“We have had contact with another human vessel recently,” replied the Governor directly. “They were in need of supplies and repair components for their ship. But it was only a single ship of a lesser class.”
“We think they may have been part of a larger fleet, Governor,” Lee said, hope springing into his heart. “Do you know the name of the vessel?”
“It had a name of religious significance, I believe,” said the female. “Saint Paul was the designation that the captain gave.”
“That was Captain Prutat’s ship,” exclaimed Marin, interrupting the advisor. “The St. Paul is a logistics and repair ship. It’s part of the Zeus fleet!”
“Captain, please control your crew,” said Ringgit, her head crest rising in anger. “There is no need for that level of excitement in the presence of the Governor.”
“My apologies, Governor,” Lee replied, casting a glare at Marin who quieted down and sat back in his seat. “The St. Paul is one of the vessels we have been searching for. Commander Marin was a part of the group which that ship represents.”
“The captain was one of our people,” said the Governor. “He was respectful in my presence.”
“Governor,” said Farthing, trying to regain control of the conversation. “We need the assistance of our people to find that ship and return it to its pack. The humans are attempting to restore their family.”
The Governor lowered his head and stared at the wood on the table. Lee realized that Farthing had touched a nerve in the feline’s reasoning. The species was family oriented and took their relationships very seriously. The first officer had once explained that his reasoning for staying with Resolute had been more about his honor and family than any sense of military loyalty. He felt that the ship had become a family to him and that he would defend that family to the death if need be.
“Your Captain Prutat said something similar,” replied Ringgit. “It is something we never expected from humans. Primates seem to separate themselves from their families, but you have shown us a new side. We respect that.”
“Thank you, Advisor Ringgit,” said Lee, nodding his head in respect. “I hope that our people can work together as part of a larger family someday.”
“We tried to be a part of your Confederacy once,” replied the Governor. “Your rulers proved to be arrogant and condescending to those they considered alien.”
“I understand,” Lee said with a twinge of regret. “There were some who felt that the human race was destined to lead the galaxy. That attitude has been wiped from our species by the Ch’Tauk. We are learning from our mistakes.”
“That is a sign of respect,” the Governor said. “We will consider your request for information, Captain, on one condition.”
“Please, Governor Kopek, anything,” Lee said. “Just name it and I will make sure that we provide it.”
“You have shown us great respect today Captain Pearce,” said Kopek, rising from his seat and standing tall over the table. “The citizens of Vadne will consider you a friend as long as that respect continues. We will transmit the information regarding the whereabouts of your lost family, but you, Captain Pearce, must promise that our people will not become the next target of the Ch’Tauk Empire.”
Lee stood and looked up into the face of the Vadne Planetary Governor. The feline’s yellow eyes stared back with a considered expression. He did respect the Governor and his species, but he had no idea how to respond to the request. They needed the information, but Lee knew that he could not make a promise that he had no way of keeping. He took a deep breath and thought about his response.
“Governor,” Lee started. “I would consider the friendship of you and your race one of the greatest gifts I have ever received. We are in need of allies in the continuing battle against the Ch’Tauk and I would consider it an honor to call your people allies. I cannot, however, promise you that you will not become a target of the Ch’Tauk.
The fact is the human race will be fighting a war to reclaim our home planet Terra soon. We will be fighting an unstoppable force with more weapons than we could ever possibly acquire. To win this battle, we will need friends of all species across the galaxy. Many of those friends will become enemies of the Ch’Tauk and will fight their own battles for survival.
The only thing I can promise you is that when that time comes and you call upon me and my ship to come to your aid, we will come without a thought for our own selfish needs. We will fight side-by-side with your people to retake our home and our family, no matter what species that family is.”
The Governor stared at Lee, his head tilted at a slight angle. Lee saw Alice from the corner of his eye as she stood and walked to be by his side. The Governor turned to his wife and gestured with his muzzle. There was a brief exchange of sniffing and a deep growl that emanated from Ringgit. When the conversation ended, Governor Kopek turned back to Lee and snorted a breath of warm air.
“Captain Pearce,” said the big cat. “Had you made that promise, I would have walked out of this room and never looked back at the human race. Your vow to us, however, was honest and respectful and shows that you will not make promises that you cannot keep. We will transmit the information so that you can find your family. From this day forward, I consider you one of my own families. You may call upon the people of Vadne and we will come to you. Thank you, Captain, for your respect and honor.”
“And thank you, Governor,” replied Lee, feeling his knees start to wobble. “I just hope that our people can form as strong a bond as we have.”
The Governor turned and walked out of the room, his wife and guards trailing behind. Wellick and Farthing stepped out ahead of them to show the party back to the transport ship. As the doors closed, Lee collapsed back into his seat. Alice leaned over him, the scent of her filling his nostrils and giving him strength.
“I have never been more proud of you, Lee,” said Alice in a whisper. “I love you so much.”
Lee tilted his head up to her as she pressed her lips to his. The kiss seemed to last for a thousand years and Lee heard the door open and shut while he continued the action. When Alice separated from him, he saw that Marin had left the room. He had to remember to thank the man later.
“I need to go back to the hangar bay,” Alice said, standing up and smoothing out her gray blouse. “The elves are working on my ship and I want to keep an eye on them. I will see you later, Lee.”
Lee watched her as she walked out of the room. His head was still spinning from the combination of the successful negation and the kiss. He stared at the door for a full minute before he realized that the ring was still in his breast pocket.
“Dammit!” Lee exclaimed. “I missed it again!”
10
Ch’Tauk Dreadnought
Aboard the dreadnought, orbiting one of the distant worlds of the Empire, Ki’Bontri felt as though he was an emperor himself. The powerful warship commanded the area around the colony planet and beyond the edges of his vision and he commanded it. He had changed the blue Sash of Authority that he had brought from Ch’Tauk for one of the deep blue colors that the traditional fleet Primero wore, and he saw the effect it had on the Centurions on board.
The crew of his ship saw him and snapped to attention, showing the proper respect, now, for their Lord and master. After their fast jump from the home world, the crew had acted with hesitation when he ordered his plan to commence. It had taken the summary execution of almost four hundred of the unnamed soldiers before they began to show him the proper respect and fear.
“Primero,” announced Lo’Nela, presenting him with a transparent sheaf of reports. “Your updates, sir.”
Lo’Nela had replaced Lo’Nado who had proven too forward in his execution of the Primero’s orders. He had taken it upon himself to order the movement of a small group of ships that Ki’Bontri had ordered to stand at the ready. The Secundo had tried to convince the Primero that the ships were in danger of being destroyed when the star that they were orbiting became unstable.
The ships had been returned to their previous station and the Secundo had been killed by Lo’Nela at the Primero’s command.
“Wait here, Secundo,” Ki’Bontri said to the subordinate. “I may need to alter our plans after these reports.”
The Secundo stood still as his commander drew his finger down the sheet to reveal the information. There were small troop movements and final readiness statements from Quarteros across the Empire. Although he had estimated that the operation he had planned would not take more than twenty of the Empire’s ships, he knew that he may have overestimated the numbers of the weak human fleet.
He noted with some amusement that the star that had caused the execution of his former aide had, indeed, begun to erupt and he had lost almost half of the ships that he had sent there to wait. The loss was acceptable to him and he continued to read down the list. All the pieces in his plan were almost in place. There was a report of the loss of a cruiser in an uninhabited system with the loss of a fighter squadron and all hands. Analysis of the wreckage and the flight recorder data suggested that the ship was ambushed by a human ship of unknown configuration. A quick cross reference confirmed that the ship was the same one involved in the slave rescue on Alzerack.
“Good,” the Primero said. “They are still out there and they are getting more aggressive.”
The Secundo nodded, but did not speak as his commander continued to scan the reports. Another reason that Ki’Bontri like the man is his ability to keep his mouth closed. The reports he was reading all seemed reasonable and nothing to concern him too greatly. He spied at the very end of the list a short statement from a security station on Brylcon 2 that a human gambler had injured another gambler in an apparent scuffle over the human’s family honor. Expanding the report, for human honor was a strange thing to Ki’Bontri, he read the details.
A fear pheromone escaped the Primero as he read the report. As the details came clearer in his mind, he began to adjust the plan that he had formed to include the new data. When he had spoken to the Camerlingo, he had requested that the Empress’ new advisor be sent to his dreadnought to provide him with intelligence. The Camerlingo had responded that the advisor was needed on the home world and the Empress would consider his request.
Now, with the new data provided in the report, Ki’Bontri’s mind raced with the formulation of a new strategy. The gambler, a human named Jakes, was accompanied by a man who matched the descriptions of the rescuers from the previous mission. Quickly deducing that Jakes must have been part of the rescue mission on Alzerack, he included the man in his new plan.
“Secundo,” he ordered. “Get me the Camerlingo. Let the man know that this is a call vital to the Empress’ mission. Do you understand your orders?”
“Yes, sir,” the man said, immediately moving to the communications console.
“Primero,” the voice of the Centurion seated near the pilot’s station. “There is a jump point forming behind us.”
The Primero whirled around to face the window. The familiar swirl of energy resolved into the fiery shape of a Ch’Tauk destroyer that slowed and came about to pull alongside the big dreadnought. Ki’Bontri searched for any marking on the ship to identify the intruder into his space. The ship was pockmarked with battle scars that indicated its age, but no other marks presented themselves.
“A signal from the destroyers, sir,” announced the Secundo from communications. “It’s Primero Ki’Bara.”
Ki’Bontri was stunned. In the past year, Ki’Bara had been seen only once and that was at the request from the Empress herself. The Primero had been in hiding since his disgrace and loss of station at court. Ki’Bontri could not imagine why the man suddenly decided to travel all the way out to the outer edges of the galaxy to see him. He composed himself and allowed the pheromone to disburse into the ventilation system before indicating to the Secundo to put the other man on the screen.
“Ki’Bontri,” said Ki’Bara on the big view screen. “I have to speak with you.”
“Ki’Bara,” replied Ki’Bontri, crossing his arms over his sash. “It is good to see you my old friend. To what do I owe the privilege of speaking to the First among Equals?”
“Please dispense with the false sincerity, Ki’Bontri,” said the Primero, waving his hand at the screen. “I have been dispatched by the Camerlingo at the request of the Empress.”
“The Empress has sent you?” Ki’Bontri asked, astounded that the Empress would send the other man out to see him. “Have I displeased our Majesty in some way?”
Ki’Bontri was always concerned with his standing in court and the news that the Primero had been ordered to observe his status by the Empress was a blow to his social status. He closed his top set of eyes in a gesture of confusion, trying to figure out what he had done to insult the Empress.
“Open your landing bay, Ki’Bontri,” said the First among Equals. “I am coming aboard.”
Knowing that to allow the other Primero to board his vessel would be to instantly ceded command, Ki’Bontri tried to find some reason to keep the other man away from him. He stepped over to the console and slid a finger across the panel. A readout of the hangar bay controls leapt into view and he slashed a finger across it. The panel turned green and began to flash.
“Ki’Bara, I must apologize,” said the Primero. “But my hangar bay has been undergoing repairs and maintenance and would be unable to receive your shuttle at this time.”
“Then clear your bridge and we will talk,” replied Ki’Bara, sensing the lie. “I do not have time for evasiveness, Ki’Bontri.”
The Primero waved his hand and the Secundo began issuing orders to clear the bridge. Ki’Bontri watched as his crew almost ran from the command center. Ki’Bontri could almost feel the knife of the First twisting in his back as the last officer left and the door slid shut.
“Now, Primero,” said Ki’Bara. “We can speak like equals.”
“Go ahead,” replied Ki’Bontri, trying to regain his composure.
“I have been sent to observe your actions, Primero,” explained Ki’Bara. “The Empress is concerned with the losses you have recently incurred to her fleet.”
“Losses?” Ki’Bontri asked. “I do not understand Primero. What losses are you referring to?”
“Please don’t try to lie, Primero, it is beneath us,” replied Ki’Bara. “I have been receiving the same reports that you have and know about the loss of the cruiser and its fighter squadron.”
“I assure you, Primero,” stammered Ki’Bontri. “These are minor losses that are all accounted for in my plan to defeat the humans, Primero. A task that you were unable to accomplish, I might add.”
Ki’Bontri tried to think of how the other man had gotten his hands on the reports. He had personally vetted the personnel files of his command crew and knew that none of those men would be disloyal to him. The only possible culprit would have to be Lo’Nela, who was new to his position and could probably be influenced by the First among Equals to betray Ki’Bontri. The Primero made a mental note to have the new aide killed at the first chance.
“How many losses do you consider acceptable, Primero?” Ki’Bara asked. “How many Centurions must die for your plan?”
“Really Primero, they were just Centurions,” replied Ki’Bontri. “You lost men when you invaded Terra, didn’t you?”
Ki’Bara looked furious. Ki’Bontri was happy that the man was on another ship because he knew that the man’s pheromones must have pumping anger into the atmosphere faster than the filters could remove it. He briefly thought that he may have gone too far with the last comment, but thought better of it. The man was a military leader and a disgraced servant of the Empire. What right did he have to speak to Ki’Bontri in that tone anyway?
“Losses in war are one thing, Ki’Bontri,” said the other Primero, eyes narrowing at the screen. “But losses due to your own inept handling of the military are another. Primero, you are ordered by the Empress to complete your plans according to schedule, but you
will report to me every step of the way, is that understood?”
“Yes, First Primero,” replied Ki’Bontri, lowering his head. “I understand and will obey our Empress.”
The channel cut out and Ki’Bontri saw the destroyer move off to a distant position to observe the dreadnought. He stared at the screen for a long moment before sliding his finger on the console and opening the command center door. The Secundo entered, followed by the Centurions who quickly resumed their positions. Lo’Nela stepped close to the Primero and awaited instructions.
“Lo’Nela,” ordered Ki’Bontri. “Get the Primero at once and then report to my office. I will have words with you regarding loyalty.”
11
The Sweet Liberty
The mess hall on the privateer ship Sweet Liberty lived up to its name. The tables seemed stacked with trays of half-eaten food and cutlery. Noxious smelling substances were splattered onto the grated floor and stuck to the tops of unoccupied tables. Cups of strong beverages lay mostly empty on the floor and serving table as if discarded after a long party.
Melaina Petros stepped into the mess hall and tried not to be sick. She carefully negotiated her way across the floor and up to the serving window. Behind the window, she saw Bonnie, the former crewman from a Confederation ship, busy stirring a pot full of some lumpy substance. Swallowing her bile, she took a tray and pulled a plate from a stack that was supposed to be clean.
“Could I have some?” Melaina asked, not really wanting to eat from the dirty salon. “I mean, if there is some left.”
“Sure,” replied Bonnie, pulling a ladle from a hook on the wall. “I got plenty for you. The guys don’t seem to like it when I cook. I’m a strict vegetarian and these guys are carnivores.”
Bonnie ladled the stew into the proffered plate and added a soft roll on the side. Melaina hesitated, but then pulled the bowl up to her nose to sniff. The scent of carrots, onions and celery bloomed in her nose and made her stomach grumble. Whatever else had gone on in the mess hall, the cooking, at least, was very good.
Resolute Omnibus (The War for Terra) Page 31