"Yishna Strone," said the image before her.
"And you would have me believe you are the Consul Assessor?"
"Yes, I would—and as a matter of urgency."
"When responding to urgency it's easy to make mistakes."
He stared at her, then gave a tired smile. "I could repeat verbatim all the conversations we had last time we met, and you could then assume they were recorded by Fleet personnel. So what can I say now to convince you?"
"Well, let's start with those same conversations, shall we?"
He looked to one side. "I recall you asking me what would be our policy on imprisoned sentients, should we intercede here, and the question seemed rather important to you. I explained to you how amnesty is granted in the case of corrupt totalitarian regimes, though those guilty of capital crimes would be checked for socio- or psychopathic tendencies." Now looking at her directly, he went on, "I finished by telling you that intercession was unlikely. I wonder if I truly answered your real question, because though humans are sentient, not all sentients are human."
Was it him? "Director Gneiss tells me you claim to be now aboard a Brumallian ship, yet we can detect no such vessel within transmission range."
"We've used Polity technology to conceal the ship." For a long moment he gazed at her expectantly.
"We?"
"Myself, the Brumallian crew—and your sister."
The screen view expanded to encompass Rhodane. Yishna felt a tightness in her chest, and suddenly did not know how to react to this.
"Why…what are you doing here?" she demanded of her sibling.
Rhodane replied, "Well, currently we're busy dodging both incoming projectiles from Fleet and defensive fire from Combine. As you can imagine, Yishna, revealing our position now is not something we feel inclined to hazard, since Combine automated defences would zero in on us immediately. What we want is for you to give us a safe corridor down to the surface of Sudoria."
"Why?"
"Firstly, to deliver me safely to my destination," said McCrooger, "and secondly, so I can deliver to your Parliament some crucial evidence of Fleet's recent manipulation of events."
"I think we're already past the point where such evidence might be considered to have any relevance."
"Relevance to Sudorians," he replied.
"So you would like Combine to allow a Brumallian ship safe passage down to the surface of Sudoria—something that never happened throughout the War nor since?"
"The simple answer is yes," insisted McCrooger.
"We wouldn't be able to do so without consulting Parliament, and I suspect their answer will depend on the quality of the evidence you offer. We need to see it first, and assess it." Yishna leant forwards to check the tactical readouts. Another fusillade was on its way in, its main focus on Platform Two, but with enough strays elsewhere to take out any undefended ship. "It should be possible for us to give you a corridor to Corisanthe III—Oversight Committee permitting."
McCrooger shook his head. "That's not an option. Your side is the main opponent of Fleet, so allowing you access to the evidence we bring would destroy its veracity."
"Then I remain reluctant to let you through. This could be merely Brumallian opportunism. That ship of yours could be carrying fusion or biological weapons—just what we built our defence platforms to prevent reaching the planet's surface."
"Then perhaps someone should board us to check? Perhaps yourself?"
"One individual alone boarding your ship is unlikely to find anything cleverly concealed."
"True, but we both know that you are capable of probing concealment of the kind that is not merely physical."
Yishna wasn't so sure she agreed with that, but the idea of just getting away from Corisanthe Main, even to board a Brumallian ship, definitely appealed to her. She put that channel on hold, then put through a call to Director Gneiss. A second holding graphic appeared, and drawn-out minutes passed before Gneiss replied.
"Yes, what is it?" he said, distracted, inward-looking.
Since the Director looked a little impatient, Yishna reported the recent conversation as quickly as she could.
"The decision is yours" — he glanced aside, probably at another screen, then turned back to her—"since you've now been raised to probationary membership of the Oversight Committee. Your area of expertise is defined as all matters relating to Polity contact."
"But allowing a Brumallian ship through is surely a security matter?"
"Is it? We all know who's culpable in recent events, and it certainly isn't the Brumallians. Uskaron's book cast the reasons for the War with them into extreme doubt, and that's been reinforced by our own studies of Brumallian society. We're agreed that an attack from them is very unlikely, and it seems clear they're now bringing evidence to show their innocence in current matters. You yourself must decide what to do." His image blinked out.
Shortly afterwards the details of a safe corridor leading down to Sudoria appeared in its place. Yishna flicked back to the other channel.
"I'm sending you coordinates for a safe corridor. You've one hour to reach its entry point, where I'll join you. Then, when I've ensured you're carrying nothing nasty aboard, you'll enter the corridor and proceed down to the surface."
McCrooger nodded briefly, and Rhodane smiled, before Yishna cut the link. Then, using the touch-screen, she quickly created a list of items from stores. Next she opened another link. "Dalepan, are you aware of my new status?"
"I am," the OCT replied, "as it's just gone up on all the public message boards."
"Very well. I'm sending you now a list of items I want placed aboard the shuttle at Dock Three."
Dalepan studied the list for a long moment. "Am I allowed to ask why you need these particular items?"
"We've got a Brumallian ship coming in to land on Sudoria—protected by Combine weapons. The Polity Consul Assessor is aboard, but I'm to check it's not carrying anything else we wouldn't want arriving down there."
"I see then the purpose of the scanners, though you're unlikely to find any concealed biologicals. However, I fail to see the purpose of item six."
"Insurance," Yishna replied.
"But not the kind to ensure your safety."
Perhaps she was being overly paranoid—being aboard Corisanthe Main tended to produce that effect. She eyed the item he referred to: one of the megaton-range stealth mines that had earlier destroyed the hilldigger Slate—quite enough to vaporise a Brumallian ship while sitting in its docking bay. After a moment she transferred the mine's detonation code to her baton, which she then detached from its slot in the console before her, and placed in her pocket.
15
The Sand Churches arose almost certainly because of the oppression during the time leading up to the War, However, even then they were regarded as the lunatic fringe by the majority of the population. During most of the War itself, the Churches made few advances, the numbers joining them rising hardly at all. It was only in the last decade of the War that their memberships increased, along with a growth in belief in the supernatural (hence the rise in the irrational belief in this Shadowman), This is puzzling. Why, when it seemed we were on the road to victory, did this swing happen? Religion flourishes under oppression and in ignorance, but in those last ten years Parliament was not oppressive and ignorance was a luxury we could not afford, I freely admit that I have no answers to this.
— Uskaron
Harald
Weapons fire rumbled through Ironfist and, on the selected screens before him, the view of Sudoria kept blanking out as ship's defences intercepted some intervening missile or mine, filling surrounding space with blinding EM radiation. He sat with his hands resting on the arms of his chair, enthroned at the centre of a growing storm, and in a small part of his mind wondered if he should really be enjoying this so much. But he dismissed that thought and focused on Platform Two, as a fusillade of coil-gun missiles began to arrive there.