The Peloran are a strange lot, or at least the ones that I\u2019ve spent time with. Most are content to sit back and let life pass them by until someone gives them no choice but to fight. They never start fights and can\u2019t imagine being part of a confrontation. Aneerin and those who follow him have always been different. They\u2019re not gang members going out and looking for a fight of course. But they court trouble. They initiate plans and confrontations in ways other Peloran would never consider. And they\u2019re willing to experiment to find out the answers to questions. I can see why the other Peloran don\u2019t like them. They\u2019re almost human. Which means they\u2019re real dangerous, of course.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Jack paced back and forth across the very small room that was his home away from home on New Earth. It was a basic room, built for military men on the way through. It had a basic bed that turned into a desk, a sink, a stool, a shower, and almost enough room to walk from one side to the other without taking a breath. He would\u2019ve worn through the carpet by now if it had been high-class enough to have carpet.<\/p>\n
He knew what he wanted to ask for. What he didn\u2019t know was how to ask for it. He knew what the Peloran did. And he knew they didn\u2019t do it for anyone else. Their pilots never died. And if they did, they came back as good as new. But when his Cowboys died, they were dead for real. Jack didn\u2019t like that. And if he died, it would be game over for one Captain Jack Hart. Jack really<\/em> didn\u2019t like that<\/em>.<\/p>\n Jack didn\u2019t want to die. He didn\u2019t want to keep leaving people. Not the people he cared for, at least. And he didn\u2019t have to. He had some ideas. One that might work. Maybe two. He needed more time to come up with a plan. But he didn\u2019t have any more time. The fleet was getting ready to leave. Repairs were nearly complete and they were transporting supplies up right now. He was down to days. He needed weeks. But he just didn\u2019t have it. And he would not let this one get away without at least trying. Not this time.<\/p>\n Jack sucked in a long breath, let it out, and looked towards where Betty and Jasmine stood on his sink in small mode. There was a lot he wanted to say. Instead he just said, \u201cMake the call, please.\u201d<\/p>\n Betty nodded with a smile that suggested she knew what he hadn\u2019t said. \u201cCalling, now. Connecting. Streaming. Holomeeting commencing.\u201d<\/p>\n The room flashed around him as the holoemitters came to life, and Jack was suddenly surrounded by the admiral\u2019s quarters aboard the Guardian Light<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cHello, Jack,\u201d a calm voice said and Jack turned to face Aneerin.<\/p>\n \u201cAdmiral,\u201d he said carefully.<\/p>\n Aneerin nodded. \u201cHal tells me you have a lot on your mind,\u201d Aneerin said with a smile.<\/p>\n Jack turned to where Hal stood in big mode, leaning against the wall in a human-sized body. Hal gave him an encouraging nod and Jack wondered for a moment if he was being played. Then he shrugged it aside. It didn\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n Either he would get what he wanted or he wouldn\u2019t. He didn\u2019t know what he\u2019d do if he didn\u2019t. He sucked in another deep breath and considered once more how to broach the subject. He could go at it around the bush. Small talk until Aneerin\u2019s guard was down and then hit him with it in a weak moment. Aneerin was fluent in small talk though and would see the attack coming. No. No, it would be best to be direct. Get it out of the way, out in the open, and just see how Aneerin responded.<\/p>\n Jack smiled. \u201cAdmiral Aneerin,\u201d he began with the most confident tone of voice he could manage at the moment. \u201cI need you to clone me.\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin\u2019s eyes opened wide and the man took time to walk over and sit down in his chair.<\/p>\n \u201cYou need me to clone you,\u201d the Peloran said with the air of someone who doesn\u2019t quite believe what his ears had just told him.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Sir,\u201d Jack said in a simple tone. Like he was asking for an extra pizza on the side.<\/p>\n Aneerin frowned for a long moment before opening his mouth. \u201cCan you tell me why?\u201d<\/p>\n There were many ways to say it. He\u2019d gone over most of them in his head already. He\u2019d discarded almost all of them. There was the deep and abiding flowery language that would cause a girl to swoon. Or there was the simple and direct statement that a man would understand. And there were a thousand variations in between.<\/p>\n Jack let out a breath, bit the bullet, and went as simple and direct as he knew how to do. \u201cI don\u2019t want to go.\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin\u2019s expression softened. \u201cWomen.\u201d He shook his head. \u201cThey always make us do things we did not think we would do.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack turned his head in slight confusion and scanned Aneerin carefully. \u201cYou sound like you\u2019ve had experience.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, yes,\u201d Aneerin whispered with a smile.<\/p>\n Jack felt a smirk come over his face at the idea. \u201cAnd next you\u2019re going to tell me there are little Aneerins running around?\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin sighed and nodded slowly. \u201cYes,\u201d he whispered. \u201cThere are.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack considered that for a moment and glanced at Betty. She raised an eyebrow at him, wondering what he was thinking. He smiled and turned back to Aneerin. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, but I just don\u2019t know how the Peloran do things. Are you all test tube babies or do you\u2026\u201d he trailed off and stopped his fingers from interlacing.<\/p>\n Aneerin smiled. \u201cWe have families, much like your people.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack nodded slowly. \u201cDid you choose the girl? Or girls? Or did your family choose?\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin stared at him for several seconds before answering. \u201cArranged marriages are not our custom,\u201d he finally answered with a sigh. \u201cAnd yes, I will always love them,\u201d he added, answering the question Jack had been about to ask.<\/p>\n Jack scratched his jaw with a thumb and glanced at Betty again. This time she smiled and inclined her head, recognizing where he was going. He turned back to Aneerin. \u201cWould you do anything in your power to stay with them?\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin sighed and shook his head. \u201cWould you<\/em>? Do anything<\/em> to stay with all the girls you\u2019ve loved?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack\u2019s cheek twitched at the hard question. He brought a hand up to touch the rank insignia on his collar. He shook his head, very slowly. \u201cI made an oath,\u201d he whispered. \u201cI won\u2019t break it.\u201d He turned a hard gaze back on Aneerin. \u201cBut I do not want to go.\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin\u2019s expression turned thoughtful, and he and Hal exchanged a conversation of looks. \u201cSome of those you love are dead. Some are alive. Who would you rather be with?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack smiled. \u201cWhy choose?\u201d he asked with a shrug.<\/p>\n Aneerin sighed and just looked<\/em> at him with the thousand-meter stare of a true veteran of war.<\/p>\n Jack lowered his eyes, unable to meet the gaze. He turned back to Betty and she returned his look with an understanding one. He cleared and sighed. There were real important reasons he didn\u2019t tell people about the dreams. They wouldn\u2019t understand. \u201cIt\u2019s like a piece of me died when Yosemite fell,\u201d Jack whispered instead. \u201cThat a part of me is<\/em> with them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere is more to it than that,\u201d Aneerin said in a tone of voice that suggested he had no doubt at all he was right.<\/p>\n Jack pursed his lips and looked at Betty.<\/p>\n Betty crossed her arms over her duty uniform and gave him that reassuring smile she did so well. And then she tilted her head towards Aneerin, inviting him to continue.<\/p>\n Jack frowned, not really wanting to do what she seemed to be suggesting. He turned to Jasmine for support with a look that was probably a lot more pleading than he\u2019d meant it to be.<\/p>\n Jasmine just shook her head and waved a hand towards the Peloran, indicating that he really had no choice if he wanted to go through with it.<\/p>\n Jack sighed in defeat and looked back to the older man. \u201cI have dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin nodded and brought a hand up to rub his chin in interest. \u201cDreams can be rewarding. Assuming you can navigate them, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the trick isn\u2019t it?\u201d Jack said with a wince.<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed.\u201d Aneerin turned to look out over New Earth. \u201cWhat do you dream?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack took a long breath, pushed away his last reason not to answer, and let it back out. \u201cI dream of a beach, on a lake, with a bonfire, and a party with everybody I love.\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin raised an eyebrow in interest. \u201cEverybody? Alive and dead?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack nodded.<\/p>\n Aneerin pursed his lips as he considered Jack\u2019s words. \u201cSo that is your heaven?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack almost said yes. There had been a time when that beach was the only place he wanted to be. But then Julie and Alex pulled him back from that abyss. Their songs had almost always been part of his life. Betty and Jasmine were the companions that made living worthwhile. And Samantha\u2026she made him want to live more than he\u2019d wanted in years. \u201cOne<\/em> of them,\u201d he finally whispered.<\/p>\n Aneerin\u2019s smile turned knowing and the Peloran nodded slowly. \u201cHave you ever felt the wish to stay?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack\u2019s eyes flicked up to meet the older man\u2019s gaze. \u201cEvery night,\u201d he said with complete honesty.<\/p>\n Aneerin nodded again. \u201cWhat brings you back?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack glanced at Betty, and then Jasmine.<\/p>\n Aneerin followed his eyes and smiled. \u201cAh. Of course. Women,\u201d he finished as if that explained everything. \u201cAnd the other<\/em> heaven?\u201d he asked with a shrewd smile. \u201cOr is that plural?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack cleared his throat, and looked out onto the planet to give himself time to think. \u201cI\u2019ve left people behind. People I could have stayed with if I hadn\u2019t done this,\u201d he noted with a tug on his uniform. Then he looked towards Betty and Jasmine. \u201cDrew died and Jasmine almost followed her. And sooner or later my luck will run out. What then? What will they<\/em> do?\u201d Jack let out a long breath and shook his head. \u201cI wish I didn\u2019t have to go. I wish I didn\u2019t have to leave Samantha. And I wish that one day I wouldn\u2019t have to leave them<\/em>.\u201d Then he turned to Aneerin with a steady gaze. \u201cBut I don\u2019t<\/em>. There is<\/em> another option. One for all<\/em> of us. Every pilot and soldier who stands against the Shang. You<\/em> have the technology to make it happen<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe,\u201d Aneerin whispered and turned his back on Jack. \u201cWe do clone our dead so we do not lose their expertise at fighting. But we only clone Peloran. We do not clone the other races of humanity. Do you understand why<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack blinked at the question. He thought he had, but Aneerin\u2019s tone suggested something different. And he had the sudden feeling that he really didn\u2019t. \u201cWhat should<\/em> I understand?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n Aneerin turned back to him with an approving smile. \u201cThat is a very<\/em> good question to ask, Jack. You will never age. But sooner or later, something will succeed in killing you. And you will be done. Your soul will go on to whatever lies beyond this world, and your body will decompose to feed the next generation of life in the galaxy. It is the circle of life as we know it. It is a circle the Peloran were never designed to be part of.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d Jack asked in confusion.<\/p>\n Aneerin sighed as if remembering something from long ago. \u201cYou must remember that the Albion were a great people, Jack. Filled with a need to know more about everything. They always asked questions. Their profound wish was to understand the universe they lived in. To leave a better universe behind than the one they were born to.\u201d Aneerin paused for a moment and then sighed once more. \u201cThey were one of the most enlightened species I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.<\/p>\n \u201cBut the Albion who created the Peloran race were\u2026different. The Ennead were killing them, defeating them on a thousand fronts. They sought the utter destruction of the Albion race, and the Albion fought back with every weapon they had at their disposal. The war exterminated thousands of star systems and left entire galactic sectors depopulated. The Ennead would do anything to kill the Albion, and the Albion returned that intent with interest.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Peloran were one of their greatest weapons. Born with the instincts of battle programmed into their minds. Unable to even consider<\/em> disobeying an order by one of their Albion superiors. They were stronger. Faster. Better. Able to heal from any injury that did not kill them. And even death was not permanent. The Albion saved everything a Peloran knew, and if death came they simply cloned a new body and put that knowledge into it.\u201d Aneerin shook his head. \u201cThey created a new race of humanity and took away that race\u2019s very right to die in the drive to kill the Ennead.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry\u2026I didn\u2019t know,\u201d Jack whispered.<\/p>\n Aneerin nodded. \u201cWe do not tell. My people were born to be loyal to the Albion. And even their death does not end that loyalty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI see,\u201d Jack said and shook his head. \u201cIf it\u2019s so bad, why do you clone your troops?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat is a good question,\u201d Aneerin said with a broad smile. \u201cThe answer of course is that I do not draft my men and women. Every single one of them is one of the rarest Peloran I have ever encountered. They are the product of thousands of worlds and years. They are volunteers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d Jack asked in confusion.<\/p>\n Aneerin just smiled. \u201cVolunteers are rare, Jack. Even in your culture, one that enshrines the volunteers who won your independence, those who volunteer to fight are rare. One or two percent of your entire population. But the Peloran were genetically coded to never want to fight. To never seek a fight out. To never, ever<\/em> volunteer unless asked to by the Albion. The Albion never wanted them to grow into a threat to their power.\u201d Aneerin smiled again and pulled in a very satisfied breath. \u201cMy Peloran are far fewer than one percent of the total Peloran population. Every single one of them volunteered to follow me. They volunteered to be cloned if they died so they could continue to fight on.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell then,\u201d Jack began with a smile. \u201cIf it\u2019s that simple, I volunteer.\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin chuckled. \u201cI admire your enthusiasm, Jack. And I admire your courage in volunteering. It truly does make you rare. But it is not<\/em> so simple. The cloning chambers were built to work with Peloran genetics, and Terran genetics are not the same.\u201d He raised one hand to stop Jack\u2019s objection. \u201cYes, we are all human, but there are many differences between the races of humanity. The Peloran are the youngest race, the most\u2026pure you could say. The closest to the original creation. There is not the range of mutation in the Peloran genome that there is on Earth. Peloran DNA is simply\u2026less complicated. The cloning chambers the Albion invented are not designed to work with a genetic structure as random and filled with extraneous minutia as the average Terran DNA string.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, that\u2019s good,\u201d Jack said and Aneerin frowned at him. Jack shrugged. \u201cEverybody knows I\u2019m<\/em> no average Terran.\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin laughed out loud at the boastful statement. \u201cI wish it were that simple.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack frowned as something came to mind. \u201cMaybe it is, actually.\u201d<\/p>\n The older man stepped back and examined Jack for several seconds to see if he was joking. Then the Peloran sighed. \u201cExplain.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019m practically Peloran, you know,\u201d Jack said with a shrug.<\/p>\n Aneerin aimed a very sharp look at thim.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d Jack asked with a snort. \u201cOf course I am. Those Treatments of yours boosted my reflexes, strength, and all the other little things that make the Peloran such deadly warriors.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed,\u201d Aneerin said and relaxed again. \u201cYou are accurate, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u201d Jack looked aimed a steady look at Aneerin. \u201cMaybe the cloning process will work better on the Ageless than it would a normal Earthling.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Aneerin considered him very closely. \u201cAnd you wish to volunteer as a guinea pig to see if this is true?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack winced. \u201cWell, I wouldn\u2019t put it that bluntly. But yes. I think it\u2019s worth seeing if it would work.\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin pursed his lips. \u201cAnd if it did work. How would you have us use this in the future? Clone anyone who dies and thereby end the hold death has on your people?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Jack said with a shrug. \u201cI guess I haven\u2019t thought that far. I just\u2026I was just looking for a way to stop leaving people.\u201d He shied away from saying names, and swallowed hard. \u201cLook, I don\u2019t know if I can make any of it right. But I can\u2019t walk away from this.\u201d He tugged his uniform again. \u201cAnd I don\u2019t think\u2026well\u2026I don\u2019t think I\u2019d be worth much if I did.\u201d He shook his head and looked at Betty and Jasmine with a slow smile. \u201cI have to go. I have to fight the Shang. But I don\u2019t want<\/em> to go either.\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin frowned at him for a long moment. \u201cYou want to stay, and yet you always find a reason to go. Are you certain the fault is in the stars and not in here?\u201d the man asked and touched Jack in the chest.<\/p>\n It sent a chill through him, but Jack shook his head. \u201cI\u2026It\u2019s not like that,\u201d he protested. \u201cI\u2026They left first. And I never found anyone I wanted to stay with after that. Until now. And it would make me feel better if\u2026if I die out there\u2026that there\u2019s something left here to carry on the story.\u201d Jack aimed a hard look at Aneerin. \u201cI don\u2019t want the end of my story to be some random Shang missile.\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin nodded very slowly. \u201cI understand. It is human nature to want something to survive when we die. We all feel it. But we also feel the need to return to what we have lost in hopes of reclaiming it.\u201d Aneerin aimed an answering look at Jack. \u201cShould we do this, should we clone another you and leave him behind, and should everything work out, what would you do when all of this over? Would you come back here and try to reclaim this girl?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack let out a long breath as he considered that question. \u201cThe gallant answer would be to say of course not. But I\u2019ve never really been very gallant, have I?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed,\u201d Aneerin said in agreement. \u201cNations have been won and lost over two men who love the same woman, Jack. Your clone would defend his life just as anyone else would. And he would be Ageless, just like you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re certain of that?\u201d Jack asked as a thought came to mind.<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Aneerin answered.<\/p>\n Jack nodded in thought. \u201cSo you know how to make people Ageless?\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin chuckled at the question. \u201cYes. There are certain prerequisites needed for the process to work. And they may not be as random as we allow people to believe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid you know I would become Ageless?\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin smiled. \u201cNo. I did not know<\/em>. But you were on a short list of those I thought would react the way you did. In fact, it would be honest to say that people like you were the reason I had the Treatments designed in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin sighed. \u201cBecause I knew your people would have to have people capable of protecting them when the galaxy came for you all.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack blinked as the revelation sunk in. \u201cYou created an army. On purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot exactly,\u201d Aneerin said with a smile. \u201cMany of the things the Treatments do were already discovered by your own scientists. Super soldiers have inhabited your world for centuries, Jack, but your governments have not shared their processes with the common people. By giving the Treatments to anyone who wanted them, I was leveling the playing field for all of you. I hoped your people would have more time to discover the capabilities buried in your genome. But the Shang did not cooperate.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack shook his head as another fact fell into place. \u201cThey came because of what you did, didn\u2019t they?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Aneerin said. He met Jack\u2019s gaze with a steady look. \u201cHad I never made Contact with your people, had I not aided you in unlocking your genome and given you technology that could send you throughout the galaxy, the Shang would never have attacked you as they did. They believe you are dangerous. They believe you are a threat to the balance of power in the galaxy. And they will do anything to maintain that balance.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou knew this would happen. You knew the Shang would come.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. But I did not believe they would come so quickly. I thought you had more time. I was wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou made Contact with us. You started all of this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. I did.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid you ever bother to ask us if we even wanted this?\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin sighed. \u201cWe have watched you for\u2026millennia, Jack. We have watched your civilizations grow, expand, and fall apart, only to be replaced by new ones from the ashes. We have watched you claw yourselves out of Dark Ages and Golden Ages alike. I can show you the Library of Alexandria in flames. The Mongol armies riding across Asia and Europe in victory. George Washington in battle against Indians and Red Coats. Your own Founding Fathers writing the Declaration of Independence and your Constitution. And I have trolled the depths of every computer network you have ever created. Trust me, Jack. I asked your people what they wanted. Do you know what their answer was?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack sighed in understanding. He knew the answer to that. They wanted power. Just like the Nazis, Islamic States, and Communists had in their times. And that always went badly. But instead Jack said, \u201cCat videos.\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin snorted in amusement. \u201cYou are not far off there, actually.\u201d Then he sobered. \u201cYour people asked for the power to change the galaxy.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack shook his head. \u201cThat could be very bad.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d Aneerin smiled once more. \u201cMost things worth doing can go badly if done wrong. I have spent my life trying to keep them from doing so.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019s that going for you?\u201d Jack felt more of a snarl in that statement than he\u2019d hoped for, and Aneerin seemed to catch up on it.<\/p>\n The man just sighed though. \u201cYou are alive. Your people stand and fight. Matters could be much worse. Trust me. I have seen it.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack snorted and shook his head. \u201cSo what you mean to say is that it isn\u2019t going very well, right?\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes at Jack. \u201cI mean what I say, Jack. And I say what I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExcept when you\u2019re just wanting to trick us into doing something,\u201d Jack shot back with a lifetime worth of annoyance and anger. And now it was magnified by finding out that Aneerin really had been manipulating everybody. \u201cEveryone knows you can\u2019t trust a Peloran to tell you the full<\/em> truth!\u201d<\/p>\n A brief look of\u2026something\u2026passed over the Peloran\u2019s face, but it was gone before Jack could identify it. Then the alien nodded very slowly. \u201cI deserved that. And I apologize. The only defense I will raise is that I have ever sought the betterment of your people.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight,\u201d Jack said sarcastically. \u201cBy turning us into bad copies of Peloran super soldiers to do your will?\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin shook his head. \u201cNo. Your abilities may be similar to that of a Peloran, but you are free up here,\u201d he said while tapping his head. \u201cYou act on your own. You are free to do as you wish. You have no idea how precious that freedom is.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack opened his mouth to say something else that would have felt smart but would have seemed a lot more stupid after some time to reflect on it. \u201cWhy are you telling me this?\u201d he asked instead.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause you must understand that even our best laid plans will sometimes fail,\u201d Aneerin said. He slumped and turned to look back towards the planet below him with a shake of his head. \u201cI never intended for the Shang to attack you. But it is my fault they are here. I made Contact with you. I helped you advance far beyond your capabilities. You have made such great strides in the last century. But you were not quick enough to be able to stand alone against someone like the Shang. I am sorry for that. I am sorry I brought them to you.\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin turned back and Jack saw sorrow in his eyes. \u201cI will do everything in my power to make it right. Even this.\u201d Aneerin sighed and looked towards where Jasmine\u2019s holoform stood. \u201cSo many of your Ageless are on the front lines, using your superior fighting prowess to defend those less capable of fighting. It is admirable. I am\u2026proud that so many of you have chosen to do that. But you are dying. You are dying one by one, and the Shang will not give up until you are gone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d Jack asked in confusion. \u201cIs our free will really that much of a threat to them?\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin sighed long and hard. \u201cYou being similar to the Peloran is a threat, but it is not the one that gave them no choice in their minds. It is the fact that you are too much like the Albion<\/em>.\u201d Aneerin smiled. \u201cOne of your first great projects when you gained the understanding was to uplift your own dogs and cats to human level intelligence. What you did for those races and others was a gift that can never be measured. You created new life and gave it free will. You made them friends, not followers. You didn\u2019t chain them with limitations. Your people just made them and let them go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNothing. Nothing at all,\u201d Aneerin said with a shake of his head. \u201cBut the Albion did the same thing, you know. Many of the strange and unnatural races you have found on other worlds were created by them. They were always curious to learn what one more little change would do. They created new forms of life in an effort to learn more about life and the universe. The Ennead disagreed. Strongly. They said that what the Albion were doing was a threat to the galaxy, to all life, and all civilizations.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack\u2019s jaw fell open as he realized what Aneerin was saying.<\/p>\n Aneerin nodded. \u201cThe Ennead went to war to protect their vision of what the galaxy should look like. Of what life<\/em> should look like. They hunted the Albion down and killed them all.\u201d Then he sighed and looked away again. \u201cBut the Albion did not die alone. They fought to defend their creations with a determination that terrified every civilization in the galaxy. The Ennead did not outlive the Albion.\u201d Aneerin turned back to Jack. \u201cEveryone saw the ruin of that war and we stopped. We have lived in peace for the last two thousand years. It has not been an easy peace, but it has been peace.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUntil now,\u201d Jack said very slowly.<\/p>\n \u201cUntil now,\u201d Aneerin agreed.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Shang were allied with the Ennead, weren\u2019t they?\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin nodded. \u201cThey were.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack pursed his lips. \u201cSo what are we going to do about them?\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin sighed. \u201cWe are going to stop them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cKilling them will do that,\u201d Jack said.<\/p>\n Aneerin shook his head. \u201cI have seen that path already, Jack. I do not wish to see it happen again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen what do we do?\u201d Jack asked in anger.<\/p>\n \u201cPlans are in motion, Jack,\u201d Aneerin said in his calm tone. \u201cMany that you do not know. But this one. This one you have brought me is one I did not consider.\u201d Aneerin gave him a proud smile.<\/p>\n \u201cEven the smartest of us will always have blinders, Jack. And my blinders are some of the greatest,\u201d he explained with a wry look. \u201cBut this I will do, now that I see it. I do not know how it will work. I do not know what the results will be. Are you certain you wish to go through with this, knowing the\u2026uncertainties of it?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack chuckled. \u201cYou\u2019re going to have to do it on someone, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. I will,\u201d Aneerin said with a firm nod.<\/p>\n \u201cThen it might as well be me,\u201d Jack said with arms spread out wide. \u201cIt was my idea after all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack sucked in a deep breath. \u201cSo what do we do first?\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin sighed. \u201cYou just need to go to sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack answered with a confused look.<\/p>\n \u201cSamples like this are best taken when you are in a restful state.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh,\u201d Jack answered with an amused realization. \u201cSo an alien is going to abduct me in my sleep and take samples of my genetics so he can perform strange and exotic experiments on human life forms? How very\u2026classical science fiction of you.\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin smiled at Jack in that way that was so utterly Peloran. Welcoming and yet mysterious. \u201cNo abduction necessary, I assure you. But it is an interesting observation, is it not?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Peloran are a strange lot, or at least the ones that I\u2019ve spent time with. Most are content to sit back and let life pass them by until someone gives them no choice but to fight. 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