The ships were tired, the people were worn thin, and Pike had grave misgivings as to what might happen if the newly formed Federation decided their first official act was to send the Fleet back into the breach. He hoped when the history of man was written that the centuries of peace prior to the arrival of the Phage weren’t an anomaly as Captain Wolfe had often insisted, but the more they spread out the more they were finding that the galaxy wasn’t the quiet, friendly neighborhood it at first appeared to be.

Chapter 12

“I came as fast as I could, Mr. President,” Marcum huffed as he marched into the temporary office of the Chief Executive with as much dignity as he could muster. “The Amsterdam had to come full about and she’s missing one of her main engines.”

“Grab a drink of water and a seat, Admiral,” Wellington waved him to where three other men were sitting in large, overstuffed recliners. “We have a lot to discuss and not enough time to do it in.

“You’ll all note that Ambassador Cole is conspicuously missing during this meeting. He’s currently en route to his own starship where he will escort the remaining Ushin ship away from New Sierra and DeLonges and hopefully finalize what could be a very lucrative treaty deal for the Federation. I’ve vested him with enough authority to conclude the deal quickly, but he knows what his limits are. He assures me the Ushin on the remaining ship are also able to speak for their people … something about rank being non-existent in their culture or some bullshit. What I need from you gentlemen, as the more influential members of your respective enclaves, is to make sure any treaty we bring out of these negotiations is ratified quickly so that CENTCOM may act upon it. As you’ve no doubt guessed it will involve the use of military force.”

“I think you’ll find that your hands will be full simply convincing us first, Mr. President,” James Nelson from Britannia said in a clipped accent that identified him as being from the capital world. “I find it hard to believe that it is in the best interests of the United Terran Federation to become militarily involved in a dispute between the Ushin and the Darshik.”

“That’s fair enough, ah … Mr. Nelson,” Wellington seemed to flounder as the legislative members were no longer called senators. “Putting aside the three attacks on Terran ships, two in sovereign Terran space for a moment, let’s go over some facts that I think you might not be fully aware of.