Fic: Altered Trajectory (cont.)

[jeriendhal]

Rolas hmphed.  “I didn’t really start falling for her until we met again back on Vulpine Prime.  She’d dyed her fur and wore an utterly awful smelling perfume to mask her scent when I saw her in her Red Vixen persona, so I didn’t recognize her at first.”
 
“Just the same.”
 
“Understand this, Lord Ru Ofanius.  Melika saved my soul and quite probably the life of my sister.  Whatever else she has done, I owe her a debt for that and I will not hear you speak ill of her.”
 
“All right, fine.”  Rufus waved a hand in defeat, only to have his wrist pulled short by his chain.  “Any chance you might be letting me out these anytime soon?”
 
“Wouldn’t count on it.”
 
“Look, we need to make contact with the Galapagos.  I believe it’s vital to their survival.  I don’t think you understand how much danger they’re in from the Terran Federation.”
 
“They seem like a fairly formidable group.  Can’t imagine why they would need our help.”
 
Rufus bit down on his lip briefly.  “Are you aware that of the testimony that I gave during a closed session of the Council of Farmer Lords?”
 
“I heard you suffered a heart attack in the Council Chamber.  What you were actually talking about was left under seal.”  He frowned.  “And there was rumor that a Federation Navy commander was there as well, and left very quickly thereafter.”
 
“Not rumor, but truth.  The reason for my heart attack was that I was giving testimony under the influence of interrogation chemistry.”
 
Rolas’ ears flicked back and he stood up from his slouched position.  “Under interrogation chemistry?  What were you talking about that would make that necessary?  No one has ever made a formula that’s safe for vulpines.”
 
“It was voluntary on my part, given that I was accusing the humans of genocide.”  As quickly as he could, Rufus outlined the revelations that he had received from his distaff counterpart, concerning the deliberate targeting of the ferin for destruction by the human side of the rebellion during the Twenty Years War.
 
When he had finished speaking, Rolas said carefully, “You’re saying the humans killed these little creatures, when they were specifically designed to have no free will?”
 
“All but one.  Logically speaking there must be a colony of them somewhere, where Terinu was born.  I sincerely hope no one ever discovers it, and the universe will let them live in the peace they deserve.  And what the humans did once, they may just be willing to do again.  Admiral Blake went to extraordinary lengths sending his daughter out to try and capture that young ferin boy, and when that goal was lost she was willing to saturation nuke a city in order not to let him get away from her.  If they were faced with the threat of a revived Dominion under the galapagos…”
 
“The galapagos are nowhere near as helpless as those ferin, I think,” Rolas interrupted.
 
“I agree, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t vulnerable.  There can’t be that many of them.  Think how hard it would be to create them from scratch, one genius genetic engineer with only three humans to aid him.”
 
Rolas was frowning deeply now.  “I must speak with Melika about this,” he said.  Then he knocked on the cell door, which rolled back to let him out.  Rufus watched him go, wondering if he had done the right thing in revealing so much to the Farmer Lord turned pirate.  Wondering if their mission to warn the galapagos might be too late.

Comments

[badasher.livejournal.com]

As good as always. You've come a hell of a long way from when we were both pecking away on our lunch hours (and occasionally during the work day) at Choice. Keep it up.

[jeriendhal.livejournal.com]

Thank you. This story has grown muh bigger than I'd intended it, that's for sure.

[mjkj.livejournal.com]

...nice, thank you :)

I believe it was the right thing to do ... and I hope it is not too late for them yet...

mjkj