Bio-Booster Armor Guyver is Copyrighted to Yoshiki Takaya and Tokuma Shoten Publishing Co in Japan and is trade marked to VIZ Communications Inc.. I am using the characters and ideas without permission but am not making any money from this. This fictional work does belong to me.
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The Conquered
By Jade Tatsu
Interlude V - The Kyheenan Path
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Uryal'ng stared at the floor, focusing on the stone as if his life depended on it. It was an interesting pattern really - the rippling lines that covered the elmbar stone intersected there, converging into one whole. He thought it was a nice symbology. The Empire came together within the Emperor... Or perhaps everything within the Empire spun out from the central figure. He wondered idly how many Kyheenan's had seen this pattern. Hundreds..? Thousands..? Millions..? Over the course of many Emperors' rules, how many supplicants had knelt in this exact same position, looking at the floor as they waited for acknowledgment?
Behind him, standing at attention with their ceremonial scimitars crossed over their chests were two guards. Ostensibly they were for his protection in the intrigues of the imperial court and most Kyheenan's just laughed at that, knowing that in truth the guards were loyal to no one but the Emperor but in his case the fiction was almost true. It had started as soon as the Kasd'n Goa was close enough to Kyheenan territory for a military presence. Technically there had been an invasion of Illmekian Space but it had been authorised in the interests of the Kyheenan Empire.
Uryal'ng had almost choked when the official response to his report on the Interstellar Meeting had been decoded. He, his ship and his crew bore the highest security ranking, matched only by the Emperor and they would continue to hold it until all their information was reported and distributed within the Empire. So, there had been a fleet waiting for them and they had been escorted through the Empire as if they were expecting attack at any instant. He and his crew had spent many days during the journey, watching the stars, wondering what exactly had triggered such a response. The Interstellar Meeting, despite what the Tekki had revealed and the presence of the Terrans had gone roughly as expected so the only other thing was the fact that he had made First Contact with the Terrans .
The Terran Guyvers... That was the only thing it could be. Some how, something about them was important. He narrowed his eyes. What, apart from the fact that you did not anger them, could be that important about them? Only another Guyver would know but the Kyheenan Guyvers were all in the Emperor's service and they very rarely left Kyheen , so what could they know about their Terran counterparts that was so vitally important?
"Arise, va Kyheen . You may look upon me."
Despite everything, Uryal'ng still shivered at the voice of the Emperor. It held such power, such absolute assuredness that he obeyed without thinking, rising to his feet and looking up for an instant before casting his eyes to the ground again.
"Tell me about them," the Emperor said.
Uryal'ng nodded. It was a test, he knew. By not stating who he wanted to discuss the Emperor was deliberately seeing who he had considered important in his mission. "They are powerful," he began, knowing the answer but unsure, despite thinking long and hard on it, where to begin. "We passing through the Kuluhan system when we were ambushed by Advent forces. At the time we did not know what type of troops they were but we were to discover that these new troops are known as Zoanoids. These new Zoanoids are far more powerful than Monomeeth . I will admit, my Emperor, even though we are the best of the Kyheenan Royal Guard Regulars, we were overwhelmed. They fielded only fifty warriors and we out numbered them two to one but it was not enough.
"I hadn't quite given the suicide order but I was contemplating it when they appeared. At first we thought it was further back up troops for the Zoanoids but the newcomers engaged in a short conversation with the Zoanoids and the majority of the Advent troops broke off to attack them. I thought it would be futile until I saw how easily they cut through them. Forty Zoanoids were reduced to nothing in seconds. And after they destroyed the Zoanoids, they destroyed the Advent ship and turned to us." Uryal'ng shivered as he remembered. They hadn't even been able to sense the Advent ship but they had seen its destruction.
"So what happened then?" The Emperor asked, even though he knew the answer.
"I tried to open a dialogue with them. They hadn't spoken to us, so it was possible that they understood Basic, or Kyheen , however that wasn't the case. We traded several recorded dialogues between us before Ausida wa Kyheen noticed a third Guyver. I tried to order my troops away but I wasn't quick enough. One of the Warrior Guyvers was though and the situation, while explosive was reassuring. The third Guyver was a Healer and the first Guyver had stopped short of inflicting injury, they had just reacted to the threat to their Healer.
"Shortly after that, we received a third signal in a Kyheenan frequency and successfully opened a dialogue with the Guyvers..."
"Father!"
Uryal'ng lowered his head further, unwilling to speak over the voice that had interrupted him.
"You know all of this already! Do you really have time to hear it again?"
" Tarnsi ..." The Emperor smiled at his daughter. "I have read the reports, my child but the Commander was actually there. First hand explanations are far more satisfying."
"Do you really have time?" She asked again, tail twitching at the Emperor's reply.
"All right my child," the Emperor Xenif consented before looking back to Commander Uryal'ng va Kyheen . "You have met my daughter, va Kyheen , so you know how impetuous she is but she is right and I hope you will forgive me for making you relate what you have already reported."
"There is nothing to forgive, my Emperor," Uryal'ng murmured, looking back to the floor.
"Tell me what you thought of them," the Emperor commanded. "Tell me of their power, and if you think they are worth pursuing."
Uryal'ng nodded and then gulped. What he said now was not going to go over well with Tarnsi and the other Imperial Guyvers. "They are very powerful," he said softly. "What we consider normal for a Guyver is not normal for them. The rules have changed."
"I thought... I thought I had seen the extent of their power when they rescued us from the Advents. I was wrong. The power they showed then was nothing. Despite the fact that they removed their armor , and allowed a female Healer to attend us unaccompanied. That power was nothing . And while they showed great power at the Interstellar Meeting, I do not know if that is the true extent of their power. As Guyver's they are of the highest order and both the Advent's and Tekki acknowledged that."
"Should we approach them?" Tarnsi asked the question again for her father as she filled in what Uryal'ng wasn't saying from the trembling of his voice. The Terran Guyver's had both scared and humbled him and even now the two conflicting emotions were fighting for dominance.
Uryal'ng closed luminous blue eyes and shook his head. "I cannot say, ibs Kyheen ," he said sadly. "I truly cannot say... However, if your esteemed Sire desires contact, then I believe we need to arm ourselves against the Advents and be prepared to face annihilation."
"Explain," Tarnsi shared a glance with her Father. This was not response they had been expecting.
"They are powerful but they cannot be everywhere at once and so they cannot be called upon to guard us from the Advents forever. At the same time, an alliance may be the only thing that can save us if what the Tekki inferred was true."
"It is," Xenif said softly.
"What?" Tarnsi couldn't help the surprise in her voice.
"It is recorded within the private history of the Royal House of Kyheen , the fate of several elder races, destroyed by the Advent's and their warnings to us. The Mithrel knew their fate and tried to fight the Advents but they were destroyed by the Monomeeth . However their sacrifice warned our forefathers and we have been careful but progress is inevitable and so the Royal House has known about the approaching threat."
"And what were you planning on doing about it, Father?" Tarnsi's voice was indignant.
"What would you have me do?" Xenif questioned his daughter.
Uryal'ng smiled. Indeed... What could be done to save them? The Royal Family, while being aware of the danger, could not stop progress. All they could hope for was that when the time came that the Kyheenan's fought with the all skill and courage that they possessed so that the Universe would remember them and the agony they caused the Advents. There was nothing else that could be done. The Royal Family had already been progressively expanding the military over the past few generations. When the fight came, they would approach the end, knowing that they had done all they could.
Tarnsi coughed and closed her eyes as she thought about it before reluctantly agreeing that there really was nothing her Father could have been expected to do. Not against something as powerful as the Advents.
"My Emperor," Uryal'ng bowed again as he spoke. "I believe we should try for an Alliance . While we will be the weaker partner I believe we can help them. We know the Universe and we can help them interact with the other species, and maybe, just maybe, they can help us survive."
Xenif nodded. "You would advise that we take the stand and at the very least be remembered because we fought for what we thought was right rather than passively wait for the end."
"Yes."
"So be it." Xenif's voice was tired but then he alone had known that someday this choice would come. " va Kyheen , one final question, although your answer has already implicitly been given."
" ib Kyheen ?"
"Did you like them?"
Uryal'ng bowed his head again. "I only met one of them well enough to speak on this. While the other's were present, and while we did speak with many of them during the trip to the Interstellar Meeting, I can only say that I know one of them well enough to make that decision and yes, my Emperor, I like him."
"Why?"
"For a reason one finds very rarely when dealing with an alien species - he was honest. I saw him fight and it was open, there was no deception in his battle and when he spoke to me, he did not try to conceal the truth. There were things he did not say but those questions I asked were given honest replies. He scares me though. I had just accepted his initial power when he showed his true power. And his true power is so much more than anything we have ever experienced. It is power he wields because all the rules for Guyvers are broken when the Unit's are on their species. But it is power I trust and it is power that is wielded honestly."
Xenif looked at Uryal'ng strangely. His answer was not expected and while it still showed how deeply the Commander had been affected by the Terrans it was comforting. " Uryal'ng va Kyheen , you and the crew of the Kasd'n Goa have already served the Empire to the extent of Captain Beaida wa Kyheen ..."
The Emperor paused at the awed murmur that passed through the throne room. Uryal'ng was speechless and even Tarnsi seemed stunned.
"You... you honour us too much, my Emperor. We merely did our duty," Uryal'ng managed to gasp after a moment. To be compared to the Captain of First Contact, to that legendary Kyheen whose sacrifice had secured their freedom from the Advents..? That was far too much for a crew that brought the confirmation that the Advent's would attack.
"Captain Beaida wa Kyheen's sacrifice served the Empire and granted us survival," Xenif ib Kyheen began again. "You have done no less by giving us the chance to fight and since you have served us so well, I regret that I must ask you to serve again. As soon as you and your crew have been debriefed and the Kasd'n Goa refitted, you will leave again. You mission this time is to seek out the Terrans and to form an Alliance with them."
" ib Kyheen ?" One of the Emperor's Advisers stepped forward.
Xenif looked briefly at his Adviser before continuing. No matter what they said, this mission was going to go forward. It was Kyheen's only hope. "I will send several of the Imperial Guyvers with you for protection and to help with the search since you now know that their sensors are far superior to our technology."
"Father!"
" Tarnsi ... They have been guarding me and while I represent the Empire, I am not the Empire and I must chose for the good of my people. And the good of our people lies with an Alliance with the Terrans ," Xenif's voice was coldly logical and he paused before he looked back at Uryal'ng and continued. "This Alliance will be open. You are authorised to tell them whatever information they request, and you are further authorised to volunteer information you believe will be useful to them. We shall not demand exchange. Whatever they chose to give us in return shall be gratefully accepted but we will make no demands upon them."
"Emperor!" The outrage was evident in all his Adviser's voices.
"You forget," the Emperor growled, turning burning red eyes to where his Adviser's stood. "I am faced with the choices of Yausid ib Kyheen . We do not enter this Alliance as the dominant species. We are the supplicants... and we should be thankful for any regard granted to us by the Terrans . Uryal'ng va Kyheen has performed his duty beyond call and the Terrans with luck regard us as potential Allies. We are fighting for our survival. The battle has not yet been joined but these are the opening moves and if our survival lies in tying ourselves to another race, let history not record that I was too arrogant to bow my head for the greater good."
With a calming sigh, Xenif turned back towards Uryal'ng and was about to speak again when he noticed Gyuya op Kyheen standing in the centre of the Throne room.
Gyuya was ancient. Xenif was in his eighty first year and had many years of expected rule before the end but no one knew exactly how old Gyuya was. They only knew that the old Guyver had served Xenif's father and his father before that and had even served the Empire before that... He was the oldest Guyver and was so closely linked with his Unit that many argued that he knew their ultimate goal. He very rarely appeared before the Court so his words, when he chose to speak were always greeted with respect.
" Xenif ib Kyheen ... You show wisdom beyond years. The path has been chosen and we must walk it to the end, unflinching at the yet undetermined fate that awaits us."
"The Guyvers are ready to rise?"
Gyuya shook his head. "Not yet, the One is not ready and until that power is prepared the Guyvers may not, can not fight as a whole."
"So why are you here?" The question came from one of the Emperor's Advisers.
Gyuya turned his head towards the speaker, smiling sagely. His next words would break their power. "The One is not yet ready but his thoughts are reaching out to those who hear. Through all Guyver's the One knows everything and through the Terran's the One knows Kyheenan's . Rejoice... the thought is unformed and the feelings as yet undirected but they do us honour. Through the Terrans the One knows us and the One liked us. More cannot be determined for the One sleeps again but it is enough."
"Thank you," Xenif nodded briefly towards Gyuya as the old Guyver moved once again into the shadows. They might survive yet but he hid a smile. His next words were going to bring pandemonium but it was the only way to truly show that Kyheen entered this Alliance in all honesty. " Uryal'ng va Kyheen , in addition to the Imperial Guyvers who will accompany you, another shall be present on your mission to convince the Terrans of our sincerity."
"Emperor?" There was mild curiosity in the Commander's voice.
"The Guyver Tarnsi ibs Kyheen will accompany you as my personal envoy to the Terrans ."
The expected chaos did not ensue, rather his words were greeted with silence.
But only for a long moment.
"Father!"
"Emperor!"
"You can't..."
Xenif looked around with a mildly amused expression. "I can and will," he said and slowly the noise faded as the others remembered themselves and protocol. Uryal'ng had remained silent throughout though and looked rather like someone had just given him a time bomb. His green skin was pale and his eyes were flitting around the Throne Room as if seeking escape but despite that he understood and the Emperor felt his vague sense of disquiet vanish. He was sending Tarnsi along but if the Commander understood why then the explanation he was about to give was not necessary. "I can and will," he repeated, watching as Uryal'ng forced himself to stand at attention and listened to words he already knew. " Tarnsi is a Guyver and is a member of the Royal Family. She is more than qualified to represent Kyheenan interests in this Alliance."
"But to take her off planet..?"
"It is a risk we must take. If we are to survive in the future, if we are to become a true power in this Galaxy then we must not lose our respect but we must conquer our fears. Where my daughter leads, others will follow and then we may truly be called an Empire."
"Father," Tarnsi bowed before willing her Guyver armor into existence as she rose. "I will not fail you."
"Go with speed," Xenif said with feeling as he dismissed the court.
Uryal'ng stood for a moment longer, bowing once more to the Emperor before Tarnsi looked significantly at him and he followed her from the room. There was much that needed to be planned before their mission could start.
"Commander," Tarnsi said softly once they were safely in a side corridor.
" ibs Kyheen ," Uryal'ng greeted her formally, bowing to her.
"There is no need for that, Uryal'ng . We've known each other too long."
"So what is it you wanted?" While Tarnsi was a friend at the moment, Uryal'ng wasn't sure he wanted to talk to her.
"Father's decision is a surprise to me as well. You know I've wanted to leave Kyheen but you also know that I'm bound, more than anyone, by the traditions. However, I wanted you to know that I won't be a hindrance. I don't want your mission to fail and I don't want to get in the way. When we get underway, I want you to treat me as part of the crew. Give me some job to do, I don't care if it's trivial, but if I have to sit around and be the perfect Princess then I will scream. Just because I am a girl, doesn't mean I can't work."
Uryal'ng nodded shortly seeing now where she was coming from. "I know," he responded. "I know you can work and I will try to find you a job that is meaningful but at first, I think you are going to have to behave as an ' ibs ' should. And when contact is made, you will need to be the representative of the Royal Family."
"Thank you," Tarnsi nodded before she looked up, pale eyes clouding as she considered something. "There is another reason my Father ordered this," she began again.
"I know," the Commander said softly. "This Alliance is too important for it fail and so needs a member of the Royal Family to legitimise it and your brother is too important for the Empire to lose so you are the logical choice."
"No... Not that... Tyan is important but there is another reason. When I was born Gyuya said some things and nothing was thought of them until I was ten when the meaning became clear. He said 'The Royal Daughter shall not bow to any Kyheen while the Royal Son is bound without sight. Power without end shall claim what it owns. The Son shall take and Daughter shall serve and only at the end will Kyheen know the truth.' Doesn't mean much does it?"
Uryal'ng shook his head. It made no sense, like many prophecies before it. "But it does, doesn't it?"
"It is vitally important. I will never bow to any Kyheen because I am bound to another. And poor Tyan shall do something that cannot be forgiven... I am a Guyver, Uryal'ng . I will serve the One. It's that simple."
"Ah..." Uryal'ng nodded but still didn't understand.
Maybe sense would come in time.
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To Be Continued...
Author's note: ‘ emblar ' stone is just ‘marble.'
Next Chapter: Chapter XV - Invulnerability - Maxwell has been a busy, busy boy! The Advent's would love to get their, err... hands on him, if they could control sedition within their ranks! Just what is it that he has done to draw Sho, Mizuki, Agito and the others back to Earth.
Jade Tatsu ( jade_tatsu@yahoo.com )