The Favour of the Hives (Earth: Final Conflict)
Title: The Favour of the Hives
Author: Jewels (bjewelled)
Web Link: http://www.bjewelled.co.uk/fanfic/efcfic.shtml
Fandom: Earth: Final Conflict
Disclaimer: I think it's Alliance Atlantis for this one? Yeah, still, not mine.
Summary: An incident a long time ago...
Notes: So I thought I vaguely remembered reading a fic along these lines, but it wasn't until I was sorting through my files, clearing out stuff that's years old, that I realised that not only had I indeed read this story, I wrote this story. Well, in truth, this was a single scene in a story that never made it past about four scenes in length, but I rather like it. Consider it a small vignette? ;)
The Favour of the Hives
The Gsvr'k't homeworld was not much to look at all. Unlike the luscious rich rainforests of the Taelon homeworld, the surface of the insectile race's homeworld was hardly barren, but it was what could best be described as sparse. There was much fauna, but all of it was regulated, farmed for maximum production of the nectar the Gsvr'k't drones harvested on a daily basis, every day for their whole life. Fields of a variety of plants lay across the landscape in a fiercely regulated fashion, while the great hives of their species reached upwards in a variety of precisely formed geometric patterns. Such sharp lines hurt Zo'or's eyes, even through the multifaceted nature of them as defined by the facade he and the rest of the diplomatic contingent to the planet had assumed in order to make the inhabitants more comfortable. The Gsvr'k't had been stubborn in their refusal to incorporate even a hint of Taelon technology into their hives, refuting the claims of the Taelon scientists that such additions would make their systems more efficient.
The Gsvr'k't were adept geneticists, and, in some ways, their manipulation of botanical genomes surpassed even Taelon expertise. They had reluctantly shared their knowledge of such manipulation with the Taelons, and allowed them access all manner of samples of plant matter from their world (as long as it didn't interfere with production of nectar) from simple mosses to a rather complex enzyme stimulating plant known as k'rsss, which the Taelon language had skewed in pronunciation to something approximating kryss. But the Gsvr'k't did all of this reluctantly, and the Synod had noted an increasing aggressiveness in the species in their dealings with the Taelons.
In a way, this was what the Synod wanted. The Gsvr'k't were fiercesome fighters, their warriors were nothing less than astonishing in action, and this was exactly what the Taelons needed in order to combat the Jaridians. However, the aggressiveness was worrying when it wast directly at the Taelons.
So the Synod had dispatched a diplomatic team to try and 'soothe tempers' before the situation got out of hand. Da'an, who had been chosen by the Synod to be the senior diplomat within the group, had requested that Zo'or join them. Even though Zo'or was only a recent entrant to the diplomatic caste, barely out from the auspices of his mentor, it was known that Da'an had great pride in Zo'or's choice of caste and rather blind faith in his offsprings abilities as a diplomat.
But since Zo'or's purpose on the team would be simply to observe the proceedings, no harm was seen in allowing him to accompany the group. And so Zo'or was accompanying the rest of the delegation, along with their Gsvr'k't CVI implanted protectors, up the highly polished ramp into the receiving room of one of the largest hives on the Gsvr'k't homeworld. Such a room had never existed before the Taelons arrived; the insectile people had never had a need to receive any of their own race in such a fashion. Their concession to their guests comfort had been several Taelon-style reclining chairs in the room, which the Taelons had never in fact used, but were indeed appreciative of the gesture.
Such chairs were no longer present. Zo'or knew that the others felt as much unease at this seemingly minor detail as he did, but he managed to retain the same control over his facade as the others. A contingent of Gsvr'k't were there in the receiving room, awaiting them with obviously guarded body language. They were swathed in cloth, the colour their chitinous bodies, which glistened faintly in the light, and gave lie to their hive affiliation and their position within that hive. Zo'or spotted Vsk'rk, a young geneticist he had spoken with on several occasions and had formed something of a familiarity with. He would not go so far as to call it a friendship (indeed, it was not even a word in the Gsvr'k't lexicon), but they definitely had developed an understanding.
Which was why he was so disturbed at the visible lack of acknowledgement he was receiving from the young one. Still he remained silent, and was quite startled when Izsh'vr, one of the higher placed individuals in their hierarchy, spoke without even waiting for the tradition greeting from Da'an that the protocol bound species usually strictly adhered to.
"Your presence is unwelcome here." The Gatherer (for that was his title) buzzed in his own inimicable fashion. Zo'or attempted not to transmit his distaste for the harsh tonality of the Gsvr'k't language through the Commonality. He knew others, more experienced in his caste, were watching his performance here, and so he kept silent. "You will leave."
Da'an, to his credit, did attempt not to look to startled at the sudden and harsh order. "I profess curiosity as to your reasoning, Gatherer. I was unaware we were unwelcome at this time."
"You would be unwelcome at any time." Izsh'vr snapped. "Any welcome your race had here as been outstayed. You take up valuable farming space with your 'embassies', a waste of resources, you bioengineer some of our volunteer warriors into abominations. It was a relief to their families that they were Incoroporated. Even if very little use came of the results, contaminated as they were."
Zo'or fought down a wave of horrified disgust as he listened, in spite of the fact that he could feel waves of it coming off the other diplomats, and curiosity as to why they were feeling this way from the other Taelons. When times were harsh in Gsvr'k't society, then often it was the warriors who were 'sacrificed' as few hives were willing to fight one another during times of famine. So those warriors offered themselves up as a source of nutrition for the rest of the Hive, being reduced into their constituent parts by specific enzymes created by the plants on their word.
Since a Gsvr'k't body decayed too quickly after death to be of use, such 'incorporation' was usually done while the creature was still living. Such an act had apparently not occured in many centuries, as things were plentiful and there was no need.
The Gsvr'k't had murdered their own species in order to rid themselves of anything Taelon in their midst.
"The Hives are of one mind on this issue." Izsh'vr was still speaking, oblivious to the consternation he was causing among the Taelon contingent. "The Taelons are to leave. Immediately." There was a pause, and a faint clicking sound as he closed his mandibles momentarily. "Or else we will kill every Taelon on the planet."
"Gatherer," There was an obvious note of concern in Da'an's voice, but within the Commonality, Zo'or could feel the first stirrings of panic emanating from his parent. "Surely we can come to some sort of arrangement-"
"We know of the Jaridians!" Izsh'vr's voice reached a screeching pitch that echoed throughout the room. "And why you were engineering our warriors. To fight them. To fight your battles. Such a thing is the last in a long line of insults we will no longer tolerate. Leave our planet at once."
Da'an opened his mouth to speak once more, but before he could utter a word, one of the warriors by Izsh'vr's side uttered a long loud noise, which Zo'or was at a loss to translate. But it needed no translation as openings appeared in the segmented walls, loosing a horde of frenzied Gsvr'k't warriors, all armed with energy weapons, upon them.
One Taelon took a direct hit, and his scream of anguished shock was still resonating through the commonality before the protectors of the Taelon delegation finally reacted and started returning fire.
The room became a mass of bodies and bolts of energy, and Zo'or, in his panic, lost his focus on the Commonality, hearing it descend into panic as Taelons screamed at one another mentally. Once or twice, he thought he heard the screams of others as they joined the Void, but he could not tell from whether they were in the same place as he. One of the protectors had grabbed his arm, and was trying to get him to the doorway, before Zo'or felt his weight become suddenly leaden, and the Gsvr'k't protector dropped to the floor, signs of Gsvr'k't talons having raked him through most of his torso, cutting a good way into the exoskeleton and exposing the soft tissue beneath.
Zo'or automatically looked towards the one who had felled the protector, and saw Vsk'rk standing over him, claws outstretched, and Zo'or saw the telltale luminescence that showed those same claws that been augmented with some sort of energy blade, more than sufficient to cut through not only Zo'or's exo-covering, but into the energy pathways themselves.
Zo'or's scream of pain was lost in the confusion of the Commonality and he retreated in on himself in his pain.
He would never be able to recall how, but he would later be told that the surviving protectors managed to get himself and the remainder of the Taelon delegation aboard an escape shuttle before themselves being killed by frenzied warriors, and even drones who were following the orders of the Queens to rid their world of the Taelons at all cost. He came back to himself a little aboard that shuttle, as a healer was doing his best to staunch the energy loss from Zo'or's pathways as they made their way back to the Mothership in orbit.
... such an event could not have been foreseen. All embassies, Taelons, and Taelon workers were attacked simultaneously, down to the second...
Zo'or tried to tune into the voices of the Commonality as they discussed the issue around his mind. The Synod was discussing it aloud to the Commonality so all could hear, but only Synod members could contribute directly.
We are attempting to evactuate all Taelons currently on the planet below. But it goes slow, as many protectors are continuing to die in an attempt to keep back the swarms. Ka'or, the current leader of the Synod, spoke in slow, precise terms, and if one were not used to hearing his voice, it might seem that the Leader was not taking this attack as seriously as he should. But all knew differently of course.
What are we to do about them? One Synod member was asking in desperation, sounding weak. Zo'or guessed he had been injured in the attack.
Da'an started to respond. Nothing less than our full-
"Kill..." murmured Zo'or, lacking the strength to project himself mentally.
Da'an had been kneeling on the floor next to his offspring as the healer, ignoring the healers orders that Zo'or should not even attempt to communicate, considering the amount of damage he had suffered. "Zo'or?" he prompted.
"Kill... them... all." Zo'or said, venom seeping into his voice in spite of how weak he felt.
Da'an's eyes hardened as he sat back slightly. "We will." he said, aloud and to the Commonality.
Scant minutes after the last Taelon had evacuated the planet, the Mothership launched a high yield torpedo into Gsvr'k't's atmosphere. It had been developed from technology used by the Jaridians on the Taelon's once, vastly improved and becoming more deadly by a hundredfold.
Within minutes of its launch, the torpedo started to work.
Less than an hour later, the last of the atmosphere burned away from the planet's surface and there was not even enough oxygen remaining to support the conflagrations that had erupted on the planet's surface, leaving only a blackened, charred world behind.
Author: Jewels (bjewelled)
Web Link: http://www.bjewelled.co.uk/fanfic/efcfic.shtml
Fandom: Earth: Final Conflict
Disclaimer: I think it's Alliance Atlantis for this one? Yeah, still, not mine.
Summary: An incident a long time ago...
Notes: So I thought I vaguely remembered reading a fic along these lines, but it wasn't until I was sorting through my files, clearing out stuff that's years old, that I realised that not only had I indeed read this story, I wrote this story. Well, in truth, this was a single scene in a story that never made it past about four scenes in length, but I rather like it. Consider it a small vignette? ;)
The Favour of the Hives
The Gsvr'k't homeworld was not much to look at all. Unlike the luscious rich rainforests of the Taelon homeworld, the surface of the insectile race's homeworld was hardly barren, but it was what could best be described as sparse. There was much fauna, but all of it was regulated, farmed for maximum production of the nectar the Gsvr'k't drones harvested on a daily basis, every day for their whole life. Fields of a variety of plants lay across the landscape in a fiercely regulated fashion, while the great hives of their species reached upwards in a variety of precisely formed geometric patterns. Such sharp lines hurt Zo'or's eyes, even through the multifaceted nature of them as defined by the facade he and the rest of the diplomatic contingent to the planet had assumed in order to make the inhabitants more comfortable. The Gsvr'k't had been stubborn in their refusal to incorporate even a hint of Taelon technology into their hives, refuting the claims of the Taelon scientists that such additions would make their systems more efficient.
The Gsvr'k't were adept geneticists, and, in some ways, their manipulation of botanical genomes surpassed even Taelon expertise. They had reluctantly shared their knowledge of such manipulation with the Taelons, and allowed them access all manner of samples of plant matter from their world (as long as it didn't interfere with production of nectar) from simple mosses to a rather complex enzyme stimulating plant known as k'rsss, which the Taelon language had skewed in pronunciation to something approximating kryss. But the Gsvr'k't did all of this reluctantly, and the Synod had noted an increasing aggressiveness in the species in their dealings with the Taelons.
In a way, this was what the Synod wanted. The Gsvr'k't were fiercesome fighters, their warriors were nothing less than astonishing in action, and this was exactly what the Taelons needed in order to combat the Jaridians. However, the aggressiveness was worrying when it wast directly at the Taelons.
So the Synod had dispatched a diplomatic team to try and 'soothe tempers' before the situation got out of hand. Da'an, who had been chosen by the Synod to be the senior diplomat within the group, had requested that Zo'or join them. Even though Zo'or was only a recent entrant to the diplomatic caste, barely out from the auspices of his mentor, it was known that Da'an had great pride in Zo'or's choice of caste and rather blind faith in his offsprings abilities as a diplomat.
But since Zo'or's purpose on the team would be simply to observe the proceedings, no harm was seen in allowing him to accompany the group. And so Zo'or was accompanying the rest of the delegation, along with their Gsvr'k't CVI implanted protectors, up the highly polished ramp into the receiving room of one of the largest hives on the Gsvr'k't homeworld. Such a room had never existed before the Taelons arrived; the insectile people had never had a need to receive any of their own race in such a fashion. Their concession to their guests comfort had been several Taelon-style reclining chairs in the room, which the Taelons had never in fact used, but were indeed appreciative of the gesture.
Such chairs were no longer present. Zo'or knew that the others felt as much unease at this seemingly minor detail as he did, but he managed to retain the same control over his facade as the others. A contingent of Gsvr'k't were there in the receiving room, awaiting them with obviously guarded body language. They were swathed in cloth, the colour their chitinous bodies, which glistened faintly in the light, and gave lie to their hive affiliation and their position within that hive. Zo'or spotted Vsk'rk, a young geneticist he had spoken with on several occasions and had formed something of a familiarity with. He would not go so far as to call it a friendship (indeed, it was not even a word in the Gsvr'k't lexicon), but they definitely had developed an understanding.
Which was why he was so disturbed at the visible lack of acknowledgement he was receiving from the young one. Still he remained silent, and was quite startled when Izsh'vr, one of the higher placed individuals in their hierarchy, spoke without even waiting for the tradition greeting from Da'an that the protocol bound species usually strictly adhered to.
"Your presence is unwelcome here." The Gatherer (for that was his title) buzzed in his own inimicable fashion. Zo'or attempted not to transmit his distaste for the harsh tonality of the Gsvr'k't language through the Commonality. He knew others, more experienced in his caste, were watching his performance here, and so he kept silent. "You will leave."
Da'an, to his credit, did attempt not to look to startled at the sudden and harsh order. "I profess curiosity as to your reasoning, Gatherer. I was unaware we were unwelcome at this time."
"You would be unwelcome at any time." Izsh'vr snapped. "Any welcome your race had here as been outstayed. You take up valuable farming space with your 'embassies', a waste of resources, you bioengineer some of our volunteer warriors into abominations. It was a relief to their families that they were Incoroporated. Even if very little use came of the results, contaminated as they were."
Zo'or fought down a wave of horrified disgust as he listened, in spite of the fact that he could feel waves of it coming off the other diplomats, and curiosity as to why they were feeling this way from the other Taelons. When times were harsh in Gsvr'k't society, then often it was the warriors who were 'sacrificed' as few hives were willing to fight one another during times of famine. So those warriors offered themselves up as a source of nutrition for the rest of the Hive, being reduced into their constituent parts by specific enzymes created by the plants on their word.
Since a Gsvr'k't body decayed too quickly after death to be of use, such 'incorporation' was usually done while the creature was still living. Such an act had apparently not occured in many centuries, as things were plentiful and there was no need.
The Gsvr'k't had murdered their own species in order to rid themselves of anything Taelon in their midst.
"The Hives are of one mind on this issue." Izsh'vr was still speaking, oblivious to the consternation he was causing among the Taelon contingent. "The Taelons are to leave. Immediately." There was a pause, and a faint clicking sound as he closed his mandibles momentarily. "Or else we will kill every Taelon on the planet."
"Gatherer," There was an obvious note of concern in Da'an's voice, but within the Commonality, Zo'or could feel the first stirrings of panic emanating from his parent. "Surely we can come to some sort of arrangement-"
"We know of the Jaridians!" Izsh'vr's voice reached a screeching pitch that echoed throughout the room. "And why you were engineering our warriors. To fight them. To fight your battles. Such a thing is the last in a long line of insults we will no longer tolerate. Leave our planet at once."
Da'an opened his mouth to speak once more, but before he could utter a word, one of the warriors by Izsh'vr's side uttered a long loud noise, which Zo'or was at a loss to translate. But it needed no translation as openings appeared in the segmented walls, loosing a horde of frenzied Gsvr'k't warriors, all armed with energy weapons, upon them.
One Taelon took a direct hit, and his scream of anguished shock was still resonating through the commonality before the protectors of the Taelon delegation finally reacted and started returning fire.
The room became a mass of bodies and bolts of energy, and Zo'or, in his panic, lost his focus on the Commonality, hearing it descend into panic as Taelons screamed at one another mentally. Once or twice, he thought he heard the screams of others as they joined the Void, but he could not tell from whether they were in the same place as he. One of the protectors had grabbed his arm, and was trying to get him to the doorway, before Zo'or felt his weight become suddenly leaden, and the Gsvr'k't protector dropped to the floor, signs of Gsvr'k't talons having raked him through most of his torso, cutting a good way into the exoskeleton and exposing the soft tissue beneath.
Zo'or automatically looked towards the one who had felled the protector, and saw Vsk'rk standing over him, claws outstretched, and Zo'or saw the telltale luminescence that showed those same claws that been augmented with some sort of energy blade, more than sufficient to cut through not only Zo'or's exo-covering, but into the energy pathways themselves.
Zo'or's scream of pain was lost in the confusion of the Commonality and he retreated in on himself in his pain.
He would never be able to recall how, but he would later be told that the surviving protectors managed to get himself and the remainder of the Taelon delegation aboard an escape shuttle before themselves being killed by frenzied warriors, and even drones who were following the orders of the Queens to rid their world of the Taelons at all cost. He came back to himself a little aboard that shuttle, as a healer was doing his best to staunch the energy loss from Zo'or's pathways as they made their way back to the Mothership in orbit.
... such an event could not have been foreseen. All embassies, Taelons, and Taelon workers were attacked simultaneously, down to the second...
Zo'or tried to tune into the voices of the Commonality as they discussed the issue around his mind. The Synod was discussing it aloud to the Commonality so all could hear, but only Synod members could contribute directly.
We are attempting to evactuate all Taelons currently on the planet below. But it goes slow, as many protectors are continuing to die in an attempt to keep back the swarms. Ka'or, the current leader of the Synod, spoke in slow, precise terms, and if one were not used to hearing his voice, it might seem that the Leader was not taking this attack as seriously as he should. But all knew differently of course.
What are we to do about them? One Synod member was asking in desperation, sounding weak. Zo'or guessed he had been injured in the attack.
Da'an started to respond. Nothing less than our full-
"Kill..." murmured Zo'or, lacking the strength to project himself mentally.
Da'an had been kneeling on the floor next to his offspring as the healer, ignoring the healers orders that Zo'or should not even attempt to communicate, considering the amount of damage he had suffered. "Zo'or?" he prompted.
"Kill... them... all." Zo'or said, venom seeping into his voice in spite of how weak he felt.
Da'an's eyes hardened as he sat back slightly. "We will." he said, aloud and to the Commonality.
Scant minutes after the last Taelon had evacuated the planet, the Mothership launched a high yield torpedo into Gsvr'k't's atmosphere. It had been developed from technology used by the Jaridians on the Taelon's once, vastly improved and becoming more deadly by a hundredfold.
Within minutes of its launch, the torpedo started to work.
Less than an hour later, the last of the atmosphere burned away from the planet's surface and there was not even enough oxygen remaining to support the conflagrations that had erupted on the planet's surface, leaving only a blackened, charred world behind.