Chapter 52: Ventori

UNION ADHOC COMPOUND

“ ... Why Martin?” Jezima asked softly. “Why has he done these things?”

Jezima and Meral had woken near the end of the first meeting in the MED building and almost immediately began asking for Martin. Once Delnash broke off his transmission to gather what Teniri wanted Martin had left the building, feeling the powerful pull of his grandmother and aunt calling for him. Since it was still relatively early in the morning, he met them with smiles and hugs and brought them to eat in the Mess building. Jezima and Meral both noticed the looks they received from the others in the building and it was disconcerting for them both. Neither of them had ever been looked at with the obvious reverence they saw in the eyes of so many men and women. Reverence for them, for who they were. They both knew this carried over a great deal for how they felt about Martin, but neither were they fools. They knew that they were now considered icons of a sort among these men and women and so many more that they had never seen before.

It was after they had eaten when Martin drew them over to the lake shore and they settled to the ground on a large cloth tarp that had already been laid out. That is when he began to tell them everything that was happening. It took him nearly two hours to explain to them what had been going on for centuries apparently, and he held nothing back from them, which made it all the more horrific.

Martin shook his head slowly as he held her hand in his. “I don’t know Staania.” He told her gently but honestly. “I have thought about it. Maybe he wanted to be a hero. Maybe he wanted power. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t matter anymore. Now he is simply a murderer of so many lives I cannot begin to count them all. What he created, he is responsible for what they have done. If not for him they would not exist.”

“Why doesn’t Delnash arrest him?” Meral snapped almost angrily. “Make him face these charges and answer for his actions!”

Martin shook his head. “If only it were that simple.” He said. “Lorendo may be many things but he is also very smart. Delnash can’t move against him directly because all we truly have in contrast is guesswork and some evidence. Nothing that directly shows he actually has done what we believe he has.”

“The logs from the station on Onterom?” Meral gasped.

Martin shook his head once more. “I’m sure he ordered them deleted but we have no way to prove that. All he would need to say is that the commander of the station was working on his own. He was very careful to make sure anything that was found did not tie back to him in any way.”

“You believe he has done these things?” Jezima asked him meeting his beautiful eyes. Her son’s eyes.

Martin nodded his head without hesitation. “Oh yeah.” He answered. “He’s guilty as sin in my book. Unfortunately, many of the Pralor people still look at us as inferior to them. He’s been adding to that dogma ever since he returned to Onterom. It’s one of the major points he has been using against Delnash. And a lot of the Pralor people believe him. Many won’t believe what we present because of this mentality, even with Kasdan, Radra, Delnash and others telling them different. That kind of takes away many of my options in dealing with him.”

Meral looked at him and took his other hand now. “What would your people have done Martin?” She asked softly.

Martin shook his head. “You don’t want me to answer that Tenna.” He told her.

“Yes, I do.” Meral pressed him.

Martin took a deep breath. “Given what the evidence we have so far points to, the Union would have had him arrested and interrogated to discover what he had done and what he knew. If it was confirmed, he would have been executed within days of discovering this information. Justice is very swift in the Union. It is very thorough but also very swift and unforgiving.”

“Interrogated against his will?” Jezima asked.

Martin nodded slowly. “If that is what it took, yes.” He replied looking at her. “We have drugs that can be used. They are harsh yes, but they are very effective. Even someone with the Etheric power of Lorendo would not have been able to resist them. We would have tried to talk to him, get him to reveal what he knows, but we would have found out one way or the other.”

Jezima squeezed his hand tightly. “I understand.” She said softly. “The history of a people, what they have had to endure, this shapes their feelings and emotions. It hardens them so that they can do what they must in order to survive and prosper.”

“Our laws are harsh yes.” Martin agreed. “But we are a fair and honest people Staania. We have no desire to conquer or enslave. We only wish to live in peace and raise our children. The children of the Union, no matter their species, they are taught to respect and honor others first. To look upon others as friends first, not as enemies. We only change our tune if it is shown that a person or a people do not have the same values that we do. Then we don’t deal with them at all. We don’t try to force our ways on them or stop them from living their lives, but we do not tolerate others telling us how we must be in order to suit them.”

“Are there people like this where you come from?” Meral asked. “In the Alpha Quadrant where you reside?”

Martin nodded his head. “Yes, a few. We leave them alone and they leave us alone. For the most part anyway.”

“What of the Svorag Martin?” Jezima asked now. “Our people on Honelze must be warned! We must prepare to fight them!”

Martin nodded his head. “They will be warned.” He told her. “And Dysea, Isabella and Cirith are there to see to the defenses. We have time right now and we are using that time to try and discover all we can.”

Meral tilted her head slightly and looked at him. “You do not like being King of your people do you?” She asked pointedly.

Martin chuckled softly and shook his head. “I hate it with every fiber of my being.” He told her with a smile. There are days when it drives me malda!” He saw their look of confusion and smiled wider. “It means crazy in our language.” He explained seeing their faces change and they both smiled.

Jezima scooted closer to him. “That was my son.” She said. “That was your grandfather. He hated having so many hang on his every word. Even when he became Chief Elder he wanted nothing more than to stay at our home and play with his brother’s children.”

“Yeah I can relate to that.” Martin spoke with a nod.

“What will we do?” Meral asked now.

Martin took another deep breath. “We are trying to determine that now.” He spoke. “I have more forces moving for Manne. That is where we have established our colony out here. I cannot pull too many from the Alpha Quadrant because of events back there, and not all of our ships are equipped with engines that can get them out this far in a few days. At least not yet. We are building more of the Worker Drones in a secret facility using Avatar 41’s specs and we’ll be able to move faster as more are made. My daughter Yuriko is shadowing the Svorag mother ship as it moves towards Honelze and Androcles and my other children will be here in a few weeks with a much larger force than we have now.” He told them looking around the camp. “We did not expect to discover what we have about the Lycavorians here on Ventori, or the Tasmor. These Kintaur thugs pose another problem, more so for the Tasmor than us, but I will not leave them to deal with it on their own. Not after what they did for our people here.”

“Argh! So many things!” Meral exclaimed. “I see what you mean.”

Martin laughed. “You want my job?” He asked her. “I’ll let you have it cheap.”

Jezima burst out laughing at his expression as Meral shook her head almost violently. “By all the souls within the Rift of Time, no!” Meral almost shouted.

Martin’s smile was wide and genuine. “No one wants it.” He spoke looking at Jezima. “I have tried to give it away dozens of times and no one seems to want it.”

This caused Meral to join in the laughter with her mother as they looked at him. Jezima finally put her head to his shoulder gently and squeezed his arm now. “What can we do?” She asked him finally.

Martin shook his head. “I have only just found you.” He told them. “I will not put you in any danger. I have men coming that will protect you. Two of them for each of you. They are Hippeis Sedla. The Spartan Royal Guard.”

“What of these ... these Wolves of the Blood that Dysea told us of?” Meral asked. “Are they not the Royal Guard?”

Martin lifted his hand and moved it back and forth. “In a manner of speaking, yes.” He answered her. “The Durcunusaan...”

“Yes, that is what Dysea called them.” Meral said.

Martin nodded. “That is part of their mission, yes. However, that is not their only mission.”

“What do you mean?” Jezima asked.

“There are no better trained soldiers within the Union than the Durcunusaan.” Martin told them. “All Spartans are supremely well trained but the Durcunusaan and the Hippeis Sedla, who are part of the Durcunusaan, they endure much more training than normal. It is more, how do I say this, it is more intensive, more deeply involved and far more dangerous. You must be chosen for the Hippeis Sedla. Of them few hundred that are asked each year, only three or four actually complete the training. The regular Durcunusaan conduct many different missions and varied other jobs within their purview as Wolves of the Blood, but the Hippeis Sedla have only one mission. They protect my family. That is their purpose. It is not something that I wanted or started, but it is what it is and I couldn’t change it now even if I wanted too. No one would let me. Four of them should be arriving soon and their mission will be to protect you both. That will be their purpose, above all others.”

“I do not wish this Martin.” Jezima spoke.

Martin shook his head. “But I do Staania. Tenna.” He told them softly looking back and forth between them. “I have found you now and the moment I saw you I swore to grandfather’s spirit that I would keep you safe. That is what I will do.” He smiled as he rose to his feet and pulled them both up. “Don’t worry, they are not huge, hulking brutes.” He said. “You might be very surprised. Do this for me. Times now are unpredictable and I will leave nothing to chance when it comes to you both. Nothing. You are my past! My children’s past! Our past! And our future! That is worth protecting at all cost.”

Martin turned as Atropos moved slowly up to them from the side. “Atropos?” Martin spoke.

“Chief Elder Delnash has reestablished his link Martin.” Atropos spoke. “They have found something.”

Martin nodded and curled his arms around Jezima and Meral. “Then let’s go find out.”

“ ... Seems Teniri was correct Martin.” Delnash spoke from his office once more. His eyes saw Jezima and Meral now standing beside Aricia and For’mya and he bowed his head slightly. “Lady Jezima. Lady Meral. It is an honor beyond words.”

Jezima looked taken aback at this but she nodded her head. “Chief Elder Delnash.” She stammered finally.

Martin leaned over the star chart table. The Command Building was also built like the MED building and now one wall was gone to reveal Arzoal and Teniri sitting side by side under another tarp that had been erected. “Ok, what are we looking at?” He asked.

“I have 27 feeding the information to Avi now Martin.” Delnash continued from his office on Artaaya. “Your Admiral Lorian is tapped in as well.”

“Avi, 27, talk to me.” Martin spoke to the thin air.

Jezima looked at Aricia. “Avi?” She asked softly. Sumar’s...”

Aricia nodded her head. “Avatar 41.” She answered. “We shortened his name many years ago and we have called him Avi ever since we discovered him.”

“Avatar 41 ... that was ... that was my brother’s Avatar!” Meral gasped.

Aricia nodded her head with a smile. “Yes he was.”

“He speaks to them as if they are ... as if they are alive.” Jezima commented.

For’mya nodded now. “To Martin, they are alive. Just as any of us.”

Jezima turned back as she heard the mechanical sounding voice begin to speak.

-27 was able to download the data scroll retrieved from Elder Teniri’s cave Martin- Avi spoke now. –We have overlaid known star charts to compensate for linear and well as stellar drift and temporal shift. The charts before you are as accurate as we can make them-

“So enlighten me.” Martin spoke.

Jezima looked up at Aricia’s face again and into her amazing blue eyes. [He is different Aricia.] She said softly speaking in a whisper within the Etheric realm. Jezima had never seen such expressive eyes as what Aricia and the others had and the color was simply amazing to behold, just as it was in Anja and Dysea’s eyes.

Aricia smiled and nodded her head again. [This is his element Staania.] She whispered back just as softly. [This is where he is at his finest. Everything else is pushed back and the leader that he is comes out. It is the same with our son Androcles.]

-King Martin you will see the line I am tracing now- 27’s voice spoke now. –This is the course that Elder Teniri’s ship was to take in order to return to Elear. It was actively compensating for any inhabited systems and avoiding them. That is why it appears the ship is moving haphazard at times. The ship conducted its first jump here... - The Star Chart froze and a large orange dot appeared on the table. –It was a short jump to clear the main systems that were inhabited without drawing attention from those who could detect it. Only the Tasmor and Kintaur at this time-

-Though they had not yet attained space flight, both did have satellite systems that could have detected the jump- Avi added.

“Avi, 27, let’s fast forward to the important stuff.” Martin spoke, his eyes never leaving the chart. “It was possible that Lorendo intercepted this ship you said. Where?”

-Here King Martin- 27 answered as he adjusted the chart until the light blue line that was the course of Teniri’s ship intercepted with one that was a much darker blue. –The dark blue course is the one taken by a VECTOR-Class Attack Cruiser that departed Artaaya exactly twelve point six years after Artaaya was settled-

“Ok ... first question.” Martin spoke. “Teniri, you said the ship left the planet you were on only a month before Delnash and the others arrived with the Scourge hot on their tails.”

“Yes.” Teniri answered from her position.

“Then how did the transport not make it out of the Echo quadrant before the surviving Pralors reached Artaaya?” Martin asked. “How many years before you reached Artaaya after discovering Teniri and the others Delnash?”

Delnash thought about that for a second. “Perhaps eight.” He answered.

-Seven point nine to be exact King Martin- 27 chimed in,

Delnash nodded. “Seven point nine then.”

“So we’ll say eight years and then another twelve and a half years before Lorendo left with this ship.” Martin said. “Almost twenty-one years. Where was Teniri’s transport for those twenty-one years before Fat boy found it?”

Meral could barely contain the yelp of laughter that she wanted to let out at Martin’s words and she squeezed For’mya’s hand tightly, who looked at her with an equally large smile.

-Without the ship’s computer core to confirm it, there is only one hypothesis- Avi spoke from the ARC ROYAL. –And there is no way to confirm it since the Elder Mother Arzoal says the computers were erased of all data when the ship returned to them-

“What is that Avi?” Delnash asked now.

-Lorendo obtained the transport’s Command Codes and was able to pause the automated navigation controls. It would have still been in range of the planet that Elder Mother Teniri and the others were on when they united with the Pralor forces fleeing the Scourge- Avi answered.

“Ok ... if I was a mad scientist with a God complex, and I wanted to be a hero, that’s what I would do.” Martin said. “Talk to the surviving Pralors, find out what they had done on Elear and discover they had made some really bad monster serum. A serum that could make me a hero if I found some way to use it. Then I would somehow get the Command Codes for the ship and order it to hold in place? Avi, 27, this sound doable to you?”

-There are numerous places within that sector of space where he could have powered down the ship King Martin- 27 answered. –Several nebulas or large asteroid fields that would both protect and hide the ship-

-Until he was ready to use it- Avi echoed his fellow Avatar’s answer.

“And being the asshole that I am I wouldn’t care about the thousands of dragons that ship was supposed to be saving.” Martin said nodding his head. “Yep ... sure sounds like Fat Boy.”

“To a tee.” Anja chimed in now.

“Yeah ... I’m not liking him even more than I already hate him.” Martin said. “Avi, 27 keep going.”

-This Pralor ship was under the command of Lorendo. He had been named an Elder only thirteen weeks prior-

Martin looked at Delnash in the transmission. “Why is that significant?” He asked.

Delnash had leaned forward in his chair. “It would have meant that his orders would not have been questioned in regards to anything. At that time we were still operating off of our emergency Protocols, which gave Elders absolute authority.” He stated. “It also gave him access to everything he did not have before that. Ships. Personnel. Everything.”

“Like a kid in a candy store.” Martin muttered.

-We are unable to determine if he boarded this ship Martin- Avi spoke now. –The data suggests that he did and that he is the one that changed its course parameters, but there is no corroborating evidence to what we have-

“Ok, but for what purpose?” Martin asked openly.

“I believe I can answer that question Martin.” The male voice echoed and they turned to see Muton entering the Command building with Anja at his side.

Anja looked at Martin as she moved up beside For’mya and they shared a soft kiss of love. “Muton was able to find the clues that got us out here Lover.” Anja said. “I figured he could probably help us figure all this out as well considering he has Pralor blood within him. Just like Miseo and all the others that came with him.”

Martin turned fully now and faced him. “Nubou lae! I forgot all about that!” He gasped.

Meral looked at For’mya and Anja. “What... ?”

For’mya shook her head. “You don’t want to know. She answered with a smile.

Meral’s lips curled into a smile as she understood the implication and she looked back to Martin.

Muton moved right up beside Martin Jezima saw and no one did anything to stop him. This man was someone that apparently all of them trusted. She watched Martin place his hand on Muton’s shoulder affectionately. Anja stood on the opposite side of Jezima and saw her look of puzzlement.

[Muton is the one who protected For’mya and the twins that we told you of. Fedor and Eirene.] Anja told her in that Etheric connection. [He is Miseo’s father.]

[The one who married Eirene?] Meral asked now.

Anja nodded her head. [We owe him a debt that we can never repay.] Anja spoke warmly. [He made sure For’mya was returned to us and his son has made Eirene happier than... ] Anja smiled as both For’mya and Aricia chuckled, knowing what she was going to say. [Well ... he has made her very happy.]

“I don’t know all the details of what took place, but during my free time since we began this journey, I have been trying to decipher more and more of my grandmother’s journals.” He spoke from beside Martin and set half a dozen data scrolls on the chart table with one hand while squeezing Martin’s arm affectionately in return.

“Hit me with it Muton.” Martin spoke now.

Muton picked up one data scroll and handed it to him. “I believe this Lorendo fool picked several hundred Pralors, mostly scientists, to go to Cabelir.” Muton told him as Martin began to read. “At first I thought it was out of some sense of misplaced honor that they would return to try and fix what Arete had created. I was wrong. They went there to study them. To try and determine if they had anything useful within their genetic makeup. Something happened and they ended up being taken by these Kavgart. A few of them anyway. As I studied her journals I came to realize she wasn’t one of those original Pralors, she was the child of one of the Pralors and a Kavgart. As time passed and more generations of us were born, we looked Kavalian outwardly but we retained the Pralor gene as well. We avoided the other Kavalians and their violence. We advocated peace.”

“Bet that didn’t go over well with the rest of them.” Martin commented.

Muton shook his head. “No it didn’t. However, nothing was done to counter the influence we did have until Keleru took power.”

Martin looked at him. “Are you saying Keleru was one of you?”

Muton nodded his head. “I wasn’t sure until only a few weeks ago. I did not want to come forward to you so soon after the battle with your brother those few weeks ago.”

“You’re serious about this Muton?” Martin asked him.

Muton nodded his head. “Almost one hundred percent.” He answered. “He is not from my generation, but from a later one. Perhaps a generation or two after me. But his age right now is not consistent with a normal Kavalian lifespan. Normal Kavalians, those unaltered down through the generations and those who have not been subjected to biogenic alteration only have a normal lifespan of perhaps ten thousand years. Twelve at most.”

Martin turned to look at Anja. “Red?”

“I would have to review the data that we have collected over the years about Kavalians but I’m not going to argue with Muton on this Lover. He is more far familiar with Kavalian physiology than I am and I wouldn’t second guess him.” Anja answered.

Martin turned back to Muton. “How old is he?” He asked.

“I am sixteen thousand four hundred and nine years old Martin.” Muton answered him. “Without the skills that many of us have in altering our outward appearance, our fur does tend to hide quite a bit you know...” He said with a smile. “We would never have been able to pass for Kavalians. Keleru has these same skills but he has also been touting our advances in the medical field that he claims keep all of us healthier. Those who have confronted him directly through the years have simply disappeared.”

“My brother knew this?” Martin asked.

Muton nodded his head. “To what extent I don’t know, but he had to have known there was something was different about him. He must have...”

Jezima looked at Aricia once more. [He did not ... he did not tell us about this Aricia. A battle with his brother? His brother? Out here? When?]

Aricia looked at Anja and then to For’mya quickly. [They will discover it eventually Aricia. Better it come from us.] Anja spoke softly.

[Melyanna is correct.] For’mya spoke now. She squeezed Meral’s hands. [When we are finished here ... we will take you aside and tell you. I promise. You have a right to know and Anja is correct, better it come from us than from someone else.]

[It isn’t good is it?] Meral asked.

For’mya shook her head as her dark brown eyes fell on Martin. [No.] She answered. [It both broke his heart and healed him for many years of sins. If not for our son Androcles and what he did, what he made sure happened even from across the stars, it may have also taken a piece of our Martin’s soul.]

[All of you speak differently about this son Androcles.] Jezima said. [Why?]

[Androcles is the oldest of our children and sometimes it seems that... ] Anja began. [It seems like Andro is... ]

[A gift from the very Gods themselves.] For’mya finished Anja’s sentence with an almost reverent tone in her voice.

[Avoi.] Aricia and Anja spoke at the same time.

Martin’s voice drew them back to the main conversation.

“ ... it’s true, and I don’t doubt it, it’s probably why he’s such an asshole, how does all this tie in with the ship?” Martin asked.

“My grandmother’s journals say that two thousand went to this Cabelir...” Muton said lifting another data scroll. “But she only speaks of fifteen hundred being captured. I believe, and I stress I have no hard evidence to support this, I believe that the other five hundred left them on Cabelir and returned to Elear to search the mountain for anything they could find.”

Arzoal’s head came up now as she listened. “Returned with our ship Muton?” She asked him quickly.

Muton turned to look at her. “Yes, Elder Mother.”

Martin looked at Arzoal as well. “Is that possible?” He asked her.

Arzoal nodded her massive head. “Yes! I moved our complete living and breeding caves to another continent entirely a year after we destroyed the mountain. The southern continent was the least populated and I forbid any dragon to return to our former caves or even fly over it. No one questioned this Martin, for we all knew the horrors it had wrought.”

“So if these five hundred did return to Elear then no one would have known they were there and they could have found anything.” Martin said.

“It’s obvious they found something.” Arzoal spoke again. “Something that we had not destroyed. Some samples or equipment. It’s the only way Lorendo could have gotten his hands on the original serum in order to mutate it as much as he has.”

Anja nodded her head. “I have to agree with Arzoal.” She said. “They had to have found something Lover.”

“But we don’t know what!” Martin hissed turning to look at the chart once more. The room was silent for a long moment, no one really knowing what to say as Martin stared at the chart table. At first he just lifted his hand to brush aside the overlays that were in front of him, but then Danny saw it first. They had worked together so long he knew Martin’s quirks and oddities almost better than his wives and mates. Danny rose to his feet and moved over to Martin’s opposite side.

“What you got running through that head of yours fervon?” He asked softly as everyone looked at them.

Martin held up his right left hand but continued to move the overlays around on the table. He looked up finally. “Avi?”

-I am here Martin-

“Knowing that fat fuck like we do ... it’s safe to assume that he established some sort of facility to work on what they took from Elear right?” Martin asked.

Avi paused only a moment. –Given that they had only just arrived on Artaaya within the last decade and that whatever he would have found he would want to keep secret ... yes- Avi answered.

“And he wouldn’t have set it up on Artaaya for fear it would be discovered.” Martin spoke to no one in particular. “Or that it could infect everyone and ruin his chances at being a savior.”

Anja broke away from Meral’s side and moved up next to him, squeezing in between Danny and Martin. “I think I see where you are going with this Lover.” She spoke.

“What would you do Red?” Martin asked looking at her jade green eyes. “If you had your hands on something that could potentially kill everyone whose eyes you were trying to be a hero for?”

“Establish a base. An outside facility away from mass amounts of people.” Anja replied instantly. “For testing, and as far away from where it could do harm as possible.”

“Of course!” Radra exclaimed.

Delnash leaned forward now as well. “I think I understand as well Martin.” He spoke.

Martin nodded his head. “He also used the time he was gone to scout possible sites to put together this facility.”

“We’re talking about...” Danny looked at the chart. “Christ Skipper ... you are talking about a whole lot of territory. Hundreds of light years. Thousands.”

Martin shook his head. “No.” He answered almost excitedly. “Manda you monitoring this?”

Miranda’s cool voice came through the internal speakers and her image fluttered to life from a secondary holo emitter disc. “So far Martin.” She spoke. “And I think I know what you are going to ask.”

“What are the chances they veered off into the unknown?” Martin asked. “A Quadrant of space you have never been in before, with only one ship and almost no chance of any back up getting to you before someone bounced your ass into the next life?”

“If the ship’s commander was any good?” Miranda spoke. “None.”

“All of our warship commanders back then had either fought the Scourge or at the very least out maneuvered them to escape. None of them were beginners Martin, and I find it hard any of them would have done this.” Delnash spoke again.

“Then they would have traced their course back!” Anthylea spoke now coming to her feet.

Martin pointed at her with his finger and a large smile. “Yes! Give that woman a cigar!”

Anthylea looked taken aback, thinking that he had just insulted her, but Tobia quickly took her arm causing Anthylea to look at her. “It is a statement of respect Anthylea.” She said quickly. “A slang that they use to compliment someone.”