help ensure a good first contact outcome with the Talcon in the Star Cities,” said Sherman.
“Of course I want to help; I also want to visit some fellow Talcon and see one of the Star Cities. And perhaps have some good Talcon food,” Renjir said with delight and with what appeared to be a smile when he mentioned food. Before Sherman could say more, one of his officers came to take him back to the command alcove.
“I guess we’re alike in that I, too, like to eat local or ethnic food from my home world,” Taylor interjected, “although I would like to try some of your Talcon-style cuisine.”
“Then perhaps I can arrange that. Oh, and please call me Renjir; I am not as formal as others, and it would be my pleasure to introduce you or any interested crew to the Talcon cuisine.”
“Feel free to call me Sharon. I understand you spent some time with your science directorate during your career.”
Wilder half listened to the muted banter of the officers and the ambassador as he finished reviewing a report. He felt sorry for Commander Andor just for a moment as Mr. Andor looked on while Sharon Taylor and Renjir started talking about science and food. Andor, like most other Class 3000 androids, had only one name attached to the rank he earned. Wilder also noticed that no one had yet sent a message to Star One or updated the location of the Star City, probably because Sheppard was doing some Star Knight discipline in the med bay. “Commander York, arrange to send a coded message to fleet command at Star One,” Wilder said. “We have located the Talcon Star City.”
***
In Sheppard’s state of mind, he was getting images and seeing and hearing things that, for the most part, related to his interest. He was in a trance state, yet he could sense the occasional presence of Doctor Bell, Doctor Grey, or one of the medical technicians when they came to check the monitors that would send alarms to the doctors’ commlinks or interlinks.
As he went deeper, using retrocognition and enhanced memory recall disciplines, he began to see clearer images of the events that had transpired at Quellus Borealis 7. His consciousness moved back to the time just after the Accadian supreme leader Kra’ag used his starship’s antimatter weapon to shear his ships apart. The leader was in a single Jiyarr base ship, not an actual Accadian-designed ship. Its defenses and weaponry were even more powerful than those of the Varlon H class. Sheppard recalled information from the Betellians, another of the nonaligned civilizations, that the Accad had acquired a task force of Jiyarri ships. The Betellians had been attacked by both the Varlon and Accadian ships. That made them anxious, as they were fairly peaceful while building their Dyson Sphere constructions around two star systems. They had undergone damage but were able to repel the fleet sent against them.
As Sheppard’s mind’s view became larger, he saw space and stars and then felt as though he were floating in space. Originally, he and Sharon Taylor had entered an escape pod and were moving away from the Phoenix as Wilder decided to heroically stay with the ship, thinking he was going to die, tried a last ditch attempt to ram the Phoenix, using lateral thrusters, into Kra’ag’s ship, the Kadjiah. His mind’s eye was viewing the shattered remains of his task force when he heard strange music that reminded him for a moment of Monteverdi’s “Domine Ad Adjuvandum” and various bits of other inspiring music. He saw what appeared to be a large star-like object appear, and then he felt the echo of a greater ascended beings’ passage. It was a Protren; now I see the signs, thought Sheppard. But why did it come? What was its purpose? Was it more to restore the planet and the Calyx facility? Then Sheppard saw the ships and the planets reform and renew, and his own ship resurrected like a phoenix from the fiery plasma of its death.
Then things began to distort and white out as the brilliance and light engulfed everything. As Sheppard awoke in the med bay, he had a better idea of what had happened. His task force and even planetary systems and even probably the few remaining damaged Varlon had been improved because they were rebuilt by a being taking no sides, with virtually perfect knowledge, and such a builder would naturally build or restore things to a more perfect or ordered version.
Chapter 5
The Archon
Azura Jin Kra’ag, supreme leader of the Accadian forces in seven galaxies, waited patiently for a particular member of the Jiyarr Archon higher than himself to respond to his communication link. The Jiyarr had created the Accad as their warriors, and over time, some Accads had acquired membership status in their ruling body known as the Archon. The Accad looked like a cross between a crocodile and something human, with greenish-gray hide and a short, partially snake-like snout. They were originally genetically engineered workers and soldiers for the Jiyarr. The Jiyarr were also reptilian, but more raptor-like, with more elongated necks, and they were less brutish looking.
A special array of communication stations linked to the home galaxy had been set up using natural and Jiyarri-made wormholes in hyperspace. This system would allow for ultra-fast connections, the wormholes bypassing the intervening space. This reduced a potential delay in communication between New Accadia and other Accad- or Jiyarri-controlled regions.
Lord Solg sat on the inner council and was in his own right as powerful as the Jiyarr Emperor Sujar, who was in the leading family. Lord Solg’s image appeared in the chamber as the connection aligned; there would be minimal delay in communication, even at the vast distances between the senior Archon members. Kra’ag was relieved he was not presently in the same room with Lord Solg. Several of the Jiyarr on the Archon had psionic abilities and Solg’s telepathic abilities could reveal Kra’ag’s worries about his lack of complete success. Lord Kaglar, another Jiyarr, and Kra’mog, an Accad—both members of the Archon—were also present with Solg for the communication. The Jiyarr were dressed in what amounted to pastel-colored robes, and Kra’mog, one of the few other Accad in the Archon, wore military attire and an awards sash.
As was customary, the senior-most individual spoke first. “I have received your sample of Quellien source crystal, and it is pure,” Solg said.
“I am happy that you agree with me on its purity,” Kra’ag said. “Now can we agree on the ships you can send to represent its value?”
“We know you still have more Quellien crystals from the sample report,” said Kaglar. “Perhaps we can come to an arrangement.”
“Unfortunately, there are problems—not with the quality, but with the removal of additional Quellien crystals,” Solg replied.
“I am not sure what you mean, Lord Solg,” Kra’ag said.
“It relates to the preservation committee of the Archon. They decided not to pursue further mining of that system,” Kra’mog said with a slight sneer.
“What…? It is a rare find; I’m sure I can take the system,” Kra’ag said, his voice becoming louder. “I will need only the other Jiyarr ships to deal with the Calyx guardians who have returned.”
As you know, Lord Malbane and I are on the preservation committee, and Malbane supports leaving those particular crystals alone,” Solg said. “It is not necessarily because the Calyx have returned as guardians but because he and some others in the Archon wish it so.”
“As the Archon wishes,” Kra’ag said in resignation.
“That site is a dimensional nexus, and the crystals there have a protective and support purpose,” Kaglar said. “What you are not aware of Archon Kra’ag is that there are areas where there are zones of weakening in the dimensional planes, and certain configurations of Quellien can stabilize such regions.
“Unfortunately
