“Was there a trial or some form of hearing?” Jarmonin asked.
“The directorate sent no evidence or information with the suspects,” Alain explained. “Under the circumstances, the commander couldn’t hold a fair hearing. An incident did prove their guilt and desperateness to evade the outpost’s judgment.”
“Explain, Envoy de Long,” Jarmonin requested.
“Lieutenant Weller had just collected the Usaanans from the Triton dome,” Alain replied. “During the flight to the Jatouche medical station to deliver emergency patients, the Usaanans attacked the security force. Three agents were killed.”
“And the Usaanans?” Jarmonin inquired.
“Only stunned,” Alain replied.
“Remarkable restraint,” Jarmonin muttered. He was no lover of the sand serpents, who had beleaguered the Tsargit for centuries until power was wrested from them.
“What is the state of the Usaanans now?” Jarmonin asked.
“They were trained on our holo-vid deck to fight the Colony,” Alain replied.
Jarmonin’s jaw dropped. He glanced left and right at the lines of councilors. Suddenly, the entire council, except for a female Veklock, erupted in all manner of laughter.
When the councilors subsided, Jarmonin asked, “Envoy, do the Usaanans still live?”
“Commander Cinders has received three updates from Queen Homsaff, the assault commander,” Alain replied. “In the first engagement, two Usaanans ran away.”
There was some polite chuckling and other noises at Alain’s announcement, and he belatedly remembered that serpents slither. They’d no legs with which to run away.
“Yes, well,” Alain continued, “in a later engagement on the same planet, two more Usaanans were lost in the fighting. The third message from the queen reported the death of Usslert, the Usaanan who was operating on Lemgart and ordered the attack against the outpost security agents.”
“So, you received ten condemned individuals from the Usaanan directorate. Trained them to be troopers for the Resistance. At this time, five of them are lost or dead. Do I have that right, Envoy?” Jarmonin asked.
“Correct,” Alain replied.
“Thank you for that report and your message, Envoy. The council dismisses you,” Jarmonin said.
Despite Alain’s confusion that the meeting was truncated without a discussion about the consortium, he picked up his portable holo-vid, thanked the councilors for their time, and left the chambers.
* * * * *
<To put it simply,> Alain sent, <the Tsargit is in uproar.>
<How so?> Jess asked.
Days after Alain made Hyronzy Station, the Trident arrived that Lucia had sent. Immediately, Alain used its comm system to contact the outpost. On hearing Alain’s initial statement, Jess connected Lucia, Alex, Renée, and Julien.
<In my estimation, the council should have called the consortium members into a private meeting to discuss what their leaders had done,> Alain sent. <That didn’t happen. According to Krokticka, my Jatouche senior staffer, whose patriarch is the Jatouche rep, Jarmonin got overruled.>
<What did the council do?> Lucia prompted.
<It held a general meeting and announced the existence of the consortium, described what it had done, and named the members,> Alain replied.
Alex swore, Jess groaned, and Renée sighed in exasperation. Only Lucia and Julien remained quiet.
<It gets worse,> Alain continued. <This again, according to Krokticka’s patriarch, the elders on the council persuaded the majority to handle the situation this way to embarrass the younger races who comprise the consortium.>
<Only it didn’t work out that way,> Alex commented.
<No, it didn’t,> Alain agreed. <The membership disbanded in the middle of the meeting. I could tell the council was appalled by the behavior. The reason for the members’ abrupt departure has become clear over the past few cycles.>
<They’re competing to form agreements with their major partners for gate connections,> Jess supplied.
<Regrettably, you’re correct, Commander,> Alain sent. <Cliques formed. The past cycle, the council called another general meeting to bring order to the turmoil. Unfortunately, only a third of the representatives attended, which caused the meeting to be cancelled.>
<Is this something that will settle down when everyone calms down?> Renée asked.
<I’m too new to the Tsargit to understand how this will play out,> Alain admitted. <Although, Krokticka is worried and so is her patriarch.>
Jess created a separate link to Alex. Then he sent, <I was worried about something like this. The elder races have held sway over the Tsargit for more than a millennium. In the past few centuries, they’ve lost much of their power. Now, the younger races appear to be regarding the Tsargit as obsolete.>
<Is it?> Alex inquired.
<Yes and no,> Jess replied. <The Tsargit has been burdened with ancient rules most of which were created by the elder races to force conformity to their preferred ways of doing business. The Tsargit’s new members chafe under these regulations. It was only a matter of time before they revolted. Most Pyreans expected foment in the form of political maneuvering that would be contained within the membership.>
<I don’t believe you’ve replied to my question,> Alex pointed out.
<What? No one has ever been evasive with you?> Jess sent in exasperation, which made Alex chuckle.
Jess paused his private link with Alex while he thought. He checked his implant’s recording to see what he’d missed, but the rest of the conference members had been quiet.
Then Jess resumed his conversation with Alex. He sent, <Here’s what I think, Alex. The Tsargit is due for a major shakeup, but it mustn’t be torn apart. The alliance races need a cooperative assembly in which to work out their issues.>
<So, the members must be encouraged to remain in the Tsargit, while the problem of new gate connections is resolved,> Alex sent. <Excuse me while I consult my partner and my accountant.> Then he created a private conference with Renée and Julien and shared the exchange with Jess.
<You’re thinking of our ship technology,> Julien said on the private conference.
<Yes,> Alex replied. <Is it too early to release the tech into alliance space?>
<The tech must serve the commander’s need to hold the Tsargit together,> Julien pointed out.
<What’s wrong with a little bribery?> Renée asked.
<We’re listening,> Alex replied.
<Alliance space is divided into two major groups of sentient races,> Renée explained. <The Tsargit members and every other race, spacefaring or developing. We make an offer to the members ... license our ship tech if the race remains in the Tsargit.>
<I like the approach,> Alex returned.
<I think we can improve on Ser’s offer,> Julien sent. <At this time, we’ve three ship configurations. There’s no reason not to make a graduated offer.>
<Not graduated. Conditional,> Renée replied.
<Even better,> Alex sent. <Which one first?>
<Travelers,> Renée and Julien sent simultaneously.
Alex cancelled the private conference, returning the trio to Alain’s call. <We’ve an answer for you, Commander.>
The answer required Alain to request Jarmonin call another general meeting.
“It’s an exercise in futility, Envoy,” Jarmonin said.
“Hardly,” Alain replied. “Inform the members that Alex Racine has an offer for the members.”
“You mean the outpost,” Jarmonin said, seeking to correct Alain.
“No, the message is from the principal members of Omnia Ships,” Alain replied.
“This is hardly the time to introduce something that will further disturb the membership,” Jarmonin pointed out.
“The purpose of this offer is to settle the membership,” Alain countered, which brought Jarmonin’s head up.
“Truly?” Jarmonin queried.
Alain nodded, which is why a cycle later he was standing in front of
a fully packed hall of expectant reps and their staffs staring at him.
“The outpost is disturbed by the failure of this organization to deal with the significant issues that plague it,” Alain said, which produced grumbling. “The consortium’s formation is only a symptom of your problems. If the commander has added to your troubles by agreeing to the consortium’s request, he begs you to remember that many of its members provide the troops that fight the Colony. In this respect, they serve all of you.”
A male Veklock, who was annoyed by the general rebuke, called out, “Envoy, we were told you had an offer.”
“Interrupt me again, and your race will be excluded from the offer,” Alain said quietly, and the audience was reminded that an ex-warship senior captain stood before them. Fistonia’s initial conversation with Alain had made the rounds of the station within a cycle.
“I preface the proposal for the members to understand why it’s being made,” Alain said. “It didn’t originate from a vacuum. It’s being made to support the Tsargit. Omnians and the outpost believe the organization has great value to alliance space. However, the members must make it work.”
Alain turned to Jarmonin, who sat in the councilor’s circle. “Is every member present?” he asked.
Jarmonin glanced toward a councilor, whose slate kept a record of attendance, and he received a nod.
“Yes, Envoy de Long, all members are present,” Jarmonin replied.
Alain surveyed the rows of reps and their staff. He waited until every murmur ended. Then he said, “Omnia Ships will license the tech for the construction of travelers to every Tsargit member.”
As expected, the quiet morphed into hurried conversations between the reps and the staff.
The Jatouche rep signaled to be heard, and Jarmonin appreciated the return to decorum. Standing, Krokticka’s patriarch asked, “Are there any codicils with this offer?”
To the planted question, Alain replied, “Of course, there are.” That hushed the audience. “To receive this benefit, the race must be and remain a member of the Tsargit.”
“What if a race leaves the Tsargit after having constructed many of the travelers?” the Crocian member asked, after being recognized.
“That depends on the circumstances,” Alain replied. “Every race should consult Omnia Ships before taking such action.”
“Why?” the female Veklock squawked out.
Alain ignored the question, which further pleased Jarmonin.
When the Sylian rep was recognized, she flashed her teeth in pleasure and asked, “Why would that be necessary, Envoy de Long?”
“Travelers have controllers, which are SADE-built devices,” Alain replied. “SADEs can shut them down. Their leader is called Julien, who you’ve met. He’s a principal of Omnia Ships.”
The members needed no further warning. The SADEs’ capabilities were well known.
Jarmonin signaled the Norsitchian rep, who asked, “Why only the travelers? Why not the Tridents or the carriers?”
“We’re adopting a wait-and-see attitude,” Alain replied.
“If I might, Commander,” Jarmonin interjected. “For what are you waiting?”
“We’re interested in observing how the members manage to solve their disagreements,” Alain said. Then assuming a Tatia parade rest stance, he projected Alex’s command style, adding, “With our incentives, will you resolve your problems or is the alliance to become a waste of space?”
Alain was content to let the members communicate among themselves and their staff. He caught Jarmonin’s eye, who nodded toward the noisy audience, and Alain subtly shook his head. In the moment, he had an inkling of what his job would truly entail. Moreover, he recognized the challenges that Jess Cinders faced every day. It was one thing to direct those individuals in your chain of command; it was another thing to persuade a disparate group of individuals who owed you no allegiance to adopt a common cause.
The members settled down on their own initiatives, and the Usaanan rep decided to obtain Jarmonin’s nod rather than have his question ignored. He asked, “Will the travelers be constructed with energy weapons?”
“Negative,” Alain replied firmly.
The Usaanan rep remained standing, and Alain tipped his head to signal the next question.
“What if the Colony constructs armed starships?” the Usaanan asked.
“It’s the outpost’s job to provide the remedy,” Alain replied. “If a race doesn’t have experience in ship-to-ship battles, then a warship will only get the crew killed.”
When there were no more questions, Alain said, “I’ve an agreement, which I’ll forward to the council for distribution. It’s a simple one. We’ll transfer the complete tech specifications for constructing travelers to any race who will agree to remain a member of the Tsargit. Recognize that your engineers will need training to construct the basic parts of the ships and assemble them, especially the smooth shells. You can receive that training at the outpost or on your planet, if you prefer.”
Alain’s remarks produced a final question. This time, a Veklock chose to gain Jarmonin’s attention first. “Will the training be provided free?” the triumvirate’s female asked.
Alain’s eyes narrowed at the absurdity of the query, and the audience chuckled in their various manners. “Our pricing is fair,” he finally replied.
Two Hyronzy cycles later, Alain connected to the outpost to speak to a larger group.
<We’ve a combination of success and challenge,> Alain sent.
<I’d like to hear the success first,> Jess replied.
<The members are signing up,> Alain said. <A huge number of cube messages was sent out by the Hyronzy dome, and the replies have been streaming in during this entire cycle. I haven’t received a negative yet.>
<How many?> Alex asked.
<One hundred thirty-four,> Alain replied, chuckling.
<What’s funny?> asked Tatia, who relished hearing Alain’s buoyed emotion.
<Not all governments respond quickly,> Julien noted. <We calculate that this number is indicative of a significant start.>
<One disaster averted,> Lucia commented.
<What’s the challenge, Alain?> Renée inquired.
<The council has decided to abstain from being the overseer of new gate connections,> Alain sent. <It was a decision that the membership took well. That relieves you, Commander, of playing the part of the Tsargit’s disruptor.>
<That’s the challenge?> Jess sent.
<Apologies,> Alain replied. <That decision led to the council asking me about the likelihood of increasing the number of gates within a dome to more than six. I told the council that I didn’t possess that knowledge, but that I’d inquire.>
<Mickey and his engineering teams are still investigating the domes and the manner by which the gates connect,> Jess replied. <Your best answer to the council is that it’s a work in progress, but that we’re interested in increasing the number of gates by whatever means possible.>
<That will please them,> Alain replied.
<I’ve a suggestion for you, Alain, before we end,> Jess sent. <Speak to Fistonia about the Pyreans using some station hydroponic space to grow the fruits to make their juices. Your staff will love you for the gesture. Maybe others will too.>
<This job looks to require all the admiration I can generate,> Alain sent, and he ended the call.
39: Alex’s Request
With the way for new gate connections cleared by the Tsargit, Jess received a cube from every consortium member.
“They’re all the same,” Lucia said, studying the submissions on the controller message board for Jess and her.
“Every one of them wants an installation date,” Jess remarked. He detected Mickey, Kasie, Miriam, Luther, and Minimalist’s approach and signaled the door aside.
“Commander,” Mickey said, as he entered the salon. He and the others took seats, and a server made thé for the human guests.
“What’s our schedule for the gate installations, Mickey?” Jess asked.
“You getting pressure?” Mickey inquired, chuckling.
“From every consortium member,” Jess replied sourly.
“Well, we’ve access to any of Hector’s fleet individuals who are necessary,” Mickey replied. He glanced toward Luther, who added, “After our return from the successful operation, the installation process was shared with every SADE.”
“Can the teams travel by Tridents?” Mickey inquired.
“I’d rather your teams use the gates, Mickey. I recognize that you’ll need the Tridents and travelers on-site for communication coordination between systems, but I want the leaders to know that their gate installations are in progress,” Jess replied.
“Remember, Mickey, some of these races, such as Sylia and Norsitchia, are the major suppliers of troops,” Lucia said.
Mickey nodded his appreciation of Lucia’s point. “The teams will use the gates,” he replied.
“What’s our exposure?” Lucia asked.
“Explain, Admiral,” Miriam requested.
“You destroyed one moon, and you successfully installed one pair of gates,” Lucia replied, lifting an eyebrow.
“In that regard, you’re correct, Admiral,” Miriam replied. “Our statistics don’t invite confidence. Do you have a suggestion in mind?”
“I was thinking about installing another pair of gates in nonsentient systems,” Lucia said. She glanced at Jess, but he was studying Mickey.
“It would be a way of proving what we’ve learned,” Mickey responded.
Jess noticed the SADEs were quiet, which told him what they believed. However, his sister wasn’t.
“It’s completely unnecessary,” Kasie declared. “These are Messinant domes. When you discover how they work, they work that way every time. No questions asked! Haven’t we proved that over and over again?”