Koban 6: Conflict and Empire (56 page)

That worry could make him reluctant to assemble too concentrated a military force, if it might be turned on him by conspirators close to him.

The Federation hadn’t even approached the other two security forces yet, and Tet had allowed the beaten Ragnar forces to return home with their finest military leader, and had left most of their navy intact. The plans to foment simultaneous revolts among the security forces had yet to take shape. 

Maggi had furnished false and damning files to the Hothor agent on Wendal, the Kitchen Assistant named Grifta Thop Raula. He was to use the Prada com set and a list of Thandol memcache addresses, linking secretly to a dozen low ranking Imperial Court and household members. His task was to place, in an incoming message folder, an unattributed and untraceable subversive solicitation, to join a budding Farlol family sponsored movement, to replace a “poorly performing” Farlol the 84
th
. It blamed him for poor decisions leading to two military loses, and negligence in appointing those who were responsible for salvaging the Crusher segments, which his previous failings had left vulnerable to destruction at Wendal itself.

She had left a message for Grifta to contact her, informing him of the parasites that had been planted, and asking him to advise her if he heard of, or saw indications in a week or two, of any health issues with the Emperor. All she expected was an acknowledgement of the parasite delivery message, and a confirmation that he’d sent her files to the selected Imperial Court attendants, and to two of the lowest ranking members of the Emperor’s Thandol household servants.

Coming instantly awake, Mirikami asked, “What? Did Grifta call already? You woke me early, so you learned something unexpected. What did he tell you?”

“That we should have infected Farlol a month before we attacked Rogue 2. Even before we dragged the Crusher segments out of orbit.”

“Really? How would he know that?”

“He didn’t, you dear twit. But what he told us means the same thing.”

With a barely patient sigh, the
dear twit
asked, “And what did he say?”

“That in the Emperor’s public address, on the very night we left his gastronomical belly bombs, he blamed us for the attack on Rogue 2.” She was about to say more, but Tet interrupted.

“Well, duh! Who else would they blame? Let me sleep.”

A thump on the top of his head as he sat in bed, argued against suggesting his wife was a bit slow in her deductions.

“Ow. He obviously said more, so tell me.”

“I would have, Captain Duh! Don’t interrupt your sweet wife.”

The
sweet wife
continued. “It’s the drastic action he called for, to answer what he said is the greatest threat the Empire has faced since its formation, which proves we should have made him too sick to make that rousing public speech. He has tossed that assumed Thandol cautious deliberation aside.

“He intends to send all three security forces against us simultaneously. To first crush the Federation’s naval forces, and then the Thandol navy will pound each of our worlds, one after another, into submission. Then he will permit the remnant populations of every world to swear allegiance to him, before joining the Empire as new subservient species. Or to die in agony under Debilitater rays if they continue to resist.”

“Hmm.” Tet pulled at his lip. “We wanted to delay them, but apparently we provoked them too much.”

Maggi looked at him askance. “You think? An old idiom comes to mind. Out of the frying pan, into the fire.”

*****************************************

HUMANS

Former crew from Flight of Fancy

Tetsuo Mirikami

Captain of captured Flight of Fancy. From Old Colony of New Honshu, in the Hub area. Became Commander of Prime City after Krall left Koban. Captain of the Mark of Koban, a captured Krall clanship. Leader of the Kobani.

Noreen Renaldo

Former First Officer of Flight of Fancy. From Old Colony of Ponce, in the Hub area. Married Dillon Martin. Mother of TGs Carson, Katelyn, and Cory. Captain of the Avenger, a stolen Krall clanship.

Jake
(Artificial Intelligence)

An old model JK series AI computer, installed on Flight of Fancy. Able to operate many of the ship systems autonomously. Repository of vast human library of documents, books, films, Tri-Vid shows, etc. A common capability on long Jump passenger liners. Later, the software is cloned and named Jakob for reuse. The cloned software is eventually placed in a modern AI system aboard the Mark of Koban, Mirikami’s captured and converted Krall clanship.

(Chief) Mike Haveram

Was once Chief of the Drive Room on the Flight of Fancy. Now captain of the Falcon, a former smuggler’s ship purchased on Poldark. He helps supply Koban with goods and weapons from Human Space.

Macy Gundarfem

Former Motorfem on Flight of Fancy. One of the “Drive Rats.”

John Yin-Lee

Former Motorman on Flight of Fancy. One of the “Drive Rats.”

Andrew Johnson

Former Motorman on Flight of Fancy. One of the “Drive Rats.”

Nory Walters

Former Chief Steward on Flight of Fancy.

Mel Rigson

Former Steward and Medical technician on Flight of Fancy.

Cal Branson

Former Steward and Medical technician on Flight of Fancy.

Bob Campbell

Machinist Mate.

Neri Bar

Machinist Mate.

Chack Nauguza

Cargo Specialist, handy man.

Passengers from the Fancy, and various other ships, and early captives

Dillon Martin

Professor of biological sciences, sent to Midwife to study developing primitive life. Hidden specialty is forbidden genetics research. From Rhama, a New Colony, close to the Hub worlds. Married Noreen Renaldo. Father of TGs Carson, Katelyn, and Cory. Works on Kobani gene mods.

Maggi Fisher

Professor of biological sciences, Chairfem of Board of Director’s on Midwife project. From Rhama. Organizing unofficial teams to recover lost genetic knowledge. Later, first Mayor of Prime City. Works in Kobani gene mods. She marries (Signs the Line) with Captain Mirikami.

Aldry Anderfem

Professor of biological sciences, granddaughter of Claronce Anderson, a former President of Alders world. Supports secret Genetics research. Administered first human Clone mods in three hundred years, to make Second Generation Kobani. Helps design and implement Kobani mods.

Rafe Campbell

Studied human genetic mutations from cosmic rays on Brussels, a New Colony. Wife Isadora killed on ship by a Krall, “exercising.” Dove into Koban genetic studies when given a chance to make humans physically superior to the Krall. Chief designer of Kobani gene mods.

Stewart MacDougal

Former Hub City resident, initially resisted gene mods, then changed position. Moved to Haven, entered politics and became the first Galactic Federation president, and accepted full Kobani mods.

Other Captives (at Koban Prime, later renamed Prime City)

Thaddeus Greeves

Former Colonel of a Diplomatic Security detail for Poldark Ambassador. Married Marlyn Rodriguez. Father of TGs Ethan, Bradley, and Danner.

Marlyn Rodriguez

First Officer of Rimmer’s Dream, arrived in mass capture of human ships. Married Thad Greeves. Mother of TGs Ethan, Bradley, and Danner. Captain of the Beagle, a stolen Krall clanship. Killed in raid at K1.

Second Generation Kobani

Carson Martin

Parents Noreen and Dillon, born an SG, received Koban gene mods to become Third Generation Kobani. Marries Alyson Formby.

Ethan Greeves

Parents Marlyn and Thad, born an SG, received Koban gene mods to become Third Generation Kobani.

Alyson Formby

Born in Hub City as an SG. At eighteen, left home to request Koban mods, against her parent’s wishes. Became first TG from Hub City, then first to be a TG1 from there. Married Carson Martin.

Jorl Breaker

Fred Saber

Bill Saber (Killed on Meglor Dock raid in Thandol Empire)

Their parents were all early Koban captives. At sixteen, they became TGs.

HUMAN SPACE

Garland (Sarge) Reynolds

Sergeant in the PU Army on Poldark. Captured by the Krall, and in a fluke of circumstance is taken to Koban by his captors, and is there rescued by the Kobani, twenty years into the war with the Krall. His arrival and rescue, and capturing a clanship, is the key event for the Kobani to travel back to Human Space.

Henry Nabarone

A Major General of the Planetary Union Army, in charge of Poldark’s defense. Formerly in a local militia unit, and second in command after Colonel Thaddeus Greeves of that same unit. He becomes a Kobani.

Joseph Longstreet

Captain of a platoon of spec ops troops, expanded to absorb remnants of units suffering losses from missions behind Krall lines on Poldark. Becomes a Kobani.

Golda Mauss

Admiral that commanded first two PU naval raids on K1, participated in a third as ship captain and advisor. Becomes a Kobani.

Marlene Strickland

PU politician in the LOR party, becomes PU president, is pro-Federation, and supportive of the Kobani gene mods.

Adriana Bledso

Former Naval Chief of Staff. Becomes Chairfem of Joint Chiefs of Staff of Planetary Union military. Retired and entered politics. Becomes PU Vice President, is pro-Federation and supports gene mods.

Heavyside

A Rim world planet, not considered suitable for mass human colonization. Located on the anti-spinward side of human exploration, on the far side of Human Space from the Krall invasion. It has 1.41 times Earth’s gravity. Heavyside was home of the Special Operations training program. Site of a second gene lab for converting selected spec ops candidates into Kobani.

KRALL

Tor Gatrol Telour

Originally a Krall translator, of Graka Clan. Second in command of Newborn Raid that capture the Flight of Mancy and Mirikami, her captain. Became second in command of Krall, with the title/rank of Til Gatrol. Became Tor after arranging previous Tor’s murder. Personally captured by Mirikami, and taken to Earth for trial for genocide. When anti-Kobani PU president wanted to arrest Mirikami for her bias against gene mods, a diversion was created by Mirikami issuing a Death Match to Telour. The Krall reader died a grizzly death in front of media cameras, proving the Kobani claim that gene mods made them physically capable of defeating the Krall.

KRALL’TAPI

Called the “soft Krall” by the now genetically distinct Krall. The Krall’tapi are what the Krall were twenty-five thousand years ago, when they allowed the Olt’kitapi to modify a gene that made Krall super aggressive and war-like, creating a people less uncontrollably violent, and ready to work with the Olt’kitapi. After the warrior Krall revolted against the ancient race, the Krall’tapi were held captive by the self-evolving Krall for many thousands of years. Only the soft Krall could command the ancient Olt’kitapi mining ships that could break apart worlds. Freed by the Kobani, they have joined the Federation as its newest citizens.

OTHER ALIEN RACES

Olt’kitapi

Highly advanced and ancient people, determined pacifists, who first discovered the Krall. Mentored the violent race, hoping to make them more peaceful, but were betrayed and destroyed by the Krall about 22,000 years ago. Believed to have been exterminated, survivors were found hiding in Empire territory, under the protection of the Hothor, a sloth-like subservient species of the Thandol overlords.

The race of gentle mantis-like large insects, were a slow expanding space traveling species for over a hundred thousand years, with brilliant mathematical minds. Their compound eyes contributed to their mental ability to perceive geometries and patterns that extended into alternate spaces, such as Tachyon Space, which at points impinge upon what humans call the Normal Space of our Universe. Many space faring species discovered the mathematics of reaching into Tachyon Space for the energy required to produce event horizons, and rotating into that adjacent Universe to achieve faster than light travel. The Olt’kitapi learned to do it more efficiently, and deduced the higher dimensions in that space, equivalent to the four dimensions of Normal Space, which yield shorter travel times.

Their life cycle begins with an egg, hatching into a caterpillar state of multiple colors, depending on its gender. The larval stage is also intelligent, and at the discretion of the individual can last from two to ten “orbits,” or years in human terms. It must select which adult body form it wishes for its future, a maker, a builder, or hybrid, and adjust its diet to achieve the intended result. The Makers are the more intellectual and theoretical thinkers, their scientists and philosophers, who produce ideas and new theories. The Builders are those that engineer, build, and actualize the ideas, and what theory shows is possible.

After a pupa stage, the final body style emerges, resembling a walking stick-like creature with a triangular mantis shaped head, and a two segmented body with six limbs. They grow larger over many orbits via molting, to become an adult maker, builder, or combination of types. The inherited hormones of their gender determine adult coloration rather than body style. Females, which have names that traditionally end with a “la” sound, and male names that end with “da,” have obvious differences in shadings and colors. Females are brightly colored with a high sheen, with colors such as shades of purple, blue, orange and reds. The drabber males displayed shades of dull greens, tans, browns, and some had mottled black markings or splotches. The heights of the insects varied, with maker forms of either gender being taller, and builder forms shorter in length, holding more of their torso horizontal as they moved.

Gith Prola and Gith Frithda

A mated Olt’kitapi pair, the female being a maker form, chosen with her builder form mate as representatives for their species, acting as intermediaries with other races. Gith is their chosen mating name to denote their connection.

Prola is a light purple shade, her overall length being roughly six feet, and her thick lower abdomen is partly held horizontally, before curving up sharply to her thorax. Her face is five feet above ground, with four legs supporting the lower abdomen two feet off the ground. The flat sections of the angular legs have a considerably sturdier appearance than the spindly stick like legs of a scaled up insect. The back feet are two-toed pads, but the middle limb’s feet resembled a cross between feet and hands, with a grasping capability. The triple jointed front upper limbs were held high, hands together, but were distinctly not made for grasping prey, and were articulated much like a human’s arms. There were six finger-like appendages for hands, of three to six inch lengths, and had several joints on each digit, making them very flexible.

Frithda was at least a foot shorter in length, mostly light green, with shades of brown on his lower abdomen. He normally poses more horizontal than his mate, although his middle limbs also have basic grasping hands. His front limbs are noticeably sturdier than his mate’s, and his hands have thicker stronger fingers and look less flexible. His head shares the same triangular shape and compound eyes, with two shorter brown colored antennae.

Raspani

A spacefaring, once highly intelligent and peaceful race, with about a dozen colonized worlds. They were a client race of the Olt’kitapi, advancing under their guidance. After their defeat by the Krall, they became semi-intelligent because the Krall bred and used them as meat animals. They were raised in herds on many of the Krall worlds. The grey creatures, paler on the stomach than on the back, looked somewhat like a pigmy hippopotamus from Earth. They are nearly three feet high at mid back, and five feet long in the lower torso. The upper part of their torso is vaguely centaur-like, which when held upright places their heads five feet above ground.