Perilous choices, p.39
Perilous Choices, page 39
part #11 of Gate Ghosts Series
“And they see the conclave interfering in their lucrative affairs,” Quanitine surmised.
“Just so,” Iltaft replied.
“The conclave began helping the Yerets, who have a system near the anomaly’s exit. They inhabit a parched planet, and the conclave has begun delivering water ice asteroids,” Iltaft explained.
Timteri grunted in sympathy with the Dwerves’ open mouths and Doktorg’s fallen crest. “I thought the same thing when I heard the representative explain how the ships harvest water ice asteroids and sling them at the planet,” she said. “Apparently, they’ve done this thing before and are quite good at it.”
“The more I hear about the conclave, I’m glad I never thought to encounter their warships,” Eshtitor remarked.
“Even with your warship fully repaired?” Iltaft inquired, testing the subject. She watched the three individuals on the other side of the table lean into their chairs and steadily regard her. “It’s my duty to ask the difficult questions, and I apologize if you’re insulted by them.”
“I’m the captain of this ship,” Eshtitor said firmly. “I don’t know my race’s future. I had the opportunity to repair our ship fully. It was my duty to see it done as thoroughly as possible.”
“I appreciate your candor, Captain,” Iltaft replied. However, it didn’t seem to mollify the Dwerves or Doktorg, who continued to quietly observe her.
“Perhaps, we should return to the opportunities for the Woots’ expanding shipments,” Timteri interjected. “We do have a major concern.” As she hoped, the thought of a significant hurdle drew everyone’s attention. “Even if a trade agreement could be created with the Yerets, Monkfreds, or Freiots, the Krackus freighters can’t sail through the anomaly.”
“And neither can this ship,” Doktorg pointed out.
“We’ve a way of surmounting that problem,” Iltaft offered. “Quellers are members of the conclave. We receive travelers now for our efforts to build conclave warships. It’s only another step to use conclave technology to construct their largest freighters, a class one.”
“Which can navigate the anomalies?” Doktorg inquired.
“All conclave ships, except travelers, can sail through these energy continuums,” Iltaft affirmed.
“Why not travelers?” Quanitine queried.
“They’re too small to possess the engines required for deep space,” Iltaft explained. “They’re relegated to sailing within a system, where their specialized engines can feed on the gravitational forces of large planets.”
“We should discuss this intersection of events more thoroughly,” Eshtitor suggested.
27: What’s Our Future?
DEVONA AND TREVONIAN
QUELLER WORLDS
Iltaft took the opportunity to signal Temtalum to return.
Then Iltaft and Timteri followed the Dwerves and Doktorg to a bay to board Temtalum’s traveler when she landed.
In the meantime, Iltaft sent two requests. The first was to Minimalist, Luther, and Morgoth. The second was to Wymron.
Temtalum dropped her passengers at Iltaft’s office.
Minimalist had piloted the traveler that carried his companions. They stopped at the capital’s admin building to collect Wymron.
The parties met in the theater with the conclave holo-vid.
“Information provided by our new friends has opened up possible opportunities,” Iltaft said in Queller for the benefit of Wymron and the inspectors, while standing in front of her audience.
Minimalist sat behind Eshtitor and Quanitine to translate. Luther did the same for Doktorg.
“Of the three superfreighters, two are full of grain, and the third is half full,” Iltaft said. “More important, this shipment was provided by ten percent of the fiefdoms. Let me remind you that the Woots have two harvest seasons.”
“Freighter count?” Wymron inquired.
When Doktorg heard the translation, he returned, “Five.”
Wymron rustled his long quills, “Twenty percent of planet,” he calculated.
“At the rate the sisters are acquiring fiefdoms, the Woots will fill all five freighters in three, maybe four, harvests,” Eshtitor reasoned.
Iltaft turned her attention to the advisor. “Considering what you’ve just heard, what do these figures mean to you?” he said.
“Apologies, Iltaft, I don’t have my forecasts with me,” the advisor replied.
The holo-vid lit and displayed the advisor’s server folders.
“Thank you,” the advisor replied to no one in particular. Then he called out the folders and files he required.
“We need the volume of these freighters,” the scientist added, which appeared as a note in the upper corner of the display. “Are the freighters the same size?” he inquired.
“Affirmative,” Doktorg replied.
Reading the files on display, the advisor calculated numbers on his display. As he tapped, the information was presented to the audience via the holo-vid.
“At the present population, I calculate that six or seven freighters twice annually would fulfill our citizens’ present demands,” the advisor said, when he finished his work.
“One year. Two year. Quellers. Dwerves?” Wymron inquired.
The advisor blinked, trying to parse the request.
Timteri leaned toward the advisor and said, “Add the Dwerves spreading out over the coming two annuals. Also, include the nominal population growth. Then calculate our needs. Extrapolate for two years.”
“I don’t know the Dwerve population,” the advisor replied, leaning forward to eye Eshtitor, who returned a figure. Then he adjusted his calculations. Finally, he said, “I need more time to improve the accuracy of these numbers, Senior Elder Wymron. My best estimate is that in another annual we’ll need an extra freighter every annual. In two years, that would be another freighter load every harvest season.”
“Putting aside the future shortfall, Representative Iltaft, you spoke of opportunity,” Morgoth reminded her.
“I’m thinking of Julien’s discovery of the races on the other side of the nearby anomaly,” Iltaft said. “I was wondering if they could be a market opportunity for the Woots. I was reminded by my senior admin that we’d have to solve the problem that only conclave ships can navigate the continuums.”
“My compliments, Representative,” Morgoth said. “That’s forward-thinking.”
Wymron issued a soft grunt of pleasure. He was proud of Iltaft, whom he thought of as his daughter, leading the Quellers into the future.
“It seemed like a good idea,” Iltaft allowed, “until reality reared its head. Doktorg, do you think the empire would lend us some more freighters?”
Doktorg gurgled at the suggestion. “I don’t think Executor Rebtar was happy to part with these five,” he said.
Cremsylon’s voice issued from the holo-vid in Queller.
“Thank you, Cremsylon,” Iltaft said.
“That will leave us with four freighters,” Eshtitor lamented.
“Not necessarily,” Doktorg returned. “If a Trident captain would cooperate, the crews could occupy traveler seats for the cycles to transport them to the nearest Krackus planet. Then a traveler could land, drop them off, and lift before being intercepted.”
“Are you suggesting we keep the freighters indefinitely?” Quanitine queried.
“No, we don’t have the means to keep them in repair,” Doktorg pointed out. “Even if we aren’t using them, I don’t want to see them returned until the conclave has finalized negotiations with the assembly. They’ll be five fewer freighters for the empire to fill from suborned agrarian civilizations.”
Eshtitor and Quanitine nodded thoughtfully at the reasoning.
Iltaft noted that Cremsylon had dropped off the conference. She held up a finger to her audience, requesting they wait. Then she connected to Wymron.
Iltaft reasoned.
Wymron noted.
Likewise, Iltaft thanked the scientist and the advisor and excused them.
As Wymron, Morgoth, Minimalist, Luther, and the inspectors rose to leave the theater, the Dwerves became concerned. They had expectations of an important subject that should be discussed.
“My conference room will be a better place to discuss what you wish to hear,” Iltaft said to the Dwerves and Doktorg.
Seated around the table, Iltaft asked, “How do you see the transfer of Dwerves to Queller worlds?”
Immediately, Eshtitor and Quanitine, who had been leaning back, placed their forearms on the table.
“Tell us where we’d be allowed,” Quanitine requested.
“Eventually, all worlds,” Iltaft replied. “Wymron requests we start small, and I agree with that idea. There’s a fairly new world, Trevonian. It has pleasant atmospheric conditions and a temperate climate. The population is small, not more than sixteen thousand. They’re in need of support to generate income through small company products. More important, they’ve little to no farming experience.”
“Why did they immigrate there?” Doktorg inquired.
“Many are young families, and the elders offered incentives to them,” Iltaft explained.
“Do you think Dwerves would be accepted?” Eshtitor asked.
“I was thinking of delivering an extra quantity of grains with the Dwerves we land there,” Iltaft replied, grunting at the incitement.
“That would be a generous gesture,” Eshtitor allowed. “What quantity and mix of Dwerves were you thinking?”
“There are already young families there,” Timteri noted. “Wouldn’t it be most appropriate to land a mix that’s similar?”
“I like that idea,” Quanitine interjected. “We’ve numerous pairs with small younglings.”
“Will the mates and young look different from one another?” Timteri queried delicately.
Quanitine softly laughed. “Dwerves are as disparate as Quellers are similar,” she said.
“Then different-appearing Dwerves can mate?” Timteri pressed.
“In most cases,” Quanitine allowed. “Those Dwerves who’ve undergone the most biological shifts are less likely to be able to conceive. If they do, there’s a great probability that the young won’t be viable.”
As Timteri regarded Eshtitor and Quanitine, her dismayed expression gave her thoughts away.
“Don’t be sad for us, young one,” Quanitine said. “There is more to life than offspring. For the captain and me, we’ve a lofty goal — secure the future of our race.”
“You’ve offered us a target planet. We know the family mix to land. How do we test this?” Eshtitor inquired.
“I suggest we sail your ship, Captain, the half-filled freighter, a Trident, and a Queller grain-transfer ship to Trevonian and speak to the citizens.”
“When?” Eshtitor continued.
“What are you doing right now?” Iltaft asked casually, which made Eshtitor laugh.
As the group left the conference room, Iltaft made quick calls to Wymron, Temtalum, and a grain transfer company. By the time she exited the buildings, arrangements were underway.
For Timteri’s part, she made sure that Gat’r had the list of contacts that she’d received for those interested in becoming implant trainers.
Within three conclave hours, the small flotilla was underway, dropping below Devona to take a heading for Trevonian.
Timteri was asleep in her bunk before the Trident cleared the planet’s gravitational pull. She missed midday meal and didn’t appear until evening meal.
Iltaft responded.
When the Devona flotilla reached Trevonian, Eshtitor ensured that the entire Dwerve contingent got good views of the planet. Quanitine and he were pleased by the feedback they received.
However, Eshtitor had to deliver the bad news that the first individuals to drop planetside would be a small group of young families. He tempered that announcement with his thoughts that the Quellers would open more worlds to them.
Iltaft limited the initial meeting with the colonists to a small group. It would be Eshtitor, Quanitine, Doktorg, Timteri, Temtalum, and her.
Temtalum narrowed her eyes, and her vestigial wings fluttered.
Iltaft grunted in amusement. Often, she’d ached to touch, if not hug, her Toralian friend. But Temtalum’s fragile bones wouldn’t tolerate enthusiastic contact.
The Trevonians had a central hall that held about six hundred seated Quellers.
When Iltaft’s group entered the hall, the count was closer to a thousand, with citizens lining the walls.
Immediately, the seated audience stood and faced her. They gave the greeting reserved for an elder, and she returned the honor. Then Iltaft led her entourage to the small stage at the hall’s front.
Although there were seats, Iltaft had instructed everyone to stand on either side of her. “Greetings, Trevonians,” Iltaft said, using the conclave traditional opening and briefly eyeing the tiny vid drone broadcasting her voice. “If you’re wondering, none of us are wearing disguises.”
Heavy grunts and the sounds of stamping feet filled the hall.
“I might have a tremendous opportunity for you that Senior Elder Wymron has approved, but I must be sure that this is something that will help you,” Iltaft continued. “I would like to hear your most important needs. These will be the ones that will help you prosper.”
For nearly two hours, Iltaft listened to Trevonians talk about their planet and their challenges, and Timteri was reminded of what Iltaft had told her about connecting to citizens.
Finally, Iltaft stopped taking comments. “This is what I’ve heard in order of the most repeated desires,” Iltaft said. Then she read off four key items, often quoting individuals who recognized their words. She waited to see if she’d captured the majority of the assembly. The nodding heads told her that the majority of the Trevonians were with her.
“Let’s deal with the first issue. You’ve a wonderful planet, but you’ve food shortages. Primarily, this is a result of you being terrible farmers,” Iltaft said.
Iltaft’s entourage was aghast at her accusation, but the Trevonians were grunting their assent.
“Allow me to introduce two Dwerves,” Iltaft said. “This is Captain Eshtitor, and this is Quanitine. You saw multiple ships arrive. How many noticed the two largest ships?”
Every Trevonian raised their hand.
“One ship is a freighter, and it’s half full of many quality grains from a faraway planet,” Iltaft explained. “That freighter accompanied two more full freighters, and those ships have arrived among Queller worlds, thanks to Captain Eshtitor and Quanitine.”
For that introduction, the Trevonians rocked the hall.
“Keep that in mind, while I tell you something else,” Iltaft said. “It speaks to your second need. You wanted to know when the conclave will pay attention to you. My traveler pilot, wonderful advisor, and good friend, Temtalum, is standing beside me. Don’t be fooled by her slender stature. You’ll not find a fiercer individual.”
