(Thelorious, Dimiya)
While the diplomatic types were doing the political song and dance for the masses in front of the cameras of the press corps as a long-lost group of settlers were introduced to the people of Known Space, Raven and I joined Alok and a few other spooks and more practical types in a conference room that very pointedly didn’t have any cameras or recording devices, other than Raven herself.
To be clear, this wasn’t a hostile thing, or a threat. It was just that some of these people were supposed to be ghosts, and having records of their appearances would be bad. And others had official titles that required any official meetings they were in had to be recorded, which could be bad if something sensitive came up in the discussion. So, this was a very official unofficial meeting between business associates.
Paxisys started the meeting off. “You already know me, and Lieutenant Zumrora. Allow me to introduce you to Naesala Venra, an aide to the Confederation Prime Minister, Rina Fenris, a representative of the Chamber of Commerce, and Nokhuil Goldtank, an assistant to the Ambassador from the Gauz Consortium.”
I nodded to each in turn, as Paxisys turned to the others, and said, “And this is Commodore Mirikon Mollen, of the Black Star Company, the Nomad we were discussing.”
Nokhuil Goldtank, a stout and sturdy Gauz male if ever there was one, nodded as he looked my way. “Well, you’ve certainly done a good job of throwing the universe on its ear, laddie. I don’t suppose you know just how much you’ve thrown everyone’s expectations off by finding that seventeenth Gateway address?”
I smiled, and said, “Eighteenth, actually.” As I saw the others start in surprise, I continued, “I’m sure by now you have had more than a few people who suggested slipping a ship or two through the Gate to go try and meet the people and negotiate whatever deals they can. Unfortunately, as no fewer than fifteen pirate ships have discovered at last contact, the planet on the other side of the Gateway from where we led the Nuevo Edoan Prime Minister through is not safe to land on, unless one wishes to become a permanent resident.”
Alok’s eyes narrowed, “What do you mean by that, Commodore?”
I shrugged. “Exactly as I said. The Nuevo Edoans paid the Black Star Company to remove the threat of a group who had been attacking them for the last century, one using a variant of the Hundeherstellar technology. As Black Star came into possession of weapons capable of dealing with large-scale nanite infestations without enaging in genocide or leaving a life-sustaining world a smoking cinder during the war, we deployed special munitions containing the substance known as Greenwave to destroy the natives’ technological base, including the nanites they used to enhance themselves.”
That little revelation went over about as well as one could expect, since I’d basically done the equivalent of Disney announcing to the world that they were now a nuclear power. Governments don’t really like the idea of anyone having Weapons of Mass Destruction in the hands of anyone but their own military. The idea of a private company having them was enough to make many people uneasy.
Zumrora sighed, and said, “Well, we figured you had retained samples of the Greenwave weapon, and since it is you, we’d already assumed you would produce a strategic supply. Didn’t expect you to actually use it, though.”
I shrugged, and said, “It was the simplest way to go about things without engaging in wholesale genocide, or a lengthy conquest and pacification campaign.”
The aide to the Prime Minister finally got her voice back, and said, “WHAT? You can’t mean that you knew this man had a weapon of such destructive power and didn’t think to inform the Prime Minister?”
Paxisys grunted at the knelfi woman. “And what, exactly, would the Prime Minister have done, except create a political firestorm and maybe start a panic? The Black Star Company has, since Jagloth, operated as a sanctioned security company in Confederate space, and have abided by all rules on use of force for those companies, which only apply when inside Confederate territory. It is legal for a sanctioned security company to own most weapons, though the use of certain weapons is tightly controlled.”
The human lady from the Chamber of Commerce nodded shakily. “Yes, after the Imperial Civil War brought the existence of Greenwave to light, it was added to the list of restricted weapons. It is illegal to buy, sell, or trade those weapons inside Confederate space except for the Confederate Military, and the trading of those weapons to groups outside Confederate space is strictly regulated. However, there is no law against a firm producing such weapons. Since the weapons were used outside the Confederacy, by the group that produced them, they would have a good case before the Chamber if they sought to appeal any sanctions due to this incident.”
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Zumrora nodded. “And I will note that all the intelligence agencies keep a close eye on groups with the production capacity and technical knowledge to produce weapons on the proscribed lists, to ensure that they are operating inside the law. We had already been watching the Black Star Company for some time prior to this, due to their Assassin-class ships.”
I cleared my throat. “At any rate, the Gateway that the entirety of Known Space likely now knows is NOT the Gateway to Nuevo Edo. The reason we came through the other gate is obvious, since the pirates have already tried landing on the planet, and added themselves to the population. It will be interesting to see, from a sociological standpoint, what happens to the survivors going forward.”
Leaning back in my chair, I surveyed the room. Paxisys and Zumrora were nonplussed about my admission, but they already knew about my capability from their spying, so they weren’t having a fit. Fenris was still a bit wary, but was already seeing things from a commercial point of view. Goldtank nodded softly to himself, though I think I caught a hint of appreciation in his eyes. Well, I did manage to stir things up, so if he liked a good surprise, that’d do it.
The only problem was Venra. She was still sputtering, torn between shock and outrage. Such a politician. I looked over at her, and said, “Ms. Venra, you may as well stop you political posturing now. I am well within my rights, and have followed the proper laws. You could, of course, try and get the Prime Minister to pass new laws, which my people would challenge. As it stands, I’m fairly popular both here and abroad, thanks to Black Star’s exploits. It would be terrible if I was forced to look away from my businesses to enter the political arena as part of the opposition.”
“B-but you’re not even military! How can you be allowed to have weapons of that nature? It is a clear and present danger to the future of the Confederacy! What is stopping you from launching those weapons on Dimiya?”
“The same thing that is stopping me from taking a shuttle, removing the safeguards on the engine (something any engineer could do), and launching it at the surface of Dimiya at five hundred times the speed of light. It would make the terrorist attack that started the Imperial Civil War look like a camera flash in comparison. You would be extraordinarily lucky if the planet was still in only a couple pieces at that point.”
Watching the blood drain from the woman’s face as she thought of the implications of what would happen in such an attack was fun. But I decided to continue. “So, will you be calling for the abolishment of warp drive, as well? I can tell you, that will make the Prime Minister oh so popular with the private sector and the military. Or can we agree that there are appropriate controls in place to keep disaster from happening?”
Fenris shook her head. “Talk of this nature is absurd. But Paxisys will correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe the law requires government inspection of any active storage sites for proscribed weapons, to make sure security is at an acceptable level?” Paxisys nodded. “Then, Commodore, will you consent to inspectors coming to view your Greenwave storage sites?”
I smiled at Fenris, and said, “That would be fairly pointless, as I do not have any Greenwave storage sites, inside or outside of the Confederacy. Having the weapons on hand is far too tempting a target for thieves, and encourages those who hold them to use them in some way. It is much better to remove that temptation entirely, and make it so you have time to think it over before you consign a world to ruin.”
I paused, and turned to look at Venra directly. “The policy of the Black Star Company is that we will have no stockpile or storage of Greenwave or other weapons classified as ‘world-killers’. When, in accordance with the mission needs and applicable laws, the use of Greenwave or other such weapons is deemed necessary, such weapons shall be produced on site, only in such quantities as are necessary to carry out the strike, and any such weapons not expended by the end of the mission shall be promptly destroyed in the appropriate means given for the weapon type, with preference given to launching them into the sun.”
(Amazon System)
The Scout Ship arrived in a burst of energy near the Gateway. Slowly, it turned, and moved towards the planet below. The Sentinels had been watching this and the other world with interest. They were, practically, neighbors. Their two stars were close enough that the light would pass from one to another in 1/2875000 of a Galactic Rotation, a pittance, considering that there were engines in their home space that could cross the gap in a matter of a couple of their months.
Until now, the Sentinels had watched the warring between the two worlds, the constant struggle that had happened since they had first found eachother through the ancient gateways. But something had changed. This system bore proof of the change.
Up until just recently, the system the ship was in had been home to a spacefaring civilization. Primitive in many ways, held back by their ideology, but spacefaring. No more. Now the wreckage of their space fleets littered the system, and the world below had been effectively cleansed of industry. The Sentinel had watched it happen.
That was why the Scout Ship was here. Their shields protected them from the tiny machines that had spread throughout the air, sea, and land of the world, seeking out and destroying technology more advanced than a certain level. A sample was taken, and contained, for study. The Ship noted that the people of this world had been spared from outright genocide, but they were a spacefaring civilization suddenly thrown back to the Stone Age, as few examples of technology remained. Those that could, adapted. Those that could not, died. But those that lived grew stronger.
The Scout ship left the atmosphere of the stricken world. It would need to find answers elsewhere. The strange ships that had assaulted this civilization and shown such cruel mercy (or perhaps merciful cruelty?) were not here. They would look elsewhere for a worthy hunt. Perhaps the other world would have prey strong enough to call the hunt? It had was the mere remnant of a spacefaring civilization that had been abandoned there by one of the Great Makers, but perhaps these new ships would prove a challenge?
Returning to a position near the Gateway, the Scout Ship slowed to a stop. Some of the new ships were still in the other system, according to the Sentinel. It would not do to scare the prey before the hunt began. Slowly, the Scout ship gathered energy. It would emerge from the travel several days’ stalk from the target system, so that those watching the skies would not detect the energy of their coming. A scout should be neither seen nor heard, unless there is great need. More so when looking for prey suitable to hunt.