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“So Ks’Kull is mad,” Siilon said.

With the Craton acting as intermediary, he’d started the FTL transmission with Siilon a few minutes before, sharing his minutes of the meeting, annotating where necessary.

“Yes,” Brooks agreed.  “It seems that at least some of our reports on him have proven accurate.  I do not think that he is going to be willing to negotiate the survival of the Tul Hev.”

“What I wonder is what the Fesha have to do with this,” Siilon asked rhetorically.  “Selling weapons to the Maig – this does not bode well.  I do not think this is even about the Mopu system.”

“I agree,” Brooks said.  “This is a test of the new weapons they’ve received.  If Ks’Kull likes what he sees, then his territorial aggression is only going to increase.”

Siilon closed her eyes, her head tentacles writhing in agitation.

“I have received a communication from my government,” she said.  “They have not ordered me to recall the Bright Flower as I thought they might, and worse, they have told me that I may not provide direct support to your mission.”

“Did they say why?”

“Because of the Fesha.  I was already on thin ice being present and sending in the Bright Flower, but if there is a Fesha ship here, then they fear the situation could escalate.”

It was sound logic; and the last open conflict the Sapient Union had had with the Fesha and Aeena had been a brutal and costly affair.  One that no one was keen to relive.

Yet if they did not stop a genocide like this now, then it would not stop here.  History had told them that.

“I think the Bright Flower should leave as soon as she can,” he said.  “If the Maig turn hostile, it will be difficult for the Craton to defend her, anyway.”

“Let alone yourselves,” Siilon said grimly.  “As good a ship as she is, those odds are steep even if I was present.  I appreciate that the value you put in my people’s lives, though.”

“Of course – we are allies.”  He grinned wryly.  “I suppose you did request to assist us?”

“No,” she said.  “I wasn’t even going to ask – but they know me.  However, while I cannot interfere directly, I can put on a show of my presence.  We’ve begun some military maneuvers within sight of Maig long-range scanners.  If they have FTL comms, which they certainly do, then they will know we are here.  They don’t have to know I am forbidden to help.”

“Thank you,” Brooks said.

“I only wish I could do more.”  She said it in a cautious way, that made him wonder if she had a plan – but she said nothing else.

They fell quiet again, and Brooks tried to scour his mind for any other thoughts or questions he might ask of his old friend.

But he could think of nothing.  Among them, he’d always been better at diplomacy, and Siilon better at combat command.

Brooks felt a heavy weight settle upon him – a mantle he felt he’d worn too many times; failure.  Ten billion beings were about to die, and he could only watch.

“I will order the Bright Flower to begin charging for a jump out, and then meet with Ks’Kull one last time,” he finally said, pushing his self-pity aside.  “I have one last gamble.  No one will like it, but it might work.”

Siilon let out a hiss of frustration.  “I will do all I can to make our exercise look good for their cameras.”

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