by Ian J Miller
"Very true," Antonia agreed. "Nevertheless, I am going to suggest a change of instructions."
"Yes?"
"What you should say is that under some clauses required for admission to the Ulsian Federation, a given planet has the right to make a limited number of inspections of any ships that it feels may be carrying cargo detrimental to that planet's environment, or alternatively, if it feels there could be preparation for war. You should use that rather than the questionable use of your brother's name."
"But Earth is not a member of the Ulsian Federation."
"No, but the Terran Federation Council has raised the issue of membership with Ulse, and under those circumstances, these clauses apply. Further, you may say you suspect that a warlike intent is present, which is sufficient to verify, at least for a limited number of times."
"Yes, but our suspicions are based on an alleged message from the future, and that hardly counts as –"
"Agreed, that doesn't count, but you have firm grounds. Earth sent a delegation here to negotiate a treaty, and since the Ranhynn have persistently refused to make progress on the treaty, that is sufficient for a Terran representative to assume that there may be a warlike intent. The grounds would go away if Ranh signed the treaty, but they haven't."
"I'm not arguing," Lucilla said. "Do it. Nevertheless, I assume there is a limited number of times we can do this."
"Actually, the limit is somewhat bigger than you might think, because the absence of a treaty expands that markedly. Also, so far Earth has never used any inspections, so that issue doesn't arise."
"They may argue this is not a Terran vessel."
"Then I shall inform them that arguing is a prima facie reason to suspect they are carrying illicit cargo, in which case it becomes an Ulsian matter, and any further failure to comply will lead to immediate destruction. I would also suggest that you also inform them that any attempt to send messages to any other party will also lead to their destruction."
"Then send such messages," Lucilla said.
Lucilla sat back and waited. She had expected that since the ship had been detected it would be close, but that was far from the case. In the end, she had a small meal then went to lie down and sleep for a while. When Antonia woke her, the freighter could be seen on the long-range scanners.
"It tried to avoid compliance," Antonia said, "but that was pointless, other than showing a high probability of guilt. It is time for the inspection."
"They may try something," Lucilla said. "We need –"
"To send an inspector droid," Antonia said. "We shall stand off at a distance of about two thousand kilometers and propel one of these droids over there. They will open the airlock and let it in to do its job."
"And if they don't?"
"They die."
Lucilla sat back and watched nothing seem to happen. The inspector droid, which was only about twenty centimeters long on its longest dimension, was propelled over to the ship, and it steered its way into an airlock. Lucilla could watch on a screen what was in front of the droid, and when it entered the ship, Lucilla saw three very frightened Ranhynn.
"Can we communicate with them?" Lucilla asked.
"Of course."
"Then I suggest you tell them that now is the time to confess to what they have. If it is, as we suspect, bad, and they tell us everything and make no attempt to conceal anything, we shall destroy the illicit cargo and they can go on their way."
"Excellent suggestion."
Lucilla watched in amusement as the Ranhynn started a discussion, and noted that even as an alien she could see they were guilty, so she suggested adding that observation to the message. That did the trick; they confessed to carrying twelve annihilation bombs.
"Then I shall tell them to lock themselves in the control room and to seal off the cargo holds," Antonia said. "I shall then send over a droid to remove these bombs."
"Also tell them I shall be grumpy with them if there are any undeclared weapons," Lucilla added.
"Done," Antonia said, and Lucilla was amused to find that there was suddenly a significant addition: the parts to make one hundred and ninety-two pulse cannon.
The hatches were opened and the droid took the bombs outside and secured them into a massive parcel, and around these it secured the cannon parts. A rigorous examination of the rest of the freighter was carried out, but no further bombs or other armaments were found, and the two droids returned the Romulus.
Antonia then suggested to the Ranhynn that they might like to put some distance between them and the bombs. The motors of the freighter burst into life, and the ship shot off in no particular direction.
"Those idiots were lucky," Antonia pointed out. "They should have eased away because that full blast, had it been pointed a few degrees more towards the star, would have set off those bombs. In the meantime, we might as well put a few thousand kilometers more between us and them."
"And then?"
"What I believe you call fireworks," Antonia said.
Several minutes were spent moving back, then finally Antonia decided they had gone far enough, and a low intensity burst of dephasing waves were sent towards the bombs. Nothing happened for a minute, then there was an immense burst of energy, and jets of energy flew off in a number of directions.
"Presumably that is the end of them," Lucilla remarked.
"That is indeed the end of them," Antonia said. "I shall inform the Actium what we have done, and we shall rejoin the Livia at once. Fortunately, those under the ice have not undertaken any activity so far, so there are no issues with delayed remote orders."
* * *
The citizens of Ranh were suddenly exposed to a news blitz. It all started with a protest from the Xanex, to the effect that an explosion had been detected in the outer regions of their planetary system, and a spectral analysis confirmed that it was due to the explosion of several annihilation bombs, the manufacture of which was strictly prohibited by a number of treaties, including one with the Xanex. Would the government of Ranh please explain.
There followed a number of spokes-ranhynn, all of whom denied any knowledge of this explosion.
"Yes," came the caustic comment from the interviewer, "we understand you were asleep, as you are only too often when something important happens, but the question is not about the explosion. It is about the existence of annihilation bombs."
"Well?"
"Do you know anything about them?"
"No."
"Has any organization on Ranh made them?"
"No."
"That is fairly emphatic," the interviewer said. "How come you are so sure?"
As Natasha was to note later, a simple, "not to my knowledge" would have extricated the fool, but instead he became more angry, and firmer with his denials, but in mid sentence his time on the public media was terminated.
The next organization to be interviewed was the military, but it was immediately pointed out that there was no Tenzat, accordingly there was no official military position. On the other hand, a staff officer in charge of military purchases was prepared to say that, according to the military records, and to the best of his knowledge, the military had no part to play in wherever these bombs had come from.
There was then an interview with Cardinal Sender, who replied to the question of whether he knew anything about these bombs, "Why should I?"
"You are the senior Ranhyn . . ."
"On religious matters," the Cardinal huffed. "I see no particular religious issue here," and with that he declined further comment.
Somewhat later, Gaius was invited to present the Ulsian position, and he simply said that he was as interested as anyone in who had made these bombs. He was invited to sit and await an explanation from the deputy Tenzat from the Internal Affairs curia, who stormed onto the stage. Her plumage was particularly dowdy, she walked with a slight limp, and her attitude seemed to be that she hated the world for what it had done to her, whatever that was. She pointed a claw at Gaius as she accused Ulse o
f providing and setting off these bombs to intimidate Ranh. "Such interference in our affairs is intolerable," she scowled. "Ranh must prepare to defend itself."
The deputy Tenzat seemed to be unaware that there was an ongoing television program being broadcast live, and she strode across the floor, tail out, and her left hand had trembling claws. She stopped a meter in front of the Space Marshall, bared her teeth, and with accusing eyes, said, "Do you deny that Ulse set off those explosions?"
"Yes, and no," Gaius smiled the response.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" The deputy Tenzat seemed somewhat taken aback by an answer that she considered designed to irritate her.
"Yes, I deny Ulse had any part to play, other than the no part, in that an Ulsian-built ship was involved."
"Involved? You are threatening Ranh!" The deputy Tenzat puffed herself up, to make herself look as fearsome as she could.
"No. The ship was commanded by a Terran and was following the general instructions of the Earth Federation Council, who have opened up negotiations to join the Ulsian Federation. Earth is also protected by Ulse until this matter is resolved, so when the Romulus detected a freighter heading towards a number of hidden warships, it exercised its rights under the Ulsian Federation Constitution, which also binds Ranh, to make a spot search for contraband and illegal weaponry."
"Contraband? That is a Ranhyn matter!"
"Yes, and the Romulus was just being helpful. Of course the weaponry is a matter for concern to Earth. They found twelve annihilation bombs, which are strictly illegal, and one hundred and ninety-two pulse cannon, which would presumably arm the ninety-six hidden warships under the satellite ice."
"There are only twenty-four ships . . ." The deputy Tenzat paused, realizing that she had said something she should not have.
"Which implies they are of Ranhyn origin."
"What makes you so sure . . ."
"Because you seem to know the details," Gaius said with a superior smile, "which raises the question, what are they for? Police ships seeking pirates or so would have only two cannon per ship, but eight pulse cannon per ship means heavy cruiser at a minimum, and twenty-four of them is a serious military fleet, which raises a further question, how come you know about them and seemingly the Military Curia does not?"
"Turn off this broadcast," the deputy Tenzat hissed, and when the show Director nodded and walked into a side room, she continued, "So I assume it was on your orders that these weapons were destroyed?"
"Actually, no," Gaius said, "at least not directly because I knew nothing of this ship until the explosion last night. I saw that, as it happens, but even then I had no idea what caused it. On the other hand, had I known, I most certainly would have ordered their destruction."
"You killed those –"
"If you mean the crew, the answer is no. Statements were recorded, and when the weapons were removed, they were permitted to leave. If you do not know where they are, that is their fault, not mine."
"Well, you'll regret that. Guards! Take him away and kill him."
"You realize," the Director re-emerged, "that you gave that order on a nation-wide broadcast, and that is effectively a declaration of war on Ulse."
"I ordered you to turn that off!"
"Yes, but I didn't. This was too good a program to interrupt." And the Director laughed.
"Guards! Get –"
"Forget it." An army Captain strolled onto the scene. "The Guards you refer to have been ordered to stand down and return to barracks. Those who refused were immediately arrested."
"You can't do that!"
"I can. I have a request from the Police Curia to assist in restoring order following the gassing of several citizens in Tukhranh this morning." He signalled to two soldiers, and added, "Arrest the deputy Tenzat."
"On what charge?" came the blustering response. Her whole attitude now was of one whose authority has been stripped, and her future bleak. She knew that whatever the outcome of this, the broadcast of her order to kill this pestilent human would cost her her future.
"Of inciting violence and effectively declaring war," came the response, "although the ability to declare war is way out of your pay grade."
"You'll regret this!" the deputy Tenzat yelled, and waved a claw, but the soldiers came up beside her, weapons drawn, and eventually she saw the sense in submitting to arrest. As she was led out, she continued to make threats.
A rather solemn interviewer faced the cameras, and with a nod of approval from the program Director, announced, "Citizens, what you have just seen indicates that there is a serious problem. As the program Director announced, what that official did was effectively declare war on Ulse." The interviewer paused, then faced Gaius and asked, "What is the official position of Ulse at this moment?"
Gaius nodded, faced the cameras, and said, "I wish to reassure the viewers that as yet there is no possibility of war with Ulse, or any other planet within the Ulsian Federation of Planets."
"But surely if what you said about annihilation bombs is true, then you must be concerned?"
"As the Ulsian supreme military commander in the region, my position is that as of now, the Ulsian Federation recognizes this as an internal matter for Ranh to resolve. At this stage we consider this was an extremely dangerous criminal act, but the evidence I have as of now is it was just that, a criminal act, and not the policy of the Ranhyn government."
"So what should happen now?"
"I strongly recommend that the government of Ranh move to promptly uncover the cause of this problem, and I strongly recommend that all citizens of Ranh support such moves and have this particular piece of illegality stamped out."
"Now, a personal question." The interviewer paused, as if uncertain how to continue.
"Yes?"
"Recently, there was a news item that stated you were killed by assassins. But . . ." There was a pause, and then, "Would you care to comment?"
"Fortunately, that item was untrue," Gaius said with a shrug.
"Have you any comment on how it could have arisen?"
Gaius paused for a moment, trying to decide whether there was any point in explaining this, but finally he decided that he might as well explain. "My companion saw a number of armed Ranhynn through a window," he said at last, not entirely truthfully, "so he created images of me and Natasha and had those walk down the street to where the armed Ranhynn were last seen. It turned out this was an ambush, but all they achieved was to shoot up some images. I am unsure of how this made the news."
"There was a spectator in an upper window, who was woken by a blast on her wall."
"I am sorry for that," Gaius said. "Normally, I would refer that damage to the Ulsian Ambassador, but there does not seem to be one."
"There isn't," the interviewer confirmed.
"That I don't understand," Gaius continued. "A party was sent from Ulse about the same time I left, so they should still be here. Do you know when they left?"
The interviewer was clearly embarrassed at seemingly having opened up that which should have been kept tightly closed. After some delay, he stuttered, "I really don't know much about that."
Gaius decided to take this no further. He had made his point. All of Ranh would see that, and there was no need to force someone into taking more violent action against him than was necessary.
"So what do you plan to do about it?" the interviewer finally asked.
"Await a full report on the incident," Gaius replied. "I assume the authorities will investigate this, as well as the gassing incident."
"What gassing incident?"
"The one the official referred to earlier in the program," Gaius said. "I assume there was one, otherwise why would the Police Curia be investigating it?"
"Of course," the interviewer said, with the frown of someone who is unsure where this program was going, but also one who has realized it should have been terminated earlier.
Fortunately for him, he was rescued by the Captain, who gave an assurance to the
public. "At this stage I can assure the public that moves are underway to restore Ranh to full legality. The Military Curia has taken upon itself to assist the police to do what is necessary, and we ask all citizens to cooperate. If you have relevant information, at the end of this broadcast there will be a number of links that you can use so that your information will be put to good use. Thank you, citizens."
At that point, an announcer took control back in the studio and switched the program to light music, which would continue for the seven minutes before reverting to the usual scheduled program.
Chapter 42
A small group of Ranhynn, together with Natasha and Katya, stood outside the residence of the Tenzat of the Space Curia. Natasha had been concerned to leave the humans below, but Marcellus had taken the responsibility of helping them because, as Gaius said, it was important to move this problem onwards. Time was more the friend of Cardinal Sender, and it was important to make as many things happen that they wanted before the Cardinal regrouped his forces.
It was mid-morning, and Natasha was amused to hear that as far as they could tell, the Tenzat had not commenced any official business, and the main door was closed, thus turning away anyone who might have such business. Hadell went up to the front door and pressed the doorbell. When the doorbell was answered, Hadell came straight to the point. "We are here to speak to Thapet Tergyn."
"Make an appointment like anyone else," came the terse reply from the junior official acting as a guard.
"As an ex-Tenzat of his Curia, I have an automatic right to speak with him."
"You can still make an appointment. The Tenzat is –"
"You will open the door," Kazyn growled, "or those soldiers there will open it for us, and remove obstructions like you."
"What? You can't do that? You . . ."
What he was going to say was never said, as he was pushed to one side, and as Hadell and Kazyn strode forward, two soldiers constrained this official, and four more trained weapons on the nearby doors.
Tergyn was still eating breakfast when the two stormed into the dining room. "What –?" he gurgled.
"I assume you have not seen the morning news," Hadell said.