Garrett crossed his arms. "If those bots can build me one of these suits, I would totally change my opinion about them."
Go pulled his head back. "Really? That would make a difference to you? This is still an AI we are talking about, right?"
Garrett stood quietly for a moment. "Yeah, I guess I'd still be uptight with them being around. Although, having another suit would be worth the loss of a little comfort."
Three hours passed before the Grotus scout ships showed on the sensors.
Jack said, "They aren't stopping. In another minute they'll be within sensor range of the Moddle. We may want to start backing out of here if they decide to run in this direction."
I replied, "Set a course to move us away, but hold on the execution. I want to see the reaction of the Moddle."
After passing into range of the Moddle fleet, our reactions were ones of wonder.
Garrett pointed at the display. "They're still going. And the Moddle don't seem to care."
Jack referenced the nav display. "The Sutherlin is returning as well. And there are two new ships with her. Something is just not right here. We still have the probes hanging out there if Garrett wants to move back in comm range of them. Would be interesting to hear what they are talking about on the bridge using that tag we left."
I looked at Garrett. "Take Go and head back out there."
Go sighed. "I guess I better get my gel and filter changed out."
I shook my head. "I don't want to risk you going in there again just yet. Let's see what they do with these Grumar ships first. But I would have the bots change out the gel before you go. The power cell copy will have to wait until you two come back."
Garrett gestured toward the door. "Come on. I'll help with the gel. And it will take us about a half hour to get back out there, so if I was you, I would be stuffing my face just in case you have to make another jump."
As I watched in disbelief, the Grumar ships ran all the way to the Moddle fleet and stopped. "Something is bad wrong here."
The Jess left out of the docking bay and was soon settling into a position where our comm link from the Sutherlin could be picked up. The ambassador was on the bridge with Captain Rogers.
The ambassador said, "I'm getting tired of being jerked around here, Captain. I wish they would come to a decision and go with it. A few hours ago we were at war with the Grumar and Grotus. Now we are supposed to be allies? How am I to receive any respect from any of these species when we keep changing sides?"
The captain replied, "Well, at least it looks like war has been averted, for the time being."
The ambassador scowled, "The Moddle Empire was ours. The Grumar and Grotus would have had a difficult time defending against us. Now we are to play friendly with them all? And to what end? Apparently, the war at Bolitha has not gone well for the Grumar and Grotus. They are now willing to team with the two species they turned on earlier. As a diplomat, how am I to work with these people when they know this alliance is only for temporary convenience?"
The captain laughed. "You're a diplomat, Ambassador. Your job is politics. It's your mission to make the other guy believe the lies you are telling to them. For the military, just give us both swords and let us go at it. The footwork needed to accomplish our mission is a lot simpler."
Garrett said over the comm, "Great, so now we are allied with both species?"
A third figure walked onto the bridge with a familiar voice. "Ambassador, shouldn't you be preparing for transfer? We want this agreement signed today!"
Garrett stood. "What? What is she doing here?"
Joni Salton stood next to Dale Rogers. "Captain, I take it you know which Moddle ship they will meet on?"
The captain pointed to the holo-display on the wall in front of him. "Third from the left. It's their command ship."
Garrett said, "Is she wearing a uniform?"
The ambassador hurried from the bridge.
Joni looked back. "How capable is this ship, Captain?"
Dale Rogers replied, "Why do you ask?"
Joni looked back at the holo-display. "I ask because we don't yet have a signed agreement and because my uncle has a tendency to change his mind when it comes to a deal. I want to know that the ship I'm commanding is capable, and its crew is competent."
The captain nodded. "We are capable, Miss Salton. We have four dozen inhibitor bombs aboard. If hostilities begin, we only need deploy one of those to give us time to get away. The tuning of those fields should allow any New Alliance ships to escape."
Joni frowned. "Are we reliant on that one technology, Captain? If so, you do realize that any technology is suspect until such time as it's tested in a live situation. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the ion inhibitor technology has not been used in a ship-to-ship fight. Am I right?"
The captain again nodded, "You are correct. As a last resort. We also have a complement of fission weapons."
Joni raised her eyebrows. "Isn't that against all diplomatic rules?"
The captain half smiled. "I don't think your uncle much cares, Miss Salton. And for all I know, those weapons may not even be real. They may be on here to alleviate the fear that comes with parking my ship a thousand kilometers away from an enemy warship."
Joni tilted her head to the side. "Are you saying you don't trust my uncle, Captain?"
Dale Rogers thought for a moment. "I'm only saying those weapons are sealed away on a part of the ship we have no access to. And only the ambassador has the ability to launch them. You can infer whatever level of trust we might have from that statement."
Joni smiled. "You are starting to sound like a diplomat, Captain."
The captain smirked. "I guess that says I've been out here too long. And now that you know about the supposed discretionary weapons, what do you think of your new command?"
Joni replied, "I think I have the right crew under me, Captain. I like that you speak your mind. Let's just hope the ambassador can get his job done today so we can move out from here."
Jack said, "Wow. She's got no fear of leading."
Garrett leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "I just hope that's all an act and she isn't falling under her uncle's spell. He can be a powerful and persuasive speaker."
I replied, "I don't think that's the case. I see her as being resourceful enough that she has managed her way out of the box back home, and now stands aboard a vessel in another galaxy."
Joni said, "Captain, how far from here to Bolitha?"
The captain pulled up a nav display over his arm pad. "Six weeks. And seven weeks to Modus. Those two worlds are nine weeks apart."
Joni continued, "What can you tell me about Bolitha?"
Dale Rogers gestured toward a chair. "You'll want to sit. This all started just over five years ago as an experiment. We sent a couple ships out through the portal to see what was out here. We encountered the Doomlighters within the first month. They were friendly enough. And then they got attacked by the Moddle. Your uncle saw this as an opportunity to begin an alliance out here. So he made a deal with the Doomlighters and provided conscripted troops to help in their war against the Moddle.
"The Moddle were of course very unhappy with this. They turned up the pressure and were pushing the conscripts back. That's when the Grumar showed up. They gave aid to the conscripts, who began to push the Moddle back. During the renewed conflict, Mr. Salton decided he wanted the planet for himself. He turned on the Doomlighters and made a deal with the Moddle. The Doomlighters were rounded up and slaughtered by the millions.
"Well, apparently, the Grumar and Grotus were unhappy with that turn of events, so they brought in their heavy troops and quickly had the Moddle and the Alliance on the ropes. An armistice was signed with both the Moddle and the New Alliance agreeing to the terms. The Moddle troops were sent off to start a war with the Kergan Empire on Bolitha, while the New Alliance troops were sent to attack the Moddle worlds.
"And now… here we are. The three backstabbers are allying in an effort
to take down the Kergan Empire. From what I've heard, the Moddle fleet that the Grumar forced into battle got decimated. And the Grumar and Grotus ships that have ventured there haven't fared so well, either. Bolitha used to be a colony of the Grumar Duration. The Grotus see the Kergan as a huge threat, and rightly so. The Kergan fleet reportedly has nearly ten thousand ships. And their ground forces are highly trained and experienced.
"With Bolitha only nine weeks from Modus and Mayanis, you can see why they are willing to make this alliance. We just happened to jump into this galaxy at the moment these species all decided to go to war. And your uncle seems to be fascinated by it all."
I brought a recording of the attack on Odenta up on my holo-display and began to zoom in on and probe the images.
Jack asked, "What are you looking for?"
I replied, "There. Just within scanner range. Transports. I believe the Grumar and Grotus wanted Odenta as a staging world for their fight with the Kergans. Odenta is only seven weeks from Bolitha. Given what we know of those transports, that's easily several million ground troops they were getting ready to drop in there. It seems Chancellor Marun really foiled their plan. Which might be why we are seeing this alliance all of a sudden."
Joni brought up a star chart showing Bolitha. "Other than the size of their fleet, what do we know about the Kergans?"
Captain Rogers shook his head. "Virtually nothing. The Moddle ships that fought there were all destroyed. Those that attempted to flee were caught before they could get far. If the Grumar and Grotus know anything, they haven't said anything."
Joni swiped at the display, bringing up several star systems on the far side of Bolitha. "What kind of weapons do they have? You said the Moddle ships were decimated—not that they are impressive ships, but how were they destroyed?"
The captain shrugged. "We haven't received any information about that. The ambassador made reference to it earlier this morning. He hopes some of that information will be released by the others during this morning's meetings. By the way, I'm surprised you aren't going. I would think that Mr. Salton would want you there."
Joni half smiled. "My uncle wants to protect me and to keep me under wraps until he fully trusts me. We've had our differences in the past, something we are both trying to work through."
The captain nodded. "Trust can be a tricky thing. It has to be earned. To just give it is foolish."
Garrett said, "We have a shuttle leaving the Sutherlin. I would say the ambassador is on his way."
Jack pointed at the nav display. "Looks like the Salton fleet is here. What is that, twenty-five hundred ships? How is he getting them built that fast?"
Go answered. "He has the AI technology and the autobots. He might have done just what we were doing on Odenta and what the Grumar and Grotus have been doing. Imagine what a shipyard with tens or hundreds of millions of those autobots could accomplish."
Garrett rolled his eyes. "They continue to spread unchecked. I'm telling you right here, it won’t be long before we are fighting for our survival against them. They can procreate exponentially in a short amount of time. It takes us decades to bring someone to fighting age."
Go shook his head. "Programming prevents them from doing that."
Garrett huffed. "Yeah, and programming can't be changed? I think you are living in a dream world."
Go frowned. "I wish I'd left a tag on the wall in the Moddle conference room. We need to hear what it is they are agreeing to."
Garrett replied, "We'll find out soon enough. When the ambassador comes back, he'll have to report status to Joni. Until that happens, we can just sit here and twiddle our thumbs."
Chapter 9
* * *
The shuttle docked in the bay of the Sutherlin and the ambassador made his way onto the bridge. "Captain, you may take us back to the fleet now. The agreement has been signed. We head to Bolitha within the hour."
Joni nodded for the captain to proceed. "Ambassador, any word of what we might be up against?"
The ambassador replied, "The agreement stated that all tactical data related to Bolitha would be released in the coming weeks. I would have to say the demeanor of the Grumar and Grotus was telling. They are terrified of the Kergan threat. They haven't managed to get a single scout ship past Bolitha to the other star systems. It seems the Kergan ships have advanced sensors and are slightly faster. And they have a network of those advanced sensors set up as a screen. According to the Grumar, they have yet to find the end of the screen, as not one ship they've sent out has returned."
Joni frowned. "I can't say I have a lot of confidence in victory with what little we know. Why would you commit to a fight when you don't know the size or capability of your enemy? It's one thing if you are defending, but this is an assault."
The captain gave the order to pull back. Half an hour later, the Sutherlin moved just out of comm range.
Garrett said, "I can get us back within range, but at increased risk."
I replied, "No. Just come back."
Jack looked over the nav screen. "Jorus is eight weeks from here and seven weeks from Modus and Mayanis. It's also only five weeks from Bolitha. The Grotus might object, but it's the logical place to stage an attack from. We may not have the Jorus option for the Odentas anymore."
I nodded. "I had the same thoughts. At the moment I am leaning toward utilizing Doomlight when they pull away. If more New Alliance ships come through the portal, they will likely move directly to the staging planet, wherever that may end up being. I think we wait and take Doomlight, at least temporarily."
Jack pulled up an image of the planet. "It does have an abundance of natural resources. If we drop the Odentas down there with all those AIs and autobots, given enough time, they could build up a substantial defense."
Garrett said, "The Grumar ships are moving out. I'm picking up a lot of comm traffic between the Moddle ships. They may be prepping to move as well."
Jack turned to look at me. "This brings us back to our original problem. How do we protect your Grunta people? If they're being sent into battle with the Kergans, that has to be a much different risk than if battling the Grotus. I wonder if they know what's going on? I can't imagine they would like a deal where they were fighting alongside them."
I shook my head. "I would have to believe they know. But then again, none of this seems likely. Every species that is space-borne in this galaxy seems to be at war."
Jack chuckled. "Yeah, and Harden Salton seems to have his hooks into all of them. You know, what I wouldn't mind is getting Go back into your Council's chamber. Would be interesting to know what deal they currently have with the Saltons."
Garrett said, "I wouldn't mind getting a few questions in to Joni. She might know exactly what's going on."
Go held up his hand. "If you have a way of getting me on their ship, I'd gladly do it."
I thought for a moment. "I don't think we risk sending you anywhere just now. Those ships could all be pulling out at any time."
Garrett sighed. "And there they go. The Moddle ships are starting to move out."
Jack replied, "And now the Alliance. And we have a trajectory for them. It looks like Jorus."
Garrett reached out, pulling up the nav screen. "What about the Sutherlin?"
Jack swiped at his screen until an image of the Sutherlin appeared. "They are moving as well. Should we follow?"
I shook my head. "No, let them go. We know where we can find them. Let's spend a few days here getting the Odentas settled. We can catch up to them before they reach Jorus."
Garrett stood and Go asked, "Where are you going?"
Garrett replied, "Not that it's your business, but I could use some of that Odenta coffee. We're going to be sitting here for a while until they're all out of scan range."
Go nodded. "Bring me a cup."
Garrett stopped and turned. "You don't drink coffee."
Go laughed. "Drift by yourself for five or six days, you'd be happy to drink the recycled water from SS241."
>
The Moddle and New Alliance ships moved off the sensor displays. Two hours later we powered out to the Odenta ships and asked that they proceed to Doomlight. A moderate-sized city, based beside the foothills of a mountain range with a free flowing river was selected.
Garrett said, "They have rations to last for several months; they have water; the soils surrounding here all appear to have been farmland, and I saw herds of feral galligs, or whatever they are, running around those foothills. With those AIs and autobots, they should have this place livable in no time."
I stepped out onto a deserted street. "The buildings here don't appear to be in bad shape either."
Jack followed me down the ramp-way. "There's a major city about a hundred kilometers south of here. It should serve as a resource provider for whatever they want to build."
Go walked down behind us. "I've just given orders for 80 percent of the autobots to replicate themselves. We should start seeing a flood of them heading off to search for the resources needed to accomplish that. If they can find those resources, they could easily have two million bots running in a couple weeks, six to eight million in a month. With that they can have animals penned, fields plowed and planted, living quarters fully restored, and power everywhere within a few weeks after. When they complete that, I have an order for them to make use of the gravity beam weapons and inhibitor fields. The goal will be to construct a shield to protect this city and the surrounding countryside. That should get them established."
I made my way over to one of the Odenta transports that had landed. The leadership that escaped had organized an interim government to get the colony establishment underway. The governor of one of the smaller provinces on the planet was the most senior official to escape.
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