The Twisted Way (Champions of the Crystal Book 3)

Chapter 11: An Intersection of Agendas

The next day, a yawning Sabrina sat at the head of the table and looked around her at the faces of the Citizens Council, most of whom were trying to stifle their own yawns. The meeting had been scheduled very early, actually before the sun was up, to enable Sabrina to meet her other obligations.

Joara Narendra, the Council chair and now its liaison as well, convened the meeting formally and began with her report on conditions in the principality of Bathir. The largest and most prosperous province was focused on reviving its export of watergems; unfortunately, the Lthosyennes were almost the only race willing to brave Homeworld's wrath by openly trading with Praxatillus, and Lthos had little use for watergems. A thriving unofficial market had opened up, with some Bathiran residents stealing the gems from the mines and selling them to smugglers, depriving the province of the tax revenue.

"If we do not open a legitimate market for the stones, this will only worsen," Joara concluded.

Other principalities had the same type of difficulty; either they could not export goods to generate revenue, or they could not get supplies to produce anything. Tassan's report on Zarn was last, and when he rose to speak he gave Sabrina a moment's considering glance before beginning. He spoke mostly about the principality's efforts to rebuild its massive solar collectors to power its cities. The collectors had been a backup system before the War, but as Praxatillus' supplies and equipment began to wear out they had been put back in service. Near the end of the war, the Xoentrols had smashed the majority of the collectors. The people of Zarn had resorted to much older technologies to try to repair them. Sabrina surmised that they were currently working with something similar to Earth's experiments with solar power.

"Thank you," Sabrina said when his report was finished. "As I see it, the imperative we're faced with is increasing our exports and imports. Either we offer incentives to other races to brave Homeworld's barricade, or we form our own merchant fleet."

Tassan shook his head. "We haven't the ships to form anything."

"But perhaps we could enter into partnerships with people who do have ships," Naora Aorvin said. "If we offer to crew merchant ships and share the profits, then we bear the risk and the ship owners make some easy money."

"But risk losing their ships," General Daman nar Zhahghai said. "Homeworld is far more likely to fire on a ship crewed by Praxatillians."

"We need some adventurous traders," Sabrina sighed. "I'm not very familiar with galactic affairs...does anyone know of a group who might take the risk of dealing with us?"

There was a moment of thoughtful silence. Then Nyels Corban said, "Somewhere, there must be. But we've been so isolated, how is anyone to know we want to trade again?"

Sabrina drummed her fingers on the table. "I think we need an economic task force. Our ambassadors are busy with other things; perhaps we should send out a group whose primary mission is to seek out trading partners. Any thoughts?"

Joara said, "I like the idea. A group of representatives familiar with what we have to offer, with your authority to make limited guarantees of incentives, might be able to bring trade back to Praxatillus."

"I will discuss it with the Minister of Economic Affairs," Sabrina said. "Other items on the agenda?"

General Zhahghai said, "My lady, on behalf of the refugees of the moon colonies, I petition for resettlement."

"Resettlement? But I understood there was nothing left on the moon," Sabrina said, puzzled.

"We wish to rebuild. Solèce was once a breadbasket; it could be so again, with work. Allíos and Fhiriz once were beautiful settlements. Some of the livestock may have survived and bred over the century since the colonies were devastated in the first wave of Xoentrol attacks. Some of the crops may have gone to seed and survived. We must at least attempt it, my lady."