Author's Note: I just want to say thanks to the reviewers who have sent me encouragement and suggestions so far. It's all appreciated.
Korean Pearl- Thanks for the note, however I don't intend to have those five humans be major characters, so I'm skimping on them. It's also fair to warn you that this is only my second story, so I'm still working on my characterization skills.
Ta-dao- Hopefully this chapter will flesh out the two important Andalites a little more as well as introduce some new humans who I do intend to make major characters.
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Chamber of Senator Duria-Filorac-Vineel, Andalite Homeworld After Senate Session
Fools! They are all fools! Senator Duria muttered venomously as she paced her office. And that Rasgan is the biggest fool of all!
After she and Rasgan had had their argument, the Senate voted on the matter of applying pressure on Earth. To Duria's dismay, the Senate had passed the measure by an overwhelming majority. They were fools, she thought again, they honestly believed that diplomacy would solve the problem. They didn't know the humans as she did.
Duria knew the humans and their culture intimately. She had been born on Earth, the daughter of the high-ranking Andalite ambassador to the E.U. Growing up, she had been well exposed to both human and Andalite customs. During her childhood, she had been taught by the best Andalite tutors. When it came time for university training, though, she went against her parents' wishes and attended Oxford. As a result of her dual education, Duria was as open minded an Andalite as you could ever find.
When her father's stint as ambassador was through, Duria had returned to the homeworld and supplemented her education at the civilian academy. A few years later, she was elected to the Senate, where, after ten years, she remained a junior member, not taken quite seriously by several other senators, including Rasgan. Part of that was due to her being raised on Earth, but a lot of it was blatant sexism. The large and well built Rasgan never hesitated to question the smaller, slighter Duria's ability's to keep up with the rigors of politics.
Duria knew from her own time growing up on Earth that humans could be as proud as any Andalite. She also knew them to be belligerent and extremely stubborn in submitting to pressure of any kind. The humans would not quit the Z-reactor program. Maybe if Rasgan and the Senate requested a technology exchange… But they hadn't, they intended to get rid of the Earth Z-reactor program, and then work on one for the Andalites, using information gleaned from the humans and without human competition.
Duria chuckled without humor. Rasgan had been a thorn in her side ever since she was elected. The very opposite of Duria, Rasgan was very close minded; he was a proud, brash, often loud Andalite who was constantly advocating knocking human technology back several decades and pushing Andalite technology forward several centuries. He also had a tendency to underestimate humans. He expected the diplomatic step to work, for the humans to cave, but Duria knew better.
And now Rasgan was all but pressing for war. Oh, that's what was going to happen, Duria knew, even if the bulk of the Senate didn't. The humans wouldn't give up their stance, and neither would her own people. She took solace in the fact that she still had time to do everything she could to stem the tide. Unlike diplomatic pressures, which only required the Senate to pass, a blockade needed to go to the High Command for approval. That step would take weeks, during which time she planned to appeal to the Electorate and the High Command itself. If war did break out between the humans and the Andalites, the results would be disastrous.
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P.S.S* Vishnu, In Orbit Above Harvest December 2151
The door to Protectorate Fleetleader Chao Nguyen's quarters buzzed. "Enter," he said, looking up from the infinite paperwork that accompanied command. Any distraction he could use would be welcome.
Upon seeing the face of his visitor, however he immediately changed his mind. The courier had an expression of deep worry as he entered the room. "Don't tell me," muttered Nguyen, "the Andalites…"
"They've issued an ultimatum, sir." The courier said. "We are to cease the mining of Obtrisium and shut down our Z-reactor program within 72 hours. If we don't, 'extreme action' will be taken."
"'Extreme action?'"
"The Andalites' words, sir."
"I see. And how is Bangkok responding to this threat of 'extreme action?'" asked Nguyen.
"They've warned the Andalites that we will not abandon operations on Harvest and any encroachment on our space will be dealt with appropriately." The courier bowed as Nguyen dismissed him.
Nguyen got out of his desk and went to his window, where he looked out at the green and blue planet slowing spinning before him, so very much like Earth.
"So it's come to this, then, has it?" the fleetleader asked no one in particular. War was on the horizon. He knew his own government would not submit to the Andalites' demand, and he was fairly certain that the leaders in Washington, Beijing, and Brussels wouldn't either. It was also likely the Andalites wouldn't back down; they were too proud for that. When war came, his would be the first front. The Andalites wanted operations on Harvest shut down. In all likelihood they wanted the Obtrisium deposits to themselves so they would control the production of Z-reactors. Nguyen shook his head, such pride and selfishness. He himself had no use for pride and selfishness; Nguyen was a humble man, one of the reasons why he had advanced to be the commander of the Protectorate fleet in the Harvest sector. He had no qualms with spreading credit and would gladly give himself for a cause, which was more than he could say for some of the officers he had served under as well as many Andalites he knew. A small individual, Nguyen was a top notch strategist, but he had a certain sinewy strength about him and wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty if necessary. Looking toward the future, he knew he was going to indeed need to get his hands dirty.
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U.S.S.S.** Ticonderoga, In Orbit Above Harvest 71 Hours Later
Commander Jake B. Benden looked out across the planet Harvest from the bridge of the ship he commanded. Somewhere on that dirtball was a resource that was revolutionizing civilization, a resource worth fighting for.
Two hours ago the nations of the world, refusing the Andalite ultimatum, had instituted the Joint Defense Initiative, pooling their resources to combat any threat that might come their way. The Initiative, even if not formalized, had been in effect for some time; the U.S., the PSA, the E.U., and China all had significant flotillas surrounding Harvest, ready to defend the planet and the mineral deposits on it. Now, they were all waiting for the "extreme action" the Andalites had promised.
Benden sighed. He never expected the Andalites to do this, they had been protesting human advancement for over 50 years and it had all turned out be hot air. Now, now they were really going to the brink. Would the Andalites really want to cross the line? No, Benden doubted it, this was all a game of chicken; the Andalites were expecting the humans to back down and submit to their demands when things got hot. Well, they were going to be surprised. Benden intended to prove to them that you get the horn when you messed with the bull. He chuckled, that was a stance that had served him well over the years: prove to be stronger than the other guy thinks you are. He had gained accolades doing that when he and a small contingent under his command put down an insurrection on Indigo ten years ago. When the Andalites saw the humans were going to put up a good fight, they would halt their "extreme action," high-tail it back to the homeworld, and send their ambassadors to complain. That was the way they did things.
Time passed as Benden lost himself thinking about Indigo and days gone by. He had a habit of doing that. He was jolted back to reality when klaxons sounded on the bridge. "What is it?" he demanded.
"Sir, we're picking up ships exiting Z-space in the vicinity of Harvest." The tech officer consulted his display. "A lot of ships" he said grimly.
"Put it on the screen," Benden commanded. The window he had been looking out shimmered as it was overtaken by the display.
And there they were, Andalite ships appearing on the monitor. As Benden watched, a Dome ship popped into existence, followed by several light cruisers. The Dome ships, looking like giant metallic palm trees, were very different from the human capital ships. Though there were variations among the Earth nations, human ships for the most part resembled old aircraft carriers, albeit 10 times bigger than any aircraft carrier that ever sailed Earth's oceans. The Ticonderoga herself was over a mile-and-a-half from bow to stern, and she was a mid-sized ship.
As Benden continued to watch the screen, his dismay grew. He had been expecting the Andalites to try at the most a blockade, but more and more Andalite ships were appearing. By the time the last one popped into normal space, there was a fleet of over a dozen Dome ships, and too many light cruisers to count.
A fleet much, much too large for a blockade.
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*: Protectorate Star Ship
**: United States Star Ship