A knock on the door awakened Lorin from a deep sleep. She looked at her wrist array and saw it was 0603. Who’d be calling at this hour? she wondered. She got up, grabbed a robe, and went to her bedroom door.
“What is it?”
“Madam Chancellor,” an aide said. “Commander General Lavendar is on the GC for you. He says it’s urgent.”
“Okay. I’ll be right there.”
Lorin went into her bathroom and looked in the mirror. There were dark circles under her eyes. She hated to be seen without makeup but decided the best she could do was run the comb through her hair a few times. When she thought she was presentable enough, she stepped outside and walked to her office. Her security officer was waiting there for her.
“The Commander General is calling from Clarion,” he advised.
“All right, thank you. You can go back to your post,” she said, taking the GC from him. The officer nodded and left.
“Hello,” Lorin said, suppressing a yawn.
“Chancellor. I’m sorry for waking you but something incredible has happened.”
“What’s that?” she asked sleepily.
Tam explained how Earth’s Destiny had been hijacked by the Wiggins Engineering workers and finally abandoned by the Purists when they left Clarion. He told her about the plan to take it to Earth under his command. Her excitement grew as she listened to the incredible story.
“That is indeed an extraordinary turn of events, but I’m a little worried about approving your request. Of course, my gut feeling is to say yes. With Earth’s Destiny, the chances of successfully defeating the Fleet would be greatly enhanced, but I’ve just asked the General Assembly to authorize the construction of six new attack cruisers. If one is dropped in my lap and I send it off to Earth rather than use it here for Tarizon’s defense, it would leave me open to serious criticism.”
“What if the General Assembly didn’t find out?”
“But they will. Even if you get everyone’s oath of secrecy, someone will mention it to a mate or leak it to the media. These kinds of things have a way of being discovered. Then I’d look even worse.”
“So, what do you want me to do?”
“Give me a few loons. I think I’ll call the Chairman of the General Assembly’s Executive Committee and put this problem on his shoulders. He’s asked to be consulted on matters of this sort, so I’ll consult him. Let’s let him put his neck on the line for a change—see how he likes it.”
Tam chuckled. “Sounds good to me.”
“Continue your preparations for takeoff. I can always recall you if need be.”
“Will do.”
“I’ll call you back as soon as I know anything,” Lorin said and disconnected.
She looked up Senator Drul’s number and punched it into her GC. One of his staff members answered the phone.
“This is the Chancellor. I need to talk to Senator Drul immediately.”
“Right now?” he asked incredulously. “He’s in bed asleep.”
“Yes, right now. Get him up. Hurry! It’s a matter of great urgency.”
A few loons later a sleepy Senator Drul answered. “Hello.”
“Senator. Good morning!” Lorin said cheerily.
“It’s not morning yet,” Senator Drul complained.
“Maybe not, but you said you wanted to be advised of any important decisions I had to make, right?”
“Yes. Yes, that’s right,” he said, suddenly sounding more alert.
“Well, as you know we recently attacked the Fleet in hopes of delaying their departure for Earth.”
“Yes, you told us that.”
“Well, it seems we managed to disable a battle cruiser, Earth’s Destiny.”
“Excellent. That’s great news, but couldn’t you have waited until after breakfast to tell me?”
“It gets better. It seems our saboteurs were able to hijack the ship before it could be scuttled. There was a fierce battle but the Fleet was forced to abandon it.”
“Really?”
“So, we have a crew standing by to take the ship to Earth to back up our three shuttles with some serious firepower. Commander General Lavendar has agreed to command it. As you know, having an attack cruiser will improve our chances of success against the Fleet immeasurably.”
“Yes, I suppose it would.”
“Unfortunately, Earth’s Destiny must leave now or it won’t get to Earth in time to do any good. So, I just wanted to get your opinion as to what I should do. I’m leaning toward giving the go-ahead unless you can think of a good reason not to. What do you think?”
Senator Drul cleared his throat. “Ah. Well, I should call the other members of the committee and discuss it with them.”
“How long will that take?”
“I’m sure I could have an answer for you by noon probably.”
“Noon? No, that’s too late. The Fleet’s already left. I’ve got to make a decision now.”
“But—”
“But what? Do you think I should do it or not? Don’t you think it would be better to defeat the Purists on Earth rather than let them come back to Tarizon when they will probably be much stronger?”
“I suppose, but—”
“Then you agree Earth’s Destiny should leave immediately.”
“No, I didn’t say that. I need to consult the others.”
“Well, is there any compelling reason why it shouldn’t leave for Earth immediately?”
“I don’t know. You expect me to analyze something this complex in a couple of tiks.”
“Unfortunately, that’s all the time we have. A decision has to be made now.”
Senator Drul sighed. “I need to talk to the rest of the committee.”
Lorin sighed in desperation. “If you have any argument for or against Earth’s Destiny’s departure to Earth I need it now!”
“I need to think about it.”
“I’ll take that as a no. Thank you, Senator, for your input. I really appreciate it.”
Lorin hung up and took a breath. She knew Senator Drul would be angry about being put on the spot, but that was just too bad. He had wanted to be consulted, so she consulted him. If he didn’t have any meaningful input, that was his problem. She got Tam back on the line.
“Okay, I’ve made my decision,” she said. “You should leave at once. I’ll call General Zitor and explain what’s happened. He’ll have to get someone to take your command.”
“Thank you, Madam Chancellor.”
“Good luck to you, my friend. Tell everyone who helped commandeer Earth’s Destiny that we are in their debt, and that we will pray for their safe return to Tarizon.”
“I will, Madam Chancellor,” Tam said. “Thank you.”
As Lorin was hanging up, Ruffe Marcuzzi walked in. Lorin felt embarrassed at receiving him while still wearing her robe. She asked him to get some sankee for the two of them while she dressed. When she returned to her office, there was a steaming cup on her desk. She took a sip and then began filling Marcuzzi in on Tam’s call and her consultation with Senator Drul.
“So, you’ve had a busy morning already.”
“Yes, indeed.”
“That’s great news about Earth’s Destiny,” Marcuzzi said.
“Yes, it is. God and Sandee must be with us.”
“Indeed.”
“So, how is our interstellar communications link project coming along?” Lorin asked.
“General Zitor told me yesterday they’d put beacons on both shuttles. I’ll call him and tell him to be sure some are sent up to Earth’s Destiny immediately. The rest of the beacons are under construction and should be ready when the first of the other shuttles is ready to launch, which will be in about ten days. The plan is to launch a new shuttle every fifteen days.”
“Excellent. I hope the link will work after the trouble we’re taking to set it up.”
“Me too. General Zitor is pretty confident that it will.”
“Speaking of General Zitor. I need to talk to him about T
am.”
“Right. Should I get him on the line for you?”
Lorin thought a moment then looked at her wrist array.
“Not right now. I need to bring him up-to-date, but it can wait until after breakfast. I’m famished and I’d like to eat before my conference call with Tehra in twenty loons.”
“Is she still at Marlais Beach?” Marcuzzi asked.
“Yes. I told her there was no need to rush back home.”
“All right. So, you’ll be eating in the dining room?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll notify the cook.”
“Thank you, Ruffe.”
After Marcuzzi had gone, she turned on the VC to get the morning news. A story was on about the restoration of the Leesell Cathedral, which had been destroyed during the attack on Shini. The story was interrupted by breaking news. A news commentator came on the screen.
“Tributon News has just learned from reliable sources that the attack cruiser Earth’s Destiny has been captured by Loyalist forces on Clarion. In a daring attack, the ship was hijacked and occupied by workers at the Clarion spaceport. Informed sources have advised us the ship is being readied for immediate departure to Earth. As we reported earlier, two shuttles have already left for Earth to warn authorities there of the Fleet’s approach and its hostile intentions. We’ve also been told that Earth’s Destiny will be commanded by Commander General Tamurus Lavendar.”
Marcuzzi returned from the kitchen and silently stood next to Lorin.
“Several members of the General Assembly’s Executive Committee, when asked to comment on this new development, indicated the Chancellor’s decision to send Earth’s Destiny was premature and reckless. They admitted being advised of but not consulted on the matter.”
Lorin shut off the VC in disgust. “That dirty skutz! I asked for his opinion but he refused to give it to me. What am I supposed to do, jeopardize the entire mission because he’s a coward?”
“You gave him the opportunity to give you input and he couldn’t handle it,” Marcuzzi said. “It’s not your fault.”
“And what gives him the right to go straight to the media? He should have treated my conversation with him as confidential. I’m tempted to have him arrested.”
“Consultations with the General Assembly Executive Committee regarding matters of world security are confidential unless you authorize release of such information,” Marcuzzi reminded her. “Did you tell Drul your discussion was a matter of world security?”
“I didn’t specifically say those words, but that was a given,” Lorin said. “He knew that. Why would he immediately leak it to the media? He’s obviously trying to turn the General Assembly against me.”
Marcuzzi shrugged. “You could ask for an investigation by the Council of Interpreters, but if there is any ambiguity, they probably won’t want to come down on a senator.”
“You’re probably right, but I can still threaten him with an investigation if he gives me any grief.”
“True. A threat of action often is better than actually carrying it out.”
After Lorin had cooled down somewhat, she hurried to the dining room and ate breakfast. When she was done she went to the conference room where Tehra and Sophilo’s images already appeared on the big screen.
“Hi. Sorry I’m late, but it’s been one of those days,” Lorin said as she took a seat and peered up at them.
“I can imagine,” Tehra replied.
“So, are you enjoying your vacation?”
“Yes, I just wish Leek and Lucinda were still here. We were having so much fun together.”
“I know. I’m so sorry,” Lorin said apologetically.
“It’s okay, I understand you had no choice under the circumstances.”
“Right. . . . Boy, Sophilo is getting so big,” Lorin remarked. “I can’t believe how much he’s grown.”
“Yes,” Tehra said. “And he looks just like his father.”
“Speaking of Leek’s father. It suddenly occurred to me that you probably know as much or more than anybody here about the Repopulation Project.”
“Yes, I got a full briefing before being assigned to be Stan’s guide.”
“I’m familiar with how it worked here on Tarizon, but I have no experience with the project’s actual operation on Earth. Could you fill in that blank for me?”
“Sure. My experience was with the southwest region, under Commander Kulchz. The program was actually operated by the American CIA. They used the FBI’s witness protection program as a model. Each Tarizonian would be given a social security card, driver’s license, birth certificate, a place to live, and a job. Guides were assigned to help anyone who had trouble adjusting. Each Tarizonian participant was supposed to mingle with the native population, find a suitable mate as quickly as possible, get married, and have children. After a few years, when the children were old enough to travel back to Tarizon, they’d be extracted.”
“I understand that pretty much. Tell me more about what Kulchz himself did. I want to know about how the program was administered, what support personnel were needed, how the program was financed, and how closely you worked with the CIA.”
“Well, for example, medical clinics were established and manned by Tarizonian doctors. That was because of the slight variations in anatomy between Earth humans and Tarizonians. Also, our medical technology is much more advanced, so our people expected a standard of treatment comparable to what’s available on Tarizon.”
“I see. What about financing?”
“We financed the project by selling precious metals to the government in exchange for currency. The money was then invested in various business enterprises around the globe.”
“So, there were a lot of Tarizonians living on Earth and operating various businesses?”
“Yes, the money going to our residents there had to appear legitimate. It couldn’t just come out of thin air.”
“I understand. Any idea how many Tarizonians in all were involved in this business operation?”
“No. Sorry. I know they called Stan in because one of those business, executives tried to go independent and run off with millions of dollars.”
“What about security for the project? And what kind of military capability did we have on Earth while you were there?”
“Kulchz had several hundred soldiers under his command, and there were eighteen fighters aboard the shuttle, but there were soldiers on the ground as well. I don’t know how many exactly. I do know they had a quick response time when there was trouble.”
“When the war broke out, did most of our people come back to Tarizon, you think?”
“No. Earth is a beautiful place, so why would they return to a contaminated planet at war? Most used the war as an excuse to stay.”
“So, how many Tarizonians do you think there are on Earth now?”
“I don’t know. Thousands, I’m sure.”
Lorin thought for a moment. She was concerned that Leek might have a problem making contact with his father and the CIA when they reached Earth. She hadn’t realized the extent of the TGA’s infiltration of Earth’s society. She’d been under the mistaken belief that most Tarizonians had returned to Tarizon when the war broke out and the Tarizon Repopulation Project ended. That’s what the General Assembly had initially ordered. She now realized that Videl Lai had countermanded that order, so he’d have allies on Earth when he brought the Fleet there.
“How loyal are Kulchz’ soldiers to him?”
“About a third defected when the civil war broke out. The rest remained loyal. I suspect Kulchz paid them well and promised them many rewards.”
“Probably,” Lorin agreed. “I’m starting to understand how the Purists intend to conquer Earth. Earth is so big, I had wondered how they could do it with six attack cruisers and a few thousand planes, but now I realize they already have an occupation force in place. All the Purists need to do is threaten to unleash the Fleet on them if they don’t capitulate. I must say it’s a brill
iant plan.”
“Yes, particularly since the average American doesn’t even know alien life exists. I think the U.S. government made a big mistake when they decided to keep the project a secret. Now, when the Fleet shows up there’s going to be a general panic, which will play right into the hands of the Purists.”
Sophilo began to whimper. Lorin smiled at him. “I’m sorry, Sophilo. I didn’t mean to ignore you. I guess I better let you go.”
“Yes, I better feed him,” Tehra said. “It was nice talking to you.”
After the screen went blank Lorin went back to her office. She thought about her conversation with Tehra. She’d been so busy fighting the TGA and performing her duties as chancellor that she’d scarcely given a thought to Earth. Now she realized that had been a mistake, because Videl Lai had been planning the conquest of Earth for many cycles. While Lorin was thinking, Cora came in and informed her General Zitor was on the line.
“Yes, General.”
“Just wanted to let you know Earth’s Destiny and the last of the shuttles are on their way.”
A chill darted down Lorin’s spine. It was done. There was no turning back. “Yes, thank you. That’s good news. Any trouble?”
“Nothing serious. It took them a little while to secure the exposed docking bay, but they managed to get it sealed.”
She told him about her run-in with Senator Drul.
“He’s a skutz,” General Zitor said. “Don’t worry about him.”
“I know, but I’m afraid he’ll try to convince the Assembly to withhold funding of the new Fleet.”
“They wouldn’t dare to do that with the threat of the Fleet’s return to destroy Tarizon.”
“Right. So, what do you think? Will we actually be able to stop the Fleet?”
“I don’t know. There are so many variables.”
She told him about her discussion with Tehra and what she’d learned about the extent of the Tarizonian presence on Earth.
“I suspected as much. Vice Admiral Brunns used to run the project. I’m sure it’s no coincidence that he was assigned to Clarion.”
“I fear it will take a miracle to stop them now.”
General Zitor nodded. “Fortunately, if anyone can pull off a miracle, it will be Leek Lanzia.”
Tarizon, Conquest Earth, Tarizon Trilogy Vol 3 Page 16