Season 3 Episode 02: Ceasefire Negotiations

The Battle of Goultara, part 3.

Aboard the Goultaran Flag Cruiser Grest

A chill ran up Admiral Stonid’s spine as he watched hundreds more missiles from the humans arrive through the wormhole and savage the fresh Eridani fleet.

“Sir, the destroyer that we sent to evacuate the human ambassador and Director Zenad has been captured by Eridani troops.”

“We can’t allow that. Send boarding shuttles with more troops to reclaim it. Continue to focus fire on any Eridani ships that approach it. Send a message to that human commander, Commodore Griswald, and tell him that Ambassador Trunketh is on that destroyer and that we can no longer keep our promise to return her.”

****

Stansteshia Defense Station, at the Eridani Home Wormhole

“Admiral Stengrass, an Earth Space Force courier ship just arrived at the wormhole with a demand from Commodore Griswald,” said his aide. “He says that our ships at Goultara cannot survive another missile barrage and that if those still capable of wormhole travel don't retreat through it immediately, he’ll order his missile cruisers to finish them off.”

“He might be exaggerating,” replied Stengras. “Have we found the wormhole that those cruisers are launching from yet?”

“No, and frankly, we don't have any organized fleet elements equipped to deal with them at the moment, even if we knew where they are.”

“I think you’re overestimating the humans’ capabilities,” stated the admiral. “Those cruisers have no destroyer escorts and have already fired three salvoes. That design has no other capital ship weapons and is likely to run out of missiles soon, if they haven’t already. They’ve lost the ability to fight in an engagement.”

“Still, Sir, all organized attack units are already engaged, heavily damaged, or report that they are moving their ships away from any wormholes until the shooting stops.”

“Send a reply to Griswald and tell him that a ceasefire agreement is being negotiated with his Admiral Pace.”

****

Conference room, Earth Space Force Wormhole Station.

“I don’t care why your fleet went there, Kriffard,” said Admiral Pace calmly. “Your fleet’s carrier fired on Griswald’s fleet.”

“Please don’t insult my intelligence, Admiral Pace,” the Eridani admiral replied. “You sent that fleet to Goultara to stop our invasion, and I demand that you withdraw your forces from there immediately.”

“Sir,” said Ambassador Britil, turning to Admiral Kriffard and touching him on the arm. “No one here knew about our planned invasion of Goultara, and I witnessed the humans’ surprise when they found out about it. Also, they briefed me ahead of time about sending a fleet to Goultara.”

“So, did you know about those four missile cruisers they had lying in wait?” Admiral Kriffard replied harshly.

“Griswald didn’t share those particular details with me,” she replied as a flash of annoyance crossed her eyes. “But they did tell me how Goultarans took the human ambassador hostage. Griswald was furious. That’s why he took a fleet to Goultara…to rescue their ambassador and demonstrate to us that they could handle the Goultarans whenever they step out of line.”

“Admiral,” said Sam. “I have official documents that I can show you that corroborate every word that your ambassador just said. We did not send that fleet to fight with you, and Admiral Pace had explicit, written orders from the leaders of our homeworld not to start a war with your people and to do whatever we could to prevent a war between any of the three parties.”

“We’re calling those four hidden missile cruisers ‘Griswald’s Surprise’,” said Admiral Pace with a nervous smile. “I didn't even know that he'd deployed them in that way.”

“Fine,” said Admiral Kriffard. “So Griswald and the rest of you didn't know about our invasion. Then why can’t you just order Griswald to leave? Then we’ll just extract your ambassador for you and deliver her and her staff to you here to your space station.”

Admiral Pace laughed.

“Commodore Griswald is a warrior,” he said, “I’m not. Yet, I still seem to understand warfare better than you do.”

Sam saw the Eridani admiral bristle at the insult. Britil glanced fearfully at Sam.

“Excuse me?” said Kriffard.

“Let me sum up our view of the current situation for you. Automated Goultaran defenses slagged two of your four troop transports before Griswald even got there. Only one of the remaining two transports even made it past the Goultaran destroyer screen to land on the planet. The other transport had to retreat back through the wormhole. Currently, all warships in the theater, including those of Goultaran, Eridani, and Human, have suffered damage and casualties, resulting in a stalemate. None of the ships there can withstand any more missile hits without incurring severe losses, everyone there is out of missiles and point-defense ordinance, and they are staying out of effective range of one another’s energy weapons. Griswald’s hidden missile cruisers are still deployed at any one of hundreds of wormholes in the galaxy, still able to fire into the battle, and you still haven’t found them.

“To top off your situation, the Goultarans have fresh reinforcements that will soon join the battle from one of their shipyards in a nearby system. Unless I tell Griswald to intercede, they will overrun what’s left of your fleet and get hold of some of your more advanced shield and weapon technology. You never would have succeeded in conquering their planet with the force you sent there anyway. Whatever your technology advantages, no one uses just four troop transports that size to take a planet away from 18 billion people.”

“You’re right,” said Kriffard. “You are not a warrior, and you don’t understand warfare. I think you misread my people’s capabilities.”

“Have your people ever invaded a planet before, Kriffard?”

“No, and neither have yours. My forces can and will take that planet and search it for our missing ancestors, and I don’t think your missile cruisers have enough ordnance left to do any more damage to my fleet. That was your only trick, Admiral Pace, and you’ve expended it.”

Sam stood up from the conference room table and walked over to the window. He could feel all of the eyes in the room on him as he walked along the window to the wall and touched it. He had seen schematics of the station and knew exactly where to place his hand. He turned and spoke to the Eridani admiral.

“Admiral Kriffard, you think that Admiral Pace is out of missiles,” he said. “However, there is a missile inside this wall right here.”

He stooped down and touched the wall again near the floor.

“There’s a missile here, too.”

He pointed across the room at the opposite wall.

“We have more of them inside that wall as well. Check your images of this station, Admiral, it is equipped with hundreds of them. Neither Pace nor I will tell you how many missiles remain on those four heavy cruisers, but it doesn’t matter. We still have plenty of other missiles ready to fire through the wormhole network at any target near any wormhole. Face it, we brought a new wrinkle to space warfare that, for the moment, neither you nor the Goultarans have the tactics on hardware to match or defend against today.”

“We’ve won this battle, not you,” Admiral Pace said quietly, pointing his finger at Admiral Kriffard as Sam took his seat again. “The winner of a fight doesn’t leave the field first, and the clear loser of a fight doesn't make demands.”

Admiral Pace paused for a few seconds, then slid a sheet of paper and a pen over to Admiral Kriffard.

“Put your signature on that paper. Then issue your fleet the orders that my people have written on there for you. Do that, and I’ll order Commodore Griswald to allow your ships that are still capable of wormhole travel to leave Goultaran space. Any that can’t evacuate will belong to us, and we will do all we can to keep them and their more advanced weapons and shield technology out of the hands of the Goultarans. I don’t want them to have your weapon and shield technology any more than you do.”

Admiral Kriffard read the paper, written in both English and Eridani. He slid it over to Ambassador Britil.

“Is the translation correct?”

She read it carefully.

“Yes, it is,” she said.

“What if I still disagree with you and refuse to sign this document in its current form?”

“Sam and I will walk out of this room,” hissed Admiral Pace. “Then the next three things I will do are these: First, I’ll have you and Ambassador Britil arrested and sent to Earth as prisoners of war. Second, I'll order Griswald to call in another missile strike to either destroy or force the surrender of all your remaining forces still in Goultaran Space. Third, I'll continue this war that you started by firing on your facilities elsewhere in the galaxy at my convenience.”

Admiral Kriffard sighed, looked at Britil, and then picked up the pen to sign the paper.