Chapter One
NEGOTIATOR
ne-go’ti-a’tor n.
1. one who negotiates.
2. a guide in foreign territory.
3. the first Diplomatic Imperial Ship commissioned by Emperor Peter Farfel Marcello after first contact with an intelligent alien species in 3320.
4. A class of battleships commissioned for diplomatic missions.
-Excerpt from the Human Archaic Dictionary in the Year of our Lord 4092.
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“Picture the cube. The volume inside and the space it displaces out. Now, solidify it. Make it stone...Knosqua’locay bedrock.”
Cambridge squinted his eyes against the dream sun. It was hot. As it should be. He was pleased with this reality. Around the ruins stretched a sandy, scorched plain for kilometers in each direction ending in a smudged horizon of tropical jungle growth. Everything was nearly perfect for the test. Nearly...
A scarab-fly osmosied from the air. Instantly It flew around the young girl standing a few paces away from him, focused on her cube. Circling twice, it landed upon her neck and stung her. Calmly, she brushed it aside with her hand. Her face remained unchanged, eyes closed in tranquil concentration.
“Very good wisechild. Continue.”
Five meters above her floated what appeared to be a massive twenty ton cube of stone. Had the child’s concentration slipped enough, the stone would drop, killing her instantly. On the Mindplane, dreams could kill you.
“Now, imagine Knosqua’locay storms. Ten thousand years of them, weathering the Titan rock, eroding it...good...very good.”
The blocks edges soften. Grooves and depressions appeared upon its sides. A deep crack grew down one face.
“No your Highness, too far. MINDRACE Solce Titan ruins block number four. Find the correct link and adjust.“
Within her conscious, the young child’s thoughts 'raced' to retreived the exact memory of the Titan stone with a speed and clarity twenty times faster than a normal humans. Her brows slightly forrowed. The stone began to waver.
“Maintain your Alpha R.E.M. wisechild.“
A few moments passed and the stone began to steady. The crack disappeared.
“Very good. Now, place the block with the rest of the ruins.“
The girl turned and the block followed. With a slight mental command she pushed it away and settled it down next to three others of similar shape. A third of its mass settled into the foundation pit she spent the last three mornings mentally digging. Cambridge carefully watched her work with approval. When the dust finally settled he closed his eyes and MINDRACED the image. Lady Onia watched him patiently.
“Excellent your Highness. I see you even placed the stone at a slight obtuse angle due to it’s shift from last seasons hurricanes. Our trip to Solce Providence was not... “
The True-Dreamers face grimaced slightly.
“Master Cambridge...is something wrong?“
Cambridge open his eyes and regarded his student.
“Something has rocked the Dream Chamber...the very ship itself I think...and...we have a visitor.“
A man osmosied out of the air. He hovered several feet above them.
“Is this a private dream, or can anyone enter? “
“Hello Jan.“ said Onia
The ‘Sin-Guardian smiled down upon his charge. A handsome man, his thick brown hair was cut just short above his ears. Below his sharp brows, flashed blue eyes that seemed to tinkle with a light of their own. His square chin, soften with a stylish goatee, made it difficult for one to guess his age. The rest of him wore the business attire of an Imperial Assassin-Guardian. A Warsaw was sheathed across his back, two Sabersaws crossed his waist, a Torpedo Blaster holstered to his left thigh and his feet, braced in the traditional sickle-shoes of his order. His left arm hung by his blaster with feigned casualness.
“Your Highness.“ Jan courtly bowed with both fist crossed over his chest.
“Lord Cambridge.” He nodded to the Dream-Engineer.
"Problem?“ asked Cambridge
“We’ve been spotted,“ answered Jan
“Already?“ The True Dreamer arched a brow.
“Bound to happen sooner or later.“ Jan shrugged.
“I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to cut short your Mindplane session today and escort you both to an Imperial Ward.“
Cambridge winced slightly again. On the Material plan the Dream Chamber shook. He tried to imagine the fighting outside the ship.
“I understand,“ said True-Dreamer.
He turned to his student. Lady Onia Onnetta Farfel-Marcello, the youngest daughter to the Emperor of the Archaen Empire, was calm. Only her nostrils flared slightly, but to a Dreamer, that lack of control was a near indication to wide spread terror. Emotions; the bane of all Dreamers.
Cambridge raised his eyebrows. Jan noticed it too. He hovered to the ground and knelt next to his charge.
“We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to your Highness. The Wights can give us one more surge to out distance the pirates, but our time is short. Personally, I'd feel better if we just attended the Treaty Conference.“
“Liar, Jan Church. You’ve been looking forward to this for weeks.“
Onia closed her eyes. She inhaled softly through her nose and slowed her heart rate to twenty beats per minute. Her mind entered Alpha R.E.M.. The trembling stopped. Onia opened her eyes and Jan was met with a startling likeness to her fathers. Strong eyes, stone gray, capable of leading men into battle. Eyes that he vowed his sword and soul to protect and to serve. He was satisfied.
“Our duty is clear to the Empire and my father. We will continue with this operation.”
“Aye that your Majesty, by your word.” Jan began to stand.
“One more thing Jan Church...,” continued the eight year old. "You are my hand and my shield...and my friend. I do not wish to lose you this day.“
*High praise from a Dreamer!* Cambridge thought. Did he detected a slight blush between Jan eyes?
“Not a scratch your Highness,” said Jan. Onia looked at him fully, her brows arched in a Dreamer's smile.
“Liar.“
The three osmosied out of the air. Soon the plains of Knosqua’locay evaporated like water.
______________________________________________________________________
Captain Whang of Lady Onia’s Retainers pressed himself against the wall as two squads of fully armed Imperial Marines ran by in double time march. The Sergeant-of-Arms called out.
“Red alert!...Clear this hall!”
“Yeah-yeah...ya swabie!” retorted Whang. He regarded his Second in Command. “No respect for our order,” he said.
“It is their ship, sir,” he answered.
“Yeah, there is that.”
The ship suddenly lurched, the lights flickered, but his men regained their balance. Next to them stood the massive doors to the Imperial Dream chamber. A familiar signal-tingle played across Whang’s wrist and arm via his Sensor Glove.
“Here! Here! her Highness! her Highness!”
The men came to attention moments before the doors slide open. Jan Church stood before them. His eyes swept the hall environment before resting on Whang’s. The Captain recognized that look. A few paces behind him Lady Onia and Cambridge patiently waited. The ‘Sin-Guardian drew Whang to the side.
“Take Lady O, and Cambridge to the Imperial Ward. Guard them yourself.”
The ship violently shook again. Jan could hear the hull groan with stress.
“Ishtar! We’re taking a beating. What’s Yaacov up to?” said the 'Sin-Guardian perhaps more to himself than anyone.
“Probable wants to fight. Doesn’t like this idea of running,” answered Whang.
“That’s not part of the plan,” Said Church. Whang shrugged.
Jan removed his Warsaw, his left Sabersaw and handed them to the Captain.
“Where will you be sir,?” inquired the Head Retainer as he shouldered the weapons.
“On the bridge. ‘fraid I’m going to have to pull rank.”
Whang pulled a sly grin. One of the perks of the ‘Sin-Guardian Order was that under some situations they outranked nearly any military officer. Fortunately for Jan, this happened to be one of them.
“Do you believe we have a traitor on board sir?”
“I do now,“ answered the 'Sin-Guardian.
“...Understood sir. Your back is watched.“
“Yours too.”
Jan turned and jogged down the corridor in the direction of the Imperial Marines. Whang called orders to his troops. Lady Onia and Cambridge entered the hall, were encircled by a protective cocoon of retainers, and escorted down the corridor in the opposite direction. Whang threw back a nervous look in the direction of his superior.
______________________________________________________________________
“No!...Closer...as close as you can get ”
Jan looked over the shoulder of the Wight-Spector pilot watching the growing nano-pixel image on the bridge screen of E’Bok Tan, a medium blue sun off the shoulder of the Rhuk-D’kai Empire. Their ship, the H.M.S.Negotiator was pulling into a closer orbit. The bald Spector turned towards the ‘Sin-Guardian. The symbiotic wight suspended in the left lens of his golden Wight-Spectacles shimmered a faint prismatic gray - signs of worry. The hull temperature was reaching 8,000 degrees.
“Don’t worry Chase, the shields will hold. The Wights can do it.“
“You sound as if you know this ship.” The voice came from behind him. Jan turned.
Fleet Captain Yaacov stood with his hands behind his back, clenching and unclenching them in white knuckle tension. The ship shook again.
“No, I don’t. But I know the Wights.“
Yaacov sat down and helped himself to a cup of Turkish coffee.
“What are you planning to do to my ship Mr. Church?“
“What’s our status?“ asked the 'Sin-Guardian.
“We are down to our last Mag-shield. Shield One we dropped when the pirates first opened fire to play the wounded ship.”
“ And...”
“They must have bought it. They opened up with a full volley. By your plan we would have dropped shield two to complete the masquerade, but they actually took that out. Their weapons are quite powerful.“
Jan nodded in agreement. “And we returned fire? “
“With everything. Their first and second ships were moderately damaged. Their third smaller vessel hung back."
Jan didn’t like that, but supposed there wasn’t much he could do.
“The Wights have compensated by augmenting shield three, but at the expense of our FLS speed. And now Mr. Church you are flying the Negotiator into a sun. I hope you realize that there is a limit to what our probability field warping citizens can do.“
“Yes, I do, but not into, just close. What’s happening with the pirates? “
“Their pursuing of course, but...ahhh I see,...you’ve leveled the playing field.”
Yaacov put down his coffee.
“Well done Mr. church. The Ghoiites will likewise have to increase power to shields and engines to resist the increase gravity and heat, slowing them down and ...”
Yaacov thought about it some more, a gleam shone in his eyes.
“...and perhaps degrading their weapons as well.“
Jan smiled.
“So you’ll bury the hatchet?“
Yaacov laughed, a good deep sound. “Yes, yes I approve of these tactics. Mr. Church, have you thought about a career in the Imperial Fleet?"
“No thanks. Too dangerous for me.“
Yaacov roared again. Alarms went off through out the bridge. The Operations officer sent commands to fireteams shipwide. The Captain sat back down and picked up his cup.
“Whatever you plan next, I hope it's soon.“
Jan Turn to the Spector pilot.
“Have we identified the Ghoiite ships? “
“Yes sir. We have them here.”
Jan read the names off the screen and committed them to memory. He turned back to the captain.
“Actually sir, I'd like permission to leave the ship.“
Yaacov looked at him in disbelief.
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The shimmering image of an Imperial 'Sin-guardian suddenly appeared under the canopy of the Jade Blade, Interstellar Tavern of Dreamworld 6 and familiar watering hole to much of the Greater Galaxy. The unexpected appearance startled two Nos’ Traulian Hullers so much, that their carapaces cracked in several places as the jumped from their chairs. Jan’s image flickered before solidifying into a solid, smokey gray; about ninety percent opacity. He adjusted several slidebars on the collar device about his neck, but his image remained the same. The holo-kinetic Field-Sculptor, on loan from the Rhuk-D’kai Embassy, was successful in breaking through the Ghoiite pirates communication jam, weaken by the suns radiation, but Jan wasn’t all there. As his visual input came into focus he noticed, much to his chagrin, that his crotch area and left knee were missing. Mentally he shrugged. He’d have to be satisfied with what he had. Looking up he noticed the two Nos’Traulians staring at him.
Jan smiled.
“Greetings fellow sentients. I am Jan church of the August Empire of Archaen.”
“Mmmmeex ddDDDRREeee’ qqqQQQ’RRRrrrroooOOMMmm GLAX’Ta ‘ck!“
“Ishtar! That sounds so formal. Really, what do your friends call you?“.
The Nos’Traulians looked at each other, than waved three dozen or so feelers through Jan’s holo-form.
“Mmmmeex ddDDDRREeee’ qqqQQQ’RRRrrrroooOOMMmm GLAX’Ta ‘ck!“
“Gottcha“ Jan nodded respectfully with his hands upon his chest. The Nos’Traulians returned the gesture with their twenty or so arms, and returned to their table and drinks.
The tree was an undeniable presence in the room. Standing six meters high its dense canopy spread twice that distance. Encircled around the trunk like a wide marble halo floated the bar counter top. Chairs for various species types and designs were congregated about the bar like an eclectic furniture collection that, oddly enough, seemed quite natural in this environment. The floor was sand (or appeared to be) stretching all the way to the horizon of a vast desert. Jan surmised that to be the daily holo-mural. Scattered about the desert terrain were two-dimensional portals leading to different sections of the bar environment, and scattered between them were about half a dozen patrons.
The ‘Sin-Guardian walked to the bar. On the other side was a magnificent oval porthole ten meters at its narrowest part. As always, Jan was mesmerized. Beyond was the breathtaking spacescape of Taarkhul Prime, the Rhuk-D'kai HomeWorld. Various ships scuttled by, and Jan recognized a few deepspace Archaen Vessels.
“For the view, you come?“
Despite being a projected hologram, Jan suppressed his kill reflexes as the approaching figure encroached too close. He locked his eyes on the bartender.
“Just for a visit. Tell K’ran Koreyalis that Jan Church has dropped by.“
She was a D’kai. Her two meter crab-like body was engraved with several striking marking that Jan found, at times, hard to tear his gaze away from. The pupils of the eye stalks widen and shimmered - her smile, and with a body nod she quickly departed down an archway.
Outwardly Jan feigned a casual stance. Inward, his mind replayed the events set in motion two weeks ago that brought him to this moment.
_____________________________________________________________
“Really your Highness, this is beyond the call of duty.“
Cambridge stood on the open terrace. His form eclipsed the closest star shinning through the massive xallocite clear domes of the the White, interstellar fortress and palace of the Archaen Empire.
“Wouldn’t you agree Ambassador Jai’Kai?“
The Rhuk-D’Kai Ambassador to the Archaen throne sat at the end of a large chestnut dinning table. A finished bowl of ‘nke-nke root stew lay to his side. At the other end sat Lady Onia, aimlessly stirring her own fruit salad. Jan stood in her shadow. The Ambassador cleared his throat, gathered his thoughts and spoke in clear Archaic.
“Though your proposition is both bold and ambitious, your Highness, I believe your attending and signing at AiD Pact Treaty conference is all that is required in this matter.“
The Elder Shiaiimites blue features remained diplomatic. His young host replied.
“On the contrary Lord Jai’Kai, In the past two months five Archaen vessels leaving the White have been hijacked or attacked by Ghoiite pirates. In each case an important Archaen dignitary was on board. These facts seem to indicate an informant on the White working for the pirates. A traitor. My father has instructed me to represent himself and the Empire in the signing of the treaty. I believe we can all agree that this automatically makes me an ideal target. Mr. Ambassador, I would rather be predator than prey.”
The young Dreamer turned to her ‘Sin-Guardian. “ Jan...”
The Imperial Assassin-Guardian stepped forward.
“Our plan is simple your Lordships. At some point during our journey we will unexpectantly altar our course. If the pirates show up this will tip us off to the presence of the traitor on board. When the Ghoites arrive we’ll play a wounded ship, then spring our own trap. “
The Ambassador nodded with interest. “Which will be? “.
“We’ll create a situation that will reduce the pirates offensive and defensive capabilities. Next, we’ll launch our own boarding parties to rescue any hostages they may have on board.“
“An interesting plan Mr. Church, but do not underestimate the fighting capabilities of the Ghoiite separtist. Though your ‘Sin-Guardian Order is perhaps more highly skilled in warfare and tactics, our force field and hologram technology is still more advanced than yours. By blood they are Shiaiimites, like me, born to the ways of Ul'ek fighting and psionic deception.“
“Understood Mr. Ambassador. That’s where you and Lord Cambridge come in.”
“The Nano-virus you mean.“
“Exactly. If introduced properly into their Ul'ek fighting robes, it should give us the edge we need to make this mission successful.“
The Ambassador thought for a while, then turned to his fellow engineer with raised brows.
“I still have grave doubts Jan. The virus has never been field tested,“ said Cambridge.
“What better opportunity,“ Onia replied.
“Even still, if functioning properly it will only be effective for an hour at best.“
“That’s all I’ll need,“ leveled the ‘Sin-Guardian.
The room drew quiet save for the hum of the White. Cambridge returned to the table and took his seat.
“It’s still a risky venture your highness.“
“Certainly worth it if we rescue any Archaen or foreign dignitaries,“ she replied.
“And arrive to the conference with a properly working nano-virus as a gift to the Pact,“ finished Jan
Cambridge bowed his head and touched his hands together. With closed eyes he MINDRACED the situation. When done he turned to his student.
“I’m sorry your Highness, but I won’t agree unless we have the approval of your father.“
“I would not have it any other way,“ said the Princess. The True- Dreamer studied his student’s features for control and was satisfied with what he saw.
“If I may ask...” replied the Ambassador.
“This operation could be handled by your Imperial Fleet. Why do you wish to place yourself at personal risk?“
“We have a saying in my world Lord Jai’Kai,“ said Onia. “Powerful men are made by powerful enemies.”
“Ah, you are seeking glory.” As a Elder Warrior, Jai’Kai could relate to that. Onia slightly shook her head.
“Just give them a taste of Archaen steel, then allow them to return to their brethren and spread the word.“
“Ah!... You plan to do more harm through your reputation than through future engagements. Very diplomatic. You create a system of checks and balances “
“Something like that. Let us just say that we wish to give them something to think about.“
Inward, the Ambassador’s admiration for the young Archaen grew. He was pleased and smiled to her, then remembered that Dreamers do not.
“Please, keep me appraised of the situation.“
He stood up and his retainers, standing out or earshot, snapped to attention, approached their lord and ceremonially placed his Ul’ek robe on his shoulders. Onia stood as Jan came to her side. His arm rested casually by his left blaster.
“You have my word Ambassador,“ she said as she crossed her hands to her chest and courtly bowed.
The Rhuk-D’kians moved to exit. The Ambassador suddenly paused by Onia’s side, turned and regarded her ‘Sin-Guardian.
“One more thing Mr. Church. When it comes time to engage the Ghoiites, how will you know what you are up against? Each pirate ship is run by a different tribe. Each tribe is endowed with a different psionic ability: telekinesis, illusions, clairvoyance. You must admit that is quite an considerable x-factor.“
Jan nodded in agreement. “I understand Mr. Ambassador. Trust me, when the time comes, I plan to be as prepared as possible.“
The Ambassador accepted that with a fragile smile, nodded and departed the room.
_____________________________________________________________
“Hello Jan. I see you forgot to bring your brains.“
K’ran Koreyalis, Shiaiimite bartender and owner of the Jade Blade stared at the missing section below Jan’s belt. Despite himself, Jan had to laugh.
“Come to pay off your gambling debts?“ she asked
“My debts! If I remember right you owe me...” but he waved his hand through the air.
“Tell you what. I’d be willing to forget the whole thing in exchange for information on some Ghoiite tribes,“ finished church
K’ran smiled, rested her elbows on the bar and placed her hand in her palms.
“I’m Listening... ”