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The planet Litronia orbited a binary star in a system with only two other planets, both gas giants.
The system was located at a point that both the Gardarran Pulsar Confederation and the Ravusq Q’suvar Jn laid claim to - though neither bothered with it. The Litronia system and the next two nearest systems were unremarkable and had never drawn much attention for their resources, as they were all considered relatively out of the way compared to major starsystems.
Litronia featured a dozen continents scattered seemingly haphazardly across the globe. The terrains varied, though one continent was perpetually frozen at the south pole, and another was comprised almost entirely of volcanic stone and mountain ranges.
One continent, at the equator, featured a range of topography, and sustained any number of flora and fauna. It was on this continent that the K’trayalifrey Conclave of the Yalifira could be found.
The K’trayalifrey Conclave had been established tens of thousands of years ago. Like many of the Yalifira conclaves, it was on a world unoccupied by other races and in a sector of space that few ever paid a visit to.
Litronia was not as hospitable to other races. One of the differences between the Yalifira and other races was their adaptability and their ability to handle certain extremes for prolonged periods that other races could not.
Litronia had a stable atmosphere, but it was low on components that most other races needed to breathe. Humans and Ravusq, for example, would likely develop symptoms of deprivation without a breathing aid in less than an hour. Yalifira had no such trouble.
The K’trayalifrey Conclave was similar to most other Yalifira conclaves. There were structures where the people lived, administrative buildings, fields where crops were raised and tended, plus schools, care facilities, and places for the Yalifira youth to play.
The Yalifira had a well-developed sixth sense that told them their name (at around the time they could speak), when it was time to leave the safety of the conclave, and when the time had come to return to the conclave as their life reached its end. They were also telepathically attuned, though not all could make use of this ability among themselves or with other races easily.
The conclave was composed of Yalifira either under the age of fifteen, over the age of two-hundred and eighty-five, or somewhere between the ages of thirty-three and forty-six (though this last group stayed for only the time it took them to birth their offspring).
At any given time, there were between ten and fifteen thousand at the conclave. Most of the conclaves were the same, and the total number of Yalifira Conclaves across the galaxy was a well-kept secret.
The Yalifira kept far more accurate records of time and space than the other races. Unlike Humans, Ravusq, Doolari, and Zathru, the Yalifira had never fought wars among themselves, let alone with any other races. They attributed much of that to their asexual existence and sixth sense, which further caused them to never have need for conflict over intangibles like love.
The Yalifira were still ambitious and were not weak in any sense. They did not lack in emotions—except that they did not experience any form of romantic love. They did, however, tend to be a more reasonable and philosophical people than other races. This they attributed to their longer lifespan and lack of attachments.
The Yalifira generally lived 295 to 310 years. Humans lived around 125 years, Ravusq and Doolari 150 years, and Zathru around 100 to 110 years. However, Yalifira only ever birthed a single offspring, to which they had no emotional bond, while the other four races could easily produce half a dozen or more progeny.
For this reason, the Yalifira were much fewer in number than the other races.
In the deep archives on Yalifrey, the Yalifira held information on how they and the other four races had each left their homeworlds and discovered hyperspace travel within a century of one another. There was also other information about early cooperation among the races, though none had explored that data in hundreds of millennia.
The K’trayalifrey Conclave was currently home to 11,276 people. That number changed daily as Yalifira gave birth or died.
Administration of the conclave tended to fall to the few visiting to birth their progeny. Unlike the elderly and the young who lived together, those who were at the conclave to have a child lived separately. Because the Yalifira held no family bonds, once the child was born, xez was delivered to the nursery.
There were always numerous starships at the conclave. Some belonged to those having their offspring, while others belonged to those dying. This allowed the youth - when they came to the age at which instinct told them it was time to leave – to acquire a means of departure.
Navra Zii K’purm’uh had been born at the K’trayalifrey Conclave thirty-seven years ago. When xez had left twenty-three years ago, xez had taken a freighter and made xerz way to Ravusq space. There, Navra had signed onto the militia and served for five years as a shuttle pilot.
After that, Navra had gotten a job flying a commercial starliner between Ravusq systems. For the next ten years, this was xerz vocation. But xez learned the ins and outs of the business and made some very useful contacts.
Eight years ago, Navra had partnered with a Human, a Ravusq, a Doolari, and a Zathru to create an interspecies, luxury passenger starliner company. Xez served as both a co-owner and pilot of the first of their twelve starships.
Each starliner could carry sixty passengers in luxury accommodations. This included private suites, gourmet meals, and numerous other in-flight entertainments. The average trip tended to last a week at minimum.
Theirs was not the only passenger flight between different species’ worlds, but theirs were among the best for luxury travel. Navra and xerz partners had all made excellent money and had been discussing expansion.
Then Navra had felt the quickening begin. Xez informed xerz partners that xez would be away for as long as a year or two while xez answered the call of nature. Afterward, Navra took xerz personal yacht and made xerz way to the K’trayalifrey Conclave.
Seven months had passed. There was something comforting about being back at the conclave, although Navra also felt a pull to return to xerz business. Yet the time of gestation was unpredictable: it could take as little as ten months and as long as three years.
There were ninety-one Yalifira waiting for their progeny to emerge at the conclave. The last had arrived less than a week ago, while another had been there for just over two and a quarter years.
For the most part, they kept to themselves, taking turns on a weekly basis working with the various administrative duties.
This ranged from locating and archiving data to the deep archive on Yalifrey, maintaining the upkeep of the conclave, overseeing the interactions between the youths and the dying, and monitoring the satellite system for incoming traffic.
Though the conclave was not strictly restricted to only Yalifira, they discouraged other races from visiting. In the earliest days of interstellar space travel, the deep archives had records of one or two incursions before the other races quickly learned that was folly. Once again, mistaking the Yalifira for being weak was a grave error.
During xerz military training, Navra had proven more than once that xez was not easily assailed. Though proficient with weapons, xez chose to seldom carry any. One of the advantages of the Yalifira’s well-developed sixth sense was a psychic defense that could temporarily befuddle the minds of would-be attackers.
That, combined with their underrated and unexpected physical strength, was frequently more effective than any weapon.
It did, however, also produce a mystique about the Yalifira that caused a lot of misunderstanding about their overall nature.
Navra was bored as xez sat at the console for the satellite system. This week, Tama Dii K’fark’ah was the administrative director, overseeing the work of the rest of the quickening Yalifira. Tama had been at the conclave for sixteen months. Navra would be administrative director next week.
Last week, Navra had overseen the robot farm machines. When xez had been a child at the conclave, xez had made a few attempts to learn to repair them, with limited success.
Navra sighed, putting a hand on xerz belly. Xez was quite ready to return to xerz normal life. Navra had not expected to find returning to the conclave so dull.
“Hello, Navra,” someone said from behind xerz.
Navra glanced over xerz shoulder. Tama Dii K’fark’ah was standing there.
“Tama,” Navra acknowledged the acting director.
“Have you noticed anything unusual?” Tama asked.
Navra glanced at the screens a moment, wondering of xez had missed something, then looked back up at Tama. “No. Why?”
Tama gestured to the screen for the satellites on the farther edge of the solar system. “When I was here last week, twice one day there was an anomalous reading. Sector Zeta Forty-Seven.”
Navra turned xerz eyes to the screen in question. These readings were from the ring of satellites that provided the earliest detection of anyone entering the system. They observed the Oort cloud that marked the outskirts of the solar system. Navra tapped the console in front of xerz and called up the sector in question.
“No. Nothing,” Navra said.
“Perhaps,” Tama conceded. “Maybe after the next of us gives birth, before leaving the conclave, they should do a maintenance check in the satellite system.”
“Doesn’t Yalifrey send a team annually?” asked Navra. But just as xez asked, xez knew the answer. “Oh, of course...but that doesn’t account for random comets and other debris affecting the satellites.”
“Please just be mindful,” Tama said. “When I asked Pramdra Kii K’park’eh, xez had not encountered anything either.”
Pramdra had been director last week, but xez had given birth just three days ago and had already departed from the conclave.
As if Tama’s arrival had been a cue, the screen lit up, and a tone sounded to indicate the arrival of a starship in the sector.
Navra turned xerz attention to the screens. The system had already called up the satellites nearest the outermost gas giant.
There were six large capital ships, a half-dozen small capital ships, and another three smaller craft approximately the size of a freighter or shuttle. The curvy spacecraft were like nothing xez had ever seen before. They looked strangely organic, and there were wormholes closing behind them.
“Oh no,” whispered Tama.
Navra’s eyes went wide. They had all been made aware of the Ditufgne’s existence, but nobody had expected to find them approaching a conclave.
“What should we do?” Navra asked. “If we go dark, maybe they won’t see us.”
“No,” Tama whispered. Xez cleared xerz throat. “No. The anomalous readings last week must have been them.”
“Surely they won’t attack the Conclave,” Navra said, staring at the unusual starships now approaching Litronia.
Tama had moved away and was now leaning over the shoulder of the Yalifira at the communications console.
A moment later, a tone sounded across the Conclave. There was an emergency system in place for communications across the entire conclave which had the ability to turn almost any metallic surface into a speaker.
“This is acting Director Tama Dii K’fark’ah. The Ditufgne have arrived in this starsystem. Please evacuate to the underground emergency shelters. All gestating Yalifira, do what you can to help the children. Hurry!”
As calm as Tama sounded, xez had not been able to keep a note of panic out of xerz voice.
The Yalifira at the console in front of Tama said, “Should we leave?”
Tama looked about at the two-dozen gestating Yalifira in the room. “If you so choose, go. Do not go underground without at least some children.”
Several of the Yalifira in the room arose from their positions and departed. Navra, Tama, and four others remained.
Tama looked toward one of them as xez took a seat at the abandoned communications console. “Majra, begin charging the shields. Navra, let me know when the Ditufgne are nearly within orbit so we may bring them online.”
Navra said nothing but switched satellite views. There was no question where the Ditufgne starships were heading.
“Shouldn’t we be sending them a message?” asked the Yalifira observing the Conclave’s internal camera systems.
“Yes,” said Tama, sounding distracted. A moment later, xez said, “Attention, approaching Ditufgne battle group. The K’trayalifrey Conclave is home to children, the elderly, and those in their gestation period. We have no soldiers and no weapons with which to resist you. We are willing to surrender if that is what it will take to prevent an attack. Please respond.”
Navra glanced behind xerz to see Tama adjusting controls at xerz console. Then, faintly, Navra heard the message being repeated.
“Shields are ready,” Majra reported to Tama.
Navra looked at the satellite images and checked some figures. “Ditufgne starships will be in orbit in...ninety seconds. They will be directly over the conclave.”
Two more of the Yalifira left their stations and departed.
Tama said nothing for several seconds before doing something at the console in front of xerz and speaking. “This is acting Administration Director Tama Dii K’fark’ah at the K’trayalifrey Conclave. The Ditufgne are here, and we believe they are preparing to attack. If anyone is receiving this signal, please send help.”
A few seconds later that message began to repeat, alternating with the other.
Navra rechecked the screens before xerz. “Ditufgne in orbit in twenty seconds.”
“Majra, raise shields,” Tama requested.
The lights dimmed a moment, and then a faint buzzing sound filled the air.
The Conclave had a defensive shield that protected the central area from aerial attack. It was jointly designed by the Yalifira and the Gaeitsu-aqin many hundreds of years ago. It was more powerful than most conventional energy shields.
Whether it would withstand the Ditufgne’s devastating weapons was another question.
Navra watched as the starships reached orbit and held position above the conclave. They were unmoving.
“Ditufgne have reached high orbit,” Navra reported, keeping xerz voice calm. “No sign of their intent.”
“Keep monitoring,” Tama said. Xez glanced up at the ceiling as though xez could see the starships far above them.
“Shields are at maximum—and holding,” reported Majra.
“They are still working on evacuating the children,” reported the Yalifira observing the internal camera systems.
Apart from the electronic systems in the room and the low hum of the energy shield more than a hundred feet above them, all was silent. Navra kept looking nervously between the satellite images and the other Yalifira in the room with xerz.
There was a flash as the video feed could not handle the intense light of the beams of energy the Ditufgne fired at the conclave below.
For a few terrifying seconds, it was as though time had come to a standstill. Even knowing the Ditufgne had fired, it would take time for the beams to pass into the atmosphere and make their way to the planet’s surface. Those seconds dragged on almost forever.
Then there was a horrible, sizzling thunder as the beams touched the shield. It went on for a time Navra could not determine before abruptly stopping.
The sound of the energy shield above had changed. It was lower and, to Navra’s ears, weaker.
“Shields are at 5 percent,” Majra reported, sounding lost.
Before more could be said, Navra saw the flash on xerz screen as the Ditufgne fired again.
Once more there was a terrible pause as they waited, helpless, for the beams to reach the shields.
Then, as before, there was an awful, sizzling thunder. But the sizzling abated a moment later, and only the thunder remained. Navra could do nothing as the room was bathed in a blindingly bright light.