by David Buck
‘Well we will resolve the new mine location issue after the main topic of this meeting for reasons that will become apparent during my briefing.’
Tahenedestat nodded his acceptance of the deflection, and without further preamble Narindestat launched into the main reason for convening the meeting even as he gazed around the room.
‘My fellow captains, and assorted guests, this gathering represents a sixth of our captains still alive and includes some of our most senior ranks. The plan I am discussing today is to seek out the Cephrit and to reassure them that we have not gone rogue and that our technology is largely unaltered. Also the changes with our tattoos do not mean we are now rogues and this point needs to be made before the vassals assume the worst.’
Nervous mutters erupted around the room and two younger captains self-consciously touched the healed tattoos gracing their checks and sides of their necks. The gesture was not lost on Narindestat, and he frowned as he paused to look around the room before he spoke again.
‘Incidentally, we should pass a ruling that all tattoos must be painted up, as we only need a colonist’s video to find it’s way to a Barus ship and we are in real trouble. Now as for the journey to the Cephrit base 31, here is what I want to say to them …’
The meeting continued for several hours and Garendestat sought to stay awake towards the end of the 28 hour local day on Barede. The other captains seemed to come around to visiting the Cephrit easily enough; however the next comment from Captain Narindestat soon had the whole meeting room in an uproar.
‘We need to establish if either the Tilmud or the Jerecab have become a threat to the humans. I am most concerned about the Jerecab and want to visit one of their forward zones directly after speaking with the Cephrit.’
Tahenedestat flinched and locked around the room as two other Captains, Juranedestat and then Pilaredestat, started loudly talking to all in the room.
‘Narindestat, are you out of your mind? A Vorinne patrol could quickly end your foray or a Barus squadron could leave you crippled in the inner part of the galaxy.’
‘Narindestat, I understand you are fond of humans, we all are, but risking a main ship like this is either audacious or foolish.’
Narindestat calmly listened to a series of similar objections for nearly half an hour, before he lifted his rod of office and tapped twice on the table. He ignored glares of reproof from the two now silent captains as he framed his first guarded reply to their objections.
‘First up we have to provide the humans all assistance we can without them being aware of it and especially directly fighting for them at Earth. I seek to deflect the vassals and this is how we are going to do it….’
Garendestat watched with satisfaction the sly grins of appraisal and then approval spread around the vast meeting room, as his father spoke slowly and carefully about his plans. As the meeting came down to the vote, he knew that his father had won as Tahenedestat wound down his own objections and made a couple of tangible offers.
‘I would offer to come with you but I am next senior Captain, so I will stay here at the colony. You are of course taking my ship, the Resuria, as she is the best vessel for the role. I also suggest we discretely trial some of newest equipment we have recently built at the colony.’
The vote came and went and the approval was near unanimous, the mission was accepted and amendments relating to colony surveys and mining agreements were also attached. Much later, Garendestat was walking alongside his father back towards their house after everyone else had left the meeting, when he heard a loud rush of displaced air behind him.
Both Garendestat and Narindestat turned with momentary alarm and took in the large form of a Maveen probe looming over them.
His father wasted no time in his curt upbraiding of the Maveen, even if Garendestat thought his confidence was forced.
‘Maveen you skulk like an assassin in our settlement and your presence is unwelcome. I have already left a message for you as I did not think you were at the colony.’
A moment’s silence followed before the hovering black probe, roughly eighty metres long, and stronger than a Trader sneak ship, calmly replied.
‘Senior Captain Narindestat, I am the Maveen Dradfer probe and I was delegated to oversee the colony, and the Traders, as the Earth probe is on urgent works elsewhere.’
The Captain seemed deflated by the cautious reply, and he then questioned the probe as he looked quietly around the now sleeping Trader settlement.
‘Well that explains some things Maveen, as we seemed to have no end of problems with fuel supplies from the nearest space base lately. Now is our mission to the inner galaxy acceptable or do you object?’
The Maveen probe remained silent for several moments, and Garendestat considered if his father had been too direct; but the probe did not buzz in irritation before it addressed them both again.
‘The need to reassure the Cephrit is noted and the reasons are valid. We can advise that your attempts to found your own colonies are acceptable from us under the following conditions …’
The two Traders listened with rising hope at first, and later with mounting excitement, as the Maveen probe listed at length the points it wanted covered in the Trader foray into the inner parts of the galaxy.
Overhead the millions of stars of the Milky Way galaxy shone brightly as the probe continued to brief the Traders, before it quietly withdrew to another section of the now large colony. Long after the Maveen had left, the two Traders quietly discussed the ramifications of this new information, before they made belated attempts to obtain sleep for the night.
***
Battle Lord Temeroth listened to the latest news from the Vorinne messenger with rising irritation. The young female messenger was obviously not used to dealing with senior Zronte males and kept bowing as she spoke, and he was finding the whole process to be both wasteful of his time and very annoying. He smirked to himself that if she was promoted well enough in the far future she would eventually learn to deal with male Zronte, even as he idly toyed in frustration with his outsized data tablet. The Zronte then looked around in suspicion at the ornate walls of the hastily loaned Vorinne place.
The Vorinne military attaché, Lieutenant Dreshe’ahal, noted with concern the increased ire of the Zronte noble and had the temerity to interject.
‘My Lord, Lahalm’siema is just reporting the gist of a very lengthy report…’
The Zronte battle lord gave a start at the mention of the Vorinne messenger’s name and the attaché fell silent as he wanted to head off any anger. Temeroth looked over Lahalm’siema with a calculating eye, and made a curt inquiry with his harsh voice full of menace, and it was apparent he was struggling to control his temper.
‘So your name – it is similar to the second envoys – is it not?
Lahalm’siema made yet another full bow and kept her eyes down as she nervously replied.
‘Thatak’siema is my older cousin great lord; I work for her as a communications manager for this part of the galaxy.’
The huge form of the Zronte arched in barely suppressed rage at the mention of the envoy’s name, and Lieutenant Dreshe’ahal now decided he would have to get a warning to Lord Malang’troh. He was evaluating how he would do so and remain alive when Lord Temeroth spoke again.
‘I see what you are saying messenger, the Jerecab are being left to their own devices with the temporary setback of the Tilmud. I will read the full report in my own time and you may now go. Dreshe’ahal we need to discuss the security of the Cephrit and Tilmud areas after the war, as I fear the situation is deteriorating.’
Lahalm’siema nervously backed away with repeated bows on all six legs and had the sense to remain silent. The young messenger could not help feeling relief, as she carefully walked from the central atrium in the palace, giving the nasty looking Zronte drones guarding their master a wide berth.
Dreshe’ahal kept his gaze forward and did not watch her discomfort as he evaluated in moments how he would
send his urgent warning. The Zronte Battle Lord was now thoroughly engrossed in his strategic hologram that sprang up in the air around them. The attaché recognised areas of Cephrit and Tilmud controlled space that ran out to a section of galaxy blocked off by an embargo symbol. He then recognised Jerecab space to one side and also the identification number of the embargo. A chill now ran from his shoulders down to first his forward hips and then further down his long spine to his second hips. He kept his expression neutral as Temeroth spoke again in calculation but fortunately did not look at him.
‘Zronte edicts are there to be obeyed by all vassal races. The former Dradfer colonies are forbidden systems for colonisation by the vassals for 100,000 years, and the events that led to them being declared so only happened 40,000 years ago. I can and will ignore limited Barus research in the past, but if the Jerecab are exploring these systems then I want them sent home.’
Dreshe’ahal looked at the display in quiet contemplation for several moments without saying a word. He looked further along the edge of the display and noted that a haven star system was specified near the embargo zone. The Vorinne fleet officer noted the name of the human world, Earth, plus the recent Barus research data as he made a cautious evaluation of his own.’
‘Lord Temeroth, the cunning and low Jerecab seek both the former Dradfer colonies and also this haven world. Notice that the planet, Earth, has extensive oceans listed in the research data from one hundred and fifty years ago. The water loving Jerecab must have lost all reason when they learned of this world.’
Lieutenant Dreshe’ahal was expecting Temeroth to explode again, as the long journey to the Vorinne outer colony of Reshahal had not improved his generally irate temperament at all. However the Zronte favoured him with almost a conspiratorial grin, albeit a very toothy one, which the Vorinne officer had the sense to return with his own teeth very well covered. Dreshe’ahal noted the history of the world the Barus had been able to glean as he spoke again.
‘This is also the world the Trader ship used illegally when they landed in one of the planet’s oceans. They did this to defeat a Scourge infestation before they fled to the outskirts of the galaxy. The Maveen were also involved and gated millions of humans to one of their preservation worlds.’
Temeroth stiffened in anger again at the mention of the Maveen and gave a snarl as he now looked over the new records of Earth at some length. Dreshe’ahal had the presence of mind to yet again remain silent before the battle lord tersely spoke.
‘So the humans alone drove off a full Barus squadron even as the Traders and Maveen fled. Perhaps the humans can solve the Jerecab problem for us Dreshe’ahal.’
The Vorinne merely responded by calling up the latest reports on the Jerecab fleets from Cephrit scouts and the Tilmud squadrons in the last days of the war. He could see Temeroth evaluating the numbers and then had no doubt as to the conclusions as the Zronte spoke again.
‘The Jerecab have already violated their two hundred and fifty ship limit as they must have left a reserve in place at their home worlds. I agree with your assessment and I consider the Jerecab will eliminate the humans. This is the type of problem the Tilmud gave us many thousands of years ago before we curtailed their expansion. Indeed the Tilmud ran into conflict with the Dradfer, before we drove the interlopers away and then sent the Tilmud fleeing back to their own systems.’
The attaché assisted Temeroth with further information and analysis on several others reports, before he was finally able to get away from the meeting without arousing suspicion from the Zronte battle lord. The Vorinne raced for his quarters and quickly packed his few belongings into a back pack before walking out with his staff of office. After several minutes he had organised a hover car, and he flew directly towards the space port at which he knew Lahalm’siema had left her ship.
Temeroth called up an external monitor and watched as Dreshe’ahal flew away in haste before he called over his drone leader. As the drone leader bent in submission at his feet, Temeroth quietly outlaid a secret task for his slave, who bowed again quickly and sprinted for another hover car.
Dreshe’ahal could not find Lahalm’siema at her ship and went searching for her on foot in the nearby trading strip. After half an hour he noticed her leisurely walking down towards him trailed by two servants with their arms full of local produce. She gave a start at his presence, before he quickly called her to one side and then spoke softly.
Lahalm’siema looked alarmed at his information for a moment, thanked him with a bow, and then quickly led her young servants towards the spaceport as Dreshe’ahal made his own way back to the spaceport via another route. He watched from a discrete distance as a Vorinne overseer quickly readied the messenger’s ship with the last provisions being placed onboard.
After twenty minutes, Lahalm’siema’s fast scout ship lifted off and joined the stream of space ships leaving the heavily populated Vorinne world. The nervous attaché then walked towards his hover car, and he did not notice Temeroth’s drone leader standing with several other Zronte drones in a circle near a drink stand.
Dreshe’ahal knew that Temeroth was not stupid and he knew that he would now have to flee for his life. He soon spotted the Zronte drone following him and managed to lose him by taking a high speed detour through a manufacturing plant. The lieutenant then chose a different space port and had changed hover cars within ten minutes. Another hour saw Dreshe’ahal signed on as a second pilot, with no questions asked, on a Cephrit freighter and he left Reshahal well before the Zronte drone could pick up his trail
***
Chapter 9
Gindane came quickly to her feet from her console in amazement and asked the tactical officer to repeat his report. Her crew on the bridge of the cruiser Rupane kept their eyes down even as they also felt amazement at the report. The lieutenant coolly complied with her request.
‘Captain, I can confirm that four destroyer sized ships recently appeared across the system from us. The initial scans indicate they are unknown to galactic military databases. The ships are somewhat similar in design to Trader sneak ships but are considerably larger.’
The Barus research captain now started to pace the deck of her bridge in quiet contemplation for several minutes before she again took her seat at her console. She had still been expecting to meet only the Jerecab before they arrived at the star system, even though their latest reports mentioned the likelihood of human ships.
The discipline of her military training came to the fore as Gindane called up the strategic overlay of the fourteen remaining Dradfer systems, with the three central worlds prominent. Gindane now realised that her mission had now become increasingly difficult if these ships were indeed human. She looked at the tactical situation on the side screen as she questioned the lieutenant further.
‘So are they aware of our presence yet lieutenant?’
Gindane patiently waited a response from the tactical officer as she knew that her crucial next moves would depend on his response. She noted with approval that he was extrapolating the course of the unknown ships as he replied.
‘Captain, they have just detected our fleet and are reversing course to the hyper drive point. The unknown ships appear to be both agile and fast for their size.’
Gindane looked over at the listing or her own forces and now making a decision she asked for a communications line to another cruiser in her fleet.
‘Commander Dunerio, the Shumeen will follow the Rupane across this system to meet these possibly human ships. We will not actively scan these ships as we do not want to trigger a fight. The rest of the fleet will remain here in a defensive posture.’
Two more hours slowly progressed on the bridge before the tactical officer made another report.
‘Captain, several more of these ships have arrived from hyper space to join the four original ships. The sensors show twelve more ships…so a total of sixteen ships have now arrived. The ships have remained at the hyper drive point and are forming up in a defensive po
sture.’
Gindane quietly evaluated the information with approval, for obviously these ships must be human and there captains seemed to be both capable and cautious. Unwittingly an old memory of the human’s surprise attack on Admiral Baredios’ squadron at Earth came to mind, and she adjusted her orders accordingly.
‘Communications signal Commander Dunerio, we will meet the humans half way. No sense sticking our fur so it can be burnt off. Also raise a line to the humans as we have to get our peaceful intentions across.’
The bridge crew looked around at each other for a moment as they each remembered their own fleet training. They knew they had to adhere to governing edicts but they did not necessarily want to just throw their lives away either. Gindane now settled back in her command chair behind the console and now spoke slowly in English.
‘Attention human Admiral I am Research Captain Gindane from the Barus systems. Your fleet has entered the restricted zone for the former Dradfer colonies and are required to leave the fourteen systems immediately. We are a research mission that is also authorised to secure this system after the recent war between the Cephrit and Tilmud. As such our ships are not front line combat ships and further edicts would be broken if you were to attack us. Finally I should tell that we are here to provide the same message to the Jerecab.’
Gindane now settled down to await the human responses as the message crawled at light speed across the Dradfer star system. The tactical officer interrupted her quiet thoughts with an update.
‘Captain, the humans are sending forward just two ships to met with us. The rest of their ships are holding their positions at the hyper drive point.’
Gindane coolly considered how she would react if the humans refused to leave the former Dradfer colonies. She was hoping to avoid battle at all costs with the humans, as she realised that the Jerecab were likely to turn up in force later and destroy both the human and the Barus ships. A decision now made she called up the communications line again and spoke slowly in English.