A/N: I need feedback on this one. Let me know if you think its convencing or if the aliens seem too 'human'
Legacy: chapter 10
Millions of light years from earth, another type of education was underway. Has'n, or the name he preferred: John, sat apprehensively behind a communications console on the bridge of the Sally. This was his first deployment as the new Nas'LetenI, Supreme commander of the entire Xean fleet. A position appointed for life.
It was not the responsibilities of the job that made him nervous. He had trained his entire life for this.
It was his mission, handed down from Councilor Seshran herself. The High Council came to the conclusion after much deliberation, that the situation on Ly127 (Earth) had to be resolved much sooner then originally planned.
And so John sat, watching the small group of gigantic vessels assemble before his command craft like a flotilla of lumbering giants. The view from the flickering projection screen was anything but majestic, however John could not abandon his post on the bridge for the observation area several levels up.
He, was what this was all about. He, was the final word on the movements of all these craft assembled before him. No one on any of the six ships did anything without his permission. And yet, all he could think about was his 'great granddaughter' Allie.
She was, for all intensive purposes, alone on Earth. Trying to figure out how to carry out a mission that John knew was way too much for her. Even too much for himself if he was in her position. At least with this new change in the plans, she was off the hook.
The responsibility was placed squarely on his shoulders, and those of the several diplomatic specialists who were given special clearance to make the passage onboard the Sally. A military ship. Diplomats never traveled on military vessels. It was contradictory to the whole definition of diplomacy. But in this circumstance, John knew better then to argue in favor of traditions.
He knew the real reason for the advance in the timetable.
Talks of truce with the Adneans, a race almost as advanced as the Xe, were underway, and not going well. The Adnean aggression had gone on long enough. And the Council was tired of it. John knew that a forward position near Earth would put the Xe at an even more advantageous position to launch a full-scale assault on the Adneans.
The High Council, while peaceful, was not afraid to answer aggression with proportional response. And the weapons system on just one Staris class vessel, like the Sally, could, in theory, wipe out the entirety of the Adnean Fleet. A thought that did not sit well with John. After all, why is a forward base needed if one ship could do the job?
Before Allie, everything was done in the most efficient way possible. Only the traditions of government went unaffected by the strict orderliness. Using weapons on an enemy was viewed as the quickest way to end the problem. No thought was given to what war meant. Death and killing were viewed as tools. Life was measured by the value one represented to the society.
After Allie had come, changes swept through the Xean galaxies. In only three cycles, the whole Xean thought pattern shifted. Peace and understanding were the driving forces now. However, it seemed that war was imminent.
John wondered how a full-scale campaign would sit with some of the fringe colonies. Things had shifted so far in some of them that the long dead religions of the ancients started resurfacing. Mainly Zx'al philosophy, which was remembered due to some of Allies sayings. Some viewed her as a reincarnated prophet. Most, however, know better.
Religion was, after all, invented by less intelligent creatures to explain things they could not understand. An affliction the Xe had risen over many centuries ago. But with this resurgence, came the illogical and dangerous thought patterns that were so common on Earth and other primitive worlds.
War with the enemy might provoke a war from within. Religious zealots against the rest of the society. It had happened before. And the conditions were ripe for another colonial uprising. Which, of course, would bring council orders to John to vaporize the offending colony.
Allie had brought changes. Unfortunately, some things can never be changed. As long as there is a race of sentient beings with a free and independent will, there will be war.
"Nas'LetenI," a soft voice spoke from behind the command console, "commander, the vessels are prepared for subspace warp, upon your command"
John recognized the voice and the energy pattern as that of Jier, one of his handpicked officers. Without responding, John slid his right hand forward on the silvery pad on the arm of his chair, his long, gray, extra jointed finger stopped precisely over a tiny marking. The projection screen before him flickered, then disappeared. But was soon replaced as the metallic gray interior of the bridge was lit up by projection screens from every wall.
Dead center of the bridge was the largest projection; it displayed a huge grid pattern star map detailing the computed subspace jump corridor.
"Systems on all vessels have been converted to the units of time and measurement used on Ly127." Jier reported, still John did not respond.
Instead, he moved his left hand in an arc across the pad on the left arm of the chair. Several moments later, there was a sharp, reverberating thud that echoed throughout the entire ship, caused by the jump engines, and the massive amounts of power they absorb from other systems, including the gravity and anti-gravity generators.
"Thank you Jier," john stood, large almond shaped eyes still fixed on the star chart in front of him, "you may return to your quarters."
Jier nodded, then vanished. John lingered several more seconds, making note of the estimated transit time displayed at the bottom of the screen, '22 days', then in a flash, he too was gone from the bridge.
The view from the observation deck has always been John's favorite; he gazed out at the collection of other ships, all slowly rotating to face the plotted direction. It was beautiful, in a way. The gleaming metal craft, most more then two kilometers in length, shining brightly in the reflected pink light from the nearby solar source of this star system.
Most of the ships had lined up now. The expanding energy field created by their subspace drives was already visible before the first ship in the group.
This was the part John never grew tired of watching.
The subspace distortion grew larger until a brilliant flash emanated out from the void of space. When it subsided, all that was left was a starless window surrounded by what appeared to be a border of white energy. A 'subspace window'. A hole identical to this one, john knew, had just opened up hundreds of light-years away. Just outside the 'ort cloud' of the star system containing Ly127, Earth.
The lead craft slowly moved forward, disappearing into the hole, followed by another, then the Sally entered.
John remained on the observation deck for a while, staring out into the starless void. It appeared as if the six craft were motions in the utter blackness. But in reality, it was the absence of a reference point that caused that illusion. The craft were indeed traveling many times the speed of light.
Satisfied by the light show, John retired to his quarters in a flash of energy.