completely.
Another appendage knocked Kale into the table as the Baruk fell from his wound. The morphing tentacle smashed the table flat as Kale rolled away. If Lucin had sent this warrior to kill him then more would quickly follow. He had to get off of this ship as quickly as possible.
Kale bolted out the door, leaving the maimed warrior and his symbiotic protector as far behind as he could. Now he just had to figure out how to get to his ship and off of this vessel alive.
Estall stared at the information coming onto the display as Ranul keyed in the various retrieval commands. Probe number: 2041 was transmitting its information on a coded band. He studied the incoming data carefully. Looking over Ranul’s shoulder, Estall attempted to understand what the transmission contained, but Ranul was scanning the data too fast for him to be able to put it all together.
“Well?”
“Well, what?”
“Are you going to share with the rest of us?” Estall asked.
“Oh!” he said as though he had forgotten others were in the communications room with him. “The probe beyond the star Casiss has picked up a group of objects. After long range scans, it has concluded that the objects are in fact very large space cruisers on a course for Castai.”
“The Baruk, I suppose.”
“Well, I don’t think there’s any other possibility. According to Vorn records, the return flight path would concur.”
“Well, we’ve been training for a fight. Looks like we’ve got one.”
The council buildings were as luxurious as any Tiet had seen among the Vorn cities. This one in Baeth Periege was perhaps the most beautiful of them all. He passed through the main hall on his way toward the meeting chamber. It was lined on either side by troops he had helped to train in recent months.
They look very sharp in there uniforms, he thought. It was nice to see the peace between the Castillians and the Vorn illustrated in the new standing army.
Why did Wynn insist on trying to push him onto the throne? He certainly did not see himself as a king. He was just a young man, still in training himself-not a great man like his father. Tiet wished his father was still alive to lead this great people. He would’ve known what to do.
Tiet wished he had been able to really know his father. His brother-the thought cut him to the heart-if he ever saw his brother again, he would avenge his father’s death and Orin’s.
Too bad the coward had taken off before he realized who Kale was. Tiet would have killed him. That thought gave him little joy, but it seemed to satisfy his anger to some degree. Two of the acting guards opened the large main doors allowing him into the council chamber.
The ceiling was three stories high in the main hall. Tiet saw that it was even higher within the meeting chamber as the doors parted before him. They revealed a very large circular room with a dome at the top. The Council of Twelve, along with their various advisers, was seated along the outer portion of the room slightly above the dais where Tiet was to stand in the middle of the room to be addressed by the Council.
As Tiet made his way, he saw that the session was already beginning-apparently everyone had been waiting for him to arrive. As Tiet walked in, many people began to cheer and clap. This was not the sort of entrance he had expected or wanted.
He didn’t feel he deserved any applause. What had he done to deserve it, besides being born to a certain family and people? Tiet spotted Wynn. He was seated near the delegate for the city of Baeth Periege with Daooth Pasad. Daooth was a good man. He could still remember his first meeting with the Vorn in Wynn’s underground dwelling and almost taking his head off, supposing him to be an enemy.
That day had been a wake up call for Tiet, learning how the Vorn were a friendly people enslaved by their own military. He had hated them for so long, blaming them for the murder of his family and his people, while not realizing things are rarely as straightforward as they seem.
Tiet approached the podium in the middle of the chamber and waited. A glass of water was sitting on the side, and he wondered if it would be inappropriate to take a big drink of it right now. His throat was getting dryer by the moment.
Everyone became quiet as the delegate from Baeth Periege stood to address the gathering. He was an elder Vorn man named Licoure. His translator pin activated as he spoke in his native Vorn language.
“Master Soone, we are honored by your presence at this gathering and are happy you have accepted our invitation. I realize you have been approached numerous times with our offer to support your ascension to the throne. Will you to hear us out collectively on the matter, with patience?”
“I am honored by the support of the delegates assembled here,” Tiet said. “But I fear you have placed your confidence in the wrong man to lead. I do not feel I am experienced enough in necessary matters to be worthy of such a calling.”
“Then I hope we may further persuade you,” said Licoure.
Another Vorn elder stood as Licoure seated himself again. Tiet recognized him as Ush, the delegate from the city of Thalidi. He appeared to be very old, but the wrinkles on his face spoke of wisdom and vast experience rather than senility.
“Master Soone, I was in the Vorn military when the war between our peoples first began more than four generations ago. It had been a peaceful relationship during the times before. Our peoples were like brothers. The Barudii king of that time was Isic. He was a very wise man and was instrumental in the exchange of information and technologies between our peoples.
“He and our leader were the best of friends and there was open trade and society between our planets and peoples. Many Vorn lived in the cities of this Castai and many Castillians lived in our cities on our home planet of Demigoth.
“Trade negotiations had only recently begun with the Baruk when a tragedy occurred. Our leader, who was greatly beloved by our people, was assassinated. When an extensive investigation was conducted, the evidence all seemed to point to a plot among the Barudii to gain trade agreements with the Baruk and push us out. The Baruk had come forth with the information and, though King Isic denied it vehemently, our people felt genuinely betrayed.
“Not long after, a group of Castillians living on Demigoth was massacred by vigilantes seeking revenge for our fallen leader. King Isic himself journeyed to Demigoth in an attempt to quell the misunderstanding and persuade the new military leadership to reenter the relationship of peace which had so long been enjoyed between our peoples. The Vorn military leadership seized Isic and his entourage and put them to death for crimes against our people.
“This was an outrage to the Castillians and war was declared. The Baruk pretended to be neutral to the conflict and made their technologies and information available to both sides. It would not be understood until much later what role the Baruk had played in instigating the war.
“The struggle lasted nearly a decade with the Vorn appearing to be the victor. We had decimated nearly all of the major cities of the Castillians on this planet before a new weapon was revealed. We would learn much later that the Baruk had provided technology to the Barudii, who created the giant Sphere weapon. By the time it was launched against us, the Castillians were all but wiped out. It would be their last attempt against us before they were extinguished as a people on this planet. The weapon’s mission was to hunt down and destroy all Vorn targets. We lost millions of people to it. It was at this time that the Vorn military turned to the scientific community in a desperate attempt to rebuild our dwindling forces. They created the Horva clones.
“The first generation clones were enhanced in strength, agility and intellect. They were superior warriors. However, it soon became apparent that the Horva were becoming too powerful and might well get beyond our ability to control them. The first generation Horva, including Grod, were replaced with a brutish new type of clone that could be easily controlled by our leaders.”
“Do you mean, Ambassador Ush, that the Horva were created as slaves for the Vorn?” Tiet asked.
“Yes, exactly” replied Ush. “The Horva under Grod would, as you have seen, eventually rebel against the military. However, the new Horva were very useful to the military regime in keeping the civilian population under control.
“At a later time, when the role of the Baruk in the war became apparent to our people, there arose and outcry to break ties with them. However, the military had treaties with the Baruk and they were determined to
