RUIN

Excerpt

Shedao Shai spun on his heel before the harsh, hoarse scream had a
chance to echo down the street. A ragged human slave, flesh coated with
dust, beard patchy and unkempt, broke form the work detail and rushed at
him. The slave's eyes blazed past the nubbins of the coral growths on
his cheeks, and he raised a piece of duracrete debris to smash the
Yuuzhan Vong leader down.

Two younger warriors belatedly moved to intercept the assassin, but
Shedao's sharply barked warning held them back. Clad in vonduun crab
armor, with his rank baton, the tsaisi, coiled about his right forearm,
the Yuuzhan Vong leader had little fear of injury. He flowed forward,
keeping his center of gravity low, then came up, catching the slave's
throat in his right hand. He lifted the man effortlessly, then battered
the debris aside with his left hand.

The slave grabbed Shedao's right wrist. His eyes widened as the tsaisi
hissed and rose up, ready to strike. The human's lips peeled back in a
feral snarl, then he looked into Shedao's eyes defiantly. Unable to
speak because of the hand crushing his throat, the man nodded, once,
sharply, as if to demand death from the Yuuzhan Vong leader.

Shedao's thumb pressed up along the man's jaw, slipping past the curve
of the bone, touching the skull right behind his ear. The two combatants
watched each other, both knowing that with a simple increase of pressure
Shedao Shai would pop the man's skull free of his spine, killing him.
The man, with spittle flecking his lips and beginning to ooze down into
the Yuuzhan Vong's gauntlet, nodded again, daring Shedao to kill him.

The Yuuzhan Vong commander shook his head once, then cast the man
forward the two warriors who were overseeing the work group. "Take this
one to the priests. Have them prepare him. If he survives, he will be of
use."

The two warriors each grabbed an arm and bowed respectfully, tugging the
man back down the street.

Shedao Shai allowed them to get ten paces away, then added, "And while
there, ask the priests for a regimen of contemplation for warriors who
are slothful."

The warriors bowed again and set off, but at a pace noticeably quicker
than before.

Deign Lian, his direct subordinate, resumed his place a half pace behind
Shedao, at his left hand. "Was that wise, my leader?"

"Easily as wise as your questioning my judgment, here, in the streets."
Shedao Shai was pleased that his face mask hid the crooked smile born of
Deign's flinching at that remark. "The warriors will return chastened,
enlightened, and more dedicated to their duty."

"It was not that, Commander, but sending the man off with them. He
attempted to murder you. The other slaves will see his survival and
exaltation as a license to try to kill you again."

Shedao Shai continued his tour down the broad Drubrillion street in
silence, knowing his lack of an answer would weigh more heavily on his
aide than any rebuke. The destruction caused by the conquest of
Dubrillion had not been overwhelming. Much of the cityscape was
recognizable, and the work details were making much headway in clearing
debris. Soon the slaves would be trained in how to use gricha to repair
minor damage, and gragricha would be brought in to produce proper
Yuuzhan Vong buildings.

"I believe, Deign Domain Lian, you are looking past the obvious to
explore a realm we may never approach. Your question presumes the slave
will survive inculcation. We do not know this. Yes, I chose him because
he had spirit. He didn't shy from pain. More importantly, he wanted me
to kill him. He had embraced his insignificance, which means our
inculcation can give him new significance. He is a vessel ready to be
filled with the truth of the universe. If he can contain what he learns,
he will be of great use to us."

"This I understand, Commander Shedao Domain Shai." Deign bowed his head
as he spoke.

His using Shedao's full, formal title--aping Shedao's
formality--acknowledged his subordinate status. Shedao knew this
acknowledgment was halfhearted at best. Domain Lian wished for a return
to its former days of glory, and Deign was its best chance for such a
return. In his aide Shedao had a feral amphistaff clutched to his
breast, and he knew he would feel the sting of its bite when he could
least afford it.

"Perhaps then what you do not understand is that despite the work of our
agents like Nom Anor, we do not know our foe well at all. This New
Republic is curious in how it approaches warfare."

"They are cowards at heart, my leader."

"To make that judgment so coldly, Deign Lian, is to deny that we have
much to learn." Shedao glanced left, catching a spark of hatred in his
aide's eyes. "Enlightenment is always useful, and we need more, much
more, concerning these people."

Shedao Shai ignored Deign's fatuous mouthings about his wisdom. The New
Republic and its response to the Yuuzhan Vong invasion had him puzzled.
Nom Anor had provided a succinct political analysis of the situation
within the New Republic, which is why they had chosen the invasion
corridor they did. They hit the New Republic at a point where it was
weakest, along a line joining it to the Imperial Remnant. That was pure
military strategy: any force is weakest where two commands meet. The
Remnant had not reacted and attacked the flank, which freed up units
Shedao had held against that possibility.

The New Republic still had not struck back, and this puzzled Shedao
Shai. He did know of the galactic civil war, and it did strike him as
possible that some peoples would not want to see a return to a conflict.
Still, the actions of the slave showed that these people were capable of
martial conduct. A total acquiescence to the invasion did not seem to be
a rational response, which led him to suspect deception.

He was willing to admit, as well, that of the worlds taken, only
Dubrillion had true significance. The others had been sparsely populated
and largely undeveloped, so their losses would be insignificant to the
galaxy. Garqi, to which he had sent Krag Val to oversee occupation and
transformation, did produce a lot of foodstuffs, but its loss could
easily be compensated for since many of its products were geared for
consumption by the elite, not the masses.


In their military engagement, the New Republic forces had fought a
series of rearguard actions. Shedao Shai refused to acknowledge their
destruction of the Yuuzhan Vong base at Helska 4, because that had been
a Praetorite Vong operation. When politicians seek to play at being
warriors, one must anticipate disaster. He glanced again at Deign. The
reverse can also be very bad.

Shedao Shai found his foes admirable, after a fashion. That they were
corrupt and weak was not in doubt. Their reliance on abominable
mechanicals pointed out their moral decay, but the facility with which
they employed their tools did impress hi. The military response to
initial encounters with Yuuzhan Vong biotechnology had neutralized the
invaders' advantages, leaving their starfighters on even terms.

The land battle on Dantooine had likewise shown how formidable the New
Republic's personnel could be. When Shedao Shai reviewed a report
listing the casualties among two training cadres of warriors in pursuit
of a pair of refugees, he felt his belly begin to tighten. Given that
the two being chased were jeedai, some casualties were to be expected,
but the escape of the quarry was not. Domain Lian lost four warrior in
that escapade, which only partially dulled the sting of Domain Shai's
losing two warriors to a jeedai on Bimmiel.

In his grudging admiration for the enemy, Shedao Shai wondered if their
reluctance to attack centered around the same problem he was having:
that the New Republic did not know enough about the Yuuzhan Vong to be
able to formulate a solid strategy. If they need more intelligence, we
will have insertions of forces on conquered worlds. They investigated
Belkadan and likely know we have been producing coralskippers there.
What else they gleaned from there I cannot imagine, but I shall have to
assume they know all.

Shedao Shai mounted the steps to the building in which he had situated
his office. The building both irritated and soothed him. The irritation
came from the predominance of straight lines, hard edges, and exposed
piping, all of which had been described to him with the vulgarity
industrial. The building was no more elegant than a big stone box, and
the uniform shade of gray it had been painted did little to enhance it.

The reason he chose it as his headquarters, however, was because of the
purpose to which it had been put. The building had been the Dubrillion
Aquarium and was filled with scores of transparisteel tanks teeming with
sea life from Dubrillion and other worlds. A central column filled with
water dominated the building's heart, and through it swam a rainbow riot
of fish, including huge emerald sharks.

Shedao Shai did not acknowledge the guards at the doors as he swept into
the building. He mounted the stairs to the right, then cut back to the
left, to the central chamber. Fish swirled in a lazy cyclone through the
column and eclipsed three figures whose outlines were distorted by the
water. The two taller figures were his own people, but the golden
pyramid between them intrigued him.

He circled through the chamber to the right and saw seated on the floor
a long-limbed creature covered in golden down. The creature's long legs
were crossed, his hands folded into his lap and his spine straight along
the duracrete wall at his back. Purple striping flowed back from the
corners of his eyes and over his shoulders. He wore a simple purple
loincloth, gathered with a gold cord.

When Shedao Shai moved into view, the individual rose to his feet
without touching his hands to the ground. The guards were a heartbeat
late in restraining him, clearly not having anticipated his action. He
has lulled them into carelessness, which marks the placidity with which
he allowed himself to be borne here. By the same token, the supple
strength in his body and the ease with which he slipped his shoulders
from beneath the guards' hands marked him a s a potentially dangerous
enemy.

The Yuuzhan Vong commander halved the distance between them with two
long strides. "I am Commander Shedao Domain Shai." He spoke first in his
own tongue, then repeated his introduction in the halting, clicky tongue
native to the galaxy.

The creature blinked his big violet eyes. He spoke slowly but strongly,
allowing Shedao to capture his words easily. "I am Senator Elegos A'Kla
of the new Republic." He bowed his head for a moment. "I apologize for
not having mastered your tongue."

Shedao looked at the two guards flanking Elegos. "You are dismissed."

Deign looked at him. "Commander?"

Shedao spoke in the New Republic's tongue. "I have nothing to fear from
you, Elegos?"

The Caamasi opened his three-fingered hands and displayed them as empty.
"My mission here is not one of violence."

The Yuuzahan Vong leader nodded slowly. He does not say that I should
not fear him, but just should not fear violence at his hands. It is a
difference that Deign has missed entirely. "You see, Deign?"

"Yes, my leader." The subordinate bowed. "I shall leave you."

"Wait." Shedao reached up and stroked the vonduun crab making up his
helmet and face mask. The creature relaxed, allowing him to slip the
helmet off, baring his head and face. Shedao shook his head, freeing his
black mane and spraying sweat onto Deign's armor.

He handed his aide his helmet. Even though Deign's face lay hiding
behind a mask, there was no disguising his shock at seeing his leader
show his naked face to the enemy. "You will take this to my
contemplation chamber, then return with refreshments. You will hurry."

"Yes, Commander." Disbelief and disgust threaded through his words.
Deign bowed deeply, then backed away until the fish-filled cylinder
shielded him from Shedao's gaze.

The Yuuzhan Vong leader returned his attention to Elegos. He watched him
for a moment, slowly organizing the words of his enemy's tongue. "I was
told you appeared in a small ship at the edge of this system. You used a
villip to request transport here on one of our ships. Why?"

Elegos blinked once. "It is believed you see machines as abominations. I
wished to offer no offense."

"Your respect of our sensibilities is appreciated." Shedao Shai stepped
toward the cylinder. He stripped off his left gauntlet and pressed his
hand to the transparisteel. The warmth of the water slowly filtered into
his flesh. "Your mission here is?"

"One to promote understanding. One to see if the course our peoples are
on now is the only course possible, or if we might plot another one,
together." The Caamasi pressed his hands together. "I was at Dantooine.
I would not see that happen again."

"And I reviewed the aftermath of Dantooine. I was also at the place
known to you as Bimmiel." Shedao's dark eyes hardened. "There is much
that separates our people. Much that would speak against any peace
between us."

"Perhaps our ignorance of each other's nature and ways is what makes it
appear that we are falling into a black hole of conflict." Elegos lifted
his chin, exposing his slender throat. "I would enlighten you and learn
from you."

Shedao smiled and caught the reflection of his twisted visage in the
transparisteel. "Do you know what you ask, what you suggest?"

"In your mind, apparently not."

The Yuuzhan Vong gestured toward Elegos with his right hand. The tsaisi
slithered down into his grasp, then stiffened into a blade the length of
Shedao's forearm. "You know that I could kill you at my whim. Praise
would be heaped upon me for slaying you, for you traffic in
abominations. To some of us, there is no redemption for your kind."

Elegos bowed his head. "Already I learn. And, yes, I knew my life could
be forfeit in coming here. This did not deter me."

"A commitment to mission above the preservation of self--this I
understand. This I respect." Shedao spun the baton in his hand, then
flicked it back so it slapped against his forearm. The tsaisi flexed,
then coiled around his vonduun bracer. "What you are willing to teach me
will contain no tactical information that would be of use."

"I am not a tactician, nor am I privy to their counsels." Elegos
regarded him closely. "What I would learn from you would likewise be
useless."

"No, and this is another place we agree."

Shedao Shai nodded slowly. "I will place you under my protection. I will
teach you. I will learn from you. We will understand each other."

"And find a new path to bring our people together?"

"Perhaps. You will know if this is possible when you know us better."

Elegos clasped his hands together at the small of his back. "I am
prepared to learn."

"Good." Shedao Shai nodded once. "Your lessons will begin now. Follow
me. To understand us, there is but one place to start. I will introduce
you to the Embrace of Pain."

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