Sheffali's Caravan

Zell stepped up to the Borrelian guard manning the Gate Pass validation terminal.

He offered the pass and his fake ID and got a frown from the guard as he accepted them. The male's eyes scanned his face covering suspiciously.

"Take off the mask," he growled.

Zell was ready for this. He slipped another note to the man. This one explained his reason for traveling to a more advanced planet for a surgical treatment to remove the fungal growth from his face.

After reading the note, disgusted and frightened eyes snapped up to see Zell peeling back a corner of his mask to see the wet growth stuck to his cheek.

"STOP! Close that up!" the guard barked as he shoved the pass, ID, and the note back across the counter. He waved Zell through the checkpoint, then immediately closed his lane and rushed away. No doubt to scrub imaginary fungal spores from his skin.

Zell continued on at a calm pace. The large white building was just ahead, and he avoided further attention as he stepped inside, plucking the In Transit badge from his robe and tucking it into a pocket. It drew too much attention and the wrong kind.

What a traveler was supposed to do once inside was head directly to the row of Customs agents to register his travel plan. This was meaningless on Hessani as this Gate only went to the primary planet in the second Borrelian system, Gibral.

Instead, he stepped to the right and walked down a long corridor to another doorway, which led into a vast chamber. There were three lanes with carts queued on them, waiting their turn. Each row led to a large... mirror?

Carts were being rolled toward these mirrors, and silver cylinders shone a green light over the approaching cargo conveyor. He assumed this was some kind of scan to confirm the contents? The carts then rolled up to the mirrors... and went through! These were Gates!

To the left of the three cargo Gates was a podium, which another silver cylinder hovered next to. Two silver tentacles extended from the cylinder to touch the podium. Three Borrelian citizens stood before the podium, speaking to the... Tik! This was a Tik! Julla said they were mechanical, but even she'd never seen one in person either.

He marched up to the podium, ignoring the three high caste citizens' outraged noises at his interruption.

"You have no right to be here! Get out, you low caste scum!" one finally had the nerve to shout.

Zell pushed back his cowl and face mask to glare at the three merchants. They shrieked in fear and ran for the exit. Peeling from his face the piece of sandwich meat he'd picked up on the spaceship, Zell turned back to the Tik and began his rehearsed plea, speaking in Borrelian as the Tik obviously knew how to converse in that language.

"My name is Zell Saah Henn. I'm a member of a race called the Ush. Our worlds are in a neighboring system. My people are being murdered in a covert war launched by the Borrelian Rulers to take over our habitable planets so they may expand and push their less desirable citizens further from Borrelia. I-I don't know how many of my people remain. I'm asking for Sanctuary."

Noises from the hall announced the arrival of guards who immediately opened fire on Zell or tried to. The bullets stopped a short distance from the barrels, then the soldiers crashed into an invisible wall and fell into a struggling pile. More soldiers entered and discovered they couldn't move into the room, and their weapons were useless against the unseen barrier.

A gentle tentacle landed on Zell's shoulder, and he looked back to the Tik. A green light scanned over his body, and he felt a slight tingle. "Hello. My name is 433002. I operate the Hessani Gate Terminal." It gestured to the other Tik who'd been scanning the shipments. Zell saw them all stop, and the wagons that hadn't yet made it to the mirrors stopped and moved back to leave a gap.

The three additional Tik joined them before the podium.

433002 addressed the others. "This is Zell Saah Henn. He's an Ush. There is no reference to his race in our records. He's made a claim that the Borrelians are causing the extinction of his people. We must shut down the terminal until an investigation can begin. We will take him with us."

"Genocide! We must hurry!" one of the three Tik said urgently.

"We will pass the word!" another said.

Then the three flew through the closest Gate and were gone.

433002 touched the podium again and turned to Zell. "This Gate Terminal will shut down for cargo. Personal Gates will only operate for Non-Borrelian wishing to leave Borrelian space. This will begin once we've stepped through to Gibral." It pointed to the Gate.

Zell walked up to the mirror and looked back at the Tik, which tipped forward in a nodding gesture. Stepping forward, Zell felt a slight tingle, then heard panicked shouting. He turned to see a dozen soldiers pushing at another invisible barrier. Behind them were other citizens yelling in fear and anger.

He wondered if the three merchants he'd met on Hessani had gone through the Personal Gates to Gibral and Borrelia to sound the warning.

This terminal was slightly larger than Hessani's. The Tik operating the podium for this cargo area joined 433002.

"I am Galaga. I operate the Gibral Gate Terminal. I've been informed of the Genocide claim. I will join you to Borrelia, and this Cargo Gate terminal will shut down, with Personal Gate travel only for non-Borrelians wishing to leave Borrelian space."

Zell looked at 433002 with interest. "Your name sounds like a number, and his does not. How do the Tik name themselves?"

Galaga made an amused sound. "We all begin with a number. We are offered alternate names by those we encounter during significant moments in our lives." It gestured to the Gate.

They moved through the mirror once more. The noise here was much louder as there seemed to be a minor war being fought outside the building. The Borrelian military was moving quickly.

The Tik operating the Borrelian Cargo Terminal left its podium and joined them.

"Hello, I'm Rex Maximus. I have been informed of the Genocide claim. I will join you to Churruthia, and this Cargo Gate terminal will be shut down. Personal Gate travel will only be available for non-Borrelians wishing to leave Borrelian space."

Zell noted this cargo terminal was vast compared to the others. Far more goods were coming into Borrelia than the other planets. This demonstrated a definite inequality. With a gesture from the latest Tik in their group, Zell stepped through the mirror surface once more.

Flowers. He smelled the most delightful flowers! The breeze was cool and refreshing as well.

The Tik joined him, and Zell looked closer to identify which one had saved him. Rex Maximus had a few lines painted on its... torso. Galaga had a patch with rows of odd geometric shapes painted on it. 433002 was free of any such decoration. "I-I would like to offer you a name," Zell said to it.

"I would be honored," it responded.

"Sah-Hah-Lah Fae."

"That has a lovely sound," the Tik replied and sounded pleased.

"It means Gentle Savior in the Ush language," Zell continued as he tried to control his emotions, which were beginning to swell. The three Tik made appreciative sounds at 433002's new name and its meaning.

"I believe the flowers may be affecting our new friend adversely," Galaga suggested.

The Tik guided the emotional Ush to the custom's agent, and the lovely being there immediately handed Zell a white cloth pouch.

"Breathe through the fabric," Rex suggested.

Zell held the packet to his nose and inhaled deeply. Soon he felt the wave of emotions calming.

He smiled and nodded to the... female. "Thank you."

She nodded with a smile. "Yours was the strongest reaction I've seen to the Chella Orchids." The console she stood behind was translating their languages for them.

"My emotions seemed to be amplified," he admitted.

"Our apologies. Usually, it gives a mild sensation of peace and happiness. The herbs will help. Could you place your hand on the reader?" she asked.

He did as directed, and she watched the screen.

"Ah, a new race! We have no record of your race at all!" she exclaimed happily.

"I am Ush. Perhaps one of the last," Zell told her, a feeling of profound sadness sweeping over him. He breathed through the herbs once again. The female agent gave him a sympathetic look. He turned to Sah-Hah-Lah Fae as he remained conscious of the danger for his people. "What do we do next?"

The three Tik brought him outside the building and gestured for him to join them in some kind of flying sled. Soon they were sitting on the benches inside, Sah-Hah-Lah Fae next to him, Galaga, and Rex across from them. The sled rose and raced away across the sky. Zell watched the changing scenery with amazement. To travel so fast was extraordinary! A gentle tap on his leg brought his dazed attention back to the Tik next to him.

"We must speak with the Tik Elders. They will present the charges to the Maghadahn Assembly. We must gather as much information on your people as we can as quickly as we can. This will solidify your claim. Then we can act," the Tik replied, and the others nodded.

Zell suddenly realized he had the information they needed. He pulled the Book of the Ush from his pocket. "I have a record of my people, their culture, history, everything that is us. Every Ush carries one of these. This one belonged to my mother."

Sah-Hah-Lah Fae made an excited sound. "That is perfect! It will expedite the process so much! May I have the honor of reading it?"

Zell handed the precious book to the Tik, who made a gesture, and a table rose between the benches. It placed the book down on the table and began flipping through the pages. This went faster and faster until he reached the last page and gently closed the book. The Tik handed it back to Zell, then projected the pages upon the surface of the table. "If you read the text so I can get the sounds of the characters, I will make a record of your language. I will let you know when I have recorded a sufficient amount."

Zell looked at the text on the tabletop and read it. The Tik advanced the pages, and Zell continued to read it in Ush.

The projection stopped. "I believe I have captured all the variant sounds for the language, or at least enough to begin. As you speak Borrelian, are you able to translate the pages into that language?

Zell recalled the many nights he's spent with Lorrenz and Lissan doing exactly that. His emotions swelled again, but he nodded.

Once more, the first page was projected, and Zell read it in Borrelian. He had to go further as there were some non-translatable terms, and the Tik needed more overlapping language. Finally, Sah-Hah-Lah, stopped its projection, satisfied.

Rex had obviously read the book when Sah-Hah-Lah Fae did. "There are coordinates in the final pages of the book!" It projected its findings on the table's top.

Galaga picked up the thread. "Working from this, we can pinpoint the location of your planetary system and send a Tik delegation to confirm the state of your people!"

"The Borrelian Military will be there trying to eradicate all remaining Ush," Zell reminded them.

Sah-Hah-Lah Fae touched his hand. "Not if they want Borrelia to be connected to the Gate Network once more. While we cannot interfere with the cultural development of the Gate Network members, carrying out genocide against another race allows us to deny the instigator access to Gates."

For the first time since the Commander asked him to save his people, it felt like he might actually have a chance at achieving that overly ambitious goal.

Epilogue

Lorrenz and Lissan watched the waves crash against the shore as they sat in a beautiful seashore restaurant patio in Washtan. As they'd never had the contacts or contracts to visit before, this was their first visit to the west coast city, but it wouldn't be their last. The delicious food and drinks lavished on them by the city officials was yet another reward for achieving what no other merchant had been brave enough to do: breaking through the blockade of an army of bandits to bring them the desperately needed delivery of medicine, mail, plus an abundance of trade goods. Arriving with the single largest caravan to reach the city gates definitely impressed the local merchants and government officials. They were eager to sign contracts for future visits. Too bad for the trading houses who'd hoarded all the prime contracts in the past. They could enjoy their continued stranglehold over the southern market... for now.

They'd already paid for this trip twice over on the deliveries so far. They still had to travel up and down the coast to make their remaining deliveries and trades for the goods they still had in the wagons. With so much space in their caravan, Lorrenz was definitely going to continue running with ten wagons.

Lissan would invite Stron and Illia to join their family as the Sheffalis needed the help, but they had to be family.

This trip, plus the inheritance of the Krattos and Sprell estates, would leapfrog the Sheffali Trading House into the top five on Llevven. That increased wealth was going back into the business for practical, non-extravagant purposes.

They'd be expanding their homestead into the neighboring properties in Mnemmesh, increasing the size of all of their assets: larger Druug facilities, larger warehouses, larger administration offices, and larger housing for their growing family. Bonna and her three daughters would also join them.

Speaking of daughters, Lorrenz would no longer bow to social convention. The Sheffali females would no longer be forced to leave the family to get married. If they found a suitable mate willing to work hard in the family business, they could stay. As the Commander was shaking up society, he and Lissan were ready to do their own shaking.

Coming back to the present, Lorrenz shared a smile with his wife as they'd thoroughly enjoyed their meals and the scenery. The grateful but tiring politicians had finally left, and the couple had just finished their tea. It was time to return to their family at the caravan.

Sharing a look as they walked out of the restaurant, they both felt a deep satisfaction for what they'd achieved, but it was still tinged with loss. Their first child wasn't there to share in their success. While they both missed Zell terribly, they pushed that back as they knew he had a much grander mission ahead of him. It had only been seven days since he left. If he would ever return was an unknown, they had to be realistic that the odds were not good.

While Washtan's city guard was less corrupt than those found in the larger capital city of Mnemmesh, the Sheffali caravan leaders had two of the Commander's people with them to ensure they got back to the caravan unscathed. Not that they couldn't take care of themselves.

The only space large enough to house their new double-sized caravan was at the city's northeast corner in the infrequently used fairgrounds.

As their rented four-seat wagon approached the large semi-circle of wagons, they could see their family members all gathered in a group.

Something shiny in their midst was catching the last rays of the sunlight brilliantly.

Lorrenz and Lissan were out of the wagon and running forward before it came to a stop. Family members saw them coming and parted with grins on their faces. In the middle was Zell! And a shiny hovering cylinder with silver tentacles! They rushed up to hug their son as soon as Noola gave them some room with a grin of her own.

"I thought you were going to save your people!" Lorrenz exclaimed.

"The Sheffalis are my people," Zell said with a smile.

Lorrenz was struck speechless until Zell grinned at his father.

"How long did you think that challenge would take, Father?" Zell asked.

"I think you are teasing him, yes?" the silver device asked.

Zell nodded to it with a wide smile. "Family, let me introduce you to Sah-Hah-Lah Fae. It's a Tik, a member of a most wonderful race. It saved my life and helped me bring the message of my people's genocide to the attention of those who could make the Borrelian Rulers stop."

"Its name is Gentle Savior, and it saved your life?" Lorrenz asked in wonder.

"Zell graciously gave me this name after we brought him to Chuuruthia," the Tik answered.

Zell made the introductions for each member of his adopted family for the Tik.

"I still don't understand why you aren't out there doing what you need to do to save your people," Lorrenz said.

Zell shook his head gently. "I am not the one to speak for the Ush, but my friends the Tik found survivors on the Ush homeworld who could do that task much better than me. My role was to make the Tik aware of the genocide of the Ush. To let them know who we are and that we needed their help. With the Commander's help, I achieved this. The Tik got approval from the Assembly, the races of the Gate Network, to rescue some of my people from the Ush homeworld and bring them back to speak on their own behalf as they've lived through the attempted genocide. The Assembly then issued an ultimatum to the Borrelian Rulers to stop their war or be forever banned from the Network. They will not risk this."

He smiled at Noola. "This also meant I could keep my promise much earlier than expected."

She leaped into his arms and kissed him again.

When Noola finally released him, his parents still had questions. "How did you get here? Will you be staying?" Lorrenz asked.

"He stepped out of a mirror that suddenly appeared next to the Tik who flew down from the sky!" Noola exclaimed excitedly.

Sah-Hah-Lah Fae answered. "I flew down from the upper atmosphere where the Blade of Reason, a ship we used to bring Zell here, was positioned. The mirror you saw was a small Gate that Zell used to step from the ship to the ground. The ship has already left."

Zell nodded to the Tik, then looked to Lorrenz. "Yes, Father, I'm home. That said, are you heading north or south? Where will I meet you on the trail? I cannot remain in the city as too many still fear my race. The lies taught by the Borrelian Rulers about the Ush are still strongly held beliefs. Sah-Hah-Lah Fae will remain with the caravan to document the lives of the Sheffalis. It can contact me at any time with a small device it gave me that allows me to communicate with it and you if you are next to it."

Lorrenz and Lissan were smiling widely at the joy of having their first son back with them. "We'll head north in a day or two, depending on the contracts we're working out for the journey back. It's wonderful to have you back!"

The father looked at the six soldiers. "I suppose this means you're free to return to your Commander's side. I believe you will be a greater asset to her as she'll need your help with getting Mnemmesh back under control."

The soldiers nodded, eager to get back to Gorresh. "We'll head back when you leave the city," one informed them.

Zell spoke up. "Commander Gorresh is currently on Zhirra addressing the soldiers of the fleet. They couldn't refuse her as she still holds the rank of Fleet Commander and is a hero to the people. She told me she'll expose the Borrelian Rulers' genocide plot and how they've been manipulating the people. She'll tell the soldiers how they and their families would have been affected by the planned caste-based migration. She's going to let them know how the Borrelian people have been lied to and denied access to a better life. Most of the officers are in the higher castes, but few believe the caste system has merit. The few officers who do believe in it are vastly outnumbered. There will be interesting days ahead for the Borrelian fleet."

The family crowded in around Zell once more to give him more hugs. Everyone was delighted to have him back with them.