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No Need for Protoculture: The Sentinels
by Andrew Wilson

Chapter 7: Cycles of Treachery and Revenge

"That rat bastard!"

Tenchi winced at Washu's outburst.  The ancient scientist had become 
increasingly angry over the past six months.  Something that she had 
discovered on Carborna had angered her.  Now, as they stood on the empty 
surface of Praxis, he could see that she was screaming at a statue of 
Haydon.  He did not know much about the mysterious figure, save that he 
was a combination of hero, myth, and god to most space faring cultures 
in the local group.

Not that there was much to see.  THere were marked differences between 
the two statues.  The one on Carborna had a burley appearance to match 
the natives, while the one on Praxis seemed to be sculpted with more 
feminine lines.  Both showed a humanoid figure wearing a long cloak and 
simple clothing.  The head, however, was little more than a featureless 
lump atop the shoulders.  It reminded Tenchi of Vedt and Sarna's 
features.  He made a mental note to ask them later whether the 
Haydonites had a greater connection to the mythic figure than the other 
cultures, or if they were simply more obvious about their devotion.

"Who?" Crysta asked. "Who is the...what was that word?"

"An insult," Tenchi replied quickly.

"I'll explain later," Washu replied in a huff. "I want the council 
assembled before I say this."

Tenchi raised an eyebrow, but nodded.  He had not seen Washu this upset 
in years.  Even the original hyperspace fold in the SDF-1 did not 
provoke this kind of anger.

*******

THe REF spent close to six months on Carborna.  The planet's factories, 
long dormant under Invid occupation, had been brought back to capacity 
in record time.  Munitions, vehicles, weapons, even starships were under 
construction at a rapid pace.  When combined with the shipyards at 
Tyrol, the REF's fleet was set to grow faster than the manpower.  That 
made the next stop obvious.  There was no question that the Praxians 
were able fighters.  But so were the Carbonarites and Spherians.  What 
made Praxis the next stop was the fact that Praxians were closer to 
human in terms of biology and physiology than any race in the local 
group save the Tyroleans.  This allowed the REF to expand without having 
to perform extensive retooling of mecha and starships to accommodate its 
more exotic allies.

Tenchi was not the only one surprised when Farrago emerged from fold 
above an empty planet.  Every sentient being gone.  Bela, leader of 
Farrago's Praxian contingent, was particularly distressed.  Her 
'sisters' all looked up to her as an authority figure.  Now, she had to 
deal with the possibility that she was the leader of the last remnant of 
her race.  Cabel insisted that there was no indication of any sort of 
mass depopulation.  Tenchi and many other humans agreed with his 
assessments.  If nothing else, there should have been bodies.  Instead, 
there was nothing.  It was as if the entire population, no matter the 
age or profession, had walked away.

Most of the REF had landed on the planet after they had determined that 
there was nothing dangerous on the surface.  Instead of a hard fight, 
many of the junior officers and enlisted personnel were enjoying 
extended R&R on what could only be described as a planet-sized park.  
The senior officers, on the other hand, were busy trying to figure out 
what was going on.

"Do you have any answers?" Bela asked Washu at the meeting that the 
latter had called.

Lisa looked like she was going to object to the Praxian's question, but 
curiosity got the better of her.  Washu stood at the end of the table 
and summoned her terminal before her.  After a moment of typing, a 
holograph of the two Haydon statues appeared in the center of the table.

"Not to this mystery, but to another," Washu began. "I've been curious 
about the lot of you ever since you appeared above Tyrol.  There were 
too many oddities in your biology, sociology, and technology to be 
explained by natural means, especially with the Invid and Tyroleans so 
close together with all of you in between.  Your legends of Haydon 
pulled everything together."

She touched a key, and a third figure joined the two statues.  This one 
appeared to be a slim man of indeterminable age and race.  He was 
dressed as the statues showed, and had features that could only be 
described as flat.  It would be easy to see how there would be no trace 
of his face even within a few generations. "This is Haydon, a collegue 
of mine from the science academy twenty thousand years ago."

"You knew the Great Haydon?" Lorn asked in an awestruck voice.

Washu snorted. "Great nothing.  He was expelled for unethical behavior 
halfway through our last term."

The Sentinels seemed to erupt in protests.  The worlds they came from 
had monolithic cultures ever since Haydon swept through the sector.  
There was no comparison that Tenchi could think of.  There was simply 
too much cultural momentum that Washu was attempting to derail.

"How dare you say that of the Great Haydon," Baldan growled.  The 
Spherian had an odd glow in his body at the statement.  Tenchi hoped he 
was not preparing for violence. "What evidence do you have?"

"I went to school with him," Washu replied simply. "He was expelled 
shortly before graduation when experiments were discovered that violated 
the academy ethics rules."

In the moment of stunned silence the followed the statement, Tenchi 
cleared his throat. "Um...Washu?  Which ethics rules?  And how many did 
you violate in your time there?"

Washu flushed. "I never violated any while I was there.  And the 
Dimensional Cannon has viable civilian purposes."

"Dimensional Cannon?" Rick asked. "Sounds dangerous."

"It is," Ryoko noted without any elaboration.

"In any case," Washu continued. "What Haydon did was try to set himself 
up as a god."

"A lot of people seem to like doing that," Lisa commented from her seat 
near the Praxians.

Washu nodded absently and directed her gaze towards the holographic 
figures. "Yes, but not many people accelerate the evolution of primitive 
species in order to gain worshippers."

Tenchi was afraid that there would be another eruption of protest.  
Instead, Veidt floated over the table and turned his eyeless gaze to the 
assembled Sentinels one by one. "This is an unsettling revelation.  If 
true, it may have profound effects on our peoples.  We shall have to 
consult the great archives of Haydon IV to determine the truth."

That seemed to satisfy, or at least mollify, the assembled Setninels.  
They quickly left the assembly hall.  Veidt and Sarna remained behind.  
Once alone with the Earth officers, the Haydonites regarded Washu.

"This changes little," Sarna stated. "Whether Haydon was what we believe 
or what you think, that does not change anything about what must be 
done.  It could only distract them at this crucial time."

Washu scowled, but nodded. "I will not say anything else until we reach 
Haydone IV.  But once there-"

"You will say much," Veidt finished. "IF the shapings are right, what is 
desired will be known."

*******

Lieutenant General T. R. Edwards could almost feel the extra weight of 
the stars on his collar as he strode down the catacombs under Tiseris.  
The council had decided that with the Admirals away, there was a 
distinct lack of ranking officers in the REF at Tirol.  It still 
irritated him that he was outranked by the alien Breetai.  With any 
luck, the council will correct that mistake before the Hunters returned.

That assumed that they would return.

Edwards entered the brain's chamber with a smile on his face and a 
spring in his step.  The inorganics shuffled out of his way like dutiful 
minions.  He smiled up at the controlling intelligence, but managed to 
refrain from rapping his knuckles on the clear jar.

"You said you had contact with Optera?"

A humming tone that Edwards have come to associate with a nod emerged 
from the speakers. "Yes.  The Father knows of what you have done, and 
what you have proposed.  He wishes you to contact him with your own 
communication devices."

"Why?" Edwards half-snarled.  He felt his good mood start to evaporate.  
While he was glad the Invid king (or Regent, or whatever they were 
calling the slug in charge) had finally contacted the brain on Tirol, 
the demand was troubling. "That can be traced.  Unlike your own channels."

Another tone, this one the lower buzz of a shrug, sounded. "The Father 
wishes to see your face, human, to hear your voice.  I will communicate 
the coordinates and frequency through the transceiver when he is ready 
to hear from you.  That is all."

The dismissal was clear.  Edwards waited just long enough for his pride 
to be satisfied that he left on his own before moving back through the 
hidden door.   He quickly made his way back to his office in the new REF 
complex outside of Tiseris.  Once there, he began arranging security 
with his communications officer.

It was close to two hours before he was satisfied.  Another three passed 
before the brain signaled him with its information.  He quickly 
activated the chain of satellites and relays which was designed to do 
nothing but confuse anyone attempting to trace his communications.  Once 
done, he waited for the Invid to pick up the phone.

It did not take long.  Edwards was shocked by the creature on the 
screen.  It appeared to be a larger version of the Invid Enforcer power 
armored soldiers.  This one was also dressed in blood red robes, and 
appeared to have a manta-ray like creature oozing over his back.

"Human," it greeted. "I am the Regent.  I rule the Invid."

Edwards smiled. "Greetings, sir.  My name is Edwards.  I wish to discuss 
terms of cooperation between us."

The regent seemed to snort.  The small antenna where his mouth might 
have been on a human flashed brightly. "You destroyed my soldiers, 
human.  Your ship is that of the Betrayer.  You consort with the 
Zentradi.  And even now you have forces moving through the Local Group 
destroying more of my children."

"I do not deny that, sire," Edwards said in a soothing tone. "We came 
here to destroy the Robotech Masters.  We arrived to discover that you 
had already done so.  Your forces fired upon us, and we were merely 
defended ourselves."

The Regent studied Edwards for a moment.  He felt a slight tickling of 
his scalp, but managed to keep his hands still.  After a silence just 
long enough for Edwards to feel uncomfortable, the Regent continued. 
"You wish the group operating in the Local Group to meet their end.  Why?"

Edwards cursed silently as several pieces fell into place.  He knew that 
the Invid were telepathic, and that was the method that the brain used 
to control its forces.  He did not expect it to have read his mind, nor 
to pass on such things to the Invid.  For all he knew, the two were 
communicating silently even now.  He reined in his anger and schooled 
his face. "They are enemies of my race, Regent.  Traitors to blood and 
bond.  They would consort with the Zentradi, with the Masters, and with 
the other beings of this sector in order to further their own ends."

"As would you," the Regent replied. "Proven by the fact that you are 
conversing with me.  So tell me, General Edwards, what would it take to 
remove your forces from the local group?  Your use of protoculture power 
sources will eventually bring our peoples into conflict, but I gather 
that both of us have too much on our plates, as your people's saying goes."

*He's good,* Edwards growled mentally.  He had been expecting a 
barbarian brute from the reports of Invid battle tactics.  The reality 
was far from the case. "If the ship the so-called Sentinels are on is 
destroyed, lost with all hands, then support within the ruling council 
may turn towards a negotiated settlement with the Invid, and a 
withdrawal from this region of the galaxy."

"From the battle reports I have witnessed," the Regent replied smoothly, 
"that ship is heavily armed and equipped with a substantial mecha 
compliment."

Edwards saw What the Regent wanted and smiled.  He typed a sequence of 
commands on his terminal as he addressed the Invid leader. "I may be 
able to aid you there.  If I can have certain assurances."

"Name your price, human," the Regent growled.

"We have several scout forces that will be probing the Local Group in 
the near future.  If they remain unmolested, you will have the 
information you require." Edwards did not add that a lack of hostilities 
towards those reconnaissance missions would aid his own arguments that 
the Invid were not hostile towards humanity or Earth.

"Done," the Regent replied. "When will you be satisfied and provide the 
information?"

"Are you familiar with the rotation cycles of Tirol?" Edwards asked mildly.

"I am," the Regent replied.

Edwards' smile grew at the Regent's distaste.  He was starting to become 
adept at reading the alien.  It did not help that the giant slug had 
less subtlety than Anatole Leonard. "Good.  Contact me in five cycles.  
The first scout ships will have communicated by then."

As he signed off, Edwards did two things.  First he resolved not to 
visit the brain in person again.  Its telepathy was too much of an 
advantage without some way to neutralize it.  The second thing he did 
was pull up a file from his personal data discs.  These archives were 
not connected to the SDF-3 network, and were a precaution he had taken 
when he began planning for the mission.  While the Regent only indicated 
a desire for Farrago's schematics, Edwards knew that the Sentinels had a 
ace in the hole.  That would have to change.

After all, Masaki was just as guilty as the Sterlings.  Anyone that 
close to the Hunters needed to die with the happy couple.

*******

"It's official," Tenchi reported to the Sentinels council.  Everyone was 
around that same table in the temporary command center that Washu had 
used to break the news about Haydon weeks ago.  Now the scientist and 
Ryoko were in one corner making yet another adjustment to the local 
sensor arrays.. "Between my squadrons and Farrago's sensors, we have 
searched the entire surface of Praxis, up to a depth of one hundred 
meters into the crust.  There is not only no sign of any inhabitants, 
but also no indication of violent action.  We may be able to search 
deeper with a bit of adjustment, but we have also seen no indication of 
subterranean habitation in any planetary records.  Which, I should note 
end less than two local months after Farrago left the system."

That last note had several members of the council frowning in 
concentration.  They arrived on Praxis in late October.  Now they were 
looking at spending New Years on Praxis.  The search had taken a long 
time, especially since neither the Admirals, nor the Praxians would 
accept that the palnet was uninhabited.  He could not really blame 
them.  Bela was concerned about her people.  Lisa shared her concern, as 
she had grown close to the Praxians in the past months, while she and 
Rick were also thinking about how much manpower from Praxis had factored 
into their war plans.

"What about the anomaly north of the city?" Baldan asked. "You said that 
there was a reading on your sensors."

Tenchi shrugged. "We suspect that it was because the mountains in 
question show volcanic activity.  Other volcanic areas show similar 
readings, just not as extreme.  The only thing I can say is that we had 
better not be here when it erupts."

The Spherian nodded. "Teal and I will investigate later."

Lisa stood at the head of the table. "With those findings in mind, we 
have to assume that the Praxians were taken elsewhere.  That being said, 
there is nothing more we can do here.  We must move on to Garuda."

Bela cleared her throat.  The Praxian stood hesitantly.  Tenchi could 
not remember seeing the warrior so out of sorts.  The sudden assumption 
of leadership combined with the lack of any information about her people 
was taking its toll. "Is there nothing more that can be done?  No other 
indication of where they were taken?"

"I'm sorry," Lisa said. "I-"

The admiral's statement was cut off by a blaring alarm in the command 
center.  Tenchi jumped out of his head and dashed over to the main 
display.  The alarm was immediately replaced by the communications feed 
from Farrago.

"Repeat," the Peytonan voice growled, "multiple Invid ships have 
defolded in close orbits.  We have six carriers and eight cruisers 
launching mecha."

"Damn," Lisa spat. "Tenchi, get your squadrons into space.  Farrago is 
alone up there.  The destroid forces won't be enough against that many 
ships."

Tenchi nodded.  He set his own communicator for the all-pilots 
frequency, but was cut off by Washu.

"Wait!" the scientist exclaimed. "Those ships aren't targeting 
protoculture emissions."

Rick gave a start and turned to Washu. "What?  That's all they ever seem 
to target.  And it works, too.   Especially against mecha."

Washu shook her head.  Her terminal began to display a schematic of 
Farrago above the conference table.  Angry red icons show the locations 
of weapon hits, while swaths of orange indicated damaged systems. 
"They're targeting junctures, weak points, and missile magazines.  The 
ship will be gone before Tenchi's fighters can get up there."

Lisa studied the schematic for a moment.  Another flare of orange 
appeared as the capacitors for the aft beam turrets too a hit and 
exploded. "She's right.  Order them to abandon ship.  Shut down all 
protoculture power sources on the planet.  Any mecha in space must make 
unpowered freefall to the surface."

Rick nodded and turned to the communications consol. "Playing dead."

"That's right," Lisa replied.

Tenchi watched in horror as Farrago was torn apart by the Invid 
weapons.  Escape pods swarmed away from the ship as the visual displays 
shoed explosions all along the hull.  The portions that made up the 
composite vessel began to drift away from the main hull.  The Invid 
mecha began to turn away from the dying ship and fly towards the escape 
pods.

"But they don't have any protoculture," Tenchi breathed.  He turned 
towards a cat-like cry just in time to see Ryo-ohki flash out of sight. 
"What is she doing?"

Ryoko nodded to the screen. "She's opening a door for the escape pods.  
The Invid have never seen her before, so she should be able to-"

Ryoko cut off as a spasm of pain passed through her. "They're...hurting 
her."

Tenchi turned back to the display.  His gasp of surprise sounded loud in 
the hushed control center.  The Invid were ignoring the pods and 
concentrating fire on the small, crystalline ship in their midst.  
Clouds of mecha flashed into plasma and vapor.  Carriers shattered as 
the tiny battleship's beams tore through them.  But the Invid capital 
ships were bringing all their weapons to bear on the dark ship.  
Ryo-ohki charged through the maelstrom as the last carrier blew apart.  
She danced through the hail of beams, but even she could not avoid 
everything.  Tenchi saw Ryoko shudder in pain each time a hit was scored.

Tenchi slipped his arms around Ryoko and held her tight. "Get her out of 
there."

Ryoko buried her face in Tenchi shoulder. "She won't.  She says that if 
she does, they're come down here and kill us."

Tenchi watched in horror as one of Ryo-ohki's main spires broke off 
under the assault.  Still she charged.  The first Invid cruiser was 
consumed by plasma as the small ships beams found their mark.  The 
second and third followed quickly even as Ryo-ohki lost another of her 
spires.

"They're killing her," Ryoko sobbed into Tenchi's shoulder.

"How?" Tenchi asked Washu. "How are they doing this?"

Waashu shook her head slowly. "I don't know.  The Invid should not know 
enough about her to do anything, much less this."

Ryo-ohki destroyed three more cruisers as she spet through space towards 
the final ships.  Tenchi silently pleaded for her to break off the death 
ride.  It did no good.  Ryo-ohki's sensor signature vanished from the 
screen even as the telemetry feeds to Washu's computer died.

"She's gone," Washu noted in a disbelieving voice. "I'm picking up her 
egg.  It's drifting away from the battle area.  It should make 
planetfall in...oh no."

Tenchi turned back to the mast display.  The two remaining cruisers were 
filling space with their beams.  A chill overcame him as the mass of 
energy swept back and forth across the area Washu's sensors were 
concentrating on. "No."

Ryo-ohki's egg disintegrated as the Invid weapons converged on it.  Once 
it was destroyed, the cruisers wasted no time in folding out of the system.

End chapter 7.

I'm gonna catch hell for that, aren't I?


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