“Keiko has a plan, though. Tell them.”
“Krag’s almost right. It’s not a plan, really. Just an idea. No one sees a military solution. We can’t beat the Mortek into defeat. We need a political solution.”
“What, we surrender?”
“No. we get every leader we can collect into a room and have them hash out a solution.”
“Ya plan on getting a bunch of cluckers in the same room and have them peck around until they find the right corn.”
“Strangely said, but right, Mack. That is the idea.”
‘I like it. You’ll want my Pa in on it.”
“He’s already on the list. Speaking of on the list, Igaklay, would you contact Mr. Gregor for me?”
“I am sorry, Commander. Sanctuary does not have a quant-com.”
“Oy. I forgot. You know about Sanctuary, Iggy.”
“I know about a lot of things, Wrenchy.”
“Would you contact Gazelle, then, Igaklay?”
“You are linked, Commander.”
“Hornet?”
“I hear you, Hawk. What do you need?”
“You’re saying that, every time I call you it’s to ask for something?”
“Pretty much.”
“Again, you are right. Question, have you been keeping an eye on Bridgelen?”
“I pretty much left that to Heimdallr. Scotty sends me his intel when he sends it to Weiskoff. We have been keeping an eye on Dorogon, though.”
“How does Dorogon look?”
“A full Mortek fleet, including dreadnaughts has formed up.”
“Are they attacking Nye-Nippon?”
“Nope. Just floating. I don’t know what they’re up to. They’ve been there for a couple of days.”
“Let me know the moment that fleet starts to move.”
“Copy that, Hawk.”
“Sanctuary doesn’t have a quant-com. Have you got any extras?”
“A bunch of wrist coms. A couple of pyramids.”
“Would you jump over to Sanctuary and deliver a few? I need to talk to Mr. Gregor.”
“Will do. What about?”
“Keiko is putting together a confab. Mr. Gregor should be a part of it.”
“Maybe you should include Governor Moreno. Latinia is in this too.”
“Good point. He has a quant-com. When we get Mr. Gregor on the line, we’ll tie in the Governor and his cabinet.”
“We’ll jump today, Hawk. You should be able to talk to Mr. Gregor this evening.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
“What about Dorogon?”
“We can’t get your father, Keiko. They’re deep in the ocean. And that Mortek fleet is floating there. They need to be left out for now.”
“I understand.”
“Now, Ambassador Suzume, how do you get all these alphas to work together?”
“The first thing we do, actually, you do, is get back to Vice-Admiral Weiskoff.”
“Again? Now? Here, I thought you loved me.”
“Always. Just remember, ‘love is a hard mistress’. Now, finish your scotch, put on your big boy pants and make the call.”
“Tyrant.”
Ballison Kaporine Palace
Set at the base of Mount Rhetho, the Elonian lower township rested on the frozen plane and climbed its craggy face. Over the past year, with the help of Igaklay’s construction robots, pathways formed, buildings sprang up, utilities networked. Elonians created businesses. Families established homes.
At the most-western end, high up the crag, the Royal Palace sat on an escarpment, overlooking its realm. The morning sun turned the ice-covered spires into glistening diamonds blinding Humans but bringing a sense of well-being to the Elonian inhabitants.
The first arrival to interrupt Lord and Lady Kaporine’s day was their daughter. The small transport popped into existence and settled onto one of the landing pads hugging the palace. From it stepped Mistress Analyn and her bodyguard, Sir Mahajani.
As the Elonian Royal approached the massive entrance, House Manager Johi met her with a warm, tooth-covering smile.
“Mistress. It is good to see you again. Your mother will be so happy that you are here.”
“Hello, Johi. How are they?”
“Settling in nicely. Without your brother around to keep things stirred up, your parents are more at peace than I have seen them in years.”
“That is wonderful, Johi. Where are they, now? I need to speak with them.”
“Holding court with the Elders, Mistress.”
“Good. I need to talk to them, also.”
“If you would follow me?”
With that request, Johi led the Ballisonian Mistress through the palace, arriving at the small conference room.
Johi pulled the doors open. With a differential bow, Johi stepped aside, allowing Analyn and her bodyguard to enter.
“Little Fire! Welcome! We weren’t expecting you.”
Lord Kaporine rose to meet his daughter. Lady Kaporine reached her first, pulling Analyn into a hug.
“Welcome, Anyl.”
“Come. Sit. Johi, do you have some more of the wonderful human, mint tea? I will bet that Analyn would love a cup.”
“Oh, Father. You know me so well.”
“A moment, Mistress,” Johi stated as he hustled over to the replicator.
“Greetings, Elders,” Analyn voiced as she bowed to the Kaporine Counsel.
“Greetings to you, Mistress Analyn,” Elder Anupi replied with a respectful head-nod.
Analyn’s tea arrived as she finished settling in.
“Well, daughter, since your arrival is a surprise, I suspect that you have something to discuss.”
“Yes, Father. Bluntly, the Human, Mortek war is not going well. The Morteks have amassed a large fleet which is due to almost double within the next fourteen to fifteen cycles.”
“That is not good. How large a fleet?”
“When it is finally assembled, almost a thousand ships.”
“From what we have seen, between the Human Federacy and the HEB Alliance, we have less than twenty war ships.”
“That is the problem, Father.”
“How can we help?”
“Ambassador Suzume and Commander Marston have come to the realization that a military solution is not feasible. They are calling for a meeting of non-military leaders to formulate a way to avoid further conflict and ultimate defeat.”
“Elonians know nothing of war, Little Fire. What would we have to contribute?”
“Sitting in this room are five of the most diplomatic beings in all of Elonia.”
“Six, Little Fire. You forgot yourself.”
“Okay. Six. Ambassador Suzume has asked that we accompany her and Commander Marston to the solar system of Tolimar. There, we will meet with many Human logistic planners and diplomats.”
“I see, Anyl. Ambassador Suzume wants to fill a room with as many divergent thinkers as possible. She hopes that a solution will present itself with so many different types of thinking.”
“That is correct, Mother.”
“Bond-Mate, shall we take a trip? I would love to visit a human world.”
“Elders, what say you?”
Elder Anupi studied his two compatriots. He saw their nods of approval.
“We agree with Lady Kaporine. We should take a trip,” the Lead Elder replied, with a smile.
“When do we leave, Little Fire?”
“As soon as possible, Father. Cosmic Traveller is currently in orbit and awaiting instructions.”
“That pretty well closes this meeting. Elders, Bond-Mate, let’s pack. Are two weeks enough, Little Fire?”
“Perfect, Father.”
Tolimar – Roth Ranch
Martha, Randy’s mother, and Lorna, Randy’s sister, unrelentingly drove the staff almost to tears. Not so much as a bulge could exist in the tablecloths. Every setting on every table had to be perfect, be precise to the millimeter. Not a glass could contain a smudge.
Not a vase could contain a flower with a wilted petal.
They checked and rechecked each table ensuring that the table placards indicated the correct groupings and the correct locations.
The two organizers of this soiree took their tyrannical oversight to the kitchens. They tasted every dish, sipped every sauce, smelled every bowl. Where unacceptable, they harangued the responsible chef.
All needed to be perfect. The Roth Ranch hadn’t entertained this large a group of power brokers in decades. Under no circumstances would this generation of Roth women allow anything less than perfection.
The first to enter the table-filled ballroom was Kevin Roth, patriarch of the Roth dynasty.
Chasing after his wife, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to a stop.
“Ease up, Honey. They’re just businessmen and women. Give them a good meal, some good liquor and all will turn out just fine.”
“That’s easy for you to say. You’re the one that passed the buck to me and Lorna. Just get out of the way.”
“Are we ready?”
“As we will ever be, Papa.”
“Then, you two, go freshen up. Our guests will be arriving soon. Skedaddle!”
The senior Roth emphasized his order by slapping his wife on her rump. Slapping at the offending arm, Martha feigned offense and led their daughter to their bedrooms.
Standing in the middle of the room, alone except for the servants, servers and busboys, Kevin rotated slowly and approved of his wife’s and daughter’s results.
Ambassador Suzume, Commander Marston and the rest of Griffin’s crew broke his reverie.
“Ah, Ambassador, Commander. Welcome back to the Roth Ranch.
“Thank you, Mr. Roth.”
“Take a look. Make sure that your sitting arrangements are right.”
“I’m sure they are.”
“Knowing my wife, I’d bet they are, too. But, just to be safe, have a gander.”
“Mack, Sue, would you check the placards? You do have the layout on your tablets?’
“On it, Ambassador. Love, which side do you want to start in on?”
Sue pointed. Mack headed in the opposite direction. A short time later, the two caught up with Keiko, Krag and Kevin.
“All’s good, Ambassador.”
“Ambassador?”
“Ya, Wee-One. Since we’re being formal and all, I figure we do titles tonight.”
Randy and his wife-to-be, Harriet, drew their attention.
“Randy, Harriet. Glad you could make it.”
“Hey, Pa. This should be a show.”
“How are the Mortek settling in?”
“We haven’t brought the entire crew down yet, Ambassador. Just First Cruiser, First Logistics and First Supplier. We are working with them while we build the housing, barns and storage.”
“How are you getting along?”
“I can’t say, Commander. They show no personality. They only offer opinions when they are asked. It’s like they’re slaves, not allowed to be real people.”
“They’ve accepted that they are prisoners, with no rights, Randy. Actually, they are surprised that they haven’t been killed and eaten.”
“I bet they taste bad, Ambassador.”
“To their benefit, we will never know, Mz. Gregor.”
“Just Harriet, Ambassador.”
Martha and Lorna, now in their country finery, returned. That started the rush. Taking on the roll of hostesses, the two Roth women led each arrival to his or her proper table, allowing them to pick their preferred chairs. The room filled.
Griffin’s crew commandeered their assigned table, at the front, right of the lectern. Buster, as Mr. Morris, sat next to an empty chair. Gopai, the Elonian vassal took his place to the left of Krag. Igaklay, sitting in his highchair, found his spot between Mack and Sue.
In the middle of the arrivals, en masse, Vice-Admiral Weiskoff led his officers through the double doors. Almost bowing, Keiko approached and signalled to Martha. The Roth matron rushed over and led the contingent to their table, across from Griffin’s table, left of the lectern.
People continued to arrive. Tables filled. Servers worked the room, taking drink orders, distributing hors d'oeuvres and ensuring the well-being of the guests.
Krag and Keiko held court, acknowledging each arrival with a head-nod or a wave and a smile. Everyone returned the acknowledgement then paused, taking in the sight of three aliens acting as though this was just another evening.
As the room filled, noise increased, conversations overrode each other. Many found themselves glancing at the table with the aliens, absorbing as much as they could.
Finally, with the exception of the Elonians Royalty, everyone had arrived. Once everyone was seated, House Manager Johi entered and waited at the doorway. The room quieted at this alien entrance.
“Mistress Analyn, Her Honor Vidhee and the Kaporine Elders,”
The Elonian cat-person made the announcement. Stepping aside, he opened the floor for his charges to pass.
Sir Mahajani led. Mistress Analyn and Honorable Vidhee followed with the three Elders trailing. Displaying full pomp and circumstance, the five took their positions of the center table, leaving the two chairs of honor open. Sir Mahajani stepped back, out of the line of sight and kept scanning the room, keeping his charges safe and under his watchful eye.
The room remained quiet and watched the proceedings.
“Lord and Lady Kaporine,”
Two Kaporine Guardsmen, in full armor and formal tunics, marched through the double doors. Lord and Lady Kaporine followed, bedecked in formal togas and crowns. With the right forearm elegantly supporting the palla, Lord Kaporine held his left one level to the floor, supporting Lady Kaporine’s hand. Two more Guardsmen followed.
With a country bow, the Roth Matron met the Elonian Royalty and gestured towards the table placed in the center, just in front of the lectern. The room watched as the Elonian Nobility took their places and the four guardsmen assume positions against the walls.
Upon completion of the formal introduction, Keiko took her place behind the podium.
“Welcome all. As you can see, we are not alone.”
Keiko’s opening remark brought huffs from the Elonians and polite laughs from the Humans.
“For those that don’t know me, I am Keiko Suzume. Through no fault of my own, I have been burdened with the title of Ambassador of the Human, Elonian, Ballisonian Alliance, the HEB Alliance.”
At the naming of this strange, new organization, the room sharpened its focus on the speaker.
“To start the evening, I would like to introduce you to a few of the beings that foisted this title on me.”
Again, the room politely laughed and huffed.
May I present Preceptor Igaklay, the most powerful being in the known galaxy.”
Igaklay’s avatar stood up on his highchair and waved both hands at the crowd.
“Hello!”
The humans who didn’t know, looked around in confusion.
“Actually, this is Preceptor Igaklay’s avatar. Preceptor, would you please project an image of your true self?”
The high ceiling in the Roth ballroom suddenly held a holograph of a metallic moon.
“This is Preceptor Igaklay. He is an artificial intelligence created by the Ballisonian people. Preceptor Igaklay currently orbits his home planet. To put the Preceptor in perspective, he is almost the same size as Old Earth’s moon.”
This brought whispering and pointing.
“It is through Preceptor Igaklay’s magnanimous generosity that we now posses the ability to jump between the stars. He has also given us the technology to harness dark matter. We now have an unlimited supply of energy. Further, his Ballisonian technology is the blue disruptor shields which protect our ships against the Mortek particle beams and laser rays.”
This brought a standing ovation directed at the little grey-green being standing on the highchair. Igaklay seemed to be embarrassed. After a time, everyone
retook their seats.
“Oy, Iggy. Is that a blush I’m seeing?”
“One more thing. Some of you know this. Preceptor Igaklay has learned to harness quantum entanglement. That means that Preceptor Igaklay’s avatar is being controlled by the Preceptor himself from over one hundred and fifty lightyears away. The Ballisons have instant communication anywhere in the galaxy. And, Preceptor Igaklay has kindly given us the right to use that technology.”
“Again, another standing ovation. Again, Keiko waited for the room to quiet.
“I’m sorry to put you on the spot, Preceptor. But, it was your fault. You are one of those who made me your ambassador.”
“At least, I don’t have to do it.”
“You’ll get your turn in a moment. I think that I speak for all of Humanity. Thank you for your efforts in supporting our war against the Mortek.”
For a third time, Preceptor Igaklay received a standing ovation.”
“Next, I would like to introduce you to the rulers of Clan Kaporine of Elonia. Lord and Lady Kaporine, if you would rise?”
The two leaders stood and turned to face the crowd.
“Because of Lord and Lady Kaporine’s wisdom and generosity, we have gravity-controlling technology. No more grav-mag liners or magnetic boots. No more pressure pods in our ships. We have gravity chairs. Also, thinks to the brilliance of Master Engineer Varrini and our own Chief Engineer Mr. Henry McCauley the second, we have gravity generating weapons which have been critical in fighting the Mortek.”
This time, the Elonians receive the loud applause and standing ovation. Mack glared at Keiko, she having given out his full name. she gave a fake coquettish smile in return.
“These highly advanced species have kindly welcomed us into their community and helped us in our time of need. Thank you, my Elonian and Ballisonian friends. I, we are eternally grateful and forever in your debt.”
As Lord and Lady Kaporine sat, tables were pounded. Shouts of ‘here, here’ rang through the room.
“With the introductions out of the way, and before you get rewarded with the wonderful meal prepared by the Roth household, we need to discuss the purpose of this meeting. In a sentence, we are losing the war with the Mortek.”
This brought a nervous, panicky buzz to the room.
“Let me turn the room over to Commander Marston to explain the situation.”
Victory in the Stars (Marston Chronicles Book 6) Page 36