"Personal Journal of Major Johnny Chee, SFMC: Day 3. My experiences here on Portanus V might prove of interest should anyone from Starfleet ever pass this way again. And, in the event I am rescued, this journal may prove critical in explaining what happened and why I've done some of the things I've done. Certainly it will be a valuable piece of evidence in my court-martial.
"As far as I know, I arrived here at least three local days ago. From the information Lt. Sinclair provided, a local day is about 20 hours. Fortunately, I was able to memorize a lot of the data she supplied me. The only Federation resources, aside from the implanted Universal Translator and a broad-spectrum antibiotic of now dubious efficacy, I have at my disposal are what I picked up at the Academy and subsequent experience.
"The Portanans are extremely intelligent, possibly more so than Humans or even Vulcans, and have superior visual acuity and hand-eye coordination. They are smaller than Humans, and not as strong due to the lower gravity of their world. My size and strength relative to them has already proven advantageous. Because of this, a move I made three days ago for which I should by all rights be dead has drawn the attention of one Vinzi, who purports to be a wizard. In fact, the Wizard of Flor, the city I'm calling home for the duration.
"He seems to be a decent sort. His people have undying loyalty to him and he's expressed a desire not only to abolish slavery on this world but to institute reforms and return Portanus, which the locals call simply "the world," to the prosperity of a previous Glorious Age. I haven't learned too much about that yet. I'm still learning to read the local language from Zdeev, a fellow former slave who was bought, along with his wife Taya and child Tri, along with me by Vinzi. It turns out he was the town clerk of a town that Flor just conquered about three local weeks ago. In addition to literacy, he also knows quite a bit about the laws and traditions of this world. I must make it a point to learn as much as I can from him."
"Very good!" Zdeev told Johnny. "Not many beginners can read a text like the Precepts of Sexton Larii so soon! Many of our best scholars struggle with this most holy of books! The Wizard will be pleased!" The two were in Vinzi's personal library of nearly 800 books. Johnny had known many people on Earth and elsewhere whose personal collections exceeded that by several orders of magnitude, but apparently on Portanus this was the largest single collection of printed work. The books themselves, though, were works of art. The printing was absolutely perfect and the bindings (across the top of the page like an old-style stenographer's pad), though worn, could have been done by a machine. The covers were made of a wood derivative or animal skins, and in a couple of very old cases a synthetic material resembling vinyl.
Johnny didn't have the heart to tell Zdeev that he had the Universal Translator helping him every step of the way as he sounded out the words. Or that his language skills, polished by a lifetime of speaking one of the most difficult of Human languages, had won him awards at Starfleet Academy. In addition to Navajo, Spanish, and English, Johnny also was literate in Ferengi, had a working knowledge of Bajoran and Cardassian, and was attempting to learn the T'rais language before being abandoned on Portanus V. So this will make eight languages I can swear in! he thought.
The Precepts were not so much a book of morality, as the title implied, but a historical chronicle detailing how the Glorious Age had come to an end. Much of it was cloaked in local religious symbolism, but certain details were all too vivid to Johnny. A wall of fire consuming the cities and all the works of mortals. A perfectly round hole leading to the underworld after the fire had passed. Eight days after the hole had appeared, demons known as Ghann set up residence in Topan Valley, south of the hole. The Ghann were fearsome warriors who quickly defeated the local defenses, and had terrorized Portanus V for the past thousand years. According to Sexton Larii, only a restoration of the Glorious Age would drive away the demon Ghann. The Wizard, an adherent to Larii's teachings, had been working toward that end.
Other Sextons, however, had said that the Glorious Age was what had brought the Ghann to begin with. In their view, mortals had begun to tamper with things they had no business even thinking about. Very little elaboration on that point could be found, although Johnny gathered that the Baron was an adherent of these particular Sextons.
Terrific, Johnny thought. I'm caught in the middle of a holy war on top of everything else! Johnny recognized everything that had happened in Larii's account, which was written 540 years after the Day of the Demons.
Someone had apparently decided to invade Portanus V, detonating a weapon of some sort (from the description, Johnny immediately thought of a fusion bomb or a photon torpedo) which destroyed most of the infrastructure on the planet's sole continent. Shock troops followed the invasion and defeated the local troops but were so badly hurt themselves they fell back to an enclave that they occupied to this day. But the Portanans hadn't seen it that way in over a millennium.
Johnny had a stroke of inspiration: "Zdeev, are there any writings about the Ghann? Who they are, what they look like?"
Zdeev looked horrified. "Never, never, never ask anything like that! Even to mention their name is a vile curse!" The clerk then ran from the small library where they had been studying.
So much for that idea! Johnny thought.
Moments later Zdeev returned with Vinzi immediately behind him. "Zdeev tells me you wish to learn the secrets of demons," Vinzi said. "Do not tread on that path. I will advise you no further," he finished, then the two left.
They left Johnny alone, in the library. Johnny had no duties other than as Vinzi's bodyguard, and since Vinzi planned on staying on his own property today Johnny could use the time as he wished. He perused the library more thoroughly. One very old vinyl-covered volume intrigued him. The title was still difficult for him, but it seemed to be some kind of recognition manual. Johnny had read hundreds of these over the years, though admittedly they were all in the form of PADDs or other computer displays.
He flipped through the book. The date on the inside indicated it was written about a year after the Onslaught; the book was nearly a thousand years old! The print was of very high-quality and had deteriorated very little over the years, and the pages had a slick feel to them. At one point the Portanans had phototypesetting, Johnny thought.
Most of the writing was technical and military jargon that was still nearly incomprehensible to Johnny. He could sound it out and get an immediate translation from his Universal Translator, but that would break down whenever he hit an acronym or an idiomatic usage. Now I know how Jenara feels when I take work home!
The pictures needed no translation. Johnny found illustrations of most of the hardware he'd encountered in the field in the past year. And, on a series of pages, photos of an autopsy along with medical jargon to add to the military and technical jargon. The autopsy was of an entity very familiar to Johnny.
"Demons, my ass! These people were invaded by the T'rais!"
Location: USS Virgo
"Sergeant, you've known the Major longer than anyone else here. Can you think of anything that would have caused him to do anything suicidal or irrational?" Benton asked Staff Sergeant Barek Nim, who had just learned of what happened to Johnny. The two were in Johnny's office.
"No, Commander. I'm no great expert on Human psychology, but I can tell you that he'd never been happier in the time that I've known him. Suicide would have been out of character for him unless there were something more involved. He'd willingly sacrifice himself for another, and it looks like that's what he did here. But if anything were bothering him the Major would not have done anything drastic," the old Bajoran replied, inwardly holding back grief such as he had not known in many, many years. "He was like a son to me: the closest thing I'll ever know to one, at any rate. I do know he's had problems in terms of practicing his faith, apparently his religion depends upon the specific geographical location on Earth Major Chee knew as home, but as long as I've known him he's always managed to come to an accommodation. Holodeck programs and so forth. In any case, Johnny believed that suicide would consign one's soul to forever being trapped as a ghost, so I doubt he would have willingly killed himself."
"Interesting," Benton noted. I'll have to explore this aspect further. 7"Do you know of anyone who may have borne any ill feelings toward Major Chee? Any grudges, rivalries, things of that nature?"
"There was a young private, Ivan Zelansky, who had been giving us trouble. I believe his name has come to your attention more than once," Barek answered. Benton nodded upon mention of the name. "But of late he's been one of the best Marines we have. Johnny even assigned him as platoon corpsman and arranged for medtech training for him. If anything, Zelansky owes his commanding officer a great deal."
As if bidden by some unknown power, a com signal came through on Barek's com badge. [Zelansky to Sergeant Barek, we need you on the quarterdeck immediately!]
"On my way," Barek replied. Benton accompanied the sergeant to the Marine enclave.
Awaiting them were Zelansky and Zeg, a Ferengi who had joined the unit after being rescued from the Eriarti six months earlier. Zeg was holding a tricorder, and both of them were standing about four meters from the bulkhead separating Virgo's Marines from the vacuum of space.
"What's going on?" Barek asked.
"Sergeant, Private Zelansky was showing me the proper use of a combat tricorder when we detected the signature of an antipersonnel mine behind this panel," the Ferengi replied, pointing at the bulkhead.
"Let me see." Zeg handed Barek the tricorder. Barek looked at the readings, then handed the tricorder to Benton.
"Is that what I think it is?"
"I'm afraid so, Sergeant," Benton answered. "Everyone, come with me. I'm sealing this compartment."
As soon as the four left the compartment Benton issued a command. "Computer, place this compartment under Security seal. Authorization Benton omega-three-four. Admit only myself or Commander Lataro. Raise a Level Six force field around this compartment."
<Acknowledged.>
"Sergeant, round up your troops and have them report to the Security office. Let them know what's happened. I'll meet you there shortly," Benton ordered.
"Aye, sir." Barek tapped his com badge. "Barek to all Marines: assemble at the Security office per Commander Benton's orders ASAP!" he ordered before heading there himself, Zelansky and Zeg in tow.
Benton's crisp Kelvan mind wasted no time in deducing the meaning of this. With the tricorder in hand, he scanned Johnny's office. Sure enough, another mine: this time behind the unit colors which were hanging on the bulkhead behind Johnny's desk. Benton left the office. "Computer, seal this compartment, same specifications as before, authorization Benton omega-three-four."
<Acknowledged.>
Immediately he started running toward Jenara and Johnny's quarters.
Location: Portanus V
"Personal Journal of Major Johnny Chee, SFMC: Day 96. After weeks of effort, I'm now almost completely literate in the Portanan language. I've also managed to convince Vinzi of what's really happened to his world. As soon as I told him what I'd learned from his library, he became immediately concerned and did more reading on his own. Now he's determined to follow the counsel of the Sextons who have advised rebuilding and taking on the T'rais on an equal footing, or as near as possible.
"Unfortunately, we must get past Baron Kelto first. His spiritual advisors counsel accommodation of the invaders and keeping the Portanan tech level as minimal as possible. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if Kelto's advisors, if not Kelto himself, are on the T'rais payroll. That sounds like something the master would tell the servant, at any rate.
"Baron Kelto is the senior member of the ruling family of Flor, the largest city, in fact, the only place that could truly be called a city, with around 100,000 inhabitants, on Portanus V. However, many of the lesser nobles have broken with him, either siding with the Wizard or forming their own factions. Vinzi is the only serious opposition to Kelto's rule, and has the support of most of the people. However, Kelto controls the army and many of the guilds.
"Given enough people, I could train an army that could eat Kelto's army, which is little more than a mob of undisciplined thugs, for breakfast in a matter of weeks. But that won't help us against the T'rais, who may be supporting him. We'll need better technology than we've got now to do this. So Vinzi's working on the guilds. We've got the Blacksmith's Guild on our side after I showed them how to build a Bessemer furnace. Only it's not called a Bessemer furnace here: it's called a Platzi furnace, after the guy who invented it locally about 1500 years ago. I had to look that one up to keep them from calling it "Johnny's furnace"!!! Platzi's design wasn't bad, but I've added a few extra things to it like scrubbers to keep the air from getting too polluted. A member of the guild came up with sand-casting the next day, so they learn quickly!!! The Alchemist's' Guild is next, although their chemistry is extremely sophisticated for their tech level; the Periodic Table and atomic theory have survived, although their understanding of atoms is limited to the three basic subatomic particles, which is fine and good.
"Because of their prior contact with a warp-capable civilization, the Portanans aren't, in fact, subject to the Prime Directive, so what I'm doing is legal. However, I don't want these people advancing ahead of their own ethics. Nuclear weapons are obviously well beyond their capabilities (apparently gunpowder was only developed again within the past 300 local years), but biological weapons are extremely easy to develop. The Portanans have, in fact, redeveloped antibiotics (which was of enormous relief to me when I cut my hand on Day 52 of my little sojourn here), so I know they've got the capacity to do so. Showing them how to make a bug that would wipe out every T'rais on the planet, though, would be tantamount to giving a fully-charged phaser to an infant.
"Speaking of which, I have been thinking often of Jenara and the baby. Of everyone on the Virgo, who by now have probably given me up for dead long ago, but most particularly of my wife and daughter. How are they faring now? I miss them so much. I may as well start a new life here but don't think I can, as long as there's some hope I'll be coming home. I hope she hasn't given up on me."
"Amazing!" Vinzi exclaimed. "It's not that much different from the rifles we've been using, but the accuracy and the reload rate will be devastating!" he gushed, looking over a prototype of the latest design Johnny had submitted to the Blacksmith's Guild for production. "What did you call it again?"
"It's a bolt-action rifle," Johnny explained. "This handle here is the bolt. Moving it up and back, like this..." Johnny said as he demonstrated "...will eject the spent casing and simultaneously inject a new round into the firing chamber. Grooves called riflings in the barrel cause the bullet to spin, thus allowing it to travel a straighter trajectory over a longer distance. A trained soldier should be able to fire as many as ten aimed shots in one minute with this model, versus the three your musketeers could do on their best days. The brass cartridges are expensive but they do allow greater operational freedom. You won't have to worry as much about wet gunpowder or fowled rounds. It will still accept your standard bayonets and caliber, so that should hold down production costs." The rifle Johnny held was amazingly well-designed for having been machined by people who still called themselves "blacksmiths" and relied upon their (admittedly superior) eyesight to measure things like roundness and interference fit. The efficiency of the basic design, that of a Mauser Gewahr 98k from Earth's Second World War, one Johnny had studied greatly at the Academy, helped tremendously, but without the Portanans' seeming genius at manufacturing and craftsmanship, the design may well have just stayed on paper. The irony is this: a design the Nazis intended to use to subjugate "lesser" races is now being used to liberate a so-called "lesser race"!!!
"Very good. But as I understand warfare, these rifles alone won't be enough to ensure superiority. Don't we need heavier weapons? Cannons, siege engines, and so forth?"
"Those are already being built," Johnny reported. In fact, that was the case. The first of Portanus's Gatling guns were due off the assembly line, another piece of knowledge the Portanans had somehow retained, the next day, with rifle grenades, mortar launchers and bazookas due by the end of the week. Negotiations with the Alchemist's Guild about dry-cell batteries, however, threatened to stall the development of the latter two items, which depended upon a battery for firing. The flame-thrower Johnny had in mind would have to wait until a reliable fuel source could be obtained, either naturally or from the Alchemists.
"How soon can I get troops to train on this stuff?" Johnny asked. "I mean, the rifles will probably be decisive against Kelto's men, but if it's just going to be you, me, and Zdeev this fight's going to be over with rather quickly."
"How many do you need? And what sort of men?"
Let's see... Give me Barek, Lataro, and Benton and I could have this planet cleared out by tomorrow! But they're nowhere to be found, so who do you have? Johnny thought. "For starters, I could use about 128," Johnny said, stopping himself before saying "two hundred" after remembering that the Portanans used base-eight mathematics. "If I can get people, they don't have to be men exclusively, but they do have to be adults, who've already been trained as soldiers or police or bodyguards that would be extremely helpful."
"Most of the trained warriors are on Kelto's side, but occasionally some are captured when we overtake a town. I'll have to go down to the slave pits and see what I can find," Vinzi answered.
I can't believe the support I'm getting from the Wizard! But all of this is coming out of his pocket. I'd better find a way for him to start bringing in some cash before I bankrupt him and he decides none of this is worth the bother.
Location: USS Virgo
Benton arrived at Johnny and Jenara's quarters. Lataro had not yet left.
"Commander, Lieutenant, I need you to vacate these quarters now!" he told them.
"What's going on?" Jon asked.
"I'll let you know in a minute. It's imperative that you leave now, however!" Benton insisted.
The two left. "Computer, place a Security seal on this compartment, same specifications as previously given. Authorization Benton omega-three-four," Benton ordered. The compartment was sealed mechanically and with a force field.
"If you would accompany me to my office, I'll explain what's happening."
Minutes later, in the Security office, Benton explained what was happening.
"This morning two Marines discovered an active antipersonnel mine in their quarters. Using their tricorder readings, I identified an identical mine in Major Chee's office. I can only surmise that another mine was placed in your quarters as well," he told Jenara. "Not knowing what the triggering mechanism is, I felt it prudent to place the affected compartments under Security seal until the mines can be disarmed or the perpetrator apprehended."
Jenara looked stunned. "Good God! Who would do something like that?" Lataro exclaimed.
"There are only four people on board this ship with unrestricted access to all three areas, aside from Johnny and Jenara. I am one of them; you are the other," Benton explained. "The others are the Captain, of course, and Dr. Maruu. Additionally, aside from Johnny only the Captain or the two of us can authorize the replication of antipersonnel mines," he told Lataro. "I find it unlikely in the extreme that Johnny orchestrated any of this. While his prior service record indicates some miscreant tendencies, unprovoked homicide is not in his psychological makeup."
"How can you talk like this?" Jenara exclaimed. "You make him sound like some impersonal face. You knew this man!"
"So I did, ma'am; my apologies. I am trying to analyze this strictly from a law enforcement perspective. It is difficult for me to keep my personal feelings from this investigation as well," Benton told her.
"What all this means is that the incident involving the Limpopo must be viewed in an entirely different light. Even the most severe accident involving the shuttle's system would have given either Johnny or Bortu time to send a distress call. And according to Ensign Bortu the shuttle was under attack by the T'rais, although I don't see how that could be connected to these mines," he continued.
"I think I do, Benton," Jenara told him. She accessed Johnny's personal log. The entry regarding the Kirk salvage mission played for the others to see: along with Johnny's analysis.
"I remember that mission!" Lataro exclaimed. "I told him not to pursue the matter further lest he attract unwanted attention. I had a conversation with the Captain later about this mission. He informed me that Section 31 is operating aboard the Virgo."
The three suddenly stopped and stared at one another.
"That explains a lot," Jenara said. "Either he got too close to them, or they've recruited him for a black operation. I've worked with Section 31 before; they'll stop at nothing to get what they want!"
"And that would include blackmail, mining the quarters of people close to him in order to ensure his cooperation!" Lataro added.
"So the scenario is this: Johnny was approached by an agent or agents of Section 31 with regard to a secret mission. For some reason Johnny refused them, and then was blackmailed by Section 31 into cooperating. Jenara, do Johnny's personal log entries indicate anything that could shed light on this?" Benton asked.
"As a matter of fact, they do. I read several of the entries last night," Jenara answered, almost losing but quickly regaining her composure. "He had a very deep and abiding suspicion of Lieutenant Sinclair and mentioned more than once that the suspicion seemed to be mutual. In addition, his meetings log showed that he met with her the day before... before he left."
"The flight duty log indicates that five qualified pilots who were ahead of Johnny on the rotation were suddenly pulled for medical reasons," Lataro added. "I think Johnny was set up."
Suddenly, Lieutenant Sitto entered the room, Ensign Bortu with him. "I'm sorry to disturb you, sir, but Ensign Bortu had something he wished to add to his statement."
"Yes, please come in, Ensign. You too, Sitto. We'll need you in on this as well," Benton said.
Bortu explained about the tactical programming aboard the Limpopo: that it had been compromised and that the T'rais had worked out countermeasures to the Virgo's entire tactical and countermeasures suite.
Lataro was shocked. "That information can only be released upon authorization of the Captain! We are in deep trouble here! If the main T'rais fleet has this information, the Virgo is helpless!"
"After the Kirk mission I was asked to perform voice analyses on Johnny and the Captain. We should assume that either Captain Maruu has been compromised or someone has figured out how to perfectly impersonate his voice and hack into secure files only he would have access to. I've never sensed any duplicity from the Captain. We can only assume the second option. Given Section 31's involvement I'm afraid that may be more than likely," Jenara concluded.
"People, we've got a major crisis on our hands. Benton, you're ordered to place the Captain and Lieutenant Sinclair under surveillance. I will transmit a formal written order to you to that effect at the conclusion of this meeting. We cannot make a move until we have concrete evidence against them," Lataro ordered. "All we have is circumstantial evidence, although it is pretty damning, and a possible motive. I'm also ordering Johnny's platoon assigned to Security for the time being. That should give you plenty of personnel with whom to handle this situation. Mr. Bortu, I'm assigning you as my aide-de-camp for now. You're our only material witness and I don't want you out of my sight!
"Jenara, you and the baby will stay with my family," Lataro continued. "While you're with us I want you and K'Lara to work on how these countermeasures were hacked, and devise new ones. This should have your top priority!"
"Sir, I don't think the Major is dead," Benton offered. "When I questioned Ensign Bortu, he passed along a message that was apparently intended for Jenara but had a double meaning." He explained his work in astrogation.
"Portanus. That's close to our present course. We may end up with a rescue mission on our hands, and the charges may end up attempted murder rather than murder," Lataro answered. "I will keep the Dawn on standby. As soon as we can, we're headed there!"
"It had better be quickly," another voice said. Everyone turned. Kalmar had materialized within the room quite unnoticed. "You are correct, Benton. Johnny is alive and more or less well on Portanus V. But time is passing much more quickly for him than in this time stream. For you, Johnny's only been gone for a day. But to Johnny, six months have passed. Be warned, however, powers far beyond your comprehension are at work here. I will do what I can to forestall them, but you must deal with the merely mortal aspects of this conspiracy on your own."
At least we've got a little more firepower on our side than we thought, Lataro thought. "All right, we know what we're up against. Let's try and get this resolved before Johnny ends up dead of old age!"
Location: Portanus V
"Personal Journal of Major Johnny Chee, SFMC: Day 174. The Wizard was able to locate 192 recruits for me: the Korath, nomadic tribesmen whose traditions and skills predate even the Day of the Demons. They generally aren't allowed in Flor except as slaves, although the smaller towns that cannot afford large forces of their own hire them for security against the T'rais, or the Ghann, as they're known locally. They are a proud people who remind me much of my own people before they were subjugated and forced onto reservations five centuries ago.
"Much to the Wizard's and my misgivings, the Korath can only be maintained in the city as slaves. But this does not diminish their status as warriors or their abilities. They have mastered the new weapons I've introduced rather quickly, and most are now at least literate in the rebus code used by the uneducated townsmen.
"Baron Kelto has not been inactive, of course. He's been recruiting troops right and left, and although our control over the Blacksmith's Guild, and, as of Day 100, the Alchemist's Guild, should restrict his ability to arm them, somehow he's able to get his hands on weapons in quantities that make our own capacity look distressingly pathetic. In the past month, there have been five assassination attempts against the Wizard. Fortunately the Korath or I have been able to defeat all of the more blatant ones. That only leaves the more subtle ones.
"I've finally hit upon a way to fill the Wizard's coffers again! It dawned on me that while the Portanans are very fine craftsmen and skilled workers, they have very little to do aside from their work. Occasionally, street performers or traveling theater companies will show up in Flor from time to time, and nobles like Kelto keep court jesters and musicians, but the common people by and large live a life of drudgery. What this place needs is a little clean, harmless fun, and I've found a simple way to provide that to them. In cooperation with the Carpenter's Guild, whom we've recently brought onto our side, I've arranged for the production of all manner of board and dice games: Yahtzee, checkers, chess, Parcheesi, Domjat, and simplified versions of Dabo and klin'zha. I even managed to come up with a variant of Chutes and Ladders for the younger set! The games are selling like mad, costing us around a sixty-fourth of a paregi to produce and sold at around a fortieth of a paregi. Well within the reach of even the poorest families, but still quite enough to make us a tidy profit. Others are trying to produce these games, but only those sold by the Wizard are trusted to have fair dice and round marbles! Since pieces are always getting lost, there's plenty of replacement potential as well. In my spare time (such as it is, between guarding the Wizard, training the troops, working on these projects, and keeping this journal), I'm working on a hand-carved marionette. Not only will it be yet another marketable item, it will provide valuable prototypes for the replacement arms and legs we're inevitably going to have to start making once we go up against the T'rais.
"I've been able to bring a little bit of light into the lives of these people, and once we have control of the city we can work on things like public sanitation and mass literacy. My activities are driving the more conservative sextons nuts, but a little dissent is good for any belief system. Still, though, my thoughts keep turning to my old friends on the Virgo. I wonder if they still think of me."
"Your people must be incredible, to have so many wonderful ideas," Taya told Johnny. In the time he had been on Portanus V he had become closer to the clerk Zdeev and his family. Many nights, like this one, Johnny took his evening meal with them. The quarters they shared with their son Tri were tiny and cramped but still were several levels above the rude shacks and filthy boardinghouses in which most of Flor subsided. Likewise, the stew, made with a blue-colored legume that added a paprika-like flavor to the rest of the vegetables and meat in the mixture. Many Portanans counted themselves lucky to have day-old gruel. Something else that needs to be addressed.
"Your people were at least as advanced, at one point. Most of these things, or things similar to them, were ideas they had before the Ghann invaded your world. And one day you'll be able to do all of them again; maybe even surpass what you had in the Glorious Age," Johnny answered.
"Why are you doing all this?" Zdeev asked. "You are a stranger to us. You look nothing like us, you do not subscribe to the teachings of the sextons, and you could easily conquer us and the Ghann alike if you so put your mind to it. I can't believe you're doing this strictly out of altruism!"
Johnny took a bite of his stew. Tri, who would have been roughly toddler-age were he a Human, was sitting next to him. He picked up Tri and set the youngster in his lap.
"Somewhere out there I have a little one about his age," Johnny said. "I see your child and think of my own child. I also have a wife, whom I love very dearly. I see you and Taya, and I think of Jenara," he continued, remarking to himself that this was the first time he'd uttered her name aloud since coming to Portanus V. "Among my race we subscribe to the principle that you should treat others as you wish to be treated. Sexton Jorai of your world referred to it as the First Principle. On my world, many teachers have taught it but it's most commonly called the Golden Rule.
"Were the situations reversed, I would want someone to come to the aid of my wife and my daughter. Therefore, I will do whatever I can for others to merit that treatment. In your case, that meant coming to your aid. As a result, the Wizard took notice of me, of all of us, and spared us from something more insidious. So, I'll do what I can to help the Wizard in return. The Wizard wants control of this city so he can push the Ghann back to where they came from. He has shown himself to be a just and wise ruler, so therefore, I will help him do this."
"Suppose the Wizard wasn't what he appeared to be? Suppose this is all a pretext?" Taya asked.
"In that case, I would be obliged to help remove him from power and place someone more honorable in his place. Where I come from, soldiers are obligated to disobey the orders of unjust rulers, and to help remove them from power if necessary. Fortunately, this has not had to happen in hundreds of years," Johnny answered.
"So you would disobey the Wizard if in your judgment he proved to be unfit?" Zdeev asked.
I see where this is leading, Johnny thought. "If his actions proved to be at variance with the wishes of the people, he would have to be removed. Just as Baron Kelto must be removed now. He oppresses your people and keeps them from developing beyond their present conditions. I will concede that too much development too quickly can be dangerous," he said. And you have no idea just how much I've kept you from, for your own good! "My people have another rule, called the Prime Directive, that keeps us from taking advantage of those who have not attained our levels of technology. Normally I should not interfere at all with your conflict with the Ghann, but this rule also dictates that we must intervene when we see another power taking such advantage. Which is another reason why I act as I do. Your people deserve to develop on your own terms, not those of the Ghann or anyone working for them. Or mine, for that matter. If your people feel the need to rebel against your leadership, and it is genuinely your opinion that things are going wrong, then I will aid in whatever I can. But I will not initiate such a movement."
"How enlightened of you," Zdeev said sourly, then walked out.
What bit him? Johnny thought. He's usually not that touchy!
"You'll have to pardon him," Taya said. "Since Kelto's men attacked our village he's not been the same. He blames himself for the destruction of the village. He tried to negotiate but they didn't listen. Many people... suffered badly at the hands of Kelto's army." Johnny picked up a subtext that perhaps this suffering had been very close to home for Taya. He decided not to pursue it.
"Zdeev was a clerk, not a soldier! Even if he were the best soldier in the world he could not have been able to do much against an entire army! At least he did what he could within his skills. Many men would not have had the courage even to speak with such as Kelto's men! Don't blame him for what happened!" Johnny exclaimed.
"But I'm sure a real soldier could have held them off," Taya told him, her voice lowering. "Maybe you could have saved us." What could have passed as an alluring look amongst the Portanans floated across the table.
I definitely don't like the direction this is taking! Johnny thought. "Excuse me, ma'am, but whatever it is you have in mind I cannot accept. My heart belongs with my wife, and in any case I don't think the hardware is compatible," he said. "Your husband did a very brave thing, attempting to negotiate with a horde of armed men. Courage like that is not found every day and is extremely valued amongst my people. He tried to stand up to
Kelto's men-at-arms in such a manner as you suggest, and you almost lost your son. Be thankful for what you have, and count your blessings that you still have it! If you'll excuse me, the hour is late, and I have a very busy day tomorrow." Johnny set the now-sleeping Tri on his pallet and left the room, returning to his own chamber.
Taya looked up to see that Johnny had already left. She noted that Tri had been bedded down, and assumed that she must have dozed off. She rushed from the room, a sudden urgency to find Zdeev filling her mind.
That was bizarre, Johnny thought as he retired for the evening. His dreams that night were deep but not as troubled as they had been.
~You have nothing to worry about, Jenara,~ a comforting and familiar voice told Jenara as she bedded herself and the baby down in a guest room in the Lataros' quarters. The work restoring the Virgo's tactical programming had been exhausting and Jenara's mind was starting to wander.
~Is that you, Tiadara?~ she thought back.
~Yes, it is I. You need not worry about Johnny. He is among friends and he is every bit the man of honor and integrity you have thought him to be. And he misses you very much!~ Tiadara answered.
~Send him my love,~ Jenara thought.
~I am already doing that.~