All That Glitters Ch. 46

"In theory, that leaves you as the only male of the family not implicated in these events, however, I have access to all of the House computers, and it clearly shows that you were aware of some of these events and did nothing to inform the authorities. What does that mean for you?

"Simply put, because you were aware of these incidents and did not report them, the Alliance will not support your attempt at retaking the House of Adenomere. The Landstradt has declared for me and my heirs, my future twin children.

"In the fullness of time, I would have married your brother and bore him children. Those children would then be above you in the chain of heirs.

"It so happens that I had one night with your brother, before he was arrested. That event has left me pregnant with twins," Aurelia explained. "The records show that Marius throws twins having sired several twins with slaves on the estate.

"Should you decide that you want to take back your inheritance, you would have to displace me and my children, and many people at the estate who are no longer slaves but who very much have ill feelings towards you.

"However, having spoken with people that know you, I have been advised that you would still attempt to take back what you see as your inheritance.

"Don't even think of it.

"In essence, you would fail as the only way to gain your inheritance would be to commit multiple murders, which the Landstradt would never condone. Even if you succeeded in these murders, you would never be sponsored as the heir by the Landstradt. Your Uncle Elliot would be named the heir in the event of my and my children's death. You would not get back the inheritance you so desperately want and wrongly believe is yours.

"So, what does that mean for you? I do not want you to return to the Alliance. It would be suicidal for me and my future family to allow that. I must, therefore, keep you out of the Alliance for the remainder of your life.

"I will give you the equivalent of 500,000 credits per year until you have finished university or you reach your twenty-fifth year. I will also fund your tuition and boarding fees here and at the university of your choice so long as you qualify to attend that university or collage. If you no longer qualify for university or collage, your funding ends at age twenty-five.

"You should be able to complete several degrees by age twenty-five, barring a doctorate level degree in something. Once again, so long as you qualify each year, you will receive the tuition fees, boarding fees and the 500,000 credits until you achieve your doctorates, so long as you are continuously in school. That means if you take a break for a year or two, you will lose your funding at age twenty-five.

"If you do a good job of investing your annual funds, that will provide you a substantial nest egg for your future. If you squander it, you will be left to your own resources after you finish with university or you reach age twenty-five.

"I must warn you though, I do not trust you. The Landstradt does not trust you. They know that you want to regain House Adenomere. That would destabilize the current structure of the Landstradt which is something the Alliance does not desire.

"The Landstradt has placed a bounty on your head. Your head, Michael, not your living body. Should you attempt to return to Alliance controlled space, that bounty would be enacted. You would be arrested at the least but most likely killed outright, your head exchanged for the bounty.

"If you doubt this, you can verify this through the Landstradt records on Adenomere succession. The records are public knowledge and should be accessible to you even here.

"In essence, so long as you stay out of Alliance Space, and out of Alliance politics, Alliance Law cannot and will not touch you. They will not request your extradition, leaving you to live your life as you please.

"The moment you enter Alliance Space, or attempt to influence Alliance politics, you will effectively forfeit your life. You will never regain the House of Adenomere as, by Landstradt edict, should I and my children die, your Uncle Elliot would inherit the estate.

"Those are the terms of our agreement," Aurelia stated, pushing documents and a pen toward him. "Read it if you insist, but you will sign it today, or the Landstradt will request your extradition. It is your choice if you wish to live or die.

Michael looked around the room, confusion, surprise, and hurt showing on his face.

"I want my solicitor to review this agreement," Michael snapped.

"There will be no need for that," Prof. Halen proclaimed. "I have already reviewed the document. It is as stated. You will be provided for so long as you remain outside of Alliance Space."

"Why is she here?" Michael snarled, looking at Grace.

"I am here as an unaligned witness, Michal, as the Prof. represents the school, who wants your money each term. I am also here as a representative of the TGA. Or rather my father, which is the same thing.

"We will provide you with a new identity, so long as it does not include your current family name," Grace replied with a sweet smile. It was a fabrication but Michael didn't know that.

"Don't think that you can use that to return to the Alliance. Your new name will be made known to the Landstradt for their records," Grace finished, turning the knife in her rival's back with exquisite finesse. In one moment, Grace had bereft him of his family name but still left the threat of the Landstradt hanging over him.

Michael looked at the three women, anger flaring on his face. He rose up in his seat, opening his mouth to respond with vile contempt, when Prof. Halen raised a single finger, temporarily silencing him.

"You need Lady Aurelia's signature on this agreement, too, Michael. I suggest, strongly, that you do not let your temper get the better of you in this instance," she admonished the young man.

With shaky hands, Michael pulled the agreement towards him and opened it. He quickly read the key parts, finding them as had been proclaimed by Aurelia, including a separate paper showing the Landstradt's choice of heir selection of his Uncle Elliot for the House of Adenomere should Dame Aurelia Adenomere die before she produced an heir.

Prof. Halen picked up the pen and showed him where to sign on three separate pages, Aurelia signing behind him, completing the agreement. The Professor, a legal notary for the school, then notarized the documents, handing one set to Michael.

Tears streaming from his eyes, he stormed out of the office for his own rooms.

"That was very well played, Grace," Prof. Halen stated.

"Whatever do you mean, Professor?" she asked sweetly, getting a smile from both the other ladies.

Shartan-Shanat, Maha-Oran, The Maha-Rrin system, 112 Light Years from Terra

A new communiqué had come from the Pod-Drran. The Pemipinae called her cabinet together and opened the link. They saw the same trio as before.

"Good day to you Pemipinae," the one called Nar-Tre bowed. "We have a request from the Director of Liramor-23, from the Kumar-Pair, and from the President of the Union."

"That seems to have a great deal of political power behind that request," one of the Pemipinae's ministers quipped in a disguised insult to the proposed request.

"It has indeed," Nar-Tre replied, not showing that she had noted the insult. She knew it would do no good to react to it. "The Greater Community is opening a consulate on Terra, the home world and capital planet of the Terran Union. The new consulate will be the Greater Community's business contact for the Union. They would like to invite you, and any representatives that you wish to bring, to the opening event in two months' time."

"Why?" asked another minister.

"Because you will eventually have a representative there. Would you not like to be present at the opening and be able to review the site for your needs?" Nar-Tre asked.

"And that same invitation comes from those three sources?" another minister asked, pointedly.

"No. That you should be present was something that the Kumar-Pair suggested and consequently provided an invitation to. The invitation to be present at the opening of the new consulate also comes from the President and Senate of the Union.

"However, there is a caveat imposed by the President of the Union. He wishes that you and your representatives see the offices designated as your embassy here on Liramor-23 before you are formally invited to the opening ceremonies of the consulate," Nar -Tre detailed.

"That does not make sense," a minister stated.

"It does," said a new voice off screen. The view on the monitor expanded, showing a familiar figure to the Pemipinae and her cabinet.

"Director Marsh, why does it make sense?" the Pemipinae asked.

"You need to see your future embassy. We hope that you will designate a future Ambassador when you do see your facilities. As well, we will be watching you," Fiona stated.

"Your people have yet to show any sort of attempt at a reconciliation with the Pod-Drran. Both I, and the President, view this with disfavour. That is why he has requested your presence on Liramor-23," Fiona ended.

"It is a test then?" the Pemipinae demanded.

"No. However, the people of Ruhm-Oran need to come back together in order to have a future. If you cannot make the first steps, then that will be an issue going forward," Fiona answered.

"I would simply leave you to die out, alone on Maha-Oran. However, I have grown to like the Pod-Drran and that would condemn them as well, something that I do not wish. For this reason, we will do what we can to facilitate the reunion of the Maha-Rrin and the Pod-Drran, even if it is only at the Interspecies Embassy.

"Besides, it is time that you met the other members of the Interspecies Community and discovered for yourselves just what they can offer your people. You can only do that here on Liramor-23," Fiona stated.

"Should we not then deal with you directly, Director Marsh?" the Pemipinae wanted to know.

"We, the Union and the Interspecies Community, are not the people you need to reconcile with. As such, Ambassador Nar-Tre will be the face of the Pod-Drran and Mind-Ur and Caye-Ur, of the House of Ur, will be the face of the Union. You will deal with them. If they, and you, cannot come to terms, then you will deal with me.

"I assure you; I am more than willing to slap your hands for being naughty," Fiona snarled, sending a frisson of fear up the spine of the Pemipinae and causing the trio sitting beside Fiona to jump.

"Are you threatening the Maha-Rrin, Director?" a minister demanded.

"Only when necessary," Fiona replied sweetly.

That got a bark of a laugh, and a nod of respect, from the Pemipinae. "How do we do this, Director?" she asked.

"The designated trio will arrange for your transportation here and back to your home world for the visit to Liramor-23. I will leave it up to you what kind of business you conduct here. I would like to see some kind of discussions on the reconciliation going forward but I am aware that forcing one to do something is not always a good thing.

"I am hoping that you will start to see the benefits of being part of the Greater Community and that will help make up your mind on the reconciliation," Fiona said.

"You are asking us to move so quickly," one of the ministers said.

"You have been waiting for this reconciliation for over 24,000 years," Fiona declared. "What is quick about that?"

"So you are proposing that we make arrangements with the three representatives beside you?" the Pemipinae demanded.

"Until such time as you take your place in the Greater Community, any and all future requirements that you have will go through one of the trio now before you. That is my final word on this issue," Fiona pronounced.

Fiona stood, the trio with her. She bowed low to the Pemipinae. The trio bowed low to Fiona, who gave them a shorter bow, then left the room. The trio sat, facing the camera.

"Shall we discuss your transportation needs, Pemipinae?" Nar-Tre asked.

The Wanderer, Parking Orbit Liramor-23, The Piscium System

Raymond was pleased. He had finally gotten rid of all the extra Asocans hanging around the ship. They had all been displaced to other ships within Fiona's fleets. Now, he had to worry about the Byandi and how they would fare.

He still had over one hundred Asocans on his ship, but they were there to learn from his crew. Dr. Aruna had created an interface device that would allow the Asocans to use their claws in the device to spell out the Asocan alphabet. Once they learned how to use it, they could move around the screens fairly quickly.

The screens had been modified with the translator matrix, so that if one species or another touched the screen in any given location, that line would be interpreted in the language of the person touching the screen. This allowed for very quick interpretations of operations on the monitors with the paired couple, one Asocan, one human.

They had to modify the posts to allow the seating of two people, especially the Asocans, who use a kind of plank to tie themselves to when in a high maneuver situation. The planks were easy to install allowing the Asocans to ride the post during even the wildest maneuvers, much to their delight. The Asocans were an intelligent species, so it didn't take them long to get into the instructions for their specific posts.

As with his human staff, Raymond had all of the Asocans working at all of the positions on the ship, other than their own. They would learn a little about everything. It would serve them well should things go to shit.

************

"Why are we doing this Mattan?" <Glun demanded of his friend for the sixth time.

"Because the Captain demands it," Mattan replied yet again.

"But menial work, Mattan? It makes no sense to me that we should be doing work meant for cleaning and sanitation staff," <Glun whined.

"Stow it <Glun," PO2 David Marrin yelled. "You need to understand all positions on the ship, even if you are not destined for those positions."

"But why must we, PO?" <Glun demanded.

"Because in an emergency, you might be the only person who can get to where you are needed. If you have no idea what you are doing, then the ship could be lost simply because you are too squeamish about getting your claws dirty," the PO replied with scorn.

It's amazing how much disdain a PO can give to crewmember who does not live up to the PO's expectations, thought <Glun.

"And you think that knowing the sanitation system is something that we would need in an emergency?" <Glun demanded, attempting to show the same level of disdain in return, but failing miserably.

"Yep. I was on a ship once that was hit by a missile. Knocked out all the systems onboard. Had to reset everything manually, including the sanitation system. Guess who was locked in the bowels of the ship when that damn missile hit us?" the PO stated.

"Surely not?" Mattan returned.

"Oh, yes. Your favourite PO," the PO replied, laughing. "Got so covered in shit from all the effluence that disgorged from the system when the missile hit us I was the obvious candidate to reset it."

That brought a smile to the two trainees, imagining a much younger PO covered in effluence.

"If you're lucky, all you will have to do is move some switches. If you have to do things manually, you will get more than just your claws dirty," the PO laughed.

************

On other parts of the ship, trainees were learning about the ship and its parts. They learned how to load and unload missiles and torpedoes. How to move the same from one part of the ship to the other, the bigger the missile/torpedo, the heavier the damn thing was.

They learned how to help the cooks prepare meals and set up the computers and monitors for briefings in all the briefing rooms and even in the crew theater.

Then there was their training on their specialized work, whatever it might be. Sanitation engineers had to learn all parts of the sanitation system, including how to clean them manually. That was definitely fun, those crewmembers thought sarcastically.

Engineering assistants worked the engines and power systems, opening access panels and crawling throughout the bowels of the ship. Aside from their specific jobs as comms, science, and other posts, bridge crew learned all aspects of bridge operations, even doing limited experience as the pilot, navigator, weapons, and comms stations.

Then there were the weapons specialists, who had to understand the autoloaders inside and out, including maintenance, special drills for emergency operations, fixing potential glitches like torpedoes coming loose in the autoloaders, or jamming them during operations. Loading and unloading magazines to feed the twin fifty millimeter guns, all before they even sat the boards on the bridge. As it was explained to them, they needed to understand just what happened when they pressed a switch.

While the human crewmembers understood and found the need for such broad knowledge not to be an issue, the actual practice of certain items, like the sanitation systems, was never an ideal situation. However, they practiced and only grumbled a little, then grumbled a little more...while the Asocans grumbled a lot...

Crews all over the universe were the same, they needed a job to do and complain about, even as they learned it inside and out. And learn they did.

All over the fleet, seven ships filled with Asocans went through ship drills, then combined ship drills and finally small fleet drills, until the captains were satisfied.

Then the damn captains upped the ante and increased the stress on the crews. The humans took it in stride, having experienced it all before, not so the Asocans, who grumbled even more. Until the day they had to do it for real...

The Kindalla, Parking Orbit Liramor-23, The Piscium System

Capt. Helga Hellebore was reading the daily reports in her ready room, two weeks after the start of training for the Asocans, when the shit hit the fan.

"Red Alert! All hands to battle stations, this is not a drill," the Ex O called over all-ships.

The Captain stepped out of her ready room and onto the bridge. In moments she was secured in the Captain's Chair, looking out over her bridge crew seeing that everyone was secured and ready.

"Unexpected FTL event outside of all lanes! Navy control is demanding us to spool up, sir!" the Ex O informed the captain.

"Science!" Helga called out.

"Sir, we have one ship, designated hostile, incoming outside of any marked lanes. I have it on Tactical," Science replied.

Helga looked up at the large monitor, which had been split in two to show their track and a targeting solution on the unnamed ship.

"IFF is negative, this ship is designated hostile as it is not slowing down!" Navy control came over the Tactical Link.

"Nav, plot an intercept, Pilot, dead reckoning, get us to the target soonest!" Helga snarled.

Reports from the different stations were coming in giving the crew status for each station as they reported ready for operations. It had been only one minute since the initial alert, but all stations were reporting and bulkheads were being sealed against potential damage to the ship in combat.

"All hatches are sealed, Ma'am," her Ex O reported.

"We are at.25 light, sir!" the Pilot called out as Helga watched the track close in on the target.

"Sir, Science, the ship is carrying.50C," Science indicated the speed of the oncoming vessel.

Science set an image of the target up on the monitor. It appeared to be a civilian supply ship.

"Liramor Control, this is SSP Winston, Capt. Enbride commanding," Helga heard over comms. "We have had a mishap with the sub-light engines and cannot shut them down, we are trying to maneuver away from the station, but have no means of slowing ourselves down at this time, over."