Rift by Aer-ki Jyr

Author:Aer-ki Jyr [Jyr, Aer-ki]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-06-18T23:00:00+00:00

7

Tevvaline arrived in orbit via dropship, flying into the hangar onboard the waiting command ship Terminator that then took her further up the planetary orbit to the position where the single Rit’ko’sor ship was surrounded by a sea of Star Force drones and three other command ships, all of which were keeping a respectful distance back.

The Domjo sat there silently until the Arch Duke sent a comm prompt after she reached a private chamber just down the hallway from the bridge. Now that the Terminator had crept in closer than the rest of the defense fleet, they were only 200 miles apart and the bit of lag that would have resulted had she tried to communicate from the planet was gone…but that wasn’t enough for the Rit’ko’sor. They requested a secure channel directly to the Arch Duke, which she granted, sending them a tight beam transmission along with using a cypher code the Rit’ko’sor sent directly to her ship.

That meant no other Star Force ships, or anyone else trying to listen in, would be able to eavesdrop, and once those conditions were met a single Rit’ko’sor appeared in hologram before her and Randal-6994, who had come aboard just before she did.

“Arch Duke,” the Rit’ko’sor said in their race’s melodic cadence, but to the shock of both the Monarch and the Archon, it was speaking in English…which the V’kit’no’sat had never done before. “Archon. I will begin with informing you that this vessel does not belong to the V’kit’no’sat, nor do we speak for them. We only speak for ourselves, and we are not hostile to you.”

Tevvaline and Randal exchanged glances, with the Archon being the one to speak first.

“Are you defecting?”

“No. You misunderstand. When I said ‘we’ I was referring to more than just the crew of this Domjo. Are you aware of the Rit’ko’sor rejoined the V’kit’no’sat?”

“We are.”

“Those that did are traitors, and mostly our hatchlings. Many of the elders refused the reunification, so our race has split. The majority rejoined the V’kit’no’sat. Those of us that still hold our honor were forced to flee. We left our kin in peace, but when we next meet it shall be in battle, for the V’kit’no’sat do not tolerate splinter civilizations of any race in their empire. We are now hunted, and have been living beyond their borders in exile from both their territory and our refuge in the Hadarak zone. We hate the V’kit’no’sat. We are not V’kit’no’sat. And if they ever find us, they will try to kill us.”

Tevvaline whistled, quickly realizing how big this was. “So you coming here is outing your presence?”

“Inconsequential,” the Rit’ko’sor said evenly. “This ship can move, our worlds cannot, and it is those that we must conceal.”

“Why are you here?” Randal asked. “And why are you speaking our language?”

“We do not hold you with contempt. In truth, we have great respect for you and what you have accomplished. Learning your language was necessary so we could communicate with you as equals.”

“Thanks for that.

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