The emergency crews had been buzzing around the depths of the ship for sometime now, too busy to notice a passing Retakkenari.
Too, busy to notice the tiny light on the engineering console that would light up whenever some kind of illegal transmission was being broadcast out with the ship's on comms equipment.
Too busy to notice that their computer security system's had been bypassed, and that someone was transmitting their position to a, different kind of enemy.
...............
The bio-mechanically hollowed chambers of the Retakkenari Hive Imperius were a new and startling sight on the newly uncovered world of Tekkit. The atmosphere of the planet wholly breathable and pure, but the Imperius had grown accustomed to living underground in the cave's of Retak for so long, that he had still yet to adjust properly to his surroundings, and so had an underground throne room drilled out of the thick quadrocite ore that made up the planet's surface.
While it was certainly not an easy task, through persuasion and a lofty propaganda machine at his back, the Imperius was able to gain most of the support of his Retakkenari brethren on Tekkit, although he kept public appearances to a minimum as he had developed a dislike of the 'strange looks" he received on a regular basis while in public.
On Retak, all Retakkenari have a mirky, off-brow skin pigmentation, while on Tekkit, the Retakkenari skin is highlighted by a bluish tinge, and is dominated by dim, dark speckles of brown, a strange divergence that can be attributed to the Retakkenari on Tekkit's exposure to sunlight.
The second reason for his apparent choice of location was tied, in part, to this divergence of race. Since reaching a shaky agreement to garner a prominent seat on Tekkit's elder council, the Imperius received numerous death threats, attempted assassinations and all sorts of frightening anti-sentiment toward his person, most of which had been tied or traced back to race crime.
Race crime.
A word that was seldom used on this world. There were only a few instances of such crimes being committed, as the Retakkenari of Tekkit differed only slightly as you went region to region.
The swarm of Retak's first contact with Tekkit had unwound from a simple quest for knowledge into a avalanche of steadily snowballing hate and violence.
Perhaps the Imperius, had gone on this journey with a little more naivety than common sense, disregarding his sense of leadership for a sense of adventure.
K'taruuk, on the other hand, had kept a reasonably low profile the entire time, attending only the events that strictly warranted his attention. For the most part, the Imperius' hand had kept well out of the public eye.
............
A transmission buzzed across a glowing holoscreen on the desk of the Hive imperius. His eyelids blinked wearily, trying in vein to stave off momentary sleep.
Suddenly, with an abrupt jerk, his eyelids widened and his back shot up to attention as the video message began to play before him.
"My lord, the renegade K'taruuk's presence here is confirmed. We await your arrival."
The hologram's blue projection lines fizzled and crackled, the quality of the image was far from perfect, but perfection, in this case, was unnecessary.
"Along with this holo-message, you will also receive technical read-outs for this vessel, its last known co-ordinates and its shield command codes.
We will have the rebel caught sir, and the Empire will once returned to a whole under you, as it was and should be.
My team and I will ensure that the traitor is kept alive until your arrival. I'm sure you will take great pride in killing him for yourself.
This will be my final transmission for some time.
Jeh'kra out."
After hearing such important news about the sighting and impending demise of one's arch enemy, any ordinary man would expect to be filled with a lustful revenge and satisfaction.
However, the Imperius was no ordinary man. Hardly 'ordinary' by Retakennari standards. Weak mentally and physically as a child, and even more so as a fully grown adult -the imperius stood a meagre six feet and eleven inches tall- he never did reach the entirety of his people's support, and was having an even harder time on Tekkit.
He sought no battle, or thirst for killing like almost each one of his race did naturally, in fact the thought turned him off.
He did, better the lives of his people, socially and economically, which gave him a semblance of support among the masses, but was viewed by most as an unfit ruler.
As rumours of the Ktaruuk's escapades in unknown space grew more vast and sensational by the day, his own support and following slowly ebbed away with each glamourous headline. His Rebellious second in command had gained more in the eyes of the people for his treacherous, self-serving actions than the Imperius had through his genuine acts of kindness and leadership.
K'taruuk's appeal to the people, whatever their racial affiliation was unsurpassed, and by each passing day, the Imperius grew weary of fighting this battle of the personalities.
To destroy K'taruuk would be to make him a martyr, and condemn himself to death or exile at the hands of his own people.
However,the imperius would track K'taruuk down, and when he found his traitorous old friend, he would do the only thing he could do, he would do the right thing.