“Seven months, fourteen days, three hours.” The Stygiboran ambassador said with amusement from their chair on the bridge of General Kriz’nit Far’s flagship. The creature currently held the form of a Scaladorian citizen, but that brought little comfort to someone who knew how quickly that could change. “That’s how long it’s been since your government informed us of the first missing gravitrum shipment. As your ambassador, we require that you solve this issue on your own. Should the Scaladorian people require our intervention, we will intercede, but the Scalador will suffer for that transgression.”
“We will find, capture, and execute the traitor, Took’sar, Ambassador.” Kriz’nit Far said. There was a real possibility that it was an empty promise, but that didn’t matter right now.
Over the past seven months, the General has dispatched wave after wave of replacement guards to Narax with express instructions to inform base command when they arrived in system and when they left. Without fail, they would secure the gravitrum and vanish before they could return home. After the third shipment, Scaladorian command received a video transmission from the traitorous man that showed a load of the valuable material being stolen moments before executing the ship's crew.
“I suppose The Mind would be ok with losing our production permanently then? If they punish our species so heavily for the actions of one, how will it replenish such valuable cargo if we are not to mine it?” The general asked, typing the coordinates off his next search vector into his navigation system. At such a late hour, he was the only one on the bridge while the rest of his crew slept. He knew he should also sleep, but that cruel mistress had eluded him many times during this search, and he felt tonight would be no different.
The ambassador laughed, its layered tone reminding Kriz’Nit Far of a keyed instrument playing together in a discordant harmony. “Do you really believe the Scalador at our only source of it? That we would put the fate of our species entirely in the hands of a single slave species? To answer your question, the only reason The Mind hasn’t ordered your eradication is because I stay its hand.”
This was news on multiple levels. How many races were across the cosmos, mining material for a master that would never see them as more than a slave? More interesting to the general in that moment, however, was the fact that the ambassador had spoken in the singular instead of the plural of the hive.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
“You stay its hand? How?”
“The Mind does not exist in the same moment in time as we do now. It lives on our home world, which as you know, is caught between twin gravity wells from the black holes placed by the Starborn to entrap us. It exists in the past, present, and future all simultaneously. Because of this, we can hide our actions for a time and establish individual honors amongst ourselves.”
“So you’re not doing this to save the Scalador? You’re doing this to further your own ambition?”
“Of course, wouldn’t you? I could access the Future Mind at any time and find the coordinates of the traitor, but such an action would be akin to the Scalador accepting defeat.”
It was rare for any Scaladorian to receive a straightforward answer from their overlords. The Ambassador had likely given more information than he planned, and that information needed to be stored away for future analysis. For now, he needed to figure out how Took’sar continued avoiding capture. Tapping at his command console, the General accessed the most recent hologram and played it on the bridge, hoping to glean new information.
“To the Stygiboran slaves known as the Scalador, my name is Captain Took’sar. Some time ago, I uncovered secrets that have been concealed from our people for far too long. I learned we are not equal, nor even near equal to our masters, and are little more to them than the humans we currently hold prisoner. In response to such ground shattering news, I stole a shipment of gravitrum ore and started my fleet with the express purpose of taking the fight to our former masters. Since that day, I’ve captured four more cruisers and several smaller ships in transit back from the slave world of Narax. I hold more gravitrum than even the Scaladorian government. Sadly, the masses will never see this transmission because my old friend, General Kriz’nit Far, will never allow it. One day, perhaps, the people will hear my message and learn the truth for themselves. Until then, though, I must continue building my army to strike back against our oppressors. And General, when you decide to find me, I will be waiting.”
“Even without access to this information, the public has gotten word of his actions and given him a name.” Kriz’nit Far whispered as the hologram froze and fell silent. “They call him Kryzak Rauk, which is something our people haven’t had for centuries.”
“And what, pray tell, is Kryzak Rauk?” The ambassador asked, building mental walls within itself to stop these thoughts from reaching the other members of his mind.
Kriz’nit Far sighed, standing up and making his way toward the door at the back of the bridge, “In short, it means Pirate King, or he who delivers to freedom.”
