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The Xhali – Chapter 1 It was an arduous trek. The need to keep moving forward had surveying amounting to little more than snapshots. Duke Cussel wanted to put as much distance between his fleet and the Pulurtan pursuers. In the second month it became clear that the warp point leading back to Sauna had somehow became useless. The two ships tasked to stand watch and probe the warp point were unable to enter it, and there had been no Pulurtan probes. In all reality the Sauna system did indeed had its supernova. Cussel and his council agreed that it was a blessing from on high, but the Duke made it clear that the system of entry, now called Glacis, was to be monitored and fortified at the earliest practical moment. Over a period of eleven months a total of thirteen systems were entered. It was during the survey of the fourteenth system that Cussel decided that this was the one. It was a binary star system; each yellow sun had a habitable world and an asteroid belt. The follow-up survey revealed that the habitable world in the secondary component was home to a late industrial race called the Dalthu. Since they didn’t pose a threat in the foreseeable future Cussel decided to leave them alone for now. Of the 48 freighters and transports only two were kept intact and mothballed in geosynchronous orbit around Xhali Prime. The rest were landed on the planet’s surface and broken up for their material. Whatever may have been said of the little ships’ rapid construction no one doubted their utility in forming the first city on Xhali, called Bastion. Crew and passenger quarters were modular, forming the core of the first houses and three-story apartments. The hulks of the ships became factories, warehouses, schools, hospitals, and power plants. To give planetside industry the push it needed the sole mobile shipyard was grounded and adapted. Over the next ten years enough of a supporting infrastructure was created that the shipyard was retooled and served as the core of the Xhali R&D community. The Ducal Mansion, built and extending from the converted hulk of one of those ‘one-month-wonders’ constructed on Acre a decade earlier, was currently hosting a meeting amongst the colony administrators. Cussel, at the head of the u-shaped table, listened as his departmental heads made their yearly reports. “Our population growth and educational programs are on track, my Lord,” said the Secretary of Welfare. “The current population will exceed 450,000 next month. In twenty years time we will have a self-sustaining pool of population and skilled labor that will allow the establishment of colonies and outposts.” “Very good,” said the Duke. With 90% of the population between the age of newborn and 10 years old the colony was more akin to a giant nursery. Fortunately a Fendalen reaches physical, social and mental maturity at age 12. It was just a matter of time before a meaningful foothold beyond the planet could be established. The yellow-skinned Industrial Secretary spoke next. “At the current rate of expenditure we will maximize our industrial capacity to meet projected inflow of new workers. Our first spaceport will be completed in two months and the orbital yard in eight. The core and infrastructure of five new cities are now ready. We’re just waiting for the transfer of the necessary personnel to get them started.” “With our economy now sufficiently robust,” chimed in the Secretary of Science, one of the rare Fendalens with light purple skin, “the R&D effort is in full swing. My teams are confident that we can successfully build new point defense installations as well as refurbish the tractor beam that was on the bulk transport Raisin for future use.” “The sooner the better,” said the Secretary of Defense, his sky-blue exterior bearing scars from his service in the High Army during the civil war. “When the orbital yard is completed we’ll be able to build ships at a lower cost and more rapidly than we could on the surface. Our total assets in space remain at four Type 2 survey ships, one Infantry class DD, and four buoy control ships. 16 Type 2 survey ships and the 20 explorer vessels in mothball condition are still in solar orbit. The surveillance net has now been redeployed so it can cover the outer system, and our stockpile of laser buoys is up to 1,000. There are sufficient reserves to man six destroyers when it comes time to build them. Groundside we can call upon 1,200 army reservists. My procurement plan for the upcoming year, which I have forwarded to the Department of the Treasury, is to construct six outpost bases equipped with buoy controllers and a corvette-sized tug. With three of the bases at each warp point we can stand down two of the buoy ships and place the other two in mothball storage. The majority of the base crews will come from those mothballed ships.” An orange colored Fendalen at Cussel’s right side nodded. “We will be able to afford that project once the orbital yard is complete. Barring a bolt from the blue, we can actually look forward to affording a full squadron of destroyers in two years time. As my colleague in Welfare has stated, there will be self-sustaining pool of labor in twenty years time. Revenue from taxes and interest on ducal loans will feed the Treasury, which in turn will feed the needs of the Duchy.” “Well
said, all of you,” Cussel spoke. “This past decade has
been trying for everyone, especially for our females.
The need to repopulate in a situation like ours is
undeniable, but it times it can feel more akin to an
assembly line than producing loving offspring. My wife
certainly reminds me of that when a new clutch is
laid.” The females in the room laughed, knowing that
particular sentiment all too well. “Yet I feel that,
despite our best efforts, we will find ourselves
wanting when the time comes to return to the The
room was unnaturally quite. With so much to occupy
them the Xhali refugees forgot how fast the past ten
years went by. “Lugan the Pretender is no doubt still
in charge and eager to find us. Our heaven-sent
roadblock at Sauna may have slowed him, but by all
means it won’t discourage him too long. There are,
after all, some unexplored warp points back in the
Kingdom. It may take him years, or even tomorrow for
him to find us.” Cussel looked at his secretaries one
at a time. “Fendala isn’t standing idle. It’s as sure
as the sun rises that a massive recolonization program
is underway. The shipyards are churning out new High
Navy ships. Whole divisions of High Army troops are
being trained. Industrial expansion programs are
firing up the belly of the economy. Research and
development initiatives are creating weapons ahead of
our capability. It will be decades before we can even
get into shouting distance of what the It only took the Defense Secretary a moment to overcome his surprise. “Lord, I must protest. Forming an alliance with the Dalthu, both now and later, will only mean disaster. One only has to look at the Isset to know what I mean by disaster.” From the way Cussel had his antennae raised it was clear he was determined. “A disaster that we ourselves more than helped to create. We struck down obviously helpless foes and killed civilians that couldn’t get out of the war zone fast enough. That’s not even mentioning the taxation, daily degradation, and bestowal of hollow knighthood status to ‘tame’ Isset. Now we have an opportunity to make a sound ally instead of a resentful, revengeful subject race.” The Duke placed a hand on the seated person to his left. “Wattal, my Secretary Without Portfolio, has, among his other sundry duties, been keeping watch on the Dalthu for the past ten years. The survey ship over the planet has made a discovery. One of the ruling corporations of that world has field tested a crude reactionless drive.” That bit of datum made everyone sit at the figurative edge of their seats. “They’ve known about this world for hundreds of years thanks to their telescopes and primitive probes. What’s to stop them from sending an explorer vessel here? Oh, the Pom Pom can easily destroy it, but what then? Any sort of ground action is out of the question. Bully them from orbit with a few demonstration strikes? Totally destroy them and their world in the process? The Pom Pom is fully loaded, and it would take all of her missiles to make a complete job of it.” His last words were sarcastic, paraphrasing what Lugan had said during the civil war when bombarding an Isset world into rubble. “I will deal with the cards that fate dealt me as I see fit. Next week I will go out on the Pom Pom and initiate first contact with the Dalthu. Thanks to our surveillance on their culture and government, and with confidence in my negotiation skill, I can anticipate complete success… or complete failure. In either event our immediate and long term problem will be solved. This meeting is adjourned.” No one bothered to object or make counter arguments. They knew the Duke too well to waste their time. Everyone save Cussel and the Industrial Secretary left. Now alone, the younger Fendalen spoke his mind. “Father, I can see the wisdom and the practical benefits of such an alliance. But does it have to be you personally? Can’t it be someone else?” “Hercul, it would’ve been an easy matter for the captain of the survey ship to initiate contact. For something this important, however, nothing can be left to chance. If things go into the pot, heavens forbid if they do, then it should be my responsibility as the ruler. I also can’t bear the thought of sending one of my own and possibly losing them in the process. Your mother won’t let me hear the end of it.” The Duke’s son grinned. “That is why you made me and my brothers and sisters your secretaries. Keeping our hides safe through the power of nepotism.” “Such an ugly word, Hercul. No one was rushing to volunteer, and all of you were qualified with the diplomas to prove it. I can also fire you if you’re not doing your job. That includes getting your own brood started. Ten years and no grandchildren yet?” Cussel harrumphed. “You are the slacker of the family after all.” Hercul couldn’t let that teasing prod go unanswered. “Speaking of slacker, aren’t you late for your weekly history lecture at the auditorium? After all, we want to ingrain our take on the civil war into impressionable young minds.” Cussel consulted his watch. “So I am. Tell your mother the Duchess not to wait up for me. After class I’m going to speak with my negotiation team to formulate our strategy.” “I will, father. Take care.” It all worked in the end. The years of surveillance and listening in on Dalthu culture and politics paid off. It was a world ruled by corporations with one having been acknowledged to be the policy setter for all. It was this corporation, Practical Applied Technologies (PAT) that made space colonization the ‘next big thing.’ One could imagine the surprise on the figurative faces of PAT’s president and numerous vice-presidents as word came of an alien ship asking permission to land at the PAT Spacedrome at the edge of Dalthu’s capital city. It helped matters that the Dalthu bore a resemblance to the Fendalens in having the same body form. Whereas the Fendalens looked like terrestrial mantises, the Dalthu were emaciated crickets. Both races arose from an insectoid origin, but the Dalthu were more inclined to congregate and stay within particular groups that happen to share the same interests. Because of this when word leaked out about the approaching ship many assumed it was PAT’s first spaceship making a public display. The crowd that assembled at the spacedrome was made up almost entirely of space technology and aviation enthusiasts. Had they known it was an alien ship then the crowd would’ve included those that believed in alien life and ‘space brothers.’ Cussel
asked and received a full audience of Dalthu’s ruling
elite. He told them the basic truth behind the arrival
of the Xhali. Then he made his pitch. In exchange for
economic and military aid Cussel would provide
technological assistance to the Dalthu, greatly aiding
their emergence as a space power. Additionally, he
offered to reactivate the mothballed survey ships and
lease them to PAT. Any habitable worlds found in the
next ten years would belong to the Dalthu; those found
after that period would be divided equally between the
two races. Looking towards the day when the Duchy sets
out to reclaim the Wattal’s research was right on the money. A mixture of sincerity and an appeal to avarice made the corporate leaders very receptive to an alliance. So taken with Cussel’s offer the PAT governance board made a counter-proposal one week later. It was a treaty that included all the points Cussel made, but with a significant inclusion. Acknowledging the Xhali’s experience as a space-faring race, PAT granted Cussel the power to conduct foreign affairs for both races and act as the commander-in-chief of the combined military. Having
earned the respect and approval of his people over the
past ten years Cussel’s return to Xhali Prime was
liken to that of a conquering hero. In his speech to
the populace Cussel described the partnership treaty
with the Dalthu. Each point was greeted with
enthusiastic cheers and applause. He also had a final
surprise. To reflect the changes and additional
responsibilities the Duchy now faced Cussel made his
offspring prince and princesses. With Duchy fleets no
longer a far-off dream there needed to be a royal
presence of command. With combat being the final test
of mettle Cussel looked forward to the time when the Despite
the worthiness his people believed he had, Cussel
steadfastly refused to be made an Archduke, much less
a king. As he saw it, in terms of power, titles were
but affectations. The person under the labels and
accolades was what really matter. In real terms, he
should’ve been called a governor since, according to
one of the first acts Lugan made as king, was the
official removal of all royal titles from the ‘outlaw
families.’ For as much as morale as well as defiance
Cussel still called himself a duke. Now with the new
treaty in place he reinforced his legitimacy in the
eyes of his people by making the conquest of the After the euphoria died down the real work began. The two remaining freighters were demothballed, starting trade with the Dalthu. Eleven months later a PAT science outpost was established on Xhali prime. After two years of learning from the Xhali it came time for the Dalthu to return the favor and help their Xhali partners on the technological ladder. With the survey flotilla activated and additional construction, a total of 30 systems were explored within the ten year timeframe, netting fourteen planets for Dalthulan colonization. Five years into the partnership the first task group of the Duchy Space Navy was completed. It spent two whole years moving up and down the warp chain between Glacis and Xhali performing drills and exercises. 70% of the crews were Dalthulan and they proved to be very capable spacers. At the end of the tenth year Cussel kept his pledge and begun fortifying the Glacis system. The warp point still proved to be impenetrable, but when that changes the gate back into the Kingdom would be the heaviest defended point in the Duchy. Aboard
the Turret class battlecruiser Pom Pom
the Duke finished his fortification project
proclamation and sent the signal to commence
construction. Next to him was Admiral Twitch, a
Dalthulan. His antennae twitched far more often than
the average member of his species, and his mother was
rather quick on using that obvious trait as his name.
“Such an undertaking for a route that may not open for
decades if ever,” he said in an observant tone. “What
in the meantime if this “A highly doubtful supposition, Admiral.” Cussel focused on the patch of space that would eventual hold his bases, minefields, and buoys. “I had the dubious honor of knowing Lugan from even before the civil war. He is the kind that stuffs and mounts grudges. He won’t rest until he knows what has become of my people in general and me in particular.” “Then we’ll have to be as strong as possible, my Lord.” Twitch twitched his antennae, which in his case looked like a fit. “The first of our dreadnoughts will be completed in five months, and the stockpile of prefab base components has begun. Let us not forget the potential of finding more allies.” “More
like if we can find anyone else, Twitch. We haven’t
encountered another race in ten years, not even a
stone-age civilization. It appears if we’re going to
have any real chance against a resurgent With antennae still twitching the Admiral shook his forelimb in a display of acknowledgement. “I am certainly making my contribution in that regards, my Lord. My next batch of young has been laid by my second wife last week.” “Congratulations, Twitch. I’ll send some toys when the time comes.” Cussel looked at his watch. “It’s time for my inspection of the buoy control ship Landlord. Have the boat bay ready my shuttle.” “As
you wish, my Lord.”
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