Defiant Page 9

  “We welcome you to Sandosa,” stated Kho through the translator with little to no real sincerity, his face never breaking from its solid, stoic look. “Chief Merchant Admar Harrington of Pendax and his party will be negotiating bilateral agreements with our Ministry of Economics, which should be beneficial to both our worlds, and we look forward to those agreements being concluded in the coming days. We also wish to acknowledge Captain Peter Cochrane of the Union Lightship Defiant and his party, who will be discussing possible military exchanges between his Union Navy and our military forces.” That was news to me. “We hope these first discussions will be fruitful ones.”

  These kind of statements carried on for ten solid minutes, and we all applauded after Kho concluded. None of us was offered an opportunity to speak, which was fine with me since I hadn’t prepared anything.

  The spokesman came to the podium again after Kho left the room and informed everyone (in both languages) that we could continue informal talks for another ninety minutes, after which we would receive a two-hour break before segregated formal talks began in several other rooms. Anyone interested in getting acclimated could go with an assigned escort to staterooms on the third floor. Since I had no one specific to meet with, I opted for the latter, as did most of my command crew. Gracel informed me she was going to stay and work diplomatic angles, to which I agreed. As we headed up an ornate flight of stairs to the third-floor staterooms, my mind turned back to my wife. I planned on checking in with her on a longwave and perhaps even bringing her down early, if she agreed. So far, Sandosa seemed harmless and quaint enough.

  On Sandosa

  After resting and chatting via longwave with Karina, who was anxious for the formal negotiations to begin so she could contribute, I ventured downstairs, where I met up with Marker.

  He and I weren’t included in the formal negotiations, and we were both fine with that. Personally I didn’t think I’d make much of a diplomat. I was too impulsive, and frankly I was much better suited for the Union Navy, in my opinion.

  We were met by a military colonel named Lee-Ten Ho, who offered to take us to the local airfield and show us Sandosa’s best military equipment. The drive in a military ground car took us about thirty minutes.

  Colonel Lee, as he asked to be called, was by far the most Caucasian-looking man we had met so far on Sandosa, and he commented on it.

  “My family was a mix of the original colonists and the later immigrants, and Lees have served in the Sandosan military going back to near the planet’s founding,” he said in near-perfect Standard, by far the best we’d heard anyone speak since we arrived, as we rolled on in the ground car. I was tempted to ask another question and decided to take the risk.

  “We’ve seen none of the original population of colonists since we’ve arrived, Colonel. Is there a reason for that?”

  He looked distinctly uncomfortable with the question. “I am not at liberty to discuss government policies with you at this time, Captain,” he said. “Please do not press me on this point.” I wondered if our conversation was being monitored, as I had to assume it was everywhere we went.

  “It is a question your government will have to answer at some point if it wants military and technological assistance from the Union, Colonel,” I said, raising the ante but not pressing him too hard.

  “That is understood, Captain,” was all he replied. I shared a glance with Marker, who did not look happy with that answer. We went on in silence until we arrived at the airfield.

  We got out of the ground car and went to a firing range, where a host of soldiers were lined up and waiting for us. “These are some of our best marksmen,” said Colonel Lee. With a command in his own language, a series of shooters lined up to take standing sniper shots at targets about two hundred meters away. The ordinance was conventional ammunition, bullets, and the marksmen were near perfect.

  “Could I try one?” asked Marker. The colonel barked an order, and the nearest marksman handed over his rifle to Marker. Marker stepped up and aimed the rifle. His first shot was wide left and low of the target. “Hmm,” he said, checking the barrel for true sighting.

  “Is there a problem, Master Chief?” asked the colonel. Marker looked down at the rifle.

  “It’s awfully heavy,” he said, then re-aimed and ripped off six straight shots that blew the center of the target to dust.

  “Impressive,” said the colonel.

  “He’s one of my best marines,” I commented.

  “Undoubtedly.”

  Marker gave the rifle back and reached for his sidearm, then looked at me. “May I, sir?”

  “That’s up to the colonel,” I said. Marker looked to Colonel Lee.

  “Of course,” the colonel said with a sweep of his hand toward the shooting range. Marker stepped up and unholstered his pistol. He aimed with one arm casually and fired a single shot at the target, which disintegrated in a shower of debris and flames.

  “A most impressive demonstration,” said the colonel.

  “This weapon is a ceremonial sidearm, Colonel. It’s nothing like the standard marine-issued weapons that we have. You don’t have energy weapons on Sandosa?” I asked. He shook his head.

  “Not at this level of proficiency,” he said. “It is something we’re desirous of.”

  “I understand that, Colonel. But Sandosa will have to prove she is . . . mature enough to handle such weapons,” I said.

  “You think of us as children?” asked the colonel with a passive face that gave away no hidden anger, if there was any.

  “We think of Sandosa as a developing society that has not fully recovered from the Great Conflict, as I have read you call it here,” I said.

  “Yet your planet was chosen by the Earth Historians to receive just such technology,” Colonel Lee said. I nodded.

  “That is true. Quantar and Carinthia have both been lucky in that respect,” I admitted.

  “But poor Sandosa, we were not chosen, and so we are looked down on.”

  I decided to be as diplomatic as I could. “Sandosa’s turn will come, like it did for Levant and Pendax, if she opens her society to change and works with the Union and not against her,” I said.

  “That’s what this mission is all about for us, Captain. Seeing if we have common ground from which to work together,” Colonel Lee replied.

  From there we went to a grandstand to watch several unimpressive armored vehicles perform maneuvers, both with and without accompanying infantry. After the show we got back in the ground car and headed back to the government complex. I found Colonel Lee engaging enough, and I felt he was an honest soldier, but I wouldn’t give my trust to anyone until he proved worthy of it. He tried to raise the question of military assistance with me, but I replied with a blunt question asking whom Sandosa was fighting.

  “We have the right to protect ourselves from those who would seek to dominate us or even invade us. Your Union is fighting such forces now, isn’t it?” he replied.

  “We are,” I stated. “But things have been very quiet on that front for some time. I think Sandosa is safe from the Empire at this point.” He stayed stoic and looked unhappy with my answer. I decided to take a chance with my next question.

  “Are you worried about falling under the influence of Pendax?” I asked. He nodded.

  “Exactly, Captain, and that man Harrington. We do not trust him,” he said. I leaned back and shared a glance with Marker before replying.

  “It seems, Colonel,” I said, “that you are in good company.”

  I picked up Karina from the landing strip at precisely 1800, two hours to spare before the banquet. She was happy to see me and happy to be on Sandosa, which made me feel better about excluding her until we could assess the safety of the situation on the ground.

  Once back in our stateroom Karina unveiled a beautiful Asian-style silk dinner gown of deep blue and gold with dragons
and flowers inlaid in the fabric. She said it was a gift from Premier Uto Kim’s wife, Lady Mae Zhen Kim. I confessed to having difficulty keeping track of all the names of officials here. It certainly seemed as foreign a culture to me as I had ever seen, but the dress was beautiful.

  I left Karina the massive bath and boudoir for her dinner preparations while I went back out to the salon area of our stateroom to meet with my senior staff: Marker, Babayan, and Gracel plus Harrington and the Union Special Secretary, the Princess Janaan.

  I shut the door behind me, then removed my navy jacket and held court from an overstuffed chair. “I assume we have privacy protocols in place?” I asked Marker. He nodded.

  “Our longwave security field should block any unwanted surveillance,” he stated.

  “So, what’s our report on the negotiations?” I asked, looking around the room. Gracel started in.

  “I would say things went well. We do have some commonalities. They are willing to take on our economic and technical advisors in exchange for improved communications tech, and we sold them on some consumer technology that will help the urban population. Transportation and agriculture will also likely lead to agreements, but we didn’t want to rush in over the top of Mr. Harrington’s bilateral deals. And they are unwilling to go back to what they see as a corrupt social and economic structure that they believe caused suffering under the old rule of the original settlers,” she finished.

  “Merchantism?” I commented. “That could be a sticking point with the Union council.” Then I looked to Harrington. “And the status of your bilateral agreements, Admar?”

  Harrington shuffled in his seat. “We have agreement on 1.5 million immigrant women over the next ten years, as well as the precious metals deal I discussed earlier. The Special Secretary will oversee the immigration program. In exchange for all that, we’re offering agricultural equipment, training, seeds, and stock, the hardiest stuff that can survive and thrive in this climate. Imports will go way up, so the average Sandosan’s life should improve immensely,” Harrington said.

  “And what about giving them Wasps?” I asked.

  “Two initially, then one every two years for trade only—no weapons systems, if the agreements are fulfilled,” he said.

  “Just make sure they are the downgraded commercial models,” I said. He nodded.

  “That is the plan.”

  I looked to Janaan. “Can you guarantee that the women immigrating to Pendax will be treated fairly? Not like slaves but with guaranteed educational opportunities and the like?” I asked. She smiled.

  “That wording is in the agreement, Captain, and your wife was instrumental in making sure it got in there. It will not be hard to find volunteers from the local populace. Five women from amongst the trade delegations have already asked me to be in the program. They will get a fair chance at a new life with new men on Pendax,” she said with just a hint of a sparkle in her eyes. I turned away from her quickly to Babayan and Marker. She still had a hold on me, I had to admit.

  “Military assessment?” I asked. Marker snorted.

  “As we suspected, the military is mostly used to patrol the urban centers and control the populace. There is a 2000 hours curfew, and most residents are inside an hour before that hits. It is an oppressive society, but the military is underdeveloped, at least from what I’ve seen. Not an outside threat to anyone,” he said.

  “One thing is disturbing, Captain,” cut in Babayan. “There seems to be a sizable portion of the military disbursed to the high mountains, to the mines and such. No real explanation for it, as there doesn’t seem to be any internal or external threat to the mining operations.”

  “So why would they be there?” I asked. Only Gracel answered.

  “It could be that the work is dangerous,” she said.

  “Or it could be that the military is there to ensure the mines are worked via forced labor camps,” I said. “Which brings up the question of the day: where is the original Iberian population? Has anyone seen one person who would fit that description?” I looked around the room. No one answered. I continued.

  “So we may have a situation where ethnic cleansing has occurred and the Iberian population is now enslaved in the mines.” Again, no one responded. “We’ll do their state dinner tonight, but tomorrow John and I will fly a shuttle up there and see for ourselves. And if we find what I suspect we might, then there are going to have to be immediate and drastic changes on Sandosa one way or another. Even if I have to impose them myself.”

  “Do you believe your position gives you that power?” It was Janaan, challenging me.

  “I do,” I said immediately. “And no discussion to the contrary will change my mind once it’s made up.”

  “I would advise caution, Captain,” said Gracel.

  “And I take that advice seriously, Historian. But don’t forget I also have a royal title and my family has a seat on the Union council. I’ve been given broad powers not only to evaluate and recommend action on Sandosa but to take such action if I deem it necessary,” I finished, then looked around the room. There were no more challenges.

  “I’ll see you all at the banquet,” I said, then got up and went back to the bath to make my own preparations.

  An hour later I was just finishing dressing for the banquet, freshly showered and shaved. I’d chosen my formal princely regalia for the evening: my blue tunic and orange sash. It went nicely with my wife’s formal dress, which I could now see had been closely matched to the deep blue of Quantar’s royal colors. Karina came around the corner of the dressing room, dangling her second earring in her hand as she tried to hook it into her ear.

  “Stop,” I said as she tried to pass. “Let me.”

  “No,” she protested. “I’ve got it. You zip up my dress.” She turned her back to me, and I did as instructed. She took one last look at herself in the mirror, twisting and turning, before picking up the matching clutch the Sandosans had provided, then turned to me, arms spread wide.

  “Am I finally presentable for a Lightship captain’s wife?” she asked. The dinner gown was beautiful and form-fitting. It had a high collar with a gold diagonal line running out and around her right breast and small open panels on the front, well clear of her breasts, though, for modesty’s sake. I saw that the back had a small oval opening as well as she spun for me. I thought she looked stunning.

  “You’re far more than presentable. They sure seemed to get your measurements correct,” I said.

  “Asians are a bit more petite. Their sizing seems to suit me,” she said with a smile.

  “Indeed it does,” I said. Then she got a cross look on her face.

  “I believe you’re leering, Duke Peter. That will be impolite in the high company we’re dining with tonight, I believe.”

  “You’re probably right,” I said, giving up my carnal thoughts for the moment and offering her my arm. “Shall we?”

  The walk down to the Banquet Hall was short, and we quickly picked up an escort, a military guard and, thankfully, the translator we’d had in the first of the meetings. His Standard was by far the best I’d seen on the trip, excepting Colonel Lee. He followed us into the hall and showed us to our seats. We were next to the head of the table, where First Premier Uto Kim and his wife would be sitting. I noticed that Harrington would have the premier’s right side, while Karina and the Lady Mae Zhen Kim would be seated next to each other. Janaan would be placed next to Harrington—I wondered if they thought she was his mistress—and then Vice Premier Kay Jen Kho and his wife. I seemed to be very much an afterthought, and that suited me fine. It seemed the Sandosans didn’t like me much, and quite frankly I didn’t like them much either, so we were even.

  I arranged for Babayan and Marker to switch seats so that Marker and I could sit together and drink if things got too boring. He flashed me a flask of what I was sure was some of his precious stock of scotch. I le
aned close to him and said, “Only in an emergency, John.”

  “Right, sir,” he whispered in reply.

  The banquet, of course, took its normal route with public introductions, starting at the back of the table. Karina and I were privately introduced to Uto Kim and his wife, but I was greeted with nothing more than a simple handshake and bow from the first premier. Karina and Lady Mae Zhen were soon engaged in close conversation—in Standard, no less, and without an interpreter. They were having a great time as the different courses of food were introduced. Something called “Peking duck” was the main meal. I had to confess it was tasty. There were many champagne toasts during the course of the evening, done in both Sandosan and Standard. Once the meal and dessert were done, however, they served out a small white ceramic bottle to each of us that had red Asiatic characters on it. The small bottles were capped for us, and we were encouraged to drink toasts (all in the Sandosan language) from teacups. The first toast was from the First Premier, so we all had to stand and drink.

  The first shot had me thinking I’d been poisoned.

  I sat back down and choked out a whisper to Marker.

  “My god . . . what is this stuff?”

  “Tastes like shuttle fuel,” he said in reply. Suddenly the servants were refilling our teacups. This time it was Vice Premier Kho giving the toast. This was quickly followed by Lady Mae Zhen, who spoke hers in both languages and said very nice things about Karina. By the fifth toast, I was feeling much the worse for wear. Marker finally rescued me by grabbing my bottle during one of the toasts and dispensing with the contents under the table while pretending to cough, taking one for the team as the Sandosans chuckled a bit at him. When they poured again and I drank, it was thankfully scotch, but the damage had been done.

  The rest of the evening was a blur. All I remembered was Marker helping me back to my room, confirming our 0600 private mission, and then setting my own alarm for 0530. The last thing my wife said to me was a reminder to take my hangover medication. I remembered looking in my hand and seeing the two small pills . . .