Page 44 of Lhora
“Bua Ca,why would I not challenge an enemy vessel?” Lon countered.
“We have an agreement with your Sarpi, have we not?”
Lhora slapped her hand over her mouth to cover her gasp of disbelief. She caught Lon’s look of shock as he glanced over at her.
“What sort of agreement?” the Vadris challenged.
“Have you not been informed by your Sarpi?”
“We’ve been out of direct contact for some time,” Lon told him. “Why would our Sarpi make an agreement with the enemy?”
“For the betterment of your country. And to defeat your other enemy, the Beinights.”
Lon bowed his head. Lhora sensed him trying to come to grips with realizing that what she had told him was real. She knew exactly how he felt.
“Forgive me for my ignorance, but how do I know you’re telling me the truth? How are you going to help us defeat the Beinights?” Lon pressed. “I need to be fully informed about this new development. Until I get some answers, your vessel is being locked onto, and our cannons are ready to fire at the slightest provocation. You have been warned.” He motioned for the link to be severed and leaned against the panel. Taking a deep breath, he crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her. “All right. About this so-called agreement you said you heard mentioned. Tell us everything.”
“I can’t,” Lhora responded. “That’s basically all I heard. That the Sarpi had made some kind of agreement with the Tra’Mell, but he didn’t elaborate on it. But I can tell you this.” She turned around in her seat. “I was in the audience chamber when the Esstika met with the Sarpi, the Sarpen, and several of his Vadrises. Sov made it clear he was there to discuss the Tra’Mell’s foray into our southern regions. He insinuated that he and the Esstika should join forces in order to expel them from the planet, but nothing further was said. They had dinner, and afterwards supposedly chose to retire for the night back on their ship. I finished my shift and went to the kitchen to eat. When I was done, I was heading back to my barracks when I encountered the Sarpen. He told me he’d chosen to take up the Esstika’s invitation to spend the night in the guest wing.” She dropped her gaze, shaking her head. “The next thing I remember is waking up on the Sarpi’s ship, and they were on their way back to Coltross. I was told I was their leverage, but I didn’t know what that meant at the time.”
“Because you’re one of the Esstika’s personal guards, he figured he could barter you in an exchange of Coltrosstian prisoners,” the Vadris finished.
“So why did the Sarpi takeusas prisoners?” Yanka questioned.
Lon’s expression hardened. “Because we knew there was an arrangement. Because we’d been made privy to something the Sarpi didn’t want to get out.”
“The Sarpi is in league with the Tra’Mell,” Lhora murmured. She slammed her hand on the console, uttering an epitaph in anger. “Your plugging Sarpi is selling out your country and your people!”
“What makes you say that?” Fobi demanded.
The Vadris answered for her. “He’s hoping the Tra’Mell will help him conquer and eradicate the Beinight for him. He’s either dangerously ignorant, or he refuses to acknowledge the fact that the Tra’Mell are using him.” He stared out at the crewmembers on the bridge. “Considering how self-indulgent and self-centered the man is, I believe he has no inkling of how treacherous his actions are. He’s made a pact with our mutual enemy. If the Tra’Mell manage to overcome the Beinights…” He looked to Lhora. “…they’ll swarm Coltross afterwards. Sov will have no idea of what’s being done until it’s too late to strike back.”
“They’ve already infiltrated our southern regions.” She pointed to the radar. “That ship came from the north, which leads me to believe they’re saturating our northern borders, as well.”
Deppil spoke up. “How do we know the Tra’Mell haven’t approached the Esstika and offered her the same sort of arrangement?”
Lhora shook her head. “They haven’t been to Beinight.”
“You’re certain?” Lon queried.
“I’m dead certain. Even if I wasn’t present if they had been, I would have been notified of them being there. No, she hasn’t been approached.”
Pullid made a rude noise. “Why would the Tra’Mell go to the Sarpi and not the Esstika? Why not hit up both countries and pit them against each other? If the Tra’Mell wants this planet so plugging badly, why not let the inhabitants duel it out between the two of them, while they sit back and wait for the winner to emerge before diving in and taking out the last of the survivors?”
“I guess they’re tired of waiting,” Lon stated. “We’ve been at war with the Beinights for thousands of years. Maybe they thought that if they stirred the pot a little, it would heat things up a bit.”
“So why not approach both BeinightandColtross?” Jorm wondered.
“Too great a chance for their duplicity to be discovered?” Lhora shrugged. “Who knows?”
“I have two more ships on the screen!” Yanka called out.
Lon took the steps up to the forecastle in two leaps. “Are they Coltrosstian?”
“Don’t know yet!”
“Vadris!” Deppil yelled. “Incoming transmission! It’s from theUripi.” He cast wide eyes at Lon. “It’s from the Sarpen!”
22
