"I am General Yanigg, Commander of our Defense Force.' He answered. 'I alone am the one you should execute. I am responsible for this war." He added.
"I told you that I would make the decisions, here. Do not tell me who to execute and who should live. If I want to end every one of your people left in our space, that is my prerogative.' Bryant was growling again. 'I want to show you something. Come with me" He finished as he rose from his seat and turned to the door.
"Come with us.' George said to the rest of his party as he passed through the interrogation room door. 'We do not need a guard, Malcolm. I have no fear of these men. We would kill them where they stand if they attempted anything, anyway. Activate a mobile translator, please." He finished, still in the doorway so the interpreter would translate his words.
They marched silently through the corridors, up the elevators, and onto the Flag Bridge.
"Look!' He said pointing out the observation window. 'That is only half the force we used in this region. The rest are on the way. They will all be here in two days. We used a similarly sized armada at the Battlefront and another to run our diversions. And all those ships are less than a quarter of our total capacity. Should I order them all to head to your home planet and finish this for good?" He asked quietly.
"I cannot tell you what you should do, sir. You have made that clear. But, I will plead that you do not. We are not a match for your Empire. We know that, now. I can only assure you that, we would never attack you again." The General was speaking quietly, now.
"General Yanigg do your people have treaties with other people?" Bryant asked.
"What is a treaty? General Yanigg asked.
"When you conduct business between each other, like when someone buys land from someone else, do you sign an agreement, promising to carry out your part of the deal?" Bryant asked.
"Yes sir, we sign contracts that make a deal official. Why do you ask?" The General responded.
"Because a treaty is an agreement between two Empires. Some are contracts where they agree to not attack each other. Others make it easier to conduct trade. Some make your neighbors your allies in battle. Would you be prepared to sign a treaty? Would you endorse a contract that guarantees you would never attack us or our allies and trading partners again? An agreement that would establish a zone near our territory where you are not allowed to travel without permission from our government. I believe you are an honorable man, and would not break your written promise. If your people approved such a settlement, I would permit you, and all your troops to return home, and we would not attack your world. I would prefer to consider you a friend. Peace is more honorable than war if it is good for both sides." The Admiral finished.
There was a lengthy silence.
"May I speak with my subordinate alone, for a few minutes?" Yanigg asked politely.
"Yes sir, we will stand over there and turn off our translators. Wave when you want me to return." Bryant responded.
The two alien Officers spent several minutes in animated conversation. Bryant knew from body language and gestures that Yanigg was asking Vzirst's opinion. They waved Bryant and his team back.
"Yes, sir. My associate believes it would be honorable to make such an agreement. He says you have proven to be an honorable man. He would trust such an agreement made with you." The General answered.
"General, do you have the authority to sign such an agreement, for your people?" George asked.
"I would have to get approval from my superiors, first. If we can communicate with them, I could seek it. I am nearly certain they would accept my conclusions in this matter. Once I have the authorization, my signature would carry the authority of our Emperor. Can you sign this treaty?" He had a little trouble getting his head around the word.
"Sir, I can sign the agreement without approval from anyone else. Our Emperor designates certain people to make these agreements with other worlds and Empires. I am one of them. I would like you to be my guest aboard this ship while we wait for approval from your Emperor. Most of your force has been sent home but, some have been held here. We can have one communicate your message. From this position, it would take nearly twelve days for the message to get to your world. They would need a day or two to discuss your proposal. Then, it would take another twelve days for the return message. You could stay here for that time as our guest or, we could let you return to one of your ships for that time. However, we would not let your ships leave our space until we know what the response is. Once we have an answer, you'd be free to go, whatever it is. But, we would probably see each other again when we attack if your government refuses this offer." George explained.
"I understand. That is a satisfactory arrangement. But, I would like to stay aboard one of my ships where I will get the food I like." The general answered.
"That's fine. The two ships we held are in another system. It will take three days to get them here. In the meantime, you will be our guest. I will allow you to spend some time with our chef so you can describe some foods for him. He will try and prepare your meals similar to the ones you eat now. You will be allowed to travel throughout this ship but, there are areas you will be restricted from, and at least one of our people will accompany you at all times, including security outside the door of your quarters. And during your stay with us, or on your own ship, we may have to move. We have other duties to attend. But, I caution you, if one of your vessels attempts to direct a travel route towards your home before we have your Emperor's answer, we will stop or destroy it. Do you understand my terms?" Admiral Bryant asked.
"Yes sir, and I agree with them. Consider this a contract. You can be assured we will not try to leave, and we will respect your wishes until we are authorized to depart." Yanigg answered.
"Good, then let's begin our new relationship properly. We have not been introduced. I am Admiral George T. Bryant. I command a relatively large group of Fleets of warships. My immediate supervisors are the Commanders of our entire Military and our Emperor. Our Empire contains more than five thousand worlds. Just over one hundred of those worlds are inhabited by humanoids similar to us that are members of the ruling council of the Empire. However, the Emperor has the final say in any matter. Our defense service is called the OESA which stands for Orion Empire Space Agency. We have sixty-four fleets of twenty of these large warships you have seen supported by two hundred and fifty-six large supply vessels. We are distributed into four Quadrant Commands with two Theatre Commands in each Quadrant. Each Theatre Command holds eight of the Fleets and has its own station and support vessels including a hospital ship. My Command is known as the Mobile Fifth Command and is in addition to those Quadrant Commands and is structured like a separate one that can rapidly move to any location to fight any invader. This force is incomplete, right now but, will have Two Theatre Commands with eight fleets each, sixty-four supply vessels, and two Mobile Hospital Units. Besides that, each Theatre will have an additional twelve Frigates not attached to Fleets that can travel through the Empire dealing with smaller issues by themselves. Each Fleet can launch four hundred fighter craft. So, in all, you face more than two-thousand of these immense, powerful warships continuously supplied and twenty-six thousand Raptor-class fighter craft. I tell you this only, so you'll understand who we are. But, I repeat that I would rather be your friend than your enemy. Now tell me about you." George said.
"I am General Yanigg. I am the Supreme Commander of our Empire's Defense Force which is responsible for all tactical operations in our Empire. Before this attack, we had twelve-hundred of our raider sized warships which are much less powerful than yours. Each Raider can launch ten fighters. So, we have twelve thousand of them. We are supplied by convoys of civilian craft. We have minimal supply capability within the service. But, it is not just a numbers game. I see that your force is technologically superior. You can go faster, maneuver better, and you have better command and control because of advanced communications and sensors. I also saw tactics that I have never witnessed before. I have l
earned a lot from my defeat. I also feel that you are a people of honor. This is very rare, and we respect that above all. I can assure you that regardless of my Empire, I may not become your friend or ally but, I will not be your enemy, anymore." The General sounded quite sincere in his pronouncement.
"Follow me to my office.' Bryant commanded as he turned and walked with his party and the two aliens in tow. 'Sit and relax. I can offer you a drink of some beverages that are exceptional on my world. They are powerful and can affect your judgment if you consume too much and, they can make you feel light-headed too." Bryant offered.
"Yes Admiral, we will sample some of these but, you will have to choose for us. We don't know these drinks." Yanigg answered.
George poured them each two fingers of Cuddy Sark then sat at his desk and contacted Olivia Hurst for officers’ quarters for the Colonel and Flag quarters for the General.
"Oh, this is quite good. We have a brew like this on my world. But, this is smokier than ours. We use our cocktail at celebrations. It eliminates most inhibitions." The General said as he rolled the glass, catching the light in the golden liquid.
A steward and two security people showed up at the door.
"These people will show you to your quarters. The chef will be there soon to speak with you about food. Your quarters are not together and will be on different levels but, you may visit each other any time you wish. If you want to take meals with others, you may use our dining lounges. We call them mess halls. We have separate ones for General Staff, Officers, and enlisted people. You may eat in the General staff or Officers mess halls. We have a barber shop, some stores, and a bar on board along with a lot of other services. There is a bar in your quarters with beverages like the ones in my bar. Feel free to try them all, if you want. The steward will show you the devices in your quarters and how to use them. If you want something, else, just ask for it. You will be treated like honored guests." George said as he stood and directed the men towards the door.
When they were gone, he sat with Marie, Grace, and Ian discussing their view of what had transpired. They were impressed with his progress. Marie felt the General was authentic and sincere - that, he really believed the Orion Empire was a mighty and honorable society, they could at least tolerate. George dismissed them and sat at his system composing.
Memo
Encrypted and Classified
To:OESA C&C, Emperor Edward III, Office of the First Minister,
Secretary ofDefense
From:Admiral George T. Bryant Commander Mobile Fifth Command
Cc:No other copies distributed
Sub:Peace Talks
Date:May 3, 2249
All,
I am pleased to inform you that, discussions with the enemy whose attack we recently repelled are making positive progress. Our impression here is that their warrior caste society attacked for little more than the glory of winning another war, and subjugating another people. Though quite intelligent, tactically capable, and technologically advanced, they seem to have been poorly prepared for what they faced in the endeavor. They knew little or nothing about us, did little if any intelligence preparation, and had not even determined the size or strength of the enemy they would face.
Though they took a foolhardy course, they seem to be a people who are honorable and can be trusted to keep their word. The leader of the attack - General Yanigg - has sent communications to his Emperor requesting the approval to negotiate a peace treaty. In the meantime, we are still holding prisoners in our Brigs. We have made the General and a subordinate Colonel our "guests" aboard the Columbia. We have detained a few enemy vessels, in our region for tactical reasons though, all others have been cleared from Orion Empire space.
Communications with General Yanigg's superiors is delayed by distance. Messages must travel sixty-five light years each way, by drone. In the meantime, the General and I will begin treaty discussions in the hope of having a document ready, when his authorization arrives. My goal here is just to keep them at a distance from our space. They are primarily aggressive by nature so, it is possible a change in leadership could create the conditions for a future attack. However, they pride themselves in their honor and believe it dishonorable to break a promise or contract so, I think a treaty is the means to keep them in check through future generations. Our objectives are to author an agreement that prohibits trespassing in the space of the Orion Empire, its allies, and a twenty light-year buffer zone. This enemy appears to be a very proud species so, I do not feel we should attempt to extract reparations. I sense that any such penalties would serve to belittle them, and would result in termination of our contract sometime in the future.
We must be prepared to demonstrate that we would back such a treaty with force. I have stressed that it is only through our good will that we do not attack and disable their offensive capabilities permanently. In that light, it would be a wise idea to negotiate defense and non-aggression pacts, with our partners - with the aim of holding widespread, joint, military exercises outside our borders, as a demonstration and constant reminder of our strength.
I believe any treaty with this adversary should be concise and straightforward not including any other goals but peace, non-aggression, and prevention of trespass.
During the period of negotiations, I am holding all Mobile Fifth Fleets at this location. Such a show of force seems to impress our antagonists and serves as a constant reminder during peace talks. So, I intend to conduct war games and maneuvers in this region, during negotiations.
I estimate the treaty will be signed on or before May 25, 2249.
In response to your memo of May 1, 2249, I will be available for the requested meeting no earlier than Thursday, May 31, 2249, due to the aforementioned treaty negotiations and travel times.
During the period of the war just ended, I attempted to keep you apprised of actions, as they occurred by copying you on all Action Orders and Memos and doubling the daily reports. I am sure you are aware that all parties in Mobile Fifth Command and additional supporting forces acted with the greatest courage and in the interests of the Empire. Many thousands of OESA personnel died or were injured in this endeavor. I would like to propose a memorial event in their honor. The size, scope, and date of this event should be determined by your offices. It must also be obvious that many of the Fifth's personnel distinguished themselves. I am preparing warrants for Command Level Awards to many of those. However, a special few displayed an intensity that should be recognized at a higher level. In that light, I will prepare recommendations for OESA merits and Imperial awards.
I remain your loyal servant and friend.
George T. Bryant
By May 6, 2249, all ships in the Fifth's Fleets were in station alongside the Columbia. As a reinforcement to his earlier show of power, George conducted a small demonstration for the benefit of his enemy counterpart. As they stood at the viewport in his office looking out over the Armada, one of the subs momentarily disengaged its cloak, shocking the enemy Commander. This was made to appear as just a matter of regular Fleet activities.
"Admiral, it appears you have invisible ships, too." The General said.
"No sir, they are not invisible. They use a technology called cloaking shields to hide them. They essentially project point by point images of the space around them one hundred and eighty degrees out of phase. From anywhere around them, or above and below, they appear to be invisible. There are four of these ships in every fleet. We do not usually show them or discuss them. It was an accident that this one appeared. The Commander of that ship will now spend several hours moving about under cloak to ensure his position is secure. Those vessels are armed with a host of missiles and torpedoes. They have particle weapons, too but, never use them under cloak. The particle stream would give their positions away." Bryant responded.
"Most impressive! Most impressive." The admiration in the General's voice was apparent even in the translator version.
The last group to join the buildup was the on
e escorting the enemy vessels. They were dwarfed by the OESA Frigates that secured their positions. It was another demonstration of the differences in the two forces.
During the subsequent weeks, Bryant prepared his register of merit nominees. He worked on his list of the people he would be comfortable within his immediate command chain who were qualified. Moe trod between offices continually seeking counsel on the presentation he was preparing. Bryant, Yanigg and their supporting staffs met regularly. On the twenty-second, a single incoming enemy vortex was detected. The exit aperture was quickly surrounded. Everyone stood down when its intentions were clear, and it was escorted to a berth near the Columbia. A shuttle left the craft and docked at Columbia's docking port one. It held the message from the enemy leadership. Their tone indicated they were somewhat apprehensive about retribution from such a powerful foe and were anxious to prevent an attack. They approved the General's request to negotiate the treaty. Over the three weeks, the two men had already reached a straight forward simple agreement. The enemy knew itself as the Spiel, and they would not be permitted into space within one hundred and twenty light years surrounding Sol without prior approval unless identified as a diplomatic mission certified as such by the Orion Empire. Both parties agreed not to engage in provocative or belligerent behavior towards each other or their allies and trading partners. An ambassadorial chain would be created in both Empires, with officials stationed in either's territory as a means to maintain discussions and reduce the chance of misunderstanding. Lists of allies and trading partners were embedded in the agreement. By May 23, 2249, the covenant was signed and sealed, and the peace was official.
"Sir, you and your ships are welcome to leave, at any time. We have released all prisoners of war to your vessels over these past weeks. However, if you would like to stay two more days, we are holding a celebration tomorrow night. We are not celebrating a victory because we do not celebrate war. We are applauding the bravery of our personnel and the harmony we established here today. Would you and your people like to attend the party? It will be held throughout the entire command. Two of the large Carriers in each Fleet will host festivities. There will actually be two galas that day. The first will run between eighteen hundred hours to twenty-four hundred, and the second will proceed from zero hours to four hundred thirty in the morning. This is so nearly everyone in the Command can attend. There will be food, drink, music and a lot of merriment. Your people can attend either party that their duties permit, if you allow it and if they wish to participate." The Admiral extended the invitation with genuine warmth.
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