Preface:

It’s 2066 and Dortju is Questing again. Humanity has encountered a 2nd alien species in the Universe and Dortju is off to make pals. 

It is the Auspexo people in the system of Alpha Centuria who have been hiding from the Ancients since their contact and subsequent conflict and living in a hidden settlement civilization now for nearly 1000 years. Very capable scholars but bereft of fighting capabilities. 

It was their intention to secretly form a needed alliance with humanity. 

 

Book Two: Dortju as Ambassodor

Chapter 1: The Auspexo

Chapter 2: Simon and Telepathy

Chapter 3: First Conference

Chapter 4: Ceilidh’s Skirmish

Chapter 5: First Treaty

Chapter 6: The Ancients Strike Back

Chapter 7: First Alliance

Chapter 8: Dortju’s Lose

Chapter 9: Plan B

Chapter 10: Ancients Parly

 

 

 

Chapter 1: The Auspexo

“If a universe is a point of view then there are only three. Mines, yours and theirs.” – Dortju’s Mentor.

Dortju was at t minus 4 days, 13 hours and some minutes away from departure. His arrival had been organized to the minute by the Auspexo. The 2nd Alien species humanity has bumped into since developing space flight and the first that was not hostile.

The Auspexo had been effectively in hiding from the hostile Ancients for nearly 1000 years now and had just discreetly made contact with humanity and had given them a connection program as they’d called it. It required quite stringent assurances to establish an embassy and Dortju was being put forward as the ambassador.

It also required Dortju come alone unarmed. This hardly phased Dortju they had already had a meet and greet while humanity had been setting up a comm link via teleportation pads with their system and they really were just snow flakes who loved paper work.

He already knew this was going to be a bureaucratic nightmare. First complete the connection program. Then establish an Embassy then then then … There’s a distinct difference between filling out forms and achieving what the form is there for. Cruising at 100,000 feet and doing a loss of hydraulics checklist is one thing, if your in a nose dive and the ground is 40 seconds away it’s not a good time to start a check list but trust your instincts.

“Dortju I think you have everything covered. The Auspexo have jaw boned everything so much themselves we seem to be on the right path just going along with them. My only concern is they’ll drain our resources more than contribute to it.” this was from Chani.

They were in council with Jettro, Simon, Raka and Mhairi. Dortju had just dropped his, “Ok so what we missing?” question to council.

“I agree with Chani, I think we’ve covered all the basis.” Jettro

“Dortju I’ll back you. If your like the minister of state then I’m like the minister of defense, don’t ask me for advice on diplomacy, but a lack of it.” Which more of less put Raka out of the conversation which was exactly what he’d intended.

“Do we have a plan in place if Dortju is kidnapped?” Simon had a way of rarely if ever making speeches, never long winded sentences but when he  spoke it was always a concise quiet thud on the table in council. He’d been known to loosen up on a night out, Dortju reckoned being the first recorded immortal in history would carry a bit of a load.

“I don’t think it’s likely, Simon, it’s not their type of gig.”

“That’s an opinion, has the eventuality been planned for?” it was like being slapped with logic.

“No.” Jettro.

“Simon your right. Drilled ships and emergencies vs disasters etc… quite right Simon.” Dortju got a small nod.

“Got it.” Chani preempted Dortju telling her to come up with plans for this. He shut his mouth before he’d uttered a sound.

He usually more of less ran the show in council but this afternoon it felt like he was just being told. He was’t going to argue too much considering everyone was discussing his safety, the other grimier side of this chat was what should council do in the event he was bumped off. Nice to be cared for and all but not so nice to be needing it.

“Dortju I’m still not happy sending you alone.” Jettro being his cautious self. He loved Dortju not only as a child hood friend but also a valued member of council.

“Only 3 people I’d take with me is Chani, Amy or Ceilidh and I simply wont go if they are assigned to the mission.” Dortju had played this card before with Jettro but it had to be hashed out in council to.

“Dortju what about even taking Abby? We hardly need to arm her to be an effective bodyguard.” Mhairi suggested.

“I’ve clearly answered this question a handful of times now. That’s it.”

Dortju’s tone of voice clearly indicated he was now considering this to be bullbait and would not entertain it anymore. No one exactly sat up but an eyebrow or two was raised.

“I agree.” Simon surprisingly weighed in “If anything happens to Dortju we need Chani, Amy and Abby for the systems survival.”

“Thank you for the support, Simon… I think.”

“Welcome.”

“Fine, ministers, we’ve covered the agenda is there anything else that should be on the agenda?” Jettro got ready to tie up council.

He got a round table of abstentions and brought council to close with “I call this meeting to order. Dortju and Chani if I may while I have yous here see you about some fine planning… Meeting adjourned.” Jettro closed council.

After the milling about the 3 of them were seated in Jets private chambers off the main boardroom. Chani fixed them all a drink while Dortju and Jettro got their pipes going. She was happy to have been invited, the old habit of men retiring over a brandy and cigar to settle ‘the real business’ was a tradition that had continued even if it only just limped on in Carnegi Magic School.

“Dortju, before you go I need you Chani and Amy in CIC together. You know damn well fine why.”

“Yeah, your worried I wont come back and can’t handle tactical situations like we can.”

“I am simply being pragmatic.”

“I am simply stating the obvious but I’ll stop biting, we’re all on the same page Jet.”

“I know I just don’t like this, you going it yourself again.”

“Jettro listen we covered it before council, in council, it’s settled.”

“Dortju this isn’t about just you!”

“Listen here Jettro!” Dortju stood as Chani placed the drinks on the table, he went off in Dortju land “I have told everyone 100 times if I answer no to a question once then that is my answer. I will hold to it…”

Chani and Jettro had already zoned out. Dortju could rant nonsense.

“…if anyone tries to put more resources behind this venture for my security…”

Chani snapped. “You sit the fuck down and listen to ME for a minute.” Dortju actually did just sit down.  In such a way as to deign her some female emotional time “This is NOT about you. This is about all of us. Of course your loved. Of course we care about your person, but this is not about that so stop being so self macho and fucking listen. You have talents we also want returned not just you so stop being so big fucking big headed! Abby is going to go with you, anyone can command a Red Force now she’s trained them. Jettro I expect council to back me in this. Dortju your opinion will not be considered if you want the honour of leading a mission such as this.” If Simon could drop a quiet thud into a chat, Chani could drop a loud one. She noticed then at some point Dortju had sat up. She sat down, politely crossed her legs and lifted the tea pot “Now who fancies a cuppa?”

“Brandy?” Jettro.

“Sure.” Dortju

Both rubbed the stress out of their foreheads while Chani quietly made tea for them all.

“Here Dort, guess that’s that settled then.” as he passed him 2 fingers over ice.

“Uh huh.”

“So gentleman we were also saying about joint CIC time between Dortju, Amy and myself?”

“Chani I heard you loud and clear. This will be fun. Right schedule 6 hours a day for the next 3 with Amy and let me know when. I’ll work to your schedules.Honestly you two I appreciate the sentiments but I think we’re making this harder for me. They said come alone. Unarmed.”

“Abby will be sent in cute mode (Dortju hadn’t been aware there was such a thing), we all know how capable she is unarmed as are yourself Dortju. We are more than entitled to demand a minister travel with a member of staff so why not make it an unsuspecting looking assassin of the order of Raka.” Jettro put the pragmatic into it all.

Dortju would play along but wondered. Abby was of the Order of Raka and fiery. Dortju was of the Order of Anor and while it was the Order of the Secret Fire and the Creator of Life the temperament of it’s members was that of calm calculated decision. Very seldom reactive except in extremis and then they were like lightening. Literally.

So he was off to see a bunch of bureaucrats with a hot headed 2nd at his back. Dortju would have settled for a rock and a hard place but it was hardly him making the calls today evidently.

They rehashed the plans with numerous version’s of ‘what have we forgot?’ for half an hour before calling it a day. Amy had msg’d back while they were closing up saying lunch time tomorrow would be good for her. So high noon in CIC it was. For 6 hours of practice. Deal was first day Chani would observe Dortju for 3 hours then work with Amy. Next day 2 hours obs etc… Just always running sims of possible invasion tactics the Ancients might try to use.

All were confident every base had now been covered.

Dortju went for some downtime. He went off in search of a Cainso. The Maybury suited him nicely. Dortju considered himself very fortunate in that the Scotland Towers base spread of a 50 sq mile area that Dortju had grown up in so alot of the old landmarks he knew from his childhood were in the Towers base and well maintained. Including Edinburgh Castle and of course Maybury Casino.

He arrived in his nav-pod and ordered an Indian dish, he tried the Chicken Tikka Masala, it was bloody good and as usual a little too sweet, in Dortju’s opinion. He went off in search of Poker and had a choice, he joined the high roller table in the end. Minimum stake was £50.

He spent the evening getting a little ahead, falling behind some before catching up again as a handful of martini’s went down chasing the constant flow of cheese on toast that came from the kitchen. He was indulging himself some and was enjoying it. It wasn’t that the day had gone badly in any way he just kinda felt it had happened to him and not the other way round.

He wasn’t celebrating or commiserating anything, he had no reason to. He was just being human. Not too responsible but having fun within acceptable parameters before getting himself off to bed in the self-nav pod. The next 3 days were going to be nose to the Grindstone stuff before he left.

He might be a bit too far on to dance to dawn but he could play the quiet pawn and prance a game of chance easily.

Chapter 2: Simon and Telepathy

‘If you want to find the secrets of the Universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.’ – N. Tesla.

Simon was having an unusually bad time of it. His study had bugged. He could get thoughts being transmitted but it was always emotional sense and crap for carrying specific data ie numbers, designs or lists of things.

It was hanging up in the control/responsibility department and obvious to any psychologist but not how to fix it. It was simple, if you took control of any aspect of another then you had to also take responsibility. And they could get one person to have complete control over anothers mind… subsequently able to much better decipher what they see on a display pad from an adjoining room. But the person ‘under the influence’ often had a toilet mishap and frequently fainted if ‘kept under’ too long. It just wasn’t working out too well so far.

He also knew he was dangerously flirting with the subject of which the Ancients were so fond of and that was brainwashing and unethical coercion.

He decided to get Senya involved. She’d being doing well as a graduate Anor and had been doing incredible work training DOers to help on relief work but now he needed her talent here closer to home. She was smart and in tune with the supernatural more than most.

“Senya, so happy to see you again. We’re fine here at Carnegi. I hope you don’t mind being pulled back in from the outer orbits.” She knew that was pretty much the end of the small talk.

“All good master Simon, least I can have a bath now.”

“Of course. I see. The reason is telepathy, I would like to appoint you on my staff as an assistant researcher.”

“Simon I’m all ears, I need a bit more info but I am not saying no.”

“I want you to view this with an open view so all I will say is the problem lies in science or psychology.”

“Em that’s 2 very broad fields Simon.”

“I know.”

“So you just want me to carte blanche work it out from the start.”

“Or use existing research. I need a new viewpoint on this and I don’t want to taint yours with my views.”

“I’m game.”

“Thank you. Your office is through there.” He pointed to a door adjoining his own office.

And that was that. Senya was now part of the Telepathy research team and seemingly about to perhaps head it if she could come up with something new.

Everyone kinda knew we could all be telepathic to some degree. Sometimes it was just too canny for observing physical minutiae to explain. But now it was beyond twins and couples finishing one anothers sentences but well into people decipher what another was looking at from an adjoining room. That wasn’t enough though. There were still just doing emotional sensation sharing over a small distance. Hardly any sort of a game changer outside of dating per se.

Jettro had been looking at a lot of Nikola Tesla’s work and also Einstein. The vibrations of life, thought, emotions etc. In theory if you could make a crystal able to send and receive different wavelengths of radiowaves then surely the human mind could be trained to pick up thought waves.

The ramifications were massive. To be able to think instantly at another with complete conceptual connection immediately and a whole concept could be shared in zero time, without distance as a consideration… it was quite gobsmacking.

Classical vocals proved one never had to know the words to ‘hear’ the emotion of it. It was taking it out of the emotional arena into analytical that was the hold up. A bit like trying to make sense of gossip or the ‘grapevine’.

Brain pans already existed or the bio-cell as it was colloquially known as on the street. A phone in the head basically but this required comm sats to relay signal or mechanical connections as was the case between an XW2 fighter and it’s pilot. But to transfer just thoughts instead of converting them into digital and then transmitting them… She rolled her sleeves up.

Dortju had been gone for a fortnight now and there was little in the way of news other than an exasperated ‘We’re getting there – we think.” messages from them.

Senya got busy, she got brain scans being done on people of known Anor and telepathic and mentat capability. She started scanning over them intensely. One thing was clear the data being moved was more than capable of carrying analytical data it just didn’t…

They were trying to marry up what carried signals through a nerve and what didn’t. Thought waves had been proven to exist just not measured or their source found. This was why Simon had brought in Senya. They were skirting the line between mechanical and spiritual and both knew the answer to be in there somewhere.

It was back to the good old chestnut of finding that all elusive soul of humanity. While every religion lay claim to have answered it, no known practical uses had come from it other than be a better citizen, be nice to others and care for (our) god more than trying to enjoy life. This faux answer was always paid for with time/money and sometimes devotion.

Prices differed.

It was on Senya to try and come up with a solution to make a useable device to help in tactical situations and there was zero room for wishy washy crap but in that she could not discard instinct. It was a slippery field to investigate.

She’d been working with potentials and kept trying to get them to guess a number written on a piece of paper. The participant was not even told if it was 3 or 9 digits just try see it as another read it to themselves from a pad that randomly produced numbers of digits between 3 – 9. It was the ones saying ‘I can’t see this one but my guts telling me it’s 5 digits in the upper 40,000 range, getting it ends in 66 for some reason.- the number had been 47068. That was adjoining rooms to never mind at opposite ends of the galaxy.

Far too out of the ball park. If those digits had been part of space coordinates, relying on it would most certainly spell disaster. It had to be precise.

Empathy factored in to. No one could deny this. So how do you find a defining factor between thought waves, empathy and gut instincts… Get to the bottom of what life is really.

Senya had always been a more of a fan of Telsa’s work than Einstein and this influenced her. Simon was more an Einstein fan. She was more interested in vibrations Simon was more interested in the space vs the ether world. Senya had a notion (or instinct) that if she could tap the frequency space would not be an issue. Thought was instantaneous and if it was not subject to the laws of the physical universe transversing space would not take time but be instant. That’s what was needed.

If should could get a concept instantly across space she’d have it. A concept is the entire idea devoid of any single sight, sound or other perception it was just the whole ‘problem’ in one blast that would give another complete and immediate understanding of the scene the teleporter was observing.

She just had to not such much get a concept from A to B but just shared. Like one could do on the net using the cloud from Paris to Sydney but without the barrier of language and much faster as it was actually instant despite what telecom experts still advertised. A computer had never done anything instantly.

2 days later a memo arrived from Simon asking to meet for a progress report. Timing was set and she headed over to have dinner that night. A semi formal evening he’d said so just a casual night.

She got ready quickly and headed over to the Carnegu Campus only 20 mins travel time, all under the Towers base though.

They discussed the subject in general over dinner. Nothing new had been overturned but Jettro was keen on hearing her views and while coming from a different angle she was still hitting into the same barriers.

By the time coffee was served and they were more relaxed in the lounge they’d agree finding the source of thought waves was not paramount to the solution of the problem but that their use was. And it was just discussing that when Senya had her Eureka moment on the subject.

Simon let it happen.

“It’s just how to make the Nano micro hertz travel, is all we need to work out.” Jettro had said. Then…

“Em they don’t have to just un-nano them is all we have to do. O my god Simon that’s it!”

“Ummmm.” but she could see the brightness in his eyes.

“We just need a thought amplifier and receiver and of course a means to direct it through some ether or other actually perhaps not even, empathy might handle that… but if we just amp’d the signal and had a more sensitive receiver. I think we can crack this.”

Simon was just taking his time getting into the excitement in his way “How is this different from a bio phone?”

“They send digital data. I’m talking about sharing not sending amp’d nano micro hertz of thought which apparently exists outwith space according to Tesla but not Einstein. They sure gave us the run around.”

Simon was in a kind trance in he was reaching for mentat mode but was too excited in the moment to be stably a mentat.

They both agreed sleeping on it would be a good idea.

So called it a night.

Chapter 3: First Conference

“Cowards hide behind layers of bureaucracy until the rules don’t suit their defense and then they don’t count.” – Dortju

Dortjus departure and arrival had gone off without a hitch. Dortju was a more let’s get the shit on the road type chap and these Auspexos were all forms forms forms and council had given him a hot headed Abby as a 2nd. He still maintained he’d have preferred a rock and a hard place.

But they were settled into digs on Auspexo central and being well cared for. He had been assurred of an appointment with the supreme leader as soon as feasible and asked if he and Abby would apply for guest privilege while being here. They saw no harm in that as it wasn’t outwith the realms of feasibility to wait a day or two to see a planets top boss.

“Dortju this is seriously stupid shit like. Page 6 and they want details of my heritage. I mean for fuck sakes what on Earth can that have to do with any of this crap. Let’s get to this meeting already.”

“We’re not on Earth for starters and as they say, when in Rome and all that…”

“Whatever.”

“They’ll have collected samples of our DNA by now also Abby so be truthful. They’ll have surveilled Earth to for some years.”

This sobered Abby’s mood a little. For now.

They dutifully filled out the forms and then entertained one another with chat for as long as they could and then seeked some distraction. Stir crazy was settling in already on day one. No net pads. No social shin digs. Nothing. Was hard for an Anor Wizard and a Raka assassin Witch to live with. They could deal with problems easily but not a lack of solutions.

“Dortju, is there anyway we can speed this up some. Is there not someone we can go see?”

Abby was entirely right and entirely wrong at the same time. It was ridiculous considering the magnitude of the event and these cats seemed to like form more than action. So while she was ultimately right the diplomat in Dortju also informed him that she was entirely wrong and this timewasting was simple a test of trust and patience.

It was the Auspexo exerting some form of control on them which they felt was home turf. They might be snowflakes and cowards hiding behind paperwork but they knew they’re strengths and used them. Some of what Sun Tzu had said was just common sense. You put your best foot forward when unsure.

Dortju couldn’t help but worry if his patience was outweighing his mission purpose. Abby and he were more than able to speed things up some no bother, but at what cost?

It’s not smart to play the role of vandal when being given your 2nd Ambassador role to the 2nd Alien species humanity had ever encountered, especially after the first one had not worked out too well. The Ancients and humanity were in a de facto state of war. It seemed the Auspexo were in a defunct de facto state of war with the Ancients…

It was a luke warm situation between humanity and the Auspexo while it was survival of the fittest with the Ancients at the minute.

They’d filled in their forms. played enough games of cards with one another. Abby wasn’t up for chess. Dortju had a rep in Carnegi on that one. And they turned in their first night with nothing more eventual than the filling out of two forms, some cards and some chat.

The amnesties were suitable but not luxurious. Neither were complaining it had been a long day and sleep was not long coming.

Both missed their inevitable morning routines in their own places but the synthetic coffee was sufferable and caffenine had the same effect here as it did on Ole Terra. They got showered, broke their fast and then… nothing. Another day of cards then.

About lunch time going through a menu that was 8 different flavours of some goo that had been mated to their metabs apparently a messenger came by. “We will have an audience soon for you to be introduced to one of our Supreme leader main counsellors to discuss preliminary discussions regarding the alliance and I hope you have been ok with your stay so far?”

Nothing wrong with their use of language other than it carried meaning they never got. Including Dortju and Abby noting they had gone from meeting the Supreme leader in one or two days to one of his assistants in one or two days. Not exactly a speedy meeting between ‘heads of state’ and Dortju did have plenipotentiary powers.

(Any treaty he signed with the Auspexo had to be honoured by the Sol systems planets. It was quite a burden to wear while playing bridge.)

For how many days?

“Thank you for informing us. Please inform the Supreme Leader we are here to meet with him and would prefer it to be sooner than later.”

“I will of course convey your message.”

“Thank you.”

“Dortju this is horse shit!”

“Abby, please. Let the door shut at least.”

“Dortju I want them to hear me.”

“I know.”

“Well.”

“Calm the fuck down. You ain’t helping. I’m also stressed right now. Just not reacting to it like you are. So chill the fuck out or go off and pick a fight. I need to think. Don’t make an enemy out of me or an Auspexo there is a mirror in the hygiene room.”

Abby knew she was backed into a helpless corner. She soaked it up and hated it. But gave Dort his space. She shouldn’t ride on him because of the frustrations was what she had to get her head around.  She just went outside for a bit and stared off into a strange sky that did distract her.

There was two moons, one high in the sky and another almost at the horizion. The atmosphere was totally breathable and a constant fine mist of moisture in the atmosphere gave the night sky a good 20 mins of a rainbow sunset with a deep dark purple at the top going through all the colours of a rainbow to an almost lilac at the very bottom and the view between was actually in itself worth coming here for. Abby started to calm down.

As the lower moon set it took on a gem like ruby colour before disappearing. It made no impression on the cloud of mist but it was it’s own statement in the picture. It was enchanting. It settled down to softer and deeper purples before the star came. It came through as a silvery glow from the mist. This was no planet for a telescope anyway but the reflection off the sea… It could soothe the beast, even in Abby.

“Sorry about that Dortju, can I fix you something form the kitchen?”

“O Abby so glad your back on board. Put on whatever. Make something nice and I’ll give you a Dortju tale you’ve not heard before.”

“Deal sunshine. Getting the rat pack out for this one. Your getting Chilli and beer. Make it a good tale. You have 20 mins to be ready.”

The rat pack stood for rations, treats from home.

Looked like they were jibbing into an ok night. “I’ll go with that. Add in a double JD for me to, your hard work.” He winked in a friendly way. All was forgiven.

Dinner was served, Abby had gone with spag bol and Dortju got his chilli and beer. They settled into the lounge, it seemed the sunset had made an impression on Abby and she’d mellowed to with a glass of wine.

“Ready for this tale young lady?”

“Hell yeah, I never did dinner for nowt eh Sir Master Dortju.”

Dortju thought it cute how her insults were meant to insult. Perhaps Jettro was right she did have a tamer side.

“One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord,

You promised me Lord,

That if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?

The Lord replied, ‘The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.”

Abby waited for it… She’d heard that pish a hundred times before. All over fancy pics on the net.

The man replied, “I remember every step I took every day during my sorrow and I can vouch for this with all my heart, it was me and only me who made any dent in the sand, I’ve carried more of a load than any ghost, no matter their title. From now on, I’ll keep my tuppence and pray to me.”

“Aw yass. Classically put Master Dort!”

“Thought you’d like that twist. Well done on keeping patient for the pishy wishy bit.” Dortju aimed his tales at the audience on hand.

“Ya tell it well enough, I can see the snow flakes getting flushed over it. Amuses me.”

“Ain’t it. Let’s rest some, hopefully get some action going tomorrow.”

They said “Cheers” and a “G’night.” and hit their berths.

First dawn saw them both in the living area waiting on the ‘coffee’ machine. Synthetic it was and it was caffeinated. The pair of them between grunts and trying to find something interesting to look at in the room got their brew and retreated to their rooms. 20 mins later a barely arugued over shower time share had got them set, for what?

They actually weren’t long waiting. Barely brekky done and there was the door wee dong to tell them of a visitor present. Dortju got it.

“I’ve good news the assistant can see you this afternoon. I just need you both to sign these consent forms to keep the details of the meeting private and we’re all good for our 2pm. It’s in 8 hours and 14 mins by your current clock settings.”

A glance was shared at that bit of information. Both Dortju and Abby carried wrist sets that could do some cool shit. Nothing physical and plenty digital. Timing was key. As was information sharing. Their’s were sync’d.

“Why that’s wonderful. We are all prepared and we will await the summons.”

“Thank you, Master Dortju.”

“Least the gigs on today then. Right we all sync’d?”

“More to the point, we’re sync’d, but this is a piss take! Watch.”

“Abby have some faith.”

“Whatever.”

Later. “Master Dortju we’re sorry to inform you that the Senior assistant has had to attend an emergency meeting. Your meeting has had to be postponed until tomorrow, same time. I can only apologize.”

“Thank you for letting us know.” Abby was going to be a handful now.

Dortju wasn’t pissed off, yet. Frustrated anyway.

“What did I fucking tell you!” Here we go.

“Abby I worried you’d be right. It’s not me calling the shots on this ok.”

“I have noticed. It’s not like you to sit about and do nothing when shit needs done.”

“Don’t bullbait me already.”

She knew that tone of voice, decided to leave it be, for now.

They spent another day occupying it with nothing. Dortju slept in fits and Abby stared out the window mostly.

If there was a way to bullbait an Anor, especially like Dortju would be to confine him to shared accomo’s with a Abby to deal with a situation their specialty would be perfect for and not allow them to use that resource. Dortju took a deep breath!

They got through the night. Some cold games of cards got abandoned to them both retreating to their rooms. Dortju read Abby worked out.

They both awoke at dawn again and did a similar morning. Abby testy, Dortju being patient. The door dong went. “I’m sorry but the senior assistant manager has been called away yet again on important state business. We have to postpone the meeting for a day or so.”

“Ok. Thank you for informing us.” Dortju rightly said this from squared up shouldiers and a bit of a pissed off look and knew it’d be a message sent back to the COB (Chairman of the Board for this lot) deliberately. “Tell your boss we have work to get on with, we seek an alliance but our time is not unlimited. We need to meet with the Supreme Leader within 48 of our hours otherwise we will have to leave and inform our council you are not willing to meet with us. We have been here now for 2 of our days.”

“I will convey your sentiments Sir.”

“Thank you.”

“Dortju you have the patience of a Saint!”

“I know. Abby I’m glad your here and that I don’t need you because I have…”

“The patience of a Saint.”

“Exactly.”

Chapter 4: Ceilidh’s ‘Mission’

“Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.” – Sun Tzu

Over the past few years as humanity had strengthened it’s defenses in the Solar System the Ancients had taken to probing these defenses almost constantly. And it was just probing and as far as anyone could make out they were only mechanical drones doing the probing.

Some held the theory that manned observer ships must come along on such mission and return with the data otherwise it would be senseless to probe defenses if one wasn’t taking back the result. But more often than not the skirmish was over before the GOer’s could even begin a search in earnest for the observer ship.

It was frustrating to be so constantly probed by the Ancients and not be able to do anything about it. Their was a certain amount of shame the GOers felt after each skirmish with them not being able to respond fast enough to either prevent it or make a decent case of hunting for the observer. They were good and very well drilled but it was simply a matter of transversing enough space fast enough to make a difference before it was all over.

Chani was holding a briefing with the squadron leaders at the Lunar fighter wing HQ to go over the reports in from the last skirmish.

It had been about 50 drone fighters that had hit an Ion cannon defense station orbiting Pluto. The squad had barely made it past Mars’ orbit before it was over. It was these types of things that just made them feel so impotent as a interceptor force. Various ideas had been put forward about it but in the end there just wasn’t enough resources to outpost enough fighters to cover enough space to prevent all attacks.

Pluto had survived it and the postulated observer escaped without leaving a wiff.

“I have a handful of fighters in my squad willing to be based on Pluto.”

Chani knew it too. She was also not surprised on who originated this. It was David McMinn, leader of the highlands black watch squadron that while it had originated in the Scottish Highlands not operated out of the Lunar base and was steeped in a rich history.

It was also the Squad Ceilidh had joined unsurprisingly.

They were also her ace force and she knew she needed that as a complete fast response air wing in case they had a surprise invasion. “Forget it McMinn. 5 manned fighters against nearly 50 drones is not on the cards. We’re not sending trained pilots up against drones as soon as we do that we are into a war of attrition that we’ll lose. We have to make our loses count. We have a Red Force but even they would not be sent on such a mission. There could be a surprise invasion any day now.”

Chani was also under no illusions as to the attitude Dortju would take if Chani put his daughter in the line of fire. Ceilidh had no doubt been one of the said volunteers. Chani valued her own life more than any chance for Ceilidh to experience some young hot heads idea of perceived glory.

The briefing came to an inconclusive close with everyone more in the know anyway. Word filtered through the ranks eventually.

“This is fucking bollocks. That Chani and my squad leader are just holding me back now!” Ceilidh had more than a few choice words about the matter.

She was on a date night out with Josh. Her currently significant other.

“Can you blame them. I mean your Dortju’s one and only.”

“I know. I still wont talk to him. He’s too into his Magic and stuff.”

“He is Anor.”

“So, I never asked him to be!”

“Your a tough cookie.”

“I know and about to whip your ass at this game of pool.”

“That’s fine, so long as I can slap yours later.”

“Never fucking say that in front of Dortju, for what your lifes worth!” She replied with a cheeky grin.

It might have sobered the night some if Josh hadn’t then got some shots in.

At breakfast the next morning Ceilidh pronounced to Josh “I’m gonnae fucking just do it. Fuck the orders!”

“Do I even want to know?”

“I’m going to use the Tug and respond to the next skirmish and get that observer! They’re just going to keep on until we stop them. This is the Ancients we’re on about!”

“Your mad.”

“That’s why you love me!”

“I’ve not said that… yet.”

“You will.”

“Not until you do.”

“We’ll see.”

Ceilidh had a self assurance about her that told her the world was her oyster and anything was possible. Dortju knew full well reality had yet to slap his cherrup in the face.

Growing up was one thing. Bringing up a family was entirely another.

Some managed both. Some managed neither.

While men were most accused of being immature in the end it was women who were when it came to money, family and kids. Men seemed to lose the plot more in the fields of having power and religion.

The beat went on and Ceilidh made her plans. She’d strictly speaking be violating her orders but following someone else’s just doing a better job of it and so get away with it… hopefully, was her read on the situation.

Her plan was to steal Tog One as it’d been called and respond to the next skirmish alert off her own back and get the observer. A plan simple and perfect – in it’s making. As they always seem to be. A naive commander tries to negate themselves of the fact that the other side also is capable of making ‘perfect’ plans.

The plan came off ‘without a hitch’ according to Ceilidh except she was in intensive care, recovering but there nonetheless and the Tug would be in repair mode for at least 2 months. The observer had been captured! by Ceilidh which was a turn out of events!

So Chani had an Ancient to interrogate and Dortju’s daughter in intensive care and a fucked Tug, Dortju’s most favored possession. She’s was in a nutshell up shit creek without a paddle when he returned if it was anytime soon.

The strike had again been for the Ion cannon defense base orbiting Pluto, a tactic they rarely ever did, attacking the same base twice in a row. But Ceilidh had been ready. She’d managed to fire the Tug across the solar system and capture the Ancient’s observer. She’d simply put a tractor beam on it and dragged it back to Earth while it shot everything it could at her and fired it’s engines in the opposite way and thanks to the Tugs armour and engine torque the Ancient fighter behaved like a fly in a spiders web.

Once back in Earths orbit subduing the Ancient’s craft had been an issue. In the end as other XW2 fighters approached the pilot had obviously opted for a kamakazee option and waited until the last min before it refreshed it engines from pulling against the Tugs tractor beam to full speed toward it in an attempt to crash himself and the Tug into Earths deadly shield.

Ceilidh who’d been pruning her laurels was taken completely by surprise. The Anceints fighter hit the Tug on the top port side and the effect was forceful. They plummeted towards the shield with a hanful of XW2 fighters in pursuit armed also with tractor beams and also Ion cannons. Something the Tug never had and disabling the Ancients fighter engine right now would be really handy.

In the end they made it just. But Ceilidh suffered from space exposure and shock and the Ancient survived all but unharmed. They seemed to have better safety features in their fighters. That would be taken apart and copied bit by bit.

From current reports it looked like Dortju and Abby would be a while on their quest yet and so Chani got busy with damage control.

Ceilidhs condition was now stable and the Tug could be fixed. Chani decided to leave it as a ‘present’ for Dortju, he’d use this as an excuse to make the many enhancements on it he fancied.

Now she had an Ancient to contend with.

“Why the invasions?”

“You are our subjects. You need to be brought back into line.”

“We only just encoutered your species a generation ago.”

“No 75 trillion years ago you were all expelled from the empire as undesireables but we need you back now to use to fight our battles so we will re-subjugate you!”

“Not having much joy so far are you?!”

“Time will tell. Now why the skirmishes.”

“You would if you could.”

“That’s true. I’m curious, what would you say if I said we could live in harmony with different life styles, what would you say?”

“Not a chance. We’re the Ancients. We are right. You will be told and made to obey.”

“Free will?”

“On our say so.”

“I think you’ll find humanity will continue to reject those terms.”

“If they have such a choice.”

“There is always a choice. Always.”

“Good luck. We’re coming in force. Now!”

Chani had to speak with Jettro. Now!

Chapter 5: First Treaty

“All war represents a failure in diplomacy.” – Tony Benn

The next morning things started to improve. The same soft dong as the ‘bell’ was pressed and this time the messenger announced. “I am happy to inform you that the assistant supreme leader can meet you today for lunch.It will be in 2 hours.”

“Now we’re talking – hopefully.”

“Alright Abs let’s be ready, for the meeting and it being cancelled again. Ok?”

“Yeah cool.”

They got suited and booted and made the meeting to their pleasant surprise, until…

“Welcome Dortju and Abby from Earth we are pleased to start official connections with your species at last. I see you have completed 12% of our connection program and we are pleased with this as progress in the right direction.”

“Thank you minister. Can I ask when we can expect an audience with the senior ministerial council to discuss a treaty as we would like to begin that more than complete this connection program. Perhaps making an alliance would be a better effort than making a connection.”

“We have our ways, Master Dortju.”

He could feel Abby pressing the balls of her feet into the floor.

“That is understandable. Can I just ascertain, do you consider the Ancients enemies?” and Abby calmed down, at least this meeting might hold some results.

“We consider them a threat for sure. We’re not so much expecting an alliance but more looking to resolve matters more cooperatively.”

While your under threat of possible extinction! Was what Dortju and Abby never said.

“I’m happy to hear we’re both on the same side then. We have survived 2 major invasions now from them. How are you coping?”

Abby was avidly interested now and totally into it.

“We’ve been pretty much in hiding and incommunicado with the universe for nearly 1000 years. We have cautiously made contact with humanity and I can see some progress has been made here. Now on section 13 here we have the part about extending rights of travel…”

He went on forever about minor details of this connection program and Dortju and Abby were able to suffer the two hours of it because at the start of the meeting they had managed to ascertain that at least the Auspexo might be able to assist in the conflict against the Ancients. How though remained a a mystery. Diplomacy demanded patience. A thing everyone ran short on when needs must bar the Auspexo seemingly who seemed quite happy to jaw bone minor details while the world burned around them.

“Do you mind if I ask if you have any defense forces?”

“It is now being seriously considered. After nearly 1000 years of being in hiding we are beginning to consider that as an option and should be in a position to start arming ourselves well within a couple of centuries.” The chap actually said it as he he thought that time scale was a bit hasty.

Dortju gently stopped Abbys hand from rising and going at this dude with a finger in his face and a grrr in her voice. But he still felt the frustration to and had to also restrain himself from doing the exact same thing. Could these people not get their heads in some sort of urgency over this situation already!

“How long is a member of your species expected to live?” Dortju thought maybe if they lived to 800 years old or something like Yoda had then this time scaling would make more sense to him.

“O we live on average similar to that of humans perhaps 5-10 years more than your expected 100 years”.

It didn’t. Dortju was scrambling for something to explain why these people were being so dense about so much adversity that they were being faced with. But it was becoming apparent that they were insanely content in a reality made out of their own bureaucracy that had no reflection in actual reality.

Dortju knew every sentiment entity saw reality through there own filter to some degree based on their own past experiences but with the Auspexo there seemed to be a collective agreement that this was a normal existence to be in hiding and justify it as being an ok state of affairs by adding in more paperwork and committee’s until the point got lost.

The meeting was tied up with nothing agreed on to change, Dortju had suggested they fast track their militarization and was simply told they had no such thing as a means of fast tracking something, but a lot of useful information had been exchanged and both sides now knew much more about one another and it was all official and at senior ministerial level. So hardly a waste of time so far. But Dortju like Abby really wanted to speed things up and that was beginning to be what seemed would be the root of a problem with an alliance.  You hardly want an ally who when asked for reinforcements schedules a committee while your being wiped out.

The only thing worse than no help is promised help that doesn’t arrive.

They got back to their accomos and got settled for the night and the inevitable review of their respective take on the meeting. Both would also do a debrief report of their own later that day and send this back to high council.

“Abby check me on this. I think they’re not being this wholly shiftless out of any badness they just don’t know any better.”

“I check you. It’s all so frustrating that I want to not like them and say they are doing this deliberately to hamper us but I just can’t I think they are just pig shit boring.”

“Choice words. Suggestions?”

“Somehow wake them up Dortju! Somehow.”

“That’s gonnae be the trick. If we can get them to toe the line you up for staying to train up their military personnel?”

“For sure? Who do I get for company? There’s no way your leaving me here alone with this boring lot.”

“Fair point. If we go down that route you can pick your team.”

They did their debriefs and got themselves secured for the night. The next day was again just all business. Well at least this could be said for the Auspexo, once the paper, appoinment, committee brigrade were out the way things did start to happen.

The meeting with the same adjutant started at the same time in the same place the very next day.

“I hope you have had suffiecient time to digest what we spoke of. I am aware you will have sent report to you council, I believe you call it, and are still awaiting a reply. However I believe we could still make way with one another irregardless.”

“Thank you. Your right. We’re are waiting a reply but we can nonetheless continue. I would be keen to discuss the benefits of a possible alliance between our species.”

“We still have a considerable amount of work to do to complete the connection program but I see where you are coming from. I don’t entirely disagree but there are some obstacles to overcome.”

Dortju never let his impatience take ahold and ignored Abby’s discomfort. She’d have to chill out and start towing the line now. Negotiations were now underway and her ilk who jumped to violence in half a second flat had no fucking place as a meeting such as this. He’d be having words with Chani and Jettro when he got back for that idea!

“I totally understand. I wanted to ask? Is there a trade culture we could build between our species. I think you may be ahead of us in a number of technologies and if I may that includes medicine, a field we earnestly need help in.”

“I think it would be appropriate to examine these avenues once the connection program has been complete.”

“That is fully respected. If I may as we work to complete your completion program would you be willing to look at a trade program with us and perhaps on a faster time line. I only ask as it could save lives of members of my species. I’m sure we have some technology the Auspexo would have some interest in.”

“You make a fine point Minister Dortju and one I will bring up in committee…”

In the end the meeting ended with again nothing concrete agreed but plenty covered. Abby had chilled her jets in the end and was just bored in the evening. She could hardly take it out on Dortju who had really fought humanities corner on the diplomacy front. Her skills were just now as useful and needed as a bucket of sand in a desert.

“I’ll fix ya dinner Dort but you can scrub your own back. Your showering tonight tcht. Ya never last night, getting careless in our old age are we?”

“Abby that’s the nicest ‘I’ll fix your dinner’ I have ever had. Thanks.”

“Aye right, fuck off. Chilli? Stella?”

“Aype. Ya ken. Your a star I’ll be out in 20 mins.” Dortju hit the shower.

“Abby you did us proud this time!”

“Useful for something.”

“Oi C’ere you and listen for a min. You were sent here to have my back if it got nasty. It never. Now your still here and have my back… in case it does. Don’t fucking fall into some I’m useless melancholy type shit when we’re just getting started this could still very easily get very serious very quickly and I need you on the ball not being ms I don’t matter type crap!”

Dortju had a way of giving someone a row that just made them want to snap back into the character of them! He could give you a row that would inspire you. But she got it. This was uber high level ministerial negotiations and being the one and only person in charge of all it’s security aspects was actually worthy of being written into history. It was after all humanities first ever intergalactic alliance. “Master Dortju, gotcha. Your doing the dishes.” she gave him a wink.

“Gladly.” Was all he said as he winked back.

Abby did seem to be in the go-reflect mood and turned in for the night. Dortju took the spare time alone to not only clean up but also net catch up. They’re pads we’re linked to Ole’ Terra on a 4 hourly basis. Just data bursts sent back and forth through the teleport station but it was better than nothing.

When he’d left the Ancient skirmishes had been escalating some and, well he just wanted to look in on Ceilidh and Chani and Amy.

He got the latest and noticed a conspicuous lack of info about Ceilidh on the net all of a sudden. He fired an email off to Chani.

It looked like things had settled down some and that was either a good sign ie they had given up, or a bad sign ie they were preparing for a full on offensive. He couldn’t change the circumstances either way and so tried to put it out of his mind.

“Things were slipping into a routine. The next morning the dong at 10am “The senior assistant would like to meet with you today again at lunch I hope that suits. It’s in 2 hours.”

“Thanks.”

Abby seemed lighter hearted this morning, like in holiday mode but he double checked and seen through it. She was still ‘on post’ tracking everything. You can take the person out of a housing scheme but not the housing scheme out of the person. She seemed happier and more relaxed into her calling for the mission. Which was good. And so she should be proud, Dortju was well aware of how valuable she could be if shit kicked off.

She took on the role of body guard, instead of debug by violence and suited it quite well.

“Welcome minister Dortju and Abby please have a seat.”

“Thank you.” Dortju said nicely.

“Thanks.” It was nicely said but her eyes cruised over the room and the Auspexo in a different way. Before she’d been looking for things to hate, now she seeked threats to Dortju’s person and the Auspexo noticed after she’d given him a scan with her eyes. She wasn’t being threatening but she was being overtly observant to a point.

They got to the end of their most productive meeting yet. A trade program as an idea had been approved in principle by the Auspexo high committee overnight. The timeline was going to be jaw boned forever however Dortju now had a means to get his hands on their medicine technology and hoped they’d take on some XW2 fighters and planetary shields to get themselves armed and ready to be a useful ally to humanity.

Chapter 6: The Ancients Strike Back

“Before you begin on the journey of revenge, dig two graves.” – Old Proverb

“Jettro!”

“Chani! What on Earth this is high council and your not a member and you don’t barge in without invitation.”

“Unless we’re at the receiving end of a surprise attack possible invasion strength! Get your council to the Ark right the fuck now. I need Amy and Ceilidh assigned to me in CIC immediately. As acting commander in chief I am exercising my executive powers and that is a direct order so get moving now!”

It was hard to argue with Chani at the best of times and being under invasion wasn’t one of those. She wasn’t pissed with the council and they got themselves moving to keep it that way.

“How long, Chani?” Jettro

“You guys have 6 hours tops to be in the Ark. I’ll activate the Ark activation alarm from CIC when I get there in an hour so if you want to beat the rush you have that long.”

The AAA or Ark Activation Alarm got 10,000 selected people in a deep underground bunker that was suppose to be everything proof and able to sustain life indefinitely for 10,000 people. The rest of the majority of the Tower would evac to a compound out of it if they could. Many had to stay as part of the defense effort. Alot of engineers and warriors were on the list of 10,000 for the Ark and also on call in case of an invasion. The day was split into a blue watch and red watch. If the AAA went out you either went to action stations or the Ark depending on which watch you were in.

There was zero small talk or salutations as people got moving, just movement.

Chani got to CIC 46 mins later and Amy was already there.

“Ceilidh ETA then display OV.” (OverView)

It was going to be some hours of snippet chat between them. It was a brilliant system Dortju had come up with. 2 Anors in CIC and one of them the Commander and one of them the Observer.

The commander was responsible for the entire battle. The observer only gave two hoots about how the commander was doing. And it made for a damned efficient command post.

“Ceilidh, 9 mins. Enemy force, invasion strength, eta 7 hours. Likely Mars first. Estimate 10 fighter carriers and 30-40 destroyers and frigates.”

“Sending us a big one this time. Ok Amy, keep me right you know the drill. And keep Ceilidh out of my hair and in here. That order is final.”

“10-4!”

“Tell me about Lunar stat?” (status) Chani was at the Titan quadrant display board and could easily hear Amy’s info as she took in what was happening around Titan on the live feedback from the spy sats there.

“Full wing squad armed and ready at 98.7%. Ions Cannons well charged and ready 100%. Drone fleet ready at 98.2%.”

Those percent stats would soon change but for now that they were all maxed and Amy already knew was all Chani needed as she evaluated the growing formation of the Ancients fleet. It looked like this was going to be a two pronged attack. Aimed at the bases on Mars and perhaps some on the asteroid belt there was certainly two forces forming and one was for sure already aimed at Mars. It was hard to disguise a ships destination if it was pointed straight at it. Chani was happy to know she’d be unlikely defending Earth today, which in the face of things was a step in the right direction. Still it was a large force.

“Who’s got the Red Force?”

“Raka.”

“So he ended up with the wrong watch to then.”

The only ones not assigned to a watch was the council, Chani and Amy. Everyone else was either part of the defense force or to be in the Ark or a safe place. Chani was glad she had Raka on board and knew he’d prefer it to hiding underground. He was a warrior!

No matter the time though Chani and Amy were in CIC and council was in the Ark during any invasion. Of which this was now the 3rd.

“Chani, Quad 4 mobilizing.” (quadrant 4, close to Titan) and that was exactly why they worked well together. Chani had to worry about who her commanders were and where they were while all Amy had to concentrate on was a board and a Chani who may have missed something they could read each other as well as Dortju and Amy could and the results worked.

“Got it. It’s time keep me posted. Techie I want those numbers increased in brightest some.”

She had a squad of technical specialist to hand and just told one of them (she never knew which one) to make the casualty and deaths figures easier to see.

Amy thought it a bit preemptive making the retribution plan already but there was zero harm in it and it did look like the Ancients were as pessimistic in their attack as Chani was optimistic in deflect it. They never even had a force targeted for Earth apparently. And that’s when you were caught out, when you made assumptions.

Amy looked at the boards and seen a complicated game of Chess. Chani seen problems. Amy looked for things Chani may have missed and rarely if ever suggested a plan of action. Chani needed backed up, double checked and not to be distracted. At all.

Ceilidh arrived just then.

She was intercepted by the door guard as she tried to enter CIC on Amy’s instructions. She scanned the boards, it was travel times for the next hour she could handle Ceilidh, who wanted to shout at Chani but would now be allowed to chat with Amy. She gave the guard a small nod and Ceilidh bounded in “Why the fuck was I taken off active flight status Amy, this is horse shit. I’m needed.”

“Damn right you are girl and the fight you should be fighting might be closer to home.”

Ceilidh never rolled her sleeves up but anyone could see she wanted to. “I want a word with Chani, now.”

“Over my dead body. Now pick a fight with me or settle in and learn a thing or two!”

Ceilidh’s inner hate at being restricted by everyone and everything kicked in for a few minutes before the overall picture dawned on her. She sat down on Amys ‘apprentices’ seat crossed her arms and promised to be livid with Chani once all this was said and done.

“Be in a huff all you like pet but you better pay attention. Your headed for this seat someday soon. Heads up.”

The added responsibility took the sting out of how Amy had just said that. Ceilidh sat up some and actually looked at the boards now. She had to admit to herself this was a better vantage point to observe things than in an air wing base or in a fighter just patrolling. She knew why she was being kept out of the firing lines. Dortju. She hated him for it more than she loved him for it, she was young.

Chani was observing the advance on Mars by the Ancients and getting her Lunar squadron ready to meet them. She downgraded 90% of the Red Force from Alert 5 to Stand By. Alert 5 was a launch readiness code that meant the fighter had to be able to be ordered into the air in under 5 seconds. So fueled, armed, ready, engines on and preflight done. Stand by meant fueled, armed with a pilot very close by (standing by) but with the need to preflight but generally could get a fighter up in under 15 mins. Ready meant ready to be fueled and or armed before preflight and could take an hour, if nothing went wrong during preflight. Storage as a flight status speaks for itself. So does under repair.

Amy raised an eyebrow. Chani was swaggering and she worried it was too much so. She ordered a drone unit from the asteroid belt to counter a drone shield surrounding the vessels headed for Mars. She now left that to the local commander and got on with Lunar defense. Amy would tell her if that went wrong.

She wanted to know what on Earth their intentions were for the Lunar base. Mars looked like a stumble and bash attack that would have as much chance of success as it did last time. But the Lunar attack seemed to be spreading out too much… as if, they couldn’t be trying…

“Possible Lunar englobement, Chani.”

“On it pet, thanks.”

It made no sense the only means for a mobile vessel to make an effective attack on a land based shielded defense fortress armed with Ions cannons was to shield itself with expendable units to get close enough to deliver a killing or disabling blow somehow. If they tried englobement they would just be slowly and surely picked off one by one as quickly as the Ion cannons wanted to while being able to do nothing. Chani had her first red flag of the encounter.

Amy noticed Chani put the entire Red Force back onto Alert 5 status.

Chani ordered 25% launch of the Lunar Drone fleet. The Ancients knew if this was THE attack or a first wave. Chani did not. The Ancients might be using all of their available drones now, might.

Amy noticed Chani also starting to watch the Mars approach which was now closing in and a small unused drone unit in the asteroid belt which she never even thought to mention but put it away for later maybe. Chani was busy and had it.

Ceilidh was too enthralled by it all to remember she was suppose to be raging.

Chani hit a comms button, “Raka. Need you up and aimed now. Amy will give you the coordinates. Your Lunar bound anyway.”

“Roger that.”

“Mhairi, weapons free for the Lunar Air Wing, good luck.”

Chani could keep Raka back as a fast response weapon ordered direct from CIC in real time but for the Lunar Air Wing she had to give tactical command to Mhairi. Who could call on support from Chani from the Red Force but would only as a last resort.

Amy made sure Chani had some attention on the Mars attack while she got coordinates to the Red Force to back up the XW2 fighters from the Moon in a quick hurry if it was deemed needed.

Chani picked up her cup of cold coffee and drank it. Quickly rubbed her eyes and took a look at Mars about to kick off. It looked almost too much like business as usual. She wondered if all the vessels were just drones on a diversion. Another red flag.

Amy noticed something about the Lunar attack but it was as yet just a notion but taking shape, she seen Chani had Mars. It was harder to notice a lack of something than the presence of something as the former needs prompted from that 6th sense of there’s something missing here. Unique in all those sensitive to it.

“Chani, Lunar Ion cannons have sub performance, no known reason to me.”

“Gotcha.” Mars had it. They weren’t mopping up but there weren’t suffering.

She looked at the Lunar attack. Amy was right, the Ion cannons were just not slowing the Ancients down enough for their comparisons on Mars. And the Ancients would use superior shielding on some fighters as much as humanity would use inferior shielding on one of theirs. After you kitted a fighter out for space flight and combat you didn’t then skimp on the shields.

“Mhairi, talk to me.”

“Chani, we’re taking it ok. Losing power for some reason on some core systems and they seem to have better shielding than last time.”

“Give me an Ion Cannon wattage output.” Chani

“And shield.” Amy

“Same for the shield.” Chani

“Both just below 80% but the generators are putting out max. How can that make sense, we’ve taken no direct hit’s just drone loses.”

“Are you display screens dimmer?” Chani checked.

“Actually…”

“Right it’s an electro magnectic force field, your being englobed.”

Chani man eye contact with Amy according to two man rule (some names dies hard) and got a nod.

“Raka. Weapons free. Everything major vessel headed for the Moon. And it’s a now now now go go go.”

“Confirmed.” was all Chani got and needed.

It was ugly. On more account than one. 27 lost lives. 27 lost enemy space ships of mega fire power all destroyed.

More than that though, the Ancients would have known of the desperate defense and the effectiveness of this new attack pattern.

“Chani, an observer is fleeing past an armed drone station on the asteroid belt…”

“Launch them!”

So much was still happening and she’d become reflective already. She scanned the boards.

Mars was unscathed as was the Lunar base but the cost and what it meant to. If that could be done to the Moon then it was just a numbers game to do it to Earth.

“We got him.” Amy

“Good, Amy can you tell, did any others get away.”

“It’s a tape check thing, sorry best guessing 50/50. It was busy.”

“It was you did well. Thanks for the back up.”

“Pleasure. I want to watch these tapes and get through this debrief and then shower. I don’t get quite the buzz out of it as this one does.” Amy motioned to Ceilidh who was on her feet with delight at the victory.

“Chani you kicked some serious ass there!”

“Ceilidh one day, and I hope it is soon, you will not be so nonchalant in your view of life to glorify it’s loss so much. I’m going to bed. Remember, you could be in that seat one day and you might have to order 27 of your friends to their death. Please don’t try glorify how I feel about that right now. Good night.”

Ceilidh just deflated as the gravity of what she’d just witnessed hit her in the face with a slap. That day she grew up.

Chani walked out with calm determination to get the fuck away from all that bullshit! Dortju could handle that next time! She held back tears with her dignity.

Chapter 7: First Alliance

“A friend in need is a friend in need. A friend with weed is better.” – Placebo.

Dortju was just racking his brains. Ole Terra had gone dead pretty much on the comms front for some reason. Hopefully just a technical glitch. But Dortju just wondered, what good would an alliance with the Auspexo be?

He was engulfed in a report about their medical technology and it seemed they were on a smidgen from humanity in a few regards and then lacking the same amount in other areas. Dortju was hoping for a cure for viruses in exchange for military technology.

He had to back off from it for a bit and take a breather. Here he was trying to find a way to convince the Auspexo that paperwork wasn’t going to cut it when being attacked by a superior force and arm them while he only wished his daughter didn’t have to go to war. Who’s to say the Auspexo wouldn’t be at war with humanity in a decade and then a fighter Dortju sold now could shoot down his own kid in a decade, easily.

War was a head fuck all ways round.

“Dortju, come and ice cream and football for a bit. I got us the net here on their big screen and we got the latest from the football, sound effects and replays come across really well and totally sync’d.”

Dortju seriously considered it. A night slobbing with Abby with Ice cream and stupid sports shit on the net up on a display screw. Fuck it. He did just that. Added in the synethetic beer they had put together for him. They headed to bed before it got to the popcorn throwing stage and Dortju wondered as he got down how things were back on Ole Terra.

They seemed to have landed into somewhat of a routine now with the Auspexo now. 9am the dong went and a messenger told them of another meeting with the senior minister at lunch time.

They got ready and Dortju hoped this would be the one.

It was.

They made made some progress into their connection program with the Auspexo and a lot of it involved information disclosures, reassurances and waiting lists for some reason. Dortju had no idea what the others could be doing that was more important than this but whatever. There was no sense of prioritization about this lot.

At least he had a trade agreement on the table that was meant to be fast tracked but he suspected no one was going to be impressed by the speed of this ‘fast’ tracking. However the trade deal did in effect supersede the connection program anyway, just no one on the Auspexo side seemed to have noticed or if they had no one had objected to it.

This last meeting was an agreement on an informal basis that a trade deal should be worked towards.. That’s all Dortju needed. Now they could get their foot in the door and get this lot being useful somehow.

It was thankfully time to head home. It felt like the clocks here lived in molasses.

“Watch this, our scheduled departure will come with a leaving date or waiting list.”

“I know what you mean Abby, but come on. It’s gone well.”

“It has, it really has and yes I was testy at the start. Your brilliant in how patient you can be.”

“I know. Let’s get ourselves hame, now style”

There wasn’t a waiting list or a leaving checklist but the timing in the end came down to planet alignments and so they had 2 days to kill. Not even Abby could moan at that as a hold up.

They did the tourist thing. A few do’s were put on for them and the entertainment was bland and acceptable. They were well fed and welcome where they went. But again like the Ancients they just lived in a mediocre sort of emotional spectrum and that was all you got.

They had a small semi-formal farewell send off. Dortju and Abby were glad to get away and happy to have been.

Chani knew exactly when Dortju was due back and was caking it. Dortju would find out about Ceilidhs adventures while she was at the con and would not be impressed. Amy tried to lighten her worries saying she’d done well rebuffing the invasion. Chani’d replied “That was 27 friends of Dortju’s I ordered to death to. Not only ours. He’ll be pissed trust me!”

But arrival time was here and so was Dortju and Abby. The shimmer in the atmosphere disappeared and they emerged from the pod to a happy welcome. Jettro was there with most of council and a typical ministerial entourage.

“We’ve just survived another invasion thus the silence. How’d you get on?”

“Dammit, I knew they would. I got it.”

“Good expect to be in council within the hour.”

“Gotcha Jet. It never rains around here eh, it just pours!”

“That’s not the end of it. Ceilidhs alright but been into some mischief. Chani will bring you up to speed.”

“Ok, thanks. See you in an hour.”

Dortju walked over to Chani. “Well?”

“She’s fine, took your tug on renege and actually caught us an Ancients observer and survived. A-ok and has been grounded since.”

“So she was bad and you’ve clipped her wings. Chani I’ll not argue with you on that one.” Dortju seen the relief she tried not to show wash over her face.

“C’mere.” Dortju got hugs from her and Amy and they agreed to hit CIC for coffee with Abby to get as much briefing as they could in with the hour they had.

Then they had to properly debrief.

Then they could have some home time, by then Dortju bet council would have something else that would require urgent attention.

Chani and Amy took them through the battle tapes. Dortju winced at the Red Force use but said nothing and let the battle play out. Chani was just going through a 10 mins briefing with slide shows and Dortju just kept his mouth shut.

“Chani, Amy just well done. I’m going to jaw bone and nick pick these with you at length later but we’d do the same when if I running CIC. My end, we got the bacon. We have a trade deal on the table.”

“Chani, I’m giving this one to you. Ceilidh is to be grounded indefinitely. Have her eye sight exam come out wrong or something. She’s hereafter just grounded.”

“Are you assigning personal security to me while I explain this to her?”

“No but she respects rules a lot so she won’t be mad at you but she will probably never speak to me again. She’s canny and as judgmental as her mother.”

“But Dortju why? She loves flying, she’ll be crushed!”

“Imagine the effect it would have on our strategic position if the Ancients were able to turn her against me and/or humanity?!”

“Kings ransom, stuff. They could hold her hostage and trade her for you. Gotcha.”

“Ok, let’s get making plans to get these Ancients off our backs so we can let this cherrup have some fancy air time in space. Let’s make the highways safe again. Christ it’s like something out of medieval Earth all over again. Let’s act like park Rangers and make the roads passable again people, I’m off to council. Your all welcome.” They all came.

Jettro opened council and “…with Dortju back from his emissary mission from the Auspexo, the floor is yours.”

“Got the goods in a nut shell. We’ve completed some 40% of their connection program which while it’s tiresome isn’t useless. They’ve agreed to a trade deal on a ‘fast’ track and I would like to advise you all to not hold your breath. This trade deals does in effect null the rest of their connection program but they love their paperwork. It’s like the Ancients with the brainwashing control only this is just too much emphasis on paperwork. I know it’s not cool or exciting but that’s how they are. More lame than a threat to anyone.”

Raka as Minister for Defense asked “Did you at all discuss a military alliance?”

“Raka it’s a fair question and the answer is no. But I’ll offer this as a first impression after being out there a month is we may not want to. In the sense they might well just bog us down too much to be any help. I would be loath to suggest we could use them as a blanket between the drones and us but that sounds a bit too much like cannon fodder. I would say as it stands now they would not help our defense forces but hinder them but I would welcome being made wrong on that.”

“Got it.” Raka had evidently made some notes.

“I can say this about the Auspexo, they don’t get excited or passionate but they do get things done in their way and they are on our side as allies against the Ancients and there is certainly no overtures of our conquest in our dealing. So they may not be the pool of deadly warriors we want, but perhaps they are. They’re regular, organized, methodical to a fault perhaps in having fun in life but not in a space port or engineering, might be able to free up our almost flight trained specialists tied up in ground crew work to man some of those spare fighters we have kicking about.” There was 1000s, production was only increasing to.

This caused a stir at council and put a smile on Raka’s face who made another note.

“Dortju, I agree I think you got this somewhat tied up. I think council will back me in a very well done for this one.” a murmured consent came from council.

“It ain’t over till the fightings done peoples.”

“Dortju, I think you’ve summed it up nicely. Now to other business.”

The council drolled on for Dortju and his squad but it was informative.

Dortju and Raka tuned right back into council when Jettro said in summing up “… we have now survived 3 invasions and the last one never even tried for Earth and wouldn’t have gotten close if they had. We have achieved our own security and for that I think a fine effort has been achieved by one and all and Dortju your consultancy and efforts have proved priceless.”

“Jettro! When you start liking your walls, that’s when you stop living and something comes over the top of them and kills you. I’m not happy behind these defenses I want the reason for their existence handled. I’m sick of solving all these problems with conflicts now.”

“Dortju as Minister of Preservation your welcome to propose any better ideas.” Jettro while ever pragmatic also knew who was chair of council.

Dortju given the notion could also quietly drop a thud on the table as he just had and Jettro was just as able at sticking it back in his face. “I’ll be in CIC debriefing if I am needed.” He left with his squad in tow.

Chapter 8: Dortju’s Lose

“Once you’ve lost everything else you still are able to either cry or smile. It’s impossible for that choice to be taken from you.” – Dortju

Ceilidh blocked him on the net interface.

They do say parents bones are there for ones kids to sharpen their teeth on.

And the Ancients in this tale can be as comparable to our pasts as to our parents.

Chapter 9: Plan B

“No one in this world is pure and perfect. If you avoid people for their mistakes, you will be alone in this world. So love more and judge less.” – fb/Buddha Daily.

“We need to seriously get intermediate resettlement underway!” Chani was quite adamant it seemed.

They were all in CIC now and Dortju was in a debrief booth transcribing the answers to the usual questions. It was boring but the questions did always prompt the odd few things and Dortju was happy to wind his tale into the recorder.

Chani and the rest of them were sat around the strategy board just brain storming while Dortju debriefed. The coffee flowed, it was looking to be a late night.

“Sorry Chani, I am for being resettlement ready but not activating it unless in extremis.” Amy.

“I stand with Jettro on this. Fortify Earth. I know Dortju wont like it but he’d not thank me for trying to blow smoke up his ass.” Raka.

Dortju was winding up his debrief and they were taking a consensus of their last hours debate. Each had stuck to their own original view.

Chani had argued leaving Earth was best, take a leaf out of the Auspexo book and disappear. She also felt they should just get on with it considering it’d take a decade to do it properly. The aborted settlement of humanity on Titan due to the first Ancients attack still rattled through the species.

Amy more of less agreed but thought they should hold back on launching. She argued to have everything prepped and ready to go as quickly as could be made to be for a contingent in extremis.

Raka wanted to stand on a porch with a shotgun. He was convinced humanities best chances were putting an Ion cannon on every spare square foot on Earth and add another 20 shields to Earths defenses.

Dortju walked out of his debrief “right y’all so what’s plan B to be then, please tell me you’ve all come to some consensus?”

Due to the mute replies he got he went for the coffee. One of those nights was it.

“So Chani is Ms. don’t let them back us into a corner again, Amy is Ms. best of both worlds and Raka, your Mr. defend the only home we have and none of you are giving an inch?”

Another dose of mute replies but the faces said it all.

He grabbed at seat in the lounge of CIC “Right, let’s have at it? I want the pros and cons off of each of you for respective ideas. Start with you Chani.”

“Basic Sun Tzu. When in conflict never allow yourself to be backed into a corner. If we put all our resources in resettlement we have 2 advantages immediately. The Ancients wont know our location and they will think we are still on Earth. Giver has massive strategic advantage and we can counter attack anything they throw at Earth if we decide to do so if it’s viable. Down side – we’re not only abandoning the planet of our origin but also all the efforts we have put into it’s defenses. Which could of course still be maintained with a skeletal crew.”

“Amy?”

“Best of both worlds, and the rest Dortju. Why waste the advantages of both arguments. Earth strong, use her strength. Can can diverse our population we are and I think this should continue at it’s natural pace with out intent to secure more of the Solar System and beyond. Down side, we spreading ourself out more and more with no firm stable point other than what Earth already naturally is.”

“Raka?”

“Why waste Earth? The most defendable, livable and likable planet that exists in the universe for humanity. I don’t have to list existing defenses but I can put some emphasis to their significance and importance. Please also bear in mind we can also continue a military re-settlement or more accurately conquest of other system. But I would advise humanities population will be safest here and around about Ole Terra. Downside, it does smatter of having all your eggs in one basket and on that front I do agree with Chani but I think we should send out only military personnel en masse and keep our civvies safely here and build the hell out of Earths defense.”

“Raka, I disliked your view the most before that but you’ve made the best argument. Despite me saying exactly the opposite to Jettro in council just there I think you might just have convinced me. So let me put it like this, Chani convince why I shouldn’t run with Rakas ideas?”

“Englobement. We seen in it in the last attack. So once successful attack and our species is wiped out bar some soldiers in the outer rim.”

“Can’t argue that too much. Raka, what’s wrong with Chani’s idea?”

“When you not on a safe footing and surrounded by hostiles it’s not the right time to consider leaving the house half cocked.”

“Ok, Amy why are they both wrong?”

“It takes one person to man a fighter, a small family to run a farm in a colony, a team of 5 to man an Ion cannon. A minor amount of personnel to run a colony now that they are nearly automatic. We have 4 billion people at our disposal and as much resources as we can mine. Earth has it good points, as does the Moon, the Asteroid belt and Titan. We also have a base station orbiting Pluto now, let’s just continue with this current expansion, why make a massive change after successfully repelling 3 invasions.”

“Amy I think you just took the top spot for the most persuasive argument, my only concern do you have an answer for englobement?”

“No. The war techies need to fix that.” Amy was honest with it anyway.

“Guys, I’m going to sum up this impromptu wee confab but let’s let the evening go as it will but yeah, need you all to give me detailed reports in 48 hours, but I want you to spend 1 hour of 12 all together confabbing over the next 48. I want yous to reach a consensus if possible.”

The night went as one would expect from an Anor and Raka Wizard and two Anor witches. It was lively and interesting banter and Raka was often left behind. It’d be the same with an Anor among 3 other Rakas. It’s just the way it worked in the Orders of Magic.

Dortju had had a long day. He went to the kitchen and fixed himself a proper drink and went and took a seat by the fire and removed his boots. Chani got the hint and tied up the chat with Amy and Raka who said they’d see her in 12 hours for an hour. Times were set and byes were said.

“Dortju, how’s you?”

“Can we get out of here?”

“Off to the library for some research?”

“The opposite. I want 24 hours of not being responsible for anything!”

“I’m not coming to a strip joint with you again, although that was funny when you offer the bar owner £60,000 to do a bar dance and when he did told him the girls had already paid him a number of times over!”

“Then he called his honcho men who knew me and were all of a sudden ‘too tied up’ his red face was priceless. Nah Chani too old for that nonsense, I want to go and climb somewhere. You pick.”

“Chani you could have come up with something better than this!” They were on top of Arthurs Seat, Edinburghs highest point at a non-staggering 251m.

“Really?”

“Chani this is literally a walk in the park not climbing.”

“Dortju watch…” the way she said it in a quiet and slow tone made Dortju look up.

The Sun was just piercing above the horizon, they were sat facing north with a fire in front of them with a kettle on for morning tea and a pitched tent behind them cuddled in sleeping bags surround by morning dew.

The fire was springing back into life as Dortju nurtured it with the sweet smelling logs they’d put aside the night before. The tea was nearly ready and Chani had broke out the bacon and laid it on hot rocks at the side of the fire. Off in the east the Sun was making streaks of red and purple across the sky but it was more an aurora once seen through the mist over the Firth of Forth, the day started to brighten for them.

Chani still had her point to make.

Dortju took out his pipe. “While it’s a walk in the park it is beautiful.”

“Un huh.” Chani wasn’t saying much this morning as she fixed breakfast, Dortju thought to himself.

He sat back, took a puff on his pipe and let the morning air and sunrise relax him to the smell of some coffee and a bacon roll. Yesterdays but still very fresh. Chani passed his roll over and an Irish coffee.

“What we celebrating?” Dortju asked after he noticed the gentle undertone of whicky behind the smells or java and cream.

Chani did not reply only stared off into the sunset in meditation. She needed another minute or two…

Then it happened. Sunlight hit the Salisbury Crags. They were on the north face facing north and the Sun had now just risen enough to highlight the Crags while the rest of the bonny toon was still in shadow. “Master Dortju, Look…” She said it ever so gently and then sat back.

Dortju looked off to the left where she had pointed and seen the Crags. He sat up. Stared for some time. Put his pipe down and stared some more. Then buried his face in his knee’s.

Every tear he spilled Chani felt deeply and let it pass. He had to face this. She’d heard the nightmares.

He’d been 9 and his older counsin, as he usually did, dared Dortju to do something dangerous… to test the water for himself. If he wanted to walk on some ice he’d dare Dortju to do it first knowing Dortju always would, if Dortju never died then he probably wouldn’t. But then Dortju’s cousin Murdo was one of those who would always use another to protect themselves from anything in a blink. He’d been dared to scale the Crags at their tallest point of 46m and 3/4 of the way up had froze. Realized how life threatening his predicament was and had evidently burst into tears and held on for dear life unable to complete the climb. After an indescribable amount of time Dortju reached up with his right hand which found a hold. Dortju gripped it tightly before moving his left foot and finding a hold. He was open eyed blind in a madness called survive. The last of the climb didn’t exist in reality for Dortju it just happened and he made his muscles respond. Breathe in, breathe out and then move, slowly and surely.

He’d got to the top and his cousin had walked around the hill and climbed up the gentle slope to the back of the Crags already. The grass and mud hanging over the crown of the Crags provided short grass and dry mud as a hand hold. Dortju would never trust pulling his weight on a small tuft of lawn and dry mud. “Murdo.” He held up his right hand for assistance.

“You made your bed boyo, you can lie in it.”

Dortju’s muscles were under strain, he had his legs pushing pressure on opposite holds to hold his weight while he seeked a handhold to get over the crown, all Murdo had to do was hold his hand out or even put his angle to within reach. He stood aloof looking off into the view ‘enjoying the morning’ apparently with Dortju’s desperate fight for his life, adding some ‘spice’ to it. He only had to move a meter to help. He stood resolutely still and looked down more at Dortju than the rising Sun.

Dortju managed to find a root of perhaps a thistle that had some solid hold feeling to it. He started to pull on it and ease over the crown when it went. He was halfway over the crown and ‘hit the deck’ he was precariously hanging over the edge. All he needed was a friend to pull him. He grabbed at grass and never shifted his weight. Holding grass and his breath he got his left foot onto a holding on the Crag face and was able to push himself up another inch or so and that was it, he was safe.

He got the rest of himself up and rolled twice away from the edge and then passed out. He awoke later alone and dazed and got home. The next month passed in a fog and Dortju could only talk to himself about it. Murdo had higher stats in the Magic School at that moment, while being brought up this meant you could get away with murder.

“What’s you point here Chani!? and it better be good.”

“I’ve heard the nightmares. We need to leave it all behind at some point and you need to purge this.”

They sat in silence together until she quietly let him be at lunch time.

He broke camp and stoically headed home at dinner time.

Chapter 10: Ancients Parley

“To give is more wholesome than taking. The white is brighter than the black. As masculinity designs to take life, femininity designs to preserve it. Hate fuels disaster and honour fuels harmony. Trust begets cooperation as lies ruin it. Loses bring sorrow like achievement brings happiness. This is truth. While politics, religion, fortune and culture might seem to play a role, they are all just agreed on lies or at best a half-truth.” – Dortju

At last Chani thought. They were getting somewhere. Dortju would be happy with this. The Auspexo were at last saying they were willing to open up about any other species out there. The latest dispatches were on her desk from the recent teleport from them.

It had been a sticking point in Dortju and Abby’s first emissary mission to them. Dortju had tried to ascertain if the Auspexo knew of anyone else out there in the collective systems other than the Ancients and they had been very closed about the subject. Saying that was a later step in the connection program. While it had frustrated Dortju at the time he left it be due to his success at being able to establish a trade connection and that was building up some steam now.

She got him on their net “…so in essence the Magic triangle involves innovation, diversity and strength which combined gives one leadership or power over others…”

“Dort. Got some good news and a little face time would be good. Auspexo are loosening up about there being more out there.”

“O that is a peach. When your ready! I can be free now!”

“See you in five Dort I think you’ll like this one.”

The whole convo had occurred over brain pan artificial telepathy. Each others thoughts were being converted and digitally transferred to one another via wifi. Chani would only ever intrude in such a manner if she knew Dortju was unlikely to be up to anything to personal. She knew he was giving a lecture just now. He gave her the same curtsy. Brain pan connections were seldom installed and they were only for ones most trusted people.

“Thank you, one and all. That’s all for today.” Dortju did a neat left face and headed for the door. picking up his staff at the door, he looked back and said “Free write time class. For the rest of the hour who can complete a handwritten essay of 500 words about the equation I have just laid out by the end of class, in Latin. Leave your signed efforts on my desk. If you don’t speak Latin you better manage a paragraph. Start.” He left them to it. Some had the cheek to look surprised when he left just a few minutes into the start of the first class he’d ever given with an attendance of 862.

“Right Chani, what we got here?” he was back in the office ten mins later due to being held up by some stupid num-nut who clocked him hi-jacking a ride on the top of an elevator heading toward the floor his office was on and had hit the emergency stop button so he could be ‘rescued’. Dortju resented the hold up and climbed the wire the rest of the way to the floor his office was on well before anyone arrived to ‘rescue’ him.

“Took your time.”

“Just a breakdown on the transport network, usual. Spill the beans.”

“They’ve said they’ll tell us. No numbers, no hints, no clues. Nothing. Just one line in a communique to you saying simply ‘we are open to discussions regarding our knowledge of there being other species in existence in this universe we currently share'”

Yep, that’s how they’d put it to Dortju thought. They really were a bit to heck of a pragmatic at times.

“Ok Chani good shout out. Let’s get on this. I want to head out to see them asap and I’ll need to go over this with Jettro. Now. Run the communique by Amy in case she can read any more out of it than we got. I’m off to see the Boss.”

Dortju barged into Jettro’s office to be met by Jettro rolling his eyes and an Ancient sat across from him.

“Minister please may I introduce Dortju whom is my only Minister who has yet to learn to knock. Dortju this is an Ambassador from the Ancients. We’re discussing a peace deal just now. In fact you might care to join us. If that is ok with yourself Mr. Ambassador?”

“Of course. Hello Dortju.”

Dortju felt his skin crawl with his memories of his visit to this things home planet but duty prevailed. He wondered if he’d ever get his teaching career off the ground. Least the day was exciting already despite not yet being lunch time.

Dortju couldn’t believe he was going to have to sit on the news he had for Jettro.

It was a terse meeting with all three pretending friendliness and honest sincerity for the other side that neither truly felt but a promise of peace was just that.

The Ambassador left during a luncheon whereby he went back to his emissary pod to discuss progress with his one number and refresh himself.

“Jettro what the fuck why wasn’t I told! And the Auspexo have said there are other species out there but have yet to say who. We just found!”

“What?! Ok, this lot showed up this morning while you were on the way to lecture. We are capable of some stuff without you Dortju. But well that’s great. News or more species and an offer of peace from the Ancients… Come on, this has to be the best Monday morning yet for humanity!”

“Not so fast, Jettro. I’m no so quick to celebrate peace with this Ancients lot as you are!”

“Dortju, we can’t let a personal dilemma perpetuate a war.”

“My personal dilemma as you put it, is, are we inviting a cat among the pigeons.”

“Dortju, let’s see some optimism here.”

“Sure, the Auspexo with make us safe by paperwork. The Ancients will make us safe by controlling our minds. Let’s see if we can find a species that will control what we eat and how we sleep to why don’t we. Next we’ll end up back in the old days when people only ate veg, some still thought the world was flat and some believed in aliens that existed before the universe did.”

“Dortju, clam down already. Your too quick with the extreme examples…”

“Jettro, your the one too quick with caution out of us two, so I wish to hell you would listen to me when I advise caution. You’ve let yourself be carried away some by enthusiasm, perhaps justified and hopefully is but prudence has to say, ‘have we checked our bases on this yet?'”

“Dortju, ok we haven’t. I get your point. But lighten up, for a Monday morning this could be worse?”

“I’ll drink to that.” They chi chinged their coffee mugs. “Jet, I’m going to leave you be with this Ancient. They just give me the creeps. I off back to my HQ to work with Chani and Amy on this whole other species business.”

“Check on that. I want an informal meeting of the old school lot tonight.”

“Check. Myself, Chani, Amy, Simon, Raka. Mhairi to? She’s have to come from the Moon?”

“Vid link her. She’s more local defense than strategic.”

Dortju had to smile inwardly that Lunar defense was now considered local defense by the council. It meant his job of Minister of Preservation was bearing fruit as humanity now considered itself to have not air power in the solar system, but space power. More than what could be said for back in the good old 2020s.

“Check. 8pm?”

“10-4. If I overrun with the Ancient start without me and I will join in. Dortju let’s make today count.”

“It’s not me that needs told that.”

“I know.”

Authors Note:

While obviously throughout these wee stories the ‘Ancients’ is a metaphorical reference to our pasts or parents it was even harder to write the Auspexo characters. Why? I had to make them uselessly boring. Like bring a lull to the story deliberately.

It’s key for an author to try make his characters desireably beleivable and while writing a story about magical people in the future it’s hard to be real life like. But if you can make a reader want them to be believable then you can yarn a tale so to speak. So when faced with the task of writing a character that you want the reader to just not be bothered about it very much goes against the grain of making a story interesting.

I took Abby along with Dortju on this Quest just to have some swearing dialogue on the go to add interest in an otherwise deliberately boring part of this short story series.

It’s also the first time I have made the story constantly flick back and forth between two story lines throughout most of the book. You can be the judge on how I did.

Brought in some more Tesla here and have to say I will be at Palo Alto on 7 Jan 2043. Fate willing.

In doing research into the prospects of telepathy for this story I encountered the info that Tesla disagreed with Einstein on the whole E=MC² thing.. and also they were both considered autistic.