Among Bright Stars... (28 page)

Nearby Arshira openly cried, comforted by
Nadia, the blonde Valküri shrouded also in white death veils
arranged over her gold and green armor, held tightly to Prince
Shikar also in tears.

Understandably the opening of the peace
summit had been delayed, though Romulus promised that he would not
let those who did not want peace win. Sharr’s people investigated
who had been behind the droids attack. Someone would pay for the
carnage.

Arshira took her place before the funeral
pyre, next to speak: “Oberon Kreis could be a harsh taskmaster.”
The Valküri did not sugarcoat her feelings. “Since my birth Oberon
was the only father that I knew. He could be cruel, und kind all at
once. I will not debate his methods on this eve, on which we send
him onto the next world.” Tears streamed down Arshira’s cheeks.
“His heart was a Viking heart, a warrior’s heart” Arshira
proclaimed of her guardian. “Duty, honor, und country mattered most
to him, yet I know more than all that, Oberon Kreis, who history
shall remember as Talik Drakonis cared greatly for me, his adoptive
daughter.” At the last the Concubine Queen fell into uncontrolled
tears and her mate took hold of her.

Sharr Khan made Arshira look him in his
eyes. “Let us send your guardian, and my brother on his way.”

Arshira knew the moment to be right.

His body washed, draped in garlands, hands
folded on his chest, Talik rested atop the kiln, where he looked to
be at peace. Together, Sharr and Arshira pressed the button that
slowly lowered the shell of Talik Kreis into the reclamator and
would forge Oberon's body into diamond remnants. The heavy cover
sealed, flames ignited. In seconds the fires reduced Talik to
ashes. Soon cleansed white ashes were compressed into diamond.

The interment, simple. A family vault that
contained Turhan Korelia, who had passed on many years before, and
the remains of Prince Krada Drakonis, who had not known the world
for very long. Arshira and Sharr placed the green egg shaped urn
into an alcove. Sharr Khan reverently set the Jagirdar’s trikir
device beside his brother’s urn. Already the essence of who Talik
had been joined the Phoenix Heart, his identity fused with that of
the over-soul.

Terrible, and yet beautiful, her mind opened
into Char, or more particular, that locality beyond Char, where the
cybernetic macrocosm bridged an unknown power, that caused Char to
reach outward, into the infinite. There were those Falcanians who
postulated this to be Heaven's border. A whirlpool of refined
thought. DataStreams linked to Nadia, who found herself located
both someplace, and yet no place at all. She reached out, touched
Oberon's trikir device. There! Talik's node. His mind, preoccupied,
perhaps confused by his sudden incorporeal form? She tried to call
out to him. “
Oberon, here me!”
Felt the other Valküri
telepaths boost her power. If Oberon heard her, Nadia would never
know. A Triple-Irised Eye solidified in the quintessence, lashed
out, angered by the sight of her. Between the flashes, pictures,
and a word which she had once heard spoken by Kheira in one of her
many prognostications:
Ishallrav!
“Talik is lost in shadow.”
Nadia said audibly, despondent. The Eye caused her mind to careen,
had ejected her from Char. Lightheaded now. “Sharr, and Fafnir –
The D’Har-Ziral preacher…” She licked her lips, considered.
“There’s a connection between them. Of what nature I do not
know.”

[Graktorin Arena, Vorkrür Central City. July
10, 2033]

“…Freedom and Liberty, my nation once
proudly stood unapologetic and defended such pursuits. Not just
within our own borders, but across the globe, for all mankind’s
benefit. Though we were often shunned for it, while others cowered
at times when they should have confronted evil.” Unambiguously
patriotic, the Imperator pushed forward “Yet, perhaps we did not
pursue freedom vigorously enough? My predecessor remained silent,
when in the streets of Tehran people shed blood and cried out to be
heard.” He paused, glanced around the arena toward the
12
^th
Imam. “This was not leadership, but an unforgivable
weakness. Peace as the absence of American power on the world
stage,” JR Giovanni stated accusatory. “That’s what the world
thought it wanted, a planet without a United States. And what did
it gain for it? Nothing. For it left our planet scarred.” He shook
a fist. “Not only did Americans suffer, but every nation, finally
without a healthy United States fell into an age of darkness. An
abyss which we only now have risen from.”

Sharr Khan, and Chancellor Trakan watched,
ensconced in the alcove reserved for the Falcanian hosts. Romulus’s
tirade had been expected. The Shotar, often more so than not
agreed, he’d witnessed firsthand the history that Julius now talked
so passionately of. True enough; the cascade that followed in the
wake of America’s demise led directly to his choices for his own
Khanate.

Darius Noorani looked on, amazed, watched
Romulus, an expert orator condemn, not the Falcanians, but the
world for its original sin of abandonment, or in the Russian case,
support of those terrorists who had launched The Burn. Noorani had
fully expected to be called out as an imminent threat himself. Yet
had been rather surprised instead to hear JR Giovanni offer him a
compliment, as being an ideal redeemer for is Islamic faith.

“It’s taken the likes of our host, Sharr
Drakonis, and young Darius Noorani to call us all to our senses.
Noorani, the 12
^th
Imam, at great risk to himself has
liberalized Islam. Often under protest from many of his fellow
Muslims who he has dragged for their own good into the modern age.
Our host Sharr Khan beheld evil in a planned action by my
government.” A pause. “I regret to admit, he was right. That evil
came from my own agenda.” Yet he chuckled. “And Sharr Khan used his
very claws in order to stop it!” Julius had actually been thankful
that the Falcanians halted what his Praetorian intended. Genocide
had not been how he wished to cap off his rise to power. “Perhaps
we’ve reached a point whereas a planet we may heal ourselves? Only
time shall tell.” Cheers and boos greeted JR Giovanni. “Darius
cured the Islamic world from the cancer that plagued it, seized
Tehran, halted Iran’s nuclear ambitions and in his own turn
established an empire based on enlightened values for all his
citizens.” The Imperator paused, cleared his throat and continued
in his praise of Noorani: “My people asked for retribution
following The Burn, I gave it to them. For that I did not, nor will
I ever apologize. And I would do it again. We as man, and superman
do what we must.” The Imperator added, philosophical in his
assessment of things. “To everything there is a season, a time to
make war and a time to wage peace. On this day we forge our blades
into plowshares.”

Dmitri Antares remained seated, his sister
beside him, lost in a peculiar daze as a majority of the hall stood
to offer JR Giovanni thunderous applause. The conference then went
into an intermission before the Falcanian Khanate made its own
presentation.

“Interesting speech.” Ariel observed. She
had listened with her father, and just now made her way to Darius
through the lingering crowd.

“I’d expected Romulus to mention me, though
not quite in that way.”

“Life’s full of surprises.” Ariel smiled,
her violet eyes glanced in the direction of Darius’s assistant.
“May I ask you something?”

“Of course my dear.” Noorani took hold of
his soon to be wife’s hand, and pulled her closer.

“You, and Jamilla,” Ariel bit her lip. “Were
you involved?”

The Eastern Lion glanced at his exotic
aid-de-camp. “For a time, Jamilla was one of my first supporters.
She’s a fine warrior, very loyal. Does her presence bother you
Ariel?”

“No, just curious –“

Darius took her chin. “Now don’t lie,
otherwise, you would not have asked.”

“I’m not jealous.” Ariel resolutely
maintained. “How could I be? I mean, in case you hadn’t noticed my
father's got a harem. Such behavior from males does not upset me.
Baubles are not my concern.” Realized she sounded like her mother.
“What you --”

A gavel called the summit back into
order.

Sharr, Chancellor Trakan behind him ascended
upward into the speaker’s podium. He placed a folder down on the
lectern, and the lights in the auditorium dimmed. Behind him a
holoviewer with a presentation that outlined effects of the
Imperium’s nanovirus began to play. “The Imperium meant to release
pure death onto my people. Genocide, the total annihilation of the
Falcanian species, Centurions then were to march here and take what
they wanted. So yes, I struck first, and would happily do it all
over. History has proven a truth that we too often disregard:
Peace, actual peace may only be accomplished through strength. The
Khanate and the Imperium share this value.” Sharr paused and
cleared his throat.

On the holoviewer, a hypothetical nanovirus
let loose on the Falcanians. It very graphically, and grotesquely
melted them into gray sludge. Cleansed Vorkrür of any sapient
lifeforms. and then soon after overrun by CGI Centurions. The
recreation had been most effective at its goal, to nauseate various
members of the international audience. Whispers of upset, the
destructive nature of the nanovirus weapon impacted on those who
watched the computer representation. Sympathy for the Khanate now
but all assured among the delegates.

“And now you have it, this same horrible
weapon of mass destruction.” Unsurprisingly, Dmitri Antares was the
delegate to insinuate Sharr Khan and his Khanate had acted with
nefarious intentions. Furious, and red faced Antares stood, and
accusingly lectured his host.

“We have the technology” Sharr Khan
admitted.

“Why should we trust that you won’t use it?
I am very sure alien tech in your hands is as dangerous to the
global community, as it would be in the Imperium's.” Dmitri
smirked. “Might even be more of a risk.” Laughed the Tzar, who
thought he had Sharr Khan cornered. “Conquest is in your blood.
Alaska, a perfect jumping off poi – “

“Our actions were, and are only for
self-defense --”

“Like Kashmir?” Dmitri snarled.

“Dmitri,” Sharr cut off the young
Morningstar, glanced at Natalia Antares, detected a faint smile on
her lips, and then watched as she turned away demurely from under
his gaze. Nadia claimed Natalia's brother to be an anomaly among
Morningstars, in what manner she didn't elaborate. That Dmitri's
brain had 'gone red', Sharr doubted she meant that in a political
sense. “You lack the moral high ground, you annexed --”

Before Sharr could complete his reprimand of
the obstinate Morningstar, a low buzz filled the arena. The lights
came up, security personal entered. Up in the gallery, inside the
Techatron Unions alcove, one of the Techla let out sounds of
distress. Pops and buzzes, its handlers concerned, watched as the
being went from its otherworldly blue-green, to a sickly black. It
collapsed onto the ground, lost control over its anti-gravity
field.

Wearily Sharr Khan rubbed an eyebrow. This
summit had cost him his brother, what more shadowy things could be
at work here? He watched while the other Techla bobbed and hovered
with detached interest over their companion who had been hefted by
the gray robed handlers, and carried out of Graktorin Arena. For
the first time since arrival on Vorkrür, the gray suited Techatron
delegates betrayed emotion, hurriedly, they jacked cables hidden
under their long overcoats into sockets on the ovular-tentacled
being. Silently the handlers expressed shared thoughts. Without a
word the two remaining Techla levitated away.

Temujin Sardur sprinted up the platform,
where he whispered urgently into Chancellor Trakan’s ear. It took
much of Sharr Khan's self-control to not groan at what his Kredha
just passed on to him. Things had begun to fall apart all around.
The Shotar acknowledged the news, and gave an order to be passed
down the chain of command. They traced the battledroids back to
Urksa Vorskrai. The Guilthari Lord would be arrested.

A few hours later, Sharr Khan stood in his
family room, a claw-goblet in hand. Details of the peace treaty
recently hammered out. All that remained was for each government to
ratify the accord. The Imperium would be censured for the genocide
they had set out to wreak. Sharr Khan achieved all that he wanted
to with his first, daring strike. Cornered, the Imperium was forced
into genuine concessions which would usher in a new balance of
power. Falcania stood ascendant. Foreign policy based on strength
brought actual workable results.

“The Iksar’rang shall not be delighted at
the loss of their base,” Imperator Romulus suggested. “Nor will
many in my government like the notion that Falcanians will continue
to have a foothold so close to a strategic border.” Perhaps one day
he might buy Alaska back? “Remind me never again to dare a
Falcanian.”

“Our presence will be at the minimum.” The
Shotar assured, aware of Alaska’s historical military value in that
region. “Falcanians aren’t fond of cold weather.” Sharr Khan
half-joked. “However, we’ve a new enemy. Dmitri Antares won’t like
Falcanians so near his land. The Tzar seeks any excuse to go to
war.” Thoughts of Natalia on his mind, yet elated by his victory
Sharr Khan forewarned. “We might yet use our talons to blind the
Russian bear.”

“No, not clones. Clones are clumsy.” Nadia
explained when they entered the climate controlled vaults located
deep below Narshin Thryak. “A sloppy way to create artificial life.
With each new copy drifting further away from the original source,
riddled by errors –
Mutations
.” She pulled open a round
secured hatch. “Morningstars are an order of magnitude beyond
cloning. When you copy a Morningstar, we begin always from the
point that we originated. A precise copy.”