Counterstrike

by D. J. Holmes

  As Mouse began to move and her active sensors powered up, Jennifer watched the holo display of the system keenly. If there was a Karacknid warship hiding in the inner system, sooner or later Mouse would detect it. Of course, if it was anything larger than a Karacknid frigate, Mouse would be in a lot of trouble. But she couldn’t do anything about that. She had orders to follow.

  “Whoever had bets on them not having gravimetric sensors just lost out,” Davenport commented as she pointed towards the Rillelio’s homeworld. There was a sudden flurry of activity in orbit.

  “Perhaps they are close to developing their own shift drive,” Jennifer replied. That would be interesting to watch. Technologically, the Rillelio were roughly equivalent to Humanity in the 2200s. There were many orbital stations around their homeworld and several other stations around the different moons and asteroids within the system. According to Domingo’s analysis of their COM traffic, they had dispatched several sub light generation ships twenty years ago to a nearby star system with a potentially habitable world. To be able to carry out such a feat was impressive, but sadly the colonists were going to encounter a significant difficulty. The system the generation ship had been sent to wasn’t reachable via shift space. If and when the Rillelio did develop their own shift drive, they wouldn’t be able to visit their colony. Just like us, Jennifer thought. There were still a handful of worlds that colony ships had been sent to before Humanity had developed the shift drive. In two hundred years, no one had heard from any of them.

  “We are getting a pretty good breakdown of their warships now that they are going active,” Domingo informed Jennifer. “Looks like they have ten ships with what I estimate to be military grade reactors and engines. They’re forming up into a defensive formation and putting themselves between us and their homeworld.”

  “Send out the prearranged introductory COM message,” Jennifer ordered. “Then plot us a course to come to a halt just within two-way communication range of their warships. Let’s try to be as unthreatening as possible.”

  As officers moved to obey her orders, Jennifer focused on the Rillelio warships. In the center of their formation were four larger ones, roughly equivalent to an Imperial light cruiser. The remaining six were not much bigger than Mouse. One Karacknid medium cruiser could destroy them all without breaking a sweat, she concluded. The power readings coming off the ships were much higher than the rest of the freighters and civilian ships in the system, but they were not overly impressive. When the Karacknids added the Rillelio system to their Empire, they would barely have to lift a finger to do so.

  “We’ve come to a halt relative to their homeworld,” Domingo reported two hours later. “They are hailing us. Visual and audio.”

  Jennifer took a deep breath before responding. The stealth probe they had sent into the system three days ago had been collecting and transmitting as much data as it could find back to Mouse. Much of the data had included visual recordings of the Rillelio. Knowing what the aliens looked like took a little bit of the edge off but this was still Jennifer’s first, first contact experience. Once she had settled her breathing, she nodded to Domingo. Immediately an image appeared on the holo-projector. With three eyes, two mouths and four arms, the upper half of the aliens was unlike anything Jennifer had seen before. Strangely enough though, their lower half was very similar to the Crians who were similar to the horses Jennifer had grown up with on her parents’ ranch in Utah. That similarity was something for some Earth biologist to figure out though. Moments after appearing, the alien spoke, both of its mouths moving together, though not in unison. Thankfully, the Kulrean translation software had spent the last three days perfecting its understanding of the Rillelio’s language.

  “I am Admiral Xarth of the Rillelio defense fleet. Who are you and what is your intention?” the alien asked.

  Jennifer smiled as wide as she could without it feeling forced. “Greetings Admiral. I am Commander Steele of the Imperial ship Mouse. My species call ourselves Humans. We are a multisystem civilization who inhabit a number of planets not far from here. I have come on a peaceful diplomatic mission. We would like to introduce ourselves to you. I understand your species has not made contact with another sentient race before?”

  “You are correct Commander. This is a situation I have trained for, but never expected to see. You obviously have the ability to understand and communicate in our language,” Xarth replied.

  Jennifer nodded. “We do. Though the technology is not ours. Another species, one we befriended several decades ago, shared it with us.”

  “You know of other species as well. We are truly not alone in the universe?” Xarth asked.

  This time Jennifer’s smile was genuine. “I can understand the surprise Admiral. Less than thirty years ago my species also thought it was alone in the universe. Since then we have made contact with sixteen other species and through them we have become aware of many hundreds more. Your species is certainly not alone Admiral. Of that I can assure you.”

  Xarth shook his head in a very human fashion and his three eyes rolled around and around, none of them in unison. “You bring shocking revelations Captain. I’m sure the political leaders of the various nations on my homeworld will wish to speak with you. Before I allow your ship to approach our homeworld, I have several more questions and I must carry out a detailed scan of your ship.”

  “By all means,” Jennifer replied. “I completely understand your caution. My sensors tell me you still have your weapons charged and targeting us. I will power down my weapons if you are prepared to do the same.”

  “That would be acceptable Captain,” Xarth responded.

  Jennifer looked away from him for a moment and nodded to Domingo. A second later Domingo nodded back to let her know that the Rillelio ships had powered down their weapons as well. “What are the questions you have for me Admiral?” Jennifer asked as she turned back to the alien.

  “Your ship clearly has advanced power reactors and weapons. Why have you brought a warship to meet with us?” Xarth asked.

  “Mouse is one of the smallest warships my species has in operation Admiral,” Jennifer answered. “She is designed for long range missions. She was the most logical choice to send to your system. Though I am a naval officer, I was a diplomat before joining my species’ Navy. I believe that was why I was sent here with my ship.”

  “One of your smaller ships?” Xarth asked as his eyes rolled around in his head again. “Your larger ships must be impressive. Why does your species need warships at all?”

  “I could ask you the same question Admiral,” Jennifer countered. “Though I can guess the answer. My species has always been cautious of the unknown. Often we have found it is better to be prepared than to be found lacking when a threat appears. And, to be honest, we have found that there are hostile sentient species out there. For the most part those we have encountered have been friendly. But that is not always the case.”

  “That is troubling to hear,” Xarth said. “If I get the opportunity that is something I would like to speak to you about. I’m getting orders from my leaders though. Our scans indicate that your ship is powerful, but if you’re happy to enter orbit with my fleet closely escorting you, I have orders to allow you to proceed to our homeworld.”

  “This is your system and your homeworld Admiral, we will follow whatever directions you have for us,” Jennifer said as she smiled. So far so good, she thought. However, the real difficulty would come in speaking to the leaders of the Rillelio people. Domingo’s analysis had identified at least six major national powers, all of whom seemed to compete with one another to one degree or another. Though they have jointly built their defensive fleet, that is a positive sign.

  *

  As Mouse’s shuttle broke through the thick clouds that enveloped the Rillelio’s homeworld, Jennifer inhaled sharply. The shuttle was heading towards what she could only describe as a supercity. Almost as far as she could see, skyscrapers and large spires dominated the horizon. Turni
ng slightly she raised her eyebrows as she shared a look with Domingo. “Your analysis didn’t say we were going to find this,” she said as she waved towards the shuttle’s viewport.

  Domingo’s eyes were wide as she shook her head. “The data we sifted through didn’t say anything about this. Sure, there were shots of cities, but I thought they were of different cities. Not one continuous one.”

  Jennifer nodded only half listening. She had already turned back to take in the view. Not only was the scale of the city impressive, it was also beautiful. She had visited a number of Human colonies and had been part of one of the early diplomatic missions to Vestar, so she had some experience of what different worlds looked like. She had also studied all the data she could get on the Alliance and Conclave species. Even so, she was impressed. “They may not have shift drive technology, but it seems they have mastered living on their own world,” she commented.

  “They may not be able to help us against the Karacknids, but they could be important allies,” Domingo agreed. “It’s a pity we can’t be completely upfront with them.”

  “Indeed,” Jennifer responded, quietly impressed at Domingo’s analysis. As soon as she had heard about the Karacknid Empire’s attack on Earth, Jennifer had transferred from the UN diplomatic Corps to the UN Navy. That gave her experience in both worlds. Domingo had risen through the Royal Space Navy ranks after graduating from the academy and becoming a midshipman in the RSN. Even so, it seemed she had a pretty good grasp of the diplomatic situation.

  “Here’s our landing spot,” the shuttle pilot said as the shuttle slowed and banked around an open space between two skyscrapers. A large group of aliens was already gathered below them.

  “Take us in,” Jennifer ordered. As soon as the shuttle touched down she unstrapped her harness and stood. Before moving towards the rear of the shuttle she caught Domingo’s eye. “Remember, whatever happens, keep a straight face. Let’s not insult them unintentionally.”

  “Aye Captain,” Domingo responded as she gave her commanding officer a sharp nod.

  “But don’t be too stiff,” Jennifer responded as she flashed her Lieutenant a quick grin. “We wouldn’t want them thinking we are boring either.” Before Domingo could reply, Jennifer turned and led her through the shuttle. Even before she stepped off the access ramp, several aliens were moving towards her. Behind them, she saw the crowd had more than doubled in the brief moments it had taken the shuttle to land. There were aliens in all sorts of strangely colored attire and, off to one side, a number of aliens in a similar uniform, each carrying what she guessed was a weapon.

  “Commander Steele of the Human species, allow me to welcome you to our world. I am Ambassador Zarnac. I represent the free nation of Karam in the Global Assembly,” the closest alien said. It stood just in front of Jennifer.

  “Thank you for your welcome Ambassador,” Jennifer replied as she gave a low bow to Zarnac. Among most of the species Humanity had met it was an accepted sign of honor. When Zarnac didn’t respond, she quickly straightened and gestured towards Domingo. “This is Veronica Domingo, Mouse’s Second Lieutenant.”

  “You are most welcome to our planet as well Lieutenant,” Zarnac said. “Please, allow me to introduce Ambassadors Civiv, Granlam, and Zorum,” Zarnac continued as he gestured to each of the three aliens who were standing closest to him. “They each represent their nations in the Global Assembly and together we have been chosen to be the first to speak with you. I would love to give you a tour of our capital city and other parts of our world if you like. First though, there are many questions that we have and I am sure you would like to converse with us. That is why you’re here after all, is it not?”

  “It certainly is Ambassador,” Jennifer said with a smile. “In my species, friendships are developed through time spent with one another in conversation. That is why I am here with you now.”

  “Then please, follow me Commander,” Zarnac said as he gestured with one of his three fingered hands and his three eyes turned to the side of his head in the same direction.

  As they walked, Jennifer looked from side to side at the amazing sights. Quickly she began to ask questions about them. Though she only understood half of what Zarnac said, she found her respect for the Rillelio people growing. They had accomplished a great deal given how inferior much of their technology was to what Humanity now possessed. When Zarnac led them into one of the nearest buildings, she was even more impressed with their engineering capabilities. The interior of the building looked like it had been molded from one piece rather than put together out of subsections. It was quite possible the building had been built by any number of different ways she didn’t understand, but it certainly impressed her given her experience with Human buildings. The large room they finally stopped in did not disappoint her either. Along one wall was a giant world map that appeared to be etched into the wall’s surface. Jennifer assumed it mapped out the different nations that made up the global assembly. When she asked, Zarnac confirmed her guess.

  “Let us get down to business,” Zarnac said after providing seats for Jennifer and Domingo and offering them some interesting refreshments.

  “Where would you like to begin?” Jennifer asked.

  “You have come to visit us,” Civiv said, speaking for the first time. “You have us at quite the disadvantage. We did not know you existed several hours ago. Perhaps you would like to go first and tell us about your species and why you are here.”

  “Certainly,” Jennifer replied. “It would be my pleasure.” She gave the Ambassadors a brief history of how Humanity had discovered the shift drive and began to explore and colonize other worlds. She mentioned a handful of wars that had been fought within her species and then she focused on the discovery of the Vestarians, Kulreans and the Flex-aor attack. Leaving out the Karacknids, she shared with them how Humanity had made contact with the Varanni Alliance and the Conclave. When the Ambassadors found out that the Varanni had discovered their system centuries ago, before their species had even launched its first satellite into orbit, they were particularly shocked. From the number of questions they interrupted with, she guessed it was a lot for them to take in.

  “That is why we are here,” Jennifer concluded as she felt a pang of guilt for not telling the entire truth. “We are looking to make new friends and trading partners. I have permission to share a number of our technologies and discoveries with you as a sign of friendship. In return, we are particularly interested in trading He3 from your system. It is a commodity that is always in short supply within a space faring civilization. Being able to purchase some from your world will allow our exploration ships to range further from our borders.”

  “Your species must have an impressive civilization,” Civiv replied slowly. “To have so many colonized worlds and so many trade routes established with other civilizations, the He3 demands of your military and civilian shipping is no doubt significant. We only have two, I imagine basic by your standards, gas mining stations. Whilst we are certainly eager to trade with you, I do not understand why you need our fuel?”

  “Two reasons,” Jennifer replied. “First, it would be quite expensive and time-consuming for us to set up our own fueling station in this system or in one nearby. It is our hope that we can establish a true friendship with your world and share goods and technologies between our two civilizations. If you can provide us with the fuel our ships will need it will greatly speed up that process. Second, at this stage in our relationship it is likely that we will have more technologies and commodities to trade with you than you may have with us. Though I must say I have been impressed with what I have seen of your engineering capabilities. In any case, by trading fuel for technologies, it gives you a valuable resource that we are happy to trade with you.”

  Civiv brought his three fingered hands together. “If that’s the case, then I’m sure we would be happy to trade with you. Though we would have to invest heavily in upgrading our capacity. It should not be too difficult. We have not done
so simply because we have no need for the extra fuel.”

  “Which brings us to what you might trade to us in exchange,” Zarnac interjected.

  “That may be more difficult to answer definitively without knowing more about your species and how our technologies may be of value to you,” Jennifer explained. “Though I do have permission to share certain farming technologies and plant-based foodstuffs that come from my homeworld as well as those from several of our friends. Computing and energy production technologies will also be on the table. In addition, if your species has an FTL research program, then perhaps some of my officers could give your scientists a few pointers. Our own FTL and weapons technologies are off-limits at the moment though.” As she spoke all four of the Rillelio Ambassadors turned and looked at one another, their eyes spinning. It made Jennifer smile. It seemed the Rillelio weren’t very good at hiding their emotions. That was not a bad thing. At least from her perspective. “I’m guessing you do have your own FTL program?” she asked.

  The eyes of each Ambassador continued to spin as Zarnac answered for them. “We do, we have been seeking to develop such abilities for several generations but have had little success. Any help you could give us in this regard would be greatly appreciated. We’d happily trade as much fuel with you as we can. The other technologies will no doubt be of great benefit to our civilization, but we have always desired to explore the stars. Your arrival on our homeworld has confirmed that this is possible. Now, there will be no quenching our appetite for such adventures. If you could help us in this regard we would be forever in your debt.”