17. Carter

SEVENTEEN

CARTER

" I was afraid of this," I mumbled to Pageus as Jark's Overtaken host descended on our village. They had us outnumbered three to one, at least, even with the Shunned bolstering our forces.

"No need to panic yet. They are not on an attack vector."

I failed to see how they would need one. The flywheel's electromagnetic pulse saved our forces the last time we tangled with the Overtaken tribe.

This time, we had no such trick. Nearly all of his warriors wielded a silver tube, compared to fifty percent of our own. There was no getting around the fact the Overtaken had better equipment overall, and not just limited to weaponry. Their armor looked thicker and better contoured to their bodies. The sky breaker harnesses they wore had a sleek, streamlined look to them, opposed to the kit-bashed appearance of our own gear.

I had no doubt that my warriors would fight hard and well. I also had no doubt about the eventual outcome.

This is one of those moments that great leaders face, a moment of truth. Only, I'm not a great leader. I'm just a scientist trapped in someone else's body.

Shit, I didn't even beat Jark on my own. My lifemate essentially saved my life.

The first of the Overtaken alighted upon our rocky hilltop. His face appeared grave, though it was hard to tell with the aggressive, painted designs on his visage. Another joined him, and another, then another still.

I knew that the worst thing I could do at that moment would be to project fear. I stood as confidently as I could muster, keeping my expression stony and my bearing regal.

When most of the invading warriors gathered on the hilltop, dwarfing our own number, the original stepped forward.

"I am Nikor, Sub-chieftain to Grhoma Jark. We watched as you cut our leader out of the sky."

I waited for him to say something else. Or do something, anything. Instead, he just stood there silent and stoic, as if waiting for me to say something. And I got the impression he'd have waited a thousand years for me to reply if he had to, without so much as an exasperated sigh.

"I am Gro. Peace Chief of the Starlost tribe. Yes, I cut your leader out of the sky. He challenged me, and was defeated."

Nikor nodded, but otherwise offered no reaction to my proclamation.

I hope they didn't see what Arael did. My victory was far from honorable.

Nikor turned to his fellows and gave a curt nod. As one, they all bent their heads and clapped a hand across their bodies, striking their shoulders.

"We follow our new chieftain, Grhoma Gro!"

I winced at the additional title. In Masari, Grhoma didn't translate directly to galactic standard. It was more of a concept than a word, combining tyrant, dictator, and god in corporeal form.

"Just Gro. No mortal Masari should ever call themselves Grhoma again."

Nikor started, his mouth falling open.

Oh crap, did I just say the wrong thing? Maybe I should have owned being a god-dictator made flesh.

"As you say, calling oneself a god does not make it so. You possess wisdom beyond your years, Peace Chief Gro. And that is why we will follow you to the ends of the galaxy if need be."

Pageus clapped me on the shoulder.

"That takes care of the Overtaken threat."

"It takes care of the Overtaken threat to us," I corrected him. "I need to stop the expansionism that Jark started."

Arael came closer to my side.

"Forgive me, beloved, but I am not sure you should stop it after all."

I stared at her for a long moment, waiting for the shock to die down.

"You would have me be a conqueror?"

"The Masari face many challenges," she said, her eyes shining with an intense, inner light. "Facing those challenges together makes more sense than doing so apart."

I couldn't refute her logic, but the path to unity seemed paved with blood.

"I don't want to continue the cycle of violence. Besides, every empire I've ever studied has always ended the same way--sooner or later, the empire gets too big for its britches and collapses, either from outside forces or internal ones."

"Too big for their pantaloons?" Arael said.

"Never mind. My point is, there's a limit to expansion doing it Jark's way. The best way to achieve unity is to persuade everyone to think it's a good idea…in fact, if you can make them think it's their idea to begin with, it works even better."

I trailed off, realizing that I had a rapt audience of my lifemate, Pageus, Zey, and Nikor. They all stared, waiting for me to continue. I'd never held the respect of so many disparate beings in my entire life. I enjoyed the feeling, and yet the awesome weight of responsibility descended on my shoulders like a thousand Gs.

"Are you suggesting we ask other tribes to join us?" Nikor didn't sound angry, or even incredulous.

I steeled my nerves and drew myself up straighter.

"Yes. I'm suggesting exactly that."

"What if they say no?" Pageus asked.

"Then they say no. If we make joining the empire attractive, they'll eventually come around on their own. Or they won't."

Lo took a step toward me, his eyes filled with worry.

"But some tribes are sitting on potentially incredible Architect artifacts! How else can we get access to them?"

"Lo, there are many artifacts in the world. We do not need to lay hands on them all."

Even as the words left my mouth, I couldn't believe I uttered them. My whole reason for becoming a Sage had been to find a way home. I should have been aggressively pushing an expansionist agenda, in order to lay hands on as much Precursor tech as I could. Only then would I have a chance of going home.

It might be time to admit that I really don't want to go home. Maybe I haven't wanted to go home for a long time.

Maybe I've started to think of this as home.

Lo looked as if he wanted to protest, but Ignio caught his eye and gave a subtle head shake. Lo fell silent, though I could tell he was not happy with my policy decision.

Ignio knew that I was in a vulnerable state as leader at the moment. I enjoyed the respect of the Overtaken warriors for the moment. That could quickly change with little warning, and Lo's perceived disrespect might make a perfect catalyst.

"Obviously, there is much to discuss," I said, addressing Nikor. "Would you join me in the Chief's lodge? It's best to discuss these matters somewhere less public."

Nikor nodded.

"It would be my privilege. My warriors have come…"

He put a hand to the side of his head and closed his eyes.

"That is, your warriors have come a long way, and there was little to be foraged upon the rock we alighted upon earlier. Perhaps there could be succor?"

"Our people will share what we have, because now we are all the same."

"I will see to it," Zey replied. "If that is going to work for you, my Chief."

"Of course, Zey. Once you get everything set up, please join us in the lodge. I am but a stripling and could use your wisdom."

He chuckled, eyes sparkling with merriment.

"Indeed. It takes wisdom to know how much is unknown."

"Then I must be wise indeed, because I feel like I don't know shit most days."

Zey cackled with laughter. I couldn't be sure, but I felt as if perhaps he were relieved to be done with the burden of leadership. I understood perfectly. I wished to be done with it as well, but there seemed to be no one I could pass the buck off to.

I led Nikor to the chief's lodge, along with Pageus. I invited Ignio and the Chief Engineer to join us as well. This was considered unusual, but not scandalous.

When I suggested inviting Lo inside, however, to represent the Shunned, I had all the scandal I could handle.

"The hut is for the People only, not those who are Shunned," Ignio said firmly. Nods went around the circle. "The Architects had no plans for the Shunned, so we cannot allow them into our lives."

"They are already part of our lives, Ignio. When someone dies, who takes care of the body? Who maintains the flow of fresh water from all of our commodes, so we're not drowning in our own feces? The Shunned are part of our daily lives. They do not deserve to be shunned at all."

Pageus' eyes filled with worry. He looked as if he wanted to stop me, but didn't know how. Zey frowned, but otherwise showed no overt sign of disapproval.

Nikor, however, had the most intriguing reaction of all. He stroked his chin and pursed his lips, considering my words carefully.

Caste based discrimination doesn't vanish overnight, no matter who issues the edict. And I was far from King of the Masari. There were limits to a chieftain's power, bonds put in place by Masari culture and the practical matters of governance.

But that night, we made significant strides toward a better future. I couldn't bring Pageus around, because he was so set in his traditional mindset. At the end of the night, when it became clear we were no longer going to shun the Shunned, Pageus drew himself up and asked to be replaced as War Chief.

"No," I said simply.

"What?"

"Request denied, Pageus. I know that you and I disagree on this matter, and perhaps we always will, but the fact of the matter is I need you. I need people who aren't afraid to tell me they disagree, because I am not infallible."

Nikor nodded as if impressed.

"You take the diametrically opposed position to Jark. He sought to silence all voices of dissent."

I shook my head.

"If you silence the dissenters, you don't stop the problem. You just make it invisible. Sooner or later, the dissenters will find a way for their voices to be heard. They usually speak in the language of violence, and those who sought to silence them are the first to become victims."

"That is why Jark crushed dissent," Nikor said, pounding his fist on the table. "It might not be clean or easy, but it does prove effective."

I regarded him for a long time. Nikor was nearly as tall as I, though not quite as heavy of limb. But I'd discovered in my fight with Jark that being physically strong is only part of being a good fighter. I had no doubt that Nikor would be difficult, if not impossible, for me to defeat in a challenge.

Yet, he wasn't challenging me. Not really. He was trying to understand my point of view, while expressing his own in a way that was as respectful as possible. My response needed to be just as respectful.

"Nikor, how long did you serve as Jark's sub chieftain?"

He blinked, clearly taken aback.

"Why, ever since he conquered my former tribe, the Stormhorns…that was seven, eight turns of the seasons ago, I believe."

"So, seven or eight years. How many times did you have to crush dissent?"

His face screwed up with thought.

"Dozens, if not hundreds."

"And how many times did you have to return to a place where you had crushed dissent, to crush it again?"

Now Niktor looked quite confused. He drew his hand over his mouth, eyes distant and calculating.

"Dozens, if not hundreds of times," he said at last, punctuating with a laugh. "You make an excellent point, Chief Gro. But if you're not going to silence dissent, how will you deal with it?"

"It takes longer than violence, but the long term effects of discussion and cooperation echo through history with far greater resonance. We'll give each tribe a vote in how to conduct our business as a whole."

"A…vote?"

The Masari term for vote was closer to I concur than I desire, but I couldn't find any other way to say it.

"Yes. All Masari will be able to cast their vote on important policy decisions."

Pageus rubbed his eyes and sighed.

"This does not sound like a matter for a war chief's discussion. Perhaps I would be of better use incorporating our new warriors into the existing force."

I nodded at him.

"Go, Chief Pageus. You serve our people well."

He took his leave, and I returned to the surprisingly tedious task of forging a new republic. The discussions wore on and on. The sun rose and set twice before I finally called for a recess and trudged home.

Arael greeted me at the door, her lavender gaze filled with an intensity I had never seen before.

"Arael? I'm sorry I am so late--"

"We're having a child, Gro."

She put her hand against her flat belly and smiled.

"A baby?"

My legs gave out and I collapsed into a sitting position on the floor.

"A baby," I repeated.

Arael crouched down beside me, worry lining her face.

"Are you upset?"

I took her hands and tugged until she sat in my lap.

"No, I'm not upset. Surprised, yes. Floored by the new responsibility, yes. But upset? No. This is a happy occasion. Perhaps the happiest of my entire life."

Arael grabbed me around the neck and head, kissing me harder than ever. I kissed her back, and soon forgot all about matters of state.