The Ascent

Chapter 19

The camera view pulled back. Righteous Ruler's elite guard swarmed around Shine's Like the Sun's ship. Shines Like the Sun's own guard leaped into the fray. This time his ship took a pounding while Righteous Ruler raced away FTL. Shines Like the Sun's defenders managed to drive back the Cacks from his damaged ship and for a moment it looked like they had at least won the skirmish. But then a single damaged Cack ship, either out of control or on a suicide mission, slammed through The Flower of Dirt under H-drive. It scooped up a large section of The Flower's hull and most of its drive in its quantum wave field and carried it off before its own QWEGs seemed to overload and it exploded.

Not all of Righteous Ruler's defenders fled with him. Seeing The Flower of Dirt stricken and dying, they swooped in to attack. Shine's Like the Sun's defenders shielded him as best they could with their own ships, but one by one, they were all destroyed.

It was like a kick in the gut. I could only imagine how it must have felt for those Cacks who had sided with him. Most were of noble birth with positions of power and prestige in Righteous Ruler's administration. They had thrown those lives of privilege away. Depending on how vengeful Righteous Ruler was feeling, even their families could suffer for their mistakes.

The news readers continued to chant of Righteous Ruler's great victory while they showed him holding Shines Like the Sun's severed head. In the tradition of Cack victors, he carved up Shine's Like the Sun's body and distributed pieces as souvenirs to his friends and supporters as mementos and proof of his victory.

As the program ended, a messenger shuttle arrived from Righteous Ruler. A tone sounded in the virtual conference room. It was the bridge. "Sir, we have a signal from the courier vessel. They want to speak to the commanders of the Solarian fleets."

The fleet commanders exchanged puzzled glances. Sherman said, "Connect them here."

The avatars of two Cacks, messengers from Righteous Ruler and Bright Fortune appeared along with the image of a human interpreter named Richards. He was a former security specialist for the Pentaminc Corporation and was now something of a consulting military strategist.

"We are offering here your terms of surrender."

The fleet commanders stared back in puzzled silence.

"Are you asking to surrender?" Solomon said.

"No," Richards corrected. "They're here to discuss the terms of your surrender."

Sherman laughed.

Richards' expression clouded over. "The Ruler has defeated and killed Shines Like the Sun. He orders you to turn your ships over to him and requires your commanders to appear before him so they may try to earn his favor."

"It is not our custom for the victors to surrender their ships," Sherman said. "However I have something that requires my attention. I shall leave it to you commanders to respond as you think best. I'll return shortly." With that, Sherman's avatar disappeared from the conference.

An awkward silence followed as if the Cacks had not anticipated the possibility of a refusal.

Then Phil spoke up. "Perhaps I'm confused. Is Righteous Ruler asking for our ships because he wishes our support as allies? If not, if he has defeated us, why bother to ask? Why not just take them? But if he wishes to contract our services, he should offer a proposal so we can negotiate it."

The Cacks waited for the computer translation, then looked to Richards.

"The Ruler's view," Richards replied, "is that since he has killed Shines Like the Sun, and there is no one left to challenge his rule, he is the victor. He also believes that since you are in the heart of his Moiarchy, thousands of light-years from home, with hundreds of gates blocking your way and that since he can bring against you so many ships that even if they did not defend themselves, you would run out of ammunition and your ships would break down just trying to destroy them all, you have no choice."