Dakta Smid - Fragment

1939

Dakta Smid stepped out from the Magneto Train Station elevator into the bright sun shine that bathed magnificent Barium Capital of all Pan Saran. Before him stretched Imperial Plaza, a grand affair of white marble, perfectly manicured and geometrically shaped grass areas, with small trees trimmed to green spheres and water gushing marble fountains. Imperial Plaza when seen from above was a circle of exactly 2000 passus across. To the North, right across the Plaza from where Dakta was standing was the Imperial Palace and to the right of it the Ministry of Space. Dakta had been in Barium many times before but never before wearing the gold polished breast plate and white plumed helmet of the Imperial Space Fleet and the white and gold cape of an officer. He walked briskly and proud across the plaza, flanked by the statues and memorials of Emperors and the greatest heroes. Now that he had completed War Academy and Battle School he would soon leave this planet, as officer aboard a Battleship and join in the fight against the Sarans. While he approached the open but guarded gate of the Ministry he glanced to the right where he knew the statue of Milliam, he who stood who stood up against the oppression and led the Pan Sarans to Freedom over 2000 Cycles ago. Only now did he notice the old man who had approached him. “Ah Centurim Smid! Just the man I wanted to see!” Dakta didn’t know the man and was surprised the man knew him, especially as the old man wore the symbolic toga pin of a Senator in his purple suit. Dakta banged his fist against his left chest and. “To be seen by one such as you is honor of the highest order!” The man smiled.”I am the Tribunus of the Intelligence Service. I am Salius Mangus and it was I who summoned you here.” He held up his naked arms and made a gesture as to invite Dakta to follow him. “I know it would be proper to use the chambers to meet, but on such a lovely day who wants to be inside.” “I am at your disposal of course, Tribunus.” The old man left the main path to the main entrance of the Ministry and onto a meandering concrete path through the State building park, his arms clasped behind his back he looked up to Dakta who was a full head taller.” What do you know about our history?” Dakta cleared his throat shielding his mouth with his fist.” The Pan Saran history begins as Captain Milliam Donhe rebels against the Queen to quell male Slave uprisings on the seven Colonies and joins the Rebels, unites them and leads the Seven Colonies into the Battle of Talahek and wins our freedom.” The old man nodded.”Yes that is the condensed official version.” The old man pointed into the distance where a group of young men exercised close quarter combat with boarding spears.” Do you know why we are dressed like this? Why you wear an anachronistic breast plate and our architecture features much white marble and statues?” “Yes Tribunus, I do. “ Dakta could not understand what this was all about. This man was of utmost importance and was a personal friend of the Emperor, and he walked with him through the park and asked him questions about history. This and his summon to this place was certainly no coincident and he answered:” It was when Milliam and his small fleet had to escape the main fleet of the Queen and they accidently jumped further than they anticipated, past the Freon Hegemony and into what was and is known the Xunx wastelands, an Area of space devastated by the Xunx feeding cycles.” Salias Magnus stopped a moment to let an emerald colored Nagt Beetle cross the concrete path and motioned Dakta to continue. Dakta wished he could remove that heavy brass ceremonial helmet.” Milliam discovered a solar system remote and quite distant to even the nearest trade route. There was a planet inhabited by humans, biologically almost identical to us. Milliam and Scholars believe that it was a forgotten, isolated Saran Colony from the forgotten days of the first expansion.” The Tribunus smiled.” Milliam found a stone age pre industrial civilization on that planet and its cultural expressions remarkably similar to our Saran Sisters. This civilization was called Egyptian” Dakta’s eyes lit up, as the next part of the Pan Saran story evoked patriotic feelings in his chest.” But he also found a Civilization called the Romans, led not by women but by an Emperor and these Romans had conquered the Egyptians led by a Queen. “ His voice became just a little louder.”Milliam believed the very Gods had led him to this planet to see that. Milliam did and he learned as much as he could about that roman culture while his men set up a secret temporary base on a red planet nearby, to repair ships, manufacture weapons and forge plans. “Later as Milliam led the Colonies to revolt and freedom, he chose to banish all that was Saran and had us all emulate the Roman culture according to his studies.” Again the old Tribunus nodded.” Milliam did not want to disturb that forgotten Colony and give them a chance to develop on their own.” Dakta stopped.”I am indeed deeply honored by you Tribunus and your attention to such an unimportant man like me…” “And you want to know what this is all about, I am sure!” “Indeed, Trbunus!” “The Xunx will soon awake from their inactive cycle and swarm out once more. We think that they will find this forgotten Colony the next time they do. Your mission is to secretly go there and take stock of their current development and government. So we can devise a plan to assist or evacuate them. “ Dakta’s heart beat faster and he could barley contain his grin. This was a dream assignment! It successful completion would open the doors to higher government services and eventually to an appointment to the Senate. Dakta was young and had ambitions but he did not have the experience to ask why the Tribunus would pick a young Centurius for such an important mission. He did ask himself that question much later when it was to late.

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