The Phoenix Project (28 page)

    
“Yes, I’m sorry. I had forgotten.”

    
“There are always apologies with your kind
Elik, and never any promises.”

    
“I’m not going to apologize for what
happened to your people. The Nevargh were the invaders, not us.”

    
“It’s absolutely true that it was the
Nevargh who annexed our planets. It’s absolutely true that they slaughtered
millions of our people. It’s absolutely true that you stood by and did
nothing.”

    
“What would you have had us do Cahn? We had
no weapons, no soldiers, and no capabilities defensive or otherwise. Would you
see us slaughtered as well?”

    
“Cowards suffer worse fates.”

    
“We are pacifists. There is a difference,”
Elik said.

    
“Semantics. At least we faced them with
fire in our eyes on the field of battle.”

    
“We know. We heard of your glorious victory
in the face of overwhelming numbers,” Elik said.

    
“At least you can admit that.”

    
“You also lost when the subsequent waves
arrived, Cahn. Your
Leviathan Class
warships were ultimately outnumbered
by the scores of vessels that overwhelmed your defenses. Your people were
valiant to the last, though.”

    
“We were.” Cahn raised his angular chin in
respect for lost lives.

    
“I do wish we could have helped. We can
give your people and any remaining ships you have sanctuary if you like.”

    
“To offer a mild defense when the fleet
arrives. Pardon me if I refuse on behalf of my race,” Cahn said.

    
“Then why have you contacted me?”

    
“Out of reverence for the old days, I feel
I should warn you.”

    
“Warn me of what?” Elik asked.

    
“The Nevargh are stripping their fleets
across their imperium and assembling a force.”

    
“How large? Where?”

    
“We’re not certain of the exact number, but
it is in the thousands. They have been heading towards your space,” Cahn
replied.

    
“We would have seen them by now.”

    
“I believe their rendezvous is at a staging
area just outside your sensor range.”

    
“We knew this was coming. We just didn’t
know when,” Elik said.

    
“They are still assembling their fleet from
across a very large empire. Don’t expect to see them soon. This will be,
probably a month or two in the future.”

    
“Thank—you for the intelligence, Cahn.”

    
“I didn’t do this for your gratitude. I
want you to know that barbarians are at your doorstep. I want you to feel the
rage we did.”

    
“Not today,” Elik replied. “We may fall
before them Cahn but don’t doubt we will meet our deaths with equal courage.”

    
“We’ll see about that,” Cahn said and
deactivated the monitor. Elik immediately pressed the buttons that would
connect him to the Ferine Assembly.

    
Nadine wore the same dress as she did to
her evening with the Ferine. It was the only formalwear she had aside from her
uniform, but this was not an evening for fleet uniforms. She was still
uncomfortable with Elliot but needed to shed some of that discomfort in order
to seduce him. It had taken a great deal of effort to invite him to dinner, and
seemed to have taken Elliot just as much to accept. It was made all the harder
by the fact that they may sense each others emotions in such quiet and personal
circumstances. She lit two cool blue colored candles on her small, circular
dinner table of glass. The Defensive was already ten minutes late. Now Nadine
wondered if it was his intention not to show up for their dangerous date.

    
The lights throughout her quarters were
dimmed, and shining dinnerware sat on the clear top of the table. She didn’t
want him uncomfortable and the warm atmosphere might be misinterpreted for more
than it was. It would be wonderful to get a liaison over with sooner rather
than later, but she needed to build up a sense of trust with him first.

    
Where the hell was he?

    
Nadine crossed her arms and stood a moment staring
at the living room in reverie while she thought of all of the odd circumstances
that had led her to a guest room on an Alliance
cruiser. She jumped at the sound of the doorbell and then answered its call.

    
The door slid open, parting as they all did
on Alliance
ships into four before disappearing into the wall. Elliot stood in the corridor
with a bottle in his hand. He wore casual clothes of earth brown and forest
green, but nothing as fine as what she wore. His reaction to her mode of dress
bordered on shock. She nervously stood in the doorway waiting for him to say
something.

    
“Hi.”

    
“Hi,” she said.

    
“I knew this would be informal but I didn’t
think this would require such elegant dress.”

    
“I don’t have much in the way of civilian
clothes, Admiral. I hope you don’t think I’m overdressed.” She caught him taking
a quick glance at her cleavage. “Or underdressed.”

    
“No, it’s fine. You did have little time to
prepare for this assignment,” Elliot said. Nadine moved to one side of the
doorway, allowing him access to the living room.

    
“Please, come in.”

    
He crossed into the living room and stood
near the couch looking around uncertainly at the inviting atmosphere. Nadine
could see his indecision and decided to begin the conversation.

    
“What’s that you have with you?”

    
“Oh!” Elliot exclaimed and brought up a
short boxy bottle of red liquid. “It’s—”

    
“Ruby Brandy. I’d recognize it anywhere
now.”

    
“Hard to miss, isn’t it?”

    
“It always seems to glow with a warm light,
doesn’t it?” she asked, admiring the bottle.

    
“Yes. It’s an incredible thing.”

    
“So you went and asked Lathiel for a
bottle?” Nadine asked.

    
“Oh. yes. You didn’t hear that
conversation. When you were talking with Ranik I brought a gift of rye whiskey
for the party. Lathiel insisted on trading a bottle of Ruby Brandy for it.”

    
“Aren’t you worried it will lower your defenses
against me?”

    
“Ah,” Elliot said, fingering the bottle.

    
“I’m just kidding, Elliot.”

    
“I didn’t realize that we were on a first
name basis.”

    
“Is that a problem?” Nadine asked.

    
“It’s fine, I guess.”

    
“Good, let’s get some glasses,” she said
and headed for the kitchen. As she opened a cupboard in the kitchen and looked
for the items in question, Elliot leaned against an opposite counter.

    
“You’re being very nice to me tonight.”

    
“Do you sense any deception from me?” she
asked.

    
“No.”

    
“Then relax. What am I going to do in the
center of an Alliance
cruiser?” she asked.

    
“That’s something I couldn’t really answer
in a courtroom, but I’ve heard of Defensives disappearing in meetings with
Aggressives.”

    
“Did the elite of the Cooperative tell you
that?” she asked, turning an eye towards him.

    
“Maybe. I know you’re an adept Aggressive.
I’ve never seen anyone as strong as you, except for one.”

    
“Like who?” Nadine asked. She turned to
face him, with two glasses in her hand.

    
“A member of the Council of Twelve. She was
the strongest Aggressive I have ever laid eyes on.”

    
“Who was she? What was her name?”

    
“Her name was Catherine. Catherine the
Second I think.”

    
“How long ago was this?” Nadine asked.

    
“About twenty years ago. I was an acolyte
at the time and I was escorting an Elder. He met with her at a neutral site to
discuss a truce to end a conflict between us. She was ruthless and clever.”

    
“I know her,” she said.

    
“I thought you might, but I’m surprised you
would admit it.”

    
“I’m willing to divulge a few secrets if it
will make our situation better.”

    
“What secrets am I supposed to divulge?”
Elliot asked.

    
“You don’t have to say anything. I’m just
trying to make an effort here. Didn’t commanders on opposite sides sit down to
have a drink with each other after a war was over?”

    
“Is there a war now?” Elliot asked.

    
“There was quite a battle, one I admit we
lost. You really turned the tables on us there.”

    
“Are you angry about that?”

    
“We’re commanders after the end of a war,
Elliot. We are allowed a drink to talk about it,” she said. Nadine placed the
glasses on a set table.

    
“Okay, how angry is the Coalition over
their loss?”

    
Nadine let the remark meant to barb her pass.
“Well, we are annoyed we lost. It has certainly given us pause.”

    
“Good.”

    
“I heard the intrepid commander of that
battle group was injured.”

    
“Yes, she was,” he responded softly.

    
“How is she?”

    
“She’s almost fully recovered. There is
some permanent damage though,” he replied.

    
“I’m sorry to hear that. She should feel
proud. Admiral Peterson gave us a run for our money. Most of our forces were
damaged or destroyed by the time the armistice was called. It saved face for
both sides.”

    
They both took their seats and Elliot
opened the bottle of Ruby Brandy.

    
“We both saved face?”

    
“In a manner of speaking. Neither of us
wanted a war. First Contact gave both of us an excuse to forgo hostilities.
Lathiel and Ranik are a godsend.”

    
“So that’s why you’re subjecting them to a
hearing?”

    
“I told you it wasn’t my idea,” Nadine said.

    
“Yes, you said so. If it wasn’t, why didn’t
you do anything to stop it?”

    
“It was a done deal. I received my orders
and they weren’t negotiable.”

    
“Never even tried, huh?”

    
“Do you argue over your orders?” she asked.

    
“No, I guess not,” he grudgingly admitted.

    
“So what did you expect me to do?”

    
“Alright, alright,” he conceded and sighed.
“Why did you invite me here, Nadine?”

    
“To lay some of this to rest. You and I are
supposed to be on the same side to defend the Ferine, right?”

    
“Sure. What’s for dinner?” he asked.

    
“I can make a roast or a steak. What do you
prefer?”

    
“Steak sounds good,” he replied.

    
“Okay, but let’s have that drink first.”

    
Elliot gave her a weak smile and opened the
brandy, pouring each of them half a glass. She picked up the tumbler and
mirrored one of Madison’s
toasts.

    
“To the Ferine.”

    
He raised his glass and both took a sip of
the alien liquor.

    
“The Alliance
has a file on you,” he said while he admired the glow of the alcohol.

    
“And what does it say?”

    
“It says that you were an interrogator.
Since the Alliance
navy doesn’t know who you truly are, I’d say they assumed that meant one of the
more conventional kind. I think you conducted mind probes.”