Read Online The Lost Stars: Shattered Spear by Jack Campbell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jack Campbell
Ads: Link
I,” Iceni replied. “This is uncharted territory for us all. All of you know that if Midway had desired to conquer your star systems, we could have done so.”
“You might still be trying,” the woman from Taroa suggested with a thin smile.
“True,” Iceni agreed. “Or we could have done as the Syndicate does, bombarding you into submission.” She pretended not to notice the flare of reflexive fear in the eyes of the woman from Kane. “But we have not, and we will not.”
“We will not,” Drakon repeated in slow and heavy tones.
“The Syndicate taught us to wonder what anyone’s motives were,” the Taroan noted. “What are yours? We are grateful for the assistance you provided us. But we’re still waiting to learn the price.”
“We reached mutual defense agreements with you,” Drakon pointed out.
“Until we get the unfinished battle cruiser the Syndicate bequeathedus in operational condition, that agreement is pretty one-sided in its demands on you. Why? Why take on that burden?”
“Because someday that battle cruiser will be operational,” Iceni said. “And you’ll have other warships. And when that day comes, we don’t want you as enemies. We’d much prefer to have you as friends.”
“But . . . why?” the young man from Ulindi asked in a pleading voice. “What do you get out of this?”
“We get the Syndicate off our doorstep,” Drakon replied. “Instead of being a launching point for attacks on us, you are hopefully going to be allies against the Syndicate.”
“Allies?” The man from Kahiki spoke for the first time. “As in Alliance?”
“No,” Drakon said. He knew that after the century-long war the term “Alliance” was poison anywhere in Syndicate space.
“You have an Alliance officer among your staff. It’s widely known.”
“I haven’t tried to hide it,” Drakon said. “Captain Bradamont was assigned here by Black Jack. Personally assigned to Midway by Black Jack, with orders to assist us in defending against the Syndicate and the enigmas. But she has no role in policy and does not interfere with the way we run this star system.”
“Does she follow your orders?” the man pressed.
“If they are consistent with her orders from Black Jack,” Iceni said. “She’s very open about that. You know Alliance officers. It wouldn’t be
honorable
to lie to us.”
That jab at the reputation of Alliance officers even got a smile from the woman from Kane. The woman from Taroa actually laughed.
“So what does Black Jack get out of it?” The man from Kahiki wasn’t going to be sidetracked.
“He gets a hypernet gate on the far side of what used to be Syndicate space,” Iceni said. “He gets a stable government here, and we have been stable. I’m certain that your own spies have informed you that the general and I have the support of the people. That matters to BlackJack, too. And, of course, he wants us able to defend human space against incursions by the enigmas. Which brings us back to what General Drakon and I want to warn you of.”
She waved a hand over a control, bringing up a star display that floated just to one side of her. “Here are our local star systems, including Midway, Kahiki, Taroa, Kane, Ulindi, and Iwa. Over here you see those star systems occupied by the enigmas over the last century as the Syndicate was pushed back toward Midway.”
Iceni pointed. “And here is Pele. One of the reasons the enigmas were held back for a while is that the only human star system they could reach from their own space using jump drives was Midway.”
“Was?” The Taroan repeated the word with sudden tension in her voice.
“We have reliable indications that an enigma warship was detected jumping into Iwa recently.” Iceni swung her finger across the starscape to indicate that star. “And we have a warning from the Dancers, a warning whose meaning we could not understand until a short time ago.
Watch the different stars,
they told us. Captain
“You might still be trying,” the woman from Taroa suggested with a thin smile.
“True,” Iceni agreed. “Or we could have done as the Syndicate does, bombarding you into submission.” She pretended not to notice the flare of reflexive fear in the eyes of the woman from Kane. “But we have not, and we will not.”
“We will not,” Drakon repeated in slow and heavy tones.
“The Syndicate taught us to wonder what anyone’s motives were,” the Taroan noted. “What are yours? We are grateful for the assistance you provided us. But we’re still waiting to learn the price.”
“We reached mutual defense agreements with you,” Drakon pointed out.
“Until we get the unfinished battle cruiser the Syndicate bequeathedus in operational condition, that agreement is pretty one-sided in its demands on you. Why? Why take on that burden?”
“Because someday that battle cruiser will be operational,” Iceni said. “And you’ll have other warships. And when that day comes, we don’t want you as enemies. We’d much prefer to have you as friends.”
“But . . . why?” the young man from Ulindi asked in a pleading voice. “What do you get out of this?”
“We get the Syndicate off our doorstep,” Drakon replied. “Instead of being a launching point for attacks on us, you are hopefully going to be allies against the Syndicate.”
“Allies?” The man from Kahiki spoke for the first time. “As in Alliance?”
“No,” Drakon said. He knew that after the century-long war the term “Alliance” was poison anywhere in Syndicate space.
“You have an Alliance officer among your staff. It’s widely known.”
“I haven’t tried to hide it,” Drakon said. “Captain Bradamont was assigned here by Black Jack. Personally assigned to Midway by Black Jack, with orders to assist us in defending against the Syndicate and the enigmas. But she has no role in policy and does not interfere with the way we run this star system.”
“Does she follow your orders?” the man pressed.
“If they are consistent with her orders from Black Jack,” Iceni said. “She’s very open about that. You know Alliance officers. It wouldn’t be
honorable
to lie to us.”
That jab at the reputation of Alliance officers even got a smile from the woman from Kane. The woman from Taroa actually laughed.
“So what does Black Jack get out of it?” The man from Kahiki wasn’t going to be sidetracked.
“He gets a hypernet gate on the far side of what used to be Syndicate space,” Iceni said. “He gets a stable government here, and we have been stable. I’m certain that your own spies have informed you that the general and I have the support of the people. That matters to BlackJack, too. And, of course, he wants us able to defend human space against incursions by the enigmas. Which brings us back to what General Drakon and I want to warn you of.”
She waved a hand over a control, bringing up a star display that floated just to one side of her. “Here are our local star systems, including Midway, Kahiki, Taroa, Kane, Ulindi, and Iwa. Over here you see those star systems occupied by the enigmas over the last century as the Syndicate was pushed back toward Midway.”
Iceni pointed. “And here is Pele. One of the reasons the enigmas were held back for a while is that the only human star system they could reach from their own space using jump drives was Midway.”
“Was?” The Taroan repeated the word with sudden tension in her voice.
“We have reliable indications that an enigma warship was detected jumping into Iwa recently.” Iceni swung her finger across the starscape to indicate that star. “And we have a warning from the Dancers, a warning whose meaning we could not understand until a short time ago.
Watch the different stars,
they told us. Captain
Similar Books
