This is a fan translation of The Faraway Saikat (Далёкий Сайкат) by Mikhail Akhmanov, currently only available in Russian and, because of the author's passing in 2019, unlikely to ever be published in English. This is the second book in a series called Trevelyan's Mission (Миссия Тревельяна), which is a spin-off from the author's Arrivals from the Dark (Пришедшие из мрака) six-book series.

I claim no rights to the contents herein.

Many human experts believe that the two largest formations (meaning the Ni and the Poharas) have reached an equilibrium in the Kni'lina society in both political and economic senses.

While this conclusion is based on some fairly unreliable data (information provided by foreign intelligence, Kni'lina literature, and those of their intellectual works available to our analysts), we will not dispute it just yet. In this chapter, we will touch upon the problem of exiles, using this term to mean those minor clans, associations, alliances, or any other formations, both open and secret, which, for various reasons, found themselves outside the Kni'lina social structure. In the Earth Federation, no such phenomenon is observed, rightly believing that assassins, triads, mafia, and the like have been left behind in the distant past and can be seen nowadays as relics of our former lack of reason. But for the Kni'lina, despite their high technological level, a primitive situation has formed in the area of social relations: the presence of two ruling clans required a mandatory joining to one of the leading groups based on the principle of genetic affinity and the ability to interbreed with the members of either the Ni Clan or the Poharas Clan. Such an uncontested demand has produced, and continues to produce, an extremely varied group of the dissatisfied, the dissenting, and those ready to resist. We are unable to evaluate the situation at the current time (it is highly likely that the dissidents have been completely exterminated), but we do have information that certain secret formations appeared, or were activated, during the years of fighting Earth. The first such clan we will examine is the Valls Clan, the so-called Assassin Clan, whose members…

P. Fyodorov, A. Georgadze

Kni'lina Clans: An Example of Artificial Evolution

Interlude 3

Hater

The news about Zend Una's death came early morning, filling Alemut's soul with a sense of triumph.

Three, three of them now! They had started destroying one another! It was excellent, incredible! This meant that the dislike between Jeb Ro and First Blade, which he'd been gradually inflaming, grew into the thirst for vengeance in the hearts of the others and was now bearing fruit. That was typically how First Moon preferred to act, destroying the enemies with their own hands. Of course, Alemut had not expected such a rapid unfolding of events, perhaps because he was too close, right at the epicenter. No wonder Yezdan said that one couldn't see another's face, when standing face-to-face.

Thinking about it, he decided that the situation had been pushed along by the human's arrival. Alemut felt no hatred towards him, which had to do with many reasons, two of which he highlighted as main ones. First of all, the humans had fought the Ni Clan and nearly finished it off; unfortunately, they'd had the presence of mind and restraint to stop and spare the losers. The next time, things could turn out differently, and he had almost no doubt that the next time was inevitable. Based on Jeb Ro's actions, on which data the Coordinator had been gathering, and how the ones in power, close to the Emperor, were planning on using it, the Poharas liked the humanoids of Earth no more than the Ni. It was just that the Poharas were simply more cunning and careful; they built solid foundations for their decisions, trying to look good in the eyes of the other galactic races. The eyes or any other organs that substituted for them… As for the humans, they had the same eyes as the Kni'lina, same bodies and faces, and a very similar metabolism ― minor differences didn't count. An offensive similarity! A blow to their pride, evidence that the Kni'lina weren't unique in all of Creation after all! Whatever the Gray-eyed had said about peacefulness and the ties between all sentients, it was impossible to accept the existence of the humans, who were far too similar in nature and appearance. Which was why Alemut, as well as his First Moon brothers, believed that a new war and a new defeat were coming, possibly so massive that the ruling clans would never again be able to recover.

Such was the first reason, but there was also another one, which awoke an unbidden sympathy, or even compassion, towards the human. Here, at the edge of the universe, on a station floating near Saikat, this Ivar Trevelyan was as much an outcast as Alemut himself; some despised him, others feared, and yet others tried to use him in their own games. But, unlike Alemut, the human didn't see the obvious, didn't understand the understandable. While he'd traveled the galaxy plenty, his specialty was pre-technological races or those that were still savages, like the Terre and the Tazinto. It seemed that this Hairy was one of the best professionals, but the Kni'lina were not in his area of interest, or that of the human institution that had sent him here. He knew the language, naturally learning it through the use of a hypnoemitter, he'd read the Book of Yezdan, and he understood everything having to do with food, drink, dress, and everyday customs. Not a small amount for a human, but not enough to grasp the nuances, shades, and subtleties, clear to any sophisticated Kni'lina. A Kni'lina, especially one like Alemut, would have immediately caught on that Naya Acra was a thawed from the Tago Corps, which was why she despised humans with a fierce hatred. Apparently, that was why Jeb Ro had brought her here; in the joint mission with the humans, he wanted to have an assistant who wouldn't let the Hairies out of her sight. A Kni'lina would have figured out that a secret Eye of the Horada was embedded with the expedition, who was clearly Zend Una. One of an Eye's main qualities was suspiciousness, which was why most of them were being recruited on Tizana, where the Ni distrusted the Poharas, and vice versa. And, of course, a Kni'lina would have realized that something was off with the women: Ifta Kee and Depth. It seemed that both were suffering from that type of sexual disorder that required restrictive implants, and, most likely, Jeb Ro's girlfriend had such an implant. Alemut couldn't vouch for Depth, formerly Third and then Second, but, at times, she did behave strangely, far too arrogantly, like a woman with indisputable power over men.

Everything that was clear to Alemut or could be guessed by him was a closed book to the human, just like the Book of the Beginning and the End in the hands of Yezdan at the park's entrance. He thought that this Ivar Trevelyan would definitely become someone's victim, someone cunning, insidious, who would manage to frame him for all three murders. He'd do it himself, if necessary, but, for now, there was no need for that. And the others… yes, the others could do it, as Naya Acra, the priestess and thawed psychologist, was completely right: there was no better candidate for the role of a murderer. For Trevelyan was guilty, guilty of being an alien, guilty of being a despicable flesh-eater, like the savage Tazinto, and also guilty that his hairy tribe had once fought the Kni'lina and beaten them. Guilty of the shame and humiliation, and that could not be forgiven! Besides, it would be an excellent reason to end the Saikat project, putting all the blame on the humans and the progressor Foundation they were so proud of. The Foundation that had sent the xenophobe, the crazed killer! What else could be expected from a race that ate living beings?! Of a people that had burnt its own dissenters in fires, tortured them with hot iron, sent them to rot in prison, drawn and quartered them, drowned and hanged them! There was no evidence as to how that had actually been, but the analogy with the Tazinto would do its work ― a plan thought up by Jeb Ro. Three were gone: a Ni and two hateful Poharas… On the one hand, that was good, but on the other… If there was a leader in the expedition, capable of understanding Jeb Ro's plan, or the one being hatched by First Blade, then there'd be no avoiding a disaster. This thought alone caused blood to rush to Alemut's temples. He wasn't at all against a disaster, but one like that, where the failure would be blamed on the humans, was not suitable for him at all. He hadn't come here just to allow the ruling clans to leave Saikat without a loss! A fiasco would have to happen, but to them!

It seemed that the problem had to do with a leader. He assumed that the new leader would be a woman, one of the two able to lay claim to the position. Of course, they were supposed to send a long-range message to Yezdan, informing the higher-ups about the deaths of three members of the expedition, so that they could send a coordinator and a few Eyes of the Horada… But neither First Blade nor Zend Una had done that, they didn't have the time, as the situation had unfolded quickly, and their attempts to figure it out resulted in their deaths. Now the message would be sent to the stars, but it wouldn't reach its destination, which was why a leader would be found among them: either Naya Acra or Second Depth… Both possibilities needed to be prevented, and he also needed to protect the human from accusations. After all, it wasn't Ivar Trevelyan who'd incinerated Chanra Ita and his child in the mountains of Zumraya…

He moaned dully at this memory but suppressed the sorrow with an effort. It wasn't time to grieve, it was time to exact revenge! He, Alemut, would help the Hairy, but not because the human hadn't done him evil, but merely to fulfil his own goals. In the interest of the mission, given to him by First Moon… He would punish the murderer, and if a new leader arose, he'd take care of them as well.

Long-range communications, he thought. There'd be no problem with that, as the Brain had been programmed by nyuri Caytam, and he was a prudent and loyal man. Yezdan, Tizana, Khaira were all too far away, as were the human planets, so no one would get any more messages…

He rose and quickly left his quarters.