“Frankly, it’s the only reason I can imagine House Liao would even bother us. I’m not sure we can afford the risk any longer. It’s quite true what you’ve said about our Lord Governor. I don’t think we can depend on him for protection from House Liao, but that assumes we need protection. There are many people here tonight who believe—and I’m inclined to agree—that expelling you from our system and seeking a nonaggression pact with them would be our best course of action.”
Aaron sipped his coffee thoughtfully. In truth, Ningpo’s military might was minimal, the planet poor in strategic resources. The only really useful thing about it was its location.
“Governor, I do understand your position, and I appreciate your being so forthright about your opinions. I think, however, you should consider all the facts.
“First, no matter what these fine people here tonight may believe, I think the majority of your people are quite concerned about the possibility of living under Capellan rule. Ultimately, you are only valuable to House Liao so long as you have the backing of your people. If you do not, you’ll be of no use to them, and you will be replaced.
“Second, I’m not seeking military assistance, though it is always welcome. I would like to continue our current agreements for the use of your jump points and, in addition, I would like to use your system as an advance staging area for my forces. As such, Ningpo would enjoy our full military protection, and reap indirect economic benefits as welclass="underline" My troops will need R and R, and, I assure you, they’re well paid and would be eager to spend their money on such a beautiful world.”
The Governor shook his head and smiled. “Really, what you’re proposing is to turn us into an irresistible target for Liao.”
Aaron suddenly turned to the starlet. “My dear, what do you think?”
She seemed shocked to be drawn into such a serious discussion, and Aaron wondered for a moment if she’d even been listening. She blinked. “Well,” she finally said, “I think war is bad.”
Aaron nodded appreciatively. “As do we all. And yet war is a fact; it’s already happening.”
Her wide blue eyes looked at Aaron. “Not on Ningpo.”
Aaron held his hand out toward her. “Exactly! The people of Ningpo do not want war to come to their world. And I’m sure you’d agree, my dear, this is exactly what the Governor has in mind.”
She looked at the Governor as though she’d just noticed he was there. “I suppose.”
“But the question everyone will be asking themselves tomorrow will be: Is this the best way to go about it? What do you think?”
She shrugged. “If they’ll agree to leave us alone, that would be good.”
Aaron nodded. “I’m rather certain they will. So that settles it.” He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest.
The starlet beamed.
“There’s just one thing,” said Aaron. “Can you trust them?”
The starlet’s smile faded, and she looked questioningly at the Governor.
The Governor looked slightly annoyed, yet Aaron was sure the man was imagining millions of his constituents asking just the same question.
He turned back to Aaron. “As I said, unless they have some reason to attack us, I just can’t see why they would lie.”
Aaron uncrossed his arms and leaned forward wearing his best poker face. “If the Ningpo system would make a good staging area for my forces, it would be just as useful for Liao’s forces moving in the other direction. And if they should realize this as well, do you suppose they’ll ask permission, as I have?”
“I think they would.”
“You trust them then?”
“Yes!”
“What about Shensi?”
“What about it?”
“You knew the Shensi government was negotiating a pact with House Liao?”
The Governor looked uncomfortable, obviously wondering if this was a verbal trap. Aaron knew there was political backchatter between the two governors, and Xiao had likely known of the negotiations long before the SwordSworn had. “I’d heard something of the sort might be in the works.”
“I’d heard things had progressed well beyond that. Which leaves one wondering how to explain the Liao attack on Shensi.”
This caught the Governor totally off guard.
Aaron was secretly pleased. With the HPG network down, it was difficult to predict how rapidly news could travel from one system to another. Aaron’s intelligence people could only provide a “latest possible” time, when a scheduled freight shipment from Shensi was to arrive in the system. He had hoped the news would wait till then, and apparently it had.
“Attack? What attack?”
“Just before our jump here, we received word that an unprovoked aerospace attack was made on the capital city and various strategic targets around the planet. The news was sketchy, but we assumed your intelligence people had already heard.”
Now the Governor looked flustered; his face reddened. “Is this a joke, Lord Governor? We’ve heard no such thing. If this is a cheap deception to secure my cooperation, I’m neither impressed nor amused!”
“I assure you, Governor, it’s no joke. Frankly, I was hoping you might have additional news, as a member of my family, Commander Erik Sandoval-Groell, was last known to be at the Shensi capital, trying to salvage the political situation there. I’ve had no word from him.” He looked down, chewed his lip for a pregnant moment. “I fear the worst.”
The starlet gave him a sympathetic look and he felt the soft skin of her hand as it rubbed the top of his. He gave her an appreciative glance, then looked back at the Governor.
Actually, he was looking past the Governor, at a strategically placed clock on the wall behind him. By his estimate, the scheduled ship should have jumped into the Ningpo system approximately seventy minutes before. It was an event that the entire evening’s festivities had been timed around. The light-speed delay for a radio message traveling from the jump point to Ningpo was about fifty-three minutes. Assuming the attack had gone as planned, and Aaron was only assuming that it had, word should have reached the planet by now. The question was how long it would take to filter through channels to the president’s ear.
Aaron sat silently for perhaps thirty seconds.
The Governor leaned over and whispered something to his wife.
The starlet leaned closer, putting her other hand on Aaron’s shoulder.
One of the Governor’s aides slipped into the room, a grave expression on his face. He leaned over the Governor and whispered in his ear.
As he watched the Governor’s reaction, it took all of Aaron’s self-control and acting skills to keep from breaking into a broad smile of victory.
“Lord Governor, I regret to inform you that I’ve just received confirmation of the surprise attack on Shensi. Mercenary forces employed by House Liao have been implicated. I’m afraid we don’t have any specific word about Commander Sandoval, but the Capitol Building itself was a target, and there are many casualties. My sympathies.”
Aaron nodded. “Of course, Governor. Thank you. For now, I must hope for the best.”
The Governor nodded. “Perhaps it would be better if we discussed your proposal tomorrow. This is a stressful time.”
“No, Governor. If family blood has been spilled in this matter, I will feel better knowing it was not spilled in vain. I have the papers in my drawing room, if you’d care to accompany me.”
Aaron stood at the top of the entry stairs, watching the final guests depart. The Governor had signed his agreement. It would need to be ratified by the planetary council, but an emergency session had been scheduled for first thing the following morning. Debate was expected to be minimal.
He was only a little surprised when he felt a soft, small body press against his back. “Lord Governor?”
He turned and looked into the starlet’s eyes. “What about your companion?”