Dark Hunter's resolution.
Chapter 2: Dissention, premonition.
8th July 2901
Kalesrin system, Vaerakin, Leg'hul royal palace.
"The systems are falling one by one, and so far the dreadnought attacks have proved very successful. Our casualty rates among our armies are at an all time low in the battles waged there, and only one dreadnought has had to be recalled back for repairs after extensive battle damage. Apparently the Geiros system defensive fleet were more spirited then anticipated." Reported the hologram of Kro'nogri councillor Velaran. His voice was haughty, as if proud of himself.
The Kings and the higher council members were meeting in the war rooms, engaging in holo conference between the two separate homeworlds. Reports had come in of high success on the front lines as the dreadnoughts wiped away any fleet that dared attack them, and discussions of other matters concerning the war were the topic of today.
Leg'hrul councillor Dae'karya smirked, and said in her slightly iron clad voice: "I was confident that these new dreadnoughts were a good idea to finish construction. Our overconfidence and cancelation of the projects years earlier caused the war to be unnecessarily longer. If the UIP are smart, after a few more attacks, as we draw closer to the homeworlds, they shall surrender to our terms."
"And you could live with the murder of millions from these attacks, done and upcoming, on top of the millions already dead on both sides, let alone out own? These new dreadnoughts are manifested war crimes. While I cannot deny the safety of our own people by using these weapons, I feel uncomfortable about the slaughter we are unleashing upon the UIP races." Objected Leg'hrul councillor Zai'aran.
Scowling, Kro'nogri councillor Velaran stated snidely: "So you would rather have the continuation of bloody, conventional warfare, to simply let your sense of dignity be kept intact by waging war the honourable way? In case it hasn't occurred to you Zai'aran, there is no honour in war. Do you think the dead millions of our military personnel care for honour, when losing it could prevent so much more death?"
"I simply don't want to replace the deaths we would sustain with the deaths of UIP troopers. They are people too, hate them as you might. I am not siding with them, I simply see that if we wage war this way, we may win, but at the cost of the soul of our species. What will our descendants think when they look back on this?" Argued Zai'aran.
Before more dispute could erupt, Kro'nogri king Lo'rath barked out: "Enough! This dispute is detracting from the topic. We still must address the growing violence and more brutal methods being used by the NKI to spread anarchy throughout the Alliance."
Agreeing, Councillor Velaran brought up a news page: "Six days ago a man, a forger and weapons smuggler named Gare'nas, a former Underworld Guild agent, was found dead in his VIP box in the Nal'harran central stadium. Reports from the police confirm the presence of 3 humans later escaping by a temporary hostage situation. He brought up a photo of Xale, Lexa and Raxler holding the two Leg'hrul in the street: However, confirmation from a leaked source shows that NKI leaders Kirth, La'kias, and Sha'krii were present there, collaborating with an agent to commit the kill."
"It seems your sister is resorting to more violent means, your majesty. If I might offer, perhaps she is getting desperate." Offered Councillor Zai'aran. With a suspicious look, Councillor Dae'karya remarked aloud: "She is strong willed and intelligent. She would not resort to such visible means unless it served an ulterior motive."
"You believe she may be planning something with the other leaders?" Asked Rho'kis. From the moment he saw Sha'krii's involvement, he thought the same, but he now was beginning to not like where this conversation was headed.
"The NKI is a splinter group, their strength lies in the popular support, but they themselves are rather small in actual arms forces when compared to those forces still loyal to us. I suggest perhaps attacking them, to force them underground." Suggested Dae'karya.
"And invite further violence from the masses in outrage? I think not. The situation is delicate enough as it is. The homeworlds are stable, but the rest of the Alliance sees instability everywhere. We have already had to abandon Konurich station to the rebels, we daren't meet there without substantial military guard. Leave them, they are cowards, who will run and hide, but will always return. Once this war ends by the dreadnoughts, we can focus on them." Said Councillor Velaran.
"Agreed. Any objections?" Asked King Lo'rath, satisfied with the meeting. Rho'kis shook his head, no disagreement. With that, the meeting was adjourned.
Walking out of the war room, Rho'kis saw them time was very late in the night. He began to head to his private quarters, but snuck a glance at the two departing vehicles out in the palace courtyard through a window.
Councillor Dae'karya was ruthless and efficient in her judgements and proposals, which made her valuable. However, her contempt for those she viewed as of less significance then herself, and her lack of moral values when proposing war technology or tactics, as seen with the Varya and KI branch, was somewhat disturbing.
Councillor Zae'aran on the other hand was the opposition to the war. He was younger, more idealistic, but made many valid points. Rho'kis preferred him over Dae'karya, but the man lacked enough courage to truly speak out against the war. Of course he would likely be seen as a traitor if he did.
Kro'nogri Councillor Verakan was much the same as Dae'karya, though in his war favour, he would by nature stick to conventional means, unless in the case of the dreadnoughts, they proved very effective. He was as ruthless as Dae'karya, but had more influence, yet slightly less ambition.
King Lo'rath was the issue though. Having come to power at age 12, he was a minor for 4 years until he could fully rise to power. Dae'karya and Verakan had been in their respective councils since after the original council was killed 20 years before, having seen constant stance due to their effectiveness. Their policies of war seemed to have rubbed off on Lo'rath, for even the ambitious prince Rho'kis had known 16 years before would not authorize some of the things he did.
To maintain relations and the economic support the Leg'hrul worlds needed from the Kro'nogri worlds, and the other way around also, Rho'kis complied with any authorization, unless extremely adamant it was against such things. He had voiced protest to the Varya station, but had submitted due to persuasion from his council and Lo'rath. It seemed that Rho'kis was playing the underdog, a second, lower king. Lo'rath was more ambitious, more influential. Like Councillor Zae'aran, King Rho'kis faced opposition he could not easily overcome.
To this point, the challenge of the NKI, led by none other than his former fiancé, and once a great love, seemed to be welcome. It was at least easier to deal with however he did so.
With a light groan, Rho'kis sat down on the bed, climbing beneath the high thread count covers, his joints aching from the day's work. Beside him, Queen Ye'reski shuffled over, her wing enveloping his shoulders and head as he laid back on the pillow.
Leaning over him slightly, she nuzzled into his bushy neck feathers, murmuring: "What was the meeting about?"
"The dreadnought programme is still causing the councils to argue about ethical issues. Zae'aran is as adamant as ever. The more important matter was actually more simple. The NKI might be planning something, we don't know what, but Shak'rii helped lead an assassination and data theft on Nal'harran city." He said.
Silence held both the rulers, before Ye'reski asked: "You seem to be tense by Shak'rii's name." The sigh of her husband told all. He turned to her, and said: "I gave up on her long ago, and I'm glad I did, otherwise I'd have never met you. But, seeing her still brings back some memories, especially of the day she left."
Nestling into his neck feathers, Yel'reski whispered: "She made her choice to leave. I know you doubt her guilt, and I find it questionable too. Just, don't let her get to you. As you said, the problem of her and the NKI is actually easier to contend with than your infighting co ruler and councils."
This earned a small laugh from Rho'kis, who then enfolded Yel'reski's form in one wing. He whispered gently to the nodding off Yel'reski: "Good night my queen."
8th July 2901
Alpha Centuari, Pandora, Omaticaya hometree
The dreams had all happened between the three of them, most strongly with the Tsa'hik.
The Tsa'hik Mel'sity, and her two assistants Firi'sry and Tsu'kal, a male Na'vi, had been receiving the same dream from Eywa, with the same message embedded into the dream. Mentions of the eastern seas, the Ikran clans, and the mountain cliffs along the coast. The Kahtra'ya clan. Known for the jagged cliffs it was situated on, living off the sea life, and taming the sea Ikran, smaller but more agile than the mountain Ikran the Omaticaya used.
The dream continually mentioned a name, a deceased clan member's name. Bal'toro, who journeyed off world to uncover the truth, but was killed when one secret he found was too well guarded. His body had long been claimed by the earth, but his memories still were there at the clan's nearby network hub site.
In the planetary neural network, memories stored were easily accessed at the point where they were stored, otherwise a person would have to navigate the network to find them. With that, they risked mentally loosing themselves, and slipping into a permanent coma.
The dream stated to travel there, and arrive by the next season's beginning, in roughly 4 months. Eywa wasn't clear, merely whispering through the wind and collective voices that Bal'toro, even in death, would have his memories play a crucial role in off world events, and that Tsu'kal, and morespecifically Firi'sry, were needed to travel to the Kahtra'ya clan. Nothing more was said.
To keep with tradition, they would use their Ikran to fly there, despite the advantages of the shuttle they could trade passage with. At that point, the Tsa'hik agreed to send Tsu'kal and Firi'sry on their way to the Kahtra'ya clan just over 3 and a half months from now, ready to arrive at the Kahtra'ya clan on time with the changing season.
Ironically, they wouldn't notice it there, as the Kahtra'ya clan was situated within 2 miles of an active volcano. A mountainous, albeit gently active volcano.
Walking up hometree to her hammock, Firi'sry was tired from the day's hunting, a rarer occasion for her, and the teaching of the younger hunters. Circling up the spiral branches, she stopped short at one spot.
Walking slowly, she came to a ledge, with an opening, looking out at the entire rainforest below. It had been years, but Firi'sry could still remember watching from afar as Alex came here to brood, and to gaze mournfully out at the world that his parents restricted him from for his protection.
Times like this, Firi'sry found herself missing both of her children. Like a parent should, she had eventually, with help from H'nuptec and Eywa, learnt to at least forgive Alex for murdering her mate. However, she knew that the path he walked was dark, but more critically, far from over. It saddened her that her two children had been driven into a war between one another, even if after the Varya battles their tensions had diminished.
But Firi'sry had hope for Alex's return. She was proud of his involvement in a rebellion in the Alliance. He was helping a poverty stricken people, tried of a war they did not want, and had aligned himself with powerful individuals to do so. They may not be Na'vi, or human, or UIP, but Alex was still going out of his way to help the masses, in his own unique way.
Smiling briefly to herself, Firi'sry tried to imagine Alex sitting here once more, with Sru'sky and herself by his side, gazing out at the rainforest canopy many metres below. It was an ideal, pleasant thought, but fleeting nonetheless.
Tracing a hand over the bark floor of the spot, Firi'sry trudged up the tree to her hammock, eager to sleep, and maybe to have some more clarification of the vision dreams Eywa was giving her and Tsu'kal.
Later that night.
Another vision, this one a dream in her sleep.
Firi'sry found herself stood on a cliff edge, overlooking a jagged coast, with a village down below on a plateau. The Kahtra'ya clan used tents and wood to build more permanent homes, one of the few clans that did not live in a hometree, or in some cases, caves. The village was lifeless though, and yet untouched, the fishing boats and firepits abandoned.
Her vision then tunnelled, zooming towards a volcanic ridgeline about a mile away, the runny lava flows creating vast clouds of steam as they flowed from magma vents, and entered the sea, adding to the blackened, new landscape.
Before she reached the volcanically growing shore, she saw two other ghostly Na'vi flying alongside her. H'nuptec was on her left, casting her glances of reassurance, and gesturing towards the shore, and to the Na'vi on the right. On her right was an unknown Na'vi, one who seemed to wear drastically different tribal markings and clothing, wearing fish teeth and some fish armour as shoulder and torso protector.
As they landed on the volcanic shore, before Firi'sry could ask anything, the whole sight blurred into a black and greyish landscape, everything but herself, H'nuptec and the unknown Na'vi male was blurred now.
Then, from above, the sky clouded over, in an overcast of grey clouds, as a spectre like shape blazed over the shore in a smoky, flying stream, fleeing from two pursuing smoky trails of similar shape, but different colour. The first trail carried a dark grey colour, but had a shining green light inside.
Connected to that light, was a wire thin tendril of similar green light, connecting to the queue of the unknown Na'vi male ghost beside her. As the grey trail flew off at breakneck speeds over the volcanic landscape, the two other trails, one a black with a strong, red glowing centre, the other a pale blue with a white centre, chased after it with haste, drawing in aggressively.
Then, overhead, a massive shape, then 2, then 4, then more, appeared in the sky, blocking out the light from what little sunlight from the twin stars and Polyphemus there was. Massive, wedge shapes, with long bodies, that began raining fire and death on worlds distant from here.
Whispers of the green light that the grey smoke was stealing, claiming it was a crucial piece to the end of suffering. The male Na'vi spoke, but his mouth was silent, but the meaning clear: "Salvage what remains, and the truth will make sense of all things."
The male Na'vi disappeared, and H'nuptec smiled briefly, flashing his canines at her, his blue skin flashing brighter, before he too disappeared, just as the dreamscape began to darken. His last whisper: "We're never apart, just harder to link together. Practice communicating with me, and it will benefit with others who need it."
In the real world, Firi'sry stirred in her hammock, silently pledging such practice of her mental bonding with the network, and at least the one inhabitant she wanted to speak to more often.
Little did she know that does skills she developed would be very useful later.
9th July 2901
Ba'hras system, planet Dev'ral, peragoth colony.
"How could you forget!" Se'rie was incredibly annoyed at Alex, who was currently back stepping in shock.
The two of them had agreed to meet in a local restaurant. They had just returned to the Ba'hras system, for Se'rie and Norstith to re-immerse themselves in a familiar environment, and for some shore leave for the much of the NKI crew they were associated with. However, it was only the two of them in the restaurant, with only a few other patrons at their table booths.
Now normally being alone together would be pleasant, yet somehow, that was not the case today. It all started with Se'rie asking Alex if he knew what was important about that day. He replied he was unsure. That was a mistake.
"Wait, what!" Asked Alex, in slight alarm. Groaning in annoyance, Se'rie said: "What happened a year ago from today!" Wracking his mind, Alex replied: "Uh, I went to teach some cadets at the local school here, or roughly now."
Se'rie's anger was immediately replaced by confusion: "That was less than a year ago."
"No, it was a year ago. 365 days ago, give or take a few days." Replied Alex. Se'rie said simply: "A standard year is 406 days."
"…..what? I thought a year was 365 days, that's what I always saw and used in, the, UIP. Damn." Alex realized his mistake. Se'rie's face lightened a bit, her beak curving upwards in amusement.
Thinking, Alex did the arithmetic. That would put the date she was referring to as nearly 1 and a half months earlier. A few moments passed, and only one significant event stood out there.
"Oh shit! Se'rie I'm so sorry I forgot! I just was used to a different dating system, and the times, and I was very busy, and I was away on a mission on the date I thought was our anniversary, shit, shit, shit." Alex began worrying profusely, until Se'rie seized him by the shoulders and shushed him.
"OK, OK, calm down. Please, don't get so worked up about it. I wondered why you seemed a bit down that day, and also why you were so much kinder to me than usual, but you never said anything."
"I thought you already knew."
"My silly human. Don't assume things like that. But I guess I'll let it go this time." She guided him into their table, where menus were selected digitally via a touch screen menu on the tabletop.
Slightly downcast, Alex sat next to her, muttering: "If I'd known, I'd have planned something. Instead you had to do everything. Why can I plan military directives, but not tackle a simple data and timing issue? I'm an idiot."
Cupping his cheek with her wing talons, Se'rie turned his head to face her: "You're not an idiot, but you are too hard on yourself. That's your biggest weakness. You made a mistake, its what happens in life. And besides, I only organized the booking and everything, its not like you'd know this town very well after only a three month stay."
"No argument there. Let's order."
Sure enough, Alex and Se'rie entered an order, one of a shared plate of meat slices, and an large side of vegetables, at least large by Leg'hrul or Kro'nogri standards. Vegetables were mainly for the flavour, and the Kro'nogri were partial vegetarians, but they mainly derived their food from meat. Alex was an omnivorous species to the fullest extent, and he needed vitamins and minerals, even if only his torso and head were organic still.
Alex spied the waiter approaching with their food, and their drinks on a separate holder. Se'rie then leant into him, saying: "Oh, by the way, we'll split the bill."
The food was delicious, and talk soon turned to their lives before the entire mess of either the war, KI, or in Se'rie's case, confinement to planet Dev'ral began. Se'rie retold of an incident with her first flight, at age 5 and a half:
"Yeah, so Leg'hrul don't start flying until we're 5 years old, and even then it takes up to a year or so to get it right. I was out with my mother, we were using a deep snow drift hill, for a soft landing and all. So I took off, I was flapping like crazy, unstable, but I was flying. And wouldn't you know it, as I begin to turn back to the hill, this huge gust of wind comes from nowhere and blows me towards the hill. I hit the snow drift hard, hurt my head, and I was so embarrassed."
Laughing a bit, Alex commented: "Yeah well, better than what I was doing at that same time probably. I was about 6 years old, I'd finally seen I could possibly use the indoor exercise equipment, rocks on rope pulleys, weights, and so on, to strengthen myself. I was a little ambitious one day, just a few months after I started. I tried to lift a weight beyond my ability. I bring it off the hooks above my head, and next thing I know its choking me, weighing down on my chest, near crushing my ribs. I got it off and to the side about a minute after. Teach me to be ambitious I guess."
"You worked out a lot? I always was a bit jealous of other races, ones able to lift heavy weights, and take more hits. We Leg'hrul are too fragile." Admitted Se'rie. Alex lightly stroked her enfolded wing feathers, commenting: "Well, you have to give up some things to be as fast or sharp minded as your kind are, let alone be able to fly."
"So the world you grew up on, Pandora wasn't it? What was it like precisely, anything I'd like?" Se'rie asked, shuffling closer to Alex, nearly leaning into his side.
"Well, the air is quite thick, so it'd be good for your flying I guess, unless you've not been treated to process the toxins in the air, like hydrogen sulphide."
"Oh, we've got treatments, but I haven't had them or inherited them." Se'rie said.
"Right. Besides the poison air, the gravity is noticeably less, and the world's actually a moon, orbiting a large gas giant, with a much more populated moon nearby, Keletari. Anywhere I've been on Pandora is either rainforest, magnetically suspended mountains or colonies." Said Alex. He then asked: "What's you're home like, you're species homeworld. I've never been to my birth home, also the human homeworld, ever."
Se'rie was surprised. He had never been to his birth planet, despite all the travelling he had done. She spoke simply: "Well, I've only ever been to nearby colonies before all this mess with the NKI started. I've not been to Vaerakin myself."
Enfolding her body in one arm, Alex nuzzled the top of her head crest, tickling the sensitive feathers, causing her to emit a rumbling, purring chirp: "Maybe when the war ends, as it will likely do so in the next year or 2 I bet, if things calm down, maybe we could visit both Earth and Vaerakin. Just the two of us."
Craning her head towards his neck, Se'rie lightly open mouth kissed the side, gently licking his skin in the brief instant, a surprisingly pleasant thing for him to receive, which Leg'hrul commonly exchanged. Nestling her head into the crook of his neck, beneath his chin, she whispered: "I'd like that. No more war, just visiting some places important to us. Places we haven't been before."
"Let's just make sure the Alliance isn't stupid enough to render too many worlds in the UIP uninhabitable with the dreadnoughts before we do that." Commented Alex. Se'rie's expression became downcast, she was ashamed of the decision the Alliance had taken in instigating and continuing that expensive and horrendously savage ship programme:
"I'm sorry. I know you might not necessarily like some of the UIP, but I know what's happening to them is hurting you. You think we can beat those things, or stop the war before they do too much damage?" She asked, her voice a pondering whisper.
"I've destroyed a dreadnought already, but that was slightly less advanced, and I won't be able to sneak aboard in plain sight, and commit false suicide on all of the ones out there. I actually thought we had a chance by careful military coordination, before the dreadnoughts emerged." Alex admitted.
Around them, the restaurant was growing quiet, the dinner rush ending. Se'rie saw the inner pain Alex held at the mention of the hopeless situation, and found a way to boost both of their spirits: "Well, if it goes as planned, there will be no denying that you'll have redeemed yourself of anything you regret doing in the war. If it wasn't for your sabotage of the KI fleet, and the Varya operations, the UIP might have fallen, and the Alliance would be dragged into more trouble trying to maintain control of them. If anyone deserves recognition, its you."
"I had a lot of help over the years. I couldn't do any of it alone. I've made lots of allies, gone further to challenge the Alliance than any of my race or of the UIP, that and Shockwave, and I've got many reliable friends in the Alliance. I've been living my life more out here than I ever did in the UIP. I guess being betrayed will teach you to value who your true friends are, who you can trust." He looked at her with great fondness.
"And also who you can turn to if you ever need help, or just some support. We all need that at some point in our lives. Funny, a year and a half ago I'd have never thought I'd have a cute human boyfriend, let alone be involved in a revolutionary force." Se'rie lightly stroked Alex's chin, tickling his skin with her talons. Alex replied in a dazed tone, finding the tickling of his chin pleasant: "Life throws a lot of unknowns at you. I've learnt to never assume anything alone. Prepare, but don't believe for one second things will turn out how you think."
Se'rie looked at him, giggling slightly, saying: "Take life as it goes, and be ready to adapt? I like it." As she finished, a shiver ran down her spine as Alex began scratching beneath her head crest feathers with his hand, a very sensitive, stimulating part of the Leg'hrul body. Cheekily, Alex said: "Were you expecting that?"
"Sneaky human." Se'rie retorted, playfully and lightly smacking his shoulder. With just as much cheek as before, she then said:
"No, I wasn't expecting it. But, maybe we can make this trip more memorable, improvise later on, in more private conditions." Her tone was highly suggestive, and Alex was immediately liking where this was headed.
Se'rie noticed his look, and laughed a bit: "Hold on big boy, I said later. We've got much more to do before we get to that."
Second chapter up. The first major campaign will take place soon, but first the return to New Earth.
As I said, Earth and Pandora will have much more integral parts in this story, though in later chapters, not quite yet.
Please leave reviews, I need feedback for improvements or anything of the like, or just anything to get an idea of the impression I'm leaving on readers.