“Please elaborate, if you will, Ambassador,” he said. Cole had no idea if that was the proper title or not, but it was the one they used so he assumed the translation would work the other way. The more complete translation matrix was aboard his ship, the John Arden, but the Amsterdam’s more powerful computers were picking up the slack nicely and adapting to what it saw on the Ushin side.

“The Darshik attacks on our respective delegations, your ships in one of your own star systems, and our cargo fleet is a common concern we share,” the Ushin ambassador stated. “As was briefly talked about in our opening talks, we have no martial force capable of repelling the Darshik’s most recent aggression. Our defensive screens are obsolete and in poor repair. We know that your mighty navy was not only victorious over the Phage, but your warships can defeat Darshik vessels in single combat.”

“You seek protection?” Cole asked simply.

“We seek an alliance,” the Ushin corrected. “One that will be mutually beneficial to the both of us. To demonstrate our commitment to this we are transmitting a series of stellar coordinates … they are for two planets not far from your own boundaries that are perfectly suited for Terran colonization. In exchange for you extending your fleet’s sphere of influence, we will make available all of our survey data that pertains to systems of use to your species.”

“Just so I have something to approach my government about … how many habitable planets are we talking about?” Cole asked, his eyes narrowing slightly and his breathing increasing a tick. Planets that were already habitable were highly prized and exceedingly rare. In fact, there had only been two discovered in all the years after humanity’s initial push out from the Solar System when they had found dozens of planets all in the same relative stellar neighborhood. A group of new worlds would be a valuable prize to the Terran Federation, but would it be worth going to war over?

“According to the preliminary results of our query there are twenty-six planets within practical distance of your territory that we would be willing to relinquish control of,” the Ushin ambassador pressed, and Cole couldn’t help but wonder if the alien had been able to read his involuntary response at the mention of new habitable worlds.

“Not an insignificant number,” Cole nodded slowly, regaining control over his reactions even though his heart was beating heavy in his chest. Twenty-six new planets?! “But please understand, Ambassador, that we’ve just come out of a costly war that has not only strained our resources but has weighed heavily on the spirit of our people,” Cole continued. “I can offer no guarantees that my government will be willing to provide what you’re asking for.”