An Accidental Alliance (34 page)

     
“Well, then if you don’t think the Covenant should force us to stay on Earth,” Marisea asked, “why are you serving in a fleet that enforces it.”

     
“I was assigned to the
Watcher
,” Sartena explained. “It’s not like the Space Force lets you choose where to serve, you know, or maybe you don’t. No, don’t stop. Please. I need the coolness.”

     
“What happened to you?” Marisea asked.

     
“I was slammed back against a bulkhead when your weapon hit the ship,” Sartena explained. “It was so bright. Never saw anything like it. I think it overloaded me.”

     
“Overloaded?” Marisea asked.

     
“You see my antennae?” Sartena asked. “On the back of my head? They enhance my senses; smell, sight and hearing. I think the brightness of your light weapon was too much for me and now my body is in shock. Oh. Oh! Starting to feel cold now, take the compresses away.” She started to shiver and Marisea looked around. Someone had brought out some blankets and some of the hostages were curled up in them.

     
“I’ll be right back,” Marisea promised. She jumped up, hop-ran to the pile of blankets and brought back two for Sartena. The orange woman grabbed the blankets and wrapped herself but she was still shivering so Marisea stretched out beside her and hugged. Sartena returned the gesture, shivering in Marisea’s embrace.

     
Gradually, Sartena began to relax and stop shivering. “I’m better now,” she told the mermaid at last. “Thank you. I think I’ll sleep.” A moment later she was snoring softly and Marisea sat up and rearranged the blankets and checked the woman’s temperature. Sartena seemed normal now, so Marisea went forward to the Bridge.

     
“How’s your patient?” Park asked her.

     
“Sleeping,” Marisea told him, hop-stepping over to give him a warm hug. Only after breaking the embrace did she realize Dannet was sitting beside Park in a fold-up chair. “Park’s my
tamovir
,” she explained to the green man.

     
“I see,” Dannet nodded understandingly.

     
“You know what that means?” Park asked.

     
“Of course,” Dannet nodded again. “It’s a charming custom, I think. Not much practiced on most worlds except for Dennsee. But we’re considered a bit quaint and old-fashioned by some of the more trendy worlds.”

     
“There’s prejudice even between Galactic worlds?” Marisea asked.

     
“Sadly, yes,” Dannet nodded. “We’re no better than anyone else, I fear. I know that more now than I did this morning. We members of the Alliance consider ourselves the true descendants of mankind, but now, especially after talking with your
tamovir
, I’m beginning to wonder if any of us can claim that title exclusively.”

     
“Park, are we really going to attack the Moon,” Marisea asked.

     
“It might not be much of a fight,” Park told her.

     
“But they’re the Galactics,” Marisea protested. “They have ships and…”

     
“At the moment,” Dannet explained, “they have two badly damaged ships. I think those two ships have more modern armaments, but you have proven today that sometimes the older ways are best.”

     
“Should you be telling us that sort of thing?” Marisea asked.

     
“It is nothing we don’t already know,” Park replied for Dannet. “There has been some sporadic babbling on the radio from Luna. Whoever’s in charge there has no grasp of military security.”

 
    
“It was Governor Therent when I left this morning,” Dannet told them. “He was assigned by the Alliance Council, but in the wake of the first encounter we had with you, he was losing his grip on the base. I know Admiral Holwane was aching to declare martial law and several other community leaders were pushing to declare an official emergency with themselves in charge.”

     
“How many people do you have up there?” Park asked curiously.

     
“Two or three thousand,” Dannet replied. “Most of them are scientists or bureaucrats of one sort or another.”

     
“Not much of a garrison,” Park scoffed, “and it sounds like you have far too many leaders.”

     
“A garrison?” Dannet laughed. “One hundred men and women is hardly a garrison; not for an entire world. We’re a listening post only. Oh, I think we used to be larger, but now most of the people at Luna are researchers of one form or another.”

     
“Then why was
Vigilant
dispatched to attack us?” Park asked.

     
“Ask the Admiral,” Dannet shrugged. “He’s the one who gives the orders. I’m just serving a term. It’s expected of the nobility, you know. If I had to guess, though, it’s because we thought you were unarmed. Mer ships are never armed and I’m afraid the Admiral, most members of the Alliance, to be honest, do not think much of the Mer.”

     
“A bad estimation on several levels,” Park pointed out.

     
“Prejudices often are,” Dannet admitted.

     
“
Trenisi
, this is Alliance Base on the Moon. Stand by, please.” a woman’s voice could be heard over the speakers.

     
“Who the heck is that?” Dannet wondered. “I didn’t know there were any women in the radio room.”

     
“There’s at least one,” Park pointed out.

     
“Never called yourselves Alliance Base either,” Marisea added. “Moon Base Lagina is how I heard it in the recordings.”

     
“I don’t even know who Georndi Lagina was,” Dannet admitted.

     
“Don’t look at me,” Park told him. “I just got here.”

     
“Attention Earth Ship
Trenisi
, a deep masculine voice came on next. “This is Governor Caromir Wanets speaking.” There was a long pause.

     
“What? Who elected him?” Dannet remarked. “He sure was not appointed by the Alliance Council.”

     
“Who is he?” Park asked.

     
“He owns a shipping company,” Dannet explained. “So far as I knew, he was on the Moon because he was looking in Sol System for a good place to put a warehouse. Your system is centrally located, after all.”

     
“I suppose we might rent him a moon somewhere,” Park mused. Dannet looked at him strangely, but said nothing as Wanets finally continued.

     
“There has been a change of leadership in Alliance Base and we are suing for peace on reasonable terms,” Wanets announced.

     
“Terms?” Park asked when Garnore activated the microphone. “Who says I have to grant terms? You are beaten, Mister Wanets. If you don’t believe me, just wait a few hours when I start lobbing missiles on your weapons installations.”

     
“Don’t do that!” Wanets replied hastily. “I just want to negotiate a reasonable armistice.”

     
“Okay, here are my terms,” Park replied. “All the Solar System is the property of Earth and her sentient species; Mer, Atackack and Human. Any Galactic installations, any installations manned and operated by people from the Alliance of Federated Planets,” and thinking of what Dannet had just said about Wanets, Park added, “whether governmental or private, will only be allowed by lease back dated to the establishment of said bases.”

     
“What?” Wanets demanded.

     
“That is not a new term, Mister Wanets,” Park told him, “and it is not negotiable. Any failure to agree to that or to be delinquent in payments will be cause for eviction.”

     
“You pirate!” Wanets snarled.

     
“Arrr!” Park agreed. “Now as to the rest…”

     
“We’ve lost the signal, Skipper,” Garnore informed him.

     
“Maybe you would like to negotiate?” Park asked Dannet.

     
“I’m not so empowered,” Dannet shook his head.

     
“It doesn’t sound like Wanets was either,” Park pointed out, “and that pirate remark is going to cost him dearly.”

     
Another hour later, the four Mer ships caught up to
Trenisi
and fell into formation as they continued outward to Luna.

     
“Moon Base Lagina to Earth Ship
Trenisi
,” a man called over the radio next. “Please disregard any messages from the self-proclaimed Governor Wanets. He was neither elected nor appointed to any such post.”

     
“And to whom, am I speaking now?” Park asked.

     
“This is Deputy Governor Gount,” the man replied. “Am I speaking to Black Captain McArrgh, sir?”

     
Park decided he could straighten that out later and merely replied, “You are.”

     
Gount went on, “I am acting in Governor Therent’s stead while he remains incapacitated.”

     
“What happened?” Park asked in spite of himself.

     
“There has been some, ah, small upset and trouble on Lagina Base,” Gount replied. “It is over now, but His Excellency suffered a small mishap and is currently being treated. However, I am fully empowered to treat with you on his behalf.”

     
Park looked over at Dannet who nodded. “All right,” Park decided. “You have been hearing my terms?”

     
“You were serious?” Gount asked.

     
“I’ll be glad to demonstrate how serious I am today,” Park growled.

     
“Ah, uh, no,” Gount replied quickly. “That won’t be necessary. We recognize your ownership of Sol System and desire an immediate armistice in which we may negotiate revisions to the Covenant.”

     
“No Covenant,” Park told him. “That document is dead. We will negotiate a fair and equitable treaty for all the sentient beings of Earth.”

     
“Very well,” Gount agreed reluctantly.

     
“Now we are coming to Luna to…” Park began.

     
“No!” Gount replied, obviously in a panic. “Not until we have a treaty.”

     
“What?” Park asked. “We have survivors on board this ship from
Watcher
and
Diligent
. Your own people.”

     
“Keep them for now,” Gount replied. “They are your hostages to hold until an agreement can be reached.”

     
“I don’t want hostages!” Park protested.

     
“Keep us,” Dannet advised. “Gount is afraid of you and this will keep him honest. Heh! My ransom alone will keep both him and Therent in line and in awe of you and the rest of your humans.”

     
“Ransom?” Park asked incredulously. “If anything you are a prisoner of war to be returned at the end of the hostilities. I have no intention of accepting ransom.”

     
“You don’t have a lot of choice there,” Dannet told him and then chuckled, puzzling Park even more. “It would be a gross insult to my people for you to refuse. I can see you don’t mean it as such, but I am a prince, you know.”

     
“So Lord of Dennsee is another way of saying ‘King’ is it?” Park realized.

     
“Of course,” Dannet agreed.

     
“You seem fairly agreeable to that,” Park noted, “and amazingly helpful.”

     
“Sir, you have fought us with honor and won,” Dannet told him. “Further you have treated us with honor, saved those lives you could and administered aid to those who needed it. You have treated me, a defeated captain of a destroyed ship, as a friend and equal.”

     
“You evidently out-rank me,” Park pointed out. “Being an equal could be an insult.”

     
“We’re not on Dennsee,” Dannet replied with a thin smile. “My politico-social rank means nothing in the Space Force. What I am saying is, you have earned my respect and friendship. A free Earth is no danger to the rest of the Galaxy so far as I can see and we would be better off to have you with us than against us.”

     
“This is the assessment of the future Lord of Dennsee, is it?” Iris asked.

     
“It is,” Dannet replied with a nod.

     
“Well, it still seems odd to me, they are willing to let us keep you hostage,” Park noted.

     
“Our customs of warfare obviously differ,” Dannet replied. “Only a barbarian goes on fighting after an honorable surrender.”

     
“There’s no need to collude with the enemy either,” Park replied.

     
“Are you my enemy?” Dannet asked. “Doesn’t seem that way from here.”

     
“So what is your answer?” Gount’s voice came over the speakers again.

     
“Forgot he was still there,” Park muttered. “Conditionally accepted, Deputy Governor. You will be hearing from Earth representatives shortly. The negotiations should be brief and expeditious.”

     
“Of course, sir,” Gount agreed and signed off.

     
“Does nobody say, ‘Goodbye’ anymore?’” Park wondered aloud. “Okay, let’s relay this to the fleet, such as we are. Let’s plot a course back to Earth. You know, in my day it would have been faster and cheaper to loop around the Moon from here before heading back.”

     
“That would be a minimal fuel course,” Dannet agreed. “Are you short on fuel?”

     
“Not really, no,” Park shook his head. “But it sort of violates everything I learned about space travel. Now if I could only be sure this Gount is dealing honorably, or is just using the armistice to await reinforcements.”