Chapter 48

Several days had passed since the defeat of the Confederate battlefleet and things started going back to normal. Or as normal as they could be in the wake of a failed invasion from the Human Confederacy. With everything that had happened, it was a wonder that things were going to a better version of what their normal was!

Many of the prisoners who had been deemed of high value were sequestered from the rest of the rabble. Those ones were going to be worth a pretty penny to the Confederacy, once the word had gotten out about them. The other prisoners had been turned into slaves, being forced into service by repairing the town of Tanith’s Gully. Some of them complained at such treatment, but since they were being treated fairly, they had little cause to complain.

A few of the Confederate crew and soldiers who had come with the battlefleet turned on their superiors. Many of them had been enticed into this conflict with the promise that this was a movement of ‘liberation’. That they were being sent there to uplift the native Prodosians from the squalor they lived in.

Once they learned the truth about them showing up as conquerors, they quickly switched sided against their former masters. They instead chose to co-operate with the natives of this world in exchange for amnesty and a level of autonomy. While it may have seemed a little high a price to ask, it was granted, provided that no deceptions were apparent. If any were, then they would be sent to rot with the rest of the prisoners.

As such, they had proven their use, pointing out all the plans the Confeds had for Prodosia. They identified the most strategic points of defense, along with the areas where deposits of valuable minerals were located. It wasn’t just below the town where such veins of precious metals were located, but in places that had long since been deemed worthless.

This, along with the decryption of the classified files that had been recovered from the Confeds warships, was quickly endearing the turncoats to the locals. This was not only good news for the Confed expats, but it was also helping the Prodosians establish a proper defensive grid.

Using the newly taken carrier as a base of operations, the Prodosians now had a viable way to defend themselves against any active incursions. With each day that passed, they were replacing and upgrading every ship they had that was defending their world. While it would take a while before they had anything as large as the carrier built, having several new attack frigates on hand seriously upped their game! Not to mention the dozens of fighters and corvettes that had been built over the course of the last few days!

With this much firepower on their side, they would be able to meet any potential attacks on their home. Not only that, they were already in the process of using the scraps from the broken ships to craft a brand new orbital trading station! While it was mostly just a skeletal framework at the moment, the fact that they had one that was on the way to being built was a huge step for them!

Not only this, but Doctor Korsa’s burn salve had seen a marked improvement with Doctor Walczak’s help. Some of the irradiated and radioactive flowers had the necessary properties to bring the salve up to where she had wanted it to be! When tested on several burn victims, the salve not only had proven effective in restoring sensation to the fried nerves, but the scarring itself would fade as though it never was!

Not only were the plants useful in that area, Korsa and Zuzanna had outlined other potential uses for these plants! The properties of these plants showed potential applications in restoring nerve damage, along with some regenerative capabilities! It had to be treated and processed correctly to be effective, but that it was possible was more than enough to generate serious enthusiasm about the days to come!

With all of this news, even the most pessimistic of Prodosians had reason to hope now! Not only did they have the raw materials needed to keep their home safe, but they also had something that was unique in the galaxy and would soon be sought after by the medical industry! The possibility of attracting investors to come and put down roots on their world was a means of not only better living conditions, but a better quality of life!

Now that all of these things were happening, some people were even thinking about going back to the other worlds in the cluster. Many of which had long since been abandoned, because there were so few people willing to stay on these worlds. But, with the resurgence of hope among the populace, many were thinking and hoping that they could go back and restore that which was lost.

With another seven solar systems in the cluster, each one having a somewhat viable world on them now, many were thinking that it was time to reclaim them. While the ecosystems on many of these worlds had been badly decimated, recent scans had shown that they were in various stages of recovery. How this was possible, no one truly knew, but the fact that it was, was more than enough for people to consider going back.

With the news of all these recent successes going around, is when the crew of the Darkstrider decided to play their ace in the hole. The entire crew had gathered and suited up in their best military uniforms, including Jaesa and even Delilah.

While the sex/companion bot was still classified as a Sentry, she had distinguished herself in the recent firefights. Plus, with her on the way to becoming fully sentient as Jaesa was, she and Jaesa had also granted a proper rank in the Unified Systems Alliance. Delilah was considered a Corporal, while Jaesa bore the rank of a newly minted Lieutenant.

With their uniforms fully cleaned and pressed, the entire group looked resplendent. Along with a group of spiffed up Sentries, the lot of them headed out of their ship and marched to the gates of Tanith’s Gully. The deputies didn’t recognize them at first, but upon seeing them near the gates, they immediately opened them up. Denying their new heroes entry when they looked like this wasn’t only bad manners, it was flat out rude.

The group marched along the streets of the town, attracting many onlookers and causing people to whisper in speculation. Some people thought they might have been secret members of the Federation all along. But the look and design of the uniforms were different from what Federation officers wore, so that idea was dashed.

Other people thought they might have been a splinter faction of the Confeds, but such idiocy was laughed at. A few thought they might have been sent by the UCW, but no one could be certain as no one stopped them to ask questions. With the Sentries marching purposefully around them, no one wanted to try accosting them. Everyone in Tanith’s Gully had seen the machines in action and no one was brave enough to tangle with such tools of war.

The group continued their march unmolested, eventually reaching the Councilor’s Hall. It was a modest, but well kept, three story building, with people walking in and out, conducting whatever business they had for the day. Upon the approach of the Darkstrider crew, everyone in and around the building couldn’t help but gawk at such a resplendent parade.

The crew walked straight into the building, no one daring to impede their progress. They stopped in the main reception hall, which was a bit small, but large enough to accommodate the group as they were. Alex looked around, taking in his surroundings as an aide walked up to them tentatively.

“Good morning, crew of the Darkstrider! How may I be of service today?” the young woman asked meekly.

“You could tell us where the council meeting chambers are and promptly escort us there. We have serious business to discuss with the council,” Alex told her in a charming voice. The girl blushed, not used to dealing with such a group like this.

“I’m ... sorry, but I’m afraid the council is in session right now. One rule here is that the council is not to be disturbed while they are in session,” the girl replied.

“I understand that you have rules to follow, or it’s your butt in the sling. If you could at least direct us to where the council is in session, then we will wait until they are ready to receive us,” Alex explained with a smile. The girl blushed even harder and nodded, understanding what they were asking. Though it went against protocol, she made an exception for the heroes and heroines of Tanith’s Gully.

Standing a little straighter, the girl beckoned for the group to follow her, and they walked up the main staircase that led to the top floor. The crew kept pace with the girl, letting her lead them until they came to the top floor. There, another reception area, albeit much smaller, waited, with an arrogant looking young man seated behind a desk.

“Lavella, you know this is against the rules! No one is to come up here while the council is in session!” the young man snapped.

“But, Simon...” Lavella started.

“No buts!! It’s the rule that was established here and no one is to violate it! Do I make myself clear?!” he said pompously, while sneering at Lavella. Not used to being chewed out like this, Lavella looked like she was on the verge of crying.

“OK, kid, just who the fuck do you think you are?!?” Alex growled, angered that the poor girl was being chewed out over a triviality.

“Excuse me? And just who are you, big man? Some upjumped idiot in a costume?” the boy scoffed, continuing to sneer at the group.

“Commodore Alexander Matthias Tomisic of the Unified Systems Alliance! As for you, you will stand to and learn to show some damned respect!!” Alex barked, his anger and voice rising with each syllable.

The resounding boom of Alex’s voice caught the kid off guard as he literally tumbled out of his seat. Alex marched straight up to him, and the sound of his feet was like the clomping of a juggernaut. The boy scrambled to his feet and tried to make some sort of stand against Alex, but it was a fool’s errand. The sheer domineering presence of the man had cowed the boy to where he looked meeker than the girl did.

“If there is one thing I cannot and will not stand, it’s bullies. You want to throw your weight around and prove yourself? Do it on the field of battle and not against a girl who is just trying to do her job. Understand??” Alex asked calmly, his voice as deadly as a bared blade.

Simon looked like he was going to say something, but Alex just stared hard at the boy, rooting him to the spot with his gaze. The boy didn’t know how, but that stare was like it came from the Grim Reaper, and he gulped in fear. He’d heard of the ferocity of this man and the crew behind him, even if he hadn’t seen their faces.

Hearing of their rage and seeing it in person were two very different things. Normally, he would have had some snarky or snide remark for people like Alex. But something told him that saying anything of the sort to this man was not only a bad idea, but a veritable death sentence. He swallowed hard and looked to say something, but was saved by the doors of the council chambers opening.

“What is going out here? We heard shouting and ... and...” Jenque started before she was caught off guard by everyone there in their uniforms.

“Inari? Mister Dragic?” the woman almost stuttered, as she took in their immaculate uniforms, blinking like she was just freshly blinded.

“My name isn’t Alex Dragic. I am Commodore Alexander Matthias Tomisic, of the Unified Systems Alliance. Apologies for the deception, but it was necessary at the time,” Alex stated as he surveyed everyone there. Not only was the council there, but so was Daved, Dagan, two of his lieutenants, Zuzanna, Callista, and even Willem. They stared at the group like they were something that stepped out of the pages of a fairy tale.

“Those ... those uniforms ... I’ve ... only seen them in ... history books,” Willem choked out, in utter disbelief at what he was seeing.

“Well? Spit it out, kid! Where are they from?” Daved demanded.

“Those uniforms ... haven’t been seen ... since Old Earth,” Willem got out, trying to keep himself from fainting.

“Wait a minute ... Alexander Matthias Tomisic? I know that name!” Zuzanna gasped as memories of high school came flooding back to her. Her eyes then widened as she remembered the name, staring at the big man like he was some sort of legend or myth made flesh.

“Who is he?” Jenque almost demanded, just as curious as to who Alex was.

“The second in command of the Prometheus Class dreadnought, Perseus!” Zuzanna gasped, scarcely believing it.

“Formerly the second in command of the Perseus. I now captain that ship and now hold the rank of Commodore, due to a special protocol enacted upon Commodore Neville Hamilton’s passing,” Alex told her with a small measure of sorrow.

“And ... who else is ... from that ship?” Jenque asked, more than a little awestruck that such a legendary man was standing in her presence.

“That would be me and Sergeant Shazza. Captain Kasumi Boudicca McKenzie, executive officer aboard the Perseus,” Kasumi announced. The girl next to them looked like she was about to faint, or fangirl all over Kasumi. While she wasn’t well known, her family name was, as her father had made sure it was a name long remembered.

“And ... Sergeant Shazza? Where on Old Earth are you from?” Daved asked, as he was more than a little starstruck, just as his wife was.

“I would suggest that we all step into the council chambers for this, as there are ... sensitive matters that must be discussed,” Alex replied and Shazza nodded, knowing that pure pandemonium could erupt if the regular folk knew what she was.

“Oh, and Councilor Jenque? Might I suggest that ... Lavella here joins us? Seems like you may need an additional aide to assist in these matters,” Natalya asked.

“Absolutely! Simon, keep to your post and ensure that we are not disturbed,” Jenque told the boy.

He just nodded and went back to his desk, knowing that he had just escaped a serious dressing down. One of the ancient commanders of the long-lost Project Prometheus was here?? It defied belief, but the boy had done well in his studies, and he remembered the face of that man.

Simon had read that Alexander Tomisic’s wrath was a sight to behold and now knew that the history books had grossly understated it! He’d fought in several campaigns against the Republican Remnant, a splinter faction that sowed discord wherever they went. Not only was this man’s wrath bordering that of William McKenzie’s, but the way he’d literally torn apart the Remnant, sparing not one single man, was the stuff of legend!

The boy shuddered at the fact that the man dressed him down like he had. Simon then checked his pants and breathed a sigh of relief, as he was sure that he’d soiled himself. Happy that he hadn’t done something so embarrassing, he went on about his duty, as Councilor Madsen had asked of him. While he had made an ass out of himself, Simon hoped he could turn it around before the Darkstrider crew left Prodosia.

The doors closed behind the group as they walked into the circular room, with everyone abuzz with questions about why the group was there. The chatter reached a fever pitch, until Alex raised his hands, calling for everyone to quiet down.

“Everybody please! I know you all have a great many questions on your mind! They will all be answered, but please, one at a time!” Alex stated with a chuckle.

“So, just how long have you Federation types been sitting back, watching us struggle??” one of the councilors, an older, rotund man, questioned.

“Federation, Lou? Really? Did you not hear them speak of the Perseus? The fucking Perseus, you hardheaded idiot!” Jenque said in rebuke.

“It could just be a clever lie designed to weaken our resolve!” the older man rebuffed snarkily.

“Mind your tongue, old man, unless you want it tied in a knot!” Alex threatened, his eyes starting to glow purple.

“Careful there, boy! I’m old for a reason! You’re just an armchair admiral! You know nothing of real war or horrors like what I’ve seen!” Lou shot back, fixing the man with a smug smirk. This is where the ladies of the Darkstrider crew all winced, as they had a good idea of what was coming next.

“I know nothing of real war? Or of the horror of losing loved ones? I was five when the Unification War broke out. I was in Toronto when the Soldiers of the White Light rolled into the city, slaughtering everyone. I survived, only because my parents hid me from those butchers. So tell me, old man, do I know nothing of war?” Alex questioned quietly, as he approached the older councilor.

The color in Lou’s face had drained, as anyone who knew their history knew just how brutal those elitist zealots had been. In a city that once held millions, fewer than ten thousand had survived that terrible onslaught. When Alex neared him, Lou could see the look on his face, the thousand-yard stare. Only those who had seen death possessed such a glare and the look Alex fixed him with, terrified him.

“Do you wish to continue this argument?” Alex queried, his quiet voice holding a hard edge to it, ready to explode into violence. It was so quiet in the room that you could hear a pin drop, and Lou just swallowed and shook his head.

“No.”

“Wise decision,” Alex growled, his mood still sour. Just then, Korsa ambled up with Natalya and put their hands on him in a comforting gesture. Alex took a deep breath and cleared his mind, letting the touch of his women banish his demons.

“Remind me to never piss you off!” Daved commented jokingly, trying to break the dour mood of the moment.

“Indeed! Last guy who did that ... let’s just say that the man nearly had to pick his jaw up off the ground,” Natalya chuckled as she remembered what Alex did to the Artucian hermit.

“What did the guy do?” Willem asked.

“He threatened my ladies.”

Hearing this caused a few of the women there to grin and smirk. They could tell that he was the sort of man who would stand to and defend those he loved without hesitation. Jenque giggled quietly, knowing what it was to have a man like that as she glanced over at her husband. Daved smiled at her and chuckled quietly, knowing that he would have done the same if she was threatened in any way.

“Count yourself lucky that Alex is a man with a good degree of restraint. If he wasn’t...” Shazza said out loud.

“What? What would happen?” Lou asked, having recovered some of his earlier bluster.

“If you’ve heard of what happened to the Blood Drinkers on Seerahn station, then you’ll know that our crew is not to be trifled with,” Inari told the arrogant man.

If Lou was pale before, he looked like a ghost with how white he was in that moment! A few of the other councilors exchanged hushed whispers, some of them unaware of what had occurred on such a faraway station. Moments later, everyone looked over at the group with a good deal of respect. While their actions of saving their home had done so, knowing what they did to such scum of the galaxy cemented their opinions of the crew.

“Well then, Commodore, you have our attention! What is it that brings you and your crew to our little corner of the galaxy?” Jenque asked, bidding everyone to sit, so they could hear the story of how they got here.

Inari stood up and spoke about what she and her crew had done to wind up finding the Perseus as they had. The story continued, with everyone adding their bits to the tale to complete the story being told. There were more than a few shocked people when they learned Shazza was a Xuul’khani woman. The moment they saw her true form, some even fainted, as seeing one of the fabled ‘demons’ was terrifying to them.

“Please, understand that there is much about the Xuul’khan that is not known to the wider galaxy,” Alex stated, coming to his lady’s defense.

“What is there to know? They are evil demons that slaughter anyone and everyone, given half a chance!!” one of the older councilors stated.

“What if you had no choice in the matter? What if, from the time you were a child, your mind was enslaved to the will of the lords and ladies of your people? And they were not only the worst of your people, but had no pity and no remorse, allowing none of that among those they commanded?” Shazza asked quietly, looking like she was on the verge of tears.

“Is that what happened to you?” Jenque asked Shazza. She nodded as Alex comforted her, as she was still getting through the fallout of such a realization.

“I have seen this done to them,” Korsa piped up, adding her two bits to the story. She relayed what she had seen in Shazza’s mindscape, viewing what had happened to her as a child. Some of the councilors scoffed, while others were skeptical, as there was no proof to corroborate this.

“Umm ... miss Shazza?” Lavella asked curiously as she tentatively approached the woman.

“Yes?”

“May I ... give you a hug?” Lavella asked, sensing that Shazza had little of such things happen in her life.

Shazza nodded, sniffling a little, and the two embraced with Shazza finding acceptance once again among strangers. Some of the councilors were a bit thunderstruck at this gesture, but could see that such a powerful emotion could not be faked. Not like this, as the joy on the Xuul’khani woman’s face wasn’t an act. Even the most skeptical of councilors there had to admit that this woman was being genuine with them.

“Being a prisoner in your own body? I thought I’d heard of every vile and despicable thing this galaxy could do to a person, but that ... that takes the cake!” Jenque breathed, as the very thought of such a thing made her shudder in revulsion.

Alex then continued their story, continuing on with what had happened on Talemkha, and everything afterwards. The tale itself had made them all gasp and commanded everyone’s attention. It wasn’t every day that such tales found their way to ears such as theirs, and this one almost defied belief.

“So, you are trying to rebuild the old Alliance that existed on Earth, from centuries ago?” Lou questioned.

“Not quite. This one makes room for all species beyond humanity, as evidenced by the admission of the Artucian into the Alliance,” Luminia informed the councilors.

“What do the Artucian get out of such an alliance, if I may ask?” Jenque wondered, curious about the benefits and/or drawbacks that being in the alliance had.

Luminia was all too happy to list everything that they gained and had to give. Jenque and the other councilors listened intently, going over everything they were told. A few things did make them grumble slightly, but they saw and understood that what the alliance demanded in exchange for their help was more than fair.

“A lengthy list, to be sure! Am I to assume that you are looking to make us such an offer?” Jenque questioned.

“It is in the deck of cards, if that is what you are looking for,” Alex told the woman.

“I would assume that such an ... arrangement is ... open to negotiation?” Lou asked, seeing the obvious benefits to Prodosia and, more importantly, them, the council of the world.

“That would depend if the council, as it stands, is open to joining with the Unified Systems Alliance,” Alex stated.

“Normally, we would reject such offers, considering that we have chosen to remain independent from any other faction in the galaxy. However, given your help and valor in repelling the Confederacy from our home, we ... will consider such an alliance,” Jenque told them.

Almost as once, the room exploded with activity, with the councilors speaking back and forth, some behind Jenque in joining, while others were staunchly against it. The crew of the Darkstrider would have said something, but decided to leave the councilors to decide for themselves. It didn’t take long until order was restored, via Jenque shouting at octaves that pained even Korsa to hear.

“ENOUGH!!” the woman boomed. Some of the councilors clutched their ears, while others winced in pain.

“Did you have to do that?” one of the other councilors, an older woman, griped.

“Yeah, I did! These people are offering us a way to stand against any potential invaders and the lot of you are squabbling like children! Need I remind you they could have left us in the lurch at any time! But they instead chose to stay and help us in our battle against the Confederacy, who sought to subjugate us!” Jenque fumed.

“But they are—” another councilor began before he was cut off.

“What? What are they?” Jenque challenged. “From where I stand, they are a powerful group of people who are offering us a way to hold our autonomy and independence, while still remaining in charge of things here! Plus, they have technologies that could see this world turn into a paradise once again!”

“And, we have these!” Taal’ani stated as she pulled out a mandarin from her pocket and lobbed it at the councilor. Jenque caught the fruit and stared at it in disbelief. She could smell the mandarin and knew what it was, but the fragrance of it was far more powerful than she could have imagined.

“Something from the Farmer’s Consortium?” another councilor asked, playing the devil’s advocate.

“Nope. That comes from the hydroponics deck of the Perseus,” Natalya grinned, knowing that the group was in for a treat with that one orange. Eyes widening, Jenque tore into the fruit and dug right in. While she could have eaten the orange herself, that wasn’t the kind of person she was. She shared it out with her fellow councilors, and they were all more than amazed at the quality of the fruit.

“This ... this doesn’t fall under the sway of the Farmer’s Consortium?” Lou asked, making sure they were being straight with them.

“Nope. What you’re holding there came from Earth, around six centuries ago. Therefore, the seeds that come from such a fruit are beyond the Consortium’s reach,” Priya told the man.

“What ... what else do you have? That came from Earth?” Jenque wondered, her face full of hope.

“From Earth? Everything,” Alex told her. That word nearly made Jenque faint, as high-quality fruit and veg that came from Earth was expensive. What she had just enjoyed was beyond even the highest quality fruit that the Farmer’s Consortium was capable of producing! If they got seeds and could grow such things on Prodosia ... it would change everything!

“So, should we agree to ... join the new alliance ... we would become a member group?” Jenque asked.

“With all the perks and benefits of being a full member of the alliance. Is the council at a deadlock, or are you all of the mind to consider joining the Unified Systems Alliance?” Alex wondered.

“I think I can say with confidence...” Jenque stated, looking over at her colleagues, giving them all a look. “That we are of the mind to join with the Unified Systems Alliance. The only question is, what is involved with being a member and how soon could we start seeing some form of reciprocity?”

“That would depend on how long it takes us to gather the materials we need to repair the hyperdrive of the Perseus. Once that is done, we could be here inside of a week,” Alex told the group.

“Would you mind allowing us to see the charter that gave the Artucian people entry, Ambassador Luminia? Just so we have a template of sorts to go off of?” Jenque questioned.

“Of course!” Luminia replied, and she tapped a few entries onto her wrist device, eventually showing the charter. The council then looked over the charter and started discussing among themselves about what it was they wanted. The discussion was over fairly quickly as they all then turned to the crew to speak their minds.

“As the lead councilor for the town of Tanith’s Gully and, by extension, the world of Prodosia, we have decided to join the Unified Systems Alliance. While we have been a fiercely independent world and value our freedom highly, much has changed recently. The Confed invasion has shown us that as hard as we fight, what we have is not enough if we are to survive and hold our freedom,” Jenque stated.

“The only way we move forward is by changing into something more, something better. The way we do that is if we find allies who are willing to allow us the freedom to grow and build as we see fit. So we can live our way, on our own terms. Does the Unified Systems Alliance find this acceptable?” Jenque wondered, sounding formal at that moment.

“We do. Not only do we find this acceptable, we wouldn’t have it any other way. So, let us sit and discuss the terms in which Prodosia will join the Unified Systems Alliance,” Alex stated with a smile.

“Very good ... Commodore. Lavella, send word to the commissary to have some food and drink prepared and sent up. This is going to take a while,” Jenque said to the girl who had joined them.

“Yes, madam councilor!” the girl stated before bolting out of the room.

Additional seats were brought in for the crew members, and everyone began the lengthy discourse of joining the Unified Systems Alliance. While this might have been moving a little fast for the councilors, they saw the potential that being the in USA could have for them. Especially in the manner of technologies that could bring their world back to the paradise it had once been, when it was called Asylo.