A New Day

Suddenly, all the others focused on him - trying to find sense in the words he had spoken. "Hard to tell how much I saw - enough to fear, too little to understand. The ancestors should have blessed someone else with this vision, for I cannot tell its meaning. I saw a planet - dark, but lighted by cities far beyond our capabilities. I only got a glance at them as I moved through the surface, following tunnels filled with legions of Haydonites - doing whatever they do when they don't hunt their prey. Deep down, I found a giant machine, guarded by thousands and thousands of servants. The air itself seemed to be filled with its hatred, and for a moment, I could feel its thoughts - if you may call them like that. There was not much more than burning hate in there, an unspoken promise to destroy whoever partakes in our fight for freedom. Not only those on the ships, but every single being, may it live on Garuda, Earth, or whatever other planet you can think of. After that, my vision blurred - maybe it noticed my presence, or the ancestors thought I saw enough to comprehend."


Shykrad took a deep breath, trying to shake off the dark impressions he once more had witnessed when recalling his impressions. "Going there would be suicide, doctor - if they noticed your presence out here, they'll tear us apart before we'll even reach the surface."
 
The admiral looks troubled.  "I have seen reports on these visions that your race can sometimes get with the Hin, and I believe you.  Lieutenant, I want you to dictate up a report of everything you saw, everything you can remember.  Any little detail might just be the critical clue to finding these bastards.  Dr. Crowley, get me those answers.  As I said, that is your top priority.  I need to get back, so I won't keep you any longer."  With that, she turns and heads out. 


Sharon gets up from the floor and begins to pace back and forth.  "What could possibly be in that data that is so important that the Haydonites would tip their hand and show us that they have the capability to attack the ship in foldspace.  We must have something critical.  Perhaps something like . . . the location of this evil computer thing that Shykrad saw in his vision?  Now that would be one hell of a Christmas present to unwrap!  Doc, I may not be in your league of computer hacking, but I am pretty good.  Lets roll up our mental sleeves and see if we can find this."
 
"You will get that report, Admiral - but it might take a while. I'd rather be here to help these two than sit in my room to produce a tape that gets lost in the archives anyway."


She does not understand - the ancestors sent this vision to me, knowing what I would take from it and what not. If there is more to be found than what I described, it is on me to find it. Noone else can, or they would have received the vision instead. Unfortunately, that meant that none of the few Garudans that had been picked up by the fleet were able to help him with that - otherwise, Shykrad would have been the one trying to get something out of someone else's data files. A credit to my people - unfortunately, I'm not a shaman, just a mere fighter, and Myrvin didn't have enough time to teach me how to be more than that. Standing up, he waited a few seconds, just in case his vision would fade once again - but this time, his mind had already adapted to barely touch the Hin, showing not more than a colorful shade of what lied beyond the haze between this world and those of the spirits.


"I'm not too great with computers, Doctor, Sharon will be much more of a help in that regard - but I will stay anyway, just in case I can help out with something. Whatever this vision meant - the core cannot succeed if we ever want to live a life in freedom." Enough of the howling like a whelp - as dire as the impressions were, there has to be a way to avoid it - or the ancestors wouldn't have bothered to send me a warning. I'm fighting a lost fight since I left Garuda's surface, or more precisely since I was old enough to understand that once upon a time, things were different than anything I know of. There was hope for us when I found the humans - maybe there is something to be found this time as well.
 
Rufaro

Efe shoulders her weapon. She turns to Dr. Crowley. "Doctor. Would it be possible to somehow amplify the 'signal' of the Haydonite tech? So the bait stretches longer distances, I mean?" She smooths her hair. "I know I'm not using the right lingo, but do you know what I mean? I'm wondering if we can choose the right time and place, set a trap, and gain the advantage for once."
 
Evangeline Crowley 


"No, it's close enough. Together, we could easily use it to set a trap at our location. Like it or not, I still have a great deal of Haydonite technology written into my framework currently and boosting that framework would allow for even further transmission. My only hesitation is the greater the strength, the greater the contact between my mind and the Haydonite neural network. As you all know, I am not adverse to taking extensive risk though." 


She turns to the alien lifeform being afflicted with the visions. Her memory drags up images of possible psionic linkage testing on the bugs and some of her old data. 


"About these visions...perhaps we could isolate the mental source and replicate it? Do members of your race take well to cyberization? Have we tried that yet?" 
 
"I do not know what you tried so far, Doctor - and quite frankly, that might be better for both of us, for I am certain that not all of your research would find my approval. As I am only a mere fighter, rebel and follower of a shaman who died too soon to share more than a few fragments of his knowledge, it would be on you to answer these questions."


Seems like this will be the turning point. This is where we either throw all caution to the winds, or insist on boundaries that should not be crossed. Allow the doctor to try a single thing, and soon enough, she'll take that as permission to do whatever she can think of - not that she would need one, really. A choice he had thought about often enough, but only now the right path seemed clear. It's either risking annihilation by the Haydonites due to lacking knowledge, or fight for freedom at all costs. I saw the vision, and what it meant.


"Not that it matters. Our minds are rather complex things, connected to the Hin and therefore holding knowledge of our kind. I would not know what else you might replicate - maybe nothing, but maybe things noone is supposed to share with anyone ever. The ancestors sent me this vision for a reason - I might know even more about the world than other Garudans, and thus I have even more to accidentily give away." Shykrad paused for a moment, carefully looking at the reactions of the others. "There is one man on board who knows more about psionics than anyone else - and for the sake of goodwill, I will ask him if there is a way to share a single memory. If not, my words will have to be enough."
 
Sharon holds her hands up. "Woah doc! Let's not start planning on cyber implants quite yet. We don't know what effect that would have on his abilities. Let's check out some of this data first. We might find out the location of their home planet in there." 
 
With the hints from Shykrad's vision to guide you, the group dives into the computer files and start to comb through them, looking for a nugget of gold in the middle of all the regular rock.  While that is going on, tech support crews begin to clean up the damaged and destroyed remains of the Haydonites that had gotten this far into the ship. 


Even with all of the help going through the files, this has the potential to take several hours to get any results.  What is everyone doing at this time?  Is everyone joining in the data mining, or are some of you doing something else?
 
Yoshi turned to those who were not involved in the mammoth task of sifting through the digital mountain of data on the Haydonites, "While it's a little early for dinner, do any of you fancy coming over to our quarters for a more relaxed debrief? I fancy I want to check on my children and their dragon, Mario. And I think a drink might be called for. Within operational limits, of course."
 
As the search for information reached the rather technical part of looking through hundred thousands of files, Shykrad found himself in the situation of being of no use at all - not familiar enough with the human systems, all he could do was watch the others in their attempts to make sense out of his words. At least, it seemed as if he was not the only one in that position.


"If we ever reach the surface of a liberated Garuda, I'll share a drink with you, Shogun. Until then, I better make sure to record my report for the archives - and I hope those are words your children will never have to listen to." He almost turns away, before stopping in the middle of the motion. "The teacher, Jade - does he have visions as well? If so, I might want to ask him a few things, just in case there is something that helps us if nothing of this works." His paw points at the others, trying to find their way through the files.
 
Orran


Orran thought about it for a second. "I'll be more than happy to pick up the bairn, Captain. I've always wanted to meet a dragon anyway." He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text. "I was supposed to meet a lass, but," he grinned, "a dragon is much more fun. And then I can teach your children a proper language, one meant for proud warriors that only a few now speak. Besides, I like kids."
 
Sharon smiles up at Orran.  "I knew I liked you for some reason.  C'mon, guys.  We can take a leap into the morass of this stuff after a bit of unwinding and team bonding.  It will give the clean up crew some time to scrape the Haydonite gunk off the walls and floor.  Once we have refreshed ourselves, it will be some long nights as we all work overtime to find what is hiding in there."


The trip to the Tokugawa residence is a quick one.  Inside it is fairly spacious for a military ship, with enough room for the married couple and their two children, along with a pet dragon!  When the door opens up, you can see that the room is decorated in an oriental theme, complete with a small shrine on the far wall.  Curled up in the middle of the room is the small dragon named Mario, lying in a semi circle with Sakura and her younger brother [whose name I'm spacing on; Yes, I'm a horrible Storyteller!] tucked in against his belly.  Sakura jumps up and runs over to the group.  "Mommy!  Daddy!  I missed you!"  The little bundle of energy leaps into the arms of her parents, giving the biggest hug she can manage.  "Look at what Master Tiger taught me to do!"  She scrunches up her face in concentration, then holds out her hands and a glowing ball of light appears in her cupped palms.  "See?  I can even make it different colors, but I like pink the best!"


Tiger smiles.  "You are the best pupil I have ever had, young Padawan!  You will make a great spellcaster once you have come to your full power.  Yoshi, Sharon, you should be very proud of your little one here."
Sharon nods, giving hugs and kisses to her daughter.  "Oh, sweetie!  That is wonderful!  You make mommy so proud."
 
Orran


It was small! That was the first thought that entered his mind. In his head dragons were large, victorious creatures that flamed the sky with the fire of their breath and the anger of their will. They were magic and elemental and everything cool. 


"Och, by my faith, aye, a lass definitely comes in second to a real live, fe," he suddenly remembered the age of some of the humans about him, "ferrous dragon."


He sat down by the dragon. "There's a story about the last dragons of Scotland. Faith, it's not a happy tale as all the dragons were turned into cats by an evil witch's spell." He shrugged, "now that I think about it, it sounds about a happy as an Irish tale. And if there's one thing the Irish do, is laugh at sorrow and cry and joy. But then, we're an odd bunch, us Celts. Always seeing that we're winning when we're dying cause we know we're taking the bastards out with us. But then, we think we've failed when we've won for far too many of our brothers will have a pint no more."


He waited a bit. "Blimey, when did I become Irish?" He shrugged. "Anyway, in European folklore, dragons are mostly regarded as evil, though we Celts understand that it a dragon's choice to be good or evil. The Welsh have a red dragon on their flag for they've a story that was explained to them by Merlin what the fight between a red dragon and a white dragon meant. The White Dragon was the dragon of the Saxons whereas the Red was the dragon of the Welsh and, with the victory of the Red dragon, it is foretold that one day the Welsh would achieve victory of the Saxons. This was centuries before there was ever an England mind, but, eventually the Saxons kings became one country called England and it came to pass that there was a man who was a son of Wales who eventually became King of England. Aye, well, the Tudors forgot that their founder was Welsh and I think they hushed it up a bit. Bit bloody were the Tudors, they did like to kill."
 
The dragon stretches and yawns, then turns its head to look at Orran. "I am still young, or I would be much bigger. I seem to remember something about the dragons of Europe, even though I've never been there. Isn't that strange? I was never even on Earth, since I hatched her on one of these amazing ships."


Tiger smiles. "It is a gift from your mother, a genetic heritage that all dragons share with their hatchlings. All very normal for your kind."


Sharon invites everyone in, and goes into the small kitchen to start making drinks for everyone. "A friend of ours in medical has come up with a decent still. The alcohol it makes can also double as an industrial strength cleaner to remove paint, so go easy on it." 
 
Orran


He smiled. "Aye, well, I was born on Earth but am not human. My parents had been sent to Earth to infiltrate it and learn its weaknesses. They ended up loving the planet, the humans, and doing the crazy thing of falling in love. They didn't know it at the time of course, but they were a bit surprised to realize the other wasn't human. And so I was born amongst humans, the only one like me. I was bigger, stronger, faster than the other kids growing up. Still am, if I'm honest about it. And I have the ability to be so much bigger as well, though I have never gone through the experience of getting to be 50' tall like most Zentraedi are naturally. Still, you'll grow and maybe someday this bucket of bolts will get to earth and you can fly her skies and reclaim them for all of dragon kind. It's no' good for mortal creatures to forget that there's magic in the world."


He looked over at Sakura. "Take the child there, she's got magic- must be Irish. Oh aye, Scotland's got magic, but the Irish are big on it. We've got the druids but they've got the Sidh and well, they won that war against the Fair Folk didn't they?"
 
Since even Sharon let the upcoming task wait for a few moments, there really was no excuse to stay away. Following her lead, Shykrad entered with the others, taking a long look around as his feet stepped over the threshold. A room, different from almost everything he had seen so far - mainly practical human design, really, as he only knew the military ships from the distant place called Earth. Never had he cared too much to take a look - first because of his scepticism, then because of - what exactly? He didn't need more than a breaths of air to understand what it was. A place like a haven in the midst of war and death. Children, overjoyed about both their progress and their parents' presence. And it took not more than a few sentences until the first stories were told. A place so different - and yet so close to home. More than half of the names and places were unfamiliar to him, and the other half were not much more than words he had heard once or twice without understanding their true meaning. Ireland, Celts, Europe - words describing differences between things unknown. But replace them with names of our tribes, and replace the dragons with ancestral symbols - and things don't sound that different from what our shamans tell us at night.


As the Garudan stood there, unsure how to act on his squad leader's holy ground, pictures came into his mind. The room changed into a savage place, housing way too many of his kind. Instead of the children, he saw furred ones, looking up to the sky where a station circled, a relic of what their people once had been. The storyteller became the old shaman, sharing his wisdom with everyone willing to listen.


"Never forget the Hin, as it's wherever you are, if you listen. Never forget your ancestors, as their wisdom guides you what to do. And if you leave, come home one day, for no journey is meaningful if there is no goal to achieve in the back of your mind - and coming home is the worthiest goal of them all." He spoke the words as Orran ended his advice for the dragon - reciting without thought what he had heard countless times. "Sounds similar, somehow - you certainly should go to Earth one day, visiting those places you know of - you'll understand the gift you received when past and present merge together." As Orran continued, he nodded. "Scotland, Ireland, all those other places - show them to your children, every single one of them. The more they've seen and understood, the more likely it is for them to find the place where they belong."


For a short moment, a teethy smile appeared on Shykrads lips - who was he to give advice on things like these, seeing that the ancestors only showed him visions filled with hatred, his home was as distant as ever before, and all those beginning this journey would never return to a place they truly knew? He hadn't planned on having a drink with the others, as there was nothing to celebrate until he finally returned. But now, the filled glasses almost looked appealing. He turned away from them before he could follow his instincts. "Not that I'd know about these things. All I ever achieved was to tell the story of the station once. Two weeks later, the Invids came, and those Tudors might very well have liked what followed."
 
Orran


He turned and chuckled at the Gaurrdin. "Aye, well, the Tudors were nasty to those who displeased them but they did do what they thought was best for England. You can't fault them for that." He paused and thought about it for a second. "But the history of England is one of warfare. When they weren't getting their arses handed to them by the Norsemen, they were doling it out themselves. 'Twas only the ancient Pics that gave the Romans pause and their Scottish neighbors gave the Vikings just as much pause. The Irish though, aye, they're warrior bards, they sing songs of battle and then they go into it. The thing about the Irish, they're not the warriors, but anyone who has ever tried to conquer them became, in the end, Irish themselves. They took for them Irish names, Irish wives and had Irish children. They took up the Irish religion and the Irish language. So tell me, who then is the true victor then?"


He sighed and stood. "I am not ready to be a father but I do have a sister and my parents are alive and well. They have returned to Scotland and there she is growing up well and hears the same stories I grew up with. She is smart, beautiful, kind to a fault and I've not one iota of bias." He said it with a shit-eating grin that belied his words. "Well, maybe a bit of bias. 
 
"Sounds like I should hope my people did not earn an Irish victory while I was away - Garudanian hybrids are the last thing I want to deal with." Shykrads look followed the children. "Nothing against your offsprings, Sharon - but it takes two parts to make it work, and I doubt the Invids would show as much understanding as both of you do. It's good to hear that you'll have someone to return to once this is over, Orran - if it ever will be. You've got more in your hands there than I have - I might find nothing else than graves of those I left behind. People too stubborn to give up, but too much bound to Garudas surface to follow Myrvin - the short-living ones where those I called friends more often than not." There it is - a place of peace I got invited to, and all I do is to talk about war and losses.


"But those Tudors - whom would you fault for those things, then? The Zentraedi, Haydonites, even the Invids - they probably all think that what they do is best for their masters or themselves." Shykrad shows a predatory grin. "Are they justified in their doings, then? Better do not mention that kind of philosophy if we ever reach home - I would not expect it to have risen in popularity, and there were no advocates of it when I left." Getting there is only the first step - seeing our alliance, we'll have to do a hell lot of persuading before my people will understand. If at all - there are people even more stubborn than I am.
 
Yoshi smiled as Sakura showed off her new spell and picked up Karen as she worked the tiny nubs of teeth slowly pushing through her gums on a tough bread crust. No doubt the rest of the bread would be secreted somewhere within the living quarters, waiting for a questing parental hand or foot to find it. 


"Human history is replete with conflict. Since the earliest men could wield a sharpened stick as a spear, we've sought advancement through violence. While destructive, such conflicts have also pushed forward our societies' development. Without the Roman conquest, much of Europe would have had little improvement. Without Alexander the Great, many aspects of the modern world might not have come about. Without the World Wars, our ability to reach for the skies and the stars beyond would have been just the dreams of madmen.", he said, "But one thing is certain, despite the long history of wars, humans have managed to find reconciliation. Whether it be through capitulation, treaty or a cessation of hostilities, we've found ways to lay aside our weapons and seek more peaceful means of living."
 
Orran


"I'm no'xactly an historian, but it seems ta me that there are ever humans who want to live their lives in peace and then there are humans who will do all to they can to gain wealth and power and it is then behooven unto the men of peace to pick up their arms and go do war. Though there are some men who seem quite suited to it and then there are those who see it as a duty. Have ya never heard The Minstrel Boy? It's so Irish ya can hear harp chord. And then you have men like the Vikings and the Pics, men for whom war life." He shrugged his shoulders. "I think it is better to have men who can and will fight when fighting needs to be done, than to have men who would rather live under tyranny and see no war in their lifetime.


"Who was it that said something to the effect of, it is better for war to come in my lifetime so that my children live in peace? Aye, now that is what a man is about. He fights so that his bairn might be spared such a future." He looked at the two children. "And a man who refuses to fight and yet is willing to see his children suffer is no man at all. Aye, I shall fight." He then grinned. "But then, I'm a great big, bloody Zentraedi idiot, so what better do I know?"
 
Sharon laughs.  "Orran, you are not an idiot.  You speak wisdom about the horrors of war that many just don't understand.  I would gladly give my life to keep my children from having to fight  in these seemingly endless wars with an ever changing supply of enemies.  Not that I am planning on going away anytime soon, but still." 
 
Yoshi strode through into the kitchen, setting the coffee machine up with a strong brew, even as he set Karen back on the floor to go find the rest of her slice of bread. As he listened to the banter and discussion (and Sakura's cheerful shrieks of 'KITTY!' at the sight of Shykrad) of his squad, he was drawn back to a time when the faces were different and the squad drawn less broadly from the galaxy's various species. The coffee machine gave a little 'ding' as it dispensed the rich, hot beverage into the glass carafe and Yoshi filled a tray with rich demerara sugar, cream, mugs and a dish of coffee biscuits. He marveled for a moment on the perks of being a senior officer. It never really struck home until he noticed the little things. The fact that he and his wife had spacious, luxurious living quarters on a warship, that they had luxuries like unrefined sugar and cream on hand, that there was even a junior member of the crew who would come every couple of days to dust and vacuum the floors. These small almost-transparent facts sometimes escaped his notice, but he smiled to himself that he could still remember a time when he shared a boisterous bunk room on a light cruiser with three other brash young men.


He carried the tray through to the lounge and set it up on the table, letting people help themselves to the spread. Sakura instantly disengaged herself from Sharon to snatch up some of the biscuits for herself, Karen and Mario.


"Don't eat too many of those, honey. We shall have dinner later.", he sat down and observed the various people sat around the circular table and paused.


Something Shykrad had said stuck in his mind, along with the words various people had said regarding the Haydonite's sudden attack on the ship. And then it came to him.


"When you start your analysis on the Haydonite data, I suggest starting with a focus on stellar cartographical data, planetary profiles, solar system surveys.", he said, pouring himself a black coffee, "Perhaps the one piece of data the Haydonites are willing to risk an open assault on us for is... the location of their homeworld."
 
Sitting on the edge of the chair he borrowed, Shykrad mustered those around. All of them seemed different than usual, more comfortable. They talked about clans and their history, while gathering around the table, behaving as if this was their home. And in some sense, that was probably true. Obviously, they were far from Earth. And still, they had things around they knew from there, be it something as simple as having biscuits and coffee handy as if they weren't at war. For a short moment, the Garudanian's gaze turned melancholy, remembering times long past. Then he followed Sakuras example, taking a biscuit before eyeing it carefully. A different kind than those they handed out in the mess halls from time to time, covered by a thin layer of that sweetish guck he avoided whenever possible. Without a second thought, he handed it over to the junior spellcaster, before asking himself if Yoshi would take it the wrong way - after all, he was just a guest in these rooms, and those baked goods probably were rather special ones. Pulling his hand back before Sakura could get hold of his fur, Shykrad dutifully took another one that looked more appealing, guiding it through the obstacle of the breathing apparatus before chewing and swallowing as soon as possible. Way too sugary for his taste, like most things that humans treated as delicacies - Shykrad very much preferred the usual nutrion solutions handed out to the pilots whenever longer flights were due.


"I'd be surprised if they gave away that information by accident. If anything, we'd have enough clues to potentially deduce their position from that." Turning to the task ahead made things easier, as that was what he was familiar with - doing his part in this war, not picking out biscuits. "But I'll surely take a look at those celestial maps and surfaces, just in case I recognize something from my vision. If that is no help, I will try to ask the ancestors about it - but it is never a good idea to ask for too much, and they already gave me more insight than I am worthy of."
 
Yoshi watched and listened intently. This connection Shykrad had with his ancestors was fascinating.


"Never underestimate the stupidity that arrogance breeds. The Haydonites were playing with us from first contact til the point they betrayed us. They were using us as favored pets in their own schemes, feeding us data and technology like a farmer feeds pigs and sheep before he ultimately butchers them for their meat.", he replied, "They always saw us as inferior, all of us", he spared a glance at Evangeline, "so it's possible in the vast reams of data they have there might be some clues as to a weakness they exhibit. I might not know how your ancestors guide your people, but I'm sure they would not give you an insight into the world of the Haydonites simply to scare and dishearten you. I think they are giving up a beacon to follow, maybe not a complete picture, but the chance to refine our search."


He sat back and sipped his coffee, waiting for anyone else to chip in.
 
Orran


Helping himself to coffee and a biscuit, he sat on the floor even as Karen toddled over to him. The child climbed into his lap and imperiously demanded at the coffee in his hands. "Mine, you're too young. Have a biscuit." He liked his coffee as black as a coal minor's hands and strong enough to grow hair. The child insisted. "Oh, aye, I know, but it's no' for ye lassie." The Gaelic, unfamiliar to the girl made her stop and look at him. "Aye, that's right, there's more than three languages in the world. And I'll teach ye the best of them." He then broke off a piece of his biscuit and handed it to the child. "Have a biscuit, you can have coffee when you're older. Much older." Karen pouted prettily and he laughed, ate the broken bit and handed her the rest of it. "Cheeky."


He then looked up at the captain, even as the captain's daughter made a mess of the biscuit on his lap. "Star Wars. When a power is so great and complex, it doesn't always realize how it can make itself open. It could be that it fears we've got information we don't know we have. And I think you could be right, star charts to their home world would be a very good reason to try and attack the one entity they believes would have accessed them. It could be we don't, but so long as they think we have something we shouldn't, we need to keep on our guard."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top