After Finn’s body was interred in space and repairs were completed to the Indurin, the Sidhe capital ship damaged in the Viseith attack, the Pax flotilla bridged subspace and jumped away from Directorate space. Knowing that, despite the great speed subspace bridges gave them, the flotilla was still a number of days from Pax space, Deks took the opportunity to begin briefing their remaining human ally.
The screens in the small conference room they had first spoke in after Finn’s death, cleared with a wave from the swarthy Sidhe. His silvery environmental suit long removed, today Deks was much more casual, as was his wont. His ensemble included a loose shirt in some creamy fabric, equally loose dark leather pants tucked into calf boots and a heavy, dark leather vest with a multitude of pockets, each filled with some gadget or device. The weapon strapped to his waist, however, wasn’t so casual.
Vaughn had to put the weapon’s presence aside to concentrate on what Deks was going to show her. It did nothing to settle her nerves to realize they were still at risk by an enemy attack. She focused just in time to see the center most screen spin together an image of what appeared to be an ancient page of text, written in an even more stylized form of the alien language Vaughn had noticed on the screens before.
“Our only clue to the existence of the talisman we seek.” Deks identified the page, the screen dividing the image into several segments which were, in turn, highlighted and analyzed as they watched, the sinuous alien text translated on the fly into English.
“A page from one of our most ancient historical texts that survived the Exodus. Ironically we didn’t know it existed until recently after intercepting a Viseith operative that managed to penetrate one of our primary archives on Galus Prime, a key Pax world. She had it in her possession.” Two other screens lit up with three-dimensional floor plans of the archive, a well-structured monolith that occupied several levels below ground as well as above. The location of the text was briefly highlighted with a pulsing square of light.
The page continued with its deconstruction and analysis as the tanned Isivir agent went on to explain that the text contained references to a mystic talisman called the Crown of Oberon, one of the sources of early Sidhe power that enabled them to shape the world they once lived in. While not divulging a great deal of detail, the text gave a brief description of the talisman itself and the power it wielded. A power that could shake the very foundations of the Pax, or weave it together much stronger than before, depending on who got to it first.
“A quick question.” Vaughn rasped, eyes narrowed as she examined the page of text, tattered and torn as it floated over the holo screen, reassembled once more with Deks’ brief description completed. The passages that directly mentioned the talisman remained highlighted and in English.
“Obviously the Viseith knew about the talisman before they penetrated the archive in search of this piece of text.” She looked over at Deks. “Else why run the risk of getting caught?”
Deks nodded in agreement from where he had taken a seat on the table’s edge, arms folded across his chest.
“So thinks Isivir Command. But our deep cover agents haven’t been able to discover exactly how the Praetors became aware of the talisman to begin with.” He grimaced. “Likely because the Viseith knows we’ve agents in their midst, as I’m sure we have theirs in ours. Their core command is keeping that information isolated, so we don’t find that out.” He paused to look away from the screens and at her.
“But I’ve a sneaking suspicion it has something to do with your people.”
“My people?” Vaughn’s eyebrow climbed as she returned her dark eyed gaze to the swarthy alien. Deks nodded.
“The page was pulled from a book called se’Benite no e’Soacele, or Benediction of the Druids in English. Along with the account of the talisman, the passages directly before, and after the missing page describe a certain cluster of stars as part of the talisman’s final resting place. At first our attempts to identify the stars in question were completely stymied, literal comparisons to the descriptions in the book leading us absolutely nowhere.”
Deks slid from his place on the table and strode towards the nearest screen, which swiftly spun together a series of three-dimensional star charts, cubic matrices of space filled with stellar bodies, dust and glowing gas.
“Then we had a breakthrough.” A knot of stars lit up in a chart occupying the southern corner of the screen. “When we extrapolated the stars’ luminosity and position after thousands of years of drift and burn, we discovered a cluster of stars that tentatively matched the ones described in the book.” The screen drew back to show a larger portion of space which surrounded the cube holding the highlighted stars.
“You can imagine our chagrin when we learned the cluster was deep within Directorate space, outside of the Pax’s direct control.” Deks’ wry grin quickly disappeared, quirky humor once again buried beneath a professional veneer. “It was the positioning of those stars that led the coalition council to believe you humans have something to do with the Crown.” He paused to glance back at the screen and its ghostly document.
“If we’ve figured that out, it’s logical that the Praetors have as well. Isivir Command believes they have Viseith operatives working in human space even as we speak, and have most likely had them there for a very long time. I suspect they discovered something there that propelled their foray into the Galus archive for the se’Benite text in their search for the talisman.”
Deks folded his arms across his chest and shook his head.
“Whatever they found in human space, it remains a mystery. Once again they’ve managed to keep it from us, despite our best efforts.” He looked back at Vaughn. “Now Isivir Command hopes you, as a human native to that space, can help us discover what the Viseith have already found and allow us to further uncover the Crown’s final resting place before the rebels do.”
Vaughn’s thoughtful look deepened. That last statement she understood, having fought rebellion for most of her military career. However the search for some ancient talisman sounded more like science than war. She was a soldier, not an archeologist, or someone better trained to go hunting for clues to a lost artifact. Finn would’ve been far better suited for that task than she. It seemed the wiry scientist had known about a lot more than just xenobiology.
That thought elicited a long sigh. Better stop thinking that way; Finn was dead and gone. He’d be no help from the vacuum of space. Archeologist or not, she was the only hope of seeing this mission done and the situation resolved. As a soldier, she had plenty of times where she, and she alone had the responsibility of insuring the survival of her unit, or her company. And now, as Humanity and the Directorate’s sole representative to the Pax, she was responsible for insuring the survival of her entire people.
“Well, I’ll do what I can, Deks. The only thing I can suggest, . . .” Vaughn paused as something occurred to her. There was something in what Deks had said about the page of text; something that had struck her with familiarity.
“You know, I think I’ve heard the word ‘druid’ before.” She slipped a hand into one of the many pockets she had on the pair of utility fatigues she was wearing. An instant later she drew it back out again, holding a personal link. Vaughn flipped an access port open and, activating the holographic keyboard interface, quickly accessed the compact database built into the link’s crystalline matrix.
“Right; druids were a religious order in medieval Europe based on nature worship and human sacrifice.” An eyebrow rose in question as she looked over at Deks, who quickly grinned.
“Considering we have only one human in the Pax, you, it would’ve been difficult for our druidic orders to have such sacrifice.” The Sidhe quickly reassured her. Then his smile became thoughtful.
“However I find it interesting that we share a word as vital as that.”
Vaughn nodded; interesting indeed. To suggest a religious order from Humanity’s past was the same as a similar order in the Sidhe present was to insinuate some sort of connection.
“How far back did you say the Pax had agents on Earth? A couple thousand years, maybe?”
Deks folded his arms across his chest.
“As far as I know, perhaps a few decades, no more. But I see where you’re going; there appears to be some sort of connection between the Sidhe and humans much further back. That is, if your druids and ours have more in common than merely the name.”
“Let’s assume so.” Vaughn returned, her tactical and strategically bent mind whirling. “Assuming some connection between the druids of your current religion and our ancient druidic orders, perhaps early exploration by the Pax of human space, let’s say our druids were record keepers. If they did have visitation from early Pax explorers and kept record of it, and the Crown of Oberon having enough importance to be included in a significant druidic text, . . .”
“Then your human druids may also have some reference to it in their records!” Deks finished triumphantly with a broad smile, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “Leaps of logic, certainly. But something equally certain it’s worth investigating when we reach Galus. If we can discover a reference to Pax exploration of human space two thousand years back, we can infer a connection and shift our efforts to examining human historical records.”
Vaughn grinned as she nodded in agreement. Wow, that was simple. A reference to a dead human religion and they were on their way. On their way, that is, if the two orders were the same and Pax records showed some sort of early exploration of Earth by the Sidhe. It was tenuous, but at least they now had a place to start, over and beyond the page of text the Isivir had in their possession. And that was a hell of a lot more than they had at the beginning of this crazy mission!
The screens still showing floor plans and text analyses, Deks turned to what he considered a crucial part of the briefing.
“Team construction for this endeavor will be critical.” He said. “We need the right blend of expertise and strength to insure success. Unfortunately we’re already experiencing some resistance to Isivir operatives working in conjunction with a member of an alien race’s military. The only solution I can see is to incorporate you into the Isivir itself, with full security clearance. Once we get to Galus, we’ll run you through a short training program, a series of tests to determine your level of expertise and skill set and a brief familiarization cycle to get you comfortable with Isivir protocols and equipment. How does this sound?”
Vaughn nodded, her mind working hard.
“Good, like most of your suggestions, Deks. I don’t have a problem attaching myself to the Isivir on a short-term basis. But I just want to reiterate my position: I represent the Directorate here. If I’m to effectively function as their liaison, I must retain ultimate autonomy. I’ll work within your rules as long as I see the Directorate’s best interests being met. I’ll not betray my people, or my government.”
“Nor would I want you to.” Deks hastened to reassure her. “My suggestion was made with that limitation in mind. I voiced it as a stipulation to Isivir Command, a predetermined requirement for your insertion into the Isivir. Command agreed to it and indicated I proceed with haste to incorporate you with your autonomy as a primary protocol in the team’s operational guideline.”
Vaughn sighed inwardly in relief. While she had been fairly confident at the onset of this expedition at her and Finn’s ability to remain independent of the Sidhe, with Finn gone that confidence had faded. Deks’ confirmation that not only he, but his Isivir Command as well were in agreement to her requirement was a burden off her shoulders.
Apparently satisfied with her answer, Deks rubbed his hands briskly together, an oddly human gesture.
“Well, that just about covers everything I wanted to bring up with you. If you don’t have any other questions, I suggest returning to your cabin and getting a bite to eat and sleep. Once we get to Galus, you won’t have much time for either. With the Viseith now aware of our efforts to procure human assistance, and that assistance subsequently halved via assassination, our own schedule has become much more rigid and compressed. We have to make our next move before the Praetors do, or we could find the Crown in the enemy’s hands. And that, at this juncture, is not an option!”
A rudimentary plan of attack now in place, the lean marine officer spent the rest of the day, and a good chunk of the voyage with the database in her quarters, familiarizing herself with the Pax, the extent of its massive empire and the power of its military. Partly because such items had importance to a military officer. And partly because the Indurin’s captain was reluctant to let a member of a relatively unknown alien species wander unescorted around one of the Pax most advanced capital ships.
So Vaughn ensconced herself in her room and began digging. Her quest was aided in the greater part by the ship’s central computer, an AI called Cienisar that had both great power and was strangely personable.
With Cienisar’s help, Vaughn discovered that the Pax was formed between two diametrically opposed nations deep in Sidhe history called the Alisar and the Senisar. Engaged in bitter conflict that neither was decisively winning, and realizing losses so great neither side had the resources to build their civilizations, ancient leaders made a radical proposal: join the Alisar and the Senisar together, end the fighting and realize a better existence for all Sidhe.
At first both sides opposed the idea as vehemently as they hated each other. To consider being on the same side as their ancient enemies bordered on heresy. However the leaders, both powerful and charismatic, persisted and eventually won their respective peoples over. The two sides were joined and the Pax Drakonus was born.
With their resources now pooled and their efforts bent towards more beneficial goals, the unified Sidhe leapt out into space and swiftly spread, using their joined military forces, hardened after millennia of conflict against each other, to conquer any species that got in their way. Following a policy of rapid expansion, the Pax built its empire in the span of a handful of centuries almost without effort, stretching hundreds of parsecs along the length and breadth of the Sagittarian Arm of the Milky Way. Soon they dominated the majority of the galactic arm, no other race possessing the power or the will to defy the Sidhe and the might of the Pax.
An understanding of the Pax and the empire it commanded now under her belt, Vaughn turned her attention to the incredible military that carved that empire from cold, hard space. At first Cienisar was reluctant to divulge details about the military. After all he was responsible for the lives of every officer and crewperson on the Indurin, a Pax ship-of-the-line. The sentient computer didn’t want to put at risk his charges via an unauthorized divulgence of information.
But, after repeated assurances from Vaughn of her trustworthiness, and security clearance from Deks, Cienisar finally broke down and allowed the lean colonel limited access to his military database. Thankfully for the experienced marine, that was more than enough to gain an idea of the strength and size of the Pax military.
As the Directorate’s UDF was divided into its divisions: Ground Arm, Naval Arm, and Marines, the Pax military was divided along similar lines. The largest was the navy, which operated much like the UDF’s Naval Arm, providing both space and atmospheric transportation and combat services. Named simply ‘Fleet’, the reach of the Pax navy stretched throughout Pax space and beyond, the delivery vehicle for the military desires of the Coalition Council.
Delivered by Fleet was Tactical, the Pax’s name for its highly effective and hard-hitting ground force. Running the gamut from surgically precise Black Ops behind enemy lines to full frontal assaults on fortified planets, Tactical was the iron fist that enforced and implemented the council’s military ambitions. Affiliated with Tactical was the hybrid Fleet Tactical, a force similar to the UDF Marine Corps, responsible for tactical combat operations during naval engagements.
More amazing than the Pax military’s effectiveness, however, was its sheer size. A full 5% of its entire population served in Fleet and Tactical, a staggering host considering the overall size of the Pax, with thousands of systems under its direct control. Unfortunately it also served to emphasize how devastating a civil war could be, assuming that massive military would split roughly down the middle in such a conflict.
Vaughn turned away from the holographic representation of the Pax that floated vertically above the small desk her quarters was equipped with, a listing of military outposts and Fleet strength scrolling beside it. To gaze out the only portal, an oblong window that dominated the snug chamber’s outside wall. Beyond the window’s armored plastic, space spun in the fantastic colors found within a subspace bridge, an eye-wrenching maelstrom that could unseat the uninitiated.
A veteran of space travel, Vaughn easily blocked out the stomach-churning light storm and turned inward to her thoughts. ‘Parsec after parsec of Pax space, every square metre covered and accounted for by Fleet and Tactical. Again, more evidence of the Pax’s power.’ She mused. ‘The Directorate wouldn’t have a chance in a head-to-head, and couldn’t serve in a support role as an ally either. Which begs the question: why hasn’t the Pax simply invaded the Directorate and taken what they wanted?’ An image of the e’Soacele text replaced the mass of glowing holographic stars with a wave of her hand, Cienisar drawing from a file cache Vaughn had built from the ship’s database for use in her quarters. ‘Surely this Crown of Oberon can’t be that hard to find.’
Yet, for decades, both the Isivir and the Viseith had searched human space in vain. Aggressive but not inherently evil, the Pax lacked a good reason to invade, without definitively knowing where the talisman’s location. Give them half a reason, however, and she didn’t think they would hesitate long.
Vaughn sighed. If the elusive Crown stymied the massive resources of the Pax, how much more so would they be, druidic clues notwithstanding? And that suggested no near end was in sight for this mission. She pulled a holo of her children from a pocket and gazed at it for a long moment.
Taken last summer in a park on Secundus, it showed the three of them smiling brightly, the twilight beauty of the park stretching out behind them. A pang of loneliness hit hard, forcing Vaughn to pocket the picture or run the risk of crying. ‘I’ll be home as soon as I can, kids.’ She silently promised, stuffing the holo picture deep. ‘As soon as I can!’
A soft chime from the desk captured the colonel’s attention and she looked up.
“Just to let you know, colonel.” Cienisar smoothly spoke from the desk’s built-in intraship comm unit, a delicately carved crystal lattice more a work of art than a comm link. “We’re about to exit the subspace bridge and enter Galus Prime orbit.” The AI’s English, purred in a velvety masculine bass, was flawless, completely without the Sidhe locution the few Sidhe who spoke with her seemed to have.
“Thank you, Cienisar.” Vaughn replied, a tingle of anticipation dancing through her. They were almost there!
“Not at all, colonel. Enjoy your stay in Pax space.” Then the gentle blue glow that illuminated the lattice to indicate it was active, faded and Vaughn was once again alone in her room.
A subtle shift in the light beyond the portal was all that warned of the Indurin’s climb out of subspace and the bridge. But it was enough to draw Vaughn’s eyes back to the window in time to watch the colors swirl and solidify before darkening into the black of space. Then they widened as they drank in the wonder she saw unfolding beyond the armored plastic.