The Vinctalin Legacy: Awakening, Book 14 Miss Kitty

By Vanda Denton

They have heard so many stories now that the humans of Earth are understandably sceptical when told their ancestors did not in fact originate on this planet.

However, there is an unsettling ring of truth tying that claim to the notion that Jacob Stanzini is attracting a spectral being who may be merely an initial scout for a potentially annihilative incursion into this world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Nov 22, 2015
• ISBN: 9781326485092

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The Vinctalin Legacy: Awakening, Book 14 Miss Kitty

The Vinctalin Legacy: Awakening, Book 14 Miss Kitty

Vanda M Denton

The Vinctalin Legacy Awakening: Book 14 Miss Kitty

© 2013 Vanda M Denton

All rights reserved by the author. No part of this publication can be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers and/or authors.

This book is published by and available from:

VinctalinBooks

www.vinctalin.com

ISBN Paperback: 978-1-326-43302-4

ISBN eBook: 978-1-326-48509-2

The Vinctalin Legacy

A series of novels by Vanda M Denton

The Vinctalin Legacy: Survival

Book 1: Harvest

Book 2: Sacrifice

Book 3: Spawning

The Vinctalin Legacy Book 2: Retaliation

Book 4: Infiltration

Book 5: Alliances

Book 6: The Veekeren Element

The Vinctalin Legacy: The Ovinka

Book 7: Zondex

Book 8: The Message

Book 9: Veekeren

The Vinctalin Legacy: 0.0015%

Book 10: Alien

Book 11: Integration

Book 12: 0.00075%

The Vinctalin Legacy: Awakening

Book 13: Covert Operations

Book 14: Miss Kitty

Book 15: Humanity

The Vinctalin Legacy

The story so far:

Survival The Vinctalin arrived in the night, gassing the entire planet and put the survivors to work. When they realised they were to be killed off at the end of the harvest the Earth Humans, led by Jonathan, Stanzi and Alex, rebelled, capturing the human-looking, golden-skinned Emperor, Pakow Lam Fellen and slaughtering his Vinctalin masters. Eventually the heroes of Earth were forced into a battle with the beasts that they could not win. There was a miraculous eleventh-hour rescue by another alien with a human appearance, Mettle (Military Martyr to the Advanced Human Society) but the rebels found themselves working almost as slavishly for their rescuers as they had under Vinctalin rule. The Emperor discovered a spawning left by Halbolival (the clan chief of the true alien invaders, the Vinctalin). Jonathan Trad-Williams realised they were to be the bait in a trap that would bring the Vinctalin hatchlings to the haven in which they now lived, the town they had named Foundation. Working together with the Emperor they turned the tables on Mettle, making his Disciples the bait that enabled them to kill two hundred new Vinctalin.

Retaliation:

Mettle’s Home World was attacked by the Vinctalin and some of the refugees came to Earth. They tried to drug and recruit Earth Humans to fight the Vinctalin. Stanzi (SAS veteran Benjamin Stanzini) and Alex (psychiatrist Dr. Alexander Byefield) were away camping. Pitlon Gowry (Pakow’s sister) went in search of them. They released their leaders from a state of suspended animation and imprisoned the Leaders of the Advanced Human Society, eventually negotiating an alliance on their terms. Alex remained on Earth with a number of expectant mothers while the majority of the Earth Humans joined the Advanced Humans for specialised operations. A small rogue clan attacked Earth. Alex was tortured. Pakow made a virus with which he intended to kill all Vinctalin. On hearing this Alex claimed that the Vinctalin fundamentally were bio-engineered humans and such a virus would eventually wipe out all of humanity. Unable now to attack the Vinctalin with this method but knowing the location of their Home World, Jonathan came up with a new plan of attack. He persuaded the two Emperors left on a world they’d recently liberated from the Vinctalin, Tosa, to fight with them. Their success in these battles was down to the unique science of a secret faction controlling the AHS: the Veekerens. They found that the large area of solar systems occupied by the Vinctalin was not the only zone in the galaxy populated by them. Pakow rounded up and recruited surviving Guards to serve him, after he assassinated their Emperors.

The Ovinka

Two of Pakow’s long lost brothers, Rosek Isolla and Quivep Mivon, were found, along with their battalions of Guards. Unrelated to this, Stanzi’s brother was brought to Foundation. Following the war, Zondex and Laxshoo (the two Emperors from Tosa) came to Earth with the allies. Zondex tried to engineer himself into a Vinctalin, with a view to trading with the beasts. He committed horrific atrocities in this endeavour. The allies of Earth were appalled to witness how the Advanced Humans under the direction of the Veekerens, treated their own people. Zondex’s hideously transformed Guards attacked Foundation but Stanzi contacted Pakow’s newfound brothers who helped fight them off. After Foundation was liberated they realised Pakow was missing.

The Clan of Fonchesinon came to Earth in search of the ancient data storage device, the Ovinka. Pakow had been taken prisoner by Zondex. He escaped and killed his captor but not before a message was sent to the Vinctalin inviting them to Earth for purposes of trade. Some of Zondex’s over-engineered Guards had developed into cruel super-beings who were eventually hunted down and killed by Stanzi. Realising how the Vinctalin would react to an upstart trying to emulate them, Pakow organised a defence of the planet from orbit using the Guards he brought back from the war in the Vinctalin Home Systems. Far more Vinctalin ships arrived at Earth than could be explained by that one message from Zondex. Again it was Mettle’s Disciples who launched a last-minute rescue, but not until vast numbers of Guards had been killed. Foundation was evacuated. Fonchesinon bombed the town from orbit, in search of the Ovinka. Alex discovered that the Veekerens came from the same roots as the Vinctalin. Their ancestors had taken a different route with their bio-engineering from that of the grey beasts they were at war with.

With Foundation in ruins the allies of Earth moved to an old Tudor market town, calling it New Foundation. Jonathan hatched a plan to investigate the AHS Home World; specifically the Veekeren method of ruling it, initially by spying. The full and damning truth of the manipulation by the Veekerens of the humans they rescued was discovered by Alex. He also found that the ancestors of both the Vinctalin and the Veekerens called themselves Vinctaleeren. It was the Veekeren who had seeded worlds and engineered chosen traits into the ‘humans’ they called Veekenite. They believed they had to protect their creation from the Vinctalin who were harvesting because their bio-engineering of themselves had caused degeneration beyond even cloning replacement organs as they aged. The bio-engineering used by the Veekerens on themselves had not left them untouched either. Nearly all were mentally ill: lacking a normal conscience or empathy and they were obsessive. Physically they had ruined the normal Vinctaleeren breeding process and had to live by strict social rules to avoid disasters. Jonathan devised his most ambitious plot to date. The allies of Earth took over the AHS Home World and released the non-Veekeren Advanced Humans from the compliancy drugs subversively administered through food and water by the Veekerens.

0.0015%

It was discovered that the Vinctalites (the slaves travelling with and serving the Vinctalin) were a relatively recent creation of theirs. Their ancestors had been assembled in test tubes with the purpose of providing a self-perpetuating race of slaves to serve them. Some humans of Earth became suspicious of what they now saw as non-humans, living alongside them. Pakow provided an interim government for the AHS Home World. Some Veekerens slipped away to an uncharted planet: Olivan Goma. A new set of Vinctalin with a human appearance arrived secretly on Earth in order to conduct tests on the people living there. A group of young adults who had been fighting the Vinctalin, only so far seen in the form of the grey beasts since the initial invasion, were taken. They escaped their captors and killed them. Meanwhile on a mission across the galaxy Alex and Stanzi came across yet another variation of the Vinctalin engineering in a group led by Landresiman. Their appearance could be described as halfway between Vinctalin and human. Alex tried to negotiate with these beings while Stanzi, on realising it would be their next port of call, rushed his ship back to Earth to warn the allies of, as he saw it, a new enemy.

Landresiman did go to Earth where he secretly watched proceedings while the human-looking Vinctalin from Sector 11 searched for their missing Juniors. Landresiman realized these Seniors were going to attack New Foundation and hid the people there behind a veil. He also watched Pakow using the captured Sector 11 ship to lure the Seniors into a trap. Landresiman expected the Emperor and Guards to be heading for a glorious death but they were successful in their mission to kill all Vinctalin from Sector 11 currently on Earth. Pakow therefore was judged too dangerous to be left to his own devices and Landresiman took him prisoner. Earth Human, Caroline Lambeth, traded his release for knowledge of the female human reproductive system. Meanwhile Zan (a Veekeren and ex-lover of Alex) who had been on Olivan Goma, came to Earth to ask Alex to help with severe illnesses there. He left the Olivans with good strategies for restoring their society. On Earth strangers in the town challenged the authority of the leadership and there were whispers of conspiracy following an attempt to allow the Guards to live in houses in the town. An unknown party, or parties, tried to drive a rift between Vinctalites and Veekenites. First Sensad (Pakow’s youngest sister) was kidnapped and then some of the prominent Earth Humans. Pakow rescued Sensad, Alex saved the others and the Guards returned to living on their ships.

Vesen Lassa (lover of Pitlon and Guard to Pakow) built a secret base on an uncharted world, where Pitlon could safely study the Ovinka. They called it Fellowship. Zan continued her work on Olivan Goma, where Veekerens were attempting to breed out the damage to their DNA caused by the bio-engineering of their ancestors. She gave birth to a healthy boy. Pakow took a team, including Jonathan and Alex, on a quest to identify the 0.0015% of Vinctalite DNA which defied the analysis of his best scientists. Meanwhile on Earth more Advanced Humans arrived seeking asylum from Mettle’s dictatorship. A plague infected only the Vinctalites living in New Foundation. In time it became clear that one of Mettle’s scientists had isolated the unique part of their DNA and sent a virus with the refugees as a testing ground. He intended to use it to destroy all Vinctalites in the galaxy, thus removing the Vinctalin’s slave armies. Unaware of those events, across the galaxy Pakow discovered ugly little intelligent creatures named Losha Beings, that accounted for half of his unidentified DNA, but in the process he and his team were captured by Halbolival. Through the forceful removal of knowledge from his implants, this old Vinctalin master of Pakow’s discovered he had brought about the destruction of the Vinctalin Home Worlds in Linkage 3. In fury it sent massive fleets of ships to annihilate all intelligent life on Earth and the AHS home world. The people there were wiped out except for the Veekerens who Mettle evacuated to a secret location. On Earth Rosek Isolla invented a method of contacting the Vinctalite armies of the Vinctalin attackers, persuading them to turn on masters whose existence previously was revealed only to Emperors and their Chosen Sons. The Vinctalite Emperors, having killed their masters, brought thousands of Guards to Earth. Pakow was brought home, having been left for dead by Halbolival. Zan’s baby was sent to Earth with the claim he belonged to Alex, and that she had killed all Veekerens on Olivan Goma.

The Awakening/ Book 13 Covert Operations

Pakow made a miraculous and unexplained recovery. He addressed the Emperors Rosek Isolla brought to Earth, with a view to beginning a war amongst the Vinctalin where they would blame one another for the attacks. Rosek led the mission, fooling Vinctalin clans from Sectors 1-8 into fighting each other, whilst saving many of their Vinctalite slaves. Pakow killed all remaining Veekerens. Jacob Stanzini (Stanzi’s brother) had a relapse of old troubles: seeing a ghost. His old friend Charlie (Charlotte Teale) helped him deal with what he regarded as a mental health problem, dubbing the ghost Miss Kitty. Alex was informed that Zan’s baby was a clone of him. He took the baby home, along with the woman who had been taking care of him: Amelia Yaris. She secretly accessed his computer, getting through security systems even Pakow would be unable to bypass. It became clear the baby was poorly created and died. Amelia and Alex became lovers. Pitlon developed her work-base at Fellowship, and the area was extended to make a refuge for all the allies of Earth. They hid there while the Vinctalin war raged through the galaxy. Both Molly (Amelia) and Charlie reacted strangely to the news that Vinctalin Sectors 1-8 were almost vanquished. They claimed no one could beat the Vinctalin but then tried to avoid the suspicion of those who felt they seemed to know something no one else in Fellowship knew. Landresiman found them there, and though he was from Sector 9 and knew nothing of the Vinctalite involvement in this war, the evacuees feared he would destroy them. Molly saved them all by persuading him to leave, revealing herself to be an impostor from Sector 10. She boosted Earth’s Planetary Defence System on their return and admitted to being the one who cured Pakow. A few of the Earth Humans began excelling in areas of expertise beyond normal expectations.

Introduction

Ameliayarn Yaris has a secret mission on Earth: to establish a separation of the Earth Humans from the Vinctalites. However, as has happened so often in the past, she and her kind fail to capitalise on the misfortunes of the Earth Humans; in this event a rift that occurs without their interference.

Despite killing his nemesis, marrying, and taking a new lover, Pakow Lam Fellen is unsettled by a personal disaster. The presence of a new and very different alien on Earth causes him to reconsider the value of Earth Humans, and thus to declare this world no longer under democratic rule.

Having been prepared for that eventuality, Jonathan sets into motion short-term plans of his own, whilst continuing to work towards long-term integration with old friends. And though willing to make use of covert visitors he is not seduced by the offer of rescue from new, very powerful, potential allies.

Finally tried and trusted loyalties are re-established before an entirely new and mysterious incursion takes place from a direction no one could have anticipated.

In this the final trilogy of The Vinctalin Legacy, Awakening, old allies reunite to face a new enemy while the emergence of the true nature of the humans of Earth progresses in this central volume. The Vinctalites are stretched to their limits in the war when compatriots of Miss Kitty begin a very different invasion of Earth.

Prologue

Jenreeshogal fell back from the ever-scrolling Hierarchy. Someone else is manipulating this.

The team gathered around. Exasperation had long since turned into fretting, and right now that turned to fear.

So, that’s how they believe they can achieve success in a war against the Vinctalin.

Pellomally sighed. They expect to take the first eight Linkages without us, or 9 and 11, realising what they’ve done.

We can at least make that strategy work, Jenreeshogal made this short-term decision for all Vinctaleeren. We have no option now but to buy some time.

This agent has been deeply embedded on Earth her entire life, with a single purpose. Zovemallo rolled the surprise report through again.

A Vrox, Fulsentano breathed in awe. Generations worth of work was beginning to bear fruit when the Vinctalin attacked.

Jenreeshogal frowned, Have you ever tried working with a Vrox?

Fulsentano admired that race through reputation only. He shook his head lightly.

"Well, it is all true: they are exciting, formidable and, she smiled, incredibly irritating."

Pellomally turned fearful eyes to her mentor. How do you think the Ojejoween will proceed?

That question had plagued Jenreeshogal since their galactic surveillance network had reported the Vinctalite rebellion. When the Vinctalin regroup they’ll spawn. There’ll be a rapid growth in the clans and we will be able to gradually replace the bogus names with real ones. That much can be settled with a great deal of work from us. I think the dilemma for the Ojejoweens will be whether or not to help the Vinctalin realise the source of their war. It would be tempting to do so, in order to deter them from expanding supposed enemy targets to Linkages 9 and 11, and to us of course.

Her three assistants sighed heavily. Exposing the Vinctalites felt like a callous and cowardly solution to their problem, and yet they were in danger of getting so far out of control that the menace of them rampaging through the Galaxy for centuries, was an all too real and dreadful prospect.

Fulsentano sighed heavily, We will survive; one way or another.

Indeed, Jenreeshogal found a smile to hearten her team. This terrible phase will pass, and we will adapt to whatever the Vinctalin become next.

Chapter 1

Alex had put a lot of thought into this meeting with Molly, and he had listened intently to the fears and advice of his colleagues. In the end the consensus had been that whatever her motivations and plans for the people of Earth, she could and was protecting them from Landresiman and other Sector 9 Vinctalin. Because that was not necessarily a permanent state of affairs it was the most urgent issue to deal with. She also seemed to be easily spooked. For that reason the doctor’s only mission here and now was to get her account of how well protected they really were, for how long, and if she could and would cooperate further with the defences. Discovering more about Sector 10 was going to have to wait.

He sat somewhat awkwardly at his computer desk, while Ameliayarn perched primly on the edge of his good Chippendale, placed so that she could observe his painfully slow labours.

These are the new schematics Pakow has made for the alterations to the Planetary Defence System.

Rolling her lips and peeping up shyly she managed to convey the message that his computer skills were pathetic, Pakow’s understanding of her work limited and the machine itself primitive. Still more baffled than anything, Alex could hardly do more than brush a glance past that lovely face.

He accepts there are gaps in his records, and of course he is very unhappy about now having a PDS he doesn’t fully understand.

Can he see that it will work against Sector 9 technology?

He understands the basis of Sector 11 technology well enough, and knows why it protects better against them now, but is willing to tell you he has only limited concepts of the basis of the Sector 9 technology. He wants you to explain it to him personally.

Another quick glance revealed fear. ‘Well, at least that’s what it looks like.’ He stared at his screens in lost bemusement. He had no more comprehension of her possible Vinctalin talents than he had of Pakow’s schematics.

Just in case she was not acting he tried some reassurance. He won’t harm you Ameliayarn; so long as you can prove you pose no threat.

I’m not supposed to interfere, she whispered. I shouldn’t have saved his life, but if I hadn’t…

If you hadn’t?

I can’t tell you, she breathed.

He would have been completely side-tracked, but Jonathan’s urgent commands echoed in his head. ‘Make sure you know the limitations of the new system, and get anything she’ll tell you about Sector 9.’

All right, he dredged up his good acting skills to appear calm and relaxed. Let’s just leave all that for now. Is there anything you can add to these schematics that will help Pakow further enhance the system.

She was shaking her head before he reached the end of the sentence. Presumably that meant she couldn’t or wouldn’t add to the schematics for any reason.

He sat back from the machine.

I got the feeling that this alternative is only marginally safer than staying on Fellowship.

There was demure, regretful nodding.

Can you tell me what knowledge you gave Landresiman?

For long minutes she studied her hands, trying to work out how her instructions should best be interpreted. She had sought advice on this very question, but her colleagues were themselves floundering. The best they could tell her was to stick as closely as possible to the original purposes, whilst continuing to monitor the changes on Earth.

Ameliayarn?

Beautiful sad eyes met the clouded grey. She wanted him to call her ‘Molly’ again.

I’m trying to work out if you’ve given Landresiman enough to work on to keep him too occupied to bother with us, and even to keep his attention off Rosek’s exploits.

Yes, she answered in a rush, terrified to know the Vinctalite’s brother was out there again, adding to the mayhem. I’m certain he won’t come back here for a very long time. Sector 9 bio-engineering took a quite different form from any other. They never needed to steal Veekeren worlds because their engineering never corrupted on the cellular level. They can clone parts or entire bodies. I told you about Landresiman. Like all the leading names from Linkage 9 he will have transferred his brain many times. There is bound to have been some degeneration. I traded knowledge, giving him a safe method of neural regeneration along with the last details he required for natural reproduction. It is a process that can’t be hurried and I think he will need to spend three to five generations working on it. If used to its full effects that would take sixty years.

And what did you get from him?

The knowledge I required to recalibrate the defensive robots for detection of Sector 9 missiles or gas pods through their veiling technology.

Why would he give you something you could use against him?

He has no reason to suppose I wanted that knowledge for Earth’s PDS. As a Sector 10 Vinctalin he would assume I wanted it for the construction of my own weapons.

She watched Alex laboriously find the correct file to type in that information.

Does that mean that if he lands a veiled ship here, we could detect him?

No. That is if he tried right now and if Fellen could work quickly enough he could probably find it but by the time any of that could happen they will have recalibrated their cloaking device.

Whilst typing that in he noted, That must mean the PDS has only a few weeks use in it in so far as his spying is concerned. I shouldn’t be surprised of course. If he gave you more you could trade it on to others, or use it yourself to spy on him. On the other hand, I’ve always wondered why any Vinctalin need a PDS when they claim not to fight. Which is how I knew you’re all liars from beginning to end and that it would be easy to set you at each others’ throats.

He took a minute to note his own loss of trust, and hope, in Landresiman.

Alex?

He dragged slow eyes from the keyboard and screen.

If you tap the cytrel twice and the diamond once, all of this conversation will be automatically entered to the correct files.

Really? Two temporarily innocent pairs of eyes met.

Frowning fiercely for a whole lot of reasons, the doctor turned back to the console to carry out those instructions only to find out he needn’t hardly have bothered.

The PDS attaches to simple weapons signatures; the Sector 9 ships have complex rotations. Fellen understands this. He can keep it going for several weeks following the onslaught of an attack. Anything other than that is beyond my ability and that really is the extent of my help Alex. I can’t do more than that.

The screens flashed and split into scrolling windows. Alex just caught sight of that input before it all closed off. His jaw dropped.

You tricked me!

There is nothing else.

You’ve given me next to nothing and you’ve crashed my machine! He tried firing it up again, peered around the back as if that would do any good, and tried again. Finally he sat back, What have you done Ameliayarn?

The lovely mouth rolled the bottom lip under perfect teeth, and the psychiatrist sharpened up. She could be manipulating him on all levels. He wasn’t too proud either, to admit he could be an even easier target than Caroline. Who else in New Foundation was so open with their emotions, and therefore so available to exploitation? So, he had learned something. Sector 10 Vinctalin understood the psychology of humans and had some interest in making use of it.

He gave up worrying about the machine. He could easily remember the little bit of information she’d given him, and had copies of everything that mattered. What he couldn’t let go of was the knowledge she’d played him for a fool. So he gave a few moments thought and stark analysis to that. The conclusion? This time the only thing he should have done differently was to not commit so completely, so quickly. And on recalling the surreal sensations she had produced in him a couple of times, he could easily forgive himself for actions carried out when drugged. And he most certainly would not blame himself for having no suspicion of her identity. He could however, be in a unique position to help protect the people here from a potentially more devious enemy than any other so far encountered. His best course now was to display mild suspicion, and naïve hope that she might be the powerful ally he had hoped to find in Landresiman. If there was anything he’d learned over the years of dealing with Vinctalin it was that though they possessed superior technology and greater knowledge, not a single one was more intelligent than he. In fact, one way or another their mucking about with their biology had stunted the development of reason and emotions. He got a cold grip of himself and subtly altered his method of interview.

Molly?

She melted before his eyes.

Molly, I loved you.

She seemed pained. Perhaps it was because he used the past tense.

And because I loved you so dearly, I still care very much what happens to you. I know you could have all sorts of lethal abilities and a diabolical agenda for my world, but I don’t believe you can do anything terrible at the moment, without endangering yourself too.

She frowned.

He explained, You can’t escape this room. Pakow has enclosed it in yet another shield of his own so even if you have some form of transportation we know nothing of, I doubt it would work here.

Transportation?

Beam me up Scotty.

"I love Star Trek."

He blinked.

Anyway Molly, if you try to leave by conventional methods one of the Guards will get you. I’m sorry. They won’t listen to me. I wouldn’t be surprised if Relin himself is right outside the door.

She seemed very frightened.

What I have managed to negotiate is to be allowed time. For as long as the others are convinced this world is protected from known threats, and for as long as we believe there’ll be no attack by unknown means from your people, I’m allowed to try to get the answers from you that will keep us going. Do you understand?

She nodded.

You said something to me about ‘we can’t win this war’ and if we stop now the damage can be concealed. Can you elaborate?

She seemed to be panicking. The Vinctalites can’t beat the Vinctalin Alex. Halbolival is no fool. Do you think it would make creatures that could get loose and fight under their own volition?

He sat back and met those fantastic eyes with total honesty. I think Molly, that Halbolival is about one millionth as clever as it thinks it is.

She gasped over the naivety.

Anyway, he added, the whole point of this plan is that they’re not fighting Vinctalites; they’re fighting one another. And I believe I do know more about the Vinctalin than any other beings who are aware of their existence. He eyed her with interest, conveying the concession that she could be an exception. "All of the grey clans are complacent, arrogant and psychologically damaged. The Veekerens were simply Vinctalin with another form of self-inflicted damage, as are those from Sector 11. As for Sector 9, I’m ready now I think, to take your word for it that they are no better. My point is, because of their nature nothing is going to stop this war and if you want to survive you’ll have to keep helping us until this is over."

Her mouth was open. She looked like there was a lot she could hardly keep inside, but she managed. It closed again.

Alex tried getting a reaction to a theory of his own. If Landresiman has a veiled satellite spying on me, he’ll be back to check it at some time. It may take decades, but he could conceivably have that set to pick up other major communications here, and so he could find stored knowledge which will become a very real danger in the future. Can’t we block it with the scrambler device you used on Fellowship? Adapt it for large scale use even?

She looked like she was selling her soul. It isn’t in my field of expertise, but I can make it more difficult for him.

He took stock of her nervous condition, accepting this was not sham. She had a fine sheen of perspiration on her brow, and her trembling fingers were clutching and unclutching on rigid, tight knees.

He almost managed a doctorly smile, You should rest.

She was visibly relieved.

I’ll tell all of this to Jonathan, Pakow and the others. I hope you’ve given them enough to let you stay here. Even with the Guards it’s better than a cell on one of Pakow’s ships.

He could hardly hear the ‘thankyou.’

Ameliayarn remained in a state of shock, blindly heading for her room, almost crying as the Guards now more openly escorted her. They followed Alex’s instructions to allow her some space, but even so she was still not allowed to be alone in her room even. Though she was thankful for the presence of Lizzy’s human, female, peacekeeper, she felt no real relief over that sign of support. She was frightened by the dangers being caused in the Galaxy at large and by her own personal predicament. Yet her thoughts were dominated by the heartache of loving and losing one man.

Pakow seemed unexpectedly content with the small amount of information Alex could offer from that first interview with Ameliayarn. The Earth Humans soon discovered why.

It seems our success in this war is nothing less than phenomenal, the Emperor beamed. We have had reports pouring in. So much so in fact, that I’ve sent ships out to verify the truth of the reports. All remaining Vinctalin are fighting one another ferociously, and though more Vinctalite armies have been lost than we had hoped for, plenty also have been saved and educated. I’m meeting with my Emperors soon. Trusted individuals allocated to overseeing Sectors are proving their worth. As you know, there is the culling that cannot be avoided.

He didn’t seem too bothered, which worried Alex but got serious nodding from everyone else.

How long?

That I can’t possibly say Jonathan. Wars are raging, but the Vinctalin are effective in their tactics as well as their technology. We can only monitor and wait.

That’ll do me, Stanzi growled. While the buggers are killing each other they’re not harvesting. And they’re blood-thirsty gits. They’re not going to stop until there’s no one left to kill.

All sighed as Alex fell back with the doubt and worry of Ameliayarn’s warnings echoing in his head, to say nothing of the images of carnage that he knew would haunt his dreams.

Prepared for now, to give Pakow the leeway he sought, Jonathan nudged the doctor to his feet.

Let’s allow Pakow to conduct the war according to the manner he sees fit Alex. We should be working on the future of a peaceful world.

The Earth Humans traipsed through the Emperor’s lobby to settle in the quiet western end of the hotel lounge. Jonathan wanted to give some thought to the organisation of a fair showing of proposals for government, since someone had brought to his attention the existence of a professional film-maker creating DVDs. Caroline was just getting stuck in to the moaning when the various reactions to that all turned to a mixture of confusion and suspicion over serious activity in Pakow’s lobby.

Stanzi calculated coldly, He timed it so we’d see these Emperors arrive. He’s sending us a message.

Caroline watched the three strange regal Vinctalites being led by Quivep towards Pakow’s dining room. What message?

Alex answered mildly, I think we just lost political clout. Be grateful he loves us.

There was a guarded exchange of knowing eyes by the other two men while Caroline added, And he is fighting a war. He’s probably just keeping full control of the Linkages; making sure the stray Vinctalin can’t grab anything back.

Yes, Jonathan leaned forward. I’m sure there’s no great significance but we should remain vigilant as always.

While Jonathan and Stanzi shared calculating agreement about that, Alex and Caroline dropped any worries in favour of planning for when the war was won. After all, if they failed to make the step towards peace, victory in the war would be irrelevant.

Caroline had only Alex’s partial attention, I suggest everyone has to post bills on the public notice boards early on, stating the campaign methods they propose using.

With half his mind on other things, he responded vaguely, I guess some sort of account of how one proposes presenting the case could go up with all the revised initial outlines.

She sighed over the lack of enthusiasm, but soon