(no subject)
The Ranger had only briefly returned to Milliways after his evening with the Honorable Lady Ako. After all, there was work to be done. Rediscovered joy had finally broken his spirit's stranglehold on vengeance and he was ready to go back.
A good thing, too. The moment he stepped through the Door onto Ship, he felt a mindtouch.
Caleb?
I'm here. And I'm ready.
Thank Valen! Your timing is impeccable as always. Come to Entil'Zha's Ship.
You've found who's responsible?
Not quite. At least we have an idea.
***
Never had the Ranger so blessed the variable time in Milliways as he did at that briefing. On the Gevak Colony, only five days had passed...and things were coming to a head. And it promised to be catastrophic as seen by the fact that Entil'Zha George had come himself to oversee the relief and investigation efforts.
"First of all," he said as he began the briefing, "I want to thank Gevak's leaders for both their cooperation and such free access to their scan records." The head of his encounter suit nodded briefly toward the worn-looking trio who had joined the Anla'shok. "That assistance has been invaluable.
"Now...our current situation. The remaining victims of the bio-weapon are on their way to recovery. It will take months in some cases, but they appear to be out of danger."
A private message whispered in one particular Ranger's mind.
And I want you to know I am proud of you for your efforts on the behalf of the dying, Tes'lien. I know very well how hard that was for you.
The Ranger sent a pulse of gratitude back to his leader-mentor and returned his attention back to the meeting. The progress of the burials, rebuilding of certain buildings that caught fire in the initial chaos and the importation of food and supplies were quickly, but throughly dealt with.
"This brings us to the question of the terrorists," George continued. "Their identity and current whereabouts. Unfortuately, they have gone to ground quite effectively, but they do not appear to have left the planet."
He nodded to Talev who took up the thread of the lecture smoothly.
"As you all know, the two races who live here - Pakesh and Ravan - are in fact two branches of one species. Unfortunately, they became at odds with each other so far back before space travel that the origins of the dispute are lost to us. We do know that, on the advent of space travel, large numbers of Raven emigrated to other worlds. Wars between the Pakesh and the remaining Ravan caused a back-slide in technology which allowed the Raven colonies to develop relatively undisturbed for a generation.
"However, this separation did not do much to cool their hatred. The remaining Ravan on their homeworld were largely exterminated in the war. When the Pakesh regained space travel, the enmity had even become a part of their religious teachings. The Ravan were considered abominations to be exterminated in some of the extreme sects. When the Ravan colonies learned of the fate of their cousins, they in turn declared jihad on the Pakesh. On both sides, the governments have made use of terrorist teams taken from these religious sects to operate against the other side when they could not do so openly."
"That's what has happened here?" another Anla'shok asked. "Do we know which one?"
Talev shook his head. "Our review and enhancement of the colony's sensor recordings showed that a ship capable of carrying a small, strike force landed a few days before the bomb was set off, but we were unable to enhance the resolution to show enough for identification. However, the form of attack is consistent with modus operendai of one of these terror groups."
"And they're not about to back down at this point," the Anla'shok in the back growled. "Not with their clerics or what-have-you urging them on."
"I am afraid so," Talev agreed. "Not only because of the anathema of cooperation between the colonists here, but also because of..." He glanced at the colony leaders before continuing. "Cooperation has been taken to the point of companionship...even life-bonding and interbreeding. Our file shows three sects among the Ravan and two among the Pakesh for whom this merits a death sentence for both parents and offspring."
Tes'lien (also called Spero), suddenly saw little Rae again...dying in his arms. It took some intense mental discipline and focusing on the joy Ako helped him find to keep from slipping back into vengeance-hunger again.
The children he thought to himself. It was a burst of intuition so compelling that it might as well have been prophecy. They will target the children next.
A good thing, too. The moment he stepped through the Door onto Ship, he felt a mindtouch.
Caleb?
I'm here. And I'm ready.
Thank Valen! Your timing is impeccable as always. Come to Entil'Zha's Ship.
You've found who's responsible?
Not quite. At least we have an idea.
***
Never had the Ranger so blessed the variable time in Milliways as he did at that briefing. On the Gevak Colony, only five days had passed...and things were coming to a head. And it promised to be catastrophic as seen by the fact that Entil'Zha George had come himself to oversee the relief and investigation efforts.
"First of all," he said as he began the briefing, "I want to thank Gevak's leaders for both their cooperation and such free access to their scan records." The head of his encounter suit nodded briefly toward the worn-looking trio who had joined the Anla'shok. "That assistance has been invaluable.
"Now...our current situation. The remaining victims of the bio-weapon are on their way to recovery. It will take months in some cases, but they appear to be out of danger."
A private message whispered in one particular Ranger's mind.
And I want you to know I am proud of you for your efforts on the behalf of the dying, Tes'lien. I know very well how hard that was for you.
The Ranger sent a pulse of gratitude back to his leader-mentor and returned his attention back to the meeting. The progress of the burials, rebuilding of certain buildings that caught fire in the initial chaos and the importation of food and supplies were quickly, but throughly dealt with.
"This brings us to the question of the terrorists," George continued. "Their identity and current whereabouts. Unfortuately, they have gone to ground quite effectively, but they do not appear to have left the planet."
He nodded to Talev who took up the thread of the lecture smoothly.
"As you all know, the two races who live here - Pakesh and Ravan - are in fact two branches of one species. Unfortunately, they became at odds with each other so far back before space travel that the origins of the dispute are lost to us. We do know that, on the advent of space travel, large numbers of Raven emigrated to other worlds. Wars between the Pakesh and the remaining Ravan caused a back-slide in technology which allowed the Raven colonies to develop relatively undisturbed for a generation.
"However, this separation did not do much to cool their hatred. The remaining Ravan on their homeworld were largely exterminated in the war. When the Pakesh regained space travel, the enmity had even become a part of their religious teachings. The Ravan were considered abominations to be exterminated in some of the extreme sects. When the Ravan colonies learned of the fate of their cousins, they in turn declared jihad on the Pakesh. On both sides, the governments have made use of terrorist teams taken from these religious sects to operate against the other side when they could not do so openly."
"That's what has happened here?" another Anla'shok asked. "Do we know which one?"
Talev shook his head. "Our review and enhancement of the colony's sensor recordings showed that a ship capable of carrying a small, strike force landed a few days before the bomb was set off, but we were unable to enhance the resolution to show enough for identification. However, the form of attack is consistent with modus operendai of one of these terror groups."
"And they're not about to back down at this point," the Anla'shok in the back growled. "Not with their clerics or what-have-you urging them on."
"I am afraid so," Talev agreed. "Not only because of the anathema of cooperation between the colonists here, but also because of..." He glanced at the colony leaders before continuing. "Cooperation has been taken to the point of companionship...even life-bonding and interbreeding. Our file shows three sects among the Ravan and two among the Pakesh for whom this merits a death sentence for both parents and offspring."
Tes'lien (also called Spero), suddenly saw little Rae again...dying in his arms. It took some intense mental discipline and focusing on the joy Ako helped him find to keep from slipping back into vengeance-hunger again.
The children he thought to himself. It was a burst of intuition so compelling that it might as well have been prophecy. They will target the children next.