Alexis, Mildred, and the four Great Cats moved from the ship into the ranch house, then Resolve’s crew delivered crates of weapons to one of the barns. Reba returned to Resolve and lifted into space where George’s sensors would have the best coverage possible.
Admiral Trexler slept like a log, but Mike and Senator Morrison took turns sharing guard duty just in case Admiral Trexler was right about a possible ground attack.
By mid-morning of the following day, teams of Delta Force special operations soldiers began arriving, some dressed as farmhands in civilian pickup trucks, others simply appearing from . . . well, to Mike they just seemed to appear from nowhere. Four teams of nine gathered around their commander, Colonel Joshua Dace, inside the barn to receive a short briefing from Admiral Trexler. Mike attached translation devices to their ears, then three teams deployed to the fields surrounding the farmhouse.
The fourth team got the full treatment, including an introduction to the Great Cats. Mike was gratified at how quickly the men accepted their situation, as was Trexler. These were good men. Two of the Great Cats assisted with the training while two remained with Alexis. The translation devices did not remain in place for long; both the cats and the soldiers disdained jewelry while on duty. They immediately set out to develop hand signals in place of verbal commands. Empire weapons were offered, but the men chose to stay with what they knew. Blasters might be better weapons, but without live fire exercises, the men would not be as effective as they would be with the weapons to which they were accustomed.
This group then rotated to the field and another team came in for the same treatment, and by nightfall, all had been through the accelerated program. More training would take place during the ensuing days, but everyone in the house slept better that night.
The President arrived the next afternoon in a beat up old pickup truck, three security men accompanying him, two riding uncomfortably in the back, all four dressed as ranch hands. Admiral Trexler assured Mike that many other resources were in place to protect the President, but they would remain invisible.
The President’s briefing began in the living room, but it ended in orbit aboard Resolve. With everyone seated in the lounge, the President leaned forward, looking at each of them in turn before speaking. Then he rose to pace.
“I appreciate the briefing and the ride aboard Resolve. At this time, we have to move into the area of diplomacy. You represent this empire of yours and I represent Earth. Whatever actions I take, I will be representing not only my constituents but the whole world. I need answers to some hard questions, and if you’re able to convince me, you’ll then have to convince others who may be even more demanding. Until then, not a single soldier will leave this planet. Understood?”
Mike took up the challenge. “It’s not a perfect world, sir. It never is. I know what your first question will be, and my answer to it will not be conclusive.”
“Very well, then, do your best. It’s obvious that any actions we take on Earth to help this Empire of yours could place us in danger, a lot of danger. Is it a risk we should take? How do I know we’d be helping the good guys?”
“Is America a ‘good guy,’ sir?” Mike asked, then held up his hand to forestall the President’s indignation. “I say again: it’s not a perfect world out there, any more than it is here on Earth. Earth has thousands of years of history behind it, most of it tainted with extreme warfare. Many people on the planet are starving while the strong indulge. That’s the reality here, and it’s probably the reality out there,” Mike stated, pointing his hand at the ceiling. “I can’t say for certain, because I haven’t seen that much of it, but the Empire has its share of crime and unfairness.
“As for government, its members have chosen to join together through a representative Imperial Senate under the Queen’s guidance and have been doing so for thousands of years, longer by far than any political entities here on Earth have survived. It seems to work. The reason it works is that the system has eliminated most of the large scale brutality. Seldom does the Queen get involved in internal conflicts. She focuses, instead, on conflicts between worlds and societies, many of which are so different, even weird, that it’s fairly amazing that anyone can succeed at the task. Yet, until now all members of the Empire have continued to support the system, in part because of the Queen’s special abilities. Worlds that have not chosen to join are simply not permitted to interact with other worlds. It’s like the United Nations wants to be, except in this case, the Empire wields the largest bat.”
“Except for these Chessori. It appears they have a larger bat.”
“I can’t say, sir. We just don’t know what they’re up to yet. But forget the Chessori for a moment. At present, they’re just a tool used by the Rebels. This tool has potentially given these Rebels the means to take down a legitimate government. It’s really no different than if your top generals and admirals decided to do away with you and the rest of the political leadership here in America. Earth has seen it untold times throughout history. The generals have the power, and your leadership endures only so long as they permit it to endure. All it would take is one or two exceptionally charismatic generals to bring down the house of cards. If they did, would they represent the true wishes of the people?”
“Can you prove to me that is what’s happened to your Empire, that your Queen does serve at the pleasure of its members?”
Jake spoke privately to Mike. >Let Jessie tell her story. No one can doubt the value of Empire after hearing about her people.<
>You haven’t been around enough Earthmen yet, Jake. We doubt everyone.<
He turned to Jessie. “Will you tell your story?”
Jessie padded up to the President and sat. “My people call themselves ‘The People.’ Two thousand years ago we were already known as great warriors, and a few of us had gone out into the Empire to act as Protectors. We never developed space travel on our own, nor do we even now have a desire to do so. We’re at heart a primitive people, and we remain true predators. Our civilization is not particularly large, and we like it that way.”
She looked at the President with fierce eyes: this story still burned in the hearts of her people. “Another space-faring people were angered by certain actions of our Protectors. They decided to exterminate us, but they did not personally have the ability to do so. We are serious survivors. Instead of fighting us directly, they imported hordes of gleasons, the most feared creatures in the galaxy, to do their fighting for them, and the attempt nearly succeeded. We overcame the first and second deliveries of gleasons, but by then our ranks had been decimated. When the third delivery landed, we had little hope. The Empire came to our rescue before we succumbed, and at great risk to themselves, they helped us defeat not only the gleasons but the civilization that brought the gleasons to us. Since that time, my people have dedicated themselves to supporting and upholding the laws of Empire.”
She stared hard into the President’s eyes. “The Royal Family represents truth. The Empire enforces fairness, and within the memory of my people, it has always been so. We support both to the death.”
“Then why hasn’t your Empire shown itself to us? We have plenty of problems of our own that we could use some help with,” the President shot back.
“Earth is classified as an emerging world,” she stated. “Under ordinary circumstances, the Empire has a ‘hands off’ policy for such worlds. Interaction with the rest of the Empire changes emerging people, and like it or not, they are forever after unable to develop as they would have if left untainted. We have not come willingly to this table. Sir Mike has dragged us.”
“We’ll have to delve into this issue a lot more, but it can come later.” The President turned back to Mike. “Next issue: what risks do we incur?”
Mike had given this serious consideration. “My best guess is that there is no risk at all for the moment. That could change if our plan works, but that will be a year or two away, at least. By then, I hope to have sufficient forces in place to protect
Earth. To the best of our knowledge, the Rebels do not know of our plan nor of the ineffectiveness of the Chessori mind weapon against the people of Earth. We have a plan to further delay their learning of this.
“However, I personally suspect that the Chessori know, or at least suspect, that we are different. It’s stretching the imagination a little, but if you consider all the reports here of alien abductions, and if you attribute some measure of truth to them, I think it’s possible the Chessori have been studying us for some time now, possibly to determine why we are immune to this weapon of theirs.”
He paused to let the President consider the idea. “Sir, I’m curious if the Roswell aliens are a myth or if they are real. From the stories I’ve heard, they appear to resemble the Chessori.”
The President eyed Mike suspiciously, then shrugged. “I don’t know the answer to that, but I’ll definitely look into it. I see where you’re headed with this, and it could make a big difference to Earth’s level of risk. What kind of protection can you provide to the planet? Will it be effective?”
“I can’t give you absolute assurances, sir,” Mike responded, “in part because we know so little about the Chessori. But by the time the Rebels figure out what we’re up to, we’ll either be well on our way to success and more than capable of protecting Earth, or we will have failed and the Empire will be in decline. If we fail, as far as the Rebels and the Empire are concerned, the threat to Earth will evaporate. They won’t care about our special abilities.
“As for the Chessori, if they don’t already know about Earth, they will not find out from us or our activities. If they already know about Earth, we humans are probably perceived as a potentially serious threat to them, but not until we develop space travel.”
“Not true,” the President said. “We don’t have to develop space travel, we only have to travel in space, and that’s just what you’re planning to do with these recruits.”
“Consider the alternative, sir. Suppose Earth chooses to avoid this conflict, to remain on the sidelines, to stay safe. Without our help, I believe the Empire will fall. If the Empire falls, Earth will share some of the blame in condemning the rest of the Empire to whatever fates befall them. More important, when chaos reigns and some alien race decides to take Earth under its wing, it will do so whether we want it to or not. And the Chessori are still out there, ready to pounce on Earth whenever they feel like it, especially if the human race continues its steady march into space. Is that the future you choose for mankind? Do we bury our heads in the sand, give up the conquest of space, and stop being who and what we are, or do we risk?”
“That’s unfair, and you know it.”
“I do not know it, sir. Based on the best intelligence I have concerning the Chessori, two things stand out. The Empire will lose this war if the Chessori mind weapon is not neutralized, and we are the only species in the galaxy immune to that weapon.”
Reba leaned forward in her chair. “Whatever course you choose, Mr. President, Earth’s continued existence may, even now, be only at the whim of the Chessori. Sir, that’s like standing in front of a lion without any means of protecting yourself. Your only hope is that the lion is not hungry. That scares the heck out of me. Whether you like it or not, Earth is already at terrible risk, right this moment.
“Be proactive, sir. We can make a difference, and we can assure the future of our world in the process.”
“If we live long enough.” He turned back to Mike. “You’re saying that if we stay out of this, we’ll be living in fear forever. If we help, we live in fear for a little while. How long?”
“Probably at least a year, maybe two. We’re going to train the men and women you give us, then we’re going to hit the Chessori hard and fast. As soon as we have enough ships under our control, we’ll send some to Earth. It’s likely that by the time anyone realizes where our guys are from, we’ll be here protecting Earth.”
“Hmm.” The President wasn’t particularly happy with this answer, and he was less happy seeing his options melt away.
Mike stood up. “Sir, I give you my personal assurances that the Empire will do everything in its power to protect Earth. Don’t forget, I’m from Earth, too. I can almost guarantee you that a significant fleet will arrive within the next year or two, a fleet that will remain invisible to the civilians here but that will be adequate to beat off any attack against Earth.”
“And during that two year period, there’s nothing you can do?”
“There’s nothing that needs to be done. Earth has been ignorant and defenseless for thousands of years. If we keep this whole thing under wraps, no one will have reason to treat us any differently.” Mike held up a hand. “There is some risk, sir. I believe it minimal, but haven’t we always risked in order to advance?”
“What advancement are we talking about? What do you offer in return?”
“Let me be completely candid here, Mr. President. To America only, I offer nothing. To the world, I offer eventual membership in the Empire if they so choose. I won’t promise you a timetable, that will have to be worked out by experts who know a lot more than I do about people’s reactions to all of this. The last thing any of us wants is for civilization here on Earth to melt down over knowledge of extraterrestrials. It’s probably a good homework assignment for you.” Mike smiled, knowing that the President was probably not accustomed to being given assignments.
The President got up to pace again. “You’re right, Mike: it’s never easy. The galaxy isn’t going to go away even if we close our eyes to it. Humanity has reached a turning point: we’re on the cusp of a fundamental change to our beliefs and ways of life. I, personally, intend to have a part in it. You will have your soldiers and sailors.”
He turned to Admiral Trexler. “Do you have a plan?”
Trexler stood up. “Yes, sir. But it is fundamentally important that we not limit our selection of individuals to our own military forces. History demands that this be a global effort. Common sense dictates that it remain known to only a limited number of people, as well. It must remain undetectable to everyone not within a very small circle of decision-makers. I’m suggesting, sir, that we recruit from as many different cultures as possible. Some of our recruits will be active military, but many can come from those who have retired. Mike tells me that we’re not looking for quick, young reflexes here as much as we are for cool heads, individuals that will at all times also have to be diplomats. I’ve spent a career getting to know people from all over the planet, and the assignment you gave me a year and a half ago, to bring word to certain national leaders that we are not alone, has opened many doors. I’m certain I can network these resources to come up with the people we need, and it can be done quietly.”
“Very well. Find an office somewhere and get moving on it. Mike and I will focus on the political end of things while you and Lady Rebecca do the legwork.”
Two months later they were ready to go. Mike had traveled much of the globe in order to convince political leaders it was in their best interest to allow some of their best people to leave the planet. Admiral Trexler and Reba had spent innumerable hours interviewing candidates. About half of those selected were pulled from retirement, and some were senior officers on active duty. Surprisingly, they acquired a number of very senior officers, individuals who were willing to give up lucrative commands in order to go into space where they would simply be crewmembers with no command authority at all until, and unless, they came under attack by the Chessori.
Mike was home visiting his parents when he was approached by Colonel Dace, the officer in charge of the Delta Force soldiers guarding Alexis. One of the Greats Cats accompanied him.
Dace had impressed Mike on the day he arrived. Whereas most of his troops tended to be large, husky men, Dace was wire thin and of medium height, and Mike had been surprised that a person of average size could pass all the grueling training required of these very special soldiers. Dace had not only passed, he had come up through the ranks the hard way,
having entered the Army as a private. He did not have the hardened look of a professional killer as many of his men did. Instead, he frequently smiled, even cracked jokes from time to time, and he seemed completely at ease with the responsibilities thrust on him by the strange assignment. Mike had quickly discovered that he was not an armchair officer. He was a natural leader and accepted no less from himself than he required of his men.
Dace saluted him. “Sir, I respectfully request that my men and I accompany you on your mission. We’re prepared to ship out as soon as we train our replacements.”
The request caught Mike completely off guard. “Colonel, I was told you and your men are the best the Army has. You’re needed here.”
“Agreed, sir, but we’re needed even more where you’re going. We have a two month jump on learning how to work with the Protectors, and we can speed up the process for the rest of the men that go with us. From what I hear, the mission you have in mind for your men is more critical than the mission here. I will personally guarantee you that our replacements are up to the task before we leave.”
“How much do you know about the mission out there?” Mike asked.
“I know what you told us, and I’ve had further conversations with Lady Rebecca. Horth here has filled in a few blanks, as well.”
“I don’t see you wearing the translating device, Colonel.”
“We use it occasionally, sir. All my men are multilingual. It’s one of the requirements of every special operations soldier. We’ve managed to pick up a little of the lingo. Not much, but a little. We learn faster without the device.”
Mike turned to Horth, speaking in Galactic High Standard. “Do you know what’s going on here, Horth?”
“I do, Sire, and I support his request. Under his leadership, his men have learned to coordinate their activities very well with our own.” He awarded Mike with the toothy grin favored so much by the Great Cats. “Just like you, Sire, they are quick to learn. Colonel Dace and Otis will function well together to prepare the rest of the men for their duties.”
Knights of the Chosen (Spirit of Empire, Book Two) Page 11
