by Neal Jones
"You ever tried kaanu?"
Zar's voice punctured Saveck's reverie, and the major blinked as he took a moment to process the question. "I don't recognize the name, so no, I probably haven't."
"If you're free tonight, after Kroth dismisses you, come by my place. I'll be up late."
The door to the right of Zar's desk opened, and an EarthCorps lieutenant walked out, handing Jerren a compad. At the same time, the door to the left of the desk opened and Kroth emerged, walking as if he had the galaxy's largest stick up his royal ass. Saveck immediately stood and assumed a position of attention, waiting for the chancellor to address him.
"Major. I trust you haven't been waiting long."
"No, of course not, chancellor."
Kroth continued walking toward the door, not bothering to check if Saveck was following or not. Major Erorn and a pair of guards were waiting outside the office, and they fell in step behind the major and the chancellor, but kept a safe distance for privacy's sake. It wasn't until the whole party was in a PTL that Kroth spoke.
"I would like to begin with the observation dome."
Saveck nodded and punched the destination into the com panel. He had decided long ago that if Kroth wanted any conversation, he would have to be the one to initiate it. Saveck wasn't going to volunteer any small talk, and, apparently, that arrangement was fine with Kroth as well, because he said nothing more until they arrived at the dome.
The chancellor motioned for his security escort to stay near the PTL while he slowly walked the entire circumference, eyes narrowed, his expression pensive. Saveck followed, making sure to keep his sighs inaudible, and his thoughts wandered from one random subject to the next. It was a good fifteen minutes before Kroth paused in his walk and turned to Saveck.
"Do you believe as my critics do, major? Am I undeserving of my title and honor?"
"With all due respect, chancellor, my patience has run out. I don't have time to play your guessing games, nor do I wish to feed your ego. Say what you have to say and be done. Are you, or are you not going to extradite Mister Blacke?"
Kroth smiled, and this time there was a genuine gleam in his eyes. "I admire your gall, major." He paused, then said briskly, "No, I have decided not to extradite Isaac Blacke. His punishment will be dispensed as the Federation sees fit." The chancellor continued in a more serious tone. "I understand your arguments against this, and I also agree with them. But here's the simple truth of this matter: the Chrisarii Alliance can barely hold together its own territories. Since the end of the war, since the stalemate was declared and we became tentative allies of the Federation, a hundred rebellions have grown within the empire. The most prominent one is the Haal'Chai, but there are many others, and until now, myself and the Quorum have succeeded in maintaining law and order." The chancellor turned to the viewport, looking distinctly uncomfortable. "My critics are right. The Chrisarii Empire has fallen far from the glory of the Third Age, and my willingness to bow to the influence of the Quorum in accepting the Federation's offer of a truce was a mistake. But I had no choice." When Kroth faced Saveck, there was a dark fire in his eyes. "It's not possible now to keep his presence on homeworld – or his execution – a secret, and they would only fuel the rebellions, which, in turn, might be enough to push the balance past the tipping point."
"Chancellor, I think you're overstating the situation somewhat. The Quorum has stood in government of the empire for two thousand years, and I think it's impossible for a few rebellions – no matter their size – to overthrow that government."
"Even if those rebellions are being aided from without?"
"The Haal'Chai attacks on this station?"
"Not just Exxar-One. Military bases all over the Alliance have been attacked with Chrisarii ships that are equipped with alien technology. The Ministry of Central Intelligence is doing their damndest to infiltrate the rebel cells, but thus far, every effort has failed."
"If the Haal'Chai are that strong, why have they not overthrown the Alliance?"
"They're powerful, but not that powerful. Also, if I were meddling in the internal politics of a foreign empire, I would make sure to tread very carefully. I suspect, as does the Quorum, that these attacks are merely diversions, nothing more."
"Gabriel and I have reached the same conclusion."
Kroth paced a little more, eventually settling onto a nearby bench. "Major, there will be another war between the Alliance and the Federation. I cannot stop that. It probably won't be for another two or three months, perhaps a year at the most, but it will happen. An incident like Vorik's murder was inevitable, and Blacke will be a focus for violence no matter where he is. Therefore, I am going to keep him here."
"You want Exxar-One to be the first battlefield." Saveck felt sick to his stomach, yet he forced himself to keep standing.
"If I can keep the Haal'Chai's attention diverted here, it will give the Quorum time to prepare. As we speak, a war council has been convened and new strategies are being drawn. But it is not the Federation whom we will be attacking."
Now Saveck decided he needed to sit after all. "Then who?"
Kroth shook his head. "I can't say. But CI is convinced they know who's been aiding and arming the Haal'Chai, and in order to save the Alliance, I must act while I can. I came to Exxar-One to see the situation for myself, and, in truth, I wanted to come when President Enkaro was here. Him and I seated at the same table again would have made it appear to our mutual enemy that their efforts were failing. They might have become desperate and acted rashly, thus exposing themselves in some crucial manner. Unfortunately, I was forced to deal with another matter, and it took longer than I expected."
Saveck mulled all of this quietly for several minutes, then said, "Why are you not telling this to Gabriel?"
Kroth shrugged. "I will. Tonight, at dinner. I wanted an opportunity to speak with you first. Besides all of this, major, there is something else I wanted to discuss with you." The chancellor shifted in his seat and cleared his throat. "I was not joking earlier when I said I admired your gall. You live by a warrior's code of honor, but you also have a will to survive. You have proven yourself both on and off the battlefield, and the Academy incident notwithstanding, I believe your experience and leadership is needed elsewhere. What would you say if I was to reinstate your rank of colonel and give you command of a dreadnought in the seventh fleet?"
Saveck was too stunned to give an immediate reply, and if it weren't for the seriousness of Kroth's tone and expression, he would have been certain the chancellor was making a joke.
Kroth stood. "I don't expect an answer today, or even tomorrow. As I said before, it will be some time before armed conflict begins, but don't wait too long to give me your decision. I have invited only the commodore to dinner, so enjoy the rest of your day off, major." The chancellor rejoined his security escort and they departed the dome.
Saveck watched them go, but didn't leave until an hour later, when a group of tourists arrived and interrupted the silence of the dome. Saveck decided that while Gabriel was dining with Kroth that evening, the major would take Zar up on his offer. After the conversation he just had, kaanu – whatever it was – sounded like a good idea.
( 2 )
Gabriel pressed the door chime once more, wondering if Saveck was out of his quarters. It wasn't too early in the morning, but for a weekend it was still early, and the commodore had come at this time hoping to catch Saveck at home. But maybe the major was an early riser, no matter the day, and maybe he was already at the recreational sector, engaged in a round of Kali'Fhan. Just as the commodore turned to leave, the door opened and Saveck appeared, looking haggard and exhausted.
"Commodore."
"I'm sorry if this is too early. I can come back later if you want."
"No. Come in."
On the coffee table was a tall glass filled with a thick, blue liquid, and Saveck took a long swallow before he motioned to Gabriel to sit.
The commodore took the easy chair on the
other side of the table. "You look like you had a long night."
"While you were at dinner with Kroth, I spent the evening with Zar. We smoked something which he called kaanu."
"Ah." Gabriel smiled. "I've been wondering what that is. He invited me to join him once."
"The aftereffects are not for the weak hearted, but it was definitely worth it." The major took another gulp from his glass. "This is a home remedy my mother taught me."
"Does it taste as awful as it looks?"
"Have you ever eaten a raw dryck's egg?"
"Never mind." A brief, uncomfortable silence followed this unnatural exchange of pleasantries, and Gabriel cleared his throat. "I find it hard to believe that the Alliance is already prepared to plunge into another war. I also think that Kroth was lying when he said he couldn't make it here when President Enkaro was visiting. He came all this way just to deliver us this information, and I can't decide if he's sincere or playing some kind of political game."
Saveck shook his head. "While Kroth is adept at navigating the political field, he was sincere when he spoke to me. And if what he says about the various rebellions is true, then the Federation has been effectively misled about the state of current affairs within the Alliance."
"It was an inevitable side effect of signing a treaty with the Federation. If all the members of your household don't agree with your decision, you're going to have your hands full trying to keep peace and order."
"But why reveal all of this to you and me and not tell us who the Quorum believes is behind the Haal'Chai attacks? I understand the security issue, but Kroth has probably already told us more than he should have, so why stop there? For all we know, it's possible that foreign agents are on Exxar-One now, monitoring the success and failure of those attacks, as well as planning future ones."
Gabriel leaned back and propped his feet on the coffee table. "I agree, and I suppose we could press him for more information, but I doubt he would give it to us." The commodore frowned as he considered the possibility of enemy spies among his crew. It was a thought which had already occurred to him and had kept him up late last night. As soon as he was finished here, he was headed to Zar's quarters to discuss this matter with him. "Right now, our immediate concern is the news of Kroth's decision regarding Blacke. I'm going to issue the press release on Monday morning, after the staff briefing. The main topic of that meeting will be the security measures needed for the trial, as well as what's required for maintaining law and order among the population when they learn of the news."
"If the last few days have been any indication, we're not going to have much of a problem with the military officers. The group which you still have confined to the brig seems to have provided an adequate example to the rest of the crew." Saveck set his empty glass on the table and stood. "It's civilians like Blacke who we need to keep an eye on."
Gabriel nodded as he rose. "You said you had contacts within your government? People whom you spoke with when you were helping Sikandra and Navarr prepare for their mission?"
"Yes. It's only three, and they're former soldiers who are now serving at various levels within the government. They were able to pass my messages onto someone inside CI."
"Good. I need to verify what Kroth has told us. I also want to know who it is that the Quorum thinks is secretly aiding the Haal'Chai."
"I'll do my best, but it might take awhile before I hear anything back, even with Varis' help."
"I know." Gabriel paused, glancing away for a moment before meeting Saveck's gaze. There was a new intensity in his expression, but just as he appeared ready to speak he paused and seemed to think better of it. "Thank you for your help, major."
Saveck nodded, suddenly feeling nauseous. Perhaps smoking the kaanu had not been a good idea after all. After Gabriel left, Saveck wondered if Kroth had told the commodore of his offer to Saveck. Probably not, but maybe Gabriel was right. Was Kroth playing some sort of game by meeting separately with the two men? Or was there some other reason? As the major poured himself another glass of his hangover remedy, he considered the chancellor's offer once more. Command of a dreadnought was no small honor, and the opportunity was exactly what Saveck had wanted since the day he received his orders posting him to Exxar-One. This kind of favor would place Saveck in Kroth's debt, and that might be exactly what the chancellor had planned all along.
Saveck downed the glass in gulp, then headed for the bathroom. A long shower and a round of Kali'Fhan would help clear his head.
( 3 )
"A civilian criminal transport will be here in one week to pick up Blacke. I assume he's headed for the Octovar colony. The communiqué didn't specify. I'm going to hold a press conference when we're finished here to announce Kroth's decision." Gabriel explained to them what Kroth had told him and Saveck in private. This drew murmurs of surprise and objections from the officers seated around the table in the wardroom. The commodore raised his hand to restore silence and order. "Your questions are the same ones which Major Saveck and I have, and we haven't been able to answer them yet. I tried to speak with Kroth again before he left yesterday, but he refused my request. Major, have you received any response from your contacts on homeworld?"
"Not yet. I expect another two or three days before they get back to me."
"Same here," Varis added. "Federation Central Intelligence knows surprisingly little about the internal operations of the Chrisarii CI, as well as the Quorum of Elders. And nothing else has been heard from other sources about an outside influence aiding the Haal'Chai."
Gabriel nodded. "It seems our best hope lies with Navarr and Sikandra." He glanced in Garrett's direction. "Commander, do we have an ETA on the team from the Corps of Engineers?"
"Yes, sir. As a matter of fact, I received a communiqué from Emosdyn early this morning. He's the team leader, and he's en route to us now. He's bringing three people with him, and they should be here by Friday at the latest."
"Excellent. That's all I've got for now. Dismissed." Everyone but Saveck rose and filed out of the wardroom. Gabriel tapped his commlink. "Mister Bauer, please escort the press to the wardroom."
"Aye, sir."
Saveck said, "Chancellor Kroth offered to restore my rank to colonel, as well as give me command of a dreadnaught."
While Gabriel was startled by the statement, he wasn't surprised. "Are you going to take it?"
"Yes. I sent my response early this morning. It might be as long as three weeks before I actually leave Exxar-One. The military council needs that time to find a replacement."
"Good. We should have this whole situation wrapped up by then."
The door opened, cutting off Saveck's reply, and both men stood to greet the press.
( 4 )
Commander Decev frowned as she reviewed the after-action report from the gamma shift science team. Only a third of the tasks which Decev had assigned to them had been completed, and the reasons given for the rest not being finished on time were little more than excuses. The chief science officer entered a note into her pad to remind herself to discuss the matter at the next meeting.
"Commander?"
Decev turned to Lieutenant R'Jhumm, the Chrisarii communications officer. "Yes, lieutenant?"
"I'm receiving a priority one message from the listening post in the Ontaar sector. It's Lieutenant Commander Rivera, ma'am."
"Activate holo-comm."
The image of an EarthCorps officer who couldn’t have been more than five years out of the academy appeared in front of the ops console, and Decev walked down from her station to greet him. Either Wolcott's therapy has been especially generous to him, or he attained his rank through special favors, she mused silently. "Lieutenant Commander Rivera, I'm Commander Mariah Decev of starbase Exxar-One. What can I do for you?"
"Good morning, commander. I have what I believe to be some kind of alien artifact drifting through my sector. So far, it's completely repelled all of our scans, and I've only got class one scout ships sitting in my hangar bay. Yours
is the closest starbase to us, so I was wondering if you could dispatch one of your teams to investigate."
Decev nodded. "No problem, commander. I'll have a team on their way in a couple hours."
"Thanks. Rivera out."
"A team for what?"
Decev turned to see Gabriel exiting a PTL with Saveck close behind. "To investigate something in the Ontaar sector." As she spoke, Decev returned to her station to view the sensor telemetry – what little of it there was – which Rivera had sent along with his comm transmission. "I was actually thinking of going myself. We could test one of the new Endeavor ships. That sector is only a day from here at maximum stardrive. Depending on what we find, we might only be gone for a couple days, maybe five at the most. Rivera said it was drifting, so it might be something we can tow back here."
Gabriel only took a moment to consider the request. "Permission granted. Major, you have the conn." He disappeared into his office.
Mariah watched him leave, then looked at Saveck. "How did the press conference go?"
"As good as the last one."
While the Chrisarii busied himself at ops, Decev tapped her commlink and requested the standby science officer to report for duty. Then she began choosing names for her team from the on-duty roster. As she walked off the command deck, the science officer cast a parting glance at Gabriel's door.
( 5 )
"Commander Rivera was right. All scans are being totally repelled."
"Totally?" Decev echoed.
Lieutenant Frederick Costello, science officer, grinned as he pulled up a second readout, but his expression sobered as he glanced at the results. "That ring is huge, almost twice the size of a delta class ship!"
Decev nodded as she poured over the readouts on her own terminal screen. "You're right. And all attempts to scan beneath its surface are –"