Hunt for the Saiph (The Saiph Series Book 3) (16 page)

"The Commonwealth Ambassador has graciously provided rooms for me in the embassy. I shall wait there until I hear from you."

"Until tomorrow, Admiral."

And with that, Jing was dismissed with the satisfied feeling he accomplished a good day’s work. As the doors closed behind him, the emperor turned to Raga. "Well?"

The admiral took his time before answering as he considered what he had heard. "The human’s reaction, although more heated than we had anticipated, was as assumed. His denial of any involvement in the attack on Balat was only to be expected. However, I believe him. The analysis of the data recovered from the
Kuna's
communications drones and the subsequent reports from the ships we dispatched to Balat to recover the
Kuna's
wreckage and make complete sensor sweeps of the system show that the weapons employed to destroy the ship and the colony were not of any known Commonwealth design. Therefore, we can only presume the colony was destroyed by an enemy who is, as of now, unidentified."

"And what of his proposal we exchange military observers?"

A frown creased the Grand Admiral’s brow. "As you know only too well your Majesty our own surveillance technology is still years behind that of the Commonwealth and despite the best efforts of our intelligence services we have been unable to keep track of all the Commonwealths fleet movements never mind getting access to their latest military hardware. After our procurement of the Gravity Drive they tightened up on their security. The idea that I could put a trained intelligence officer on board any ship or base of theirs I please is a gift we would be foolish to turn down."

"And what of the idea of Commonwealth officers on our ships?" Queried Hozal.

"Bah! Let them come." Snorted Raga dismissively. "We are the ones who have more to gain from this so called exchange. The new shipyards we are building in the Foram system are restricted to only those with need to know and the Foram system itself is so far off the beaten track that keeping the prying eyes of the Commonwealth away from the yards should be easy enough."

With a slap of his thrones armrest, the Emperor stood to leave. "It is decided then. Minister Hozal please contact the Commonwealth embassy and set up a meeting with the Ambassador, Admiral Jing and your people to flesh out the proposal. Grand Admiral Raga get together with your friends in intelligence and draw up a list of officers suitable for the exchange program."

Both men bowed as the Emperor went to leave but he stopped short of the door leading to his private chamber. "One more thing Minister..."

"Yes your Majesty?"

"Ask the Ambassador to forward a list of all members of the Commonwealth forces who gave their lives in the battle for Alona to my private secretary."

"Of course your Majesty."

#

2287 LIGHT YEARS FROM EARTH

"So Foral, you are pleased with the results of the test?" The Supreme Leader asked without turning from the window which gave him a magnificent view of the surrounding fields bathed in the warm red light of the star hovering constantly overhead.

"A resounding success Supreme Leader. The frigate proved no match for our cruisers. If this is an example of what we are likely to encounter then I believe we have little to fear from these lesser beings. There weaponry was inferior to ours, as I predicted, and what missiles of theirs managed to evade the cruisers’ defenses wasted themselves harmlessly against the energy shields. A technology which our attack has proved the enemy do not possess."

Tearing himself away from the captivating view, the Supreme Leader turned to face Foral, and his face reflected his cautious tone. "Let us not judge our enemy’s capabilities yet, my friend. We chose this world because we knew the technology of this Alonan Empire was less capable than any already available to the Commonwealth. Our monitoring of the Commonwealths unshielded vid broadcasts also indicates they have encountered another potential threat to us, these Turak. It is imperative we keep these differing groups from aligning against us. I suggest our next target needs to be of more significance. A target against whom your fleet can truly test its mettle."

The pair sat in silence for a few moments as each considered their next move. Foral fiddled with the controls inlaid into the table at which he sat and a hologram image came to life at the end of the room. Foral raised himself from his seat and circled the glowing image. It showed dozens of construction vessels floating adjacent to an incomplete spherical structure. In a protective globe around these were several warships varying in size from smaller frigates to hulking battleships. The Supreme Leader left his place by the window and moved to join Foral.

"This should suit our needs, Supreme Leader. Our scouts have been monitoring the progress of the construction of this armed space station at the edge of one of the Commonwealth-held systems. Our analysts estimate it is some eighty percent complete. A fleet of fifty warships protects it and we have detected what we believe to be minefields or energy weapons platforms being seeded in such a way as to restrict ship movement around the station. It should provide an ideal proving ground for our heavier units. I am not sure we have had sufficient time to practice our larger fleet maneuvers as of yet, but within a few months we will be proficient."

The Supreme Leader clasped Foral's shoulder. "Hmm. If we target one of the Commonwealth’s core systems, imagine not only the military but also the political repercussions. A system attacked by an unknown enemy. There will be cries for warships to be stationed at every vulnerable point, especially the major planets. Your plan is a good one, but I think we need to go a little further."

Foral raised an eyebrow in query, awaiting the Supreme Leader’s explanation.

"The scout ships have intercepted news vids which speak of a planet where the Commonwealth first encountered the Turak. The Turak made it quite plain any incursion into their space would be countered by force. What if we were to launch a raid on this planet as we did on the Alonan colony? The Turak have no reason to suspect we exist, so the only logical conclusion would be that the raid was carried out by the half-breeds, and if they hold true to their word..."

"They would retaliate."

"Yes they would, Foral. Yes they would." The Supreme Leader walked slowly around the shimmering hologram as his mind explored the possibilities. Weighing up the options and his enemy’s likely reactions.

"You will first attack the Turak planet. Annihilate their warships and turn the planet into radioactive slag. You will then move to attack the half-breed space station. Suspicion will be rife. Is this the Turak responding to the attack on their planet? Is this Alona seeking revenge on the Commonwealth for the attack on their colony world? If we then select a second Alonan target to attack, will they in turn not think it is the Commonwealth who are responsible? Let these half-breeds fight each other while we continue to conserve our strength for what is to come."

"Once more, Supreme Leader, your skill at seeing the greater plan among the sea of smaller parts only reinforces my faith that with you at our head, the Saiph will be victorious."

The Supreme Leader let out a short laugh as he clapped his friend on the back. "And with you leading our fleets, Foral, I have no need to fear the half-breeds will overcome us."

Walking once more around the holographic projection, the Supreme Leader was sure his plan would come to fruition.

"So tell me, Foral. What is the name of the Commonwealth planet in this system?"

"They call it Garunda."

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Diaspora

PARS - 6400 LIGHT YEARS FROM EARTH

"As I stated before, Madam President, at this moment in time, our current assessment of the attack on Balat is that it was carried out by a technologically superior force." The naval commander giving this intelligence briefing to the assembled heads of the Commonwealth was having trouble keeping the frustration from his voice as he repeated the same information for the fourth or fifth time. Couldn't these politicians get it into their heads they simply did not know who was responsible for the massacre of the Alonan colony? When the assembled heads of state failed to ask him another question, he looked longingly toward Admiral Jing seated at the far end of the conference room. The admiral, to his relief, indicated silently for him to withdraw from the room. The door had only just sealed closed when Chairman Volak, the man chosen by the Council of Twelve to replace the aging Tarrov, spoke. His deep voice seemed to make the very fabric of the building shake.

"My fellow leaders. It would seem we are no further on than we were when Balat was destroyed four months ago. There have been no further attacks on either Alonan or Commonwealth colonies and no reported sightings of any unidentified warships."

"I bid you to remember that we’ve become aware of the existence of the Turak since then, Mr. Chairman," interjected Prime Minister Bezled.

"Our Garundan friends have a point, Chairman Volak," commented Representative Hoolas softly. The tall, overly thin Benii had been a guest of the Persai prior to the conference, as the Benii had been negotiating a deal for Persai computer cores, still the best to be found anywhere in the Commonwealth, so she was the one most familiar with the new Chairman. Thus, Rebecca Coston took her lead from Hoolas.

"Unfortunately, we also have no proof it was in fact the Turak. The military are telling us the warships our spy platform observed carrying out the attack on Balat were not the same design as those we confronted in the Selene system." Rebecca spun in her seat to face Admiral Jing, who up until now had remained steadfastly silent as the politicians interrogated the hapless commander.

"That would be the intelligence community’s view, would it not Admiral Jing?"

Jing suspected the Earth’s president was making a rhetorical statement, but he decided to reply anyway. "You would be correct, Madam President. Our intelligence at this stage does not prove conclusive either way, so although we cannot definitely rule out Turak involvement, it would be my gut feeling that there is another player in this game who is yet to fully reveal their hand."

Jing could see Chairman Volak was working himself up to have a dig at him but fortunately Thomas Crothers anticipated Volak and decided to get there first.

"And what steps have been taken to prevent any further confrontation with the Turak, Admiral?" Thomas asked.

"The boundaries of Turak space passed on to Ambassador Schamu have been distributed to every major civilian shipping and Colony Company throughout the Commonwealth. Survey Command as a matter of course do not now conduct operations within ten light years of Turak space. The Alonan Empire, via the Observer Exchange Program, has been given copies of the boundaries as a matter of courtesy, although it should be pointed out the information supplied to Ambassador Schamu does not extend out as far as the Empire."

"And what about naval protection for the colonies and our home planets?" Volak demanded.

Jing forced himself to take a deep, calming breath before answering the Persai. "Mr. Chairman, it is simply not possible for our navies to be everywhere at once. This point has been raised on more occasions than I choose to remember. We are in the process of developing the Carrier Strike Groups, but it takes time. Each Commonwealth world is building its own version of the layered defense approach taken by Earth. Our own Gateway Station has only been on line a few months and that was after two years of construction. Janus, Pars, and Garunda are all in the advanced stages of completing their own, and Benii is only now laying down the inner frame. The Joint Chiefs have siphoned off as many cruisers from the existing BatFors to patrol the new colonies as we consider prudent. The lack of cruisers and the necessary support vessels is something the Joint Chiefs have highlighted repeatedly. The answer to the lack of naval support for the colonies is simple: Stop establishing new colonies until the naval building program has caught up with colony ship construction." Jing's matter-of-fact statement came as a bit of a shock to the gathered leaders. Rebecca was the first to recover.

"I think you are well aware, Admiral Jing that the public clamor to immigrate to new worlds is like nothing my or any other government in history has had to deal with before. The best analogy I have is the opening of the western parts of the North American continent in the 1800s. Normal, everyday people see a chance to improve their lives, to have an adventure; and big business is investing heavily in colonization and mining operations. I am sure the situation on Earth is comparable to that on the other Commonwealth worlds."

Around the table, the various dignitaries nodded. Rebecca pressed on.

"The move to colonize is one which is politically unstoppable. Even Janus, a planet which started off as a colony itself, is already establishing settlements on two more worlds."

"We find ourselves in a similar position, Madam President," said Hoolas. "Since the Benii Federation has been given access to your gravity drive, not only has the home world, through the auspices of Survey Command, identified planets suitable for colonization, but our two established colonies of Baut and Gossol have requested permission to seek out worlds for themselves to colonize. The Survey Command units attached to Benii estimate that at the current rate, it will have identified and surveyed eleven suitable worlds by the end of the year. How are we to tell our people that these new worlds are off-limits because we are failing in our duty to protect them?"

As the room lapsed into silence, Jing was aware all eyes were upon him. Slowly and deliberately, he steepled his fingers in front of him and forced himself to relax in his seat. "Ladies and gentlemen. My latest numbers from Admiral Papadomas at Survey Command are that his probes have identified 3845 potential planets within the various Commonwealth planets’ proposed spheres of influence, of which 961 have been identified as being able to support our particular type of life. The number of potential colonies is staggering. We are faced with a diaspora of not only human life, but of all civilized peoples, and we as a Commonwealth are simply not prepared to cope with it. We have not even taken into account what other civilizations we may find out there. We have already encountered the Edasich, the Turak, and possibly a third, as yet unidentified, race. Who knows what else is awaiting discovery out there? I urge you to exhibit caution, ladies and gentlemen, because if we keep expanding at our current rate, it is only a matter of time before we come across someone who, unlike the Turak, will shoot first and ask questions later. I'm not saying we should slow down the work of Survey Command, but we should seriously consider slowing or halting completely the number of licenses granted for mining and colonization until the new cruisers and CSGs come on line. For all our sakes."

Once more, silence descended on the room as each world’s leader considered the sobering words of caution uttered by their military chief.

#

SLIVINO VALLEY - NORTHERN ITALY - EARTH - SOL SYSTEM

Liveried servants moved around the French polished mahogany dining table, quietly removing the remains of the lavish dinner’s final course. The four diners retired to an equally ornate library, sinking into overstuffed armchairs as more servants poured brandy into 100 year-old crystal glasses before retiring from the room. As the thick wooden doors silently closed, Seaton Anderson activated the electronic shield, which would stop anyone trying to eavesdrop on the conversation of the library’s occupants.

"I must congratulate you, Seaton, the meal was delicious," purred Katria Dikul as she admired the quality of her brandy.

Seaton waved a hand dismissively as he reached for the humidor holding his favorite cigars. “A guest of your standing should expect no less than the best, Senator." A small hiss escaped the humidor as Seaton extracted a cigar whose cost equaled the monthly salary of one of the liveried servants who poured his brandy. Catching Dikul wrinkling her nose, he graced her with a smile as he depressed a control built into his chair and the soft whirring of an extractor fan directly above his seat reached his ear. Removing his cigar cutter from an inner pocket of his jacket, he deftly snipped the end of the cigar and with a flourish, struck a match which seemed to have appeared from nowhere, puffing deeply as he brought the cigar to life.

"Ah, Seaton, you think of everything," chuckled Mathias Grant III from his chair, before taking a sip of his brandy.

"Uncle Seaton likes to be prepared for any eventuality, my dear Mathias. Preparation is the key to success and the reason for tonight’s dinner invitation," Bryer Anderson, the final member of the foursome, commented.

Seaton allowed himself a deep intake of the cigar’s smoke, holding it in so he could truly appreciate its fine aroma, before he exhaled the thick smoke, which was quickly gathered up by the extractor.

"To business then, my friends. I see our friends in the media have been giving Coston a hard time in the press for her decision to support the Garundans setting up camps to care for the Others, never mind these rumors of new restrictions being placed on colonization and mining."

Mathias’ fists clenched his reddening face as he let out a strange strangled sound. "The Garundans are idiots. There isn’t a chance in hell those genocidal maniacs will ever be rehabilitated. Coston is just pouring good money after bad and the people know it. If I had my way, I would leave them all to rot and good riddance!"

Katria Dikul reached across and patted Mathias’ hand like a mother would with a wayward child. "Now, now, Mathias. Let the Garundans waste their resources on these few remaining creatures. The more Coston becomes involved with them, the greater will be her failure, and if that young upstart Kris Madkin pins his flag to her as well, he may find it quickly turning into a stone around his neck. For the time being, I think our short-term aim should be to muster support within the mining corporations in case Coston does impose restrictions on their off-world operations. Perhaps you may be of assistance there, Seaton?"

"Bryer has more day-to-day dealings with them now than I do since he took my place as chairman of the board. Bryer?"

"It’s no secret that the larger players in the market have heavily invested in equipment and licenses. Our bulk transports are in higher demand than ever, and the shipyards cannot keep up with the production demand for colony ships. With great foresight, Uncle Seaton bought up what shipping was available before others realized there would be such a high demand, so Zurich Lines has a virtual monopoly on both types, which we project to last until certainly after the election next March. I think a few calls to the right people should be enough to light a fire under the mining and colonization fraternity."

Seaton absentmindedly tapped some ash into the crystal ashtray on his chair arm. "And what about Madkin? My people report he is neck and neck with you in the polls. There are only five months left until the election, Mathias."

"Madkin is an amateur, Seaton. He has neither the experience nor the stamina. It goes to show how desperate Coston and her people really are that they would choose a two-term senator to go up against me. Madkin’s campaign will run out of steam before Christmas, I guarantee it."

Seaton continued to look at the blustering politician a moment longer before addressing Dikul. "And what are your thoughts, Katria?" Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Mathias sitting back heavily in his seat and crossing his arms like the petulant child Seaton knew him to be but, as he reminded himself constantly, beggars couldn't be choosers and with Mathias as president, Seaton would have carte blanche to do virtually anything he wanted. Katria Dikul, on the other hand, was a completely different kettle of fish. Dikul was the mistress of back-room politics and it would be she who would be the true power behind any throne Mathias found himself sitting on. The very reason Seaton always made sure he was paying attention when she spoke.

"Madkin may not have the depth of experience that Mathias does, but Coston is not stupid. She has set Madkin up with her own Chief of Staff and Clement Bradshaw is nobody's fool. Bradshaw has run and won more campaigns than anyone else in Zurich. He's the real danger." Dikul settled her eyes on Seaton. "It's a pity he could not be persuaded to retire like Harriman."

"Best thing that could have happened," blustered Mathias. "He was nothing but a Coston sycophant anyway."

It took Bryer a few seconds to realize his uncle and Dikul were still looking at each other. Seaton broke off and regarded the still-huffing Mathias before moving his eyes to Bryer, who understood the implicit command. Standing up, he walked over to Mathias and placed a friendly hand on his shoulder.

"Uncle tells me you are quite the horticulturist, Mathias. I would be grateful if you could spare me a few minutes to examine our pitiful attempts in the greenhouse. Uncle tells me I am wasting my time with our roses, but maybe all I need is your experienced eye."

Mathias jumped at the chance to show off. "Of course Bryer, it would be my pleasure. Roses can be fickle things, you know."