Finally with resolve he said “I’ll do it. Today would be good. No?”
“Yes, today.”
“I will need some time to set things up. Call me at 1500.”
After Ivanov departed Sue came over and ordered a cup of coffee. She had been listening in on the conversation and asked Art “are you all right?”
“Yeh” responded Art in a flat tone.
“That seemed to go well.”
“Yeh it was alright.”
“Hasn’t he just effectively dobbed himself in to the Council.”
“Yes he has.”
“But why?”
“He’s a family man.”
“So what, do you mean you are blackmailing him somehow involving his family?”
“More or less. He has family back on Polaris he wants to keep safe.”
“What, and you are threatening to harm them?”
“More or less.”
“What have they done?”
“Nothing.”
“How could you?”
“Sue, this is a shit of a business. If you want to stay a nice person don’t follow this path.”
“But Art you’re a nice person.”
“Hum… I’m glad you think so…once …yes I used to be a nice person, but I’m not so sure these days.”
Chapter 12. Niku 1515, 11 May.
Ivanov again approached the café with Sue looking on from the shop opposite and Art sitting in the same spot. “Well?” said Art.
“They are cautious. I’m not sure they believed me. They want to send an agent to meet with you and they want to see the evidence that you have that proves the Alliance was not responsible for New Hammersley.”
Art thought about this last request for a moment. “That is not going to happen.”
“Why not?”
“Don’t you see? If we give them that, then it will compromise our source on Josker.”
“You are kidding, no? If they see it’s true then the war will end.”
“Don’t be naive Ivanov. They will still want to close down that source.”
“Then you must choose Mr Spy, your source for all humanity.”
Ivanov’s logic was compelling, if not overwhelming. Art hated this. He knew he had to once more betray someone.
“OK, where is this meet?”
“Here, in one hour.”
“Who’s their agent?
“I don’t know but they said you’d recognise him.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Alright. Tell them we’ll be here. And Ivanov…?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you. You did well.”
“I just hope I have done well enough so that I never have to see you or your like again. Nothing personal.”
Art just nodded.
Again after Ivanov left, Sue came over. She asked him how he could have betrayed one of his own sources.
“Because it had to be done. Don’t you see.? It’s the life of one person against the lives and future of a whole race. That’s the magnitude of what we are about right now.”
“But this one person is someone you know, who trusts you.”
“Yes he is.”
“How do you sleep at night?”
“It’s difficult.”
Chapter 13. Niku 1630, 11 May.
Sue was straining to make out the figure accompanying Ivanov as they approached the café. Another few paces and she would have a better view. Art was sitting at his table. His right hand was under the table holding his pistol. It wasn’t that he thought it highly probable but training and bitter experience had taught him well. He too was straining to make out this enemy agent that he would recognise.
Given the angles he was going to recognise him before Sue did. And so he did. “Shit” he said out loud. Sue picked up on it straight away.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s Strerkze.”
“Then he’s a dead man” responded Sue.
“Wait. Under no circumstances are you to fire. Is that understood?”
“He’s a traitor Art. He’s going down.”
“Don’t be stupid.”
“He killed my friends. He betrayed you. He’s going down.”
“Sue. Stand down NOW” Art ordered. But Art had no confidence in his authority over Sue. So he raised his pistol into the air and fired two shots.
Pug hit the dirt, weapon drawn and calling for his back up.
Art had gone to ground and was crawling towards the shop. Sue too had instinctively taken cover.
“Sue stand down. Do not, repeat not open fire. I’m coming to you.”
Pug withdrew back to the end of the block and around the corner to safety. His Alliance handler was there, a woman by the name of Jade Moon. She was a hardened, lean operative. If she had chosen a different profession she could have been a model. Her jet black hair was cut in a bob. Her piercing grey eyes missed nothing. Her pistol was drawn and she was calling for backup.
“I told you they’d fucking try and kill me” Pug said.
“At least we know they recognise you.” Jade said harshly. Jade listened to a report from one of her team. “They say their agent fired into the air. What do you make of that?”
“He’s done that to warn me. He must be having control problems with one of his team.”
“Alright Sterkze, duck your head around and give them two minutes to throw out their weapons or we come in blazing” Jade ordered. Pug was about to object when Jade brandished her pistol to the now deserted street and said “no buts, just get on with it.”
Art scrambled into the clothing store to where Sue was. He reached just as Sterkze gave out the warning. “Give me your gun” he said strongly.
“No way” she replied.
“Sue, any other course of action and you and I will be dead in five minutes. Don’t be stupid.”
“He’s responsible for seven dead on Josker and another six on Alpha Phi.”
“So what we are talking about the future of billions, of a whole species, our species.”
“They were my friends. They deserve to be avenged.”
“The greater good Sue. The greater good.”
As Sue started to cry, Art reached over and took her gun. He left her crying, went to the door and threw out two pistols into the street.
“Move out into the street, slowly with your hands raised” came the voice of authority from down the road.
“Come on Sue. Here” and Art handed her a tissue with one hand and a lift with the other. “Stand up. We have a galaxy to save.”
Chapter 14. Niku 1900, 11 May.
After two hours Jade Moon was convinced of the veracity of the data. Her authority extended to arranging a meeting with the Nike Council Head and an appropriate representative from the Federation, if the data was verified. Once the date was proven she knew that the Federation also believed it and that it was case closed on whether or not the Alliance was responsible for New Hammersley. In her mind this was good enough to convince her that this overture was genuine.
She came into the room where Art and Sue were kept. They were seated on a rough wooden bench that had seen its fair share of prisoners, being the city jail. “Follow me please” and she left with them in tow. They arrived in a much better room, were offered a glass of water and asked to sit.
“We are satisfied with the data’s authenticity and I am authorised to begin negotiations. Do I understand correctly that you would like for one of your senior Fleet officers to meet with our Council Head?”
“Yes that’s right” responded Art.
“Very well. Can your representative be here by 2100? Of course they will be allowed to enter Niku air space under a flag of truce and the representative’s party will be guaranteed safe passage. But under no circumstances will any breach be allowed to go unpunished. Is that understood?”
“Of course we will honour the cease fire. We should be able to make that time but I will need to contact my people
to confirm. ”
“Agreed. Follow me” she said and she led them to the comms room where they hailed the Hermes on an open channel. Art spoke with Rihan initially and then with Warner. The Commodore was standing by but left it to Warner to handle the details.
Art and Sue were then escorted back to the room they came from, offered something to eat and left in the locked room to await the arrival of their party.
Sue reached out over the table and placed her hand on Art’s “Thank you”.
Art could see she was still in a sensitive state. She had been exposed to and been through a lot today. In a soft voice he said “For what”.
“For saving my life.”
“It deserves to be saved.”
She looked into his eyes. Where she had previously seen despondence she now saw strength. She couldn’t help but reflect that earlier this morning before she had departed she had looked into her mirror and noted the strength in her eyes and now she knew too well that they displayed despondence. It was as though the energy had shifted from her to him.
But she knew that his transformation was borne from his acceptance of his duty and the choices he made for the greater good. On reflection she had to admit that the strength she previously felt was due to her anger and resentment and that her transformation was borne from a realisation that it could only lead to her own demise. She wanted to be rid of it, her anger, her resentment. It was making her bitter and no good could come from it.
“Help me, Art. I nearly got us both killed and fucked this whole thing up.”
Art turned his hands over, palm up, and took hers. “You need to let it go Sue. You have to forgive.” And then after a short pause he added “I just hope there’s enough forgiveness out there for what I have done.”
Back on the Hermes, Warner approached the Commodore “Sir, who do you want to accompany you?”
It was a good question and Pious thought about it for a minute. “Give me an officer who can handle themselves if the need should arise, though I don’t think it will come to that. I want you here Commander. In the event that anything untoward occurs, it will be up to you to get us out. I suggest you have a marine team on standby.” And he added with a smug smile “It’s as well you now have two warthogs, hey?”
“Yes Sir, it is!” Warner was prepared to play along and flatter his ego. “I’ll have Kiralenko go with you.”
“Is he up to it?” asked Pious in a deadly serious manner. Pious hadn’t been all that impressed with his earlier performance as watch officer.
“Yes Sir he is. He was with me in the assault on Alpha Phi. He won’t let you down Sir.”
“Very well.”
Chapter 15. Niku 2045, 11 May.
Parinya landed her warthog, now designated Whisky 1 (W1), in an isolated landing zone on the far edge of the Niku space port. The handshake with Niku Control over the open channel went smoothly. She had been advised by the Control to power down and await the arrival of vehicle that would convey the representative to the meeting place. Pious had come forward next to the pilot and was scanning outside for any vehicle.
He hated waiting. Fortunately for him his senior ranking meant he rarely had to. But now he was being forced to bide his time, deliberately he thought.
Kiralenko remained seated, his sidearm strapped to his thigh. He was wary of saying anything to the Commodore that would further damage his opinion of him.
Cpl Sherri Chang and Tpr Alfred Weiss sat further back. They were armed with rifles but they would be staying with Whisky 1.
“Sir, how long do you think we’ll be here?” she asked Kiralenko.
“Not sure. At least a few hours I expect. The Commodore doesn’t expect any trouble but you need to keep alert nonetheless.”
Chang nodded and with the Commodore’s back to them, she threw her recent combat buddy a cheeky grin. Ivan smiled for a second but he couldn’t afford to earn the Commodore’s ire any more than he had already, so he averted his gaze forward. Chang saw his nervousness and smiled.
A vehicle eventually came and Pug Sterkze, with two armed troopers, crossed the twenty paces to Whisky 1. Kiralenko was at the hatch and dismounted. Something stiffened in him as he saw Sterkze. It was / galling to have their noses rubbed in it he thought. But his instructions were clear and he would play this one down the line.
“Sterkze” he said.
“Mr Kiralenko” Pug replied in equal stern fashion. “You have Commodore Pious aboard. Is he ready?”
“Yes I am” said Pious as he emerged.
“Very good. If you would follow me.”
No one spoke on the way to the vehicle, nor during the 15 minute drive to the meeting place. Kiralenko looked out at the city scape as they drove. It looked just like so many other colony cities he had seen. It could so easily have been a Federation city. The few people on the streets as they got further into the city looked no different to those he would expect to see in their cities. ‘If the places and the people are the same’ he thought ‘why are we fighting?’
They pulled up outside what looked like a school. The sign above the gate said it was a school. They walked into the gymnasium, which was well lit. In the middle was a table with seats on either side.
There were two women standing near the table. One of these was Jade Moon. The other was Justine Packer, Niku Council Head. She was taller than Jade. Age had stripped a lot of the fat from her bones. She had a long face not used to conveying tenderness. Her hair was only platinum blond by choice now but gave a hint to how beautiful she must have been in her prime. She had a reputation for being as tough as nails. Not surprising in a fast developing colony city.
Pious had been briefed before his departure. So he was forewarned and hoped forearmed. He walked over and introductions were completed. It was agreed that this meeting was preliminary and that apart from Packer and Pious, only Moon and Simons would attend. All others withdrew to seats on the gymnasium walls.
Sue was so glad to see Ivan’s tall frame and his familiar face. He carried himself well she thought as he walked over. He didn’t look cocky nor intimidated. He was a good choice for this role. Ivan nodded and sat down and then in a whisper to her he said “Are you alright?”
“Yes Sir” she replied. She suspected that this belied her appearance.
“Looks like you and Simons pulled it off.”
Sue reflected on how close it had come to turning into a disaster. But then she realised it hadn’t. Things had worked out, hadn’t they? “Yes” she said “It does, doesn’t it” and she smiled with just a hint of pride.
“It looks like we are in agreement” said Justine Packer after half an hour. “A summit will be held to develop and sign a formal treaty. First, officials will meet to hammer out the details and then the leaders will arrive to sign it. That just leaves the matter of where and when.”
“I think we should accept that time is of the essence. Therefore, it should be at a location midway between the respective home planets” suggested Pious.
“And I suppose you will put forward Polaris” said Packer with more than a hint of suspicion. “In which case, we’ll put forward Beta Phi and we have a Mexican standoff.”
“No.” said Pious. “Actually I was thinking of Klaster. We can control security there better.”
“Your security you mean” interjected Moon.
“Our security” replied Art, with emphasis on the “our”. That word made them all pause. They each looked at the others.
Justine was the first to speak “Yes our security. Go on Commodore.”
“But what of the defences on Klaster?” interjected Moon a second time. “Has it occurred to you that whoever it is that engineered this war is not probably going to sit by and see a rapprochement?”
“My good lady. We are counting on it” said Pious.
Even Art was taken aback. He had not anticipated this. “What do you mean?”
“I suggest we take this opportunity to set a trap for our would-be conquerors.”
“In a way, yes. We of course are not proposing to risk their lives but merely to create a ruse. So far, we know absolutely nothing about them. We don’t know where they are from or where they are now. So where do we go looking ? Better to have them come looking for us. If we can draw them out we can at least gain vital intelligence.”
“I see you have already planned this out Commodore. What other surprises do you have for us?”
“We propose conducting two summits, the first in secret to be concluded asap. It should be possible for both delegations to reach Klaster in two weeks. The second, more open to be conducted a further two weeks later. We make sure that news of this second summit is leaked and becomes public knowledge. In the meantime we build up the defences on Klaster, we marshal our combined forces and then when our foe strikes we pounce.”
“Quite the Napoleon aren’t you Commodore” said Packer.
“Actually I prefer Nelson” came back Pious as quick as a flash. He was revelling in this moment.
“I take it that your Fleet HQ has already sanctioned this? What about your Council?”
“Yes our Government has already given this the green light”
“Well this is too big for my pay grade, Commodore. I am going to have to consult with our Council.”
“Yes I see. How long will you need?”
Packer turned to Moon who was still trying to take it all in. Moon played catch up with her mind and then said “three days”.
“Fair enough” said Pious “Is it within your pay grade to authorise a temporary cease fire in this sector and to grant us safe passage for the Hermes to return in three days’ time.”
“Of course.”
“Madam it’s been a pleasure doing business.”
“Hold on a minute” said Art. “There is one more item that needs to be addressed.”
This caught Pious off balance for the first time that meeting. He turned to Art, raised his right eyebrow and said “Yes Mr Simons. What is it?”
The Awakening: Book 1 of Warner's World Page 20
