Chapter 28
TRISTEN
She stood eyes glued to the happenings outside the small storage room’s viewport. She watched as the giant dagger of a ship smacked its pommel into a frigate destroying it in seconds. She worried for her sole friend, one Eric Gaalsien. He helped her escape her cell and aided her aboard the carrier from others who would kill her on sight. His kiith—a clan of sorts—historically were also viewed as enemies, so he empathized with her a great deal. Only just prior to him saying he had to go, she confessed the beginning signs of developing romantic feelings for him. He knew, apparently. And then off he ran to his possible doom from the looks of the maelstrom beyond the viewport.
“Hey, you there!” Came a voice from the door. A tall man with a scar across his face ran toward her. Due to her extensive self-defence training, she could easily have taken down the rugged giant of a man but she was taken by surprise and her nerves were all on edge already from the battle going on. He managed to pin her down and cuff her. “Got you, you Taiidan piece of shit. You’re never getting out again.”
She was then brought back to the prison levels. No tears, she refused to show weakness to these people. The security detail’s only interaction with a Taiidan were those of a more hostile personality who were cheering on these Kadeshi’s victory from within their cells. Once they threw her into a cell of her own, they left without speaking a word. She stood back up and brushed the dust off her knees and sat facing the back wall.
She felt homesick suddenly, not for the old crew of the Saarkin-Cho, as these Kushan called it that she still had to stay on to her chagrin, but for her actual home. For Hiigara. Her parents. Even her annoying little brother. She missed them, and finally let the tears exit their ducts now that none could see. Hate-filled eyes every encounter with another soul, save Eric. They thought her some sort of demon or monster instead of just another person. She couldn’t nor wouldn’t tell them otherwise considering what her people did to theirs without anyone questioning it. If recaptured by Taiidan Imperial forces, she’d be put to death as well. She had no options. No hope. This small fleet of theirs would never be able to overcome the Emperor’s might. Lord Riesstiu was nearly a god to his people, and with extensive genetic engineering and cloning, it was not all that inaccurate a belief to hold. Even though it drove him to psychopathy.
Her tears reached her lips, and she licked the salt. “Not so tough now, am I?” she whimpered to herself.
ERIC
After taking a quick shower in his quarters to relieve him of all the stress aboard the captured carrier, he was making his way to the commons area when he ran into one of the security officers he knew. Brutus was another Gaalsien, like himself. “Hey there! Well I guess we found those ghosts the Bentusi were so scared of,” he said.
“My man, what’s new?” Eric replied.
“You’re not gonna believe this, you know that female Taiidan escapee we’ve been trying to find? Got her.”
“What?” His pace halted.
“Yeah! I found her staring out the window in a storage closet. Didn’t even try to fight me either, not that she could’ve, I mean look at me.”
“So she’s locked up now?”
“Yeah, all nice and secure and camera surveillance this time just to be safe. So hey, why don’t you look thrilled to hear it, or just residual battle stress?”
“No. Nothing, congratulations.” He tried faking a smile, but failed. “So where’s her cell?”
“Deck three somewhere in the maximum security section. She’s never getting out of there.” Eric winced, his heart sank. It was as though waking from one nightmare into another one.
“Is she allowed visitors?”
Brutus raised an eyebrow at the question. “Why, you wanna go spit in her cell? I hear guards do that sometimes—
“Just shut it and answer!”
“Well uh, yeah with an officer I suppose, but why would you want to?”
“I—
“Oh, no do go on.”
“Fine, whatever. I don’t care what you or anyone else in this fleet thinks of it. I am the one who helped her escape the first time.” Brutus’s anger was obvious. “I’ve gotten to know her. She’s a good person and doesn’t deserve to be locked in a cell—
“That’s enough! You’re lucky I’m both your friend and a fellow Gaalsi otherwise I’d be putting you in cuffs too for that admission. That’s just so wrong and disgusting to think about.”
“Why? How? How is it wrong? Because she’s Taiidan?”
“Yes?”
“How do you now these Taiidan aren’t also long ago relatives of us as well, huh? They look almost exactly like us! Even you, brother. All a bunch of incredible hypocrites over this, you doubly so! You help me convince the crew we Gaalsi aren’t total pieced of treacherous garbage and now they look to us for advice, now since I helped and care for a Taiidan I’m somehow the bad guy? I’m sorry but I’d rather be by her side. What on Kharak’s going through our Kushan heads?”
“That’s just it, Eric. There’s no more Kharak. They destroyed it. They slaughtered our brothers and sisters and children by igniting the very air in their lungs. That’s what’s so wrong here!”
“So what? When the Siidim and Soban bombed my home village and forced us underground, I forgave them because unlike the Siidim I’m not some kiithist prick. Hell, she never fired a single bullet towards a Kushan. She told me herself, and so did Mark who was the one who did her initial interrogation. She refused to partake in genocide and was arrested on this very ship before we found it hiding in the Great Wastelands. As a result, she was forced to watch hundreds of millions of innocent souls die before her eyes. Don’t you think she’s suffered enough?”
It took a few seconds for him to think up a response, as he felt Eric’s honesty hit true on more than a few levels. He being Gaalsi should know what it’s like to remain an outcast just because of his heritage all too well. “I’m sorry, Eric. I didn’t know.” It was all he could come up with.
“Can you take me to her?” He asked with a returned calmness after his venting.
“I might, yeah. She’ll be taken for questioning soon. I’m telling you now, though. She’s Taiidan. Taiidan rarely ever survive interrogation as you should know.”
“Then let’s be quick about this. They’re expecting me outside.”
TRISTEN
She lay alone in her cell awaiting it all to end. She had gotten over her crying and had nothing to do but lie in waiting, alone surrounded by people who hated her. Other inmates recognized her as a traitor, the guards hated her just because she was born in the wrong Empire. It had only been maybe a couple hours, she couldn’t tell. She was about ready to fall asleep when she heard footsteps approaching. She didn’t sit up to acknowledge them stopping in front of her cell. “She’s in there,” the familiar voice said, the man who caught her.
“Make it quick and get this over with,” she said as the cell door opened, but who she saw enter made her jump to her feet at him into a hug.
“Whoa, what’s up Triss? Seems like you messed up,” he said.
“Shut up moron, you’re alive. That’s all I needed to know.”
The other one, the taller man, tapped at the nearby console a few times. “There, cut their ears off.”
“I’m sorry Triss, there’s nothing I can do to get you out this time. This is maximum security and even cutting their audio is a risk I imagine, especially for him.”
“Like I care about the asshole who threw me back in here,” she said.
He lowered his gaze to the floor.
“I know this might be a bit odd to take, but he’s actually a friend of mine. One of my best, actually. He’s Gaalsien too.”
“I see.”
“They’ll be coming soon to take you to interrogations,” Brutus said. “Taiidan rarely survive though. At least it isn’t a cell I guess.”
“Funny. So I suppose this may be the last time I see you?”
“I hope not but I don’t know,” Eric said.
“Okay, guess there’s no reason not to now,” she said pulling him in and locking lips. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be,” he said beginning to blush.
“Guess this is simply the way it was meant to be.”
“We can’t know what Sajuuk has in store for any of us. Perhaps due to your heroism he may spare you.”
“Well, may He who Shapes take mercy on me, I suppose.”
“So you believe now?”
“Well no, not really. But I’m a little out of options now. After this, I’ll have a mark on my head. Death for certain even if, and that is a major huge unlikely if, you all do actually reach Hiigara and end his reign.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve had a long time to rethink my life as of late. I think I know the right thing to do, but there’s no guarantee I’d survive anyway. All I can say is now I do hope the Empire falls. There’s many rebellions sparking up and being quashed in the inner rim, even some on Hiigara as we speak. Who knows if they can help you, though. I’m sure after my family finds out they’ll eternally hate me for it but I think I am picking the right side of this war.”
“Stop being vague and get it out already,” Eric said.
“I’m going to tell them everything I know. Who knows, maybe they’ll let me live for the information I have.”
“That gives a slim chance. Slim, but a chance.” Brutus said. “Neither of us can be present when they do the questioning. Just you and the questioners. And sometimes their first question comes from their fists.”
“I can handle myself. I let you take me down, big man.”
“Sure you did,” he laughed.
“It’s okay. If I die, I die and it’s off to Balcora for me.”
“If you live?” Eric asked.
“Then perhaps that kiss won’t be your last,” she grinned.
“Oh, fingers crossed then!” He said.
“Heads up, they’re coming.”
They let go of one another and Eric quickly exit the cell and Brutus locked her in again.
“Gaalsi. And another Gaalsi?” The interrogator inquired.
Brutus answered. “He was curious to meet one of our kiith’s oldest and greatest evils in person. I figured this one’s the least scary of the bunch.”
“I see. Well, time for her to go.”
“Indeed. Have fun!” Brutus said before the two of them left.
“Now then little girl, are you going to make this easy for me or hard?” In response she rolled her eyes and held out her unbound arms for the cuffs.
She was led to a small dimly lit room save the bright spotlight shining into her eyes and sat before being cuffed to the chair. The interrogator, or so she thought, left as three others entered and stood between her and the spotlight, allowing her to open her eyes again, but all she saw was their silhouettes. More entered a few minutes after but stood behind where she could not see. There were millions of thoughts streaming through her mind, but they all had to be cast aside. This may be the final however long it took of her life. Best to appear calm.
Then the middle one began. “You have quite the reputation aboard this ship, don’t you? According to your fleet’s logs that is. Well, here in this room you’re nothing but another piece of slime for my boot. You know what happens when you mix yellow and red together a whole lot?”
“Orange?”
“A dead Taiidan.”
“Clever.” He smacked her hard across the face. “Your mouth opens when I say it does. Understood?”
She nodded.
“You’re part of the group that killed all the rest of the Kushan race. My entire species wiped out. In my eyes, you killed Kharak. I had a daughter and two sons. Wife left me, but you murdered my family. Understand? I will never take pity on you no matter how much you cry and whine. So, first question: how do you plead?”
“Huh?”
“Innocent, or guilty?”
“Well, truth be told I personally didn’t take part in the genocide of your world.” To that it was not an open palm she received but an actual fist, one hard enough to knock her and the chair to the ground. The three stood in the back then raised the chair back up.
“Liar!”
“Check this ship’s prisoner records. My name’s on that list, I assure you. I disobeyed an order and was awaiting possibly a court martial once we would have arrived at the station we were headed before your fleet caught up to us.”
“Not a lie, sir. Tristen Alaiikir. Arrested for insubordination and refusal to comply with a direct order to engage the enemy.”
“So then, how is it that we managed to capture you in an interceptor and not found you already inside one of these cells?”
“Enlighten us,” the third said in a calm tone.
“Because the captain brought me into his office. I was given a choice. Redeem my honour by defending the fleet from the remaining enemies, or sit in a cell and rot for the months it would take to travel back to station. So I took the opportunity to escape, naturally.”
“Your ship’s ammo wasn’t full when we caught you, you know. Starting to feel like another lie, dear.” He cracked his knuckles.”
“I had to make it look believable or my own wingmen would’ve been the ones to take me out. I tried missing as much as possible.”
“And once captured, you escaped somewhere into this ship, yes?”
“Yes.”
“With help, naturally.”
“No.”
“Oh? Look at you, you are tiny. I doubt you overpowered the guards on your lonesome.”
“I assure you, my self-defence training is extensive being one of the few females aboard the carrier. Our men don’t get out much.”
“So who’s this, then?” He said bringing up video on a screen of Eric handing her the cell keys. “Then just before we came to get you there was this,” he continued playing the footage of Eric and Brutus coming to see her. They paused on her jumping to embrace him. “They may have blocked our ears but we’re not stupid enough not to notice that’s the same guy. A pilot. Eric Gaalsien, one of Mark Soban’s wingmen. Unfortunate for us this makes him nearly untouchable unless I feel like angering someone above my pay level.”
“He’s worked his entire life to earn even a shred of respect from any person not of his kiith. That makes me happy to know,” she said staring him down. “Go ahead, beat me. Kill me, even. See if I give a shit knowing the one I love is safe from you.”
Instead, he sighed and shook his head.
Another spoke. “Look, maybe we should just let that part go. It’s not gonna be fun for either of us, and besides. He’s Kushan. There are not a lot of us left.”
“You do have a point. But again, as it is with this girl, I simply have nothing left to lose anymore. Maybe I will, just out of spite.”
“His entire existence has been pain and neglect. He’s been hated since he was born. Yet, he doesn’t blame any of you non-Gaalsien for it. He has called this people kind and good and caring. I see none of that present. All I see is savagery. The exact same savagery in the eyes of a lot of Taiidan men I’ve encountered in my service. Where are your souls? Sajuuk would damn you to oblivion, from what I’ve seen.” She could tell that one struck a nerve with him. He was about to knock her over again, but reconsidered.
“You know nothing of He whose hand shapes what is.”
“I know enough to know you have failed him.”
“Do you even know what Sajuuk wants from our kind? To obliterate yours completely for your sins. When one loses all hope and sanity, our god is all we have left to turn to. So I asked. And he replied by allowing me to beat the first Taiidan ever witnessed by Kushan eyes to death, and then get me a promotion for doing so.”
“You’re a liar, I guess. Or you’ve lost your way in your faith. From my understanding of the will of the Maker, he is simply guiding his children home after their penance had been paid for having committed grave sins of their own.”
“Now you’re sounding like a Gaalsien.”
“Your god is not saving you here. You have to save yourselves as the mortals bound in this realm the same as any do. And besides, you’re imagining I don’t know more than you about your own god.”
“Not a chance you do.”
“Oh, I do. I was born on Hiigara. I have family there. It is my home too, and we keep extensive records of our conquered enemies in the Imperial Library. I have felt the cool breeze of sweet pollen-filled air against my face and splashed in the great salty seas. I have stared from atop a lighthouse at the starset as the sky glows orange and red across the horizon and fades to night. I have seen the Angel Moon big and full staring me down many nights of my life. I know more about what you are fighting for than you could ever hope to imagine.”
“And what, now you think bragging about it will make your chances any better?”
“No, I think providing information will.”
He paused for a moment. “What kind of information?”
“None until you back off Eric.”
“I am sure we can come to some form of an arrangement.” Relief swelled up from the deep abyss of her psyche. “Now then. What kind of information is it you offer?”
“I am a member of the Imperial Navy. Sure, just a pilot, but that does not mean I don’t know a lot about nearby patrolling fleet routes, regions to avoid, regions left mostly unguarded. I know where all the deep space probes are located roughly enough to show you how to navigate undetected further inward to the core. I also know some but not all of the historical conflict between our two peoples. Granted, the Emperor has destroyed any evidence of Taiidan wrongdoings in said conflict, so the sheer brutality of your ancestors may need to be taken with some skepticism.”
“Go on.”
“Then agree to stay the hell away.”
“Agreed.”
“Look, I want nothing more than to return home. Same as all of you. You think us Taiidan a monoculture of barbarism and evil but that’s wrong. We are a whole people of billions across many worlds including yours, which is also mine. We are a peaceful people when the Emperor is at ease. Now that he has been made aware of this fleet’s existence, however, I fear for the safety of all those I care for back home. That man if you can still call him one is a tyrannical psychopathic monster. If your people can however unlikely that may be, kill him, many would rejoice across the worlds of the Taiidan. Others would not, granted, but many would.”
“Interesting. I have but one more question before I will convene for this session with the others to decide your ultimate fate: what can you tell us about the region of space we are currently travelling through?”
“The Great Nebula?”
“Yes.”
“Almost nothing unfortunately. All trade and military patrol routes avoid it with a wide berth as even the custodians of the Galaxy, the Bentusi, and all other Galactic Council member states avoid it. If the great Bentusi fear something, everyone alive should. Nothing that has entered that region of space has come out of it in over a thousand years, and even for a long time before that, very few ever did survive the travel.”
“Based on our recent encounter with these Kadeshi, I can understand why they do.” He raised his hand, and everyone but him filed out of the room. “One last thing, thank you. I didn’t want to have to harm you. Your face. It’s too similar to my little girl’s.” And with that, he left. Shortly after, the man who brought her from her cell entered to take her back.
“Wait, this isn—
“As you have been more than cooperative with us, you’ve earned a cell with a bed until we can figure out something more accommodating. While you are still a prisoner, you will no longer be bothered as though you were.”
“Can I ask you a question before you go?”
“I do not see a problem with it.”
“Did you lose anyone?”
“We all did. The Sleepers, our colonists in cryostasis, are the lucky ones. By the time any of them find out what happened to their families, we’ll have made it to Hiigara and presumably defeated this Emperor Riesstiu.”
“Riesstiu the fourth, the second actually.”
“Say again?”
“He’s a clone gone horrifically wrong. Emperor Riesstiu the fourth cloned himself to escape the physical death of his original body. But when the mind transfer was happening, something went wrong. Something broke him in that process as it was a new technology not very well understood, and now he has no capacity for empathy or a moral compass to speak of. All he seeks is death and suffering in the eyes of anyone who’d cross him. Including his own son and heir.”
“That is… I don’t know what to say.”
“Not many do even among my people. But to defy him would mean death for you. Therefore, we simply pretend he is still the original Riesstiu the fourth, but no. The fourth died a long time ago. That much is obvious to all Taiidan.”
“I see.”
“Am I entitled to food?”
“Oh, certainly. I will have someone bring you something. Anything else?”
“No, just some silence.” And so, he closed the cell door and locked her in. She brushed her hand along the top of the mattress, pressing down to test it. Not the most comfortable of beds, but it beat a cold metal floor. But most importantly, she was still breathing.