"Our fighters will destroy you."
"Possibly. The stations will be atomized, nevertheless. You might want to consider the possible alternatives, general."
"Such as?"
"All of the factions on Amadeen have access to weapons capable of attacking this ship. One of them may succeed. Another alternative is that we are successful and peace comes to Amadeen. Either way the QF saves a lot of lives, and isn’t that the purpose of the quarantine?"
He nods at Janice. As the general’s image vanishes from the screen, Janice says, "It looks like Popcorn’s bomber is changing its mind," The screens come to life and several minor officers of the Thuyo Koradar are dragging, almost carrying, the struggling bomber back to its home workshop.
As the bomber screams for help and a few of us chuckle, I lean over and speak to Davidge, "Was it wise to threaten the QF, especially since the Aeolus has no weapons at all?"
"We have the weapons," he answers. "A present from Estone Nev. That’s why we spent that extra day at the A’ja Cou Station."
"Why didn’t you tell me?"
Davidge shrugs and holds out his hands. "Sorry. You were out with Reaper’s press gang fleshing out the crew, then you were unconscious, then you were healing, then other things came up."
Before I can say anything else, Nightwing is back. The Green Fire suicide team is still on its way, Gitoh is confirmed as the goal, and the source of the orders has been identified. Everything is supported by recorded conversations of all the accomplices.
In the hills overlooking Gitoh, the suicide team will set up its missiles, target the hospital, two schools, and the kovah for lineless children, totaling over eight thousand children and adults. Green Fire’s leaders hope to kill enough children and wounded to provoke the Mavedah into a retaliatory strike, thus killing the talks.
Green Fire’s leadership is a council of seven members. This council voted unanimously to make the strike against Gitoh. The orders passed from them to their minister of revolution, who ordered a field commander, who in turn asked for volunteers. Taking out everyone responsible will mean killing at least thirteen more humans.
"Do they have enough agents?" Davidge asks Reaper,
"They have one on the missile team, two on the council, and one each on the war minister and the field commander. It’ll be close, especially with the security on that council, but they should make it. They should make it."
As I watch Reaper, I suddenly realize that he is not giving his considered opinion; he is praying. I turn to Davidge. "I want to send this information to the Mavedah. If Green Fire should get through, we must stop the retaliation before it begins."
Davidge thinks a moment, glances at Kita, then faces Janice. "See if you can raise the Mavedah."
While Janice turns to the communication board, inside of me there is a voice saying it is all too one-sided. Yesterday we foil two human plots to disrupt the truce. Yesterday we kill twelve humans. Today we target and kill another thirteen humans. While the one voice cries that this is too lopsided, another voice is cheering. I feel guilty about both voices and listen to neither.
"Got 'em," says Janice. "Taaka Liok, it says it’s fourth warmaster, responsible for the Southern Shorda."
I watch as the legend of Taaka Liok fills the screen facing me. I have followed the orders of this warmaster for so long that I feel like a child before a disapproving parent it has struggled to please. "I am here," says Liok. "Are you the one who wants to speak?"
I lean forward, rest my arms on the table, and at last get my mouth working. "Jetah, I am Yazi Ro of the Navi Di."
The old warmaster raises its eyebrows. "Ah, the truce police. What would you have of me?"
"We have learned that the Green Fire has planned a missile attack for tonight from the hills surrounding the city of Gitoh. They plan to target the hospital, two schools, and the kovah for lineless children. The object of the attack is to provoke retaliation."
"If they succeed in their plans," says the warmaster, "they will get their retaliation."
"We intend to stop them, Jetah. In case we fail, though, I wanted to warn you to allow the Gitoh Sikov time to prepare."
Taaka Liok studies me for a moment. "Is there anything else?"
"Yes, Jetah. If we cannot stop Green Fire in time, we would have it that you do not retaliate. We will find out who is guilty, we will execute them, and the truce will hold."
The warmaster leans away from its camera and clasps its hands together. "Why would you do such a thing, Yazi Ro?"
"That is our duty, Jetah."
"Duty?" Taaka Liok leans forward and points. "Who made this your duty?"
Who? I think of the Front, all of the dead, the millions who live each day in fear, my old comrades, the weariness that haunted me between my terrors. Zenak Abi, Davidge, Jeriba Shigan, Falna in its perverse way. I look at Taaka Liok and do not avert my glance. "It is talma. A talma to peace."
A sneer touches its lips. "Long before either of us were born, Yazi Ro, the Jetai Diea on Draco decided that Amadeen is forever rulebound into its war. No talma is possible save the elimination of one side or the other."
"Things continually change, Taaka Liok, including the Jetai Diea’s understanding of talma."
"Where are you from, Yazi Ro?"
"My parent died in Gitoh, my only home, save the kovah for line less children there."
It frowns as it studies my image on its own screen. "At the kovah, were you selected?"
"Yes, Jetah. I am a deserter from the Okori Sikov."
Taaka Liok glances down, then it reaches out a hand to a point beside the screen. "I promise nothing. Let’s see how successful you are against Green Fire’s attack." It pauses for a moment. "I will tell you my decision about retaliation once it is made."
The screen goes blank. All of us continue looking at the dead screen until Kita says, "I don’t think the warmaster bought it."
"Would you?" asks Davidge. "You spend your whole life in hell trying to stay a step ahead of the monster, then all of a sudden Goody-Goody comes along and says, 'Sit this one out, mate. I’ll take care of it." He looks at me and I hold out my hands.
"Will, what if we let Green Fire know we are onto their plans? Perhaps they will wait for another time or simply call it off."
Davidge taps a fingertip on the table. "We let the Front know, too. They might have some clout with Green Fire. Hell, let everybody know."
Kita and Davidge exchange glances, then Kita faces Janice. "Raise Nightwing and his regional net. Tell him about Popcorn’s bomber and see if some well-placed twenty-nines around the council chamber and on the road to Gitoh can’t put the brakes on Green Fire, then raise the Amadeen Front―"