19. Kian
KIAN
"The drones were delivered at four-fifty this morning, Safe Harbor time," Turner said. "The munitions have been sitting there since the resupply run, so everything we need is now in one place. The sooner we deploy them, the better."
Kian leaned back in his chair. "How long to assemble and test?"
"One day should do it. Wednesday for final preparations. If Losham can schedule the meeting for Thursday, that's perfect. If not, we do it as soon as he's ready."
Onegus let out a breath. "Good. What I like best about this plan is that we don't need to deploy any additional Guardians to the island. We're using humans to operate the drones."
Lokan nodded but said nothing.
"Then everything comes down to the radar," Kian said. "Let's hope it's still not repaired."
Last time they had spoken with Losham, he had said the parts for the repairs had arrived and that he would try to sabotage them to delay the work. But they hadn't talked to him in several days, so they didn't know whether he'd carried out the plan.
Kian checked his watch.
Twenty minutes to midnight on the island. Close enough.
"Onegus, the phone."
The chief pulled out the device, set it on the conference table, and turned on the speaker.
Toven set down his cup. "Losham is the toughest compulsion subject I have ever encountered. I would like it on the record that I have never enjoyed a single minute of this, and I will be very happy when it is over."
Lokan shook his head. "It's not going to be over until we conquer the island, and since that's years away, brace yourself for many more phone calls with Losham."
Toven groaned, and Kian wondered how much longer the god would put up with them.
At some point, they would have to replace him, and right now the only two compellers strong enough to control Losham were Annani and Drova.
Kian would never subject his mother to dealing with Losham, which left the girl.
She was a Kra-ell kid with zero diplomatic skills.
Onegus placed the call.
It rang twice.
"Yes."
Kian had heard that voice at every stage. He had heard it smug and panicky, but tonight it was neither. It was tired and resigned.
"Hello, Losham," Toven said.
"Always so polite." Something clinked, glass on wood. "Do you know that in two thousand years of working for my father, he never once said please to me before giving me an order? You'd think I'd prefer your style, but I don't."
"I am not being polite out of regard for you. I am doing this out of regard for myself."
Losham chuckled. "Now I feel better about it. You know you're the villain, but you choose to be polite because it makes you feel better about yourself."
"If you say so."
"The radar." Kian cut through their banter.
"Straight to the point. That's refreshing." Losham exhaled. "I can't stall any longer."
"What do you mean?" Kian asked. "Is it repaired or not?"
"The full replacement set for everything your electromagnetic pulse cooked has arrived. I had no choice but to send my assistant to sabotage the transmitter tubes."
Kian looked at Turner. "Do you know what he's talking about?"
Turner nodded. "Magnetrons."
"The tube that generates the pulse," Losham explained.
"It's a sealed vacuum device with a ceramic collar that forms the seal, and that collar is the most fragile part of the entire assembly.
Rami cracked all four without leaving any visible marks.
You could hold one of those tubes up to a lamp and conclude it was flawless, but you would be wrong because the vacuum is gone.
The first time you power it, it arcs and dies.
There is no way to test a magnetron except to fire it. "
Onegus chuckled softly. "Smart."
"They fired all four," Losham went on. "Four tubes failed in front of the chief engineer and half his crew, and everyone believed we were sold a bad batch by a shady supplier.
New tubes have been ordered, and once they arrive, I won't be able to pull the same stunt again. The radar will become operational."
"We can sabotage the delivery," Turner said. "All I need from you is the name of the supplier. How soon are you expecting the delivery?"
"About a week."
"We don't need a week," Kian said. "We need just three days."
There was a long silence on the line. "Say that again?"
"We go on Thursday morning, your time. Schedule the meeting and have Bertram arrive at the hotel the night before."
"Finally." Losham exhaled. "I'll schedule the meeting first thing tomorrow morning. I'll let you know if I hit any snags. I hope you are flexible."
"We are. Did you come up with a legitimate pretext for the meeting?"
"Of course." Losham sounded much more confident now. "A loyalty affirmation. Every one of them stands before the camera and his peers to renew his oath to Lord Navuh. It is exactly the sort of thing my father used to do to reinforce his control over the senior commanders."
Lokan nodded. "That's good. The oath ceremony also solves your other problem. You need them to stay in the room, and nobody leaves an oath ceremony early."
"Correct," Losham said. "They will stay for as long as I keep talking, and I can keep talking for a very long time.
Bertram will be standing beside me on the other side of the island, watching the troublesome top commanders swear loyalty to Navuh and then get annihilated.
I will tell him this is what happens to those who are disloyal to me, and in turn he will tell everyone about the outside force I command.
No one will dare to plot against me again. "
"A win for both of us," Kian said.
Losham was quiet for a moment. "Do you know that every time you've called, I thought you were calling to tell me that the operation was postponed?
Or reconsidered? Or that the clan had decided it was too expensive?
" He snorted. "Five of the junior brothers are currently deciding which of them is going to kill me, and the irony is just beautiful.
On Thursday morning, I'll settle it for them. "
"So, it is agreed," Toven said. "You will send for Bertram and instruct him to arrive Wednesday evening.
You will schedule the conference for Thursday morning and keep it in session until we strike.
If there is a problem with the scheduling, you will let us know tomorrow, and we will adjust accordingly. "
"You did not need to do that, you know," Losham said. "I don't need to be compelled to follow your instructions. You are giving me a gift."
"I know, but I like to make sure. Repeat it back to me, please."
Losham repeated it word for word.
"Thank you," Toven said. "That will be all for today. We will call at the same time tomorrow."
Onegus switched off the device. "He hates us. He loves what we are doing for him, but he still hates us."
"Of course, he does." Kian leaned back in his chair. "I would be worried if he didn't."