Maty, Aer-ki Jyr [top 20 books to read .txt] 📗

and the survivors had to leave. The technology in it is supposedly far superior to the PanNari’s, and our own. The fact that the Hadarak want it so bad is also concerning. For they weren’t able to access much of it, and the PanNari are having a hard time on their own despite their machine mind meld.”

“I’m fairly good at that mind meld as well,” Paul reminded him.

“That’s reason number two that you and me are going to take a field trip there along with a few of our friends.”

“What’s a few?” Morgan asked.

“I think we have to launch the invasion early to secure this system. Mak’to’ran is adamant about it, and Davis is looking over it now. Either way, you and me need to be there.”

“Why you?” Morgan asked. “Yoda only speaks to him.”

“Because when we fight together, nobody outmatches us,” Jason said pithily, raising a finger at her before she could say the cliché reply. “Not even the twins.”

“Not since you went Furyan,” Morgan amended.

“Not even before that,” Paul added. They may have broken Paul and Jason’s record…a few of their records…but they’d never eclipsed them in real time, for as fast as Karen and Travis developed, Paul and Jason always kept at least a few steps ahead of them.

“The Maty complex is compromised with ground assault. The Hadarak will not assault it with ramming. They want it alive. So they’re spamming an insane number of units, some of which we’ve never seen before, from some giant minion production ships we’ve never seen before.”

“Damn it,” Paul said in a whisper. He had a feeling they’d been holding back.

“Ditto,” Jason echoed.

“So there’s a lot of hand to hand going on inside?” Morgan asked.

“An unlimited supply,” Jason confirmed.

She sighed contently, placing her hands on her hips and starring up at both of them. “I’m in.”

“Not sure if you make the height requirement,” Jason said, eliciting the glare he hoped for.

Show me their attack forces, Azoro demanded.

Jason adjusted the holocube and displayed three different images side by side, all of which were moving. The first was the situation inside the complex. The second was the mind boggling blockade around the planet…with numerous Elloquim half buried on the surface around the facility. The third made Paul’s breath catch as he saw the system schematic followed by little tendrils producing additional holograms of new units and ships.

“Thought I was exaggerating, did you?” Jason said.

“Azoro?”

“We never encountered these units. Either they were not used against us, or they are new designs. It’s possible the Hadarak have been managing both of our empires without using their full force to do it, but I doubt that in my time. However, they have had a great deal of opportunity to advance since then. They may be trying to learn from you as much as destroy you.”

“Like they did with the V’kit’no’sat,” Morgan added, punching her first into her palm. “They’re going to pay for that oversight.”

“How much does this throw off our calculations?” Jason asked Paul.

“We can’t be sure how much they might still be holding back. I’m more concerned about how we’re structured. If we make a preliminary move to secure this one system rather than move the entire Grand Border into assault mode, I think we can use it as a stepping stone…and one to draw out some more surprises the Hadarak have been holding back on us.”

“Still think there’s a master race controlling them?” Jason asked.

Yes, Azoro said firmly.

“So does the master race want this place, or the Hadarak?” Paul followed.

This could lead into a confrontation you are not ready for, Azoro warned. But conceding this place to the Hadarak would be unwise if it has reconnaissance units beyond the Hadarak’s current capabilities. Does your information say when this race inhabited this galaxy?

“Yeah, almost forgot to mention that,” Jason said apologetically. “Since the place is pretty much a library it has a clock running. Timestamp of its construction is 22.84 billion years ago, and it was abandoned 3.61 billion years ago. So that’s before you guys, right?”

It is, Azoro said wistfully. And the structure is still intact? Regenerative infrastructure?

“Mak’to’ran said the material does not decay, though that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have repair bots in case something gets damaged…”

Only one race I know of had technology that fabricated molecular structures impervious to long term decay, and their secrets died with them. The fragments of their technology were taken by many, including the Sha’kier, but we could never uncover how they were created. If his report is true, many will want it if they know it exists. Where is the location?

Jason brought up a map on the holocube showing it deep into Hadarak-controlled space.

This is fortunate. No one but the Hadarak and the PanNari know of it. Show me all records that were sent.

Jason tossed the cube into Paul’s hand. “I’m going to go have a chat with Davis. You’re welcome to join us once Azoro is caught up.”

“Is he wavering?” Paul asked.

“He senses opportunity and a trap, and doesn’t want to throw away all our preparations by launching too soon. Once we leave the Grand Border we leave all the infrastructure behind us. If we mess this up we’ll be rebuilding forever before we can try it again…but you know that better than I do.”

“Yes I do. Thank you for pointing out the obvious for Morgan,” Paul said deadpan.

“My naval skills are still higher than yours,” Morgan said to Jason.

“Barely,” he admitted as he turned and jogged off as Paul began to flip through various holograms for Azoro.

Morgan watched him leave and the battlemeld link break from his end, sending a few choice telepathic words directly to him before turning to Paul. “How big is this?”

“I’m not sure. At the minimum there’s technology