“That’s never stopped you before.”
Heat flared in Marlee’s cheeks. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that, too. I’m trying to be better at…everything.”
“I was only teasing.” Mia regarded her curiously. “Your harrowing time on Namino changed you, didn’t it?”
“I’m endeavoring to make sure it did. If you’re interested, I can fill you in on the experience sometime, when we’re not both working.”
“Or serving as indentured labor, in my case. I want to hear your stories. My personal situation is somewhat…” her expression flickered again “…in flux for another day or two, but I’ll let you know once I get settled. We can go out for dinner and drinks—as friends rather than employer and employee.”
Hey, she was definitely racking up the quality friends these days. “I’d like that very much. Now, I abandoned Director Llawhe to talk to Vaihe then pounce upon you, so I should track him down and get to work, lest I return to the Consulate to find one of Veshnael’s stern looks waiting on me.”
“I’ll let you in on a secret. Veshnael is all bark and…actually, quite a lot of bite. He’s made of sterner stuff than most Novoloume. But he’ll be an excellent mentor for you. Learn from him, and you’ll become a better diplomat than I ever was.”
“That’s not possible.” She hugged Mia again before the woman could object, then set off in search of Llawhe. She had such a busy day of work ahead of her.
61
* * *
ARES
Eren strolled into the office Corradeo had set up on the top floor of the Praesidis estate. He started to collapse into a chair and throw his feet over one arm, much as he had the last time he’d been here, but he thought better of it at the last second and sat properly. He didn’t respect much in this world, but Corradeo Praesidis had earned his respect.
The man bestowed a kind smile on him as a reward. “How did you and Nyx get on?”
He blew out a breath and stared at the ceiling. “Well enough, I guess. She’s not exactly a good time at parties, but she does know her stuff.”
“Indeed, she does. She saved us both numerous times during our journeys. Can I ask, what delayed your return after you located Ferdinand?”
Nyx hadn’t told him about Kolgo? Interesting. Eren opened his mouth to spill the beans, then thought better of this, too, and decided to run with the lie instead. He couldn’t say as he was sure why. “Oh, there was a quick errand I needed to run. Nyx was kind enough to indulge me in it.”
“It sounds as if perhaps you two did get on well, then. I’m glad to hear it. Thank you for helping to handle the Ferdinand problem. I wish we’d been able to bring him around to reason, but he was most resistant to logic or, I suppose, reality.”
“It’s a noble idea, but it never would have worked. I appreciate how you’re trying to be diplomatic and not speak too ill of the dead, but Ferdinand was rotten with greed, avarice and arrogance. Beyond saving.”
“Is this why you would’ve killed him if given the chance?”
Eren bristled. This was what he got for covering for the bitch. “Did Nyx tell you that?”
“Is it true?”
He sank lower in the chair. “I don’t know. The other night at dinner, I absolutely would have pressed the trigger if you hadn’t stopped me. When you sent us off to find him, I absolutely intended to rectify the oversight and put a laser between his eyes. But now, I’m starting to realize that killing every villain in the cosmos isn’t going to bring Cosime back.” His troubled gaze rose to meet Corradeo’s empathetic one. “Killing a few more might help, though?”
“It won’t. I don’t speak of it, ever, but I have been where you are. It was so terribly long ago, but in a matter of seconds I can recall the anguish and the fury as if it were yesterday.”
The man was just full of secrets and hidden layers. “How did you get past those feelings?”
A dark smirk tugged at the man’s lips. “It took hundreds of millennia, but I saw to it that the perpetrators met a final end.”
“Talk about revenge being best served cold.”
Corradeo merely shrugged.
“The truth is, I’m beginning to suspect I’ve gotten all the revenge I’m ever going to get. Torval is dead, Ferdinand is dead, Jhountar is dead, at least one hundred thousand Savrakaths are dead. Maybe I need to close the book on revenge and find a way to move on.” He sighed. “It’s not going to be easy.”
“Of course it isn’t. Listen, Eren. Things are about to change here, and everywhere Anadens find themselves living and working. I want your help in ensuring it’s ultimately positive change. If you are searching for a new cause, I’m offering you one now. Help me guide our people to a better future. A worthy future.” Corradeo paused. “But only if you’re ready to move forward. I’ll need your full commitment on this.”
Eren closed his eyes, letting the vision of Cosime’s sparkling emerald irises dance across his vision, drawing back to reveal her dazzling smile. She’d loved life so damn much. Loved him even more, which was the damnedest thing.
He swallowed past the ragged ache in his throat, then reopened his eyes and nodded firmly. “I have to be ready. I have to move forward. It’s what she would have wanted.”
Eren rested one foot against the wall and watched as several Kyvern elas tested out the drone cam and adjusted the lighting around Corradeo for maximum presentation. Out of the corner of his vision, he spotted Nyx doing much the same, her brow creased with suspicion as she watched her lessers work.
He briefly considered going up to her and asking her why she’d kept Kolgo’s assassination a secret from her grandfather yet ratted him out about Ferdinand…but then he realized he didn’t care to muddy himself with Inquisitor politics and power plays. He was forced to concede she did appear to want what was best for her grandfather and had bought into the man’s audacious vision, which was all that mattered now.
Corradeo brushed away a lingering wrinkle in his jacket and squared his shoulders, a sign he was almost ready. Getting to see the performance live should be interesting, and this time Eren didn’t have to jet around the galaxy overseeing dozens of system hacks in order to make the speech a reality. The Directorate’s passing had brought an end to the draconian restrictions on communications, and Concord’s rise had in turn brought an open and ubiquitous quantum comm network. Unlike fourteen years ago, today the man simply had to speak, and the world would hear him.
The aides scurried off into the shadows the bright lighting created, and a hush fell over the room. Corradeo locked his gaze on the drone cam. Showtime.
“My name is Corradeo Praesidis, and today I am reclaiming this name from a usurper. Some of you have known me in the past as Danilo Nisi, and you can trust that I remain that man more than any other.
“I led the anarchs in our quest to overthrow the Directorate, because for too many millennia, your leaders failed you. They took away every Anaden’s most basic freedoms—the freedom to choose for yourself who you will be and what mark you will make on the universe. They did this not only without your consent but without your knowledge.
“In form and formality, those chains were cut fourteen years ago when the Directorate fell. In practice, however, freedom is meaningless unless you are given the tools to embrace it, and you were left adrift, with no rulebook and no lodestar to show you how to reclaim your rightful destiny. I should have been here for you all along, offering whatever wisdom I have gained to lead all our people to a new, better future.
“I can’t go back in time and undo this mistake, but I can be here today, tomorrow, and for as long as I am needed. Not to take you by the hand and set your course for you, but to show you how the path to your own personal freedom lies right at your feet.
“I recognize full well that you, the Anaden people, have not elected me to act and speak on your behalf. One day soon, you will select your own leaders, and I will gratefully cede this responsibility to them and fade into memory once again. But until such a
day arrives, I ask you to trust in me to make the best decisions I can about our future. To that end:
“Effective as of today, the Dynasties no longer exist as a component of any Anaden government. While my current advisors are of necessity chosen from among the Dynasty elassons, starting eighteen months from now, all government advisors will be selected on merit alone.
“This decree does not erase you who are. If you are proud of your Dynasty, you are free to continue to bear its name. But now, you are also free to choose your own eponym, and with it, your own identity.
“From now on, if someone born into the Erevna Dynasty desires to become a fighter pilot, there will be an open path for them to do so. If someone born into the Machim Dynasty wants to learn engineering, they will find the same opportunities. Professions will require competency and expect achievement, but their ranks will no longer be limited by genetics or title.
“When someone undergoes regenesis, they will now do so confident they will awaken the same person they were when their old body expired. There will be no more genetic manipulations without an individual’s informed consent—nay, without their active direction.
“It will take time to dismantle the aged ramparts of the old social and legal structure, but the work begins right now. I’m pleased to announce that the Anaden government will be renewing its support of and participation in Concord, effective immediately. I will, for now, serve as our representative to the Concord Senate, but I look forward to being replaced in future elections.”
Corradeo pressed his palms together at his chin and offered the cam a faint smile. “Most of all, understand this: the Humans are our brethren, and we should embrace them as family. The Asterions are our brothers and sisters, and we should welcome them home with open arms. The Novoloume, the Naraida—the Barisans, Dankath and Efkam—have long been our allies. We took too much from them and treated them shamefully in the past, but now we have much to offer them in a relationship of equals and allies. The Katasketousya…odd though they seem to your eyes, understand that they have done more to save Anaden civilization—to save all peaceful civilizations—than you will ever know. We owe them our gratitude and our hand in friendship.
“We will do all we can to support Concord and its efforts to safeguard our corner of the universe from the great evils lurking in the void, but we must also learn to become worthy partners. We must build a new Anaden society, one that honors our greatest achievements, intellect and discoveries but focuses our endeavors on the achievements yet to come. One that we will be proud to champion and defend. Today I invite you, all of you, to join me on this most exciting of adventures.”
62
* * *
CONCORD HQ
Command
Miriam cast a quick glance at the vid screen, listening to Corradeo’s broadcast with half an ear. The man always could give a rousing speech, and while they hadn’t always agreed on approaches, he’d proved himself to be a skilled and ultimately thoughtful leader. Hopefully his return to public prominence would bring a swift and favorable end to the Anaden conflict, and with it some real stability for Concord. God knew they needed it right now.
The door to her office opened and David and Richard staggered in, looking rather worse for wear. All thoughts of propriety vanished from her mind, and the next instant she was in David’s arms, holding him tight against her chest. “Thank goodness you’re safe.”
His lips nuzzled her ear. “You’re the one who stared the Rasu down until they fled with their tails tucked between their legs. So to speak.”
She stepped back and pulled Richard into a brief embrace as well. “You two have saved Concord HQ for the second time now in my absence. I owe you everything yet again.”
David shrugged broadly, but he was beaming. “I would say you should try not being absent, but you were protecting billions of lives. Keeping home safe until you returned was the least we could do.”
“A little more than the least, I’d say.” She noticed the easy, relaxed body language between him and Richard, something that had been noticeably absent of late. “I don’t want to bring up a touchy subject and ruin the mood, but is it possible you worked out your differences while you were finding and defusing the bomb?”
David glanced at Richard, showing uncharacteristic hesitation. Richard adopted a weary smile as he collapsed into one of the chairs. “We did.”
“Well, this is a relief. The two of you were practically unbearable.” She went back to her desk to retrieve her tea, then regarded them over the top of it. “What’s the thirty-second debrief?”
Richard answered first. “The Barisan body in Power Generation exploded from the inside out due to a small device sewn into his stomach cavity. We’ve identified him as Hohlaak Ponla-min, a member of the crew of the merchant vessel we believe delivered the antimatter bomb to HQ. My working theory is that the Savrakaths stole the vessel and kidnapped Ponla-min, booby-trapped him and presumably promised to save his life if he delivered the bomb. Then the vessel departed HQ without him on board and he was murdered soon thereafter.”
“How did the antimatter bomb make it past our security measures in the first place?”
“A forensics team is still tearing apart the device—carefully, of course—but a preliminary report indicates the antimatter was encased in four layers of special-purpose shielding. The volume of commercial shipments coming through HQ every day necessitates that most containers receive a cursory scan during unloading then an additional en masse scan in the warehouse. Those screening mechanisms weren’t robust enough to penetrate this degree of shielding.”
Miriam frowned. “I trust I don’t need to say that we should upgrade the scanning procedures. If it slows down shipping throughput by a few hours, so be it.”
“Agreed. We’re on it.”
David reached out and touched her arm. “The Savrakath problem is getting out of hand, and it seems the Red-Flag designation isn’t going to be enough to keep them from pursuing war against us. Their level of technology means the Ch’mshak solution won’t work for them—not for long. So what do you have a mind to do about it?”
She sighed and set the tea aside.
Lakhes, I’m ready for you to join us now.
A sea of lights swept into the office almost immediately, as if Lakhes had been waiting right outside the station. She had no idea if this were true or not. David and Richard jumped a little in surprise, but she merely lowered her chin in greeting to their guest. “Thank you for coming, Lakhes. Am I to understand that you have a proposal for how to ensure the Savrakaths don’t threaten Concord citizens or property again?”
I do. The Savrakaths are, as you have repeatedly pointed out, a problem of our own creation. Thus it is only proper that we—the Idryma—solve the problem.
“Despite this latest and most egregious action on their part, I won’t see them eradicated. They must be removed as a threat, but we will not commit genocide.” After the strike they had attempted to deliver at the very core of Concord, her heart wanted to see every last Savrakath dead, but her conscience would not allow vengeance to take hold.
I accept your parameters and have endeavored to design a solution which comports with them.
David snorted. “Why don’t you just shove their planet into a new portal universe and leave them there?”
Shaping astronomical bodies and cosmic forces within an enisle is routine for us, but constructing a dimensional portal the size of a planet is not. We can do it, but it would take time we can no longer afford to spend.
Miriam scowled in growing frustration. “Then you should have started months ago.”
Perhaps, but we did not, and we cannot go back and alter our plans now. However, as I said, we have devised an alternate solution. One we believe will accomplish the same end.
Miriam listened to Lakhes’ proposal with her best effort at objectivity. The science behind it was beyond her comprehension, but the Kats had long trafficked in feats that were inscrutable to human und
erstanding. David challenged Lakhes on several points, all of which the Kat answered to his satisfaction while displaying only slightly condescending patience.
It might not be a perfect solution, but it was a far better one than Concord could achieve. After a moment’s pause, Miriam nodded sharply. “Do it.”
63
* * *
SENECA
Cavare
Marlee unlocked her apartment, stumbled inside and collapsed onto the futon. This being a responsible adult routine was exhausting! After meeting with Director Llawhe, she’d spent the rest of the morning helping the RAR Prevo and Vaihe scour the Savrak countryside for any remaining Godjans, then spent the afternoon greeting the new Ourankeli refugees and scrambling to attend to their immediate needs.
The aliens were mysterious and fascinating, and she was in awe of their intellect and grace. But they were also fussy and fastidious as all hell. Making them happy was shaping up to be a herculean task. Their language was beautiful, though, even if her throat thus far refused to create the more complex tonals.
She felt around on the floor for the water bottle she’d discarded this morning, then checked the private Consulate news feed for updates on the battle at Toki’taku. It looked as if the planet had been saved, at least for now, thanks to the Asterions’ trademark cleverness and a bucketload of Concord warships.
She wondered if Xyche’ghael would be offended if she stopped by for a visit. She’d have to find him first, since Namino remained basically uninhabitable, but Nika or Grant would know how to find the Taiyok.
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