Return: Transmutation, #6

By Alice Sabo

After all the difficulties and discoveries, Elaan is sure they are ready to return to their planet of origin. However, there are factions in the Delta Sector who do not want them to come back. Her people are cautiously curious. Hunter is unsettled but assures her that he is willing.

 

Once again, she has to delicately blend the needs of others into what she knows is the best course for her people. Her advisors and preceptors have their own opinion of what their goals should be.

 

Walking on the ground of the planet where their species evolved is an achievement no one expected to come so soon. And a few people will fight against it to their last breath.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Alice Sabo
• Release date: May 22, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224394975

Alice Sabo

Alice Sabo is the author of over 25 novels in 7 series. Her character-driven stories range across multiple genres including science fiction, post-apocalyptic, high fantasy, mystery and contemporary fantasy. Whether seeking lost cultures in an unforgiving galaxy or fighting the Darkness on the streets of the city, her books have strong world building, multi-layered characters and a satisfying culmination.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Elaan felt Hunter’s nightmare begin. It was a clear sign of his exhaustion and stress that his brain pulled out the old fears again. She’d laid down with him to rest, listening to his body, the rush of his blood and thump of his heart. Her system did not need sleep, but spending this quiet time with him was very restful. Usually. But now his muscles were tightening against the remembered pain. Neither one of them would get any rest out of it. She gently pushed on his mind sending sweeter thoughts. They’d talked about it, and he’d given her permission to change his dark dreams.

His body relaxed again. She left him deep in slumber to go back to her desk and sort through some more paperwork. She was restless in the strange surroundings. They’d come to Centralplex to deal with an unknown problem and things had gone from strange to dangerous too quickly. The guest quarters here were adequate, but coldly alien. She’d find no comfort from familiar food and company.

The summons from Centralplex had caught Elaan off guard. She’d tapped into her net listening to all the questions and suggestions of her advisors, but since the official invitation was devoid of any explanation, it was all moot.

What is this about? she’d demanded of Hunter.

How would I know? he’d said calmly. They didn’t arrive with armed guards, so I don’t think it’s an attack of any kind.

She appreciated his outward calm, but she could feel the same uneasiness in him which unsettled her all the more. Why would the Triad demand my presence? Elaan asked carefully.

Something’s happened, Hunter said.

Something that affects me and my people, Elaan finished the sentence. It was just as she’d feared. They were barely established as a sovereign people and disaster had hunkered down on the doorstep. The attack and decimation of Ranbek is our fault. Now they want to punish us for that.

I don’t think they want that at all, Hunter had countered. Lysiat was killing indiscriminately to destroy any Iguacan people he might find. He blindly bombed an entire planet to possibly take out a few enemies. The Triad can’t allow that sort of thing to happen to the members of the UCFS. Maybe they just want to ask if there are any others out there ready to do something similar.

His words made sense but were not reassuring. They’d immediately packed and taken a ship to Centralplex. She didn’t want to call more attention to the translocation issue. Not knowing what to expect, she’d brought Hunter, Trash, Terrance and a small contingent of guards. After some heated discussion, Serelle had been added to the group in case a quick removal was required.

Upon their arrival, a formal ceremony of welcome had eased some of her concerns. It was more of a meeting than a party. She’d done the rounds and politely greeted the ambassadors and bureaucrats. She’d kept an open link with Hunter and Terrance to see if any hints could be discovered.

The gathering had lasted for hours. She’d chatted with people she’d never met before about trade and defense, but nothing seemed dire enough to require the summons. Hunter had disappeared for awhile. She’d hoped that he’d gone to find more information, but he returned with no news.

They’d been assigned quarters suitable for her status, but she kept looking for any slights. Was the carpet too worn? Did the barely perceptible coating of dust show neglect or inefficiency? Being the new ruler of a new species required too much juggling of perceptions. She had to demand respect even if it ruffled a few feathers in her wake. Now she sat in the silence of the early morning sifting back through every conversation to see if she’d missed anything.

Hunter grumbled in his sleep. Dark linked with her to conduct some mundane business. They needed to pay some taxes and file the usual reports. It was a relief to work on the simple things. By the time she’d finished with all the easy tasks, she could feel Hunter waking. He’d slept deeply, and his body was refreshed. They had enough time before their official audience for a leisurely breakfast, but her nerves didn’t want to take the time.

They were all dressed in formal attire and waiting in the antechamber ahead of schedule. She wanted to pace but forced herself to stillness. They were not alone, and she needed to show a calm demeanor. Guards in the Triad’s Elite uniforms stood at attention in the doorway.

The room was decorated with artwork from many worlds. The chairs were auto-adjusting for any species, with or without tails, but they all remained standing. Long windows looked out over a courtyard with manicured gardens leading to a fountain. She missed the lively plantings of Damboor. The precision of the flower beds felt forced and uncomfortable. She could almost feel the resignation of the plants and their yearning to grow as they should.

A door swung open, and they were finally called in. The Triad sat in a line at one end of the room. Masa Masran was an altered-human in the Mackran method. He had the slick gray skin of a sea-creature and gills in the side of his neck. Loorka Ba Roona was Carrissian with the space-black skin of his kind. His short mane was standing straight up, but the lines in his face showed a great age. Praxiss was from Baston. His scales were polished to a bright sheen, and his long, thick tail curled around the legs of his sturdy chair. All three stood when she entered.

Thank you for coming so quickly, Loorka said.

I am happy to comply with the Triad’s requests, she said carefully.

We have received an unusual gift that is of great concern, Masa said. His voice had an odd hiss to it that might be coming from his gills.

How can I help? she asked. She kept her net open to Pasrak who linked to all the Preceptors. Although she felt no animosity in those present, she wanted to be ready for anything.

Praxiss lumbered across the room toward a door that a guard opened for him. He was large for a Bastoni, and his foot-claws clicked on the tile floor. Masa and Loorka followed carefully avoiding his long tail.

Hunter took the lead as they went after them. The other room was empty except for a long, narrow crate in the middle of the floor. It was the shape of a coffin and disturbed Elaan immensely. She stopped at the doorway, and Terrance bumped into her. He put a hand on her arm but didn’t go further. She sensed that he felt the wrongness of it, too.

Trash squeezed through and approached the crate. What is it?

One of the guards removed the lid to expose the preserved remains of a person lying in a sealed transparent box.

Serelle took a step closer, shivered and turned his back. It is he, he said with disgust.

Elaan could feel the connection. Those were the bones of an Iguacan. And yet, she could not force herself to go closer.

Has this been scanned? Hunter asked.

Yes. It showed no signs of the poison, or magdracite but was decontaminated all the same, Loorka said.

The Triad stood grouped at one end of the room. Elaan wasn’t sure what they expected of her and her people.

Hunter walked to the crate and peered in. It was tortured.

She didn’t want to see.

Serelle turned back to stare more intently. Fistar says it is a ness from the bone structure. And yes, Hunter is correct, the skeleton shows broken bones that have partially healed. He closed his eyes and shivered violently. This is an abomination. He went to stand with Elaan.

Elaan forced herself to move toward the crate. The sooner she dealt with this the better. The skeleton held no personality, but she could feel the vague resonance of a relation. This ness was of Crintaal. The bones carried the weight of centuries. Putting it all together, she could make an assumption. This is most likely the remains of Kirglest. He was a cruel and deranged despot responsible for the subsequent enslavement of our race. She turned to face the Triad. We do not celebrate him.

This was given to us by a trading consortium from the Delta Sector, Praxiss said. We are trying to understand the significance.

Hunter came to stand next to her. As in all sentients’ histories, the Iguacans have had good and bad rulers. He was one of the worst. Perhaps that is the point. He was such a horrible ruler that someone chose to preserve his remains as a warning. They have gifted you that warning. But he was the product of a very different place and time.

Elaan was grateful for his words but felt that he hadn’t been clear enough. His regime was so brutal that my people were subjugated and nearly wiped out. We lost our culture and history. Only now are we just learning about who we are. She pointed to the crate. We are repulsed by him and want nothing to do with his remains. Please have them destroyed.

We would hear more of his regime, Masa said.

You will have to ask it of those who brought you this, Elaan said brusquely. My people were deprived of their traditions and lore. I know only that our heritage died with this man. That his actions engendered a hatred for my people that has lasted centuries. I cannot list his crimes or depravations, but I am aware that such occurred. He is counted a monster and a criminal at the very least. He will receive no recognition from us.

And yet someone felt the need to preserve him, Masa pressed.

I have no idea why, Elaan said harshly. Perhaps as the spoils of victory. To celebrate the fall of an enemy. She shook her head. He is not our hero. We deplore all he did or stood for. The gift is yours to do with as you wish. We don’t want anything to do with him.

Masa stared at her as if looking for a falsehood. She could feel his concern and met his eyes calmly. As Hunter said, most people have bad leaders in their histories. We are trying to write our history based solely on the bits that people can recall from stories and tales given us by elders. He will be mentioned as a dark period in our legacy. Nothing more.

He is, perhaps the reason for the attack on Ranbek? Looka suggested.

So we have discovered, Elaan said. Centuries ago, Kirglest tortured an ancestor of Lysiat who chose to carry that hurt across generations. Long after Kirglest had been executed, a line of clones was still being inculcated to enact revenge against an entire species. Lysiat was simply the most recent iteration. He carried a message of vengeance and hatred which was paired with the eventual wherewithal to achieve his goal. She raised her hands palm up. We are, perhaps, ultimately responsible for the actions of a distant ancestor.

Praxiss nodded. Thank you for your honesty. We will consider how to deal with this unfortunate gift.

Elaan knew it was a dismissal, but worried that she hadn’t gotten her point across. She did not want this thing on display in some museum somewhere, but her advisors pressed her to leave. Hunter took her arm and led her away. It was a struggle not to look back.

Chapter 2

Hunter was glad for the long flight from Central back to Elskynara in the Second Ring. It gave him some quiet time with Elaan to discuss this disturbing event. They’d gone from the audience right to the port. There was no reason to linger.

Do you think it really was him? he asked her as they settled into their quarters on the Greygoss. It was a little tight with five of them, but he was happy to be back on his old ship. It gave the comfort of a worn and familiar place.

There’s no way to tell by just looking, she said with a tone of distraction. The bones were ancient. Ness was a Crintaal. I can confirm that much.

And had been tortured before death, Hunter added. He’d found the twisted bones very disturbing. By all accounts, Kirglest had been a monster, but torture didn’t solve anything.

It was a very long time ago, she said, her voice fading.

He knew she was probably already meeting with the Preceptors. It left him on his own for a moment, to think it through. This was just a piece of history. It shouldn’t overshadow anything else that they were working on. But Centralplex would want to analyze this in every dimension. What did this gift symbolize? And what did the givers hope to achieve with this unsettling bequest?

Trash announced that they were going into Alternate Space. Hunter and the Iguacans were the only ones who could feel the transition into the dead zone. However, not even Iguacans could connect through the lifeless tract of Alternate Space.

Elaan turned to him once her contact was broken. What do you think we should do?

Exactly what you’ve done, he said. They know you don’t want the remains. You asked for them to be destroyed. Someone will do some research. Maybe the traders from Delta Sector will give them some folklore about the monster Kirglest. But eventually, I think they will do as you wished. Brutal rulers are often studied but never revered.

Our history is a fragile thing, she said.

There’s a Human saying that history is written by the victor. Maybe you need to get your hands on some history books from the Delta Sector. He was only partially joking. Not knowing their own history was a problem. He hoped there wasn’t another Kirglest hiding in the shadows to cause more trouble.

I need to think about this, Elaan said. It should be addressed in a clearer manner. I didn’t like Masa’s innuendo.

Humans are a tricky bunch, Hunter said. He’d had enough abuse and betrayal from his own kind to last a lifetime. He can only judge you from his own experience. Sometimes the achievements of a despot can outlive their depredations.

I am unaware of anything from Kirglest’s regime that could be considered an achievement, she said shortly.

Maybe Bally will have discovered something by the time we get back, Hunter offered. It was a very slim chance, but he was working very hard at building a solid foundation for their history.

There is nothing Bally can add, Elaan snapped. Why can’t we walk away from this? Why do I have to keep fighting over the events of our ancient past?

"Because that’s the