Checking to ensure that the traveler was clear of the debris field and no longer sliding toward the gauntlet, Neffess gently decelerated to allow Figaro and the Syslerians to be recovered.
When everyone was safely aboard, the hatch sealed, and air restored, Neffess made for the squadrons of travelers holding the rescued to await orders. Her comm, which she didn’t realize was blocked, was suddenly open, and she was inundated by comments from the other pilots. She waited for one from Petite. When that didn’t come, she figured her captain was busy in the gauntlet.
To Neffess’s surprise, Figaro slid into the co-pilot’s seat beside her. She signaled her faceplate to retract and regarded the SADE. He wore a contented smile.
“I’ve not had the pleasure of personally meeting you, Lieutenant Neffess,” Figaro said. “It’s an honor to know a sentient such as you.”
“Figaro, working with you could lead to a shortening of my already brief biological life,” Neffess shot back, but she softened her words with a lolling tongue.
“Do you know who we rescued in the last triplet?” Figaro asked.
“I was too busy trying not to whip the line in the event that someone was clinging to it,” Neffess said.
“Sitting in the main salon of your traveler, Lieutenant, are the commander, the captain, and the first officer,” Figaro replied with a satisfied air.
“Oh, the admiral is going to love that,” Neffess exclaimed.
“Precisely,” Figaro replied.
20: Gauntlet
Each Trident repeatedly fired its twin beams at the battleship carcass. After the first volley was loosed, the ship performed a screw pattern, sliding up and over the vessel. The maneuver enabled the ship to fire a second shot, while simultaneously staying out of the way of exploded ordnance. After the battleship had passed, the Trident executed an escape pattern.
Most captains hit the massive hulk twice before it passed. The SADE captains managed to deliver three beam shots, and they focused on the underbelly, where the battleship’s missiles resided.
Passing through the gauntlet, the Syslerian ship resembled an ancient fireworks display. Beam energy sliced through armor plating and exploded interior combustible material. As well, the beams immolated gunnery positions or missile containment areas, and huge gouts of flame, hot gases, and debris shot into space.
Aboard the Our People, Ellie, Hector, and the others watched the Syslerian behemoth whittled chunk by chunk. Each bite of the beams represented tens, if not thousands, of tons of material.
The Trident lines of the gauntlet were long, but the Syslerian battleship possessed more mass than they could handle.
<Hector, the city-ship is yours,> Ellie sent. <Do what you can to prevent what’s left of that ship striking the planet.>
<Understood, Admiral,> Hector returned.
The city-ship held station at the end of one of the gauntlet’s lines. Now, Hector maneuvered the ship to a position between the lines. It directly faced the oncoming remaining mass of metal and dangerous armament.
In preparation for the city-ship’s part, Hector had extended the rail-mounted beams. After reaching the new position, Hector sent the ship into a steady rotation around its central axis. It was a technique first employed by Cordelia, captain of the Freedom.
As the remains of the Syslerian battleship bore down on the Our People, Hector accelerated the ship away. He allowed the distance between the two ships to close within range of the city-ship’s beams. Then he opened fire.
The city-ship spun, which brought freshly charged beam weapons to bear, and pumped concentrated shots of energy into the battleship’s remains.
The city-ship and the battleship fell toward the planet, and Hector delegated to other SADEs the task of calculating the planet’s gravitational forces on the Our People. They would signal him, when he must evade the Syslerian vessel and exit the gravity well before it was too late.
Ellie had hopes for Hector’s extraordinary command of the city-ship, and the vessel’s powerful array of beams. However, as the minutes passed and despite Hector’s brilliance, it looked like the combined fleets’ efforts would fail.
Hector received the signal to abandon the attack, but he resisted admitting defeat. Instead, he dropped the Our People below the remnant, rotating the great ship ninety degrees. As the belly of the Syslerian ship passed, it was exposed to the beams, and Hector raked it.
Multiple enormous detonations tore apart the remains of the Syslerian ship. Hector’s beams had found large caches of missiles.
The city-ship didn’t have a Trident’s maneuverability, and chunks of the Syslerian battleship slammed into the city-ship, damaging hull plating, bay doors, and beam guns.
Much of the battleship’s final debris plunged toward the planet, but a wave of cargo travelers operated by sisters met the deluge. They focused on the largest pieces, burning them to ash. The smaller pieces would be heated and vaporized by entry into the atmosphere.
For many annuals later, Talusians would discover tiny pieces of Syslerian metals buried in their ground.
Hector regarded Ellie, and said, “Apologies, Admiral, it looks as if I’ve captained the only Omnian ship to sustain damage.”
Ellie laughed in relief and hugged Hector.
Immediately, Ellie received a call from Miriamette.
“We’re thankful that your efforts were successful, and I apologize for my earlier words, which were spoken in anger,” Sargut said, speaking into Miriamette’s face.
Ellie had sent Sargut’s image to the bridge holo-vid. She replied, “Your anxiety was understandable, President Sargut. You were concerned for your home world.”
“Kind of you to say, Admiral. Although, having dealt with Omnians, I wouldn’t expect you to say anything else,” Sargut said.
“Any reaction from the envoys?” Adrianna asked.
“Yes, they’ve called a new meeting,” Sargut replied. “We’re not invited, which leads me to believe they will be discussing the upcoming deadline.”
“Let’s hope they make some progress,” Ellie said. “Forgive me, President Sargut, we’ve after-action work to accomplish.”
When Sargut repeated his thanks, and Miriamette closed the connection, Adrianna asked, “Return the Tridents to the ring?”
“Immediately,” Ellie replied.
“Admiral,” Hector said, addressing Ellie. “The final count of rescued Syslerians is two thousand seven hundred eighteen.”
“Out of how many?” Ellie asked.
“Unknown,” Hector replied. “Would you like to ask Commander Zoza?”
Ellie regarded Hector’s knowing smile. She was tempted to swat the SADE’s arm, but the news was too good.
Hector chuckled. He was well aware of the thought that had passed through the admiral’s mind. “The last triplet to be rescued by Figaro comprised Commander Zoza, Captain Voztar, and First Officer Rartor,” he explained.
Ellie considered the turn of events. Then she commented, “Well, if Lieutenant Neffess and Figaro had to risk the ship and the lives involved, it couldn’t have been better paid,” Ellie said.
“Zoza?” Hector queried.
“Yes,” Ellie said. She was surprised that she was linked to both Neffess and Figaro, and she wondered who had decided that.
<Admiral,> Neffess sent, dreading the fact that it wasn’t a captain who called to reprimand her.
Ellie noted that Hector carefully regarded her. He was the fleet’s leader, and his expression warned her that a SADE had been involved in the decision to remain until the last Syslerian could be rescued.
<I’m pleased to see that Figaro and you survived your precarious decision,> Ellie sent, and she saw Hector resume his usual affable countenance.
<While the lieutenant might not have operated within fleet guidelines, Admiral,> Figaro sent, <I find her actions highly commendable.>
The conference call was swamped with the sou
nds of SADEs celebrating Figaro’s sentiment. As quickly as it began, it ended.
Ellie glanced toward Hector, who returned an Alex-like shrug and imitated the Omnian leader’s crooked smile.
<This is a discussion best had another time,> Ellie sent. <I’d like to speak with Commander Zoza.>
<One moment, Admiral,> Figaro sent. Then he smiled at Neffess, softly patted her shoulder, and exited the pilot’s cabin.
Neffess signaled her faceplate closed. Her wish was to be part of the discussion with the admiral and the commander, but, unfortunately, that conversation was far above her rank.
When Figaro didn’t return to the comm for a while, Ellie eyed Hector, who shook his head.
<Apologies for the delay, Admiral,> Figaro sent. <The commander is loath to have a public conversation with you.>
Ellie considered her options. The negotiations were her primary concern. The Syslerians had become an obstacle to their progress, which meant they needed to be neutralized. She sent, <Figaro, tell the commander that if he doesn’t wish to communicate with me, I’ll have no other choice but to incarcerate him aboard my ship. Then he’ll be transported to Omnia for judgment by our leader when he returns sometime in the next few annuals.>
Hector resisted smiling. He recognized a bluff, a technique often employed by Alex.
<Apparently, the commander has changed his mind,> Figaro sent. <We’re moving to the pilot’s cabin to prevent the crew overhearing him.>
Neffess was surprised by the return of Figaro, accompanied by a Syslerian. She surmised he was Commander Zoza, and Figaro was kind enough to supply introductions.
The commander tilted his head in query, as he gazed at Neffess. Then he spoke to Figaro.
“The commander wishes to express his thanks for the rescue of him and his officers,” Figaro translated. “I think his quizzical expression is indicative of his wondering if either of us is representative of the admiral’s race.”
“You should inform the commander that neither of us is similar to the three-meter tall, massively muscled, dangerously horned race of the admiral,” Neffess quipped. Her tongue briefly lolled outside her muzzle, before she slipped it inside and closed her faceplate.
Figaro shared Neffess’s comment with the Omnian SADEs, who enjoyed the quip.
<We’re ready, Admiral,> Figaro sent.
<Commander Zoza,> Ellie sent, <we’ve rescued a total of two thousand seven hundred eighteen of your crew. How many were aboard?>
<Apologies, Admiral, the commander is having a fit,> Figaro sent. <Allow me some time to calm him.>
Figaro discovered that the Syslerian commander was adversely reacting to the admiral’s threat of incarceration, the loss of numerous crew members, and the realization that he was speaking to an AI. He’d heard the admiral’s voice issue from Figaro’s open mouth.
Ellie patiently waited until Figaro returned.
<Admiral, the commander states that it’s you who should be taken into custody,> Figaro sent. <You destroyed a Syslerian lead battleship and are responsible for the deaths of five hundred eighty-five crew members. I ascertained that the majority of those individuals were in the aft section when engineers ejected the engines to save the ship.>
<Commander, my condolences to you for the loss of your crew members,> Ellie sent. She paused, and then she continued. <I must make a decision about you, your crew, and your wedge, and you can either be part of my decision or not.>
<The commander wishes to participate,> Figaro reported.
<I bet he does,> Adrianna commented privately to Alphons.
<The one thing that isn’t negotiable is your wedge, Commander Zoza,> Ellie sent. <I’m ordering your battleships to exit this system and never return. If they don’t, every battleship will be rendered inert.>
Hector activated the holo-vid to relay the view from Figaro’s eyes.
The bridge audience witnessed an irate Syslerian vigorously waving four arms, and Figaro calmly blocked a hand if it got too close.
<Commander, your actions indicate to me that you don’t comprehend your position. I’m tempted to rescind my offer to allow you to participate in my decisions. I think incarceration is the better option for you,> Ellie threatened.
Immediately, Ellie and the others witnessed the cessation of the commander’s overt reaction.
<What is your choice, Commander?> Ellie pursued.
“We will exit the system, Admiral, but I can’t guarantee that our races’ wedges won’t be sent under another commander,” Zoza replied.
<Feel free to share with your leaders what happened to your battleship, Commander,> Ellie replied. <Talusians will quickly eliminate your race’s wedges, if they return.>
“What about my crew who are aboard your ships?” Zoza asked.
<I’m willing to return them to your ships, Commander. Communicate to Commodore Jacinda which ships should receive what quantity,> Ellie replied.
“And me?” Zoza asked.
Ellie noticed the downturn of the commander’s wide, thin lips. He anticipated the worst.
<You’ll be returned to your wedge, Commander, with the provision that after you receive your crew members, you’ll immediately depart Talus space,> Ellie said definitively.
“There is one more item to discuss, Admiral,” Zoza said. “We wanted to make our opinions known at the meeting of the envoys.”
<You knew the rules, Commander. The Talusians granted a Syslerian envoy’s attendance, provided your wedge exited the system and a single battleship remained,> Ellie said forcefully.
<The conditions were understood, Admiral. However, my council ordered me to force our cooperation and not return without it. I was doing my duty, as I was directed,> Zoza replied. The tips of his lips lowered until his mouth looked like a crescent moon.
<How close are Syslerians and Podarlas?> Ellie asked.
“While our races aren’t genetically compatible, Admiral, we couldn’t be two more cooperative races,” Zoza admitted.
<Hector, get Commander Quizra online,> Ellie sent privately.
<Ready, Admiral,> Commodore Desdemona sent.
<Commander Quizra,> Ellie sent, <Your races wish to ensure the Talusians listen to your demands. I’ve a proposal for Commander Zoza and you that could make that happen.>
“I’m listening, Admiral,” Quizra said.
<I’ve ordered Commander Zoza and his wedge from Talus space,> Ellie sent. <Despite what has happened, with regard to Zoza’s ship, I’m willing to request President Sargut allow a member from your fleet to join the envoy delegation and represent both your races.>
“What of my wedge?” Quizra inquired.
<It must leave,> Ellie insisted. <A single ship will be allowed to join the ring in orbit around Toral.>
“Commander Quizra, we must take advantage of this offer,” Zoza entreated. “We thought the power of our combined wedges would force the president to take our demands seriously. Yet, we’ve sat isolated out here.”
“You know what our councils have said about our returns without having accomplished our tasks,” Quizra rejoined.
“I’ll make the case to our councils about the uselessness of our battleships against the Omnians’ new weapon,” Zoza argued. “The destruction of my lead battleship and the words of my crew will speak to the foolishness of the councils’ directives.”
“Neither of us carried an envoy,” Quizra pointed out.
“Truth,” Zoza replied, “but you know well what our councils want for our races.”
“Me?” Quizra choked.
Join the club of reluctant individuals, Ellie thought, as she considered her role as arbiter.
“There is no other individual,” Zoza argued. “I urge you to accept. I’ll guide your wedge home, before I return the remains of my wedge.”
The parties on the call waited, while Quizra considered the request.
Ellie wished she could see Quizra’s face. Although, she realized that correctly interpreting the alien’s expressions might be a cha
llenge.
Desdemona could hear the sounds Commander Quizra made. They were the noises he made when upset or exasperated, and she chose not to relay them.
Finally, Quizra came to a decision. He said, “I’ll represent our races, Commander Zoza. I’ll transfer to another ship in my wedge. I invite you to sail aboard my lead ship. I wouldn’t see you return to our home worlds in any other manner.”
“Your invitation is gracious, Commander Quizra, and I accept,” Zoza said. “Are these conditions satisfactory to you, Admiral?”
<Yes, Commander Zoza. Again, I’m sorry for the loss of your crew members,> Ellie sent. <Commodore Jacinda, please see to the dispersal of the commander’s crew among his ships and the transfer of Commander Zoza.>
Ellie closed her comm. She stood silently, shaking her head. “This didn’t have to happen,” she muttered softly.
Hector was the only one to hear Ellie, and he sent, <Admiral, you didn’t initiate the action. It was Commander Zoza’s decision. If we didn’t demonstrate resolve, then the envoys would have detected temerity, which wouldn’t serve the Talusians.>
Over the course of the next cycle, the SADEs aboard the travelers with the Syslerians collected names, and Captain Voztar selected the transfer ships. It necessitated multiple stops for each traveler pilot.
Neffess’s final stop was at Commander Quizra’s lead ship. By then, her passengers consisted of a few SADEs and Commander Zoza.
Commander Quizra met Zoza, as he exited the traveler, and the two friends commiserated.
“Commander Quizra, might I speak to you,” Figaro said, in the Podarla language.
Quizra regarded Zoza, who said, “SADE, a sophisticated AI like Commodores Jacinda and Desdemona.”
Quizra regarded Figaro with curious eyes. As opposed to Zoza, he had only two, and while Zoza’s head was smooth skinned, Quizra’s face was covered in horny scales.
“Speak,” Quizra directed bluntly.
“The envoys are choosing their list of demands and the eight members to negotiate with the Talusians,” Figaro said. “The deadline looms. If you sail your battleship to Talus and descend to the planet in your shuttle, you’ll probably arrive too late to participate.”