Home World (The Triple Stars, Volume 0) by Simon Kewin

Author:Simon Kewin [Kewin, Simon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction, Space Opera, SciFi
Publisher: Simon Kewin
Published: 2019-10-22T00:00:00+00:00

Two minutes later, she stood outside the chambers set aside for the Gogoni delegation. As before, she reached out with her empathic senses before making her presence known. She was immediately engulfed in a whirlwind of anger and loathing from the room beyond. Faintly, through the heavy door, she could hear raised voices, two people arguing bitterly, although she couldn't pick up any words.

She instructed her bead to announce that she was waiting outside. Immediately, the shouting cut out, although the swirl of furious emotion remained. The door opened, and she stepped inside before anyone could invite her in – or block her way. Emchek and Sorabai, Palianche's advisors, stood in the centre of the room, very close together, face-to-face. It was either a position of fond intimacy or open aggression. It was perfectly clear to Magdi which of the two it was. The green, shimmering flesh of both Gogoni was flushed with red and purple, a clear indication of an attack response kicking in.

As before, she kept her voice low and slow, wary of doing anything to escalate the situation. “Delegate Emchek. Delegate Sorabai. My thanks for agreeing to talk to me at this difficult time.”

Of course, they hadn't agreed, and she'd also deliberately elevated their importance by giving them the Delegate title. Perhaps it helped: neither spoke, but nor did they turn their anger on her. Magdi knew little about the two advisors beyond their spheres of expertise, but their argument was doubtlessly rooted in their political differences. In theory, the two had been chosen to provide a balance between a diplomatic and a scientific viewpoint, but Magdi knew well that the two had also been selected to represent the two major factions within the Gogoni government. Emchek's Evening Star Rising were expansionist, aggressive, openly advocating the creation of the so-called Greater Gogon – code for engaging Sejerne and Arianas in military conflict and annexing their worlds. Sorabai's White Peak grouping were, by most worlds' standards, also expansionist and aggressive, but they were much less overtly militaristic, preferring to use diplomacy and legal argument. Gogon vacillated between the two positions, with Evening Star Rising currently dominant.

Sorabai eventually spoke. “Conciliator Magdi, what is going on? What has happened to the remains of our esteemed Delegate? We were told we could not attend to his body to carry out the necessary procedures.”

“I assure you that you will be allowed to do so as soon as the City Marshals have completed their investigations,” said Magdi.

Emchek could hold himself back no longer. He stepped forwards, fury display blazing. “Coronade's Marshals have no jurisdiction over us, as you are aware. They also do not need to carry out their sham investigation. It is perfectly to clear to anyone what has happened here.”

“What do you believe has happened here?” she asked.

“Delegate Palianche was slaughtered where he sat by that monster, Pannax Ro. Such a cowardly and brutal act is only what we would expect from the butcher of the Achenar. You should never have allowed her anywhere near these peace talks.

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