“What?” The word came out of Nova’s mouth too fast. Her control likely would have stopped such a thing from happening in the past, but she was still just holding herself together. The cracks were definitely still there.
Jace snapped his fingers as he asked Khoth what he already knew, “Councillor Ardath Ulgex. She’s second in command, right, Khoth?”
Khoth gave a curt nod. “She and Councillor Esik Bhilkairs would be the two who could rule on this easily.”
Jace looked back at Nova. “And since they’ve been watching this the whole time their ruling would come in no time at all!”
“There is no need for you to involve anyone else. I am High Councillor--”
“I doubt for much longer if you keep this up.” Jace smiled sadly at her. “You have a chance to come peacefully and actually talk to me and humanity like you promised to do. I will forget this insanity--and it was insane, Nova--if you simply give up these mad plans of yours to take the Osiris and me and negotiate in good faith.”
She stared at him without blinking. He knew her mind was furiously working. She had to know she was beaten. At least for now. If nothing else, he hoped she would take the opportunity to simply give herself more time to think of another crazy plan.
“And if you reach out to my Councillors and they don’t give you what you want?” Nova asked almost sweetly.
“Because they hate humans due to being fed a bunch of bullshit about us? And they don’t want their High Councillor to be humiliated by me?” he offered. “Every other species in the Alliance will know that the Thaf’ell--because you’re all Thaf’ell on that Council, right?--don’t respect anyone else’s laws or personhood. Today, it’s humanity that you’re willing to sacrifice. Tomorrow? Who knows? Or maybe you have already begun to sacrifice them. Maybe people have noticed how thin the defenses are getting above their planets.”
Her face went blank, which meant he had truly shocked her. He sighed and did pinch the top of his nose this time.
“But really, if the Thaf’ell fail to see reason, I will simply have the Ashaton’s systems release a sleep agent into the air and you will all fall unconscious then I’ll have you brought here anyways,” Jace told her with a shrug. “Oh, and I’ll lock the gate to Earth in case anyone has the bright idea of coming here in a vain attempt to rescue you.”
Locking the gate was a temporary measure. He couldn’t keep it locked forever, the Osiris told him. But they could disable the rest of the Alliance’s ships.
I don’t want them to know that yet if we can help it. Let them think there’s still the distance thing, Jace said.
“But really all you need to do to fix this terrible mistake is to act in good faith, High Councillor. It’s up to you.” Jace sipped his drink and took another bite of burger while he waited for her to make up her mind.
“If you will allow it, I will fly to the Osiris,” Nova finally said.
“You’ll find one of the Paladin-class fighters will be operational and will fly you here,” he said.
“I will bring three loyal officers with me,” she said, pointedly not looking at Nav’ud.
It didn’t matter if she brought a dozen of her best fighters. The Osiris would neutralize them.
“I look forward to it,” Jace said and cut the connection.
Jace let out a breath that he hadn’t known he had been holding. He put his hands, palms down, on the table and stared at them.
“She has not given up her plans, Jace,” Khoth said. “Bringing her here as anything other than a prisoner is… unwise.”
“I am aware that your mother is likely thinking of attempting to smuggle weapons or explosives or neurotoxin or something with her. In fact, I am certain the Osiris and Gehenna will know,” he said with a wave of his hand. “They’re monitoring every move she makes.”
“You expect treachery from her yet you still intend to go through with the negotiations?” Khoth’s eyebrows lifted. “I know you have not forgotten that she has no bargaining power--”
“I’m not negotiating with her.” Jace scrubbed his hands over his face. “I’m negotiating with the Alliance, and more importantly, a whole list of individuals from species that will be useful in a fight against the Khul, but who have been treated very shabbily by the Council.”
Jace had the Osiris send Khoth a list of individuals from various species that could be partners with them in the likelihood that the official ruling members of the Alliance were not reasonable. A hologram appeared over Khoth’s forearm as he scrolled through the names of the individuals and species. His brow creased.
“These are… unusual choices,” Khoth stated too neutrally.
“They’re ones that I don’t think you would find valuable based on the current thinking of the Alliance,” Jace guessed.
Khoth lowered his arm, the hologram winking out of existence. “No, I would not. I believe you will not have to contact these individuals, because the Alliance will see reason.”
And when he says Alliance, he means the Thaf’ell, Jace thought. The superior Thaf’ell.
They are the best all around fighters, strategists and diplomats… uhm, despite what happened here today, Gehenna pointed out.
