"Each of you will find new datafiles in your compdecks," Theodore continued calmly. "They include the text of ComStar's official recognition of the new state of the Free Rasalhague Republic and a series of conditions agreed to by the rulers of that state. Coordinator, your file also includes the text of the Combine's official recognition of the Republic. It awaits your signature."
Takashi raised his head in indignation.
You have prodded him the wrong way, Theodore, demonstrating that you still lack good sense in handling delicate political situations.Subhash knew that Takashi was difficult to direct on the best of days. His entrance into the room should have been a clue that this was one of his unstable ones. At least, it was not a public occasion. Those were the hardest to cover up.
"I will not sign it!" Takashi declared, stabbing his right forefinger down to blank the screen of his compdeck. Theodore ignored him.
"Many of you may believe this news represents a severe blow to the Combine. It is not. Rather, we are cutting off the limb off to save the body."
"You would have us cut our own throats," Takashi accused. "Your plans will come to nothing!"
The Coordinator stalked from the room, brushing past the surprised guards as they attempted to come to full attention. Subhash realized that the Coordinator expected the other members of the council to follow him out. Not a reasonable expectation, Takashi, my old friend.
The other members of the council remained where they were. The Warlords were clearly upset by Takashi's display, yet reluctant to leave the meeting Theodore had called. They were unsure which of the two powers in the Combine they could afford to offend. Seeking an answer, Cherenkoff questioned Ricol about events in Rasalhague. In his typical insulting manner, Cherenkoff implied that the Duke had fled from his responsibilities. Ricol refused to rise to the Tai-shu'sbaiting, but answered the queries as fully as possible while maintaining a stiff politeness. At their end of the conference table, Shotugama and Chi were whispering anxiously to one another. Subhash watched as Theodore waited calmly. At the instant Subhash would have chosen, Theodore rapped his ringwatch on the hard wood of the table, catching the Warlords' attention.
"We've formed a buffer state in the FRR, one that will, to a large degree, insulate us from the Steiner enemy. This nascent state is too weak to stand on its own, and so we must offer support if it is to serve our ends. I think that you will all agree that we do not wish to see a repeat of the Tikonov Free Republic farce, where the Fox's lapdog Sortek rigged elections so that the Federated Suns could swallow up the former Capellan State.
"Rasalhague will have our support as an independent entity. Though the FRR will be autonomous, it will be deeply indebted to the Combine. We will not lose all our influence in the region.
"We gain by this sacrifice as well. The Davion-Steiner aggressors will have to abandon their peace-loving facade if they wish to dominate our new neighbor. The entire Inner Sphere, and most especially their own people, will see that the Davion and Steiner prattle of peace is just another of the lies their masters feed them."
"You have betrayed your lord and your father, you unfilial whelp," Cherenkoff growled as he heaved his vast bulk to his feet. "I will not stay while you spout words that betray my beloved Combine. No right-thinking officer could." He swept his sneering gaze over Shotugama and Chi. " Iwon't stand for it. I will reclaim what you have given away even if I have to do it alone."
Cherenkoff stomped ponderously out the door, bowling over one of the guards as he passed. Theodore was unperturbed. He cleared his throat and continued to explain his program.
"We are not surrendering all the worlds. Some twenty will remain under our control. By allowing Rasalhague its independence, we have forced the Steiners to demonstrate the truth of their supposedly peaceful aims. Most of the worlds they took in their recent battles will be claimed by the new state. Steiner must give them up or appear to abandon their position that each state should be free to determine its own destiny. We cannot control those conquered systems at the present time. With this arrangement, we can, at least, deny them to the enemy.
"The worlds remaining under our control will be reorganized into a new district to be named Alshain. It will be composed of the remnants of our Rasalhague District and ten worlds of the Buckminster Prefecture, and will be divided into three Prefectures named for their capitols: Buckminster, Garstadt, and Rubigen.
"Gentlemen, I wish your advice on whom to appoint as Tai-shufor the new district. It has already been determined that the Governor shall be Duke Ricol. He was dispossessed of his estates by the Steiner invasion. Despite this, his loyalty to the Dragon is strong. This will make him diligent. I believe he will perform admirably."
Subhash noted Ricol's nervousness. The Duke was fingering the metallic cylinder of a computer core that he had put onto the table. Ricol was clearly unhappy about the situation, a man trapped into surrendering an advantage. Subhash knew of the ambitions that Ricol had cherished. For him, this must be a most distasteful course of action. From the Duke's attitude, Subhash anticipated Theodore's next statement.
"Duke Ricol has brought us a Star League library core. This core is a valuable addition to the Dragon's arsenal. A preliminary survey of its contents has led our staff of scientific councilors to believe that this library will advance our reconstruction and rearmament efforts by years. Sections concerning agriculture and military technology have been earmarked for rapid and intensive study."
The library core would indeed be a boon to the Combine, Subhash knew. It was likely the one recovered by the notorious mercenary Grayson Carlyle and his Gray Death Legion from the Star League facility on Helm. Since that time, the mercenaries had attempted to spread copies of the core around the Inner Sphere, with the notable exception of the Draconis Combine. Their efforts had met with curious obstructions, as if some powerful organization were attempting to suppress the information contained in the core. Subhash suspected that ComStar was behind that effort, but did not understand why they should do so. His agents within their organization had been unable to achieve sufficient rank to give him an ear in ComStar's upper echelons.
Ricol had met with Carlyle on Helm in 3028. Most likely, he had obtained a copy of the core at the time. A truly loyal man would have offered the core as soon as it had come into his possession, but Ricol had waited six years. The Duke offered this copy to the Combine now as an attempt to buy his way back into the Dragon's good graces. He was certainly one man who would bear watching very closely.
Theodore continued to praise Ricol while Subhash reflected on the curious history of the library core. The ISF Director did not for a moment doubt that Theodore was well-aware of what Ricol's behavior showed about the man. The Kanrei concluded his paean and shifted to a new subject.
"Now I wish to discuss our military position. Please take a few minutes to study the briefing my staff has prepared."
Theodore tapped at the keys of his compdeck. While the other members of the council turned their attention to the data that Theodore was transferring to their screens, Subhash became suspicious of the time the Kanrei was spending with his compdeck. The Director activated his spyhole program.
Windows opened on Subhash's screen, revealing miniature versions of the Coordinator's and the Kanrei's screens. Each had a copy of the recognition document on it. As he watched, the code for the Coordinator's signature appeared, and the Coordinator's screen flashed recognition of the command for transmission.
A quick clatter of keys traced the document's destination: the ComStar HPG facility. It would be out in the mid-day transmission.
You are bold, Theodore. And very confident.