Because time was indeed running out, and not just for her, but also for the entire universe.
She said, “The Federation uses them as undeclared assassins. They do not pay them as they allow them to keep whatever ship they breach and they grant them safe passage and compensation for their filthy deeds.
“Soon their ships will descend upon Old Earth. The Federation intends to allow them that planet for their own. Only those who live above will be able to escape. Those who live below will be enslaved or killed.”
His face showed his horror at her words. “Why? Why would the Federation allow the Gorlites to take Old Earth? It is still the seat of Federation power.”
Jessica waited, knowing he would understand it very soon. Comprehension dawned on his face. His breath escaped his mouth in a long and audible exhale. “They intend to overthrow the older members of the Federation, don’t they?”
Jessica’s head moved up and down in an affirmative gesture. “Yes. As much as I hate the Federation, I will admit that those who intend to overthrow it frightened me much more than I can even say. They are even more ruthless than any the universe has ever known before. There shall not be a Federation any longer, only tyrants who own everything.”
He pointed out, “That sums up the entire Federation.”
Jessica said, “Yes, it does. However, even the Federation has limitations. As it stands now, most planets have rulers of some type in place that broker deals with the Federation. Those rulers and leaders are all that stands between the Federation becoming despotic. The ones who plot to overthrow the Federation tend to also create war and chaos by assassinating the universe’s leaders and rulers, particularly those who stand firmest against the Federation.”
Talon said, “Destroy all leadership and there is nobody to turn to but the Federation. Destroy those in the Federation who would stand against such total control, or who may be able to wield it, and what you have is a single being who could rule the entire universe.”
Jessica said, “Yes, exactly. He shall not have full control, of course. He is smart enough to make it appear as if he is delegating some power to those who follow him. But I would say it will not be long before they too find themselves at the end of an assassin’s weapon.”
His shoulders yanked inward, his hands gripped his weapon more tightly. His face closed like a fist. “I will not fight to save the existing Federation. I know that seems to be the only choice here. It is the demon you know versus the demon that you don’t.”
Jessica holstered her weapons. Her hands came up, her palms showing in a gesture of goodwill and peace. “I know how you feel. I have every reason to hate the Federation. I also have every reason to want to save those who are below on Old Earth.
“I can’t stand idly by while this happens. I know you, Talon. I know you seek the death of every Gorlite, and with good reason. I am telling you that you have been sadly mistaken for a great many years. You’ve underestimated their numbers. They have been widely believed to be verging on extinction. They are not.
“That is the rest of the secret that I know. They have built an entire armada from taken ships, and they have hidden themselves with cloaking devices so as not to attract attention. The Federation has kept them fed, and in fuel, and now they are going to descend on my home planet and kill all who stand in their way.”
He did not want to believe her. It showed in his eyes. He had waged war for centuries against that parasitic race that had murdered his parents and so many of his people and then enslaved him on that mining planet.
Jessica did not know all of his history. Talon did not talk about it. It was not a secret and many of the crew, especially Harlon, had been with Talon since Talon had been just a young child on his home planet of Revant. They occasionally said something, but never enough for her to really grasp the situation. She knew his planet had been destroyed by the Federation’s greed for a wormhole route and that after that his family’s ship had been taken over by Gorlites, which had then sold him and his three brothers—Renall, Marik, and Jeval—into slavery on a mining planet, and that those things had shaped him into the warrior that he was—and a being whose life was battle and blood.
He was marked by those experiences, and they were the reasons why he did everything that he did. She had to remember that because he was going to balk when she told him the rest of it.
She said, “Think about it. You told me yourself that you saw Federation ships on the surface of that mining planet that you were forced to work on. You have always said that the Gorlites must have found a way to take those Federation ships but that your first impression, when you saw them there, was that the Federation must be working with them. You thought that was too wild a supposition. It could not possibly be true, or so you thought. But it is. Open your eyes and see the truth!”
He turned away. Her eyes rested on his strong back. His shoulders tensed and his fingers reached for his weapons once more. His voice was gruff and hoarse. “I shall go with you to Old Earth to prevent it being taken, but I will not lift a finger to save a single Federation life.”
She wanted to argue with him that he was going to have to do just that if he wanted to prevent the universe from being taken hostage and held by power-mad beings that had no regard for life unless it would serve them.
She said nothing because that was not a decision she could talk them into and she knew it. His agreeing to go to her home planet was already a victory, and a hard-won victory at that. There would come a time when they would actually have to fight on the side of the Federation if they were to save the universe, and he was right: it was a hellish bargain and one that would ensure there were no winners, but much death on all sides.
He turned to face her. His lips canted upward in his usual arrogant smile. “I suppose I can hope to die in battle with those stinking worms long before the Federation is overthrown and thus escape having to make a decision that would go against everything I have ever sworn upon my heart.”
His race took their vows so seriously that death would be preferable to breaking one. Jessica said, “If you die in battle and I do not, I shall see to it that your body is returned to New Revant and your blood for a proper burial.”
He nodded. His shoulders slumped with weariness. “We had better go find the others. I do not know how many more survived, but I do know one thing: no matter how many warriors we have on the ship, it is not enough, not if what you say about the Gorlites having an entire armada is true. I wish I could find some reason not to believe you; I truly do.”
“Only you can’t.”
“You can fight against the truth, but it won’t change it.”
No, it wouldn’t. His lips thinned down to flat lines. “I need to get into clean clothes.”
“Talon…”
He held up a hand. He took two hard breaths. “I…”
She stared at him. Her blonde hair hung tangled and sweaty around her face. Her chest heaved up and down. The urge to kiss him was overwhelmingly strong, so strong that she actually took a step toward him!
