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Chapter 9

Siebzehfie, a high ranking Wizard in the Ministry of Information just finished consuming a detailed intelligence report and then looked up and noticed a new participant just taking a seat at the perfectly round, white table at the top of the Ministry of Information tower. There was a shocked hushed silence, because it was the Supreme Wizard himself. No one really knew how to react, this was unprecedented. The Supreme leader of all Kermac was accompanied by two other Kermac. The one to his right was Viesienul, the High Wizard of the Ministry of Control and the the one of the left, the personal assistant The Supreme Wizard stopped everyone with a resolute gesture."No one get up, don't change your topics. I am here to hear the truth, no matter how painful it might be." Still no one dared to speak. The Supreme Wizard motioned to the High Wizard of the MOC. "This is the third High Wizard of the Ministry of Control since former High Wizard Einzfunine. For the last sixhundred cyclesm we gave the MOC too much power. Mostly due to the fact, that my predecesors rose from the ranks od the Ministry of Control. He stapled his fingers. "Restrain yourself from Formspeak, disregard your urge to paint conditions in a favorable way. I am here to hear the truth and not self serving propaganda." He looked around the circle. "We are at war due to a serious of horrendous blunders." He waved towards Siebzehfie."I will not fault you for speaking the truth, but I will do so if you hold back." The wizard of information said."Most powerful and most wise, light of..." The Supreme Wizard interrupted with an angry snarl."No Foemn Speak! I have banished the Wizard of Culture and art from the circe. We are at war, and I will not be the last Supreme Wizard of the Kermac." The Supreme Wizard only recently climbed onto the central seat. He adopted the Wizard name Zwhehzwheneu. His choice suggested that his roots could be traced all the way to the Ker of the Zweh islands, a now mystical place on the long abandoned homeworld of Koken. Officially Kermac did not pay attention to legends, myths and fary tales, but no civilization of such great age could really eliminate or surpress all such legends. That particular legend claimed that it was the Zweh island, where the old Uni made contact with the Ker first. The same legend claimed that it was there when the Ker received psionic powers. All this legend and mythology asside, anyone claiming to be associated with the Zweh islands was certtainly of the oldest and most important heritage. The spread of rumors was much more dificult in the Kermac society than others. Core reason was of course the ever present threat of an accusation of impropper or downright forbidden thoughts and a denounciation by a Thought Police officer. In a society where everyone4 was a formidable telepath, this was a very real danger. While Kermac law allowed the use of mind shields, for about 500 years now, only Minstry of Control approved mindshields were permitted. Everyone knew of course, those official shields could be turned off by a Thought Police officer, without the knowledge of the shield user. Because of thisd there was a black market for Saresii and Terran Mind shields. Impenetrable and immune to external remote control commands, of course highly illegal. All this hampered the spread of rumors, but it did not completley surpress the spread of such rumors. Duew to the risk involved, Kermac rumors tended to be based on facts. No one risked a Mindswipe for something trivial. It was common that a new Supreme Wizard rose from the ranks of one of the Ministries. From the Ministry of War, the Minsitry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Control or Information. The MOC agresivley maintaining a firm grip over this all powerful position for a very long time. Whike this was common, it was rare but not unprecedented that a new Supreme Wizard rose from other groups wuthin Kermac society. It appeared that no one official was really able to say from where Zwhehzwheneu came from. The Inner circle of Hig Wizards knew for sure, but it was not revealed. The rumor claimed Zwhehzwheneu, came from the ranks of the Thought Police itself. All this went through Siebzehfie's mind as he could not supress his fearful reaction of goosebumps and a tight throat."Yes, Supreme Wizard. I bow to your unrivaled wisdom and power." Zwhehzwheneu sighed openly."And yet you still adhere to it and do not speak. I beleive that is the real reason for our demise and potential doom." The Supreme Wizard leaned forward."Let me share then what I know." All eyes were on the Supreme Wizard. "The Ministry if Information spend many decades, tons of Polonium and operated with great patience and subtle advances to restore our intelligence foothold within that cursed enemy of ours, the Union. When the Peace Hawks and our influence over the Assembly was revealed, everyone believed this to be the end of our Intel operations. Yet the MOI picked up the shards of that shattered operation. It took many hundred years to rebuilt what was lost, culminating in placing a mole of ours in their highest office. The president of the Union, Pandar Strong was our best asset." The Kermac around the table listened to the Supreme Wizard, most of them could not beleive what they heard. A Supreme Wizard well informed about these things was indeed as rare as a weapon less Terran. Zwhehzwheneu kept speaking."A Slidebelt service company with offices on many Union planets was the perfect cover for many of our subtle operations. Yet the impatient and self important idiots of the Ministry of Control, did not want a MOI success. Hearing about a burried Saresii ship from the First Age of Knowledge, complete with Translocator technology was the trigger and the MOC took over. Diverted and eventually exposed priceless contacts and assets. Culminating in a declaration of war." Everyone nodded and still no one spoke. Zwhehzwheneu motioned towards Siebzehfie once again."As I understand, the MOI was trying to prevent the Wurgus from joining the Union." The High Wizard of the Ministry of Control, who had arrived with the Supreme Wizard had the least inhibition."Everyone knows, the MOI always had weak leadership. The potential acquisition of Translocator canons via an old Saresii ship was certainly worth the risks." Another wizard slowly shook his head."Perhaps I am dooming myself, but I will say it. The foolishness and self serving attitude of the MOC went to far for too long. Impatience is the biggest problem. We had assets on Green Hell and the Union had no clue, it may have taken a decade longer but without exposing and losing our most valuyable assets." The Wizard was talking himself in a rage."You know how long we worked on the assassination plot of the Wurgus and the Klack? Preventing Wurgus Union membershio is perhaps just as vital as gaining the knowledge to Translocator technology." The Supreme Wizard agreed."You did not doom yourself, you are now a High Wizard. What of the Wurgus. Tell me more, this is indeed vital." "The Wurgus assassination was prevented by a Green Hell teenager named Roy Masters. Our sources confirm that Patriarch Sensitu of the Morlga Wurgus himself handed Lontghk Token to this Teenager. This is the same young human the Ministry of Cobtrol wanted as a guide to lead them through jungles of Green Hell." This, for Kermac so unusual open exchange of thoughts encouraged another Wizard of the MOI to point his finger towards the Wizard of the MOC."These fools, a human teenager forced to assist was unneccesary at best. We had an asset in Green Hell, an old Saresii abd former Union Science Corps researcher lived for years on Green Hell. It was her who found the log file of that old Seenian ship. She would have been a much more reliable guide with intimate local knowledge. She and the Slidebelt company were long established resources. We could have searched for that ship unnoticed by Unionb authorities and extracted the Translocator technology. Even shiupped it off planet completley undetected. The Union had no idea the Seenian ship wreck existed." He crossed his arms."The idiotic leaders of the MOC detested the idea of a successful MOI operation. They took over with the full blessings of your predecessor, were inexperienced and impatient." The Supreme Wizard stared at the Wizard of the MOC."Even if the MOI had weak leadership as you accuse them, they certainly did not have selfserving fools as leaders. The acqisition of Translocator technology is important, and it eludes our engineers and scientists for centuries so what difference would another decade or two mattered? I am consuming the reports of these operations for the last three weeks at great detail. To me, the MOI approach was sound and more successful than anything the MOC did in the last 2000 cycles. Since you feel that getting dragged into a war before we were ready is an acceptable risk. I think your services at the MOC are no longer required. You are to report to the High Wizard of the Military and take command of the Larkami garrison.You are encouraged to take the entire lead staff of your former posting along." "Mighty, all powerful Supreme Wizard. Light of the Kermac and achiever of the Purest White ever seen. Reconsider that perhaps hasty decission. The Larkami are obnoxious and difficult to rule. They might be the next target of a Union attack." "If I reconsider, the alternative is an execution and mind wipes." The Supreme Wizard no longer paid attention to the former MOC wizard and turned his attention back to Siebzehfie."How did the Union fleet react so fast? I read the reports, our battle ships did commence a landing operation on Green Hell while the Union president manipulated the Admiral of the Fleet like a puppet." "That boy, Roy Masters was accidently present when our assassins tried to kill the Klack delegation. He was involved and Colonel Cara Halvagh took him under her wings. She is a powerful Psionic talent of the PSI Corps. Either she or that immortal detective investigating the MOC action on a Union prison colony were able to contact the Immortal Warrior. We all know that he neither dances to the tunes of the Admiral of the Fleet, nor can he be fooled. Kermac Supremacy knows how many times we tried." The Supreme Wizard nodded."This is a fact indeed. However we must prevent the Wurgus from joining the Union at all cost. I let you, the Ministry of Information take the lead and do whatever you must to keep these Sun Engineers from adding their considerable tech-expertise to the Union. Can you imagine what will happen, if Terrans get hold of Wurgus technology?" That caused a collective shiver and Siebzehfie said."Improved Sun Bombs, Weaponized Wurgus Terraforming tools,

Everyone knows, the MOI always had weak leadership. The potential acquisition of Translocator canons via an old Saresii ship was certainly worth the risks."

Siebzehfie

Lontghk Token Patriarch Sensitu of the Morlga Wurgus.

The big man swiped a red kerchief across his brow, then stepped back to check his handywork. ALmost all the damage of the Kermac attack had disapeared. The jungles had swallowed whatever scrap and wreckage the attacker has brought to the surface. Sam' had rebuilt the block house and putting the last touches to the decking under the very warm sun and the high moisture of the sweltering jungle air had him sweat, despite the fact that he lived here now for almost 20 years. Most was back to how it had been, most bit not everything. There not far from the house right between the cultivated bushes of Hellberries hunkered the bulging shape of a genuine full grown Stomper. The dangerous lifeform, all six of its legs spread sleeping, apparently enjoying the sun. Sam had named the Stomper, Tank. Charles the robot, a genuine Cereberus robot nearby, pulled weeds from between the bushes. Neither the compacted Ultronit of its armor nor the flexible memory metal of its hands were affected by the deadly nettle stingers of the Blister-Creepers, a though plant with long creeping vines covered with needles sharp hollow stingers loaded with deadly poison. Blister-Creepers were a common ground covering plant, found all over the planet covering jungles of Green Hell, but here beteween the neat rows of Nightmare Nettle bushes and on the fields of the only farm of the planet, they were taking water an nutritions away from the Nettle bushes. Nothing in the universe was more patient and thurough than a robot, but Sam was certain, this was the only Cerberus in existence engaged in such a task. That this Union battle robot was unlike any other was revealed by the fact, that Charles wore a wide brimmed sun hat. Sam put the hammer he had just used in his toolbox and shook his head."A hat? Why are you wearing a hat? You aren't affected by sunlight for sure." "One observed visials about farmers and historical

It was not even the end of the eight year divider, when Ma Swanson noticed the truly massive black man walk through the doors and into the main sales room of Ma Swanson's boathouse. She yelled to the back."Clarion, check that damn terminal for the date." A cranky voice responded."What a stupid thing to ask. It's 10thDay, Blue Week." "Sam Brown just walked in." Sam approached the sales counter, flashing his snow white teeth in a wide grin."No need to confuse old Clarion, Margit. I came to