Starcaster Complete Series Boxed Set

by J. N. Chaney

  She could hear Damien wince behind her. Again, she didn’t care. Either the mission was a failure and they’d be boarding the Venture to get clear of Danzur space before the deadline of losing their credentials, or they wouldn’t. Short of unleashing a tirade of bitter vitriol on Tadrup, or actually trying to insult him—two things she wasn’t far off doing—she couldn’t imagine that the situation could really get much worse.

  Tadrup laughed.

  “My most profuse apologies,” Tadrup said. “I’m afraid we acted precipitously. May I come in?”

  Kira stepped aside and gestured the Danzur in. Damien greeted him, then shot Kira a look as Tadrup took a seat.

  She returned an ambiguous smile. “So, Tadrup, you say you acted precipitously. What does that mean, exactly?”

  “It means that we based our actions on old information. Since then, new information has come to light.”

  “About what?”

  “About this entire situation. We regret our rashness. Therefore, I would like to formally apologize to you.”

  Kira narrowed her eyes. So this wasn’t just a screw-up. The Danzur had suddenly swung from hostile, back to friendly, and now they were apparently interested in continuing negotiations.

  “And we are happy to accept your apology, Tadrup,” Damien said, then stood. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have some things to attend to in preparation for our departure.”

  “You’re leaving us?” Tadrup asked.

  Kira rolled her eyes.

  Damien just gave a nod. “Well, of course. Our diplomatic credentials are to be revoked in a few hours so we want to be clear of your space by then. We believe that the integrity of sovereign territory is very important.”

  Kira hid a smile. Damien was good, she had to admit. In one sentence, he’d managed to both show respect for the Danzur and admonish them for seizing the two Allied Stars planets. He’d also effectively objected to the loss of their credentials and generally shabby treatment as a bonus.

  Tadrup clearly got it, too. “We could not agree more. Which is why I am pleased to inform you that, once more, because of incomplete information, you were done an injustice. We no longer have an intention of revoking your diplomatic status, and we are pleased to invite you to remain in Danzur space as our honored guests.”

  Kira could have waited for Damien to offer a suitably diplomatic reply, but impatience over the whole ridiculous diplomatic dance made her speak up. Being tired and grouchy blunted her interest in subtlety and finesse.

  “I don’t think so, Tadrup,” she said. “I think you made your position pretty clear regarding our relations with you. I think we’ll just be on our way, taking the news of your rejection of our good faith offers back with us.”

  “No, please. As I said, new information has come to light that makes it clear our previous stance was incorrect. I did apologize.”

  Kira glanced at Damien, who’d just sat back down, apparently content to see where Kira was taking this. She caught a glimmer of worry from him that she might yet screw this up, but once more, she simply didn’t care.

  “And an apology is a big deal in diplomatic circles, I know,” she replied. “But let’s be clear on something here, Tadrup. If we are going to restart our negotiations, then we need an assurance that you’re not going to suddenly reverse course on us again and demand that we leave your space—oh, and no, I will not move back into those awful quarters you apparently repurposed out of a greasy machinery locker.”

  Tadrup tilted his head. “I am prepared to agree in principle, of course, but we must retain the discretion to protect our interests.”

  “Fine,” Kira said, activating her comm. “Wixcombe to Venture. Prepare to get underway. We’ll be leaving within the hour.”

  “No!” Tadrup’s voice was filled with genuine alarm, a true error in diplomatic practices.

  Kira stopped. “Venture, stand by.”

  “Standing by.”

  “It is not necessary for you to leave, Kira. We will stipulate to maintaining a positive negotiating environment with you.”

  “I’m curious, Tadrup,” Damien said. “What changed? What new information did you come into?”

  While Damien talked, Kira brushed her awareness against Tadrup’s. She didn’t want to probe too far, but she could readily sense his surface thoughts. They revolved around Kira not leaving, and negotiations not ceasing.

  Tadrup fired up his bureaucratic double-speak. “The new information is related to matters that had originally prompted us to seek to break off negotiations, but which, when combined with new information—”

  “You called us a pox, Tadrup,” Kira said. “You said you were going to ally with the squids to—how did you put it? To take up arms against us?”

  “Kira, I—”

  “No,” she snapped. “It’s time for the diplomatic, bureaucratic bullshit to take a break. I’m a soldier, so I’m used to speaking like a soldier.” She really was fed up and didn’t care if she insulted Tadrup, or anyone else, in the process of venting about it. “And this soldier has this to say—you threatened us with war, implied an imminent threat if we didn’t leave your space according to a deadline you arbitrarily set—oh, and you stuck me in that miserable little closet that you laughingly call quarters.”

  Damien gave a thin smile. “Not how I would have put it, Tadrup, but you have to admit, Kira’s right. You’re asking us to overlook some egregious issues.” Tadrup opened his mouth, but Damien held up a hand. “Having said all of that, though, we aren’t opposed to reopening negotiations. But only, as Kira says, if they’re going to be conducted in good faith.”

  “Which means,” Kira said, “no more of the officious crap, the requests and forms and applications.”

  “But it’s how we do things,” Tadrup protested. “To just set it all aside—”

  “You don’t have to set it all aside,” Damien put in. “We’re prepared to conform to your systems, your way of doing things, but only as long as you’re prepared to accommodate us more than you have been.”

  Tadrup nodded. “That’s agreeable, of course.”

  Kira had turned to look out the big viewport. A Danzur ship was passing slowly by, thrusters puffing, apparently about to dock somewhere further along the platform. She ignored it, though, and kept her focus on Tadrup.

  He wasn’t happy about this. He’d been instructed to be accommodating, to mend relations with the humans, and wasn’t pleased by it. He was just following orders—but those orders had obviously been a pretty abrupt and comprehensive reversal of the hardline position they’d previously taken.

  A stance Tadrup himself had enthusiastically endorsed.

  Kira turned. “Tadrup, what have you got against us?”

  The Danzur stared. “What? Why, I’ve got nothing against you.”

  “Bullshit,” Kira snapped. “I can tell you don’t like us. It’s written all over your face. Why?”

  Kira felt Damien tense but ignored it and kept her full attention on Tadrup. She was a little embarrassed by how much pleasure she took in seeing the Danzur diplomat actually starting to squirm.

  She could see him sorting through possible replies. Kira just waited.

  Tadrup finally gave up and spoke plainly. “I had extensive commercial investments in our trade with the Nyctus. When your Orbital Navy destroyed their planet, I lost everything.” He drew himself up. “So, yes, I admit it. That definitely doesn’t make me favorably disposed to you.”

  “Why would your government assign someone with such an obvious—and, I’ll grant you, understandable—bias against us to negotiate?” Damien asked. “And why did you agree to it?”

  “I don’t pretend to relish this task, conducting these negotiations,” Tadrup said. “But it was assigned to me, and it is therefore my duty to carry it out. As a soldier, Kira, I’m sure you understand that.”

  She nodded. “I do. And thank you for being honest—finally.” She nodded again. “I get it. We’re given things to do that we
don’t particularly want to do. But then we do them to the best of our ability, and in good faith—don’t we, Tadrup?”

  He nodded. “Yes, we do.”

  “So why the change of heart? What is the new information you received?” Damien asked.

  “And what about the reparations you were so determined to have us pay to you?” Kira added.

  “Reparations have been made,” Tadrup replied. “Generous reparations, at that.”

  Damien smiled. “In other words, your losses were made good. You got your money back.”

  “In essence, yes.”

  Kira was frowning, though. “Generous reparations were made? When? By whom?”

  “I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to say,” Tadrup replied, then held up both paws. “And before you react badly to that, I hasten to add that that’s not some arbitrary position or bureaucratic—what was the word you used, Kira? Bullshit?”

  Kira almost smiled at that. The word sounded strange coming from the Danzur, even through the translator. It shouldn’t be a surprise, though. It was likely every race had the concept of bullshit in their culture and language. It was, Kira thought, pretty much inevitable that any species that became sentient probably developed the idea of bullshit pretty early on.

  But she didn’t smile because Tadrup’s words had some disturbing implications. If the Allied Stars had made reparations, then how? And when? And why wouldn’t they involve or even inform their own diplomatic mission here? One glance at Damien showed that he was obviously wondering the same thing.

  But who else could have made reparations on the Allied Stars’ behalf?

  “Well, this is all very positive news, Tadrup,” Damien said, standing. “Kira and I have some things to discuss, now that we’re talking to you again, and—”

  “Yes, of course,” Tadrup replied, also standing. “I will make arrangements to get our meeting schedule reactivated and brought up-to-date. Until then . . .”

  Tadrup turned for the door.

  “Tadrup, wait,” Kira said. She caught a sharp, warning glance from Damien out of the corner of her eye, but there was something she wanted to try.

  The Danzur turned back. His attitude was genuinely tense. Despite having had his losses apparently made good, Tadrup obviously still wasn’t happy about these events. She needed to try probing his thoughts more deeply, but not right now. She was still pretty pissed off herself and couldn’t be sure that none of that would leak across a Joining and alert the Danzur.

  “You want to show us that you’re going to deal in good faith, right?” Kira asked.

  Tadrup nodded. “Of course.”

  “And you’re saying that full—I think you even said generous—reparations have been made, correct?”

  Suspicion crept into Tadrup’s manner, but he nodded again. “Yes. All is forgiven.”

  “I’m so glad. However, I think a true demonstration of good faith is in order.”

  “What would you suggest?” Tadrup asked, his wariness even more acute.

  “Relinquish your claim to the two planets you seized from us,” Kira replied flatly. “Renounce whatever designs you might have had on them and formally recognize them as Allied Stars territory.”

  Damien stiffened. Kira knew this was a blunt way of approaching diplomacy, insofar as she wasn’t really being diplomatic at all. Once more, she didn’t give a shit. But there was more to it than that. She wanted to see what Tadrup’s reaction would be.

  “I—” Tadrup began, then he stopped and shook his head. “It’s not my place to commit to such a thing. I will, however—”

  “Raise the matter immediately with your Central Council in order to get this particular bit of unpleasantness resolved?” Damien said, jumping aboard Kira’s train of thought.

  “After all,” Kira added, “you’ve had generous reparations made so you no longer have a reason to keep up your incursion into our space, right?”

  “I will bring the matter to the attention of my superiors immediately upon leaving here,” Tadrup said, doing everything short of actually sighing out loud in frustration. “I will have an answer for you.”

  “Within twelve hours?” Kira said. “That would be wonderful, thanks.”

  Tadrup’s bland stare, the all-purpose expression of a diplomat, slipped for a moment. Kira saw anger, bordering on outrage, but it vanished like a light flicked off. “I will do my best to have an answer for you shortly.”

  Kira was tempted to push, to see if she could provoke Tadrup into saying something he didn’t intend or otherwise reveal something useful, but Damien cut her off.

  “Thank you, Tadrup. We look forward to resuming our negotiations with you very soon.”

  Tadrup nodded and left.

  When he was gone, Damien looked at Kira. “Well, I have to return to the Venture. Would you care to join me?”

  She nodded. “Right behind you.”

  “I am just not cut out for this diplomacy stuff,” Kira said, dropping into a seat aboard the Venture and stretching out her legs. “I definitely prefer looking at my enemies through a gunsight, not across a meeting table.”

  “Um, not so fast, Kira,” Damien said. “I wouldn’t write off your skills as a diplomat too quickly.”

  “You’re kidding, right? I was anything but diplomatic with Tadrup.”

  “Believe it or not, diplomacy isn’t just endless compromises and insincerely flattering words. Sometimes, you have to be firm. And you were definitely firm.”

  Kira leaned her head back and sighed heavily. “Let me put it this way. I don’t like this diplomatic stuff. It’s just not how my mind works. I’ve been taught to solve problems as tactical challenges—maneuver, firepower, countermeasures, that sort of thing. This verbal sparring just wears me down.”

  “Well, I’ve got one observation,” Damien replied. “If you plan to advance in the ON and become a Commander, or even a Captain or an Admiral, then diplomacy is going to be a big part of what you’re going to have to do to be successful. Hell, I spend at least half of my diplomatic effort to balance agendas and schemes, interests, and motivations . . . all inside the Allied Stars bureaucracy. The ON isn’t going to be any different. However—and I say this slowly, so you grasp the importance—you have a natural grasp of the value that contrast can bring to the negotiating table.”

  “Lieutenant for life doesn’t sound half bad, and I was always good at playing good officer, bad officer.”

  “You’ll get a way better pension as an Admiral, though.”

  Kira smiled. “Admiral Wixcombe. Yeah, right. Anyway, what do you think is going on?”

  “With Tadrup, or the Danzur generally?”

  “Both, I guess.”

  Damien stretched out his legs. “I don’t know. I’ve got no idea what sort of reparations were paid.”

  “So there are no other channels open between the Allied Stars and Danzur? Things going on in the background we don’t know about?”

  “If we don’t know about them, then how could I say?”

  Kira hissed in frustration. “Fair point, but you know what I mean.”

  Damien nodded. “I’m sure not aware of any back channels between us and the Danzur. More to point, it would be unheard of. Running some sort of back channel with a party, while having a formal diplomatic mission deployed to deal with that party, but keeping your own mission in the dark? It makes no sense to do that, because how do you stop everyone from working at cross purposes?”

  “So what the hell kind of reparations were made?”

  “I’ll get a diplomatic signal cranked up to send back home. It’s going to take a while to get an answer, of course.”

  Kira nodded. “In the meantime, I’ll do some signal cranking of my own.”

  Kira allowed herself the indulgence of sprawling across the voluminous bed in her quarters. She luxuriated in the vast expanse of fine, smooth fabric—something like silk, but thicker and more supple. It was decadent, something she’s rarely experienced since joining the ranks o
f a navy engaged in a life-or-death struggle of galactic proportions.

  It was also three times the size of her rack aboard the Venture. Okay, so maybe there were some perks to these diplomatic missions.

  Still not enough to offset the aggravation, though.

  Kira closed her eyes, breathing in and out slowly. Having the Danzur spy on her doing this was of little concern. From their perspective, she’d merely be silent and still, apparently taking a nap. Of course, there were other implications to being surveilled that actually did bother her—there was a reason she still changed and showered aboard the Venture. She doubted the Danzur would have much interest in the human body, but she really didn’t want to find out that she was wrong about that the hard way, and her natural shyness—a product of the collective home—lingered like an old habit.

  When she’d fully settled into her center, she threw her awareness into deep space. She rode a wave of her magic like an expanding shockwave, the bow shape growing wider with each passing second. Fortunately, she knew she could concentrate most of her attention across a limited arc. It was unlikely that Thorn would be anywhere but back in the direction of Allied Stars space and the Zone.

  Thorn?

  It was just a shout into the ether. Thorn would hear it and reply. That would snap the link closed between them. As far as she’d been able to tell, no other Starcasters, nor anyone else sensitive to magic, would be able to overhear it. Her intent was only to speak to Thorn, and it seemed that magic honored that intent.

  Except he didn’t. She got no response at all.

  Thorn, are you there?

  Silence.

  Thorn, somehow the Allied Stars or the ON made reparations to the Danzur, but we don’t know anything more. Do you? Can you find out?

  Nothing.

  Kira frowned. He wasn’t ignoring her. She’d become attuned enough to Thorn’s presence in the ether that she could tell if he was out there, somewhere, and simply choosing to ignore her. Of course, it might be for good reason, if he was enmeshed in something complex or dangerous. But this was different. There simply wasn’t any sense of him even existing—