A much-smaller-than-expected diplomat slowly stepped forward. While the Tamarins had similar proportions to both Humans and Gruntas, they stood only a meter tall.
The diplomat held up his hand. "Mr. Beutcher. I apologize if I seem a bit timid. I was told of the height and size of the Grotus, although I have yet to meet one. You are quite the intimidating figure."
I clasped the diplomat's forearm and hand, giving a firm but gentle shake.
I glanced up at the low ceiling as I hunched over. "No need to apologize, Mr. Wampros. We all have our differences. Sometimes my size puts me at a disadvantage."
The diplomat smiled. "Please, Mr. Beutcher, follow me. I'll talk as we go. To the left is a conference room. We'll come back there in just a moment. Down this hall are our personal quarters. I would guess you have no interest in those?"
I nodded. "Beds are beds, Mr. Wampros."
Darba continued, "This section is our engineering. Mr. Vales and Mr. Corish keep us in good running condition. This enclosed section is our gravity well and power generation. And up here is the bridge. I'm certain it's not as impressive as your ship, but we are a simple diplomatic vessel."
I glanced around the bridge, which was little more than three chairs and a number of consoles. I found it interesting that the view portals were actual transparent windows that looked out into space. Every ship I had ever been on substituted high-resolution holo-displays for real windows.
The diplomat then led us back to the conference room. A wide chair that fit my lower torso was moved to one side of the table while Darba Wampros sat on the other. After sitting, my knees bumped the edge of the low tabletop.
Darba said, "Again, I apologize for the accommodations, Mr. Beutcher. We are not used to dealing with beings of such stature."
I held up my hand. "No worries, Mr. Wampros. Where I come from we have peoples of many sizes. With mine being on the larger end, small accommodations are often an issue, but never a problem."
The diplomat moved right to the questions he was interested in asking. "Have you interacted with any other species during your travels?"
I nodded. "A species who call themselves the Moddle. And of course you know of the Grumar and Grotus. There is another species, the Kergans, but we don't know much about them."
Darba Wampros rolled his eyes. "We have had dealings with the Kergans. They are arrogant, and often belligerent. However, we do have a number of trade deals working with them that are mildly profitable. I am not familiar with the Moddle. Are they of amenable temperament? How large is their empire and what direction are they in?"
I oriented myself and pointed. "Probably seven or eight months that way. I am not familiar enough with them to offer an opinion on their temperament. Our encounters with them have been brief. What else can you tell me about the Kergans? I have heard they have as many as thirty star systems."
Darba laughed. "No, no, no. The Kergans have six colonies, four major, and a handful of outposts. Our trade deals with them have mostly been as a supplier of small arms. Their weapons systems were lacking. We supplied them with a moderately powerful hand weapon.
"Unfortunately, even after an agreement, and with efforts on our part to prevent it, they were able to reverse engineer our beam-generation technology. They have since armed their ships with it. We fully believe that is why they have become an aggressive and expansionist species."
I nodded. "So their particle beam tech came from you. I've seen it in action and it's a formidable weapon."
The diplomat sighed. "They are only beginning to learn its true power capabilities. After a number of aggressive moves, we were forced to show them we will not be trifled with. Fortunately, we were able to retain our trade deals, though at slightly increased profits. The Kergans turned their aggression elsewhere."
I inquired, "So your fleet is powerful enough to keep the Kergans in line? I have heard of others encounters with them, and their ships were both powerful and well defended."
Darba Wampros leaned forward. "We have just returned from Jorus. There is another fleet in that system and there appear to be troops on Jorus itself. The ships do not match your own. Do you know who they belong to?"
I nodded. "We do. They belong to a distant empire called the New Alliance. We were once part of that empire. I won't go into details, but we are no longer members, nor do we have allegiance to them. And I would advise that if you encounter them, don't place trust in any deals they may negotiate with you. They have broken deals with the Moddle, the Grumar and Grotus, and most recently with the Kergans. They have resources that far outstretch any of those empires."
The diplomat smiled. "I should like to learn more about this Alliance. Would you care to stay aboard for a while? I would like to continue our journey toward Parmesen as we talk. We will be dining in another hour and I'm certain my chef would love the opportunity to entertain a new palate."
I glanced down at my comm. "Jack, I'll be staying over here for a bit. Just follow alongside if you would."
Jack replied, "Can do."
I leaned forward, placing my elbows on the table. "I know we have a lot to discuss, Mr. Wampros, but I would like to move right into a discussion about trading for food stocks. We have either diamonds or platinum available if you are interested."
The diplomat raised his eyebrows. "Platinum is a desirable metal. Diamonds are too easily made, I'm afraid. They long ago became a commonplace commodity. And the quality of our diamonds is superior in both color and clarity. There are no inclusions in our synthetically grown diamonds. But we would be interested in trade for palladium if it is available."
I asked Jack, "Do we have any palladium?"
Jack replied, "One moment... actually, yes. How much do you need?"
Darba Wampros leaned forward. "Tell me of your food needs?"
I sat back in my chair. "Would you be able to provide enough to feed, let's say one hundred million colonists, for, let's say two weeks?"
Darba's eyes grew wide. "I have to say I was not expecting such a sizable request, Mr. Beutcher. However, we are just coming off harvest season and our granaries are full."
Darba pulled a hand calculating device from his tunic pocket. "Assuming one kilogram of raw grain per day, for fourteen days, and the current price of palladium, that would be... fourteen thousand metric tonnes."
I asked Jack, "Can we supply that amount?"
Jack nodded. "I'll check."
Nearly a minute passed before Jack had an answer. "Go performed a quick analysis of our capabilities in mining palladium, and he believes we can. There of course won't be an immediate delivery for an order of that size. However, he believes we could have it ready for shipment within ninety days."
I looked back at a smiling Darba Wampros. "We may have the workings of our first trade deal, Mr. Wampros. However, given grain and palladium prices within our own empire. I believe fourteen thousand metric tonnes to be a bit rich. Would you be amenable to say... eleven?"
The cheer left Darba's face. "I could not walk into my office with such a deal, Mr. Beutcher. I'm afraid I would be ridiculed by our trade staff for even attempting to bring such an offer forward."
I leaned forward again, pressing my elbows down on the table as I rested my chin atop my hands. "Give me your absolute best offer, Mr. Wampros. You said your granaries are full, you have product to sell, and you are in need of palladium. What would you think is a truly fair offer?"
The diplomat ran the numbers on his calculator. "This is highly unusual to be working up a deal before relations have even been formerly declared, Mr. Beutcher. However, I believe I could deliver the order you desire for twelve point two thousand metric tonnes."
I nodded. "I’ll tell you what, Mr. Wampros, if you can double that grain delivery I would be willing to also offer ten thousand metric tonnes of platinum. Jack, can we handle that amount of platinum?"
After several seconds of silence, Jack replied, "We would need another sixty days to deliver both."
I h
eld up my hands. "Mr. Wampros?"
The diplomat grinned. "That is a generous offer, Mr. Beutcher. One that I am almost certain would be acceptable to our trade board."
The diplomat turned to face his assistant. "Ask Miss Gloward to prepare a feast for our guest!"
As our discussions continued, the Tamarin chef brought in her edible creations. "Mr. Beutcher, it is an honor to serve you. It's not often I have the added pleasure of having a foreign palate sample my work. I am quite curious to know how my dishes stack up against those of other species."
Darba turned with a half scowl. "Miss Gloward, please do not pester our guest."
I held up my hand. "It's OK, Mr. Wampros. I don't mind. And, Miss Gloward, I am certain it tastes as good as it smells. Please tell me, what does each dish contain?"
The chef beamed with pride. "This is a Bonta filet. We prefer it a bit on the raw side. It is a cut from the lower back of a beast we call a higath. It has been aged to draw out the natural flavors. This next dish is omanga. Omanga is a tuber. The quality of the flavor is highly dependent on the ground in which it was grown. These are from the Cashmian mountains region of my home world. I have to special-order those as there is a short harvest season.
"The third dish is karmathis. It is a legume, lightly boiled in a Queton sauce. Not my personal favorite, but the crew seems to enjoy it. The fourth is a Pallean eel. I sincerely hope you do not mind that it is live."
I reached for the eel first. "Thank you, Miss Gloward. I'll give the eel a try. It appears to be similar to one of my people's dishes."
I took two of the twenty centimeter long eels in my left hand, dangling them over my mouth before slurping them down. My insides screamed in delight as the eels wiggled down, finally attempting to swim in my stomach before being overcome by acid.
The chef smiled. "I see you have had eel before."
I nodded. "Yes, but not very often. The spicing of the oils you have them in is wonderful."
The chef grinned as I sampled each of her preparations. The Bonta filet was similar to our borak, and the omanga to our gara root. The karmathis beans had a sharp bite on the tip of the tongue, followed by a prolonged sweetness throughout the mouth. I sampled each of the chef's creations, complimenting her as I went. Darba Wampros watched with disinterest.
Chapter 3
* * *
For the next three-and-a-half weeks, I conferred with Darba Wampros. We docked at a spaceport, with the Garmon staying back, just inside comm range. On the station, Gargos Elite, I was taken to a large conference room where seven members of the trade board were waiting to discuss my offer. After twenty minutes of hemming and hawing over the details. An agreement was signed. Next came the issue of delivering the goods.
I said, "Jack, They have the grain ships ready to send. How do we do this without telling them we occupy Odenta?"
Jack replied, "I don't think you can. If we send that grain somewhere else, and then have to go collect it, our people will have starved by then. That would be a month for us to go back, a month for us to send transports somewhere, and a month for them to return. This delivery is only good if we take it straight there. I don't think we have a choice. About the best we could do would be to tell them we would make the transfer at the point where we first met and hope they don't get offended."
After several minutes of thought I returned to the trade board. "Trade ministers, I would like to offer my thanks to you for your expediency in dealing with this matter. I hope you will find much profit in the metals that we will be providing to you. We must now discuss the delivery of the grain shipment. I have refrained from telling you the location of our colony out of caution. However, you have shown yourselves to be trustworthy thus far, and you've given me no reason to suspect that won't continue. The destination for delivery is our colony on Odenta."
One of the ministers stood. "Mr. Beutcher, we are aware of the plight of Odenta, and I will have to protest this agreement given the fact that you are laying claim to that world."
I shook my head. "I'm sorry, mister...?"
The minister replied, "Gonquin."
I continued, "I sorry, Mr. Gonquin, the nature of our colony there is difficult given the condition of the planet. And when I say our, I am referring to the Odentas. I am here acting on their behalf. We are attempting to resettle the planet with the surviving Odenta population."
The minister replied, "The Odentas are dead. Their world is heavily contaminated due to some kind of nuclear war. You have no rightful claim to that planet."
I held up my hand. "Let me explain. We joined with the Odentas in a peaceful alliance. Shortly thereafter, the Grumar and Grotus attacked, leaving the Odenta government with no choice but to annihilate themselves while making the planet useless to their enemies. Some were able to escape before the blasts. They have returned to reclaim it and we are assisting in that effort, and with the decontamination. The food we trade for here today will help us to establish that new colony with fewer lives at risk."
The minister scowled. "First we have an intrusion into our space by an unknown species, and now we have a deal, already signed, with another species, one which we know nothing about."
I turned to face Darba Wampros. "You've had someone else visit your space recently? Is that unusual?"
Darba nodded. "We try to keep to ourselves when possible. We do venture out on the perimeters of our territories, and occasionally contact other species that are known to us for trade purposes. It is not often that we come across someone new like yourself. The last was twenty-seven years ago when we first came in contact with the Grotus. It is a rare event."
"Do you have a name for this new species?" I said.
Darba shrugged. "This is the first I have heard of this affair."
I turned back to face the minister. "Do you have a name for, or an image of, this invader?"
The minister returned a stoic look. "That is a separate affair, Mr. Beutcher, it doesn't concern you."
I nodded. "Perhaps, but it could be that I am able to recognize whoever it is you have captured. I am assuming correctly, am I not, that you captured a ship?"
After several moments in thought, the minister turned to an assistant. "Please bring an image of the intruder up on the display."
Several seconds later, an image of Garrett popped up on a viewing console.
The minister continued, "As you can see, he has a sinister appearance. He has refused to answer questions thus far. We may be forced to use chemical enhancers to loosen his tongue."
I shook my head. "That won't be necessary, Mr. Gonquin. I can vouch for him. He is one of ours."
Darba Wampros said in a low voice, "You gave me no indication of a second ship in this area."
I leaned in. "I must apologize, I haven't had contact with him for a month. For all I knew he had returned to Odenta. He wasn't spying, just exploring."
Darba stood. "Gentlemen, it seems our guest is acquainted with the intruder. He is willing to vouch for him. Given their tenuous circumstances on Odenta, he remained silent out of precaution. Our friend in captivity was merely exploring. His refusal to freely identify himself, well, I believe we would all approach this situation in a similar way. We would want to make sure it's safe before making contact with a new species. Would I be correct in assuming his ship has been searched? And if so, was anything found that implied malicious intent?"
The minister replied, "Does the transgressor report to you, Mr. Beutcher?"
I nodded. "He does, but only loosely so. Our relation should be viewed more as a partnership, with me being a slightly more senior partner. As Mr. Wampros says, I will vouch for him."
The minister looked to his assistant. "Please have the intruder brought here before us."
Several minutes of idle discussion passed before Garrett was brought into the room. Four Tamarin guards escorted him through the door.
Garrett glanced around the room, stopping as he saw me sitting there. His look was one of disbelief.
&n
bsp; I stood. "Are you OK?"
Garrett replied, "The questioning has been a little intense, but other than that, they have treated me fairly."
The minister gestured to the guards. "Release him. We have signed a deal with his associate. So long as that deal is honored to its fullest, we have no further need of holding this Human."
The minister looked over at me. "Aside from Humans and Odentas, are there any other species you associate with?"
I nodded, "We have one more. They are the Talisan; they report to me. As stated before, the Odentas are our allies."
The minister tapped his fingertips on the table for several seconds. "Given that our relationship is new, and that neither of our species is familiar with the other, I would like to have several of our warships accompany the granary ships to your planet."
I smiled. "I have no issue with that, and would encourage it given the inclination to violence that many of the surrounding species in this part of the galaxy seem to share."
The minister then asked a pointed question. "You indicated that you are from a colony on Odenta, which is all good and well. But you did not originate from Odenta. You, the Human, and your Talisans, where did you come from? And keep in mind, business relations are based on trust. If you dishonor that trust, you should expect repercussions to be reflected in any current dealings, and future business."
I rubbed my chin in thought before delivering a reply. "What I am going to tell you may seem farfetched, Mr. Gonquin, but it is the truth. My associates and I come from another galaxy, coming here through a wormhole. Before I continue further, please let me add that we do not control the wormhole, but others in our galaxy do."
The minister looked around at the other board members. "That does seem a bit of a stretch, Mr. Beutcher. We've had theorists speculate on the possibility of wormholes for many centuries. There has never been any scientific evidence to suggest that they actually exist or are even possible, only theories."
OMEGA Brutal Page 3
