A Dark, Distorted Mirror. Volume 4. A Future, Born in Pain

times...? Haven't I paid enough by now? Haven't we all paid enough? It was a mistake! It was a terrible mistake.... Just how.... when will I be forgiven? <sorrow>

Ah, but who can forgive you? Not I, certainly. I have seen the karmic wheel turn, and spin, and revolve. You took their world, and they took yours. You destroyed their hopes and dreams, and they found new ones in the destruction of all that you are. You have suffered greatly, more than any sentient being could and still survive, I feel. And yet I feel there is more suffering ahead.

I'm sorry. I've been sorry for that day for the last fifteen years.... but when.... when will we have paid?

Payment? Ah, but for what? For destroying their homeworld and killing so many billions? Well, they ruined your world and killed so many of your people. Perhaps the scales are balanced now. How many of them did you kill? How many of you did they kill? A matter of numbers, I suppose it comes down to.

That's not what I meant.

<softer> No. I know. For your decision taken in great wrath, for the destruction of their world.... If the universe decrees you have suffered enough, then so be it. Certainly there is great wisdom in forgiving, and looking to the future rather than remaining fixated on the past. Ah.... but you have done more than that, more than just destroy their past.

What? What do you mean?

You have destroyed their future as well. And to save it.... perhaps you will have to sacrifice yours.

* * *

'So,' said the old man as his visitor stepped inside the office. 'How was Centauri Prime?'

'A little disordered,' said Morden. 'But that's normal for the time of year.'

The old man smiled. 'It's good to have you back here. It's just not the same without anyone to talk to. Oh, there's Zento of course, but he's too busy running the public side of the place, making sure we get all the funds and influence we need to.... to do the real work. I don't think he really believes, anyway. It's a game to him. The money's just a way of keeping score.' The old man shook his head sadly. 'No, he doesn't see the.... the true cause behind this. He doesn't understand.'

'How many people ever do?' asked Morden. 'How many people even want to?'

'Right as ever, my friend. I'm sorry. I must be depressing you. Here, do you want some orange juice? They've tried growing some oranges in the farming zones outside the Fourth Dome. I fear they haven't quite perfected the process yet, but they're getting there. Slowly. It still costs a fortune, of course.'

'No, thank you. I'm afraid my stomach is still full from all that brivare they stuffed down my throat on Centauri Prime.' Morden made a face. 'Absolutely revolting stuff. I don't know how they stomach it.'

'Just one of the many hardships we have to suffer in the name of our great cause.'

'True enough, and I suppose compared to their cells and their politicking it wasn't so much of a burden.'

The old man sat down, and Morden sat opposite him. He was cradling a glass of orange juice, and making wistful smiles as he sipped at it. 'So, just how was Centauri Prime? Did the Emperor accept our offer?'

'No. He's come down with a bad case of social conscience. The.... troubles we found out about in the middle of last year were more severe than we'd guessed. Things are quite bad there. Improving now of course, but still problematic. I thought that the Emperor would be willing to agree to anything that would help him, but.... it seems I underestimated him. I won't do that again.'

'He drove a hard bargain?'

'Worse than that. He flat out refused to commit to anything that might beggar his people in the long run. A very canny man. I actually sort of like him.'

'And what about.... them?'

'Ah.' Morden's easy tone evaporated. 'Not so good. Someone at the Court has been in negotiation with them. I can make an educated guess, but there's no solid evidence, just circumstantial. I'm convinced Mollari doesn't know a thing about it. After all he's seen, there's no way he'd make a deal with them, especially if he turned down an alliance with us.

'No, I'm inclined to think someone's either trying to gain a little personal power in the new system, or that they're genuinely trying to save the people, and don't want the Emperor's conscience getting in the way. A.... fairly sizeable fleet of Shadow ships came to defend Centauri Prime when the Narns attacked. Shortly afterwards I was arrested and imprisoned.'

'How were the cells there?'

Morden flashed a smile. 'A nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. Fortunately, we do have a friend in the Court. He got me out, and.... well, everyone else just had a great deal of problems seeing me.'

'What about the seeresses? How many are still alive?'

'Of any real power.... I'm betting on none, although one or two might have escaped. The troubles last year were marked by an extreme psionic backlash across the whole planet. The seeresses and telepaths fell apart completely, and those with the strength to endure the turmoil were soon murdered in the rioting.' The old man swore. 'My sentiments exactly. I knew the Enemy was trying to stamp them out after Lady Morella's.... death, but I was in no way expecting them to be able to swamp the whole planet.'

'It spread chaos, and lots of it. They've always been partial to that.'

'Indeed. It also pushed the Centauri closer to an alliance with them. I wouldn't be surprised if they were expecting someone more like Cartagia to take over. He'd have been quite happy to make a permanent deal with them. As it turns out however, he was too clever for their own good, and they're stuck with Mollari.'

'How many of their.... devices are on the planet?'

'No way of telling. I managed to locate the first creature when I was there a few years ago, back when Lady Morella was killed. Some of the nobles there had been only too happy to open negotiations with a new trading race. It was the Vree, by the way, I found that out. Some of their merchant caste had made a deal with the Enemy via the Drakh. Anyway, the Vree merchants sold on the psionic devices to the nobles, telling them that they would prevent telepathic scans of their estates. As you can imagine, they were bought up by the barrel-load. When they were ready the Shadows activated them, and people all over the planet started to go mad.'

'One of the same devices that killed Lady Morella?'

'Well, one of the things that encouraged her maid to do it, and then to kill herself afterwards. Lady Morella was a bit too powerful and too well connected for their liking, I suspect. After I found and destroyed the device, things calmed down. And then of course I was suspected of murdering Morella and thought it prudent to be away from Centauri Prime for a while.

'While I was gone, they must have kept dropping the devices all over the place. One of the more nastier elements of their biotechnology. Alive, sentient and psionically very powerful. The Enemy turned them all on at once, and the entire planet fell apart. Things are quieter now. I'm not sure if the devices were found and destroyed, or if they've got what they wanted with the whole thing and are happy to stop frying everything on Centauri Prime.

'Still, I'll say one thing for the place though,' he added with a smile. 'Primarch Sinoval was a very long way away.'

'Him again. Oh yes, we are going to have to do something about him.'

'It's just a matter of direction, surely? He's not allied with us, and he certainly isn't allied with them. Set him after the Enemy, and then we can sit back and watch the fur fly. He's arrogant enough to think he can storm the gates of Z'ha'dum by himself, and maybe lucky enough to do it as well.'

'And that, no doubt, is exactly what the Enemy will be planning.'

'He's a direct sort of person,' Morden said, musing for a moment. 'One of the reasons he dislikes our side is that he can't stand what he perceives as our manipulation of his people, his to rule. Given that we've written them all off as a bad job, if we just ducked low and stayed out of his way for a while, he's more likely to focus his efforts on Sonovar and the Enemy.'

'That is not too likely, I am afraid. He was confirmed as being on Kazomi Seven this week.'

'Ah.... That's not good.'

'I think you might be overestimating his abilities.'

'I've met him. Trust me on this. He may not have the power to destroy everything we've built, but he thinks