“And what is Black Leaf’s role in that ‘pushing back’?”
“We were asked to provide military research and development, private security, and tactical training by the inland Kublaren chieftains.”
“Which is in violation of Republic law.”
“Republic law is tenuous at best, Shayla. Most of it deserves to be ignored, and a significant portion of the galaxy is fighting over what a post–Article Nineteen Republic should look like. Where it should meet… what, if any, remnants of the old House of Reason should remain… But Kublar is a free world and we aren’t violating any legitimate laws of this world.”
“The governmental seat in Subiyook City would disagree with that assessment, and already they’ve made a call for Legion assistance as a representative planet of the Republic.”
Nilo smiles again. “Kublar’s senators were both hung by the Kublarens upon returning to their home planet. That’s how ‘representative’ they were while on Utopion. And the human government controlling a Kublaren world stood in defiance of the Legion when it did call for Article Nineteen. The reality is that these are predators who have been growing fat off a planet and species not their own.”
“You mentioned the Legion and Article Nineteen. Legion Commander Chhun is deliberating with his generals about whether the Legion should take action on Kublar, while the planets who have formally elected senators and delegates remain unable to agree on how to proceed. Are you concerned about what a Legion—invasion for lack of a better word—will mean for Kublar?”
“Of course I’m concerned. But not for Black Leaf or for the private security who are keeping innocent Kublarens safe from… from what in reality is an incredibly hostile opposition from a puppet government that pretends to represent them, and zhee settlers who routinely rob and murder the Kublaren tribes unable to defend themselves.
“But I have confidence that the Legion Commander will make the right call here and allow the Kublarens to make their own decision about how they should be governed. Maintaining an imperialist grip on this planet is morally indefensible, and given how hard the Legion fought to overthrow the so-called empire—and many of my contractors are former legionnaires here doing this because it’s the right thing—given all of that, I don’t see the Legion adding to the tragedy that is Kublaren history.”
“You mentioned the zhee—”
“I did and I want to get back to that, Shayna, but if I may…?”
The reporter nods and Nilo continues. And I gotta say, he’s making sense to me.
“The Kublarens have a remarkable history. They were one of the few species to fight off a Savage invasion without the Legion’s help. When we ‘found’ them, they had already annihilated a Savage hulk and were quick to send warriors off-world to bring the fight to the rest of the Savages when the opportunity arose. In spite of that, they were named a Republic protectorate without senators until just recently, and only because some Utopion scientists felt there were enough natural resources on Kublar that it would be worth asserting direct control over.
“I was eighteen years old when the Chiasm was destroyed over Kublar. I remember all those legionnaires who died on this planet because the MCR and the Republic were playing power games. And a lot more Kublarens died as a result of that struggle and the civil war that followed than any of us could imagine. Entire tribes were extinguished. And we’ve seen stories just like that countless times over the years. Worlds that are brought into the Republic only to be used by the Republic for the good of those in the House of Reason, who were only too happy to sacrifice the lives of the Legion and other branches of the military if it meant getting their piece of the pie. All the while posturing as peaceful and progressive. It has to stop, and what’s happening on Kublar right now is the budding spring of a revolution that will change the galaxy for peace and a better future for all.”
“You mentioned the zhee,” the reporter says again, picking up right where she left off without giving any pause or thought to what Big Nee just said.
And I get why. That’s probably the big story because the zhee played such a large part in the galaxy’s recent history. And things like this—a direct assault on their most sacred of places—well, other than what Legion Commander Keller did on Ankalor, that just wasn’t something that was done under the House of Reason. It’s shocking to see, really.
Nilo nods, waiting for the question to finally come.
“Were you involved in the attack on the zhee temple—called the ‘holiest site on Kublar’ by the Subiyook governing council?”
“First, I want you to think about what you just said: ‘the holiest site on Kublar.’”
“That was the council’s direct quote.”
“Yes, but it’s such a fitting portrait of how wrong what has happened here truly is. This is Kublar. It’s the home world of the Kublakaren. And yet, somehow, this structure which was built against their wishes and has stood here for less than ten years is the most holy site on the planet? Kublar has places like the Steps of the Chieftains, the Nine Pools, and a host of other Kublaren religious and historic sites that have existed for millennia. This kind of protected, selective thinking, forced by distant bureaucrats and toadied by quisling sell-outs, is why Kublar is fighting another civil war. And I’m proud to be here supporting the inland chiefs.”
“Was Black Leaf a part of that attack?”
“No. We’re not here to go to war with the zhee. We’re here to help the Kublarens win their planet back.”
My heart races a bit when Nilo says that. Because I sure as hell was involved in that attack. But I also remember the orders to make it look like an attack carried out by what was thought
