by C H Gideon
Jiya coughed, covering her mouth to hide her smile.
The entourage formed two lines, creating a corridor. Vernish marched between the soldiers, barking and poking at them as he walked. Stopping in front of the landing team, he seemed to strike a pose. A snapping noise—although Vernish’s fingers didn’t move—brought another soldier forward.
This soldier harrumphed and announced. “OverGeneral Vernish, leader of the fleet and Right Hands of the Nation.”
Right hands of the nation? Geroux asked. Plural?
Must be a military honor, Jiya replied. I guess when you have four of them, you can give two to the nation. She stepped forward and cleared her throat. “MegaAdmiral Reynolds, captain of the Queen’s Superdreadnought Reynolds.”
Maddox pinched his lips to hide his grin. Nice one, Jiya. Sounds roughly equivalent.
Gotta keep up with the Jameses, she replied.
Joneses, Ka’nak said. It’s the Joneses you have to keep up with.
Let’s keep the chatter down, Reynolds interjected. Focus on the mission. He stepped forward and offered a hand. “Good to see you again, Vernish.”
Vernish grunted, looking at Reynolds’ hand. “You will accompany me to the supreme commander.” He turned and marched to the first tank. At the door, he stopped, and the nearest soldier wrenched it open. Vernish turned. “Your team may ride in back.”
Jiya nodded at Reynolds. We’ll be fine.
I know. Reynolds strolled through the gauntlet and climbed into the tank. The soldiers turned as one and marched to the rear of the vehicle. Jiya, Maddox, Geroux, Takal, Taneral, and Ka’nak followed.
One of the soldiers opened the rear door. “You three,” he said, pointing at Taneral, Geroux, and Ka’nak. “In here. The rest of you, into the next one.”
Ka’nak cracked his neck before climbing up the short ladder into the back of the tank. None of the soldiers appeared impressed. With a shrug, Geroux followed, Taneral and a half-dozen Reichofen soldiers behind.
The remaining soldiers led Maddox, Jiya, and Takal to the second tank. Ranks of sullen soldiers filled the back of the vehicle. The landing team climbed in and huddled to one side.
“That’s my spot,” one of the soldiers behind Takal said. He shoved the old man aside.
Maddox and Jiya caught Takal before he fell. “Where would you like us to stand?” Maddox asked as more soldiers climbed aboard, shaking the vehicle. The influx of aliens pushed the three landing party members farther into the tank.
Trying not to bump anyone or kick their stump-like legs, the three scrambled deeper into the vehicle until they were pressed against the front wall. More soldiers crammed in, or maybe they just pushed forward. Jiya couldn’t see through the crowd.
The vehicle jolted and rumbled forward. Jiya grabbed at the wall to keep her balance. Maybe they were being helpful by putting us near something we can hold?
Around them, the three-legged creatures had no difficulty maintaining their balance on the rough road.
Sure, we’ll assume that, Maddox said, lifting his eyes to the ceiling.
Keeping a positive view of the opponent is crucial for negotiations, Jiya said.
That sounds like a quote, Maddox said. Who said that?
I did. The first officer smiled.
Takal said nothing, glaring at the soldiers from under his eyebrows.
The tank rumbled across rough terrain. Without windows in the rear, the three had no idea where they were going. The overwhelming noise of the engine prevented normal conversation, and many of the soldiers around them seemed to fall asleep on the drive.
This is taking a long time, Takal finally said. Do you know where we’re going, Reynolds?
We arrived at the supreme commander’s palace ten minutes ago, Reynolds replied. Vernish assured me you were right behind us.
According to my tracking app, the tank with Jiya, Maddox, and Uncle Takal went east, Geroux said. They’re heading away from the city.
Stay calm, Reynolds said. We knew this could happen. If you’re attacked, defend yourselves, but don’t initiate any trouble. I’ll demand your release.
Roger, Maddox replied. I think— Reynolds? Geroux? Ka’nak? He turned to look at his companions. I had them, but I’ve lost contact.
I can’t reach San Roche or L’Eliana either, Jiya said. Can you raise the ship?
No, Maddox said. Takal, you got anything?
The old male shook his head. You’re the only ones I can hear.
Fantastic. Jiya shrugged. I guess we’ll see what happens. Be ready for anything.
“Where is the rest of my team?” Reynolds demanded, glaring at Vernish. They stood with Geroux, Ka’nak, and Taneral on the front steps of the supreme commander’s palace. Rows of stone columns supported a roof four meters above their heads. Long, red banners with arcane silver symbols hung on the walls. Dozens of uniformed soldiers stood guard around the building.
“They were instructed to ride in the back of our vehicle,” Vernish said. “I don’t know why they chose to ride in the other. It’s probably headed back to base. Those soldiers were at the end of their shift.”
“Really?” Reynolds asked, his sarcasm lost on the alien. “A minute ago, you said they were following us here.”
The alien made a hand gesture that Reynolds took to be a shrug. “I must have misunderstood the question. Maybe my translator is faulty.” He tapped a small device half-hidden in the fringe on his shoulder, then looked at the closest soldier. “Find the other aliens.”
The soldier slapped his thighs with his lower hands, holding the other two aloft. “Yes, ma’am,” he said, then spun and marched away.
Ma’am? Geroux, Ka’nak, and Taneral said simultaneously.
I guess we made assumptions, Geroux said.
You know what they say about assuming… Ka’nak replied.
What? Taneral asked.
Donkey, you and I, Ka’nak said. After a beat, he added, Reynolds says it makes sense in his language.
“Your team will join us shortly,” Vernish said, turning toward the doors behind them. “We don’t keep the supreme commander waiting.”
“After you,” Reynolds said. “Ka’nak, wait here for the rest of the landing party.”
“That’s not necessary!” Vernish said, stopping just inside the building. “My soldiers will bring them to the meeting room. You don’t wish to misplace any further personnel, I’m sure.”
“Is that a threat?” Reynolds asked, holding his ground.
“I have no idea what you mean,” Vernish replied. “We have no ill-intentions. Your companions will arrive momentarily. Come. All of you.” She stomped away. Two of the soldiers moved closer, their hands hovering near their sidearms.
“Fine.” Reynolds gestured for the remaining members of his team to follow.
The inside of the building was as huge and cold as the outside. They followed Vernish down a wide entry hall with towering ceilings and more red banners. At the far end, double doors opened into another huge room. They continued through three more enormous spaces that had clearly been built to intimidate, finally reaching a pair of doors guarded by six heavily armed troops. Two of the soldiers leapt forward to open the doors, while the other four saluted Vernish. She stomped through the doors without acknowledging them. Halfway across the room, she dropped to one knee and performed a salute.
“Supreme Commander, I present Reynolds and his delegation from Queen Bethany Anne,” she said.
Another of the aliens, this one wearing a stark, black uniform with a single red badge on the chest, stood on a platform at the far end of the long room. “Welcome, representatives,” it said.
Vernish stood and turned. “This is Supreme Commander Titus, leader of Reichof.”
Reynolds moved closer. “Greetings, Titus,” he said.
Vernish gasped. “Always use his full title when addressing the supreme commander!”
Ignoring Vernish, Reynolds walked right up to Titus. “Thanks for seeing us on suc
h short notice,” he said. “I’m sure a planetary ruler such as yourself is busy. We hope to initiate diplomatic and trade relations with the people of Reichof Six. However, since half of my team has been detained unexpectedly, I’m reluctant to begin negotiations.”
Titus glanced at Vernish. “What’s this about detentions? We don’t detain our guests, do we, Vernish?”
“No, Supreme Commander, of course not,” Vernish replied, holding her upper hands at shoulder level in an abbreviated form of the salute. “I have assured Reynolds that his team is perfectly safe.”
“Excellent,” Titus said. “Let’s adjourn to the dining room.” He smiled, showing double rows of teeth. “This throne room is very drafty, but the people expect their Supreme Commander to uphold a certain standard. This way.” He turned and led the delegation through a door hidden behind another red banner.
They entered a room with thick red carpeting, clashing maroon draperies, and a huge table overflowing with food. Titus walked up to the table and pulled a cluster of something off one plate. Shoving it into his mouth, he gestured toward Reynolds. “Please, enjoy!” The ruler braced his three legs as if sitting on a stool and grabbed another handful of food.
Reynolds looked over the laden table. Same drill as last time. I’ll go first. He picked up an item and sampled it. “Delicious food, Titus.”
The alien nodded. “Only the best for the supreme commander!”
Does it seem like he’s really pushing the title? Geroux asked. Almost as if he doesn’t believe it himself.
Perhaps he’s an imposter, Taneral said. They don’t trust us enough to meet the real leader?
“How long have you been in command?” Reynolds asked. The fruit is safe, but Vernish isn’t eating, so maybe you should wait.
My stomach disagrees, Ka’nak complained.
Titus looked at Vernish, then leaned close to Reynolds. “Only a few weeks,” he said, his voice low. “My father was terminated, and I took command.”
“Terminated?” Reynolds asked.
“Training accident. He’s dead.” The alien shoved more food into his mouth. “Between you and me, I don’t think it was really an accident.”
What is this guy’s angle? Geroux asked. Is he really this clueless, or is it an act?
“Why is that?” Reynolds asked.
“He left a note.” The tone was off-handed, as if his father’s demise meant nothing. “Said he was tired of the whole thing. I thought he’d wait a couple more years until he felt I was ready to be in charge, but I guess not.”
The landing party exchanged bemused glances. So we have an incompetent leader of a military dictatorship, a bloodline succession? Reynolds speculated. Fantastic.
“I hear you have some awesome weapons,” Titus continued. “I want them.”
Reynolds blinked in surprise. “I’m afraid our weapons are not on the table. We have some other items that might interest you. Equipment to provide food or clean water to your populace.”
Titus waved a couple of arms. “Naw, don’t need any of that stuff. I need weapons. I’m sure you’ve heard of the Terubine Raiders?” He looked at Taneral. “They mess with your ships, too, right?” At Taneral’s nod, he continued. “Nasty buggers. I need something to keep them away from my fleet. That railgun you used was rad.”
Geroux tapped the side of her head. I’m not sure my translator is working properly. It seems like this so-called commander is speaking a different language.
It’s being translated as youthful slang. I wonder what his Reichof age is compared to our escort’s.
Vernish stepped closer to her leader. “The energy weapon they didn’t use would be more useful,” she said in a low voice.
Titus’ eyes lit up. “Yeah, the energy weapon. I need a couple o’ those. That’s what I want.”
“I would be more open to conversations if the rest of my delegation was brought here. But in any case, our offensive weaponry is not available for trade,” Reynolds replied. “If you’re having trouble with raiders, we could possibly offer a defensive system.”
“Defensive?” Titus flung himself back from the table. “What a drag! I need something that goes boom! That strikes fear into the hearts of all our enemies. Not some defensive shit.” A cunning look crossed his face. “Weren’t you worried about your friends?”
Reynolds went completely still. “I do hope that was not intended to be a threat.”
Titus laughed harshly. “If I make a threat, you’ll know. Vernish, get me a report on the missing landing party.”
The back of the missing tank opened, and the soldiers spilled out. Jiya, Maddox, and Takal waited until the vehicle emptied before moving cautiously to the door. They peered out as the soldiers dispersed.
The tank had parked in a cavernous building full of similar transports. Most of the soldiers made their way toward a pair of doors on the left side, from which emerged laughter and the rumble of conversation, combined with the smell of mediocre food, indicating a mess hall. Two of the aliens waited near the rear of their transport. “Come on, it’s chowtime!”
“Uh, thanks,” Jiya said. “I don’t think we’re supposed to be here.”
The closest soldier made a motion with his hand. “You’re here, you may as well eat.”
“I thought we were being detained?” Takal said. Maddox elbowed him. The scientist turned to the general. “What? How are we going to learn anything if we don’t ask?”
“Oh, yeah, you’re being detained,” the soldier said. “But you still need to eat, right? We aren’t animals. I’m Stervin, this is Quardle. Come on. The chow gets worse the longer you wait.”
Jiya hopped down from the tank. “You don’t have to ask me twice. Or at least, not three times. I’m Jiya. That’s Maddox and Takal. Where are we?” She fell in beside Stervin while Maddox helped Takal negotiate the ladder.
“This is Boromite Mountain Training Base,” Stervin said.
“Mountain?” Jiya asked.
“Yeah,” Stervin pointed upward. “A gazillion tons of rock over our heads. Hope you aren’t claustrophobic.”
That probably explains why we lost contact, Takal said. What is it about the rocks in this galaxy?
Stervin continued, “The general told us to bring you here, but she didn’t say what to do with you.”
“She?” Takal asked. Maddox elbowed him again.
“Yeah, she said we should keep you here.” He made the gesture again, and Jiya mentally filed it away as the equivalent of a shrug.
“What do you think she means to do with us?” Jiya asked.
Stervin shrugged again. “Probably use you as leverage against your commander. I hope she gets what she wants. I’d hate to have to kill you. I just cleaned my knife.” He laughed loudly. Quardle joined in.
“You might find it’s not that easy to do,” Jiya said.
“Tiny thing like you?” Quardle asked. He laughed and nodded. “Piece of rock.”
Jiya fluttered her eyelashes. “No one’s ever called me tiny before. I like you.”
What are you doing? Takal demanded.
You heard these guys, Jiya answered. If they like us, maybe they’ll think twice about killing us.
Good thinking, Takal said. Maddox, cozy up to the other one.
Maddox snorted. I’ll leave that up to Jiya. Scan everything. Look for weaknesses. We’re not shackled, and we’re not in cells. That gives us an opportunity we shouldn’t miss.
They grabbed trays at the entrance to the chow hall and loaded up on lumpy and gooey stuff. Sitting with their new friends, the landing party tried to extract as much information as possible without eating any of the repulsive meal.
“What do you folks do when you aren’t kidnapping aliens?” Takal asked. Maddox kicked him under the table, but the soldiers didn’t seem to mind the implied slur.
“Training,” Quardle said. “I’m a fighter, so I do a lot of hand-to-hand and firearm work. Stervin’s a nuke maintenance guy. I heard we’re going to get some big-a
ss energy weapon from you folks.”
The landing team exchanged looks. “We don’t trade offensive weapons,” Maddox finally said.
Stervin made the shrugging motion again. “We’ll just take it.”
Takal laughed. “You might find that harder than you expect. Ow!” Both Jiya and Maddox kicked him this time.
We’re trying to project weak and harmless, Takal, Jiya said. Don’t give them any reason to think we’re a menace, even though we could easily scorch the entire planet’s surface while eliminating the bulk of their space fleet.
“So, what would happen if we just walked out that door?” Maddox asked, pointing at the chow hall entrance.
Quardle smiled. “Try it, and let’s find out.”
Maddox held up his hands. “No, I’m good. Say, you said Stervin’s a nuke guy? What does that mean?”
Stervin laughed. “You don’t have nukes? What a bunch of rubes! Nukes are bombs. Big bombs. Big, big boom.”
Maddox wrinkled his nose. Exactly who we don’t want to arm.
I hope Reynolds figures that out before it’s too late, Jiya said.
Chapter Twelve
Reynolds got nose to nose with Titus. Over the alien’s shoulder, he saw Vernish draw her gun. He wasn’t worried since his armor was more than a match for her projectile weapon. “I want my people back here now, or my ship will blast a crater the size of your moon where this palace used to be.”
Titus stepped back. “I…uh. Vernish?”
“Move away from the supreme commander!” Vernish barked, barreling forward. She grabbed Reynolds’s arm, but he shook her off like a bug. Her eyes went narrow. “He’s bluffing. Blasting us would be suicide.”
Reynolds shrugged. “Maybe I’m ready to terminate, like your father,” he bluffed. From the corner of his eyes, he saw his team exchange worried glances. Are you buying this?
You’re very convincing, Taneral responded. Her eyes darted around the room, seeking the exits.
