by M. D. Cooper
“Please respond promptly with your affirmation that nothing untoward has happened to our envoys and prepare to release them into our care.”
The transmission ended and the hospital room snapped back into view around Tanis.
“General Tsaroff sends his regards,” she said dryly. “No mention of Greer in his transmission.”
“Tsaroff commands the rapid response fleets here under Greer,” Serge replied. “Greer wouldn’t accompany his advance forces.”
“Advance forces?” Tanis asked. “Just how many ships do they have here in the watchpoint?”
“The briefing did not contain that level of detail,” Serge said with a shrug. “I suspect there are at least a dozen fleet groups here at Aurora.”
Tanis whistled. It was a lot of firepower. If they were on the same level as the AST’s dreadnaughts they faced in the Bollam’s World System, then this was a fight they could not win—even with picotech. The Transcend ships would not allow the Intrepid’s fighters to get close enough to deliver picobombs—not that obliterating the Transcend fleet was an option she was even considering.
Sera peered at her, likely wondering what direction her internal deliberations were taking. “What’s it going to be?” she asked.
“I won’t go to war just for revenge, but I don’t intend to simply hand over assassins without any recompense,” Tanis replied.
“You know they’ll claim diplomatic immunity,” Terry advised.
Tanis nodded. “And our current circumstances leave room for interpretation about whether or not they are officially accepted diplomats—since we are currently within territory which is unclaimed by either party. By all the ancient laws, Andrea and Mark are assassins, and no protections exist for them.”
Tanis rose from her seat. “I need to get to the bridge. Terry, you can get back to the thousand things I know are pressing down on you. Flaherty, Serge, Elena, stay here with Sera. Once the doctors pronounce her fit, I’ll have the four of you moved to one of our ready-rooms near the bridge.”
She gave Sera one last look before leaving. “I’m glad you’re OK.”
“And I’m glad I didn’t kill you,” Sera replied with a grin.
DETERMINATION
STELLAR DATE: 12.30.8929 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: ISS Intrepid
REGION: Ascella System, Galactic North of the Corona Australis star forming region
Tanis stood before the bridge’s main holotank, surveying the assembling fleets and considering her response to General Tsaroff.
“It stinks,” Captain Andrews said from her side. “They try to kill you—for stars know what reason—and we’ll ultimately turn your would-be assassins right back over.”
“Yeah, I can’t think of anything we can negotiate for that is worth the trouble. Perhaps dumping them in their ship and kicking it out the door is the best we can do to assuage our wounded pride,” Tanis replied.
“I have to admit,” the captain said quietly. “I’m surprised you didn’t make a case for forcibly extracting their intentions.”
Tanis sighed. She really did want to know why her neck was on the chopping block, but she also knew that any intelligence she could extract from Andrea and Mark would be suspect. Mark likely didn’t know anything, anyway. He just wanted Sera dead so that she wouldn’t testify against him.
“I guess I’m getting soft in my old age,” she replied.
A change on the holodisplay caught her attention. The fleet at the asteroid belt was forming up near what appeared to be a small ring. Tanis didn’t recall seeing it before and played the last few minutes of scan back.
The replay showed that the ring started out as a series of asteroids that unfolded and formed the structure. It wasn’t big enough to fly the Intrepid through, but any of the Transcend ships would fit with ease.
“I bet I know what that is,” Tanis said quietly.
“Really?” Captain Andrews asked, casting a sharp eye her way. “Is it what it looks like?”
Tanis nodded. “Sera’s brother, Serge, let it slip. They have worked out the tech behind Ford-Svaiter mirrors. I would imagine that it puts dark layer FTL to shame.”
“Holy crap!” the scan officer cried out.
Tanis saw the reason for his alarm. Scan still showed the ships assembling near the wormhole-creating ring, but even before they saw any vessels pass through the distant ring, ships began to appear—as if by magic—a scant hundred-thousand kilometers from the Intrepid’s fleet.
Admiral Sanderson let out a low whistle from the back of the bridge. “Now that is faster-than-light travel.”
Tanis nodded. The light from their prior location would take thirty minutes before it showed the Transcend ships creating and entering their wormholes. However, closer to the Intrepid, the light from the ships in their new position had already arrived.
From their vantage it appeared as though the ships were in two places at once.
In theory, a Ford-Svaiter mirror was a simple apparatus that focused quantum energy along the mirror’s focal line, which created negative energy. That negative energy created a wormhole, and complimentary mirrors on the front of the ships would extend the wormhole to the desired exit point.
Tanis took a deep breath, every eye on the bridge furtively glancing her way, waiting for her to tell them what to do. She schooled her expression and signaled the comm officer.
“Now that they’re on our doorstep, communication should be a lot easier. Link us up and let them know that I want to chat.”
The officer bent to her task. A minute later, she nodded to Tanis and General Tsaroff appeared before her.
“General Tsaroff,” Tanis said with a nod of her head. “I am Governor Richards. Thank you for taking my call.”
“I had heard it was General Richards,” Tsaroff replied without preamble. “Am I to believe that you are now governor, as well?”
Tanis nodded. “I am, and I will return your assassins to you, once I receive some assurances.”
“Assassins?” General Tsaroff’s eyes widened, his face revealing a moment of surprise before he recovered. “I assure you we sent you our most respected diplomats to treat with you, and from what we understand, you abducted them.”
“Can we dispense with all the doublespeak?” Tanis asked. “I’ve had a long day and I’ll lay it out plainly. Mark and Andrea Tomlinson hacked Sera and tried to use her to kill me, hoping that one, or both, of us would die in the attempt. Sera did not succeed, and Elena—one of your Hand agents—showed up and helped us undo Sera’s and Helen’s subversion. Serge and Elena are with Sera, who is recovering, and Andrea and Mark are in a holding room. You can have that pair back, but, again, not until I get some assurances.”
Tsaroff did not reply for several moments and Tanis wondered if he had a mechanism for real-time communications with General Greer—wherever he was—or if he was speaking with an AI. Eventually, he refocused on her, his already narrowed eyes mere slits.
“So, now you hold three of our president’s children, and one of our agents, too. I also will need some assurances. What are your conditions?”
“Very simple,” Tanis replied. “I will turn over Mark and Andrea, entirely unharmed, but in stasis, which is how they will stay until they arrive with Serge back in Airtha. I will also give him the CriEn module and our fully executed agree
ment for the colony system in the M25 cluster. We will provide the technology we agreed upon in our contract when we arrive at our colony system. Also, your ships will come no closer to the Intrepid than they currently are or our agreement is off.”
“I don’t have a lot of reasons to trust you,” Tsaroff replied. “I will need to speak with Serge, since he is the one who sent the distress signal.”
“Tanis, if I may?” a voice said from across the bridge.
She turned to see Flaherty standing at the room’s portside entrance. It was surprising to see him separated from Sera at a time like this, but she suspected that if he were here, he must have a card to play with Tsaroff.
She nodded and he approached. Tanis adjusted the pickups so that he was included in the projection to Tsaroff.
“General Tsaroff,” Flaherty said in greeting.
“Colonel Flaherty!” Tsaroff replied, real emotion showing on his face—something akin to surprise and respect. “I would expect you to be protecting Sera at a time like this.”
“She is safe,” Flaherty replied. “Though Andrea and Mark would have liked to see her otherwise.”
“So, Governor Richards here speaks the truth?” Tsaroff asked. “Did they subvert Sera Tomlinson?”
“If by ‘they’ you mean that piece of trash Mark, and Sera’s waste-of-flesh sister Andrea, then yes,” Flaherty chewed out the names of his charge’s sister and former lover. “They subverted her and attempted to use her to assassinate a foreign head of state.”
“That’s a serious charge,” Tsaroff replied. “Though, I’ve never known you to exaggerate.”
“That’s because I don’t,” Flaherty replied. “Take the deal.”
“I’ll have to confer with General Greer first,” Tsaroff said. “Also, before we strike up any agreement, we’ll need to send over a representative to examine all Transcend citizens to ensure they are truly unharmed and corroborate your story.”
“Well,” Tanis replied. “Sera’s had some harm done to her, but that is on Mark and Andrea.”
“So you say,” Tsaroff said before cutting the connection.
Tanis let out a long sigh before muttering, “Why does everyone in the Transcend seem like raging assholes?”
“A lot of them have been in their positions for too long,” Flaherty replied. “Tsaroff has been a one-star general for at least a hundred years; I think he needs a change.”
Tanis laughed. “Yeah, at least I got jacked up to three stars—made me feel like I was doing something right. But you, a colonel…now that’s news.”
Flaherty waved his hand, dismissing her statement. “That is an old rank from a long time ago. I am no longer an officer in the Transcend Space Force.”
“Well, it seemed to come in handy with Tsaroff,” Captain Andrews replied with a smile.
Tanis nodded, noticing how much more relaxed the captain had become since she had taken over as governor. She hoped that he would let her visit his cabin in the woods when he retired.
“He used to serve under me,” Flaherty replied without offering further explanation.
Tanis waited for him to share more, but when Flaherty remained silent, she asked, “Do you think he’ll do anything rash?”
“On his own? Maybe. He wants to advance. Successfully outmaneuvering you would help with that,” Flaherty said with a grunt.
“They do have us outgunned, but I don’t think he’d score any points if he starts a battle. Whatever he does will be political,” Andrews said.
“Yes,” Flaherty nodded. “He’s showing you that even though you defeated the five fleets at Bollam’s World, the Transcend can and will stand up to you.”
“That is my assessment, as well,” Sanderson said. “It’s what I’d do.”
“I would, too,” Tanis agreed.
Twenty minutes later, Tsaroff sent a text-only message indicating that a pinnace would approach via a wormhole jump gate to dock with the Intrepid to examine the Transcend envoys and citizens.
“I’ll go down to meet whoever is coming,” Tanis said.
“Do you think that’s wise?” Captain Andrews asked. “If their plan is to kill you, this makes you more than a little vulnerable.
“Good point,” Tanis replied. “I’ll stop in an armory and apply one of Earnest’s new MK14 armor skins.”
“That wasn’t what I was going to suggest,” Andrews said with a shake of his head.
“I know,” Tanis said with a smile as she strode from the bridge.
SURRENDER
STELLAR DATE: 12.30.8929 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: ISS Intrepid
REGION: Ascella System, Galactic North of the Corona Australis star forming region
Tanis checked in on Cary as she waited for the Transcend’s pinnace to arrive. Her daughter was asleep in one of Tracy’s spare cradles, and she lost herself in marveling at the slow rise and fall of her daughter’s small, perfect chest.
She smiled, thinking of how, just a scant few months ago, she was lost on the far side of Sol, traveling in a shady freighter, wondering if she would ever see the Intrepid again, let alone carry her daughter to term.
Now she was governor of the New Canaan colony mission, preparing to meet with foreign representatives to resolve a tricky diplomatic situation.
Tanis sighed.
She felt Angela’s affirmative thoughts.
“That certainly has something to do with it,” Tanis whispered aloud.
Tanis asked.
Tanis barked a laugh aloud.
She spent another minute watching her daughter, and then removed the image from her mind and focused on mental preparation for the meeting.
* * * * *
Sooner than she would have expected, she saw the Transcend pinnace slip through the electrostatic barrier at the far end of the main dock. No more comfortable lounges off the VIP dock today. They would meet in a wide-open space, with an entire company of Marines watching every second.
The pinnace set down a hundred meters away. After a minute, its hatch slid open and a lone man stepped out, where Terry and two members of her team scanned him. Terry nodded to the Marines watching over her, who signaled up the chain that the man had passed muster.
Tanis imagined that he had given his name, but she didn’t check. She wanted her first impressions to be just that—hers.
The Marines accompanied the man—who she now knew was General Greer—to a second security checkpoint, which he passed through before approaching Tanis. She waited f
or him to reach her before offering any greeting.
“General Greer,” she extended her hand.
“Governor Richards,” he said as he took it and gave one firm shake. “Are we to conduct our meeting here?”
“We are,” she nodded. “My quotient of trust has been exhausted and I am done with pleasantries. Your General Tsaroff expended the last of my supply.”
Greer nodded. “Yes, he has a way of doing that. I hope it has not damaged our chances of reaching a peaceful resolution to this crisis.”
“We’ll see,” Tanis replied to Greer.
“I have to admit,” Greer said as he peered down the length of the ten-kilometer-long bay. “You claim that our envoys tried to kill you, but you let me fly a ship within a hundred meters of you in here. I could have shot you dead.”
“You could have tried,” Tanis replied. “If you were on a suicide mission.”
“And if I had tried?” Greer asked, his grey eyes sparkling.
“Stasis shield,” Tanis said. “You passed through its opening when you came through the security arch. Nothing your ship fired would have gotten through.”
Greer chuckled. “Tsaroff is going to owe me a drink after this is done.”
“You wish to examine the Transcend citizens on the Intrepid?” Tanis asked, unwilling to join in with his friendly banter.
Greer’s eyes narrowed, and he nodded slowly. “Very well, let’s get on with this.”
Tanis sent a message to a groundcar driver. A minute later, a vehicle came into view. It stopped several meters from them, and Flaherty stepped out of the front passenger seat. He gave Greer a nod before turning to open the back door.
The first person out was Elena, then Serge, and finally Sera.
Tanis could see relief flood across Greer’s face at the sight of them, and she wondered if he was a good actor, or if he really was concerned for their wellbeing.
“General Greer,” Sera said as she walked carefully toward them. “I’m surprised to see you came yourself.”