19: Hiding an Army

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“I have tremendous news, though you may want to sit down for this,” Admiral Deyesu said as Al entered his office. It hadn’t taken long for his superiors to promote him, not wanting other ship captains disputing his authority.

“No thank you,” Al responded. “The last several times someone suggested they had good news, they were about to imprison me.”

“You don’t have to worry about that any longer,” Deyesu said, sitting back and smiling. “After cleaning up Brskll’s mess and reestablishing the peace process—which has only improved over time—no one’s about to question your actions. Since we’ve cooperated with your negotiated demands, the Zssizliq have consistently expanded their neutral zones. Your people have also struck similar truces in other regions they’ve been stationed in afterwards, allowing us to consolidate our forces and resupply our neglected resources.”

“They’re hardly my people. Rather, they’re individuals I’ve inspired, interested in trying out their own ideas, and are creating their own successes.”

“Still, they’d never have tried if it wasn’t for you. Time and again, you’ve proven yourself. Every time you’ve suggested some outlandish scheme, it plays out, despite everyone’s misgivings. Your reputation knows no bounds. Your little pet, Solomon, is just part of your mystique. No one has ever seen such a creature. It sings incessantly, improving the mood of everyone around you—even when they’re pissed at you! In fact, people are terrified of yelling at you, because they’ll become angry at themselves if they do. What’s more, it follows you everywhere like you’re its mother, and it won’t sing for anyone else if you’re not there. I have no clue how you even communicate with it.”

Al petted Solomon, nestled comfortably on his shoulder, and it cooed a new song in return. “We’re sympatico. We don’t need words. We know each other well enough to know what the other is thinking.”

“Like everything you do, you somehow know the right thing to do in every instance. Do you realize they’re now teaching military personnel how to correctly speak Zssizliqian by studying your negotiations? In addition to communicating like a native, they’re picking up your techniques, your attitudes and how to appeal to a species which wanted to slaughter them only a couple months ago. Now, they each want to emulate you!”

And it’s not just you. All of your associates: human, your new spouses and those you inspire continue to follow your lead. They’re making wise choices and putting in superior work, accomplishing more than anyone around them. Your devotees are highly prized, achieving significant assignments, extending the reach of your ideas.”

Al cocked his head, studying him. “Yeah, but I already know that, what’s the current news?”

“Emperor Sujub-eun Uesuam has requested a private meeting with him—with you and your immediate group, that is. He wants you to travel to Tandora to consult with him on the Empire’s future!”

Al was silent, Solomon singing a decidedly different tune with jarring, discordant notes which sent a shiver up Deyesu’s spine. He started getting edgy and his palms began to perspire.

“Are you sure this isn’t a set-up,” Al pressed, “promising one thing, only to try something else?”

“Absolutely not,” he said, not knowing what the Emperor’s real thoughts were. “As I said, you’ve been proven right time and again. Why issue decrees, only to have you prove them wrong? Besides, your popular support is tremendous. Word of your accomplishments was spreading before Brskll attempted to destroy your initiative. When he tried to take credit for your actions, there were already significant protests, both within the military and on the streets throughout the empire.

“The Emperor recognizes your expertise and requests your consultation to determine what will work best, before he decides to implement it. Their initial plan was to distribute your Human crew among the Tandorian fleet, carrying the military’s commands to the front without the Zssizliq learning what they are. However, you’ve completely changed the landscape. That’s why you were allowed to remain for so long, becoming the de facto ambassador and training hundreds of others to carry your motivational messages throughout the fleet. Now, he wants to know how to get that type of dedication from all of his officers!”

“We still have no command authority,” Al reminded him. “Our suggestions can be overruled at any time by virtually any officer in the military.”

“Except, they’ve learned the cost of such a blunder. They’ve seen what they stand to gain by having you and your people working with, instead of against them. What’s more, we essentially have peace with the Zssizliq already. True, there continue to be skirmishes, but we have truces across wide swaths of the frontier, and every day, those areas grow in both size and prestige. No one could possibly stop those if they wanted to, and few would dare to consider it.”

“And we can all bring our families—even the Tandorian ones—and one Tsork?”

Deyesu chuckled. “Yes, Solomon is invited too. In fact, the Emperor is excited about meeting your little pal, wanting to experience him for himself.”

With that, Solomon’s song changed once again, as it constantly did, the sounds soothing and harmonious. Deyesu grinned and leaned back, unable to hear its skeptical undertones. Al petted it again, before continuing.

“In that case, tell him we accept. As you said, we’ve achieved a stable peace, and you have several excellent choices to replace me. With my confirmation that they can be trusted, I have no doubt the Zssizliq will respect them. And with them, my influence on the Tandorian forces will continue to spread, whether I’m here or not.”

“That’s exactly what we were thinking. This is the perfect time for you to take a break and help guide the Emperor’s decisions. If you win his confidence, making it clear you support his rule, you’ll go far. He’s known to richly reward those he favors.”

“No thanks, that’s partly why we’re in this mess, because everyone tells him only what he wants to hear. I’d rather forego the largess, and remain free to speak my mind, to whoever needs to hear it.”

“Yeah, there is merit in that argument, though I suggest you express it a little more delicately.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not planning on doing anything stupid. I know better than to propose anything which won’t be implemented.”

“Thanks, that’s a tremendous relief to hear you say it!”

____________________
“Well, we’re underway,” Captain Yitzl announced. “This is definitely the highlight of my entire career, and frankly, I owe most of it to you.” He’d received his own commendation, and reports were circulating that the Emperor planned to promote him to Admiral when they arrived. That fact meant he was slated for a major battleship, leading a squadron of associated ships. The fact he was trusted with the exact location of Tandora was a significant honor, as it spoke of a trust granted to few. “This is a journey I never expected to be undertaking.”

“Well, I always hoped to affect the Emperor’s decisions,” Al admitted, “though I never anticipated meeting him personally. I operate better out of the limelight, working in the field where I can influence individuals and groups, rather than issuing order from on high.”

“Trust me, the Emperor won’t object to your relinquishing all your credit to him,” Yitzl said. “His biggest worry is that you might steal his thunder, with your own fame overshadowing his. If you assure him you don’t want a significant role in his personal decision making, he’ll bend over backwards for you.”

“We’ll see,” Al said. Solomon sang a mix of uplifting tones dropping just as they neared their height, mixed with random jarring notes, causing Al to smile at their inside joke.

“I’ll never get over how the two of you communicate, all without the benefit of Tandorian aids.”

“I keep reminding everyone, while your aids are beneficial they’re not your masters. You have to take control of them and bend them to your will. Once you do, they’ll execute your decisions precisely, allowing you to accomplish virtually anything.”

“You don’t need to remind me,” Yitzl agreed. “I’ve dramatically increased my active staff, as more of my widowed back-office personnel move back into command positions. They’re showing more initiative than those they’re replacing. The rest of my crew are catching on, though. They’re now trying to emulate the rest of you. They’re pulling longer hours and ensuring each job they tackle represents their best work. I can’t imagine a better crew. I’m getting volunteers, begging to join the ship from highly credentialed officers, but I wouldn’t dream of replacing anyone. They’re that good!”

“Just keep listening to my suggestions, and we’ll achieve some major wins. Soon, you’ll be the most recognized military commander in all Tandorian history.”

“That’s a tall order, given our extensive past, but I’ve learned it’s not wise to doubt your word.”

‘Are we ready?‘ Zita asked.

‘Yeah,’ Al replied. ‘One, transmit our location to Rollsqmarsh and his other ships.’

‘Are you sure this will succeed?‘ Rollsqmarsh asked. ‘We’re taking a tremendous risk here. If we’re discovered, every peace initiative we’ve offered will be for naught. Our actions will be taken as an aggressive assault at the heart of the Tandorian Empire, and they’ll undoubtedly launch a major counter offensive while claiming treachery from within.’

‘You don’t have to warn me. I’ve considered your concerns from every angle, and believe me, they’re valid. Yet, I’ve weighed the risks, and the potential gains for everyone outweigh the risks to the few wagering them. The key to their fleets’ success lies in this one strategy: our quantum links allow us to share the location of every nearby ship without potentially exposing it to anyone. Even when you probe our minds, if the captain doesn’t know the precise position himself, you can’t intercept it. Except I’m monitoring the proximity of each of our ships surrounding us. As long as you keep to the prescribed directions and distances, you’ll never be detected.

‘Since every captain understands that no one can slip through our system, they won’t question it. And every space jockey knows the cost of surprising a military spacecraft, so no one will approach us unannounced. As long as you maintain silence, only communicating via your personal Zssizliq telepathy, no one will suspect anything.’