As he floated in the pool, he savored the moments to come as much as he detested the pool itself.
If the Pluthrak had just followed orders, Terra would be a smoking ruin now! No, not even that. Smoke required oxygen, and the Ekhat would have stripped the planet of its atmosphere. Not worth even a manned outpost, much less the extensive commitment of troops and ships required to hold it. Best of all, Oppuk would be on his way to some new posting and the frustrations of dealing with this benighted species would be a fading memory.
So be it. If Stockwell survived the coming bombardment, Oppuk would have him put down as soon as he reestablished control over the planet. If she survived as well, he would force Stockwell’s daughter to observe the execution of her father. Humans were quite sentimental about both progeny and parents. He’d seen that over and over again in his long assignment here. They could make an amazing amount of fuss over the most insignificant and unpromising of their clan members. She was sure to provide more diversion than he’d had in quite some time.
In fact, he thought he would have all of the surviving regional human governors executed in the coming days, just to drive home his point. As well as all of the top jinau officers, of course.
Oppuk heaved out of the water and shook himself dry before accepting harness and trousers from a cowed member of his service who scuttled back out of reach, radiating abject-fear.
Over on the far wall, the main doorfield crackled and faded to golden sparks. Four figures entered, the top officers of his command vessel.
“You wish?” He spoke curtly, not looking at them, irritated at the disturbance.
“The Bond of Ebezon has arrived in the solar system, Governor. A great fleet. The Harriers have ordered us to dismantle the bolides.”
* * *
Oppuk struggled desperately to retain his composure, to show nothing of his shock.
He failed, rather miserably. His posture one of pure desperation, he lunged through the door toward the control center. Wisely, the four officers quickly stepped aside. He would have trampled them under, otherwise.
* * *
The black-garbed figure of the Harrier in the holo tank was frighteningly enigmatic. He was a short Jao, originally from one of the Dano affiliated clans, judging from his vai camiti, perhaps even Dano itself. But that no longer meant anything, of course.
Oppuk had had little contact with the Bond in his life, but he knew their reputation. The Bond of Ebezon arbitrated between kochan, when kochan could not do so for themselves. Its members were drawn from all kochan, choosing Bond status voluntarily and then forswearing all ties to their birth-kochan, so that they were well and truly naukrat, or neutral. Most astonishing of all was the manner in which they disciplined themselves in both mind and body so their bodies were naukrat as well and betrayed nothing of their innermost thoughts.
“You have been instructed to disarm the bolides,” the Harrier said. “We expect you to do so at once.”
Oppuk had wondered, even been skeptical. But now, seeing the Harrier commander’s posture, he believed. The Harrier’s body was almost frighteningly without affect, now not even composed for formal neutrality. Oppuk found it something like conversing with a granite post.
“You do not understand these creatures!” Oppuk exploded. “They are in rebellion, and must be crushed! I will not waste more Jao lives trying to fight them on the planet.”
“You could not do so in any event,” the Harrier responded, still in that disturbing posture-which-was-not-a-posture. “All Jao ground troops in this system have given their allegiance to Aille krinnu ava Pluthrak. So your protestation of concern for Jao lives is a falsehood, since what you really propose is to destroy the Jao troops as well.”
The Harrier’s head swiveled, as if he were looking at someone out of the holo tank’s image. “Have the flotilla technicians assembling the frameworks evacuated the bolides?”
Oppuk heard a female voice reply: “Yes, Preceptor.”
Preceptor. Oppuk suddenly realized he was talking with one of the Bond’s five top commanders. A member of its legendary Strategy Circle. That long-unused part of his mind that had once understood how to maneuver in kochan rivalry was crying out shrill warnings.