Note: Thank you kindly to those who sent reviews and messages. I can't directly reply to those who aren't logged into FF, but thank you to everyone who sent a message. You keep me going X I'm glad people are enjoying the drama and angst - did I mention there would be angst? ;) To continue, I present a nice chunky chapter for a Sunday.
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Chapter 11 - A Plan Forward
To say that tensions were high in the room didn't exactly capture the level of stress around Seeal.
Toshka's denuded computer core sat in the midst of a tangle of cables and wires in the small room. Around three sides of it, techs were sat in frustrated silence as they worked to get the computer core to make any sense to the mass of tablets analysing it. The far side of the cluttered table was rather like the front of the stage to this little stress inducing scene, the audience clearly not enjoying themselves as they watched the techs.
She glanced across the spread of people watching, all just as frustrated as the techs, but probably three times as bored.
If she had thought a year ago, no, even a month ago, that she would be sat in a room with some of the most powerful and influential in the Alliance, she would have laughed herself silly. Well, maybe not laughed, but she would have found the person suggesting this really amusing and just plain stupid.
Yet, here she was, previous Dreamstation Security Lead and Creass' bodyguard, and watcher of some of the most criminal sought after in the galaxy, and now she was sat across from members of the Alliance's Military Council and Elite warriors.
She had repeatedly reflected on the crazy turn her life had taken these past weeks, but never before had it struck her so forcefully as right now.
If Creass knew where she was right now, he would probably throw the biggest tantrum of his life.
And speaking of tantrums, she watched as Ronan Dex began pacing across the length of the room again. He'd been doing that on and off, pacing impatiently, huffing and puffing with frustration. It wasn't exactly helping the techs sat in the chairs alongside her.
Not that they were all that happy to be sat beside her.
Half of them clearly thought she was somehow involved with Toshka and this crazy computer, and the rest looked just plain annoyed at her having been brought in because they were clearly failing.
The only tech who had seemed pleased to see her was Nevaeh, who Seeal had already encountered before during Karthig's little attempt to blow them all up. You'd think having helped save everybody on ship would have ingratiated her somewhat with the rest of the techs around her, but only Nevaeh had said anything nice or talked to her in any way other than to complain.
It wasn't lost on Seeal that she had been given the seat at the furthest corner of the table on which Toshka's computer sat as it sulkily refused to communicate with anything. Sat in the tightest and most limited space around the table, Seeal not only had to put up with the steaming hot water urn on the side behind her, but anyone who wanted to help themselves to said hot water or any of the snacks laid out alongside it, had to squeeze in close behind her, always bumping her chair. It was the worst place to sit for comfort, but it also was the worst place if you wanted to get out of the room quickly and efficiently in an emergency. Everybody was going to get out before her.
Which was presumably exactly why she had been sat here.
However, the seat actually afforded her the best view of the entire room. From here she could see everyone's faces around the table and all of the Elite and Councillors watching.
They all looked equally bored and generally annoyed, with Dex having the highest agitated state of them all. It wasn't all that unusual for a Satedan really. There hadn't been a lot of Satedans on Dreamstation, and though they were often quick tempered, as a people they were pretty smart about when not to start a fight.
Morrow, Dex's female's uncle was one such man. He had been a regular on Dreamstation since it had opened ten years ago, and probably still went to the station now, though she suspected her comment to Dex might change that in the future. As a Satedan, Morrow apparently wasn't all that physically skilled, not having managed to advance in the planet's military or industrial labour sectors, and instead had found himself enjoying a very different type of risk taking. He probably had made as much currency as he had lost in the gambling halls on Dreamstation, but what he'd won, he'd just as quickly spent down in the lower levels enjoying the company of any number of prostitutes. He hadn't caused any trouble for security, but he had been one she had kept a close eye on. After all, Satedans had that quick temper to watch out for.
The computer tablet on Seeal's lap bleeped and vibrated gently, reporting the results of the latest attempt to handshake with Toshka's core.
"Damn all the Ancestors," one of the male techs cursed having seen the results on his own tablet.
Seeal tapped open the programme she had helped write and altered two small pieces of coding and sent the programme running again. She set the tablet onto the tiny space she had at the corner of the table in front of her and reached down through the awkward limited space to pick up her other tablet leant against one chair leg.
Whoever had written the computer code for Toshka's computer was a mad genius. She'd never seen anything like this. Whoever it was had completely re-written basic coding laws and had somehow messed Wraith, Ancestor, Standard Alliance tech language, and another as yet unidentified language into one computer, all running together. It shouldn't work, yet here it was, working away. It was exceptional work.
She frowned at her second tablet, which she had synched in with Sythus' central computer; Or rather, one of the Sythus' main computers, because she had noticed some time ago that they had three running separately. One of them was almost entirely dedicated to communications, sensors, and interfacing, and the techs had gotten it running analysis of the core's new language from the start, but so far the two computers weren't getting along. Once they got a handle on the language then she could easily sort out a patch so they would talk, but for now, the Elite interfacing computer wasn't even able to work with the basic symbols used by the core and wasn't having any luck in deciphering any rules to the language.
She frowned at the continuing attempts. There was no doubt in her mind that they would crack the code, but it was clearly going to take time and apparently time was not on their side, if the grumpy huffy Satedan Military Councillor was any indication.
The tablet in front of her vibrated again, but the results were just as negative. She reached out and began adjusting the programme again.
"Seeal, how is it going?" Edfu asked from the other end of the table, where he had been looking over Nevaeh's shoulder as she worked. The man, one of the Elite's premier staff in charge of their own security, was an interesting individual.
"Same as," Seeal replied as she altered the programme code.
"Surely it's time to do more with it," the tech to her right aggressively muttered.
"Small changes are the way to understand this coding," Seeal replied calmly.
"Small changes could take all night," the man replied.
"Isn't it night already?" Nevaeh asked from the other end of the table.
"Maybe you just don't want us to get into this thing," Mr Angry Tech uttered again from Seeal's right. She had been told his name, but she'd decided not to bother remembering it.
"I was the one who helped find this computer in the first place," she pointed out as she sent the programme running again, attempting another gentle handshake with Toshka's computer core.
"Or lead us to it," Mr Angry Tech whispered loud enough for everyone to hear.
"I suggest we all take a breath and take a small break if you need it," Edfu ordered calmly.
Mr Angry Tech huffed, almost as loudly as the Satedan was doing, and had the sense enough to shut up.
Seeal glanced over at Edfu as her programme ran. In the world of security, she tended to classify Leads in one of three groups. One shouted, cursed and threatened, the second kept strict rules and commanded respect by example, and the third worked by being ingratiating and kind to people. Seeal was of the second group and Edfu was clearly of the third. For the last six hours she had been here, he had worked along behind the back of the tech's chairs, watching them work, helping with suggestions and bolstering the techs' morale with supporting empty words and calming orders.
He nodded down at Nevaeh's work, one hand touching the woman's shoulder as he smiled and moved on to the next tech. He worked by encouraging people, being their friend, and saying probably just about anything to play to their ego.
She didn't like that approach, never had, but clearly it worked for Edfu. Perhaps it was the way he dealt with having to work with Elite warriors all the time, and surely being in the position Edfu was, he had to be damn good at his job.
What also clearly helped Edfu in his friendly approach were his looks. He was quite standardly handsome, being a good height, with strong shoulders, square jaw and a full head of hair that partly fell down across his forehead. He had a wide beaming smile with full lips and suspiciously white teeth.
Seeal had never met anyone whose smile could be described as "beaming". She'd heard about such people, but she'd never met one before. She could see its power, how the smile had lifted Nevaeh and flushed her cheeks slightly. Even the male techs around the table seemed to respond to the man's natural charisma. Out of the entire room, Edfu was the most positive and active, constantly moving around the table.
Well, except for Dex perhaps. She looked back to the Satedan, watching him reach the far end of the room, turn and start to stomp back again. He'd gone out of the room briefly with two of the other Councillors and the Pelydrian Elite, but unlike them, Dex had returned quickly. She suspected his return had more to do with his impatience and distrust of her, judging by his frequent angry stares, but it wasn't really helping the stressed techs with their work.
She rolled her neck slightly, working out some kinks, as she watched the Satedan pacing. If he thought his puffing and stomping would intimidate her like it did the techs then he couldn't be further from the truth. She found it faintly amusing that such a famous lead Satedan warrior could be so stereotypical Satedan. She had always assumed that their leaders developed better control of their trigger tempers and impulsive behaviour. But then, if she remembered correctly, Dex was one of the youngest commanders Satedan had ever produced. He had risen through the ranks like his backside was on fire. Maybe it was, maybe that was why he was so impatient.
Not that everyone else in the room wasn't as well.
Actually...
She shifted her gaze off the pacing Dex to settle on Oneakka. He had been stood in almost exactly the same place in exactly the same position for hours. Boots planted shoulder-width apart, arms crossed, he hadn't moved. She had noticed the other Elite, Halling, lean in and talk with him occasionally, as well as the Elite with the fancy blue streak to his hair and down his armour. Blue Streak, Seifer, liked her about as much as Dex did, but again it didn't bother her. Blue Streak was currently leant against the wall behind Oneakka and looked like he was napping standing up. She suspected Elite could do that. Maybe Oneakka was actually napping while he stood there so still.
His attention was on her, his unusual uniformly blue eyes meeting her gaze, his right eye seeming slightly brighter against the scars and dark tattoos across the right side of his face. He lowered his gaze to the computer in front of her and back up again – a clear message that she should be working and not looking around the room.
She frowned at him, making out that she hadn't understood his meaning.
He narrowed his eyes with one of his lower level intimidation glares. She was starting to be able to read the differences between the glares now, probably because she had seen so many of them directed at her. He had a whole range of glares, which she had started to categorise by how pissed off he was. She wondered if there were so many because that was his main form of expression. He could probably frown about anything, and probably thought that a good glare and his silent big intimidate routine could get him anything he liked. To his credit, it did appear to be quite effective from what she'd seen, except with her. When he brought out the glares, she just wanted to irritate him.
She frowned further at him, tilting her head as if asking a question, pretending that she still didn't understand him.
His shoulders lifted and lowered ever so slightly, indicating a heavy sigh, which she suspected he exaggerated for her across the room. He gave one of his 'I know you're messing with me' glares, with an extra addition of 'stop it or there'll be trouble' frowning glares at the end.
She exaggerated her own sigh as she looked away, going back to watching Dex and his pacing. However, the tablet on the table corner bleeped and vibrated again. Three of the techs lent forward to look at their own interfaces to see the results at the same time as she looked.
Negative.
Typical. She opened up the programme and began to make another change.
"This is hopeless," another tech muttered quietly. "We won't get into this thing in time."
"Where one has will and determination, there is a way," Edfu offered, equally as quietly, the conversation not drifting to the watching Elite and Councillors.
"We have all the will and skill here," Mr Angry Tech put in, "but that will not make this job any quicker or easier. If she," he pointed rudely at Seeal next to him, "their precious Specialist, can't get into it, then we have no chance in the timeframe set."
Seeal debated about jabbing her elbow into the man's side, but decided that it wouldn't be wise, and would break her promise to Oneakka and Tyoosi that she would 'behave' herself.
"She," Seeal stressed, "by which I assume you are speaking about me, and thank you for calling me a Specialist, it makes me feel so important." She smiled artificially at the man who frowned back.
His wasn't a complicated and insightful kind of glare like Oneakka used, it was just a plain stupid angry frown.
"But if all you are going to bring to the table is unhelpful pessimism and a bad attitude, then I'm surprised you got to the position you have on this ship," she told him.
Angry Tech turned in his seat to face her in the tiny space they had at the table, but Edfu was abruptly behind their chairs, his hands falling on each of their shoulders.
Seeal frowned at the physical contact, not something she encouraged from anyone, and especially not from a man she had known all of a handful of hours. She resisted the urgent pull her shoulder free. Edfu wasn't a threat.
"We are all tired and frustrated by this coding," Edfu began, "but as soon as we start turning on each other, then the real enemy wins."
Seeal frowned at that crazy wisdom, but she understood his intervention and was a little bit annoyed at herself for having let Angry Tech get to her. Maybe she did need a break.
"I suggest that we take a short recess, all step away from this for a few moments and refresh our thinking," Edfu suggested. His warm hand squeezed her shoulder slightly and then let go.
Movement on the far side of the table drew Seeal's attention. Dex had noticed the conversation and was fast approaching.
"Heads up," Nevaeh warned the other techs quietly.
"Progress?" Dex demanded at Edfu as he arrived on the other side of the stage that was the computer core.
"Not yet, Councillor," Edfu replied calmly and politely. "We are working as fast as we can."
"Work faster," Dex ordered, and not for the first time.
"We shall, Councillor," Edfu promised artificially.
Seeal's tablet announced another failure to talk with the core. She began altering the programme again as Edfu and Dex had their conversation over her.
"I think it would be wise for us all to have a short break," Edfu suggested.
"There are no breaks in a war," Dex argued loudly. The techs all shifted uncomfortably in their seats, while Seeal kept tapping in changes into her tablet.
"Fresh eyes are important, honoured Councillor," Edfu pushed with his soft voice of persuasion. "The mind is like a muscle rather than a weapon, it needs time to replenish, let connections form."
Dex snorted loudly as he turned away. "I say we drag Toshka in and get him to open it in front of everyone."
"We cannot arrest him without evidence," one of the other Military Councillors replied.
"He's guilty," Dex stated.
"Clearly, since he is using such concealment in this computer system," the green-haired female Councillor agreed calmly, "yet we live in a society of law and must follow the rules of the Alliance. What point is there in society if we do not keep to the principles of law?"
"We are warriors," Dex bit back.
"Yes, and some could argue that this matter is therefore beyond our mandate," she replied.
"Toshka is a traitor to the Alliance," Oneakka put into the conversation, which were his first words in awhile. Seeal glanced up towards him. He hadn't changed his cross-armed stance, but was looking over at the councillor. "The Elite defend the Alliance, from whatever form its enemy takes."
"The High Council could argue that it is the mandate of the Elite to fight the Wraith alone, whereas it is Enforcement and Division's mandate to investigate this breach of law within the Alliance."
"Then why are you here?" Oneakka bluntly asked of the Military Councillor.
Seeal smiled faintly as she returned her attention to the tablet and sent off the programme once more. She picked up her other tablet again. One of the code's symbols was displayed as the Sythus computer analysed it. Seeal frowned at the symbol. It was Wraith in origin and somewhat familiar for some reason.
The answer was displayed to the side - It was one of the symbols that had been scrawled on the inside of the computer core's casing when it had been removed. Or rather torn off in pieces.
"The Military Council supports the Elite wholeheartedly and take Toshka's official complaint about you seriously," the female Councillor was replying to Oneakka. "We will not see him lower the Elite."
"He can try," Oneakka replied with quiet promise.
Seeal pulled forward the main menu of the tablet in her hand, calling up the initial report on the coding that she had been given. Inside the report were the scans of the inside of the casing. She opened the images up and quickly found the one with the specific Wraith symbol. She zoomed into it within the photo and frowned. Something about it had bothered her the first time she had looked at these images, and something worried at her again now. There was something that her subconscious had picked up and she studied the images closely again, trying to understand what bothered her about it.
"We are running out of time," another councillor was saying from across the room. "Toshka is following official legal channels and has already issued another complaint. If we are to hold his computer system, we need to officially state the reasoning why."
"To given such specifics would compromise our investigation," Elite Halling explained.
Seeal imagined that was true enough. She almost smiled to think of the many powerful individuals across the Alliance who would freak if they knew the Elite had a direct copy of Dreamstation's database. All those sneaky contacts, shipments, and all other manner of 'inappropriate' behaviour that would likely be discovered would have them running for their lives. Toshka was one of the most powerful, non-Council related, businessmen in the Alliance, and if he could make a legal standing against the Elite and their investigation then it would set a precedent for the others to fall behind. They'd all be watching this very carefully, hoping they would be able to sleep soundly in the future.
"We cannot hold this computer for much longer without the action becoming illegal," the green-haired woman stated. "Clearly it is going to take far longer than expected to break into his computer. I suggest we pass it to Enforcement, let them work upon it with us, it will give us more time by passing it to them."
"It doesn't leave the Sythus," Oneakka stated stubbornly. The man clearly had control issues.
Zooming in tighter on the photo that bothered her, Seeal squinted at the image, but it didn't help. She took the image back to its original size and tried squinting again at the handwritten symbols from the inside of the casing. They were written at an odd angle, implying to her that they had been scrawled in once the core had been set into Toshka's wall. Someone had perhaps wanted the symbols as prompts to work with the code, which supported her suspicion that Toshka hadn't written the code himself. He wasn't that smart from what she remembered, and this would take a true genius with a lot of... There were some odd tiny shadows in the image.
"If we are to investigate Toshka, the core will have to leave the Sythus," the councillor was arguing with Oneakka. "You are going to the Lantana battle in a day's time and cannot take it with you."
"We will break into it before that," Oneakka promised with a determined confidence that he couldn't actually feel. Seeal had the horrible feeling that he was looking at her as he had said it, but she kept her eyes on the strange little shadows in the image.
"With all due respect, Honoured Elite..." the woman replied gently.
The shadows were small indentations...
"That core stays here until we have what we need about Toshka," Oneakka pushed.
Seeal put both her tablets on the corner of the table hurriedly and looked around her. The actual pieces of the casing were here somewhere, because she recalled Edfu had idly pointed them out to her when he had given her the tablet, telling her the scans of the symbols were already uploaded.
There, behind her on the side, by the snacks and drinks, the scattered broken pieces of the core's casing were stacked to one side. She slid out from her chair and moved awkwardly through the tiny space behind the tech chairs to reach the casing pieces. She began picking through them until she found one with some symbols scrawled across it.
"Then we arrest Toshka," Dex was stating, "he can be held for hours without charge."
"The High Council will not stand for that," Edfu put in.
She held up the broken piece of casing and then found another piece with symbols on it. Now she was looking at them with her own eyes, the indentations were obvious. She pawed through the rest of the casing pieces to find more, already suspecting what she would find now.
"The High Council have no say on military matters," Dex was arguing.
"Toshka and his supporters in the High Council could very well argue that this is not a military matter, but one of internal security," Edfu replied in a very professionally careful tone.
Seeal laid out three pieces of the casing beside each other and the small circles, indentations in the thick metal sheet, lined up into two wavy lines through a partial circle of more tiny indentations. The last part of the circle would be on another piece, but she didn't need to see it, she had what she needed.
Six damn hours she had been at this, and how long had the Elite techs been at it?
"Betrayals to the Alliance are a military matter," someone was stressing.
"He worked with The Traitor," Oneakka put in, "she worked with the Wraith on at least one occasion, therefore, it is under our mandate."
Seeal turned round amidst that shaky logic and held up two of the casing pieces.
"Why didn't anyone show me these?" She demanded loudly of the room, drawing all their attention to her and abruptly ending the heated debate.
All the angry eyes focused on the two casing pieces in her hands.
"We did," Mr Angry Tech replied to her from his dejected seat next to Edfu. "It was in the initial report, didn't you read it?" He asked sarcastically.
She ignored that stupid statement. "No one showed me these markings," she clarified and suddenly the tension in the room shifted to tense interest.
Edfu stepped up next to her, his eyes on the casing pieces. "The symbols?"
"No, these," she explained as she put the pieces together to show the lines of indentations.
"They are simply the metal merchant's mark of whoever made the casing for Toshka. We ran it against all known symbols, but had no luck. We assumed it is from beyond our border."
Seeal shook her head as she handed him the casing pieces. "No, it's from well within your border." Wraith shit, she should have thought about him. "I know who made this computer," she told the room, "and I can take you straight to him."
She took great satisfaction in the stunned silence that followed as they all stared at her.
"Who?" Oneakka asked a second later, finally moving from his fixed position to stride across the room towards her.
She grabbed up her jacket from the back of her abandoned chair and squeezed around behind the shocked techs. She glared at the core as she did, annoyed with herself for not realising who it was who would be able to make this piece of exceptional coding. Only a few people she had met, or had heard about, would be clever and obsessive enough to be able to make this, but she hadn't thought of Malaca as being responsible. Like Edfu, she had incorrectly assumed the person responsible would be from outside the Alliance. She'd been as stupid as Angry Tech.
She pulled on her jacket as she moved around the table. "The man you're after is a computer genius of an entire new level, but he keeps well below the radar of anything illegal," she began as she moved towards the approaching Oneakka. "He works on a Manarian hub station, working on the Alliance communication network as his day job, but outside those hours he's well known in the right circles to enjoy 'tinkering' with anything computer based."
"And you didn't think to mention him before now?" Oneakka accused. Admittedly she was annoyed at herself for not having thought of Malaca, but she wasn't about to confess that to Oneakka and the others.
"I know so many geniuses," she told him with an exaggerated smile, "it's difficult to keep track of all of them." It was actually true enough.
She frowned at the core again. "Admittedly, I didn't think he'd gotten this good, but it goes with the style of the man."
"Which hub station is he on?" Oneakka demanded. She considered telling him to ask more nicely, but held back in front of the Military Councillors.
"One of their main observation and repair communication hubs, out in what you call Sector 18, I believe."
Oneakka glanced at Halling beside him, and well he should because they would know precisely which station now. A station that had been part built and owned by a 'friend' of theirs – Saoka.
"The Sythus has to leave for Athos to be present for Emmagan's ceremony tomorrow," Halling said thoughtfully to Oneakka.
"There's an orbital station Portal close enough over Manaria, we can get to the hub and back before then, and if not, we can use the Portal to go straight to Athos and meet the Sythus there," Oneakka replied.
"I am on familiar terms with many in Manarian security," Edfu put in from behind Seeal's right shoulder. "I volunteer to assist, Honoured Elite."
Oneakka nodded towards him and then looked back to Halling. "I'll handle it with Edfu-"
"You're going to need me there," Seeal put in quickly.
"And Seeal," Oneakka continued without a beat and she almost smiled.
"She's not going," Dex interrupted abruptly, stepping up aggressively into the circle of conversation.
Seeal braced herself for another in-your-face Dex-style confrontation. She turned to face the Satedan directly, her chin up.
"Councillor," Edfu replied first though as he moved to her side. "Seeal knows the man, can identify what might be there that would be helpful, and can hopefully gain the information we need from him without a loud incident."
"Just grab him and bring him in," Dex told Edfu.
"So far all we know about this man is that he possibly constructed a new advanced computer code – hardly illegal," Edfu replied logically.
"Toshka wouldn't need this kind of code if he wasn't hiding something," Dex argued.
"Toshka could argue that the coding was required to conceal his business interests from his competitors, and there is no evidence that this Malaca is a criminal for creating this code" Edfu argued, rather bravely in facing Dex.
Dex all but snarled at her. "And if she's working with him?"
"She's not," Oneakka put in unexpectedly. Seeal glanced at him in surprise.
"Prove it," Dex challenged Oneakka.
Oneakka looked at her. "You lie, you never get your clean record and you're never free again, ever." And didn't he always know how important that was to her. She nodded her reluctant agreement. "Are you involved in this computer code?"
"Nope," she replied simply. "And I never worked with Toshka directly, just made sure he didn't cause any trouble on Dreamstation."
Oneakka looked back at Dex, apparently happy with her word now. Dex frowned heavily though, his hands flexing at his sides. She held her ground, but kept her vision wide, kept her awareness on those fists.
"Then I'm coming too, to keep an eye on her," Dex decided. Oh great.
"Having a member of the Military Council present could be very useful, legally speaking," Edfu considered, not really helping to Seeal's mind.
"You won't need to push Malaca hard," she explained to them. "All he cares about is the work of playing with computer tech and code. Threaten that freedom and he'll talk plenty." Which sounded annoying familiar after Oneakka's little challenge.
"I will stay here," Halling put in, the decision apparently made, "if you are not back in three standard hours, then we'll head to Athos and meet you there by Portal."
Oneakka nodded once and turned away. "We're wasting time then."
And just like that, they were off on another unexpected raid.
Seeal drew her eyes away from Dex, needing to follow Oneakka, but she wasn't all that willing to turn her back on the Satedan. She'd have to though, because he had the power here and she would bet all the currency she had that he'd never turn his back to her.
She had other ways of getting an upper hand though, ways to annoy him in return for his aggressive suspicion.
"You'll love a fieldtrip with us. On the last mission, we destroyed an entire building," she told Dex with a forced smile before she purposefully turned her back to him and strode after Oneakka
"And went for a nice swim," she added as she headed across the small room and out the open doorway, Oneakka marching ahead down the corridor.
"You destroy a station and you'll swim in vacuum," Dex replied, Edfu at his side as they followed her.
"True enough," she had to reply, quietly. She had understood the less than subtle threat.
She lengthened her stride, drawing closer to the relatively improved safety of being closer to Oneakka rather than the Satedan.
Yet again she had to shake her head at the turn of events in her life. When had keeping close to Oneakka's heels become her preferred place?
000000
"I still do not see the problem," Woolsey argued from the seat to John's right. "The Genii are an integral part of the Alliance. Political Marriages are a mainstay within the Alliance, it's one of the main vehicles by which they created and maintain the Alliance in the first place."
John almost gapped at the guy. It was like he hadn't heard anything John had said in his report to the two Colonels. They had gotten out of Tjaru as fast as John could push politeness. It had been hard because Woolsey hadn't wanted to leave, because he had been too busy having fun talking weddings and trade opportunities with Torren.
Because apparently trade and politics was all life was about.
"If Athos and the Genii Confederation solidify their long history of trade with this marriage, it could only strengthen our position with regard to the Genii," Woolsey went on. "As I have always said, Athos presents nothing but an opportunity for us."
"And we just forget all about what the Genii have done?" John asked exasperated with the man.
Woolsey glanced at him out the corner of his eyes, most of his attention directed to Colonel Carter across the desk. Sumner, as usual, preferred to stand towards the back of the office as he listened. John glanced round at his commanding officer now, knowing at least on this subject the Colonel would back him up. Sumner was frowning down at Woolsey's back, ignoring or not seeing John's look. John looked back round to Woolsey and his impeccably pressed tie.
"The incidents we have had with the Genii in the past have been attributed to one individual, Kolya," Woolsey replied. "You're own reports confirm that."
"They stormed into this city, killed six of our people, and tried to take the city for themselves," John reminded the idiot.
"Kolya was acting alone-"
"That's not what I saw when they were hunting me through the city trying to kill me while they had Elizabeth and McKay hostage," John replied hotly.
"It was a force led solely by Kolya," Woolsey amended.
"Of course Cowen was going to say that," John interrupted quickly. "Kolya had plenty of support about to follow him through the Gate at his call."
"Cowen and his Government maintain that he acted under his own volition, that he usurped military forces to bring here without permission. Forces, which I need not remind you, we killed by shutting down the wormhole."
"All the more reason why Cowen might still hate us," John pointed out quickly.
"Cowen made it clear that Kolya acted alone," Woolsey repeated, "and as we know, he has been excommunicated from the Confederation-"
"No," John corrected, "first they said he was dead, and only once Kolya reared his ugly head again did they start saying he's excommunicated."
"Which is somewhat understandable from a political point of view. Kolya's reappearance is no doubt a source of embarrassment to the Genii, making it public that he was able to escape justice," Woolsey replied annoyingly. "Fortunately, both our sides agreed to move on from the incidence, which was years ago now-"
"And what about the Genii that climbed over my balcony in the middle of the night to try to kill me last week?" John demanded, trying to control his rising temper.
"That was an unfortunate incident," Woolsey replied with a look that was all exaggerated sympathy.
"Unfortunate?" John repeated sarcastically.
"But the individual concerned was not a member of the Genii Confederation, though born Genii he grew up on another planet and we know from his own confession that he became associated with only Kolya."
John stared at Woolsey. Whose side was he on? He was just about ready to do anything to get in on some trade agreements. Just like Torren and Teyla.
John worked to keep a lid on temptation to pick something up and throw it, preferably at Woolsey. He had called this meeting as soon as he had gotten back to the city, but he realised now that he should have had a break first. It would have given him some time to regroup first.
"We've had other incidents with the Genii on other non-Alliance worlds since Kolya's incursion into the city," Colonel Carter added, and John nodded in grateful agreement.
"I've read all those reports, Colonel," Woolsey turned to her, "The Genii made no direct aggressive actions, and no shots have been fired to date."
"So only once a shot has been fired are you happy they're a problem?" John asked. "So if that guy had actually shot me, would you have been happy then?"
"Your own report from the Elite said that the Genii government had backed the non-aggression treaty with us so as to appear strong to their own people," Woolsey argued back. "Do not confuse single individuals' actions with the entire Genii Confederation population."
"They're Genii," John protested.
"And does that therefore mean that everything you do reflects the exact same attitudes as everyone back on Earth?" Woolsey challenged.
John looked away, angry and feeling he was losing his point.
He needed some coffee. Or maybe that beer he had been wishing for back in Tjaru.
"It was pretty clear to me that the Genii Ambassador here for the treaty talks knew more than he was letting on when Kolya's name came up," John pushed.
"I agree with the Major," Sumner abruptly put in, surprising the hell out of John even though he had hoped the Colonel would be on side. "Representative Hulte was trouble."
"And if you recall," Woolsey argued over his shoulder to Sumner. "At that time, Cowen provided us with all the information we requested on the would-be assassin, and when we handed him over, Cowen sent a personal message of apology that the assassin was of Genii birth."
"Yes, he did," Carter replied from the other side of her desk, drawing all their attention back to her. "But, he had to." John nodded in agreement.
"Either way, in the last two years, the Genii have not acted in anyway aggressively towards us, minor disagreements over territory aside," Woolsey replied, looking like he was getting frustrated with the discussion now. It made John happy to finally see the man getting rattled. "I do not see why the Genii having stronger ties with Athos, our primary ally in the Alliance, and the Elite will cause us any problems," Woolsey concluded.
"We know Cowen's barely holding onto his throne," John explained. "The Elite confirmed as much." Or rather Teyla had told him quietly in his quarters, but that didn't change the facts. "And Kolya is working at pushing him out completely. What happens if Cowen is overthrown and Kolya takes control of the Genii Confederation?"
Just the thought of it made John's skin crawl. If it happened, then he'd probably be moving back to Earth pretty quick.
"You think Kolya's going to forget about getting his hands on this city?" John pushed. "He wanted to murder me to destabilise the treaty talks, what do you think he'll do if he rises to power?"
"It is highly unlikely that he will-" Woolsey started.
"That's not the information I've received from the Elite, and from what we've seen ourselves," John started hotly. "If the Genii get into bed with Athos and the Elite, whose side do you think they'll be on if Kolya attacks the city?"
"I am certain Leader Torren would not stand for that-"
"He won't be able to do anything about it," John protested. "Sure he'll make noises, maybe withhold some tava bean shipments, but the Genii won't care. Not once they have this city."
"There's no evidence that Kolya still wants the city," Carter put in.
John looked round at her. "Why wouldn't he? He'll have resources that we can only dream of to attack us with. We already know there are plenty in the High Council who don't like that we're in the city in their galaxy. You think many of them will protest all that long if Kolya gets his hands on this amount of technology and weaponry to fight the Wraith?"
Carter angled her head in partial agreement. "They'll want him to hand the city straight over to the Military."
"And if he doesn't, the Alliance is already tiptoeing towards civil war. Kolya wants power, and this city will be all he could ever ask for," John pushed. It was a solid argument and was freaking him out the more he talked about it. The more he realised how real it could become.
"The thought of Kolya gaining control of the Genii Confederation is concerning," Carter agreed. "And is a potential threat to us and our interests in Pegasus."
"And if he starts causing any trouble with us," John added quickly, "whose side will the Elite be on after their shiny new marriage contract?"
Carter frowned worriedly and glanced up at Sumner now stood behind John's left shoulder.
"We need to hunt down Kolya," Sumner stated into the worried silence.
Carter's eyebrows lifted at the idea. "It would help solve our problems, and maybe even ingratiate us to Cowen. However, we've found no evidence so far as to his whereabouts, and I suspect that if the Genii had any idea themselves that they would have gotten to him by now. Finding him wouldn't be easy."
"Unless we work with the Genii," Woolsey suggested. John glared round at him. "We have access to more areas outside of Alliance space than they do. Perhaps working together we can hunt down Kolya."
"We already know that the Genii have plenty of spies and outposts well outside the Alliance border," John pointed out.
"But not the same level of access as us," Carter said, worrying John somewhat. "We have more allies outside the Alliance than they do."
"Finding Kolya is something that we have in common with Cowen and could help solve the problem," Woolsey concluded. A minute ago he hadn't thought there was a problem!
"And if Kolya ends up taking over from Cowen?" John asked. "And he knows we helped Cowen try to hunt him down?"
Carter frowned at that. "It would maybe give Kolya all the excuse he would need to turn on us even more publically."
John nodded emphatically.
"Perhaps it would be best to keep entirely out of the political situation," she continued thoughtfully. "Stay away from any further complications with the Genii and instead build our relationships with others in the Alliance. The more friends we have in the Alliance, the more we build our own allies, the less likely the Genii or Kolya will risk moving against us."
John didn't like where this was going, but then, what exactly had he hoped the outcome would be from this meeting?
"We don't know that Elite Emmagan will choose the Genii offer," Woolsey suggested.
"She'll choose him," John confirmed. "He's the only offer they're expecting." And because that was just the kind of crap that happened to John.
"Even if she does," Woolsey continued with a look that said John's interruptions were getting to him. "My point stands, this wedding will present us with the opportunities we need in forming relationships in the Alliance, which could include the Genii."
Silence fell and John looked worried at Carter. She was nodding as she silently pondered everything. John got a sinking feeling in his stomach.
"You may be right," she finally said. "If this marriage goes ahead, then we should try to open a direct dialogue with the Genii – mend bridges, at least in appearance, and establish an official peaceful stance. Our close ties with the Elite and Athos could be just what we need to do that. The Genii might benefit from the Elite connections, but the Elite like us. They won't want the Genii messing up all our chances of working together against the Wraith, and Cowen wanted the non-aggression treaty. I think this could work in our favour, as long as we move carefully."
"I agree," Woolsey smiled. John wanted to punch him.
"Approach the Genii tomorrow," Carter ordered softly. "Use your discretion, Richard, but if we can find some common ground with them..."
"I suspect they will expect us to approach them, given the nature of the wedding as a place for such discussions," Woolsey replied.
"Yeah, so they'll hold all the cards," John muttered. The damn Genii would have everything they could want – Elite contacts and ships at their disposal, Athos' extensive trading relations, and Teyla. Teyla in a Genii General's bed.
He clenched his teeth and made himself release a heavy breath.
"I think this is the best way forward," Carter added, and John looked round to see that she was speaking directly to him. "We need to look out for ourselves, and at least for now, Kolya isn't part of the Alliance and the Genii Confederation. Building ties with the Genii is our best option here."
John chewed on the inside of his lip as he took in what she said. She was right of course, but that realisation was like a knife to his gut.
Nothing would get in the way of Teyla's marriage now.
What the hell had he expected anyway? That Carter and Sumner would protest to Torren and the wedding would be called off?
Apparently his stupidity was continuing.
"With so many of the Alliance's most powerful there tomorrow, the fact that you are both there, representing Atlantis at an Elite's wedding, could do more to show our own power than anything," Carter said, probably trying to bolster John's confidence. He was annoyed that she felt she needed to, but more so that he did actually need it right now.
He wasn't going to get out of this and Teyla wasn't going to call off the wedding. This meeting had made her point about alliances all the more horrifying. This was how politics was done – all show and big political displays, while quiet little deals were made between planets.
Well, he could play political too, be the Atlantis representative to Athos and the Elite that the Genii were going to have to deal with. He could be unemotional and controlled as Teyla and the rest.
He just wished he could do it in any way other than watching Teyla get married tomorrow.
He really needed that beer.
00000
TBC