the real enemy. Their weapons and ships are clearly of Primo design," Lena explained. "I believe that someone or something else showed up, turned the Primo's own citizens and weapons against them, and then harvested them into a massive army. When they were finished, they modified the remaining Primo to have their desired traits. Then they left."
"So you think these are literal harvests," Nolan said, understanding. "The Void Wraith, or whoever made the Void Wraith, pop by every so-many-thousands of years to build another army."
"If that's the case, that's terrifying," Hannan said. "What the hell do you use an army that size for?"
"Lena, is it possible that this first group of Primo might have left behind a library? Some source of knowledge we can tap into to learn more?" Nolan asked. "If the war really is cyclic, we need to know as much as possible about it. If they're the ones who first encountered the Void Wraith, then they have the best chance of knowing what really happened."
"Very possible," Lena said, nodding. "Now that I know what to look for, I believe I might be able to learn more. We could do that at any of the oldest Primo libraries. One of their researchers could point us in the right direction. In the meantime, I'll study the early mythology in the current data core. It's possible there's more there. Myths and legends often hold a bit of literal truth."
Chapter 13- Dryker
Dryker shifted uncomfortably in his brand-new uniform. It fit perfectly, but it felt stiff and confining after spending the last few months in the flowing Primo garments they'd been provided. He had no idea where they'd gotten the uniform, either. Did the Primo just happen to have captain's bars on hand? It didn't really matter, he guessed.
"Are you ready, Dryker?" Khar boomed, flexing his claws as he approached. The Tigris had been given a full set of black war armor, and now carried a gleaming silver spear. The weapon was an ancestral favorite for the Tigris, used to kill fleeing prey. Fleeing humans, the last time Dryker had seen one used.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Dryker said, turning from the mirror and exiting the lavish quarters.
Juliard was already waiting in the hall, her face buried in her comm. The fact that they couldn't reach the Quantum Network didn't seem to phase her. She had a seemingly endless number of games, and was playing one of them now. She stopped at his approach, sliding her comm into her pocket.
"Sir," she said, nodding.
"Let's get this over with," Dryker said, walking down the corridor and into the ship's main chamber.
The First Light ' s central chamber was an invention unique to the Primo. Human and Tigris vessels were both compact. They had only enough room for their crew to function, and no space was wasted. Even the most modern UFC ship used an economical design.
The Primo had taken the opposite route. The central chamber was cavernous, with a ceiling that vaulted several hundred feet into the air. Globes of energy dotted the ceiling, making the blue metallic walls sparkle. In the center of the room was a huge, flat disk. The center of that disk was slightly raised, and appeared just large enough for a single person to stand on.
The entire aft wall was transparent, a gigantic dome providing a spectacular view of space. Three golden thrones floated in the air near that dome, bobbing slowly up and down. Their occupants wore shimmering silver garments unlike anything Dryker had seen the others wear. Some sort of parade dress, probably. He recognized one of the three figures as Celendra, but the other two were unfamiliar.
Both were male--one with deep purple skin, the other a pallid grey. Celendra floated between them, though Dryker had no idea if that signified anything. He still had very little understanding of how Primo politics worked, which made them damnably difficult to navigate.
Below the chairs, several hundred Primos were gathered, more than he'd ever seen gathered in one place. Primo
"So you think these are literal harvests," Nolan said, understanding. "The Void Wraith, or whoever made the Void Wraith, pop by every so-many-thousands of years to build another army."
"If that's the case, that's terrifying," Hannan said. "What the hell do you use an army that size for?"
"Lena, is it possible that this first group of Primo might have left behind a library? Some source of knowledge we can tap into to learn more?" Nolan asked. "If the war really is cyclic, we need to know as much as possible about it. If they're the ones who first encountered the Void Wraith, then they have the best chance of knowing what really happened."
"Very possible," Lena said, nodding. "Now that I know what to look for, I believe I might be able to learn more. We could do that at any of the oldest Primo libraries. One of their researchers could point us in the right direction. In the meantime, I'll study the early mythology in the current data core. It's possible there's more there. Myths and legends often hold a bit of literal truth."
Chapter 13- Dryker
Dryker shifted uncomfortably in his brand-new uniform. It fit perfectly, but it felt stiff and confining after spending the last few months in the flowing Primo garments they'd been provided. He had no idea where they'd gotten the uniform, either. Did the Primo just happen to have captain's bars on hand? It didn't really matter, he guessed.
"Are you ready, Dryker?" Khar boomed, flexing his claws as he approached. The Tigris had been given a full set of black war armor, and now carried a gleaming silver spear. The weapon was an ancestral favorite for the Tigris, used to kill fleeing prey. Fleeing humans, the last time Dryker had seen one used.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Dryker said, turning from the mirror and exiting the lavish quarters.
Juliard was already waiting in the hall, her face buried in her comm. The fact that they couldn't reach the Quantum Network didn't seem to phase her. She had a seemingly endless number of games, and was playing one of them now. She stopped at his approach, sliding her comm into her pocket.
"Sir," she said, nodding.
"Let's get this over with," Dryker said, walking down the corridor and into the ship's main chamber.
The First Light ' s central chamber was an invention unique to the Primo. Human and Tigris vessels were both compact. They had only enough room for their crew to function, and no space was wasted. Even the most modern UFC ship used an economical design.
The Primo had taken the opposite route. The central chamber was cavernous, with a ceiling that vaulted several hundred feet into the air. Globes of energy dotted the ceiling, making the blue metallic walls sparkle. In the center of the room was a huge, flat disk. The center of that disk was slightly raised, and appeared just large enough for a single person to stand on.
The entire aft wall was transparent, a gigantic dome providing a spectacular view of space. Three golden thrones floated in the air near that dome, bobbing slowly up and down. Their occupants wore shimmering silver garments unlike anything Dryker had seen the others wear. Some sort of parade dress, probably. He recognized one of the three figures as Celendra, but the other two were unfamiliar.
Both were male--one with deep purple skin, the other a pallid grey. Celendra floated between them, though Dryker had no idea if that signified anything. He still had very little understanding of how Primo politics worked, which made them damnably difficult to navigate.
Below the chairs, several hundred Primos were gathered, more than he'd ever seen gathered in one place. Primo
Similar Books
