Councilor Uma nervously stalked through the halls of Parliament, trying very hard not to be seen. For once, she was thankful for her tiny size.
Hiding in a large decorative plant, she looked about for the one person that might help.
They had always gotten along, right? I mean, there were some unfortunate complications, but she had to understand… Right?
It was just how the game was played… she had to understand that…
Right?…
“Councilor Uma?” a pleasant voice asked cheerfully.
Uma jerked, causing the plant to shake. Turning around, she saw a single moist eye attached to an eyestalk crinkling in a friendly manner as it poked through the leaves.
It was Karashel, the person she was looking for, but how did she know she was there, and, far more importantly, how did she sneak up on her, a species known for its wariness and stealth? Granted, it had been a while since she had hunted in the canopies of her lush homeworld but still…
She hadn’t even heard her approach!
“Hrm… Hello Councilor Karashel...” Uma stammered, quite off guard.
“Watcha doin’ in there?” Karashel said in a friendly but very quiet voice.
“Hrm… Yes… Councilor Karashel,” Uma said, trying to sound like she hadn’t been caught mid-air. “I was wondering if you had a moment to talk.”
“Of course,” Karashel replied. “I always have time for former trade partners.”
“Hrm… Yes… About that,” Uma stammered, twisting her flared tail with her rear foot-hands. “I was wondering if we could reinstate our previous agreement?”
“Afraid not, Councilor,” Karashel replied. “You probably haven’t heard yet, but another group of investors, inspired by recent events, are setting up another market, presumably a treason-free one. We are considering selling our goods through them. They should be issuing a public statement later this month, next month at the latest... Or did they say next quarter? I can’t remember. You know, my tiny Baleelean brain can never keep track of stuff like that.”
Uma squeaked. Her system had only a week before the shelves started going empty.
“The others…” Uma squeaked nervously, “They are—“
“Planning on threatening us?” Karashel smiled pleasantly, “Or will they just press a lawsuit right away?”
Uma’s eyes widened.
“Oh, come now, Uma,” Karashel whispered as she stretched her voice tube towards her in a most disturbing manner. “You honestly didn’t think we weren’t expecting that? I do so hope it will be the lawsuit. Do you know what will happen if they do that? We will suspend all trade while the lawsuit progresses… very slowly. They won’t get a gram from us. Not only that, but they will find it very difficult to enter into a new agreement with anyone else… I can personally guarantee it.”
Karashel’s eye gleamed maliciously.
“Oh, and any threat of management or blackmail concerning the same will fall very, very flat. Do please keep that to yourself. I don’t want to spoil the surprise.”
“Hrm… Yes… well…” Uma stammered as she twisted her tail, “I was wondering… hoping really… If maybe?”
“If we could ‘work something out’ independent of the Gvorta and the other species you have been in bed with for decades?”
“… Hrm… well… It’s not that I… I mean...”
“If that is your intent,” Karashel whispered with a bubbly purr, “you will notice that my generously sized handbag is open.”
Uma silently crawled inside and pulled the flap closed.
***
“Ooh La La… Ahh Oui Oui” a pair of Baleel sang as they wandered the dark grimy sub-levels of a station that most people didn’t even know existed.
“The floor tastes funny!” one of them exclaimed.
“I like it!” the other replied. “It reminds me of a swamp!”
“I like swamps!” the first one exclaimed.
“Me too!” his companion bubbled happily.
Ahead of them, a grim-faced human smiled despite himself. Those evil bastards were just too funny.
Two Z’uush brought up the rear, one of them carrying the weapon with which they were fast making a name for themselves, a sonic jackhammer. The sight of it alone was usually enough to discourage all but the most serious sorts of trouble.
However, aside from the two locals who had been tailing them ever since they entered the level, most people either ignored them or returned the happy waves of the Baleel with amused confusion.
After meandering through the level for a while (and stopping at a rather suspicious looking local market for yet another snack), they stopped in front of a closed hatch.
One of the Baleel stretched out a tendril and pressed a button mounted beside the hatch.
Immediately a bright floodlight switched on, causing the Baleel to retract their eyestalks.
“Go away!” a gruff human voice shouted.
“Doctor Pavi?” One of the Baleel asked cheerfully.
“Nobody here by that name! Go away before I set the bots on ya!”
“We’ve come a very long way to talk to you, Mr. Pavi,” one of the Baleel bubble-chirped.
“A very long way!” the other agreed, “You were not easy to find.”
“Then you came a long way for nothing!” the gruff voice shouted. “Doctor Pavi is dead!”
“Can we please talk to his ghost then?”
The sound of a shotgun being pumped was the only reply.
“Doctor Pavi,” one of the Baleel smiled. “I’m going to write a number on my tablet and hold it up to the camera.”
The Baleel then fiddled with their tablet clumsily and cheerfully presented it.
“...”
The door unlocked.
***
” You!” Veeka hissed as Karashel entered the lobby of the Baleelan office.
“I’m sorry, Councilor,” the Baleelan receptionist said nervously, “I told her that you weren’t receiving appointments, but she just wouldn’t leave.”
“You don’t think that I don’t know what you did?!?” Veeka demanded angrily as she marched up to Karashel.
“... Don’t think that I don’t know?” Karashel mused. “I guess that’s grammatically correct.”
“I know what you did!” Veeka hissed, “… what you all did!”
“I’m certain I don’t know what you are talking about,” Karashel smiled.
“Let me spell it out for you,” Veeka shouted,” treason...murder… Sound familiar?”
“I am familiar with the terms,” Karashel replied cheerfully.
“It was you and your...communalists that were behind supplying the Forsaken! Not those ‘investors’ that so conveniently died on the way to their interrogations!… And you can drop the ‘communalist’ nonsense. I know what you and your ‘committee’ really are… communists!”
“I see you have been talking to Caw,” Karashel chuckled.
“I have!” Veeka squeaked angrily, “And he’s on his way back to put a stop to this… and you!”
“My dear Councilor,” Karashel smiled, “That is a very engaging narrative… But, maybe it’s our backwards nature, but we Baleel have this thing we like to call ‘proof’. Do you have any?”
Veeka spluttered.
“I thought so,” Karashel said pleasantly, “Now I am certain that the appropriate people are investigating this, and there is no way that a simple stupid Baleel could possibly hope to outsmart all of the super duper smart species over at Intelligence, or the Judiciary, or whoever handles these sorts of things. I mean, the very thought is laughable.”
“No, but Jessica Morgan could!”
“Oh dear,” Karashel sighed, “Councilor Veeka, I must warn you that I take my personal and professional reputation very seriously… and now have the capacity to be very litigious. If you insist on spreading these sorts of reckless accusations, I will have no alternative other than to file the appropriate lawsuits… where the ‘truth’ will come out.”
Karashel undulated towards Veeka causing her to back away.
“And that truth is that several corrupt individuals representing corrupt species did what corrupt species do and that is betray the core concepts and people of the Federation, just like they have been doing for centuries,” Karashel said with an ooze-covered edge to her voice.” That is what the investigation will reveal. Anything else is wild accusations by just another species fat from the exploitation of the masses and will be clearly demonstrated to be so. If you want to damage your credibility and bank account insisting on this self serving garbage feel free to do so but you will suffer for it.”
“And just what do you mean by that?”
Karashel’s eyes shone wickedly through the mucus.
“I’ve said all I will concerning this matter, Veeka,” she replied, “Now, I would love to humor your histrionics all day, but I actually have real business with which I must attend. Good day, Councilor.”
Karashel started to undulate towards her office.
“Caw will stop you!” Veeka shouted.
“That would be incorrect,” Karashel said without looking back, “He will try to stop me.”
Karashel entered her office and shut the door, leaving Veeka shaking with impotent rage.
Karashel was right.
She had nothing, only the sick feeling that this was just the beginning.
***
“This is madness!” Captain Kraak-To squawked as he waved a tablet about in the air. “We have to stop this immediately!”
“And just how do you intend upon doing that?” Admiral Vii replied with annoyance, her skin turning plum colored. “I’m open to suggestions.”
“We need to shut down all traffic right now!” Captain Kraak-To shouted, jumping up and down and flapping his arms. “Issue an emergency order!”
“Which will be overridden immediately by the council,” Admiral Vii replied grimly.
“What about the Emergency Council?” Kraak-To implored, “Can’t we have them issue a statement delaying payment?”
“They already tried that,” the admiral sighed, her skin turning yellow, “Some agitators were able to twist the rules and use it to break over a hundred contracts already. Turns out unable to pay is still unable to pay. Of course, it didn’t hurt that some fucking traitors pushed a lot of it through the system, but it is ‘valid,’ and precedent is precedent.”
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
“This is insane!” Captain Kraak-To screeched, “Do you have any idea what’s about to happen? Do you have any idea how many ships the Confederacy of Sol actually have?!? It’s going to be a bloodbath! It all makes sense now! This is why they are attacking the network! Oh, creators… This is the real reason behind the whole ‘free market’ scam. They were forcing this!”
Admiral Vii just sighed and placed her head in her hands.
“We are just going to have to do the best we can,” she sighed as her skin darkened, “Unless the Council is willing to say that all contracts will be honored regardless of the ability to pay and without penalty, we are going to have thousands of courier ships physically transferring payments.”
The admiral looked at the captain gravely.
“To do that is basically announcing that the Federation is no longer a functioning entity. Politics aside, Captain, if payments stop, what’s left of the stock market will completely implode. Without revenue, payroll stops. Without payroll, production stops. Without production… What do you think will happen once the food, fuel, medicine, and all the rest stop flowing to hundreds of systems, Captain, hundreds? You’re an expert on the humans, Captain. You tell me what will happen next except it won’t be just one solar system this time. It will be the entire Federation!”
Kraak-To threw his head back, screaming a curse in his native tongue.
“Well put,” the admiral smirked. “We are definitely ykvaark’ed. I’ve mobilized the entire fleet and sent emergency orders to every SDF in the Federation. All we can do is try to protect everyone that we can.”
***
The Artful Hoarder dropped out of hyperspace, its crew all eyes and whiskers as they entered normal space.
“How long before we can jump again?” The captain squeaked, not bothering to hide his nerves.
“I’ve pushed the drives as hard as I dare. It will be an hour before they cool off,” the navigator replied, “then another fifteen minutes to charge them. I will have the next jump ready well before then.”
“Set general quarters,” the captain squeaked as he put on a bright red helmet, “Have everyone don vacuum gear.”
“Yes, captain!”
“Captain!” the sensor operator screeched, “Hyperspace event! It’s big! Five hundred meters aft!”
The captain tried to keep calm, but there was NO WAY anything would jump in that close unless…
“We’re being hailed!”
“Put them on main,” the captain squeaked as he rose and pulled a blaster carbine from its improvised mount beside his chair.
“Heeeeeeeeeyyyyy!” a golden-haired human crowed, confirming the captain’s worst fear.
She was young, barely an adult if he guessed right, but she was sitting in command, her armor open and wearing only a cloth undergarment underneath that covered the mounds that signified that she was female.
Barbarically carved into her exposed abdomen was one of the marks that every captain in the Federation feared, the mark of The Black Angels.
“Know what this is?” the golden haired human inquired as she bared her teeth.
Oh, Gods… her eyes… What is wrong with her eyes?!?
“I (squeak)… I do...” The captain replied, his voice breaking.
“So you know what we do,” the golden human said as she idly played with a knife. “Annnnnd… That’s what I’m supposed to do...”
The golden haired fiend smiled.
“Buuuuut… I’m really not feeling it today, y’know… Tell you what. We know you are packing credits, and we know exactly how many. We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
The image zoomed in on her face, giving the bridge a good look at her eyes.
“The easy way is that you bring those credits to your starboard airlock and hand them over, easy peasy...”
The image zoomed back out revealing the human was now holding both a knife and a fork.
“Now the hard way...” she said twirling the fork, “You don’t want the hard way… You really don’t.”
The golden haired monster smiled sweetly at the captain.
“So, my little honey glazed guinea pig,” she crooned, “Which will it be?”
The captain bowed his head and started to let out little weepy squeaks.
May his people forgive him.
***
Karashel undulated into her office and set her handbag on the chair opposite her desk.
“You can come out now, Una.”
The flap of the bag was opened with Una’s upper arm as her head poked out, her three eyes wide with horror.
“Now you just overheard something,” Karashel smiled as she scooched up on her stool-chair. “Do you have any questions or concerns I can address?”
“N-no...” Una stammered as she climbed up the back of the chair and perched on the top. “I don’t care about any of that… I… I just want the shipments to resume.”
“And I’m sure we can come to an arrangement,” Karashel smiled pleasantly, “Of the four Federation members that we have export arrangements with, you are, by far, the least objectionable. Now I know our agreement with you is pretty much identical to the others, thanks to your Gvortan masters, but as far as your species, your values, and the way you treat your people and those you deal with is concerned, you aren’t all that bad.”
“We… we’ve just done what we had to do...” Una stammered feeling like she was on trial. No, she wasn’t on trial. The trial was complete. She was just being handed the sentence. “You know how it is… we had to...”
“Because of the agreements you had with the Gvorta and others, you had to make up for it somehow, and we were the new kids on the block, just like you were before… Correct?”
“I mean… we didn’t want to… The whole thing is a mess and...” Una said helplessly.
“And the cycle of colonialism and exploitation continues with each ‘generation’ suffering more than the one before,” Karashel said cheerfully as she slid in a neural jack.
/// User: Hyperspace communication link requested Baleel State Department /// appeared in Karashel’s mind’s eye.
/// Hyperspatial link to Baleel State Department established ///
/// User: Request hard line connection to Alt 17G ///
/// Connection established initiating secondary hyperspatial link ///
/// Alt 17G: Comrade! ///
/// User: Hello Analytica. I have Councilor Una on camera. I would like body language analysis especially lie detection. Can you handle that? ///
/// Alt 17G: Of course, comrade! Oh, the latest from inside confirms our worst fears. It looks like those traitors that took over your market were indeed behind the shipment to those loathsome Forsaken monsters! ///
/// User: How terrible! I am feeling all sorts of betrayed over here. Let me know if anything changes. ///
/// Alt 17G: Will do, comrade! Body language analysis active! ///
/// User: Thanks! ///
Una looked at Karashel curiously as her eyes seemed to glaze momentarily.
“Councilor Karashel?”
“What?” Karashel asked as she blinked. “Sorry about that, just checking some email.”
Una tried not to shudder. Neural links were more than a little unsavory to her people. The only ones who used them were “wireheads” who used them for… improper things.
“So, Una,” Karashel smiled, “I would like you to be completely honest. What do you really feel about the Federation?”
“Hrm… I believe in the founding principles of the Federation and its stated goals. (evasive true)”
“A very political answer,” Karashel replied, “Another question: Veeka just made some very concerning allegations. What do you feel about them?”
“Am I being analyzed?!? (alarm concern fear)” Una exclaimed in alarm.
“Do you want your food?” Karashel asked.
“...yes… (true)”
“Then don’t worry about it and answer the question.”
“I think those were some very serious accusations. (evasive true)”
“They were,” Karashel smiled, “But… hypothetically… what if I did?”
“Then that would be treason, (evasive true) and you would be guilty of that and murder. (evasive true)… And you should be tried, convicted, and sentenced for your crimes (lie).”
“So aiding the Forsaken would be wrong, then?”
“Of course! (lie) While they have been wronged (true). What they have done… (horror)… Nothing justifies what they did (lie)! And what they did to the Vulxeen, (schadenfreude) even they didn’t deserve that (schadenfreude, lie)!”
“I’m glad you agree,” Karashel smiled, “Of course it was. I just wanted to ensure you didn’t buy into Councilor Veeka’s nonsense.”
“Of course I don’t (unsure). Look, I don’t care about any of that (emphatic true). I am just concerned about my people (emotional true). You can feed whoever you want as long as we get our shipments restored (true). It’s none of my business (true, admiration, fear).”
Karashel nodded.
“I can certainly resolve this little matter,” Karashel smiled.
(apprehensive relief)
“In fact, I’ve already been authorized to extend a trade agreement to you.”
(anxiety)
“What terms? (dubious)” Una asked dubiously.
“Oh, nothing that you will lose sleep over,” Karashel said smoothly, “As I said, I consider you one of the ‘good ones’. But before we get to that, I do have a few more questions, if you don’t mind.”
“(anxiety) What are you playing at, Karashel? (suspicion)” Una asked, exposing a tiny little sharp tooth, “I don’t like games being played with my people (anger, fear, vulnerability).”
“It’s nothing like that,” Karashel replied, sliding a tablet over to Una. “Here, this is a preview of the worst deal you will get from us.”
Una took the tablet.
(apprehension… surprise… suspicion… surprise… suspicion… relief… relief… suspicion)
“This… this is...” Una said carefully, “This is quite reasonable.”
“See?” Karashel smiled. “However, before I hand you the official draft, which I guarantee will be the same as that one, will you now humor me with a little discussion?”
“O-okay? (confusion, suspicion)
“Ever hear of the ‘Shadows?’”
(alarm!)
“I’m sorry?”
“I think their official name was ‘The Shadows of the Great Tree of Truth’,” Karashel smiled impishly.
“Oh them. (alarm, severe anxiety, physical stress response) I think they were some sort of dissident group a few decades ago (evasive truth).”
“Yes,” Karashel smiled, “They were. In fact, they were a surprisingly popular non-violent separatist movement forty-six years ago, roughly the same time you were at university. You must have encountered them. I understand they were very active there.”
(stress response, fear)
“Yeah, they were (evasive truth). I couldn’t stand those idiots (lie).”
Karashel turned her holo monitor around. News footage of a demonstration was playing. Tiny armored policemen were firing tear gas into the tree canopies as other masked beings were jumping and gliding about, some throwing sticks and rocks back at the police.
(nausea, fear, stress)
“I think this was when they broke up the big ‘perch in’ at the sky beam,” Karashel smiled, “Isn’t that some big living tree or something?”
“Y… yes it is… (nausea, stress, anxiety, fear)”
“I think you know where this is going,” Karashel smiled.
The scene fast-forwarded through the chaos and then zoomed in on some action in the background. A young figure with flowers in her hair was being pulled to the ground, kicking and biting, as all of her arms and legs were shackled.
“Can you believe we were ever that young?” Karashel chuckled.
(severe nausea, embarrassment, anxiety, fear, anger, violation)
“B-blackmail? (anger, violation, fear, nausea) Is this what this is all about? (anger, violation, fear, nausea)”
“Nope.” Karashel replied, “This never leaves this room. I was just tired of all of the bullshit.”
“Bullshit? (confusion)”
“It’s a human term,” Karashel replied, “It means nonsense, evasion, deception, or time-wasting effort without results. That’s a rough definition. Like so many of their wonderful sayings, it has such a depth of meaning, but that’s close enough for this discussion.”
Karashel leaned forward.
“Let’s drop the bullshit, shall we?”
(anger, vulnerability)
“You were once part of ‘The Shadows of the Great Tree of Truth’,” Karashel said in a matter-of-fact tone. “And like many of the ‘promising but misguided’ youth ‘swept up’ in that movement your records were purged after you recanted and recited some pledge or another.”
“It was a song. (resentment, humiliation, anger)”
“You said it was all a mistake and that you’d ‘glide true’ from then on, correct?”
Una bristled. (You pissed her off, comrade!)
“Oh, don’t get me wrong,” Karashel smiled, “I’m not faulting you for any of it. If anything, I’m envious.”
(confusion)
“You had it figured out way back then,” Karashel chuckled, “I was such a little idiot when I was that age. My biggest concern was that I wasn’t the right shade of pink and that a certain fucking idiot didn’t know how to be a good boyfriend.”
(confusion)
“And there you were, screaming the truth about the Federation from the tallest tree you could climb until they pulled you down, fighting all the way!”
(confusion)
“I’ve read your group’s manifesto,” Karashel said, “And… it’s one hundred percent true, all of it. I use different terms to describe the same predatory actions, but yes. ‘The Shadows’ had the truth of it.”
(confusion, visceral undefined)
“You did ‘glide true’ and entered public service, and then politics where you were very active in a certain minority party that never quite wins but does effectively steer public policy, at least a little,” Karashel continued, “You were quite the rising star, so much so that you were ‘kicked upstairs’ and given the ‘great honor’ of councilor where you were conveniently out of the way since your position is treated the same as mine. We are just finger puppets with mushroom stamps who get to go to fancy parties and vote a straight party line or whatever we are told via email.”
“I thought, (embarrassment, chagrin)” Una sighed, “I thought that I could maybe, actually make a difference...”
“Don’t feel alone,” Karashel laughed, “I actually came here honestly believing that the Federation was a nice place.”
(amusement, kinship)
“Yeah… (amusement, chagrin, sadness)”
“So, tell me, Una,” Karashel asked earnestly, “Do you still believe it?”
(accelerated heartbeat, queasiness, thrill, terror)
“Believe what? (ditto)”
“Do you still believe what that young Javv who, blinded by tear gas, still fought half a dozen armored police officers fang and claw did?”
(absolute terror)
“Because I do,” Karashel said calmly. “And I think you know why, don’t you?”
Una nodded (true, shame)
“Well, it’s not going to work out the way the Gvorta have planned,” Karashel smiled, “In fact, they just might have a rather bad day coming up. And, after I finish with them, I shall then deal with the Federation.”
(shock)
“Because you were right, Una. The Federation no longer represents its stated values. They have been perverted into a sick joke that gets sicker each year. It is no longer sustainable. It must change.”
(shock)
“What if I told you,” Karashel said, her voice raising slightly, “That it could be made to change and that it could be achieved with no risk to your people. In fact, they would prosper, even in these dark times, achieve more prosperity than you can even imagine… And become safe, truly safe… Because Veeka is right… I was the one who cut the deal with the Forsaken, and the Forsaken know who their friends are… and the friends of their friends… Your people can be safe, prosperous, free of the Gvorta, and you, Una, will be able to be a part of the movement that will bring the Federation to its knees and force it to change… or be destroyed… Either way, the Javv will prosper…”
(terror, thrill, excitement, amazement… hope…)
“If you aren’t interested,” Karashel said, “Then you will be offered that trade agreement. No harm. No foul. I’m not worried about you disclosing anything I’ve said thus far. I can simply deny it. The Federation already has its culprits. I can’t keep blowing councilors up. People will talk.”
Una giggled (shock, black humor, schadenfreude).
“However, if you are interested in what I have planned, how it will work, and how you and your people can get in on the ground floor of the new Federation, with all of the benefits that entails, I would be honored to share my vision with you… I will tear it all down. No more shall another race ever suffer the way ours have. No longer shall the privileged few harvest us like so much grain. No longer… No longer...”
(terror, thrill, excitement)
“So, tell me, Una,” Karashel said as she rose to her full height spreading her tendrils, “Interested?”
(terror, thrill, excitement, adoration)
Una nodded (true).
“Excellent,” Karashel smiled as she tossed the trade agreement over her shoulder. “So… What do you know about vertical integration?”