Inwards Bound (The RIM CONFEDERACY Book 13)

by Jim Rudnick

  She pursed her lips as though she was going to whistle and leaned back. The man who had shot one of the Praix and triggered the whole Praix attack back on Ghayth was now an admiral. The man who had supposedly been under the control of the Master Adept at the time. The man who the Master Adept had come to defend at his court martial trial. The same man she had sent to Amasis to a dead-end job on their space station. The man who had resigned his captaincy in the Barony Navy just a few weeks ago had surfaced. He was now an admiral and one that will be fighting me for the Jannah planet.

  She shook her head. “The RIM is one strange small town, is it not, Bram?”

  He grinned at her. “Admiral, it is that and more than that. I really think that tomorrow will be an interesting meeting. And I have to update you too—in the past hour, we received a notice that, at the meeting tomorrow, both other worlds had requested to take a role too—that’s Ventos Prime, the huge oil world and Parauda, the military one. Both want seats at the table, and they were granted that right by the Tunander himself, it appears. So add them to the list. You. Me. Magnusson. The Tunander. The Jannah team. Should be one heck of a good time.”

  She laughed right out loud. “It will be that and then some, Bram. Now can we talk about the price that the Barony—or the Caliphate—might have to pay to get Jannah?” she asked.

  Their meeting went on for more than an hour more, and eventually, they had some consensus on items about the upcoming meeting.

  She walked back to the Gibraltar slowly, enjoying the sunshine and the click of her boots on the macadam too. Tomorrow will be interesting to say the least …

  #####

  Once again, the team from the Crimson I was taking a ride to the Tunander’s palace. Just like a few weeks ago, a personnel carrier with a built-in turret and the machine gun guard who watched the street ahead had waited for them.

  Bram wondered if he’d ever fired at anyone, but then he realized this was all show. Show of strength to the local citizens maybe, he thought. As they went down the big main street in Crisus, he once again saw the newer buildings. The sidewalk cafés, office towers, and restaurants looked pretty deserted today as the planet-wide holidays were now over.

  Ahead they passed through an arched driveway in a solid wide and long building. The stone used to build the structure was a shade of gray with a bit of rusty red mixed in with it. The four vehicles went through that portal which was about thirty feet wide. Inside the archway, there was a courtyard, which must have been a hundred yards square. The building had three stories and a multitude of windows looking down at the wide cobblestone courtyard. The carrier with the guards and the turret gunner pulled off to one side, but their driver instead drove straight across the cobblestones and stopped at what looked like a reception committee.

  The vehicle holding Bram and the team from the Crimson I was the first to stop and empty. Bram, his XO, Ambassador Harmon, and Major Stal got off and stood waiting for the others. The next carrier held Admiral Magnusson and his XO, a tall Caliphate citizen whom Bram had only met once. Magnusson’s XO looked so hawkish that Bram wondered if the alien ate raw flesh. Last today was the vehicle that carried Admiral Vennamo, and she had brought her XO, the Conclusion alien, Drouhin.

  The communications officer Sithe Ogrunder greeted them, and everyone walked up the big stairs in front of the huge arched building that was the Tunander’s palace. Once inside, Sithe Ogrunder swept them all in and down the hallway, but this time to the right. At the second doorway on the left, he went right through the four guards posted there and into the room. It had been set up the same way Bram would have done it too.

  There was a large four-sided table in the center of the room, and each side had many chairs for the attendees. On the table in front of each chair was a pad of paper with stylos, a glass, and a pitcher of ice water. On one wall, the perennial catering table held drinks and the like, and on the other side of the room were a couple of large portable view-screens set up right now to show the planet from low orbit. The blues and greens and clouds looked so serene and gentle, Bram thought.

  The Tunander was already seated on one side of the four-sided table. Again, he wore an outfit with many colors, badges, medals, and chest ribbons. The man was a living bulletin board of color, Bram thought. On his right sat the Jannah agricultural ministry trio with their hands crossed on the desk in front of them. On the warlord’s left side sat who Bram believed were the representatives from the other two planets of the Tunander Coalition—Ventos Prime and Parauda.

  “Your seats are here,” Ogrunder said, and he pointed at the side of the table facing the warlord.

  Bram and his group sat, while the twosome from the Caliphate Navy was seated on the side to Bram’s left and Admiral Vennamo on his right. Each of the groups has a side, and each seems balanced, good planning, he thought. Behind him, he heard the doors close to the room.

  The Tunander got started immediately. “Thank you all for your patience on this—we know that this is of great importance, but you must remember that our planetary holidays are also an important part of the Tunander Coalition too. So thank you. We are here today, I understand, to discuss a proposed change in our coalition. A change that, at least at this point, I am not in favor of at all. I believe Captain Sander will address this point now,” he said.

  His voice, Bram thought, was open and not loaded with any kind of animus, but he had said right out loud that he was against these talks about changes to the coalition.

  “Thank you, Tunander. What we find ourselves in is perhaps an exercise in one of the basics of society, the proposed change to how a planet and a group of planets are governed.”

  It had taken the ambassador more than a few hours to hammer away at this with him all last evening to show that these changes were going to happen anyways. He had worked on this short speech this morning too, and he had it down cold.

  “We find that, as a diplomatic mission to the coalition, we were sent here to open up new trade deals with your four planets—and that we will continue to work on. But something else happened. There was an outreach by the Jannah planet,” he said as he gestured toward the agricultural team sitting opposite him, “to change their realm. From one within the Tunander Coalition to one within the RIM Confederacy. This is the reason for today’s meeting, and I hope that we can look at this and see if there is not something that can be done to effectively aid Jannah in their quest, Tunander.”

  He stopped then. He didn’t look around but kept his stare on the warlord who just stared back.

  “A fair way to explain how things are, Captain. Might I now ask the Jannah group—does this represent your own reason for these talks?”

  The ambassador had forewarned him last night that this was the exact spot that the talks were focused on—what would the Jannah team say in public in front of their Warlord.

  The head of that agricultural team spoke up slowly and distinctly.

  “We, the people of Jannah, yes, are interested in changing our allegiance—from the Tunander Coalition to join the RIM Confederacy. We understand that there are two avenues to do that—either we join as a sub-realm under a full Confederacy membership or as a full member ourselves. We have chosen to join as a sub-realm, and that is why the Caliphate and the Barony are here today to present their offers. We would also make it a point that the coalition be compensated for this change—but in a reasonable fashion too.”

  Bingo, Bram thought. They’d taken the full bite on the apple and had made the comment that the Tunander be compensated too for their departure from the Coalition.

  For a moment, they all sat and contemplated what the Jannah representative said and then the Tunander spoke once more.

  “Before we get to those presentations, I am supposed to ask if either the Ventos Prime or Parauda planets have any comment to make at this time?”

  The leaders from both planets looked at each other, and then the Ventos Prime planet leader spoke up.

  “We—Ventos Prime and Par
auda—are simply here to watch and listen and learn. We have both agreed to say that we are not interested in leaving the Tunander Coalition at this time—subject to change, of course. So at this point, we will just wait and see.”

  Interesting, Bram thought. They want to be here to see what the presentations are going to be and to figure out if a good deal can be struck. He shook his head slightly, thinking this was a great strategy, when from behind him, the closed doors to the room banged open.

  The whole room reacted by turning to look at the doorway, and they were shocked to see the four guards posted there to protect the room lay in a pile outside the doorway. Striding into the room, Warlord Noriega held his head high as more than twenty of his own marines, stunners drawn, followed him. The marines took up positions around the room to hold the meeting attendees prisoners, and Noriega smiled at them all.

  “As I was told about this meeting, I said no, couldn’t happen without me. I didn’t get my invitation, Tunander, and I wonder why that might be. In any case, I see that this is the meeting about the future of the coalition—and I have that already figured out for you all,” he said.

  Bram, the ambassador, his XO, and Alver had dipped a hand down their laps, turning on the power belts to make them all invulnerable. “Especially to stunners,” Bram said to himself. “Especially to bullies who crash meetings,” he added to himself.

  Tunander almost choked on his shouted answer. “YOU have no right to be here—you are on my own planet, and that gives you no rights at all. And the reason for this meeting is something—once again—you have no right to know.”

  He rose in his seat, and Noriega gave a short gesture to the marine closest to him, who thumbed his stunner and blasted the rising warlord right down into his seat.

  “That was the lowest setting, Tunander—so while movement is now beyond your abilities, you can hear and see what I have to say,” he said as he slid a hip over the edge of the table and looked around at the whole group.

  “I am Noriega. My own group has six planets, and I would like to add more. Perhaps what I might do is to simply take this coalition and make it a part of my own group. I have not decided upon that, but know this and know this well. I do not take lightly the intrusion of the RIM Confederacy within Warlord space. You, and all like you, are now banned from all of Warlord space—what you used to call Pentyaan space. Get out. Stay out. I have the full weight of almost twenty worlds behind me as both other warlords have agreed to my terms.”

  He slid off the table and stood up to face Bram directly, his hands on his hips. “You will leave in three days. Or we will launch a war upon the Tunander Coalition to destroy you. And that includes also your little digging operations over on R17 as well—we’ve no idea what you’ve found, but leave it too. No more RIM Confederacy ships in Warlord space. You have been warned. The next warnings will carry nukes.”

  Bram sighed. Would love to tell—or show—this little tin horn dictator that the Crimson I is invulnerable and I can’t be hurt with stunners, but surprise is always best. Bram shook his head. Better he not know—should violence occur, these invulnerabilities would be so much more surprising.

  Bram waved his hand at Alver, who was starting to get up, to keep him away from Noriega. “We have heard you, Noriega. We do not like what it is you’ve said—and we will discuss this with Tunander. And you will be notified about our decision on whether or not to comply. Oh and wherever this R17 place is, it’s free space—which means that anyone can visit anytime—at least for the rest of the galaxy, that’s what that term means.”

  The warlord shrugged. “We need no notification. If your ships are in Warlord space—anywhere in Warlord space—in three days from today, then our answer is simple. War.” He turned on his heel and spun. Guarded by his marines, he went out the door, and they were gone.

  The meeting was broken up quickly after that. ”The meeting is adjourned for today,” Tunander declared, ”and we will reconvene tomorrow. At that time, I will have a position on what the coalition should do.”

  There were no goodbyes and everyone streamed out around the palace guards who’d been stunned at max and would be unconscious for hours still.

  Riding back in the vehicles, there was no talk at all, but Bram did use his PDA to ask if both admirals would come over to the Crimson I this evening for a dinner meeting. There is much to discuss … including war …

  CHAPTER NINE

  Yesterday’s meeting, having been broken up by Warlord Noriega, had reconvened this morning. Same palace, same room, same table, and same attendees ... hope today’s outcome is better, Bram thought.

  Bram sat and listened as the Barony representatives made a presentation with the offer from the Baroness. Once finished, the Caliphate team presented the Caliph’s offer. Both offers are similar so far, Bram thought. Both make the standard RIM Confederacy sub-realm offer, and both offer to complete this in a quick manner.

  ”Before I finalize my presentation, there is something else I wish to add,” Admiral Magnusson said. ”There is a current shortfall between the Caliphate and Hope, the planet the Jannah team is so interested in. Hope owes millions of credits to the Caliphate, and the Caliph could provide these solar-powered desalination devices—and the patents perhaps as well—as a bonus.” Magnusson paused and looked directly at the Jannah agricultural minister. “The costs for those items would be zero, and that would be a part of the offer itself.”

  That got some raised eyebrows around the table. Ambassador Harmon nudged Bram and said, “Nice one.”

  Now it is a done deal, Bram thought, and sure enough, when the Jannah agricultural minister asked to speak, he announced that they would take the Caliphate offer. No surprise there, Bram thought. The Jannah team was swayed by that last item the Caliphate offered.

  Tunander nodded and said, “Then I take it we’ve come to a decision.” Everyone at the table nodded, and the warlord continued.

  “So with the offer being made to and then accepted by the Jannah government, we are halfway done with the business of today. The only thing left is to have the Caliphate now tell me, the Warlord of the Tunander Coalition, what they will be giving up to us for this deal to actually happen. Admiral?” he said.

  “Now the real dealing begins”, Bram said to himself and he leaned back in his chair.

  Admiral Magnusson smiled at the warlord. “The Caliphate has not given me any authority to offer anything—even one thin credit—to the Tunander Coalition. The Jannah world has decided to leave the coalition. End of story.”

  Ambassador Harmon slid a hand down to his lap, and Bram thought about turning on his power belt also, but he decided not to.

  The warlord just stared at the admiral. His eyes were wide, and there was a look of both surprise and frustration on his face at the same time.

  The room was silent.

  Bram sat as well and stared, like everyone was, at the warlord. This was, perhaps, the crux of the whole matter.

  “I am an economist, which—I would be the first one to admit—is not a background for a warlord. I should have had more experience in war and the military and the violence of using force to get one’s way. But instead, I happened to be an economist, and that means that I understand, well, the economy.

  “So the Tunander Coalition is going to lose one-fourth of our base—Jannah is a revenue-producing planet. And now they are leaving. One part of me wants to just declare war on the Caliphate. One part of me realizes that this is not the way to go.

  “So here’s what I propose. Jannah can do as they please. And the coalition will negotiate directly with the Caliph—if he will speak to us on that basis. This is my decision,” he said.

  Bram had no idea if that was good or bad for the Caliphate, but there would be no force by Tunander to try to keep his coalition together here in Warlord space.

  “But one more thing,” the warlord said. “I need to ask—even though as Captain Sander noted, R17 is out in free space—what might the RIM be doing there? I
t’s an empty system—no sentients on either planet, a couple of huge gas giants, and not much else.”

  Bram answered quickly in the hopes that Admiral Vennamo would keep quiet. “I have no idea, but I will Ansible back to see what Noriega meant—most likely it’s just him spouting off with nothing behind that accusation. But, I must ask, Tunander—what will need to be done by us all to circumvent the threats by Noriega?”

  Warlord Tunander shrugged. “War is not good for anyone’s economy—so I’m against it, of course. But,” he said as he looked down the table at the delegation from Parauda, “we do have a realm that does one thing and one thing well—Parauda.”

  The colonel who sat in the meeting nodded and spoke. “We understand threats—and we know how to deal with them. If called upon to defend the coalition, we will respond with our own usual response—military action.”

  That got nods from the Ventos Prime members, and the meeting once again broke up.

  On the way back to the landing port, Ambassador Harmon leaned over to talk with Bram. “Are we heading back? That three-day deadline from Noriega is now down one day.”

  “We are not. The Roc and the Gibraltar are leaving later today, but the Crimson I will stay put. I think that should Noriega want to test us—the Crimson I is more than up to that,” Bram said and smiled.

  Later after fielding an EYES ONLY from Admiral Vennamo and letting her in on what R17 was—Birdland and the asteroid mine for Xithricite—they said their goodbyes. She did add that she intended to visit Birdland and look over the mining operation itself.

  Late that night, Bram sat in his quarters and wondered what Gia might be up to and how he could get his name on her visitors list. He wanted to see her once again. Bram sighed. I want to take her out for a date … a dinner or a concert or a video … anything to be near her, but that will probably be some time away …