by Chris Bunch
“I do indeed,” King declared.
• • •
Late on the second day — the meeting had been pushed at von Baldur’s request to give him another twenty-four E-hours to reach his decision — the five were brought running by a ‘cast being monitored by their com center.
“… will be met with a proper response.”
A blare of static, then the message started over:
“All combatants, Khelat, Shaoki, and their hirelings. This is the Alliance Peacekeeping Force, now entering your cluster.
“It has been determined by the Alliance that your increasingly bloody struggle is imperiling the peace of your sector.
“A truce is declared, to take effect immediately. Alliance peacekeepers will be landed on both Khelat and Shaoki capital worlds. All soldiers are ordered to disarm immediately. An Alliance commission will determine proper justice and reparations due.
“Final peace has come to the Khelat Sector. Any continued violence will be met with a proper response.”
A pause, then the message began once more.
Von Baldur waved to an officer, and the com was muted.
“What, in the name of Socrates, would bring the Alliance into this?” Grok wondered.
Very suddenly, Riss got it.
“Freddie … remember Anya Davenport’s representative told Jasmine that Davenport was headed to our cluster?”
King got it first.
“Omni Foods!”
“Just so,” von Baldur said. “A dangerously clever woman. We were not providing the maln on schedule, so she got Omni in her pocket and they called in enough votes in Parliament to authorize intervention. Now Omni will be able to get its maln…. And Khelat has a new master.
“And Anya Davenport will get very, very rich. Clever. Very clever.” There was nothing but admiration in his voice.
“We have been doublecrossed,” Riss said, and started laughing.
“Aren’t we assuming a lot?” Goodnight asked.
Without waiting for an answer, he motioned to the com officer. “Gimme a mike, and patch me in to whatever frequency the Alliance is ‘casting on.”
“Yessir.”
“You don’t think,” Riss asked, “that anybody with the Force will admit to Davenport being there, do you?”
Goodnight motioned her to silence. In minutes, there was an Alliance officer standing by.
“Star Risk, this is Peacekeeper Seventeen. You should be advised that we have every intention — ”
“Screw all that,” Goodnight said. “The only question we’ve got is, What the hell took you so long?”
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Text Copyright © 2004 by Chris Bunch
All rights reserved.
Published in association with Athans & Associates Creative Consulting
Cover image(s) © 123rf.com
Names, characters, corporations, institutions, organizations, events, or locales in this novel are either the product of the author’s imagination or, if real, used fictitiously. The resemblance of any character to actual persons (living or dead) is entirely coincidental.
eISBN 10: 1-4405-5380-7
eISBN 13: 978-1-4405-5380-6
