“Returning from recent negotiations to bring Zayous into the UCP, Admiral Maxtin had this to say: ‘We’ve got a long road to peace; returning to the armistice agreement will prevent needless loss of life. Peaceful solutions will prevent the devastation felt on Summersun today.’ The Admiral’s stance is in sharp contrast to Captain Kantian. Some sources report Captain Kantian acted without authorization from the UCP government. Credited with saving millions by his actions, Captain Kantian has been recalled back to Parliament.”
“Kantian might face a court-martial for his actions.”
“But the Admiral wants peace. He won’t do what needs to be done with this information,” Saltāl says.
“Get your contact reviewing the vid feeds. If Kantian isn’t deposed—we approach him.”
“The flow of information will tell us if we recruit a comm officer…”
“And who we trust in the UCP? The way they react to our information could reveal us.”
“We should send test information. Something not traceable back to us, but how they act on it will reveal if we transfer your translations.”
Nytalyan offers, “The Mokarran want to drive those not of pure blood from the Tri-Star Federation. Summersun was but the first of many worlds they plan to scorch.”
“They lose the strategic value of Summersun being a staging point to invade UCP space.”
Nytalyan speculates from what she understands from her translation. “It was more important as an agricultural planet. The Mokarran plan to decimate dozens of agriculture-driven economies. Many of which feed surrounding solar systems.”
“Creating mass famines? Millions will starve.” Nausea washes over Saltāl.
“Millions will flee to the UCP where they will expect to be fed and become a drain on the UCP resources.”
“Allowing the Mokarran to strengthen their own forces by eliminating those who can’t be productive,” Saltāl realizes.
“Even if we send this information to the UCP, they can do little to stop the devastation of so many planets within the Tri-Star borders, not without initiating a full scale war.”
“We’ll see if they do react.” Saltāl adds, “There’s one more newsfeed you need to witness. The one the Mokarran released to the planets they control as the actual ISN news reports.”
He presses play.
“Recent poisoned food production has forced the Tri-Star Federation to invalidate their status as a member system. Now with trade sanctions in place Federation citizens will be safer from poorly processed foodstuff.”
“Now more people will starve. Summersun was a breadbasket for Federation worlds,” Saltāl muses.
“They won’t believe the Mokarran would just give up an entire star system.”
“It’s on the ISN, people believe what they see on the news. How many of these stories did we see before we questioned our leadership?”
Nytalyan admits, “I’ve had my suspicions for a while. The systematic displacement of workers and reassignments of all key personnel to those strictly Mokarran scared me.”
“What the Mokarran are doing should scare us all.”
“I HAVE DISPATCHED one of my sergeants on an undercover mission under the guise of being dishonorably discharged. I have dispatched him to the GoBartha system, a small desert world where the Mokarran mine durasteel ore. With enough disruption on the planet, the Mokarran could abandon it.”
“Interesting strategy, Captain. You do have a nose for political insight.” Admiral Easter peers at the hologram of Kantian before her wheelchair.
“There were too many consigned mercs on Summersun to be coincidence. Someone deliberately moved against the Mokarran, forcing the new treaty. Was it part of your plan, Admiral?”
“There will be no court-martial, Kantian. I had nothing to do with the abundance of mercenaries on Summersun. Since we have annexed the system, the UCP will have to bail out the Summersun government.”
“We saved all those people.”
“We saved the destitute and the Tri-Star Federation. With the planetwide damage to crop production, it will take more resources to restore the planet to an agrarian culture. The loss of the planet will save the Tri-Star Federation trillions.”
“Saving those people means so little to us?”
“Bringing us the Mokarran burdens will break us faster than a war fleet.”
“With respect, Admiral Easter, this was your command decision.”
“It was. We needed the armistice, and we need Tri-Star Federation planets to rise up against the Mokarran, but understand, Kantian, there are two sides to every power play. Those citizens you saved won’t contribute to the war effort. They will waste resources. Resources we need to defeat the Mokarran.”
Despite his convictions, Kantian comprehends. “You wanted a sound bite on the ISN. The liberation of the planet was propaganda. My crew, and the near destruction of the Deliverance, was for a press release.”
“A Mokarran defeat will have no easy choices. Once you have secured the Deliverance in dry dock for repairs, report to my offices. I’m promoting you to Assistant Outer Dimensional Coordinator.”
“Your personal assistant, Admiral?”
“I want you to replace me, Captain. I have not changed my mind.” Easter flips off her holotransmitter, ending her discussion with Kantian.
She wheels herself further into the biotical garden. “The air mixture here helps with my breathing. Most of these plants aren’t even from the same planets, but together they give off oxygen mixtures to make my lungs stronger. It’s something natural unlike this damn machine.”
“Then I would spend most of my time among this beauty.” Maxtin brushes past leafy palms to stand next to Easter.
“Thirty years. We met after the Coalition fleet was destroyed. You and I and two hundred survivors out of the thousands destroyed in battle. We founded this Confederation without the help of your people. They wanted nothing to do with us.”
“Is my bringing them into the alliance stealing the thunder of your prodigy?”
“Kantian has to stand on his own. Had I known your plan included bringing a Zayar delegation, I would not have complied with your operation. I did want him in the spotlight, more so than you.”
“He wants war too badly.”
“The Mokarran have to be stopped.”
“We’re not ready for war,” Maxtin says.
“A Zayar ship in Mokarran space translates otherwise.”
“The UCP and Tri-Star Federation have signed a new armistice treaty because
