Talus
Page 32
A great degree of grumbling followed the captain’s remarks.
“We’ve thought this through,” Ellie said, interrupting the speakers. “We must wait until the forces associated with the Kirmler clearly demonstrate aggression.”
“Will you destroy their ships if they threaten the planet, Admiral?” a captain asked.
“If they threaten the planet, I’ll warn them that they’re in danger of our NNEMP weapons disabling their ships,” Ellie said. “There are Tridents stationed in positions that we calculate will be where the wedge is formed.”
“If they disregard your warning, Admiral, they’re likely to launch missiles and flee,” the Foothreen envoy said.
“If they fire, their ships will never leave this system,” Ellie replied. Her voice was hard, and the aliens didn’t need a translation to recognize a warrior’s promise of retribution.
“Then the purpose of our battleships will be to block the wedge’s missiles from reaching the planet,” Quizra said.
“We’ll respond to the formation of an adversarial wedge with two movements,” Ellie replied. “The wedge will be launching missiles at a focused target.”
“The planet is a large target,” a captain pointed out.
“Based on our research into these particular envoys,” Ellie said, “we believe the missiles will target the Talusian capital and the envoys’ hall.”
“The hall?” an envoy on the negotiating team squeaked in query.
“The envoys won’t be there,” Ellie replied. “A traveler will lift the remaining envoys out of there, and it’ll take up station in orbit on the far side of the planet.”
“How do you expect us to combat a missile launch?” the Derterrick captain asked. “The size of our battleships and the distance from each other that we must maintain prevents us from amassing fire on the oncoming missiles.”
Ellie’s image was replaced by Hector’s wire model of the ring and the planet.
Then Ellie said, “We might have to contend with two wedges, but I’ll speak to that later. The majority of the ring’s ships will move to the point that you see on the model. At the end of this call, each captain will receive specific coordinates. When you receive my directive, swiftly move your ship to your assigned station.”
The commanders and envoys watched seventeen ships exit the ring and coalesce into two wedges farther from the planet. Then the majority of ships in the planetary ring moved to create two rings through which the missiles from the wedges must make their way.
“Knowing the captains of the two wedges have been relayed specific targets gives us an edge,” Ellie said. “Your ships shouldn’t be in the missiles’ paths. This will enable you to focus on antimissile launches.”
“Admiral, shouldn’t we be targeting both wedges?” a captain asked.
“Negative,” Ellie replied. “Our weapons will reduce the wedge or wedges to space junk. We’ve increased the yield to ensure the ships can’t fire a second salvo. Your jobs will be to stop the missiles from the first salvo from striking the planet.”
“You indicated there were two offensive movements, Admiral,” Quizra reminded Ellie.
“We’ve a limited number of drones to sacrifice. These are travelers that can be flown by their controllers at simple targets,” Ellie said. “Some of the largest missiles, what we call planet killers, will be destroyed by these drones.”
“Admiral, how certain are you of your information?” the Foothreen envoy inquired.
“The Kirmler envoy worked to recruit a third envoy cluster and three additional members,” Ellie replied. “The leader of that third cluster contacted me and relayed the Kirmler envoy’s plan. The envoy and her captain have asked for permission to form their wedge to prevent the Kirmler wedge from firing on their ships.”
“Do you trust this envoy, who I presume is the Boobaffle?” Quizra asked.
“Not entirely, but mostly,” Ellie said. “I’m taking the same precautions with this second wedge that I am with the Kirmler wedge,” Ellie said.
“Your model shows this second wedge over the planet’s polar region,” a captain said. “Then the Kirmler envoy wants these other ships to target Artifice.”
“Yes, that’s what we’ve been told,” Ellie replied. “Any questions?”
There were many more suggestions, concerns, and questions than Ellie anticipated. Many came from the envoys and some from their captains. None originated from the Talusians. Ellie patiently replied to every individual until she exhausted the plan’s details. Then she ended the conference.
“The Boobaffle wedge, Admiral?” Lydia offered.
Ellie took a deep breath, released it, and replied, “Yes, I presume you’ve included the three ancillary envoys?”
“Certainly, Admiral,” Lydia responded, as she connected Ellie to the battleships.
Unlike the first conference call, which allowed Lydia to warn the participants in advance, an envoy or a captain on this call needed time to gain the bridge. Lydia displayed a static image of the admiral on their central monitors, while the conference participants assembled.
Sisters greeted the envoys and captains in their languages, as they arrived, and told them to expect a message from Admiral Thompson.
The Boobaffle envoy nearly ran past the captain on her way to the bridge, but he halted her progress.
“Display confidence, Envoy, by walking at an even, steady pace,” the captain said.
The envoy nodded and walked side by side to the bridge with her captain. She tried to exude calm, but her multiple stomachs were tied in knots.
When all sixteen participants of the eight battleships were present, the sisters announced Ellie, who took her cue from Lydia.
“Greetings, Envoys and Captains. I’m Admiral Thompson,” Ellie began. “We’ve a delicate line to walk. Trust will have to be earned in every action-reaction to the upcoming events. If the information I’ve received and our intuitions are correct, the Kirmler envoy will form his wedge and request you do the same. I’m inclined to accept the Boobaffle envoy and captain’s plan to allow you to create your wedge. We anticipate the Kirmler envoy will then make demands on President Sargut.”
“What actions will you take, Admiral?” the Terrium envoy asked.
“Several,” Ellie replied. “When the Kirmler envoy signals the formation of the wedges, the other envoys’ ships will coalesce into two rings to intercept incoming missile salvos.”
Lydia briefly displayed the wire model and the ship movements.
“Clever of you, Admiral, to station a smaller ring between us and the polar region,” the Boobaffle captain said approvingly.
“It’s not entirely a disguise,” Ellie remarked. Her tone was tough, and the sisters imitated it in their translations.
“You think we might launch our missiles,” the Boobaffle envoy accused.
“It’s an appropriate precaution,” the Terrium captain said. “Admiral, I presume your Tridents will be deployed above us and armed with your new weapons.”
“Yes,” Ellie answered simply.
The Boobaffle envoy and several of her young associates drew breath to complain, but their experienced captains quickly calmed them with hands on shoulders or whispers.
“If the Kirmler envoy commands us to launch our missiles, will you fire your weapons at our wedge?” the Boobaffle captain asked.
“Negative,” Ellie replied firmly. “I won’t issue a preemptive strike. If you launch your missiles, you’ll get away with firing one salvo, before I turn your ships into metal heaps.”
“Who has been assigned to wait above us?” a frightened envoy asked.
“One of my best senior captains, who’s been with the Omnian leaders since the beginning,” Ellie replied. “There won’t be a mistake. If you don’t launch your missiles, nothing will happen to your ships.”
“That’s fair,” the Boobaffle captain replied.
“We see no reason to participate in this pretense,” the Terrium envoy said. “There’
s no value for us in doing so, only danger.”
“I thought I might hear this objection,” Hector said, inserting his image beside Ellie’s. “Negotiations are concluding on the planet, and the Talusians are offering Omnian tech at favorable prices to federacy races. They’ve included regional training centers and graduated steps to ensure societies at any level of tech will eventually be able to manufacture our products.”
“Including your ships?” the Terrium asked.
“Including our ships,” Hector replied.
“What about —” an associate of the Terrium envoy started to ask, but Hector interrupted him with a raised hand.
“You’ve no reason to trust my statements,” Hector said, “but you should know that I’m a SADE and the leader of this fleet. I give you a SADE’s promise that you’d be more than pleased by the Talusians’ offer.”
“Are you suggesting that we could take part in this deal even though we walked out of the hall?” the Boobaffle envoy asked.
“You continue to think in the guarded ways that you adopted under Artifice,” Hector said. “It’s sad to see some of you hold on to your anger over past injustices by Artifice. It’s time to embrace a new future, with the opportunity that you’re being offered. If you don’t foster aggression against others, Omnian tech is available to you. Wouldn’t you like to take advantage of that?”
Hector and Ellie waited, while the envoys and their captains huddled. She briefly glanced toward the SADE, who winked at her. The sisters were overhearing the bridge conversations and reporting to Hector.
“We accept the bargain, and we’ll participate in the ruse,” the Terrium envoy said, when he finished conversing with his captain.
“As will we,” the Boobaffle envoy added. She waited tensely, for the others to reply. When all agreed, she visibly released the breath she was holding.
“Admiral, do you anticipate the Kirmler envoy’s wedge will be in a position to observe us, when we organize our wedge?” the Boobaffle captain inquired.
The wire model appeared again. This time it displayed the final confrontations of wedges and rings.
“The Kirmler wedge should have an approximately forty-five degree view of your ships’ starboard sides, with your bows marking the zero degree points,” Hector said.
While the Boobaffle captain thought, he touched a few tendrils, which coiled around his finger.
“Admiral, are you aware of the degree to which our missile ports swing outward to fire?” the Boobaffle captain asked.
SADEs inundated Lydia and Hector with their responses, and Ellie chuckled at the melee. “Apparently, we’ve extensive data on the details of federacy ships. This is understandable. We fought many federacy wedges to gain your independence.”
The heavy heads of the Terriums dipped in apology. The admiral was pointing out that Omnians had as much justification for revenge as did federacy races. Yet, her fleet was at Talus, ensuring that peaceful negotiations were conducted.
“Can you monitor the precise angle of ports?” the Boobaffle captain queried.
“Assuredly, Captain,” Ellie replied. “Our telemetry could read anything you mark on your missile heads.”
“Impressive,” an envoy muttered.
“Your data will indicate that our battleships vary in age, armament weight, and capacity, but the launch mechanisms operate the same,” the Boobaffle captain said. “If we swing out our ports to seventy-five percent of the operating distance, we should appear ready to launch to the Kirmler wedge.”
“Excellent idea,” another captain volunteered. “Admiral, we can’t launch a missile unless a port is fully extended. It must lock into the firing position.”
“One moment,” Ellie said, holding up a hand.
After a few minutes wait, Georgette sent,
“Your idea, Captain, is confirmed by the Talusian commander,” Ellie said. “Every captain must be careful to open their missile ports no more than seventy-five percent.”
“Now, you’ll have no need for your ships to wait above us, Admiral,” an envoy nervously volunteered.
“They’ll be there, but I shouldn’t need to order them to attack,” Ellie replied. “Know that I appreciate the extra layer of precaution to prevent misinterpreting your intentions. Any questions?” When none came, Ellie added, “Good fortune, and may the stars protect you.”
Then Lydia closed the conference.
As the Omnian admiral’s face disappeared from the Boobaffle monitor, the bridge officers and the crew of the battleship turned to regard their captain.
“When —” the captain began, but he halted when a panel beeped and the telemetry officer raised a finger. “Yes?” he inquired.
“We’ve received a rendezvous point from the Kirmler ship,” the telemetry officer said.
“Anything else?” the captain asked.
“None, Captain. Just the coordinates,” the officer replied.
“As I started to say, when the Kirmler envoy communicates that we’re to form the wedge,” the captain continued, “I want us to perform as if we were following a wedge commander’s order. Everything will be done as if it was a Boobaffle commander. Am I understood?”
After the captain received crisp affirmative replies, he stepped to the missile control board, entered his override code, and perused the icons. Locating the safety protocols, he tapped the icon and opened the settings dialog. A master override application governed the extent to which the ports would open. He entered seventy-five percent.
“Confirm,” the captain directed the missile control officer.
“Missile port openings of seventy-five percent confirmed, Captain,” the officer replied sharply.
“That should keep us safe from the Omnians,” the captain said to his crew, and he left the bridge in the company of the envoy.
“Are you comfortable with the arrangements?” the envoy asked.
“Comfortable? No,” the captain replied. “But under the circumstances, it’s a good solution. It’s my hope that every captain in our temporary wedge will be careful to control their port openings. It won’t be the time for a captain or a missile officer to make a mistake.”
Aboard the Terrium ship, the captain had gone through the same process as the Boobaffle captain. Then he retired with the envoy.
“Omnian technology appears incredulous to me,” the Terrium envoy remarked, as he settled into a chair across from the captain. “The admiral said her ship’s telemetry could read the markings on our missiles at hundreds of thousands of kilometers. Who would have thought that was possible?”
“That’s what gives me confidence that we’ll survive the forthcoming actions,” the captain replied. “The Omnians have been in possession of their technology for many annuals, which means they’re comfortable with their operations. That greatly lessens the chance of errors on their part. Now, if the other captains and envoys are careful, we’ll have the added good fortune of taking news of the tech sharing home to our leaders.”
36: Intrigues Unfold
At morning meal the next day, Hector, who sat across from Ellie,
said, “Admiral, Miriamette informs me that neither party requires our presence at the conference table today. Each side believes that communications are cordial, and they’re focused on the finer details of the tech transfer.”
“Under the circumstances, that’s the best thing that could happen,” Alphons commented.
“Now that negotiations are wrapping up, I expect to hear from the Kirmler envoy soon,” Adrianna added.
Hector turned to stare at Adrianna. The intensity caused her to ask, “What?”
“Admiral,” Hector said, turning to Ellie, “a sister is transferring a call from the Kirmler envoy. He’s asking for you.”
“Oops,” Adrianna muttered.
“Admiral, this is the Kirmler envoy. The other envoys in my cluster and I have decided that there is no advantage to remaining in the Talus system. Regrettably, our wishes weren’t embraced by the majority of the envoys.”
Ellie sent.
“You intuit my request correctly, Admiral,” the envoy replied. “For the record, let me state that your hostile interdiction of our ships’ movement was entirely unnecessary.”
“The Talusian commander is, of course, entitled to her opinion. We don’t happen to agree with her,” the envoy replied.
“Admiral, within moments of ending this call, nine of us will turn our battleships,” the envoy continued. “If your fighters aren’t removed from our bows and sterns, we’ll open up with our close-in gun support. We can’t abide your ships holding station and causing damage to our battleships when we impact them.”