by M. D. Cooper
Only two of the Marines along with one of the SAF soldiers could fit in the lift with them. When they reached the next level, Tanis waited for the other Marines to arrive.
“I’m sure they can catch up,” Oris said, her tone attempting to convey reassurance.
“Of course they can,” Brandt said with a small smile. “They’re Marines. But it’ll be easier if we wait.”
“Um…OK,” Oris replied.
The lift doors opened, and the Marines and other SAF soldier stepped out.
“Ah, there we are,” Oris said with a smile. “Let’s be on our way now. Just down this corridor.”
They followed Oris down the corridor, took a right, then a left, and reached a single door on the right side of the passageway.
“Your guards will have to wait outside,” Oris said as she rapped on the door.
Brandt scowled but nodded to the Marines, who took up positions on either side of the hall.
“Come,” a voice said from within, and the door slid aside to reveal a table sitting under a pergola, with rolling hills stretching into the distance. It was a decently constructed holoview, though Tanis could spot the artificial irregularities.
Seated at the table was a man who Tanis recognized as the Septhian Prime Minister, and a uniformed woman with five stars on her collar.
“Prime Minister Harmin,” Tanis said as she entered the room and held out her hand. “I love the view. Is this from one of your worlds here in Lisbon?”
The PM stood and walked around the table to greet Tanis, while the Septhian admiral approached from the other side.
“It is, Admiral Richards. It’s from T’Riva, our capital world.”
“Very lovely,” Tanis replied as she turned to shake the woman’s hand.
“Admiral Vera,” the woman introduced herself with a curt nod.
“Very nice to meet you,” Tanis replied.
Brandt exchanged greetings as well, and then the group, including Oris, sat at the table as servitors approached with a selection of drinks.
The PM spoke as soon as they’d settled. “I’d ask you how your journey was, but I don’t even know how you travelled here so quickly. The information you provided put the Transcend’s borders thousands of light years coreward of the Praesepe Cluster.”
Oris chimed in with an over-wide smile. “Either way, I imagine it was pleasant enough. Your ship is large enough to carry every amenity.”
“It’s not a home away from home,” Tanis inclined her head. “It’s just plain home.”
“I suppose it would be,” Prime Minister Harmin replied. “If the stories are to be believed, you’ve spent some time on that ship.”
“We certainly have, Prime Minister,” Tanis agreed.
“Please, you may call me ‘Harmin’, no need to dwell on so much formality when it’s just the five of us.”
“I imagine you’re wondering why we’ve come to Septhia,” Tanis said, ready to get to the meat of the conversation.
Harmin chuckled. “I’ll admit, the thought has crossed my mind. I don’t really follow why you sent us the information on the Transcend, as you put it. Though I suppose it does explain how your ship managed to get FTL capabilities, and where it went—though the fact that the FGT is still alive and well is a bit of a shock.”
“Maybe even more so than your arrival from the distant past,” Admiral Vera added.
“Not just the FGT,” Tanis clarified. “The Transcend Interstellar Alliance, and the Orion Freedom Alliance. Two massive powers that have been vying for control for some time.”
“It’s interesting, to be sure,” Harmin said, stroking his short beard. “But, if I may be so blunt, how does it affect us? We’re a small alliance of stars, just making do in our little corner of space. We have no quarrel with this Transcend or Orion.”
“You do, however, have a quarrel with the Nietzscheans.” Brandt leant forward and raised her eyebrows. “Or maybe they have a quarrel with you—hard to say which. Nietzschea seems to have a bone to pick with everyone.”
“Then you know why we’re not looking for more trouble right now,” Harmin replied. “We’re building alliances around the Praesepe Cluster—and within—working to build up a defense against the Nietzscheans.”
“Who do you think is supplying the Nietzscheans?” Tanis asked.
“Honestly?” Harmin gave an exaggerated shrug. “Our money is on the Trisilieds. Being in the Pleiades gives them access to vast resources.”
“We’re investigating how they’re moving supplies between the two empires with such ease,” Vera added.
“As far as we can tell, the Nietzscheans and Trisilieds aren’t working together at all,” Tanis said amicably.
Vera scowled at Tanis, the expression on her face carrying no small amount of disdain. “Pardon my skepticism, but what intelligence network are you using to gather that information?”
“They’re called The Hand,” Tanis replied. “Remember those massive empires beyond the Inner Stars that don’t really matter to you? Well, they have agents everywhere. Either way, the main reason why the Trisilieds aren’t supplying the Nietzscheans is because Orion is funneling resources into both of them. Along with the Hegemony.”
Tanis let the words fall and picked up the glass of wine a servitor had set down, taking a sip and watching Harmin and Vera, who were clearly chatting with one another over the Link.
Tanis wondered as well, then realization dawned on her.
“Prime Minister Harmin, you don’t, by any chance, think that we’ve come here to seek a place to settle, do you?”
Harmin’s eyes darted toward Tanis’s and narrowed. “The thought had crossed my mind. I hate to speak so bluntly, but it’s far more likely that you’ve been running from system to system with the Hegemony on your tail, than spending time in some fanciful empire beyond the edges of human expansion.”
“Huh.” Tanis sat back and shook her head. “I don’t know why, but I never expected anyone to have that reaction. Though now that you say it, I can see why you’d suspect our motives.”
“Look at it from our viewpoint,” Admiral Vera raised her hands in a gesture of frustration. “Last we saw you, you were fleeing the AST ships after blowing up a planet in Bollam’s World.”
“I think it’s worth noting that the AST blew up the planet. The Bollers had clearly posted warnings about not messing with the thing.” Tanis gave a slight smile at her wit, but the PM and his admiral did not join in.
Tanis ignored Angela and continued, “Right, well, I’m sure you have some analysts who can take a look at the fleet we have, and tell you that these are not the same ships that we had at Bollam’s World. We have a colony world with our own shipyards, and ample resources flowing in from starmines. We don
’t need anything from you other than a little bit of intel and safe passage.”
“Intel?” Harmin asked.
“Yes,” Tanis replied. “The current location of General Mill, leader of the Marauders. I need to find out what he knows about the origins of Genevia’s mech program.”
Harmin and Vera looked at one another for several long moments before the PM turned back to Tanis and frowned.
“So you don’t want to trade with us?”
“Well, I’ll trade for what I just requested. Information on General Mill’s whereabouts—I know that his mercenary group works for you almost exclusively—and then permission to take my fleet to him.”
Tanis had expected the conversation to immediately turn to allying against the Nietzscheans, but they hadn’t even brought it up. It was strange, but then, everything about the Septhians had been strange thus far. Now she didn’t know if she wanted Septhia as an ally.
“What do we get for this?” Harmin asked.
Angela made a soft sound of disinterest.
Brandt gave a short laugh.
Tanis wondered about that. Fear made people act strangely. “Well, what do you want?” she asked plainly.
“Your picotech,” Admiral Vera replied without hesitation.
“No,” Tanis shot back.
“Well then, your shield tech.”
“Also no.”
Harmin placed his hands on the table. “Admiral Richards. We are gearing up for a war with Nietzschea. If you don’t have something meaningful to offer us to help in that effort, then you’ll have to forgive us, but we need to be going.”
“So you do want something I can offer,” Tanis replied. “I imagine that you need ships. Chances are that you’re starved for resources right now. What with Nietzschea building up their military, people are hoarding or gouging for everything.”
“You won’t give us your shield tech…but you’ll give us ships instead?” Vera’s face was the very definition of disbelief.
“Well, we don’t have a proper allegiance, and I don’t think we can form one, because you don’t believe I’m telling the truth. If you did, then we could work something out. However, I have a way that we can work toward that.”
“Oh?” Harmin asked.
Tanis nodded. “See, I know that the Trisilieds and the Hegemony are working with the Orion Guard, on account of the fact that they attacked our system not long ago. Luckily, I didn’t have to completely destroy their fleets.”
“It must have been a small force, for you to have survived.” Vera still looked as though she didn’t believe a word Tanis was saying.
“Well, it was small when compared to the entirety of their armed forces, yes. The enemy hit us with roughly two hundred thousand ships.”
Vera’s mouth dropped open, then snapped shut, while Harmin’s stayed agape.
“Are you mocking us?” Vera asked.
“Stars,” Tanis glanced at Brandt. “Empress Diana was significantly easier to deal with than these two.”
“Diana of Scipio?” Harmin asked, disbelief warring with wonder on his face.
“The same,” Tanis replied. “We’re supporting her in her war against the Hegemony. Now, I have a few ways I could prove to you that I’m not lying. I could take you to New Canaan, but I won’t. I suppose we could go to some location in the Transcend, like Khardine or Vela, but I don’t think I’ll do that, either…your lack of openness is not encouraging. What I’ll do instead is show you that I am not here with my hand out.
“I’ll offer you one hundred Trisilieds cruisers in exchange for the information I want, and permission to travel through Septhia at will.”
“One hundred cruisers?” Harmin asked. “How? Where?”
“Pull up your Scan feeds, they should be jumping in now.”
On one side of the table, the holoview of rolling hills disappeared, now showing the ISF fleet. In the center of the display lay the I2, framed by the twenty ships on patrol.
For a minute, nothing happened, then a point of light appeared beyond the ISF ships, and the holodisplay focused in on that location, enlarging it to fill the space next to the table.
“Shit, that’s a Trisilieds cruiser!” Vera exclaimed.
“I hope this isn’t some trick.” Oris’s voice wavered with uncertainty.
Another cruiser appeared, followed by another. The pace quickened, with as many as five appearing at a time, then slackened once more until a hundred new ships were spread in a loose formation beyond the ISF fleet.
“What are your intentions with these ships?” Harmin asked.
Tanis couldn’t help a long look at the holographic sky above them before she responded. “You’re really not used to things going your way, are you? Those ships are for you. A gesture of my goodwill. Vera?” Tanis asked. “I’m sure you’re talking with your CIC. Tell me about the ships.”
“Well…there’s almost no EM coming off them, main drives are offline, no shields. There appear to be a hundred tugs…all making for your other fleet.”
“Do you believe me now, that I don’t need a planet, or a place to settle in Septhia? Which is ludicrous, anyway. Why would I settle so close to Nietzschea?”
Harmin’s lips drew into a thin line, and his brows pinched together. “It seems that I’ve misjudged you, Admiral Richards. Your general assessment of our situation is as you’ve described. We’ve worked hard to build ourselves up in preparation for a Nietzschean assault…but by making ourselves the strongest, we’ve become their primary target in the region.”
“We’re low on almost every raw material, our mining operations are running constantly, and our shipyards are producing vessels as fast as we can,” Oris interjected. “But it’s like you said. Our neighbors are all doing the same. Many key resources are skyrocketing in price.”
“What about the Praesepe Cluster, itself?” Tanis asked. “Those stars must be rich in raw resources and volatiles.”
Harmin nodded. “They are, but FTL is not possible within the mean tidal radius of the cluster. Reaching the core is an eighty-year trip. Each way.”
“I can see how that would be a problem,” Brandt laughed.
Tanis considered her options. “I wouldn’t want to spend an Intrepid Class gate on it, but I could see setting up a smaller gate to get in and out of the cluster’s core.”
“A gate?” Admiral Vera asked.
“Those ships out there?” Tanis gestured at the holodisplay. “They were about four thousand light years from here before they arrived.”
“Four thousand?” Harmin almost choked. “That takes a decade to traverse!”
“Not with jump gates, it doesn’t,” Tanis replied. “And don’t ask. You’re not getting that tech, either. If we do grant you assistance that employs the use of gates, we’ll loan tugs, like those you saw bringing the ships in.”
“So that’s what they were for,” Harmin said with a pensive nod. “Even if you can use jump gates to get into Praesepe’s core, you may not find a warm welcome there. The people who live in the cluster like being isolationists. They won’t be keen on visitors who can just appear for a visit.”
“What I wouldn’t give to see the looks on their faces when your ships jump in.” Oris laughed as she spoke, and Vera shot her a dark look.
Tanis held up a hand. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Besides, I doubt we need to go to what I’ve seen noted as the ‘Core Empire’ on local charts. A venture there would assume they have the ability to provide raw resources at a rate which you would find worthwhile.”
“It would give them a safe place to mine and manufacture, though. Easier to fuel the w
ar effort that way,” Brandt noted.
“Could you not aid us directly?” Harmin asked. “You say that the Orion group is feeding the Nietzscheans. Why don’t you do the same for us?”
Tanis fixed Harmin with a cold stare. “Ten minutes ago, you were behaving as though you wanted to shoo me off your doorstep.”
“I’m truly sorry for that.” Harmin’s tone did carry a note of sincerity. “We let our fears drive our actions. Septhia is all that stands between Praesepe and Nietzschea. If they take the cluster, you know they’ll just keep marching coreward.”
“We’re preparing for bigger fights than this one,” Tanis replied. “I need some people to stand for themselves. I had thought Septhia was one of those places.”
“Please!” Harmin almost shouted. “We’re months, a year at most, from being in a fight for our lives.”
“Are you willing to become formal allies of the Transcend?” Tanis asked. “We’ll aid in your defense against Nietzschea. I promise.”
Harmin slouched back into his chair. “What are your terms?”
“Would you believe we have a standard agreement?”
THE ROAD HOME
STELLAR DATE: 08.11.8949 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: Voyager
REGION: Germine System, Within the Transcend borders
“There it is,” Katrina said, unable to keep the slight rasp from her voice. Her body was getting old again, impossibly old. It may be time to avail herself of rejuvination.
Though rejuv was having more and more diminishing returns each time.
“How will we use it?” Kara asked from beside Katrina. “Freighters like this don’t have mirrors—or at least, we’re not supposed to.”
Katrina glanced at the woman—if that was the right word—next to her and grinned. “I’ve a few tricks up my sleeve. Sneaking about the galaxy is my job. So long as the coordinates you have are correct, we’ll be having breakfast on the Intrepid tomorrow.”
“The I2, you mean,” Kara corrected her.
“Yes…interesting name, that.”
Katrina glowered at the holodisplay, willing events to unfold faster, but rushing things would not lead to a favorable outcome. Patience was key. She had waited half a millennium for this; she could wait a few hours longer.