Characters | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Epilogue
Chapter 7: A Foolish Plan While Playing the Fool.
“My name is Hal, first Speaker of Sol and spokesperson for the Sol fleet. You’re ridiculous, silly, and completely out of your depths,” I tried to sound authoritative.
Despite my, well-founded, protests, the coalition had named me spokesperson. I was the face of an entire system and most of both sides now probably hated me.
Actual leadership didn’t fall to me however; that dubious honour went to Queen Gwinevere the Second, High Queen of Venus. She’d been trained in fleet combat as a child and learned at her father’s side during the hundred year Venus-Mars war.
I had voted for Zuri, since she was the reincarnation of Arthur, but apparently it’s weird to have a teen in charge of an army. I guess they don’t read the same books I do.
Gerald the High Speaker of Spica, Voice of the Conclave of Suns replied with, “Does that mean you are going to try to block us from collapsing Sol?” He sounded confused. Good, that’s what I wanted.
“We have fifteen or so factions here. Can you give us a week to work out what we’re going to do?” I said it in my best growly voice. No one expects you to be silly in this sort of situation.
After a few moments of silence, he replied, “You have twenty four hours.” That was a nice holdover from our enemies being descendants of Earth. They used the same time measurements as we did.
From beside me, Suzy asked, “Why are you stalling?”
“The sooner they start shooting, the less likely we are to survive,” I answered before opening a secure channel to the Galahad, “How are you coming with the suns?” I’d asked them to make non-sapient micro-suns that we could scatter around the solar system and use as bombs. I wasn’t actually going to use them as explosives. I had bigger plans.
“We’re on schedule. We’re just finishing the two thousand five hundred and sixty-seventh.”
“And are they deployed?”
Captain Ng replied, “All but this last one.”
“Excellent. When you’re done, sit back and prepare to help where you can.” I closed the line and hoped they could help repair and save the crews of ships that were damaged. With their micro-sun powered drive, they were the fastest ship in the system.
Have you ever had a really important meeting and then spent the entire day before it just being stressed? Yeah, that’s what I did. I paced, I figured, I even pretended to take a nap. Finally, the deadline came due and I hailed the enemy. “We’d like to negotiate a ceasefire,” I said.
“We haven’t fired at you yet,” Gerald said.
“We know and we’d like to keep it that way. We would like to meet face to face and discuss how we can let you through with the smallest loss of life possible.”
Their coms cut off and I could tell that Gerald was trying to figure out what our deal was. I was, of course, just trying to delay until the forces of Denebola showed up and started trying to kill everything, even their allies. For the thousandth time I wondered if they knew what was coming.
After a few moments, he replied, “Affirmative Hal, you have permission to approach our mothership with an unarmed shuttle and two guards.”
“I will be coming alone. Give me a few hours.” My words were greeted by gasps around my bridge and I had to cut the coms.
“For the record, I hate this plan.” Suzy squeezed my hand a little too tightly. Everyone else just looked baffled.
The night before, I’d realized I could do more damage on the mothership and had told Suzy what I was planning. She’d threatened to tie me to the bed, and not in a sexy way, until I explained things in detail. I had managed to communicate with the other sun speakers and I tried to do the same with her. It wasn’t as clear but it got enough information across that she’d agreed.
I took nothing with me for fear that they’d notice any tricks. I took a tiny shuttle and piloted toward the mother ship. It was a slow ride and I tried to nap but it didn’t work. The tension in the solar system was so thick, I half expected a snake-shaped asteroid would cause people to start firing.
I reached the moon-sized goliath they called a mothership and wondered how many billions were in it. They caught me in a tractor beam and pulled me into the belly of the beast.
I really wanted to make these people out as monsters and horrors of deep space, but they were just hyper-devoted bigots, something I was more than familiar with. They had families, feelings, and had spent their lives being told they were the chosen people of the gods.
I was met with an armed escort and by Gerald himself. “They don’t value your life very highly do they, Gerry?” I asked.
Again he looked confused but answered, “I am replaceable. If I were to fall, the gods would choose another Speaker as their emissary.”
“Alright, this is the part where you arrest me and try to force me to convert to your God,” I said and moved forward with my arms out.
“How could you possibly know that?”
“I don’t care how many centuries it’s been, you’re a human and we’re all the same,” I replied, trying not to think of what I saw they’d do to me.
“Your God didn’t tell you?” Gerald asked, surprised.
I shook my head and said, “He didn’t need to. Now, off to the torture chambers with me.”
“Once you’ve come to love Spica, you shall return to your people and spread his word. We shall convert you and the rest of your people. Thank you for winning this war for us.”
“Yay! The sisters at the orphanage always said I was a winner. Now hurt me, Gerry. I’ve been a bad rebel Sun Speaker.”
Read Chapter 8
While you wait for the next chapter, check out the previous serial stories:
