Onslaught (Rise of the Empire Book 6)

by Ivan Kal

  Adrian put on his own garments and then stood, watching her. Anessa walked to him and grabbed him behind the head; she lowered her mouth to his neck and bit hard. She raised her head and turned to walk towards the doors. They would have their diplomatic talks first, and then, she would make him hers, to stay by her side always.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Shara Radum

  Two days later, Adrian and two of his soldiers walked through the Shara Radum palace escorted by six honor guards, as he learned they were called. One of the guards was giving Adrian a strange look, but then Adrian was pretty sure that he was one of the guards who had been in front of Anessa’s quarters during their ‘discussion’ in private. Once the two had left the quarters, the guards were somewhat surprised, and if they were anything like his escorts, there were rumors a-plenty.

  They were headed to a meeting with Anessa, this one a much more formal one than their last. They had already agreed to peace, with Anessa and Adrian both sending the documents for the agreement for the other party to read through and agree on. Now they would officially confirm those agreements, and start the discussion for anything more than peace. He didn’t really know what Anessa had in mind, but he could guess. He didn’t know how much success the Erasi had had in their attack on the Shara Daim, but they had certainly caught the Shara Daim off guard, and had a larger force. Aileen had reported somewhere around sixty fleets, which was more than what the Shara Daim had. The fact that the Shara Daim were the defenders was in their favor, but he knew that if the Erasi had a foothold in their territory, it would be extremely hard to push them out.

  They reached their destination, and Adrian and his two escorts were led into a medium-sized room, with an ornate table and chairs in front of them. One of the chairs was a bit different, and Adrian assumed that that one was for him. The regular Shara Daim chairs were all just a bit too low for him to sit at a table comfortably. Already sitting were Anessa and a woman that Adrian recognized from being in the crowd when he had fought Farran.

  He bowed to Anessa and dipped his head to the woman, who surprisingly returned his gesture.

  “Lord Sentinel,” Anessa said, her melodic voice even, not giving a hint of what had happened between them.

  “Kar Daim,” Adrian acknowledged.

  “This is Vallar Havasse. She is my advisor, among other things. She will conduct most of these talks. I have been trained to be a warrior and a commander; she has more experience with negotiating than me.”

  “Of course,” Adrian said as he took his seat, his two guards taking positions behind him while Anessa’s took positions behind her. Adrian put a small black object on the desk, and immediately a document appeared above it. It was one of the Erasi-made universal data chips with a telepathic interface. The Empire’s ones wouldn’t work for the Shara Daim, as their interfaces were implant-controlled.

  “I read the document, and this is acceptable for the Empire.” The document affirmed the current borders of the Empire and the Shara Daim on the sides where they were facing each other, and an agreement for splitting the uninhabited area between the two empires equally and therefore establishing a new joint border. The rest were agreements of non-aggression between the two, but which also absolved the Empire of the deaths of the Shara Daim people in Sol, and Anessa’s kidnapping. That part had already mainly been fulfilled by Adrian killing a Dai Sha that had challenged him for that reason.

  “We have read your document as well,” Vallar Havasse said. His document was basically the same thing, only reaffirming what theirs said from the Empire’s point of view, with them absolving the Shara Daim for the attacks on the Lord Sentinel and Sol. “It is acceptable.”

  The holographic interface changed to show both documents, and a prompt appeared for both parties to sign it with their telepathy, making unique signatures. Adrian used his telepathy and signed his part; Anessa used hers to sign her part.

  “Now, with that finished,” Vallar Havasse said, “the Shara Daim would like to open the dialogue for a possible alliance with your Empire.”

  Adrian nodded. He had thought that this might be what they were after. Adrian was authorized by Tomas to make whatever deals and agreements he saw fit. Initially, he hadn’t been prepared to go further than trading deals. But then the Erasi had attacked his ships and destroyed one battleship. They had also attempted to hack into Sol’s systems, tried to manipulate them into a conflict with Shara Daim, and had stealth ships in the Empire’s systems. He didn’t really blame them for the stealth ships or the hacks—the Empire had ships and people in their territory as well. He was still not completely prepared to give the Shara Daim direct aid against the Erasi.

  “What would you consider as a part of this alliance?” Adrian asked.

  Vallar Havasse glanced at Anessa and then back at Adrian. “First, we would like an open trade agreement between us, meaning that any corporation in Shara Daim may openly trade with any in the Empire,” she said.

  Adrian nodded again; that was something that he could do. Open trade would mean that the Shara Daim could get most of the civilian-grade tech, which included conventional and bio-fabricators. It would also mean nanotechnology, which he was pretty sure the Shara Daim didn’t have. But the Empire would get a lot in return. Most of the Shara Daim military tech had been derived from the sphere, but their regular tech had been developed by them or appropriated from other races.

  “That is acceptable,” Adrian said, and waited.

  After a beat, she continued, “We would want an exchange of military technology as well.”

  And there it was. Adrian knew that they were after the skimming technology. It would give them a huge advantage over the Erasi.

  “That would be a bit harder. The Empire doesn’t trade military technology with other races, not unless the relationship between the two was much more involved,” Adrian said.

  “We would be prepared to pay you additionally for certain technologies,” Vallar Havasse said.

  Adrian debated continuing the back and forth, but there was really no point. Tomas, Adrian, and the rest of the Clan Leaders had discussed what they would require of an ally for them to share the technology of the Empire long ago. The conditions were the same.

  “You want an alliance; you need one because of the Erasi attack,” he stated. “The Empire isn’t prepared to go to war with the Erasi just yet. Giving you our technologies would give the Erasi cause to consider us hostile. And we can’t do that, not without other assurances.”

  “What kind of assurances?” Vallar Havasse asked.

  “If you want our military technologies and support, you would need to agree to a real alliance. And frankly, the history of Shara Daim is such that we don’t really know if we could trust you enough for that,” Adrian said. He glanced at Anessa and saw her looking at him with her expression darkened. He knew that she wanted to change her people, but there was really no guarantee that she would succeed.

  “The leadership of Shara Daim is changed, I will not allow the same things that the Elders did,” Anessa said.

  “I understand that, but it still doesn’t change the fact that you have spent the great chunk of your history destroying other civilizations,” Adrian said.

  Anessa moved to say something, but Vallar Havasse interrupted her. “What are your conditions for an alliance?”

  “Completely open borders, freedom of movement for both military and civilian ships and personnel. Several joint colonies to be established in both territories, with mixed settlements and educational programs in order to bring both people closer. Exchange of military instructors, full sharing of military technologies. Agreement of mutual defense. And an agreement of conduct.”

  Both Anessa and Vallar Havasse looked at him as if he had grown an extra head. “An agreement of conduct?” Havasse asked.

  “A set of rules by which both empires conduct themselves in dealings with other intelligent life in the galaxy. For example, if a planet with an intelligent lifeform that
hasn’t yet reached space is encountered, that planet and the systems in the range of ten lightyears will be left alone as the right of that race, with no contact to be established until they have reached space. Would you be able to agree to something like that?” Adrian asked.

  Havasse and Anessa exchanged a look, and Adrian felt them speak with their minds for a short interval. “We could; it isn’t that much different than our current policy,” Havasse said.

  Adrian knew that Shara Daim ignored other life unless it was in the way. Adrian brought out another data chip and placed it on the table. “This is the list of all the requirements for a full alliance that the Empire needs from their allies. Some are negotiable, others are not.”

  Havasse took the data chip, and spoke with Anessa privately again. “We will study this document and continue these talks afterwards, if that is acceptable to you?”

  “Of course,” Adrian said, and stood to return to his quarters.

  ***

  The next day, he found himself back at the same table across from Anessa and Vallar Havasse.

  “We have looked over your requirements, and we can abide by them. But we have a few additional requests,” Vallar Havasse said.

  “What kind of requests?” Adrian asked.

  “We would like to be given historical data from the device left by our ancestor,” she said.

  Adrian thought about it, but then concluded that there wasn’t really any reason not to grant that request. “Alright, but you still haven’t given me a reason to believe the Shara Daim will be trustworthy in the future.”

  “We understand that our past makes it difficult for you to trust us. Many of our people will have trouble accepting the new ways, but we are adamant to change. Even before Kar Daim removed the Elders from power, some of us were seeking a change,” Vallar Havasse said. “So in order to win that trust, we are prepared to eschew the right to your military technology. We would provide all the rest of what your agreement requires. But in return for this, we want your immediate direct military aid against the Erasi invaders.”

  Adrian scratched his chin as he thought about it. Without the Empire’s military technology, the Shara Daim would be at a disadvantage, true. And it would give them time for the two people to grow and trust one another. Tomas and his teams had projected that the Erasi were going to be a threat in the long run. Their practices were shadowy, and they liked to manipulate other races; it was only a matter of time before they did the same thing to the Empire as they had just done to the Shara Daim. In addition, their laws allowed for anything and everything to be bought and sold in their space, including slaves. Both the Shara Daim and the Empire didn’t allow for slavery. Then there was the fact that both of the races were descended from Axull Darr. That kind of connection was a solid foundation for them to build on.

  Giving them military aid, on the other hand, was a bit different, mainly because the Empire didn’t have as many assets that they could commit to a war. By now the Empire should have around ten fleets, a fifth of what the Shara Daim had. Committing any of those fleets would weaken the Empire considerably.

  He mulled it over a bit more, thinking about what Tomas would want. His orders were clear: the Empire needed to expand and make powerful allies. The enemy that the People had created was out there, and they needed to start preparing now. Coming to a decision, Adrian turned to Anessa and Vallar Havasse.

  “I could accept that, but as far as military aid goes, the Empire can’t commit a lot of resources to your war,” Adrian said.

  “How much could you commit?” Anessa asked.

  “We could probably send six fleets, around the same number as six of your Legions. All fleets equipped with our skimming technology,” Adrian said.

  “Skimming?”

  “Our name for the normal-space FTL drives our ships use.”

  “Six Legions isn’t much, but your technology does give you an advantage,” Anessa mused.

  Adrian decided that there was a bit more that the Empire could add. “We could also provide you with our defense platforms; we could build them in our systems and ship them over to you. I don’t know if you have something better.”

  “Ours are about the same strength…” Anessa said, “That would be useful as well. How many could you provide us if we make an agreement today, and how quickly?”

  “Two thousand in one shipment. It would take several months for them to get here, though; we would need to set up relay point between here and the Empire to get the communications between us faster. We can build two thousand platforms every eight months in Sol,” Adrian said.

  “Eight months?” Anessa and Vallar Havasse both said, shocked.

  Adrian nodded. “Yes, we have a manufacturing technology that allows us much faster construction than by conventional assembly.”

  “And would you be willing to share that technology?” Anessa asked quickly. He detected that it would mean a lot for them. She probably knew that it would take Shara Daim shipyards much longer to replace the losses against the Erasi. The fabricating tech was technically a military technology, which they would share with their allies. He thought about it and then an idea struck him.

  “We would be ready to share this tech, but in return for something,” Adrian said.

  “In return for what?” Vallar Havasse asked.

  “I want several of your best Sha instructors to go to the Empire and teach my people. In return for that, I will give you our fabricating technology,” Adrian said.

  Both Anessa and Havasse looked taken aback, and they conferred mentally. After several minutes, they both turned to him. “We can agree to that,” Havasse said.

  “Then I will have a document drawn up and sent to you as fast as possible, outlining everything that we have discussed.”

  ***

  Two days later, Adrian found himself sitting in Anessa’s quarters again. They had just finished having a meal together, prepared by her chef. The food had been delicious, but a bit on the dry side compared to human meals. The conversation during the meal had been friendly, with no talk of deals and war; they had both signed the document agreeing to the alliance yesterday. Instead, they had talked about their childhoods and how they differed. It was an interesting conversation, and Adrian had managed to get Anessa’s age out of it. She was one hundred and seventy-seven years old. A bit older than Adrian, who was eighty-six—or technically one hundred and forty-six, but he had spent much of the sixty-year trip in stasis, waking periodically to check up on things during Olympus’s hyperspace trip from Earth to Sanctuary. He didn’t really know how much time he had spent awake, but it was several years at least. And then there was the time he spent in his mind-space, which several decades at least.

  After the meal, they had moved to the sofas, which were a bit strange to Adrian in design but comfortable nonetheless. They had continued their conversations, talking to each other about trivial things with no other things on their minds for the first time since they met each other. But eventually their conversation trailed off, and both of them were aware of the real reason Anessa had called him to her quarters.

  Then finally, Anessa stood and moved to his sofa, sitting down beside him, facing him. “So we are having the talk about ‘this,’” Adrian said, gesturing between them.

  “Yes,” Anessa said. She paused. “I want you to stay here as my Dal A’sha,” she said seriously.

  Adrian frowned at the unfamiliar word. He had the translating software disabled, as he had learned the language, but he turned it on and checked with his imp to find the meaning of the word, it had the complete database from the Erasi devices. He did a double take at what he found. After a few seconds of reading the meaning over and over, he looked at Anessa.

  “What does that mean, exactly?” Adrian asked, not really trusting the software.

  “It means someone who is a life partner,” she said calmly.

  Adrian blinked slowly.

  Before he had a chance to say anything, Anessa continued s
peaking, “I want you to stay with me. If I am to change the way my people think about other races, I need to show them. Having you here would be a perfect way of doing that.”

  Adrian snapped out of his confusion, and his lip curled up in a smile. “So, you want to use me to change the way your people are thinking about aliens. Consort with an alien and lead by example,” he said, grinning.

  “Yes,” she said without shame, “but also because I care about you, and I know that you care about me. We understand each other. You are strong and powerful; I trust you. And I will need help in trying to change my people,” Anessa said with a serious expression on her face. “And also, if you stay with me, you could make sure that the alliance between the Shara Daim and the Empire is honored. You can make sure that our people grow together. But do not mistake this for purely an emotional decision, you are right, I need you in order to change my people.”

  Adrian thought about it. His first instinct was to refuse her; he had a duty to the Empire, and he couldn’t set it aside for personal gain. But then he thought about it more. He was a Sentinel, and they had been created to live outside the territory of the Empire and make relations with other races, to be diplomats and envoys and spies. The alliance with Shara Daim was important, and he couldn’t let it fail. What Anessa had said was true; if he stayed, he could make sure that it succeeded.

  But she was not asking him to stay as a diplomat. She wanted a relationship with him, a lasting one, if he was not mistaken. He thought about it logically. He knew that he couldn’t stay Lord Sentinel and remain here. But there were others who could take his place, and knowing Tomas as he did, he would like the idea of having someone he could trust at the side of the Shara Daim ruler.

  But then there was the other side. Did he want to stay with this woman, make a life with her? He had thought that he would never do that with anyone after Bethany. And Anessa was certainly not Beth. Anessa was a tyrant; she ruled her people with fear. She loved fighting, and killing. She didn’t care for the weak, nor did she allow anyone to truly question her. And he doubted that she would ever change much; her beliefs might mellow, but at her core she would remain who she was. It wasn’t like Adrian was any better, but ultimately he only sought to better himself. And Anessa understood his drive; she was the same. And he did care about her. When he was with her, he felt whole, alive in a way that he hadn’t been ever before. Both of them would never allow their emotions to interfere with what they perceived as their duty, only in this case it seemed that what they wanted to do and what they needed to do coincided.