“Those screens,” E’Kolorn pointed to three displays in the lower left-hand corner of a complete wall of monitors, “are slaves to our defense systems.” He turned to look at the Empress’ General. “Right?”
“That is correct,” Lance agreed. “There is no reason for us to route that through the planet and then up here, so we pull it directly from your satellites.”
“How? Did you have the ability before you came into our system?” He turned back to the displays. “It would be nice to know if you saw everything we did, and yet I would have a feeling of betrayal as well.”
“No.” The Empress walked up beside the two men. She had changed clothes again, E’Kolorn noticed. These humans changed their outer garments more often than the weather changed down on the planet. Which was to say, multiple times in a day.
There were seven displays across the top, and five going down. Bethany Anne pointed to the upper two displays. “Red line numbers one and two, those two starting on the left, are the sensors we used coming out of the Gate. They were some of the first passive sensors we brought online in this system. We didn’t have access to the Yollin internal network until our efforts to take over Yollin Twenty-One succeeded.” She turned to look at the Defense Minister. “That was our identifier for your main command ship, which came to attack us from behind.”
He nodded his understanding.
She continued, “When we got on that ship we were able to plant our connections into your ship link, then your communications link. We had studied everything we could on the G’laxix Sphaea. This was without Kael-ven’s help, just so you know.”
It took a moment longer for the previous Defense Minister to register what she was explaining. He pointed to the input displays and turned to face Admiral Thomas and General Reynolds. “Why show me all of this?”
“Because,” the General admitted, “we want to know if you would once more accept the responsibility to keep your planet safe.”
This time it was E’Kolorn who blinked and wished desperately to have the ability to read the aliens’ minds.
Bethany Anne looked at the taller Yollin. “E’Kolorn, you did your job, and you protected your people. What you did wasn’t appropriate to our way of thinking based on what we wanted to accomplish, but who were you to know this? You had been led by a modified Yollin with a Kurtherian master, and under those circumstances you did your job appropriately. Your intent—your role—was to protect the planet.”
“If I—” E’Kolorn stopped for a moment, but then nodded and continued, “If I should take on this role, the act will provide legitimacy to your present leader.”
Bethany Anne stayed silent for a moment, but the pause allowed Admiral Thomas to ask, “So what?”
E’Kolorn turned to the human advisor. “Is that your reason for offering me this position?”
Admiral Thomas looked at Bethany Anne. “Is it?”
“Not really,” she admitted. “Oh, we know it would be a byproduct of the move, but frankly I don’t care about that. Long term, the benefit of having E’Kolorn in the role supports Kael-ven about two percent on the positive side while benefiting us twelve percent on the military side.”
The Yollin military advisor turned to the Empress, confused. “Only twelve percent?”
Instead of answering him, Bethany Anne looked up and spoke louder. “Meredith?”
“Yes, ma’am?” A voice floated to E’Kolorn’s ears, and he looked up and around for the speaker.
“Please put your face on the middle screens,” Bethany Anne commanded the EI.
E’Kolorn stopped looking around when a human face—someone who looked like the Empress, perhaps older but with red hair—was displayed on the middle fifteen monitors. “Yes, ma’am?”
Bethany Anne waved to the screens. “E’Kolorn, please meet Meredith, a very advanced Entity Intelligence which runs the major portion of our non-defensive operations. Presently she is also managing the three main space stations around the planet, as well as other projects down on the planet.” Bethany Anne turned to the screen. “Thank you, Meredith.”
“You are welcome, Empress.”
E’Kolorn missed Bethany Anne’s annoyed glance at the screens when the EI blanked out.
General Reynolds stifled a snort.
Bethany Anne turned back to E’Kolorn. “I introduced you to Meredith first so you understand we have a massive EI helping us run this space station, but...”
“She isn’t your military?” he guessed.
“Correct,” she agreed. “Meredith isn’t our military EI” She turned back to the video screen. “Reynolds? Please present yourself on the screen.”
Bethany Anne laughed as the General grunted. “Well, shit.”
Bethany Anne asked the face that was now on the video screen, “I guess we haven’t ever asked you to show your face, Reynolds.” She jerked a thumb toward her dad. “What made you decide to look like him, but older?”
“Because,” the General’s older, gruff voice came out of the speakers, “it seemed appropriate that if the female EI in residence chose a modified Empress look based on her mother, as the male of the duo and a Reynolds I would select the General.”
“Please, Reynolds,” Admiral Thomas asked, “would you change your voice back to the previous one? If I have to listen to both Lance,” he pointed to the General next to him, “and you using that same voice, I’m going to start drinking.”
“You already drink,” Lance retorted.
“I’ll drink more,” Admiral Thomas shot back, and there were a few snickers from those sitting at their desks in the large operations room who were listening in on the conversation.
“You are more…open…with each other,” the Yollin haltingly commented to the three humans.
“We do what we have to do for the operation,” Bethany Anne answered. “These two men are responsible for our space navy, and our overall military operations.” She looked around and smiled at everyone in the room; they weren’t even pretending to try to work while she was present. “These people, who should probably be looking at screens or something, are responsible for making sure information is collected and reviewed. Those who are in the field have their communications streamed back into the nexus here.”
The Yollin opened and closed his mandibles a few times, and Bethany Anne waited for him to speak. “I understand the purpose of the effort,” he finally said. “What I don’t understand is the humor you offer each other. It borders on disrespect.”
“Ma’am?” One of the specialists seated a couple chairs down from where the four were talking interrupted with a barely audible whisper. Bethany Anne turned and leaned back to view the person. Both men turned as well, and the Yollin followed their eyes.
“Yes, Franklin?” she replied.
“May I answer the question?”
Bethany Anne nodded, and the two leaders stepped back to allow the Yollin a clear view of the speaker.
A younger-looking human with blond hair smiled at the Yollin visitor. “Humans, sir, are capable of much. However, you will find that when we follow willingly, there is little that can stop us. There are a lot of stories in our history where a small number of humans beat a larger group because they trusted their friends and compatriots, and believed in what they were doing. We joke, but that doesn’t mean that any person in this room right now wouldn’t charge into a barrage of weapons fire to protect our Empress, the Admiral or the General,” he nodded to Admiral Thomas and General Reynolds, “without hesitation. In fact, you can say it is because we have this relationship with them that we would do it. Humans, as a rule, don’t like to be told what to do, but we will fight like hell for those we follow.”
E’Kolorn thought back to his discussions with King Yoll, and his attitude and method of rule. He turned to Bethany Anne. “Why did you introduce me to the Entity Intelligences?”
“Because either of those two could do your job better than you can,” she told him.
His mandibles opened a
nd stayed that way for a moment, then closed. “Then why have me here?”
“Remember that comment about supporting Kael-ven and the military?”
He nodded.
“Having either of the EIs or another human in the position would be a negative to supporting Kael-ven, but a net twenty-five percent boost to the military. However, if you understand that we wish to support the planet Yoll, not be a detriment, then the numbers slide to net eight percent boost to Kael-ven and a thirty-four percent boost to the military.”
“Why not thirty-seven percent if I am twelve percent and the EI is twenty-five percent?”
The General spoke. “Not all the benefits are cumulative. Further, it isn’t even the same thirty-four percent. Some factors change, and will cause you more trouble.”
E’Kolorn nodded his understanding, then the four were interrupted. “My Empress, may I continue with the presentation?”
Bethany Anne turned to view the screen. “Yes, Reynolds. Please show E’Kolorn the present disposition of the ships in the Straiphus system.”
Reynolds’ visage of was replaced by a stellar map of the Straiphus system. E’Kolorn moved forward, his four claws making little noise on the floor as he got closer to the screen.
Bethany Anne told the EI, “Reynolds, take over all screens and display the map.”
All screens changed to show the expanded map. The labels pointing to certain ships grew, and E’Kolorn’s eyes opened wide. He turned to the men. “Where is the Yollin superdreadnought Empires Broken?”
“That,” Admiral Thomas answered, “is what we want to know.”
Straiphus System, Yollin Capital Ship Bridged-ael
Those in the room quieted down as the recently elevated Admiral of the Straiphus Fleet arrived and walked to the head of the long table, his protection detail taking up positions behind him. When he took over the fleet in the Straiphus system, those who supported the existing caste system quickly located and executed the higher-ranking officers who were part of the lower caste or were known to harbor sympathy for those in the lower castes.
They would not be trusted to run the future of the Yollin systems.
Their bodies now floated in space. Some of the ships used the bodies as targets for firing practice.
They needed to clean the area of potentially harmful objects, right? Couldn’t have bodies slamming into unsuspecting ships and causing damage.
“We are now,” Admiral Thlock-nod started his speech, “only waiting on the last few ships to move into positions naturally. We are assuming the aliens have spies in this system. Unfortunately for them, they cannot find what isn’t here.” He looked around the room and included the cameras pointed at him, which were streaming his speech to the other ships in the fleet.
“I have waited,” he continued, “to unveil the truth: that the Superdreadnought Empires Broken did not run out on us, but rather was sent on purpose out of the system immediately upon receipt of the information sent to us by Defense Minister E’Kolorn!”
There was a loud banging of feet on the ground in support of the brave Defense Minister. “The aliens have sent their memos and their demands, but they dare not send in their ships. Do you know why they dare not?”
Admiral Thlock-nod smiled, his mandibles wide open. “Because they fear the Straiphus fleet!”
The admiral paused to allow the roar of approval from those in the room to wash over him and then subside before he continued.
“We will force their Empress to surrender under the might of the Straiphus Fleet. We have spies even now in their system, acquiring support on the ground, in the space stations, and on the two moons.” He slammed his hand on the table in front of him. “We will take these aliens apart piece by piece, ship by ship, and decimate their space station.”
“We have time for this last war council now, to confirm we all know our parts in this attack. The humans think themselves smart, but let’s teach them how nasty Yollins can be!”
QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Special Operations Room
Help, or go back to his prison cell?
The humans had allowed E’Kolorn to retire to a room off the massive operations complex after answering all his questions, and some he didn’t think to ask.
The real question, and the one only he had to personally answer was, did he trust them?
Further, did he believe the Yollins would be better as a member of the Etheric Empire—the only member so far. Well, that wasn’t true. The Empress deemed the three other systems that had been part of the Yollin Empire now independent members of the Etheric Empire.
Not that Eubos would be considered anything but the unruliest member of an unruly bunch. The Empress didn’t say much, except that she had sent an emissary to start “whacking that bunch of children into shape.”
Whatever whacking meant. He assumed it meant something violent, but not deadly. He hadn’t received the impression that these aliens used punishments that would kill their children to correct them.
As he reclined on the Yollin couch in the meeting room, he found himself studying the seat and thinking.
This was where Kael-ven had sat. This was, for better or worse, a bench that had seen the overthrow of his king and those who supported the previous system. It was that support which was causing the most trouble down on the planet, and to some degree on the space stations.
Those who had held power in the previous system did not wish to surrender that power and influence willingly. No one wanted to be told they weren’t special, it seemed. E’Kolorn thought about his four legs, which had been instrumental in his own rise in the military. Four legs, the mark of the upper caste.
The mark that proved he was special, that his body and mind were unique. The physical proof that was on display for all to see.
Nothing but a manipulation, falsehoods on the part of a Kurtherian to keep the race subjugated through lies.
He breathed hard, squeezing his hands tight and releasing them. To make this decision, he first needed to decide whether this couch, this physical seat really was indicative of whether he was special.
He placed his elbows on the table and then put his chin in his hands.
And thought.
The aliens had provided him a tablet that allowed him to call for refreshments should he want any.
He didn’t use it.
He allowed his mind to wander, to consider those he had known through the many stages of his life. He thought of all of those he knew with only two legs and considered each one he knew well enough to judge. Were they any less capable than him?
E’Kolorn’s voice broke the silence in the meeting room. “They were not.”
Skaine Slaver Ship Kalifo, Eubos System (Etheric Empire, Yollin Territory)
Gyrm continued searching the notes, but the information he was seeking wasn’t in the log. “Tell me again, where did Chrillen go?”
“Station One-Eight-Two, Captain,” was the quick response from his intelligence officer.
“Something is wrong.” Gyrm tapped his lip in thought.
Off to his right, his Comms Specialist called over his shoulder, “Sir, we have a coded message arriving through the channels.”
Gyrm pulled his message screen around and called it up. It was the station manager of Two-Seven. He ignored the inconsequential information and implemented the function to decode the message. Inside was a small video, which he played. His eyes narrowed as it continued, and those on the bridge jumped when he slammed his fist down hard in anger.
“Never mind looking for Chrillen’s group,” he said softly to everyone who had turned to stare at him.
“He died a true Skaine, and will be avenged.”
Well, he thought mentally, he was a true Skaine until the end, then he died like a whimpering youngling.
She looked like a Torcellan—except she didn’t mind killing.
That wasn’t very Torcellan at all.
19
Personal Ship Powerdrive, Leaving through Commercial Gat
e Five, Yollin System Ring Three
Shi-Tan accepted his slot in the queue to transfer out through the commercial Gate. After setting up the alarm should anything go wrong, he got up from his pilot’s chair and walked to the back, where he entered his little lab area. He pulled up the analysis screen for the alien tablet to see what energy it emitted once he turned off the connectivity.
Nothing.
Shi-tan tapped the tablet in front of him, thinking. Either these new aliens weren’t very devious—something he wasn’t willing to believe given what he’d learned about them so far—or this tablet wasn’t trying to connect to anything and send out information.
Yet.
That, he could believe. He reset the systems to check on the output of the tablet, and left it inside the box. He wouldn’t need it until he got back to the bounty’s home system, and he imagined if it were going to call home, it would have done that by then.
Shi-tan left his lab and made his way back up to the pilot’s chair. If he hadn’t needed to go back to earn his bounty, he would have liked to try fighting a few of those bigger humans.
If they had the willingness to get hurt, that was. It was too bad this little peon of a son was going to mess up a perfectly good opportunity for a grand barfight.
The Powerdrive went through another commercial Gate before arriving back in the king’s system, where it took Shi-tan fourteen long hours to approach the final space station and gain approval to dock.
Once docked, it took only a minor amount of time before his buzzer sounded. Each time you docked, part of the connection was the outside buzzer that rang inside your ship, letting you know someone wanted to see you.
Shi-tan made sure to have a few obvious weapons, a few less obvious ones, and at least two well hidden.
He made his way to the airlock and viewed the outdoor monitor. He hadn’t had time to set up his own cameras to confirm if this was a double cross, but he doubted it. He was a bounty hunter, not a mercenary.
He punched the button to open the airlock. On the other side were a king’s representative and two guards.
Kurtherian Gambit Boxed Set Three: Books 15-21, Never Submit, Never Surrender, Forever Defend, Might Makes Right, Ahead Full, Capture Death, Life Goes On (Kurtherian Gambit Boxed Sets Book 3) Page 39