Read Online The Phoenix Rising by Richard L. Sanders - Free Book Online Page B

this,” said
Tristan.
    “ Precisely.”
    “ I resent this allegation,”
said Alex. His strange eyes looked up from his display and met
Calvin’s. “I assure you that the Rotham Republic has no intentions
of committing genocide. Even if such a weapon did exist, only
paranoia would make you jump to such a depraved
conclusion.”
    Calvin walked up to him, maintaining eye
contact. “Does such a weapon exist?”
    Alex said nothing for a few seconds.
    “ You know something, don’t
you?” Calvin leaned in closer, looming over the short Rotham who
suddenly looked very uncomfortable in his seat.
    Calvin heard the distinct
click of a handgun chambering a bullet. “Spill your guts, lizard , or I’ll do it for
you,” said Pellew.
    Alex’s eyes darted from Calvin to Pellew,
then back to Calvin.
    “ I don’t know much,” said
Alex. “But yes, I’ve heard rumors of such a weapon. I never
believed them. I still
don’t . We would never develop such a thing.
But,” he paused for a moment. And the next words out of his mouth
came reluctantly. “It is possible. And there are those among us who would
seek to possess it.”
    “ Go on,” said
Calvin.
    “ I think it’s all a lie, as
I said. But, if such a weapon does exist, I agree with you that it
shouldn’t. I will help you find it—if it is real—so long as you
promise me that we will destroy it. It would be as much a threat to
my people in your hands as it would be to yours in our
hands.”
    “ You have my word,” said
Calvin. “Such a weapon has no right to exist.” He took a step back
and looked at the others for any signs of dissent. This was a very
important strategic goal they all needed to agree on. The Fleet,
the Phoenix Ring, the Organization, none of those entities should
have a weapon like this any more than the Rotham Republic should,
or anyone else. “Does anyone disagree?” he finally
asked.
    No one spoke. Calvin took that as
assent.
    “ The people you are looking
for are called the Rahajiim,” said Alex. “They want to end human
dominance in the galaxy. They seek any weapons or means to shift
the balance of power.”
    “ Where are they?”
    “ Everywhere and
nowhere.”
    Calvin wasn’t impressed by this response.
“Not good enough.”
    “ I don’t know where they
are. They are elusive. Their brotherhood speaks in secret phrases
and whispers. No one knows their members. They move in the
darkness. The Advent knows of them, but cannot find them. Perhaps
some of the Advent are part of the Rahajiim. I do not
know.”
    “ Is that how you fit into
this?” asked Calvin, realizing that Alex knew too much not to be
involved. “Are you part of the Advent?” The Advent was the elite
intelligence gathering network of the Rotham Republic.
    Alex looked unhappy to give up this secret.
Calvin locked eyes with him intensely, making it clear he had no
choice. “Yes,” said Alex. “I am an Advent operative. The squadron
that was in Abia, it was Rahajiim. I had infiltrated and was
gathering intelligence. Someone recognized me and they locked me
up. Then you found me.”
    He seemed to be telling the truth, though
Calvin found Alex’s Rotham face more difficult to read than a
human’s would have been.
    “ As to what the squadron was
doing in Abia. I don’t know. I didn’t figure that out in time,”
Alex admitted, shame trickling into his voice. “I failed my
mission. But if such a weapon does exist, it’s the Rahajiim who
would be seeking it.”
    “ So the Rahajiim do not
represent the interests of the Rotham government?” Calvin had
worried that the Rotham involved with the conspiracy had the
blessing and resources of the Rotham state.
    “ Believe it or not, human
Commander, not all Rotham are interested in ambition and trickery.”
His eyes made it clear he didn’t like this widely believed
stereotype. “Some of us just want to be left alone. Many of us are
non-interventionists. We don’t want another war.”
    Calvin thought back on what