Page 53 of Infiltration

“You don’t number yourself among them.”

Bevau’s smile was rueful. “It would bring division among our people just as we’re beginning to heal from the civil war. Perhaps it wouldn’t start another fight. Most of the traitors are gone, after all, whether through death or prison. The wounds are fresh, however. Some would reopen and bleed anew.”

Yuder swallowed. There was no accusation in Bevau’s tone, but he didn’t sugarcoat the truth. If Yuder returned to public service, it could harm the empire.

“I don’t know who I am anymore.” It shamed him to sound so desperate but losing the precious chance Oiteil offered was a stab to the gut.

“You’re the man who brought us out of the shadow of extinction. Right or wrong, the empire survives because of your clan’s leadership.” Bevau drew a deep breath. “For that reason, if enough on the council support your return and the Galactic Council agrees, I’ll support you as well. But I do hope, Clan Father, that you’ll reflect long and hard on this path before you step on it. You’ve always been a shining example of honor for the empire. Don’t toss it aside because you haven’t yet reforged a new and perhaps better identity.”

Yuder’s steps slowed. The weight he carried, the weight of uselessness and living beyond his time, had returned. However, Bevau was right. To return to serving the empire would potentially damage it more than help. He’d be casting his honor aside to fulfill selfish desire to reclaim his worth.

Bevau knew better than to offer sympathy, though Yuder was sure he felt it. They finished their walk in silence, the current emperor escorting the former to the Royal House before hurrying off to the work Yuder had existed for.

* * * *

Bi’is

Nako’s marauder assumed orbit around Bi’is next to Kila’s spyship. Nako glanced at Terig, who peered intently at the readings from his weapons command station.

“Anything?”

“Nothing. No sign of any power emissions beyond natural sources. It’s as if the whole population turned off the lights and left.” His attention zeroed in on another readout. “Also nothing from sensors as to any ships besides ours.”

“Which was to be expected. The craft or whatever it was Captain Kila recorded gave off no sign it was there beyond visual.”

Nako glanced at the com station. Piper and the officer assigned there were muttering in low tones. Her training was coming along fine, but thankfully, she wasn’t ready to cover a shift on her own. She was enjoying learning the ropes, and she’d no doubt give him hell if she grew capable of offering real help and was banished from the ship.

She glanced at him as if she’d sensed his attention on her. He managed half a smile and winked.

His attention was claimed by Ulof stepping onto the bridge.

“Over here,” Terig called, waving their Imdiko to his station.

Ulof hurried to him, his expression eager. Nako and Terig had decided it wouldn’t do any harm for their clanmate to join them on the bridge. He wanted to use the marauder’s state-of-the-art sensors to inspect Bi’is for terraforming ideas he could apply to his next assignment. Nako felt guilty about delaying Ulof from his work and had consented to him surveying their old enemy’s planet.

“Stand here, and don’t touch my console.” Terig’s gruff warning was softened by the smile he gave Ulof. “This monitor view comes from our ship’s feed, this is from the spyship, and these four from Bi’is’ orbiting satellites. You can ask me to zoom in on whatever you find interesting, as long as I’m not busy with my own work.”

“Thanks. This is great.” Ulof greedily gazed at the monitors in turn.

“If you spot any weird objects, let me know right away,” Nako added, though he doubted Ulof would catch anything ahead of his trained officers.

“Right.” Ulof pulled his handheld from his pouch and began taking notes as he observed the feeds.

Reports filed in from various stations, and his crew crosschecked the information Kila’s spyship transmitted to them. They sent him their data to be considered as well. Nako parsed through most of it, keeping his ears tuned to his clanmates.

“Whatever’s happening down there, it’s affected their communications, Captain,” the com officer told Nako. “No signals are going out or being sent between points on Bi’is as far as I can tell. Look here, Matara Piper, at this frequency indicator. If they were communicating on the planet, it would show up on this readout.”

“What would it look like? The same as ship to ship?”

“Terig, can you zoom in on this monitor?” Ulof asked on the opposite side of the bridge, splitting Nako’s attention between him and the com station.

“From the satellite on the far side of the planet? How much? Will this do?”

“Double it. Yeah. Do it again. Huh. That can’t be good.”

Nako caught the change in Ulof’s tone and gave his Imdiko his full awareness. “Do you see something, Ulof?”

“It looks like a major die-off of plant life.”

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