Soldiers

Chapter 58

Envoy

The grand admiral had recovered somewhat. The master gender, after all, were genetically warriors, who'd received cardinal nurture from birth to weaning, affecting the postnatal growth of the endocrine system, while setting up gender-unique memes.

He'd retired to his quarters before ordering his XO and chief scholar to meet there with him. This had given him time for a drink; an empty glass was the evidence. After pouring drinks for Tualurog and Qonits, he refilled his own. Masters typically held their liquor well, an interaction of the warrior gene and cardinal nurture.

Unfortunately for Qonits, liquor combined with the sage gene brought impulsiveness and poor judgement. Thus Qonits hadn't drunk alcohol since the evening he'd almost gotten himself expelled from the university. A disgrace for which, in his clan, atonement would have provided only limited rehabilitation.

"Well, Admiral," Quanshuk said to Tualurog, "it didn't work as we'd hoped."

The XO scowled sourly. He hated to be wrong, and hated more to have it known. "Their AI technology was better than we'd realized," he answered.

Quanshuk wasn't about to let him off the hook. "Enumerate for me, please, the things that went wrong."

Grimly, Tualurog listed them. There weren't so many, but they'd been costly. Qonits, who was less than fond of the XO, nonetheless sympathized-until Tualurog glanced at him and added: "Your chief scholar served you poorly."

"As did Operations and Planning," Quanshuk replied. "Surprises are to be expected when dealing with alien life-forms. And unfortunately, these humans are remarkably clever, as well as technically advanced."

He paused, smelling his XO's upset. "Meanwhile, my thanks, Admiral. You summarized the difficulties nicely. You may leave now. Please prepare a detailed review for me, with your recommendations." For all the good they'll do. I have dug us a very deep hole.

The two friends watched the XO leave, closing the door behind himself with icy control. "He is a surly fellow," Quanshuk said tiredly. "But competent."

Also jealous, spiteful, and self-justifying, Qonits added silently. Aloud he said, "All his life he's resented his clan's loss of status."

Quanshuk ignored the comment. "What do you think of our situation? Knowing what you know now."

"We are in serious trouble."

"Elaborate, Chief Scholar."

You already know my views, Qonits thought. They are much the same as yours. "Your lordship, easy gains enticed us down a flowered path, never imagining it led to such-unprecedented danger."

The admiral's close-cropped claws drummed on his small bar. "Self-evident, Chief Scholar. But what might I do now to-extricate us from that danger?"

Qonits met his gaze. It was not a time for easing into things, he decided. "Lord Admiral, I suggest we look at the possibility of negotiations with the humans. We have a working knowledge of the language, and a decent translation program. And a fleet powerful enough to provide leverage. We hold many of… "

Quanshuk raised a heavy hand, stilling him. "How can you say our translation program is decent? For me it is a confusion generator."

The grand admiral was avoiding the issue, but to Qonits his reply was encouraging; the idea had not been slapped down. "It is neither perfect nor complete," Qonits answered carefully, "but it has become quite functional."

The grand admiral's jaw jutted in thought. His gaze was on his richly patterned carpet, no doubt without seeing it. "As for negotiation," he said, "it has no precedent; the fleet would never accept it. To propose it would court rebellion. A coup."

Again Qonits answered carefully. "It might accept it, your lordship. One wonders sometimes if the human empire might not extend forever. Already the problems it presents seem overwhelming. We all go to bed worried, those of us who admit what we see."

But there were also those, Qonits reminded himself, who would roar with indignation at such a proposal, Tualurog the loudest. And might undertake rebellion; might even succeed in it. He thought of asking which was worse: the risk of a coup, or destruction by the humans. But all he could bring himself to say was, "It is Kruts who is master of this ship. Tualurog can order him only in your name, as your proxy, and Kruts doesn't like him. Many don't; he is abrasive. And I have seen the worry in Kruts's eyes. After today's battle, I believe many-possibly even enough-would support you."

He paused. "And there are precedents of a sort. Tribes negotiate with tribes, clans with clans, merchants with merchants. There are many examples of successful negotiations between groups unfriendly, even hostile to each other. It's a matter of incentive. And our prisoners have shown themselves logical and reasonable. They have deported themselves well." A sample of two. Who knows what their rulers are like? "I would be honored to serve as your negotiator."

Quanshuk did not raise his eyes, but his voice, when he replied, was contemplative. "Even aside from your proficiency with human speech," he said, "you are the only one I would consider sending."

Qonits peered carefully at him. The admiral had neglected his drink; now he downed it, poured himself another-and suddenly his chief scholar hardly dared breathe.

"If such a thing were to be done," Quanshuk continued slowly, "I would begin it covertly, then announce it after you were beyond recall, in hyperspace. To speak earlier would surely invite a coup, and our detention. At best.

"Meanwhile I will make a production of crushing the humans in this system. To strengthen both my image and fleet morale."

He said, I will, Qonits realized, and felt the resolve growing in his admiral's mind.

"I will hold the human mother and child hostage to ensure the reliability of the father," Quanshuk went on, and a rare glint of humor shone in his eyes. "Do you suppose he'll suddenly know how to find his way to their crown world after all?"

Qonits answered gravely. "If necessary, we will stop at some human-inhabited world, for guidance."

The next shipsday, Quanshuk sent scouts insystem, while the armada lay in the near fringe. The most recently-found human worlds tended to have extensive settled areas, more and larger towns, and relatively advanced industrial development. And much evacuation. On this one, the scouting report suggested an initial population in the hundreds of millions, judging by the extent and nature of settlement. How many had been evacuated was unclear, but at the edge of forest areas were thousands of abandoned vehicles. There was also evidence of many fugitive camps among the trees.

Quanshuk ordered all his bombards there, with three of his fleet's ground support wings assigned to follow up. Their job was to destroy the towns, the factories-everything that supported the human population there except for a few convenient reservoirs-then scathe the fugitives.

When the job was done, he would send down two tribes. The extensive farmlands would support a score of tribes, and there'd be more fugitives than usual to hunt down, but two tribes would have to do.

It was late shipsnight, and the corridors were dim and quiet. The bombards had started insystem to Shakti a few hours earlier. Now a crewman guided an AG sled down a portside corridor, followed by a larger Wyzhnyny wearing a lieutenant commander's insignia. From that and his color, he was obviously of the master gender. His head was bandaged, presumably injured during the battle, probably when a torpedo salvo had jolted the Meadowlands severely.

The AG sled's cargo was covered by a tarp.

Shortly they stopped at the entrance to a scout hanger. The crewman opened it but remained in the corridor. It was the bandaged officer who guided the sled inside. Then the crewman closed the hatch and returned quietly down the corridor.

While shipsmind dogged the hatch firmly shut, the officer unloaded the sled by himself. It wasn't much work, and there was no injury beneath the bandage. Besides, the largest item unloaded itself.