Read Online Torian Reclamation 3: Test of Fortitude by Andy Kasch - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Andy Kasch
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challenge to accomplish, but it could be done. Imagine that. A thousand humans with no identity, no history, no dental records. Was this undertaking included in the High General’s unexpected offer? Assuming they pulled it off, where would that put them all? On a deserted island in the middle of the Pacific somewhere? What kind of life would that be? How could they get rescued, and what would their story be?
“I didn’t mean to send you off to a mental boot camp,” Olut6 said.
Brandon refocused and realized he’d been staring at the High General all this time.
“Let’s forget about Earth for now,” Brandon said. “Why don’t you run by the specifics of this proposed assignment again, slowly?”
“There’s not that much too it, Brandon. I’ll send you and a carefully chosen crew to Azaar on a specially equipped Class-3 transport ship. You’ll take up orbit there, open a general broadcasting frequency, and request to speak to their foreign relations ambassador. They probably won’t respond immediately, and might send some fighters out to try and scare you. At that point, you should make your identity known and stress the fact that you are a Tora-authorized delegate, but also let them know you’re an Earthling come to have a parley.”
“And you think that will convince them to receive me?”
“Maybe,” Olut6 said. “If not, I trust you to convince them in your own profound way.”
Brandon nodded. “It’s a wise leader who allows his trusted subordinates a wide degree of discretion.”
Olut6 ignored his comment. “Once you’re in conference with them, don’t waste time on cordiality. That’s a weakness. Clobber them over the head with a demand. Ask them flat-out what their transport ship was doing hiding in the sub-atmosphere of HD28.”
“And how do you think they’ll respond?”
“By stalling, of course, while they communicate with higher authority. Hopefully, someone from the high command will then show up. They’ll grill you with questions first. Put up with it for a short while only, and then repeat your demand. At that point, you’ll need to use your brain again and figure out how to let them know we mean business. Don’t threaten them with war, though. You can get close to that, but stop short of it.”
“All right,” Brandon said. “Assuming I get this far, and they don’t lock me up or toss me out on my ass, they’ll now offer some kind of explanation for their transport ship being spotted acting suspiciously. Then what?”
“Whatever it is, tell them you don’t believe it and that the Tora military suspects them of withholding knowledge about the dark-ship enemy who attacked us five years ago.”
Brandon shook his head. “But that has no logical connection to their ship being seen at that hydro-dwarf planet.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Why not?”
“This whole thing is a ruse, Brandon. It’s just an excuse to accuse them. I want to see what kind of reaction they give you.”
“What if their reaction involves killing the insolent foreign delegate?”
“Highly unlikely.”
“So you say.” Brandon placed his elbow on Olut6’s desk and held his head by the temples. “Then what?”
“At this juncture you’ll be involved at quite a deep level. You’ll know what to do. They’ll either give you a useful bit of information—purposefully or inadvertently—or they won’t.”
“If they don’t?”
“Come home and report. Mission over.”
“What if they do reveal something we don’t know about the dark enemy?”
“In that case, send a message back to me and go to Dirg. It’s only an additional half-day journey.”
Brandon lifted his head. “I don’t know if I’m up for this, General. I see what you’re trying to do. But I’m not feeling it. I do understand why you want an Earthling for this bit of dirty work. There are others who can do this for you. I’m not the only intelligent, thinking human in Tora with military experience. This is
“I didn’t mean to send you off to a mental boot camp,” Olut6 said.
Brandon refocused and realized he’d been staring at the High General all this time.
“Let’s forget about Earth for now,” Brandon said. “Why don’t you run by the specifics of this proposed assignment again, slowly?”
“There’s not that much too it, Brandon. I’ll send you and a carefully chosen crew to Azaar on a specially equipped Class-3 transport ship. You’ll take up orbit there, open a general broadcasting frequency, and request to speak to their foreign relations ambassador. They probably won’t respond immediately, and might send some fighters out to try and scare you. At that point, you should make your identity known and stress the fact that you are a Tora-authorized delegate, but also let them know you’re an Earthling come to have a parley.”
“And you think that will convince them to receive me?”
“Maybe,” Olut6 said. “If not, I trust you to convince them in your own profound way.”
Brandon nodded. “It’s a wise leader who allows his trusted subordinates a wide degree of discretion.”
Olut6 ignored his comment. “Once you’re in conference with them, don’t waste time on cordiality. That’s a weakness. Clobber them over the head with a demand. Ask them flat-out what their transport ship was doing hiding in the sub-atmosphere of HD28.”
“And how do you think they’ll respond?”
“By stalling, of course, while they communicate with higher authority. Hopefully, someone from the high command will then show up. They’ll grill you with questions first. Put up with it for a short while only, and then repeat your demand. At that point, you’ll need to use your brain again and figure out how to let them know we mean business. Don’t threaten them with war, though. You can get close to that, but stop short of it.”
“All right,” Brandon said. “Assuming I get this far, and they don’t lock me up or toss me out on my ass, they’ll now offer some kind of explanation for their transport ship being spotted acting suspiciously. Then what?”
“Whatever it is, tell them you don’t believe it and that the Tora military suspects them of withholding knowledge about the dark-ship enemy who attacked us five years ago.”
Brandon shook his head. “But that has no logical connection to their ship being seen at that hydro-dwarf planet.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Why not?”
“This whole thing is a ruse, Brandon. It’s just an excuse to accuse them. I want to see what kind of reaction they give you.”
“What if their reaction involves killing the insolent foreign delegate?”
“Highly unlikely.”
“So you say.” Brandon placed his elbow on Olut6’s desk and held his head by the temples. “Then what?”
“At this juncture you’ll be involved at quite a deep level. You’ll know what to do. They’ll either give you a useful bit of information—purposefully or inadvertently—or they won’t.”
“If they don’t?”
“Come home and report. Mission over.”
“What if they do reveal something we don’t know about the dark enemy?”
“In that case, send a message back to me and go to Dirg. It’s only an additional half-day journey.”
Brandon lifted his head. “I don’t know if I’m up for this, General. I see what you’re trying to do. But I’m not feeling it. I do understand why you want an Earthling for this bit of dirty work. There are others who can do this for you. I’m not the only intelligent, thinking human in Tora with military experience. This is
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