Ravens of Eternity

141 The Flow of Coin, Pt Retholis watched the Taloren sun sink down into the horizon. The sliver of bright yellow disappeared as sharp reds faded into a rich purple. High above, stars began to hint at their existence as night crept forward.

Below the horizon, all over the city, lights began to turn brighter. The traffic in the skies subdued, and the streets began to clear.

As he looked out across the city, a voice that spoke in Drogar resounded around his office. Although the speech was acceptable, there was a clear lack in the typical melodic lilt most Drogar had.

“You’re absolutely sure this is secure?” asked the voice.

Retholis spun around and smiled with a short nod. He looked at the holographic image of the human male in front of him. Or, rather, across his desk, opposite him.

The man wore a pristine, neatly pressed Federation uniform which held a platinum fleur-de-lis on his collar. His hair was dark brown, but had a streak of grey coming from each of his temples. His body was taut, and his face was stern.

“High Admiral Kovakis,” said Retholis, “I can guarantee that my side of the line is using multiple layers of ComSec intelligences all working at once. No other Drogar anywhere in the Empire will be able to listen in. I can only presume your end is just as secure.”

Kovakis cleared his throat. Both of them were painfully aware how inferior Federation technology was to the Empire’s. For all he knew, the Drogar were hacking into his side of the conversation as they spoke.

“Well then,” said Kovakis, “let’s get to the topic at hand. No doubt this is about Tartarus and its Admiral.”

.....

“Exactly. I’ve noticed that you’re one of the few holdouts in regards to prisoner negotiations,” said Retholis. “I want to see how we can work together to more easily ensure the safe return of your personnel and technology.”

“Work together? Speaking candidly, we can’t. As far as I’m concerned, you can keep Admiral Chase deep on your side of the border. She’s a menace.”

“Your compatriots don’t seem to think so. In fact, their opinions are counter to yours.”

“They’re blind.”

Kovakis’ holographic image flickered slightly as all daylight vanished behind Retholis. The sky turned from a pinkish lavender to a deep indigo as they spoke further.

“Determining which of the High Admirals is lacking is a matter for your people to sort out,” said Retholis. “In the meantime, I’d like you to consider the reasons why you would prefer your top weapons developer to remain in your own enemy’s hands.”

Kovakis’s brow furrowed. He knew deep down that leaving the Admiral with the Drogar Empire was a seriously bad move. But he brushed the problem aside. Having her in the Federation would have presented even greater problems.

Chase had always been an exemplary officer, from her days as a cadet to present. She breezed through Engineering boot camp at Ganymede, and with top marks. Afterwards, she went straight into Naval Research and Development, where she assisted a number of top developers with their projects.

Each of them had said that her contributions greatly optimized all of their work. That simply having her eyes on their schematics was invaluable.

It wasn’t long until she was recommended to lead her own lab. There, she optimized current weapon and armor systems to warm up her personnel, then began her own weapons development in earnest.

She produced some of the most devastating ship weapons the Federation had ever seen.

Her successes had brought her to the point where her membership to the High Admiralty was in serious consideration. The fact that his own peers considered her a peerless genius... that was something Kovakis could not abide by.

So he did whatever he could to prevent that possibility. At every opportunity he could, he covertly blocked her advancement, or crippled her budget, or outright sabotaged her operations. Although his actions slowed her down, she went on undeterred and unabated.

That left the High Admiral bitter, angry and jealous all at the same time.

By this point, he had become so possessed with her destruction that he was willing to literally give her to his own enemies. Just so he could keep his ego comfortable.

A woman? Younger than 40? A High Admiral? Over my dead goddamned body!

“As if she could make any meaningful contribution,” said Kovakis. “We’re both painfully aware of how much more technologically advanced your species is. Having a Federation developer in your ranks would hardly do a thing.”

“Except of course, deprive the Federation of its only capability to close the gap,” replied Retholis. “But nevermind that part. What matters is that she’s already made contributions to our military’s technological advancement. Specifically ways to better protect our infantry. Would you like to see some of the designs?”

Kovakis’ eyes shot in alarm, and he couldn’t help but elevate his voice.

“What?! That’s outrageous!” he yelled. “How is this allowed? The Admiral is a prisoner of war! There are rules against-”

Retholis laughed at the Admiral, who could only glower at the interruption.

“It seems you aren’t very well acquainted with the Andromeda Treaty,” he said, “despite the fact that your signature’s on it. Well, since you seem to have forgotten, allow me to remind you about Section 45, Clause Theta. It specifically details both our sides’ ability to activate internment labor projects. We’re well within our rights to enforce that clause.”

“Manual labor!” cried the High Admiral. “That clause was designed to allow manual labor. Printing out materials, building bridges, repairing ships, hauling cargo – that sort of thing! You’re talking about having a top researcher creating guns!”

“Are you saying that building weapons isn’t hard work? Perhaps it might be a leisurely activity to you, but not to us.”

“You’re stretching what that clause provides! You cannot force anyone to build anything for you if they protest or are placed under duress.”

Retholis simply laughed again, which infuriated the High Admiral.

“Who said she protested?” he said. “In fact, she was eager to build something. I’ve found that people like her need to be thinking, acting, creating all of the time. Gives them purpose.”

Retholis quickly brushed off what he said with a quick gesture.

“Well, regardless,” he continued. “I don’t mind keeping her here and having her work for the Empire. I could perhaps even ensure that she and her people are very well taken care of.”

Kovakis paled at Retholis’ words.

“If she’s so damned valuable to you,” said Kovakis, “why bother with the negotiations, then? What in the nine hells is more valuable to you than her?”

“As you said, we’re already technologically advanced,” he replied. “Returning her would obviously shrink that gap. So what I want in exchange needs to have a clear return on investment.

“Our current trade is negligible at best. We need to quadruple lanes of trade, and enter into a strict ten-year trade agreement, optionally renewable. Both nations will provide resources for the required infrastructure, of course. And on top of that, a two-way border region expansion.”

Kovakis was utterly shocked at Retholis’ demands. The trade agreement was already a far reach, considering their nations were still at odds with each other. Sure, there was a nonaggression treaty in place, but there were still plenty of skirmishes happening at the border.

An expansion of the border combined with multiple trade routes would only increase those hostilities even further!

Kovakis was utterly astounded, and it showed in his voice.

“Are you utterly insane?!” he blurted out.

“Perhaps,” replied Retholis. “Both of us will end up with longer trade routes, and wider conflict zones. That means a great deal of capital moving through our respective wartime industries and conflict markets. It would bring both of us a huge economic boost.”

“How? By making the pirates fat and happy? A wider conflict zone means more hijacked goods! It’s going to be a free-for-all!”

Retholis scoffed at Kovakis. He felt that the human was far too short-sighted. How he had even received a rank of High Admiral was beyond the Swarmfather.

“You’re using the wrong word for pirate,” he said. “You must mean privateer. We certainly give many of our mercenary pilots letters of marque. I have absolutely no doubt you do as well. These expansions will fatten your naval yards to the brim.”

“Yours as well,” replied Kovakis. “And we’d be stealing your technology to boot!”

Retholis grinned conspiratorially at Kovakis.

“Now you’re getting it,” he said. “All parties will become fat and happy. You get some of last generations’ technology, and we get to see your current ones. This’ll keep both our Intelligence networks working hard for years.

“And the cherry on top – all of the mercenaries and private military fleets that will need to be hired to keep those lanes safe. Great amounts of Coin will be flowing into all our ledgers, High Admiral.”

The High Admiral grit his teeth. He had underestimated the dangers that the Drogar posed, and just now realized how vicious they could be. No matter which way they chose to deal with the Admiral, the Empire would retain their position at the top. Accepting the deal he offered would certainly be a win-win for everyone involved.

Except for Kovakis himself.

Regardless, he came to a realization that he had no choice but to capitulate. His role in hampering such a powerful deal would erode his own power, eventually.

And besides, he had other means of neutralizing the Admiral. If he was going to profit greatly from this deal, he may as well spend some of it to solve his biggest problems.

Kovakis sighed deeply as he imagined multiple military contracts rolling in, and his own ledger fattening in the process.

“Very well,” he said. “I’ll talk with the others. I can’t promise you your terms, but I will promise to fight for them. They’re too good to refuse.”

“The only items that are non-negotiable are the trade routes,” Retholis replied. “Everything else can be... bargained down. Not that I’m worried. I’m sure the other High Admirals will see the wisdom shining underneath the terms.”

“Are you sure you’re a military man? You seem rather more disposed to the political arena.”

“Of course I am. Been trained to gain the upper hand against my enemies on every level possible. I’m sure you’ve received similar training.”

“Hmph,” replied the High Admiral. “We’ll talk soon, Lizard.”

His holographic image winked out with little fanfare.

“Do you think he knew we were here?” asked Severas.

She and Justical Doleth were off to the side, seated at a few chairs leaning up against the side of the room. They were accompanied by a couple other stately-looking Drogar, whose heads were buried in their datapads all throughout.

Not that they were hiding their presence, but Retholis had asked them not to make their presence known, and to refrain from interfering with their talk. They were all there simply to observe.

“As much as we know who was in the room with him,” replied Retholis. “We can only assume he had his own version of consultants and enforcers with him.”

“You think he’s trustworthy?” asked Severas. “That he’ll pull through on his end?”

Retholis laughed.

“That’s why you’re here – to let me know your impressions of the man,” he replied. “How ’bout you tell me if he’s trustworthy?”

“Of course not,” replied Severas. “The only thing I trust about him is that he’ll chase Coin dutifully, at the cost of everything else.”

The others agreed with Severas’ assessment with short nods. As they discussed among themselves the High Admiral’s near-obvious corruption, Retholis walked over to the chairs, and stood in front of all of them.

“Then I need to ask you all a favor,” he said. “Once negotiations start to move in our favor, we’ll have to begin extracting the prisoners back to their asteroid base. But we’ll need to slow things down artificially for a while.”

“Slow it down? What? Why?” asked Doleth. “Wouldn’t it be safer for us to transport all of them right now?”

“Absolutely,” he quickly replied. “What I want is to give Savoth opportunities to attack. I want him to get angry and lash out carelessly. I want him to hit the prisoners, because when he does, I’ll have what I need to cut him down.”

“That’s mad!” said Doleth. “You want us to use the prisoners as bait? What would be the point in all of that?!”

Retholis frowned a little at Doleth. He thought she would have seen the reasons why.

“Because they’ll attack regardless,” he said. “Once Savoth sounds the call, his little beastlings, wherever they are right now, are going to attack them. They’ll do their typical song and dance about legality and get massacred in the process. Savoth likes to build martyrs and symbols, and he’ll use this to build the strongest ones he can. If we don’t prepare for it, they’ll gain a massive amount of power and influence.”

“That’s ridiculous,” said Severas. “They’re burning out their own base, literally. Like they’re throwing themselves into a fire of their own making.”

.....

Retholis turned grim at Severas’ words.

“That’s why Savoth needs to be stopped,” he said. “I want all of you doing your utmost to keep the humans protected. Whatever it takes, even if you have to station yourselves in the compound cycle after cycle.”