by John Walker
“I hope you’re right, sir,” Vincent said. “It would be a real tragedy if this went poorly.”
“More than you realize, Commander.” Reach narrowed his eyes, staring at the screen. “More than you realize.”
***
Cassie entered the tech room where Thayne worked on one of the computers. She came up behind him and nudged his arm, offering a smile when he turned a confused look in her direction. They were less than a half hour from the station, preparing to board as soon as the Pahxin arrived.
“Your friends seem to be late,” Cassie said.
Thayne shrugged. “A possibility. The distance between our home and here is much greater. Also, it is difficult to judge timing with faster-than-light travel … which you may find ironic, but it is the truth.”
“I suppose.” Cassie flopped down in a chair. “How concerned are you about all this?”
“Not very at all. They will either find common ground and work together or they will not. Negotiations may linger for a while but eventually, regardless of how this plays out, the two sides will become friends.”
Cassie had listened to the initial conversation between Admiral Reach and the administrators of the station. It was formal, cordial and direct. They sent the rules of the station, which essentially amounted to variations of a single point: no violence. A brief history of the station came along with the rules.
The Gaeliran people who built the place lived on a nearby world which went through its own warlike phase. Fortunately, they got all that combat out of their systems before they took to the stars. When they contacted their neighbors for the first time, they were able to successfully negotiate peace and, as simple explorers, they went on their way.
Wars sprouted up between different factions throughout the years and many of them approached the Gaelirans, asking them to take sides. They never did, stating their total neutrality in hostile matters. This didn’t go over well for them at first but the Gaelirans found a way to make it right.
They offered their space station up as a safe, neutral space for cultures to negotiate and after a couple times, it became a tradition. Their neutrality became respected rather than resented. A statistic in their introduction stated those who used their station for their gatherings signed peace treaties over war eighty-five percent of the time.
At the end of the digital brochure, Cassie found a list of reasons why other cultures have never attacked the Gaelirans or given them grief. While they forsook the warlike tendencies of their pasts, they maintained a fairly impressive vault of weaponry. These were used on those who broke the rules or threatened their people.
In the entire history of the station, they only had to exercise the power of their weapons once and even in that case, they simply disabled the offending craft. After that, no one else bothered to cause trouble in their areas. That bodes well for us but eighty-five percent conversion seems low. I guess blood can stay hot regardless of the decision to attend a peace talk.
“Have you ever been here before?” Cassie asked.
Thayne nodded. “Once, a long time ago. But it wasn’t for a treaty. A science committee reserved the space. The Gaelirans have a voracious appetite for knowledge. I suspect they prefer such things over the negotiations they traditionally host. For example, you won’t see them at the table for this but during our event? Dozens of them gathered.”
“Nice.” Cassie was about to ask another question when Salina’s voice piped over the speakers.
“Attention, all hands to their stations. We have incoming ships and will be sending our VIP party to the station shortly. Please attend to your posts immediately.”
Cassie stood and headed for the door. “See you later, Thayne.”
“Good luck with the work up there. If you need anything, I will be down here monitoring the talks. I am issuing positive thoughts that this works out admirably for both sides.”
“Me too, Thayne,” Cassie replied, heading into the hall. She thought back to what Christina said about him and whether or not the woman was right concerning his loyalties. There seemed to be no reason for him to cause trouble and indeed, it behooved him for both sides to get along.
As a scholar of the Orbs, he would want to be close to them, not ostracized because the Pahxin and humanity didn’t get along.
I guess we’ll see soon enough.
***
Desmond scowled at the screen as four Pahxin vessels emerged from hyperspace not even twenty-thousand kilometers from the station. How did they make such a precise jump? What kind of navigation equipment would allow it? The questions didn’t stem from idle curiosity. He was thinking tactically.
If the Pahxin can hop around to such close proximity, they can use FTL as a blitzkrieg-style attack method. We wouldn’t have any chance to get defenses going in that regard.
They were larger than the Gnosis and a quick scan indicated they were heavily armed warships. Each of them carried enough firepower to level a small moon, putting them into an entirely different class than the ships they had encountered before. The Tol’An and Kalrawv Group couldn’t field such vessels and Desmond was quietly grateful for it.
If these guys wanted to take something, they just would. This is part of the negotiation process. They’re showing us what they’ve got so we can determine how far we feel like pushing them.
“Hail those ships,” Reach said. “Get me on speaker and see if we can’t have visual communication.”
“Yes, sir,” Salina replied. “They’ve acknowledged and are establishing a link now.”
Cassie came onto the bridge and paused just in front of the door. Desmond nodded to her once before redirecting his attention back to the screen. The stars faded out and a figure appeared who could’ve been any other human. Brown hair was swept back from a high brow, brown eyes peered at them through a squint. He was clean shaven with narrow cheeks.
His uniform, black with silver piping on the seams, could only be seen from the middle of his chest up but the collar was buttoned high on his neck. When he spoke, the computer automatically translated his words for them so they only heard the mechanical voice. The effect was somewhat eerie since all tone was lost in the English words coming from the speakers.
“Greetings, humans. I am Captain Ulian Hataran. Our ambassador will be heading to the Gaeliran station momentarily. Are you prepared for the meeting?”
“We are,” Admiral Reach replied. “Is there anything you need from us before we begin the process?”
“No. Merely note that this sector is a peaceful one. Any hostilities will be met with extreme force from us … or our hosts. And believe me, I have seen the might of the Gaelirans in simulation. No one wishes to push them.”
“We have no intention of indulging any hostilities,” Reach said. “We are here to negotiate for peace and a union between our two people. I believe this will be beneficial. I’d like to introduce you to the commander of this vessel, Captain Desmond Bradford. He will be holding the ship down while I’m on the station.”
“Yes, I see.” Ulian frowned. “We will be in touch. Ulian out.”
The screen went dark, shifting to a view of the station and stars again. “Charming,” Vincent muttered. “Maybe they just don’t translate well.”
“Soldiers,” Desmond said. “I’m not taking it personally.” He turned to Reach. “Seems like we’re ready to get this show started. Shuttle should be prepped.”
“Wish us luck, Captain.” Reach nodded and headed for the elevator. “Do ensure we don’t engage in any hostilities.”
Desmond nearly dropped a snarky reply but merely nodded, returning to his seat. Captain Hataran likely found himself in a position where he didn’t know why they were bothering to negotiate with humanity. If he understood the situation, if he had been briefed on the Orbs, then he might have offered a military solution to get at least one of them back.
Considering they were all out there at the Gaeliran station, their government decided on a peaceful course of action. S
till, Desmond understood the notion. The simplest path often proved to be the quickest. Depending on how desperate they were to acquire one of the Orbs, violence made the most sense.
“Salina.” Desmond turned in his seat again. “I trust you’re ready to monitor the proceedings.”
“Yes, sir. I’m on it.”
Cassie sat down and logged in. “I’ll get a decent scan going of the Pahxin vessels. Maybe we can learn something from how they’re put together … weapon placements, power core … Anything would be of value.”
“Let’s make sure they’re okay with it,” Vincent said. “Last thing we need is for them to get all huffy ‘cause we’re prying.”
***
Christina spent more time in boring meetings than she could possibly remember. The admiral’s duties took him through the paces of such things frequently. Unfortunately, meeting with aliens didn’t prove to be any different. Two bodyguards accompanied them and on the flight over, they proved to be terribly nervous.
But the negotiations themselves would likely be just another meeting involving a whole lot of talk.
The accommodations were nice enough. When they arrived in the hangar, it looked much like their own but upon departure, they found themselves walking down a hallway with dark wood paneled walls at the top and some kind of bone colored material at the bottom. The floor was carpeted and it felt like a resort.
Not at all what Christina thought of when she considered a space station.
The Gealirans proved to look much like humans but they kept their heads shaved. Their eyes were set a bit wider and their lips were thin. It gave them a cartoon like experience but they’d taken the time to learn English, though it was thickly accented with emphasis on the vowels.
The admiral’s party was led to a conference room with refreshments lining the wall and a massive table with several chairs. The Pahxin arrived moments later, dressed all in black. Such severe appearances surprised Christina but the color probably didn’t mean the same thing to them.
She wore her black dress coat, white pants and a white blouse. It was what passed for a dress uniform in the army. Admiral Reach wore the same but he had more ribbons and awards than she did. The bodyguards came in loose fitting bodysuits, still nice but more utility. If they needed to do their jobs, they wouldn’t be hampered by fancy outfits.
At least this stupidity doesn’t include heels. I’ll ditch the jacket if something goes down and make something happen.
Christina introduced herself to the primary bodyguard of the Pahxin, a man named ‘Lothan’. He could speak decent English and seemed friendly enough but he definitely kept a wary eye on her party. The bigwigs found their seats and she headed over to stand behind the admiral.
The Pahxin ambassador stepped forward and bowed to Admiral Reach before greeting him in decent English. “Greetings. My name is Raeka Vinn, ambassador of my people. I come authorized to speak on my culture’s behalf and to express our excitement to work closely with you in these negotiations.”
“Thank you,” Reach replied, bowing his head in return. “I’m Admiral Garlan Reach and I look forward to ensuring we find common ground and a platform to build a solid relationship upon.”
They carried on with a few more pleasantries before relying on the computer translators but the effort they made was worth noting. Christina wondered if they should’ve attempted to do the same. They had Doctor Rindala around and the Orbs would’ve provided enough data to learn a few lines in their language.
Regardless, she took mental notes of everything that transpired so she could report back to the AIA later. This meeting was an absolute gold mine of information, from the way the bodyguards carried themselves to the uniforms to the speech patterns and body language. As the first peaceful gathering with an alien species, it provided them with a wealth of opportunities.
An hour passed where things seemed to be going well when an alarm went off, a high pitch, staccato beeping that continually blared overhead. God, let that be some kind of meal time alert. Christina’s whole body tensed as she waited for some explanation. The Pahxin seemed nervous as well and the admiral held his hands up to try and placate them.
“Perhaps we should contact our ships to see what’s going on.” He turned to Christina. “Can you call the Gnosis?”
“I’m on it.” Christina paced away, lifting her computer. She tapped the screen but noticed there was no connection. Something was jamming her. Internal? External? What the hell? Not even the advanced tech she had from the AIA could get through. Were the Pahxin pulling something?
As she turned, she noticed they were experiencing the same challenge. Okay, so we’ve got a bigger problem.
“Admiral,” Christina said, “I believe we should get you to the shuttle right away.”
“But we’re right in the middle of this.” Reach shook his head. “I think we’ll wait to see what’s going on.”
“That might be too late.” Christina scowled, turning to Lothan. She used her computer to help translate. “Do you have any idea what’s going on?”
“I am afraid I do not,” Lothan replied in slow English. “We cannot reach our ships and the Gaelirans have stated they are also unable to speak with their people.”
At least the peace lovers haven’t gone crazy just yet. Christina considered the options but Reach was set on waiting. I guess we’ll let the trouble come to us. She assigned the bodyguards to the door they came in through and they locked it. The Pahxin watched the other one. They didn’t even have windows to peer out and see what was going on.
Blinded and waiting for something to go down. Excellent. I hope this is some kind of false alarm. For all our sakes.
Chapter 5
Desmond studied the scans Salina and Cassie pulled of the Pahxin vessels. They received permission to do so though their potential allies seemed reluctant. Some aspects of their vessels matched the Gnosis while others went in radically different directions. The largest departure seemed to be in their propulsion.
Pahxin scientists successfully completed reactionless drives, engines that propelled them without the need for thrust. This gave them a high degree of maneuverability and consistent motion. Furthermore, their power cores used some other type of material, one the Gnosis scanners couldn’t easily identify.
Must be something native to their home world.
Regardless, they still maintained rear thrusters. Desmond figured they kept them as a sort of backup, in the event something happened to their fancier drive. Of course, they might also use it for combat to get a little extra speed. I’d love to see this thing in action.
Desmond was about to get into their weapons when Salina gasped. He glanced in her direction, brows raised. The woman rarely seemed surprised so whatever she saw had to be serious. He gave her a moment to study her screen as her hands flew over the controls. When she finished, she turned sharply in her seat.
“Captain, I’ve picked up multiple incoming ships.” Salina gestured to the screen. “They’re moving on us fast.”
“What?” Desmond scowled. “Do you have an ID?”
“I believe so … at least for two of them. They appear to be the Tol’An. I’ve matched silhouettes to the attack on Earth. These are definitely the same.”
“Get Ulian on the com.” Desmond stood as the connection established. “I assume you guys see the incoming?”
“We do,” Ulian replied. “It appears they have managed to commandeer two of our destroyers and two scouts. We’ll take care of it. If these scum think they can disrupt these talks, then we shall have to convince them otherwise. Ensure that you are out of the way.”
Desmond glanced at his computer and counted six Tol’An ships. “They outnumber you. I think we should help.”
“If you genuinely believe you can do more than be in the way, then by all means engage the enemy.” Ulian offered a thin smile. “Do ensure your pilots know which Pahxin to shoot. Ulian out.”
“He’s a real piece of work!” Vincent shook h
is head. “I’ll get our fighters ready. We should have them out in less than five minutes.”
“Good.” Desmond turned to Zach. “Ready the weapons and sound battle stations. I can’t believe these guys would pull something like this. They can’t possibly think they can win. What’s their angle?”
“Maybe they simply want to cause some damage,” Vincent said. “It’s a good place to try it.”
“More likely,” Cassie interjected, “they’re hoping to cause some kind of conflict between our two people. If they could start a war between the Pahxin and Earth, then we’d do the work for them. I’m guessing their biggest obstacles are all parked here right now.”
Salina sighed. “If you’re right, then they can’t leave any survivors. Not even the Gaelirans.”
“But I thought those guys were super scary,” Vincent replied. “At least, that’s what I read about them.”
“I suppose it depends on if they get attacked,” Desmond said. “Maybe the Tol’An think they won’t say anything. Who knows? Regardless, let’s contact the admins of that station and tell them what’s going on. I’m pretty sure they’ll want to know why we’re about to start blasting away at enemy ships in the middle of a peace summit.”
***
Gizan Relik stood on the bridge of the Tol’An assault craft, staring intently at the station before them. His plan remained simple: get aboard the station, kidnap the dignitaries and depart. The other ships in his small fleet would be enough of a match for the defenders to keep them busy while he worked.
There will be much death today and not even the Gaelirans will be able to prevent it.
He knew about their fanatical devotion to neutrality. They defended it like an animal might protect its offspring. However, they were not prepared to contend with a quick assault, a daring boarding action. His well-trained units would easily cut a swath through any defenders but the real threat remained with the bodyguards of his targets.
