs of Xenon destroyers and fighters lined the route, funnelling the X Shuttle inexorably towards them.
"I'm picking up a strange energy gradient centred on those structures and our course will take us right through the centre of the set-up." Valerie announced. "It's draining our energy at the precise rate to ensure all systems, including propulsion, life-support and the on-board computer will fail as we pass through them."
"Can I get a visual?"
The computer projected an angular, filigree structure comprised of interlocking buttresses. It was obviously immense. Brennan thought for a moment. The Terraformers were going to drain all the energy from the ship, but what would that achieve? The X would continue on momentum at high speed and once beyond the range of the dampening field would power up and escape.
Maybe that indicated the machines had developed some sort of boarding device fast enough to catch him? The Community had those high-speed communications drones that were way faster than him. What if the Terraformers let a swarm of them loose, equipped with welders to cut through his hull?
"Ugly thought." Brennan murmured. "Please repeat." His computer said. Brennan outlined his pessimistic scenario. After a few seconds calculations and extrapolations Valerie confirmed that this was one of the few options open to the Xenon and so it was a highly probable scenario.
"Valerie, isn't there anything we can do to stop the energy drain?"
"No, Captain. Nothing."
"How long will it take until the drive breaks down completely?"
"Twenty three minutes at the present rate Captain. I have already shut down some sub-systems to conserve energy."
A new return appeared on the Gravidar, a ship, fast and still accelerating towards the structure. Valerie calculated the two ships would meet just short of the energy-draining set-up. Compared to the mass of a Xenon fighter it was rather slight. Brennan was sure its job was to take over his ship and he searched for inspiration.
The trap was simple, maybe too simple. He tried adjusting his heading to miss the installations but the Xenon fighters crowding his course sent warning energy bolts sizzling close to his unshielded hull. Of course he could activate his reserve shield and escape temporarily but it would fail when his energy was completely drained.
Okay, he couldn't change course. How about …?
"Valerie, would it be possible for us to change course just before the drive fails?"
"Of course, Captain."
"Can you calculate the energy drain that precisely?"
"Certainly, Captain. It is no problem."
"Great. This is what I want you to do." Brennan explained his plan.
"You are assuming they will not open fire when we are out of energy." Valerie commented. "On what ground?"
"Intuition," Brennan answered.
"Human intuition is beyond me and always will be. Nevertheless I find it fascinating."
"I didn't know you'd become a philosopher," Brennan grinned.
Valerie said nothing and the minutes passed by, the five energy-leeching stations swelling to naked eye objects. One by one the lights on the system status display changed from green to red. Finally Valerie deactivated life-support leaving only the drive, inertial compensators and minimal computing active. Still energy drained away, at an accelerating rate. The small, fast Xenon craft swept over the X Shuttle and took a station just ahead, matching its speed.
The stations loomed, looking close enough to touch. With Valerie all but powered down Brennan received no warning of the course change, just a violent kick to the kidneys as the dampeners were out. His fingers instinctively dug into the armrests and as the shuttle hurled towards one of the five filigree installations, power failed completely, plunging the shuttle into complete silence and darkness.
Brennan could only watch as the installation towered before him, filling his vision. They were going to collide. Valerie had miscalculated the course change and there was nothing he could do!
"Good-night." Brennan murmured. His voice echoed strangely in the dark, silent cockpit.
The X-Shuttle scraped the full length of a strut, filling the cockpit with a ghost metal screech that set his teeth on edge. Brennan put his hands in front of his face and screamed.
A few seconds later, finding himself still alive, he put them down. Valerie's calculations had been correct to the millimetre. There was a flash from behind and for a second the shuttle shook, wreathed in flame, then the system status lights began to blink, orange, red, and finally green. The inertia compensators came on-line followed by the Podkletnov Aggregates and his stomach lurched as gravity returned. Finally the drive snarled to life.
"Valerie?"
"I'm here, Captain. Should I activate the spare shield generator?"
"Do it!"
He caught the activation flash from the corner of his eyes.
"Rear camera Valerie, let's see what happened."
The view confirmed what he'd surmised from a quick glance at the Gravidar. Following his unexpected and sharp course change the Xenon pursuit ship had automatically followed and smashed straight into the installation, which was now just a burning wreck. It seemed the remaining four stations couldn't keep up the energy drain on their own; maybe they needed recalibrating or something, he thought. Best get going while the going's good.
Taking advantage of the utter confusion Brennan aimed for the distant jump gate and hit full power, skimming past a Terraformer flight. It didn't open fire and the Gravidar showed the Xenon ships milling about as if they didn't know how to respond to these unexpected developments. Modern computers like Valerie were much more sophisticated than the Terraformer AI kernels but Brennan found it odd that they had not evolved into individual intelligences in the five hundred years of their independence. They'd developed a whole lot of amazing technologies and tactics in that time but as Brennan told himself. 'Never look a gift horse …'
It took two hours to reach the next gate and in the meantime the Xenon got their act back together enough to resume their sniping attacks. This time they did not have enough forces pre-positioned to tax his shields, they had simply not anticipated their trap failing.
'Chalk up another one for human intuition and ingenuity.' Brennan grinned. He didn't return fire and waited until the X was on the threshold of the gate to another nameless sector.
"Valerie, is the package ready for delivery?"
"Yes, Captain."
The jump was trouble free as usual. The Gravidar showed a huge number of Xenon ships racing implacably towards him. Brennan realised they wouldn't make it in time to stop him reaching his target production facility and laying his egg - two eggs in fact.
The facility was huge - bigger than anything he'd seen in the Community or back home and it had a powerful shield. The first anti-matter missile in the cargo bay launch tube would take care of it. It was a 50/50 mixture. The second was wholly anti-matter. Even if the Xenon managed to shoot it down an anti-matter cloud would engulf the structure. Provided the first bomb took down the shields the Terraformers could do nothing except watch their precious facility transformed into a fireball. At which point he'd high-tail it back to Argon Prime.
"Target will be in weapons range within ten minutes," Valerie announced.
Brennan repeatedly checked the Gravidar. It would be close; a big Xenon fleet would arrive in time to catch him as he looped back towards the jump gate. They'd be plenty pissed and looking for blood. There was enough of them to make him worry he might not make it but he didn't hesitate. It was the mission that counted; everything else was secondary.
Valerie magnified the target. It was a gigantic monolith, dark and threatening with shields so powerful they distorted the stars like a reflection in a breeze stroked lake. For the first time Brennan saw several huge gun turrets, each barrel he realised anxiously, were tracking him, waiting to open fire the second he entered range.
"Valerie, launch Egg One, max velocity."
"Captain, we still need 1:22 minutes to reach the optimal launching point."
"I know, but the Terraformers are going to roast me if I don't keep out of those turrets' way!"
Brennan heard a slight whirr from the rear when the cargo bay opened and the warhead launched. Then its M/AM drive ignited and the solid signal on the Gravidar stretched to a fading blurred line as it shot away.
"Launch confirmed," Valerie said. "Detonation in 17 seconds."
"Cockpit transparency to zero Valerie."
Valerie obeyed, and darkness fell in the cockpit as the canopy darkened to black.
"Detonation in 10 seconds."
"Detonation in 5 seconds. 4 - 3 - 2 - 1..."
The ship shuddered and the shield energy bar dropped a few percent. It rocked again. 93 percent.
The ferocious glow of the explosion forced its way through the cockpit flash protection, creating an eerie orange twilight. Brennan instinctively braced himself against the shockwave but none came - the explosion annihilated all matter, converting it to a storm of unleashed energy that even at this range ripped another few percent from his shields.
"Launch Egg Two now!"
"Captain..."
"Do we always have to discuss my orders?"
"No, Captain. But we can't be sure if the energy shield of the reproduction facility really has failed."
"Even if it's still up we don't have any other option but to launch and skedaddle. Do it!"
"I understand, Captain. We will reach the optimal launching point in..."
"Do it now, do it now for crying out loud!"
Again he heard the slight whirr of the launch bay doors opening and saw the blurred flash on the Gravidar.
"Detonation in 12 seconds."
The Xenon fleet was close now, they'd arrive moments after the explosion, leaving him no time to loop away and escape. But maybe he could confuse them.
"Valerie - set course for the gate behind that cloud of Xenon. Go straight through them, full speed, now!"
Brennan felt the effect in his stomach as the compensators strained to absorb the inertia of the sudden course change and acceleration.
"Detonation in five seconds. 4 - 3 - 2 - 1..."
Again the burnt orange flash illuminated the cockpit, this time it took longer to fade away and his shield energy dropped precipitously to 83%.
"Valerie, fade the cockpit back to transparent. Slowly now."
The computer complied, without any discussion.
"Yes! Yes! Yes!"
An enormous fireball had replaced the huge production facility. Large chunks of the structure tumbled and rolled from the epicentre. Blazing Xenon ships careened helplessly through space but he had no time to gloat.
"Battle Alert!" Valerie stated.
The surviving defenders turned on the X-Shuttle, firing every available weapon. Brennan flew the ship straight through the pack, taking hit after hit, but the shields held and with a whoop of triumph he burst from the crowd and left it floundering in his wake.
The only problem was he was now heading deeper into Xenon space instead of towards Community controlled sectors.
"Valerie, I need a galaxy map."
The computer displayed it without comment.
He'd entered Terraformer territory from the Argon sector, President's End. His new course would take him through hostile Xenon sectors, bringing him to the Split system of Thuruk's Beard, in approximately two and one half days, or as Valerie helpfully corrected, they'd reach safety in two days, nine hours and fourteen minutes.
Safety. Brennan wondered if that was the right word. As dangerous as the Xenon were, they were soulless machines, devoid of feeling. The Split on the other hand might lag behind them technologically but they had the fire of consciousness and a burning instinct to achieve their goals at any cost. They'd failed to ensnare him before, he wasn't sure they'd let such a dishonour repeat itself.
Not at all sure. Not sure indeed.
I wanna play Cho t'Nnt.