Chapter 9 Depths #2
His father slowly nodded. “That has been our practice.”
“But humanity has yet more to offer. The Osiris is a unique ship. It has capabilities to construct new weapons, armor, medicine, and, potentially, far more,” Khoth said.
He suspected that the Osiris could manufacture ships, but he did not know this for certain.
“It can create Altaeth technology?” his father’s voice was almost breathless, which just showed how awe-inspiring the Osiris was.
Khoth nodded. “We have no idea yet what the Osiris is truly capable of, or for that matter, what the other AI–Gehenna–can do. She is quite the mystery as well. And both she and the Osiris are connected to Jace. Are controlled by Jace, if he so chooses to exercise that control.”
“I can see why your mother wishes for such technology on the side of the Alliance,” his father stated.
“But that’s just it. She can have it. Give humanity a seat at the table. Humanity is part of the Alliance. They have a vested interest in defeating the Khul and making the Alliance safer for everyone. I know Jace feels this way. We have Jace and the Osiris at our command,” Khoth stated.
“That would be logical,” his father said carefully and his fingers tightened around one another.
Khoth saw that his arguments were working so he pressed on with what he considered irrefutable proof of the illogic of his mother’s actions, “But instead of bargaining with humanity on those terms, Mother commands me to–not just seduce Jace–but somehow make him so besotted that he would betray his people, his parents, and his friends and also sabotage humanity’s chance to join the greater universe for me? A person he just met?”
“She saw you together so perhaps she saw a chance–”
But Khoth obliterated that argument, “Even if humans were as base as they have been described or I was his soulmate, such a plan would fail! But, they are not–Jace is not–anything like that. No matter how he felt for me, he would never trade all that away. No matter what her prejudices against humans, Mother is not so blind as this, unless she was desperate and grasping at the flimsiest of chances. Chances that could blow back upon us. Because Jace would see my seduction as a betrayal, Father. While it might not end things with humanity and the Alliance, it would cool them considerably.”
His father did not blink. He appeared to be even controlling his breathing.
This meant that his father knew something.
Maybe a lot of things. He thought of Daesah’s journal.
She had written of her frustration with the Alliance’s decisions to shrink in on itself.
His mother had spoken about a lack of ships that could be spared.
While Khoth had not experienced any deprivation in terms of ships, weaponry and armor, that did not mean that there weren’t any.
He had not heard of any large caches of Altaeth technology recently.
Maybe not in a long time. Was the Alliance simply running out of ships to fight the Khul with?
The Osiris has maps of planets with more Altaeth technology, not to mention its ability to create such tech itself. That ship and its AI are worth giving humanity every seat on the Council if this is true. But no one relinquishes power easily.
“Father,” Khoth started and found his mouth dry. If his father confirmed what he feared then the Alliance and his mother’s desperation were understandable. “Father, is the Alliance having difficulty finding enough tech to fight the Khul?”
His father’s expression remained tightly controlled in that it showed nothing. “If your mother were to have confided in me about such a thing, you know I could not tell you.”
“But if it is true then there is yet another reason to give humanity entrance to the Alliance and a seat on the Council!” Khoth slapped his hand on the table. His Xi was practically electrified as was his Xa. Both sides of him were as one at this.
“Khoth, calm yourself.” His father made a gesture for his Xi to simmer.
Khoth though was not going to calm himself. Not about this. Not when he realized that this was the fight his sister had been having before she died. This was her legacy.
“Daesah wanted to go after the Khul, Father,” Khoth stated crisply. “She thought this constant retreat was a mistake, one that the Altaeth, themselves, recognized. Was she unable to implement her plan because we did not have the ships and weaponry and armor to accomplish it?”
His father remained silent.
“That’s why she was interested in the Osiris. She had heard rumors of its ability to create new tech. Perhaps there would be clues how to create more ships,” Khoth theorized, feeling with every word that he was right.
His father lowered his head.
“If we work with humanity, we can potentially accomplish Daesah’s vision for victory against the Khul,” Khoth stated. “It was what at least some of the Altaeth believed too. We would, at least, push the Khul back and keep them back unlike the position we are in now.”
“That is a powerful vision you have, Khoth. If humanity were to truly commit to it–”
“They will. But it doesn’t matter what I believe. We will see where they are tomorrow, at the meeting,” Khoth responded. “So why is Mother not allowing the possibility of this into her plans? Is there any logical reason she should not negotiate in good faith with humanity?”
His father cleared his throat. “Her leadership has been questioned recently by Councillor Ardath Ulgex.”
“I’m well aware of her dislike of Mother.” And, of course, Councillor Ulgex’s dislike of Khoth, too.
“It is more than dislike and it is more than just her, more than even the Thaf’ell,” his father said, and tiredly ran a hand across his forehead. “I doubt your mother has the votes to bring humanity into the Alliance.”
“Perhaps before, but now?” Khoth frowned.
“As you said, Khoth, the depiction of humanity as brutish, immature and led entirely by their Xi is held by many, by all, of the member species and, most definitely, everyone on the Council,” his father’s voice was rushed as he said, “There are many on the Council and in the majority species of the Alliance who believe that we have let in too many species under the first rule you mentioned and who will not open their minds to a new vision of humanity.”
“So they will not allow humanity to join us? No matter what new information is provided to them? No matter that it is rank hypocrisy to deny humanity a place with us?” Khoth’s tone was clipped.
The Thaf’ell were superior for many reasons, but the greatest of those was that they acted logically.
It was only logical to negotiate with humanity and give them many of the things they were asking for.
Perhaps they could negotiate that they would be considered for addition to the Council in X amount of great cycles, after they had proven themselves to be good members of the Alliance.
From what he had seen of General Intoshkin, he believed the military man would relish the chance for humanity to prove themselves.
He thought that humanity might be reasonable.
Later, they would press. Probably that “later” would be too soon for many and “too long” for humanity.
“I agree that your logic is sound, Khoth, but people often mistake wants for facts all the time,” his father told him sadly. “They will craft whatever narrative they need to support the outcome or belief they have. And the Thaf’ell are far from immune to this. We are, in fact, masters of it.”
His father’s wry smile had Khoth feeling like a child.
For in that moment, he realized that his father was right.
He wanted to deny it. To fall back upon what he had been told, rather than what he had observed, which was that the Thaf’ell did, at times, act irrationally and paper it over with faux facts.
Yet he couldn’t retreat from what he now knew.
And, strangely, it was the memory of Jace’s smile that had him pushing past the denial and really thinking about what his father had said.
“Is Mother one of these people who does not like humanity?” he found himself asking.
“I do not think that is what is motivating her,” his father answered. “Because, as you said, even if humanity were as basic as described, how could you turn Jace completely to our side in so short a time?”
“I could not,” he said out loud and inside he said, I will not.
“If she came to you with this command, which is one so unlikely to work then it must be because she believes she had no other choice,” his father said.
His gaze was fixed upon Khoth as if to imprint the next words upon him, “If the Alliance is running out of tech, if she has no negotiating power to give humanity what it wants yet we desperately need the Osiris and its Pilot, what depths would one go to?”
The lengths of asking a son to whore himself?
But Khoth realized that was not the greatest depth, no matter how bitter a taste that was left in his mouth. It was desperate and wrong and dishonorable. But there were worse things.
She brought a fleet, Khoth realized with a fresh wave of horror. Not to protect Earth, but to conquer it and take the Osiris and her Pilot. And there was one more thing his mind offered him, What will the Osiris do to protect itself and its Pilot from such an attack?