Category: Story

Iriop (Caveman Chronicles)

~ I. Graham Smith ~ Leave a comment

The Index -|-

Kpleeb yawned and stretched before swinging his hairy feet over the side of his sleeping sling. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and tapped his console to display the fleet’s status.

[Fourteen hours.]

The map showed that the closest Xi orb with a terminal, Iriop, was close after a long and tiresome journey. Kpleeb stretched again, this time standing and bending at the waist. Sleeping in a Xi sling caused his spine to ache, and he was irritable because of it.

[Almost five months stuck inside this bucket is far too much. I can’t live like this!]

He poked his belly and grimaced. “I need to spend more time practicing with the warriors.” With a shake of his head, he tapped his console again to contact Zara.

“Greetings, pater-unit,” said Zara with a smile. Her curly, brown hair shaking as she turned toward his view.

“Pater-unit?”

Zara laughed. “It’s a joke. Kanta was telling me a story from her childhood, and her Da was named Pater, and… well anyways. It’s just a joke.”

Kpleeb nodded and chose to move on. “Did you see that we are finally nearing Iriop? I was thinking that we need to start using the terminals. The travel time is just too long.”

Zara nodded. “Da, I’ve consulted the Xih viewer triangle, and I see a number of objects near Iriop. They might be Xi ships. We need to prepare to attack the moment we can. We can see them first, but they will also see us as we draw near.”

Kpleeb thought for a moment. “Have the two newer ships completed their kerflk shell?”

Zara nodded. “Yes, both are covered. It’s a slow process.”

“It’s a slow trip,” Kpleeb complained. “If we used the terminals in the future, we would instantly arrive and regain the element of surprise. The Xi would also be able to surprise us, but we can work on a strategy for that.”

“I’ve had a conversation with Oiitr about the terminals and learned some things. I will need to spend some time near a terminal to determine if there is some way I can tap into the slipnet. Perhaps we can use the terminal closest to Iriop?”

“Yes, maybe. We also need to decide how we retrieve and repair more of the Xi ships.” Kpleeb shrugged. “With the terminal nearest Jorqu destroyed, it will take too much time to bring ships there to repair and train the Ganix before they join the fleet.”

“Da, we need a safe place to do this. You’re right though. Perhaps we can find a place on Iriop that will be suitable for repairing ships. We need to focus on this cluster of vessels at Iriop for now.”

“Do you think we should change our course and avoid them? I think with kerflk and our numbers, we have the upper hand.”

After a long moment Zara replied. It is concerning, but we should be able to win. Anyway, with the terminal at their disposal, they can easily be waiting at any of the other orbs if we change course. For now, they are not prepared for us, but the more we fight the Xi and they learn our ways, the more our advantage will dwindle.”

Kpleeb nodded. “It’s settled then.”

###

“Huwt, fire as quickly as possible!” Kpleeb bellowed. The floor of the Greki’s command center buckled under him, and he staggered and held onto one of the slings with a death-grip.

The Ganix warrior Zara had assigned as Greki’s gunner did not reply, but Kpleeb saw his fingers rapidly manipulating the controls. Bolt after bolt of twisted blue fire was emitted and sped toward the largest of the Xi XC-class vessels. The Greki shuddered again, and a thin, acrid smoke began to emanate from under one of the red-tiered devices.

“Oiitr. We will die if you do not avoid these attacks.” Kpleeb’s forehead broke out in a sweat. He eyed the internal sensors and shook his head.

“Yes, Builder,” said Oiitr. “The engines are slow to respond because most of the power is used by the weapon systems. The XC-class ship is now disabled and drifting.”

Kpleeb bared his teeth. [The kerflk has finally killed its engines.]

Ahead of the Greki on the far side of the largest Xi ship, Kpleeb could see a vortex of the smaller, XF-class ships rapidly spewing bolts at each other. He tapped to zoom and saw that there were in fact four Xi ships and two of Kpleeb’s that were easily recognized by the kerflk that covered their hulls. One of his own, the Haartik, was venting atmosphere into the void while valiantly dodging all that it could.

[Haartik was captured at Liret. This crew is still inexperienced.] He sighed. [You must survive!]

The vortex broke apart as the Haartik responded to a flurry of bolts by exploding violently into pieces. The other kerflk covered ship fired upon one of the Xi ships, causing it to impact its nearest neighbor and spin away from the group engulfed in flames where oxygen vented from a puncture in its hull. In a moment, it too broke apart, and its neighbor also spun through a hail of blue bolts and disintegrated.

Huwt barked a Ganix curse and slapped his console in a surprising show of emotion. “Need faster!”

The large XC-class Xi ship began to crumble under a hail of weapon-fire as its engines failed to provide any ability to avoid the onslaught. “We must keep our distance!” Kpleeb was thrown backward into the nearest red-tiered device, and he felt a sharp pain. The Greki’s display flickered as it attempted to reduce the instantly bright glare of the XC’s demise. “Maintain focus!” he commanded. “We are not done yet.”

“There is just one Xi ship left, Da,” came Zara’s voice over the comms. “Please help. The Hsstak is unable to fire at this time.”

Kpleeb stood carefully holding his side that burned with a dull, throbbing pain. “We are still fighting. Huwt, target that remaining ship!”

The Greki turned over on its back and pursued the final Xi ship. It appeared to be trying to putting Iriop between it and Kpleeb’s fleet. “All ships, target that XF with kerflk and bolts.” It must not be allowed to escape.”

After a short flurry of attacks, the final Xi ship was destroyed, and Kpleeb began to take stock of his fleet.

Later he addressed his fleet solemnly via broadcast. “We lost four ships and many of our companions. The Jiti with my Hkkli friend, Nairo and his crew, Haartik with Kiz and his warriors, Giuk with Kopi and his warriors, and Jelit with Roaty and his crew. They will be missed, and… I promise that we will learn from this fight. The Xi will pay for what they’ve done. For now, the Greki will go to the orb and destroy their communication hubs.”

Two hours later, Zara called Kpleeb and her face was bruised. “Da, were there any extra ships on Iriop?”

Kpleeb shook his head. “None. I think they had launched all that they had and brought even more via the terminal. How could they know we were going to Iriop? Are you sure they cannot see us from a great distance? And what happened to your face?!”

Zara shook her head. “It’s nothing. The Hsstak was hit quite badly, and I fell. I am fairly certain the Xi cannot see us coming. The only thing that makes sense is that we targeted the nearest orb with a terminal, and they were able to predict this.”

“Well, I didn’t want to spend another month on the ship,” Kpleeb grumbled angrily.

“Me neither, Da. If we start using the terminals instead, we will have quicker travel, and our destination will be less obvious. I expect that the Xi have been informed of our success and will send another fleet here soon. We should leave as soon as the ships are repaired.

Kpleeb nodded thoughtfully. “Oiitr showed me the map, and there are three terminals within reach. I have chosen Wieh as our destination because I think Giale would be where the Xi would expect us to go. There we will stop and analyze the terminal and repair our ships as best as we can.”

Zara nodded thoughtfully.

“By the way, Zara. Do you think I should dress differently when going to visit the Iteek?”

“Uh,” said Zara with a confused look on her face.

“You know, like a ceremonial robe or something that shows my position as a leader.”

“I don’t know, Da. Why?”

Kpleeb grimaced and pushed his shaggy hair away from his face. “I- I feel like the Xi leaders look down on me. They clearly do not respect me.”

“You are alien to them. The Xi can’t help but see you as a slave. Dressing differently won’t make any difference. Only actions will convince them to respect you.”

“I suppose you’re right. You are wise for your age, my dear. Thank you. Let’s go toward Wieh now.” Kpleeb disconnected and issued the order to travel to the terminal nearest Wieh and they were under way.

[My girl is right. The Xi know nothing except action. They know me as nothing except a slave. They come to kill no matter that I saved their people on Liret. They’ve done nothing but destroy and steal and harm. The only way to stop them is to do the same.]

Liret (Caveman Chronicles)

~ I. Graham Smith ~ Leave a comment

The Index -|-

The Hsstak quivered slightly, and as the door to her cabin slid closed, there was a faint high-pitched laugh followed by a quickly fading wail.

Zara woke abruptly and sat straight up in her sling causing it to sway gently. The room was dark, with only the glow of a slowly-pulsing icon on the side of her red-tiered device that acted as a beacon.

“Lights.”

The ambient light increased in a linear fashion until it reached a soothing luminosity. Zara reached out and tapped her device a few times causing cascading data points to slide through the air in front of her. The report was momentary and it revealed nothing unexpected.

[Bad dream… again.]

She sighed and reached out for Qon. The silky, golden thread instantly coating her fingers like an old friend. As if it read her mind, the thread slipped into the red device and activated her sensor net. An explosion of light expanded as the data cloud grew larger and encompassed more and more space in Zara’s room.

She took it all in. There were miniscule threads of Qon in every piece of aji, and her palms glowed with a sheen that would be invisible to anyone else. The colors wriggled as it curved around her palm. Zara turned her hand and directed a thread at the silvery triangle on the floor. She had found a way to activate the Xih device using only Qon. The thread wended its way forward and touched the shiny surface as it had done many times before. The silver flickered as it always did in an erratic way. It was as if it fought Qon’s caress.

The Xih silvery triangle began to glow but did not activate. The golden thread blunted and Zara responded by applying more force. The thread quivered, resisting her pressure and seemingly malforming itself to avoid penetrating the Xih triangle.

Zara growled slightly under her breath. “What is the problem here?” With an extra, momentary exertion, the silvery triangle activated and the column of shimmering light appeared. The center dot representing the Hsstak was slowly approaching a pale blue dot indicating the Xi controlled orb named Liret.

[Just another few hours until we arrive. Perhaps I should go check on the crew.]

She clambered to her feet and tousled her hair with her hands to shake it into place. In a few more moments she stepped into the Hsstak’s command center.

“How is everything going?”

Kanta’s helmet water sloshed as she answered. “The builder’s fleet is almost to Liret. Estimated time, 2 hours and thirty-five minutes until orbit. The Builder wishes to have a conference with you before arrival.” Her fins tapped the console, and a standard view of the Hsstak’s place in the void appeared. All ten of Kpleeb’s ships appeared on the view. Each was tagged with its name.

Zara nodded. “I will speak to Da. Please let me know when we approach Liret.”

###

Later, Zara looked down on Liret as the Hsstak descended. The orb’s oceans carried a ruddy tinge that made the orb glow in a way she had never seen. She spoke her curiosity. “Viinox, what makes Liret so orange?”

Viinox’s response came back after a short moment. “The warm waters of Liret in combination with the natural algae make the oceans appear in shades of red and orange. The land masses on Liret consist primarily of island chains covering only 15 percent of Liret’s surface. The village we are approaching is named Cizriwn and it contains roughly one-point-seven-two million Xi.”

“Thank you, Viinox. I love learning this new information.”

Her Da’s plan was simple, and though Zara did not know exactly why, she knew that he was testing new ways of conquering. [He needs time and experience to fully become the Builder. He will make mistakes, but he is a good and noble caveman that wishes the best for everyone. I just need to protect him while he learns.]

The seven XF configuration ships in the fleet would land in the center of the largest village. It was here that Viinox and Oiitr had identified the Iteek’s office in a large Xi structure. The ships would disgorge the warriors and conquer the local authorities. Any Xi that resisted would naturally be captured or killed. Then the hubs facilitating communication between Liret and the rest of the Xi empire would be destroyed. Kpleeb’s monitoring devices would be scattered throughout the villages on the orb so as to provide a warning in the event the Xi reestablished communications or decided to rise up against his rule.

“Prepare to land,” came Kpleeb’s voice over the comms.

The Hsstak settled to the ground with a sigh and a gentle bump. The exit door ahead of Zara jolted open revealing a brightly-lit hard surface. Her eight Ganix warriors led by Tiv sprinted out and created a semi-circle around the entrance with their lightning spears at the ready. Zara activated her personal shield and stepped outside.

The area where they had landed was huge. Impossibly tall structures with a lak-like sheen struck into the sky above her, and she felt terribly small. It was dusk. The light from Liret’s star was tinged with blue and shone through the horizon at an angle. Dozens, perhaps hundreds of Xi stood in small groups all over the open area and more approached from all directions. There was a stampede of Hkkli footfall from across the open space and many of the Xi turned to stare at the many strangers.

Zara turned as a small group of figures from the nearest structure began to walk toward them. Her Da and a group of Hkkli also approached from her left. Zara stepped to her Da’s side as the group of Xi stopped a dozen paces from them.

Viinox’s voice spoke quietly from her side. “The Iteek is there, and they have not yet activated a distress signal.”

[Viinox must be nervous, but its job is to create uncertainty long enough for us to take control.]

“The Iteek is named Oliit. It asks about our purpose here.”

Her Da raised his hand and then spoke loudly. “I am Kpleeb, also known as the Builder. I wish to speak to the Iteek, I believe its name is Oliit.” He smiled fiercely. “Identify yourself.”

One Xi dressed in long, blue robes stepped out from the group. “I am Oliit,” it called.

Kpleeb and Nairo stepped forward confidently until they were face to face with Oliit.

“Oliit wishes to know why I do not respond,” said Viinox.

“Tell it that the Builder speaks for this group.” Zara smiled slightly. “I trust you, Viinox. We do not wish to kill these Xi.”

Oliit’s head tilted sideways slightly as if considering. “What does the Builder desire from our poor outpost on Liret?”

Kpleeb smiled calmly. “I wish to visit your office, high- uh, eminence. Will you invite us in and speak with me about an alliance?”

Oliit’s neck slits fluttered momentarily as it appeared to consider the request. Finally, it lifted its chin in a regal manner and turned toward the nearby structure. “Come.” Without waiting, the Iteek and its large group of consorts moved gently forward.

Zara watched the whole exchange with interest. [What must it be thinking? Doesn’t it feel suspicious? Perhaps they are confident in their power, though surely this is the first non-Xi that has approached them in this manner.]

Her Da motioned for her to follow, and within another ten minutes they had entered into a large triangle room within the large structure. There was a small dais at one end of the room and next to the dais was suspended a single, ornate sling. Oliit sat silently in the sling and then gestured to Kpleeb. “Please describe this alliance you seek.”

Kpleeb smiled grandly and raised his arms. “The Xi have harmed me and my family greatly. I am here to become the ruler of Liret.” He looked at Oliit seriously now. “If you submit to my leadership, you and your people will live and flourish.”

Zara felt Viinox tense at her side, and she grasped Qon quickly.

Two of the Xi attendants next to Oliit dropped to their knees and pulled flat, oval objects out of their pale robes. A pair of the closest Hkkli fell immediately as if struck by an invisible hand.

As Zara reacted, her Da stepped forward and back handed one of the Xi. Its head whipped back and the recoil threw its body into Oliit who was just beginning to cower away from the attacks. The other Xi began to respond but was struck in the chest with a lightning bolt. By the time the second attacker hit the floor, the first Xi began to dissolve into dust.

Zara clenched her fists and pulled the aji out of the walls with thick tendrils of Qon. In her ears there was a ripping sound as the room plunged into darkness. Pulses of lightning flashed, and then she felt her shield flex with a strong hit. Her breath was forced from her chest momentarily and she released her grip. The lights in the space flickered on and Zara saw Oliit lifting a crystal glove toward her.

Qon leapt ahead of her in anticipation. “Da!” she cried and lifted her hand toward Oliit. An invisible golden spear shot out and impaled its body. “No! I need to question it!” Zara shouted. Qon lashed out again, and Zara tightened her grip and pulled. It was too late.

With a flurry of kicks, Nairo and two other Hkkli finished off the remaining Xi. Zara’s Da knelt next to Oliit’s body as its neck slits ceased to move. He shook his head and looked up at her. “I was hoping it would help us run this orb.”

“I’m sorry, Da,” said Zara looking down at her feet. “Things got out of hand.” At that moment, she remembered the communication hub.

“Viinox, take Kanta and go disable the hub quickly.” Viinox began to move toward the door.

“Nairo, take one of your warriors and make sure Viinox is protected.” Her Da stood and looked again at Zara. “It seems like no matter how much I try, the Xi insist on testing my patience. Let’s go outside.”

Zara and her Da soon stepped out and stopped where the group of Hkkli and Ganix warriors cautiously watched the still growing number of Xi that stood outside.

Her Da touched his necklace and raised his right hand. His voice echoed with power. “People of Liret, I am your new supreme ruler. I come to rule peacefully. If you resist me, I will throw your riaat into the red ocean.”

There was a ripple in the crowd at his offensive words.

“I gave Oliit a chance, and it chose poorly. I have disabled Liret’s connection to the core. There will be no Xi vessels visiting your world for a long time. Now, I give you the same choice. Choose a new Iteek. Live in peace, flourish, and treat the other intelligent races around you with respect. If you do this, I will leave you in peace.”

Zara looked around at the crowd. There were more individual beings in the open space than she had ever seen in one spot, and she remembered that this was a small world on the outskirts of Xi space. Liret was a speck in the Predominant’s empire, easily discarded and soon forgotten.

Viinox and Kanta appeared from the doorway, and her Da’s hand rested on her shoulder. “We must leave. There other communications hubs have been destroyed.”

Zara nodded silently and took another look at the many Xi.

[There are so many- too many to count. Endless Xi. Is there any safe place?]

Dead Juma (Caveman Chronicles)

~ I. Graham Smith ~ Leave a comment

The Index -|-

Kpleeb stepped out onto the silent surface an hour after the barrage. Dust swirled viciously around his ankles, with gusts reaching his waist. A faint, chemical scent tickled his nose and he sneezed violently. As the remaining Hkkli warriors trotted out to make a wide circle, He looked around him.

The Greki had landed in a clear space that was around ten times larger than the ship. Fine dust and other, fist sized chunks of debris covered the flat ground and crunched under his feet. The debris had a metallic shine in the star’s hazy and indirect light, and the occasional spiral of white dust accented the silvery grey.

In the near distance several structures had once stood. Now, broken shards at least three times taller than Kpleeb pierced the haze like razer-tipped fingers clawing from under the dirt. Kpleeb adjusted his goggles carefully as dust sifted down onto his cheek.

“Follow me,” he said waving at the Hkkli warriors.

They approached the nearest structure. It was three-sided and silvery while being adorned with torn and charred edges. He stepped through a gap in the wall, careful to not potentially cause a collapse. Inside he looked up. The roof had been disintegrated or perhaps shredded and blown away.

[These huts aren’t very strong. Perhaps the Xi are never attacked.]

Through another gap he went. This space was smaller and the roof had caved in partially. Several outcroppings were built into the walls, their top surfaces very smooth and shiny under the settled dust. A white spot caught his eye and he bent to look under the outcropping in the corner and saw a pile of riaat.

[Silica dust, a Xi died here.]

Kpleeb poked at the pile with the butt of his lightning spear before turning to leave.

Outside, the Hkkli stood in a semi-circle around the gap that Kpleeb had entered. He looked further away from the Greki and saw much larger structure.

“We are going that way,” he said pointing with his knuckle. “Stay alert. It is possible that Xi warriors will attack us.”

His protective circle moved slowly forward passing many structures that appeared to be similar to the one he had already examined. The larger structure slowly increased in size as they got closer, and after quite a long walk it towered over the group. Kpleeb looked to the right and then to the left and marveled at the sheer bulk of this object.

[Is this a Xi hut? I’ve never seen anything so huge! It seems like the white spirals are more common here as well.]

Kpleeb stirred the grey and white swirled dust with his moccasin and then chose a direction. He turned left and looked for any gap or entrance in the hut’s wall. After another five minutes, a large gap appeared. He noticed that the prevalence of white dust increased significantly around the gap.

It was dark inside, and Kpleeb enabled the light on his spear before stepping in. A wide corridor that stretched forward, and the further inward he moved, the less dusty the air became. The walls became more colored, fading from dusty silvery to pastel hues that reminded him of the blues and greens of the river water back home. Riaat was there, dozens or hundreds of small dust piles flattened and mixed together by the stirring air.

Finally, he approached a cavernous space where his light seemed to fade into nothingness. The ceiling above was vastly distant and pocked with faint sections of open sky. Numerous piles of riaat were scattered nearby, and when the quiet tiptoeing of the Hkkli came to a stop, the silence was overwhelming.

When Kpleeb reached down and adjusted his spear’s light to the maximum setting, he gasped in shock.

Stretching as far as he could see, small humps of riaat peppered every surface. There were thousands, perhaps millions, of piles. His mind reeled with the vast number and the fact that there was no visual indication that the interior of this structure ended.

[They must have congregated here for safety. How many Xi died here?]

Kpleeb turned to address the nearest Hkkli warrior. “How many riaat piles do you think there are?”

The warrior’s ears flattened slightly and he squeaked a hasty response which was translated by Zara’s device.

“May all the Xi rot. However many dead, I care not enough to count. The builder brings vengeance.”

Kpleeb grunted vaguely and squeezed his eyes shut. [Not the answer I expected… There are so many dead! What have we done. What have I done?]

“I build,” he muttered quietly.

“You build mighty weapons,” came the reply.

He glanced at the warrior and then, with a sigh, he turned to leave the thought behind.

[This will hurt Zara if I tell her.]

###

Kpleeb and his team spent the entire day surveying the damage and searching for survivors. Ultimately, he was unable to find any surviving Xi. The destruction of Juma’s city was total. In the final scan, on the shores of the large body of water he found countless remnants of Xi water craft and the carcasses of many thousands of fish and other native animals.

A layer of dust mixed with riaat covered all surfaces and dead things. Some of the technology he found was new, and he instructed the Hkkli warriors to load several interesting devices into the ship.

When the Greki lifted off from the orb’s surface to rejoin his fleet, Kpleeb silently retreated to the solitude of his room with those words echoing in his memory.

[‘The builder brings vengeance.’ Am I merely a destroyer? Yes, I build weapons, but also machines and villages. Should I just lay down as the Xi perpetrate genocide, kidnappings, and experiments on the innocent people of the universe?]

He wrestled a tumultuous burden.

[What is a just fight? Have the Xi not killed and ruined everything I knew and loved?]

He remembered Thoka and many other Ganix who had died. He remembered his Mam and the tribe in the river canyon. Then he remembered the Xi riaat. their endless dead that seemingly numbered far above his own loss.

The remote speaking device called him. “Da,” said Zara’s voice. “What did you find?”

After a long pause, Kpleeb replied.

“The Xi on Juma are conquered. They will threaten us no more.”

The Attack on Juma (Caveman Chronicles)

~ I. Graham Smith ~ Leave a comment

The Index -|-

Kpleeb opened his eyes when the squeaking reached an abnormal volume.

[The incessant chattering; I can’t think like this!]

He turned his head and saw Hiro standing with two other Hkkli. Kpleeb was no expert on the strange, rodent-like Hkkli, but it seemed like Hiro was being verbally assailed by the other two.

“Listen- Hey!!” Three Hkkli heads swiveled to surveil Kpleeb’s shaggy hair and annoyed face. “Would you just leave him alone and just shut up?!” Kpleeb stood gruffly and stalked away toward the Greki. When he reached the doorway, he climbed into the dark opening.

The air inside was cooler, and the doorway into an interior hall slid open. Kpleeb could hear the two Hkkli ramp up Hiro’s verbal lashing again just as the door closed. The lights in the hall increased in luminosity indicating that he was the first entrant in the last few moments.

[The Hkkli are so excitable. No wonder they are always at war. Poor Hiro.]

Kpleeb settled down on a sling in the command center and prodded the red tiered device in front of him. The data cloud that appeared above the device said it all. His fleet of Xi ships were near Jorqu. Three of the larger XC ships moved slowly outward from the planet’s orbit followed by five of XF configurations. The Greki and Hsstak were the only ships left on the surface.

He pressed a protrusion. “Zara, are you ready?”

After a long moment, Zara’s voice replied. “I think we’re ready, Da. I’ve just closed the outer bay door.”

“Great,” said Kpleeb, tapping his console a few more times.

“This is the Builder. The Greki is taking off in two minutes. closing the outer door now.”

The door to the command center slid open and Oiitr entered followed by Nairo. Oiitr settled immediately in front of its own console and began checking the Greki’s systems. “Everything is in order,” it said with a slight lift of its chin.

“Nairo, are your troops ready?”

The rotund Hkkli chittered something squeaky and Zara translator device replied. “We have ten of the best Hkkli warriors on board, sir.”

Kpleeb nodded and turned to watch the external view as the ship lifted away from the clearing in Jorqu’s endless sea of foliage. The sky darkened in another minute and then became pitch black as the view rotated forward and zoomed in on his fleet.

The ships were tiny, gleaming dots that slowly increased in size as the Greki accelerated toward them.

“Here we go,” Kpleeb muttered nervously. He stood and walked toward the door. “Oiitr, I’m going to work.”

The Xi did not respond.

###

Kpleeb stirred from his sleep when the chime sounded. “Yeah, yeah,” he muttered irritably, reaching out to press a protrusion next to his sleeping pad. “What do you want?”

Oiitr’s voice spoke concisely. “We are approaching the terminal now. Estimated arrival is ten minutes.”

Kpleeb scrubbed his eyes with his palms and rolled to his knees and then to his feet.

[Finally!]

Kpleeb stepped into the command center within a few minutes. “Are there any Xi ships nearby?”

“No sir,” said Oiitr with a downward tilt of its chin. “The terminal seems clear of any traffic.”

“Where is it?”

The external view that showed on dark space peppered with distant stars began to zoom at Oiitr’s instruction. Quickly, there appeared a silvery pyramid shape that floated idly in space some distance away. “This is the terminal.”

“It seems… underwhelming somehow,” said Kpleeb. “How does a ship use the terminal?”

“The ship issues a command to the terminal and identifies itself and its desired destination. The terminal opens a gateway and the ship approaches and is coalesced into the gateway. When the transfer is complete, the ship exits the same gateway at the destination.”

“Hmm.” Kpleeb tried to picture the process and the resulting gateway, but his mind only produced images of sticks woven with reed-cords into rough shapes in the way Ullipt use contain his muskrats back home in the river canyon. Finally, he just smiled and looked Oiitr. “Fine. Destroy it.”

Oiitr lifted its chin and tapped its console. The external view pulled back as the Greki spat four bolts of twisted, blue fire toward the pyramid. In a few long moments, the bolts impacted and the pyramid disappeared in a flash of debris that was quickly consumed by a vortex that folded in on itself and disappeared.

“That’s it?” Kpleeb shrugged.

“The power integrated into the terminal is tremendous,” said Oiitr. “but terminals are linked in such a way that any energy release is spread across the network and used to generate gateways.”

“And no other ships can come through this terminal?”

“This terminal is completely destroyed. It cannot be repaired, only replaced.

“Well, okay. Let’s visit Juma then.”

###

Kpleeb worked and slept and waited for a few more days, and finally Oiitr called him to the command center. When he arrived, Oiitr and Nairo were there observing the view that was projected into the air on one side of the room. It was mostly filled with Juma, which was a golden orb that had a certain sheen to it. Large, blue-green bodies of water dotted the surface.

“Sir,” said Oiitr pointing at the display. “There is a large village below. The Jiti has come back from circling the orb and reports that there are no other sizable villages on the surface.”

The external view zoomed to show the village that Oiitr indicated which was located near a body of water. Due to the top-down view, the scale of the village was not readily apparent, but it appeared to be a thousand times more massive than the largest village Kpleeb had ever seen. The buildings were mostly triangle and varied in footprint and height. Their surfaces gleamed in the light of the local star.

“Oiitr, are the villages made of lak? I was once held captive in the lak house on Phaedro and remember how shiny it is.”

Oiitr tilted its chin downward slightly. “Lak is primarily used in manufacturing higher technology such as the terminal, but the buildings that make up a Xi village are coated with the by-products of lak refinement to protect them from the weather. This is what gives these structures the shiny texture.”

“Da,” came Zara’s voice over the radio. “We are ready to attack at your command.”

Kpleeb paused and considered the plan. Oiitr, Viinox, and Tiiwr had all confirmed that every Xi inhabited orb was guarded by a sensor system that detected vessels in their orb’s vicinity. There were no active defenses because the Xi had no real challengers, but a warning would be issued to the office of the Iteek – the orb’s designated outpost leader. The Iteek’s office would respond by passing a warning along to the First Terminal, which would eventually result in the arrival of Xi vessels.

Kpleeb and Zara had determined that the attack would be most effective as a surprise. They knew that the surprise would be useful one time or maybe two depending on how quick the Xi were to respond. The Xi empire was not stupid, it was merely complacent and had never been challenged, so Kpleeb could not afford to take lightly what they were about to do.

Kpleeb grimaced and thought about Thoka. He remembered his life back in the river canyon, and his time imprisoned aboard the Xih ship. He thought about the prisoners on the Hsstak: Kanta, Rog, and the Hkkli. His anger rose as it often did when he pondered what he had lost and how the Xih treated the inhabitants of so many orbs.

[What I know of the Xi is probably just a fraction of the suffering caused and that still continues. The Xi will pay. I’ve always said it, and I mean it. It is time.]

“All ships fire simultaneously as planned. Begin countdown.”

Nairo tapped the weapons console with his chunky-clawed fingers, and the external view flashed a timer showing fifty vertical bars that began to disappear in a regular cadence.

Kpleeb tried to judge Oiitr’s mental state, but the Xi was emotionless as usual.

Soon, the last bar blinked out and a flood of projectiles were released from all of the ships in Kpleeb’s fleet. There were hundreds of blue bolts, and more appeared every second. It was as if time slowed to imprint the full destruction into Kpleeb’s mind. The Xi village erupted in a cloud of flame and debris, and a shockwave rippled over the nearby body of water creating a steam cloud.

The command center was quiet. Kpleeb clenched his fists, smiled grimly, and witnessed the destruction.

[A little bit of pay back. Time to see what a Xi village looks like.]