This story takes place a cycle before John Crichton Arrived in Peacekeeper territory on board Farscape 1. The last of the Vladic race are trying to escape extermination. The Peacekeepers fear the technology the Vladics hold; if they cannot command it then no one shall. The Vladic technology is a greater threat then the Scarran.

Reapers is part of the Jack Crichton series and an end to an era. 

Karl

Slowly at first, my sight became mine again. I vaulted back into consciousness, my ears ringing with the single word:

"No!"

My voice was hoarse and I swallowed hard. The strange metallic taste in my mouth was a sharp reminder of the surgery a standard hour earlier. I inhaled deeply. Nothing. No smell. Just the metallic taste that lingered in my mouth. This strange lack of the sense of smell actually helped my mind clear from the bonds of Rapture.

The stark white of the infirmary, the one area of the Castra that was as clean as the day she had been birthed and, regardless of the situation, was one place that was kept clean. Before me stood my first officer Slavic Helric Trenton and Chancellor Kyev Narra Borhon, the last surviving members of the Kyev governing Clan of Casival. They stood shoulder to shoulder, their backs to me. Rapture's bonds were sacred. The rituals surrounding the transfer had, for the most part, been abandoned in the cycles of our flight. But they allowed me the decency of turning away as my mind recovered from the transfer of information. Once Rapture had been concluded there was a time of vulnerability. A time that one's soul was exposed. That time was considered private.

With less than two arns left to get to the surface, there was no time for me to recover here. I moved slowly and stiffly from the center of the room. I did not look back at the others as I stumbled through the doors of the infirmary. They had known better than to follow me.

I kept one hand out, sliding it across the wall of the deckway as I moved to the hangar node of the Castra. If I were blind I could have found it. Stopping briefly and squeezing my eyes shut, I battled the wave of nausea. The metallic taste made the feeling worse. As I lingered, a wave of memories surfaced from the Rapture. They were from Narra. I spoke her name out loud. Just that act gave me some comfort. It was a fleeting feeling as I saw what she had seen as a child.

She walked through a grand hall of her Uncle's estate. She passed from room to room of the huge mansion - she was on a mission and I felt the tugs of excitement as I experienced the emotions she had. Her Uncle, the Prime Courtier on one of the outer colonies, had kept this house as a trophy to show all on Casival his success. He had trophies from all corners of the Casivalian empire. but his pride and joy he kept in his office under lock and key. Narra had heard of the creature but was forbidden to see it. With guilty pleasure she pulled the long ceramic key she had lifted from her uncle's coat during morning feast. A tug of guilt slowed her advance 'til she slid the key in the slot and the door unlocked. Narra slowly opened the door. Its weight was a struggle for the little girl. Before her was the massive wood and quartz room. In the center an ornate cage. A low guttural sound halted as the door opened fully. In the corner of the cage was a whitish-gray creature that seemed to freeze as Narra approached. Her heart raced as did mine as she continued to get closer and closer. The naked creature was crouched with its back to her. Its head was shaved and it looked with one eye over its shoulder at her. Narra gasped. From this angle it looked like a naked Vladic but the gray almost translucent skin gnawed at her that something was not right. Narra stepped to the rails of the cage and was about to speak to the Reaper when it lunged at her.

Her screaming fear snapped me from the memory. My chest heaved with the fear Narra had felt as a child, face to face with a Reaper.

I steadied myself on the sandy rough ribways that lined the companionway. I patted it gently as I would have a family pet. I had grown fond of this ship. There was something more to her in some ways; she knew we were here and she cared for us. I drew strength from my silent companion for the Castra was alive. The mixture of Cardonex ceramics, metals, and Biostrand construction fused into a biomechanical that had been understood by only the few who had designed them. She rivaled even the leviathans that had been created lost cycles ago. The massive vessel was alive. This allowed it to not only repair damage but to grow as needed. In their run form the Peacekeepers, the Castra had grown over fourteen Quentils longer.

My attention returned to the other woman currently in my life. Narra. Even as a child she had the mivonks to override her fear. She was a born to lead and that she had done flawlessly. My thoughts lingered long on her. If things were different…if it were a different time, perhaps there could be more. I could not allow such an attachment. Even now, witnessing what happened to her as a child brought deep concern for her, but I dismissed the thoughts. There was no time now.

I walked faster, trying to dismiss the stupid ramblings centered around Narra. We have been through more than the gods should allow. I inhaled deeply hoping to curb the continued onslaught of nausea.

Churning deep in my mind were flashes of the hellish creatures' faces. I don't need this! I had been captaining this ship for more than four cycles. We were no closer to Gothos than when we started. The Peacekeepers had been relentless in their search for us. We started with over three thousand and now we were less then two thousand, a loss of over a thousand lives since we escaped from Casival. I realized I had stopped walking again. Six hundred lost in the Keurig system alone. The Gentecs doubt we have enough helix diversity to avoid impacting long term linage. They had already planed breeding profiles that were to be enacted when we had the supplies to support children. The Castra was no place for a child yet we carried over two hundred under fourteen cycles. Once enough supplies were secured we would have to start expanding our numbers.

There was an irony in the proposed matches by the Gentecs. Although clan rule had been abolished over two hundred cycles ago, there was still tension between a number of clan families. Seldom did these clans sanction a bonding. Now, for the sake of greatest helix diversity, would be merging of blood enemies. Who would have thought that the act of making babies would become so complex? But everything now was different. The expected rebuff from the clans once the proposed matches were announced was nothing but support and understanding. With children there is hope and that is in short supply. My hand slipped into my pocket and turned the prayer strand in my hand.

I staggered slightly as my mind tried to steer clear of even thinking of Helric, my first officer, but it was too late. The memories flooded forward. The memories Narra had shared were disturbing but nothing compared to the memories from Helric. Again, he should not even be aware that this onslaught is coming.

Helric had tried and failed to govern his memories. I saw it all. Helric's encounter was in space. He was commanding a sweep patrol in his Senior year at the Citadel when he came across a Reaper transport. He and three other cadets boarded and proceeded to slaughter the entire crew. The Reapers, with their crude translators, had pleaded for their lives and this seemed to cause Helric's wrath to be more cruel. He had started with his blaster on the command crew of the small craft and by the end he was using his defense blade. He stood there, his enviro suit stained blackish red from their blood. The other cadets simply stood near the airlock stunned. Filthy creatures that got what they deserve! There was a satisfaction in Helric's memory as he scanned the carnage. A shudder ran through me as if I was being soiled by witnessing this memory. Helric's raw emotions burned deep in my mind. This raw and vile lust that he had drove back the memory echo. I lowered to my knees and retched a few times but there was nothing in my stomach that would have purged. I had not feasted in two standard days. All that I had seen from the Rapture with Helric proved what I had suspected. My first officer was mad. His instability would be our downfall once this mission was over I would share this memory with Narra and perhaps then she would listen to me.

The Vladics' Rapture was both a gift and a curse. It brought with it enlightenment and understanding. Yet this conduit of communication could still transfer the most savage of thoughts. I continued my trek to the awaiting transport, stopping before the massive pressure hatch that was flush with the deckway.

Petra met me at the entryway to the hangar. Her long black jacket was permanently dirty with one elbow worn through to the blood red tunic beneath. She would always stand in the command node with her right arm clasped to her left elbow as if trying to hide the ragged appearance of her uniform. In the bright white light of the hangar beyond she was the tattered example of how far the mighty Vladic civilization had fallen. She approached, her gaze locked on the deck plates in front of me.

The luxury of privacy had been the first sacrifice in our exodus but there was a dignity in Petra that would not allow her to break with certain traditions. Perhaps this was what I admired most about the young pilot. She had a grace that I had only known in those much older.

Her voice was a hushed whisper, barely audible over the automated maintenance equipment of the hangar. "I have placed six stealth shock grenades in the transport. They will fit easily into the lining of your coat."

"No, Petra. I have made up my mind." I glanced at her briefly then walked quickly toward the precious transport.

Her voice was louder but still held that steady tone that I had so often relied on. "But Captain, you cannot allow yourself to be placed in such danger!"

"Commander" I grit my teeth. The simple act of raising my voice caused my head to pound in protest. The anger I felt was more a residual of memories of Helric. One more reason to be alone after Rapture. I struggled to push the raw emotions back and continue the useless conversation. "I appreciate your concern but they will detect the damping field of the grenade shields. They might be monsters but they are not stupid. We come to barter and that's what we will do."

"Then let me go." She blocked my path her attempts to be intimidating failed. Although she was tall she was painfully thin as a blade pine of home. She had been a good fighter. Every Peacekeeper she had ever gone up against was fooled by her stature. Her lean features and fluid grace of a dancer allowed her to defeat many in hand to hand combat.

"No. They requested direct negotiation." Still not daring to look directly at her, I stepped to the side.

Petra matched my step, undeterred. "Certainly the Rapture with Narra and Helric has shown you what these creatures are capable of."

For the first time I heard fear in her voice. It surprised me, and by the gods not a good sign. My hand dove back into my jacket pocket and clasped the prayer strands.

The mere statement allowed a flash of the distorted face of the reaper lunging at the bars of its cell. That image was replaced by one of the Reapers on board the transport trying to fight back against the madman Helric. "There are more savage then the Reapers among us."
Unlike Vladic See-er, the Chancellor Borhon and, first officer Helric could not strip the rudimentary fears that accompanied the memories. They held of their personal contact with the Reapers. I had to exert control as the blind fear began to swallow me. These alien memories had powerful emotions deeply ingrained in them.

I realized Petra was talking. My head cleared of the memory echo, allowing me to focus on the real world. She held me by one arm, fearing I might fall from the event. I looked at her, still fearing direct eye contact and she looked down.

"Thank you. That will be enough, commander." I straightened and stepped to the side and this time she did not try and block me further. I walked slowly to the small transport and I heard her follow a few steps behind.

"Captain, I am sorry, but you are not looking at the larger scale here. The blood lines are cast." There was a shame to her voice.

I knew her too well. It was unlike her to state the obvious. "Yes the lines of command are cast, if that's what you are saying?"

She paused, looking back towards the hangar doors. "If something were to happen to you then Helric would become captain."

"Yes, Petra." I sensed where she was going with this. But I would not lead her down this path. If she had something to say on the subject then she would have to raise it herself.

"Helric cannot become captain of the Castra. You know this Gorran!"

She had never called me by my first name. In another time I would have been amused by the outburst but there was nothing that was funny about it now. "Yes I know this, commander. I tried to have him extracted from command rank by the chancellor after the fiasco on Keurig IX." My head pounded worse as the conversation dragged on. "If Helric became captain it would mean the end to the of all... Vladics would have no future."

Petra moved closer as we continued down the long empty rows of the hangar. Her hushed voice seemed to squeak with anger. "This is what I am saying, Captain. By the Gods will, you must stay!" There was desperation to her voice.

We reached the small transport. It had been a maintenance pod at the Cerlisa shipyards where the Castra had been moored. It was an ugly little bug but it had orbital capabilities. It had been stripped out to fit four. I motioned for Petra to follow me into the pod.

"Petra, Helric is the highest surviving officer of command rank. It is only by Narra's insight into Helric's past that they allowed her to go against Clan rules and kept me instated as Captain. He will, if given the opportunity, seek vengeance on the Peacekeepers at the risk of annihilating the last of the Vladic race."

Petra's eyes were glassy. Her skin grew even paler. "You give me little choice captain."

"Then you have two choices. Since the reinstallation of Clan Rule, you can either follow Helric as his First Officer or call for the Blood Challenge."

"I would have to…" She seemed to wilt into the acceleration chair of the transport. "…battle him. Kill him."

"Yes!" My voice cracked as the pounding in my head competed with the ache of sadness in my chest for Petra. She did not deserve this.

"You are asking me to kill my brother!"

"Yes, if I am dead and he takes control of the Castra, you will have to follow your heart." I wanted to show her what Helric had shown me but that would not be fair. She knew deep down inside. She had always known about him. It was in the way she spoke to him, in the way she always stood away from him. There was never any sign of a close family bond. "I had tried to call for the Blood Challenge but Narra feared that even if I won the challenge I would lose the confidence of the council." Petra was not surprised by this admission.

She climbed back to the hatch there was a frustrated anger to her voice. "By the gods! I would have after the attack at Keurig-IX if I had known you were going to do something like this." She placed her hand on my shoulder as she stepped through the small hatchway. It lingered there for a moment. I had known that she had more feelings for me then I would acknowledge. She was young enough to be one of my children. She then released me and said with a bitter sadness in her voice, "I had never thought you would let yourself get into a situation like this."

"More reason for me to stay alive." I joked, trying to raise her spirit and failing miserably. We had all been thrown into this situation none of us were trained for this. Humor had been one of the few stays from madness.

Petra stood at the open hatchway adjusted her uniform and turned back to me. "Captain I know what he is. Blood bonds are strong but balanced against the entire Vladic race, that bond is stronger. I will stop Helric if I have to."

She pressed the hatch lock and still not looking back at me she walked away from the transport. She was alone and there was nothing I could do to help her.

Harthus

My small ship traveled deep into the glacial field. Protruding from the jagged ice were the remains of structures. I could see workmen with pulsar torches working in the protruding ruins of some forgotten city that was only now emerging in the permanent twilight of this strange world. This world had been permanently altered by the capture of its moonlet. Harthus's rotation had slowed until the only habitable area was the rim between perpetual night and searing day. The planet rotated only once per thousand years so those that survived on the rim had their homes either fall into darkness of dusk or roast in the heat of the blistering dawn. The heat of the sunward side countered the four standard metra high glaciers of the dark side.

Needless to say there were few who would be interested in such a world and fewer still interested in its inhabitants. My course projections were based on an antiquated radiance beacon deep in one of the ice chasms. The transport landed softly on the thin layer of snow covering the illuminated landing port. I check atmo's before leaving the transport. It was cold but breathable. The surface was the gray of the continuous sunset. The strong gusting winds were relentless and didn't help with the frigid temperature. I walked quickly to one hatchway that terminated at the icewall at one end of the landing platform and walked slowly through the labyrinths of dark damp corridors. I moved deeper and deeper into the Reapers' realm. The howling sounds of the winds on the surface penetrated this deep.

I had never seen a Reaper, but communing with Narra and Helric had a given me more than enough of an idea what to expect. They had been banned travel permission to the Casival system for over a thousand cycles. Although Reapers were genetically very similar to Vladics, their appearance, customs and traits were far different. Where I could use simple optics to hide my iridescent green eyes and close clipping of my hair, I could pass as a Peacekeeper. But the Reapers did not have that luxury. The image of the caged Reaper from Narra's memory flashed crisply in my mind.

I was met at the surface and guided by four creatures the Reapers call Nalhins. Small animals with limited mental capacity, they served as simple laborers, servants and food for the Reapers. They moved quickly, distributing their weight from their feet to their two long hooked hands, rocking their long torsos forward as they did. Their eyes were empty. Trying to commune with such a beast would be no better they communing with a grazer or a household pet back home.

We stopped at the large rusted doors of the central chamber. Here I was to meet a mediator of the Reapers' keep.

We were lucky we had made it this far. We were slowly making an arch through the outer rim of Peacekeeper space. We had to transverse a large region of Peacekeeper space. The galactic core eclipsed a direct fold point to Gothos. We had originally traveled counter spinward near the Khephrix expanse but found the Peacekeepers had great numbers of vessels near the Khephrix sphere. We had to turn back spinward and it took us nearly two cycles to get back to where we had started. We had passed without issue through the core of the Hynerian Empire. It was strange because it was at their request that the Peacekeepers extracted us from Casival. The empire of over one trillion was dying of starvation. The systems we had passed through were worlds calling for assistance. At first we celebrated their misfortune but six weekens of continuously hearing the pleas of countless worlds became disturbing. I held tightly the knotted prayer strand between my fingers rubbing the knots I held my breath and recited an old family saying for luck. In many way it was foolish but since the Exodus old clan rules and religious ideologies had resurfaced with a ferocity that had never been known in the modern history of the Vladic people.

We waited briefly as the worn metal doors parted with a tired wail. I adjusted my badly worn cloak before entering and moved ahead between the forward two Nalhins. They seemed not to even acknowledge my presence. The large room was damp and small illuminators lined the far end of the chamber. Their dim light was all there was to illuminate the large space. The ceiling was vaulted in such a way that all sound reverted back to me and I could hear my breath; all I heard were my steady breaths.

There was an eerie familiarity to this place, something out of childhood stories and the visi yarns of my youth. I had the apothecary on board the Castra nullify my olfactory for this meeting. I knew that from the stench, one could almost taste the decay that hung in the air. The last thing I needed in these negotiations was me retching violently. The mild smile that accompanied the image dissolved as I heard it them approach. Heavy footfalls with the wet sound of something dragging on the rough floor.

The four Reapers enter from two passages on either side of the far wall of the chamber. They walked hunched over as if carrying a heavy burden. With their movements the sounds of liquid sloshing. Their heads were covered under large heavy cloaks. Details of their faces were lost in the dim light of the illuminators. They lumbered into position in front of me. They formed a crescent each looking from one another back to me. Their head movements slow and deliberate. Reapers heads were more like extensions of their massive shoulders so that without a neck their upper body twisted to allow the look about the room.

They each carried clipped to their head a standard issue Peacekeeper Com. This device allowed them to communicate with Humanoids. The fact that they carried Peacekeeper tech alarmed me. The only reason we even attempting trade with the Reapers was that they were non-aligned. One of the few races that the Peacekeepers did not bother. The Peacekeepers appointed Monitor, who was in absentia and permanently located at the small base on the moonlet that raced antispinward above Harthus.

The Reaper closest to me spoke. He/she stepped into the light. A guttural squeak and wheeze followed by the electronic translation. "Welcome, Starric Gorran Reht." In the light I was able to get a better view of the speaking creature. Reapers head were humanoid, so were their eyes and the bridge of their noses, but that is where the similarities ended. The Reapers had no lower jaw the sounds they made were from the tracheal intersection with the large opening that passed from their upper lip to their chest. All of this was poorly hidden behind a thin meshed veil. They wore long heavy cloaks and their heads had wisps of hair that had long been matted to their heads.

As I scanned the group there was a mild hint of gender, more in the movements when they arrived than in deviation from one to the next. They were in all senses hideous, which did all the stories he had heard as a child justice. Now, standing in front of these living nightmares, all I wanted was to run as if I were nine cycles again. Neither Narra's or Helric's memories fully painted the grotesque nature of these creatures. My mission was one that was placing all of the survivors at risk. We had little time, for by now the Peacekeepers certainly knew we were here. The shiny new Coms they wore so proudly would have been monitoring all. The electronic voice did little to cover the wheezing squelches that were their indigenous language.

< I did not think I would see a time where a Vladic would soil itself standing in our hall.> The others muttered. No translation was needed. They were laughing at the man standing in front of them.

I knew better than lie to the Reapers. They were correct. My people had wanted nothing to do with them for cycles. "Yes you are correct, but that time is over. Those who had shunned you have now all perished."

<Then live feeder, why have you come here?>

I grew more uncomfortable with the situation. "I see, Magnus Shellick, that you each have a Peacekeeper Com. It was my understanding that you were not aligned with the Peacekeepers. As we had stated, we are looking to barter for transport."

Magnus Shellick rubbed his cloak. His large distended belly seemed to shift with his movements. <We hold no allegiance to the Peacekeepers. They send out observers from time to time. It doesn't matter. We enjoy them regardless.> His colleagues broke into gasping chuckle.

< Where are my manners I am Magnus Shellick, master of Harthus. So you wish to barter with us…You surprise me, Starret Gorran Reht.> Even through the Com his sarcasm was not lost.

I grew more alarmed. We had been in worse situations, yet something deep in me, almost primal in nature, was taking hold. My rational mind was slipping to the fears of the primal beast. I was standing before every Vladic child's nightmare. "Magnus Shellick, those coms are transmitting every word you are saying back to the local Peacekeeper Monitor. Do you realize that?" <Yes Vladic I do… it's of little consequence.>

"But it is of consequence to me." My voice grew louder as I spoke. They were toying with me and I could hear the blood pounding in my head. I focused on the floor for a moment reminding myself of the mission.

<Are you ill?> Magnus Shellick stepped back from his guest.

I ignored the question while I tried to slow my breathing. "The Mediator knows we are here. That means I have less then 300 microts before they reach Harthus from their base."

<Then you had better make your offer quickly and leave.> Shellick rubbed his distended stomach. There was an odd position the Reaper seemed to return to as if carrying a heavy load, No, more like a fourth quad gestation of a Vladic female. "

One of Magnus's counterparts stepped forward. <In your transmission…you said you had something to trade…trade for our heavy transports.>

Magnus Shellick raised his hand silencing his companion. <Johnel, that will be enough!>
I whispered the statement breathlessly, Magnus Shellick was nervous. As if drawing strength from this fact, my fear withdrew further. "Shall we continue?"

Magnus Shellick shifted forward. The change in my tone made him more nervous. <What could your dying race offer us?>

I looked at each of the reapers before me and tightened my grip on the prayer strand I still clutched in my hand. "To that fact, I would say we are mirrors Magnus Shellick. You're on a dead world with a dying food supply. I became more confident as I spoke as if the fear that had so clutched me when I first arrived had some how melted away. "Over a decacycle ago your people tried to barter for Grazers from Casival."

<Yes and we were escorted from your people's system with a ruling that we were banned from future contact!> Froth spilled from his large gullet although his alien voice was not impeded by the overflow of bodily fluids.

<Now you stand here before us trying to peddle a few animals for one of our mighty transports!>

I stepped forward, looking straight into Magnus Shellick's eyes, knowing that it was better not to look down into the gaping opening of his frothing digestive tract.

I slowed my speech and tried to calm down "I wish to see if that request might still be granted." I bowed slightly as if trying to show respect.

<How far the mighty have fallen…> Shellick shifted forward, his long slender hands pulling at my cloak. <I should consume you myself!>

I raised my hands from my pockets and placed them on Shellick's froth soaked cloak to steady myself. I could feel the warm moisture coming from the large digestive cavity that descended from its nose to the collar of his cloak. "I know you have no reason to help us. There was a time when you asked for help from my people and our response was to ban you from our system. I am here to ask for your forgiveness and to make amends by offering Graziers from our positive axis province of Casival. They have been bred to survive hard cold and should easily flourish deep into the dusk section of Harthus. The lichens, small plants and grasses that still thrive on the surface should sustain them."

Magnus Shellick's attitude changed. The game he was playing ended with this opportunity. He released me and stepped back, raising the edge of his cloak and cleaning the yellowing froth from his maw. He looked at two of his advisors. <How many?> If I wasn't mistaken they seemed excited by the prospects.

I stepped back from the group. "Ninety four… As of this morning. They are quite prolific and could be a great asset in supplementing your food supply."

<If I say yes it makes me wonder… Why, when it is well known that Grazers have been the long time food source of Vladics, would you sacrifice so many?.>

I had to smile at the inquiry. Honesty is all I had to tell the pitiful being before me. "We have seven fighters, three converted transports and seven maintenance crafts. Only the fighters and trandports are designed for trans-atmospheric activity." I felt my lip quiver as I continued. "We lost over six hundred in the past cycle and so we have a surplus of food." I needed to clear my thought to continue. "We are desperate and you are our last hope."

Magnus Shellick's head shifted sideways slightly. <Honesty!> He looked to his council <That is something we seldom see…You have a deal, Vladic.>

A chill ran down my spine. It was as if it took a cycle for his words to sink in. "Thank you, Magnus Shellick. We will never forget what you have done for us."

A small pillar of mucous ran down the edge of the open hole that was Magnus Shellick's mouth.. <Give it time. You will forget our charity and the stories of the Reapers will permeate your culture again.> His words trailed off into a laugh.

"No, I can assure you that things are different. For better or worse, gone are the notions that Vladics are superior." I looked to the floor for the first time as if ashamed at what I had felt upon entering this place. "It is sad that it took the complete termination of our homeworld to see it."

<Vladic, the fact that you have gotten this far is impressive> Magnus Shellick then turned and spoke quietly with one of his council. He turned back to Gorran. <How many transports do you require?>

The Reapers transports were huge workhorses. I had hoped for two but I had to try for more. "The Castra could hold ten transports. We would ask for six."

<You will have Ten!> He spun to the large round reaper next to him. He spoke so quickly that the com did not translate, it merely buzzed.

I hesitated but could not accept so easily their charity. "Thank you Magnus Shellick, but I must ask why do you so willing to help us?" I did not try to hide my suspicion. I stepped back again. A second ago, I thought I was lunch.

Shellick stood there composing his response. Even through the Com the level of sincerity was obvious. <Two reasons, blood feeder. Firstly, you are correct, we are dying. We had asked for help from the Peacekeepers but they do nothing!> His long fingers batted at the Com clipped to his head. <They come to survey our world to see if there are resources they can squander on their march for galactic domination.> Shellick then went over to one of the small beings standing next to the large metal doors. He patted it on the head. The small naked creature rubbed its head into his the thin outstretched hand. <The Nalhins are both our labor force and our food supply and they are growing sterile. We have tried countless modifications to make them more robust but have failed. With each generation there are fewer and fewer that can reproduce. We have modified their double helixes countless times in the past. Without a replacement food source we will starve. So you can see why I am willing to give up a few transports.> He lumbered slowly back to his position at the center of his group. <There is no deception here… You have been honest with me I have now reciprocated> He clasped his hands across his distended belly.

The strange being's candor was surprising. But still I had a gnawing feeling knowing that the Peacekeepers were on their way. I waited for the second reason but was not offered. I waited for a moment then queried. "…And the second?"

<Secondly, if you survive long enough you will come to know that our histories are intertwined. You come from a world that is not your ancestral home. We are from a world that was not always been like this. Your history was lost during the migration to Casival. You know nothing of the world you come from. Our history did not survive the dark times after the cataclysm.>

He watched for my reaction. I was an engineer not a historian. I had seen something on the subject but that was in a different life that was before the Peacekeepers had annihilated my family and hunted the few of us who survive. This revelation meant nothing for me now. Survival was all that mattered to me. Perhaps in the future it could be explored. "It is possible, Magnus Shellick. I really know nothing of these things. I must leave before the arrival of the local Monitor."

<By your mere admission that it is possible is a start. The Vladics I have known would never had allowed such a concept to even be entertained. This speaks highly of you, Starric Gorran Reht.> You have nothing to fear from the Peacekeeper Monitor. Go back to your ship.> He cocked his head. < I will transfer the coordinates for the transfer on a coded signal so as not to allow the mighty Peacekeepers to interfere with our exchange.>

I did not like the ease with which Shellick spoke of the Peacekeepers. "This is putting you in danger, yet you seem not concerned?"

<I am not concerned and you do not need to be concerned either. The Peacekeepers will send down a reconnaissance group and we will hide. They will bomb and we will hide some more.>

Magnus Shellick pulled at the top of his cloak opening it to his waist. Floating in the translucent digestive chamber was the remains of a being. Through the thin wall, I could make out the remains of a Red and Black Command uniform. The Reapers had devoured the Monitor before I had arrived. I did not blink, staring at the partially digested Peacekeeper that Magnus Shellick carried. I was not repulsed by the site before me. All I felt was satisfaction, almost a divine satisfaction that I had never felt before. As Magnus Shellick closed his cloak I looked slowly back up to the mutated face of my new ally.

<I look forward to the Peacekeeper visits. It give us a change in menu.> Again the guttural squeaks of Magnus Shellick laughter.

But this time his humor was not lost on me. Perhaps they really weren't that different after all. But for now their hatred for the Peacekeepers would sustain them. "Thank you, Magnus Shellick." I stepped forward placing my hands forward palms facing upward and bowed my head slightly.

Magnus Shellick was surprised by the gesture. He bowed slightly and copied the gesture <Good luck to you.>

The council filed slowly out of the chamber. I followed the Nalhins back towards the surface and my waiting fighter. Once my com locked onto a signal I reported back to the Castra. For me, this was a good day. There had been so few since we had escaped eradication by the Peacekeepers. Perhaps the gods were starting to listen to us again. I tightened my grasp on my prayer strands.