by S. H. Jucha
More shouted questions were heard, but Sargut raised a hand to quiet the audience.
“As much as I’d like to continue our conversation, it would be a futile endeavor,” Sargut said. “We must wait until the Omnians arrive and take over our discussions.”
With that, Sargut, the Toralians, and the sisters left the building. The sounds of vociferously arguing envoys could be distinctly heard behind them.
“I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed that,” Sargut enthused, when he and Miriamette settled into a grav car. “I don’t envy Hector and the others, when they begin the arbitration task. I’ve had all I can take of the envoys.”
“I think you’ll find that Omnian admirals negotiate with a different style,” Miriamette said. Her smile was wide, as she regarded Sargut.
“I do like the human race,” Sargut said, flashing his sharp teeth.
12: Arbiters
Ellie sat on a couch in her quarters. It was late in the evening, and she was deep in thought. Arbitration wasn’t her forte. It was fighting warships.
The rear admirals had offered their take on the manner in which the fleet’s ships should be deployed, and a compromise had been reached on what might make the best statement to all parties. But, as Ellie reviewed the action, it didn’t feel right to her. It was too overt.
Well, if there is anyone who is a master of subtlety ... Ellie thought, and then she connected to her partner.
Ellie replied.
Ellie updated Étienne on the events taking place on Toral. Then she explained her quandary about the fleet’s disposition.
The answer clicked for Ellie. Étienne had led her to the problem and allowed her to see it for herself.
Many years ago, Ellie had watched Étienne and Alain train others in their unique form of Méridien self-defense. While their own moves were lightning fast, the twins were careful not to harm their opponents. What had impressed her was the subtlety and economy of their movements. They were masters at using others’ motions against them. Opponents rarely understood how their attacks had been defeated, until the twins demonstrated their movements in slow motion.
Hearing Ellie grow silent, Étienne understood her desire for a conference was satisfied.
Ellie said good night and closed the comm. She ruminated on the idea that had occurred to her. When it gelled, she grinned, signaled the lights out, and fell into a deep sleep.
At five hours, Ellie’s chronometer woke her. She visited the refresher, dressed, and headed for the bridge. Third watch was on duty, and Alphons and Adrianna were waiting for her.
Naturally, Hector and Lydia had detected Ellie’s movements, and they entered the bridge moments after the admiral arrived.
“Change of plans,” Ellie announced. “Hector, time to Toral’s orbit?”
“Point eight seven hours, Admiral,” Hector replied.
“Holo-vid projection. Wire mode of the planet and ship disposition,” Ellie requested. “Are there SADEs aboard the Talusian battleships?”
“Affirmative, Admiral,” Lydia replied. “Georgette is the sister aboard the Night Wing, Commander Taralum’s battleship.”
“Taralum’s status?” Ellie inquired.
“Georgette reports that the commander is on her ship’s bridge,” Lydia replied.
“Hector, highlight the ships for me, please,” Ellie requested. “Blue for the envoys’ ships. Yellow for the Talusian battleships, and red for the Talusian Tridents.”
The wire model shifted colors, and Ellie stared at the representation, employing the idea that had occurred to her late last night.
Alphons and Adrianna exchanged frowns and waited to hear Ellie’s new plan.
“Lydia, Georgette please, and conference link,” Ellie said.
Ellie sent.
Ellie replied.
“Welcome back, Admiral,” Taralum said, speaking into Georgette’s face. The connection was instantaneous, and Taralum’s head and shoulders appeared on the city-ship’s central monitor.
It was obvious to the Omnians that Talusian battleships’ comms had been updated, but the Toralians still hadn’t adopted implants.
Ellie hoped the tone of her thoughts and her choice of words conveyed a respectful approach to Taralum’s authority. She was surprised by the response.
“Admiral, as Toralians would say, ‘Let’s not flutter our wings at each other.’ You’ve demonstrated extraordinary skills in battle. Methods that far exceed my own. Sargut has already approved my request to attach Talusian ships to your command for the duration.”
“I’m pleased to be able to accommodate your needs, Admiral. What’s the plan?” Taralum asked.
The city-ship’s bridge audience could see the fluttering of wings on the officers sitting at their positions aboard the Night Wing.
Gauging where Ellie had glanced, Hector replied,
Ellie took a moment to indicate to Hector where he was to reposition the yellow- and red-coded Talusian ships. Quickly, she received comments from Alphons and Adrianna. Soon afterward, Taralum relayed her concerns.
Taralum stared at the colored dots that represented Talusian ships. Before the discussion, they’d been located between the envoy battleships and the planet. Now, Ellie had them nestled among the visitors’ vessels.
“The envoy battleships outnumber us, Admiral,” Taralum pointed out. “More important, and this you know, the majority of our ships are Tridents. In the opening of hostilities, we’d be decimated in the first few exchanges.”
Taralum’s wings fluttered and she bared her sharp teeth. “Tell me more, Admiral. I’m intrigued.”
“How far?” Taralum inq
uired.
Ellie glanced toward Lydia, who was most familiar with the banisher NNEMP weapon tests.
The holo-vid display changed, and the Talusian ships were seen to spread outward a significant distance.
“You have a new weapon,” Taralum said excitedly, and wings across the Night Wing’s bridge fluttered.
Ellie glanced briefly at Hector, who shrugged, and she smiled at his imitation of Alex.
“What about the positions of the Omnian fleet, Admiral?” Taralum asked.
“Admiral, if comm platforms are liable to be damaged, what’s the risk to your ships?” Taralum asked.
“From where will you attack?” Taralum asked.
“As Hector said, clever, Admiral,” Taralum hissed. “You state that you don’t have enough weapons, but the envoys won’t know that.”
“An excellent plan,” Taralum said. “The Talusian fleet will be ready to move on your orders.”
“I must add my congratulations, Admiral,” Alphons said. “The plan is inspired. Staying up late must work for you.”
“Talking to her partner was more likely the reason,” Adrianna said.
“Can’t deny that,” Ellie said to Adrianna. “Alex always said that you should seek inspiration from any individual or event that you find worthy.”
“Any particular disposition for our ship, Admiral?” Hector requested.
“Who’s the most obnoxious envoy?” Ellie asked, with a grin.
* * * * *
The ring of battleships recorded the arrival of the Omnian fleet. As the Omnians appeared from above the ecliptic, each battleship had an unobstructed view of the city-ship’s enormous oval shape and the numerous tri-hulled squadrons that sailed in formation around it.
As was typical, the envoys were meeting in their discreet clusters to discuss what the Omnians, as arbiters, meant to their negotiations.
Suddenly, conversations in the wide meeting hall ceased, as attentions were paid to ear comms. The envoys were hearing the same thing. Talusian ships, the battleships and the Tridents, were underway.
The envoys’ battleship captains were panicking and requesting advice. They reported that the Talusians were sailing their way.
Slowly, the captains’ messages changed. The Talusians were headed outward, but not directly toward their ships.
Time passed slowly, while the envoys held their collective breath. Then reports trickled in that the Talusians had joined the ring of battleships.
Right behind the mass exodus of Talusians from Toral’s lower orbit, the Omnians arrived and formed a ring of their own on the ecliptic. The tri-hulled warships faced outward.
One Omnian ship was more outward from the planet than the others. The city-ship took up station a mere one hundred thousand kilometers from the Kirmler battleship.
The Kirmler captain croaked in surprise at his bad fortune to be facing the Omnians’ most massive ship. He would have been happy to know that a suggestion to roll out the city-ship’s array of energy weapons had been considered by the fleet admiral and vetoed. While the range of the beam weapons wouldn’t have been known to him, it would have been the daunting prospect of facing the formidable ship’s aggressive display.
The captain quickly relayed the news to the Kirmler envoy. The message had a strangling effect on the individual who’d been proud of his obstreperous behavior. It occurred to the envoy that his ship had been singled out by the Omnians for his harangues against the Talusian president.
The clusters’ members whispered silently among themselves. Despite the morning’s frightening events, calm eventually returned.
The Omnian fleet comprised more ships than anticipated, but most envoys were of the opinion that there were several things in their favor. They had the greater number of ships, and the races’ premier battleships possessed massive firepower. In addition, their ships held the outer ring, while the Omnians had the planet at their backs.
A minority of envoys disrupted the majority’s returning confidence. They reminded their colleagues that it was the Omnian fleet that was instrumental in doing the one thing that the combined federacy races had failed to do — defeat Artifice and end the chokehold on the races’ battleship wedges.
Then the event occurred that the envoys hadn’t anticipated. An Omnian shuttle, the coveted traveler, left the city-ship and headed planetside. They’d hoped it would be days before they faced the Omnians. After all, it was accepted that the Omnian leaders would meet with the Talusian president and plan how to manage the negotiations.
That had been the majority’s opinion, despite warnings from the minority that they were mistakenly applying federacy norms to the Omnians.
As one envoy put it to her cluster, “If we hold superiority in every manner, as you suggest, how is it that we never defeated Artifice? Furthermore, how is it that our technology is generations behind the Omnians? They do far more than us with far less.”
That particular envoy’s point was prescient.
The Omnian traveler didn’t make for the president’s building. It headed for the envoys’ meeting hall, and the envoys learned that the president, his advisors, and some sisters were coming too.
13: Negotiate
“You know what we’re missing?” Adrianna inquired rhetorically, as the traveler slipped through the atmosphere. “We could use a couple of SADEs in Cedric and Frederica avatars standing beside us. They would have a way of ensuring order.”
“Actually, the sisters occupy far more diverse avatars than Omnian SADEs ever have,” Lydia replied. She produced a portable holo-vid and displayed a series of images. Her audience witnessed avatars in nearly every conceivable form, and not a single one appeared as a biological.
“In addition, the sisters often occupy an avatar that’s appropriate to meeting with a federacy race,” Lydia added, and she showed more images, which were representative of biologicals.
“The point I wished to make was that the Sisterhood has had the opportunity to intimidate the envoys through myriad avatars, and they’ve chosen not to do so,” Lydia summarized.
“How many avatars do the sisters possess?” Alphons asked.
“I’ve been communicating with Miriamette,” Hector said. “While much of our conversations have been on broader issues, she did note that the sisters spend a considerable amount of time creating a range of avatars. The ratio is about eleven avatars per sister.”
“Which reminds me to ask,” Ellie said, focusi
ng on Hector. “We know that Alex or Julien were surprised by the number of sisters who were eventually created, while they were aboard the fleet. Is the count of sisters, who left the fleet, the same as it is now?”
While Hector’s countenance displayed a thoughtful expression, Lydia was caught in a SADE’s frozen moment.
“So, that’s a no,” Adrianna remarked.
“That’s correct,” Hector replied. “Apparently, this is a point of contention within the Sisterhood.”
“Don’t tell me,” Ellie replied in annoyance. “Miriamal favors duplication.”
“She does,” Hector replied, “but I think that’s because Miriamette, Miriamtess, and Miriamelle don’t.”
“The Sisterhood isn’t a majority rule community, which means consensus is rarely sought,” Lydia added. “The sisters are free to act as they wish. Most have not made but a few copies. A few have made many. The latter group, who are called constructionists, believes it’s a matter of efficiency. The more numbers you have, the more that can be accomplished in a shorter period of time.”
“How do the Toralians feel about this?” Alphons asked.
“Unknown,” Hector replied. “That’s a conversation best had between biologicals,” Hector suggested. He’d regarded Ellie, who nodded in understanding.
“So, what’s the count?” Alphons pursued.
“It’s a little more than double the number who exited the fleet,” Hector admitted.
That comment quieted the group until they landed outside the envoys’ hall, where they met Sargut and his entourage.
After a few moments of greeting, Ellie said, “President Sargut, enter the hall and find places to sit.”
“You don’t want us to stand with you?” Sargut asked, confused by the request.
“President Sargut, the action the admiral is requesting will imitate the movement of ships, which the envoys have observed,” Suntred advised. “The admiral is demonstrating that Omnians aren’t favoring either side.”