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Initially, she had thought the decision would be difficult. Yet it proved otherwise.
Mek Muv Meq resigned her commission with the Zathru Marine Corp. Though she had thought to serve far longer, circumstances dictated that it was the best course of action for her to take.
What to do next, however, had been a larger challenge. Part of her reason for resigning her commission had been, much to her surprise, so that she could remain with Vek Vuv Veq. Though she had initially resisted his interest, now she could not imagine her life without him.
Vek Vuv Veq had been promoted when the external waziri had become the first gavana of the Interplanetary Interspecies Treaty Organization. No longer just aide-de-camp to Ruk Ruv Ruq, Vek Vuv Veq was named IITO waziri and lead representative to the new entity for the Zathru.
Mek Muv Meq had three jobs open to her: aide-de-camp to the IITO waziri, aide-de-camp to the gavana, or join the IITA and receive a military rank from there.
All would keep her with Ruk Ruv Ruq in one way or another. But because he was her lover, she rejected becoming his aide-de-camp.
The choice to join the new IITA or basically take Ruk Ruv Ruq’s place at the gavana’s side was not so easy. She would never serve as a gunner again, and likely would be in administration going forward with the IITA. In fact, Navarch Dromm had told her she’d be promoted to Chief Petty Officer.
After some deliberation, Mek Muv Meq realized that how she intended initially to serve in the military was no longer an option. After more than year and a half with Ruk Ruv Ruq and Vek Vuv Veq, away from being a marine, her path had changed.
Mek Muv Meq was serving the first gavana of the IITO as his aide-de-camp. She had managed to go from a marine gunner to an advisor to one of the most powerful people in the galaxy.
Still, after all this time, she found that the duties were not so dissimilar to what she had been doing. Further, the time she’d spent with the gavana travelling to meet the other races to discuss the Ditufgne incursion had familiarized Mek Muv Mek with the other alien peoples and cultures.
The most difficult thing for Mek Muv Mek was dressing as a civilian. She had served as a marine for so long that she needed an entire new wardrobe of civilian clothing. Fortunately, Vek Vuv Vek was a sharp dresser and helped her choose new outfits, both functional and flattering.
Another perk of her new position was the offer to replace her cybernetic legs. If she desired, since she was no longer in the military, either the IITO or Zathru government would pay for her to receive new legs with synth-skin.
However, Mek Muv Meq had become used to her legs, and unless she did not wear pants, they were not noticeable.
What was more, during the period traveling between and with the various other races, Mek Muv Meq found most held extra respect and esteem for her because of her injury. Her cybernetic legs were seen as something that toughened her - while adding to her respectability as a soldier. She was clearly a fighter, a survivor, and not without experience, as such.
Besides, she had become accustomed to being a cyborg. Though initially it had freaked her out, she was grateful that she was whole and still alive.
Now they were setting up their new residence in the middle of nowhere.
Mek Muv Meq was more accustomed to living in space than her partner. Though Vek Vuv Veq had traveled a great deal across space, he’d still been accustomed to calling someplace “home” that was on a planet’s surface.
The pair had been assigned a new “apartment” on the ever-expanding space station. The large satellite had added many modules, increased defensive capabilities, a whole new docking facility, with more on the way. In only a few weeks, it had come far.
Prior to moving in together officially, Mek Muv Meq and Vek Vuv Veq had visited Mek Muv Meq’s parents. There, they entered into the formal contract known as The Binding, a one-year agreement that the couple would live together, then be legally espoused.
The Zathru did not “marry” in any sort of ceremony. The traditional way was to enter The Binding as witnessed by one of the parents, after which a year was spent living together. At the end of that year, according to Zathru custom and law, they were what other races would consider married.
There were two reasons to become espoused. The first was to create a legal bond between the partners for certain mutual financial and societal benefits. The second was to create children.
Mek Muv Meq, however, could not bear children following her injury. Yet Vek Vuv Veq desired to be with her, and she found she desired to be with him, too.
It still seemed weird to have this sort of relationship in the middle of an unprecedented incursion.
Both the gavana and IITO waziri were worried about the imminent threat of the Ditufgne and their weapon. Following the warning that it was likely to appear and be used sooner than originally expected, the gavana had pressed for funds and accelerated work to get the IITA ready, while the IITO waziri convinced the Zathru government to put more funds into getting Marine Corp ships outfitted with the Xorcerizts’ weapons.
Mek Muv Meq, as a gunner, had been fascinated by the new weapons. Unlike the energy weapons and their slight variations most races employed, these used a very different form of energy. Though the science was well beyond her understanding, Mek Muv Meq could see how these projected not so much energy as dark energy.
Laser energy weapons punched through matter. The laser dark-energy weapons of the Xorcerizts seemed to instead break down the physical structure and dissolve it.
Like the Ditufgne weapons, effectively, a hit vaporized the target.
The raw power was enthralling but equally terrifying. Of course, Mek Muv Meq had firsthand experience with the weapons. Hence her being a cyborg, after all.
The first few dozen or so ships to receive the new weapons were nearing completion. That included Navarch Dromm’s renamed IITA Unity. It was hoped that as the Xorcerizts and engineers from the various races worked together, they’d get better and faster at the retrofits.
Part of the problem, as Mek Muv Meq understood it, was that even though the Xorcerizts’ systems could be plugged into those of the other races—more or less—they still required very different power and power-coupling measures.
There was a lot of work that went into meshing the two together. It also did not help that there were numerous subtle differences in technology between the races.
What was more—in the case of the Ravusq and Humans—technologies varied between even more ill-defined divisions. Nebula Conglomerate technology differed from Kingdom of Shardaelia Technology, for example. They were similar in many ways—yet how their power systems were utilized, placement of vital equipment, and other aspects varied.
Mek Muv Meq was coordinating shipyards, starships, engineers, mechanics, builders, and the Xorcerizts as aide-de-camp to the gavana. Though she’d felt a bit overwhelmed by it at first, when she paused and considered it - like how she’d sighted a target with her guns - it became much easier.
There were only so many Xorcerizt engineers available. So far, it was taking about three weeks to retrofit a starship with the new weapons systems. Rough estimates currently put the process at fifteen to twenty starships a month.
The priority was given to newer ships from the various signatory nations, after starships directly donated to the IITA.
But the concern was that time had already run out. Though some of the weapons developed by the IITO member nations had some effect—such as the Vulture missiles from the Nebula Conglomerate and the untested tookkaria torpedoes from the Doolari—everything else was ineffective against the Ditufgne.
And there was no telling just where the Ditufgne might strike. Getting ships in position would be challenging at best.
Gavana Ruk Ruv Ruq was working with Vek Vuv Veq and the other representatives to the IITO to determine how they would respond to the threat. The uncertainty was disconcerting, but no answers were presenting themselves.
The next meeting of the full assembly—the formal name for the IITO delegates remained undecided—would be in an hour. So Mek Muv Meq and Vek Vuv Veq were continuing to put their domicile together.
While a soldier, Mek Muv Meq’s quarters, clothing, and meals were provided. Her salary, as a soldier, was not much more than the Zathru Intersystems Basic Income, or ZIBI.
Vek Vuv Veq, as a public servant, made a far more impressive salary than a noncommissioned officer of the Zathru Marine Corp. As such, while he did not qualify to receive the ZIBI, he had savings and items from his previous domicile to relocate and place in their shared home.
Mek Muv Meq came from a poor family, barely earning more than the ZIBI. She had been frugal all her life and sent half of her earnings to her family.
Even still, she had amassed a decent savings. Initially, she was pleased by this.
Then she learned what her pay as aide-de-camp for the IITO gavana was. Not only did she no longer qualify for the ZIBI, she was now earning her previous annual salary monthly.
Mek Muv Meq eagerly anticipated her family’s reaction when they got the first transfer from her. She did, however, have to be careful. She could conceivably give them enough to disqualify them from the ZIBI.
Vek Vuv Veq seemed amused by her reaction to her newfound abundance. Still, convincing her to buy more than just some new clothes had been nearly impossible.
Their combined family income still caused Mek Muv Meq’s heart to skip a beat.
She was looking at a crystalline statue removed from a crate. It was a rather unusual shape, and the base at the bottom had an inscription she could not read.
“What is this?” she queried.
Vek Vuv Veq had been looking at a datapad. He set it down and went over to her.
“That,” he said with a grin, “is an award the team I led won from the government when we created a diplomatic encryption algorithm as part of a competition.”
“When was this?” asked Mek Muv Meq.
Vek Vuv Veq took the statue and examined it. “Fourteen, fifteen years ago. I was a Lieutenant in the Marine Diplomatic Corps. There was a competition between the Marine Corp, a private company or two, and a few scientists. The goal was to create easily encrypted and then decrypted text for diplomatic couriers.”
Mek Muv Meq had become familiar with that encryption technology when working with Ruk Ruv Ruq in his former capacity. “Zizythysru Encript?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t I know you invented it?” asked Mek Muv Meq.
Vek Vuv Veq laughed. “I didn’t. The team I led did. I coordinated ideas and kept everyone on track and efficient. The whole project was classified—which is why the award is slightly innocuous.”
Mek Muv Meq took the statue from Vek Vuv Veq and looked once again at the text at the bottom. “Ah, the inscription is written in Zizythysru Encript.”
“Yes,” said Vek Vuv Veq. “The scientists were super disappointed that my team won. That is what got me recognized by the government—and I was asked to leave my commission and become a Special Secretary to Ruk Ruv Ruq’s predecessor.”
Mek Muv Meq sometimes forgot that her partner had been a soldier too.
A tone sounded. It took her a moment to recognize that it was the five-minute meeting warning.
She checked a nearby chronograph. “It’s early.”
Vek Vuv Veq frowned. “That can’t be a good thing.”
In a few minutes, the pair was entering the large chamber where the IITO representatives would meet.
As the gavana’s aide-de-camp, Mek Muv Meq attended him on the dais. Vek Vuv Veq normally took a place among the other representatives, but he joined his partner to speak with Ruk Ruv Ruq as the rest of the representatives were arriving in the hall.
“Gavana Ruk Ruv Ruq,” Mek Muv Meq addressed her boss formally. She still felt the ingrained urge to salute him.
“Your Honor,” said Vek Vuv Veq. “What’s happened?”
The gavana looked at them both gravely.
“We have just received word,” said Ruk Ruv Ruq, “that the Ditufgne superweapon has arrived at Kamatsa in the Cailin sector of the Zarahn Empire.”