be less disciplined and more seditious but that does not make them so different from other Human communities. Like the Ezgara, for example.’
Kuros frowned. ‘The Ezgara are a secretive order of Human mercenaries – I fail to see the parallel.’
‘Knowledge has its own levels, Kuros, knowledge contained within knowledge. The Ezgara have a homeworld called Tygra, whose system is hidden in the Qarqol deepzone. The Tygrans, as they refer to themselves, are not a sect of hired guns – their antecedents arrived at that world almost eighty velanns ago aboard a ship called the Forrestal .’
‘Another of the lost Human colonyships,’ Kuros said thoughtfully, masking his astonishment at such revelations, and at the fact that he was being told this at all.
‘One of our deep-reconnaissance vessels discovered them a few velanns after the Achorga wars. So while Earth was being rebuilt and its Human population were responding to our careful tutelage, so too were the Tygrans. Our operatives subverted the colonists’ communication network and began a series of subtle experiments that promoted a martial culture and a stronger, more improving hierarchy. Then we gave them an enemy, a low-tech sentient species inhabiting jungle swamps on the same continent, well south of their landing site. These were scaled, oviparous bipeds with a primitive tribal matrix; their numbers were far greater than the Humans but territorial imperatives prevented them from uniting. Conflict was kindled and clandestine social guidance kept it burning fiercely until the expected resolution some nine velanns later. And for the last sixty-five velanns they have been superlative enforcers of Hegemony authority in demanding situations.’ Teshak regarded Kuros with cold eyes. ‘This is how you should have looked at this vagrant nest of Humans, rather than concocting this fake Free Darien Faction and wiping out their government.’
Kuros clenched his jaw, striving to keep his resentment from showing.
‘Yet the curious connections do not end there,’ the Clarified went on. ‘You see, we also know where the third Human colony-ship ended its journey, a world in the Ydred deepzone, not far from our rimward border. One of our more enterprising and ruthless monoclans was supposed to be closely monitoring both the original colony, a guarded settlement on their now extraction-adapted world, and a refugee splinter group that fled into the deepzone and indentured themselves to the Roug, one of the old Receding races. Except that a single Human male left the Roug system not long after you arrived here, evaded our agents and was one of those aboard that escape pod that landed so inconveniently on Giant’s Shoulder. Remember? The intruders who were magically gone by the time your crack troops broke through to the warpwell chamber?
‘And since our understanding of the warpwell remains minimal, we don’t know if it destroyed them or transported them elsewhere. If it was the latter they could be anywhere. Literally.’
‘Mistakes have been made,’ Kuros said, mentally preparing himself. ‘Flaws in evaluation, planning and execution were mine alone. I dutifully await whatever penalty your Clarity decides to exact.’
Leisurely, Teshak approached him and leaned in a little to speak quietly in one ear. ‘But Kuros, I am not your judge. As I said, I am here to determine, to cooperate, and to guide, so be at peace – I am not going to remove you. That would cause more problems than it would solve. No, I want you to continue as you are, although I shall be holding discussions with Ambassador-Admiral Dyrosha and the captain of the Earthsphere vessel, this Velazquez, after which I may have some … suggestions as to revised methods.’ The Clarified gave a desultory wave of the hand and the warpwell simulation vanished, along with Gratach, leaving them standing in the unfurnished half of the audience chamber. ‘In the meantime, inform your science assister that my
Kuros frowned. ‘The Ezgara are a secretive order of Human mercenaries – I fail to see the parallel.’
‘Knowledge has its own levels, Kuros, knowledge contained within knowledge. The Ezgara have a homeworld called Tygra, whose system is hidden in the Qarqol deepzone. The Tygrans, as they refer to themselves, are not a sect of hired guns – their antecedents arrived at that world almost eighty velanns ago aboard a ship called the Forrestal .’
‘Another of the lost Human colonyships,’ Kuros said thoughtfully, masking his astonishment at such revelations, and at the fact that he was being told this at all.
‘One of our deep-reconnaissance vessels discovered them a few velanns after the Achorga wars. So while Earth was being rebuilt and its Human population were responding to our careful tutelage, so too were the Tygrans. Our operatives subverted the colonists’ communication network and began a series of subtle experiments that promoted a martial culture and a stronger, more improving hierarchy. Then we gave them an enemy, a low-tech sentient species inhabiting jungle swamps on the same continent, well south of their landing site. These were scaled, oviparous bipeds with a primitive tribal matrix; their numbers were far greater than the Humans but territorial imperatives prevented them from uniting. Conflict was kindled and clandestine social guidance kept it burning fiercely until the expected resolution some nine velanns later. And for the last sixty-five velanns they have been superlative enforcers of Hegemony authority in demanding situations.’ Teshak regarded Kuros with cold eyes. ‘This is how you should have looked at this vagrant nest of Humans, rather than concocting this fake Free Darien Faction and wiping out their government.’
Kuros clenched his jaw, striving to keep his resentment from showing.
‘Yet the curious connections do not end there,’ the Clarified went on. ‘You see, we also know where the third Human colony-ship ended its journey, a world in the Ydred deepzone, not far from our rimward border. One of our more enterprising and ruthless monoclans was supposed to be closely monitoring both the original colony, a guarded settlement on their now extraction-adapted world, and a refugee splinter group that fled into the deepzone and indentured themselves to the Roug, one of the old Receding races. Except that a single Human male left the Roug system not long after you arrived here, evaded our agents and was one of those aboard that escape pod that landed so inconveniently on Giant’s Shoulder. Remember? The intruders who were magically gone by the time your crack troops broke through to the warpwell chamber?
‘And since our understanding of the warpwell remains minimal, we don’t know if it destroyed them or transported them elsewhere. If it was the latter they could be anywhere. Literally.’
‘Mistakes have been made,’ Kuros said, mentally preparing himself. ‘Flaws in evaluation, planning and execution were mine alone. I dutifully await whatever penalty your Clarity decides to exact.’
Leisurely, Teshak approached him and leaned in a little to speak quietly in one ear. ‘But Kuros, I am not your judge. As I said, I am here to determine, to cooperate, and to guide, so be at peace – I am not going to remove you. That would cause more problems than it would solve. No, I want you to continue as you are, although I shall be holding discussions with Ambassador-Admiral Dyrosha and the captain of the Earthsphere vessel, this Velazquez, after which I may have some … suggestions as to revised methods.’ The Clarified gave a desultory wave of the hand and the warpwell simulation vanished, along with Gratach, leaving them standing in the unfurnished half of the audience chamber. ‘In the meantime, inform your science assister that my
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