“Captain, we are ready for you now. Please follow me to the briefing room.” Jehz stood up and straightened his jacket. The eyes of all the diplomats in the room followed him as he walked, their mild distain for the Musa clear in the dismissive looks shot at him and each other, though they were careful not to do so in an overtly insubordinate way. Jehz had become used to the treatment. As a military commander on a team dominated by diplomats, he actually expected it. It was tiresome but he was here to fill a role as a military representative on diplomatic missions, a role he desperately hoped would soon end. For two years now he had suffered through a never-ending stream of political plays for money, power, and freedom by some of the most desperate politicians in the known worlds. All would hope to manipulate the presence of the Given, almost none would succeed. The Given system of governance made it nearly impossible even if a Given diplomat could be somehow bent to their will.
Jehz had discovered in the many idle moments of this assignment a newfound appreciation for the patience and sacrifice of these Given, their empathy and relentless attempts to engage the protected peoples despite the almost juvenile resistance was nothing short of amazing. He came to understand the nuance of their work and the value in calming the more uncontrollable impulses of these developing societies. It required deep insight and understanding. To a Musa soldier steeped in the physical culture of the battlefield, it was boring - stunningly, excruciatingly so. If the Rija mind projection technique he had studied for years promised him the ability to withstand even the most brutal torture in the known worlds, it could not have found a better use than the Transition meetings of newly protected peoples.
How many times over would he have to listen to the same stream of pleadings, threats, recriminations, and reconciliation attempts? Almost identical politicians with nearly identical strivings but in widely separated solar systems, light years away from each other. There really was a sameness to the ambition of sentient life Jehz had never considered possible before taking this position. Painfully predictable, especially when viewed through his role as an observer. What version of it would we see this time around, he wondered, and could he possibly ever make it to the end of his assignment without losing his mind? What he would give for even a routine patrol on a safe, settled planet, just to feel the ground under his feet and the sense of possibility and a changing landscape. One day soon, he thought as he sat down heavily in his chair, trying his hardest to look interested.
The head diplomat entered the room, his eyes quickly scanning for someone until his gaze stopped on Jehz, which he held for a moment and then began whispering to an assistant. Very unusual thought Jehz, typically he was not acknowledged or even noticed in these meetings, especially by the senior officials. Jehz chalked it up to his being a grudging reminder of the real business they were in, power and protection, not the set piece psychological manipulation the diplomats were specialists at. Though today perhaps they actually needed him?
“Ladies, and gentleman, we have ourselves a bit of a situation that has emerged during the Transition meetings on a recently protected planet, Rychon. The native peoples have raised a bit of a fuss, claiming to have taken the Musa forces and diplomatic staff hostage. Or perhaps more precisely, claiming they have introduced a unique organism into the system of all Given on the planet that will prevent them from ever leaving, at least alive. There are no Illuta on the ground but the bio scans show nothing unusual. We are not sure what to make of it but of course by protocol are taking the threat seriously. General Alta happened to be nearby on another mission and is en route with a science team and all the military might of the Morta at his disposal. With all due respect to our Musa comrade, we would hope that level of intervention will not be necessary in this case. As a team experienced in the ups and downs of the Transition, it seems clear to us the Rychii are panicking, having very little prior contact with outside worlds. We should actively take the lead in this situation and defuse though we will need to move quickly to avoid the risk of any possible…escalation.”
“What are they demanding?” asked one of the junior diplomats. “Is there any accommodation for us there?”
“I’m afraid not – their request is bold. That we leave the planet immediately, leaving all ships and equipment behind - so that they might retain and study our tech for themselves no doubt. They would have all Given on the ground embark on one of their cargo transports, accompanied by a local scientist of some kind who can evidently create a cure while in the air. After doing so, the scientist will leave on an escape pod and we will be free to go on our way. Or so they say. I will let Lylez here brief you on culture, technology, and protocols so we may then begin the strategy sessions.”
“Thank you sir. Please look at your screen, the files should be incoming now. The Rychii are a highly militarized culture born out of a long history of deep internal conflicts, many lasting hundreds of years. The current peace, apparently surviving a century or more now appears based around highly stylized ritual combat sports. Enormous, elaborate festivals incorporating these contests are hosted by the various factions, some lasting for weeks, and they serve to diffuse the inevitable tension between the cultures. Surprisingly with the long-held peace, nearly all power, except for the highest ruler, is held by military officials. Culturally, the Rychii appear to prize discipline and order above all else and have an outsize sense of honor. It is tellingly a major part of the closing festivals that the visitors celebrate the losing factions, elaborately singing their praises almost at the expense of their own. They are something to behold, quite striking in tone.”
“Their diplomatic style on initial review appears unrefined and without nuance for the most part. The military culture seems to have stunted their development in this area and the lack of surrounding planet systems has left them without many partners to work with. By all accounts the early Transition meetings were proceeding well or at least typically with bouts of insolence giving way to a grudging respect for the Given power and the strength of our message. Where it all went wrong has been difficult for the ground team to identify and explain, but clearly at some point in the meetings it did and the conversations evolved from general frustrations to very specific threats against our people in the form of this biological entity.”
“The technology on Rychon is level 5 on the Riches scale with modest weapons systems and limited, non-warp space travel. Keep that in mind in all conversations, they are unlikely to understand or be entirely comfortable with high-level tech. Stay at level 7 and below in all offer development. There are no technological outliers that we have been made aware of, nothing our Illuta comrades would like to get their hands on so our desire for this planet would appear to be mostly strategic. Those are the high-level details, there is more in the files being forwarded to your screens. Any questions? No? Sir, back to you then.”
“Thank you Lylez. We’ll be lifting off shortly and should be in orbit around Rychon in two hours or so. Before we break into our strategy teams, I’d like to get some ideas from our leads on what our general approach should be. Ulyz?”
“Well sir, to put it simply, we desperately need an accurate assessment of this bio threat. If we can’t make any quick progress on the ground, we need to try and get some tissue samples to the Illuta team waiting on the Morta by any means necessary and figure out what is really going on. Since it seems quite likely this is a hoax of some kind, the sooner we can confirm it the sooner we can move on to the real business at hand. Any strategic approach forward entirely depends on that confirmation.”
The head diplomat furrowed his brow slightly. “Does it though Ulyz? That seems perhaps a little narrowly focused? Is there not a solution worth pursuing that is valuable regardless of the veracity of the bio threat? What if we find out the danger is real or the truth difficult to resolve? Don’t we need a simultaneous approach to address those possibilities given how quickly critical it could become? The head diplomat eyed his number one with impatience, clearly expecting a different, more complex approach. The look in Ulyz’s eyes suggested he registered the disapproval and he tried to recover.
“Of course, sir. Frankly that possibility seems remote given the Rychii tech level based on our initial studies but we need to be thorough I suppose. Perhaps in that case we need to consider a more organic approach sir. I would guess a bio element this out of line with their tech level would be a natural phenomenon, perhaps trained by their science but unlikely to be created by it. That means there is almost surely cultural knowledge about it spread throughout the populace. We need to track down healers, historians, anyone who might be able to extract any insight from. In the meantime, we need a slow reengagement of their diplomatic force. A complete linguistic breakdown of the past talks needs to occur. There was a major misstep there somewhere. We need to find it, process the cultural context, and avoid a repeat performance. This is likely to be resource intensive and time-consuming sir but perhaps worth the effort given the possibilities.”
“Interesting. Logical, predictable, but sound. And if we find it is not true?”
“In that case, we may need to shift our focus to the military contacts. Our studies suggest for that scenario it was likely their influence that materialized the threat. We need to find out why. Is it just another juvenile attempt to scare us off or the sign of a deeper play that is still developing?”
“There may be something there, Ulyz, but how do we plan to do that? We’ve been actively shielded from all military contacts since the first meetings despite numerous entreaties on our part.”
“Perhaps our Musa brother here could develop a military angle that could result in some engagement?” Ulyz glanced at Jehz, trying hard to avoid expressing the distaste he had for that approach but realizing, as his boss had done, the obvious potential of it in this culture and context.
“My thoughts exactly, Ulyz, and a pleasant reminder to all of why we insist on a mix of disciplines in our Transition units. It may not be natural to us, but Liddo teams must follow the optimal solution to the problem, wherever that might lie, without ego or jealousy. Our Musa friend might help us reach the end of this fortunate situation, or not, but this is the right call. He is with us for a reason and I might remind us all he is highly accomplished in his field with impeccable credentials, and we should feel honored by his Musa brothers that they have sent him to us.” The head diplomat nodded respectfully toward his number one. “Your open-mindedness is appreciated, Ulyz.”
Jehz sat in amazement at the way the head diplomat had steered his top advisor into recommending a lead Musa role in the talks despite the likely discomfort with it and without more openly challenging him as would have been the case had this been a Musa strategy session. There was something masterful in the way it had been handled allowing both parties to claim success in the exchange. Just when he thought the Liddo really had nothing to teach him, Jehz realized there might be a deeper power to their methods than he thought. After all, was it not the Rija who held sway over all the Given, including the Musa and they surely shared more in common with the Liddo than his own kiln.
“So let’s divide the teams into three prongs, one team to focus on the safety and medical sample of the Given, four teams to begin data gathering and intelligence studies, and the final group to work with Jehz on developing a military connection. Let’s get right to work, time feels very short, my friends.”
In the shuffle of activity that followed as the teams readied themselves for the strategy sessions, Ulyz and his aides quietly made their way over to Jehz who was already studying his files for an angle that could be used to connect to the Rychii military.
“Captain, when you are ready, I would like to offer you my private meeting space and full staff resources if they might be of use. I know your potential contributions have not been…fully appreciated or realized up to now, but rest assured your place on this team is fully accepted and understood by the Liddo. Perhaps at times it may appear otherwise but we simply want to feel our role in the greater Given mission is understood. Sometimes I admit we are defensive and overreach ourselves a bit in that regard. Not to excuse but there some historical reasons why that is so. But our preference for internal methods does not preclude our appreciation of other techniques, and my personal feeling is we need a tempered military approach to this solution. Maybe on the battlefield or maybe at the negotiating table, but we do need it. Please let us focus however on bringing the best of both of our kilns together on this effort so that we might avoid the sort of sizable military engagement that could undermine our chances at a long-term peace with the Rychii. They don’t seem the sort to forget easily – and neither of us needs this kind of setback on our records I would think?”
Jehz was taken aback by the blunt honesty and lack of guile in Ulyz. Once again had the Liddo surprised him with a greater depth of understanding and character than he had expected and again he found himself reevaluating his perception of their culture. They were perhaps not the only ones in this affair who had underestimated another kiln. “Thank you Ulyz, your openness and offer of assistance is greatly appreciated. I say if you are ready, let’s proceed to your meeting rooms and see if we can’t use our newfound partnership to help devise a way to return our brothers and sisters home to us.”
Shortly after they took their seats and Jehz began describing his pitch to share modestly advanced Musa strategy and training secrets with the Rychii generals rather than technology as a way to build comradery, the comm crackled to life. “Looks like we have a pod leaving the atmosphere, one soldier aboard. The bio signature says he is one of ours. No pursuit in sight.”
Jehz turned to Ulyz, “What do you make of it, I thought they ran pretty tight security down there?”
“They do, Jehz believe me. I think you’d be impressed. What they lack in tech, they seem to make up with their culture and commitment. If half of their war stories are true this is a deeply traumatized culture, much like ours, though their wounds are self-inflicted. And just like ours, their resolve to emerge from that trauma stronger than before has tempered their commitment and discipline. I really doubt he got out on his own.”
“Agreed - they must have let him go. But why? To prove the deadly nature of the bio threat?”
“Hard to say, maybe they are trying to spread it aboard the Morta. I would assume the escaped soldier is looking at a lengthy quarantine?”
“Standard protocol but for how long depends on the medeval, and they have the facilities needed on the Morta to study him while he is under wraps so maybe we can get some of the answers we were looking for sooner than we thought. I’ll contact the General, try to get some intel, and begin the coordination.”
Jehz headed for a secure room and tried to raise his father on his comm. The General picked up immediately, “Captain, good to hear from you. Was this little package that just arrived a gift from my Liddo friends? Are their slippery ways loosening the Rychii grip already?”
“I’m afraid not General, and I would be very suspicious of that pod. The consensus here is whoever is aboard was released on purpose and either or both could be booby-trapped.”
“Well, if that’s true, they made a good show of it. According to Sgt Iyez, our dedicated runner and a highly decorated hand to hand combatant by the way, he was able to hide a biocracker outside one of the holding tents during the intake, before they were officially declared as hostages. Two days later as they were moving him back through, he had a chance to retrieve it. Took three of their soldiers down fighting on his way to the escape pod if his story and internal bio scanners are to be believed. Seems like a long, long way to go on the part of Rychii..and for what? A clumsy ploy to infect the Morta? We have three levels of cleanse protocols beyond anything their science could even imagine that would take down any bio agents they could develop. We won’t cut corners on this Jehz, but they would seem to have almost no shot at this kind of incursion and must know it. Moreover, don’t they seem more like the “smack you in the mouth” types not likely to run a side game this early in the negotiations? What do your Liddo friends have to say about the motivation here?”
“They are suspicious General. We may not have the clear picture of their culture we imagine, even after all this time negotiating. Perhaps the military command has more control than we thought and this entire process has been some elaborate feint.”
“Perhaps, but do we have any proof? Intercepted comms, leaked confidences, anything?”
“We don’t sir, this just seems out of line to everyone on the Liddo team that has had contact with the Rychii. They are nothing if not precise. Their tech is low but their culture/commitment level would seem to rival even our own. So I’m told anyway.”
“Told by the Liddo, who would know exactly what about military culture, Captain?”
“Understood, General, but they do have deep cultural contacts and would seem to have a context for this.”
“All right, we will take extra precautions and double check the triple checking?”
“That seems prudent, sir.”
“The Illuta will be working through the night so we should have something for you in the morning at the briefing scheduled with Liddo leadership. I assume you will be there? I hear you have been given a starring role in this one?”
“I‘ve been given a role, sir, which I think has caused a dozen Liddo Gods to roll over in their graves.” Jehz smiled, happy to be bantering with another Musa he could really relax with, and even better his father, for the first time in a while.
“I’m sure it has. You show those arrogant sons of bitches they aren’t the only ones who can problem solve. Over and out.”
***
The next morning as Jehz was readying himself for the morning brief, rehearsing his pitch to trade strategy for access with the Rychii military, his comm came to life.
“Good morning, Captain,” said Ulyz, “please come to the briefing room immediately. The General has contacted us and is proposing a very disturbing plan.”
I’m sure he is, thought Jehz. He should have known the General wouldn’t wait long after the escaped soldier was cleared by his medeval to launch a response. “On my way”, said Jehz and headed out, trying to contain his frustration at his father’s brashness.
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As Jehz entered the room, he could see Dorz engaged in emotional discussion, almost surely with his father. Ulyz sat close by with pained body language and a nauseous look on his face. The head diplomat seemed relieved to see him and gestured in an animated fashion for Jehz to come over to join them.
“Captain, please explain to the General if you would, the protocol on military engagement in this scenario.”
“C’mon Dorz”, said the General, “We all know full well what the protocol says. What does it say about a simple rescue mission to save a squad of soldiers before they are captured by a military force that has been overtly threatening us with death? This is a simple snatch and run, Dorz, my soldiers will be back before you or the Rychii know it. We’re not even sure at this point if the Rychii realize this group is there but it won’t take them long if they start focusing any scans in that area. Our teams were leading a deep wilderness bio exploration for the Illuta, some kind of unique compound search, you know how they are, and I think the Rychii has lost track of them for now. They never sent anybody even near their last known location. We can launch right away, their sensors will never see us coming and we’ll be back home with 50 less soldiers to worry about in a few hours.”
“The ranking Illuta is signing off on this then, our escaped soldier has been medically cleared?” asked Dorz.
“I’m confident he will. They are finding no sign of infection of any kind; all cell parameters are well within normal. He’s fine according to them with almost no chance of a change based on their probability studies. We are not talking about setting him free, by the way, he’ll be in the full three days, but we have a chance here to maybe save a few lives and it seems like we should take it. Looks pretty low risk.”
Jehz knew the love the General felt for his soldiers was real, but he couldn’t help wonder if there was more at play here. Was this also going to be a recon mission to help with planning should a full-scale invasion become necessary? The fifty soldiers might be better off digging in and waiting this out while the situation settled. In the end, it might also be helpful to have this kind of resource on the ground if they could remain free should things take a turn for the worse with the Rychii. The General must have already considered this, so why wasn’t he mentioning it here? While he didn’t especially want to contradict the General, he knew his role was to act on behalf of the Liddo while he was embedded. He also knew the General wouldn’t like it, but he felt obligated to speak up.
“But with all due respect, General, low risk is not no risk, and shouldn’t we consider waiting for the situation to settle a bit before we jump in?”
The General stared at Jehz with a blank, mildly irritated expression, but he seemed to understand Jehz’s place on the team and motivation. He slowly sat back in his chair, staring around the room, making them all wait for his response.
“Well, Captain, we all know there is no such thing as a no risk situation, but based on the Illuta input and low risk of detection, it seems like bringing our brothers and sisters home is the right thing to do. Do you disagree? Would this compromise your ongoing negotiations in some way?” The General knew full well the Liddo were attempting to rekindle negotiations but were struggling to gain any real traction.
“I don’t disagree, General, just wonder about the timing. This is a very fluid situation that could change quickly.”
“Which could easily turn against us. It sounds like you are making my case for me.”
Jehz could tell the General was already committed and other than a vague gut sense this was a premature move, he could not think of a legitimate tactical reason to protest. He turned to Dorz and shrugged. Dorz seemed to understand the signal and frowned, his shoulders slumping.
“Proceed if you must General, but please proceed cautiously, we are still in a very delicate phase and…”
“Understood, Dorz,” the General interrupted, “the Liddo are always involved in delicate work. We’ll do our best. General out.”
A wave of quiet drifted over the room, and the Liddo exchanged glances with each other, not wanting to insult their Musa teammate, but clearly frustrated by the effort to save the entire Given contingent being preempted by the General’s side mission.
“These things happen, team,” said Dorz, “There is no reason to think the rescue will undermine our larger efforts so please return to your planning. We have successfully worked around much bigger obstacles in the past.” Jehz slowly drifted back toward Ulyz’s meeting room avoiding Dorz’s glance on his way out. Despite his understanding of Musa culture and the deep commitment the General had to his soldiers given the risks they faced, he somehow still felt embarrassed at the way the Liddo’s efforts had been stepped over. And he understood for the first time why the Liddo had kept him at arm’s length during his assignment.
The following morning, like the morning before, Jehz comm sprang to life early and again it was Dorz. “Right away, please.” No greeting, but a nearly pleading tone had crept into Dorz’s voice. What could have gone wrong, thought Jehz as he rushed out the door. What had the General done? Jehz entered the briefing room and the stress of disaster etched on the faces of the Liddo startled him. The General was on the main screen, composed but more shaken than he could ever remember seeing him. He wasn’t sure which was worse, the mortal fear on the faces of those who had never tasted death at close hand or the tone of anger and sorrow touching the face of one who had seen far too much of it.
“What’s happened, General?” Jehz blurted out.
“They tricked us, Jehz, killing fifty of our best soldiers in an underhanded cowardly move. For no goddamn reason.”
“We don’t know for sure yet who did it, General.” said Dorz quickly.
“Please, Dorz, don’t play that Liddo obfuscating game with me now. The cell studies were way out of normal for all those dead and the air samples show you can’t take a breath on that planet without being infected. We know that now, don’t we? They sent Iyez back clean somehow just to try and draw us to the surface. They must have seen our rescue ship come and go if they were watching that closely and knew what would happen when we left the atmosphere. Exactly what they had threatened us with and they sat there and watched it happen. No warning at all, knowing our soldiers would die an excruciating death with no chance to defend themselves. Savages. Absolute savages and cowards.”
“General, please, for my benefit, start at the beginning. I need to understand what happened,” said Jehz.
“There is not much to tell Captain. The mission went smoothly, exactly as planned. All soldiers were recovered with no complication and no detection as far as we could tell. Shortly after they cleared the atmosphere though, all on board started getting intensely sick – difficulty breathing, internal hemorrhaging. Within fifteen minutes, they were lost. The shuttle was recovered and we are studying the situation now but it looks like a setup since Iyez’s bio profile wasn’t like any we have from Given who are down on the planet, and neither match the dead on the ship. The Illuta are focusing on a number of organisms now that have been identified in the cell studies and are hopeful they will develop a cure but they have a long way to go. The Rychii did this, Jehz. I don’t know how exactly or why, but those bastards are behind this overt act of war and they are going to pay a dear price. I will have my planners working around the clock but it shouldn’t be hard to beat down those back woods primitives. We’ll send in fully sealed teams, taking their one little virus trick away from them and end this ridiculous world if they don’t get in line immediately.”
“I understand your feeling, General, I do, but we also have thousands of Liddo staff on the ground that were helping with the transition as well as a large contingent of Musa. The Rychii clearly picked this timing on purpose to maximize the hostage numbers. We have to think this through. They may have more traps waiting for us.”
“Have we had any contact with their leadership, anyone we can contact for an explanation? They must answer for this, Dorz, you know that.”
“Of course I do, but I also have a world to bring into the fold and protect here, General, that mission hasn’t changed unless you’ve heard otherwise.”
“The mission is still on, Dorz, but you know letting this kind of aggression pass for any period is the worst kind of signal. It only serves to embolden their lesser instincts which will not end well for anyone. We’ve seen this time and time again with this culture type.”
“Agreed General but we need to try and understand what is happening in the Rychii government before we make any moves. That is very hard right now as the brothers and sisters who’ve been working with them are walled off and their limited contacts hard to reach. We are using every angle we can.”
“I’m not doubting you Dorz, but I’m also not going to lie to you. We need an explanation on this quickly or the Musa will use all the influence at our disposal to advance the military response and we’ll have every justification for doing so. You can work your Liddo magic for a while but time is running out.”
“We’ll do our best, General, Dorz out.” Dorz turned away from his screen and for once could not find the words to address his staff. An already difficult task had been made nearly impossible with the additional military pressure from the General. Who had asked him to push so hard for the rescue mission? Yes, it seemed safe but they’d both been doing this long enough to know the universe was full of surprises. The General’s son, Jehz, sitting right in front of him was clear proof of that. Dorz had been reaching out to the Rychii regularly since their arrival with no response and he wasn’t sure what else he could do. He had adequate planning in place but needed engagement with the Rychii to have even have a chance at progress. Dorz turned to Ulyz and Jehz, not really expecting much, and asked, “Any ideas?”
Jehz and Ulyz looked at each other and Ulyz nodded for Jehz to lead the discussion “Sir, Ulyz and I have been discussing the possibility of sharing some modest military training secrets with the Rychii as a way to begin an engagement. Our assumption is that strengthening the Rychii culture is more important to them than any kind of weaponry and if we can impress them with our commitment to developing soldiers and the advantage that it gives us, perhaps we can find some common ground. Without giving away too much of course.”
“Intriguing”, said Dorz, nodding. “Continue, please.”
“Well, we obviously need to adjust our plan for the new circumstances, so perhaps we need to be frank with them about the possibility of an invasion while also dangling some kind of deal. An offer for me to join them on the planet surface might show good will without sacrificing anything since it is unlikely I could be affected by the virus and it might even help us tactically to have me on the ground.”
“It could work,” said Dorz, “but we can’t raise them or get any response at all. We’ve been trying for hours.”
“Then maybe we should let the General do the work for us. Perhaps if we let the Morta jam and override their broadcast frequencies with a warning message from the General, it may open the door for us. We just need him to use a more diplomatic tone. Not his strength but hopefully he’ll realize there are many lives at stake.”
The General was contacted and though still fuming about the attack, agreed to send the message and even use some compromise wording the Liddo had suggested to moderate the tone of his draft. He seemed happy to be back in control and convinced a show of strength, even a minor one displaying the technical power of the Morta would get through to the Rychii.
At the appointed hour, Jehz, Ulyz and the rest of the Liddo watched as the Morta hijacked all the broadcast frequencies and the General delivered his message. The speech was short and the General stuck to the approved script, much to the relief of all. It was more a call to the negotiating table than a military threat but the option of an invasion was clearly suggested. Minutes after the Morta released the frequencies, a hail came in from the surface.
“Dorz, this is Vice Premier Eellang, the lead negotiator for Premier Loitru. Please forgive my directness, but does the General speak for all your people, or may I ask more precisely, is he in charge of your operation on Rychii? Should we be readying ourselves for war?”
“Greetings Vice Premier. I, not the General, am the ranking Given official on this mission and am optimistic that together we can develop an understanding acceptable to both sides that will allow us to avoid any unnecessary engagement. The General was chosen to deliver the message to your people as he was the commander that sustained the casualties and to make clear the leading role the military have in shaping Given policy. So while I am in command, the military factions may be able to influence my direct superior to pursue a path more aligned with their specialty, you might say, should our negotiations be unsuccessful or your provocations continue.”
“Beginning your negotiations with thinly veiled threats, Dorz? Is that what they teach in Given diplomat schools? I guess when you are carrying the biggest gun in this part of the galaxy, you get used to not having to try that hard to work things out.”
“That is not our thinking at all Vice Premier, but the unprovoked assassination of fifty of our soldiers has a way of sidelining diplomacy, surely you must understand that?”
“So you would consider violating our airspace with military craft unprovoked? In addition, there were multiple flyovers of military installations and numerous ground scans outside the rescue zone detected during your excursion. This was more than a simple retrieval, Dorz, would you deny it?”
“I can assure you it was approved as a rescue mission only, Vice Premier, perhaps there are legitimate reasons for these events or perhaps your signals are being misinterpreted.”
“Perhaps,” said the Vice Premier slowly, “and perhaps the Given have only come to Rychii to sample the cuisine? Let’s dispense with the dance, Dorz, and both speak plainly if you don’t mind. Your people, who would call themselves the Given of all things, come to our planet and treat us like children, placing us here, directing us there, demanding we sit still all the while pretending we are choosing all these things ourselves. It is both deeply disrespectful and deeply dishonest. We may not have your tech, but we have something you don’t, Dorz, the Rychii spirit, hardened by fire and molten metal, more than capable of hurting even the mighty Given.”
“It was never our intention to insult your people, Vice Premier, and we must admit to being extremely confused by your actions as we thought the talks were progressing well. It was to us a conversation among equals. Our very mission at its heart is meant to protect and preserve cultures like yours. Many independent worlds, strong on their own, have been overwhelmed by the dark partnerships that exist throughout the galaxy. We, and only we, are capable of stopping that and allowing the Rychii to thrive as they were meant to.”
“So you say, Dorz, but the spirit of the engagement seemed to suggest a very different intent.”
Jehz felt instinctively it was the time for him to jump in and address the Vice Premier from a military perspective and hoped Dorz would not be offended.
“Honorable Vice Premier, I am Captain Jehz, the senior Musa consultant to the Liddo on this mission. I wasn’t part of the original engagement team and cannot comment on the tone of those discussions, but I can assure you the Musa have nothing but respect for what you have built on this world. Your culture is formidable, Vice Premier, rivaling our own in its intensity and purpose and the Given are renowned throughout the galaxy for exactly that. As a military force that has seen a wide variety of cultures and approaches to warfare, we know better than most that tech alone will not achieve your goals for you, no matter how great the advantage. If you don’t have the tenacity, discipline, and teamwork that would have allowed you to succeed without a tech advantage, you will not win with it, not for long anyway. Tech has a way of inevitably leaking to both sides in a close engagement, blunting its initial effect over time. It is clear to me both our worlds instructively share this truth and understand that militaries are not for conquest but are the wall of armor that protects our cultures and allows them to develop and mature into what they were meant to be. We create the safety and calm needed to produce leaders that can show our people the way out of our dark and disturbing pasts and into a bright and limitless future. The Given and Rychii have so much in common. Where we differ is that you lack the knowledge required to allow your military to quickly and efficiently build on the foundation it has started. Knowledge that we are fortunate to already have. With it, and with our help, you will grow into a fighting force that will transform the armored wall with which it protects its people into an impenetrable shield.”
“Even without us, you will figure this out for yourselves. Eventually. I have no doubt of that. What you have accomplished already makes that very clear. There is no magic in our methods, no special secrets that time itself would not reveal to you should you continue to develop. But you may not have the time. We have seen worlds like yours, with so much potential, crushed, mangled, and destroyed by evil forces beyond what you can imagine. Please don’t think we exaggerate this risk to take advantage. The Given ourselves were victims of this type of evil for millennia, saved only by a leader no one could have ever imagined being born. Had our conquerors even sniffed at the possibility, the flicker that became the torch leading the way out of the darkness would have been extinguished without hardly any effort. Many others are not so lucky. We can give you the time you need, give you the benefit of all that we have learned, allow you to reach your goals and build your armor much faster and stronger than you would on your own, ensuring your survival forever.”
“That all sounds very compelling, Captain, and the fact that you show some awareness and respect for our journey is impressive. The Liddo who came before seemed quite unable or unwilling to do this. But we have to wonder why you would help in this way, why extend yourselves, thinning your strength, increasing your vulnerability? It seems to not make sense to us.”
“We have tried it the other way, Vice Premier, who wouldn’t? We are all concerned first with our brothers and sisters are we not? The Given are no different in that regard. But it did not and will not work. The darker forces spread so much faster, more randomly, seeking only to destroy, taking what they can, moving on when there’s no more to steal. They succeed by appealing to the greed and lower natures that are all too common among minded peoples. How is it that the greatest and most complex gift in the Universe, our minds, can be so easily turned into forms lower than the animals we think are beneath us? It is one for the priests and philosophers to ponder I suppose. We only know how evil spreads around the universe like a virus, never staying put in one place for too long, never caring about building something permanent, but always spreading wider.
We protected ourselves from it for some time but the darkness was surrounding our world like a deadly fog and we knew one day it would close over us. It is not something we could wait for, not after all we had been through. We needed friends, or at least allies, to share our knowledge with, thereby extending the protection of both ourselves and the worlds we worked with. And we succeeded beyond our wildest dreams. Many parts of the universe are completely safe now, thriving. We want to do that with the Rychii as well. To prove our sincerity and commitment, I will offer to personally come to the surface to begin that process. But we will not do this for free and we need your cooperation. Let our people go, restart the negotiations. Will you try, for the future of the Rychii and their children who, if we work together, will one day spread among the stars, without fear, rulers of their own destiny?”
The Vice Premier smiled, “Are you sure you are military, Captain? You speak with the practiced and persuasive rhythms of a politician. Hopefully you do not share their penchant for empty promises and deceit as well. Indeed, we shall consider it. You have permission to journey to the Rychii surface and begin talks with more of our leaders to determine if there is any substance behind your soaring promises. Coordinates and specifics will follow on a secure channel. I must inquire though, are you not scared of the surface bioagents that claimed the other Given? You may be stranded here.”
“I don’t believe you intend to harm me, Vice Premier, and we know a cure is possible since you applied it to one of our soldiers. I will take my chances.”
“Did we Captain, I’m afraid I have no knowledge of that, but you have shown yourself to be honorable and you have nothing to fear from the Rychii. We frankly don’t trust your Given comrades but are willing to listen and see where talks lead. Please ready yourself for the voyage immediately, there is no time to waste. I fear elements on both sides have little holding back their aggressive natures and those bindings grow more frayed by the minute. To address that concern on our side, we would like the General to accompany you to the surface. It seems safer to have him alongside us than commanding that imposing warship circling above. Would that be a problem?”
“I will have to check with the General, but I would expect not,” said Dorz. “He is as committed to resolving this situation as any of us, though the recent losses of his soldiers have him understandably concerned about the situation on the ground. I’ll let you know once I’ve had a chance to speak with him.” The Vice Premier disappeared from the screen and Dorz turned to Jehz, “That was quite a speech, Captain, I can understand now more than ever why you were chosen for this assignment. You took a chance with that tone but it was clearly the right one. This situation is far from resolved though and please don’t understate the ruthlessness of the Rychii. They seem willing to go to any length to achieve their aims. If you’ve read their histories, they are quite a frightening bunch. Cold to the core and as vicious as a wild Pomeran when they are feeling wronged.”
“I’ve read enough of them to know what I am dealing with, Dorz, but they have met their match with the Given. Musa must always adapt and fight the mission in the way their heart tells them will be the right path, even if that is not the conventional way. This seems likely to be one where fighting may not be the clearest and easiest path to victory but if we must, you know we will, and we will win. Either way, we will win.”
“And the General, Jehz, do you think he will go and if he does, can we count on him as an asset?”
“He will, if for no other reason than to size up their military leadership for a potential upcoming battle. He’s been through this sort of thing before, Dorz, just as you have. The loss of the soldiers is always hard and the dishonor the Rychii has displayed has ensured he’ll find a way to get his revenge at some point down the road. For now though, he’ll be a professional and not compromise the mission. Should the situation deteriorate, that status could change quickly so please do your best to acquire any information that could help us.”