Chapter Fifteen
Vector arrived back at Gravis 5 to disturbing news. The Unu queen and her Night Herald were attempting to ramp up their efforts in inciting the other hives to invasion of nearby planets, upping the timetable for expansion and conflict.
Vector stood before the five queens, at a loss for what to do, or what had driven Unu to such immediacy.
"The Jooj Dawn Herald came to us with this news," stated his queen. "Unu already sways Kolosolok and Horoh and Manam is very close to joining their ranks. Saras has withdrawn from Finas Eth and closed communications, but they will fight if pushed. All others stand perched on the edge. We must give them a way out."
"But why now?" asked Vector.
"They have already set their sites on four worlds, all inhabited, with two very close to Chiss space. The Chiss will not tolerate this and reprisals are certain. More importantly, they fear the nests uniting behind us with you at our side. We know you do not want the burden but we ask again that you take up the mantle of Dawn Herald to all nests before it is too late."
Vector felt overwhelmed by her request. "We can leave, never to return, you may kill us if you wish, surely that would be enough to appease Unu."
"It is not appeasement that they desire but subjugation. Their queen must die as well as their Night Herald, you must call him out."
"Cannot the other hives unite against them? Would they not have a better chance against Unu if they attacked together?"
"It is a matter of ascension and hierarchy. We must call them out, and only you, as Dawn Herald of all can do this at our side and with our blessing."
"Surely there is another Dawn Herald that can be promoted, surely we cannot be the only one."
"Vector!" said the queen, and he was taken aback at her forceful use of his given name, she had never done so before. "Your arguments are hollow and a tactic to delay what you know must be done. You bring calm, reason, diplomacy and a caring nature that none can match but you are also a warrior, unafraid and determined to do what is right for the Kind, no matter the cost.
"The universe touched you alone with the dream of the ones scattered since the Great Migration, you alone found them so that we could become whole again.
"You bring balance in the midst of turmoil, only you can stand in the middle and reach all who form the circle that surrounds you. There is no other, if you do not do this thing, all will be lost, the hives will go to war and if they cannot turn the aggression outward, they will turn it inward to the destruction of us all."
Vector was stunned by her words. "But what of our search for Rey'elle? We are pledged to her side always, we cannot abandon this, not even for the hive. We cannot do this."
"You may resume your search once this is settled, are you so close to finding her that you can ignore the plight of the Kind? That is not in your nature."
"And who will assume the crown of queen of Unu?" asked Vector.
"We will assume that station. As primary queen of the mother nest, it is our right. The Colony needs peace, we need to grow and forget such conflict. Perhaps, some day in the far future we will have no option but to expand, but not now, and not in this way.
"The Night Herald and his queen would kill Tus and all of the Hussaan to insure Killik supremacy, it will be the same for any world they invade. Nothing will survive. We have been at the receiving end of genocide attempts before, it is an inefficient waste and will not benefit the Kind. You have shown us that the universe holds wonders, as yet, unexplored and sentients are part of this wonder.
"You will stand at our side and assure trade, exploration, exchange of skills and seek new worlds for settlement, but it must be done without war, without malice."
"Why has Unu not moved against us already? We were weakened after the migration and could not have withstood such an assault, it seems a wasted opportunity at best."
"They would have forever lost the other hives had they done this. Unu may have forgotten the old ways in their madness, but the others have not. To move against the mother nest would have availed them nothing except to alienate the other hives and they would have been left on their own.
"Their queen is counting on time to corrupt the others, time for her Night Herald to insinuate himself upon their minds, change them with his aura, the effects are already showing. She needs time for the black membrosia to break down their barriers to suggestion and control. It has been done before, millennia ago, and we barely recovered from it."
Vector was trapped again, between his duty to the hive and his duty to Rey'elle and no matter where he looked he could find no exit. It had been three and a half years since he lost her and he was no closer to finding her today than he was then. He could die if he fought the Night Herald but without her, he was already dead and the needs of the Kind were immediate.
"Tell us what you require and we will see it done," he sighed.
For the next five weeks, Vector practiced with the assassins, sometimes two, sometimes three at a time and each night the hive treated the cuts and bruises he sustained, fed him meat for strength and membrosia for healing and stamina.
Tus would often enter the fight using his wooden stave against Vector. Being young and quick, Vector had to adjust his movements to match Tus' attacks, avoiding being tripped or knocked down, learning to be more agile, anticipating movement, watching Tus' eyes for any hint of where he might strike next.
In the early morning, he and Tus would run through the mist and fog that rose from the grasslands as dew spattered their legs and offered slick footing, they ran up mountain paths learning to be watchful for loose stones and building strength in their legs. They swam in the river that flowed a few miles from the cave, anything to keep moving, anything that would help Vector in the fight to come.
Late each night Vector fell into bed aboard the shuttle, too tired to dream, too exhausted to be haunted by memories, falling asleep almost immediately as the nest sang. At the beginning of the sixth week, the queen informed them that they would make the trip to Finas Eth soon, and one way or the other, this would be ended.
Vector had five more days to prepare before he, the queen and a small contingent would fly to whatever fate the universe had planned. He would be either the hive's savior or its doom, he would either live or die.
He thought back to when he fought the false Jedi on Voss and remembered he was hard put to just defend against the force users attacks let alone do damage or kill him. He would not have Lokin, Kaliyo or Scorpio here to aid him this time, he would be alone in this battle. There was no further training that would avail him in the fight to come and he took the extra time to take care of his equipment and continue his endurance regimen.
The queen summoned him to her chambers the night before they were to leave to explain the protocols of what would or should happen although now, she was unsure that the old ways would be observed and that they should expect anything and everything.
Vector dreamed of Rey'elle that night. She was locked in ice high on the slopes of some mountain and he could not reach her. No matter how hard he tried, his feet could find no purchase on the rime slick slope that led up to her and all he could see clearly was her face frozen in a scream that never escaped her prison.
He yelled her name and awoke with a start as he realized his own voice had jarred him to wakefulness. He was shaken and covered with sweat and did not know if the universe was showing him something that he must yet seek or something that was beyond the possibility of him ever attaining.
He dropped his legs over the side of his bed and lowered his face into his hands. He would have cried if he still remembered how and he would continue to look for her, but not today or tomorrow, or…..the possibly finally dawned on him... not ever again.
While in flight, Vector showed Tus and one of the joiners how to operate the kolto tank and arranged syringes full of kolto, stims and sedatives in a row in one of the drawers, explaining the use for each one. If he survived, he might need medical care beyond what the nest could provide and Vector had started to appreciate one of Scorpio's favorite terms; contingencies.
He also went into great detail to explain to Tus that interference of any kind would not be tolerated. The fight was his and his alone, and Tus must remain neutral, no matter what happened.
Their small entourage was met by curiosity and nervous tension as they entered the meeting chamber of the Unu queen. Neither she nor her Night Herald was present but Vector had no doubt that their absence would quickly be remedied.
Not all of the hives were in attendance but news of their arrival had spread quickly and the chamber began to fill with joiners and killiks of the various nests, each inclining their heads in deference to the Oroboro queen as she stood patiently waiting.
'Stay calm, Vector' he heard her voice in his head. 'She hopes to unhinge us and make the grand entrance, it is her right but changes nothing.'
Vector stood straight as oak at his queen's side, hands locked behind his back and only his eyes moved as he scanned the room, listening to the quiet hum of low voices, the scrape of boots and feet against the stone floor as more hives entered from the side passages.
He caught sight of Lianna as she entered with Iesei but gave no indication that he saw or recognized her, like his queen, her warriors and Tus, he waited silently and unmoving.
The sudden silence was a material thing that could be held in the hand as the Unu queen finally arrived taking her place on her dais with her Night Herald positioning himself at her side.
"We welcome the queen of Oroboro but wonder why you have come. Is your new home not to your liking?" the Unu queen asked.
"The queen of the mother nest has come to check on the state of her children and to make an announcement," stated Vector's queen.
Unu's queen spread her four arms. "As you can see, all is well with the Colony, there was no need for your visit and what announcement could you possibly have to make in this place?"
Vector's queen took one step forward and he followed suit. "Wellness is evidently open to interpretation, we smell the beginning of rot at the core and now see the cause. And, the Dawn Herald of Oroboro has now become Dawn Herald to all nests."
The chamber clamored with voices at this announcement. The Unu queen glanced about the chamber as she yelled, "Silence!", then let her gaze halt when it reached Vector's queen.
"The queen of Oroboro oversteps her authority, she has no right without our consent."
"The queen of the mother nest has every right, as it has always been and his assignment was already approved years ago by all nests, or has Unu forgotten?"
"Kolosolok and Horoh have withdrawn their consent and Unu alone has the right to grant such a position. Your Dawn Herald declined this offer, we have granted the position of Herald to all of the Kind to our warrior, there cannot be two, you know what this means."
Vector's queen stepped backward, leaving him standing alone.
"We know what this means and we call out the Night Herald to decision by combat. May our blood determine the outcome," he stated clearly and calmly as he removed his staff from its harness and planted it by his side.
The Unu queen nodded to her champion and a toothy grin split the Night Herald's face as he removed the lightsaber from his belt, igniting it as he danced forward toward the middle of the chamber. To Vector's surprise, the blade was not red, as he expected, but had a white core bordered by pale green, a Jedi weapon.
"So be it," said Vector as he gripped his staff with both hands and strode forward watching the Night Herald swing his saber from side to side, listening to it buzz like mites in a swarm. He watched the man slightly bend his legs and leap at him, lightsaber brandished high above his head and Vector raised his staff to catch the downward blow on the spitcrete rod. The man spun left then right and Vector blocked both strikes.
The Night Herald continued to dance around Vector taking small, easily blocked swipes with his blade and then he spoke. "Vector Hyluss of the empire, do you recall Penham? A small agricultural and mining world sitting at the edge of Sith space. You were not a joiner when you came to our world, just the empires lapdog and harbinger of doom.
"The great diplomat, spreading empire lies and when Penham would not join, you bombed my world to ash. When we returned to Penham from Tython, nothing was left of our home, our family. Nothing was left, but in our search we found the fragment of a holo recording and it was your face. Your face!"
The man spun to the right pulling Vector in that direction to block, but just as quickly, he switched hands and came from the left drawing first blood as his blade cut through Vector's armor, slicing into the meat of his hip.
Vector countered with the fulcrum end of his staff catching the Night Herald in his mid-section then brought the trident end of the staff into play as the two points drove into the man's thigh, deep enough to hurt, to draw blood, but not enough to do any real damage.
The Night Herald began his dance again as well as his diatribe. "Hate quickly fills the empty places of a man's soul. We returned to Tython, we learned your name, but the hatred grew and we were no longer Jedi. We slaughtered all imperials we came across, we could not be Sith so we ran and both sides hunted us mercilessly. The Empire to kill us, the Jedi to cure us. Fools!"
Vector's eyes were suddenly filled with stone dust the man had pulled from the floor and hurled at his face. Partially blinded, Vector saw the man move but could not turn quickly enough as the Night Herald went airborne coming down behind him with a vicious downward slash that sliced through his armor opening his flesh the length of his shoulder blade.
He could feel the warm trickle of blood down his back and the sting of salt as sweat entered the wound. Both his back and hip were on fire now but pain was so easily pushed aside by adrenaline and resolve.
Vector managed to spin around and bring his staff under and up, ripping the end of his trident through the side armor, opening a gash along the Night Herald's ribs. The man moved back a few steps then advanced again, his lightsaber whirling so fast it created a solid disc of light in the air, Vector spun his staff in response and they clashed again, sparks flying and the saber's blade sizzling each time it struck.
The Night Herald's face fluctuated between the taunting grin and the frown of frustration as he backed off again and began his circling dance, calculating, evaluating. They continued this way, engaging, whirling, cutting, slicing and Vector was being bled little by little. What damage he had done to the Night Herald was negligible.
'He is toying with us,' thought Vector as he came to realize he could not win this fight and yet he could not give up, he fought for the Kind and for her and he was going to lose.
"At last you see," scoffed the Night Herald. "You will know our name before the killing blow, Karnis Mul at your service."
Vector felt the wave of energy hit his chest as he was lifted and thrown backward across the chamber, landing on his back, cracking his skull against the stone. He barely managed to roll to the side as the lightsaber pierced his chest, just inches above his heart.
Karnis had left himself open just enough that, even through the shock and pain, Vector managed to bring his staff up and hit the man in the side of the head, stunning him and knocking him away.
With his remaining strength, Vector fought to right himself, and with the aid of his staff, pull himself to his feet. He stood, slightly swaying as he watched Karnis gather himself for another attack when he heard the trilling inside his mind, the universe had answered his unuttered plea.
The universe had bestowed a gift, the Song of the Hunter. It filled every pore and strode across sinew and bone like a giant, it renewed his strength, gave him foresight into his opponent's intentions. He became one with the song, letting the melody carry him to an apex of perfect clarity and unwavering calm.
The pain was a distant annoyance and Vector stood straight and defiant, as the world around him centered solely on his opponent. He could see the man's aura shift colors and move a split second before the Night Herald's body followed suit. Vector saw nothing, heard nothing except the man before him, the song honed his senses, slowed time, gave him focus as each second ticked into the past.
Karnis saw some change in Vector he did not understand as he glided forward slicing left, then right then feinting left, right again as Vector blocked each blow easily. Karnis leapt backward and raised his hand pulling chunks of rock from the wall, hurtling them at Vector as he watched the Dawn Herald duck and sidestep each piece of debris. Killiks and joiners scurried out of the way and still Vector said nothing and did not move to attack.
Karnis' face twisted into a feral snarl. "We will watch the universe burn and your body will be at the center of the pyre. Have you nothing to say?"
"You talk too much," Vector replied as he finally began to move.
Twirling his staff faster and faster Vector seemed to float across the floor as he advanced on the Night Herald. They, once again, collided in the middle, ducking, dodging, weaving, whirling as they swung their weapons, blocking what they could, taking cuts and bruises when they could not.
Vector felt no pain or tiredness, he was something outside himself, letting the song move him, place him where he needed to be. When Karnis threw waves of force energy his way, he dropped to a lunge position letting the energy break around him like water around rock, riding the current backward then rising to his feet again.
Karnis called on the force, wrapped himself in the power, forgetting that one cannot corrupt a thing and so easily become its master and the darkness was new to him, it fought for control as he fought the Dawn Herald and a battle split cannot be won.
He had not yet fully accepted that to wear the darkness he had to become the darkness, a façade was simply not enough, the darkness did not pretend, it did not play the willing servant. It consumed.
Vector fed on a different power, not so easily divided between light and dark. It was immutable, immovable, as stolid as the universe itself, it wrote its own laws. They were evenly matched for a long time but the impatience of the darkness would be the deciding factor. What it could not control, it betrayed.
Karnis had over compensated on a riposte and Vector took the brief opening to bring the trident up under the ribcage and drive it upward into the chest of Karnis, taking no pleasure in seeing the shock in the man's eyes as the Night Herald gurgled blood from his mouth and fell.
Vector watched the lightsaber skitter away across the floor, the blade extinguished as he gazed down into the face of the dying man. Karnis' eyes begged for an end and Vector obliged, plunging the trident through the man's heart.
It was over, the song faded away and Vector's world went dark even as he reached for her face.