Ep.#15 - "That Which Other Men Cannot Do" (The Frontiers Saga) (60 page)

Nathan turned forward and straightened his uniform jacket. “General, front and center if you please.”

General Bacca moved forward and came to stand beside Nathan, to his left.

“Open the connection,” Nathan instructed.

A rectangular window appeared in the middle of the main view screen, revealing a stately chamber. In it were four men and four women, seated behind a long, curved table that hid their lower halves behind lacquered wood. Along the wall behind them were the flags of all the castes of the Jung.

“I am Captain Nathan Scott, of the Earth-Pentaurus Alliance ship, Aurora. I am auth…”

“
State your terms of surrender, and we shall consider your fate,
” the woman sitting in the center of the room said, interrupting the captain.

“There appears to be a misunderstanding,” Nathan said. “Possibly a translation issue, as we have only recently learned your language. We were not coming here to surrender. We came in response to the message sent by you…a call for peace.”

“
That was before,
” the woman explained curtly. “
This is now.
”

“I do not understand,” Nathan replied.

“
Your unprovoked attack on our homeworld has triggered a public outcry for Tonba-Hon-Venar. There can be no peace.
”

“The attack was hardly unprovoked,” Nathan defended.

“Captain,” General Bacca warned.

“You invaded our world, killed millions of our people, and when we fought back, you tried to destroy our planet. You glassed Tanna, one of our allies, and you cracked Kent in half, killing everyone. How can you sit there and claim that our attack on your world was unprovoked?”

“
The Jung take what the Jung need to thrive,
” the man next to the women stated. “
It is the way of the strong. Did your people need to destroy Zhu-Anok in order to thrive?
”

“Did your people
need
to glass Tanna in order to thrive?”

“
Worlds are cleansed when their populations prove uncooperative and require too many resources to manage, thus interfering with the expansion of the Jung Empire.
”

Nathan turned to look at Jessica behind him. “That almost makes sense, in a twisted sort of way,” he said under his breath. Nathan turned around to face the main view screen. “Defending Earth, and our allies within the Sol sector, was taking up too many
resources
, thus interfering with the recovery and safety of our people. The attack on your world was meant to send a message.”

“
And what message was it meant to send?
”

“That a continuation of hostilities between the Jung Empire and the Earth-Pentaurus Alliance would consume many resources, and cost countless lives. That it would interfere with the prosperity of both our peoples. We wanted to show you that we could destroy your world just as easily as you can destroy any of ours, in the hopes that you would agree to a cease-fire, while we negotiate a way to peacefully coexist, and perhaps even help one another prosper.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Jessica mumbled.

“
Unless your people surrender now, the demands of the Jung people for a Tonba-Hon-Venar will be approved, and the call will be sent out to every ship in the fleet. The order will be to destroy Earth, and any world that allies with it.
”

“That will take years,” Nathan said, “during which we will build more ships and more weapons. And we will seek out your ships, destroying them one by one, as we have already been doing. You will have a hard time gathering together enough ships to destroy any of our worlds.”

“
It takes but a single ship to destroy a world, if her crew is willing to commit to the Tonba-Hon-Venar.
”

“Captain,” Naralena called from her comm station.

“
Your world will end.
”

“Muted,” Naralena reported. “Sir, I believe Tonba-Hon-Venar means fight to the death. However, the use of the suffix ‘ba’ on the end of the root word ‘ton’, followed by ‘hon’, which means honor…”

“Get to the point,” Nathan insisted, still looking forward.

“Tonba-Hon-Venar
could
mean ‘To give your life with honor for vengeance.’”

“Oh, you
are
good,” General Bacca cooed.

“Unmute,” Nathan ordered. “Then your world will end as well,” Nathan replied.

“
Although much damage was done, your attack failed to destroy our world, Captain. You lost nearly half of your forces in the process. The fact that you attacked a massive force with so few ships would indicate that you have no others.
”

“We don’t need others. Had we wanted to destroy your world, we would have. We have the means. As you said, it takes but one ship. We took it one better. We have created weapons whose only purpose is to destroy worlds, and from great distances. As I now speak, there are eight such weapons, jumping around the stars at random. Each day, they move to a new location that only they know. Each day, they send a jump comm-drone back to Alliance Command asking a single question. ‘Should I postpone the attack?’ As long as they receive orders to postpone the launch of their weapons, your world survives another day. Should you attack Earth, or
any
of our allies, those weapons
will
launch, and your world
will
end.”

The vid-link disappeared.

“What happened?” Nathan asked, spinning around to look at Naralena.

“The transmission was terminated at their end, Captain, not ours.”

“It appears you have ‘rattled their cage’,” General Bacca observed.

“I’m hoping that’s a good thing?” Nathan replied.

“Possibly. Then again, possibly not. Right now, I imagine they are discussing the situation among themselves.”

“Captain, those ships are coming into firing range, and closing fast,” Mister Navashee warned.

“How many?”

“One battleship, two cruisers, with about eight frigates a few minutes further out. The battleship will reach firing range first…in about two more minutes.”

“Keep that escape jump warm, Mister Riley,” Nathan instructed.

“My finger is on the button, sir.”

“You cannot leave, Captain,” General Bacca urged. “You must demonstrate your resolve if you want them to take your threats seriously.”

“How can they not take the threat of planet-busting weapons set to fail-safe as a serious threat?”

“They are still stuck in the mindset of FTL. The idea that such weapons can suddenly
appear
out of nowhere, and they would have no defense, borders on unbelievable in their minds. I saw your ships jumping about in battle, and had I not experienced your miraculous jump drive technology first-hand, I too would have a hard time wrapping my mind around its tactical advantages. Give them time.”

“One minute until that battleship reaches firing range on us.”

“I’ve only got a minute to give them, General,” Nathan reminded him.

“Take a few shots, if you must, but stand your ground, Captain. The military castes respect strength and honor, the Isolationists just want to survive.”

“What about the other castes?” Nathan wondered. “What do they want?”

“It does not matter. The Isolationists outnumber the other castes.”

“Combined?”

“No, but the Expansionists and the Conqueror castes would never team up to overrule the Isolationists, who are the most senior and most respected caste in all of the Jung. They are the founders of the empire, after all.”

“Twenty seconds,” Mister Navashee warned.

“Are they targeting us?” Nathan asked.

“Yes, sir, they are.”

“Channel shield power to our threatened sides,” Nathan ordered.

“Aye, sir,” the systems officer replied.

“The problem is the military caste,” General Bacca continued, moving closer to the captain and speaking in hushed tones. “They require something to appease their honor. Some sacrifice…something of meaning.”

“Like what?”

“I do not know.” The general’s face lit up with an idea. “Perhaps, if you offered to share your jump drive technology with them?”

Nathan looked at the general in surprise. “You’ve
got
to be kidding.”

“Then, what?”

“Battleship is ten seconds out,” Mister Navashee warned. “They are spinning up missiles for launch.”

“Point-defenses, Jess,” Nathan instructed.

“Point-defenses, aye.”

“You must think of something, Captain.”

“Incoming message,” Naralena announced. “The Jung senate is requesting another vid-link.”

“Battleship has launched missiles!” Mister Navashee reported. “Twenty-four inbound. Impact in two minutes.”

“I’m on it,” Jessica assured Nathan.

“Put them up,” Nathan instructed Naralena.

The vid-link appeared on the main view screen again, showing the same scene.

“
We are willing to entertain the idea of negotiations,
” the woman at the center of the table began, “
but we fear the military caste will be difficult to convince.
”

“Five down,” Jessica reported, as the Aurora’s point-defense turrets fired away at the incoming missiles.

“
Your attack has brought disgrace upon them in the eyes of the other castes. If they are not allowed to seek revenge, to spill Terran blood, the vote to initiate the Tonba-Hon-Venar will end in a tie, in which case the people will decide. The same people whose homes and families your Alliance destroyed.
”

“Ten down,” Jessica updated.

“You must think of something,” General Bacca whispered. “They will only be satisfied with blood. Terran blood…the blood of a leader, or a great warrior…”

“Then take mine!” Nathan offered to the Jung senate.

“What?” Jessica exclaimed.

A satisfied smile crept onto General Bacca’s face.

“I am a great warrior of Earth. I command her greatest ship, and I alone ordered the launch of the weapon that destroyed Zhu-Anok, and killed millions of people on Nor-Patri. So if you must spill more Terran blood, spill mine, and let it end here, for both our peoples’ sake!”

“MUTE!” Jessica ordered.

“Muted,” Naralena replied.

“What the hell are you doing, Nathan!”

“I’m saving us all!” Nathan replied. “Mind your console, Lieutenant Commander!” Nathan raised his hands and snapped his fingers, pointing at the view screen.

“
You are offering to sacrifice yourself?
” the female caste leader asked to clarify.

“I am, if you agree to an immediate cease-fire,
and
you agree to begin formal negotiations for a lasting peace.”

“All incoming missiles destroyed,” Jessica reported, her voice highly stressed.

“
An impressive offer.
”

“Are they firing again?” Nathan asked his sensor operator, in hushed tones.

“No, sir. That battleship has not launched any more missiles,” Mister Navashee replied.

“One other thing,” Nathan said to the caste leaders. “I demand a fair trial.”

“
Trial?
”

“I assume you are charging me with war crimes against the people of the Jung Empire?”

“
You shall have your trial.
”

“Yeah, right!” Jessica scoffed.

Nathan snapped his fingers.

“Muted,” Naralena reported.

“One more, and I’ll have the Ghatazhak toss you in the brig,” Nathan warned Jessica with absolute conviction. He snapped his fingers again. “Then we have a deal?”

“
It will have to be put to a vote. Remain in orbit. We will contact you shortly.
”

“Order your ships to stand down. Our destruction will trigger yours,” Nathan warned.

“
Understood.
”

The video screen disappeared again.

Nathan looked at Mister Navashee. “What are those ships doing?”

Mister Navashee turned back to his console and studied his displays. “The battleship is no longer targeting us, and they have begun their deceleration for orbital insertion. I believe they mean to parallel us.”

Nathan sighed.

“I believe you have just saved both our worlds,” General Bacca congratulated. “Well done, Captain Scott.”

Nathan recognized the sound of gloating when he heard it. “Return this man to his quarters,” he ordered, a look of contempt on his face. Nathan headed aft, toward his ready room. “Remain at general quarters,” he instructed Jessica. “You have the conn.”

* * *

Nathan sat in his ready room, staring at his data pad on the desk in front of him. He had tried several times to write a letter to his father, and to his sisters, but he couldn’t find the words.

He picked up the remote and turned on the view screen on the forward bulkhead above the couch where Jessica loved to stretch out and relax. A few more button presses, and the scene that Captain Roberts had always liked to run on the view screen began to play.

Nathan stared at the video of the view from Captain Robert’s beach house. The waves crashing in the background, the golden retriever running on the beach, the seagulls squawking. He had played this video on many occasions, and it had always made him feel better. But not this time. That’s when Nathan realized. It was not
his
happiness, it was someone else’s.

Nathan’s happiness was this ship. This crew. This job. He had spent his entire childhood doing what his parents wanted him to do. Even his young adult years had been spent being groomed for something that was not of his choosing. And when he had finally broken free and made his own career choice, he had chosen the one thing that he could possibly think of, that was the complete opposite to what his family had wanted him to do.

Funny thing was, it had worked. He had never been more proud to be a part of something in his entire life. Here, he had made a difference. Here, he had faced challenges and overcome extreme adversity. Here, on this ship, he had become a man.

His ship and his crew meant everything to Nathan, and it seemed only fitting that he would give his life to save not only them, but his entire world, as well as the lives of all the member worlds of the Alliance. His decisions had already saved millions of lives, but also cost millions of others, so in a way, the sacrifice he had offered seemed a fitting punishment.

Of course, there was still a chance…

The intercom buzzer sounded. Nathan pressed the button. “Go ahead.”

“
Message from the Jung caste senate,
” Naralena said. There was a long pause, as if she was having trouble saying the words. “
They have accepted your terms. They are sending a shuttle for you and General Bacca.
”

Nathan said nothing, only closed his eyes as the reality set in.

“
Sir?
”

“Understood,” Nathan replied, his voice broken. He cleared his throat. “Alert flight to expect the shuttle. I’ll meet them on the port hangar deck. Notify Doctor Chen, and call Commander Willard to the bridge.”

“
Aye, sir.
”

Nathan took in a deep breath, and let it out in a long sigh. He watched Captain Roberts’ video a few more minutes, wondering if he would see another ocean before he died.

Finally, he opened the desk drawer, and picked up the bullet that had killed his brother, Eli…the bullet Nathan himself had fired. He put the bullet in his pocket, rose, and headed for the exit.