The Quiet God (Earth Exiles Book 4) Read online

  Taectis stared at Om Varee, the small, intense dark eyes strangely unsettling, “And that was their fault for not understanding the threat. The soldiers beat Cree automatons when this all started. That in itself should have been a warning to them. Then, the complete loss of the soldiers that they sent into the village.” Once again, Taectis thrummed talons against the top of the desk, “The Lord Caon was a fool.”

  Om Varee shrugged, “The Turinzoni are not known for subtlety, Commander Taectis.”

  “And you think subtlety was called for in this instance?”

  Om Varee steepled his hands in front of his face, elbows resting on the arms of the chair, “I think they should have taken more care when dealing with the unknown.”

  Taectis stopped the thrumming and flicked fingers towards Om Varee, “I doubt your Dostori Rev would have appreciated the Turinzoni taking their time.”

  Om Varee nodded, “You’re correct, Commander. As with the Turinzoni, the Dostori Rev does not appreciate subtlety.”

  Taectis nodded his head, “Yes, I find the truth in that. She is rather more direct than I expected. I’ve received an invitation to join her in her bed.”

  A half smile slipped across Om Varee’s lips.

  Taectis studied Om Varee’s expression, “I believe you’ve have some familiarity with that experience.”

  Om Varee inclined his head slightly without speaking.

  “And? Would you suggest that I accept her invitation?”

  Om Varee hesitated for the barest moment, and then replied, “I’ve found that it is never a good thing to disappoint the Dostori Rev when she wants something.”

  Taectis’ beak clacked as Om Varee’s observation was noted, “Do you have any suggestions on how I could avoid disappointing her?”

  Om Varee looked deep into Taectis’ eyes, “Yes, actually. I suggest that you get a good rest before, and a good sleep afterward. If possible, you might want to bring a friend, possibly two. A night with the Dostori Rev can sap you of your strength if you aren’t careful. Make sure you have nothing planned for the following day.

  Taectis’ hand went flat on the desk, and pounded the flat surface as the beak clacked a staccato rhythm. Om Varee could only hope that whatever the sound Taectis was making was laughter. He’d hate to have to try and revive the commander with that hard beak if he was choking. It sounded more like the later than the former. It sounded horrible, like something was about to burst out of his chest. Taectis laughed for a good minute before the laughter slowly came to a stop with a clatter of the beak and a wheeze from the chest.

  “Ah, that is good, my friend, very good. I haven’t laughed like that in a very long time.”

  Taectis looked at him again, and noticed that Om Varee wasn’t smiling. It took a moment, and then he understood, “You aren’t joking, are you?”

  Om Varee shook his head. He watched realization sink in as Taectis’ expression changed, and a wry smile painted Om Varee’s lips, “no, not at all. You’ll need reinforcements.”

  Taectis thought about that statement, in dismay at what Om Varee had just told him. Disturbed, Taectis brought the subject back to the unknown soldiers, “Well, back to the subject at hand.”

  Om Varee nodded. He reached toward the folds of his robe, and slowed down considerably as Taectis’ hand started reaching for the pistol. Friends or not, wine or not, it never was a good idea to move too quickly around a cautious, trained killer. Slowly, Om Varee pulled aside a fold of his robe to reveal a curled data paper. When Taectis understood that there was no danger, he pulled his hand back. Om Varee slowly pulled out the curled plastic paper, and handed it over to Taectis.

  “This is, as far as I can tell from the evidence that was left behind, what occurred during each one of the battles.”

  Taectis took the proffered plastic paper, and opened it up, “Any suggestions, observations?”

  Om Varee took a deep breath and nodded, “Yes, though you’ll not like, and probably won’t take, my advice.” He studied Taectis intently, and then he continued, “My advice is this: If you leave them alone, they’ll leave you alone. If you attack them, they will do everything they can to destroy you. They are an unknown quantity. We have no idea where they came from. We have no idea where they go when they are finished.”

  Another one of those hideous, choking laughs came out of Taectis, “They sound like specters, ghosts, demons.”

  Om Varee leaned back again, “I have no idea about that, but they seem to be very adaptable and ingenious. They were able to use one of the Dostori Rev’s own biologicals against the Turinzoni.”

  Taectis looked up from the paper, “You sound like you admire them.”

  Om Varee nodded, pointing at the paper, “I think you will as well, once you’ve read the report. They are adaptable and tenacious.”

  Taectis motioned at the e-paper, “Do you mind?”

  Om Varee shook his head, “No, not at all. That’s why I brought it.”

  Taectis started skimming through the material. Taectis took a few minutes to look at the information, then turned off the paper, laid it on the table, and again, motioned toward it, “Do you mind if I keep this?”

  Om Varee raised his hand, and motioned like he was handing the paper to Taectis, “No, I don’t. It is yours to keep. I have copies.”

  One of Taectis’ talons tapped on the electronic paper, “I wonder, why did they attack the Turinzoni base?”

  Om Varee shrugged, “Unknown. It is strange, though, that they freed all of the slaves. Plus, it seems as if the death of the slaves in the basement laboratory induced the murder of the bio-engineers.”

  “How do you come to that conclusion?”

  “Well, mainly based on time of death relative to each other. The chief engineer died in the basement. I believe he was killed after they found the bodies. The engineers in the warehouse were killed next. Also, all of the slave corpses were taken. This indicates that the soldiers, and their primitive allies, took the bodies for a reason. Everything seems to indicate that they value their dead, and bury them due to sentimental and ceremonial reasons. This may be possibly due to their religious, or other cultural beliefs.”

  Taectis digested Om Varee’s analysis slowly, “It is possible, but unlikely. Most soldiers give mouth to the idea of a higher being, but they rarely mean it. I have a problem believing that men who subscribe to a higher power would be so efficient at killing. They would have to compartmentalize their beliefs to do so.”

  Om Varee waved this concern away with a hand, “But, we have examples of this type of thing in other hominid races.”

  Taectis nodded, “Yes, we do, but it is very rare.”

  “That is very true, but the ones that do have these beliefs make very capable soldiers.”

  Taectis inclined his head, conceding Om Varee’s point, “This fact is true. We faced the Pagistii. They believe in their god, and his afterlife. They are absolutely brutal on the battlefield.” He picked up the wine bottle and poured more into his cup. He motioned for Om Varee. Om Varee picked up his cup and held it while Taectis poured.

  Taectis waited until they’d both sat back in their chairs, and then continued, “And, I understand that you have sources in the Turinzoni to keep you up to date about what’s occurring?”

  Om Varee shook his head, “Not anymore. The Lord Caon did DNA tests on all of the corpses. My spies were listed among the dead.”

  Taectis took a drink, “Ah, what a shame. We need to know what is occurring on that side of the world. I’m not inclined to believe anything that the Turinzoni send me.”

  Once again, Om Varee motioned toward the report he’d give Taectis, “Well, as you can see from the report, the death of the Lord Caon has loosened tongues among the Turinzoni. We’re getting much more information now than we did previously. I think the Lord Caon’s pickled head may have had something to do with that.”

  Taectis’ eyebrows rose at this last bit of information, “She pickled his head?”

  Om
Varee nodded, “After the torture session, she had his head cut off. She kept it on a tray in her room until it started to smell. The insects were horrible, and a distraction. She had it dropped into a solution to keep it from decaying further. Before she sent it to his home planet, she had every Turinzoni soldier look at it it, just to get her point across.”

  “Has it done any good?”

  Om Varee shook his head, “They fear her, probably more than they did before, but they are still the soldiers that the Lord Caon trained. Fear can only drive a soldier so far.”

  Taectis nodded, “I agree with you about that. Soldiers need a sense of duty and honor to operate effectively. Otherwise, they are no more than thieves and brutish murderers. They need to have a sense that they serve a greater purpose.”

  Another drink, and another question from Taectis, “How do you think I should handle this problem?”

  Om Varee shook his head, “That is not for me to tell you, Commander. You lead your soldiers. I only give advice, and try to give you a decent operational picture of the enemy. The choices are yours.”

  Taectis put his hand palm down on the table, and looked directly at Om Varee, “Okay, let me restate the question. If you were commander, how would you handle the problem?”

  Om Varee took a moment to consider the question, then he glanced at Taectis, “Honestly, I would leave them alone. They’ve not lost a single battle. To go after them is to waste the lives of your men.”

  Taectis leaned his head back against his seat, “Unfortunately, I don’t have that option in my contract. I have to find and kill these ‘ghost’ soldiers as quickly as possible.”

  Om Varee inclined his head, “Then you will lose men.”

  Taectis pointed a finger at Om Varee, “This is possibly true. But, such is the business that we are in. I’ve lost men before.”

  Om Varee nodded, “Just so. And that is why I doubted that you would heed and take my advice.

  Taectis shook his head, “No, you are mistaken. I will heed your advice, but unfortunately, circumstances dictate that I cannot follow it.”

  Om Varee nodded his understanding.

  Taectis continued, “I believe the Dostori Rev wants the indigenous hominids removed permanently.”

  “Yes. She’s worried that someone who seeks advantage would use the ‘rights’ of the indigenous hominids to curtail her operations on this planet.”

  Taectis took another drink, “It is always so. Everyone seeks advantage.”

  Om Varee nodded, “Business is war.”

  Taectis agreed, “And, for me, war is business. I believe it has always been so. But, I cannot change the conditions of my contract. I have to find, fix, and kill these soldiers. I have a limited time to do so.” He stopped and looked at Om Varee, “So, unfortunately, there will be combat, my men against these ghosts, these specters.”

  Om Varee inclined his head, understanding Taectis’ operational timetable and limits.

  Taectis sat, lost in thought for a moment, then asked, “Have there been any more battles with these ‘specters?’

  “Yes, there have been four,” Om Varee replied.

  “And, what happened?”

  “Turinzoni went in to capture more slaves. Each time, they were slaughtered.”

  “By these soldiers? Or others?”

  Om Varee nodded, “Yes, we think it was by the same soldiers. The Turinzoni were killed with ammunition that seems to have been stolen from the Turinzoni compound.”

  “So, either the same soldiers conducted the attacks, or they gave rifles and ammunition to those that did.”

  “Possibly. It seems that the ones who conducted the ambushes had combat training as well. The ambush sites were perfect. The Turinzoni soldiers had no way of returning fire before they were cut down. Only someone with an understanding of fields of fire would have the knowledge to set up such an ambush. The primitives in the area have no experience with firearms.”

  Taectis stared at Om Varee, “And, someone who had knowledge about where to set up the ambushes coordinated the attacks. It seems that the price of doing business in the mountains has gone up.”

  “Yes, it has. Now, with the extra weapons dispersed throughout the villages and tribes, more Turinzoni will be targeted while conducting their duties.”

  Taectis waved this concern away, “That is their problem, not mine. My only problem is how to find and kill these soldiers.”

  “Good luck with that. Others have tried, and we still don’t know where they come from or where they are hiding out.”

  Taectis studied the report, and seemed to come to a decision. He rose from behind the desk, and bowed to Om Varee, “Thank you for coming to me and sharing your insights.” He tapped the paper, “I will study this closely, and disseminate it to my soldiers so they have awareness of the situation.”

  Om Varee knew when he was being dismissed. He stood and returned the bow, “It was my pleasure. I hope I was able to help.”

  Taectis smiled, “You’ve helped, more than you know.” He placed his hands on the desk, palms flat, “But, there is one specific thing you can help me with.”

  Om Varee tilted his head to the side, “What would that be?”

  “We are short on aerial surveillance platforms. Could we use your satellites for imagery? I understand you have thermal imaging capabilities as well?

  Om Varee nodded, “Yes, I can get you access to those capabilities. Please, have your technicians contact mine and my technicians will give them access.”

  Om Varee produced a card with contact information for his office and handed it to Taectis. Taectis took the card, and placed it on his desk next to the report. Then he pressed a button on the desk. Om Varee could hear the heavy footsteps that indicated Fancheion was coming.

  Taectis motioned toward Fancheion as he entered, “Fancheion, please show my guest out.” Taectis walked around the desk and placed his hand on Om Varee’s arm, a display of intimacy that Om Varee wasn’t expecting, “Please, Fancheion will show you out.”

  Om Varee bowed again, “Please contact me if you need anything else.”

  Taectis nodded, “Thank you, I will.”

  Om Varee turned and followed Fancheion out of the office. As Om Varee stared at Fancheion’s back, he thought about the meeting that he’d just had. Taectis was intelligent, insightful, and seemed to be, from the little interaction that he’d just had, technically and tactically proficient at what he did. Unlike the Lord Caon, and other leaders that Om Varee had been around, there was no bluster or arrogance about him. All in all, Commander Taectis seemed to be a very capable commander.

  Om Varee was very impressed with Taectis, which, of course, did not sit well. The last thing Om Varee needed was a capable commander going out to hunt down the soldiers that he’d seen on the video. He needed those soldiers alive and conducting operations to divert the attention of the Dostori Rev. With them in play, the situation would divert the Dostori Rev so that Om Varee could accomplish his mission. He was so close to achieving his goals. Once this mission was accomplished, he could move further up the chain.

  The Dostori Rev was a minor part in this game, one that Om Varee needed to eliminate so that he could move toward his ultimate goal. He needed her to fail, and for him to be seen as the instrument of that failure. But, his ultimate target was the long game, the strategic goal. Right now, he needed to concentrate on the short game, the tactical to get there.

  Fancheion led him to the front door, opened it, and motioned for Om Varee to exit. Fancheion had no words for Om Varee as he stepped through the door, nor would Om Varee have heard them had he said anything. The door shut behind him, and the Dinshani fell into their tight diamond around him as he walked back to his own apartment.

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  Taectis watched Om Varee leave, and then turned and walked back around the table to the chair. Taectis sat down, unrolled the report, and started reading it in earnest, hoping to glean some insight i
nto the new adversaries. A few minutes later, Fancheion stepped through the door to the office.

  Fancheion took a seat opposite Taectis and poured wine into the cup that Om Varee had been using. He leaned back, stretched his legs out, crossed one ankle over the other and hooked a thumb back in the direction that Om Varee left by, “What was all that about? Wine? Really?”

  Taectis looked over the top of the report at Fancheion, “I want to get a measure of the man.”

  “Do you trust him, Shaedur?”

  Taectis looked at Fancheion, “I don’t even trust you, Shomcuer. Why would you expect that I would trust an alien thregari? No, there is little there to trust. It seemed that he was open with me, but I have no doubt there are hidden agendas there.”

  A grimace crossed Fancheion’s face, as if he’d just eaten something distasteful, “Ah, but he seemed very helpful.” Fancheion pointed at the report, “I’m sure he put all the necessary information right in there for you.”

  Taectis tapped the report, “That would indeed be a first. When, in all the commissions that we’ve taken, have the thregari we work for given us all the pertinent information?”

  Fancheion grabbed the bottle, and upended the last of the contents into his cup. He shrugged, “Well, as long as I’ve served this brigade,” he paused, arching his head back, looking up at the ceiling as if he was contemplating the question, “never.” His eyes dropped back down, “They always keep something back, something that will invariably cost us money in the long run.” He swigged from his cup again, “There is, however, always hope that they won’t try to screw us this time.”

  Taectis watched with humor as Fancheion drank the last of the wine. Fancheion was a hard drinking man. The wine would leave him in a stupor tonight. But, he was the perfect soldier. He was a hard drinker in garrison, but he never drank when he was on mission.