Jack's Moonlighting Pt. 02

The sound suppressors on the booths could not compensate for the uproar Jack's confession caused.

Socrates cleared the screen and posted a message on it.

"The Tik have been presented with incontestable evidence that the Yis have breached the Gate contract most grievously. We thereby revoke their Gate access. All Yis in the Gate Network without citizenship on another network world will be sent back to Yis space.

The planet of Schvexxt will also lose its Gate access for its role in the murders of Assembly citizens. All citizens of Schvexxt in the Gate Network without citizenship on another network world will be sent back to Schvexxt space."

Socrates and Plato left the podium and immediately passed through Gates created for them by the Ishilon protectors Jack assigned to return them to Chuururthia. It wasn't safe for the elders to remain on Maghadahn.

Immediately, hundreds of bright and shiny new Tik flooded through the Gates of Maghadahn. Their first task after being instantiated was to guide Yis citizens to the Gate Terminals for their banishment.

The Yis who attempted to harm their guides quickly discovered these Tik were not susceptible to EMP weapons and had strong shields to protect against other forms of attack thanks to Ishilon-designed upgrades.

The Yis were going home but not willingly... at first.

Once the news of the Yis' psychic powers leaked, paranoid panic and rage spread like wildfire amongst the worlds of the Gate Network. The Yis quickly discovered their dirty little secret made them persona non grata on most of the worlds they visited, and many had to flee to the closest Gate Terminal to escape angry mobs. Not all of them were successful, and some resorted to using their psychic abilities to kill their attackers. Video of these events fueled the hysteria and unequivocally confirmed Jack's claim that they could kill with their minds.

The Tik did what they could to rescue the remaining Yis to get them back to their space.

Ambassador Kwua made a telling discovery when his investigation identified the Yis as the lead instigators of the Anti-Tik movement on Maghadahn. Their efforts went back decades, if not centuries. He theorized that one of the Yis' reasons for attempting to discredit the Tik might have been that they were immune to psychic attacks.

It was another nail in the coffin for the Yis and a huge boost for the Tik's popularity.

The Kwua Ambassador was a good friend of the Tik and proved to be a brilliant tactician.

-=-

Yis Ambassador Ayn Norest was eventually discovered hiding in a secret room behind the walls of his office on Maghadahn. A group of Tik working on Ambassador Kwua's Hidden Gate Discovery Project found Norest when their scans discovered his secret back door.

They took the Yis Ambassador into their custody and marched him to the closest Gate Terminal.

Unfortunately, Socrates and Plato arrived at the same Gate with the Ishilon guards Jack assigned to them.

Seeing an opportunity to strike a blow for his people, Norest attempted to take over the mind of an Ishilon Warrior to have her strike down the two Tik Seniors with her deadly spear.

The moment the warrior felt the intrusion in her mind, their implant activated, triggering a defense routine.

Norest watched in terror as the Ishilon pivoted and drove the spear between his eyes.

The moment the danger was over, the Ishilon's control returned, and she gaped in surprise at the Yis dangling from her spearhead.

With every Ishilon warrior's automatic conditioning against the Mahrell Drun, they were also safe from the Yis.

This made the Ishilon very popular as well.

-=-

While the main exodus of Yis was underway, they found holdouts hidden in secret rooms on Maghadahn and tucked away on sympathetic worlds. As the Yis were too paranoid about taking citizenships of any non-Yis worlds, they had no grounds to refuse their repatriation as per the Gate contract. The worlds harboring them would eventually release them when they were notified that interfering with the legal transfer of Yis was a breach of their own Gate contract.

After months of effort, the Tik were confident that all Yis who'd traveled through a Gate had all been located and sent back to their home territory.

Two days after they made this announcement before the Grand Assembly Committee, the Tik operating the five Yis Gates sent simultaneous emergency alerts to Maghadahn, indicating the Terminals were under attack as the Yis attempted to capture them. The lead Tiks in each terminal evacuated their people but stayed behind to destroy the Gate tech. All five buildings melted into the bedrock they rested upon, and the Tik perished in the attack.

A day later, a video message from the Yis was delivered to the Grand Assembly Committee by the Hej Rloo representative, Hej-PepTishPing. They watched it on the big screen. It was an ultimatum stating that any violation of Yis space would be considered an act of war, and the Yis would unleash their fury upon the perpetrators until none lived. Their paranoia was on display.

The Yis on the screen mentioned their capture of their Gate Terminals to ensure Gate travel was also cut off. The Tik knew the terminals were destroyed, not taken, so it was clear the message had been pre-recorded as part of a coordinated event.

Once the recording ended, Socrates and Plato addressed the misinformation regarding the Gates.

-=-

During this time of upheaval in the Assembly, the Rooroovah submitted a petition before the Grand Assembly Committee for a definitive solution for Allsa One. Several races submitted proposals to take over stewardship of the planet and system, but these were immediately rejected. The planet had been in that situation for too long, and this had ended disastrously.

Jack was contacted, and he joined the meeting remotely, his face filling the enormous screen in the chamber. The Rooroovah representative put the question to him.

He didn't appear as exhausted now, but the question instantly brought a frown to his face.

"Why are you still arguing about this? None of you were impacted as greatly by the Allsa Komanae as the Harruushans! Their sun was altered by the very weapon that was almost used to destroy yours! Generations of their people had their lifespans cut short by the poisonous radiation. It's still happening! This is your chance to set that right and protect life! Let the Harruushans colonize the planet! Better yet, sign the system over to the Tik, and they will open the planet to the Harruushans. Do the right thing."

Jack went silent as he faced the representatives of the Assembly.

"Thank you, Ambassador Danner," the Rooroovah said with her musical voice. "I hereby submit the proposal to assign ownership of the Allsa Komanae's system to the Tik, who, to my knowledge, have no system of their own. This vote will be tallied by visible ballot. All in favor, turn on the lights in your booth."

The sheer number of lit booths overwhelmed those which remained dark. There was no mistaking the outcome of this vote.

"Let the record show that the decision, while not unanimous, greatly favored the proposal. We will expedite the steps for assigning ownership of the Allsa Komanae's system to the Tik. They may do with it as they like," the Rooroovah representative said.

Jack nodded and signed off.

He had some Harruushans to tell the good news to.

-=-

The Ishilon wasted no time upgrading their Gates on Callosephia and Ishah, allowing them to move directly between the two worlds. The populace of Callosephia rotated through to visit their new second home. Some would live on Ishah once their numbers had reached sufficient levels on Callosephia to allow for the migration. For now, Ishah was a work in progress as it was still very much in its raw state. Industry would be its main purpose as they had much to do.

Callosephia remained their dream world with its soft sand and breathtaking vistas.

The Tik sent close to a thousand helpers to assist the Ishilon in building their refineries for mining the asteroid belt in the Ishah system, as it became named. Raw materials began to flow into the factories they constructed on the planet's surface. Ishilon workers commuted from their homes on Callosephia to turn those raw materials into the tech they excelled at creating. Gate upgrade components soon began to stockpile in preparation for the Gate Network 2.0 project.

As this was happening, the second Ishilon ship, Ambassador, was under construction in a new space dock the Tik helped build high above Ishah. They were working from plans for Peacekeeper but incorporated the upgrades for the Gate generators.

The Ishilon and Tik were very busy.

-=-

Socrates and Plato were once more center stage presenting to the Grand Assembly Committee a map that demonstrated the new ranges for each existing Gate. Its unveiling stunned the audience. Each member could see how their worlds would immediately benefit, generating enormous interest. Extended-range Gates could reach far more destinations, including the non-upgraded Gates, but if you went to one of those, you most likely weren't getting back the same way. This made them far less desirable as destinations.

The senior Tik presented the offer to sign the Tik's Gate Contract 2.0, spearheaded by a huge consortium of ambassadors led by the Kwua, Rooroovah, and Shriis.

It outlined the need for new, transparent procedures for the administration of the Assembly. This would also mean a simpler, streamlined Assembly, a version 2.0. The largest difference would be more open communication and a complete lack of secrecy. No hidden votes or secret meetings between select members making decisions affecting others. All meetings would have a Tik presence for recording the minutes and ensuring all affected parties were aware of the decisions made.

The Tik weren't eliminating the old contract or the old Assembly rules, but if you didn't sign the new contract, you wouldn't be able to participate in the Grand Assembly Committee meetings for Gate Contract 2.0 members. Nor would you benefit from the new opportunities upgraded Gates would deliver. The Tik's rules were the same but expressed as Jack had suggested. Be a good neighbor, and the benefits would be multiple. Harm your neighbor intentionally in clearly defined ways and kiss your Gates goodbye. The loss of these extended Gates would hurt far more than before.

Members who signed the new contract could continue to deal with those who hadn't, but they could not expect the new higher level of protection.

As Jack originally said, after the Tik offer was made, there was no vote to accept it. Each Race wishing to join simply had to formally request a signing ceremony to be performed in their capital city where the original contract was signed.

As expected, the Tik received a flurry of formal requests in the following days.

The Tik were going to be exceptionally busy.

-=-

In the months after the Yis' assault, Elissa and Eve assisted with Jack's recuperation. Once he was able to sleep through the night without night terrors, he gradually returned to his usual upbeat behavior. He attributed this recovery to the fact that he was a goofball and couldn't maintain a serious attitude for any great length of time. It just wasn't in him.

He spent most of his time on Chuuruthia, with the occasional brief trips to Altaria, Callosephia, Ishah, and Chrystan to spend time with Ellisa, Sahhahr, and Tanz. His family was delighted to have him at home and healing.

Cha'Risa and her team continued to act as his informal security detail. They explained that they had no other pressing duties, but he wasn't convinced they weren't just feeling guilty for failing to protect him from the Yis. He certainly didn't hold them accountable for that and had expressed as much.

Still, Jack enjoyed having their company. Especially when everyone came to his place for parties. Leo's girlfriend Meagan was delighted to bring her band to put on a show for everyone, and the band was especially happy when Jack told them they were getting triple their going rate and a delicious meal as well. Meagan tried to refuse the offer but was quickly hushed by her very happy musicians, roadies, and security detail.

Dann and Juul let him know that the migration of Harruushans from their world to Haven, as the Tik renamed Allsa One, was underway. The new world was everything they hoped for.

Jack invited Brigg to join them for one of his parties when he learned the big Ishilon had been rotated back to Callosephia. He was thrilled at receiving the invite and even more delighted when he saw Cha'Risa was there. Her happy expression when she spotted him told Jack he'd done a good thing.

Sometime during the evening, the couple disappeared and wasn't seen until the next morning at breakfast. Everyone wore smiles that day.

During a visit with Tanz, Jack learned they'd discovered where the missing tub of brown ice cream went. Seventeen new pregnancies were registered in Boon Falls the day after his visit with the Red Bean Ice Cream (which had since become the number one flavor on Chrystan).

Apparently, Botany Ice Cream didn't go stale though it did form an ice crust. Tyg and Lyn asked Jack to ensure the brown ice cream was never sent to Chrystan as it was too dangerous.

He also learned that Tyg's widowed uncle was marrying again. This time to Neri, the sister of the South View resort owner. Tyg was getting a new cousin, too!

Jack sent his best wishes to the new couple.

While at home on Chuuruthia, Jack dedicated much time to teaching Bayly everything he knew about the general practices of being an ambassador. He also gave her specific details about the different races he'd worked with in the Assembly and how he'd adapted his skills to learn how to be an ambassador with each of them. She was an excellent student, and this kept his promise to Mara.

During their sessions, Bayly noted that his emotions were much easier to pick up than before he was assaulted by the Yis. He wasn't sure how to feel about that. He wondered if he should have Jinnae run some additional tests.

Rikki contacted Malena, the xenobiology student on Maghadahn, and arranged for her and some friends to visit Jack on Chuuruthia. She arrived with Freeda, Kerra, and Sooka, as they'd never been to Chuuruthia either.

Jack spent the day answering questions, and Rikki made a few scans of Jack for her. He suggested she contact Jinnae on Altaria to see if the doctor might be willing to share some of the data she'd gathered over the years.

He did ask her not to divulge any personal and private information about his loved ones for their protection. Malena fully understood and promised not to publish such information.

Maxim was thrilled to see Freeda, and they quickly found somewhere else to be.

Sooka and Bayly spent hours talking on the patio. The Krreegah was fascinated to learn about the Rakka, the Dannt's reactions to them, and how Bayly controlled her instinctive reactions around her. As xenopsychology was her field of study, she was excited about doing a research paper on this. She asked if Bayly thought she might be allowed to come to Danat to do some fieldwork to gather more data. She also wanted to learn how the Krreegah regressed and collect eyewitness accounts of the Rakka's behavior.

When Sooka learned Bayly was returning home, she asked if she could join her. If the Queen said she wasn't welcome on the planet, Sooka could take a Gate back to her world to do research from there.

Bayly was hesitant to make any promises as this sounded like something Queen Mara would have to agree to. She asked Jack to send the question to Mara through his Tik friends.

Jack suggested she request an interview with CamCam and Ulooru as they had recordings of the feral Krreegah on the downed spacecraft, which they used as their nest before its destruction.

Days later, Jack received a response from Mara stating Sooka could visit, but she must always have a pair of Dannt guides with her to ensure her people weren't traumatized.

Bayly passed that message along to Sooka, who was thrilled and excited to begin. Bayly let her new Krreegah friend know she would contact her when it was time.

-=-

Jack was with Elissa when their daughter, Amelia, was born. She was named in honor of Jack's aunt. He'd never met his mother's sister or any of his limited extended family, but his mom had spoken of Amelia when he was young, and his new daughter was also fair and brought her to his mind. Her fur was a light cream color with tan accents, and she was born smiling!

SennLann's pregnancy was serene, and the birth of the twin girls happened in the hospital this time, not on an apartment balcony. Jinnae was thrilled to capture every moment. Adina and Zaina were present to see their sisters born and were given the honor of choosing their names. They selected Callista and Nefertiti. Jack was the first to note the infants seemed to be sharing their perceptions as their older sisters did. He ensured they shared an incubator and remained calm and healthy.

Sahhahr's eggs hatched on Ishah after incubating in the hot rough sand for the expected time. The infants surprised their mother with the red tones in their scales. The chemical makeup of the planet's sand shifted the tone of their coloration from blue-green to violet-red. Very distinctive! They were all healthy, and Sahhahr was delighted with Jack for her new brood. It was very time-consuming to raise twenty-four newborn Ishilon, but she had a lot of help! Jack got to bond with them from day one, but even he felt overwhelmed by the sheer number.

-=-

Jack noted that over this period of celebrating new life, Rikki was beginning to pull back and become quieter. It was not overly chatty to begin with, but something seemed to be on its mind that was making it uncomfortable. Finally, Jack could wait no longer and took Rikki for a little walk across the valley to visit the rebuilt cottage on the opposite hillside one late afternoon.

He sat under a huge tree and pointed in front of him so Rikki would move into view.

"Something is on your mind, Rikki. I can tell it's upsetting you, and I need you to share it," Jack said gently.

Rikki was quiet for a moment. "I hadn't realized I was exhibiting any signs of this."

Jack smiled and nodded. "I'll admit I can be as oblivious to the signs as the next guy when it comes to picking up clues from the behavior of others, especially with how busy we've been over the past months, but looking back over that time, I can see a pattern. You're distancing yourself. Why?"

Rikki sighed as it seemed almost relieved.

"I was trying to prepare myself for when Hemmarr resolved the issue with the sensory harness. When a drone has sufficient bandwidth to sustain a permanent disconnect from your collar. When I'm not connected to you anymore," it finished quietly.

Jack looked at Rikki cautiously. "Is... is this something you want? Do you want to leave?"

"I-I didn't say that, but we both knew this wasn't supposed to be permanent. We weren't supposed to be chained together forever," Rikki said.

"Ah, I see," Jack said quietly. "I didn't know that's how you felt."

"I felt?" Rikki asked.

Jack dipped his face. "I know I can be a clown sometimes, and I'm too reckless. I tend to leap in with both feet when a more cautious approach would be smarter. I also seem to be a gravity sink for trouble. I never meant to drag you into danger, and I'm so sorry about Paris and Allsa Komanae—"

"Jack! Why are you apologizing?" Rikki exclaimed in confusion.

It was Jack's turn to be confused, and he looked at the Tik closely. "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have been forced to sacrifice yourself... twice!" Jack returned. "I understand why you're looking for a gentle way to say you want to leave!"